Clipmarks | queerty's clips

Penguin Wedding

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:31:36 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Pingu gets married!

Penguin wedding

A Chinese aquarium staged a wedding for two penguins during their mating season.

Wuhan East Lake Ocean World planned the wedding for the two black-footed penguins, reports Xinhua.

The groom, called Little Brat, and his bride, Little Beauty, were dressed up by aquarium staff for the ceremony.

The groom wore a tie and the bride was dressed in a red blouse as they stepped into their icy wedding room to the music of the Wedding March.

For their reception, the love birds enjoyed their favourite dish - spring fish.

Tags: penguin, marriage

Chris Hoy inspired by ET and 9 other facts...

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:02:36 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

1. Sharks have weak jaws.
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2. Since 1972, 24 "leap seconds" have been added to the world's "time" because of the earth's slowing rotation.
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3. Blind children used to be taught to write Braille right to left, so it could be turned over and read left to right.
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4. Using both hands to read Braille achieves an average speed of 115 words per minute, compared with 250 words per minute for sighted reading.

5. Gold medal winner Chris Hoy was inspired to cycle by ET.
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6. Jatropha plant oil can be used to fuel planes.
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7. Dieting impairs your ability fo fight flu.
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8. Chinese people spend three times longer online, for leisure, than the average Danish person.
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9. Only older mosquitoes pass on dengue.
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10. Our facial expressions are hardwired into our brains rather than learned during life.
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Tags: facts, interesting, hoy, et

Playstation Addiction

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:00:10 GMT

clipped by: queerty

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

Italian medics diagnosed a 13-year-old boy with Playstation addiction after his desperate father rushed him to hospital.

At first doctors at southern Italy's Lecce hospital thought Lorenzo Amato was suffering from a stroke or a severe brain disorder.

The teenager couldn't speak and didn't seem to understand anything going on around him. Then doctors discovered he'd just finished a marathon session on his new Playstation.

Local politician Antonio Buccoliero, who spoke to the doctors, said: "They eventually managed to take care of him once they understood that this was a strange kind of mental detachment connected to his Playstation."

The youngster later ordered his dad to throw away the computer games system.

"If I even think about it I want to throw up," he said.

Tags: scunnered, himself

Amphibious Car

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:57:46 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Nice idea, shame about the colour!

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A Chinese man spent 13 years building himself a car he can take fishing.

Wang Hongjun, an electrician from Qian'an city, Hebei province, says his "amphibicar" cost him about £100,000 and 13 years of persistence to develop.

After driving it to Beijing to find investors, he told the Beijing Times: "I'm looking for auto producers who are interested in my creation, since I don't want to keep it to myself."

Wang says he often drives his creation to the lake in his hometown to fish, and claims he has even taken his son for a 10-mile drive out to sea.

The yellow sportscar can be sealed to make it waterproof by remote control. A column-shaped thruster and two propellers are installed in the car's boot.

Wang said his car can float and drive in the water, but he refused to divulge exactly how it works.

"It's a business secret, but I can assure you the car was made entirely by my hands. Each plate was welded by me," he said.

Green Car

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:42:06 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Snow covered Citroen - with a twist!

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Tags: citroen, car, grass, green, snow

Record breaking snails

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:25:57 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Hmm.

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A nine-year-old Cheshire schoolgirl has broken the world record for having the most snails on her face at once.

Tiana Walton allowed 25 of the slimy creatures to cover her eyes, nose and mouth - beating the previous record of 15 held by Australian Liam Kenny.

Before her record breaking attempt, now in the Guinness Book of World Records, Tiana's previous personal best was just nine.

She had just one minute to put the snails on her face and then had to tip her head forward for 10 seconds. Any snails that fell off during that period were not counted.

Tiana said: "I am not squeamish. It is relaxing but it feels a bit cold. They are quite smelly and you can see their big long eyes."

Asked whether she thought her new record would be beaten, she added: "I don't think many people will be bothered about putting snails on their face!"

For better for worse, for richer or BURGER?

