Some years ago Papua New Guinea’s Governor, Powes Parkop, damned near caused civil insurrection on New Year’s Day when he enacted a law to ban the chewing of betel nuts on streets of Port Moresby. I said “betel nuts”, not “beetle’s nuts”, in case you think it’s a typo. Most Westerners are not familiar with betel nuts unless they have toured the Sub-Continent.
Hygiene laws in Western countries have thankfully stymied the proliferation of this dirty habit to where a still surprising 10 to 20% of the planet’s population still chaw it in one form or another; making it the 4th most used psychoactive substance, after nicotine, alcohol and caffeine.
Read more: The Colour Red is a Filthy Habit in some places. Betel Nut
Back in 1904, HG Wells wrote a short story about a man who stumbled into a forgotten kingdom where everyone was blind. He thought that would give him incredible power because he possessed something that they did not. The ability to see.
He soon learned that his gift of sight was seen by the villagers as an affliction of the brain that must be caused by two things on his head that he called eyes. They pitied him and, instead of being a gift, the eyes were perceived as a curse, an illness and a disturbance of his brain.
It did not take long before the man realised that, when surrounded by the blindness of ignorance, knowledge itself was an enemy to be ousted and eradicated.
Last night you probably slept for seven to eight hours. About one or two of these was likely in deep sleep, especially if you’re young or physically active. That’s because sleep changes with age and exercise affects brain activity. About three or four hours will have been spent in light sleep.
For the remaining time, you were likely in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While this is not the only time your brain is potentially dreaming – we also dream during other sleep stages – it is the time your brain activity is most likely to be recalled and reported when you’re awake.
In 1971 there was a time I was dying. In a yacht on a lake. And my brother saved me. I was a young girl in my yacht with my brother. We " canned out " and I, like my brother, fell into the dark and cold gloom of very troubled water.
It did not matter where it happened, but that it happened.
We were going to die. Cold water. Deep, cold, dark and endless water. Yet we were saved. Through determination, love and hard work.
As the Xmas/New Year break approaches many people will have their eyes on the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race; a traditional event starting on Boxing Day.
One of the several unticked items on my bucket list is to sail in the Sydney to Hobart. Back in the 1970’s and early 80’s I crewed on an ocean racer out of Sandringham Yacht Club in Melbourne. The boat I was on was a Carter 30, an English design that could better be described as a Slow Boat to China rather than a racing thoroughbred.
Read more: The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - a Boxing Day Tradition
At the heart of the Christmas story rests some important lessons concerning free enterprise, government, and the role of wealth in society.
Let’s begin with one of the most famous phrases: “There’s no room at the inn.” This phrase is often invoked as if it were a cruel and heartless dismissal of the tired travelers Joseph and Mary. Many renditions of the story conjure up images of the couple going from inn to inn only to have the owner barking at them to go away and slamming the door.
In fact, the inns were full to overflowing in the entire Holy Land because of the Roman emperor’s decree that everyone be counted and taxed. Inns are private businesses, and customers are their lifeblood. There would have been no reason to turn away this man of royal lineage and his beautiful, expectant bride.
Read more: The Businessman and the Holy Family - something to think about
Samuel Pepys is probably one of the most famous diarists in history and his words are treasured throughout the English speaking world.
A politician from the 1600's, he captured the spirit and soul of Britain in those days of an era we no longer recognise. Though, in some cases, perhaps we do, all rather too well.
I read Mr Pepys most excellent diary entries for Christmas Day and Boxing Day 1665. Back during the days of the Plague, 400 years ago. So much has changed, yet so little.
Only minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve, 1953, the engine driver of the Wellington to Auckland express train will notch back to walking pace in a remote area of New Zealand's North Island's 'volcanic plateau. Most passengers will be sleeping.
The train consisting of eight carriages, a heating unit, postal and guard's van will approach the double span steel trestle bridge, lit by the headlight of the powerful throbbing DX locomotive. At a strategic point the driver will cast a floral tribute into the darkness, where it will come to rest in the gentle waters below to mark the tragic events that occurred here 70 years ago in 1953.
Read more: The Bridge Over The River Cry - A Christmas Eve tale of Tragedy
" A relative who lives in Brisbane was telling me about her visit doing Christmas shopping. She wanted to buy for her young children 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. This shows how much Australia has lost over the past generation.
So much for politicians enriching our society by bringing in aliens. To me it shows how bad Australia has got"
And that got me thinking about a Christmas a long time ago.
Read more: Nativity Scenes, Cardboard Boxes, Barbie Dolls and Missing Sheep
General Sir John Monash is one of the truly great Australians. He was an Australian military and civilian leader as well as a great contributor to Australian life. His achievements are outstanding. In my opinion, Monash was not just our most outstanding military leader but our most outstanding citizen of all time.
