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The 6ft. 9in. Brazilian Schoolgirl Stands-out!

September 1, 2010 – 10:54 am

14-year old Elisany Silva has good reason to feel like she stands-out anywhere she goes. You would too if you were as tall as she is. This schoolgirl in the Brazilian Amazon state of Para happens to be towering at 6ft. 9 in. tall, making her one of the tallest teenagers in the world, and growing.

A doctor thinks she has a rare disease called “gigantism,” wherein the body produces too much growth hormones. But they do not know for sure because her family does not have the money to have her examined. If she is not treated soon she could continue growing at a rate of six inches a year!

Elisany’s mother, Ana Maria, said, “I want her to stop growing up, to be like the other girls because I know she feels weird and sometimes wants to be like them.”

That’s not the only problem Elisany’s height is causing. She recently stopped going to school because she could no longer sit in the school bus. She also keeps hitting her head on the low-ceiling of their shanty where she lives with her mother, step-father and two sisters.

Elisany may be overly tall but she is far from lumbering. In fact this pretty teener rather moves gracefully, which may be a big plus considering she wants to go into modeling.

“I want to be a model very much,” Elisany said. And she might just get her wish. It’s been reported that she will be making her catwalk debut in Belem, Brazil in a bridal show. The designer will definitely need to think about getting much more fabric!

sources: OWL editor

Moonlit |

Weird & Strange |

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Tattooed Baby!

August 20, 2010 – 5:56 pm

Talk about freakish! New-York based artist Jason Clay Lewis created a bizarre artwork to depict the disastrous BP oil spill in the gulf of Mexico. Of all things to represent the environmental catastrophe, his choice was a sleeping baby covered with sinister looking tattoos coined, “The Drill Baby”.

The baby idea was inspired by Sarah Palin’s infamous “Drill, Baby, Drill” remark. The tattoos depict oil covered creatures, blackened waters, blackened beach, a pirate-looking ship trailed by oil barrels, and a veiled woman holding a gas nozzle.

Come to think of it – the freshness of a baby defiled by tattoos? It does seem like an apt representation of the devastation of the environment as a consequence of the reckless negligence of BP officials.

If it were a real baby, everyone would probably tell the parents, “Shame on you!” Same goes for the BP officials.

Source: Online Editor

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Art & Crafts |

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From “Ha-Ha” to “Ouch” at the Birdman Competition

August 16, 2010 – 4:09 pm

Former Children’s BBC presenter Holly Walsh joined the Annual International Worthing Birdman competition yesterday. But instead of ending “Always with a Smile”, as the slogan on her green mock helicopter read, she ended her fun-flying with a big “OUCH”!

The 30-year old presenter-turned-comedian fractured her elbow and dislocated her shoulder when she and her partner, gravy-wrestling champion, Jonathan Hicks, crash-landed on the water. Shoreham lifeboat spokesman Dave Cassan said, “It appears she entered the water wrongly.” The competition was halted for 20 minutes while the rescuers attended to Walsh and brought her to shore, strapped in a spinal board.

Walsh and Hicks joined the competition with the aim of raising money for the Rainbow Children’s Hospice. It was comedy for a cause; but it sure didn’t end up with a laugh. Hopefully, it still ended with a lot of money for the hospice. One thing is sure though, Walsh’s comedy-turned-disaster put the wacky competition on the news.

The competition requires people to jump off the town pier of West Sussex, with the winner flying furthest from the pier. Thousands of spectators flock to the town annually to be entertained by fun flyers who dress up in crazy costumes.

Many competitors join the content to raise money for charity; but serious competitors, wearing flying contraptions, join to win the £30,000 distant prizes by flying over 100 meters. Former Olympic skier Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards tried to jump as far as he could but only managed a few yards off the pier. I guess that means he doesn’t get a prize.

Source: Online Editor

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One mind expanding juice , Please

August 8, 2010 – 3:01 pm

It seems Hollywood has a new source of fountain of youth and has the ‘advanced’ regime of North Korea to thank for. Woohoo!

NK’s news agency KCNA announced the development of a super drink that will stop skin ageing, remove brown spots and make skin fair. It’s supposed to also prevent common ailments, such as heart decease, by removing “acid effete matters.” Not only that, they claim it will “improve mental and retentive faculties by multiplying brain cells.”

