“It never rains but it pours” – and we Melbourne-ites freak out when we get tropical downpours. Such is the variability of our weather that we are confused – is it global warming or Pluvius (Roman god of rain) reprimanding Man? No – it was just the remnants of water-filled cyclones rolling south, across parched Australia, providing summer rain.

We note the anniversaries of cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin in 1975, and the three weeks of extensive and catastrophic bushfires in New South Wales in 2001, and wonder if history is just repeating?

Phil reminds us that it is less than 30 years since primitive intra-networks evolved into the World Wide Web with the development of the http commonality protocols which made multiple PC inter-connectivity possible.

We keep changing our Prime Ministers (or losing them). In 1967, PM Harold Holt went swimming at treacherous Cheviot Beach Portsea, and he never returned and was presumed drowned. And in 1975, after the collapse of the Labor Party and Prime Ministership of Gough Whitlam, the alternative government of Liberal Malcolm Fraser was sworn in with a 55-seat majority – leading to a long period of political stewardship by the Liberal-LNP Coalition. The current political circumstances indicates the forthcoming federal election may end in another flip-swap.

From the Anniversaries Book, we recognize the birthday of Simon Helberg (not gay) – star of ‘Big Bang Theory’ and faux-gay-bro to the character Raj. In real life, Simon is an accomplished pianist musician and starred in the recent film about operatic Florence Foster Jenkins. Another past-celebrity whose birthday we acknowledge is gay (Sir) Noel Coward – English aesthete, playwright, composer, director, actor and singer; and we note the passing of gay (Sir) Nigel Hawthorne – best known for his role in the BBC political comedy series ‘Yes Minister’.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #835 – First broadcast on 18 December 2018  

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