Neatorama

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• Merry-Go-Round Generates Electricity for School Kids in Ghana
• 11 Common Words with Very Specific Meanings on Food Labels
• A Computer Designed Specifically for the Amish
• Macabre Liqueur Chocolates
• Groovy! Now, Where's My Boomstick?
• My Little Brony
• 11 Rejected Canadian Flag Designs
• Hello Kitty Caterpillar
• Rock n Brew Guitar Tea Infuser
• Amazing Sushi Art
• The World's Longest Apple Drop
• DuckTales + Street Fighter
• When a Book is Really Good
• Matryoshka Hardware: Everyday Carry and Beyond
• Wrecked Names on Cakes
• T-Shirt Size Distribution at a Computer Science Conference
• Questions In Need of Answers - No. 9: Which Companies Have the Worst Customer Service? Lowes? Virgin America Visa?
• Australian Pig Gets Drunk and Picks a Fight with Cow
• This Just Might Be the Cutest Finn Around
• Pleats Fingerless Gloves
• Smaller Balls, Better Dads
• Hello Kitty Beer
• Heineken's World Bottle Plan
• Anatomical Sweatshirt
• Whodunit: An Alarming Jewel Heist
• These Glowing Jell-O Shots Are Just Plain Batty
• 48 Things You Didn't Know Had Names
• Neil deGrasse Tyson's Punch-Out!!
• The Cave Church of St. Simon in Mokattam
• Milo Is All Ready for His First Day At School

Merry-Go-Round Generates Electricity for School Kids in Ghana Posted: 12 Sep 2013 04:00 AM PDT This school in Ghana is off the electrical grid, so engineering students at Brigham Young University built a generator for it. As children spin on the merry-go-round, they charge batteries inside. Ben Markham, a missionary working in Ghana, explained the project in a BYU press release: When he approached BYU about the project, Markham challenged BYU students to engineer a device that could generate power but would be fun, not work, for the children. To make it fun to ride, the students used a gearbox to multiply the rotation speed and incorporated circuitry to limit the amount of energy extracted from the system. “The spinning is converted through a gearbox. The gearbox takes their rotation and multiplies it by 35, which then spins the generator and the generator is what converts that energy into electrical energy,” says BYU technology student Ben Drewry. “So we’ve tried to balance fun, and getting an interesting amount of power from the device,” says Markham. The power generated by the merry-go-round is stored in a car battery that recharges several dozen portable LED lights that can be used in classrooms and homes. Many families have little or no lighting in the evenings, relying on kerosene lamps, candles, or open flame “bobo” lights. Markham hopes that better lighting at home will lead to greater literacy and productivity for children and their families. Link -via Marilyn Terrell (Photos: Brigham Young University)

11 Common Words with Very Specific Meanings on Food Labels Posted: 12 Sep 2013 03:00 AM PDT The Food and Drug Administration knows from experience that if terms are not strictly defined, manufacturers will push the boundaries of regulations as far as they can. That's why commonsense words that everyone sort of knows are defined with utmost precision when it comes to food labeling. Surprisingly, this doesn't always mean the standards for food are all that strict. Just strictly-defined. For example, the word "free": If it’s free of fat, or sugar, or salt, it doesn’t mean that not one trace of those things is to be found in it. The FDA evaluates certain terms with reference to a typical portion size known as an RACC (reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion). An RACC of eggnog, for example, is ½ cup. For croutons, it’s 7 grams, and for scrambled eggs, 100 grams. To be labeled “free” of calories, the food must have less than 5 per RACC. For fat and sugar, less than .5 grams. For sodium, less than 5 milligrams. Also, the food must somehow be processed to be “free” of those things in order to get the simple “free” label. You can’t have “fat free lettuce,” only “lettuce, a fat free food.” Other words defined are "light," "natural," and "more," among others. Learn what those really mean in your food at mental_floss. Link (Image credit: Flickr user Enokson)

