Image: Scott James Murphy via Facebook SYDNEY — Thousands of Australians fled their homes, as wildfires raged across the nation’s south on Saturday, with firefighters struggling to contain the blazes fanned by strong winds. Six homes were destroyed by the fires in South Australia and Victoria states, officials said, though no serious injuries have been reported. Dry conditions and temperatures in the upper 30s Celsius (around 100 degrees Fahrenheit) were causing headaches for firefighters battling the blazes. Officials said it would likely take days to get the fires under control. ‘Fire Cloud’ Thankful that the fire hasn’t gone in our direction but feeling for all those friends who had to evacuate and for the towns in the firing line. Have spent a lot of time in Kersbrook, Cudlee Creek etc and it’s just horrible to think what they are facing today. A photo posted by Ben Goode (@benjamingoode) on Jan 1, 2015 at 2:38pm PST The worst of the fires was in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, where the flames had destroyed five homes, and put hundreds of others at risk, state Country Fire Service spokesperson Daniel Hamilton said. Residents of 19 communities had been asked to evacuate, as a predicted shift in the winds later Saturday prompted fears the flames could worsen. Here are some more photos of the fire damage at my grandparents’ property in Lower Hermitage. #SAFires pic.twitter.com/9oovJnC6wz — AliciaMelville-Smith (@alicia_ms) January 3, 2015 The forecast was also calling for increased humidity, which could slow the fire’s progress Saturday night, Hamilton said. “There should be no sense of relief because the temperatures are somewhat lower, or that there are spots of rain about,” South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill told reporters in Adelaide. “The situation remains extremely dangerous, and our warnings that were issued earlier today must be heeded.” South Australia Police also urged people near out-of-control bushfires to “implement their survival plans,” after the state declared an emergency. Flew in to #Adelaide over the #SAFires today. Huge fire front out window, hope all r ok. pic.twitter.com/Sd98ubBeY8 — Guy Tunbridge (@Guy_Tunbridge) January 3, 2015 Up to 2,000 firefighters were battling the blazes across the state from the ground and the air, with more than a dozen aircraft dumping water onto the flames. A photo posted by Morne Saffieboy de Klerk (@photolifemorne) on Jan 1, 2015 at 2:47am PST Six firefighters were treated for minor conditions, mainly smoke inhalation, Country Fire Service Chief Officer Greg Nettleton said. Post by Scott James Murphy. In neighboring Victoria state, firefighters had controlled more than 300 fires since Friday, with only one still considered a danger. One home was destroyed in the blaze in the western Victoria town of Moyston, state Country Fire Service spokesperson Mario Xuereb said. Humbug Scrub fire Adelaide Hills. Still not in control at 2105hrs pic.twitter.com/Gou4lMpY2H — Stan Jezioranski (@Stanjez) January 2, 2015 A shift in the weather Saturday afternoon was expected to bring light rain, wind and lightning to the area, which could exacerbate the blaze. The […]
For Amos the cocker spaniel, life was rough. He had been living on the streets of Los Angeles for who knows how long, starving and afraid of anyone who tried to approach him. But luckily for him, help wasn’t far. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); When a homeowner called Hope For Paws and told volunteers that there had been a homeless dog living under the house next door for the last month, they drove there immediately and found him. Terrified, he refused to come any closer — but all they needed was a tasty cheeseburger and they were able to get him on the path to a better life. He is such a sweetheart at the end! Here’s hoping that Amos finds a home filled with love and endless belly rubs. If you’d like to help this wonderful organization save more lives, you can donate here. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/saved-from-starvation/
All of these animals, no matter how big or small, make their way over to the bucket for some water. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/camera-placed-at-the-bottom-of-a-bucket-with-animals-drinking-from-the-bucket/
It may feel like summer in many cities across the U.S. today, but a cruise through the southernmost place on Earth is never out of season. Chill out with this beautiful timelapse footage through Antarctica’s Ross Sea. Happy Friday, folks. BONUS: Travel the World With These 10 Time Lapse Videos 10 Time-Lapse Videos From Around the World 1. Lake Tahoe This shot of Lake Tahoe by user tlapse is a beautiful capture of Sierra Nevada. 2. Vancouver City This time-lapse of Vancouver City is a collaboration between Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. 3. New York City Shot by Mindrelic, this captures some of the best spots across New York City. 4. Ko Olina Beach A day on the beaches of Hawaii, shot by tonnes, sounds pretty good right about now. 5. Edinburgh This was jgolian’s first shot at time-lapse photography, and we think his capture of Scotland’s capital is pretty great. 6. Panama Canal From the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean, this time-lapse journey by radiofreebc rides through the Panama Canal onboard a cruise ship. 7. Crater Lake In the span of a day, user Dan Heller captured a stunning view of Crater Lake, including a crescent moon, the Milky Way and Jupiter. 8. Moscow Next on the list is Moscow, Russia’s capital, captured by user 22zweizwei. 9. Antarctica YouTube user Antzarctica spent a year creating this time-lapse of Artarctica, in and around the McMurdo Station and Scott Base. 10. Las Vegas This time-lapse, shot by user Asianjma123, captures 2 nights and 3 days in sin city. Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/05/10/timelapse-antarctica-video/
These bush mechanics don’t need a garage or any fancy tools to get this abandoned car up and running. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/watch-these-austrailian-bush-mechanics-fix-up-an-old-car-in-no-time/
