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2012/03/20

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Getting to Know Mister Rogers

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 05:04 AM PDT

Did you know today would have been Mr. Rogers' 84th birthday? While most entertainment icons we talk about on Neatorama only appeal to people of a certain age, the amazing thing is that most of our readers grew up while Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was being aired regularly. In honor of a great man who contributed so much to the world of children's television, let's celebrate with a look at the life and work of Fred McFeely Rogers.

He Had A Love/Hate Relationship With Television

When Mr. Rogers first saw television, the power of the media's potential immediately blew him away. At the same time though, he loathed the commercially available content, particularly the shows aimed at children. In fact, he once admitted in an interview, “I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.”

Eventually, this passion even caused him to leave his first position at a children's show, as he was sickened by the fact that NBC had to rely on advertisers and merchandising to support the shows children watched for educational purposes.

Music and Religion Really Got Him Going

Before he decided to work in television, Rogers was fascinated by another form of entertainment –music. He even started playing the piano at age five after watching his mother do it during their sing alongs. When he attended college, he immediately went into music and he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition in 1951.

After college, Fred immediately applied to work for NBC, who hired him thanks to his music degree. At first, he was put in the music department of a variety of shows, but eventually, he got to work on a children's show. After leaving over his ethical issue with the show's use of advertising, he soon was hired as a puppeteer at WQED, a Pittsburgh public television network.

The whole eight years Fred worked at WQED, he would spend his lunch breaks at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary studying theology and child development. Eventually, he became an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, although he never actually wanted to be a preacher and was specifically instructed to continue his work with children's television. While he never actually worked in the church, Mr. Rogers was extremely devout and never once had a cigarette or cocktail.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Took Almost 15 Years to Prepare

After he left NBC, practically everything Rogers did helped him get ready for the show that made him a household name. And I don't just mean he learned more about working on children's shows and how to use puppets, I mean he developed the puppets, characters and music numbers that would eventually work their way into his own show. On The Children's Corner, the program he started on at WQED, Fred started wearing his famous sneakers because he noticed they enabled him to be quieter while moving around on set. He also started working on the voices of King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger and other characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

In 1963, he was contacted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and asked to develop a 15-minute kid's program called Misterrogers. While Rogers had never stepped out in front of the camera before, it was Fred Rainsbury, Head of Children's Programming at CBC who urged him to be the host of the new show. Rainsbury knew Mr. Rogers was great with kids after seeing him interact with children and wanted to bring that realism to the show itself.

While Misterrogers was a hit with viewers, it only lasted three seasons, but Rogers wouldn't let that be the end. Instead, he acquired the rights to the show, including the set pieces like the Trolley, the Eiffel Tower and other aspects that would become classics in a few years' time. He brought all these aspects of the show back with him to WQED and started working on Misterogers' Neighborhood. The 100 episodes of this early version of the show featured many of the puppet segments from his CBC show, along with new reality-based segments for the opening and closing material.

Unfortunately, the show had a limited reach as it was only carried by a few stations. As a result, it lost its funding within a year. The show had struck a chord with audiences though and after an outpouring of public support, the Sears Roebuck Foundation stepped in and offered the show the support it needed to go national through the National Education Network (now PBS).

Image Via ’09 Spyder [Flickr]

Lots of Planning Made for Lots of Success

The first national broadcast of the show appeared in 1968 and by 1970, the name was officially changed to the classic Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Although it holds the title for being the third longest running show on PBS, it didn't actually run continuously; there was actually a three year break in filming between 1976 and 1979 and after the change, the show changed dramatically. Between the show's 1968 introduction and 2001 finale, there were a total of 895 episodes filmed.

One of the most unique aspects of the show was that while there were real segments and make-believe skits, the two never really intermingled like they did on other shows, like Sesame Street. The program was also much slower than other children's shows, which was because Fred felt the fast pace of most of the shows bombarded children with so much action they could not really follow the story.

Additionally, after the series' hiatus in the late seventies, the show started dealing with a new theme every week. While many of the themes were basic childhood worries like going to school for the first time or trying to make new friends, the show also dealt with some big issues that most children's show shied away from. For example, Mr. Rogers dealt with the loss of one of his pet goldfish on one episode; he also discussed more controversial issues like divorce, even war.

