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Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Royal flypast....old and new.


REVEALED: Old glory and new heroes to feature in the Royal Wedding flypast

By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTERS
Last updated at 2:20 AM on 24th April 2011
The Royal flypast: Old glory and new heroes will join for day of national celebration


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380049/Royal-Wedding-flypast-Old-glory-new-heroes-celebrate-big-day.html#ixzz1KPr5AQta

Goose is dog's eyes....


Cute alert: Goose looks after blind dog 

Blind boxer dog Baks has got a new lease of life - after being taken under the wing of a pet goose called Buttons.

Blind boxer dog Baks and Buttons the goose (Picture: CEN)Blind boxer dog Baks and Buttons the goose (Picture: CEN)
Buttons the four-year-old goose leads her pal around everywhere either by hanging onto him with her neck, or by honking to tell him which way to go.
Owner Renata Kursa, 47, of Lublin, Poland, was heartbroken when Bak was left blind after an accident last year.
'But gradually Buttons got him up on his feet and starting walking him around. They're inseparable now - they even chase the postman together,' she said.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/861546-cute-alert-goose-looks-after-blind-dog#ixzz1KMrlNMlt

Friday, April 22, 2011

Flight cabin crew get kung fu training...


Hong Kong Airlines cabin crew get kung fu training 

It may not be an idea that'll take off in Britain – but Hong Kong Airlines has introduced kung fu lessons for its cabin crews and it's proved a soaraway success.


Related Tags:
Bruce Lee
Hong Kong Airlines' cabin crew give unruly passengers the Bruce Lee treatmentHong Kong Airlines' cabin crew give unruly passengers the Bruce Lee treatment
Tutoring in wing chun martial arts – which is close-range combat involving striking and grappling - has become mandatory so that staff can give bad behaviour the chop, Bruce Lee style. 
New recruit Lumpy Tang, 22, said she never imagined it would be part of the job.
'We were surprised in the beginning, but after a few lessons we really liked wing chun,' Tang told the Sunday Morning Post.
The practice may seem strange to some, but the airline points out that it has to deal with around three incidents involving disruptive passengers every week, according to Eva Chan, the carrier's deputy general manager of corporate communication.
Two weeks ago a crew member used her new-found fitness on a flight from Beijing to Hong Kong.
'One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell. The crew member attended to him and she realised her fitness was helping her, especially because the guy was quite heavy,' Chan told the newspaper.
'Normally, a female cabin crew can't handle a fat guy, especially if he's drunk, but because of the training, she can handle it quite easily.'
Tang added that the speed of the combat they're learning gives them a definite edge over troublemakers.
'You cannot predict what will happen on the plane, so wing chun is good because it's so fast,' she said. 'I feel safer because I can defend myself and I'm really happy to be one of the first cabin crew to learn wing chun in the world.'
Wing chun instructor Katherine Cheung said the martial art was ideal for airline crews.
'Wing chun can be used in small, confined spaces so it's suited for an airplane,' she said. 'It's easy to learn but difficult to master.'


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/861312-hong-kong-airlines-cabin-crew-get-kung-fu-training#ixzz1KFsClkJC

Elvis fan recreates Graceland - Denmark

Elvis fan recreates Graceland in Denmark

An Elvis fan has painstakingly built a replica of the Love Me Tender star's Graceland mansion - in Denmark.

Elvis fan recreates Graceland in Denmark
Henrick Knudsen standing outside Graceland Randers, Denmark Photo: SWNS
Graceland Randers opened this week in the Danish town of Randers, 5,000 miles from the original in Memphis, USA.
For 95 kronar (£11), visitors can imagine life as Elvis Presley as they walk around the building which houses around 6,000 items of memorabilia.
The house is twice as large as the original as it also comprises a restaurant, shop and museum.
And creator Henrick Knudsen, from Denmark, said the project had the backing of Elvis's widow Priscilla.
He said: ''She signed a very nice picture to me on which she wrote: 'To Graceland Randers, Priscilla Presley'.
''She said that Elvis was a very shy guy and he wasn't really that secure of himself.
''She believed that if Elvis had the chance to see this today he would be very proud because he wasnâ t sure that next year anybody would care about him.''
Mr Knudsen has run a small Elvis museum for the past 16 years which attracts around 25,000 visitors annually.
He has been planning Graceland Randers for the past few years and secured 26m kronar (£3m) to fund it.
The attraction contains 6,000 original possessions of the King including clothing, boots, guitars, letters, contracts and other diverse objects.
Graceland Randers was opened by former rocker Suzi Quatro and organisers hope it will attract around 50,000 visitors each year.
The town's tourist office expects the Danish Graceland to attract between 75,000 and 125,000 visitors each year, mainly from Europe.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Biggest rollercoasters in the world...

