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2013/10/03

Neatorama

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Coffin Dip Bowl

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 04:00 AM PDT

 

Coffin Dip Bowl

Halloween is right around the corner. Are you planning a spooktacular Halloween bash? Add some new blood to your holiday entertaining with the Coffin Dip Bowl from the NeatoShop. This frightfully fun set features a coffin with a vampire painted inside, a coffin lid, and a tombstone spreader. 

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

Link

Someone's Ready For Moving Day

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 04:00 AM PDT

I can hear the discussion now:

Hey honey, have you packed up the dishes? Yes.

What about the kid's toys? Of course.

The dog? Sure did. 

Wait, why is he in bubble wrap? Well, you don't want him getting damaged during the move do you?

Personally, I think he doesn't need all that bubble wrap -packing him in a box with lots of popcorn would protect him just fine.

The image, from Imgur user Homewares reminds up how important it is to keep your pug safe during your move.

Vegetarian Specials

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 03:00 AM PDT

The word "vegetarian" apparently means something different to the person who designed this menu. At first it looks as if they think chicken is not real meat, but then you see pork and steak, too. Maybe it means "has vegetables in it"? Maybe not, as the first offering doesn't mention vegetables at all. Go figure! -via Arbroath

Potty-Mouthed Humans

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT

Kelly Angel can cuss like a feline sailor. She just doesn't know it.

Kelly has, by the way, a short and lovely explanation of why she won't do risque artwork:

No, it will make disappoint my grandma (she'll never say anything about what she saw but the smile she used to give me will never again reach her eyes).

Why Americans Love Guns

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:00 AM PDT

Americans are known for having a particular affinity with firearms, which is traced to the way the nation was settled from coast to coast. Guns were such a part of the continental exploration and the settlement of the West that we can't imagine doing it without them. But our actual history was romanticized by Hollywood, which gave us the Westerns we all know and love. Bob Boze Bell, the executive editor of True West magazine, explains what the real Wild West was like:

“There are a thousand movies made about them, so you’d think that there were gunfights every day,” Bell says. “And when you read the diaries or you talk to the old-timers, they’ll say things like, ‘Why, I never saw anybody pull a gun in anger, and I lived on the range for 40 years.’ Did most people settle their differences in court? Yeah, probably. Did they use their fists more than their guns? Yes. Were there a lot of deaths from shooting in saloons? Oh yeah. It was a wild time. It’s safe to say that the West had its moments. And what we celebrate in legend are those dramatic moments. They weren’t all the time, and they were not like Hollywood portrays, but if you portrayed it real, nobody would go see the movie.”

Collectors Weekly also talked to Jeffrey Richardson, the curator of the new “Western Frontiers: Stories of Fact and Fiction” exhibition at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, about the history of guns in America. He tells how the evolution of gun technology led to changes in frontier life over time, in an article illustrated with photographs of guns fro the collection.

The Power of Flight

Posted: 03 Oct 2013 12:00 AM PDT

I don't know..I kind of understand what the birds are thinking. You could go to all that effort to poop on cars in Paris and Tokyo. But that's a lot of work. I think that Abstruse Goose is just taking it personally that they've chosen his car as their getaway destination.

Otter Wants to Play

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 11:00 PM PDT

(YouTube link)

How many times have you stopped the car because you caught a glimpse of some wildlife, and then you don't see anything more? That's not the case here, because this river otter wants to make friends, play, or maybe mug this nice couple and take whatever snacks they may have. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

5 Yummy Facts About Cinnabon

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 10:00 PM PDT

Love Cinnabon? Who doesn't? This 5 Yummy Facts about Cinnabon post is the perfect article to read while you munch on the cinnamon-y goodness of a freshly baked cinnamon roll. Hmm, BRB. Going to the mall to get me some!

