Unique News

Doha New Traffic Lamborghini Gallardo Patrol Car

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:57:00 +0000

s a dream to many of us to visit the country, including me. Today while browsing online through the interesting places to travel in Doha, I found this very interesting post. I feel like, “Hey the new Awesome Lamborghini Gallardo has come in the traffic patrols team, nobody can speeding anymore”. But the truth is, my friend who worked at oil and gas company told me that he has been working in Doha for 6 months and saw, say thousands of traffic violations, which many of these violations were just next to police cars (they were land cruiser violations) and nothing happened!

Experts recreating Egyptian female pharaoh's own perfume

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:41:00 +0000

Hamburg, Germany - The latest thing in scents next year could be the oldest perfume in the world, made especially for an Ancient Egyptian female pharaoh, according to German scientists who are analysing residue found in a 3,400-year-old perfume flacon.

The German researchers at the Bonn University Egyptian Museum say they will use the analysis to recreate the original perfume which was buried in an exquisite alabaster vessel bearing the royal insignia of Hatshepsut, the most powerful woman ever to rule Egypt before the Ptolemies and the Romans conquered it.

The intact perfume jar has remained sealed since it was interred in the Valley of the Kings 1,400 years before Cleopatra. On a hunch, the Bonn Egyptologists recently ran a CAT scan which revealed 3-D images of a residue at the bottom.

"No one had ever done that before," says museum curator Michael Hoeveler-Mueller. "We were frankly overjoyed at the findings. And now we are conducting a chemical analysis of the residue in hopes of being able to recreate the exact original perfume."

The analysis and possible recreation of the scent is expected to be finalised later this year, he told the Bonn newspaper General-Anzeiger.

"We think it probable that one constituent was frankincense - the scent of the gods," he added.

That theory is based on the fact that Hatshepsut sent an expedition to the Land of Punt, modern-day Eritrea, which returned with gold, ivory, ebony and living specimens of frankincense trees.

The frankincense trees were planted in a vast, irrigated garden which spread out in front of her cliff-side mortuary temple directly across the Nile from the Karnak Temple of Amon, the god she said had been her heavenly father.

She was the granddaughter of powerful warrior pharaohs who had wrested Egypt from foreign rule by the hated Hyksos, founding the 18th Dynasty and ending a century of chaos which was forever etched on the memories of Egyptians as something to be avoided at all costs in future.

Against that backdrop, Egypt was left in the lurch when her kingly husband, Thutmose II, died at an early age He left only Hatshepsut and a small son by a secondary wife. Thus, Hatshepsut became co-regent with her small step-son Thutmose III. She later proclaimed herself "king" and portrayed herself as a male and ruled for 22 years until her step-son Thutmose III grew to manhood and succeeded her.

Under her two-decade rule, Egypt enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous time. Yet after her death, the "female pharaoh" was scorned, her images and inscriptions mutilated and her monuments demolished.

When she was rediscovered in the 19th century, Hatshepsut was regarded as a kind of ancient Queen Victoria who presided wisely over a vast empire. But in the early 20th century, her image changed dramatically, primarily due to lurid and highly fanciful novels and headline-making TV specials.

It has been claimed she was a wicked stepmother, who usurped innocent little Thutmose, had a liaison with the architect who built the mortuary temple and who, according to some versions, was in fact the power behind the throne.

But those claims are almost entirely ratings-spawned conjecture owing to the simple fact that there is virtually no historical record.

In recent years, British Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley has gone far in giving Hatshepsut's battered image a "re-launch". In books, articles and media interviews, Tyldesley dispels many of the "wicked stepmother" tales surrounding Hatshepsut and presents a lucid portrait of a very level-headed ruler who loved her country more than she loved any man - a bit like Elizabeth I of England.

Tyldesley points out that Hatshepsut's father and grandfather had fought strenuously to unite Egypt after 100 years of chaos and foreign rule under the heel of the despised Hyksos.

