Monday, April 11, 2011

11 Creative Pencil Sharpeners

1. Cat Pencil Sharpener


Cat pencil sharpener meows while it works! A great home or office addition for feline fanatics, combining fun with function. It hones graphite faster than a cat sharpening its claws on a scratching post. You can buy it for $17.55!
(Buy it here)


2.  Nose Pencil Sharpener


Stick a pencil up this 2-1/2" (6.4 cm) long plastic nose, then give it a twist and it will come out clean and sharp. For just $5.13! (Buy it here)


3.  Robot Pencil Sharpener


Robot Pencil sharpener toy is too cool. This robot walks a bit after you sharpen your pencil and everyone loves him! He is a great small gift or add on gift and a great desktop toy for the whimsical child in us all. The robot is about 4" tall, it comes in a cool gift box and is a good pencil sharpener as well! You can have it for $6.50! (Buy it here)




4.  Living Dead Dolls Pencil Sharpener


This “Living Dead Dolls” pencil sharpener is a doll head and you need to stick the pencil into her eye to sharpen it. There is a little button on the back of her neck that pushes the shavings out of her mouth. (Link)


5.  Pup Pencil Sharpener


Suction cup this little pup to your desk, and you'll find yourself grinning each time you go to sharpen your pencil. Woof! (Link 1 | Link 2)


6. Wooden iPod Mini Speaker with Integral Pencil Sharpener


Whilst this mini external speaker for iPods and other Mp3 players is by no means the first wooden speaker system we've come across in our daily trawl of the net, it is certainly one of the most curious in that it comes complete with an integral pencil sharpener! (Link)


7.  Stegosaurus Pencil Sharpener Toy


This silver Stegosaurus walks when you sharpen your pencil on his belly! If you don't have any pencils, you can wind him with his key. His hinged head fills with pencil shavings for easy cleaning. This dinosaur is inspired by popular Japanese Tin Toys of the 1950's. You can buy it for $8.99! (Buy it here)


8.  Cute Eraser and Pencil Sharpener Hamburger Set


Now don't be fooled, this Hamburger is actually a handy Pencil Sharpener! The sharpener can fit average and larger pencils. The lid locks with two snaps at the side. There are two small erasers included. There are stored in an extra compartment in the lid. And you can actually buy it for $5.75! (Buy it here)


9.  Elephant Paper Shredder & Pencil Sharpener


Elephant Paper Shredder and Pencil Sharpener - Great fun gift! Ideal for shredding credit card receipts and other bits of paper. For all you Twilight Trilogy fans: Bella Swan had this elephant on her desk in the Twilight movie! And you can have it too for $13.99! (Buy it here)


10.  Electrical Pencil Sharpener Dog


Looking for friendly home or office dog perfectly trained for sharpening pencils in the blink of an eye. Never barks. Quietly sits on desk staring at you. Never eats. Gets by on 4 AA batteries. For just $21.99! (Buy it here)


11. Wiggle Eye Fish Pencil Sharpeners


Wiggle Eye Fish Pencil Sharpeners. Squeeze their tails to open them up! Fun for beach luaus and other summertime events, these plastic wiggle eye fish pencil sharpeners will add an ocean of fun to goody bags and treasure chests. And you can buy a set of 24 wiggle eye fish pencil sharpeners for just $10.89! (Buy it here)
 

10 Most Amazing Ghost Towns

Some abandoned ghost towns are now tourist attractions, while others might be dangerous or illegal to visit. Meet some of the most fascinating ghost towns from around the world.

1. KOLMANSKOP (Namibia): Buried in sand

Kolmanskop is a ghost town in southern Namibia, a few kilometres inland from the port of Lüderitz. In 1908, Luederitz was plunged into diamond fever and people rushed into the Namib desert hoping to make an easy fortune. Within two years, a town, complete with a casino, school, hospital and exclusive residential buildings, was established in the barren sandy desert. But shortly after the drop in diamond sales after the First World War, the beginning of the end started. During the 1950's the town was deserted and the dunes began to reclaim what was always theirs.



Soon the metal screens collapsed and the pretty gardens and tidy streets were buried under the sand. Doors and windows creaked on their hinges, cracked window panes stared sightlessly across the desert. A new ghost town had been born.




A couple of old buildings are still standing and some interiors like the theatre is still in very good condition, but the rest are crumbling ruins demolished from grandeur to ghost houses.


2. PRYPIAT (Ukraine): Chernobyl workers' home



Prypiat is an abandoned city in the "zone of alienation" in northern Ukraine. It was home to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers, abandoned in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster. Its population had been around 50,000 prior to the accident.




