It's that time of the year folks - and I
thought it might be fun to share a few
Resolutions with each other as the New Year
approaches.

One of my major ones this time will be to
stop trying to please others - concentrate
more on pleasing myself - just a little -
for a change. Part and parcel of this is -
to stop holding things in. Let it rip -
and say what I really think instead of
consistently being afraid of offending someone.

All of my life I've always been
concerned more about the happiness of other people.
Whether it was my brothers (both my parents worked
full time, and the running of the household and care
of my brothers was left up to me - even though I was
a youngster myself at the time). Or whether it was
caring for my husband and children. I've always put
myself last. Then at work - it was a matter of
always trying to always do the right thing, et cetera.
To hell with that - hopefully I can break free in
the New Year.

We'll see.

Love to hear from you ...

Why wait?

http://au.catsadoptions.com/catclassifieds/search/cat-breeds:burmese-cat

Dear Foxy,

I wish you success in your resolution and a happy new year.

Taking care of yourself will be an indirect boon for many others.

About 15 years ago I made one, & have succeeded in keeping it all these years.

It was to never make another New Year's Resolution, ever again.

At last I found one I could keep.

Foxy, do not be sad that you have been concerned about the happiness of others, and cared about the ones you loved. There is nothing greater in life that can be achieved than that.
...But take a little time for yourself as well.

My resolution as far as the forum is concerned, is I will stop going easy of the 'Right Wing Ratbags' and 'Usual Suspects' nolonger wishing not to offend their sensibilities!

What happened to Individual? Did he fall out of his tree up there in the Deep Deep North! Has not posted for some time.

Dear Foxy,

We have different problems. I don't believe I have been concerned enough about the feelings of others. I hope to be kinder and more aware of the feelings of others. At times I have been too gullible accepting what should be questioned or making up my mind on a matter too quickly making assumptions rather than finding out more. I will try not to rush into judgment.

However, the reality is that our New Year is only one of many - Chinese, Jewish, Muslim etc., and used to be March 1. We still keep the name October which means the eighth month even though it is now the tenth month. The reality is also that I will go on much as before as do the men in the poem.

All men are pioneers within their hearts.
They are forever seeking wilderness.
Behind strong teams they ride in hooded carts,
Avid for life, and masterless.

They would take their women west or north,
They would invade a country terrible with peril,
They would eternally be riding forth
Out of the cities they have found so sterile.

In their hearts they are forever cutting clover,
They are forever drawing water from a well.
In their dreams they are observing, over and over,
The ground they would clear the forests they would fell.

They are dreaming of lands that sprawl
Unfound, or unimagined, or forgot ...
Knowing they will not leave the town at all,
As like as not.

Lionel Wiggam

Foxy,

Sorry but I've never bothered with New Year's resolutions...although I like your intention of "letting it rip". I'll say however that from my observations that your empathy is strong and that you will find it a challenge to override your innate concern for other people's feelings.

Paul,

Yes, concerning individual...I just looked that up and I think the last time he posted was on 27/09/2014. I hadn't missed him. The curious thing is that Ludwig was given a month's suspension on the 25/09/2014 for his effort toward the end of the Rolf thread...and he's obviously decided not to return to OLO at this stage. Leaves me to wonder if they knew each other and have gone out in solidarity. individual was one of the few who backed Ludwig in his weird defence of Rolf's crimes.

Interesting....

Thank You everyone for your contributions.
Thank You David F., for the poem.

It's interesting to read what people
think.

It's not always easy keeping the resolutions we
try to make. But what the heck - a New Year
can bring new and stronger resolves for some of us.
It would be great though if we all could -
worry less, and laugh more - or in my case - stop
wishing I was different.

This has been a difficult year. Hopefully 2015
will be much better - for all of us.

Dear Poirot,

I understand your not making New Year Resolutions.
Thanks for coming into this discussion anyway.

I don't think that I'll be capable of changing all
that much as you say. But it's worth a try.

As for Individual and Ludwig? I've been wondering
what's happened to them as well. Perhaps they're
just taking a break - as some posters do. We'll
have to wait and see, I guess. Another one that
I haven't seen for a while is - Antiseptic?
It would be great to find out how his studies have
gone over the past year - and whether he's going
completed what he set out to do or still going to
continue. I hope we hear from all of them soon.

Foxy,

Ludwig I think is not coming back in a hurry - he was incensed that he got pinged late in that thread. And he'd been behaving quite weirdly in his debating tactics on it.

