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2012/03/26

Neatorama

Neatorama

1.85 Mile Wedding Dress Train Is the World’s Longest

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 05:09 AM PDT

Whoever wears this dress is going to have an agonizingly long wedding. A bridal gown train nearly two miles long stretched across the center of Bucharest, Romania on Tuesday. According to Guinness World Records, it’s the longest train in the world:

The train, which took 100 days to stitch, was crafted by a team of 10 seamstresses, said salon spokeswoman Lavinia Lascae.

4,700 metres of taffeta, 5.5 metres of Chantilly lace, 45 metres of lining, 1,857 sewing needles and 150 spool threads were used in the creation of the gown and train.

The lace was imported from France, while the taffeta and other fabrics were purchased from Italy, costing approximately £5,000, she added.

You can view more pictures at Bit Rebels.

News Article -via Bit Rebels | Photo: Reuters

35 Great Costumes From WonderCon

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 05:07 AM PDT

This was the first year that the WonderCon (Comic-Con’s little sister) was held in Anaheim instead of San Francisco, unfortunately, that didn’t mean that the weather was any better. In fact, it was pouring the better part of the weekend. While the poor weather and smaller size of the convention meant there were far fewer cosplayers than at Comic-Con, the diversity and quality of the costumes was definitely impressive. Here are a few of the best costumes as photographed by Zeon and myself.

There are always a lot of Batman costumes at any convention, but with The Dark Knight Rises coming out this summer, there were even more than usual -including this sexy group of cosplayers. There was also a matching Harley Quinn, but I didn’t get a good picture of her. Sorry boys.

Cat Women and Riddlers were particularly popular at the convention.

Harley Quinn was also a pretty popular costume, which is interesting since they still haven’t put her character into a movie yet. Nolan, maybe you should take note of that fact.

Cross-play was also a pretty big trend and this adorable Robin and Green Arrow did a great job at adapting their costumes accordingly.

While the Birds of Prey might not technically be a Batman comic, the fact that Batgirl is part of the team means they are close enough to be part of the family.

This adorable Harley Quinn and her rival Batman cheerleader were some of my favorite reinterpretations of common costumes.

But I have to admit that IT guy Andrew Rodriguez’s costume made me smile more than just about any other outfit there.

As far as other comic books turned into successful movies, this Tony Stark costume was quite delightful, particularly the fact that he had a mock-martini with him throughout the day.

This homemade Rocketeer costume was particularly impressive.

As was this impressive (not to mention sexy) elf costume.

This was an interesting group, mostly WOW characters with a few Boba Fett thrown in for good measure.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a convention without a few Boba Fetts, like this particularly militaristic version.

And if you can’t rely on Pimp Fett to party down at a convention, who can you rely on.

Of course, I don’t think any cosplayer got half the attention this little one attracted. Funny enough, she had no idea why all these strange people were staring at her.

For those that prefer their Star Wars costumes a little more traditional, this group couldn’t be missed. The wookie and storm trooper even came equipped with spot-on voice boxes.

If you enjoy seeing costumes of characters you hate though, perhaps you’d enjoy this Jar Jar design.

While there are always a few rebel pilots on hand, this was the first time I’ve seen someone dressed as Zoe from Firefly.

There were actually quite a few Firefly cosplayers, like this gender-swaped Jayne, although no one seemed to be dressed as Mal. Also, there were quite a few Doctors, but notably no one dressed as the Eleventh Doctor.

Perhaps this Dalek achieved her goal of exterminating Matt Smith’s version of the Doctor.

For those that enjoy fantasy over sci fi, there certainly weren’t as many costumes, but there were a number of good ones, like this Harry Potter couple complete with a Hedwig that could move his head in a full circle.

There was also this rather intimidating Ring Wraith.

And, while I’m not sure she technically counts as a fantasy character, I was quite taken with this lovely militant Snow White equipped with a poison apple grenade.

For a childhood icon that wasn’t turned on end, this foxy Maid Marian from the Disney classic was quite a vision.

And this humanized version of Red and Wembley were almost as fun as their Fraggle selves.

She-Ra was looking particularly well.

This Stay Puft Marshmallow Woman and Juvenile Ghostbuster made quite a team.

For a more modern childhood classic, look no further than this great red Power Ranger.

Personally, I find the Akatsuki of Naruto to be rather intimidating, even when it’s just in cosplay form.

