Mao Sugiyama, a young Japanese illustrator from Tokyo, recently made headlines after he decided to have his genitalia removed. To top it off, he offered to sell his organs as a cooked meal, for ¥100,000 ($1.250). Six people pre-ordered…

“Please retweet. I am offering my male genitals (full penis, testes, scrotum) as a meal for 100,000 yen…. I will prepare and cook as the buyer requests, at his chosen location.” This was the tweet that started it all. Sugiyama, who calls himself an ‘asexual’, is a 22-year-old illustrator who aspires to be so devoid of sexual features that he will be able to publicly wear transparent clothing. To achieve his goal, the young man decided to remove all his genitalia. For the sake of argument, let’s just say you could somehow understand his wish, but what comes next is even more shocking. At first, he considered consuming his own genitals, but later decided to offer them up on Twitter, for ¥100,000 to the first person or group interested. He got six orders…

After his tweet went viral, Mao announced he was organizing a public banquet, in which he would cook and serve his own organs as per the request of his clients. Called “Ham Cybele – Century Banquet”, the event took place at the Asagaya Loft A event space, in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo. If you’re pondering the name of the event, Cybele is the name of an Anatolian goddess whose priests were all eunuchs, while “century” is a homophone for the Japanese word “genitals”. The day before the event, the artist tweeted “I’m starting to thaw them out” along with a very graphic photo. On April 13, a crowd of about 70 people showed up at the banquet location. One of the six buyers was a no-show, but the rest were ready to get what they had paid for.

Dressed as a cook, Mao Sugiyama sliced and cooked his own genitalia and served it to his curious customers. Calorie Lab, the website that broke the news in the US, thoroughly describes the look and taste of the ‘dishes’ and even has some photos of them. I’m not going to go into details here, but I can say the guest found them almost inedible. In order to be completely devoid of any sexual features, Sugiyama also removed his nipples and was planning on serving them as well, but after burning them with sodium hydroxide, there was apparently not much left to cook.

Before going through with the banquet, the Japanese illustrator had himself tested for sexual diseases. The five people crazy enough to eat his genitalia also had to sign a waver releasing Sugiyama and the organizers of the event from any liability arising from the consumption of human genitals. Since the whole event, Sugiyama has been constantly defending his actions and answering questions on Twitter. He’s talking about his operation, his decision and the corset he’s currently wearing to help maintain an androgynous shape as his female hormone therapy progresses.

After news of this bizarre event became popular in Japan, the Tokyo police was apparently notified by concerned citizens, but hey were unable to pursue the matter because there is no law against cannibalism in Japan. I think that’s probably weirder than Mao’s story… However, a police spokesman said, “We’re going to talk to the people at Asagaya Loft A and ask them what is going on and why they hosted such an event.” Good luck with that!

via odditycentral.com

It’s a bit of scientific serendipity that the act of loving another — be it your mom, your spouse, your pup, your BFF — actually improves your  heart health. 

Spending Time With a Loved One Lowers Blood Pressure
A study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine found that people who spent time with their romantic partners experienced a greater dip in blood pressure than those who hung out with a stranger.

Researchers correlated the blood pressure drop to sweet silence — less talking and more “perceived emotional support,” like the kind you would get from someone who knows you really well, so you could easily experience the same benefits from hanging out with your partner in crime as you would with a marital partner.

Your Heart Gets a Workout When it Goes Pitter-Patter
When you lock eyes with the person who makes your heart race — whether it’s a new crush or the love of your life — your brain releases hormones such as dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine, which make your heart beat faster and stronger.

Hugs Are Good for the Heart
Could a hug a day keep the doctor away? When you partake in a warm embrace with someone you love (like a parent, child, or spouse), your body releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, which has the power to reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure, according to research from the University of North Carolina.

Laughter Makes Your Blood Flow More Freely
 Recent research from the University Of Maryland School of Medicine presented at the 2011 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) annual conference found a link between mental stress and the narrowing of blood vessels, which can restrict blood flow and lead to atherosclerosis. Laughter, however, had the opposite effect. So get the pals you love most together for a good chuckle more often.

Love Letters Can Lower Cholesterol
Feeling love is one thing, but writing about it appears to be a completely different way of reaping the health benefits. In two randomized, controlled trials published in Human Communication Research, healthy college students who spent 20 minutes writing about their affection for loved ones (friends, relatives, and/or romantic partners) experienced significant drops in total cholesterol (the mean cholesterol levels reduced from 170 mg/dL to 159 mg/dL), while students in the control group, who wrote about random topics, did not. Try it out!

