WE truly are a weird - and seemingly inconsiderate - lot and the pandemic has taken that trait to new heights.
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The NSW Government in an ill considered brain snap removed the mandatory wearing of masks in shops and public indoor places except for public transport.
The result? The population at large, obviously not prepared to make their own value judgement of a dire situation, decided the danger was over and now throw caution to the winds.
Fact is the pandemic is far from over. New cases in the thousands are emerging every day along with a roll call of those who didn't make it out the other side.
Calls by the medical profession to protect yourself and your fellow shoppers by the simple act of wearing a mask for a short time have fallen on deaf ears for all but a sensible few, even though the inconvenience is very minor.
That's not very bright and not very considerate. In fact it's dumb.
Wake up folks and help protect each other. It's not that difficult.
Otherwise Dominic and Co, bring back the mandate that should never have been removed.
Showing the way
WITH another cash splash available for work on Cook Plaza the time is opportune to rectify a glaring failure that seems to have eluded all on our Council. With the number of day tripper visitors obviously increasing there is an urgent need for clearly defined tourist information to be displayed in the plaza, indicating on a user friendly notice board the attractions, walking distance and the like. It's not that difficult. It just needs to be simple to interpret, unlike the stylish but challenging creations that now exist. There is not even clear signage to those colourful pubic dunnies that are a popular attraction in themselves. In years gone by the Mercury Office provided a convenient free CBD information service with material provided by the Visitor Centre but that's no longer an option. It shouldn't be too hard, particularly with that new cash splash.
Reality bites
"THIS is Third World stuff' an astonished commentator said this week as we headed back into the Dark Ages with our energy systems on the brink of failure in the first demands of Winter. It's a case of clean energy chickens coming home to roost well before the roost was ready to accommodate them. Idealistic ambition is no match for rational thinking but rational thinking is blowing in the winds of change demanded NOW by the clean and green lobby, assorted crusading billionaires (who live in a rarified world anyway) and populist pollies who deep down realise the fallacy of this headlong rush but are afraid to admit it. Perhaps now there's a reality check to bring coal fired power and more of it, not less, back into the equation. When the lights go out and the heating fails people's lives are literally at risk. It's time to balance the priorities in this Third World country. Welcome to our world.
The great outdoors
ACCORDING to a once popular music hall ditty it's mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. But how about mad campers under canvas in the coldest start to our Winter in more than 30 years? We had a wind chill factor well into sub zero territory during the holiday weekend but there they were in all their determined shivering glory at Lake Wallace and Lake Lyell while the rest of us were struggling to find warmth behind bricks and mortar. Gives a new meaning to 'roughing it'. Are we having fun yet?