Oddity Central |
- Chinese Artist Creates Transformers Theme Park
- India Introduces Stylish Stilettos for Men
- Las Vegas Gun Store Offers Real Shotgun Weddings
- Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants a Whole Forest
| Chinese Artist Creates Transformers Theme Park Posted: 28 Mar 2012 06:24 AM PDT
It might look like the set of a new low-budget Transformers movie, but Mr. Iron Robot is actually a newly-inaugurated Transformers-themed park in Jiaxing City, China’s Zhejiang Province. 49-year-old artist Zhu Kefeng and his team have spent the last 10 years building giant metal robots from recycled iron and steel parts. He started out by making a realistic model of a car, then opened his own studio and began creating more intricate sculptures. He soon started doing commission work for people who liked his art, and for large orders he even set up a recycle bin where people could donate discarded metal parts. Zhu started working on Mr. Iron Robot theme park in 2010, with the money he had raised for selling his metal sculptures and his apartment in Shanghai. He and his team of collaborators worked hard and managed to turn an old abandoned factory into a modern attraction featuring over 600 Transformers-inspired sculptures. Photo: Xinhua/Xu Yu Asked why he dedicated so much time to creating a kids’ park, Zhu Kefeng said “I still remember the joy I felt when playing with iron toys during my childhood, and I wanted to share that joy with children so I decided to build a theme park. The joy shared with others is even more enjoyable.” Every one of the Transformer-like sculptures at Mr. Iron Robot theme-park is made from recycled metal parts from used cars and motorcycles, and old machinery. He’s definitely not the first Chinese to build his very own Transformers, but I’m pretty sure he built the most. Photo: Xinhua/Xu Yu Photo: Xinhua/Xu Yu Photo: Xinhua/Xu Yu via News.cn Chinese Artist Creates Transformers Theme Park was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| India Introduces Stylish Stilettos for Men Posted: 28 Mar 2012 05:20 AM PDT
Sleek stilettos, often considered the ultimate, or 'queen' heel, are all it takes to make a woman go weak in the knees. There's nothing that lends a woman power and confidence than to be seen strutting down the street in a great pair of heels. The attraction that the perfect pair holds over a woman is normal, and quite understandable. But apparently now men want it too… According to The Times Of India, stilettos for men have recently been introduced in fashion circles around India. That is just weird! I hope this is not men's answer to women who have been borrowing from their wardrobe all these years. I mean, it's nice to see a woman wearing pants or shorts, but a man in stilettos? But believe it or not, heels are indeed becoming the latest fad in men's fashion. But we’re not talking about the common Indian man here. I can confidently say that if I went out on the streets of India and asked about a 100 men if they would like to be seen in a pair of stilettos, they would ‘flatly’ refuse. Some might even ask what stilettos are, others would just run away, but most would probably punch me right in the kisser. But that’s not how things stand with the men of India’s high society. Photo: fsquarefashion.com As all other fashion statements, the 'heels for men' are aimed at the elite class, going by the price range – anywhere between $500 to $5,000 a pair – way out of the regular man's budget. Opinions among Indian designers and celebrities about the fad are pretty much divided. Some say it will never last, and others claim heels for men are here to stay. According to designers like Manish Malhotra and Ravi Bajaj, the use of men's stilettos will be marginal because guys might find it more difficult to keep their balance in them than women. Bajaj says that rather than stilettos, a more tapered, chiseled heel could be appropriate for men who are interested in wearing them. Photo: Wikipedia Indian comedian Vir Das, who isn't exactly known for his height, says he definitely won't try them. "I'm happy with my feet," he says. "As for the height issue, I'm a funny guy so having a sense of humor is far better than wearing a pair of heels." Then there are those like popular VJ Cyrus who are all gung-ho about the fad. I do think he might have been joking though, when he said, "Why not do away with women's heels and let men wear theirs, to even out their balance." Well Mr. Cyrus, I sure would like to see you pry away a pair of heels from a woman and come out of the experience unharmed. Big names of the fashion industry, like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Yves St Laurent, Jimmy Choo, have long been offering men a wide range of heel shoes and boots, but so far stilettos have been off-limits to the stronger sex. Well, Indian men are ready to say “No more!” India Introduces Stylish Stilettos for Men was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Las Vegas Gun Store Offers Real Shotgun Weddings Posted: 28 Mar 2012 04:18 AM PDT
