Margaret Sanger (referred to as Margaret) was born in New York, US, on September 14, 1879 to Michael Higgins (Higgins) and Anne Purcell (Purcell). Her parents were Irish-born Catholics whose parents had emigrated from Ireland during the Potato Famine of the mid-1800s—the Higgins family to Canada and the Purcell family to the US.
As a youth, Higgins crossed the border to the US. and served as a Union soldier in the Civil War. He never returned to Canada, which was disliked by the Irish because of its ties to Britain.
Read more: Margaret Sanger - The Sanger Not the Song
It has been a good many years since I read " Crime and Punishment " by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
It is essentially the story of a man who does something terrible, lives to regret it and how WE, as humans, are ultimately responsible for how we live our lives. We may seek redemption but we cannot turn the clock back and undo what one has done.
All we can do is live with the consequences, try not to repeat our mistakes and hope like hell that those around us cut us some slack if we rectify our behaviour and start being productive members of society.
Certainly, our leaders who advocated for vaccines, masks, lockdowns and social destruction don't seem to be doing a damn thing about ensuring that they do not repeat their mistakes. The problem is that WE have to live with THEIR mistakes. And they are still hell-bent on repeating them.
Read more: Crime and punishment - It's all a bit grey these days
Comedy. The Last Frontier.
The Marshalls have moved in. The posses are out in force. The lynch mobs are around every piece of tumbleweed, ambush alley or Acme shed.
No one is safe from the hanging tree if you are white, heterosexual, conservative and can still have a laugh. Hell, even the black conservatives are in the firing line.
In a world where political correctness tiptoes on eggshells, navigating the fine line between being offended and being offensive has become an art form.
All I can say is no wonder the chicken crossed the road. She hoped it would be safer on the other side. Only it isn't. Because to get to the other side means you have to cross a highway of laws, hate speech accusations and lawsuits. The poor chicken rarely makes it. And, if she does, she is roasted for giving a cluck.
Every joke these days is reported to a moderator on social media because someone was offended. It seems to me that to laugh these days, is offensive.
Read more: Humour - Has Comedy Become Tragically Unfunny These Days?
I have always been fascinated by lighthouses. The power of a man-made structure standing as a guardian to shield us from the fury and power of the sea.
Though, these days, we seem to need men to stand as guardians to shield us from the fury and power of our fellow man and government.
It struck me that when we confront problems head on, we find solutions. Ignoring the incoming storm does not make it go away.
Without a light to guide us during the tempest, we are doomed to a life in darkness and perpetual fear of being drowned by a tempest that seems to be building by the day.
Read more: We ignored the Lighthouses and the Umbrellas aren't Working
Speckled about the steep slopes are clumps of small, fieldstone cottages. Their crumbling mortar and aging stones are victim to the ravages of time. Sprawling green meadows, vivid and fertile lay terraced and latticed-worked with pastel pinks and blues of the prolific hydrangeas which form hedgerows and borders.
Throughout the town streets are narrow, they dart willy-nilly between tall houses. The hooves of a horse resound as it gently picks its way over dark cobblestones polished to a sheen by countless feet before. Upon its weary back and mounted side-saddle an old man journeys.
Although late summer the air is already crisp as it transports and mingles the salty tang of sea and other heady aromas that give a hint to the freshly made cheese and bread still browning in the ovens. This, somehow, remains commonplace to the people of the Azores.
We have women who are supposedly running our different States, countries and active in our governments. .
Once upon a time that would have been done with responsibility and efficiency and with dignity . There are some very capable and excellent ladies but, we are being let down, because some of the women seem to do is make poor decisions and certainly not do what is best for the people they are supposed to represent. We have two choices , get rid of them and find some Margaret Thatcher ladies or try and find some Gentlemen who have some guts to put to right so many wrongs.
Read more: When Men and Women are no longer Ladies and Gentlemen
When I was a young girl, I wanted to be beautiful. Clever. Successful.
Oh to be pretty. To be as wonderful as my mother. To marry a man as great as my Dad. To meet a boy as strong as my older brothers.
I have to wonder what young children grow up to aspire to be in today's age of confusion, gender politics and exaggerated fake body parts?
The first time I thought of myself as an " emerging woman " as opposed to a girl was when I saw the movie " Dr No " with Ursula Andress emerging out of the water to a rather gorgeous James Bond played by Sean Connery.
Captain Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne, an amazing and legendary figure, is a name that might not be instantly recognisable to many, but his remarkable life story is one that deserves to be told.
Mayne was a man of extraordinary courage, unshakable determination, and unrivaled skill, making him one of the most distinguished and controversial figures in military history.
