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Friday, April 24, 2009

7 Wedding Proposals Gone Bad

The Woman Who Swallowed the Engagement Ring Hidden in a Milkshake

When Reed Harris asked Kaitlin Whipple to marry him, he didn’t plan it out that well. First he took to her a Wendy’s to do it. Second he hid the ring her Frosty milkshake. Third he invited her friends and one of them challenged to a race to down the Frosty. What happens next makes you wonder why she said yes. She swallowed the ring whole. Reed drove her to the hospital to find out if she did indeed swallow the ring and she did. Two days later she got her ring and the two are set to marry around early June when it is warm and Frostys melt! Although she said she would have felt it. Frostys numb your tongue and she probably didn’t feel it. Poor Katilin but at least she will remember it always.

The Engagement Ring that Took Off Inside a Helium Balloon

A London man named Lefkos Hajji, wanted to "pop the question" to his fiancee, Leanne, literally. His idea was to hide her ,100 diamond engagement ring inside a helium balloon. Then, he would present it to her and "pop" the question. Now, some of us see the obvious danger in hiding a ring inside a helium balloon. Lefkos didn't. After leaving the balloon store, a gust of wind swept the balloon out of his hand. Like a bad dream, Lefkos saw her ring (and his money) floating calmly away in a balloon. He tried to chase it in his car for two hours, but it soon became a mere dot vanishing on the distant horizon. "I just watched as it went further and further into the air. I felt like such a plonker," said Lefkos. Leanne, 26, has shown what a worthy bride she will be. She is not speaking to Lefkos until she gets a new ring.

The Quirky Marriage Proposal That Triggered an UFO alert

A young man's creative marriage proposal apparently triggered several UFO reports in a small town in Germany. Bavarian police say several people called during one night to alert them to strange lights floating above the sleepy town of Plattling. It turns out the lights were 50 paper lanterns sent aloft by a 29-year-old man proposing marriage to his girlfriend. Neither the man nor the 27-year-old woman were identified. However, police reported the woman did say "Yes."

The Man Who Dropped The Ring On Brooklyn Bridge

Imagine saving enough money to buy the love of your life a beautiful diamond ring, only to drop it off the Brooklyn Bridge just as she agrees to marry you. Teacher Don Walling planned to propose to his girlfriend, Gina Pellicani, on the Brooklyn Bridge's pedestrian walkway with his family looking. But at the moment of truth, Walling dropped the ring through a crack in the pedestrian bridge and into traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge roadway below. But he didn't let his shock sway him for long. He kissed the bride to be and said he was going to get the ring back. The groom-to-be jumped onto the bridge's roadway and began looking for the ring.

Miraculously, he found it. The ring is now being repaired and will be restored to its former luster, but Walling said the next time he gives it to his fiance it will be in the safety of his home.

The Woman Who Was Swept Out To Sea Before Proposal

A romantic marriage proposal on the Oregon coast turned deadly for the bride-to-be when a wave swept her out to sea. Scott Napper had taken 22-year-old Leafil Alforque to Proposal Rock near Neskowin Beach to pop the question at a place that got its name from couples ready to marry. Napper and Alforque had been dating since they met on the Internet in 2005. Napper said the tide had receded around Proposal Rock on Saturday when the couple began to walk to it. He planned to propose and give her the ring he carried in his pocket. About 10 feet from the rock, a wave about 3 feet high suddenly came toward them. By the time he turned to find Alforque, only 4-foot-11 and 93 pounds, she had been caught by the receding waters. She was never seen again.

The Woman Who Swallowed her Engagement Ring Hidden in a Cake

Remember that woman who swallowed her ring on a milkshake? Well, she's not alone. A Chinese woman passed out in after accidentally swallowing an engagement ring her boyfriend had hidden in a cake. Mr Chen, of Xinyan Town, Fuqing City, said he was inspired by romantic movies in which leading men hid rings in cakes and gave them to their girlfriends. "I imagined the surprise on her face, mixed with happiness," he regretfully told the Southeast Morning Post.

