Blog Post 500 (Or This is Why I fight)

How did I ever make it to blog number 500?

It feels like yesterday that I started this blog, a venture to write about what it was like to train and run a marathon.

Some four years, five half marathons later, I'm still here. Thought I don't write about running much at the moment. I'm about to start on the Couch Potato to 5 km plan again - after straining my back last November, I haven't done much running, though I'm still at the gym regularly.

It's been a great four years. And no, I'm not going to stop blogging any time soon.

But what does the 500th blog need to be written on? It's quite a milestone. Does one talk about the exercise one does? No.

Should I talk about a restaurant I've visited? No - not that I've been anywhere lately.

Should I do a meme? Not today.

Should I rewrite "The Good Ship Venus" using the Liberal Front Bench - well, maybe later.

I'm going to call this blog "This is Why I Fight."

I feel a bit sorry for anybody who's Facebook friends with me as for the last couple of weeks, my pages has become a bit political. I try not to be openly hostile towards the Liberal/National party, I don't tell people how to vote, but I've been putting up material which hopefully makes people think about what they're doing at the polling booths on Saturday.

I'm not anti-Liberal. I don't have anything against the Liberal Party in it's tame form. Hell, I nearly voted for them in the last state election - nearly - then I looked at the guy we already have, and I like him, so he got my number one. It happens.

No, if I'm anti anything it's the complete lack of decency, respect and reason that the Liberal National Party has been treating the great unwashed Australian population.

I'm anti the mainstream media also treating us like complete and utter idiots.

I'm against the apathy that we've been forced to endure from the masses because we don't know what policies are about.

I'm anti the fact that people are letting their religious convictions stand in the way of common sense and equality - and being blatant in their bigotry.

I'm completely against the fact that there is a party out there who appear to want to not make corporations pay their dues to the people who use them.

I'm also really, really angry that a despotic ex-Australian citizen has the gaul to try and manipulate the voting electorate and the media with slurs so vile - especially when you consider that this despotic ex-Australian citizen has business offerings that have been shown to be criminal (remember the phone tapping scandal? News of the World?)

Oh, I'll shove in that the mainstream media is so bent when it come to reporting of real news and balanced opinion they could be a spirit level on a rollercoaster.)

Well, I'm over it.

And I've come out fighting.

My poor old Facebook page is out there fighting for decency and the rational.

On Climate Change - you know - we have to do something about it. 99% of scientists say it's happening. If one percent of your friendship base told you to go ram a red hot poker up your bum, would you? Not believing that the environment is precious and needs protecting is a as daft as believing in the Easter Bunny. It will be your undoing one day if you don't have some consideration.

Then there's all the things that NOBODY is talking about. The Aging Population, housing affordability, public transportation, dental plans under Medicare….

There is so much that's not being said. 

All you appear to hear from one side are three world slogans that have absolutely no substance what so ever, being emitted from the lizard-like face of the leader who is too cowardly to face a direct question - or release costings (He hasn't been on the ABC's Q and A for the whole of this last government - NOT ONCE)

The other side I have a bit more time for. Despite party in fighting, they've kept the economy buoyant, planned some great thing around progress and development and for the most part, cared about people. I'm not saying they're perfect, but I've got a lot more faith in the other team that that of the lizard-faced, bigotted, smarmy, bottom-dweller and his cotillion of conservative cronies who appear to have the morals and social conscience of a Colombian drug cartel.

Which is why I've come out fighting - and I'm encouraging anybody who has a skerrick of decency, rationality and intelligent to do the same.

Talk about this stuff with friend and family. I come from a Liberal voting household originally (Yep, I have been the the Victor Harbor Liberal Club'ss annual barbeque - I was eight-years-old and I wanted to go home, but I was there) but talk about these things that are out there. Do you want decent broadband internet? Do you want your kids to go to school and not have to pay $10,000 a year to ensure they get a good education? What about the environment - surely you don't want to see the marine parks of the Great Barrier Reef destroyed... no - well there is talk that He who will be known as the Warringah Wanker will be repealing laws around the environment and slashing funding to schools and hospitals - as well as decimating was was set to be a great, country wide broadband service. 

What about public transport - what the hell does Melbourne need an East/West tunnel for when we're screaming for an airport train and the Doncaster line and better funded, better run public transport.

What about funding for the Arts?

It goes on and on. And it could go on and on.

I think, the thick and the thin of this is that it's time for the sensible, decent, caring, rational people to start speaking out. Start yelling. Start writing letters, turning up to public meetings, reading alternative media and watching out for when people and rights are being abused or mistreated.

Case in point. Warringah Wanker had the audacity of saying that one of his incumbents, a blonde woman, slightly horsey in the face, as having sex appeal.

Seriously. Sex appeal. You say this in any modern Australian Workforce of a colleague and you're up in the HR offices being talked to, if not sacked for sexual harassment. And don't get me started on how he treated Julia Gillard. Bullying is an understatement.

What I'm saying is that the time for complacency and apathy is over. The time has come to shake ourselves off of the couch and to start fighting for the hard earned rights of civility, decency, the scientifically proven (like Climate Change, Tony, you blinkered nuff nuff)

Don't let the bogans from Greater Western Sydney or the rednecks from Bumfuck, Northern Queensland and their one-eyed, bigoted, anti-development, anti-intellectual stance take over the country.

This is something I'm passionate about. If you don't say what you think, how can you change anything? 

You may think I'm crazy. Well, it's the crazy ones who change the world.

Ah, that feels better. 

Oh, the best piece of the election to date. Kevin Rudd slapping down a preacher on Q&A.

And my favourite website - written in bogan so that everybody can understand it:

http://imgur.com/MfYfhLE or www.dontbeafuckingidiot.com

And just in case you missed it - the anti-Murdoch add that every commercial channel has banned for fear of upsetting dear Rupert.