'Tree man' new pictures: Dede Koswara continues treatment in Indonesia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getty recently caught up with Dede Koswara, better known as "tree man," in his home village of Bandung, Java, Indonesia, where he is continuing treatment for his rare condition. Koswara spent much of his life covered in tree-like warts until he underwent surgery in 2008 to have over 4-pounds of them removed from his body.

A 2008 story in the Telegraph explained Koswara came to be covered in warts:

Dede's ordeal began when he was 15 and cut his knee in an accident. A small wart developed on his lower leg and spread uncontrollably.
Eventually he had to give up work as a builder and fisherman, and scratch a living in a traveling freak show. His wife of ten years left him as it became impossible for him to support her and their two children.

Due to a rare genetic problem, Koswara's immune system has made him unable to fight the Human Papilloma Virus infection causing his body to produce the warts.

Source:Link

Holy Cow Born With White Cross On Forehead

A "Holy Cow" Moses was born last week at a dairy farm in Sterling, Connecticut. Moses was born with an unique "birthmark" that looks like a white cross on its forehead.

His owner, Brad Davis, told WFSB-TV he thought the marking may be a message from above, though he is still trying to worl out what that message might be. Ric Grummer, the chairman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Dairy Science, told the Norwich Bulletin newspaper it is not unusual for a Holstein cow to have a white marking on its head.

I am quite sure that Moses won't become the dishes on dining table in its entire life due to its white cross.

Source:Link

Indian girl has heart and liver outside body

A four-day-old female child whose heart and part of her liver is growing outside her body is seen at the north Bengal medical college on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of Siliguri November 26, 2008. "This is a very rare case, we are not sure if we can perform surgery to put her heart and liver back, but we'll try our best," a child specialist Miridula Chatterjee said on Wednesday. Picture taken November 26, 2008. [Agencies]


Doctors examine a four-day-old female child whose heart and part of her liver is growing outside her body at the north Bengal medical college on the outskirts of the northeastern Indian city of Siliguri November 26, 2008. "This is a very rare case, we are not sure if we can perform surgery to put her heart and liver back, but we'll try our best," a child specialist Miridula Chatterjee said on Wednesday. Picture taken November 26, 2008. [Agencies]

Babies born 8/8/08 at 8:08; 8 lbs., 8 oz

Two lucky newborns inspire hospital workers to buy lottery tickets


Xander Riniker, surrounded by sister Chloe Shumacher, 11, and father Chad Riniker, was born at 8:08 a.m. on August 8, 2008 and weighs 8 pounds, 8 ounces.
Meet Hailey Jo Hauer and Xander Jace Riniker, both born at 8:08 a.m. on 8/8/08, weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces, in neighboring states.
Xander, born at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the eighth grandchild for his mother’s parents. And he’s not the only one in his family with an unusual birthday: His 2-year-old brother, Kael, was born on 4/5/06.
Lindsey Hauer thought staff at Lake Region Hospital in Minnesota were joking when they told her the time of her daughter’s birth. And then she got a call from the birthing suite noting Hailey’s weight.
Nurse Jenny Harstad joked that she tried to shrink the baby to 18 inches from her actual 19.5 inches.
Several hospital staff members in Minnesota pledged to buy lottery tickets. And Chad Riniker, Xander’s father, said that eight hadn’t been his lucky number before, but that now he was thinking about buying a lottery ticket.
“I just might,” he said. “If nothing else, with four children I should probably play the lottery.”

Mexican Bullfighter's World Record Will Not Recognise

According to Mexico's National Association of Matadors, Michel "Michelito" Lagravere set the international record at his age for bull calves killed in a two-hour fight watched by more than 3,500 people.
But Guinness World Records saif it was not aware that the event was taking place and will not recognise the result.
"We do not accept records based on the killing or harming of animals," it said on its website.Michelito, who turned 11 in December, took the news in his stride. "It's all the same to me because in the world of bullfighting the record is now part of history, although it may not be for Guinness," he said.
Michelito's parents and the organisers of the fights in which he stars have been criticised for allowing the 4ft 5in tall fighter to risk his safety in the ring at such a young age.
Mexico has no minimum age for bullfighting, although by law children are supposed to be closely supervised as they advance from nonlethal exhibitions with small calves to full-fledged lethal bullfights.
One Spanish bullfighter, Jairo Miguel, was nearly gored to death in Mexico in 2007 at the age of 14 when a bull rushed him at high speed and punctured his lung.
A child welfare law enacted last year in Michelito's home state led authorities to briefly suspend last Saturday's landmark bullfight. Investigators allowed the show to go on, but the Yucatan state human rights commission said it still has concerns.
"It's a latent risk that he doesn't have the maturity and the physical strength to do these kinds of activities," said Guadalupe Sosa Escobedo, spokesman for the commission.
His father runs a school for matadors and his mother, Diana Peniche Marenco, said her son has "got it in his blood". But she added: "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't afraid."

