Neatorama

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• Stormtrooper Armor Saves <i>Star Wars</i> Fan from Deadly Snake Bite
• Ermine Plays Peek-a-Boo
• Epic Materia Handler Vince - A Valentine Sealed With A Fiery Kiss
• A Collection Of Hilarious Wedding Cake Toppers
• The Strange Way to Say "Yes" in Northern Sweden
• The Workspaces of Famous People
• Autopilot Not Working Well for Drone
• Shades of January
• Amazing Soccer Play: A Front Flip Throw-In Lands in the Goal
• Top 10 Biggest Design Flaws In The U.S.S. <i>Enterprise</i>
• Photographer Captures Flipped Iceberg in Antarctica
• 9 Disney Princesses as Indian Brides
• 10 Times Comic Book Creators Were Screwed Over
• Attack On London - Breaking Down The Walls Of Time And Space
• The <i>New York Times</i> Accidentally Invented a Country and the Internet Is in Love with It
• 15 Fun and Goofy Pillows
• The Truth About Your Smile
• Tattoos Help Burn Victims Reduce the Visibility of their Scars
• Faster, Must Go Faster: The Volcano Version
• No Vacancy: Abandoned Hotels Photo Series by Dietmar Eckell
• Set Your Phasers To Stunning With These Stupendously Sharp Sci-Fi T-Shirts
• Cow Mascot in Mexican Grocery Has Got the Mooves
• The Ultimate Revenge: Glitter Your Enemies
• 19 Amazing Facts About Bells That Will SHOCK You!
• ATL Riders - Biking Through The Apocalypse
• <i>How to Get a Husband</i>: A Guide from 1880
• 7 Cool and Wonderful Hotel Rooms
• <i>Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band</i>

Stormtrooper Armor Saves <i>Star Wars</i> Fan from Deadly Snake Bite Posted: 16 Jan 2015 04:00 AM PST (Photo: Storming Australia) If you’re not wearing stormtrooper armor right now, you must have a death wish. Scott Loxley was on Wednesday and that’s why he’s still alive. Loxley is currently walking across Australia in stormtrooper armor to raise money for a children’s charity. Last week, he had just departed the town of Yalboroo, Queensland when a King Brown snake tried to bite him. This deadly predator has the largest venom output of any known snake. Only one thing saved Loxley from its fangs: his armor. ABC News reports: "He's lunged at me and bit me but the good news is the armour, he bit me in the shin, the armour actually protected me and stopped the bite," Mr Loxley said. Thankfully, the force of the bite was not enough to penetrate the armour. "I could feel the teeth on the plastic scraping but the armour actually stopped something," he said. "So all those people who rag on the old stormtroopers, 'you know, the armour doesn't do this, it doesn't do that' … it stopped the snake bite and probably saved my life today." -via Dave Barry

Ermine Plays Peek-a-Boo Posted: 16 Jan 2015 03:00 AM PST (YouTube link) An ermine is a stoat wearing his white winter coat. I had no idea they were so cute, but this little guy is utterly charming as he peeks out of his cubbyhole in a hollow tree stump. Look at those bright black eyes! There is no information about where this was recorded, or whether this critter is used to humans or not. It's just a delightful moment, captured on video.  -via Tastefully Offensive

Epic Materia Handler Vince - A Valentine Sealed With A Fiery Kiss Posted: 16 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST Epic Materia Handler Vince by Barrett Biggers Nobody can handle materia, or unleash the powers of the Land and Planet contained within, quite like Vince. Materia is his life, and his destiny, and he has very little competition because most people can't stand being around that spooky stuff. The orbs hold great power within them, power which is unleashed when combined with weapons and armor, but only Vincent Valentine can release every bit of the energy contained within a materia sphere, which makes him one uniquely gifted individual. Show some love for your favorite RPG ever with this Epic Materia Handler Vince t-shirt by Barrett Biggers, and watch your fellow FFVII fans light up when they see your awesome shirt! Visit Barrett Biggers's Facebook fan page, official website, Twitter and Tumblr, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more fantastic designs: Seek And Ye Shall Find Epic Energy Sucker Mother is the First Other Deer God of the Forest View more designs by Barrett Biggers | 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 and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

