nomadpete

And my granddads comment was a failed bit of wit. Only folks over 60 would remember seeing a service station attendant. Or seeing tiger tails hanging from fuel caps. The second ad shows comments across the bottom of the page, by Kellogs, U.S. Royals and top Brass. Unlikely support groups for petroleum. Hence my suspicion of their motives.

Oops! Sorry but I think I dozed off during the lesson. Thanks anyway OME

"Grandad, what's a gas station attendant?" BTW, that second ad looks odd. I can't read the sponsors across the bottom of the page. Was there some complaint against Esso?

Agreed. Enough of this. It isn't a 'Spelling Police' thread, ya know!

Lucky him - yeah. But I'd like to know what was the bet she lost, to do this?

Thank you both for the historic background that led to the present 'troubles'. We were never taught such history. Equally sadly, during my schooling years (and reinforced by a lifetime of media bites), history was never presented as being a vital early warning system, which it can be. My mental 'media sound bite' summary of ME politics and violence is:- Everyone who takes sides in a conflict, is escalating the conflict from local atrocities, to potential world wide atrocities. Unless, of course we all take sides with the biggest bully. Really quickly. Taking sides is the opposite to mediation, in any disagreement.

I'm not allowed to start writing about my miss-spent youth until I grow up.

People who cross the Mafia get substantial sub-lime experience.

Play it where it lies....

Anonymous sources should be viewed with suspicion.

Reason doesn't seem to figure large in any war. What trouble me significantly is the fact that USofA instantly took sides. Supporting the mass murderous retaliation. Quickly followed by good old Aussie puppy dog politics - always afraid to say anything that isn't preapproved by Washington.

Santa has been reading all your posts. This year you are all getting dictionaries snd bibles.

I'd hazard a guess that ten thousand rampaging soldiers might have contributed a significant boost the the gene pool. All war and no play makes a dull life for a soldier.

My grandad (yeah it was a long time ago) had a veggie patch in the back yard. There were a couple of crows dropping in regularly to check the patch out. Grandad started keeping a rifle by the back door and he found that after the first couple of shots, the crows learnt to scarper as soon as he emerged with gun in hand. They just had to see the gun, to leave. One day, grandma had put the gun away because it shouldn't be seen when us grandkids arrived, so in frustration grandad grabbed a nearby broomhandle, went out and took aim at the birds. He thought it should look about the same as a gun to a birds. But the birds ignored him. They knew that although it was aimed at them, it wasn't a real gun. We kids laughed! Smart birds indeed.

In the USofA, grammies are awards, not a measure of weight.

I had to work hard to get a sponsor for residency

Sorry Jerry. You are only allowed one gripe-of-the-week. In this brave new cotton wool era, we must not risk inflicting emotional scarring that would surely result from anybody disliking a social media post.

It is so sad that idealism often ends at the hip pocket. That is not a personal criticism, it is a reality of life. I do sympathise with the pain of your self censorship.

Heard of Hempcrete? There is a house in Franklin being built, supervised appropriately by Grand Designs film crew.

Are our politicians related to these birds?

I left sunny Australia and came to Tasmania to get away from the heat.

What conceit! What makes him think it is worth taking back?

It's all just random thoughts, thread hijacks and distractions....... And reflector gunsights don't seem to get much use around here.

They aren't allowed to. Apparently it's against their rules to profit from their prophesy