The Coin Sculptures

Wow that’s cool! This amazing coin work was created by a Russian man and all these work without glue. Take a look at this one above, quarter of it was placed out of the table but they don’t fall down. I wondered what holds it. More pictures after the break.

World's Longest Ear Hair

KANPUR, India -- A man in northern India has been recognized by Guinness World Records as having the world's longest ear hair.The tufts coming out of the man's ears measured more than 5 inches when he set the record in 2003.The hair has now grown to nearly 10 inches.In fact, the hair is so long he has to shampoo and comb it.He was granted a certificate from Guinness to certify him as the record-holder.However, he complained that too many people consider his feat foolish and said the Indian government isn't treating him with the respect he deserves as a world record-holder.

Most Married Woman World Record

Most Married Woman World Record set by Linda Wolfe

American grandmother Linda Wolfe has become "the most married woman in the world" after walking down the aisle 23 times, and is now "on the lookout for number 24".
Mrs Wolfe, 68, is included in the Guinness Book of World Records for the dubious honour of being wed more times than anyone else alive.
She has said that she is "addicted to the romance" of getting married.
Born Linda Lou Taylor, the American first married in 1957 aged 16, to a 31-year-old called George Scott.
The union lasted for seven years, the longest and happiest of any of her marriages.
Since then things have tended to go downhill.
Over the subsequent decades she married a one-eyed convict, a preacher, barmen, plumbers and musicians.
Two turned out to be homosexual, two were homeless and one beat her. Another put a padlock on her fridge.
One marriage lasted just 36 hours because "the love wasn't there".
But Linda, from Indiana, once married the same man, Jack Gourley, three times.
She has had seven children by her different husbands and been a stepmother to many more.
Her last marriage, a decade ago, was a publicity stunt.
It was to Glynn Wolfe, who in taking Linda as his bride meant he was the world's most married man, at 29 times.
He died a year later aged 88.
Consequently she said that she was "on the lookout for number 24".
She told The Sun: "It's been years since I walked down the aisle. I miss it."
The serial bride, who now lives in a retirement home, said she had never cheated on a husband. She said if she had her life over again she would "never, ever" marry so many men.

Hotelicopter - The Worlds First Flying Hotel

Wow, the flying hotel and largest helicopter in the world, Cool! The Hotelicopter is modeled on the Soviet-made Mil V-12, of which there were only two prototypes ever made. The Hotelicopter Company purchased one of these prototypes from the Mikhail Leontyevich Mil helicopter plant in Panki-Tomilino, Russia in 2004 and have been engineering the world's first flying hotel ever since."The Hotelicopter features 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for adrenaline junkies seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience. Each soundproofed room is equipped with a queen-sized bed, fine linens, a mini-bar, coffee machine, wireless internet access, and all the luxurious appointments you'd expect from a flying five star hotel. Room service is available one hour after liftoff and prior to landing." The Hotelicopter is due to fly maiden journey this summer(June 26th) with an undisclosed price...If you have interesting? There is three fly tour. Inaugural Summer Tour - 14 days (Friday, June 26th, 2009 - Friday, July 10th, 2009)California Tour - 14 days (Friday, July 17th, 2009 to Friday, July 24rd, 2009) Bay/Jamaica, European Tour - 16 days (Friday, July 31st, 2009 to Sunday, August 16th, 2009) the spec:

Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)

Height: 28m (91 ft)

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)

Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)

Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)

Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)

Our augmented Mi Range - 1,296 km (700 mi)
more pics... & Video

The invisible man: Liu Bolin's camouflage artwork

Meet the real-life Invisible Man, an artist with the ability to disappear

New treehouses of the world by Pete Nelson

Pete Nelson, a leading treehouse designer and builder, has journeyed around the world discovering inspirational treehouse designs. In his book, New Treehouses of the World, Nelson invites his reader on a global tour of more than 35 innovative, contemporary treehouses.

Is 8ft Zhao Liang the world's tallest man?

Record breaker: 27-year-old Zhao Liang is 8ft 0.7in tall, beating the current record holder by more than three inches, Mr Liang's claim came to light when he was admitted to Tianjin hospital, in China, for a routine operation on an old muscle tendon injury to his left foot. Doctors confirmed his height as 8ft 0.7in. But his claim to be the world's tallest man has not yet been verified by Guinness World Records. Mr Liang, who is now seeking official recognition, had been training as a basketball player when he sustained the foot injury over a decade ago.He remained unemployed until 2006, when an art troupe in Jilin province employed him to perform magic tricks and play the saxophone and flute.Mr Liang's parents are of normal height, with his father measuring 5ft 9in and his mother, 5ft 5in.



