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| Walk on |
After surviving the collapse of Communism and attempts by bureaucrats to wipe him out, East Germany's green pedestrian traffic light man has emerged unscathed from a legal tug of war.
The hat-clad figure used on pedestrian crossings across the former East Germany is one of the last visible reminders of the nation's divided past and a source of pride for many of the country's pedestrians.
He has become a popular symbol on a range of t-shirts, toys, mugs and other tourist souvenirs, and so popular is he that a court in Leipzig has ruled that he can stay and not be replaced by the standardised, sexless red and green figures used on pedestrian crossings across Europe.
The copyright for the crossing man stills rests with an east German businessman, who is allowed to use it on the label of a range of liqueurs. |
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| Number's up |
A UK manufacturer has developed what it claims is the world's first anti-theft registration plate.
Hills Numberplates take more than three minutes to prise from the vehicle and once they're off they are almost completely destroyed.
The theft resistant plates were officially launched in the UK in May this year and will be available from the end of July for new vehicles and as a retrofit through approved outlets. |
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| Head-on collision |
Police in the US state of Idaho are charging a man with killing his wife after her severed head flew from the bed of his pickup truck during a traffic accident.
The head was recovered at the roadside and further investigation led police to the driver's house where the headless body of his wife was discovered.
The driver was charged with first-degree murder for the death of his wife and also two counts of second-degree murder for causing the deaths of two people involved in the traffic accident. |
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| Wwwacky website |
Certain recording 'artistes' have long been assaulting our ears with their dreadful 'music', but this website builds a good case against some of their number who are guilty of assaulting our eyes as well. www.zonicweb.net has brought together the worst artwork ever to be propped up in a record shop window, in their Museum of Bad Album Covers. Filed on 38 pages, from Metal Mayhem to Uncategorizable Awfulness, they name and shame performers from Ethel Merman to Scorpions, via Mr T and William Shatner, and feature turquoise jumpsuits, Afghan hounds and family singing groups with impossibly blond hair. The fact that www.zonicweb.net accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any nausea, vomiting and/or retinal damage caused by viewing these album covers says it all. Click at your peril. |
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Volume 11.07
July 2006 |
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Hello Welcome to the July issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare!
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Disco discovery |
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 While carrying out experiments on that disco favourite, dry ice, a team of Italian scientists has discovered not just how to make a new super-hard glass, but also vital clues to help solve the mystery of what's inside the huge gas planets in our solar system.
Scientists believe that the process of using high pressure to squeeze the dry ice and turn it into a solid could be similar to the chemical changes that take place inside the gas planets, such as Jupiter, and are looking forward to carrying out further research. |
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PT Cruiser Cabrio |
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 Chrysler has gone topless with the new addition to its PT Cruiser range.
The four-seater soft-top was launched last month appropriately on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and consists of two levels of specification. The Touring is priced from $35,890 and has a five-speed manual transmission, air-con, power windows, six-disc MP3 compatible sound system and alloy wheels, as well as the power-folding soft top. The Limited, priced from $38,490, has all that plus leather trim, heated seats and unique alloys. A four-speed auto version is offered on both Touring and Limited at a $2,000 premium. |
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Fleetcare TanderSport Update |
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 It's exactly halfway through 2006 and we really couldn't have asked for a better start to the year for the Fleetcare TanderSport team!
Both Leanne and Garth Tander have competed in four rounds of respective Championships and are on target for an even better second half.
Going into Round 5 in Darwin (1 - 2 July), Garth is leading the V8Supercar Championship by 13 points over his Toll HSVDT team-mate, Rick Kelly. His car has been fast enough to win races all year but a little bit of bad-luck has meant a podium finish has eluded Garth so far. Still, the second half of the year sees the Championship visit all those circuits at which Garth did so well in 2005 - Hidden Valley, Queensland Raceway, Phillip Island and, of course, the track where Garth pulled off a clean sweep, Symmons Plains. With all that to look forward to, we're pretty confident that Garth will be standing on the top step of that podium in the not too distant future...
Leanne is currently 5th in the Australian Formula 3 Championship. With strong, top-5 finishes in almost every race so far, Leanne has been improving every outing and is now knocking on the door of the top-3. It is the Fleetcare TanderSport team's aim to finish in the top 3 of the Championship in 2006 and, with four rounds remaining, they're working harder than ever to make sure that happens. Round 5 will be held at Eastern Creek on 8 - 9 July and Leanne is confident she'll have the speed to challenge for a podium position.
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4x4 makes a splash |
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 What do you get if you cross a quad bike with a jet ski? The Quadski, of course, an amphibious vehicle that's just as speedy in the water as it is on dry land.
Designed and manufactured in the UK by Gibbs Technologies, the Quadski is fitted with a 140bhp petrol engine as well as a rear-mounted jet ski-style propulsion system, which provides both steering and thrust. It carries enough fuel for two hours' use in water or 370 miles on land and can do 80kph on either surface. When the Quadski goes on sale it is expected to be priced at around $62,000. |
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Women's Motoring Workshops |
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 More and more women drive late model vehicles, often in remote parts of the country and for extended periods of time. It is important therefore for all drivers to be able to perform basic maintenance on their vehicle, to be able to change a tyre, to be able to diagnose a problem and know when they are having their vehicle serviced, what work is necessary and what is not.
To that end, Fleetcare is offering female drivers and their partners/colleagues, the opportunity to participate in our Motoring Women's Workshop series, to be hosted by one of Australia's leading F3 drivers, Leanne Tander. Leanne will provide practical insights into vehicle maintenance and offer driving tips & techniques and, for those who are game, some hands on experience! Workshops will be held on the following dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Brisbane - Thursday 19 July
Sydney - Thursday 10 August
Melbourne -Thursday 8 September
The workshops will be fun and informal and enable participants to walk away with some good, practical knowledge about their vehicle, network with other participants and to meet Leanne Tander ( www. Tandersport.com)
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