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- 14 Facts You Might Not Know about Mission: Impossible
- Tire Rolls Down Mountain
- Robotic Hand Will Make Video Chatting Even Creepier
- Disney Princesses At Their Film Age
- Chickens Are Clucking Up Video Games
- Concept Art For Willow The Animated Series
- Straight Edge Laser-Guided Scissors
- Animated Gorillaz Music Video-DoYaThing
- Radiation Reveals Unseen Van Gogh Painting
- Facebook Plug-in Lets You Name Personal Enemies
- Hilarious Ad For Star Wars Kinect
- Real Life Hamburglar On The Loose In Maine
- Carved Bowling Balls
- Eye Of The Riley-A Corgy Cam Adventure
- Edible Cookbook
- A Fantasy Bed & Breakfast
- Push the Pizza Button for Pizza
- The Fruit of the Beetle Tree
- LEGO Ninjago Retractable Pen
- Grandma Got the Best Photobomb Ever
- Robotic Water Gun Shoots Squirrels off Birdfeeder
- A Cute Customer Loyalty Card
- Obscura Day 2012
- Texas Sized Hot Dog!
- A Bald Eagle, A Fox and Cats Hanging Out on a Porch
- New York Educrats Banned Dinosaur, Birthday, Dancing, and Halloween
- Glowing Clouds
- Pennsylvania Law Gags Doctors from Telling Patients Which Fracking Chemical is Making Them Sick
- Jetbow: The Tim Tebow Sandwich
- The War Expo
- Emergency Inflatable Chicken
- ABC Monsters
- Mad Men Quote as Art
- Bike Parkour
- Popcorn Proven Better Than Fruits and Veggies by Science!
- Architectural Google Doodle
- Beanie Baby Hunger Games
14 Facts You Might Not Know about Mission: Impossible Posted: 28 Mar 2012 05:10 AM PDT Good morning, Neatoramanauts. From 1966 to 1973, the innovative television show Mission: Impossible presented the adventures of the Impossible Missions Force. This top secret American agency found stolen nuclear bombs, exposed counterfeiters, rescued captured spies and foiled criminal plots at home and abroad. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to learn things that you might not know about the show. 1. The show was inspired by the criminal heist movie Topkapi and was originally entitled Briggs' Squad. In the early drafts, the team members were semi-reformed criminals who had served together in a special forces unit and proven unable to re-adjust to civilian life. Barney was a compulsive gambler and card cheat. Cinnamon was a drug addict. Rollin Hand was a thief. Willy Armitage beat women while working as a strip club bouncer. The series creator, Bruce Geller, cleaned up their backgrounds to make the show more appealing. 2. The self-destructing tape scenes were usually shot all at once, once a year for each season. The tapes didn’t actually disintegrate. A special effects technician created that impression by blowing smoke through a tube into the recorder. 3. The voice on the tape belonged to Robert Johnson, an accountant turned voice over artist. For the pilot episode, he was paid $125. Since the pilot sold, he kept coming back and, for several years, would record his part every few weeks. His character was never identified during the series.
5. Steven Hill played Dan Briggs, the IMF’s leader at the beginning of the series. Hill had an abrasive personality at that time. He repeatedly clashed with directors and producers, and they ultimately fired him at the end of the first season. Hill was eventually able to overcome these issues and become a successful actor, most famously playing the role of District Attorney Adam Schiff on Law & Order. 6. In the meantime, directors settled on Peter Graves to replace Hill as Jim Phelps, the new leader of the IMF. Graves came from an acting family: his brother, James Arness, played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. (Video Link) 7. Peter Graves was a serious actor, but he didn’t take himself too seriously. He was quite willing to parody his Mission work, as you can see in this Oldsmobile commercial from the 1980s. 8. Graves wasn’t the only person to parody Mission: Impossible. The exploding assignment message was a recurring gag on Inspector Gadget. (Video Link) 9. The spy comedy series Get Smart went to even greater lengths in the episode “The Impossible Mission.” Agent Maxwell Smart learns about his mission on a tape recording hidden in a bus station. He has some technical difficulties with it. Smart returns to his apartment to select agents for the mission, just like Dan Briggs and Jim Phelps did. But Smart’s options include Alfred E. Neuman and the Mona Lisa. 10. Gene Roddenberry recruited Martin Landau to play Spock on Star Trek. Landau turned down the role to play Rollin Hand, the master of disguise on Mission: Impossible. Later, during the fourth and fifth seasons, Leonard Nimoy, who did play Spock, starred in Mission: Impossible as Paris. Nimoy’s character was designed to replace Rollin Hand after Martin Landau left the show at the end of the third season. 11. Barbara Bain played Cinnamon Carter, the glamorous model/agent on the Impossible Missions Force. She was married to Martin Landau during the show’s run. Landau and Bain went on to star together in the British sci-fi series Space: 1999.
