Tiny toothpick Golden Gate Bridge replica (Image courtesy of Steven Backman)

Steven is famed for his toothpick sculptures; his famous works include a Golden Gate Bridge replica which used 30,000 toothpicks … contrary to the miniature replica above which used just one toothpick.

Both sculptures seem great to me.

Princess Mary in military training (Image courtesy of Kronprinsparret and Steen Brogaard)

Mary, who will celebrate her 36th birthday next month, is following in the footsteps of her husband, heir to the Danish throne Crown Prince Frederik, who has undergone extensive military training.

Frederik, 39, has trained in all three services and remains active in Denmark’s defence force. He is a commander, senior grade, in the navy; a lieutenant colonel in the army and a lieutenant colonel in the air force.

When Mary’s basic training is completed she will be attached to the Army Home Guard in Copenhagen. The weapon she is seen with in the photos is the standard weapon of the Danish Army and Home Guard, an M95 with scope which she will learn how to use, strip and clean.

[SMH and Danish Royal Watchers]

Sir Edmund’s health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal.

He was the first man to climb the 8,850m (29,035ft) peak, with Tenzing Norgay, on 29 May 1953. [BBC]

Mohammed Jaisham Ibrahim injured his hand while thwarting a man who tried to knife President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the north of the islands on Monday.

“It all happened so quickly I didn’t have time to think about it,” he said.

The attacker lunged at the president after he had got off a boat during a visit in the north of the archipelago. [BBC]

Everyone would act out of instinct under that circumstance… some would instinctively run away from the attacker, a few would act like the boy to save the president. He is a hero regardless.

Watch the video on Gizmodo.

I like the face of the man in tie

Got these from a chain mail without much detail. I am pretty sure that he is Russian tennis star Marat Safin… no clue at all about the event though.

Betty and Jenny

Born half and hour apart in Manchester on New Year’s Day 1908, the pair have barely been apart since and now live within a mile from each other in Cornwall.

The pair has survived five different monarchs; still both enjoy driving and even took up Spanish lessons at the age of 97 to keep their minds active.

Mrs Pelmore is an accomplished painter whilst her sister only recently stopped keeping bees. [Dailymail]

Congratulations and happy birthday to the ladies.

The Royal Channel will feature her Christmas Day message, and has recent and historical footage of the monarch and other members of the Royal Family.

The launch marks the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s first televised festive address in 1957.

The palace said it hoped the site would make the 81-year-old monarch’s annual speech “more accessible to younger people and those in other countries”. [BBC]

The Xmas message video has garnered 346,084 views at the time of writing; I guess the Queen is not doing too bad as a Youtube debutant :)

She was asked: “Budapest is the capital of what European country?”

Well, there is nothing wrong if we don’t know where is Budapest; my first guess was Romania and I got it wrong as well (the correct answer is Hungary)… Kellie’s responses beat me though.

Regardless, Kellie managed to raise at least US$25,000 for charity by appearing on the show… it doesn’t matter if she is dumb or not, she is probably doing better than most of us in contributing to the society. Thumbs up for that.

Btw, I think I saw Celine Dion.

The 33-year-old man married the sari-draped dog at a temple in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after an astrologer said it was the only way to cure himself of a disability, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

P. Selvakumar told the paper that he had been suffering since he stoned two dogs to death and strung them up in a tree 15 years ago. [Smh]

I hope the man still has enough sanity to not make love with his ‘bride’.

Local newspaper Le Progres quoted police as saying the former Liverpool player had broken the record for speeding for that French region, set by a motorcyclist who reached 248 kph in 2000. [Soccernet]

It seems like Baros might have chose the wrong career… he should pick motor sports instead of soccer.

“Nikolay Davydenko was fined $2,000 for lack of best effort in his second-round match against Marin Cilic,” the governing body for men’s tennis, ATP, said in a statement on Friday.

The top seed played near-flawless tennis in the first set against the 102nd-ranked Cilic but then started making numerous errors and committed 10 double faults in the last two sets.

He was warned by Belgian umpire Jean-Philippe Dercq in the final set for not trying hard enough.

“I double-faulted to lose a game in the third set and he gave me a warning saying I was trying to lose on purpose,” Davydenko told reporters after the match.

“I was simply shocked to hear him say that. This is just outrageous. How does he know what I was trying to do? I was so upset with the whole thing I started crying.” [Yahoo]

I never knew that the ATP can actually do that. I think it is a bit harsh though… I didn’t watch the match so I am not sure how deliberate Davydenko was, but every player would have his bad day, and it is probably an unlucky day for Davydenko.

David Merlini with his record breaking feat (Image courtesy of Dailymail)

The amazing feat took place at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, the world famous club for magicians and magic enthusiasts and home to The Academy of Magical Arts.

Merlini survived without a breath while chained and handcuffed under water in a glass tank for 10 minutes and 17 seconds.

I don’t think I can hold my breath underwater for more than a minute… how about you?

The shoot will appear in the January issue of Cosmopolitan, and will also feature in the next edition of the Guinness World Records book, out in September 2008. [News]

World record breaking bikini babes

The girls are grouped to form the world COSMO (for Cosmopolitan magazine)

Aerial view of the feat (All images courtesy of Xinhuanet)