BruceVC

Sorry to hear, what are the next steps?

This relationship is going exceptionally well and its rare to also find someone where things like conversation are easy and then she also likes animals ....and we both know that does matter to you I do think its going faster than I thought but you guys are with fine with that so no need to be overly cautious And then she clearly feels very comfortable with you and wanted to see how you would process her divorce with all its details. Not everyone would mention every detail but she feels she can with you and you are someone who understands the vicissitudes of life and marriage so that would have been another positive trait she thinks of you Hence she felt she could ask the " serious relationship"......and well done for recovering and saying the right words the next day. You can ignore the male brain caution because that is not necessary under these circumstances and I really think you are doing the right thing because she is sharing personal things with you and that matters Your cousin sounds really sweet, what a brilliant idea to match make and she got it right. Great story and well done for how things are going, you not someone who just dates women on a whim so if you think how well this is going this is something to believe in and pursue. Oh it sounds like the daughter likes you, try to keep the same good relationship because they do matter in then long term Next update keep all the details and the same length as you can never have enough feedback when you update us Do you know what is amazing, think back to that post when you told us you going off the radar and you understandably depressed. Would you ever thought that several weeks\months later you would be so happy....life can be full of such unexpected surprises and sometimes you cannot predict when they will happen

Pidesco please dont start acting like a socialist, Gfted1 is not being sarcastic. You know I never lie to you, all he is saying is we cant all become like Sweden because most countries dont have your government funding success and citizen buy in to support the system People in most countries cant just expect handouts with no productivity ....these things need to balanced

I know your food and alcohol habits, its not critical but its nice to enjoy a few drinks over a delicious steak or rib lunch My cousin stays in an area called Hawthorne , he has just moved their and doesnt know your region

That looks great, some great restaurants and I like that flea-market And some news that has just occurred and this could change but it should happen. I have never been to Oz and my cousin said I must come stay with him, I also have an ex-best friend who lives in the Gold Coast so next year, more or this time, I will go to Oz for 2-3 weeks and stay with Paul. And if you keen we can meetup maybe at one of those restaurants ....no pressure but it will nice Now this may seem rushed but why not accept his offer and that will save me money...but obviously I will keep you updated but I do like the idea and my mom will like this because this is her way of us reconnecting and she sees Paul as her sister child and she always wanted us to spend time together because she considers us close family ....even though we didnt speak for 22 years But to he honest it feels very normal and I will know after NY how we get on I had to post this, my types of restaurants https://www.mustdobrisbane.com/features/best-smokehouses-around-brisbane

Gorthfuscious I just had an interesting chat and I thought of you. I am not sure if you remember I mentioned I have cousins who immigrated to Oz in 1998 and we love each other but we dont have much contact , in fact I only chatted to Paul for the first time in 2020. But they are the kids of my moms sister who passed away in SA so my mom has real connection to them and also when I was grade 6&7 I often went to their house and my aunt was very welcoming so we had contact in SA Paul lives in Brisbane and he wants to come Cpt for NY and we will spending time together which is going to be our first contact in 22 years but speaking to him its very easy and its interesting how quickly we can reconnect ....he also sent me some photos of the beach where he lives, dont you live in Brisbane ?

Well the good news is this new MMO is generally getting good reviews ....so maybe it will be different

I havent at all....but now I need to know, what did they fail at ? Its important because it may negate my earlier point

g

I have been following this MMO for a few months and I liked the design and game world, also because its a Amazon product they wont allow it to fail so its nice to know their are not unplanned budget cuts My one brother started playing it 2 weeks ago and he loved it but he said their was major latency with things like combat.....and this is unusual for MMO we play in SA because our international bandwidth is fine but apparently the combat is very bandwidth intense which may create this problem?

