The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man

12th Day of Christmas - one of the most incredible adventures you'll ever hear about.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8615253

An amazing adventure - the story of the world's longest kayak journey - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man In 1932 Oskar Speck took off from the German town of Ulm on the River Danube in, what can only be described as, a totally unsuitable vessel. 7 years later he arrived in Australia, and not to the welcome he had been expecting. During that time he ...

11th Day of Christmas - the story of the man considered to be the greatest actor of all time.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8927952

Edmund Kean - The World's Greatest Actor - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man In this episode I introduce you to Edmund Kean, an actor from the early 1800's who is often considered to be the greatest actor of all times. He was also a deeply flawed man who is one of the first examples of true celebrity and all the bad behavi...

10th Day of Christmas - when rabbits wreak havoc!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9183144

The longest fence in the world and those rascally rabbits! - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Running from the north coast of Western Australia to the south of Western Australia is a fence that was intended to stop the rabbit plague from spreading from eastern Australia into the West. It was, for a long time, the longest fence in the world...

9th Day of Christmas - the fascinating story of the humble light globe/bulb.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8350039

Illuminating the humble light globe - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man We depend of them every day (or night) to light our lives...but how many of us know the story of the humble light globe. A story of competition, ingenuity and greed!:-)

8th Day of Christmas - everything you didn't know about how amazing wasps are.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8317156

Wasps - Either friend or foe, but totally amazing! - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Wasps are one of nature's most amazing creatures. Both a total horror-show and a crucial part of the ecosystem, they come in an incredible array of shapes, sizes and attributes. This episode will help you decide if they are friend or foe. :-)

7th Day of Christmas - more incredible women, this time from World War II.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9346455

Some bad-ass women of World War II - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man I think I have said this before, I’m not a big an of war. But I do think that it brings out amazing acts of courage and sacrifice...two things that I am a fan of. So, on the theme of courage and sacrifice, this episode is about some bad-ass women ...

6th Day of Christmas - the marvellous world of fungi.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8230187

You might not be a fan of fungi, but they'll grow on you. - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man I'm going to leave the rest of the hilarious, and very obvious, puns for the podcast itself....for now I'm just going to tell you that this episode is all about how amazing fungus is. From feeding people to making alcohol, from burial suits to ma...

5th Day of Christmas - some awesome people hidden in the shadows of historical figures.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9224896

Forgotten by history - Some people hidden in the shadows of historical figures - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Why have we heard of some people from history and not others, even though their contributions might have been equally as impressive and significant. We've touched on this in a previous episode with the Le Chevalier St Georges....a contemporary of ...

4th Day of Christmas - some amazing Aussie inventions, one of which we'd all be lost without. :-)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9426188

Amazing Aussie Inventions Pt 1 - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Australia is probably not the first country that comes to mind when you think about inventions. You are more likely to think about sun-drenched beaches, putting another shrimp on the barbie and laid back larrikin types. Actually, I'm not sure what...

3rd Day of Christmas - an assortment of interesting trivia about pipe-smoking, robots and whales.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8397604

Pipe-smoking, robots and whales - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Its a montage! No, wait, it's more of a mosaic...I think. Whatever! Sometimes there are cool facts or topics that don't warrant a full episode, but deserve more than a social media post. Here is the first collection of these...competitive pipe-smo...

2nd Day of Christmas - some of the weird things people have chosen to steal.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8271761

Anything that is not nailed down...and some that are. - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Have you ever wondered what some of the most bizarre and weird things people have stolen are? Well, wonder no more because this episode looks at exactly that! Bridges, oil tankers, inflatable gorillas...basically anything that is not nailed down, ...

1st Day of Christmas - the stories of some very tough women from old New York.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9094137

Sadie the Goat, Gallus Mag and other bad-ass women of old New York - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man New York in the 1800's / early 1900's was a rough, rough place history tells us. Neighbourhoods like the infamous Five Points and Hell's Kitchen were places of extreme poverty and deprivation, as well as violence and crime. Famous gangs like the B...

A final piece of Christmas trivia for you before the actual day is upon us. Many of you probably know this already but the Christmas period doesn't actually start until Christmas Day itself. It then runs until the 5th of January the next year, hence the 12 Days of Christmas. This is technically known as Twelvetide.

The period in the run-up to Christmas is called Advent. This commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which always falls between 27th November and 3rd December, and ends on Christmas Eve, the 24th December.

To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, I'm going to be posting a link to a previous episode each day so that you can catch up on some of the ones you might have missed. :-)

Merry Christmas to you all!

