Sponsor

2011/11/18

Neatorama

Labels:

Neatorama

6 Freakishly Effective Ways to Court the Muse

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 05:21 AM PST

Some writers can just sit at their desks and bang the keys. Others need to get naked and climb a mulberry tree before they’re sufficiently inspired. Right now, we’re only interested in the latter.

1. Take Orders from a Dog

Sometimes the only thing standing between an artist and true greatness is the lack of a good pet. German composer Richard Wagner relied on his spaniel, Peps, to guide him through the creation of Tannhäuser, an epic opera about the struggle between sacred and profane love. Peps had his own stool next to Wagner’s piano, and whenever Wagner was having difficulty with a passage, he’d take direction from his pooch. In the process, Peps would go berserk when something didn’t agree with his ear, and Wagner would tweak the opera to please him.

2. Turn Hatred into Motivation

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen despised Swedish playwright August Strindberg, but he couldn’t have written some of the greatest works of modern drama without him. The two traded jabs for well over a decade at the turn of the 20th century: Strindberg accuse Ibsen of copying his work, claiming that Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler ripped off his Miss Julie; Ibsen countered that Strindberg was psychotic. And Ibsen may have had a point -Strindberg was given to catatonic spells and often lashed out with a knife at invisible enemies behind his back. Ibsen loathed Strindberg so fiercely that he hung a portrait of his nemesis over his desk, which he used as a particularly masochistic form of inspiration. Ibsen would tell visitors, “I cannot write a line without that madman standing and staring down at me with those crazy eyes.”

3. Smell the Success

German writer Friedrich von Schiller composed the 1785 poem “Ode to Joy,” which Beethoven later set to music in his Ninth Symphony. What inspired Schiller’s passion for happiness? Rotten apples. The poet insisted that he needed the smell of putrefying fruit in the air to write, so he kept his desk drawer well stocked.  But here’s the weird part: Schiller may not have been (completely) crazy. In 1985, researchers at Yale University found that the scent of spiced apples can lift a person’s mood significantly and stave off panic attacks.

4. Play Dead

When poet Dame Edith Sitwell was a little girl growing up in Victorian England, her parents would lock her into an iron frame to straighten out her spine. Sitwell hated them for it, and she rarely spoke to her parents later in life, even as she became increasingly famous for her poems about the London Blitz during World War II. The countless hours that Sitwell spent locked inside of that iron frame may have had a peculiar effect on her mind. As an adult, to cultivate a state of tranquility, Sitwell would wake up every morning and lie down in a coffin. After a few hours, she’d feel calm enough to write.

5. Get a New Hairdo

Ancient Greek orator Demosthenes found early in his career that he had trouble staying on task while studying or writing -it was just too tempting to throw on some sandals and go to town! But Demothenes found a clever way to make himself work: When he felt wanderlust, he’d shave off half of his hair. Knowing that he looked far too ridiculous to leave the house Demosthenes would be able to concentrate on his writing for a couple months at a time -or at least until his hair grew back.

6. Lay Everything Bare

Clothes can be such a distraction. Victor Hugo, the celebrated French author of realist novels that would become sentimental musicals (Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), conquered writer’s block by shutting himself in a room, completely naked, with just a desk, a pen, and paper. He ordered servants not to give him clothing until he’d finished working.

To write his final novel, Ninety-Three, Hugo took his nudity outdoors. Every morning, he’d stand in the buff on his roof and pour a bucket of water over his head. Fully refreshed, he’d then go into a glass cage, which he called his “look out” and write standing at a podium, naked.

_______________________

The article above, written by Ethan Trex and Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, is reprinted with permission from the Scatterbrained section of the September-October 2011 issue of mental_floss magazine. Get a subscription to mental_floss and never miss an issue!

Be sure to visit mental_floss‘ website and blog for more fun stuff!

An Awesome Star Wars Wedding

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 12:38 AM PST

Princess Leia, say it ain’t so -he may be hardcore, but he’s not only evil, he’s also your father! Well, it still looks pretty darn awesome either way.

Link

Duh Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah -Bat Bear!

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 12:30 AM PST

No word on where this super bear happens to have originated from, but one thing’s for sure: criminals better not mess with him.