Biggest rollercoasters in the world

New York City has unveiled two new rollercoasters at the Coney Island theme park. Here is a list of the biggest and best rollercoasters on the planet:

Markets have had a rollercoaster week as optimism about the strength of the US recovery ebbs.
Some of the world's biggest rollercoasters cost up to £30m to construct. 
Tallest
Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ, USA - 456 feet (139 m)
Kingda Ka is the world's tallest rollercoaster and was the world's fastest until Formula Rossa opened in Abu Dhabi in November 2010. The rollercoaster's train is launched by a hydraulic mechanism that allows it to reach 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. At the end of the launch track, the train climbs the main tower, reaching a height of 456 feet (139 m) before plunging back down.
Fastest
Formula Rossa, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi - 149mph
The rollercoaster's train accelerates to its top speed in approximately 4.9 seconds using a hydraulic launch system which generates a release velocity similar to that of aircraft carrier steam catapults. The shape of the track was inspired by the legendary Italian racetrack Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Due to the high air speeds and the subsequent risk of an impact with airborne particulates or insects, all riders are required to wear protective glasses similar to those used during sky diving.
Longest
Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land Nagashima, Mie, Japan
Steel Dragon 2000 holds the record for the longest rollercoaster track at 8,133 feet 2 inches (2,478.99 m). The building of Steel Dragon 2000 required far more steel than other rollercoasters because of the need for earthquake protection. This put the cost of the ride at over $50 million (£30m).
Most popular
Millennium Force Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio, USA
As well as being the longest steel roller coaster in North America, Millennium Force has been voted the number one steel rollercoaster in the world five times since 2001 and has never been ranked lower than number two since it opened in 2000.

Viagra beer to mark royal wedding...

  • 20 April 2011, 9:57

Viagra beer to mark royal wedding

Royal Virility Performance /BrewDog
British brewers have created the world's first beer laced with Viagra to mark the royal wedding.
Downing just three bottles of Royal Virility Performance is equivalent to taking one of the blue pills, according to makers BrewDog.
The 7.5 per cent ABV India Pale Ale also contains extra aphrodisiacs including Horny Goat Weed and even chocolate.
The label features the cheeky words 'Arise Prince Willy'. BrewDog has sent several bottles to Prince William for the wedding night.
James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, said: "As the bottle says, this is about consummation, not commemoration."
Just 40 bottles of the £10 tipple will be produced initially, and will go on sale on 29 April at BrewDog.com with all proceeds going to the charity Centrepoint.
Buyers will be limited to one bottle each due to the powerful effects. The firm plan to continue production if it is a success.

1473 Da Vinci chalk portrait discovered inside book...


Chalk drawing found inside cardinal's book believed to be one of Leonardo da Vinci's 'first sketches' 

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:31 PM on 21st April 2011
  • Art historians 'convinced' 1473 portrait of red-bearded man is by the Renaissance master
Tests are being carried out to discover whether a sketch found tucked inside a book is one of Leonardo da Vinci's first ever drawings.
It is believed that the intricate red-chalk sketch of a man with a wispy beard was created around 1473.
At first it was believed the drawing may be the work of an apprentice of the Renaissance artist but since da Vinci was an apprentice himself until the late 1470s, that makes that theory highly unlikely. He had become an apprentice at the age of 14 to an artist in Florence.
This is the chalk sketch believed to have been drawn by Leonardo da Vinci at around the time when he was ending his apprenticeship with an artist in Florence
This is the chalk sketch believed to have been drawn by Leonardo da Vinci at around the time when he was ending his apprenticeship with an artist in Florence
Art historian Peter Hohenstaff says he is 'highly convinced' that the find is 'one of the first drawings' by the great Italian painter (pictured), born in Vinci, Florence, in 1452
Art historian Peter Hohenstaff says he is 'highly convinced' that the find is 'one of the first drawings' by the great Italian painter (pictured), born in Vinci, Florence, in 1452
Art historian Peter Hohenstaff says he is 'highly convinced' that the find is 'one of the first drawings' by the great Italian painter, born in Vinci, Florence, in 1452.
The composition of the paper used for the sketch and the chemical used to whiten the paper are both similar to those used by the artist in other known drawings.
Even more pointedly, a blank space in the Codex Atlanticus, a twelve-volume, bound set of drawings and writings by the artist, matches almost perfectly the 5.5in by 3.5in piece of paper which was drawn on.
After studying test results, the Biblioteca Ambrosiana library in Milan - which holds the Codex Atlanticus - will decide the authenticity of the sketch, reports CNN. 
The drawing remained hidden for more than a century, between the cover and first page of a book that had belonged to the one-time Cardinal of Genoa.
 
