Posts made by gaynight

Divorce Hotel - Quick and Cheap Divorce in the Netherlands | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/quick-and-cheap-divorce-hotel-opens-in-the-netherlands.html

Pantokrator, the Heavy Metal Church of Bogota | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/videos/believers-rock-out-at-colombias-heavy-metal-church.html

Iglu-Dorf Igloo Village | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/iglu-dorf-living-like-an-eskimo-in-a-luxury-igloo-village.html

Purga Nightclub - Where Every Night Is New Year’s Eve | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/videos/purga-nightclub-where-every-night-is-new-year%E2%80%99s-eve.html

Waterfall Restaurant in Villa Escudero, Philippines | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/filipino-restaurant-at-the-foot-of-a-waterfall.html

Man Is Suing His Parents for $200,000, for Not Loving Him Enough | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/guy-is-suing-his-parents-for-not-loving-him-enough-wants-200000.html

Gallery of Geek: Yannick Tallarida | Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/geek/2015/05/24/gallery-geek-yannick-tallarida?page=full

This Is Virgin Galactic's New Spaceplane, VSS Unity | Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/this-is-virgin-galactics-new-spaceplane-named-unity

South African Artist Turns Driftwood into Amazing-Looking Sculptures | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/art/south-african-artist-turns-driftwood-into-amazing-looking-sculptures.html

French Entrepreneur Creates Special Underwear That Cures Plumber's Crack | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/funny/french-entrepreneur-creates-special-underwear-that-cures-plumbers-crack.html

Japan's anti-crime paintballs are a unique way to stop crime | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/funny/japans-bizarre-anti-crime-orange-balls-a-unique-way-to-stop-crime.html

Dutch fashion designer creates shirts that stop people from slouching | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/funny/dutch-fashion-designer-creates-clothing-line-that-prevents-slouching.html

Rugby Players Have Missing Teeth Replaced with Bottle Openers | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/funny/rugby-players-have-missing-teeth-replaced-with-bottle-openers.html

Stressed Russians Can Now Unwind by Destroying an Entire Room with a Sledgehammer | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/stressed-russians-can-now-unwind-by-destroying-an-entire-room-with-a-sledgehammer.html

As Young Argentinians Shun Marriage, Many Are Paying to Attend Fake Weddings | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/as-young-argentinians-shun-marriage-many-are-paying-to-attend-fake-weddings.html
By Sumitra on October 14th, 2015 Category: News
Although most young Argentinians aren’t even thinking about marriage these days, they seem quite fond of wedding ceremonies. So they’ve come up with a bizarre party trend of fake weddings, where groups of 20- and 30-somethings get together to attend wedding-themed parties complete with fake bride and groom.

The idea was the brainchild of 26-year-old publicist Martin Acerbi, who, a couple of years ago, organised a fake wedding with four of his friends in La Plata, about 32 miles away from Buenos Aires. “It all started two years ago with a group of friends: we realised we hadn’t been to a wedding in a long time because hardly anybody is getting married anymore,” Acerbi says.

To his surprise, the event was a huge success which got him thinking about a new business. The friends went on to found ‘Falsa Boda’, a fake wedding organising company, in November 2013. They rent out real wedding locations, hire caterers, florists, and DJs, and make everything look like a real wedding. Except, there is no ‘happily ever after’.

fake-weddings-Argentina3

The bride and groom are hired too, as is a secret boyfriend or spurned lover who arrives unexpectedly to disrupt the ceremony. There’s a fair bit of drama when the bride or groom abandons the wedding and elopes with the third actor. There’s a different storyline for each event, and sometimes the ‘bride’ even throws her bouquet to the female guests.

“These wedding professionals have become our strategic allies, we organise it like it’s the real thing, except the marriage itself is fake,” Acerbi said. “Our guests get all the fun of a wedding party with none of the commitment, or the problem of finding someone who is actually getting married.”

fake-weddings-Argentina

Each fake wedding event can accommodate 600 to 700 guests, who all pay about $50 to attend. According to Acerbi, the events are mostly targeted at women, who end up buying the majority of the tickets. “The romanticism around weddings is clearly still alive, at least in that respect,” he explained.

32-year-old marketing manager Pablo Boniface, who recently attended a fake wedding, said: “The girls were euphoric, as if a cousin of theirs was really getting married, but it was just an actress. When the bride arrived, everyone went crazy, pulling out their phones and snapping pictures like she was a Hollywood star.” He agreed that the fake weddings were a big hit because hardly anyone his age ever talks about getting married. “I’m single and so are all of my friends of both sexes. Marriage is something we don’t even think about. It’s a formality that has nothing to do with love.”

fake-weddings-Argentina4

There’s plenty of data to prove Boniface right. 22,000 couples tied the knot in Buenos Aires in 1990, but that number nosedived to almost half that – 11,642 – by 2013. According to government statistics, the people who do get married are much older. So people these days don’t have many opportunities to attend wedding parties, which is why Acerbi’s fake weddings are so popular.