Link

6 Wacky Stories of Crazy Beast Masters

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 12:26 AM PST

Meet Koun Samang. When he was only three months old, his father found a python curled up in his crib. The dad removed the snake from the house, but it showed up again. It was released back in the jungle and then it came back again. It happened a total of three times before the Koun’s dad finally gave up and just let the snake hang out with his baby. Seven years later, the kid and the snake (now over 20 feet long) are best friends.

Of course, that’s not the only bizarre animal/human story friendship story. Cracked has five more and they are all equally fascinating.

Link

Awesome Typewriter Artworks

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 12:17 AM PST

Most people find typewriters to be a little outdated these days, but Keira Rathbone has found an all new artistic use for the machine. With a little clever spacing, she is able to create great drawings with nothing more than letters. Don’t miss the full gallery over at Mole Empire.

Link

Origami Inspired Folding Ukulele Kit

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:08 PM PST

Now your traveling band will always have a Ukulele present, thanks to this folding uke kit created by Brian Chan. Inspired by origami, this DIY kit takes about half a day to build and comes in standard or mini versions.

The simplicity of the design and the way it so neatly folds into the box form is brilliant and downright convenient! So it doesn’t matter where you go, the sweet sound of the ukulele can come with.

Link –via Geekologie

The Campaign Against Spoilers

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:06 PM PST

Are you tired of your friends, family or co-workers ruining the plots of your favorite movies and tv shows? Then put these anti-spoiler campaign posters up all over the place and let the spoilers be forewarned-ruin the surprise and there’s going to be hell to pay! This is a hush campaign for the 21st century, to silence the spoilers and find out what the surprise twist is on our own schedule.

Link

The Muppabet-An Alphabet For The Muppets

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 09:58 PM PST

In honor of the soon-to-be released Muppets movie, and my undying love of all things Jim Henson, i’d like to share this alphabet/poster series drawn by David Vordtriede with you, which features characters from the various Muppet tv shows and movies.

The fresh designs and pleasing color palette really made me happy, and happiness is what the Muppets are all about.  And remember, you can’t spell Muppets without various letters from the alphabet!

Link to entire alphabet  –via Drawn

Roller Coaster Walkway

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:29 PM PST


Photo: Eichental/Flickr

Look closely. See something odd about the photo above?

That's right, folks - that's the Crouching Tiger and Turtle, a roller coaster walkway in Duisberg, Germany.

Kuriositas has the story:

It stands about eleven meters in height and is part of the city’s Capital of Culture project. Crouching Tiger and Turtle, Magic Mountain (to give it its full name) is a work by sculptors Ulrich Genth and Heike Mutter. Visitors are encouraged to follow the twists and turns of the roller coaster and enjoy the surrounding Ruhr landscape from slightly different perspectives than usual! [...]

Yet why the name? According to one of the sculptors, Heike Mutter, the roller coaster represents acceleration and the high speed of a tiger but the sightseer has to investigate it step by step like a turtle.

Link - via The Presurfer

Canada's New Plastic Currency

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 07:52 PM PST


YouTube link.

The Bank of Canada will begin issuing new, plastic, $100 bills.

In a statement, the Bank of Canada said that the new notes will last twice as long as paper money and will also be recycled, which makes them generally greener… There are also two transparent windows on the note — one small one depicts a frosted maple leaf, the other extends the height of the bill, and has a copy of the portrait toward the top of the window, and an image of a building at the bottom. If you move the bill the colors of the building will change a lot, while the color changes on the portrait are more subtle.

The video highlights the relevant features , which were all created in an attempt to make the bills impossible to counterfeit.  The degree to which they will be foldable, stackable, washable etc. remains to be determined.

Link.

Canada's New Plastic Money Has "Poorly Groomed Mustache"

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:27 PM PST

Paying with plastic? That doesn't mean putting the bill on a credit card anymore. You see, with the new Canadian polymer bills, paying with cash IS paying with plastic.

The Globe and Mail reports what a focus group said about Canada's new $100 bill. I'm tickled with the bit about Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden's mustache:

7. Some respondents felt that Mr. Borden's moustache was poorly groomed. Some of the former prime minister's whiskers fall well below his upper lip in the Bank of Canada's final version of the $100 polymer bill.

8. One focus group in Vancouver thought the double-helix DNA strand on the new $100 bill looked like sex beads, while others saw the Big Dipper.

9. Some groups compared the bills to "Monopoly money," noting the polymer they're made out of felt less real than paper money.

