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2012/04/11

Neatorama

Neatorama

Watch A Baby Hippo Take His First Swim

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 04:41 AM PDT

(Video Link)

So it’s not quite a ballet, but it’s certainly freaking precious. Just look at that lumpy little babe tip toe through the water.

Via I Can Has Cheezburger

The Ultimate Geek Prom Accessory

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 03:25 AM PDT

I know a lot of geeks hate prom, but honestly, the night can be a lot of fun. At my prom, I wore a white dress with white angel wings and my best friend/platonic date wore a black dress with black wings. Since we weren’t really a couple, neither of us ended up with a corsage or boutonniere. If I saw one of these around back then though, one of us certainly would have sported it -in fact, I probably would have worn one of these and she could have sported a Darth Vader boutonniere. Now that would have been stylish.

Link Via Geek Crafts

Promo Trailer For A Fantastic Fear Of Everything

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 02:31 AM PDT

(YouTube Link)

Simon Pegg’s latest role is in A Fantastic Fear of Everything, a mind bending comedy with a dark side where he stars as “a paranoid children's author-turned-crime-novelist who finds he's being stalked by a real serial killer”. Okay, I like the sound of it all so far….

But what really sold me on this movie is the fact that they incorporate stop motion animation, dream-like sets, and a sinister pipe smoking hedgehog into the film. Now that’s what I call far out! Where can I pick up a sinister hedgehog for my house?

–via Best Week Ever

These Ducks Want It Their Way

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 02:18 AM PDT

Most ducks are content to eat stale bread thrown to them by old men at parks, but these five are particularly snobbish. They only want freshly baked, toasted wheat bread with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of olive oil. You go blue blood ducks!

Link

A Game Of Thrones Map Collection

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 01:57 AM PDT

The Lands of Ice and Fire is the perfect gift for the nerd that has everything, and will make you a big hit at your next Cartographer’s Society meeting.

It’s loaded with beautiful, full color maps based on George R. R. Martin’s original designs, and is so drool worthy that it should come with a bib.

Here’s the ultimate sales pitch for this book:

The centerpiece of this gorgeous collection is guaranteed to be a must-have for any fan: the complete map of the known world, joining the lands of the Seven Kingdoms and the lands across the Narrow Sea for the first time in series history. But this is just one of many unique maps that aren't available anywhere else. There is an alternate version that tracks the movements of the series' protagonists throughout their vast world…

So tear down all your old posters and sit tight until Lands is released in October, and your map-loving life is changed forever.

Link

Pizza Is Coming

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 01:09 AM PDT

Just in time for the news that Game of Thrones was renewed for a third season, here’s a delicious line up of pizzas proudly bearing the four crests of the four houses from the series. They look like mushrooms, olives, ham and peperoni…so they’re almost certainly as tasty as they are awesome.

Link

41 Awesomely Crazy Nail Polish Designs

Posted: 11 Apr 2012 12:08 AM PDT

From your favorite foods to your favorite games, WebUrbanist’s collection of great nail polish paintings are sure to feature something you like. Have any of you geek ladies ever done your nails up crazy like these? The closest I came to these was painting rainbow polka dots on my nails as a sixth grader…and you wouldn’t want to see a photo set of those.

Link

The Backstreet Fellowship Boys

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 10:52 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

The first time I watched this video it made me scream “Aaaaagh! Make It Stop!”, but I soon found myself oddly mesmerized by the awkward gyrations of the Fellowship crew.

Once the horror subsided, I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Someone put some serious time and effort into this video, then shared it with the world, and somehow it still manages to be better than anything the Backstreet Boys ever put out.

–via Topless Robot

Creepy Furby Inspired Robotic Rings

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 09:55 PM PDT

From the bright and twisted minds at Keio University in Japan comes a set of robotic rings that appear to be made out of Furby’s eyes and mouth.

If the nonsensical gibberish spewing out of the little alien bird creature has made your life a living hell, why not get revenge and show the world how much you hate Furby at the same time? Or you can use these rings to start your own ventriloquist act and become a hundredaire!

Wearing these creepy rings means your fashion sense will truly isolate you from the rest of the world, but at least you’ll still have someone to talk to!