After 1995, there were enough of the episodes from the post-hiatus period that the earlier episodes were no longer shown on television as they were considered outdated. While production of new episodes ceased in 2001, PBS continued to show reruns until 2008, although a number of stations have chosen to continue airing the show.

Unfortunately, that was also largely the end of the show altogether as very few episodes have ever been released on DVD. Amazon Instant Video has 100 episodes available for streaming, but that's only about 1/9th of the whole series. In fact, if you really want to watch all of the show's episodes, you'd better take a trip to Pittsburgh to visit the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Archives in the University of Pittsburgh where all but three episodes are available –those three are presumed lost for good.

Image Via Universal Pops [Flickr]

He Was Open to Parodies, But Not Commercials

If you're been a big fan of SNL, then you might remember Eddie Murphy's parody of Mister Roger's Neighborhood, entitled "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood." If you've ever wondered how the real Mr. Rogers felt about it, as it turns out, he thought the sketch was funny and affectionate. Of course, part of the reason he supported the SNL parodies was that kids weren't up watching television when they premiered.

When Burger King, on the other hand, had a commercial featuring a "Mr. Rodney," their take on the show, Rogers was furious. He was worried that children might get confused and really believe that he was encouraging them to eat at Burger King. This particularly bothered him since he was so against advertising to children. After Rogers called a press conference denouncing the ad and clarifying that he did not endorse the commercial, the chain publicly apologized and pulled the ads.

Image Via elston [Flickr]

Saying Goodbye

Only a year after retirement, Fred was diagnosed with stomach cancer. While he did undergo surgery, it was unsuccessful and he passed away on February 27, 2003 at the age of 74. The day the news broke, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette dedicated the entire front page to remembering the great children's show host and PBS added a page on their website to help parents explain the loss to their kids. At his memorial, more than 2,700 people showed up. PBS created a special dedicated to Mr. Rogers that aired on New Year's Day 2004.

To celebrate what would have been his 80th birthday in 2008, Mr. Rogers' production company sponsored a number of events in his honor, including “Won’t You Wear a Sweater Day,” where fans were asked to wear their favorite sweaters in celebration.

Oh the Awards You Will Earn

Mr. Rogers might just be one of the most celebrated hosts of a children's TV show ever. He received a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Peabody Award, forty honorary degrees from a variety of educational institutions, five Emmy awards and the PNC Commonwealth Award in Mass Communications. He was also formally recognized for his work by the U.S. Congress through two different resolutions created on two different occasions, and both resolutions were passed unanimously. TV Guide ranked him #35 in their list of the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time and he was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

As if all that weren't enough, a number of buildings have been named after him, the Smithsonian Institution has one of his sweaters on display in their collection and even an asteroid, 26858 Misterrogers, has been named in his honor.

Image Via bsoist [Flickr]

Contrary to What You May Have Heard

You might have noticed that in the article above, there is never any mention of the Vietnam War. That's because Mr. Rogers never fought in the war. Even so, there have been rumors spreading for years that he was a sniper in the war and that he always wore long-sleeved shirts and sweaters to cover up his military tattoos. No matter what you have heard, this is all fictional and if Rogers did actually go off to war, we probably never would have got to see his show as it was being actively developed throughout the height of the conflict.

A Few More Fun Facts:

  • Mr. Rogers was actually red-green color blind, meaning he never really saw the true color of his famous red cardigan.
  • Michael Keaton started his career on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, where he worked as a puppeteer in 1975.
  • The only time Rogers appeared on television as someone other than himself was when he played a preacher on an episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
  • Aside from writing the majority of his shows and almost all the songs used on the program, Fred also authored over 35 books.
  • The Idlewild and Soak Zone amusement park in Latrobe Pennsylvania has an attraction called “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe” featuring a life-sized Trolley designed by Rogers himself.
  • Neighborhood of Make-Believe characters Mr. McFeely and Queen Sara Saturday were named after his maternal grandfather and wife, respectively.

I don't know about you guys, but I can't even imagine being a child without Mr. Rogers. Were you guys fans? And if so, do you know any fun trivia or have some good stories I might have left out?

Source: Wikipedia #1, #2, Rollins and Snopes

Battle Of The Batmobiles

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 03:40 AM PDT

 

(YouTube Link)

In the first episode of Machinima’s new geek-tacular webseries Super Power Beat Down, the original TV Batmobile from the 60s TV show is set against the 1989 Tim Burton version in a drag race with some rather surprising results.

