The XO DirectoryThe XO DirectoryA directory of eXtraOrdinary things, from odd news to world records... Articles
Ibolya, a White-tipped Reef Virgin Shark Gave Birth in Hungary
2008-01-12 15:43:00 Ibolya, a white-tipped reef shark gave birth to a pup in an aquarium in Hungary . The female shark is just alone in her tank and was not came into contact with a male shark, according to the report."When I saw the baby shark lying on the bottom of the tank I thought it was a joke," said Attila Varga, the centre’s director."I was amazed when I realised it was a real shark. The mother is very protective of her pup, but as soon as we can, marine biologists want to get a DNA sample from both." Link More About: White , Virgin , Reef , Shark
Top Ten Most Expensive Celebrity Weddings
2008-01-11 16:36:00 August of last year, Forbes listed the top ten most expensive celebrity weddings. Actually, there are 20 in the list with others have the same amount of expenses. The estimated amounts are in US dollars. In the picture are Liza Minnelli and David Gest.1. Liza Minnelli & David Gest - $3.5 million 2. Paul McCartney & Heather Mills - $3 million 3. Elizabeth Hurley & Arun Nayar - $2.5 million 4. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes - $2 million 4. Elizabeth Taylor & Larry Fortensky - $2 million 4. Christina Aguilera & Jordan Bratman - $2 million 5. Elton John & David Furnish - $1.5 million 5. Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones - $1.5 million 5. Tiger Woods & Elin Nordegren - $1.5 million 5. Eddie Murphy & Nicole Mitchell - $1.5 million 5. Pierce Brosnan & Keely Shaye Smith - $1.5 million 5. Madonna & Guy Ritchie - $1.5 million 6. Donald Trump & Melania Knauss - $1 million 6. Tori Spelling & Charlie Shanian - $1 million 6. Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston - $1 million 7. David & Victoria Beckham - ... More About: Celebrity , Weddings , Most Expensive
World's Top Ten Most Expensive Office Space Rental per Square Foot
2008-01-11 16:18:00 The list below is the world's top ten most expensive office space rental per square foot.1. London (West End), England - $328/square foot2. Mumbai, India - $190/square foot3. London City, England - $181/square foot3. Moscow, Russia - $181/square foot4. Tokyo (Inner Circle), Japan - $179/square foot5. Tokyo (Outer Circle), Japan - $155/square foot6. Paris, France - $127/square foot6. New Dehli, India - $127/square foot7. DUblin, Ireland - $114/square foot8. Hong Kong - $106/square foot9. Singapore City, Singapore - $102/square foot10. Midtown Manhattan, USA - $101/square foot Link More About: Space , Office , Rental , Most Expensive , Office Space
Extraordinary Friendship, a Dog Won't Leave it's Dog Friend After an Accide
2008-01-11 16:11:00 The picture below show an extraordinary friendship between two dog. The other one which lost it's friend in an accident won't leave, even there are many cars passing by. Link More About: Friendship , Leave , Friend , Extraordinary
Mark Malkoff, a New York Comedian Living at IKEA Store
2008-01-10 16:23:00 Mark Malkoff is living a good life in the spacious IKEA store in New York City. He is also documenting his stay and uploading vidoes to a website where everybody can watch his stay in the store. This guy is also the man who visited the 171 Starbuck location in New York in 24 hours.When Mark Malkoff thought about where he could stay while his New York City apartment was being fumigated for cockroaches, he quickly ruled out friends' places (too small) and hotels (too expensive).Instead, the comedian and filmmaker decided to move into an IKEA store in suburban New Jersey, where on Monday he unloaded two suitcases into a spacious bedroom at the store. Link More About: Living , Comedian , Store
Amour Amour, The World’s Most Expensive Dog Collar at $1.8 Million
2008-01-10 16:03:00 With over 1600 hand-set diamonds which includes an amazing 7-carat, D-IF, brilliant-shape centerpiece diamond, Amour Amour is the world's most expensive dog collar to date at $1.8 Million .Amour Amour uses crocodile leather - among the most sought after exotic skins in the world - to bring both comfort and durability to the collar.Crafted with artisan precision and attention to detail, Amour Amour is the world's most exquisite dog collar that only the one pampered pooch will have the privilege to wear. Link via Luxist More About: Most Expensive , Collar
