Today, I want to talk about Laughter. Humour to be exact. Today, we are talking about Irish humour and Acme Sheds. We have just had a few intense days of political and social history and it is time to just take a day off and sit back and reflect.
Here at Patriotrealm we enjoy the company of a bloke calling himself Paddy. He is a bit of an Irish larrikin living down under. In fact, as a result of his jokes, we now have a saying on our blog that, when a joke is particularly funny, it is now known as a " Gladwrapper. " Why? Because you need to wrap your keyboard in glad wrap to protect it from the inevitable gush of tea, coffee, beer, wine, or water that invariably hits as you get to the punchline.
Irish wit is known for being self deprecating and is probably one of the last bastions of humour because the woke wankery can't shut down someone taking the mickey out of themselves.
Read more: Irish Humour and Acme Sheds
The following article was published in 1993. Over 30 years ago.
Does the modern bureaucratization of medicine risk a return to the horrors of national socialist medicine?
Today we are concerned about issues such as doctor-assisted suicide, abortion, the use of fetal tissue, genetic screening, birth control and sterilization, health-care rationing and the ethics of medical research on animals and humans.
These subjects are major challenges in both ethics and economics at the end of the twentieth century. But at the beginning of the twentieth century the desire to create a more scientific medical practice and research had already raised the issues of euthanasia, eugenics, and medical experimentation on human subjects.
Read more: Political Health Care - A Scientific and Social Philosophy by a Totalitarian Regime
The Weimar Republic was born out of the ashes of World War I, following Germany's defeat and the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in November 1918. The new democratic government, named after the city of Weimar where its constitution was drafted, sought to replace the imperial system with a parliamentary democracy.
However, the Republic faced enormous challenges from the outset. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, placed heavy reparations on Germany and imposed severe territorial losses, fueling national resentment and economic hardship. These conditions created a fertile ground for political extremism, with both the far left and far right vying for control.
It struck me that we are, as countries, are suffering under the horrors of our version of a Versailles Treaty: one where we are prevented from developing our nations due the the restrictions forced upon us by signing up to the Climate Change nonsense....
Until people learn that the same propaganda they see in media, schools, and entertainment today - lying to them and subverting society - they won't know who their true enemies are.
And, the most important thing to remember is that it has been in effect for at least the last 80 years.
In 1944 the Australian politician Arthur Calwell was unhappy that some newspapers were not following wartime censorship restrictions.
Back then as the Minister for Information, he said
All this vaunted freedom of the press on the part of newspaper magnates will not permit views to be published which they do not desire to be published. There is no such thing as freedom of the press, except for those who own and control the newspapers of Australia.
Read more: There is no such thing as freedom of the press, except for those who own and control it
I have had a pretty colourful life one way or another. And it got me thinking. How would the Gazans and others feel if they lived up in the pointy end of Australia? Would they come? So here is my " Welcome to Country " ceremony for all those from other countries who are thinking of making Australia home.
But think twice before you head north for a true blue Aussie ceremony. You might bite off more than you bargained for. Or, someone or something might.
Life out of Australian cities is not for people who cannot deal with the odd oversized lizard or two. It's almost more like " Welcome to the Jungle. "
Read more: Welcome to Country.... to our multicultural refugees, a very big Queensland welcome!
“Some of us may forget that, of all the Allies, it was the Australians who first broke the spell of invincibility of the Japanese Army.”
- Quote from Field Marshall Sir William Slim, Commander of WW2 Commonwealth forces in Burma (and later Governor General of Australia).
And that first fracture in the Japanese Land Forces strength came at Milne Bay in September 1942.
Our boys knew that they had to make sure the Japs didn't get reinforcements in. If that had happened, the outcome of the Second World War may have been completely different.
The allies realised that they needed to take the initiative and subsequently landed Australian troops in the area in June 1942 with the express purpose of building an airfield. US Engineer units, assisted by Australian troops and local Papuan villagers, started building an airstrip, a wharf and the construction of roads.
Read more: On the 27th August 1942 the Japanese were on the doorstep of Australia.......
The Emu War is one of Australia's most curious and bizarre historical events. It took place in late 1932, when a large number of emus, flightless birds native to Australia, caused significant damage to crops in Western Australia.
In response, the Australian government sent a small military force, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery, armed with two Lewis guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, to the region in November 1932. The plan was to cull the emus and reduce their numbers to protect the crops.
Curious? I am not surprised. Hell, if if the Australian Army couldn't despatch a few pesky birds then something was very wrong indeed. So let me enlighten you and tell you all about the time that the Australian Army went to war against its coat of arms.... and lost.
