Bad Astronomer coming to Oz!

[Peter B]

Attention all Aussies on the BABB.

The BA will be in Australia in November for the Australian Skeptics National Conference (which is in Sydney). He'll also be visiting other cities, including Canberra.

Here's your chance to meet the man in person!

You little ripper! :D =D>

[AGN Fuel]

Attention all Aussies on the BABB.

The BA will be in Australia in November for the Australian Skeptics National Conference (which is in Sydney). He'll also be visiting other cities, including Canberra.

Here's your chance to meet the man in person!

You little ripper! :D =D>

Sweet! I'm there! :D

[badchap]

That's great.
I hope Melbourne is on the list :)

[Moose]

Hmm. Maybe I can do like these (http://www.millennium-debate.org/tel6aug02.htm) folks, except in the other direction.

[ToSeek]

Hmm. Maybe I can do like these (http://www.millennium-debate.org/tel6aug02.htm) folks, except in the other direction.

I seem to recall a story a few years about a guy who boarded a plane in LA expecting to land in Oakland and instead ended up in Auckland, New Zealand. The worst part was that he didn't have a passport or anything, so they had to hold him at the airport the whole time before sending him back on another flight - he didn't get to see the country at all!

[Demigrog]

Not to change the subject, but why is Australia sometimes called Oz? I mean, in Ozma of Oz Dorothy is on her way to Australia when she is washed overboard in the storm and ends up on the shore of Ev on the Nonestic Ocean. So, clearly, Oz is near Australia, but not necessarily one and the same.

Just curious (perhaps too much time on my hands?).

[badchap]

Not to change the subject, but why is Australia sometimes called Oz?

It's just the accent, Demigrog. :)

[The Bad Astronomer]

Crikey! 8)

And this reminds me, I need to make sure my passport is up to date...

Edited to add: woohoo! Yup, good for a few more years.

[The Bad Astronomer]

Oops. I should also add that this is on my calendar (http://www.badastronomy.com/info/calendar.html#oz).

[NASA Fan]

Hmm. Maybe I can do like these (http://www.millennium-debate.org/tel6aug02.htm) folks, except in the other direction.

I seem to recall a story a few years about a guy who boarded a plane in LA expecting to land in Oakland and instead ended up in Auckland, New Zealand. The worst part was that he didn't have a passport or anything, so they had to hold him at the airport the whole time before sending him back on another flight - he didn't get to see the country at all!

I have a problem believing the LA to Oakland vs Auckland story. Whenever I have traveled internationally it is a different terminal than when I travel domestically, and they also check your passboard when you check in.

On one trip home, when we got ready to board the plane after a layover, the airline personell would not let one man board the plane because he did not have his passboard with him. He was from the British Virgin Islands (or some other British protectorate) and was under the mistaken impression that since he was a British Citizen that he did not need a passboard to go to England--had to wonder how he got to the US, though I suppose that since he was at the airport terminal he was technically in "no-mans land."

[MrObvious]

Hey BA, If you've never been here before it may be worthwile taking a night or two to view the southern skies. I'm sure there would be a few observatories that would be happy to oblige.

[Peter B]

Not to change the subject, but why is Australia sometimes called Oz? Just curious (perhaps too much time on my hands?).

Just to expand on BadChap's answer, here's a little introduction to the Australian version of English.

The name of the country is pronounced "Ostralia". Not "Awstralia" as many North Americans and Britons do. In fact, the initial vowel sound is closer to the schwa, the "uh" sound represented by an upside down "e".

An Australian is known as an Aussie. This is pronounced "Ozzie". Not "Awssie" as many North Americans do.

So Aussies (pronounced "Ozzie") come from Oz.

It's simple really. :D

[The Bad Astronomer]

I'm sure there would be a few observatories that would be happy to oblige.

The folks with the Australian Skeptics are working on a few places for me to visit. Siding Springs is one place. :-) I've never seen the southern skies (I spotted Omega Cen from Virgina once, which amazed me), so I'm really excited by that too. I studied Supernova 1987A for what, six or seven years, and have never even seen the Large Magellanic Cloud.

[MrObvious]

and have never even seen the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Wow, are you in for a treat! :D

There are some spectacular views in the LMC and the SMC depending on aperture and FOV. Even naked eye observing from a dark site is great, you can see LMC,SMC and Omeg cen, not to mention around Eta C.
The view from a good pair of bino's still amazes me though, so if you've got a favorite pair, don't leave home without them.

Hey, I just realised, Nov 12-14, thats our annual trip to a friends property in NSW. About 76,000 hectares and the nearest town is over 120kms away, truely an astronomers paradise :D

Pity too, if it wasn't the same date I'd try to attend. But I'm sure you'll be back, it's too nice and too big to see in one visit.

[NASA Fan]

and have never even seen the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Wow, are you in for a treat! :D

There are some spectacular views in the LMC and the SMC depending on aperture and FOV. Even naked eye observing from a dark site is great, you can see LMC,SMC and Omeg cen, not to mention around Eta C.
The view from a good pair of bino's still amazes me though, so if you've got a favorite pair, don't leave home without them.

Hey, I just realised, Nov 12-14, thats our annual trip to a friends property in NSW. About 76,000 hectares and the nearest town is over 120kms away, truely an astronomers paradise :D

Pity too, if it wasn't the same date I'd try to attend. But I'm sure you'll be back, it's too nice and too big to see in one visit.

I would see if there is any way to postpone your trip for a week, or even a few days; considering how far away Australia is, I would not count on the BA to return any time in the near future.

[paulie jay]

Hooray! I'm a member of Australian Skeptics (oops, better get that renewal out of the way :oops: ). Can't wait!

Not to change the subject, but why is Australia sometimes called Oz?

Probably the similarity between the "oz" and "aus" sound... but Sydney is known as The Emerald City! (according to David Williamson anyway).

And while we are on pronunciations...
Aussie Tips.

Melbourne is not pronounced Melborn,
it is pronounced Mel- ben (with the "e" as in her)

Brisbane is not Bris- bayne,
is is Bris- ben (with the "e" as in her)

Canberra is pronounced Can-brah (although some people over here do pronounce it the other way...)

Never use the term "mate" in a collective sense (as in "Come on mates, let's all go to the pub").

When ordering a beer in a pub keep in mind that the size of your glass is an essential part of your order ("A schooner of Tooheys New please") Confusingly, some of the terms for glass sizes are not consistent across the country - eg a "schooner" in Sydney is a "pint" in Adelaide. Also if you are American, be prepared to be (repeatedly) told that your home grown beer is as week as p...

[MrObvious]

I would see if there is any way to postpone your trip for a week, or even a few days; considering how far away Australia is, I would not count on the BA to return any time in the near future.


Would love to, but it's not just me going, about eight people would need to change their plans too. I can't not go as I'm driving four of them... :(

Oh, here's one tip about beer. In the land of Oz a light beer is a low alcohol beer. AFAIK in the US it's just a light color beer, no change in alcohol content.

If you expect to get taken seriously, drink VB (Victoria Bitter), there are a few others but VB is easy to remember and no one will say anything about it, (expecially in a pub, fear is a wonderful form of control). It doesn't taste that good but I'll never repeat that in unknown company....8-[

Maybe we should make a top ten tips for Phil when in the land of Oz list.

[Peter B]

I'm sure there would be a few observatories that would be happy to oblige.

The folks with the Australian Skeptics are working on a few places for me to visit. Siding Springs is one place. :-) I've never seen the southern skies (I spotted Omega Cen from Virgina once, which amazed me), so I'm really excited by that too. I studied Supernova 1987A for what, six or seven years, and have never even seen the Large Magellanic Cloud.

G'day BA! *waves*

Unfortunately I'm not so good at the constellations. But I think I can find the LMC and SMC on a moonless night...! (Maybe.)

But if you can visit Canberra, we'll be able to take you out to the Mount Stromlo Observatory (now under reconstruction) and the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station. We could even take you out to the sites of the old Honeysuckle Creek and Orroral Valley Tracking Stations, now demolished.

(And remember, Australian wine is better than anything you can get in California.)

[EvilBob]

be prepared to be (repeatedly) told that your home grown beer is as week as p...

I believe the applicable phrase is 'Making love in a canoe.' I'll let you work out the rest...

Crikey! 8)

I cringe to think that that's how the world knows us!
:roll:

[Peter B]

Crikey! 8)

I cringe to think that that's how the world knows us!
:roll:

"Aw, here's a little beauty!"

