Neatorama

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• The Cruelest Oscar Award Presentation of All-Time
• San Francisco Zoo Has Just the Thing For Spurned Lovers on Valentine's Day
• Barack Obama Does “Uptown Funk”
• Child Illustrates 80s Pop Music
• Facehuggers - Misguided Feline Affection
• Florida Woman Tells Police She Knew Truck Was Stolen, But Not “That Stolen”
• Why Children Need to Be Quiet
• This Cup Lets Astronauts Sip Espresso in Zero Gravity
• 10 Unsettling Urban Legends from the Battlefields of History
• What Inevitably Happens When 5 Guys Have a Bubble Wrap Factory All to Themselves
• A New Face for Violet
• New Guinness World Record: Man Takes 1,449 Selfies in One Hour
• NeatoMail Exclusive Hoodie Giveaway Winner
• Homemade Gas-powered Horse
• "Dead" Cat Claws out of Grave 5 Days Later
• Walking With Rob And Stan - After Con Apocalypse
• “If You Are Eating Chocolate, How Do You Know When to Stop?” – Being Black in China
• Auschwitz 70 Years On
• Cartoons Paused At Just The Right Moment Makes Them Seem Oh So Wrong
• The Mother ‘Hood
• A Tiny Violin Shop inside a Violin
• Doc or Crock: 6 Recent “Documentaries” That Have Been Accused of Being Fake
• Discontinued Food Items We've Loved And Lost
• Seven Pounds of Insanity
• Dashing Through the Snow in a 1907 Auto Sleigh
• Coffee Around the World
• Jones - Street Cleaner Supreme
• Trinkaus: An Informal Look

The Cruelest Oscar Award Presentation of All-Time Posted: 28 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. “Katharine Hepburn runs the gamut of emotions from A to B.” This quote, by famed writer-critic Dorothy Parker, was put forth about an early performance of Katharine Hepburn. As a young actress, Kate was also dubbed "box office poison.” Born and raised to have an independent mind and spirit, young Kate broke the mold of every actress in history. She wore pants and no make-up, and refused to pose for pictures, grant interviews or sign autographs. She wasn't popular or well-liked in Hollywood. But as we all know, she was, within a few short years, to become one of the most acclaimed and admired actresses in the history of Hollywood and the movies. She is truly now regarded as one of the movie's immortal figures- imitated, studied, and admired by any and every actress, young or old. To put it in simplest terms, Katharine Hepburn was the Meryl Streep of her time. Katherine Hepburn in Morning Glory. It was for the 1932-33 Academy Awards that Katharine received her very first Oscar nomination. Young Kate was nominated for her performance as “Eva Lovelace" in the movie Morning Glory. Her nomination was surprising enough, and she didn't even bother to show up for the awards ceremony. (In retrospect, one wonders if she would have found the evening's show amusing.) Host for the ceremony that year was legendary liberal humorist, Will Rogers. Rogers was quite possibly the most beloved comedian-humorist in American history. He was definitely slanted left as a liberal, but conservatives loved him and were hardly ever offended by his humor. He showed so much common sense in his observations, no one took any offense at his remarks and barbs. Rogers spent much of the evening making wisecracks about the Republicans, Hollywood big shots and phonies, even Oscars lobbying (this predated Jon Stewart's similar targets in his Oscar hosting stint by 73 years). His rudest joke, however, was reserved for the awarding of the evening's Best Actress award. That year, besides Katharine, there were two other nominees for Best Actress": Mae Robson for Lady for a Day and Diana Wynard for Cavalcade. Rogers was handed the official envelope with the Best Actress winner listed on it. Upon receiving the envelope, Rogers opened it and summoned the other two nominees, May Robson and Diana Wynard, up on stage with him. The two nominees, May and Diana, excitedly rushed up on stage. Of course, they thought they had both won, assuming that it was a tie. (A tie had happened just the previous year for the Best Actor award). May Robson in Lady for a Day (left) and Diana Wynard in Cavalcade. Instead, Rogers thanked both women for their performance, and announced that the award for Best Actress had been awarded to Katharine Hepburn. (Funny perhaps...but what a creep!) As the two embarrassed women stood awkwardly on stage, the audience looked on, baffled and confused. The crowd was stunned and responded with a round of half-hearted applause. One can easily imagine what the two ladies must have been thinking about Will Rogers as they awkwardly made their way back to their seats in the audience. Hollywood eventually did warm up to Kate Hepburn, bestowing three more Oscars on her, more than any actress (or actor) in movie history. She also received 13 Oscar nominations, a record that stood until the perennial Meryl Streep smashed it with 16 (so far!). Although she never bothered to show up at any of the Oscar ceremonies, Kate was genuinely moved. In 1998, she confessed that she felt touched by her Academy Awards. “They gave me their respect and their affection. It was a revelation. The the generous heart of the industry,” she said wistfully. Her final film was 1994's Love Affair, a remake of an earlier classic. In 1991, she published her memoirs, Me: Stories of My Life, in which she told her story with characteristic candor and forthrightness. Late in her career, she made several critically acclaimed appearances on Broadway. Katharine Hepburn died on June 29, 2003 at the age of 96. Even after her death, she proved she could still win Oscars, when Cate Blanchett took home a statuette for playing her in The Aviator (2004).

San Francisco Zoo Has Just the Thing For Spurned Lovers on Valentine's Day Posted: 28 Jan 2015 04:00 AM PST The San Francisco Zoo is running what they call a Valentine's Day special: the adoption of a Madagascar hissing cockroach or a giant hairy scorpion. Why? To honor your ex, of course. A zoo donation of $25 will not only aid conservation efforts for the species you select, but it also pays for an adoption certificate with the name of your ex on it, along with a small plush scorpion or several plastic cockroaches in "a cute little red box." Just the thing for sending to your former love interest cum creepy crawler! The zoo's website describes the scorpion adoption as follows,  "So the latest affair didn't work out and given your ex's record-breaking ability to move on, you suspect foul play. Well, nothing soothes the sting like the adoption of a giant hairy scorpion in honor of your former beloved. It's no surprise, these invertebrates are aggressive, active, and alarmingly nocturnal. Much like your low-life ex, they are usually found in and around low-elevation valleys where they dig elaborate burrows or "caves." Also just like you-know-who, when a suitable victim wanders by, the scorpion grabs the doomed creature with its pinchers and stings the prey. After the prey is immobilized, the scorpion tears the carcass apart with its pinchers and begins feeding. Charming... We can't make any promises, but urban legend says that the gift of a scorpion adoption serves as permanent protection against future romantic stings. Let the healing begin." The cockroach copy is scarily similar. Adopt-a-roach, see additional pictures and more at the San Francisco Zoo website. Image: San Francisco Zoo