    The book ended up in the possession of the Ponzellini family when the Cardinal's house in the town of Moncalvo was sold, and it was a member of this family who came across the hidden sketch in 1940.
    The onset of World War II, however, interrupted the investigation into the drawing, which was left in a frame for about five decades until antique restorer Amedeo Barile bought it and commissioned studies into its origins.
    Leonardo bequeathed only notebooks and drawings that were more or less unknown until the 19th century, but of paintings he left a dozen that were famous in their day, still venerated as among the greatest ever executed. 
    The Last Supper remains an unprecedented masterpiece of dramatic organisation and with the Mona Lisa he set a new pattern for portraiture, neither in profile nor full-face, but casually turning to smile at the spectator.
    The drawing remained hidden for more than a century, between the cover and first page of a book that had belonged to the one-time Cardinal of Genoa
    The drawing remained hidden for more than a century, between the cover and first page of a book that had belonged to the one-time Cardinal of Genoa


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379111/One-da-Vincis-sketches-hidden-inside-book.html#ixzz1KAPJ5qQN

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    Artist creates 22ft long Lego warship.

    Lego warship model built by artist

    20 April 2011 | UK


    Open in Media Player
    The world's newest aircraft carrier has just been completed made from lego.
    The 22ft model of the USS warship Intrepid has been created by an artist using 250,000 plastic bricks.
    Model builder Ed Diment was inspired when he saw the real thing.
    The warship, now a museum docked in New York was launched in April 1943 and was decommissioned in 1974.
    Ed has been building models with Lego since the age of three, he says it was a huge project but worth it.

    Etch-a-Sketch gets a Royal portrait....


    In lines to the throne: Artist takes 80 hours to create Prince William and Kate Middleton... on an Etch A Sketch

    Last updated at 7:12 PM on 20th April 2011
    Their faces have been captured on mugs, plates, tea towels - and even in Lego - now it's the turn of an Etch A Sketch whizz to pay his tribute to Prince William and Kate Middleton.
    The portrait was created by artist George Vlosich, using the retro toy which originates from the late 1950s.
    The likeness took 80 hours to draw with two dials on a plastic frame – all using one unbroken black line.
    In line to the throne: The Etch-A-Sketch image of Prince William and Kate Middleton
    In line to the throne: The Etch-A-Sketch image of Prince William and Kate Middleton
    Twisting the knobs moves a stylus that removes aluminum powder from the back of the screen, leaving a black line.
    Mr Vlosich, from Ohio, created the image especially for an art gallery show to celebrate the Royal wedding.
    Capturing Kate: Miss Middleton's profile is outlined on the screen
    Capturing Kate: Miss Middleton's profile is outlined on the screen
    He has also produced Etch A Sketch portraits of Barack Obama, Will Smith, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali and The Beatles.
    The 30-year-old, who has been using the toy since the age of ten, said: ‘Each is an original work of art that takes 70-80 hours to create.
    ‘Once finished, the piece is then preserved to stand the test of time by removing the powder from the Etch A Sketch.' Your Royal likeness: Each drawing takes around 80 hours to create
    Your Royal likeness: Each drawing takes around 80 hours to create
    The face of newly sworn-in American President Barack Obama was also captured on the Etch A Sketch.
    ‘Every creation is uniquely different and cannot be duplicated. And people still say ''No, that can’t be real. You can’t do that with an Etch A Sketch,''' Mr Vlosich said.
    The artist has Etch A Sketched many of the world's greatest athletes and celebrities and his work has been described as 'the one continuous line that continues to amaze the world'.
    Artistic endeavours: The portrait of Barack Obama took 80 hours to produce
    Artistic endeavours: The portrait of Barack Obama took 80 hours to produce
    Race for the White House: Obama and his former Republican rival John McCain
    He is proud to have paved the way for others to follow in his footsteps, but what continues to set George apart is his amazing story, his incredibly detailed etches, his worldwide publicity and his uncompromising passion to take his Etches to places no one ever thought possible.

