The real Papa Smurf

Fourteen years ago, Paul Karason developed a bad case of dermatitis, which results in swollen, reddened and itchy skin. He started self-medicating, using a treatment called colloidal silver, which is made by extracting silver from metal. Instead of curing him, it turned him into a real life Papa Smurf!

The substance is usually consumed orally but Mr Karason also decided to rub it into his peeling skin to accelerate the effects. According to the 57-year-old, his skin slowly turned blue that neither he nor he friends noticed the change at first. "The change was so gradual that I didn't perceive it and other people around me likewise," said Karason. "It wasn't until a friend I hadn't seen in several months came by my parent's place to see me and he asked me 'what did you do?.'"

Karason, who recently moved from Oregon to Madera, California, said it hasn't been easy living with blue skin. He try to avoid public places as much as he can. Karason made the move in hopes of fitting in a little better. "I hope that they just accept me," he said, "And I think that will happen here. Where I was, I rather doubt it would have. This is different kind of community here." So far, Karason hasn't sought any medical attention for his condition. When he was asked if he's still drinking the colloidal silver, he said yes, but much less.

The FDA does not consider colloidal silver safe or effective to treat any disease or condition. In fact, taking it could have serious side effects such as Argyria, an irreversible blue-gray discoloration of your skin, nails and gums; Seizures and other neurological problems; Kidney damage; Indigestion; Headaches; Fatigue and Skin irritations.

Source : Fox News

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Science changed mice fear of cat

In nature, rodents are afraid of cats when they smelled their presence. But this may be a thing in the past as scientist found how to genetically erase the mice's phobia! Scientist at the University of Tokyo used genetic engineering to successfully switch off a mice instinct to run at the presence of cats. This new method shattered common believes that fear is learned through experience.

Mice are naturally terrified of cats and usually panic or flee at the moment they smelt its presence. Humans will shy away at certain smell too, we are born with a dislike of curdled and moldy food and when we detect rotten food we will distance ourselves from the smell instinctively. The findings suggest that the human aversion to dangerous smells could also be genetically predetermined, according to research leader Ko Kobayakawa.

The genetic surgery had only affected the nerve cells in the nose (dorsal zone olfactory sensory neurons) that can trigger fear, but they did not lose the feeling of fear entirely. They found that the altered mice still froze if they heard a cat meow. "This observation may suggest that the mice only lacked the innate fear responses to cats' odors, but they did not lose the feeling of fear," said Dr Kobayakawa.

The technique has great potential in neuroscience, he said "We think it as the power to clarify many unrevealed principles of the brain, those which generate emotions and behaviors in mammals." There is increasing evidence that humans do respond to the smell of signaling chemicals - pheromones, - added Dr Denise Chen, of Rice University, Houston. "Only a few years ago, many in the scientific community would not even entertain the idea of a human pheromone.

"The past couple of years have witnessed a paradigm shift in this belief, as a result of an explosion of findings about the involvement of the main olfactory system in pheromone sensing." The idea of the presence of both learned and innate systems for processing smells within the main olfactory system may shed light on understanding and elucidating the differences in which humans process salient social chemo signals (for example, fearful sweat) and other types of smells (for example, non-emotional body odor or non-social smells)."

Source : news.nationalgeographic.com
Watch Video : www.guardian.co.uk

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Chimp vs. Human - Chimps won!

Young chimps have been competed against university students in laboratory tests of working memory and unbelievablely the chimps outsmarted humans. The assumption that the brain of a human can outperform that of close relatives is overturned today by a study that adds to research that brings chimpanzees closer to humans.

Young chimpanzees have an "extraordinary" ability to remember numerals that is superior to that of human adults. "There are still many people, including many biologists, who believe that humans are superior to chimpanzees in all cognitive functions," said Professor Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University.

Prof Matsuzawa, a pioneer in studying the mental abilities of chimps, said even he was surprised by the results of his study. He and colleague Sana Inoue report the findings in the journal Current Biology. "No one can imagine that chimpanzees-young chimpanzees at the age of five-have a better performance in a memory task than humans.

The chimps' memory ability is reminiscent of what scientists call "eidetic imagery", a special ability to retain a detailed and accurate image of a complex scene or pattern. Such a "photographic memory" is known to be present in some normal human children, and then the ability declines with the age, he added.

Prof Andrew Whiten of the University of St Andrews commented: "I have seen Prof Matsuzawa's chimpanzees performing this task and one's first response is 'that's impossible!' because they remember a sequence of numerals so well and 'list' them so fast. I have also attempted the task myself and my limited recall only underlines how extraordinary is the apes' achievement."

In the new work, the researchers took three pairs of mother and infants and taught them Arabic numerals from 1 to 9. They were then pitted them against university students in a memory task. The chimps or humans were briefly presented with various numerals from 1 to 9 on a touch-screen monitor. Those numbers were then replaced with blank squares, and the test subject had to remember which numeral appeared in which location and touch the squares in the appropriate order.

Nine university students, three young chimpanzees and the chimps' mothers were tested. In the hardest tests, where numbers are flashed for 0.21 seconds on a screen, the star five-year-old chimp averaged 80 percent accuracy, double that of the university students. The young chimpanzees could grasp many numerals at a single glance, with no change in performance as the hold duration - the amount of time that the numbers remained on the screen - was varied. In general, the performance of the three young chimpanzees was better than that of their mothers and also all of the students.

One chimp, Ayumu, did the best. The researchers believe that the young chimps' newfound ability to top humans in the numerical memory task is "just a part of the very flexible intelligence of young chimpanzees".

Source : news.nationalgeographic.com

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M. Schumacher the fastest taxi driver

When one cabbie in southern Germany apparently was not driving fast enough, his customer, former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, took the wheel himself. The seven-times world champion shocked a cab driver by taking over the wheel in order to be on time for a flight.

Schumacher, 38, flew into the aerodrome at the Bavarian town of Coburg on Saturday and took a taxi to the village of Gehuelz, 30 kilometres away, to pick up a new puppy - an Australian Shepherd dog called "Ed". But when the former Formula One ace, plus his wife and two children, caught a taxi back to the airport they were short on time and, afer a polite request, cab driver Tuncer Yilmaz watched in wonder as Schumacher took the wheel.

"I found myself in the passenger seat, which was strange enough, but to have "Schumi" behind the wheel of my cab was incredible, he drove at full throttle around the corners and over-took in some unbelievable places." Mr Yilmaz was well rewarded for the unusual journey - on top of the 60 euros (88 US dollars) fare, he was also given a 100 euros (146 US dollars) tip.

Schumacher’s spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, confirmed the story. She said Schumacher had flown in from Switzerland on Saturday on his private jet to buy a puppy from a breeder in the town of Gesuelz. The German track ace, who now lives in Switzerland, retired from Formula One in 2006 after a glittering career and, despite test drives for his old team Ferarri, has insisted there is no chance of a return to racing.