Barack Obama Does “Uptown Funk” Posted: 28 Jan 2015 03:00 AM PST (YouTube link) Fadi Saleh of the YouTube channel baracksdubs has been working steadily to edit the president into singing songs for years now. This time he’s outdone himself, as Obama does the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars song “Uptown Funk.” -via Viral Viral Videos

Child Illustrates 80s Pop Music Posted: 28 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST Lost in Your Eyes, Debbie Gibson Little Sam Burnett first heard Devo's song "Whip It" when he was about two years old, and he couldn't get enough. The experience had a huge effect on him, and he began to obsess over 1980s music after that. The next song that Sam's mom (also an 80s music enthusiast) intoduced him to was "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins. Sam became hooked on the genre. He even created a drawing that illustrated the song, and has been doing it ever since. Take a look at Sam's illustrations over the years. His charming visual interpretations of the music are classics. See a bigger collection of Sam's 80s music artwork here.  Crazy for You, Madonna Sharp Dressed Man, ZZ Top Too Much Time on My Hands Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, The Police

Facehuggers - Misguided Feline Affection Posted: 28 Jan 2015 01:00 AM PST Facehuggers by Matt Parsons Everybody is always talking about those xenomorphic facehuggers that look like alien bugs, but what about the furry facehuggers that we've let into our homes? They're not looking to lay eggs in your abdomen, or spread terror throughout the galaxy, they just really like the way your warm breath feels on their tummies! Cats are already taking over the interwebs, and before you know it they'll have taken over the universe, so get those faces ready for a hugging humanity! Give the world a geeky hug with this Facehuggers t-shirt by Matt Parsons, and share your twisted sense of humor with the world! Visit Matt Parsons's Facebook fan page, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more purr-fectly geeky designs: The Road So Far Hello Douche A Hunters Breakfast The Hooded Vigilante View more designs by Matt Parsons | 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!

Florida Woman Tells Police She Knew Truck Was Stolen, But Not “That Stolen” Posted: 28 Jan 2015 01:00 AM PST (Photo: Scott Davidson) There are degrees of stolenness. Something can be just a smidgen stolen. Something else can be fairly well stolen. Or, in more extreme cases, an item can be very stolen or even profoundly stolen. The gradations can be subtle, but they are not invisible. Alas, for this woman in Sandestin, Florida, police did not accept her argument that the truck she was in was not as stolen as they believed. The Daily News reports: When officers pointed out that she knew the vehicle had been stolen, she replied, “I didn’t think it was that stolen,” according to the report. She is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle. -via VA Viper

Why Children Need to Be Quiet Posted: 28 Jan 2015 12:00 AM PST (vimeo link) Children make up a particularly gullible audience, so its very tempting to impress them with whatever nonsense you want to concoct, and sometimes those tall tales have a positive effect. Or one like this could just as easily scar them for life. This tall tale was inspired by a real-life train ride with children. It was produced by British animation studio Kilogramme, which had already produced another episode of tall tales you can see here. -via Geeks Are Sexy

This Cup Lets Astronauts Sip Espresso in Zero Gravity Posted: 27 Jan 2015 11:00 PM PST (Photo: Portland State University) Italy plans to send an espresso machine to the International Space Station later this year, which has prompted this innovative cup design. Astronauts usually suck liquids out of containers with tubes. But that’s a terrible way to drink fine Italian coffee. Espresso should be sipped from an espresso cup. This cup developed by researchers at Portland State University can permit precisely that, even in very low gravity. Liz Stinson writes for Wired: The cup’s shape is odd—a little like a plastic baby boot—and was determined by mathematical models. Every curve and geometric shape is designed to encourage the controlled movement of liquid. You’ll notice a pointed corner in the center of the cup; this strange bit of design is what makes it possible to drink liquids in low gravity. The corner essentially acts like a wick, using surface tension to guide liquid toward your mouth. As soon as an astronaut touches her mouth to the lip of the cup, a capillary connection is formed and the liquid travels up the vessel and forms sippable balls of coffee. It sounds simple enough, but designing a cup for space requires a deep understanding of how fluids move in low gravity. “We’re geeks, and we make spacecraft fluid systems,” says Mark Weislogel, a professor of mechanical and mechanical engineering who is leading the research. “It’s like space plumbing.

10 Unsettling Urban Legends from the Battlefields of History Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:00 PM PST Tales born in the confusion of battle can sometimes grow and change considerably by the time they get to you, particularly stories from long long ago. The old saying “History is written by the winners” holds true also, because accounts from the battlefield can be used for political purposes. Some are attempts to explain unexpected victories or defeats. Other stories just grew like any other strange tale. For all these reasons, war is full of urban legends, like the one about the White Tights. According to Russian legend, the White Tights – or beliye kolgotky – are blonde, beautiful women who are as deadly as they are attractive. The stories began to circulate during the Chechen Wars, when men would tell of a group of women hired as assassins, targeting anyone they’re paid to dispatch. The legend gives them something of a background, too. They’re reputed to be members of a biathlon team, doing their training right out in the open where they’re groomed for long-distance marathons that end with putting a bullet in someone. They’re also said to be originally from the Baltic states, born with a grudge against Russia that makes them the perfect, cold-blooded killers. Russian soldiers would report their units receiving radio transmissions from the women, giving them fair warning that they were coming. Their goals were often to wound the regular soldiers and kill the officers – not with a head shot, but with a shot to the groin. It’s one story that definitely walks the line between truth and fiction, and when members of the Russian Biathlon Federation issued a statement saying that their athletes absolutely weren’t a part of the secret society of assassins, it’s said that they had to double-check first just to make sure. There’s a historical basis for the idea, too – as far back as the Russian Civil War in 1918 women were often employed as snipers. They were patient, they were calculating, and it was easier for them in infiltrate certain areas – especially if they were armed with a child. But the White Tights take the idea of a secret group of deadly, beautiful blonde women who can kill with a single shot to a whole new level. That’s just one of ten battlefield urban legends you can read about at Urban Ghosts. Others tell of monsters that only come out at night, angelic beings who saved the day, and propaganda stories about the evils of the enemy.

