Oddity Central

Oddity Central

Meet the Flintstones in Arizona’s Real-Life Bedrock

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 04:00 AM PST


If you are a loyal Flintstones fan, then you're going to love this, especially if you live around northern Arizona. Because that's where the real-life Bedrock city is located. Not an actual city of course, but a place to go to 365 days a year to experience Stone Age with your favorite cartoon characters. Closed only on Christmas day, it's an improvement over the first Bedrock city in Cluster, South Dakota, which is open only from the middle of May through Labor Day.

Arizona's Bedrock City was built in 1972, by Francis Speckles, son of an investor. At the time it used to feature a live Fred and Barney. But that wasn't easy to sustain, given the isolation of the area and the shortage of local workers. But the isolation is actually a blessing-in-disguise, because it gives the place a whole lot of charm, and an authentic Stone Age feel. Today, the place consists of colorful concrete structures that recreate the magic of the 1960s animated series. Located at about a half hour's drive south of the Grand Canyon, Bedrock City is a great roadside stop for people who want to relive some wonderful memories, especially those who grew up in the 60s and 70s.

Photo: mlhradio

Once you enter the city, you can find all the buildings associated with the Flintstones – the general store, police station, jail and beauty parlor. And how could Bedrock ever be complete without the Flintstones' and the Rubbles' houses? The interiors of the houses are surprisingly detailed, with saber-toothed-tiger-hide bedspreads, pet dinosaurs, and a pterodactyl record player. You can actually buy stuff at the general store, like some dinosaur ribs and comically large watermelon slices. Everything in the city is painted in garish colors, and the place itself carries a rather ghostly feel around it.

Photo: mlhradio

But the City isn't completely devoid of activity. The Bedrock theatre still plays Flintstones cartoons with audio broadcast over loudspeakers. A Fredmobile tram is still in operation and loops around St. Wilma volcano. At the snack bar, you can try out from selections like a Chickasaurus dinner, a Fishasaurus sandwich, or a Gravelberry pie. The City was recently renovated, incorporating some stylish new fiberglass structures of the main Flintstones characters. However, it's hard to say that the rest of the place has been maintained well. Perhaps it is good for a few hours well spent. If you ask me though, I'd  prefer this $3.5 million Flintstones-inspired luxury house any day.

Photo: mlhradio

 Photo: mlhradio

Photo: mlhradio

 Photo: mlhradio

Photo: mlhradio

 Photo: mlhradio

Photo: mlhradio

 

Meet the Flintstones in Arizona’s Real-Life Bedrock was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Fart By Mail – A Stinky Mail Service for the Adventurous

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:33 AM PST


Fart By Mail, a California-based mail order service started by Zach Friedberg, offers people the chance to send friends or enemies stinky greetings that actually “smell like real poo”.

Holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re looking for a really original way to send your season’s greetings, you might want to check out Fart By Mail. This unusual mailing service delivers audio greeting cards with your custom message, the hilarious sound of a fart, and a nice heinous odor to go with it. Sure, there are nice Hallmark greetings cards out there to choose from, but how many of them smell like passing wind? The stinky greeting cards are sealed in a clear polyethylene envelope  with a warning that the recipient check the back of the envelope for more information on what they are holding. But, if you really want to surprise them, you can go for the “Stealth” option, to have Fart By Mail remove any warnings on the package. Sending one of these stinky cards will set you back just $8.99 (with free shipping in the USA), a small price for such a cool service, if you ask me.

Like me, you’re probably wondering if these guys put real farts inside those clear envelopes. Fart By Mail clears that up in the FAQ section of their website: As much as we would love to actually fart in an envelope, it is not possible. Our Stinkologists simply cannot fart enough to meet the supply demands of customers like you. Also, there would be way to much variation in odor and potency of regular farts. However, they do use a a natural non-toxic fart smelling formula that, although completely safe to smell, will probably cause some people to toss their cookies. Genius, or what?!? Take a look at this funny Fart By Mail video commercial, and remember “mail sometimes stinks, but no one expects a fart!”

 

via Laughing Squid

Fart By Mail – A Stinky Mail Service for the Adventurous was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

Russian Company Sells Apocalypse Survival Kits

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:28 AM PST


December 21st is less than a month away, but don’t despair, there’s hope for you yet. A Siberian company has started selling end-of-the-world survival kits containing must-have items like a bottle of vodka and a notepad and a pencil.

Just in case you can’t make it to the French town or Bugarach, or buy an apocalypse-proof Atlantis pod, you can still take your shot at surviving the end of the world, by getting one of the survival kits offered by a very resourceful Russian company. It’s not likely to keep you alive for long, but at least you tried, right? For a mere 890 rubles ($28), you get a med kit (complete with heart medication), soap, some candles and matches, a can of fish, a pack of buckwheat, a bottle of vodka, a notepad and pencil, and a rope. Although I can think of a few uses for the rope, in case of a natural disaster, some might see it as a means to an end for those less optimistic of their survival chances. The kit also includes  a blank ID card, to be filled by the buyer, in case their original ID card gets demagnetized during the apocalypse, an instruction card with rules to various games to pass the time, in case you get stuck somewhere with friends and family, waiting for the end of the world to pass you by.

As you’ve probably already guessed, this is just a sales gimmick, and according to a spokesperson for the Siberian company, it works like a charm, as 1,000 of these kits have already been sold. It does make a nice, original gift for the upcoming holidays, provided we all survive the dreaded Mayan calendar ending, but local authorities in Russia are trying to ban sales, claiming the vodka and medication need licenses to be sold.

Although this can be considered a joke, there are people in Russia who actually believe the world is coming to an end, and who are going out of their way to prepare for the worst. News agency RIA Novosti has reported some folks are stocking up on essentials, either stealing or buying them, while others have been taking banks by storm trying to pay out all their debts, so they can leave this world with a clean slate. Of course, there are also people trying to take advantage of their fears, by offering discounts on redemption, or even apocalypse survival courses.

via RT

Russian Company Sells Apocalypse Survival Kits was originally posted at OddityCentral.com

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