cont'd ...

And being chased by spunky,
young men - doesn't
hurt either!

Congratulations Foxy!

regards,
Pynch

Yes foxy it was life changing for me too. http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3348#79583

Congrats to one and all, another reason to build a better future.

Foxy,
Congratulations.

One advantage of being a grandparent is that if it makes a noise or smells you can usually hand it back.

Our son and daughter-in-law have a baby 9mts and called in last Sat for a nappy change and a coffee. Picked my wife up and took her to sydney with them to look after bubs while they went to a wedding. Dropped my wife off home next day. Oh well, that is what grandparents are for.

Early December wife flew to melbourne to keep 14 year old grand daughter company as school was finished but parents had to work until Christmas. They had a ball, going into town for lunches and movies, museums, art gallerys and shopping of course. Good to be able to spend time with granddaughter, but I daren't look at the bank balance.

Oh dear, Gender issues already?

I should re-read before posting, apologies.
Olo or Examinator... good butch names for a strawberry blond boy.

My Latvian birth parents apparently hated every thing Russian (invaders).

Gran (adopted) was born north of Rutherford NSW/Qld on a property, now a national park/bilby enclosure habitat, in 1890, the backside of no-where.
Home schooled by her mum. sent to work at 14
A victim of fertility... a gutless hubby and the depression.

He left her with 7 children he didn't believe in birth control..catholic. Mum spent a few years in a Salvo "home".

I probably posted this before. Gran more likely to say "don't sit *boy* get up and do something about it".
She me the obituaries at breakfast, while making sure I ate properly.

Gran was tough as Granite, the exterior of old leather but a heart of gold. Despite being a determined, cranky, laconic, gruff no nonsense sole despite this there were over 200 people at her funeral. Including 3 different serving city mayors, wives and the board/auxiliaries from 3 hospital. All because of her charitable work.

I remember her *Telling* the local green grocer to give her his bruised fruit and deliver it so she could make jam for the hospitals. She did the same for sugar from the local supermarket....they both complied and attended her funeral. That year she made 50 cakes and over 2000 jars of assorted jams and marmalades, not bad for a old battle axe with chronic arthritis at 79 ish. Any questions where I get my humanism from? Proud of her? Not my right to claim reflected glory for *her* hard work. Admire(d) her and influenced me ....You bet.
She was the archetypal laconic, self effacing old time Aussie generous doer, from times gone by. Her type are not repeated today.

P.S. she resisted honours and once when given life governorship of PANCH aux. She stood and said. "thanks" and sat down.

Steven, great spin my boy,
Robot (soldier) technology is so primitive its a joke.
Now AI is primitive. The idea of Asimov's positronic brain and the consequences there of are fanciful. Even the famous No5 weapon from "short circuit" was fanciful. Autonomous soldiers is nonsense Computer technology must be programed and "learns" within tediously limited parameters.

As for the territory argument regarding Israel that is an exceedingly superficial assessment. If it was either just for the right to exist or within the 1967 borders the argument would have been resolvable years ago. It about the expansionary attitudes and power lust(religious superiority pride pretending to be racial differential)) of a electorally disproportionate minority.

The equivalent or the "Moral Majority" (sic) in the USA, a bunch of religious superiority nutters.

Territory and existence are merely the "stalking horse" justifications. They have absolutely no notion of equity or fairness, latter day colonial bullies and invaders.

The US supports them solely through self interest and internal political reasons. Interested in fairness/equity ? no way. Untill we as a species can deal with that the conflict will continue.