The achievements of John Monash are so extensive and comprehensive that I cannot condense them into a single post, brief enough to retain the reader’s interest. Therefore I have decided to present them in six episodes of which this is the first. The episodes have been divided into specific eras of his life; Pre 1901 (two parts), 1901-1915 and 1916-1918 and Post WW1.
Do We Still Love our Nation to Fight For it? Reflections 81 years after the…
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Australia's Spirit at the Crossroads – Time to Shake Off the Mud At dawn, when…
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Muddy, Battered, and Waiting for the Next Kick-Off After a rugby match, the ball always…
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Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Edition (Front Page) RUCTION AT THE GULCH OVAL: SETTLED THE…
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Some men belong to history. Others belong to the national conscience. Bruce Ruxton was the latter.…
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The Prime Minister Who Disappeared There are many ways for a Prime Minister to leave…
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From Whitlam to Bondi Beach, how moral evasion became cultural habit Australia has woken up…
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At 9:41am on Monday, 15 December 2014, Man Haron Monis forced Tori Johnson, the manager…
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Recent news in Australia has sparked debate: a ban on social media for under-16s. The…
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Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Scandal Edition By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble – Foreign Correspondent, Rodent…
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Back in 1904, H. G. Wells published a short story called “The Country of the…
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Education, often celebrated as a beacon of enlightenment and progress, can also become a potent…
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On December 9, 2019, New Zealand's White Island erupted .claiming 22 lives and leaving survivors…
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They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and nowhere is that truer than…
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Before the sun had fully risen over Hawaii, a chain reaction had begun — one…
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“Minor Problem: I Identify as a 73-Year-Old Tabby, Therefore I’m Legally Entitled to X (and…
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Dusty Gulch Gazette – Special Duck Census Edition By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble – Foreign Correspondent,…
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Flysa spent some of the early years of his life managing construction projects in the…
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In the heart of Ballarat in 1854, a ragtag coalition of gold miners took a…
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The Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Forty-One Years On — A Legacy That Still Breathes, Bleeds, and…
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Henry J. Kaiser: The Self-Made Miracle Worker and the Legacy of Vision This article builds…
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The birth of Australia’s iron ore industry wasn’t just an economic milestone - it was…
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The Quiet Hanson: Why Lee Sherrard Might Just Save One Nation (and Why She Might…
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Dusty Gulch Gazette – Emergency Midnight Edition November 27, 2025 – Vol. 147, No. 320…
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From a disease-ravaged ship anchored off a windswept coast… to thirteen scrappy colonies telling the…
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In Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, a charismatic Edinburgh teacher enchants her…
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Elon Musk is more than a billionaire tech mogul...he’s a disruptor, a visionary, and a…
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Yes, let’s be honest. The days when the Irish, Scots, Italians, Greeks, Poles, Hungarians, Poms,…
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Picture this: You’re sitting down for a family dinner, and instead of chatting about school,…
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Dusty Gulch Gazette November 21, 2025 – Vol. 147, No. 312 By Jedediah "Dust" Harlan…
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by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble - Chief Correspondent for Ratty News - Aeronautical and Ornithological Division…
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A green hill in the Irish Sea has stood for 1,045 years. It has seen…
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Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is one of the most significant…
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In a rare confluence, Canada, Britain, and Australia held elections within a week of one…
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RATTY NEWS EXCLUSIVE Operation Downstream: The Rise of the Feathernet Underground By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble,…
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Magic happens everywhere and goodness, wonder and delight can be found alive and well throughout…
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Tucked away in the remote heart of the Indian Ocean lies a tiny archipelago that…
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Factional ferrets, backstabbing bandicoots, and the great Teal tango - how the Libs turned on…
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The latest State of the Climate Report is out to scare everyone with plucked esoteric records based…
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The Fox News star gives voice to the concerns of millions – the part of…
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It is beyond belief that the speaker who tore up the copies of Donald Trump’s…
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I am a Christian Brothers College (CBC) old boy and attended a few of the…
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Thursday February 08
In the 1880’s shearers wielded a lot of influence on our country. Despite us not…
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Wednesday March 01
At the beginning of March, 2023, I join Monty in celebrating Irish month. There are…
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Thursday December 29
One of the most famous and best known characters in Australian folk lore, Ned Kelly…
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Saturday January 14
General Sir John Monash is one of the truly great Australians. He was an Australian…
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Friday July 14
Nearly 30 years has flowed under the bridge since I last owned a dog. That…
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Monday March 04
These are episides from Against the Wind , a 1978 Australian television miniseries. It is a historical drama…
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I think it’s safe to say that adventures of the more daring kind are often…
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Speckled about the steep slopes are clumps of small, fieldstone cottages. Their crumbling mortar and aging stones are victim…
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Nearly 30 years has flowed under the bridge since I last owned a dog. That…
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