“Rick Cavallaro has been called an idiot more times than he cares to remember. After posing the theory that a wind-powered vehicle can travel downwind faster than the wind, negating centuries of scientific belief, the Internet and its readers pointed, laughed and ridiculed the mad scientist. But on July 3, 2010, Cavarallo and his cronies silenced the doubters by constructing a wind-powered vehicle that travelled close to three times faster than the wind itself. For those wondering where one might buy a scientific-defying wind-powered machine, head over to eBay. The car nicknamed Blackbird is now for sale.” w/ photos

“Aside from keeping your face warm and looking cool (sometimes), your bushy beard could also help boost your bank balance. Beardvertising has been tipped to become the ‘next big thing’ in advertising and involves using a willing participant’s epic facial hair as mini billboards. That’s good news for lumberjacks and hipsters, with Kentucky-based advertising agency Cornett-IMS offering men $5 per day to wear the clip-on adverts.” w/ photos

“During one week in February, a team of 20 volunteers patroled the town streets on the lookout for offenders. They struck up a casual conversation, got the dog’s name, and found the name of the owner through the town’s registered pet database, according to Europa Press TV. Volunteers then scooped up the excrement, packaged it in a box branded with the town hall insignia and marked ‘Lost Property’ and sent it to the offender’s home address.” w/ photos

“In perhaps the first bit of ‘technological research’ to involve flying pepperoni, Domino’s has developed a drone capable of delivering pizzas. A spokesman for the Michigan-based pizza company confirmed that the concept is ‘the brainchild of our independent master franchise company in the U.K.’ The digital media company T and Biscuits partnered with drone firm AeroSight to bring the idea to life. But don’t expect two piping hot pizzas to be delivered to your door via drone anytime soon.” w/ photos

“If there was ever a nation that could see the purpose behind organic, sustainable farming, it would be a nation that is composed mostly of farmers. Such a place does exist, and it soon may be the first nation to go 100% organic, paving the way for others to do the same on a global scale. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is known for a high level of citizen happiness, but it is doing something even more noteworthy in the near future. With Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley making a major announcement regarding the organic farming project at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development which took place last month, the move has made national headlines.” w/ photos

“An under the weather tiger needed surgery after failing to cough up a giant furball the size of a basketball. Poorly big cat Ty was forced to go under the knife so surgeons could remove the 4lb furry blockage from his stomach in Tampa Bay, Florida. The 28lb tiger had been off his food for almost two weeks after the hairball became stuck in his digestive system.” w/ photos

“A traveling salesman in China has taken the idea of a portable home to the extreme after building himself a house he carries around on his back. Liu Lingchao was fed up with getting wet in the rain so decided to build the unusual accommodation made out of bamboo and plastic sheets. The 38-year-old lost his job five years ago and was then evicted from his home before he decided to hit the road in Liuzhou, Guangxi Province. He says his portable home makes him ‘feel free’ and he now carries the 132 pound structure wherever he goes in southern China while selling recyclable drink bottles.” w/ photos

“As a fashion design, some might say it is just offal. Jocelyn Mather is expecting to divide opinions after making handbags out of tripe – the stomach lining of a cow. The 23-year-old design student said: ‘My lecturer kept saying they would look great on Lady Gaga.’ Her collection of hand-stitched bags ranges from a formal clutch to a dainty handbag, with Highland cow tripe used as a lining or outer material. The fastenings are also made using the animal’s horns and bull ring which led to her flat being mistakenly raided by wildlife officers.” w/ photos

“The 5-year-old kindergartner at T.S. Cooley Elementary Magnet School in Lake Charles, La., has read so many books – 875 in one school year – that the school library has to play catch-up. ‘I told Sophia, I said we’re going to have to order more books for T.S. Cooley Library because she’s read so many of them and enjoys so many of them,’ librarian Mary Lanier told a local NBC station, KPLC-TV. ‘This is very unusual for a kindergartner, especially to read this many books in a year’s time. Very unusual,’ Lanier said.” w/ photo + video

“Enter the hands-free Whopper holder, a plastic device that hangs from the neck and places your Whopper inches from your mouth. All extraneous movement has been removed from the burger-eating process, including the act of bending your arms to bring the sandwich closer to your mouth. With both hands released from the restrictive and calorie-wasting act of food eating, Whopper lovers are free to perform all of their favorite or pressing tasks while enjoying the flame-broiled goodness of Burger King’s signature sandwich.” w/ photos