That’s why I prefer seeing Fat Buu from Dragon Ball Z.

If you’re more of a Pokemon fan though, perhaps you’d prefer seeing Ash and Pikachu, along with a gender-swapped youngster from Pixar’s Up!

As for the original version of Russel, this guy has it down pretty tight.

For a really contemporary and extremely fun show though, you can’t go wrong with Adventure Time, especially when it comes to Fionna and Cake, Finn and Jake’s gender-swapped characters.

Of course, there’s always room for Captain Jack.

Assassin’s Creed characters are also regular features at the conventions, which makes sense -they’re awesome costumes that are fun to wear.

And of course, these days you can’t have a convention without a few steam punks showing up.

Now obviously, Zeon and I couldn’t capture every costume at the convention, so if you’re looking to see a few more with almost no repeats from this post, might I recommend The Mary Sue’s collection.

So lads and ladies, what is your favorite costume from the convention? And what do you wish you could see more of?

Les Chiens Savants

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 04:31 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

A 1902 film showing Miss Dundee and her Performing Dogs. They are well trained and have a knack for a bit of comedy as well. -via Everlasting Blort

Awkward Stock Photos Are Really Awkward

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 04:08 AM PDT

If you haven’t visited the Tumblr site known as Awkward Stock Photos, you’re missing out on a daily dose of hilarious photography which embodies the elusive WTF factor.

Occasionally there are NSFW images included, but since they’re supposed to be stock photos usable for advertising, videos, etc. they’re mostly just ridiculously strange, which makes it hard to figure out what the photographers were thinking when they took these oddball pics.

Take a gander at the site, and if it tickles your funny bone I guarantee you’ll be checking back to see what sort of strange new images have been posted.

Link

Students Build Their Own Battlestar Galactica Viper Simulator

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 04:07 AM PDT

(YouTube Link)

Five high school students from Marin County and San Francisco have teamed up to build their own Viper starship simulator for Maker Faire 2012, so they can play Battlestar Galactica like a real boss.

Their goal is to build a Viper frame with 360 degree motion and simulator screens so you can really feel the space in your face. It’s interesting to see how they went from LEGO model to 3d model before actually building the simulator frame, the whole process looks like it was a lot of fun to put together!

–via Nerd Approved

I Hate This New Floor!!!!

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:22 AM PDT

(Video Link)

It’s just so slippery, I can’t stand it…or stand on it!

Via I Can Has Cheezburger

Step Through The Wardrobe

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:19 AM PDT

Talk about a cool kid’s room set up. One amazing parent made this cool Narnia-themed playroom for her 9 year-old daughter where the only entrance is through the wardrobe. I want one for myself; what a great place to write Neatorama articles!

Link Via BoingBoing

Cool and Striking Mad Men Jewelry

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:14 AM PDT

The premiere of Mad Men was last night, but for those of you who can’t get enough of Don Draper, Aaron Saucier offers a great series of jewelry based on the show. For the ladies, there are necklaces, for the gents, the cufflinks and tie clips are quite classy.

Link Via Laughing Squid

If Pixar Made Iron Man

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:08 AM PDT

Artist Victor Hugo is a big fan of Iron Man and Pixar, which is why it made perfect sense for him to create this delightful mash up of the two. Now wouldn’t that be a fun, whimsical movie?

Link Via The Daily What

Otters That Look Like Benedict Cumberbatch

Posted: 26 Mar 2012 01:00 AM PDT

Otters are known for their amazing powers of deduction…no wait, that’s Sherlock. It’s hard to tell because they look so darn similar.

Link Via BoingBoing

 

Blown Glass Sculptures Of Human Organs

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:51 PM PDT

Jessica Lloyd Jones creates rather unique representations of vital organs out of blown glass, then she adds neon to each piece to add a glow of life energy. Here’s what Jessica has to say about her works:

Blown glass human organs encapsulate inert gases displaying different colours under the influence of an electric current. The human anatomy is a complex, biological system in which energy plays a vital role. Brain Wave conveys neurological processing activity as a kinetic and sensory, physical phenomena through its display of moving electric plasma. Optic Nerve shows a similar effect, more akin to the blood vessels of the eye and with a front 'lens' magnifying the movement and the intensity of light. Heart is a representation of the human heart illuminated by still red neon gas. Electric Lungs is a more technically intricate structure with xenon gas spreading through its passage ways, communicating our human unawareness of the trace gases we inhale in our breathable atmosphere.

