A neighbour was telling me about her Christmas shopping expedition to Brisbane recently.

She wanted to buy her young grandchildren a Nativity Scene so she could put it on the table and explain the meaning of Christmas. 

Do you know that none of the shop assistants had a clue what she was talking about or even the real meaning of Christmas. 

The magic of Christmas for kids isn't the same when they get past a certain age.

I often think about my girls when they were little  and how magical it was seeing their little faces as they snuggled up for sleep on Christmas Eve and raced around at dawn ripping presents  open.... and that got me thinking about a Christmas a long time ago. 

Starlink vs NBN: An Outback Reality Check (With Bonus Waiting Music)

One Outback resident tests both, battles long delays, dodgy copper, and finally discovers who really delivers when the dust settles.

If you live in the Australian Outback, you don’t expect good internet. You negotiate with it. You plead. You lower your standards. And when it works for more than ten minutes in a row, you briefly consider writing a thank-you note to the modem.

One local resident -  let’s call them PP -  has now achieved something rare: running Starlink and full-fibre NBN side by side. Not in a lab. Not in a city apartment. But in the real world, where dust gets into everything and “we’ll be there Tuesday” is more of a vibe than a promise.

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by non animal means of getting around.

That one baby-power rocking horse took me on many wonderful and exciting exploratory adventures, but it wasn’t long before the urging of the need for speed reared its persuasive head, a need catered for by a Christmas present from an understanding Mum and Dad … a Cyclops pedal car.

Thus commenced a love affair with driving a motor vehicle, of the sheer enjoyment of manoeuvring this obedient metal contraption which took me wherever I wished to go, subject of course to the availability of sufficient propulsive power of a couple of skinny little legs.

This is my Christmas gift to Malcolm -  a very valued and much loved and respected contributor to our blog who has sadly left us. This article was originally published at Christmas 2021. We miss you dear friend. We here at theprblog.com still think of you. Merry Christmas and I hope you are happy and well... where ever in Heaven you may be. Monty

Do We Still Love our Nation to Fight For it? 

The Battle of the Bulge was one of the most dramatic and consequential confrontations of the Second World War. It erupted in the dense Ardennes forests during the bitter winter of 1944 - 45, when Nazi Germany launched a surprise offensive in a last, desperate attempt to reverse its fortunes on the Western Front.

The stakes could scarcely have been higher. For the Germans, it was a final gamble. For the Allies, it was a test of endurance that would determine how -  and how quickly -  the war in Europe would end.

Australia's Spirit at the Crossroads – Time to Shake Off the Mud

At dawn, when the dew still clings to the grass and the grandstand sits empty, the ball lies where it was left the night before.

It has been fought over, kicked, booted, argued about.

It has carried the weight of pride and rivalry and the small, fierce hopes of men who believed the game mattered.

Then the whistle blew. The players shook hands. The referees packed up their flags. The crowd drifted home to screens and opinions and tomorrow’s talking points.

And the ball stayed. Mud-caked. Scuffed. Forgotten.

That’s when the cat appears.