The Uno: Motorcyle Meets Segway

Think the Segway is just too geeky for your Born to Be Wild bad boy lifestyle?
Then check out this cool new motorcycle born at the intersection of Geek Street and Hog Heaven Avenue.The Uno is a self-balancing motorcycle that uses a pair of gyroscopes to constantly keep its rider upright.
Designed by 18-year old inventor Ben J. Poss Gulak (and built with the help of a team of bike builders and engineers), the 120-pound motorcycle is so easy to ride, its only control is a single on-off switch. To ride forward, lean forward, to reverse, simply lean back. The degree to which you lean increases or decreases your velocity. By using a pair of wheels, the bike can also make turns based on your side-to-side movements.

The one-of-a-kind motorcycle was recently demonstrated at the 2008 National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, Canada. Its current whereabouts are unknown, but I’m pretty sure you’ll recognize it if you see it coming down the road.

Mop-top mutt set to wipe the floor with the other pups at international dog show

Crowds at a dog show made a double take when they witnessed what looked like an escaped mop-head leaping hurdles and bounding through an obstacle course.

But this is no mop - it is in fact a pedigree Hungarian sheepdog named Fee, who will be making a bid for stardom at an international dog show in Germany, next week.

The mutt's rastafarian tresses obscure most of its face, but that hasn't stopped him sweeping through the course without a hitch.

Fluffy Fee will take on 6,000 other dogs at the Dortmund show next week and owner Eva Meyer says she is confident he will wipe the floor with the competition.

World's Ugliest Dog

14-year-old pedigreed Chinese crested owned by Susie Lockheed of Santa Barbara, California won the "World's Ugliest Dog" title at the Sonoma-Marin Fair contest for the third consecutive year on 2005.

Sam has no hair, if you don't count the yellowish-white tuft erupting from his head. His wrinkled brown skin is covered with splotches, a line of warts marches down his snout, his blind eyes are an alien, milky white, and a fleshy flap of skin hangs from his withered neck. And then there are the Austin Powers teeth that jut at odd angles. He's so ugly that even the judges recoiled when he was placed on the judging table.

Unfortunately, Sam suffered from a number of age-related ailments (congestive heart failure, lung and kidney problems) and eventually cede his crown.

Cigarette packs patch up hole in chest

Never mind nicotine patches - a DIY patient is using cigarette packets to cover up a gaping hole in his chest.

Rao Jiacang plastered the packets over himself after running out of money for crucial heart surgery.

Somehow he has survived for ten years, despite his beating heart being gruesomely visible through the paper folds.

But he is now desperate for a donor to come forward to pay for proper treatment to cover over the wound measuring seven by three inches.

Part of his ribs and skin were hacked away by surgeons in 1998, hoping to remove part of his infected lungs.

But the 51-year-old, from Taining in China's Guangdong province, says he was unable to afford the rest of the treatment after stitches were taken out.
He said: "I had the operation in 1998. I was then laid up for almost five years but gradually got used to the wound, and since 2003 I have been back on my feet.

"But no-one would give me a job and people were scared of me with the big hole in my chest.

"Because of that, I haven't dared to go outside, in case people get frightened."

He says he keeps the plaster coverings sterile, and changes the cigarette boxes several times each day.

Local doctor Wan Fi said: "It's a miracle that Rao could have lived so many years with such a massive opening in his chest."

His friend Xi Lin, 35, who was present when the plaster was changed, said: "I did not know what to expect but then I saw a heart through the hole in his chest, and it was actively beating."

An estimated one in 8,000 people are dextrocardiac - that is, their heart is not on the left hand side of their body, but slightly to the right.

"MARZIPAN" BABIES

A forwarded email from my Aunt Barbara prompted me to find out more about its attached photos of miniature babies purportedly made of "frosting" or "marzipan." The miniature babies are, it turns out, not made of marzipan at all. Sculpting with polymer clays, artist Camille Allen of British Columbia has been crafting both miniature and lifesize babies for five years using a technique she learned from her husband's grandmother, and the photos are of some her work. She uses soft English mohair to imitate fine baby hair and brushes them with paints for realism to enhance their tiny wrinkles and creases. It's an amazing art form!

The new pygmy hedgehogs you can keep like a pet hamster

They are small and prickly and are the very latest must-have pets.

