It may seem a bit weird, but 29 year-old James Byrne, from Fishponds in Bristol, who had accidentally cut off his thumb whilst woodworking has had the missing digit replaced by his big toe. He severed the left hand thumb last December, but attempts to re-attach it failed, so plastic surgeons at Frenchay Hospital decided to replace it  with his left big toe, feeling that the loss of the toe is not as disabling as the loss of a thumb.

Mr Byrne, despite the oddness of his new digit, is apparently simply delighted that it appears to work very well, his profession being very much hands-on, and he hope that the physiotherapy he is getting will have him back to a ’normal’  life.  He does need to learn to walk without his missing toe, more on the ball of the foot but normal walking  and jogging should be no problem

http://images.alfa.lt/9878/20/83.jpg

As if that were not odd enough, yet another person has photographs they claim to be of the Loch Ness monster. Taken near a commercial fish-farm by Jon Rowe, from nearby Lewiston in Drumnadrochit, they are said to be of Nessie.

Fish farmer Rowe reported that the morning when he took the snaps was very strange, misty with light rain and sunshine, all at the same time. Noticing a rainbow, he chose to snap it, seeing in the corner of his vision a really large dark shape with two humps that barely out of the water of the loch. Oddly enough, no-one else appears to think that his pictures are anything remarkable, but the truth must be down there somewhere, don’t you think?,

http://prote.in/feed/2011/09/nailphilia

Perhaps the oddest thing going on just now, from the decorative arts perspective, is the incredibly pointless Nailphilia exhibition, first to show off nail art at DegreeArt.com’s Execution Room in east London, which opened on September 1st, running to the 25th.

http://prote.in/feed/2011/09/nailphilia

DegreeArt website is gushing about this, claiming that the show will be delving deeply into the finger-nail world’s most amazing creativity, merging art with fashion, redefining everything about the aesthetic of fingertip decoration. Whilst i appreciate a nice set of painted nails, there have to be limits, surely, but not if this lot is anything to go by.

http://prote.in/feed/2011/09/nailphilia

Doomed Cannibals Ate AIDS Victim: 

A Brunei, Borneo, cannibal tribe may be doomed after feasting on a scientist infected with AIDS.  Gerard Voisard, 28 of Geneva, Switzerland, had been diagnosed as having AIDS-Related Complex before he entered the country; and his journal revealed that the disease had fully matured.  “This is a tragedy beyond measure,” says Ian Brinsdon, a Brunei Health Official.  “Our government has spent a fortune trying to preserve and protect the primitive people of our jungle.  Now, in one swift and cruel stroke, an entire tribe has been doomed to extinction.  It’s only a matter of time before they all have AIDS.”  Although the government is currently trying to persuade the tribesmen to undergo testing for the disease.  “The outcome of these negotiations is still in limbo,” adds Brinsdon.  “The cannibals are wary of outsiders to begin with.  And they have absolutely no conception of the seriousness of AIDS.” (Weekly World News – submitted by C. Kaplan, New York, N.Y.)

Comment: Let’s hope there’s no bad blood…

She Gives a Real Jolt: 

A London woman claims her body is flowing with so much electricity that she burns out household appliances with the slightest touch.  According to the British Sun, the woman estimates she’s caused about $13,000 worth of damage to irons, toasters, washers, and dryers, televisions, radios, VCR’s, and “at least 250 light bulbs.”  She lost her job at a dry cleaner “because I was making the tills (cash registers) go haywire.”  Although she says she’s suffered from the peculiarity since childhood, it became worse in 1982.  Doctors believe it may be caused by stress, but she doesn’t feel tense: “I’m noisy, sense-of-humor kind of person.” (Charlotte Observer – submitted by David S. Bauguess, Taylorsville, N.C.)

Comment:  A real live wire.

South Ravaged By Werewolves: 

Werewolves are currently running wild down South, according to Dr. Stephen Kaplan, Director of the Werewolf Research Center.  “We’re seeing the biggest rise in werewolfism since Sherman’s march on Atlanta, “ he explains.  “There may soon be fur flying in the heart of Dixie.  I see a showdown like the O.K. Corral brewing.  “Kaplan feels that the creatures prefer the South because of its warm climate and its growing number of Satanic Cults.  He says that rural werewolves prey in packs on hitchhikers, tourists, and children, while their urban counterparts are solitary hunters who prefer the elderly and customers in single bars.  Research for Kaplan’s first ever worldwide werewolf census has shown increasing numbers of them in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.  As their origin, “Centuries ago, yetis may have kidnapped and raped some of America’s pioneer women,” Kaplan believes.  “The offspring were werewolves, less hairy, shorter.” (National Examiner).