“They are going to see something they don’t do in real life any more,” explained sociologist Victoria Mazzeo. “The fact is that very few young people get married anymore.”

And as Boniface pointed out, it’s apparently easier to meet someone at fake weddings than at real ones!

Photos: Falsa Boda/Facebook

Sources: The Guardian, Clarin (Spanish)

Sexy Stormtrooper
Sexy Stormtrooper | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/funny/sexy-stormtrooper.html

You Can Now Buy a Handful of Dead Autumn Leaves for $19.99 | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/you-can-now-buy-a-handful-of-dead-autumn-leaves-for-19-99.html
By Sumitra on October 13th, 2015 Category: News
Not everyone has access to the beautiful autumn foliage that grows in the American Northeast. Which is why there’s a legitimate business that sells three perfectly preserved New England autumn leaves for about $20!

The idea belongs to Boston entrepreneur Kyle Waring, known for trying to ‘Ship Snow’ to warmer places earlier this year. Kyle’s latest seasonal venture is called ‘Ship Foliage’, which according to his website, preserves and ships “gorgeous fall foliage” across the US.

“All leaves are collected from New England, and undergo a unique preservation process,” the website adds, revealing that their foliage experts (Waring, his wife, and their two Italian greyhounds) hike all over the Northeast in search of the perfect leaves. This is called the collection phase, during which each leaf is hand selected and branded ‘Grade A’ foliage. They venture out every weekend around Hamilton and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and at scenic spots like Lincoln, Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington, and Lake Winnipesaukee.

Ship-Foliage3

Photo: Ship Foliage

“I inspect every leaf to make sure that there’s no holes from bugs eating the leaves and also to make sure there’s no rips in the leaves,” Waring told The Guardian. “I make sure the color of the leaf is a really strong, vibrant color that someone would enjoy and kind of resonate with the foliage in the fall.” He ends up using only about 10 out of every 100 leaves he collects.

Then, these leaves are put through a week-long preservation process. They are soaked in a glycerin and water solution for three days, and then dried out for another three to four days.

Ship-Foliage2

Photo: Ship Foliage

“The process enhances the foliage color contrast and also preserves the leaves for years to come. Each bundle of leaves is color balanced, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green or mixed leaf. Leaves are approximately 3’x6′.” Handwritten notes are included in each bundle, which can be customized for free.

According to Waring, the price tag of $19.99 is justified given the amount of time and effort that goes into picking and preserving each leaf. And his idea has a fair number of takers – he received about 135 orders in just two days. Lots of orders are coming in from California, Florida, and South Carolina. And, surprisingly, a few are from New York as well. “I guess it’s the preservation process,” he said. “No one wants to go through that hoopla.”

Ship-Foliage

Although he’s so far been successful in his endeavors, Waring’s friends and family believe he’s crazy for coming up with such eccentric business ideas. His first business was a gangster name generator, which he started at age 16. He then went on to start a T-shirt company, a college humor website, and a marketplace for game developers. But now, at age 27, he’s settled for selling snow and foliage.

And he’s still on the lookout for new ideas. “I’m always building something new and something quirky so I’ve got some ideas floating around,” he said. “Maybe I’ll launch something come spring.”

Texas Man Forced to Live on Lawn of Million Dollar Mansion after Wife Kicks Him Out | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities
http://www.odditycentral.com/news/texas-man-forced-to-live-on-lawn-of-million-dollar-mansion-after-wife-kicks-him-out.html

By Sumitra on October 9th, 2015 Category: News
A Texas couple is in the news for taking their marital spat to a whole new level. The husband has apparently set up camp on the front lawn, ever since his doctor wife kicked him out of their million dollar mansion in Taylor Lake Village, Seabrook. According to local police, Sharafat Khan, 69, has been living outdoors for the past six months!

As funny as the matter sounds, neighbors are pretty worried about him because he’s elderly and in poor health. “He’s wearing the same clothing, it’s dirty,” said Debbie Scoggins, who lives in the neighborhood. “He has no bathroom facilities, no shoes.”

“The weather is starting to get colder,” added Laurel Stout, who lives across the street. “He’s very frail, he can’t even walk. I’m afraid he’s going to die out here in his yard. It just seems the man is elderly and it seems inhumane to leave him stranded out there.”

sharafat-khan

Photo: video caption

Khan is basically living the life of a homeless man, even though he legally owns half the mansion. He told the media that his wife took away his keys and had the locks changed after she kicked him out several months ago. His friends and family members have tried to convince him to move to a hotel, but he’s reluctant to leave the property and hopes that she’ll eventually change her mind. “My emotions are with this house,” he said.

