Monday, August 30, 2010

Twins grow giant pumpkin with 16ft circumference. That's BIG enough to kill you!

The soggy summer weather might not be to everyone's taste, but it is clearly going down well in the giant plant kingdom, especially for a pair of pumpkin-growing twin brothers.

Ian and Stuart Paton are aiming to make history by growing the biggest pumpkin in the world.

And the incredible pictures below show some of the mammoth squashes grown by the horticulturists, both 49, who hold the current British record.

Their largest pumpkin has an incredible circumference of almost 16ft and amazingly grows more than 30lb every day.


In October, the brothers, who run Pine Tops Nursery in Pennington, Hampshire, will travel to a weigh-in at the Jubilee Sailing Trust Pumpkin Festival in Southampton.

There, they will compete with other world contenders at other locations around the globe as far away as America, New Zealand and Australia.

Determined Ian and Stuart have been growing giant pumpkins since they were just 13 and hope their decades of experience will take them into the history books.

Two years ago, they set the British record for the heaviest pumpkin weighing a colossal 1,457lb - around the same weight as eight grown men.

Last year American maths teacher Christy Harpy and her husband Nick, from Ohio, set a new world record with their entry weighing an amazing 1,725lb.

But this year, Ian and Stuart hope to smash that with their behemoth pumpkin which still has over 40 days left to grow.


Ian said: 'We've been doing this since we were young kids and became fascinated with growing things as big as possible.

'Now over 30 years later we are not going to stop until we have the world record and things are looking promising with this one.'

Each giant pumpkin is given a huge 600sq ft of greenhouse space in which to grow into a giant.

Early in the growing process, growers select their favourite and terminate any other fruits to make sure one pumpkin gets all the energy being produced by the plant through photosynthesis and food.

But to make records it's not just about feeding it as much as possible.


Ian said: 'With feed people tend to think that you just give it as much as possible but it's about balance.

'If you eat as much junk as possible every day then you'll get big but you'll end up very unhealthy and possibly will get sick or worse.

'It's the same with these pumpkins. It's about having it fit and healthy with a good diet.'

The brothers cross breed plants to get the best hybrids.


'It's a bit like breeding race horses," said Ian. "You want the best genes to produce the best offspring.'

They begin with six pumpkins - each with their own greenhouses - and wait until their favourite emerges.

The effort takes a massive 400 hours of hard work over 120 days - which is when the fruits reach optimum size.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Calf grows into towering 6ft 5in, that's the size of an elephant!

Trigger the Friesian was only a day old when his farmer aimed his shotgun at him - and because he did not want any more males he intended to kill the baby calf.

But neighbour Shaun Layton stepped in, saved his life and now Trigger is 6ft 5in - and still growing!

Weighing in at nearly 1.2 tonnes and measuring a staggering 14ft from nose to tail, Trigger is set to move into the record books.

Amazingly, the seven-year-old bullock is still growing meaning he could smash through the current British record in a matter of months.


When Shaun, a carpet fitter, saved Trigger he had no idea his new black and white friend would grow up to his magnificent size.

Trigger's enormous weight means he could potentially make 7,665 Big Macs or even 6,137 Burger King Whoppers.

But family pet Trigger lives a life far removed from that of your average livestock.
Instead he enjoys a relaxed lifestyle in a field at Kingswood, Herefordshire, where he eats a daily diet of grass, cattle cake, mineral lick and a packet of apples every week.

Shaun said: 'When you get up close to him, he really is quite imposing.
'He's growing steadily and he's gained an inch in the last 12 months, so he's coming towards the British record, which is about 6ft 7in.

'A friend who owns a couple of fields said I could borrow them for as long as I wanted, so I grasped the opportunity and got a little calf, and fed him up.

'About two years ago he had got to 6ft 3ins and the owners of the farm said he was bigger than anything they had ever seen.

'I thought he would be an ordinary size bullock, maybe 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins, but he just kept on growing and growing. Now he's set to be the biggest steer in the United Kingdom.


'I first noticed how big he had got when he went into his cow shed to sleep and he was brushing the top of the doors. I measured him and found he was 6ft 5ins.
'He seems to have grown a lot in the last 12 months.'

Bovines are Shaun's favourite animals ever since his days helping out on a neighbour's farm as a boy. And he continued: 'I heard about a bull that was 6ft 6ins but he was three years older than Trigger, who is only seven.

'They tend to keep on growing and Trigger should live to be 20 years old - so who knows what size he will grow to.

