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.
" 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: Does anyone know what a Nativity Scene is these days? We do, but the Young Ones don't....
“The powerful are panicking, and so they should. Their secrets are leaking.” —Miranda Devine, The New York Post
As the Yule log burns down, and the trivialities of the season melt into air, the nation might ask itself how the authorities who run things went to war against the citizens of this land. I will tell you and it will probably make you angry:
It started when the women of the professional and managerial class watched their avatar, Hillary Clinton, lose the 2016 election against a man who seemed the quintessence of everything they hated about Daddydom.
Read more: “The powerful are panicking, and so they should. Their secrets are leaking.”
The EPA has approved Robbins Island Mega Wind Factory in a remote island off Tasmania that will have to stop working for five months of the year so it doesn’t hurt the Orange-bellied Parrot. It will however be able to kill eagles and other birds for the other seven months of the year.
Green electrons are revered, Orange-bellied parrots are sacred but our way of life is up for grabs. It’s a cult.
Read more: Tasmanian mega wind farm approved that can’t operate half the year
The raid on Pearl Harbour failed to catch the US carrier force which was still at sea. It also failed to destroy the oil storage facilities that would have crippled any ability to send a pursuing force. The Japanese strategists knew that the obvious place for an American fight back to be based was Australia. It rapidly consumed the Dutch East Indies and the island of New Britain which was part of the PNG mandated territory awarded to Australia by the League of Nations.
On 10th December, 1941 the tactics conceived by Yamamato and Nagano were again proved correct when Japanese aircraft sank the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse off the coast of Malaya. At the same time Guam was captured from the Americans.
Read more: The Bombing of Darwin Part 2 - the Australian Connection
When I first wrote this article I kept thinking " what is the image that most encompasses Australia? "
The Sydney Harbour Bridge?: Opera House? The Great Barrier Reef? What is it that makes us Australia?
And I realised that it was not a place. It was not building or a monument or even a flag. It was us.
It is the people and no matter what our government tries to do, we Aussies still love our country. Though many of our recent migrants do not. So I am leading off with something unexpected.
It is a photo that I love. It is of Dame Edna.
Read more: Indigenous or Aboriginal? First Nation? Is Australia about Race or about Australians?
Back in 1920, in the small town of Winton, the airline company QANTAS was born. The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd was created and would be known as QANTAS from that day forward.
Its co-founders, Sir Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness, said "[Qantas] was conceived in Cloncurry, born in Winton and grew up in Longreach."
Prentis Penjani’s Grand Debut – The Duck Was Just the Warm-Up Act By Roderick (Whiskers)…
150 hits
By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Senior Correspondent (and dance adjudicator) Crikey, mates and matesses - you’d…
290 hits
I have often pondered why mankind decided to go after the humble whale. After all,…
296 hits
Critical Minerals: The Deal That Could Turn Australia Into the World’s Quarry There’s a new…
426 hits
In 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps was established to safeguard American ships and interests. …
292 hits
We stopped teaching goodness. Now we’re living with the consequences. There was a time when…
313 hits
In an Australia grappling with division and a search for identity, it’s time to rediscover…
344 hits
Ratty News: Dusty Gulch Dispatch — “When the Ghosts Came Rolling In” Filed by: Roderick…
325 hits
Eighty-one years ago this week, in October 1944, a tall, thoughtful barrister from Victoria gathered…
567 hits
On the evening of October 12, 2002, the peaceful tourist destination of Bali, Indonesia, was…
328 hits
Queensland and much of northern Australia are overrun with cane toads - an invasion so…
323 hits
Some time ago, a young boy visiting Redhead’s house asked to use the “dunny.” The…
363 hits
Have you ever wondered how and why the Youth of today are holding rallies , their…
339 hits
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that people are losing their sense of…
357 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Bureau Chief There’s panic, pandemonium, and political puffery in…
375 hits
Try herding cats sometime. You’ll crouch, whistle, wave treats, and for one delusional moment, think…
370 hits
From Network to today, the prophecy is clear: truth has been turned into a commodity,…
577 hits
I am personally horrified by what has happened since October 2023. This wasn’t just a…
411 hits
Much of Australia’s early slang comes from the convict culture of the late 18th and…
458 hits
In 1925, a small courtroom in Dayton, Tennessee, became the stage for a battle over…
607 hits
Ratty News Exclusive By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) Reporting from…
410 hits
Back in 2002, an anonymous person sent an email from a disposable email address to…
338 hits
“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.” G. K. Chesterton Leonard…
389 hits
Albert Facey’s A Fortunate Life is more than a memoir. It is the voice of…
778 hits
A Journey Through Time: From the Suez Canal to the Speculative Ben Gurion Canal Let’s…
465 hits
I recently watched the film " Captain Philips " on Netflix. I had resisted for…
614 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) The Prime Minister has officially…
406 hits
Those who are not familiar with this title may be excused for thinking that it…
441 hits
It was back in the early 80's that Redhead and her late husband bought their…
436 hits
During the early years of World War II, the British Army faced many obstacles. Chief…
469 hits