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:38:33 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Two fast food addicts celebrated their marriage with their dream wedding cake - a 42lb cheeseburger. - Wow.

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

Two fast food addicts celebrated their marriage with their dream wedding cake - a 42lb cheeseburger.

Tom and Kerry Watts' mammoth burger was nearly half a metre wide and weighed the equivalent of about 100 quarter pounders.

It was the highlight of the couple's wedding reception which was held at Zak's American diner in Norwich.

Firefighter Tom, 36, said: "Not only did I get to marry the woman of my dreams but I also got to have the burger of my dreams in the same day.

"I could not believe the size of the burger. It was just incredible. Everything has just been amazing. It was the best day ever."

Kerry, also 36, added: "We love burgers and thought it would be a bit of fun. It made the day even more special. We love chocolate too so we also had a chocolate cake."

It took butcher John Baxter a whole day to create and shape the giant burger which weighed 400oz when uncooked.

Keep the cannabis, but you're being fined for the baccy...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:40:22 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Something doesn't add up here...

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A cannabis smoker was fined by Dutch police - because his joint contained tobacco.

Holland has kept its liberal policy on cannabis smoking in the country's "coffee shops", even after a public smoking ban was introduced in Dutch cafes and restaurants last July.

An Amsterdam police spokesman admitted it could be difficult to understand the current policy of allowing smokers to puff away on pure cannabis while fining tobacco users, reports the Daily Telegraph.

"For logic it is sometimes impossible to explain, even to the Dutch," he said.

"The man was not fined for smoking a cannabis joint but for smoking. You can smoke cannabis but not tobacco in coffee shops."

The 27-year-old man owns one of the city's coffee shops, where the purchase and smoking of cannabis is tolerated, and he is expected to contest the case in court.

The man was caught lighting a hand rolled cannabis joint during a routine police check and fined because officers found tobacco mixed with the soft drug.

I've got a great big combine harvester...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:38:19 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: ...and I'm driving it to see you!

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A German farmer caused traffic chaos after setting off on a 175-mile trip to visit a pal - in a combine harvester.

Arnold Gerber, 28, from Altenkirchen, set off in the evening to avoid heavy traffic but soon caused a five mile tailback himself.

He was stopped by police 30 miles into his journey and fined for driving too slowly - at the harvester's top speed of 15mph.

Gerber said: "I took the combine harvester because I have never had a licence for a car, only a tractor. I did not think I would be doing anything wrong.

"I have a friend who lives a long way away and he asked if I wanted to go and see him. I have been driving combine harvesters for years and have to take them along some roads now and again.

"I know they are slow-moving vehicles but I thought I could miss most of the traffic by travelling at night. I was wrong."

Tags: silly

Six legged bull (pic)

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:11:08 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: Wow.

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

The owner of a six-legged bull in China is holding out for a higher price.

Li Guolin, a farmer in Yantou village, Kunming, says he's been offered 36,000 yuan, nearly £3,000, for the bull.

But he told Metropolis Times: "I want to wait a bit longer, perhaps there will be a higher price offered for it."

The 18-month-old bull was born with two small extra legs on it's back.

Li added: "I bought it a year ago from a neighbouring village for 800 yuan (£65), and as it grew up the two back legs became more and more obvious.

"Every day people come to visit the bull to see it for themselves."

Tags: six, legs, bull

Pop out and drop off some bombs, dear?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:09:08 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: I want to award this a stupid award, but there are so many stupider places she could have dropped them off at...

Clip Source: www.oregonlive.com

HILLSBORO -- Washington County sheriff's deputies were surprised Saturday evening, when a woman brought in a box of 32 high-explosive bombs used to scare seals from fishing grounds and piers.

No one was injured in the incident.

Leanne Wade, 56, of Hillsboro told deputies she confiscated the seal bombs from her friend's 21-year-old son in Seattle earlier Saturday, then drove them to Hillsboro to turn them in for destruction. She placed the seal bombs on a counter in the after-hours lobby of the sheriff's records department around 6:50 p.m.

Deputies soon called in Portland's bomb squad to safely dispose of the explosives.

