Nanami,  a playful Japanese pooch can claim to be the only dog in the world to be living in a regular castle.

Built as a small replica of Japan’s famous Matsumoto Castle, Nanami’s castle stands 2.5 meters tall and features three rooms. At the front is the main hall, where Nanami can just lay on his belly and watch out for the mailman, while at the back he has a sand-floor room, for cooling down during the hot summer days, and a rear room to hide in during thunderstorms.

Located in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Nanami’s castle took his owner six months to complete, and cost 50,000 yen ($583). While it may not be as old and famous as the real Matsumoto Castle, built in 1504, Nanami can be proud of his new dog castle.

If you’re a fan of over-the-top dog houses, you’re going to love this veritable dog mansion.

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Every March, the Wat Bang Phra temple of Nakhom Pathom, Thailand, becomes the scene of a weird celebration, known as  the Wat Bang Phra Tattoo Festival.

While in most western countries tattoos are viewed as an art form, in Thailand, a country with a culture deeply rooted in superstition and spirituality, tattoos are considered more than just skin deep artworks. The traditional Thai tattoos, known as “Sak Yant”, are believed to have magical powers, and people get them done at temples, for protection against evil spirits, and as good luck charms. Many members of Thai police, army, and the underworld think some tattoos have the power to stop bullets and blades from piercing their skin.

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One of the most popular traditional Chinese arts, Ti Jian Zi, known in the western world as shuttlecock kicking, requires a great deal of skill and practice.

The game of shuttlecock kicking is believed to have been invented sometime during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and gradually increased in popularity,  to a point where shops that specialized in the making of shuttlecocks began appearing all over China. The art of shuttlecock kicking reached its climax during the Qing Dynasty, when competitions were held between masters of the game from all over the country.

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The launch of Starcraft 2 was a monumental international event, but Blizzard went out of its way to surprise Russian fans of the popular RTS franchise, by featuring a life-size replica of the Terran Marine costume.

A day before the official launch, photos of what seemed to be a Terran Marine in the middle of Moscow’s Red Square appeared on the Internet. Most claimed it was just a Photoshop job, and a bad one at that, but when the real-life Starcraft Terran Marine made an appearance at the launch site, everyone put their doubts aside and began cheering like crazy.

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Every year, since 1956, the Japanese city of Ito has hosted the wooden tub race on Matsukawa River, a fun event that draws competitors and spectators from all around the world.

According to the story, the Japanese women of Ito used wooden tubs and wash boards to clean their laundry at Matsukawa River. When these tools became obsolete, and were about to be replaced by modern washing machines, the people of Ito decided to hang on to their tradition, by starting a tub race along the river. The first wooden tub race was held in 1956, and it’s been organized yearly since then.

Hundreds of people gather on the banks of Matsukawa River, for one of the wackiest competitions in the world. Contestants have to steer the 1 meter in diameter, 30 cm deep, oval-shaped tubs along the 400-meter course, using oars or giant wooden spoons. It sound easy enough, but out-paddling the other contestants without falling out of the tub, is harder that you think.

Another cool fact about the tub race of Ito City is the contestants usually dress up in themed costumes, mostly as geishas and samurai

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A lot simpler and definitely more fun that traditional Yoga, the art of Laughter Yoga aims to keep people healthy through laughter.

It’s a known fact that laughter has a positive effect on our body and mind, but sometimes life gets you so down, you can’t find one reason to laugh. That’s where Laughter Yoga comes into play, because you don’t need a reason to laugh. This unusual form of exercise relies on the premise that your body can and knows how to laugh, regardless of what your mind has to say about it. You don’t need to know jokes, be happy, or even have a sense of humor to practice Laughter Yoga. It’s a body-mind approach, not mind-body.

Because laughter has proven a valuable asset in keeping healthy, Laughter Yoga aims to remind people that laughter is a powerful weapon against various diseases. But in order for it to work, practitioners have to laugh wholeheartedly for long periods of time (between 30 and 60 minutes), for no reason at all. You just have to leave all your problems and worries at the door, and laugh like a child with no care in the world.

Sounds like the kind of therapy I’d like to try, and statistics say it really works. In Asia, Laughter Yoga is already a popular practice used in prisons around the Philippines and by Indian policemen. It’s also becoming increasingly popular in the US.

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Jack Streat’s LEGO firearms are cool enough to look at, but the fact they actually work makes them uber-cool.

Witha passion for LEGO and guns, there was just one thing Jack Streat could do, and that’s create an extensive collection of LEGO firearms that actually shoot LEGO bricks. From the common AK-47 to the Uzzi and even a working minigun, Jack Streat has created a large part of today’s military arsenal and even made videos of each weapon in action.

Some of you may have seen weapons made of LEGO bricks, before, but the collection created by Jack Streat would make both Rambo and the Terminator crazy with envy.

via NowhereElse

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What can you do with a monster truck tire and a rich imagination? Build a kick-ass tricycle, of course.

We can’t all build our very own sports car, or make a Batmobile replica out of scratch, but a good idea and some technical skills go along way, and this monster tricycle is the perfect example. Making great use of a giant tire, some European managed to build an old-school, with a modern twist.

Judging by the video footage below, riding the monster tricycle requires great leg  muscles, and I don’t even want to imagine what would happen if anyone were to ride it down hill, but it’s a great way to get noticed and become an Youtube sensation.

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The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra makes unique organic music, using instruments made from vegetables.

Pepper trumpets, leek violins, celery bongos, cucumberphones, pumpkin drums – these are just a handful of instruments used by the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra to entertain audiences everywhere, with their organic music. This one-of-a-kind music group was born when its current members were students. At first they started playing vegetable instruments, as a joke, but quickly realized they might be on to something, and took their work more seriously.