Can you just see the BA, in green shirt and tight green shorts, wrestling a recalcitrant telescope?

Aw, croikey! :wink:

[Peter B]

Two standard sizes for glasses in Australia: 425ml and 285ml.

425ml is a schooner in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory. (425ml is a pint in South Australia, West Australia and Tasmania, but you probably won't get there.)

285ml is a middy in New South Wales, the ACT and West Australia. 285ml is a pot in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania. (285ml is a handle or pot in the Northern Territory. 285ml is a schooner in South Australia, but you probably won't get there.)

Cans of drink are usually 375ml.

Milk comes in cartons of 1 litre, 600ml or 300ml. If you're really thirsty, you can get 2 or 3 litre plastic bottles of milk.

Yes, we're metric and decimal. (But most people can do distances in feet and miles, and some can do weights in pounds and....things. Some slang refers to our pre-decimal currency.)

Confused yet? :D

[EvilBob]

And we drive on the wrong side of the road.... :o

[kucharek]

An Australian is known as an Aussie. This is pronounced "Ozzie". Not "Awssie" as many North Americans do.

So Aussies (pronounced "Ozzie") come from Oz.

It's simple really. :D
Since the reunification, the people from the former GDR are called Ossies, we from the former FRG are the Wessies.
So, we have to distinguish between the Northern Ossies and the Southern Ozzies... ;-)

Harald

[edited to change one GDR to FRG]

[Peter B]

An Australian is known as an Aussie. This is pronounced "Ozzie". Not "Awssie" as many North Americans do.

So Aussies (pronounced "Ozzie") come from Oz.

It's simple really. :D
Since the reunification, the people from the former GDR are called Ossies, we from the former GDR are the Wessies.
So, we have to distinguish between the Northern Ossies and the Southern Ozzies... ;-)

Harald

If you ever explain this in Australia, pronounce "Wessie" carefully. * In the big cities in Australia's east, a "Westie" is a term of derision - someone who lives in the poorer western suburbs. They can traditionally be identified by their mullet hair cut, flanelette shirt, black jeans and souped up car.

* Yes I know "Wessie" would be pronounced "Vessy" in English. :) But some people might be deliberately hard of hearing. :D

[Peter B]

Anyway, this email did the rounds of Australian inboxes back in 2000, prior to the Sydney Olympics. But the sentiments are just as applicable now.

Please note, it’s not my writing!

= = = =

With the 70,000 jobs for the Olympics coming up, how apt that someone should show me a list of letters sent to the Australian Immigration Office from around the world.

I hear that all Australian women are beautiful. Is that true and if so, can you send me pictures of the available ones? (Italy)

I want to go swimming at Bondi Beach on October 20th. Will I turn blue? (Germany) More likely brown.

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

Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA) Yeah, Hume Highway, Pacific Highway, Stuart Highway etc. Not so much in, but on.

Which direction should I drive - Perth to Darwin or Darwin to Perth - to avoid driving with the sun in my eyes? (Germany)

I want to walk from Perth to Sydney - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden) Why not? But if you jog you'll get there quicker.

Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Australia? (Sweden)

It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed porpoise. (Italy) Greenpeace, any city.

My client wants to take a steel pooper-scooper into Australia. Will you let her in? (South Africa) Yes, but we do have flush toilets.

Are there any Automatic Teller Machines in Australia? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Hervey Bay? (UK)

Where can I learn underwater welding in Australia? (Portugal) Tasmanian waters or the Great Australian Bight would be a good place for someone of your obvious well endowed intelligence.

Do the camels in Australia have one hump or two? (UK) Depends how amorous they feel.

Can I bring cutlery into Australia? (UK) Witchetty grubs are traditionally eaten with the fingers.

Do you have perfume in Australia? (France) A very good one is Australis.

Do tents exist in Australia? (Germany) Yeah but you can't buy pegs for love or money.

Can I wear high heels in Australia? (UK) Yes, and are you a natural blond?

Are there places in Australia where you can make love outdoors (Italy) Yes, the Simpson desert, but put sunscreen on your bottom.

Can you tell me the regions in Tasmania where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy) If you're not family it doesn't matter.

Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia? (France) Yes and Easter too.

Can I drive to the Great Barrier Reef? (Germany) Yeah but SCUBA diving is lethal.

Are there killer bees in Australia? (Germany) No, the killer wasps eradicated them.

Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia? (USA) No.

Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available on all year round? (Germany) Yes, and unlike Europe, it's drinkable too.

Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA) None, you're a walking deadman.

Which direction is North in Australia? (USA) Up!

Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA) Er, that’s Austria, not Australia.

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) I have a serious question about you too.

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

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) You’re optimistic. I’ll give you that.

What is the meaning of the word "root" in Australia? (USA) Horizontal Tango, Make Love, Sexual intercourse.

Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA) Everywhere, but keep your mouth shut, you are obviously a fool.

[Maksutov]

An Australian is known as an Aussie. This is pronounced "Ozzie". Not "Awssie" as many North Americans do.

So Aussies (pronounced "Ozzie") come from Oz.

It's simple really. :D
Since the reunification, the people from the former GDR are called Ossies, we from the former FRG are the Wessies.
So, we have to distinguish between the Northern Ossies and the Southern Ozzies... ;-)

Harald

[edited to change one GDR to FRG]

So if you crossbreed Ossies mit Wessies, do you get 50% "Kreuze des Südens"? 8-[

[Maksutov]

BA,

Important nutritional note. Be sure to make Vegemite (http://www.vegemite.com.au/) part of your daily diet!

8)

[Spacewriter]

Geesh... WE didn't feed him Vegemite when he came HERE! ;)

I'll be in Oz in two years, is Vegemite something I should study up on?

[Maksutov]

Geesh... WE didn't feed him Vegemite when he came HERE! ;)

I'll be in Oz in two years, is Vegemite something I should study up on?

Not necessarily. You can always opt to be like a member of the upper class and indulge your cravings with Marmite!

:roll:

[Irishman]

If you ever explain this in Australia, pronounce "Wessie" carefully. * In the big cities in Australia's east, a "Westie" is a term of derision - someone who lives in the poorer western suburbs. They can traditionally be identified by their mullet hair cut, flanelette shirt, black jeans and souped up car.

Here, we call them "hicks", "rednecks", or "trailer trash".

[Peter B]

Geesh... WE didn't feed him Vegemite when he came HERE! ;)

Maybe, but where's HERE in this context? :)

I'll be in Oz in two years, is Vegemite something I should study up on?

Ab-so-LUTE-ly! :D

Other points to note:

- Australians generally don't drink Foster's. It may be part of the Australian image overseas, and Australians certainly DID drink it once, but not these days.

- Small crustaceans we chuck on the barbie (barbecue) are prawns, not shrimps.

- There are four types of football played in Australia: Australian Rules, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Soccer. The soccer players wear more protection than the other football players. For Aussie Rules, Rugby League and Rugby Union, a mouthguard is generally enough padding. Soccer players also wear shin guards. As a result, everyone despises American footballers for the amount of padding they wear.

- The sport of choice in summer is cricket. Crowds flock to these games, particularly the one day internationals. Cricket is popular in Australia because (a) it's a game played between national teams (Australia, India, South Africa etc), not city-based franchises (LA Dodgers or whatever), (b) the Australian team is unofficial World champion, and (c) lots of women come to the cricket with their boyfriends to sun themselves.

- The Australian cake of choice (among others) is the lamington. Take a day old sponge cake. Cut it into cubes (about 2 inches a side). Dip the cubes in a very liquid chocolate icing/sauce. Roll the still wet cubes in dessicated coconut. Stand for about 15 minutes. Scarf a dozen and feel a bit ill. Very popular for fund-raising events at schools and churches.

- The Aussie dessert of choice is Pavlova. Basically a meringue, but as I don't really like Pav, I don't know the recipe apart from it containing egg whites and sugar.

- We don't have cookies in Australia (well not much). The correct term is "biscuit" or "bikkie". All such food items, sweet or savoury, are bikkies. The main biscuit company in Australia is Arnott's, although it's owned by a foreign company (Campbell's I think). Still, their biscuits are pretty good. Examples include the Jatz (a cracker), Tim Tam (chocolate) and Iced Vo-Vo (sweet biscuit with jam, icing and dessicated coconut).

- The food of choice at the football is the meat pie, usually with tomato sauce. These days meat pies are pretty good, and most even contain meat. Sausage rolls and pasties are also available. The leading brand is Four 'N' Twenty.