1. From Hooters Waitress to CEO

Kat Cole (@KAtColeATL), Cinnabon's current President, has an interesting career path. Cole got her start at a Hooters restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. She told Jenna Goudreau of Forbes:

I had a single parent—a mother who worked three jobs and fed us on $10 a week—so I started working as early as the law would permit. I sold clothes at The Avenues mall after school before I was recruited to be a Hooters hostess. By 18, I was a Hooters girl and loved it. When the cook quit, I learned how to run the kitchen, and when the manager quit, I learned how to run a shift.

I went to college at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, planning to get an engineering degree and then go to law school. When I was 19, I got the opportunity to go open the first Hooters restaurant in Australia. I’d never been on a plane. I didn’t even have a passport. I realized that in Miami you could get a passport in one day, so I flew to Miami, got a passport and flew to Australia the next day.

I was in Sydney for 40 days, came back and within 10 days was asked to open the first restaurant in Central America. Then ones in South America, Asia, Africa and Canada. By the time I was 20, I’d opened up the first Hooters on most continents outside the US and was failing school. So I quit to become the head of Hooters corporate training. I’m a college dropout.

She moved up the management chain and became the vice president of Hooters at the tender age of 29. She went back to school to get her MBA, got a job at Cinnabon, and soon after became the president of Cinnabon at 32. (Image: CBS News)

2. The "Gut Bomb"

Cinnabon's most popular item is the Classic roll. It has 880 calories (that's 330 more than the Big Mac), with a whopping 36 grams of fat and 59 grams of sugar. That's more than 14 teaspoonful of sugar. No wonder that the Cinnabon Classic has been called the "Gut Bomb."


This is what 14 teaspoonful of sugar looks like. Photo: Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock

But wait, that's not the most calorific item on the menu. That honor belongs to the Caramel Pecanbon, which comes in at 1080 calories and 76 grams of sugar (18 teaspoonful of sugar, if you're counting). [Source]

No apologies from Cole, however. She said "It's almost pornographic. It's just so over-the-top, it's a sensory experience" when asked about Cinnabon's indulgences. She went on to explain to Bloomberg Businessweek that she thinks people are allowed to have "discretionary calories" to treat themselves every now and then to Cinnabon rolls.

3. Cinnabon Has $1 Billion in Annual Sales

That's a whole lot of cinnamon rolls!

Actually, only half of that revenue comes from the sale of 100 million cinnamon rolls each year from Cinnabon's 1,100 franchised stores. The other half comes from licensing deals that brought us Cinnabon-flavored everything:

4. First American Chain to open in Libya


Cinnabon in Tripoli - photo: Bloomberg Businessweek

Forty two years after Libya's dictator Muammar Qaddafi came into power, the Libyan people got their first taste of American cinnamon decadence. In July 2012, Cinnabon became the first US franchise to open in Libya after the fall of Qaddafi.

5. They're Not Made from "True" Cinnamon


True cinnamon (L) and Indonesian Korintje cinnamon (R) by Antti Vähä-Sipilä/Wikipedia

After all this time, you'd be surprised that the cinnamon in Cinnabon rolls is actually not "true" cinnamon, rather a related "cousin".

True cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon is a spice made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomumverum tree. It has a citrusy fragrance and complex yet mild taste without the "bite" we associate with the spice.

The "cinnamon" found in Cinnabon (and in kitchens everywhere) is actually cassia, derived from Cinnamomum burmannii, a tree native to Indonesia. Of all the Cinnamomum species, this form of cassia (known as Indonesian cassia or Korintje cassia) has the lowest oil content and is therefore the cheapest. In the United States, there's no labeling requirement to distinguish cinnamon and cassia, so we know them all as just cinnamon*. Cinnabon trademarked their supply of Korintje cassia as "Makara Cinnamon."

*Blogger LogoVida of Seasonality has a neat explanation on the differences of the types of cinnamons that you can check out if you're interested.

