Oddity Central |
- You Too Can Kill Osama bin Laden, in a Real-Life Navy SEALS Role-Playing Game
- Teenager Sets New World Record at Mobile-Phone Throwing Contest
- Gotmar Mela – India’s Centuries-Old Stone Pelting War
| You Too Can Kill Osama bin Laden, in a Real-Life Navy SEALS Role-Playing Game Posted: 20 Aug 2012 03:34 AM PDT
Ever wish you were the one pulling the trigger during the famous SEALS raid that rid the world of Osama bin Laden? Well, thanks to Larry Yatch and his realistic re-enactment, now you can. And it only costs you $325. Retired Navy SEAL Larry Yacht opened Sealed Mindset, a 10,000-square-feet gun-safety and defense instruction center in New Hope, Minnesota, where he hosts a high-end role-playing game that offers people the chance to shoot and kill terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Since its inauguration in April, 137 people have signed up to take out the Al-qaida leader in a re-enactment of the famous Pakistan raid. A man wearing a white robe and fake beard plays the dreaded terrorist and the would-be SEALS led by Yacht himself have to infiltrate his hideout, reach his room and finally take him out with a few paintball rounds before he has a chance to shoot them. According to participants quoted by Minnesota Public Radio, the experience is “awesome” “intense” and gets the adrenaline going. Photo: Sealed Mindset/Facebook The Sealed Mindset role playing game starts off with a briefing from Commander Yacht himself. He greets them with news that the President has authorized them to capture Osama bin Laden. ”We’re going to be flying from our base in Afghanistan,” he adds. “Obviously, this is a complete Black Op.” He then proceeds to explain the mission, instructing them to try to take him alive, unless he starts shooting back. He also warns them that if they happen to be picked up in Pakistan, it’s every man for himself and that no one is to admit they are actually SEALS. Once the mission briefing is over, participants are taken to a small gun range to practice taking out Osama with real assault rifles. Here they have to shoot at life-size photos of the terrorist leader dangling from the ceiling to set the mood for the actual raid. Photo: Sealed Mindset/Facebook Once their done practicing shooting, participants get to shoot bin Laden one by one. Yacht accompanies them on the corridors of his Sealed Minds studio, and into a dark room were speakers blast sounds of helicopters and firearms, making participants feel like they really are in a hostile environment where death lurks at every corner. As they approach Osama bin Laden’s door, the tension reaches maximum level and they get an adrenaline rush that often makes them miss their target and Yacht has to deliver the fatal rounds himself. Of course, the screaming terrorist waving a gun at them doesn’t make it any easier either. Once the threat has been neutralized, the SEAL wanna-be is sent to check if they got the right man as Larry takes photos. The man playing the bad guy wears a helmet and rubber padding under his clothes to protect himself from the paint balls fired at close range, especially since he says most participants tend to aim for the groin.
