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- The Guy Who Died on a TV Talk Show
- Gorgeous Paper Art Creations
- Amazing Pop Culture Converse
- The $44,500 Traffic Ticket
- Air Quote Mittens
- Dead Body Art Results In Calls To Police
- Goodie Monster Vending Machine
- Human Slinky
- Entrepreneur Lets You Hug an Alligator
- $5 Homemade Wolverine Claws
- Police Officer Stops a Plane with His Car
- New System Lets You Check into Foursquare the Same Way that Dogs Check into Fire Hydrants
- World's Largest Bra
- Deep Fried Dollar Bill
- Don't Do Drugs, Kids
- Hairy Stairway
- Candied Onions Prank
- Mangyongdae, The Happiest Place in North Korea
- Stopover-A Spaced Out 3D Animation Short
- Posin' Squirrels
- Cheetahs and Pumpkins
- Two-legged Dog
- Cancer Found in Mummy
- Civil War Veterans
- ’80s and ’90s Game Shows
- A Lip-Reading Puzzle
- Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack
- Buy Here Pay Here
- 5 Logical Fallacies
- Snake Slithers Out of ATM
- Wreck the Halls: Cake Wrecks Gets "Festive"
| The Guy Who Died on a TV Talk Show Posted: 03 Nov 2011 05:06 AM PDT
In the New York Times Magazine, 72-year-old fitness guru Jerome I. Rodale had declared proudly sand defiantly: “I’m going to live to be 100, unless I get run down by a sugar-crazed taxi driver.” The very next day, the confident health guru made an appearance on the then-popular TV talk show The Dick Cavett Show. The date was June 5, 1971 and I repeat (with apologies) “health fitness guru” Jerome Rodale was chatting amiably in front of a studio audience with the always clever host, Dick Cavett. If a comedy writer was writing a sketch for a sitcom, and he or she wanted to write about the funniest, most ironic person who could possibly die in the middle of a talk show, what profession would they write the character in as? Hmmm …a health expert? The gods, merciless as they apparently are, must indeed have a sense of humor. Obviously, no man’s death is funny or amusing, but “Tragedy plus time equals humor.” (I once politely argued with Tim Conway over whose quote that was: I said it was Steve Allen’s, but Tim said it was Carole Burnett’s. Whoever.)
Cavett, always a ready wit, remembers asking, “Anybody’s we know?” Cavett enjoyed the interview and made a mental note to invite Rodale back. The next guest came out: Pete Hamill, a columnist for The New York Post. It was during the interview with Hamill that Rodale suddenly made a snoring sound, which got a laugh from the audience. (Comics sometimes make this sound sarcastically, as if the other person talking is dull or tedious.) Pete Hamill said, “This looks bad.” and the audience laughed. But Cavett suddenly realized his guest was dead. Next, Cavett grabbed Rodale’s wrist, thinking, “I don’t know anything about what a wrist is supposed to feel like.” Cavett went to the front of the stage and called out, “Is there a doctor in the …audience?” Two medical interns scrambled onto the stage. They put Rodale flat on the floor, loosened his shirt and pants, and began working on him.
Cavett then recalled seeing an ambulance crew arrive and feeling the bizarre feeling of denial with the audience, who had been laughing and happy just moments ago. He remembered the objects someone must have given him that he discovered in his pocket when he was in his dressing room after the show: a chapstick, a watch, and some keys. They were clearly from the dead man’s pockets. As Cavett left and walked down an alley to get in his car, a voice called out, “Hey, Dick, was that for real?” Cavett recalled a few lines from Rodale that night: “I’m in such good health that I fell down a long flight of stairs yesterday and I laughed all the way,” and “I’ve decided to live to be a hundred.” And, of course, the inevitable, “I’ve never felt better in my life.”
