The fastest lap recored for Mount Panorama.



The fastest lap ever recorded at Mount Panorama was achieved in March 2011. As part of a publicity exercise for the 2011 Australian Grand Prix and for the team's sponsors Vodafone, McLaren brought a Formula One car for Jenson Button and Craig Lowndes to drive around the track. The fastest lap was recorded by Button at 1:48.88, but as it was not recorded during an official race it does not count as the official lap record.^[1] Similarly Allan Simonsen recorded a 2:04.9560 driving a GT3 specification Ferrari 458 at Sprint Bathurst in 2011,^[2] an event classified by CAMS under NCR 22 as a Speed event^[3] rather than a race.
 We will see if the records will change in just 9 days.

Feel-good tsunami story of the day - Harley-Davidson owner gets his bike back

JAPANESE man Ikuo Yokoyama lost all of the things that mattered most in the tsunami that hit the island in March last year.
The giant wave claimed three members of his family and his house on March 11, 2011.
Of less importance was the loss of a storage container he was using as a garage, which was simply picked up and swept away in one piece.
Until yesterday, when Mr Yokoyama learned his "garage" had been found 6500km away washed up on a remote island off the coast of Canada.
In it was the Harley-Davidson motorbike Mr Yokoyama had bought five years ago.
He told Japanese television station some of his fondest memories were of of tours around Japan on it.
“I’m very thankful that it came back,” he told local broadcaster NHK in Japanese.
“I would like to thank the man who found my bike in person, but because it’s hard to do that, I’d like to thank him here right now.”

The man he wanted to thank was Peter Mark, who came across the container on Graham Island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago on April 18.
It had completed the journey intact due to being lined with Styrofoam.
NHK rang Mr Mark yesterday to tell him they had tracked down the Harley's owner, and he was still alive.
“I’m pretty happy. I’ve been worried the whole time that something bad had happened to him," he told the National Post.
"It’s a major relief knowing he is okay,” he said.
More good news for Mr Yokohama - the person who tracked him down after seeing news items about the bike being washed up was a Harley-Davidson rep in Japan.
The company told CBC it was going to try to pay for the bike's return to Mr Yokoyama and hopefully fix it up for him.

If this dosen't give you Motivation nothing will

Paralympic Swimmer Uses Shark That Bit His Leg off as Motivation in Pool

If you are looking for a little extra boost in the pool, you may want to pretend there is a shark right behind you. However, that tip may be only useful if a shark once bit your leg off.
That is precisely what goes through the mind of Paralympic swimmer and more man than you will ever be, Achmat Hassiem.
After placing ninth in his race back in 2008, the South African swimmer finally got his medal, grabbing bronze in the men’s 100-meter butterfly at the London Games.
The interesting part of his story is what he uses for motivation when he drives himself forward in the pool, via Washington Post.

I took to the pool like a shark in the ocean. My little secret is obviously that I just try and imagine I’m in the ocean and I’ve got a 4 ½-meter great white shark at my feet. It’s definitely good motivation to swim fast.

That's pretty good motivation for just about anyone who has seen a shark on TV or up close and live, but it has a tad more realism for Hassiem.
You see, the 30-year old had his leg bitten off by a Great White shark. Here is a video of him telling the awful tale.

Per the Washington Post, Hassiem spotted a shark while he and his brother Taariq were tending to lifeguard duties in Cape Town back in 2006.
While he tried to distract the shark from his brother, the lethal predator latched onto Hassiem's leg and dragged him 50 feet.

I gave one last enormous push and heard a great snapping sound. I believe I lost my leg for a good reason. Losing a leg is nothing compared to losing my brother, so I’m just trying to make the best of it.  

Yes, he is more man than I will ever be.
That outlook has served him well as he found his elusive Paralympic medal and will head back into the pool for the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle races.
Through it all, he will use a shark as motivation. Meanwhile, we can enjoy his story for a great deal of inspiration.

Amazing story two legged Dog

Meet Faith, the two-legged dog who has been made an honorary sergeant in the U.S. army Inspiration: Faith the dog learned to walk after being born with a deformity A two-legged dog who has learned to walk upright has been made an honorary sergeant in the U.S. army for inspiring disabled war veterans. Faith, an eight-year old labrador-chow cross is a favourite at army bases and hospitals, where she 'marches' around on her hind legs, dressed in a military jacket. Her owner Jude Stringfellow, from Oklahoma City, is now trying to bring the remarkable canine to Britain to meet troops wounded in Afghanistan. 'Faith seems to inspire these young men. It's very emotional watching them respond to her,' Ms Stringfellow said. 'She shows what can be achieved against the odd. I'd love her to bring a smile to the lips of British soldiers.' The dog was born with one front leg missing and the other, which was severely deformed, had to be amputated. Her mother rejected it but Ms Stringfellow's son Reuben, 18, found the tiny animal and brought it up. He and his mother had to carry the puppy for the first few months of her life, but eventually helped her learn to walk by using peanut butter on a spoon as a lure. The little dog now moves quickly, and with confidence, and has even become a minor celebrity, appearing regularly on U.S. talk shows. Ms Stringfellow, who runs a website devoted to her dog, said she receives hundreds of emails and letters each day. Her decision to take Faith to veterans' hospitals was inspired by her son's service in Iraq. Popular: Faith is a regular on U.S. TV shows and has provided hope to injured war veterans Hope: Faith's owner is hoping to bring the dog to Britain to meet injured soldiers 'She just walks around barking and laughing and excited to see them all,' she said. 'There is a lot of crying, pointing and surprise. From those who have lost friends or limbs, there can be silence. Some will shake my hand and thank me, some will pat her on the head. There is a lot of quiet, heartfelt, really deep emotion.' Scroll down to see video of the remarkable two-legged dog Playful: Faith was rescued by the Stringfellows after her mother rejected her Step by step: Faith learned to walk after her owners used peanut butter as a lure

Some good out of Afghanistan

Sergeant ships pup to Texas after Afghanistan rescue

HIGHLAND VILLAGE — Seven months ago, the wild puppy roughing it in a small guard shack on a mountain in eastern Afghanistan knew only of unforgiving weather and the promise of combat.

