Neatorama

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• Atari Mug: You Never Forget Your First
• Bleeding Tooth Fungus and Other Creepy Plants That Shouldn't Exist
• Men of Tears
• Quantum Physics Shell Game
• Literal.ly: a Photo Blog about Literal Things
• Crochet Tom Servo
• Indy Explains Egypt
• NYC Subway Map Turned into a Musical Instrument
• Motohiko Odani's Twisty Sculptures
• Hole-Punch Clouds
• Octopus in a Beer Bottle
• Heart Spatula
• Hearing Aid is Attached to Your Teeth
• Tron Wars
• Real Life Buster Sword
• Stanley Fish Lists the Best Sentences in the English Language
• Neighbors Neuter Prized Cat
• 30 Facebook Ad Parodies
• Doctor Accepts Donations Only
• The Littlest Storm Trooper
• Clue: Arrested Development Edition
• Wild Bald Eagle Sets Up Camp Next To Captive Bald Eagle
• Star Trek Girl
• Red Rose Towel Treat
• Dexter Dining Room
• Homemade Solar Death Ray
• Ear Picking
• High-Tech Paper Towel Dispenser
• Pac-Man Cupcakes
• InQuickER: Appointment-Based ER Visit

Atari Mug: You Never Forget Your First Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:24 PM PST Certainly not me. I remember my first like it was yesterday. Oh, when I first laid eyes on you Dig Dug, my heart went pitter patter. Nothing else compares, not even Pole Position. This clever Atari Mug: You Never Forget Your First lets you reminisce about the good ol’ days of videogaming every day with your morning cup of coffee: Link See also our surprisingly large collection of fun mugs over at the NeatoShop

Bleeding Tooth Fungus and Other Creepy Plants That Shouldn't Exist Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:23 PM PST David Dietle wrote a highly entertaining post on Cracked about the 10 Creepy Plants That Shouldn’t Exist. The list starts off with a bang with this one: #10. Bleeding Tooth Fungus The bleeding tooth fungus looks kind of like a wad of chewing gum that leaks blood like a rejected prop from The Shining. They’re also called the strawberries and cream, the red-juice tooth, and the devil’s tooth. Whoever is in charge of naming scary bullshit seems really insistent that this thing looks like a tooth, while mostly skirting over the fact that it freaking sweats blood. Oh, and they are listed as "inedible," which implies that someone attempted to eat one at some point. On the other hand, the bloodlike substance has anticoagulant and antibacterial properties. It’s nature’s next penicillin! All you have to do is lick it. Go ahead. Read the entire list here: Link (some text NSFW)

Men of Tears Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:22 PM PST Real men don’t cry … or do they? Lee Glickstein and Pete van Dyk founded a group dedicated to promoting crying as a therapeutic practice: A few moments before 4 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, nine men ages 25 to 67, filed into a small, bare office in San Anselmo, arranged their chairs in a circle, sat down and prepared to cry. Few knew each other. Some hadn’t cried since they were young boys and wanted to learn how to cry again. A few cried often, and were thrilled to have found a safe space to do so. These were the Men of Tears. Wait till you find out the name of Glickstein’s organization (it’s WaterWorkers): Link (Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / San Francisco Chronicle)

Quantum Physics Shell Game Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:21 PM PST What do you get when quantum physicists learn to play a con game? A paper in Nature Physics, of course! We won’t pretend to understand a word in this report at Physorg, but we hope it will one day bring on a quantum super computer so we can play Angry Bird really, really fast. According to the paper, the "shell man," the researcher, makes use of two superconducting quantum bits (qubits) to move the photons –– particles of light –– between the resonators. The qubits –– the quantum-mechanical equivalent of the classical bits used in a common PC –– are studied at UCSB for the development of a quantum super computer. They constitute one of the key elements for playing the photon shell game. "This is an important milestone toward the realization of a large-scale quantum register," said Mariantoni. "It opens up an entirely new dimension in the realm of on-chip microwave photonics and quantum-optics in general." Link

Literal.ly: a Photo Blog about Literal Things Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:18 PM PST Our pal Oddee has launched a new photo site called Literal.ly (yes, like bit.ly, the domain name is Libyan), dedicated to pictures taken literally. Some of the photos are quite clever, some have been going ’round the Net for a long time (pic above, for example) that their provenance is unknown: Link