On the next show, Cavett talked about the strange events during his opening monologue. No laughs from the audience. He dreaded coming back after commercial to do the rest of the show. But after he returned, the laughs started coming and he realized, much to his relief, that the crowd was “eager to get back to laughs.” Months later, Cavett met the great (and very astute) actress Katherine Hepburn. Always curious, she asked for all the details about “the man who died” on the show. Cavett told Hepburn everything he could remember. Then he asked her a question that had been bothering him, i.e. “Why did I take that awkward pause and say ‘Is there a doctor in the …audience?’” “Because,” said Hepburn, “You knew that if you had said ‘Is there a doctor in the house?’ it would have gotten a laugh.” He hadn’t realized it at the time, but he knew she was right. Although “the show where the guy died” was never aired, Dick Cavett said he met several hundreds of fans over the years who have claimed -with great certainly- that they had seen it on TV. He says he meets 20 or so every year who still say this, and devoutly believe it, to this day.  |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:59 AM PDT |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:54 AM PDT I’m not big on high heels, even Super Mario heels, but these Breaking Bad Converse are just my speed, although The Walking Dead and Dexter ones are also incredible. Link Via Geekosystem |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:47 AM PDT
How did that happen? The ticket was supposed to be dated back to 2008, but the officer missed one of those critical zeros, dating the ticket 208. Whoops! Since then everything has been fixed and the guilty party was happy to pay his 100 Euro fine. Link Via The Consumerist Image Via Superchou [Flickr] |
| Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:36 AM PDT Sometimes it’s hard to show sarcasm while you’re wearing mittens because you can’t make the proper hand gesture for air quotes. Fortunately, these air quote mittens can help you maintain your hand expressions no matter how cold it is. Of course, I personally prefer the adorable critter mittens in the Neatoshop. |
| Dead Body Art Results In Calls To Police Posted: 03 Nov 2011 01:31 AM PDT
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| Goodie Monster Vending Machine Posted: 02 Nov 2011 08:14 PM PDT
Tired of all those junk food in regular ol' vending machines in their building, designer Mette Hornung Rankin of the Bureau of Betterment and Mark Jacobs of 58 Minutes decided to take matters into their own hands: by operating their very own vending machine. Say hello to the Goodie Monster Vending Machine, which is not only packed with healthy snacks, but also dressed up in a cute monster outfit: Link - via Notcot Previously on Neatorama: Strange and Wonderful Vending Machines |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:12 PM PDT
How can you make the slinky even more fun? Just add human! Behold the strangest sight you'll probably see today, Romanian performer Ioan Veniamin Oprea, better known as the Human Slinky. Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Laughing Squid (who has another clip) |
| Entrepreneur Lets You Hug an Alligator Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:13 PM PDT (Video Link) "Gatorman Mike" Sturgill of Naples, Florida, will let you hug one of his alligators for a small fee. Oh, you want it muzzled? Well, Sturgill’s got that taken care of, too. Link -via Oddity Central |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:06 PM PDT Let’s say that you ride a city bus, and you’d like to get more personal attention. Wear boots, a utilikilt, these claws, and nothing else. Watch all eyes turn on you. Instructables user Jonathan Elwell doesn’t say outright that that’s what these are for, but it seems to be an obvious application. Link -via Fashionably Geek |
| Police Officer Stops a Plane with His Car Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:59 PM PDT (Video Link) The smugglers were moving stolen electronics from Paraguay to Brazil. They had a plane. Whatcha going to do, officer? They can fly and you can’t. Well, this Brazilian cop was determined to stop them. -via Jalopnik |
| New System Lets You Check into Foursquare the Same Way that Dogs Check into Fire Hydrants Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:49 PM PDT Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Social networking has gone too far. Because, you know, it’s just a matter of time before Facebook tries to duplicate this. Then it’ll be everywhere. Please let this be a hoax. Please. |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:36 PM PDT To promote breast cancer awareness, the British ad agency Chillisauce placed a huge bra across a building in London. At 30 meters across, it may be the largest bra in the world. It must not have been very effective, because they had to use scaffolding to reduce bounce. Link (Google Translate) -via The Mary Sue |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:27 PM PDT Everything’s better deep fried, right? Butter, beer, lattes — everything! Especially money. Alex, this is how I want to get paid from now on. Maybe dust it with a bit of powdered sugar while you’re at it. Link -via That’s Nerdalicious! |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:15 PM PDT This is allegedly an ad for an anti-littering campaign in Belfast, UK. But it would work pretty well for anti-drug campaign as well. Or a commercial for adult undergarments. Link -via The Uniblog |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:11 PM PDT