'He is very good natured, a big softie really. But we have had him castrated and de-horned or he could easily kill someone.

'He's our family pet. We go and see him twice a day, feed him and give him his cattle cake. It's something I enjoy - you can just play around with him and it's quite relaxing.

'I can unwind with Trigger just like some people do if they go angling.

'We trim his tail and he loves being brushed. A few of the local farmers come and see him because his size and they can't believe it.

'Lots of people come up to see him - he's a bit of a local attraction now.'

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Fastest texter in the WORLD after sending tongue-twisting 26-word message in just 25 seconds

As text messages go, most of the words will not be in the predictive dictionary and it's likely to tie your fingers in knots.

But for one British woman, one very special message has brought her more than a simple reply.

Melissa Thompson, 27, managed to write the message 'the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human' in just 25.94 seconds.

She bashed the 26-word statement out so quickly that she has texted her way into the record books.

Ms Thompson shaved a whopping 9.6 seconds off the world record, although it is still subject to verification by Guinness.


Ms Thompson, from Salford, Greater Manchester, was using Samsung's new Galaxy S smart-phone when she set the new benchmark.

In March this year, the same message was sent on the same device by American Franklin Page - but sadly for Franklin, he took a time of 35.54 - just too long.

The record was smashed by Ms Thompson using the phone's special 'SWYPE' key pad, which enables users to input text without their fingertip leaving the screen.

'The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human' 

Ms Thompson was shopping with her boyfriend Chris Davies, 23, when they visited a Samsung roadshow and she was invited to have a go at breaking the record.

She said: 'I used to send a lot of text messages - 40 or 50-a-day to Chris alone so we both knew I could type fast.

'But since we moved in together and I started my job I haven't been texting as much and, you could say, my fingers were out of shape.

'It's a real shock to find out that I'm the fastest texter in the world.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Michelin Baby..so so chubby..and very cute..10 months old but weighs the same as a 6 years old..

A Chinese baby has become so chubby he now weighs the same as a six-year-old child.

Ten-month-old Lei Lei has been nicknamed the ‘Michelin Baby’ after tipping the scales at a whopping 20kg (3.1 stones).


According to his mother, Cheng Qingyu, her son was a normal weight at birth, but thanks to his ravenous appetite he has steadily ballooned since.


She said: ‘No matter whatever he grabs, he unconsciously puts it in his mouth.
‘His most favourite thing is to eat.’

Lei Lei is currently in hospital in Yiyang, southern China’s Hunan province, where he is undergoing tests to see if there is a medical reason behind his weight gain.


Despite his mammoth size, the portly youngster is not the largest baby in the world.


That accolade goes to Karan Singh, of Meerut, in India, who weighed an astonishing 3 stone 7lbs at the same age.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Sodoku lovers..Try to solve this..Its the World's Toughest Sodoku!

It is the challenge puzzle-lovers have been waiting for: The world's toughest Sudoku.

The brainchild of Finnish mathematical whizz Arto Inkala, it took him three months to compile -  and could take you even longer to solve.

Those who don't have luck on their side could spend months of tea breaks or hours of train journeys with their pen poised over the grid.


Dr Inkala, an environmental scientist with a doctorate in science and applied mathematics, who compiles puzzles in his spare time, said: 'Some people might make three or four lucky guesses and so be able to solve it in 15 minutes or half an hour and will wonder why it is said to be so difficult.

'But it will normally take days to solve by logic.' The puzzle was commissioned by Efamol, maker of brain-boosting omega-3 supplements, and was generated by a computer program devised by Dr Inkala.

Twenty-three of the 81 squares are already filled in -  and there is only one solution.

Removing even one of these numbers would have vastly increased the number of possible solutions, making it easier to solve by luck alone.

So its difficulty -  and frustration factor  -  lies in the number of mental leaps needed to complete each square.

Like chess, those trying to solve it will have to think several moves ahead. Many exasperating deadends have also been built in.

As those who try the puzzles in the Daily Mail's Coffee Break section each day will know, the object is to fill each of the nine blocks with the numbers one to nine. Each vertical nine- square column or horizontal nine-square row must also contain each of the numbers, without any repetitions or omissions.


While Dr Inkala clearly has a strong background in maths, puzzle-solvers need not even know how to add up. Instead, he says, logic, patience and care are key.

'I think Sudoku's popularity lies in its simple rules; they are very easy to follow,' he said. 'It is very enjoyable -  when you finally solve the puzzle.'

