Neatorama

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• 5 Musicians Who Had to Relearn Their Craft
• Mummy Jewelry Box
• No "Like" Lost in Facebook Double-Cross
• It's a Marten, Not a Weasel
• Hoverbike
• Before Scott Pilgrim, There Was Transformers: Underground Mission
• Fashion Statement: Dead Cicadas in Hair
• Angry Gorilla in Shark Pants
• Oh, So That's the Difference
• Living without Google
• Botanic Architecture
• Goslings and Their Escort
• The New Summer Trend: Cone-ing
• Steampunk Laptops Now for Sale
• Great Books by Morally Questionable Authors
• Hamburger Yummy Pockets
• Snap, Crackle, and Pop
• The World's Most Exclusive Website
• The Vaults of General Electric
• Fireworks Boxing
• Titanic II Sinks
• The Border Between Heaven and Earth
• Make Your Summer Sound Exciting With a Movie Voiceover
• Pop-up Protection from Animals
• What Is It? game 181

5 Musicians Who Had to Relearn Their Craft Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:01 AM PDT Mastering a musical instrument is a challenge to begin with, but when an injury ruins someone's ability to play, that generally is the end of their career. Fortunately, some great musicians have been able to work beyond their injuries and relearn to play, in some cases, making them even better musicians than they ever were before. Django Reinhardt Jazz fans and gypsy music lovers adore Reinhardt, although the name isn't familiar to many other music fans. Even so, he was a wildly inspirational musician who pioneered his own style of jazz that blended gypsy roots with jazz guitar. His music has since been featured on about a dozen movies, including The Matrix, L.A. Story, Chocolat and more. Reinhardt started learning to play music as a boy, starting with the violin and then moving to the banjo and the guitar. When he was 18 though, tragedy struck. Django and his wife were living in a caravan where they sold imitation flowers made from celluloid and paper to supplement their meager income. When Reinhardt accidentally knocked down a candle on his way to bed, the caravan burst into flames, destroying all of his property and leaving him with first- and second-degree burns over the entire left side of his body. As a result of the accident, his right leg and the 3rd and 4th fingers on his left hand were completely paralyzed. Doctors said he would have to get his leg amputated and that he would never play a string instrument again. But Reinhardt refused to get the surgery and within a year, he was able to walk with the use of a cane. While his fingers never recovered, the doctors were wrong about his music career as well. As it happens, learning to play guitar again may have saved his life. Reinhardt ended up getting stuck in France during WWII and it was said that and handful of jazz-loving Nazis ensured his safety despite the fact that thousands of Gypsies were murdered under Nazi-occupied territories. To help protect himself further, he also developed a distinctively non-jazz sound to please the Nazis who, like the majority of their party, were adamantly against jazz. Source Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Interestingly, Django wasn't just influential when it came to jazz musicians, he also played a major role in the creation of heavy metal. You might be asking yourself how in the world a gypsy jazz musician helped create one of the darkest genres around, but the answer isn't in his sound, it's in his story. You see, guitarist Tony Iommi was talented, but he came from a poor, working-class family so he was forced to work at a sheet metal factory as a youngster, rather than chase his dreams of rock n' roll stardom. Unfortunately, industrial factories aren't the safest place for the hands of budding musicians. On his last day of work, Iommi severed the tips of the middle and ring fingers on his right hand. As a leftie, this meant his fretting hand was destroyed. Unsurprisingly, the teen was heart-broken and convinced this would be the end of his musical aspirations. However, his boss from the factory inspired Iommi to stick with his craft by bringing him a Django Reinhardt album and telling him about the jazz musician's injury. The inspiration worked like a charm and soon enough, Iommi was trying to remaster the guitar. At first he tried learning to play right-handed, but when that didn't work, Iommi instead developed a few prosthetic fingertips using plastic covered in leather. Because his prosthetic fingers weren't as tough as the real thing, Iommi started using lighter strings and detuning the strings so the tension would be lowered. To match Iommi's sound, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler did the same, and suddenly, the dark, deep sound of heavy metal was born solely as a technique to work around an injury. Iommi's technique was certainly successful. Aside from shaping the sound of a whole new music genre, he also went down in the history books as one of the most talented guitarists of all time, ranked 86th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time," and