Blind man bowls a perfect game

On the evening of May 3, 2008, A 78-year-old man nicknamed “The Hammer” has bowled a perfect game. Dale Davis of Alta, Iowa, nailed 12 consecutive strikes and reached 300 on Saturday night during league play. What's more astonishing is that Davis is also legally blind! Davis has suffered from macular degeneration, a chronic eye disease, for the past decade. He can’t see out of his left eye and has limited peripheral vision in his right eye.

Davis’ perfect game came at a roll-off to conclude the league season at a four-lane alley in the small northwest Iowa community of about 1,800 people. Century Lanes owner Clem Ledoux said Davis’ game didn’t draw much attention until he reached 10 strikes. That’s when folks poured out of the bar to watch his final two shots.

Davis, who stands 5-foot-8 and just 115 pounds, threw a “Brooklyn,” where a right-hander strikes the left side of the head pin, for his final strike. The feat brought wild cheers from Davis’ fellow bowlers and onlookers. “It went down there and somebody hollered ‘Brooklyn!’ It was just a solid sound in the pocket,” said Davis, whose average score is 180. “It was quite a thrill. For just a few minutes there I felt like a pro.”

In the past, he had come close before, once throwing 11 strikes before pulling the 12th ball and settling for a 299. But that was many years ago. Before he had half his stomach removed because of a tumor. Before he had a bypass done on his left leg to improve his circulation. And before he had lost his vision in 1997.

Davis sister encouraged him to start bowling again. "I told her, 'I can't see,'" Davis said. "'What makes you think I can bowl?' But she convinced me and, for the second time in my life, I was hooked." Davis now bowls twice a week, and his fellow bowlers help him with pin placement and in making sure he picks up the right ball.

This past season, Davis averaged 180, often stringing four and five strikes together. Despite standing a fragile 120 pounds, he earned the nickname, "Hammer," for the power with which he threw his ball. Davis said the only time he sees the ball is when he picks it up, but he can usually tell how his throw went by sound. All 12 tosses sounded great to Davis, who bowled the first 300 that Ledoux could recall at the alley since he took over in 1984. “He’s got good coordination. He’s got good timing,” Ledoux said. “We’ve always kidded him that we think his bowling ball has eyes.”

Source : ESPN

Technorati Tags:
Dale Davis, blind, bowl, bowler, bowling, perfect game, Iowa, Century Lanes,

Back to top

World's smallest park

If you’re visiting Portland, Oregon, U.S, be sure not to miss one of its biggest attraction, the Mill Ends Park. But don’t expect anything big or else you’ll missed it. That’s because Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world located in the middle of Front Avenue, one of the busiest streets in Portland. Unbelievably, the park only measured 452 square inches, barely two feet across.

In 1946, Dick Fagan returned from World War II to resume his journalistic career with the Oregon Journal. His office, on the second floor above Front Street (now Naito Parkway), gave him a view of not only the busy street, but also an unused hole in the median where a light pole was to be placed. But the pole never came and weeds took over the space. Fagan decided to take matters into his own hands and to plant flowers.

Fagan wrote a popular column called Mill Ends (rough, irregular pieces of lumber left over at lumber mills). He used this column to describe the park and the various "events" that occurred there. Fagan billed the space as the "World's Smallest Park." The park was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1948 since Fagan was a good Irishman. He continued to write about activities in the park until he died in 1969. Many of his columns described the lives of a group of leprechauns, who established the "only leprechaun colony west of Ireland" in the park. Fagan claimed to be the only person who could see the head leprechaun, Patrick O'Toole.

The Guinness Book of Records granted it the title of "world's smallest park" in 1971. After Mill Ends officially became a city park on St. Patrick’s Day in 1976, the park continued to be the site of St. Patrick's Day festivities. Over the years, contributions have been made to the park, such as the small swimming pool and diving board for butterflies, many statues, a miniature Ferris wheel (which was brought in by a normal-sized crane), and the occasional flying saucer. The events held here include concerts by Clan Macleay Pipe Band, picnics, and rose plantings by the Junior Rose Festival Court.


