Stuff that Weighs More than Me: The World's Largest Easter Egg

Holy hernias Mr. Bunny.  The world's largest Easter Egg is found in Vegreville, Canada and was built in 1975 to commemorate early Ukrainian settlements there.  The Pysanka is a tremendous computer modeling, engineering and architectural achievement containing 524 star patterns, 2,206 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts.

The patterns are believed to represent specific meanings:
The stars symbolize life and good fortune.
The three-pointed stars reference the Christian Trinity.
The band that circles the egg represent eternity.
The windmills are said to reference a good harvest and prosperity.

Ready?  Here's the stats!
Egg Width: 25.7 feet
· Egg Height: 18.3 feet
· Total Height: 31.6 feet
· Material: Alumuinum skin
· Turns like a weathervane
· Star Patterns: 524
· Triangular Pieces: 2,206
· Visible Facets: 3,512
· Nuts and Bolts: 6,978
Weight: Over 5,000 lbs.
Conclusion: The World's Largest Easter Egg Weighs More than Me.

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: Where's the Giant Pita?

Well along with the decades-long argument between Lebanese and Israelis about where hummus originated, we also have a battle for who can make the biggest hummus plate.  The Israeli's launched the opening initiaitve in May of 2008--creating a giant 4 meter (4.35) yard plate containing 881 pounds of hummus.  (The Israeli's love hummus with the average, per capita consumption hovering at about 22 pounds.)  But the Lebanese battled back in October of 2009 creating what is now considered the world's largest plate of hummus.  Here's the stats:

Hummus Plate
Number of Chefs: 300
Mashed chickpeas: 2,976 pounds
Lemon Juice: 106 gallons
Salt: 57 pounds

Total weight: 4,532 lbs.


Conclusion:  The World's Largest Plate of Hummus--whether Israeli or Lebanese weighs more than me.

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: The South Tower Bell at Notre Dame

The great bourdon bell, called Emmanuelle, is located in the South Tower at Notre Dame in Paris.  It is the largest of five great bells at the cathedral.  It is rung to mark the hours of the day and on special occasions.  The bells were once rung manually, but are currently rung by electric motors, when it was discovered that the size of the bells could cause the entire building to vibrate, which threatened its integrity.

Stats:
South Tower Bell: Notre Dame: Paris:
Housed in South Tower Which is 228 feet tall
Weight of the bell's clapper: 500 Kg.
Total Bell Weight: 13 tons

Conclusion: Emmanuelle weighs more than me.  She can be heard throughout the city of Paris which means that the bell is not only heavier than me, but has the rare honor of being louder than me too.

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: A Stegosaurus

Watching the Fat Dinosty (which is awesome by the way) got me thinking about the good old Stegosaurus.  Apparently the translation of this guy's name is "roof lizard".  Don't ask me why.  Anyways, this lovable plant eater was far from petite.  Here's the estimated stats:

Height: 14 ft.
Length: 28 ft.
Diet: Vegetarian
Weight: About 6,000 pounds.

Which proves two things.  One, being a vegetarian does not guarantee you'll be thin and two, the mighty stegosaurus weighed more than me.

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: World's Biggest Bamboo

While looking at some of the huge bamboo groves at the Huntington Gardens today, I started to wonder just how big this stuff gets. Well in August 2003, botanists at Yunnan University found the world's biggest bamboo plant in an artificially-grown bamboo forest in Menghai county of Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, in southwestern China Here's the stats:

Height: 46 meters (151feet)
Culms (stalk) Diameter: 36 cm (14 inches)
Estimated Weight 450 kg. (990 lbs.)

Farmers estimate this plant to be only one year old making this plant a VERY big baby.

Conclusion: The worlds biggest bamboo weighs more than me.

And as always, for more info about my exploits including the bamboo at the Huntington Gardens, check me out at Fat Chick Sings.  oxo

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: A Giraffe

Went to the zoo yesterday and had a nice look at these stately beauties.  That's me (in the picture) eyeballing a baby giraffe (who was really just interested in the nice green branch that had fallen just out of his reach in the enclosure).  Anyways, these bad boys are big.  We already know they are tall (the male grows to just over 15 feet tall).  They are also tough (Mama gives birth standing up so the first thing a baby giraffe experiences is a 6 foot fall to the ground...).  And they are HEAVY.  Here's the stats:

Height (male) about 15 feet.
Weight: (male) 3,000 to 4,000 pounds

Conclusion: A giraffe weighs more than me.

Want to hear more about our zoo trip?  Check out Fat Chick Sings!

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: A Pearson Triton Sailboat

Meet the Pearson Triton, one of the earliest production fiberglass sailboats.  It looks thin and graceful, but she's got some poundage in the water folks.   Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm thinking about sailboats go check out my post on Fat Chick Sings.  Here's the boat stats:

Length: 28'-6"
Width: 20'-6"
Beam: 8'-3"
Draft: 4'-6"
Ballast: 3019 lb (Lead)
Sail Area (100%): 362 sq ft (33.6 m²)

Displacement: 6900 - 8000 lb. (Approx)

Conclusion:  The Pearson Triton weighs more than me.  (She's also prettier than me, but oh well...)