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World’s Oldest Yoga Instructor (83-year-old)

Yoga instructor Bette Calman may be 83, but she’s still bending over backwards to spread the benefits of the ancient Indian discipline. The nimble grandmother can really pull some shapes and with her set hair and pearl earrings she looks as glamorous as Greta Garbo in a pink jumpsuit. With 40 years of teaching under her belt, the Australian wonder is living proof that a lifetime’s dedication to yoga will keep you flexible as a rubber band.

World’s Oldest Mother (70-year-old)

Meet Rajo Devi Lohan, the Indian woman who, in November 2008, gave birth to her first child – at the age of 70. She said she had waited for more than 40 years for this child and that she plans to breastfeed her for at least three years. And, who knows, maybe she will.

World’s Oldest Conjoined Twins (57-year-old)

When Maureen Galyon gave birth in 1951, she had no idea she was expecting two babies – let alone conjoined twins. The tots, joined at the torso, were not expected to survive the night as baffled doctors tried to work out if they could be separated. Now, at 57, Ronnie and Donnie are the world’s oldest conjoined twins and have amazed the medic world by hanging onto life for so long. And, as their health declines and they near their dying days, the pair have opened their doors to a documentary team to reveal the secrets of their extraordinary life together. Although every day is a struggle as the men have to coordinate the simplest of tasks, they have a close, loving relationship and are able to live together in their own home in Dayton, Ohio.

World’s Oldest Father (90-year-old)

The world’s oldest father has done it again recently, fathering a child for at least the 21st time, at the age of 90. Indian farmer Nanu Ram Jogi, who is married to his fourth wife, boasts he does not want to stop, and plans to continue producing children until he is 100. Mr Jogi admits he is not certain how many children his series of four wives have borne him – but counts at least 12 sons and nine daughters and 20 grandchildren.

World’s Oldest Cat (29-year-old)

Until he passed away at the ripe old age of 31 in July 2001, the world’s oldest cat was chasing spiders without the equivalent of a feline walking cane. Spike, a British ginger and white tom, had been certified as the world’s oldest living cat by the Guinness Book of Records in 1999, when the sprightly kitty was just 29.

Measured in human years, Spike was an amazing 140 years old, though many veterinarians dispute the validity of such human/cat comparisons. (Perhaps it’s just jealousy; Spike retained all his original teeth and hair!) Either way, Spike beat the odds – domestic longhairs have a life span of about 15 years. His owner, Mo Elkington, an aromatherapist from Dorset, England, purchased Spike in 1970. She fed him a steady diet of fish and cat food, with a little aloe vera mixed in to protect him against arthritis and rheumatism.

World’s Oldest Model (80-year-old)

In an age obsessed with youth and beauty, Daphne Selfe is a welcome reminder that the two are not inextricably linked. The grandmother is in the 60th year of an extraordinary modelling career thanks to her graceful posture, striking cheekbones and her long, lustrous – and unashamedly grey – hair. At the age of 80, she is Britain’s oldest catwalk model, gracing runways for Dolce & Gabbana, Tata-Naka and Michiko Koshino.

World’s Oldest Bottle of Champagne (184-year-old)

One tasted white truffles, another gingerbread. But the esteemed wine critics that gathered to taste the world’s oldest Champagne were at least agreed on one thing: that they were enjoying the opportunity of a lifetime. 12 of the wine industry’s top tasters had been given the rare chance to give their verdict on the world’s oldest bottle of Champagne. Only two bottles now remain of the Perrier-Jouet 1825 Vintage, recognised by The Guinness Book of Records as the oldest remaining Champagne in the world.

World’s Oldest Brand (124-year-old)

Lyle’s Golden Syrup has been named as Britain’s oldest brand, with its green and gold packaging having remained almost unchanged since 1885. The Guinness Book of Records gave the breakfast and teatime sweetener, whose tins bear the image of a lion and a biblical quotation, the prized honor.

World’s Oldest Sculpture (35,000-year-old)

Scientists have discovered the oldest piece of sculpture ever created – and it depicts a voluptuous ‘pin-up’ woman. The 35,000-year-old carving shows a woman with enormous breasts and other sexual characteristics like an enlarged stomach and large thighs. The six-centimetre carved mammoth tusk, which is thought to have been a symbol of fertility for early man, is known as ‘Venus’ and was discovered in several fragments which were then pieced together. Radiocarbon dating showed that the figurine, which was found in a German cave, is at least 35,000 years old, predating later similar finds by 5,000 years or more. The fragments were recovered along with stone, bone and ivory tools used by the first Homosapien populations to settle in Europe.