A Collection Of Hilarious Wedding Cake Toppers Posted: 16 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST (Image Link) Weddings are nerve wracking enough as it is, so why would the bride and groom want to darken that magical day with the same old boring ceremony leading to the same old reception serving the same old cake? The wedding ceremony might need to be timed and regulated but the reception is all about having fun, and nothing says fun-loving newlyweds quite like a hilarious cake topper. There's a topper for the groom who took more than a little convincing to walk down the aisle (Image Link) Toppers for the Bridezilla and her Gameroom who can’t get enough of those megasized monster movies (Image Link) And a mighty modern topper for the couple who are obsessed with social media (Image Link) Why, these toppers almost make the whole wedding experience look like fun! If only the entire ceremony could be one long reception... Check out the rest of the 17 Hilarious Cake Toppers That Will Make You Laugh here

The Strange Way to Say "Yes" in Northern Sweden Posted: 16 Jan 2015 01:00 AM PST (Video Link) The Local news service journeyed to Umeå, a city in northern Sweden. There, a correspondent learned how to say "yes" in the local dialect of Swedish: purse your lips and suck in air for a moment. One native described it as the sound of sucking hard on a mint in your mouth. I love it! We should adopt this word into American English. -via 22 Words

The Workspaces of Famous People Posted: 16 Jan 2015 12:00 AM PST Steve Jobs Google the word "workspace" and you'll be inundated with articles that emphasize its importance. From keeping the space free of clutter to designing it to inpire both productivity and creativity, opinions abound. Yet cookie-cutter instructions can't be the answer, because no single solution exists.  Every individual is motivated in a unique way and by unique objects and personal effects. Any two spaces in which accomplished people produce can vary wildly. The illustration of that concept can be seen here in this photo collection of the workspaces of people revered worldwide for their achievements. The collection is taken from the Tumblr "Famous Workspaces," which you can check out by following this link; it appears as if it's no longer being updated, but the archives are interesting.  Via Design Taxi | Images: Famous Workspaces  Maurice Sendak, home office  Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook office workspace Jon Stewart, Daily Show office, NYC  Bruce Springsteen, home office, New Jersey

Autopilot Not Working Well for Drone Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:00 PM PST (YouTube link) Mark Taylor is surprisingly calm for a man who just crashed a new $3,000 drone: “Well, at least we got that on video.” That may come in quite handy for getting a refund, or at least enough YouTube views to lessen the sting. He was trying out the drone’s auto-takeoff feature. It was not a user error, but a bug in the system. Taylor has more details at the YouTube page, and an update that credits the manufacturer, DJI, with excellent customer service. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

Shades of January Posted: 15 Jan 2015 10:00 PM PST Artist Gemma Correll sees life in a delightfully funny way while still keeping the ennui front and center. This panel on the many shades of January is a perfect example. Which paint color is your favorite, or is there another shade she missed that you would select? See also her hilarious illustrations of winter hazards here. One can never be too careful.

Amazing Soccer Play: A Front Flip Throw-In Lands in the Goal Posted: 15 Jan 2015 09:00 PM PST (Vine Link) It’s an unusual technique, but completely effective. Michael Del Lewis, a soccer player with McKinney Boyd High School in McKinney, Texas made an unusual throw-in at a recent game against Justin Wakeland High School of Frisco, Texas. He smoothly flipped into his pitch, propelling the ball into the net. He did not, however, score a point. Stuff (warning: auto-play) informs us that the rules of soccer prohibit scoring from a throw-in. The game ended in a draw with a final score of 1 to 1. -via Yababoon

Top 10 Biggest Design Flaws In The U.S.S. <i>Enterprise</i> Posted: 15 Jan 2015 08:00 PM PST Star Trek fans know that suspension of disbelief is crucial to their enjoyment of the space opera, especially the 1966 version. After all, the Enterprise was built by TV producers, not engineers. And those shows have been seen so many times that real fans have gotten a really good look at how unsuitable the Enterprise is for its mission. Some of the design flaws are pretty technical, while others are quite evident to everyone, like 9. No Seatbelts We get it. It's fun to watch a dozen or so people get tossed around a bridge during a battle sequence — definitely more fun than just seeing a camera shake up and down while all the crew members remain safely strapped into their seats. But seriously, you'd think that after enough concussions caused by people falling out of their chairs, the Enterprise designers would just add some damn restraints. Class action lawsuit, anyone? In most cases, drama trumps common sense, because a flawlessly-designed ship wouldn’t lend itself well to a crisis every week. Read about the most egregious design flaws on the USS Enterprise at io9. -via Metafilter