Source : BBC News

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Kill with a kiss

A woman has been sentenced to death for killing her lover with a kiss! Xia Xinfeng and her childhood sweetheart, Mao Ansheng, swore an oath that if either was unfaithful, they would have to die. Xia took action after she saw her man talking to a woman in a way that made her suspicious, a court in Henan province, central China, was told.

They had arranged to meet the next day at a public bath-house. She filled a plastic pellet with rat poison, hid it under her tongue, and while they were kissing, nudged it into his mouth. Mao failed to notice it, swallowed it and died shortly afterwards.

Rat poison is one of the common methods of murder and suicide in China, so much so that one variety, "dushuqiang" was banned three years ago. In one case, a widow used it to kill 10 guests, with whom she had been engaged in a feud, at her husband's funeral banquet.

Despite the crackdown, however, besides Xin Xinfeng, a couple from Yunnan province, Chen Lihua and Huang Jianxiao, were also sentenced to death this week, suspended for two years, for lacing their respective spouses' dinners with rat poison.

Source : The Shanghai Daily

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London bridge may fall, paper bridge may not

Shigeru Ban is an accomplished Japanese and international architect, most famous for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard paper tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Shigeru Ban was the winner in 2005 at age 48 of the 40th annual Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was profiled by Time Magazine in their projection of 21st century innovators in the field of architecture and design.

Shigeru Ban studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and later went on to Cooper Union’s School of Architecture where he studied under John Hejduk and graduated in 1984. Hejduk was a part of the The New York Five. From Hejduk, Ban learned not only fundamental elements of architecture, but also gained an interest in ‘architectonic poetics’ or the creation of three-dimensional poetry. Hejduk, the most experimentally minded of the New York Five, had a lasting influence on Ban, whose work has continuing explorations into basic geometric elements. Ban’s formal explorations with basic building materials helped to lead him into unique structural solutions.

Ban is most-famous now for his innovative work with paper and cardboard tubing as a material for building construction. He was the first architect in Japan to construct a building primarily out of paper, with his paper house and required special approval for his building to pass Japan’s building code. Ban is attracted to using paper because of its low-cost, its recyclable, low-tech and they’re replaceable. The last aspect of Ban’s influences is his humanitarianism and his attraction to ecological architecture. Ban’s work with paper and other materials is heavily based on its sustanability and because it produces very little waste. As a result of this, Ban’s DIY Refugee shelters (used in Japan after the Kobe earthquake, in Turkey, Rwanda and around the world) are very popular and effective for low-cost disaster relief-housing.

When the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was asked to build a footbridge over the Gardon River in the south of France, he designed one that was keenly sensitive to its surroundings. He constructed it from locally available materials and based its geometry on the nearby Pont du Gard, a historic Roman aqueduct. Ban used a mixture of cardboard tubes, recycled labels and creative engineering.

The surprisingly strong structure can withstand the load of at least 20 people, rose triumphantly against the backdrop of the ancient monument. The 72-foot-long frame was made primarily from 281 cardboard tubes — each four and a half inches in diameter and about three-quarters of an inch thick. The tubes were held together by steel joints. For the steps, Ban used a new material called ProFi, assembled from paper and plastic left over from the manufacture of self-adhesive labels. Wooden boxes buried underground and packed with local sand formed the foundations.

The bridge diameter and curvature were modeled on the classic proportions of the Pont du Gard’s arch. “It was an interesting contrast,” Ban says. “But it was both a contrast and a harmony.” The design of the bridge allows for easy assembly and dismantling. It took a team of architecture students only a month to complete the installation, which remained open to the public for six weeks before being dismantled in August before the rainy season. Ban says he expects it to be rebuilt next year.

The main challenge, Ban says, was not mastering the engineering of the bridge but persuading skeptics to rethink basic principles of design. “The strength and durability of a structure has nothing to do with the material,” he said. Ban fits well into the category of “Ecological Architects” but he also can make solid claims for being modernist, a Japanese experimentalist as well as a rationalist. “I don’t like waste” is an apt quote from Ban, summing up his philosophy, known as “Paper George's Architecture.”

Source : www.shigerubanarchitects.com
Source : www.nytimes.com

Tags : Shigeru Ban Japan Japanese Architecture Gardon River France paper bridge cardboard tubes crative enginerring

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Anencephaly - Neckless baby

Anencephaly is a cephalic disorder that results from a neural tube defect that occurs when the cephalic (head) end of the neural tube fails to close, usually between the 23rd and 26th day of pregnancy, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Infants with this disorder are born without a forebrain, the largest part of the brain consisting mainly of the cerebral hemispheres.

Such is the case that happens in Nepal as it is reported by eKantipur.com. The birth of a bizarre-looking baby in Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district, drew a huge number of onlookers to witness the astonishing sight. The neck-less baby with its head almost totally sunk into the upper part of the body and with extraordinarily large eyeballs literally popping out of the eye-sockets, was born to Nir Bahadur Karki and Suntali Karki at the Gaurishnkar Hospital in Charikot.

The bizarre baby, however, died after half an hour of its birth, Suntali, the mother, informed. It was taken to the hospital after its death. The news about such a baby being brought to the hospital spread like wildfire and there were hundreds gathered at the hospital to have a look. The police had to be deployed to control the crowd.

"We wouldn't have been able to save it, even if it had been brought here alive" said a nurse attending to the mother at the hospital, adding "This is an extremely abnormal case". The baby weighed 2kg at birth and was born after the normal nine-month gestation period.

Suntali, already a mother of two normal daughters, was not suffering from any illness during the pregnancy. Nir Bahadur, the father, says he does not feel any remorse for the newly-born baby's death. I am happy that nothing happened to my wife, he said.

Note : Though Anencephaly does exist, the story and the 2nd attached photos authenticity is undetermined. Also, it was not known why the baby was paraded.

Source : library.med.utah.edu
Source : kantipuronline.com

Tags : Anencephaly cephalic disorder neck-less baby disorder Nepal Gaurishnkar Hospital

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It's dove at first sight

It's like a tale straight out of Disney. An abandoned baby monkey, close to death, is revived by the love of a bird. The 12-week-old macaque was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Guangdong Province, China, after being abandoned by his mother.

Taken to an animal hospital, he was weaned back to physical health but still showed little appetite for life. It was not until a fellow patient, a white pigeon, took him under her wing and showed him love and affection that he perked up.

The blossoming relationship helped to revive the baby macaque who has developed a new lease of life, say staff at the sanctuary. Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other's side.

Source : dailymail.co.uk

Tags : baby macaque monkey China Guangdong

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Rich bitch Trouble in trouble

Trouble is a white Maltese dog that inherited $12 million from late New York hotelier Leona Helmsley since she passed away in August 2007. But now, Trouble is really in trouble after receiving about 20 death threats. And Trouble was flown on a private jet to Florida two months ago to throw her pursuers off the track.