Antiseptic came back for a short while and seemed to have gotten over a lot of his angst..he's a very intelligent guy, but haven't heard from him since he started his uni course.

OUG is absent as well.

I don't miss any of those absent posters, but I sre hope they had a fab Christmas : )

My New Years resolution is to try and work less hours.
I am always going into overtime, and nobody says on their deathbed that they wished they had worked more hours!

Happy New Year everyone.

Cheers,
Suse.

FOXY I don't believe in making any Resolutions. I know the year of 2014 for me at least is a year of tragedy and sadness. Commencing first with my ex wife's suicide in March. Even though I'd remarried, we enjoyed an excellent relationship, and even with that, she still chose suicide ?

Dear Poirot,

I'd forgotten about OUG.

Perhaps in the New Year these guys might make
an appearance again.

Dear Suse,

Happy New Year to you and Everyone, as well!

We've "Jingled All The Way" - now it's time to
look forward to New Adventures ... Yay!

Yes, but have you taken any steps to rescue one of those Burmese you say you have always wanted?

If one is completely honest about it, very few of our limitations are not self imposed.

Time is a'slipping away and so is life.

Forget the NYR, learn to live in the moment, cherish that. Remember, 'If it is going to be, it has to be me'.

Slipping Away
Slipping away--slipping away!
Out of our brief year slips the May;
And Winter lingers, and Summer flies;
And Sorrow abideth, and Pleasure dies;
And the days are short, and the nights are long;
And little is right, and much is wrong.

Slipping away is the Summer time;
It has lost its rhythm and lilting rhyme -
For the grace goes out of the day so soon,
And the tired head aches in the glare of noon,
And the way seems long to the hills that lie
Under the calm of the western sky.

Slipping away are the friends whose worth
Lent a glow to the sad old earth:
One by one they slip from our sight;
One by one their graves gleam white;
Or we count them lost by the crueller death
Of a trust betrayed, or a murdered faith.

Slipping away are the hopes that made
Bliss out of sorrow, and sun out of shade,
Slipping away is our hold on life;
And out of the struggle and wearing strife,
From joys that diminish, and woes that increase,
We are slipping away to the shores of Peace.
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I enjoy Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

"What can be said in New Year rhymes
That's not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go
We know we dream, we dream we know
We rise up laughing with the light
We lie down weeping with the night
We hug the world until it stings
We curse it then and sigh for wings
We live, we love, we woo, we wed
We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead
We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,
And that's the burden of a year."

Some here may know her better for this,

http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/solitude-by-ella-wheeler-wilcox

I enjoy poetry.

4X4, a remote place somewhere, coffee + Louis Royer (for the chill) and now the tablet provides endless literature. Yay! Heaven, or oblivion (that sucks), can wait.

Some of those posters who have disappeared have been removed by Graham Young who has tried to keep a measure of civility in our discussions. Viva Graham Young.

Oh to be a paragon or moral perfection, DAVID F !

David f,

"Some of those posters who have disappeared have been removed by Graham Young who has tried to keep a measure of civility in our discussions. Viva Graham Young."

I presume that none of those regulars have been "removed" permanently by Graham. For instance, Ludwig got a month's suspension - his choice not to come back....etc

The only people who are removed permanently are usually blow-in trolls.

Foxy, I congratulate you on your resolution. It's not easy to trust your judgement enough to be comfortable with taking ownership of your own outcomes and allow others to be responsible for theirs. I'm sure you'll be pleased with your decision.

OTB, those cats look lovely. My mate with the large tongue and the hairy legs has expressed his interest too. I'm not sure he sees the same qualities that you and I might, though. Perhaps next year, when he's a bit slower.

Hasbeen, one of the advantages of aging that some are lucky enough to experience is achieving the wisdom to know the way to personal perfection. Of course, one of the disadvantages is achieving the wisdom to know that it is going to take several more lifetimes.

Paul1405, hit 'em hard, hit 'em low. At least, that's what I was taught when playing rugby. Seems reasonable in the circumstances.

David f, lovely words and beautiful thoughts, thanks.

Poirot, from my recollection of your circumstances, I reckon you've got enough on your plate. Keep on keeping on.

Foxy, to answer your question, no, I haven't completed my journey of discovery into the nature of humanity, but I've made some steps along the way, I think. I'll keep you posted.