World’s Oldest Working Microwave (40-year-old)

They are part and parcel of most kitchens now. But in the Swinging Sixties, microwave ovens were cutting-edge technology. Frederick Stephens was among the first in Britain to buy one and 150,000 meals later, it is still going strong. The 78-year-old believes it is the country’s oldest still in everyday use. He paid $300 – equivalent to more than $3,900 in today’s money – for the brown Panasonic NE-691 and has used it every day in the four decades since

World’s Oldest Joke (3900-year-old)

You might think your dad’s joke about what you call blood-sucking referrees (“vumpires” haha) is old, but that’s nothing. A team of academics from the University of Wolverhampton have discovered the world’s most ancient gag. Guess what it’s about? Yep. Farts.

“Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap,” goes the joke, which apparently dates back to ancient Sumeria circa 1900 BC.

World’s Oldest Flute (35,000-year-old)

Discovered, according to archaeologists, offering the latest evidence that early modern humans in Europe had established a complex and creative culture. A team led by University of Tuebingen archaeologist Nicholas Conard assembled the flute from 12 pieces of griffon vulture bone scattered in a small plot of the Hohle Fels cave in southern Germany. Together, the pieces comprise a 8.6-inch instrument with five holes and a notched end. Conard said the flute was 35,000 years old.

T-Mobile launched its much-awaited second Android phone Wednesday, the myTouch 3G, with a pre-sale program for existing customers. The company said existing customers who take advantage of the pre-sales period, which lasts until July 28, can get delivery before the device is available nationally through stores beginning Aug 5.

Chief Marketing Officer Denny Marie Post emphasized that T-Mobile sees the myTouch as providing customers with “boundless ways to make their phone a true expression, and extension, of themselves.” These personalization touches include the ability to modify the device with new widgets, icons and wallpapers, as well as adding any of the thousands of applications available at Google’s Android Market.

The carrier also said it will launch a new app next month through the Android Market, called AppPack, that will help customers chose apps to personalize the myTouch.

Pre-designed shell patterns will soon be available through retail and online channels, and a dedicated Web site will allow customers to design their own shell. The customized shell can include a photo, a graphic design, or a selection of shapes, icons or logos.

Ramon Llamas, an analyst with industry research firm IDC, said he doesn’t think the “heavens parted and the angels sang” over the birth of this newest Android device from T-Mobile.

But, he said, it is a “lot better than the G1″ for people who see smartphones and similar devices as expressions of themselves. The G1, he noted, has been called “the Jay Leno phone” because of its “big chin” where the keyboard slides out, although he described the features as “pretty darned good.”

But he said the design of myTouch 3G is sleeker, and the features and overall experience “hit all the right notes.”

From the inception of civilization, man has always aspired to go up near the clouds through his elevating handiworks. The modern skybars that we see towering over some of the major cities of the world are an evidence to man’s love for heights. These not only serve as stunning structures kissing the skies but also attract visitors with a sweeping view of the surrounding urban stretch. Here is a list of the top ten skybars of the world for all who have a crave for dizzying heights:

State Tower, Bangkok (63 floors)

The Dome at State Tower looks gorgeous because of its heady height and stunning color effects from where you could catch a breath-taking view of the Chao Phraya River and Bangkok. You would love to dine in the famous Sirocco restaurant situated on this tower simply because of the splendid city view coupled with the Mediterranean food it offers.

Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur (33 floors)

Simply because of its location in the magnificent SkyBar of Kuala Lumpur, the Traders Hotel enjoys a magical rapport with lovers of intoxicating cosmopolitan views and chilled drinks. From this unique rooftop lounge, you can enjoy a superb view of the glowing Petronas Twin Tower while listening to some soothing music.

Tokyo New York Bar (52 floors)

This skybar featuring in the movie ‘Lost in Translation’ is made from ebony, walnut and black leather. Here you can enjoy an assortment of live jazz music and cocktails like brandies an cognac while looking around the panoramic view of glittering Shinjuku. You can also order a range of sophisticated Japanese dishes.

