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2014/01/22

Neatorama

Neatorama

Neatolinks: Puppets, Puppies, Museums and More

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST

Some Nice Things For You

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST

Kelly Angel at the webcomic Anything About Nothing drew some nice things. I bet you agree these are pretty nice things! What really struck me is that so many of these nice things are things we have here at Neatorama a lot. Even the snake with a tiny hat.

Old Pianos Turned into a Staircase and a Bed

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

Tim Vincent-Smith received two old upright pianos as a gift. These inspired a unique architectural vision: he would build a staircase and mezzanine bed in a room using only the pianos as source material.

He describes the process as akin to butchering a cow and using every part of the animal. This project was "nose to tail carpentry." Disassembling the pianos gave him an appreciation for the detailed craftsmanship that goes into building an ordinary piano.

His client was a cellist. How many cellos would he need to duplicate this project using only that instrument?

-via Recyclart

Friendly Robots of the Soviet Union

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 01:00 AM PST

The Cold War brought a lot of technical innovation and competition between the Soviet Union and the U.S., particularly in nuclear armaments and the space race, but both sides embraced technology in other ways. We didn't get to see much of what was going on behind the Iron Curtain, but apparently they had a lot of fun designing robots, as you'll see in an article at The Appendix. They were there to not only serve, but to entertain! See a robot grab a beer, another leading a tour, and even more riding in a stroller. This one may be the cutest …or it may be the tour guide. Go see for yourself. -via Metafilter

Car Wheel Icicles

Posted: 22 Jan 2014 12:00 AM PST

(Photo: bixentro)

Icicles form as the wheels spin. Neat! TYWKIWDBI (Things That You Wouldn't Know if We Didn't Blog Intermittently) has more photos of this phenomenon. Stan, the resident blogger, lives in Minnesota, so he knows what he's talking about.

A patient artist could do a lot with this feature of winter life.

Santos and Blakely

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 11:00 PM PST

(YouTube link)

Santos is an ocelot cub living in the nursery of the Cincinnati Zoo, where she's being bottle-fed because her mother did not produce enough milk. Santos found a great friend in Blakely, the dog who helps look after zoo babies. Soon, Santos will leave the nursery and join the zoo's Cat Ambassador Program, in which well-trained (and leashed) wild cats of various species visit schools and other groups to get kids interested in wildlife. -via Time Newsfeed

Capybaras Relaxing in a Bowl of Stew

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:00 PM PST

(Photo: Yuko Ishihara)

A family of capybaras live in Izu Shaboten Park in Shizuoka, Japan. There's a hot spring in the park and the capybaras like to bathe in it. We've previously seen a soothing video of one of them sittingly calmly under a shower of hot water from the spring.

These adorable critters from Twitter user Yuko Ishihara look just like them! They're made of grated daikon radishes shaded with soy sauce. The eyes are made of bits of seaweed. 

At Rocket News 24, you can see more photos of these capybaras and other animals swimming in soup, including a rabbit and a polar bear.

6 Actors Who Thought They Had Made a Totally Different Movie

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 09:00 PM PST

You get a job acting in a feature film, you go to work every day, read your lines, do your best, and when it's done, you go on to the next project. After your work ends, shots are selected, the footage is edited, and sequences are rearranged. Special effects are added. Music is added. And then there are all those scenes that you weren't in that could have contained anything. By the time you attend the premiere months later, you don't even recognize the movie. It's happened to quite a few actors. In fact, some were totally in the dark about what the director's finished vision of the film was all along.

There were actors who didn't know they were making a horror film. Others that didn't know all there was to know about their own character. And at least one was surprised to find himself almost cut out of the film altogether, even though he was the main character! Read six stories about actors in the dark at Cracked. -via mental_floss

20 Facts You Might Not Know about Mr. Potato Head

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 08:00 PM PST

(Spock and Uhura Potato Heads now on sale at the NeatoShop)

Mr. Potato Head first hit the market in 1952. He's been a joy to young children ever since. Karsten Piper of 22 Words compiled a long list of facts that you might not know about our favorite spud. For example, he was the first toy to be advertised on television.


(Video Link)

You can read the rest here.

The Race of the Thrill Rides

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 07:00 PM PST

What is the tallest, fastest, and most terrifying thrill ride on earth? Whatever you answer, it may change in the near future. Three planned world-breaking rides are in the works that all claim superlatives. When the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City opens this summer, the new water slide called Verrückt will be there, "taller than Niagara Falls," with travelers sliding at speeds up to 65 miles an hour! You'd have to be insane to ride it.