Canada is not the first, actually - polymer notes have been around since the 1990s (Australia was the first country)

Link

Giant Robotic Snake Chases a Man

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:14 PM PST


(Video Link)

“Hey, let’s build a robot modeled after a giant snake from the age of the dinosaurs!” Brilliant idea. Next: give it artificial intelligence and the ability to refuel from biomass. That’s what the team behind the Titanoboa is probably doing. At least, they’re not explicitly denying it. That’s a warning sign.

Project Website -via io9

The Gastronauts: A Club for People Who Eat Really Weird Things

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:00 PM PST

I love to try unusual types of meat — alligators, frogs, ostriches and more — so this is totally the club for me. The Gastronauts is an organization in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. that brings people together to eat weird items:

At their last gathering in New York they ate balut, which is a Philippine snack of boiled fertilised duck egg.

”There’s a reason why people eat this stuff,” Calleo said. ”In many cases, cultures have had hundreds of years to make the food palatable or even exquisite.”

While no one is forced to eat anything, he said the goal is to ”try to try”, which reflects the group’s spirit of culinary adventure. [...]

At the October Gastronauts dinner at a Yemeni restaurant Bab Al Yemen in New York, Nicole Murray, an assistant editor at an education company, extracted a piece of eyeball from a cooked lamb skull and brought it toward her mouth as those seated around her cheered.

”It’s kind of jelly-like,” she said, during her first Gastronauts dinner.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Link | Official Website | Photo: Gastronauts

Steel Mill Turned into a Public Park

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:36 PM PST

The architects at AllesWirdGut Architektur took an old steel mill in Luxembourg and converted it into a public park while leaving some of the original infrastructure in place. The results have a lovely Brutalist feel.

I know: a lot of people despise Brutalism. But it’s an acquired taste that I’ve acquired. You can see eight pictures of the park at the link. I especially like this clever bench design — perfect for enjoying the outdoors while staying out of the rain.

Link -via Colossal | Photo: Roger Wagner

Why Doesn't Britain Make Things Anymore?

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:25 PM PST

If you're sad that the United States doesn't make things anymore, read this and you'll feel a bit better: at least we're not Britain, where they really don't make anything anymore.

Aditya Chakrabortty of The Guardian explains what's going on with what has been called Britain's De-Industrial Revolution:

In significant part, it's a tale about where Britain is going, one that's been told by Conservative and Labour alike over the past 30 years. It's a simple message that comes in three parts. One, the old days of heavy industry are gone for good. The future lies in working with our brains, not our hands. Two, the job of government in economic policy is simply to get out of the way. Oh, and finally, we need to fling open our markets to trade with other countries because, despite the evidence of countless Wimbledons and World Cups, the Westminster elite believe that the British can always take on the competition and win.

Yet there's ample evidence that the promised rewards of this post-industrial future haven't materialised. What was sold as economic modernisation has led to industrial decay, with too often nothing to replace it.

Link (Photo: Abandoned Spillers Millenium Mills, south east of London by The Urban Adventure/Flickr)

Man with "I'm a Drunk" T-Shirt Arrested for Drunk Driving after Ramming Police Car

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:20 PM PST

So do you get drunk in order to fulfill the message on your t-shirt, or do you put on the t-shirt because you plan to get drunk?

A man wearing a t-shirt reading “I’m A Drunk” crashed into a police car early Thursday on Long Island and is being charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. [...]

The entire message on his t-shirt reads “I’m Not An Alcoholic, I’m A Drunk. Alcoholics Go to Meetings.”

There are so many different crimes that people can commit. Surely there is a market for a t-shirt for each one!

Link -via Dave Barry | Photo: Flickr user Dan4th

A History of the Sky

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:16 PM PST


(YouTube link)

A camera was installed on the roof of the Exploratorium in San Francisco to record the sky every ten second, every day, for a year. At 24 frames per second, that’s a six-minute time-lapse movie every day. Ken Murphy arranged 360 of those videos onto a grid in this video, so all those days play simultaneously. You should watch this in full-screen mode, then you can keep up with the time in the lower right corner. Apparently the bars just above the middle represent winter. Read more about the project at murphlab. Link -via The Daily What

Edward Gorey's The Black Doll

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:14 PM PST

Edward Gorey’s The Black Doll - $44.95

Edward Gorey fans will be excited to learn that a small number of the highly collectible limited edition Edward Gorey’s The Black Doll are now available at the NeatoShop.

