**and an apology...actually wrote this post yesterday, but didn't like it much...changed stuff but still not happy, feel I haven't explained myself properly...will continue this
discussion immediately in next post...cheers**
Hello y'all and welcome to the blog and today we're all goin' back to the Rail Lands right here in sunny Mt Gambier...(hold on, hold on, what does it mean?-Ed)...what does what mean?...(what does the title mean?...I think I get it, just not sure-Ed)..well I'm just getting there, in that it's about the Rail Lands and having a proper look at the long, lustrous list of the lies and deceits and manipulations and mis-informations, etc, visited on the stout yeomen and/or yeowomen of Ye Olde Mt Gambier by that batch of batty Burgers we call Mt Gambier City Council, and most specifically, re these 'Pop-ups' on the Rail Lands, and how it all relates to the Rail Lands Retail Agenda...yep...in fact, that there pretty much explains it all, so's there's that
post done...(mate, now I'm just more confused!-Ed)...sorted, I'm off for an early Oz Day holiday...(hang on, slow
down, I've got a coupla' questions-Ed)...alright, look, hear this, let me clarify...
As defined beyond debate in numerous previous posts, the Rail Lands Retail Agenda is the plan that MGCC have been pursuing since 2004/05 when they were first 'gifted' the Rail Lands by the Labor State government...(we've been through all this stuff before mate-Ed)...I know, just said that, just quickly reviewing...the RLRA is about MGCC's plans for building a massive expansion of the Lakes Plaza right across the Rail Lands site, and involves key issues/decisions, including 1) removing the iconic Old Rail Station, 2) moving the allegedly requisite Rail Easement corridor out of the way of this expansion, 3) building a massive, industrial strength Catchment Pond for the rain run-off from the vast roof area of said expansion, 4) keeping a large area at the Bay Rd/Eastern end relatively clear for future carpark, and 5) steadfastly refusing/denying any 'permanent' occupation/usage of the site...the RLRA has always been and remains the sole agenda of Mt Gambier City Council re the Rail Lands...that's what's been happening, and now to the now...
From The Cop:...'cop' has several meanings, from the most obvious, as in police officer, easy, through to the second which refers broadly to taking account for, or the third, being the subject/victim of...(I thought you said that you were goin' to clear things up a bit?-Ed)...wait for it will you, where 2) and 3) are used as slang for, 2) situations where a dirty perp...(like your good self?-Ed)...if that's what works for ya'...when someone accused of a particular transgression admits/confesses/whatevs, they are said to 'cop to it', eg, 'look guvna', I'll cop to the break and enters, but I ain't no murderer'...and with 3) it's about a generally unwelcome imposition, eg, 'she copped a massive speeding fine', or 'he copped a pie in the face'...this can be extended to the often vengeful, often vindictive victory cry of "cop that!", eg, when some clown 'cops' the pie in the face you just threw...
(Well congratulations, 3 paragraphs in and thus far you've managed to almost explain the first word, sort of...this is gunna' take a while, isn't it?-Ed)...settle down, I'm actually using 'cop' in the fourth sense...(of course you are-Ed)...where it's more of a direction/request/order/whatevs which means to avail oneself of info and/or to have that info presented to you, similar to "cop that", but meaning effectively to 'look at', to 'consider'...(wow, English is such a vast and undulating beastie-Ed)...indeed...anyhoos, here in this post's title, I'm saying 'check this stuff out', in a manner that is literally emphatically slapping it down on the table in front of y'all...(such a small word too, 'cop'-Ed)...indeed...the next bit is easy, because it leads straight-on from that, where 'gander' means 'to look' or 'have a look'...so "Cop A Proper Gander" means 'here, have a good bloody look at this nonsense!'...(now that actually makes sense, why couldn't you just say that?-Ed)...umm, 'cos it doesn't rhyme with 'propaganda'?...(fair enough-Ed)...
