Oddity Central |
- World’s Hottest Vodka Rates 100,000 on the Scoville Scale
- Guy Spends 9 Years Digging His Basement with Remote-Controlled Earthmovers
- If Your Name Is Smith, This Man Wants to Hear from You
- It Was Bound to Happen: Man Suffers Cardiac Arrest at Heart Attack Grill
| World’s Hottest Vodka Rates 100,000 on the Scoville Scale Posted: 17 Feb 2012 01:10 AM PST
The Naga Jolokia chilli is dangerously hot and can cause serious damage if ingested raw, but that didn’t stop a spirits company from mixing 18 kilograms of the fiery peppers with vodka, and creating one of the hottest drinks known to man – the Naga Chilli Vodka. The chilli used in the making of this spicy treat is hotter than most law-enforcement pepper sprays, and the 100,000 Scoville units ranking means the Naga Chilli Vodka is twice as hot as Tabasco and almost as hot as the Habanero and Scotch Bonnet chillies. Most people think Jalapeno peppers are hot, but they’re rated at just 5,000 Scoville units, so you can imagine how hot naga Chilli Vodka is. In fact retailers like Master of Malt have posted a health warning that goes like this:
Naga Chilli Vodka is made by fermenting liters of the alcoholic drink with 18 kg of Naga Jolokia peppers. The burning concoction is left for several weeks to infuse, during which time it also changes color, turning into a delicious gold. Mixologists apparently recommend this stuff be used for cocktails like Bloody Mary, probably because it would just burn through your intestines if consumed straight up. World’s Hottest Vodka Rates 100,000 on the Scoville Scale was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Guy Spends 9 Years Digging His Basement with Remote-Controlled Earthmovers Posted: 17 Feb 2012 12:16 AM PST
Who could have thought that videos showing tiny amounts of dirt being pushed around by remote-controlled earthmovers would receive nearly 3 million hits on YouTube? Unbelievable, but true. The videos are those of Canadian Joe Murray digging a basement in his home. He's been doing so for the past 9 years. Okay, so 9 years seems absolutely unnecessary to do something as simple as excavate a basement. But not where Murray lives. In Saskatchewan, Canada, winters get as harsh as -15C for several weeks. So what he did was convert the seemingly small job into a long-term hobby, by using small tools. Murray works as a farmer of grains and cattle by day. Toying around with the basement is what he describes as his "escape from everyday realities." Just take a look at the videos and you'll realize how much fun he's having with his little remote-controlled toys. The plus side is that his house gets a new basement. In a few more years, of course. After all, the excavators shift only about three cubic meters of soil every year. When Murray started his project, he worked hands-on. He first worked a pickaxe on the east wall, and later used the air chisel hammer to remove dirt and dust. Next came the R/C earthmovers, after which all he needed were coordination skills to be able to dig dirt. According to Murray, he's got great dexterity in both hand and eye coordination. "I can mental picture several different scenarios of how to best tackle a project, make a better plan for success lessening the chance of a costly failure." Some of the skills he's picked up have helped him in farming too.
The basement will be ready soon, and Murray has no intentions of stopping after that. Next he wants to give the barn a makeover, and dig a pond in there as well. Looks like he's got plans to keep himself busy for the next decade or so.
via Herald Sun Guy Spends 9 Years Digging His Basement with Remote-Controlled Earthmovers was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| If Your Name Is Smith, This Man Wants to Hear from You Posted: 16 Feb 2012 11:54 PM PST
"I look for Smiths." That's how Bob Ziegler, from Minot, North Dakota, describes his hobby of 30 years. While most people are content with collecting stamps and bottle caps, Ziegler's hobby is a little more complicated. He looks for people with the last name Smith and writes to them with a simple request: to send him their business cards. In the last 30 years, he has managed to track down thousands of Smiths, and sent them handwritten letters. Included with the letter is a stamped, self-addressed envelope that can be used to send him back the business cards. Since 1982, Ziegler has sent over 2,500 letters, and collected 1,014 cards. The Smiths in his collection are spread in all 50 states of the US, and also seven other countries. Some of the responses he has received are a lot more interesting than the cards themselves. For instance, the chief deputy at Escambia County Sherriff's Office, Larry E. Smith wrote, "It is an honor to serve the public whether it is providing assistance in times of need or providing a business card for someone's collection because my last name is Smith." The late president of American Pop Corn Co., Wrede H. Smith, sent not just his own card, but those of his son and nephew. He even threw in coupons for free JOLLY TIME popcorn. Of course, not everyone has been so enthusiastic to participate in Ziegler's weird hobby. "What – are you nuts?" wrote back one Smith, with no card in the envelope. A few Smiths have been honest enough to admit that they did not have business cards.
Ziegler has created a few rules for his hobby, to keep things fair. He only uses the print media as a source for information on Smiths. Googling 'Smith', he feels, would amount to cheating. He also doesn't approach companies and institutions with Smith in them. The reason he chose the name Smith is pretty simple – it's the most common last name in the U.S. For him, the hobby has actually become a lot more than tracking down Smiths and asking them for their cards. It's actually more of a lesson in psychology, he says, looking at various people's reactions to his requests. The 60-year-old retired Air Force master sergeant sure has found himself a unique activity. He could have gone for 'Ziegler' cards as well, but he says the thought never crossed his mind. If Your Name Is Smith, This Man Wants to Hear from You was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| It Was Bound to Happen: Man Suffers Cardiac Arrest at Heart Attack Grill Posted: 16 Feb 2012 11:33 PM PST
In a weird karmic twist, a man suffered a heart attack while dining at a place called the Heart Attack Grill. A sign outside warns customers: "Go away. If you come to this place, it's going to kill you." I suppose all that the restaurant owners could say to this guy is – 'we told you so'. We did a story about the restaurant here on OC a few years ago, but ittle did we know back then that it would one day cause someone to go into cardiac arrest. The man remains unidentified, although a video shot by an onlooker shows that he might be in his 40s. The video captured paramedics rushing him out of the Las Vegas branch of the restaurant. When the disaster struck, he was actually chowing down a whopping 6000-calorie Triple Bypass Burger. Needless to say, he soon started to experience chest pains. and now he may actually need a bypass. The food at the Heart Attack Grill is marketed with the catchphrase, "Taste Worth Dying For." Take a look at the picture of the Triple Bypass Burger, and you’ll understand what that means. With 3 layers of meat, cheese, red onions, 12 rashes of bacon, and sliced tomatoes, it actually looks pretty delicious, if you’re into greasy fast food. I personally don’t find it irresistible , but I suppose you'd have to be a true lover of junk-food to be able to find something like this palatable. What's worse is that the restaurant offers free food to obese customers who weigh over 350 pounds. Add some waitresses dressed as naughty nurses, and you have yourself a pretty deadly combo. The cheeky attitude of the chain owners towards health-related issues has provoked a lot of criticism and anger. Some allegations have labeled the incident a publicity stunt, but this has been denied by owner Jon Basso, who – get this – was formerly a nutritionist running a weight loss center. "I actually felt horrible for him," says Basso. "Even with our morbid sense of humor, we would never pull a stunt like that." Well, what did he expect, with 8000-calorie meals like the Quadruple Bypass Burgers and Fries made in pure lard?
via CBS News It Was Bound to Happen: Man Suffers Cardiac Arrest at Heart Attack Grill was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
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