Google Recognises Palestine

Internet search behemoth Google has recognised Palestine’s upgraded United Nations status, placing the name “Palestine” on its search engine instead of “Palestinian Territories,” the US company said, raising the ire of Israel. The domain name www.google.ps, Google’s search engine for the territories, now brings up a homepage with “Palestine” written underneath the Google logo.

In November last year the UN general assembly upgraded Palestine to the status of non-member observer state by a vote of 138 votes in favour, 9 against and 41 abstentions.

Palestinian authorities have since begun to use the “State of Palestine” in diplomatic correspondence and issued official stamps for the purpose. The google recognition took effect this week, Google spokesman Nathan Tyler said in a statement :: Read the full article »»»»

Latest Australian Census Data Maps Best Council Areas

New Australian census data has ranked how well-off each local council area is, showing Western Australia and New South Wales as the states with the most affluent suburbs.

The Socio-Economic Index generated by the 2011 census measures people’s income, type of employment, housing and broadband access in different locations across the country, Dr Gould from the Australian Bureau of Statistics – ABS - says the data can be used by state and local governments to help better target support programs.

The data can be downloaded from the Australian Bureau of Statistics website for use in Google Earth, which interprets the data using Google maps. The small riverside suburb of Peppermint Grove in Perth has been ranked as the country’s most well-off council area, closely followed by Ku-ring-gai in Sydney’s affluent north :: Read the full article »»»»

REBLOG! Can Australia Survive Treasurer Hockey?

Rob Burges at Business Spectator has the answer to a question I’ve wanted to ask for about the last 2 years. Can Australia Survive Treasurer Hockey?

Until the end of 2012 it was relatively common to read in the papers, or hear expressed by the political and chattering classes, the hope that Malcolm Turnbull would sweep back to the head of the Liberal Party, turf out Labor and restore Australia’s paradise lost.

Slowly, however, these same voices came to understand the ineffable logic of Tony Abbott’s standing in the opinion polls – the party didn’t need Turnbull to be popular.

And from there it was but a short jump to the hope that if Turnbull couldn’t be king, perhaps Tony Abbott would make him treasurer at the very least, and let that Joe guy go.

Such theories, though pleasant to many, are fantasies. Not only has Tony Abbott affirmed that the members of the opposition front bench “can expect” to retain their portfolios if the Coalition wins government, but Abbott and Hockey are, according to senior MPs, extremely close – not quite the way to describe the Abbott-Turnbull relationship.

Hypothetically, of course, Turnbull would have certain advantages over Hockey.

First, his popularity among voters extends deep into swing-voters territory. While PM Abbott would hold the interest and affection of traditional conservative Liberals, Turnbull would keep the small ‘l’ liberals on board.

Both sides could bitch about the other half of the marriage – in the same way that Labor voters liked Keating’s well-cut suits, or Hawke’s beer-in-hand larrikin antics, but rarely both. We’ve posted a picture – above -of Mr Turnbull, just couldn’t have Joe on this page :: Read the full Business Spectator article »»»» 

Australians Addicted to Mobile Devices

Blogger and ABC contributor Peter Ryan has a superneat post on a new report confirming what most of us  already knew: Australians are addicted to their smartphones. The survey of smartphone users by tech behemoth Cisco reveals that the daily ritual for Gen Y Aussies kicks off with a quick txt.

Many of the survey participants admitted that they checked for messages, emails and updates at least twice an hour, many becoming anxious when their phone goes astray.

Kevin Bloch isn’t alone, our favourite news agency – Reuters – has an ubercool post on our latest addiction, Social Media.

Social media is now apparently a recognised addiction, a study undertaken last year by the University of Chicago found that Liking and Tweeting can be even more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol. The research showed that social networking sites gave users a burst of the addictive neurotransmitter dopamine. Check the Reuters Video :: Read the full article »»»»

Kiss Kiss Kiss, Reeking What You’ve Eaten!?

It’s no secret, I’ve dated a stinker, a wonderfilled woman – full of talent and wit – who had the misfortune of suffering from halitosis, a condition that turned my bog-standard-bipolarized-blond-bird into a slinky-stink-bomb. Brooksy’s condition was initiated by a specific combination of food, give this girl a combo of  garlic and red wine and you’d have to stand five feet away to avoid the pong, no joke, possibly THE most rancid smell my nose has ever been exposed to!

Most of us have had a similar experience, an outwardly gorgeous buddy who turns our nose. So were does the stink come from; diet, perspiration or bad personal hygiene, are we truly what we eat? ::

Alternative medicines like Ayurveda and Homeopathy reckon that toxins in our body – from impure or improperly digested food – can cause our body odour and breath to pong. According to mainstream medicine and science however, the causes of bad body odour are not yet fully understood.

Modern medicine says that bodily smells are caused by numerous factors working in combination, including the chemicals in sweat reacting with bacteria that have made a home on our skin. And while science is busily looking at our diet, conclusions are currently sparse. It’s easy to imagine that what we eat might sneak out through perspiration :: Read the full article »»»»

MONA Launches Hobart Into lonely Planets Top Ten Destinations

Hobart’s ranking as one of 10 cities in the world to visit next year has been put down to the success of the Museum of Old and New Art – MONA - Travel guide Lonely Planet has San Francisco at the top of the list, with Hobart in seventh place  :: Read the full article »»»»