In what appears as a faux pas, a Terry White chemist in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, made the mistake of displaying an “Experience a White Christmas” sign with golliwogs underneath it. Local George Helon saw the display and photographed it (shown above). Talking to the Toowoomba Chronicle, Helon said: “I showed a photo to other people and they said, ‘what the hell?’ I don’t think there was any ill intent, it was just inappropriately placed.” The manager of the Toowoomba Terry White chemist store explained to the newspaper that it was unintentional, with the golliwogs removed from the display. Golliwogs were once a popular toy (and an Arnott’s chocolate biscuit) of yesteryear, but since the 1960s have subsequently come to be seen by many as a politically incorrect and controversial caricature of black people with strong racist overtones. Terry White Chemists have now further apologised and withdrawn the golliwog doll from ...

Similar to selfie sticks and the Ghostbusters reboot, it’s something few may want while everyone else is left to find the entertainment in it. It’s apparently the most unlikely of combinations: Tony Abbott and video games. Make that a parody video game about Tony Abbott called: Tony Abbott and the Quest for the Suppository of Wisdom Absorbing knowledge amidst crap in a private and somewhat personal way, the game draws its inspirational name from one of Australia’s former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s greatest gaffes. Guided by the Tutorial Onion, the RPG sees Tony Abbott argue against a ‘journalist’. Basic attacks of arguing allow the battle to continue until someone’s willpower (WP) is reduced to zero. Tony has a few special attacks hidden in his budgie smugglers as well. Such as nodding silently. Which apparently confuses journalists. With some rather large ears and not one to table periodic elements, for fear ...

In hindsight, many good ideas can seem obvious. Putting wheels on a suitcase. Adding a camera to a phone. Realising such things before they happen, and developing a market for them, can be the difference between not only realising a good idea but making it a great idea. The rise of the sharing economy, in many regards, now seems obvious in hindsight. Frequently it combines technologies both high and low. Taking things, which in the past were perhaps provided by individuals each operating as small businesses, and then using the power of technology to simultaneously meet the needs of people and provide a readily discoverable and searchable marketplace for this. Platforms such as Uber and other ridesharing apps have enabled people to realise that they can use or provide a service with regular cars. In conjunction with the realisation that a car can be put to use earning money rather ...

The Nintendo Switch is officially revealed as the previously codenamed Nintendo NX console. Nintendo’s newest console is due for a March 2017 release. As had been rumoured, the Nintendo Switch is something of a hybrid portable handheld device, which via the dock is also designed to connect to the television like a more traditional video game console. The dock is not the Nintendo Switch console, rather the dock is intended to make it near seamless to transition between playing on the big screen of the TV to the portable mode for the handheld console. It’s also used for charging the Switch console, which holds the LCD screen. Nintendo are yet to announce whether it will be a touchscreen. However, the company has confirmed that amiibos will work with the new Nintendo Switch and its games. Confirming a long-suspected feature of the new console, the Nintendo Switch will also utilise cartridges ...

Scientists in Tennessee, USA, claim they’ve turned carbon dioxide into the fuel ethanol. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) made the discovery by a fortunate accident. Working on a process to discover how to turn carbon dioxide into ethanol, the scientists hypothesised that it would be a multistep process involving many complex chemical reactions. More like the discovery of penicillin than a true eureka moment, the whole process only required one step with a single catalyst. The process involved adding “nano-spikes” of carbon and copper to the carbon dioxide, which transformed the greenhouse gas into ethanol. Apart from being drinkable alcohol and a sanitiser, ethanol is also of interest as a renewable fuel source. Such as adding it to petrol/gasoline (or replacing it entirely), to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, the greenhouse gas said to be the major factor ...

Britain and Australia continue to share ties, but this time it’s through the bizarre ability of their new five pound and five dollar notes respectively to play music. In some regards money may make the world go round, though if a vinyl record also goes round, then the new Australian $5 note can be used to play it. Cris Kennedy of the National Film and Sound Archive, Australia (NFSA) explains that the musical phenomenon is due to the modified and sharper edges of the new five dollar note vibrating as it reads the grooves in the record. And to think that some people thought the ability to whistle with a gum leaf was the ultimate Australian musical lifestyle hack.

SunHour is perhaps best described as a well-intentioned approach to charity and lifestyle improvement, in the form of social media marketing. Ads seen on Australian television for SunHour urge: Screens off. Life on. The idea being to get children away from the usual television, phone, and computer screens. Along with the sedentary lifestyle that may be associated with such things. Then instead enjoy an hour of physical activity outside in the sunshine. Which seems reasonable. Following things a bit further, with the help of a computer no less, reveals that SunHour is a project by Golden Circle, in conjunction with The Smith Family charity. With Golden Circle stating on the SunHour website: “We will donate a bike to a less fortunate child for every 2,500 SunHours pledged before 30th November or until we reach our goal.” The goal is to reach 1 million SunHours pledged. Interestingly, to pledge a SunHour ...

Said to be Hugh Jackman’s last stint as Wolverine before he hangs up the adamantium claws and mutton chops for good, details about the final solo film are emerging. Mainly from director James Mangold, who previously directed The Wolverine (2013). It’s known that the third solo Wolverine film will simply be called Logan. It’s also likely the film will be darker and feature more mature content, offering its fair share of violence and profanity as it goes for an R rating. What combination this is Fox playing to the so-called Deadpool effect, along with being truer to Wolverine’s character remains to be seen. Hopefully it comes complete with some of Wolverine’s berserker rages (the film could also draw inspiration from the historical berserker Norse warriors). Page two of our screenplay. pic.twitter.com/5X93NtWuVS — Mangold (@mang0ld) October 5, 2016 Logan will also feature the return of Professor X as portrayed by Patrick ...

Self-lacing sneakers like those worn by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II are finally available in larger, but still limited edition quantities. The future is now, and not just because Biff Tannen was based on Donald Trump. Back to the shoes, and these shoes are called the 2016 Nike MAGs. The MAGs are said to include Adaptive Fit technology which senses the wearer and tightens or loosens the laces accordingly. Meaning you don’t even have to use your hands. Because that’s apparently primitive in the future. The catch is though, to get your hands on (and feet in) these shoes with self-tying shoelaces, involves a game of chance. Only 89 pairs of the sneakers will be available, and there are all to be won in a lottery. Unfortunately, the winning ticket numbers aren’t listed in a future version of Grays Sports Almanac as far as anyone knows. ...

“When I grow up, I want to be a dinosaur.” Seldom have young children spoken truer words, especially amongst the little boys. Then time moves on, and reality sets in. Excluding for Ken Ham and his followers, who believe that humans and dinosaurs literally lived together before a Flood of biblical proportions struck. For the rest of the folks in the world, dinosaurs may only be seen in things like books, movies and museums. But the undeniable fact remains: Dinosaurs were the best things before sliced bread. Since then, other impressive things have come to pass. Like YouTube: Entertainer, educator, and collector of fools. And so one young boy, now a grown man, finally gets to live out his childhood dream of being a Tyrannosaurus rex and sharing it with the world. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then impersonation is a shady form of comedy. A drama ...