Photographer Captures Flipped Iceberg in Antarctica Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:00 PM PST During an expedition to Antarctica, photographer Alex Cornell was lucky enough to see an iceberg flip over and was able to capture these spectacular images. Such flips are rare and often dangerous, because of the waves they make. Some iceberg flips can even cause tsunamis.  People use the phrase "the tip of the iceberg" to mean that the bulk of information about a situation or item is unknown/unseen. The phrase relates to the scientific fact that approximately 90% of icebergs are underwater, thus the part we see is literally just the top tip. This can be explained by the density of sea water versus that of ice. The density of ice is .92 grams per milliliter. The density of water is 1 gram per milliliter (salt water 1.03 g/mL). So ice has nine-tenths (ninety percent) of the density of water, and thus, 90 percent of the iceberg is below the surface of the water.  Most icebergs appear white, though some look blue or green. Ice contains air bubbles that diffuse all color wavelengths the same amount, making the ice look white. When ice is compressed, its bubbles are forced out and blue light is disseminated more than any other colors, thus the ice appears blue. Icebergs that appear to have stripes of green are caused by algae growth.  Learn more about icebergs here, and see more of Cornell's beautiful photography from Antarctica at his website.   Via Colossal | Images: Alex Cornell

9 Disney Princesses as Indian Brides Posted: 15 Jan 2015 06:00 PM PST Snow White Amrit Grewal is a wedding photographer in Vancouver. Working with a bridal gallery that specializes in Indian couture, he created scenes of 9 Disney princesses for South Asian Bride Magazine. The result is a beautiful mixture of Disney imagery and Indian styles. You can see more photos in the series at BuzzFeed, including pictures of Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, and Jasmine. Pocahontas -via Walyou

10 Times Comic Book Creators Were Screwed Over Posted: 15 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST It's easy to love comic books, even if you're only a casual fan of the movies that are made based on the characters. It's a bit harder to love the big comic book publishing companies though -and the more you learn about them, the more you have a hard time defending their actions.  This great Top Tenz article provides ten great examples of comic book companies screwing over the creators that developed all the characters we've come to love. While you probably already heard a bit about the whole Jack Kirby issue, you might not know some of the stories, like how Marvel countersued Gary Friedrich after he lost his case against them regarding royalties for the Ghostrider movie -claiming he had no right to sell merchandise based on the character he created.

Attack On London - Breaking Down The Walls Of Time And Space Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST Attack On London by Gilles Bone They're cybernetic organisms who used to be men, and they were using London as their own mechanical breeding grounds. Who would put a stop to their evil plans of assimilation and mechanization? Why, none other than the Doctor, that's who, a time lord with a plan of attack that involved turning titans into tiny tin toys... Bring some sci-fi adventure to your geeky wardrobe with this Attack On London t-shirt by Gilles Bone, it's cheaper than a sonic screwdriver and way more fashionable than a pair of 3D glasses! Visit Gilles Bone's Facebook fan page, official website, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more mighty cool designs: Seawheaties Rose Of Versailles Maleficos Throne Of Games View more designs by Gilles Bone | 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 and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

The <i>New York Times</i> Accidentally Invented a Country and the Internet Is in Love with It Posted: 15 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST (Image: Nation States) Have you ever visited Kyrzbekistan? You should. It's a beautiful land with a rich culture and a friendly people. It also doesn't exist, but that shouldn't stop you. Last week, a New York Times article described Kyrgyzstan, a real nation in central Asia. But it was misspelled as "Kyrzbekistan." The editors eventually corrected the error, but not before the people of the internet had run wild, describing the history, geography, and politics of it. You can find some basic facts about the landlocked nation here. Kyrzbekistan has its own official Twitter feed, which you can follow to keep up on local news and learn about the Kyzrekistani culture. The nation is diversifying its traditional yak-based economy and encouraging international investment. So if you receive an email from a Kyrzbekistani prince asking for assistance in banking, you should probably take him up on the offer. There may also be an ambassadorship open. -via Marilyn Terrell

