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Monday, September 14, 2009

Father shows off device he dug up in back garden... unaware it's an unexploded anti-tank grenade

By Daily Mail Reporter


A father-of-two posed for photographs unaware he was holding a live Second World War anti-tank grenade after digging it up in his back garden.

Paul Davies, 32, found the undetonated bomb and thought it was part of an old lawn mower or machine.

He took it into his house, where his friend used a camera phone to take a picture of him joking and holding the eight-inch device.

Paul Davies who dug up second world war grenade

Explosive: Paul Davies, 32, poses with the anti-tank grenade he dug up in his back garden. Twelve nearby homes were evacuated after he realised what it was

Mr Davies, a window cleaner, then placed it near his sink next to some washing up where it sat for more than two hours.

But later in the morning he had a 'bad feeling' and after checking the internet, he realised the rusty lump of metal was an anti-tank grenade.

He threw it into his back garden and called police, who evacuated 12 nearby homes and summoned bomb disposal experts.

They set up a 100 metre exclusion zone around the house before taking the bomb - which was still live - to a nearby field to blow it up.

Mr Davies, of Exeter, Devon, said: 'I couldn't believe what was happening. I dug this thing up and it looked like a part of some old machine.

'I took it inside so I could show the kids when they came home from school and my mate took a photo of me for a laugh and I put it down the side.

'A bit later on I suddenly thought it might be dangerous and had a look on the internet. I said "I think it's a bomb".

'I can't believe I had it in my hand and was posing for a picture. The bomb team told me it was still live.'

anti-tank grenade dug up by Paul Davies

Lucky escape: The unexploded grenade next to the sink. Bomb disposal experts safely detonated it in a nearby field

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the anti-tank grenade was detonated by experts at 12.50pm on Friday.

He said: 'The bomb disposal team took it away and blew it up. We visited homeowners and asked them to leave their houses to retreat behind a cordon. Twelve properties were affected.'

Mr Davies added: 'It wasn't buried that deep in the earth. I've asked around and apparently the guy who used to live here years ago had an air raid shelter.

'It must have been buried then. I'm glad I didn't hit it with my spade when I dug it up - it could have been kaboom.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213144/Father-poses-photograph-digging-unexploded-anti-tank-grenade.html#ixzz0R7PjcdK6

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' trailer (video)

'Curb Your Enthusiasm' trailer (video)

From the upcoming seventh season: Larry David vs. the anti-theft plastic electronics box.



8 Brilliant Bicycle Concepts

Take a spin through our list of innovative cycle designs

By Brynn Mannino

from WomansDay.com

The bicycle, which, according to the Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, evolved from a pedal-less machine built in 1817, is constantly at the center of innovation—whether to correct a flaw, meet a mobility need or simply as a means of artistic expression. So, we set out to find new bikes crafted with modernity in mind, regardless of whether they are rideable or not. From the motor-assisted Gocycle to a three-wheel seesaw-inspired cycle, each of the bikes below binds together the world of cycling and design.


“Bio-Cycle”

Requiring 100 hours of work, Jud Turner’s “Bio-Cycle”—made of welded steel and found objects—is part of his ongoing series of sculptures that examine how humans are intertwined with their modes of transportation. It sports an exact replica of a human skeleton, the bones of which are coated with a metallic finish, whose feet are attached to the pedals and whose arms serve as the bike’s forks. Displayed in May 2008 at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon, the “Bio-Cycle” was purchased by a private collector within two days for $3,000. Photo courtesy of Jud Turner via JudTurner.com.


The Contortionist

Dominic Hargreaves designed the Contortionist to—unlike other folding bikes—specifically showcase the aesthetics and feel of a traditional bike. Mechanically, he aimed to create a bike that was unable to fold up while being ridden, even if the quick release were to come loose. The aluminum frame collapses between the two wheels, making its compact size equal to that of a 26-inch wheel, allowing it to be easily carried (or rolled!) onto public transportation. When opened up, it becomes a standard, full-size bike. Click here to watch the bike fold up. Photo courtesy of Dominic Hargreaves via EyetoHand.com.