Helmsley cut two of her four grandchildren out of her will, but established a $US12 million trust fund for Trouble. The dog used to live in luxury in a 46th-floor apartment on top of the Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, eating food prepared by the hotel chefs.

The will stipulated that Helmsley's 80-year-old brother should care for her beloved pet, but he refused to do so and it passed to the care of her staff. John Codey, who manages the dog's trust fund, said the cost of Trouble's security, medical care, chef-cooked meals and grooming was about $300,000 a year.

"We were alarmed by the number of threats - 20 to 30, something of that order," said Helmsley's former aide John Codey. He told CBS's Early Show that blackmailers had threatened: "I'm gonna kill the dog. I'm gonna kidnap the dog. I need the $12 million."

Trouble's penchant for biting people has earned her many enemies over the years, but Mr Codey said he had been astonished at the animosity toward her. "I think the reaction was really quite bizarre," he said. Mr Codey said the 2kg pooch had a rotating security team and used an alias when she flew out of Connecticut.

When Trouble dies, any remaining money from her trust will go to the charitable foundations that inherited the lion's share of Ms Helmsley's estimated $US4 billion estate.

Source : BBC News
For previous written article about Trouble, click here

Tags : Trouble Maltese dog death threats inheritance Leona Helmsley hotelier

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Ancient Egyptian plays bowling

Italian archeologists have found in Egypt what may be the world's oldest indoor bowling alley. A spacious room, with a shallow lane running through into a pit and two heavy stone balls lying nearby, was found at an ancient site in the province of Al-Fayyum, 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Cairo, and appears to be man's first attempt to create an area for a game that was to become the prototype for modern-day bowling.

The site dates back to the Ptolemaic era, which began in 332 B.C with Ptolemy I Soter declaring himself Pharaoh of Egypt following Alexander the Great's conquest, and ended with the Roman conquest in 30 B.C. The bowling room was apparently part of a residential building, with papyruses, pottery and copper utensils found at the site in abundance.

It's believed that two players would throw balls from the two ends of a lane. The one throwing a smaller ball aimed to get the ball in a hole, while one throwing a larger ball tried to block the other's shot. The lane is made from three pieces of joint marble.

Source : dsc.discovery.com

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Bigfoot appear in a smaller form?

Natasha, a black Macaque in the Safari Park Zoo near Tel Aviv, Israel surprised scientist by the difference between her from others Macaque. Black Macaque, like others monkey usually walks on all four and occasionally they will walk upright for a short period of time. Natasha walks upright all the time, bearing similarity to the walking style of the legendary creature Bigfoot with not such a big foot.

In 2004, Natasha went through a death experience, a stomach ailment that almost killed her. She and three other monkeys were diagnosed with severe stomach flu. At the zoo clinic, she slipped into critical condition. The veterinarian Igal Horowitz that's treating Natasha said "I was sure that she was going to die," he said. "She could hardly breathe, and her heart was not functioning properly."

After intensive treatment, Natasha's condition began to stabilize. But a day after she was released from the clinic, she soon starts to walk upright from this day onwards. Horowitz was baffled, and said that the possible explanations to her advanced evolution of movement might due to her brain being damaged from the illness. Probably she thought that she has become Bigfoot. But apart from her evolutional walking style, her others monkey behavior remain unchanged.

Source : MSNBS News
Source : CBC News

Tags : Natasha Black Macaque Macaque Tel Aviv Safari Park Zoo walk upright human evolution bipedal Bigfoot

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Half cooked or half raw lobster?

For 20 years, Alan Robinson of Steuben, Maine, has been catching lobsters but first time in his life saw something he never did in his entire life. The lobster that caught his attention is obviously different from the others.

In one of his catch in 2006 near the town of Bar Harbor, Maine, US, he noticed that one of the lobsters has two toned color! On one half, it looks like any regular lobsters. But on the other, it has bright orange that similar to the color lobsters turned after they've been cooked.

"I thought someone was playing a trick on me. Once I saw what it was, it was worth seeing". Alan wanted others to see it, too, so he donated his unusual catch to Maine's Mount Desert Oceanarium, where experts were able to shed some light on the find. Two-toned lobsters, they explain, are rare but not unheard of.

The shells of American, or Maine, lobsters usually sport a combination of yellow, red, and blue pigments. But the animals grow symmetrically, with each half of the body developing independently of the other. In the case of Robinson's catch, half of the Crustacean's shell was lacking the blue pigment, giving it the appearance of having been cooked to a turn.

All this makes Robinson's fifty-fifty find one for the record books, the Oceanarium's staffers say. The aquarium has received only three two-toned lobsters in the last 35 years, they note, and the odds of finding one that's exactly half and half is about 1 in 50 million.

Source : nationalgeographic.com

Tags : Alan Robinson Crustacean lobster two face two toned two colors Mount Desert Oceanarium

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Dead priest image appeared on a book about him

A "spooky" image of a priest executed for treason over the Gunpowder Plot has appeared on a 17th century book thought to be bound in his skin, it is claimed. Auctioneers said the face of Father Henry Garnet could be seen peering from the cover of the "rare and macabre" book about the Jesuit priest's death.

The item will go under the hammer at Wilkinson's Auctioneers in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on Sunday. Garnet, was hanged in May 1606 for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot. Sid Wilkinson, from Wilkinson's Auctioneers, said: "It's a little bit spooky because the front of the book looks like it has the face of a man on it, which is presumed to be the victim's face."

The book, called A True and Perfect Relation of the Whole Proceedings Against the Late Most Barbarous Traitors, Garnet, a Jesuit and his Confederates, was published in 1606 just after his execution. The lot is considered so unusual there is no reserve price attached to it. Garnet's involvement in the plot to kill King James I was controversial. He claimed he knew about the conspiracy but was not involved.

Some scholars now believe he had been trying to prevent the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament rather than conspiring to kill the King. According to legend, a piece of bloodstained straw found at the scene of his execution started to develop an exact image of the priest's face.

Source : BBC News

Tags : Father Henry Garnet A True and Perfect Relation of the Whole Proceedings Against the Late Most Barbarous Traitors King James I Gunpowder Plot conspiracy Jesuit image priest book 1606 executed

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Uninhabited town sold for $3 mil on E-bay

A small, uninhabited town in Texas has been sold on the internet auction site, eBay, to a buyer in Italy for a little over $3m. The town, called Albert, is about 100km (62 miles) outside San Antonio and features a schoolhouse, a dancehall and a bar.

Albert, a 13-acre town about 50 miles north of San Antonio with a resident population of four, is in the Texas Hill Country. The town's current owner, Bobby Cave, said he was checking the identity of the buyer, to confirm the deal. He added he had several other serious bids should the sale fall through.