Sydney Blu Horizon Bar (36 floors)

Located in the Shangri-La hotel above The Rocks, this skybar enjoys a close proximity to the famous structures of the city like Harbor Bridge, Opera House and Circular Quay. In addition, you can get a full view of the Darling Harbor while enjoying a pampering treatment by LaClinica beauty therapists or some urban cocktail delicacy.

New York Salon de Ning (23 floors)

This Midtown skybar is marked by its lovely outdoor terraces where you could relax while surveying Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art’s Sculpture Garden and Central Park. You could also turn indoors to explore the beautiful samples of Chinese art. The décor of the lounge has a blend of eastern and Western trends that you will find fascinating.

Hong Kong Azure Restaurant Slash Bar (30 floors)

More than the drinks, what draws tourists here is the prospect of looking down at the city lights from such a dizzying height. However, if you want your drinks all the same, you can discover separate modes for relaxation in the 29th and 30th floors and feel the vibrant spirit of the city in the soft jazz played in the background.

Los Angeles Skybar

Located in West Hollywood’s Mondrian hotel, this skybar is known for offering splendid sunset views of the Pacific. Normally the hot spot for the assembling of the movie stars, this deluxe skybar lounge promises to leave you starry-eyed. But the external view consisting of the glittering Los Angeles nightlife and the clouds is no less captivating.

Berlin TV Tower (368 meters)

This TV tower located in Alexanderplatz built by the East German government is reportedly the tallest structure in the entire Berlin. Its shiny steel sphere just under the antenna of the tower is the most eye-catching aspect of the tower and you can take a close look from 203 meters above ground. To make matters grander, the government lends out the tower for fancy weddings.

Dubai Vu’s Bar (51 floors)

This bar is raised at a grand height of 1,024ft at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, where you can enjoy a wholesome menu along with the most select range of cocktail lists. You can actually look around a sweeping view of the Dubai skyline along with the Arabian Gulf and feel the world at your feet.

Sky Bar, Virginia Beach, Virginia (21 floors)

Posed above the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, this waterfront rooftop bar seems to float in the air. You can have fantastic time looking out the shorelines of Virginia stretching towards the north and south and the Atlantic horizon in the east. You have a full scope to indulge in a splurge of the finest cocktails, menu, wine and beer.

Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub – Clearfield, PA

If you are really hungry, you should drop by to the Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania .

Here you can order the biggest burger in the whole United States. Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, Inc. was founded by Denny and Jean Liegey in September 1977.They started making giant hamburgers to attract attention to their much larger menu.

The hamburgers are 12″ wide.yes.. 1 foot wide

Restaurant Waldgeist – Hofheim, Germany

Another XXL place is Restaurant Waldgeist, Hofheim, Germany. Not only do they do the Giant Schnitzel and the Giant Kransky, they also do a Giant Burger, Giant Beers, Giant Rump Steaks, Giant Bacardi and Cola’s (8 litres!), everything in this place is supersized!

Giant Kransky

Giant Schnitzel

Supersized Sausage and chips…

Giant Beers

sSs BBQ Barns – Sydney, Australia

Giant BBQ, Australia.. If you can eat an Entree and the “Big Shank”, they’ll give you a free Dessert. Finish that as well, and you get the honor of being put on the “Big Shank Honor Roll”

Moma Lena’s Pizza House – Pittsburgh, PA

The worlds largest available retail sale pizza. The 150-cut monster measured 55 inches by 37 inches. It took 10.03 pounds of cheese, 14.97 pounds of dough, 8.26 pounds of sauce to construct, and 20 minutes to bake. The “Big One” costs $99.99

Subway

6 foot party sub!.Giant Subs are prepared on custom-baked & braided bread, and require 24 hours advance notice to create.

Window washer in coma after falling 47 Stories woke up on Christmas day

Alcides Moreno, 37, fell 47 stories from a New York skyscraper when a freak accident sent his window-washing platform plunging to the concrete pavement. The accident killed his brother, who was working on the same scaffolding platform, and left Moreno is such a bad state that doctors couldn’t risk moving him to an operating room. Instead, they operated on him in the emergency room, leaving him in a vegetative state for nearly three weeks. Finally, he showed signs of consciousness and spoke — on Christmas day. Less than a month later, he was discharged with the expectation that he would walk again within a year’s time. Considering that the death rate from even a four-story fall is about 50%, Moreno’s survival, thanks in part to some fortunate circumstances, is astounding.

