moonbuggy

A couple of stories of plane accidents, in which a giant parachute attached to the plane has saved people’s lives. The company that makes the parachutes reckons they’ve saved 199 lives.

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`A Japanese civil servant has described for the first time how he survived for more than three weeks in a mountain forest without food or water in what doctors believe is the first known case of a human in hibernation. [..]

When a climber found him 24 days later, Mr Uchikoshi’s body temperature had fallen to just 22 degrees, his pulse was barely discernible and he was suffering from multiple organ failure and blood loss. Doctors who treated him believe he lost consciousness after his fall and his body’s survival instincts kicked in, sending him into a state akin to hibernation as the temperature on the mountain dropped as low as 10 degrees.’

`Child molester Jessy Gene Moore must have been astonished when jail deputies told him he was free to go Wednesday, the day after a judge had sentenced him to 41/2 years in prison.

For at least an hour, Moore played it cool as he worked his way through the release process — riding an inmate bus from Inverness Jail to the Justice Center downtown, signing release papers, changing into his street clothes and eventually walking out the front doors of the center and into the night.

Moore, 21, was living every inmates’ dream.

And technically, Moore did nothing illegal by failing to utter a peep, officials say.’

`A second World War veteran who was blinded in his right eye when he was hit by shrapnel can see again after being head-butted by a pedigree racehorse.

Doctors tried in vain for 64 years to restore Don Karkos’s sight, until My Buddy Chimo stepped in. [..]

“Being kicked is part of the job, but I’ve never been hit that hard.

“I was pretty shaken up, kind of dazed. Then, later that night, I started to get the vision back in my right eye.

“It was unbelievable. I’ve been seeing doctors all my life, and they’ve always told me there is nothing can be done.”‘

`A watchdog group charges a nuclear warhead nearly exploded in Texas when it was being dismantled at the government’s Pantex facility near Amarillo.

The Project on Government Oversight says it has been told by knowledgeable experts that the warhead nearly detonated in 2005 because an unsafe amount of pressure was applied while it was being disassembled, The Austin American-Statesman reports.

The U.S. Energy Department fined the plant’s operators $110,000 last month. [..]

The watchdog group says the problem was caused in part by technicians at the plant being required to work up to 72 hours each week.’

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‘Watch how close this tank gets to completely tanking out this semi truck. It slams on its breaks and ends up hitting the side of the semi.’

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`Chris Campo had to fight a wild beast for his puppy’s life on Friday when a red tailed hawk tried to turn the youngster’s Dachshund into dinner.

But, a well-placed kick by Campo to the hawk’s head freed 5-month-old Dimi, who quickly high-tailed it to safety. [..]

“I go outside and there was this enormous red tailed hawk and it had attacked the dog on its leash,” said Charles Campo. “It was trying to carry the dog off, and my son wouldn’t let go and he fought off the hawk. My son was literally fighting a hawk – I was stunned.”’

`A range of extra-large condoms has been launched in South Africa, to cater for “well-endowed” men.

“A large number of South African men are bigger and complain about condoms being uncomfortable and too small,” said Durex manager Stuart Roberts.

Aids activists say the new condom could encourage men to practise safe sex in South Africa, where some 6m are HIV positive – more than any other country.’

‘Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! BOOM!’

Heh. 🙂

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Truck pancakes, maybe?

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`A 4-year-old boy in Durham is being called a super hero. The young boy dressed up in a Power Rangers costume and protected his family as robbers got away with their belongings. [..]

In the most recent case, robbers forced their way into an apartment in north Durham on Friday and held a family at gun point. In a strange twist, 4-year-old Stevie Long may have saved the day. “I was saving everybody,” Stevie said. “I was the red ranger.”

His mother says he snuck away, and put on his Power Ranger costume and tried to fight the robbers.

His mom thinks he spooked the men and they ran away. The robbers did escape with money, credit cards and cell phones.’

`Bare-chested and fuelled by drunken bravado, he dangles from a 25,000 volt power cable.

If he had tried his foolish stunt at any other time, Shane White would have been fried.

Fortunately for him, however, he had unwittingly picked a seven minute period when the power was turned off – the first in 15 months. [..]

“It was completely and utterly idiotic. I know I’m a fool for doing it.”

White, unemployed, said he was so drunk on cider and beer that he had no memory of his actions until he saw the picture in a newspaper.’

‘This guy is incredibly stupid and incredibly lucky. He decides it would be cool to jump off a ladder over a moving car. This could have ended so much worse.’

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`A woman in the northern Bulgarian town of Ruse survived a car crash thanks to her silicon breasts which acted as an airbag, Standart newspaper reported Monday. [..]

“The two cars were crumpled past recognition in the crash but the woman’s silicon breasts acted as airbags and saved her life,” Standart wrote, citing eyewitness reports.

But survival as well as beauty comes at a price as the woman burst her silicon implants in the crash.’

You think you’re safe from tigers sitting on top of an elephant?

Maybe you should think again. 🙂

(1.8meg Windows media)

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`What do you get a 288-pound man for his birthday? How about 288 pounds of jelly beans? His family didn’t plan it that way, but when Mike Lively became the 1 millionth person to tour the Jelly Belly Center on his birthday Wednesday, he won his weight’s worth of the sweet treats.

