Neatorama

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• 9 Pet Races You Might Want to Host Yourself
• Blood Red Camargue River Delta
• The World's Longest Bus Can Hold 256 People
• The Mystery of the Monster Larva Solved
• My Little Cephalopods
• Surreal Sculptural Paintings By Shaka
• Swan Cream Puffs
• Deep-Sea Anglerfish Filmed For the First Time in Its Native Habitat
• Artist Explores the Sea in Her Wheelchair
• What Do Swedes Think of the Swedish Chef?
• The Hipsters of Oz
• Let's Just Hope The Tiger Stays This Nice When He Grows Up
• If Anne Geddes Had Photographed Grown Ups Instead of Cute Babies
• Inside a Creepy Abandoned Soviet Submarine
• Introducing our New Halloween Blog
• The Carbon Nanotubes Invisibility Cloak
• The Poster Ball Craze
• World's Oldest Arthropods
• Old Spice Muscle Music
• Student Asked to Change His Name for School
• The Virtual IKEA
• "I Love Your Cake" "I Know"
• Venezuelan Poodle Moth
• It's Dogs Vs. Zombies In Play Dead
• That's One Heck of a Power Plant
• 3D Printed Table Lamp That Blooms Like A Flower
• You Could Be The Proud Owner of A Tie Fighter
• Fan Made Trailer For A Captain Planet Movie
• Pokémon Dresses
• Unique Sculptural Scenes Crafted From The Pages Of Books

9 Pet Races You Might Want to Host Yourself Posted: 29 Aug 2012 05:00 AM PDT Forget heading to the track to catch the horses, instead, grab your pets and some fellow pet owners and throw your own races right at home. Need a little inspiration? Here are a few great pet races: Dachshunds (Video Link) This is one of the biggest pet racing sports around, in part because it’s sponsored by a major corporation: Wienerschnitzel. While smaller wiener races take place around the nation throughout the year, the biggest event, by far, is the annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals in California. Chihuahuas (Video Link) Here’s another pet race with a big company behind it –the National Chihuahua Races, which are sponsored by PetCo. Unfortunately, it seems the company stopped sponsoring the event after the fifth annual competition, which was back in 2009. Sorry all you Chihuahua owners, I guess you’ll have to just organize and participate in your own city-wide races instead. Hamsters (Video Link) While most small pet races involve putting the animals right on the track and letting them run wild, hamster racing more closely resembles NASCAR as the hamsters are actually put inside wheels that push along little tiny racecars. While not all of the races involve the cars –some just use balls, but the cars really do bring up the cute level drastically. Oddly, while hamster racing is generally just a fun pet racing contest, it actually became a real gambling sport in England after a severe foot and mouth disease outbreak led to the cancellation of most horse races in 2001. If you’re looking to get in on the action, PetCo hosts small, biannual hamster races in most of their stores, but if you’re planning to bet your paycheck, you’ll have to do it with your friends on the sly. Mice (Video Link) The cool thing about mouse racing is that it can be as simple or as complicated as event organizers desire. Some people build massive, elaborate tracks, others build obstacle courses and some just put them on a flat track and let them run wild. This video features a good blend of the many possible varieties of mouse racetracks by offering a straight track with a few minor obstacles. Guinea Pigs (Video Link) Cavy racing is a pretty small sport that’s not very well organized. In face, most of the races are between two pets belonging to the same family –the race in the video is pretty massive in comparison. As far as I can tell though, the cream of the crop in annual Guinea pig races occurs at the Henry Lawson Festival in New South Wales, Australia. Turtles and Tortoises (Video Link) Like guinea pig races, there are no huge organizations pushing tortoise racing, but they do still happen. The key to organizing these races is to keep the track short because you don’t want to be there all day waiting for your contestants to cross the finish line. Hermit Crabs (Video Link) While you can always race your own pet hermit crabs, those without the shelled pets can always just book a visit from the National Crab Racing Association. The group will attend parties of all types with their highly-trained crab menagerie for your race-viewing pleasure –just pick your crab and place your bet. And don’t worry about the poor retired crabs, the group adopts out all of their ex-racers to good homes. Pigs (Video Link) While it’s easy to fall into debate on whether or not pigs count as livestock or pets, it’s pretty obvious that the pigs racing at fairs across the nation are family pets and not intended for consumption. While there are a few groups out there doing pig racing these days, the most famous is Hot Dog Pig Racing, which offers both pig and wiener dog racing. As an extra bonus, the dogs are usually dressed up like hot dogs! Sheep (Video Link) Like pig racing, it’s hard to say if this is really a pet race or livestock race, but when I see a video of sheep racing with little stuffed sheep jockeys on their back, I have a hard time leaving them out of an article like this. Have any of your pets ever participated in a race (horses and greyhounds exempted in this case)? Mine haven’t, but I’ve gotta say, I would really love to see a chinchilla race, even if their incredible jumping skills mean it would be a logistical nightmare.

