Neatorama |
- Making Art With LED-Adorned Snails
- The Weird & Wonderful Wartime Cartoons of Dr. Seuss
- Gir Has Something To Ask You
- 11 Seriously Amazing Customer Service Stories
- More Bananas Please!!
- Pass Me a Beer, Bro
- Star Trek Engagement Ring
- The Word “Pony” is Uttered 381 Times in Season 1 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
- Nanoflowers
- Darth Vader LEGO Star Wars Desk Lamp
- Self-Making Bed
- Little Ear Earring
- Robotic Chaplain Comforts the Dying
- The Fall of Gaddafi and The Rise of the Desert Locust
- Snipers Hid in Fake Trees During World War I
- Mark Zuckerberg’s Face Made With Books
- Lost Wormhole
- The New York Times Morgue
- Smuggled Pangolins Saved From Being Eaten
- Sex Circuit of a Male Fruit Fly
- X-Men Reimagined
- Why We Have Personal Space
- Toothbrush Channels Water for Rinsing
- For Interior Designers With A Sense of Humor
- The Complete History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- The Transit of Venus Close Up!
- Fascinating Illustrations By Anatoly Fomenko
- Kitten vs. Bunny
- The 10 Weirdest Thefts Ever
- Lessons from America’s Greatest Prankster
| Making Art With LED-Adorned Snails Posted: 09 Jun 2012 03:57 AM PDT It might look like these snails are wandering around all willy-nilly, but if you watch all the way to the end of the video you’ll realize there’s a method to this silly madness.  |
| The Weird & Wonderful Wartime Cartoons of Dr. Seuss Posted: 09 Jun 2012 02:53 AM PDT |
| Posted: 09 Jun 2012 01:48 AM PDT If you like Invader Zim, then you’ll immediately recognize the adorable Gir above. Even if you have no idea what that is though, you should still be able appreciate how sweet it was for Dorothy’s boyfriend to build a replica of her favorite robot in order to propose in style. |
| 11 Seriously Amazing Customer Service Stories Posted: 09 Jun 2012 12:40 AM PDT Imagine joking around by Tweeting that you want Mortons to meet you with a steak when land at an airport -and actually having them do it. That’s exactly what happened to Peter Shankman:
Read about 10 other amazing customer service experiences over on Mental Floss. |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 11:39 PM PDT There should be a Guinness title for this sort of achievement. After all, I bet you couldn’t do any better…just try, I’ll wait. |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 08:00 PM PDT (Video Link) Handing a beer to a friend — it’s a simple bonding act between men. But for these guys, it’s also an opportunity to perform remarkable acrobatic feats. Guys, if there’s a blooper reel, don’t tell me. I fear that the lives of many beers were brutally cut short during the production of this video. -via That’s Nerdalicious! |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:00 PM PDT |
| The Word “Pony” is Uttered 381 Times in Season 1 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:32 PM PDT (Video Link) It’s true. And thanks to YouTube user GameFreak2413, you can hear all of them in order for 2 minutes and 46 seconds. At some point, there’s going to be a season 10 of the series. Just imagine that supercut video. I found this video in a post at Nerd Bastards. It rounds up 25 excellent supercuts, including some for Star Wars, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. You can watch them at the link. |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:00 PM PDT
They sure look beautiful, but they're not just any flower ... they're nanoflowers! Link |
| Darth Vader LEGO Star Wars Desk Lamp Posted: 08 Jun 2012 04:52 PM PDT Darth Vader LEGO Star Wars Desk Lamp – $59.95 Are you sensing that your desk is missing something? You need the Darth Vader LEGO Star Wars Desk Lamp from the NeatoShop. This fantastic lamp comes complete with a movable and bendable Darth Vader with bright 12 LED lightsaber lamp clutched in his hand. He can be used both on and off of his base. Perhaps this lamp can find new ways to motivate you to do your work. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Star Wars and LEGO fun! |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 04:30 PM PDT (Video Link) I’m tired of making the bed. Or would be, I suppose, if I did that on a regular basis. This bed by Spanish furniture maker OHEA eliminates any possible excuses. The first step, which is the hardest, is to get out of bed. Should you be so foolish as to do so, the bed will wait three seconds to verify that it is unoccupied. Then hooks grab the sheets and straighten them, placing them under the pillows which the bed lifts out of the way. |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 04:00 PM PDT
Percy Lau created this clever ear-shape earring called "Little Third Ear," which makes it look like your ear has grown a teeny tiny ear of its own! Link (Don't miss the Nose Necklace!) - via Nerdcore |
| Robotic Chaplain Comforts the Dying Posted: 08 Jun 2012 03:30 PM PDT (Video Link) Robots are increasingly active in human medical care, from stabbing us with knives, to rescuing us from scene of the stabbing, to handling triage, drawing blood and providing nursing care at the hospital But before they turn us into consumable biomass, the robots will lovingly say goodbye to us. The Last Moment Robot, designed by Dan Chen, is a chaplain that gently strokes and says soothing words to a human on his deathbed. Because it cares. |
| The Fall of Gaddafi and The Rise of the Desert Locust Posted: 08 Jun 2012 03:00 PM PDT
The fall of the Gaddafi regime in Libya has an unforeseen consequence: the rise of the desert locusts. Life's Little Mysteries explains:
|
| Snipers Hid in Fake Trees During World War I Posted: 08 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT Obviously the German soldiers might notice a tree where there had not been one before. That’s why the British Empire’s Royal Engineers built fake trees to resemble specific trees in no man’s land. During the night, they’d cut down the original and replace it with the fake:
Link -via io9 | Photo: Australian War Memorial |
| Mark Zuckerberg’s Face Made With Books Posted: 08 Jun 2012 02:00 PM PDT
