AWC new’s

If you have nothing to do next Saturday and want to donate money to a good cause and see some hot men in nothing but a speedo check out the Santa Speedo Run.

This year’s run will start from Lir on Boylston at 1:00pm on Saturday, December 12th. They will be running to raise money for Crossroads for Kids and Bottom Line. Please see the Charity page or visit their website to learn more.

Started in Boston in December 2000 by five intrepid men, the Santa Speedo Run has gone on to attract thousands of runners over the last eight years.

© Gist Croft and Mackenzie Weygandt, Columbia University and Project ALS, New York, N.Y.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) motor neurons. The stem cells used to generate these motor neurons were induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells made from the skin cells of an 83-year-old ALS patient.

This image won tenth prize in the Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Comptition, an international competition of microscope imagery. The winners were announced November 18, 2009. This year, the competition received nearly 2,000 entries from 62 countries. All images and the names of the top winners and Honorable Mentions may be viewed online, and some of images will be part of a traveling exhibition.

A selection of winning images follows.

© Haruka Fujimaki, Bryant Pond, Maine

Atlantic salmon embryos. Ninth prize.

© Heiti Paves, Tallinn, Estonia

Flower of Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress), a popular model organism in plant biology and genetics. Image captured using confocal microscopy using a 20x objective lens. Eighth prize.

© Albert Pan, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Sensory axons (long, slender nerve fibers) covering the tail of a 3-day-old larval zebrafish. This is a “Brainbow” image made using confocal microscopy. In the Brainbow technique, cells randomly choose combinations of red, yellow and cyan fluorescent proteins, so that they each glow a particular color. This provides a way to distinguish neighboring cells of the nervous system and follow their pathways. Seventh prize.

© Alvaro Migotto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Tentacle of Portuguese Man o’ War, Physalia physalis, magnified 30x. Notorious for its painful, powerful sting, the Portuguese Man o’ War has a gas-filled floating chamber that supports the tentacles, which bear sting cells. Shown are the pink batteries of stinging cells and a delicate muscular band responsible for the high contractibility of the tentacles. Sixth prize.

© David Domozych, Department of Biology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Unicellular alga Penium, treated with the microtubule poison oryzalin. Fifth prize.

© Charles Krebs, Issaquah, Wash.

Fresh water algae Haematococcus pluvialis, 100x. Phase contrast microscopy. Fourth prize.

(Third prize went to a time-lapse video of algae cells by Jeremy Pickett-Heaps of the University of Melbourne, Australia.)

© Chung-Ju Rachel Wang, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Nucleus of a plant cell showing synaptonemal complex, a ladder-like protein structure that forms between pairing chromosomes
during meiosis (the cell division required for reproduction). This may be the first-ever high-resolution 3D image of this complex
ever captured with light microscopy. The two parallel axes of this complex, which run the length of each chromosome, are seen as two threads spaced 100-200 nm apart and twisting around each other in a helix. Second prize.

© Jan Michels, Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Institute of Zoology, Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, Germany.

Water flea Daphnia atkinsoni. This specimen has a “crown of thorns,” a defensive trait induced in offspring only when the parents sense chemical cues released by one of their main predators, the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis. The water flea’s exoskeleton (exterior structure, green) and subcellular details within the organism (nuclei – tiny blue dots) are both visible. First prize.

On the streets of the capital of South Africa was a large-scale parade, which was attended by more than a thousand girls in bikinis. According to the organizers, this action may be entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular bikini parade in history. In addition to the desire to beat the world record, organizers moved the action and more pressing problem – the desire to draw public attention to the issue of breast cancer.

During the most massive bikini parade, which took place in Johannesburg on November 7, hundreds of girls in red bikini passed through the central streets of an African capital.

The action was attended by ladies of various ages and colors. The main condition for participating in the parade was the presence of a red bikini (though admitted and girls in bikini other colors) and the absence of complexes.

Participants were 1,690 shares of meters on Melrose Boulevard in Ark Iohanesburge, which shielded specifically for the parade.

The action was staged to draw attention to the issue of breast cancer. According to statistics, in South Africa is suffering from this disease every thirty women.

Organizers called on residents of the country at least once every six months examined in Mammologist: early diagnosis increases the chances of a cure for this disease.

“We all came here to sing of femininity, beauty, body, and to help in the fight against dangerous disease“, – said Sarah Mansfield, a representative of the organizers.

Taking the love of the orange legume to a whole new level, madcap competitors took to the challenge of transforming colossal-sized pumpkins into hollowed out sea-worthy vessels to paddle across the waters at Lake Pisiquid’s annual Pumpkin Regatta.

Thousands of people lined the waterfronts to cheer on racers competing with painted pumpkins in the waters for a chance to score some cash at the 10th annual regatta in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Pumpkin carving takes on new meaning when confronted with the conquest of gutting out giant pumpkins to race in — some as large as 500 pounds.

Undaunted by the quirky quest, Anthony Cook, the nephew of last year’s champion, Leo Swinamer, decorated his pumpkin as a soccer ball.

Leo Swinamer was forced out of this year’s race because his pumpkin sank during tests.

“This one’s for Uncle Leo!” Anthony yelled to the crowds as he hit the waters, leading the way to win the paddlers pumpkin competition with a time of 10:56.

Chip “Pumpkin Head” Peterson placed 2nd with a time of 11:24, and John Allan, racing in a Batman themed pumpkin, finished 3rd with a time of 12:26.

