You can buy a bottle a bottle of Malaria-infested water, as well as well as many other potentially fatal diseases at vending machines across Manhattan, New York.

UNICEF has devised a very original way of raising awareness to the water problem millions of people across the globe are facing every day. The Dirty Water campaign gives people the chance to buy a bottle of disease-infected water, other people are forced to drink on a daily basis. The water-bottles are kept in vending machines across Manhattan and can be purchased for $1 each.

Of course, the water isn’t really poisoned, but it does look very dirty. The campaign has been very successful so far, exceeding all expectations. Passers-by are encouraged to make a donation through the vending machines, by SMS or online.

Here’s what is written on the Dirty Water vending machines:

“Thirsty? So are millions of people around the world with no access to clean drinking water. 4,200 children die of water-related diseases everyday. Help provide safe drinking water to developing countries. Donate today. You wouldn’t drink dirty water. No one should. Donate now by texting TAP to 864233 (UNICEF) or visit tapproject.org.
Just a dollar provides a child with 40 days of clean drinking water.”

photos via Ochevidec

And I don’t mean it’s slightly larger than your every day carrot-muncher, Benny is a regular bunny giant.

Two year-old Benny is a Flemish buck who’s about to receive the title of longest rabbit in the world. He probably also holds the record for the world’s heaviest bunny, but the Guinness Book of Records no longer certifies this title, due to problems with owners who overfed their animals.

Benny’s owners also set up a website for him on Facebook and use it to promote the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, which faces serious financial difficulties. Benny already has 270 online friends.

The giant buck measures 85 centimeters in length and weighs over 10 kilograms. Benny is house-trained, knows how to ask for treats and spends a lot of time with the family dog. He kisses him often and the owners think Benny doesn’t know for sure if he’s a rabbit or a dog.

Photos by Caters News Agency Ltd

via Daily Mail

One day, every year, getting down and dirty in mud is a good thing.

On July 7, hundreds of kids gathered in Westland, Michigan for the annual Mud Day. For once parents actually encouraged their children to jump in a pool of mud and just have some good, clean fun.

Just like Mud Day 2008, this year’s event was sponsored by Westland Country Parks and Recreation and consisted of several muddy events, including a wheelbarrow race. The dirty rascals had a mud hole filled with 200 tons of mud-soil and 20,000 gallons of water.

Photos by CFP

via CCTV

The smartest autonomous robots in the world prepare for one of the most important robot competitions in the world, the World Cup of RoboCup.

Brilliant minds from all round the globe build soccer-playing-robots and compete in the RoboCup, to promote the development of artificial intelligence. This year, the weekend-long contest was held in the Austrian city of Graz and the protagonists tried to put on a show worth watching.

The Soccer World Cup for robots is not as young an event as you might think. It dates back to 1993 and, across the years, it took place in countries like Japan, Italy and USA. There are different league matches, from the standard to the smaller than 180 mm league.

In one of the leagues, teams use identical robots, and have the task of developing a software that can allow the machines to move autonomously. The dream of the developers is to one day create an entire team of autonomous robots that can defeat the human winners of the Soccer World Cup.

Photos by Reuters

via Telegraph.co.uk

Spanish people really have a thing for bulls, don’t they. Bullfighting, the festival of Pamplona, they’re all centered around the bull.

During the Bous a la Mar Festival, in Denia, near the city of Alicante, people get chased by bulls through the streets and into the Mediterranean Sea. The brave participants plunge into the waters just before the bulls are about to catch them. The animals often fall into the sea as well, where they are taunted some more. Eventually, the bulls are caught with a lasso and towed back to shore by a boat.

via Telegraph.co.uk

What do you do when your kids leave you with entire boxes of old toys they don’t like anymore? Well, you can donate them, throw them away or, do something creative with them.

Robert Bradford, a part-time psychotherapist from Cornwall, UK, opted for the third option when his two kids left him with a bunch of discarded toys. Luckily, one day, while he was staring at them, he came up with the wonderful idea of using them to create artistic sculptures.

His first artwork was an Alsatian dog that he doesn’t much like these days. But this was the experiment that started his career as an artist. That was four years ago. Since then, Robert Bradford has used thousands of toys to make truly incredible toy sculptures, like the soldier and angel you see in the photos below.

The artist uses up to 3,000 used toys for each of his toy sculptures and sells them for prices that go as high as 12,000 British pounds. That’s pretty expensive, but hey, it’s art, right?

Make sure you check Robert Bradford’s official site for more photos and info about his beautiful works of art.

Photos by Robert Bradford/BARCROFT MEDIA

via Daily Mail

One thing is for sure, the Chinese know how to relax.

I mean, what’s more relaxing than an old fashioned pillow fight? It makes you laugh, lets you take release the pressure without hurting anyone, it’s perfect. Looking at the photos, I can say this outdoor pillow fight, staged by the authorities of Nanning, China, was a great success. People are laughing, having a good time, like they have no care in the world.

via China.org.cn

The Chinese know how to have fun and make money at the same time.

During a contest that took place in Nanning, competing teams had to squeeze as many members as they could into a car. They had 3 minutes to get into the car and had to last 10 seconds with all the car doors shut. Not an easy task, but with all that Yoga, I’m sure they managed pretty well. We don’t know how many people fit into that car for the win, but what we do know is the winning team got a prize of 500 yuan. That’s about $73. But who are we kidding, it was never about the money.

via people.com.cn

Guy makes wooden replica of a Hummer and posts it for sale on eBay.

