It is interesting to think about the various factors which influenced us as children … our first days at school, our early reading matter, so many new experiences which shaped our development. Depending on our present age, the answers to these questions will vary greatly.
From Cane Fields to Comic books and beyond, I am proud to have lived my life surrounded by heroes.
No matter where we come from, we have wonder in our eyes and joy in our hearts and that wonder and joy must be cherished and protected. Even if it means learning by rote and worshipping comic book heroes.
Read more: With the eyes of a child
I received this email some time ago.
What do we make anymore? All we do now is rely on Royalties from exporting our minerals so that others can profit and we then import the value added commodity to our raw materials.
Our State Governments are against our Federal Government and we have become a Nation divided. Are we even a Nation anymore, or just a collection of States who riccochet from one catastrophe to another?
What is it to be Australian today? It seems to me that, sometimes, we are just a collection of fractured and fragmented pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that was disassembled and no one can be bothered to put back together again.
Read more: Sorry Australia - the lifestyle you ordered is out of stock
A few days ago, I was pondering what on earth we could do to fight back against this insanity of the rapid takeover of our lives and our rights. Machines appear to control our votes; our voices are being stifled and our ability to fight back is being diminished on a daily basis.
A mere 18 months ago, we still felt we had a say. But it has been revealed that we were being duped, and, under the guise of a rampant deadly virus, those foolish illusions have been stripped away.
Australians cowed by Covid ‘beast’ into more lockdowns, borders closed to tourism till next year & a ‘stop infections at all costs’ attitude. There’s no sign of the legendary Aussie spirit among leaders of a once proud nation.
It used to be that the ‘Aussie battler’ was a cherished ideal among my fellow countrymen and was typified by a rugged, determined, individualistic streak that refused to give in and, even when facing overwhelming odds, fought against them with confidence and no small amount of humour.
What has happened?
I recently lost my wife of over 55 years. Her passing was something that I referred to in a previous post.
Because of the people I have met here on Patriot Realm, I have discovered a way of talking without being concerned about who I am, where I am, or what I am.
I am an older man who has recently lost his wife and found a young cat and Mrs Dodger is very happy with my choice. But the truth is that the cat chose me. I think Mrs Dodger was still going what she always did: making my mind up for me.
President Trump proved that America First policies work WITHOUT needing to use tyrannical government powers or gross unconstitutional overreach, and he did it even in the face of overwhelming opposition and great personal sacrifice.
He singlehandedly woke 75% of Americans up to the idea that all our institutions are corrupted and forced them to reveal themselves, while also doing virtually everything possible to outmaneuver their plans AND overwhelmingly win another election (a huge achievement on its own without which we would have no real claim to take action). He even personally financed the research and effort to show you how they stole the election and delivered the best realistic plan to win going forward.
All this talk of late about critical race theory and the oppression of brown or black people has made me think back to my childhood days when life was never black or white. It was shades of grey and we were all pretty colour blind anyway.
Just yesterday, I spoke with Redhead about DNA, vaccines, manufactured racism and the subject inevitably moved on to its logical conclusion. Moles.
No, I'm not talking about those pesky little varmints who dig holes in other countries ( Australia doesn't have them ) and I am not talking about traitors ( EVERY country has THEM ); no. I am talking about moles. Those black spots - oops - diverse pigmentations that many of us spend much time monitoring and attending skin clinics to have chopped out.
Read more: I remember when.... Saris, Sandalwood and Surgery took off a Sultana
I have always admired the tremendous impact of a few well-chosen words … people such as Winston Churchill, JFK and Martin Luther King were excellent examples …
On Aug 20, 1940, Churchill addressed the House of Commons referring to the ongoing efforts of the Royal Air Force crews who were at the time fighting the Battle of Britain, the pivotal air battle with the German Luftwaffe, as Britain was expecting an invasion. Since this famous speech, the British Royal Air Force pilots who fought in the battle have been known as "The Few".
Read more: A few well chosen words and a bit of Gilbert and Sullivan.
