When I think of ANZAC Day I think of my late Great Granpa.
Read more: As a young Patriot, I pay tribute to the men who fought for my right to live
“The American press, once the guardian of democracy, was hollowed out to the point that it could be worn like a hand puppet by the U.S. security agencies and party operatives….Disinformation is both the name of the crime and the means of covering it up; a weapon that doubles as a disguise.” — Jacob Siegel
How’s the war going? Huh?
Do you mean the war over in Ukraine?
Or the US government’s war against its own people?
It is not often that a hero can also be a larrikin and vice versa. But John " Scotty " Simpson was such a man. A deserter who found himself thrust into the horror of Gallipoli instead of implementing his plan to jump ship in England
John Simpson Kirkpatrick was an Englishman of Scottish parentage who wanted to get away from his wife.... so he joined the Merchant Navy in 1909. In 1910 he deserted from his ship when it was docked at Newcastle in Australia. He led an itinerant lifestyle as a cane cutter, coal miner and various jobs on coastal merchant ships. He also became a left wing activist with The Industrial Workers of the World. Hardly the stuff of heroes.
But he went on to become a hero.
Read more: Simpson and his Donkey - a larrakin who became a Gallipoli Hero
They say that things aren't what they used to be. One area where that is particularly true is children.
As a lad of a mere 90 years young, I look back on my own childhood and think that I was fairly spirited and independent, in thought and in action.
But I am a pussycat in comparison to one young Australian boy named Lennie. Yes, I remember when kids were tough. But this boy makes me humble.
Over recent years, ANZAC Day was subsumed by the Coronavirus lockdown and we were denied the right to celebrate it and honour our Diggers in the usual way by government decree.
As the day approaches it looks like this year it may be subsumed again by the furore of The Voice.
Either way, I expect that we will still get the usual collection of the bearded unwashed telling us how wrong we were/are for participating in any war because we should be celebrating peace.
These angry shots are not the first, nor will they be the last salvos we ordinary grateful citizens will be subjected to by this ignorant element in our society. Ignore them and roll with the punches.
Over the centuries, we have learned so much about the strength of the human spirit. That incredible ability to triumph over adversity, whether it be physical, emotional or mental agony... or all three at once.
As Easter is uppermost in our thoughts, so too is the concept of war. That conflict that drives us to delve deep and draw upon reserves that we often did not know we had.
Some time ago I had occasion to watch a movie called " The Ideal Palace. " It was based on the true story of a man in France, Joseph Cheval, (19 April 1836 – 19 August 1924) who built a " palace ' for his daughter, Alice.
Read more: A Story of Rebirth after Death and 33 years of Struggle
I dedicate this article to the women who fought, died and tragically were lost.
Alongside the brave men who did the same.
I dedicate it to the women who kept the wheels turning on the farms and in the mines and in the factories and in the family homes.
There is great equality in life and in death. But nowhere as great as in the love we feel in our hearts.
I was brought up around boats. My late Dad was a sailor with the Royal Navy and later with the Royal New Zealand Navy. Nothing weird about that except, like many sailors in those days, he couldn't swim.
Still, that was what he did as a young man during the latter years of the Second World War when he decided that he wanted to sail off, see the world, and hopefully be home in time for dinner.
CAN SOCIETY BE designed? Can an expert engineer alleviate people’s pains and struggles with a good-enough central plan and blueprint?
Minoru Yamasaki thought so.
The Pruitt–Igoe urban housing project, a 1950s effort to revitalize 'urban blight' in St. Louis, was a project doomed from the start—and the "one big failure" of Minoru Yamasaki's distinguished architectural career.
The MS is condemning and/or taunting Trump given he chose Waco as the site of his latest rally.
Waco on the anniversary of the Waco Siege of 1993 between the Branch Dividians and the ATF/FBI.
Given the span of time, the changing dynamics, and a greater insight into our government, the Waco Siege takes on a different story.
Read more: Waco Texas – A Botched FBI Siege: Cleanup in Aisle 47
When I was a lad, life was simpler, harder yet straightforward and honest. As the…
145 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Investigative Laundrologist - “Warning: The following article is satire and uses exaggeration…
285 hits
Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is one of the most significant…
58 hits
In a time when truth gets fact-checked to death, rewritten, or quietly buried, it’s worth…
339 hits
From spark plugs to blockchains – decoding the energy behind the future - It’s not about…
370 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Investigative Laundrologist Dusty Gulch, 2025 – In a world where truth is…
60 hits
They say history repeats. But sometimes, it just whispers. In an age where speech is…
377 hits
When I tell people I’m a beek, inevitably the first thing they say is, “Yes,…
365 hits
When we look back at history, we often speak of "the old wise men" who…
383 hits
When dreams turn to infrastructure, who controls the future above us? In 1957, a lonely…
428 hits
Without a genuine love for our forbears, how can we truly love - or even…
446 hits
They didn’t storm the gates. They waited. While revolutionaries burned flags and shouted in the…
612 hits
RATTY NEWS EXCLUSIVE Operation Downstream: The Rise of the Feathernet Underground By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble,…
146 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence-Sitter, and Eyewitness to History When the world teetered…
613 hits
Once we debated. Now, " they" accuse. And who are they? Talk about diversity.…
674 hits
Solar generators won’t run on moon-beams – they fade out as the sun goes down…
680 hits
In the 19th century, steam trains roared into history, their unstoppable might revolutionising travel and…
657 hits
There are stories we tell because they’re funny. And there are stories we remember because…
626 hits
As told by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence Sitter & Marmalade Analyst Before the…
548 hits
A few weeks ago, someone broke into my quiet little corner of the internet and…
518 hits
By Ernest ‘Ember’ McTail, Special Correspondent. Serious News Division of Ratty News The world watches. There…
498 hits
It began, as such stories often do, in silence and snow. Kananaskis, Alberta - a…
497 hits
As Australia faces economic collapse, and leaders like Donald Trump and Javier Milei take bold…
404 hits
In an age of civil unrest, burning cities, and bitter political division, the words “Give…
425 hits
Today, I am featuring an article written by our dear blogger Malcolm back in 2021.…
361 hits
June is Gay Pride Month. Flags fly, parades roll out, corporations update their logos, and…
450 hits
Written: 24 February 2025 This is a true story, about PP’s cancer journey. PP will…
396 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusk in Alice Springs. I, Roderick…
440 hits
The LA riots and Derren Brown's Remote Control (an episode from Trick or Treat where…
581 hits