 

Link

Airplane Lavatory Self-Portraits, in the Flemish Style

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 09:20 PM PDT

What do you do on long flights? Read a book or watch the inflight movie? Not Nina Katchadourian! The artist (previously featured on Neatorama) made self-portraits of herself in the lavatory, posing in the styles of the Old Masters, by using toilet papers and towels:

While in the lavatory on a domestic flight in March 2010, I spontaneously put a tissue paper toilet cover seat cover over my head and took a picture in the mirror. The image evoked 15th-century Flemish portraiture.

I decided to add more images made in this mode and planned to take advantage of a long-haul flight from San Francisco to Auckland, guessing that there were likely to be long periods of time when no one was using the lavatory on the 14-hour flight.

I made several forays to the bathroom from my aisle seat, and by the time we landed I had a large group of new photographs entitled Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style.

I was wearing a thin black scarf that I sometimes hung up on the wall behind me to create the deep black ground that is typical of these portraits. There is no special illumination in use other than the lavatory's own lights and all the images are shot hand-held with the camera phone.

See more at her website: Link - via PetaPixel and Laughing Squid

Turns Out The Ninja Turtles Aren’t Aliens, They’re Robots!

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 08:47 PM PDT

(YouTube Link)

The recent TMNT controversy started by Michael Bay pales in comparison to the facts about the real nature of the Heroes in a Halfshell revealed by this video from All Effects Company-they’re actually robots!

Or, at least they were during the filming of the third Ninja Turtles movie way back in 1992. Watch as AEC reveals how the cutting edge Performance Capture System brought the Turtles to life in an awkwardly mechanical fashion.

–via Comics Alliance

Slingshot Magnifier

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:57 PM PDT

Slingshot Magnifier – $14.95

Are your eyes not what they used to be? Embrace your lost youth with the Slingshot Magnifier from the NeatoShop. This fantastic magnifying glass, shaped like a rustic slingshot, is just whimsical enough to make you feel like a kid again. Now get out there and be an adventurer. Please, however, avoid the temptation to fry ants on the sidewalk. What? No, of course we know you never did that as a kid. You were a model citizen.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Office and Desk fun!

Link

 

How to Peel a Potato in Ten Seconds

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:38 PM PDT


(Video Link)

Let a boiled potato cool to 112°F. Drench it in 45° ice water. Wait five seconds, then yank the skin off. Do you think that this trick will work?

-via Bit Rebels

The Creator of The Simpsons Reveals the Location of Springfield

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:26 PM PDT

Where is Springfield? In our hearts. Also, a specific state in the union. There are many Springfields in the United States. In which one resides the Simpson family? Matt Groening finally revealed the truth:

Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon. The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show “Father Knows Best” took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown. When I grew up, I realized it was just a fictitious name. I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, “This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.” And they do. [...]

I don't want to ruin it for people, you know? Whenever people say it's Springfield, Ohio, or Springfield, Massachusetts, or Springfield, wherever, I always go, "”Yup, that's right.”

Link -via Nerd Bastards | Image: Fox

Home Sweet Missile Silo: Luxury Condo for Doomsday Preppers

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:08 PM PDT

Doomsday's no excuse for roughing it for some folks - not when there are luxurious condos where Doomsday Preppers can spend the Apocalypse in style:

Tucked deep beneath the Kansas prairie, luxury condos are being built into the shaft of an abandoned missile silo to service anxious -- and wealthy -- people preparing for doomsday.

So far, four buyers have plopped down a total of about $7 million for havens to flee to when disaster happens or the end is nigh. And developer Larry Hall has options to retro-fit three more Cold War-era silos when this one fills up. [...]

Built to withstand an atomic blast, even the most paranoid can find comfort inside concrete walls that are nine feet thick and stretch 174 feet (53 meters) underground.

Instead of simply setting up shop in the old living quarters provided for missile operators, Hall is building condos right up the missile shaft. Seven of the 14 underground floors will be condo space selling for $2 million a floor or $1 million a half floor. Three and a half units have been sold, two contracts are pending and only two more full units are available, Hall said.