This Hairy Stairway art installation in the abandoned Mountainaire Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, by Jessica Wohl reminds me of a certain tune by Led Zeppelin. I think it goes something like this:
Link - via Inspire Me Now |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 04:08 PM PDT |
| Mangyongdae, The Happiest Place in North Korea Posted: 02 Nov 2011 02:11 PM PDT
In the Mangyongdae funfair, riding that white knuckle ride can actually be your last. Kuriositas blog explains why in this North Korea amusement park, having fun can be a deadly business: Link - via I Heart Chaos |
| Stopover-A Spaced Out 3D Animation Short Posted: 02 Nov 2011 01:10 PM PDT This short demonstrates how sometimes simpler is better, and that good acting and straight ahead storytelling are often better than over-the-top action and visual effects in 3d animation. Enjoy! –via 3d World |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 12:08 PM PDT
I mean, imagine all the teasing these naive squirrels will get when their photos playing the piano, singing, pushing a wheelchair, and playing on a skateboard go viral on the Interweb. Won't someone think of the squirrels?
Interesting, indeed. Get me PETA on the phone! Just kidding - they're fantastic photos. The Daily Mail has the photos: Link (Photo: Kathy Pruyn) |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 11:19 AM PDT The caption for this picture is priceless:
It’s part of a photo series from Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, posted at Cute Overload. Link (Image credit: Matt Marroit/Busch Gardens) |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 11:08 AM PDT This lovable chihuahua in Hawaii was born with only two legs, but gets around just fine. You can see more in a second video. -via Buzzfeed |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 10:46 AM PDT
Only one older case of prostate cancer has ever been found, in a 2,700-year-old skeleton from Siberia. Read more at Discovery News. Link -via Breakfast Links |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 10:14 AM PDT This clip, recorded in the 1930s, features Confederate Army veterans demonstrating the “rebel yell.” It is part of the Library of Congress’ collection of rare footage of Civil War veterans committed to film before they passed on. Smithsonian describes some of the films that still exist, and how they give us a glimpse into not only the Civil War era, but also how it was remembered for decades afterward. Link |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 09:19 AM PDT How well do you remember the TV game shows of the 1980s and ’90s? Find out by taking this Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. Hint: there are a lot of kids’ game shows represented. I was lucky to score 60% because I haven’t watched them. Maybe you will do better! Link |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 08:17 AM PDT Ready for a puzzle?
When you are ready, the answers are at Futility Closet. Link |
| Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PDT Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack – $16.95
Are you a nerd? Are you hoping your child will follow in your footsteps? You need the Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack from the NeatoShop. This adorable toddler sized backpack is the perfect way to teach your mini-me that it’s hip to be square. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Schooltime fun! |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:38 AM PDT
The mechanics of the business are laid out in the first part, and there is a link to today’s followup, with the conclusion to be posted on Thursday. Link -via Metafilter (Image credit: Lorena Iñiguez Elebee) |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:21 AM PDT
Apparently, being dominant is more adaptive for evolutionary purposes than being open-minded. Link -via Buzzfeed |
| Posted: 02 Nov 2011 06:18 AM PDT An unnamed man went to get some cash from a Caja Madrid bank machine in Llodio, Alava, Spain and saw his cash coming from the slot -plus a snake! Even though the snake lunged toward his hand, he grabbed his money, then summoned the police. A bank manager activated the cash release that had trapped the snake, which was then boxed and taken to an animal shelter. Link -via Arbroath |
