Neatorama

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• Spy Shoelaces
• 8 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World
• Crazy Case Mods
• Hi-Res Photos From Space
• Krampus is Making a Christmas Comeback
• Why Are People So Interested in This Tiger Woods Thing?
• School of Pot: Cannabis College Offers Higher Education in Growing Medical Marijuana
• Expressionist Versions of Classic Arcade Games
• Sinusoidal Door
• Scientists Grow Meat in Lab
• Mussolini's Stolen Brain Offered On eBay
• ABC Cookie Cutters
• Awful Library Books
• Classic Door Prank
• Corduroy Skirts Are A Sin
• Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels in Malaysia
• Lost Dog Flier for "Chewie"
• Super Emo Friends
• Prime Minister of Vanuatu Fired For Not Having Absence Notes
• Otter Snow Fun
• Physics Bumper Sticker
• Zipper Coconuts
• Inflatable Concrete and Other Innovations in Materials Science
• Sneaking Into Auschwitz
• Swine Flu Collector Mask
• Super Mario Bros. Synchronized to Play Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now"

Spy Shoelaces Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:36 PM PST Suppose you are a clandestine service agent for the CIA and you need to tell another agent that you have important information for him,  but you suspect the walls have ears. Well, you could tie your shoelaces in a pattern like the one shown below, and your message would come out loud and clear without your speaking a word. CIA shoelaces The illustration is from a new book called “The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception,” based on two manuals written by professional stage magician John Mulholland.  During the Cold War, the CIA hired Mullholland to teach their covert operatives sleight-of-hand tricks and secret signals they could use in the field. The manuals explained tricks like how to drop something or pick something up without arousing suspicion, or how to pass a pin or a pill concealed in a matchbook while pretending to be simply offering a light.  For a trick to be good, said Mulholland, it “must be simple in its basic idea",  and if you practiced relaxing your facial muscles, “the greater the effect.” Mulholland’s classified manuals were supposed to have been destroyed in 1973, but a copy was discovered in 2007 among declassified CIA archives by intelligence historian H. Keith Melton and retired CIA officer Robert Wallace, who wrote the historical overview for the book. Rather than a dashing, James Bond-type figure, Mulholland described the ideal agent as anonymous, bland, and "so normal in manner, and his actions so natural, that nothing about him excites suspicion." At least until his Russian counterpart glanced at his shoes. Hat tip Kottke.org. From the Boston Globe article by Tom Scocca; illustrations by Javier Zarracina/Globe Staff Graphic

8 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World Posted: 30 Nov 2009 08:14 PM PST A bridge can be a way of getting from one place to another. A bridge can also be a work of art, a sight for sore eyes, and a way to enhance the beauty of its surroundings. These bridges are all of these things! Shown is the Tower Bridge over the River Thames in London. Link From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by draganesku.

Crazy Case Mods Posted: 30 Nov 2009 07:19 PM PST Web Urbanist has a great post of case mods on their recent post. The most awesome is disputably this beer dispenser mod. Even non-beer drinkers (like myself) can still appreciate the genius behind this creation. Link Image Via Gizmodo

Hi-Res Photos From Space Posted: 30 Nov 2009 04:29 PM PST These two photos are from the latest Space Shuttle Atlantis mission (STS-129), which seemed to come and go much faster than the one before it.  At left, Atlantis prepares to dock at the International Space Station.  At right, the sunset through Earth’s thin blue atmosphere (photos by NASA).  These and ten more can be blown up to satisfyingly gorgeous proportions at ChamorroBible. Link.

Krampus is Making a Christmas Comeback Posted: 30 Nov 2009 04:15 PM PST This Christmas, forget Santa. There’s a mythical creature that’s making a big comeback: the Krampus. Popular in Alpine villages centuries ago, Krampus scared kids straight—his long red tongue upped the fear factor—and taught them that evil bows before good. He served Santa’s forerunner, kindly St. Nicholas, who had “the power to send Krampus back to hell,” says Austrian ethnologist Ulrike Kammerhofer-Aggermann. [...] But by the 1800s, church leaders had marginalized Krampus. Now he’s enjoying a mini-revival, mainly for the fun of it. The Austrian state of Salzburg alone has 180 Krampus clubs, more than half set up since 1990, says Josef Moser, Jr., chairman of Austria’s Krampus Museum. Revelers roam streets in Krampus garb, rattle bells, and roar. “It feels good!” says Moser. Link