D.C. Businesses Respond to Government Shutdown

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:00 PM PDT

An estimated 800,000 federal employees are off work today without pay, as the U.S. government shutdown continues. In Washington, D.C., many local businesses are stepping up to help out the workers they depend on. The Washington Post published a list of places that are offering free food or discounts to federal workers. ABC News has such a list, too, with offers of other services in addition to food and drink, such as theaters and fitness centers and museums that are offering free admission to make up for the closing of the Smithsonian facilities. After all, furloughed workers have time to fill, and tourists cannot easily reschedule their trips. Some of the offers come with an exclusion:

Pork Barrel BBQ Pork Barrel BBQ is also offering free food for the duration of the shutdown to all government employees -- well, every government employee except for members of Congress. The BBQ joint is serving up free pulled pork sandwiches all day, limit one per day, in Alexandria, Va.

The Washington businesses are building goodwill with their customers by being so generous, but if the shutdown lasts a while, they, too, will suffer economically from the loss of cash business.

(Image source: Fark)

A Kiss from the Fairy Princess Revives the Knight

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 08:00 PM PDT

(Photo: periwinklepaints)

Once upon a time, a brave knight charged forward in a joust against a wicked prince, only to be unhorsed and thrown to the ground, defeated. He would have remained there, but for the healing kiss of a kindly fairy princess. Revived, he returned to battle and slew his foe.

Lydia Palmer snapped this beautiful photo of a knight and his daughter at a modern joust. She explains that the little girl healed everyone on the field with her magic wand, then kissed her daddy.

Is a College Degree Worth It?

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 07:00 PM PDT

Hello, college graduates. It's October already, and you've been out of school for some months now. How's the job search going? Did you land that dream job yet? If they haven't already, your school loan repayment requests will start rolling in.

Artist Leon Reid IV doesn't think much of your college degree. In this art project, aptly titled "College Degree" (via Krause Gallery), he custom printed a roll of toilet paper.

For hundreds of thousands of newly-minted grads, Reid's sentiment is spot on. The Wall Street Journal reported a few months ago that 284,000 American college graduates with bachelor's degree and 37,000 holders of advanced degrees could only find jobs paying minimum wage in 2012. While that's down from the peak in 2010, it is still 70% higher than from a decade earlier.

It's no wonder that since the start of the Great Recession, more and more people have been beating the anti-college drumbeat. Venture capitalist and finance writer James Altucher said, as quoted in New York Magazine, "When [my daughters are] 18 years old, just hand them $200,000 to go off and have a fun time for four years? Why would I want to do that?" :

To Altucher, higher education is nothing less than an institutionalized scam—college graduates hire only college graduates, creating a closed system that permits schools to charge exorbitant ­prices and forces students to take on crippling debt. “The cost of college in the past 30 years has gone up tenfold. Health care has only gone up sixfold, and inflation has only gone up threefold. Not only is it a scam, but the college presidents know it. That’s why they keep raising tuition.”

Instead, Altucher proposed 8 alternatives to college, including starting a business, writing a book and traveling the world.

On the other hand, consider the graph above by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For adults 25 years and older, the data is clear: college and advanced degrees correlate with higher earnings and lower unemployment rates. Those with a high school diploma earn, on average, only $652 a week and has over 8% unemployment rate in 2012. Those with bachelor's degrees earn almost double ($1,066 a week) with half the unemployment rate.

POLL: So, what do you think? Is College Worth It?

  • Yes - College degree is worth it
  • No - College degree is not worth it
  • I don't know! Just show me the answer!

Kid's Wolf Hat

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:00 PM PDT

Kid's Wolf Hat

Fall is here. Are you hunting for the perfect hat to keep your little wild one warm and cozy? Capture the Kid's Wolf Hat from the NeatoShop. This striking cable knit cap features faux fur and 3-dimensional ears.   

Kid's Wolf Animal Scarf also available. Buy both and make it a fierce set.  

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Winterwear. 

