Huge Brazilian Plant Growing in Dorset has 11ft-Wide Leaves
This monster leaf has shot into the record books because it has an incredible 11ft diameter.
Grown at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, the Gunnera Manicata leaf is big enough for a whole family to shelter under. The plant, that is native to Brazil, has been growing at the gardens for the last 30 years but its leaves this year are three feet longer than usual.
It is believed the wet summer is responsible for the booming of the bog-loving behemoth. Curator Stephen Griffith believes his leaves are the largest in Britain and the bounty is a bonus after last winter’s cold weather caused serious harm to several plants.
The leaves of the plant – which is also known as a Giant Rhubarb – are usually about 8ft wide. Mr Griffith said visitors to the sheltered gardens, that enjoys its own micro-climate, have been stunned by the size of the leaf.
He said: “This plant comes from Brazil and lives in bogs so it has enjoyed the wet conditions this year.
“People are amazed and I’ve even seen some visitors sheltering under the leaves when it has been been raining.” (BNPS.co.uk)
That’s Mine!
While it’s mother is hunting in the woods, this cub is searching for her. This wildlife image show a fox pup steal a dead chipmunk from his mother just after she had returned from hunting.
The greedy pup even ran off to make sure he could keep the prey for himself and didn’t have to share with his siblings. The images were taken by wildlife photographer Richard Dumoulin in a national park in Quebec, Canada.
The mother red fox returned from hunting with a chipmunk, a mole and a sausage to feed her cubs, however one of her children was obviously starving as the cheeky pup jumped on the tasty treat and set off down the road to eat it himself.
“It was obvious he wanted the biggest catch and didn’t give his brothers and sisters a look in,” said Richard.
The mother fox made no attempt to chase after her naughty pup. (Richard Dumoulin/Rex Features)
Photo of the Day: Sneak Thief
Hendrik Raven reacts as a baboon jumps towards him after raiding his car for food, near Cape Point on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011. A number of workers are employed as baboon monitors to prevent baboons raiding cars, houses, dust bin’s. The baboon monitors spend their days following baboon troops across the Cape Peninsula to insure they do not miss behave. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam) Click image to zoom.
Steve Jobs iPhone 4 Hard Case Covers on Sale. WTF?
iPhone 4 hard case cover with portrait of Steve Jobs are on sale on October 9, 2011 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (ChinaOut) Continue reading »
A Piano Playing Robot
The world’s fastest piano player has been unveiled – a robot with nineteen fingers. The robot – called Teotronico – has nineteen digits because it is the exact number needed to play any melody or song. Teotronico’s robotic hand technology enables him to play the piano faster than any human possibly could. He can also distinguish between the speed of key change as well as play a drum machine and sing – the only robot in the world who can do all those things at the same time. (Paul Andrews / PacificCoastNews) Continue reading »
Police Find Semi-Submersible Watercraft Intended for Cocaine Smuggling in Colombia
Police officers walk next to a seized homemade fiberglass semi-submersible during a presentation to the press in Puerto Escondido, Colombia, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. According to police, the semi-submersible was seized from drug traffickers during an operation in Puerto Escondido Monday. (William Fernando Martinez / AP) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: And a Cup of Tea
Nepalese Guinness World Record holder Khagendra Thapa Magar, 19, the second world’s smallest man with 67 cm (26 inches), drinks some tea in a French cafe in Paris on October 19, 2011. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Lucky Escape
This baby gorilla, named Shamavu after the ranger who rescued him, was found hidden in a small rucksack during an undercover operation targeting poachers in DR Congo. (LuAnne Cad / The Guardian)
“Passing Cloud” Reimagines What 21st Century Travel Can Be
Architect Tiago Barros proposes an intriguing new travel concept that would really slow things down: “The Passing Cloud.”
