Liu Wei - armless pianist from China's Got Talent

In this video, he starts playing a couple minutes in. You might want to click to it... but either way, it is worth the wait. :)

eyeball pop-out

Armless woman is top embroiderer

A women born with no arms in China is said to be the best embroiderer in her village.

Ren Jiemei, 65, is so skilled with her feet that she can always thread a needle at the first attempt, reports Qilu Evening Post.

Her embroidering skills are so perfect that able-bodied villagers say can't compete with her in terms of speed or quality.

"I was born without arms. So from childhood, I swore to myself that I'd use my feet to do everything," she said.

Ren, of Haiyang, Shandong province, has learnt to use her feet to eat, wash, comb her hair, draw pictures and cut paper.

In her school days, she used her mouth to turn the pages, and wrote with her feet. Despite her handicap, she often topped the class.

In April 2009, Ren was invited to give speeches to Sichuan Earthquake survivors on how to cope with disability.

Armless woman is top embroiderer | Quirky News | Orange UK

what ever became of Prahlad Jani? a follow-up

Do you remember Prahlad Jani? He is the man in India who claims that he has not had anything to eat or drink for 70 years. This blog posted his story back in April, as Mr. Jani began a scientific study that would test his claims.
Yesterday, a reader posted a question: What happened to Jani? How did the test come out? Here's what I found...

ABC News reported that Dr. Sudhir Shah, who tested Mr. Jani at Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad, claims that Mr. Jani is authentic. (note: ABC News does not express agreement with Dr. Shah's claims.)

He told ABC News, "We studied him for 15 days with him taking no water or food." Later, the doctor said that Jani gargled water and took baths, but did not consume anything.

Attending doctors said that Jani is "thin, but healthy." The blog that recorded the results reports that researchers were "amazed." (link) Some others are sold on the story.

But not everyone is amazed. ABC also noted that many people believe he is a fraud and that the research is skewed (to say it nicely). It is easy to see why so many (including the author of this blog) are very skeptical. It is also easy to see why Reuters, BBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and the American Journal of Medicine (to mention a few) have not proclaimed a fascinating scientific find. In fact, I found no reports of doctors, scientists, or news agencies that are treating the results seriously.

There are just too many unanswered questions and too many inconsistencies. For example:

• Dr. Shah has not made his "data" available to outside sources and does not plan to.
• There were no outside independent researchers.
• Shah's findings were not released to a reputable news organization or medical publication for corroboration, but rather, released to a blog.
• The "after" picture of Mr. Jani is the same as one that was released before the test. (In other words, no real "after" picture.)

And the obvious questions continue....

• Why just 15 days of testing? After all, Jani claims to have gone 70 years without food or water... why hurry a ground-breaking study? Granted, he has been "studied" in the past, but always for shorter periods of time and with questionable / closed testing methods.
• If the results are truly amazing, why has not the entire world scientific community been notified and given the documents? After all, there is something to be learned here. All of humanity could benefit.
• If Jani is thinner after 15 days... how has he survived 70 years?
• Why did he have to "gargle" over the days of his test? Why were the standards of the test breached? How often does he have to put water in his mouth?
• Why do some people in his own home town call him a notorious fraud?
• Why this doctor? After all, he is the same guy who did this same sort of "research" on Jani back in 2003 (with the same sort of ambiguous findings. (link)). Why not get an independent, reputable doctor who has no relationship with Jani or stake in the study?

hmmmmmmm. In the end, the "study" accomplished nothing. Some will believe that the test proves Jani's legitimacy. Others will believe that the peculiar "test" methods only prove he is a fraud. Either way, others will recognize that the "ability" to neither eat nor drink would be a curse, not a blessing.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/International/man-eat-drink/story?id=10787036
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2010/05/06/prahlad-jani-experiment-ends-exclusive-results-to-gujarati-bloggers/
http://www.skepdic.com/skeptimedia/skeptimedia90.html

original post: http://www.mypointless.com/2010/04/perfect-diet-man-claims-he-has-not.html

man tunnels through a mountain... so he can park his truck in his yard.