If you want to skip the chatter and get straight to the racing, jump ahead to around 7:45 and start your engines!

–via Nerd Bastards

The Digital Wonderlands Of Vinicius Costa

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 03:26 AM PDT

Digital artist Vinicius Costa creates some spectacularly colorful art works with his computer, hallucinogenic snapshots of worlds which are full of vibrant life and impossible landscapes.

The digital worlds that Vinicius creates are meant to be whimsical fairytale wonderlands, not reproductions of reality, and the brilliant color palette he has chosen perfectly suits the surreal nature of these worlds. Take your eyes on a tour of Vinicius’ virtual worlds at the link below, they’re well worth the trip.

Link  –via Beautiful/Decay

Great Geek Purses

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 01:11 AM PDT

I don’t know about you ladies, but I could sure use a great purse like this Boba Fett one by Catherine Penfold-Waxman. Don’t like Star Wars? Well, she’s got a few great Doctor Who designs as well.

Link Via Geek Crafts

Goreous Photos From the Inside of Instruments

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 01:02 AM PDT

That’s one heck of a way to advertise your local orchestra. The creations were created by art director Bjoern Ewers to show the true beauty of the instruments lies on the inside.

Link Via BoingBoing

When Hipsters Redo Corporate Logos

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 12:47 AM PDT

 

Hipster Branding is one artist’s re-envisioning of some of the world’s most famous logos.  While a few of the designs aren’t bad, some of them are just plain obnoxious.

Link Via Laughing Squid

7 Weird Ways to Decrease Your Chance of Divorce -Statistically

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 12:25 AM PDT

Divorces are a messy business, which is why it never hurts to work to divorce-proof your marriage. Going by the statistics, there are a number of simple things you can do to help reduce your risk of having your marriage ending. Unsurprisingly, not smoking can help, but strangely, so can being an optometrist and having sons instead of daughters.

Link

This Cheetah Has A Big Mouth

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 12:12 AM PDT

(Video Link)

Fortunately, the sounds that come out of it are ridiculously adorable. Squee!!!

Via Cute Overload

Doodles By Ronald Reagan

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:56 PM PDT

Here’s a page of doodles which were drawn by Ronald Reagan as he sat beside Margaret Thatcher in 1981 at the G7 Summit in Ottawa.

From the look of these crude renderings it’s a good thing that Ronnie had a day job, and movie star status to fall back on, because he certainly wasn’t going to make a splash in the art world.

Still, I’d like to know who the cute little pipe smoking man on the bottom left is supposed to be, and is that center right drawing a self portrait?

–via Boing Boing

Batman … in Bats!

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:47 PM PDT


1 set of the Bats Wall Decals - $19.95

We had a bit of fun earlier today making the Batman logo on Neatorama's front office wall, using 4 sets of the Bats Wall Decals from the NeatoShop.

Can't wait for the movie!

Check out our growing selection of removable Wall Decals

A Yacht That Can Make Short Trips Across Land

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:40 PM PDT

This innovative new vehicle is called The Iguana-a sea and land vehicle that will not only make boating  a blast but also much more convenient. Here’s more about this amphibious yacht:

The Iguana is a seaworthy boat even in rough seas, a fast boat (40 knots), a high quality good looking boat, a boat capable of traveling short distances on dry land across unstable land, at a low speed, but without the necessity to drive on roads, in the end, a boat easy to live with, both with family and friends.

The Iguana looks like a fun way to go from sea to land in a flash, just watch where you’re going if you hit the beach during spring break, or you might make a bloody mess of some drunken co-eds.

Link

Custom Predator Helmet With Built-In Targeting Laser

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:45 PM PDT

It’s safe to say that this is one of the most epic pieces of cosplay gear I’ve ever seen: a custom made Bone Hunter Primal Elder Predator helmet, complete with built-in tri-dot laser sight and a bad attitude.

This incredibly detailed helmet was made by Mike Loh, and if you can scrape up a mere $1050 this one-of-a-kind creation can be yours and yours alone, matching costume and alien dreadlocks not included.

Link  –via Obvious Winner

E=mc2, in Einstein’s Own Handwriting

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 07:10 PM PDT

We all know that E=MC2 - after all, it is arguably one of the most famous equations - but have you seen it in Albert Einstein's actual handwriting?