Teenage model had her body held together by 11 rods

Katrina Burgess, 17, was told by doctors she may never walk again after surviving a 70mph car crash with a broken neck and back, and a catalogue of other injuries. But after being put back together with 11 metal rods and enough pins and screws to send an airport security detector into overdrive, Katrina was signed up by a modeling agency.

Surgeons saved her life after her car left the M5 and crashed into a ditch as she travelled towards her home town of Weymouth, Dorset. She snapped her back, punctured both lungs and broke her neck, her pelvis, her left leg and several ribs. Surgeons at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset, said that without surgery to help the bones to fuse, her spinal injuries in particular could deteriorate, risking death.

Doctors inserted a rod from her hip to her knee in her left leg the day after she was admitted to hospital. It was secured inside with four titanium pins. The most risky operation came a week later. They sliced open her back and inserted six more horizontal rods up the length of her back to support her spine. A week after that, they inserted a titanium screw to the top of her spine to support the break in her fragile neck. Only day after the last operation she was able to take her first steps.

Astonishingly, five months on from the crash, the teenager has recovered to the point where she no longer even needs painkillers.

Teen lived 118 days without heart

It was supposed to be a great day for 14-year-old D’Zhana Simmons, who received a transplant to replace her enlarged heart. However, her dream turned into a nightmare when the new heart failed to function properly. Doctors had to remove the new organ, but without another heart available and with D’Zhana weakened from the surgery, they had to come up with a stopgap measure: two artificial pumps that kept the blood flowing in her body for close to four months. The feat was newsworthy partially because of D’Zhana’s age and partially because when an artificial heart is used to sustain a patient, the patient’s own heart is usually left in the body. Finally, on October 29, D’Zhana received another heart transplant, and it was so successful that she had a kidney transplant the very next day.

Blind man got his sight back after having a tooth implanted into his eye

Martin Jones a 42-year-old builder was left blind after an accident at work more than a decade ago. But a remarkable operation – which implants part of his tooth in his eye – has pierced his world of darkness. The procedure, performed fewer than 50 times before in Britain, uses the segment of tooth as a holder for a new lens grafted from his skin.

He lost his sight after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face at work in a scrapyard. He suffered 37 per cent burns and had to wear a special body stocking for 23 hours a day. He also had his left eye removed. But surgeons were able to save the right eye, even though he was unable to see through it. At first specialists in Nottingham tried to save his sight using stem cells from a donor but the attempt failed.

It was only when a revolutionary new operation was pioneered at the Sussex Eye Clinic in Brighton that he was given a chance to have his sight back. During the procedure, a minute section of a patient’s tooth is removed, reshaped and chiselled through to grip the man-made lens which is then placed in its core. It is implanted under an eyelid where it becomes covered in tissue.

The process requires a living tooth as an implant because doctors suggest there are chances the eye would reject a plastic equivalent. So a canine – which is the best option due to its shape and size – was taken out of Mr Jones’ mouth. A patch of skin is then taken from the inside of the cheek and placed in the eye for two months, where it gradually acquires its own blood supply. The tooth segment is finally transplanted into the eye socket. The flap of grafted skin is then partially lifted from the eye and placed over its new sturdy base.

Mr Jones, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was able to see for the first time his wife Gill, 50, whom he had married four years ago.

Mother who had to chose to save one twin got to keep both after disconnecting blood vessels

Shannon and Mike Gimbel faced an agonizing choice. Doctors told them one of the twin girls they were expecting needed to be terminated or both would die. Doctors at Swedish Medical Center had diagnosed Gimbel’s twins with Twin-To-Twin Syndrome, or TTTS. It is a condition in which the twins are connected by blood vessels. One twin literally drains the life out of the other. Left untreated, there is an 80 to 90 percent chance that one or both will die.

Shannon and Mike were struggling with the suggestion to terminate the weaker baby when their physician at Swedish, Dr. Kent Heyborne, approached them with another option. He’d made contact with Drs. Robert Bell and Michael Belfort of St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utah surgeons teamed with those at Swedish to perform laser surgery in the womb to cauterize the blood vessels that were connecting, and slowly killing, the twins.

