15 PERFECTLY TIMED PHOTOS

Life : Then and Now

45 LIFE LESSONS, WRITTEN BY A 90 YEAR OLD

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short not to enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye… But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful.  Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose Life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give Time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you think you need.

42. The best is yet to come…

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Dito Von Tease: Artist Makes Uncanny Fingerprint Portraits

Dito Steve Jobs

Dito

Self Portrait 

Dito Smurfs

Dito Sherlock Holmes

Dito Shrek

Dito Spock

Dito Frida Kahlo

Dito Hello Kitty

Dito Bane

Dito Kiss 

Dito Mao Tze Tung

Dito Mozart

Dito Mr. T 

Dito Ronald McDonald

Dito Avatar

Man creates real life Hobbit house complete with working water wheel (and one-car garage)

It has slanted walls, rounded doorways, an undulating roofline and soon an operating water wheel.

But constructing what residents in Bainbridge Island, Washington see as a 'Hobbit house,' is a 6.1ft tall man.

'A lot of it was learn-as-you-go,' Chris Whited told the Kitsap Sun of his 1,200-square foot house seen under construction from the roadside by often curious and astonished passersby.

'I didn't know how some of the corners would come together. I thought, "We'll worry about that when we get there,"' he said of his handiwork.

The 59-year-old contractor said he decided to build the house after trying the fanciful design on a henhouse and a playhouse for his grandchildren.

No hobbit: Building the home is no hobbit himself but Chris Whited, a 59-year-old contractor who stands at 6ft-1in

After much success with those, albeit both labour and lumber intensive, he started laying the home's foundation a little over a year ago.Since, he's chipped away at it using whatever spare time he can get.

Every last detail: Mr Whited is seen working on the newly installed water wheel, an item that he plans to fully work, emptying its contents into a future pond

Underway: Mr Whited's water wheel is seen under construction, something he feels adds a little magic or charm to the house

He says the work would go faster if he didn't get so many visitors driving up and asking questions, but they always serve as a good reminder for him to break.

A one bedroom featuring a living area, garage and bathroom, the home also features a covered porch in the backyard.Adding a red spinning wheel to its side, Mr Wited said he plans to have water run from its top down into a pond at its base, something he shares his wife thinking he's a bit crazy for doing.

'I think it adds a little magic or charm to the place,' he said of its addition.Choosing to share his masterpiece with others, Mr Whited said once finished he plans to turn the home into a vacation rental.

The very sour puss who has thousands of fans despite being 'the world's angriest cat'

He has won tens of thousands of admirers – but just how many of them would be brave enough to try to stroke him is anyone’s guess.This is Colonel Meow, the furious-looking feline whose sourpuss expression has made him an internet sensation. Despite a rather fluffy coat, the black smoke Persian cat appears anything but cuddly thanks to his evil stare and a face that seems to be fixed in a permanent frown. 

Fans have nicknamed him the ‘world’s angriest cat’ and have compared his hostile demeanour to that of an  evil dictator. But while even the most ardent cat lover might be reluctant to get too close to Colonel Meow in real life, his Facebook page has attracted more than 32,000  ‘likes’ from around the world.

Photographs uploaded to the page by his owner Anne Marie Avey carry tongue-in-cheek captions on Colonel Meow’s behalf, such as: ‘Behold, minions! I have learned to touch my nose with my tongue. Now honour my  great achievement . . .  with treaties and scotch.’ 

Another reads: ‘I WANT to plan my world domination . . . but I also wanna get drunk and eat treaties.’ 

Like many dictators, Colonel Meow had a troubled upbringing – the profile discloses that he was found by the roadside after being abandoned in Seattle, Washington. But his softer side is also revealed in a brief biography where he admits that he has a fear of birds which might hamper his ambitions to conquer the world. Miss Avey, who adopted Colonel Meow from an animal shelter, now hopes to take him to Los Angeles and make him a star.And perhaps world domination isn’t too far away, as Facebook users have posted dozens of  pictures of themselves pulling  sour expressions in tribute to the grumpy pet.

The world's ten most expensive burgers… and eight of them are American

For a classic recipe that started life as just a handful of key ingredients, the humble hamburger has certainly come a long way from its fast food origins.The basic patty of ground meat sandwiched between a sliced bread roll has evolved into a full-on gourmet affair.These are the 10 most expensive burgers in the world; culinary works of gastronomic excellence with an astronomical price tag to match.