(Video Link) 13. For years after the show ended in 1973, producers considered reviving it. After several failed efforts, Mission: Impossible returned to the air in 1988. It ran for two years and starred Peter Graves as Jim Phelps, who returned to the Impossible Missions Force after the assassination of his protégé. 14. The new Mission: Impossible also starred Phil Morris, the son of actor Greg Morris. Greg Morris played Barney Collier during all seven seasons of the original show’s run. Phil Morris played Grant Collier, the son of Barney Collier. They were a father and son team on the screen and in real life. Source: Images: CBS |
Posted: 28 Mar 2012 04:54 AM PDT A group of young people push a big tractor tire up a hill in order to watch it roll down the other side. Why? Some things have no reason other than to be fun. Sure, it would have been more satisfying to actually have been there and done this, but watching it on a video is the next best thing! -via Metafilter |
Robotic Hand Will Make Video Chatting Even Creepier Posted: 28 Mar 2012 12:24 AM PDT Engineers at Osaka University in Japan have created this robotic hand for use with video chatting, to help people talking to each other online feel more connected. It’s warm like a human hand, registers grip force, and will be programmed “to harass their colleagues with a constant stream of formal greetings”. I’m not sure what that means, but it doesn’t really matter either way, because this device looks like the beginning of a strange new world of online arm wrestling matches and *ahem* safe virtual encounters. Just don’t ask this thing to wash your windows, or you will see a strike sign appear in it’s hand faster than you can say Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto! –via Engadget |
Disney Princesses At Their Film Age Posted: 27 Mar 2012 11:56 PM PDT
When artist Taija Vigilia was asked to draw Disney Princesses at high tea at their film age (Snow White would be 75, Cinderella is 62, Aurora is 53 and so on), she came up with this gem: Link | Larger image - via The Mary Sue |
Chickens Are Clucking Up Video Games Posted: 27 Mar 2012 11:55 PM PDT It seems that one of the newest trends in gaming is the addition of a chicken in some way, due no doubt to the success of Angry Birds. The first video shows gameplay from The Chicken Bandit, “a western side-scrolling action game” where you “Play as a lone cowboy accompanied only by his over-sized chicken sidekick as you travel from land to land robbing trains and lassoing up as much loot as possible.” The second video is the trailer for Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chickens for the Playstation Vita. It’s also a side scroller, full of shoot em up action, atmospheric environments and a chicken revolution. It seems like 2012 might be the year of the chicken after all, at least when it comes to video games. –via Joystiq and The Chicken Bandit |
Concept Art For Willow The Animated Series Posted: 27 Mar 2012 11:53 PM PDT When the fantasy movie Willow came out in 1988 it was received well by audiences, but not as well as blockbusters Rambo III, Big and Crocodile Dundee II which were released around the same time. Because of this overshadowing by the big boys, Willow was deprived of a sequel and, more importantly, an animated series. Sadly, all we have now are scanned sheets of concept art, most of which are simple uncolored line drawings, to show us just how fantastic the Willow cartoon would have been. At least you can check out the sketches for yourself now, because nostalgia is free on the interwebs. |
Straight Edge Laser-Guided Scissors Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:02 PM PDT Straight Edge Laser-Guided Scissors – $11.95 Are you a gadget freak who has trouble cutting in a straight line? Don’t let a little thing like skill keep you from achieving your craft making dreams. You need the Straight Edge Laser-Guided Scissors from the NeatoShop . This awesome pair of scissors has a built-in push button laser beam. Mastering those pesky cutting skills just got a whole lot easier. Now get out there and get crafty. There’s a TARDIS paper doily project out there just screaming your name. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastic Office Supplies! |
Animated Gorillaz Music Video-DoYaThing Posted: 27 Mar 2012 07:13 PM PDT This strange and stylish animated music video is for the Gorillaz song DoYaThing, and it’s great fun to watch! Directed by Gorillaz artist and co-creator Jamie Hewlett, this video is so good looking it makes me wish there was a Gorillaz animated feature in the works. Oh well, a guy can dream, can’t he?! –via Cartoon Brew |
Radiation Reveals Unseen Van Gogh Painting Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:51 PM PDT The electron synchrotron lab known as DESY in Hamburg, Germany made a startling discovery, and confirmed the authenticity of two of Van Gogh’s works, when they exposed Still Life with Meadow Flowers and Roses to X-ray and ultraviolet analysis. This painting of two wrestlers, assumed to be lost forever, was hiding underneath the layers of paint! Here’s how they made this startling discovery:
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Facebook Plug-in Lets You Name Personal Enemies Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:47 PM PDT I’ve been saying this for years now: a major flaw in Facebook’s interface is that it lets you create a friends list, but not an enemies list. Now a plug-in designed by Dean Terry of the University of Texas at Dallas gives users that option:
Link -via Glenn Reynolds | Image: Aaron Wood |
Hilarious Ad For Star Wars Kinect Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:35 PM PDT Chris Pratt, of Parks and Recreation fame, stars in this silly little spot for Star Wars Kinect on Xbox. One question remains-Is Darth Vader evil enough to cut down a Jedi wearing nothing but briefs and an undershirt? –via Rampaged Reality |