What Inevitably Happens When 5 Guys Have a Bubble Wrap Factory All to Themselves Posted: 27 Jan 2015 09:00 PM PST Admit it: you would do this, too. Monday was Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, one of the more under-appreciated holidays on the American cultural calendar. Rarely will employers give workers a day off on this most hallowed of occasions (I’m looking at you, Alex). (Video Link) But the five men behind the YouTube channel Dude Perfect celebrated the correct way. They took a pilgrimage to the headquarters of the Sealed Air Corporation in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is that wondrous place where bubble wrap is born. There, like in the Olympics of old, the five dudes undertook athletic competitions in honor of bubble wrap. -via Huffington Post

A New Face for Violet Posted: 27 Jan 2015 08:00 PM PST Almost-two-year-old Violet Pietrok’s facial bones didn’t fuse together prenatally, leaving her with a syndrome called Tessier Cleft. Her eyes were so far apart that she couldn’t see properly, and her nose had no cartilage. Dr. John Meara at Boston Children’s Hospital wanted to help Violet. He had done this kind of surgery before, but every patient is different, and the bone reconstruction will be different for each one. That’s where 3D printing comes in. Dr. Meara had his colleague Dr. Peter Weinstock made 3D models of the toddler’s skull, using data from magnetic resonance imaging. Meara was able to practice with four skull models, in order to develop the best plan for Violet’s surgery ahead of time. Dr. Weinstock, the director of the Pediatric Simulator Program at Boston Children’s, sees 3-D models as part of a larger program to improve surgical craft. At Children’s and a dozen other pediatric centers around the world, he says, the surgical simulation program he developed improves team communication and trust, and lifts confidence before extremely complex operations. He believes it also shortens patients’ time under anesthesia. If the nearly two-year-old program has prevented even one major medical error — and Dr. Weinstock is convinced it has prevented many — it has paid for itself and its $400,000 3-D printer, running nearly full time in the hospital’s basement. Dr. Meara was able to move Violet’s eyes closer together and eliminate a large hole in her forehead. She will have more surgery as she grows, but the first step was made much easier by the practice skulls. Read the whole story at the New York Times. -via Metafilter (Image credit: Credit Katherine C. Cohen/Boston Children's Hospital)

New Guinness World Record: Man Takes 1,449 Selfies in One Hour Posted: 27 Jan 2015 07:00 PM PST (Photo: Patrick Peterson) I have never taken a selfie, so I am very, very far behind Patrick Peterson, a cornerback on the Arizona Cardinals football team. He’s a fast actor with both a football and a cellphone. On Tuesday, Peterson secured a Guinness World Record by taking 1,449 selfies with a cellphone in just one hour. That’s one every 3.1 seconds. Peterson performed the feat at Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Arizona. His attempt blew away the old record of 657 established by Lee Goodfellow in Glasgow, Scotland last year. -via Guinness World Records

NeatoMail Exclusive Hoodie Giveaway Winner Posted: 27 Jan 2015 06:00 PM PST Congratulations to the winner of our latest NeatoMail exclusive giveaway: Neatoramanaut Carmen has chosen this awesome "Periodic Mario Table" by Zarkan - wise choice and perfect for the chilly winter weather we've been having! Be sure to visit the NeatoShop for tons of neat and geeky T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies. Great quality (check out the side-by-side comparison) at a price that can't be beat! If you want to join in on the giveaway fun and win a neat prize for yourself, subscribe to NeatoMail. You'll get access to exclusive giveaways and contests (don't worry - we won't share your email address):

Homemade Gas-powered Horse Posted: 27 Jan 2015 05:00 PM PST (YouTube link) Su Daocheng is a farmer in a China and a self-taught mechanical genius. He built this gas engine-powered horse to help him plow his fields, but I honestly don’t see him getting a lot of that done, at least in this version. That fact that he actually built it himself is pretty neat, yet when it starts walking, you’ll laugh out loud just like I did. Later in the video, you’ll get to see more of Su’s kinetic sculptures. -via Boing Boing

"Dead" Cat Claws out of Grave 5 Days Later Posted: 27 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST (Photo: Tampa Humane Society) Someone in Tampa, Florida hit Bart the cat with a car. He was lying, apparently lifeless, in a pool of his own blood in the road when his owner, Ellis Hutson, found him. Hutson dug a hole and buried Bart. He and his family mourned the loss of Bart. But Bart wasn't done yet. He had unfinished business. 5 days after he had been buried, Bart returned home, hungry, bloody, and dehydrated. Bart lost an eye, has deep lacerations, and a broken jaw. But he's alive. How is Bart still alive? Hutson's neighbor, Dusty Albritton, has no idea: “I saw him with my own eyes. I know he was dead. He was cold and stiff,” Albritton told ABC News. […] “Now my kids believe their cat will also rise from the dead," she said with a chuckle. "But I told them I don't think so." When she discovered the resurrected Bart, she said he acted “like he’s in no pain whatsoever.” -via Ace of Spades HQ

Walking With Rob And Stan - After Con Apocalypse Posted: 27 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST Walking With Rob and Stan by Chip Skelton Wade had finally started hanging out with the comic book in crowd when the zombie apocalypse swept through the nerd con like a bad stench. Suddenly fanboys and geek girls were chewing on each other like tacos, and Pool was left wondering what to do with all those walking dead dudes. He decided it was time to hack some heads, but before he could start chopping those cads down he came face to face with his idols- the bespectacled badass Stan and his lowly pencil pusher Rob... Add some dead cool style to your geeky wardrobe with this Walking With Rob and Stan t-shirt by Chip Skelton, it costs about the same as four tacos but this shirt does a way better job of satisfying your hunger for geeky goodness! Visit Chip Skelton's Facebook fan page, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more ridiculously cool designs: Puppet Law Minion Who Trick or Treat First Shot! View more designs by Chip Skelton | 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!

“If You Are Eating Chocolate, How Do You Know When to Stop?” – Being Black in China Posted: 27 Jan 2015 03:00 PM PST (Video Link) “Why are you black?” If you’re a black person visiting China, you may get asked this question. This fascinating video by TMD Shanghai shares the experience of being a black visitor to China, which historically has had few black residents. For African American visitors, it gets even stranger. The narrator explains that many Chinese believe that all black people are from Africa, so African Americans are not native English speakers. Content warning: some foul language. -via Rocket News 24

Auschwitz 70 Years On Posted: 27 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST View image | gettyimages.com Seventy years ago, on January 27th, 1945, the Soviet army liberated the Auschwitz network of concentration camps. Survivors and dignitaries gathered at the site in Poland, preserved as a museum since 1947, to mark the anniversary. About 300 camp survivors attended, shown here on their way to light candles at Birkenau. Since they are elderly, this is believed to be the last major commenoration attendance for most of them. A huge, white temporary building has been erected over the brick railway buildings where many of the Jews of Europe were sorted into those who were fit enough for slave labour and those who would be taken straight to the gas chambers. Candles have been lit at the Death Wall where prisoners were executed - small points of light in this wintry landscape of snow and ice, where Europe is remembering a time of darkness. You can read about the ceremonies and see pictures of anniversary commemorations from other parts of Europe as well, at BBC News.

