Bunny Museum – The Hoppiest Place on Earth

Featuring over 26,000 bunny-inspired items, the Bunny Museum of Pasadena, California, holds the Guinness World Record for the largest bunny collection.

It all began when she called him honey-bunny, and he gave her a stuffed bunny, for Valentine’s Day. Steve Lubanski and Candace Frazee, met in 1992, at a singles seminar, and both discovered their love for bunnies. At first, each gave the other bunny gifts, on holidays, then, every day, and even several times a day. At their wedding reception, in 1994, Steve showed up in a bunny costume, they both did the bunny hop, and ate carrot cake.

In just a few years, the couple already had an impressive collection of bunny memorabilia, so, in 1998, they officially opened the Bunny Museum, right in the house they live in. It was included in the Guinness Book of Records, as the world’s biggest collection of bunnies, in 1999, when it only numbered 8,437 items.

But the collection kept growing, and the Bunny Museum now features over 26,000 bunny-inspired things, from stuffed toys, to wind chimes, phones and pretty much anything you can imagine. Since Steve and Candice actually live in the Bunny Museum, admission is free, but by appointment only. So far the cute museum has been visited by 16,000 people.

If you decide to visit, make sure you don’t call the bunnies “rabbits”, Candice doesn’t like that very much.

Read More »

World’s Biggest Banana Collection Saved by a Donation

Back in January, when “Top Banana” Ken Bannister was forced to split (get it?) with his giant banana collection, out of the place that served as headquarters of the Banana Club and Museum, since 1972, things looked grim for banana lovers, everywhere.

But thanks to a substantial donation, of approximately $50,000, the Banana Museum will live on. When Banana Club founder, Ken Bannister, posted an ad on eBay, announcing he was wiling to part with his extensive collection, fellow fruit lover Fred Garbutt decided to become the new curator of the Banana Museum

Garbutt’s donation bought him a 17,000 item banana collection, including a banana golf club, banana drinks, and even a Michael Jackson banana. He has big plans for his purchase, which include buying a BMW and painting it yellow, selling banana-leaf wallpaper and making banana clothes, for kids. A real banana man, as Ken Bannister, himself said.

It can’t be easy for “Top Banana” Ken Bannister to leave his 38-year-long work, in the hands of someone else, but it’s better than letting it go to waste, that’s for sure.

Photos via BananaClub

Read More »

The 7 Horniest People on Earth

It doesn’t happen very often, but people do grow horns. They’re called cutaneous horns and they are the result of a wide range of epidermal lesions. According to the World Journal of Surgical Oncology, cutaneous horns appear in men over 55 and women over 65. Rare as these cases may be, cutaneous horns have been around for quite some time, with the first documented case appearing in the 1500s. Let’s have a look at seven of the most recent cases of horned people: Read More »

Onbashira – Japan’s Riskiest Celebration

Held every six years, in the Nagano area of Japan, Onbashira Festival is believed to have continued uninterruptedly, for the last 1200 years.

Onbashira, literally translated as “the sacred pillars”, is a Japanese tradition that symbolizes the renewal of Suwa Grand Shrine. It consists of two phases: Yamadashi and Satobiki, the first held in April, and the second in May. Before Onbashira begins, 16 tree trunks, cut form 200-year-old Japanese fir trees are cut down. Each tree can be up to 1 meter across, 16 meters tall and weigh up to 12 tons.

Yamadashi is translated as “coming out of the mountains” and is the most popular part of the festival. Teams of men have to drag the logs down the mountain, to Suwa Shrine. At some points they encounter steep slopes where they must slide the tree trunks. In a ceremony called Ki-otoshi, brave young men risk their lives by climbing on the trunks and riding the all the way down the muddy slopes. It takes 3 days to move the sacred tree trunks, over 10 kilometers, to the shrine.

Satobiki involves placing the logs at the four corners of the four buildings that make up Suwa Grand Shrine. Using ropes, teams have to pull up the giant tree trunks in a vertical position, with young men sitting on them. Those still on the logs after they are positioned, perform all sort of feats.

On Sunday, during the 2010 edition of Onbashira Festival, a man was crushed to death by a tree trunk, during Satobiki. One of the ropes came loose and hit the 38-year-old man in the head. Several others were injured in the accident.

Photos via Daylife

Read More »

German Designer Builds House Out of Beer Coasters

21-year-old Sven Goebel set a new Guinness World Record for the biggest house made of regular beer coasters.

The five-room flat Goebel had been working on, since January, was presented to the media, on Sunday, April 11, in Volgeslang, near the German town of Schleiden. The beer coaster house, which was partially furnished with armchairs, a table and a fireplace, was made up of around 300,000 individual beer coasters.