- Australian humour is of the dry variety. Irony is popular. So is rhyming slang. There aren't as many Australian comedy TV shows as in the past. British comedy shows are popular. American comedy shows are less popular.

[The Bad Astronomer]

Actually, I don't drink beer at all. I have had some excellent Australian wine, but we'll see how it stacks up to home (and I will find out). I hear the beef down there is excellent too, so I'll set.

[paulie jay]

TIPS ON EATING VEGEMITE

Less is more! Every now and again some television show will do the "lets feed some vegemite to some foreigners and watch them gag" bit, and it always makes me cringe. Usually what happens is they stick a whole spoon of the stuff into someones mouth and wait for them to start heaving. Vegemite is best used sparingly. Even better on hot buttered toast! It has a more solid texture than that pretend stuff over in the UK :P

MORE PRONOUNCIATIONS
Cairns is pronounced "cans" (as in tin cans)

Bondi - the "i" is long, Bond-eye, not Bondee!

Coogee - Nice little Sydney beachside susburb. Pronounced Cou - (as in could) gee (as in gee whiz)


OTHER STUFF
When in Melbourne you should always sneer at Sydney, vice versa when in Sydney.

Everyone sneers at Queenlanders :P

Don't be surprised if the locals always sound like they are asking questions. It's very common (particularly with under 40's) to hear sentences finished with an upward inflection.

Almost any male name can (and will) be altered so that it finishes with either an "a", "o", or a "y". So Barry becomes Bazza, John becomes Johnno, Jones becomes Jonesy.

All of our "paper" money is made of polymer. And it's as bright as Monopoly money!

Tipping is not as standard here as it is in the USA. Generally, tips have to be earnt.

It is customary to boo the Prime Minister at any public appearance (football match etc) other than a party related function. Feel free to partake with relish and impunity.

While not an Australian invention, rhyming slang forms a significant part of colloquial language. Usually there will be an Aussie bent to it. This is how it's done...
Let's say that you are with a group of people and then one of them leaves suddenly and without warning. Somebody says "Where's John gone??" - the reply will be "He's done the Harold".
You see, there is a popular expression in Australia that when you have to leave in a hurry, you are "doing the bolt", as in "bolt off". So why Harold? Harold Holt was a former prime minister who disappeared off the face of the Earth while in office (he was swept away in the surf). He left suddenly and without warning. He "did the bolt". Holt rhymes with bolt, so it became "do the Harold Holt". Now in Australia, it is customary to leave off the actual rhyming part of rhyming slang, so it became the "doing the Harold". Confused? You'll get used to it!

(edited for horrendous gramatical error)

[EvilBob]

Here, we call them "hicks", "rednecks", or "trailer trash".

We also call them 'Bogans' or (occasionally) 'Nuff-nuffs', shortened to 'Nuffies'. No, I don't know why.

[EvilBob]

[Almost any male name can (and will) be altered so that it finishes with either an "a", "o", or a "y". So Barry becomes Bazza, John becomes Johnno, Jones becomes Jonesy.

"Phil' is a bit more difficult. I suppose the BA 8) can expect to be called 'Plaity'!

[AGN Fuel]

[Almost any male name can (and will) be altered so that it finishes with either an "a", "o", or a "y". So Barry becomes Bazza, John becomes Johnno, Jones becomes Jonesy.

And practically any noun in general conversation that can be, will be abbreviated and -ie tacked on the end. So a question asked in the pub such as 'how did you spend 25th December?' will be answered:

"Chrissie morning, Bazza & Johnno came over after brekkie to have a barbie & some tinnies while the kids opened their pressies."

My all time favourite....I used to have an English flatmate. She was very, very proper and had the full upper-class plummy accent - I mean, she sounded like the queen. Anyway, after work one day, we were talking when she said:

"Could you explain something? I caught the ferry today and it was rather rough on the water. Anyway, there was an elderly lady talking to her companion......what does 'crookaza dog' mean?" :lol: :lol: :lol:

[MrObvious]

Actually, I don't drink beer at all. I have had some excellent Australian wine, but we'll see how it stacks up to home (and I will find out). I hear the beef down there is excellent too, so I'll set.

:o :o :o

Don't admit that while here, you will be given some funny looks. Same goes for sport, everyone must like sport.....

Truth is I like beer but love wine. Not that much of a fan of the whites, but the red wines downunder are excellent. Try any of the flagship wines from any winery and you'll be more than impressed. Kingston makes a brilliant red called "Tessera", one of favorites.

As for the beef, well, how do I say this, we have some of the best beef available, but it's generally sent out for export rather than sold within the country. If you want to get good beef, either go to a really good resturaunt (and pay lots) or go outback where they only use local produce. Some of the best beef I've had was in little one pub towns hundreds of km's to the nearest one pub town.

If you are going outback, get a hat with a fly screen around it, this is vital. Bushflies may be small but they attack in thousands (quite literaly). The mosquitoes (mozzie) in the tropical zones can fly and attack during a cyclone, so showering is a dangerous activity. Ten of our mozzies can lift a fully grown cat (ok, now I'm streching the truth) but they are BIG.

Beware using the outback when in the outback in tropical areas. Tree frogs like to swim in the bowl and hide under the rim. They launch themselves at you during the most inappropriate times, I still have a scar on my head from one such incident. :oops:

We also have the top three most poisonous snakes (land), the top one is 50 times more deadly than an indian cobra. Not to mention some of the most deadly spiders and sea creatures. And for some strange reason we still love the great outdoors. :D

[Morrolan]

We also have the top three most poisonous snakes (land), the top one is 50 times more deadly than an indian cobra. Not to mention some of the most deadly spiders and sea creatures. And for some strange reason we still love the great outdoors. :D

most venomous snake in the world (measured in mice lethality): Fierce Snake or Inland Taipan. however no human fatalities yet as a bite has never been recorded, lives only in a small desert area overlapping Queensland and the Northern Territories, so an encounter is not very probable. lethality of snakes is measured according LD50 using mice to measure relative toxicities of various snake venoms, however applying this to humans is not necessarily correct: the venom of the Sydney Funnel Web spider for instance has hardly any effect on mouse tissue, yet for humans its lethality is high.

while Australian snakes are without a doubt venomous and dangerous, their shy nature reduces the danger to humans.
so, the deadliest (to humans) snake in Australia is the Brown Snake (22 of 38 deaths over the past 23 years). the deadliest snake in the world based on documented deaths is probably the Saw-scaled Viper, especially in Sri Lanka on the basis of recorded deaths the number comes to a staggering fifty people per million each year, as opposed to 0.13/million in Australia. (source: http://members.iinet.net.au/~bush/myth.html)

Australia also has the only spider in the world whose bite has to be treated like a snake bite (the Sydney Funnel Web), the only lethally venomous octopus (the Blue Ringed octopus), a tick that uses a neurotoxin lethal to humans, a flightless bird that can disembowel you with one kick (cassowary), a venomous mammal (platypus) and must be the only place in the world where the most spectacular beaches are either netted against shark attacks or closed because of deadly jelly fish (stingers or box jellyfish)... other than that it's a really quite a nice place to visit... :D

[kucharek]

[after reading all the sabout snakes'n spiders]

Do you want to keep the BA out of Oz?

[MrObvious]

Hey, great link!


Maybe this is why it is almost impossible to accidentally get bitten by one unless you run around the scrub in bare feet with your eyes shut, and half full on alcohol.


I quess that aussie snakes are only dangerous to aussie males then :D



More people (21) die each year in Australia from horse riding related accidents than snakebite. We do not go around hitting horses on the head with a shovel!

I can relate to that, I was tempted in getting out that shovel...


There was a case recently where a snake keeper got bitten by an inland taipan. He was in a lucky situation that he had fast access to medical attention. IIRC he just pulled through even with this fast aid.



Australia also has the only spider in the world whose bite has to be treated like a snake bite (the Sydney Funnel Web), the only lethally venomous octopus (the Blue Ringed octopus), a tick that uses a neurotoxin lethal to humans, a flightless bird that can disembowel you with one kick (cassowary), a venomous mammal (platypus) and must be the only place in the world where the most spectacular beaches are either netted against shark attacks or closed because of deadly jelly fish (stingers or box jellyfish)... other than that it's a really quite a nice place to visit...

Don't forget the salty, they tend to have an appetite for unwary tourists.

Do you want to keep the BA out of Oz?

No Way!, It's just aussie humor/mentality. Morrolan is correct, the chances of actually seeing some of our more dangerous species is very remote and even when you do the chances of getting bitten are far less.