Blood Red Camargue River Delta Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:00 AM PDT Photo: Sam Dobson/500px Russian photographer Sam Dobson was passing through Southern France when he noticed something unusual: the river delta Camargue has turned blood red due to its high salt content. With every small branch encrusted with salt crystals and all flora and forna encased in white and set against the dark red background, the pictures could have been taken from the stills of a science fiction film. Mr Dobson said: 'Every small branch is covered with crystals and with the red water as a background it looks like something extra-terrestrial. The Daily Mail has more: Link - via Photojojo

The World's Longest Bus Can Hold 256 People Posted: 29 Aug 2012 03:00 AM PDT You'd think that this whopper, at 98 feet long, would be hard to maneuver. But the drivers of this new bus in Dresden, Germany won't need any extra training: Said to be as easily maneuverable as a commonly sized bus, the Autotram Extra Grand makes use of a computer system to aid its driver with turning. The system's primary purpose is to ensure that the rear section of the bus precisely follows the front and middle sections at all times. In addition to the sophisticated guidance system, the bus incorporates green technology in the form of a hybrid gas and electric engine that can travel five miles operating purely on battery power. Link -via Marginal Revolution  Photo: Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrustructure Systems

The Mystery of the Monster Larva Solved Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:00 AM PDT Photo: Darryl L. Felder For two hundred years, scientists have wondered what the monster larva Cerataspis montrosa (above) pulled from the guts of fish would look like when it's all grown up. Well, mystery solved: "It's very exciting to have solved a nearly 200-year-old conundrum," Keith Crandall, a biology professor at George Washington University, said in a statement. Drawing from genetic evidence, Crandall reported in the journal Ecology and Evolution this month that the larva, Cerataspis monstrosa, is actually a baby version of the deep-water aristeid shrimp known as Plesiopenaeus armatus. Making this match-up between the baby and adult forms was not as easy as finding a larger version of the larva. In fact, the two couldn't look more different, the researchers said. C. monstrosa has a thick body covered in armor with "exceptional horn ornamentation," the researchers write. Yellowfin and blackfin tuna and dolphins prefer this "monstrous and misshapen animal," as the larva was called, for prey — and it was in these predators' gut contents that scientists had encountered the monster larvae. LiveScience has the story: Link

My Little Cephalopods Posted: 29 Aug 2012 01:00 AM PDT Mimblex crocheted squid versions of the six major characters of My Little Pony (L-R: Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity.) My favorite feature is Applesquid's little cowboy hat. Link -via My Little Pony Crafts

Surreal Sculptural Paintings By Shaka Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:00 AM PDT Graffiti artist and painter Shaka, aka Marchal Mithouard, enjoys sharing his unique sculptural visions with the world, but is the world ready for Shaka's style? His imaginative works combine a painting and a sculptured piece that makes the viewer feel llike the subject is coming right out at them. With all those squiggles everywhere viewing Shaka's works is like looking into the mouth of madness! Link  --via Juxtapoz (Previously on Neatorama--Shaka's 3d Paintings)

Swan Cream Puffs Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:00 PM PDT Barbara's cream puffs are so beautiful that I almost don't want to eat them. Almost. Herein lies the tragedy: to experience the fullness of the majesty of the puffs, you must destroy them. Link -via Tasteologie

