When I think about horses in times of war, it is hard not to immediately think about the most famous horse of all: the Trojan Horse.
I must admit that I have always found it strange that the Trojans can't have been the sharpest knife in the drawer. They fell for a trick that even the most naive of us would have yelled most loudly " Don't do it! "
Still, perhaps times have not changed so much: we still appear to let the enemy in, don't we?
But, of course, the real war horses from history were not made of wood. They were heroes and served alongside their mates as earnestly as their human masters.
So today, I want to pay homage to the brave horses and the dogs who served us so well in times of war and perished in piteous circumstances. They were among the mightiest of the mighty and dear and trusted mates.
Read more: The animals who serve in war
“The Chief of the European Central Bank (ECB) has said that climate change is behind soaring inflation, stating that droughts and famines are driving up prices.
“If more and more climate disasters, droughts, and famines occur throughout the world, there will be repercussions on prices, on insurance premiums, and on the financial sector,” Lagarde said.
“We need to take that into account.”
No, what we actually need to take into account is that the so-called Climate Crisis is complete hogwash, starting with the basics of so-called man-made global warming. The fact is, the present era is one of the coolest and least carbon-intensive periods of the last 600 million years.
Read more: Why “Global Warming” Did Not Cause Today’s Economic Disasters—Governments Did
When I was a child, my teacher taught us the story of Grace Darling, a heroine of enormous courage. I wonder how many of us have heard her name today or know of her incredible act of heroism one dark and stormy night in 1838?
For there are many heroes in history whose names have been forgotten and whose acts of bravery have been washed ashore on a beach and taken away by the waves of indifference.
This is our salute to one person whose name and deed should never be forgotten and, in the words of Wordsworth " "But courage, Father! let us out to sea,
A few may yet be saved."
Read more: Grace Darling - a woman whose bravery overcame a tempest. We all need a beacon of hope
“Dad, why are the cops bad?”
This was the question I had to answer when I recently watched First Blood with my son. Only eight years old, he still lived in a world that was simple: cops are good guys, and their job is to catch the bad guys.
I explained to him that cops are just people like everyone else. Some are good and some are bad. That answer seemed to satisfy him, and soon he was watching Rambo II and Rambo III, films he favored even more, perhaps because they were less morally complicated.
Read more: How 'First Blood' Foreshadowed America’s Policing Problem
Queensland and other parts of Australia are overrun with Cane Toads. They have destroyed so much of Australian agriculture and people have forgotten how they arrived in the first place.
In 1935, the toads were not native to the country and they were brought in to control the population of beetles that were damaging sugar cane crops. However, rather than doing good, the cane toads became the first invasive species to be introduced deliberately in the state and they became pests.
Rather than solve the problem, they became a problem.
Read more: An analogy about Cane Toads and... invasion of foreign species
Government officials, public health officials, media and a whole host of other talking heads that parrot official talking points have repeatedly lied to us. We knew this, but now — without apology — they’re all starting to “admit” it by subtly changing the narrative.
As noted by comedian Jimmy Dore in the August 3, 2022, episode of “The Jimmy Dore Show” (video below):
“This story is very close to my heart, because it exonerates me. They’ve been lying about COVID, they’ve been lying about the vaccines, they’ve been lying about herd immunity, they’ve been lying about natural immunity, they’ve been lying about masks.
They’ve been lying about children — they’ve been lying about everything! Who’d have thunk the government and Big Pharma would lie to us? For profit? I am flummoxed. I am beside myself with slack-jawedness.”
When I was a lad, life was simpler, harder yet straightforward and honest. As the world is flooded with newfangled gadgetry and newfangled woke spoke, I find myself looking back on the post war years with a strange regret. Life is so newfangled that it is a complex place of ever-increasing innovation, and gratitude for the simple things in life is a far distant memory. We should consider how imprisoned we have become in this newfangled world which has rewarded us with so much and yet taken even more by stealth.
Read more: Days when newfangled stuff didn't exist - summer wine was not some whine
When remembering the past, and the way things used to be, one date has particular significance … 15th September. On that day in 2002 a man who had a huge influence in my life passed gently to another life. Extremely talented, always cheerful and willing to help his customers, well liked and highly respected Pharmacist Alf Dlugaj had managed a pharmacy in Ayr, and I had the great good fortune to have been his first, and only, apprentice.
