The Creepy Taxidermy Creatures of Andrew Lancaster

Andrew Lancaster is a New Zealand taxidermist who has used the art of stuffing animals to innovative heights by producing impractical hybrids like three-headed chickens of winged possums.

Taxidermist is defined as the act of increasing or reproducing dead animals for put on show or for additional sources.

Lancaster has been producing his frightening creatures for about two years. 

But he began his working as taxidermy after he shifted to New Zealand, from England which is on the subject of 14 years ago. 

After considering plenty of dead animals on the roadside, he thought to himself “what a waste”. 

On that day he determined that they were high-quality matter for his fine art. 

Now a day at anytime he drives past roadkill, he backs up and puts in his chest. 

At house, he either places them in the freezer, “right under the ice cream and vegetables” or on top of the hot water cylinder, to dry.

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits Virginia

The seismically sleepy mid-Atlantic states were struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on August 23. At 1:51 p.m. EDT on Tuesday an earthquake struck Virginia, 135 kilometers southwest of Washington, D.C. It’s among the largest temblors to strike the state in recorded history.

The quake’s epicenter was located in central Virginia about 61 kilometers northwest of Richmond, at a preliminary estimated depth of 6 kilometers. Reports of the quake were posted on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Did You Feel It? website from as far away as Ohio and New York. That’s not unusual for earthquakes on the East Coast, which are commonly felt over a wide area.

“An event of the same size is felt over a much larger area in the East, compared to the West,” says Charles Ammon, an earthquake seismologist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

Vibrations from an 1897 temblor centered on Virginia’s Giles County, magnitude 5.9, reached Georgia and Pennsylvania and as far westward as Kentucky and Indiana. Chimneys crumbled and visible fissures appeared during this event.

On Tuesday, buildings rattled and lights flickered as people took to the streets in the nation’s capital. Both the U.S. Capitol Building and the Pentagon were evacuated, the Associated Press reported — as was the building that houses the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program in Reston, Va. While it’s unclear if the city’s buildings suffered much structural damage from the quake, three pinnacles did snap off the central tower of the Washington National Cathedral, says Richard Weinberg, media spokesperson. Stone masons and engineers are assessing the full extent of the damage.

Earthquakes in the mid-Atlantic tend to be small — like last year’s magnitude 3.6 temblor beneath Germantown, Md. The East Coast lacks the active fault systems created by colliding continental plates characteristic of California and the West Coast. The crust that underlies the mid-Atlantic region tends to be older, cooler and more stable. The recent quake likely started on a previously unknown fault that has been dormant for a long time in the middle of the Central Virginia Seismic Zone.

Five exciting activities that you don’t want to miss in Blue Ridge

The Blue Ridge Mountains is renowned for its natural beauty of their bluish color. Surround yourself with the beauty of mountains and natural fun in Blue Ridge. There are so many exciting activities to do in Blue Ridge.

Watch a sunset at Brass town Bald

Brass town Bald is the highest point in Georgia with a height of 1,458m above the sea level. The sunset in Brass town is a must watch scene. My elder son and I went 12 times to Brass town Bald and never seen the same sunset. Every time it is different even in back to back days.

Discover Waterfalls

There are many falls in Blue Ridge like Amicalola Falls, Helton Creek Falls, Desoto Falls, Fall Branch Falls, Sea Creek Falls, and Jacks River Falls. These waterfalls are distinctive as they are spring fed from a spotless natural mountain high above any pollution.

Whitewater Rafting

The season of white water rafting is from March to October. River like Ocoee comes alive with whitewater fans from around the world who journey to capture the world-class white water in rafts, canoes, and kayaks. More than 300,000 people experience fun of white water rafting by staying in their rental homes.

Horseback Riding

There are many places to experience horseback riding in the Blue Ridge Mountain. There are also several horse trails and guides to take you out on more extreme adventures.

White Bass Fishing

 If you are a fishing fan, Lake Blue Ridge is a home to bass, bream, catfish, perch and crappie. You can fish Lake Blue Ridge for Walleye, Small Mouth Bass, White Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Channel Catfish and Flathead Catfish. Fish the Toccoa River, Rock Creeks, Cooper Creek, and Noontootla Creek for some of the best trout fishing in Georgia.

Diamond Encrusted, Gold Plated Contact Lenses

Indian Optometrist had created a unique Gold Plated, Diamond Coated Contact Lenses. Chandrashekhar Chawan optometrist at India’s Shekhar Eye Research Center has been stimulated by the ornaments in his wife’s teeth has created gold plated, diamond coated contact lenses.He has created this unique lens in order to bring a special twinkle in the eyes.

  

If anyone is looking for the most excessive trend in eyewear, then without any delay go for the contact lenses of Chandrashekhar Chawan.The thought of making this gold plated, Diamond coated contact lens has been drawn from his wife. His wife had diamonds planted on her teeth recently and that made the optometrist to realize the love for jewelry by the people. So he determined to create a sequence of diamond encrusted, gold plated contact lenses. 

He uses Boston Scleral lenses to clutch the jewelry in such a way that it should not touch the cornea, thus making the fashion ornament “very safely”. His invention of this Gold Plated, Diamond encrusted contact lens has got a mixed response from the public. This unique contact lens made some people to scare. But most of the people loved it, and the optometrist thinks that this will be the next big thing in Bollywood.

He acknowledges that his jewel-studded lenses are a fashion accessory and not a necessity. But he thinks that it is a must for people who want to attract attention. He also added to TODAY.com that “We always talk eye to eye and if your eyes are dazzling with diamonds, no one can look away; their eyes will be glued to you and your individuality.”

Launch of ‘3G Max’- A Wireless Hotspot Device

A fresh wireless portable hotspot appliance called the Beetel 3G Max will soon be launched in India by Beetel Teletech, a Bharti Enterprises group company. It is a company that provides solutions for IT and connectivity needs. This unique tool has the capacity to join to a mobile phone transporter and in the process, offer internet access to up to five devices. Hence it can be used by many users, tiny businesses or maybe even ventures.

The company has a important share in sell and telecom repair provider segments in the landline group and is also a distributor of memory and storage devices (HDD) for Transcend. Beetel is also in distribution and marketing of brands like Blackberry, Apple, Samsung, Panasonic and Transcend among others and has goods and keys organized in over 35 countries across 5 continents.

The company claims that the original device can function efficiently from a maximum space of 10 meters (around 33 feet) and it will supply internet or network access to Wi-Fi enabled devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops among others. Windows 7, XP, Vista, MAC and Linux operating systems are well-matched with the device and the company promises a battery life of 4 hours and a standby time of 40 hours for the device (with a 1500mAh battery).

This new device has a USB 2.0 port and will cost Rs.5, 500.

UN declares famine in another three areas of Somalia

3 August 2011 –

The United Nations today declared a famine in three more areas in drought-ravaged Somalia, bringing to five the number of regions in the Horn of Africa country where acute malnutrition and starvation have already claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden, said the Afgoye corridor outside Mogadishu, the capital itself, and the Middle Shabelle region are now in a state of famine. On 20 July the UN declared outright famine in Lower Shabelle and in southern Bakool region.

A famine can be declared only when certain measures of mortality, malnutrition and hunger are met. They are: at least 20 per cent of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.

The spread of the famine conditions highlights the seriousness of the food crisis facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mogadishu. The declaration of famine in the capital follows the massive influx of starving adults and children into the city in the past two months.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), meanwhile, said that the appeal for funds to respond the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa region, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti, is still only 44 per cent funded, with an additional $1.4 billion still required to cover unmet needs. An estimated 12.4 million people in the entire region are in need of assistance, according to OCHA.