Gocycle

The final of many prototypes, Karbon Kinetics Limited’s Gocycle took its desired form in spring 2009 as a compact, electric-assisted, corrosion-proof folding bike. Designed to meet the everyday get-around needs of British citizens, the three-speed cycle with five-spoke wheels is equipped with optional accessories including a lightweight kickstand, chain guards to prevent oil rub on pants, integrated cable locks and luggage carriers on the front of the bike (in the form of a mount that allows you to hang a standard pannier) as well as at the back (a luggage arm can be mounted above the rear tire for transporting heavier cases). Fully assembled, the Gocycle costs ₤1,198 (approximately $1,995). Photo courtesy of Gocycle.com.


Skybike

The Skybike, a project designed by Marios Diamantis for the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, was meant to satisfy abstract needs as opposed to practical ones. Rather than providing a transportation solution, the Skybike, which has the rider sitting upside down and pedaling backward, is meant to make a person feel as if they are “riding on the sky” according to Diamantis. The artist claims that this concept raises questions such as “What is the purpose of designing only objects that adapt or apply to everyday life?” Click here to watch the Skybike in action. Photo courtesy of Marios Diamantis via itp.nyu.edu/~md1660/skybike.html.


Cardboard Bicycle

Phil Bridge, who majored in Product Design at Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England, aimed to design a recyclable bike that was, in essence, worth nothing. Bicycles are often stolen or damaged throughout England, so he hoped his cardboard creation, devoid of sentiment and cost, would deter thieves while also preventing owner worry. A waterproof, honeycomb-structured cardboard called Hexacomb—generally used for engineering purposes—was used for the frame, pedals and wheel spokes. Designed to withstand approximately six months of constant use, the bike has an estimated production cost of around ₤15 (approximately $25). Photo courtesy of Sheffield Hallam University via shu.ac.uk/art/design/news/cardboardbike.html.


Bi-Cycle

This unique tandem bicycle is all about trust! Allowing both riders to contribute equally to the riding experience, the Bi-Cycle requires one rider to pedal forward and the other to pedal backward while they sit with their backs to each other. Designed by My Atomic Mass designer Elad Barouch as a “couples counseling” technique, the Bi-Cycle is meant to help a pair establish trust and communication to provoke forward movement within the relationship; once established, the rest should be fun! Watch the video to see how it’s done. Photo courtesy of Elad Barouch via MyAtomicMass.com.


SeeSaw Bike

Displayed at 2008’s Design Miami conference, the SeeSaw Bike is a prime example of bike-meets-art. Though two people cannot ride this bicycle at the same time, designer Elad Barouch was intent on building it with real variables (manufactured bike parts) while imitating an actual object (a seesaw!) so that the SeeSaw Bike creates the illusion that it could, in fact, work with multiple riders. After creating the Bi-Cycle (see above), Barouch aimed to “create an object that stands on that thin line between reality and imagination” and wanted observers to have “a baffled look about what their eyes are seeing.” Photo courtesy of Elad Barouch via MyAtomicMass.com.


Nulla Bicycle

Still just a concept, the Nulla, which means “nothing” in Italian, embraces a minimalist approach to bicycle design. Named as such due its missing parts, including the chain, fork and spokes, the Nulla uses a “direct-gear-chain drive system” instead to support the wheels and produce movement. Created by Bradford Waugh, the bike is still causing much debate as to whether or not it would indeed be operable, but most cycling enthusiasts agree that with its sleek, beautiful design it doesn’t matter all that much. Photo courtesy of Bradford Waugh via LikeCOOL.com.

Extravagant Dubai island project sinks under weight of the credit crunch



By James Mclean and Brian McDonald


THE Galwayman who bought Ireland is dead, England is deserted, while Australia and New Zealand have merged.

They were designed to make Dubai the envy of the world: a series of paradise islands inhabited by celebrities and the super-rich reclaimed from the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf and shaped like a map of the Earth. It was called The World.

