Hello and welcome to the blog...and today, no gloom, no doom...well, maybe just a little...
Deadset: the discussion on morning television has included the call for people to eat horse meat, a call apparently headed by Princess Anne...I was not aware of this when I did my hilarious 'I Can't Believe It's Not Burro' joke yesterday...honest.
Credit Due: for the interview with Forestry Minister Gail Gago conducted by Stan Thompson (ABC Local Radio) late last week, re the fact that Forestry SA (therefore taxpayers) are currently still providing services to 141 Plantations, the current '100+ year lease holders'...(or more accurately, to whom the Rann/Weatherill Labor government have sold the SE Plantations-Ed)...indeed...and the fundamental problem Ms Gago has is her lack of credibility, not just because she's a Labor minister...(nice-Ed)...but because she personally has been caught out lying about aspects of the Sale...(lying?-Ed)...
Yes, for example the 'No we haven't sold the Glencoe Nursery' lie on the floor of parliament that she then withdrew the next day...(well that was only just a lie-Ed)...how so?...(well, the 'sale' price was $1 so arguably they didn't sell it they gave it away-Ed)...hilarious...and the closest thing to the truth in this interview was when Stan politely pushed her on the Forestry SA issues, including it's future, and Ms Gago talked about how Forestry SA will continue to be responsible for the Forestry estates near Adelaide that weren't sold.
And not sold so that Adelaideans might have somewhere to ride their bicycles and stroll their labra-doodles...so that Adelaide has somewhere to "recreate''...(recreate?-Ed)...yeah, for their recreational activities...Adelaide's lifestyle must be protected, yet the South East economy and peoples livelihoods are expendable...absolutely outrageous...and Ms Gago did not directly address the Fire Protection and other maintenance issues currently serviced by Forestry SA...what happens to that in 3 years time when the current 5 year 'contract' with Forestry SA runs out?
"Sometimes in difficult circumstances, difficult things happen"...our Prime Minister Tony Abbott on what issue? Compulsory acquisition of housing to widen roads? Water restrictions due to drought? Cut backs due to Budgetary shortfalls?...anyone?...this is Mr Abbott's statement re the ongoing persecution of Tamils in Sri Lanka..following on from the slaughter of civilians at the 'end' of the 30+ year Civil War and the military executing prisoners, etc...and over 5,000 people still missing...and ongoing arrests, detaining, and 'disappearances'.
("Difficult things happen"...what does that even mean?-Ed)...it means the above...targeting civilians, eg, I saw a report where in the last weeks of the Civil War, the Red Cross (?sorry, could have been Medicin Sans Frontieres) had stopped identifying their medical facilities to the military, because instead of the military then avoiding shelling that building/area, these notifications were actually drawing government fire.
And who is it difficult for? Difficult for us, Australia, because we possibly want to send Asylum Seekers, Refugees, whatevs, to Sri Lanka...and we want to send Sri Lankan refugees (predominantly Tamils) straight back there, which is a little difficult if we acknowledge that they have been and continue to be persecuted by their own government...(and exactly why do we need to give them two patrol boats?-Ed)...to Stop The Boats...(giving boats to stop the boats-Ed)...yep...
Dancing on the Debt Ceiling: I concur with broadcaster Alan Jones that setting a debt ceiling creates more problems than it resolves because it effectively gives the government license to spend up to that mark...(and then when you get there, you just put it up again anyway-Ed)...well precisely, a 'Debt Ceiling' virtually invites spending, whereas frugal fiscal policy without a 'finish line' helps to keep spending under control.
And don't get me started about the Liberal government whom blew a gasket every time 'Debt Ceiling' was raised by the then Labor government, and constantly shrieked about spending, only to get into power and immediately hand the Reserve Bank a great fat wad of cash...(I'd call $8.8billion more of a slab than a wad-Ed)...fair call...and start trying to raise the debt ceiling to $500billion so they can spend...gold-plated hypocrisy.
My Latest Apology: Ms Nova Perris is being reported as the first Indigenous woman elected to parliament, but I had thought it was previously reported that Trish Crossin (the person Ms Perris replaced when Julia Gillard did her 'Captain's Pick' earlier this year) was also an Indigenous woman...I apologise because in a previous post I stated that there was likely a deliberate attempt to stuff up Indigenous solidarity by putting in one Aboriginal candidate over the top of another.
I'll have to review this, and I can only think that perhaps there's a third person to whom media reports were referring...(or perhaps Ms Crossin was 'appointed' in the same manner that former Foreign Minister Bob Carr was, so technically Ms Perris is the first Aboriginal woman actually elected-Ed)...possibly, but again, I can only apologise until I sort it out either way...and apologies because I still don't have Internet access other than this blog, so hard to check stuff...you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...
(What happened to the Good News?-Ed)...I'm getting there...and the polite insistence of Mr Thompson with Ms Gago was good enough news compared to some recent efforts I've had a whinge about...(fair enough-Ed)...and it was great news that the Mt Gambier Hill Climb was rained out last Friday 8th November...(how is that great?-Ed)...great that it didn't happen on the Saturday or even worse the Sunday when the main races were on...on the Friday most people would still have been at work, school, etc, so in that context it was great that it was only the Friday that was rained out...(fair enough-Ed)...
And it's always great to hear of events like the Basketball Championships being held in Mt Gambier, and yet again on the ABC, the many roles that numerous volunteers play in organising and running such events...for brief moments I am somewhat less animus toward the world and Mt Gambier...(two things...what the heck is 'animus'? and Mt Gambier is still part of 'the world'-Ed)...animus is 'of having animosity', and yes I know we're part of the world...
My advice to myself, following on from the feedback about what heavy going this blog can be for readers so how must it affect me, is to dwell a little more frequently in the light...and one tries...but it still comes back to some fundamental things.
I have done huge amounts of volunteer work that ultimately meant nought to those I did it for, and I'll do a few posts about that stuff, and I've tried to join a couple of 'service organisations' but apparently my reputation proceeds me...but just because this stuff hasn't worked out for me doesn't mean that there aren't people working hard to better their communities and offer their children opportunities, etc...
Ambulance officers and St John volunteers, Country Fire Service, Meals On Wheels, Lions, etc, etc, apologies to anyone I've left out...and sure there are those who are in it for their own personal advancement, networking, etc, but in my personal experience the vast majority are there to contribute...and I have had some help, some support, it's not all a complete disaster...
But having said that, here is where I'm at and this is what I shall do...because it needs to be done...and somebody has to do it...and every day I make it my choice is another day it no longer owns me...(wow, that's beautiful man...you bloody hippy-Ed)...
Tomorrow: Shenanigans
(Oh good lord what now?-Ed)...don't know exactly, but I'm sure the Universe will bring me somethin'...
I am Nick Fletcher and this is my blog...cheers and laters...
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