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2013/03/31

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Two Science Martyrs Hand-in-Hand

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 04:00 AM PDT

The Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris has more than its share of celebrities: Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde are the first that come to mind. But there is a strange story behind the monument pictured here that you may not know. In 1875, three balloonists ascended to 28,000 feet in the Zenith to study atmospheric conditions …and to break the altitude record. Joseph Croce-Spinelli and Théodore Sivel did not survive the lack of oxygen. Gaston Tissandier, the sole survivor, came to as the balloon was plunging to earth.

The Zenith crash landed in Ciron, France, and Sivel and Croce-Spinelli were found with their faces blackened and their mouths filled with blood. They were widely celebrated as heroes who gave their lives for progressing aviation. A May 2, 1875 New York Times article declared them as "martyrs to science." A monument was erected in Ciron where the Zenith had fallen and the elaborate grave sculpted by Alphonse Dumilatre was installed in Père Lachaise Cemetery as a memorial to the two French balloonists. Gaston Tissandier is also buried in the Paris cemetery, although he lived until 1899. Now fallen leaves gather around Croce-Spinelli and Sivel's linked arms and sometimes someone places a rose in one of their extended hands as they continue to slumber from the sleep they drowned into from such great heights.

Read the entire story and see more pictures at Atlas Obscura. Link

(Image credit: Allison Meier)

The End of the Pronoun Whom

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 02:00 AM PDT

In standard English grammar, the pronoun who is used as a subject and whom as a direct or indirect object. Here's an example:

Who will decide to whom we will give the responsibility of carrying Alex's sedan chair today?

In this sentence, who is the subject and whom is the indirect object. It's a distinction that's easy to forget and increasingly people are. Megan Garber of The Atlantic writes that the proper use of whom is dying out:

Articles in Time magazine included 3,352 instances of whom in the 1930s, 1,492 in the 1990s, and 902 in the 2000s. And the lapse hasn’t been limited to literature or journalism. In 1984, after all, the Ghostbusters weren’t wondering, “Whom you gonna call?”

Whom, in other words, is doomed. As Mignon Fogarty, the host of the popular Grammar Girl podcast, told me: “I’d put my money on whombeing mostly gone in 50 to 100 years.”

Who is to blame? In part, the internet:

Technology seems to be speeding the demise. Online, on-screen, strict rules are systematically broken—for brevity’s sake, for clarity’s sake, and sometimes for the sake of ease or irony or fun. (Because LOL, amirite?!) What the Indiana University linguist Susan Herring refers to as “e‑grammar” is, she points out, a grammar only in the broadest sense of the word. In a context that can make whom seem almost aggressively retrograde, we err intentionally, breaking rules that are in some cases, Jack Lynch writes in his book The Lexicographer’s Dilemma, simply “prejudice representing itself as principle.” And the Internet, itself almost aggressively forward-looking, institutionalizes the errors. Dating sites talk about the people “who you match with.” Twitter offers its users a recommendations list titled “Who to Follow.”

Link -via David Thompson | Photo: greeblie

POLL: Should we retain the pronoun whom?

  • Yes. Proper grammar matters.
  • No. Languages normally change over time.
  • Whom cares?
  • Just show me the answers to the poll.

Yomico Morena's Tattoo Art

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Venezuelan tattoo artist Yomico Morena is a master of the trompe l'oeil tattoo. His ink creates the illusion of wounds or the inner workings of the body, in addition to portraiture and other types of tattoos. See more of his work at Unreality. Link

Cute Alert! Easter Photo Shoot with Pit Bull, Chick, and Bunnies

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:00 PM PDT

Having a bad day? That's impossible after seeing these awesome photos of Boom of Super Pitbulls frolicking with bunnies and a chick: Link - via Buzzfeed

Old Hard Drive Turned into a Cotton Candy Machine

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 10:00 PM PDT

cotton candy

cotton candy

It's a bad idea to gobble down cotton candy while repairing computers, but who among us hasn't done so anyway?

Once you've made a mess inside the computer, you might as well go all the way, as one Chinese engineer did:

According to the instructions, all that is needed to create your own candy floss maker is a hard drive that can still power up, a round flat metal tin, six bicycle spokes, an aluminum can and a plastic basin. A series of photos demonstrating how to create this candy floss machine have made some sensation across China internet …

The key to the improvised cotton candy maker is the hard drive’s rotating platter. Most commercial cotton candy machines spin at around 3,450 rotations per minute, while modern hard drives operate at 5,400 rotations per minute or higher.