Men love their trucks. Some more than others.

Ramchandra Das, 53, of Bihar India owns a farm that is located several miles from his home. In-between his farm and his house is a mountain that has no road.

The truck is necessary for the farm-work, so, Ramchandra had to leave his truck parked on one side of the mountain and walk home without it.

Ramchandra was always afraid that his truck would be stolen. Unfortunately, the only way he could park his truck outside his home was to build a road over the mountain.

Or through it.

This week, Ramchandra completed a 14-year-long task: he single-handedly dug a 14-foot wide tunnel through the mountain using nothing but a hammer and chisel. Now, at last, Ramchandra and his truck can end the day in the same location.

In a notable understatement, one government official said, 'We rarely come across a man who can work so hard to achieve his goal.' Ramchandra originally asked for governmental assistance, but was rejected.

http://snipr.com/tjb38 [www_metro_co_uk]
http://snipr.com/tjb3g [www_dawn_com]

In the US, Ramchandra would have received all sorts of government assistance. They would have helped by:
--requiring multiple long-term environmental impact studies
--hosting a series of hearings for environmentalists, geologists, oceanographers, property abutters and people who suffer from any number of tunnel-related emotional disorders
--providing him with an endless list of required documentation, drawings, surveys, diagrams, blueprints and permits
--drowning him with an ocean of OSHA safety requirements.
--and then rejecting the proposal because you can't do that here.

giving new meaning to the food pyramid... this guy eats bricks

Lee Redmond speaks about breaking her nails

note: I removed the opinion poll for this post. If you took the poll and came back to see results, sorry. :)

Tony Melendez: guitarist with no hands.

for another amazing guitarist-- link

more strange allergies

Recently, Telegraph.co.uk reported two separate stories about strange allergies:

a boy who is allergic to sunlight
a girl who is allergic to the 21st Century

Jackson McIntyre, age 6, is allergic to sunlight. He has a very rare genetic disorder known as Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. This disorder is created by a deficiency in an enzyme. It causes Jackson to have a burning sensation whenever his skin is exposed to sunlight

Jackson's case is so severe that he is effected by both UV and visible sunlight. He experiences symptoms, at times, even standing near an un-shaded window.
http://snipr.com/k4tbx [www_telegraph_co_uk]

In a second story, a girl named Molly Harrand of Herne Bay, Kent, England is allergic to nearly everything that is 21st century. Doctors have not determined the cause of her unique allergies, but here is a partial list of things she is allergic to:

shoes, socks, carpets, pasta, bread, oats, eggs, soy, chocolate, cleaning products, soap, shampoo, deodorants, plastic and rubber surfaces, machinery, dust, pollen, grass, many toys, coins, pens, and even computer keyboards.

Doctors say that if Mary lived 100 years ago, she would probably not have had these allergies.

Molly's father Derek, is quoted as saying, "We have been to the best doctors in the land but no one knows what to do to help Molly. There has simply never been a case like hers. We want to free Molly from her terrible pain. If there is anyone out there who may be able to help then we would love to hear from them."
http://snipr.com/k4tmr [www_telegraph_co_uk]

want a son? don't take a bath.

Kailash Kalau Singh of Varanasi, India, wants to be the father of a son. A lot. A whole lot.

Singh, 65, has fathered seven daughters over the years but still desperately wants a son.

Fortunately, there is hope (of sorts): thirty-five years ago, Singh was told by a "seer" that he would be blessed with a male child if he did not take a bath.

So, to get a son, Singh has not taken a bath for the last 35 years. Instead of bathing in water, every day, Singh stands on one leg near a bonfire and smokes marijuana while praying to Shiva. He claims that the smoke kills the germs and makes him healthy.