Link

What The Duggars Eat in a Day

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 06:05 PM PDT

Got kids? Then you know how expensive it can be to feed a few of these little bloodsuckers children. But can you imagine having to feed 19 kids?

Here's what The Duggars of 19 Kids and Counting feed their kids in one - yes, one - typical day, as they told Savannah Guthrie of TODAY:

3 dozen eggs
5 lbs turkey bacon
20 biscuits
10 oranges
4 lbs. grapes
3 loaves whole wheat bread
4 lbs sloppy joe meat
3 lbs. green beans
3 lbs. potatoes
2 watermelons
2 family size bags lettuce
4 lbs. spaghetti noodles
3 loaves french bread
2 pans brownies
1 gallon vanilla ice cream

Link

I know how some of you feel about the Duggars, but please keep the comment section nice and clean, mmkay?

The All Seeing Pizza Eye

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:52 PM PDT

The Illuminati have really let themselves go. They watch over all, but mostly just through grainy security cameras while munching on pizza. Joel Leblanc of Hell or High Water Tattoos in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, made this not quite ominous tattoo.

Link -via That’s Nerdalicious!

Coke Machine Dispenses Sodas for Hugs

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:32 PM PDT

The Coke machine just wants to be loved. Is that so wrong?

The ad agency Ogilvy & Mather rigged this soda vending machine in Singapore to respond to hugs by dispensing free cans of soda. The idea is to encourage people to embrace Coca-Cola, in this case, literally.

What other products do you think should be sold this way?

Link -via DVICE | Photo: Ogilvy & Mather

Mario Kart Car Console

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:22 PM PDT

A customer at a car dealership traded in his Volkswagen. He had modified it just a bit for racing. Good idea? No, a bad one. As one commenter prudently warns “Aftermarket upgrades can nullify your warranty.”

Link -via Nerd Approved

Water Floats on Oil

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:05 PM PDT

Oil floats on water, that much we know, right?

Well, physicists are about to turn your world upside down (again): under certain conditions, water can actually float on oil.

Using a theoretical model, the scientists calculated the forces acting on water when it is dripped onto an oil surface. Taking into account surface tension, the property that allows some insects to walk on water, they showed that a water droplet can "hang" from the oil's surface. The oil surface droops like a rubber membrane, allowing the above air—which is much lighter than oil and water—to extend beneath the surface's average level. With help from the surface tension, this air pocket balances the weight of the water droplet, preventing it from sinking. The scientists confirmed the model's predictions in tests and found that water droplets up to 170 microliters in volume could float on oil

Link | The published study on Langmuir, if you're so inclined

Previously on Neatorama: 5 Really Weird Things About Water

Willie Nelson as You’ve Never Seen Him Before

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 05:04 PM PDT

You've never seen him like this before! Behold, the legendary country music singer Willie Nelson - introduced as "Mickey Mantle of country music" by the Grand Ole Opry show in 1965 - in a suit and without his trademark braids and bandana.

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Laughing Squid

Patriotic Sunglasses

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 04:27 PM PDT

USA! USA! USA!

Still, Jeremy Scott’s USA Sunglasses need Alaska and Hawaii. I suggest that they be added on thin metal rods, scaled to the map.

Link -via Boing Boing

Going to Prison? Hire a Consultant Right Away

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 04:17 PM PDT

Are you thinking of committing a few felonies? Plan ahead and hire a prison consultant so that you’ll be ready on the first day that you step inside. There’s a thriving industry of people who prepare recently-convicted felons for the incarcerated life. Some are former prison guards or wardens. Others, however, are ex-cons offering practical advice learned the hard way. For these consultants, lengthy criminal histories are a major selling point:

“Look at my résumé, I've got 10 years: high-security, medium, low,” said Mr. Levine, 50, who was in jail until 2007 on narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting and weapons charges. “These guys go in for a year and a half, maybe two. I've got more experience than all the rest of these guys combined.” [...]

Mr. Levine said he thought the competition would thin out over time because the competitors lack marketing smarts. Besides, he argued, he has the criminal CV to back up the marketing.

