| Strange but True Facts - Space |
| The ancient Greeks called our galaxy the Milky Way because they thought it was made from drops of milk from the breasts of the Greek goddess Hera. Yuri Gagarin survived the first manned spaceflight but was killed in a plane crash seven years later. Astronauts become a little taller in space. There is less gravity, so their bones are less squashed together. Astronauts' footprints and Lunar Rover tyre tracks will stay on the moon for millions of years as there is no wind to blow them away. About 1500 stars are visible at night with the naked eye in a clear, dark sky. There are 88 constellations altogether. The smallest star measures about 1700 km across. It is a white dwarf called LP 327-16. The first object to orbit earth was Sputnik 1, launched by the USSR in October 1957. The first animal in space was the Soviet dog, Laika, in November 1957. It died on the flight. The first animals to survive in orbital spaceflight were the Soviet dogs, Strelka and Belka, launched in Sputnik 5 in August 1960. The first person to orbit earth was Yuri Gagarin, from the USSR, in April 1961. The first American to orbit earth was John Glenn in February 1962. The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova, from the USSR, in June 1963. The first person to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong in July 1969. |
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Strange but True Facts - Space
Strange but True - People
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Weird funny place names
Weird funny place names
Would you like to live here? These are names of actual locations:
Arsoli (Lazio, Italy)
Bastard (Norway)
Beaver (Oklahoma, USA)
Beaver Head (Idaho, USA)
Brown Willy (Cornwall,UK)
Chinaman's Knob (Australia)
Climax (Colorado, USA)
Cunt (Spain)
Cunter (Switzerland)
Dikshit (India)
Dildo (Newfoundland, Canada)
Dong Rack (Thailand-Cambodia border)
Dongo (Congo - Democratic Republic)
Effin (Limerick, Ireland)
Fuku (Shensi, China)
Fukue (Honshu, Japan)
Fukui (Honshu, Japan)
Fukum (Yemen)
Hold With Hope (Greenland)
Intercourse (Pennsylvania, USA)
Lickey End (West Midlands, UK)
Little Dix Village (West Indies)
Lord Berkeley's Knob (Sutherland, Scotland)
Middle Intercourse Island (Australia)
Muff (Northern Ireland)
Nobber (Donegal, Ireland)
Pis Pis River (Nicaragua)
Sexmoan (Luzon, Philippines)
Seymen (Turkey)
Shafter (California, USA)
Shag Island (Indian Ocean)
Shitlingthorpe (Yorkshire, UK)
Tittybong (Australia)
Tong Fuk (Japan)
Turdo (Romania)
Twatt (Orkney, UK)
Wank (Germany)
Wankendorf (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
Wankener (India)
Wankie (Zimbabwe)
Wankie Colliery (Zimbabwe)
Wanks River (Nicaragua)
Wankum (Germany)
Wet Beaver Creek (Australia)
Arsoli (Lazio, Italy)
Bastard (Norway)
Beaver (Oklahoma, USA)
Beaver Head (Idaho, USA)
Brown Willy (Cornwall,UK)
Chinaman's Knob (Australia)
Climax (Colorado, USA)
Cunt (Spain)
Cunter (Switzerland)
Dikshit (India)
Dildo (Newfoundland, Canada)
Dong Rack (Thailand-Cambodia border)
Dongo (Congo - Democratic Republic)
Effin (Limerick, Ireland)
Fuku (Shensi, China)
Fukue (Honshu, Japan)
Fukui (Honshu, Japan)
Fukum (Yemen)
Hold With Hope (Greenland)
Intercourse (Pennsylvania, USA)
Lickey End (West Midlands, UK)
Little Dix Village (West Indies)
Lord Berkeley's Knob (Sutherland, Scotland)
Middle Intercourse Island (Australia)
Muff (Northern Ireland)
Nobber (Donegal, Ireland)
Pis Pis River (Nicaragua)
Sexmoan (Luzon, Philippines)
Seymen (Turkey)
Shafter (California, USA)
Shag Island (Indian Ocean)
Shitlingthorpe (Yorkshire, UK)
Tittybong (Australia)
Tong Fuk (Japan)
Turdo (Romania)
Twatt (Orkney, UK)
Wank (Germany)
Wankendorf (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany)
Wankener (India)
Wankie (Zimbabwe)
Wankie Colliery (Zimbabwe)
Wanks River (Nicaragua)
Wankum (Germany)
Wet Beaver Creek (Australia)
Weird but true shark facts
Weird but true shark facts
Sharks can sense a drop of blood from 2.5 miles away. They can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.
