Neatorama

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• Can You Complain Yourself Out of Frequent Flier Program?
• Plantable
• Movie Consulting from the Department of Defense
• Jedi Kittens Trench Run
• "I want to feed a billion kids. It's your boy, 50 Cent."
• Weekend At Bernie's ... In Real Life
• Kevin Knight's Delightful Cosplay Photos
• 5 Idiotically Pricey Snack Foods
• 20 Awesome Origami Dinosaurs
• 14 Awesome Cupcake Designs
• Cakes with Teeth
• It's Not Easy Being a Ginger Seal Pup
• Portal Custom Pistol Grips
• R.I.P. Electron Boy
• Rattlesnake Wine Bottle Holder
• Weaponized Nyan Cat in a Video Game
• Wim Delvoye's Carved Tires
• This Week at Neatorama

Can You Complain Yourself Out of Frequent Flier Program? Posted: 17 Sep 2011 06:16 PM PDT The answer apparently is yes. That's what happened to Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg, who got booted off the Northwest frequent flier program: "It didn't make sense. Initially, when they contacted me on the phone I thought it was a prank call," Ginsberg said. "When I pushed for a reason and clarification, they told me it was because I was complaining too much." In July 2008, Northwest sent the rabbi a letter noting that he had made 24 complaints in the past eight months, including nine incidents of his bag arriving late at the luggage carousel, according to court papers. "You have continually asked for compensation over and above our guidelines. We have awarded you $1,925.00 in travel credit vouchers, 78,500 WorldPerks bonus miles, a voucher extension for your son, and $491.00 in cash reimbursements," the letter states, according to court papers. "Due to our past generosity, we must respectfully advise that we will no longer be awarding you compensation each time you contact us." Link Image: Complaint Department Grenade Mug from the NeatoShop

Plantable Posted: 17 Sep 2011 05:29 PM PDT With the Plantable, any one of the four corners of the table may be growing with tomatoes, herbs, or decorative vines. Garnish? To your left, look down. Link -via Design Milk

Movie Consulting from the Department of Defense Posted: 17 Sep 2011 05:09 PM PDT Organizations like the CIA and Department of Defense have been assisting with blockbusters like Transformers for years. However, there have been complaints from insiders over potential security privacy leaks, raised during talks over an untitled film about the killing of bin Laden. Whether they have reason to be concerned or not, spokespeople insist there is a pragmatic reason for the comradery between Hollywood and national security: image control. If you want to make a war film and need a fleet of F-22s, a crowd of Marines, or a Navy aircraft carrier, just call up the Department of Defense's entertainment media office and they'll tell you if the Army can spare that M1A1 Abrams tank you've always wanted for a day or two of filming. "The scripts we get are only the writer's idea of how the Department of Defense operates," Vince Ogilvie, deputy director of the Defense Department's entertainment liaison office, told Danger Room. "We make sure the Department and facilities and people are portrayed in the most accurate and positive light possible." Dialogue from the XtraNormal video featured on Wired explains things a bit differently: Secret Agent Woman: “I’m glad you’re going to make a movie about how awesome the Central Intelligence Agency is. Everybody that works here is very smart and we never mess up and most people are extremely good-looking too.” Michael Bay: “I agree because I want you to help me. Kaboom!” Link | Image: XtraNormal Video

Jedi Kittens Trench Run Posted: 17 Sep 2011 04:58 PM PDT (Video Link) The Jedi Kittens are back! This time, there’s a frantic chase through a trench on the surface of the Death Star (or something approximate) followed by a lightsaber duel. -via Nerd Bastards

"I want to feed a billion kids. It's your boy, 50 Cent." Posted: 17 Sep 2011 04:26 PM PDT Hard rapper 50 Cent softens at the idea of world hunger. He’s released a series of promo videos expressing his desire to feed a billion people by donating a portion of profits made from his new energy drink, Street King, to the UN’s World Food Programme. Link -via GOOD

