If you talk to any older traders, they'll tell you that the current market is indeed, "normal". So if you're waiting around for the markets to return to the 1990's boom period, you might be waiting decades. We may never see a market like that in our lifetime (cliche).
I think people have to stop complaining about these markets and start learning how to trade them. This is reality! AOL having 20 point intraday moves was NOT reality!
Good luck.
Axe