The anti-oxidant drink reportedly contains 60 “microelements” from 30 plant species. It is a breakthrough product of Moranbong Carbonated Fruit Juice Joint Venture, a state-owned company which makes flavored fizz drinks.

According to the new agency, it has sparked the interest of foreign businessmen during a trade fair in Pyongyang recently. A manager of the company claims it has been proven effective “among workers of such industrial establishments as thermal power station and smeltery and at medical institutions.”

Will it also prove efficacious among the leaders of the communist state? Surely they can use some of the benefits of this super drink. Thanks, Mr. Kim!

source: weirdasianews

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Weird & Strange |

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Is That Baby Mine?!

July 27, 2010 – 1:46 pm

In this age of 4D ultrasounds when expecting moms can already see their baby’s features, and gender no longer holds surprises, mixed-race moms still have an unknown to look forward to – their baby’s coloring.

In the case of 32-year old British-Nigerian Kerry Richardson, her twin boys came out quite distinct from each other. The twins were born in 2006 with fair-skinned Layton coming out 20 minutes ahead of his dark-skinned brother, Kaydon.

So when Kelly was again pregnant with their daughter Tiyannah, she and her white husband did not know what to expect. The girl turned out like her fair-skinned brother.

On the same week that the twins turned four, another couple got the shock of their lives. Black parents Ben and Angela Ihegboro were flabbergasted when their daughter, Nmachi came out white! The doctors at the Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup, South East London, where Nmachi was born, validated that she is not an albino.

44-year old father, Ben Ihegboro, admitted that he was shocked when he saw their white baby and jokingly asked if she was his. But he added, “Of course she is mine. My wife is true to me. Even if she hadn’t been, the baby wouldn’t have looked like that!”

Doctors confirm such genetic quirks are one-in-a-million. In Kelly’s case, international clinical geneticist Dr. Stephen Withers said that it is very rare for a mixed-race woman to have eggs that are predominantly for one skin color, and even rarer to have distinct two eggs released at the same time resulting in twins.

But although Angela’s case was not thoroughly explained, she sure is lucky to have such an understanding husband!

sources:dailymail

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Ah-ha, Paper!

July 26, 2010 – 11:18 am

Move over Origami! LA-based Jeff Nishinaka ups the ante on paper manipulation. His 3D paper sculptures are one of the best in the world.

He looks at paper as a “living, breathing thing with a life of its own” and regards his work as a redirection of its life energy. And based on his awesome works, there must be some heavy-breathing going on!

To think painting was his original interest. He only stumbled into paper sculpting when he was assigned to work on different mediums in his graphic design and fashion drawing classes at the Art Center College. He found his “ah-ha!” moment when he experimented on paper and never looked back since.

He manipulates paper in the least invasive way creating fascinating and elegant works greatly admired in the advertising, fashion and art scene, including in private collections like that of his good friend Jackie Chan, who has the most extensive collection of his works.

Thank God for his serendipity that has brought about such beautiful creations. Ah-ha indeed!

Sources: odditycentra

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Chocolates for the heartbroken

July 19, 2010 – 4:17 pm

As any woman who’s been left heartbroken will testify, comfort eating is all too easy. Now scientists have established a reason for the behaviour.

Jilted woman have a higher tendency to turn to wine and chocolate because their bodies are trying to compensate for an addiction to love.

New research published today linked rejection in romance to brain activity associated with addiction cravings.

It showed that primitive instincts to do with motivation and survival are activiated when people are reminded of their lost relationships.

By linking specific areas of the brain to romantic rejection the research provides insight into the anguished feelings that can accompany a break-up, as well as the extreme behaviours that can occur as a result, such as stalking, murder and suicide.

Dr Lucy Brown, of Yeshiva University, said: ‘Romantic love, under both happy and unhappy circumstances, may be a ‘natural’ addiction.

‘Our findings suggest that the pain of romantic rejection may be a necessary part of life that nature built into our anatomy and physiology.

‘A natural recovery, to pair up with someone else, is in our physiology, too.’

sources: dailymail

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Romance |

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Milo, My Playmate?