Then there's the 520-foot tall Polarcoaster, a roller coaster opening somewhere in Florida in 2016, and two unbuilt Ferris wheels, on win New York and one in Dubai, that both claim will be the tallest in the world -sometime in the future. Is there any limit to the size, speed, and fear of a thrill ride before people won't ride it -or someone won't build it? Read about all these projects (and see videos) at Atlas Obscura. 

(Image credit: The Verrückt)

Non-Americans, What Is a Dead Giveaway That Someone Is an American?

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

(White House Salt & Pepper Shakers now on sale at the NeatoShop)

One of my co-workers is a Ukrainian-American. She grew up in the United States, but speaks Ukrainian fluently. She tells me that when she visits Ukraine, even when she's wearing clothing typical of that country, people instantly identify her as an American.

That's because, Ukrainians tell her, she walks like an American. That is, she moves like she "owns the ground" she's walking on. This is a mannerism apparently so distinctive that Ukrainians can spot Americans just by watching them walk.

Redditor ILoveTallWomen asks how Americans abroad can be identified as Americans in non-obvious ways. Here are some of the responses.

bushcat69 answers:

On campus in South Africa the female US exchange students uniform: tiny shorts (regardless of body shape) hidden socks and trainers, hoody (usually branded America college variety), back pack, hair tied up and a water bottle. Can be found frequenting coffee shops with free wifi.

hbombs68 responds:

We (Americans) describe distances in driving time, as apposed to miles or kilometers.

My European relatives always make fun of me for having no clue how far away the next town is, but knowing exactly how long it takes to get there.

Jonas_soe writes:

They will start a conversation about anything with anyone. This can be a good thing because it's easy to socialise with an American, but out in public (on the bus, in the mall etc.) I, as the archetypical Dane that I am, usually just want to keep to myself.

EDIT: I should add that I don't think this a bad thing at all. While the stranger you just met might not always be in a talkative mood, it really is kind of neat to be able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone :)

ars3nal comments on fashion choices:

When I was visiting Germany in college, a girl said to me, "Do you know how I know you're an American? You wear white socks." Needless to say, I haven't worn white socks since.

RegionFree adds another fashion note:

I asked my wife (Japanese) she said "In Japan I can spot Americans by the way they dress. Compared to Europeans, Americans tend to lack fashion sense."

I'm American, so I can't answer.

I can answer: meggings with crocs are the height of fashion. The rest of the world just hasn't caught up yet.

Non-Americans, how would you answer this question?

The Skeletal Remains Of Vehicular Creatures

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST

Warning- Seeing vehicles without their shiny metal veneers, molded rubber bits and windows may be disturbing to some viewers.

Looking like the insides of the killer vehicles in the horror movie Maximum Overdrive or the dog shaped van in Dumb & Dumber, these skeletal vehicle sculptures show us why our cars really purr, and what the fossils of an extinct species of automotive dinosaur might look like.

These spectacular vehicasaur sculptures were created by Jitish Kallat- the big one’s named Aquasaurus and the little bikey fellow is called Ignitasaurus, and both are on display now at Art Stage Singapore.

We featured another car from Jitish's series previously on Neatorama- the Prius skeleton Collindonthus, so check that one out and complete the series!

Via Boing Boing

Conan the Moderator

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST

Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing a reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) this afternoon. This in itself is not all that shocking. Since the Governator did his first AMA, he's been fairly active in the fitness forums at reddit. But this time, the reddit admins offered him a job, a full-time position on their community team. I found this because they referenced our post on the banhammer.

And guess what? He accepted! Which inspired me to do this down-and-dirty image of the new reddit admin wielding the new banhammer. Yeah, I know it's crude, but I don't even have a graphics program anymore, so take it as the joke it is.   

(YouTube link)

Schwarzenegger recently went undercover at Gold's Gym to encourage people in their fitness regimen. As if he could fool anyone!

 

Heart Coin Purse

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

 

Heart Coin Purse (sold individually)

Valentine's Day is on the way. Are you looking for a sweet treat for your sweet? Get her the Heart Coin Purse from the NeatoShop. This practical little bag is made of felted material and features a big heart. The Heart Coin Purse truly makes a heartfelt gift.

The Heart Coin Purse is available in: 

  • Pink with White Heart
  • Red with White Heart
  • White with Red Heart

Share the love and buy them all. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Wallet, Purses & Coin Bags. 