Face ... book? Get it? Artist Hong Yi (previously on Neatorama) has created the face of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg by slicing pages off books (The Games of Thrones, the thickest she could find). Link - via Design Taxi |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:30 PM PDT
Whatever you do, don't try to catch the lost wormhole, said Michael Kleinman. You've been warned! Link - via Laughing Squid |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 01:00 PM PDT
Jeff Roth, the sole custodian of the NY Times morgue explains:
Claire O'Neill of NPR's The Picture Show has the story: Link Previously on Neatorama: The Lively Morgue, a Tumblr blog featuring random photos from The New York Times archive. |
| Smuggled Pangolins Saved From Being Eaten Posted: 08 Jun 2012 12:30 PM PDT
The rolled up animals above look like they belong in sci-fi movies, but they're actually quite real. And apparently, quite yummy. Thai officials rescued 171 pangolins, described by some as "walking pine cone," in Thailand. The shy and defenseless animals are hunted for their meat and their scales which are used in Chinese medicine. Phaedra Singelis of MSNBC's Photo Blog has the story and pics: Link |
| Sex Circuit of a Male Fruit Fly Posted: 08 Jun 2012 12:00 PM PDT
Hello, Drosophila ladies! The good news is that scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the secret of what makes male fruit flies go crazy for you. The bad news is that it's a gene that trigger their sex circuit, a four-neuron circuit in the male fruit fly brain, that release the male courtship behavior. In fact, once the circuit is triggered, a male fruit fly will mate with just about anything, including a decapitated female:
Link - Thanks Diana! Previously on Neatorama: 30 Strangest Animal Mating Habits |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 11:30 AM PDT
Aaron Diaz of Dresden Codak comics (previously on Neatorama) reimagined some X-Men characters first as angst-ridden teenagers making their way in the world, then as young adults growing up. See if you can figure out who is who: Link - via Metafilter If you like this, checkout Aaron's reboot of Batman, the Justice League and The Legion of Doom |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT
Feel icky when someone gets too close? Blame your brain! Turns out, the amygdala, the brain region that governs fear, is activated when someone "invades" your personal space: Life's Little Mysteries has the post: Link |
| Toothbrush Channels Water for Rinsing Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:15 AM PDT Ostensibly, the Rinser toothbrush from Amron-Oral is designed to help you rinse your mouth. But it may also suddenly shoot water into your face when you’re too sleepy to think clearly. The Rinser comes with replacement heads so that you don’t have to buy a new handle when a set of bristles wears out. Watch a video of it at the link. |
| For Interior Designers With A Sense of Humor Posted: 08 Jun 2012 09:00 AM PDT Sit! Stay! Good boy…wait a minute. Don’t you just hate it when your new furniture starts pooping all over your living room? Well, at least you’re stylish, even if it means having to step in dog poop to turn your lamp on and off. Link Via Laughing Squid |
| The Complete History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Posted: 08 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT The first time I ever heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I had to laugh, and thought of course, a little boy thought that one up! You know, kind of like Axe Cop. Well, the story of the actual origin of TMNT is told in an article by Rob Lammle at mental floss, along with all the steps they went through to be comic book, TV, and movie stars. Link |
| The Transit of Venus Close Up! Posted: 08 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Did you see the transit of Venus this week? Even if you did, you didn’t see it like the joint US-Japanese Hinode space mission did! But we can see the amazing picture it took. Link |
| Fascinating Illustrations By Anatoly Fomenko Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:36 AM PDT Russian mathematician Anatoly Fomenko creates illustrations which are both expressions of mathematical concepts and visual depictions of his innermost thoughts and emotions. With razor sharp use of perspective, abstract imagery and many shades of gray, Anatoly’s works are at once amazing and confounding, and would look right at home on the cover of a Pink Floyd album. You can take your eyes on a long, strange trip through Anatoly’s works at the Juxtapoz link below, and try not to get lost in there! |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT The cutest wrestling match ever occurs when a kitten goes up against a bunny rabbit. I’d call the rabbit as the winner, but both seemed to enjoy the tussle. -via Daily Picks and Flicks |
| Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:54 AM PDT Imagine looking out at your front yard one day and realizing your lawn is missing. That’s just what happened to Denise Thompson:
And believe it or not, that’s not even the weirdest theft story on this list! |
| Lessons from America’s Greatest Prankster Posted: 08 Jun 2012 05:06 AM PDT
Most careers aren’t launched by the sight of a cow and a bull copulating in the middle of a road. But Alan Abel doesn’t have a typical gig. One day in 1957, the aspiring jazz drummer was driving to a show in Texas when he got caught in a rural traffic jam. The cause of the snarl: a cow and a bull engaging in some very public relations. Abel didn’t think twice about the bovine display, but the expression of moral outrage on other motorists’ faces fascinated him. By the time Abel reached his destination, he’d decided to launch the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals. Under the war cry “A nude horse is a rude horse,” SINA strove to create a more moral society through clothing mammals. Two years later, with the help of actor Buck Henry (who posed as the group’s president), Abel bamboozled the media into thinking SINA was a real activist group. Even the networks were fooled -Walter Cronkite covered the story for CBS News.