July 19, 2010 – 3:28 pm

Meet your new playmate, Milo. He is the artificial intelligence in a relatively new interactive video game.

Milo is supposed to be able to recognize voices and actions, and can even respond to the player’s emotions. Does this mean we have to tone down our usual barbaric game mode selves? He’s not gonna’ cry, is he? You better be nice because he won’t likely forget you. His creator, Peter Molyneux says, he will be able to recognize players after 45 minutes.

The game works on the Microsoft’s hands-free Kinect controller for Xbox 360 which is yet to be released. The game is interactive with the use of sensors, cameras and microphone.

This virtual playmate was made public last year at the E3 Expo in LA but only resurfaced at the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in Oxford a week ago. The game is not yet commercial since it is still under development.

Peter Molyneux, is a British video games designer who developed the Fable and Fable II games. He says, Milo is a new revolution in interactive storytelling and dismissed TV and books as a “sea of blandness.”

Well, if he puts it that way then maybe this Milo dude is a good thing. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be just sad if we reach a point when we will have to rely on a virtual human to play with?

sources:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

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Science & Technology |

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Jolly Good Time

July 13, 2010 – 5:00 pm

How would you like to have your very own Old English Pub right at your backyard in less than 10 minutes? You don’t believe me? Just check out these inflatable pubs in the ‘ye olde worlde’ styles at www.drinkstuff.com. It’s complete with tiled roofs, fireplaces, chimneys, and brick stone walls. All you need are chairs and tables and you’re all set to ‘whet your whistle’ with some good English ale.

It’s no peanuts though. The smallest one, at 16 ft. height and width named the ‘Firkin’, costs £4,275. The biggest one at 26 ft. height and 15 ft. width named the ‘Hogshead’ that can accommodate up to 50 people, will set you back by £27,815. The two other models, the ‘Barrel’ and the ‘Kilderkin’, are priced somewhere in between. What can I say; becoming a landlord still costs an arm and a leg, even when your property is only held up by air.

There’s no telling what people will come up with next just to have a jolly good time. One thing’s for certain though, you’re not likely going to get any bumps on your head when you get too tanked in these ole pubs.

source: dailymail

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Micro Mosaic artwork or Nanotechnology!

May 11, 2010 – 3:35 pm

Egyptian artist Saad Mikhaiel Romany held art exhibit to display paintings created by the stained glass pieces over eighteen years.

The opening of the Exhibition was at eight o’clock in the evening Monday, May 10th, 2010, the main hall of the Fine Arts, Cairo Opera House.

Saad Mikhaiel cut colored glass to be used into too small pieces. The width of each piece may be less than a millimeter and the largest piece is up to three or four millimeters to enable him to show millions of color shades.

Mikhail called this technique “micro mosaic” and said that this type of Mosaic exists only in Germany and in some rare museums, and this kind of production is difficult and needs long-term effort and patience.

What is new in these paintings is that the artist Saad Mikhaiel analyzed the color spaces and dismantled them so that the re-composition of fractions of color, like (pointililsm) artists. It is also the classification of objects according to the directions which are not available in the origin and re-analyzed these objects in accordance with the vision from a distance.

Mikhail said that a group of experts from global associations of Mosaic were watching this show, and some art collector of rare works offered to buy the pieces of his creativity in amounts close to a million and a half million pounds due to infinite accuracy.

It is worth mentioning that old Egypt has had a pioneering genius role in the mosaic field. This can be seen on their jewelry design. It is specially used in the jewelry set of (Tutankhamun), mask and the cover of his coffin, which is an act of a bewildering mosaic.

The mosaic has been used in Egypt during the Roman occupation in the floors of palaces where the gods were depicted on the floor (such as Medusa) and some domestic animals, birds and dogs as well as decorative elements in the Museum of Alexandria.

Mosaic has been moved to Europe and Italy, and in the Vatican where you can see fantastic paintings on the walls of a church (St. Peter).

The marble pieces, were used, are brilliantly fantastic so you do not know if they were paintings, or marble.

In many mosques, mosaic plays a significant role in the decoration of floors, walls, fountains, marble and ceramics.