A slightly weird little Christmas fact for you. In Catalonian nativity scenes there is one character, el caganer, who is hidden somewhere in the scene. Children make a game of trying to spot the hidden figurine of this character. So who is this mysterious el caganer? Well, in the language of Catalonia, Catalan, caganer roughly translate into 'crapper'. And the figurine is of a male peasant in a red hat, crouched with his buttocks exposed, with a little brown pile at his feet. I'll let you work it out from there. :-)

For the last episode of the year, and Season 2, I'd have been completely remiss to not make it a Christmas episode. But one that might answer a few questions that have troubled you so. :-) Why is Christmas on December the 25th? What is the difference between Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle and St Nicholas? Where did Christmas crackers, Christmas trees, hanging stocking for Santa and many others Christmas traditions come from? Oh, and as a bonus, how is the name of the NBA basketball team, the New York Knicks, linked to Christmas? Consider this an early present...you're welcome! :-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9709445

Tis the season! - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man For the last episode of the year, and Season 2, I'd have been completely remiss to not make it a Christmas episode. But one that might answer a few questions that have troubled you so. :-) Why it Christmas on December the 25th? What is the differe...

No AUKUS this month but the Australian government still managed to continue damaging it's reputation on the world stage at COP26, the Wallabies do something they haven't done since 1976 on their tour of the U.K., two Australians perform amazing acts of compassion, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo helps another endangered species and fungi are enlisted to help solve a major pollution problem. This is some of what happened last month in Australia.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9670322

Last Month in Australia - November 2021 - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man No AUKUS this month but the Australian government still managed to continue damaging it's reputation on the world stage at COP26, the Wallabies do something they haven't done since 1976 on their tour of the U.K., two Australians perform amazing ac...

You might have thought that the fax machine was long gone. But buying fax machines was only banned in the UK's National Health Service from January 2019. They were to be phased out by 31 March 2020. NHS organisations were monitored on a quarterly basis until they could declare themselves ‘fax free’. :-)

Join me again as I do another one of my regular reads through the latest discoveries in science. For example, did you know that they've developed fabric that can make payments at the supermarket with a sweep of your arm? Or that NASA is planning to crash a space ship into an asteroid? Or that spiders build webs totally by touch? Well, you will after this episode! :-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9628879

Last week in science...again! :-) - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Join me again as I do another one of my regular reads through the latest discoveries in science. For example, did you know that they've developed fabric that can make payments at the supermarket with a sweep of your arm? Or that NASA is planning t...

A little quiz for you today. Who is the highest grossing actor of all time? Specifically, the actor whose movies they have appeared in have the largest box office earnings total. Answers on the back of an envelope to.... :-)

We're happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be....

This episode started as an introduction to some iconic Australian foods but rapidly became an extended episode on one particular Australian food. Vegemite! Loved by Australians, under appreciated by the rest of the world. So what is the story of this thick, black, yeast-based spread? Sounds delicious, huh! Where did it come from, how has it become such a household name in Australian culture and why does everyone else hate it so much? Lets find out.

Happy Little Vegemites ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5r3HAJh8es

Hugh Jackman on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_sUhTWtvG4

Down Under by Men At Work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfR9iY5y94s

Vegemite "Happy little vegemites" TVC

I've always found nominative determinism very interesting. This is the idea that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. The first time I heard of this, and possibly the most well-known example, is Cardinal Sin, who was Archbishop of Manila from 1974 until 2003. But probably my favourite is Amelia Earhart, who, in 2014 set off to become the youngest women to circumnavigate the globe as pilot of a single-engine aircraft. A feat made famous in 1937 by the tragic attempt by....Amelia Earhart. :-)

Link to Podcast - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440

The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man A weekly podcast about everything and anything by a man who knows very little about lots

My brother suggested an episode on ukuleles. I'm not sure if he was joking, but here it is!:-) The ukulele is an interesting, versatile and very popular instrument. If you don't believe me, have a listen. In fact, even if your do believe me, have a listen. There is a lot more to the ukulele than you might think.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9549979

The ukulele : Not just, or even, a mini guitar. - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man My brother suggested an episode on ukuleles. I'm not sure if he was joking, but here it is!:-) The ukulele is an interesting, versatile and very popular instrument. If you don't believe me, have a listen. In fact, even if your do believe me, have ...

Well, you live and you learn! I always thought grasshoppers and locusts were two different creatures. But a locust is actually a grasshopper 'Hulked' out by serotonin. Grasshoppers are solitary creatures but when scarce resources force them into close contact with large numbers of other grasshoppers they produce serotonin that turns them in locusts. Their wings get larger and stronger, they breed much faster (and produce locust offspring) and they swarm. And it seems once a locust always a locust. It is very rare for them to turn back into grasshoppers if food become plentiful again.

