The Buffalo Fighting Festival is held annually, on the northern coast of Vietnam and draws huge crowds, eager to see a display of violence.

Buffalo owners train the peaceful creatures and even pray on the night before the festival, to ensure their beast is victorious. To the crowd’s disappointment the animals often do nothing more than look at each other and go about their business. On rare  occasions they cros their scythe like horns and push each other like sumo wrestlers.

The victorious buffalo is cheered by thousands of people, while its owner displays it for all to see and collects a prize of 40 million dong. But the winner has little time to enjoy his success, as both buffalos are sacrificed and their meat offered to the spectators. The owners are allowed to take a keepsake, like the animal’s head. Read More »

It may not look like much, but Citicar was once one of the most popular vehicles in the United States and still manages to turn heads with its bizarre look.

Produced between 1974 and 1977, by Sebrin Vanguard Inc., Citicar is the most produced electric car in the history of American car manufacturing. Powered only by batteries, the golf-cart sized Citicar reached a top speed of 63km/h and was a big hit especially during the fuel crisis of the ’70s.

In 1976, Sebring Vanguard sold enough electric cars to secure the number 6 spot in the top American car manufacturers. Although the company went bankrupt in 1977, the Citicar design was acquired by Comuter Vehicles and produce in many variants.

It may be fuel efficient, but it sure is ugly

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Two weeks after the Tokyo Gundam statue was dismantled, a new robot statue was unveiled in Kobe, Japan. This time it’s the Tetsujin 28-go aka Gigantor.

This mean looking machine was set up in Wakamatsu Park, Kobe and unlike the RX78 Gundam statue it will remain here permanently. The funds for the construction of Gigantor were not supplied by big-time corporations either. The approximately 1.5 million dollars were raised by local shop owners, in hope that it will bring commerce and people to Kobe.

The city of Kobe was seriously damaged by an earthquake, in 1995, and its population has decreased to around 80% of what it was before the cataclysm. Mitsuteru Yokoyama, a legendary manga artists, was born in Kobe and helped design Tetsujin 28-go.

via Mainichi

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Why spend your money on a boring apartment when you can live the rest of your life in a cool abandoned missile silo?

Bruce Townsley, a former social worker from Chicago, got the idea of turning a missile silo into a comfortable home in the mid ’80s, while watching the Johnny Carson Show. One of the guest had actually set up a home inside a nuclear missile base and Bruce just knew that’s he wanted for himself.

It wasn’t until 1997 that he actually got his hands on a missile silo, but since then he turned into real dream house. The living space is around 1,000 square feet and is basically a huge concrete bubble suspended from a central pole. He did a nice job decorating, but he also kept some of the old stuff around, like the massive blast doors.

the owner says his missile silo home couldn’t withstand a nuclear strike these days, but it handles the strong Texas storms just fine.

Head over to Wired for more info and pics on this truly unusual house.

Photos by Jim Merithew/Wired.com

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He Wenjun, an artist from China, was recognized by Guinness Book of Records for creating the world’s largest paintbrush.

The artist claims he used the tails of 300 horses to make the 12-foot brush, which weighs 115 lb and almost double that when it is soaked in ink. He Wenjun said it took him a year to make the brush and another year to learn how to control it.

The proud new Guinness record holder took part in a special exhibition in Nanchong, where he displayed his calligraphy talents, using the giant paintbrush.

Photos by CEN via Europics

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PC Case modding is really hot right now and modders are going out of their way trying to come up with the most original designs. The man behind this miniature room is definitely on the right track.

Featuring a sofa, armchairs, coffee table and even a working lamp, this miniature room seems created especially for the little guys in The Borrowers movie. And accessories like the gumball machine and the New York Times newspaper make it look like a real home. Let’s just hope he decides to keep the side panel open, or the inhabitants could melt to death.

It seems East-European modders are on a roll these days, you might remember other cool works like the Wall-e case mod or the Cooker Computer that also came from that area.

via Modding.ru

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If you thought nations like Luxembourg, Monaco or Lichtenstein were small, wait until you learn about the microscopic republic of Molossia.

It may have a surface of just half a hectare and look like any normal house hold in the American desert, but Molossia is a real country, with a leader and everything. The smallest country in the world is located near Dayton, Nevada and has been ruled for over 30 years, by President Kevin Baugh. But his great nation ( 2 sons and 3 dogs) has yet to file a complaint.

Molossia is the world’s smallest republic, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have laws. If you set foot on Molossian soil, you have to have your passport approved and stamped. The microscopic nation even has its own postal service, currency (made from poker chips), bottled water and the national dish is raw cookie dough.

Unlike other countries, Molossia has a simple, but well developed health-care system: every citizen can just go to the first-aid box and get whatever they need, for free.

Kevin Baugh, together with a friend came up with the idea of establishing their own micronation when they were teenagers, after watching The Mouse that Roared. Throughout the years Baugh even took his country to a “tongue-in-cheek” war with the neighboring microstate Mustachian, ruled by Sultan Ali-Ali Achsenfree, and won.

Molossia doesn’t pay American taxes and even wants to develop its own electric system to be even more independent.