Las Vegas is known for its bizarre wedding ceremonies, but Shotgun Weddings really do take the cake (pun intended). Generally, a shotgun wedding would refer to a ceremony that has been put together on a spur-of-the moment whim. But now the term has taken on a literal meaning, with the ‘Gun Store on Tropicana’ in Las Vegas actually offering wedding services with a shotgun based theme. The Shotgun wedding ceremony is certainly unique – instead of the Wedding March, it's just gunfire in the background as the couple walks down the aisle and exchanges vows. The maid of honor is conveniently substituted by a zombie poster hanging over the bride. There are very few guests, and the reception that follows is celebrated on the shooting range with more gunfire (the couple goes crazy firing a few rounds at targets). Reactions to the shotgun wedding idea are quite varied. Some people call it different, some are actually jealous that they didn't get to do it themselves. The concept is the brainchild of the store's marketing director Emily Miller, who just walked into her boss's office one day and said, "Let's do weddings!" Photo: The Gun Store As innovative and exciting as shotgun weddings sound, I really doubt a lot of women would want to get married right in the middle of gunfire. It's a whole different story for men though, I'm sure they would be thrilled, and Miller confirms this; she says the concept is very appealing to guys and they tend to get more involved in the wedding process. Still wondering why that is? Well, for starters, at $500 – 700, it costs next to nothing when compared with regular weddings, and that’s a really strong selling point for most guys. Also, perhaps it's because after the wedding, the men get to shoot a few rounds to get over the fact that they are now 'tied down for life'. Well, look on the bright side, at least the couples at this Las Vegas wedding won't be drunk, as I’m pretty sure the gun store has a policy against operating live weapons while intoxicated.
via My Fox Phoenix Las Vegas Gun Store Offers Real Shotgun Weddings was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants a Whole Forest Posted: 28 Mar 2012 03:58 AM PDT
It's truly amazing when we get to cover news of people who single-handedly create something truly significant. Churches on a mountain side, for instance. Or in this case, an entire forest. Jadav Payeng, a man in his mid-fifties, has been instrumental in converting a sand bar in the middle of the river Brahmaputra in Assam, India, into a huge forest. His work of the past 30 years is being recognized by tourists and film-makers, the world over. Mulai, as Jadav is known among locals, started work on the land in 1980. A scheme was launched at that time by the social forestry division of the district, involving the planting of trees on only 200 hectares. The project was completed after 5 years and all the laborers left, except Mulai. Dedicated to the forest, he stayed on and single-handedly looked after the trees, continuing to plant more of them. Eventually, the forest expanded to 550 hectares. According to Assistant Conservator of Forest, Gunin Saikia, this is perhaps the world’s biggest forest in the middle of a river. Mulai says there's potential to extend this even further to 1000 hectares. Inspired, the department has planned to launch another plantation program this year. Photo: Cea. The Assamese name given to the forest is "Mulai Kathoni," meaning Mulai's forest. It is home to several thousands of varieties of trees. Bamboo alone covers about 300 hectares. And it's not just the plants, there's wildlife living in there too. There are about four tigers, three rhinos and more than a hundred deer, rabbits and apes. There are innumerable varieties of birds who call this place home, as well. A herd of about 100 elephants is known to visit the place every year for six months. Mulai Kathoni has attracted several visitors so far, including British film maker Tom Robert. Photo: Cea. Mulai lives in the vicinity of the forest, in a small hut, with his wife, two sons and a daughter. He makes money for a living by selling cow and buffalo milk. I suppose people such as Mulai are an inspiration to the entire world. If one man can build a forest, it's amazing to think what we can achieve if we work together. via Asian Age Indian Man Single-Handedly Plants a Whole Forest was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