The royal bloodline descended via the mother, so it was imperative that Hatshepsut bear a male child - which she did not. When her husband died at a young age, the only male heir was a small boy born of a secondary wife who was not of royal blood.

Tyldesley says Hatshepsut feared Egypt would descend into chaos and civil war unless she took action - drastic action worthy of the daughter of warrior kings. So she proclaimed herself "king" and rightful heir to the throne of her warrior forefathers who had brought peace and prosperity to Egypt after generations of turmoil.

In doing so, she bought time for her little step-son to grow to manhood. She taught him to become a warrior king himself, worthy of being entrusted with power. And it worked: Thutmosis III became the greatest warrior king in all of Egyptian history. He expanded the empire to its greatest extent. The 18th Dynasty, started by her grandfather, became a period of unparalleled political stability known as the New Kingdom.

The historical facts show that she allowed her stepson to grow to manhood, gave him full control of the armies at a very early age and schooled him in statecraft before relinquishing power when he was an adult. As for why she called herself "king", Tyldseley notes that there was no word in the Egyptian language for "female sovereign" so she had little other choice.

It is also historical fact that her name was chiselled off of all monuments a number of years after her death. It is not known who is responsible for trying to erase her name from the records. Perhaps it was her stepson. But he left highly visible monuments showing him together with her in harmony as co-regents.

We can only assume that someone at some later date considered it to be a dangerous precedent for a woman to call herself "king".

Of her monumental construction work, only two great obelisks at Karnak and the mortuary temple at Deir al-Bahari remain.

And a flacon of perfume with her name on it - as "king" of Egypt.
source : www.topnews.com

On 'nakation,' forget worries and clothes

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:44:00 +0000

There's something about being naked that makes a person forget a layoff, pay cut or a shrunken retirement account.
Promoters say nude vacations offer a complete escape from stress and the norm.

At least that's how the promoters of nude travel see it.

The economic recession is "doing us a lot of favors, maybe because there's the idea that if you've lost the shirt off your back, you should go nude," said Erich Schuttauf, executive director of the American Association for Nude Recreation.

He added: "You go to a [nudist resort] and when you take off all your clothes, all the cues that tie you to the workaday world -- the ties, the suits and everything -- when that's gone, your body says it's time to relax. You get in that mode faster."

While some nude-resort owners say they're cutting back because of the recession, others said they're on par with last year's budgets or are expanding their services. Overall, being naked brings in big bucks. According to Schuttauf, the industry is valued at more than $400 million annually.

Boom or bust, here are Schuttauf's top five places to forget your worries -- and your swimsuit.

"Typically, sunblock is all that you need," he said.

Cypress Cove, Kissimmee, Florida

Near Disney World and Orlando, Florida, the Cypress Cove Resort offers a range of recreational activities, including biking, a lakeside beach and a small golf course.
Don't Miss

* Cut costs and make memories in Europe
* In Depth: Travel companion
* AANR: National nude club listing

The resort's location and nice weather make it attractive, said Ted Hadley, manager of the 300-acre resort, which features a hotel, camp sites and permanent residences.

Hadley said the resort is faring well, compared with years past. For many, nude vacations are like an addiction or a necessity, he said.

"It's something that [nudists] really enjoy and something they're not going to give up unless they absolutely have to," he said. The resort is "a place where they come to relax and unwind and relieve themselves of stress."

Turtle Lake Resort, Union City, Michigan

In a business where sunshine and warmth are pretty darn important, Michigan's Turtle Lake Resort has to get a little creative to keep clothes-free customers coming.

One of its prime features is an 11,000-square-foot clubhouse -- with a BYOB policy, a dance floor and plenty of heat pumped in.

The resort also offers a lagoon, tennis courts and volleyball. Attendance for last year was up 9 percent, compared with projections, said Mark Hammond, general manager and co-owner of the resort.

And despite the frigid Michigan weather, the resort is a year-round draw, Hammond said. During winter months, it offers rooms for $42 to $90 per night.

"We're nudists, we're not stupid," he said. "When it gets cold, we put our clothes on."

