Neatorama

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• The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under Old Management
• The X-Men Do Lady Gaga
• 15 Cool Modernized Propaganda Posters
• Making It Awesome
• Inside the ER at Mt. Everest
• Kinect Graffiti
• Christina Biliouri's Glassware For The Blind
• Banana Handset
• Batman vs. Wolverine
• Samantha The Raccoon Is At The Centre Of Controversy
• Not Now, Skeletor!
• Facebook Friend Sleeve Tattoo
• Greatest Transformer Ever: Beer Robot
• Toothpick Tour of San Francisco
• Classic Creatures & Ives Prints
• Dr. Seuss' Letter to the Children of Troy, Michigan
• Wake Up Work Out Alarm Clock
• Today's Solar Flare
• Mark Twain Listens to a Woman on the Phone
• Inflatable Bear Head
• The Best and Worst of States
• Shoes For The Urban Goose
• A Knitted Stop Motion Movie
• The Internet in 1969
• Flash Mob Rejoices Over A Recycler
• France Bans Mention of Facebook and Twitter
• Light Created in Vacuum
• Deities from Inuit Mythology
• Anatomy of a Hard Drive
• Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures

The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under Old Management Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:05 AM PDT The Sunshine Pavilion at Walt Disney World in Florida, home of the magical Tiki Birds, opened in 1971 with a show modeled on the older Disneyworld version. Many longtime Disney theme park fans objected when the Tiki Room’s “Under New Management” show debuted in 1998 featuring Zazu from The Lion King and Iago from Aladdin. Now that the attraction had a forced retooling after it was severely damaged by a fire in January, the show will be changed yet again -to be more like the original Disneyland (California) show. The "new management" has been let go and the future of the Adventureland landmark is in the wings and wit of José, Fritz, Michael and Pierre – four crooning parrot hosts who ushered in sophisticated Audio-Animatronics technology at California's Disneyland in 1963 at The Enchanted Tiki Room. The attraction, to be renamed The Enchanted Tiki Room, is scheduled to reopen in August. Link -via Boing Boing Previously: Neatorama Facts: The Enchanted Tiki Room

The X-Men Do Lady Gaga Posted: 08 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT (YouTube link) This parody of the song “Born This Way” was inspired by the movie X-Men: First Class. -via The Daily What Geek