Most Expensive Presidentially-Declared Disasters in the USA
2008-01-10 15:46:00 The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), theagency of the US government tasked with Disaster Mitigation, Preparedness, Response & Recovery planning listed the most expensive presidentially-declared disasters in the USA in modern history.1. Hurricane Katrina (FL,LA,MS,AL), 2005 - $29,318,576,948**2. Attack on America - WTC (NY, NJ, VA), 2001 - $8,818,350,1203. Northridge Earthquake (CA), 1994 - $6,978,325,8774. Hurricane Rita (TX,LA), 2005 - $3,749,698,3515. Hurricane Ivan (LA,AL,MS,FL,NC,GA,NJ,PA,WV,NY,TN), 2004 - $2,431,034,3556. Hurricane Georges (AL, FL, MS, PR, VI), 1998 - $2,245,157,1787. Hurricane Wilma (FL), 2005 - $2,110,738,3648. Hurricane Charley (FL,SC), 2004 - $1,885,466,6289. Hurricane Andrew (FL,LA), 1992 - $1,813,594,81310. Hurricane Frances (FL,NC,PA,OH,NY,GA,SC), 2004 - $1,773,440,505 Link More About: Disasters , Most Expensive , Clar , Aster
Top Ten World's Richest Dogs
2008-01-10 15:25:00 Looks like there are more rich dogs than we thought. Here a list of the top ten of the world's richest dogs. 1. Gunther the german shepherd - £90 million 2. Kalu the chimpanzee - £40 million 3. Trouble the maltese terrier - £6 million 4. Tina and kate the collie crosses - £450,000 5. Jasper the mongrel - £150,000 6. Tinker the cat - £100,000 7. Porgy, pride, joy & ronald the cats - £17,500 each 8. Silverstone the tortoise - £16,667 9. Top cat and matilda - £10,000 each 10. Angus the cow and larry the lamb - £7,957 each Link More About: Dogs
Diamond-encrusted Human Skull, World's Most Expensive Skull at £50 Million
2008-01-10 14:58:00 At £50 Million , this 18th Century skull which thought to belong to a 35-year-old European who lived between 1720 and 1810 is the world's most expensive skull. Artist Damien Hirst encrusted the human skull with 8,601 jewels and a pear-shaped pink diamond in the skull's forehead.The artist said that he was inspired by an Aztec turquoise skull at the British Museum, and hopes that his work will eventually be displayed at the institution.Other Hirst works which have also gone on display at the White Cube gallery in London include a painting of his son's birth by Caesarean section and a tiger shark cut in half and suspended in two tanks of formaldehyde.Art expert Charles Dupplin from specialist insurer Hiscox called the skull "another bold move" from Hirst."This is a spectacular piece and undoubtedly the work with the highest intrinsic value in modern and contemporary art," he added. Link via Spanish Dancerhs More About: Human , Most Expensive , Skull , Diamond
Christopher Peebles Saved by Dog, Laney, from Fire by Biting Foot
2008-01-09 15:19:00 Christopher Peebles was saved by his dog, Laney, a black Labrador, from fire by biting his foot repeatedly. The 13-year-old, said he woke up to feel his dog Laney biting in the basement of his family's home."I thought she had to go to the bathroom, but she never bites me," Peebles said Friday.He and his friends walked upstairs with Laney and noticed smoke everywhere in the home."We came up the stairs and thought it was a dream, but it was cold when we opened the door _ then we knew it wasn't a dream," Pebbles said. Link More About: Fire , Foot
Abu Minqar in Egypt, Turns Desert Into "Green" Farmland
2008-01-09 15:13:00 Who says dessert cannot grow crops. This farming village of Abu Minqar in Egypt is a big proof. The barren dessert before now turns into a lush green farmland.The village is one of the extreme examples of the country's plan to "green" its deserts and transform the barren areas that consume most of the landscape into productive farms and fields.Though the policy has been going for decades, it is now achieving large-scale success.Close to the Libyan border, Abu Minqar is far more remote than majority of desert farmland in Egypt. Its existence is proof that Egypt can set up farms anywhere. Link More About: Green , Desert , Farmland
World's Most Expensive Bikini at $30 Million
