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2014/01/06

Neatorama

Neatorama

Neatolinks: Disney Princesses Always Entertain Us

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST

Burrito Galaxy Lets You Wield Churros As Weapons In Outer Space

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST

(Video Link)

From the look of things 2014 is going to be one tripped out year for the video game industry, and indie games will be leading the pack in both strangeness and originality.

Here’s an entry worthy of note, it’s called Burrito Galaxy 64: Mega-Tortilla Bean Saga 30X6 - Planetoid SAL-5A XIV Directors Cut: Extreme Edition: Push it to the limit, or simply Burrito Galaxy if you prefer.

Burrito Galaxy is a superflat first person shooter with some downright wacky story elements (you play a Bean Commander and wield burritos and churros as weapons) that make it interesting despite the minimalist artwork.

Wanna check it out before it's released on Steam? Play the prototype version of the game. (Link courtesy of Destructoid commentor ninjapresident, thanks pres!)

Via Destructoid

Spider-Man Thermal Lunch Tote

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

Spider-Man Thermal Lunch Tote (front and back shown)

Are your spidey senses telling you that 2014 will be the year that you pack more sack lunches? Enlist the help of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man with the Spider-Man Thermal Lunch Tote from the NeatoShop. This great little lunch bag is made of insulated material and is features images of your favorite superhero. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Mealtime fun. 

Link

Amazing Driver Balances on 2 Wheels

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST


(Video Link)

The stunt driver in this car has nerves of steel and a steady hand. Watch him take his car from a dead stop to driving in circles all while doing a side wheelie. Joey White of Twenty-Two Words writes, "I’m pretty sure this skill set has no practical purpose, but I’m impressed." 

On the contary! He can fit inside very narrow parking spaces. And as we saw in The Dukes of Hazzard, a documentary about life in the South during the 80s, side wheelies could help honest citizens escape from tight spots with the law.

Experimental Animation Meets Pottery

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 01:00 AM PST

(Video Link)

Experimental animation and pottery may seem like two completely different artistic mediums from two totally different worlds, but when the Crafts Council was looking for an effective method of advertising themselves they turned to animator Jim Le Fevre and decided that fusing animation and pottery would not only be eye catching it would be a juxtaposition no one had ever seen before.

The result is a mighty interesting two minute long short that showcases RAMP Ceramics, a company whose name acronym stands for, appropriately enough,  Roops and Al Johnstone Make Pottery, and features a simple yet effective phonotrope animation created on the side of a ceramic bowl.

Via Booooooom!

Post-Punk and New Wave Rockers As Superheroes

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:00 AM PST

"In my life, why do I save all the people that I'd much rather kick in the eye?" -Super Morrissey.

"It's a nice day for a butt kicking" -Aqua Billy. 

Yes, these are a few of the many great catchphrases we could hope to hear if artist Billy Butcher's fantastic music/superhero mashup art in his new series Post-Punk/New Wave Super Friends.

Don't forget to visit his page to see if your favorite artist of the era is included in the delightful madness.

Via Lost At E Minor

"Mom Song" is the Creepiest Old Spice Ad Ever

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 11:00 PM PST

(YouTube link)

The latest ad from Old Spice plays upon the scent as a sign of maturity: the new product Old Spice Re-Fresh Body Spray making Mama's boy smell, act, and be treated like a man. This doesn't sit well with some mothers, apparently, as they stalk their sons and sing their laments. The entire ad is a creepfest, but funny, too.

Don't worry, Mom, your little boy may smell like a man, and he may attract women who aren't you, but as long as he's living in your basement, he's still your little boy. -via Viral Viral Videos

The Worst Possible Online Dating Profile

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:00 PM PST

As an experiment, Cracked writer Alli Reed composed a fictitious but truly awful online dating profile. Her goal was to to create a persona that was truly despicable and that no one would ever consider dating:

In making this profile, I made sure my creation touched on every major facet of being truly horrible: mean, spoiled, lazy, racist, manipulative, and willfully ignorant, and I threw in a little gold digging just for funzies. I maintain that there is not a human on this planet who would read this profile and think, "Yes, I'd like to spend any amount of the fleeting time I'm given on my journey around the sun getting to know this person." 

