Perhaps next to one of these??

(via TIWYF)

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This sport is common throughout several east and southeast Asian cultures, usually involving the large horned beetles of the Rhinoceros beetle subfamily (Dynastinae), whose members include the awesome Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) and the Atlas beetle (Chalcosoma atlas). The large “horns” of the males are used for territorial fighting, where they will wrestle in an attempt to topple one another, until one submits, retreats, or is knocked-off a perch. Fighting these beetles is a popular gambling sport throughout Asia, from Thailand to Hong Kong (another link).

In Japan, collecting and fighting these beetles is common among boys – Rhinoceros beetles are easy pets to care for. These fighting pets are common enough in Japan that one can even buy Rhinoceros beetles from streetside vending machines (photo from the Photomann gallery of Japanese vending machines), and there are many Japanese toys and models that relate to Rhinoceros beetle collecting. Also, this practice is the likely origin of the Japanese game Pokémon, which gained world popularity in the late 1990’s, and which focuses on the collecting, husbandry, and fighting of supernatural creatures.

There are also dire “blood sport” forms of bug fighting, involving more dangerous insects, arachnids, and crustaceans – as seen on the website Japanese Bug Fights! (sadly, sometimes the matches end in fatalities).

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This weekend, I found a local source for Dublin Dr. Pepper. Score!
For those of you who aren’t in-the-know: Dublin Dr. Pepper is the special original recipe Dr. Pepper, bottled in Dublin, Texas, and only available to people who are awesome. They use cane sugar, it adds a nice caramel note to the ‘Pepper.

Some interesting Dr. Pepper info:
• The company holds that Dr.Pepper is “a unique blend of 23 flavors” and that “the formula is proprietary information.” The fundamental flavors of Dr. Pepper are cherry and almond (amaretto). It is a spicy cherry-almond softdrink.

• Though it may have flavor notes similar to prune juice, it contains no prune juice, and never has.

• Because Dr. Pepper has figured so prominently in the pantheon of American softdrinks, it has been “cloned” dozens and dozens of times. There are entire online galleries of fake Dr. Peppers. The most well known clone being Mr. Pibb (by Coca-Cola).

• The late comedian Mitch Hedberg said it best:

“Mr. Pibb is a replica of Dr.Pepper. But it’s a bullshit replica – ‘cause the dude didn’t even get his degree. Why’d you have to drop-out and start making pop so soon?!”

(via Planet Timbotron)

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Say what you want to say about pot, but this is certainly interesting, and I will be curious to see how this experiment works out for all parties involved. Machines are ‘open’ for business 24 hours a day, and have security guarding them. Furthermore, potential consumers will have to check in and have prescriptions approved, have a photo and biometric fingerprint scan taken before making a purchase, and use a prepaid ‘credit’ card with dosage information pre-programmed in to prevent people buying more than their allotment.

Patients can buy 3.5 or 7 grams, up to 1 oz. a week, in 5 strains “including OG Cush and Granddaddy Purple, the mildly hallucinogenic forebear to Prince.” Perhaps we will see some of these products in vending machines in the future?

As one poster astutely asked, “Is there to be a regular vending machine next to the marijuana machine to cure the resulting munchies?” Another poster replied, “That’s a fantastic idea– this way they can sell Doritos for $20 a bag!” Simpy Classic.

(Thanks Steve; via Thrillist)

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In Japan, there are vending machines that sell underwear. Schoolgirls’ underwear. Previously worn and unwashed schoolgirls’ underwear.
Yes – an entire industry of trading-in the day’s underwear for a new pair. And underwear sold with a photo of the underwearer can fetch a higher price. The almighty Snopes has a nice article on this subject, which they report to be true.

Japan is apparently blanketed with bazillions of vending machines, and many of them cater to a widespread fetish culture known as “Buru-sera” [SFW Wikipedia link] (a corruption of the English terms “bloomers” =buru and “sailor” = sera). And as you may have guessed, Buru-sera is the attitude that adult women are sexy when they dress and behave like retarded 13-year-old girls: often clad in schoolgirl “sailor” uniforms, speaking in a high register like a child, and behaving like a dip. Apparently one of the finer trophies of this subculture is an actual pair of schoolgirl’s underpants.

According to Snopes, prior to 1993, little legal recourse existed to prevent these machines from vending their Untidy Hello Kitties – there were/are no Japanese laws specifically regarding the sale of used underwear. However, in 1993, the Antique Dealings Law was cleverly employed in preventing such sales: the sale of second-hand items must be approved by local authorities. Despite legal action against such vending machines, readers of Snopes have reported that they continue to exist in Japan.

If it were profitable, I would consider starting a business where I sell my own worn underwear on eBay, and I would even sell them with a photo of me sitting on a couch in my underwear, eating Cheetos, watching Kung Fu movies, and scratching myself.

Here are some good reasons for doing this:
•Money
•It would cut down on laundry expenses.
•Less dirty laundry in the laundry hamper (a.k.a. – “the floor”).
•I get to wear a brand-new pair of underwear every day. Mmmm, fresh!

Here are some good reasons for not doing this:
•It’s creepy
•The high potential for wackos and derranged stalkers (the only people who would buy such an item).

PhotoMann’s Gallery of Japanese Vending Machines may have one of the few internet images of a Japanese used underpants vending machine. *NOTE: If anyone can read Japanese, I would love to know if the machine in the above photo is indeed selling used underpants, or just the traditional non-used variety.

(photo used without permission from the awesome PhotoMann gallery of Japanese Vending Machines – please don’t get mad at us PhotoMann, we love you)

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A friend recently returned from her jaunt to Tokyo where she picked up a pack of Camel’s from a vending machine.

With the Japanese/English translation being so incredibly difficult it makes you wonder what languages Americans butcher on our own exports.

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Of course Japan rules the roost when it comes to vending machines, small list of available and weird vending machines:

• Eggs
• Umbrellas
• Hot Ramen
• Phone charger station
• Hot Popcorn
• Fishing supplies
• Fried food
• Liquor
• Porn (nice!)
• Used Panties
• Rhinoceros Beetles
• More including the ones listed above at http://www.photomann.com/japan/machines/

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