<<<Mod edit: Removed at member request>>> Do you know how hard it is being an Aussie? Well listen and I will tell you, I have been one all my life. First, you have all these killer animals we have to fight off. We have the biggest, meanest, fastest, hungriest, big mouthedness lizards. They can out run us, out swim us, and sometimes out smart us. Sometimes folks see this sign saying crocodiles no swimming, and honestly after reading the first word to me the rest is redundant. Now the worlds deadliest spider lives right in the middle of our most populated city, it is as large as a dinner plate, hides in a hole in your garden, can run like a rabbit and jump. Bloody hell, then snakes, I think about 3 out of the top three deadliest, fish both standard and jelly that will kill you as will our octopuses and if they don't get you the bloody sharks will. It's as hot as hades, dry, arid, vast, unforgiving landscape where to cross it you drive for days on straight featureless roads across flat featureless landscapes as the heat shimmers off the scorching pavement you pray your car makes it, you have enough water. We have towns that look like outposts on a Martian landscape, where tough men and tougher women cling precariously to small packets of arable land to keep the roads across this vast land viable. When we play football we cannot wear armour or trousers or face guards we just have to man up and tough it out for around 80 minutes. Were isolated and young so we strive hard and invent things to survive, we fight tenaciously for our rights and principles and we generally believe in "A Fair Go" and probably a little too much in "She'll be right mate!" Our Sheilahs are bonza and our mates are beaut, and a lot of us don't mind a tinnie or two, especially with Davo, Robo, Stevo, Mario or Bluey. Bluey is another nickname for a ranger, the redheads don't mind. Aussies can give as good as they get, although on every battlefield of the modern world, we have always given better then we got. Except so few in numbers we haven't always been lucky, but we have always clung on valiantly, it is a rare day that an Aussie will surrender. We showed the world the best way to swim, we made flying safer, we found ways to make beer cold. We have helped the deaf to hear and given relief to the suffering, we've made sweet music and the technology to allow me to write, from the humble writing pad to my WiFi connection. We have transplanted kidneys and hearts, and embryos to give the childless a chance. We just hang here "Down Under" minding our business, but mess with us and you will see, we're as tough as our land, when we have to be. Farewell from this old Aussie.
Having a Latin nick is against the rules here? You must be kidding! Yepp I heard of those. Seeing that the average European house spider is enough to freak me out, these creatures you have in Australia sadly are the reason for me to never set foot on your beautiful continent. I'd be just too much of a wimp to cope.
Protest against spiders? No. I hate them but I have to admit they're useful and have as many rights to dwell on this planet as I do. Protest against Latin names being illegal? Sure! That's a stupid rule! Not only is Latin a beautiful language, there are plenty of other non-English nicks here. Of course yours is a bit cocky, but there are also plenty of other cocky nicks here.
You translated it lol, good, well I am a bit cocky lol. It's not derogatory, inflammatory or offensive. Is it??
A nick in Latin is proscribed? You have to be kidding me... Are you sure you don't mean your signature? A nick is different than a signature. I can see a proscription against non-English siggies because they can be easily changed and the mods, at least most of them, speak English as their native languages. It would be a bit of a burden to have to translate somebody's French siggie from "fais ce que je dis pas ce que je fais" into "I do not say what I do" so prohibiting non-english phrases in siggies seems only natural. Not much work for just one phrase but multiply that times a few thousand and it is just easier to ban it.
Now I could go out and if I was lucky, find one in about an hour, maybe less. But in all truthfulness, I have not laid my eyes on one for it must be 5 to 10 years. I mean they fear us more than we fear them. So they hide from us, fatalities are extremely rare from any of our beasts. Actually most of us here find others fears amusing, I have no problem letting my grandson dig with me in the garden, their home turf. Of course I have no rubbish around, and their nests are underground. The rare one I have seen is when I have found a hole, and as much as I believe in preserving all our species of wild life. If this particular fellow has the bad luck to be found by me, as they are dangerous he gets the boiling water, sorry I hate doing it too. If I didn't have children that come around I would learn to live with them.
It was not my name, but my signature, yep silly eh. I have changed it and apologise for the misunderstanding. Im bad
Thank you, I doubted myself enough to check you were right. It was not my name, but my signature, yep silly eh. I have changed it and apologise for the misunderstanding.
I think Australia is actually home to 9 of the 10 most highly venomous terrestrial snakes on the planet. Pretty crazy. And even though a lot of sea snakes are more potently venomous, they rarely bit, whereas terrestrial snakes love to bite. You also have the largest crocs, and as you mentioned, the most venomous spider. You got some of the biggest lizards, but they still look like anoles compared to the komodo. That being said, I'm fascinated by reptiles, and that's one of the reasons I've always been drawn to Australia. I'm fortunate enough to live in a place (upstate ny) where our biggest danger is bears. They're everywhere, but for the most part keep to themselves when they aren't raiding your trash or bird feeders. God (*)(*)(*)(*) bears.
I liked this post. Ive always admired the aussie spirit. Youre luckier than you know though. Good luck to you.
I will guarantee you that you see more bears then the average Aussie sees of any of the wild animal, lizards, crocs, snakes and spiders, sea creatures etc. That is why we are so amused by it. Like crocs and snakes, 90% of Aussies will live there entire life and not see one in the flesh except at the zoo
Oh we know how lucky we are, well most of us do, there are those that will never be happy. If nothing was wrong they would complain about having nothing to complain about. But then they are not unique to Australia.
ya we have black widow spiders but I've never seen one, but then I normally don't study the spiders I step on ...we've rattlesnakes as well but again I've never seen one....coyotes, see them often but be aggressive and they back down...cougars, yup we've had them in the city not that I've seen them, they hide very well...wolves, I've heard them but never seen them, very reclusive...now black bears I've seen many up close and it isn't a comfortable feeling, throw a rock at them make lots of noise and they generally run away...grizzlies, only once and that was enough, massive beasts very grumpy, very dangerous, definitely do not like crossing paths with them in the forrest, it's like swimming in a crocodile pond...
I am a qualified bush lawyer and my expert legal opinion on this issue is that Latin cannot be considered a foreign language in any English speaking country because it is commonly spoken and is in actual fact a large part of the English language.
Of course not, especially not since it's obviously not true. Blimey, is your rotten French failing you or is my rotten French failing me? I translated it into "Do what I say and not what I do." May I pass on Douglas Adams' advice: "Gardening with gloves, fishing with boots, and travelling with care". It's from an insight into that darned Australian wildlife that starts at minute 2:04 of this audio: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZFMxiQrBI4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZFMxiQrBI4[/ame]
Like creation, i've always admired the Aussie spirit. I happen to like th country too. Yes, it may be dry, or wet, depending on the season, and the cities are too far apart by the standards of most of the world, but once you arrive at those cities, they are a joy.
Don't forget the drop bears. Never stand under a tree, especially at night, because the drop bears will drop out of the trees and attack you. They especially like the taste of Americans. And New Zealanders. Although they don't like the taste of the British much. Must be the way they taste...
thats the name, your sig was do as i say and not as i do. Both suit your posting style..take that as you may.
To be honest with you, in my 24 years living in new York, I've never seen a wild bear alive with my own eyes. I've seen some dead on the side of the road, heard them in the woods, and see evidence of them pretty much every time I look for it (tracks, bird feeders destroyed, garbage cans down with contents scattered everywhere, bark scratched off of trees), but never seen a living one. They're pretty good at staying hidden. That being said, it isn't uncommon to see them. I've been unlucky I guess....... or lucky depending on how you look at it.