Sharks are so powerful that their bite can generate a force of up to 6 tons per square inch.
Sharks, in their 400 million years on earth, have shown an extraordinary ability to resist cancer and other diseases. This has raised hopes among medical researchers that the oceans' most feared predator might turn out to be the cancer patient's best friend. Investigators continue to study the immune system of sharks to see if it can provide the answer to stopping the spread of cancer in humans.
Sharks can live up to 100 years.
The biggest shark is the whale shark which can be up to 50 feet (15 m) long. It has approximately 300 rows of teeth, with hundreds of tiny teeth in each row. It's a filter feeder and sieves enormous amounts of plankton to eat through its gills as it swims. It is also the biggest fish in the sea. The second biggest fish and shark is the basking shark which is about 40 feet (12.3 m) long and is another filter feeder.
Sharks can generate about six and a half tons per square inch of biting force.
Sharks have no bones - a shark's skeleton is made up of cartilage.
The biggest meat-eating shark is the Great White which grows to be up to 21 feet (6.4 m) long. The smallest sharks are the Dwarf Lanternfish (6-7 inches), Spined Pygmy Shark (7 inches) and Pygmy Ribbontail Catshark (6-7 inches).
The dogfish sharks are named for their tendency to attack their prey as a pack of wild dogs would.
The ostrich is often credited with laying the largest eggs, but the largest egg in the world was actually laid by a shark, the whale shark. The egg, 14 inches (36 cm) long, was found in the Gulf of Mexico in 1953.
Sharks can go up to at least 6 weeks without feeding. The record for a shark fasting was observed in an aquarium with the Swell Shark, which did not eat for 15 months.
Sharks are so powerful that their bite can generate a force of up to 6 tons per square inch.
Sharks, in their 400 million years on earth, have shown an extraordinary ability to resist cancer and other diseases. This has raised hopes among medical researchers that the oceans' most feared predator might turn out to be the cancer patient's best friend. Investigators continue to study the immune system of sharks to see if it can provide the answer to stopping the spread of cancer in humans.
Sharks can live up to 100 years.
The biggest shark is the whale shark which can be up to 50 feet (15 m) long. It has approximately 300 rows of teeth, with hundreds of tiny teeth in each row. It's a filter feeder and sieves enormous amounts of plankton to eat through its gills as it swims. It is also the biggest fish in the sea. The second biggest fish and shark is the basking shark which is about 40 feet (12.3 m) long and is another filter feeder.
Sharks can generate about six and a half tons per square inch of biting force.
Sharks have no bones - a shark's skeleton is made up of cartilage.
The biggest meat-eating shark is the Great White which grows to be up to 21 feet (6.4 m) long. The smallest sharks are the Dwarf Lanternfish (6-7 inches), Spined Pygmy Shark (7 inches) and Pygmy Ribbontail Catshark (6-7 inches).
The dogfish sharks are named for their tendency to attack their prey as a pack of wild dogs would.
The ostrich is often credited with laying the largest eggs, but the largest egg in the world was actually laid by a shark, the whale shark. The egg, 14 inches (36 cm) long, was found in the Gulf of Mexico in 1953.
Sharks can go up to at least 6 weeks without feeding. The record for a shark fasting was observed in an aquarium with the Swell Shark, which did not eat for 15 months.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Michael Salter Polystyrene Robot Sculptures
Michael Salter, an associate professor of digital arts at the University of Oregon created these robot sculptures out of polystyrene (hence they are called styrobots) and his biggest creation stands at 22 feet tall. The smaller robots near its feet keep people from getting too close to it and accidentally knocking it over.
Salter took all winter to cut the pieces which are then glued together and his works are often destroyed at the end of showing. The styrobots may be short lived but they have gathered the audience attention at the shows.
Check out 10 more pics of the polystyrene robots after the jump.
