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Niagra Falls Drained

DenisSchwartz73 — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:43:41 +0000

In 1969 the Army Corps of Engineers de-watered Niagara Falls in order to remove unsightly talus at the base of the Falls. These are photos of what the Falls looked like when they were de-watered. Mad props to rbglasson for converting these from his uncle’s slides to digital so we can all appreciate them.

Click for full size:

Awesome Sunset Photos

DenisSchwartz73 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:31:10 +0000

Asia’s Top 10 Most Unique Deformities

DenisSchwartz73 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:34:05 +0000

Nobody has it easy these days, not even actors and actresses. The one thing that keeps us all trudging along though is hope, whether that hope entails faith in a returning Messiah, dreams of fame or fortune, or just the anticipation of a hot meal at the local homeless shelter.

Sometimes though, we become so enamored with our own burdens that we lose sight of hope. Perhaps the following stories of brave, albeit unfortunate souls will help relieve these burdens by reminding us that things could always be far worse.

CHINA

The Horny Grandma

Granny Zhao — as she is formerly known — is an elderly lady from Zhanjiang who sports her own horn. According to her family, the horn appeared approximately 3 years ago as just a tiny mole; but unlike a mole, it never stopped growing.

It now juts out from the middle of her forehead, which in turn has affected her vision: “It causes me no discomfort, but blocks part of my view.”

The Over-Sized Fingers

Meet Liu Hau from Jiangsu. Since birth, Hau’s left hand has been plagued with a ridiculously over-sized thumb, index finger, and middle finger. This condition is formerly known as macrodactyly, and is a form of local gigantism.

Hau underwent surgery at a Shanghai hospital in late 2007, during which approximately 5.1kg of flesh & bone were removed.

The Tree-Trunk Leg

Chen Zongtao has never once performed a squat; yet, his body houses a leg that weighs over 150 pounds just by itself. The growth originally began on Chen’s right foot when he was just a child, but soon spread to his entire right leg. Years later and the colossal leg has left Chen unable to get up, let alone just walk through his own home.

Doctors say that he suffers from neurofibroma, a nerve-based tumor that is typically benign. It is not known for certain whether he ever received treatment for his condition.

The Chinese Elephant Man

Pictured above is Huang Chuncais, better known as the ‘Chinese Elephant Man.’ He suffers from a form of elephantiasis that has over the years morphed into a giant 15kg tumor so heavy that it pulls his facial skin downward.

After a long and troubling life that has made it difficult for Huang to just sip on some soup, he was finally offered free assistance from the doctors at the Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangzhou.

Below is a picture of Huang taken in January 2008 after his second surgery.

INDIA

The Man With A Twin

One might suspect that Nagpur resident Sanju Bhagat is a serious alcoholic with an enormous beer belly; but that, I assure you, is far from the truth. Throughout his life, the 36-year-old farmer just figured he was the victim of a tumor.

During an evening in June 1999, however, doctors attempting to remove the bulge discovered that Sanju’s stomach contained the dead body of his barely developed twin brother instead.

The Human Octopus

The bundle of joy pictured above lying by her Mother is Lakshmi Tatma, a charming young damsel who was born with 4 legs and 4 arms. The condition came about when her ‘parasistic twin’ stopped developing in her mother’s womb. Lakshmi’s body absorbed the remaining limbs, resulting in her being born a human octupus, per se.

Many in India were shocked to the core by her birth, as they believed her to be the reincarnation of the eight-limbed Hindu God Lakshmi. After two years, she finally received surgery for her condition, and now lives her life as a normal child.

INDONESIA

The Tree Man

The Indonesian Tree Man known as Dede suffers from a combination of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and a genetic disorder. The result has been a nonstop growth of bark-like warts that have gradually been taking over his body.

Despite being constantly taunted, losing his job, and having his wife desert him, Dede has continued on as the proud father of two children. This dedicated Papa was finally rewarded for his perseverance by an American doctor who promised a cure.

VIETNAM

The Gigantic Face

Little Lai Ti Dao is a petite girl who suffered from a Schwannoma tumor, which initially began as a mere lump in her throat, but then blew up into an over-sized tumor that threatened to kill her.

Not only was it so large that Lai could barely walk, but it was gradually cutting off her airway as well. Thankfully, she was flown out to Miami in 2008 and finally, after a 10-hour surgery, freed of 10 pound tumor.

The Conehead

Nguyen Xuan Minh was only 5 years old when the picture above was taken at the Tu Du Hospital in 2005. His unknown condition features an elongated head with bulging eyes, but has doctors baffled as to why.

Most people believe that Nguyen is likely an unfortunate victim of the defoliant Agent Orange, which was used by American forces during the Vietnam war.

Due to his parents’ exposure to the chemical, Nguyen was born deformed and will likely live the rest of his life as such.

The Stunted Fingers

Le Thi Hoa is yet another young soul deformed from exposure to Agent Orange. She was born with stunted fingers; that, however, has not stopped her from writing with ‘excellent penmanship.’

Sadly, both Le and Nguyen are two out of hundreds of thousands of victims who must deal with the long-lasting effects of Agent Orange. For more details, please view the video below.

Flowchart Helps You Determine What Crap to Eat

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:05 +0000

If your crippling ennui is such that you can’t even decide between a Seven-Layer Burrito and a Quad Stacker, Eating the Road has an amusing flowchart that should help you navigate the bevy of fast-food options. It’s based on queries like “Are you drunk?” and “Are you drunk on malt liquor?” Kudos to the site for reminding chicken cravers that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. Classic rookie mistake.

25 Stunning Pictures Of Bora Bora

Rev — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:57 +0000

Bora – Unquestionably the most mythical of the Pacific islands remains the island of all dreams.

The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words “Bora Bora” bring an almost mystical presence to the island. The island, located about 230 kilometres northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef.

Bora Bora is predestined for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon.

Made famous by books, movies, and its stunning beauty, the island is now besieged by tourism and overcrowding. Regardless, if you must visit a South Pacific island (and you should), Bora Bora would be an excellent choice.

Here are 25 Stunning Pictures of Bora Bora…

( photo by Viajes Mundoparaise – Plantour Ponferrada )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by Kevissimo )

( photo by leah ashley )

( photo by underwatertourist )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Super Starfish )

( photo by foto’s by gerg )

( photo by Viajes Mundoparaise – Plantour Ponferrada )

( photo by Carioto )

( photo by tiarescott )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by easy.tahiti )

( photo by D. [SansPretention] )

( photo by Pierre Lesage )

( photo by Official Roxy Photos )

( photo by sandra.melcer )

( photo by totalisator )

Urban photography from Miru Kim

Rev — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:05:05 +0000

Some of the works from artist/photographer Miru Kim

Frozen ships in Russia

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:32 +0000

Those scenes remind the scenes from the “Day After Tomorrow” movie, but it’s not a movie scene. These are abandoned ships left to rust near Kamchatka, Russia.

Funny storm drain art

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:01 +0000

Created by Brazilian artists Anderson Augusto and Leonardo Delafuente from 6emeia, these fun painted storm drains have now turned the streets of São Paulo into popular tourist attractions.

Happy Bastille Day

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:39 +0000

Thank to Phineas and Ferb always mentioning it, I figured this year I would celebrate Bastille Day. And since no one really knows a whole lot about Bastille day we wanted to make the public more aware. A PSA if you will, on a great holiday. We just celebrated the 4th of July in the US and now it’s time for France to have their party.

And now for some jokes:

And since sex sells, here’s a French patriot:

30 strange Adopt A Highway Signs

Rev — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:41:01 +0000

30 of the strangest and funniest Adopt A Highway signs we found on the net.