15 Fun and Goofy Pillows Posted: 15 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST Etsy seller Yulia Donath made this paired set of pillows that would be perfect as a romantic gift. They say, "You complete me." But, strictly speaking, they're designed to attach to additional pieces. If you have a suspicious lover, then they may not be a good pick. These are 1 of 15 quirkly pillow designs rounded up by Renee Jacques at the Huffington Post. They include unusual body pillows, cupcake pillows, and sushi pillows.

The Truth About Your Smile Posted: 15 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST Most of us get surprisingly little education about caring for our teeth. Our parents teach us to brush, and if we are lucky, we get a guest lecture in grade school on the proper brushing technique. And a small percentage of us have dental insurance and talk to a dentist every once in a while. But most people develop oral hygiene habits early in life and stick with them for decades, while science comes up with new findings that contradict conventional wisdom. In other words, you’re doing it wrong. Molly Beauchemin, a “health nerd,” brings us some tips for taking care of our choppers that may surprise you. Who knew you’re supposed to rinse your mouth after drinking acidic beverages, but not after brushing your teeth? And there’s more. 4.) Floss More, Brush Less A dentist in Virginia once told me about this experiment: go 4-5 days without flossing, then floss. After you floss, ball the string up in your hand and smell it. You will never go without flossing again. The moral of the story is this: the worst bacteria that causes bad breathe and cavities lingers near our gum line and flossing is the only way to get them out. Luckily, its actually a lot easier to knock plaque off our teeth than we think, so flossing followed by a light brush is sufficient to keep your mouth squeaky clean. In fact, some dentists suggest that if you had a choice between flossing or brushing you'd be better off just flossing. It's that important. As my best friend's father—a dentist—once told me: “floss more, brush less”. Truly, dental floss is your friend in the long run. Beauchemin even addresses electric toothbrushes in the comments. Read a surprisingly interesting article about teeth at The Hairpin. -via Digg (Image credit: Brianne Burnell)

Tattoos Help Burn Victims Reduce the Visibility of their Scars Posted: 15 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST Before (l) and after the process of paramedical tattoos Basma Hameed is what as known as a paramedical tattoo specialist. Her work applying flesh-toned ink in an attempt to render the scars of burn victims less noticeable makes a tremendous positive impact on their lives. Suffering from burns is agonizing and the rehabilitation process is full of painful skin graft operations. In addition to that trauma, patients are often stigmatized due to the appearance of their skin. Hameed's work can make a stunning difference in the looks of these patients. She was especially inspired to help others as she was also a burn victim who benefited from the process. What a wonderful way to help others in need.  Check out the video below and see more before and after images at Basma's clinic website (Not recommended for people especially squeamish about scarring.)  Via Distractify | Images: Basma Hameed Basma's face before and after tattooing YouTube Link

Faster, Must Go Faster: The Volcano Version Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:35 AM PST In 1914, the Sakurajima volcano in Kyushu, Japan, erupted and its lava flowed for months until it filled the narrow straits and connected the volcano island and the mainland, turning it into a peninsula. That volcano eruption was captured on film in the above photograph by the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun. The photo showed a group of men on a boat expedition to the island frantically trying to sail away as fast as they could from the billowing column of ash, smoke, and probably lava. The photo is the first of many fascinating photos of volcano eruptions as curated by National Geographic. If you like that one, here's a more modern one in the "escape from volcano" genre. This time, it's the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo in the northern Philippines. It's taken by photographer Alberto Garcia from the back of his van. "All of us survived, thank God," he said. Take a look at the complete photo series over at National Geographic.