Link  –via JazJaz

Dark Fairy Tale Short “Red”

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:40 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

Red is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that avoids the cliches and delivers a dark little tale told mostly via silhouettes. Created by Jorge Jaramillo and Carlo Guillot, with music composed by Manuel Borda, Red is a stylish adult fairy tale that’s bloody good fun to watch.

–via Cartoon Brew

Stair Lifts for Fat Dogs

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 10:22 PM PDT

The days of carrying your fat dog up the stairs are behind you, thanks to the world's first stair lift for obese pet. The Daily Mail has more pics: Link

Personal Analytics of Stephen Wolfram

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 09:51 PM PDT

We all know that Stephen Wolfram, the guy who came up with Mathematica software and the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine, is one really smart guy (he published his first physics paper at 18 and got a PhD in particle physics at 20).

But did you know that he's a bit obsessed by data? And by "data", we mean personal data like how many emails he has sent, how many keystroke he has ever typed, phone calls he's made, and even the number of steps he takes every day. And by "a bit," we actually mean a lot. Like decades-worth of data:

One day I’m sure everyone will routinely collect all sorts of data about themselves. But because I’ve been interested in data for a very long time, I started doing this long ago. I actually assumed lots of other people were doing it too, but apparently they were not. And so now I have what is probably one of the world’s largest collections of personal data.

Every day—in an effort at “self awareness”—I have automated systems send me a few emails about the day before. But even though I’ve been accumulating data for years—and always meant to analyze it—I’ve never actually gotten around to doing it. But with Mathematica and the automated data analysis capabilities we just released in Wolfram|Alpha Pro, I thought now would be a good time to finally try taking a look—and to use myself as an experimental subject for studying what one might call “personal analytics”.

Let’s start off talking about email. I have a complete archive of all my email going back to 1989—a year after Mathematica was released, and two years after I founded Wolfram Research. Here’s a plot with a dot showing the time of each of the third of a million emails I’ve sent since 1989:

That white band is when Stephen is asleep (he changed his sleeping pattern in 2002)

Read more about Stephen's personal analytics at his blog: Link - via Krulwich Wonders

How to Turn Yourself into a Living Doll

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 08:00 PM PDT

Little girls playing with dolls are cute. Big girls pretending to be dolls?

Here's 15-year-old Venus Palermo, known online as Venus Angelic, who attained Internet fame by creating video tutorials on how to turn yourself into a living BJD (that's Ball Jointed Doll) with cosmetics and contact lenses:


[YouTube Clip]

Watch her interview with Right This Minute - via Huffpo

James Cameron Reaches Ocean’s Deepest Point

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 07:33 PM PDT

After years of preparation, filmmaker James Cameron has accomplished his goal of descending to Challenger Deep, the deepest ocean depth on Earth, down 35,756 feet into the Marianna Trench. That’s seven miles!

Reaching bottom after a 2-hour-and-36-minute descent, the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker typed out welcome words for the cheering support crew waiting at the surface: “All systems OK.”

Folded into a sub cockpit as cramped as any Apollo capsule, the National Geographic explorer and filmmaker is now investigating a seascape more alien to humans than the moon. Cameron is only the third person to reach this Pacific Ocean valley southwest of Guam (map)—and the only one to do so solo.

Hovering in what he’s called a vertical torpedo, Cameron is likely collecting data, specimens, and imagery unthinkable in 1960, when the only other explorers to reach Challenger Deep returned after seeing little more than the silt stirred up by their bathyscaphe.

NatGeo has lots more on the expedition. Link

(Image credit: Mark Thiessen, National Geographic)

Previously: The Deepest Ocean Depths

Newborn Rabbits Cuddle Together to Keep Warm

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 07:00 PM PDT

Newborn rabbits compete for their mother's milk, but when the temperature drops, that competitive spirit gives way to cooperation:

Using infrared cameras (right) and rooms that slowly cool from 23°C to 11°C, researchers found that when the temperature drops, less-than-5-day-old furless rabbit pups huddle to share heat.

Such cooperation, like investors making a joint business venture, comes at a small private cost, as generating heat uses body fat that in turn uses up oxygen, and using too much oxygen can stunt a rabbit's growth.

