Monday, August 15, 2011

Mass group shower breaks world record....

Mass group shower breaks Guinness World Record in Bournemouth

The UK has set a new world record for the most people to shower together at one time.

152 people broke Guinness World Record for biggest number of people showering together.

bikini-clad participants cover the front line of the showering platform produced by Lynx (Picture: Ken Lennox)

Up to 152 men and women got into their bikinis and swimming trunks to scrub up on Bournemouth beach, bathing their way towards breaking the Guinness World Record.

The participants took part in the event organised by Lynx, showering down to beat the previous record of 145 people that was set in Chicago, Illinois in 2009.

'The people of Bournemouth have to be applauded for getting into the spirit of the day and taking a shower together,' said Anna Orford, the official adjudicator for Guinness World Records.

'Their reward is a new record for the most people showering simultaneously at the same venue. Congratulations to everyone involved.'

Lynx has partnered with V Festival to provide the Lynx Shower Gel experience for festival-goers. Those who wish to get clean on the giant platform will be able to try the latest range of Lynx shower gel.

'Slack line' walker conquers Austria's highest peak...

15 August 2011, 12:00

Stuntman Kemeter hits new peak

Fearless Michael Kemeter has completed a perilous 'slack line' walk on Austria's highest mountain.

The line - which was 45 metre long and 2cm wide - was strung up at 3,770 metres at the Pallavicini ridge on the side of Grossglockner mountain.

Although he had a safety rope the melting permafrost in the Alps has made rockfalls and crumbling rock faces an additional hazard - even though the team secured the slackline as best they could.

Slacklining uses nylon strips tensioned between two anchor points and is different from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut, but is allowed to move - stretching and bouncing like a long but narrow trampoline.

Kemeter balanced over the 800 metre high ridge without shoes in windy conditions to perform the stunt. He also wore no top to lower wind resistance, to lower his weight and to stop his clothes getting snagged on any of the lines.

Extreme sportsman Kemeter who has performed the stunt all over the world said it was great to have now conquered Austria's highest peak.

He said: "This highline was the best in the world, maybe others will come here later but there can only be one person who was first and that was me."

Only a week ago Kemeter was able to break a Slack Lining World Record by crossing a 160 metre long slackline - the longest in the world - over the Gruenen See in Styria, Austria.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

83-year-old granny gets a boob job...

'Your breasts go in one direction and your brain goes in another': Great grandmother gets a boob job at 83

By RACHEL QUIGLEY

Most 83-year-olds get new hips or new knees - at the very most they might opt for a new hairdo.

Last updated at 12:53 AM on 11th August 2011

But Marie Kolstad decided to get new breasts, and with it a new lease of life.

The California woman has been making national news since getting the breast implants in July.

Defying age: Marie Kolstad, from California, who underwent a three-hour breast lift with implants at age 83, which cost about $8,000

The full-time property manager with a total of 25 grandchildren and great grandchildren said that she wanted to get the boob job not to attract other suitors, but so that her four children would be proud of what she looked like.

She told the New York Times: 'Your breasts go in one direction and your brain goes in another.

'Physically, I'm in good health, and I just feel like, why not take advantage of it? I want my children to be proud of what I look like.'

So she spent $8,000 on the three-hour procedure - specifically a breast lift with implants.

The 83-year-old, who has been widowed for more than a decade said: 'I never gave a thought to meeting someone different. It was more about looking in the mirror and liking who I am.

'It's something you dream about. I just wanted nice ones. I didn't want anything outlandish or out of place. Now, they are firmer and rounder.'

She did originally keep the surgery a secret from her children and grandchildren, fearing they would disapprove but eventually came clean the day before the surgery.

She said: 'Their biggest fear was the anaesthesia - could there be a blood clot or this or that. They didn't find out until the day before because I knew that there would be an objection and I didn't want to hear about it. I had made my mind up.'

