The quick and the dead: The artist who carves petrifying pumpkin portraits in just two hours

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Horrifyingly good: Ray Villafane takes, on average, just two hours to carve one of his pumpkin sculptures, like this one entitled Shattered


It takes several months to grow the fruit but amazingly just two hours for artist Ray Villafane to sculpt these petrifyingly detailed portraits out of pumpkin.

The American model designer and former art teacher uses spoons and a scalpel to carve the innocent orange gourds into Halloween horrors in double quick time.

As you might expect Villafane, who has worked for D.C and Marvel comics, is very particular about his pumpkins.

'Not all pumpkins will look good and the most important thing about a pumpkin is its weight,' he says.

'You need to pick the meatiest pumpkin.

'Sometimes I pick up a beautifully shaped pumpkin but when I do I realise that it is not heavy enough. Its wall is just not thick enough for the carving rigours.

'I also like a pumpkin with character. One with nobly ridges is good, so that I can utilise that in the carving procedure, like with sculpting noses.'

Villafane, 41, has become a minor celebrity in the States and his weird and wonderful work has featured on a range of TV programmes.

Yet he stumbled on his fruity talent almost by accident.


Range: Villafane's sculpture Medusa shows where some of his inspiration comes from, but he has previously sculpted Star Wars characters and even Barrack Obama into pumpkins


Increasingly intricate: This work, Zipperhead, is the most complicated design so far and took Villafane a day to complete while Nailbiter, right, shows his love for oddly shaped pumpkin to lend character to his designs


'I used to be an art teacher for 13 years at a Michigan School called Bellaire school and one day I was approached for Halloween to do some pumpkin carving,' he said.

'Sculpting has always been a passion. I thought why don't I try and carve the pumpkin like it is a piece of clay as opposed to a large vegetable.

'It came out alright, but the most important result was that the kids at the school absolutely loved it.

'I used to arrive at school and there would be a dozen pumpkins just sitting there waiting for me at my classroom.'

Villafane, who is still based in Bellaire, didn't perfect his art immediately and had to punch a lot of pumpkins in frustration while honing his skills.


Professor pumpkin: Villafane used to be an art teacher and pupils loved his designs such as Jackhyde, left and Tongue Twisting, right


However, working for D.C comics - the home of Superman and Batman - has helped him honed his talent.

Over the last four Octobers his pumpkins have raised his profile to the point where he has become something of a Halloween staple on TV and across the internet.

'For the past couple of years I have been really sitting down and giving my Halloween pumpkin designs more thought than usual due to the increased interest in my carvings,' he said.

'Now that the thing has grown in popularity I am definitely feeling the pressure to deliver on the pumpkin front.

'The most intricate pumpkin model that I have designed is the Zipperhead model, which took the best part of a day. Otherwise, the models take a couple of hours.

'If it is something that I am creating myself then I will do it off the top of my head, like the skulls and gargoyles. They are a pleasure to make.'


Native American: This less spooky sculpture is called Gourdonomo



Give the man a hand: Villafane gets a cameo in this photo of his piece A Handful of Evil


source: dailymail

A Grand Day Out - spooky special: The best days out for a truly scary Halloween 2010

By MARK HUGHES-MORGAN

Tis the season to be scary: Grab your pumpkin. Halloween is here again


It's almost that time of year when things go bump in the night. Or, at least, on a day out somewhere in the UK. From castle ghosts in Cornwall and zombies in Brighton to scientific spookiness in Yorkshire, Mark Hughes-Morgan picks five great family trips for Halloween.

Park Hall Farm, near Oswestry, Shropshire

For some old-school ghost-hunting, the National Trust's 16th-century, moated Baddesley Clinton Hall, near Solihull, is promising - a local minister was murdered after being discovered trying to strangle the lady of the house. There are also three priest holes and plenty of half-term Halloween activities from £2 (01564 783294, www.nationaltrust.org.uk).

But for another cheesier 'spooktacular', the Park Hall Countryside Experience has fancy dress action, from mummy-wrapping (loo roll is involved) to pumpkin-carving (every day at 2pm).

Details: Adults cost £6.95, children £6.45; 01691 671123, www.parkhallfarm.co.uk - activities October 23-31.

Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Pumpkins and witches are old hat. Consider instead Hybrid X, at the Magna Science Adventure Centre, near Rotherham. A 21st-century experience that takes you through the laboratory complex of the 'Dominions Genetic Modification And Research Facility'.

A cast of more than 30 actors will attempt to scare the living daylights out of you as you negotiate 1,000ft of dark, twisting corridor space. There are appropriate levels of scariness for different age groups.