Link

Burger King Offers Free Wi-Fry

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:00 PM PDT

In order to promote its barely edible French fries, the American fast food chain Burger King distributed giant and thankfully fake French fries in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Burger King has a new recipe for what it's calling Satisfries--crinkle-cut fries that are healthier to eat. The ad campaign designed by the ad agency Mother consisted of free wifi nodes that offered passersby internet access and giant foam French fries that probably taste a lot like the real ones. Promoters successfully photobombed the Today show by walking a giant fry into the background of a live broadcast.

You can view more photos in the series here.

-via Foodbeast

Desserts Inspired by Modern Art

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 05:00 PM PDT

Piet Mondrian's jello

Jackson Pollock's Rice Krispie Treats

What does a Jackson Pollock painting taste like? You'll never have to get kicked out of a museum again to find out. Sarah Anne Ward, a food photographer, created delicious desserts that look like famous works of modern art. Pictured above are jello servings that look like paintings from Piet Mondrian's Composition series. Below that you can find, well, just about every painting Jackson Pollock made. 

Click here to view more works in the series, including pinwheel cookies inspired by Picasso and a cake that looks like a Mark Rothko painting.

-via Foodiggity

The Wall Slid Down Again

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT

(Photo: Stephen O'Flaherty)

It's the architectural equivalent of the saggy pants fashion. Please get a belt. Your interior walls are showing.

Alex Chinneck, whose wonderfully surreal works we've featured previously, designed this facade for an abandoned building in Margate, UK. It looks like the front wall just slid down with the door and windows intact. He calls this sculpture "From the Knees of My Nose to the Belly of My Toes." You can view a video showing how it was built and more photos of the completed work here.

I would think that if you could dig a basement, you could make this building habitable right from the front door.

-via Nag on the Lake 

Cat Research Review

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT

The following is from the magazine The Annals of Improbable Research.

Research about, for, and/or by cats
compiled by Tenzing A. Jones, AIR staff

An Enormous Gastro-Intestinal Hairball
“An Enormous Gastro-Intestinal Hairball” [article in French], F. Imani, J. Gillet, N. Benyahya and F. Sebti, Journal de Radiologie, d’Electrologie, et de Médecine Nucleaire, vol. 58, no. 2, February 1977, pp. 159-60.

Cats on Khat -- Gut
“Acute Fasciola Hepatica Infection Attributed to Chewing Khat,” A. Cats, P. Scholten, S.G. Meuwissen and E.J. Kuipers, Gut, vol. 47, no. 4, October 2000, pp. 584-5.

Cats on Watching TV
“The World From a Cat’s Perspective -- Statistics of Natural Videos,” Belinda Y. Betsch, Wolfgang Einhäuser, Konrad P. Körding and Peter König, Biological Cybernetics, vol. 90, no. 1, January 2004, pp.41-50. (Thanks to Barbara Webster for bringing this to our attention.) The authors, who are at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, explain that:

[W]e seek to learn about the natural visual environment and the world as seen by a cat. With a CCD camera attached to their heads, cats explore several outdoor environments and videos of natural stimuli are recorded from the animals’ perspective. The statistical analysis of these videos reveals several remarkable properties....
 

Tom Terrific
“Male Reproductive Success in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus L): A Case History,” D. Pontier and E. Natoli, Behavioural Processes, vol. 37, no. 1, 1996, pp. 85-88. (Thanks to John Bell for bringing this to our attention.) The authors, who are at the University of Lyon, France, and at the World Health Organization FAO Collaborating Center in Rome, explain their work:

Here we present data on the reproductive success of a male, which clearly show that monopolization of females by males is possible in this species.

Catnip 1
“Sensory and Instrumental Evaluation of Catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) Aroma,” R. Baranauskiene, R.P. Venskutonis and J.C. Demyttenaere, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 51, no. 13, June 2003, pp. 3840-8.

