Neatorama

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• Finally There's a College Course on Kanye West
• The Man Behind Comic Sans
• Escaped Bloodhound Runs Half Marathon; Comes in Seventh
• The First Observations of Sea Ice Came From 8th-Century Irish Monks in Iceland
• How To Turn An IKEA Pendant Lamp Into An Exploding Death Star Lamp
• "Under Pressure" Sung by Pigeons
• Raccoon And Her Newborn Cubs Accidentally Hitch A Ride Across The USA
• New York Now Offers An All Cookie Dough Restaurant
• Girl Live Tweets Her Brother's Meltdown After His Runescape Account Is Hacked
• Dancing Breakfast - You've Got To Be Yolking
• If Real People Commercials Were Real Life
• The Best Drinks at Disneyland
• What’s the Story Behind This Superman Comic?

Finally There's a College Course on Kanye West Posted: 22 Jan 2017 03:59 AM PST Kanye 2020 by merimeaux We all know Kanye is a genius, he's made that very clear to the rest of us. But up until now there has never been a chance to really study the most brilliant man in show business the way you might study Shakespeare or Picasso. Luckily, St. Louis's Washington University is here to correct that with their course "Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics." Sure, some naysayers might criticize such a course offering, but aren't all geniuses misuderstood in their lifetime? Anyway, according to the course's professor, Dr. Jeffrey McCune, the course isn't really about Kanye himself anyway, but "good way to get students to connect issues of politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture.” It seems that as always, Kanye seems to be lagging behind in the progress Beyonce has already made -then again, I don't think she's ever actually been a professor. No word on when he plans on teaching a course on himself. You can read more about the class, and the huge waiting list, on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Via Complex

The Man Behind Comic Sans Posted: 22 Jan 2017 01:59 AM PST Comic Sans was used so much in the 1990s that it became a joke itself. It was never meant as a joke, despite the name. Vincent Connare, who actually designed the font, will tell us about how it came about. (YouTube link) "It's all my fault." That may be what you watched the video to hear, but there's more to it than that, as you'll find out in this video from Great Big Story. -via Geeks Are Sexy

Escaped Bloodhound Runs Half Marathon; Comes in Seventh Posted: 21 Jan 2017 11:59 PM PST Ludivine the bloodhound escaped her yard when she was let out to go to the bathroom. She then decided to join a half marathon, showing up at the starting line and ended up running all 13.1 miles and came in seventh in the rankings -and was the fastest female runner. Ludivine actually probably ran more than 13.1 miles as she took a few detours to sniff at dead animals in the area and play in the water. While she wasn't considered a real participant in the event, the dog did get an official medal to celebrate her great running time. April Hamlin, the pup's owner, had no idea the dog ran off until after Ludivine came back a local celebrity.  Read more about the story at CNN

The First Observations of Sea Ice Came From 8th-Century Irish Monks in Iceland Posted: 21 Jan 2017 09:59 PM PST Geographers in ancient times may have guessed that the ocean is cold enough near the Poles to freeze, but they did not leave written records of witnessing it. That job fell to Irish monks who were searching for a wilderness of solitude. Christianity came to Ireland in the 5th century (remember St. Patrick), and monasteries filled with students of the faith over the next few hundred years. Crowded monasteries caused monks to reach out even further north for a peaceful place to commune with God. There’s not much evidence left of the journeys of these monastic explorers, but in later years Norse stories had a name from them, the papar. Gaelic monks settled on empty northern islands—Orkney, Shetland—but it’s also possible that they found their way to Iceland, where manmade caves, decorated with crosses, have convinced some archaeologists that there were settlers here before the Vikings. An early Irish geographer, Dicuil, also writes of “priests who stayed on that island from the first of February to the first of August.” The year would have been 795, and Dicuil briefly notes a journey they took north. “These priests then sailed hence and, in day’s sail, did reach the frozen sea to the north.” But there's always the possibility of finding even earlier records. Any would useful to those documenting the natural history of the ebb and flow of Arctic ice. Read more about the history of frozen seas as we know it at Atlas Obscura.  (Image credit: Pink floyd88 a)