number one in Guitar World's "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time." Sources: Wikipedia and Mental Floss Image via Adam Bielawski [Wikipedia] Jerry Garcia While Reinhardt and Iommi had to relearn their craft after losing a finger, Garcia started playing the guitar long after he lost a finger during a wood chopping incident that occurred when he was only four. Even so, he was inspired by Django to learn the banjo when he was in third grade. At 15, he got his first guitar and by 1960, Garcia was ready to start rocking the world with the Grateful Dead. It wasn't until 1986 that Jerry would face his greatest musical challenge yet. After suffering from drug use, a poor diet and a weight problem, Garcia collapsed into a diabetic coma that lasted for five full days. The coma had a dramatic effect on him, forcing him to relearn some of his most basic motor skills, which meant he had to completely relearn to play guitar. Fortunately, Jerry was dedicated to his own recovery and was able to play again after only a few months. He was even able to tour with the Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band later that year. Source Image via Carl Lender [Wikipedia] Chet Baker Even if you aren't familiar with jazz, you've probably at least heard of legendary trumpeter Chet Baker. Baker was a talented musician and quickly garnered a strong following in the jazz community. But, unfortunately, like many jazz musicians, he eventually became addicted to heroin. His addiction almost ended up destroying his career, too, when he was savagely beaten in 1966 trying to get some drugs after a gig in San Francisco. When I say “savagely beaten,” I don't just mean a black eye and a few sore ribs, I mean they essentially destroyed his livelihood by knocking out all of his front teeth. For the next few years, Baker was stuck having to take odd jobs like pumping gas. All the while he worked to relearn to play the trumpet with his new dentures. If you've never played a woodwind or brass instrument, this might not seem all that difficult, but the reality is that these instruments require a precise use of the lips, teeth and facial muscles to be able to create a distinctive sound. With all new dentures and a whole new set of scars on his lips and cheeks, it took eight years for Baker to relearn to play the trumpet. In the meanwhile, he was able to play the flugelhorn in a West Coast Jazz style, but that certainly wasn't his strong point and most jazz fans tend to overlook this point in his career. Source Image via Michiel Hendryckx [Wikipedia] Rick Allen of Def Leppard Rick Allen joined Def Leppard at exactly the right time. As soon as he joined the band, he was immediately opening for AC/DC and within a few months, he helped them record and release their first album, On Through the Night. Unfortunately, only a few years into his new musical career, he was involved in a serious auto accident on his way to a New Year's Eve party. Allen’s Corvette flipped and while his girlfriend came out of the accident without any major injuries, Allen wasn't so lucky. Because he wasn't wearing his seat belt properly, Allen thrown from the vehicle and his left arm was severed. The first person at the scene was a nurse who knew just what to do and the couple was quickly rushed to a hospital. Because the response was so quick, Allen's arm was able to be reattached. It had to be removed later. though. due to a serious infection. Allen thought this was the end of his career and he began to suffer from major depression. After seeing the pain of his friend and band mate, Def Leppard's lead singer, Joe Elliot, was inspired to help Allen work around his loss. The pair soon met with a few engineers and designed a drum set that could be operated with only one arm and both feet. Pretty soon Allen was back on the road again and recording with the band. Source Image via Weatherman90 [Wikipedia] In the end, these stories are great sources of inspiration, not only in showing what we are capable of overcoming in the face of adversity, but also in illustrating just how powerful friendship can be when it comes to recovering from an injury. Without help from his brother, Django Reinhardt never would have learned to play again. If Iommi's boss had not introducing him to Reinhardt's music, he may never have been inspired to play again. Without Joe Elliot, Allen may not have bothered trying to come up with a drum system that could be operated by pedals. Essentially, if you don't have good friends and family, you'd better have some darn good disability insurance, because you might never be inspired to recover after a serious accident.

Mummy Jewelry Box Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:21 PM PDT Mummy Jewelry Box – $10.95 This is not your Mummy’s Jewelry Box. No, wait! It is your Mummy Jewelry Box. With this amazing trinket box from the NeatoShop you can keep your prized possessions under wraps. Be sure to check out all the fantastic Money Banks & Storage items available at the NeatoShop. Link

