10 Oddisms, Unusual Stories and Interesting Things

1) Jesus Statue Has Real Teeth

photo Credit: ENCRyM-INAH

As this photo shows, there used to be a tradition in which people donated body parts to churches. Upon being given an X-Ray, this statue was found to have actual human teeth in it. The photo below shows the actual statue (courtesy http://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/lord-almighty-300-year-old-jesus-statue-found-have-human-n183471 ). In 2014, Fanny Unikel and her colleagues at the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia were restoring a wooden statue of Jesus that came from a small town in Mexico when they discovered an amazing detail: The statue had real human teeth.

2) Reverse Graffiti

Yeah this is a weird thing, an intriguing art. You see, people can’t be arrested for “cleaning old masonry walls” because the graffiti is created by removing dirt. As the following reverse graffiti by Scott Wade (http://www.arteycallejero.com/2013/01/reverse-graffiti-la-forma-de-plasmar-un-mensaje-de-forma-legal-y-ecologica-video/#/4 ) shows, it is possible to do “ecological art” in such a way that it is considered cleaning up the city.

Of course such art is fleeting, as it is subjected to the elements. The process involves removing dirt in strategic areas to create works like the example below, created by Alexandre Farto aka “Vhils” (http://www.arteycallejero.com/2013/01/reverse-graffiti-la-forma-de-plasmar-un-mensaje-de-forma-legal-y-ecologica-video/#/7 ):

Some talented reverse graffiti artists include: Brazilian Alexandre Orion and Briton Paul Curtis, aka Moose. Banksy sometimes uses this medium in his works.

3) Sculpting On Teeth

If it can be imagined, conceived, dreamed up- this proves there’s someone out there bound to make it happen. When I was 19, vulnerable, in the dentist’s chair having a root canal, my dentist decided to tell me a story about a colleague’s rich client. I could only nod, try to express bemusement with my eyebrows, mumble. That’s the drill when you’re in the dentist chair (pun intended). He told me about a man who had gold teeth made up for his mouth, of tiny sculpted elephants holding tails. I never forgot the whimsical story, even though I suspected he has telling me a tall tale. Turns out people do sculpt things out of teeth…

Or do they? The following images (sculptures made in teeth?) depict the Coliseum.

Are they photoshopped? I’m not sure. This may just be a “story.” I do know they were made as an advertisement for toothpaste. A Thai company called Illusion, to be exact. The site showing these images (link below blog) suspects the matching slogan is something along the lines of:

“If you don’t want your teeth to become a ruin, use Maxam toothpaste.”

I love a pun.

4) Johnny Duel, Donna William’s Brother is A Talented Graffiti Artist

Turns out nat’l bestselling author, autism advocate, singer, sculptor, consultant, artist…Donna William has a brother who is an artist (of both Graffiti and on canvas). Who knew? (Links following blog) I encourage you to read her blog on the subject (again, link below provided). She has this to say in that blog:

One really has to ask whether a good dose of ARTism isn’t really such a bad thing. Sure, all artists are emotionally erratic and we tend to do badly at remembering breakfast, when to have a bath or to get dressed before going on a creative bender, but perhaps not all of us are best designed for 8 hours confinement in mainstream education each day. Maybe some of us are better at hands on and discovery learning and we’d succeed better at mainstream education in more palatable doses if our ARTism was at least equally respected and valued.

Her brother, known as “Duel” is featured in a number of books and documentaries on graffiti including Spraycan Art (Henry Chalfant, 1987), the early graffiti documentary Sprayed Conflict (Robert Moller, 1994, see below), Uncommissioned Art: An A-Z of Australian Graffiti (Dew, 2008),Kings Way: The Beginnings of Australian Graffiti (Cubrilo, Harvey, Stamer, 2009), and Writers Bench: The Evolution of Melbourne Graffiti and Street Art Culture (Guthrie & Davids, 2011).

5) Carl Sagan and The Sounds Sent Into Space

Wiki has this to say:

The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecrafts, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for future humans, who may find them. The Voyager spacecraft are not heading toward any particular star, but Voyager 1 will be within 1.6 light-years of the star Gliese 445, currently in the constellation Camelopardalis, in about 40,000 years. ENDQUOTE

Here’s a list of sounds sent into space: Music of The Spheres, Volcanoes, Earthquake, Thunder, Mud Pots, Wind, Rain, Surf, Crickets, Frogs, Birds, Hyena, Elephants, Chimpanzee, Wild Dog, Footsteps, Heartbeat, Laughter, Fire, Speech, First Tools, Tame Dog, Herding Sheep, Blacksmith, Sawing, Tractor, Riveter, Morse Code, Ships, Horse and Cart, Train, Tractor, Bus, Autos, F-111 Flyby, Saturn 5 Lift-off, Life Signs, Pulsar, Mother and Child, and a Kiss…

“On board each craft was a golden record that included, among other things, the sound of a kiss, a mother’s first words to her newborn child, music from all over the world, and greetings in 59 different languages.”

So what’s the big deal? Carl Sagan hoped these sounds will be found by extraterrestrial life one day. As noted on NPR’s site:

Says the creative director of the project, Ann Druyan (who married Sagan): “It was a chance to tell something of what life on Earth was like to beings of perhaps 1,000 million years from now. If that didn’t raise goose bumps, then you’d have to be made out of wood.”

