StrangeSights

• Much as they were busy hosing down reports of UFOs in the mid-20th century, a recently declassified document shows the US Air Force drew up plans to build its own flying saucer in the 1950s. Called Project 1794, the plans (which can be seen here) show a disc-shaped craft designed for a vertical take-off and landing which could reach a top speed of Mach 4. A Canadian company was even apparently contracted to build the craft.

• Thousands of people from across the country converged on the small township of Millmerran in Queensland for the Australian Camp Oven Festival last weekend. The biennial event, which was first held in 1999, celebrates life in the bush and its feature events include a camp oven cook-off and damper throwing competition as well as workshops, billy boiling competitions and, of course, sheep shearing demonstrations. For more on the festival, see www.australiancampovenfestival.com.au.

• OK, we’re a little late with this one but we still thought it worth a mention. In celebration of its 50th anniversary in Australia, the Lego company has created a series of Lego constructions depicting 10 great moments in Australian history. The scenes, which were selected following a survey of Lego fans, include everything from Steve Irwin holding his son Bob in one hand while feeding a croc with the other, Cadel Evans winning last year’s Tour de France, the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973 and the praise for the film, The Castle, following its release in 1997. You can see a full gallery of the winners here.

• Think you look like Superman? Or perhaps it’s Batman that you reckon you resemble? Whichever you choose, it’s now possible to create an action figure of your favorite superhero complete with your face. Online firm Firebox say they just require you to send through two photos of your face - one from the front and one from the side. They will then use these to create a custom made head bearing your face which can be put on top of your favorite action figure character - everyone from the Joker to Catwoman. The figures could make a great conversation piece - after all they all come with a supplied plinth upon which to stand, and, where they will “remind you (and others), who you really are”. You can see a picture on Sight’s Pinterest page here…

• Can’t decide between a pizza and a cheeseburger? Why not have both. Pizza Hut’s Middle Eastern stores have reportedly released a new pizza which features 12 mini cheeseburgers placed on top. There are apparently no plans to introduce the Crown Crust Pizza to the US as yet. You can see a picture of the pizza on Sight’s Pinterest page here…

• It’s all a bit exciting - well, for these towns anyway. The Scottish town of Dull recently reportedly announced that it was seeking to become a twin town to the US town of Boring. The twinning, which apparently becomes official on 5th May, was the brainchild of a Scot who cycled through the town of Boring - which was named after its founding family.

• Remember when, some time ago, StrangeSights ran a piece about odd theme parks? We may have a new contender with the proposed Napoleonland near Paris in France. While the focus of the proposed park will reportedly very much be about the victories of the former Emperor Napoleon (and built on the site of his last victory at the Battle of Montereau against the Austrians in 1814), a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo (in which Napoleon lost to the Duke of Wellington) has been mooted as has a water show celebrating the defeat of his fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar (it was won by the British Admiral Lord Nelson, but at the cost of his life). Other proposed attractions include a re-creation of the guillotining of Louis XVI and a ’ski run’ through a battlefield.

• First there was a Lego man in space. Now a model of a space shuttle has flown close to the edge of space in an experiment involving a helium balloon. Built by a Romanian man, Oaida Raul, with the backing of Melbourne venture capitalist Steve Sammartino, the Lego space shuttle, which was superglued together, reportedly took off from Germany after failing to receive clearance to take off in Romania and soared almost 40 kilometres into the sky before returning to earth.

• Around 850 ‘human mattress dominoes’ gathered in New Orleans in the US earlier this month to smash the record for, you guessed it, the largest game of dominoes involving humans falling back onto mattresses. Apparently the previous record of 550 was set in Belgium in 2011. The record aside, another positive outcome was that the mattresses involved had been donated and were destined for charities.

• Questions are apparently being asked about the citizenship of iconic cat cutie Hello Kitty following the publication of a new book, Hello Kitty’s Guide to Japan in English and Japanese. According to the official biography published by Sanrio, the company that owns the rights to her, Hello Kitty (real name Kitty White) was born in London. But, according to some, Kitty is so knowledgable about Japan in the new guide, which was reportedly authorised by Sanrio, that “the reader can only surmise she is either Japanese or an amazingly bilingual Japanese studies scholar”. The catfight has raised the ire of many in Japan and elsewhere and sparked countless internet debates but so far there’s been no official clarification forthcoming. Stay tuned.

• The voice of former German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck has been heard for the first time in 100 years in a series of remarkable recordings digitally restored by the Thomas Edison National Park museum in the US. The recordings, in which Bismarck can be heard reciting parts of songs and poetry in English, Latin, French, and German - including France’s national anthem, La Marseillaise - and advising his son Herbert to “live life in moderation”, was made in 1889 using a wax cylinder phonograph. Discovered in 1957, research on the recordings did not reportedly start until 2005.

• Being able to say words backwards is quite a remarkable feat yet Alyssa, a girl from Oklahoma in the US seems to be able to do so with little effort. In a video clip posted on YouTube which has, yes, gone viral around the globe, Alyssa is seen repeating backwards any word that’s thrown at her. You can see the video here.