    He said: 'I've been drawing since I was two years old, but the real magic on the Etch A Sketch started in 1989 on our family trip to Washington D.C. 

    Golf legend Tiger Woods has also received the Etch-A-Sketch treatment
    Golf legend Tiger Woods has also received the Etch A Sketch treatment
    The Fab Four: Vlosich's portrait of The Beatles
    The Fab Four: Vlosich's portrait of The Beatles
    'Before we left, we stopped over my grandparents' house to say goodbye. My mom pulled out her old 1960's Etch A Sketch so my brother and I would have something to play with in the car. I etched a picture of the U.S. Capitol. 
    'When I was finished, my mom and dad were amazed! My dad saw it and immediately stopped at a gas station to take a picture of my creation before I erased it.
    The King of rock n' roll: Elvis Presley is immortalised in a single line
    The King of rock 'n' roll: Elvis Presley is immortalised in a single line
    Retro chic: The artists celebrated the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, in this work
    Artist George Vlosich
    'I could have never imagined that after standing outside the gates of the White House, my artwork on an Etch a Sketch would some day get me invited into the Oval Office.'
    He continued: 'Around the age of ten, I was doing simple things on the Etch - Batman, Spiderman, California Raisins, etc. I was drawing and etching anything around me that I had interest in. 
    'I also started combining sports and Etch Art - two of my favorite things. I can't really explain it - drawing on the Etch just came naturally to me. 
    'The Etch A Sketch became a new way for me to express my artistic talents. It was a new challenge - and I just wanted to see how good I could get. 
    'The more I Etched the better I got at drawing, and the more I drew the better I Etched.'


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1378914/In-line-throne-Artists-impression-Prince-William-Kate-Middleton--using-Etch-A-Sketch.html#ixzz1K5ZXklTW

    World's smallest caravan... Cr'ouch!!!

    • 19 April 2011, 11:14

    The world's smallest caravan

    QTvan /Jonathan Hordle/Rex
    Shoppers were left bemused after spotting the world's smallest caravan being towed inside a London supermarket.
    The £5,500 QTvan is small enough to be used legally on the pavement or inside a shop.
    It was designed by Yannick Read, who previously built a 'Bond Bike' complete with ejector seat and flame thrower.
    The QTvan is so named because it caters to three peculiarly British obsessions: caravans; queuing and tea.
    As such the tiny camper is being touted as the ideal home away from home for anyone having to queue overnight for the sales or tickets.
    With a bed, kettle, TV, radio alarm clock the mini 6ft by 2ft 6ins abode boasts everything needed to make a long wait bearable.
    It was developed by the Environmental Transport Association to highlight the fact that 220,000 people with mobility scooters do not have breakdown cover and face the prospect of a long wait should they suffer a mechanical fault or flat battery.
    ETA spokesman Yannick Read, said: "While our own mechanics aim to reach your stranded mobility scooter in 40 minutes, if you don't have breakdown cover your options are to push something that weighs the equivalent of two men all the way home or call on a relative with a large car."

