Neatorama

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• A Very Important Date
• A Bartender at Work in Antarctica
• Lil' Angel Pen
• Pimp My Smart Car
• 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (with Kittens!)
• Deep Fried Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Why Do People Keep On Stealing This Politician's Campaign Sign?
• Grumpy Catbus
• The 90-Year-Old Paperboy
• Catch the Falling Stars: Perseid Meteor Shower 2013
• Washing Machine Escapes!
• How to Create the Illusion on Instagram That You Have a Girlfriend
• This is How You Die
• Derpy Dash My Little Pony Reversible Backpack
• Tiny Hamster House has Hidden Passages and Secret Doors
• Power Corrupts ... the Brain
• 1946 Alcatraz Menu
• A Custom Cabinet for a Taxidermied Ostrich
• Say No To Drugs
• Death Star Butt Painting
• A Brief History of Ice Cream Truck Music
• A Cappella Alligator
• How the Internet Ecosystem Works
• This Week at Neatorama
• Light Up Skull Bottle Stopper
• Better Children's Book Titles
• Meanwhile, in Alaska: A Bear Riding a Sea-Doo
• Always Angry
• The Typography Beard Guide
• A Map of Manhattan Consisting of Hand-Drawn Directions Made by Strangers

A Very Important Date Posted: 11 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT A Very Important Date by Matt Parsons Got an appointment that you got to make in 28:06:42:12? Oh dear! Don't be late for that very important date! Better yet, remind yourself with this awesome Alice in Wonderland and Donnie Darko mash up T-shirt by Matt Parsons. Visit Matt's official website and Facebook page, then visit his NeatoShop page for more awesome T-shirts: Link Battle Kitty Timey Wimey Sweater Plants vs Plumbers Decisions Decisions View more designs by Matt Parsons | More Funny T-shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn generous royalties, and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

A Bartender at Work in Antarctica Posted: 11 Aug 2013 02:00 AM PDT (Photo: Winni Wintermeyer/The Guardian) Phil Broughton got sick of his job in Silicon Valley and decided to get away--as far away as possible. That led him to job managing liquid nitrogen and helium supplies at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, an American base located at the geographic South Pole. While there, he became the base's unofficial bartender. Mr. Broughton described the experience in The Guardian: The bar there, probably the most remote on Earth, was called Club 90 South. Despite being surrounded by ice for 800 miles in every direction, and 8,000 miles away from the local bars I knew, it seemed completely familiar to me: there were six bar stools, a scattering of tables and couches, a pool table, TV and music. One Saturday night soon after I arrived, I walked in and the seat behind the bar was the only one free. Someone said, "Hey, can you get me a beer?" "Do I look like a bartender?" I asked. "Well," he said, "you're behind the bar. Do you know how to mix anything?" I was 26, and had picked up a few tricks at parties. "As a matter of fact, I do," I said. And there I stayed for the rest of the year. On special occasions, I combined the new role with my job and served what I called "cryogenic cocktails". The first one I made was for a boss who came to a party one evening and asked for a martini. I poured in some nitrogen, blew away the fog and scooped out all the frost-distilled water that was left floating in it, taking the proof of his cocktail up to about 130% abv. He downed it, disappeared and returned with a brace of Swedish researchers. "I want you to make them what you made me," he said. [...] I wasn't just a detached observer, though; I was as enthusiastic a drinker as most of the patrons. One drawback was the hangovers: after a particularly heavy session, I would have to nip outside to be sick. Any liquid that came into contact with the ice froze immediately and, if left alone, it would remain so for ever. It was a point of honour to clear up after yourself, which meant chipping away with a pickaxe. Link

Lil' Angel Pen Posted: 11 Aug 2013 12:00 AM PDT Lil' Angel Pen (front and back shown) Back to school time is here. Are you looking for a fun way to remind your favorite student to remain on their best behavior. Give them the Lil' Angel Pen from the NeatoShop. This sweet clickable pen is shaped like an angel.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Pens & Pencils.   Link

Pimp My Smart Car Posted: 11 Aug 2013 12:00 AM PDT Step 1. Buy a $20,000 Smart Car Step 2. Spend another $20,000 tricking it out Step 3. ???? Step 4. PROFIT ... or at least, notoriety for having the cutest lil' lowrider/race cars/mini-monster trucks on the road Zusha Elinson of the Wall Street Journal takes us on a strange trip through the world of Smart Car enthusiasts who love to soup up their tiny rides, including one guy who put a train horn on his: Jeremy Cox, 26, who parked next to Mr. Redmond at Cars and Coffee, says that his friends call his bright green Smart car convertible a "pregnant roller skate." So Mr. Cox, who has spent about $20,000 modifying his car, exacted a small measure of revenge by installing a 195-decibel train horn. "You don't expect it coming out of Smart car," says Mr. Cox, who proceeded to unleash a powerful blast, causing a nearby cluster of car enthusiasts to jump. "I don't really have any response when people say stuff—but I do have the horn." Read the rest over at The Wall Street Journal.