I do understand your concern because we had no free lunches ever at school and yet most kids had a lunch box but I do remember in high school some kids from the lower academic classes went to school every day with no money and no lunch. But to be honest they would be considered lower class white kids who came from rough backgrounds and I assume their parents didnt care about them eating, also Apartheid SA would definitely have examples of real parental failure .....its completely foreign to me because that would have been impossible to entertain from my mom But I do think that in some countries a culture is developing where some people arent prepared to take responsibility for things that they should and then the expectation is that government must pay or needs to . For example surly anyone who plans to have kids must also be balanced with " can I afford the cost of this " And I am not suggesting that if you live in poverty you cant have kids, of course not. But I question if this type of initiative is the best way to spend resources ? I understand your view on these topics will always be seen as what is best for the actual experiences of kids so I understand you cant be expected to see the potential problem with this initiative But I will give you an SA example of what we see sometimes with these programs, some public sector schools are in the rural areas of SA and that doesnt mean they automatically worse. Not at all as sometimes the rural schools produce better results but in SA many public sector schools do provide a free meal for breakfast\lunch and its mentioned by some that this meal is the first meal the kids have. During the pandemic certain public sector institutions didn't understand correct virus prevention and overreacted so we have had months of some public sector schools that have not been open. Anyway this has created a real issue raised on talk shows where some callers now phone in and raise how the shutting down of schools has led to a crisis where now " these kids get no meal for the day " .... And now you can see the issue, this free school meal cannot be how any parents feed their kids .....its abuse and their must be some responsibility taken outside of the state providing meals ?

I can see your concern but this is not generally how most people who are pro-choice would think about the Illinois decision What they creating is more responsibility around men who dont seem concerned with when a women falls pregnant and assumes she must have the baby but in certain cases the economic burden falls on the women only. But I do understand your view in the sense that of course you can have casual sex or consensual sex with friends but its just fun and no one wants children. So for me I use a condom and its not because STI but rather I know accidents happen especially when your girlfriend is on the pill.....and I am not in a position to now raise a child that none of us wanted. I love other peoples kids but I must be in a proper relationship before I could consider having kids I can understand East European countries have some Conservative views that are understandable around abortion You guys basically banned abortion, how do people in Poland feel about that? I was watching an interview with Polish liberals who were very angry and feel Poland is going backwards on human rights? I was surprised because I thought Poland didnt have the societal problem with liberal overreach ....I thought you passed legislation to have all liberals arrested when their protests become criminal....or am I thinking of Russia?

That sounds amazing, you got great lunches Do you remember what types of mini-cheeses you use to get and how come your folks were so generous with your school lunches, are they gastronomes? I mean who has baby octopi for school lunch ...I am very envious but to honest I didnt use to eat any food like that until I was 26-27 and I moved to JHB

It is illegal in the EU nowadays but its still available on the Sicilian black market, the article I posted even specifically mentions this ...but Gorthfuscious since when do you and I listen to the unreasonable laws of all these corrupt and Capitalist systems. You know they just want to perpetuate inequality, us anarchists reject such laws because they represent nothing short of loss of true sovereignty, attempts to undermine culture, continued implementation of neo-colonialism and the rights of individuals to live in free and fair societies. Maggot cheese forever !!! And your cheese love of deep fried Camembert ,and Brie is basically the same , is an example of how those cheeses when baked or deep fried become better and the taste more pronounced. Because normally strong jams like blueberry would negate the relatively mild taste of Camembert but when you heat it or melt it then those jams are the perfect accompaniment Here is what the link says about the whole illegal nature of Maggot Cheese According to some food scientists, it is possible for the larvae to survive the stomach acid and remain in the intestine, leading to a condition called pseudomyiasis. There have been documented cases of pseudomyiasis with P. casei.[13][14] Because of European Union food hygiene-health regulations, the cheese has been outlawed, and offenders face heavy fines.[12] However, some Sardinians organized themselves in order to make casu martzu available on the black market, where it may be sold for double the price of an ordinary block of pecorino cheese.[10][8] As of 2019, the illegal production of this cheese was estimated as 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons) per year, worth 2-3 m€.[15] Attempts have been made to circumvent the Italian and EU ban by having casu martzu declared a traditional food[8] (it has been made in the same manner for more than 25 years, and it is therefore exempt from ordinary food hygiene regulations). The traditional way of making the cheese is explained by an official paper of the Sardinian government.[16] Casu martzu is among several cheeses that are not legal in the United States.[17]

If you ever want advice on cheese let me know, I have dedicated the last 25 years of my life to the study of cheese and what cheese compliments what food and what is the best way to eat cheese without unintentionally neutralizing its taste with, for example a salty biscuit, certain accompaniments I eat all cheeses with my overall favorite being 5 year + mature Cheddar and Roquefort the classic French blue cheese but I do love all cheeses in different ways. For example I use only Swiss\Austrian\French cheese in the cheese fondues I make But in the interests of veracity their is 1 cheese I probably wont eat, its colloquially called Maggot Cheese and is found in Sicily....but most of us wouldnt eat cheese with live maggots in it even though its apparently delicious https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casu_martzu

What !!! Neither have I but its more an American thing, I have seen them on the Food Channel when they focus on states like Wisconsin and they definitely something I would try

You young people are cheeky sometimes, always respect your elders !!

