99-year-old swimmer breaks 50m freestyle world record

George Corones should surely be in the running for the next Australian of the Year.

During the Commonwealth Games trials on the Gold Coast, the swimmer, who will turn 100 in April, broke a world record when he completed the 50-metre freestyle swim in 56.12 seconds.

Mr Corones only started swimming seriously when he turned 80 and was the only swimmer in his 100-104 age group.

He also smashed two world records in 2013, at the Masters Swimming Queensland meet on the Gold Coast.

Turtle egg protection plan paying off

A new plan is proving to protect these little eastern long-necked turtles from foxes that have been digging up nearly all the turtle nests in Canberra for years.

Last spring, rangers and volunteers spent 15 nights following female turtles around, waiting for them to lay eggs.

They then secured their nests with a metal grid.

This week, 18 hatchlings emerged from their protected nests and were released into the water at Jerrabomberra Wetlands.

Now these baby turtles could live for 60 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-02/good-news-that-made-us-smile/9499292

Ahhh... that's better.

Ghana man goes viral for teaching computer technology on a blackboard

A viral photo of a teacher in Ghana explaining how computers work — without computers — has resulted in a promise by Microsoft to send him new computer equipment.

Information and communication technology (ICT) teacher Richard Appiah Akoto shared a photo of himself using a blackboard to show his students how to use Microsoft Word.

"Teaching of ICT in Ghana's school is very funny," Mr Akoto said in a Facebook post.

The post was shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter, and gained prominence after being picked up by international websites and tech enthusiasts.

After a tweet reached Microsoft, the company pledged to send Mr Akoto a computer and give him access to its education material.

"Supporting teachers to enable digital transformation in education is at the core of what we do," the software giant said in a tweet.

While the post has become a source of inspiration for teachers in Africa, it's a reflection of an under-resourced public school system.

In Ghana, there have been calls for a national conversation about fairer distribution of resources to struggling rural schools.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-01/ghana-man-goes-viral-for-teaching-computers-without-computers/9498100

I hope they send more than one computer!

LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE!!!!!

All the posts, but especially this last one.

It felt wonderful to report a bunch of good stories for a change.

Baby chimpanzee takes scenic flight to new home after rescue from poachers

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An orphaned baby chimpanzee rescued from poachers in Africa has taken a scenic flight to its new home — sitting on the pilot's lap.

Chimpanzee Mussa even "helped" adjust the plane's throttle during the flight, rescue organisation Lwiro Primates in the Democratic Republic of Congo said.

"People ask me why I didn't put Mussa in a cage during the flight," pilot Anthony Caere posted on his Instagram page.

"A baby needs hugs and compassion instead of being locked up in a cage during a stressful flight."

Apart from intestinal parasites that are being treated, Mussa is doing very well, Lwiro Primates told Storyful.

You HAVE to watch the video!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-05/baby-chimp-takes-flight-to-new-home-after-rescue-from-poachers/9514952

The last male northern white rhino on the mend after infection threatened the species

The world's last male northern white rhino is recovering from an infected leg that raised fears over the past week he might have to be put down, a veterinarian at a conservancy in Kenya says.

Sudan lives with the last two females of the same species in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, about 250 kilometres north of Nairobi.

After all attempts at getting him to mate naturally failed, conservationists last year put Sudan on dating app Tinder, hoping to raise enough money to pay for a $11.5 million fertility treatment.

The 45-year-old had spent most of the past two weeks lying in his pen due to discomfort from a deep wound on his right hind leg.

His keepers had wondered whether it might be time to put him down.

But Stephen Ngulu, Ol Pejeta's veterinarian, said they had managed to bring the infection under control with painkillers and antibiotics and Sudan had regained his healthy appetite.

"He is an animal that is showing the will to live," Mr Ngulu told Reuters at the conservancy, as he struggled to walk in his pen while his companions Najin, 27, Fatu, 17, played in the mud a short distance away.

Scientists are now working to help Sudan reproduce via in-vitro fertilisation using eggs taken from Najin.

The embryo would be implanted in a surrogate southern white, Mr Ngulu said.

With the old male nearing the end of his life, Zachary Mutai, who has cared for him at Ol Pejeta for the past eight years, said the ravages of age were a source of sadness.

"Sudan is my great friend," he said.

"He's a very gentle rhino, people used to stroke him, people used to come very close to him, he's a very gentle one."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/worlds-last-male-northern-white-rhino-sudan-could-be-on-the-mend/9526632

Ernie, the Froot-Loop eating, soccer-playing Therapy Goat

A Froot-Loop eating goat who loves playing soccer is winning hearts at a disability service in northern New South Wales.

Four-month-old Ernie has become a regular visitor at Sunnyfield Disability Services in Tamworth, where he is training to be a therapy pet.

His adopted mother, Amanda Hoswell, said he had been destined for such a role because of his social nature.

Ms Hoswell said Ernie, who was born on Melbourne Cup day last year, was always going to be a winner, despite losing his real mother at birth.

Her partner brought him home in a box, and she has raised Ernie like her own child.

"He was this tiny little thing, and he wore a nappy, a newborn nappy, and he was bottle-fed," she said.

As he has grown, Ernie has developed quite a personality, and follows his 'mum' around just like a regular kid.

Now Ernie, an Alpine milking goat, is revelling in the attention he receives when he visits Sunnyfield, where there are endless pats, kisses, cuddles and games of soccer.

Ernie chases fitness balls around the open-plan facility, butting heads with balls of all shapes and sizes.

Video here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/ernie-the-froot-loop-eating-goat-wins-hearts/9531054

And at the checkout counter, customers will be asked "paper or plastic."

All single use plastic bags are being phased out completely here.

We use our own cloth bags, but the plastic bags come in handy as bin liners.

I guess we'll just have to adapt.