Watermelon Eating Competition on Easter

Children take part in a watermelon-eating competition during Easter Sunday celebrations in Barrio San Miguel in Caracas March 23, 2008.

World's largest dog show opens in Birmingham

Dogs rest at the 117th Crufts dog show in Birmingham, central England, March 7, 2008. The 117th Crufts, known as the world's largest dog show, started here on Thursday. The four-day show, organized and run by the non-profit Kennel Club UK, was expected to draw more than 150,000 visitors and 22,964 of the best dogs in the world to compete for the much coveted title of Best in Show.




Jury members test the dogs





Photo taken on March 7, 2008 shows the Birmingham National Exhibition Center





The disabled rest with their dogs

Indian Man Has World's Longest Ear Hair

KANPUR, India -- A man in northern India has been recognized by Guinness World Records as having the world's longest ear hair.

The tufts coming out of the man's ears measured more than 5 inches when he set the record in 2003.

The hair has now grown to nearly 10 inches.

In fact, the hair is so long he has to shampoo and comb it.

He was granted a certificate from Guinness to certify him as the record-holder.

However, he complained that too many people consider his feat foolish and said the Indian government isn't treating him with the respect he deserves as a world record-holder.

Most Powerful Diesel Engine in the World

The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient prime-mover in the world today. The Aioi Works of Japan's Diesel United, Ltd built the first engines and is where some of these pictures were taken. It is available in 6 through 14 cylinder versions, all are inline engines. These engines were designed primarily for very large container ships. Ship owners like a single engine/single propeller design and the new generation of larger container ships needed a bigger engine to propel them. The cylinder bore is just under 38" and the stroke is just over 98". Each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820 liters) and produces 7780 horsepower. Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic inches (25,480 liters) for the fourteen cylinder version.

Some facts on the 14 cylinder version:

Total engine weight: 2300 tons (The crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.)

Length: 89 feet

Height: 44 feet

Maximum power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm

Maximum torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at 102rpm

Fuel consumption at maximum power is 0.278 lbs per hp per hour (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) . Fuel consumption at maximum economy is 0.260 lbs/hp/hour. At maximum economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal efficiency. That is, more than 50% of the energy in the fuel in converted to motion. For comparison, most automotive and small aircraft engines have BSFC figures in the 0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and 25-30% thermal efficiency range. Even at its most efficient power setting, the big 14 consumes 1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per hour. A cross section of the RTA96C:

The internals of this engine are a bit different than most automotive engines. The top of the connecting rod is not attached directly to the piston. The top of the connecting rod attaches to a "crosshead" which rides in guide channels. A long piston rod then connects the crosshead to the piston. I assume this is done so the the sideways forces produced by the connecting rod are absorbed by the crosshead and not by the piston. Those sideways forces are what makes the cylinders in an auto engine get oval-shaped over time. Installing the "thin-shell" bearings. Crank & rod journals are 38" in diameter and 16" wide:


The crank sitting in the block (also known as a "gondola-style" bedplate). This is a 10 cylinder version. Note the steps by each crank throw that lead down into the crankcase:


A piston & piston rod assembly. The piston is at the top. The large square plate at the bottom is where the whole assembly attaches to the crosshead:


Some pistons

And some piston rods:


The "spikes" on the piston rods are hollow tubes that go into the holes you can see on the bottom of the pistons (left picture) and inject oil into the inside of the piston which keeps the top of the piston from overheating. Some high-performance auto engines have a similar feature where an oil squirter nozzle squirts oil onto the bottom of the piston. The cylinder deck (10 cylinder version). Cylinder liners are die-cast ductile cast iron. Look at the size of those head studs!:


The first completed 12 cylinder engine:

World Biggest & Largest Telescope in Puerto Rico's

The radiotelescope established in Аресибо, — now, the world's largest (from using one aperture). The telescope is used for researches in the field of radio astronomy, physics of an atmosphere and radar-tracking supervision of objects of Solar system. Astronomical observatory Аресибо is located in Пуэрто Рико, in 15 km from Аресибо, at height of 497 m above sea level. Researches are spent Корнельским by university to cooperations with National scientific fund (USA). The observatory is also the National center of Astronomy and the Ionosphere of the USA.

