A couple of months back I was given an opportunity to "guest post" on Katrina Partridges' Athlone & Associates Marketing Blog and posted the following:-
Friday, July 08, 2005
Guest post from Helen McDonald
Massie Lodge is a boutique agistment property in Queensland that first came onto my radar back in late 2003 when I was researching (of all things) company tag lines. Joint-proprietor HELEN McDONALD has since become a very good friend - Helen's understanding of the importance of sterling client communication is on par with most of the largest stud farms in Australia. She also hosts one of Australia's only thoroughbred-related blogs on the Massie Lodge site; it's well worth a visit. Helen has kindly stepped up to the mark and authored this evening's guest 'blog post'.Over to Helen ... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Living out on a thoroughbred agistment property on the South East Queensland Darling Downs has presented us with an idyllic lifestyle which is a real sea change from our corporate past life. Because of where we live, we are offered the best technology that this millennium offers, i.e. tank water that is sent in plentiful supplies from the heavens above, a state of the art internet connection (2 IXL Raspberry Jam tins with baling twine - well, there are two computers, so we need 2 jam tins!). We have door-to-door waste pickup that our council doesn't charge us for. No expense has been spared to make sure that people living in rural areas have the best that is on offer.
OK, yes I do jest. We actually don't have 2 IXL Raspberry Jam tins connecting our computers to the Internet. We have actually been brought into the age of dial-up and can actually muster 35kps on a clear night. Ok, you got me again! The garbage service - my husband Evan's ute to the Allora tip. Ok, ok (boy the pressure is on now!), the water does come from the heavens, but I am not sure about the plentiful supply bit.We really haven't been forgotten I guess. Not true!
An issue that does seem to have slipped through the crack is the fact that people living in the rural areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are denied access to TV coverage of all racing in Sydney and Victoria.
What does that mean when you run an Internet Bloodstock Agency and a client wants you to value a horse running in the 5th at Rosehill? Not very much I am afraid. It means that we are served up a programme of cold leftovers and the Victorian Provincial Trots on a Wednesday afternoon!
YES! The letters have been sent to the ACCC, to Local and Federal Members, The Shadow Ministers and to the Premier's Department in each State - no one has been missed. The result? Nothing. I have never seen so much finger pointing and buckpassing in all my life.So much for the voice of the people.
So whose fault is this mess? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that the people living in the regional areas of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are denied a basic access and will not see the Sydney and Melbourne Spring carnivals in their living rooms.
I sit here at my computer and look over the monitor to see our yearlings frolicking and mucking around in their paddock and you know what? I wouldn't exchange my Jam Tins for anything.
Helen McDonald
www.massielodge.com
www.gallopers.com.au
Ok, we are now in August, so where are we now with this schmozzle?
Let me take you to the events of last Thursday morning. Iam sitting at my desk in the office rolling my eyes because of the amounts of complaints that have rolled in since 5pm the previous evening.
The phone rings and reluctantly I answer it in my cheerful Telstra voice.
It's Evan ("Phew" I think to myself!). In fact its a very excited Evan..... (could we have sold a horse I think to myself? Maybe Nanna has had her baby?) No. Even better than that. TVN and Austar have come to some arrangement and Austar digital customers can now subscribe to TVN!
I have a very happy Evan telling me that he is watching the Randwick barrier trials. WOOOHOOO!!! Break out the coldies!!
To say that this has eventuated in sour grapes with the current provider is not even close. To say that they have spat the dummy out big time is closer to the mark! So much so that they rushed off to the nearest Courtroom and placed an injunction on Austar. It is now Saturday afternoon and TVN is still booming in our living room, so obviously the injunction has not worked at this stage (and I have a very happy Evan, armed with the controller, flicking back and forth to his heart's desire!).
I can understand how upset the current provider must be about this state of affairs, as the best they are offering is the "cold leftover" programme that is served up to us country bumpkins. This magnificent programming is headed up most afternoons by the Globe Derby. (Crikeys, whatever happened to Beenleigh - home of free admission?). Not that there is anything wrong with the Globe Derby.
Surely there is room for 2 providers in this great country of ours? Or does this issue go further to the TABs and their controlling influence in this industry?
This issue is way bigger than little old me sitting here connected to the internet by baling twine and the faithful IXL Raspberry tin. But for once, someone, somewhere has thought about the country people that were being left out in the cold.
Now It wasnt the politicians for they could not get out of the stranglehold of their own red tape that binds them and renders them useless.
But I would like to say, to whoever it was that took the time to find a tiny wee loophole in a contract that was strangling country people everywhere in this great country of ours.... my heartfelt THANK YOU... you have made one man in Warwick a very happy man and for that I thank you!!
Life - gotta get me some of that!
Helen.