Weekend At Bernie's ... In Real Life Posted: 17 Sep 2011 04:15 PM PDT With friends like these, who need enemies? Here's the sad yet strange story of what can only be called Weekend At Bernie's in real life: “It’s an unusual case. It’s a very sad case,” said Denver District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough. “The charges allege that these two young men put their buddy into the car...and basically went out on the town with his credit cards.” According to the arresting documents, Young found his friend, 43-year-old Jeffery Jarrett, unresponsive at his home in the 1800 block of S. Forest St. Instead of calling 911, detectives say the pair placed Jarrett in the backseat of Rubinson’s SUV and went for a ride. Their first stop was at Teddy T’s, a bar and grill at E. Evans Ave. and S. Monaco Pkwy, where investigators say the suspects used Jarrett’s credit card to pay for drinks. Later in the evening, the two went to eat at Sam’s No. 3, with Jarrett still in the backseat. Link

Kevin Knight's Delightful Cosplay Photos Posted: 17 Sep 2011 03:53 PM PDT I do my best to bring you guys the best possible Comic Con costumes every year, but I’m certainly not a professional photographer by any means. Fortunately, Kevin Knightly is and he was able to take a number of characters out of the fray of the convention to get them to pose in appropriate and awesome settings, resulting in some unforgettable cosplay pictures.  Enjoy the full gallery at Flavorwire. Link

5 Idiotically Pricey Snack Foods Posted: 17 Sep 2011 03:45 PM PDT I don’t know about you guys, but I certainly appreciate a good hot dog. That being said, I have a serious aversion to getting price gouged, which is why I find the idea of a $69 hot dog to be simply sickening. If you’re into that sort of thing though, or if you love laughing at the stupid things some rich people will pay for, don’t miss out on this Cracked article featuring 5 absurdly priced snack foods. Link

20 Awesome Origami Dinosaurs Posted: 17 Sep 2011 03:31 PM PDT This amazing origami dinosaur would be cool if it were made from any paper, but the selection of materials by creator Tran Trung Hieu puts it over the edge. You can see more of his great works at the BuzzFeed article linked or at the artist’s Flickr page. Link

14 Awesome Cupcake Designs Posted: 17 Sep 2011 03:25 PM PDT No those aren’t snowcones, they’re actually cleverly disguised cupcakes made by JustJenn Rants & Raves. For more cool cupcakes that look like other things, check out this fun BuzzFeed article. Link

Cakes with Teeth Posted: 17 Sep 2011 02:14 PM PDT Welcome to my nightmare tonight, o fanged cake. Hi Fructose showcases the latest work of sculptor Scott Hove, whose new series aptly titled "Your Deadly Desserts" is all about cakes with fangs, tongues and teeth, and even a dismembered limb or two. Yum! Link - via Laughing Squid

It's Not Easy Being a Ginger Seal Pup Posted: 17 Sep 2011 12:13 PM PDT It's not easy being ginger, even for a seal. Here's the story of a little seal pup being abandoned by its sleek black family for having brownish red fur: The photographer [Anatoly Strakhov - ed], 61, said: ‘He was hiding and waiting for his mother to come and feed him. ‘He had a very strange colour fur and looked different from his two black brothers. I was pleased to be able to capture such an unusual animal, but the poor seal is almost blind and so was unlikely to survive in the wild.’ Luckily, Mr Strakhov was with staff from a dolphinarium who took it into their care. Link (Photo: Anatoly Strakov)

Portal Custom Pistol Grips Posted: 17 Sep 2011 11:50 AM PDT Calguns forum user mossy loves the Portal video game franchise, so he had these custom grips made for his 1911 handguns. They’re made of walnut wood, mother of pearl, brass, and silver. The text reads “The cake is a lie.” If the reference is unfamiliar, the always handy Know Your Meme will bring you up to speed. Link -via Everyday, No Days Off