No "Like" Lost in Facebook Double-Cross Posted: 09 Jun 2011 09:23 PM PDT Facebook lets me keep in touch with colleagues, friends and my grandma. But one pair of divorcees used everyone’s (least?) favorite social media site to destroy one another from afar in what turned out to be a pretty sneaky double-cross. Angela Voelkert, 29, set up her ex by creating a false Facebook identity, 17-year-old “Jessica Studebaker.” (By the way, that’s a big no-no with Facebook’s terms of service.) She used the profile to exchange messages with the ex, David Voelkert, 38 of South Bend, Ind. On June 1, Angela Voelkert used the information to apply for a restraining order against her ex-husband, who spent four days in custody until a judge dismissed charges yesterday. The charges against David Voelkert focused on him allegedly placing a GPS device on his ex-wife’s car to track her, for purposes of finding someone to “take care of” and “put a cap in her ass” for $10,000 — as revealed by these Facebook messages. But, it seems Voelkert was onto his ex-wife, and knew she embroiled him in a sting operation. And just as she was trying to use the information against him in the fight for custody of their kids, he did the same by feeding the faker with an elaborate plan. Federal prosecutors were prompted to drop the charges after an affidavit emerged filed by David Voelkert days earlier, on May 25, that revealed he knew “Jessica” wasn’t a real person. “I am lying to this person,” he stated, “to gain positive proof that it is indeed my ex-wife trying to again tamper in my life. Anything said in the chat to her from me cannot be held as the truth and I am chatting to this person in attempts to prove to my court that my ex-wife will not leave my personal life alone … In no way do I have plans to leave with my children or do any harm to Angela Dawn Voelkert or anyone else.” He, in turn, wanted to use this as evidence in their ongoing custody case. His ex-wife used exchanges between him and “Jessica” dated May 31 as her evidence in obtaining the restraining order. The charges were dropped and Voelkert no longer lists a “Jessica Studebaker” as a friend on Facebook. Link | Image: iconfactory

It's a Marten, Not a Weasel Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:18 PM PDT This distinction is critical, as one crime victim in the state of Washington recently learned: Police say a man was carrying a dead weasel when he burst into a Hoquiam apartment and assaulted a man. The victim asked, “Why are you carrying a weasel?” Police said the attacker said, “It’s not a weasel, it’s a marten,” then punched him in the nose and fled. This incident makes more sense once you learn an important fact: the assailant was actually looking for his girlfriend at the time. Link via Lowering the Bar | Photo of an actual weasel by Flickr user Cecil Sanders used under Creative Commons license

Hoverbike Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:21 PM PDT Chris Malloy of Australia claims to have built a functional hoverbike. He says that its 1170 cc engine is capable of lifting 270 kg off the ground. The machine is quite light, weighing only 110 kg when dry, thanks to a body made of carbon fiber and kevlar-wrapped foam. Molloy imagines military and cattle driving applications, and promises that videos of the machine in action are forthcoming. Link via DVICE

Before Scott Pilgrim, There Was Transformers: Underground Mission Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:05 PM PDT Long before comic book artist Bryan Lee O’Malley became famous for his graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim, he was an eight-year old kid: This is a choose your own adventure-style book that I did when I was like 8 years old. I was always making comics and books. I’ve been writing and drawing ever since I was basically a baby. Link via Comics Alliance Previously: Real-Life Locations in Scott Pilgrim

Fashion Statement: Dead Cicadas in Hair Posted: 09 Jun 2011 05:56 PM PDT I found this image on WTF Japan, Seriously!? with no description. A bit of Googling led me to a 2008 post on Pink Tentacle explaining that a young celebrity in Japan who goes by the name Shokotan had taken to decorating her hair with dead cicadas. But keep in mind: that was three years ago, which is a long time in fashion. Don’t rush out put cicadas in your hair in order to be hip and trendy. People will instead just look at you funny. Link via WTF Japan, Seriously!? | Photo: Shokotan Blog

Angry Gorilla in Shark Pants Posted: 09 Jun 2011 05:46 PM PDT A man who is wearing a shark for a pair of pants has my respect. A gorilla, doubly so. If he declares himself the #1 Dad, who am I to dispute it? This image by Phineas Jones is the label for a beer by 3 Floyds Brewery. Jones writes “It’s pretty self-explanatory.” Indeed. Link via Super Punch | Photo: Artist’s Website

Oh, So That's the Difference Posted: 09 Jun 2011 05:24 PM PDT I keep getting these two confused. So does the father of redditor itsgus, but this illustration will keep it clear and easy to remember. Of course, it’s not that important since Slash isn’t real. Link

