8-Inch-Long Beard, the Secret to Long Happy Marriage?

65-year old Mukhtabor Toraeva from Turbat, in Southern Kazakhstan says her whooping 8-inch long beard is the secret for her successful 42-year marriage.

Speaking with Vancouverdesi she said:

“My husband married me when my beard had already started to grow.

“He loves it and we now have a son, a daughter and six grandchildren.

“Although beards run on my side of the family, my daughter does not have one and although both my mother and my grandmother have them, they are not as fine as mine.”

“Theirs only reached six inches”.

Food: Burger Designed to Taste Like Human Flesh

On Tuesday, September 30, diners would be offered burgers that taste like human flesh through a pop-up restaurant in East London, to mark the fifth season of the Zombie television show - The Walking Dead.

The human-flesh-tasting burger is a collaboration between chef James Tomlinson of ‘London Mess’ and ‘Miss Cakehead’, a freelance creative director who specializes in gory food creations. 

According to The Telegraph, the Chefs didn't have to nibble human flesh themselves to create their burger: they read accounts from various cannibals about what human flesh taste like. Their inspiration came from flesh muncher William Seabrook an explorer who described human flesh as tasting like "good, fully developed veal, not young, but not yet beef" and from the Murderer Issei Sagawa who said it "melted in my mouth like raw tuna in a sushi restaurant".

The Chefs have settled on a special blend of pork, veal, bone marrow and chicken livers to replicate the experience.

The location for the pop-up eatery is yet to be disclosed but will be revealed through the #terminustavern hashtag on Twitter.

Would you eat this said Burger?

via telegraph

Today on Spicy Board-China

Learn and spice your weekend with a new language in writing.

You can even pronounce it - if you can.

Sentence of the day is I LOVE YOU.

Below is 'I Love You' in Traditional Chinese.

我愛你

Wǒ ài nǐ

Share the love...

Space Elevator Going Up By 2050

You may not need a rocket to reach the moon in 2050, just an elevator.

Obayashi Corp, Japanese construction firm announced this week that they’ll have a space elevator operational in the next 35 years.

It would take about seven days to transport people or cargo along the 59,651 - mile journey. Though twice as long as it takes a spacecraft; the cost would be significantly lower.

But the success of such a futuristic mode of transportation are carbon nanotubes - cylinders of carbon atoms which are so small and cannot be seen with the human eye,. Yet their tensile strength is almost a hundred times stronger than steel. The idea is to build a carbon nanotube cable between the Earth’s surface and the Moon and run magnetically levitating robotic cars up and down it. 

Several universities are working with Obayashi on the various parts. Their problem at the moment is on the nanotube cable which doesn’t go very high above the Earth.

Yoji Ishikawa,  a research and development manager at Obayashi told Tech Times that “Right now we can’t make the cable long enough. We can only make                     3-centimeter-long nanotubes but we need much more… we think by 2030 we’ll be able to do it”.

source: Discovery news

Ari Wibowo aka 'Snake Boy'

An Indonesia teenager, Ari Wibowo-16  with a rare skin condition sheds his skin every 41 hours.

Ari must soak his body in water every hour and smear himself with lotion to prevent his skin from hardening like a sculpture and leaving him unable to move.

Indonesian doctors said they do not have the resources to treat Ari’s (inflammatory skin disease) Erythroderma, or ‘red man syndrome’, which has given him his extraordinary appearance.

Photographer Nurcholis Anhari Lubis, 35, has been documenting the boy's live and says He  is ‘scaly like a snake’.

‘It’s really sad because he was not born normally and has scaly skin all over his body, similar to being severely burnt, from the sole of his feet up to his head,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘If the boy doesn’t moisturise or soak his skin in water, his body would shrivel and harden up like a sculpture and he won’t be able to move.’ 

Ari has had trouble making friends and schools won’t accept him because they fear his illness is contagious. He also has trouble talking and has an impaired vision in his right eye, while the left eye is constantly treated with drops. 

He also suffers prejudice because of superstitions in his village. Mr. Lubis said many people blame Ari's  condition on a superstition that if a woman mistreats animals while pregnant then it would affect her unborn child. Some people believe Ari's mother 'tortured a lizard' she found in the family home when she was pregnant with Ari.