A Computer Designed Specifically for the Amish Posted: 12 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT (Photo: Adam Davidson/NPR) For religious reasons, the Amish avoid much of what may be called modern technology. But they do make exceptions and sometimes even use computers. Here's a photo from a recent Amish trade show in Ohio. One company promoted its line of computers with deliberately limited functions: The key selling point, perhaps not surprisingly, is all the things the computer doesn't do. Like the sign says: No Internet, no video, no music. It's '80s-era technology that lets you do basic word-processing, spreadsheets and accounting. It's the kind of thing some (but not all) Amish people would find acceptable to use for work. In general, the Amish are more willing to adopt new technology if they can justify it for business reasons and they can keep it out of the home. I met an Amish businessman who gave me his business card with a phone number on it. I asked if he had a phone and he said yes — but he kept the phone in a separate building outside his home and factory. It had an answering machine they would check every couple of hours. But they couldn't hear it ringing. Link -via Marginal Revolution

Macabre Liqueur Chocolates Posted: 12 Sep 2013 01:00 AM PDT These aren't real body parts -they're chocolate candy! Emmylou Cakehead is preparing for her Eat Your Heart Out Halloween pop up cake shop in London. This year's theme is "Feed the Beast." We just had to share a few previews of these jaw dropping incredible life-sized The Kraken Rum flavored chocolate (purposefully dead looking) body parts. We’re pretty confident in laying down the gauntlet and saying that these will be the best liqueur chocolates you will ever see, plus of course being made with a dark spiced rum means they taste amazing. Taste amazing, but looks simply gruesome! These body parts are from All Mine Patisserie. See more at Eat Your Heart Out. Link-Thanks, Miss Cakehead!

Groovy! Now, Where's My Boomstick? Posted: 12 Sep 2013 12:00 AM PDT Earthworm Ash by Harebrained Design Earthworm battling the evil undead? Groovy! Now, where's my boomstick? Harebrained Design mashes up our favorite 90's sidescrolling platformer game with our favorite 90's cult film hit into this fantastic tee. Visit Harebrained Design's Facebook page, Twitter and Tumblr pages, and then visit his NeatoShop Page for more neat designs! Your purchase helps support indie artists as well as this blog. Sonic Screwdriver Ad Sewer Fighter A Link to the Snitch Incredible Mario 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!

My Little Brony Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:00 PM PDT (College Humor Link) Bronies have become so obliquitous that they've entered the My Little Pony toy market! Great for engaging young imaginations… but adults can have fun with them, too! For ages 8 and up. Way up.

11 Rejected Canadian Flag Designs Posted: 11 Sep 2013 10:00 PM PDT Canadian independence was a gradual process. Even as recently as 1965, it had no official national flag. This became a major political issue, so the government invited citizens to contribute designs. Adrienne Crezo of Mental Floss rounded up 11 of the strangest ones among the 3,451 submitted. This one was intended to represent national unity, but, Adrienne writes, it "looks something like a shoe company logo." You can view other submissions at the link, including comical suggestions, such as a flag with The Beatles. Link -via The Presurfer

Hello Kitty Caterpillar Posted: 11 Sep 2013 09:00 PM PDT This is actually the caterpillar form of the Chinese Bush Brown butterfly (Mycalesis gotama), but that face is familiar all over the world as Hello Kitty. As you can probably imagine, these cute caterpillars are quite the hit in Japan, the caterpillars native region. I have no idea what the caption above says (please tell me in the comments if you do) but I’m hoping it says OMGWHYISTHISSOCUTE because that’s what I’m saying to myself. No, I don't know why it was named the Chinese Bush Brown butterfly if its native region is Japan. Life is full of mysteries. See more pictures of this caterpillar and some of the art it inspired at The Featured Creature. Link (Image source: Meiwa Suisan)

Rock n Brew Guitar Tea Infuser Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:00 PM PDT   Rock n Brew Guitar Tea Infuser Sure you have heard of the air guitar, but have you heard of the water guitar? It's where after you have rocked out so hard that you are utterly exhausted. So you sit down quietly and enjoy a cup of your favorite specially blended loose leaf tea. This is all done in an effort to regain your strength so that you can rock out some more. Nah, I am just messing with you. There is no such thing as the water guitar. But, if there was the Rock n Brew Guitar Tea Infuser from the NeatoShop would be perfect.     Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Coffee & Tea items.  Link