Amazing huh!

The Australian government continues to damage it's relationship with France over a $100 billion dollar deal for submarines, an Australian legend sadly passes away, the Panthers beat the Rabbitohs in another of the biggest sporting events of the year, an inconsiderate Australian disturbs a large python's sleep :-), the Canberra Fire Brigade respond to fruit-based emergency and a very cute pandemic baby boom happened at an Australian zoo. This is some of what happened last month in Australia.

https://twitter.com/Captainturtle/status/898355068126101504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E898355068126101504%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenewdaily.com.au%2Fnews%2Fgood-news%2F2021%2F10%2F08%2Fdishwasher-python-ballina%2F

Here is a headspin for you...the actor, Tig Notaro, is a special effect in the Zac Snyder zombie movie, Army of the Dead. Actors and characters have been added digitally to movies before...Jabba the Hutt was digitally added to the original Star Wars movie and a digital version of Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) was overlaid on another actors body after shooting in another Star Wars movie, Rogue One. But with Tig Notaro it was different. The movie was complete when the actor who originally played Tig's part was embroiled in a s*x scandal. So they re-shot all of his scenes with Tig working alone, or with a couple of other people in a scene, in front of a green screen. They then added this into the movie. So she was having to hit exact marks and make precise movements so they would fit in with the scenes already shot. Check it out...the movie is on Netflix or I've linked a clip below. You probably wouldn't notice it if I didn't tell you. Oh, and btw, this is Tig's character in the movie and during filming...so you know who you are looking for. :-)

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tig+notaro+army+of+the+dead&t=vivaldi&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAAP9hpUSIs

Something a little bit different this week. Join me as I do one of my regular reads through the latest discoveries in science. For example, did you know that they've identified the genes responsible for weight gain and weight loss? Or that some parasites replace the tongues of fish they infest. Or that they are developing a helmet that helps minimise the impact of dementia? Well, you will after this episode! :-)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9468222

Last week in science - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Something a little bit different this week. Join me as I do one of my regular reads through the latest discoveries in science. For example, did you know that they've identified the genes responsible for weight gain and weight loss? Or that some pa...

Australia is probably not the first country that comes to mind when you think about inventions. You are more likely to think about sun-drenched beaches, putting another shrimp on the barbie and laid back larrikin types. Actually, I'm not sure what the current world perception is of Australia and Australians...but it is probably not that of a nation of great inventors. This episode will hopefully change you opinion on this...one invention in particular might really surprise you.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9426188

This place is kind of like a car crash...you know something bad is going on but you still can't help but be fascinated. 60 metres (200 ft) wide and 20 metres (66 ft) deep it was deliberately set alight to stop dangerous gases from seeping into local villages. It was expected to have burned out in a few weeks...50 years later it is still burning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darvaza_gas_crater

If you have heard of any Australian bushrangers it is probably Ned Kelly, he of the impressive, but ultimately pretty ineffective, iron body armour. But what do you know about where the term 'bushranger' came from? Or why Ned Kelly is so iconic in Australia. Or who the first and last bushrangers were? Or how Moondyne Joe escaped prison while chained and under surveillance from his own dedicated guard? All these questions and other will be answered in this episode.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9386520

Australian bushrangers...so much more than Ned Kelly - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man If you have heard of any Australian bushrangers it is probably Ned Kelly, he of the impressive, but ultimately pretty ineffective, iron body armour. But what do you know about where the term 'bushranger' came from? Or why Ned Kelly is so iconic in...

This is one of my favourite times of the year because...Bottlebrushes! And by Bottlebrushes, I mean the tree that is native to Australia. The photo doesn't do the richness of the red justice.

I think I have said this before, I’m not a big an of war. But I do think that it brings out amazing acts of courage and sacrifice...two things that I am a fan of. So, on the theme of courage and sacrifice, this episode is about some bad-ass women who showed both in times of war. Three young Dutch girls who acted very directly against the Nazi's and collaborators from their own country. A young Belgian woman who risked her life getting downed airmen out of Belgium and back to the UK. And a Polish aristocrat who rivaled James Bond 007 with her feats of daring and ingenuity as a spy.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9346455

Some bad-ass women of World War II - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man I think I have said this before, I’m not a big an of war. But I do think that it brings out amazing acts of courage and sacrifice...two things that I am a fan of. So, on the theme of courage and sacrifice, this episode is about some bad-ass women ...