And it seems Marie Kolstad is not alone in her quest to hold on to her youth at the age of 83.

'Your breasts go in one direction and your brain goes in another. I just wanted nice ones, I didn't want anything outlandish or out of place'

An increasing number of men and women are said to be turning to palstic surgery in their older years, some even older than Marie.

Plastic surgery is on the rise among baby boomers, but now doctors are also seeing an uptick among septuagenarians and octogenarians.

Those who are over 65 represent about seven to eight per cent of all procedures, according to Dr Norman Rowe, a New York City plastic surgeon.

He told ABC: 'People say, just because my life age is 84, doesn't mean I have to be happy or content looking 80.

RISKS OF BREAST IMPLANTS IN OAPS

The most important consideration is a patient's psychological and general health, according to plastic surgeons.

Underlying medical conditions that could pose a risk are poorly controlled blood pressure or heart disease, diabetes, obesity or other underlying disease, primarily because of the anaesthesia concerns.

Obviously, the health and fitness of the patient is a huge factor as they may not be able to survive the actual surgery.

Other risks include implant ruptures, rippling, numbness, infection, haematoma and displacement.

'The whole population is getting older. People in their forties and fifties are now in their sixties and seventies getting things done. Americans are ageing and their length of life is increasing.'

Though most of his older patients seek anti-ageing facial work, Dr Rowe does perform breast lift procedures on older women.

'They don't want larger breasts, they just don't want them hanging by their knees. We can make them perky, but not like a 20-year-old.

'They look better in a bra and shirt and you don't need a bathing suit with support.'

In 2010, there were 84,685 surgical procedures among those over 65, according to the American Society for the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Of those, 26,635 were face-lifts; 24,783, cosmetic eyelid operations; 6,469, liposuctions; 5,874, breast reductions; 3,875, forehead lifts; 3,339, breast lifts and 2,414, breast augmentations.

Mrs Kolstad said her late husband, a building contractor, would have been supportive of her choice: 'Any kind of plastic surgery is expensive, but now I am free and don't have as many obligations.

'I don't know how long I'll live, but it's something I did in my lifetime that was my choice and I am pleased.

'My mother lived until she was 94, and I'm planning on bypassing that.'

53ft long 'Mobile estate' has 2 storeys at $2 million.

Ashton Kutcher's villa on wheels: Inside the actor's trailer on Two And A Half Men

By LIVE REPORTER

Last updated at 12:08 AM on 14th August 2011

At $8,750 a week it’s just as well Mr Demi Moore is reported to be on a possible $20 million for 26 episodes

'Baby Girl' boasts seven 60in 3D plasma screens, a vast living area, two bathrooms, a kitchen with granite surfaces and a conference space

With side sections and a second floor that hydraulically emerge from the main body to offer a total floor space of 1,100 sq ft, the 'Baby Girl' boasts seven 60in 3D plasma screens, a vast living area, two bathrooms, a kitchen with granite surfaces and a conference space

Size matters in Hollywood and while Ashton Kutcher might not be able to match the $2 million a show paid to Charlie Sheen, the man he’s replaced on hit TV comedy Two And A Half Men, he has more than made up for it with his trailer.

In fact, the two-storey, 53ft long, 30-ton luxury home from home used by Mr Demi Moore isn’t called a trailer – it’s described as a ‘mobile estate’.

Stairwell - the door halfway up the stairs leads to the bathroom

The exterior of the mobile (left); rear entrance (centre); and stairwell - the door halfway up the stairs leading to the bathroom (right)

Ashton Kutcher might not be able to match the $2 million a show paid to Charlie Sheen, but he has more than made up for it with his trailer

With side sections and a second floor that hydraulically emerge from the main body to offer a total floor space of 1,100 sq ft, the ‘Baby Girl’ boasts seven 60in 3D plasma screens, a vast living area, two bathrooms, a kitchen with granite surfaces and a conference space.