Comment: That’s why, movies nowadays have vampire-werewolves themes…

Factory Worker Thinks He Died and Gone to Hell:

An English metal-foundry worker became convinced that he was in hell, and killed his foreman, who he thought was the devil.  “In the last few days he’d been acting strangely, doesn’t know if thereberserk, screaming about being in “the pits of the eternal fire” and saying he was going to kill Satan.”  The 45-year old man chased his supervisor around the factory and killed him with a sledgehammer.  According to a police spokesman, “It gets very hot in there…He pictured his supervisor as being the devil leading the doomed off to eternal punishment.”  After his arrest, he was examined by psychiatrists who suspect that his religious fervor, combined with the heat, caused his delusions, and that he may well be schizophrenic. (Sun – submitted by David Johnson, Ponca City, Oklahoma).

Comment: Like Harry Truman used to say, if you can’t withstand the heat…

Colonel Qaddafi Hooked On three Stooges:

            According to a former friend of the Libyan dictator, Muammar Qaddafi is still so infuriated over the United States’ bombing of Tripoli that he prefers to remain in his tent and watch old Three Stooges movies.  “He just sits there, watching his Stooges videotapes and pouting like a spoiled child,” says Ali Adjina, who has defected to France.  “He used to idolize world leaders and men of war like Napoleon and Alexander the Great.  Now he looks up to nobody but Larry, Moe, and Curly!”  After a friend gave Qaddafi three racing camels in an effort to cheer him up, the colonel had them killed and stuffed, then placed them outside his tent with signs around their necks bearing the names of the Stooges.  “The colonel has gone off the deep end before, but I’m afraid this time he’s gone for good.” states Adjina. “The other day he started laughing to himself in that idiotic way the fat Stooge does….I tried to tell him it wasn’t right for a man of his stature to spend all day watching the Three Stooges – and that’s why I’m not living in Libya anymore.”  (Weekly World News – submitted by George Edwards, Rosedale, N.Y.)

Comment: At least Qaddafi isn’t into astrology and who knows where he is right now…

Walking Catfish Eats Farmer: 

A huge walking catfish in China’s Yunnan province consumed a farmer and injured his wife and eight children.  Although officials believe that 41-year old Chen Xieping beat his family and fled, his neighbors swear they saw the 13-feet long, two-ton “River Dragon,” says Chen’s wife Li.  “We were sitting for our evening rice when we heard a shrieking noise from the river.  Chen ran outdoors to investigate.  The noise grew louder and we could hear Chen shouting for help.  “She heard her husband pounding on the door, and opened it to find him being swallowed by the enormous fish.  Local farmers says it swung Chen against his hut, bringing it down upon his family, then walked back to the river with Chen’s feet protruding from his mouth.  “I could hear Chen screaming for help, begging for someone to come and release him,“ recalls one neighbor. “My heart goes out to Chen’s family.  They have lost a true hero of the people.  I would never have dared fight the River Dragon…It is a demon sent from hell to punish us.” (National Examiner)

Comment: Good to eat…for farmers…

Attention Nancy Reagan: 

Fortune-teller Erma Valen is able to predict the future by reading letters in alphabet soup.  Proficient at reading tea leaves for 30 years, she knew nothing of her abilities with soup until the day she decided to cook some for her nephew.  “I felt like having soup and remember sitting there stirring it,” says Erma.  “Suddenly, this strange, cold feeling for my friend, who was to leave on a bus trip, came over me.  When I looked down in the bowl, I saw the letters D-E-A-T-H spelled out on my spoon.  It was undoubtedly meant for my friend.”  Erma warned the woman, who decidedly not to take the trip, and thereby saved her life – the bus collided with a truck later that day, killing several people.  Erma also told her sister not to be concerned over her problems with money after seeing the word gold in her bowl.  Sure enough, her brother-in-law’s salary was nearly doubled when he was hired by another company.  “It’s a combination of my own abilities and destiny,” Erma explains. (Sun) 

Comment:  She’s got it down to the letter.