The dozen members of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra carve their instruments themselves, using whatever vegetables are available, at the location of their performance. After 12 years of making vegetable music, the group has learned what type of vegetables sound better in every country, judging by a range of factors, such as temperature and water content.

The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra needs 70 kilograms of fresh vegetables for every concert, and three hours to carve the instruments they use. But their music wouldn’t exist without modern technological equipment, like amplifiers or sophisticated microphones. Combined with the squeaking of cucumbers, crackling of cabbage leaves and banging of aubergines, they create a hypnotic type of music, described as something between techno music and whale songs.

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35-year-old Kevin Easterday was born with a rare condition that prevented his spine from developing correctly. His legs were amputated, when he was only a baby, but that hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest.

A strange illness, known as sacral agenesis, made it necessary for doctors to amputate Kenny’s legs, when he was only six months old. Part of his shinbone was used to create the missing part of his spine, but Kenny lost the ability to walk. Believe it or not, Mr. Eastearday was able to live a rich happy life, regardless of his handicap.

During a documentary, Kenny’s father reveals he taught his son to walk using his hands, by telling him to imitate his mother, who “walks like a duck”. As a child, he was offered a pair of prosthetic legs, but he didn’t really find them very useful, so he always used his hands, or a skateboard, to get around.

Although he wasn’t expected to reach the age of 21, Kenny not only beat the odds, but enjoyed life, in the process. He learned to play pool, bowl, work, and even make love to his fiancee,Nicky. To top things off, the happy couple is waiting for confirmation that Desiree, their 7-year-old daughter, is actually Kenny’s daughter. Read More »

I don’t know what it is about Formula 1 cars that makes people want to replicate them using the most unusual materials.

This time it’s Puma’s turn to make a life-size Formula 1 car out of cut-out shoe boxes.  The cardboard model was created in collaboration with UK-based Ben Wilson Design, and is meant to represent Puma’s ongoing relationship with motorsports.

The cardboard car was obviously very difficult to make. According to Ben Wilson himself, many Puma shoe boxes were used, especially in the development stage. First a real Formula 1 vehicle was scanned, then ‘ripped’ to pieces on the computer, and put together out of shoe box pieces, cut with an oscillating cutter.

The shoe box Formula 1 car is now on display at a Puma store in Chicago.

via PSFK

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Chayne Hultgren, an Australian street-performer who goes by the name of Space Cowboy managed to swallow 18 sharp swords in one gulp.

31-year-old Chayne has been practicing the art of sword-swallowing since he was just 16 years old. Back then he started out by swallowing a garden hose, which he still uses as practice for the more dangerous stunts. After a few years of swallowing hoses, he finally moved on to steel swords.

According to the Space Cowboy himself, sword-swallowing is not as dangerous as it looks, if you know how to do it. It takes years of practice, meditation and knowing your own body. He says it took a while before learning how not to gag and controlling his internal organs.

The Space Cowboy Hultgren entertains Sydney passers-by for a living, swallowing swords all day long, but this time it was special. The crowd gathered near Sydney Harbor witnessed a new Guinness Record being set, as our hero slipped 18 swords down his throat, and towards the stomach, missing the heart by less than an inch.

The previous record of 17 swords, each of them 2 feet 4 inches long, was set by the same Chayne Hultgren.

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Charles Guan, a young student at MIT, has built a Shopping Go-Kart that reaches a top speed of 30 miles per hour.

LOLriokart, the name Guan chose for his invention, was built using an ordinary shopping cart, discarded wheels and the engine from a high-performance golf-cart. Although he could have opted for a stronger engine that would have pushed the LOLriokart to a speed of 45 mph, he decided to go with a smaller one that allows him to switch between a walking pace speed and 30 mph.

The wacky kart features a custom steering system and because all components are positioned on the wheel line, it has a low center of gravity even when he’s inside. In case something goes wrong and the brake system fails, LOLriokart also has an emergency red button that cuts all power to the engine.

it may not met all safety regulations, but for one year’s work and a budget of just $300, LOLriokart is quite something. Well done sir!

Watch the road test at the bottom.

via Popsci

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You won’t be able to drive it, but you can sure take a bite out of it.

One of the weirdest Formula 1 cars ever is on display at the Royal Plaza on Scotts, in Singapore and you can see it live until September 27. A Culinary Executive Chef led a team of 6 chefs, 2 artists, 2 technicians and 5 volunteers in an effort to create the largest bread Formula 1 car in Asia. They succeeded and the result is simply delicious.

The team from the Royal Plaza on Scotts used 15 kg of yeast, 14 liters of water, 2 kg of salt and 10800 ml of food varnish to create 1,000 loaves and 22 different kinds of bread. It took $15,000 and 549 hours of assembly work but I’m sure they’re all very proud of their achievement.

Be sure to check the making-of video at the bottom and for more photos just click here.

via Klik.tv

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Bord of just swimming and diving for no reason, the Germans came up with a sport that spices things up, underwater rugby.

Never thought a game like rugby could be played underwater, did you? To tell you the truth I didn’t imagine it either, but this goes to show you anything is possible. Underwater rugby is pretty simple, teams of 12 (of which 6 can be in the water at a time) battle to get a ball into two metal baskets, set at opposite sides of the pool.

The ball is filled with a saline solution, which makes it heavier than normal water and slowly sinks instead of rising to the surface. This allows strong players to throw and pass it for a few meters, despite the drag of the water. There aren’t many rules in this sport, players have to stop opponents from scoring, at any costs. It’s even permitted to sit in the basket to block a player from scoring, but if you can’t hold your breath long enough, you’ll have to go up for air and leave the “goal” exposed.

Check out the short video at the bottom, to get an idea of how underwater rugby is played and head over to uwsport.de, for more details on the sport.

via Yofavo