So. Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ll know that Google StreetView has now indexed Australia. At first I thought it was only the cities – I idly looked up my place (feeling vaguely uncomfortable), and some places I lived growing up, and had a peek at the Perth CBD.
Then I realised they’ve also photographed a fair whack of the countryside, too. And not just the easy parts. They didn’t stint on crossing the Nullarbor:
So, is your house shown on Google Maps Streetview?
What about the directions to get to your place? Adequate, or rubbish? And did they have a clean lens round your way?
Inquiring minds etc
Remember when Jennifer Laycock of The Lactivist was stomped on by Big Pork for selling a T-shirt saying “The other white milk”?
“Your use of this slogan also tarnishes the good reputation of the National Pork Board’s mark, in light of your apparent attempt to promote the use of breastmilk beyond merely for infant consumption”,
the Pork Board whined, with a side serve of insinuation that The Lactivist was a sexual lactation fetish site. (Or were they really, truly freaked out that she is just fine with toddlers and preschoolers breastfeeding, not just infants – and thought that that any association with all that booby malarkey would reflect badly on an organisation that intensively tortures pigs before making them into bacon? We’ll never know.)
Xeni Jardin notes that it’s official: more than 1% of the US population is now in jail or prison. The stats one finds can be a little confusing because of that particular US distinction (between jail (a remand facility for those awaiting trial or convicted of misdemeanours) and prison (convicted criminals only)), but most studies find between 750 to 800 persons imprisoned per 100,000 US populace. Other nations treat jail/gaol and prison as synonyms, so their incarceration rates may well include those held on remand or for misdemeanours, making the difference in figures between the US and other countries even more striking.
Despite several attempts, the cremated remains of actor James Doohan (Scotty in Star Trek) have not yet made it out into space.
While the family understands that being on the cutting edge of technology can mean that things often do not go as planned, they’re not finding this easy. His son Ehrich writes:
THANK YOU. Whoever saw a wallet nearby, thank you so much for picking it up and putting it in the letterbox.
As it happened, it belonged with next-door rather than us, but it has now been returned to its rightful owner. Great relief and gratitude ensued.
Marvel Fashion Show-10, originally uploaded by LJinto.
Taken at a comicon this last weekend, apparently this “fashion parade” was actually organised by Marvel Comics.
Image Source: Astronomy Picture of the Day (2008-08-02: Eclipse Shirt), image by Phillip Haake
The next eclipse of the sun visible from Australia will be in November 2012 (and only a partial eclipse over Sydney), so I’ve got a while to plan it
Despite recently surviving a series of leadership spills, sleazebag chair-sniffer and sexual-harasser Troy Buswell, leader of the WA Liberal Party [1], is expected to stand down today.
Buswell has the majority support of the remainder of his motley crew (resignations have been rife these past few months), but his support from the Party as a whole and the WA population is low.
Stay tuned.
ETA 12:06 pm: Live press
Hoyden About Town 