2008-01-09 13:46:00 Designed by Susan Rosen, this pair of bikini with a thread-like structure and embedded with Steinmetz Diamonds is truly extraordinary. With a prize tag of 30 million US dollar, it is the current world's most expensive pair of bikini (excluding the model, of course).Model Molly Sims flaunted this designer bikini and is residing at the centerfold of the 2006 Illustrated Sports Swimsuit issue. The bikini is packed with over 150 carats of D Flawless diamonds.Other ornamental diamonds include: 1) 51 carat D Flawless Pear Shape2) 30 carat D Flawless Emerald Cut3) 15 carat D Flawless Rounds (pair)4) Platinum-set 8 carat D Flawless Pear Shape (pair) Link More About: Bikini , Most Expensive , Million
Plan of the Great Pyramid, The Secret Doors Inside the Great Pyramid of Khu
2008-01-09 13:34:00 Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian Egyptologist and archaeologist, and his team, studied the complex Great Pyramid of Khufu. Their studies lead to discovering of the plans of the great pyramid.The Great Pyramid of Khufu has always fascinated people because it is the only ancient wonder of the world that exists today. It is also possible people are fascinated because Khufu’s pyramid, especially the interior, is very complex. The modern entrance to the pyramid was created in the Ninth Century A.D. by el-Mamoun son of Haroun el-Rhasied. The true entrance is above this one. This passage goes down through the pyramid, and then connects to another corridor that ascends to the King’s and Queen’s Chambers. The original passage continues downwards into an unfinished chamber directly under the pyramid. Discussion about the purpose of these chambers and the complexity of the pyramid is varied and ongoing. Link More About: The Secret , Secret , Inside
Six Feet Tall Panasonic TV, The World's Largest TV
2008-01-08 15:18:00 At 6 feet tall and weighing 220kg, this Panasonic TV is now the world's largest TV set. It is expected to cost £50,000 and smashes the previous record size for a TV by 42 inches.Technology experts estimate that the new Panasonic will use up to 3,000 watts of electricity.And general guidance for watching TV is to check the size and then sit two-and-a-half times further away, giving it a viewing distance of 375 inches (31.2 ft). Link More About: Tall , Feet , Largest
Faye Campbell, Teenage Girl Who Ate Only Chips for 10 Years
2008-01-08 15:07:00 Faye Campbell , 15 years old, has eaten almost nothing but chips for the past 10 years. She suffered a rare condition called gastro-oesophageal reflux, which made her ill every time she tried anything other than chips.Mrs Campbell said: "Faye just drank milk until she was four or five."We tried giving her everything but she rejected it. For some reason at that age she tried a chip and didn't eat anything else."Mrs Campbell, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, said they had taken Faye to the doctor's repeatedly without any luck.But she said two years ago the teenager was diagnosed with a condition called gastro-oesophageal reflux - and there was finally light at the end of the tunnel.The condition, which means digestive acids are sent into the throat, is one of the main causes of indigestion and heartburn. Link More About: Girl , Years , Teenage , Chips
ILOVEYOU, World's Most Damaging Computer Worm/Virus
2007-12-21 19:58:00 The ILOVEYOU worm, also known as VBS/Loveletter and Love Bug worm is considered the world's most damaging computer worm yet. It is written in VBScript by a Filipino college student. It began in the Philippines on May 4, 2000, and spread across the world in one day, infecting 10 percent of all computers connected to the Internet and causing about $5.5 billion in damage. Most large corporations, including the Pentagon, CIA, and the British Parliament shut down their e-mail systems to get rid of the worm. Link More About: Virus , Computer , Worm
Bubelle Dress, The Dress That Changes Colour to Reflect your Mood
2007-12-21 19:37:00 Phillips designed the Bubelle Dress , the dress that changes color to reflect the wearer's mood. It is made up of two layers, the inner layer contains biometric sensors that pick up a person's emotions and projects them in colors onto the second layer, the outer textile.Ingrid Bal from Philip's Design said: "You could programme the material so that it turned red if you were angry or stressed, or green when you're calm." Link More About: Colour , Mood
Seven Great Medical Myths Revealed
