Adventure Ausrama Blog

Establish your own country. People have been doing this for decades. They pronounce kingship and plant crowns on their heads to rule in perpetuity. Don't laugh. These people are serious. Such "countries" have currencies made, issue stamps and visas, and even produce constitutions. People can become "citizens" on the Internet. Why do they establish new countries? Some do it because they are fed up with the country they live in, others to highlight an issue of contention. Doing it just for laughs or getting an income from tourism is not uncommon. Recently a meeting of micronations took place at a Sydney university. They discussed their place in The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations. The meeting went well. There were Laughs aplenty. Just imagine how the leaders were decked out with flowing robes, scepters and crowns. There is a problem, however. It is an illusion of independence. The "countries" are still part of the larger countries they are...

"I'm really down. My batteries are flat!" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos Vista Computer Solutions Blog ------- Australian Blog -------

With workplace participation by those with disabilities being a prime goal touted by government there is no solid progress. Words are cheap and politicians know it. Funding is just not there. Businesses must make a profit to survive in a competitive world and they will not take the disabled on without subsidies. This is a fact. Those with disabilities are even shunned by the public at large. They face discrimination every day. They feel that government ignores them as must as businesses. Ninety four per cent of disabled people said this in a recent survey. Besides having a job, they want support in basic social contact. Many do not have a circle of friends. When they are with a carer, bank staff, for example, talk to the carer without speaking to the person cared for. The disabled are ignored as being "non-people". Wheelchair access has not been improved for years. Public transport is out of the question for many. Parts of the city are never visited by the disa...

"You've got a fine moustache there, Dad." "I know, son." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funny Animal Photos Vista Computer Solutions Blog ------- Australian Blog -------

Though there are worries over extinction of all animals, it is reptiles who are in most danger. Some reptiles are pretty, but for the most part they are seen as ugly. Because of this they lose out on conservation funding. This is serious with one in five reptile species predicted to die out. People are moving into previously pristine regions of the tropics to log valuable trees and to practice logging. The conclusion about endangered reptiles has been reached by 200 of the world's scientific experts. Funding is not enough. We need to change human behavior. This of course means changing human needs, which is more challenging. Concentrating on saving turtles is good for them. Other reptiles, however, remain at risk. The living and reproductive systems of many reptiles is still unknown. Out of sight, out of mind leads to extinction. Reptiles tend to live in the toughest of environments. Such specialization does result in their demise when humans change the habitat. Tho...

Have you heard of the person who got part of a needle stuck in his hand and it came out 10 years later through his foot? Strange things like this do happen. It is the body's way of safely ridding the body of potentially dangerous objects. Work on Australian frogs show they deal with such things in a different way. Tiny bead-like radio transmitters were implanted into frogs. They were put into body cavities of frogs and even toads. Oddly, the small devices disappeared. The beads moved along the body into the bladder where they were, in due course, fully expelled from the body. This may sound like something quite obvious and unremarkable until one is informed that the beads were two centimeters long and some of the frogs were only eight centimeters long. It is no mean feat for such a small animal. It was discovered that tissue from the bladder grows out and envelopes the foreign object. The object is then drawn into the bladder. Apparently, frogs have evolved this to rid their...

The human body runs on its own. Think of the times your mind is working on a problem and during the evaluation process your body is continuing with daily routine tasks. It happens every day. You reach a conscious conclusion on a problem and then wonder have I had a cup of coffee? Oh yes, you have - you can still taste it. The body can you give you unwanted pain as well.  Your body can do things totally out of your control that really "bug" you, like teeth that hurt, hiccups, stitch, pins and needles or cramp. Some get a headache or painful teeth when they eat or drink something cold. This is due to sensitive nerve endings in teeth. You can use special toothpaste that takes months before it becomes effective. In the mean time stay away from cold things. Hiccups is caused by eating and drinking too fast, or taking in air. It can also be caused by becoming suddenly nervous. The only real known cure it to take beta blockers. Though you have to wait until the medication take...