I forgot to add, you cannot leave Wisconsin without eating or buying locally produced Wisconsin cheese...dont forget, dont forget the cheese

Gothfuscious, this current fuel shortage is real but its reasons and long term impact have been exaggerated and in some cases studiously misunderstood The best way for me to explain this is from your article at the bottom Factors including Brexit, the pandemic, pay levels and an aging workforce have all contributed to a shortage of lorry drivers. After the UK left the European Union, many European drivers went back to their home countries, or decided to work elsewhere because of the additional border bureaucracy and the impact it had on their income. The pandemic also prompted many foreign drivers to return home and led to a huge backlog in HGV driver exams. Driver shortages have also been seen in EU countries, including Germany and Poland. So its several factors outside of just BREXIT and the UK has been reviewing visas and other work requirements and this is excatly what is required as part of a UK reality now that its left the EU. And you will expect problems and you cannot predict impact impact from the pandemic And I must add I was about to disagree with 2133 until I read what he was saying and his article highlights the systemic realities with aspects of the whole EU and he is correct , to quote The EU is grappling with a driver shortage of its own. The problem existed in both the U.K. and the EU even before the pandemic — in 2019 some 24 percent of trucker positions were unfilled in the U.K., while 22 percent were unfilled in Poland, according to the International Road Transport Organisation (IRU). In the Czech Republic, 21 percent were unfilled; in Spain, 20 percent. The lockdowns caused more chaos, with many drivers initially forced out of work, leaving the industry scrambling to fill jobs as economies reopened. So this UK driver shortage will be resolved but temporary solutions are already been implemented like deploying military drivers. Parts of the UK and global media are turning this into an unnecessary crisis and blaming it on BREXIT only

Im cooking steak, eggs and chips for supper...sometimes the simple food works so well together

GD who do you like the most on this forum? Remember I always support you on most things like gun control and I often " like " most of your posts which reflects friendship? And unlike Gromnir I dont disagree with you on Constitutional issues and we both agree on property rights and how you dont need to rely on the state to fund your lifestyle It must be me ...right

No its not about annoying the French because they are leaving as French citizens are asking why should we pay for this type of conflict. The French only got involved because Mali is a Francophile country and the Francophile countries do support France in many ways so I think the French did feel an obligation But the biggest issue with all the Islamic extremist groups that exist in parts of Africa is they dont have a normal army structure and they get beaten in battles but reappear later in some smaller group and they constantly kill civilians so they always around but its very difficult to really defeat because they dont fight like the ISIS caliphate And they are difficult to identify from normal Malians in villagers because poverty also creates recruits yet they are a brutal group that would destabilize Mali even more so its important that any foreign country with military resources helps to defeat them And yes I can understand why Moscow must distance themselves from them yet their are important reasons to bring in certain mercenary groups to assist in places like Africa because they provide the military strength that is needed And I hope we dont see this well meaning but annoying view from some African commentators that criticize any foreign military intervention as examples of colonialism or foreign countries having some kind of agenda but they seem to ignore the obvious reality. If Russia or French forces werent involved you would see no interest or commitment from people who complain or their countries....so their solution is really to leave Mali to somehow deal with them on their own which is very unfair and demonstrates how in SA many people dont understand the levels of poverty that exists in places like Mali

