Thursday, October 4, 2012

Bathurst Cars Sought For 50 Year Celebration



1:30 PM Tue 12 June, 2012 Source: BigPond Sport
OWNERS of cars with history in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and its forerunners back to 1963 are being sought to help celebrate 50 Years of The Great Race at Bathurst this October.
A major feature of the event on October 4-7 will be a tribute to the cars that played their part in the magical history of the Bathurst endurance race.
Whether it be an original or replica, all cars with history in the race are eligible covering the Series Production, Group C, Group A, Super Touring and V8 Supercar eras of the Mount Panorama classic.
Applications are now open online for owners of cars that played a part in the race’s history, with the selected cars to be put on display in a never-before-seen exhibition at this year’s event.
Applications can be made online and close on July 31.
Click here to fill out the online entry form or download a printable version.
Note: All associated travel and transportation costs will be at the expense of the exhibitor. V8 Supercars will provide each successful entry with two general admission tickets (including paddock pass) and a plaque to each exhibitor in recognition.
For more on the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000: www.bathurst.v8supercars.com.au

V8 Supercar Stars In “Dog Fight”

Elite Pilots And V8 Supercar Stars In “Dog Fight”

6:05 AM Thu 4 October, 2012 Source: BigPond Sport
V8 SUPERCARS drivers Garth Tander and Shane van Gisbergen have had a once in a lifetime opportunity and joined the select few civilians to fly in a simulated dog fight with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) leading into this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Tander and van Gisbergen experienced extreme g-forces in an F/A18 with two of Australia’s leading pilots, Squadron Leader Jason ‘Easty’ Easthope and Flight Lieutenant Jason ‘Crossy’ Cross at the Williamtown (30km north of Newcastle) RAAF base.
After six hours including safety and mission briefings the pair flew vertical from 500 to 35,000 feet, breaking the sound barrier and experiencing up to 7.5 g-force.
Tander, a two-time Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 Champion, said the lateral 2 g-force that he was used to in his V8 Supercar, was nothing compared to the world’s premier fighter jet.
“After we broke the sound barrier we went vertical,” says Tander, current holder of the Peter Brock Trophy.
“We went from 500 feet vertical to 35,000 feet, and you could see where the edge of the light blue sky became dark blue and it felt like we were going into outer space.
“I lost consciousness three times for a few seconds but came out of it and saw Shane flying alongside of us.
“This is essentially a racetrack in the sky, the lateral g-forces are comparative, but the vertical g-forces are completely out of this world.
“It was by far one of the most amazing experiences - it was a fantastic opportunity and I can now appreciate how fit the pilots need to be.”
Ahead of this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, the drivers were surprised by the similarities between V8 Supercars and an F/A18 both in terms of strategy and the impact on the body.
“I can’t believe these guys do it every day. The impact on your body is unbelievable. At one point my vision was going,” says van Gisbergen.
     
“We were warned about the impact the g-force has on your body and I really felt it. I have no idea how these guys do it in battle and maintain intense concentration.
“What we do, as hard as it is, is a walk in the park compared to what I just experienced.”
Tander and van Gisbergen even had the opportunity to ‘fly’ the $45 million aircraft.
“I managed to get the aircraft to do a few spins, but I was conscious that at $45 million dollars, it was no test drive,” says van Gisbergen.
Like a V8 Supercar team, getting an aircraft off the ground requires an integral team effort. It takes engineers, mechanics, ground crew, flight control and more for a safe and successful exercise.
“Ultimately these guys (pilots) are flying for preparation in combat and we’re driving for the most elite trophy in Australian motorsport, but you can’t give the personnel who defend our country a trophy, they deserve much more,” he said.
The RAAF will be showcasing their world class fighter jets during the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with a flyover on Saturday and Sunday as part of the pre-race entertainment.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Too much sugar 'shrinks your brain'

Study links high-sugar diet to brain shrinkage

sugar
New research linking diets high in sugar to brain shrinkage may force doctors to redefine  what blood glucose levels are dangerous.
Cupcakes
The study suggests long-term exposure to sugary foods and drinks can have an impact on brain health.
 
