Catty Because Of Ratty

No!  Nothing To Do With "The Wind In The Willows"
Although, come to think of it, didn't Pink Floyd's debut album "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" take it's title from TWITW?  - a chapter title in the novel, I believe.  Well well well, both as British as can be.  Art?

"Toad had over-indulged in the laudanum again."

     Conrad cannot empathise with Toad, I'm afraid.  For one, I'm not human and we don't bother with that "empathy" thing back on the homeworld, as it breeds in snivelling weakness.  For another, I regard motor cars merely as metal boxes with a wheel at each corner, that eat petrol and money in equal amounts.  You mark my words, soon they'll not only be driving themselves, they'll start telling you Hom. Sap. when and where to drive.

The wave of the future

     Where was I?
     Oh yes.  Let us cast our mind back to 1967, which by an uncanny coincidence is also the same year that Pink Floyd's debut album "The - oh you know the rest by now - came out.  1967, just 23 years after the Second Unpleasantness had ended, so all those who had fought in the British army were still very much alive and kicking.  Perhaps "spitting and clawing" is more apt, as they were about to get - catty.

Close enough

But first!  Allow me to gift you a bit of doggerel that came to me after I solved a Cryptic Crossword clue - "Fathom" being the answer.  Oh, and this bit being here implies that the stuff above was the Intro, and it's done.

"Full fathom five thy father lies.

He went swimming and got a surprise.

He foolishly chose to go swim in the dark,

So he couldn't see anything.  Unlike the shark -"

     Ha!  Take that, Shakespeare!  One in the eye for you, you over-swollen ego-beast.

The Tempest, without Troy

     In case you were fortunate enough to avoid the horrors of Shakey Bill during your school years, I should explain that the first line of my rhyme above is taken from "The Tempest".
     Where was I?  Oh yes, the rat part -

"The Rat Patrol"
I've alluded to this recently, and have to gloast that I knew of it way back when, because there was a model kit associated with it.  Art?

The stuff of dreams, eh?

     TRP featured 2 jeeps and 4 soldiers, 3 of whom were South Canadians with a single Brit amongst them.  They generally went swanning-about behind enemy lines, shooting things and blowing stuff up.
     Exciting, hmmm?
     Then comes the bit that got the Pond's inhabitants, or those of them who had actually been fighting in North Africa, which is quite a lot, very very cross indeed: not only did TRP not happen that way in real life, it could never have happened in real life.  Because -
     1) Prior to 7th December 1941*, due to the exigencies of warfare, South Canadian citizens could only volunteer with the British army in non-combatant roles.  I hear you argue "There were some South Canadians who were so set on getting into a scrap with the Teutons that they went north of the border into British America where they enlisted with the Canadian army.".  True.  The Canadian army didn't fight in the desert war.

Some very cross Brits

     2)  The South Canadians primary effort was in Tunisia.  Which is not conveniently flat like the desert, it has bumpy stuff like hills and mountain ranges.

Drive this!

     I could go on about this a bit more, and in fact I will, except not today as I can see your brains beginning to glaze over.  Hey, I could always post a precis of my 5,000 word monologue on "The Long-Term Influence of 'Forbidden Planet' On Science Fiction Films" if you - no?  You're certain?  It was inspired by "The Tempest" you know - still no?  Oh okay.

A Brief Moment Of Domestic Harmony
As you should surely know by now, our numbers at The Mansion are swelled by the inclusion of Jenny and Edna, the house cat and dog respectively.  They have mostly learned to tolerate each other, though Edna gets very whiney and clingy if she sees Jenny Getting More Attention Than Her.

     In this instance Jenny had pitched her claim first, lying there and purring smugly, which meant that Edna HAD NO CHOICE! - at least in her head - but to jump up and join us (she didn't stay long, she was just making a point).
     What you might call <ahem> reigning cats and dogs**.

*  Pearl Harbour, which is THE correct spelling.  Thanks.
**  Sorry.