Amazing Sushi Art Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:00 PM PDT Tama-Chan, an incredible sushi artist in Japan, can recreate famous images in rice, seaweed and fish. If you've ever wanted to eat a Vemeer painting without getting in trouble with the museum guards, this guy can set you up. View more photos of his work at the link. Link -via Foodbeast (Photos: Nifty)

The World's Longest Apple Drop Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:00 PM PDT (YouTube link) Remember that time an apple fell on Sir Isaac Newton's head and he discovered gravity? This video compilation pays tribute to the concept. To celebrate Gravity Day (which was Monday), General Electric invited Vine users to record an apple drop, and then they string the best of them together. Pay no attention to the fact that the apple changes color often. This is also a bit like the story of the loaves and fishes from the Bible in that dozens of people take a bite out of the apple, yet it still appears whole. Or was that the story of Adam and Eve? Anyway, the apple keeps falling until it can fall no more. Watch and find out why. -via Laughing Squid

DuckTales + Street Fighter Posted: 11 Sep 2013 06:00 PM PDT The video game Street Fighter and cartoon DuckTales both premiered in 1987. Why was there never a crossover? Javiera shows us a scene from a game that, tragically, never existed for 80s kids. Link

When a Book is Really Good Posted: 11 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Now I'm wondering what book it is. This kind of recommendation should be a jacket blurb! Comic by Josh Devine. Link -via Pleated-Jeans

Matryoshka Hardware: Everyday Carry and Beyond Posted: 11 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT I'm fascinated with people who are far more organized that I am. Like data scientist Seth Brown, for example, who has systematically organized his gears and hardware into different levels of complexity, depending on his intended activity. An average day may call for wallet, phones and car keys - those set of items comprise your "everyday carry" (or EDC). If you out for an extended weekend trip, you may carry additional stuff. My EDC comprises of the stuff shown above: My smartphone (which has more computing power than all the computers from World War II-era combined - just think about that), my slim wallet (I hate carrying the fat trifolds - no George's Exploding Wallet for me), and my car fob and the NeatoHQ and my house keys (the only two keys in that keyring). But back to Brown: He has organized his stuff into "layers" which work like a set of nesting Matryoshka dolls. Here's how he explained it: I’ve found that most activities of the same duration and complexity share the same set of core hardware. For example, a 3 day ski adventure, scientific conference, or holiday weekend requires much of the same core hardware. A byproduct of this division between activity-specific gear and core hardware is that core hardware naturally organizes into layers. Core hardware that I use for shorter duration activities serves as the foundation for core hardware that I carry for longer duration activities. A smaller set of core hardware integrates into the layer above it. Each layer subsumes the previous layer like a series of Matryoshka dolls. The result is an amazingly logical step of nerdery: Need to go on a weekend trip? While the rest of us have to think and sort through our stuff to figure out what to carry, Brown only has to grab his "Extended Carry Items" and his Everyday Carry. For activities that require more hardware, he grabs his Bug-out Bag, Extended Carry Items, and Everyday Carry. Genius! Read more over at Brown's blog. How about you? What sort of stuff do you carry every day?

Wrecked Names on Cakes Posted: 11 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT Cake Wrecks has a collection of cakes on which someone's name was just plain wrong. This one stood out to me. What do you think it was supposed to be? Surely someone didn't name their new baby Felony! The rest of the cakes are almost as funny. Link

T-Shirt Size Distribution at a Computer Science Conference Posted: 11 Sep 2013 02:00 PM PDT Twitter user @kapravel tweeted this photo showing a vastly different T-shirt size distribution at a computer science conference for the Linux operating system. We see similar shift in the sales of various T-shirt sizes on the NeatoShop, and a friend of mine whose job is in retail distribution confirmed that some chain stores in the midwest had simply stopped ordering "Small" shirts (not even for children's shirts) What T-shirt size do you wear? POLL: What T-Shirt Size Do You Wear (Anonymous Poll) XS S M L XL 2XL 3XL 4XL 5XL 6XL