Washed-up Rock Group Makes Waves: 

Atlantis, the world’s first underwater rock band, had its premier gig at the Los Angeles Swim Stadium near the L.A. Coliseum.  The group played with waterproof instruments, breathing apparatus, and shock resistant cables while their fans looked on from behind a Plexiglass partition.  “They were a real gas,” one comments.” “Bubbly,” I guess, was the word for them.  I especially liked their “Sea Cruise,” “Rock Lobster,” and “Wet Rap” songs.  In fact, I can hardly wait for their LP, Moray Eel, to come out.” Although they made a splash, leader Jim Mouth doesn’t know if there will be future performances:  “The rest of the group want to escape rock n’ roll depths and go on to greater heights…We could play as we parachute down to earth.” News Extra).

Comment:  They could always join the Velvet Underground.

http://www.visitingdc.com/san-francisco/lombard-street-picture.asp

Craziest bendy road on earth has to be this one, famous for the small section between Hyde and Leavenworth streets, so steep  as to be too dangerous for most vehicles. Between 1922 and 1923 this was made into a much easier to navigate switchback of eight sharp bends, one-way only, going down, with a 5mph speed limit, on the quarter-mile red-brick paved section of riotous road.

http://www.inautonews.com/10-busiest-junctions-in-the-world

The broadest street on earth, putting all others into the shade, is 140 meters wide, has 14 lanes – 7 on each direction, as well as being flanked on either side by streets with four lanes extra each – and is named in  honor of Argentina’s birth date. Roughly one kilometer in length, from the  Río de la Plata waterfront in the north to Constitución station in the south, it is always chaotic, and needs.nerves of steel if one is to drive upon it.

http://www.swindonweb.com/index.asp?m=8&s=115&ss=289

Voted the 4th most frightening junction in the UK in 2009, built in 1972, this Swindon, UK roundabout, consisting of five mini-roundabouts in a circular arrangement, is actually far less intimidating than first appearance would suggest, and works incredibly well, even if confusing at first to the luckless motorist approaching it for the first time. Once understood, however, the feature is amazingly functional and actually designed to reduce overall congestion.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H6B_kxim_AU/TkLkt0-uGYI/AAAAAAAABI0/JfY5EGUOw-g/s1600/3934073552_c4dda42e01_z.jpg

Steepest, officially that is, street on earth is to be found in Dunedin, New Zealand, called  Baldwin Street and 350 meters long, it starts with a moderate slope, climbing very steeply with a maximum slope of nineteen degrees or 1:2.86,so steep that the road surface needed to be made of concrete rather than asphalt, because hot weather could melt tar and see the road surface pouring itself down the hill

http://www.inautonews.com/10-busiest-junctions-in-the-world

This incredible structure is one of the busiest and largest interchanges in the Shanghai road network, carrying thousands of vehicles hourly, across five levels of bridges, helping to connect two of the busiest highways within the area, and doing so with little disruption, to traffic.

http://www.inautonews.com/10-busiest-junctions-in-the-world

The most impressive, and largest roundabout in the world is often not recognized as such by the people driving around it, because Putrajaya, close by where the Prime Minister of the country has his office, is 3.4km long, and houses three major landmarks, which comprise the Istana Melawati,  royal retreat, the Petra Perdana, commemorative landmark as well as the Putrajaya Shangri-La Hotel within the great circle of the surrounding road

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilike/3934073552/sizes/z/in/photostream/ 

Credited by Guinness Book of Records as shortest street on earth, at 2.06 m Ebenezer Place, in Wick, Scotland, in 2006  beat the record earlier held  by Elgin Street in Lancashire, having only one address, which believe it or not is just the front door of No. 1 Bistro, the street originating in 1883, when the hotel  owner, was told to give a name to the shortest side of the building, and in 1887 officially declared a street.

However, there’s a whole list of opportunities for you to have fun, besides checking maps. Here are the craziest ones.

SkyDiving – It is maybe the most radical activity you can do with Google Earth.

A group of Japanese has created a Simulator using Google Earth images as background. Basically, you are suspended on ropes, while projected images of the Earth are flashed on the ground. Add a “little” wind, some blue paper and fire extinguishers for the “clouds” pass by you, there is a real fun for those who think that just walking by the computer screen is not enough.

