Oddity Central

Oddity Central


Guy Claims He Has Tamed a Japanese Giant Wasp, Keeps It on a Leash

Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:05 AM PDT

The Japanese giant hornet is known as one of the world's largest and most aggressive insects. It is two inches long with a quarter-inch stinger, can fly at speeds up to 25 mph, and is feared for its powerful, poisonous stings that claim at least 40 lives in Japan every summer. So when a Japanese man made an outlandish claim that he had actually tamed a hornet, no one really believed him.

But Twitter user Mikuru625's has been trying to convince everyone that he actually has a pet giant hornet by posting photos of it. He said that he had captured the hornet with a butterfly net and held it with tweezers while he removed its sting and poison sacs. He then put a string around its thorax, so that the insect follows him wherever he goes. "He does bite occasionally but it doesn't hurt," the owner says.

Dead Stinger For A Pet Causes Debate in Japan

The Infamous Rainbow Grapes – Are They Real?

Posted: 15 Aug 2014 03:30 AM PDT

With digital software like Photoshop being used ever so often to alter things so perfectly, it’s hard to tell what’s real anymore. Take these photos of the so-called ‘rainbow grapes’ that have been doing the rounds online for about a month. They’re about the coolest-looking fruit I’ve ever seen, but are they real?

Well, yes and no. Rainbow grapes do exist, but they are just regular grapes photographed in a ripening stage known as Veraison, or the ‘onset of ripening’. "When grapes go into the final stage of ripening, the young immature grapes have a very dark, opaque green color and a very hard texture, like little rocks," said Larry Stone, master sommelier and restaurateur. “And then when they go through veraison, the skin goes through coloration. If they're white grapes, they go from a dark green to a kind of yellowish green color, and they get more and more transparent. A red grape will go from a green color to a red color." The shade of red depends on the variety of grape.”

rainbow-grapes

Texas Man Spends $2.2 Million Turning His Backyard into Four-Pool Waterpark

Posted: 15 Aug 2014 12:39 AM PDT

Summer in Texas may be merciless, but Hal Jones from Austin has found a great way to stay cool at all times. He spent a whopping $2.2 million to have four enormous pools built into his backyard. He wanted to create a pool experience that's 'second-to-none', so he chose a property located on the shores of Lake Travis – where his guests could arrive by boat.

Once he identified the property, Jones hired designer Evan Mills to come up with a plan for the water-park and create four pools, each with its own unique design. "We have the hot tub, the kiddie pool, Lazy River and Negative Edge pool," said Jones.

The lazy river pool, which includes a swim-up bar, is where he entertains his friends. "I traveled throughout Texas and saw how people loved the lazy river pools," he said. "You don't need to get out of the pool to enjoy a drink!"

Lake-Travis-pools

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