In 1946, popular science magazine of the time, Science Illustrated, asked Einstein to write an article about his formula, which has become synonymous with the nuclear age. Einstein titled his paper "The Most Urgent Problem of Our Time."

Link

To celebrate his birthday last week (March 14, Pi Day), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will release more than 80,000 of Albert Einstein's papers and put them online.

Previously on Neatorama: 10 Strange Facts About Einstein

Threat Response

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:50 PM PDT


For its show entitled “Threat”, the American Design Club asked artists “You've just heard something in the other room. What would you want to grab to defend yourself?” There were many funny responses, including this decorative bottle by Sara Ebert. It breaks into a shank. View the works of other contributing artists at the link.

Link -via Nag on the Lake | Photos: Kendall Mills

Blinking Eyeball Rings

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:35 PM PDT

In retrospect, I think that I made an inferior choice when selecting my wife’s engagement ring. But then these rings developed at Keio University in Japan were not available at the time.

[Yes, it's clearly an engagement ring. Observe: third finger, left hand.]

PYGMY robot rings blink according to different settings, including voice recognition, finger activity and remote control. They are, sadly, not yet on the market. So you may need to delay your wedding. In the meantime, watch a video of them in action at the link.

Link -via Technabob

Zombie Bottle Opener

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:25 PM PDT

Zombie Bottle Opener – $12.95

Are you dead tired of opening your favorite beverage with an ordinary bottle opener? You need the Zombie Bottle Opener from the NeatoShop. This handcrafted bottle opener makes the perfect flesh eating friend. Zombies may seem mindless and clumsy, but they are really extremely helpful people.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Zombie fun!

Link

Deep, Perfect Round Hole with Something Metallic at the Bottom: Can You Guess What It Is?

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:18 PM PDT

Austrian farmer named Franz Koglinger went looking for his lost cat when he stumbled upon this 25-foot-deep, perfectly round hole in his field that - as he claimed - appeared overnight.

So naturally, Franz threw a rock down the deep hole and heard a metallic clunk. Next, he tried a magnet, which stuck to something metallic. What could this mysterious hole be all about?

... soon the mystery drew local, national and, finally, international attention. Curiosity-seekers, geologists and UFO buffs flocked to the farm to see the hole for themselves. A buried UFO became a favorite explanation.

There is a perfectly logical solution to this, Neatoramanaut, as Benjamin Radford of Skeptical Inquirer wrote over at Life's Little Mystery, but see if you can come up with an answer first: Link

The Coffee Bug

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:17 PM PDT

This cute little coffee shop is Brad Frank’s Coffee Bug. It’s built around a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Frank tows it around fairs and festivals. Photographer Keely Marie Scott spotted it in 2010 at an antique fair in Round Top, Texas. If you’re playing punch buggy, it’s worth two punches.

Official Website -via Bren Mason | Photographer’s Website

Dinnertime

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:56 PM PDT

Cow eyes are a great convenience food. Like pizza rolls or jalapeno poppers, you can just microwave a few when you want a snack. They were among the exotic dishes served at the 108th Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York City this past Saturday. Others include hog mask, scorpions and jellyfish. Read the full menu at the link.

Link | Photo: Paul Adams

Tattoo Design Has Now Peaked

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:28 PM PDT

Pip Foweraker is a thoughtful, careful man, so he spent considerable time contemplating what he would like to have as his first and possibly only tattoo. His friends advised against the whole idea. After all, what will it look like when he’s old? Tattoos are, practically speaking, forever. So Foweraker established a general principle to address this problem:

…the best solution would be to get a tattoo so over-the-top awesome, and filled with personal meaning and satisfaction, that it would be literally impossible for me to ever regret getting it.

Careful reasoning led him to conclude that the ultimate tattoo — one that would be impossible for anyone to regret — would be one showing a tyrannosaurus rex and Optimus Prime giving each other a high five. You can find his detailed argument at the link, which I think you will agree is flawless.

Link -via reddit

“The Duel”-A Stop Motion LEGO Action Short

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:17 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

If you’ve ever wondered what a LEGO person looks like when it’s cut in half, then check out this stop motion short “The Duel”, which reveals what toys are up to when we’re not around to stop all the plastic-on-plastic violence. Can’t our toys just get along?