As you can see, she put a lot of thought into how truly offensive she could be. Her persona, aaroncarterfan, is despicable. She openly brags of engaging in paternity fraud and harassing homeless people.

But within a day, she received 150 responses from interested men. In their online conversations, she did her best to convey the impression that aaroncarterfan would be the worst possible girlfriend. She was unsuccessful. You can read them here.

10 Creepy and Seriously Cool Abandoned Mansions

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 09:00 PM PST

This 1890's mansion was once a stunning sight to behold, but after it was abandoned in 1930, General Electric took over and encouraged salvagers to take anything they wanted from the home as they were planning to demolish it anyway. When WWII broke out though, the company dropped their plans for the property and just left it to rot. 

And that's just one amazing mansion that you won't believe people just allowed to crumble away over the decades. Read about the rest over on Oddee.

The Simpsons LEGO Set Leaked

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 PM PST

We've been waiting for the first officially licensed Simpsons LEGO set, and this might be it. Carlos S posted the photo on the forum Eurobricks, without specifying where it came from ("the brother of a Facebook friend"). Whether it's a prototype or a finished product is unknown. The box shows that the set will feature all the Simpson family plus Ned Flanders and 2,523 total pieces. That means it will probably cost a pretty penny -up to $300 by some estimates.  -via Uproxx

A Children's Book That Teaches Kids About 3D Printing

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 07:00 PM PST

There’s a new children’s book out there which is both classically simplistic and totally cutting edge, a book that explains 3d printing to children.

It’s called Leo the Maker Prince by Carla Diana, and kids not only learn how to print out objects in 3d when they read this charming tale of Carla, the accountant who wants to be an artist, and Leo, the 3d printing robot that will make her dreams come true, they can print out models of the main characters- if they have a 3d printer on hand.

If not, then they’ll discover another facet of the 3d printing revolution- buying a printer for yourself is still too darn expensive, and if you go to a printing service they will charge you an arm and a leg!

Via DesignTAXI

Physicists Search for Time Travelers

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 06:00 PM PST

(Time Traveler T-Shirt now on sale at the NeatoShop)

In 2009, physicist Stephen Hawking held a party for time travelers. He announced it 3 years later to ensure that only people with the ability to travel back in time could attend. No one showed up.

Robert Nemiroff, a physicist at Michigan Technological University, and graduate student Teresa Wilson also looked for evidence of time travelers at work in the world. They recently published a paper on the results of their search. To find time travelers, they looked for evidence of online content that only people who could travel backward in time would be able to create:

They looked for signs of foreknowledge about specific events on the Internet, or in Twitter tweets. The two events they chose were the discovery of Comet ISON in September 2012, and the selection of Pope Francis in March 2013. Looking for the evidence was trickier than it might sound: For example, search engines such as Google and Bing can misinterpret time stamps for Web pages, and it's also possible to back-date blog entries or Facebook posts.

The researchers found Twitter searches to be the most reliable tools, because tweets can't be back-dated. "No clearly prescient content involving 'Comet ISON,' '#cometison,' 'Pope Francis' or "#popefrancis' was found from any Twitter tweet — ever," they reported.

They also issued a request for time travelers to send tweets using either the hashtag "#ICanChangeThePast2" or "#ICannotChangeThePast2" by the end of August 2013. The trick was that the request was issued in September. No such tweets were found that predated the deadline. (Some have been received since, however, including this one from Thursday: "Your future laws forbid me from giving you any proof of our technologies. But be sure that we're watching you. #ICanChangeThePast2")

Dr. Nemiroff and Ms. Wilson are trying to get their paper published in a scholarly journal. So far, they have not been successful:

Nemiroff told NBC News that the time-travel paper was submitted to three journals, but was rejected by all three. "At this point, I don't know if it will ever appear in a refereed journal," he said. If there are any time travelers out there who can let him know, he'd appreciate hearing about it. And while you're at it, he'd also appreciate receiving "a large sum of money in negotiable currency."

