It’s been an interesting day so far. I just hope it doesn’t get any more interesting.

I went out to my car, the Verada, parked in the laneway this morning and noticed the driver’s door slightly ajar. Uh oh. I’d opened the bonnet yesterday to top up the power steering fluid and must have forgotten to lock the car afterwards.

I found the glove box open and also the centre arm rest. Nothing missing, nothing to steal in the car. But thankfully, I noticed straight away that the one thing of value, my TomTom GPS was still in place on the windscreen, just partly hidden behind a reflective sun screen. Either the thief didn’t want it or just didn’t see it. It would have been dark.

Once I’d had a good look and sworn a bit, I just slowly drove off and as I turned a corner the rear passenger door swung open – it wasn’t closed. Then I noticed the door warning light and found the tailgate was also unlocked, so he’d had a good look through. But as I said, there was nothing in the car worth stealing, except the GPS and he didn’t take that. Another near miss.

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OK, I got to the medical centre for my podiatrist appointment and found a Stop sign and a small queue to reach a table outside the entry door with a suited-up and masked nurse. We had to join the queue, keeping 1,5m spacing, read a declaration, use hand sanitiser, then when we reached the nurse, read and sign a declaration while she took our temperature with a non-contact thermometer. Phew!

My temperature was 36.6C, so I’m a cool customer.

No other dramas inside. I asked and they said no, it’s just that they’re required to follow a protocol. Fair enough, I’m happy about it. It’s for my protection as much as theirs.

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Then I went on to my usual Clarkson shopping centre for my usual Friday lunch and grocery shop. The car park was pretty full and although the centre seemed quieter than usual, there were plenty of people there.

I used the Coles hand sanitiser which is always there to clean our trolley handles, but apart from that, everything looked normal. Things will probably change in coming months but it’s OK so far.

However, things have really changed just in general in the past two or three weeks haven’t they? I’m not alarmed but wow, I reckon this is just the beginning. We’ll see a lot more changes in the rest of the year.

I thank my lucky stars that I have no problems – no job to lose, a regular pension income which I can’t imagine will stop, no debts to speak of, no dependants to worry about, a comfortable home that I’m in no danger of losing, plenty to do and enough money to do it and enjoy my life. And I live in one of the most pleasant places in the world. What more could I ask?

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Actually, in my opinion, this is the beginning of the end of the world, or the end of this civilisation. Dramatic? Yeah, maybe, but …

All the signs are there:

• There’s no question that the planet is heating beyond acceptable limits. It’s scientific fact, not open to debate any longer;
• This heating won’t stop, even if the world suddenly became virtuous and did the right things. Not while Trump and Bolsonaro and the Liberals here are in power;
• The drought in the east was the first major climate event;
• That led to the catastrophic bushfires last summer;
• There’s not a week goes by without more news of sea level rise, ocean degradation, declining fish stocks, dying coral, animal and insect extinctions… the list is endless. We are killing the Earth;
• Now a small change in a piece of DNA in an overcrowded and unhygienic meat market in China has set off a pandemic;
• That’s leading to a major crash of the world’s financial systems;
• That means a worldwide depression with mass unemployment and real hardship.

These are just a few signs. I haven’t mentioned the incredible greed of the eight billionaires who hold half the world’s wealth. Half the world’s wealth in the hands of only eight men, men who screw their employees and pay almost no tax.

I am totally pessimistic. I do not see this civilisation surviving when it goes on this way. The Earth and oceans are being poisoned. The planet is out of balance. I pity the young kids, they are going to face absolutely huge problems which will not be overcome, as long as the billionaires are there blocking the way. There will be catastrophe on catastrophe. I’m not joking, I’m deadly serious. Sorry.