Mr Cave, 47, an estate agent, said he sold the land after three-and-a-half years as he was ready to move on to his next project. "I bought it with the intention of creating a little family camping venue where people could come out and drink and enjoy local live music," he told PA news agency.

He said the town's population consisted of himself and groundsman at weekends. The winning buyer will take over an icehouse created from the frame of the old general store, a pavilion, an 85-year-old dance hall, a tractor shed and a three-bedroom house, together with peach and pecan orchards.

Source : BBC News
Source : alberttexas.com

Tags : Albert Texas sold e-bay 3 million Bobby Cave Texas Hill Country San Antonio

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Shark is not the top predators

The North Pacific Giant Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is a large cephalopod belonging to the genus Enteroctopus. It can be found in the coastal Pacific Northwest, usually around the depth of 65 meters (about 213 ft.). It can, however, live in much shallower or much deeper waters. It is arguably the largest octopus species, based on a scientific record of a 71 kg (156.5 lb) individual weighed live.

Octopuses are thought to be one of the most intelligent invertebrates and can change the color and texture of their skin to blend in with rocks, algae, or coral to avoid predators. Some species of octopus have been reported to unscrew jar lids to retrieve food and mimic the behaviors of other octopuses and also other sea creatures such as sea snakes and lion fish. Giant Pacific Octopuses are capable of solving complex puzzles. This species of octopus commonly preys upon shrimp, crabs, scallops, abalones, clams, and fish. It procures food with its suckers, which is then crushed with its tough "beaks" of chitin.

The Giant Octopus is extremely calm and they held a regular spot on display at the Seattle aquarium over the years. Then the keepers decided to move one of the Giant Octopus in to a large tank filled with sharks and other big fish. They purposely picked a larger octopus fearing that it'll get killed by predators like shark. They assumed that the octopus strength and camouflage would keep it safe. As it turns out, they were tragically mistaken.

Since then, each week keepers were finding shark carcasses in the bottom of the tank. The 3-4 foot sharks kept vanishing at an alarming rate. Curious by the fact that the so called top of the food chain was defeated by an unknown predator, the keepers decided to stay up and film the culprit. To their surprise, the predator is none other than the Giant Octopus! They learned some thing about this species they never imagine. It was a big surprise to find out that sharks were taken by octopus, a mere invertebrate. Now school books might need to re-categorize top predators.

Source : marine.alaskapacific.edu
Watch Video at nationalgeographic.com

Tags : North Pacific Giant Octopus Pacific Northwest shark predator prey eaten Seattle aquarium

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Swimsuit that you'll never wear to swim

We've heard of diamond-studded lingerie and gold brassieres, now it's time for the swimsuit turn with the latest gold-weave swimsuit from Tokyo, Japan. Ginza Tanaka, the designer popular for his Midas touch, created these gold-thread-woven swimsuits that were on display at his Jewelry store in Tokyo on July 4, 2007.


The method used to make the outfits is more than 1,300 years old. The swimsuits are hand-woven with 500 grams of a thread that was twined with 6 wires of 90-micron-thin gold (K24) in 32 days. Also available is a golden long dress woven with 1,500 grams of a thread that was twined with 4 wires. The gold-weave swimsuit weighs 500g and is on sale at a price tag of 10 million yen (USD 92,000). The dress weighs 1.1kg and costs 30 million yen (USD277,000).

A spokeswoman for the store said "The dress and swimsuit can be worn normally like any other clothes but should be treated as jewelry, and so shouldn't be washed in the washing machine". But I doubt anyone would wear such expensive swimsuit just to go for a swim.

Source : taipeitimes.com

Tags : swimsuit gold golden weave woven long dress Ginza Tanaka tokyo Japan hand-woven

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Man with tree roots limbs

Dede, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, has become an outcast where he lives in the village of Tanjung Jaya, about 150 km south of the capital Jakarta. As a teenager, he first noticed warts growing on his body after he cut his knee. The 35-year-old was sacked from his job and deserted by his wife after wart roots started to grow from his hands and feet.

Now known as "Tree Man", his incredibly long warts on his hands and feet that resemble tree roots is baffling many experts about the cause of his condition, and believed to be a life-threatening. An US expert now believes that Dede may be cured from the condition. According to reports, Dr Anthony Gaspari from the University of Maryland, after testing his blood and found that the growths are the result of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

The Indonesian man says he is unable to work or travel anywhere and is forced to stay at his parent's home because his hands and feet are so heavy and cumbersome due to the growths. He said "First it felt itchy and some warts appeared on my feet. I neglected it and then growths started appearing quickly, covering my whole body". Dr. Gaspari has proposed a treatment plan for Dede and hopes to clear up the condition with daily doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin A.

Source : telegraph.co.uk

Tags : Dede Indonesia Indonesian Tanjung Jaya Jakarta Tree Man Human Papilloma Virus HPV Anthony Gaspari

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Largest nail & toothpick mosaic

Albanian artist Saimir Strati used tens of thousands of nails to create a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, making it the world's biggest nail mosaic. Strati was named in the Guinness Book of World Records on Monday (4 September) for his nail mosaic, which measures 8 square meters. Saimir Strati shows the portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci he created with industrial nails at the International Centre of Culture in Tirana, Albania. Strati, 40, were recognised by Guinness World Record officials for having created the world's largest nail mosaic with about 500,000 industrial nails.

But that's not the only world record he created. Alongside the nail mosaic, there's an image of a horse created with more than half a million toothpicks in homage to Antoni Gaudi has earned him a second entry in the Guinness Records. Ms. Andrea Banfi, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, told a cheering crowd after checking that the mosaic followed the guidelines agreed with Guinness, "I've measured it; it is a new Guinness World Record". The Largest Toothpick's Mosaic is 8 meter square using approximately 1.5 milion of toothpicks.

Strati spent 13 hours a day for 40 days on the mosaic measuring 2m by 4m in a technique resembling digital camera pixels, using either sharpened or blunt ends of oak, poplar and bamboo toothpicks. He said the idea to produce the mosaic came to him while he tried to explain to a friend what La Sagrada Familia, the unfinished Barcelona cathedral of Spanish architect and artist Antoni Gaudi, looked like. He took some toothpicks from the table and opened them to show him how it looked like. The horse is named 'Reinless Spirit' to honour Gaudi's flight of genius. The mosaic was shown to the public in the round hall of Tirana's pyramid-shaped culture centre.

Source : www.news.com.au
Source : www.mosaicart-sast.com

Tags : Saimir Strati Albania Guinness World of Records Guinness Book of Records Leonardo Da Vinci nail art Reinless Spirit toothpick art art mosaic International Centre of Culture tirana

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Transforming luxury car to a super luxury car

Turning from this luxury car

To this super luxury car!