Sun Meadow, Worley, Idaho

Near Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the Sun Meadow resort is another cold-climate nudist retreat with ample side attractions.

Schuttauf said its finest attributes are its indoor pool, meeting space and music.

Cabins, RV sites and a limited number of hotel rooms are available.

Laguna del Sol, Wilton, California

With 1,600 members, Laguna del Sol, near Sacramento, California, is among the largest nudist resorts in the country, Schuttauf said.

The resort features theme vacations, including "Nude Stock."

The resort offers four pools, three spas and a fitness center. And if you're not ready to dive into a naked vacation just yet, the resort offers free tours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Avalon, Paw Paw, West Virginia

Avalon resort, in northeastern West Virginia, takes ordinary activities to a nude level.

The resort offers a library for naked reading, a naked fishing pond, naked wine tastings and naked hikes (through the snow, no less, and making snow angels is encouraged).

Avalon also hosts a "Nude Year's Eve" gala, according to its Web site. Men are asked to wear a cummerbund and bow tie only.

sourece : www.cnn.com

Computer programmer from Finland has lost finger replaced with USB drive

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:53:00 +0000

A software developer, who lost his finger in a motorcycle accident last year, has replaced it with a USB stick.

Jerry Jalava from Hilsinki in Finland says the 2GB memory device built into his prosthetic finger has proven to be very handy.

The USB is covered by a nail, which peels back when he needs to transfer photos, movies and programmes.

“It is not attached permanently to my body so when I’m using the USB I just leave my finger inside the slot and pick it up when I’ve finished,” Jalava wrote on his blog, ProtoBlogr.net.

Jalava was inspired when doctors who treated him after his accident, joked he should create a ‘finger drive,’ after he told them his profession.

Jalava is already thinking of ways to upgrade his finger to include wireless technology and more storage.

Japan displays walking female robot for fashion show

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:24:00 +0000

TSUKUBA, Japan -- A new walking, talking robot from Japan has a female face that can smile and has trimmed down to 43 kilograms (95 pounds) to make a debut at a fashion show. But it still hasn't even cleared safety standards to share the catwalk with human models.

Developers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, a government-backed organization, said their "cybernetic human," shown Monday, wasn't ready to help with daily chores or work side by side with people -- as robotics has been billed to do in the future. "

"Technologically, it hasn't reached that level," said Hirohisa Hirukawa, one of the robot's developers. "Even as a fashion model, people in the industry told us she was short and had a rather ordinary figure."

Entertainment and drawing crowds are the main purpose for the 158 centimeter (62.2 inch) tall black-haired robot code-named HRP-4C, whose predecessor had weighed 58 kilograms (128 pounds).

Developers said the robot may be used in amusement parks, events to attract attention and simulations of human movement such as exercise instructor.

HRP-4C was designed to look like an average Japanese woman, although its silver-and-black body makes it appear to be wearing a space-suit. It will appear in a Tokyo fashion show, although without any clothes, in a special section just for the robot next week.

The robotic framework for the HRP-4C without the face and other coverings will go on sale for about 20 million yen ($200,000) each, and its programming technology will be made public so other people can come up with fun moves for the robot, the scientists said.

Japan boasts one of the leading robotics industries in the world, and the government is pushing to develop the industry as a road to growth. Automaker Honda Motor Co. has developed Asimo, which can walk and talk, although it doesn't pretend to look human.
source : www.chinadaily.com

Barbara Collier the fastest grandmother on four wheels

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:20:00 +0000

WHEN the pedal hits the metal this speedy 70-year-old grandmother might just be the fastest in the west - if not all of Queensland and possibly Australia.

Barbara "Babs" Collier, 70, is tearing up the speedway circuit in Toowoomba, as co-driver for her grandson John Collier, 14.

"It's unreal, it's fabulous," Mrs Collier, of Grantham, said. "I just like sitting there watching my grandson do his thing - he's pretty clever."