–via Topless Robot

Newest Henson Project Deals With Puppet Homicide

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 04:19 PM PDT

This is the first concept art released for Brian Henson’s latest movie project “The Happytime Murders“, a noir thriller with a partially puppet cast and an adult edge. Here’s the blurb:

In a world where puppets co-exist with humans as second class citizens, puppet private eye and disgraced ex-cop, Phil Phillips, is hot on the trail of the serial killer who murdered his brother and is now targeting the cast members of the famous 80s television show, “The Happytime Gang.” As the killings continue, Phil’s former flame, Jenny, is next on the list. It’s up to Phil and his ex-partner, Detective Edwards, to find the culprit, but as bad blood and old resentments resurface the clues start pointing to the only viable suspect, Phil himself. Now he’s on the run with only his wits and hard headed determination, as he tries to solve, “The Happytime Murders.”

As you may know, Brian and Cheryl Henson have been carrying on in their father’s footsteps, creating projects full of puppet magic that have become a bit more adult in terms of subject matter over the years.

“The Happytime Murders” project has been seen as impossible to produce by some critics because of it’s adult subject matter, but I think condemning the project because “puppets are for kids” is simply restricting an art form which has proven it can appeal to adults as well as children. The film is currently in the pre-production stage, so no word yet on when it will be released.

Link

Charting Comebacks

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 04:15 PM PDT

Microsoft knows that you hate its browser Internet Explorer, but it's planning for it to make a comeback. While that remains to be seen, at least they've got a pretty nifty ad to tout the new Internet Explorer 9. Even the name is apt: The Browser You Loved to Hate

Here are a few more:

View more at Microsoft's website:  The Browser You Loved To Hate - via Visual News

A Bow Tie For Every Occasion

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 03:56 PM PDT

Who says wearing a bow tie means looking all stuffy and boring? With one of these whimsical creations strapped to your neck you’ll be the life of any party, gala or soiree without compromising your individual sense of style for the sake of a  formal dress code.

Created by New York based artist Nicholas Tee Ruiz, these fun incarnations of the bow tie come in 11 different styles to suit nearly any occasion. So don’t be afraid of what your bow tie says about you, because these kooky little numbers say FUN!

Link  –via DesignTAXI

Wave of Matter

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 03:14 PM PDT

There's something mesmerizing about thousands of tiny ball bearings, as you can see in this art installation "Wave of Matter" by Helsinki-based designers Tommi Grönlund and Petteri Nisunen. The duo created a motorized platform that tilts from one side to the other, which results in a landslide of the ball bearings.

Hit play or go to Link [vimeo] - via Core77

Beautiful Innards of Mechanical Adding Machines

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 02:13 PM PDT

Who would've thought that something mundane could be so beautifully complex inside? Here's Kevin Twomey dissecting and photographing the insides of mechanical adding machines, revealing their gorgeous innards of gears, springs, and other mechanical components.

Check out more at Kevin's website - via My Modern Met

Crazy Pizza Bread

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 01:13 PM PDT

If you love pizza and you love bread (and who doesn't?) then this Crazy Pizza Bread is for you.

Best of all, you can make it yourself with recipe courtesy of The Ivory Hut:

I decided instead to make a pizza loaf instead. Since I loved the gooey cheese in the middle of the sticks, my plan was to fill the loaf with cheese inside then bake it as a whole loaf and slice it up into lovely “sticks.” This way was much easier, and based on the fact that the two boys in the house polished off an entire loaf in practically one sitting then had all the leftover pizza loaf slices and original sticks COLD for breakfast the next day, it was safe to assume that the taste was still a homerun.


You can make this the night before and pack it for lunch the next day. Just cut 1” thick slices, wrap them in foil, and lightly toast them before packing them in the lunchbox. Send your little one off with a small bowl of tomato soup or a container of marinara dipping sauce, and they’ll be the envy of the lunchroom. Or make it a special afternoon snack to welcome them home after a long day at school.

A sure winner: Link - via That's Nerdalicious

Bunny Picnic Pal Beanie

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 12:02 PM PDT

Bunny Picnic Pal Beanie – $27.95

Easter is almost here. Don’t miss this prime opportunity to dress up your adorable baby. Head on over to the NeatoShop now and get a Bunny Picnic Pal Beanie for your little bundle of joy. This charming hat is super soft and cozy. It is made with organic, recycled, and sustainable materials. This is the perfect hat for those unpredictable spring days.