We learn many things in life, from a range of different people and random events, and the course of our life is often changed in a manner completely unexpected, which was demonstrated in spectacular fashion by the way in which the life of our dearly loved Queen Elizabeth moved in new directions from carefree childhood to assuming the onerous duties which she willingly accepted and discharged so well as promised, all her life, whether it be long or short.
It is always interesting to remember how things used to be, but much more hazardous to attempt to anticipate the future.
The question is not whether children or adults should be given Covid vaccines. The question is who gets to choose.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced last week that children under the age of 12 will no longer be offered Covid-19 vaccines, unless the children are deemed high risk.
The decision appears to have rankled The Guardian, which quoted several physicians who criticized the move.
“When we know there is a safe and effective vaccine available this seems unjustifiable to me,” Professor Christina Pagel of the University College London told the newspaper, noting that deaths from COVID shots are rare.
Australia has become a nation ruled by fools.
We have surrendered power over every aspect of our lives and industry to fifteen debating chambers in eight ruling cities. These assemblies are controlled by lawyers, unionists, centralists, green dreamers, power seekers and tax consumers.
Their direct cost alone is horrendous. There are 837 politicians (ignoring local government). Each has a salary (say $200Kpy), travel and office costs (say $150Kpy), and staff costs (say $200Kpy) – a billion here, plus a billion there and pretty soon you’re talking real money.
Who could forget the delightful moment that Queen Elizabeth II took tea with Paddington Bear?
For myself, it was wondrous.
After years of hearing about Me Me Again and Harry the Ginger Flop, it was so nice to stumble upon a bit of the British Queen ignoring their childish and selfish antics.
In fact, when the movie Paddington was released it made people rather surprised and, well, rather jolly gobsmacked. Our Queen took tea with a rather lovely young bear and marmalade became rather special
By Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble, Senior Correspondent (and dance adjudicator) Crikey, mates and matesses - you’d…
254 hits
I have often pondered why mankind decided to go after the humble whale. After all,…
283 hits
Critical Minerals: The Deal That Could Turn Australia Into the World’s Quarry There’s a new…
399 hits
In 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps was established to safeguard American ships and interests. …
288 hits
We stopped teaching goodness. Now we’re living with the consequences. There was a time when…
303 hits
In an Australia grappling with division and a search for identity, it’s time to rediscover…
338 hits
Ratty News: Dusty Gulch Dispatch — “When the Ghosts Came Rolling In” Filed by: Roderick…
322 hits
Eighty-one years ago this week, in October 1944, a tall, thoughtful barrister from Victoria gathered…
562 hits
On the evening of October 12, 2002, the peaceful tourist destination of Bali, Indonesia, was…
319 hits
Queensland and much of northern Australia are overrun with cane toads - an invasion so…
312 hits
Some time ago, a young boy visiting Redhead’s house asked to use the “dunny.” The…
357 hits
Have you ever wondered how and why the Youth of today are holding rallies , their…
337 hits
Over the last few weeks I have noticed that people are losing their sense of…
355 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Bureau Chief There’s panic, pandemonium, and political puffery in…
373 hits
Try herding cats sometime. You’ll crouch, whistle, wave treats, and for one delusional moment, think…
364 hits
From Network to today, the prophecy is clear: truth has been turned into a commodity,…
574 hits
I am personally horrified by what has happened since October 2023. This wasn’t just a…
408 hits
Much of Australia’s early slang comes from the convict culture of the late 18th and…
451 hits
In 1925, a small courtroom in Dayton, Tennessee, became the stage for a battle over…
605 hits
Ratty News Exclusive By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent (aisle seat, back row) Reporting from…
400 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…
388 hits
Albert Facey’s A Fortunate Life is more than a memoir. It is the voice of…
776 hits
A Journey Through Time: From the Suez Canal to the Speculative Ben Gurion Canal Let’s…
463 hits
I recently watched the film " Captain Philips " on Netflix. I had resisted for…
613 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…
439 hits
It was back in the early 80's that Redhead and her late husband bought their…
433 hits
During the early years of World War II, the British Army faced many obstacles. Chief…
467 hits
When people think of World War II, they often picture D-Day, the Blitz, or the…
480 hits