Every culture has their own sacred death rituals, but some are far more frightening than others. Take the Torajan people, for example. On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, dead bodies are seen very differently than they are in the States. Corpses aren’t actually considered to be dead until a water buffalo is sacrificed to accompany them into the afterlife. It takes years for some families to be able to afford the expensive ceremony, so many keep their loved ones inside their homes until they can. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); But even after their deceased relatives are properly buried, some families decide to keep their memory alive by digging the bodies up in a bizarre celebration. The residents of Toraja proudly display the dead as part of their Ma’nene ritual. Every year, the villagers dig up their late family members in order to honor them. YouTube / National Geographic googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBM_BTF’); }); The decaying bodies don’t spook them at all — they prefer to see them so they can mourn. YouTube / National Geographic They carefully clean their ancestors to preserve their dignity. YouTube / National Geographic googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’); }); Then the corpses are actually groomed and dressed up. YouTube / National Geographic And the families even pose with them for photos as if they were still alive. YouTube / National Geographic Though they are undeniably creepy, some of the bodies have pleasant looks on their faces like they approve of the ritual. YouTube / Mo10ta But others are just terrifying. YouTube / Mo10ta These people see all of this as a beautiful process, but it’s more than a little disturbing. Would you ever consider going to a celebration like this? Me neither. I’m all for expressing your culture, but this is way, way too morbid for me. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/morbid-indonesian-ritual/
Singing is an awesome way to pass the time while driving. Many a road trip has been saved by hours and hours of belting out lyrics on the highway. It’s always fun to sing along to songs you haven’t heard in a while, even some of the classics. That’s exactly what this father-son duo did while out on the open road one day. To pass the time, they decided to sing their own special version of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.’s duet, “Me and My Shadow.” It’s amazing to watch them give the performance their all, and their song choice really represents their close relationship. Read More: When This Tiny Dog Sees A Cow, She Gets So Darn Excited! What do you think they should sing next? Let us know in the comments below! My vote is for Rihanna. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/dad-and-son-sing-in-car/
PARK CITY, Utah — The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz received a standing ovation at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival this week just a few days after the one-year anniversary of the web pioneer’s death rattled the Internet. The documentary by Brian Knappenberger (known for directing We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists about the online hacktivist group Anonymous) closely follows the rise and fall of computer programming prodigy and Reddit co-founder Swartz, who emerged as one of the top advocates for Internet freedom and education. In high school, Swartz helped launch the web’s first RSS feeds, founded Creative Commons and ultimately co-created Reddit, before it was sold to Conde Naste in 2006. Most recently, he helped push forward the successful grassroots opposition to SOPA. Although Swartz’s legacy has been widely discussed, especially following his suicide in early January 2013 while facing federal prosecution, the The Internet’s Own Boy shows an intimate, harrowing side to the story that intertwines home footage and interviews with some of his closest friends and family members. The film was funded on popular crowdsourcing platform Kickstarter and raised nearly $100,000 from about 1,500 backers. Those close to Swartz have long attributed his suicide at age 26 to his indictment on federal charges for stealing millions of documents from MIT and scientific journal and article archive JSTOR. Even though JSTOR dropped the charges, the government allegedly told his family they were proceeding to “make a statement out of him” and deter other hackers from gaining access to information in a similar way. The film begins by chronicling Swartz’s brilliance that surfaced at a very young age. He taught himself how to read at age 3, built an ATM machine for a school project in elementary school and began building websites soon after. By age 14, he served on the coveted RDF Core group at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and his respected peers were some of the smartest thinkers in the Internet space, including Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. As his mother simply puts, “people listened to him like he was 40.” With the help of experts, The Internet’s Own Boy makes a clear argument: Swartz unjustly became a victim of the rights and freedoms for which he stood. Much of the film centralizes on the incidents related to the federal charges and the toll it took on his mind, shared through stories by his ex-girlfriends, brothers and parents. It’s these interviews that bring real depth to the film: Swartz wasn’t just an advocate and headline story — he was a son, a brother, a companion. One of the most captivating interviews of the two-hour film comes from his ex-girlfriend Quinn Norton, who details in tears her decision to speak to federal officers during Swartz’s investigation. The film compels you to root for Swartz, who helped the web forward but also wanted to keep it an open place for greater information. However, little light was shed in the […]
Spread the word: Microsoft Excel isn’t just for green eyeshade types. This stop-motion animation video from YouTube favorite MysteryGuitarMan shows the creative possibilities of what is normally characterized as a spreadsheet app. And it only took a little less than five hours to complete! Maybe MGM can work his magic on PowerPoint next. [Via YouTube Trends ] Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/10/music-video-microsoft-excel/