A Positive Attitude Reduces Heart Attack Risk
Research published in the European Heart Journal shows that having a positive outlook on life can protect against cardiovascular disease.

The researchers defined “positive affect” as feeling joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, and contentment, all of which may stem from having people you love in your life. Researchers measured each participant’s level of positive affect based on a 12-minute in-person interview and checked health records over the following 10 years to look for incidences of cardiovascular disease.

They found that people who scored even a single point higher for positive affect had a 22 perfect lower risk for cardiovascular disease. They also found that those with higher positive affect were more likely to be female, less likely to smoke, had lower levels of total cholesterol, and lower levels of hostility and anxiousness, suggesting that a positive attitude contributes to better health overall, according to the study.

Holding Hands Calms Nerves
Holding hands with someone you love has a calming effect on the body, according to a study published in Psychological Science.

Researchers recruited happily married couples and placed each woman in an M.R.I. scanner, preparing her to feel a mild shock to the ankle. Of course, the women were anxious. But feeling their husbands’ hands (the husbands reached into the scanners) reduced the women’s brain activity associated with anticipating pain. The study also found that a stranger’s touch provided comfort, but less so than a spouse.

You’ll need a trunk full of cash to park here.

The city’s first million-dollar parking space is on the market.

The private garage at 66 E. 11th St. costs six times more than the national-average price of a single-family home.

Buying it would be the same as paying a $115 ticket for illegal parking every day — for 24 years.

For moguls or celebrities, however, the rare commodity of a Manhattan parking space inside their building, with a curb cut at the street, is a huge status symbol and selling point.

“It’s for someone who wants complete privacy,” said Prudential Douglas Elliman Vice Chairman Dolly Lenz. “You can drive in and not be seen again. It’s for the type of person who finds that attractive. It could be a celebrity or a business person who is camera shy.”

The hot space is about 12 feet wide, 23 feet long and more than 15 feet high.

The spot could be “duplexed” if the buyer decides to install an elevator lift so he or she can slide both the Maserati and the Lamborghini in at the same time.

The parking spot will have its own deed and sales contract, and be charged maintenance fees, just as a condo would.

The city’s gaudiest garage is expected to hit the market this fall, after construction is complete and the Attorney General’s Office signs off on the building’s condo conversion.

Last year, developer Morad Fareed purchased the eight-story prewar loft building for $120 million and is in the process of converting the former parking garage into six luxury condominiums with mammoth, 15-foot-high ceilings.

The jewel in the building’s crown is the 8,000 square-foot duplex penthouse, with a private 3,000 square-foot terrace, which will be listed for $38.8 million, according to Lenz.

The parking space isn’t the only amenity: the shower water will be pumped full of vitamin C and aloe, and the apartments will have heat reflexology flooring.

The lighting patterns and air quality in the building are designed to provide its residents with a better night’s rest.

“The parking spot will go to the 8,000 square-foot town house or to the penthouse,” Fareed said.

The sky-high price for a slab of concrete is a sign of a resurgent real-estate market, experts said.

“If you have an opportunity to buy a space in your building, you’re going to take advantage of that,” said Robert Knackal, chairman of Massey Knackal. “The reality of New York City is that people are willing to pay more for a parking spot than the average person in the country pays for a home.”

The city’s second most expensive parking spot is a 300-square-foot “en suite” sky garage that’s inside of a $7 million penthouse at 200 11th Ave.

nypost.com

Sleep is absolutely essential for every human being. Despite scientists still not figuring out the process entirely, we still know a lot about this daily activity. Every mammal, bird and most reptiles, amphibians and fish require sleep to function. Here are some cool stuffs you probably never knew about sleep.

What goes on while you sleep:
Your brain recharges.
Your cells repair themselves.
Your body released important hormones.

Need for sleep depending upon age
Babies - 16 hours
3 year to 18 yearl old – 10 hours
19year old to 55 year old – 8 hours
over 55 year old – 6 hours.

Fact: Men have dreams about other men 70% of the time. But women dream about women and men equally.

Fact: Parasomnia is atype of sleep disorder that makes you do unnatural movements despite being asleep.