Beijing Olympics Landmarks In Lego
One of the most amazing Lego productions this year is the Lego Sport City which was themed after the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games. The landmarks featured are the Bird Nest Stadium, Swimming Cube and Sports Billage.
The Lego installation can be found at the Grand Century Place in Hong Kong until August 31st. Check out the behind the scenes part to see the true scale of the Lego works.
20 more pics of Lego Beijing Olympics after the jump.Tokyo After The Apocalypse
If you have been to Tokyo, chances are that these fantasy images will look familar with all the building landmarks. Devoid of human inhabitation, these shows how parts of Tokyo would look like if it would ever faced the apocalypse. Nature once again takes over eeriely to claim its land but instead of a brim outlook it does seem to be awfully peaceful. Above shows Shibuya and these images are created by Tokyo Genso (Tokyo Fantasy).
Check out 5 more pics of Tokyo after the Apocalypse after the jump.
The Big Picture Photo Mosaic
The Big Picture is a project to create the biggest photo album in the West Midlands where the people there submitted over 110,000 photos. The photos are then used to create a huge record breaking photo mosaic the size of three tennis courts which was unveiled at Birmingham’s Thinktank at Millenium Point on 23rd August 2008.
British artist Helen Marshall is the creative mind behind the project where she worked with photo mosaic specialists PollyTiles to realize the enormous image.
2 more pics of ‘The Big Picture’ photo mosaic after the jump.Upside Down House Installation In Germany
An installation of an upside down house in Trassenheide Germany was opened to the public two weeks ago and was designed by Polish partners Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastion Mikuciuk for the Edutainment exhibition company.
People who have visited the house reported feeling dizzy and disorientated. An interesting alternative view of every day items and the designers did a great job with the interior. Similar buildings have been designed upside down before but only from the exterior.
More of the upside down house interior in Germany with 9 more pics after the jump.
Lego Build Of USS Harry S Truman Aircraft Carrier
Amazing Lego creation of a battleship that uses more than 300,000 bricks to build this huge scale model of the USS Harry S Truman nuclear powered aircraft carrier which is one of the largest carrier in the US fleet.
Malle Hawking, father of two is the creator behind this lego aircraft carrier that carries 85 warplanes and more than 5,000 airmen and crew mimicking its real life counterpart.
5 more pics of the big lego model of the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier after the jump.Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Most famous erotic movie star
Linda Boreman, who starred as Linda Lovelace in the infamous pornographic film Deep Throat, is probably the most famous erotic movie star.
Her 1972 movie, which focuses on the discovery by a sex-conscious young woman that oral sex can be fun, was the most successful pornographic film to be shown in America.
It was declared obscene by the state of New York, a circumstance which may have helped it to gross some three and a half million dollars. It became the first pornographic film to be seen widely at cinemas and made $600m at box offices.
Though it was the most successful blue movie of all time, its star Linda Boreman said she was never paid for it and she became an anti-pornography campaigner later in life.
She claimed she was forced into performing some scenes in Deep Throat by her former manager and husband, Chuck Traynor, and said that every time someone watched her on screen, "they are watching me being raped."
Linda Boreman died at the age of 53 after suffering massive trauma and internal injuries as a result of a car crash on April 3rd, 2002.
Her 1972 movie, which focuses on the discovery by a sex-conscious young woman that oral sex can be fun, was the most successful pornographic film to be shown in America.
It was declared obscene by the state of New York, a circumstance which may have helped it to gross some three and a half million dollars. It became the first pornographic film to be seen widely at cinemas and made $600m at box offices.
Though it was the most successful blue movie of all time, its star Linda Boreman said she was never paid for it and she became an anti-pornography campaigner later in life.
She claimed she was forced into performing some scenes in Deep Throat by her former manager and husband, Chuck Traynor, and said that every time someone watched her on screen, "they are watching me being raped."
Linda Boreman died at the age of 53 after suffering massive trauma and internal injuries as a result of a car crash on April 3rd, 2002.
Oldest sex manual in the world
The oldest sex manuals in the world are the Chinese 'Handbooks of Sex' written 5,000 years ago by the legendary Yellow Emperor Huang-Ti (2697-2598 B.C.)
Huang-Ti is credited with founding the Chinese nation and under this legendary ruler agriculture and husbandry and the silk clothing industry developed and flourished.
