One of the best ways to pass time in the mango paddoc is to whinge. Michael, Executive Picker Extrodinare, usually leads us in our discussions. He doesn’t look like he would, but sometimes he brings up some interesting points (often from his time in the army and the connections he made).
Today, we winged about about police, politicians, government, bureaucracy, aboriginals benefits, hormones, chemicals, city folk, cancer, religion, taxes, The Youth Of Today, corrupt police, the economy, greedy rich bastards screwing us over backwards, money, market agents, Kevin Rudd, bludgers, John Howard, George Bush, KFC, Macdonalds, Monsanto, oil companies, Kids Theese Days, catholics.
We talked about oil companies and how they are preventing widespread adoption of sustainable energy. That reminded me about an idea I hadto meet environmental issues associated with wind turbines (avian fatalities)… I mean, today it’s all about carbon neutral energy, but I think in the future we’re going to need bird-neutral wind power, where the electricity companies fund breeding programs to compensate for the birds their turbines kill. I kid; it’s not like wind turbines are really about to wipe birds of the face of the earth.
After that it was observed that cancer – especially in children – is so much more common now than it was 40 years ago, even in a town like Mareeba whose population has halved in that same time period. Diet was suggested as a possible factor, due to the amount of ‘bastardisation’ that happens to food these days. Chickens that go from 0 to 100 in six weeks, while the chicken company supplies feed to the farmer in secure silos, and requires that nobody be able to access it (presumably to prevent third party testing).
Me: But surely you’re responsible for what you eat, right?
Mic: Well… I ‘spose.
Me: You could make a point, y’know, of buying decent food – or even growing it yourself.
Mic: Yeah, but who’s got the time to do that?
Everyone loves a conspiracy, and everyone loves to complain about something. It’s never yourself to blame. Come on people, take control of your life in the areas you can, while you’re still able! It’s not like we’re being force fed steroid-filled chicken or anything, is it? It’s one thing to whinge, but doing something about it is what you need to be doing. I’ve put making a vegie garden at home on my list of things to do, when it’s going to happen is another question entirely.
I think Michael’s son Aaron has been duped. Some girl forced herself on him, declared she was pregnant a few weeks later, had the kid and has now moved out. It sounds to me like she was after a guy to leech child support payments for a child to a father she doesn’t remember, and Aaron was the lucky one. Couldn’t he see it coming? I mean, could he really be that gullible? Maybe it was the power of (delusional) love.
There was an old man who started work today. I think he should be in a nursing home, not on a farm. He can’t hear things, takes forever to fill a crate, continues work because he doesn’t realise it’s smoko time and seems to have a general lack of understanding in regard to his immediate surroundings. I hope a man his age is doing this for fun, not out of necessity.
I’m so tired, but I’ve got to try and match my associate’s daily posting streak. You’re getting this after a very long day.
