Is this a talisman to ward off the ‘evil eye’ or is it the Freemason symbol that reminds us that God sees all? Is there a connection between the two? I can’t wait to read Veronica Di Grigoli’s latest book, How to Protect Yourself… Read More ›
humor
Is it April Fools’ Year?
A few times this week I have found myself checking that the date wasn’t April 1. ************ The first was when it was reported that Australia is considering scaling back or postponing the national census that has been conducted every… Read More ›
The Great Aussie Dialect – History & humour in action (Part 2)
Note: This is Part 2 of my post about the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) – one of the world’s most advanced English dialects! Make sure you read Part 1 first – here. The long & short of it To make up for adding extra… Read More ›
The Great Aussie Dialect – humour & history in action (Part 1)
I recently stumbled upon an interesting site (www.convictcreations.com) claiming that the contemporary Australian dialect (‘Strine’) is “one of the world’s most advanced English dialects.” The author went on to explain that speakers of Strine can understand kiwis (New Zealanders), poms (Brits), yanks (Americans – no matter which… Read More ›
Is IKEA sustainable or evil? No ikea!
The holidays are great for relaxing with the sort of books that you don’t normally read. One of my choices this Christmas was ‘Horrorstör‘ by Grady Hendrix. The novel opens with a stench of zombies (‘the barely living dead’) that are… Read More ›
Did Santa just drive down my street on the back of a ute?
Originally posted on Sustainability soapbox:
A good friend of mine, Brendo, donates his time each December to spread Christmas cheer and glad tidings across the region. He bolts an armchair and two dining room chairs to the tray of a…
We supersize other things, so why not snow domes?
☆ If what goes up, must come down – does it then follow that what gets smaller, must become bigger again? (like mobile phones) And what grows large, must eventually shrink? (like this huge inflatable Christmas snow dome when it is unplugged)… Read More ›
Our planet is not a magic pudding
‘The Magic Pudding’ is a classic Australian children’s book that was written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay – supposedly as an alternative to stories about fairies. It was first published in 1918 and tells the story of the Noble Society of Pudding… Read More ›
Press here for coffee?
Same tram stop sign that played the Messiah a few weeks ago (here). I keep pressing the sign and hoping for a coffee…
If you want to stand out or confuse insects, wear Gaultier stripes
A major theme running through the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition in Melbourne is horizontal blue and white stripes. They are everywhere – on the walls, on the clothes, and in the video clips of catwalks. And in this painted photograph by… Read More ›
Decadent desserts, chocolate treats & goal setting
While dining at a restaurant the other day, I was initially delighted when a large portion of tiramisù was placed before me. However, I soon realised that this rich dessert was likely to test my commitment to avoiding and minimising waste. Should I… Read More ›
Surveys are for the birds. Hey, look! A sheepdog!
This post starts out with a ‘citizen’ backyard bird survey and ends with me deciding that a kelpie or other sheepdog is the Australian ADHD equivalent to a squirrel. Confused? You should be… but the connection is actually very straightforward…. Read More ›
Day of the Orchids – Fact really is stranger than fiction
I spent a lovely afternoon at the Canberra Spring Orchid Show last Sunday. What an incredible and diverse family of plants! It was great to see these magnificent plants in the flesh – including a spectacular Sydney Rock Orchid sporting large spikes… Read More ›
Competition for tree hollows in a suburban backyard
In case anyone is unconvinced about how serious the competition is for tree hollows in Australia, I have made a short film about something that really happened in my neighbour’s backyard in Canberra yesterday morning! It also acts as a warning for people thinking… Read More ›
Car faces & body language
Humans have a fascinating tendency to see faces in random things, such as clouds. This phenomenon is called ‘paleidolia’. We do the same with cars – and often ascribe personality traits to these inanimate objects based on their front end features. “Even if people don’t… Read More ›
Is Canberra’s latest bogong moth sculpture the next big thing?
My last post (here) explained that millions of bogong moths pass through Canberra each spring. The moths fly at night and become confused by the city’s lights that make them think that the sun is rising. As a result, the… Read More ›
Do verbs make you tense or put you in a bad mood?
I consider myself fortunate to have learnt English as my ‘parent tongue’ – but it can make you very lazy when when most of what you look for on the Internet is published in English and so many other people… Read More ›
Did Santa just drive down my street on the back of a ute?
A good friend of mine, Brendo, donates his time each December to spread Christmas cheer and glad tidings across the region. He bolts an armchair and two dining room chairs to the tray of a ute, dons his Santa suit,… Read More ›
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