Neatorama

Odd and Extraordinary Beauty Pageants Posted: 02 Feb 2009 04:00 AM PST You know about the Miss America and Miss Universe beauty pageants. You are probably also aware of child beauty pageants, bodybuilding contests, transexual pageants, and pageants for married women. Then there are the odd beauty pageants. Last August, an Italian priest proposed an online beauty pageant for nuns. One day later, he rescinded the idea under pressure from local and religious authorities. But there are plenty of other beauty pageants that stray far from what you are used to. Miss Klingon Empire The Miss Klingon Empire beauty pageant has been held annually for ten years now at the Dragon*con event in Atlanta. This image of the 2006 winner is from Flickr user elemess. Also see a video report of the most recent pageant. Miss Hooker The Miss Hooker 2008 pageant was what you’d think -a beauty pageant for prostitutes, but there were no real prostitutes in the running, just actresses putting on a show, arraigned by artist Natalia Fabia. But what a show! The eventual winner went by the name Miss One Dolla No Holla. See more pictures here. Miss Plastic Surgery A Miss Plastic Surgery pageant was held in China in 2004. It was a one-time-only event, in which all contestants were required to have undergone some type of plastic surgery. The pageant was launched in reaction to an earlier scandal in which a contestant was disqualified from another beauty contest because she had used cosmetic surgery. Ms. Pregnant You don’t have to let a little thing like pregnancy stop you from entering a beauty pageant. The Ms. Pregnant pageant celebrates beauty with a bump. And yes, they parade in bikinis! Miss Subways A New York advertising agency held a pageant from 1941 to 1976 called Miss Subways. The winner was featured in ads on trains and stations. The tradition was revived in 2004, when Caroline Sanchez-Bernat was crowned Miss Subways. Zombie Beauty A Zombie Beauty Contest is held annually at the Phoenix ComiCon. This year’s pageant was just a couple of weeks ago. Heather, the winner, is pictured here. See pictures from last year’s zombie pageant at Flickr. Most Beautiful Bottom The Most Beautiful Bottom in the World contest was launched in 2007 by the underwear manufacturer sloggi. It is open to both men and women, and the winner for each category gets a modeling contract. See a video of the 2008 competition in Paris. This photo is from the 2007 contest in Munich. Miss Landmine Miss Landmine is a beauty pageant for women disabled by landmines and other war-related injuries held in Angola. The pageant, created by Norwegian artist Morten Traavik, celebrates pride and empowerment over physical perfection. Prison Pageants In the Miss Spring beauty pageant held in a Siberian prison near Novosibirsk, participation can mean freedom, as the parole board takes community activity into account when deciding who to release. A 2006 film, Miss Gulag is a documentary about the Miss Spring pageant. Other prison beauty pageants include Miss Captivity, held in a Lithuanian prison, Miss Prisoner held in Bogota, Colombia, and Miss Prisoner in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (image credit: Fabio Cuttica) Miss Jumbo Queen Thailand hosts the Miss Jumbo Queen pageant for big beautiful women. The pageant grew out of an elephant conservation project. The aim of the contest is to select the contestant who best exhibits the characteristics of an elephant, by virtue of her grace, elegance and size, to help promote elephant conservation causes in Thailand. However, it appears that the last Jumbo Queen was crowned in 2005. Harvest Festival Queens Local harvest festivals have the funniest names for ordinary beauty pageants. Who could resist putting such gems as Miss Meat Pie, Miss Hell Hole Swamp, or Miss Worm Gruntin’ Queen on their resume? Pictured is the Gilroy Garlic Festival queen.

In Japan, Blood Type Rules All Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:59 PM PST There’s an odd fad going on in Japan: that a person’s blood type determines his personality. But it’s not all fun and game. The craze has gone so far that there’s a new form of discrimination called "bura-hara," where someone may not be offered a job because of his blood type. In Japan, “What’s your type?” is much more than small talk; it can be a paramount question in everything from matchmaking to getting a job. By type, the Japanese mean blood type, and no amount of scientific debunking can kill a widely held notion that blood tells all. [...] Taku Kabeya, chief editor at Bungeisha, thinks the appeal comes from having one’s self-image confirmed; readers discover the definition of their blood type and “It’s like ‘Yes, that’s me!’” As defined by the books, type As are sensitive perfectionists but overanxious; Type Bs are cheerful but eccentric and selfish; Os are curious, generous but stubborn; and ABs are arty but mysterious and unpredictable. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Geekazoid.

Four Chicks in a Hot Tub Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:44 PM PST Did your parents tell you not to play with your food?  If so, you probably never created a photo op like this one! Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Lee.