Source : portlandonline.com

Technorati Tags:
Mill Ends Park, Portland, Oregon, Dick Fagan, Oregon Journal, smallest park, world's smallest park, Guinness book of records, guinness world of records, St. Patrick's Day

Back to top

World record nobody wishes to attempt

This is one world record that nobody wishes to neither attempt nor break. That's because this record is about "Greatest Distance Thrown in a Car Accident" and is currently held by Matthew McKnight. The 29-year-old record-holder lived to tell about being thrown 118 feet by a car that hit him while traveling about 70 mph. He was struck on Oct. 26, 2001, while trying to help accident victims along Interstate 376 in Monroeville, about 15 miles east of Pittsburgh.

He suffered two dislocated shoulders plus a broken shoulder, pelvis, leg and tailbone. He spent two weeks in the hospital and 80 days in rehab before returning to work in April 2002. McKnight is a volunteer firefighter and paramedic, though he was not on duty when he stopped to help the accident victims. He works full-time as a communications specialist at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.

McKnight's emergency room physician, Dr. Eric Brader, submitted paperwork for the record, which Guinness recognized in 2003. It was not listed in the book until the 2008 edition, however. "I thought it was a big joke. Dr. Brader is known for joking around a lot," McKnight told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "But when he brought (the paperwork) to me, I saw how serious he was." Mcknight hopes that nobody will ever break his record for a good reason.


Source : MSNBC News

Technorati Tags:
Matthew McKnight, Greatest Distance Thrown in a Car Accident, guinness book of records, guinness world of records, accident,

Back to top

German church broke leaning tower's record

A German church steeple has knocked the leaning tower of Pisa from the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most tilted building. The tower in the village of Suurhusen applied in June for the title and has now officially beaten the famous landmark in Pisa.

Guinness Book of Records confirmed the award after officials measured it leaning at a 5.19 degree angle compared to only 3.97 degree angle at which the tower of Pisa leans. Olaf Kuchenbecker of the Guinness World Records office in Hamburg said: "It is a world record."

The church was built in middle of the 13th century but a 90ft tower was added in 1450. The tower was built on wooden foundations and the combination of the oak wood foundations and wet soil has caused the tower to slowly lean to one side over the years.

Several attempts to stop the tower from leaning any further have been made since 1982, and it was eventually stabilised in 1996. The church is still in use and also offers guided tours but church officials are appealing for donations to help maintain the building. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was actually somewhat straightened, perhaps depriving it of Guinness fame.

Source : news.nationalgeographic.com

Tags : steeple Guinness world book records most tilted leaning tower Pisa italy german Suurhusen

Back to top

Most handy newspaper

This newspaper has attracted many attentions from around the world - Spain, England, Finland, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, USA, and some countries in Africa. It's become very well known and sells some 7,000 copies a month. But 7,000 seem to be quite a small number to a newspaper agency. For this newspaper, it's a big achievement compare with it's size. Vossa Senhoria is a weekly Brazilian newspaper recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's smallest newspaper.

Vossa Senhoria is 2.5 cm wide by 3.5 cm tall. Despite of its small size, it has a kids' section, a columnists, it talks about political issues, poetry, together with some pictures and advertisement too. Altogether it has 16 pages. It was created in 1935 by the printing worker and self-teaching journalist Leônidas Schwindt, who saw the small size as a solution for creating a quality low-cost newspaper. They got 5 workers working for the world's smallest newspaper. Everything is all hand made. Folding the newspaper alone requires three persons.

This tiny newspaper cost about US$2.00 each, US$25.00 if subscribed annually and the company promise to deliver anywhere in the world.

Source : www.vossasenhoria.com.br

Tags : Guinness world book records Vossa Senhoria smallest newspaper Brazil Brazilian

Back to top

Typing is his hobby

Bored and nothing to do? Well, instead a being a potato couch, why not start doing something that might be a world record someday? No, you don't need to walk through fiery coals, riding a bike and jump hundreds of feet across, grow very long finger nails and other bizarre stuffs like these. Just follow what Les Stewart has done.

Les Stewart from Mudjimba, Australia, typed from one to one million, all in words and not numbers with his typewriter. Although it seems quite effortlessly, it took him 16 years and 7 months to finish typing 19,890 pages using 1,000 ink ribbons. It is a world record by the time he has finished in November 1998. But, just before he begin with this project in 1983, he has already set a record for typing 1 million numbers!

When asked why he has undertaken this time consuming and repetitious task, Les says that he has little else to do now that he has been classed as an invalid, and can no longer work. Besides that, Les enjoys typing and used to be a police typing instructor before his sickness which meant his withdrawal from the force. Typing an average three pages a day with one finger since April 1982, Les said his secret was to type for 20 minutes on the hour, every hour.