-via Marginal Revolution

10 Species Discovered in 2013

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST

We already talked about 10 poor animals that went extinct over the last year, but while we gave up hope of ever seeing a few species, we also discoveredd some new ones as well. Mental Floss has a great list of ten such creatures and a few plants we only recently recognized scientifically, including the adorably tiny paedophryne amauensis, which as you can see from the picture above, is about a quarter of the size of a dime -no wonder we never noticed it before!

31 College Campuses That Are Also Wedding Venues

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 04:00 PM PST

Buzzfeed has a photo set of "31 Insanely Beautiful Colleges You Can Get Married At." I first wanted to change the title to 31 Insanely Beautiful Colleges at Which You Can Get Married, then I thought it might be better to call it 31 Insanely Beautiful Colleges You Can Attend. Then I started looking at the pictures, and boy, these places are beautiful! Then I saw the college from which I graduated, at which I actually did get married. Shown here is the chapel at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Anyway, you'll enjoy the pictures, even if you aren't getting married anytime soon. But if you are, there are links to inquire about using the facilities for your wedding. If the college in your town is not listed here, that doesn't mean you can't have your wedding on campus -just ask them!

(Image credit: Rdsmith4)

Boonie Bears- Second Ever CGI Film Made Entirely In China

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

(Video Link)

Everyone assumes the Chinese are responsible for Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks ripoffs such as Life's A Jungle, Kiara the Brave and The Little Panda Fighter, but surprisingly these films come from Brazil, India and Canada, not China.

The first fully Chinese CGI film was released in the U.S. as Legend Of A Kung Fu Rabbit, and was clearly glossed over as a Kung Fu Panda knockoff, for good reason. But now Chinese animation studio Fantawild Animation Inc. is about to release their second ever CGI film called Boonie Bears, and it looks like they're really getting the hang of the medium.

Sure it’s got the Yogi Bear/Open Season look about it, but at least they're trying hard to create uniquely Chinese content, which is more than can be said about the studio that released the ripoffs Ratatoing and What's Up.

Via Cartoon Brew

Chillin'

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

(YouTube link)

This cat is living the perfect life: lying on his back in a comfy (if garish) bed, listening to music, and enjoying a refreshing ice cream cone. Now if it were only salmon-flavored ice cream! -via Arbroath

Cosmovitral: A Stained Glass Wonderland in Mexico

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

(Photo: Michael Mees)

Until the 1970s, the Cosmovitral was an open marketplace for the people of Toluca, Mexico. After it shut down, the city built a huge and elaborate botanical garden. When it opened in 1990, the fountains, bridges and verdant life—now totaling 400 species—made it an attractive place. But the massive stained glass walls and ceilings made it stunning.

The stained glass collection consists of 71 distinct works by Leopoldo Flores, the most famous of which is the above piece entitled The Sun Man.

(Photo: kodixe)

(Photo: Annabelle Orozco)

(Photo: kodixe)

(Photo: Rosa Menkman)

-via Kuriositas

What Happened to Movie Posters?

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST

(YouTube link)

I dropped the kids off at the multiplex one day and, since I was close to the door, scanned the posters across the front. They all looked alike. None of them told me anything about the movie they advertised. Dark colors, big heads, few words, nothing informative at all. It's almost as if movie producers expect the viewer to get all their information about a film from trailers or the internet …which we do, because the poster won't tell us anything. GoodBadFlicks takes a look at the various formulas and tropes used to produce these rather forgettable posters. -via Geeks Are Sexy

You know, adherence to a formula for designing posters can backfire on you.

Pinocchio Disney POP! Vinyl Figure

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

Pinocchio Disney POP! Vinyl Figure (sold individually)

Attention Walt Disney fans. Celebrate the importance of being brave, truthful, and unselfish with the Pinocchio Disney POP! Vinyl Figure from the NeatoShop. This delightful little figure is a stylized version of your favorite character from the 1940 animated film, Pinocchio. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Action Figures, Dolls & Models. 