Pop-ups:...are rather self-explanatory, and purely 'cos it's the only actual example thus far, the recent 'Pop-up Bar' soiree held at the Rail Lands site is the example I'll use...it was set-up that day and packed away again laters...(and therefore could have been done anywhere in Mt Gambier-Ed)...indeed...(and Vansittart Park/Oval is the most obvious better choice-Ed)...absolutely...(with proper toilets, a decent playground, etc, etc-Ed)...look, I agree, but we're getting ahead of ourselves...and of course 'Propaganda' is exactly what it suggests, a version/narrative of events/issues driven by a specific agenda and largely unhindered by fact or genuine reality...(so what you're saying is, 'here's the proof of what's happening on the Rail Lands re Council's genuine motivations/actions-Ed)...the RLRA...(the RLRA, and how these 'Pop-ups' are being utilised in a propaganda campaign to try and justify/disguise Council's conduct-Ed)...exactly...
(So you're saying that Council's using this 'Pop-ups Propaganda' to prop-up their Rail Lands Retail Agenda-Ed)...couldn't have said it better myself...(mate, we've been through this, 'cos, given that I'm not an actual person but rather a confected literary device utilised to relatively good effect as an instrument for presenting dissenting opinion, inferring conversation, and/or as a foil for setting-up jokes, etc, etc, that means that if I say it you have already said it because I'm you-Ed)...shhh, you'll break the illusion, destroy the magic...(oh strewth-Ed)...imagine all the millions of poor availees out there...(here we go-Ed)...huddled 'round the warming, welcoming glow of their computer/laptop/phone/device/whatevs, hanging on every golden morsel of witty wisdom...(oh gourd-Ed)...or some inspired snippet of wonderously whimsical delight...(I think I can taste some sick-Ed)...and along comes some loose-cannon confected literary device, outs itself as such, and thusly shatters all those availees long-held and dear beliefs that Ed is the one whom keeps this shambolic blogging headed in a vaguely sane direction!...might as well tell the kiddies that Santa isn't real!...(Santa's what??!!-Ed)...never mind, nothing...
Pop-up Propaganda Props-up Rail Lands Retail Agenda:...deadset, sometimes I do make myself laugh when I type-stumble into the middle of lines like that...(even better, 'Cop A Proper Gander At How The Pop-up Propaganda Props Up The Rail Lands Retail Agenda-Ed)...oh my gourd, it's perfect, we've created the perfect sentence...(we?-Ed)...well yeah, I helped...(umm, that's not what I meant...what did we just discuss?-Ed)...Santa?...(no, we discussed my position as a "confected literary device"?-Ed)...we? don't you mean 'I'?...hang-on, don't I mean 'I'?...oh dear, I appear to be stuck in my own Dead Joke Zone Perpetual Loop...(we're stuck?-Ed)...don't start that with me!...(I didn't, you did!-Ed)...is this still funny?...(what do you mean "still"!?-Ed)............moving on?...(probably best-Ed)...
I will acknowledge with pride, just like a true 'Strayan does, the
coupla' times in my rapidly retreating youth that I drunkenly wretched
on myself whilst staggeringly hammered, etc, etc, 'cos I ain't no saint...(whom is?-Ed)...but as an adult whom gives a damn about their
community/country/species...(damn it!-Ed)...indeed, but as a
damn-givin' adult, I have many concerns about the role that alcohol
plays in our society, concerns that are frequently voiced in the media by
professional others re health, violence, particularly domestic violence, etc, and I really
don't see how a 'Pop-up Bar' can be appropriately promoted as a "family event", as this was...not specifically having a go at the proprietors involved, and perhaps I am being a bit precious, but what
signals are we immersing our kids in if we drag them along to a "family
event" that's almost exclusively about alcohol, indeed is being called "a bar"?...
But re the shiny lights and wavy colours and sparkly shenanigans of these 'Pop-ups', be they markets, karoake, or 'Pop-up Bar' as recently staged on the Rail Lands, whatevs, and re the Adelaide Oval and it's taxpayer funded-concerts with free public transport, etc, and the shiny lights on that ludicrous new $40million footbridge right next to that other bridge right there that's been there for centuries, etc...(do you mean the $40m footbridge to the Adelaide Oval as built across an artificial lake created/maintained by a weir just downstream? that bridge?-Ed)...yep, that's the one...I know we've been here before, but does anything quantify better the insane avarice of Adelaide than that $40m bridge across that fake pond?...these baubles are the sort of things that are part of the propaganda that attempts to justify these 'developments'...