He was also a bit of a bastard. Or so some would say. Mayne was remarkably brave, but he was also not far short of being a loose cannon. I first learned about him watching " Rogue Heroes. "
Read more: The Real Paddy Mayne: The Bravest Man Never to Be Awarded the Victoria Cross
There are very few people who can be described as Legends in their own lifetime. Mostly they are sporting personalities who are constantly in the public view thanks to publicity given to the game they excel in. Fewer still are captains of industry whose names endure through the use of their products. Many business people become very wealthy and remain obscure. Occasionally one stands out for the creation of a massive business from very humble beginnings.
One of these is Lindsay Fox, the founder of LINFOX transport which has become an Australian icon stretching far beyond our shores but a household name here because of the well-known logo on its trucks.
Read more: Lindsay Fox - A Living Legend. One the Last of the great entrepreneurial pioneers
People without a gate do not realise what a gate is.
It is the ability to lock, open, accept or reject a welcome visitor or an unwelcome visitor. Obviously, without a fence to accompany the gate, it is worthless. But, with a fence and a gate in place, what little we own in the world is precious. Without it, it is open to plunder.
I go and visit my Mum, Redhead, every few days. We speak everyday, of course. But when I drive in to her driveway, I see the gate that has stood there for over 38 years. The gates are made of wrought iron and were created in a different country in expectation of their arrival in Australia. They were forged with love and craftsmanship and, over the years have stood as guards to whoever pops in to visit. Over the decades, they have never had to serve as anything more than the beefeaters in London: there for pomp and ceremony as opposed to any real barrier to intrusion.
Read more: Open Borders? A Gate can be open or closed... it depends on who is the Visitor.
I am urging you. I am pleading with you. I am imploring you. Wake up! The irrational hatred of the Jewish people and the demonizing of Israel is reaching proportions so dangerous that if people of conscience do not stand up, speak out, and push back, Jewish blood will start flowing in America, England, and many other countries around the world. Wake up!
When Muslims in Sydney Australia are chanting, “Gas the Jews” you know that violence is near.
Read more: Wake Up World Before Jewish Blood Is Shed In Your Country
An exclusive editorial investigation by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusty Gulch - To…
188 hits
On June 6, 1944, the world witnessed an extraordinary event that changed the course of…
329 hits
Canberra's finest fall from grace... and altitude They came, they posed, they plummeted. In what…
386 hits
Anarchy often gets a bad rap. Images of burning buildings, rampant lawlessness, and a general…
317 hits
Part 2 of the Cane Series I’ll admit, before diving into this series, I hadn’t…
347 hits
Counting the Uncountable: What the Census No Longer Wants to Know – And Why That…
305 hits
There is no climate crisis Chris Bowen. There is a crisis in stupidity and lack…
362 hits
They say Australia rode in on the sheep’s back. But if you’d been standing in…
367 hits
Before the Cloud, before memory sticks and streaming services, we passed stories the old-fashioned way.…
394 hits
Long before the Cloud swallowed everything, our old mate Flysa was out there with a…
410 hits
“A Long Time Ago...” Still Echoes Now On May 25, 1977, a strange little film…
360 hits
Parishioners of St. Linguine’s Basilica (well, it felt Italian enough) were left choking on incense…
410 hits
While we're distracted, they are cleaning us up. Time to stop playing defence and bat…
330 hits
Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May, is a time for Americans to…
340 hits
In early 1982, two troubled nations collided on a cluster of windswept islands in the…
406 hits
By Roderick Whiskers McNibble, Ratty News’ Premier Scurrier-at-Large Listen up, Shed Shakers! Your old…
357 hits
Tucked away in the remote heart of the Indian Ocean lies a tiny archipelago that…
142 hits
Today we’ve got a curious tale to share... part sport, part history, and part heart.…
380 hits
From the Eureka Stockade to today’s silent struggle, Australians are waking up - not to…
463 hits
Today would have been my late sister-in-law’s birthday. This is my tribute to a woman I…
380 hits
They say wisdom often arrives wearing old boots, sipping strong coffee, and wielding a spanner.…
368 hits
I wonder how many people realise that Australia’s concept of a minimum wage began with…
388 hits
If you grew up in Australia, chances are you’ve heard the name Henry Lawson. Maybe…
357 hits
As the sun sets on tired so called Conservative parties like the Liberals and Nationals,…
401 hits
On the moonlit night of May 16, 1943, a squadron of young RAF pilots flew…
371 hits
Not all wartime heroes wore uniforms. In the heart of WWII, in 1942, my great uncle,…
434 hits
In a top-secret cross-galactic reassignment leaked by sources wearing sunglasses indoors, Agents J and K…
400 hits
How a fearless squadron of female pilots turned plywood planes into weapons of war -…
364 hits
In a rare confluence, Canada, Britain, and Australia held elections within a week of one…
143 hits
This Mother’s Day, I’m thinking of one woman in particular. She’s 92 now. We call…
380 hits
Mother’s Day, as we know it in Australia, traces its roots to the heartbreak and…
390 hits