I have been caught out in a feild on the first hot day in spring. I was standing in one spot doing some hunting and constantly heard the slithering through the grass. I called it quits and went home after a small brown snake passed between my legs and into a rabbit warren. I saw probably twenty during the 100m walk to the car and not one was aggressive. Typically we are told that this is the worst time to go into the bush, they are full of venom, angry can't see well bla bla bla. Personally I've just found that this is the time you can find large concentrations of snakes in the same area, I can't comment about much else.

[Maksutov]

Funny no one's mentioned THE major natural hazard in Oz:

DROP BEARS! (http://library.trinity.wa.edu.au/subjects/english/fant/drop.htm)

8)

(but the BA would probably be more interested in the Min Min Lights...)

[Morrolan]

There was a case recently where a snake keeper got bitten by an inland taipan. He was in a lucky situation that he had fast access to medical attention. IIRC he just pulled through even with this fast aid.
:o

brrr... guess he must now hold the dubious record of being the first one to be bitten...


Don't forget the salty, they tend to have an appetite for unwary tourists.


oh, i never forget the salty. no worries there. seen too many big ones up close to ever be able to get within 50 yards of a billabong.


No Way!, It's just aussie humor/mentality. Morrolan is correct, the chances of actually seeing some of our more dangerous species is very remote and even when you do the chances of getting bitten are far less.

I have been caught out in a feild on the first hot day in spring. I was standing in one spot doing some hunting and constantly heard the slithering through the grass. I called it quits and went home after a small brown snake passed between my legs and into a rabbit warren. I saw probably twenty during the 100m walk to the car and not one was aggressive. Typically we are told that this is the worst time to go into the bush, they are full of venom, angry can't see well bla bla bla. Personally I've just found that this is the time you can find large concentrations of snakes in the same area, I can't comment about much else.

after 8 years of visiting Oz religiously at least once a year i have only seen 1 brown snake, 1 redbellied black snake, 1 dugite and 1 mulga (king brown). of these only the brown snake came close enough to touch (i was in a hot water pool in Mataranka and he joined me for a bit). they're very shy and difficult to photograph.

[Peter B]

[after reading all the sabout snakes'n spiders]

Do you want to keep the BA out of Oz?

:lol:

Seriously, though, despite the rest of the world's paranoia about dangerous critters, Australia is a very safe place to visit. In my life I've seen about three snakes in the wild. I've also seen three echidnas and a lyre bird (well worth a look!). I've seen some of the venomous spiders more frequently.

But I have a generally good relationship with red-back spiders at home. As long as they stay outside, they're welcome; after all, they keep the insects under control. But if they venture inside, they're dead.

Think about it. If you wander around the wrong parts of the USA, you could run into a grizzly bear or a puma or a pack of wolves. Now they're dangerous!

And anyway, you've got to worry about Sydney drivers far more than any ol' spider. :wink:

[kylenano]

We also have the top three most poisonous snakes (land), the top one is 50 times more deadly than an indian cobra. Not to mention some of the most deadly spiders and sea creatures. And for some strange reason we still love the great outdoors. :D
Bill Bryson went on at length in In A Sunburned Country (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/bookshelf5.html) (aka Down Under outside the US) about the number of deadly animals in Australia! Didn't stop him going though :D

[MrObvious]

There may be many dangerous things here, but most taste good with a cold beer. :lol:
Croc's, snakes, lizzards have all been on my diet at some point, grubs too.
Bugs and jelly fish are not my sort of thing though.

Seriously, BA wouldn't be worried about snakes and croc's and sharks and such thing's. He's stood his ground against far more hostile attacks from the fringe of society. :D

[Reacher]

Hang on a minute!
Those banana-bending tog-wearing Easterners call us Wessies?

A few things here, folks. Easterners are completely incapable of pronouncing most things properly.
I've always said Cairns just how it's spelt. Melbourne for me is mel-born.

And if you value your life, steer clear of vegimite. It tastes exactly like someone dipped a massive, pasty salt crystal in a vat of sulfur.

The fact that the BA 8) is going to the Eastern states only re-enforces my current beleif: Nothing good ever happens in Perth, but at least our slang is sensical, and relatively limited. I mean, come on, Togs? :)

[Irishman]

- The Australian cake of choice (among others) is the lamington. Take a day old sponge cake.

Day old? Can't be fresh? Hmm

Cut it into cubes (about 2 inches a side). Dip the cubes in a very liquid chocolate icing/sauce.

Chocolate sauce - check.

Roll the still wet cubes in dessicated coconut.

Coconut? Blech!


- The Aussie dessert of choice is Pavlova. Basically a meringue, but as I don't really like Pav, I don't know the recipe apart from it containing egg whites and sugar.

Not the Peach Nellie?


- The food of choice at the football is the meat pie, usually with tomato sauce.

What, not pea soup?

What do you mean The Last Continent isn't a documentary?

TIPS ON EATING VEGEMITE

Less is more! Every now and again some television show will do the "lets feed some vegemite to some foreigners and watch them gag" bit, and it always makes me cringe. Usually what happens is they stick a whole spoon of the stuff into someones mouth and wait for them to start heaving. Vegemite is best used sparingly. Even better on hot buttered toast! It has a more solid texture than that pretend stuff over in the UK

If less is more, I'll have even less and it will be better. I'll take my Vegemite homeopathic, please.

Morrolan, from that link:
Australian snakes are inoffensive and very shy. They have had only forty thousand odd years of human predation to contend with. None of their behaviour has evolved targeting humans. The traditional Aboriginal people only harvested the "quiet" nonvenomous snakes, rarely were the "cheeky" venomous species taken. Maybe this is why it is almost impossible to accidentally get bitten by one unless you run around the scrub in bare feet with your eyes shut, and half full on alcohol.

On other continents humans have existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Therefore, has the cobra evolved the hood, elevated stance and, in some species, the ability to "spit" venom as a direct response to human predation? What about the snakes that play dead? The Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus), one of a few "cobras" capable of spitting, also plays dead. This behaviour would have little effect in deterring a predator looking for a feed, but it may deter a passing human from taking up a club and clobbering the snake into lifeless pulp.

So he's contending that snake behavior and features are a result of human influence? Seems specious to me.

[The Bad Astronomer]

The fact that the BA 8) is going to the Eastern states


Don't rule out my going west just yet. I have an invite to go to Melbourne after Sydney, which bodes well for more travel. If I'm already flying 12,000 km, then a few more won't hurt too much. 8)

As far as scary animal go, the cone snail (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Cone%20Snail) gives me the willies. But there have only been 30 recorded deaths in a century, so I'm not too worried.

[paulie jay]

Well then Plaity (it just rolls off the tongue!), keep in mind that Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world... who knows what they get up to over there :o



"Could you explain something? I caught the ferry today and it was rather rough on the water. Anyway, there was an elderly lady talking to her companion......what does 'crookaza dog' mean?"

Yes, lets not forget the Aussie abilty to condense 7 syllables into 3. "How are you going mate" can easily be whittled down to a lazy "Eer gown mah".

[The Bad Astronomer]

Bill Bryson went on at length in In A Sunburned Country (http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/bookshelf5.html) (aka Down Under outside the US) about the number of deadly animals in Australia! Didn't stop him going though :D

I saw that at the library so I just checked it out. I got a travel guide too. I'm getting email about visiting various places, so it'll be nice to have an actual map handy.

[NASA Fan]

--Snip--

"Could you explain something? I caught the ferry today and it was rather rough on the water. Anyway, there was an elderly lady talking to her companion......what does 'crookaza dog' mean?" :lol: :lol: :lol:

OK, I am lost what does " 'crookaza dog' " mean?

Maksutov, thanks for bring up the Drop Bears. I was just thinking about them when I was reading the warnings.

[paulie jay]

'crookaza dog'

Crook as a dog.

If you are feeling off colour, it is said that you are feeling "crook". To be as crook as a dog means you are feeling really sick.

Terminology -

Prawn - shrimp

Chemist - drugstore

Muesli bar - granola bar

Pram - baby stroller

Boot - trunk (car)

In the USA "fanny" refers to someone's rear end. In Australia it refers to a different part of the female anatomy, close to, but not actually, the American meaning. So a "fanny-pack" is called a "bum-bag" over here. Don't go yelling out for someone to "move your fanny" or you might get a few odd stares.