2007-12-21 19:17:00 A review of evidence by US researchers surrounding seven commonly-hold medical beliefs suggests they are actually "medical myths". Two U.S. researchers searched the archives for evidence to support them, but they found nothing. Some are utterly untrue, while others have no evidential proof, the British Medical Journal reports.The Seven Medical Myths Are:1. Drink eight glasses of water daily2. Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight3. Shaving makes hair grow back faster or coarser4. Eating turkey makes you drowsy5. We use only 10 percent of our brains6. Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death7. Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals Link More About: Great
Rare, Prehistoric Frilled Shark Photographed Alive
2007-12-21 06:55:00 A rare, prehistoric shark was caught on camera last January 21, 2007. Frilled sharks, named after it's frilled gills, generally remain thousands of feet beneath the water's surface. This serpentine specimen may look like a large eel, but its six slitlike gills help mark it as a cousin of the great white, the hammerhead, and other sharks. With a mouthful of three-pointed teeth, the frilled shark may be a fearsome hunter, but it's considered harmless to humans as it's main diet is deep sea squids and other sharks."We think it may have come to the surface because it was sick, or else it was weakened because it was in shallow waters," a park official told the Reuters news service. But the truth may never be known, since the "living fossil" died hours after it was caught. Link More About: Shark , Rare , Alive , Prehistoric
Yalos Diamond, World's Most Expensive TV at $130,000
2007-12-20 16:29:00 The Yalos Diamond from Italian outfit Keymat Industrie is considered the world's most expensive TV yet. This diamond-encrusted 40-inch TV set is $130,000 in prize. Embedded in the piano-black bezel are 160 diamonds, and the stand is made of white gold. Link More About: Most Expensive
Wedding in the Charmin Public Restroom, Wearing a Toilet Paper Dress
2007-12-20 15:35:00 Jennifer Cannon and Doy Nichols of Lexington, Kentukcy married in the Charmin Restrooms, a free public restroom facility in Times Square, New York City. This extraordinary wedding was part of Charmin's 2007 Wedding Dress Contest. Jennifer wore the winning dress by designer Hanah Kim, fashioned from glue, tape and Charmin Ultra Soft and Ultra Strong toilet tissue. The wedding ceremony, attended by family and friends. The bride's dress was made from 7 rolls of toilet paper. Link More About: Toilet Paper , Public , Toilet
Mass Graves of Bubonic Plague Victims Found on Venice "Quarantine" Island
2007-12-20 15:02:00 A mass grave containing more than 1,500 bodies, believed to be of the victims of the bubonic plague, have been discovered on a small island in Italy's Venetian Lagoon while workers were digging the foundation for a new museum. The island is believed to be the world's first quarantine colony intended to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This colony was opened during the plague outbreaks that decimated Venice , as well as much of Europe, throughout the 15th and 16th centuries A.D. Link More About: Island , Mass , Victims
Neolithic Sword and Artifacts Found in Southwestern China
2007-12-20 13:47:00 For the first time in Chongqing in southwestern China , archaeologists unearthed cultural artifacts that believed to date back to the Neolithic period, more than 4,000 years ago. The artifacts which includes several pieces of stone tools, including an axe, a peeling tool, shovels and adzes, a delicate bronze willow sword and a lance with particular "Ba" cultural images, was included in the previously unearthed seven tombs that belong to the Han Dynasty. Link More About: Sword
World's Most Expensive Magna Carta Document at $21.3 Million
2007-12-19 23:44:00 A rare 710 years old copy of the Magna Carta is one of the most important historical documents that was auctioned at a whopping $21.3 million. This royal document, revered as the birth certificate of freedom, was bought by a Washington businessman who said he was determined to see it remain in the United States, where it has been on display at the National Archives and Records Administration since 1988. Link More About: Most Expensive , Document , Million