For those who saw the Pixar hit “Up,” the concept may sound familiar. Passengers float up into the sky and drift over the Earth. In a world where everything operates at hyper-speeds, Barros has come up with a luxurious form of slow travel: a giant inflatable cloud that can travel from place to place, riding on the predominant winds. Oddly enough, the design proposal was an entry in a competition for a high-speed rail network, called Life at the Speed of Rail, promoted by the Department of Cultural affairs of New York City. Continue reading »
Cyclops Shark Discovered: Still Catching People’s Attention On The Web
Leon was shocked to see a male, unusual embryo with its nine siblings. He noticed right away that the odd looking shark has a single eye at the front of its head. (Enrique Lucero León)
Earlier this year, Enrique Lucero Leon, a fisherman in California, brought home something unexpected after fishing – a 22 inch albino Cyclops shark. It happened in July but photos released on the internet are still catching people’s attention. Leon caught a pregnant dusky shark legally from the Gulf of California. When he cut his catch open, he was shocked to see a male, unusual embryo with its nine siblings. He noticed right away that the odd looking shark has a single eye at the front of its head. Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Hair Whirl
Swimmer Michelle McKeehan of the United States whirls her hair in the bathing pool before the start of the evening session at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Scott Heavey/Getty Images)
Richard Branson and US Officials Dedicate Space Terminal
British billionaire Richard Branson pops open a bottle of champagne while abseiling down the exterior of the hangar facility at Spaceport America, northeast of Truth Or Consequences, on October 17, 2011 in New Mexico. Branson was on hand to host guests and media at the Keys To A New Dawn event, for the dedication of Virgin Galactic’s new home at Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport in southern New Mexico, where the Spaceport America Terminal Hangar Facility will serve as the operating hub for Virgin Galactic and is expected to house two WhiteKnightTwos and five SpaceShipTwos, in addition to all of Virgin’s astronaut preparation facilities and mission control. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images) Continue reading »
50 Of The World’s Best Breakfasts
1. A full English Breakfast – it must have beans, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and toast. Of course, it should all be knocked back with a cup of tea, but black pudding is optional as far as I’m concerned. Continue reading »
Monumental Chaos
“Monumental Chaos” – three massive lightning bolts hit the earth within 15 seconds at the Voortrekker Monument just outside Pretoria, South Africa. Photographer Mitchell Krog says: “In nearly six years of storm photography this single image portrays, more than any other image I’ve taken, the sheer chaos and power of a lightning storm.” (Mitchell Krog / Barcroft USA)
The “Pumpkin House” of Slindon in West Sussex
Robin Upton, a Sussex farmer, has decided to celebrate the harvest season by erecting a 16 foot-tall “house” of pumpkins in memory of his late father, Ralph. He has created a rural scene of veggies in a wheelbarrow in the rolling English countryside. The “Pumpkin House” of Slindon in West Sussex is made from over 700 yellow squashes, green marrows and orange pumpkins. He called on the local community to donate enough squashes to carry on his father’s tradition of building a pumpkin house each year. (Andrew Hasson / Barcroft Media) Continue reading »
Effects of the Flowers
Fong Qi Wei, a Singapore-based artist, picks apart flowers and rearranges them on a canvas to startling effect. The 33-year-old disassembles the flowers, such as this rose, by hand before carefully arranging the component parts. (Fong Qi Wei / Rex Features) Continue reading »
Toothpick Artist Takes Nine Months to Create Jaw-Dropping Replica of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia
It has taken nine months and more than 35,000 toothpicks – but Stan Munro has once again proved he is a real stickler for detail with the unveiling of his latest masterpiece. The model-making maestro has recreated Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia out of nothing but tiny pieces of wood and PVA glue. Continue reading »
The Dog Creative Stylist of the Year Competition
“To say they are colorful characters would be an understatement. From Winnie the Pooh-dle to a pink My Little Pony with false eyelashes, these painted pooches highlight the art of the dog groomer. All were entrants in the British Dog Creative Stylist Of The Year competition held at Swanley in Kent and organized by dog salon owner Louisa Tandy. Poodles or poodle crosses are the breed most commonly used because of their good nature and easily sculptured coats. The colors come from washable vegetable dyes sprayed onto the coat, using stencils to achieve the patterns… Louisa insists that it’s strictly regulated to ensure no animal is harmed as it undergoes a transformation into a barking Bertie Bassett or even a dogosaurus dinosaur. ‘The dogs are thrilled with the attention they get,’ says Louisa, ‘and they love strutting their stuff.”