A life-long friend of Edward Gorey’s made The Black Doll for him in 1942.  Gorey visited her while she was making it, and upon seeing it insisted on keeping it in its unfinished state, lacking a face, arms and clothing. In spite of her objection, Edward Gorey prevailed.  It may be the first recorded instance of Gorey’s enduring dedication to engaging the imagination.  The incomplete Black Doll has remained a recurring enigma for almost 70 years appearing in many of Gorey’s books and drawings as well as being the subject of his silent screenplay.  This is the first time The Black Doll has been produced for Edward Gorey’s devoted following.

This amazing object of art has a limited run of 2000.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more interesting Collectibles.

Link

Jim Henson's The Lord of the Rings

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 04:10 PM PST

To think that if only Henson had not died in 1990, this movie might exist. Draw R2D2, a site that invites artists to mash up two pop culture themes for a fortnight, selected the Muppets and The Lord of the Rings as source material. There’s one particularly striking one at the link by Will Robertson which shows Fozzie Bear as a brave and determined Samwise.

Link -via Nerd Bastards

Previously: LOTR Re-Enacted by Muppets

The Cat and His Boy

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:54 PM PST


(Video Link)

There can be awkward moments when you’re a house guest. But it gets really uncomfortable when you realize that one of the people who lives in the house is a weirdo, as this ad for the Shelter Pet Project illustrates.

Organization Website -via reddit

10 Cool and Bizarre Cemeteries

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:29 PM PST

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m still uncertain about whether or not I would want my body to be buried or cremated after I die. That being said, I certainly would love to be a part of any of these unique and cool cemeteries located around the world.

Link

12 Adorable Finger Drawings

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:26 PM PST

Sure these might not be the most amazing artistic displays in the world, but Oddee’s collection of cute finger drawings are still clever and fun to look at.

Link

The Fluffington Post

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:25 PM PST


Photo: vancouverfilmschool/Flickr

Move over, Huffington Post! There's a new a website that aims to be your #1 source for breaking news and investigative journalism fluffy animals! Like the pic above, the blog is filled with both cute and delicious animals.

Welcome to The Fluffington Post - via The Daily What (Like that? Don't forget the good ol' Cute Overload)

35 Absolutely Amazing Libraries

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:23 PM PST

Looking at some of the most beautiful libraries in the world, like the Wiblingen Monastery Library in Ulm, Germany seen above, is truly fascinating. But if you’re like me, it might also make you feel depressed about the sad state of your town’s library.

Link

Great Photos of New York From 1936-1951

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:20 PM PST

Even if you’ve never been to New York, you’ve certainly seen enough movies and tv shows filmed there to get an idea of what it looks like these days. If you want to see what it looked like around the early half of the last century though, you might want to head to The Jewish Museum New York’s website and enjoy some of their featured photos taken by The New York Photo League. Of course, if you’re in the city, you really should head to the museum itself to enjoy the full gallery in person.

Link Via BuzzFeed

The Outrageous Art Trucks of Japan

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 02:14 PM PST

Japan takes its subcultures very seriously and while many of them, like rockabilly, goth and lolita, have some sort of equivalent in the U.S., Dekotora (the lavish decoration of a semi) doesn’t. You can find out more about this culture and see some amazing pictures of these blinged out trucks over on Flavorwire.

Link

Los Angeles in Cardboard

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:23 PM PST

We all played with cardboards when we were kids, but surely not like Ana Serrano! The Los Angeles artist has re-created the City of Angels in (almost) life-sized cardboards in her exhibition "Salon of Beauty," as commissioned by Rice University Art Gallery.

Take a quick look:

Photo: Nash Baker


Still from film by Walley Films

Alissa Walker of FastCo wrote about Serrano's work:

While her pieces are not exact replicas of specific buildings, Serrano's work both celebrates and memorializes these seemingly inconsequential decisions by homeowners and businessowners to say, paint the bars outside their windows hot pink, or build a wall using stacked concrete blocks. Just as Serrano gathered her inspiration by driving through South Los Angeles and photographing her favorite details, she hopes that highlighting these quirky details will allow anyone to see the simple, handcrafted beauty in their own urban environment. "I do hope that people notice these details in a different light than what they are usually perceived as," she says. "But ultimately it's up to the viewer to decide what the impact of the work is going to be for them."

