UNCONVENTIONAL WORLD RECORDS

UPDATE 11th Dec 2007: First published in September 2006 by Irish magazine The Dubliner, this has since been established to be fake. Nordegren has never posed in the nude. The pics are fact those of Playboy model Kim Hiott, mostly from a 2000 edition. The Dubliner has issued an apology and lost the lawsuit.

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Mrs Woods, Elin Nordegren poses in softcore pics [Update 11th Dec 2007: link not working anymore].

Tags: elin nordegren, elin woods, tiger woods

Popularity: 61% [?]

Burning Man is an annual event held at Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

It lasts about a week.

In 2005, about 35,000 people attended!

And what it is exactly is difficult to explain.

It’s like all these thousands of people converge in the middle of the desert, create a temporary city and do all sorts of fun things. After it’s over, they go back to their lives, leaving no trace of them ever being there.

It culminates in the burning of an effigy of a man:

Sounds like something I’ve got to add to my list of things to do before I die.

There are many pics of this event around the Net, but this one I found the best, because it looks at it from the point of view of a Burning Man “virgin”:

http://www.jeremedia.com/photos/bm/

Tags: burning man, effigy, strange events, social events

Popularity: 24% [?]

For man, it’s JL Hunter “Red” Rountree (1912 – 2004) who did his first heist at age 86. In all, he managed 3 successful bank robberies in 5 years.

Why did he do it? A bankrupt, he wanted to get his fortune back.

He died at age 92 in prison.

For a woman, possibly it’s a yet unnamed 79 years old.

She was arrested in Chicago after trying to hold up a bank with a toy gun.

She was wearing “a white visor that read “princess” and black sunglasses.

An FBI agent’s affidavit says she walked into a Bank of America branch and told a female cashier she could not speak very loud because she had just come from the dentist.

When the cashier leaned forward, the woman pulled out what appeared to be a gun and said: “Give me $30,000. My friend is across the street. And no dye.”

However, the cashier reached into her drawer and activated a silent alarm before walking away from the counter.

The robber waited a few minutes then walked out of the bank, ditching her trench coat as she left. A bank employee flagged down a police officer who arrested her outside.

Tags: rountree, bank robbers

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Harm Reduction Journal is suggesting the above.

If so, what should be done now?

That we should outlaw cigarettes and legalise marijuana instead?

The families of people who were hanged for marijuana / ganja trafficking will throw a fit – from the lowest of the low, up to national hero status?

Tags: harm reduction journal, cannabis, marijuana, ganja

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tech entrepreneur Mrs Ansari, 40 became the 4th space tourist, and the first woman, and of course the first Iranian.

Like the previous 3, she reportedly paid USD20 million (16 million euros) for the privilege.

But what interested me more was her life story which is truly inspiring:

She arrived in the US at age 18 totally unable to speak English.

But she proved to be a wizard at electrical and electronics engineering, and went on to earn her Master’s.

And she proved to be an even bigger wizard at being a techpreneur: founded a company making software for switching signals on phone networks. Knowledge gained at first and postgrad degress put to good use. I guess that would be good enough for a PhD, if she went for it.

But she reserved her best for last: selling her company for more than USD500 million at the height of the dot com boom just before the bubble burst.

So I think it’s safe to say she can afford to go up there.

Her quote is worth putting up: “People think they reach the height of their life at age 40. I’m hoping this is just the beginning of another hill that I will be climbing.”

source

Tags: anousheh ansari, ansari, space tourist

Popularity: 13% [?]

Of all the chain emails I received everyday, this one takes the cake and actually made me forward it to others. So if you want your chainmails to be forwarded, you know what to do.

Read it at the source.

Tags: chain emails, chainmails

Popularity: 2% [?]

It’s not Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods started playing golf at age 3, became World Junior Champion at 13 and became a pro at age 21.

Brayden Bozak is 2 years old and aims to be a pro by 7.

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Tags: brayden bozak, golf, golf prodigy, prodigy, sports

Popularity: 3% [?]

Bogues (1965 – ) played in the NBA for 14 seasons starting 1987.

He’s only 5′ 3″ (1.60m) and 136 pounds (62 kg).

So who said you need to be a six-footer to be an NBA player?

In a June 2000 interview with CNN, he was asked the following questions:

“…..most players are sent the message that if you’re not six feet tall, you can’t survive in the NBA. How were you able to ignore that message? What are the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome as a “small” point guard in the NBA and college, and how did you overcome them?