He said he would like to continue attempting world records, but said the judging regime had become much stricter than it had been in the past. “Any athlete will tell you, they’re getting harder every year,” he said. But as Les said, he had probably already done his bit for the Guinness Book of World Records. “I got my first world record in 1983 for typing, which is nearly 25 years ago, and not many Australians have done that, I’m a bit of a one of a kind.” he said.

Source : www.recordholders.org

Tags : Guinness, world book records type typewriter one million 1 million words letters Les Stewart Mudjimba Australia

Back to top

Man with the largest hand

Having one of the largest hand in the world, Liu Hua, a 24-year-old Jiangsu Province, China, was born with a very large left thumb, index and middle finger. Although his ring and little finger appeared to be normal.

Liu's three fingers and arm grew dramatically as he grew older and this had a serious affect on his life and his ability to work. When Liu was hospitalized in Shanghai No. 9 People's Hospital in July '07, his left thumb measured 26 centimeters, his index finger was 30cm and his middle finger 15cm. The overall weight of his left arm alone was about 10 kilograms!

Liu was suffering from a rare disease called macrodactyly, a birth defect in which toes or fingers are abnormally large. The cause of the disease is unknown but bone and soft tissue grows at an extraordinary rate.

Liu's fingers has stopped growing in recent years so plastic surgery was at last possible to correct the malformation. Liu hope that a successful surgery will give him back a normal life. On July 20 surgeons began a seven-hour operation to reduce the size of Liu's fingers and thumb. Doctors removed 5.1kg of flesh and bone in the procedure.

But this is just the first stage with a second operation is scheduled in six months to reshape his left arm and shoulder. Doctors said that the patient will regain the use of most of his left hand after rehabilitation.

Source : www.shanghaidaily.com

Back to top

World's longest hair

Vietnam’s Tran Van Hay, must have saved great deal of money by not going to the barber in over 31 years, has hair that’s 20 feet long. On the other hand, he must've spent alot on shampoo too!
He is confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest hair in the world. Tran Van Hay, now 73 years old, has hair which is now 6.3m (20 ft 7 in) long, according to Vietnam's state-controlled press.

He stopped cutting his hair when he and his wife had their first child to avoid being sick. He can't work anymore as a farmer because of the volume of hair so he's just collecting herbs for traditional medicine as charity work.

Source : BBC News

Back to top

Largest population needs largest toilet

With the world's largest population, they'll definitely need the world's largest toilet. Recently opened porcelain palace features an Egyptian facade, soothing music and more than 1,000 toilets spread out over 30,000 square feet.

Officials in the southwestern Chinese city plan to ask Guinness World Records to have the free four-story public bathroom listed as the world's largest, state-run China Central Television reported Friday. "We are spreading toilet culture. People can listen to gentle music and watch TV," said Lu Xiaoqing, an official with the Yangrenjie, or "Foreigners Street," tourist area where the bathroom is located. "After they use the bathroom they will be very, very happy."

Footage aired on CCTV showed people milling about the sprawling facility and washing their hands at butt shaped sinks. For open-aired relief, there's a cluster of stalls without a roof. Some urinals are uniquely shaped, including ones inside open crocodile mouths and several resembling the Virgin Mary.

Source : abc news

Back to top

Using teeth to pull train

A Malaysian nicknamed "King Tooth" pulled a seven-coach train attached to a steel rope clenched in his mouth setting a new world record for the heaviest weight pulled with teeth. Grunting and gasping, Rathakrishnan Velu's neck muscles strained and his face contorted as he hauled the 297.1 tonne train over 2.8 metres (9 feet, 2.2 inches) along tracks.

Rathakrishnan, a strict vegetarian ethnic Indian, partially attributes his strength to an Indian form of meditation. In addition to the meditation exercises, he runs at least 25 kilometres (15.53 miles), lifts bars up to 250 kilograms (551.15 pounds) and does jaw training daily, waking up at 4.30 a.m. Rathakrishnan started to pull the train, holding both tracks for support and pushing his booted feet against the wooden rafters to propel himself backward. He holds the previous world record for the heaviest weight pulled with teeth. He had dragged a 260.8 tonne train over 4.2 metres (13 feet, 9.3 inches) on October 18, 2003.