Questions In Need of Answers - No. 9: Which Companies Have the Worst Customer Service? Lowes? Virgin America Visa? Posted: 11 Sep 2013 01:31 PM PDT What’s going on with customer service from big corporations in America these days? If this past week is any indication, nothing great, that’s for sure. Not sure which recent experience was worse, Lowes or Virgin America Visa card, but here goes: Virgin America Visa On Monday morning, my wife and I got a call that our account had been compromised and Virgin America Visa would have to issue new cards. This is the third time this has happened with this card in about a year. When I was with Citibank Visa it happened 3 times over the whole 15 years I owned the card. So right there, that says something about Virgin’s computers. But wait, it gets worse… So for some reason, even though we have the same family account, our cards have different numbers on them (which is a real pain when you’re trying to return something your wife bought, btw). So we call to see which card number was compromised. Turns out, it was my wifes. So they issue her a new card and say I can continue using mine no worries. But then later that day, mine doesn’t work. So I call up Virgin Visa and they say, no, it was not my wife’s, it was mine. And they apologize for canceling her card and not mine. To make it up to me, they’re willing to overnight the new card (mine, not hers) at no expense. Geesh, thanks Virgin America! That’s mighty big of ya. So the card is supposed to come today, this morning. When I call up to find out the tracking number to get a better idea of the window I’ll need to be home for to sign for the package (which they’d instructed me to do), they say, “Ooops. It never got processed. Sorry! We can resend it for tomorrow.” So I say, okay. That rots, but I lived this long without it, I can go another 24 hours. Then I suggest that they put my wife’s card in the package since hers was due to go out regular post and not arrive until next week. It’s the least they should offer, right? They say, “Good idea.” Two hours later, the card they said never got processed, arrived FedEx at the house! Even better, then I get TWO emails saying I’ve just activated a new card. Each e-mail has a different card number on it! Only one matches the card I’d just activated. The story isn’t over, I’m sure. Let’s see what happens tomorrow or next week when more cards start coming… Okay, now Lowes… So I went in to buy a new microwave. I wanted someone to deliver it and install it over the range and haul away the old, broken one. Sounds simple, right? Un-uh. When I bought it, the salesman said it could be delivered in the next day or two because they had it in stock. Super, I said and went home counting the hours before I could nuke my next meal. Well, days pass before the delivery company even calls to set up the appointment. Then, when they finally do, they say they’ll have to come on Saturday and give me a 4 hour window. Okay, so that kills one weekend day, but not the worst thing in the world. That is, until they don’t show up or call to say they won’t be able to make it. The next week, I call Lowes and speak to 7 different managers and sub-managers and sub-sub managers before squaring things away. I had to call 3 different times because they kept putting me on hold to review the notes in the computer before the line would go dead. Good times. So the last of the 7 managers says the install company will be in touch about rescheduling. He never apologies for the mess, but does offer to knock a few bucks off the price, so that’s cool. The install company finally calls and says that on Saturday (another weekend!) they’ll be coming to install my dishwasher. Fantastic, I say! A free dishwasher in addition to the $20 bucks off the microwave! Lowes rocks! “Sorry, sir. There’s no free dishwasher,” says the woman on the line. “Did you not order a dishwasher?” Ugh. Cut to the chase… the delivery/install company misses the 5 hour window over the weekend by about 40 minutes. No one ever calls to say they’re running late or anything. I had to call Lowes AGAIN to find out what the deal was. What about you all? What’s the worst customer service you’ve had recently? I bet there’s no shortage of good stories! Oh, and if you want amazing customer service, Alex, who runs our neatoshop in addition to owning this wonderful site, is awesome! Truth!