When our leaders and politicians sign us up to these global accords, declarations and agreements, do they realise what the consequences will be? Decades on, their moment in the sun and on the front page can have far reaching consequences.
One little known, but very impactive decision is now showing us just how damaging these signatures can be. Nearly 50 years ago, Australia signed up to the Lima Declaration.
Read more: The Lima Declaration - what was it and what does it mean today?
In this interview with The New American magazine Senior Editor Alex Newman, celebrated former military doctor and bioweapons expert Dr. Lee Merritt offers her thoughts on recent claims that vaccinated individuals may be “shedding” spike proteins or something else that is hurting unvaccinated people–especially women.
Read more: COVID Vaccine Shedding Hurting Unvaxed? Dr. Lee Merritt Explains
Just say .... that you were a young shepherd in the Holy Land thousands of years ago. You were watching your flocks by night or, as I and my friends used to say, washing your socks by night.
Suddenly, something came out of the sky. An angel. A vision of extraordinary beauty and wonder. Something to behold and fear, yet bow down in reverence at such a thing to see.
Read more: Just say... that there was no such thing as time... just say?
Beneath the swaying trees and the green grass of Norfolk Island lies a brutal chapter…
116 hits
In a world that seems determined to teach us to hate our countries, I remember…
288 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble In a stunning turn of events, Peter “Cooker” Fookit - who…
340 hits
For nearly three decades, the Port Arthur Massacre has been remembered as Australia's darkest day…
449 hits
Who pays the Ferryman? In the old myths, no soul crossed the river Styx without…
279 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Special Correspondent for Ratty News Roderick Whiskers McNibble here, tail fluffed…
341 hits
Each war seems to produce its own under-appreciated heroes who, for reasons that have nothing…
386 hits
Just before dawn on August 7, 1915, the men of the 8th and 10th Australian…
377 hits
It is not often that a hero can also be a larrikin and vice versa.…
330 hits
On ANZAC Day we remember the fallen, the brave, the heroic. But behind every name…
357 hits
Magic happens everywhere and goodness, wonder and delight can be found alive and well throughout…
151 hits
How many people around the world have been warning about the danger we are in? …
164 hits
Two names. Two battles. One legend. At Chunuk Bair and Lone Pine, ANZAC soldiers faced…
484 hits
It has been truly said that Australia arrived in Gallipoli as six separate States and…
368 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Investigative Reporter Extraordinaire The Ratty News Foreign Desk | Special Report…
382 hits
There are men who live great adventures and there are men who write about them.…
399 hits
When life collapses and the weight of grief threatens to bury us, we have two…
401 hits
He was short, wiry, and came from the dusty outskirts of Clermont in rural Queensland.…
500 hits
As the sun rises on another ANZAC Day in less than two weeks, and an…
284 hits
Some memories shimmer in the mind like a heat haze, half mischief, half magic. This…
285 hits
For over five years now, this blog has grown into more than just a place…
284 hits
In a stunning turn of events, Roderick “Whiskers” McNibble - microphone-wielding rat and founding fur…
373 hits
How did it happen? How did a failed artist and fringe political agitator rise from…
324 hits
What happens when the battlefield goes silent....but the war doesn’t end? When soldiers come home,…
459 hits
John B. Calhoun’s “rat utopia” experiments of the 1960s, designed to be paradises with unlimited…
314 hits
Throughout history, religion has been hailed as a guiding light, a beacon of morality and…
366 hits
In a fast-changing Australia, where new cultures and identities weave fresh threads into our ever…
311 hits
When I was a young lass, I was a fencer. No, not the farming type…
331 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Ratty News Investigative Correspondent Heard Island, Antarctica - A once-quiet expanse of…
465 hits
In a world obsessed with competition, the most powerful alliances are often overlooked, those between…
324 hits
Fear has always been the most powerful weapon of control, whether wielded by governments against…
309 hits
On a chilly October night in 1938, millions of Americans huddled around their radios, unaware…
284 hits