Of all the magnificent units and regiments of the Australian Army I doubt if any have a better claim to have been the one that saved Australia than the 39th Infantry Battalion, the first to advance down the Kokoda Track to confront the Japanese.
There are a number of units who could claim this title. The 25th Brigade in the defence of Milne Bay and the Coral Sea Battle. The former was supported by the RAAF. The Coral Sea Battle was a largely American enterprise. The 39th held the Japs at bay alone and unsupported until the 7th Division arrived fresh from the Middle East. For that they get my vote without detracting in any way the efforts and performance of all of our other units, and the Americans, who took on the Japs.
Read more: Those Ragged Bloody Heroes - “We are not a mob. We are the 39th.”
During World War II, Australia was a key player in the Allied war effort, providing troops, resources, and logistical support across the Pacific and beyond. However, not all sectors within Australia were fully cooperative in the war effort. The Australian Maritime Union (AMU), which represented dock workers and seamen, became notorious for its contentious relationship with the government and military authorities, particularly due to its refusal to load ships for the war effort at certain critical moments.
The AMU, formally known as the Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia (WWF), was established in the early 20th century to represent the interests of waterfront workers, who often faced dangerous working conditions and low pay. The union was known for its strong commitment to workers' rights, and it frequently engaged in strikes and industrial actions to secure better conditions for its members.
But was it altogether about workers rights or was it more about political ideology? By the time World War II began, the AMU had become a powerful force in Australian labor politics. It was also influenced by left-wing ideologies, including socialism and communism, which played a significant role in shaping its policies and actions during the war.
Read more: Sitting on the Dock for the Pay.... Unions were no friends to the Troops In WW II
The first occupants of the Olympics village in Paris quickly taught the caterers that athletes did not favour their “climate-friendly” diet of things like avocados on toast plus almond-milk coffee. The athletes demanded more meat and eggs.
Paris Olympics CEO, Etienne Thobois, told reporters they suddenly needed more animal protein, causing them to order “700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat, to meet the demands of the athletes.”
The Olympic caterers should have read a bit of French history – Vikings brought cattle to Normandy in the 10th century and valued them for both meat and milk.
Once we debated. Now, " they" accuse. And who are they? Talk about diversity.…
304 hits
Solar generators won’t run on moon-beams – they fade out as the sun goes down…
352 hits
In the 19th century, steam trains roared into history, their unstoppable might revolutionising travel and…
380 hits
There are stories we tell because they’re funny. And there are stories we remember because…
418 hits
As told by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Fence Sitter & Marmalade Analyst Before the…
412 hits
A few weeks ago, someone broke into my quiet little corner of the internet and…
406 hits
By Ernest ‘Ember’ McTail, Special Correspondent. Serious News Division of Ratty News The world watches. There…
413 hits
It began, as such stories often do, in silence and snow. Kananaskis, Alberta - a…
404 hits
As Australia faces economic collapse, and leaders like Donald Trump and Javier Milei take bold…
329 hits
In an age of civil unrest, burning cities, and bitter political division, the words “Give…
344 hits
Today, I am featuring an article written by our dear blogger Malcolm back in 2021.…
295 hits
June is Gay Pride Month. Flags fly, parades roll out, corporations update their logos, and…
364 hits
Written: 24 February 2025 This is a true story, about PP’s cancer journey. PP will…
263 hits
By Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusk in Alice Springs. I, Roderick…
368 hits
The LA riots and Derren Brown's Remote Control (an episode from Trick or Treat where…
467 hits
An exclusive editorial investigation by Roderick (Whiskers) McNibble, Chief Correspondent, Ratty News Dusty Gulch - To…
397 hits
On June 6, 1944, the world witnessed an extraordinary event that changed the course of…
433 hits
Canberra's finest fall from grace... and altitude They came, they posed, they plummeted. In what…
476 hits
Anarchy often gets a bad rap. Images of burning buildings, rampant lawlessness, and a general…
402 hits
Part 2 of the Cane Series I’ll admit, before diving into this series, I hadn’t…
420 hits
Counting the Uncountable: What the Census No Longer Wants to Know – And Why That…
398 hits
There is no climate crisis Chris Bowen. There is a crisis in stupidity and lack…
441 hits
They say Australia rode in on the sheep’s back. But if you’d been standing in…
450 hits
Before the Cloud, before memory sticks and streaming services, we passed stories the old-fashioned way.…
467 hits
Long before the Cloud swallowed everything, our old mate Flysa was out there with a…
482 hits
“A Long Time Ago...” Still Echoes Now On May 25, 1977, a strange little film…
435 hits
Parishioners of St. Linguine’s Basilica (well, it felt Italian enough) were left choking on incense…
497 hits
While we're distracted, they are cleaning us up. Time to stop playing defence and bat…
414 hits