Link -via Hack a Day

Star Wars Figures Monkey Bank

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:00 PM PDT

Star Wars Figures Money Bank (sold individual)

Defeating the empire is expensive and that means every penny counts. Are you on a mission to find the perfect place to hide your loose change? You need the Star Wars Figures Money Bank from the NeatoShop. The force is strong with these Star Wars Figures Money Banks. 

Star Wars Figures Money Banks are available in: Darth Vader, R2-D2, and Boba Fett. Buy all 3 and make it an out of this galaxy set.

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

Link

The Glory Days of Train Travel

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:00 PM PDT

v

Thirty-seven years ago, I took a train trip from Kansas City to Oklahoma City (and back) and decided that was the best way to travel ever. Sadly, there are fewer passenger trains and routes now, so fewer people ride, and that means fewer luxury amenities, too. But we have pictures of the golden age of rail travel.

Throughout the Victorian period and the early part of the 20th century, railways were a source of great civic pride and prestige for both private citizens and the companies controlling them. And while newer networks tend to be more environmentally friendly than their forebears, the march of progress and modernisation has brought utilitarian trains and often soulless, unimaginative architecture. This article looks at 20 classic railway scenes across the world, spanning the past 180 years.

Relive those glory days at Urban Ghosts. Link

(Image credit: Flickr user State Records NSW)

Seal Flipper Pie for Easter

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 08:00 PM PDT


Photo: Kathleen Reckling

It's almost Easter, so you know what this means: seal flipper pie! This local delicacy is a must if you live in Newfoundland:

The meal, which originated in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, tastes as strange as it sounds. The meat is dark, tough, gamey and apparently has a flavor similar to that of hare (appropriate for America’s favorite Easter mascot, no?). Most recipes suggest that the seal meat is coated in flour, pan-fried and then roasted with onions, pork fat and root vegetables like carrots, turnips, potatoes and parsnips. Once the dish has a nice, flaky crust, it is often served with a side of Worcestershire sauce.

K. Annabelle Smith of the Smithsonian Magazine has more on this curious culinary tradition: Link

<i>Millennium Falcon</i> Turntable

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 07:00 PM PDT

Millennium Falcon

Marco Garza's baby's got a few surprises left in her. He merged an old model of the Millennium Falcon that he bought for $2 with a Technics 1200 turntable.

Link -via Nerdcore

Who Will Die On The Season Finale Of <i>The Walking Dead</i>?

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 06:00 PM PDT

vSeason three of the AMC series The Walking Dead is ending with the climactic showdown between two human communities Sunday night. At least we think that's going to happen, unless they save the real battle for season four (NO! Please no). Buzzfeed gives their odds on the likeliness of each character dying before the battle is over.

Michonne 5%
Carl 5%
Tyreese 5%
Rick 10%
Andrea 15%
Sasha 25%
Maggie 30%
Carol 35%
Glenn 40%
Daryl 50%
Beth 65%
Hershel 75%
Milton 80%
Philip 95%

Their reasoning for each character's fate is explained. Which ones would you bet on biting the dust, kicking the bucket, buying the farm, or turning into zombies? Link

POLL: Who will die on The Walking Dead season finale? You can check more than one character.

  • Michonne
  • Carl
  • Tyreese
  • Rick
  • Andrea
  • Sasha
  • Maggie
  • Carol
  • Glenn
  • Daryl
  • Beth
  • Hershel
  • Milton
  • Philip
  • I don't want to speculate

My Little Poodle

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 05:00 PM PDT

Rileah Vanderbilt spotted this pooch at WonderCon in Anaheim, California. With his Rainbow Dash dye job and shaved body, he's a lot more than just 20% cooler.

Link -via Amy Ratcliffe

Bacon Condom

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 04:00 PM PDT

Recently, Bill Gates noted that the condom is the single best method of preventing unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, and challenged inventors to come up with a better condom that would promote regular use.

Well, Bill, consider it done. Behold, the Bacon Condom by J & D's Foods (whose motto is "Everything should taste like bacon") ... and yes, it's lubricated with "Baconlube," a water-based meat-flavored personal lubricant.