Until recently, the site was practically a museum, documenting the late Soviet era. Apartment buildings (four of which were recent constructions not yet occupied), swimming pools, hospitals and other buildings were all abandoned, and everything inside the buildings was left behind, including records, papers, TVs, children's toys, furniture, valuables, and clothing, etc. that any normal family would have with them. Residents were only allowed to take away a suitcase full of documents, books and clothes that were not contaminated. However, many of the apartment buildings were almost completely looted some time around the beginning of the 21st century.[citation needed] Nothing of value was left behind; even toilet seats were taken away. Some buildings have remained untouched. Many of the building interiors have been vandalized and ransacked over the years. Because the buildings are not maintained, the roofs leak, and in the spring the rooms are flooded with water. It is not unusual to find trees growing on roofs and even inside buildings. This hastens deterioration, and due to this, a 4-story school partially collapsed in July of 2005.






3.  SAN ZHI (Taiwan): a futuristic resort



in the North of Taiwan, this futuristic pod village was initially built as a luxury vacation retreat for the rich. However, after numerous fatal accidents during construction, production was halted. A combination of lack of money and lack of willingness meant that work was stopped permanently, and the alien like structures remain as if in remembrance of those lost. Indeed, rumors in the surrounding area suggest that the City is now haunted by the ghosts of those who died.



After this the whole thing received the cover-up treatment. And the Government, who commissioned the site in the first place was keen to distance itself from the bizarre happenings. Thanks to this, there are no named architects. The project may never be restarted thanks to the growing legend, and there would be no value in re-developing the area for other purpose. Maybe simply because destroying homes of lonely spirits is a bad thing to do. San Zhi can also be seen from an aeriel view here.


4.  CRACO (Italy): a fascinating medieval town



Craco is located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera. About 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy. This medieval town is typical of those in the area, built up with long undulating hills all around that allow for the farming of wheat and other crops. Craco can be dated back to 1060 when the land was in the ownership of Archbishop Arnaldo, Bishop of Tricarico. This long-standing relationshop with the Church had much influence over the inhabitants throughout the ages.




In 1891, the population of Craco stood at well over 2,000 people. Though there had been many problems, with poor agricultural conditions creating desperate times. Between 1892 and 1922 over 1,300 people moved from the town to North America. Poor farming was added to by earthquakes, landslides, and War - all of which contributed to this mass migration. Between 1959 and 1972 Craco was plagued by these landslides and quakes. In 1963 the remaining 1,800 inhabitants were transferred to a nearby valley called Craco Peschiera, and the original Craco remains in a state of crumbling decay to this day.


5.  ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE (France): the horror of WWII



The small village of Oradour-sur-Glane, France, is the setting of unspeakable horror. During World War II, 642 residents were massacred by German soldiers as punishment for the French Resistance. The Germans had initially intended to target nearby Oradour-sur-Vayres and mistakenly invaded Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10th 1944. According to a survivor’s account, the men were herded into barns where they were shot in the legs so they would die more slowly. The women and children, who had been held in a church, all perished when their attempt to escape was met by machine-gun fire. The village was razed by the Germans afterward. Its ruins still stand today as a memorial to the dead and a reminder of the events that took place.


6.  GUNKANJIMA (Japan): the forbidden island



This island is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. It is also known as "Gunkan-jima" or Battleship Island thanks to its high sea walls. It began in 1890 when a company called Mitsubishi bought the island and began a project to retrieve coal from the bottom of the sea. This attracted much attention, and in 1916 they were forced to build Japan’s first large concrete building on the island. A block of apartments that would both accommodate the seas of workers and protect them from hurricanes.



In 1959, population had swelled, and boasted a density of 835 people per hectare for the whole island (1,391 per hectare for the residential district) - one of the highest population densities ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960’s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine, and today it is empty and bare, with travel currently prohibited. The island was the location for the 2003 film ‘Battle Royale II’ and inspired the final level of popular Asian videogame "Killer7".


7. KADYKCHAN (Russia): memories of the Soviet Union



Kadykchan was one of many small Russian cities that fell into ruin when the Soviet Union collapsed. Residents were forced to move to gain access to services like running water, schools and medical care. The state moved them out over a period of two weeks, and they were taken to other towns and provided with new housing. Once a tin mining town of 12,000 people, the city is now desolate. In their hurry to leave, residents left their belongings behind in their homes, so you can now find aging toys, books, clothing and other objects throughout the empty city.


