Monday, July 13, 2009

Scottish man sets new world record by running 259 ft with body set on fire

LONDON: A Scottish man slammed the previous world record of running 227ft with body set on fire by sprinting 259 ft.

Keith Malcolm, from Aberdeen, succeeded in his second attempt to break the record after he fell 40ft short of the record in his previous attempt in May.

The amateur stuntman, who now lives in Widley near Portsmouth, Hants, wore eight layers of protective clothing, including four layers of fireproof undergarments, a Formula One fireproof jacket and three overalls to avoid any harm.

He protected his head with three fire hoods and a helmet apart from coating himself in special protective "stunt gel" to save himself from flames that approximately reached 1000 degree Celsius.

"It was absolutely awesome. I managed it in 17 seconds and was running flat-out. I really did not want to hang around," the Telegraph quoted Malcolm as saying.

"There wasn't much left of the jacket at the end. To be honest, the heat I felt was what you would expect if you were wearing all those clothes and a helmet in hot weather and trying to run.

However, team of experts from Hampshire Fire and Rescue were at hand in case any accident had occurred.

The new world record was set at the Alton and North East Hampshire Agricultural Show, which aimed at raising money for Cancer Research.

A temple, where devotees offer liquor to deity

This temple in India's province of Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district doesn't have an idol or a priest and devotees don't make floral offering. They offer liquor to the deity -- a saint who lived in the area around 150 years ago and was said to enjoy his drink in the evening and had a knack of clairvoyance and curing people.

Welcome to the Khabees Baba temple situated in a forest area near Sardana town in Sitapur district, some 80 km from the provincial capital of Lucknow, where devotees offer liquor to the deity.

According to locals, the temple was built around 150 years ago in memory of a saint named Khabees Baba, who devoted his life worshipping Lord Shiva in Sitapur.

"It is believed that Khabees Baba died in the Sandana forest while worshipping Lord Shiva. So, in order to pay homage to their guru, Baba's disciples constructed the temple at the place where he died," Shyam Babu Saini, a teacher and resident of Sardana, said.

The temple is popular not only amongst the locals in Sitapur; devotees from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere too visit the temple.

"Though devotees visit the temple round-the-year, they throng here in large numbers during the month of Ashadh of the Hindu calendar, especially on the occasion of Guru Poornima," said Saini.

Locals say Khabees Baba was fond of liquor and whatever he used to say under its influence proved to be true.

"We have been told by our ancestors that a large number of people used to meet Khabees Baba Monday evenings, when he used to get drunk," said Praveen Kumar, 65, a resident of the Roti Godam area of Sitapur. He visits the temple often.

"People, especially those with chronic health problems, used to come to Khabees Baba. An inebriated Baba used to bless them and their health problems used to be cured," he added.

The small temple has no idol inside, instead there is a raised platform on which rests two slipper-shaped structures that are taken to symbolise the feet of the saint, locals say.

Devotees coming to the temple offer liquor on these clay structures, while a small portion of liquor around the symbolic feet is collected and distributed as prasad (offering) among the devotees.

There is no priest in the temple and the locals themselves take care of its maintenance, taking turns to do so.

Man seeks ride from detective after heist

Authorities in Michigan, US say a parolee who robbed a bank in Saginaw was caught when he tried to hitch a ride from an undercover police detective.

Mark E. White was arraigned on July 10th on charges that include bank robbery and making a false bomb threat. He is being held at the Saginaw County Jail on $755,000 bond. It was not clear whether White had an attorney. Police did not immediately return a message seeking comment July 11th.

Authorities tell The Saginaw News that White flagged down Saginaw Township Detective Scott Jackson on July 8th after the bank robbery a few blocks away.

White was paroled on June 16 after serving time for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and violating an earlier parole.