The unique team came about when John had trouble finding the regular certified passenger needed for him to compete as a junior at the Charlton Speedway, near Toowoomba.

Grandfather Jack, 77, a former road race and speedway driver, did not pass the medical so his wife stepped in. The couple has raised John since infancy.

"My doctor kept saying to me 'you know how old you are, don't you?' and I said 'yes'," Mrs Collier, the mother of three, grandmother of five and great-grandmother of five, said.

Now she dons safety gear to compete in up to four races per meet.

John races in a safety-modified four-cylinder Datsun Bluebird and trains in his grandparent's paddock.

The duo has competed in three meets this season, taking out second and third places.

And John doesn't mind having Grandma sitting next to him. "It's fun. She just sits there and lets me do my thing," he said

Wild, Wacky, & True: Man Shaves Eyebrows For Charity

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:55:00 +0000

Si Burgher had such long eyebrows that he brushed them each morning. The 72-year-old’s bushy eyebrows raised $1,600 for charity as he allowed people to have a whack at clipping them for $100 a pop.

The shaggy eyebrows had grown over three inches long because they had never been trimmed. He agreed to have his eyebrows trimmed by members of the Bloomfield Rotary Club to raise money for a polio eradication campaign.

He says, “I don’t care if they ever grow back. My wife says I look 20 years younger.”

Lawyers, bankers and others put up $100 each for their turn to snip away at Burgher’s eyebrows, with the money going to Rotary International’s PolioPlus, which has raised $500 million for polio eradication in the developing world since 1985.

Si’s wife says she likes what she sees, as well. She says, “Beneath the eyebrows is a really handsome man. He looks like a normal person. I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.”

source : www.gone-hollywood.com

India to launch cow urine as soft drink

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Does your Pepsi lack pep? Is your Coke not the real thing? India's Hindu nationalist movement apparently has the answer: a new soft drink made from cow urine.

The bovine brew is in the final stages of development by the Cow Protection Department of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India's biggest and oldest Hindu nationalist group, according to the man who makes it.

Om Prakash, the head of the department, said the drink – called "gau jal", or "cow water" – in Sanskrit was undergoing laboratory tests and would be launched "very soon, maybe by the end of this year"."

"Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too," he told The Times from his headquarters in Hardwar, one of four holy cities on the River Ganges. "Its USP will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins."

The drink is the latest attempt by the RSS – which was founded in 1925 and now claims eight million members – to cleanse India of foreign influence and promote its ideology of Hindutva, or Hindu-ness.

Hindus revere cows and slaughtering them is illegal in most of India. Cow dung is traditionally used as a fuel and disinfectant in villages, while cow urine and dung are often consumed in rituals to "purify" those on the bottom rungs of the Hindu caste system.

In 2001, the RSS and its offshoots – which include the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party – began promoting cow urine as a cure for ailments ranging from liver disease to obesity and even cancer.

The movement has often been accused of using more violent methods, such as killing 67 Christians in the eastern state of Orissa last year, and assaulting women in a pub in Mangalore last month. It also has a history of targeting foreign business in India, as in 1994, when it organised a nationwide boycott of multinational consumer goods, including Pepsi and Coca Cola.

The cola brands are popular in India, now one of their biggest markets, but have struggled in recent years to shake off allegations, which they deny, that they contain dangerous levels of pesticide.

Mr Prakash said his drink, by contrast, was made mainly of cow urine, mixed with a few medicinal and ayurvedic herbs. He said it would be "cheap", but declined to give further details about its price or ingredients until it was officially launched.

He insisted, however, that it would be able to compete with the American cola brands, even with their enormous advertising budgets. "We're going to give them good competition as our drink is good for mankind," he said. "We may also think of exporting it."
www.timesonline.com

Spiral Island "made with 250,000 bottles"

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Spiral Island I was a floating artificial island in a lagoon near Puerto Aventuras, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico south of Cancún. It was built by British eco-pioneer Richart (or "Rishi") Sowa beginning in 1998; he filled nets with empty discarded plastic bottles to support a structure of plywood and bamboo, on which he poured sand and planted numerous plants, including mangroves. It was destroyed by Hurricane Emily in 2005.[1] Sowa has built a new Spiral Island II in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

The original island sported a two-story house, a solar oven, a self-composting toilet, and three beaches. He used some 250,000 bottles for the 66ft (20 m) by 54 ft (16 m) structure. The mangroves were planted to help keep the island cool, and some of them rose up to 15 ft (5 m) high.