[Spacewriter]

We'll be in Melbourne in 2006 for a big planetarium meeting; they promise to take us all over the place (or as one of the locals put it: weh'll tyke ye all over the plyce." )

One of them was here in the North East US visiting a few weeks ago, when our mossies were in force (still are, actually). That was the first time I'd heard the term "mossies."

But, take heart: we drink Rosemount, Tyrhell's, and Long Flat Red here, along with good Chilean wines. So, we'll be prepared to have more good Aussie reds when we get there.

;)

[Peter B]

It's very important for foreigners to get an idea of the size of Australia. As a rough rule, Australia is about the same size as the 48 states of the USA. Travelling from Sydney to Perth is roughly like going from Miami to San Francisco. It's something like 4000 kilometres from east to west and about 2500 from north to south.

This means you can't really do day trips from any major cities to get into the outback, unless you fly.

Sydney to Canberra is 300 kilometres.

Melbourne to Canberra is 650 kilometres.

And these are the three closest capitals in Australia.

Having said that, Europeans are astonished by the distances Australians will drive. For example, I'll drive from Canberra to Sydney and back on a weekend a few times a year. My brother and I drove from Sydney to (nearly) Brisbane in about 9 hours, swapping as driver every couple of hours or so. This included stops for fuel and food.

However, for those of you coming to Australia, I'm sure there are plenty of BABB Aussies happy to drive you around a bit, and show you the stuff the tourist buses miss. :D

[Morrolan]

It's very important for foreigners to get an idea of the size of Australia. As a rough rule, Australia is about the same size as the 48 states of the USA. Travelling from Sydney to Perth is roughly like going from Miami to San Francisco. It's something like 4000 kilometres from east to west and about 2500 from north to south.

<sigh> don't remind me... i have a business trip to Oz coming up again, and they usually go something like this:
monday evening -flight from Singapore to Brisbane: 7+ hours, arrive tuesday morning.
tuesday afternoon -flight to Sydney: one and a half hour, arrive tuesday afternoon.
thursday morning -flight to Melbourne: one and a half hour, arrive thursday morning.
friday afternoon -flight back to Singapore: 7 hours 50 minutes, arrive friday evening. :(

and that's if i don't have to visit clients in Perth....
of course, every day is chock-a-block with client visits. i'm tired already.

[paulie jay]

Oh my - what a schedule!! :o

Not even time for a couple of coldies...

[Morrolan]

Oh my - what a schedule!! :o

Not even time for a couple of coldies...

oh.. i reckon i'll be able to squeeze in a few... :wink:

[MrObvious]

I feel jet lag just reading it...

[Morrolan]

I feel jet lag just reading it...

you should've seen my recent China schedule.

the 'glamour' of business trips. [-X

great for frequent flyer points tho... :)

[The Bad Astronomer]

I just found out that one of the Rosemount Estates vineyards is only 250 km from Sydney. I wonder if I can squeeze that one in. Their Shiraz is amazing.

[EvilBob]

One of them was here in the North East US visiting a few weeks ago, when our mossies were in force (still are, actually). That was the first time I'd heard the term "mossies."

:o What do you call them? As an Aussie, I've never heard them called anything else!

[Morrolan]

I just found out that one of the Rosemount Estates vineyards is only 250 km from Sydney. I wonder if I can squeeze that one in. Their Shiraz is amazing.

agree wholeheartedly... <insert drooling smiley> IMO, Rosemount is probably close to the best large scale wine maker in Australia (with the exception of Leeuwin Estate).

[Peter B]

Time for some explanation of Aussie tucker (food).

There isn't really a distinctive Australian cuisine, though some have tried to promote bush tucker in various forms. This ranges from eating Australian native animals (emu, kangaroo and crocodile are the most common) to using native fruits to make sauces and the like. (I've seen one restaurant offer a "Coat of Arms" dish - emu and kangaroo, the two animals on the Australian coat of arms.) I've eaten roo, and as far as I'm concerned it's nothing special. (That is, if they'd called it beef, I don't think I could have challenged them.)

However, as a land of immigrants, the world's cuisines are offered in all sorts of restaurants. Asian and European menus are the most common, but African and South American are also available.

There are also plenty of cheap and cheerful restaurants offering a range of dishes, as well as some more upmarket "fusion" restaurants, which combine styles from various continents to produce a new taste sensation.

For a cheap meal, clubs are always a good bet: Returned Services League, sports clubs, "ethnic" clubs. One classic is the $4 Sunday roast at RSL clubs: a couple of slices of the roast of the day, gravy, and three veg.

There are plenty of take away chains: Golden Arches, Pizza Hut, KFC and their ilk. If you like Lebanese food, there's Ali Baba, and Oporto puts a (supposedly) Portuguese spin on chicken. Also, most shopping centres still support milk bars where you can get a hamburger fried while you wait.

* Important point for foreigners: Australian hamburgers traditionally include betroot. So be careful when eating if you're wearing a white shirt!

Supermarkets stock a good range of fresh fruit and veggies.

Australian food and drink is considerably less sweet than American food and drink. For example, bread contains no sugar (except for Maccas hamburger buns). A large number of fruit juices contain no sugar.

[kucharek]

Is it also in Australia the way that restaurants must be licensed to sell alcoholic beverages?

[Morrolan]

Is it also in Australia the way that restaurants must be licensed to sell alcoholic beverages?

yep.. and they have lots of BYO restaurants, so you get your wine at the bottle shop (another great Ozzie institution) and pay a small corkage fee.

i love Ozzie food! my absolute favorite: Moreton bay bugs. best eaten at Kani's restaurant on the Esplanade in Cairns (trust me: i've travelled all along the Queensland coast once and this place had the best ones). :)

[Stylesjl]

November! Cool! Probaly won't be there though but all the same you are coming to this forgotten continent

Hope everything goes well

[badchap]

This thread is fun to read :D

I'm really hoping that there will be some talks in Melbourne ('beautiful,sunny, gotta-go-to- Melbourne') - but if not, well, have a good time.

I suppose as the time draws closer, there will be updates in the calendar/events section- and/or here.

[NASA Fan]

Shame on all of you [-X [-X that was very mean of you to talk about all that food--you made me drool. I had to get up and fix supper--of course it is dinner time, so it is ok.

EvilBob--I think that "mossies" are mosquitoes. Depending on where you are, I have also heard them called sketers (I am not sure how it is spelled).

[EvilBob]

EvilBob--I think that "mossies" are mosquitoes. Depending on where you are, I have also heard them called sketers (I am not sure how it is spelled).

I think you misunderstood me! :oops:
I'm from Australia, so that's what I call them. I'd never heard of anyone calling them anything else, that's all. 'Sketer's' is a new one on me, though it makes sense.

[Argos]

Hey BA, If you've never been here before it may be worthwile taking a night or two to view the southern skies.

On Saturday, November 13th, around 23:30 in Australia (Sidney), the sky won´t be particularly interesting. The great asterisms of the south, like The Centaur, Argus Navis(*), Scorpius, The Cross, will be either too low or bellow the horizon. But the M. Clouds will be pretty viewable, along with the spectacular cluster 47 Tucanae (http://www.astr.ua.edu/gifimages/47tuc.html). Hope meteora allows.

(*) Carina, Pupis, Vela.

[MrObvious]

On Saturday, November 13th, around 23:30 in Australia (Sidney), the sky won´t be particularly interesting.

Depends on if he's a morninig or evening person. :)

There's so much to see in the M.clouds it should keep him spellbound for a while.

The good thing is there won't be a moon to affect the viewing, as for clouds, thats out of the realm of forcasting for the time being.

[paulie jay]

One major difference between AUS and the USA is the amount of available television that there is to watch. Here in Sydney we have 6 free-to-air television stations, which for some reason is a rich vein of comedy for visiting comedians to mine. Of course we all know that getting more TV channels only increases the amount of crap that appears on the small screen, but it is something of a culture shock to visiting Americans. No-one over here is screaming out for any more television stations, though we do of course have “cable” TV as well, with all of its pointless glitz and boredom (Why is it that in spite of the fact that there are multiple sports channels I only manage to tune in for the “Billiards-Trick-Shots-Championships”, or the “Cheese-Rolling-Quarter-Finals”, or the latest instalment of “World’s-Most-Boring-Golf-Action-Replays”. Makes me glad I don’t actually subscribe to it…)

Anyway, a brief rundown of Sydneyside television is:

ABC (2) – Government owned, no commercials, known as “Auntie”, (mostly) good programming.

Channel 7 – Known to some as the family network (and to others as the “old ladies network”) is in constant competition with…

Channel 9 – Glitzy, will do anything for ratings.