On January 2007, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. unveiled its new show car at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The car, which started life as a Mercedes Benz R500, was transformed into a show-stopping, elegant, rolling IMPRINT sound system demonstration.

Designed and built by Alpine’s in-house Advanced Application R & D team of Steve Brown, Gary Bell, Brent Davison and Glen Swackhamer from Alpine of Canada, the IMPRINT RLS is the newest creation to emerge from Alpine’s North American headquarters in Torrance, Calif.

The goal of the Alpine team was to build a great-sounding show car that was sleek and sophisticated, yet with custom work that would make it one-of-a-kind. The striking shape of the RLS was created entirely by hand, using only the original roof from the R500. The front, rear and sides of the RLS were shaped from fiberglass to give the car a sophisticated, flowing shape. The RLS differs from recent Alpine show cars which had bold custom airbrush paint designs. Instead, the RLS was sprayed with an elegant custom-mixed BASF R-M Carizzma Candy Cherry Cola Brown hue, which accentuates the shape of the car. The details and shadows on the external door panels, which have curves that undulate into the depths of the door, become more prominent depending on how light reflects off of the one-of-a-kind paint.

One of the most striking elements about the RLS is that it has two doors, rather than the four doors that it began with. It is also a center-drive car, a characteristic that is reminiscent of previous Alpine show cars. But upon further inspection inside the RLS, one would wonder how it could be center drive if there are two front seats. The answer lies in that the RLS can be driven from either the left or right front seat. The custom-cut aluminum and leather steering wheel is located in the center console next to the shifter, and gas/brake pedals were provided for both front seats. The driver can enter the RLS from either the left or right door. Each door is actually connected to a seat, and each door/seat module is on a motorized rotating platform that automatically rotates the seat outward -- and the door inward -- to allow the driver access to the completely custom-made interior. Once two lucky passengers are inside, they are in for the ultimate sound quality experience thanks to Alpine’s new IMPRINT sound technology.

The strategy behind building a two-seater, center drive car was not just for eye-candy. The RLS’ interior and audio system were specifically designed to showcase the capabilities of the IMPRINT sound architecture. IMPRINT allows the listener to experience music the way the artist intended. Using the CDA-9887 CD/MP3/WMA/AAC receiver and its IMPRINT Sound Manager software kit, the build team was able to easily – and automatically -- tune and calibrate the RLS’ sound system. A specially designed microphone measures the acoustic environment of the car’s interior, analyzing acoustical problems. The software then applies advanced acoustical corrections to ensure that the signal that the speakers are being fed are exactly what the artist had intended. The entire automated tuning process takes approximately 20 minutes, which is light-years faster than traditional sound tuning procedures.

For the Alpine team, it was a good thing that the system could be tuned so quickly, so that they could concentrate on other aspects of the RLS. An iPod® loaded with Apple Lossless-encoded music supplements the CDA-9887’s AM/FM/CD sources and is connected via the KCE-422i Full Speed Connection for iPod cable. A SIRIUS® Satellite Radio Sportster 4 also adds an endless amount of music and entertainment sources, and is connected through the KCA-SC100 SIRIUS satellite radio interface.

Two PDX-4.150 amplifiers power the front and rear speakers. The front soundstage consists of the first PDX-4.150 running four 6.5-inch mids from the SPX-17REF component set, along with channels 1 and 2 of the second PDX-4.150 running two tweeters from the SPX-17REF component set. The rear sound comes from channels 3 and 4 of the second PDX-4.150, running an SPX-17REF component set.

To get impressive bass impact in the front of the car, the team installed four SWX-1043D 10-inch subwoofers in a sealed enclosure built into the custom-made dash. Each of these woofers is powered by one PDX-1.1000 amplifier for maximum dynamic response.

All of the PDX amplifiers are showcased on a handmade motorized cylindrical amplifier display that emerges from the back of the vehicle. The amplifier display is embellished with a custom-made aluminum,11-inch diameter, CNC-machined Mercedes Benz emblem. At the touch of a button, the display travels 27 inches out the back of the RLS while simultaneously rotating 360 degrees.

The RLS began as a glimmer in the eyes of the Alpine team, and Roybal Designs helped with the vehicle rendering to get the RLS on the path to reality. With support from Mercedes Benz, the RLS project began its 3.5-month long transformation. Monster Cable wiring is used throughout the RLS, while Kinetik batteries supply power to the car and the audio system. The RLS rides on one-off TIS Wheels (26-inch in the front, 30-inch in the rear) and Pirelli tires, with massive stopping power from Brembo brakes. Custom interior lighting was provide by Pilot, to complement the custom leather upholstery work and airbrushed wood grain panels. Indie Beach Productions supplied editing for the video content that plays in the monitors in the front and rear of the RLS as well as on the free-standing external LCD monitors that will flank the RLS at shows.

“The IMPRINT RLS takes Alpine back to its roots by showcasing excellent sound quality,” said Stephen Witt, vice president, Marketing, Alpine Electronics. “Beneath the RLS’ custom interior and exterior fabrication lies the heart of the sound system -- the IMPRINT sound architecture – which can be easily and automatically tuned for optimal sound reproduction in any vehicle.”

The IMPRINT RLS will be on display at trade and consumer events throughout 2007.

Source : www.alpine-usa.com
Source : www.allcarnews.com

Tags : Alpine Electronics Mercedes Benz R500 RLS IMPRINT RLS two-seater center drive PDX-4.150 SWX-1043D subwoofer amplifiers emblem

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Solving crimes by hearing only

Sacha Van Loo is not your typical cop. Although he is not entitled to carry a gun on the job or to make arrests, he is one of only six people in a special police force in Belgium. Van Loo is one of Europe's newest weapons in the global fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime. A blind Sherlock Holmes whose disability allows him to pick up clues sighted detectives does not see.

Van Loo, 36, who has been blind since birth, is one of six blind police officers in a pioneering unit specializing in transcribing and analyzing surveillance recordings in criminal investigations. He also speaks seven languages, including Russian and Arabic.

The blind police unit, which became operational in June, originated after Van Thielen heard about a blind police officer in the Netherlands. Van Thielen was looking for ways to improve community outreach, and he hoped that blind people would prove more adept than the sighted at listening to surveillance recordings and interpreting them.

But his sense of hearing is so acute that Paul Van Thielen, a director at the Belgian Federal Police, compared his powers of observation to those of a superhero. When the police eavesdrop on a suspected terrorist making a phone call, Van Loo can identify the number instantly by listening to the tones. By hearing the sound of a voice echoing off a wall, he can deduce whether a suspect is speaking from an airport lounge or a crowded restaurant. And from the purr of an engine on a wiretap, he can discern whether a suspect is driving a Peugeot, a Honda or a Mercedes.

"I have had to train my ear to know where I am," Van Loo said. "It is a matter of survival to cross the street or get on a train. Some people can get lost in background noise, but as a blind man I divide hearing into different channels. It is these details that can be the difference between solving and not solving a crime."