But by sharing heat, rabbits mutually ensure that their siblings don't have to use up too much energy to survive the cold, helping them all live on to contribute to future bunny generations.

Link

Daisy Slap Watch

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 06:30 PM PDT

Daisy Slap Watch – $19.95

Is spring making you feel nostalgic for your misspent youth? Recapture a happier time with the Daisy Slap Watch from the NeatoShop. This cheerful remake of a classic will have you feeling slap happy and snap snappy in no time.

Daisy Slap Watch is available in: blue, pink, purple, red and white. Buy 1 or buy all 5.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more neat Watches!

Link

Cows Happy to be Outdoors

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 06:00 PM PDT

This one is udderly wonderful: a herd of Holstein cattle being released from their indoor winter housing to enjoy the outdoors. Watch as they frolic in the fields - Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Boing Boing

If Don Draper Had A Citysearch Account

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:25 PM PDT

 

Are you getting excited about tonight’s Mad Men 2-hour special season premiere? WE ARE! To get you in the mood, we found this funny mock-up of a Citysearch profile page created by Don Draper. Click the image above to enlarge it or go here.

Here’s our favorite excerpt:

The ironic cupcake names at Cuddles feel like a cheap ploy. I believe the cupcake customer prefers an earnest message. The word strawberry means something. It calls to mind, picnics on hot summer days…the expectation of valentine's day when a chocolate covered strawberry is the last thing you remember before the bedroom. What does "Sarah's super strawberry surprise," do besides sully the strength of the core ingredient and my experience here. Also, you can't smoke inside?

The Chinese Octomom

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:24 PM PDT

A few years after Nadya "Octomom" Suleman became a media sensation, China got its own version

Who is this Chinese Octomom?
Details are hazy, but she and her husband appear to be a wealthy couple from the southern city of Guangzhou.

The woman's story first gained attention when a photograph of her eight children, clad in matching onesies and hats, was used as an advertisement for a photo studio. The image quickly prompted investigation.

According to Guanghzhou's government-run newspaper, the woman carried two of the babies to term herself, and enlisted two surrogates, each of whom gave birth to three children, to fill out her brood. The babies were all reportedly born in September and October 2010, and 11 nannies were enlisted to care for them.

The mom and her children are now in hiding, though how you hide 8 kids is beyond me: Link

How to Make Apple Smiles

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:07 PM PDT

These would be great snacks for a children’s party. Apple Smiles consist of just apple slices, marshmallows, peanut butter and lemon juice. The plaque-like peanut butter holds the teeth in place. The lemon juice helps preserve the apple slices.

Link -via Karen Berson

William Stokkebroe, Two-Year Old Dancing Superstar

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:00 PM PDT


William dancing the Jive [YouTube]

So, you think you can dance. Not as well, I bet as, 2-year-old William Stokkebroe.

I suppose William has the genetic gift, as his parents Peter and Kristina Stokkebroe are professional dancers, but still. What could you do when you were 2 years old? I think I was still toddling into furnitures and such.

Here's one more of William dancing the Paso Doble:

Watch 120 Seconds Of Pure 90s Cheese

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:51 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

What’s better than watching a cheesy B movie made decades ago? Watching the whole thing in just over three minutes, which some of you might still find to be a bit too long.

Thanks to the purveyors of fine retro cheese known as Everything Is Terrible you can get your fill of Can It Be Love? without wanting to blow your brains out. And the big buff guy doing a terrible impression of Ahnold in Terminator comes free with the price of admission!

(NSFW for one bad word) –thanks to Chew for letting me know that the original flick is actually from 1992! Title edit away!

–via Everything Is Terrible!

The Hungry Games

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:44 PM PDT

Excited about seeing the Hunger Games?

Neatoramanaut Donovan Santiago noticed distinct similarities between a plate of food and Katniss' mockingjay pin, and came up with this clever The Hungry Games parody.

May the cod ever be in your favor! Link

This 4 Legged Chicken Brings WTF To The Dinner Table

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:42 PM PDT

Strange things are afoot  in the Chinese city of Changsha, where a shopper discovered he’d purchased a four legged mutant chicken and promptly snapped this picture to share with the rest of the world.

According to scientists the chicken is fine to eat despite the extra appendages, but I don’t think I’d want to take any chances by chomping down on a drumstick from this monstrosity.