First: Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada, is home to the $5,000 FleurBurger 5,000 - the most expensive burger in the world

Second: A $777 Kobe Beef and Maine Lobster Burger, consisting of Kobe Beef and fresh Maine Lobster, caramelised onions, imported brie cheese, prosciutto, 100-year aged balsamic vinegar

Third: The $666 '666 Burger' from New York City, is foie gras-stuffed Kobe patty topped with gruyere cheese melted with champagne steam, lobster, truffles, caviar, and a BBQ sauce made with Kopi Luwak coffee beans

Eight of the patties can be found in upmarket restaurants in the U.S., while a ninth is on offer in London and a tenth in Indonesia. One of them even comes with a diamond-encrusted solid gold toothpick.However - with the cheapest on sale for £100 and the most expensive being offered for $5,000 - it's debatable whether your average burger-loving diner will ever be wealthy enough to sample the delights of these dishes.The most expensive on the list is the FleurBurger 5000, at Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, which costs a whopping $5,000.

Containing foie gras and a special truffle sauce, it is served on a brioche truffle bun with black truffles on the side and comes with a bottle of Chateau Petrus 1990, poured in Ichendorf Brunello stemware.And the $777 Kobe Beef and Maine Lobster Burger from Le Burger Brasserie in Paris Las Vegas, Nevada, consists of Kobe beef and fresh Maine lobster, caramelised onions, imported brie cheese, prosciutto, 100-year aged balsamic vinegar. It is served with a bottle of Rose Dom Perignon champagne.

It's class all the way for the '666' burger in New York. With a price tag of $666, the foie gras-stuffed Kobe patty is topped with gruyere cheese that has been melted with champagne steam, lobster, truffles, caviar, and a BBQ sauce made with Kopi Luwak coffee beans.

Fourth: At $499, the Absolutely Ridiculous Burger served up at Mallie's Sports Bar and Grill in Southgate, Michigan, is not only one of the world's most expensive - it's also the largest at 185.6lbs

Fifth: There's a baffling array of ingredients in the $295 Serendipity Burger from Serendipity 3 in New York City. But don't fret - a diamond-encrusted solid gold toothpick is included in the meal price

Some might say the $499 Absolutely Ridiculous Burger, from Mallie's Sports Bar & Grill in Southgate, Michigan, is precisely that.Not only is it one of the most expensive, the 185.6lb burger also holds the Guinness World Record holder for being the world's largest.

If you're wary of parting with $295 for the Serendipity Burger from New York's Serendipity 3 restaurant, fret not - the meal even comes with its very own diamond-encrusted solid gold toothpick.

The patty of Japanese Waygu beef is infused with ten herb white truffle butter, seasoned with Salish Alderwood smoked Pacific sea salt, topped with cheddar cheese hand-formed by James Montgomery in Somerset, England, and 18-month 'cave-aged' shaved black truffles. A fried quail egg, a white truffle-buttered Campagna Roll - itself, topped with a blini, creme fraiche, and Paramout Caviar's exclusive Kaluga caviar - finishes the dish.

Sixth : London's $200 offering, Top, consists of Wagyu beef, white truffles and Pata Negra ham slices 

Seventh: New York's $175 Richard Nouveau Burger, bottom, is topped with real gold flakes

Eighth: The DB Royale Double Truffle Burger at New York's B Bistro Moderne and the Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas costs $120

Ninth : The $108 Million Rupiah Hamburger, is topped with foie gras 

Tenth:  The $100 McGuire's Grand Burger, right, is a filet mignon and served with Moet and Chandon white star champagne

London's offering to this list is the $200 meal from One Burger King restaurant. Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws is joined with Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.The $175 Richard Nouveau Burger, at the Wall Street Burger Shoppe in New York, is topped with real gold flakes, 25 grams of black truffles, a seared slab of foie gras and aged Gruyere.

The $120 DB Royale Double Truffle Burger, on sale at New York's B Bistro and the Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas, is stuffed with red wine-braised short ribs - off the bone - foie gras, a mix of root vegetables and preserved black truffle.

Indonesia's Million Rupiah Hamburger, served at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, earns its place in the top ten with the $108 patty topped with foie gras, portobello mushrooms and Korean pears.

At a mere $100, McGuire's Grand Burger, from McGuire's Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida, is the least expensive patty on the list. It boasts a filet mignon and is served with Moet and Chandon white star champagne.