Sowa is a musician, artist, and carpenter. Now in his fifties, he is an environmentalist who believes in recycling and low-impact living.

A book about Rishi's journey in building the original island and his philosophies, titled Spiralogically Speaking written by the German author Tanja Samed along with Rishi, is due to be released in 2008.

Spiral Island has been featured in a number of newspapers and TV documentaries around the world, and was featured in an episode of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! TV show.
source : www.wikipedia.com

women slept with 1.000 men

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:37:00 +0000

The 25-year-old customer service manager needs sex up to a dozen times A DAY and admits her addiction is out of control.

Randy Terri even trawls the internet for partners, agreeing to sleep with them no matter how ugly they turn out to be.

"That's another sad parts of this problem - my desire for sex overrides any quality control issues," said Terri, from Dagenham, Essex. "It doesn't matter to me how it happens or what they look like and it's a bonus if they're well-endowed."
Terri, who struggles to maintain a relationship because of her addiction, became a slave to love at the age of 17, when she lost her virginity.

She recalled: "It was like someone had flipped a switch. From then I just developed an insatiable desire for sex. I've done it with hundreds and hundreds of men. I don't keep a tally because I'm not a slut - I am just satisfying a need.

"Most people who know me think I'm really sweet and charming. I don't smoke, I hardly drink, I've never taken drugs, yet I've slept with nearly one thousand men."

And if there's no man around, Terri slips off to satisfy herself, even if she's at work. She added: "Other people have fag breaks, so I don't feel too guilty. On a bad day, I can have up to a dozen comfort breaks."

Terri has tried hypnotherapy, SAA (Sex Addicts Anonymous) and has been prescribed anti-depressants - but still can't control her urges. Her lustful thoughts would often happen during sessions with her psychotherapist.

"I was laying on the couch telling my shrink that I was turned on at the thought of sleeping with him. I was hoping he'd jump on top of me and we'd have sex!
Toys

"I've been on nights out where I've ended up in the bedroom with married couples. Often I'll bring some sex toys with me, or I'll ask them to bring some along. I am looking for complete satisfaction."

Despite her bed-hopping, Terri has managed to stay faithful to her current boyfriend, Wayne, for two months. But she says: "I know that my appetite will probably wreck this relationship like it has done to all the rest.

"Men can't cope with my sex drive. I've ended up having sex with a their mates before - I was that desperate for it.

"It's like having dry skin: You know you shouldn't scratch it, but when you do it just feels so good."

Fly naked on Germany's first nudist holiday flight

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:25:00 +0000

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German nudists will be able to start their holidays early by stripping off on the plane if they take up a new offer from an eastern German travel firm.

Travel agency OssiUrlaub.de said it would start taking bookings from Friday for a trial nudist day trip from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom, planned for July 5 and costing 499 euros ($735).

"It's expensive, I know," managing director Enrico Hess told Reuters by phone. "It's because the plane's very small. There's no real reason why a flight in which one flies naked should be more expensive than any other."

The 55 passengers will have to remain clothed until they board, and dress before disembarking, said Hess. The crew will remain clothed throughout the flight for safety reasons.

"I wish I could say we thought of it ourselves but the idea came from a customer," Hess told Reuters by phone. "It's an unusual gap in the market."

Naturism, or "free body culture" (FKK) as it is known in Germany, was banned by the Nazis but blossomed again after the Second World War, particularly in eastern Germany.

"There are FKK hotels where you can go into the restaurants and shops naked, for example," Hess said. "For FKK fans -- not that I'm one of them -- it's nothing unusual."