Cartoons Paused At Just The Right Moment Makes Them Seem Oh So Wrong Posted: 27 Jan 2015 01:00 PM PST Have you ever sat around pausing movies or television shows hoping to land on just the right moment so you can have a good laugh at the out-of-context hilarity on the screen? That’s the comedic power of the pause in action, and no matter the format those paused moments make the show look just plain wrong! The Soup has put together a collection of screenshots that make innocent cartoons look like total smut, and they've come up with a rather catchy name for these pausal peccadilloes- Bad Pause.  Take a gander at their collection Bad Pause: Cartoon Edition, but only if you're ready to laugh at how easy it is to totally ruin your favorite cartoon shows from childhood with a perfect pause!

The Mother ‘Hood Posted: 27 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST (YouTube link) A large number of apparently first-time parents gather at the neighborhood park to defend their baby care choices by snarking at those who have selected a different path. I say they must be first-time parents because there’s no older kids with them, and by the time you’ve have several kids, you might tend to be less defensive and judgmental. (Then I wonder, why would you take an infant to a park?) Such dogmatism is one of the main reasons I stay away from mommy blogs and parenting forums. Chill out, moms (and dads)! -via Buzzfeed

A Tiny Violin Shop inside a Violin Posted: 27 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST (Photo: Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniature) During her lifetime, Tucson, Arizona philanthropist Pat Arnell has collected a wide array of ornate, high-quality miniatures. Five years ago, Arnell opened a museum to exhibit her collection to the public: the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniature. There, visitors can find this beautiful work by the American miniaturist W. Foster Tracy. It is a 1:8 scale representation of an Eighteenth Century violin maker’s workshop set inside a full-size violin. This is 1 of 6 copies that Tracy made in 1979. -via Messy Nessy Chic

Doc or Crock: 6 Recent “Documentaries” That Have Been Accused of Being Fake Posted: 27 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST You remember that “documentary” about Megalodon that headlined Shark Week a couple of years ago, don’t you? It kind of ruined the whole idea of Shark Week for many viewers, because we know that Megalodon is extinct, yet the entire production hinted at how they may be roaming our oceans today. Just like “reality TV,” the term “documentary” has been tossed around enough lately that we don’t even agree on what the term means. Do recreations of past events belong in a documentary? Well, that may be okay. How about real subjects being manipulated into acting a certain way? How far can you go before it crosses over into “drama”? The A.V. Club tells us about six documentaries you may have heard of -or even seen- and the charges leveled against their authenticity. Then they pass judgement on each, and it ain’t pretty. Internet hoaxes have made us all cynical, but maybe that’s a good thing.

Discontinued Food Items We've Loved And Lost Posted: 27 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST (Image Link) Foodies get mighty attached to their favorite food products, and we continue to search online and check in with local stores “just in case” long after our favorite products have disappeared from store shelves. (Image Link) Sometimes it’s hard to accept that you’re never going to get to eat another P.B. Crisp, or take another satisfying sip of an ice cold Ecto Cooler, and the cupboards look mighty empty without your fav food products of yesteryear. (Image Link) Take a look back at some of the food products we’ve loved and lost in 26 Discontinued Foods That We Need To Bring BACK!!, and see if any of your favs made the list.

Seven Pounds of Insanity Posted: 27 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Redditor emlod takes lots of video of his cat, Luna. She’s three years old, but still has the heart of a kitten. He made a compilation of her craziest cat behavior, which encompasses the stuff we see on individual viral cat videos: climbing, jumping, sneaking around, napping, drinking out of the faucet, chasing tiny things, play fighting, not landing on all fours, hiding, ninja attacks, miaows, and making biscuits. (YouTube link) I think chattymcgee summed it up well (apart from thinking Luna is male): So, I'm not a vet, but I've done a lot of internet research on my own cats. This cat appears to have a full blown case of Nut Butt, with probable early onset Furry Ninjitus. I'm sad to say I'm also seeing some indication of an infection of cinnimonbunius patikakius, known to the common man as Biscuit Makers disease. As he's a young cat I'd advise treats, sun beams for naps, and maybe some more rugs so he stops slipping around so much and looking like a dingus. He also takes a lot of pictures of Luna, which you can find individually linked here.

Dashing Through the Snow in a 1907 Auto Sleigh Posted: 27 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST Need to cut a path through the snow? Maybe you should get an auto sleigh. Even in the early years of automobiles, people were converting their cars into self-powered sleighs. One common arrangement was to place the car on skids and tie the engine drive into one or two helical screws. Pictured above is a converted Hupmobile Model 20 Torpedo Roaster. Below is a patent drawing for a similar car design filed by Charles E.S. Burch of Seattle in 1907. You can read more about these cars at The Old Motor. (Image: US Patent Office) -via Nag on the Lake

Coffee Around the World Posted: 27 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST YouTube Link BuzzFeed put together this video of various coffee concoctions from countries all across the globe. Some are iced, some are hot, all are decidedly different than anything you'll get in most American coffee shops. Have you tried any of the recipes included here? If so, weigh in with your review in the comments. (I'll be over in the corner with my tea.) -Via Viral Viral Videos

Jones - Street Cleaner Supreme Posted: 27 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST Jones by Cory Freeman Design He's not that Casey from Mudville who went up to bat and struck out, but if you know someone who needs a baseball bat upside their head he's the man for the job! Casey leads a pretty weird life- he hangs around mutants, wears a hockey mask while patrolling the streets like some kind of psycho, and doesn't mind eating pizza in the sewer. But without Casey and his hockey sticks out there helping take down the Foot clan the ninja turtles wouldn't be the heroes in a half shell they are today! Take your wardrobe down to geek street with this Jones t-shirt by Cory Freeman Design, it's one cool slick way to pay homage to the greatest vigilante to ever sport a hockey mask! Visit Cory Freeman Design's Facebook fan page, official website and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more geek-tastic designs: Mordor Dark Ale Wade's Taco Shack Triforce Labyrinth Rico's Roughnecks View more designs by Cory Freeman Design | More Video Games | 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!

