Continued.

Fortunately money has never interested me. I could have earned much more money driving trains or busses. To day I have a fantastic life on my 20 acres in the sticks, with a menagerie of totally useless animals, pets & wild, my old stallion & even older sports cars, all on less than $400 a week. Any pensioner can live as well, which is why I get very sick of whingers.

More dismal drivel brought to you by those who have blocked Golden Rice (Vitamin A). Millions blind and more do so annually because of opposition to scientific development by such poseurs. There is only one arms race in food since the time of Malthus, and it has largely succeeded in defeating this scourge. Far more of a risk to ordinary people is the highly Toxic output of BAs, or Bugger Alls as they were called by real students.

There are pensioners and pensioners Has. Former public servants do reasonably well as do self funded retirees, doing it tough, collecting up to a $100,000.00 a year; and possibly eking out an existence on a well watered 5 acre farm; replete with a couple of glass and or shade houses, that not only feeds them but provides a sizable salable surplus.
And lets not discount still working wives or partners, who bring in a substantial off farm income!
Twenty acres and a freehold home is what many would settle for.
But particularly many deserted widowed sacrificing stay at home mums, trying to survive in a Sydney bedsit, costing more to rent than the average single pension!
And you accuse me of being an Ideologue!
I'm not the one full of self satisfied, blame the victim smugness, and turning a completely blind eye to others far worse off; and through no fault of their own!
And no I don't think you've managed to create a false impression in my mind, just enabled me to get a crystal clear picture of you and what you represent!
A very narrow view of the world that rarely if ever extends beyond the farm gate and the family?
I've also been in business, and understand there are times when the worker takes home more money than the boss!
Arguably that's just the price one pays in business, when building it up!
I also understand that good workers are the very life blood of any business.
And something that invariably escapes the very rare rogue employer!
On a positive side; I'm glad you had the courage to follow your dreams, and set sail on your own personal adventure!
Something that very few of the pensioners you invariably critique could ever actually afford; as opposed to the self funded retiree, (conservatives one and all) apparently earning your ire?
Pulling a life away, at the handle of a one armed bandit!?
There are pensioners, and then there are pensioners!
And then there is complete lack of normal human empathy Has!
Rhrosty.

Hasbeen,

An off topic bit.
I used to work at a place on Mt Panorama, just below the Esses (on the right) and on the days that I drove my 1926 Alvis "Duck's Back" Super Sport to work (big port head and a straight through outside exhaust (with chicken wire gas obstruction!) I would drive around the circuit to work.
Great fun but I had to curb my enthusiastic driving if anyone was following me into the Esses after a modern car (1970s) nearly came to grief because the driver didn't realize just how fast the old car that he was following was going.
This also happened to me and other vintage Alvis drivers on 'the open road' at various locations.

Would that be the Light car Club Is Mise? If so I had dinner there once at a Morgan Club Reunion about 12 years ago. It was my Morgan & the Morgan club full of enthusiasts that started me racing, all those years ago.

Yes very few realise just how much of the performance of any car is down to the loose nut behind the wheel.

I had a couple of years at school at Bathurst, & sold programs at the Easter races in 52 & 3. It never occurred to me that I would ever be able to race myself. Only been back that once since my last race in 69.

How would you know how much empathy I have for real people Rhrosty? My characteristic is I loathe wingers, but will help anyone who tries, & have helped heaps.

However, if I had a dollar for every person who told me I was lucky, I'd be a multimillionaire. That annoys me.

It was not luck that I was prepared, with a few others, to spend most lunch hours, & many afternoons at school studying. All the class was welcome, & could have done it.

It was not luck I achieved the education I wanted, anyone could have done it. I earned a company scholarship.

It was not luck I managed to buy the oldest Brabham alive. It was broken, very cheap & no one wanted it. Anyone on a tradesman's wage could have done it.

It was not luck that a mate & I built it an engine, & turned it into the quickest & most reliable Formula 2 car in the country. Anyone who had bothered to get our educations, & develop our skills, & had 700 hours to spare could have done it.

We were not professionals, he was an accountant & I was a plastics specialist. If anyone wanted it as much, they could have done it.

It was not luck it was voted the best, & most reliable car in Oz by the motor racing mechanics club, we had built it that way, but anyone could have done it.

It was not luck I was offered a Formula 1 drive, I was unbeaten in F2 for 20 months, but anyone could have done it.

The sale of the Brabham bought me an old tired yacht. I lived on it, [always was a cheapskate], & did it up while still racing, & running my business, before sailing it around the Pacific. Anyone could have done it. [In fact I have a few dozen friends who did it].