Instead, his girlfriend Wen fainted when she saw Chen get down on one knee. "I realized I had just swallowed the ring with a full mouth of cake," she said. Chen called the police, who immediately sent Wen to hospital. Doctors used a catheter to retrieve the ring from her stomach.

On waking up, Wen accepted Chen's marriage proposal.

10 Places to See the World’s Biggest Trees

Looking for something different to do on a lazy weekend? Perhaps a trip to the nearest park or forest to explore the terrain is in order. Imagine the look of wonder on your child’s face as he stands next to the trunk of one of the largest trees in the world, suddenly realizing how tiny he is in comparison. The biggest and best trees can be found all over the world. Check out a few of these incredible species.

Douglas Fir

Deep within Point Reyes National Seashore park in California, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the Douglas Fir tree. Simply look up and you’ll see that the fir trees stand taller than most of the other trees on this side of the Inverness Ridge. A Douglas Fir is a coniferous tree that can range from anywhere between 20 and 120 meters, or 394 feet, tall. This makes it one of the tallest tree varieties in existence.



Mountain Ash



The Mountain Ash tree, also known as eucalyptus regnans, is most commonly found in Southeastern Australia. There are a number of different trees that use the name “mountain ash” and none of them are related. This particular tree, however, is a different species of Eucalyptus that can grow up to 230-400 feet tall. The tree is known for being the tallest flowering plant in the world. The ones pictured were seen outside of Marysville in Victoria, Australia.

Karri



A Karri tree is yet another species of Eucalyptus and is also most commonly found in Western Australia. Its 90-meter height ranks it amongst the tallest trees in the world. The Karri tree is usually only found in high rainfall zones. Due to its brilliant colors, and because termites don’t like the taste, the wood of the Karri tree is often used in building homes and roof tops. In Gloucester you’ll find a tree that was pegged so that visitors could climb it to watch for brushfires. Don’t climb if you’re afraid of heights!

Kauri Pine



The Kauri Pine tree, also known as the agathis, can be found across a number of Pacific countries and islands, including Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and Malayasia. These trees have existed since the Jurassic period and usually feature incredibly wide trunks. The trees grow tall, but normally don’t have branches until high up in the tree itself. Look south of the equator for these monstrous trees, especially in places like Waipoua Forrest in New Zealand.

Turkey Oak

The Turkey Oak tree is also known as the Turkish Oak. This specific variety of oak tree can usually be found in the southern portions of Euripe and Asia. These gigantic trees grow up to 40 meters tall and features trucks up to two meters in width. If you thought the acorns falling in your backyard were huge, imagine having one with a 2 centimeter (almost a full inch) cup fall on your head? Keep your eyes peeled for these trees in places such as the Croome Landscape Park in Worcestershire, England.

Coast Redwood

Coast Redwood trees are part of the Sequoia family and are also commonly referred to as California Redwoods. These amazing trees live over 2,000 years each and grow to incredible heights (380 feet) and widths (26 feet in diameter). Coast Redwoods can be found along the Pacific Coast of North America and are most well-known in California. Popular places to see these trees are in Redwood National Park and in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

Sitka Spruce

The Sitka Spruce tree can be found along the west coast of North America, ranging from Kodiak, Alaska all the way down to Fort Bragg, California. The Sitka is the largest variety of spruce tree and the third largest conifer tree species in the world. These trees grow anywhere from 50-100 meters tall, with trunks in diameter from 5-7 meters. The tallest Sitka trees can be found in Pacific Rim National Park in Canada, in Olympic National Park in Washington, and in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in California.

Montezuma Cypress



The incredible Montezuma Cypress tree is native to the southern portion of Mexico, but can be found in the southern part of Texas as well. The tree grows incredibly fast and is very tolerant to droughts, perfect for the weather in the Mexican highlands. These trees average heights up to 40 meters tall with a 3 meter diameter, but often grow even larger. We’ve spotted them all over southern Mexico, especially in places like Oaxaca.