Details: Runs until Sunday October 31, £6. On Saturday October 30 there is an extra-scary level for grown-ups (8pm to 2am, including disco and bar). Hybrid X lasts about 20 minutes. Magna Science Adventure Centre is open 10am to 5pm. Adults £9.95, children £7.95 (01709 720002, www.hybrid-x.co.uk, www.visitmagna.co.uk).

Lancaster Castle, Lancashire

Famous for torture, hangings and witches, where could be finer for a family day out this Halloween than the medieval Lancaster Castle, once home to John Of Gaunt?

Already at ease with its macabre past - there are Dark History Tours of the Castle in November and December - Lancaster enjoys this time of year, with 'spooky tours and chilling surprises'.

There are spooky tours on October 30, but book early as the adult tours are already sold out. In half-term, the Judges' Lodgings museum, two minutes' walk away, hosts a programme of workshops, from Hansel and Gretel to the art of making an Egyptian mummy.

There are also chilling ghost stories (October 27), strictly for braver adults and teenagers.

Details: Lancaster Castle, 01524 64998, www.lancastercastle.com. (Children's Halloween tour: £5). The Judges' Lodgings museum (adults £3, children free) open in the afternoons until October 31; (01524 32808, www.lancashire.gov.uk).

The Zombie Parade, Brighton, West Sussex

The annual Brighton Zombie Parade, on Saturday October 30, brings out hundreds of bizarrely attired promenaders to flaunt their gore around the town. Starts at 3pm from Brighton Station and following the parade, the undead can head on to the Zombie after-party.

Details: www.beachofthedead.com
Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall
One of the mightiest fortresses built by Henry VIII, Pendennis has an abundance of warlike associations, which blend nicely into Halloween and the supernatural.
As well as a Tudor gun deck, there is a guardhouse kitted out in World War I style, and a World War II observation post.

Naturally, it claims its fair share of ghosts, from soldiers in red tunics to horses - previous custodians have legendarily been woken by the sound of ghostly hooves. Other scary sightings include the ghost of 'screaming' Anna, a scullery maid, who met a grisly end on the stairs.

Lay all this fevered nonsense to rest with a Haunted Castle tour or a night-time Haunted Tour (adults only).

And for those with steely constitutions, you can stay in the on-site Custodian's Cottage and enjoy stunning views of Gyllyngvase Bay and the Lizard Peninsula after everyone - except you-know-who - has gone home (sleeps two).

Details: Family tour, October 25-31, regularly 10am to 4pm. Family tickets cost £15. Haunted Tours Oct 28-31, 7.30pm and 9.30pm, £15, pre-booking recommended. More information on 01326 316 594, www.english-heritage.org.uk.


source: dailymail

Halloween Costumes

Halloween decorations are displayed at a store in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.



Halloween decorations are displayed at a store in Rockville, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




School students wearing Halloween costumes walk past bystanders during their annual Halloween celebration in Manila October 29, 2010. Halloween falls on October 31.




An 'Avatar' mask (C) is displayed at a store with other Halloween decorations in Rockville, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




Halloween decorations are displayed at a store in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




A woman selects Halloween decorations at a store in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




A man dressed as a skeleton participates in the "Moto Halloween Party 2010" in Cali October 28, 2010. Every year, motorcycling enthusiasts dress up in outfits and ride around Cali to celebrate Halloween.




A man selects Halloween masks at a store in Rockville, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




An employee arranges Halloween decorations at a store in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 28, 2010. Halloween, an ancient Celtic pagan rite, originally held to celebrate the dead and the end of the harvest season, is primarily a children's event, it also gives adults an excuse to dress up like their favorite ghoul and behave like kids. People carve pumpkins into frightening or comical faces and place them on their doorsteps after dark during Halloween which is celebrated on October 31 every year.




photo: Gettyimages

Labour of loaves: World's largest toast portrait is 'birthday card like no other'

In-bread-ible: The portrait, measuring 32ft 8in by 42ft 3in, set a new world record as the largest toast mosaic


When you're trying to come up with a really unusual birthday present, it pays to use your loaf.

In the case of Laura Hadland, she used 600 of them.

The 27-year-old museum curator turned a photo of her mother-in-law, Sandra Whitfield, into the world's largest toast mosaic - comprising 9,852 slices.

Mrs Hadland roped in 40 friends to help her make the tribute, which she describes as 'a treat made with love and a sense of randomness'.

They used a battery of nine toasters to brown the slices of bread to varying degrees before arranging it to make the 32ft 8in by 42ft 3in picture at an arts venue in Mrs Whitfield's home town of Warrington, Cheshire.

After spending six hours painstakingly perfecting the image, Laura surprised her husband Mike's mother with the unusual portrait to celebrate her 50th birthday.

The enormous picture was confirmed yesterday as having set a new Guinness World Record as the largest toast mosaic.