Trinkaus: An Informal Look Posted: 27 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST The following is an article from The Annals of Improbable Research. A glance at the colorful research of an under-publicized scientist by Alice Shirrell Kaswell, with research assistance from Rachael Moeller Gorman John W. Trinkaus is the rare researcher whose interests and activities suggest the famous passage in Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Walrus and The Carpenter”: “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax — Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.” For Trinkaus, of the Zicklin School of Business, Bernard M. Baruch College, City University of New York, such a diversity of topics is the norm. During the past 25 years he has conducted research on shoes — and trains — and bakery wrapping-tissues — on Brussels sprouts — and business students — and why commuters carry attaché cases — and whether most people wear base ball-type caps with the bill facing backwards. These are just a few of his interests. John Trinkaus has published a modest corpus of reports, of which the 86 papers described below are a healthy sampling. On many topics, Trinkaus returned over and again, both to replicate his findings and to delve deeper. For a full appreciation of John Trinkaus’s body of work, one must go to the library and read the original reports in their full detail. For those who have yet to enjoy that experience, here is a quick, and rather haphazard, sampling of what to expect. The Early Years Trinkaus’s first published paper — a 1978 examination of the motivations of potential jurors — is of interest to scholars of that subject, of course, but it is also of larger significance. So far as we are aware, this was the first of his signature pieces — each modestly claiming to be an “Informal Look” at some dazzlingly under-explored subject. Even at this early stage of his career, Trinkaus was conducting multiple lines of research, and publishing on an unusual variety of topics. * * * (1) “Jury Service: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 43, no. 3, part 1, December 1978, p.788. Used participant observation to study 56 potential jurors... Results support the contention of W. Pabst et al. (1976) that potential jurors are divided into those who do and those who do not want to serve. (2) “Workers’ Arrivals and Departures: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 44, no. 2, April 1979, p. 554. Suggests that rank-and-file employees do not arrive at the workplace much before the starting time and depart as quickly as possible after the quitting time. Owner-managers, conversely, arrive early and leave late. These assumptions were supported by informal observations of the arrival and departure of ”luxury” cars, assumed to belong to the owner-managers, and ”economy” cars, assumed to belong to the employees, at a suburban industrial parking site. (3) “Buyers’ Price Perception at a Flea Market: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 46, no. 1, February 1980, p. 266. Investigated whether buyers at flea markets would display a high degree of price awareness. An informal inquiry showed this not to be the case. (4) “Preconditioning an Audience for Mental Magic: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 51, no.1, August 1980, p. 262. (5) “Honesty at a Motor Vehicle Bureau: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 51, no. 3, part 2, December 1980, p. 1252. Assessed the veracity of people taking vision tests at a district office of a motor vehicle bureau.... Results suggest that, when given an option, a sizeable percentage of people may well elect a style of behavior that is neither completely honest nor dishonest. An Approach to Stop Lights In the early 1980s, Trinkaus had begun to look, albeit informally, at several of the themes to which he would return time and again. Attaché cases, beverage container return behavior, behavior in a commuter railroad passenger station — all made their first appearance during this period. 1982 saw the first Trinkaus paper on stop sign compliance. That opened the door to stop lights, and also to parking regulation compliance. Curiously, the first of Trinkaus’s “Another Look” series — the 1982 report “Biorhythms: Another Look,” was (so far as we have been able to determine) the very first paper he published about biorhythms. As such, it is a charming anomaly. Each of the subsequent “Another Look”s — 1983’s “Stop Sign Compliance — Another Look,” for example — marked a return to one or another subject on which Trinkaus had already established a solid record of publications. Trinkaus was to revisit the stop sign question over and again, with “... Another Look” in 1983, “... A Further Look” in 1988, “...A Follow-Up Look) in 1993, and “...A Final Look” in 1997. * * * (6) “Stop Sign Compliance: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 50, no. 1, February 1982, p. 288. [A]n informal longitudinal study was conducted in a suburban metropolitan New York community. Results suggest a decline in the frequency of driver compliance. (7) “Biorhythms: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, A. Booke, Psychological Reports, vol. 50, no. 2, April 1982, pp. 396-8. Analyzed 881 motor vehicle accident reports... A uniform distribution of accidents across stages in biorhythmic cycles was found, casting doubt on the validity of biorhythmic theory. (8) “Carrying Document Cases: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 51, no. 2, October 1982, p. 430. Observed people carrying document cases leaving a railroad station during morning rush hour. Observations were made at the 4 major exits, 1 exit/day for 4 days. 500 observations were made each day. About 1 out of 5 people carried such a case, and 71.8% were men. Results suggest that the act of carrying a document case is a status symbol. However, considerations of functional utility also have importance. (9) “Arcade Video Games: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 52, no. 2, April 1983, p. 586. Observed the activity at 5 Pac-Man games and 6 Ms. Pac-Man games in a commuter railroad passenger station in New York City during the morning rush hour (0700-0930), lunchtime (1130-1200), and the evening rush hour (1600-1830). 75 30-min nonrepetitive viewings were conducted. During observation, all machines were constantly in use. There were 8 male for every 3 female players; players usually played 2 sessions in the morning and at lunch but 3 sessions in the evening. (10) “Stop-Light Compliance —An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 57, no. 3, December 1983, p. 846. (11) “Stop Sign Compliance — Another Look,” Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 57, no. 3, December 1983, p. 922. (12) “Human Communications: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, D. Recht, K. Shyman, Psychological Reports, vol. 53, no. 2, October 1983, p. 374. Studied whether 750 riders of low-speed self-service elevators were inclined to respond with short utterances when 1 of 2 questions was asked of them: ”Is this car going up?” or ”Is this car going down?” Results indicate that Ss tended to limit their communications... (13) “Compliance with Parking for Handicapped: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 58, no. 1, February 1984, p. 114. Observed the compliance with handicapped parking regulations at a suburban neighborhood shopping center.... 30 citings of convenience were taken... Findings show that in the absence of police enforcement, general observance of parking restrictions... was normally practiced only when convenient. (14) “Returnable Beverage Containers: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 58, no. 2, April 1984, p. 550. Observed the practice of patrons, on leaving a 146-seat cafeteria-style pizzeria, in returning bottles and cans for a refund of a state-mandated beverage-container deposit of $.05. 