Knokkers – Combining Pool and Bowling in One New Sport

Played on a table four times the size of a regular pool table, Knokkers is a new sport that combines elements from both billiards and bowling.

Back in 1985, Steve Wienecke, from Fredericktown, Missouri, was playing in a local pool league, and one day he got it in his head that it would be great to actually play on the table. The former semi-pro football player and cage fighter, currently working as a parole and probation assistant is also an inventor in his spare time, so once the idea was born in his head, it was bound to become reality. His other inventions were deemed unoriginal, but he knew no one had ever built a giant pool table like the one he had in mind.

The idea for his Knokkers table lingered in his head for quite a while, but Steve finally started working on it in 2008. His wife originally thought he was crazy, but seeing his idea take shape, she began encouraging him to realize his dream. Local businesses provided the materials our inventor needed (38 railroad ties, five truckloads of gravel, and 4. 1/4 yards of concrete) and after 200 hours of hard labor, his Knokkers table was complete. “It’s exactly like a regulations pool table, only everything is scaled up four times.Even the dimensions of the pockets are the same, just a lot bigger.” said Steve Wienecke.

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Sinking Titanic Slide Is so Fun It’s Been Banned

That’s right there are people out there who gladly cash out on reenacting the dramatic sinking of the Titanic, in a totally fun way.

An even more surprising is the fact that people actually pay to to go down with the Titanic. I mean COME ON, didn’t you see those tragic scenes from James Cameron’s film where people were hanging on for their lives, while the ship was sinking? Why would you want to go through that, even if it’s in a totally harmless manner?

In the Swiss town of Ibach, the inflatable Titanic slide was pretty popular with the visitors at the local fair, but it ended up being banned, following complaints from Switzerland’s Titanic Club. Spokesman Gunter Babler said “Is it ethical to let kids slide down the decks of a blow up Titanic? Hundreds of people died sliding down those decks.” And a visitor thought “It’s pretty sick. It’s like having a bouncy graveyard. No-one could forget that scene from the Titanic movie with all the people sliding down the decks to their deaths. It’s very insensitive.”

Still, the fair organizer believes “The tragic Titanic accident happened years ago and those emotions have been dealt with long ago. Now people are having fun on the slide and enjoying themselves.” Oh, that makes sense. Hey, I know, how about making an inflatable Auschwitz replica, getting people inside and “gassing” them with laughing gas? That sounds fun, and it’s been so long since the Holocaust there’s no reason why people shouldn’t have fun remembering it…

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Beauty Mud Cup 2010 Held in China

With the eyes of the entire world on the Football World Cup, in South Africa, local authorities from Changsha, China had to come up with something better, yet related to current events.

And what’s better than football? Mud football, played by barely dressed gorgeous models, of course. So they set up a small football pitch, filled it with mud, brought in  models from various Chinese cities, and got the Beauty Mud Cup 2010 under way. In the photos below, teams from Hunan and Hubei go head to head, in one of the first matches of the competition. I don’t know the score, and neither do most of the male spectators who resumed to roars and cheers every time any of the girls kicked the ball through the mud.

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Germany Hosts European Mud Olympics 2010

Over 500 contestants, from all over Europe, gathered at the Brunsbüttel dike, near Hamburg, Germany, for the 7th edition of the Mud Olympics, on June 6.

The event is unique on the North Sea coast, and features different wacky games, like mud football, mud volleyball, tug of war, or the eel relay race, all of which involved getting covered in mud, of course. And since playing in mud is apparently one of the most fun activities known to man, the 2010 European Mud Olympics drew in contestants from Italy, Switzerland, Belgium or Denmark, all looking to have a good time.

Prizes were awarded for winning the wacky events, as well as for the best team name, best team fans, or the funniest competing team. The good thing is participants to the Mud Olympics weren’t only fighting for themselves, but also for a good cause: the proceedings, over 100,000 euro, will be donated to the Schleswig-Holstein Cancer Society.

via Spiegel.de

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Walking on Water at Dixon High School

The “Walk on Water” challenge of Dixon High School has reached its 8th edition. Just like every year, since this event was started, students had to walk on water, without falling in.

Over 120 physics students, in 27 groups, tried to cross a 50-meter-long pool, in the 2 minute time limit, without getting wet. To complete this task, they were required to build mechanical gear that would keep them afloat and moving, at the same time. From giant hamster wheels, to floating skis, the students tried everything.

A few of them actually succeed in walking on water, and thus won the big prize: the chance to skip a final exam. Now that’s worth getting a little wet, over.

