Funnel-web Spiders often fall into swimming pools. Spiders can trap a small bubble of air in hairs around the abdomen which aids both breathing and floating, so it should not be assumed that a spider on a pool bottom has drowned. Funnel-webs have been known to survive 24-30 hours under water.

Funnel-web Spiders often fall into swimming pools. Spiders can trap a small bubble of air in hairs around the abdomen which aids both breathing and floating, so it should not be assumed that a spider on a pool bottom has drowned. Funnel-webs have been known to survive 24-30 hours under water.

Yeah.

And apparently (I'm not sure if this is urban myth from the 70's), the funnel web's fangs bite upwards, so it couldn't bite you if it was on your arm, but it could if you stepped on it. I once got $10 bounty for finding one and handing it in.

Australian of the Year later today.....

This years' winner will come from a field of finalists who are relatively unknown to most, such as human rights advocate Professor Patricia Easteal and tasmanian devil expert Bruce Englefield.

Environmentalist Jon Dee, filmmaker Warwick Thornton, Indigenous educator Chris Sarra, Alzheimer's expert Professor Ralph Martins and charity founder and Bali bombing victim Julian Burton are also up for the award.

Past winners include :-

Sir Macfarlane Burnett....................Dame Joan Sutherland................................... Dawn Fraser

Cardinal Sir Norman Gilroy.............. Sir Robert Helpmann ....................................The Seekers..

Alan Bond.. ................................ Patrick White................................................. Paul Hogan

General Peter Cosgrove................ Arthur Boyd............................................... Mandawuy Yunupingu.

Fiona Wood.................................Lowitja O'Donoghue.................................... Mick Dodson.

Plus numerous Australian cricket captains, sports-persons and entertainers in general.

Special mentions for Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop and Fred Hollows

Greetings for Australia Day tomorrow..............

Blotty Ocker, pinching KIWIS again.

Fred Hollows was born in new Zealand in Dunedin in 1929 on the 9th of April.

They do that a bit, don't they.....Phar Lap, Pavlova, Russel Crowe....

They do that a bit, don't they.....Phar Lap, Pavlova, Russel Crowe....

So why aren't you claiming Split Enz as well ?

Meanwhile back to the newsroom.

An Australian street performer has set a new Guinness World Record by swallowing 18 swords at the same time.

More here :- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2812888.htm

I think I'll skip brunch this morning....

Meanwhile back to the newsroom.

An Australian street performer has set a new Guinness World Record by swallowing 18 swords at the same time.

More here :- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2812888.htm

I think I'll skip brunch this morning....

When asked why he did it.

He replied, "Cos I can."

Acacia pycnantha

Greetings on Australia Day

(I still wish they'd find an alternative day instead of celebrating the British invasion day..)

I'll assume that the invasion bit was a tongue-in-cheek job, Ken. If it weren't for the British Empire, the UK would be bursting at the seams by now and the World would be a far more dangerous place. But then, what about the feudal kings - perhaps they shouldn't have invaded their neighbouring counties? Those times were the way of the world. Exploration is as central an instinct as hunting and gathering. Every nation that had the skills to explore did explore. As to the issue of whether we had a moral right to bring indigenous people into (our definition of) civilised society, you could perhaps say that opinions are divided. The law of the time dictated that in any 'conquered' place, the people of the lands involved immediately became subject to British law. Unfortunately, the common experience of British colonies is that the indigenous people were treated very poorly. Let's hope that we and our aboriginal brethren can look to the future and not dwell on the mistakes and crimes of our past.

Good post Ping!

No it wasn't tongue in cheek Ping, I still say that celebrating a national day, in the 21st century, on the day that the original inhabitants were subjugated crass & insensitive.

This is a rather delicate subject and should probably be discussed in "Outside the Box", so for now I'll desist reaching for my null-nulla and go walk-about for a while.

Make like a boomerang Ken, and be sure to come back.

Make like a boomerang Ken, and be sure to come back.

I'm actually off to Medan this arvo for a quick recce of Medan in Sumatra (new direct flight deal from Phuket)

Looks like satay & gaddo gado could be on the menu tonight.............. ..................

Selamat Tingal

Getting the ferry across from Malaysia was always on my list of "must do"s.

Left it a bit late now though.

Make like a boomerang Ken, and be sure to come back.

