Oddity Central

Oddity Central

This Military Armored Vehicle Is the Safest Taxi in Russia

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:23 AM PST

Russia’s newest taxi is unlike any other you've ever seen – it's actually an armored reconnaissance vehicle that's been modified to roam the streets of St. Petersburg just like any other cab. Although it has been painted red, its military design and deactivated turret gun machine can hardly be camouflaged and the vehicle never fails to grab attention every time it passes by.

The BRDM-2 Combat Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle was manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1963 and 1989. Well known for its ability to negotiate any kind of terrain, the BRDM was armed with a 14.5 mm Vladimirov heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm Kalashnikov's tank machine gun.

The BRDM's current owner has long since wanted to use it as a taxi, but city authorities refused to grant a permit at first. After a long licensing campaign, the authorities finally gave in, with certain conditions. They asked that the vehicle's camouflage pattern be changed to something more civilian. That's why the owner chose red, in order to differentiate it from the standard yellow taxi color. The BRDM taxi is also prohibited from entering certain streets in the historical center of St. Petersburg, owing to its large size and weight.

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El Rodafonio – The Craziest Musical Contraption Ever Created

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 01:11 AM PST

The street theatre scene in Barcelona was completely transformed in 2010, with the invention of the Rodafonio – perhaps the weirdest musical contraption in the world. Created by renowned designer and musician César Alvarez Bayer, it consists of a gigantic wheel that's four meters high and only 15 cm wide, like a huge waffle iron.

The wheel can accommodate a crew of five – the members of the Catalan music band 'Factoria Circular'. Three musicians sit inside the wheel in their respective metal circles, playing their musical instruments – a guitar, a saxophone, and a set of drums – to various tunes, while occasionally spinning inside the giant wheel. The other two members are actors who pedal the wheel into motion, bringing the huge mechanical device to life.

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Chinese Athlete Has Sights Set on Butt Skipping Record

Posted: 31 Dec 2014 12:47 AM PST

Butt skipping is like a bizarre cousin of jumping rope – it involves bouncing up and down on your behind while twirling a rope underneath. The relatively lesser-known sport has gained prominence in south east Asia ever since a Japanese athlete took the world title in 2006. Now, Chinese gymnastics expert Yi Zhihua has set his heart on becoming the world champion.

20-year-old Zhihua wants to beat the world record of 166 butt skips in one minute and says he's nearly accomplished the feat during training. "I'm up to 152 per minute – you have to get through the pain barrier but after that when your butt is numb you can really notch up the numbers," he explained. "I am pretty certain I will have it cracked within the week and will start the New Year as the world champion."

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