R.I.P. Electron Boy Posted: 17 Sep 2011 09:47 AM PDT Erik Martin, better known as Electron Boy, the super hero who saved Seattle, succumbed to liver cancer on Friday. Neatorama featured his story last year, and again just last week in a link about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In addition to his Seattle exploits, Electron Boy will also be remembered for the boost he gave to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The story of his big wish went viral on the Internet. The foundation was swamped by people pledging money and offering to help other children with life-threatening illnesses see their dreams come true. “Erik’s wish just cast this net and brought them into the mission” of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, said spokeswoman Jeannette Tarcha. “People just wanted to be part of it.” A group of independent comic-book creators inked and published a real comic book of his exploits. And the “Fans of Electron Boy” page, still active on Facebook, drew thousands of members — today, its fans number nearly 12,000. Erik’s superhero deeds were recognized on the floor of the U.S. House by Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn. The boy, who is a foster child, became a hero to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to cancer patients and foster families alike. Martin was 14 years old. Link -via Fark

Rattlesnake Wine Bottle Holder Posted: 17 Sep 2011 08:58 AM PDT Rattlesnake Wine Bottle Holder – $34.95 Halloween is right around the corner. Are you looking for a way to protect your favorite bottle of wine from sneaky ghouls, ghosts, and roommates? You need the Rattlesnake Wine Bottle Holder from the NeatoShop. This realistic looking snake will have everyone thinking twice about pilfering your favorite brew. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more unusual Cocktail & Barware items. Link

Weaponized Nyan Cat in a Video Game Posted: 17 Sep 2011 07:41 AM PDT (Video Link) Scott Coxhead, a video game modder, has made Nyan Cat into a usable weapon in the first-person shooter game Unreal Tournament 3. The animation and music quality are outstanding. It also looks like a very useful weapon, as Nyan Cat can be fired around corners. Link

Wim Delvoye's Carved Tires Posted: 17 Sep 2011 07:27 AM PDT Belgian artist Wim Delvoye is known for pushing the boundaries of art. In the past, he’s made a machine that produces excrement and has tattooed pigs. More recently, he’s been engraving beautiful and intricate patterns into car tires. Link -via Dude Craft Previously: Tire Art by Betsabeé Romero

This Week at Neatorama Posted: 17 Sep 2011 06:18 AM PDT Arrgh, ye scurvy mates! Monday is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and ye best be preparin’ to celebrate it with us here! Read up on this little holiday, learn the truth about pirates, find out where some believe Blackbeard’s treasure is hidden, or get the lowdown on Disney’s pirates. You can learn a lot of about pirates here at Neatorama! Then you’ll be ready with your best pirate talk on Monday. Meanwhile, for folks who worked all week and might have missed something, here’s our features from the past week you can now catch up on. Jill Harness watched a lot of videos and brought us evidence of The 6 Weirdest Kid's Shows Ever. Eddie Deezen returned to his favorite subject to tell us How the Beatles Officially Ended -at Disney World. The Annals of Improbable Research dug up The 374-Word Oath. Raise your hand and repeat after me. What’s So Funny About War? The comics it inspires, according to Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. Mental_floss magazine brought us the inside scoop on Grover Cleveland’s Deadly Secret. In this week’s What Is It? game, the mystery object is a Civil War spar torpedo that was designed to be rammed into the hull of an enemy ship, and then detonated by a line from the torpedo to the submarine. The What Is It? blog has more about the origin of this particular torpedo, which is a replica of that used on Confederate submarine the H. L. Hunley. Berhard knew the correct answer right off! The funniest answer came from Richard, who went out into left field and said, "ummm, not sure what all these people are talking about, its is clearly just a metal chain, obviously keeping people from getting to that weird metal thing beyond the chain." Both win a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! Congratulations to the winners in our PostSecret giveaway! Lea Hinchcliff, Grace McGathey, and Molly Halim each won their favorite PostSecret book from PostSecret and Neatorama. Keep your eyes on this site, because you never know when your chance to win neat stuff willpop up! Want more? Be sure to check our Facebook page every day for extra content, contests, discussions, videos, and links you won’t find here. Also, our Twitter feed will keep you updated on what’s going around the web. And it’s not too early to look for a special Halloween costume, t-shirt, or party items (and check out the big selection of zombie stuff) from the NeatoShop!

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