"Being blind has forced me to develop my other senses, and my power as a detective rests in my ears," he said from his office at the Belgian Federal Police, where a bullet-riddled piece of paper from a recent target-shooting session was proudly displayed on the wall. "Being blind also requires recognizing your limitations," he added with a smile, noting that a sighted trainer guided his hands during target practice "to make sure no one got wounded."

Grappling with his blindness, he says, has also given him the thick emotional skin necessary for dealing with the job's stresses. "I have overheard criminals plotting to commit murder, drug dealers making plans to drop off drugs, men beating each other up," Van Loo said. "Being blind helps not to let it get to me, because I have to be tough."

To accommodate the new blind officers in the police station, they've installed elevators with voice-activated buttons and issued each blind officer a special computer equipped with a Braille keyboard and a system that translates images on the screen into sound. When Van Loo goes outside, he carries a compact police-issued global positioning system device with a voice that directs him to his destination, street by street.

Source : abcnews.go.com

Tags : Sacha Van Loo blind Sherlock Holmes blind police unit Belgium police officer blind

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Thieves stole entire railway stop

In Kelantan, East Coast of Malaysia, usual train passengers were shocked to discover that the shelter at the train stop station that they frequented has disappeared entirely! Suddenly they found themselves exposed to the elements when the metal thieves had carted off the entire railway stop at Pekan Tok Uban, near Pasir Mas, Kelantan.

Confirming this, KTMB east coast manager Ibrahim Sulaiman said that two weeks ago thieves, keen on extracting the steel components, removed a store and stop sign that indicated the stopping point for trains in Pekan Tok Uban. He said the company was deeply concerned over the growing theft of its equipment. It had lodged a police report since.

In recent years, as the cost of steel rises, the number of theft in the country has increased dramatically. They will striped down power plant, telephone booth together with the copper wires, parking meters, street signs, window frames from abandoned building and scout around any other source that has metals.

Because of ineffectiveness and insufficient support from the police forces, every year government loses millions of RM (approx. US$1 = RM 3.40) just to repair and replace the stolen items, and wait to be stolen again. Ibrahim appealed to villagers to keep a lookout for the thieves. He hoped that a comprehensive plan must be in place to tackle these problems as soon as possible as one day the thieves might be bold enough to cut away the entire railway tracks, thus causing not only financial losses, but putting thousands of lives in danger.

Source : thestar.com.my

Tags : Malaysia Kelantan East Coast railway stop steal stolen strip thief thieves Pekan Tok Uban

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Man targets to have 100 child by 2015

A one-legged father from UAE of 78 is lining up his next two wives in a bid to reach his target of 100 children by 2015. Daad Mohammed Murad Abdul Rahman, 60, has already had 15 brides although he has to divorce them as he goes along to remain within the legal limit of four wives at a time.

"In 2015 I will be 68 years old and will have 100 children," the local tabloid quoted Abdul Rahman as saying. "After that I will stop marrying. I have to have at least three more marriages to hit the century."

The United Arab Emirates newspaper splashed its front page with a picture of Abdul Rahman surrounded by his children, the eldest of whom is 36 years old and the youngest of whom is 20 days old. Two of his current three wives are also pregnant.

Abdul Rahman said his large family lived in 15 houses. He supports them with his military pension and the help of the government of Ajman, one of seven emirates that comprise the UAE, which includes the Gulf trade and tourism hub of Dubai. Islam allows men to marry up to four women at a time, though most marry only one. The UAE is a Muslim country but is home to migrants from around the world.

Source : dailymail.co.uk

Tags : Abdul Rahman UAE United Arab Emirates 78 kids 100 22

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I now pronounce you man and bitch

15 years ago, P. Selvakumar was a healthy young man, but everything changes since he stoned 2 dogs to death and hanged their bodies to a tree. Since then, he said that he has been curse since after the killing, he suffered paralysis and the loss of hearing in one ear. He tried every cure for his ailment but could not be rid of his disability.

Many attempts throughout the years to get rid of the curse failed. P. Selvakumar, now a 33-year-old farm laborer from the southern state of Tamil Nadu finally seeks advice from an astrologer. The astrologer told Selvakumar the only way to atone for his actions is to marry a bitch! He heeded the advice, and the wedding took place at a Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu state. The "bride" named Selvi wore an orange sari with a flower garland.

A reception attended by some 200 guests was held for the newlyweds in the groom's house during which Selvi grew restless and ran away. However the run away bride was subsequently recaptured and returned to her husband who gave her milk and a bun to celebrate. A relative of the groom who attended the wedding said he hoped Mr Selvakumar would now be cured.


Source : BBC News

Tags : P. Selvakumar Tamil Nadu marries married dog bitch Selvi husband wife


For more bizarre marriage, check out the previous article on Married to a doll

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WWII Aircraft discovered at popular beach after 65 years

For 65 years, beach strollers, sunbathers and swimmers often frolicked the beach in Wales. Unaware to them, there's a large fighter aircraft lies just a few feet beneath their favorite swimming spot. The aircraft was finally surfaced after unusual weather caused the sand to shift and erode.

In the summer of 2007, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft, with its distinctive twin-boom design presumed to be USAAF serial number 41-7677, emerged from the sand of a beach in Wales where it crash landed in 1942. The aircraft, largely intact and remarkably free of corrosion, is one of the most significant WWII-related archaeological discoveries in recent history

Upon learning of the discovery in September, Richard Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) alerted curators at the UK national aviation museums (Imperial War Museum, Royal Air Force Museum, and Fleet Air Arm Museum). Interest in the discovery was keen and, as a service to the national museums, Gillespie mobilized a seven person TIGHAR archaeological survey team to assess the aircraft’s condition, describe and record the wreck site, and collect data that will be useful in recovery operations planned for the spring of 2008. TIGHAR also notified the United States Air Force Federal Preservation Officer.

Based on its serial number and other records, "the fighter is arguably the oldest P-38 in existence, and the oldest surviving 8th Air Force combat aircraft of any type," said Ric Gillespie, who heads a U.S.-based nonprofit group dedicated to preserving historic aircraft. "In that respect it's a major find, of exceptional interest to British and American aviation historians."


Source : www.tighar.org

Tags : Lockheed P-38 Wales USAAF WWII, aircraft archaeology Royal Air Force Museum dicover discovery TIGHAR

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Girl hailed as Hindu Goddess

When Shambhu's daughter was born in a rural Indian family, villagers in the remote settlement of Rampur Kodar Katti in the northern state of Bihar believed she was sacred. Her parents, Shambhu and Poonam Tatma, named the girl Lakshmi after the Hindu goddess of wealth who has four arms. Believe it or not, Lakshmi Tatma the little girl did born with 4 arms and legs!

