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

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

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

The Schwarzenegger dog

When people come across Wendy, they may mistaken her for a pit bull. But in fact, she's a one of a kind Whippet. Contrast from the normal slim and agile whippets, Wendy is a 27-kilogram, 24-pack rippling mass of muscles. She's about twice the weight of an average whippet, and the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff.

Wendy has a rare genetic mutation, so rare that she was a part of a genetics study done in the U.S. on mutation in the myostatin gene in whippets, which resemble greyhounds in appearance. The National Institute of Health study reported that whippets with one single defective copy of the gene have increased muscle mass that can enhance racing performance in the breed, known for speeds up to 60 kilometers an hour.

But whippets with two mutated copies of the gene become "double-muscled," just like Wendy. It has been seen before in one human, and also in mice, cattle and sheep, says the study. The double-muscled whippets are called "bullies" because of their build. But that's not Wendy, Wendy likes nothing better than a good back scratch and isn't shy about sitting in your lap. With the same height, narrow head and the same size heart and lungs, which means she probably won't live as long as normal whippets.

Owner Ingrid Hansen has had Wendy since she bought the dog from a Shawnigan Lake breeder when she was eight months old. Now at the age of four, she lives on a farm in Victoria, Canada, runs around with other dogs and horses, and sleeps on Hansen's bed and pretty much anywhere else she wants to. People have referred to her as Arnold Schwarzenegger or the Incredible Hulk, and are often afraid when the muscle-bound dog runs up to them on her dainty whippet-thin legs, but they soon realize she's friendly, Hansen said.


Source : canada.com

Ben Underwood - blind but can see

He likes to go to karate classes, zipping down the street on his roller blades, play foosball and video games, and ride a bike just like any typical teenagers. The only difference that he has from other teenagers is that, he is totally blind! Born in 1992, Ben Underwood was just 2 years old when cancer claimed his eyes. Both were surgically removed. It was a day of heartbreak for his mother, Aquanetta Gordon.

And when he woke up from his surgery Ben said, 'Mom, I can't see any more, I can't see any more'. Holding her tears, she told him in a brave voice by saying "Ben, yes you can see". She took his little hands and put them on her face and continue, "See me, you can see me with your hands," next, she put her hand to his nose and said, "Smell me, you can see me with your nose. Hear me, you can see me with your ears. You can't use your eyes anymore, but you have your hands, your nose, and your ears."

From that day on, Ben has used his hearing, his sense of touch, his sense of smell to conquer a world of darkness. Although difficult at first, but eventually he's able to conquer all obstacles. He has developed the skill to use echolocation as a primary means of navigation. Only a handful of blind people in the world manage to learn this skill, it is not as easy as it sound.

Echolations is often used by animals like bats. When they go out to hunt, they send out sonar signals at a high frequencies and in such rapid bursts that they can hear the signals bounce off mosquitoes in midair, and like laser-guided missiles they can pin point the exact location of their prey. Dolphins use the same technique to navigate in the ocean and to find their meals.

Ben makes a "clicking" sound and the returned sound waves enable him to sense his surrounding. Amazingly, he can even differentiate between a car, a truck or just a few trash bin. Ben's siblings automatically took on roles and helped. His brother Derius, taught him how to find the seems of his clothing and the heals on his socks to put them on correctly. Isaiah who is Ben's younger brother always described our surroundings to make sure Ben saw everything.

Ben also started writing novel in the 4th grade, he writes at a College level, and types about 60 wpm on a regular keyboard. His novel is Science Fiction, and he has written at least 20 chapters. He also has plan to invent video games. This kid is so full of ideas, the sky is the limits for him. Ben's world may be dark, but the most amazing surprises are just a click away. In fact, instead of us giving out help to him, we may need his help when there's a blackout! The more Ben manages to be ordinary, the more he's extraordinary.

Source : benunderwood.com

Paper folding art with $1 bill

As one who does it for a living, Marc Sky of Woodbridge, New Jersey U.S, has been folding his 'Creative Money Designs' for many years, combining the techniques of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding and using only one dollar bill. He first became interested in the art as a teenager.

