CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-22 21:53:55 (9 comments, 2 reshares, 18 +1s)

Science got it wrong

What a shame the old girl isn't a planet anymore. Now, she just kinda drifts...forgotten...lost among the other non-planets in the ever-expanding cosmos.

I'll be 105 years old when she finishes her first orbit. So, Happy Birthday, Pluto. The #vodka  is on me.

#Science  

2013-05-19 12:55:19 (61 comments, 0 reshares, 37 +1s)

Relevance. Get your relevance here

So, there's this thing going 'round called the #50MostRelevant . Far be it for me to pass up an opportunity to share the people on Google+ that make my stream so awesome....

Kim Townsend   +Kim Townsend - Goddess of all things Star Wars
Mandy Abela   +Mandy Abela - My Internet Stalker
Matthew Vickers   +Matthew Vickers - #Vodka  and #Metal  
Alizah M   +Alizah M - Gone, but not forgotten
Dhamma Chick   +Dhamma Chick - Oh look ^^^
Steve Brady   +Steve Brady - If you ever need a laugh, circle this bastard
Brett Williamson   +Brett Williamson - My only customer on G+
Gordz Murphy   +Gordz Murphy - My #BroLove  
Lady Fran W   +Lady Fran W - My first HIRLer
Areeya L   +Areeya L - Where's my soup?
Bill Holder   +Bill Holder - Sarah?
Stephen Lord   +Stephen Lord- So many chuc... more »

2013-05-16 11:15:57 (9 comments, 9 reshares, 46 +1s)

Australia - Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be

When you live on a barely hospitable desert island that was once a continent-sized penal colony, your life tends to be a little more badass than the average person’s.

And so it is for me and my fellow Australians.  I mean everyone knows we have Drop Bears (http://goo.gl/5U4LM), spiders that are big enough to ride (http://goo.gl/mL41a), and killer crocodiles that are too big to fit in the back of a ute (http://goo.gl/OgqUj), but did you know that our crocodiles also attack helicopters ?

Did you know our dingoes not only steal babies from tents in the middle of the night, but they also eat sharks?

Speaking of sharks, did you know our fishermen use sharks to catch even bigger sharks ?

Well, if you already knew these things, then you're obviously an Aussie. Goodonya. For the rest ofyo... more »

2013-05-14 00:02:13 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

That awkward moment when

.....you are wearing nothing but underwear, and an ex-girlfriend appears in front of you.

2013-05-13 09:27:47 (163 comments, 193 reshares, 931 +1s)

Some Mashups Just Make Sense

I can't imagine the Adam West version of Batman taking on Heath Ledger's Joker.

Can you?

2013-05-12 12:49:41 (10 comments, 4 reshares, 27 +1s)

Ring of Fire

Yesterday, parts of Australia were treated to a spectacular "ring of fire" annular eclipse. Unfortunately for the Northern Hemisphere, you didn't get to see anything at all - so hopefully these amazing photographs will console you.

Image credits: 
Column 1: Coca-Cola Space Science Center/Columbus State University, AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, Kalani Pokipala, Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Column2: Coca-Cola Space Science Center/Columbus State University, Jay Pasachoff/Williams College, Space Telescope Science Institute, Jay Pasachoff/Williams College

Column 3: Robert White, Getty Images, Slooh Space Camera
Coca-Cola Space Science Center/Columbus State University

Column 4: Coca-Cola Space Science Center/Columbus State University, Jay Pasachoff/Williams College, Geoff Sims, Sarah Smigal

( via +Neil... more »

2013-05-08 22:47:56 (28 comments, 7 reshares, 49 +1s)

Australia's forgotten giants

The gigantic animals that once roamed Australia, such as this marsupial lion, were wiped out by climate change, not humans, a major review suggests. For decades scientists have debated whether people or climate wiped out the Australia megafauna, and this review by +The University of New South Wales shows these animals had already disappeared before humans reached the continent.

Read the study from UNSW: http://goo.gl/4QLRP

Read more #AboutAustralia  - http://goo.gl/68lF9

2013-05-04 03:21:00 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Duplicate Duplicate Google+ Google+ Posts Posts

Take a look at the attached image. Do you see what I see? The same post, showing twice in my stream as I scroll. This is happening a lot lately, but it's usually a group of posts that get duplicated. In this instance, it was just the one.

Surely I am not the only person to be suffering from this?

It happens regardless of the circle I'm looking at. And, no, it doesn't happen all the time.

2013-04-29 13:26:52 (72 comments, 56 reshares, 98 +1s)

Australia's ONLY Non-Deadly Creature

A little while ago, I posted about the Irukandji jellyfish (http://goo.gl/u0sRa), arguably one of the most-deadly animals on the face of the planet. It got me thinking, does Australia actually have a non-deadly animal?

