No mask strap and no fin straps

I had an interesting dive guide on Mactan Island, he got around underwater with half foot fins, no booties and no fin straps to hold his fins in place.

He just used water pressure to hold his mask in place as he had no mask strap. Easy enough entering the water, he just held the mask in place and then let go of it once below the surface. To be fair, they never went far from the dive shop, it was mostly close diving.

Interestingly, many years ago I did two dives when a client I was guiding broke a mask strap once we were already in the water after entering the water from a long pier. Too difficult to get spares at that point with the whole group in the water so I just swapped masks for the two dives.

My dive guide on the other hand began every dive without a mask strap, more a gimmick than anything as every dive shop has spare mask straps as they are a cheap item. This was a relatively small operation but they had a number of decent size banca boats to choose from.

I dive for myself now

My days of employment as a dive guide and dive instructor are well behind me, I still dive but not in a professional capacity anymore.

I'm fine with this arrangement, I don't want the responsibility of looking after other people and want to dive for myself these days. That makes me less than an ideal dive partner if you are inexperienced and just starting out; as a paying customer I am there to maximise my dive experiences.

The role of the dive staff are create memorable experiences for their customers, the last thing they want is customers getting in and possibly causing issues with how the shop is run. Further complications such as insurance then arises if something goes terribly wrong.

Legalisation such worker’s compensation may not cover customers taking it upon themselves to instruct divers and any injuries based on your advice may see you with a legal bill. The dive shop may have preferences in terms of the continuing education they offer, it is, after all their livelihoods at stake here.

The Omega Skywalker X-33

In some respects the Speedmaster has remained fairly static over the years, as a watch enthusiast we are still able to go out and purchase a moonwatch with close to NASA specifications.

There have been modest changes over the last 60 years with enthusiasts arguing over references but you are still able to purchase a moonwatch with a hesalite crystal and 1861 hand wound movement.

The older collectible series feature the Lemania 321 and 861 movements with the 321 particularly sought out among collectors as these references were used in the Gemini and Apollo missions.

The Speedmaster has moved forward with the Skywalker X-33 whilst maintaining some of the aesthetics that people related to the original Speedmaster. For me, this timepiece is more aesthetically related to the TAG Heuer Kirium of the 1990s than it is to the Speedmaster. 

The Skywalker X-33 maintains a combination of digital and analogue housed in a titanium case. Astronauts had input with the next generation of Speedmaster targeting the aerospace and aviation industries.

The Skywalker X-33 was developed for European Space Agency specifications featuring three time zones, a chronograph, mission elapsed time, phase elapsed time, three alarms, a timer which I translate to a stopwatch and a perpetual calendar.

Regardless of whether the Skywalker X-33 was specifically developed for the European Space Agency, $7100 is pretty expensive for a quartz movement. I understand development costs are involved; still, that's a pretty hefty price tag.

Will I go out and purchase a Skywalker X-33? The answer is no, but I may try one on next time I am in an Omega boutique. That's a lot of money for a digital watch, I am old school and love mechanical timepieces.

Unintended consequences - this is really hurting who?

The trade war started by China against Australia is escalating; however, Xi Jinping has seriously underestimated the consequences of his actions. The intention is to subdue Australia into submission, the Chinese government view is they cannot succeed as this undermines Chinese prestige around the world. 

This is really a case of the rule of unintended consequences, Winnie the Pooh might be achieving his political aims, the economic losses are mounting. China does not wish to be questioned by a much smaller nation in terms of population and economic size. This is very much an embarrassment to the CCP. 

Yes, industries are hurting from barley, lobster fishing to wine, this is devastating to the people employed in these industries. This is off-set by iron ore exports with the iron ore price rising to seven year highs. This is affecting Chinese steel mills, yes, their output has increased as they recover from their Covid-19 downturn.

The Chinese construction industry faces increasing costs, China has increased iron ore imports from higher cost suppliers with lower grades. Now Chinese industries are being hurt, costs are increasing and from an Australian government revenue perspective, this is increasing taxation receipts and decreasing pressure on government revenues - well played.

European train journeys

I love train journeys, we have some decent train journeys in Australia from the Indian Pacific, the Ghan and there is even a Perth to Bunbury service. I haven't used the East coast trains much, I have seen more of Europe and South East Asia than the East coast of Australia.

The train from Singapore to Bangkok interests me, So far I have only taken it as far Butterworth to get to Penang. I will take more trips through the East coast of Malaysia stepping off every so often to visit islands and through to Bangkok in the future.

When in Europe my preference is catching the various train services from the ICE, that's Inter City Express. There is the IC, or Inter City (national reisezug) trains, the S-bahn in German that is local trains.

The choices don't end there as the Eurocity (EC) is the international service between countries, the Regional Express (RE), the Inter Regional Express (IRE) and the Stadtbahn that doesn't offer First Class coaches.