See more pictures below:

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TEARS of Pain or Joy: 'Day of Gratitude' at Shandong primary school stirs up some REALLY intense emotions

Lots weeping and out of control wailing at a primary school in Liaochang, Shandong province, as a motivational speaker waxed poetic about having gratitude for parents and teachers, as well as bettering oneself.

It was a mixture of tears and touching moments and very difficult to tell if these tears are of pains or joy.

LOL!  Kids in their on world. sweet! 

View more pictures below:

 

 

 

11 Things Every Woman Should Tell Her Gyno - From Women's Health

There are some things that you'd barely consider telling your best friend--let alone your gynecologist. But the truth is, they've heard and seen it all. Plus, there are somethings that, while embarrassing, could be really vital when it comes to taking care of your sexual and reproductive health. Here, eleven things you should definitely tell your gynecologist:  

How Many Sexual Partners You've Had 

Has it been a particularly eventful year? Tell your gyno that--even if she doesn't ask. She's not going to judge you, and this is really useful information from a medical standpoint, says ob-gyn Alyssa Dweck, M.D., coauthor of V is For Vagina. "The more information that's disclosed that seems to be relevant, the more individualized care that can be given." 

If You've Had Unprotected Sex--Even Once 

So you slipped up and didn't use a condom a while back, but since then you've gotten your period and haven't noticed any signs of an STD. You're in the clear, right? Not exactly. Some STDs, like Chlamydia, are often completely symptomless, while others like HPV can lay dormant for years, says Dweck. It's your responsibility to tell your doctor if you may be at risk for these after having unprotected sex. 

If You're Not Able to Orgasm 

Just think about it--unless you're seeing a sex therapist, who else would you go to for sexual dysfunction issues? Your gynecologist knows what you're working with and wants to help. "If you're having orgasm issues, that's something we can usually help with," says Dweck. "It may require a referral, or it may be a signal of another type of health problem going on." 

If You Occasionally Bleed After Sex 

If it's just one time after particularly rough sex, you probably don't have to run to the doctor, says Dweck. But if it's more than once, you should let your gyno know. Bleeding after sex can signify anything from an infection or dryness problem to aprecancerous cervical issue. It's better to be safe than embarrassed. 

If Your Period Has Been Wonky Lately 

Even if you're sure you're not pregnant, changes in your period are something you should definitely bring up to your doctor. If your flow is much heavier or lighter than normal, it can be the result of so many different things, says Dweck, including hormonal imbalances, a cyst, or an infection. 

If Sex is Painful 

Don't be shy--chances are your gyno can help with this. It may be due to a slight tilt in your uterus, or you may be suffering from vaginal dryness, says ob-gyn Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine. That's not just a problem for older women--it's an issue that many younger women deal with, too, and it may even be a side effect of your birth control. Bring it up for the sake of your sex life.

What Medications or Supplements You're Taking 

This is important for so many reasons--whether you're starting a new birth control regimen, trying to get pregnant, or require surgery, says Dweck. Even herbal supplements can have contraindications, so let your gyno know exactly what you're taking. 

What You're Thinking About Pregnancy and Fertility 

This isn't just something to bring up to your gyno when you run into a roadblock. If you're considering getting pregnant in the next year, definitely tell your doctor, says Minkin. They can give you helpful tips and medical advice that they wouldn't normally offer up on a regular visit. And even if you aren't planning a pregnancy right now, it's a good idea to broach the topic of fertility with your doctor if you're ever concerned. They can tell you about these healthy habits that will help preserve your fertility and address any concerns you may have. "My job is to make sure women don't get pregnant when they don't want to and do get pregnant when they do want to," says Minkin. 

If You've Been Sexually Abused 

Whether you're looking for someone to talk to, worried about STDs, or seeking resources that can help, your gynecologist can point you in the right direction. This is especially important for the many women who don't have a primary care doctor, says Dweck, since their gynecologist could be the only one they see on a yearly basis. "Many patients may not know that their gynecologist could be the person to offer some assistance," says Dweck. 

If You Notice a Funky Smell 

This is usually a sign of an infection or pH imbalance, which your gynecologist can treat. Interestingly, Dweck mentioned another common culprit: a tampon (or piece of a tampon) that was left inside you. Minor changes in odor around your period are normal, but if you notice something super off, call up your gyno. 