Link | Ana Serrano's website

Previously on Neatorama: Cartonlandia, also by Ana Serrano

The Muppets Do Saw

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:36 AM PST


(YouTube link)

This is one movie parody trailer that is not for children. -via Buzzfeed

Strong's Spiked Mace

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:40 AM PST

Strong’s Spike Mace – $15.95

Do you feel it is your right, nay duty, to introduce your nieces and nephews to the world of medieval weaponry? Why not start them off early with Strong’s Spike Mace from the NeatoShop. This soft spiked plush mace makes adorable rattling and clattering sounds as you swing it around. Also available:

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Dress-Up & Pretend Play fun.

Link

Foot Cakes

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:55 AM PST

Imagine receiving a cake in your honor that’s shaped like a foot! Cake Wrecks found five of them. One is for a podiatrist, one is a groom’s cake, and the others? Who knows! The cake shown here may be a commemoration of some sort of injury, but at least it doesn’t have a fungus or a toe-tag! Link

Box Dominoes

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:45 AM PST


(YouTube link)

A Canada goose ships a gift to a puppy in America by FedEx. This is illustrated with an overly-complicated domino fall using boxes in this extended ad from FedEx Canada. -via the Presurfer

Explosions and Tourism

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:24 AM PST

From the eruption in the background and the weapon of choice, you can see that being a park ranger at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is not like the job your local park ranger holds. These rangers must protect themselves and the park’s mountain gorillas from both poachers and warring factions. And now the huge eruption of Nyamulagira volcano has opened up opportunities for the park. They’ve set up a camp from which tourists can get a good view of the volcano’s activities! Read more about it and see a gallery of pictures at National Geographic News. Link -Thanks, Marilyn Terrell!

(Image credit: Cai Tjeenk Willink, Virunga National Park)

15 Incredible Flower Praying Mantis Pictures

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:21 AM PST

This fetching praying mantis looks like she is flirting with the camera! But the orchid mantis may be a male. An orchid mantis is one of the many flower mantis species that have camouflage to match the type of flower they live among. See a variety of flower mantises at Environmental Graffiti. Link

(Image credit: Luc Viatour / www.Lucnix.be)

Purin the Super Beagle

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:18 AM PST


(YouTube link)

Besides being cute, Purin the Super Beagle plays catch a bit differently from the way most dogs do it. And he gets better at it as the video goes along! -via Arbroath

If Famous Duos/Groups Became Merged

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:16 AM PST

The possibilities of Photoshop are only limited by one’s imagination. I don’t know who originally had the idea to swap facial features in pictures of more than one person, but the results can be freaky! Sometimes the whole face is swapped; sometimes it’s hard to tell where each part came from in this selection of images from the Something Awful forums posted at Unreality magazine. Link

What Is It? game 202

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:30 AM PST

Once again, it’s time for our collaboration with the always fascinating What Is It? Blog. Do you know what the pictured item is? Or can you make an amusing wild guess?

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?

See another picture of this item at the What Is It? Blog.

Great Food Ideas For A Fantasy and Sci-Fi Themed Thanksgiving

Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:10 AM PST

Thanksgiving is great, but let's face it –sometimes it's just not relatable enough for those of us obsessed with fantasy and sci-fi tales. If pilgrims and natives aren't your thing, then turkey, cranberry and pumpkin might not cut it either. For those of you who are thankful for good contributions to geek culture, here are a few ideas to make your own Thanksgiving feast a little more memorable.

Game of Thrones

This fantasy epic is filled with so many delicious food and drink ideas that there is already more than one blog out there dedicated to creating the tasty treats in real life. Inn At The Crossroads is the best known of these blogs and the site even has a cookbook coming out soon.

For those looking to spice up their Thanksgiving with some kingly delights, may I recommend the Rack of Lamb in a Crust of Garlic and Herbs served with a cup of Salladhor Saans Hot Wine. If you'd like something a little more exotic for your main course though, the Grilled Snake, served with a spicy mustard sauce, looks rather delightful.

Dune

If you're familiar with Dune, then you know that it is all about the spices. That being said, the two best recipes from this story are both beverages. Whether you prefer Spice Beer or Spice Coffee, I'm sure either one would make a great contribution to your Thanksgiving menu. Grumpy Frenchman suggests adding cinnamon to your beer for Spice Beer, but he also warns that that makes the foam go crazy, so pour accordingly. Meanwhile, GeekChill has a fantastic recipe for Spice Coffee that blends Chai tea, coffee and cinnamon –yum!