Link

Playing with a Pet Squirrel

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

(YouTube link)

In honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day, here's a squirrel we can all appreciate! YouTube member FunkyEz1 has a pet squirrel named Lucky that he raised from babyhood. No matter how rough the playing gets, he always comes back for more. You can see by the furnishings in the room that this squirrel is well loved and even spoiled. There are more videos of Lucky on his YouTube channel. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

Dress Made of Taco Bell Taco Wrappers

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

Olivia Mears is an artist known for her inventive costumes, such as her dress inspired by the website Imgur. You may also remember that Mears once went to Taco Bell dressed as the Disney princess Belle. Now she's taken her love for that restaurant even further.

The dress pictured above was her entry for a contest held by Taco Bell. It's made of 130 taco wrappers and 12 sauce packets from that restaurant. It's lovely! May I suggest accessorizing it with a hat that looks like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol?

10 European Churches Adorned With Human Bones

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

In Europe, churches that were established over a thousand years ago are still being used. It's all well and good to want to be buried in the church cemetery when your time comes, but there's only so much space. That's why in many older churches, graves are opened after a certain number of years so the space can be re-used. Then there are mass burials that are made necessary by epidemics, in which many bodies are buried together, with their anonymous bones retrieved much later.

The bones, which are all that's left at that point, are interred somewhere else where they take up less space. Some places have extensive catacombs for bone storage; other churches use them as interior decoration! And why not- they have to go somewhere, and they remind parishioners of their mortality. Get a look at ten such churches, from Italy to Austria, from Portugal to Poland, at Scribol.

(Image credit: Merlin)

The Living Clay Art Of Johnson Stang

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST

Johnson Stang has the alchemist’s gift of making solid materials, in this case ceramic clay, bend to his will and take on the characteristics of a fluid without sacrificing solidity, while beautifully replicating humanistic forms in a splash of sculptural liquid.

His latest series is called Living Clay, and it combines ceramic crockery with sculptural element to create the fluid illusion, capturing the look of liquids mid-pour with realistic human faces emerging from the drink.

The sculptural forms flow in such an organic way it's hard to believe they're made of clay and not splashing liquids, and Johnson seamlessly integrates human forms into each piece in a way which makes them feel like they've always been there just waiting to rise up out of the water.

Via Bored Panda

Glove and Boots and Chris Hadfield

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

(YouTube link)

Surely you remember when Colonel Chris Hadfield performed David Bowie's "Space Oddity" aboard the ISS last May. It was not only an appropriate farewell to the space station at the end of his mission, but it also cemented his reputation as the rock star of astronauts. Even Bowie was bragging about it!

The performance is well worth another look, and now we have comedy added! In this new version, Mario and Fafa join in the singing, but they also revisit some of Hadfield's other videos from space, which they illustrate with new lyrics to the old song. -via Geeks Are Sexy

If Geek Heroines Were Stars of Teen and Pulp Novels

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST

Love comic book and sci fi heroines but wish they were more trashy an predictable? Then you'll love these wonderful pop culture book covers by Tony Fleecs that feature everyone from Harley Quinn to Princess Leia. 

The great thing about these creations is that no matter what you consider brainless and trashy, these fake novels would ccertainly qualify in the best possible way.

Via Geek Art

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 09:30 AM PST

Frank Page, the cartoonist behind Bob the Squirrel, brought an important subject to my attention. January 21st is Squirrel Appreciation Day! How do you celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day? There are many ways, even when you are just surfing the internet. Find some suggestions at mental_floss.

Ten Debunked Myths About World War I

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

World War I seems like one bleak, trench filled exercise in outdated war tactics and mustard gas attacks when history is viewed through the veil, but as it turns out we have been living under many false assumptions about The Great War, and with the centennial fast approaching historians want to set the records straight.

It seems most soldiers didn't mind being sent off to war, since they got luxuries like meat, rum and cigarettes every day which most couldn’t afford at home. Troops also weren’t stuck in trenches for years on end, they were rotated out about every ten days, and most soldiers only spent a maximum of three days on the front lines.

Read on to discover the truth about many World War I myths.

Year-End Company Bonus in China: A Coffin

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 08:30 AM PST

According to third-hand news reports, a company in China offered a special bonus to employees who performed exceptionally well: brand-new coffins!