Australian Pig Gets Drunk and Picks a Fight with Cow Posted: 11 Sep 2013 01:00 PM PDT Just another Saturday night? Not this time, because it was a real feral pig that had too many beers at a camping area near Port Hedland in the Pilbara. The animal was seen stealing three six-packs of beer from campers before ransacking rubbish bags for food. One camper reported seeing the pig guzzling the beer before getting involved in an altercation with a cow. "In the middle of the night these people camping opposite us heard a noise, so they got their torch out and shone it on the pig and there he was, scrunching away at their cans," said the visitor, who estimated that the pig had consumed 18 beers. "Then he went and raided all the rubbish bags. There were some other people camped right on the river and they saw him being chased around their vehicle by a cow." The pig was last seen under a tree nursing a hangover. All this story needs is a video with a Yakety Sax sound track. Link -via Nag on the Lake (Image credit: AAP/Main roads WA)

This Just Might Be the Cutest Finn Around Posted: 11 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT Little Finn here just happens to be the son of John Nettles, photographer at City Light Studios, and a huge fan of Adventure Time.  All he needs now is a Jake to follow him around. Link

Pleats Fingerless Gloves Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:11 AM PDT Pleats Fingerless Gloves Pleating, the art of taking cloth and doubling it over onto itself and stitching it or tacking it into place. For many of us pleating reminds us of the roaring 20's where box-pleated skirts were all the rage. Pleating, however, dates back much farther than the 1920's. Evidence of pleated fabric has been found in Viking graves in Birka. Those pleats date back to 10 B.C.  Cool weather is approaching. Show your friends you are as free spirited as a flapper and as stylish as a Viking with the Pleats Fingerless Gloves from the NeatoShop. This fierce pair of gloves is made of wool and is available in: Beige, Black, Gray, and Orange. They are perfect for when you need your fingers free for texting, dancing, or raiding coastal settlements.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Apparel & Accessories.  Link

Smaller Balls, Better Dads Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:11 AM PDT Ball shrinking in progress (Photo: amidala76/Shutterstock) Ladies, looking for a mate to sire your offsprings? If yes, know this: size matters. But when it comes to caring for infants - think smaller, not larger. See, when it comes to nurture, it turns out that men with smaller balls are better dads. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (or PNAS as it's lovingly called by the science types - go ahead and laugh, it's okay), researchers at Emory University showed that dads with smaller gonads are more likely to be nurturing to their infant children. How did the researchers find out? They used MRI to measure the gonads of 70 biological fathers (age 21 to 43), studied the dads for activity in the brain area believed to be involved in parental motivation, and interviewed mothers about their involvement in childrearing. The study results showed that both testosterone level and testes size are inversely correlated with paternal parenting involvement. Basically, the higher the testosterone - and since this hormone governs the size of the gonads - the larger the testes, the less likely the men would become involved fathers. Emory anthropologists James Rilling noted that life history theory, which posits that organisms evolve strategies to produce the largest possible number of surviving offspring, suggest that fathers allocate resources toward either mating or parenting. "Our data suggest that the biology of human males reflects a trade-off between mating and parenting ... previous studies have shown that children with more involved fathers have better social, psychological and educational outcomes." But which come first? Do smaller balls make men better parents, or does involved parenthood shrink men's balls? "We’re assuming that testes size drives how involved the fathers are," Rilling noted, "but it could also be that when men become more involved as caregivers, their testes shrink. Environmental influences can change biology. We know, for instance, that testosterone levels go down when men become involved fathers." Thanks Tiffany!

Hello Kitty Beer Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:10 AM PDT Oh, that Hello Kitty. She's got everything: spa, jet plane, restaurant, gold business card, castle (yes, Hello Kitty castle) ... the list goes on. It's enough to drive one mad with envy. And if you want to drown your sorrow at your comparative lack of everything when compared to Hello Kitty, then this is the perfect drink: Hello Kitty Beer. There are six Hello Kitty beers, which come in easy-drinking fruit flavors like peach, lemon-lime, passion fruit, and banana. They have about half the alcohol content of mainstream American beers - a Budweiser runs 5 percent alcohol-by-volume, where the Hello Kitty brews range from 2.3 percent to 2.8 percent. “The beers were introduced in Taiwan, and are now also available in China, where flavored beer is a new trend in the market,” David Marchi, senior director of brand management and marketing for Sanrio, the company that created Hello Kitty, told TODAY.com. He confirmed that Sanrio licensed the beer, brewed by the Taiwan Tsing Beer Company. Jim Galligan of TODAY has the full story.