As the news of her birth spread, locals and neighboring town people waited in line just to get a blessing from the baby. However, her parents were forced to keep her in hiding after they were approached by men trying to buy their daughter to put her in a circus. Children born with deformities in deeply traditional rural parts of India, like where Lakshmi is borned, are often viewed as reincarnated gods. This young girl is no different as she is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth.

In scientific terms Lakshmi case is called "parasitic twin", the twins that stopped developing in her mother's womb. The surviving fetus absorbed the limbs, kidneys and other body parts of the undeveloped fetus. The two spines are merged, she has four kidneys, entangled nerves, two stomach cavities, an extra torso and limbs but no head. She cannot stand up or walk. It was joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis.

To let her live a normal life again, surgery is needed to remove the extra body parts and unfused Lakshmi's spine from her twin's. But the cost of the surgery is not cheap, with the total cost of $625,000, it's far too great for the Lakshmi's family to afford as the couple only earns just $1 a day as casual laborers. Fortunately, after Dr. Sharan Patil visited the girl in her village from Narayana Health City hospital in Bangalore, the hospital's foundation agreed to fund the operation.

On November 2007, More than 30 surgeons took 27 hours to not only remove two of Lakshmi's arms and two of her legs but also to rebuild much of her body and save her organs. They say the chances of death were as high as 25 percent. The operation went well and Lakshmi has made steady progress. Later, she was taken off a respirator and her parents were allowed to visit.

Many villagers, however, remain opposed to surgery and are planning to erect a temple to Lakshmi, who they still revere as sacred. Dr. Patil said Lakshmi's parents are "very practical" and knew the risks of the medical treatment. Asked about the belief she is a reincarnation of the goddess, he said, "She's a very charming young girl, and I'm sure she'll grow up and be something special."

Source : www.cnn.com

Tags : Lakshmi Tatma Shambhu Bihar Lakshmi Hindu goddess parasitic twin surgeons surgery Dr. Sharan Patil India


A special thanks to Joyce from moviestvreviews.blogspot.com for bringing this story to my attention.

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Pregnant at the age of 5!

In 1939, a man from a small village in the Andes Mountains carried his five-year-old daughter into a hospital in the town of Pisco, Peru. He indicated to the doctors there that the shamans in his village had been unable to cure the large tumor that was developing in his daughter's abdomen that caused her stomach to bloat. But upon examination, the doctors learned that the swelling was not a tumor.

The father told Dr. Gérado Lozada that her daughter strangely having regular periods since age three, but they had stopped about 7 1/2 months prior to the visit. Dr. Gérado listened to the young girl's abdomen with a stethoscope, and heard a tiny second heartbeat. An X-Ray was also performed, after which there could be no doubt… to the doctors' astonishment, five-year-old Lina Medina was about seven months pregnant!



Dr. Gérado Lozada
together with Lina
Medina and her
son Gerardo.
Soon she was transferred to a hospital in the city of Lima, where specialists confirmed the pregnancy. Lina's father was arrested on suspicion of incest, but due to lack of evidence, he was released. On Mother's Day in 1939, when Lina was just under 5 years and 8 months old, her baby was delivered by cesarean section. It was a healthy 6 pound baby boy, and was named Gerardo after the doctor who originally diagnosed Lina's pregnancy, Dr. Gérado Lozada.

Further research into the case was done by Dr. Edmundo Escomel, one of Peru's preeminent physician-researchers at the time. He discovered that Lina's menstruations had actually begun when she was only eight months old, much sooner than her father had originally reported. Escomel also documented the results of a test which indicated that Lina had the ovaries of a fully mature woman. He concluded that the reason for the early development of her reproductive system must have been from a pituitary hormonal disorder. But the identity of Gerardo's father was never determined.

For a long time, Gerardo was raised in the Medina household as though he were Lina's baby brother. Two years after Gerardo was born, American child psychologist Mrs. Paul Kosak was permitted to speak with Lina at some length. As quoted in the New York Times in 1941, Mrs. Kosak said, "Lina is above normal in intelligence and the baby, a boy, is perfectly normal and is physically better developed than the average Mestiza (Spanish Indian) child. She thinks of the child as a baby brother and so does the rest of the family."

Gerardo grew up believing that Lina was his sister until he was aged ten years, when taunting by schoolmates led him to discover the truth. In 1972, when he was 33 years old, his younger brother was born. His mother Lina had married, and had a child with her new husband. Gerardo died seven years later at age 40 from a bone marrow infection, but Lina and her husband still live in Peru, and their son currently lives in Mexico.

The case of Lina Medina has often been alleged to be a hoax, but the story has been confirmed many times over the years by physicians in Peru and in the U.S. Sufficient evidence was gathered that there is little room for doubt, including photos, X-Rays, biopsies, and thorough documentation by a number of doctors.

Lina's story was documented by Edmundo Escomel, published in "La Presse Medicale" reports in 1939. The U.S. press was also interested in this curious and disturbing story, published it in the Los Angeles Times on 16 May 1939. Six months later, the New York Times reported that an American public health official had also verified Lina's remarkable story.

Tags : Dr. Gérado Lozada Lina Medina Peru Pisco Dr. Edmundo Escomel pregnant 5 years old

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The real egghead boy

Petero Byakatonda, a 13-year-old boy from a remote village in Uganda, suffers from a genetic disorder called Crouzon’s syndrome. The illness affects around one in 10,000 newborns and is normally treated within a few months of birth. But because of Petero’s isolation, he was diagnosed only recently, and it is incredible that he is still alive.

In Crouzon’s syndrome, the bones of the skull are fused together permanently so the head cannot expand normally as the brain grows. The brain is therefore forced to grow in the direction of least resistance. This, as leading craniofacial surgeon Dr Kenneth Salyer explains, can lead to constriction “to the point of herniation of the base of the brain, and death.” In altering the structure of Petero’s skull, Salyer and his team may be able to give the boy some self-confidence, restore his sight and save his life. But in order for Petero’s surgery to be successful, says Salyer, there is a “major need for him to be treated immediately.”

All his life, Petero’s misshapen head and bulging eyes have meant that he has been feared and tormented by other children in his village. “They used to bully me all the time,” he says. His mother, Dorothea, explains that kids used to throw stones at Petero every time he walked to the well. He was treated like a person at home but an animal everywhere else. Now, however, a Dallas-based surgical team offers hope.

Petero first came to the attention of Kenneth Salyer when a Ugandan social worker was visiting Petero’s village. She took a photograph of Petero and showed it to a doctor friend who then showed it to Salyer. Though he is based in America, Salyer was interested in Petero in his capacity as head of a charity called the World Craniofacial Foundation. With money donated by this foundation, Petero, having never left his village before, now finds himself leaving his family to travel across the world for a series of life-threatening operations.