He answer is an inspirational:

“That’s where the “Always Believe” comes in. You’ve always got to stay true to beliefs. I never accepted it when someone said I couldn’t do something. They don’t know my capabilities and potential. I left the criticism go in one ear and out the other. I just had to show that it’s possible that a kid my size can compete and be as successful as the others on the floor. I didn’t see myself failing. I studied the game and became knowledgeable of how to get across what I can do to others. Hard work, the idea of Always Believing and the willingness to survive has been a big part of my having a 13-year career.”

Some interesting tidbits:

• In his rookie year, he was in the same team with Manute Bol, who at 7′ 7″ was at that time, the tallest player ever to have played in the NBA.
• His best average points per season is 11.2
• 1996, he managed to block a shot attempt by seven-footer Patrick Ewing.

source

Tags: muggsy bogues, shortest ever NBA player, basketball

Popularity: 3% [?]

How did it happen? In jail for 11 years (1990-2001), he observed:

…how different races reacted when integration was enforced and societal stigmas over racism were not in action to civilise conduct. He claims that the whites in prison were under a continual state of siege by the other races, and that he was welcomed by whites, while blacks tried to rape him (his prison sentence was extended for attacking two blacks who made sexual advances).

He considers himself black, although he’s not really black in the traditional sense – his father is of mixed race and his mother Jew.

In my view, he’s just another screwed-up guy. Would you like your leader to have this in his resume:

• after divorcing, his mother announced that she’s a lesbian and started living with another woman
• Felton was institiutionalised at age 9 for violent behaviour
• after release, committed a series of petty thefts during his teenage years
• imprisoned for 11 years between the ages of 20 and 31 for attempted murder of a cab driver during a road rage incident
• out of prison, he and wife robbed a bank and wanted to create a bomb.
• planned to kill high profile blacks and Jews
• like Tim McVeigh, wanted to ignite a race war
• a mere few months after release from 11-year jail sentence, condemned to another 21 years for the bank robbery and other crimes

Understandably, reaction from other groups to Felton’s strange life story have been mixed:

• Black: many strongly supported him: “in a race-blind society all should be able to claim whatever racial ancestry one likes.”
• White: Disbelief or intrigue.
• Racist and antiracist groups: constant mockery.

source

Tags: white supremacist, leo felton, sociopolitical

Popularity: 2% [?]

An actual news release by the very serious-minded US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which is under the even more serious-minded US Department of Homeland Security states:

ICE arrests 15 aliens in Roswell working for US military contractor

ROSWELL, N.M. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents today arrested 15 illegal aliens who were working for a local company here that is under contract to paint U.S. military aircraft, including Lockheed C-130 military aircraft.

Some of the aliens were in the process of painting these aircraft when they were arrested.

Federal agents today executed a search warrant at Dean Baldwin Painting Inc., 82 Earl Cumming Loop, Hangar 1083, in Roswell, N.M. ICE was assisted in the investigation by the following agencies: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Department of Labor; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol (CBPBP).

Of course it was clarified later that:

The aliens were arrested after they were determined to be illegally residing and working in the United States. Those arrested are citizens of Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.

source

Tags: roswell, aliens, humor, humour, unintentional humour, unintentional humor, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security

Popularity: 2% [?]

In early August 2006, The Yorkshire Post (UK) reported that a former railway signal box is hoping to be recognised as the world’s smallest pub.

The 2,4m (8 ft) by 2,4m (8ft) Signal Box Inn at Cleethorpes has four stools and standing room for another two customers.

It boasts five hand pumps serving real ale and has a a fairly large beer garden.

Landlord Andrew MoCall, 35, has submitted his 64 sq ft local for a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The title is currently held in the US by Sam’s Bar in Colorado Springs at 109 square feet.

Andrew says: “We’re so small some drinks companies won’t fit equipment for us because they think we won’t do enough trade. But business is booming.”

And Andrew thinks that the next logical thing to do now is to find the world’s smallest cellarman to work for him.

Update: but someone mentioned Café de Groot, on the Rodeweg 5, Groningen, Holland. It like 2,5 by 1,5m (even smaller).

source

Tags: smallest pub, cleethorpes, cafe de groot, pubs

Popularity: 18% [?]

On 7th August 2006, the BBC reported that the Rising Sun Anger Release Bar in Nanjing, eastern China is obviously feeling the heat of competition, hence the owner, Wu Gong, in a fit of brainwave, found the best way how to resuscitate his dwindling profits.

The best idea they came up with, and unbelieveably implemented is: to attract clients, we would allow them to beat up our staff.

“The idea is to release anger caused by problems of daily life”. Yeah right, and create a whole set of new problems in the process.

It lets customers “smash glasses, rant and even hit specially trained workers.” Basically anything goes, except burn the whole building down.

