NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

I've been living quietly for some time in my chosen country, keeping a low profile (well I am quite short) and enjoying the relatively non-political climate that exists here.
Day to day life is not political. I can shop, play, work and perve on observe my neighbours without peril.

All has been good.

In the past it hasn't really mattered which ruling party has gotten into power as basically they've had the interests of the country at heart.

 Sure, in the past National stood for the landed aristocracy and well heeled professional classes

and Labour for the working man.

This changed in the 1980's, interestingly under two Labour governments who blurred the distinctions between 'the working man' and the new entrepreneurs who mostly turned out to be absolute dishonest asset stripping bastards. Even the so called good guys like Graeme Hart have made far too much money that has to have come from the pockets of deserving millions of Kiwis (note how the bloody media this week fawned all over this bum because he's bought a 75 million dollar bloody boat - and didn't even spend that in NZ).

Now, in 2014 the field has changed and definitely not for the better.

True Blue National with the vested interests of landed aristocracy, new plutocrats and still the well heeled business classes have had their ranks swelled by the traditional Labour voter who has become wealthy through an overheated property market.


Unfortunately the Labour ranks have been diminished through defection and the vote split by the advancement of a whole lot of whining and scrapping minority parties who simply would not have existed prior to the introduction of the ridiculous MMP.

Basically the country is on the brink of disaster.

I've seen it before in a previous lifetime.

Overriding of the people's will because 'the people' have split themselves.
Look at National's record recently. A couple of examples are total disregard of the majority's opinion on asset sales and alcohol regulation reform.



Result. Fascism.

TRAMPING

I found my old campaign boots today and decided to try them out.
I don't go out much nowadays so I'll be wearing them around the apartment tramping from one room to the next.
'Tramping' is I think a peculiar New Zealand word meaning to hike. Why 'tramp' I wonder?
Tramps were men of the road - either out of work or not interested in working who made their way from town to town to town living on hand-outs. The modern day equivalents are the down and outers you see cluttering up doorways in the main cities.

Richard of RBB's brother has just written and produced an album  on the life of one famous old New Zealand tramp. His name was Shiner (not Richard's brother, his name is Chris).

See the link here:

THE SHINER

American's use the word 'bum' instead of tramp when referring to vagrants and travellers. 'Tramp' to them is a woman of dubious morals. It's an example of the differences in language that can lead to misinterpretation. An American in New Zealand saying "I picked up a bum on the road the other day" would undoubtedly draw strange looks. Similarly a New Zealander in the USA saying "I think I'll go tramping today" might be misinterpreted.

Anyway, off I go to the kitchen and I might scale the wardrobe later.

RAINING TODAY

I don't mind the rain. It gives me a chance to indulge in my drawing.

SUMMER SPORTS

I've never been a very sporty person, preferring to indulge in indoor activities. With Summer here though and temperatures rising one feels the need to join the others in recreational pursuits.

I went to my local beach and discovered that there just wasn't room even for a little chap like me.

It was back to the apartment then, turning on my television for recreation.
Feeling slightly guilty I decided to check the sports channels so as to appear to be doing something manly. Most of the games being played were too fierce, overly energetic or just plain boring.
I did find one sport that looked appealing though and have settled in to watch it to its conclusion:

WAITING

HEARING VOICES

One of the outcomes from my course at Dr Hinkelmanns's academy for the advancement in manners and social standing was an explanation as to why I had been hearing voices most of my life. Dr Hinkelmann told me that I had an alter ego sitting on my shoulder making suggestions that would drive my bad behaviour and that I had to learn how to  only listen to the good suggestions. After being told that, I concentrated hard when looking in the mirror and one day I could see my alter ego.

I named him Noel. For the life of me though I don't know why he was a schwarzer. He would try to embarrass me at every opportunity by making me stare down women's blouses, ogle their legs and bottoms and even, once, to stand under the stairs and look up their skirts. Noel was bad. When caught out I would try to explain that it wasn't my fault, it was Noel's but as people couldn't see him they just gave me funny looks and moved away quickly. Sometimes I would get slapped. This was socially embarrassing but privately very enjoyable and would lead me to another level of erogenous experimentation. More later.

SELF IMPROVEMENT

My lack of success in finding the right companion of the opposite sex (and not a weird one) made me wonder if there was something wrong with me. The self doubt led me to investigate ways of making myself more charming, more desirable and an overall better person. I enrolled in Dr Hinkelmanns's academy for the advancement in manners and social standing. This was a 12 week course of very strenuous exercise, healthy eating, facial and scalp massages and instruction in polite conversation, politics, economics and social graces. The results were outstanding. I was ready to face the world again. More later.