Wind Some, You Lose Some

Hello Germany, Brazil, Russia, and South Korea...welcome to the blog, hipsters...what it is, what it was, and what it will be...and being Saturday, it is officially the end of another week of running around in small circles...and ironically today was no different...

Today's post could alternatively be called the 'Round and Round the bloody Infigen Lake Bonney Turbine Industrial Estate without ever finding the bloody Open Day, only to get home and check Infigen's bloody website which clearly says that you need to bloody book by last Thursday 10th October 2013 to organise a bloody seat on the bus from the nearest bloody town (no offence Millicent) to go on a guided bloody tour' post...bloody...

And if you read The Border Watch article properly (after you get back 2 hours and 100kms+ later) it says right at the bottom that you need to ring and register...bloody...and if you check their website before driving out there, it is all carefully explained...I thought an Open Day was a 'rock up and check it out' kinda' affair...anyhoos...

Can you imagine the poor bastard who got lumped with me on their tour...classic...anyway, instead I'm calling it a 'Nature Tour', because I saw swamps and birds and 5-6 Shingleback (Stumpy) and Blue Tongue lizards...and nearly ran over a Bearded Dragon, so I stopped to shoo it off the dirt road and it just sat there...so I picked it up...

And broken, cold, and indifferent as I am to so many things these days, there in my hand was the most extraordinary creature...Pogona barbatus...Google it...so cool, just sitting there in my hand, looking at me...amazing yellows, greens, tans through brown, grey, a long black tail...I went to put it down on the verge, but it wouldn't get off my hand, and for a moment I thought about keeping it...but the second time it leaped off and skittled away through the tussocks...

A sublime and beautiful 5 minutes that distracted from the humming, swooshing, 'roaring', clicking and grinding coming from the massive Turbines nearby...the nearest was only 50-60m across the fence, and several more either side and just beyond...and I passed a house only 600-700m from several Turbines...must be a 'host residence'...ultimately I went for a nice drive in the country but have nothing to report about the Open Days...and this sentence is not a segue into... 

Been watching the DeBelle Inquiry fall-out continue to make the news, to be the news, if not quite the muse, and certainly far from amusing as much as it is laughable...but still no mention of Chief Education Officer Gary Costello...

How is it that Gary Costello remains all but non-existent in the current shenanigans?...not so much Teflon Costello because nothing sticks, but more like Gary the Unspotted in that nothing even gets flung because he's apparently invisible...when are the Select Committee going to call him to explain his behaviours?...if David Mackie has questions to answer about his bullying and harassment of the parents on the School Council, then so does Costello...(please see previous posts)...

It is my belief and understanding that there are many questions for them both to answer across a number of issues and multiple cases... 

Crunch Time: Good news everyone...we can all go to The Crunch whenever we choose, and it is a thing of joy to behold, to be held, to be munched down...I don't usually promote products on the blog, but Regal Cream Products under the brand name Bulla produce a range of icecreams (made with fresh milk) called 'Crunch'...deadset...one may purchase one's own 8 pack of Crunch from any purveyor of fine dairy products, to be consumed at one's leisure...your first taste of Crunch...hurrah...    

PATS Review: It is very disappointing to hear that only about 120 (?) submissions have been lodged with/about the Patient Assistance Transport Scheme Review...submissions officially closed yesterday Friday 11th October 2013, but Dr Filby, head of the Review, has stated that they will continue to accept submissions for a short while, but he is due to 'report' by late November so time is running out...

Mia culpa that I have not done a submission (yet, because I will this weekend), but I thought that there would be plenty of other submissions...I was wrong...perhaps there are 'group submissions' representing groups like the Mt Gambier Cancer Support Group...or perhaps it's just the crass, bit-piece pseudo public consultation and abject lack of morality evident in this Review's guideline's as prepared by Health Minister Jack Snelling, that makes people look at it and say why bother...

Re-viewing the Review: Jack the Rat has stated that there will be no increased funding for the PATS, rather the Review must find ways of distributing that $8million per annum 'more equitably'...which will be done by increasing distance criteria from 100kms to 150 or even 200, and possibly limiting refunds to pensioners and other concession card holders...no refund if you're employed...(it's a bloody outrage-Ed)... 

Eddd, maaate, you're back ...where ya' been...(just having a break...thought some of the stuff you were doing could do without attempted light relief-Ed)...but Ed, you're way more than light relief...I've always found you to be 1) witty, 2) insightful, 3) charming, 4) handsome, and 5) hung like a Shire pony...(well: 1) sometimes, 2) hopefully, 3) I try, 4) flatterer, and 5) at least one of us is-Ed)...you're so modest...

Why bother 'submissioning' when Minister Snelling has already decided what is going to happen...(and it is already happening, and it has been for a decade...Regional patients are getting services continually cut, and are increasingly forced to pay more and more just to access 'equality'-Ed)...how so?...(well reimbursement rates are the same as 10 years ago, but costs, particularly petrol, have not so much ballooned as rocketed...it cost far more to get to Adelaide than 10 years ago-Ed)...fair enough...

And that's what makes it so truly offensive when the Member for Mt Gambier Don Pegler holds forth on behalf of and/or defending and/or promoting the Weatherill Labor government...and most particularly in the area of Health...and especially particularly when it comes to the equitable provision of and/or access to Health Services...(especially particularly...wow, that is serious-Ed)...

But there are a series of issues I'd like to address kicking off from here, so I'll do Part II....

Tomorrow: Things That Shall Not Pass 

Just some stuff that's been said, written, and/or otherwise broadcast and what I think of it...(well, just another post then, nothing new-Ed)...fair enough you old bastard...good to have you back...(good to have your back-Ed)...

I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...laters but hopefully earliers...I'm going to try to post earlier again...blogging late ain't that great...