40 convenience viewings were made at the rate of 1/day, and 20 Ss were observed during each period.... Findings suggest that the contention that people are not economic beings is accurate at the $.05-level. Matters of the Mall Trinkaus’s first publication of 1984 had introduced his readers to an innovation they would come to relish. There, for the first time, the author described research he had conducted in or near a shopping mall. Almost immediately, he extended his inquiries, while simultaneously delving further into mysteries related to parking. And he continued adding new topics to his research portfolio. * * * (15) “Shopping Mall Parking Violations: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 59, no. 1, August 1984, p. 30. Studied violations of handicapped parking space at a shopping mall to determine the ratio of expensive to inexpensive vehicles in improper parking spaces. The proportion of improperly parked expensive to inexpensive cars in handicapped driver spaces was about the same as that of all conveyances using the lot. It is suggested that parking violations are more a function of prevailing cultural norms than of automobile purchase prices. (16) “Merchandise Fads of Yesteryear: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 55, no. 2, October 1984, pp. 401-2. Administered a questionnaire to 720 business undergraduates asking 4 questions (e.g., Do you own one?) about 14 product fads in the US, 1772 to 1975. Results show that Ss had a relatively fair recollection of the items. Of those Ss who remembered the items, only a relatively few had, or still have, ownership. (17) “Societal Activities and the Handicapped: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 59, no. 2, October 1984, p. 526. TV game shows broadcast in one urban area over a 6-mo period were observed to determine the number of contestants who appeared to be disabled (i.e., displaying an inability to walk or stand unaided or sight or hearing deficits).... It is suggested that the handicapped may shun such events because they have been conditioned to believe that they are unable to cope for themselves or compete with others. (Image credit: Ndungukamau) (18) “A Bottle Law: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 59, no. 3, December 1984, p. 806. Conducted observations before and after the passage of a 1983 statute that mandated the payment of a deposit of returnable soft-drink cans and bottles.... Approximately 47 bottles and cans were observed along a block-long path of a city park each day prior to the statute and approximately 2 each day 1 yr later. (19) “Stop-Light Compliance: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 59, no. 3, December 1984, p. 814. [R]eplicat[ed] J. Trinkaus’s (1983) 45 1-hr observations of a major traffic intersection... [R]esults show that violation of stop-light compliance rose 15% since Trinkaus’s study... Possible factors contributing to increased violations are discussed. Time Hangs Heavy? 1985 was the year Trinkaus’s publications began to show a deep interest in, and appreciation of, the questions of waiting, obstruction, and delay. The next few years also saw seminal work dealing with bicyclists, with the mental constructs of business students, and, of course, with additional new subjects. * * * (20) “Waiting Times in Physicians’ Offices: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 61, no. 1, August 1985, p. 162. (21) “Yielding the Right of Way: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills , vol. 61, August 1985, p. 222. (22) “Stop-light Compliance by Cyclists: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 61, no. 3, part 1, December 1985, p. 814. Observed cyclists’ observance of stoplights at major traffic intersections in a large city. Results suggest that most cyclists stop only when safe passage through the intersection is not possible. Examined whether 750 undergraduates felt that cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are detrimental to a user’s health. Females appeared to perceive CRTs as less hazardous than did males. Also, the older the group, the greater the tendency to feel the terminals were dangerous. (23) “Perceived Hazard of Video Display Terminals: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 62, no. 1, February 1986, p. 118. Examined whether 750 undergraduates felt that cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are detrimental to a user’s health. Females appeared to perceive CRTs as less hazardous than did males. Also, the older the group, the greater the tendency to feel the terminals were dangerous. (24) “Disclosure of a Physical Disability — An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 62, no. 1, February 1986, pp. 157-8. (25) “Husbands With Working Wives: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 63, no. 3, December 1986, p. 1190. Examination of the employment pattern of 351 couples appearing as contestants on a TV quiz program showed 68% of employed husbands had an employed wife... (26) “Contemporary Opinions of Business Issues: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 64, no. 1, February 1987, pp. 237-8. Data from 491 undergraduate and 167 graduate students of a school of business showed lack of congruence of opinion on contemporary issues... with that of 2,750 practitioners in the business world. (27) “How Business Students and Faculty Quantify Probability Expressions: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 65, no. 1, August 1987, p. 157-8. Examined the quantitative equivalents... associated with qualitative expressions concerning the probability of attainment of a course grade. Findings suggest that students displayed a wider variation in their perception than did faculty. (28) “Stop-light Compliance by Cyclists: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 66, no. 1, February 1988, p. 158. An increase in cyclists’ compliance with stoplights over levels previously observed by the present author is attributed to enhanced traffic enforcement by the New York City Department of Transportation. (29) “Yielding the Right of Way — Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 67, no. 2, October 1988, p. 622. (30) “Name Recognition — An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 67, no. 2, October 1988, p. 646. (31) “Stop Sign Compliance — A Further Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 67, no. 2, October 1988, p. 670. (32) “How Business Students and Faculty Quantify Probability Expressions: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 68, no. 1, February 1989, pp. 97-8. Using a set of codified human resource management expressions, it was shown that 45 faculty and 148 college students, when discussing qualitative probabilities associated with accepting job offers, differed in their understanding as to what was being said. (33) “Business Manners — An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 68, part 3, June 1989, pp. 945-6. Motoristsʼ Use of Sirens As the 1990s approached, Trinkaus addressed new, and increasingly serious, matters of public concern. Noise, health, recognition, and queasiness characterized the next phase of his work. Nevertheless, driving, parking, and matters of compliance were never wholly absent from his mind, or at least one might infer that by a look at some of the papers published during this period. New topics continued to appear, as well. * * * (34) “Motorists’ Use of Sirens: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 68, part 3, June 1989, p. 1190. (35) “Estimating Costs of Diagnostic Medical Procedures: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 69, no. 1, August 1989, pp. 137-138. (Image credit: w:en:User:Dev920) (36) “Opening an Attaché Case: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 69, October 1989, p. 618. (37) “Contemporary Opinions on Health Issues: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 69, no. 3, part 1, December 1989, pp. 867-71. (38) “Name Recognition: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 69, no. 3, part 2, December 1989, p. 1298. 