51st State

We saw this book in the gift shop at Australia's Parliament in Caneberra.

Evidently Oz is trying to muscle in on Canada's claim:

Schizophrenic Cockatoo

Last weekend -- here in Lane Cove, Sydney (Google map) -- we were sitting around in our neighbors garage watching the pig roast (another story altogether) While we sampled bits of the roast, we were also being amused by our good friend: Koki the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Koki is the neighbors faithful pet bird, and is usually in good spirits, as seen here:

After a while, though, Koki started getting all aggressive. Perhaps she had angst about ending up like the poor little piggie:

Perhaps she was riled up from chasing/biting the grill's eletctrical cord every time somebody moved it. Or maybe the camera-flash freaked her out. Whatever the reason, she started flaring the yellow comb on her head, spreading her wings, and aggressively attacking our toes! She was promptly escorted to her cage, but not before inspiring these comics:

Weird Products #1

Every once in a while, we just have to laugh at the small differences between the countries in which we live, and those we visit. Here's a sampling of products that have made us laugh (or cringe)

In Australia, it looks like Burger King has a twin brother:

While we were in New Zealand, it took me a couple of times to the super-market before I realized that the Kiwis do not eat tons and tons of Jimmy Dean Sausage:

We were just dying to buy this guitar for our "little" brother back home:

I almost broke my neck when I did a double-take at this item in the dairy section of Cole's:

Spewing Turtles of Hyde Park

So yesterday, we were walking through the center of Sydney, Australia -- through Hyde Park to be exact. Not the real Hyde Park, but the fake one. Anyway, we came to a fountain, and I'm struck with this intense feeling of Godzilla-de-ja-vu.

I never thought I'd put the words "spewing" and "turtles" together, but, well here you go. I'm also amazed at how many hits "spewing turtles" returns on Google.

Click here for the plan-view of the spewing turtles.