Photos by CHRIS LOBINA/ REX FEATURES

via Telegraph.co.uk

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Fans of Battle Star Galactica are going to love this. A do-it-yourself Cylon Pumpkin is the perfect Halloween accessory for any fan of the series.

All you need to make your very own Cylon jack-o-lantern is a big, fat pumpkin and the new Larson Scanner kit. I’m sure you can find your own pumpkin, as for the kit, you can buy at from Evil Mad Scientist, for just $13.  That’s pocket change for a true Battle Star Galactica fan. Actually, that’s pocket change any way you look at it.

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That’s right, Berkeley Pit is one of the few places in the world where you have to pay to look at a giant pool of toxic waste.

Located in Butte, Montana, Berkeley Pit is a former open-pit copper mind turned weird tourist attraction. It’s one mile long over half a mile wide and 1780 feet deep, 900 of which are full of extremely toxic water. On the surface, the poison looks a lot like blood and is so saturated with copper, miners were able to harvest the metal directly from the water. From 13 million gallons of water, 400,000 pounds of copper were produced.

The acidic water includes chemicals like arsenic, cadmium, zinc or sulfuric acid and, if you were to drink some, it would corrode through your digestive system before getting a chance to poison you. In 1995 a flock of migrating geese landed on Berkeley Pit and never took flight again. A total of 342 carcasses were recovered. Since the incident a bird watch program was implemented.

But, interestingly enough, good things can come out of toxic waste. Scientists have discovered new types of bacteria that have adapted to the harsh conditions of Berkeley Pit, by producing highly toxic compounds that improve survivability. These chemicals have proven very resilient to cancer and further research is currently ongoing.

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Le Palais Ideal is one of the most popular examples of naive art architecture, built by Ferdinand Cheval, a French Postman, over a period of 33 years.

Cheval began building his Ideal Palace in April 1879. While he was on the job, the postman tripped over a stone and was impressed by its unusual shape. Inspired by the stone, he returned the following day and started gathering more rocks and putting them in his pockets. Over time he began carrying them in baskets and then, in a wheelbarrow.

With no architectural skills whatsoever, Ferdinand Cheval managed to build his Ideal Palace, combining several styles and using the Bible and Hingu mythology as inspiration. He spent 20 years on the outer walls alone, binding the stones together with lime, mortar and cement and decorating them with all sorts of chapel and temple models.

Cheval wanted to be buried in his Palais Ideal, but French law didn’t allow it. So he spent the last years of his life building himself an intricate mausoleum, in the cemetery of Hauterives. His palace was recognized as a masterpiece and is now a cultural landmark and one of France’s popular tourist attractions.

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Located in the Coyhaique province, Chile, the Marble Caves are some of the most impressive attractions of Patagonia.

Las Cavernas de Marmol, as the Spanish call them were created by the clear waters of Rio Tranquilo that dug into a giant limestone peninsula, creating an impressive labyrinth of caves. The peninsula is known as the Marble Cathedral and can be reached by boat, during a guided tour.

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An impressive replica of the original Batmobile has been turning heads on the streets of Sweden, recently.

Batman undoubtedly one of the most comic-book hero of all times and fans are always trying to find or build the coolest memorabilia. Not long ago we featured some photos of a home-built Batman Tumbler built from scratch and of a Tumbler built from a Go Kart. Now a Swedish dude apparently spent around one million dollars over 3-5 years to convert a 1973 Lincoln Continental into an awesome replica of the original Batmobile.

A result of over 20,000 hours of work, the Batmobile replica comes with voice recognition, DVD players, height adjustment, reversing cameras and other gadgets. It’s definitely one of the coolest Batmobile replicas I’ve seen.

via Like Cool

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Ok, so maybe it’s not exactly perfect, but Masatrigo Hill, or Cerro Masatrigo is as close as you can get to finding a natural cone-shaped landmark.

Located in Badajoz province, Spain, Masatrigo Hill has always been considered an extinct volcano, by the locals, because of its cone-like shape. Scientists haven’t yet been able to determine how Cerro Masatrigo was formed, and the mystery behind it allowed people to come up with all sorts of legends and stories, and earned it the nickname “magic mountain”.

The name “Masatrigo” means “wheat dough”. It reminds me of the Chocolate Hills of the Philippines

via WOW!Travel

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Chinese create a giant flag of China made from thousands of red hot peppers and corn cobs.

These days, there is a nationwide celebration going on in China, with just a few hours left until the country’s 60th anniversary and its people are going out of their way to prove how much it means to them.

In the village of Daxinzhuang, a giant Chinese flag is spread all over the road side. Nothing odd about that, only it’s made from hot peppers and corn cobs. If Israel has the world’s biggest flag, I think it’s safe to say China now has the world’s spiciest.

via ImagineChina

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10,000 people gathered in Chongquing, China and laughed simultaneously, during a campaign to celebrate the 60th anniversary of People’s Republic of China.

In order to prove the love for their country, the Chinese have come up with some very original its 60th anniversary. After a Chinese hairdresser created a replica of Tianan Men Square out of human hair, 10,000 people gathered in Chongquing for what can be considered one the biggest collective laughter in history.

via ImagineChina

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