The last couple of years have been pretty tumultuous for me, in a good way I hasten to add. My son has taken the brave step of choosing to come to live with me full time so he can improve his school outcomes, which were a very low priority for his mother and I'm proud to say he's now looking likely to achieve a good enough result for uni studies to be a realistic aim. My daughter has been inspired by his example and a lot of goading to go back to school to complete her senior next year, to my great relief and I've just completed the first year of an Electronic Engineering degree.

My resolution? Grab life by the nuts and squeeze...

May you all do the same. Happy New Year.

Hiya Anti,

Lovely to have you drop by.

Sounds like things are coming together for you and yours...as it invariably does in its own sweet time.

Happy New Year....

Dear Anti,

Welcome back and I am so pleased that things
are running smoothly for you and yours.
Please keep us posted - we've missed your
input this year, but it sounds like you've
had enough on your plate. Than You for your
advice. I'll give it my best shot.

Happy New Year to You as well plus a warm hug!

I've just come across this on the web -
and adapted it to suit:

"My goal for 2015 is to accomplish the goals
of 2014 which I should have done in 2013,
because I promised them in 2012 and planned
them in 2011."

Happy New Year!

Dear Foxy,

Thank you for the topic.

My resolution is to try and spend a little more time with my young nephew. He is of an age that the normal seeking of new boundaries are putting some strain on his single mum. A great kid but duty of care calls for a little more attention to assist him in maneouvering through this part of his life. I have some 4x4 driving planned for tomorrow and there are some great spots close by to put him behind the wheel.

While I am not big on New Year resolutions they can be helpful in bringing decisions to a head.

Antiseptic,

All the very best with your studies. If you are like the rest of us, you may complete two or three degrees and still be unsure what you want to do. That is the time for higher study. No-one expects a PhD to be anything but bewildered.

Dear SteeleRedux,

I think your nephew's a very lucky guy to have
an uncle like you - who's taking such an interest
in him.
I'm sure you will play a big part in his life,
and be a big influence - something he will remember
for the rest of his life.

I still remember my English teacher who was an
inspiration. Through her efforts I came to appreciate
literature and develop a love of Shakespeare, drama,
and the theatre.

Dear Foxy,

My English teacher caused me to love Shakespeare. When we went through a Shakespeare play in class Olive C. would say, "Mary, you read from line 110 to line 140. When Mary was through Johnny would be called on to read from line 190 to 230.

After class I would go over the text to see what was said between lines 140 and 190. There was always some sexual reference there. It might take some work to find it in the Elizabethan English of Shakespeare's time. However, it could always be found if one was willing to take the trouble that Olive C. apparently had. In going over the text I became aware of the beauty and rhythm of the language. I still love Shakespeare.

Eric Partridge in "Shakespeare's Bawdy" has made a scholarly examination of Shakespeare's sexual allusions.

I am disappointed that no one mentioned Belly as one departed poster. I miss the debates we had about politics. We had a similar background, but he had it tougher than me. Although poor, I was more fortunate in that my parents were non drinkers and did everything for us kids. Like Belly, had to leave school and get work ASAP.

So tomorrow night I will toast Belly and Ludwig, whom I also respected for his views on over population. Haven't seen much of Yabby of late either.

Never much for NYR but will persist with efforts to stop FGM and get government to abandon multiculturalism. Will continue to lobby for reduced immigration, beginning with denying entry of those groups that hold us in contempt. Look for other ways to deter terrorism here (Bazz, Yuyutsu and O sung wu).

Banjo,

Yes, we all miss Belly - goes without saying....

I had always gotten on reasonably well with Ludwig - until his thread on Rolf Harris...have to say I saw and entirely different, belligerent and just plain weird Ludwig on that thread.

Dear David F.,

Prof Haim Ginott said this about teachers:

"Teachers have a unique opportunity to counteract
unhealthy influences in a pupil's early
childhood. They have the power to affect a child's
life for better or for worse. A child becomes
what he experiences. While parents possess the
original key to their offspring's experience,
teachers have a spare key. They too can open or close
minds and hearts of children."

We've all had teachers who've had positive or negative
impacts on us. Teachers who had a unique talent for
complicating life. I've spoken of my maths teacher -
who made me feel ignorant and she used her tongue as a
sword (and her fist). She was a virtuoso not only of
the verbal slap - but in her class I knew what it was
like to feel like a zero.

