Talk About Anything

Cathedral Made Ouf Human Remains

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 06:22:00 +0000

The Sedlec Ossuary a.k.a the Church of Bones is a small and the most unusual Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. The ossuary is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, many of whom have had their bones artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.

World's Biggest Ice Cream Cake Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:25:00 +0000

Under a cool, spring sun, a throng of ice cream scoopers in white lab coats converged on Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square to build the world's biggest ice cream cake using 20,000 pounds (9071 kg) of ice cream, 200 (90 kg) pounds of sponge cake and more than 300 pounds (136 kg) of icing and OREO cookie crumble. The cake took 100 people 14 hours to complete on Tuesday. Ice cream maker Dairy Queen Canada's 10.13-ton cake was created to mark the 30th anniversary of the ice cream cake. They broke a previous Guinness World Record set in 2006 in Beijing by nearly 500 pounds (227 kg). Donations went to the local, world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children. International Dairy Queen has 5,900 stores in the US, Canada and 20 other countries including Japan, Mexico and the Middle East.

Discovering Ming Dynasty Mummy in China

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 06:49:00 +0000

These incredible pictures show a 700-year-old mummy, which was discovered by chance - by road workers - in excellent condition in eastern China. The corpse of the high-ranking woman believed to be from the Ming Dynasty - the ruling power in China between 1368 and 1644 - was stumbled across by a team who were looking to expand a street. Discovered two metres below the road surface, the woman's features - from her head to her shoes - have retained their original condition, and have hardly deteriorated.

The woman, discovered two metres below the surface in a wooden tomb, was wearing a Ming Dynasty dress and is thought to have been at a high-ranking level

The mummy was found by road workers, and had been preserved in a brown liquid

The right hand of the 700-year-old mummy shows her preserved skin, and a ring adorns her finger

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Woman Takes Anti-Age Surgeries to Extreme

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Cindy Jackson born in 1956 in Ohio, United States is a singer, writer and television personality listed in the Guinness World record book for having had more cosmetic surgery procedures than anyone else in the world. She set the record in 2000 and Guinness have confirmed as of April 2011 that she is still the official record holder to date. Cindy remains the record holder for this category and the only person formally verified by Guinness World Records. She claims to have had 52 plastic surgeries.

Couple Travel The World For 11 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:18:00 +0000

Instead of returning home to buy a house, former IT specialist Herman, 42, and his wife Candelaria, 40, decided to keep driving and show their family the sights of the world and having four children along the way. But for the Zapp's, their 83-year-old vehicle has become a home for the last 11 years, as they travel around the world on a never ending trip of a lifetime. Spanning four continents, Herman and Candelaria Zapp have covered an incredible 142,000 miles while becoming parents to Pampa, eight, Tehue, five, Paloma, three and Wallaby, one. They set off from Argentina in 2000 and began driving across South and North America, as well as Australia, New Zealand and now Asia.

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Wolf Girl Sets World's Hairiest Child Record

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Her nicknames may include 'wolf girl' and 'monkey face'. But 11-year-old Thai girl Supatra Sasuphan insisted that she was after being officially recognised as the world's hairiest girl. Although she has faced merciless teasing at school, she says being given a Guinness World Record (GWR) for her hair has helped her become extremely popular.

Sasuphan was born with hypertrichosis, which causes excessive hairiness and is sometimes referred to as "werewolf syndrome." Her father contacted GWR staff, requesting that they consider her for the title of hairiest child. GWR judges evaluated Sasuphan's body hair using the Ferriman Gallwey method, which consists of measuring the amount of hair on nine different parts of the body - the upper lip, chin, chest, back, abdomen, arm, forearm, thigh, and lower leg. After assessing Sasuphan, the judges crowned her with the world's hairiest child title on the GWR's Italian TV show, "Lo Show dei Record."

"Being hairy makes me special," Sasuphan told GWR. "This is the happiest day of my life!"

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The World's Biggest Family: The Man With 39 Wives, 94 Children and 33 Grandchildren

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:15:00 +0000

He is head of the world's biggest family - and says he is 'blessed' to have his 39 wives. Ziona Chana also has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. They live in a 100-room, four storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.

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Underwater Wedding Irritates Turtle

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:24:00 +0000

The giant green sea turtle was unimpressed as the bride and groom made their way down the 'aisle'. For this was his patch and the loving couple weren't invited. Kathryn O'Connor and James Oliver, who work at London's Sea Life Aquarium, were every bit the perfect couple as they celebrated their big day with an underwater blessing.