The experience of taking out Osama bin Laden in the re-enactment of the famous SEALS raid costs $325, and according to the testimonies of previous participants, it’s totally worth the price. Sealed Mindset also offers a variety of other defense classes and live scenario trainings including fake kidnappings, fake carjackings, and even a fake shooting by a disgruntled employee. They are all designed to help people deal with actual threats. via HuffPost You Too Can Kill Osama bin Laden, in a Real-Life Navy SEALS Role-Playing Game was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Teenager Sets New World Record at Mobile-Phone Throwing Contest Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:10 AM PDT
Every year, the Finnish town of Savonlinna hosts a fun and relaxing phone-throwing contest where participants are invited to take out all their frustration on their handhelds by throwing them as far as possible. This year, a Finnish teenager managed to set a new world record, with a throw of over 101 meters. Ever since 2000, when it was first organized, the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship has become an international event drawing in participants from all over the world. According to reports of Finnish insurance companies, there are lots of phones laying on the bottom of Finland’s lakes, causing a serious environmental problem due to the toxicity of their batteries. In an attempt to convince people there are better ways of getting rid of their faulty mobile devices, a Savonlinna-based translation and interpretation company called Fennolingua organized a mobile-throwing contest that immediately drew the attention of media all around the world. In the following years, the event became even more popular gathering throwers from every continent eager to show their hurling skills. Photo: Christine Lund On the official site of the competition, Mobile Phone Throwing is labeled as ”the only sport where you can pay back all the frustrations and disappointments caused by these modern equipments”. Yet, competitors are not allowed to use their own cell-phones. Although many users have asked to throw their own handhelds as payback for their weak batteries or frequent signal drops, all contestants have to throw phones provided by Fennolingua. On the upside, the approved gadgets include all kinds of brands and models, with weights varying from 220 grams to over 400 grams, allowing competitors to choose the one that best suits their throwing style. The fun competition is made up of three categories: over the shoulder, where contestants try to hurl the mobile phones as far as possible, freestyle, where throwers are judged on aesthetics and creativity, and under 12, where kids can show their phone-throwing skills. Photo: Christine Lund This year the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship took place on August 18. Finnish teen Ere Karjalainen, who said he drank the night before in preparation for the event, set a new mobile phone throwing record, with a distance of 101.46 meters, whilst in the women’s competition, a hammer-throwing athlete hurled the phone 42.47 meters. After the contest ended, all phones were gathered and sent to a recycling plant, thus staying true to the competition’s official description – a sport that combines recycling philosophy and fun.
via Engadget Teenager Sets New World Record at Mobile-Phone Throwing Contest was originally posted at OddityCentral.com  |
| Gotmar Mela – India’s Centuries-Old Stone Pelting War Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:54 AM PDT
For over three hundred years, the residents of Pandhurna and Sawargaon, two Indian villages located on the banks of the river Jaam, have been engaging in a bizarre stone-pelting ritual called Gotmar Mela that leaves hundreds critically injured and even dead. The stone war of Gotmar Mela, as its sometimes referred to, takes place every year, on the second day to “Bhadrapad’ (the new moon day). A tree trunk is fixed in the middle of Jaam River, and a flag tied on top of it. On the day of the bloody event, people from Pandhurna and Sawargaon gather on each of the river banks and arm themselves with stones. The bravest of them run towards the tree and try to climb high enough to grab the flag, while the mob on the other side tries to prevent them from doing so by showering them with large stones. The village who manages to snag the flag is declared winner. The rules of Gotmar Mela are pretty simple, but who ever takes part in it knows full well it might be the last thing they do, as hundreds are critically injured and even killed, each year. Photo: sarangtopare The stone throwing ritual kept alive by the people of Pandhurna and Sawargaon is definitely one of the bloodiest traditions on Earth. The local administration has tried to convince villagers to give up on their violent celebration, and even tried to impose a ban, but they backed down under pressure from both communities. Back in 2001 and 2002, they tried to talk them into using rubber balls instead of stones, but neither of the villages agreed. Every year, after doing their best to stop Gotmar Mela from taking place, the local administration simply leaves the dangerous site of the event and tries to provide swift medical attention to the injured. This Saturday, 329 people were hurt during the stone war, and seven of them are still in critical condition. But, as weird as this may sound, 2012 was a good year, considering in 2008 there were 800 injured and one dead. Photo: sarangtopare According to local legend, the ritual of Gotmar Mela was inspired by the story of Pandhurna’s ruler, who, upon hearing about the beautiful daughter of the King of Sawargaon, crossed the river and abducted the girl. When the villagers of Sawargaon heard the news, they chased the abductor who had by then crossed the river, and started pelting him with stones. Pandhurna’s dwellers also gathered on the river bank and protected their leader by throwing stones at the other side, allowing him to safely reach his palace. To this day, the tradition was kept alive as a bloody stone throwing game known as Gotmar Mela, but also by grooms of each village who try to win brides from the other side.
Sources: Times of India, India Today Gotmar Mela – India’s Centuries-Old Stone Pelting War 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 | |
