Neatorama

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 10:15 PM CDT

All road signs in Wales must have text in both English and Welsh. Sometimes they don’t exactly agree. Swansea Council emailed a request for a Welsh translation for this sign. The reply came back in Welsh, and was duly printed. The problem is that the Welsh version says (in English),

“I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated”.

The sign has been removed, but quite a few photographs were already taken and sent to the Welsh language magazine Golwg, which has a series of such unfortunate translations. Link -via Digg

Splitter

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 10:13 PM CDT

Splitter is a flash game based on simple physics. Your object is to get the smiley face to the brown spot by cutting through wood or strings, then letting gravity take its natural path. I got to level 11 before I decided I’d better stop and post this. Link -Thanks, David!

Flood Collapsing A Road

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 08:19 PM CDT

via videosift.com

A really interesting video that shows the process of a road being destroyed by a surge of water perhaps caused by the drainage under the road being blocked by the tree from what I gather. It’s a little long but there are certainly a few wow moments in it.

Owl Snoozin’ in a Tree Branch

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:49 PM CDT

I just couldn’t resist this one: a tawny owl was spotted snoozing inside a hollowed-out tree branch in Christchurch Park, Ipswich, England.

After a hard night terrorising the local vole population, this little owl is trying to catch up on some well-deserved shuteye.

But, snuggling into its cosy hidey-hole, the tawny owl hasn’t twigged that its cover has been blown by the fall of autumn leaves. [...] Now, despite its best efforts to blend into the woody background –not to mention keeping its eyes tightly closed, it seems the owl may have to bow to the inevitable and start hunting for a new home.

Link | O RLY Shirt

(Photo: Alban pix)

Shopping Channel Mishap

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:48 PM CDT

In Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe show, here’s a poor shopping channel host who ~~Poor Charlie Brooker. The BBC’s Screenwipe show host~~ was only trying to sell a television on QVC UK when a silly show came on! Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Arbroath

Vampire Moth

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:47 PM CDT

Photo: Sharon Hill

As if the vampire bats aren’t scary enough, scientists have just found a previously unknown population of vampire moths! The similarity between this species and a purely fruit-eating species seems to indicate evolution in action:

Entomologist Jennifer Zaspel at the University of Florida in Gainesville said the discovery suggests the moth population could be on an "evolutionary trajectory" away from other C. thalictri populations. This is the second population of vampire moths Zaspel and her team have found. They discovered the first in Russia in 2006.

Link

Previously on Neatorama: World’s Weirdest Moths

Soup Kitchen … for Dogs!

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:47 PM CDT

The worldwide economic woes aren’t just limited to humans so Claudia Hollm has opened the Berlin’s first soup kitchen … for dogs!

A soup kitchen exclusively for dogs has opened its doors in Berlin providing pets of the homeless and unemployed with a free meal, the director of the establishment said on Friday.

Despite the looming financial crisis, director Claudia Hollm dismissed criticism that it may be more sensible to collect money for humans than for dogs.

"Nowadays people underestimate dogs. They are incredibly important for those who lack social contact with other humans," Hollm told Reuters.

Link (Photo: VG Nett om Dyrene)

Boatsheds

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:46 PM CDT

Photo: Juliet Doyle

Juliet Doyle took some interesting photos of boatsheds in the island of Lindisfarne (or the Holy Island), England. The sheds are made from upturned fishing boats and used for storage by the island’s fishermen.

Check out more pics at Juliet’s blog: Link - via materialicious

The Pramulator by John Knott

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:46 PM CDT

What do you get when you cross a classic Airstream with a baby carriage? Behold The Pramulator by artist John Knott aka Bent Fabrication. It’s made from hand-shaped aluminum panels and antique baby stroller parts.

It’s a USO (Unidentified Strolling Object), I think: Link - via MAKE

Donkey Kong Jenga

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:45 PM CDT

Some games just go unusually well mashed up together. Like Jenga and Donkey Kong, for instance. It’s so obvious that I’m surprised this hasn’t been done before! Link - via Wonderland

Banksy Graffiti Doubles Derelict Pub’s Value

Posted: 01 Nov 2008 01:45 PM CDT

A derelict pub in Liverpool, England, just saw its value more than doubled because it has a Banksy graffiti:

A bizarre bidding frenzy has broken out over a derelict pub… because it is adorned with Britain’s most valuable piece of Banksy graffiti.

The Whitehouse pub is on the market for just £495,000, but art experts say the huge image of a rat holding a machine gun that covers the building could be worth £1 million.

Despite the housing market slump, with average prices in Liverpool falling by 16 per cent, estate agents Sutton Kersh have been inundated with offers above the asking price.

But the majority of bids have been from canny investors wanting to buy the graffiti at a bargain basement price.

Hey, let’s invite Banksy to graffiti on all those empty, foreclosed houses in the US!

Link

(Photo: Mercury Press Agency Ltd)