Crochet Tom Servo Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:35 PM PST Sure, we all miss MST (MST3K – Mystery Science Theater 3000). But the show lives on forever in our hearts, on our DVD shelves, and through our geektastic arts & crafts. Craftster user MageAkyla has created her very own chibi Tom Servo, and you can too, with her step-by-step walkthrough: Link

Indy Explains Egypt Posted: 31 Jan 2011 07:50 PM PST Confused about the situation in Egypt? It’s understandable, there’s a lot going on and with the Internet clampdown you’re left in the hands of the news organizations, which already had their hands full with coverage of Snooki’s novel. I don’t know about you, but i find that there’s no better way of absorbing information than through action movies. Indiana Jones to the rescue! After she realized many people couldn’t wrap their heads around what was going on in Egypt, Furrygirl decided to turn to Hollywood staples and made this Raiders of the Lost Ark mashup version which explains things pretty clearly. Link via Furrygirl

NYC Subway Map Turned into a Musical Instrument Posted: 31 Jan 2011 07:09 PM PST (Video Link) Alexander Chen took Massimo Vignelli’s iconic 1972 map of the New York City subway system and turned it into a musical instrument. The routes are treated like strings, and whenever a train intersects a string, that string is plucked: Length determines pitch, with longer strings playing lower notes. When a string is in the middle of being drawn by a subway car, its pitch is continually shifting. The sounds are cello pizzicato from the wonderful freesound.org, a set recorded by corsica_s. A complete chromatic scale was too dissonant. Ultimately I settled on a simple major C scale but with the lowest note as a raised third E, which keeps it from ever feeling fully resolved. Link via Kottke

Motohiko Odani's Twisty Sculptures Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:57 PM PST Japanese artist Motohiko Odani makes gloriously fluid sculptures. I can’t quite figure out what material he uses. This unicorn sculpture lies at the center of an exhibit of his work called “Phantom Limb” at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. This Is Colossal has other photos from the show. Link via Dude Craft | Artist’s Website | Photo: Mori Art Museum

Hole-Punch Clouds Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:33 PM PST P. Wesley Tyler, Jr. captured this spooky image. What you’re looking at a hole-punch cloud: Hole-punch clouds are miniature snowstorms that can occur in thin, subfreezing cloud layers. The lack of fine particles, such as dust, in the clouds means water droplets have little to condense around, so they don’t turn to ice until the cloud hits about minus 38 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 36 degrees Celsius). “Basically, the water molecules become sluggish enough at this temperature to form their own cluster of ice that produces an ice crystal spontaneously,” according to ice microphysicist Andrew Heymsfield. Link via Super Punch Previously: Butterfly Hole-Punch Clouds

Octopus in a Beer Bottle Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:21 PM PST (Video Link) An octopus seen off the coast of Blairgowrie, Australia, was able to enter and exit the narrow opening of a beer bottle. I can respect an octopus that can handle his beer. via Geekologie

Heart Spatula Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:19 PM PST Heart Spatula – $9.95 Valentine’s Day is almost here! Are you still looking for that perfect gift for your sweetie? Well, nothing says I love when you cook me dinner like the Heart Spatula from the NeatoShop. Be sure to visit the NeatoShop for  more kitchen fun.

Hearing Aid is Attached to Your Teeth Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:02 PM PST A company called Sonitus Medical recently acquired FDA approval for its new hearing aid system. It’s called SoundBite, and involves two machines: one that slips behind the user’s ear, and another that fits on the molars. Sound picked up by the earpiece is transmitted wirelessly to the mouthpiece, which vibrates the teeth. The vibrations can be understood by the inner ear as sound. Link | Product Page | Photo: Sonitus Medical

Tron Wars Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:55 PM PST (YouTube link) Tron and Star Wars: two classic sci-fi film franchises. Both were considerably better a few decades ago, yet are fueled by such creative ideas – not to mention rabid fans – that they remain eternally awesome, Jar-Jar be damned. We’ve seen countless Star Wars mash-ups, and not a few Tron mash-ups, so it’s actually rather amazing that this is the first Tron: Legacy/Star Wars combo we’ve seen to date, given how much they have in common thematically. Paging daddy issues, party of two! Well, enterprising YouTube uer kevfleth has risen to the challenge, and the results are pretty spectacular.  So come, enter the grid! Or turn to the Dark Side! Or, ya know – both is good, too. Link