This story has been discussed in SA and it matters to me because I support a peaceful and economically united Africa and these conflicts with AQ in Mali and with the appalling ISIS proxy groups in other African countries just continue to destabilize these countries....its bad enough they face terrible economic realities but these African terrorist groups just make things worse And I can also understand the French are leaving but they been involved for years and AQ still exists in a nebulous way so I support the Russian involvement because despite my issues with civilian deaths in Syria I am not at all opposed to them getting involved in conflicts and hopefully being more effective at destroying the AQ elements. The Russian general military approach may be exactly what the French were not doing because the presence of AQ in Africa with extremism can be wiped out and their wont be collateral damage because of how AQ operates And it also demonstrates more interest in Russia to helping in conflicts that wont really result in much economic benefit if the Russians are successful because these countries are really poor and dont have much Of course I assume they are being paid but thats normal. End of day this is about certain conflicts in Africa that continue interminably and no one seems to get to a solution so lets see how the Russians do And I do think they have direct links to Moscow but this is a good thing as you know it will be resourced properly ...even if they claim to have no links to the Russian government You notice the irony is you will see that Mali gets no real support from other African countries or the African Union which just reminds me of how an ineffective union is just a waste of time when you have no real consensus or support form the governing body that is suppose to at least manage these issues in Africa And well done for even posting this because I dont expect anyone to know or care about this African conflict but it does matter to the region and stability

Interesting response and its not what I would have thought yet you raise some good points , we were raised with the UK view of ww1\ww2 " dulce and decorum " view of patriotism from my dads side but my mom raised us who had no real interest in things that were not about her family. So my dad and his brothers believed that you must believe in your country but it was Apartheid and we were English so I guess they were echoing what my grandfather had told them but that was WW2 belief in the UK and SA was nothing like that ...especially when the Apartheid system openly claimed to be about the survival of Afrikaans ideology ...English were not part of the government and held no senior positions in the military which was understandable because why would any English person want to politically support a political party that openly didnt want you to be part of it ....I look back now and see how dysfunctional it all was. English citizens lived in SA and had roots but we were only tolerated by the Apartheid state as they realized that the English had the real ties in the corporate sector, like the banks , that most Afrikaans people did not understand or have the connections. And I remember in my disastrous 1993 military service I was suddenly with young Afrikaans conscripts who had very little interest in English people and several times I was assaulted , because of basic mistakes I made due to not being very good at normal, army training like drilling and constantly failing my inspection in the 6 weeks of basic training. And what the corporals do is not punish you but make the unit run so people are angry with you...and when I was accosted they would accuse me of " being responsible for the death of their grandparents 100 years ago in the Boer War " And I had been raised in a province that was English and the Afrikaans people all spoke English and had no issues with English people because of the terrible realities of what happened in the Concentration Camps. So it was huge shock to find people disliking me because I was English but I didnt know why they carried a grudge from something that was so long ago So my levels of patriotism were non-existent as I felt like an outsider in a foreign country...but Apartheid had ended by then so most white English people only must have felt proud after our first election in 1994 which was where SA became a normal Democracy. And of course the battles against the Soviets in Africa must have mattered but that was before my time But just to understand your view because maybe more Americans share your view than I assume, how did you feel after 9/11....did you feel your country had been attacked so you felt more united in support of the USA ? But as you mentioned if you believe the main political parties dont really care about the welfare of citizens it can also impact your view of government\country but I understand you love the American culture which is a form of patriotism and you have supported the VA centers which is also about recognition of your country And its interesting to me because what Hurlshot mentioned about the importance of people participating in voting to ensure political change is important but its not an example of patriotism necessarily because some people would have voted just because they hated the Trump reality .....and I dont blame them because many things had changed under Trump but the expectation to vote is about your civil responsibility which I use to assume most people did in the US yet as much as 45 % of US citizens dont vote yet I am sure they support the US, Gfted1 doesnt always vote but Im sure supports the US ? Most of us believe you must vote as the right to vote was denied to most SA citizens yet it doenst have to mean you believe or would support your country on certain issues I wonder how other US members feel about the belief of being patriotic towards the US ?

Gorthfuscious you know I really like you and think most of your views are balanced but you are someone who has never understood patriotism....and its your Danish blood, look how many Danish Vikings left Denmark to live in the UK And your own life journey has been example of this , you demonstrated anarchist tendencies and you have always wondered from country to country ....now Oz is your home but do you feel parotitic towards Oz? I would be surprised but perhaps However you do have an advantage that the rest of us dont have .....you can call any country your home and it does appear you settle. Of course you have your work skills allow you to find work...oh interesting work you do and I always assumed you knew products that are used globally But patriotism is good thing but it makes us not want to leave , you have beaten that constraint. And I admire that but one question do you make new friends in the countries you live in?