In the midst of the most terrible time in our history, even worse than Whitlam or WW2, our country is crying out for a Moses to emerge and lead us out of the wilderness. I rate our present plight as worse than WW2 because at least in that era we were all pulling together for the sake of Australia.
This cannot be said today. Leading up to Federation we had such a man. Someone whose name is probably unfamiliar.
Yet, it was people like him who created the Australia that we knew and loved. A country that gave us pride and showed us that a strong back and a good work ethic could start a revolution.
Read more: When a strong back and a good work ethic could start a revolution.
Back in 2019, I read an article on ( shudder ) ABC I don’t normally go anywhere near that viper pit of leftist lunacy but I received an email from a friend who felt that I should read this particular article.
Well, as I said to him, it made my blood boil with anger.
What kind of country have we turned into?
When I went down to see my daughter this morning, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde on the lovely side of 50, we spoke about saxophones, sand dunes, and tiny teddies.
We spoke about how life has changed. How things just ain't what they used to be.
Yes, they were strange things to talk about but, bear with me, it will all make sense in the end.
Read more: A conversation about Saxaphones, Tiny Teddies and Sand Dunes
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.
Read more: In the Land of the Blind the One Eyed Man is King - or is he?
From the beginning of the Covid panic, it felt that something was very wrong. Never had a pandemic, much less a seasonal pathogenic wave, been treated as a quasi-military emergency requiring the upending of all freedoms and rights.
What made it more bizarre was how alone those of us who objected felt until very recently when Elon Musk finally bought the platform Twitter, fired all the embedded federal agents, and has started to release the files.
World poverty is a burden to be shared, but there is another principle now widely recognized. Poor countries will emerge from poverty only when they take full charge of their own destiny.”
The 2017 comedy Daddy’s Home 2 has become one of my family’s favorite Christmas movies.
One of the reasons the movie is such a hit is that it has not one but two hilarious scenes featuring one of the greatest Christmas Songs ever written:
“Do They Know It’s Christmas.”
Read more: The Wonderful (and Tragic) Story Behind ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’
Read more: A Fairytale of 2022 - a ghost of Christmases past and future....
Samuel Pepys is probably the most famous diarist 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.
As I sit here today, pondering my continuing annoying partially crippled state ( due to a rather unpleasant insect bite on my toe ) and inability to wander happily down to my car or take a stroll somewhere further than the rubbish bin, I read Mr Pepys most excellent diary entries for Christmas Day and Boxing Day 1663.
Read more: The Power of Words - the Great Gift of the Diarists
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.
Read more: The Bridge on the river... Cry. The Tangiwai Railway Disaster. Christmas Eve 1953
Read more: When the Politician Grinches Stole Christmas.... Now We Need a Santa to take it Back
In deference to our New Zealand brothers I thought it would be fair to do an item about them rather than make this series of contributions an exclusively Australian affair and recognise the NZ part of the ANZAC legend.
The River Plate (Rio de la Plata) separates Argentina and Uruguay.
In 1939 it was the scene of one of the most dramatic naval battles of the war and has been the subject of a movie of the same name.
They say history repeats. But sometimes, it just whispers. In an age where speech is…
105 hits
When I tell people I’m a beek, inevitably the first thing they say is, “Yes,…
267 hits
When we look back at history, we often speak of "the old wise men" who…
316 hits
When dreams turn to infrastructure, who controls the future above us? In 1957, a lonely…
362 hits
Without a genuine love for our forbears, how can we truly love - or even…
393 hits
They didn’t storm the gates. They waited. While revolutionaries burned flags and shouted in the…
567 hits
RATTY NEWS EXCLUSIVE Operation Downstream: The Rise of the Feathernet Underground By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble,…
121 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence-Sitter, and Eyewitness to History When the world teetered…
556 hits
Once we debated. Now, " they" accuse. And who are they? Talk about diversity.…
630 hits
Solar generators won’t run on moon-beams – they fade out as the sun goes down…
640 hits
In the 19th century, steam trains roared into history, their unstoppable might revolutionising travel and…
625 hits
There are stories we tell because they’re funny. And there are stories we remember because…
593 hits
As told by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence Sitter & Marmalade Analyst Before the…
519 hits
A few weeks ago, someone broke into my quiet little corner of the internet and…
495 hits
By Ernest ‘Ember’ McTail, Special Correspondent. Serious News Division of Ratty News The world watches. There…
474 hits
It began, as such stories often do, in silence and snow. Kananaskis, Alberta - a…
465 hits
As Australia faces economic collapse, and leaders like Donald Trump and Javier Milei take bold…
380 hits
In an age of civil unrest, burning cities, and bitter political division, the words “Give…
396 hits
Today, I am featuring an article written by our dear blogger Malcolm back in 2021.…
336 hits
June is Gay Pride Month. Flags fly, parades roll out, corporations update their logos, and…
420 hits
Written: 24 February 2025 This is a true story, about PP’s cancer journey. PP will…
343 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusk in Alice Springs. I, Roderick…
416 hits
The LA riots and Derren Brown's Remote Control (an episode from Trick or Treat where…
534 hits
An exclusive editorial investigation by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusty Gulch - To…
443 hits
On June 6, 1944, the world witnessed an extraordinary event that changed the course of…
463 hits
Canberra's finest fall from grace... and altitude They came, they posed, they plummeted. In what…
521 hits
Anarchy often gets a bad rap. Images of burning buildings, rampant lawlessness, and a general…
436 hits
Part 2 of the Cane Series I’ll admit, before diving into this series, I hadn’t…
449 hits
Counting the Uncountable: What the Census No Longer Wants to Know – And Why That…
425 hits