It may be a pun in Chinese. The word for coffin in that language is a homonym for "wealthy official," so the coffins may be trophies rather than a practical gifts. The president of the company allegedly suggested that employees donate their coffins to the poor if they elect not to use them. 

*Hrumph* Alex has never offered me a coffin.

-via Rocket News 24

Clean Up New York PSA By David Lynch

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

(Video Link)

If you don’t properly dispose of your trash, if you simply toss your garbage around like a litter loving savage, the rats will come and they are terrifying! According to this 1991 PSA by David Lynch for the City of New York the streets will be overrun with rats if people don’t do their part to clean up after themselves, and rats spell doom for the thriving metropolis.

Lynch created this stylish black and white PSA as part of the “Clean Up” campaign, and it’s so noir meets avant garde meets modern urban realist that they should write papers about it in film school, with a chapter on why rats are so good at method acting.

Via Gothamist

Don't Use Fire to Remove TP from Tree

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST

Cheryl Crausewell of Dora, Alabama, found that someone had TPed the trees in her yard on Saturday night. The family tried to clean up the mess, but some of the toilet paper in a magnolia tree was out of their reach. What to do? Maybe they should have tried a ladder, but instead they set it on fire. A small piece of paper drifted out to the yard and ignited the grass.

"It just popped out into a little patch and we tried to put it out and it just kept going, so I was trying to keep it from going down the front porch and came down the bank and around the back of the house," she said.

Within seconds, Crausewell said the fire spread to the backyard where the propane gas tank from a grill may have added fuel to the fire.

Crausewell, her son, her elderly aunt, her mother and her aunt's caregiver were all at home when the fire started around 2 p.m. Everyone was able to get out safely.

The video at WBRC shows the scorched yard and toilet paper still in the trees, as well as the house, which is a total loss. -via Uproxx

(Image credit: Linda Spears)

Photographer Turns Himself Into A Two Headed Freak

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

There are very few photographers who would choose to make themselves look like some sort of freakish creature when they shoot a self portrait series, but Swedish photographer Samuel Pettersson decided he’d rather play the role of a two headed monstrosity in his series entitled “The Animal”, and as you'd expect the photos are delightfully bizarre to behold.

Watch a two headed, no legged man wander the streets looking all creepy, climb trees and drain pipes and take a nap all while looking creepy. He even lays on his own lap, and cuddles up in bed with two more versions of himself, like a good little animal man.

Via DesignTAXI

Twerking Stormtroopers

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:30 AM PST

(YouTube link)

They can't shoot straight, and they can barely walk through a door without hurting themselves, so it might surprise you to see that these guys can dance! We've seen Stormtroopers dance, but it's usually a solo affair. This particular group of clones should get extra rations for coordinating so well. There is actually very little Twerking in the routine. Which is a good thing.

A group of friends got together and wrote the song, choreographed the dance, performed it, filmed it, and uploaded it for our pleasure. The song is "Beat Calls" by Scott and Brendo.  -via Viral Viral Videos

Enjoy Lighting and Floral Arrangements With the Living Light

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

A lot of you seemed to enjoy the Striped Standing Lamp we featured on Homes and Hues a few weeks ago, and here's another wonderful creation by the same designers, Studio Floris Wubben, we're sure you'll enjoy. The Living Light is a simple-looking vase with a simple light in the bottom. Just put any hollow-stemed flower into the base and the light will result in a glowing blossom that won't soon be forgotten.

Read more about it over at Homes and Hues: The Living Light Combines Nature and Lighting

And, if you like this, you'll probably also enjoy the modernist Crown Vase that lets your stems stand on their own.

Comedic Short Film About Prison Dating- Dinner And A Movie

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:30 AM PST

(Video Link)

When you start an online romance with a prison inmate you never know who, or what, you’re going to be dealing with when they finally get released and you meet face-to-face for the first time. Some may be even crazier and more dangerous than you thought, while others simply got caught up with the wrong crowd and aren’t really bad at heart.

In Ben Aston’s comedic short Dinner and a Movie we see two people who met through a prison dating website seeing each other in person for the first time, and let’s just say he’s not quite what she expected when she started writing letters to a con. (Barely NSFW due to language)

Via Geek Tyrant

Death Star Ice Cube Tray

Posted: 21 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

Death Star Ice Cube Tray

Are you looking for a most impressive way to chill your beverage? Your destiny lies with the Death Star Ice Cube Tray from the NeatoShop. This 2-piece tray makes an ice sphere in the shape of the Death Star. Together you can rule your kitchen.

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

Link
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