This crazy world!

NSW government ministers have been reportedly told to avoid using the word “mate” as part of new workplace behaviour advice. The Daily Telegraph revealed on Sunday ministers undertook Respect at Work training sessions during the week.

Males who identify as women should call the cops if they are asked to leave a women’s toilet, a U.K. transgender NGO has suggested.

In the wake of widespread Islamist riots across Sweden, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson admitted that there are now “parallel societies” within her country – a tacit admission of the existence of Europe’s infamous ‘no-go zones’.

A “skills workbook” produced by Napier University in Scotland has drawn criticism after it was revealed that it had initially instructed midwifery students on how to assist biological males in giving birth.

Perhaps a glimpse of sanity

The French government has announced the creation of a new digital identity app for citizens to access private and public services, in line with a broader push for digital identity systems in Europe.

Britain’s new Elections Act has finally made voter ID compulsory at polling stations — but questions remain about mail-in voting fraud. The new legislation was widely opposed by left-wing political parties, including the Labour opposition, and activists, with allegations that the poor, ethnic minorities, and “trans and non-binary people” would be disenfranchised being widespread.

Here we go again . . . . 

How things change!

“The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women” is a polemical work by the Scottish reformer John Knox, published in 1558. It attacks female monarchs, arguing that rule by women is contrary to the Bible. 

Our speakers Kerry Kornhauser and Mikaela Stafrace certainly proved him wrong.

“Silly old b*****, as our former Prime Minister Bob Hawke would have said.

Lingua File

Did you like our linguistic adventure this week? 

Some of you may feel if a word can have alternate meanings, it has no meaning at all.

On the other hand, you may prefer the Humpty Dumpty approach:

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.” 

― Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

In any case, isn’t it nice to be back at Rotary, with your mates?

Oops! Am I allowed to use that word?