Deep-Sea Anglerfish Filmed For the First Time in Its Native Habitat Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:00 PM PDT Scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has filmed for the first time a deep-sea anglerfish in its native habitat off the ocast of California, at depths of 7,800 to 10,800 feet below the ocean's surface. From the BBC: Using a remote-operated vehicle, biologists observed the fish "walking" with its fins and using its namesake lure. Scientists suggest the footage also shows that the fish change colour as they age. [...] "[Our results] reveal a little more information about an animal that lives 3200 metres below the ocean's surface that no one has ever seen before," said Senior Research Technician at MBARI Lonny Lundsten, "and we've got gorgeous HD video of it!" Like Nancy Sinatra once said, these fins are made for walking: Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

Artist Explores the Sea in Her Wheelchair Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:00 PM PDT Sue Austin, an artist in the UK, can see the wonders of the ocean without leaving her wheelchair: To move through oceanic depths, the wheelchair uses a propeller and fins positioned at the back of Austin’s legs that allow her to steer via an acrylic strip attached to her feet. According toSmartPlanet, the design originally proved challenging since most propeller models rely on hand movements, but Austin lacks the strength to maneuver them properly. Instead, the team worked to make her wheelchair more buoyant by modifying the heel plates into fins and tweaking the seat to cope better with underwater pressure. At the link, you can watch a mesmerizing video of Ms. Austin moving easily through the water. Link | Artist's Website

What Do Swedes Think of the Swedish Chef? Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:00 PM PDT Zee Svedeesh Cheff frum zee Mooppet Shoo speeks a geebberish furm ooff Ingleesh--nut Svedeesh. Vhet du neteefe-a Svedeesh speekers theenk ooff heem? Slete's Jeremy Stehl infesteegeted. Bork Bork Bork! I know this because it was one of the first questions I asked my Swedish wife when we were introduced. “I don’t see how it’s funny,” she responded in a tone that I took at the time to be an endearingly sarcastic deadpan, but would soon learn was actually an endearingly sincere deadpan. The Swedish Chef does not speak any known language, and the fact that his nonsense words are so widely interpreted as Swedish-sounding is bewildering and annoying to Swedes. “What has always struck me is that the Chef is probably based on a Norwegiansing-songish accent rather than a Swedish one,” Maaret Koskinen, a film studies professor at Stockholm University, wrote in an email when I asked her about the Swedish Chef’s cultural influence in Sweden. Link | Photo: Disney

The Hipsters of Oz Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:00 PM PDT The folks at Shutterstock, who kindly supplied stock images for some of our posts here on Neatorama, reimagined the Wizard of Oz characters as hipsters: What if we put on a pair of magical vintage Wayfarers, ones that gave us “Hipster Vision,” and revisited this timeless classic? Would Dorothy have packed a thermos of coffee in her courier bag before embarking on her journey? Would the Cowardly Lion have proudly sported bed head? Would the Scarecrow have stuffed his straw into skinny jeans? Using assets from our image collection, Shutterstock in-house designer Jordan Roland illustrated a version of these classic characters with a modern-day spin. And so, we proudly present The Hipsters of Oz. As Dorothy once said, we're not in Kansas anymore: Link - Thanks Danny!

Let's Just Hope The Tiger Stays This Nice When He Grows Up Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:00 PM PDT (Video Link) There's no description on this video, so let's all just hope this is a zoo keeper's house and that he's just temporarily taking care of an abandoned cub. One thing is for certain though: these two are certainly cute when they play together. Via Cute Overload

If Anne Geddes Had Photographed Grown Ups Instead of Cute Babies Posted: 28 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT What if, instead of cute babies, Anne Geddes photographs grown ups dressed up as animals and flowers? Well, wonder no more. VICE Magazine called upon photographer Lee Goldup to make that a reality: Link - via Petapixel

Inside a Creepy Abandoned Soviet Submarine Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:00 PM PDT It was decommissioned in 1995, but a step inside this Foxtrot B-39 (U 475) Russian submarine is enough to send you back to the Cold War. This Soviet submarine would spend weeks submerged with a full contingent of men crammed into the steel tube. Read more about it and see plenty of pictures at Environmental Graffiti. Link (Image credit: Foantje)

