Day 41 - Christmas Creek
Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 08:38AM You know that most people make their minds up by watching the 6 o’clock news, or listening to the 3 minute news bulleting on commercial radio. And to be honest they have no idea what is really going on with the country & with the world! I think the only way you can really know for sure is to see or experience it for yourself! I have a couple of examples for you tonight & sorry if it sounds like I’m preaching, it is just me writing what I am thinking about tonight!
Point one – the Mining Boom. The media keep harping about the mining boom & I believe that they are sending some really confusing messages. Sure we are having a boom, other countries need our stuff & we have plenty of stuff, so we need plenty of people to work in the industry to get the stuff out. And the media make a big thing about people that work in mining have plenty of money & even that the states that have the stuff are better off than the states that don’t (Hence our PM & her peanut treasurer introducing the MRRT…. Minerals Resource Rent Tax). But you know what I have a little bit of a different view on this, I believe that we all make our own way in the world. If a state has a government that can run it’s state like a business then I believe the residents of that state should benefit from the decisions that the state government makes. And if they don’t like the way the state government runs the state they then can vote them out at the next election. And for the whingers in other states that say “Aw but we don’t have any stuff in our state” well you have the CHOICE to move to the state that has more stuff!
And the same goes for what they say about people that work in mining, they make heaps of money compared to other industries, and yes they do…..but does the media focus on the fact that the average shift is 12-13 hours a day & that you are often away from family & friends for long periods of time! NO they don’t. And if you do begrudge the fact that they earn more money in mining then you also have the CHOICE to get into the industry, regardless of age or experience I believe that if you really want to do something then find out what you have to do & then do it! Don’t just sit back whingeing about what others have that you do not!
Point 2 – the media will tell you what they want you to hear. My brother in law Brad is currently fighting with the local council to oppose the building of a Bio Mass generator (with a 30M high chimney spewing out smoke 24hrs a day) in Yatala Qld near where he lives. He is actually doing something to try to stop it from going ahead rather than just sitting back & bitching about it. He has joined a local action group & they are gathering momentum in opposing this proposal. Yesterday the group were asked to appear on the ABC news program about their concerns. Now Brad is quite intelligent & he can handle himself in the public arena. His responsibilities as part of the action group are to look into the financial impacts that this may have on the community, so he put a lot of effort & research into this. On speaking to him last night he told me (insert a swear word after every 3rd word in the next section) that they interviewed him & asked him plenty of questions that he felt he answered very well & expressed his opposition. But they then asked him a question about the impact on the health of local residents & some of the effects that the project might have. Now Brad had a general idea of the possible health impacts but it was one of the other committee members that was looking into the health impacts, so Brad just made a very general comment about Asthma & other health effects, he freely admits it was not his best answer. Guess which part of his interview was the only part to make it to air? Yes the one that made him look like a goose! He was so angry.
The interview was very slanted towards the project being a great thing for the area!
So just be careful what you believe on TV. Oh….. And if any of you have a recorded copy of his interview can you put it on a disc for me so I can bag him for the rest of his life!
Support Brad in his campaign join his Facebook page by searching Yatala Ormeau Unite.
I guess what I am trying to say here is that we live in a big country, so big that you can actually not know what is really happening unless you see it or experience it for yourself. I’m really lucky that I get to see lots of what goes on out here and can make my own opinions based on what I see. Just be careful about what opinions you make without knowing the full story.
This site visit is coming to an end, I’m guessing that this will probably be the best site we visit on this trip, and it will be hard to beat the facilities & the treatment we have received here. It really is impressive. Today we found the pool, can you believe that this place is so big that we have been here a week and there are still parts of the camp we have not seen or been to! Amazing.
Reader’s comments
Bonnie & Egg sent a message, hey guys nice to know you are reading it, but I knew Egg would be reading because we all know he has Land Rover Envy! C’mon Egg…. Buy one! You know you want one!
Kristine D said I chose the State Of Origin over my faithful blog readers….. Too Right!!!! Give me S.O.O. anytime! It is a great sporting event! She also wants to know if Jack & Grace could come live on the site.
Meredith also complained of no blog, well I’ll make up for it over the weekend, got a few “Adventures” planned. The mine mess is open from 4am till 8am & then again from 4pm till 8pm, but you have to take your lunch M, but hey just on that guess what the choices were for dinner tonight? Kangaroo steaks, Crocodile & vegetable curry, Kangaroo chilli concarne’ and even an emu casserole? They also had Quandong Apricot Chutney…Yum!! Must have been eat the Aussie Icons night.
My sister Heather is currently at the Tina Arena concert in Brisbane, it must be boring as because she just left a message on the blog! Just read on facebook that my cousin Emily is there too!! She must be bored too, to be writing on facebook.
Tereasa told us of her in laws caravan woes, if you jinx us T you will be driving over here to pick us up!!
Annie’s Blog
I’m the cleverest girl I know, because I know how to make people do things! I have worked out that when a new person comes to see me if I give them a big smile they always smile back. Or if I look away for a second and then look back at them they tell me it is so cute. I’m starting to get used to some of the people that are here, because I’ve seen them lots of times. The lady Mum & Dad works with Holly is cool, she can hold me now without me crying, but she is really high up in the sky, not short like my Mum & Dad.
Jack, my friend from mothers group said he went to the cold stuff, wow I hope there is still some there when we get back Jack, maybe your mum & my mum can take us both up there?
My other friend Jack & his sister Grace want to know if they can come to this place. Sure, if your Dad & my Dad arrange some work together I reckon we all come here together.
All my clothes have this red stuff on it, Mum says it is Pilbara dirt & it doesn’t come out of my clothes. Cool, that means I’ll get heaps of new clothes when I get home!
Goodnight all
AnnieInAVan….XXXX
Reader Comments (5)
Wow - you clearly had a lot to get off your chest - do you feel better now? I found myself reading your blog reeeeeaaaaally fast........
Are you sure the "Aussie Icon" night wasn't the result of what the truck driver removed from the bull bars on the way through to the site?
It's another cold and foggy day here today but we have sunshine forecast for all of next week - yahoo! Sunshine is good as tomorrow we are rebuilding our back steps...it's amazing just how many "how to build steps" clips there are on You Tube.
Annie, It would be ace to go to the snow with you!! But if its not there when you get back, Mum said she'll get some ice block and ground them up and we can play with that!!
bye bye Jack
James I think I might have to Jinx you if it means I get to come and pick you all up! Sounds like fun..
You would have shed a tear over the Land Rover I saw on the back of a tow truck yesterday it was in a very bad accident and was very mashed. Hope the cars occupants were ok.
take care and drive safely,
T
James -Blasphemy to suggest Tina is boring !! but when the que to ladies at interval goes around the corner and down the stairs - you have to do something to pass the time ha ha and no I wasn't actually IN the ladies whilst updating face book x
James Quote "Just be careful about what opinions you make without knowing the full story" lol
Tina Arena was bloody awesome! I was on the blog during intermission as the lines are too long for a drink!
I actually thought I was being dragged along against my will as I have never really listened to her CD but after that show I am her number 1 fan!!