Shannon says she remembers holding her breath as a nurse used an ultrasound to listen for heartbeats after the surgery. One, then another. Both girls had made it. Reese and McKenna Gimbel were born at Swedish two months later.

Boy recovered after orthopedic decapitation

Jordan Taylor was in a car accident that separated his skull from his vertebrae. There was no connection between the bones of the neck and the head. Doctors call the injury an “orthopedic decapitation” and at the time gave Jordan a one percent chance for survival.

The tissue may have been destroyed, but the faith of Jordan’s family was intact. Word about what happened to Jordan spread to the family’s church and others churches across the country. Jordan’s mother says at one time she knew of at least 20 churches that were praying for her son.

Dr. Roberts reconnected Jordan’s head to his neck with a metal plate, screws and titanium rods. 3 months after the accident, Jordan left the hospital and is now back at school. (Source)

Wife shot by husband got a new face

Connie Culp is a 46-year-old Ohio woman who has had the first face transplant in the US, and her new look was a far cry from the puckered, noseless sight that made children shrink away in horror, after being shot by her husband.

Culp’s expressions are still a bit wooden, but she can talk, smile, smell and taste her food again. Her speech is at times a little tough to understand. Her face is bloated and squarish, and her skin droops in big folds that doctors plan to pare away as her circulation improves and her nerves grow, animating her new muscles. Culp’s husband, Thomas, shot her in 2004 then turned the gun on himself. He went to prison for seven years. His wife was left clinging to life. The blast shattered her nose, cheeks, the roof of her mouth and an eye. Hundreds of fragments of shotgun pellet and bone splinters were embedded in her face. She needed a tube into her windpipe to breathe. Only her upper eyelids, forehead, lower lip and chin were left.

She endured 30 operations. Doctors took parts of her ribs to make cheekbones and fashioned an upper jaw from one of her leg bones. She had countless skin grafts from her thighs. Still, she was left unable to eat solid food, breathe on her own, or smell. Then, in a 22-hour operation, Dr. Maria Siemionow led a team of doctors who replaced 80 percent of Culp’s face with bone, muscles, nerves, skin and blood vessels from another woman who had just died. It was the fourth face transplant in the world.

No information has been released about the donor or how she died, but her family members were moved when they saw before-and-after pictures of Culp.

Surfer mauled by a shark had his hanging hand reattached

Thirty-three-year-old Glenn Orgias was attacked by a great white shark while surfing at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. He was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with his hand hanging by a three centimetre piece of skin. Plastic surgeon Dr Kevin Ho never expected that they would be able to reattach the hand. But given the patient general health and the speed of which he was rushed into the operating theatre made it a possibility that he could have his hand reattached. Dr Ho said leeches were used as part of the effort to restore blood flow to the hand, and he is hopeful that Mr Orgias will regain function in it.

Paraplegic man suffered a spider bite and started walking again

A motorcycle accident almost killed David Blancarte 21 years ago. He was spared his life, but was unable to move his legs. He was confined to a wheelchair for 20 years. But two years ago, he was bitten by a brown recluse spider and was hospitalized for and spent 8 months in physical therapy.

In therapy, a nurse noticed a spasm in one of Blancarte’s legs and run some tests. Five days later David was walking again.

Near-vegetative man was back to life after stimulation electrodes were implanted into his skull

A man who was left in a near-vegetative state by a serious assault was able to speak and eat again. The severely brain-injured patient, who is now 38, was unable to communicate, swallow or make coordinate movements for six years, before doctors revived him from this minimally conscious state (MCS) with a revolutionary therapy.

Since his skull was implanted with electrodes to stimulate a deep-lying and undamaged part of his brain, he has improved so dramatically that he can now feed himself, brush his hair and recognize and talk to his parents and doctors. The transformation achieved by the deep brain stimulation (DBS) technique, which is already used to treat Parkinson’s disease and some mental illnesses, has raised hopes that it could offer a way back to consciousness for many people with similarly serious brain damage.

Best collection of creative photography by Makku Landesmaki…. Its a mixture of animal photos, nature, funny and some amazing places … Very cool work! I recommend to view. Photography is been good and creative!

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