A giant green sea turtle joins Kathryn O'Connor's wedding procession for her underwater blessing with groom James Oliver

The turtle sinks its teeth into Kathryn's bridal gown and starts to drag her away from partner James

Kathryn gets into a bit of a spin as the turtle pays her a little too much attention

James takes decisive action as the turtle and a cow-nose ray circle somewhat menacingly

Now the turtle decides to get between the wedding couple and throw his weight around

The bride and groom stroke the attendant's tummy before proceeding with the blessing

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3D Painting On Street in Southwest China

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:39:00 +0000

Citizens stand on a 3D painting for photo on a street in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Jan. 8, 2011. According to the designer, it took 26 days to finish the 3D painting which covers an area of nearly 90 square meters.

Children stand on a 3D painting on a street in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

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World's Smallest Car

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Perry Watkins' Wind up mini car was listed in Guinness Book of World Records as the world's smallest car with license to drive on public streets. The mini car was reported to have a measurement of 41 inches high, 51 inches long and 26 inches wide. According to several news sites, Perry Watkins only used a coin-operated children's ride. He repainted the body and repurposed a chassis from a Shanghai Shenke quad bike. The rear tires and wheels are from a Honda Monkey motorcyle while the front wheels were custom-made. The world's smallest car has security belts and can drive 60 kph. Reports said that the mini car will be shown at the motor show in Essen, Germany starting November 27, 2010 until December 5, 2010.

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Two-Year-Old Girl Weighs 45kg

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Fan Sijia, a girl born in January 2008, weighs 45 kilograms though tried many ways to lose weight. Her overweight has become a problem for her family.

Fan Sijia grows to 107 centimeters, according to a flexible rule at her home in Dongniu Village of Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, on Nov. 4, 2010.

Fan Sijia goes home on the back of her grandma, with the escort of her mother in Dongniu Village of Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, on Nov. 4, 2010. Fan

Fan Sijia plays with a neighborhood boy who is about the same age as her at home in Dongniu Village of Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, on Nov. 4, 2010.

Fan Sijia helps her mother with some trifles at home in Dongniu Village of Yuncheng City, north China's Shanxi Province, on Nov. 4, 2010.

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First-Ever $1bn Home

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 03:30:00 +0000

This is the extravagant £630m ($1bn) home built by a billionaire Indian tycoon to house his family-of-four in Mumbai. With 27 storeys, Antilia will be home to Mukesh Ambani and features a health club with a gym and dance studio, a ballroom, at least one swimming pool and a 50-seater cinema. Towering above the Mumbai skyline, the 37,000sq ft property is 570ft high and also boasts three helipads on its roof, space for 160 vehicles on its lower floors and nine lifts.

Mr Ambani, 53, who owns much of oil, retail and bio-technology comglomerate Reliance Industries, paid £44million to build his dream property, but astronomical property values in the Indian city mean it is now worth 15 times that amount. He will employ 600 staff at the property and his family will live in the top floors, where they will enjoy views of the Arabian Sea.

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Nepali Boy Awarded with Guinness Record as Shortest Man

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:59:00 +0000

The Guinness Book World Record team certified Nepali boy Khagendra Thapa Magar as the shortest man in the world title on Thursday. A team from the Guinness Book of World Records arrived in Pokhara city in western Nepal to confer Magar with the record certificate Thursday - Khagendra's 18th birthday. He was awarded a medal and a certificate, following his health check-up at the Phewa City Hospital in Pokhara, officially registering him with the title. Magar's height and weight, among other measurements, were entered into the Guinness Book based on the check-up report prepared by the physicians. Khagendra measured at 67 centimeters tall and weighs six kilograms. Magar was also previously honored as the goodwill ambassador for the Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

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Boy Starts School After Losing All His Limbs

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 02:22:00 +0000

A child's first day at school is a moving day for any parent. But for four-year-old Harley Lane's mother and father, the significance could barely be overstated. Despite losing both his arms and legs in a battle with meningitis which almost claimed his life, Harley is doing his best to lead a normal life. His parents spoke of how he is settling in at Hazel Grove Primary School near their home in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
'He's the most popular kid at school,' said Mr Lane, 22.

Harley fell ill in May last year with bacterial meningitis. When septicemia set in, his arms and legs were amputated and his heart stopped three times. Nevertheless he pulled through. While he was looked after at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, a fundraising campaign brought in more than £500,000 to help provide a specially adapted house. In March he was ring-bearer at his parents' wedding, which had been postponed when he fell ill. He is now getting used to his prosthetic arms and legs.