Why Are People So Interested in This Tiger Woods Thing? Posted: 30 Nov 2009 03:49 PM PST So. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know by now that Tiger Woods got into a car accident on Friday morning. A media frenzy followed, fueled by a rumor of Tiger’s infidelity and his silence over the whole thing. Today, he announced that he wouldn’t play in his own golf tournament. Talking heads proclaim that the public is due an explanation, and that the story simply isn’t going to go away without a public accounting of who (Tiger) had done what (or whom, as it were implied). No, this post isn’t about Tiger, his accident, alleged affair, or whatnot. I don’t care about that – but what is interesting to me is why people care about such matters. If you follow this kind of news, let me ask you: what is it about celebrities that capture your fancy? What is so interesting about Jon and Kate, or Brad and Angelina or whomever. Jaye L. Derrick and Shira Gabriel of the Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, published a study that "connections" to celebrities or parasocial relationships, allow people with low self-esteem to view themselves more positively: The current research demonstrates that parasocial relationships can have self-enhancing benefits for low self-esteem people that they do not receive in real relationships. These parasocial relationships, which have very low risk of rejection, offer low self-esteem people an opportunity to reduce their self-discrepancies and feel closer to their ideal selves. “Even ‘fake’ relationships with celebrities, relationships without any actual contact, can have benefits for the self,” the authors conclude. “We found that parasocial relationships can sometimes have benefits for people with low-self esteem that ‘real’ relationships do not.” Or is it genetics? Duke University Medical Center neurobiologist Michael Platt found that adult rhesus macaque monkeys would pay (by giving up their favorite drink, Juicy Juice cheery juice) to look at images of dominant "celebrity" monkey of their pack. So here’s my question to you again: What’s so captivating about celebrities? (Photo: Jim Epler [Flickr])

School of Pot: Cannabis College Offers Higher Education in Growing Medical Marijuana Posted: 30 Nov 2009 03:47 PM PST Oh, boy. College today sure is different than when I went to school. Case in point: Med Grow Cannabis College, a school in Michigan that teaches students on how to grow medical marijuana (legalized there by a referendum in 2008). Med Grow opened Sept. 14. Students pay $475 for a six-week night-school course that includes classes in marijuana history, marijuana law, the basics of business and, of course, several courses in how to grow and cook marijuana — one taught by an anonymous professor who goes by the name "Nature." Two groups, each comprising 20 students, have graduated, and several other groups are on their way. "The students are a mixed bag," says attorney Paul Youngs, who teaches Med Grow’s law class. "We have patients who want to grow for themselves. We have people who want to be caregivers and who approach it as a business opportunity. We even had a priest who works with AIDS patients. It’s a mix of races and a mix of ages from the 20s to the 60s. And I believe some of the students are not even users." Peter Carlson of WaPo has the scoop on this different kind of "higher" education: Link (Photo: Gary Malerba for The Washington Post)

Expressionist Versions of Classic Arcade Games Posted: 30 Nov 2009 12:48 PM PST Minneapolis-based illustrator Brock Davis painted Expressionist screenshots of classic arcade games, such as the above Donkey Kong. Two more at the link. Link via Geekologie | Artist’s Website | Flickr Stream | Interview with the Artist

Sinusoidal Door Posted: 30 Nov 2009 12:35 PM PST This door by the architectural firm Matharaoo Associates is designed to resemble a sine wave. Now in the home of a diamond merchant in Surat, India, the door measures 5.2m high and 1.7m wide and is made from 40 blocks of teak. Thanks to 160 pulleys and 80 ball bearings, it pushes open easily, despite its weight. More pictures at the link. Link via Fast Company | Photo: Dinesh Mehta

Scientists Grow Meat in Lab Posted: 30 Nov 2009 12:12 PM PST Researchers at Eindhoven University in the Netherlands have recently grown synthetic pork meat in a laboratory setting. Lois Rogers writes for The Times: The advent of so-called "in-vitro" or cultured meat could reduce the billions of tons of greenhouse gases emitted each year by farm animals — if people are willing to eat it. So far the scientists have not tasted it, but they believe the breakthrough could lead to sausages and other processed products being made from laboratory meat in as little as five years' time. They initially extracted cells from the muscle of a live pig. Called myoblasts, these cells are programmed to grow into muscle and repair damage in animals. The cells were then incubated in a solution containing nutrients to encourage them to multiply indefinitely. This nutritious "broth" is derived from the blood products of animal foetuses, although the intention is to come up with a synthetic solution. Link via Popular Science | Image: US Department of the Interior

Mussolini's Stolen Brain Offered On eBay Posted: 30 Nov 2009 11:46 AM PST After Mussolini was executed, his body was strung up before being brought to the hospital for autopsy and eventually returned to the family members. So, when an eBay auction started for the brain and some blood samples of the deceased dictator, it was entirely possible that the remains (which started at around $22,000) were authentic. Fortunately, eBay has a policy of not allowing these sorts of things, so the auction was canceled a few hours in, before his granddaughter had even heard about the auction. Link Image Via Euskalanato [Flickr]

ABC Cookie Cutters Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:37 AM PST ABC Cookie Cutters – $8.95 What’s better than a warm and yummy gingerbread man cookie for Christmas? How about ones that are funny to boot? Here’s the ABC (Already Been Chewed) Cookie Cutters, from the Neatorama Shop: Link Get a free Mystery Bonus with every purchase (while supplies last), part of Neatorama’s Christmas Special.