If Your Sleep and Your Periods Have Been Off Lately 

If you're in your early forties, these could be signs of perimenopause, says Minkin. While it's rare to start seeing symptoms this early, it's definitely not unheard of, she says.Bringing these symptoms up to your gynecologist may help you pinpoint the cause early on.

Why your Brain needs its own gym

 

Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, author of "Make Your Brain Smarter" wrote:

Fact: We are outliving our brains. Life expectancy in the United States today is about 80 years old. Girls have a one in three chance of living to 100, while boys have one in four. The problem? Our cognitive brain performance peaks in our early 40s. That means mental functions like memory, speed of thinking, problem-solving, reasoning, and decision-making decline in the last 30 or 40 years of life.

The truth is most people don't consider their brain health until they're faced with injury, disease, or simply getting old. But just as we've come to realize that we can improve our physical health through diet and exercise, we can improve our cognitive health too.  It's simply a matter of engaging in the right mental workouts.

Science now strongly supports the fact that our brains are one of the most modifiable parts of our whole body. Our brains actually adapt from moment to moment, depending on how we use them; they either decline or improve, and which direction they go depends on us and the way we challenge them.

Our research team at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas is working on how to improve brain performance at all ages, and our findings show that making our brains stronger, healthier, and more productive requires actually changing the way we use them every single day.  And that's where where daily changes come in. We all must first abandon toxic habits that are depleting brain resources, and also incorporate complex thinking into our daily routines. Ready to make your brain smarter? Here are a few scientifically proven ways to do it.

Quiet Your Mind

"Don't make any rash decisions!" Somewhere along the line, we've all been given that advice, and it actually applies to your brain too, which can often better solve complex problems when you step away to reflect on ideas and crucial decisions rather than acting without weighing choices. A halt in constant thinking slows your mind's rhythms, allowing it to refresh. Employ a “Five by Five” principle where you take a break from whatever you're doing five times a day for at least five minutes to reset your brain. When we let our brain work behind the scenes, we have our best "aha" moments. And don't we all want more of those?

Translate Your World

 Move away from surface-level, uninspired thinking and eschew predictable thoughts by pushing past the obvious and really think.  For example, when asked what a movie was about, most people would give a play-by-play of events that occurred. To boost brainpower, instead think of the major themes of the film and relate it to personal situations in your own life and how they apply. Think back on one of your favorite movies or books from the past year and generate five to eight different take-home messages you can glean from it.

This process, called synthesized thinking, strengthens the connections between different areas of our brains. Our brains actually become quickly jaded by routine since they were built to dynamically shift between details and the big picture. They also hate information downloading, so it helps to think like a reporter. When taking in large amounts of information, try to explain it in a few sentences. Kick off meetings with provocative big ideas. Power your important email messages with simple but thought-evoking subject lines.

Stop Multi-tasking

We are inundated with more and more tasks every day. Relentless simultaneous input and output fatigues the brain and reduces productivity and efficiency. You may think that by doing two or three things at once – like participating in a conference call while writing a couple of emails –  you are moving faster through your day. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our to-do lists keep getting longer while performance and accuracy slip. So, when working on higher-order thinking tasks that matter, allow your focus to be completely uninterrupted for at least 15 minutes at a time and then gradually increase the length of those intervals.

Move Your Feet

Recently published research shows that aerobic exercise stimulates positive brain change and memory gains faster than we previously thought possible. Adding regular aerobic exercise that elevates your heart rate to your routine at least three times a week for an hour won't just help with physical health, it will also increase brain blood flow to key memory centers in the brain and improve our memory for facts. When you combine complex thinking with aerobic exercise, brain health benefits are amplified.

Until recently, we thought that cognitive decline was an inevitable part of getting old, but the good news is that's officially not the case. Toxic habits and a life on autopilot are key culprits for unnecessary cognitive decline.  Our research has that healthy adults who use these strategies can regain lost cognitive performance, improve blood flow in the brain, speed up communication between its regions and expand its structural connections. And you can actually evoke some of these positive changes in a matter of hours.

Adopting this new, healthier way of thinking translates into real-life benefits that support our ability to make decisions, think critically, reason and plan. In other words, shaping your brain by engaging in the right kind of daily mental exercise has the power to reverse brain aging and actually make you smarter. So boost your brainpower! You have nothing to lose. 

Education in the Bush

                  

The African Wildlife Foundation is hoping to do some tricky medicine on the world at large, to stop the planet's lungs from collapsing.