Crimes committed on parasomnia include:
sleep driving.
writing bad checks
murder
child molesting
rape.

Fact: 12% of people dream only in black and white.

Fact: Dreaming is normal. People who do not dream regularly have personality disorders.

Fact: Sleep positions may determine your personality.

The most common Sleep positions:

Fact: 1 in 4 married couples sleep in seperate beds.

Fact: British soldiers were the 1st to develop a method in staying up 36 hours without sleep.
When fatigued, they put on specialvisors that emulated the brightness on a sunrise and it woke them up.

Fact: When dolphins sleep, only half their brains shuts down. The other half stays awake to help with breathing cycles.

Fact: Blind people can still see images in their dreams. But in the case of born blind people, they experiance dreams involving, emotion, sound, smell, & touch instead of sight.

Fact: You will die from sleep deprevation, before food deprevation. It takes 2 or more weeks to starve. But 10 days without sleep can kill lots of people.

Fact: Within 5 mins of waking up, 50% of your dream is forgotten. Within 10 mins 90% is gone.

Fact: 1 out of 50 teenagers still wet their beds.

coolfacts.in

1. Get on thin ice. Depending on the weather, head to an indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink — it's the perfect excuse to hold hands, "accidentally" fall on top of each other, and grab a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up to each other to keep warm.

2. Skip the pricey wine bar and grab a few beers at your local dive bar. Make sure you pick a place with a pool table or dartboard set up, and challenge him to a few games. Loser owes the winner a song on the jukebox.

3. He may hate to shop, but he'll end up thanking you if you drag him to a flea market. There's something for everyone and plenty of things you never knew existed — you might even discover he has a hobby or weird collection you didn't know about!

4. Settle in for a night of pampering: No pricey spa required. Use your empty wallets as an excuse to stay in — and up — all night. Run a bubble bath and then treat each other to full-body massages. Sleep in the next day.

5. Get an adrenaline rush at the roller-skating rink. As long as you don't mind being the oldest people there who aren't chaperoning their children, it's a great way to have fun and let loose with each other. Top it off with a bowl of ice cream when you get home.

6. Play house: Dress up in your most serious grownup outfit and leave your tiny apartment to visit some open houses. Spend the day arguing over where you would put the love seat, discussing the difference between eggshell and ecru paint, and giggling over strangers' hideous decorating choices.

7.Does he drive you up a wall sometimes? He probably feels the same way about you, so put on your sneakers and head to an indoor rock-climbing gym. Challenge him to a race to the top and relieve sore muscles with a hot shower together afterward. Just try not to gloat too much about beating him.

8. Celebrate the first snow of winter with a day of sledding. Pick a hilly spot in your town and use garbage can lids as makeshift sleds. Wear a bike helmet to up the dorky fun factor, and celebrate living through the experience with a cup of hot cocoa.

9. Spend the day picking fruit at a local farm, either one-on-one or with a few couples you know — the more the merrier. Once you've picked all the apples you can carry back to the car, get creative in the kitchen and think up some recipes with the fruit you picked. Judge each other's creations, Top Chef style.

10. Plan a trip. You might need to save up for awhile, but that doesn't mean you can't daydream. Plan your dream vacation with each other — it might be the incentive you need to start putting your loose change in the piggy bank.

11. Challenge your guy to a little friendly competition and surprise him by taking him to a rifle range. After each round, compare your targets — loser buys the next round of bullets; winner gets gloating privileges.

12. The easiest way to booze it up on the cheap? Take a tour of a winery or brewery, and pick up some wine facts for your next dinner party while getting tipsy.

13. Dying to see a musical or play but can't afford the tickets? Call around to see if you can buy tickets to the dress rehearsal instead — you'll pay a fraction of the price for the same experience.

14. Spice up your movie-night routine by finding a drive-in movie theater. Stop at the supermarket on your way to load up on your favorite snacks, and bring blankets and pillows to make the car extra cozy. Let him pick the movie — you'll get points for being easygoing, even though you know you'll probably miss most of the movie.

15. Wherever you live, chances are there are local bands dying for an audience. Check out MySpace for bands in your area and go to a show. Alternate with your guy on who gets to pick the band so that you both get a chance to enjoy your favorite music genres, and save cash on booze by bringing a flask.

16. Head to the bookstore and walk through the aisles together, showing each other your favorite books, bonding over the books you both hated, and flipping through a Kama Sutra book for ideas for later.