No Vacancy: Abandoned Hotels Photo Series by Dietmar Eckell Posted: 15 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST Photo: Dietmar Eckell In his photo series "No Vacancy," German photographer Dietmar Eckell traveled around the world to document abandoned hotels in the middle of nowhere. Once, these hotels were luxury retreats, pleasure domes or wellness sanctuaries - but for one reason or another, they have all been abandoned for nature to reclaim. The photo above is of the "Hotel Royal," an infamous love hotel in Kanagawa, Japan. The hotel boasted seven stories and 35 rooms with a view of Lake Sagami. At first, the remote place seemed ideal for wayward married men and women to conduct illicit love affairs, but at the end it was just too far away (either that or love birds just really didn't care for the view). An abandoned resort on the Tagaytay ridge in the Philippines. It was once billed as a weekend escape from Manila, but has been abandoned for decades. Abandoned hotel in the Mariveles peninsula, the Philippines A hotel project in Saipan, built by Korean investor and never finished. This abandoned resort in the Philippines is now used by local farmers to give their cows a little R&R. An abandoned ex-diplomat hotel on a hill top in Baguio, the Philippines. It was originally built as a school by the Dominican order. An abandoned hotel in Saipan, one of several, that did not survive when major airlines stopped regular service to the island during economic crisis in the 90s. Don't miss more of Eckell's fantastic photos over at his website and Facebook page.

Set Your Phasers To Stunning With These Stupendously Sharp Sci-Fi T-Shirts Posted: 15 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST Just when you think people are losing interest in sci-fi and drifting towards Romantic Vampire Historical Fiction or Bizarro Epic Fantasy Poems some Doctor from beyond the reaches of time, or a brand war in the stars, comes back around to spark interest in sci-fi again. Celebrate your love of all things sci-fi, and those particularly geeky LOLs only science fiction can deliver, with these witty sci-fi themed t-shirts from that intergalactic trading post known as the NeatoShop! Exterminate All Folks by Saqman The science fiction genre has been around longer than any human alive today Farnsworth Genetic Replicants by JRBERGER However, it wasn't always such a widely appreciated genre Ming The Merciless by dutyfreak It used to be that only a particular kind of fan watched sci-fi shows and films Bazinga by Spicy Monocle Those who watched sci-fi shows were often hassled and marginalized just because they quoted Spock Vulcan Do It! by Blueswade It's sad that sci-fi used to be so underappreciated, but these days people are dying to join in on the far out fun Baby On Board by dutyfreak And science fiction tops both the television and movie markets DR. MCFLY by Fernando Sala It's all because of those great characters Post-Impressionism in a galaxy far, far away... by Ed Harrington The adorable sidekicks, alien and otherwise Squirrel! by JVZDesigns The super futuristic, and generally radical looking, tech found in sci-fi 90s I'll Be Back by StudioM6 Sometimes there are aliens who force humanity to make a tough decision InVADER Zolo by Atomic Rocket Other times there are machines who teach us what it means to be human Roy's Tears by Grafx-Guy But always there is some element of superior technology rOBOT by Piercek25 And it never hurts to have a blaster battle or two PEW-PEW by Cubik The future can sometimes be a scary place The Passenger by Fuacka Other times the reality presented in a sci-fi franchise is simply too alien to be real Barf's Cereal by Harebrained Design And that's just the way hardcore sci-fi fans like it! Bender-Z by Benares Science fiction is such a broad and all encompassing genre that it's easy to mix in horror themes Luke...BAZINGA by Firebeard Or keep the laughs coming with a parody of a fan favorite franchise Hail Skroob! by In Stank We Trust There's even room for a little fantasy in the world of sci-fi Doctor Oz by Saqman There are science fiction purists out there who would rather read the written word than watch the story on a screen End Of Story by CoDDesigns But in the end even they'll admit that sci-fi shows always have been, and always will be, super cool! Women of 70s TV- POWER! by Captain RibMan Sci-fi shows are beloved by viewers of all ages, races, and sizes Minions In Black by Chicoloco Designs You don't have to be a kid to appreciate a good animated TV show BraveStarr by Russ Jericho And even when they're taken away from us much too soon we still hold love in our hearts for our favorite shows Warning! Betrayal by Winter Artwork Illustration Sci-fi theme songs are music to our ears- they're the soundtracks to our geeky lives M.C. Hammerhead by Captain RibMan Even those old school Imperial marches still sound good to our ears Disco Deathstar by Biotwist And those new sci-fi soundtracks are frelling awesome! TAKE THIS TAPE by Yiannis It's esy to see why sci-fi is such an enduring genre Regenerated Rockwell by Creative Outpouring And why fans love to fill their lives with stories of their favorite fictional folks no matter when their show was made Doctor Gru by Djkopet Because there will always be new tech to discover, new planets to explore, new characters to love and a slew of new catch phrases! Set Phasers To Fun by Fishbiscuit Bring some fantastic sci-fi adventure to your geeky wardrobe with these amazing science fiction themed t-shirts from the NeatoShop, they're super sharp looking and sure to stun your fellow fans. Each sale of t-shirts in the NeatoShop supports indie artists from around the world and Neatorama, and NeatoShop designs can be put on a t-shirt, hoodie, device case and more, so there's bound to be something you, or your favorite sci-fi fan, will adore!