Hospital staff confirmed Mr Liang's height. He is now seeking official recognition from Guinness World Records His mother Wang Keyun said that her son had a big appetite, eating eight hamburger-sized steamed buns as part of a three-course dinner.'But I am so worried about his marriage, job and his health that my hair has turned white,' she added. Liu Yuchen, a surgeon at the hospital, declared the operation on Mr Liang's foot a success.


At 8ft tall, Zhao Liang stands head and shoulders above the competition.Which is lucky, as the 27-year-old is in the running to be the world's tallest man. The current title holder is Bao Xishun ('the Mongolian mast'), who measures in at a measly 7ft 9in - a whole three inches shorter.


Mr Liang currently works with an art troupe, performing magic tricks and playing the saxophone and fluteHe said that he would be able to walk normally in two months' time, but advised against any intense physical exercise.
Dr Yuchen said that Mr Liang was in good health and has no complications in relation to his height.



The world's current tallest man is Bao Xishun, who stands at 7ft 9in.

World Oldest And Largest Egg up for Sale

Its mother has long since departed the scene. As, indeed, has its entire species.But this giant egg is a great survivor. It was laid around 400 years ago by one of the great elephant birds of Madagascar.Before becoming extinct in the 17th century, the flightless creature was the world's largest bird, standing 10ft tall and weighing half a ton.World


Duncan Phillips holds a Giant Elephant Bird of Madagascar egg, which went on sale in London todayThe egg, which is more than 3ft in circumference, was discovered by Victorian explorers and has since been held in private collections.Its current owner is antiques dealer John Shepherd, of Ashford in Kent, who bought the egg after seeing David Attenborough discover one while filming in Madagascar.Mr Shepherd, a trained palaeontologist, has decided to sell the egg, which is on display at the Chelsea Antiques Fair, which runs until Sunday.World

The egg is larger than a rugby ball and measures more than 3ft in diameterIt is expected to fetch at least £5,000. He said: 'The egg is a talking point. It's very eye-catching and it has a wonderful simplicity about it. It stands on its own.'It has a great social history. The Madagascan elephant bird was the only giant bird to exist with man and man caused its extinction.'It's nice to be able to show children today about environmental issues that have been going on for hundreds of years.'

Elephant birds became extinct after being hunted by the natives of Madagascar.Even though the bird weighed about half a ton, it also suffered at the hands of other predators such as pigs who ate their chicks and destroyed their eggs.The flightless bird, the largest to have ever lived, resembled a heavily-built ostrich. It had long legs, talons and stood at more than 10ft tall.But despite its fearsome appearance, it was a herbivore.World Largest Egg.


The bird as it would have looked 400 years ago, and right its skeleton reveals how much larger it was compared to its giant eggs.

Goat - William Windsor

William Windsor (known as Billy), a goat in the military, was a lance corporal in the 1st Battalion, the Royal Welsh, an infantry battalion of the British Army. He served as a lance corporal from 2001 until 2009, except for a three month period in 2006 when he was demoted to fusilier, after unacceptable behaviour during the Queens' birthday celebrations while deployed on active service with the battalion on Cyprus. He retired to Whipsnade Zoo in May 2009.

Biography

The tradition of having goats in the military originated in 1775 when a wild goat walked onto the battlefield in Boston during the American Revolutionary War and led the Welsh regimental colours at the end of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Billy, a Kashmir goat from the royal herd at Whipsnade Zoo, was presented to the regiment by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001. He is said to be friendly and likes meeting people. The tradition is not new: since 1844, the British Monarchy has presented an unbroken series of Kashmir goats to the Royal Welch Fusiliers from the crown's own royal herd.
The royal goat herd was originally obtained from Mohammad Shah Qajar, Shah of Persia from 1834–1848, when he presented them to Queen Victoria as a gift in 1837 upon her accession to the throne. Billy is thus descended from the same royal bloodline as the original herd.

Goat Major

Billy had a full-time handler during his military service, Lance-Corporal Ryan Arthur, known as the Goat Major, who ensured Billy's welfare at all times.

Military career

Billy — Army number 25232301 — is not a mascot, but a ranking member of the regiment; since joining in 2001, he has served overseas, and has met royalty. His primary duty was to march at the head of the battalion on all ceremonial duties. He was present for every parade in which the regiment participated.
He spent two and a half years in Cyprus while the battalion was posted there, and has lived in Chester since their return.

Retirement

Following eight years of distinguished service, Billy retired due to his age. On 20 May 2009, he was led into his trailer by the battalion's Goat Major in full ceremonial dress, including a silver headdress which was a gift from the Queen in 1955. Soldiers from the battalion lined the route from his pen to the trailer as he left the camp for the last time. Billy returned to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire where keepers say that he will have an easy life at the Children's Farm. His replacement will be chosen from a herd on the Great Orme in Llandudno in June.