Send a message to the Universe – There’s nothing like sending a message that can be read by everybody thru Google Earth. It has been made by Nick Newcomen who passed 30 days traveling thru the United States just to send a message: “Read Ayn Rand”. Ayn Rand was a philosopher who lived from 1905 to 1982 and wrote romances such as “The Fountainhead”. Newcomen used a GPS that was activated precisely in marked places creating the above effect:

Flight Simulator -Yes its true! Google Earth has a Flight Simulated incorporated. To activate it just click the hot key “Ctrl+Alt+A”. The simulator has compatibility with joystick and allows you to fully control a plane, choosing where you are and where to go. Moreover, Google offers on its website information about how to control the simulator, including showing the keyboard shortcuts for all platforms.

Unraveling Mysteries of the Aliens - I’m sure you’ve heard about Crop Circles  with most strange marks drawn on the ground in wheat crops. One theory is that such symbols were designed by aliens, who try to communicate with humans.

Because these tags can only be seen flying over the plantation, nothing better than Google Earth to give you the language of space visitors.

Unmasking Oddities and Secret Places – besides the Crop Circles, our planet has a whole variety of awkward elements made by man or nature. Google Earth is ideal for finding these oddities. As you can see in the image below, Planet Earth is very rich in Oddities and secret places.

Have you fund other Crazy stuff to do with Google Earth? Tell us about it.

We were all amazed, recently, when we saw pictures of the Magneto boy, who seemed to be in possession of a body that could hold onto metal objects through natural magnetism, but his abilities pale, in comparison to the Serbian human electricity conductor Slavisa Pajkic.

This incredible human being has scientists baffled, scratching their heads in wonder because of the man having the awesome ability to withstand high voltages of electricity, fatal to others, with no effects at all, and also the capability of storing electrical power for later use. Called by many the Battery Man, Slavisa can be, at will, an electrical insulator, a conductor odf such power, even using it at times to generate heat.

To be found in the hamlet of Pozarevac, in Serbia, Slavisa claims to have become aware of his odd talent as a 17-year old. Whilst one day leaning against a live metal fence, in the rain, he realized that, while his colleagues jumped back on feeling the current pulsing through, he was himself unaffected by it, becoming astounded as he realized the implications.

Electric current apparently does not harm his body, and he has become famous in his own country for this very reason, though most people avoid shaking his hand on meeting him. He set his very first Guinness World record in 1983, allowing a 20,000volt electric current of 20,000 volts to pass through his body, something that would normally be fatal to a human.

http://173.192.120.126/~ispyce/wp-content/uploads/images/Slavisa+Pajkic.jpg

Then in 2003, Slevisa qualified for another entry, by becoming became the quickest man ever to heat, up to a staggeruing 97degrees Celciusm a cup of water, in 97 seconds, with only his fingers. Slavisa next aims to charge himself up using a 1,000,000-volt generator, after which he wants to use his tongue to shoot out laser beams.

As you can see in this video, Slavisa appears to cook a sausage through power stored in his body, and can cause lightbulbs to shine by putting electrodes into his mouth. He is certainly a phenomenal human being, perhaps the very beginning of a trend in evolution towards abilities in humans like those made famous by the mutant heroes of X-men movies. With nature, you just never quite know for sure,

heroes of X-men movies. With nature, you just never quite know for sure,

In 2001,  the Reward Book company released a volume entitled Sex Lover’s Book of Lists, by Ron Louis and David Copeland , showing just how diverse and strange are the customs and traditions that are regular parts of life in certain parts of the world. Perhaps, if you show this to your sexual partner, they will no longer be so opposed to the idea of sexual play, certain to be relatively harmless for the two of you, though some societies act very differently.

Were you aware that, in Tasmania, widows are required to wear the penises of dead husbands around their necks, for a time after he has passed away, while wives in  Wroclaw, Poland, can legally beat or kill any woman, other than herself, who shares the sexual favours of her husband,  though a club must be used to perform the deed. Uruguayan men care forbidden touching their wives during menstruation, and if caught and convicted of doing so, can be fined, as well as undergoing a public whipping, 200 or more lashes being the usual sentence.

During  the era known as the Middle Ages, sexual intercourse doggy-fashion was considered a crime, punishable by 7 years penance. Any deviation from the standard missionary position was illegal , and sex on any Sunday, Wednesday or Friday, in the 40 days before Easter, 40 days before Christmas and 3 days before communion was also banned. In this period, women were known to mix some of their menstrual blood in the food of their husbands, believing it made them more sexually potent, but if they were discovered, five years of penance was the sentence imposed.