15 Cool Modernized Propaganda Posters Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:19 AM PDT They say the revolution won't be televised, but it most certainly will be “posterized.” With so many stylized propaganda posters circulating throughout the twentieth century, it's no wonder that so many artists have taken inspiration from these influential works of art. Here are 15 awesome examples of propaganda poster art. Video Games Steve Thomas is able to master an array of artistic styles and he does a great job of integrating these with pop culture icons. He's made travel posters for The Lord of The Rings, propaganda posters for social media and all kinds of other great works, but my personal favorite are his delightful videogame propaganda posters like this one for Joust. He broke the series into 12 parts so you can even buy a calendar of them. Star Wars Artist Steve Squall made these recruitment posters for both the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial Navy. I have to say, given the messages of the Rebel Alliance posters that memorialize Alderaan and condemn wookiee slavery, I don't see why anyone would want to join the Imperial Navy. Stormtroopers I love DeviantArt user Comixmill's poster reminding stormtroopers to enforce height requirements because it's one of those things you won't get unless you're really into Star Wars and remember the line Leia says to Luke when they first meet. The Mushroom Kingdom These four awesome Mario-themed propaganda posters, notably all recruiting for Bowser's evil squad, are limited edition prints available as a set from Fro Design Co. for only $80. Panda Revolution There's something so delightful about pandas that their propaganda actually makes me want to sign up to fight for any cause they are promoting. I think DeviantArt user Xaiobaosg's panda revolution posters are so cute, they're seriously dangerous for society. Bert After illustrator Kevin Skinner's younger brother had a heart attack, Kevin opted to raise money for his family's medical bills the best way he knew how –by offering limited edition linocuts on eBay. Perhaps the coolest of the artworks was this image, called Invincible, depicting Bert in a very ominous Soviet-style poster. Gorf If you watch enough Muppets, then you probably get the obscure gorf reference, but if not, it's still easy to appreciate the fine level of detail in this picture by Dave Pryor, including the "It's Not Easy Being Green" text in the background. Dino D-Day If you've ever wondered what would happen if the Nazi scientists were able to resurrect dinosaurs and put them on the front line against the Allies, then you have got to check out the upcoming game, Dino D-Day. To help promote this brilliant resurrection of the played out WWII first person shooter genre, the company making the game is selling an array of WWII-style propaganda posters featuring dinosaurs. The result is mind-bogglingly awesome. Dalek All of you Doctor Who lovers will be sure to appreciate these fun Dalek "Victory" posters the BBC put out to promote the "Victory of the Daleks" episode that featured Winston Churchill fighting Nazi Germany with the help of the Daleks. Lenin Cat If you're a big fan of I Can Has Cheezburger and their many other photo sites, then you are likely familiar with the epic battle between Business Cat and Lenin Cat. For a minute, the shop was selling this pro-communist kitteh tee, and while it's sold out now, they might bring it back if enough people ask for it to be reprinted. As of right now, Business Cat is still tee shirt free, so score one for Lenin Cat. The Smurfs DeviantArt user Domnx makes a lot of propaganda art, but this Smurfs one is particularly great. I love how she switched up the usual communist red tones for blue and worked "Papa" into the slogan. Sponge Bob Never has a little yellow squid looked so intimidating as this. Interestingly, this picture by DeviantArt user BeJay was inspired by the many propaganda artworks of fellow site user Domnx. Planet of the Apes Imagine Charlton Heston's face if he stumbled upon this intimidating pro-ape poster by Deviant Art user Satansgoalie. Social Media Brian Lane Winfield Moore's propaganda posters may have a distinct WWII style, but with the themes all focused on social media, the designs are all ready for WWIII. Zombies Apparently Brian Merice created this image so he could submit it as a tee design on Threadless. Personally, I'm a little sad this shirt never got made. I certainly would have voted for it. As you probably know, this list is by no means exhaustive and there are plenty of other cool propaganda style posters out there, so if you know any, please feel free to share them in the comments. Also, which of these posters would be most effective on you?

Making It Awesome Posted: 08 Jun 2011 04:47 AM PDT (YouTube link) The idea behind this beer ad is that when you expose something to awesome during the manufacturing process, it will become awesome. Even if it is just the ad that is awesome. Produced by Publicis Mojo of Sydney. -via The Daily What

Inside the ER at Mt. Everest Posted: 08 Jun 2011 04:45 AM PDT Every spring, many thousands of Westerners travel high in the Himalayas to climb Everest and other mountains. Because of them, many thousands of Nepalese work  to guide them, carry their belongings, and build facilities for the tourists -all at altitudes at which people do not normally live. Dr. Luanne Freer established a medical clinic at Everest Base Camp in 2003 to address the health issues that come with high-altitude tourism. Not only was the base camp area lacking medical expertise, but local people who worked in the tourism industry (and could not pay for care) were being ignored elsewhere. The ER's locale might be glamorous, but the work is often not. Headaches, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, anxiety and ego-related issues disguised as physical ailments are the clinic's daily bread and butter. And although the clinic's resources have expanded dramatically over the past nine years, there is no escaping the fact that this is a seasonal clinic housed in a canvas tent located at 17,590 feet. When serious incidents do occur, Freer and her colleagues must problem solve with a severely limited toolbox. Often the handiest implement is duct tape. "There is no rule book that says, 'When you're at 18,000 feet and this happens, do x.' Medicine freezes solid, tubing snaps in the icy winds, batteries die—nothing is predictable," says Freer. But it's that challenge that keeps Freer and many of her colleagues coming back. This back-to-basics paradigm also engenders a more old-fashioned doctor-patient relationship that Freer misses when practicing in the States. Read more about Dr. Freer and she clinic she established at Smithsonian. Link (Image credit: Molly Loomis)

