Global warming strikes again.

Ballarat and large parts of central Victoria were carpeted in snow today.

First the drought breaks and now this? It must be hard being a global warming advocate these days with it being so ludicrously cold.

"A FREEZING snap has hit with snow falling, power use surging towards a winter record, and Melbourne shivering through the coldest day in nine years"
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22087365-661,00.html

Bleeding heart topics like global warming, ozone layer depletion and acid rain (in reverse chronological order) are just convenient issues for some people to associate with. Rather than get involved in genuine, serious issues, like drugs, terrorism, child abuse, alcoholism and other scourges of society where the common man can actually have an impact for good.

Instead of actually subscribing to a fight that might be hard or dirty, but actually achieve some genuine good, people can choose to simply subscribe to the global warming 'crisis' and then it's as easy as turning off a few appliances and installing low energy light bulbs.

By a lucky coincidence that also helps with the household finances and is kind of trendy right now too. What a perfect cause for the hip and savvy, all the feel good emotions without the blisters and the heartache.

And what's better about global warming as the cause of choice for so many is that, assuming it is real, it's so big there's nothing serious the average person could do to stop it. So, if it doesn't ever get any better then they can't be blamed.

Even better, if it could get any better for the easy cause subscriber, if the whole thing turns out to nonexistent, and man made global warming doesn't exist, then they can all pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves for preventing it with their hard work and the low energy light bulbs.

Meet the Campbels. Our daughter.

It isn't easy raising children these days. My eldest daughter is studying her HSC this year, and is doing remarkably well if I do say so myself. I've already promised not to state any of the family names in this blog but all the same she was terribly unsure about me including a photo of her with this post, she agreed in the end as long as I promised not to implicitly identify it as her.

That said, the accompanying photograph may, or may not be of my daughter. And may or may not have been taken during our family trip to Switzerland for last years skiing season.

I sometimes think happy times like those are fleeting. When she was born it seemed like she would be my little girl for ever but now, on the cusp of university and womanhood I have come to cherish the times we remain as a family unit, under one roof.

Luckily we have been spared the problems so many have had to endure with their teenage daughters, but in fairness most of that is down to her good commonsense and Christian values. Of course I like to imagine that the wife and I played no small part in raising her to have the high self esteem and moral values that, the lack of which presumably play a part in teenage pregnancy, drugs and student politics.

As I write this post she is out with her friends from church after a busy morning of fellowship. One of the most uplifting things is to watch your daughter grow into a beautiful woman and we have all been blessed in that respect. Fortunately Miss Campbel has chosen to wait until she finishes university before she enters into a serious relationship with a boy, though I have noticed she spends quite a bit of time with a certain young lad from church.

Totally inappropriate as a potential husband, his father is in the building industry, but the wife says it's healthy for a young woman to experience innocent flirting. If it were up to me I would have a strong word with the youngster, he's not a bad kid, but obviously completely delusional if he thinks he stands a hope with my daughter. Of course, the wife says, she is mature enough to handle him effectively.

She enjoys horse riding, and is still a member of the local pony club, though she doesn't have much time for that these days. A very smart girl, I hope her siblings have half as much academic success. When she finishes university we expect her to find a husband with ease, she is a very attractive young lady after all, and settle down to raise a family.

Just yesterday she put her arms around me and said, "daddy, I'm so happy you are getting into the computer thing finally". "Why's that dear", I asked and she giggled, "so I will be able to email you when I'm in London next year".

Of course, she knows that we aren't all in the family entirely over the moon, so to speak, with her plan to spend a year in Europe on her own. It's hard enough to imagine her leaving home for university, especially since she wants to attend Melbourne Uni. But the wife and I prayed about it and decided that if she really wants to go then we might be able to accommodate her grand plans. She is such a mature young lady, it's heartbreaking yet makes me so proud at the same time to think she is becoming such a responsible and independent adult.