As quoted from NPR’s site:

Druyan had an idea for the record: They could measure the electrical impulses of a human brain and nervous system, turn it into sound, and put it on the record. Then maybe, 1,000 million years from now, some alien civilization might be able to turn that data back into thoughts. So, just a few days after she and Sagan declared their love for each other, Druyan went to Bellevue Hospital in New York City and meditated while the sounds of her brain and body were recorded. According to Druyan, part of what she was thinking during that meditation was about “the wonder of love, of being in love.” ENDQUOTE

Don’t discount this as SciFi quackery and high imaginings. A man named Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wrote a book about battling nanny robots decades before the hit shows Battlebots and RoboWars came about! SciFi turned real.

6) Morgellons: When Plastic Fibers Ooze From Your Skin

Solid colorful blue, black or even red fibers, seemingly made of plastic, but of no known origin or source, itch, ooze and emerge from the body.

What are the signs and symptoms of Morgellons disease?

Are you kidding? I say if these fibers are being pulled out of your skin, you KNOW it’s Morgellons.

(as noted on http://www.mayoclinic.org/morgellons-disease/art-20044996 ):

People who have Morgellons disease report the following signs and symptoms:

Skin rashes or sores that can cause intense itching
Crawling sensations on and under the skin, often compared to insects moving, stinging or biting
Fibers, threads or black stringy material in and on the skin
Severe fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Short-term memory loss

The intense itching and open sores associated with Morgellons disease can severely interfere with a person’s quality of life.

Below photo: Image from

Morgellons: Mysterious Skin Disease Under Microscope

Jan 25, 2012 01:31 PM

7) Urban Legends?

I love a good mystery. So I checked out Creepypasta on listverse and found an interesting list of stuff that is written in such a way to be believable, but who knows? May be just stories…

Take this door for example. Do you know what it depicts?

It was used in an old TV Show in wartime Lebanon. It (the TV show) was meant to keep “bad” children in line.

QUOTE: “The half-hour show relied on very graphic imagery and scare tactics to keep kids from misbehaving. The show was an attempt by the media to keep children in check, as the moral of every episode revolved around some strict ideology, such as ‘bad kids stay up late’ and ‘bad kids steal food from the fridge at night.’ In the closing scene of every episode, it was the same every time—the camera would slowly zoom in towards an old, rusted iron door, and as it got closer, screams could be heard. The closer the camera got to the door, the louder and clearer the screams would get. When the screaming couldn’t get any worse, an Arabic text reading ‘That’s where bad kids go‘ would pop up, thus signifying the end of the episode.”

Apparently someone tracked down this door and it was real. Behind the door was a small room filled with feces, bones and blood. Do you believe that? Link follows blog.

8) Paper Art On A Whole New Level!

Eerie, faceted 3-D paper heads float on a wall like grotesque hunting trophies. They’re photo-realistic replicas of Rotterdam papercraft artist Burt Simons and his friends, created when Simons had a ‘mid-life crisis’ in 2006 and realized there wasn’t much of him that would be left behind. So, Simons decided to ‘clone himself’, sculpting his head in 3D and using photographs to texture it. He uses a computer program to flatten out the head into printable pieces of paper and then assembles them with glue. Simons says having his clones around helped him “get used to his bald spot.”

9) Opals, Because They’re Mysterious and My Favorite Gem

In India opals are “Goddesses of Rainbows.”

In Greek, Opallios means ‘a change of color.’

From ( http://www.macsopals.com/opal-guide/history-opal-superstitions/ ): The Romans believed that Opals were a combination of the beauty of all the precious stones, and it is well documented in Roman history that Caesars gave their wives Opal for good luck. They ranked Opal second only to emeralds, and in fact carried the gem around with them as a good luck charm or talisman, as it was believed that the gem, like the rainbow, brought its owner good fortune. To the Romans, it was considered to be a token of hope and purity. It was also referred to as the “Cupid Stone” because it suggested the clear complexion of the god of love. There are many reports of opal bringing people luck, including the many opal miners who have made their fortunes and have lived long and prosperous lives. Whether you believe that the Opal brings you good luck or bad we can’t disagree with the fact that Opal is one of the most beautiful & mysterious precious stones in the world. The colours are truly magical! ENDQUOTE

When I went down into a cavern on a cave vacation, the tour guide shut down the lights and my opal ring glowed! I adore them and so I’m surprised by their bad luck stories. There are so many myths about my favorite gemstone. Here are some:

– White Opals are unlucky unless worn by someone born in October or with Diamonds.

– Very unlucky in an engagement ring.

– Opals will lose its shine if the owner dies.

– Renders the wearer invisible Improves eyesight.

– Will help blondes keep their hair color longer.

– Will turn pale if in the presence of poison.

– Black Opals are lucky.

– Useless as a charm to someone who is selfish.

– If used for good, it gives the power of prophecy.

Generally Opals have had an evil superstition attached to them. Witches and sorcerers supposedly used black opals to increase their own magical powers or to focus them like laser beams on people they wanted to harm. Medieval Europeans dreaded the opal because of its resemblance to “the Evil Eye,” and its superficial likeness to the optical organs of cats, toads, snakes, and other common creatures with hellish affiliations.

I love ’em anyway…

10) Life Hacks

You’ve probably heard of LifeHacks. Here are a few you can’t live without:

Here’s an extra fact because I like the number 11:

Did you know that a 14 year old invented email? Not surprising, right? His name was Shiva Ayyadurai and the year was 1978. Sounds early, right? But it’s true. He copyrighted the term email in 1982. This guy went on to marry Fran Drescher. How about that? Here’s the happy couple now.