As well as the 'Handbooks of Sex' it is also believed that the 'Tao of Love Coupling' originated from Huang-ti. The Yellow Emperor is said to have had three female sex advisors, the Plain Girl (Su-nui), the Mystery Girl (Shuen-nui) and the Harvest Girl (Tsai-nui), and one male sex doctor, Pong Tsu. Their conversations (Questions & Answers) were compiled into a book entitled Su-Nui Ching, named after Su-nui. This book became the sexual bible and medical guidebook for many generations.
Huang-Ti is credited with founding the Chinese nation and under this legendary ruler agriculture and husbandry and the silk clothing industry developed and flourished.
As well as the 'Handbooks of Sex' it is also believed that the 'Tao of Love Coupling' originated from Huang-ti. The Yellow Emperor is said to have had three female sex advisors, the Plain Girl (Su-nui), the Mystery Girl (Shuen-nui) and the Harvest Girl (Tsai-nui), and one male sex doctor, Pong Tsu. Their conversations (Questions & Answers) were compiled into a book entitled Su-Nui Ching, named after Su-nui. This book became the sexual bible and medical guidebook for many generations.
Struck by lightning record seven times
US Park Ranger Roy C. Sullivan from Virginia holds the record for the person most times struck by lightning - and living to tell the tale. Between 1942 and 1983, Roy has the dubious distinction of being struck by lightning seven times. He was known as the Human Lightning Rod.
The first lightning strike in 1942 happened as he was working up in a lookout tower and the lighting bolt shot through his leg and knocked his big toenail off.
In 1969 while he was driving along a mountain road a second strike burned off his eyebrows and knocked him unconscious. Another strike just a year later, while he was walking across his yard to get the mail, left his shoulder seared.
He was standing in the office at the ranger station in 1972 when lightning set his hair on fire and Roy had to throw a bucket of water over his head to cool off. A year later, after his hair had grown back, a lightning bolt ripped through his hat and hit him on the head, setting his hair on fire again. It threw him out of his truck, knocked his left shoe off and seared his legs. A sixth strike hit him in 1976 while he was checking on a campsite, injuring his ankle.
The last lightning bolt to hit Roy in 1977 happened while he was fishing. It sent him to hospital with chest and stomach burns.
Roy Sullivan was never killed by lighting - he committed suicide while in his 70's in 1983 reportedly distraught over the loss of a woman.
The first lightning strike in 1942 happened as he was working up in a lookout tower and the lighting bolt shot through his leg and knocked his big toenail off.
In 1969 while he was driving along a mountain road a second strike burned off his eyebrows and knocked him unconscious. Another strike just a year later, while he was walking across his yard to get the mail, left his shoulder seared.
He was standing in the office at the ranger station in 1972 when lightning set his hair on fire and Roy had to throw a bucket of water over his head to cool off. A year later, after his hair had grown back, a lightning bolt ripped through his hat and hit him on the head, setting his hair on fire again. It threw him out of his truck, knocked his left shoe off and seared his legs. A sixth strike hit him in 1976 while he was checking on a campsite, injuring his ankle.
The last lightning bolt to hit Roy in 1977 happened while he was fishing. It sent him to hospital with chest and stomach burns.
Roy Sullivan was never killed by lighting - he committed suicide while in his 70's in 1983 reportedly distraught over the loss of a woman.
Life in the 1500s
The next time you're washing yourself and complain that the water temperature isn't to your liking, think how it was for the unfortunate people living in the 1500s.
Most people married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good in June. However, they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the sons and other men, then the women, and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then, the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it; hence the saying, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Houses had thatched roofs; thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof; hence the saying "it's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This was a real problem in the bedroom, where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. A bed with big posts and a sheet over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt; hence the saying, "dirt poor."
The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh on the floor to help their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until it would all start slipping outside when you opened the door. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway, a "thresh hold."
In those days people cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while; hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which was quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers, a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Often trenchers were made from stale bread which was so old and hard that it could be used for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed. Sometimes worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth."
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burned bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock people out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up; hence the custom of holding a "wake."
England is old and small, and they started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and take the bones to a "bone house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground, and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."
And that's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...whoever said history was boring?