Awful Library Books Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:34 AM PST Mary and Holly are Michigan librarians who are really into “weeding,” meaning they strive to keep their books relevant and “weed” out dated, damaged, and just plain wrong titles.  Recently featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the two bibliophiles created a submitter-based blog from library-goers all over. These books are just odd, outdated or maybe should be reconsidered under a current interpretation of collection policies. In no way should the opinions of Mary and Holly be interpreted as a standard for every library.  We just want to have a few chuckles and talk about library collections. There are lots of curiosities besides the one I chose above.  I really got a kick out of this one, as well as this one.  All around, a fun site!  Link.

Classic Door Prank Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:34 AM PST It always bugs me when I see someone press on the glass portion of a door to open it (this is probably due to years in a job that required my cleaning such doors), so this footage from sometime in the 20th century is like justice.  via YepYep YouTube Link

Corduroy Skirts Are A Sin Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:06 AM PST The week before Thanksgiving, a woman named Michelle Deferio stood on a street corner on Syracuse University campus holding a sign proclaiming that homosexuality is a sin. That required a response, thought Chris Pesto, a junior drama major, who mounted a counterprotest of sorts: Today (Wednesday, November 18th) I left my voice lesson and noticed two adults on campus holding signs that said “Homosexuality is a sin”. First, I would just like to say that I support people with their own opinions. I think that everyone is entitled to their right to think what they want. However, when someone comes on my campus, where I pay tuition to live, I don’t think it’s appropriate to rub such a hateful sign in someone’s face. I decided that because this woman thought it was okay to make me feel uncomfortable in my home, I would retaliate and make her feel just as uncomfortable, if not more. This woman was wearing a ankle-length corduroy skirt, which, as we all know, is a fashion nono. So, in order to make her feel uncomfortable, I stood next to her and held a sign that said Corduroy skirts are a sin! I don’t think I have ever drawn so much attention in my life. SO many people asked to take a picture with me, I got laughs, high fives and there were the few that even cursed off the woman standing behind me. fbomb blog has the story: Link - via Miss Cellania

Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels in Malaysia Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:05 AM PST Forget the namby-pamby cigarette warning label we have here in the United States. Here's a very graphic warning label from cartons of Malaysian clove cigarettes. Alas, even these warning labels do not have much effect on smokers. From World Health Organization's Regional Office for the Western Pacific's smoking statistics: - About half of all Malaysian men smoke. - Every day about 50 teenagers below the age of 18 start smoking - Studies show about 30% of adolescent boys (aged 12 to 18) smoke. - Smoking among female teens is rising. According to two studies on teens conducted in 1996 and 1999, the numbers of female teens smoking rose from 4.8% to 8%. Overall, the 1999 study found nearly one in five teens smokes. - Some studies have shown that lung cancer is rising at a rate of 17% a year. - Although there are restrictions on advertising, tobacco companies have found ways to bypass these laws through using brand names and remain the top advertisers. Heavily advertised products include the Benson and Hedges bistro, Dunhill accessories, Marlboro clothing, Kent Horizon Tours and Salem Cool Planet concerts. - Malaysia has been dubbed the "indirect advertising capital" of the world. Some of the tobacco industry's most blatant efforts to target young people can be seen here. - Spending on tobacco advertising is extremely high. In 1997, the industry spent about $90 million, while in the year 2000, two tobacco firms alone reportedly spent more than US$40 million. TYWKIWDBI has the larger pic: Link (as you'd imagine, the pictures are quite graphic - you've been warned)

Lost Dog Flier for "Chewie" Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:04 AM PST Pic: chantastic [Flickr] Interbent blog has a fantastic collection of street art inspired by Star Wars. This one above, a fictional lost dog flier, is surely a performance piece in Venice, California. Check out the rest: Link – via Rue The Day

Super Emo Friends Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:03 AM PST J of Jsalvadordesign is one very cool dude (case in point: name is "J" – how much cooler can you get?). I had a chuckle at his latest creations: a series of paintings of emo superheroes (sold out on Etsy, sadly). Super Punch has the complete list: Link – via The Zeray Gazette