Channel 10 – Just happy to be along for the ride.

SBS (Special Broadcasting Service) – Catering for non-English speaking and more select television fans. In many ways the best station there is.

Channel 31 – Adoringly goofy and cheap, what SBS was before it spread its wings and became a ratings force.


So there you go – but of course Plaity, you’ll be having far too many interesting conversations to be worrying about TV!

[NASA Fan]

EvilBob--I think that "mossies" are mosquitoes. Depending on where you are, I have also heard them called sketers (I am not sure how it is spelled).

I think you misunderstood me! :oops:
I'm from Australia, so that's what I call them. I'd never heard of anyone calling them anything else, that's all. 'Sketer's' is a new one on me, though it makes sense.

Sorry Bob, I should have phrased that better. I have never heard anyone point to a mosquito and called it a mossie, so I did not know for sure what a mossie was. I made an assumption, but I should have phrased my comment differently.

I usually hear them refered to as mosquito, or because of how annoying they are "darn mosquitos." I primarily hear "skeeters" used on tv--and we all know how accurate tv show real life :lol:

Bob, and all other Australians, sorry if I inavertenly insulted you.

[EvilBob]

No need to apologise - I didn't take any offence. I should apologise for misunderstanding you and thinking you misunderstood me... 8-[

Darn Mozzies!

[Peter B]

So, you had more beers last night than you can remember. You wake up, feeling crook as a dog, and your stomach is in a state of rebellion.

You head to the toilet. What happens next has a number of wonderful euphemisms:

A technicolour yawn;

A Johnnie Peard (a rugby league footballer who mastered a style of kick known as the Up and Under - which propelled the ball high into the sky);

Talking to God on the great white telephone; or

Driving the porcelain bus.

I'll leave it to you to decide what you just did.

[kucharek]

We usually called it "writing a core dump" or "buffer-flush" :-)

[AGN Fuel]

I just found out that one of the Rosemount Estates vineyards is only 250 km from Sydney. I wonder if I can squeeze that one in. Their Shiraz is amazing.

Ah, the Mudgee Muds - excellent reds.

But try the Hunter Valley - also great reds, but a shorter drive from Sydney.

[DogB]

As far as scary animal go, the cone snail (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Cone%20Snail) gives me the willies.


Me too!

I'm a saltwater aquarist and we occasionally handle large lumps of rock freshly removed from the ocean. Can be a bit scary at times.

I do recommend you try to get out the the great barrier reef if you can. It's worth the effort.

As far a wineries go if you get to Melbourne you're only a days drive from the Claire/Barossa/Coonawarra area which is arguably one of the best wine making regions in the world. My wife and I recently holidayed there for 3 weeks, it's just fantastic.

If you get to Perth the Margret River area makes the best reds in Australia IMO.

P.

[Peter B]

Okay, time for an introduction to Australian birds (the feathered variety!).

We're getting close to spring, which in many parts of the country means magpie nesting and swooping season. Swooping magpies? Well, be warned, Aussie magpies aren't like their European namesakes. Have a read of this article about magpies from the ABC Science unit:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/July2002/default.htm

Magpies are closely related (I think) to currawongs, which are slightly larger, and a dustier black colour than the glossy black of the magpies. Both magpies and currawongs have flourished in urban environments, as both are fairly omnivorous. And both make beautiful calls which brighten up any day: a magpie's call is known as a carol, and they seem to like carolling in groups; the currawong's call is more like "coya, coya, coroya."

One of the delightful sights in September and October is pairs of magpies wandering about gathering food, followed by one or two chicks. The chicks by this stage are nearly as big as their parents, but still covered with a grey fluffy down. The chicks make a rising call which sounds like "Hey? Hey?", and with a frequency which must drive their parents mad. But the parents respond, shoving food into the chicks' mouths, even as they call.

Australia is also home to a range of cockatoos and parrots, and these birds also provide a lot of entertainment to city folk, while irritating the heck out of farmers.

There's the sulphur-crested cockatoo, white with a yellow raisable crest. One of the larger birds around, with a raucous screech, and a predilection for flocking. These cockatoos can be taught to talk like humans. But as they can live for decades, I can't imagine the idea of keeping them in cages.

About the same size, without the crest, is the corella (co-RELL-a).

A little smaller, coloured pink and grey, is the galah (ga-LAH). These birds also flock, and with the drought we've been experiencing, large numbers are gathering in cities to eat the abundant grass seed. Galahs are the clowns of the cockatoo world, and can often be seen mucking around on power lines, trying to maintain their balance. To this end, they've given their name in Aussie slang to people behaving irresponsibly (especially drivers). Galahs mate for life, and it's quite touching to watch a pair nibbling at each others' beaks in a way which looks very much like kissing.

Then there's the rosellas. These are parrots, smaller than the cockies, usually with gorgeous plumage, and generally travelling around in pairs or small groups. Most make a musical tootling call. The most visible in Canberra are the Eastern Rosella, which is a mix of red and white plumage on the head, and blue and green-yellow on the body, and the Crimson Rosella, which is a mixture of red and blue plumage.

Smaller than the rosellas are the ubiquitous budgerigars, or budgies (Kylie Minogue was known as the Singing Budgie early in her career). These birds are common only in the outback, and almost never seen in the cities. They're also a lot smaller in the wild than the caged varieties.

Of course there's the kookaburra, essentially a kingfisher, but which happily dines on just about any insect, crustacean, lizard or snake. Fairly common in the cities, where they're often seen hunched contentedly (or smugly) on light poles.

And if you get out into the country, you might see an emu or two, about as tall as a person, and looking much like an ostrich. If you get close to them, you might hear their "plonk...plonk" call.

Lots of other Aussie birds, too: here's a site with some more info:

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Native+animal+fact+sheets+by+category

[kucharek]

Of course there's the kookaburra, essentially a kingfisher, but which happily dines on just about any insect, crustacean, lizard or snake. Fairly common in the cities, where they're often seen hunched contentedly (or smugly) on light poles.
The kookaburra song must have been one of the first things we learnt in the first years of English at school...
In German, the bird is called "Lachender Hans" (Laughing Hans).

Harald

[Morrolan]

don't forget the wedge-tailed eagle, largest eagle in the world.... :)

[Peter B]

THE FACE ON MARS

Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics invite you to a talk by

Phil Plait "The Bad Astronomer"


8.00 pm Monday 15 November 2004


The Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (The Tank), ANU, Canberra



With science, simple logic, and his usual healthy dose of humour, Astronomer Phil Plait will debunk the recent spate of nonsense circulating the web involving the Red Planet, which includes the 'Face' on Mars, martian cities, aliens, and supposed NASA coverups.


$5 for non-members
Free for Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics Members

[Candy]

8.00 pm Monday 15 November 2004 I wish it were next year. Then I could visit. :evil:

You guys will really enjoy his talk. =D>

[paulie jay]

Booking my space at the Australian Skeptics convention as we speak... :D

[mickal555]

Hang on a minute!

The fact that the BA 8) is going to the Eastern states only re-enforces my current beleif: Nothing good ever happens in Perth, but at least our slang is sensical, and relatively limited. I mean, come on, Togs? :)

What about costume :roll: every time a melbournere or a perth person saids that I have a mental image of a clown jumping in a pool.

[paulie jay]

Besides, slang isn't supposed to make sense. That's the whole point!

[kucharek]

I've just checked the page about the BA's appearance at the Australian Museum Society here (http://www.amonline.net.au/tams/events.cfm#eventAA83AA9D-F465-4B22-09C67D48F7A0FC5B).

The interesting point is: Members are charged $15 for attending, while non-members only pay $10... :-k

[Candy]

I've just checked the page about the BA's appearance at the Australian Museum Society here (http://www.amonline.net.au/tams/events.cfm#eventAA83AA9D-F465-4B22-09C67D48F7A0FC5B).

The interesting point is: Members are charged $15 for attending, while non-members only pay $10... :-k
I heard things are done backwards down under. :lol:

[edit for spelling] :oops:

[paulie jay]

Yeah, we'll be dancing on the ceiling by the end of the night :P

[mickal555]

Ba should come to brisse

[AGN Fuel]

Ba should come to brisse

Uncertain of your spelling here - do you mean Brissie, or are you inviting him to a certain Jewish ceremony? :-s

[paulie jay]

To avoid confusion I usually spell it Brizzy :)

[Maksutov]

Yeah, we'll be dancing on the ceiling by the end of the night :P
That's known as "the floor" in the Northern Hemisphere... :wink:

[paulie jay]

Well that's just bloody wonderful. I just found out that I won't be able to make Phil's address to the Australian Skeptics in November for I will be otherwised and inextricably engaged at a venue less than 5km away. He's going to travel half way around the world, just to brighten my day - and I'm going to miss it.