The young German designer spent 6-8 hours every day, seven days a week, adding up to 1,000 beer coasters, daily, to complete his delicate masterpiece. But, on Sunday, he sent his own work tumbling down,with just one quick flick of the wrist, and a few kicks.

Why would anyone do that, after so much work, you ask. Well, apparently, young Sven Goebel wanted to prove to everyone that his beer coaster house wasn’t held together by glue, or anything else.

Photos by REUTERS via Daylife

Read More »

Indian Students Write World’s Longest Letter to God

A group of students from an Indian university celebrated their silver jubilee year, by setting a new world record for the longest letter.

The Brahmakumaris youth wing of Gujarat University found an original way to celebrate their silver jubilee year, the university’s diamond jubilee year and 600 years since the establishment of Ahmedabad city. They decided to organize an event where people could write their own letter to God.

In just 3 hours time, 2,800 people wrote down their feelings of gratitude for their happy lives and also asked the removal of poverty and protection from terrorism, corruption and other evils. The letter ended up being 2,841 feet long.

Participants were grateful for such an occasion to thank God for everything He helped them achieve in life, and organizers say this kind of event is perfect for people who want to learn how to write letters to God.

The previous record for the World’s Longest Letter was established by 2,000 of my Romanian countrymen who wrote a 1,358 feet-long letter for Santa Claus.

via WorldAmazingRecords

Read More »

Rainbow Eucalyptus – Nature’s Painted Tree

It might look like someone painted these by hand, but the only artist responsible for these living works of art, is Mother Nature.

The incredible looking Rainbow Eucalyptus is the only species of eucalyptus that grows in the northern hemisphere. It can grow to impressive heights, of up to 70 meters, and it is normally grown for its pulpwood, used to create white paper. There are many other interesting facts regarding Rainbow Eucalyptus, but the obvious question arises: why does it look like it’s been painted?

The secret behind the Rainbow Eucalyptus is actually pretty simple. The trees shed multiple patches of bark every year, but not at the same time. As the patches are gone, the green inner bark is exposed, and, as it matures, every new patch first turns bluish, then orange, purple and maroon. This creates the rainbow effect that makes these trees so nice to look at.

Rainbow Eucalyptus can be found in New Guinea, New Britain and the Philippines.

via Kuriositas

Read More »

Full Life in Just Half the Body

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 »

British Lovebirds Say Yabba-Dab-I-Do

Inspired by the rocky beach front of Combe Martin, a British couple decided to get married in a Flintstones-themed wedding.

Ed Martin and Gayla Robinson moved to Combe Martin in September of last year, and inspired by their rocky surroundings, decided to opt for something more original than a white wedding. They plastered the stage of the Landmark Theater to look like a cave, had their 100 guests dress like cavemen, and even built a replica of the Flintstones car.

As you can imagine, the best man and maid of honor were dressed like Barney and Betty Rubble, and the page girl and boy, as Pebbles and Bam Bam. Just like the Star-Wars wedding, the Peter-Pan wedding, or pretty much any themed wedding, it was a fun event that everyone enjoyed.

Photos by GUY HARROP

Read More »

Christmas Has a Festive Tree, So Why Not Easter?

It makes sense doesn’t it? Easter is a major Christian holiday too, so it should have its own version of the popular Christmas Tree.

Strangely enough, such a thing as an Easter tree already exists, and it can be found in Germany. Around 1945, when he was just a young boy, Volker Kraft saw his very first Easter Tree (Eierbaum, Osterbaum or Ostereirbaum, in German), and decided he would have one of his very own, when he grew up. Time passed and young Volker became a married man, with a family and everything. But his childhood dream stuck with him and he decorated his first Easter Tree, in 1965. He used 18 colored plastic eggs.

But the tree was growing fast and he and his wife, Christa couldn’t afford to waste so many Easter eggs. So they began drilling holes into the eggs, using the contents in the kitchen, and the painted shells as decorations. When their children grew up, they started helping with the decorating,and the Easter Tree became a family tradition, known not only in their home town of Saalfeld, but all of Germany.

Read More »

Vipula Athukorale’s Intricate Butter Sculptures

46-year old Vipula Athukorale spends tens of hours creating some of the most intricate food-art masterpieces in the world.

Mr. Athukorale has worked, as a chef, in high ranking restaurants in Grece, Cyprus, Bahrain, Iraq and England, creating amazing works of edible art, out of butter. Actually, he uses pastry margarine, but “margarine sculptures” doesn’t roll as smoothly off the tongue. This fancy chef won two gold medals and a silver one, at the international Salon Culinaire Awards, in London, last week , for his detailed Rolls Royce, and scenes from Pinocchio and Pied Piper stories.