"I don't want people to get the wrong idea. It's not that we're starting a swinger club in mid-air or something like that," he added. "We're a perfectly normal holiday company."
source : www.reuters.com

ENDAL THE AMAZING SERVICE DOG

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Endal is a yellow Labrador retriever and has been a service dog to his owner Allen Parton, a disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer since the late 1990’s. Allen received head injuries from the Gulf War which includes 50% memory loss. He also has speech and word difficulties, and is wheelchair-bound. For many years, Allen was unable to speak.

Endal was responsiblie for helping Allen recover from deep depression and trauma caused by his disability. Endal is able to respond to over one hundred instructions and a large number of signed commands. He retrieves items from supermarket shelves, operates buttons and switches, and loads and empties the washing maching. He is able to put a card into an automated teller machine, retrieve the card, and put the card back into a wallet.

An Able Magazine article noted that Endal has learned to pull the plug out of the bath before going to help if Allen becomes unconscious. He is able to put Allen in the recovery position, hit the emergency button the telephone and summon help. Endal has learned to help with the shopping, open train doors, and operates lifts. Another more private role is Endal’s work with autistic and terminally ill children. He has been used to help with animal welfare and has helped raise funds for many of the service charities.

Among his numerous awards are the 2005 Crufts Dog Show Runner up “Hero Dog of the Year” award , the 2004 “Lifetime Achievement Award” (Wag and Bone Show”) , and the 2003 Gold Blue Peter Badge, the highest award for “outstanding bravery and courage”. One of only two ever awarded to dogs.

He still has a few mischevious traits. Sometimes he will decide to chase squirrels, or may take paper out of the waste basket to Allen, in order to gain a reward for “picking it up from the floor”.

QWERTY Keybord

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:19:00 +0000

Look at the keyboard of any standard typewriter or computer. "Q,W,E,R,T and Y" are the first six letters. Who decided on this arrangement of the letters? And why?

The first practical typewriter was patented in the United States in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes. His machine was known as the type-writer. It had a movable carriage, a lever for turning paper from line to line, and a keyboard on which the letters were arranged in alphabetical order.

But Sholes had a problem. On his first model, his "ABC" key arrangement caused the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly. Sholes didn't know how to keep the keys from sticking, so his solution was to keep the typist from typing too fast.

He did this using a study of letter-pair frequency prepared by educator Amos Densmore, brother of James Densmore, who was Sholes' chief financial backer. The QWERTY keyboard itself was determined by the existing mechanical linkages of the typebars inside the machine to the keys on the outside. Sholes' solution did not eliminate the problem completely, but it was greatly reduced.
.
The keyboard arrangement was considered important enough to be included on Sholes' patent granted in 1878, some years after the machine was into production. QWERTY's effect, by reducing those annoying clashes, was to speed up typing rather than slow it down.

The new arrangement was the "QWERTY" arrangement that typists use today. Of course, Sholes claimed that the new arrangement was scientific and would add speed and efficiency. The only efficiency it added was to slow the typist down, since almost any word in the English language required the typist's fingers to cover more distance on the keyboard.

The advantages of the typewriter outweighed the disadvantages of the keyboard. Typists memorized the crazy letter arrangement, and the typewriter became a huge success.
source : www.idefinder.com

Another Reason to Visit Switzerland: Hiking in the Nude

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Baby, it's cold outside. But the early-spring chill doesn't deter Thomas B. from taking a brisk walk along Appenzell's hilly trails to enjoy the green landscape of this rural canton in northeast Switzerland.

There's a good reason why Thomas, 24, doesn't give out his last name: he is concerned that his bosses at a nearby bank may not like his unconventional hiking attire, consisting of shoes, socks, a backpack — and nothing else. Thomas isn't just some nature nut in a birthday suit — he's one of a growing number of hikers who make the pilgrimage to Appenzell specifically so they can trek in the nude.

