Oddity Central

Oddity Central

California Town Is Home to Hundreds of Free-Roaming Wild Peacocks

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 06:51 AM PDT

The residents of Rolling Hills Estates, a small community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in southwestern Los Angeles, have been sharing their home with dozens of beautiful wild peacocks for almost 100 years. The exotic birds have always added a rustic charm to the upscale suburb, but as their population continues to grow uncontrollably, many residents now view them as a terrible nuisance.

For several decades, the people of the Peninsula have tried to keep their peace with the birds. The peacocks were actually an added attraction at one point, with buyers choosing homes specifically because they fell in love with the beautiful creatures. There were regulations, education programs and behavior modification in place, all in order to accommodate the lovely peacocks.

"Palos Verdes Peninsula has many sights to see – crashing waves, rolling hills and peacocks in the trees," said Mary Jo Hazard, an author who lives in the Peninsula. "What fascinates me is – they're so beautiful, they're so exotic and I don't think there's anything more fascinating than seeing peacocks on the roofs, peacocks walking across the street."

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Israeli Designer Creates Gas Mask for the Fashion-Conscious

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 02:47 AM PDT

Let's face it – gas masks might be incredibly useful in case of a catastrophe, but they're not the most fashionable accessories and often make it difficult for users to interact with other people. But Israeli industrial designer, Zlil Lazarovich, is trying to change the way people perceive gas masks. She has created the world's first 'Social Gas Mask' which not only looks sleek and stylish, but also allows for seamless social interactions.

With the new Social Gas Mask, you can enjoy movie nights on your couch, go outside without having people stare at you, and pretty much do everything you normally do. "The large window allows to show a greater range of facial expressions by exposing the upper cheeks, eyebrows and full width of the eyes area," Lazarovich says. "The wide, cheeky shape of the filters gives the impression of a wide, healthy and happy face instead of a long, skeleton-like one. As opposed to current masks that often hide the user's face, restrict communication and facial expressions, and look like an alien, the Social Gas Mask has a number of features designed to offer an empowering image and a positive experience."

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Norwegian City’s Ingenious Bicycle Lift Makes Cycling Uphill a Breeze

Posted: 25 Jul 2014 01:01 AM PDT

The city of Trondheim in Norway is the first and only one in the world to have a lift specially designed to help cyclists travel uphill. The contraption is called 'Trampe' and it can get you up a very steep hill with practically no effort on your part.

Trampe was first opened in 1993, and quickly turned Trondheim into a very popular tourist destination for cyclists. Over 200,000 cyclists have used it to go up a 130-meter hill, with no accidents reported so far. In 2012, the original lift was dismantled and replaced with a more industrialized version in 2013, called the CycloCable.

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