The neighbors have tried to help him by bringing him blankets and warm clothes, but the wife apparently takes everything away. “She doesn’t want me to have any sort of comfort,” Khan said. She’s even put up signs all over the property warning people against helping or feeding him. “If you want to feed him, take him to your house,” one sign reads. “If you want to, you can keep him at your house. Thanks for your sympathy, but do not bring anything on this property.”

sharafat-khan3

Photo: Google Maps

So he spends the nights on the front porch wrapped in a sheet, and tries to find shade under the trees during the day. Last week, he was spotted eating saltine crackers and drinking warm water from a bottle.

The wife hasn’t made any comment so far, but according to Khan, they fought over his relationship with his family members. She wanted him to cut ties with them, but he refused. People close to the family have stated that she can’t divorce him because of their religious beliefs, but Khan said her motives are purely monetary. “She doesn’t want to hand over half her fortune,” he stated.

sharafat-khan2

Photo: video caption

The police say they’ve been summoned to the house at least 30 times in the past six months, but there’s nothing much they can do in this situation because the property belongs to the both of them. Adult Protective Services are involved too, but most of the case details haven’t been made public. News reports do state that Khan was accused of hitting his wife in an assault charge in 2008.

According to a report on KHOU.com, the wife finally got tired of years of verbal and physical abuse, which is why she kicked him out. She has asked for multiple restraining orders in the past and did receive a protective order in December 2014. But Khan hasn’t admitted anything, and insists on staying on the lawn because he wants to make her “realise whatever she is doing she’s doing bad.”

“People will know, the neighbors and everything else. People will ask her, put her down. Let her know what you’re doing to your husband,” Sharafat Khan added.

Coca-Cola Might Be Banned in Russia Over a Controversial Ad | MUNCHIES
https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/coca-cola-might-be-banned-in-russia-over-a-controversial-ad

BY ALEX SWERDLOFF
February 16, 2016
Never Miss A Story
Follow @munchies
The day may very well come when the world’s shadowy proxy wars will no longer be fought by overreaching intelligence agencies, but instead by global soft drink corporations. After all, nothing says “Taste the Feeling” quite like inserting your soda into the middle of a bloody geopolitical mire.

That is what Coca-Cola has indeed done—inadvertently inserted itself into the mess that is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, the disputed peninsula that juts into the Black Sea. And at least one Russian legislator is now trying to get Coke banned from Russia as a result.

It all comes down to the mega-corporation’s desire to wish its customers a very Merry Christmas.

Seriously.

READ MORE: Russian Social Media Is Trying to Take Down the West with Shawarma and Boobs
An advertisement run by Coca-Cola on VK, the Russian social network site, unwisely used a map of Russia as its background. In the ad, Crimea did not appear to be part of Russia.

A scandal erupts when #CocaCola publishes Russia’s map without Crimea. Another one does, when they try to fix it pic.twitter.com/aKdVHyfPvB
— Hromadske Int. (@Hromadske) January 6, 2016
According to The Guardian, Russians got pissed and took to VK, aiming a barrage of criticism at Coca-Cola. What’s more, a member of the Russian Parliament, Oleg Mikheyev, asked prosecutors to list the Coca-Cola company as an “undesirable organization.” The classification would make it illegal for Russian citizens and companies to maintain any contacts with the corporation—or be heavily fined.

The contrite cola company quickly tried to right matters. It re-published the map, this time adding back not only Crimea, but also the Kuril Islands, a territory in the western Pacific that Moscow seized in 1945 from Japan, which still claims it is their territory.

The “Coca-Cola” Company expressed its official apologies for the publication. https://t.co/YpHH0Qa8Ze pic.twitter.com/uwKBJAozFO
— UKR Embassy in USA (@UKRintheUSA) January 6, 2016
All cool? Not really. The apology pissed off the people of Ukraine, and an equal-and-opposite shitstorm ensued.

@AndriiOlefirov @CocaColaCo @CocaColaCo_RU #Crimea is #Ukraine #StopRussianAgression pic.twitter.com/9PAgaHm5Ru
— Team of ZinaPortnova (@portnova_z_team) January 5, 2016
READ MORE: Russia’s Food Sanctions Have Escalated into Mass Cheese-Burning
Coca-Cola got smart and declared they would be getting out of the map-based salutation business. “Dear friends! Thank you for your attention. It has been decided to delete the item which caused the upset,” Coca-Cola’s Ukrainian subsidiary said on Facebook.

But the Russian member of parliament is having none of it: “When first they published an ad showing Russia without one of its integral parts it could be considered a mistake. But when Coca-Cola started altering the map to meet some political demands the case gained a political background. Their actions caused a huge resonance in the community. They might have removed the map, but the fact remains a fact,” Mikheyev told Izvestia Daily.