Link

Film By Numbers Quiz- 13 Movies In 30 Seconds

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:40 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

This boldly stylized animated short is by Evan Seitz, who you may remember from his recent release ABCinema, which challenged you to figure out the movie based on letters (link).

This time around, Evan wants you to figure it all out by number, with bonus points for figuring them all out from just one viewing.

–via TDW

Mechagodzilla Lamp

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 04:12 PM PDT

The well-appointed house is a quiet statement of style and good taste. So, naturally, the blogger behind Obvious Winner merged a Mechagodzilla figure with a lamp. You can view more pictures at the link.

Link -via Technabob

Apology Fete-a-Tete

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 03:46 PM PDT

Apology Fete-a-Tete – $7.95

Have you been a real jerk lately? Do you owe someone a heartfelt apology? Let the NeatoShop help you grovel back into good graces with the Apology Fete-a-Tete. This great decoration set, for a party of two, has everything you need to properly say I’ve been a complete douchebag I’m sorry. The Apology Fete-a-Tete includes:

  • Greeting card
  • Mini-banner
  • Matching coasters
  • And adhesive wine bottle label (just add wine)

Sorry, apology results not guaranteed. Results may vary based on your track record.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Party Supplies.

Link

Dark-Fly: A Line of Fruit Fly Bred in the Dark for 57 Years (1,400 Generations)

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 03:41 PM PDT

Talk about a long scientific experiment*. Japanese researchers have bred an unusual line of fruit fly called "Dark-fly" which has been kept in constant darkness for 57 years (1,400 generations). They've sequenced the Dark-fly's genome and are now figuring out the genomic alterations linked to adaptation to living in the dark.

Via Fogonazos

*The longest running science experiment is the famous Pitch Drop experiment, started in 1927 by University of Queensland professor Thomas Parnell.

Marshall Amp Fridge

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 02:40 PM PDT

A rockin' jam session with your bandmates sure can make them thirsty - but are you going to send them to the drab ol' kitchen fridge to grab a few brewskis?

Here's a fridge that won't dilute your cool factor: the Marshall Fridge that looks like a guitar amp. And yes, the control knobs go to eleven. Link - via That's Nerdalicious

Don't have $300 to spend on a mini fridge? You can still get this Amped Up Coffee Mug from the NeatoShop for much less.

Movie Villains in Their Old Age

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 01:17 PM PDT

Poor Vader. The kids don't visit anymore (what? All he did was chop off one kid's hand and mind probed the other - those ingrates!)

In the series Horror Vacui, Photographer Federico Chiesa and make-up and special effects artist Carolina Trotta imagined 80's villains in their old age. Take a look to find out what how your favorite villains are doing now: Link - via Laughing Squid

What’s the Best Bagel You’ve Ever Tasted?

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 12:03 PM PDT

So. The Consumer Report has decided to play with fire. It has sent "trained tasters" to review and rate various brands of New York bagels - from fresh to frozen.

And in the decision that will surely live in infamy, they have declared bagels from Dunkin' Donuts, Lender's original (frozen!), and Costco as the best:

Our trained tasters tried eight plain bagels and four with “everything”: onion, garlic, sesame seed, poppy seed, and other toppings. They also tried Thomas’ Bagel Thins, which cut calories and let you eat a bagel sandwich without unhinging your jaw. Per bagel, prices ranged from 31 cents to $1.44 (for a gluten-free bagel). [...]

Bottom line. Dunkin’ Donuts, Lender’s Original, and Costco are the best choices, but be careful which Lender’s you choose: Its refrigerated Bagel Shop version was just so-so. Thomas’ Bagel Thins are a decent option if you’re watching your weight, though they taste more like rolls than bagels.

Needless to say, New Yorkers howled in disagreement. Kevin Fasick and Bill Sanderson of the New York Post wrote:

It’s a schmear job.

Everyone knows the best bagels come fresh from their local bagel shop — except the “experts” at Consumer Reports magazine, who actually prefer the frozen kind.

In a study that must be aimed at out-of-towners who don’t know their lox from their gefilte fish, Consumer Reports rated as “very good” the rock-hard Lender’s bagels sold from supermarket freezers.

“Tastes freshly baked,” the venerable consumer mag’s tasting panel gushed of Lender’s Original frozen bagels.

You’d think a magazine based in Yonkers — just a hop, skip and jump from the world’s greatest bagels — would know better.

What do you think? Which bagels deserve top billing?

