LaLaLa: Can't Get Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book

My friend Etienne di Cosimo has written a new trivia book, about international pop superstar Kylie Minogue!!! 

Pop Goddess. Diva. International Superstar. Soap Star. Fashion and Style Icon. Gay Icon. Sex Symbol. Humanitarian. Cancer Survivor. Fair Dinkum Aussie Girl. These superlatives can be used to describe only one person: The incandescent Kylie Minogue! Can't Get Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book by Etienne di Cosimo is the ultimate love letter written for Kylie's millions of fans from across the four corners of the globe and is the perfect gift for all "Lovers"...

US Kylie fans can order the book through Amazon US: Can't Ger Her Out of My Head: A Kylie Minogue Trivia Book while UK fans can order the book here!

Fool's Gold: Scientists Discover Gold in Eucalyptus Trees

The old saying goes "Money doesn't grow on trees", but the leaves of the eucalyptus tree may hold clues that there is gold in the ground beneath them!

Scientists in Australia have discovered that many plants and trees in the drier areas of the country have root systems that burrow deep within the earth in search of precious water in order to survive. (Australia is the driest nation on the planet, as the current devastating wildfires will attest.) The trees, in particular the eucalyptus, then absorb gold and other mineral particles from the ground. In an effort to expel the toxic heavy metals, the particles of gold are then expelled through the leaves, which are the favorite treats of those adorable koala bears!

The gold particles are extremely tiny—only about one-tenth the width of a normal human hair— which means it would take a lot of particles to make any money. The presence of the gold particles in the trees, however, would be a good indication that there are gold deposits located in the ground beneath the trees, which is good news for any prospectors Down Under!

Giant Fluorescent Pink Slugs Discovered In Australia

Australia is world-renowned for its truly bizarre parade of alien-like and deadly creatures: Tiny blue octopi that can kill with the slightest touch, marsupial mammals with a duck bill as well as some of the deadliest snakes and spiders on the planet.

Now, a new species of fluorescent pink slugs has been discovered for the first time, inhabiting a place known to the locals as "Magic Mountain". The day-glo pink invertebrates have been given the official moniker Triboniophorus aff. graeffei, and were only recently discovered living just below the tree line of New South Wales' Mount Kaputar, a 5000 foot (1524 meter) extinct volcano located in the northern part of the Australian state.

Legends and myths of the brightly-hued slimy creatures had actually existed in the region for centuries, but it wasn't until recently that scientists and researchers were able to explore the relatively remote area in depth and discovered that the mythical slugs actually did exist. 

The scientists believe that the fluorescent coloring might actually be a form of camouflage and the species can grow to a length of eight inches (20 centimeters) . The creatures are possibly a relic from a time when Australia was part of a super-continent known as Gondwana. After an eruption of Mount Kaputar occurred over 17 million years ago, a tiny oasis was created where the slugs flourished and were able to survive for millennium, virtually undetected by man.

Up in Smoke: Woman Accidentally Bakes Life Savings

An Australian man wishes he had selected a better hiding place for his life savings after his wife accidentally baked the bills in the oven—where he had hidden some $15,000 for safe keeping.

The unidentified Sydney man stashed the money—which he had made from the sale of his Toyota Supra sports car—in the oven of his home, because his wife was not prone to cooking or baking. As luck would have it, only a few days after the sudden cash windfall, his wife decided that she would try her hand at baking, preheating the oven to cook up some chicken nuggets for the couple's two daughters.

Needless to say, all of the cash went up in smoke, literally. The man's wife found it difficult to tell him what had happened to the cash, which had melted away into tiny, colorful cubes. The man was naturally distraught about the situation. "It was everything I had. I've got nothing to my name. That money was supposed to go towards my mortgage," he lamented to local media.

The man took the money to the local branch of his bank, but they refused to reimburse him for the burned notes. The couple might have some recourse, as the Australian Reserve Bank does have specific guidelines about refunding damaged monetary bills, which may offer partial restitution for their losses.

Stranded: Japanese Tourists Drive into Ocean Due to Malfunctioning GPS

A car carrying three Japanese tourists on vacation in Australia became trapped in the mud after the satellite navigation system they were using neglected to inform them of the span of water between them and their destination, an island off the coast of Queensland!

Seems the intrepid tourists had all the faith in the world that their automobile's GPS system would lead them in the right direction, but they quickly began to suspect something was afoul when the nice, comfortable paved road they were driving on turned into mushy, mangrove mud. The rental car quickly became mired down in the thick, muddy mess, forcing the three Japanese students out of the vehicle to search for help. Unfortunately, the tide began to roll back in, and the car was inundated with water.

Other tourists and passing boats managed to catch an amusing glance of the tiny Hyundai stuck in the ocean, but luckily the three passengers all made it safely back to shore. Insurance will cover the cost of the lost vehicle, but the tourists will have to pay approximately $1500 in taxes and fines.