Jarrah



The Jarrah tree is one of the most popular eucalyptus species. Found in Western Australia, this tree grows up to 40 meters tall and 3 meters in diameter. It is unique in that its roots reach almost as far into the ground as it is high, giving the Jarrah the ability to find water during droughts. These trees also store carbohydrates that allow them to rebuild if they are damaged in wildfires. The flowers are great for making honey, and the wood is excellent for cabinets and furniture. Watch for these trees on your next trip through Australia - they’re difficult to miss.

Giant Redwood

The Giant Redwood, otherwise known as Giant Sequoias and Sierra Redwoods, are classified as one of the three types of redwood trees in existence. These trees are not known as one of the largest simply due to their height, but because of the combination of height and width. The average tree grows up to 280 feet tall but can also have a width of up to 24 feet! The bark itself is often up to three feet thick. The best place to see the biggest Giant Redwood trees is in Sierra Nevada, California. You may also find some protected trees in Kings Canyon National Park and at the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Remember, when it comes to trees, the tallest trees aren’t always the biggest. Don’t forget to check out both the height and width of the trees you choose to explore. If you should happen to find a tree trunk that’s been cut, remember to count the rings to figure out how old he was. Enjoy!

Woman eats 51 super-hot chillies in 2 minutes

A demure 26-year-old mother of one in Assam is all set to have her name entered in record books after having munched 51 of the
world's hottest chillies in two minutes in front of celebrity British chef Gordon Ramsay.

Anandita Dutta Tamuly performed the bizarre feat Thursday night before hundreds of people at the tea
growing town of Jorhat, 300 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati, for a Channel Four Television show on global food being anchored by Ramsay.

"In two minutes, Anandita gobbled 51 red-hot chillies (locally known as Bhut Jolokia) without batting an eyelid or shedding a tear and also smeared seeds of 25 chillies in her eyes in one minute with the crowd simply awestruck," Atul Lahkar, a local chef who coordinated the show, said.

"The Guinness authorities had earlier asked us to provide them with a recording of the feat supervised by someone responsible. We asked Ramsay to be the adjudicator for Guinness and he agreed to pursue Anandita's claim as the world's 'hottest woman' by submitting video clippings of the record-breaking feat," said Diganta Saikia, another event coordinator.

Bhut Jolokia (capsicum frutescens), a chilli native to Assam, is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's hottest chilli pepper.

The discovery by Paul Bosland, a Regents Professor in horticulture at New Mexico State University, was recognised by the Guinness World Records in a testimony saying Bhut Jolokia, belonging to the Capsicum Chinese family and native to Assam, was the hottest of all spices.

The hotness of the Bhut Jolokia, measured in Scoville heat units at two independent laboratories by Bosland, was 1,001,304. It's nearly twice as hot as Red Savina (577,000), the variety that is second-hottest. By comparison, a New Mexico green chilli contains about 1,500 Scoville units, while an average jalapeno measures at about 10,000.

The reigning chilli champ is South Africa's Anita Crafford, who in 2002 gobbled eight jalapenos in a minute.

"I am very happy to have broken the record. They (Channel Four crew members and Ramsay) praised me for my world record breaking feat," said Anandita.

The event coordinators said a formal acknowledgement from the Guinness World Records would take some time as there were several formalities before Anandita's name is etched in the book.

"I have been eating Bhut Jolokia since my childhood and never felt the hotness in my mouth," she said.

She got hooked on to the hot pepper when she was just five years old.

"I had a sore tongue and my mother applied a chilli paste to cure the infection when I was five. Since then I developed a penchant for chillies," Anandita said.

The local variety of the chilli is grown mostly in hilly terrain and is considered a staple menu in every meal among many people in northeastern India.