Would-be owners are will happily wait up to a year and will travel any distance to get their hands on an African pygmy hedgehog.

The cute pets are a quarter of the size of a normal hedgehog and are fully domesticated and don't carry diseases or fleas.

They love being handled and rarely curl up in a defensive ball. The animals were first bred in captivity less than 10 years ago in America but have recently been introduced to the British pet market.

And because they are so rare and so unusual, people are queueing to buy them for £190 each.

Breeder Bonnie Martin, 35, said: "There are only eight serious breeders in the country and we can't keep up with demand.

"I have a waiting list that is 20 strong, which is about five litters and will take about a year to clear. One man in Edinburgh is waiting to pick one up.

"They are incredibly cute and can fit in the palm of your hand. They are just as cute as a hamster or a guinea pig but they have the added wow and novelty factor.

"They are a very easy pet to handle and cheaper to maintain than a cat." African Pygmy Hedgehogs are a cross between an Algerian and White Bellied hedgehog and were bred in the US about 20 years ago.

They are born pink and the most common colour is a chocolate brown, however it is possible to get albino varieties.
They grow to just two pounds in weight and eight inches in length and have a lifespan of between three and five years.

Unlike hamsters, they are carnivorous and feed on a diet of cat food, chicken, beef mince and turkey.

As they are nocturnal the cute critters come alive at night and can run up to eight miles a night on an exercise wheel.

Mrs Martin, from Fairford, Glos, started breeding them last year and has a 'stud' hedgehog called Mr Pig and four females, which produce two litters a year.

She said: "Mr Pig has fathered two very healthy litters already and I am waiting for more. "The males reach sexual maturity at five months and the gestation period for females is anything between 32 to 50 days. They normally produce three or four babies per litter.

"There is a popular misconception that all hedgehogs carry fleas, but that is only in the wild and just like a fox or badger would have them.

"The African Pygmy variety are much smaller than a normal hedgehog.

"They are a very convenient pet because they sleep during the day when you are at work and wake up when you sit down in the evening.

"They aren't a problem at night. I have got three living in my bedroom and they don't bother me.

"They are shy creatures and you do have to put a lot of effort in into taming them. After that they won't tend to roll up in a ball because they are used to being handled."

The current British population of African Pygmies is about 300, which are registered and have lineage certificates.

Physiomorphise

I've heard of the notion anthropomorphise before, or to ascribe human form or attributes to non-human things.

But this picture seemingly shows the inverse.

That is, non-human things imitating the human form or its attributes.

After looking up the Greek word for nature, "physis," I came up with a term for this interesting phenomenon.

Physiomorphise

I would like to make this some kind of theme if I discover more evidence of such rare events.

Perfect Breasts Just an Injection Away

Want to look like Jennifer Aniston? Always hiding behind push-up bras, but afraid of going under the knife? Imagine if all it took to obtain a cleavage as ample as that of those Victoria’s Secret model was an injection.

Well, the ‘boob job in an injection’ is now a reality, thanks to a new body-contouring treatment.
Created by Q-Med, the Swedish company behind the popular wrinkle-eraser Restylane, Macrolane was initially launched in Europe as correctional filler for body indentations. It wasn’t until it was used in Japan 3½ years ago that it really found its niche, offering a nation of comparatively flat-chested women the chance to increase their breast size without surgery, scarring or hospital downtime. So far, about 30,000 Japanese women have chosen Macrolane to boost their assets, the Times reported.

The procedure sounds straightforward enough. It takes about 45 minutes and involves a tiny incision being made in the crease under each breast, so that gel filler made of hyaluronic acid can be pumped in through a flexible knitting needle-sized canula. There is no general anesthetic and you don’t need to take time off work to recover afterwards.

It’s not surprising that aesthetic doctors are excited about the new technique. Such a treatment is sure to be a boon for surgery-shy women who want bigger boobs, but have been too scared to go under the knife. Dr Mike Comins of Hans Place Practice in Knightsbridge, one of UK clinics using Macrolane for breasts, thinks it could spell the end of the boob job. “The implant look is so last decade,” he says. “The vogue now is to have a subtle change and, unlike silicone, with its limited shapes, you can tailor Macrolane to suit your needs.”