Apparently the smoke does not kill the stink. Singh used to own a grocery store but his customers stopped shopping at his store because of his smelly aura. Today, he works in the fields near Varansai... probably alone.

http://bit.ly/12xirw

Having a son would be a double-miracle... since no woman wants to be near a bathless man.

the legend of Pencil Head

For years there has been a story going around about a woman who lived her whole life with a pencil in her head. Everyone knows that it is impossible. It must be an urban legend.

But it is true.

When Margret Wegner was just four years old, she fell while carrying a pencil in her hand. She fell with such force that the pencil punctured her cheek and went up into her brain just above her right eye.

Wegner describes the accident this way: "The pencil went right through my skin -- and disappeared into my head..."

At the time of the accident, doctors examined Margret and determined that the pencil had missed the vital parts of her brain. Unfortunately, they felt that the pencil was embedded in such a way that removing it would create a risk that was too great.

In the 59 years that followed, Margret experienced chronic headaches and nosebleeds. She lived her entire childhood, teenage years and married adult life with a pencil in her head.

Fortunately, doctors at a clinic in Berlin decided that they would attempt to remove the pencil. They were mostly-successful in the surgery. However, the tip of the pencil was so completely embedded in Wegner's head that it could not be removed.

Margret says she no longer has headaches and it was expected that she would be able to smell again.

BBC story
Reuters story
backup url

susan boyle: she’ll surprise you and make you smile.

Guaranteed that this video will make you smile and lift your heart.  This is worth the watch. (This video does not allow embedding.  The link will open the video in a new tab/window.) 

see the video

strange: woman truly senses a third translucent arm

Recently, Science Daily and swissinfo.ch reported the story of a 64-year-old woman who senses the presence of a third arm. Doctors at the Geneva University Hospital say that the her perceptions are credible.

The woman describes the arm as "pale, milky-white and translucent." The phantom limb, which appeared for the first time after a stroke, extends from the elbow of her left arm. She says she is able to "retrieve it" at will and can use it to touch various parts of her body. She only sees it when she calls for it.

Doctors have long known of the existence of "phantom limbs" or SPLs (supernumerary phantom limbs). They usually appear in the cases of someone who has had an amputation.

What is unique about this case, is that the woman can see, feel and "use" the arm.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) doctors can see that the woman's brain truly reacts as if it is seeing, using, and feeling the extra arm. For example, when she uses the arm to scratch her face, her brain's visual center reacts and she experiences very real relief.

In short, to her, the woman's third arm is as real and functional as her other two arms.

(The story was published by swissinfo.ch on April 1, but Science Daily reported the story on March 27. It is not a hoax or an April Fools joke.)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325162626.htm
swissinfo.ch story
cached swissinfo.ch
cached science daily page

meet Adam Bender... a real baseball hero

nothing funny here... just an inspiring example.

nurse sets off metal detectors everywhere she goes

If it is possible to have too much of a good thing, this might be it.

Elaine Davidson holds the record for the most body piercings. At last official count, she has 6,005 piercings. Of those, a hundreds are on her face, and 1,500 are "internal."

Elaine, who is a nurse living in Edinburgh, was first recognized by the Guinness World Records 9 years ago, when she had a mere 462 piercings. In the years since, she has continued to outdistance the record-wannabes by continuing her piercing.

Interestingly, Elaine doesn't like being pierced. She does it so that she can "be herself" and, of course, maintain her world record.

Elaine is quoted by Ananova: "I don't enjoy getting pierced, but to break the record you have to get to a high level. I wanted to break the record.

"My family don't even like tattoos or piercings. But I am happy. I decided to change myself and be me."

http://tinyurl.com/ddfjn9

I wonder how much her face weighs.

peas and knees-- the source of fear

Sue Williams is a 37-year-old woman who has an unusual and debilitating phobia: Sue is terrified of knees.

Knees. The bendy part at the middle of your leg.