Freddie Wong Travels into the Past to Meet His 12-Year Old Self

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:04 AM PDT


(Video Link)

Filmmaker Freddie Wong has traveled far back into the distant past — all the way to 1998. He has news to share with his 12-year old self about the future of video games, and it’s not good.

-via Fanboy | Related: Time-Traveling Geek

Frustro: The Impossible Font

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 11:02 AM PDT

Take a closer look at the letters above. Hungarian designer Martzi Hugedus was inspired by the Penrose triangle to create "Frustro," the impossible font (typeface, for you purists): Link - via Jeannie Jeannie

The Tacocopter Will Deliver Tacos to You Via Unmanned Helicopter Drone

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 10:38 AM PDT

It’s a tacomergency! Flooded roads. Wildfires. Riots. But no worries, kids! The Tacocopter will get through and deliver essential nutrients to you:

Indeed, the concept behind Tacocopter is very simple, and very American: You order tacos on your smartphone and also beam in your GPS location information. Your order — and your location — are transmitted to an unmanned drone helicopter (grounded, near the kitchen where the tacos are made), and the tacocopter is then sent out with your food to find you and deliver your tacos to wherever you’re standing.

You pay online, so the tacos are simply dropped off at your feet by the drone helicopter, which then flies back to the restaurant to pick up its next order.

So far, the Tacocopter is available only to selected users in San Francisco. But after investors flood in, the business will surely expand.

News Article and Official Website -via The Agitator

The Tweet Seats

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 10:02 AM PDT

Young people don't go to the theaters anymore. (Hint for young people: it's like the movies, but live action - you know, performed on stages and such). What to do?

Curt Hopkins wrote an Ars Technica article about the latest in the effort to reel in the kids: Tweet Seats.

These are sections of a live theater or performance space’s seating set aside for audience members who wish to tweet on their phones or tablets during the performance. They are being advertised as safe harbor for the twitterati, where pulling out your gizmo is celebrated instead of frowned upon. The seats are often located in the back row of the seating area.

Link

Maybe movie theaters should offer these!

Mondelez: Kraft’s New Name is Puzzling to Most, Obscene to Some

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 09:06 AM PDT

Kraft, the giant food company that makes Cadbury, Oreo, and Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts amongst hundreds others, is rebranding itself.

That in itself is not that unusual. Companies rebrand themselves for various reasons - usually to hide from bad reputations (in Kraft's case, it's because the company is splitting itself into two different parts).

What is unusual is its choice of name: Mondelez. Actually, there's a macron (a horizontal straight line that goes above a vowel to connote a long vowel sound) above the second e. But I can't find that on my keyboard. So, in short, it's pronounced "Mohn-dah-LEEZ."

Diana Brady of Bloomberg Businessweek explains:

Think what you will of Mondelez International, the new name that Kraft Foods (KFT) will slap on its global snacks business after the company splits this year, at least it’s not “Tfark.” That was one of the 1,700 names suggested by more than 1,000 Kraft employees during the five-month process of soliciting ideas.

For Kraft spokesman Michael Mitchell, “Tfark” is a personal favorite. “I’m not sure what it means,” says Mitchell. “I just liked the way it sounds.” He submitted “Snax” as part of what he likes to call “the co-creation process” but admits he “was told it’s not a good name.”

Mitchell explains some version of Mondelez—pronounced “Mohn-dah-LEEZ”—was suggested by two employees in different parts of the world. The first was Johannes Schmidt, a 35-year company veteran working in information systems in Vienna. The other was Marc Firestone, Kraft’s general counsel and someone Mitchell describes as “a real renaissance man,” based at the company’s headquarters in Northfield, Ill. Both came up with the idea of playing on the notion “delicious world.”

Delicious world - get it? The Italian "Mondo" (or the French "Monde" and the Spanish "Mundo") for "world" and the made up word "deleez" which is short for "delicious."

It sounds like a company that makes latex products, according to some people, but that's not the worst of it. Kate MacArthur of Crain's Chicago Business wrote why the name may make Russians snicker:

“What they say is perfectly true,” confirmed Irwin Weil, professor of Russian language, literature and music at Northwestern University.

“There is a rather vulgar word, ‘manda.' (Mondelez) includes the sound of that word,” he said, adding that Kraft “had no idea when pronounced it means a Russian vulgar word.” The second half of the name roughly translates into the sex act, say Russian speakers.