How To Turn An IKEA Pendant Lamp Into An Exploding Death Star Lamp Posted: 21 Jan 2017 07:59 PM PST You wouldn't want to live in, on or anywhere near the Death Star, nor would you want your planet to be in the space station's sights, but having a mini replica of the Death Star in your house can be really fun! In this instance the Death Star-related fun to be had in your home involves modding an IKEA pendant lamp with a really cool transforming feature to look like an exploding Death Star. Instructables user MariaK64 modded the IKEA PS 2014 pendant lamp by masking and painting it to look like the Death Star, and since it already goes into explode mode with a pull of the cord the cinematic effect was complete. You can see Maria's original tutorial here, and here's a short video showing the lamp in action: (YouTube Link) -Via Geekologie

"Under Pressure" Sung by Pigeons Posted: 21 Jan 2017 05:59 PM PST There's no punch line here, just an entire flock of relatable pigeons singing a relatable song as if they were born to do it. And the panels you see here aren't even half of it. They perform the entire song "Under Presuure" by Queen and David Bowie at Pigeon Comics, as drawn by ProfessorBees (Christian McGowan). See the rest of it here.    This particular comic has become quite popular, and readers are asking for posters to be produced. That might happen. -via Metafilter

Raccoon And Her Newborn Cubs Accidentally Hitch A Ride Across The USA Posted: 21 Jan 2017 03:59 PM PST Wild animals who are about to give birth try to find a safe and secure place to deliver their offspring, where neither humans nor other critters can harm them while they're at their most vulnerable. But sometimes that search for safety lands them in a heap of trouble, or transports them to a faraway place. (Image Link) A raccoon mom desperate to find a safe place to deliver her cubs smuggled herself on board a moving truck which had recently been burglarized and proceeded to give birth. Unfortunately, the guy driving the truck was moving from Fort Myers, Florida to Marin County, California, so she and her cubs were stuck in the back of the truck for eleven days without food or water. When the driver discovered those cute little stowaways they were near death, so he turned them over to the wildlife hospital WildCare for treatment. WildCare was able to nurse the raccoon family back to health, and the Oakland Zoo was willing to take them in and give them a new home. -Via SFGate

New York Now Offers An All Cookie Dough Restaurant Posted: 21 Jan 2017 01:59 PM PST Raw cookie dough is delicious, but the raw eggs can be dangerous and even leaves people in the hospital due to salmonella. Fortunately for cookie dough lovers, Kristen Tomlan has opened a restaurant named DO with specialized cookie dough that has pasturized egg products and heat-treated flour so it is completely safe to eat in large quantities. You can customize your dough, make your own baked cookie creations and the restaurant will even sell you an ice cream cone topped with a scoop of cookie dough. Via Gothamist

Girl Live Tweets Her Brother's Meltdown After His Runescape Account Is Hacked Posted: 21 Jan 2017 11:59 AM PST Gamers who dedicate a portion of their lives to playing an MMO take their character and that character's in-game accomplishments very seriously, and they live in fear of having their account hacked. And when you've played an MMO for ten years there's bound to be an emotional reaction when you find out your account was hacked, but don't take it out on your friends or family or they might share the meltdown online. Twitter user bakebythepound's brother understandably flipped out when his Runescape account was hacked and held for ransom, but his immature behavior at home pissed off his fam and made him a target for live tweeting. The incident continued through the night and then bakebythepound's bitter bro hilariously started the fight again in the morning, all over a crappy MMO with graphics that would have looked outdated in the 90s. See Girl Live-Tweets Brothers Insane Meltdown After His Runescape Account Is Hacked And Held For Ransom here (NSFW language)