Living without Google Posted: 09 Jun 2011 05:12 PM PDT Joshua J. Romero discovered that much of his daily life was dominated by Google. He used its myriad services for so many tasks, and worried that it gave Google too much ability to control him. So as an experiment, he decided to completely disconnect from the company: In general, quitting Google was easier than I thought. One of the biggest lessons for me was that Google's not the best at everything. I'm thrilled to be rid of Google Tasks. I realize now that I was always dealing with its deficiencies; it's not even supported on Android, and it had a tendency to undo my recent changes. I now use a site called Todoist, which I find vastly superior. I had never bothered to research alternatives before, and I ended up falling for the inferior product out of what I thought was convenience. It's easy to get seduced by the lure of a single sign-on. But managing multiple user accounts actually isn't as much of an annoyance as we think it is. For me, it quickly became clear that my single Google account had mixed and muddled my personal and professional services and data. There are many online services that make sense to link together—but there are plenty of others that don't. Calendar and e-mail might be a good fit, but do you need to use the same company to manage your social contacts, RSS feeds, and to-do lists? What about your phone and computer operating system? Even in the midst of the experiment, it was hard to remember to sign-out of the Google account; I was signed in by default, just as I'm also often signed in to Twitter and Facebook without realizing it. Link via Glenn Reynolds | Photo by Flickr user orangeacid used under Creative Commons license

Botanic Architecture Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:44 PM PDT Baubotanik, or botanic architecture is the art and science of creating structures out of growing plants. A program at the University of Stuttgart in Germany explores the possibilities of this new architecture. The architects begin with stabilizing elements—iron rings, polyester bands, steel grids—and environmentally-appropriate plants that are designed to grow around the armature, becoming stronger at structurally-critical junctures. “Plants have learned to carry heavy loads,” says Ferdinand Ludwig, the team’s biologist and botanist. “We want to explore what is possible when trees are re-thought as building support structures.” After a period of natural growth, the reinforcing elements can be removed, and the structure is comprised entirely of plant elements. By leveraging the “constructive intelligence” of organic forms, Baubotanik architects have designed a pedestrian bridge, a bird-watching house, and a willow pavilion. Read more about these projects at Garden Design. Link -Thanks, Claire!

Goslings and Their Escort Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:43 PM PDT (YouTube link) Remote cameras controlled by the traffic management center catch a family of Canada geese walking down I-90 near Seattle. They have a retinue of Washington State Troopers ensuring their safety. -via The Daily What

The New Summer Trend: Cone-ing Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:36 PM PDT Video Link This made me giggle. Video comedian Alki Stevens is trying to make cone-ing the hot (cool?) new trend for the summer. Here’s what you do: go to a fast-food drive-through. Order a cone. When you drive up to the window to receive your tasty treat, grab it by the ice cream, not the cone. I just love the expressions of the bewildered fast food workers and love imagining them turning around and saying, “You would not believe what this guy just did…” Link via Eater

Steampunk Laptops Now for Sale Posted: 09 Jun 2011 01:56 PM PDT If you have a handful of thousand-dollar bills and a penchant for all things clockwork, this might just be the best day of your life. Richard “Datamancer” Nagy is taking pre-orders for the Victorian Laptop for the first time. I’m not super interested in steampunk, but I do think Nagy’s handiwork is rather beautiful. There are lots of pictures on the website, with styles ranging from hardcore industrial to streamlined deco. Link via Dvice | Image: Richard Nagy

Great Books by Morally Questionable Authors Posted: 09 Jun 2011 12:55 PM PDT If you’re a bookworm like I am then you’ll probably love this collection of books we love written by people we probably wouldn’t. Yeah, Roald Dahl’s on the list, right alongside a Nobel winner, a couple of notable poets, and a German metaphysical philosopher. We like to think of our favorite writers as people we would get along with. So much of what attracts us to literature and philosophy is its author's stated or implied worldview that it's disturbing to find out that the writers we love have lived morally questionable — or even reprehensible — lives. In the spirit of hating the author but loving the work, we've rounded up a collection of great books by poets, novelist, and philosophers with unsettling biographies. Check out the rest of the gallery at Flavorwire. Link

Hamburger Yummy Pockets Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:27 AM PDT Yummy Pockets Hamburger – $9.45 Summer is nearly here.  Are you still searching for that perfect hot weather accessory? Treat yourself to the new Yummy Pocket Hamburger from the NeatoShop.  Who can resist this deliciously funny pouch and keyring combo!  Your friends will be drooling over this little item. More Yummy Pockets available. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for all you  Wallet & Coin Purse needs! Link