8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (with Kittens!) Posted: 10 Aug 2013 11:00 PM PDT (YouTube link) The name of the British TV game show 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown made more sense when host Jimmy Carr brought in two baskets of kittens. They were quite a distraction! After all, eight out of ten kittens decided they wanted out of the baskets. -via reddit

Deep Fried Chocolate Covered Strawberries Posted: 10 Aug 2013 10:00 PM PDT All food products--and quite a few non-food products--can be improved with the application of chocolate and a few minutes in a deep fryer. Elizabeth LaBau shows us one example of this obvious truth. I want to eat these strawberries with ice cream and crème de menthe syrup. Link

Why Do People Keep On Stealing This Politician's Campaign Sign? Posted: 10 Aug 2013 09:00 PM PDT Austin Head is running for city council in Phoenix, Arizona, but he's up against other candidates with more money and name recognition. So he's trying a bit of clever marketing to get himself "ahead" of the game. Problem is, people keep on stealing his campaign slogan signs ... not competing politicians playing dirty tricks, but potential voters with dirty minds ... Jill Monier of FOX10 News has the full story - Thanks Tiffany!

Grumpy Catbus Posted: 10 Aug 2013 08:00 PM PDT Will Grumpy Catbus give Mei and Satsuki a ride to the hospital? No! My Neighbor Totoro ends differently in Tim Doyle's version, which is entitled "Out of Service." Link -via Super Punch

The 90-Year-Old Paperboy Posted: 10 Aug 2013 07:00 PM PDT We don't know whether Martin Teel of Christopher, Illinois, delivers newspaper on Easy Street, Middle Road, or Hard Way, but we do know that he's proof that you're never too old to deliver the newspaper. You see, he's 90 years young: Imagine biking three miles a day, rain or shine. Now imagine doing that when you're 90-years-old. There is one paperboy in southern Illinois who doesn't let anything stand in his way. Every afternoon Marvin Teel of Christopher heads out on his daily route. "I have about three miles to cover all over town," said Teel. "(It) takes about an hour and a half." Kadee Brosseau of KFVS12 has the story - Thanks Tiffany!

Catch the Falling Stars: Perseid Meteor Shower 2013 Posted: 10 Aug 2013 06:00 PM PDT Every year in August, the Perseid meteor shower gives us a light show like no other, as our planet travels through the debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. Peak visibility should be in the middle of the night Sunday night and Monday night -or very early Monday and Tuesday, if that's how you want to remember it. Phil Plait has tips on getting the best view of the falling stars. 1) Find a place that's dark. Some meteors are bright and easy to spot, others fainter. The darker the spot you find away from house and city lights, the better. 2) You don't really need to face Perseus (to the northeast); in fact your best bet is to have as much sky visible as possible. The more heavenly real estate you can see, the better your chances of seeing more meteors. 3) Be outside after local midnight - literally, halfway between dusk and dawn. The geometry of the shower makes it more likely to see meteors at that time. To use the car and bugs analogy again, you see more splattered arthropods on your front windshield than the rear one because you're driving forward into the swarm. After midnight, you're on the part of the Earth facing into the direction of the Earth's travel around the Sun, so you'll see more meteors then. There's more you can read at Bad Astronomy. I recommend lying down. Take a friend who you can talk to, and relax on your back on a blanket, facing up and talk. I spent many nights when I was young doing just that and saw plenty of shooting stars even when there wasn't a meteor shower expected. Link (Image credit: Flickr user RawheaD Rex)

Washing Machine Escapes! Posted: 10 Aug 2013 05:00 PM PDT It's a clean getaway! YouTube Link - via Arbroath

How to Create the Illusion on Instagram That You Have a Girlfriend Posted: 10 Aug 2013 04:00 PM PDT Sure, you could go out and find a real girlfriend, but...well, how realistic is that? Keisuke Jinushi, a professional photographer, shows us a method with a greater likelihood for success. First apply makeup and nail polish to one hand. Then use that hand, bent backwards, to appear as the hand of an off-camera woman. Link -via 22 Words | Photographer's Website

