Australia

In 1883, a volcano on the island of Krakatoa, which sits between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, exploded. That explosion was heard by people in over 50 different geographical locations, spanning an area covering a thirteenth of the planet.

If the Aussie implementation of cell phone detection cameras proves to be a success, how long before we see them here in Rockford?

We've often talked about how this part of Illinois is somewhat lacking in venom-dripping creepy-crawlies that would like nothing more than to bite you. Sure, our state does have venomous snakes, but we're the minor leagues compared to our friends in Australia.

When I was a kid in school, I marveled at, and admired greatly, the older kid on my school bus who could burp the alphabet. He could also burp people's names, song lyrics, and around the time of the 8th grade Constitution Test, he once burped the preamble. Talk about a skill-set!

The Old West has gone Down Under -- and shows no signs of leaving.

You may recall the line delivered by Paul Hogan, better known as Nick "Crocodile" Dundee, in the movie of the same name. When a would-be robber pulls out his knife to convince Dundee to hand over some money, Dundee calmly points out to the robber, "That's not a knife...

On January 8th, Elvis Presley would have turned 81 years old (to the true believers, just omit the "would have" from the previous sentence). There were commemorations in some of the usual spots like Memphis and Las Vegas...and Parkes. As in Parkes, Australia...

I have a friend who used to hate golfers. He hated them because he was stupid enough to buy a home along a golf course (that's okay) that just happened to be in the direct flight path of at least two dozen golf balls per day (not okay). After replacing windows and siding a few more times than he cared to, he sold the place...

Previously in this space, I've posted different types of drone footage. Video of cities, sporting events, fireworks, and other things. I love that drones can record footage that, in some cases, was impossible to get before. Jaimen Hudson feels the same way...

I have an image in my head of the continent of Australia. Beautiful land, interesting and welcoming people, fascinating animals, and man-eating sharks surrounding it all. I've always been amazed at the "I don't worry about it" attitude of your average Aussie when it comes to the perils of the sea...