The organization's CEO , Patrick Bergin says, "If you think of the world as having two lungs, the Amazon rainforest is one lung, and the Congo Basin forest is the second. It's a place everyone should be concerned about in a time of climate change." 

Over the next decade, the African Wildlife Foundation is building 15 conservation-themed primary schools in some of Africa's most remote regions that are highly strategic from an environmental standpoint. The schools are designed to be state-of-the-art, built with attractive faculty housing that will hopefully lure some of Africa's best teachers.

Bergin notes that when it comes to education in Africa, resources go first to schools in the city, then to those in the surrounding towns. "Kids that live in the Bush are likely to be deeply disadvantaged," he says.

It is precisely that segment, he argues, that needs access to good schooling to protect the future of the continent.

Construction has already begun on the first school in Ilima, an extremely isolated village in the Democratic Republic of Congo that sits on the corridor between two protected areas.  Getting there involves a two-day motorized canoe trip from Kinshasa, followed by a five-hour motorcycle ride. What that means is that getting materials in and out of the area can prove troublesome.

Architectural firm Mass Design Group has partnered with the African Wildlife Foundation to build the schools. It was imperative that the designers used locally sourced materials. "If there's a need to repair or maintain the school 45 years down the road, the community has to be able to do it without depending on materials like steel or cement, which would be hard to locate," says Andrew Brose, the project manager.

(CNN reports)

see more pictures below:

 

 

 

Modern-Day Witch Hunts Target Men

Witchcraft accusations and the subsequent attacks on the accused have plagued communities in Papua New Guinea for years. 

A type of violence usually committed against women has increasingly targeted men.

Speaking with Live Science, Anthropologist Dan Jorgensen of the University of Western Ontario described seven cases that involved the killings, beatings and gruesome torture of male victims. The cases, which occurred near the village of Telefomin, which he said may hold clues to the roots of violence.

In the new report, Jorgensen said six cases of male victims are between ages 35 and 65, and one case of an attack on a 16-year-old boy. Three of the victims were killed in the attacks.

One of the survivors, Thomas (not his real name), a deacon in his 60s from the nearby village of Talavip, was passing through that area with his two sons when he was assaulted.(Jorgensen used pseudonyms for all the victims mentioned in the report to protect their identities.)

"They beat me and my sons with iron rods and covered me with [oil]," Thomas told Jorgensen. "One of them lit a match and almost killed me, but someone told him that if he did, he would die, too, so they didn't set fire to me."

Violence related to witchcraft and sorcery allegations in Papua New Guinea has attracted media attention in the last decade, and has even acquired its own acronym: SRK, for "sorcery-related killing." 

The violence  In February 2013, a young mother was publicly tortured and burned alive; in April 2013, a retired female schoolteacher was tortured and publicly beheaded. The government reacted by introducing legislation to punish the perpetrators of such crimes. 

Jorgensen reports, the violence against men in Telefomin may not stem from old beliefs about witches. But the perpetrators are believed to be a group of young men who dropped out of school and remain unemployed. The locals refer to these men as "the Boys."

A conflict between the Boys and the community — triggered by the lack of educational or economic opportunities and likely fueled by their drug use — may instead be the real reason behind the attacks.

Pack up guys! Let's go Damsels Hunting in Brazil

Noiva do Cordeiro, Brazil is a scenic rural town in the hills outside of Belo Horizante inhabited and governed almost entirely by women. Its population consisting of more than 600 mostly single women aged 20 to 25. Sons are sent away at 18, and spouses are banned from the town except on weekends.

The women have made an appeal to bring more single men to the town. But there's one caveat: Men have to follow their rules, from town planning to farming, religion, and more.

The motivation for the way the town is set up is a direct result of its history: The town was founded in 1891 by Maria Senhorinha de Lima, who had been excommunicated as an adultress after leaving a man she had been forced to marry. Over time, she was joined by other single women and female-headed families, and the insular society came into being.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Condom Mistakes (sharecare)

Don’t let these condom slipups put your health at risk.

It's not enough to just use condoms. You have to use them correctly! But as many as three out of four people don't.

That's because a lot of us have a love-hate relationship with condoms. The most common complaints? You guessed 'em: They reduce sensation, they're difficult to put on, and, ewww, that smell. But they sure are handy to have around when you're suddenly turned on. And, unquestionably, condoms can go a long way toward preventing both pregnancy and a huge share of the 19 million annual cases of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), from AIDS to herpes, with a lot of very unpleasant stops in between.