So, here's the Huntsman Spider. He's just a little ball of happiness. He can't make webs, so you never need to worry about walking into one. And you never need to worry about where he is because, usually, he's in plain sight. In Your House

A lot of people are scared of the Irukandji because he's so small. Don't worry about that with this little guy, the average size of a fully grown adult is about the size of your hand. All good, easy to spot.

He frightens easily, the poor thing. So if he sees you coming at him, he'll go running around all batshit crazy. But, the cool... more »

2013-04-27 02:43:21 (10 comments, 4 reshares, 36 +1s)

My First #Caturday Post

I'm a dog person, through and through. But, I absolutely adore kittens. They're so playful and fun. And kinda delicious, when served up nicely.

2013-04-26 12:28:53 (16 comments, 18 reshares, 55 +1s)

Cassowarries - The Drop Bear of the bird family

This right here in 7 feet of pure, unadulterated killing machine. A Cassowarry can run at speeds up to 50 km/h (31mph) and will freakin' bulldoze anything that gets in its way. Happily. See that dinosaur helmet she's got going? That thing will mess you up. Also, she can jump high enough to kick you in the #boobies .

If death by headbanging ( \m/ ) wasn't enough, then consider this. She has a 13cm claw on each foot. Did you hear that? 13cm. 5 inches. On. Each. Foot  Go measure that, I'll wait.

Yeah. YEAH. DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THAT THING? That thing can take off limbs. It can disembowel a grown human. It can do these things, and it will. Happily.

It even swims. IT SWIMS. Okay? Yeah, that's right. As if Great Whites and 20 foot crocodiles weren't enough, like we Aussies needed... more »

2013-04-24 00:06:06 (18 comments, 2 reshares, 24 +1s)

Why do you run? I run to keep fit, and to make my brain shut up. But this is why I don't stop when I'm running.

#DropBears   #LookUpAndLive  

2013-04-23 21:42:47 (30 comments, 3 reshares, 20 +1s)

Evil Geniuses Wanted

Can you imagine the interview for this?

"So, tell me about how you have been evil in a previous role...."

What would your answer be?

2013-04-23 01:24:40 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

McArthur's Universal Corrective Map of the World

"Stuart McArthur of Melbourne, Australia drew his first South-Up map when he was 12 years old (1970). His geography teacher told him to re-do his assignment with the "correct" way up if he wanted to pass."

2013-04-23 00:09:21 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 18 +1s)

Baby Heart Attacks

They're not much fun.

Must. Drink. More. #vodka  

2013-04-22 06:03:02 (31 comments, 5 reshares, 35 +1s)

Austria is the world's largest island

Austria is a funny country. Living under the auspices of it's big brother, Germany, Austria is famous for Mozart, the Von Trapp family, World War I and the birthplace of Hitler. But, I've said this before (http://goo.gl/hDTer)

Now, in an attempt to smarten up their image and make them more tourist-friendly, the good folks at the Austrian Society for a Socially and Holistically Open and Liberal Europe (ASSHOLE) have decided that they will move to the South Pacific. Obviously, they better hurry because the NRA wants to rename Australia as Planet X (http://goo.gl/jv3LP)

#AboutAustralia  - http://goo.gl/68lF9

( via +Thomas Brunner and +Michael Mittner )

2013-04-21 23:07:47 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

Google Glass

2013-04-21 21:50:31 (9 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

IRNP

It doesn't have the same impact on me as the TMNT...

2013-04-18 21:37:34 (1 comments, 17 reshares, 32 +1s)

By Monday I'll have Friday on my mind

2013-04-18 00:04:30 (12 comments, 7 reshares, 49 +1s)

You know you have awesome neighbours when

1. They own a life-size Velocaraptor 
2. They push it up against the window of a neighbour in the middle of the night

cc +Philosoraptor 

2013-04-17 13:00:47 (13 comments, 37 reshares, 69 +1s)

The Coolest Policewoman in Australia

"Lock 'em up and throw away the keys" just wouldn't work in this situation.

2013-04-17 05:43:43 (10 comments, 5 reshares, 19 +1s)

\m/

2013-04-16 22:52:11 (14 comments, 16 reshares, 45 +1s)

Daddy, how was I born?

There are many ways to explain "the birds and the bees" to children. This is one of them.

2013-04-16 12:57:39 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

STEVE JOBS WAS A PHREAK

If you were a geek in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s, your idea of a good time would have been hacking into phone networks. 

They called it phone phreaking. 

And two of the most famous phone phreaks were Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the co-founders of Apple (pictured)

Has hacker mentality helped shape digital technology as we know it today?