760 business students responded to a survey [various prominent people].... Results corroborated previous findings by Trinkaus (1988). (39) “Contemporary Opinions on Health Issues: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 70, no. 1, February 1990, pp. 97-8. (40) “Misgivings About AIDS Transmission: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, M. Chow, Psychological Reports, vol. 66, no. 3, part 1, June 1990, p. 810. Surveyed 435 college freshmen about whether they would eat cookies baked by a recently discharged acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient. Compared with 45 medical doctors (G. Wormser and C. Joline, 1989), students were more accepting. (41) “Thinking With Numbers: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 70, no. 3, part 1, June 1990, pp. 957-8. (42) “Queasiness: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, M. Chow, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 70, part 2, June 1990, pp. 1393-4. Out Which Way Exits, and questions of quantification — especially in the supermarket — blazed forth as featured subjects of Trinkaus’s research in the early 90s. So, too, did cellular telephone use by drivers, the use of attaché case locks, and the puzzle of color preference in sport shoes. And there were, of course, other new topics added to the publication mix. * * * (43) “Defining the Supermarket ‘Item’: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 71, August 1990, p. 350. (44) “Exiting a Building: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 71, October 1990, p. 446. (45) “Exiting: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 71, no. 3, part 2, December 1990, pp. 1317-8. Confirmed J. Trinkaus’s (1990) study which showed that students preferred to exit via an open door. Most of about 102 persons per 201 train arrivals observed on 25 occasions chose an open vs a closed door to exit a train station. (46) “Usage of Cellular Telephones: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 71, no. 3, part 2, December 1990, pp. 1375-6. (47) “The Lodging Discount Coupon: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 72, February 1991, p. 18. (48) “The Attaché Case Combination Lock: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 72, April 1991, p. 466. (49) “Business Students’ Feelings About the Academy and Themselves: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 72, no. 2, April 1991, pp. 699-702. (50) “Medications and Information for Patients: A Quick Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 68, no. 3, part 1, June 1991, pp. 911-4. (51) “Color Preference in Sport Shoes: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 73, no. 2, October 1991, pp. 613-4. 659 of 1,937 women (34%) and 193 of 2,794 men (7%) observed at a railway terminal on 5 workdays were wearing sport shoes. Of them, 659 (34%) of the women and 152 (79%) of the men were wearing white sport shoes. It is unclear whether this predominance of white reflects a genuine preference for the color or merely mirrors the color range available. The greater incidence of women wearing sport shoes suggests that women’s business shoes may not be as comfortable for walking as men’s. (52) “Changing Multiple-Choice Test Answers: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 69, no. 3, part 1, December 1991, pp. 769-70. 442 undergraduates responded to the following question: Do you believe that changing your initial answers on a multiple-choice test will probably lower your score? ... Results are congruent with the findings of M. Greiger. The Celebrated Brussels Sprouts Late in 1991, Trinkaus caught a sizeable portion of the world’s attention with his informal look at taste preference for Brussels sprouts. His nearly simultaneous informal examination of the fruit and vegetable components of business students’ diets was rather overlooked in the hoopla. (Image credit: Flickr user Clay Larsen) So great and long-lasting was the glare from the Brussels sprouts, that much of the world simply did not notice Trinkaus’s equally fine work over the next several years on stop sign compliance, on commuter train line service irregularity, on a short-lived commuter parking lot crowd, and in 1993’s remarkable “Compliance With the Item Limit of the Food Supermarket Express Checkout Lane: An Informal Look.” It was not until October, 1993 that things calmed down enough for people to see what was plain before them. It was at that point that Trinkaus served up his breakthrough paper about the behavior of people swimming laps in a pool. * * * (53) “The Fruit and Vegetable Component of Students’ Diets: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 69, part 1, December 1991, pp. 844-6. An informal inquiry of 442 business students as to their consumption of fruits and vegetables showed that, while these foods are normally consumed daily, the number of servings per day was generally less than that recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. (54) “Taste Preference For Brussels Sprouts: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, K. Dennis, Psychological Reports, vol. 69, no. 3, part 2, special issue, December 1991, pp. 1165-6. Conducted an inquiry of the taste preference of 442 baccalaureate business students for brussels sprouts. Results reveal about a 50% dislike of the vegetable, a 40% indifference, and a 10% liking. (55) “Contrasting Departure Service of Commuter Railroad Trains: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 74, no 1, February 1992, pp. 169-70. 50 convenience observations over the course of 12 mo suggest that the quality of passenger service provided by a commuter railroad varies among train lines. (56) “Perceptions About the Constitutionality of Health Care: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 75, no. 3, part 2, December 1992, pp. 1193-4. (57) “Some Students’ Perceptions About AIDS: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 75, no. 3, part 2, December 1992, pp. 1344-6. (58) “Stop Sign Compliance: A Follow-Up Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 76, no. 3, part 2, June 1993, p. 1218. Analysis of 324 observations at an intersection previously studied by J. Trinkaus (1988) showed a continuing decrease in full stops with increased rolling and no stops... (Image credit: Flickr user Chris Chan) (59) “Compliance With the Item Limit of the Food Supermarket Express Checkout Lane: An Informal Look,” J.Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 73, no. 1, August 1993, p. 105-6. 75 15-min observations of customers’ behavior at a food supermarket showed that only about 15% of shoppers observed the item limit of the express lane.... Results indicate a tendency not to play by the rules in the absence of meaningful real or imagined constraints. (60) “An Informal Look at a Short-Lived Commuter Parking Lot Crowd,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 77, no. 2, October 1993, pp. 449-50. Daily observations traced informal commuter action in using a newly cleared unposted field for station parking. During approximately 10 wks from the time the space became available until it was closed off (by fencing) a number of conventional characteristics of crowd behavior were evidenced. (61) “Swimming Laps: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 73, no. 2, October 1993, pp. 665-6. An informal inquiry consisting of 105 observations suggests that, when given a choice, most swimmers opted to swim laps in shallow rather than deep water. Caps, Chapel Attendance, and Perceptions of Ground Beef The years 1994 and 1995 were an especially fruitful period for Trinkaus. His April, 1994 paper on baseball-type caps brought him recognition of unprecedented reach and scope. And that was just the beginning. Many of the topics on which he published during this golden period — including several entirely new ones — are of interest to specialists and generalists alike. * * * (62) “Wearing Baseball-Type Caps: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 74, no. 2, April 1994, pp. 585-6. Observed 407 people wearing baseball-type caps with the peak in back in the downtown area and on 2 college campuses (1 in an inner borough and 1 in an outer borough) of a large city. About 40% of students in the downtown area and at the inner-borough college wore the cap with the peak to the rear, while about 10% of the outer-borough college students had the peak to the rear. (63) “Television Station Weather-Persons’ Winter Storm Predictions: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 79, no. 1, part 1, August 1994, pp. 65-6. (64) “Cable Television Home-Shopping Stations and Disabled Persons: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 79, no. 1, part 1, August 1994, pp. 185-6. (65) “Cutting Corners: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 79, no. 3, part 1, December 1994, pp. 1089-90. Presents data demonstrating that