Just as it appeared our fear of the pandemic was subsiding this week, World War III looks set to erupt.
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Honestly, I hope that's not the case in Ukraine, but it feels like the world can't take a trick at the moment.
Russia's move into Ukraine reminds us that history has a habit of repeating itself and that we're never really that far from adding a new question to the HSC History exam.
Back in my day it used to be "Discuss the causes of World War I", possibly the Boer War, maybe even Crimea if you could remember back that far.
Now we're back to Crimea again and I'm not sure much has changed.
In between there's been World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on.
And they've all had more or less the same causes like 'Nationalism', 'Expansionism', 'Bloody-Minded Insanity' and 'The Last War'.
It raises the time-honoured question put so succinctly by the likes of Edwin Star and Frankie Goes To Hollywood:
War (huh, yeah), What is it good for? Absolutely nothing (Say it again, y'all).
Maybe we should try forgetting the causes and start trying to remember some lessons.
Like how everyone suffers in war, and every time we go to war the price of petrol goes up, and that if you're lucky, you should try and avoid living in interesting times. If not areas of strategic importance.
But I don't think super powers and oligarchs care about that stuff.
The annexation of territory in Ukraine is a global concern because it green lights a potential geo-political free-for-all.
Imagine if China, for example, took the opportunity to make a play for Taiwan - that island formerly called Formosa and often referred to as Chinese Taipei if you want to annoy Beijing. Or re-write history.
President Xi seems to refer to it these days as "mine" and I wonder if that's what he and Vladimir Putin were talking about during the Winter Olympics.
The timing of their meeting was uncanny and Vlad has certainly marched forward with confidence since - into Ukraine, as a 'peacekeeper', with tanks.
It's caused commentators to dust off classic HSC buzz words like belligerence, state sovereignty and sabre-rattling no less.
I can't remember the last time I wore a sabre, but I'm feeling rattled.
There's the unmistakable feeling that fuses are being lit, and all it will take is a spark.
Before Iraq it was weapons of mass destruction.
Turns out there weren't any in Iraq, but this time round everyone's got plenty.
Hopefully cool heads prevail and the situation resolves.
Otherwise I'm reminded of those words from Midnight Oil, who were in town this week rocking the Entertainment Centre.
The rich get richer, The poor get the picture, The bombs never hit you when you're down so low.
Not sure that's really true about the bombs, but honestly, you wouldn't want to read about it - surely not again.