As millions of tonnes of rock were dumped into the sea for the foundations, timely leaks suggested that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were to buy Ethiopia, Richard Branson was tipped to occupy England, while Rod Stewart would border him in Scotland.

Hazard

Instead it has become the world's most expensive shipping hazard, guarded by private security in fast boats and ringed by warning buoys to keep the curious away.

A development that was meant to send Dubai's star into the firmament of First World cities has been left to the mercy of the waves and the baking winds.

Mile after mile of breakwater built from boulders brought hundreds of miles by ship has been laid, but inside its man-made lagoon, work has completely stopped.

The expected map of the world of 300 islands is instead a disjointed and desolate collection of sandy blots -- a monumental folly just out of sight of Dubai's shore.

Those who bought into what was the world's most ambitious building project were not celebrities.

Many were more ordinary investors who put down 70pc deposits, some of them Anglo-Indians.

Galway auctioneer turned developer, John O'Dolan (51) fronted a consortium under his O'Dolan International banner and bought Ireland for e28m in 2007 and last year snapped up England from under the noses of several UK interests for e23.5m.

But the property crash brought tragedy in its wake as the Galwayman committed suicide in February of this year.

As well as his foreign investments, the popular family man had extensive business interests in Ireland. He owned a bar and a hostel in Galway as well as other properties in Dublin and Limerick.

A couple of weeks before his tragic death, a receiver was appointed to his Galway hostel and a property company. His body was discovered in a shed on his Barna Road property.

His fellow investors in the Dubai development now have little prospect of seeing a return. The World has stopped, but they can't get off.

"The World has been cancelled. It doesn't even look like the world. Basically there is one island that is maintained that is said to be owned by the Sheikh [Dubai's ruler] and the rest looks like a pile of muck," said one local property agent.

It is the starkest example of a financing crunch that faces the emirate but many other projects are also in jeopardy.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), of which Dubai is a part, about $300bn (e205bn) of building is on hold after prices began tumbling.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai's oil-rich neighbour, is helping to support it through the crisis, so far to the tune of about $10bn. Another $10bn is likely to follow soon, and more may follow.

Property is not the only dark spot in the UAE. In the nearby emirate of Sharjah the credit crunch caused massive power outages, leaving businesses and houses without electricity

Troubles

This week, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's ruler and the UAE's Prime Minister, vowed to steer the emirate through its troubles and pledged to further rein in extravagant developments.

Officially, however, not a single project has been cancelled -- just delayed.

"I don't blame anybody. Some papers try to write this but they are forgetting their problems [in their own countries] ... But people only throw stones when a tree has fruit," he said.

- James Mclean and Brian McDonald

How to Accurately Predict the Lottery on Live TV

By andy, under Articles.

Most Americans aren’t familiar with Derren Brown, the mentalist-cum-magician-cum-con man, but in the UK, he’s been boggling the minds of TV watchers for years, with his oft-unexplained feats of psychological tomfoolery, such as reading minds, performing live séances, and predicting horse races. In the first of series of live specials for UK’s Channel 4, he upped his game by claiming to be able to predict the outcome of the British National Lottery on live television, a feat he apparently successfully achieved. Here is that broadcast:

Now, Derren Brown himself calls this a “highly complex event of misdirection”, so you know things aren’t exactly as they appear. His own explanation involved 24 volunteers, long division, and a heart free from avarice– basically bullshit.

Discarding that explanation, several enterprising viewers claim to have figured out how he did it, and the results seem to fall in line with what was broadcast.

The Solution: the 30-second version
Mutated Monty applies Occam’s Razor to the task: the simplest solution being the best. He demonstrates how some phony camera shake and a split screen gave Brown enough time to jigger with his balls.

The Breakdown
Noiseache gives us a play-by-play of exactly what’s going on during the broadcast:

The Evidence
And DerrenExposed corroborates this explanation, exposing a technical glitch in a close-up of the balls:

And Just For Laughs
And finally Holy Moly takes the piss out of Derren Brown with this send-up:

Despite what Derren Brown claims is the “official” explanation, he has maintained that it’s just a trick after all. This doesn’t detract from the fact that he’s a master of misdirection and manipulation by suggestion as one of my favorite clips below demonstrates:

Derren Brown Uses Subliminal Ads to Influence PeopleWatch a funny movie here

Better Tomatoes Via a Fertilizer of...Human Urine?


