A rare form of lightning called ‘red sprites’ (only confirmed 30 years ago) observed earlier this month at Kununurra in Western Australia. To wit:
100-meter balls of ionized air shoot down from about 80-km high at 10 percent the speed of light and are quickly followed by a group of upward streaking ionized balls. Red sprites take only a fraction of a second to occur and are best seen when powerful thunderstorms are visible from the side.
(Pic: Ben Broady)
Swimmers and surfers at Tamarama beach were this morning told to get out of the water or risk a potential danger. A large Great White shark was sighted, calmly patrolling the shallows and chasing a seal until lifeguards managed to chase it back out to sea. #Tamarama #7News pic.twitter.com/ZVDLaoq9qN
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) January 8, 2019
Irish woman speaks to 7 News in Australia after the sighting of a Great White shark in Tamarama beach near Sydney, Australia.
‘It was a big one’: Four-metre shark spotted off Tamarama Beach (The Sydney Morning Herald)
H/T: Colette Browne
A bipartisan bill before the US Congress threatens to open access to the prized E3 visa class to Irish workers, a prospect that has sparked an intense lobbying campaign by Australia’s ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, to block the move.
….The legislation to expand the E3 visa scheme to Irish immigrants was introduced to the US House of Representatives at the end of October and is due for debate in coming weeks.
Many members of the US Congress have Irish ancestry, and are sympathetic to the idea of making it easier for Irish professionals to work in America.
But Australian officials have launched a diplomatic battle to preserve the exclusive right to the visa, fearing that opening up the scheme to the Irish would lead to a stampede of other countries seeking to gain access to its special provisions.
FIGHT!
The Irish are muscling in on our special US visa, so we’ve ‘gone nuts (The Age)
Thanks Mark Geary
Strewth.
Mark Geary writes:
Why wasn’t this driver locked up?
Melbourne driver handed $1,000 fine for deliberately hitting cyclist (The Guardian)
Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison
“To the children we failed, sorry.
To the parents whose trust was betrayed and who have struggled to pick up the pieces, sorry.
To the whistleblowers, who we did not listen to, sorry.
To the spouses, partners, wives, husbands, children, who have dealt with the consequences of the abuse, cover-ups and obstruction, sorry.
To generations past and present, sorry,
We are sorry. Sorry you are not protected,. Sorry you are not listened to.
We are sorry for refusing to trust the words of children, for not believing you.
As we say sorry, we also say we believe you.”
Australia’s prime Minister Scott Morrison, (top) delivered to a gathering of victims in Canberra, the nation’s capital.
‘We Say Sorry’: Australia Formally Apologizes to Victims of Child Sexual Abuse (New York Times)
Pic: Reuters
Spectacular time lapse footage of a huge storm passing over Kimberley in north west Australia by Geoff Green.
Dirty!
Con Kennedy writes:
I suppose the Australian Research and Space Exploration agency could boldly go and wipe Klingons of the surface of Uranus…
Meanwhile…
Ah now.
Friscondo writes:
And then there’s this (above)…
Aussie rules?
Colm Walsh writes:
I’m sure you agree that the rock thrown through my windshield at Tibradden last week, between 3.30&5.50pm (lost one pair of old jeans), while hiking, created a map of Australia in its place…
From top: This morning’s Northern Territory News; ‘F**k It and Apples
‘sup?
The animals’ owner Greg Dick said tourists were often taken aback at the sight of the kangaroo — named “F**k It” — mounting Apples the pig by the side of the road.
But he says he’s powerless to intervene in the outback love affair.
“It’s quite an unusual thing,” he said.
“I tried to take the pig away the other day and the kangaroo nearly tore the fence down.”
Oink.
Kangaroo and pig strike up special romantic relationship in Aileron (NT)
Thanks Mark Geary
Dave Power writes:
I moved to Australia from Tramore, Waterford a few years ago and now work in Victoria. My job in Victoria is working with local councils on their tourism and economic development for their regions.
I am currently working in the Shire of Baw Baw which is an hour South East of Melbourne and covers the main towns of Drouin, Warragul and the old gold mining town of Walhalla. We also have a ski resort, Mount Baw Baw, which is the closest ski resort to Melbourne.
I have just made this video on a shoestring budget with the aim of getting people to go off the beaten track and discover this part of Victoria, mainly those parts beyond Melbourne City.
Since there is still a massive Irish contingent in Australia and travelling to Melbourne each year I thought it would be good to share it with your readers.
There is an old Irish settlement here in the towns of Warragul from back in the 1960s and when you come to this part of Victoria it really does remind me of Ireland. During the hot summer, this place still manages to stay green.
