Pelican,

Have to agree regarding eccentrics and people who generally stand apart from the crowd.
Many of the great authors were at least a little eccentric or didn't fit in with the heard to some degree - in fact, it may be something of a prerequisite to be a little "odd" or different to be able to take a perspective not available to the general population.

Imagine living next door to Proust or Virginia Woolf. These people were not cut from ordinary cloth - and humanity is richer for it.

Of course, some eccentrics prefer to post their musings without undertaking a quick editing scan - and consequently see their typo lit up in neon - "heard" should of course be "herd".

Pelican

I agree with your points about admiring some people even though you may disagree with some or even all they have to say. Glad you mentioned Ayn Rand, I first read the Fountainhead when I was 16, it left me feeling very confused at that young age. I agreed with her protagonist's desire to be free to design buildings free of traditional restraints, but had difficulties with her views on welfare, that people only help others for selfish reasons. As a result I learned a lot - mainly that things are not black and white, the some people do help others for less than altruistic reasons and freedom of expression is a hard won value.

Overall, I found her to be preachy. And despair that she is taken so seriously by the far right.

I enjoy listening to GG and do not always agree, but I do always find her informative and entertaining and a genuinely passionate person. Many people like to excuse their bad behaviour as merely passion. Not so Germaine, she is very real and is not afraid to stick her neck out.

Charles Manson was quite eccentric.

Pelican; The world is better for eccentrics as Cossomby writes. Better than the bland homogeny that dominates.

I agree. It stimulates discussion & from that comes change, mostly for the better. However the problem then arises where, like reformers everywhere, the extreme starts to take over. Eg; Feminism, Workplace Health & Safety & Political correctness.

When I was a young lad we had a lot of "Remitance Men" living in our town (Ayr.) They were mostly English essentrics who were paid by their very rich families to "stay away." As a kid, I befriended some of them. They were all very well educated. GG would have fitted in quite well. Later in life, I knew a Doctor in Townsville, also essentric. He would go to work with his trousers on inside out, or a thong on one foot & a shoe on the other. It appers he was sent to Burma before WW2, when the Jappanese arrived he was sent to Australia, where he set up practice. It was many years before the AMA caught up with him. He didn't even know he was in Australia. He was one of the forensic scientists that worked on the Asaria Chamberlin case. A brilliant man, but nuts. He also used to set the Doctors exams for Universities. Some say that, I too, can be a litte essentric at times. ;-)

Pelican; Greer is worth a listen on many subjects (not just feminism) as she examines puts out there a different perspective.

I agree. When GG is not on her femine high horse she can be quite interesting.

She owns a property about 30 k's from where I live or about 10, as the crow flys.

Dear Pelly,

Did you watch Q and A on Monday night? Bob Katter was on the panel -
very entertaining.

Dear Pericles,

I've just read your earlier comment about Mr Hutton. You could be right about that gentleman. He's probably trawling for ideas on this subject - and people are givining him quite a few to choose from.