Most people married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good in June. However, they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the sons and other men, then the women, and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then, the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it; hence the saying, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
Houses had thatched roofs; thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof; hence the saying "it's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This was a real problem in the bedroom, where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. A bed with big posts and a sheet over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt; hence the saying, "dirt poor."
The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh on the floor to help their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until it would all start slipping outside when you opened the door. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway, a "thresh hold."
In those days people cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while; hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which was quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers, a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Often trenchers were made from stale bread which was so old and hard that it could be used for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed. Sometimes worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth."
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burned bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock people out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up; hence the custom of holding a "wake."
England is old and small, and they started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and take the bones to a "bone house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground, and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."
And that's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...whoever said history was boring?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Luxury Bus Way Better Than Your Home
Probably time to move out of your house if you own this cool bus. The interiors are even nicer than some apartments I’ve been and what’s great is that you can even store your own personal car in it. Check out 14 more pics of the cool luxury bus after the jump.
Probably time to move out of your house if you own this cool bus. The interiors are even nicer than some apartments I’ve been and what’s great is that you can even store your own personal car in it. Check out 14 more pics of the cool luxury bus after the jump.
Cool Fashionable Watches
Exclusive & limited edition cool watches where you can’t find elsewhere. You can only find these in specialist shops in Japan. The right picture shows one of the watches, which is a limited production 72 White L.E.D. by Maker Pimp. Its super flashy and is a great buy for those who loves to flash attention. The coating is done with IP Plating. |  |
Good news is that the vendor is offering free shipping for purchases above 10,000 yen which is roughly around USD 85. Get your fashionable cool watch now!
Websites of Interest: Eilux Automatic Watch Winder for your automatic watches. Stop resetting your automatic watch buy an automatic watch winder and never set your watches again.
Keyboard Shoes
This is one of the most unique designs that I have ever seen. A keyboard shoe! A pair of keyboard shoes was on display at the 14th China International Clothing and Accessories Fair which started on the 5th April. This pair won the top prize in the sports category at the 6th Hong Kong Footwear Design Contest. I wonder how the wearing feels though.
Mobile Phone As Earring
Will this be the latest fashion for mobile phone geeks? I am utterly out of speech over the absolute awfulness of this. Sure you could be a diehard Motorala fan, but this is going way overboard.
Lifebuoy HandWash You Eat What You Touch Ads
Here is a video compilation of the most amazing pen tricks that you can find online. How I wish I could play pen tricks like them.
Interesting Lifebuoy Handwash advertisements by advertising agency Lowe Jakarta that scares us into washing our hands more often. You eat what you touch - so before you eat something, think about what you have touched previously. Creative way to show how gross it can be when we don’t wash our hands.
Click on the ads to view in higher resolution.
Check out 2 more pics of Lifebuoy Handwash advertisements after the jump.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Eating insects for food, snacking on crickets, snakes, baby nestling sparrows, mice, scorpion soup
Entomophagy is the habit of eating insects as food. While it is common for many insects, birds and animals to indulge themselves, did you know that people in some parts of the world consider insects a very tasty delicacy?
If you live in Beijing or Bangkok, for example, you might fancy a taste of crickets. Or maybe you would prefer baby nestling sparrows, mice, snakes, or maybe a bowl of scrumptious scorpion soup?
These are all on the menu, as you can see from our pictures here. One man's meat is another man's poison, as they say. So, have a nice day. And enjoy your lunch.
Crickets on sticks - snacks in Beijing
More Beijing snacks - mice
Beijing - baby nestling sparrows
Beijing snacks - snakes
Deep fried insects food stall in Bangkok
Bangkok insect food
Cooking insects - scorpion soup
Insect food for sale
More insects snacks
If you live in Beijing or Bangkok, for example, you might fancy a taste of crickets. Or maybe you would prefer baby nestling sparrows, mice, snakes, or maybe a bowl of scrumptious scorpion soup?
These are all on the menu, as you can see from our pictures here. One man's meat is another man's poison, as they say. So, have a nice day. And enjoy your lunch.