Catnip 2
“Catnip and the Alteration of Human Consciousness,” K.C. Osterhoudt, et al., Veterinary and Human Toxicology, vol. 39, no. 6, December 1997, pp. 373-5. The authors, who are at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, report that:

Uncertainty exists regarding the ability of catnip (Nepeta cataria) to affect human consciousness. We report a case of a toddler exhibiting central nervous system depression after consuming a large quantity of catnip. His obtundation was not attributable to another cause. We review the published literature describing the alleged psychoactive capabilities of catnip and present our case as further information for use in this ongoing controversy.
 

Catnip 3
“Behavioral Effects of Acute and Long-Term Administration of Catnip (Nepeta cataria) in Mice,” C.O. Massoco, et al., Veterinary and Human Toxicology, vol. 37, no. 6, December 1995, pp. 530-3. The authors, who are at Paulista University, Brazil, report that:

Acute exposure to catnip increased stereotyped behavior and susceptibility to seizures, did not interfere with haloperidol-induced catalepsy, and decreased sleeping time after sodium pentobarbital administration. ... An amphetamine-like effect of catnip was suggested to explain the acute effects, while dispositional and functional adaptative changes were considered involved with the long-term effects.

(Image credit: A.S. Kaswell)

Brushing the Cat
“The Effect of Toothbrushing on Periodontal Disease in Cats,” Kate E. Ingham, Cecilia Gorrel, Judith M. Blackburn and Wendy Farnsworth, Journal of Nutrition, vol. 132, supplement, June 2002, pp. 1740S-1741S. (Thanks to Julian Assange for bringing this to our attention.) The authors, who are at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Leicestershire, U.K., explain that:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of daily toothbrushing on the development of periodontal disease in cats. ... [I]t is very difficult to toothbrush cats’ teeth and therefore the toothbrushing may not have been effective enough to reduce the degree of gingivitis to
a low level.

_____________________

This article is republished with permission from the September-October 2005 issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. You can download or purchase back issues of the magazine, or subscribe to receive future issues. Or get a subscription for someone as a gift!

Visit their website for more research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK.

Boss Responds to Girl's Viral "I Quit" Video with His Own Interpretive Dance

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 02:00 PM PDT

Remember the viral "I Quit" video by Marina Shifrin, who quit her job at the Taiwanese animation company in style? She submitted her resignation video showing her dancing to Kanye West's "Gone". She claimed that her boss only cared about the quantity of pageviews the videos she produced got, not their quality.

Well, her boss over at Next Media Animation has just responded ... by posting a video response, of course, and a Q&A over at Gawker. Watch:

We can't wait till this gets a full Taiwanese animation treatment!

Asteroid 4942 Munroe

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 01:00 PM PDT

The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid after former NASA roboticist Randall Munroe of xkcd. The new name 4942 Munroe is a vast improvement over its pre-name designation of (4942) 1987 DU6. Munroe wrote about the honor:

The first thing I did was try to figure out whether 4942 Munroe was big enough to pose a threat to Earth. I was excited to learn that, based on its albedo (brightness), it’s probably about 6-10 kilometers in diameter. That’s comparable in size to the one that killed the dinosaurs—definitely big enough to cause a mass extinction!

That's so cool! Find out more about the asteroid at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It's pretty technical. -via Laughing Squid

(Image credit: Randall Munroe)

Doctor Who Sale Over at the NeatoShop

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 12:00 PM PDT

The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is coming up next month, and what better way to celebrate than rounding out your collection of nifty Doctor Who items? We've got them on sale on the NeatoShop - save up to 40% on Doctor Who merch. Hurry, before the sale is EX-TER-MI-NATEd.

TARDIS Ceramic
Cookie Jar		Cybermen Delete PosterDoctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver (Actual Screwdriver)TARDIS Hooded Bathrobe
    
The Flesh Goo PodResurrection of the Daleks Collector SetTARDIS Emergency Fund KeychainDalek Doctor Who Beanie

What are you waiting for? Go to the NeatoShop now. Allons-y.