I did some hacking myself during my time at university, but not to cause damage. It was all about educating myself about "how things worked".

http://goo.gl/p0ZNi

( via +ABC Australia )

2013-04-16 03:33:18 (30 comments, 3 reshares, 44 +1s)

2013-04-16 00:26:27 (11 comments, 4 reshares, 30 +1s)

STOP, Collaborate and Listen

2013-04-15 23:29:53 (12 comments, 5 reshares, 13 +1s)

Australia's BIG Things

Back in 1997, I went on my very first trip overseas. It was a business trip to the USof (to learn Postscript), but I also went on a holiday for a week in the town of Lacrosse, Wisconsin. Now, for those that don't know, Wisconsin is famous for two things - Cheese and Beer (and Laverne and Shirley, but that's a story for another time). Whilst I was in Lacrosse, I was told that I had to see the World's Largest Six Pack (of beer, not abdominal muscles).  Constructed in 1969, the World's Largest Six Pack contains a total of 22,220 barrels of beer, which is 2.6 million litres (688,200 gallons). This is enough to fill 7,340,796 cans, or one carton of Darwin Stubbies (http://goo.gl/DXNGw). Also, placed end-to-end, these beer cans would run 909 kilometres (565 miles) long. Even more amazing, the World's Largest Six Pack would provide a single person a... more »

2013-04-15 01:03:36 (17 comments, 4 reshares, 37 +1s)

Pay Attention

I shared the Rules for Surviving in Australia in April last year (http://goo.gl/970Ub). Clearly, I need to revamp them to celebrate the 12 month anniversary.

1. Australia's beaches aren't fun, so it's probably best to not go near them. But, if you must go to the beach, always wear a swimsuit made from kelp.

2. Never carry a weapon. Australia is full of Convicts from Ireland and Scotland, so we all carry more weapons than you could possibly imagine.

3. If you see a Great White, swim over and give it a pat. They're very playful. This can be seen in the attached image.

4. If you want to swim in the ocean, do it ONLY at Dawn or Dusk. Sharks only eat people during the daylight hours, and at night they go clubbing with the Stingrays. Obviously, the person in the image did not follow my rules.

5. It's always... more »

2013-04-13 01:50:45 (19 comments, 7 reshares, 29 +1s)

Sydney, according to Sydney

So this is what someone has drawn up to explain how various parts of +Sydney see the rest of Sydney.

FWIW, I live "out there", in the "cultural cringe" with the "refugees". Because "Someone has to live here"? No, because it's not pretentious or overly priced or culturally bereft of life. It's my home, and I'm proud of it.

#GreaterWesternSydney  

2013-04-13 00:40:25 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

What's the time?

Try to imagine a life without timekeeping.........

You probably can't. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or on the dashboard of your car, a time for dinner, a movie, work, and rest.

Yet, all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays.

Man alone measures time.

Man alone chimes the hour.

And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralysing fear that no other creature endures.

A fear of time running out

( via +Rachel Gál )

2013-04-12 10:46:41 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Amateur Photography

This photo was taken by a friend of mine list week. I'd like to hear from some professional photographers here, what's your thoughts? And anyone else who wants to comment, of course, is more than welcome.

Personally, I love it and not just because it was taken by someone I know. I feel the photo, if that makes sense.

2013-04-12 08:52:22 (46 comments, 22 reshares, 32 +1s)

Don't Use Your Phone Whilst Driving

This is the sad, but timely reminder, of why you shouldn't use your mobile phone whilst driving.

The parents of Alexander Heit released the attached image to tell the story of how their son sadly lost his life trying to complete the above message whilst driving. Alexander drifted into oncoming traffic, tried to swerve and then went off the road, rolling his car.

He died shortly after the accident, on April 3, in the United States.

In consultation with the local police, the man's mother Sharon decided to share the image with the following statement:

"In a split second you could ruin your future, injure or kill others, and tear a hole in the heart of everyone who loves you."

As someone who was recently pulled over and charged with using my phone whilst driving, I feel like I need... more »

2013-04-11 01:24:55 (22 comments, 5 reshares, 49 +1s)

Drop Bear on the hunt

After having ravaged and destroyed the surrounding area, the Drop Bear will walk vast distances in search of its next kill.

This one was spotted yesterday in NSW's Central West after it cleared a patch of forest of all life forms. Despite being listed as deadly in NSW, QLD and the ACT under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the system does not adequately protect photographers from harm. The camera was found this morning, this was the only photo downloaded from the internal memory. The whereabouts of the photographer remain unknown.

#bealert   #lookup   #dropbears   #australia  

#AboutAustralia  - http://goo.gl/68lF9

2013-04-10 23:06:24 (39 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Sharing the ANZAC Spirit

We are a couple of weeks away from ANZAC Day here in Australia. For my international followers, think of ANZAC Day like Remembrance Day - a day to reflect on the passing of the men and women that have fought for our country. If you're interested in reading more about the ANZACs, feel free to light up the Wikipedia page - http://goo.gl/tqMxK

One of the overarching themes of the ANZACs was the idea of mateship. Many have said how Australia and New Zealand “came of age” during the Gallipoli campaign, and really did begin to break away from their colonial past and develop their own identities.