Snap, Crackle, and Pop Posted: 09 Jun 2011 11:00 AM PDT Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website. “Snap”, “Crackle,” and “Pop” have been the world-famous symbols of Rice Krispies since 1933. Rice Krispies was first marketed by Kellogg’s in 1927. As a breakfast cereal, it was first released to the public in 1928. “Snap”, “Crackle,” and “Pop” were originally created by illustrator Vernon Grant. The characters came out of a radio ad for the cereal: “Listen to the fairy song of health, the merry chorus sung by Kellogg’s Rice Krispies as they merrily snap, crackle, and pop in a bowl of milk. If you’ve never heard your cereal talking, now is your chance.” The three characters were elves and represented the sound the cereal makes when you pour milk on it. Why do Rice Krispies make their unique snap, crackle, pop sound? Rice Krispies are made of grains that are cooked, dried, and toasted. During the process, they expand to form thin, hollowed out walls that are crispy and crunchy. When the cereal is exposed to milk or juice, the walls tend to suddenly collapse, creating the famous Rice Krispies sound. The characters of “Snap”, “Crackle,” and “Pop” each have their own distinct character. “Snap” is the oldest, wears a chef’s hat, and is a baker. “Crackle” has no clear profession, wears a red and white stocking cap, and is the smartest of the three. “Pop” is the youngest, wears a band leader’s hat, likes to play jokes, and is a soldier. I did the voice of “Pop” for three or four years, I think. ImdB lists me as being “Pop” for one year -1997. This is totally incorrect. I am sure I did it for at least three, possibly four years. It was truly one of the happiest, easiest gigs I ever had. I worked with great, nice people. I got to meet the executives of Kellogg’s and these guys were so friendly and nice. During my tenure as “Pop”, the guy I recorded with, who played “Snap” was in Chicago and was patched in. “Crackle” and I would be in the studio together. I don’t remember the name of the first “Crackle,” but he was replaced by my friend Kevin during my run. Unfortunately, I eventually got fired, too. A girl replaced me as “Pop.” “Snap” and “Crackle” were replaced by guys, but my replacement was a chick. I am not positive, I may be wrong, but she may have been the only female voice to ever do any of the three characters. My mom used to eat Rice Krispies for breakfast all the time, but she stopped after they canned me. Did you know “Snap”, “Crackle,” and “Pop” originally had a fourth partner? Originally, a fourth character named “Pow” was featured along with “Snap”, “Crackle,” and “Pop.” “Pow” was to represent the explosive nutritional value of Rice Krispies. “Pow” didn’t really catch on and was soon discontinued as a character. Rice Krispies Trivia In 1941, a Kellogg’s employee named Mildred Day created a new recipes for a Camp Fire Girls bake sale. It consisted of Rice Krispies, melted marshmallows, and margarine. It was dubbed “Rice Krispies Treats,” and the recipe and its variations remain hugely popular to this day. Rice Krispies are known as “Rice Bubbles”: in Australia and New Zealand. The Rolling Stones recorded a short song for a Rice Krispies TV ad in 1963. Although we are used to snap, crackle, and pop in English, the cereal’s unique sounds are known by other names around the world: * English: Snap, crackle, pop. * Spanish: Pim, pum, pam. * French-Canadian: Cric, crac, croc. * Finnish: Riks, raks, poks. * Danish: Piff, paff, poff. * German: Krisper, knasper, knuster. * Afrikaans: Knap, knaetter, knak. * Dutch: Pif, paf, pof.

The World's Most Exclusive Website Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:56 AM PDT Photo link You thought you left behind popularity contests when you graduated high school, right? Think again. The World’s Most Exclusive Website lets you “in” to their virtual club on levels based on your number of followers on Twitter. I didn’t even get through the front door because I don’t have a verified account. “Verified Twitter accounts are reserved for the famous or otherwise socially significant,” the site informed me, and redirected me to a “less discriminating” site – Olive Garden. To get past the first page, you need to have a verified account, obviously. The second page requires 5,000 followers. It also tells you who else has been able to access that level so far, so you can compare your popularity. You know, just for that added kick in the gut. (“What do you mean @BronxZoosCobra has more followers than me?”) Door three requires 25,000 followers. You’re stopped at Door four unless 100,000 people care about your Tweets. The fifth entrance means you need to have half a million followers to proceed through. The secret entrance of door six must have made Ryan Seacrest (who posted photos of his progress) really excited that he has more than a million people hanging on his every Tweet. But the stone door frame on the seventh page is where he got stopped for lacking the required five million followers. If you’re not a celebrity, don’t worry… apparently the terribly exclusive site is also terribly easy to hack. You can view every room (even the ones no one has accessed yet) right here without so much as ever Tweeting a single character. Link via Mashable

