UNCONVENTIONAL WORLD RECORDS

The Pritzker Architecture Prize, founded 1979 is widely considered to be the world’s top architecture prize, and is often dubbed “the Nobel Prize of architecture.”

It is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation and any living architects all over the world are eligible. The stated criteria is “…demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture”.

The award recipient gets, among other things, USD100,000 and a bronze medallion:

It would seem that amongst Asians, the Japanese are the best architects: they have won it 4 times, including the 2010 award which went to Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa:

They designed the unassuming-looking 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan in 2004:

Interesting, and having a career in architecture is one way to answer the perennial question of how to lose weight fast, with all the moving about, studying buildings and stuff.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Previously, Vatican documents relating to the Catholic sex abuse scandal were classified confidential: only for bishops’ eyes.

However, in an unprecedented move, Pope Benedict XVI has issued an 8-page pastoral (i.e. open) letter talking exclusively about the matter.

A Vatican taboo has been broken.

For sure people will flock to it like it’s some kind of outdoor d�cor and dissected, analysed, the works.

Key excerpts.

Full text.

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If ever there’s such a thing as an A-list Hollywood geek, Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) would be it.

She was a major American star actress during MGM’s Golden Age, and at the same time, an engineer, who co-invented “an early form of spread spectrum communications technology, a key to modern wireless communication.”

Usually cast as glamorous and demure, she acted in 18 films from 1940 to 1949, including her role as Delilah in Cecil DeMille’s Samson and Delilah, the highest earning film of 1949. In 1941 she was in Ziegfeld Girl alongside Hollywood legends Lana Turner and Judy Garland. Cementing her reputation as a formidable actress, Lamarr has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During the same period, Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed the concept of frequency-hopping spread-spectrum, a secret communication system in June 1941, for which they were granted a US patent in August 1942. It used a piano roll to move between 88 frequencies and has the capability to cause radio-guided torpedoes harder for enemies to detect or jam. It was so ahead of its time that it was not practicable due to the current state of mechanical technology of that time, and was only implemented in 1962 by the US military during a Cold War blockade of Cuba.

This frequency-hopping idea is a basis for modern spread-spectrum communication technology, like CODFM and CDMA, which many ICT-related industrial products uses.

Groovy actress indeed!

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Now for something not immediately obvious from web directories like at www.freewebdirectories.org.

There’s a growing chorus asking Pope Benedict XVI to resign over the Catholic sex abuse cases. If he did, he’d be the 3rd Pope in history to do so.

Who were the other 2?

The first one was Pope Celestine V (1209-1296) in 1294, only 5 months into his reign. He first issued a decree declaring it permissible for a pope to resign, then then did so himself, explaining it as such:

… the desire for humility, for a purer life, for a stainless conscience, the deficiencies of his own physical strength, his ignorance, the perverseness of the people, his longing for the tranquility of his former life.

He then lived 2 more years, then later declared saint.

The second was Pope Gregory XII (1326 – 1417), who reigned 1406 – 1415 resigned in order to end the Western Schism i.e. there were 3 popes who all claimed to be the one true pope, including one so-called Antipope.

Source
The BBC

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UPDATE 11 June 2011

Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs, 37 was reported to be going for therapy for sex addiction in order to save his marriage, following allegations of indiscretions with Imogen Thomas and his brother Rhodri’s wife Natasha. Giggsy’s wife Stacey, 32 is standing by him.

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31 March 2010

… and their case publicised by the media.

But what is sex addiction? According to Mayo Clinic:

symptoms range from rampant promiscuity to spending hours looking at pornography and using sex to escape from problems such as depression or stress. It is often accompanied by secrecy and shame, and sufferers have difficulties with emotional intimacy.

Does romantic attachment to Hinkley lights count?

It is estimated that 3-5 % of Americans, including women, are affected.

Treatment usually involves psychotherapy (group meetings as is done in Alcoholics Anonymous) and depending on the situation, medication which could decrease libido. Relapse is common, because, recovering alcoholics are expected never to drink again, but how can one expect that of something as natural as sex?

On 19th February 2010, golf megastar Tiger Woods (born 1975) admitted on TV that he had been unfaithful to his wife, and that he had been in a therapy program for 45 days.

On 28th August 2008, David Duchovny (born 1960) announced that he had checked himself into a rehabilitation facility for treating his sex addiction.

The first top-grade celebrity to be rumoured to have gone for this kind of rehab was Michael Douglas (born 1944) in 1992. However he denied it and said he was seeking treatment for his drinking problem. His first wife, Diandra had labeled him a sex addict.