So, what do you think of the name change? (Oh, and if you were wondering about the image, that's Peanut Butter Doug, the stunt double for Mr. Peanuts)

The Last to Remember St. Kilda

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 08:19 AM PDT

Norman John Gillies was 5 years old when he was among the final 36 people evacuated from their homes on St. Kilda. The tiny island, 100 miles off the coast of Scotland, was turned into a nature preserve afterward and no one lives there. Gilles is now the last living person who remembers living on St. Kilda.

Norman John was named after his mother’s two brothers. They were among five men trying to land on Dun in a strong sea swell when their boat capsized. No St Kildan could swim. Norman John’s grandfather was saved along with another man and one body was retrieved, “But not Norman or John’s.” Both uncles perished.

St Kilda could ill afford to lose able-bodied males. Already depleted by disease and emigration, by the 1920s the community was struggling to feed itself. Nurse Williamina Barclay, posted to Hirta at this time, was horrified by what she found. Well aware, too, of the limited medical service she could provide, she tried to persuade the islanders that the time had come to leave St Kilda. The younger adults were mostly in favour, the older ones against.

Young Norman John knew nothing of this. He remembers Nurse Barclay for teaching him his first hymn while she was treating burns he’d got when his young cousin, in a misguided jest, showered him with hot peat ash from the household fire. Too young to work with the adults (“like children over nine or 10″) or to be in the tiny island schoolroom, Norman John roamed over Hirta. “We didn’t have toys,” he recalls. “We played hide and seek and ran free.” There was no crime on the island – the community genuinely lived by the 10 commandments – and doors were never locked. His most vivid memory is of his mother standing on a high dry-stone wall beckoning and shouting to both ends of the island, “Tormod Iain” – Norman John in Gaelic – “Time for your dinner!”

It was the death of Gilles’ mother that convinced the last holdouts on St. Kilda to leave for good. Read about life on the isolated island and how different it became for the evacuees after they moved to mainland Scotland. Link -via Metafilter

Bottle Blade

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 07:39 AM PDT

Bottle Blade – $7.95

Are you looking for a bottle opener that is a cut above the rest? You need the Bottle Blade from the NeatoShop. This hilarious stainless steel bottle opener is shaped like a razor blade. Don’t worry the edges are not sharp.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fun Barware & Cocktail items.

Link

The Optical Telegraph

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 06:54 AM PDT

Long-distance communication at a relatively high speed (compared to carrying messages) came about with the invention of the optical telegraph in France, fifty years before the electrical telegraph.

The optical telegraph network consisted of a chain of towers, each placed 5 to 20 kilometres apart from each other. On each of these towers a wooden semaphore and two telescopes were mounted (the telescope was invented in 1600). The semaphore had two signalling arms which each could be placed in seven positions. The wooden post itself could also be turned in 4 positions, so that 196 different positions were possible. Every one of these arrangements corresponded with a code for a letter, a number, a word or (a part of) a sentence.

1,380 kilometres an hour

Every tower had a telegrapher, looking through the telescope at the previous tower in the chain. If the semaphore on that tower was put into a certain position, the telegrapher copied that symbol on his own tower. Next he used the telescope to look at the succeeding tower in the chain, to control if the next telegrapher had copied the symbol correctly. In this way, messages were signed through symbol by symbol from tower to tower. The semaphore was operated by two levers. A telegrapher could reach a speed of 1 to 3 symbols per minute.

The technology spread through Europe, but was confounded by wars and governments. It eventually faded when the electrical telegraph came into use. Read all about this amazing but obsolete technology at Low-tech Magazine. Link -via the Presurfer

Danikka’s Floor Routine

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:57 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

He entered the woman’s gymnastic floor competition as a lark, and entertained the crowd in more than one way! -via reddit

Happy Kitchen Candy Hamburgers

Posted: 25 Mar 2012 05:52 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

Happy Kitchen Candy Hamburgers is a Japanese kit that takes “playing with your food” to a whole new level. You mix up various powders with water and mold them into a fast food meal: burgers, fries, and even a cola! A couple of the components require a zap in the microwave. Emmymadeinjapan reviewed the product and says the resulting miniature meal is edible. Despite the word “candy” in the title, it is not sweet, but tastes somewhat like the food it represents. Link -via Buzzfeed
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