Chinlone Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:43 PM PST [YouTube - Link] Chinlone is a 1,500-year-old activity that combines elements of sport and dance.  Teams compete and are judged on how gracefully they perform their moves, but there are no "winners" and "losers."  Americans are likely to be unfamiliar with it, except for its resemblance to hacky sack. The Wikipedia description is here, and "Mystic Ball," an award-winning movie about chinlone has a home page here. - via reddit From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Minnesotastan.

Scientists Clone Extinct Animal Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:42 PM PST The Pyrenean ibex, a form of mountain goat, was deemed extinct in 2000. Using tissue recovered from its body, however, scientists were able to successfully clone this creature. Although the cloned ibex died shortly after birth due to physical defects, the event is considered a breakthrough in cloning and has raised hopes for cloning of other extinct species, such as the mammoth, and possibly even dinosaurs! “I think this is an exciting advance as it does show the potential of being able to regenerate extinct species. “Clearly there is some way to go before it can be used effectively, but the advances in this field are such that we will see more and more solutions to the problems faced.” Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by gabbierose.

Palio di Siena: The Siena Horse Race Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:34 PM PST In the Italian city of Siena, there is a famous horse race that harks back to medieval time. In the Palio di Siena, ten horses and riders, dressed in colors representing the 17 city wards, race (bareback, no less!) around the main square of the city’s medieval center as tens of thousands of spectators cheer them on. If the scene looks familiar to you, it may just be that you’ve seen it in the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Maestor.

Buddy Greene Plays the Harmonica at Carnegie Hall Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:23 PM PST In the hands (and mouth) of Buddy Greene, the lowly harmonica is transformed into a fearsome musical instrument. How good is he? Let’s say that they don’t let anyone just play at the Carnegie Hall. With a harmonica, no less. Harmonica! Think about it: Link [embedded YouTube clip]

Giant Blue Bear Sculpture: Peek-A-Boo! Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:22 PM PST Photo: Elizabeth Thomsen [Flickr] That’s "I See What You Mean," a 40-foot tall blue bear peering into the window of the Colorado Convention Center. The steel and fiberglass sculpture is created by Lawrence Argent: The artist has described I See What You Mean as a stylized representation of native fauna. As the bear peeks inside the enormous facility at the conventioneers, displacement and wonder pique curiosity and question a greater relationship of art, technology and whimsy. Link - via Pursuits: Elizabeth Thomsen and Super Punch

Bandai Diorama Speaker Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:20 PM PST My hat is off to the folks at Bandai - the Japanese toymaker has created a speaker with a diorama of Tokyo’s Ginza district, back in the days (like 1955, dudes). Behold, the Bandai Diorama Speaker: The 2×1W speaker comes with moving parts, sound effects and a bunch of LED lights. Only 2000 copies have been made and the price is ¥198,000 (about $2,200 USD). Link - via GeekAlerts

Lolcat, the Theme Song Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:19 PM PST Finally. After years of being an internet meme, the Lolcats have their own theme song. And like a bad car wreck on the freeway, there’s just NO WAY you can not look at it. I dare you: Link (with apologies to The Cure)

Where Would You Rather Live? Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:18 PM PST According to a new poll by Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans want to live somewhere else than they’re currently living: Living in Las Vegas appeals more to men than women. Affluent adults are twice as likely as poorer folks to want to live in Boston. Young people like big cities such as New York and Los Angeles. More Americans would rather live in a place with more McDonald’s than one with more Starbucks. Those are some of the findings of a Pew Research Center survey out today on where Americans would most like to live. Whether they favor cities, suburbs or the countryside, almost half wish they lived somewhere else, the report found. City dwellers are more likely to dream of living somewhere else, and men in rural areas are far happier living there than women. "There are some more fundamental differences between men and women," says Rich Morin, senior editor of the Pew Research Center survey. "Different cities seem to appeal to different partisan ideological groups. … People who are drawn to cities are typically younger people." Denver, San Diego and Seattle are the top picks of the 30 largest metropolitan areas. Denver is the favorite city among Republicans, and it also rates well with Democrats and independents. Link - via The Zeray Gazette So far, I’ve lived in 2 different countries and 5 different places, the latest of which is good ol’ Southern California … and I can’t wait to move away! How about you? Where would you rather live and why?