The work is difficult because it needs precise calculations requires plenty of patience. The bills must be new and crisp. Through countless of trial and errors, now he can make about 75 different types of designs, from such seasonal characters as Santa to rings and a bikini. Some figurines have been sculpted in such precise calculation that they appear to have eye as well. Some even form a face (eyes, nose, mouth) on the finished model.

He also set up a display in First County Bank's corporate offices on Milltown Road in North Brunswick. First County Bank officers reasoned that "it's a very unique thing and something that could be easily related to banking," said President Robert C. Entwistle. "We thought it was a very natural thing to do."

Source : www.dollarartist.com

Boy shot left with half the brain

In 1987, 14 years old Ahad Israfil was shot while working in local shop in Dayton, Ohio when his employer accidentally knocked a fire-arm to the floor. Despite his severe injuries, he survived the trip to hospital and underwent a 5 hours operation. As he regained consciousness, his family and friends couldn't believe at what they saw.

The injury destroyed brain tissue and right hemisphere of the brain is gone, but the skin of his scalp survived and collapsed inwards when the underlying tissue was removed. Though he survived through this ordeal, Ahad soon realized he has a whole new challenges to deal. On top of having difficulties to speak and to use the left side of his body, Ahad also have to deal with people looking at him like an alien from outer space.

Dr James Apesos has been trying numerous reconstructive surgery for 14 years to make Ahad look normal again. But many attempts failed, and during one of the surgery, Ahad even slips into coma. Despite that, Dr. James strongly believe and determined that one day he will have a successful surgery. True enough, the day did came true. Dr. James used a silicone block implant to fill the hole in his skull where the brain had been and stretched his scalp over his new skull.

His hair regrew, finally giving him a fairly normal appearance that he's been hoping for years. Incredibly, not only did Ahad retain sufficient mental faculties to speak, walk and live a normal life, he also managed to graduate from his local University with an honours degree.

This demonstrates the remarkable recovery abilities of the human brain and experts believe that studying the regenerative powers of the brain cells may lead to treatments for other brain related problems such as Alzheimer's disease.

Video : www.metacafe.com

Small body, Big appetite

If you ever spotted this pretty looking girl on the street, you may want to think twice before dating her out. That's because, Sonya Thomas is a top-ranked Korean-born American competitive speed eater from Alexandria, Virginia. Sonya joined the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) in 2003 and quickly rose to the top of the ranks, beating eating greats such as Cookie Jarvis and Eric Booker.

The 105-pound Sonya is the number four competitive eater in the United States, and ranked fifth in the world, with 29 world titles. Ranked fifth is not a small achievement for her consider that she's the only female in the top 9 spot and she's the lightest of them all. Her nickname "The Black Widow" refers to her ability to regularly defeat men four to five times her size. While the size of her stomach is only slightly larger than normal, her skinny build is perhaps her biggest advantage, allowing her stomach to expand more readily since it is not surrounded by the ring of fat common in other heavy eaters.

Her most famous result is 37 hot dogs in 12 minutes 2005 at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, setting a then-record for American competitors which was also the female record. Other speed eating records set by her including eating 8.4 Pounds of Baked Beans in 2 minutes 47, 11 pounds of Cheesecake in 9 minutes, 8 pounds of Wienerschnitzel Chili Cheese Fries in 10 minutes, 65 Hard Boiled Eggs in 6 minutes 40 seconds, 9 pound of cheeseburger in 27 minutes, 7 thick burgers weight 3/4 pound each in 10 minutes, 46 Dozen Oysters in 10 Minutes, 48 soft chicken tacos in 11 minutes and a dozen other records as well!

But Sonya claim the hardest thing to eat is probably the cheesecake. She ate 11 pounds of cheesecake in nine minutes, it was hard to eat because the crust was super dry. And when she finished her throat was super sore and her stomach totally hurt. She almost had to go to the emergency room but then ended up throwing it all up. That's the only time she have ever thrown up from eating.

To stay in shape, Sonya has one big meal a day, with lots of green vegetables and fresh fruit, and always avoids junk food. She exercises by walking on an inclined treadmill for two hours, five times per week. She also regularly visits all-you-can-eat buffets at restaurants. The night before a contest, she fasts all night in order to put an edge on her appetite.