Russian politicians are making it increasingly clear that food and drinks are the currency of politics.

Gay marriage is 'economic sense' say Australian firms - BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32655943
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

In Australia, at least 18,000 same-sex couples are waiting for the law to change to allow them to get married, according to the University of Queensland.
If, and when, their big day comes, it could be an expensive business covering the cost of hotels, caterers, photographers and florists, not to mention clothes, rings and a honeymoon.
Campaigners estimate that the average Australian wedding has a price tag of around 35,000 Australian dollars ($27,000; £18,000).
"The world's expert body on the economic impact of marriage equality, the Williams Institute at UCLA, says the most conservative estimate for the [potential] wedding spend of Australian same-sex couples is A$161m," says Rodney Croome, the national director of Australian Marriage Equality.
"It could be as high as A$600m.
"On top of this, Australia's failure to achieve marriage equality is a competitive disadvantage when it comes to attracting those skilled migrants and investors for whom non-discriminatory laws are important."
Two men holding hands
Productivity boost
This week the campaign for reform in Australia received some high-profile support from Alan Joyce, the openly gay, Irish-born chief executive of the airline Qantas.
He told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I've had people coming up to me in the business community and saying that their son, their daughter is finding it tough (being gay), even in this day and age.
"Talking about how important it is for a business leader … to express our views on things. It is a role model thing."
The Flying Kangaroo has a long tradition of equality for its staff.
Peter Fraser and Gordon Stevenson getting married under UK law in Australia
Image caption
Peter Fraser and Gordon Stevenson were the first same-sex couple to be married in Australia - under UK law at the British consulate in Sydney
Tim Harcourt, an economist at the University of New South Wales Business School, says Australia's national airline has been a beacon of progressive thinking.
"When I worked at Qantas they were always ahead of the game in providing benefits for same-sex partners, whether it be travel or superannuation or so on," he tells the BBC.
"It has worked out pretty well on the basis that having a happy and egalitarian workforce is good for productivity."
Corporate campaign
Other corporate heavyweights are joining the campaign for same sex marriage in Australia. Telecom giant Telstra Qantas and PricewaterhouseCoopers have signed an open letter urging the conservative government to consider the economic benefits of reform.
They have been joined by the nation's biggest banks, ANZ, the Commonwealth and Westpac, along with retailer David Jones.
The letter states: "Not only is marriage equality the only truly fair option, but it's also a sound economic option given that a happy workforce is a productive one.
"To remain competitive, and to attract top talent from around the world, organisations - and nations - must create a fair and respectful environment for all."
A protester during a gay rights march through Sydney
Image caption
Many firms say Australia's failure to reform its marriage law puts the country at a competitive disadvantage
Alex Greenwich, an openly gay member of the New South Wales parliament and a former businessman, who ran a recruitment agency before entering politics, believes that employees who are happy and respected at work are more productive.
"There have been so many studies done on the importance of diversity within the workplace and the importance of accepting and treating your staff well in the workplace.
"It's kind of a no-brainer," says Mr Greenwich, who believes it is time for Australia to shed its reputation for sexual intolerance.
"We know that gay and lesbian people are out and open in very senior levels in a number of corporates across the world, and a lot of them are now saying why do we want to go to a country where we'll be treated as a second-class citizen?"
Religious objections
The importance of the so-called 'pink dollar' is felt around in the world where reform has been embraced.
But this has done little to soften those opposed to change, who argue that any alterations to Australia's marriage laws would be a backward step.
"I think it is disappointing when we have big business trying to influence governments, and for big business to use their clout in this way is intimidating," says Wendy Francis, the Queensland director for the Australian Christian Lobby.
"What is good for the economy is stable families and that is what we are really wanting to protect in Australia."
Bills to allow gay Australians to marry have been rejected by parliamentarians in the past, and there is currently no legislative timetable for further debate in Canberra.
Protestors in favour of gay marriage rights in Melbourne in 2008
Image caption
Moves to allow gay Australians to marry have been rejected in the past
The conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott has deep-seated religious objections, although opinion polls have suggested a majority of voters would be in favour of marriage equality.
New Zealand reforms
While there is resistance at a federal level, laws now exist in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, and Victoria, as well as the Australian Capital Territory that legally recognise same-sex unions.
Two years ago, New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to legalise same-sex marriages, and the architects of change believe it has had a transformative effect.
"All gay and lesbian people that I encounter are holding their heads just a wee bit higher because they know that the law no longer distinguishes between them and our heterosexual counterparts in this area at least," says Kevin Hague, a Green Party MP, who worked on marriage equality campaign.
"I know that popular wedding destinations like Queenstown and Rotorua have had a real boom time with same-sex couples from Australia coming over the get married here."