Tomatoes C.P.Storm (CC licensed)

You say tomayto, I say tomahto.

You say Miracle-Gro, I say ... pee.

Apparently, human urine works remarkably well as a fertilizer for tomatoes, according to a new study out of Finland.

Plants fertilized with a mixture of stored human urine and wood ash produced 4.2 times more fruit than plants without the pee, the study found. The urine-fertilized tomatoes had more beta-carotene than unfertilized ones, and much more protein than traditionally fertilized plants.

And the tomatoes were just as good as those grown with traditional fertilizer, according to a panel of 20 brave tasters.

Healthy human urine is rich in nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, all key ingredients for healthy plants. As long as the pee doesn't contain any fecal matter, it's usually free of any microorganisms.

Surendra K. Pradhan, K. Holopainen and Helvi Heinonen-Tanski of the University of Kuopio in Finland collected human urine during the winter of 2007-2008 from several eco-toilets in private homes. The urine was stored for about six months at 45 degrees F and tested for microbes and bacteria. The team mixed it with wood ash collected from a household furnace, and found the mixture was just as good as -- or better than -- conventional chemical fertilizer.

In taste tests, the urine-fertilized tomatoes tasted different from those fertilized with urine and ash, but tasters didn't have a preference -- "all tomato samples were evaluated as being equally good by the tasters," the study says. The results are reported in the latest Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The same team had previously tested human pee as a fertilizer for cucumber and cabbage, and a South African team reported last year that urine had successfully fertilized maize. The Finnish team said they tried tomatoes because they're grown all over the world and are a staple ingredient in many recipes.

The use of urine to fertilize crops has been practiced since ancient times, but is relatively rare today, thanks to the ick factor and the prevalence of chemical and mineral fertilizers. But as farmers and home growers seek organic ways to grow food, urine could be a solution.

The study "may contribute to the development of positive attitudes about the use of urine and ash as fertilizer as a way to both increase crop yield and reduce water pollution," the authors wrote.

It may not be necessary to go all NASA with our pee and start drinking it. But if we can safely and efficiently grow food with it, why not?

How marijuana became legal


money.cnn.com Medical marijuana is giving activists a chance to show how a legitimized pot business can work. Is the end of prohibition upon us?


click here to read this long but compelling story: How Marijuana Became Legal - CNN

Jeff Bridges in talks for 'True Grit'

Role would reunite 'Lebowski' star with Coens


In what is shaping up as a "Big Lebowski" reunion, Jeff Bridges is in discussions with Paramount to star in Joel and Ethan Coen's redo of "True Grit." Bridges would play the role that won John Wayne an Oscar for the 1969 original.

Bridges last worked with the Coens when he turned in a heralded performance as Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski in the 1998 cult fave.

The picture, which also reunites the Coens with their "No Country for Old Men" producing partner Scott Rudin, has been redrafted by the brothers to be more faithful to the Charles Portis novel on which the original film was based.

Story centers on a 14-year-old girl who tags along with an aging U.S. marshal, Rooster Cogburn, and another lawman to track the outlaw who killed her father. The original told the story from Cogburn's point of view, but the new version will work from the viewpoint of the girl.

The Coens premiere "A Serious Man" at the Toronto Film Festival. Bridges most recently starred in "The Men Who Stare at Goats" and reprised in "Tron Legacy."

ends

Michael Jordan's Top 23 Moments watch!


espn.go.com Watch the 23 most memorable moments of the legendary career of Michael Jordan.

clcik here to see Michael Jordan's Top 23 Moments watch!

New Pirates Movie w/ Johnny Depp Coming In 2011

Studio backing Guillermo del Toro production shingle

By Paul Bond

ANAHEIM -- Disney has teamed with director Guillermo del Toro to create Disney Double Dare You, a new label with a mandate to produce spooky animated feature films.

