The history of kerosene and the subsequent development of the oil industry is a fascinating journey that began in the mid-19th century.
Kerosene, a once-unknown fuel, revolutionised lighting, heating, and industrial energy production, laying the foundation for the modern petroleum industry that continues to power the world today.
Before kerosene was discovered, lighting and heating relied heavily on sources like candles, wood, and whale oil. Whale oil was the dominant fuel for lamps, but it was expensive and the whaling industry was becoming unsustainable as whale populations were being rapidly depleted.
As industrialisation gathered momentum in the 19th century, demand for a cheaper and more efficient source of lighting grew.....
Read more: The History of Kerosene and the Birth of the Oil Industry
I have often pondered why mankind decided to go after the humble whale. After all, the whale was out there, in the ocean, minding his or her own business and wasn't really causing any problem. Unless you were a seal, krill or plankton. In which case, you probably had a civil rights claim or two.
Yet this gentle giant ( as far as humans are concerned ) was not bothering anyone. All the whales wanted to do was what they have done since God first had a great idea " I think I'll make a whale. " and the whales just cruised around, having babies, blowing bubbles and migrating to warmer places and having a jolly old time.
So what did the poor whale do to us? Well, let me tell you a whale of a tale and how the Industrial Revolution saved it.
In the heart of Australia’s wild Kimberley, where the sun scorches the red earth and rivers carve ancient paths through rugged landscapes, one family’s name looms large—Durack. They weren’t born to riches, nor did they inherit vast estates, but through sheer grit, ambition, and an audacious cattle drive across thousands of kilometres, the Duracks carved out an empire. Yet, for all their triumphs, they knew their castles were built on fragile ground, vulnerable to nature's whims and the shifting tides of fortune. This is the epic tale of the Duracks, the cattle kings who ruled the outback—until their grass castles, like so many before, were swept away.
Australia’s pioneering days were full of grit, determination, and larger-than-life characters, but few families have captured the imagination like the Duracks. Their story, immortalised in Kings in Grass Castles by Mary Durack, is one of endurance, ambition, and ultimately, the end of an era.
Banjo Paterson is the giant of Australian literature and folk law. His exploits in this field are so extensively well documented that I would not presume to add to them. However, in modern Australia, perhaps it is time to start celebrating people like him again.
What is less well known than his poetry is his contribution to the war effort in WW1 and to a much lesser extent The Boer War. His contribution to the successes of the Light Horse brigades was outstanding.
Banjo Paterson was a newspaper correspondent intermingled with a legal practice. When the second Boer War broke out on 11th October, 1899 Banjo was a member of the NSW Lancers and sought to sail with the first contingent for South Africa. He was rejected for active service because he had only one good arm. He was well connected with the Fairfax family and asked to be sent to South Africa at his own expense for one month to serve as a war correspondent. One month was the limit of his financial resources.
Our elected Government Representatives are defying our wishes and importing terrorists. They are importing people who are bleeding our tax payer funded social security. Our Government is destroying our culture, our Religious foundation and our rights to speak freely and go shopping without being frightened of being shot, blown up or our throats cut with a knife.
Our homes are being invaded. Our rights are being invaded. Our culture is being invaded.
Our liberties are being invaded. Our judicial system is being invaded.
Our history is being destroyed and our language is being stolen. If you want to know who the stolen generation is in 2024, it is the many generations of Australians who have fought and slogged their guts out to create an Australia for which many of us were very proud. Stolen, yes, stolen, by our Government of whichever side is in power at the time.
Real history is no longer part of the school curriculum. It should be because we have much to learn from it. The adage that it keeps repeating itself is a salutary lesson in common sense.
Most Australians would not know that the reason that the US Marine Corps was formed was specifically to fight Islam. A nearly 240 year history of the fight against Islam is sadly, largely forgotten.
At the height of the 18th century, Muslim pirates (the “Barbary Pirates”) were the terror of the Mediterranean and a large area of the North Atlantic. They attacked every ship in sight, and held the crews for exorbitant ransoms. Those taken hostage were enslaved and subjected to barbaric treatment. They wrote heart-breaking letters home, begging their governments and families to pay whatever their Mohammedan captors demanded.
These extortionists of the high seas represented the North African Islamic nations of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers – collectively referred to as the Barbary Coast – and presented a dangerous and unprovoked threat to the new American Republic.
When Thomas Jefferson saw there was no negotiating with Muslims, he formed what is now the Marines (soldiers stationed on ships).