Photos by Renee C. Byer/Sacbee.com

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Germany Hosts First Strip Poker Championship

Germany’s first ever strip poker tournament took place on may 12, 2010, in the Blauer Salon of the Dresden Park Hotel. 40 contestants, 33 men and 7 women, tried to keep their clothes on, for the chance to win a trip to Las Vegas.

Organized by the Billy Boy condom company, the Dresden Strip Poker Tournament got hot from the start. As there was no admission fee, contestants only had to bring their clothes, as currency, and their best game. Ladies were asked to bet responsibly and keep their clothes on as long as possible, so their male counterparts could focus on poker.

Each player was given a stack of chips, and every time they lost it, they had to take off a clothing item, to receive more. Extra chips could be earned if the stripping was entertaining, so as you can imagine, things got really hot in the Blauer Salon. Ladies were also asked to cover their nipples, so the guys could play on, undistracted.

12 of the 40 poker players advanced to the Strip Poker Championship Final, in Hamburg, where they will compete for a trip to Las Vegas, which includes 4 nights at the MGM Grand Hotel, a stretch limo and a helicopter ride over Sin City.

via Bild.de

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Quidditch Becomes Top University Sport in America

What started out as a silly dorm sport has now become a national phenomenon, with over 400 registered Quidditch teams, all over the country.

Should the lack of real magical powers prevent us from playing the fun sport we discovered in the wonderful world of Harry Potter? “Hell no!” said the students of America, who put a broom between their legs and started chasing each other across the field, trying to score points.

Muggle Quidditch follows the main rules, described in J.K. Rowling’s book, apart from the flying part, of course. Teams are made up of seven players: three chasers, two beaters, a keeper and a seeker. Chasers try to throw the ball through one of the three hoops, while trying to avoid bludgers and dodgeballs, thrown by beaters. If they’re hit, they must drop the quaffle. Keepers guard the hoops, while seekers have to catch the snitch, a tennis ball wrapped in a sock and hanging by a person’s waist (usually a really fast dude dressed in gold). The catching of the snitch adds an extra 30 points, and ends the game.

Quidditch players should keep the broom between their legs, at all times, or they are penalized with yellow and red wands. It’s a bit harder than it sounds, but people find Muggle Quidditch an intense and enjoyable game. Even prestigious universities like Harvard and Standford have their own Quidditch teams.

via Daily Mail

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Watch Out, Here Comes the Monkey Police

Santisuk a 5-year-old pig-tailed macaque is a proud member of the Thai police, doing his best to keep the streets crime-free.

Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, since Santisuk is really just a mascot for the police force of Saliburi district, Thailand. He was found injured, a while back, and has since then been adopted by local policemen. Every day he puts on his “Monkey Police” uniform and accompanies his colleagues on patrols. He doesn’t do arrests or stakeouts, but he does sit on top of the police car drawing attention and improving police image, in locals’ eyes.

You could say Santisuk is the best PR guy police could ever hire. And he enjoys every minute of his job, especially when he receives tasty treats.

Photos by Damir Sagolj/REUTERS via Daylife

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Meet China’s Coolest Senior Citizen

An old lady, in her 70s, has taken China by storm, after some photos of her appeared on a Chinese forum.

It might seem unusual for a lady of her age to act all goofy like that, but according to Sun Linchong, the woman’s grandson, and the man behind the camera, this adorable granny is very open and cool with new things. Together they set up some props and take funny photos, just for laughs.

When he uploaded the first set of photos, Sun Linchong had no idea his grandmother would become a Chinese internet sensation, but people who’ve seen were instantly mesmerized. Now the duo regularly upload funny photos that apparently remind viewers of their beloved grannies. Take a look at this cool gal:

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100 Kisses in Paris

A 28-year-old Taiwanese girl, studying in Paris, France, has become an internet sensation due to her “100 Kisses in Paris” project.

Yang Yaqing has made it her goal to steal the kisses of 100 men, in Paris. Apparently, Yang has come up with this strange idea, three years ago, but she was judged as promiscuous, in Taiwan. As soon as she went to study overseas, in Paris, she put her plan into action.

Yang’s quest to kiss 100 men began last July, when she began asking strange men, around Paris, if they would give her a kiss. Even though she is an attractive woman, only 80% of the guys she asked, actually accepted her challenge. Some just politely refused.

With the help of a photographer friend, she documented her kisses in Paris and posted them on her blog. After being submitted on a social network, the stolen kisses of Yang Yaqing became an internet sensation, and the Taiwanese girl even launched a book. entitled “A Hundred Kisses in Paris”, which documents 54 of her kisses, so far.

At the end of February, Yang had kissed 67 men, and even though some people disapprove of her project, she says she won’t stop until she reaches her goal, of 100 kisses in Paris.