17. Bowl him over at the bowling alley. Psych him out by reminding him of how many gross people wore his shoes before him, and don't forget to program his sugary-sweet nickname ("Muffin Face") onto the computerized scoreboard instead of his real name.

18. Show him your rugged side and build something together. Ask him to help you build something like a coffee table or dresser for your place — he'll be psyched that you asked him, just as long as you can bite your tongue when the table he puts together falls apart the moment you set your cup of coffee down.

19. Appeal to his inner child (it shouldn't be too hard to tap into) and buy tickets for a carnival. Embrace the cheesiness — share cotton candy, let him try to win you a prize, and ride the Ferris wheel until you get nauseous. It's a great way to get to know each other if you've just started dating and will serve as a reminder of how much fun you can have together if you've been dating for awhile.

20. Keep up on the specials. For a break on your dinner bill, check out sites like Restaurant.com for the restaurant deals in your area. And check out the websites of your favorite bars — they might have drink specials on certain nights, like a free pizza with every drink.

21. Ask him about his fantasy cars and he'll probably talk your ear off. Head over to a local car dealership and test-drive the most expensive car they'll let you take out of the parking lot. Take turns at the wheel but resist the urge to nitpick each other's driving skills.

22. Indulge your sweet tooth with your sweetie — visit a chocolate or cookie factory. Do a quick Google search to see if there are any in your area and give one a call to see if it does tours. If it only does group tours, make it a group date and invite a few other couples.

23. Get spooked at a haunted house. Check out Hauntedhouse.com for listings in your state. Start off the night by watching a scary movie before you go, and then try not to laugh when he launches a foot into the air at every corner.

24. Get out those matching aprons and fire up the skillet for a night of cooking — for both of you. Learn how to cook each other's favorite meal and then do it together. Whether you end up with a delicious steak and tuna casserole for two or speed-dialing for Chinese takeout, you're guaranteed to enjoy the process.

25. Forget eating dinner parked in front of a Mad Men marathon until you and your boyfriend are tired of looking at each other. Invite another couple over that you don't know well for a potluck dinner. Ask them to bring the appetizer and dessert, and work on the main course with your guy. At least one of the dishes should come out edible, and you can bond with your new friends over your shared culinary failure.

Check out the other 25 date ideas at marie claire

Candice is a 31-year-old New Yorker. She met a nice lawyer at a bar and agreed to see The Avengers with him. When she arrived for the date, he was wearing a fedora. The date did not go well.

Afterwards, Candice gave her would-be beau the brush-off via text. He responded with a lengthy message seemingly written for a male friend—in which he griped that his date had been a mere "5.5 out of 10 (average)." Shortly thereafter, he sent a hilariously transparent apology message.

Tragic accidental text, or world's most passive-aggressive "neg"? I'm leaning toward the latter. Here are the messages:

gawker.com

In the face of electricity cuts and a warm summer, Japanese lingerie makers have put their heads together and come up with a new way to keep their customers cool: an ice bra.

A frozen gel, which remains soft and flexible, is inserted into the cup providing the wearer with a “super cool feeling”, according to manufacturer, Triumph Japan.

AFP reports that the “Super Cool Bra”, unveiled today in Tokyo showed off the new underwear line featuring a fish tank design on the outside of the cup.

And if the idea of having your chests cooled to freezing temperatures hasn’t won you over yet, a spring of mint and wind chime hang between the two cups to give a “refreshing fragrance and sound”, according to the maker.

Triumph Japan,boasts that all five senses will be “hooked” by the cooling sensation of the bra, while saving money and electricity over summer.

Wearers can also keep the bottom half of their body cool with novelty bamboo screen and mosquito net mini skirts.

Mother’s Day is Sunday and you need a gift for dear old Mom.  Trust me, I’ve been there and I know  how it feels when you need a present for Mom fast and your creative juices are running on fumes.  But the temptation to do a rush job on mom’s gift is to be resisted at all costs.  Remember, this the woman who spent nine months preparing to bring you in to the world and the next several decades trying to keep you in it.  She deserves more… than the slap-dab, wam-bam, thank you mom gifts listed below.  With help from those serious about their shopping folks at  Kaboodle.com, here are the Top five gift NOT to give Mom for Mother’s day.

1. Gag Gifts–Even if Mom has a sense of humor, she won’t find a gift of bacon-flavored frosting or any other gag present funny. Don’t treat the holiday like a joke.