Yet my English teacher never criticised, she coaxed.
Never pushed, she persuaded. Never insulted, she
inspired. With sensitivity she taught us to contrast
drama and life, to evaluate performance and character.
And it was through her efforts that I came to appreciate
Shakespeare and literature in general.

Thank You for sharing your experiences with us.

Ooooops - I posted this on the wrong discussion so
I shall try again...

Dear Banjo,

I miss Belly more than words can say.
I have mentioned this many times on the forum.
Hopefully he'll come back one day - I only hope it
will be soon, while I'm still around.

I agree with Poirot about Ludwig's stance on Rolf
Harris. It was baffling.

Yabby's still around - I've noticed his posts appearing
from time to time.

Now before I forget - I'd like to Thank everyone who has
contributed to this discussion and I wish us all a
vitriolic free New Year on this Forum

Banjo, I fully understand your determination to continue
your previous takes on issues in the New Year.
As Leonard Cohen explained:

"How can I begin anything new - with all of yesterday
in me!"

I too miss BELLY. So much so, I asked Graham Y. to send him a message from me asking that he consider coming back ? Graham to his absolute credit did convey my message to him, but apparently I didn't have sufficient gravitas in order to persuade him ?

As a token, both to the New Year 2015, and to, two other accomplished contributors who've honoured us with their views and opinions, I'd like to dedicate this piece.

To:- IS MISE, 3RAR Korean War Veteran; and JAYB, Vietnam Veteran.

And...

to my very best mate, David Frank ROBBINS, 3RAR Vietnam,
Dave, I miss you more as each day passes ! RIP.

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the
press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, who
has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus
radical, who has given us
freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier who salutes the
flag and whose coffin is draped
by the flag who allows the
protester to burn the flag.

When you look at that, you
understand what we're all
about.

Lest we forget.

From, an anon. US Army General - At the 1997 national convention of Vietnam Veterans of America.

Dear O Sung Wu,

I fully understand your strong feelings about
Vietnam veterans not being fully recognised
because many people were against the Vietnam
war and felt that we should have stayed out of it.
Hence your poem. A fitting tribute to your colleagues.

However, we can only
trust that with the prospect of the next war
being a nuclear one - that we try to avoid war at all
costs. My biggest fear is that our world can
become so obsessed with the problem of hatred
and aggression, that it will allow peace and love
to be regarded as soft and weak. Yet our survival
depends on their dominance.

The simple fact is that soldiers have not given us freedom. In some of Australia's wars Australian soldiers took away freedom from other people. An example of that was the Boer War in which Australian soldiers were active in taking away freedom from the Boers. Freedom of the press was not established by soldiers fighting. It was established by newspapermen printing what the government did not want them to print and other people backing them. We owe woman's suffrage not to soldiers but to the brave women who demonstrated for it and the men who supported them. Soldiers are not even responsible for Australia's independence. That was established by Parkes and others working through the political process. In many wars soldiers simply served the purposes of empire. Australian soldiers joined in the New Zealand wars which took the country from the Maoris. Soldiers in general support the government of the day whether that government supports freedom or not.

Freedom of speech prevails because people had the courage to speak when government wished them to be silent. Australian soldiers fought for the Empire or the country not for political freedom. We owe a debt to soldiers for supporting the country. We do not owe our political freedoms to them. We owe that to the civilians who demonstrated for those freedoms and took part in the political process to gain them.

I just hope that Belly reads these threads.

If so, I would just like to say G'day and wish you all the best.

Never did get to have a beer with you, which I regret.

While you and I had differences on some issues, we had much in common and I really believe Australia needs more honest, straight forward blokes like you. It would be an honour to shake your hand.

Take care mate.

Hello there DAVID F...

Well, why am I not surprised to hear of your take on that short piece ? Of course it would be a folly indeed to engage you in some intellectual contretemps, as I'd be surely thrashed ?

Still after reading your contribution I doesn't escape me that all these noble folk who've done so much for the moral benefit of this, and other great nations - I do wonder sometimes what would've happened, if our military forces were vanquished by our enemies, and reduced us to an existence of nothing more than mere serfdom ?

Who was it that gave us Freedom ? The Freedom to speak our minds ? The Freedom to choose a government ? The Freedom to undertake an education ? The Freedom to choose an occupation ? The Freedom to live our lives in any lawful way we wish, and so on ?