Smallest revolver in the world

Introducing the world's smallest gun that fires deadly 300mph bullets - but is just TWO inches long

Meet the pistol that fits in your pocket - and packs a hell of a punch.

The SwissMiniGun is the size of a key fob but fires tiny 270mph bullets powerful enough to kill at close range.

Officially the world's smallest working revolver, the gun is being marketed as a collector's item and measures just 2.16 inches long (5.5cm). It can fire real 4.53 bullets up to a range of 367ft (112m).

The stainless steel gun costs £3,000 although the manufacturers also produce extravagant, made-to-order versions made out of 18-carat gold with customised diamond studs which sell for up to £30,000.



At just over two inches long it is the world's smallest gun - but the 300mph bullets it fires mean it is still deadly


It cannot be imported into the UK, and buyers in Switzerland and Europe must produce an import permit from police to obtain one.

The gun is banned from being imported into the US - because it's barrel is less than three inches, meaning it is deemed too small to qualify for sporting purposes.

Jonathan Spencer, consultant forensic scientist and firearms expert, said that although the gun, which fires bullets at a speed of 399 feet a second, was tiny, it could still prove fatal and in the eyes of the law was as dangerous as a machine gun.

He said: "The general threshold for perforating the skin is about 330 feet a second.

"Apart from bone, skin offers the greatest resistance to penetration. If it can pass through the skin it is potentially lethal, even if the bullets are small.

"If you shoved something 3mm across into someone's chest you could kill them. It's the same with these bullets, they could penetrate the heart.

"It is capable of killing someone. Under section 5 of the Firearms Act it would be a prohibited weapon. It would be on the same scale as a machine gun."

The gun shoots 2.34 mm calibre rim fire ammunition especially developed for it as the smallest rim fire ammunition in the world.



The Swiss Minigun, which is being marketed as a collector's item, is just 5.5cm long, and fires 4.53mm bullets up to 112 metres






It weighs in at just 0.7oz (19.8grams) and fires live and blank ammunition.


The gun is the first product of the SwissMiniGun company, a gunsmiths based at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Owner Paul Erard said that since the product's launch three years ago, the firm had sold around 300 of the guns, mainly to collectors in the Middle and Far East.

He said: "We are producing in very small quantities - perhaps 25 gold guns and 100 steel guns a year, and there is a six month waiting list to get one.

"We will make whatever the customer wishes for. The most expensive version we have sold cost £30,000 and was covered in diamonds and came with a gold chain."

Other bespoke finishes available include ebony grips, hand engraved grips, gold grips with diamonds or collared precious stones.

Mr Erard said that although the double action revolver is similar in appearance to a Colt Python full-size weapon, it was actually based on a Swiss-made revolver.

In September 2006 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives(ATF) in New York issued a warning about the gun after being alerted by a police officer who spotted it on a website.

Special Agent William McMahon said the gun was so small it could pass for a key fob, and warned it made the perfect stealth weapon for serious criminals.

But Mr Erard denied the gun was deadly and said it was only a tenth as powerful as some air guns.

"Since September 11 there has been a lot of paranoia in America", he said.

"It is ridiculous. Why would criminals want my gun when you can go out and buy a Kalashnikov there already?"

A Guinness World Records spokesman confirmed the gun held the record as the word's smallest working revolver.

World Largest Clam

The geoduck or gooyduck is the largest species of clams on the face of the earth. The clam itself is 15 to 20 cm long, which is pretty big but the really impressive part is its long siphon that often reaches one meter in length. it weighs between 0.5 and 1.5 kilograms, but there have been stories about 7.5 kg heavy gooyducks.

The incredible aspect of the gooeyduck isn’t only limited to its size, but also to its lifespan. It has a life expectancy of 146 years, which makes it one of the longest-living organisms in the animal reign.

As repulsive as they look (personal opinion) geoducks are a delicacy in China and Japa, where they are often eaten raw, sashimi style.