1,224-pound cupcake sets record as world's largest : NPR

1,224-pound cupcake sets record as world's largest

by The Associated Press
Colossal Cupcake
Associated Press

From left, Merengue Bakery and Cafe chef Jacquelyne Garcia, owner George Algarin and chef Christina Gonzalez frost a Guinness World Record-breaking cupcake that weighed in at 1,224 lbs at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2009.
2_Colossal_Cupcake.sff.jpg
Enlarge Associated Press

Those involved in making the Guinness World Record-breaking cupcake cheer as they take the record with a whopping 1,224 pounds at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2009.
2_Colossal_Cupcake.sff.jpg
Associated Press

Those involved in making the Guinness World Record-breaking cupcake cheer as they take the record with a whopping 1,224 pounds at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2009.
1_Colossal_Cupcake.sff.jpg
Enlarge Associated Press

Guinness World Records Adjudicator Carl Saville measures the girth of the 1,224 pound cupcake at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2009.
1_Colossal_Cupcake.sff.jpg
Associated Press

Guinness World Records Adjudicator Carl Saville measures the girth of the 1,224 pound cupcake at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Royal Oak, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2009.
text sizeAAA
MANCHESTER, N.H. August 16, 2009, 02:04 pm ET

A 1,224-pound triple vanilla cupcake with pink frosting has set a record as the world's largest.

The sugary behemoth was unveiled Saturday at the Woodward Dream Cruise classic cars event in Royal Oak, Mich.

A Guinness World Records adjudicator was on hand to certify the cupcake's girth. It was more than eight times the size of the previous record holder.

The colossal cupcake took 12 hours to bake and included 800 eggs and 200 pounds each of sugar and flour.

Slices of the cupcake were served in exchange for donations to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization.

Ryan Abood, owner of New Hampshire-based Gourmetgiftbaskets.com who made the cupcake, told the Detroit Free Press that it clocked in at an estimated 2 million calories.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The World's Largest Cupcake is Official GourmetGiftBaskets.com Declares End To The Cupcake Wars: At 1,224 Pounds, It's Eight Times Bigger Than Previous World Record Holder (prweb.com)

Horny Old Man

Yemen man's horny dream came true Saleh, a resident of Shabwa in the Yemen, dreamed so often that he was growing a horn on his head that he came to bel­ieve it would come to pass. It was only a quest­ion of when. Now aged 102, he recounts how a horn began to sprout on the left side of his head 25 years ago.

Since it did not bother him and there were no local medical facilities, he just ig­nored it. Event­ually, it grew into a horn 1ft 8in (50cm) long. His fell­ow vill­ag­ers were as­tound­ed and ass­umed it must be pain­ful, but Saleh said they came to real­ise it was simply “some­thing Allah wanted to happen to show the people that he can do as he de­sires”. As the horn grew, it became weaker and more diffi­cult for Saleh to man­age, espec­ially during sleep.

It finally fell off and a second one started grow­ing in its place. Hun­dreds of people from the Yemen and other Gulf states have come to see Saleh and touch his horn. “I have no idea why Allah chose me,” he said, “but I thank God for his mercy and show of great­ness. I only say al-hamdu lillah.”

Yemen Observ­er, 17 Feb

Anti-reform...

5 facts about the anti-reform mobs

1. These disruptions are being funded and organized by out-of-district special-interest groups and insurance companies who fear that health insurance reform could help Americans, but hurt their bottom line. A group run by the same folks who made the "Swiftboat" ads against John Kerry is compiling a list of congressional events in August to disrupt. An insurance company coalition has stationed employees in 30 states to track where local lawmakers hold town-hall meetings.

2. People are scared because they are being fed frightening lies. These crowds are being riled up by anti-reform lies being spread by industry front groups that invent smears to tarnish the President's plan and scare voters. But as the President has repeatedly said, health insurance reform will create more health care choices for the American people, not reduce them. If you like your insurance or your doctor, you can keep them, and there is no "government takeover" in any part of any plan supported by the President or Congress.

3. Their actions are getting more extreme. Texas protesters brought signs displaying a tombstone for Rep. Lloyd Doggett and using the "SS" symbol to compare President Obama's policies to Nazism. Maryland Rep. Frank Kratovil was hanged in effigy outside his district office. Rep. Tim Bishop of New York had to be escorted to his car by police after an angry few disrupted his town hall meeting -- and more examples like this come in every day. And they have gone beyond just trying to derail the President's health insurance reform plans, they are trying to "break" the President himself and ruin his Presidency.

4. Their goal is to disrupt and shut down legitimate conversation. Protesters have routinely shouted down representatives trying to engage in constructive dialogue with voters, and done everything they can to intimidate and silence regular people who just want more information. One attack group has even published a manual instructing protesters to "stand up and shout" and try to "rattle" lawmakers to prevent them from talking peacefully with their constituents.

5. Republican leadership is irresponsibly cheering on the thuggish crowds. Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a statement applauding and promoting a video of the disruptions and looking forward to "a long, hot August for Democrats in Congress."