Studio chairman Dick Cook made the announcement Friday in front of 5,000 enthusiastic fans of all things Disney during the second day of the company's four-day D23 Expo.

The first film from the new studio is called "Trollhunters" and based on an original story by del Toro. He'll also produce the movie.

Del Toro was in New Zealand directing "The Hobbit" for MGM and New Line. However, there was plenty of star power on hand to wow the crowd. And Cook had other official announcements up his sleeve.

Cook confirmed that Disney will remake the 1968 Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine," to be written and directed by Robert Zemeckis and turned into a 3D motion-capture spectacle.

Zemeckis showed the attendees scenes from his upcoming take on "A Christmas Carol" that stars Jim Carrey in "seven or eight roles" (he couldn't quite remember which). "And we only had to pay him once," Cook quipped.

Johnny Depp also hit the stage to a standing ovation. Playing a drunken Jack Sparrow, he and Cook announced that the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie will be subtitled "On Stranger Tides" and hit theaters in summer 2011.

Tim Burton also joined Cook -- rousing almost as much passion from the audience as did Depp -- and showed some "Alice in Wonderland" clips. He confirmed that he is working on a feature-length version of his 1984 short film "Frankenweenie."

John Travolta, wife Kelly Preston and their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta showed scenes from their upcoming comedy "Old Dogs," which also stars Robin Williams. It's 9-year-old Ella Bleu's feature-film debut.

Miley Cyrus, who stars in next year's "The Last Song," sang her hit tune "The Climb," and Jerry Bruckheimer showed snippets from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time."

Nicolas Cage told Cook he's interested making another "National Treasure" movie and he showed scenes from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," a live-action film inspired by Disney's 1940 animated "Fantasia," which Cage called "the most beautiful movie ever made."

Cage also took a few moments to get serious, noting that Friday marked the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Turmoil like that inspires him to make family-oriented movies, he said.

The nearly two-hour event at the Anaheim Convention Center began with a lengthy montage, accompanied by a live orchestra, of Disney films through the ages, with fans showing their appreciation with various degrees of applause. For those keeping score, the crowd made the most noise for "Mary Poppins," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Beauty and the Beast."

And not only did directors, stars and movies receive love from the fans, so did Cook, providing evidence that the Disney studio itself attracts the sort of loyalty usually reserved for celebrities.

That sort of reaction must have been like music to the ears of Steven Clark, head of the D23 Expo. The conference ends Sunday, when Disney-Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter will head a presentation similar to Cook's.

Clark wouldn't reveal how many attended the conference -- beyond "tens of thousands" -- nor would he guarantee a repeat performance next year.

He did, though, say that if D23 Expo is to be an annual event, he plans to keep it in Anaheim.

D23 is the name of the $75-a-year fan club that Disney launched six months ago. The D23 Expo is its "signature event," Clark said. The number "23" is an homage to 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his animation studio.

Clark says Disney's intent is to break even on D23 Expo, though it's obviously a marketing effort and -- judging from the positive reaction from fans and attention it has been getting from mainstream media outlets -- a successful one.

Attendees paid $37 a day or $111 for all four days, with discounts for children and D23 members. Clark said attendees have come from all 50 states and several countries, "including large contingents from Australia, the U.K. and Japan."

This is what two million people looks like

Reader Discovers New Secret Menu Order At In-N Out

A couple years ago we put together a comprehensive list of all the secret menus in the world. But time continues to march on and apparently there are still new menu secrets to be discovered.

Madison writes in to tell us about a burger cooking style that isn't even on In-N-Out's not-so-secret secret menu. She writes:

If you like a spicier In-N-Out burger, order it with 'fried mustard & chopped chilis'. The chilis are the yellow style. Awesome.

Has anyone out there tried the Fried Mustard & Chopped Chilis burger? And now that we've re-opened this can of fried worms, are there any other new secret menu items — for any restaurant — that have popped up over the past couple years since we ran that post?

If so, email them to us at tips@consumerist.com with "Secret Menu" in the subject, or leave them in the comments of this post.

(Photo: hellochris)