A TV series about the Dyatlov Pass incident has just been added to an Australian streaming service, SBS OnDemand. It is called 'Dead Mountain - The Dyatlov Pass Incident' (Pereval Dyatlova in Russian...I assume) and was made in 2020. I'm going to watch it to see how much they get right. :-) The series is 8 hours long...so they are probably pretty thorough...but if you want to hear a condensed version, check out my episode from May. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/8532722

Dead Mountain mystery - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Okay, so I've been a bit deliberately sensationalist with the title...it is generally know as the Dyatlov Pass incident...but it is a genuine mystery. On January 27th 1959 nine experienced hikers set off on an expedition in the Ural Mountains in R...

Last month in Australia - September 2021

The Australian government managed to damage it's relationship with both France and China while spending over $100 billion dollars on submarines, the emus were migrating, the Demons beat the Bulldogs in the biggest sporting event of the year and 1000's of Western Australians over-indulged on fairy floss or candy floss or cotton candy...whatever you might call it. This is some of what happened last month in Australia.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9305831

Emu crossing land bridge (Mas Films by Lexo : Instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/p/CTmDMM0BKpw/?hl=en

AFL highlights (Aussie Thingz : YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qkFd0AeSWo

Last month in Australia - September 2021 - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man The Australian government managed to damage it's relationship with both France and China while spending over $100 billion dollars on submarines, the emus were migrating, the Demons beat the Bulldogs in the biggest sporting event of the year and 10...

So, I was contemplating my lunch yesterday...I felt like a cheese toasty (toasted cheese sandwich) and thought I'd be experimental and try either apricot jam or sauerkraut with it. In the end I went with both. :-)

Did it work? Comment below with your thoughts.

This week's is a little bit different....I'm doing an episode about podcasts. Specifically, I'll be sharing with you a little bit about the podcasts that I'm listening to at the moment. Hopefully you'll find something new to enjoy in here.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9266344

Podcast Links

No Such Thing As A Fish - https://www.nosuchthingasafish.com

No Stupid Questions - https://freakonomics.com/nsq/

You're Dead To Me - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg

Just One Thing - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/search?q=Just+one+thing

What I'm currently listening to. - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man This week's episode is pretty self-explanatory. I'll be sharing with you a little bit about the podcasts that I'm listening to at the moment. Hopefully you'll find something new to enjoy in here.Facebook

I heard this on Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver and wanted to check it out for myself...I find this staggering...8-10%!!!!!

"Today, an estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world ends up as rubbish before it even gets to the table, according to the United Nations. And when food goes to the landfill and rots, it produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide. The latest report from the lntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) titled ‘Climate Change and Land’ estimates that loss and waste of food caused between 8 and 10% of the emissions of the gases responsible for global warming in the period 2010-2016."

https://unfccc.int/news/fighting-food-waste-means-fighting-climate-change

Fighting Food Waste Means Fighting Climate Change | UNFCCC UN Climate Change News, 29 September 2020 – Today marks the first ever observance of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss an...

Why have we heard of some people from history and not others, even though their contributions might have been equally as impressive and significant. We've touched on this in a previous episode with the Le Chevalier St Georges....a contemporary of Mozart's, every bit as talented, and yet, until very recently, consigned to the bargain bin of history. In today's episode we take a look at why you've probably heard of Charles Darwin but possibly not Alfred Wallace, and why you might know of Paul Revere and his famous Midnight Ride but not know of the people who rode with him that night, or of others who made similar rides.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9224896

Forgotten by history - Some people hidden in the shadows of historical figures - The Ramblings of an Ordinary Man Why have we heard of some people from history and not others, even though their contributions might have been equally as impressive and significant. We've touched on this in a previous episode with the Le Chevalier St Georges....a contemporary of ...

This weeks episode on the Rabbit Proof Fence sent me back to my childhood. Australians are big on nicknames...everyone has one...and two of my earliest ones were Rabbit and Bunny. Australian and U.K. listeners will probably immediately know why. What about anyone listening from another country?

Running from the north coast of Western Australia to the south of Western Australia is a fence that was intended to stop the rabbit plague from spreading from eastern Australia into the West. It was, for a long time, the longest fence in the world, and was imaginatively called...the Rabbit Proof Fence. This is the story of the fence itself and the significant place it had in three young girl's lives, and in Australian culture in general.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1688440/9183144

Photo credits

Map - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit-proof_fence
Trap - ron_n_beths pics/Flickr

I had heard this before but was reminded of it today...the person who is currently third in the line of succession for the US presidency, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, is a major Batman fan and has been in five Batman movies. You might know his as the person who confronted a heavily made-up villain, and said that he's "not intimidated by thugs." I'm meaning Heath Ledger as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" obviously. :-)

It is all done for a good cause...he donates all appearance fees and royalty payments to the library where he first met Batman in comics as a 4 year old.