The Vaults of General Electric Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:33 AM PDT You think you have weird stuff in your attic, imagine if you were a 130 year old company who is responsible in part for some of the world's greatest inventions. The company has released a gallery of photographs that illustrate some lost but not forgotten gadgets including a 100 year old car charger and early solar cells. GE called on photographer Hans Gissinger to shoot items from GE’s archives as well as more modern projects being worked on right now. Most of these items are stored in GE’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, near Schenectady, though they plan to head to other manufacturing plants across the country to capture the goodies stored elsewhere. Link

Fireworks Boxing Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:32 AM PDT For those of you that think the sport of boxing isn't brutal enough, it seems that in 1937 someone tried to add fireworks to the mix. Two boxers fought each other while connected to pyrotechnic dummies which exploded on impact. In London, two fellows donned asbestos suits and feigned a boxing match while their pyrotechnic doppelgangers exploded along side them, like some sort of spontaneously combusting conjoined twins. Link

Titanic II Sinks Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:32 AM PDT I'm not one to believe in bad luck, but if you name your boat after one of the most infamous disasters in nautical history you're just asking for trouble. Apparently that is just what happened to Mark Wilkinson when he set sail in his boat, Titanic II. When Wilkinson returned to the harbor on his second-hand boat (worth about $1,600), it sprung a leak. U.K. newspaper The Sun reported that a large hole opened up in the fiberglass hull. Soon, the stern of the boat was fully submerged in water. As the small cruiser went down stern-first, Wilkinson abandoned ship when a harbor master threw in a life preserver attached to a rope. Link

The Border Between Heaven and Earth Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:31 AM PDT The world's largest salt flats in Bolivia create a striking illusion when the sky is reflected on its surface. Walking across the flats people and vehicles appear to be floating in the clouds as shown in this amazing photo gallery. Link

Make Your Summer Sound Exciting With a Movie Voiceover Posted: 09 Jun 2011 10:10 AM PDT Video link This summer… Stacy tidies up her yard as she tries to sell her house. This summer… Stacy wrangles with her insurance company to get fair values for items stolen when her house was robbed. This summer… Stacy tries to stop a lightning-fast one-year-old from putting slobbery dog toys in her mouth. Yeah, my summer isn’t shaping up to be very exciting. But I can at least make it sound exciting, and so can you, by adding the hashtag #thissummer to the end of your Tweets. France-based telecom company Orange may pick up your Tweet and give it the movie treatment, making it sound like your lazy summer by the pool should actually involve car chases and harrowing escapes from death. I submitted the insurance one – you can follow me on Twitter to see if it gets picked up! And be sure to let us know if yours is used. We’d love to hear a trailer for your summer. Link via Mashable

Pop-up Protection from Animals Posted: 09 Jun 2011 07:52 AM PDT The NeatoShop’s Inflatable Bear Head we saw a couple of days ago may have more than one use. Sure, it’s a nice decoration, but also… When a big bear approaches, some people choose to quietly stroll away. To give them an extra measure of safety, Anthony Victor Saunders and Adam Warwick Bell invented what they call a “pop-up device for deterring an attacking animal”. Saunders, a London-based mountain climber, and Bell, a California patent attorney, applied for a patent in 2002, but later abandoned it. They would equip hikers with, essentially, an inflatable doll “meant to scare away an attacking or aggressive animal such as a bear”. The frightful balloon could also be used against “elk, moose, mountain lions, buffalo, hippopotamus, rhino, elephant, boar”. They explain that it “works on the principle of maximising the apparent size and ferocity of the human, intimidating the bear”. However, for obvious reasons the device must be inflated very fast -the faster, the better. The NeatoShop bear head might not be adequate for such a purpose. Read more about Saunder’s and Bell’s device at The Guardian. Link -via Improbable Research

What Is It? game 181 Posted: 09 Jun 2011 06:20 AM PDT It is once again time for our collaboration with the always amusing What Is It? Blog. Can you guess what the pictured item is? Do you know what it is? Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you’d like. Post no URLs or weblinks, as doing so will forfeit your entry. Two winners: the first correct guess and the funniest (albeit ultimately wrong) guess will win T-shirt from the NeatoShop. Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don’t include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts? For more clues, check out the What Is It? Blog. Good luck!

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