The weekly weird

Published February 29, 2020

Indiana Jones super collection

A Wisconsin man who has been collecting Indiana Jones memorabilia for more than 35 years, had a custom home built to fit all of the items related to Indiana Jones movie.

Michael T. Miller said his collection began with a collector’s edition VHS of Raiders of the Lost Ark his parents bought him when he was 14 years old. He had his custom house built in Wilson, Sheboygan County, to fit his now-massive tribute to the film series and its star, actor Harrison Ford.

The house’s Indiana Jones room features a 19-foot ceiling, special stud work for stability, custom-made curio cabinets and special environmental controls for temperature and humidity. The room contains items such as posters, hats, media passes, cardboard cut outs, tote bags and an Indiana Jones pinball machine.

The collector has an Indiana Jones tattoo on the back of his leg and another tattoo on the other knee.

Miller does not plan to collect any items for future Indiana Jones films unless Ford remains involved.


World’s longest loom band bracelet

Mark Millar, 10, from Northern Ireland achieved a Guinness World Record by weaving a loom band bracelet measuring nearly 6,292 feet long.

He said he started weaving his gargantuan bracelet from loom bands, elastic straps used by children to create necklaces, bracelets and charms, in October 2018.

Millar’s bracelet, which had a total length of nearly 6,292 feet, enough to beat the previous record of nearly 3,573 feet, set by a Welsh girl in 2016.

“I guess it almost took me about a year to make it in total and I did it all by myself. I love maths at school and so it was counting the measurements of the bands that I really loved,” Millar told.


Patient plays violin while undergoing brain surgery

King’s College Hos­pital shared video showing Dagmar Turner, 53, playing her violin while neurosurgeon Dr Keyoumars Ashkan and his team removed her brain tumour.

“We perform around 400 resections (tumour removals) each year, which often involves rousing patients to carry out language tests, but this was the first time I’ve had a patient play an instrument,” Ashkan said.

Ashkan said Turner’s brain was mapped prior to the surgery to see which parts of her brain were active when she played her instrument. He said the tumour was dangerously close to areas of her brain that affect the fine motor skills of her left hand.

The doctors were able to remove 90 percent of the tumour without any damage to Turner’s musical abilities. She was sent home three days after the procedure and is looking forward to going back to playing with the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra.


A lizard that paints and sells its artwork!

The latest artist taking the world by storm is a massive Argentine lizard named Winston.

Recently, footage emerged showing the tegu lizard, owned by Sarah Curry of Michigan, dipping its claws and tail in paint before thrashing against the canvas.

Sarah, a graphic designer, puts the paintings up for auction and they tend to sell for up to $75. Incredibly, the pair has raised $1,000 and it’s going towards the Australia Fire Relief fund.

She told, “With Australia facing the fires and devastation, I wanted to do something to help as much as I can. So, I did some research after speaking to zookeepers and vets, and I listened to them after reading on different paints. Then I just let Winston do what he does best … make a big mess! They turned out beautiful and he seemed to enjoy how the paint felt on his feet.”

This lizard is truly an inspiration to us all.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 29th, 2020

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