If they handed out diplomas for prison savvy, he said, “These guys have maybe an associate degree. I have like a Ph.D. or above.”

So shop around, because not every ex-con turned prison consultant is offering an honest deal:

Some prison consultants say that others are so lacking in expertise that their businesses are practically criminal enterprises.

Link -via Marginal Revolution | Photo: Flickr user pgbailey

Volpe, The Mini Car You Can Drive Straight To Your Office

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 04:03 PM PDT

Beep beep! Volpe, a mini-car from Italy, brings new meaning to the phrase "driving to the office." It's small enough that you can actually drive it into the elevator, straight to your office door! Link - via We Interrupt

Hat Manicure Kit

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 03:49 PM PDT

Hat Manicure Kit – $9.95

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Are you looking for a small token of affection for your favorite Mom, Step-Mom, Grandma, or Mother of The Heart? You need the Hat Manicure Kit from the NeatoShop. This adorable manicure kit comes in a zipper case shaped like a straw hat and includes:

  • Mirror
  • Scissors
  • Nail Clipper
  • Nail file
  • and Cuticle Tool

The Hat Manicure Kit comes in Blue, Pink, and Purple. Buy 1 or buy all 3.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Mother’s Day suggestions.

Link

Paper iPhones as Burnt Offerings for the Dead

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 03:02 PM PDT

Apple's iPhone is so popular in China that even the dead want one! It's the latest trend in burnt paper offering, a distinctly Chinese tradition where Hell Bank Notes, and paper items resembling cars, luxury villas, computers and so on, are burnt to send to the deceased.

Many shops on Taobao, a major Chinese website for online shopping, sell paper digital devices, including iPhone4 and iPad2, as the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, approaches, the newspaper said.

On sale are not only the paper-made devices themselves but also a full range of accessories such as chargers, earphones and data lines. The prices vary and can reach several hundred yuan.

"We hope the deceased can also feel the progress of our society," said a customer who did not give his name.

Can't forget the paper chargers. Those paper iPhones are worthless without 'em: Link

Cats Imitating Art

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 01:39 PM PDT

Here’s a cute collection of famous artworks and cats striking the same poses. I found “Romeo And Juliet” by Ford Madox Brown particularly appealing, but you can see 21 such comparisons at Buzzfeed. Link

Take the Stairs!

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 01:02 PM PDT

Found at Wooster Collective.

General Tom Thumb

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 12:30 PM PDT

You’ve heard of General Tom Thumb, one of P.T. Barmnum’s most famous human exhibits. But how much do you really know about the man born Charles Sherwood Stratton in 1838?

When he was discovered at the age of four by P. T. Barnum little Charles stood a mere 25 inches in height and weighed 15 pounds. His father, long embarrassed by the miniscule stature of his offspring, gladly agreed to consign his son to a month-long trial as an attraction in Barnum's New York Museum. The agreed rate of pay was $3 as well as room and board. This was a modest financial arrangement but the elder Stratton was probably just as content to simply see his tiny toddler be of some interest and monetary use.

In New York, Barnum renamed his new protege after the Arthurian legend of Sir Tom and, in a nod to noted midget Sir Jeffery Hudson, Barnum opted to christen Tom Thumb a General. He was billed as hailing from Europe and Barnum went to great lengths to teach the young prodigy etiquette, dance, song and keen wit. Dressed in military regalia, General Tom Thumb took to the stage like a fish to water and the public absolutely adored his charm, quips and showmanship.

Stratton lived an eventful and rather well-documented life, as you’ll read in this biography at The Human Marvels. Link

The Schoolgirl Falconer

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 12:01 PM PDT

When the Saga Prefecture in Japan was plagued with an infestation of crows, it knew exactly who to call: Misato Ishibashi, the "schoolgirl falconer."

No, it's not a tale of Japanese anime, but it could easily be one, I'm sure:

The prefectural government of Saga, plagued by hordes of crows that attack trash and farms around their offices, has hired a high school student who is known as Japan’s only “schoolgirl falconer”, one Misato Ishibashi (17), a 3rd year at Takeo High School in Takeo City. Saga has entrusted Misato’s falcons with ridding the offices of their crows. Misato, who freely manipulates falcons, often participates in competitions to expel avian pests and the like. After the prefecture received word of her getting top honors in a national competition, governor Yasushi Furukawa sent her the request.