Interestingly, “most of his customers are women working in the service or entertainment industries.” I suppose that would include GROs and prostitutes.

The bar employs 20 men who obviously have been supplied with protective gear and physical training to prepare them for the job.

Another interesting trivia: clients can ask the men to dress as the characters they wish to attack. Let me guess, the most popular character is balding, wears a suit and constantly frowning.

source

Tags: bar, drinking, nightclub, china

Popularity: 5% [?]

Without question, it is the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. The distance between the two towers is more than 1km.

I don’t think its creator, Joseph Strauss ever wanted this “honour.”

Since its opening on 27th May 1937, there has been about 1,300 deaths.

That’s about 19 in a year, or almost two a month.

The most popular year was in 1977 where 40 people jumped. That’s almost one every week.

Some macabre trivia:

• if you jump off the middle of the bridge, which is about 250 feet above, it would take you 4 seconds to hit the water at 120km/h. That is like being hit by a speeding truck. Of course that means almost certain death. In fact, 98% of jumpers die.
• the guard rail is only 4 feet high. No wonder anybody could do it. Barriers were not put up due to a myriad of reasons, including of course cost and the argument that “if you put up barriers, people will simply go elsewhere to die” . Let me put it this way, even the feasibility study proposed in 2005 alone costs USD2 million. Just a study!
• men outnumber the women 3 to 1.
• most are locals – that means it’s not true that people fly here from the woeld over just to kill themselves.
• youngest to die: 14
• oldest to die: 85
• average age: 41
• most don’t leave suicide notes, but for those who did, some are downright silly, like this one: “nothing wrong, only a toothache.”
• Cause of death is either “extensive internal injuries” or “drowned in their own blood.”
• there have only been around 26 survivors. All hit the water feet first and suffered broken legs and internal injuries. Ouch.
• most of the jumpers are men wearing suits.
• many jumpers *do* want to be dissuaded from jumping. In one case, a police officer told one would-be jumper: “if you jump, I will shoot you.” He did not jump.
• the most popular spot on the bridge to jump from is at lamppost no 69. There are a total of 128 lampposts.
• most people jumped facing the city rather than the ocean. “Attention whores to the last” some people would say.
• there are also many fake suicides, like Chris C, who turned up a year later in Houston selling bibles.
• the first to die jumped less than 3 months after the bridge’s inauguration. His name is Harold Wobber, WWI vet. He turned to a stranger on the walkway, said “this is as far as I go” – then took his last step
• the only person to have jumped twice off the bridge is Sarah Rutledge Birnbaum in 1988. She survived the first jump, did not give up, and was “successful” on the second.
• The most famous person to have jumped off is Roy Raymond, Victoria’s Secret clothing chain (most famous for its lingerie) founder. He founded the company in the 70s but killed himself in 1993 after “failing to start new businesses.”
• The most misguided person was the one who jumped because he did not make it to Columbia Law School, only Stanford.
• The dumbest person is Charles G Jr, who jumped 4 days after his father did because “I wanted to keep dad company.”
• The 500th person to jump left a suicide note: “do not notify my mother. She has a heart condition.” But there was no need to tell her – she saw it on the evening news. The 500th suicide had been greatly anticipated. It was like everybody wanted to be the 500th to die. One person even had written the number 500 on his t-shirt. Sheesh. That is like writing “first post” in a blog’s comment section.

The official count stopped in June 1995 as the official number of suicides touched 997. Probably the authorities wanted to stop speculation as to who would be the 1,000th victim. That did not stop Eric Atkinson, 20 to be that person less than a month later.

Hence, it is safe to say that this sign do not make that much of an impact.

This young man was persuaded by a California Highway Patrol officer from taking his own life in early 2005:

Sources:

• sfgate.com
• wikipedia
• everything2.com

Tags: golden gate bridge, suicide

Popularity: 5% [?]

Rogerio Ceni (b 1973) was Brazil’s 2nd choice goalkeeper at Germany 2006, behind Dida. He was also included in the victorious 2002 squad, meaning he’s also a world cup winner. In all, so far he was capped 35 times.

He only played once in the World Cup: in the last 10 minutes in the match against Japan in Germany.

However, he is a demigod at one of Brazil’s top clubs, Sao Paulo, having played there since 1990 and winning the Copa Libertadores 3 times as captain. The most capped player in the history of the club, he was named Man of the Match in Sao Paulo’s 1-0 win over Liverpool in the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup final.