2. Anything “As Seen on TV”—If you can’t get off of the couch to find something Mom will really, check yourself. Think about what she really wants instead of giving her another Snuggie.

3. Diet Books—If you want your mother to be distant, get her a diet book.

4. Wrinkle Cream–Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate her just the way she is. So skip the cosmetics and you’ll remind her that she’s loved–with her laugh lines and wrinkles.

5. Household Appliances–She may have said she wanted a vacuum cleaner or a mixer, but that doesn’t make a household appliance a good gift idea. No woman wants to be reminded of household chores or think you’re thinking of her as the one who does the cooking and cleaning.

Best Mother's Day Gifts Ever

Apparently surprises make moms happy.  Tickets to a Cleveland Indians game and a shopping spree to Chicago's Michigan Avenue were highlighted by two moms as their best gifts ever. 

 According to a poll (according to 500 U.S. moms), best gifts ever were:

1.  Jewelry-- 24%

2. Home and school-made cards -- 18% 

3. Home and school-made gifts -- 17%

4. A day to the  Spa -- 15%
5. Help with chores, or a day of rest -- 5%

6.  Beauty products -- 4%

literock969.com & everythingmothersday.com

Spread over two decks this incredible jacuzzi is bigger than most New York apartments.

It seems no extravagance has been spared to create what looks like one of the most over-the-top hot tubs to date.

The ultimate backyard accessory, the Luxema 8000 boasts a huge flat-screen TV and its own bar.

And the amazing tub has no less than 130 separate jets and nine water pumps to keep occupants happy.

Although the tub would likely impress friends and add value to a property, it will set buyers back thousands of dollars.

 SPAmbient, the Slovenian firm who make the hot tub, list another of its tubs, which is a fraction of the size, at more than $26,000 and that is in a sale.

The huge structure, which weighs 1500kg (without the 10,000 litres of water needed to fill it), even boasts a built in hifi system to ensure guests are always entertained.

The lower spa has six seats as well as a bar attached to the outside should guests become thirsty.

And if they are feeling a little more energetic, the top pool can be used to swim, with powerful water jets creating the effect of a current to swim against.

Of course, the jets can be turned off to turn it into a normal pool.

As if that’s not enough SPAmbient can sell you a matching sauna to sit nearby.

The company sells dozens of less showier tubs too, seemingly specialisingly in structures which are divided into separate jacuzzi and pool sections.

dailymail.co.uk

If you happen to be in neighborhood, be sure to swing by Särkänniemi Adventure Park in Tampere, Finland to check out the brand new “Angry Birds Land” exhibit! (For reference, Tampere is about two hours due-north of Helsinki in southern Finland.) Angry Birds Land features a dozen full-fledged rides centered around our furious fowl and an “adventure course” that looks like the playground straight out of my wildest Angry Birds dreams.

In the video below — courtesy of a random guest and very good quality all things considered — there are a few very notable items. First and foremost, absolutely 100% of the exhibit is Angry Birds. And we don’t just mean the rides and the slides, but the restaurants and restrooms are even painted in (what appears to be) Poached Eggs decor. Also, at the entrance to the “adventure course”, there are two big-screen touch-screen TVs that have ABo available to play! (Better still, it looks like it is at least v2.0.0 based on the level-completion screen.)

According to other reports (e.g., Eurogamer), the park will also feature a “Magic Place” in the near future, which the details hasn't been shared yet.

 angrybirdsnest.com

In 1997, Glamour magazine published a story titled "30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30." The list, written by Pamela Redmond Satran, was so popular that women started emailing it around, misattributing it to various female luminaries including Maya Angelou and Hillary Clinton. Noting what a phenomenon it had become, the editors of Glamour created a book around it, featuring essays from (mostly) famous women on each of the items on the list.

By 30, you should have ...

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.

2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.

5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.

6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.

7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.

8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you.

9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.

10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.

11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

13. The belief that you deserve it.

14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.

15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better.


By 30, you should know ...

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.

2. How you feel about having kids.

3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.

4. When to try harder and when to walk away.

5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.

6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.

7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.

8. Where to go -- be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing.

9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents.

10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.

11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.

12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.

13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.

15. Why they say life begins at 30

List excerpted from Glamour's "Thirty Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know By The Time She's 30."

via huffingtonpost.com