8. KOWLOON WALLED CITY (China): A lawless city



The Kowloon Walled City was located just outside Hong Kong, China during British rule. A former watchpost to protect the area against pirates, it was occupied by Japan during World War II and subsequently taken over by squatters after Japan’s surrender. Neither Britain nor China wanted responsibility for it, so it became its own lawless city.



Its population flourished for decades, with residents building labyrinthine corridors above the street level, which was clogged with trash. The buildings grew so tall that sunlight couldn’t reach the bottom levels and the entire city had to be illuminated with fluorescent lights. It was a place where brothels, casinos, opium dens, cocaine parlors, food courts serving dog meat and secret factories ran unmolested by authorities. It was finally torn down in 1993 after a mutual decision was made by British and Chinese authorities, who had finally grown wary of the unsanitary, anarchic city and its out-of-control population.


9. FAMAGUSTA (Cyprus): once a top tourist destination, now a ghost town



Varosha is a settlement in the unrecognised Republic of Northern Cyprus. Prior to the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, it was the modern tourist area of the city of Famagusta. For the last three decades, it has been left as a ghost town. In the 1970s, the city was the number one tourist destination in Cyprus. To cater to the increasing number of tourists, many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed.

When the Turkish Army gained control of the area during the war, they fenced it off and have since refused admittance to anyone except Turkish military and United Nations personnel. The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but this never happened, as the plan was rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. As no repairs have been carried out for 34 years, all of the buildings are slowly falling apart. Nature is reclaiming the area, as metal corrodes, windows break, and plants work their roots into the walls and pavements. Sea turtles have been seen nesting on the deserted beaches.

By 2010, the Turkish Cypriot administration of the de-facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus plan to reopen Varosha to tourism and the city will be populated as one of the most influential cities in the north of the island.


10. AGDAM (Azerbaijan): once a 150,000 city of people, now lost



The eerie city of Agdam, Azerbaijan was once a thriving city of 150,000 people. It was lost in 1993 during the Nagorno Karabakh war; though the city was never the setting of combat, it fell victim to vandalism while occupied by Armenians. The buildings are gutted and empty, with only the graffiti-covered mosque remaining intact. Agdam residents have moved to other areas of Azerbaijan, as well as into Iran.
source

10 Coolest USB Flash Drives

1.  USB Flash Drive + Bottle Opener

 

  The TrekStor SB-Stick with Bottle Opener ($43.71) will not only quench your storage thirst with its 25MB/s read speed and 12 MB/s write speed, but is also sure to have you sipping suds at your desk thanks to the bottle opener that’s built into the device’s brushed aluminium housing. A USB 2.0 connector port features at the sober end of the device and storage fans can pick the unit up in 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 GB capacities. 

 

2.  Hamburger USB Flash Drive

 

Hungry? Get the Hamburger USB Flash Drive ($19.99) and eat up to 1GB of information. This "freshly baked" product will certainly be a conversation starter and a convenient reminder of what you'll be having for lunch. 


3.  USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch

 

Bond, James Bond. For wanna-be spies, the USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch ($49.99) features an ample 4GB capacity USB flash drive that slips neatly into the watch case. Simply remove, add data and then re-insert and you're ready to conduct secret missions to building B on the other side of campus. The watch itself has a Japanese movement, plastic case covered by stainless steel mask with brushed silver finish and convex mineral glass. 


4.  World's Tiniest USB Flash Drive

 

Barely bigger than the tip of your pinky, the Pico USB Flash Drive is less than 4mm thick. The polished chrome finish is certainly shiny, but at 8 gigabytes, it’s redonkulously teeny.  ($24.99)


5.  USB Flash Drive + Lighter

 

Electronics and fire have never been friends and you could even say they are essentially sworn enemies. But in the case of the USB Flash Drive Lighter ($50.00) they have decided to call a truce. Long standing differences have been put aside to create a product that is both practical and very unique. This flash drive has an ample 8GB capacity and the lighter is refillable. The USB connector slides out of the bottom of the metal case, using a small slider lever located on the side of the lighter. The lighter has a polished chrome finish and an adjustable flame. Baby, light my flash drive! 


6.  Football USB Flash Drive

 

Touchdown some gigabytes with the Football USB Drive ($19.99). This Super Bowl must-have is 1GB and weights less than 6 ounces. 


7.  Pizza USB Flash Drive

 

More on food department: the Pizza Flash Drive ($19.99) makes for a great gift, or a quick dinner. 