Amazingly, on 25th July 2006 he became Sao Paulo’s Copa Libertadores all-time leading scorer when he scored a penalty kick winner against Mexican side Chivas. A goalkeeper scoring more than the other players! And of all countries, in Brazil, where strikers are king!

He has never considered a lucrative move overseas, further endearing him to local fans.

On 20th August 2006, he broke the legendary Jose Luis Chilavert’s record, by scoring both goals in the Brasilero leaders’ 2-2 draw against Cruzeiro, from a freekick and a penalty. He is now on 64 goals, the highest scoring professional goalkeeper of all time, since records started to be kept in the 1888/89 season.

That match is also remarkable due to the fact that at one point Sao Paulo were trailing 0-2 on 39 minutes. 4 minutes later he scored his first goal via a freekick, and at the 63rd, a penalty.

He has scored 41 goals from free-kicks and 23 from penalties. His first goal was in 1997. That means he achieved that magical number 64 in 9 years, an incredible average of 7 goals per year.

For the record, the other topscoring top level goalkeepers of all time are as follows:

1. Jose Luis Chilavert (Penarol, Paraguay, 62 goals, 45 goals from penalties, 17 from freekicks)
2. Rene Higuita (Bajo Cauca FC Caucasia, Colombia, 41/37/4 – the one who did that infamous “scorpion save”)
3. Jorge Campos (Puebla FC, Mexico, 40/9/31)
4. Hans-Jorg Butt (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany, 28/28/0)
5. Dimitar Ivankov (PFC Sofia, Bulgaria, 25/25/0)
6. Marco Antonio Cornez (Deportes Iquique, Chile, 24/24/0)

And according to IFFHS, after Cornez, the other goalkeepers all scored 15 goals or less.

That means Ceni beats all the other goalkeepers hands down when it comes to freekicks. Most of the other goalies scored more from penalties, except of course the other legend, Mexican Jorge Campos (although he only scored 31 goals from freekicks).

A video of his exploits.

Sources:

• fifa.com
• wikipedia.org

Tags: rogerio ceni, goalkeepers, soccer, football, high scoring goalkeeper, goalies

Popularity: 8% [?]

In July 2006, Popular Science magazine did an article on this creation of 2 Germans. They aim is to create a personal vehicle capable of performing the tasks of a dirt bike, snowmobile and a four-wheeler — the ultimate in tackling nearly any terrain with a single vehicle.

Now for some reality check: at the moment, the Hyanide is only a concept model. Worse still, its designers don’t have any plans to bring one to the consumer market.

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Tags: hyanide, all-terrain, all-terrain vehicle

Popularity: 14% [?]

Ron Mueck (b. 1958) is a world famous Australian sculptor working in Great Britain who has had his work displayed in art museums around the world.

Possibly his most famous work is Boy, the 15 feet tall giant, located at the Aros museum, Aarhus, Denmark.

Look at the detail of the boy’s foot. That’s what we call hyperrealist!

And how about this giantess in bed?

However, needless to say, the nature of much of his work is such that it will never be featured in Malaysian museums. There are naked or almost naked giants, anatomically correct and complete with bodily hair. There is also a sculpture of a woman who has just given birth, with her baby on her stomach. It was just too…. graphic.

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Tags: ron mueck, mueck, art, giants, giant, human giants, boy, the boy

Popularity: 7% [?]

Sebastian Buescher makes the world’s strangest jewelleries.

He makes them out of things people normally don’t associate with jewellery.

In fact, I think he makes them out of the very things that will prevent people from buying them.

I mean, would you wear a spider brooch ?

Nice gift box though.

If spiders are not your cup of tea, how about a scorpion ring?

Still no? Then I am sure a beetle ring would be perfect:

I don’t see any hands raised yet. So, apart from the odd “cool” purchases and novelty value, I don’t think this will top the best sellers list anytime soon…

Still, it would be perfect for a conversation piece.

See, I told you these are no ordinary jewelry.

source

Tags: sebastian buescher, buescher, world’s strangest jewellery collection, jewellery

Popularity: 11% [?]

The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Husavik, Iceland so far has more than 150 penes of land and sea mammals, including those of whales, bears, seals, walruses and others.

The founder, Sigurdur Hjartarson’s first penis (belonging to a bull) was collected in the 1940s.

Unfortunately, none of humans, although a few people have pledged their member, presumably posthumously.

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Tags: world’s only penis museum, penis, museum, icelandic phallological museum, iceland, sigurdur hjartarson, hjartarson, phallology, phallologist

Popularity: 4% [?]

As of this year (2006), 44 years.

The town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, US has been on fire since 1962.

Not that its buildings are permanently on fire, but rather an underground coal mine fire has been going on underneath the city all these years.