Dani Rippey finished 1st place in the motorized pumpkin race.

Cook said he’ll be back to defend his title next year if he can get his hands on a good pumpkin.

“You need a pumpkin that cuts through the water good — that’s the key.” he said.

Leo Swinamer of New Ross, Nova Scotia has dominated previous competitions, winning 6 out of the 10 races held, winning his most recent race at the age of 73.

Regatta committee spokesperson VanEssa Roberts said she will contact the Guinness World Records to have them attend next year.

“Our event is not only the first pumpkin regatta ever held in the world, but it is also the largest.” she said.

The Windsor Pumpkin Regatta annual water race is held every year in October. The course is a half-mile from start to finish, featuring brightly colored giant pumpkins as the sole means of flotation.

There are 3 classes — motor, experimental and paddling — the latter being best known and most popular in terms of entries.

Founded in 1999 by Danny Dill — son of Howard Dill, breeder of the Atlantic Giant pumpkin — the race’s popularity continues to grow, with 10,000 spectators and 50 entries in the 2008 race.

The race gained a degree of notability in 2005 when Martha Stewart announced her intention to participate. While her pastel-colored pumpkin did appear in the race, she was unable participate as permission to enter Canada was delayed after her release from incarceration in the ImClone affair.

But Windsor was not the first to feature a giant pumpkin as a waterborne craft — that distinction goes to Wayne Hackney of Winchester, New Hampshire, who paddled in a pumpkin he grew in 1996. The regatta has inspired several other pumpkin regattas, including one at the University of Wisconsin-Madison held since 2005, and on Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont.

It’s all about the beer…

Among the many attractions, the “liquid gold” is probably the most important thing at the Oktoberfest. As usual, over 6 million liters of beer will be drunk this year.

Price:

A “Mass”, one litre of beer, will cost between 8,30 € and 8,60 € this year.

Serving times:

Beer will be sold in the tents from 10.00 to 22.30 on weekdays and from 9.00 to 22.30 on saturdays, sundays and holidays.

Where to get which beer:

• Augustiner: Augustiner-Festhalle, Fischer-Vroni
• Paulaner: Armbrustschützenzelt, Winzerer Fähndl, Käfer’s Wies’n Schänke
• Spaten-Franziskaner: Hippodrom, Schottenhammel, Ochsenbraterei/Spatenbräu-Festhalle
• Löwenbräu: Schützen-Festzelt, Löwenbräu-Festhalle
• Hacker-Pschorr: Hacker-Festzelt, Bräurosl
• Hofbräu: Hofbräu Festzelt

The Bavarian Purity Requirements:

It’s no coincidence, that Bavaria has the best beer in the world: Since the 16th century there have been strong regulations about brewing beer and how to keep up the high quality of the final product by choosing the ingredients very carefully. One of the oldest laws concerning food and drink are the Bavarian Purity Requirements, decreed by Duke William IV. in 1516: Only water, hops and barley should be used to brew Bavarian beer.

Beer Tokens

Mostly companies hand out beer tokens (”Biermarken” in German) to their guests, which can then be exchanged for beer in the respective tents. If you want to buy beer tokens, please contact the tent-owners directly.

Each year, the residents of Laguna Niguel expose their buttocks during the “Mooning of the Trains” event along a railroad track in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.

According to a local legend, this tradition began in 1979 when customer K.T. Smith said he would buy a drink for anyone who would run outside and show his/her butt to the next train. So for 30 years now, people over there have been mooning trains on the second Saturday of each July. Quite a funny tradition I must say! 15 more pics on “Mooninf of the Trains” after the jump.

Summer Redneck Games is already begins. The thousand of the people attended the 13th annual summer ‘Redneck Games’ held in East Dublin, Georgia on July 11.

The summer Olympics held in Atlanta, WQZY started in 1996 as a spoof. During the Summer Redneck Games many activities are held like bobbing for pigs feet, hub cap hurling and the mud pit belly flop contest, The cigarette flip, Toilet seat throwing, the seed spitting contest etc.

When: July Each Year
Location: East Dublin, GA, U.S.A.
More Info Please: For more info visit the Summer Redneck Games website.
Festival Type(s): Bizarre Sports Events, Bizarre Festivals
Cost: US $5
Opening Hours: Gates open 10am; games start 12pm

Maybe the most stunning event of the games is the Mud-Pit Belly Flop, where fully-clothed competitors thrust belly-first into a natural pool of red clay mud. The festival organizer’s first purpose was to give Olympic viewers causes to stop off in the small town of East Dublin, as they journeyed between the main games in Atlanta and the ice hockey in close by Savannah.

Billy and Rhonda Wood of Milleageville, Georgia dance to live music during the 13th Annual Summer Redneck in East Dublin, Georgia. The Summer Redneck games are open to everyone.

Event review:

On July 18 2009 a huge horde of Zombies will walk on the streets of Frankfurt am Main for the 3rd time! Bigger, better and bloodier than ever before…

Photo Review:

“Carmageddon” was a name of the video game, which was racing in general, but the task for the participating drivers was to destroy the cars of the competitors and with that gain a victory.

Now in Russian city Novosibirsk they have races with around the same rules. The only task is to destroy. And while there would your competitor’s car still running then you have not won.

Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. They originated in the United States and quickly spread to other western nations. In Europe, this type of event is called banger racing, albeit in a demolition derby racers do not race against each other, instead aiming specifically to destroy the other cars.

While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another. The last driver whose vehicle is still operational is awarded the victory.