Laura, from Leicester, said: 'It's great to have broken the record - what an awesome day. I'm thrilled my best mates come together to make our mark on history and celebrate Sandra's birthday at the same time - it's a birthday card like no other.


Record attempt: Laura, 27, and her 40 helpers turned nearly 10,000 slices of toast into a giant mosaic depicting her mother-in-law, Sandra Whitfield


'As a museum curator, I spend lots of time with Roman mosaics so it was great fun to make a modern one out of my favourite food - everyone loves toast.

'It's a treat for Sandra made with much love and a sense of randomness. She's certainly not a stereotypical mother in law, she's one of my best friends and I love her.'

Mrs Whitfield, a divorced mother of two, cried with joy when she saw the unusual birthday gift. She said: 'It was certainly a massive shock. I love toast but it feels very strange seeing my face made out of it.

'I'm really overwhelmed because they have gone to so much effort. Laura really is the best daughter in law you could wish for. It's been the best birthday present ever and I'm now a world record holder.'


An unusual toast: Laura Hadland's record-breaking toast mosaic was created to celebrate her mother-in-law's 50th birthday


The toast mosaic - 128 square metres of browned and scorched bread - was officially named the world's largest at 5pm on October 17 at Warrington's Parr Hall by Guinness World Records adjudicator Claire Burgess. The previous record holder measured 121.93 square metres and was created by staff and students at a school in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in February.

Laura used Facebook to recruit volunteers for the record attempt, which was part of a social networking project - the Wildfire Experience - sponsored by mobile device manufacturer HTC. Emily Edmondson, eight, who took part along with her mother and grandmother, was one of the youngest mosaic makers.


source :dailymail

'That was a long shift': Foreman is the last of the 33 trapped Chilean miners to be delivered to freedom

By WIL LONGBOTTOM and GRAHAM GURRIN

Omar Reygadas, 56, gestures on his knees after becoming the 17th of 33 miners rescued from the San Jose mine after more than two months underground


All 33 plucked to safety from copper and gold mine in Atacama desert

Millions of people across the world tune into live TV coverage of rescue

Rescue operation expected in half the expected time


With remarkable speed - and flawless execution - miner after miner climbed into a cramped cage deep beneath the Chilean earth, was hoisted through 2,000 feet of rock and saw precious sunlight after the longest underground entrapment in history.

By 1.55am BST all 33 had been pulled to freedom, as the operation was completed in half the expected time.

After 69 days underground, including two weeks during which they were feared dead, the men emerged to the cheers of exuberant Chileans and before the eyes of a transfixed world.

Scenes of jubilation erupted every time a miner arrived at the surface of the San Jose gold and copper mine in Chile's northern Atacama desert.

The rescue is a big success for Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, who waited at the mouth of the rescue shaft to greet and hug the men as they emerged.

'Each rescue is taking 40 minutes... it could be completed today,' said a beaming Pinera, who planned to stay until the last man was out.

‘Welcome to life,’ President Pinera told Victor Segovia, the 15th miner out. On a day of superlatives, it seemed no overstatement.

The miners emerged like clockwork, jubilantly embracing wives, children and rescuers and looking remarkably composed after languishing for 69 days in the depths of a mine that easily could have been their tomb.

Rescuers' anxiety melted away at 12.11am when the stoutest of the 33 miners, Florencio Avalos, emerged from the missile-like rescue capsule smiling broadly after his half-mile journey to the surface.

In a din of cheers, he hugged his sobbing seven-year-old son and wife and then President Sebastian Pinera, who has been deeply involved in an effort that had become a matter of national pride.


Chilean President Sebastian Pinera leads the 33 rescued miners in singing the national anthem in celebration of the remarkable operation


Mission accomplished: The rescue team hold up a sign after the last miner reaches the surface


The most ebullient of the bunch came out second, an hour later. 'I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God,' said Mario Sepulveda.

While the first miners to be rescued were in good shape, some have been struggling with illness and are more fragile, so medical teams were on hand to treat them.
Chile exploded in joy and relief at the first, breakthrough rescue just after midnight in the coastal Atacama desert.


Ecstatic: Relatives of Dario Segovia celebrate as he is brought to the surface


Claudio Yanez, 34, is hugged by a relative as he becomes the eighth miner to exit the rescue capsule


Chilean miner Osman Araya (R) is welcomed by his wife Angelica as he comes out of the Fenix capsule after been brought to the surface


In the capital, Santiago, a cacophony of motorists' horns sounded. In the nearby regional capital of Copiapo, from which 24 of the miners hail, the mayor canceled school so parents and children could 'watch the rescue in the warmth of the home'.

All-news channels from North America to Europe and the Middle East carried live coverage. Pope Benedict XVI said in Spanish that he 'continues with hope to entrust to God's goodness' the fate of the men.

