Neatorama

What is It? Game 79 Posted: 30 Oct 2008 07:37 AM CDT Today’s collaboration with What is it? blog brings us this object. Can you guess what it is? (No, it’s not an axe!) Place your guess in the comment section. No prize this week, so you’re playing for bragging rights only. For more clues, including larger pics, check out the What is it? blog. Good luck!

A Circular Saw That Won’t Cut Off Your Fingers Posted: 30 Oct 2008 05:45 AM CDT (Video Link) Pretty clever: The blade carries a small electrical charge. This charge is continuously monitored by a digital signal processor. When contact is made, the human body absorbs some of the charge, causing the voltage to drop. The drop in voltage triggers a quick release aluminum brake. A heavy duty spring forces the brake into the teeth of the spinning blade. The teeth dig into the aluminum, stopping the blade cold. The blade’s momentum forces it to retract below the table, and the motor is automatically shut off. Via Geekologie

Computability: Your 1984 Guide to Computing Posted: 30 Oct 2008 01:38 AM CDT Can’t tell the difference between DOS and BIOS? Think that RAM is just a male sheep? Then you need to take a look at this excellent 1984 guide to computers: In Computability, an instructional VHS tape from 1984, comedian Steve Allen and actress Jayne Meadows "take us on a light-hearted but detailed tour of the ways a home computer can change your life by simply using the correct software packages to suit your needs." [...] With an Apple II, a Kaypro 2, cheeseball computer animation and a grab-bag of corny jokes, this is classic computing from the VHS era. Keep an eye out for references to Wargames, hackers, Boy George, Ronald Reagan, and more. From the always excellent Waxy blog by Andy Baio: Link

Corrugated Cardboard Art by Mark Langan Posted: 30 Oct 2008 12:33 AM CDT Mark Langan created wonderful artwork using one of the most mundane of materials: corrugated cardboards! Years ago, while tearing apart some old corrugated boxes, Langan noticed the wavy, fluted layer of paper (called medium) sandwiched between the smooth sheets of linerboard. “It got me to thinking that, if I were to slice, stack, and glue pieces to each other, some very interesting effects could be created,” he recalls. Last July, Langan began turning that thought into reality, creating artworks by layering sheets of corrugated into aesthetically pleasing patterns. “The corrugated lends itself well to patterns,” he explains. “When viewed from different angles and lighting, the piece changes.” Check out Mark’s Artwork: Article at Inhabitat | Mark’s Website

How Much Halloween Candy can You Get in a Pillowcase? Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:16 PM CDT How much candy can you get in a pillowcase? The short answer is: almost 48 pounds. This post also explains the measurement, and lays out a strategy for actually getting that much candy during trick-or-treat. According to the conclusions, everyone who reads this article will be showing up at my house Friday evening. Link -Thanks, ebez!

Paris for President Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:15 PM CDT (YouTube link) Pat Paulson ran a spoof campaign every presidential election year for decades. Dave Barry also threw hit hit into the ring a few times. The new celebrity taking up the spoof campaign mantle is Paris Hilton. That’s hot! -Thanks, CheeseDuck!

A Jack-O-Lantern Proposal Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:11 PM CDT This Old House is having a Jack-o-Lantern contest, and you can vote for your favorite of the submitted entries until noon Thursday. I was quite impressed by this multi-pumpkin display. I’m sentimental like that. Link -Thanks, Betsy Andrews!

In Game Political Ads Posted: 29 Oct 2008 08:00 PM CDT Companies have integrated ads into video games for quite some time now, but this is the first time election campaign ads have been used in virtual reality games. Is this a good idea? Will it be effective? The ABC World News Webcast takes a look. Link to segment. Link to entire webcast.

Gas Price in Des Moines Posted: 29 Oct 2008 07:18 PM CDT The last time gas was this low in Des Moines was January 2007 - I know, because I took a picture then as well. I keep thinking that this time is going to be the last time gas will ever be under $2.00 and I will want to show my kids how “cheap” it was at one time. Although they probably won’t care because by then we will have figured out how to make cars run on air or something (hopefully). What is it where you live?

How Globes Are Made Posted: 29 Oct 2008 06:59 PM CDT [YouTube - Link] Here is a fascinating video that explains in detail how the Globes we found in our classrooms and in old lecture halls were made. And I do believe that this clip is from an episode of a show on Discovery Channel called “How It’s Made“. via - Gizmodo

Happy Anniversary, Black Tuesday! Posted: 29 Oct 2008 01:46 PM CDT Today’s the 79th anniversary of the infamous Black Tuesday, one of three days in which Wall Street crashed. Many people mark the Crash of 1929 as the official beginning of the Great Depression. It’s interesting to note that on Black Tuesday, the market lost about $14 billion in value (a chump change when compared to the $700 billion bailout package of 2008) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost only 30.57 points (a bit percentage though: about 12%). People who thought that this drop in price was a buying opportunity would be in for a rude surprise: stock values bounced back a little but then continued its slide for several years. The bottom was reached about two and a half years later; by then the Dow had lost almost 90% of its value from before the crash. Obviously the stock market recovered from the Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression - but it took almost 25 years for it to do so. Read more about it on Neatorama’s 10 American Financial Meltdowns in the Past Century

Cool Cop Car Posted: 29 Oct 2008 01:45 PM CDT Photo: Delta Niner [Flickr] Now that’s a cool cop car (though I’m not sure how much respect he’ll get driving that thing around!)

Crocheted Knitted Sandwich Posted: 29 Oct 2008 01:45 PM CDT Photo: Candypop Creations [Flickr] From Etsy seller Candypop Creations, here is the yummiest knitted crocheted footlong sandwich you’ll ever see! Why it even comes complete with a slice of picke!

Purr-Muda: The Bermuda Triangle for Cats Posted: 29 Oct 2008 01:44 PM CDT In the sleepy suburb of Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England, there is a mystery brewing: 50 cats have been missing from the area dubbed "Purr-Muda," the Bermuda Triangle for cats! First to go was Tabatha, then Blackie, Lucky and Norman. Felix vanished, Star never came home and YumYum was never seen again. In all, at least 45 cats have gone missing in eight years from the quiet, tree-lined Meriden Avenue and its surrounding streets. Nobody knows what is behind the disappearances, and the only clues have been a few discarded collars - no bodies have ever been found. Link Photo: CATERS

Cat Steals Peanuts Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:56 AM CDT (YouTube link) I hope my cats never see this video. If they learn how to open bottles, I’ll be in a world of hurt. -via Arbroath

Caves: The World Beneath the World Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:48 AM CDT Dark Roasted Blend has beautiful pictures of caves around the world. See caves made of limestone, ice, and crystals, plus caves used for living and working. Pictured is an underground pool in a Brazilian cave. Link

Harry Potter License Plates Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:47 AM CDT What’s neat about these vanity license plates inspired by the Harry Potter books is not their cleverness, because you would expect that, but the sheer number of them! Link -via Geek Like Me

Friday the 13th Quiz Posted: 29 Oct 2008 11:45 AM CDT When I saw today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss, I had to check the calendar to see if today was Friday the 13th! No, this quiz is about the series of horror movies that might be on your playlist for Halloween. I scored 38%, which is pretty good considering I haven’t seen any of the movies. Link

You are subscribed to email updates from Neatorama To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of Neatorama in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: Neatorama, c/o FeedBurner, 20 W Kinzie, 9th Floor, Chicago IL USA 60610