Friday, August 13, 2010

A luxurious dessert goes on sale for £15,730! Anyone wants the world most expensive puddings?

These sumptuous desserts are not just any desserts; they are world record-breaking desserts.

The £630 Grand Opulence Sundae and the mind-boggling £15,730 Frrrozen Haute Chocolate are on offer at New York's famous Serendipity 3 restaurant and according to Guinness are the most expensive puddings in the world.


Created by one of Serendipity's specialist chefs to order at your table, the Grand Opulence Sundae is available at 48 hours notice and the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate at a whopping two weeks.


Each contains 24 carat edible Swiss gold and is lined with 23 carat edible gold leaf and maintains the restaurants fame for producing world renowned and expensive desserts.

'We produced the Grand Opulence (below) to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2005,' said Joe Calderone, 48, a spokesperson for Serendipity.


'We wanted something to match out golden anniversary, so based our sundae around that precious metal.

'Each one is made with three scoops of the richest Tahitian vanilla ice cream, which we infuse with Madagascar vanilla pods.

'The sundae is held within a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet and lined with 23 carat edible gold leaf.

'We drizzle in the world's rarest and expensive chocolate Amedei Porceleana, which is harvested from Venezuela and covered in chunks of Chuao chocolate.

'We add candied fruits from Paris and the sundae is topped with Grand Passion Caviar, which is salt free American caviar infused with passion fruit, orange and Armagnac.

'The dessert is eaten with an 18 carat golden spoon and topped with a specially designed sugar flower.'

Needing two days notice to order some of the ingredients such as the candied fruit from France, Serendipity says that since its unveiling in 2005 they have sold 200 Grand Opulence Sundaes.

'It is something that boyfriends show off to the girlfriends with and even though it looks calorific, at Serendipity, we never count the calories,' said Joe.

The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate is officially recognised by Guinness as the world's most expensive dessert and is grand in every way.

'We take a baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet for the Haute Chocolate, but in this case there is a 18 carat gold and white diamond bracelet attached to the neck ,' said Joe.


'Like the Opulence, the goblet is laced with 23 carat edible gold and we add our famous Serendipity frozen hot chocolate mix that contains 14 rare and secret cocoas.

'In addition to that we add 14 of the world rarest and most expensive cocoas that come from Africa and South America.

'We then add milk to the mix, add ice cubes and place the 28 different cocoas in the blender for 30 seconds.

'We then add whipped cream and shavings from the world's most expensive truffle, the La Madeline au Truffle, which costs £1,573 ($2,500) a pound.


'On top of that goes five grams of 24 carat edible gold and the dessert is served with a £8,800 ($14,000) jewel encrusted spoon, that the customer can take home along with their diamond encrusted bracelet.'

To produce one of these puddings would require two weeks notice to Serendipity and is probably one of the reasons why it has never actually been sold.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

World sixth LARGEST river discovered...at the bottom of the sea!

Immense rivers that dwarf the Thames have been found at the bottom of the ocean by British scientists.

Like those on land, the submarine waterways carve out channels, tributaries, flood plains, rapids and even waterfalls.

One river, discovered underneath the Black Sea, is up to 115ft deep in places and more than half a mile wide.

If found on land, scientists estimate the so-far unnamed waterway  would be the world's sixth largest river in terms of the amount of water flowing through it.


The flow – carrying highly salty water and sediment - is 350 times greater than the Thames, according to a Leeds University team who used a robotic submarine to scan the seabed near Turkey.

The undersea river - the only active one to have been found so far - stems from salty water spilling through the Bosphorus Strait from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea, where the water has a lower salt content.

This causes the dense water from the Mediterranean to flow like a river along the sea bed, carving a channel and deep banks.


The discovery could help explain how life manages to survive in the deep ocean far out to sea away from the nutrient rich waters that are found close to land, as the rivers carry sediment and nutrients with them.

Dr Dan Parsons, who led a team from the university's school of earth and environment, told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘The water in the channels is denser than the surrounding seawater because it has higher salinity and is carrying so much sediment.

‘It flows down the sea shelf and out into the abyssal plain much like a river on land.

The abyssal plains of our oceans are like the deserts of the marine world, but these channels can deliver nutrients and ingredients needed for life out over these deserts.


‘This means they could be vitally important, like arteries providing life to the deep ocean.

‘The key difference we found from terrestrial rivers was that as the flow goes round the bend, the water spirals in the opposite way to rivers on land.’
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