Cow Mascot in Mexican Grocery Has Got the Mooves Posted: 15 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST YouTube Link This hoofing heifer at a Mexican supermarket is proudly representing dairy product brand Alpura, as seemingly unfazed customers pass by with their carts. Who knew cows could twerk? This is monumental! Moomoomental, even. -Via Tastefully Offensive

The Ultimate Revenge: Glitter Your Enemies Posted: 15 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST There are those who think you just can't have enough glitter -and then there's the rest of us. If you are one of the non glitter lovers than you know one of the substance's most annoying attributes is that it sticks to everything and seems to never leave. That's why SendYourEnemiesGlitter.com is such a brilliant idea. You can finally torture those you truly hate without doing anything remotely illegal or unethical.  So how much does this marvelous torment cost? Only $9.99 AUD. Sure that's a lot for an envelope filled with glitter, but keep in mind that they also prevent you from having to touch the terrible stuff and they provide you with a return address that isn't traced back to you. Via Nerd Approved

19 Amazing Facts About Bells That Will SHOCK You! Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:18 AM PST (YouTube link) Hey, I didn’t come up with that title- it was attached to the video already. We shouldn’t call these “facts,” as that implies a certain intersection with the truth. But you know, I often come across “facts” on the internet that turns out to be quite wrong, and now Joel Veitch of Rathergood and David Shute are doing their best to contribute to that mass of disinformation. It’s good that they made it go so fast, because if this were slow enough that your crazy great-aunt could understand it, she’d forward it to all her friends. -via b3ta

ATL Riders - Biking Through The Apocalypse Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST ATL Riders by Machmigo Merle and Daryl are Atlanta's original bad boys, two wild men as capable as they are ferocious, and when the zombie muck hit the fan it was only natural to want to ride alongside them, besides- it beat walking! They were made for the apocalypse, and had spent their lives training for just such an occassion, so those who rode alongside them knew they were in good hands. But what that group of outlaw survivors didn't realize is Merle and Daryl had two very different views on what it means to stay alive, and how many living humans would wind up dead at their feet... Ride with the original bad boys of the zombie apocalypse, wear this ATL Riders t-shirt by Machmigo around town and watch your fellow Dixon brothers fans nod and smile in approval! Visit Machmigo's Facebook fan page, Twitter and Tumblr, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more deadly cool designs: Treasure Hunter's League I Geek Too Forever Kupo League Of Dark Magic View more designs by Machmigo | 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 and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

<i>How to Get a Husband</i>: A Guide from 1880 Posted: 15 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST Attention "young ladies, spinsters and widows": this book is for you! You can read this entire book at Flashbak, so get ready to take notes. The book is not a theoretical guide to attracting a man. It's basically a collection of personal ads from men who are actively wife-hunting. As you can see, the pickings are pretty good. And how do you attract a beau of this quality? Author J. Bradley Adams offers a sample letter that you can send through this Nineteenth Century version of OKCupid. So what are you waiting for? Love awaits you!