The methodical pace at which the miners were delivered from the mountain matched the rescue team's prediction that all would be free after about 36 hours, barring major glitches.


Escape hatch: Mine workers and government officials look into the hole as the rescue capsule is lowered into the mine


After the fifth miner, the rescuers paused to lubricate the spring-loaded wheels that gave the 13-foot-tall capsule a smooth ride through the shaft. Then they brought up the sixth and seventh.

As dawn broke over the rock-strewn moonscape, eight men had been pulled from the mine in a little over seven hours, putting the rescue on track to end before the sun rises Thursday.

The ninth, Mario Gomez, who at 63 is the oldest miner, came up about an hour later and dropped to his knees and bowed his head in prayer.

His wife, Lilianette Ramirez, pulled him up from the ground and embraced him. Gomez has silicosis, a lung disease common to miners, and has been on antibiotics and bronchial inflammation medicine.

Alex Vega became the tenth to be rescued just over 60 minutes later, and just 40 minutes after that Jorge Galleguillos was brought to safety.

Then came Jorge Galleguillos, Edison Pena Carlos Barrios, Victor Zamora, Daniel Herrara Campos and Omar Reygadas Rojas emerging triumphant from the bowels of the earth.


Jimmy Sanchez arrives at the Copiapo hospital for a full check-up after being rescued from the San Jose mine


Carlos Mamani, from Bolivia, arrives to the hospital of Copiapo, Chile. Mamani was the fourth of 33 miners rescued


First line (L-R), Alex Vega Salazar, Ariel Ticona Yanez, Carlos Bugueno Alfaro, Calros Barrios Contreras, Carlos Mamani Solis, Claudio Acuna Cortes, Claudio Yanez Lagos, Daniel Herrera Campos, Dario Segovia Rojas, Edison Penaa Villarroel and Esteban Rojas Carrizo. Second line (L-R) Florencio Avalos Silva, Franklin Lobos Ramirez, Jimmy Sanchez Lagues, Jorge Galleguillos, Jose Ojeda Vidal, Jose Henriquez Gonzalez, Juan Illanes Palma, Juan Aguilar Gaete, Luis Alberto Urzua, Mario Gomez Heredia and Mario Sepúlveda Espina. Third line (L-R) Omar Orlando Reygadas, Osman Isidro Araya Acuna, Pablo Amadeos Rojas Villacorta, Pedro Cortez, Raul Enriquez Bustos Ibanez, Renan Avalos Silva, Richard Villarroel Godoy, Samuel Avalos Acuna, Victor Segovia Rojas, Victor Zamora Bugueno and Yonny Barrios Rojas


The entire rescue operation has been meticulously choreographed, with no expense spared in bringing in topflight drillers and equipment - and boring three separate holes into the copper and gold mine.

Pinera put his mining minister and the operations chief of state-owned Codelco, the country's biggest company, in charge of the rescue.

It went so well that its managers abandoned what a legion of journalists had deemed an ultraconservative plan for restricting images of the rescue.

A huge Chilean flag that was to obscure the hole from view was moved aside so the hundreds of cameras perched on a hill above could record images that state TV also fed live.

That included the surreal moment when the capsule dropped into the chamber for the first time where the bare-chested miners, most stripped down to shorts because of the subterranean swelter, mobbed the rescuer who emerged to serve as their guide to freedom.

'This rescue operation has been so marvelous, so clean, so emotional that there was no reason not to allow the eyes of the world - which have been watching this operation so closely - to see it,' a beaming Pinera told a news conference after Avalos was brought to the surface.

When the last man surfaces, it promises to end a national crisis that began when 700,000 tons of rock collapsed August 5, sealing the 33 in the lower reaches of the mine.

The first capsule came out of the manhole-sized opening, and Avalos stepped out as bystanders cheered, clapped and broke into a chant of 'Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!' - the country's name.

Avalos, the 31-year-old second-in-command of the miners, was chosen to be first because he was in the best condition.


The next three men out, including the lone foreigner, Carlos Mamani of Bolivia, followed because they were deemed the fittest of body and mind.


The next group of 10 included miners with health problems such as hypertension, diabetes and skin ulcers.

Sepulveda's shouts were heard even before the capsule surfaced. After hugging his wife, he jokingly handed souvenir rocks from the mine to laughing rescuers. Then he bounded out behind other officials behind a barrier and thrust a fist upward like a prizefighter.

Putting him on a gurney for a short ambulance ride to a triage centre - the protocol for all the miners - almost seemed like overkill.

The operation commenced just before midnight when a Codelco rescuer made the sign of the cross and was lowered to the trapped men.