Hiking in the buff might shock Thomas' bosses, as well as some of Appenzell's 15,000 inhabitants, but it's no skin off his back. "Hiking in clothes is too constrictive," he says, adding that he has never had any negative reactions from the fully clothed hikers he meets on the trails. "I like to feel comfortable. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Fellow nude hiker Puistola Grottenpösch agrees, saying that the allure of walking naked "is all about freedom." For the past three decades, the 54-year-old engineer from Zurich has been unabashedly hiking in the altogether, in all kinds of climatic conditions, with no incident. "I wouldn't do this in Afghanistan," he concedes, but he insists on his right to walk naked on the trails of his own country, where public nudity — as long as it is not lewd — is perfectly legal.

Why Appenzell, the second smallest of Switzerland's 26 cantons, known for its cheese and sturdy mountain dogs, became a nude-hiking mecca is the subject of some speculation. "It's probably because naked hikers who had been here raved about their experiences on blogs, building this area's reputation," says Veronique Kanel, a spokeswoman for Switzerland Tourism, the country's official tourist body. "We haven't heard so far of a massive influx of naked hikers to other Swiss regions, although I suspect that once in a while they also go outside of Appenzell."

Kanel adds that although the tourist board does not "actively promote" this particular pastime, "in this kind of spectacular environment, one can hardly resist the temptation to hike naked."

That's what the local authorities are afraid of. Having watched with growing concern as groups of unclad walkers criss cross the canton's stunning mountain paths and cow-studded meadows, the government decided that such a practice is not compatible with the canton's conservative ways. It has drafted a law that would ban public nudity, subjecting offenders to a $160 fine. The proposed legislation will be submitted to a popular vote on April 26, during Appenzell's annual Landsgemeinde, an open-air assembly in the town's picturesque main square, where all eligible citizens vote, by show of hands, on local laws and budget issues.

But even if accepted by the electorate, the law may prove difficult to implement, says Daniel Kettiger, a legal expert on public administration and management who has been following the Appenzell debate. The proposed legislation, he points out, would prohibit "misbehavior in public places" but would not specifically target nudity, "so its interpretation will be open-ended, because a nude hiker is not necessarily unruly."

To the authorities' argument that naked hiking should be banned because it could be detrimental to children, Kettiger responds with incredulity. "Oh, please. In this day and age, when kids have access to the Internet and where images of naked people are on every newsstand, how can they be shocked?" he asks. "Is there really a child out there who hasn't seen a naked person yet?"

Longtime naked hiker Grottenpösch says the possibility of a new penal code (no pun intended) makes his flesh crawl. "Some people may see nudity as indecent, but what harm does it do to public security and order?" he asks, adding that he has already convened about a dozen other nude-hiking aficionados to devise legal action. If the law passes, "we will sue Appenzell," he says, vowing to take the case all the way to the Federal Court — Switzerland's highest judicial authority.

source : www.time.com

Climb the Rabbit's Hill

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Colletto Fava is a 5,000 foot (1,500 m) high hill in the northern Piedmont region of Italy. In 2005, a massive pink stuffed bunny was finished being erected on the side of the mountain.

Members of the Viennese art group Gelatin that erected it not only expect people to observe the art work, but also for hikers to climb it and relax on the top.

Welcome to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a village on the island of Anglesey in Wales. It is best known for having the longest officially recognised place name in the United Kingdom, and one of the longest in the world.

The village's long name was contrived in the 1860s for the prestige of having the longest name of a railway station in Great Britain, and could not be considered an authentic word in the Welsh language. A translation into English would yield "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".

Climb the World's steepest street

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:17:00 +0000

The quiet suburban street of Baldwin Street, in New Zealand's southern city of Dunedin, is reputed to be the world's steepest street.

At its maximum, the slope of Baldwin Street is approximately 1:2.86 (20° or 38%) - that is, for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the altitude rises by 1 metre.

A Christian Chapel decorated by the bones of 40,000 people

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:13:00 +0000

The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Christian chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in the Czech Republic.