motorists are increasingly violating traffic laws by cutting through store parking areas to avoid stop signals and bypass slow-moving traffic. An informal inquiry at 2 heavily trafficked intersections suggested a rate of occurrence that ranged from about 2 per hour to approximately 1 every 2 hrs. (66) “Drop-In Chapel Attendance: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 75, no. 3, part 1, December 1994, pp. 1193-4. (67) “Some Perceptions of Shoppers About Uncooked Ground Beef: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 81, no. 1, August 1995, pp. 32-4. An informal poll of 100 shoppers suggested that the freshness of hamburger meat is judged by its color.... Six telephone inquiries made to the United States Department of Agriculture revealed that oxygenation led to color changes in still consumable beef. (Image credit: Flickr user Maury McCown) (68) “Compliance With a School Zone Speed Limit: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 82, no. 2, April 1996, pp. 433-4. Observance of 2,105 vehicles passing a suburban elementary school showed that about 90% were exceeding the posted speed limit. This finding lends support to the conventional wisdom that motorists’ compliance with traffic regulations is relatively low. (69) “Wearing Baseball-Type Caps: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus and Maria Divino, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 82, no. 3, Part 1, June 1996, p. 754. Another look on two college campuses at the practice of wearing baseball-type caps with the peak in the back showed a decline in the inner city school and an increase in the suburban school. (70) “Delays in Clearing the Self-Service Store Check-Out Counter: An Informal Look,” John Trinkaus and Maria Divino, Psychological Reports, vol. 80, no. 2, April 1997, pp. 508-10. (71) “The Demise of ‘Yes’: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 84, no. 3, part 1, June 1997, p. 866. For affirmative responses to simple interrogatories, the use of ”absolutely” and ”exactly” may be becoming more socially frequent than ”yes.” A counting of positive replies to 419 questions on several TV networks showed 249 answers of ”absolutely,” 117 ”exactly,” and 53 of ”yes.” Heavy Going, With Integrity and Gloves After the glitter of the baseball-type-cap years, Trinkaus concentrated on what some might consider heavy going — a renewed, concentrated examination of stop sign compliance and a first look at left-turning traffic, as well as side-explorations of the use of the word “integrity,” of behavior concerning bakery department tongs and tissues, and of certain aspects of the concept of disappearing gloves. The first publication of this period was Trinkaus’s first — and to date only — “Final Look” paper. * * * (72) “Stop Sign Compliance: A Final Look,” J. Trinkhaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 85, no 1, August 1997, p. 217. (73) “Conversational Usage of ‘Integrity’: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 86, no. 2, April 1998, pp.585-6. Investigated the use of the noun ”integrity” in social conversation. A counting of its employment during 67 half-hr television talk shows showed 7 instances. The author concludes that the use of the word is fading. (74) “Compliance With a School Zone Limit: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 87, no. 2, October 1998, pp. 673-4. Replication of a study (J. Trinkaus, 1996) conducted three years earlier as to the rate of drivers’ compliance with the posted speed limit of a school zone showed a decline from about 11% to 8%. (75) “An Informal Look at Left-Turning Traffic,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 87, no. 2, October 1998, pp. 701-2. (76) “An Informal Look at Use of Bakery Department Tongs and Tissues,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 87, no. 3, part 1, December 1998, pp. 801-2. Of 108 people observed extracting for purchase rolls or pastries from displayed bulk stock in food supermarket bakery departments, about 90% used their hands for item selection and withdrawal rather than the store provided tongs. In stores where tissues were provided instead of tongs, approximately 60% of the 133 people who were observed used their hands. (77) “School Zone Limit Dissenters: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 88, no. 1, part 1, June 1999, p. 1056. (78) “Gloves as Vanishing Personal ‘Stuff’: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 84, no. 3, part 2, June 1999, p. 1187. Presents an informal discussion on the mystery of vanishing personal ‘stuff’ such as gloves. Definition of ‘personal stuff’ and its distinct categories; Author’s analysis on disappearing gloves. Women in Vans The year 1999 saw the first publication that mentioned Trinkaus’s eye-opening discoveries about women driving vans. This particular paper was, in other respects, a continuation of, and elaboration on, his work on stop sign dissenters. As ever, the progression of new topics continued apace, as did the further elaboraton of many matters begun in earlier times. (79) “Stop Sign Dissenters: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 89, no. 3, part 2, December 1999, pp. 1193-4. Observations were made at the same 4 T-junction intersections in a residential community in the suburbs of a large northeastern city. Two characteristics were selected for viewing: type of vehicle and sex of driver. Data for 8 90-min observations suggest an overall compliance rate of about 6% with stop signs in a residential community. Women driving vans were the least compliant—approximately 1%. (80) “Buzzwords in Campaign 2000 as Possible Rank Index of Contemporary Social Issues: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 88, no. 2, April 2001, pp. 365-6. (81) “Left Turning Traffic Procrastinators: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 90, no. 3, part 1, June 2000, pp. 961-2. A total of 56 1-hr observations were made. The results indicate that operators of lead vehicles moved out more slowly when someone was waiting behind them, especially women driving vans. These data confirm the results of an earlier study (J. Trinkaus, 1998). (image credit: Flickr user Douglas Porter) (82) “Blocking the Box: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 89, no. 2, October 2001, pp. 315-6. Data for 32 1-hr. observations in a residential community showed about 200 violations of a traffic regulation requiring motorists to keep intersections clear. Women driving vans were the least compliant — accounting for approximately 40% of the total. (83) “Diversity and the Handicapped: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 89, no. 2, October 2001, pp. 369-70. Data for viewings of 58 television game shows suggests none of the 157 observed contestants to be physically handicapped. (84) “Compliance With the Item Limit of the Food Supermarket Express Checkout Lane: Another Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 91, no. 3, part 2, December 2002, pp. 1057-8. (85) “Shopping Center Fire Zone Parking Violators: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 95, no. 3, part 2, December 2002, pp. 1215-6. Data for 33 1-hr. observations at a shopping center in a suburban location showed about 700 violations of a traffic regulation prohibiting parking in a fire zone. Women driving vans were the least compliant — accounting for approximately 35% of the total. (86) “Students’ Course and Faculty Evaluations: An Informal Look,” J. Trinkaus, Psychological Reports, vol. 91, no. 3, part 2, December 2002, p. 988. For one class, over 8 consecutive semesters, about 10% of the students completing a course and faculty evaluation form reported one or more session cancellations, while in actuality there were none. Into the Future One could speculate on which new directions Trinkaus will explore, and which of his many existing interests will be given new illumination. Perhaps most intriguingly, one could wonder which of those well-studied subjects might be accorded the honor of a Final Look. But to guess at any of these things would be pointless. If history is any guide, John Trinkaus will continue to surprise us. We can but marvel at the tenacity of his apparently boundless, and wonderfully curious, enthusiasm.

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