Kinect Graffiti Posted: 08 Jun 2011 02:11 AM PDT (Video link) Kinect Graffiti is a digital graffiti tool that uses the range camera technology from Microsoft Kinect to create various patterns and formations. Idea behind this project is to use the kinect to track the motion behind graffiti. Visualizing the body and drawing trough different angles in realtime, Understanding surrounding space, pausing the time, etc… Link – via Nerdcore

Christina Biliouri's Glassware For The Blind Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:30 PM PDT Imagine the plight of the blind guest at a party of sighted friends. Chatting becomes a challenge when it's tricky to know where others in the group are standing. One solution: hand out chunky glass swizzle sticks which create a chink loud enough to identify a person's location. London-based designer Christina Biliouri has used smart technology to create the Transensing line of glassware that will help the blind interact through touch and sound. For example the In Between Bubbles glass  allows the blind drinker to hear the sounds from the similar glass of a partner elsewhere in the room by means of wireless gadget in both glasses. Link - Via Design Observer

Banana Handset Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:11 PM PDT Banana Handset – $14.95 Are you on the market for a new handset for your mobile phone?  You need the Banana Handset from the NeatoShop.   We think It is the most appealing ape-peeling handset on the market. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Mobile Phone Accessories. Link

Batman vs. Wolverine Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:03 PM PDT (Video Link) Batman Délivrance is fan film by Atomic Productions that looks at a chaotic Gotham City, many years after Bruce Wayne hung up his cowl and began drinking. Who will take up Batman’s crusade to save the city? The dialogue is in French, but it’s subtitled in English. via Fanboy

Samantha The Raccoon Is At The Centre Of Controversy Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:30 PM PDT A Toronto Ontario man took a shovel to a family of raccoons that were damaging his gardens. Neighbours, woken by screams, called Animal Services. Meanwhile the mother raccoon  came down to the injured baby that had been hit with the spade and picked it up and carried it away. A second pup was taken to Procyon Wildlife, a Beeton, Ont., wildlife rehabilitation centre. Samantha, named by a volunteer, now sports a bright pink splint. After quarantine, she will be socialized with other young raccoons rescued from the same area before being returned to a green space in the fall within 15 kilometres of the Bloor St. W. and Lansdowne Ave. area where she was attacked, as is required by law. Residents in the neighbourhood said Samantha's mother kept returning to the backyard looking for her missing baby in the days following, but has since given up her search. This story has hit a nerve in Toronto where raccoons have become an issue. It has raised ethical and practical questions about how humans deal with wild animals in an urban environment. Link

Not Now, Skeletor! Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:23 PM PDT Skeletor…well, he never really developed very keen social skills. Sometimes he just shows up to parties and such and tries to mingle like he’s friends with people who don’t know him or don’t really like him. And he generally doesn’t know when it’s time to leave. Not Now, Skeletor! is a new Tumblr blog that chronicles those awkward moments with him. It’s like when he showed up to Neatorama’s annual meeting and staff party a couple of weeks ago, even though Miss Cellania had fired him for…well, we won’t get into that. Share your own Skeletor stories in the comments. Link via Super Punch

Facebook Friend Sleeve Tattoo Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:03 PM PDT (YouTube link) Sigh. Why are people so weird? This woman got a massive tattoo of 152 of her nearest and dearest Facebook BFFs’ faces tattooed on her arm. As in, permanently etched onto her body. I hope none of these people are fair-weather friends; how does one unfollow a face inked into their skin? Link

Greatest Transformer Ever: Beer Robot Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:03 PM PDT (Video Link) For a while I’ve thought that one of the most useful of all possible Transformers would be one that turns into a double stroller (once you have two or more kids, you’ll understand), but Ron Tajima has topped that concept. His prototype is built into a beer can. Now, that does seem to eliminate the possibility of carrying beer inside, but keep in mind: this is just a prototype. Presumably he’s trying to solve that problem. Once he resolves that issue, he might want to take some inspiration from the Transformers that could combine into a single giant entity, like the Constructicons, and make a series of alcohol-delivering Transformers that can…well, I don’t know, serve as a portable bar. I’m not sure what purpose it would serve, but it would automatically be awesome. Link via Geekologie