A navy paramedic went down after Avalos came up - a surprise improvisation as officials had said the two would go down to oversee the miners' ascent before the first went up.

After he emerged, Sepulveda criticised the mine's management, saying 'in terms of labour, there has to be change'.

Pinera promised it would.

'This mine has had a long history of accidents and that's why this mine will not reopen while it doesn't assure and guarantee the integrity, safety and life of those who work in it are clearly protected. And the same will occur with many other mines in our country,' said Pinera, who ordered a review of safety regulations after the collapse.


Relief: The son of Florencio Avalos breaks down in tears as his father arrives on the surface


Mario Sepulveda celebrates with rescue workers after becoming the second miner to reach the surface at the San Jose mine in Copiapo


Daniel Herrera Campos embraces his mother. Herrera was the 16th miner to be rescued


Minutes earlier, rescue expert Manuel Gonzalez of the state copper company Codelco grinned and made the sign of the cross as he was lowered to the trapped men - apparently without incident.

He was followed by Roberto Rios, a paramedic with the Chilean navy's special forces.
Janette Marin, sister-in-law of miner Dario Segovia, said the order of rescue didn't matter.

'This won't be a success unless they all get out,' she said, echoing the solidarity that the miners and people across Chile have expressed.

The paramedics can change the order of rescue based on a brief medical check once they're in the mine.

First out were those best able to handle any difficulties and tell their comrades what to expect.

Then, the weakest and the ill - in this case, about 10 suffer from hypertension, diabetes, dental and respiratory infections and skin lesions from the mine's oppressive humidity.


Miner Osman Araya arrives as the sixth miner to be hoisted to the surface


Thank goodness: The oldest rescued miner Claudio Mario Gomez, 59, kneels as he becomes the ninth to exit the rescue capsule


Ecstatic: Relatives and friends react as the first miner emerges from the bore hole


Relatives and friends of miner Carlos Barrios react while watching the rescue operation on a TV screen at Camp Hope outside the San Jose mine. Barrios was the 13th miner to be rescued


The last were people who are both physically fit and strong of character. The last man out was shift foreman Luis Urzua, whose leadership was credited with helping the men endure the first two and a half weeks without outside contact.

The men made 48 hours’ worth of rations last before rescuers reached them with a narrow bore hole to send down more food.

No-one in recorded history has survived as long trapped underground. For the first 17 days, no one even knew whether they were alive. In the weeks that followed, the world was captivated by their endurance and unity.

Chile has taken extensive precautions to ensure the miners' privacy, using a screen to block the top of the shaft from the more than 1,000 journalists at the scene.
The rescue was carried live on all-news channels from the U.S. to Europe and the Middle East.

The miners were ushered through a tunnel built of metal containers to an ambulance for a trip of several hundred yards to a triage station for a medical check before being flown by helicopter to a hospital in Copiapo, a 10-minute ride away.
Two floors at the hospital were prepared for the miners to receive physical and psychological exams while being kept under observation in a ward as dark as a movie theatre.

Relatives were urged to wait to greet the miners at home after a 48-hour hospital stay.

Health Minister Jaime Manalich said no cameras or interviews will be allowed until the miners are released, unless the miners expressly desire it

The only media allowed to record them coming out of the shaft was a government photographer and Chile's state TV channel, whose live broadcast was delayed by 30 seconds or more to prevent the release of anything unexpected.


Residents observe the rescue of the miners trapped in the San Jose mine, on a large screen in a public square in the nearby town of Copiapo


Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (R) as he greets Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani (L) after Mamani was rescued from the collapsed San Jose gold and copper mine


Photographers and camera operators were on a platform more than 300 feet (90 meters) away.

The worst technical problem that could happen, rescue coordinator Andre Sougarett said, is that 'a rock could fall,' potentially jamming the capsule in the shaft.
Panic attacks are the rescuers' biggest concern.

The miners aren't being sedated - they need to be alert in case something goes wrong.
If a miner must get out more quickly, rescuers will accelerate the capsule to a maximum 3 meters per second, Manalich said.

The rescue is risky simply because no-one else has ever tried to extract miners from such depths, said Davitt McAteer, who directed the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration in the Clinton administration.

'You can be good and you can be lucky. And they've been good and lucky,' McAteer added.

'Knock on wood that this luck holds out for the next 33 hours.'

Mining Minister Laurence Golborne, whose management of the crisis has made him a media star in Chile, said authourities had already thought of everything.

'There is no need to try to start guessing what could go wrong. We have done that job,' Golborne said.


Incredible: The capsule begins to rise with Florencio Avalos inside through the tiny hole drilled into the chamber


'We have hundreds of different contingencies.'

As for the miners, Manalich said 'they're actually much more relaxed than we are'.
Rescuers finished reinforcing the top of the 2,041-foot escape shaft on Monday, and the 13-foot capsule descended flawlessly in tests.