Ancient Ice-age Toolkit Gives Glimpse of Prehistoric Life
2007-12-19 14:20:00 Archaeologists have found a bag of tools that were prepared 14,000 years ago, before the end of the last ice age. The said toolkit, one of the most complete and well preserved of its kind, provides an intriguing glimpse of the daily life of a prehistoric hunter-gatherer. It contains the following: a sickle for harvesting wild plants, a cluster of flint spearheads, a flint core for making more spearheads, a cluster of gazelle toe bones, and part of a second bone tool."There was a sickle for harvesting wild wheat or barley, a cluster of flint spearheads, a flint core for making more spearheads, some smooth stones (maybe slingshots), a large stone (maybe for striking flint pieces off the flint core), a cluster of gazelle toe bones which were used to make beads, and part of a second bone tool," he said. Link More About: Life , Toolkit , Ancient , Prehistoric , Glimpse
CT Scans Show What King Tut Looked Like
2007-12-19 12:40:00 In 2005, using CT scans of his mummified remains, forensic scientists and artists were able to complete the first ever facial reconstructions of King Tut. The young pharaoh's reconstructed facial composition turned out to be strikingly similar to ancient portraits of him."The shape of the face and skull are remarkably similar to a famous image of Tutankhamun as a child where he was shown as the sun god at dawn rising from a lotus blossom," said Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of the Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Link More About: Show , King Tut
Ancient Egyptian City Spotted From Space Using Satellite
2007-12-19 12:27:00 The Great Aten Temple at Tell el-Amarna, Middle Egypt was captured by a satellite hovering over Egypt. The images captured pinpoint telltale signs of previous habitation in the swatch of land 200 miles south of Cairo, which digging recently confirmed as an ancient settlement dating from about 400 A.D. This discovery is a part of a project which aims to map ancient Egypt's archaeological sites before they are destroyed or covered by modern development."It is the biggest site discovered so far," said project leader Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Based on the coins and pottery we found, it appears to be a massive regional center that traded with Greece, Turkey and Libya." Link More About: Space , Satellite , City , Ancient , Egyptian
Aramaic, the Language of Jesus Still Spoken in Malula, Syria
2007-12-18 06:52:00 The Aramaic, the ancient Semitic language that Jesus used to preach to the apostles is still spoken in Malula (Ma'aloula, Maloula), a tiny Syria n village, until today. The 5,000 residents of this village, are among the last 18,000 speakers of Aramaic. This language is also spoken in two smaller villages nearby and in isolated communities in Iraq, Turkey and Iran. LinkSee also: Preserving The Language Of JesusFieldwork Report in Maloula/Syria More About: Spoken
Clarence Garrett, Graduates College at 87 Years Old
2007-12-18 06:19:00 After returning to college in spring of 2006, Clar ence Garrett finally graduated at age 87. He completed course work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was awarded his bachelor's degree at commencement ceremonies on December 16, 2007, Sunday. He has a 50 years gap between his higher and college education."We are not sure if Clarence Garrett is the oldest to ever graduate from UWM, but we do know that there had not been a graduate for some time who was born when the president was Woodrow Wilson," Chancellor Carlos Santiago said. Link More About: College , Years , Graduates
Giant Rat, Tiny Possum Discovered in Indonesian Jungle
More articles from this author:2007-12-18 05:26:00 (Above, Martua Sinaga, a Mammalogist, holds a 3-pound (1.4-kilogram) giant rat.) American and Indonesian scientists discoveries a giant rat and a tiny possum that are believed be a newly found species. The rat and a tiny possum, described as one of the worlds smallest marsupials, were found in Indonesia's Foja Mountains, Conservation International said Monday."The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, according to CI's press release. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip." Link More About: Tiny , Giant , Jungle 1, 2, 3, 4 |