This is How You Die Posted: 10 Aug 2013 03:00 PM PDT (vimeo link) Would you want to know? In this video by Michael Mohan, a machine tells people how they are going to die. It does not say when. They still can't see it coming. And once you think you've got them figured out, it turns out that you won't see it coming, either. -via Laughing Squid

Derpy Dash My Little Pony Reversible Backpack Posted: 10 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT Derpy Dash My Little Pony Reversible Backpack (shown both ways) Back to school time is here. Can't decide which My Little Pony character best fits your personality? You need the Derpy Dash My Little Pony Reversible Backpack from the NeatoShop. This adorable bag is reversible and features Rainbow Dash on one side and Derpy Hooves (Ditzy Doo) on the other. Now you can be Dash one day and Derpy the other. The bag features bright yellow padded and adjustable shoulder straps for easy toting.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Bags & Totes.  Link

Tiny Hamster House has Hidden Passages and Secret Doors Posted: 10 Aug 2013 02:00 PM PDT (Video Link) YouTube user heibonkinoko built an amazing house for his hamster. He calls it the "Ninja Mansion", perhaps because there are hidden escape routes everywhere. It's an incredibly detailed work of master craftsmanship. -via Rocket News 24

Power Corrupts ... the Brain Posted: 10 Aug 2013 01:00 PM PDT Photo: Minerva Studio/Shutterstock "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." We're sure you've heard the saying, attributed to English historian Lord Acton, before, and chances are, you've seen it firsthand in a friend who is a bit less friendly after getting a bit of fame or power. But why is that? Neuroscientist Sukhvinder Obhi and his colleagues at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, may have the answer: power fundamentally changes a person's brain. In their study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, the researchers put participants in the mindset of either being powerful or powerless, then they monitored the mirror system, the part of their brains linked with empathy. It turns out, feeling powerless boosted the mirror system — people empathized highly. But, Obhi says, "when people were feeling powerful, the signal wasn't very high at all." So when people felt power, they really did have more trouble getting inside another person's head. "What we're finding is power diminishes all varieties of empathy," says Dacher Keltner, a social psychologist at University of California, Berkeley ... Full story by Chris Benderev over at NPR.

1946 Alcatraz Menu Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT This printed menu for a week in September of 1946 doesn't look half bad. Lots of courses, three square meals, different offerings every day -at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco. Of course, anyone who has ever eaten at an institution, like a school, knows that the printed version and the actual product delivered can vary immensely. Link  -via Laughing Squid

A Custom Cabinet for a Taxidermied Ostrich Posted: 10 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT The auction house Christie's is marketing this find for the bird inside, but I'm more impressed by the existence of a cabinet built specifically for a taxidermied ostrich. I should build my own, even if I never have an ostrich to put inside. Link -via Nerdcore

Say No To Drugs Posted: 10 Aug 2013 10:48 AM PDT Say No To Drugs by Harebrained Design Magic mushroom? Just say no, kids! Harebrained Design tells us exactly why you shouldn't eat any ol' thing that come across you in the Mushroom Kingdom. Visit his Facebook page, Twitter and Tumblr pages, and then visit the Harebrained Design NeatoShop Page for more neat designs! Teenage Mutant Ninja Zombies Bat Country Help A Brother Out Mario Kombat View more designs by Harebrained Design | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn generous royalties, and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans!

Death Star Butt Painting Posted: 10 Aug 2013 10:00 AM PDT Like Wedge Antilles famously said in Star Wars, "Look at the size of that thing!" He's referring to the Death Star, of course, before Red Leader infamously told him to cut the chatter. Via Obvious Winner and Geekologie

A Brief History of Ice Cream Truck Music Posted: 10 Aug 2013 09:00 AM PDT (Photo: Paul Lowry) When did ice cream trucks begin serenading us with their siren song of relief from the summer heat? Dave Shumka writes that the music long predates actual ice cream trucks: So how did the chime box become the go-to music device? According to ethnomusicologist Daniel Tannehill Neely, 19th century ice cream parlours had music boxes, mechanical cylinders with pins sticking out to pluck the tines of a steel comb as they rotated. Early foot-powered ice cream carts used racks of bells and shouting salesmen to attract customers, but when trucks came along, vendors needed something louder to be heard over the engine. Inspired by their nostalgia for the old ice cream parlours, they went back to the familiar music box technology. In 1927, the first known chime box was custom built, and it played a traditional Polish song called “Stodola Pumpa.” It became its vendor’s trademark. Ice cream trucks didn’t become ubiquitous until after the Second World War, and that’s when the Nelson Company began manufacturing chime boxes, though they weren’t terribly energy-efficient. In 1957, Nichols Electronics improved the electronics of the design, and introduced the digital version in 1985. All that to say, when you hear an ice cream truck playing “Little Brown Jug,” you’re hearing an updated version of a 30-year-old digital unit that replicated the sound of a 55-year-old electronic unit, based on a 65-year-old mechanical unit, which was based on the music box, which was invented more than 200 years ago. And they’ve been using the same song for 70 years, and that song was written 75 years before that. A lot of technology went into making it sound so archaic, like the sonic equivalent of Instagram. Link -via VA Viper