Heineken's World Bottle Plan Posted: 11 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT It's the kind of thing you heard about all the time now, but back in the 1960s, a scheme to build houses out of beer bottles on a large scale was way out there. Heineken had a real plan, though, which never got far off the ground. It was called the Heineken World Bottle (or WOBO), designed by architect John Habraken after then-CEO "Freddy" Heineken had an epiphany. While visiting the island of Curaçao, Heineken was bothered by the mass amounts of trash--including his own bottles--and the lack of housing. His solution? Make a beer bottle that could serve as a brick when it’s finished. Habraken came up with several designs, one of which was actually manufactured, but never made it to market. Read about the design and marketing troubles for the WOBO at Fact Co Design. Link -via the Presurfer

Anatomical Sweatshirt Posted: 11 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT Etsy seller Tyler Sharpe found this delightfully weird vintage sweatshirt. It has a flap on the front to show the interior arrangement of the human head. Wear it to freak out your friends more than you normally do. Link -via Swiss Miss

Whodunit: An Alarming Jewel Heist Posted: 11 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT The following is a Whodunit by Hy Conrad featuring Sherman Oliver Holmes, a mysterious crime solver and great-great-grandson of Sherlock Holmes. Can you solve the crime? Meet Sherman Holmes No one knew where Sherman Oliver Holmes came from or how he'd gotten his money. One day, Capital City was just your run-of-the-mill metropolitan area. The next day, a short, rotund millionaire in a deerstalker cap began showing up at crime scenes, claiming to be the great-great-grandson of Sherlock Holmes and offering his expert opinion. Sergeant Gunther Wilson of the Major Crimes Division was irritated by how often this eccentric little man with the southern drawl would appear within minutes of a grisly murder and stick his nose into official police business. What disturbed Wilson even more was the fact that this eccentric little man was nearly always right. "The loony should be committed," Wilson had been heard to say on more than one occasion. "He always has some outlandish theory. I'd sign the commitment papers myself — if I didn't have a soft spot for him." But Wilson didn't have a soft spot. What he did have was a phenomenal record for solving cases, thanks in large part to his "loony" friend. To his credit, Sherman wasn't much interested in taking credit. As far as the public was concerned, the Capital City police were simply doing a better job than ever before. So Sergeant Wilson decided to swallow his pride and befriend the exasperating, unique little gentleman who had nothing better to do than pop up like a fat rabbit and do the work of an entire detective squad. "Maybe now you'll stop bugging me," Zach Alban said as Sherman walked into his friend's shop. "See? I got that alarm system you recommended, wired straight to the police station." "It's about time," Sherman replied. Alban Jewelers had just expanded its business and finally had some jewels worth stealing. "Mr. Alban, I'm leaving now." Ricky Mayfield had finished clearing out the window displays, placing the felts of precious stones into their locked drawers for the night. The door buzzed as the young assistant raced out to catch his bus. Melanie, Alban's second in command, was putting on her jacket and looking at the newly installed alarm panel. "Are you sure you don't want to give me the code, Zach? That way you won't always have to be here to open and close." "Not right now. Maybe in a few days when I get more used to it." "Whatever," Melanie said. A rumbling from the street announced the arrival of her boyfriend's motorcycle. "See you tomorrow." And she was quickly out the door, hopping onto the back of a Harley-Davidson. Zach led the way into the back office, eager to show his friend the entire system. "Once I set the code, any broken window or open door will trigger the alarm. Twenty seconds, that's all the time I have to disarm it. Sam, why don't you go home, too?" Sam Wells switched off the computer and wished his boss a good night. Seconds later they heard the front door buzz, signaling the last employee's departure. "Want to help me close up?" Zach asked Sherman. "I don't want to make a mistake. After your first false alarm, they start charging you a fine." Sherman and Zach followed the instructions to the letter, then went down the block to Gil's Tavern. When they left an hour later, Sherman noticed a police patrol car parked in front of Alban Jewelers. "Break-in and burglary," an officer informed the devastated storeowner. "The back alley window was smashed. We responded within two minutes. But the alley was empty and the crooks were already gone." Sherman was surprised by the thoroughness of the burglary. The jewel drawers had been chiseled open and stripped of their contents. The display cases had also been broken into and ransacked, glass shards littering the hardwood floor. "So much for my brand new alarm system," Zach said almost accusingly. "Not so fast," Sherman said. "If it weren't for the alarm system I wouldn't know who the burglar is." WHO ROBBED THE SHOP? HOW DID SHERMAN KNOW? Show Answer "The alarm didn't catch anyone." Zach still sounded angry. "Yes, it did. Tell me, Zach. How long do you think the thief took to clean you out?" Zach glanced around the showroom. "A minimum of five minutes, probably ten." "And yet, when the police got here two minutes after the alarm, the burglar was already gone." "Yeah." Zach scratched his head. "That's impossible." "Not if the burglar was already inside. After we left, he came out of hiding and took what he wanted. He set off the alarm when he left the shop, not when he arrived." "You say he. It was a man?" "It was Sam Wells. He was the only person we didn't actually see exiting the shop. He must have hidden in a closet or behind a counter until after we left. It had to be him. No one else could have come in while we were still here, not without setting off the door buzzer." The whodunit above was provided by American mystery fiction author Hy Conrad. In addition to his work in mystery and crime puzzles, Hy was also one of the original writers for the groundbreaking TV series Monk. Currently, Hy is working on mystery novel series "Abel Adventures" as well as the Monk series of novels, starting with Mr. Monk Helps Himself (published by Penguin, order from Amazon here) Check out Hy's official website and Facebook page - and stay tuned for more whodunits puzzlers on Neatorama from the master of whodunit mysteries himself!

