Oddity Central

Oddity Central

The ‘Avatar Fare’ – Russian Taxi Drivers Are Punishing Clients Who Refuse to Pay by Painting Them Blue

Posted: 23 May 2014 03:04 AM PDT

Taxi drivers in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod have taken it upon themselves to punish misbehaving clients. These drivers simply pour blue paint all over passengers who complain about the taxi fare or flat out refuse to pay. Their idea is to make the customers resemble Avatar characters, with a sign on the back that says: "Avatar Fare".

Cabbies all over Nizhny have been struggling for quite some time now with non-paying customers. "We have repeatedly brought them to the police station, they were released there," one driver said. So the drivers decided to dole out some 'harmless' punishment themselves. They force bad customers to strip, douse them with blue paint, stick a sign on their backs, and release them on to the street.

Avatar-fare-Russia

Meet the Jacobin Pigeons, Probably the Most Fashionable Birds in the World

Posted: 23 May 2014 01:58 AM PDT

Jacobins aren't your average, everyday pigeons that flock on your terrace and mess it up with droppings. Take one look at them and you'll know they are a cut above the rest. How can they not be, with a royal hood of feathers that covers them from the neck up, almost entirely hiding their pretty little heads. I like to think of them as pigeons-in-parkas, which is really high fashion as far as birds are concerned.

Jacobins are one of the oldest domestic pigeon breeds in the world – an excellent exhibition breed with relatively unknown origins. Some believe that that the original breed came from India, while others think they're natives of Cyprus. They arrived in Europe around the 16th century, where they were put through four stages of development, by breeders, until they evolved into their current state.

Although they have been bred for centuries, Jacobin pigeons have undergone remarkable changes in the past 80 years. They started off rather small, which was popular back in the day. But the current breed of Jacobins are slender and of medium size, with long flight feathers, long legs and slim tails. The most remarkable feature, the 'rosette', makes up the hood that completely covers the top and sides of their tiny head. In fact, the bird's face is only visible from the front. The bigger the hood, the higher the quality of the specimen. And they always maintain an upright posture, adding to their 'royal airs'.

Jacobin-pigeons3

Kung Fu Master’s Finger of Steel Can Puncture Coconuts, Imagine What It Could Do To Your Skull

Posted: 23 May 2014 12:46 AM PDT

Kung fu master Ho Eng Hui doesn't need any fancy weapons, because nature has given him a pretty awesome one – his index finger. His incredibly powerful finger can pierce coconut shells, releasing a burst of sweet water from inside. He proudly declares: "This finger of mine actually helps me raise my family."

Ho has been performing his amazing 'finger feats' twice a week at a special spot on Jonker Street, in the Malaysian State of Malacca. The government assigned him this spot in the year 2000, and he has been entertaining tourists and locals alike, ever since. Every Friday and Saturday, he travels to the spot from his home in Johor Baru city, to perform between 8 and 9 pm. Prior to his gig at Jonker Street, between the years 1991 and 1995, he performed at Bugis Street in Singapore.

Over the years Ho has been setting records and breaking them himself. On Feb 2, 2001, he made it to the Malaysia Book of Records, by piercing three coconuts in 1 minute and 10 seconds. In June 2009, he pierced four coconuts in 30.81 seconds – a feat that earned him a Guinness World Record. And in 2011, he broke his own record by piercing four coconuts in 12.15 seconds flat. Ho is mentioned as one of the highlights of the Jonker Walk Night Market, in the Lonely Planet guide.

Ho-Eng-Hui

Comments system

Disqus Shortname