Jim, you began one of your posts with the word "sorry" and I thought you might be going to own up to being a spoilt brat, oblivious to the fact that for a majority of people on this planet life is anything but sweet.

If the Iranian twins "appeared" to be happy, intelligent, etc, in what sense do they appear not to have made up their own minds about the operation? Your stuff about counselling is pious crap. As Spaw or someone suggested, who is going to be arrogant enough to guide intelligent people in that situation on how to face up to it (apart from you, I mean)? Your suggestion of baleful Islamic influence on their decision is ignorant drivel.

Life is indeed precious, but it is also fragile and comes with no guarantees. It can also be misery from beginning to end and if someone living such as life wanted to cut their losses (I dib't suggest that the Iranians did) what the hell business is it of yours? Try reminding yourself once in a while that there are parts of the world in which life expectancy is little more than 29 anyway. What are you doing about that?