A Cappella Alligator Posted: 10 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT (YouTube link) Sometimes, an alligator just has to sing! According to an Arabic translator at reddit, the lyrics are Saudi YouTube member Temsa7LY 2 bragging about getting 100 million views on his channel, which is better than certain competitors he names. The singer/musician is AlaaWardi. I just like the melody. -via Daily of the Day

How the Internet Ecosystem Works Posted: 10 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT It's a beautiful, natural cycle: ideas move from the offline world, then to the online world, then back again. Caldwell Tanner and Will Stephen explain how the internet works as an ecosystem. You can view the rest of the cycle at the link. Where does Neatorama fit in it? Link

This Week at Neatorama Posted: 10 Aug 2013 06:00 AM PDT Where does the time go? It was eight years ago, August 9, 2005, that Alex published the very first post on his new blog, Neatorama. And eight years later, the link is still good! (However, it could use some ♥s.) Starting out, he vowed to post at least five items a day, and put so much time into it that Tiffany referred to the site as "Crack-o-rama." Eight years and three children later, Neatorama is still going strong, with a totally individualized blogging platform, a few writers along for the ride, and a growing gift shop to support it all. Alex even got Tiffany to join in! And best of all, the site has a great gang of readers we call Neatoramanauts, some who've been around for years, others just joining us, but all are welcome to be a part of the community. What? Today's the tenth? Oh well, we'll do what parents of any eight-year-old would do: celebrate the birthday on the nearest Saturday, so everyone will come to the party! Considering this anniversary, I guess it's appropriate that we had a bonus number of feature articles this past week. In case you missed any of them, here's a chance to catch up. Alex told us about the recent spate of Fast Food Workers Gone Wild. Then later, he showed us 10 Amazing Cat Structures. Alex was very busy this week, as he also gave us the 9 Most Outrageous Things Ever Faked in China. Jill Harness introduced us to 6 Fictional Holidays You Really Should Be Celebrating. John Farrier, a librarian and teacher in his non-Ferengi life, wrote How Teachers Can Use Neatorama. That's for a specialized audience, to be sure, but everyone knows a teacher to sent it to. Eddie Deezen wrote "Stairway to Heaven" -The Greatest Rock Song Ever? Nobel Thoughts: Murray Gell-Mann came from the Annals of Improbable Research. For Shark Week, we had A Shark's Deadly Equipment, courtesy of Uncle John's Bathroom Raeder. And mental_floss magazine gave us Steven Spielberg's Jaws.   Hy Conrad returned with another Whodunit, titled The Wayward Will. David Israel stirred up a conversation with his fairly new weekly column Questions In Need of Answers, asking What Foods Have the Longest Shelf Lives? In this week's What Is It? game, the cast iron knight is a fireplace tools holder, for hanging a poker, shovel, and tongs. Lots of people knew that, but this week we are looking for wrong but entertaining guesses! One winning guess came from Paul Hitchmough, who said, "It's a tool used by knights to make three-strand woven friendship bracelets for their BFFs, but has the masculine design to keep up appearances. Those Crafty knights." The other winner is Sunfall, who guessed it to be a "a Knight Light. Just plug the prongs into a high-voltage outlet and watch its soothing red-hot metal glow. Your kids will love it! (Use only if children are fireproof.)" Those are both worth a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! Thanks to everyone who entered. See the answers to the other mystery items of the week atthe What Is It? blog. The NeatoShop's Dream Picnic Pin to Win Contest is in full swing! Pinterest users, both established and brand new, can compete to win a whole slew of great prizes from the NeatoShop. The contest closes on August 25th, so go here to get complete contest instructions. Good luck! We had one reader poll this week, in which the vast majority of Neatoramanauts agree that Shark Week has Jumped the Shark. At least on the Discovery channel -we still have a great time with it on the internet! Speaking of Shark Week, in the Tournament of Sharks, the Great White won, as expected. The Goblin Shark, the Hammerhead, and the Whale Shark all made the final four. The (non-giveaway) post this week that received the most comments was Questions In Need of Answers: What Foods Have the Longest Shelf Lives? Then Doctor Who: Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor came in second, with Oprah Walks Into a Store ... in third place. The comment of the week came when Soulfly responded to the post 10-year-old Saves Family with Mario Kart Skills by saying, "Good thing he didn't play Grand Theft Auto." Ha! The most popular post was 9 Most Outrageous Things Ever Faked in China, followed by Fast Food Workers Gone Wild and coming in third was 10 Amazing Cat Structures. The post with the most ♥s was Post No Bills followed by The Ultimate Catwalk and The Thirsty Tree of Chapel Rock. The most emailed post was 10 Amazing Cat Structures. Coming in second was  Push-up Bra, and Yoga With His Dog was third. It's back to school time! That's why lunch boxes and backpacks are on sale at the NeatoShop. Send your kids back to school with something special no one else will have! And don't forget, we have extra content and fun at our Facebook page every day! You are also invited to follow Neatorama on Twitter and Pinterest, too! And mobile users: Flipboard makes it easy to keep up with Neatorama. I hope the next eight years are as fun as the last eight have been!