Practitioners also claim that it’s safer than implants, as the gel is made of stabilized, non-animal hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in the body. A year or so after the jab, the gel breaks down — something that appeals to women who prefer to take a more natural approach to beauty.

Tiny teenager from India is smallest girl in the world

A teenager from India who stands at a tiny 1ft 11in (58cm) tall is the smallest girl in the world.

Jyoti Amge, 14, is shorter than the average two-year-old child and only weighs 11lb (5kg).

She has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and won't grow any taller than her current height.

Due to her size, Jyoti has to have clothes and jewellery made for her. She sleeps in a tiny bed and uses special plates and cutlery to eat, as normal-sized utensils are too big.

Despite this, she goes to a regular school in Nagpur, central India, where she has her own small desk and chair, and her classmates treat her like any other student.

Jyoti also shares common interests with other teenagers, with a love for DVDs and fashionable dresses.

She said: 'I am proud of being small. I love all the attention I get. I'm not scared of being small and I don't regret it.

'I'm just the same as other people. I eat like you, dream like you. I don't feel any different.'

Jyoti is treated like a mini-celebrity in her home town, where people flock to meet her and some even treat her like a goddess.

She will even be releasing an album with her favourite Indian pop star, the bhangra/rap star Mika Singh.

Her mum, Ranjana Amge, 45, said: 'When Jyoti was born, she seemed quite normal. We came to know about her disorder when she was five.

'We consulted a specialist and he said she will be this size all of her life. Jyoti is small, yet cute, and we love her very much.'

Jyoti is ambitious and hopes to work as a Bollywood actress one day.

She said: 'I would love to work in a big city like Mumbai, act in films and travel to London and America.

'I'm proud of being small. I love all the attention I get because of it.'

Her dad, Kishanji Amge, 52, said: 'I can't separate myself from her even for a single day. I love her very much.

'She makes me proud. Lots of gurus come to see and bless her. They pray for her happiness and long life.'

Amazing pictures of pregnant man as he tells Oprah 'people may try to kill my baby'

The man who stunned the world when he announced he was pregnant gave an intimate insight into his personal life in a revealing television interview with Oprah.

Thomas Beatie stripped off for the cameras and bared his baby bump and also revealed pictures from his beauty queen days as a young woman.

However, the 34-year-old transsexual also told chat show host Oprah Winfrey that he feared for his own safety and admitted doctors had warned him his baby could be killed because of the revulsion at her birth.

Now six-months pregnant, Beatie walked onto the show with a grey cardigan stretched over the growing bump.

The TV chat show queen was filmed patting Beatie's bulging stomach during the hour long interview with his wife Nancy.

The 34-year-old transsexual was filmed for the show undergoing an ultrasound scan and preparing for the birth of their daughter.

Blurred images of the baby girl could clearly be seen as a smiling Beatie looked on.

Beatie said many doctors had refused to treat him and one warned him: "People would try to kill my baby because it is an abomination."

His appearance on US TV was part of a media blitz to knock down suggestions the pregnancy was a hoax.

As well as the Oprah show, Beatie also gave a detailed interview to People magazine.

The former beauty pageant queen, who conceived through artificial insemination, confessed many people saw him as a "freak".

He said some of his own family members had referred to the baby as "monster".

He accepts that not everyone will understand why he and his 45-year-old wife decided to have a child, which is due in July.

The couple, from Bend, Oregon, said they had already thought about the task of telling their child how she came into the world.

"When she's old enough, we'll sit her down and tell her everything," Beatie said.

"We will tell her how her parents love each other and love her very much.

"Our daughter is beating these incredible odds to get here - physical obstacles, social obstacles, everything.

"And in my dreams I dream the world will see her the way we do,as this amazing gift to us. As a miracle."

Beatie,who was born Tracy LaGondino in Hawaii, caused a worldwide sensation last week when he revealed the pregnancy in the gay magazine The Advocate.

But after neighbours in Oregon poured scorn on the pregnancy it was thought to be an elaborate hoax.

Beatie legally became a man after undergoing a sex change operation - but kept her female reproductive organs.

He told People magazine he decided to get pregnant after wife of five years Nancy had a hysterectomy.

"If Nancy could get pregnant, I wouldn't be doing this," he said.

"But who hires a surrogate if they are perfectly capable of carrying their own child?

"Why would I trust someone else when I know I'll do a better job of taking care of my body than anyone?