8.  USB Flash Drive + Eraser

 

  Want to make a flash drive that nobody in a modern office would even think about taking? Hide it in your Eraser USB Memory Stick and keep it forever on this digital age. After all, nobody uses erasers anymore. ($10.99)

 

9.  USB Flash Drive Wrist band

 

  No longer do you have to have a lanyard around your neck if you want to wear your flash drive around since this USB Flash Drive Wrist band ($13.99) disguises itself as a wristband that comes in six different colors of red, yellow, blue, green, orange and purple. The USB port doubles as the connector to hold the strap together when wearing it and it sounds fairly durable as the catalog page boasts that the drive is shockproof and moisture proof (we’re assuming moisture from sweat).

 

10.  Light Bulb USB Drive

 

Attention Edison's Fans. The Light Bulb USB Drive ($19.99) has got 1GB to light up your info. 

 

source 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

10 Most Amazing Armless People

1.  The Armless Motorcycle Rider
liu, the armless motorcycle rider

A motorcyclist received a caution from police officers in China - for riding with no arms. Officers in Jimo, Shandong province, stopped the motorcycle for being overloaded - but were shocked when they saw the driver, reports the Qilu Evening Post. Liu, 27, lost both arms at the age of seven after an electric shock. When he was 10, his parents sent him to a local circus to learn skills, and from then on, he trained himself to ride a motorcycle without arms. Liu admitted that he had been riding his adapted motorcycle for 10 years without arms - and he didn't even have a license. He said the circus where he worked had closed down three years ago and he and two other disabled circus workers had been performing on the streets ever since. Police decided against fining him because he didn't have any money but issued him a serious warning. Liu promised them he would not ride motorbikes again.



2.  The Armless Archer 
mark stutzman, the armless archer

When Mark Stutzman, of Richland, unzipped his bow case and began assembling his compound bow, it drew a lot of attention from some of the other shooters. There is nothing special about Stutzman's bow, case or the tools he uses to put them together with and nothing extra ordinary about his arrows. What was drawing their attention was that Stutzman, 28, was doing all of this - with his feet. Armless from birth and adopted into a family with seven brothers and sisters, Matt has never let his disability slow him down. He does everything with his feet — eat, drive (non-modified vehicles, even stick shifts), write (more legibly than most people), and punch the keys on his cell phone faster than most people with their fingers. He began getting serious about his archery when he was 16.

Shooting in bigger tournaments has meant learning to adjust to people watching him. His normal shooting position is seated in a chair holding the bow with his right foot. He uses a mechanical release attached to a sling around his right shoulder. To pull the trigger, he uses his jaw. When he shoots in tournaments, he doesn't enter as a disabled shooter. He shoots along with everyone else. His average scores are good enough, he said, that he's a contender for the 2012 Olympic team.




3.  The armless piano player who won China's Got Talent
liu wei, the armless piano player

When Liu Wei first hit the stage on China's Got Talent, you could hear a pin drop, and there wasn't a dry eye in the thousand-strong crowd. Armless pianist Liu Wei, winner of China's Got Talent, plays piano with his toes. Sure, Liu Wei started his run on the show by playing a super sad song on the piano called “Mariage D'amour” by Richard Clayderman. But what actually silenced everyone was that Liu Wei didn't have arms…he played the song with his toes. On Oct. 10, 2010, it was announced, to nobody's surprise, that the Beijing prodigy won the competition, earning him a three-week tour in Las Vegas with Iggy favorite Jolin Tsai. Liu Wei lost both of his arms years ago when he was electrocuted during a game of hide and seek. He said playing piano with his feet was hard at first and it gave him cuts and cramps, but he mastered the instrument over time.

After his first performance he told judges with a winning adorable grin: “There's no rule that says piano can only be played with hands.” And if there was, it's officially broken.


 


4.  The Street Armless Calligrapher

On May 19, 2010, at noon, an amazing scene on the pedestrian bridge walkway in front of the south entrance to Foxconn Corporation, Shenzhen, captured people's eyes. From Shandong province, an optimistic man with no arms used his feet and wrote down some inspirational words in Chinese calligraphy for the Foxconn employees, to advice them not to do any more foolish things – jumping off buildings and committing suicide. During 2010 there were at least 10 consecutive suicides ofFoxconn employees. The armless man wrote, “To brothers and sisters of Foxconn , life is priceless, ought to fulfill filial duty, there is always a way out, harmony relies on oneself”. This man's action soon attracted a number ofFoxconn employees who were passing by on their way home from work. Many expressed support and appreciation, some stepped forward asking for the inspirational pieces.