The ossuary contains approximately 40,000 human skeletons which have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.

The smallest park in the world: 452 in2

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:11:00 +0000

Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon is the smallest park in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The "park" is a 2 foot (610 mm) wide circle which in 1948 was intended to be the site for a light pole.

The small circle has featured many unusual items through the decades, including a swimming pool for butterflies (complete with diving board) and a miniature ferris wheel (which was delivered by a regular-sized crane).

The Mojave Lonely Phone Booth

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:06:00 +0000

The Mojave Phone Booth was a lone telephone booth in the Mojave National Preserve which attracted an online following in 1997, due to its unusual location. The booth was 15 miles from the nearest interstate highway, and miles from any buildings.

Fans called the booth attempting to get a reply, and a few took trips to the booth to answer, often camping out at the site. The story inspired the creation of a motion picture, Mojave Phone Booth, due for release in 2006.

Erving's Location. Population: 1

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Erving's Location is situated in Coos County, New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, locations, grants, townships (which are different from towns), and purchases are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government (if any, as many are uninhabited).

According to the 2000 census, one person lived in Erving's Location. Some have speculated that the census statistics for Erving's Location could have been a computer glitch.

A museum devoted to the Penis

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:59:00 +0000

The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Husavík, Iceland, is a museum devoted to phallology. The museum currently has 154 specimens displayed like hunting trophies, embalmed in formaldehyde, or dried in display cases.

The museum attempts to collect penis specimens from every mammal extant in Iceland, including several species that are endangered or currently extinct in Icelandic waters.

Thank you for Fucking, Austria

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Fucking is a small settlement (population c. 150) in Austria. The village is known to have existed as "Fucking" since at least 1070.

The settlement's most famous feature is a traffic sign with its name on it beside which English-speaking tourists often stop to have their photograph taken. The sign is the most commonly stolen street sign in Austria. Significant amounts of public funds are spent on replacing the stolen signs.

Sealand: a micronation on the waters of the North Se

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Flag

The Principality of Sealand

Currency

Sealand was founded as a sovereign Principality in 1967 in international waters, six miles off the eastern shores of Britain. In late June of 2006, the island suffered a devastating fire which destroyed much of the country's administrative centre and the main power generation facility which serves its population and industries. Fortunately, back-up systems exist which permit its activities to continue but the disaster has compromised significantly the quality of life of its inhabitants and the continued development of the island's economic and social growth.

The history of Sealand is a story of a struggle for liberty. Sealand was founded on the principle that any group of people dissatisfied with the oppressive laws and restrictions of existing nation states may declare independence in any place not claimed to be under the jurisdiction of another sovereign entity. The location chosen was Roughs Tower, an island fortress created in World War II by Britain and subsequently abandoned to the jurisdiction of the High Seas. The independence of Sealand was upheld in a 1968 British court decision where the judge held that Roughs Tower stood in international waters and did not fall under the legal jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. This gave birth to Sealand's national motto of E Mare Libertas, or "From the Sea, Freedom".

The official language of Sealand is English and the Sealand Dollar has a fixed exchange rate of one U.S. dollar. Passports and stamps have been in circulation since 1969 and the latter decade of the 20th century saw an impressive expansion in its activity both socially and industrially as it began to develop a growing economic base which underscored its long-standing membership of the international community of States.

"Ghost Island" Hashima Island

noreply@blogger.com (uniquenews) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Hashima Island (??; meaning "Border Island"), commonly called Gunkanjima (???; meaning "Battleship Island").The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it.

"Battleship Island" is an English translation of the Japanese nickname for Hashima Island, Gunkanjima. The island's nickname came from its apparent resemblance to a battleship, or gunkan (jima is a mutation of shima) due to its high sea-walls.

It also is known as the Ghost Island. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.

In 1959, its population density was 835 people per hectare (83,500 people/km^2) for the whole island, or 1,391 per hectare (139,100 people/km^2) for the residential district, the highest population density ever recorded worldwide.

As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it's called the Ghost Island.