Link

Turbulent Book Installations By Alicia Martin

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

Anybody with a massive collection of books has dealt with a time when a pile of books came tumbling down around their head, perhaps when they were transitioning the volumes between bookshelves or moving in to another house, but artist Alicia Martin has made the crashing waves of written words into an artform with her turbulent book installations.

They really feel like the books are about to crush you to death when you view them in person, but anybody who appreciates a good read will find the power of the written word alive and well in Alicia’s works.

We featured one of Alicia's works here on Neatorama before, but this time around you get to see a bunch of different examples of her amazing installation art, and a detail pic that shows her sitting inside one of the massive works for a sense of scale.

Via Beautiful/Decay

The Skeleton of a Giant Sea Snake Washes Ashore in France

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST

(Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

(Photo: Nantes Tourism)

That's the impression created by this sculpture by Huang Yong Ping, an artist in France. This isn't his first colossal serpentine work. We've previously seen his tower formed as a skeleton of a snake. Serpent d’Océan, as this work is entitled, creates a similar effect of mystery.

It's a 425-foot long sculpture on permanent display in the estuary of the Loire River as it enters the Bay of Biscay. It represents like a major figure in Chinese mythology that, like the artist himself, journeyed to Europe.

You can see more photos of the sculpture here.

Sherlock Spoils Everything

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

(YouTube link)

Only Leigh speculates on what it would be like to watch TV with the world's greatest detective. Sherlock Holmes spots, observes, and analyzes every clue instantly to deduce what will happen. (Contains spoilers for Breaking Bad Season 4, Mad Men Season 6, and Gossip Girl)

This little skit illustrates the difference between classic and modern TV. For half my life, no one paid that much attention to continuity when filming television dramas or comedies (amirite, Roy Hinkley?). They cranked out 39 new episodes a year, which they figured would only be shown once (or maybe a second time in the summer).

Today, hit series only have a dozen or so episodes a year, and everyone watches them over and over, so the writers and producers put in "easter eggs," foreshadowing clues, and thematic motifs. And every little detail has to make sense. If you are observant enough, you can extract a second level of enjoyment from these clues, especially when you discuss them with other fans on the internet. But only if you don't have a Sherlock over to put them all together before you do! -Thanks, Leigh!

A Map Of The United States...That Could've Been

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

Andrew Shears, certified cartography nerd, Mansfield University geography professor and the guy behind The United States of TV map we featured here on Neatorama a few years ago, created another map in 2011 that re-envisions the United States as it could've been if every state that ever tried to secede from the Union had succeeded.

50 states would have been turned into a whopping 124, and some states would have ended up with totally far out names like Trans-Pecos, Nova and Cascadia, and otherwise things would have probably turned out to be much the same as they are now.

Via Gizmodo

The Taekwondo Kid

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

Redditor erikhoof posted a set of portraits made when he was about ten years old. It was a brave move, as they are liable to become memes that will last forever.

Only time will tell which will become the most popular: the movie posters, the anti-bullying image macros, or the Nazi salute remixes (which aren't posted here, but you can find them in the comments). Continue reading to see some of the best so far.

This one came from a second thread in which the pictures were named "Androgynous Karate Kid."


And this is Erik today. Many didn't even realize that the kid in the pictures was a boy until they saw this one.

Designer Creates One Balloon Sculpture A Day For A Year

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

Twisting balloons for a living may seem like a cushy job, but believe you me it can drive you right into the arms of a straightjacket, what with all the squeaking and popping and children crying everywhere. It’s enough to drive a clown to drink, but you don’t have to be a bozo, or looking for a quick buck, to be interested in the art of balloon modelling.

In fact, many very sane and financially stable people have twisted a balloon or two, like graphic designer Meghan Coleman. She twisted a balloon sculpture a day for a whole year, and kept her day job and her sanity to boot. No idea how she found the inspiration to make so many awesome balloon sculptures, but it sure is fun to look through all of the pics in her series 365 Days of Balloon.

Via DesignTAXI
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