Man Builds, Rides Gigantic Bicycle: Dumbass Or Daredevil?

by McLean Robbins on




The video above depicts a man riding a hand-built, 14.5-foot-tall bike that he built himself. The video, entitled “STOOPIDTALL,” indicates that the man, identified only as Richie, intends to build an even taller model to break the record of the “World’s Tallest Bike” and says he configured the monstrosity in under 12 hours.

What do you think? Is the guy a daredevil or just a dumbass who is looking to injure himself or others?

If you’re looking for more ridiculous bike news, we have this post here, too.

India’s Human-Powered Ferris Wheel

by Adam Hodge on


In India there’s a man for everything – the wallah. The chai-wallah dispenses your tea. The auto-wallahs drive the ubiquitous auto rickshaws. The dhobi-wallah does your laundry. They are India’s indefatigable industrious core and the exact opposite of a jack-of-all-trades.

The mastery with which these wallahs perform their one task is often mesmeric to watch. A chai-wallah mixes his liquid ingredients with a balletic grace, launching a pot full of boiling spiced tea across space precisely into a waiting cup. The auto-wallahs navigate through gaps in traffic with an instinct that borders on precognition. The dhobi-wallah’s metronomic dunking and slapping of shirts and pants could stand in for any band’s rhythm section.

So in a country where electricity can be unreliable, it only makes sense that Indian fun fairs turn to the wallah to keep the good times rolling, as seen in this antique Internet video from four years ago. An Indian fair ride can be a terrifying thing (witness the rusty, squeaking supports), so the impressive acrobatic talents of the Ferris wheel-wallah are all the more admirable – maybe not join-in-the-fun admirable, but certainly regard-from-afar-with nodding-approval admirable.

They say you can reach a meditative state through repetition. Who is to say if that’s the case here, but the white-shirted gentleman certainly appears to be in the zone.

TSA Postpones Allowing Knives On Planes

by Libby Zay on

It looks like travelers will have to wait a little longer before bringing their pocketknives and golf clubs on board planes. According to Forbes, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has postponed their earlier decision to allow small knives and sporting good equipment in carry-on luggage, a rule that was supposed to go into effect on April 25.

Many people, including flight attendants and other airline employees, criticized the new rules after they were announced in March. A CNN contributor backed these oppositions in a highly circulated op-ed. It seems the TSA is listening, and will now look to the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) for further input on what should and shouldn’t be on the Prohibited Items List.

Although these items aren’t allowed in the cabin, travelers can still pack them in checked luggage. So for now, it looks like our sports outings and camping trips will continue to include a baggage fee.

[Image credit: The Transportation Security Administration]

Shocking Video Of A Texas Bigfoot! (Or Maybe Not)

by Sean McLachlan on


There may be a Bigfoot crawling around the underbrush of Texas. According to the breathless narrator in this video, these two photos were taken by Lupe Mendoza, who spotted a strange creature when it spooked a herd of cattle. Apparently some gutted hogs were found nearby, so Bigfoot may have been feeding.

Actually it may be a Skunk Ape, the Deep South version of Bigfoot that prowls around swamps and has been sighted as far back as the 1960s. The creature has generated enough interest to be the subject of a Skunk Ape Research Headquarters and gift shop in Florida.

No doubt this new footage has led many cryptozoologists (people who investigate supposedly mythical beasts) to beat the bushes of Texas looking for more of these critters. If you try your luck, you might want to review the Bureau of Land Management’s guide to finding Bigfoot.

The narrator might have said more than he knew when he compared the images to a man in a Ghillie suit, used by hunters and snipers. Check out the US Marine Corps photo image below for a comparison.

So what do you think these images show? Take our poll and tell us!

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Drive Nacho Drive: Bloggers Navigate China By VW Bus And Kickstarter Campaign

by McLean Robbins on

We’ve heard of camping excursions and perhaps the occasional extended road trip in retrofitted buses, but what about an around-the-world adventure? That’s exactly what’s planned for Brad and Sheena Van Orden, an Arizona couple who has already trekked from the United States to the southern tip of Argentina and are now somewhere in Southeast Asia, plotting their journey west towards Greece in their faithful Volkswagen Vanagon, Nacho.

Here’s the quick and dirty: Brad and Sheena wanted a grand adventure before settling down to live the rest of their normal lives together. They saw a magazine article that extolled the virtues of traveling the country in a van. They bought one – enter Nacho – and plotted out a plan to save enough money for the trip.

Why are they asking me for money now? Traveling through China requires a pricey guide and special permits, a cost that will total nearly $20,000. So they’ve started a Kickstarter campaign. Find it here.

Why do they want to travel through China? If they skip China they’ll need to head through Iran and Pakistan, areas that are known to be dangerous to foreigners.

What do I get in return? The couple has written an e-book, and their Kickstarter campaign, which already has more than $7,000 in funding, promises everything from shoutouts and postcards to a personal visit with dinner and drinks, plus your selection of stops along the route, if you decide to contribute $5,000 or more to their fund.

Thanks to Autoblog for the tip. If you have some time, take a look through the post and the associated audio interview.

[Image Credit: Kickstarter]