The Aussie Thread

[TWOMULES]

Happy 50th birthday to our President, Stormy. I really wish he'd come back.

I'll have a beer for him and hope he is well.

Have to say I miss our President, Stormy. Wow! the fun we had on here. Great times!

[KC]

Vegemite, or a "posh" variant of it, is brought to the attention of New York Times readers:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/world/australia/vegemite-blend-17.html

MELBOURNE, Australia — Vegemite, the classic condiment found on breakfast tables in every corner of Australia for nearly a century, is going posh.

Bega, manufacturer of the iconic — if divisive — yeast extract spread, released a new and more expensive version of the product this week, raising questions about whether the brand had abandoned its humble roots in favor of a more affluent demographic.
The new variety, Vegemite Blend 17, is sold in achingly artisanal packaging that includes an unnecessary cardboard box, a gold-colored lid and a price tag more than double that of a traditional jar, coming in at 7 Australian dollars, or nearly $5.50.

When asked what happened to blends 1 through 16, Vegemite’s marketing director, Ben Hill, explained: “The name ‘Blend 17’ simply refers to the year 2017 we have released it in.”

[Matt]

When asked what happened to blends 1 through 16, Vegemite’s marketing director, Ben Hill, explained: “The name ‘Blend 17’ simply refers to the year 2017 we have released it in.”

 

The marketing for this is just awful. Check out the "Special Edition" box:  "Crafted for a richer VEGEMITE experience with a bolder finish".  Bolder finish?  This is basically a salt spread.

[KC]

I dunno, Matt, I think you ought to try it! You might like it better than regular Vegemite!

[Matt]

SK -- don't listen to her!

[The Schofield Kid]

http://m.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/06/08/vegemite-what-it-is-ways-to-eat-it-and-why-its-so-good_a_21392025/

Here you go Matt. If you still have that jar of Vegemite, you can try it not just on toast.

[Gant]

We'll have no talk of cricket here 🤐

[The Schofield Kid]

 

We'll have no talk of cricket here 🤐

 

To tell you the truth, I've been so busy I haven't seen any of the first three tests.

Have we played outstandingly or are England just average?

[Gant]

Didnt I make myself clear...

[Gant]

Kiddin'

Bit of both really.. England havn't been terrible, but just not good enough..

[The Schofield Kid]

Didnt I make myself clear...

 

[KC]

There's a humorous radio commercial for car insurance here in the U.S. featuring a mock news announcer. He ends his 30-second "newscast" with "In other news, a grasshopper was caught playing cricket. He was asked to leave the field immediately."

[Gant]

 

[Gant]

Never liked the sport anyway 

[The Schofield Kid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZw8DHGKqBU

It's sumo koala's on the highway!!   

[Matt]

^  That's great. Kinda surprised the driver was honking at them to get off the road. I wouldn't think, even in Australia, this would be a common sight. Just sit back and enjoy the show.

[Gant]

I met an actual descendant of Skippy when I was touring Australia...
Loved that show as a kid....

[Christopher]

^  That's great. Kinda surprised the driver was honking at them to get off the road. I wouldn't think, even in Australia, this would be a common sight. Just sit back and enjoy the show.

I'd be concerned they'd get hit by a car. It is really cool to see though. When I was a kid, there were various cartoons I watched that featured koalas as characters so I've always liked them though I don't know much about the actual animal.

[The Schofield Kid]

I'd be concerned they'd get hit by a car.

That's the only time I've seen them on the road before. When they haven't made it across in time.

[KC]

To return to a topic we touched on a year ago ...

What is a "bat creature"? Or do you mean just a plain bat? Some of them are pretty adorable too ...

 



(These little guys are Australian, so I'm staying on topic.)

I'm sure you know bats are the only mammals that can fly. (Flying squirrels and sugar gliders can only glide.) And they're very valuable fauna ... they eat tons of crop-damaging insects, and many species of plants are dependent on them for pollination.

... I mean "baby animals in blankets," of course ... though these babies aren't Australian ...

How Do You Keep an Elephant Warm? Knit a Giant Blanket

When an unexpectedly cold front from China descended on parts of Southeast Asia this past week, people in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia bundled up in coats to stave off the region’s unusual weather.

But what’s an elephant to do?

The unseasonal weather hit the Winga Baw camp for orphaned elephants in Myanmar, and workers scrambled to protect the seven animals in their care, using straw to keep them warm, according to Sangdeaun Lek Chailert, founder of the Save Elephant Foundation, a nonprofit based in Thailand that is dedicated to Asian elephants.

“We haven’t had weather this cold in 40 years,” she said by phone on Sunday while traveling through northern Thailand.

Temperatures fell to 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country. But the camp, in the Bago Region of Myanmar, had another secret weapon: giant knitted and crocheted blankets.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!