Lord of the Rings/ The Hobbit

Middle Earth is awash with great food and drink, but because most of Tolkien's stories take place on the road, we tend to hear about the ones that are good for travel…which are not necessarily the most delicious treats around. That being said, while the hobbits seem to tire of Lembas bread, it is certainly the most delicious travel-friendly bread around and The Geeky Chef has a great recipe to make your own.

As for The Hobbit, the many mentions of seed cake seem to indicate that it is certainly one of Bilbo's favorite foods and Historical Foods has an excellent recipe based on the time period for which Tolkien based the setting for his classic tales. That means, this seed cake is about as close to what Bilbo would eat as possible.

Harry Potter


Between the butterbeer, chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes, wizards and witches have quite a selection of tasty treats for any time of year. Of course, if there are any geek recipes that would actually go great with an otherwise traditional Thanksgiving feast, they would most certainly be Pumpkin Juice or Pumpkin Pasties. HarryPotterRecipes.Net has an absolutely delightful recipe for making your own Pumpkin Juice, sweetened with pineapple juice and spiced with a touch of nutmeg and allspice.

For your Pumpkin Pasties fix, stop by The Geeky Chef and try out this delicious recipe that imagines them as a sort of pumpkin-filled pastry…like pumpkin pie turnovers.

Star Wars

These films contain very few references to food. Even when the characters eat or drink, they never really seem to bring attention to what, exactly, they are putting in their mouths. That being said, Wookiee-Ookies are specifically mentioned in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Although they are best known for being a Christmas treat, they can undoubtedly still be served for Thanksgiving, just like eggnog.

You can find the recipe for these treats over on the website dedicated exclusively to the special, inventively called The Star Wars Holiday Special, and culled from The Star Wars Cookbook.

Firefly

Like Star Wars, while the characters on Firefly do eat and drink on screen, they rarely explain what it is they are actually eating. We know they get most of their vitamins through nutrient bars that can provide a month's worth of nutrition to someone although they still need to drink water and ingest  calories, but aside from that, few foods are actually mentioned. A few exceptions are Mudder's Milk, which is enjoyed in large quantities on Higgin's Moon in the episode "Jaynestown," and Ice Planets, which River Tam has difficulty eating in the episode "The Message."

You can find a non-alcoholic version of Mudder's Milk on the Firefly Wikia and learn how to make your own Ice Planet (essentially ice cream on a string) over on Tasty Planner.

Star Trek

Of course, geek Thanksgivings don't have to ignore the turkey entirely. After all, in the Star Trek episode "Charlie X," Captain Kirk is upset because he wants to celebrate Thanksgiving properly with a turkey, but there were none on board. Instead, the crew was going to have to eat meatloaf.

Strangely, while the meatloaf was cooking in the ovens, it suddenly transformed into turkey. It turns out that this was caused by Charles Evans, a young boy the crew recently brought on board, who has incredible powers. On the downside, he later uses those powers against everyone on board and tries to take over the ship, but hey, at least they got a nice Thanksgiving meal out of the ordeal. (For the record, yes, I know that is Picard and the Next Generation crew in the image, it was just the most holiday appropriate shot available.)

While you can always serve turkey as your main course and just reference this episode, you can also try blending the storyline in a little more and serve turkey meatloaf that has been cooked in a turkey-shaped baking pan.

What are your guy's plans for Thanksgiving dinner? Are you planning to go traditional or do you guys like to mix things up a little more? Do any of you want to actually incorporate something from this article into your meal?
@

No comments:

Post a Comment

Keep a civil tongue.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Label Cloud

Technology (1464) News (793) Military (646) Microsoft (542) Business (487) Software (394) Developer (382) Music (360) Books (357) Audio (316) Government (308) Security (300) Love (262) Apple (242) Storage (236) Dungeons and Dragons (228) Funny (209) Google (194) Cooking (187) Yahoo (186) Mobile (179) Adobe (177) Wishlist (159) AMD (155) Education (151) Drugs (145) Astrology (139) Local (137) Art (134) Investing (127) Shopping (124) Hardware (120) Movies (119) Sports (109) Neatorama (94) Blogger (93) Christian (67) Mozilla (61) Dictionary (59) Science (59) Entertainment (50) Jewelry (50) Pharmacy (50) Weather (48) Video Games (44) Television (36) VoIP (25) meta (23) Holidays (14)

Popular Posts (Last 7 Days)