Prime Minister of Vanuatu Fired For Not Having Absence Notes Posted: 30 Nov 2009 10:03 AM PST Ever got into trouble for forgetting your absence note? I betcha it’s not as big as this: Edward Natapei, the Prime Minister of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu lost his job because he didn’t have an absence note for missing Parliament sessions three times in a row: Natapei was fired for attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) currently taking place at the Hyatt regency hotel in Port of Spain. According to the standing orders, Natapei forfeited his seat in Parliament after missing three consecutive sittings without notifying the Speaker. Natapei missed the extraordinary sessions of parliament being held in Vanuata to debate the budget, because of his trip to this country to attend CHOGM. On Friday, CHOGM was officially opened in this country by Queen Elizabeth II. On that very day, Vanuata’s Speaker, Maxime Carlot Korman, told Vanuata’s Parliament that MPs will need to elect a new Prime Minister by next week. Link (Photo: LIFE/Getty)

Otter Snow Fun Posted: 30 Nov 2009 09:24 AM PST (YouTube link) Otters enjoy sledding and skiing, and they don’t even need expensive equipment to do it! -via Unique Daily

Physics Bumper Sticker Posted: 30 Nov 2009 09:08 AM PST Points for you if you already understand this physics-based bumper sticker. The effect is called blue shift. From Wikipedia: Blue shift is the shortening of a transmitted signal’s wavelength, and/or an increase in its frequency, due to the Doppler Effect, which indicates that the object is moving toward the observer. The name comes from the fact that the shorter-wavelength end of the optical spectrum is the blue (or violet) end, hence, when visible light is compacted in wavelength, it is shifted towards the “blue” end of the spectrum. Since the longer-wavelength end of the visible electromagnetic spectrum is red, the opposite effect, of a lengthening of a signal’s wavelength, is referred to as redshifting. While the terms “redshifting” and “blueshifting” imply significantly redder or bluer light, only the most distant galaxies and those moving at speeds far above average emit light that arrives with perceptible red or blue tinges. For the most part, shifting is not a visible phenomenon.[1] Link

Zipper Coconuts Posted: 30 Nov 2009 09:00 AM PST It’s a simple and elegant concept: saw a coconut in two, then reattach the halves with a zipper. The result is an instant handbag. These are popular crafts for sale to tourists on Lamu Island off the coast of Kenya. Link via Make | Photo: AfricaGadget

Inflatable Concrete and Other Innovations in Materials Science Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:46 AM PST The Medium Awards is an annual materials sciences recognition program in the UK. Cliff Kuang of Fast Company has a slideshow of seven winners, including a carbon fiber alternative made from carrots, a sponge that absorbs oil but not water, and a very lightweight substitute for kevlar. Pictured above is an inflatable tent made from concrete-embedded cloth. Just add water, and it turns into a hardened structure. Link | Photo: Concrete Canvas

Sneaking Into Auschwitz Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:38 AM PST As a British soldier in World War II, Denis Avey was captured by the Germans and sent to a prison camp, which was connected to the Auschwitz camp. While most inmates were concerned with getting out, Avey was trying to get in to the death camp to find out about the conditions. He made friends with Auschwitz prisoner Ernst Lobethall and swapped uniforms with him for overnight visits to each other’s camps. Lobethall got needed rest and food in the POW camp, and Avey gathered information from the death camp. Mr Lobethall told him he had a sister Susana who had escaped to England as a child, on the eve of war. Back in his own camp, Mr Avey contacted her via a coded letter to his mother. He arranged for cigarettes, chocolate and a letter from Susana to be sent to him and smuggled them to his friend. Cigarettes were more valuable than gold in the camp and he hoped he would be able to trade them for favours to ease his plight – and he was right. Mr Lobethall traded two packs of Players cigarettes in return for getting his shoes resoled. It helped save his life when thousands perished or were murdered on the notorious death marches out of the camps in winter in 1945. Avey never spoke of his Auschwitz experience after the war, and didn’t know what became of Lobethall until recently. Lobethall moved to the US and lived a long life. But before he died Mr Lobethall recorded his survival story on video for the Shoah Foundation, which video the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. In it he spoke of his friendship with a British soldier in Auschwitz who he simply called “Ginger”. It was Denis. The BBC brought the 91-year-old Avey and Lobethall’s sister Susana Timms together to watch Lobethall’s testimony and captured their meeting on video. Link -via Arbroath

Swine Flu Collector Mask Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:19 AM PST This protective mask, designed by Michel Bussien and Erik Sjödin, was not designed to protect the user from the H1N1 virus. Instead, it will improve the user’s odds of getting infected. A small battery-powered fan in the INFLU mask sucks in air, increasing the possibility of infection several hundred percent. Supposedly, this device can be used to strengthen one’s immune system. Link via NerdCore | Photo: Michel Bussien and Erik Sjödin

Super Mario Bros. Synchronized to Play Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:00 AM PST (YouTube Link) This video shows four different levels of Super Mario Bros. in which the sound effects were synchronized to play four different musical parts in the Queen song “Don’t Stop Me Now.” If that explanation doesn’t make sense, it will about a minute into the video. Its origin is a little unclear, as the information is in Japanese. I’ll update as I learn more. via Geekologie

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