There is an advantage of driving, you can go where you want when you want, but for me, the train is the best option as I can relax, read a book and gaze out the window. That being said, I have been on more than enough car journeys through Europe.

I can enjoy the sights and not concern myself with parking hassles, dents, dings and scratches. Then, the issue in the larger cities is actually finding the vehicle again, they have to be parked far from the centre so you need to remember where you actually parked the car.

Was Covid conceived in a Wuhan lab?

The WHO investigation into the origins of Covid-19 was a bust, China is accused of withholding vital raw data and not assisting the WHO investigation. 

The interim report has now been withheld and a new team needs to go back in and investigate with further powers. Basically, the report is scrap and headed to the shredder, this requires a far ranging scope with powers of investigation that it currently does no possess. 

The United States is pushing the Wuhan lab theory, but do they have the evidence to back up their claims? Given the US response to Covid-19 was possibly one of the worst in the world, the US President totally mismanaged the response.

Furthermore, Donald Trump’s statements have been less than presidential, it has been argued that this has led to attacks on Asian [particularly Chinese] people in the US. The statements Trump made about the Chinavirus could be claimed to deflect from the absolutely useless response of his government.

Was the Wuhan market the origin of the coronavirus? Well, it certainly needs to be investigated as the Wuhan market might not have been the origin of the virus, but where cases first showed up. We need more than potential causes, we need the truth.

What is known is the CCP has a biological weapons capability and conducts research. What has already been discussed is the Wuhan Institute of Virology has been involved in biological research. Whilst many nations engage in biological weapons, they need to come clean on their research.  

What has been reported was Wuhan Institute of Virology lab workers were falling ill around August 19. The US State Department has released a fact sheet on January 16, the US State Department has revealed that the CCP has prevented interviews with Wuhan Institute of Virology staff.

What is concerning is the State Department released this information was released in the last days of the Trump Administration. So this gives us two real options, they were being vindictive and released unsubstantiated reports as fact. Or, they needed to release this information so the incoming administration couldn’t bury the details.

Do I have an answer? No, I do know know the reasons for the timing of the US State Department release in the last days of the Trump Administration. What we do know is the CCP has not been open and allowed the virus to escape Chinese borders.

Regardless of the origins of Covid-19, would the CCP intentionally release the virus, I would absolutely say no. This has hurt the very markets China sells into and causing damage to the output. Was it an accidental release, that is of course a possibility and needs proper investigation.

If this is proved to be false then that would vindicate the Wuhan Institute of Virology, that is the intention of the enquiry. The world needs to know the origins of the coronavirus to prevent further pandemics and to assist in future preparation. 

If the CCP continues to prevent an open discourse, then it would tend to indicate they are actually hiding something and the more they cover up, the more suspicious the world becomes. This is causing damage to the credibility of the CCP and their ambitions of becoming a world superpower.

Hanging out in Zurich

Having a place to stay really makes a holiday, you can spend time in a city relaxing and getting to actually know a little bit about the city. The days spent on the top floor of the building hanging out on the balcony in the afternoon and evenings sipping on Bordeaux were memorable.

Looking out from the balcony over the street, a morning coffee leaning against the rail being careful not to dislodge the plants, it was a quiet street for vehicles but had plenty of interesting pedestrian traffic.

When Iris headed out to work, it was time to wander around the city of Zurich exploring; although her apartment was not in the city centre, I really enjoyed the daily walk to get to my destination - the longer the better and I enjoyed the exercise.

No camera

When I started travelling in a serious manner, it was before the internet, mobile phones and digital cameras. I never took a camera with me, there were rolls of film to carry around with you to later develop. It was a hassle I didn't need.

My philosophy was back then that I would keep travelling and not worry about past trips, that way I would always be seeking new adventures and destinations to visit. That was when I was young, fit and muscular, I was in pretty good condition - this is no longer the case.

My memory is still good, I admit, I don't remember every day of a trip as those trips went for three to six months at a time. Back then, a two week trip was just a short break from work before getting back into it. A three to six month trip meant resigning from my job before returning to Perth to earn some money to pay for the next trip.

As I was either working flat out, well over eighty hours per week when I returned, I never much thought about photography or where I had just been - there was just work and rest. When I was away overseas - I was living. I felt back then I was too busy doing it to ever bother photographing these activities.

Funnily enough, the rare photographs I had of this period were taken by other people and mailed to my parent’s address in Perth, they then had an idea where I was and what I was up to, who I was with and what I was doing. This is the only records I have of these trips. Apart from passport entries and stamps, I have no other record of these trips.

Never rely on the age pension

The pension age in Australia has been bumped up to age 67 previously from age 65, it was expected to be further hiked to age 70 but the new Morrison government in one of their first moves was to resist pressure - at least for the time being.

One suspects this was more a political move than a financial consideration, they are acutely aware of their voting cohort and likely poll results in 2019. For this very reason, they decided to reverse the previous decision to raise the retirement age to 70. Blue collar workers such as shearers, welders, construction workers and labourers will really struggle those final 5 years and need all the assistance available.