Hollywood Marriages that Last Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:17 PM PST Plenty of Hollywood marriages are so short that they’re over before the ink on the marriage certificates dry (Britney Spears and Jason Alexander’s 55 hours marriage, anyone?). But it doesn’t mean that all celebrities weddings are destined not to last. Here are 10 famous couples that are married to each other, like, forever (Yes, though in some cases, it’s their second marriage). Take for instance, Charlton Heston and Lydia Clarke’s 64 years of marriage: Charlton married Lydia, a student at Northwestern, in 1944. She thought he was arrogant and full of himself; he loved her “tumbling mane of black Irish hair.” He paid $12 for her wedding ring and they got married spontaneously after he convinced her to before he was sent overseas with the Air Corps. They had a son and a daughter together. Link - via i met a possum

Holy Cow! Lucky Bovine Survived Lightning Strike Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:16 PM PST The Cairns Post reported this incredible story of a cow that is believed to have survived a lightning strike: In a moo-ving experience, this cow is believed to have been struck by lightning and somehow survived. This is no mad cow story. It’s entirely feasible, according to JCU Professor of Geo-Sciences, Jon Nott. "Cows are susceptible to lightning strikes because of both sets of legs being on the ground, and they’re eating grass from where electricity is conducted from the strike so it is possible it happened but, more often than not, cows die from it," Prof Nott said. Link - via Neatorama Forum, posted by liviaL

Snack Food Stadium Posted: 01 Feb 2009 01:25 PM PST This looks almost too good to eat! This football stadium was made from common snack foods. Holy Taco has an ingredient list and illustrated instructions. Link -via J-Walk Blog

867-5309 Posted: 01 Feb 2009 01:23 PM PST Tommy Tutone made the phone number 867-5309 {wiki} one that everyone remembers -if they were around in 1982 when the song was a hit. Now that phone number is up for sale, available to someone who lives in the same New York area code. A disc jockey who had the number for years is selling his business and the phone number on eBay. Link to story. Link to auction. -via Fark

Custom Road Trip Truck Posted: 01 Feb 2009 01:19 PM PST After graduating high school, three Japanese buddies decided to follow their dream of a year-long cross-country road trip, from the northeastern island of Hokkaido to the southwestern one of Yakushima. But before they set out, the trio built one of the coolest road trip cars ever conceived, from a decrepit mid-80s Toyota Toyoace. The men are neither carpenters nor engineers, so the project took two years. The truck has two stories: the upper deck is a sleeping area, and the bottom has a fully-functional kitchen and bath. It even has a full-size bathtub! Link -via the Presurfer

Scientific Super Bowl Snacks Posted: 01 Feb 2009 01:17 PM PST Why settle for chips and dip when you can watch the game noshing on Beer Ice Cream with Pretzel Crust and Dipping Sauces, or Puffed Sauerkraut, or Pizza Pebbles? Wired Science asked leading molecular gastronomists for their own preferred finger foods recipes. Inspired by the experimental spirit of science, they’ve come up with new variations on old standbys, from Wylie Dufresne’s pizza pebbles to Homaro Cantu’s olive dipping chips. Link

Little Tortoise Tries to Eat A Cherry Tomato Posted: 01 Feb 2009 11:55 AM PST Sometimes a little critter just can’t catch a break. This poor little man keeps trying to eat a cherry tomato, which keeps sliding just out of reach. Thank goodness for the kind Samaritan that finally holds the food in place for him. Link Via GiggleSugar

Late-Night TV Zinger Collection Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:23 AM PST Strange de Jim has been archiving zingers delivered by late night TV show hosts for a decade. It’s probably the most complete archive of such one-liners - from 1999 through this past Friday. Here’s an example from this past week: The Daily Show titled the Rod Blagojevich story “Scumdog Million-Hairs,” and a White House story “Big ‘Bama’s House.” Dave Letterman: “This woman had eight babies. Of course, now she’s moving to a much bigger shoe.” “Benjamin Button starts out old and ends up as a baby who’s adopted by Angelina Jolie.” Jay Leno: “It’s Chinese New Year. Their resolution is to get the lead out.” Jimmy Kimmel: “It’s Oprah’s birthday, and I feel sorry for Steadman. What do you give a woman who has her own President? You can’t just give her a mix tape.” Conan O’Brien: “Viagra profits are down 90%. The president of the company said, ‘Honest, this has never happened before. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by strange.

Mesicopters Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:13 AM PST Its hard to believe these little things can even fly. They are about as small as a quarter and are simply cool. Ilan Kroo and his colleagues at Stanford hope to use them for Mars exploration or atmospheric research one day! Link - via djowtlaw From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by slowboy.

Go Cardenals! Go Steelrs! Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:06 AM PST Cake Wrecks, the blog devoted to photos of mistakes in cakes, has been featured on Neatorama in the past. But with the Super Bowl imminent, this seemed like an appropriate moment to take another look at some sports-related cake atrocities. Link - via coldmud From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.

650 Million Years in About A Minute Posted: 01 Feb 2009 10:00 AM PST [YouTube - Link] Our fight against global warming is futile. Nature is going to equalize everything in the end. Here is a cool animation about plate techtonics before and after our time. From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Christophe.