Links: Doctor Who on the NeatoShop | Sale & Clearance

Janis Joplin's Final Interview

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 11:00 AM PDT

(YouTube link)

Village Voice journalist and radio personality Howard Smith interviewed Janis Joplin by phone on September 30, 1970. No one knew it would be her last interview, and four days later, the 27-year-old singer was dead. Now PBS Digital Studios presents that short interview in animated form.

Joplin talks about seeking approval and dealing with criticism, particularly from the feminist press, which oddly belittled her accomplishments. Even groundbreaking pioneers want to be loved. -via Metafilter 

Tom Clancy, R.I.P.

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 10:21 AM PDT

Tom Clancy, author of bestselling spy thrillers including The Hunt for Red October, Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears, died yesterday, October 1, 2013, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Clancy, a former insurance agent turned writer, has penned 28 books and also helped create the popular video game series Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell.

His debut 1984 novel, The Hunt for Red October was adapted into a Hollywood blockbuster. When the novel was first published, a lot of people suspected that he must have had inside information from US intelligence about Soviet's secret military communications. Navy Secretary John Lehman asked him, "Who the hell cleared it?"

"That's a load of crap," Clancy replied in an interview as reported by AMC. Instead, he attributed the meticulous details from interviews with a former submariner who worked in a power plant near his home in Maryland, as well as reading several hundred military books including those with dry titles such as The World's Missile Systems, Guide to the Soviet Navy, and Combat Fleets of the World.

The Hunt for Red October was published by the US Naval Institute Press - it was their first fictional works ever published and still their most successful. A woman who read the novel loved it so much that she gave a copy to all her friends. One of that friends happened to be President Ronald Reagan, who was spotted stepping off Marine One helicopter with the book tucked under his arm. When a reporter asked about the book, Reagan complimented the book as "a really good yarn." The publicity helped propelled Clancy into stardom.

Clancy's writings, which are famous for detailed portrayals of military tactics and technology, gained him a loyal following within the armed forces in the United States and abroad. That, in turn gave him insider's access that he later spun into story plots. Regardless, Clancy was always careful. He insisted that despite of his friendship with many high-ranking military brass, he never asked for classified information.

"I hang my hat on getting as many things right as I can," Clancy said as reported by The New York Times, "I've made up stuff that turned out to be real - that's the spooky part."

Tom Clancy was 66.

(Photo: IMDB)

The Cursed Amethyst

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Atlas Obscura is presenting its annual 31 Days of Halloween series, full of spooky and macabre stories about real people, places, and things. Today, we learn about the Cursed Amethyst.

The Delhi Purple Sapphire (which is not a sapphire) was supposedly stolen from the Temple of Indra in Kanpur, India. Afterward, calamities befell every subsequent owner, including several untimely deaths, and all attempts to dispose of the gem only saw it bounce back. One hapless owner gave it to a friend, who committed suicide and willed the stone back to the one who gave it to him! Another owner, convinced of the curse, threw it in a canal, but it was salvaged and returned to the owner. Finally, Edward Heron-Allen locked the stone away in seven boxes, each within another, and locked it in a bank vault. His wishes were that it not be opened until three years after his death.

In 1946, Heron-Allen's instructions were carried out, and the amethyst was donated to the Natural History Museum in London -with a stern warning. Read about the trail of misery left behind by the jewel at Atlas Obscura. 

(Image credit: Allison Meier)

Ice Caps Penguin Plush and Baby Hat

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Ice Caps Penguin Plush and Baby Hat Set (sold individually)

Fall is here and soon there will be a chill in the air. Give the new little bundle a joy in your life a very sweet treat with the Ice Caps Penguin Plush and Baby Hat Set. This adorable set features a plush penguin rattle wearing a baby sized knit hat. It is a great way to give a fun and functional baby gift to someone you love.  

Dive into the NeatoShop for more great Baby & Tot items. 