As he arrives in the US, Petero is fascinated by everything he sees. “There are so many lights,” he reflects as a taxi takes him and social worker Immaculate to the house that will be their home for the near future. “There is no darkness anywhere”. But it is not just an alien culture to which Petero must become accustomed – over the next seven months, he will spend a great deal of time in hospital as he undergoes a series of operations to completely rebuild his head.

After weeks of tests and medical examinations, Petero is deemed ready for surgery and is wheeled into the operating theatre, clutching his new toy phone. In this first operation, Salyer and his team will reconstruct the top of the skull and take the pressure off the brain and the optic nerve. The surgery is incredibly complex. As surgeons make an incision in Petero’s scalp, they discover a venous plexus, an abnormal collection of blood vessels which increases the chances of bleeding. They must then peel the skin back over Petero’s face, before drilling a series of holes in his skull and moving his brain away from the bone. As they remove a large piece of skull, the pressure on Petero’s brain is eased and his sight is effectively saved. But now the hard work of restructuring the head and face begins.

Two months after his first operation, the change in Petero is hard to believe. His head now looks normal, but perhaps the most amazing transformation is in his personality. Whereas he used to be a shy, reclusive boy, ashamed to show his face in public, he is now playful, excited and outgoing. But with two more operations and many months of recovery yet to go, Petero still has a long journey ahead of him.

Source : mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk
Source : www.tvthrong.co.uk

Tags : Petero Byakatonda disorder Crouzon’s syndrome Dr Kenneth Salyer Uganda genetic surgery surgeon

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Outrages protester act

Mark McGowan is a UK-based performance artist currently working at the Camberwell College of Arts. He grew up in Peckham, on the North Peckham Estate, and has a degree in Fine Art from Camberwell College of Art, and an MA from Goldsmiths College. But neither his artistic skill nor his academics that caught the media's attention. He entered the news a number of times for his unconventional approach to public protest and demonstration. Listed are his history of performing outrages art and protests.

MONKEY NUT (2003)
Mark pushed a monkey nut along the road for 7 miles with his nose, starting at Goldsmiths College in South London and ending at Number 10 Downing Street where he handed his nut in, he was protesting against student fees.

YOU TURKEY (2003)
Mark walked backwards for 11miles with a 27lb turkey on top of his head shouting at fat people along the way through a homemade loud hailer, it was a piece about the obesity pandemic.




SAUSAGE CHIPS AND BEANS (2003)
Mark sat in a bath of beans with two chips stuck up his nose and 48 sausages strapped to his head for two weeks, he was advocating the consumption of the much maligned Great British breakfast.

OCEAN WAVE II (2003/4)
On December 28th 2003 Mark set out from Peckham in South East London and attempted to sail 400 miles to Glasgow in Scotland in a shopping trolley, along the way he collected gifts from English people intending to hand them out to the people of Scotland as a reconciliation for the William Wallace thing. He failed in his attempt after 17 days and 65 miles, due to bad weather conditions and poor equipment.

ARTIST KEYS CARS (2004)
In another controversial performance, Mark wandered the streets of Glasgow and South East London randomly keying cars, a practice involving the scratching of cars using a key. The performance/event was for a show called Glasgow International and was featured on several news programmes. But the London performance artist has since admitted the cars were already "keyed" and the photos were "staged".

AUTUMN LEAVES PROTEST (2005)
Mark nailed his feet to the gallery wall protesting against autumn leaves.



100,00 KISSES FOR TONY BLAIR (2005)
On Election Day, May 5th 2005, Mark successfully kissed an A4 color laminated photograph of Tony Blair 100, 000 times, the performance took place outside 10 Downing Street. He said that he was unsure at the beginning where to kiss the Prime Minister, on the forehead would be like kissing a baby, on the cheek would be like kissing my mum and on the lips just seemed gay. In the end he kissed him on the lips saying I’m not gay, Tony's not gay and everyone knows that. After 100,000 kisses things did get a bit weird towards the end.

EARLESS (2005)
Mark pulled a television along the road with his ear for six miles from Milan central train station to Silvio Burlesconi's house, protesting against politicians control of the media.





PEGGING (2005)
The intention was to attach 17,200 multi colored clothes pegs onto an alcoholic called Barry. In the end the alcoholics pegged Mark, but they got bored quite quickly and some friends pegged Mark instead, only managing 4,500.

RUNNING TAP (2005)
In an extraordinary protest against private control of water in the UK, He turned on a cold water tap in the House Gallery in Camberwell, London and planned to leave it running for one year, wasting 15 million liters of water. Due to the intervention of Thames Water, he had to turn it off again after one month. McGowan said, ‘Basically it was an art piece for people to come and look at and enjoy aesthetically, it was also a comment on a social and environment issue.'

A CANTERBURY TALE (2005/6)
Mark McGowan crawled on his hands and knees from London bridge to Canterbury with a rose clenched between his teeth 18 boxes of chocolates tied around his wrists and ankles and a triangular sign on his back saying could you love me. Mark McGowan started from London Bridge on the 26th December 2005 and finished at Canterbury Cathedral on 6th January 2006.

DEAD SOLDIER (2006)
The artist Mark McGowan dressed up in British army camouflage fatigues, with commando boots wearing a red beret, he then lay down in New Street, in Birmingham City Centre, curled up in a ball for one week. The performance was called Dead Soldier 2006 and was neither anti-war nor pro-military, put an artistic comment on current times.

ARTIST EATS SWAN (2007)
Mark McGowan ate a swan in a protest against the monarchy, the rich and the upper classes, outside the Guy Hilton Gallery in East London.


KICK GEORGE BUSH IN THE ASS (2007)
Crawling on his hands and knees Mark McGowan wandered the streets of New York with a George Bush mask on and a sign on his posterior saying 'KICK MY ASS'.


ARTIST EATS A CORGI (2007)
Mark ate a small corgi dog in a protest against the RSPCA's inability to prosecute Prince Phillip over the beating to death and shooting of a fox. The event happened live on the Bob and Roberta Smith radio show on Resonance FM.


ARTIST TO SET FIRE TO HIMSELF (5th November 2007)
In an extra ordinary art performance anti war protestor, Mark McGowan intended to set fire to himself in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament which is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes night in the UK, at 6pm in a protest against the war in Iraq. The event is part of an exhibition by Andy Hunt, the curater at the Chelsea Space which is part of Chelsea College of Art and opens on Tuesday 6th November. This event never took place as when he arrived there was a massive riot police presence, armed with fire extinguishers. They gave him warning earlier that he'll be arrested if he would to continue on with his act.

Source : markmcgowan.org

Tags : Mark McGowan monkey nut you turkey, sausage chips and beans Ocean wave Artist keys car Autumn leaves protest 100,000 kisses for Tony Blair earless pegging running tap a canterbury tale dead soldier artist eats swan kick George Bush in the ass artist eats a Corgi Artist to set fire to himself

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