It could also be the world’s least populated town, with only 11 residents.

source

Tags: centralia, pennsylvania, mine fires, underground fires, coal fires

Popularity: 11% [?]

Dutch Architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars has worked the past 6 years for the development of the world’s first floating bed. It works by using the principle of magnetism.

It can carry a weight of up to 900 kilograms.

Costs more than a million euros. Heck, with that kind of money I might as well buy myself a nice car.

sources:

• yahoo.com
• universe architecture (with some more pics at “floating bed” section)

Tags: floating bed, levitating bed, bed, beds

Popularity: 5% [?]

On 21st July 2006, The Age reported that while severly drunk, a 30 year old man in Latvia made a bet with his friend that for USD2360, he would cut off his penis.

And so he did.

I have also entered him as title contender for the world’s stupidest man.

Do you think it’s better to bet on your life than on your willie?

Luckily doctors put him back together, John Wayne Bobbitt style.

Ad: If not, he’d probably need the services of a South Carolina injury lawyer to get his money, and dignity back…

source

Tags: john wayne bobbitt, bobbitt, world’s worst thing to bet on, penis

Popularity: 9% [?]

…in terms of attendance, that is. If it’s an unknown band or person I wouldn’t be surprised, but Sir Bob Geldof of Band Aid / Live 8 fame?

On 22nd July 2006, Italy’s La Stampa newspaper reported that only 45 people turned up for Geldof’s gig in Milan. It was no technical hiccup, it was caused by simply “lack of public interest.” He was supposed to have another show the next day in Rome, but since that one also sold very poorly (a mere 300 tickets) for a celebrity of his stature, it was also cancelled.

It must have been embarrassing for him to stand on stage expecting thousands at Milan’s 12,000-capacity Arena Civica!

So he left without playing. His manager explained that a concert for less than 400 people would not be viable, the newspaper said.

Those who turned up expecting an ultra-intimate, if in a somewhat bizarre setting, session with the 54-year old rock star were understandably upset. To make up, Geldof promised to be back in September for free.

Heck, even minor celebrities like Felix AF3 at their worst would at least attract 100 to 200 hardcore fans!

source

Tags: bob geldof, geldof, rock concert, concert, world’s least successful rock concert, live 8, live aid

Popularity: 27% [?]

The Star reported on 30th August 2006 that the panties snipper has struck in Kuala Terengganu. Again.

A pervert who breaks into homes to snip pieces of panties off sleeping teenagers has struck again.

His latest victims are two teenagers from Kampung Tanjung Jaafar in Gong Badak, near here.

Following the first scare two weeks ago, villagers had warned their daughters to wear track pants or slacks over their panties when going to bed and also to cover their body with a thick blanket to deter the hantu gunting.

However, this did not work as the culprit could deftly cut through the thick protection to reach the panty and slice out a piece from the groin area.

Since Aug 11, several teenage girls from Gong Badak, Pengkalan Arang, Taman Baiduri and Taman Desa Bakti have become victims of the “panty snipper.”

From descriptions given by them, the culprit is short and has body odour.

Initially, the suspect was thought to be a ghoulish figure or someone who was getting snippets of panty for black magic. However, police suspect that he is just a perverted sex fiend.

Siti Aisha Rashid and Nurfiri Razali, both 15, told The Star that the culprit broke into their homes several days ago while they slept.

Siti said she was asleep in the hall when she sensed someone touching her thighs, causing her to wake up.

“He had cut my tracksuit and was trying to pull at my panty,” she said, adding that she kicked him on the chest and he fled through an open window.

“I could not catch a glimpse of his face as it was wrapped in a towel. But he had bad body odour,” Siti said, adding that her fisherman father was at sea when the incident occurred.

She said a window had been forced open, and that she later found her cell phone missing.

Nurfiri, who lives next door, said she was fast asleep and did not realise that someone had cut her long pants and sliced off a piece of her panty until she woke up.

“I must have been hypnotised,” she said, adding that she was shocked to find a hole in her thick blanket.

I mean, why the extreme fetish with cutting holes in teenage girls’ panties WHILE they are wearing them, then disappear?

I thought they’d do *more* than that since he had the opportunity, you know…

And why not simply take them panties that are hung out to dry? Or take those in the cupboard? The point is, anywhere, except *this*.

Why take the extreme risk?

One more thing, the “bad odour” could be intentional.

He could’ve gotten this idea from 70s TV show “Number 96” which has a character with a similar hobby.

A hypothetical question: what would he do he finds his intended victim(s) wearing crotchless panties instead?

Popularity: 1% [?]