With such a creative mind, Abel might have made millions in advertising or television, but he’s never held a “real” job. For many years, Harry Scherman, the late founder of the Book of the Month Club, was Abel’s benefactor, underwriting projects such as the Idi Amin caper. What little Abel makes comes out of his prank’s budgets. You might say he lives hoax to hoax. Financial uncertainty has never deterred him, though. Even at 81, Abel is still cooking up capers. However, these days he’s so easily recognized -especially after his daughter Jenny’s 2005 biodoc, Abel raises Cain- that he has to stay hidden in the background. Mental_floss asked Abel to share a few pointers with aspiring hoaxsters. * Use Current Events “When I saw Dr. Kevorkian’s [1990s] campaign to assist suicide, I realized their should be a cruise line for suicide. There’s a cruise line for everybody -for golfers, for the AARP- so why not a cruise for those who want to terminate? “The Last Supper sailed from Ft. Lauderdale once a week with 25 people. Three days of sex, fun, food, dancing, and singing. And then the schooner would tilt. The rail would be taken off one side, the deck was greased, [and] all 25 people would go down into Davy Jones’s Locker!” * Play to the Press “[The media] wants to believe. For example, the color code with Homeland Security doesn’t take into consideration those people who are color-blind. Two million are going to be unprotected. I brought that up as a campaign last year, and that got some attention.” * Cast Real People “Actors like to act. I’ve always liked to use non-actors. I found a guy on the subway that looked like Idi Amin, about 6-foot-6, weighed 275. He was unemployed, and for $500 he said, ‘Sure, I can look mean and not speak.’ I worked at Radio City Music Hall as a drummer and I had a lot of friends in the orchestra. The tuba player, one of the cellists -I had these guys posing as private guards, and it worked out fine.” * Let the Media Come to You “The day before the [Idi Amin wedding] ceremony, we went over to Tiffany’s with our entourage, and they gave him the royal treatment. People were crowding around the windows on Fifth Avenue, trying to figure out what was going on. the hotel was barraged with calls from the media. The rumors were spreading like wildfire. The next day we had over 105 reporters!” * Water the Grassroots “[For SINA] I had leaflets printed up explaining our philosophy that all animals must wear clothing. I probably had 10,000. I’d leave them everywhere. If I was going to a men’s room, I’d leave one in there. In the library, we’d put them in books… but only in serious books! Buck [Henry] and me and some of our followers went out to the San Francisco Zoo and declared it a moral disaster area.” * Never Break Character “It’s not easy. This gal from CBS came along to interview Zev, an actor friend of mine. We had dinner at Morton’s in New York. Zev was pretending that he was going on The Last Supper in a week [to] end his life. She got very emotional and started to cry. The place is filled with mostly media people -nobody’s talking; everyone’s listening. I couldn’t laugh or smile, or then it would all be over. She says, ‘Let me go along with Zev.’ I was Dr. Rogers. I said, ‘We only sell one-way tickets.’ I bit down so hard on my lip it was actually bleeding.” _______________________
Be sure to visit mental_floss‘ website and blog for more fun stuff! |
" Imagine his surprise when he got off the plane to find a tuxedoed gentleman holding a bag that contained a 24 oz. Morton's porterhouse, shrimp, potatoes, bread, napkins and silverware. Shankman noted that the Tweet had to be noticed, someone had to get approval for the idea, a cook had to make his food, the food had to be driven 23.5 miles away from the nearest Morton's, and someone had to track down his flight information and figure out where he was landing to meet him at the right location.
Deep in the basement of the venerable The New York Times, there's a morgue of sorts. At least that's what Times employee call the newspaper's archive.
Hoax master 
SINA was just the first of Abel’s many stunts. For the past half century, the prankster has made a career out of giving Americans “a kick in the intellect.” And he’s done a lot of kicking. From 1975 to 1988, Abel posed as Omar, founder of Omar’s School for Beggars, a long-running hoax that brough attention to unemployment and homelessness. In 1979, Abel paraded an imposter “Idi Amin” around New York City and staged an elaborate green card wedding with a young WASP to spotlight the State Department’s coddling of the genocidal dictator. In 1985, during one of the first live tapings of The Phil Donohue Show, Abel stocked the audience with fainting women as a protest against bad television. And when David Duke ran for governor of Louisiana in 1991, Abel released music from the fictitious Ku Klux Klan Symphony, guest-conducted by Duke, to highlight the politician’s former Klan ties.
The article above, written by Kent Black, is reprinted with permission from the | You are subscribed to email updates from Neatorama To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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