The introduction of Eddie to his new home would have to wait, as I had to get to Sydney on business, three hours behind the wheel. I had everything I needed for the dog, collar, lead, bowl and a half bag of dried puppy food. And so we went, Eddie comfortably settled on the passenger seat, grinning at me—probably thinking—“sucker.”
Read more: Eddie The Dog - " Ignorance is Bliss "
I have been to England and France many times always accompanied by my wife.
We have visited all the famous places in England and played Monopoly in real life terms in London.
When I come across something of interest I like to ponder it in detail.
This usually ends up with a tug on the sleeve and a word in my ear telling me “Come on. You have seen enough of that. I want to look at the shops.”
A while ago, we published an article about Steampunk. It amazes me that since then, many comments on our blog come back to steam power. I suppose it is because steam power played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution, transforming societies and powering the advancement of technology. My late Uncle was a great fan of steam power and often held court expounding its virtues.
It marked a significant shift from human and animal labour to mechanisation, revolutionising transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture. People are fascinated by steam power because it represents a pivotal moment in human history, symbolising progress, innovation, and the birth of modernity.
A far cry from today, when we are increasingly told to turn the clock back and return to the dark ages. For dark ages they will be if we don't pull our fingers out and stop with the woke wankery invading our world today.
Anyway, back to the purpose of this article. Why are we so fascinated with steam power?
Read more: The Industrial Revolution - Part One - Full Steam Ahead
These days, we hear an awful lot about polls. Polls about The Voice, Trans Gender, Abortion, Ukraine. In fact, polls are conducted on all contentious subjects. It is amazing to think that so many people when polled, respond with the third option of "I don't know. "
I wonder. Is it because they don't know? Or is it because they are too scared to admit their true feelings? Who, these days, is brave ( or foolish ) enough to get off the fence and choose a side?
Read more: Sitting on the Fence or Making a Stand? It's Time to Decide
Charles de Gaulle and Marshal Philippe Pétain represent contrasting figures in French history during World War II. De Gaulle symbolised resistance, French sovereignty, and national pride, while Pétain's collaboration with the Nazis and authoritarian rule greatly overshadowed his earlier reputation as a World War I hero.
Today, de Gaulle is celebrated as a hero; Petain, a traitor.
So who was this man who fell from grace so spectacularly? Was he a villain or was he simply a man who had never really changed at all? Was it simply his reaction to the world in which he found himself?
Read more: Winners and Losers, Right and Wrong, Heros and Traitors
I'm pretty sure I’m not the only one who has wondered why the US Deep State could not come up with a more convincing puppet than Joe Biden.
As one friend asked, “You mean with all the well-credentialed amoral people available in the Democratic Party, this is the best they could do? And to top it off they put the babbling idiot named Kamala Harris in office to serve as his backup?”
It is indeed a rather remarkable thing to behold.
But the more I think about it, I suspect we might be asking the wrong questions.
Those who are not familiar with this title may be excused for thinking that it is the name of a circus troupe. After all, in WW1 the Red Baron’s squadron was popularly referred to as The Flying Circus so such an assumption is reasonable.
Those who are familiar with it will know that it was a name given to a group of American airmen fighting with the Chinese forces against the Japanese during and before WW2.
In Australia most knowledge of this group is pretty thin and the full impact of their efforts on the outcome of the Pacific war is largely unknown. Their persistence in the face of impossible odds had a significant impact on the Pacific war in that they kept China fighting and by that means tied up somewhere between 500,000 and 750,000 Japanese troops that would have been otherwise available to fight the allies elsewhere.
The lemon tree has always been part of my life. It is something that mothers sit under; little boys pee on and darling fur babies are buried beside or die under. Couples hold hands in the evening shade and smile and exchange sweet nothings under lemon trees. They are wonderful trees.
They give us joy in their shade; joy in their fruit and comfort in their very existence. They titillate our taste buds, smell magnificent and look somehow comforting. I love lemon trees.
As people all around Australia see a few more dollars in their pay packet, spare a moment to learn how it all began - with a combine harvester.
This week, Australia's minimum wage will increase by 8.6 per cent, and award workers will get a 5.75 per cent pay boost, in a Fair Work Commission (FWC) decision.
The new national minimum wage will be $23.23 per hour, and $882.80 per week, based on a 38-hour week.I wonder how many people know that the concept of a minimum wage began when the Arbitration Court made what became Australia's National Minimum Wage in the Harvester decision of 1907.
Read more: The Sunshine Harvester - the machine whose legacy lives on
The modern phenomenon of ‘woke’ is hard to pin down. Is it a movement, a religion, an attitude, or a lifestyle? Here we offer our own definition that places woke in the broader historical and political story of the West.
We start with a list of attitudinal elements that most people would agree should count as part of woke. In this we are spoiled for choice, with a whole smorgasbord of examples from the personal, political and corporate spheres from which to discern the core elements. Here are our top five:
A man with keys. Quiet shoes. A gift for discretion. He works in the dark, so…
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Why Churchill wouldn’t survive modern Australia - and what that should tell us. A…
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This Saturday, 19 July 2025, unless the Albanese Government does an about-face, Australia will fall under a…
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Filed by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble Bunker Correspondent, Scandal Ferret, Emergency Tim-Tam Consultant They told us…
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The guillotine has gone digital. Once it fell in public squares to cheers and bloodlust;…
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Nation First investigates the myriad of unanswered questions relating to the sordid and depraved case…
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The more we bury the truth, the deeper the innocent are buried with it. It’s…
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A Word from Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble Senior Culture Correspondent, Ratty News “Something is rotten in…
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Why Is Everyone So Angry These Days? Have you felt it lately? That low hum…
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When I was a lad, life was simpler, harder yet straightforward and honest. As the…
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By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Investigative Laundrologist - “Warning: The following article is satire and uses exaggeration…
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In a time when truth gets fact-checked to death, rewritten, or quietly buried, it’s worth…
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From spark plugs to blockchains – decoding the energy behind the future - It’s not about…
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By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Investigative Laundrologist Dusty Gulch, 2025 – In a world where truth is…
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They say history repeats. But sometimes, it just whispers. In an age where speech is…
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When I tell people I’m a beek, inevitably the first thing they say is, “Yes,…
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When we look back at history, we often speak of "the old wise men" who…
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When dreams turn to infrastructure, who controls the future above us? In 1957, a lonely…
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Without a genuine love for our forbears, how can we truly love - or even…
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RATTY NEWS EXCLUSIVE Operation Downstream: The Rise of the Feathernet Underground By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble,…
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By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence-Sitter, and Eyewitness to History When the world teetered…
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Once we debated. Now, " they" accuse. And who are they? Talk about diversity.…
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Solar generators won’t run on moon-beams – they fade out as the sun goes down…
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In the 19th century, steam trains roared into history, their unstoppable might revolutionising travel and…
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There are stories we tell because they’re funny. And there are stories we remember because…
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As told by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence Sitter & Marmalade Analyst Before the…
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