Real Life Buster Sword Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:49 PM PST The Buster Sword is a special weapon that appears in Final Fantasy VII. Flickr user Michaelcthulhu either made or commissioned a realistic version of one. In the linked video, he does his best to swing it like a functional weapon. The sword is for sale, so you’d better grab it before someone else does. Video via Geekosystem

Stanley Fish Lists the Best Sentences in the English Language Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:34 PM PST Literary theorist and columnist Stanley Fish has listed and described what he regards as the five greatest sentences ever composed in the English language. Among them is this selection from John Bunyan’s 1678 work The Pilgrim’s Progress. In my limited experience, I cannot think of any craftsman of the English language greater than Vladimir Nabokov, who wrote as though he was sculpting words from marble. And a selection from Nabokov is properly included in Fish’s follow-up post in which the professor judged from reader-submitted suggestions. What do you think is the greatest sentence in the history of the English language? Link (and a Follow-Up) | Screenshot: edited image from the first edition

Neighbors Neuter Prized Cat Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:53 PM PST Michelle Curtis of New Zealand has a very prized cat for a pet. Her cat, Buddy, is Siamese-Bengal. Buddy went missing for a few days. When he was returned Michelle was horrified to find out that neighbors had neutered poor Buddy.  Apparently one neighbor trapped the cat and another neighbor paid to have the cat fixed. The neighbors claim that they thought the cat was a stray who went around beating up other neighborhood cats. Ms Curtis, a former cat breeder, said she had owned Buddy for almost two years and until last weekend had intended using him as a stud cat. Sandra Conchie of the Bay of Plenty Times has more: Link Photo: Bay of Plenty Times / Joel Ford

30 Facebook Ad Parodies Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:19 PM PST The folks at Urlesque have been busy making ads for Facebook. No, not to sell anything; these are just for laughs! Anyone with a Facebook Account can create advertisements on Facebook. You could legitimately advertise your business or perhaps a waterproof blow dryer. I decided to use the feature to create ads for things that could really use more exposure like potatoes, VHS tapes, and Reddit. If your budget is under $30,000 you can post an ad for anything you want, as long as you meet the strict guidelines. Sorry everyone, “Images of unrealistic body changes, such as extreme weight loss or muscle gain, are not allowed.” Then again, you have to admite they get your attention. I mean, I really want a cheesburger now! See all 30 fake ads at Urlesque. Link

Doctor Accepts Donations Only Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:04 PM PST Dr. Keith Swanson of Atlantic, Iowa was going to retire and work for free over seas. Instead his wife talked him into opening a “donations only” clinic. This way he could do his charity work right in his home town. To cover his expenses his wife made a donation box. It’s a simple shoe box covered in red tape. There is slit on the top where people can place donations. The average donation is about $10. Swanson said he has no plans to quit what he’s doing any time soon. “I always tell people, the last day — if I walk down the hall and die, you’ll know I’m not going to be here tomorrow.” KETV has more: Link

The Littlest Storm Trooper Posted: 31 Jan 2011 03:55 PM PST Yan Fortin, the webmaster at Geeks Are Sexy, has been working on a secret project for the past nine months and today unveiled …his new clone! No, we can’t leave it at that, because his mama deserves credit as well. Here’s the little storm trooper coming home in that big helmet he’s going to grow into. Congratulations from your friends at Neatorama! Link

Clue: Arrested Development Edition Posted: 31 Jan 2011 03:13 PM PST Sure, there’s always money in the banana stand – but where’s the murder weapon? In the stair car? Perhaps hidden in the walls of the model home? Gone but not forgotten, Arrested Development lives on in the strangest ways, such as this brilliant game concept design from Pleated Jeans: There are plenty of people out there who are still upset about the cancellation of Arrested Development (ahem…me included). In an attempt to keep the show a hot online topic (and hopefully feed the demand for an Arrested Development movie), Pleated-Jeans gives you the Arrested Development themed Clue board game, complete with box art, game board, suspect cards and weapon. Link

Wild Bald Eagle Sets Up Camp Next To Captive Bald Eagle Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:28 PM PST YouTube Link The Orange County Zoo in California has a new and unexpected attraction. A wild bald eagle has moved into a tree above the cage of the zoo’s captive bald eagle Olivia. Bald eagles are spotted from time to time in the rolling foothills, oaks and sycamores surrounding the zoo, but never before has one taken such an interest in a zoo resident. Olivia is kept at the zoo because an eye injury prevents her from being released back into the wild. Many are speculating that love is in the air. The wild bald eagle and Olivia have been caught  squawking at each other. Tony Barboza of the Los Angeles Times has more: Link