Those are celebrities who really or allegedly entered treatment, other addicts that were not reported to have gone to rehab include Charlie Sheen, Wilt Chamberlain (allegedly slept with 20,000 woman in his lifetime!), Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones bassist), Magic Johnson (basketball star), Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), Jack Nicholson, Ilie Nastase (tennis), Engelbert Humperdinck, Julio Iglesias, Gene Simmons (Kiss), Eric Benet, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Sizemore, Bill Murray.

Popularity: 1% [?]

UPDATE 1 September 2011

It was reported today that Donna Simpson has thrown in the towel after breaking up with her fiancé.

Announcing her decision on her website, she wrote that she’s now on a healthy eating diet and exercise plan, and that her site will be replaced with a weight loss blog.

Among the things she wrote:

I recently split with my fiancée of five years and moved with my two children back to my home town in Ohio. This life changing move made me realize something important. The health and welfare of my family was always my priority and they were well taken care of by my ex. Now that I have sole responsibility of taking care of my children, I must drastically change my lifestyle. It’s fine to gain weight when you have a partner who will help feed you and take care of everything around you. But that’s between two adult people who make the choice. I realised that I couldn’t expect my kids to do that for me.

She added:

At this time I would like to thank and maybe apologize to all my fans. I realize this statement will be met with mixed emotions. The people that admired me as a “super-sized big beautiful web model” probably will be disappointed in this decision.

In fact, she’d already lost 60 pounds due to the breakup and moving to another location, and plans to reach 370.

But worryingly, she still had the cheek to say that “she may come off the diet if she meets someone who wants her to be heavier again.”

Source

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UPDATE 14 July 2011

Perhaps it’s all business then. Donna Simpson is now earning USD90K per year (more than RM20,000 per month), due to her charging people to watch her eating online: USD20 for 30 days.

She uses the money to you guessed it, buy more food: burgers, chips, meatloaf, pizza, cake & fizzy drinks.

Her shopping bill is estimated to be GBP500 per week, which is equivalent to around RM10,000 per month!

Last year I wrote that she’s eating 12,000 calories daily, now she’s eating even more: 15,000.

Last year I wrote that she weighed 600 pounds, now she’s at 700. Her target is about 1,000 pounds.

Just look at what she ate during Christmas 2010:
- 2 x 25lb turkeys
- 2 x maple-glazed hams
- 15lbs potatoes (10lbs roast, 5lbs mashed)
- 5 loaves bread;
- 5lb herb stuffing
- 4 pints gravy
- 4 pints cranberry dressing
- 20lb vegetables
- Salad made up of marshmallow, cream cheese, whipped cream and cookies.

She has since split from her partner Philippe Gouamba.

I’d guess that she’d be dead before she achieves her goal.

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15 March 2010

People are scrambling to lose weight; there are many companies offering lose weight programs, there’s the popular reality show The Biggest Loser, there are sites like www.bestfatburners.org, and yet here we have someone who’d jump at the chance to be a contestant on The Biggest Gainer if such a show existed.

Already the world’s fattest mother, Donna Simpson, 42 is currently at 600 pounds (about 270 kg), yet she thinks she’s not heavy enough and wants to tip the scales at 1,000 pounds (454 kg) within 2 years! With her 68kg partner Philippe, 49, they make quite a couple.

Amazingly, Philippe encourages her to eat more, not the other way round.

Donna wears size XXXXXXXL clothes

Incredible – isn’t she aware of all the health risks that entails, not mentioning financial burden on herself and later, tax payers?

She can’t even walk beyond 20 feet before needing to sit down, and yet she insists that she’s healthy. She currently goes about on a special scooter.

And her grocery bills can easily top USD750 a week!

To achieve her goal, she’s eating an unbelieveable 12,000 calories a day (2,000 is the recommended amount for a woman) and stays still as long as possible. Her favourite is sushi of which she can gobble 70 pieces in one sitting.

But why is she doing it? In her own words: “I love eating and people love watching me eat. It makes people happy, and I’m not harming anyone.” Yeah right.

Source
Daily Mail (UK), 15 March 2010

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hannah Ocuish (1774-1786), an American Indian, is the youngest person ever executed in America, and probably the world, when she was hanged at the age of 12 years and 9 months on 20th December 1786 in Connecticut.

12 years! She didn’t even have the opportunity to have a credit score done!

She was accused of choking Eunice Bolles, 6, a white girl, to death after they quarreled over strawberries in the summer. The body was found on 21st July 1786.

Popularity: 2% [?]