The 41-year-old Indiana man, who claims he weighs only 278 pounds, said he wasn’t planning on sharing his windfall.’

`The little boy began running across the rooftops of several homes and neighbors could not believe what they were seeing.

“I saw a baby running across the window, then I said that can’t be true, but then I saw a dog,” said neighbor and block captain, Tina Mitchell.

The dog was Alfie who followed little Philip out of the window and it was the dog’s barking that got the attention of neighbor’s and his parents.

Not only did the dog run outside but she actually ran along the outside edge of the roof to make sure the toddler did not fall off.’

`A 4-year-old boy survived a fall from an 11-story window after being left alone at home, bouncing off a metal awning into a concrete courtyard and then trying to stand up, officials said. He was able to chat with doctors.

“I’m amazed the kid’s alive,” Police Chief James Tuffey said.

Hasim Townsend remained in serious condition Saturday, a day after his fall, with a broken skull, a broken leg and other injuries.’

`Doctors have their first proof that a man who was barely conscious for nearly 20 years regained speech and movement because his brain spontaneously rewired itself by growing tiny new nerve connections to replace the ones sheared apart in a car crash.

Terry Wallis, 42, is thought to be the only person in the United States to recover so dramatically so long after a severe brain injury. He still needs help eating and cannot walk, but his speech continues to improve and he can count to 25 without interruption.’

`Thirty-seven-year-old Ruth Matthews told paramedics that another vehicle cut her off in traffic, and she took evasive action to avoid a crash. Her Isuzu Amigo rolled over and she was thrown through the sunroof and onto the roadway. Investigators say she was not wearing her seatbelt.

Paramedics initially tried to fly Matthews to Tampa General Hospital, but her weight, estimated at 600 pounds, made it impossible. Emergency crews were able to transport her to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she is listed in stable condition.’

`A contractor late last week discovered two 50-pound “bricks” of marijuana wrapped in plastic bags inside a bathroom vanity he had purchased at a Home Depot store in Tewksbury, said Chief of Detectives Lt. Dennis Peterson.

The estimated street value of the marijuana is around $145,000, Peterson said.

Similar incidents have occurred in other parts of the state.

A plumber purchased a vanity in western Massachusetts on Monday in which he later found 3 kilograms of cocaine and around 40 pounds of marijuana, with a total estimated street value of $250,000, according to the Southwick Police Department.’

`Two maniacs waited in a car on a level crossing until a train smashed into it — just for the thrill.

The Vauxhall Vectra was hurled to the side of the track but miraculously the two idiots climbed out of the mangled wreckage unharmed.

They then jumped into a waiting BMW and sped off as the train driver and his passengers looked on in amazement. No one on the train was hurt.

Cops fear the mindless stunt may have been filmed to be shown off like the clips on the cult MTV show Jackass.’

This person speeds through a red light and manages to miss every other car in the intersection. Very lucky and very, very stupid.

(300kB Flash video)

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`Satellite tracking, helicopter surveillance and dart gun attempts failed it was a boiled ham dinner that brought Sam, a golden retriever, in from the cold after two years on the lam.

Nicknamed the “Golden Ghost,” Sam survived two New Hampshire winters, deer hunting season and being hit by a car and still no one could catch him. [..]

In January, experts from Boston arrived with infrared cameras and a remote-controlled net but had no luck. A friend provided the use of his helicopter to search. Steve Sprowl’s efforts to get the dog with a tranquilizing gun failed repeatedly.

“Sam, he was winning 200 to 1,” Sprowl said.’

`A test drive meant more than just a spin around the block for a New Zealand teen-ager who took a car he was considering buying on a 312-mile drive.

Police in Timaru, about 62 miles southwest of Christchurch, said the 16-year-old boy returned the car after taking it on the lengthy test drive over the weekend.

The boy will not face any charges as the owner did not stipulate any conditions for the test drive, police said on Wednesday.’

`H5N1 virus prefers to settle in cells deep within the lungs, rather than in the upper respiratory tract, as happens with human flu strains, two new studies have found.

H5N1 virus prefers to settle in cells deep within the lungs, rather than in the upper respiratory tract, as happens with human flu strains, two new studies have found.

That may help explain why human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus has so far not happened — and might not happen in the future, Forbes.com reported Wednesday.

Since 2003, the H5N1 virus has been found in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and has led to the slaughter of tens of millions of domestic fowl. While infection has primarily been limited to birds, the virus has killed 103 people via bird-to-human transmission.’

`It almost seemed like a miracle to Haldis Gundersen when she turned on her kitchen faucet this weekend and found the water had turned into beer.

Two flights down, employees and customers at the Big Tower Bar were horrified when water poured out of the beer taps.

By an improbable feat of clumsy plumbing, someone at the bar in Kristiandsund, western Norway, had accidentally hooked the beer hoses to the water pipes for Gundersen’s apartment.’

This guy wins a car in a lottery, then a TV crew asks him to reenact the purchasing of the ticket on camera. Turns out, it wasn’t a reenactment at all. 🙂

(1.2meg Windows Media)

‘Downed racer avoids other bikes by doing the skatman. If racing doesn’t work as a career, dancing might. Skibby yibby yibby dome da da da I’m a skatman!’

(3.1meg Windows Media)

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