P.S. If you get a moment, trot over to Katrina's site and have a read of her blog...
http://www.athloneassociates.com/btm/blog.html
Friday, July 08, 2005
Guest post from Helen McDonald
Massie Lodge is a boutique agistment property in Queensland that first came onto my radar back in late 2003 when I was researching (of all things) company tag lines. Joint-proprietor HELEN McDONALD has since become a very good friend - Helen's understanding of the importance of sterling client communication is on par with most of the largest stud farms in Australia. She also hosts one of Australia's only thoroughbred-related blogs on the Massie Lodge site; it's well worth a visit. Helen has kindly stepped up to the mark and authored this evening's guest 'blog post'.Over to Helen ... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Living out on a thoroughbred agistment property on the South East Queensland Darling Downs has presented us with an idyllic lifestyle which is a real sea change from our corporate past life. Because of where we live, we are offered the best technology that this millennium offers, i.e. tank water that is sent in plentiful supplies from the heavens above, a state of the art internet connection (2 IXL Raspberry Jam tins with baling twine - well, there are two computers, so we need 2 jam tins!). We have door-to-door waste pickup that our council doesn't charge us for. No expense has been spared to make sure that people living in rural areas have the best that is on offer.
OK, yes I do jest. We actually don't have 2 IXL Raspberry Jam tins connecting our computers to the Internet. We have actually been brought into the age of dial-up and can actually muster 35kps on a clear night. Ok, you got me again! The garbage service - my husband Evan's ute to the Allora tip. Ok, ok (boy the pressure is on now!), the water does come from the heavens, but I am not sure about the plentiful supply bit.We really haven't been forgotten I guess. Not true!
An issue that does seem to have slipped through the crack is the fact that people living in the rural areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are denied access to TV coverage of all racing in Sydney and Victoria.
What does that mean when you run an Internet Bloodstock Agency and a client wants you to value a horse running in the 5th at Rosehill? Not very much I am afraid. It means that we are served up a programme of cold leftovers and the Victorian Provincial Trots on a Wednesday afternoon!
YES! The letters have been sent to the ACCC, to Local and Federal Members, The Shadow Ministers and to the Premier's Department in each State - no one has been missed. The result? Nothing. I have never seen so much finger pointing and buckpassing in all my life.So much for the voice of the people.
So whose fault is this mess? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that the people living in the regional areas of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are denied a basic access and will not see the Sydney and Melbourne Spring carnivals in their living rooms.
I sit here at my computer and look over the monitor to see our yearlings frolicking and mucking around in their paddock and you know what? I wouldn't exchange my Jam Tins for anything.
Helen McDonald
www.massielodge.com
www.gallopers.com.au
Ok, we are now in August, so where are we now with this schmozzle?
Let me take you to the events of last Thursday morning. Iam sitting at my desk in the office rolling my eyes because of the amounts of complaints that have rolled in since 5pm the previous evening.
The phone rings and reluctantly I answer it in my cheerful Telstra voice.
It's Evan ("Phew" I think to myself!). In fact its a very excited Evan..... (could we have sold a horse I think to myself? Maybe Nanna has had her baby?) No. Even better than that. TVN and Austar have come to some arrangement and Austar digital customers can now subscribe to TVN!
I have a very happy Evan telling me that he is watching the Randwick barrier trials. WOOOHOOO!!! Break out the coldies!!
To say that this has eventuated in sour grapes with the current provider is not even close. To say that they have spat the dummy out big time is closer to the mark! So much so that they rushed off to the nearest Courtroom and placed an injunction on Austar. It is now Saturday afternoon and TVN is still booming in our living room, so obviously the injunction has not worked at this stage (and I have a very happy Evan, armed with the controller, flicking back and forth to his heart's desire!).
I can understand how upset the current provider must be about this state of affairs, as the best they are offering is the "cold leftover" programme that is served up to us country bumpkins. This magnificent programming is headed up most afternoons by the Globe Derby. (Crikeys, whatever happened to Beenleigh - home of free admission?). Not that there is anything wrong with the Globe Derby.
Surely there is room for 2 providers in this great country of ours? Or does this issue go further to the TABs and their controlling influence in this industry?
This issue is way bigger than little old me sitting here connected to the internet by baling twine and the faithful IXL Raspberry tin. But for once, someone, somewhere has thought about the country people that were being left out in the cold.
Now It wasnt the politicians for they could not get out of the stranglehold of their own red tape that binds them and renders them useless.
But I would like to say, to whoever it was that took the time to find a tiny wee loophole in a contract that was strangling country people everywhere in this great country of ours.... my heartfelt THANK YOU... you have made one man in Warwick a very happy man and for that I thank you!!
Life - gotta get me some of that!
Helen.
P.S. If you get a moment, trot over to Katrina's site and have a read of her blog...
http://www.athloneassociates.com/btm/blog.html
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