This is exactly the reason I believe all blue collar workers need to educate themselves on the intricacies of superannuation and retirement options. They above all should be organising their retirement plans and seeking financial advice or alternately getting involved in educational programs to learn retirement planning as an important life skill.

One should never rely on the age pension, this is purely a contingency plan for those unable to support themselves once their employment life has ended. The 9.5 superannuation levy imposed upon employers is really our money, we were forced to forego current pay rises for future retirement planning.

Really, all employees should at least match employer contributions and/or negotiate improved retirement plan participation. One can not rely on the age pension, this is especially true when Australia has an aging population that can either be remedied by increasing migration or providing greater conditions for families.

The age pension was never designed to provide a quality of life expected by many, this is a payment to protect vulnerable older people who do not possess enough assets to support themselves. It is not a right for years of paying tax through work, people who have never worked a day in their life are still eligible for the age pension once they hit the age requirements.

Pension payments for a large portion of the federal budget and governments are unlikely to be raised to levels expected. The age pension is a payment that keeps the majority of pensioners on or slightly below the poverty line, it has served its purpose and I can't see it raised to levels pensioners desire or expect.

Paid toilets

I still can't get used to paying for toilets, coming from Perth, this just isn't something that we are really used to. I understand running facilities comes at a cost, but every property owner pays rates in their locality. I don't think we should start back charging non-locals is the answer.

I recall a line up at the train station in Cologne, there was a long line for the toilets with an entry barrier requiring €1 to enter. There was even a change machine at the entrance where a separate line was required to have the right change ready, then for the women, a new line existed.

This was a serious money making exercise, I didn't hang around long enough to do the maths, but if 15 people went through in the minute I was lining up and I multiply by sixty, we can see they are turning over €900 per hour - this is a pretty decent little business.

Setting my nephew in the right direction

After my nephew turned eighteen, he completed secondary school better known as high school here. He won't be attending university, I was looking to help get him an apprenticeship in a technical trade as soon as he completes high school, that didn't happen right away unfortunately, but he got there.

Now he has an apprenticeship, I will be making sure he signs up to an industry superannuation fund. I would choose Australian Super for him and will advise him on such matters. I will hope he will match employer contributions so he won't face the issues his father or myself faced when we began paid employment.

He will initially complain about a lack of disposable income no doubt, this especially hurts on apprentice wages. But setting the foundation of saving for retirement at the beginning of his working life will pay dividends in the long-term. A little short-term pain for long-term gain is required, setting him on a path of saving that will change his life.

He enjoys the folly of youth, he has a pretty full social calendar. Sure, he spends a little too much on the party lifestyle, he burns through his money. As his uncle, I need to exert some influence making sure he is headed in the right direction in life. Ultimately, it is his life to lead - I am pretty sure he will strike a balance between living and saving. 

Countering cyber attacks

When the Australian government announced during the covid-19 pandemic Australia was under cyber attack by a state based actor, it didn't take a great deal of detective work to identify the potential culprits.

Firstly, you need to ask yourself which country has both the capability and motivation to launch these cyber attacks. The state based actors with the capability and motivation include Russia, North Korea, Iran and China and without too much analysis you can narrow it down to two potential adversaries.

As China has been displeased with Australia for demanding, then succeeding in organising an official investigation into the origins of coronavirus, so there is pretty much one potential state based actor.

Ok, cyber attacks have previously been traced back to a location in China, so we need to ask ourselves, what is next? The Australian government didn't name the country launching these attacks in what can be viewed as a diplomatic protocol.

The government was sending a clear message, we know who it is but we won't yet name you in a public forum just yet. We do reserve the right to publically name and shame the regime in the future if these attacks do not stop.

Apart from the international humiliation, what options does Australia have? Is it possible for Australia to retaliate and coordinate a cyber attack on this facility? If so, what are the ramifications?

Is this an act of war? Pretty much future conflicts will include taking out assets and infrastructure and rendering them inoperative. What about another scenario, we know China has been engaging in cyber attacks and intellectual property theft of private corporations, universities and government agencies.

So, if we retaliate, what don't we target Chinese businesses, facilities such as educational institutions and scientific organisations? The question has been asked of us, what are we going to do about this?

The TAG Heuer S/el

I have been a fan of TAG Heuer for a while, my friend Steve owned a magnificent example of a gold TAG Heuer and I decided I wanted one too. 

We were working on the island of Guam in the mid to late 1990s, the local shops were happy to do deals with locals who could provide proof of living on the island and an addition discount if you were employed on the island too, I was pretty happy as I met both criteria.

Being a diver, an S/el chronograph was my choice of timepiece at the time. Back then we were decompression diving from tables and needed to accurately monitor the time of each decompression stop and the S/el was an excellent choice of timer.