| Wreck the Halls: Cake Wrecks Gets "Festive" Posted: 02 Nov 2011 05:21 AM PDT Jen Yates, of the blog Cake Wrecks, published the book Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong in 2009. The response was so great, she and her husband John went to work on a new book. That book, Wreck the Halls is available now. In it, you’ll find hundred of holiday cakes, 232 pages of them, that are doubly sweet: you get to laugh at them, and someone got to eat them. Here’s a sampling for you. The book begins with just a couple of Halloween cakes, and quickly moves on to Thanksgiving. There’s an entire section of turkey cakes, both the feathered kind and the cooked kind, all looking like something besides turkeys. And some are mashed up with other Thanksgiving traditions. But I was particularly drawn to this cornucopia. Maybe because it reminded me of this guy: In the midst of all this bounty, someone had to ruin the mood. In a high-calorie manner. The largest number of Cake Wrecks are about Christmas, but there are plenty of other holidays represented, like Super Bowel Sunday. Better watch what snacks you serve for the Super Bowel. You may have to Go Go Go! And there’s Hanukah, although this baker wasn’t sure whether to use the nine lights of Hanukah or the seven candles of the non-Hanukah menorah, so he/she compromised and used eight. Then forgot how long a word “Hanukah” is. The book also features a lots of Hanukah cakes with the symbolic five-pointed stars. Some non-holiday occasions are included, such as this festive going-away party cake. And this science-fiction themed birthday cake. This is an example of a baker “making do,” although the recipient may have called it “making doo-doo.” Speaking of that, have you ever noticed how cakes that are supposed to have turkeys or reindeer as decorations made of icing tend to end up looking like poo? I didn’t realize that, until so many of them were collected together in the book Wreck the Halls. Even if there weren’t winter holidays, we would celebrate snowfall. Just be sure to follow the advice of the sage Frank Zappa, and don’t you eat that yellow snow! But of course, the real fun comes when a baker tries to make a cake look like Santa Claus. It may end up looking more like a Halloween zombie. Or the ghost of Christmas …something. I believe this one is supposed to be the Grinch from the Dr. Seuss story. What is this? I don’t know! These are just a very few samples from the huge collection of cake in the book Wreck the Halls: Cake Wrecks Gets “Festive”. Oh, there’s lots more. I had no idea there were that many ways to misspell “holidays,” much less “Christmas,” and even “merry.” Wreck the Halls is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at a book store near you. |
Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist 
Rodale was a slight man, he looked like Leon Trotsky with a goatee. He was extremely friendly with host Dick Cavett for a half-hour, chatting about health foods, and soon he offered Cavett some of his special asparagus, which he said was “boiled in urine.”
Cavett recalled two stewardesses in the front row who had been winking at him and joking during commercial breaks were now crying. A cameraman was standing up on his tiptoes, his camera pointing straight down on Rodale to catch the “action.” Pete Hamill, amid all the turmoil, was calmly and professionally taking notes on his reporter’s notepad.
Cavett remembers going home and reading Robert Frost’s poem 
A $44,500 ticket is pretty outrageous, but it’s really bad when you consider that the citation claims the violation lasted for over 1,800 years. That’s right, it claims the person parked in their spot over 1,650 years before cars were invented.
Artist He Xiangyu created a life-sized sculpture of activist Ai Weiwei lying face down as though he were dead. While it’s a great work of art with a powerful message, you can be certain that the police in Bad Ems, the German town that plays home to the gallery where the exhibit is shown, are not huge fans of the sculpture. That’s because multiple people have called the police to report the “dead body.”
You may think that retired postwoman Kathy Pruyn's backyard hobby of coaxing squirrels to pose for photographs cute, but it's actually animal cruelty, I say.
An Egyptian mummy known as M1 is being studied at the National Archaeology Museum of Lisbon in Portugal. The 2,250-year-old male is thought to have have been between 51 and 60 years old when he died a slow, painful death from cancer.
The LA Times has a three-part series on used car dealers who make a great profit on old cars sold at high interest rates to people who can’t afford them, but have little choice.
Why do we ignore evidence, play the lottery, distrust people, argue endlessly, and think we have all the answers? Because we are human, and usually not all that logical. Cracked looks at five logical fallacies that make us think we are right when we’re not. For example, we often think we are seeking knowledge when what we really want is to bolster the viewpoints we already hold.
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