According to the artist, the Rolls Royce took around 90 hours to complete, and features detailed interior and underside. In order to get everything right, Vipula Athukorale doesn’t even breathe, when sculpting margarine. To keep his hands from shaking, he leans in toward the artwork, takes a deep breath, does some sculpting, then leans back and breathes out. He also washes his hands in ice-cold water, to prevent his hot fingers from damaging the artwork.

Read More »

Gunther von Hagen’s Plastinated Animal Menagerie

Doctor Gunther von Hagen , the anatomist who invented plastination, presents his newest exhibition – a collection of the most revered animals in the world.

At the “Body Worlds of Animals” exhibition, held at Neunkirchen Zoo, Germany, people can discover the intricate anatomy of some of the most remarkable creatures in the animal kingdom. Samba and Chiana, two elephants donated by the zoo to the Institute of Plastination, four years ago, return home in plastinated form. The whole process of plastinating an elephant took 64,000 hours, 4 tons of silicone and 40,000 liters of acetone. By comparison, platinating a human body takes only 3,000 hours of work.

But the difficult and time-consuming process is well worth it, if it can reveal amazing mechanisms, like an elephant’s trunk, manipulated by 40,000 muscles, or the incredible cardiovascular system of the giraffe, which prevents it from being in permanent cardiac arrest.

The Body Worlds of Animals features other popular animals, like the bear, gorilla, or ostrich, stripped of their skin and ready for inspection. Dr. Gunther von Hagen, a self-declared animal lover, hopes his exhibition ” will increase appreciation for animals, especially endangered species, and remind us all of our obligation to animal welfare.”

Photos by REUTERS via Daylife

Read More »

Woman Actually Wants to Be the Fattest in the World

Believe it or not, there are women out there who would love to gain weight, instead of losing it. And I’m not talking about some anorexic chic, who needs to gain weight, but about a woman who already wears XXXXXXXL clothes.

42-year-old Donna Simpson weighs 600 lbs, but she’s working hard to put on even more weight, and reach her goal of 1,000 lbs, as soon as possible. It’s not exactly the most craved title in the world, but Donna actually wants to be the fattest woman in the world. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as you might think, especially since she’s constantly burning precious calories, by “running” after her 3-year-old daughter.

Donna has already been acknowledged as the world’s fattest mother, by Guinness, after going through a dangerous C-section operation. Now, the overweight New Jersey resident is eating monstrous quantities of fast-food and sweets, in her quest to get a heart-attack become the fattest woman on the planet.

Read More »

Young Brit Finds Jesus in a Frying Pan

Toby Elles, a 22-year-old from Lancaster, Britain, set off to make himself a late-night snack, but got a lot more than he bargained for.

After drinking a few beers with his housemate, Toby thought some bacon would make a great snack before hitting the sack, so he put it into the frying pan, turned on the oven and lied down on the couch. An hour later, he woke up to a house filled with smoke and, worse still, burned bacon. It was a true culinary disaster that could have had dire consequences.

But after scraping the bacon off the pan, young Toby Elles learned miracles can  be born out of disasters. The face of Jesus Christ was staring back at him, from the pan! The greasy image had eyes, nose and all the distinctive features of our Lord. Toby now thinks it was, no doubt, some sort of miracle, and decided never to wash the sacred pan. He’s even taking into consideration placing it in a glass cabinet, so it can protect him, in the future.

All I have to say is this: If this doesn’t prove the divine nature of bacon, I don’t know what will!

Jesus-in-a-pan Read More »

Mammy Rock – The Granny DJ

69-year-old Ruth Flowers is a living example that age shouldn’t get in the way of things you’re passionate about. Like Bette Calman, the Yoga super-granny, Ruth does extraordinary things, for her age.

Known as “Mammy Rock“, around the European club scene, Ruth Flowers is probably the oldest professional DJ in the world. The British granny wears bling-bling headphones, trendy clothes and sports an electrifying hear-do as she works the turntables in popular clubs, in France.

Mammy Rock’s career began when she was 65. Her grandson was celebrating his birthday in a London nightclub, and asked Ruth to join him and his friends. There were a few problems with the bouncers, who didn’t feel right letting a senior citizen inside such an establishment, but as soon as she stepped in, Mammy Rock was bewitched by the lively atmosphere that made her feel so much younger.

Ruth-Flowers-Mammy-Rock6

Read More »