Although its owner is advertising it as an off-road vehicle, but seeing as it’s made almost completely out of plywood, I’d think twice before driving it on rough terrain. It is built on the chassis of a 90’s Chevrolet S10 and reaches a top speed of…well I don’t know exactly, but I’m sure it’s not very much.

Someone actually bought the wooden Hummer for the price of $3,350. Congratulations and drive safely!

via Jalopnik

Sharing your bed with common pets like cats or dogs is so last year. Right now it’s all about big cats, and lots of them.

Riana Van Nieuwenhuizen thought she should do her part in saving cheetahs from extinction, so she bought one back in 2006. The 46-year-old South African left her job at the department of justice and found some temporary employment on a game ranch, where she could raise Fiela.

Now, Riana runs Fiela Funds Cheetah Breeding Project, a non-profit that fights to ensure the survival of cheetahs in their own ecosystem. Along the way, she also took in another 10 big cats, with which she often shares her bed.

Her four cheetahs, five white lions and two tigers are a handful, but Riana loves every one of them and puts up with all their naughtiness. Her 2 dogs have also grown quite fond of the felines and don’t mind snuggling up to them.

Photos by John Liebenberg/BARCROFT MEDIA

via Daily Mail

Some of the ugliest dogs in the world gathered at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, California to compete for the title of World’s Ugliest Pedigree Dog.

Just like last year. the contest was dominated by a pure breed Chinese crested hairless. 15-year-old Miss Ellie has only a few of her back teeth left, cataracts in both eyes and her hairless body is covered with moles and pimples. Her dream is to travel the world and prove that ‘ugly’ is just a word and says nothing about her great personality.

Having been rescued herself, Miss Ellie hopes she can be a spokesmodel for not-so-cute rescue dogs. Along with the title of World’s Ugliest Pedigree Dog, Miss Ellie also received a big trophy and $1,000.

I wonder if, Gus, World’s Ugliest Dog 2008 competed this year, he was a great deal uglier than Miss Ellie.

via Daily Mail

Chinese man stages what could be considered as the most romantic wedding proposal of all time.

Mr. Tian, from the city of Jinan, China used 9,999 roses to propose to his girlfriend, Ms. Liu. Don’t laugh, we only know their surnames. Anyway, Mr. Tian really planned this special marriage proposal to the smallest detail. He had a big rose-heart set-up in front of the hotel him and Ms. Liu were staying and had all of his friends and hotel staff waiting for his girlfriend with a big bouquet of roses on every floor.

Meanwhile, back in their room, Tian got down on one knee and popped the question to his girlfriend. You can imagine what Ms. Liu’s answer was, right? But with so many people in on this, could she really have said no?

via People.com.cn

Canadian needle-worker, Joanna Lopianowski-Roberts, spent eight years making what could be considered the most amazing replica of the Sistine Chapel paintings.

Inspired by a magazine cut-out of the Sistine Chapel, stuck-up on her bathroom wall, Joana spent eight years knitting Michelangelo’s masterpiece. She says starting was the hardest part, because she just didn’t know where to begin.

To make sure her knitted work-of-art follows every detail of the original painting, Joanna made close-ups of every section of the artwork and even bought some books from Rome. After a total of 3,572 hours of work, Joana Lopianowski-Roberts created a perfect 40 inches by 80 inches replica of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

Her knitted masterpiece now sits safely in Joana’s home, but the artist says she would consider selling it for the right price. I’m sure she already has plenty of offers. The old-ladies who knitted their village managed to sell their creations, so finding a buyer for this should be a breeze.

Photos by BARCROFT MEDIA

via Telegraph.co.uk

Remember He Ping Ping, currently the shortest man in the world? Well, you’ll soon forget all about him as he’ll be stripped of his title by Khagendra Thapa Magar.

Nicknamed “Little Buddha“, by his fellow Nepalese villagers, Khagendra Thapa Magar is just 4 months away from officially becoming the world’s shortest man.He will be turning 18 and the Guinness Book of Records will have to acknowledge him as the tiniest human on the planet.

Khagendra has become quite  a sensation in  Nepal and even India and even his country’s politicians are fighting to see him recognized as the world’s smallest man. He travels Nepal as part of a dancing group only to let people know he will soon be in the record books.

Otherwise a very healthy individual, Khagendra has a malfunctioning pituitary gland that caused him to grow very slowly. His parents admit they were ashamed to be seen with him in the beginning, but now they feel proud to be the parents of the shortest man in the world. Khagendra Thapa Magar measures just 2 feet, 5 inches less than He Ping Ping.

A big karate and dancing fan, the petite Nepalese said he can’t wait to officially receive his title and fullfil his dream of traveling to the USA, to show the western world his dancing and karate skills.

via Telegraph.co.uk

Times Square is one of the most crowded places on Earth, but that didn’t stop 200+ people from practicing yoga right in the middle of it.

On the morning of the Summer Solstice, on June 21, 2009 more than 200 yoga enthusiasts gathered in the “Crossroads of the World” for the seventh annual free yoga classes. Participants probably thought it would be  a challenge to achieve total peace and calmness in the center of Time Square.

I wonder if yoga granny took part in this unusual yoga session.

Photos by REUTERS/XINHUA

via People.com.cn