The armless man claimed that a few years ago when he was a chef in Beijing, a gas explosion made him severely disabled. After several surgical procedures, luckily he was able to live. But his parents raised him in many difficulties, in order to fulfill his filial duty, and to carry the load for his parents he practiced hard at writing using his feet. His actions not only motivated many people across the country, but also fully paid for his huge medical bills. Recently he was heartbroken when he heard the news onFoxconn employees' ten suicides. He thought these able young bodies should think about the filial responsibility and social responsibility. He hopes they will not do any more foolish things, heaven never seals off all the exits (天无绝人之路) – there is always a way out.


 


5.  Armless Wrestler
kyle maynard, the armless wrestler

Kyle Maynard is not your average scholar athlete. Kyle was a top wrestler at his high school and also near the top of his class academically. He also attended the University of Georgia. Why talk with him? Kyle is an inspiration to anyone who ever had a challenge to overcome. Kyle was born without elbows or knees - the result of a rare disorder.

Maynard now works as a speaker for the Washington Speaker's Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches. He is also the author of the memoir No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life.




6.  The Armless Golfer
tommy mcauliffe, the armless golfer

Tommy McAuliffe was the 'World Champion Armless Golfer'. Tommy was born in 1893 in Buffalo, New York, the oldest of five children. His arms were amputated after being run over by a train in 1902. He was left with no arms, not even stumps. He learned to write by holding a pencil in his mouth. He was the president of his senior class, attended three years of college, married in 1919, father of four children and grandfather of 16. He became a caddy at a nearby golf course. Using an old discarded club, he learned to play by holding the club between his neck and shoulder. He became so good he won the caddies tournament. After finishing college, Tommy was encouraged by his brother Walter, a professional golfer, to start his own Vaudeville Act in New York City. His "Trick Shot' act became so popular he traveled to all 48 states, all over Canada and Australia with his show. He did golf exhibitions at major golf courses in the U.S. He knew and played golf with Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagan, Chick Evans, Tommy Armour, Jim Barnes, Geo Van Elm and Sports Writer O.B. Keller. His low score for 18 holes was 85. His average was 92. Tommy became the "World Champion Armless Golfer."


7.  The First Armless Pilot
jessica cox, the armless pilot

Jessica Cox suffered a rare birth defect and was born without any arms. None of the prenatal tests her mother took showed there was anything wrong with her. And yet she was born with this rare congenital disease, but also with a great spirit. The psychology graduate can write, type, drive a car, brush her hair and talk on her phone by simply using her feet. Ms Cox, from Tuscon, Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Tai Kwon-Do. She has a no-restrictions driving license, she flies planes and she can type 25 words a minute.

The plane she is flying is called an Ercoupe and it is one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals Jessica is free to use her feet as hands. She took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft licence, had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.






8.  The Armless Guitar Player
tony melendez, the armless guitar player


 
Learning to walk means falling a lot for any child. For Tony Melendez, who was born without arms, it meant falling flat on his face time after time, until he learned to tumble and get back on his feet. That lesson, to keep trying, stuck with him. He wanted to play the guitar, and learned to pluck the strings with his toes. He practiced up to seven hours a day until the result was music. In 1987, when Melendez was 25, he played during Pope John Paul II's visit to Los Angeles, and the pope urged him to “continue giving this hope to all the people.” In response, Melendez has traveled to 40 countries and across the United States as a motivational speaker.



9.  The Armless Fitness Woman
barbie guerra, the armless fitness woman

Meet a living inspiration, Barbie Guerra. Barb lost her arms at the age of two in an accident, yet she is a remarkable fitness model.

 


10.  The Armless Painter

peter longstaff, the armless painter
 
This amazing festive image was painted by an armless thalidomide victim, using his right foot. Peter Longstaff's artwork pieces include flickering candles and another depicts a stag in a magical winter wonderland setting. And as well as teaching himself to paint, the 48-year-old has lived life to the full as a pig farmer, father and youth football coach.

Peter was one of many babies born with deformities in the late 1950s and early 60s when their pregnant mothers were given the drug thalidomide to combat morning sickness.
But as a boy he learned to use his right foot like a right hand and was independent enough to complete main stream schooling growing up on Teesside. Peter said: 'My right foot is like your right hand. I figured out ways of doing things.' He opens doors and turns on light switches standing on one leg, using a mixture of agility and balance. As a teenager he had to endure cruel comments from 'ignorant people' but took it in his stride. His ability to get around between home, studio and sports field is down to an adapted Range Rover, which he steers with a plate under his left foot, but which is otherwise a standard automatic. He was once stopped by a stunned policeman who spotted he had no hands on the wheel - but quickly understood when he opened the door. Peter's artwork was on show at the Royal College of Art in London in 2009.


 source

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...