    Garden shed awards from American Diner to the smallest pub,


    If your shed is common or garden, take some inspiration from these very des res 

    By CHRIS SLACK
    Last updated at 8:53 AM on 20th April 2011
    If your back garden shed is cluttered with a broken lawnmower, rusty bicycles and a range of unused garden tools then prepare to be amazed.
    Entries for the Shed of the Year are already taking shape with a wide range of pubs, diners and other creations among those entered into the nationwide competition.
    Perhaps the most spectacular entrant of all is this American diner created by Paul Siudowski in Neath, South Wales.
    Spectacular: Paul Siudowski has spent £4,000 creating a 1950s diner in his shed in Neath, South Wales, which has now been entered in the Shed of the Year competition
    Spectacular: Paul Siudowski has spent £4,000 creating a 1950s diner in his shed in Neath, South Wales, which has now been entered in the Shed of the Year competition
    Retro: The shed is adorned with memorabilia from the 1950s and includes popcorn and jellybean machines, numerous posters and a classic jukebox
    Retro: The shed is adorned with memorabilia from the 1950s and includes popcorn and jellybean machines, numerous posters and a classic jukebox
    Just a shed: From the outside there is no evidence of the diner Mr Siudowski has created - and he says visitors are absolutely amazed when they open the doors
    Just a shed: From the outside there is no evidence of the diner Mr Siudowski has created - and he says visitors are absolutely amazed when they open the doors
    Recreating the look of the classic 1950s diner, Mr Siudowski has spent nearly a year transforming his shed to house a wide range of memorabilia.
    Hanging from the ceiling are a number of American licence plates and adverts for Budweiser beer while the look is completed with a classic jukebox.
    Hungry visitors are also well catered for with popcorn and jellybean machines and 24 seats to sit in.
    Mr Siudowski, 51, said: 'It caused quite a lot of arguments because of the amount of time I was working on it, but now my wife Jessica thinks it is great. 
    Britain's smallest pub? Dave Lockett has converted the shed in his garden on the Isle of Man into a 'Caribbean rum shack'
    Britain's smallest pub? Dave Lockett has converted the shed in his garden on the Isle of Man into a 'Caribbean rum shack'
    Nice selection: The Lockett Inn has a choice of beers on tap, including home brew, one lager and one local ale as well as a bottle beers dating back to the 1970s
    Nice selection: The Lockett Inn has a choice of beers on tap, including home brew, one lager and one local ale as well as a bottle beers dating back to the 1970s
    'What makes it really special is the fact that from the outside it just looks like a normal shed. Everyone is absolutely amazed when they open the doors.'
    Mr Siudowski is not alone in his quest for the title of Britain's best shed - and the £1,000 prize.
    Among the others taking part is Dave Lockett’s 'Caribbean rum shack' on the Isle of Man. 
    Thirsty visitors have a good choice of beers, with two hand pumps delivering his own home brew and one local ale while another tap provides lager.
    It is decorated with several mementos from the island and the patio it is housed on acts as a beer garden to enjoy the drinks.
    Entertainment: Musicians Elena Thomas and Dan Whitehouse have decorated their shed with denim and are even able to transport it around to perform their songs
    Entertainment: Musicians Elena Thomas and Dan Whitehouse have decorated their shed with denim and are even able to transport it around to perform their songs
    Entertaining friends is a theme for another entrant with the 'song shed' entry by musicians Elena Thomas and Dan Whitehouse. 
    The pair have decorated the inside walls with denim that goes from light at the top to dark at the bottom to give an effect of sky and sea.
    It was decorated especially for a performance by Mr Whitehouse at an art exhibition in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
    Another shed in the competition is known as 'The Horatio Nelson' and is a summer house owned by Tony Downing.
    'Best thing I have ever done': Tony Downing created this tribute to Admiral Nelson in his summer house and says it allows him and his friends to 'forget the misery of their modern lives'
    'Best thing I have ever done': Tony Downing created this tribute to Admiral Nelson in his summer house and says it allows him and his friends to 'forget the misery of their modern lives'
    The Hobbit: This shed was formerly an astronomical observatory before the owner converted it into a shed, which his wife gave the Tolkien inspired nickname to
    The Hobbit: This shed was formerly an astronomical observatory before the owner converted it into a shed, which his wife gave the Tolkien inspired nickname to
    Mr Downing describes the shed as a typical log cabin on the outside and a wonderful old pub inside.
    He has decorated it with his own nick-nacks from his travels but says the main focus of his shed is a tribute to Nelson, who adorns the walls.
    In a post on a shed website, Mr Downing said: 'I can honestly say its the best thing I have done.
    'It is an oasis of the past that allows me to be with dear mates and forget the misery of our modern lives.'
    Sheds entered in to the competition do not have to come in normal shapes and sizes either.
    'The Hobbit' is an entry that once served as an astronomical observatory but local light pollution made it a poor location.
    Dot's Dooket: This shed was created as a last hurrah to smoking in pubs by its owner - who then added memorabilia from a bowls club that was being demolished
    Dot's Dooket: This shed was created as a last hurrah to smoking in pubs by its owner - who then added memorabilia from a bowls club that was being demolished
    Contender: Pat's Place is another entrant in the competition, which has prize money of £1,000
    Contender: Pat's Place is another entrant in the competition, which has prize money of £1,000
    So owner Peter Bowers converted the building for his wife who gave it the nickname after J.R.R Tolkien's character.
    Inside the shed there are eight port-holed windows, while the moving part of the original roof was fixed with perspex added to let in more light.
    The competition is sponsored by garden woodcare company Cuprinol, who found that the most common items found in sheds are tins of paint, bikes and broken tools, according to a study of 2,000 adults. Entry closes next month.


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378693/Shed-year-Take-inspiration-des-res-creations.html#ixzz1K3xLOm5o