Link

More Delicious Dali Treats

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Yesterday, I brought you guys the Breakfast of Dali and today, it's time for his Mae West Room dessert, as created by Le Belle Aurora Sugar Art. But that's not the only cake based on the work of famous artists. In fact, that's the entire theme of this great Sunday Sweets list on Cake Wrecks. Whether you prefer the works of Grant Wood, René Magritte, Van Gogh or Picasso, this article has you covered from these angles and more. Best of all, unlike priceless works of art, you can not only touch these, but eat them!

42 Idiom Origins

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:00 AM PDT

(YouTube link)

Were you like me and saw the headline as "42 idiot origins"? No, these are idioms, or figures of speech. He talks about how they don't "literally" mean what they say, but we know that "literally" doesn't mean what it says,either. John Green explains a boatload of familiar metaphors in the latest mental_floss video. -via mental_floss

Say Hello to the Lolita Avengers

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 08:30 AM PDT

For those unfamiliar with the many trends in Japan's harajuku fashions, lolita style involves rather doll-like clothing adorned with lots of frilly details and puffy petty coats. Need an example? Well, these four lolita Avengers are just as good a starting point as any other to understand the style. More importantly, they are wearing utterly adorable Avengers costumes that are a great gender-swapped take on the heroes.

Via Women of Comic Book Cosplay

Solve This Pzzlr: Ready, Aim, Fire!

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 08:00 AM PDT

Neatorama is happy to announce a new collaboration with Pzzlr, a site where you can always find a riddle to exercise your brain. Can you solve this one?

In 1815 John Smith, a notorious Australian bushranger/outlaw, was captured by members of the 75th Highland Regiment and sentenced to death by firing squad. Unfortunately, the members of this Regiment were renowned for being terrible shots with previous prisoners dying slow painful deaths as a result. Knowing this John Smith begged for mercy.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do”, said the Captain, “as I’m nothing if not a reasonable man. I will allow you to choose where the men stand and will even add another 50 men to the firing squad for a total of 100 men so that at least one of them is sure to kill you. But don’t get any funny ideas. The men cannot stand more than 20 metres away from you and must all be facing you while you must remain tied to the post in the middle of the yard. It’s my knock-off time now and you’re due to be shot later today at 6pm. In the unlikely event that you are not killed outright but only terribly wounded I will, tomorrow, release you from the post so that you can die peacefully.”

To the Captain’s surprise and outrage when he returned in the morning he discovered that John had been set free alive and well. The men explained that it was because of where John had made them stand.

Where did John tell the men to stand? Find the solution at Pzzlr!

Look for a new puzzle here at Neatorama every Wednesday, and check out Pzzlr for a puzzle anytime!

Word Search Chalkboard Pumpkin

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 07:30 AM PDT

What does it take to turn a pumpkin into a word search? Nothing more than a little chalkboard paint, some white stickers and a few sticks of chalk. If you want to really help the scene, then a few wooden blocks, some glue and Scrabble tiles can help complete the theme. Find out all the fine details for completing this look over at Thistlewood Farms.

It's a great alternative to pumpkin carving if you don't like to deal with all the mess or the dangers of carving knives. On the downside, you'll need a good light on these if you want them to be visable to trick or treaters. 

Lip Cupcakes

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 07:00 AM PDT

Nicola Shipley of Tattoo-cakes makes these awesome art cupcakes with lips! The bottom right cupcake in the group picture looks as if it has just eaten a cupcake itself, don't you think? She can give them any expression you want, as well as different colors. But Shipley also makes cupcakes with other body orifices on them, so check out the entire collection of artful and offbeat baked goods at Facebook. -via Everlasting Blort

Batman in Medieval Japan

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT

Scott Wade imagined the Dark Knight in the Warring States (Sengoku) Period of Japanese history. The Bat-Signal now requires a lot more work from Commissioner Gordon than just flipping a switch. Batman: Gotham Knight was inspired by anime and featured one of the producers from Studio Ghibli, but I'd love to see a complete Batman anime series set in this period.

-via Geek Art
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