Link (If you like that, you'll love the NeatoShop's Bacon Store)

Winny Puhh: The Next Level of Weird

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 03:00 PM PDT

(YouTube link)

The Estonian band Winny Puhh performs in a qualifying round for the 2013 Eurovision competition. The song is called "Meiecundimees üks Korsakov läks eile Lätti." The lyrics are about someone who went to Latvia and broke many bones. However, the music is repetitive and incidental to the show. As one Mefite put it, "have you ever played a banjo so hard that gravity stopped working." If you think the upside-down drumming is weird, wait until the rest of the band gets into the act -even if you have to turn the sound down to get there. Oh, the band came in third for Estonia, and will not advance to the Eurovision tournament. -via Metafilter

How to Make a Solar Oven from a Pizza Box

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 02:00 PM PDT

pizza oven

You can build an oven that cooks up to 200°F with a pizza box, tape, plastic wrap and aluminum foil. First, cut a flap into the lid of the pizza box. Cover the lid and the bottom of the box with aluminum foil. Seal your food inside the pizza box with plastic wrap and tape to create an airtight compartment. Finally, place the oven in direct sunlight.

Link

The Best Part of Walking the Dog

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 01:00 PM PDT

What's better than walking the dog with your mom? Watching your mom run after the dog, right after you let go of the leash, of course! Here's a little girl Lucy giggling devilishly after she accomplished her brilliant scheme.

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

Making Sauce with a Cement Mixer

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT

vAn unnamed pizza restaurant in Sweden came under fire for unapproved food preparation devices after a customer found a screw in his kebab. The restaurant staff blamed it on the salad tongs. Then it turns out that loose screws had been found in food before.

But the plot thickened when the customer alerted the local council's environmental office (miljökontoret). Inspectors discovered that the restaurant owners were using a cement mixer that had been painted blue for making salad dressing and sauces.

The owners were unable to explain what had happened with the pieces of paint that had flaked away and fallen off the machine.

"When I took over the restaurant, the previous owner told me that everything had been approved," the owner told DN, adding that he was new to the restaurant business and unaware of the rules.

On the health inspector's advice, the restaurant owner bought a brand-new food mixer the same day. Link -via Arbroath

(Image credit: Grainger)

The Unconscious Passport Pocket Notebook

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PDT

 

The Unconscious Passport Pocket Notebook (sold individually)

Are you looking for the perfect place to jot down those feelings, thoughts, and desires that appear to come out of nowhere? You need the Unconscious Passport Pocket Notebook from the NeatoShop. This 64-page pocket notebook is a wonderful way to attempt to gain access to that area of your mind that may or may not exist.  

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

Link

Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite Pop-Tarts

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PDT

Han Solo

My heart and appetite soared when I saw this image, only be crushed when I learned that it is fake. But why can it not be real? Surely Disney and Kellogg can reach an agreement to produce these carbonite shingles of joy.

-via Foodiggity | Image: unknown

True Facts About The Naked Mole Rat

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT

(YouTube link)

The more you know about the naked mole rat, the weirder this animal gets. They live a very long time, which almost seems like a punishment with the lifestyle that comes with living naked underground. This video is the latest in Ze Frank's True Facts series. -via Laughing Squid

How Indiana Jones Was Born

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 09:00 AM PDT

In 1978, George Lucas had an idea for a movie called "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and invited Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan to a brainstorming session to flesh it out.

Luckily, the transcript of the session is available online. Here's an inside look at how the character Indiana Jones came to life:

George Lucas: The fact that he is slightly scruffy. You don't know it until it happens. Now, several aspects that we've discussed before: The image of him which is the strongest image is the "Treasure Of Sierra Madre" outfit, which is the khaki pants, he's got the leather jacket, that sort of felt hat, and the pistol and holster with a World War One sort of flap over it. He's going into the jungle carrying his gun. The other thing we've added to him, which may be fun, is a bull whip. That's really his trade mark. That's really what he's good at. He has a pistol, and he's probably very good at that, but at the same time he happens to be very good with a bull whip. It's really more of a hobby than anything else. Maybe he came from Montana, someplace, and he... There are freaks who love bull whips. They just do it all the time. It's a device that hasn't been used in a long time.

Steven Spielberg — You can knock somebody' s belt off and the guys pants fall down.

George Lucas — You can swing over things, you can...there are so many things you can do with it. I thought he carried it rolled up. It's like a Samurai sword. He carries it back there and you don't even notice it. That way it's not in the way or anything. It's just there whenever he wants it.

Read the entire transcript over at Mad Dog Movies: Link [PDF] - via The New Yorker

Austin on North Korea's Hit List

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 08:00 AM PDT

v

North Korea released images of leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to make rockets ready to attack the United States. The map behind him is assumed to detail intended targets, including Hawaii, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. Austin? The people of Austin reacted with jokes, of course.

Those of us who live here wonder why the city was mentioned at all. On Twitter the hashtag #whyaustin was trending with funny possibilities.