Crickets on sticks - snacks in Beijing
More Beijing snacks - mice
Beijing - baby nestling sparrows
Beijing snacks - snakes
Deep fried insects food stall in Bangkok
Bangkok insect food
Cooking insects - scorpion soup
Insect food for sale
More insects snacks
First birth in 17 years on Pitcairn Island
The remote Pitcairn Island in the Pacific Ocean - home of the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers - has recorded its first birth in 17 years.
Emily Rose Christian was born just before midnight Sunday, September 14, 2003, in the Pitcairn Island Medical Clinic.
Her arrival brings the island's population to nearly 50. The island, which is just one mile wide and two miles long, is administered by Britain from its diplomatic post in New Zealand, about 3,200 miles away.
Baby and mother, Nadine Christian, are both reportedly doing well.
- September 17, 2003
Emily Rose Christian was born just before midnight Sunday, September 14, 2003, in the Pitcairn Island Medical Clinic.
Her arrival brings the island's population to nearly 50. The island, which is just one mile wide and two miles long, is administered by Britain from its diplomatic post in New Zealand, about 3,200 miles away.
Baby and mother, Nadine Christian, are both reportedly doing well.
- September 17, 2003
Here comes the bride - number 12
Swaziland's King Mswati III selected bride number 12, less than a week after he picked his 11th bride from thousands of young Swazi maidens.
Mswati's 12th bride was identified as 18-year-old Nomonde Fihla, who was crowned the first princess in the Miss Swaziland 2003 pageant.
In an interview at the time, she told a magazine she did not believe in polygamy.
Fihla was one of thousands of maidens who attended this year's annual reed dance ceremony, when the king, 35, chooses a bride. In the traditional ceremony, the young women dressed in little more than beads and traditional skirts dance before the king to impress him.
Mswati is Africa's last absolute monarch. He has resisted recent pressure from his subjects to introduce democratic reforms.
- September 12, 2003
Mswati's 12th bride was identified as 18-year-old Nomonde Fihla, who was crowned the first princess in the Miss Swaziland 2003 pageant.
In an interview at the time, she told a magazine she did not believe in polygamy.
Fihla was one of thousands of maidens who attended this year's annual reed dance ceremony, when the king, 35, chooses a bride. In the traditional ceremony, the young women dressed in little more than beads and traditional skirts dance before the king to impress him.
Mswati is Africa's last absolute monarch. He has resisted recent pressure from his subjects to introduce democratic reforms.
- September 12, 2003
Started fire to avoid sex with wife
Does this quality for Bonehead of the Week Award? -
A man who tried to set fire to his home to avoid having sex with his wife was jailed for two years.
Svetin Gulisija, 26, from Seget in Croatia admitted to starting a fire in woods just behind his house because he was too tired for sex with his wife.
The pair had to be evacuated as firefighters tried to bring the blaze under control.
The damage was later estimated to be around £15,000.
- September 13, 2003
A man who tried to set fire to his home to avoid having sex with his wife was jailed for two years.
Svetin Gulisija, 26, from Seget in Croatia admitted to starting a fire in woods just behind his house because he was too tired for sex with his wife.
The pair had to be evacuated as firefighters tried to bring the blaze under control.
The damage was later estimated to be around £15,000.
- September 13, 2003
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
X certificate for Messiah
Handel's world-famous Messiah, recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, has been given an X certificate by an online music store.
Apple Computer's online iTunes Music Store marked the baroque composer's masterpiece with the red warning that indicates the content might not be appropriate for young children or others with sensitive tastes.
That puts German born George Frideric Handel, who became a naturalised Englishman in 1727, in the same category as rapper Eminem whose music has also been slapped with an "explicit" warning.
The 1742 composition is on a recording by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Alldis.
According to Apple it wasn't a case that the music was too hot to handle. But the warning was a technical mix-up, though The Messiah does touch on love, violence and death.
"Obviously, there's been some sort of error," said Lara Vacante, an Apple spokeswoman.
- September 19, 2003
Apple Computer's online iTunes Music Store marked the baroque composer's masterpiece with the red warning that indicates the content might not be appropriate for young children or others with sensitive tastes.
That puts German born George Frideric Handel, who became a naturalised Englishman in 1727, in the same category as rapper Eminem whose music has also been slapped with an "explicit" warning.
The 1742 composition is on a recording by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Alldis.