Bunny Picnic Pal Booties also available. Plus more Picnic Pal styles in the store.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Easter fun!

Link

Amazing Spud City Carved Out of Potatoes

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:21 AM PDT

You like po-tay-to, I like po-tah-to, let's call the whole thing ... awesome: Behold a cityscape carved out of 80 pounds of potatoes by artist Peter Root (really).

From The Sun:

Peter Root, 33, spent three weeks in Istanbul, Turkey, making homes, office blocks and places of worship from a staggering 176lbs of spuds using a kitchen knife and bicycle repair kit.

Details include TV aerials, hundreds of windows on tower blocks and the crescent moon of Islam on mosques.

Brit Peter, from Guernsey, said of the artwork named Plot: "Plot was not modelled on Istanbul, rather influenced by various aspects of the city.

"That includes its sprawl and density, the beautiful, delicate and ornate architectural detail and the crumbling decay of certain areas.

"I chose potatoes because they are available in abundance and are amazing things to sculpt with.

"They can be chopped, carved, sliced, drawn into, balanced, dried."

Take a look at more awesome photos of Spud city over at Peter's website: Link - via Oddity Central

Previously on Neatorama: Amazing Cityscape Art Made From Unusual Objects | Ephemicropolis, a City of Staples (also by Peter Root)

Equinox Silliness

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:18 AM PDT

The vernal equinox is a day earlier than usual this year because we just had a leap day. Spring officially begins at 1:14 AM Tuesday in the US Eastern time zone, and that means Monday night in the western part of the country. Some people celebrate the equinox by standing a broom on end or standing an egg on its end. Why?

One thing the equinox does not not NOT NOT mean is that you can balance ungainly objects on their ends on this day! This used to mean egg standing — more on that in a sec — but for reasons beyond my ability to parse the newest version of this involves standing brooms on their bristles. Don't believe me? Here's a gallery of people doing it. I've been hearing a lot about this, but it has nothing to do with the equinox (or the recent solar activity, another odd idea that's going around). It's actually a simply matter of center of mass and flat bristles. Honestly, it's not more mysterious than standing a brick up. Here's a good video explanation of it.

The picture above of the broom standing? That was taken on October 27, 2009. So there ya go. Also, you can try this: if you have a broom you can stand today, wait a week and try again. It'll stand then, too, if you try hard enough.

If you replace the word “broom” with “egg” then we've heard this all before.

You’ll find instructions for standing an egg on its end (any day of the year) at Bad Astronomy. Link

Spot The Neatobot Contest!

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:12 AM PDT

Starting today, we’ll be giving you 4 chances each day this week to win your choice of t-shirt from our neatoshop! All you have to do to enter is spot the Neatobot in one of our daily posts (no, silly, not this post – another post that went up today). When you spot it, click on it and enter to win! Want a better chance of winning? Follow our Facebook, Twitter and/or G+ accounts for daily hints! Remember, we’ll be giving 4 away each day at random — that’s 20 chances to win!

The Oxford Dictionaries Spelling Challenge

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 11:04 AM PDT

The Oxford Dictionaries offers a spelling test you can take online. Words are pronounced for you, so turn your speakers on. I aced the Tricky level. On both the Difficult and the Fiendish levels, I scored 14 of 15. I actually spell pretty well, thanks to years of writing under the supervision of spellcheck and commenters. The misspellings you see in my posts are mostly due to my horrid typing skills. Let us know how you do on this quiz! Link -via TYWKIWDBI

Spider-Hyphen-Man!

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:53 AM PDT

If you’ve ever written about “Spiderman” on the internet, you’ve been schooled in the proper spelling. It’s Spider-Man! Other super heroes don’t use the hyphen. Cartoonist Cathy Leamy of Metrokitty explains the difference. Link -via Laughing Squid

The Corpse Cameo Quiz

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:15 AM PDT

Hollywood celebrities love to take guest star turns on crime shows. Most would like to portray the guilty party, but many end up as a murder victim. Do you remember who died on your favorite crime shows? Test your TV memory in today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. You’ll be given the name of a celebrity, and you decide which of three crimes shows they appeared in as a corpse. I scored an abysmal 20% because I went too many years without watching TV. You will do better! Link

LONCats: The Top 10 Cats Of London

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:03 AM PDT

Just like people, cats can be heroes, eccentrics, objects of affection, or anonymous. Some are works of art; others are memorialized in art, like Hodge.