If clergy wanted to test a man for infidelity in those dark ages, they might subject him to  trial by red-hot iron, in which the iron would be blessed, by a priest, with holy water. The accused having to then carry it in his  hand for a distance of 9ft, after which it  was covered for 3 days, and if, on being revealed again, showed evidence of injury he was judged guilty. Unsurprisingly no-one was ever found innocent

Then we have the Marind-Anim people, Papua New Guinea,  who are insistent that any bride must endure sex with every man belonging to the clan of her husband,  the ‘otiv bombari’ marriage ceremony, also occurring after the birth of a child.  If that makes you squirm, then you have to feel for those subject to Tanzanian Zaramo tribal law, because two women have to watch and assess newlywed couples, during their first act of sexual congress, looking for ease of penetration and evidence of bridal virginity through blood loss. The amount, and thickness of his semen is taken into account in judging the performance of the new husband.

Law in Krakow, Poland states that you must be shot in the head, after being caught having sex with an animal for the 3rd time, and in Iran, it is acceptable to have sex lambs, but mortally sinful to afterwards cook and eat it. Tschuktschi tribesmen, of Siberia, offer travellers their women for the night, though the following morning, travellers must rinse their mouths with the urine of the woman involved, which marks them as sincere friends of the tribe, while they are treated as enemies should they not do so..

South American Mayan tribes  preferred boys engaging in homosexual relationships prior to marriage, parents providing sons with slave companions for satisfying  sexual needs, in preference to  unmarried girls, while Chinese Taoists traditionally greatly emphasized sensual kissing as a prelude, such an

erotic and private act that, even today, Chinese couples rarely kiss in public. A woman seen doing so was, at one time, considered a prostitute, though  in early centuries AD, public sexual intercourse was permitted, at certain moon  phases.

Perhaps the oddest historical sex fact from China concerns Empress Wu Hu, ruler of  China during the T’ang Dynasty.  She created a peculiar sexual custom in which, by her Royal Decree all government officials, and visiting dignitaries, had to pay homage to the empress by performing cunnilingus upon her, something that can be seen in old paintings, which depict her holding her ornate robe open, while a high official is shown kneeling humbly before her, lavishly applying his lips and tongue.

In the 7th century AD, before the advent of Islam,  Arabian women could choose their husbands, returning to their families, if treated badly. She could divorce a husband simply by turning her tent to face eastwards for three nights in succession, clearly letting the manknow  the marriage was over further entry to the lady’s tent forbidden, though after Islam became accepted, divorce was down to men who could reject a wife by  simply repeating I divorce thee three times over.

In our modern society, such primitive traditions seem ridiculous, but they do put into perspective how narrow our modern view of sexuality is, even allowing for homosexual relationships and same-sex marriage. The sex partner of today might think you weird, because of your sexual preferences, but in comparison to some of the practices mentioned, your tastes are probably fairly tame.  There is a saying in the north of England, applicable around the world, which simply states that there is nothing as queer as people – nowt as queer as folk – and how very true that is, when it comes to sexual behaviour.

In 1920, while the American novelist Anne Parrish walked the libraries of Paris, she found a copy of one of her favorite childhood books, Jack Frost and Other Stories. She took the old book off the shelf and showed it to her husband saying that this was the book she most fondly remembered from childhood. Her husband opened the book and in the first page found the inscription: “Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs. ” It was the same book that once belonged to Anne but was given to charity decades earlier back in Colorado Springs!

2. Twins

In 2002, twin brothers died at the age of 70 with a difference of a few hours after suffering two separate traffic accidents on the same road in northern Finland. The first of the twins died after being hit by a truck while riding a bike in Raahe, 600 miles north of the capital, Helsinki. He died exactly 1 mile from the point where his brother died. “This is simply a historical coincidence. Although the road is high in traffic, no accidents occur every day, ” police officer Marja-Leena Huhtala told Reuters.

3. Match a taxi

In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man suffered an accident with a taxi that ended his life. A year later, the brother of this man died exactly the same way. In fact, the same road, the same motorcycle and on top of that, the accident was with the same driver on board the taxi. But also the taxi passenger was the same!