7 Cool and Wonderful Hotel Rooms Posted: 15 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST Sometimes the journey is greater than the destination, and sometimes the hotel room is the best part of the vacation. That really might be the case in vacations that involve stays in these strange wonderful hotel rooms we featured on Homes and Hues.  From Batman-themed love hotels to converted airplanes and from hotels built just above the water to those built under water, these hotels are totally fantastic and utterly strange.  Don't miss the full list at Homes and Hues: The 7 Strangest Hotel Rooms On Earth

<i>Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band</i> Posted: 15 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website or at Facebook. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was the 8th album recorded by the Beatles. The band's touring days had officially ended in August of 1966, and in December, the boys reunited after several months of pursuing their own  individual interests. John was finished filming his solo movie debut- a supporting role in an anti-war satire called How I Won the War. Paul had written the score of a film called The Family Way and George had made a pilgrimage to India to study the sitar under the tutorship of virtuoso (and future mentor) Ravi Shankar. Ringo, always the simplest, most down-to-earth Beatle, had spent his holiday time with his wife and newborn children. The Sgt. Pepper album and concept basically came from Paul. Knowing full well that the Fab Four's touring days were over and that by this time the quartet had grown sick and tired of being "the four moptops,” he reasoned that they could actually assume new identities and send an album out "on tour" in their stead. The four would actually assume the identity of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and not have to worry about the pressure and strain of being Beatles anymore. Paul had, by this time, almost by default, taken over the leadership of the band. For the past several years (long before Ringo had joined the band in '62), he and Lennon had jockeyed for the leadership of the group, but now John was fairly "indisposed" after two continuous years of "destroying his ego" with massive doses of LSD. According to John, he was "going through murder" by the early days of 1967. Paul took over the reigns for the recording of Sgt. Pepper, and the album was to be pretty much the swan song of the Lennon/Mccartney songwriting partnership, the most successful partnership in the history of popular music. George was in the midst of being swept away by India, its religion and its music, and was becoming almost completely disinterested in any Beatles projects, thinking them unimportant and frivolous. (George was also growing as a songwriter himself and had become quite tired of being thought of as the "fifth wheel" of the group's composers, still an afterthought behind John and Paul after all these years.) Succinctly and tellingly, Ringo was to recall the Sgt. Pepper sessions as “The time I learned to play chess.” Ringo too, as usual, took a back seat to John and Paul, but he, unlike George, had little ego and seemed to be content in the Beatles' changing circumstance. Before the Sgt. Pepper sessions began, all four Beatles grew mustaches, the better to assume their new Sgt. Pepper "identities.” (John had also become the first Beatle to become shorn of his world-famous Beatle locks- before filming began on How I Won the War.) John had also donned his much-needed "granny glasses" in public. For years as a Beatle, the myopic Lennon had squinted out at the adoring audiences attending their concerts. The album was to take 129 days to record (700 hours, all told), an unprecedented amount of time to record an album at the time. All four Beatles preferring long recording sessions lasting through a majority of the night. And topping it all off were the rumors, quite common at the time, that the Beatles were washed up and finished as a popular band. At many of their final U.S. concerts, the thousands of empty seats must have caught their eyes- a sight unheard of for the Fab Four in '63, '64 or '65. Ionically, perhaps the best songs recorded for Sgt. Pepper never made it on to the album. The Beatle classic songs, Paul's “Penny Lane" and John's “Strawberry Fields" were originally recorded and intended to be on the Sgt. Pepper album, but the huge demand for a new Beatle single swept them away and they were released as a "double a-side" single, often referred to as the greatest record in rock history. Producer George Martin was never to forgive himself for excising the two songs from Sgt. Pepper, calling it "the biggest mistake of my professional life.” The songs on Sgt. Pepper were an eclectic mix of rock 'n roll, old time music hall, psychedelic, jazz, and religious tunes. The “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” song leads off the album, as the Beatles leave their former identities and "become" Sgt. Pepper and his band. Because of the times and probably because of the Beatles new mustachioed, flowery-clothed appearance, many songs written