Light Up Skull Bottle Stopper Posted: 10 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT Light Up Skull Bottle Stopper Are you looking for a spooktacular way to liven up your next soiree? Add the eye-catching Light Up Skull Bottle Stopper from the NeatoShop to your table decor. The metal bottle stopper features an engraved skull top. Turn on the multi-color LED light and watch the engraved skull pop out as it transitions through various colors.   Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Barware & Cocktail items.  Link

Better Children's Book Titles Posted: 10 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT We've featured Dan Wilbur of Better Book Titles, who "improved" book covers through clever Photoshoppery, before on Neatorama. This time around, Dan focused on improving children's books. I'd say he nailed them! View more over at Better Book Titles - via Laughing Squid

Meanwhile, in Alaska: A Bear Riding a Sea-Doo Posted: 10 Aug 2013 02:00 AM PDT (Photo: Morrison Guide Service) Graham Morrison spotted a young bear crawling on a jet ski near the base of his fishing guide business in southwestern Alaska: Morrison said that the young bear climbed onto the watercraft in order to get closer to its mother, who was sitting in the water dining on her catch. At one point, it climbed to the end of the craft and growled at her, in an apparent effort to convince her to give up some of the meal. Then, the young bear fell in before attempting to climb back up on the craft. Morrison said that the Sea Doo -- docked at a family boat dock about a mile from the King Salmon airport -- was unharmed during the bear encounter. Link -via Daily of the Day

Always Angry Posted: 10 Aug 2013 12:00 AM PDT Always Angry by Alberto Arni That's Alberto Arni's secret, Cap. He's always ang ... ready to come up with great pop culture mash up T-shirt designs, like this "Always Angry" Hulk/Taz mash up. Visit Alberto's official website and Facebook page, then visit his NeatoShop page for more neat T-shirts. Your purchase helps support indie artists as well as this blog! Nightmare A Hard Day's Night It's Not Only A Game, It's An Art Bartlloon View more designs by Alberto Arni | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn generous royalties, and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

The Typography Beard Guide Posted: 09 Aug 2013 11:00 PM PDT What font is your beard? Artist Christian Goldemann made this handy chart to match your facial hair style with the font that it most naturally represents. How did he come up with these? A plain moustache like the one John Watson liked to wear gets paired with the Baskerville font because of the Sherlock Holmes connection. A Darwin style beard is font brother to the sensible and eminent Hoefler Text, which seems like a font Darwin would have liked. The Old Dutch becomes the moustache-less beard of righteous, no-nonsense Garamond, while wearing No Beard at all makes your face as bald, boring, and openly readable as Verdana. Other pairings aren’t necessarily as obvious. For example, an Egyptian Goatee is paired with Clarendon, a font-beard combination that makes sense only if you know that Clarendon is a slab serif, or Egyptian, style font. Balbo and Bembo seem mostly paired for the pleasing typographic similarities of their names. And some combinations are hard to figure out at all: Pairing Futura with Z.Z. Top is befuddling at best. Goldemann has more to say about it at Co. Design. Link

A Map of Manhattan Consisting of Hand-Drawn Directions Made by Strangers Posted: 09 Aug 2013 10:00 PM PDT What you're looking at is, believe it or not, a map of Manhattan. Nobutaka Aozaki, an artist from Japan, asked strangers around the island for directions. They drew enough maps that Mr. Aozaki was able to create a rough outline of the island. Link -via Colossal | Photos: Nobutaka Aozaki

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