In a universe where we’ve long pondered the answer to life, the universe, and everything, what if the solution wasn’t the well-known 42 but its lesser, shadowed counterpart .... 41? Curiosity may kill the cat but my word, don't we need it? Just a little bit of " I wonder... "
I will leave the cats for another day. But so many of us know the story of 42 and how that number apparently was the solution to all of our problems.
We have the UN and the WHO and MSM all trying to sell us 42. The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Rip down bushland, destroy habitats, kill koalas .. all to achieve 42.
Yes, Douglas Adams had a few mice announce that the Answer to Life the universe and everything was 42. But what if the mice were wrong?
One digit away, yet a world apart in meaning.
The idea of 41 really forces us to confront the unsettling truth that we live in a world of "almosts", where resolution is forever just out of reach.
In this horrible modern world lies a real dilemma: a life defined not by completion but by continuous striving, imperfection, and the tension between what we seek and what we find. I don't find that bad.
In fact, the philosophy of 41 asks us to reconsider our expectations of a " Final Solution " ( heaven forbid ) and instead learn to live with the ongoing, ever-evolving nature of existence itself.
Read more: The Philosophy of 41: Embracing the Incomplete, the Unexpected and the Almost....
Australia, like most Western nations, has become increasingly culturally diverse and I find it particularly confusing that, at a time when we are bringing in hundreds of thousands of migrants from other countries, we are actively promoting the handover of Australia to Aboriginals.
Yes, that is correct. Despite it being the one year anniversary of the defeat of the Voice, our state governments and councils are just doing it anyway. How did that work out?
Our new arrivals must find it hard to understand: are they welcome here, or will they, in decades to come, be seen as invaders like us.... ?
It took me back to a time, a few years ago, that Redhead, my Mum, had a conversation with an Indian man when she called an online service provider to update her credit card details.
Read more: Let's get Back to Normal. Please. This Holier than Thou Stuff is doing my Head in
In the dusty heart of the Outback, where the sun scorches the earth and the kangaroos outnumber the people, there's a new craze sweeping through the land. It's not the latest Aussie slang or a new way to cook a snag on the barbie – it's the art of cat herding. That's right, people, move over cattle rustling and sheep shearing; it's time for the feline frolic of the century.
Now, you might be wondering how on earth herding cats can be a viable occupation, let alone a source of national pride. Well, let me tell you, it's all about turning the seemingly impossible into the distinctly Australian. It's about teaching our young, unemployed folks the fine art of cat herding and giving them a sense of purpose that's as Aussie as a meat pie at the footy.
And then there is the first and only man in the world who actually learned how to herd cats and then teach them how to herd cattle. The legendary outback man known as Whiskers O ' Cat. And even he can't always manage it if AI image generator has anything to do with it. So buckle up and enjoy a weekend bit of a giggle.
Read more: Cat Herding in Australia and The Legend of Whiskers O' Cat and the Cats Who Loved Him
Can you believe it? Another weekend has rolled around. I was speaking with Redhead this morning and we got to talking about Niggles. No, not the current Premier of Queensland known as Giggles because of the supercilious grin he constantly has. Not the WW II flying Ace Biggles James Bigglesworth, wartime air ace and peacetime Sergeant in the Special Air Police, known to his friends and some of his enemies as 'Biggles'. Not the Wiggles either.
No, not them I am talking about Niggles.
So, what exactly is a niggle? Picture a tiny stone in your shoe. It’s not big enough to really hurt, but it’s definitely annoying. Now imagine the stone is made of worry, or doubt, or maybe a creeping feeling of irritation. That’s what a niggle is.....a minor but persistent source of discomfort. It doesn’t exactly ruin your day, but it sure does like to hang around and poke you in the ribs now and then.
And we talked about who would we swap places with? Is there anyone who does not have a niggle or two these days? And, in truth, are our niggles that bad anyway?
Read more: Niggles, Giggles Wiggles and Biggles - Putting Things into Perspective
As the 2025 expiration date for Gaza's lucrative offshore gas rights approaches, the future of the Gaza Marine field hangs in the balance.
With billions of cubic metres of natural gas at stake, regional powers are vying for control over the untapped resource.
Yet, political instability, the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, and escalating tensions with Hezbollah and Iran cast a long shadow over the field's potential. What will the expiration lead to? Will the gas remain locked beneath layers of conflict and bureaucracy?
As the deadline nears, the stakes have never been higher.
So it is rabbit hole time again. One that leads to Gas, Gaza and Golden Opportunities. And it all started with the Oslo Agreements.
Read more: Countdown to Conflict: Gaza’s Gas Reserves Face Uncertain Future as 2025 Deadline Looms
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