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Pilobolus Dance Theatre Becomes Human Alphabet

By twisting their bodies into impossible positions, the members of the Pilobolus Dance Theater have recreated 26 letters of the alphabet.

To immortalize their efforts, the Pilobolus recruited photographer John Kane, who used secrets of the trade to make the human letters look amazing. The magic happened in John’s studio, in Connecticut, over a period of four days. According to the six highly trained contortionists that took part in the project, the hardest letters were “C” and “R”. Although they wouldn’t reveal the secret behind how they pulled it off, John and the dancers swear no Photoshop was used. The same thing can’t be said abut the Yoga Dogs calendar.

The human alphabet photos, taken by John Kane, were used in a book aimed at children and adults alike. Called “Pilobolus – The Human Alphabet” this collection of human letters aims to show off the theater’s talent and inspire young dancers.

Photos by JOHN KANE/BARCROFT MEDIA via Daily Mail

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You Think She’s Perfect? So Do 2,000 Other Guys

Young Zhang Mengqian, a university student from China, got more than she bargained for when her “boyfriend-wanted” card caused a stir among her male colleagues.

On March 8, to celebrate Women’s Day, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, in Chengdu, gave every girl student a bland piece of paper, and asked each of them to put down their wish and post it on a wishing wall.

Here’s what freshman Zhang Mengqian wrote on her card: “My name is Zhang Mengqian, a grade one student, and I think I am attractive, but strangely I can’t find a boyfriend. However I believe in destiny. If you have the same wish, please come under my dormitory building and shout for my name in between 12:30 to 12:50 on March 11th, and I will observe you secretly up on the building. If you’re my type, I’ll come down to meet you.”Combine that with a ratio of male and female students of 25:1, and yo have a real horn-fest on your hands.

Zhang Mengqian message became so popular that on noon of March 11, over 2,000 male students gathered in front of her dorm building. Not all of them were brave enough to shout out her name, though, but that’s maybe because none of those who did had any luck.

So i hope you learned your lesson Zhang Mengqian, NEVER ask for a boyfrind in a country with over one billion inhabitants. That’s a big “no-no”!

via Quirky China

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Make Your Own Edible Insects with GUMMIX

Produced by Japanese company Megahouse, the GUMMIX kit allows kids and grown-ups to make their own jelly insects, as pranks or food decorations.

GUMMIX is part of the Megahouse 2010 Shokking lineup, and consists of special gelatin powder and insect molds. It’s as simple as it is fun. Just mix the gelatin with fruit syrup, ketchup or soy sauce, depending on what you’re trying to achieve, and pour the mixture into the molds.  When the jelly starts to harden, attach the limbs with the included tweezers, and there you have it, an edible bug.

The GUMMIX insect kit comes with a mixing cup, recipe cards, and 4 moulds of a beetle, a crawfish, a stag beetle and a sow bug. It costs 3675 yen ($40) and you can purchase 3 extra moulds, for 1570 yen each ($17).

via Gigazine

Gummix-kit

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The World’s Smallest Postal Service

If you truly believe great things come in small packages, then you’ll want to use the World’s Smallest Postal Service to surprise your better half, on Valentine’s Day.

The World’s Smallest Postal Service was created by San-Francisco-based postmistress Lea Redmond, who decided to put the crazy idea into practice as soon as it popped into her head. She just strapped her small desk to her back, hopped on her bicycle and set-up shop in one of the local cafes. Since then she’s come to realize many other people are simply charmed by her miniature postal service.

At the World’s Smallest Postal Service, your letters are written in tiny letters, carefully wrapped and sealed with a miniature was-stamp bearing the sender’s initial. To make sure the tiny messages don’t get lost in the traditional mail, they are packed in transparent envelopes equipped with a magnifying glass for identifying the mailing address.

For Valentine’s Day the mailing rates at the World’s Smallest Postal Service are: $8 plus shipping for letters, and $10 plus shipping for small packages containing an antique china button and a note saying ” You are as cute as a…”

More info on how to order at leafcutterdesigns.

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Swimsuit Skiing Carnival Held in China

Wearing nothing but swimsuits and summer apparel, contestants conquered the snowy slopes, during a fun carnival held in the Shanyang Forest Park, China.

Skiing is fun (Or so I’m told) but sliding down the slope and climbing back up again, can only be exciting for so long. So to spice things up a little, the people at Forest Park organized a fun winter carnival where participants would wear swimsuits and summer clothes.

As you can see in the photos, it was a pretty big hit that attracted a hefty number of skiing (and probably swimming) enthusiasts.

Photos by Zhao Jingdong/Xinhua

via Sina

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