Baby chimp rescue Posted: 01 Feb 2009 09:59 AM PST The discovery of an abandoned baby Fongoli chimp in Senegal caused Jill Pruetz, a biological anthropologist at Iowa State University, to drop everything and hop on a plane.  Pruetz has studied the Fongoli chimps of Senegal and as a result of her pioneering fieldwork she was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer last year, so she knew this particular group of chimps very well.  The baby had been found by hunters, and Pruetz and her team searched for the mother, hoping she had not been killed.  They found a large group of chimps in a tree, with only one female without a baby, and they put the baby on the ground nearby.  As Pruetz described the scene: Mike, an adolescent [chimp] whose own mother disappeared soon after he was weaned, came down and approached the baby, who just sat in the sack and looked from us to the chimps. He looked at her and smelled her and then picked her up and took her to the tree where her mother, Tia, raced down and retrieved her! Link - via blogs From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.

Attack of the Steampunk Spider Princess Posted: 01 Feb 2009 09:58 AM PST French Performance Art outfit La Machine unveiled this 3 million dollar steampunk spider, La Princesse, as part of the City of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. Over a four day period, La Princesse - in search of a nest - climbed walls, stalked the streets and sprayed unwary citizens.  This huge construction (here seen in some wonderful pictures) was deemed a huge success - but possibly not by any resident arachnaphobes. This is in fact a massive thirty six tonne hydraulic spider scaling the side of a city block in Liverpool, England. The city is of course best known for The Beatles. However, during its time as the European City of Culture visitors to one of its main railway stations, Lime Street, could have been forgiven for thinking that the city had been invaded by a different type of insect altogether. Link - via webphemera From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by taliesyn30.

Englishman Sells Home Through Sudoku Posted: 01 Feb 2009 09:57 AM PST There are some pretty nifty things you can win through puzzles and contests. iPods, concert tickets or dvd’s…but what about a house? Dave Mackie, a 49 year old Englishman is offering his house (valued roughly at $750,000) as a prize to whoever can solve a Sudoku puzzle. To participate you’ll have to pay 60 bucks, but otherwise there is no catch. Mackie claims he is planning to migrate to Egypt and needed a fun way to get rid of his current home near Blackpool, England. Being addicted to Sudoku’s himself, Mackie quickly set up the plan. He is hoping enough people will participate so that he will have a fair amount of money in return for his house, which includes a sauna and hot tub. "It’s a fun way to sell my house and a way to avoid getting sucked into the global financial crisis" says Mackie. The puzzle will be available on Mackie’s website til February 2010. By then Mackie hopes at least 14,000 people will have participated. Link - via nu From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by lilrawker.

World Laughter Pledge: Laughter is the Best Medicine Posted: 01 Feb 2009 09:56 AM PST The World Laughter Pledge is a pledge to get everyone in the world to laugh at 9am, every Saturday, in their respective timezones. It was started on January 24th by Robin Graham (left) in an attempt to make the world a little happier - one laugh at a time. You can check out the official World Laughter Pledge here. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Jerse.

Who’s Watching the Puppy Bowl Today? Posted: 01 Feb 2009 08:40 AM PST Not to sound like a complete girl cliche, but I’m really not interested in the Super Bowl this year. There are some years I’m interested, but not this year. And I should probably care a little more, since Kurt Warner is from Iowa, but… meh. But Puppy Bowl? That’s an event I can get behind. Plus, the website is kind of awesome. It gives you tips and tricks on how to throw the perfect Puppy Bowl party (tail-gate, hahaha), offers tongue-in-cheek interviews with the Puppy Bowl “ref,” lets you check out the starting lineup and even gives you a sneak preview of this year’s Star Spangled Banner Performer - Pepper the Parrot. I confess - part of the reason the Puppy Bowl is awesome is because I think it’s funny to watch my dogs watching dogs on T.V. Link

Ghosts of Super Bowl Commercials Past Posted: 01 Feb 2009 08:02 AM PST Before the newest Super Bowl ads roll out today, refresh yourself with some of the biggest ads from Super Bowls past. I totally remember the Michael Jordan/Larry Bird commercial, and I’m amused by the Michael J. Fox ad for Diet Pepsi. It’s so ’80s! Warning: there are current ads sprinkled here and there as well. A look at what used to happen in commercials of the past @ Yahoo! Video

Trial and Error: Can you Achieve Perfect Balance? Posted: 01 Feb 2009 07:56 AM PST Relax, take a deep breath, and give puzzle game Perfect Balance a go. As the name implies, you need to try to get a collection of shapes to balance perfectly on a base structure. There are 80 levels in total. Prepare for frustration. Link - via onelargeprawn

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