But Wylie's three-month journey to America has opened her eyes to a brand-new life.

"When I took her outside for the first time, she laid her chin on the grass and looked around," said Steve Rodems, stepfather of Army Reserves Staff Sgt. Hannah Schlegel, who rescued Wylie from eastern Afghanistan. "She had never seen or walked on grass. She had never smelled flowers or looked at trees. It was a very sweet moment."

Now, the recently domesticated adolescent pup is fitting in nicely in Highland Village.

Schlegel rescued Wylie, the 10-month-old Afghan hound-shepherd mix, in December 2009. She found Wylie in a small guard shack on a mountain in eastern Afghanistan and smuggled her back to her base in Khost to protect the puppy from danger.

A month later, Schlegel began raising money to ship Wylie from Kabul, Afghanistan, through PayPal, an online money transfer service. Through the financial support of her family, friends and perfect strangers, she raised every cent needed for the more than 7,000-mile trip - a $4,000 plane ticket.

"It says a lot about people that even with everything going on at home, a simple story about a girl and her dog can still melt everyone's heart," Schlegel said via e-mail. "But it's not just my story anymore; it's the story of everyone who has donated to help bring her home."

The funds that were raised helped Schlegel arrange transport through the Afghan Stray Animal League. An Afghan drove Wylie to Kabul where she stayed in a kennel until her flight to Pakistan could be arranged. She flew to Islamabad and in May finally made it to the United States where she was met by Schlegel's parents, Steve and Nancie Rodems of Highland Village.

But spending three months of her young life in transport made for a rough transition, Rodems said.

"I called Hannah. I said, 'Forget trained; she's not even domesticated,' " he said, laughing. "She just didn't have time to be a puppy. But she's been diametrically getting better.

"Compared to what Hannah has to do on any given day, taking care of Wylie is such a small sacrifice to make."

Wylie is now a long, lanky and clumsy adolescent dog, wrestling with the other family dog, Lily, and transporting Rodems' shoes from his closet to the couch.

When Schlegel comes home from her 400-day deployment in late August or early September, she and her fiance, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Koegler, will take Wylie to her permanent home in Northern Virginia, where the three will begin their civilian life together.

"My parents have been absolutely wonderful in taking care of her while I've been overseas," Schlegel said. "I cannot wait till I get home in a few months to reunite with her."

But until then, Schlegel's parents are enjoying an affectionate Wylie.

"Wylie, good girl. Good girl!" Rodems said, kissing her on the snout. "That's what she lives for. Now, she's a part of this family."

Boy, 12, lived with 19 dogs, 15 cats, two rabbits, three quail, nine chickens and one duck

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Cats in the kitchen of the home in Newark, Delaware, which contained 19 dogs, 15 cats, two rabbits, three quail, nine chickens and one duck. Picture: New Castle County Police Department

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A CHILD was allegedly living with 19 dogs, 15 cats, two rabbits, three quail, nine chickens and one duck in a house.

The plight of the 12-year-old boy living in the menagerie led animal welfare officers to contact police to assist with a search warrant for the boy's home in Newark, Delaware, in the US.

The deplorable condition of a bedroom in the house in Newark, Delaware, where the child lived in a menagerie. Picture: New Castle Police Department

"When officers arrived and entered the home, they smelled a pungent odor of urine, which made it difficult to breath, emanating throughout the house and observed the residence to be in deplorable conditions," Colonel W. Scott McLaren, chief of New Castle County Police Department said in a statement.
Sandra Kelsch, 49, and her husband, Edward Kelsch, 48, were each charged with endangering the welfare of a child. They were released on $500 unsecured bail. Animal cruelty charges are pending against the couple by the Kent County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Sandra Kelsch, 49, and her husband, Edward Kelsch, 48, have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, their 12-year-old son. Picture: New Castle County Police Department

SPCA animal control agents removed the pets - including 19 dogs, five cats, two rabbits, three quail, nine chickens and one duck, Whipple said. Another 10 cats that could not be caught were left behind and 28 more dogs were seized from the property.
The home was condemned as unfit to live in.
The couple’s 12-year-old son was taken to A.I. duPont Hospital for Children to be evaluated for any health problems. The boy was medically cleared and placed in the care of relatives,

No fine for man who put firecracker up his bum at Darwin party

Alex Bowden stuck a firecracker in his bottom crack. He won't face any punishment because police say he's "suffered enough". Picture: Facebook Source: Northern Territory News

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Man showing mates a cracking good time

I'm OK, says man who put cracker in bum

Firecracker explodes in man's buttocks

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A MAN who made headlines when an explosive went off in his bum has "suffered enough'' and won't be fined for having illicit fireworks, police said.

Alex Bowden, 23, of Wagaman, spent several days in hospital after burning his buttocks with a winged spinning "flying bee'' on July 28.
Acting Senior Sergeant Crispin Gargan yesterday confirmed to The NT News that Mr Bowden was not fined the usual $282.
"`We believe he has suffered enough in relation to firecrackers,'' Sen Sgt Gargan said.

The drunken antics unfolded during a party when Mr Bowden, a fitter and turner, said he was showing some friends from Queensland "a Territory good time".
They had a few beers and set off sporadic contraband crackers -- presumably they had been left over from legal celebrations on July 1.

``And I put one in my arse. . . I didn't burn my balls or back,'' he told The NT News at the time, adding his mum thought it was funny.