Staff at the school help Harley move around using his artificial limbs and a wheelchair. The school has had a 'hygiene room' fitted to help him stay infection-free and he is helped by a full-time teaching assistant. Headteacher Jean Burston said: 'Harley is settling in really well - he's got many friends. Our motto is, "Give it all you've got" and that's what he does.'

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The Richest People in America

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:23:00 +0000

The Forbes 400 regained lost ground in 2010, while most were still smarting from the recession.

It has been a year of reclamation for America's richest. The total worth of the Forbes 400 was up 8% to $1.37 trillion, well out-earning the 1% rise in the S&P over the same period of time. More than half (217) are richer than they were a year ago.

The headline number tells a partial story. Just over one-third of the 400 failed to add to their fortunes or lost ground. Still far above us is the record of $1.57 trillion in total net worth set in 2008.

But the very top of the list gained, as good friends Bill Gates and Warren Buffett were up $4 billion and $5 billion, respectively. They, too, are short of their personal highs. Gates, who in March lost his title of world's richest person to Mexico's Carlos Slim, is still America's richest person - for the 17th year in a row.

Las Vegas gaming tycoon Sheldon Adelson was the kid, or "comeback adolescent," as he calls himself. "I'm too old to be a kid," he told Forbes. The largest shareholder of Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS - News) is the year's biggest dollar gainer. His casino's shares are up 1,500% since their 2009 low. Adelson is now the 13th richest American, worth $14.7 billion, up $5.7 billion from last year — though nowhere close to his $28 billion net worth in 2007, when he ranked third among Americans.

The biggest gainer in percentage terms is Mark Zuckerberg, who more than tripled his fortune to $6.9 billion. The more conservative private valuation of Facebook is now around $23 billion; illiquid shares in the secondary markets point to an even richer valuation. Two of his cofounders are in the ranks for the first time: Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, both classmates of Zuckerberg's at Harvard. Moskovitz, who is eight days younger than Zuckerberg, now has bragging rights as the world's youngest billionaire. The Facebook cofounders are among 16 newcomers on this year's list. Other notables include Dean Metropoulos, whose private equity firm recently bought Pabst Brewing; Terrence Pegula, who sold his Pennsylvania mining outfit to Royal Dutch Shell (Nasdaq: RDSA - News) for $4.7 billion in May; and Elaine Wynn, whose divorce from casino magnate Steve Wynn was finalized in January.

The price of admission to the 400 is back up to the $1 billion mark. Last year it was $950 million, the first time since 2005 it had fallen below 10 figures. The most notable of the 18 returnees is Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) scion William Ford Sr., who made the cut after a four-year absence as the automobile company's stock hit five-year highs.

Thirty-four people fell from the ranks, a number of whom just barely missed the cut. At least two saw their fortunes unravel. Tamir Sapir, a former taxi driver who built a real estate fortune, owes at least $340 million for nonpayment of loans, his creditors say. He may be suffering from deteriorating mental condition. Hedge fund chief Raj Rajaratnam faces insider trading charges.

Nine of the drop-offs fell off the list permanently. John Kluge passed away this summer. He was America's richest man from 1989 to 1991, before losing the title to Bill Gates. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died in July just after his 80th birthday.

Our estimates of public fortunes are a snapshot of wealth on Aug. 25, 2010, the date we locked in net worths and rankings. We have not included dispersed fortunes (as in those of the Du Ponts) when individual net worths are below our minimum. But we do include wealth belonging to a member's immediate relatives if the wealth can ultimately be traced to one living individual; in that case, "& family" indicates that the number shown includes money belonging to more than one person.

Yahoo & Forbes

14-Year-Old Girl Outgrows Fellows to 2.06m

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Fourteen-year-old Elisany Silva, who measures 2.06 meters (6'9") tall, poses for picture in Braganca in the Brazilian Amazon state of Para August 29, 2010. Elisany, one of the world's tallest teens who was forced to quit school because she became too big to ride the bus, now dreams of becoming a famous fashion model.

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A Goldfish as Big as a (Big) Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:36:00 +0000

It might look like an enormously generous fairground prize. But no goldfish bowl in the world could contain this catch. The orange koi carp weighs 30lb - the same as an average three-year-old girl and is thought to be one of the largest of its kind ever captured. It took Raphael Biagini ten minutes to reel the creature out of a lake in the south of France moments after fellow anglers told him they had spent six years trying to snare the legendary 'giant goldfish'. Mr Biagini, pictured, said: 'To begin with, we couldn't tell what was at the end of the line, but we knew it was big. 'The fish was a good fighter, but not enough to win.' After an impromptu photoshoot, the 30-year-old from Montpellier returned his prize catch to the water.