Source : www.sonyatheblackwidow.com
Source : www.ifoce.com

Feast on pest

Tired of those termites crawling in your basement, the swarm of bees living in the tree next to your house, and all those pesky bugs you see all around the neighbourhood? Don't have to call the pest experts.

Just go and get a cookbook titled "The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook" released by Chef David George Gordon. Chef Gordon from Atlanta hopes to convince pest experts to try a new philosophy "If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em."

Gordon says termites are popular snack foods in Africa and South America because they're high in fiber, protein and have a nice "buttery taste". He figures if Americans can eat sushi, then bugs are the next natural culinary step. But in order to do that, Gordon says the pest experts need a taste of what they're missing.

Gordon makes a convincing case for eating bugs. They're protein rich, and many are loaded with minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Crickets are rich in calcium, termites in iron, and bees have the amino acid lysine. Some bugs even provide the coloring in your favorite drinks. Other recipes includes Crickets, Orzo Pasta seasoned with ants, Scorpion Scaloppini and deep-fried tarantula.

Source : www.davidgeorgegordon.com

No excuse for overdue library books

In Westchester County library, New York, no excuse can be given for overdue library books. Not even if the reason is dead. Even the dead apparently have to pay the fines on their overdue books. Elizabeth Schaper said she was charged a 50-cent late fee while turning in a book that her late mother had checked out of a Harrison Public Library branch.

Schaper's mother, Ethel Schaper, died at the age of 87 on Sept. 16 after suffering a massive stroke. A few days later, Schaper said she found a library book, "The Price of Silence," by Camilla Trinchieri, that her mother had checked out from the library. Ethel Schaper was an avid reader with an average of two books a week. She was a frequent patron of the library.

Schaper said she returned the book last week, and was stunned when the man behind the library counter told her of the 50-cent fee. "I told him that maybe he didn't hear me right, that my mother had just died, otherwise I'm sure that she would have returned it on time," Schaper said. "His only reply was that, 'That will be 50 cents.'"

Connie Perrotta, a secretary for the director of the Harrison Public Library, confirmed the incident occurred but said that the library would have no comment.
Schaper said a couple days after the incident another library employee called to apologize and offered to return the fine she had paid.

Source : www.thejournalnews.com

Christian David Copperfield - Dan Meyer

A north Alabama car salesman who offers to swallow a sword for every car he sells has taken his unique ability a step further. Dan Meyer of small town Hartselle, Alabama, population 12,000, has successfully become the first person to swallow a 30 inch long sword while submerged underwater at the Ripley's Aquarium, Myrtle Beach, SC on 18th May 2007.

The underwater event was designed to promote Ripley's Aquarium's "Pirates, Predators of the Sea" exhibit that educates visitors on the history of pirates, many of which frequented the Myrtle Beach area. The event occurred during Myrtle Beach's "Bike Week" which was also set around the pirate theme "Cruisin' the Coast", drawing over 300,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. "We wanted to present an event that would amaze and entertain Bike Week visitors while promoting our "Pirates" exhibit and making a connection between pirates and the undersea world," explained Ripley Entertainment VP Tim O'Brien. "Having a swashbuckling pirate like 'Captain Cutless' swallow a sword underwater was the perfect fit!"

“Captain Cutless", is better known as Dan Meyer, who also doubles as a sword swallower featured in numerous documentaries, articles and medical studies for swallowing swords around the world. As Exec Director of the Sword Swallowers Association International, Meyer is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the world on the ancient art of sword swallowing.

Described as a "Christian David Copperfield" who combines real feats with a powerful message instead of just tricks and illusions, Meyer eats fire and swallows solid steel swords, blades, sabers, bayonets, rapiers, cutlasses, and other objects from 15 to 30 inches in length, and up to 8 swords at once. To stretch the boundaries of the art, Meyer swallowed a 30-inch long solid steel sword while submerged 15 feet underwater surrounded by more than 80 sharks and stingrays in 85,000 gallons of salt water.

