A list of intriguing things

One: We all know about arm and thumb wrestling. Germans, however, are masters of the far more competitive sport of finger wrestling. It dates back to the 14th century—when it began either as a way to settle disputes or a way to score free beer at saloons. No prizes for guessing which theory we prefer.

The rules of the sport are simple:

In each round, two competitors sit on opposite sides of a solid table and each hooks one finger — usually the middle finger — through opposite sides of a small leather loop. As soon as a referee signals the start, a contestant tries to pull the other across the table swiftly. The whole thing usually lasts a few seconds, and digits put out of their joints are common. The winner moves to the next round.

But the contests are absurdly short—as you can see in the clip below—and intense (see: lead image). Participants even strength-train their fingers—using weights that include 52 kilos of concrete. The contest is for boys only—but the most ‘macho’ thing about the sport are the costumes lol! (Washington Post, paywall, Associated Press)

Two: Lake Como is famous for lots more than George Clooney’s vacation home. Its lesser known pleasures include the ‘ghosts’ at Vezio Castle. Not the real kind but sculptures made of plaster. They are a tribute to Theodelinda—the queen of the Lombards—whose spirit haunts her former home. What’s likely more fun—is volunteering to model for these spooky casts:

These ghosts of Vezio are plaster casts made by the managers of the castle each year. Tourists volunteer to have plaster fitted to them, which are used to create these ghostly figures. They are then left to the elements throughout the winter until a new season begins and the ghosts are cast anew.

There are lots of pretty pics over at MyModernMet—but imagine bumping into one of these while you wander around the castle.

Three: New York City—the cradle of innovation—has introduced a new way to battle rats: Pizza recycling bins. They are specially constructed to fit pizza boxes—which are hard to stuff into normal trash cans—and can take 50 at a time. So you don’t need to try and fit square boxes into round-hole bins.

The really cool bit: “The empty boxes can be recycled within days — sometimes even hours — of being thrown out, and then turned into rolls of paper, cardboard or new pizza boxes.” As to why it helps keep rats at bay: greasy pizza boxes and overflowing garbage bins are a rodent magnet. (NBC News)

Bonus recycling thing: In the UK, chewing gum is the second most common type of street litter—after cigarette butts. That’s why designer Anna Bullus created Gumdrop—a bright pink, bubble-shaped bin—hung at exactly the right height to spit out your gum. What we love: Gumdrops themselves are made from recycled chewing gum—and each carries a little note explaining how your chewing gum will be recycled into new objects. FYI: gum is made with a synthetic polymer, similar to plastic—so terrible for the planet, but easy to recycle. (BBC News)