Toothpick Tour of San Francisco Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:53 PM PDT This model of San Francisco was built using nothing more than toothpicks and Elmer’s glue. Scott Weaver used over 100,000 toothpicks and spent around 3000 hours over 34 years building the piece, which includes lots of famous landmarks and a few surprises. For a video and more details, read more at Geeks Are Sexy. Link

Classic Creatures & Ives Prints Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:42 PM PDT The printmaking firm Currier & Ives helped define Nineteenth Century America with its iconic and prolific lithographs of American life. Chip Trout is having fun by adding playful monsters to them, one each day for 91 days. Link via Dude Craft

Dr. Seuss' Letter to the Children of Troy, Michigan Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:24 PM PDT In 1971, Marguerite Hart, a children’s librarian in Troy, Michigan, wrote to many celebrities and political leaders and asked them to send back inspirational messages to the children of her town. 97 wrote back, among them Vincent Price, E.B. White, Pearl Bailey, Douglas Fairbanks, Isaac Asimov, and Pearl Buck. You can read them all at the library’s website. Link via Swiss Miss

Wake Up Work Out Alarm Clock Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:51 PM PDT The Wake Up Work Out alarm clock sounds the get-in-shape alarm, which you can shut off only once you’ve done 30 bicep reps. Motion sensors inside can tell exactly how many reps you’ve done and if you do them right — no cheating!!! I would throw this alarm clock out the window the first morning. The Wake Up Work Out Clock’s expectation that you curl its 1.5 pounds 30 times is beyond reasonable.I need 3 cups of coffee just to get my eyes open in the a.m. (to be candid I would have trouble doing 30 bicep reps at any time of day). This is truly an instrument of evil. Link – Via Book Of Joe

Today's Solar Flare Posted: 07 Jun 2011 03:09 PM PDT (YouTube link) This morning, a massive solar flare was caught live by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Though the flare is quite large (a M2.5, or medium-sized flare, in terms of energy), it isn’t expected to alter the weather here on Earth. “I’ve never seen material released like this before, such a huge amount that falls back down in such a spectacular way,” says Goddard Spaceflight Center’s Dr. C. Alex Young. “It looks like someone just kicked a giant clod of dirt into the air and it fell back down.” For a video with close-up footage of the flare, check out the post at PopSci. Link

Mark Twain Listens to a Woman on the Phone Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:28 PM PDT I recently read an NPR piece about the book Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us, in which researchers determined that the most universally annoying thing ever is listening to someone talk on a phone. When I came across this reprint on The Atlantic from Mark Twain in 1880, I realized that this has been the situation since the advent of telephonic communication. I consider that a conversation by telephone—when you are simply sitting by and not taking any part in that conversation—is one of the solemnest curiosities of this modern life. Yesterday I was writing a deep article on a sublime philosophical subject while such a conversation was going on in the room. Read the rest at The Atlantic. Link Image credit: Bettmann / Corbis

Inflatable Bear Head Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:22 PM PDT Inflatable Bear Head – $24.95 Are you looking for the perfect home accessory to go with your favorite Bear Hat? Well, look no further! You need the Inflatable Bear Head from the NeatoShop. Nothing proves you are not outdoorsy like an Inflatable Bear Head. Other Inflatable Animal Heads also available. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous things for your Home & Garden! Link

The Best and Worst of States Posted: 07 Jun 2011 12:08 PM PDT What does your state do best? What are you collectively worst at? Apparently we Oklahomans have the best license plate but the most female criminals; if this were still a time in which inmates stamped plates during their incarceration, I’d say it was obvious. As it stands, I think the rest of you states are just really slacking in the cool license plate department. From environmental achievements to singular distinctions of badness, Big Think has more. Link

Shoes For The Urban Goose Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:52 AM PDT What do you do when your pet goose gets sore feet after walking around the city streets all day? Buy him some protective shoes of course! See more of the adorable pictures on Cute Overload.