"And I'll be the father and Nancy will be the mother.

"Having this baby doesn't make me any less of a man."

Beatie said he was afraid of how people would react when he gives birth.

"I want to make it easier for the next couple like us, but I'm afraid.

"Afraid of how people will react for our safety. I don't want to lose the life we have." Nancy, a mother of two, added: "We know this is a hard thing for some people to understand.

"But to us we're just a husband and wife who are having a baby."

Hero husband rescues wife from crocodile 'death roll' by jumping on its back

A courageous husband was hailed a hero after jumping on a crocodile and poking it in the eyes to rescue his wife from its crushing jaws.

As Wendy Pethrick, 36, was attacked by the croc in a creek in Australia's remote Northern Territory, she struggled to try to prise open the two-metre reptile's jaws.

She screamed out for help to her husband Norm, who was on the bank. Without a moment's hesitation, he leapt on the croc, which was about to go into a “death roll” with Mrs Pethrick under the water.

He battered the croc, felt for its eyes and poked them until it let his wife go.

The terrified couple were then able to struggle to safety. Mother-of-three Wendy suffered eight deep puncture wounds to her left thigh, a cut to her right thigh and a severe cut to a finger.

The couple had been enjoying a day out at the Litchfield National Park, near Darwin, where swimming in the freshwater creeks is considered safe from crocodiles.

There has never been a crocodile attack there before.

From her hospital bed, Mrs Pethrick said: “I'm lucky to be alive, thanks to Norm. It's a love affair. I gave him a very big kiss.

'The croc was very fast. One minute I was standing there on the river bank and the next it had me in its teeth and was pulling me in the water.

'But my husband was even faster. He is a real hero.'

Mr Pethrick added: “When you need to save someone you love, you do it.

'You could call it a two-pronged attack. At least I can make light of it now - I'm just very, very happy that between the two of us we were able to make the croc let go.'

Dr Len Notaras, general manager of the Royal Darwin Hospital, said: 'But for his heroism and then the swift action of both husband and wife in poking the crocodile in the eyes to make it let go, this could have had a fatal and tragic ending.

'His swift and diligent actions without any doubt saved her life because once he started poking the crocodile in the eyes, his wife did the same. He bravely and selflessly responded it what was a very dangerous situation.'

The hospital dealt with three crocodile attack victims last year, he added.

Ranger Luke Playford said: 'There's been a lot of heavy rain in recent months and these saltwater crocodiles can find their way into rivers and creeks where they are not normally found,' he added.

The world's fattest man loses half his body weight - but still weighs almost 50 stone

The world's fattest man has shed half his body weight - losing a staggering 40 stone by going on a low-carb diet.

Manuel Uribe tipped the scales at a whopping 89.8 stone after a 14-year junk food binge.

The 42-year-old former mechanic, who has been bedridden for six years, stuffed his face with burgers, pizzas and fizzy drinks.

At his heaviest he suffered from lesions and sores on his legs which he bound up with duct tape to stop them from getting infected.

But he is now determined to get back to a healthy weight and after two years of intense dieting he has shed 40.7 stone.

His target weight is now 15.7 stone and his strict diet now consists of fish soup, one grapefruit, half an apple and 18 peanuts.

Manuel, who lives in Moterrey, Mexico, with his fiancée Claudia Solis Miranda and his mother Orilia, started dieting after a tearful TV appeal two years ago where he begged viewers to save his life.

Medical experts from Italy and Spain offered to carry out gastric bypass surgery on him - but he refused and instead accepted the help of US biochemist Dr Barry Sears, who prescribed the high-protein Zone Diet.

By last year he had slimmed down to 60 stone and celebrated by sipping champagne.

But despite spending 14 years gorging junk food, doctors believe Manuel's colossal weight is caused by a hormone imbalance.

One of his nutritionists, Alejandra Garcia, said: "It's about controlling his hormones. It is not some outlandish fad diet. It is simple common sense refined by science."

Manuel, whose story will be told on Extraordinary People: The World's Heaviest Man at 9pm on Five tonight, added: "I feel great. The doctors say I'm healthier than ever."

Before his diet, his usual breakfast would consist of four eggs, rice, beans and tortillas.

He said: "People think that I can eat a whole cow but it's not just overeating, it's also a hormonal problem."