Sue is so terrified of knees that she has not touched her own knees in the past 16 years. She cannot utter the word "kneecap" without crying. She cannot look at her husband's knees. Until recently (after therapy sessions), she was unable to wash her knees.

"I don't like my own. I can't touch them. I certainly can't touch anyone else's,... I know it's strange. People tease me about it and they have got every right to. But I think I'm the normal one and everyone else is weird." said Sue (notably omitting the use of the word "knees" in her explanation).

Another woman, Louise Arnold, has an irrational fear of peas.

Louise explains her pea phobia: "They (the peas) tend to just look at me – ganging up on me. All the hairs on the back of my neck go up. I have to know where they are in the supermarket before I go in. It's just controlling my life now. I would like to be a dinner lady at my daughter's school, but I'm not even able to be in the same room as someone eating them."
http://tinyurl.com/9zht4j

For a previous post about a woman who has koumpounophobia (fear of buttons) and other phobias, see http://tinyurl.com/853upp

the two month lay-over… and counting

Most travelers don't like extended layovers at an airport. A few hours sitting in a terminal is something we try to avoid.

That is, most travelers.

Hiroshi Nohara is currently on a layover at the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. He has been there since arriving from Japan on September 2 and he has no plans to leave.

He arrived in Mexico with a valid visa and a return-ticket. He has opted not to leave the airport. Instead, he sits, eats fast food, sits, eats fast food and sits and eats fast food. In short, he does nothing of value.

However, Hiroshi is getting to be famous in Mexico, where he has become a celebrity of sorts. He is on the television news nearly every night. People go to the airport to get a picture and an autograph from him. News sources from around the world are beginning to take notice of his non-story.

Hiroshi survives on free food that is given by fast-food restaurants and other airport travelers.

As you might expect, since he has been at the airport for a couple months without doing laundry or having a shower, Hiroshi stinks. Really bad. His hair is greasy and covered with dust and dandruff. His clothes are, well, quite in need of Febreeze.

Because Hiroshi is not breaking a law, there is nothing anyone can do to remove him until his visa expires in March. One airport janitor said, "He's a calm person, a nice man... He just sits here and eats all day."

Hiroshi said in one television report, "I don't understand why I'm here, I don't have a reason."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/6125375.html

for supper again tonight: tic-tacs

Seventeen-year-old Natalie Cooper of Shepway, Maidstone in England has an unusual illness that has forced her to have a very unusual diet.

Natalie loves food. Unfortunately, food doesn't love her. It seems that whatever she eats comes right back up. Her stomach simply will not hold it.

Well, almost everything. There is one food that Natalie can keep down: mint Tic-Tacs.

You know Tic-Tacs: those tiny white breath mints that come in a clear plastic container… those little mints that make a big racket when you shake them.

Doctors can't explain why her stomach can only tolerate Tic-Tacs, but that is all she can eat for nourishment. That means that Natalie has to get her nutrition... and most of her calories... from a special formula that she is fed daily through a tube.

Through experimentation, Natalie found that she could almost tolerate mint candies. So, she kept reducing the size of the mints until she found one that would stay down. "I went from Trebor Extra Strong Mints to Polos and ended up with tic tacs. They give me a bit of energy but I eat them mostly to get rid of hunger; it’s a psychological effect," said Natalie.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=38322

For similar stories, including the girl who is allergic to water, choose the unusual people label below or on the side bar.

amazing: armless guitar

I did not intend to be thematic today... but when I was looking for a graphic to use with today's story of the armless thief, I came across this video. This guy is incredible and worthy of a listen.

typewriter art by Paul Smith♦

The art in this slideshow was created by a man with Cerebral Palsy named Paul Smith. Each picture was created by Paul on his typewriter.

"When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn't press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other words, his pictures were based on these characters .... @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ ."

Paul died last year, leaving behind some wonderful works of art and a legacy of courage, determination, and talent.

http://tinyurl.com/6b4k9y
via