NEW research linking a diet high in sugar and processed foods to brain shrinkage has prompted a rethink on safe blood sugar levels.
People with blood sugar levels of 4ml-6.1ml were found to have a greater risk of the brain atrophy that occurs with ageing and dementia, researchers at the Australian National University's College of Medicine found.
These blood sugar levels are not high enough to meet the clinical definition for type 2 diabetes and are at the upper end of the normal range, which has surprised researchers.
The research may force doctors to redefine what blood glucose levels are dangerous.
The study found that the loss of brain volume affected mostly memory and cognitive skills.
Dr Nicolas Cherbuin, who conducted the study, said the research suggested long-term exposure to  foods like sugary drinks and white flour were responsible for the problem.
Previous medical research found higher levels of brain shrinkage among the obese and patients with type 2 diabetes.
"These findings suggest that even for people who do not have diabetes, higher blood sugar levels could have an impact on brain health,'' Dr Cherbuin said.
"More research is needed, but these findings may lead us to re-evaluate the concept of normal blood sugar levels and the definition of diabetes,'' he said.
After controlling for age, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol use and other factors the study found blood sugar accounted for six to ten per cent of the brain shrinkage.
The study involved  249 Canberra residents aged 60-64 who had an MRI scan of the brain and a blood glucose test and  were then retested four years later.
The shrinkage of the brain was measured by comparing brain size in the two MRIS.
Dr Cherbuin says he is now undertaking new research to see whether people aged in their 40's and 50's experience the same brain shrinkage.
The best way to avoid brain shrinkage was to eat low- glycaemic foods and avoid sugary soft drinks and highly processed foods that used sugar, white flour and fat, he said. Physical activity also helped lower blood sugar levels.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Message found in bottle after 98 years sets world record

Message found in bottle after 98 years sets world record


By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
Updated 3d 7h ago
Scottish government, AP
A North Sea fisherman has set a world record by scooping up a bottle that has carried a message in the ocean for almost 98 years.
By Scottish Government, AP
The bottle, found east of the Shetland Island off Scotland's northern coast, was among 1,890 released all at one time in a government experiment to map the undercurrents of the seas around Scotland, the BBC reports. Only 315 have been found.Fisherman Andrew Leaper, skipper of the Copious, found the bottle — which was set adrift in 1914 — in his nets in April.
By Scottish Government, AP
Guinness World Records confirmed on Thursday that it is the oldest message in a bottle ever recovered, beating a previous record by five years, the BBC says.Oddly, the old record was set by Leaper's friend, Mark Anderson, who had found his bottle in 2006 while on board the same vessel, the Copious, the BBC reports.
Leaper says Anderson is "very unhappy that I have topped his record."
"He never stopped talking about it -- and now I am the one who is immensely proud to be the finder of the world-record message in a bottle," Leaper says, according to the BBC.
Inside each bottle, a postcard asks the finder to record details of the discovery and promises a reward of a sixpence, the AP reports. Unfortunately for Leaper, the coin no longer exists.
The Scottish government says adrift bottle 646B was released on June 10, 1914, by Capt. C. H. Brown of the Glasgow School of Navigation, as part of a batch of 1,890 scientific research bottles specially designed to sink downward and float close to the seabed.
"By tracking the location of returned bottles, it was possible for the undercurrents of the seas around Scotland to be mapped out for the first time," the government said in a statement.
It says the water-tight glass bottles contained a postcard asking the finder to record the date and location of the discovery and return it to the "Director of the Fishery Board for Scotland" – with a reward of sixpence available. It says Brown's original log is now held by Marine Scotland Science in Aberdeen and is updated each time a discovery is made.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

MARILYN MONROE STATUE IN CHICAGO


To think she would be 86 years old today
GIANT MARILYN MONROE 50th ANNIVERSARY STATUE UNVEILED IN CHICAGO .
LIFELIKE "SEVEN YEAR ITCH" ICONIC POSE CAPTURED BY DESIGNER SEWARD JOHNSON.
THE PROJECT WAS KEPT IN GREAT SECRECY TILL RECENTLY

PROVIDING SHELTER under RAIN & SNOW.

NAIL POLISHING OVER THE SIMULATED SUBWAY STATION GRATING TO REPRESENT THE ONE IN THE MOVIE.


THE DESIGNER APPLYING THE SPRAY COLOR?


FINISHING TOUCHES.


AMAZING ATTENTION TO DETAILS, AND REALISTIC FLESH TONES


APPLYING THE FINISHING TOUCHES.


WONDERING HOW THE STATUE IS ABLE TO STAND ON ITS OWN WITHOUT SUPPORT?


BRIDE AND BRIDESMAIDS, FIND SHADE UNDER THE STATUE


STANDING IN THE MIDST OF CHICAGO SKYLINE WOULD HAVE MADE MARILYN VERY PROUD INDEED
.

WHAT A FITTING TRIBUTE TO MARILYN IN THE WINDY CITY OF CHICAGO !



EVEN THE YOUTH ARE CURIOUS.