The capsule - the biggest of three built by Chilean navy engineers - was named Phoenix for the mythical bird that rises from ashes.

It was painted in the white, blue and red of the Chilean flag.

The miners were monitored closely in the capsule. A video camera watched for panic attacks.


communication. Their pulse, skin temperature and respiration rate were measured by a monitor around their abdomens.


To prevent blood clotting from the quick ascent, they took aspirin and wore compression socks.

They were given a high-calorie liquid diet donated by Nasa, designed to keep them from vomiting as the capsule rotated 10 to 12 times through curves in the 28-inch-diameter escape hole.

The miners also had sweaters for the shift in climate from about 90 degrees underground to near freezing on the surface after nightfall.

Engineers inserted steel piping at the top of the shaft, which is angled 11 degrees off vertical before plunging like a waterfall.

Drillers had to curve the shaft to pass through 'virgin' rock, avoiding collapsed areas and underground open spaces in the overexploited mine, which had operated since 1885.

Neighbours looked forward to barbecues and parties to replace the vigils held since their friends were trapped.

Urzua's neighbours said he probably insisted on being the last one up.

'He's a very good guy - he keeps everybody's spirits up and is so responsible - he's going to see this through to the end,' said Angelica Vicencio, who has led a nightly vigil outside the Urzua home in Copiapo.

U.S. President Barack Obama praised rescuers, who include many Americans.
'While that rescue is far from over and difficult work remains, we pray that by God's grace, the miners will be able to emerge safely and return to their families soon,' he said.

Chile has promised that its care of the miners won't end for six months at least - not until they can be sure that each one has readjusted.

Psychiatrists and other experts in surviving extreme situations predict their lives will be anything but normal.

Since August 22, when a narrow bore hole broke through to their refuge and the miners stunned the world with a note, scrawled in red ink, disclosing their survival, their families have been exposed in ways they never imagined. Miners had to describe their physical and mental health in detail with teams of doctors and psychologists.

In some cases, when both wives and lovers claimed the same man, everyone involved had to face the consequences.



source: dailymail

The smile that defies the Taliban: Afghan teenager whose mutilated face shocked the world unveils her new image

By CLAIRE BATES

Brave: Aisha, 19, pictured wearing a type of prosthetic nose often used by film actors. Her nose and ears were hacked off by brutal in-laws after she was promised in marriage aged 12


An Afghan teenager who was horribly mutilated by her husband under Taliban rule was all smiles as she unveiled her new prosthetic nose for the first time.

Aisha, 19, shocked the world when she appeared on the cover of Time Magazine to lift the veil on the plight of many women in Afghanistan.


Yesterday, she bravely faced the public wearing a prosthetic nose - one that gives her some idea of how she will look after having reconstructive surgery.

She went before the TV cameras to receive the Enduring Heart award at a benefit for the Grossman Burn Foundation - the Los Angeles-based organisation that paid for her surgery.

She was given the award by California first lady Maria Shriver.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife told the audience: 'This is the first Enduring Heart award given to a woman whose heart endures and who shows us all what it means to have love and to be the enduring heart.'

Aisha, whose surname has not been revealed, replied: 'Thank you so much.'
When Aisha was 12, her father promised her in marriage to a Taliban fighter to pay a debt. She was handed over to his family who abused her and forced her to sleep in the stable with the animals.

When she attempted to flee, she was caught and her nose and ears were hacked off by her husband as punishment.


New beginning: Aisha has a prosthetic nose fitted using a special adhesive. She will eventually have reconstructive surgery


'When they cut off my nose and ears, I passed out. In the middle of the night it felt like there was cold water in my nose.

'I opened my eyes and I couldn't even see because of all the blood,' she told CNN reporter Atia Abawi.

Left for dead in the mountains, she crawled to her grandfather's house and her father managed to get her to an American medical facility, where medics cared for her for ten weeks.

They then transported Aisha to a secret shelter in Kabul and in August she was flown to the U.S. by the Grossman Burn Foundation to stay with a host family.

This month, she had a prosthetic nose fitted at the non-profit humanitarian Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital in California as part of her eight-month rehabilitation.

Dr Peter H Grossman said they hoped to give Aisha a more 'permanent solution'.
This could mean reconstructing her nose and ears using bone, tissue and cartilage from other parts of her body.

Dr Grossman's wife Rebecca, the chair of the Grossman Burn Foundation, said Aisha was just one of the thousands of women who are treated with appalling harshness.

She said: 'Aisha is reminded of that enslavement every time she looks in the mirror. But there are still times she can laugh. And at that moment you see her teenage spirit escaping a body that has seen a lifetime of injustice.'