So please make sure you're not making any of the top 10 most dangerous condom mistakes:

1) Not checking for visible damage. Nearly 75% of people never bother looking for tears or holes -- even if they use their teeth to open the packet (don't!) or snag the condom on their jewelry or fingernails, according to a Kinsey Institute report.

2) Not checking the expiration date. Yes, that little date printed on the wrapper is news to 61% of users. Not you, of course! Just don't confuse the expiration date (EXP) with the manufacture date (MFG). Condoms last a lot longer than even Twinkies -- up to 5 years for plain ones, though only 2 years or so for those with a spermicide, which gradually breaks down the latex. But condoms kept in men's wallets get toasty from body heat, which can considerably shorten a condom's life expectancy (and maybe yours). If a condom is sticky or brittle, toss it.

3) Not discussing condom use beforehand. Yes, 60% of people say it doesn't work out well when a partner springs condoms on them at the last minute. The more both partners discuss (and even practice) using condoms, the better things will go when the big moment comes. (Find out more about staying in top sexual condition for your partner.)

4) Putting it on late in the action. About 43% of students in a sex-behavior study donned the condom after penetration had already occurred. Presumably they didn't know that some sperm can be released before the final fireworks, posing pregnancy and STD risks.

 

5) Not leaving room at the top. It's apparently news to four out of 10 condom users that before putting it on, you need to gently squeeze the tip of the condom to remove any trapped air and leave space for the sperm. Otherwise, the condom's more likely to break.

6) Putting it on wrong. Don't you hate when that happens? About 30% of people put it on inside out and don't realize that an inside-out condom is more likely to slip off (go peek at number 8 on this list). The safest thing to do? Start with a new one. The right way: The condom should look a little like a ski cap with the bottom edges rolled up (not under). The cap should fit over the penis so that the brim unrolls easily down the shaft. Any other way and it's a dunce cap.

7) Breaking the condom. About 29% of users report breakage. A large chunk of that is user error, not product defects, say researchers. In addition to the mistakes in numbers 1, 2, 5, and 6, add this: using oil-based lubricants (like petroleum jelly, face and body creams, and baby oil or mineral oil). These can make the latex pop. Instead, use kinder, gentler water-based or silicone lubricants (think glycerin or K-Y Jelly).

8) Slipping off during sex. The 13% who report slippage have many reasons, including, "It just didn't fit right." To find a good fit, buy a variety of styles and sizes (there really aren't that many choices) and try them at leisure. Remember, natural lambskin sounds nice and can prevent pregnancy, but it doesn't protect against the viruses that cause AIDS, hepatitis, and herpes. Only latex can do that.

9) Taking the condom off too soon. Duh, not a good idea. For the 15% of men who report doing this, losing an erection is a big reason. But erections can come and go during sex; besides, ejaculation can occur without an erection, bringing with it all the risks of pregnancy and STDs. (Here's what you need to know about healthy male sexual functioning.)

10) The biggest mistake of all: NOT using a condom. Don't let all these potential problems (or that ewww-y smell) turn you off to condoms or simply make you say, "Why bother?" Take a breath, get it right, and save your (sex) life

Y-40 Deep Joy Pool equals a 12-story building

A new pool in Italy holds a world record for the deepest swimming pool ever built and has depths equivalent to a 12-story building. 

Straight from Fox News; Y-40 Deep Joy pool is a terrifying 137-feet deep and 59-feet wide. Housed on the grounds of Hotel Terme Millepini near Padua, Italy was designed by architect Emanuele Boaretto, who wanted "to build the best swimming pool in the world."

In June, the Guinness World Records-certified it as the world's deepest swimming pool for scuba diving.  It also has several intermediate depths ranging from 4-feet deep to 40-feet, before plummeting the whole 137 feet. it also has underwater caves for cave diving beginners and a transparent tunnel 16 ft. down where visitors can view the action down below. 

According to Guinness, the pool holds 1,135,939 gallons of thermal water and is kept at a comfortable 89.6-93.2 °F. Y-40 Deep Joy pool is currently "used for dive training, leisure diving and scientific research."

 

Click to Watch the Pool

Source - News.com.au