Introducing our New Halloween Blog Posted: 28 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT Image: Anthony22/Wikipedia Halloween is my favorite holiday so it's my pleasure to introduce our new Halloween blog here on Neatorama called Batty for Halloween. As you might've guessed, this new blog is dedicated to everything Halloween. We'll feature Halloween costumes, decorations, festivities and trivia every day (Because every day should be Halloween!) Our goal is simple: put the best Halloween-related items under one blogging roof to make for easy browsing and reading. Undoubtedly, you'll have seen some of the costumes and decorations featured here from Halloween past - but these may still serve to spark your creativity and inspiration. Think of them as ideas for this year. So check back regularly for more fun Halloween posts and be sure to visit the NeatoShop's Halloween Shop for more fun stuff!

The Carbon Nanotubes Invisibility Cloak Posted: 28 Aug 2012 02:00 PM PDT Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas have taken one step closer to creating the Invisibility Cloak à la Harry Potter. Instead of Demiguise hair, they use carbon nanotubes: CNTs have such unique properties, such as having the density of air but the strength of steel, that they have been extensively studied and put forward for numerous applications; however it is their exceptional ability to conduct heat and transfer it to surrounding areas that makes them an ideal material to exploit the so-called “mirage effect”. [...] Through electrical stimulation, the transparent sheet of highly aligned CNTs can be easily heated to high temperatures. They then have the ability to transfer that heat to its surrounding areas, causing a steep temperature gradient. Just like a mirage, this steep temperature gradient causes the light rays to bend away from the object concealed behind the device, making it appear invisible. Link

The Poster Ball Craze Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT The Australian poster ball craze involved fundraising event attendees adorning their dresses with advertisements for popular products, and sometimes even dressing up as the products themselves. They became the living symbols of a consumer product boom taking place across the country, and created some funky fashions at the same time. Take a gander at Carolyn Fraser's article if you'd like to learn more about this uniquely Australian consumer craze. Link

World's Oldest Arthropods Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:00 PM PDT The images to your left, dear Neatoramanauts, are photomicrographs of the world's oldest arthropods (invertebrate animals that include insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) preserved in amber: Even though arthropods are more than 400 million years old, until now, the oldest record of the animals in amber dates to about 130 million years. The newly discovered arthropods break that mold with an age of 230 million years. They are the first arthropods to be found in amber from the Triassic Period. Link (Image: University of Göttingen/A. Schmidt)

Old Spice Muscle Music Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:50 PM PDT It's been a while since Old Spice takes the Interweb by storm, so we're not surprised to find this: a music video featuring the "muscle music" of Terry Crews. Watch the clip, then wait a sec for the video player to turn into an interactive graphic that lets you "play" your own music by twitching Terry's muscles through various keystrokes. Hit play or go to Link [Vimeo] - via Geeks Are Sexy, Thanks Yan!

Student Asked to Change His Name for School Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:30 PM PDT Three-year-old Hunter Spanjer is deaf and talks with his hands. In the S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) language, the gesture that means his name violates his school's weapons policy. Grand Island Public School wants Hunter to change his name so he won't have to use the sign.   Grand Island's "Weapons in Schools" Board Policy 8470 forbids "any instrument...that looks like a weapon," But a three year-old's hands? "Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous. This is not threatening in any way," said Hunter's grandmother Janet Logue. "It's a symbol. It's an actual sign, a registered sign, through S.E.E.," Brian Spanjer said. The sign may look a little bit like a gun, but Hunter's name is a slightly modified sign to designate it as his name, in which he crosses his fingers. His fingers still look too much like a gun for school authorities. The National Association of the Deaf has been notified, and is expected to send lawyers to talk to officials from the school. Link  -via Boing Boing