Recovering: Aisha has received counselling following her traumatic experiences


The UN estimates that nearly 90 per cent of Afghanistan's women suffer from some sort of domestic abuse.

However, the Taliban have released a statement rejecting this.

'The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan rejects this fabrication by the Americans, who are publishing these lies to divert attention of the people from their clear and disgraceful defeat,' said a spokesman.

'In sacred Islamic law, cutting off human ears and noses whether the human is alive or dead is illegal and prohibited.'


Facing reality: Aisha's photo was on the front cover of Time Magazine in August 2010


source :dailymail

This will keep the seat backs in an upright position: Cabin crew perform in-flight safety demo... while dancing to Lady Gaga

NOW you'll pay attention: Cebu Pacific Airlines cabin crew break out into a choreographed dance to Lady Gaga's Just Dance as they demonstrate airline safety


We've all done it - failed to pay attention during a routine safety demonstration aboard an aeroplane.

But passengers flying to the Philippines are suddenly changing their tune.
Cabin crew on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight had the attention of everyone on board as they danced their safety demonstration - to Lady Gaga.

Stunned passengers were unable to take their eyes off the bouncy attendants as they indicated the emergency exits to Just Dance.


*** See the hilarious video below ***

Gimmick: Not only were passengers paying attention, they were trying to capture the demo on film. It has since gone viral on the internet


They also performed to Katy Perry's California Gurls. The music competes with a voiceover that informs passengers what to do 'in the event of an emergency landing'.
One quick-thinking passenger filmed the performance on a mobile phone, posting it to YouTube.

The clip is the latest internet sensation, going viral within hours and chalking up one-and-a-half million hits in just over 36 hours.

Candice Iyog, vice President of Marketing at Cebu Pacific Airlines, told GMANewsTV: 'Cebu Pacific has always been known as a fun airline, we wanted to get the message across to our customers that flight safety doesn't have to be boring.

'This was an experiment that we hope to repeat and also a chance to showcase the talent of some of our cabin crew staff.'


What do do in the event of an emergency landing: Katy Perry's California Gurls also featured in the bizarre demo


Making their point: The cabin crew had worked with professional choreographers for the dance - but also did a normal safety demonstration before the flight took off


She said that the airline had hired professional choreographers to compose the steps.
'We knew that the performances would be well received, but we didn't expect them to be this popular,' she added.

But just in case they were criticised for not taking safety seriously, the cabin crew preformed a normal safety demonstration before take-off.

The dance version was not performed until the plane hit cruising altitude - a special rendition for those passengers who had failed to watch the first version.
The video has already come to the attention of celebrity host Ryan Seacrest - who flagged it up to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

'gotta see this! Flight attendants dancing the entire safety demo to @ladygaga & @katyperry,' he tweeted.

As of the time of writing, neither star had yet replied.
The discount airline has also been known for in-flight games and flight attendants in hot pants.




source :dailymail

Lindsay Lohan cheered by inmates as she arrives at jail (and she'll be out in just 14 DAYS)

By Daily Mail Reporter

Inmates cheered and shouted 'We love you' as Lindsay Lohan arrived to serve her prison sentence today.

And if that didn't give her a lift as she put on her regulation orange prison jumpsuit and posed for her prison picture, then the revelation this afternoon that she will serve just 14 days of her 90-day jail term most certainly will.

The actress, 24, arrived in tears as she was driven into a private side entrance at the bleak Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, just south of downtown Los Angeles.


You're booked: Lindsay Lohan pouts for her prison mugshot and, right, her booking sheet at Lynwood prison. It appears to say she has black eyes


Tiffany Hawes, who was being released after serving 35 days of a 180 day sentence for driving on a suspended licence, said: 'Lindsay was crying when she came in. She was handcuffed but seemed calm. We all started saying "God bless you Lindsay" and saying "Hi" to her and then she smiled at us.'

Brenda Armstrong, 50, also being released after serving 20 days of a 120-day sentence, said: 'We all cheered when we saw her and said we loved her.'

Jen Devey, 21, also being released after served 45 days, said: 'We saw her. She was nice and smiled but she'd definitely been crying. She's human, just like all of us , but she happens to be a celebrity with lots of money. But she's still a person and she f***** up,'

The jail went into lockdown mode for an hour when the actress arrived, with prisoners confined to their cells. She was strip-searched and 'cavity searched' before changing into an orange prison jumpsuit.


Cosmetic job: Lindsay Lohan arriving at court in Los Angeles earlier today with her original lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley. It appeared Lohan might have had some work done on her lips


She then posed for her prison mugshot, appearing to pout and possibly smirk for the camera. Her booking sheet at the prison says she weighed 8st 6lb and is 5ft 6in tall. It also says she has blonde hair but, strangely, says she has black eyes.