These Glowing Jell-O Shots Are Just Plain Batty Posted: 11 Sep 2013 09:00 AM PDT Want something amazing to enjoy at your Halloween party? Then offer up these blacklight-responsive Jell-O shots made with vodka tonics. Don't worry, the quinine from the tonic is all-natural and responds to blacklights. Beyond that, all you need are some cool bat-shapped molds. Link Update 9/11/13 by Alex: You can get that Bat Ice Tray from the NeatoShop.

48 Things You Didn't Know Had Names Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT (YouTube link) Everything has a name, although many aren't used in everyday life. You, as a Neatoramanaut, probably know some of these names, but you can still learn some new ones in the latest mental_floss video. I'm going to remember "lawn mullet." That's relevant to my interests. -via mental_floss

Neil deGrasse Tyson's Punch-Out!! Posted: 11 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT This clever print by Pacalin mashes up the classic Nintendo game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! and a popular meme about celebrity physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Next, I'd like to see Mike Tyson delivering an astrophysics lecture. Link

The Cave Church of St. Simon in Mokattam Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:30 AM PDT The Coptic Monastery of Saint Simon on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, is not all that ancient, but it is magnificent. Built in 1976, it holds 20,000 people! The church serves the Zabbaleen, a group of former farmers who migrated to Cairo in the 1940s and became garbage workers. They settled near the cliffs of the Mokattam quarries and a eventually built the church right into the cliffside. See more pictures at Amusing Planet. Link -via mental_floss (Image credit: Flickr user vagabondblogger)

Milo Is All Ready for His First Day At School Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:00 AM PDT (Video Link) One of the most important things a youngster can do while getting ready to return to school is to pick out the perfect outfit for the first day. Here, young Milo tries on a number of fashionable ensembles to find the perfect outfit.  Via Cute Overload

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