4. Photo Match

A German mother who photographed her infant son in 1914 took the film to reveal a store in Strasbourg. In those days, photographic plates were sold individually. The arrival of the First World War made it impossible for the woman to come to Strasbourg to collect the picture so the lady went missing. Two years later, she bought a film plate in Frankfurt, more than 166 miles away, to take a photograph of her newborn daughter. When she brought the plate to reveal, the technician discovered a double exposure, the portrait of the girl was superimposed with the photo of her son. For some strange string of coincidences the original film had not come to be revealed, and was mistakenly labeled as unused and resold to the shop in Frankfurt.

5. The lost book

In 1973, actor Anthony Hopkins agreed to appear on “The Girl From Petrovka,” based on a novel by George Feifer. Unable to find a copy of the book in any bookstores in London, Hopkins was really surprised to find a copy on a bench in a train station. Turned out to be his own personal copy of Goerge Feifer, with its annotations, which Feifer had lent to a friend who then got it stolen with his car.

6. Unknown twins with similar lives

Twin brothers Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were separated at birth and ended up in different foster homes. Without knowing anything about each other, both families named the boys James. The two grew up without knowing, but still ended up being two law enforcement officers, noted for their skills in mechanics and carpentry. Both married women named Linda. Both had children, one named James Alan and the other James Allan. Twins divorced their wives and married again with two women named Betty. Furthermore, the two dogs were called in both cases Toy.

7. “Revenge” of the tree?

In 1883, Henry Ziegland broke with his girlfriend who completely upset by the event, ended up committing suicide. The girl’s enraged brother Ziegland chased and shot him. Believing he had killed the brother then took his life. But the fact is that, Ziegland was not dead. The bullet had only scratched his face and ended up lodged in a tree. Narrowly escaped. Years later Ziegland decided to cut the same tree, which still had the bullet inside. The tree seemed so big that he decided to blow it up with dynamite. The explosion took out the bullet from the bark, which shot out towards Ziegland, hitting him in the head and killing him.

8. Hotel Discovery

In 1953, the television reporter Irv Kupcinet was in London to cover the events of the coronation of Elizabeth II. In one of the drawers in his room at the Hotel Savoy found some objects which by their identification, belonged to a man named Harry Hannin. It so happened that Harry Hannin – a basketball star who acted in the famous Harlem Globetrotter team – was a good friend of Kupcinet, but the story has yet another twist. Only two days later, and before he could call Hannin to talk about his fortunate discovery. Kupcinet Hannin received a letter that told him that at a recent stay at the Hotel Meurice in Paris, Hannin had found in a drawer a tie with the name of Kupcinet!

9. Poker Game

In 1858, Robert Fallon was shot dead as an act of vengeance by those with whom he was playing poker. According to them, Fallon had won $ 600 cheating. With Fallon’s seat empty and without any other player would dare to take the now “jinxed” $ 600, found a new player to take over the man’s money and continue the game. By the time police arrived to investigate the assassination, the new player had turned the $ 600 Fallon into $ 2,200. The police demanded the original $ 600 to forward them to the legal heir of Fallon, and then discovered that the new player turned out to be Fallon’s own son!, Who had not seen his father for the last seven years.

10. Historical Coincidence

The lives of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two of the founders of the United States of America. Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence scrawled sketches showing him to Adams, who (with Benjamin Franklin colaboration) helped to edit and refine. The document was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Surprisingly, both Jefferson and Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

1. There are about 6.900 living languages. Of these, 516 are in danger of disappearing.

2. The aka-bo Andaman Islands, India, is the latest language to have gone extinct.

3. Among the Romance languages are Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian.

4. Spanish is spoken in 44 countries (as an official language or immigrant language). It is the fourth with a greater presence in the world after English (112), French (60) and Arabic (57).

5. More than 870 million people speak Mandarin Chinese as their native language.

6. Between 250 and 350 million people speak English as a second language.

7. 350 million people speak Spanish as their mother tongue making it the second most used worldwide.

8. The Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations has been translated into over 375 languages.

9. Rotokas, spoken in Papua New Guinea, is the language with the least number of letters: 12

10. Khmer, Cambodia’s official language has 33 consonants and 46 vowels.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by Tamils. Held in January/February each year, it is to celebrate the birth of Murugan (the son of gods Shiva and Parvati). The participants shave their heads and go on a pilgrimage. They shove very sharp skewers through their tongues or cheeks. Some of them attach hooks into their backs so that they can pull heavy objects like tractors. The aim is to cause as much pain as possible. It is believed that the more you endure, the more “blessings” you will receive from the gods. The festival is celebrated in countries like India, Singapore and Malaysia.