On the evening of April 4th, Misato brought her 7-year-old male falcon “Momotaro” to the prefectural headquarters for a test flight. When Momotaro was released, dozens of crows burst out of the trees and flew away or tried to hide in the shadows. After several such flights, their cries could no longer be heard. “They won’t be back for a while,” said Misato. [...]

Says Misato with an air of confidence, “The falcon is a divine punishment against crows. When their eyes meet the glare of the falcon, they will definitely not return.”

Japan Probe has the story (with video clip): Link

Rage

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 11:38 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

Too much rage could be the death of us all! Things that make you mad get totally out of hand in this animation from Guy Collins. -via Everlasting Blort

Boys Choirs Dealing with Earlier Puberty

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 10:38 AM PDT

Over the past few years, you’ve probably read about how the age of puberty for girls is getting gradually younger. Surprise! Boys are affected, too. And the phenomenon is causing trouble for the world’s most famous boys choirs.

At the venerable St. Thomas Boys Choir, where Bach once drilled pupils in their scales, leaders have redoubled recruitment efforts and taken in boys at a younger age to make sure the choir has a full stock of voices ranging from the deepest bass to the most clarion-pure soprano. Children whose voices are deepening wait out the change by working the ticket booth.

The cause of the shift remains unclear. But some choir leaders say it is having a subtle effect on their music, and it's not just that they have to buy more acne medication. The younger the boy, the less life experience and maturity underpins the complex emotions in what they sing, even if they're more willing to study their scores instead of pining about romance.

"We have only a short time, from age 9 until 12, to squeeze in all the musical training for the boys," said Stefan Altner, manager of the St. Thomas Boys Choir and once one of its singers. When he started working at the choir in 1993, most voices broke when boys were 14 or 15, he said. Now the average is closer to 13.

When Johann Sebastian Bach led the St. Thomas Boys Choir in the 1700s, the average age for voice change was 17 to 18. Even then, the search for a lasting golden voice led to drastic measures that would never be considered today. Read more at the Washington Post. Link -via Breakfast Links

(Image credit: Jan Woitas/ZB)

Duck Plays Fetch

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 09:28 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

How do you train a duck to play fetch? He must enjoy it. The real question is, can he play Duck, Duck, Goose? -via Blame It On The Voices

Geeky Facebook Banners You Can Use

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 08:46 AM PDT

Now that you can dress up your Facebook page and make it more personal, what do you want to show the world? Kiltak over at Geeks Are Sexy made up a batch of Facebook banners that showcase your favorite science fiction, gaming, and pop culture worlds. You can download and add them to your Facebook page if you like, as long as you credit the original photographer. Check them all out! Link

One More Kilometre

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:49 AM PDT


(vimeo link)

In the performance artwork “One More Kilometre” by John Wood and Paul Harrison, a belt sander is applied to a stack of paper which would be a kilometer long if laid end-to-end. Does it make any sense? No. Is it oddly satisfying to watch? Yes! Link -via Laughing Squid

Yoda Large Carry-All

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:08 AM PDT

Yoda Large Carry-All - $9.45

Attention Star Wars fans! Make sure the force is with your lunch with the Yoda Large Carry-All from the NeatoShop. This great tin lunch box, with clasp enclosure, has printed graphics on both sides. This carry-all is also perfect for storing your most valued treasures or just random junk.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Star Wars items.

Link

 

Furrrocious-forms

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 07:04 AM PDT

Students at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design created a Tumblr blog of cats that explains how the world’s most quirky buildings became so quirky. Here you see one putting the finishing touches on Frank Gehry's Dancing House in Prague. Link -via FastCo Design

Orangutan Stuffs Ten Bananas in his Mouth

Posted: 10 Apr 2012 06:03 AM PDT


(YouTube link)

Well can you blame him? Orangutans don’t have pockets! This guy lives at Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo. Rangers leave food out for the orangutans, but since tourists are often watching, they try to go elsewhere to eat them. -via Arbroath
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