The PR Blog

Real history is no longer part of the school curriculum. It should be because we have much to learn from it. The adage that it keeps repeating itself is a salutary lesson in common sense.

Most Australians would not know that the reason that the US Marine Corps was formed was specifically to fight Islam. A  nearly 240 year history of the fight against Islam is sadly, largely forgotten.

At the height of the 18th century, Muslim pirates (the “Barbary Pirates”) were the terror of the Mediterranean and a large area of the North Atlantic. They attacked every ship in sight, and held the crews for exorbitant ransoms. Those taken hostage were enslaved and subjected to barbaric treatment. They wrote heart-breaking letters home, begging their governments and families to pay whatever their Mohammedan captors demanded.

These extortionists of the high seas represented the North African Islamic nations of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers – collectively referred to as the Barbary Coast – and presented a dangerous and unprovoked threat to the new American Republic.

When Thomas Jefferson saw there was no negotiating with Muslims, he formed what is now the Marines (soldiers stationed on ships).

In a universe where we’ve long pondered the answer to life, the universe, and everything, what if the solution wasn’t the well-known 42 but its lesser, shadowed counterpart ....  41? Curiosity may kill the cat but my word, don't we need it? Just a little bit of " I wonder... " 

I will leave the cats for another day. But so many of us know the story of 42 and how that number apparently was the solution to all of our problems. 

We have the UN and the WHO and MSM all trying to sell us 42. The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.  Rip down bushland, destroy habitats, kill koalas .. all to achieve  42. 

Yes, Douglas Adams had a few mice announce that the Answer to Life the universe and everything was 42.  But what if the mice were wrong? 

One digit away, yet a world apart in meaning.

The idea of 41 really forces us to confront the unsettling truth that we live in a world of "almosts", where resolution is forever just out of reach.

In this horrible modern world lies a real dilemma: a life defined not by completion but by continuous striving, imperfection, and the tension between what we seek and what we find. I don't find that bad. 

In fact, the philosophy of 41 asks us to reconsider our expectations of a "  Final Solution " ( heaven forbid )   and instead learn to live with the ongoing, ever-evolving nature of existence itself.

Australia, like most Western nations, has become increasingly culturally diverse and I find it particularly confusing that, at a time when we are bringing in hundreds of thousands of migrants from other countries, we are actively promoting the handover of Australia to Aboriginals.

Yes, that is correct. Despite it being the one year anniversary of the defeat of the Voice, our state governments and councils are just doing it anyway.  How did that work out?

Our new arrivals must find it hard to understand: are they welcome here, or will they, in decades to come, be seen as invaders like us.... ?

It took me back to a time, a few years ago, that Redhead, my Mum, had a conversation with an Indian man when she called an online service provider to update her credit card details.

In the dusty heart of the Outback, where the sun scorches the earth and the kangaroos outnumber the people, there's a new craze sweeping through the land. It's not the latest Aussie slang or a new way to cook a snag on the barbie – it's the art of cat herding. That's right, people, move over cattle rustling and sheep shearing; it's time for the feline frolic of the century.

Now, you might be wondering how on earth herding cats can be a viable occupation, let alone a source of national pride. Well, let me tell you, it's all about turning the seemingly impossible into the distinctly Australian. It's about teaching our young, unemployed folks the fine art of cat herding and giving them a sense of purpose that's as Aussie as a meat pie at the footy.

And then there is the first and only man in the world who actually learned how to herd cats and then teach them how to herd cattle. The legendary outback man known as Whiskers O ' Cat. And even he can't always manage it if AI image generator has anything to do with it. So buckle up and enjoy a weekend bit of a giggle. 

Can you believe it? Another weekend has rolled around. I was speaking with Redhead this morning and we got to talking about Niggles. No, not the current Premier of Queensland known as Giggles because of the supercilious grin he constantly has. Not the WW II flying Ace Biggles James Bigglesworth, wartime air ace and peacetime Sergeant in the Special Air Police, known to his friends and some of his enemies as 'Biggles'. Not the Wiggles either. 

No, not them I am talking about Niggles.

So, what exactly is a niggle? Picture a tiny stone in your shoe. It’s not big enough to really hurt, but it’s definitely annoying. Now imagine the stone is made of worry, or doubt, or maybe a creeping feeling of irritation. That’s what a niggle is.....a minor but persistent source of discomfort. It doesn’t exactly ruin your day, but it sure does like to hang around and poke you in the ribs now and then.

And we talked about who would we swap places with?  Is there anyone who does not have a niggle or two these days? And, in truth, are our niggles that bad anyway?