A poodle clippered and dyed to look like My Little Pony is pictured at a creative dog grooming event in Swanley, Kent. The Dog Creative Stylist of the Year competition showcases the creative skills of Britain’s top pooch groomers. The range of colours are produced by safe, washable vegetable dyes. (Steve Collins / Barcroft Media) Continue reading »
The World’s Most Expensive Model Car
The world’s most expensive model car is expected to be auctioned for £3million in December, which is nearly 12 times the price of a real Lamborghini Aventador. German model maker Robert Wilhelm Gülpen took 500 hours to create the 1:8 scale model. Nearly £1.8 million worth of precious stones and metals have gone into this piece of auto-art. Mr Gülpen says: “Essentially the model is made out of solid gold and platinum. The body of the prototype additionally features genuine carbon fiber, as used in Formula 1 cars; gold and platinum rims and to add that extra wow factor diamonds in the seats, steering wheel and headlights.” If a potential buyer doesn’t feel like waiting until Christmas, they can buy the model car now by shelling out an extra million pounds. They can go to Robert directly to secure the model car for themselves before it goes to auction for a fixed price of £4,144,646. They have the option to personalise the model car. (RGE Robert Gülpen Engineering/Rex Features)
Photo of the Day: A Punk Rock Goat
Alas, this is not a punk rock goat. The goat has been tagged for identification purposes at a livestock market in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Oct. 17. (Muhammed Muheisen / AP)
Animals On Bikes
Photographer Peter Rae travelled from Molong to Dubbo, in western New South Wales, Australia, photographing the roadside sculptures along the way. (Peter Rae / The Sydney Morning Herald) Continue reading »
The Mafia’s New York: Hideouts, Hangouts and Rubouts
Home of Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, 265 E. 10th St., between First Avenue and Avenue A
“The East Village was the who’s who of the mob scene from the 1930s to the ’90s,” says Ferrara. “Everyone thinks it was Mulberry Street, but really, it was Prince Street and the East Village.” Luciano, originally known as “Sal from 14th Street,” immigrated from Sicily when he was 10 years old and lived in this East Village walk-up. He grew up to be the first official boss of the Genovese family, and was instrumental in creating the Five Families “commission” that divided up NYC territories. His childhood home still stands, and the ground level storefront is the Middle Eastern eatery Moustache Pitza. (NYP) Continue reading »
Making a Zombie: A Step-by-Step Guide from the “Walking Dead” Makeup Team
1. The “Walking Dead” makeup team fits actor Kevin Galbraith with a bald cap and accentuate his high cheekbones to make them look sunken. Continue reading »
Supermodel Cindy Crawford Celebrates Omega’s New Gum Boutique Launch
For the opening of the new-look boutique at Gum by Omega, supermodel Cindy Crawford joined as the guest of honor. Continue reading »
Evolution of The Planet of the Apes
The latest version of the Planet of the Apes doesn’t depart from the franchise’s apocalyptic outlook, but it does make the earlier efforts look technically dated.
Planet of the Apes (1968). The original Planet of the Apes film, starring Charlton Heston as the time-displaced astronaut Taylor, was an immediate box office and critical hit when it was released in February 1968. Based on the French novel, La planete des singes, by Pierre Boulle (who also wrote Bridge over the River Kwai) it tells the story of group of astronauts who crash land on what they think is an alien planet, only to discover it’s a post apocalyptic Earth ruled by apes. The script, originally penned by science fiction legend Rod Serling, underwent many rewrites. Continue reading »