The Virtual IKEA Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT The oh-so-sleek-and-modern IKEA kitchen you've been coveting may turn out to be just a fantasy. That's because the Swedish furniture giant is using virtual 3-D digital imaging rather than studio photography to produce its images: "It's a clever way to save money," Anneli Sjogren, head of photography at IKEA, said during a recent interview at the company's sprawling photo studio in this sleepy southern town. "We don't have to throw away kitchens in the Dumpster after the photo shoot." Instead, sets for entire rooms—spanning kitchens to bathrooms to porches—can be mocked up and created on a computer screen without the help of a single camera. The practice is allowing IKEA to easily manipulate imagery to use a set created for one country—where dark wood might be popular—to another where lighter hues are all the rage. Jens Hansegard of The Wall Street Journal explains: Link

"I Love Your Cake" "I Know" Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:30 AM PDT We've seen plenty of Han and Leia references in weddings before, but this might just be the first cake featuring the two posed with the Death Star. How romantic! Link Via When Geeks Wed

Venezuelan Poodle Moth Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT Photo: Arthur Anker/Flickr Is that mothra as a baby? Zoologist Arthur Anker of Brazil's Federal University snapped this fantastic photo of a Venezuelan poodle moth or muslin moth in the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela's Canaima National Park: It's been compared to a fluffy dog, a Pokemon character and a Power Rangers villain — but whatever it is, the Venezuelan poodle moth has captured the Internet like Mothra in a bad Japanese movie. Now it's up to the experts to figure out exactly where this moth belongs on the tree of life. The first thing to emphasize is that the poodle moth is no phony concoction like the jackalope, dogerpillar or chupacabra. Its cute, furry, scary look is totally in line with what's expected for a neotropical ornamental moth. In fact, cryptozoologist Karl Shuker found a similar picture of a white, fuzzy critter known as Diaphora mendica, or muslin moth, a member of the lepidopteran family Arctiidae. Alan Boyle of Cosmic Log has more: Link | Karl Shuker's blog post See also: World's Weirdest Moths

It's Dogs Vs. Zombies In Play Dead Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:30 AM PDT (Vimeo Link) Humans aren't the only living species that have to deal with the undead problem during a zombie apocalypse, man's best friend has to lend a hand too, so they don't become a furry lunch special. Play Dead is a short film that focuses on what our dogs go through when the zombies come to town. This extremely well made horror short stars a bunch of dogs and a gaggle of ghoulish zombies, what's not to like?! (May be NSFW) --via i09

That's One Heck of a Power Plant Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT How do you make a piranha plant into a power plant? By painting one of the Mario enemies on a power box, of course. This puntastic graffiti is almost good enough to be done by Hanksy. Link Via The Daily What

3D Printed Table Lamp That Blooms Like A Flower Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:30 AM PDT 3d printed home furnishings just got a bit more elegant, thanks to this Bloom Table Lamp by designer Patrick Jouin. With a little push the floral inspired lamp shade transforms from bud to full bloom, less to more light and cool looking to oh wow! Link  --via Gizmodo

You Could Be The Proud Owner of A Tie Fighter Posted: 28 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT Looking to spruce up your home or yard with something super geeky? Well, if you happen to live in the Salt Lake Area you can become the proud new owner of this amazing TIE fighter replica for free. You just have to be able to pick it up! Link Via io9

Fan Made Trailer For A Captain Planet Movie Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:30 AM PDT (YouTube Link) I don't remember Captain Planet being such a badass back in the day, and the Planeteers are all grown up now and looking fierce! Here's a fan made film that takes a serious look at what a live action Captain Planet movie might look like, complete with sharp visual effects and an updated look for the cartoon eco-hero. --via Comics Alliance

Pokémon Dresses Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:00 AM PDT Aww, and I'm already set for a professional wardrobe! If only I had waited until Lindsay Aspen had marketed her Metapod dress. Then I'd be the belle of the Neatorama office. Artist's Blog -via Fashionably Geek

Unique Sculptural Scenes Crafted From The Pages Of Books Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT We've seen other works of literary art, like the carved book works of Guy Laramee and the mystery book sculptures left in libraries across Scotland, but this series of literary sculptures by Oklahoma based artist Kelly Campbell Berry have a lot more character than the competition! Each sculpted book depicts characters from classic literary works coming to life across the pages, acting out scenes from the book and posing for a fabulous tableau.   Link  --via DesignTAXI

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