Samuel Johnson's beloved pet can be found immortalised in bronze outside the great lexicographer's house in Gough Square. The good doctor would make special trips to buy oysters for the beast, and the modern likeness of Hodge stands beside a pair of empty oyster shells, revelling in the inscription "A very fine cat indeed".

Read about the top ten cats of London at Londonist. Link -via Nag on the Lake

Terminator Arm Tattoo

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 09:01 AM PDT

He'll be back ... from the tattoo parlor with this awesome Terminator Endoskeleton arm tattoo!

Created by Venezuelan artist Yomico Moreno - via Fashionably Geek

Skipping Dates

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:30 AM PDT

I should think that second reason is the best reason not to go on a date. This Twaggie was illustrated from a Tweet by @MrsRupertPupkin. See a new Twaggie every day at GoComics. Link

Free Downloads of Vintage Footage

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 08:04 AM PDT

The Internet Archive has made a huge collection of old stock footage available for download. The films go back over a hundred years!

Internet Archive’s 35mm stock footage collection consists of material especially shot for stock footage purposes as well as feature film outtakes and unused material that were conserved for future use in other productions. Rights to this collection are held by Internet Archive. You may download and reuse material under the Creative Commons Attribution License. If you require higher-quality material or a written license agreement, please contact Getty Images for licensing information.

And, of course, you can go browse and watch as you like. The picture shown is from a silent reel of a nightclub act filmed the in 1930s. There’s a long list of subjects to see. Link -via Boing Boing

Promotion Leads to Massive Bomb Scare

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 07:01 AM PDT

What were they thinking? They obviously did not recall the colossal Mooninite caper of 2007. Then again, that was five years ago. Convar Deutschland, a German computer company, sent out advertising “gifts” for their data-recovery service to prospective clients in the form of what appeared to be time bombs.

Convar Deutschland thought they had cooked up an exciting way to attract new clients, when they began gluing hard drives to alarm clocks and sending them to companies with a note reading, "Your time is running out."

They sent out a total of 40 "time bombs" to businesses, shops, a handful of embassies and even the offices of a newspaper group.

But instead of drumming up custom, the stunt caused mayhem as terrified recipients called the police and prompted building evacuations, Berlin paper Tagesspiegel reported on Friday.

The company may have to pay the police for expenses incurred. Link -via Arbroath

Big Words Flashcards

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:37 AM PDT

Big Words Flashcards – $11.95

Are you looking to give your toddler that extra special competitive edge on the playground? You need the Big Words Flashcards from the NeatoShop. This hilarious set includes 25 splendiferous words for youngsters to learn and repeat. Finally you have help in your endless endeavor to amaze friends, co-workers, family and obnoxious playground Mommies.

Be sure to check out the Neatoshop for more Flash Card foolishness and Baby & Tot fun!

Link

LEGO R2D2

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

What has 2127 pieces, a retractable third leg, a buzz saw hidden inside, a rotating dome, and can make a geek salivate? The Ultimate Collector Series R2-D2 LEGO Star Wars set, of course! It should be available for $179.99 (higher in Canada) in May. Link -via The Daily What Geek

Meet the Beats

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 05:08 AM PDT

The following article is from the book Uncle John’s Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader.

The Beats were America’s first hipsters. But what were they, like, really about, man?

THE OTHER SIDE OF AMERICA

One night in 1948, two students at new York’s Columbia University, John Clellon Holmes and Jack Kerouac, were hanging out talking about what they thought was wrong with the modern world -the constant threat of nuclear war, the hollowness of suburbia, and the stifling academic mainstream. At one point, Kerouac remarked, “This really is a beat generation.”

What did Kerouac mean? It was something he’d heard a few years earlier from someone he’d met in Times Square, a street hustler named Herbert Hunche. According to Kerouac, Hunche told him that “beat” meant that “you’re exhausted, at the bottom of the world, looking up or out, sleepless, wide-eyed, perceptive, rejected by society, on your own, streetwise.”

Holmes’ and Kerouac’s clique consisted of a handful of equally disenchanted artists, writers, and academics, all with (un)healthy interests in drugs, booze, and urban culture, including poet Allen Ginsberg and novelist William S. Burroughs. This was the Beat Generation, and they found their escape in the underexplored and often seedy side of American life. And they expressed it in what would come to be highly influential written works.