Kanamara Matsuri

The festival of Kanamara Matsuri (The Steel Phallus) is held in Kawasaki during spring in Japan every year. It is a Shinto fertility festival which involves a rather large penis statue. During the festival, candies, vegetables, and gifts in the shape of a phallus will be sold. Being popular among prostitutes, they have the belief that participation in the event will help prevent them from getting sexually transmitted diseases.

Goose Clubbing Festival

This is an annual festival held in Germany. A goose was tied to a post by its feet and clubbed by the local men till its head came off. As a result of complaints from animal rights activists about its brutality, the festival goers have now switched to hit a goose which has previously been killed.

Fiesta De Santa Marta De Ribarteme

People who have suffered a near-death experience in the previous year come together to attend Mass in Las Nieves, Spain.This is in celebration of Saint Marta de Ribarteme, the patron saint of resurrection. However, there is the twist to the celebration. These people turn up at Mass carrying a coffin, or being carried in a coffin. After Mass, the coffins together with the statue of saint will be carried to the top of a nearby hill. Although it should be a sombre event, people still light up fireworks and shopkeepers still fill the streets to sell religious objects.

El Colacho

El Colacho (or baby jumping) is a festival held in Spain every year on the feast of Corpus Christ dating back to 1620. During this festival, babies born in the previous twelve months are being laid on mattresses. The adult men from the village of Castrillo de Murcia will dress up as devils. They will then take turns to jump over the babies which often results in injuries (to the adults). It is believed that the jumpings will rid the babies of their original sin in this bizarre kind of baptism. As it is dangerous and contrary to the Catholic religion, Pope Benedict XVI has recently asked the local priests not to associate themselves with the festival.

Hadaka Matsuri

Hadaka Matsuri is a Japanese festival celebrated many times throughout the year in various parts of the country. The participants will go almost naked by just wearing a type of traditional loincloth. Some of those involved even go completely naked which is considered healthy and not being frowned upon. There are often separate festivals for women and men which often involve the use of mud (for entertainment). It is supposed to be a religious event but its religious aspect has since been virtually forgotten.

Goat Tossing Festival

The Goat Tossing Festival is held on the fourth Sunday in January every year. The locals of a small town, Manganeses de la Polvorosa, gather together for this festival in honor of St. Vincent de Paul, their patron saint. It involves tying up a goat and taking it to the top of the local church belfry to be tossed down. It falls fifty feet, which hopefully will be caught by the villagers holding a sheet of tarpaulin. Even though the village officials have banned the event, it continues nonetheless. Various animal rights agencies have complained about its brutality but their complaints have been ignored.

Bonfires of Saint John

Held from 19 to 24 June each year, the Bonfires of Saint John is a popular festival in Spain. Bonfires, frequently fueled by old furniture, will be lighted up. As the locals are watching the bonfires, they will indulge themselves in hot chocolate. However, the celebration gets weird when the children of the villages take turns to run through the fires. Throughout the entire week, there are festivities including fireworks displays. Eighty-six women and eighty-six young girls will be elected as the”Beauties” of the bonfires, who will preside over the festival as queens.

Cheese Rolling Festival

Every year in May, the Cheese Rolling Festival is being held in Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire (United Kingdom). The festival involves the tossing of cheese down the extremely steep hill. Hundreds of people will start to run down the hill, risking life and limb, to catch the cheese. The event often results in casualties and because of this reason, children are not allowed to participate. However, boys from the local town will join in nonetheless. There is an uphill race for the children. During the main event, women and men race separately.

La Tomatina

On the last Wednesday of August each year, nine thousand locals and twenty to forty thousand foreigners will descend on the town of Bunol in the Valencia region of Spain to throw tomatoes at each other. This is to honor the Virgin Mary and St. Louis Bertrand. Since 1940s, the tradition had been around even though it was briefly suppressed under the reign of Franco. The festival begins with a person trying to scale a greased pole to take down a cooked ham. Once it has been taken down, the participants are fired by water canons and over a hundred tons of tomatoes are dumped into the streets for throwing.