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Star

Are you Roman tonight? Statue of 'Elvis' chiselled 1800 years before his birth



Elvis statue
©Unknown
Classic Elvis: The statue bears an unmistakable resemblance

With his dashing chiselled features, swept back hair and perky bouffant the resemblance is unmistakable.

But incredibly this carving of Elvis Presley was created around 1800 years before the King of Rock and Roll first warbled his first note.

The amazing likeness has come to light as part of a sale of ancient antiques by the auction house Bonhams.

House

California deserted: Russian village named California to be removed from maps

A deserted village named California in a Russian Volga province is likely to be removed from maps, following a decision by a committee of local lawmakers, a legislature spokesman said.

The decision to end the existence of the village in the Nizhny Novgorod Region was taken "because there is now not a single person living in the village," the spokesman said, adding that the regional legislature will reach a final decision on the issue on July 31.

Bizarro Earth

Finns take karaoke marathon title to 18 days

A tiny mistake ended a Finnish karaoke club marathon that set a new world record Monday for the longest sing-along session of more than 18 days.

The Kouvola Karaoke Club began singing on July 2, and the Guinness Book of World Records awarded the club a world record certificate on July 11 after they beat the previous record of 214 hours held by a club in China.

The group had vowed to carry on the marathon for another couple of weeks, aiming to sing for 600 hours non-stop.

Bizarro Earth

Three-year-old German girl travels to Netherlands by bicycle

A three-year-old German girl traveled to the Netherlands on her bicycle at the weekend, national media said on Monday.

According to the police, the girl, who lives in the town of Haren, near the border with the Netherlands, set off on her journey on Sunday morning.

Fish

Fish pedicures: Carp rid human feet of scaly skin



Fish Pedicure
©AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Tracy Roberts, 33, of Rockville, Md. has her toes nibbled on by a type of carp called garra rufa, or doctor fish, during a fish pedicure treatment at Yvonne Hair and Nails salon in Alexandria, Va. on Thursday July 17, 2008.

Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.

Padlock

Inmate loses weight, escapes through jail vent

HEMPSTEAD, Texas - A man charged with murder escaped from jail early Saturday by climbing through an air conditioner vent, authorities said. The vent was less than a foot wide, and authorities said Darryl Layne Norris had been losing weight since arriving at the Waller County Jail in April.

Cult

Australia: Pilgrims boom Sydney sex trade

Pilgrims have increased business in an unlikely area, the city's brothels.

Adult Business Association spokesman Chris Seage said the boom in business had taken brothel owners by surprise.

Comment: Does this really surprise anyone?


Bad Guys

Pathocratic Circus: Emotions of G8 summit (photo)



medvedev, bush
©RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President George W. Bush meeting at the Windsor Hotel, Toyako resort village, Hokkaido, Japan. After the meeting, President Bush called President Medvedev a "smart guy."

Pumpkin

He ain't heavy... Italy's metal brother



Image
©REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Friar Cesare Bonizzi (or Fratello Metallo, "Metal Friar") (C) poses with his group for a Reuters photo after a rehearsal session in downtown Milan, July 10 2008.

Dressed in his traditional brown robe, sandals and twirling the rope around his waist, 62-year old Friar Cesare Bonizzi is no ordinary heavy metal rocker.

But as guitarists around him grind out heavy notes, the long-white-bearded Capuchin, a former missionary in Ivory Coast, has no qualms bobbing his head and shouting lyrics about alcohol, sex, tobacco and life in general into his microphone.

Snowman

Jim Smiths gather to honor Jim Smiths

The best thing about the Jim Smith Society is Jim Smith, according to Jim Smith.

"I've never met a Jim Smith I didn't like," said Smith, 71, of Vancouver. "I'm still looking."

Here's his chance. A baseball roster of Jim Smiths -- 25, plus relatives -- converged on Pittsburgh on Thursday for the Jim Smith Society Fun Fest, which runs through Sunday.