After having a photo taken, she was led to her cell, which is next to Alexis Neiers, who convicted as part of the Bling Ring burglaries and is serving time for burglary at Orlando Bloom's house.

They are being housed in the 2,200-bed facility's special needs unit, where Lohan will live in isolation for her own safety and be confined to her cell 23 hours a day.

The actress spent about 84 minutes there in 2007 for a drunken driving offense, reduced from her already trimmed day-long sentence because of the overpopulation issue.

Tonight a sheriff's deputy confirmed that she'll be eating spaghetti with meat sauce and broccoli.

But the good news for her is that a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's department said she would only serve 14 days at the jail if she behaved herself.


Glittering welcome: Lindsay Lohan is showered with golden confetti by a fan as she walks into the courthouse


Lohan had arrived at jail after a court appearance that lasted under 10 minutes. .

She was due there at 8.30am but didn't arrive until 8.37am after getting stuck in the Los Angeles traffic. As she rushed inside from her black SUV with her mother Dina, an onlooker threw gold confetti over the actress.

Lohan was immaculately turned out with her hair bleached platinum blonde and wearing designer skinny-legging style jeans, a crop top and peep-toe slouchy boots.

Observers in court were left to wonder if she'd had a new trout pout for the occasion. The actress certainly spent a lot of time licking her lips and playing with her mouth.

Lohan arrived inside the courtroom at 8.40am and appeared close to tears as she sat and listened as Judge Marsha Revel ordered her to jail.


Family affair: Lindsay Lohan stands with her mother Dina Lohan and attorney Shawn Chapman Holley as she waits to go through the metal detector at the Beverly Hills Municipal Courthouse


But there were none of the tears that were witnessed two weeks ago as the Superior Court judge handed down the 90-day jail term and blasted her for not taking her probation in two drink-driving cases seriously.

Lohan was handcuffed out of the view of the cameras just eight minutes after entering the court room.

The actress removed her black jacket revealing a grey sleeveless top with an open diamond in the back and no bra.

She calmly put her hands behind her back and was cuffed by a female sheriff's deputy and then led out through judges' chambers.





Tense: Lohan constantly played with her hair and her lips, which looked suspiciously trout-like





A brave smile: Lohan appeared close to tears at times but didn't break down as she did two weeks ago


Point of law: Lindsay Lohan's lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley addresses the judge in court today as the actress looks on


Her father Michael was sitting in the centre section of the court and yelled 'We love you
Lindsay'. Lohan did not turn around, did not look back and completely ignored her father.

Her mother Dina and sister Ali sat on the far right hand side of the courtroom and kept blank faces. They did not speak to anyone afterwards.

Lohan was put in a police car immediately and driven to jail.

Thanks to jail overcrowding and a state program that credits inmates for good behavior, non-violent female misdemeanor offenders such as Lohan typically serve only about 25 per cent of their sentences





No mercy: An artist's impression of Lindsay Lohan being handcuffed in court and led away by police officers


On her way: Lindsay Lohan closes her eyes as she is driven to prison in the back of a police car in Beverly Hills


But according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore Lohan will actually only serve 14 days.

'She is scheduled to be released on either August 1 or 2 for overcrowding issues and good behavior,' he told People.com.

That means in theory she should be out in time for the premiere of Machete, the action-thriller opening Sept. 3 that stars Lohan as a gun obsessed socialite. But the star still has to serve 90 days in a rehab clinic.

It's hadn't been a good 24 hours for the star leading up her dramatic court appearance. Celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro walked away from representing her, just hours before she was due to appear in court.

Shapiro, who famously represented OJ Simpson, stepped away after meeting with a judge the afternoon before Lohan's court appearance.






Captivity road: Lindsay Lohan's silver car was escorted by a black police car before it entered the prison at Lynwood, right, through a side entrance


Tough: Inside one of the cells at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California. But Lindsay will have to spend just 14 days there


He had taken on her case unofficially on the condition she followed the judge's orders and reported to jail.

But Shawn Chapman Holley, who quit after the actress's sentencing, never signed the papers removing herself as lawyer of record and was at her side this morning as she arrived in court.

Holley was due to be in court as a lawyer on an attempted murder case. But she had the Cruz case delayed so she could be with Lohan at Beverly Hills Superior Court.

Lohan took to Twitter the night before her court appearance and made it clear she's still in disbelief over the sentencing.

'The only "bookings" that i'm familiar with are Disney Films, never thought that i'd be "booking" into Jail... eeeks,' she wrote.

But tonight a spoof Twitter site 'LindayInJail' poked fun at the actress with the entry: 'Isn't it funny," I can't help but think.. So many bars, but nothing to drink.'



source: dailymail