Another Christmas Comes and Goes

Having had 74 Christmases, it's now a tad ordinary. 

Beforehand there's all the searching for presents for those who already have everything they need and most of what they want. Then there's the decorations pulled out of their hiding places in our garage and the decisions about food; roast lamb, leg of ham, chicken? What about sweets?

After hours of preparation in the kitchen breakfast and lunch much of what has been prepared has been demolished. Then it's time for dinner well after presents have been opened, but nobody is hungry having nibbled on chocolates, cake and leftover potatoes. Toblerone anyone?

Our children are adults now and one of them has a son who turned 21 recently. We usually negotiate what each wants for Christmas now to save giving people stuff they don't like and don't want. For his birthday in late November we gave him some money so he can buy what he wants and I gave him a surprise. It was a Victorinox multi-tool.

As an electrical apprentice I expect he'll get good use out of it for years. But the real reason I gave it to him, with his name and 21st birthdate laser engraved in it is that I want him to have something that lasts long after I've taken the road from which nobody returns.

I have some things that belonged to my mother and father, the last of whom died in 1995 and I treasure them because they provide a strange link into the past when we were all living together.

But back to Christmas.

My wife and I negotiate what we want and we did the same with our two children. I got a pair of Brooks sneakers from my wife and I gave her a new Fitbit fitness tracker. There were a few extras, but nothing expensive.

That way, we got what we would have had to buy at some stage anyway and each of us was happy with our present.

Now, it's all done and dusted for another year.

All we have to do is survive New Year's Eve and we'll almost be back to normal; back on our Mediterranean eating plan and our routine that we have established since retiring.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

#Robinoz

#Netexit

Will Australia Learn from the UK and European Disasters?

Will politicians in Australia learn from the disasters that long-term "green" policies have had in the UK, Europe and elsewhere.

Probably not. If we were going to learn, we would have done so some years ago when the writing was on the wall for all to see.

One of the principal managers of the International Panel on Climate Change admitted the climate change policy had nothing to do with climate and was all about redistribution of wealth - from Western countries to African countries.

It also seems to be about promoting the Lima Agreement to "flatten" Western industries and transfer some of them to African and other so-called developing countries and the UN's Agenda 2030. 

Don't forget Klaus Schwab's, World Economic Forum that also wants to impose a totalitarian one world government regime where nobody will own anything, but we'll all be happy. Maybe they plan to put something in the water. Otherwise, why would anyone be happy?

The Left is changing the world we live in for the worse and we, the silent majority need to fight back.

#Robinoz

#Netexit

 

Debunking the 97% Scientists Agree re Climate Change

One of the most sensible, balanced videos I have seen and I've viewed hundreds in my search for the truth and not what passes for truth.

You can find it here: https://youtu.be/YhmMBLGQpEs

#Robinoz

Who has earned your admiration in life?

Anika Ghandi

How many people in your life have you found worthy of admiration?

Apart from my father, said by others to be a "brilliant engineer" and a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Squadron Leader who was my boss, most other people I have admired have been women.

Most recently, I stumbled upon the site of Anika Ghandi who provides YouTube videos about woodwork and carpentry tools. As an amateur carpenter who attends the local Men's Shed and is learning to craft wooden products - at an advanced age I might add, I find her blog, email messages and YouTube videos very helpful.

Anika even provides top quality plans for some of her projects. How good is that?

When I first watched one of her videos I thought, "She must be a tradesperson, she's very good at this." Little did I know that she is actually a degreed electrical engineer (like my father who was an electrical and mechanical engineer) who decided to transition from electricity to timber. Obviously doing practical things with timber (or lumber in the US) appeals to her more than designing power installations and high-tension power lines.

Anika is obviously very smart - aren't all engineers - and also talented. She's adapted to woodwork and made it a career. One has to admire her achievements even if you aren't into engineering or woodwork.

I'm beginning one of her project shortly and I look forward to viewing Anika's videos and reading her blog frequently as I hone my skills.

As a one-time adult educator/trainer, I have a sound understanding of competency-based training (CBT) and assessment and I'm using CBT principles as I develop my skills base piece of timber by piece of timber. 

Only time will tell how successful I become and time isn't something I have a lot of since I'm closer to the end than the beginning. 

Who have or do you admire? Tell us in the comments.

#Robinoz