Without our military and the military of our allies eventually prevailing in the last war (WW2) who knows we may be feasting on a delicate Japanese cuisine ?

After reading material, structured in a similar vain to yours, I often feel I should apologise for ever joining the Australian Military ? Then I ask myself, why should I be ashamed, what did I do to be ashamed about ? After all we carried all that awful baggage when I returned from Vietnam, nearly fifty years ago now ? Yet I still feel it necessary to apologise, why ?

It's little wonder that Vietnam Veterans still seek suicide as a realistic option, as a salve for their feelings of guilt ? Not guilt occasioned by their wartime experiences, guilt they'd survived such an iniquitous War !

Dear o sung wu,

The Australian military has fought bravely and well. I appreciate what they have done to preserve Australia from foreign domination. However, that is not what all of Australia's wars have been about. The German and Japanese soldiers also fought bravely and well. I am very thankful that we won.

The Vietnamese War had absolutely nothing to do with Australia's freedoms. During WW2 Ho Chi Minh and others fought the Japanese. They were our allies. After WW2 France wanted its colony back. If we were really for freedom we would not have helped France in that effort. The French had a puppet government under Bao Dai. When the US came into the war to salvage western rule over Vietnam there was another puppet government under Nguyen Cao Ky.

I sympathise with the Australian Vietnamese veterans and their suffering. I also sympathise with the Vietnamese people, their soldiers and their suffering.

None if this suffering would have happened if the US and Australia had not sent forces into Vietnam.

My cousin, Richard, was a US pilot in that war. He flew many raids over North Vietnam. He was in there during the early stages of that war and became aware that the Vietnamese people did not want us there. There were incidents on the base such as a laundry woman coming in with grenades under her clothing. This was detected so she did no damage. Richard wanted to resign, but his resignation was not accepted. However, a US officer has the option of refusing promotion. After a time in grade if he is not promoted he must leave the service. He came home, and his wife had a baby which looked like a bunch of grapes. Possibly the result of Agent Orange. No more babies.

Another cousin, Alan, was a US Marine in that war. His main interest was to survive his tour of duty and come home. He did.

Those campus radicals who protested the war helped to arouse the Australian people to the iniquitous nature of that war.

Hi DAVID F...

Thank you for your response, the contents of which are noted. As sure as night follows day, you and I are so philosophically divergent, I don't believe there's any exigency available, that may yield a germane mechanism, that could possibly encourage either of us to reach-out and establish some sort of commonality ?

Happy New Year to you all.

Dear Foxy,

Belly made his decision based on the perceived lack of action on the harassment of both himself and yourself by onthebeach.

I thought it was a principled stance for which I continue to applaud him. There are some here who dismiss and decry those who seek to rein in the behaviour of some of the more confronting members of this forum, but those who have been long time contributors do get protective of this place and of others and Belly was one of those.

We certainly rarely saw eye to eye but I sincerely hope he is stirring up some other forum in another neck of the cyberworld.

Dear o sung wu,

I don't know that we are philosophically divergent. We probably agree that many brave men have performed many heroic and noble deeds in wars which cannot be justified. We may disagree on the justification for particular wars. It is hard to feel that something we have placed ourselves on the line for is not worth it.

My oldest son was a teenager during the Vietnamese War. He told me that even though he had doubts about the war he did not want to miss the experience of his generation. I did not argue with him, but I was glad the war ended before he was 18.

I am fairly sure that were we to meet a common danger we would cooperate to counter it as it would be in our mutual interest.

We can argue and disagree on the web, but we might see eye to eye on some things. I wish you well, and I don't feel it is a bad thing that we have disagreements.

That's quite true DAVID F. it's all part of the great learning curve of life, I guess ? I wish you a good night.

Dear davidf,

I see that both o sung wu and you at least agree the 'War' was iniquitous.

To say “None if this suffering would have happened if the US and Australia had not sent forces into Vietnam.” is perhaps a little fraught but otherwise the over-arching point of course is that when a soldier is required to defend 'our freedoms' it is generally because another soldier is involved in trying to take them away. I'm sure the Turks saw their country and their freedoms threatened when they fought so indeterminately to hold back a large, heavily armed, invasion force which included Australians.

Dear SteeleRedux,

Thank You for your comments about Belly.

We didn't always agree - however to me he was
a friend, and a man of integrity. I miss him
very much and also hope that he's doing well
wherever he is.

Happy New Year to you and your family.