It’s with this idea - mateship - that is going to be the source of a new circle I want to put together, which I will then share on ANZAC Day, April 25th.

So, I want you to tell me two things:

1. who are the Google+ peoplethat y... more »

2013-04-10 00:38:19 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

#sladeshowsyou the right way to run the fuck away from a fight

Se02Ep03

2013-04-09 12:27:24 (7 comments, 5 reshares, 37 +1s)

Paintception

A painting within a painting, being painted by the painter painting the painting who is also painting himself.

#mindblown  

2013-04-08 23:39:09 (44 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

My arse hurts

It's been a week since my arse took a pounding, and it doesn't feel like it's getting any better. Before the comments go from the sublime to the ridiculous, allow me to tell you how I did it.

I went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show last week, and decided to relive a bit of my youth by going on a couple of rides. This one ride in particular (a giant slide) was always a favourite of mine as a kid, so I attacked it with vigour.

The problem was, however, that these things are designed for children. I picked up a little too much momentum, and was getting airborne across every bump.

And, so, my arse hurts.

Sitting or standing is fine, it's the transition from sitting to standing that is not getting better. It's just downright painful.

/endrant

#notwhatyouwerethinking   #youfilthyanimals  

2013-04-08 11:57:20 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Parenting

This is just a very odd photo.

2013-04-07 11:57:42 (8 comments, 2 reshares, 44 +1s)

2013-04-07 03:25:35 (23 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Heeeeeeey, Sexy Lady

Mocha Kenyan Style.

(Admit it, you just sang Gangnam Style in your head)

2013-04-06 23:56:48 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Really Facebook?

I use Chrome extensions to get rid of your ad spam in the desktop website so my stream is clean from your filth.

Now, not only do you have ads in the mobile app, but this rubbish is a Suggested Post ?
Your irrelevance levels to me are increasing.

2013-04-06 22:37:33 (23 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Nom Nom Nom

A hearty breakfast, if there ever was one.

2013-04-04 22:38:44 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 38 +1s)

Distorted Reality

Yes, it's Friday. A time to forget, yet time to remember.

What's your plans for the weekend?

2013-04-04 11:01:04 (7 comments, 3 reshares, 18 +1s)

#meanwhileinAustralia   #Australia  

as some of our recent overseas visitors will tell you, you often see Kangaroo Joe busking in the outback.

2013-04-04 01:23:25 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

Baby Swamp Wallaby

As part of my #AboutAustralia series, I've shared a video of a baby koala before (http://goo.gl/AEYI1). Well, it's time to get your "Awwwwww"'s ready, because this time it's a baby female swamp wallaby.

Ain't she the cutest little thing?

#AboutAustralia  - http://goo.gl/68lF9

2013-04-03 21:31:59 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 21 +1s)

Do you ever run out of ideas?

One of my favourite Far Side comics went something like this:

Ducks - Quack quack quack quack quack!
Duck - CHICKEN!
(The ducks duck as a chicken flies by)
Ducks - Quack quack quack quack quack!
Caption: "Do you ever run out of ideas?" asked the interviewer. "Well, sometimes," said the cartoonist.

2013-04-03 12:06:46 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 32 +1s)

World Autism Day

Every year on April 2, autism organisations around the world observe the day with awareness programs and fundraisers.

Several iconic buildings all over the world, including the +Sydney Opera House, recognised the day by changing their exterior lighting systems to blue instead of traditional white light.

2013-04-03 11:35:27 (16 comments, 4 reshares, 12 +1s)

Can you spot it?

I've had some interesting challenges with the #WhiteHouseReno , but I can honestly say I've not done anything as wrong as this.

I'm in the final stretch, doing the decorative bits and generally tidying things up and making look 'right'. It's oh so close.

2013-04-02 02:58:56 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 22 +1s)

April Fools, +Google Australia Style

First off, yes I know I'm late to the game seeing as it's April 2nd today. But, get off my case, it's still April 1st on the West Coast of the USA, and let's not forget about Hawaii and all those other little islands that the French use to blow up Nuclear weapons.

Our good friends at +Google Australia have created a replacement for +Google Maps Street View - it's called Google Schmick. Why couldn't this be a real product, then my #WhiteHouseReno  would have taken a whole different angle. Out with 18th Century French, and in with the Big Ben and Kangaroos.

Disclaimer: The pic is not the White House.

Google Schmick - http://goo.gl/fCJBY

2013-03-31 21:28:35 (36 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

For 20 points

What is this?