Pamela Oldham wrote, "Because he couldn't get in to see grumpy cat at SXSW." Omar L.Gallaga said "Kim Jong Un taking Austin's plastic bag ban pretty hard."

Texbob said "satellite pics of airstream trailers mistaken by North Korea as nuclear bombs."

And our favorite in the newsroom, Dustin Blanchard with a photo of Kim Jong Un that says "BBQ sold out? It's barely noon!"


Authorities in the U.S. don't believe North Korea has the capability to attack the U.S. mainland, although South Korea is a concern. Link

See more of the response at Twitter. Link

There is also a new Tumblr blog devoted to the incident, called Why Kim Jong Un Hates Austin. Link  -via Metafilter

The Faces of Science in Petri Dishes

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 07:00 AM PDT

petri dish

petri dish

petri dish

Zachary Copfer, "a microbiologist masquerading as an artist," calls his craft bacteriography. That's creating photographs in petri dishes. He writes:

During my graduate research I invented a new medium that combines photographic process with microbiological practices. The process is very similar to darkroom photography only the enlarger has been replaced by a radiation source and instead of photographic paper this process uses a petri dish coated with a living bacterial emulsion.

Pictured above are his portraits of Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci and Charles Darwin.

Link -via DVICE

This Week at Neatorama

Posted: 30 Mar 2013 06:00 AM PDT

Easter doesn't often happen this early, and for me, it ends a week that began with snow! Be on the lookout for sale prices on eggs, candy, lilies, and ham today. And while you're celebrating Easter or Passover, don't forget that Monday brings us April Fool's Day, and if you're not on the lookout, you could be subject to pranks from your co-workers. Hint: beware of leftover Easter eggs. Any time you can take a break from Easter or Passover preparations and celebrations this weekend, take some time to catch up on what we've been doing at Neatorama this past week.

Eddie Deezen let us in on A Few Things You Might Not Have Known About Abraham Lincoln.

We learned about the man behind the Star Wars music in John Williams: Scoring the Force, courtesy of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.

The Annals of Improbable Research brought us To Sea, and Not to See. Is a fish's changing camouflage in its skin, or in your perception?

The 10 Most Interesting Numbers in American Culture (Plus or Minus a Few) came from mental_floss magazine.

We had two brainteasers this week from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, one on An Unusual Paragraph and the other on a Shooting Incident.

vIn the What Is It? game this week, the mystery item is a brewer's lamp. Ladybugs knew the correct answer, and wins a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! The funniest answer came from pismonque, who said "A gaff hook for landing narwhals with a built-in rotary tusk sharpener, used by Inuits in their groom-and-release program, an eco-friendly alternative to cultural whaling practices." So pismonque wins a t-shirt from the NeatoShop, too! Thanks to everyone who participated, and look for the next What Is It game coming soon to Neatorama! See the answers to all of this week's mysteries at the What Is It? blog.

Alex has been giving away t-shirts like crazy! We had a contest this week in which NeatoMail subscribers could enter the day before the contest was posted on the blog called the Choose Your Own NeatoShop Funny T-Shirt Giveaway. Congratulations to the five winners, three of which were NeatoMail subscribers. Alex also gave a heads up on the next contest called Choose Your Own Doctor Who Prize, which will be exclusively for NeatoMail subscribers. If you're not a subscriber yet, just follow the directions here and you'll be ready when the contest starts! Oh, and you might want to browse through the Dr. Who items at the NeatoShop to see what's up for grabs.

The post that was most commented-on (besides the giveaways) was A Few Things You Might Not Have Known About Abraham Lincoln. Following that was Dream Job: Full-Time Barbecue Editor and Climbing the Pyramids. You can still join in on those conversations!

The most popular post of the week was Tattooine Photographed, followed by Cinemart Pop Culture Mash Ups by Fernando Degrossi and Brainteaser: Shooting Incident.

vTrying to determine which post has the most ♥s is not that easy, but I gave it a try this week. Then I was distracted by one that had a lot of ♥s. In a sad update to the story of Katelyn Norman, the teenager who wanted to live long enough to attend her prom, the 14-year-old passed away yesterday morning.

Usability Tip of the Week: Take a look at the menu bar across the top of the page. We now have links to all of Neatorama's subblogs! There are a lot of them now, so some are included in the drop down menu labeled "more." If we have one that a friend of yours would particularly like, you should send them a link.

And if that isn't enough Neatorama for you, we have extra content and fun at our Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Pinterest board. And mobile users: Flipboard makes it easy to keep up with Neatorama!
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