without the slightest thought of drugs were mistakenly taken as "drug songs" by many in the media. Yes, the entire band, especially John, were heavily indulging in recreational drugs during this period- with the possible exception of George, who was feeling his way onto the drug-free spiritual, enlightened path. The truth is the band had been using pills since their earliest days together, smoking marijuana since 1964 and taking LSD since 1965, so the "drug angle" was actually nothing new. Both the band's two previous albums, Rubber Soul and Revolver were heavily drug-influenced. Ringo sings “A Little Help From My Friends,” a Lennon/McCartney melody which, like several Sgt. Pepper songs, was later accused of promoting the use of drugs (in one chorus, Ringo sings “I get high with a little help from my friends”). John's “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was actually inspired by an innocuous picture drawn by his five-year-old son Julian of a classmate named Lucy. Nonetheless, the song was widely interpreted as promoting LSD. (That's “Lucy,” “Sky,” and “Diamonds" standing for LSD, get it? Obviously the "in,” "the,” and "with" were irrelevant.) Even Paul's “Fixing a Hole,” a light lilt about Paul repairing his home, was interpreted as an ode to heroin (the "hole" was a heroin fix). The album ends with perhaps the finest song ever composed by John and Paul: “A Day in the Life.” Written as an homage to the boys' pal, Guinness heir Tara Browne, who had recently died in a car accident, this song was actually banned by the BBC because of the lyric “I’d love to turn you on.” Less controversial songs filled the album, including John's “Good Morning, Good Morning" (inspired by a Kellogg's corn flakes commercial), John's “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" (inspired by an 1843 poster John had purchased at an antique shop) and Paul's “Lovely Rita" (a tribute to a real meter maid who had given him a ticket). “Getting Better" is a catchy John and Paul joint composition (no pun intended) which mirrors almost perfectly their individual personalities i.e. Paul the ever-hopeful optimist (“It's getting better all the time") and John's stark, bleak outlook (“It cant get no worse”). “When I’m Sixty-Four" was the oldest song on the album, it had been written by Paul McCartney when he was 15 years old. “Within You Without You" was George's one contribution to Sgt. Pepper and is almost universally regarded as the album's biggest "clinker.” A droning, flat Indian hymn sung almost mournfully by George, strangely it was always to be one of John Lennon's favorite Beatle songs. For the album's cover, each Beatle was asked to write up a list of people they wanted included. The images ran the gamut from Bob Dylan to Marilyn Monroe to Edgar Allan Poe to Aldous Huxley to Laurel & Hardy. John had wanted both Adolf Hitler and Jesus (possibly in propitiation because of his recent 1966 controversial declaration that the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus.” Both requests were denied. George requested several Indian gurus and mystics. Ringo opted out, saying “Whoever the other's choose is fine with me." The characters chosen were featured on the Sgt. Pepper cover, amongst the four Beatles, decked out themselves as the Sgt. Pepper band. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released on June 1, 1967 in the UK, a day later in the US. Although the first American review, from the New York Times, was a major pan, the critics almost unanimously hailed the album as extraordinary and revolutionary. Sgt. Pepper was also dubbed the first-ever "concept album," a claim Lennon was to always deny and refute. The album hit number one on the British charts and was to remain there for an incredible 27 weeks. (15 weeks at #1 in the States). To this day, Sgt. Pepper is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with over 32 million sold. Nominated for seven Grammy Awards, it garnered four. Interestingly, although it was almost unanimously acclaimed, at the time of its release, as "the greatest album of all-time,” unlike almost any other Beatles record or album, Sgt. Pepper's status has slightly dropped in the past several years (it was, however, still voted the #1 album of all-time by Rolling Stone magazine as recently as 2003). Some feel it is now a bit dated and that other Beatle albums i.e. Revolver,” Rubber Soul, Abbey Road or the white album (The Beatles) now rate superior to the once much-vaunted Sgt. Pepper. John himself always said he always preferred the white album to Sgt. Pepper. Maybe they're right, who's to say? Like all art and aesthetics, beauty does, indeed, lie in the eye (or the ear) of the beholder. No matter which is "the best,” like so much else the Beatles gave us, Sgt. Pepper is a fascinating, unique and wonderful listen. To those who have heard it (that is any human being from my generation) you know what i mean. And to anyone reading this who have never experienced the magic of Sgt. Pepper, do yourself a favor. “A splendid time is guaranteed for all.” (YouTube link)

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