Before beginning the attempt, Rathakrishnan closed his eyes and breathed heavily, holding the left index finger against his nose and right index finger against his chest. He then touched his forehead and the top of his head before sitting on the ground to start pulling. He was hoping to pull the heavier train more than 4.2 metres (13 feet, 9.3 inches) but could manage only 2.8 metres (9 feet, 2.2 inches) in the first attempt. His second and third attempts resulted in the train moving distances of 0.73 metres (2 feet, 4.7 inches) and 2.48 metres (8 feet, 1.6 inches). Although slightly disappointed as he would like to end up with a longer distance, he still makes it into the Guinness world of records.

Source : The Star

Back to top

QWERTY keyboard is not meant for computers

The typewriter was invented in 1866 by Carlos Glidden, Samuel Soulé, and Christopher Latham Sholes. The alphabetical layout of the keys was not a good one; the type bars that struck the paper jammed often. So Christopher came up with a fix for this by placing the type bars for letters of common digraphs, two-letter sequences, as far from each other as possible. The end result was the awkward and confusing QWERTY keyboard layout (named for the first six letters on the top row), which appeared on the first commercially produced typewriter in 1873. When touch-typing became popular in the 1880s, QWERTY was the norm for many keyboards. Although newer keyboards did not jam as easily, it remained the most popular layout and other layouts gradually fell out of use. The standard "QWERTY" keyboard was not designed with ease of typing in mind and don't really suits modern day computers.

The Dvorak keyboard layout was created and patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak, a professor at the University of Washington, and William L. Dealey, his brother-in-law. It was the result of much effort studying typing behavior and letter frequency. Unbelievably, the layout actually makes typing easier, faster, and more efficient! The key to its success is the arrangement of the letters.

Some of the world's fastest typists are using Dvorak. A woman named Barbara Blackburn failed her high school typing course, which, of course, taught QWERTY. Then she found out about the Dvorak keyboard and after that she can type at a rate of 170 WPM and once peaked at 212 WPM, and listed for a decade as the world's fastest typist in the Guinness Book of Records! Indeed, most typists who switch from QWERTY to Dvorak easily match their old speed, and usually surpass it. Some have seen a 200-300% increase in their speed.

Unlike the QWERTY keyboard, the Dvorak keyboard includes the most common letters on the home row (the row of keys your hands rest on when you are touch-typing). The next most common letters are on the top row, and the least-used letters are on the bottom row. 60-70% of the typing is done on the home row of Dvorak, compared with 30-35% on QWERTY's home row. On Dvorak, you can type thousands of words on the home row (aoeuidhtns) but limited on QWERTY keyboard (asdfghjkl;)

It has also been proven that the Dvorak keyboard is easier to learn than QWERTY, accuracy will increase noticeably. It has been shown in studies that while a QWERTY typist's accuracy stops increasing, a Dvorak's typist's accuracy will continue to improve. More importantly, many people switch to Dvorak because it's more comfortable. The Dvorak layout was carefully adapted to fit the English language. Dvorak may actually decrease the risk of carpal-tunnel syndrome and other forms of repetitive-stress injury (RSI). You can type longer on Dvorak without making your fingers sore. In fact, most RSI sufferers no longer feel pain in their fingers after switching to Dvorak.

The fact that we still uses the QWERTY keyboards is because most people who are familiar with QWERTY do not want to make any changes. It's also because most manufacturer don't manufacture DVORAK keyboards because there's simply not enough demand for it. Typing training in schools and secretarial colleges is almost always done on the QWERTY layout both because it conforms with the expectation of industry and, ironically, because it is the layout with which most teachers or trainers are already familiar.

Source : www.theworldofstuff.com
Source : Fastest typist

Back to top

Longest name for a place

From the beautiful mountain slopes of the inland Ruahine Ranges to vast sandy beaches and trout-laden rivers, Central Hawke's Bay has it all. It's a holiday haven for the whole family. No matter what time of year you visit, there is plenty to see and do, with a long list of events to ensure you see everything Central Hawke’s Bay has to offer. And when it’s time to relax, local restaurants and cafes tempt you with the freshest locally-grown produce and the region's famous wines.

Even more amazing is that in Porangahau, 55km southeast of Waipukurau is the home of the longest place name in the world. The name is Taumata-whaka-tangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-turi-pukaka-pikimaunga-pokai-whenua-kitana-tahu. Consist of 85 letters, it has been listed in Guinness Book of Records as the longest officially recognised place name in the world. However, the locals usually just call it Taumata for ease of conversation.