I'm actually off to Medan this arvo for a quick recce of Medan in Sumatra (new direct flight deal from Phuket)

Looks like satay & gaddo gado could be on the menu tonight.............. ..................

Selamat Tingal

Head down South to Bukit Tinggi - or even just to Lake (?) - dam_n! I've forgoten the name! (Tiku or Tola or something)

Or even as far as Padang, but that was flattened by an earthquake recently.

I worked in Sumatera Barat - Minangkabau country - and it was really great (back in the nineties).

One village outside Bukit ZTinggi sold silver jewellry, another was a silk centre - better quality than Thai hand-woven silks (in small items like table runners)

^Fair enough, Ken. Perhaps it's a subject that's bound to stray off-topic in any case. However, I don't see that we can't have a serious conversation in general Bedders - the occasional injection of humour and off-topic posts keeps the asylum light and easy. I rarely visit OTB these days - too much flaming.

Too much flaming....what? You missed the last word. Too much flaming politics? Too much flaming....???

Complete your sentence, please.

^Of course, how remiss of me... Too much flaming flaming.

^Of course, how remiss of me... Too much flaming flaming.

That's unfortunate Ping, we do have a tendency to let the OTB discussions get a little robust but this has attracted the attention of the moderators and we're all being good now.

Personally I have a mental ignore button and go around the worst of it.

^Fair enough, Ken. Perhaps it's a subject that's bound to stray off-topic in any case. However, I don't see that we can't have a serious conversation in general Bedders - the occasional injection of humour and off-topic posts keeps the asylum light and easy. I rarely visit OTB these days - too much flaming.

I agree Ping, OTB get's an occasional visit from me. At first OTB was great, members respected each others differences, healthy debate etc. Now you can guarantee bashing by the end of the first page.

^Fair enough, Ken. Perhaps it's a subject that's bound to stray off-topic in any case. However, I don't see that we can't have a serious conversation in general Bedders - the occasional injection of humour and off-topic posts keeps the asylum light and easy. I rarely visit OTB these days - too much flaming.

I agree Ping, OTB get's an occasional visit from me. At first OTB was great, members respected each others differences, healthy debate etc. Now you can guarantee bashing by the end of the first page.

Hey!...fair go....sometimes a bashing is warranted.

I disagree. OTB was suggested because when 'serious' threads were posted in Bedlam they quickly became Bedlamised. The way OTB has gone you might as well be in General, albeit with fewer contributors.

Thought this thread was about

attachment=105726:Australi...n_7_days.jpg]

Thought this thread was about

attachment=105726:Australi...n_7_days.jpg]

Australian Bedlam - "You're Standing In It"

Thought this thread was about

attachment=105726:Australi...n_7_days.jpg]

Australian Bedlam - "You're Standing In It"

aren't they clones of dolly the sheep? Which would make them Scottish?

if they were in New Zealand they would be skittish

CB

Clever CB.

New Zealand...the place where men are men, and sheep are nervous.

An Aussie Chang,

The one-month-old hides between her mothers legs.

More about the first baby elephant born in the Melbourne Zoo's 148-year history.

The calf is the first baby elephant conceived by artificial insemination in Australia and only the second elephant calf ever born in Australia.

More Here :-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/16/2821074.htm

I'd say there'd be more unrecorded births in the past, back in the bad old days every two bob circus had a string of elephants.

I believe a lot of the bull elephants were gelded though.

Clever CB.

Thanks I try - some would say I am very trying

CB

Longish, oldie, but worth another read

These were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humor.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? (UK).

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)

A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)

A: Sure, it's only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)

A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (USA)

A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not .... oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Australia? ( USA)

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia? ( UK)

A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA)

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is ... oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia? ( UK)

A: You are a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum.(USA)

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia, but I forget its name. It's a kind of bear and lives in trees. (USA)

A: It's called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Australia? (USA)

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy)

A: Yes, gay night clubs.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France)

A: Only at Christmas.

Q: I was in Australia in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the Girl I dated while I was staying in Kings Cross. Can you help? (USA)

A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA)

A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first.

The "Baggy Greens" have arrived in NZ to wipe the paddocks with "Black Caps".

We will see, hope not a blackwash as has happened to Pakis and the Windies.

Gunna watch everyday, yeeeeaaaaah.