Star Trek Girl Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:20 PM PST (YouTube link) Felicia Day, behold what you have wrought and despair! Yes, we all want to date your avatar, but what about this?  You decide: here’s Star Trek Girl by YouTuber Meekakitty. Link

Red Rose Towel Treat Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:23 AM PST This Valentine’s Day, give your loved ones something better than flowers. The Red Rose Towel Treat from the NeatoShop is a red rose that she can actually use: it’s a cleverly folded cotton wash cloth! At $4.95, it’s a gift that’s both romantic and functional. Plus it won’t wilt. Link | More Valentine’s Day Gifts

Dexter Dining Room Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:23 AM PST Photo: Adam Chinitz Here’s an idea for your next dinner party: a Dexter-themed dining room by designer Amy Lau: Amy Lau has captured, tongue-in-cheek, the essence of Dexter, the Miami P.D. blood-splatter expert by day/vigilante serial killer by night. Naturally, the room flows red, illustrating the impact of a single hue added to a neutral setting. Patterns range from blood drops and human vein honeycombs to 3D string art , artfully strung from ceilings to walls, simulating Dexter’s crime scene forensic technique. A vinyl-wrapped table and ceiling and plastic-sheathed floor recall the protective plastic the character obsessively uses to protect against splatters when killing. Link – via Craftzine

Homemade Solar Death Ray Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:22 AM PST Eric Jacqmain covered an ordinary fiberglass satellite dish with 5,800 mirror tiles to create a home-made death ray that can "melt steel, vaporize aluminum, boil concrete and turn dirt into lava" with the intensity of 5,000 suns. Archimedes would’ve been proud! Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] Previously on Neatorama: Melting Steel With The Sun

Ear Picking Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:21 AM PST Photo: LiiPo Ching/Mercury News Forget luxurious shampoos, relaxing shaves, and facial treatments at spas. These beauty treatments don’t come close to the Vietnamese art of ear picking: "It brings a lot of happiness," said Silicon Valley resident Nguyen Tuong Tam, who always heads to a hot toc upon arriving in this city, also known as Saigon. He likens a good ear picking to good sex. Indeed, fans of ear picking gleefully talk about "ear-gasms." There is a spot near the ear drum that, when touched the right way, "tingles," said 26-year-old ear picker Nguyen Thi Le Hang. "For one person, it may just be a tickle. For another person, it’s a mind-blowing experience." In fact, the ear has a G-spot, said Dr. Todd Dray, an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center-Santa Clara. "The skin in your ear is super thin — it’s paper thin," he said. "It’s very sensitive. And there are a lot of nerves that converge in the ear." Link

High-Tech Paper Towel Dispenser Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:20 AM PST Whaaat? You’re still using a roll of paper towel? Here’s the high-tech version of the good ol’ paper towel stand. Behold, the CleanCut Paper Towel Dispenser, a machine that can cut paper towels to any length you want, regardless of perforation: Link

Pac-Man Cupcakes Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:20 AM PST Photo: hello naomi [Flickr] Nom nom nom … waka waka waka? There are a lot of Pac-Man-inspired cakes out there, but these Pac-Man wedding cupcakes by Baker Hello Naomi (previously featured on Neatorama) are quite ambitious: Link Why, it’s perfect for this Pac-Man Power Up Energy Drink from the NeatoShop! Previously on Neatorama: Pac-Man and Ghost Cakes

InQuickER: Appointment-Based ER Visit Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:19 AM PST Old and busted: waiting half-a-day to see the doctor in the Emergency Room. The new hotness: InQuickER (get it?), a pay-to-be-seen-faster system that lets you make an appointment to go to the ER. Fees for the service, called InQuickER, range from $14.99 to $24.99 and are in addition to other costs for the emergency room visit. Officials at the Nashville-based company said that since the system was launched in 2006, 95% of appointments have been kept successfully. Patients must be 18 or older to make an appointment. Those with life-threatening symptoms such as chest pains are told to proceed directly to the emergency room. Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the Los Angeles Times reports: Link (Photo: Christina House/LA Times)

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