Fan-bloody-tastic.




:(

[Carl]

Not long now. I live not a terribly great distance from Sydney. Will try and make it. I hope you like the weather hot BA. It was 36 degrees yesterday and we aren't even fully into Summers longest days. Hope you don't get off the plane to one of those infamous muggy Sydney summer days. The conference should be airconditioned anyway.

[Jobe]

I, like Reacher, am a sandgroper (West Australian) and am currently having a huge cry that I can't get away from work to visit the conference, and the BA has given the rear end to us poor west coasters :p

[kucharek]

I, like Reacher, am a sandgroper (West Australian) and am currently having a huge cry that I can't get away from work to visit the conference, and the BA has given the rear end to us poor west coasters :p

Maybe we look for some sponsors of a world tour. Seems sooner or later the BA becomes pop. 8)

[Jobe]

I, like Reacher, am a sandgroper (West Australian) and am currently having a huge cry that I can't get away from work to visit the conference, and the BA has given the rear end to us poor west coasters :p

Maybe we look for some sponsors of a world tour. Seems sooner or later the BA becomes pop. 8)

I'll be out there wailing like a teenager, holding a lighter up and screaming for autographs!!!

[The Bad Astronomer]

I appreciate the sadness. I think. :o

But for those of you going, remember, you have to register for the conference. I doubt you can just drop in.

And I may be heading back south next year, if things work out right. Stay Tuned.

[Candy]

And I may be heading back south next year, if things work out right. Stay Tuned. That's when I can go! 8)

[paulie jay]

:D :D

Feeling a little better already.

[Candy]

:D :D

Feeling a little better already. :D :P

[MrObvious]

And I may be heading back south next year, if things work out right. Stay Tuned.

Cool, trip to Melboure planned? Should do Adelaide and Perth as well as Darwin and Brisbane. It's a big country so take your time to look around....

[The Bad Astronomer]

Well, nothing is set yet; I'm not even sure I'm going back. I haven't even been yet! But some folks (including PhantomWolf) are looking into it for me. I'd like to see the west coast, and the south. Then NZ, and maybe Tahiti. :-)

[MrObvious]

One look at the sky from a outback site and I'm sure you'll want to come back. Beautiful country, friendly locals, cold beer and good wine. You have to convince whoever you're staying with to do a aussie BBQ in the outback. Nothing is more relaxing.

That's my weekend starting tommorow. Melbourne Cup (horse race that stops the nation) is on and I've got 4 day's off. Going to the country home in the mountains, a BBQ, beer and telescope. Oh, and my new bread maker and binoculars.

What a life...... :D

[Jobe]

I think one of the most obvious attractive features of Australia (particularly the west :p ) is how easy it is to get into a practically 0 light pollution area, with mega-consistently clear skies! The weather here is considered 'mediterranean' and its not uncommon to never see a cloud for months upon end. This is during summer obviously.

Go to melbourne and you'll think somebodies tricked you and you're in Blackpool, UK. <voice of eric othlwaite> ooooooooooooooh it int' alf rainy and overcast. I'l goo check the rain guage.

[EvilBob]

Go to melbourne and you'll think somebodies tricked you and you're in Blackpool, UK. <voice of eric othlwaite> ooooooooooooooh it int' alf rainy and overcast. I'l goo check the rain guage.

Why does everyone pick on Melbourne for rain? I used to live there and it's not that bad, considering it's practically on the southern ocean.

[MrObvious]

Why does everyone pick on Melbourne for rain? I used to live there and it's not that bad, considering it's practically on the southern ocean.


Hey, I live in Melbourne and it's great, if you don't like the weather, wait a minute! :D

[Maksutov]

Well that's just bloody wonderful. I just found out that I won't be able to make Phil's address to the Australian Skeptics in November for I will be otherwised and inextricably engaged at a venue less than 5km away. He's going to travel half way around the world, just to brighten my day - and I'm going to miss it.

Fan-bloody-tastic.




:(
You know, you're not looking that hot. Like you're coming down with some kind of illness, one that will impact your regular schedule. It appears the maximum impact will be for one day in November.

Yup, you don't look that well... :)

[mickal555]

I think one of the most obvious attractive features of Australia (particularly the west :p ) is how easy it is to get into a practically 0 light pollution area, with mega-consistently clear skies! The weather here is considered 'mediterranean' and its not uncommon to never see a cloud for months upon end. This is during summer obviously.

Go to melbourne and you'll think somebodies tricked you and you're in Blackpool, UK. <voice of eric othlwaite> ooooooooooooooh it int' alf rainy and overcast. I'l goo check the rain guage.

Up here is brisbane during the summer it's clear all day....... then in come the clouds. But during Winter its clear for mounths espesullly inland. It's more tropical here fine all day violent storms afternoon and clears up around 9:00 in summer, that is. In winter you don't realy have to consider clouds.

[badchap]

I appreciate the sadness. I think. :o

.....

And I may be heading back south next year, if things work out right. Stay Tuned.

I really hope you do. That way maybe you'll be able to visit some more places. (Like Melbourne :D )
I suppose you could even take a breather and relax a little,too.

BTW Thanks, Peter B, for pointing out that Phil will be a guest of Dr Karl on Rememberance day. We'll look forward to listening in.

Carmel

[paulie jay]

Well that's just bloody wonderful. I just found out that I won't be able to make Phil's address to the Australian Skeptics in November for I will be otherwised and inextricably engaged at a venue less than 5km away. He's going to travel half way around the world, just to brighten my day - and I'm going to miss it.

Fan-bloody-tastic.




:(
You know, you're not looking that hot. Like you're coming down with some kind of illness, one that will impact your regular schedule. It appears the maximum impact will be for one day in November.

Yup, you don't look that well... :)

:lol: :lol: My sniffles have started already - no antibiotic will be strong enough...

Why does everyone pick on Melbourne for rain? I used to live there and it's not that bad, considering it's practically on the southern ocean.
My favourite city - one day I shall live there!

THE FACE ON MARS
Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics invite you to a talk by
Phil Plait "The Bad Astronomer"
8.00 pm Monday 15 November 2004
The Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (The Tank), ANU, Canberra
$5 for non-members
Free for Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics Members

20041105 LOG ON FOR ?$?

does the 5 cover Air Fair2

[Candy]

THE FACE ON MARS
Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics invite you to a talk by
Phil Plait "The Bad Astronomer"
8.00 pm Monday 15 November 2004
The Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (The Tank), ANU, Canberra
$5 for non-members
Free for Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics Members

20041105 LOG ON FOR ?$?

does the 5 cover Air Fair2

HUb', did you just make a joke? 8-[

[The Bad Astronomer]

Richard Saunders, El prez of the Ozzie Skeptics, will be on the air at 9:20 p.m. Pacific time tonight (2 hours form now as I write this) to talk about the meeting, and moi. Here is the website (http://www.2ue.com) to listen live.

[mickal555]

Just heard it

We've got an astronomer from america who deals with those loonies who belive we never went to the moon he will be tearing them apart.... absolutly tearing them apart...
:P

[kucharek]

Just heard it

We've got an astronomer from america who deals with those loonies who belive we never went to the moon he will be tearing them apart.... absolutly tearing them apart...
:P

So his presentation will be R-rated due to graphic violence?

[mickal555]

He must be on the plane now to canbarra now

[kucharek]

He must be on the plane now to canbarra now
Are the groupies already lining up at the airport? :-)

[boppa]

Dr Phil and Dr Karl on JJJ right now for the aussies

Dr Karl is one of our local self admitted science geeks-has a radio show on the national broadcaster and has a yearly nationwide tour called `the sleek geek week'-info for the o/s ones
they do have a streaming web broadcast but im unsure of its addy-its on the jjj site somewhere

ps dr phill(all guests on dr karl get an honourary dr even when tey arent-but i dont think the B.A has a problem in that department) seemed a little stunned at the forklift driver that had been having an arguement with his mates about neutron versus quark stars :o

[boppa]

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/listen/

about halfway down the page is programs
in that is dr karl
available as realplayer or win media player downloads for a week after the show has been broadcast

(first time ive actually heard the B.A on a decent sound system -the laptops speakers make everyone sound so squeaky)

THE FACE ON MARS
Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics invite you to a talk by
Phil Plait "The Bad Astronomer"
8.00 pm Monday 15 November 2004
The Haydon-Allen Lecture Theatre (The Tank), ANU, Canberra
$5 for non-members
Free for Canberra Astronomical Society and Canberra Skeptics Members

20041105 LOG ON FOR ?$?

does the 5 cover Air Fair2

HUb', did you just make a joke? 8-[
I rather doubt it
Not a very FUN character ACT
anyway 8PM is just an HOUR off

its my guesss that BA did NOT atke you along {AS A CARRY ON}?
checkimg the thread {More later Maybe}

Richard Saunders, El prez of the Ozzie Skeptics, will be on the air at 9:20 p.m. Pacific time tonight (2 hours form now as I write this) to talk about the meeting, and moi. Here is the website (http://www.2ue.com) to listen live.

these Linux labs do NOT have speakers {maybe}?