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Perfect Example of Less is More!

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:50:00 +0000

Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places on the planet and living space is at a premium. If you thought Resource Furniture and the Tiny House were cool wait till you see what this guy did with his small 330 sq ft apartment.

Check out this video:

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The Real Teddy Bears' Picnic

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:50:00 +0000

By nature, bears are solitary creatures - but when there's a river full of fish ready to leap straight into your paws, they will make an exception. These astonishing pictures show the annual feeding frenzy that follows salmon-spawning season in the Katmai national Park in Alaska. Coastal brown bears, also known as Alaskan Grizzlies, are among the largest land predators. they weigh up to 1,500lb - or as much as nine men - and stand more than 8ft tall on their hind legs. Photographer Michael Nolan, 48, from Tuscon, Arizona, said the Brooks River is one of the best fishing spots in Alaska where salmon can be found.

The bears employ a variety of strategies to feast on the salmon, including catching them in mid-air as they jump over the falls, wading in the shallow water and even stealing from other bears. Some dive underwater to grab their food and some even try to swat the salmon out of the water. Even though human proximity to bears is generally a bad idea, Mr Nolan said the feeding frenzy draws in spectators from all over the world.

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Huang Kaiquan is Bidding For Title of World's Smallest Man

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:19:00 +0000

Huang Kaiquan, a 40-year-old Chinese man who measures only 2ft 6in (76cm) and weighs just 26 lb (12kg) is bidding for the title of the world's smallest man. Following the death of the former record-holder earlier this year, Huang Kaiquan, from Hejiang County, Sichuan province, has stepped forward hoping to claim the record. He Pingping was the world's smallest man until his death in March this year at the age of just 21. Huang is only 1.4cm taller than Pingping.

World's First Garbage Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:31:00 +0000

The world's first hotel made from rubbish has opened in Rome. The walls are constructed of masses of debris that are found on the beaches of Europe. The hotel is part of a publicity campaign by the environmental group, Save The Beach, to draw attention to the problem of pollution on the coastline. The Save the Beach hotel was created by German artist Ha Schultz.

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World's Tallest Couple

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Wilco Van Kleef-Bolton, 29, 7ft (2.13 m), and Keisha Kleef-Bolto, 31, 6ft 5in (1.96m), are Guinness World Record holders for being the world's tallest couple. But if Wilco Van Kleef-Bolton and his wife Keisha's two children keep growing they may end up with the world's tallest family title too. Son Lucas, four, is already 3ft 11in - the height of a seven-year-old - and daughter Eva, two, is 3ft, the typical height of a three-year-old.

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Brazilian Baby Shows Off Moves in Samba Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:17:00 +0000

Another baby is showing off his dance moves in a new viral YouTube video. This toddler hails from Brazil and busts out some mean samba moves. But it's a video you just need to see to believe.

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Student Snoozes During Obama Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:41:00 +0000

As President Barack Obama delivered the commencement speech at a Michigan high school's graduation ceremony, not everyone was paying rapt attention. One member of the Kalamazoo Central student choir sitting behind the president had some serious trouble staying awake.

The above video shows the boy is seen succumbing to a series of gaping yawns as Obama offers advice on how to succeed in life. Later, the boy's eyes droop and his head rolls forward until his chin rests on his chest, and it appears he has nodded off. Occasionally the unidentified teen was jolted into consciousness as his classmates erupt into cheers and applause for the president. Obama delivered the school's commencement because it won the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge competition.

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Cafe Claims World's Biggest Burger

noreply@blogger.com (Valerie Jessica Lim) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 03:01:00 +0000

An Australian cafe is claiming a world record after cooking a giant hamburger with an 81 kg (178 lb) patty that took 12 hours to cook and four men to flip. The monster burger cooked up by Sydney cafe owners, Joe and Iman El-Ajouz, weighed in at 90 kg in total, eclipsing the previous record of 84 kg, set in Michigan in the United States. The giant burger contained the giant beef patty, 120 eggs, 150 slices of cheese, 1.5 kg of beetroot, 2.5 kg of tomatoes and almost 2 kg of lettuce all topped off with a special sauce on a giant sesame seed bun. It was eaten by employees at the cafe. The variety of burger will be on the menu at the cafe for the next year in order to meet the conditions for a Guinness world record, but will set hungry patrons back around A$1,500 ($1,220).