SEX, DRUGS, BEBOP

Hal Chase, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William Burroughs

The Beats thought the way to enlightenment and artistic fulfillment was to go out and experience the world, especially the fringe elements. They hitchhiked around the country, befriending (and emulating) hobos and outlaws (like Hunche), and they experimented with marijuana, Benzedrine, and morphine.

The main core of the Beats ultimately settled in San Francisco’s North Beach in the mid-1950s, where they congregated at jazz clubs for smokey jam sessions and in coffee houses for poetry readings. The structure of jazz -it was experimental, non-linear, free-form, often stream-of-consciousness- heavily influenced the way the Beats wrote.

BOOKING IT

But the fact that the Beats were literary doesn’t mean they were refined. Beat literature had a tendency to be raw, lurid, personal, and extremely confrontational -and that was the point. Here are some excerpts from three of the most influential pieces of Beat literature:

On the Road (1957). Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical novel about a road trip full of crime, shady characters, and the unseen underbelly of ’50s America is considered the definitive Beat work. Kerouac reportedly wrote it in just three weeks, typing stream-of-consciousness style on a 120-foot scroll of paper. It was so unstructured that before it could be published, it had to edited (sections deemed pornographic were deleted) and reformatted with conventional punctuation and paragraph breaks. Here’s a passage:

And for just a moment I had reached the point of ecstasy that I always wanted to reach, which was the complete step across chronological time into timeless shadows, and wonderment in the bleakness of the mortal realm, and the sensation of death kicking at my heels to move on, with a phantom dogging its own heels.

“Howl” (1956). Ginsberg’s furious epic free-verse poem was first performed at a poetry reading at San Francisco’s Gallery Six. Published by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Press, “Howl!” was banned as obscene; Ferlinghetti was arrested, and the trial that followed brought national attention to the work. Here are the first few lines of the poem:

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelhead hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night, who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz…

Naked Lunch (1959). William S, Burrough’s controversial novel also led to an obscenity trial. Published in Paris in 1959, it wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1962. Semi-autobiographical, Naked Lunch follows the surreal adventures of junkie William Lee (Burroughs was a morphine addict). Here’s a sample:

“Selling is more of a habit than using,” Lupita says. Nonusing pushers have a contact habit, and that’s one you can’t kick. Agents get it too. Take Bradley the Buyer. Best narcotics agent in the industry. Anyone would make him for junk. He is so anonymous, grey and spectral the pusher don’t remember him afterwards.

THE BEAT LEGACY

* The Beat Generation set forth that it was okay to try new avenues in art, even if (or especially if) they were dark, unsettling, or personal. Artists sharing this philosophy included comedian Lenny Bruce, painter Jackson Pollock, photographer Diane Arbus, and filmmaker John Cassavetes.

* Beat writers popularized spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness prose and performance art, along with abstract expressionism and postmodernism. Modern day “slam”-style poetry is a direct outgrowth of the Beats. So was the “New Journalism” or “literary nonfiction” of the ’60s and ’70s. Writers would deliver long, narrative, true stories (in which they were active participants) about the edges of American life as if it were a novel, in a highly-descriptive free-flow manner. Two of those writers: Tom Wolfe (The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test), and Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).

* Blogging is relative new form of information delivery (often challenging mainstream media) by regular people who explore the world around them and document it in online journals, if not for an audience then for the sake of self-expression. Tech writer Tom Forenski of ZDnet.com argues that bloggers are the present-day equivalent of the Beats. “Both celebrate the written word, and both celebrate a raw and passionate literature that is largely unedited. And both are disruptive movements.”

BUT SERIOUSLY

Six months after the USSR launched Sputnik, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen gave the beats their most famous nickname when he called them beatniks in a 1958 column. “I made fun of the Beats because they took themselves so seriously,” he remembered. “I had a drink with Allen Ginsberg one night at Vesuvio and we walked across the street to Tosca. He was barefoot. The uptight Italian who owned the place kicked him out. ‘But I’m Allen Ginsberg,” he shouted. The guy had never heard of him.”

___________________

The article above was reprinted with permission from the Bathroom Institute’s book Uncle John’s Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader.

Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute has published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.

If you like Neatorama, you’ll love the Bathroom Reader Institute’s books – go ahead and check ‘em out!

 
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