Real Life Hamburglar On The Loose In Maine Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:19 PM PDT A real life Hamburglar is running around stealing burgers in Augusta, Maine and no Big Mac is safe. Here’s the scoop:
Now that’s what I call hard up for a hamburger! |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:15 PM PDT Your professor has given a heavy reading assignment: a famous architectural manual carved into a bowling ball. Eddy Sykes made this and similar sculptures in reflection of his blue collar upbringing as well as his architectural training. Link -via Gizmodo | Artist’s Website |
Eye Of The Riley-A Corgy Cam Adventure Posted: 27 Mar 2012 06:07 PM PDT Riley is an adventurous little Corgi who loves going on hikes with his owner, this time around the Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. As you watch this video you may ask yourself-does Riley have a little cameraman riding on his back, shooting this action packed footage? Sadly the answer is no, it’s just a GoPro camera strapped to his back, although I think they should consider using a teacup Chihuahua cameraman for future video shoots. –via Best Week Ever |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 05:58 PM PDT It’s a cookbook! It’s a cookbook! The German design firm Korefe put together a package of lasagna ingredients, complete with instructions. Those instructions are embossed on pages of pasta. View photos of the uncooked cookbook at the link. Link -via Geekosystem | Photo: Korefe |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 05:42 PM PDT
There’s a marvelous bed and breakfast outside of Durby, Belgium called La Balade de Gnomes. It looks like it’s straight out of a fantasy movie. Outwardly, the building is a wooden bull. Inside, you can find an eccentric mixture of stucco and carved driftwood in the Gnome Revival style. Photos and Official Website (Google Translate) -via Offbeat Home | Photos: Kozi Kaza |
Push the Pizza Button for Pizza Posted: 27 Mar 2012 05:24 PM PDT There’s a problem with getting pizza delivered to your home. Like so many other burdens in modern life, there’s just too much work required for the reward. Now there’s a solution. Red Tomato Pizza in Dubai offers a Bluetooth-enabled device that, when pressed, delivers a pre-selected pizza to your location. Watch a promotional video at the link. |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 04:59 PM PDT |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 04:44 PM PDT LEGO Ninjago Retractable Pen – $9.95 (sold separately) Do your favorite pens keep getting stolen? You need a pen with mystical ninja powers. You need a pen that can hide in plain sight. You need the LEGO Ninjago Retractable Pen from the NeatoShop. The LEGO Ninjago Retractable Pen is available in:
Buy 1 or collect all 4. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastic LEGO items and great Pens & Pencils. |
Grandma Got the Best Photobomb Ever Posted: 27 Mar 2012 04:29 PM PDT
Navy sailor Ellis's grandmother got a nice surprise when she posed for her 76th birthday photo. YouTube user porthole1959 wrote:
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] |
Robotic Water Gun Shoots Squirrels off Birdfeeder Posted: 27 Mar 2012 04:07 PM PDT (Video Link) Kurt Grandis was plagued by an endless offensive of squirrels against his birdfeeder. He needed a solution, so he programmed sensors to detect the shape and color of squirrels — and only squirrels — then instruct a Super Soaker water gun to shoot them. Skip to 16:00 to see it in action. -via Boing Boing |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 03:46 PM PDT I want to go to London if for no other reason than to get one of these cards stamped over and over again at Tapped & Packed. Especially since no one is steering the bike. -via reddit | Official Website |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 03:45 PM PDT Atlas Obscura has announced the date of the third annual Obscura Day, which will be Saturday, April 28th. Obscura Day is a day to go exploring: to take a trip through the hidden wonders of the world, to see special places, maybe even in your own backyard! There are already lots of excursions planned, from Brooklyn to Scotland, from North Carolina to New Zealand, including places large and small. Select from nature hikes, museums, science facilities, abandoned architecture, historic landmarks, and at least three scavenger hunts. If your favorite place isn’t listed already, you can organize an Obscura event of your own! And the folks at Atlas Obscura are especially looking for photographers to documents the expeditions. Find out all about it at the Obscura Day website. Link |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 03:28 PM PDT
Everything is bigger in Texas, including their hot dogs. Behold the 2-foot long "Champion Dog" hot dog offered by the Texas Rangers:
The hot dog is supposed to serve 4 regular people ... or 1 American ;) Link - via Nerdalicious |
A Bald Eagle, A Fox and Cats Hanging Out on a Porch Posted: 27 Mar 2012 02:28 PM PDT
A bald eagle, a fox and cats on a porch in Alaska sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it appears to be a regular happening at a woman's home in the Aleutian Islands:
Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] |
New York Educrats Banned Dinosaur, Birthday, Dancing, and Halloween Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:28 PM PDT Won't somebody think of the children? Actually, New York education bureaucrats are, in fact, thinking of the children when they banned references to dinosaurs, birthdays, dancing, and Halloween, lest kids got offended.