After being sacked from Two And A Half Men, Charlie Sheen made a spoof film about trying to ‘rescue’ his beloved trailer from the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank, Los Angeles. Kutcher would be advised not to try anything similar.

Designed by Ron Anderson of Anderson Mobile Estates, these mobile behemoths are built to the stars’ specifications. Previous ‘residents’ have included Mariah Carey, Sharon Stone and Vin Diesel.

At $8,750 a week it’s just as well Kutcher is reported to be on a possible $20 million for 26 episodes.

Cameras mounted on the outside of the trailer offer 360-degree video security and surveillance. When a visitor hits the doorbell, the volume on the stereo system and TV drops inside and the image of the visitor appears on the various screens located throughout. One client insisted on a thumb scanner entry system for the master bedroom.

View from the living room to dining area

Retractable furniture (left) and the view from the living area to the dining area (right)

The furniture is specially designed to fold or collapse in order to accommodate the retractable top and side sections. U.S. law dictates that the height of the vehicle must be no more than 13ft 6in when on the road; with the second storey fully extended the ‘Baby Girl’ stands at a whopping 15ft 10in.

A new model called ‘The Sky Box’ featuring a third storey is due to be unveiled soon.

Whilst shooting Men In Black III, Will Smith used a model called ‘The Heat’. It was kitted out with a full recording studio, sound booth for voiceover work complete with glass door that sensors change from clear to opaque, a make-up mirror that doubles as a television (one of five 42in plasmas on board), a play area for his children and even a chess room.

View of the living area at the rear of the vehicle

View from the living area at the rear of the vehicle (left) and dining area (right)

The outside patio area is fitted with wind sensors so the electric awning retracts automatically in gusty conditions. Inside, a wireless touchscreen remote controls heat, air conditioning, brightness and the blinds.

In addition to his four rental vehicles – ‘Baby Girl’, ‘The Heat’, ‘Studio One’ and ‘Aspen’ – Anderson has sold nine of the mobile units to people he describes as ‘among the richest on the planet’.

The cost? A cool $2 million each.

The two-storey mobile estate, known as The Heat, is 53ft long. Cameras mounted on the outside offer 360-degree video security and surveillance

Cor! set for a drink... Man corset sucks in bear belly....

Should YOUR chubby chap be wearing Manx: Male version of Spanx sucks in beer bellies

By DANIEL JONES

Last updated at 1:31 AM on 14th August 2011

Beating the Bulge: The £10 underpants promise to flatten lovehandles

These are the ‘diet’ boxer shorts chubby chaps have been waiting for – the male version of Bridget Jones’s magic knickers.

The £10 Bodysculpt Trunks from Asda have been dubbed Manx, after the trimming female underwear brand Spanx.

Described as the ‘boxer short diet’, the pants claim to lift and firm flabby backsides, suck in beer bellies and smooth away love handles.

Control underwear is a wardrobe essential for many women, and was famously worn by Renée Zellweger in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Male underpants have come a long way from the traditional Y-front, though wearing the latest creation, which is pulled up over the ribcage, may not prove practical for many.

They are likely to inspire curious looks in the locker room and many women will find them something of a passion-killer.

Asda spent a year developing the high-waisted trunk, which has hidden ‘control areas’ to create a streamlined silhouette.

The supermarket says the technology is split into three main areas, and makes use of fabric – comprised of 85 per cent polyamide (a type of nylon) and 15 per cent elastane (the generic non-brand name for Lycra) – that compresses flabby areas.

A double-knitted panel around the waist flattens and shapes stomachs, and also provides lumbar support.

There is a side panel running from the waist down the thigh to compress love-handles and shape thighs. The panel also lifts and smooths the backside.

Together this gives the pants the ability to squeeze and cup men’s wobbly areas into place, creating a firmer body shape. They also have an anti-microbial application – making them ‘pong proof’ – and ventilated panels to help the wearer keep cool.