It is given by the local Maori people, Ngati Kere to a hill to celebrate the eponymous ancestor Tamatea Pokai Whenua. Tamatea was a famous chief and warrior of his time. His son Kahungunu was the founder of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe which extends from Gisborne to Cape Palliser. Tamatea acquired his long name through different happenings in his life. Turipukaka-pikimaunga-tahu was given through his many raids and wanderings and he was such a huge muscular man that his name suited him.

It appears that while travelling through the back of Porangahau, Tamatea encountered the Ngati-Hine tribe and had to fight them to get past. The battle is known as the Matanui battle and during that fight his brother was killed. Tamatea was so grieved over the loss of his brother that he stayed for quite along time at that place and each morning he would sit on the knoll and play his lament on what is called the Koauau or Maori flute. Hence the name Taumata-whaka-tangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-turi-pukaka-pikimaunga-pokai-whenua-kitana-tahu, which means "The hilltop, where Tamatea with big knees, conqueror of mountains, eater of land, traveller over land and sea, played his koauau to his beloved". Only one word to describe this place, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Source : www.centralhawkesbay.co.nz

Back to top

Very young yet very smart

A two-year-old girl from Aldershot, Hampshire, U.K has become the youngest ever female member of British Mensa. Georgia Brown, the youngest of five children astounded experts by scoring 152 points in an IQ test, putting her in the top 2% of the population for her age. Those with an average IQ would score around 100 points in the same test.

Georgia's mother, Lucy, said "It's fantastic. We're so proud as a family." She had spotted that her daughter was a strikingly quick learner. Georgia was crawling at five months, walking at nine months and, by 18 months, was having proper conversations.

The Brown family called Professor Joan, from Middlesex University, to test her IQ level in relation to others of her age. Professor Joan said she used the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale test and was amazed by what she found. She said "Georgia is two years and nine months, and she is able to answer questions five and six years old can't."

Psychologist Professor Joan Freeman, who tested Georgia, said she thought the toddler could score even better, but needed a nap after 45 minutes of work. Concentrating for that long at that young age is not easy. The minimum accepted score on the Stanford-Binet is 132.

The test uses questions like 'If brother is to boy, then sister is to ...?'. If you take a normal two years old, they cannot hold a pencil, they don't know the colours and they would not be able to answer those simple questions. Lucy said she was impressed at her ability to copy circle. Most two-year-old and even some adults cannot do that but she drew a near perfect one.

Mensa is the largest, oldest, and best-known high-IQ society in the world. The organization restricts its membership to people with high testable IQ. Specifically, potential members must score within the top 2% of any approved standardized intelligence test. Mensa is formally composed of national groups and the umbrella organization Mensa International. Mensa confirmed Georgia was their youngest member at the moment and the youngest female member ever.

Source : BBC News

Back to top

Granny with 15-inch waist

Don't worry, you don't need to visit the optician, there's nothing wrong with your eyes. And the photo is perfectly normal too. Cathie Jung’s astonishing 39-15-39 figure is the result of spending the last 25 years laced into tight corsets, which only come off when she showers. But the 70-year-old insists there is no concern. Grandmother Cathie is perfectly healthy.

Tightlacing is the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset to achieve extreme modifications to the figure and posture and experience the sensations of a very tight corset. Those who practice tightlacing are called tightlacers. Some tightlacers call the corsets they wear training corsets.

The most frequent aim of tightlacing is a slim waist. Depending on the silhouette desired, the shape of the ribcage may be altered as well. However, these effects are only temporary and will be lost on removing the corset. Excessive corset wearing has been claimed to weaken certain muscles, making it more difficult to maintain posture without a corset.

Cathie, from Manteo, North Carolina, reckons that while her corsets restrict her waist they don’t hold her back from everyday tasks. She said “I do everything that I want to do. I eat fairly small meals but I prefer that at my age anyway. I find it tricky sitting in low chairs and sometimes in restaurants I have to sit on the high chairs at the bar. I even have a special swimming costume with a corset sewn in it, so I can still go to the beach. And I am still able to do housework — unfortunately!”

Cathie’s husband Bob is an orthopaedic surgeon and he reckons his wife’s unique look does her no harm. She said “Bob has carried out X-rays on me and says the corset actually helps support my spine. Everything in the midriff is flexible.” Cathie Jung is currently the smallest living person’s waistline listed in the Guinness Book Of Records.