Just heard it

We've got an astronomer from america who deals with those loonies who belive we never went to the moon he will be tearing them apart.... absolutly tearing them apart...
:PIF i were ever FUNNY its now 1859

He must be on the plane now to canbarra now
Are the groupies already lining up at the airport? :-)
I doubt it.. My Guess BA did NOT go.. No "Carry on"

http://www.streamx.com.au/ ?

http://www.2ue.com/Default.asp?ngref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebadastronomy% 2Ecom%2Fphpbb%2Fviewtopic%2Ephp%3Ft%3D14981%26post days%3D0%26postorder%3Dasc%26start%3D100#


?/? getting sound 954 Souther Aurora?

Twenty to three = 7:4oPM PST

http://www.streamx.com.au/ ?

http://www.2ue.com/Default.asp?ngref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebadastronomy% 2Ecom%2Fphpbb%2Fviewtopic%2Ephp%3Ft%3D14981%26post days%3D0%26postorder%3Dasc%26start%3D100#


?/? getting sound 954 Souther Aurora?

Twenty to three = 7:4oPM PST
BROWN?
6:25 AM 11/16/04 sqU/O^ie(A'misH {L R L}
one of the great diffUculties with ill-Logican NegativismS
the meanings remain for the most part unconnected & remote
---
todays blurp: 3 min ago Local TV ran its segway about the
:::"time"::: of broadcast of tomorrows {6:20} broadcast
of old Local / Remote / Local / broadcast {Got it}
====
No? well nevermind: tune to the :20 once at least as I assume
the 20 part of the participants providing particular prop-
Agandia.. probably approve ofsuch ussages. {get it}?
:::
No? never mind. Ok so i did not hear anything Astronomical
at 9:20 yesterday while pounding out the above stuff..
So back to the ACTioN.. {Yuck}?
???
see next post

[Peter B]

Well, with the BA back in the US, I thought I’d give people a bit of a description of my contacts with him while he was here in Oz.

I missed his radio interview with Dr Karl (of the Australian ABC’s Self Service Science Forum), but his interview with Stuart Gary on “Star stuff” on the Australian ABC’s NewsRadio network is available on the Net (http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/star.htm, then select the program for 14 November).

Anyway, I ran into Phil on the evening of Friday 12 November, at the start of the Australian Skeptics National Convention in Sydney. I was gratified that Phil remembered me from The Amaz!ng Meeting 2 in Las Vegas back in January.

Phil first spoke on the Friday night at a forum about evolution and creationism. Four speakers each had five minutes to explain why they accept evolution, then each had another five minutes to explain why they rejected creationism. The BA listed the evidence provided by supernovas (his own field of study), without touching on all the other astronomical evidence.

Phil was the keynote speaker at the convention (which had about 120 attendees), discussing the Moon Hoax on the Saturday, and using the Fox Apollo show as the basis for his talk. This was the first time I’d actually seen any part of the Fox Apollo show. For those of you who haven’t heard Phil speak, he’s got a brilliant stage presence. He knows how to use anything from appalling puns to mock exasperation to get his point across. I didn’t learn anything new in his talk (apart from the TV program), but I learned a whole new way of presenting what I do know.

Phil was also involved in a couple of later talks, as a convenient (and very popular) experimental assistant.

On the Sunday evening, Phil was driven down to Canberra for another talk and some sightseeing.

On the Monday, four of us, including Phil, drove out to the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station (a place I often visit), where we met Glen, the station’s Education and Outreach Officer. Glen showed us the Apollo 11 Moon rock on display, and some raw photos from Mars and Saturn (we were all impressed by a Cassini photo of the effect of peanut-shaped Prometheus on one of the rings – have a look for it yourselves!). Glen took us to his office, where we saw a Hasselblad camera used for training Apollo astronauts, and a video camera actually used on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.

Glen then drove us around the station (which ordinary visitors don’t normally get to do). We got to see several of the dishes close up, including getting to stand almost directly underneath the giant 70 metre dish, which was at the time (IIRC) transmitting to one of the rovers on Mars. We also got a bit of a surprise by being able to see the Moon (it was only a couple of days past New, and was almost overhead in the early afternoon – I’ve never seen such a young Moon at that time of the day). Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into the Control Room, but we did meet the director and deputy director.

In the evening, Phil spoke to a lecture hall of about 80 people about the Face on Mars. He based his talk on his page about Richard Hoagland, and once again had the audience in stitches with his hilarious style. For me, one of the telling points was how he was able to show some serious mistakes in Hoagland’s maths. Firstly, he showed the errors in Hoagland’s figures, and secondly he showed how such relationships can be generated from random numbers. But most importantly, Phil drove home the point that we don’t need to believe him – we can go and check his statements out for ourselves.

On the Tuesday morning we drove out to the Mount Stromlo observatory. On the outskirts of Canberra, it was almost completely destroyed by the January 2003 bushfires. First off we met Mike Dinn, the man who was in charge of the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station for Apollo 11 (as well as Apollos 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14), and were able to discuss the ongoing Honeysuckle-Parkes feud over the movie “The Dish”. Then we were shown around Mount Stromlo by the current director. The domes were in varying states of repair: one was nothing more than a cylindrical shell with a couple of concrete shapes which formed a telescope’s mounting; another still had its dome, and a ruined telescope inside; another had lost its dome, but we could get in to look closely at the destroyed telescope with its shattered mirror. We saw the grass patch where the old workshops had been (including a device nearly ready to deliver to another observatory), then visited the new (temporary) workshop, where the engineers proudly showed off the incredibly accurate milling machines and lathes, and the objects they could make on them.

I had a wonderful time with Phil, either listening to his talks, or sharing the sights of Canberra with him. I can only hope that he’ll be able to return to Australia some time. And if you haven’t yet heard Phil give a talk on a topic, make the effort! He’s a great speaker.

[AGN Fuel]

Thanks for the goss, Peter! Sounds like it was a great experience! :D

[mickal555]

#-o

[Maksutov]

These are thongs :P
Sure you've posted this in the correct thread?

[Candy]

These are thongs (http://www.thongs.com.au/thongs.php) :P
Sure you've posted this in the correct thread? Priceless! =D> :lol:

[mickal555]

oh my...............................
:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
I think I'll delete that.............

:D

These are thongs (http://www.thongs.com.au/thongs.php) :P
Sure you've posted this in the correct thread? Priceless! =D> :lol:

[-X

return to TNM & recheck the ?"Memberlist"? link below

[Candy]

:D

These are thongs (http://www.thongs.com.au/thongs.php) :P
Sure you've posted this in the correct thread? Priceless! =D> :lol:

[-X

return to TNM & recheck the ?"Memberlist"? link below
I'm number 57! 8)

Well, with the BA back in the US, I thought I’d give people a bit of a description of my contacts with him while he was here in Oz.

I missed his radio interview with Dr Karl (of the Australian ABC’s Self Service Science Forum), but his interview with Stuart Gary on “Star stuff” on the Australian ABC’s NewsRadio network is available on the Net ( http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/star.htm , then select the program for 14 November).

.
http://search.abc.net.au/search/search.cgi?form=simple&num_ranks=10&collection=abc all&query=November+14th
http://search.abc.net.au/search/search.cgi?query=Star+Stuff&collection=abcall&form =simple
http://search.abc.net.au/search/search.cgi?query=Star+Stuff+11%2F14&collection=abc all&form=simple
http://search.abc.net.au/search/search.cgi?query=14%2F11+star+stuff+Stuart+Gray+As tronomer+Phil&collection=abcall&form=simple
vs

http://www.kboo.fm