It may well be nearly the end of March, and indeed it is, but this is still the summer series. Our special guest today is Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous, and as always we had a wonderful conversation.
In this episode we talk about smoking and vaping, looksmaxxing, Nigel Farage and Reform UK, Donald Trump, how we’d renovate Washington DC, sheep, snakes (again), and Manichaeism (again).
This episode was recorded on 6 March 2026, so some of the topical references are slightly dated.
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Episode Links
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The official website of Scottish Author David F Porteous
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Scottish author of The Wicker Man Preservation Society, Good Witch, and Singular. Read work in progress at dfpiii.com
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[1 March 2026] Was going to escape the news by doing some woodwork in the shed, but an unwelcome visitor is having a meal there.
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The tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) is a large and highly venomous snake of southern Australia, including its coastal islands and Tasmania.
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[6 March 2026] All this raises the question of whether we have passed "peak sheep" in the UK - and, in turn, what that might mean for consumers.
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From 2005 to 2014 [and later], Kekovich headed a well-known annual advertising campaign for Meat and Livestock Australia in the lead-up to Australia Day encouraging people to eat more Australian lamb.
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Andrew Murray Burnham (born 7 January 1970) is a British politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017.
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[3 March 2026] A controversial review into the Liberals' 2025 federal election defeat concluded the result stemmed from an "extraordinary combination of internal errors" as women, young people and multicultural voters abandoned the party. The authors said senior decision makers showed a "notable absence of reflection" after the loss.
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Liberal Party of Australia - Agenda for 391st meeting of the federal executive, 22 December 2025, and associated meeting papers including a review of the 2025 federal election, tabled in the Senate 3 March 2026.
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Manichaeism (/ˌmænɪˈkiːɪzəm/; in Persian: آئین مانی Āʾīn-ī Mānī; Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móníjiào) is a former major world religion founded in the 3rd century CE by the Parthian prophet Mani (A.D. 216–274), in the Sasanian Empire.
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Zoroastrianism,[a] also called Mazdayasna[b] and Behdin,[c] is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster (Ancient Greek: Ζωροάστρις, romanized: Zōroastris).
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A podcast where people tell us what they did yesterday....
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[3 March 2026] Trump: "See that nice drape? When that comes down right now you see a very very deep hole, but in about a year and half you're gonna see a very very beautiful building. In fact, it looks so nice I think I'll leave it and save money on the doors. I believe it will be the most beautiful ballroom."
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The World War II Memorial is a national memorial in the United States[3][4] dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, commonly called the Vietnam Memorial, is a U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Vietnam War.
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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is a national memorial located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States.[2] It covers four acres (1.6 ha) and includes the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. carved by sculptor Lei Yixin.
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The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial honoring Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, located on the western end of the National Mall of Washington, D.C.
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The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C., built in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the nation's third president.
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[24 February 2026] US President Donald Trump's company has announced plans for a skyscraper in Australia, which according to his son Eric, will be the country's tallest building.
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[26 March 2026] Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate says it is too early to say whether he will excuse himself from a future Trump tower vote, after he received gifts from the organisation. The mayor's latest register of interests reveals the Trump Organization paid for Cr Tate's meals and more during a recent Mar-a-lago stay.
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[24 February 2026] When Braden Peters, who you know as Clavicular, was a teenager, his mom took away his hammer. She wanted young Clav to stop bonesmashing — that is, tapping his face repeatedly with a hammer to change his face shape.
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[26 February 2026]The influencer promotes improving one’s physical appearance by any means necessary. But this isn’t about women – it’s all about the gaze of other men
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Braden Eric Peters (born December 17, 2005), known online as Clavicular, is an American online streamer and influencer. He became known in the mid-2020s on Kick and TikTok for his "looksmaxxing" content, which commentators have described as extreme and controversial, particularly for practices such as facial "bone smashing" and allegedly using crystal meth to stay lean.
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Wolff's law, developed by the German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff (1836–1902) in the 19th century, states that bone in a healthy animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed.[1] If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading.
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💰 | I Help People Glow Up 📲 | DM "COACH" to join my 1-1 coaching program
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Justin Jedlica (born August 11, 1980), also known as the "Human Ken", is an American man who has garnered international attention for undergoing many cosmetic procedures. He spent over 1 million dollars on surgery.
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[5 March 2026] Reminds me of Swift’s Modest Proposal.
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Thank you, Media Freedom Citizenry
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. Right now I’m hoping you’ll support not only the podcasts but also The 9pm Stilgherrian’s Dramatic Decamp to Campsie, to help cover the costs of me moving back to Sydney after 15 years in the Blue Mountains.
For this episode, though, it’s thanks again to everyone who supported The 9pm Summer Series 2025 crowdfunding campaign.
CONVERSATION TOPICS: None this time.
THREE TRIGGER WORDS: Bernard Walsh, Garth Kidd, Paul Williams, Peter Lieverdink, Peter Wickins, and one person who chooses to remain anonymous.
WE WILL, WE WILL JUDGE YOU, part of Another Untitled Music Podcast: Joanna Forbes, Martin English, and one person who chooses to remain anonymous.
ONE TRIGGER WORD: Andrew Best, Drew Mayo, Errol Cavit, Frank Filippone, Jim Campbell, Jordan Wightman, Karl Sinclair, Kym Yeap, Mark Newton, Michael, Michael again, Miriam Faye, Nicole Coombe, Oliver Townshend, Peter Blakeley, Ric Hayman, Stephen Collins, Steve Sainsbury, and two people who choose to remain anonymous.
RECOMMEND A SONG TO US, another part of Another Untitled Music Podcast: Briala Bowmer, Kimberley Heitman, Mindy Johnson, and Rhydwyn.
PERSONALISED VIDEO MESSAGE: None of these this time either.
PERSONALISED AUDIO MESSAGE: Matthew Taylor, and one person who chooses to remain anonymous.
FOOT SOLDIERS FOR MEDIA FREEDOM who gave a SLIGHTLY LESS BASIC TIP: Chris Scobell, Craig Askings, deejbah, Hammy Goonan, James Henstridge, Leigh Costin, Lindsay, Opheli8, and one person who chooses to remain anonymous.
MEDIA FREEDOM CITIZENS who contributed a BASIC TIP: None of these either, which is curious.
And another ten people who chose to have no reward at all, even though some of them were the most generous of all. Thank you all so much. You know who you are.
Series Credits
- The 9pm Edict theme by mansardian via The Freesound Project.
- Edict fanfare by neonaeon, via The Freesound Project.
- Elephant Stamp theme by Joshua Mehlman.