That's a Lot of Dough: $1 Million in Suitcase Left in Aussie Pizzeria

Pizza & Dollar Signs...a winning combination!

Employees of a Sydney, Australia, pizzeria must have thought they were the best servers ever when they found a tip worth $1 million!

Police were notified that a man wearing shorts, a tank top and sunglasses left a briefcase at the Cafe Marco in an upscale neighborhood in Sydney. Employees initially thought that the briefcase may have contained a bomb or explosive device, so they decided to call the police.

No bomb was found, but the mysterious briefcase did contain a huge stash of cold, hard cash! Police began to investigate if perhaps the money was left as a ransom, but no evidence of a kidnapping has been discovered. A man was subsequently taken into custody over the incident, but police report that he was taken to the hospital for an "unknown medical condition" and is under guard while receiving medical care. Police state that if the unidentified man can prove the money is legitimately his and not funds from criminal activity, he would be able to keep the cash.

Grounded: Quantas Strike Leaves 70K Travelers Stranded

Thousands of passengers from around the world have been grounded due to Australian carrier Quantas' strike, causing travel chaos Down Under and elsewhere.

The Australian national carrier decided to halt its fleet of 108 aircraft indefinitely until unions representing pilots and ground staff reach an agreement with the airline over pay and conditions. Among the 70,000 global passengers affected by the 600 cancelled flights are 17 Commonwealth leaders stranded in Perth following an economic summit there. The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard issued a dire warning over the strike's impact saying it could hurt the country’s economy, saying "The Qantas dispute escalated today and I am concerned about that for the national economy ... it could have implications for our national economy."

Airplane travel is a nightmare enough during normal circumstances these days, so we hope a quick resolution to the strike can be found to save travelers from any more headaches...

Royal Message Down Under: Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip Take Possible Final Tour of Australia

Queen Elizabeth and husband Prince Philip endured a grueling 24-hour flight before arriving in the Commonwealth of Australia for possibly their final Royal tour of Down Under. The 85-year-old monarch and the 90-year-old Duke of Edinburgh didn't look any worse for wear after the long flight, arriving in Perth, Western Australia, where they commenced an 11 day tour of the nation. Even though she is amazingly fit and mobile for her age, many experts believe this will perhaps be the Queen's final official visit to Australia, and she will more than likely start to pass off some of her royal duties to other, younger members of the Royal Family.

For the full story, visit The Daily Mail:

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Arrive for Tour of Australia

Shark on the Greens: Killer Sharks Make Australian Golf Course Home

A golf course in Queensland, Australia, has a water hazard that most golfers won't want to tackle with: killer sharks!

Some years ago, a local river flooded and overflowed its banks, carrying the sharks along with it. After the flood waters receded, the sharks became trapped. As it turns out, the sharks flourished in the environment and have even begun to breed and reproduce successfully in their new-found home in the Carbrook Golf Club. As of now, there are six bull sharks in the lake, but that number looks set to rise. They have become a popular tourist attraction, and people come from all around just to see the sharks, even if they are not interested in golfing.
"You can't believe how close you are [to the sharks]…just six feet away," says club general manager Scott Wags. Six feet is way too close for me...

Full story from The Daily Mail:


Land Shark! Killer Sharks Make Golf Course Home

Crikey! Late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's Bindi Growing Up Fast

Photo Credit Splash/Daily Mail

It looks like the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's daughter Bindi is all grown up and making a splash of her own. The thirteen-year-old TV host was caught by photographers as she breezed through LAX airport after a long flight from New Zealand with her mum Terry and baby brother Robert in tow. Smiling for the cameras, she exuded all the confidence and charm of her late father. Bindi received love and admiration from all around the world when she delivered a brave speech eulogizing her father after his tragic death in 2006. Irwin's widow Terry still manages Steve's pride and joy, The Australia  Zoo, in his native Queensland, Australia.

For the full story, visit The Daily Mail:

Steve Irwin's daughter Bindi is growing up fast...

Hey Mom! Down Here! Galapagos Turtle Hatches Tiny Baby at the age of 90!

From The Daily Mail:

A giant Galapagos turtle has hatched a tiny turtle for the first time...at the ripe old age of 90. The late-blooming Mommie Dearest is almost 3000 times as big as her little one, and it will take over 30 years for the infant turtle to grow to the same size as Mom. Little NJ will have plenty of time to grow from the safety of its enclosure at the world-famous Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Care-takers at the zoo will have to do all the mothering for NJ, as turtles are pretty much on their own to fend for themselves after hatching. Good luck, little NJ!

Full story at the Daily Mail:

Giant Galapagos Turtle Hatches Tiny Infant