When we hear the word vampire, an almost automatic image springs to mind: aristocratic, suave, beautiful, etc. Even the sparkly vampires of the much-derided Twilight series are wealthy, aristocratic and achingly beautiful (hey, I’ll admit to a thing for Alice Cullen). But all that is very much a modern
In recent posts, I’ve explored humans’ ancient fascinations with putting dicks on things, and fart jokes. But there’s another widespread ancient practice that’s both weirder and a whole lot more painful than dicks and farts. Or maybe not, depending on what you do with both, I guess.
Peter Allan Williams Writer and broadcaster for half a century. Now watching from the sidelines although verbalising thoughts on www.reality check.radio three days a week. peterallanwilliams.substack.com The much underestimated Ronald Reagan was, befitting his career as a broadcaster and actor, a master of the put-down line.
As international law expert Natasha Hausdorff admonished a right-on BBC reporter, when it comes to Israel-Palestine, a great many people are “desperately ignorant, yet highly opinionated”. None more so than green-left politicians like Australia’s Mehreen Faruqi, who gibbers nonsense such as that Israel is a “coloniser”. A ludicrous nonsense
Sir Mark Oliphant has long been a darling of the Australian left. Not only was he a pioneering nuclear physicist, but he was also tacitly blackballed by the Americans and the Menzies government in the 50s (call it an early form of shadowbanning). Nothing was more calculated to endear someone
Imagine if they preceded the opening of Australia’s peak science body with a mass led by a Pentecostal preacher. The collective shrieking of the chattering classes would be deafening. But, put on a bit of oogabooga mysticism, and suddenly, everyone comes over all solemn and worshipful. That’s what
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com The Domestic Purposes Benefit has been variously described as a “disaster” (David McLoughlin 1995), an “economic lifeline” (Jane Kelsey 1995) and “an unfortunate experiment” (Muriel Newman 2009). Its effect on family formation can never be definitively ascertained. But the growth of the sole-parent family dependent on welfare
In due course, we will have a new government formed and it’s been signalled there will be a ‘mini-budget’ that will involve cuts to government expenditure. All well and good: an important inflation-fighting measure desperately required, and I think I speak for the man in the street when I
When I studied university science, we were given a checklist of “How to spot a pseudo-science.” What’s passed off by the media-political elite as ‘climate science’ ticked nearly every box, from Resisting Change and Professing Certainty, to Making Exaggerated Claims and Claiming a Conspiracy Against Them. The same lecturer
Michael My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled Chaos is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including 7 Year Apocalypse, Lost Prophecies Of The
In George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books (better known as the bowdlerised Game of Thrones tv series), jesters often play important, if minor, roles. Some, like Patchface, serve as one-man Greek choruses; others act almost as clandestine agents. The knight-made-fool, Ser Dontos, tells Sansa
Michael Scott Bryant Professor of History and Legal Studies Bryant University Late in 1938, Nazis across Germany attacked Jews and their homes, businesses and places of worship and arrested about 30,000 Jewish men. The attacks became known as Kristallnacht – the “Night of Broken Glass” – for the streets littered with
Katie Pickles Professor of History University of Canterbury When the legendary Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup in 1930, the big chestnut horse didn’t just live up to his Thai name, which means “lightning”. He also brought together strands of colonial history and mythology that are only now properly
Adam Behr Newcastle University theconversation.com In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music … to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing. Not surprisingly, Paul McCartney was positive about the appearance this week of what has been trailed as the
Charles Krblich Chuck Krblich works in the insurance and reinsurance industries as a catastrophe manager. brownstone.org My wonderful wife handles all of the Halloween planning for our family. She arranges the costumes, the candy, puts up the decorations, and manages the inevitable costume parties. This year my wife chose