Dancing Breakfast - You've Got To Be Yolking Posted: 21 Jan 2017 09:59 AM PST Dancing Breakfast by Dooomcat When bacon and eggs are sitting on your breakfast plate they just lay there still as can be, but once they make their way to your belly they let the dance party begin! That's why it's not always a good idea to eat bacon and eggs before a big meeting, or before date night, because that dance party can get a bit rumbly in your tummy, which can be mighty embarrassing. But if you don't have any social obligations you should treat yourself to some sizzling hot bacon and eggs, so the spirit of the breakfast dance can make you feel all saturday night fever inside your guts! Celebrate the rhythm of the plate with this Dancing Breakfast t-shirt by Dooomcat, it's the fun and fancy free way to cut a rug with your favorite breakfast foods! Visit Dooomcat's Facebook fan page and official website, then head on over to her NeatoShop for more deliciously geeky designs: GB New Guard Super Bros Sisterhood of the Axe Beast Bunny View more designs by Dooomcat | 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 Real People Commercials Were Real Life Posted: 21 Jan 2017 09:59 AM PST Chevy talked to "real people, not actors" for their latest series of ads for various vehicles. As if actors weren't real people, or as if real people couldn't be encouraged to act. Or edited. But what if a guy got into their focus group without realizing that he was supposed to say nice things if he wanted to be in the ad? Video contains a little NSFW language. (YouTube link) Right, as soon as you saw this was the "emoji ad," you know what was going to come up. Zebra Corner did a really good editing job on this one. Also, ComradeWarbear made a video with an more in-depth critique of the "real people" ads. -via reddit

The Best Drinks at Disneyland Posted: 21 Jan 2017 07:59 AM PST Disneyland itself may not sell alcohol, but their other properties in Anaheim do -and honestly, even the mocktails available at Disneyland are often superior to any drink at your local neighborhood bar. Travel and Leisure has compiled a full list of cocktails, mocktails and even sodas that you won't want to miss on your next visit. The beautiful drink above (as photographed by adambryan) is the Fun Wheel, which is on the secret drink menu at the Cove Bar in California Adventure.  Prefer to stay a little more sober? Then check out the Pomegranate Pirhana Lemonade sold at the Bengal Barbecue (photographed here by terriblewendybird). Of course, the Boysen Apple Freeze and Doc's Grape Tonic also sound pretty inviting. So check out the full list over at Travel and Leisure

What’s the Story Behind This Superman Comic? Posted: 21 Jan 2017 05:59 AM PST The image of Superman promoting tolerance and diversity among schoolchildren is authentic. It's a 1949 image by comic book artist Wayne Boring, used in school posters and book covers. It's a relic of a campaign to stamp out racial, ethnic, and religious prejudice in the United States at a time when Europe was undergoing a seismic swell of anti-semitism in the path to World War II. In 1938, the New York City Board of Education began requiring students to learn about how multiple groups contributed to American history. When World War II erupted one year later, the demand for tolerance education spiked. The New York Times reported in 1939 that "Instances were cited of teachers in New York City and elsewhere being 'ridiculed, harassed and otherwise impeded' by pupils under the influence of, and stimulated by, Nazi doctrine." To nip foreign propaganda in the bud, schools across the country joined the tolerance movement. Military leaders encouraged it, too. They knew that American troops, many of them fresh out of school, would fight their best if they learned to set aside their differences. Countless non-profit groups, many of them interreligious, led the charge. Burkholder writes that “Religious leaders, educators, and politicians stressed tolerance as a central tenet of democracy." They provided prejudice-fighting materials to schools, from teachers’ manuals to comic books to textbooks. Outside of school, short pro-tolerance films played at the beginning of movies. People held tolerance rallies. The National Conference of Christians and Jews distributed 10 million “Badge of Tolerance” buttons. Groups such as the Council Against Intolerance in America distributed maps showing the breadth of diversity in America’s cultural landscape. Even Superboy stepped in, telling a bunch of his schoolmates that “No single land, race or nationality can claim this country as its own.” At the end, Superboy and his pals celebrate by eating Swedish meatballs. That all sounds well and good, but it didn't last. The groups that led the charge for tolerance were eventually accused of being "un-American" themselves! Read what happened at mental_floss.

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