They then interviewed Wade and determined that no harm was intended. No criminal charges are expected, said Sgt. Bob Ray, sheriff's spokesman.

They are classified as high explosives under federal law. To legally detonate one, a permit is required from the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

Tags: bomb, seal, police, freak, out

Plain English: every little helps

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:06:09 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: I grew up with a proof-reader mother. I can understand this level of pernickety-ness (is that a word?)

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Tesco is to change the wording of signs on its fast-track checkouts to avoid any linguistic dispute.

The supermarket giant is to replace its current "10 items or less" notices with signs saying "Up to 10 items".

Tesco's move follows uncertainty over whether the current notices should use "fewer" instead of "less".

The new wording was suggested to Tesco by language watchdog The Plain English Campaign. Tesco said the change would be phased in across its stores.

"Saying up to 10 items is easy to understand and avoids any debate," said a spokesman for The Plain English Campaign.

"Fewer" should be used when you are talking about items that can be counted individually, for example, "fewer than 10 apples".

"Less" is correct when quantities cannot be individually counted in that case, e.g. "I would like less water".

Tesco is the UK's largest supermarket group with 2,106 outlets across the country.

Tags: tesco, grammar

Dog swallows duck

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:25:38 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: The vet said, "We did once have a Labrador which swallowed its entire bed, but Ozzie's is certainly the most entertaining x-ray we've ever seen."

Clip Source: www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk

His namesake was once notorious for biting the head off a bat, but Ozzie the Staffordshire terrier felt less than bubbly when he swallowed this rubber duck.

The seven-month-old pooch was play fighting with another dog over the bath toy, but when he began losing he preferred swallowing the plastic prize to giving it up.

His owner Adam Townsend of Cubbington said: "I just couldn't believe my eyes."

At first Ozzie seemed unaffected, but when he began vomiting Mr Townsend took Ozzie to vets at Avonvale Veterinary Hospital in Warwick.

They were amazed when they saw the dog's x-ray.

Surgeon Emily Burton said: "The duck must have begun to irritate Ozzie's stomach lining and, due to its shape, he would not have been able to pass it back out on his own.

"This could have been very serious as the stomach would have been blocked and continued vomiting would have led to him becoming dangerously dehydrated.

"We operated to remove the duck and Ozzie was back to his usual energetic self in no time."

DIY - Taj Mahal

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:20:04 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks: God, I LOVE Lego! The Christmas list is already written...

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

Lego has launched the biggest model in its 74-year history - a 5,922-piece replica of the Taj Mahal.

Priced at £200 the model will be on sale from September and is considered to be so tricky that only those over the age of 14 are recommended to tackle it.

When finished the model measures 3ft wide and 2ft tall and uses a whopping 800 more Lego bricks than the company's next biggest model - the Star Wars Millennium Falcon.

Lego spokeswoman Jenny Brown said the Taj Mahal model was designed only for very experienced enthusiasts, adding: "It will certainly present a worthy challenge to most Lego fans - but a fun one".

The original Taj Mahal, in northern India, was built in the 17th century in memory of an emperor's wife. It took 22 years and 20,000 workers.

It won't take Lego fans quite as long; they can build their own replica, complete with domes, minarets, arches and stairs, in a little under 40 hours.

Tags: lego, taj mahal

Hip hip e-bay!

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:18:10 GMT

clipped by: queerty
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: www.ananova.com

A Prague lawyer has been granted a pardon after trying to sell what he claimed was the Czech president's hip joint on e-Bay.

Premysl Donat, 54, was arrested after trying to sell the joint which he claimed was given to him by doctors at the hospital where president Vaclav Klaus underwent a hip replacement operation in May.

He asked for a starting bid of £1,200 and bidding had reached £20,000 when police swooped.

They later changed the investigation from a theft probe to a fraud investigation after the president's office said the joint was not Mr Klaus's.

But the president has now pardoned Donat. A spokesman for the president's office said: "We want to bring this undignified game to an end."

Tags: president, hip, for, sale