Sword swallowing can cause serious injury and even death. "Swallowing a solid steel sword is incredibly dangerous enough as it is on dry land," Meyer explains. "Last year while swallowing five swords at once, I ended up in the hospital with a serious injury that almost killed me - a punctured stomach that caused pleurisy and fluid around my heart and lungs. The pain was incredible and I couldn't swallow solid food for several weeks!"

This time the dangers were multiplied with additional challenges besides the obvious risks of cuts, punctures and perforations. "The worst sword swallowing injuries occur when the throat is tender and swollen. I was really worried because I've had a 'sword throat' with swelling that had me really concerned and almost made me call it off this morning.” Meyer said. “Then when I got in the tank, it was really difficult to lean my head back and open my mouth underwater while surrounded by 85,000 gallons of salt water. When I opened my mouth to swallow the sword, the air rushed up out of my lungs. Not only did I have to focus on swallowing the sword correctly without impaling myself, but I had to contend with the sharks and stingrays not bumping into me while concentrating on not drowning," Meyer explained. "…And to top it all off, I managed to do it within 29 minutes after eating a full meal!"

Why would anyone want to attempt a feat this dangerous? "I've enjoyed performing stunts like sword swallowing for audiences around the world for several years." Meyer explains. "I also swam with sharks and stingrays when I lived on an island in the Bahamas for several years. So I knew I could do each of them separately. It just seemed natural to put the two challenges together," Meyer explained. "The big question was: Would I be able to do BOTH of them at the same time and survive? I'm glad to be able to stand here afterward and say I did!"

The feat makes Meyer the first person in America to ever swallow a sword underwater. "I'm so relieved everything went so smoothly and without a problem. I'm especially excited to have made history with Ripley's Believe It or Not!" Meyer beamed with a smile. The feat will be included in the next edition of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! book.

The art of sword swallowing started over 4000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes in order to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. There are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the ancient but deadly art of sword swallowing around the world today.



A special thanks to Dan Meyer for submitting this story personally.

Link : www.swordswallow.com
Link : www.swordswallow.org

Man without a face

When a rare fungal infection called mucormycosis invaded Mark Tatum's sinuses in 1998, doctors had to remove much of his face just to save his life. If they hadn't taken out his infected eyes, nose, cheekbones, upper jaw and teeth, the fungus could have traveled to his brain and killed him.

Using skin and tissue from his leg, doctors have to reconstructed the roof of Tatum's mouth so he could speak and eat. Then they took a bone from his leg and put it into his face. On top of that bone they built titanium bridgework. Magnets in that bridgework hold in place a new prosthetic "face." Now, two years and 11 surgeries later, Tatum has a new face.

It was created by University of Louisville prosthodontist Zafrulla Khan, who called the prosthesis the most extensive he has ever made or heard about. Tatum, who wears sunglasses to hide the fact that his fake eyes don't blink, hopes that the prosthetic will get him out more in public. "Look at me now," the 45-year-old Owensboro, Kentucky, resident said. "I may not be beautiful, but I'm damn near it."

Tatum says two things saved him when he was near death. The love of his wife, Nancy, and a dream in which he saw his granddaughter Leah reaching out for his help.

Source : CNN

The Lizardman

Erik Sprague (born June 12, 1972), better known as The Lizardman, is a freak and sideshow performer. His has sharpened teeth, full-body tattoo of green scales and split tongue.

Married and lived in Austin, Texas, so far he has over 650 hours of tattooing, teeth filing and extensive subcutaneous implants. He was also, in 1997, one of the first people to undergo voluntary tongue splitting.

There are now estimated to be around 500 selectively split tongues in the world. He is, however, unwilling to rely on just his looks to make a living. "Today's audience demands more, I only survive by offering it."

The Lizardman makes his living as a freak, performing before audiences all over the world. He also makes numerous paid television and public appearances. His sideshow skills include weightlifting with his pierced body parts, escapology, sword swallowing, and a traditional 'blockhead' act where concrete blocks are smashed on his groin and six inch nails hammered into his nose with a powerdrill. He also participates in many public and private flesh hook suspension groups and events, and is highly involved in the body modification community.

The Lizardman was a Ph.D. candidate at the University at Albany before beginning his transformation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York.

Source : www.thelizardman.com