The trunks are claimed to support the lower back, with nine out of ten men who tested them in agreement.Asda label George first gave men a taste for figure-hugging underwear in 2009 with the launch of its Bodysculpt Vest, popularly known as the moob tube.

Heather Moreton, men’s clothes manager for Asda, said: ‘The success of the George moob tube opened British men’s eyes to the world of body-shaping underwear.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

‘We know some guys worry about unmanageable body wobbles just as much as women do, so why not offer them a little helping hand to look their best too?

‘We’re delighted to answer the demand. The Manx will help men look and feel great.’

In control: Spanx are already popular with women

Dom Roycroft, 37, from Ipswich, who took part in trials of the underwear, said: ‘I know I carry a few more pounds than I should and these trunks are a cheat to a better body.

They are ideal if I want to wear a tight T-shirt and jeans or look good in a suit for work or a wedding.

The best thing about them is no one has to know you’re wearing them.’

Research by the supermarket found that 60 per cent of female shoppers said their husband or boyfriend carried excess weight around the stomach area.

Of these, half said they would like their partner to take action to change their bodies.

Clothing that controls the body shape first appeared in the US, becoming popular with the Spanx pants launched in 2000.

It has since spread to the UK.

One in ten British women have worn ‘shapewear’ to improve their figure or physique, according to market researchers Mintel.

The market for men is still relatively new, although early sales suggest there is high demand.

When Asda launched its Bodysculpt Vest the initial batch sold out in just four minutes.

Marks & Spencer has a similar vest to flatten ‘man boobs’.

The store last year also launched a £15 pair of backside-lift pants.

Unlike the pants by Asda, the M&S product didn’t also squeeze in stomachs and thighs.

Asda’s Bodysculpt trunks, in white, are available on George.com for £10 a pair.

A black version will be available from next month.

Mind the.... : Balloon crashes into house...

Up and away! Oops... Crew escape unscathed as balloon crashes into house

By MARTIN DELGADO

Last updated at 12:18 AM on 14th August 2011

This is the moment a hot-air balloon crashed into a family home after hitting telephone lines and clipping two other houses.

Incredibly, the two-man crew escaped unscathed.

The blue-and-yellow balloon – which was taking part in Bristol’s International Balloon Fiesta – had lost height after the father-and-son crew swapped over the gas cylinders that power the burner and hit a chimney pot.

Collision: The out-of-control balloon crashes into home of sleeping family

Running out of air: The hot-air balloon lost height after the father-and-son crew swapped over the gas cylinders and hit a chimney pot

'It sounded like a bomb raid': Residents were woken at about 8.40am on Friday by the falling balloon when it crashed on to rooftops

Homeowner Leanne Scott, who lives in Bristol’s Victoria Park, was woken around 8.40am on Friday when the balloon collided with her chimney, about an hour after the Fleur de Lis balloon took off. She said: ‘It woke me up. It sounded like a bomb raid.’

The basket then smashed into a chimney on the house next door before hitting the home of Bernadine Nolan and her son Paul in nearby Alsop Street.

Paul said: ‘The bang woke me and I saw the flame-thrower outside the window before it flew off.’ His mother, Bernadine, added: ‘I saw it hitting the telephone lines and then the roof. I thought it was going to come through the bedroom window.’ More than 30 tiles were torn from her roof by the impact.

Uplifting: The annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta got under way on Friday, August 12

Uprising: More than 60 balloons were launched in the Somerset city. The event attracts 500,000 people

Pilot Martin Read managed to steer the balloon away and landed around five miles away at Goose Green in the city.

An experienced pilot, Mr Read was flying with his stepson Terry Wetters. He said: ‘Once you make contact with a structure it becomes more of a problem and chances are you will hit something else.’

The Civil Aviation Authority will carry out an investigation into the incident.

The damage is expected to be covered by insurance.

Taking off: The international four-day event first started in 1978 and now attracts balloon teams from as far as the United States

The Quirky Globe

Pages