Things the Rail Lands and the Adelaide Oval have in common...1) nothing that occurs at either site justifies the fraudulent nepotism and/or rank deceits and/or fiscal fall-out and/or self-serving agendas of those decision makers who have bought-brought us this crap...and 2), they are both crap developments, or did I mention that already?...("bought-brought"?-Ed)...'provided by purchasing', 'bring by buying', yeah?...these 2 have in common an agenda of self-promotion and self-interest that have motivated the 'developments', and there is nothing that has happened, that will happen, that can happen at either site that justifies the gross extravagance achieved at such extraordinary cost...
Whatta' SACA Crap: is the 'new' Adelaide Oval...(whoa, whoa, you can't go knockin' the greatest thing since sliced bread-Ed)...unless
of course it's to carefully explain the things that make it so crap...(oh well fair enough then, off you go-Ed)...ta', namely 1) the issues of 'bread and circuses governing', and of course 2) the
gross financial disaster for the state of South Australia re that
decision to re-develop the oval and the financing there-of by the (South
East) Forestry Sale, etc...3) the nearly $100million bribe that the SA
Cricket Association accepted from the Rann/Weatherill Labor government
re SACA 'approving' that re-development...and finally 4) what a crap
piece of plasticky crap that stupid shreckin' stadium is...crap...(wow-Ed)...this clearly needs it's own post or three as well...just have to wait...
Tomorrow: COPGOT Prop Agenda Propaganda
(Wind Turbines?-Ed)...bingo Ed, well done, and not just these ludicrous Turbines, but the ongoing propaganda re Renewables and this constant dialogue where-in facts of cost, be they financial/environmental/social/whatevs, those costs of manufacture, production, output, availability, etc, etc, are carefully edited and censored in favour of promoting the Renewables Agenda...(the ABC Radio have been absolutely resolute in maintaining their Lefty bleedin' heart propaganda-riddled agenda of reportage in support of these issues-Ed)...indeed they have...(and that reminds me, your Life Membership badge of the Whingin' Lefty Bleedin' Hearts Assoc of Australia has just arrived by mail-Ed)...indeed, and it is absolutely incumbent of any real hippy to dissect and address these gross manipulations and misappropriations of genuine issues as such, because the issues of energy production re pollution and climate change, etc, are all very real, and so too then must be the solutions...it's completely irresponsible and fundamentally unacceptable to just ignore great swathes of the debate because it disagrees with what you believe/want...
Fell Off My Chair Laughing:...when an ABC Radio interview recently exposed me to Professor (sorry, missed it) from (sorry), but I reckon somewhere here in South Oz because he gushingly referred to Premier Jay 'The Shiny Man' Weatherill as both "our Premier"...(nuthin' to laugh about there!-Ed)...well indeed, but then the Prof proffered that re Renewables, Ray Jay was "visionary"...(you mean as in dead-set tripping off 'is nut out of 'is mind, seeing colours and giant talkin' chipmunks and the like?-Ed)...no, wish I was, at least that would be genuinely funny, as contrasted by the sycophantically sickening slurry slopping from this frothing Prof...(ouch-Ed)...who not only completely ignored our reliance on Victorian supplied, coal-fired electricity, etc, but said that re 'Intermittent Renewables' like Turbines and Solar, well apparently it's all going to be terrific due to batteries...that might be available in maybe 10 years...nothing about the here and now re the extraordinary cost of electricity in SA, and how that directly affects business as much as the citizenry, or the failures of the current distribution system, eg, having to be 'shut-down' in peak demand times, eg, high Summer, etc, etc, and how much of this can be slated directly to this Renewables obsession, etc, etc...oooh it makes me mad...more tomorrow...
I am Nick Fletcher...(who is by all accounts a large, angry hippy-Ed)...and this 'ere is my blog...cheers and laters...
**PS...not Turbines tomorrow sorry, more Rail Lands and Adelaide Oval...cheers**
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