A Knitted Stop Motion Movie Posted: 07 Jun 2011 11:32 AM PDT No matter what, The Little Red Plane Would be an impressive stop motion animation due to the level of attention put into its creation. But the fact that it’s made out of knit and stitched creations only makes it even more stunningly impressive. Video link via Craftzine

The Internet in 1969 Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:26 AM PDT This future predicting video from 1969 describes in detail with some startling accuracy. Although very retro in appearance the video clearly shows online shopping, banking  and email years before any of these applications were available to the public. “Fingertip shopping will be one of the homemakers convienences.” See the full video at the link. Link

Flash Mob Rejoices Over A Recycler Posted: 07 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT A bottle lies in the middle of a walkway as hundreds of people walk by and no one bothers to pick it up and put it in a recycling bin merely inches away. That is until one startled mall patron throws it in the bin and is applauded by a huge flash mob. Seems like a great way to make recycling more fun. See full video at the link. Link

France Bans Mention of Facebook and Twitter Posted: 07 Jun 2011 09:19 AM PDT France has finally gotten around to banning the something truly offensive to its populace. No longer will French television and radio broadcasters be allowed to mention the words "Facebook" and "Twitter" on air. In a move based on legislation  from 1992 that decrees mentioning services by name is a form of advertising, use of the words "Facebook" and "Twitter" will not be allowed on French radio or television, unless part of a news story. France's Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) says the reason for the ban is to avoid giving the American social networking giants an edge over smaller sites. Though the move does not restrict use of the Facebook and Twitter sites in any way, critics of the legislation argue that banning mention of Facebook and Twitter will confuse the public. "Like us on our social networking site" just doesn't have the same clarity as "Like us on Facebook." Link

Light Created in Vacuum Posted: 07 Jun 2011 09:18 AM PDT They say that something can't be created out of nothing, but that's what researchers may have done- sort of. Quantum theory states that even in a vacuum some particles do exist. Testing this, scientists in Sweden claim to have made sparks in a vacuum.   According to quantum theory, empty space is, well, not that empty after all. Rather it is full of virtual particles – particles that quickly blip in and out of existence. Theory states that a mirror can absorb energy from some of these virtual photons, and re-emit it as actual photons. Of course, this only works if the mirror is traveling through the vacuum at nearly the speed of light, making it difficult to prove, to say the least. Link

Deities from Inuit Mythology Posted: 07 Jun 2011 08:36 AM PDT Ed Wozniak, who brought us lists of Norse and Hawaiian dieties, has a list of gods in the pantheon of the Inuits, whose homelands stretch all around the northernmost regions of the world. Some have downright scary stories, like the sea goddess Sedna. She was the daughter of the god and goddess Anguta and Isarrataitsoq and, like countless female figures in Inuit myths, she refused all prospective husbands. Sedna instead had sexual relations with dogs and the "freakish" offspring of these unions were said to be white people and Native American tribes that the Inuit were often at war with. A ghoulish twist to the story is how Sedna took to using her parents as food (a recurring theme in Inuit myths because of the scarcity of food in the frozen north at times and how instances of cannibalism during such famines were much-discussed). Sedna devoured both of her mother Isarrataitsoq's arms and had finished eating one of her father's arms before he was able to subdue her and take her out to sea in his canoe, intent on banishing her to the sea. Continuing to struggle, Sedna clutched the sides of the canoe as her father tried to submerge her, prompting him to take his long knife and cut off her fingers. Since, to the Inuit, loss or mutilation of the hands was often seen as a horrific transformation into something new, the myth states that Sedna now embraced her fate, transforming her now-fingerless hands into flippers and transforming her severed digits into the various species of sea animals. Read more about Sedna and eleven other Inuit deities at Balladeer’s Blog. Link

Anatomy of a Hard Drive Posted: 07 Jun 2011 08:33 AM PDT (YouTube link) Bill Hammock, the Engineer Guy, tears a hard drive apart to show us what’s inside and what the parts do. -Thanks, Bill!

Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures Posted: 07 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT Some cuttlefish can mimic the shape of objects around them for camouflage purposes. But recent research shows they can also mimic the shapes of two-dimensional photographs of objects! National Geographic has a photo gallery of cuttlefish doing their best to mimic their backgrounds, whether natural, plastic, 2D, or 3D. Link -Thanks, Marilyn! (Image credit: Justine Allen, Marine Biological Laboratory)

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