According to Apple it wasn't a case that the music was too hot to handle. But the warning was a technical mix-up, though The Messiah does touch on love, violence and death.
"Obviously, there's been some sort of error," said Lara Vacante, an Apple spokeswoman.
- September 19, 2003
Naked male statue upsets Jamaicans
A sculpture meant to celebrate emancipation has sparked heated arguments in Jamaica's capital Kingston over its explicit portrayal of a naked male slave.
The 11-foot bronze statue, named "Redemption Song" after the song by Jamaica's legendary reggae singer Bob Marley, was placed at the new Emancipation Park on Aug. 1, when Jamaicans celebrate the anniversary of the end of slavery in the former British colony in 1838.
The work shows a naked man and woman, hands by their sides and heads lifted in a prayer of thanks to God that slavery has ended.
However, some Jamaicans have complained about the nudity, and objected to the male statue, saying its penis is too large.
One resident Jenny Francis claimed: "There seems to be an interest by the sculptor to present the penis as the main attraction, when in fact there could have been other things highlighted.
"There should have been some clothes put on, it's not all about nudity," she felt.
The US$800,000 statue was commissioned by the state-run National Housing Trust and created by sculptor Lorna Facey Cooper.
It has attracted thousands of viewers who daily drive past the nude bronze figures or line up to get a closer look, take photographs or shoot videos. Many admire the sculpture.
Defending her work which she says extols emancipation, Cooper said: "My piece is not about ropes, chains or torture. I have gone beyond that. I want healing," she said.
The statue has sparked off heated arguments on radio talk shows and among newspaper columnists and letter writers over whether it is a celebration of the spirit of defiance that broght an end to slavery, or a tasteless affront to the innocence of young children who visit the park.
Mother of two Adrienne Thomas felt there was nothing wrong with the statue and accused fellow Jamaicans of being hypocritical. "Some of us go almost nude when Carnival time comes around. We do so many vulgar things, yet no one says anything about it. Now we are looking at a statue and focusing so much on a penis. It's so sad."
- September 10, 2003
The 11-foot bronze statue, named "Redemption Song" after the song by Jamaica's legendary reggae singer Bob Marley, was placed at the new Emancipation Park on Aug. 1, when Jamaicans celebrate the anniversary of the end of slavery in the former British colony in 1838.
The work shows a naked man and woman, hands by their sides and heads lifted in a prayer of thanks to God that slavery has ended.
However, some Jamaicans have complained about the nudity, and objected to the male statue, saying its penis is too large.
One resident Jenny Francis claimed: "There seems to be an interest by the sculptor to present the penis as the main attraction, when in fact there could have been other things highlighted.
"There should have been some clothes put on, it's not all about nudity," she felt.
The US$800,000 statue was commissioned by the state-run National Housing Trust and created by sculptor Lorna Facey Cooper.
It has attracted thousands of viewers who daily drive past the nude bronze figures or line up to get a closer look, take photographs or shoot videos. Many admire the sculpture.
Defending her work which she says extols emancipation, Cooper said: "My piece is not about ropes, chains or torture. I have gone beyond that. I want healing," she said.
The statue has sparked off heated arguments on radio talk shows and among newspaper columnists and letter writers over whether it is a celebration of the spirit of defiance that broght an end to slavery, or a tasteless affront to the innocence of young children who visit the park.
Mother of two Adrienne Thomas felt there was nothing wrong with the statue and accused fellow Jamaicans of being hypocritical. "Some of us go almost nude when Carnival time comes around. We do so many vulgar things, yet no one says anything about it. Now we are looking at a statue and focusing so much on a penis. It's so sad."
- September 10, 2003
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Man ships himself home to parents in crate
Criminal charges were filed by Federal Prosecutors against a man who climbed into a crate and had himself shipped by air from New York to Dallas to visit his parents.
Charles D. McKinley was charged with stowing away on a cargo jet.
McKinley, a 25-year-old shipping clerk at a New York warehouse, journeyed overnight about 1,500 miles by truck, plane and delivery van before startling his parents by popping out of the box at their home.
A driver for Pilot Air Freight, picked up the crate at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and delivered it to McKinley's parents' home in suburban DeSoto.
When the driver went to unload the 350-pound crate from his truck, he saw a pair of eyes and thought there was a body inside.
