Who among us has heard of a man named Edgar Harrell? Until a while ago, his name meant nothing to me - I had never heard of this extraordinary human being. But I was sent a link to a youtube clip where Edgar told his story of a time back in 1945 when he and his fellow shipmates spent 5 days in shark infested water in the South Pacific.
Edgar Harrell was a young Marine assigned to the US Navy ship, the USS Indianapolis. After delivering components for the atomic bombs, the ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Hundreds of his mates were killed by sharks. Listen to his harrowing experience.
Read more: A tale of Sharks, rotten potatoes, kapok lifejackets and surfboards
I remember the days before computers changed our lives. When I was a lad, I first trained as a civil engineer in the late 1950s to early 1960s. There were no electronic calculators, and all calculations were performed either manually, by trigonometric tables, or by using a slide rule.
We used to analyse the stresses and bending moments in structural elements using advanced mathematics based upon first principles, knowledge of which has long faded from my aged brain. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a classic two-pinned arch design which we studied. If you drive past both abutments, you will see the huge supporting pins which take the entire load of the bridge.
Read more: Fings ain't what they used to be computers killed the slide rule
What is the luck of the Irish? Many people think it is a good thing to have.
I asked one of our commenters ( Paddy ) what it meant and he said to me " Well, my old Gran used to say that if it was raining soup, we'd be carrying forks. "
And that sounds like a pretty good definition to me.
Read more: The Luck of the Irish - a story of soup, forks and always looking for the bright side
Throughout history, we have seen Nations triumph or be crushed by authoritarianism and it all comes down to the strength of the Leader at the helm.
But strength when exercised through fear and strength exercised through Patriotism and love are two entirely different matters.
Hitler was strong but he ruled with fear. Xi Jinping is much the same. Pol Pot. Idi Amin.
Read more: King Haakan VII of Norway - the King's Choice in the face of fear
Imagining the worlds of an 11, 14, or 16-year-old in one of my classes over the last three years strikes me with grief at times. Suddenly, with the flip of a switch, everything these children held onto in the world outside their immediate homes ended.
Friends they laughed and gathered with each day in middle school went away; teachers who greeted them or hugged them in high school or posted their artwork or essays in the classroom disappeared; the Dungeons and Dragons club they attended every Friday night with dozens of high school friends stopped; the young musicians they played with each day at school were ordered to stay home; soccer practice and games stopped; church youth groups did not meet.
What we need right now is a bull in the China Shop. Someone who can sort the buggers out.
No wonder the Left hates Trump and wanted him gone. They threw everything they had at getting him out of power and were not worried about breaking every cup, saucer, jug or plate if that meant that he and his Presidency was over.
For decades, the Bull in the China shop has signified a rampaging beast who storms through the door and smashes everything to pieces.
People who live lives that are out of the ordinary run the risk of being hailed by succeeding generations as legends, and of having the most intimate details of their lives scrutinized. All of us leave public records that may in the future be used to piece together our lives for better or for worse, though at the time we never consider that possibility. Big Brother and others have tabs on us even in death. Hannah Glennon, ‘Red Jack’ of horse breaking, droving and bush racing fame, would no doubt be totally perplexed by the interest shown in her today, as she never sought fame. She would also be horrified by the public airing of her dirty linen (she was a laundress at one stage) gleaned through official records; such, however, is the price of fame.
The crown of America sits in a gutter begging someone to pick it up before the nation collapses— Auron MacIntyre, The Blaze
In an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier last Tuesday, FBI Director Chris Wray said, “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.” Like so much else in America’s tortured, distractable life these days, the meaning larded into that that utterance went clear over the collective heads of just about everybody.
Read more: Nurse Nice Day - a story of good intentions, facing reality and Yaks
I am not going to start with the obligatory " some of my best friends are gay , but... " statement, because they are not.
I have only known a few people who chose a different path on which to travel their lives and, while I do not judge, I am not that fussed one way or the other about which side of the sexual fence they choose to sit or lie. All I have ever asked is that they keep their private lives in their homes.
Instead, we are under a constant barrage of Gay Pride marches and Drag races. leading us to a demolition derby against normal human behaviour.
The downfall of Irishman Oscar Wilde is an object lesson to all of those who would sue for defamation –be it for slander orally,or for libel in writing. A defamatory statement will be forgotten sooner or later, but any skeletons which any plaintiff suing for defamation might have hidden in the closet, will be exposed for all to see. This will apply even if the plaintiff should succeed. A case in point is that of Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin Ireland in 1854 to a distinguished and influential family. That was during the time when all of Ireland was under the parliamentary control of Great Britain.
Read more: The famous and infamous Irishman Oscar Wilde -- a man with skeletons in his closet
DUSTY GULCH EMERGENCY BROADCAST: “Biggie Rat and the Southern Crossfire” By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, reporting…
193 hits
The Australian Stakes – The Great Dusty Gulch Cup From the Dusty Gulch Bureau of…
266 hits
When I was a lad in Western Australia, the 5th of November used to be…
275 hits
Phar Lap, the legendary Australian racehorse, and President Donald Trump, the American business magnate turned…
291 hits
Beneath the still waters of Lake Argyle lies the ghost of a homestead — Argyle…
282 hits
I’ve started and restarted this article, pondered how to avoid hurting anyone’s sensitivities, and in…
302 hits
Forecast: Confused With a Chance of Bureaucracy - Microbursts, bureaucratic panic, and a wallaby with titanium…
375 hits
Beersheba is a name that should resonate with every Australian with the same ease and…
542 hits
How have we come to this mess in the Middle East? The strange thing is…
356 hits
From Bushfires to Bare-Chested Heroes Our resident Redhead proves that admiration, humour, and a little…
387 hits
In the mid-19th century, a flickering flame of innovation sparked a revolution that would illuminate…
404 hits
From the Valley of Death at Balaclava to today’s policy corridors, the brave bear the…
430 hits
Imagine women, beaten, humiliated, raped repeatedly in Nazi-run brothels, stripped of their dignity, and sent…
799 hits
Prentis Penjani’s Grand Debut – The Duck Was Just the Warm-Up Act By Roderick (Whiskers)…
407 hits
By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Senior Correspondent (and dance adjudicator) Crikey, mates and matesses - you’d…
489 hits
I have often pondered why mankind decided to go after the humble whale. After all,…
475 hits
Critical Minerals: The Deal That Could Turn Australia Into the World’s Quarry There’s a new…
629 hits
In 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps was established to safeguard American ships and interests. …
449 hits
We stopped teaching goodness. Now we’re living with the consequences. There was a time when…
437 hits
In an Australia grappling with division and a search for identity, it’s time to rediscover…
498 hits
Ratty News: Dusty Gulch Dispatch — “When the Ghosts Came Rolling In” Filed by: Roderick…
482 hits
Eighty-one years ago this week, in October 1944, a tall, thoughtful barrister from Victoria gathered…
716 hits
On the evening of October 12, 2002, the peaceful tourist destination of Bali, Indonesia, was…
459 hits
Queensland and much of northern Australia are overrun with cane toads - an invasion so…
471 hits
Some time ago, a young boy visiting Redhead’s house asked to use the “dunny.” The…
506 hits
Have you ever wondered how and why the Youth of today are holding rallies , their…
482 hits
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that people are losing their sense of…
509 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Bureau Chief There’s panic, pandemonium, and political puffery in…
501 hits
Try herding cats sometime. You’ll crouch, whistle, wave treats, and for one delusional moment, think…
502 hits
From Network to today, the prophecy is clear: truth has been turned into a commodity,…
723 hits
I am personally horrified by what has happened since October 2023. This wasn’t just a…
549 hits