Yoav Gonen of The New York Post has the story: Link |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:27 PM PDT
Earlier today (Tuesday, March 27) NASA shot up 5 rockets 60 miles above the Earth to the edge of space to release chemical tracer. The aim is to understand ultra-fast jet stream winds in the atmosphere, but the side benefit is wonderful glowing clouds that wowed skywatchers along the US East Coast: Tariq Malik of SPACE.com has the story: Link |
Pennsylvania Law Gags Doctors from Telling Patients Which Fracking Chemical is Making Them Sick Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:21 PM PDT
Toxic f racking chemicals that leached into the ground making you sick? Why that's bad press for the oil industry! That's why they came up with this ingenious (in an evil way) to deal with the problem: "gag" doctors from telling their patients what is making them sick. See, problem solved!
Link - via Fark (Photo: arimoore/Flickr) |
Jetbow: The Tim Tebow Sandwich Posted: 27 Mar 2012 01:11 PM PDT
Get down on your knee and start praying: the venerable Carnegie Deli in Manhattan has introduced a sandwich after the Jets' new backup quarterback Tim Tebow.
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Posted: 27 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PDT
Where does Dr. Evil go to buy all those nifty killing machines to take over the world? He can't just go to the market and buy arms and weapons, can he? Well, actually he can. Shane Smith, the founder of Vice explores Sofex, the tradeshow for war, where military generals go shopping for the world's deadliest merchandise:
If you read only one story from Neatorama today, make it this one: Link |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 10:38 AM PDT Emergency Inflatable Chicken – $7.95 Have you ever had one of those day where you really needed a chicken, but none were to be found? You need the Emergency Inflatable Chicken from the NeatoShop. With this fantastic blow up poultry in a tin you will never be without a chicken again. Now it’s time to do the Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Inflatable fun! |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 10:16 AM PDT Can you name all the movie monsters, A to Z? Language warning for one word. -via Breakfast Links |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 10:01 AM PDT Chris Piascik and Aaron Cohen have teamed up for a weekly recap of each episode of the hit TV series Mad Men. Cohen writes the recaps (contains spoilers), and Piascik illustrates a quote from the episode. This one, which is totally incomprehensible to anyone not following the series, is from season 5, episode one, and is available as an art print, stationery, or t-shirt. Link -via Kottke |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:06 AM PDT Do NOT try this at home! Andrew Dickey is an expert, and there’s no telling how many bones he broke getting to this level. Oh, and there’s a chance of vertigo just from watching this video. -via BroBible |
Popcorn Proven Better Than Fruits and Veggies by Science! Posted: 27 Mar 2012 09:05 AM PDT
The next time your parents told you to eat your fruits and veggies, tell them you'd eat some popcorn instead. After all, it's now been scientifically proven that popcorn is actually healthier:
Go science! Link Previously on Neatorama: Chocolate May Help Keep You Thin |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 07:24 AM PDT German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was born 126 years ago today. He was influential in shifting modern architecture away from the ornate to the simple. Whether that is actually progress is in the eye of the beholder, but he is honored by today’s Google doodle, which depicts the SR Crown Hall in Chicago, one of his glass-and-steel designs. Link |
Posted: 27 Mar 2012 07:02 AM PDT Warning: probably contains spoilers, I don’t know. The Hunger Games, performed by Beanie Babies. -via Buzzfeed
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