10 Inexplicable Crimes and Disappearances

At various times, and from various parts of the world, there have been convincing reports of crimes and of assaults on people – and sometimes on animals – for which there is no generally acceptable solution. The cases described in the following list are in no particular order, as they are all just as intriguing and incredulous as each other. Many of these have no definable perpetrators, but these are all crimes that have been carried out in the most curious and perplexing of circumstances that truly defy all sense of logic and meaning.

10

Whiteface Texas Mutilation

At Whiteface, Texas, in an area where UFOs had been reported for weeks in early 1975, police found a mutilated young calf that rancher Darwood Marshall had found lying within a 30-feet circle of flattened crops on March 10th. The animal’s neck was grotesquely twisted so that it pointed toward the sky, its tongue had been violently removed and its sexual organs were missing as well.

A few days prior to this, Marshall had discovered a mutilated steer lying in a circle of scorched wheat. One Sheriff Richards tested the site for radiation, got a positive reading, and enlisted the help of experts at Reese Air Force Base. Their tests revealed that radiation at the site was one-half of 1 percent higher than normal, a difference that didn’t warrant a dramatic response. But why was there a difference at all, and just what had scorched that circle of wheat?

Did you Know ?

Check out these interesting “facts” that will not help you win Trivial Pursuit but could help you garner a few laughs. Enjoy!

Petra - Half as old as Time

Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Nabatean city of Petra is considered among the Seven Wonders of the World. In the description of the “universal outstanding value” of this World Heritage Site, UNESCO describes the ancient city as a “major caravan centre for the incense of Arabia, the silks of China and the spices of India, a crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia.” The poet John William Burgon memorably described the spellbinding ruins of Petra as “a rose-red city half as old as time.” Around AD 663, an earthquake destroyed parts of Petra and choked water supply, leading to its abandonment. The city remained lost to the world until the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, in the guise of an Arabic scholar, rediscovered it for the Western world. LAKSHMI SHARATH takes you on a visual tour of the awe-inspiring ruins of Petra.

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Surreal Paintings With Dual Perspectives

Taking surrealistic cues from Dali and Magritte, painter Mihai Criste expands on the unusually expressive art form in his illusionary images. The Romania-based artist boasts a vast portfolio of imaginative works that tackle the cunning abilities of visual elements. Each image offers dual perspectives. It's a matter of what the spectator sees first and their ability to reevaluate what's in front of them, in order to see the optically crafty details. This viewing practice, for me, is then followed by admiration for the artist's ability to see something more.

In addition to the optical illusions, there is a quirky presence in many of Criste's paintings. In his piece entitled The King is dead. Long live the King., the artist presents an open-casket funeral for a chess piece, surrounded by its chess piece brethren. Criste breathes life into inanimate objects and really has an eye for seamlessly melding the inorganic and living worlds. Many of his works feature animals blending in with their environment, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. The artist has really mastered the art of illusion, especially when incorporating birds and butterflies.

Recycled Tires In Service Of Artwork

Over 1 billion tires are manufactured annually, made of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, carbon black, polyester fabric, and steel wire, tires stay in the environment a long time. Today a typical tire consists of about 28 percent natural rubber, 28 percent synthetic rubber (made from oil), and 28 percent carbon black filler—a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products. Anywhere from 15 to 38 liters of oil is used to make a standard tire. The remaining 16 percent of the tire is composed of different functional agents such as Softeners (hydrocarbon oil, resins), Antidegradants (para-phenylenediamine, paraffin), Curatives (sulfur, sulfemamides) and Activators (zinc oxide, stearic acid). If tires burn – it is an extremely toxic cocktail, both for the atmosphere and nearby groundwater. Hopefully, the future holds promise, as manufacturers are now testing more sustainable ingredients. Therefore, people began to recycle them and take full use. Some enviromental-friendly artists like Mirko Flodin, Chakaia Booker, Ann Carrington, Yong Ho Ji and AnneMarie Van Splunter employ recycled tires to make the most stylish and unique artworks. Have a look what they have done.

Mirko Flodin

Top 20 Human Cannibals by Country

There is nothing as disgusting as people who torture, murder, and cannibalize humans. In the past, humans have practiced cannibalism in many parts of the world. Today, the Korowai are one of the few tribes believed to eat human flesh as a cultural practice. In most countries, the act of human cannibalism is not illegal, nor a problem. People who eat human flesh are unusually charged with a crime relating to murder or desecration of a body. In the past, cannibalism has been practiced by people suffering from famine or starvation, but this article will not cover any such cases, only people who have committed criminal cannibalism.

Within the field of psychology there is a debate on what factors lead a person to practice criminal cannibalism. Some evidence suggests that cannibalism is a result of trauma experienced in childhood. It has been called a “psychological response to anger and frustration” expressed through oral aggression and an urge to literally absorb a person through consumption. In reality, people who kill and eat others are mentally unstable and dangerous predators. These types of individuals are rare and many countries have never seen a serial human cannibal. The life of a cannibal encompasses some of the worst and most sadistic examples of human capability.

20

Vince Weiguang Li

Canada

Vince Weiguang Li was born in Dandong, China on April 30, 1968. He immigrated to Canada from China on June 11, 2001, and became an official Canadian citizen on November 7, 2006. On the evening of July 30, 2008, a 22-year-old Canadian man named Tim McLean was riding on the same Greyhound bus as Vince Weiguang Li. The bus was traveling from Edmonton to Winnipeg. According to witnesses, while McLean was sleeping on the bus, Li suddenly produced a large knife and began to stab him repeatedly in the neck and chest until he decapitated him. Li then displayed McLean’s severed head to other passengers as they fled the bus in horror. The event took place approximately 30 km west of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba on the Trans Canada Highway.
On several occasions, Li went back to the body, severed parts, and consumed some of McLean’s flesh. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to the call and found the suspect still on board the bus. The other passengers were huddled at the roadside, some of them crying and vomiting. Witnesses continually observed the suspect stabbing and cutting McLean’s body, and carrying McLean’s severed head. Five hours after the murder, the suspect attempted to escape from the bus by breaking through a window.
Vince Weiguang Li was tazed twice, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a police cruiser. Inside of his pockets, the police found parts of the victim’s body. This included McLean’s ears, nose, and tongue. The victim’s eyes and part of his heart were never recovered and are presumed to have been eaten by Li. Vince Weiguang Li’s trial started on March 3, 2009 and he plead not criminally responsible due to insanity. He was remanded to a high-security mental health facility where he remains to this day.

Gorging on danger

Gorging on danger: Barefoot slackliner risks it all 500ft above Cheddar's famous rocky depths to take incredible photographs

Some of us may have backed a little to close to the edge of a cliff in a bid to take a beautiful  panoramic photograph on holiday.

But while the average leisure-seeker is likely to hear the words 'Not to close!' as they creep to the cliff-edge, slackliner Dan Hunt won't listen a word to the health and safety brigade.

In fact, the daredevil seems to make it as dangerous as he can for himself as he takes off his shoes and socks to cross a high wire suspended 500ft above Cheddar Gorge in Somerset.

Daredevil: Dan Hunt balances barefoot on high wire suspended 150m above Cheddar Gorge in Sommerset

International photography competition from Smithsonian Magazine

International photography competition from Smithsonian magazine has been held for the 10th time. During this time, the editors reviewed more than 250 000 photographs from more than 90 countries.

finalists in the 9th contest photos from the magazine Smithsonian, which is nearing completion. The best pictures in 5 categories: “Nature,” “People,” “Journey,” “America,” “Altered Images”.

The category “Nature.” Shrimp in the Antilles, in September 2011. (Photo by William Goodwin):