Source : www.cathiejung.com

Back to top

Christian David Copperfield - Dan Meyer

A north Alabama car salesman who offers to swallow a sword for every car he sells has taken his unique ability a step further. Dan Meyer of small town Hartselle, Alabama, population 12,000, has successfully become the first person to swallow a 30 inch long sword while submerged underwater at the Ripley's Aquarium, Myrtle Beach, SC on 18th May 2007.

The underwater event was designed to promote Ripley's Aquarium's "Pirates, Predators of the Sea" exhibit that educates visitors on the history of pirates, many of which frequented the Myrtle Beach area. The event occurred during Myrtle Beach's "Bike Week" which was also set around the pirate theme "Cruisin' the Coast", drawing over 300,000 motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. "We wanted to present an event that would amaze and entertain Bike Week visitors while promoting our "Pirates" exhibit and making a connection between pirates and the undersea world," explained Ripley Entertainment VP Tim O'Brien. "Having a swashbuckling pirate like 'Captain Cutless' swallow a sword underwater was the perfect fit!"

“Captain Cutless", is better known as Dan Meyer, who also doubles as a sword swallower featured in numerous documentaries, articles and medical studies for swallowing swords around the world. As Exec Director of the Sword Swallowers Association International, Meyer is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the world on the ancient art of sword swallowing.

Described as a "Christian David Copperfield" who combines real feats with a powerful message instead of just tricks and illusions, Meyer eats fire and swallows solid steel swords, blades, sabers, bayonets, rapiers, cutlasses, and other objects from 15 to 30 inches in length, and up to 8 swords at once. To stretch the boundaries of the art, Meyer swallowed a 30-inch long solid steel sword while submerged 15 feet underwater surrounded by more than 80 sharks and stingrays in 85,000 gallons of salt water.

Sword swallowing can cause serious injury and even death. "Swallowing a solid steel sword is incredibly dangerous enough as it is on dry land," Meyer explains. "Last year while swallowing five swords at once, I ended up in the hospital with a serious injury that almost killed me - a punctured stomach that caused pleurisy and fluid around my heart and lungs. The pain was incredible and I couldn't swallow solid food for several weeks!"

This time the dangers were multiplied with additional challenges besides the obvious risks of cuts, punctures and perforations. "The worst sword swallowing injuries occur when the throat is tender and swollen. I was really worried because I've had a 'sword throat' with swelling that had me really concerned and almost made me call it off this morning.” Meyer said. “Then when I got in the tank, it was really difficult to lean my head back and open my mouth underwater while surrounded by 85,000 gallons of salt water. When I opened my mouth to swallow the sword, the air rushed up out of my lungs. Not only did I have to focus on swallowing the sword correctly without impaling myself, but I had to contend with the sharks and stingrays not bumping into me while concentrating on not drowning," Meyer explained. "…And to top it all off, I managed to do it within 29 minutes after eating a full meal!"

Why would anyone want to attempt a feat this dangerous? "I've enjoyed performing stunts like sword swallowing for audiences around the world for several years." Meyer explains. "I also swam with sharks and stingrays when I lived on an island in the Bahamas for several years. So I knew I could do each of them separately. It just seemed natural to put the two challenges together," Meyer explained. "The big question was: Would I be able to do BOTH of them at the same time and survive? I'm glad to be able to stand here afterward and say I did!"

The feat makes Meyer the first person in America to ever swallow a sword underwater. "I'm so relieved everything went so smoothly and without a problem. I'm especially excited to have made history with Ripley's Believe It or Not!" Meyer beamed with a smile. The feat will be included in the next edition of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! book.

The art of sword swallowing started over 4000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes in order to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. There are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the ancient but deadly art of sword swallowing around the world today.



A special thanks to Dan Meyer for submitting this story personally.

Link : www.swordswallow.com
Link : www.swordswallow.org

Back to top

German Giant rabbit

Meet Herman, a 7.7kg (22lb), 3ft rabbit with ears alone measuring at 21 centimeters which is the total height of an average domestic rabbit. Herman belongs to one of the breed called the German Giant, but most of them will reach a maximum weight of 6kg (18lb). Herman just kept growing.

Lived in Berlin, Germany, owner Hans Wagner built a solid oak hutch and feed Herman about 2kg of food and supplements daily. Hans Wagner said his favorite food is lettuce. Herman could be the world's biggest rabbit, but Guinness World Records hav