If you are ever told that you are mad, rest assured you’re on the right track. No greater praise can ever be given. I generally try and avoid normal people. They often listen to radio’s shock jocks, look at commercial TV and put on re-runs of ‘I love Lucy’. The jury is still out on those wearing knee socks, especially when combined with sandals but is ok with raglan sleeved jumper. Only this morning I noticed a man sitting on a park bench reading The Daily Telegraph. Now, there was a normal man if ever there was. Milo sorted him out though, walked up to the bench and cocked his leg resolutely while trying to catch the man’s eye. I felt that my contempt for that newspaper was well warranted when I noticed car stickers with ‘ Do you think that is true or did you read it in the Daily Telegraph?
The country is getting excited again. The normal state of torpor is rapidly vanishing. Neighbours are smiling to each other and saying ‘gooddayehowsitgoing?’ again. In another eleven days the NSW state is having an election. The greens have just announced preferences ,bar a few seats they could win on their own, will be given to the Labor
Party above that of the conservatives. Both the Greens and the Labor party are opposed (vehemently) to selling off the Poles and Wires. Things are looking up and H and I will be glued to the screen watching how the previously safe seats of the liberal- national party will fall into the warm, soft and welcoming bosom of Labor.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-17/nsw-election-2015-labor-greens-preference-deal/6324726
You can tell that the Liberal-National party are run by very, very normal people. They had hoped that passing legislation with a matching budget that lowered prosperity, especially for the impoverished end of town, would be received with great enthusiasm and given standing ovations by all. The pension would be lowered from 25% of average wage to 17%. They would introduce a lovely co-payment for each visit to the doctor of $ 7.-, each time. As icing on the cake, deregulating and making university independent from government funding would also be introduced. Universities would be allowed to compete and charge according to what they see fit. Students would be paying off the fees for many, many years, but only if they got a job. All very normal.
It is almost time for the next budget and last year’s budget is still hanging in there. They blame an obstinate senate not passing those lovely bills. And, even now at this late stage, no one of the normal LNP club dares to look in the mirror of reality. They should know that selling public assets is now truly on the nose but with their persistence in trying flogging off the power grid, they seem to have exceeded all forms of normality.
Thank goodness for all those ‘normal people’ who will put Labor back in the seat again. ( We hope)
Tags: Doctor, Labor, Liberal, National, Pension, Poles, Power grid, Skate board, Wires
March 17, 2015 at 3:37 am |
Lovely photos! Did you watch Four Corners last night? I like your stance on Normal. A quote that comes to mind: ‘Conventional people are roused to fury by departure from conventions, largely because they regard such departure as a criticism of themselves.’
Bertrand Russel b. 1872. This sort of links in the the NLP’s attitude.
Shall watch your election with great interest.
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March 17, 2015 at 5:00 am |
No, I did not watch 4Corners but Helvi did and thought it very good. The latest poll doesn’t look good for NSW Labor but a lot can still happen.
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March 17, 2015 at 7:46 am
Gerard I think there will be some surprises in the election. The CSG issue is big on the North Coast. I was speaking with a friend at the weekend, a cousin is one of the local members. Even though they hold the seat by 20+% they think they’re in a spot of bother. Antony Green thinks so too. This friend a well connected Liberal thinks a hung parliament is a distinct possiblity
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March 17, 2015 at 8:34 am
I hope you are right Algy. If Labor wins that seat there will be dancing on the streets again.
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March 17, 2015 at 4:10 am |
Whaddya mean it’s still hanging in there ? Hasn’t it been filleted and gutted and eaten ? [grin]
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March 17, 2015 at 4:18 am |
We are waiting for it to be crumbed now with a spray of Air-wick refresher.
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March 17, 2015 at 4:38 am
Witty … but nothing could make that dead fish smell any better, I reckon.
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March 17, 2015 at 4:59 am |
Labor would not sell off the power grid?
I wished I could believe this. Maybe I’m not normal. 🙂
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March 17, 2015 at 5:01 am |
They are opposing it, so…they must be mad. 😉
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March 17, 2015 at 5:07 am |
What do you mean? “If you are ever told that you are mad, rest assured you’re on the right track. No greater praise can ever be given.”
I have never been called mad, so the ultimate praise has avoided me. But I wholly concur with the sentiments of your post.
How come Milo knows what to do when seeing a “Daily Telegraph” reader? Have you trained him this way or has he learnt this by osmosis? I wouldn’t touch that paper – I think it is toxic.
What you call “normal” is alien to me.
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March 17, 2015 at 6:02 am |
I suppose a bit of tongue in cheek Berlioz. I am as normal or abnormal as the rest in our bus. I hold and act as much as possible as my own person which at times is probably a bit askew anyway and differing from mainstream, or at least am conceited enough to believe I am. (different)
We all inherited genes from our fore-bearers making us somewhat bearable and perhaps a bit different. Even though we might think we have a choice, all we can do is polish, tinker and adjust a bit here and there on the side. Science tells us our main being is what we were born with.
I know enough about the background of my family to know that I am bound to be an observer rather than a participant in most things. I am very happy with that. At a party you would find me somewhere sitting in the back or in the kitchen.
Glad to hear that you feel “normal” is alien to you too.
As for Milo, he defeats any prognoses or understanding.
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March 17, 2015 at 2:25 pm |
All my dearest friends are eccentrics to one degree or another which is a source of immense joy to me. Normalcy is a highly over-rated character trait. I love “the blight”, Gerard. Exactly.
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March 17, 2015 at 9:33 pm |
Join the club. There used to be a very eccentric women walking the streets of Sydney. Her name was Bea and she used to shout at taxis. Many knew her and as she seemed to have unlimited money she often demanded to be driven to Melbourne, a thousand kilometres away. She always paid. When she died there was a huge crowd of taxi drivers and many friends, all saying goodbye.
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March 17, 2015 at 9:35 pm
What a wonderful story!
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March 17, 2015 at 7:07 pm |
Conservatives in Australia look an awful lot like conservatives in America. Scary. As for normalcy, I don’t qualify. 🙂 –Curt
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March 17, 2015 at 9:23 pm |
Glad to hear that Curt. Normal people are an abomination. I saw one yesterday coming from the shopping mall carrying a large 2 litre Coke.
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March 19, 2015 at 1:03 am
I don’t think many people would accuse either of us as being normal, Gerard. (laughing) –Curt
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March 17, 2015 at 9:02 pm |
What is “normal”? How would you even talk to normal? It’s much more fun to be abnormal.
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March 17, 2015 at 9:28 pm |
Too right Kayti. Just imagine being normal sitting in a chair, all puckered up worrying what the neighbours might think.
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March 17, 2015 at 9:08 pm |
But I thought I was normal . . . 😦
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March 17, 2015 at 9:19 pm |
Yes, that’s what so many say. !
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March 18, 2015 at 9:52 pm |
Good luck. We’ll be facing a similar test of ‘normality’ here in May.
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March 20, 2015 at 9:46 pm |
Will be watching with bated breath being an ex New South Welshman. Hope you have the success we did in Qld. Love your sense of humour.
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