Then McKinley broke the box open and crawled out, said police Lt. Brian Windham.
McKinley's mother was stunned. The delivery driver called police.
McKinley's escapade occurred as Americans prepared to mark the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and it renewed debate over the air cargo system's vulnerability to terrorists.
"It certainly shows that we have more work to do on cargo security," Asa Hutchinson, the Homeland Security Department's undersecretary for transportation security, told ABC.
Federal officials were puzzled how McKinley got past airport security at several points, and investigators with the Transportation Security Administration interviewed him in jail.
McKinley said he was homesick and looking for a cheap way to visit his parents when he squeezed himself into the crate. It measured 42 by 36 by 15 inches. He is 5-foot-8 and weighs 170 pounds.
He told the NBS "Today" show that he was "scared and nervous" when he was nailed into the crate.
"This is the dumbest thing and the craziest thing I could ever do within my life," he added. "I was short of cash and truthfully I really should've waited."
McKinley was arrested and jailed on unrelated traffic and bad-check charges after the surprised deliveryman notified police in the Dallas suburb of DeSoto.
A number of companies were involved in handling McKinley's crate. All of them explained they followed security procedures.
UPS picked up the crate at the warehouse where McKinley worked. Pilot Air Freight took the box to Kennedy Airport, then it was trucked to Newark, N.J., and loaded on a Kitty Hawk Cargo plane.
After stops in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Fort Wayne, Ind., it landed in Dallas, where a deliveryman for Pilot Air Freight took it to the home of McKinley's parents.
The box was carried in pressurized, heated cabins, but could just as easily have been placed in the lower, unpressurized holds, according to Richard G. Phillips, chief executive of Pilot Air Freight.
"He could easily have died," Phillips said.
- September 9, 2003
Charles D. McKinley was charged with stowing away on a cargo jet.
McKinley, a 25-year-old shipping clerk at a New York warehouse, journeyed overnight about 1,500 miles by truck, plane and delivery van before startling his parents by popping out of the box at their home.
A driver for Pilot Air Freight, picked up the crate at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and delivered it to McKinley's parents' home in suburban DeSoto.
When the driver went to unload the 350-pound crate from his truck, he saw a pair of eyes and thought there was a body inside.
Then McKinley broke the box open and crawled out, said police Lt. Brian Windham.
McKinley's mother was stunned. The delivery driver called police.
McKinley's escapade occurred as Americans prepared to mark the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and it renewed debate over the air cargo system's vulnerability to terrorists.
"It certainly shows that we have more work to do on cargo security," Asa Hutchinson, the Homeland Security Department's undersecretary for transportation security, told ABC.
Federal officials were puzzled how McKinley got past airport security at several points, and investigators with the Transportation Security Administration interviewed him in jail.
McKinley said he was homesick and looking for a cheap way to visit his parents when he squeezed himself into the crate. It measured 42 by 36 by 15 inches. He is 5-foot-8 and weighs 170 pounds.
He told the NBS "Today" show that he was "scared and nervous" when he was nailed into the crate.
"This is the dumbest thing and the craziest thing I could ever do within my life," he added. "I was short of cash and truthfully I really should've waited."
McKinley was arrested and jailed on unrelated traffic and bad-check charges after the surprised deliveryman notified police in the Dallas suburb of DeSoto.
A number of companies were involved in handling McKinley's crate. All of them explained they followed security procedures.
UPS picked up the crate at the warehouse where McKinley worked. Pilot Air Freight took the box to Kennedy Airport, then it was trucked to Newark, N.J., and loaded on a Kitty Hawk Cargo plane.
After stops in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Fort Wayne, Ind., it landed in Dallas, where a deliveryman for Pilot Air Freight took it to the home of McKinley's parents.
The box was carried in pressurized, heated cabins, but could just as easily have been placed in the lower, unpressurized holds, according to Richard G. Phillips, chief executive of Pilot Air Freight.
"He could easily have died," Phillips said.
- September 9, 2003
Amazing Photos Of Earth From Space 2
A gorgeous look at our planet Earth from outer space taken from a space shuttle. These collection of high quality photos speak for themselves and shows how our planet is so full of life with its vast seas and lands.
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