Neatorama

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• Getting Ready to GO, <i>Star Wars</i>-style
• Trumpet Day is Coming!
• The Art of Hiding Things
• Man Turns His Cubicle Into a Cozy Cabin in the Woods
• The New Owner of an Old Plantation
• The Declining Use of the Jet Bridge
• The Struggle of Keeping Your <i>Jeopardy!</i> Winning Streak a Secret
• Amazon Delivery Driver vs Black Bear
• Long Lost Yves Tanguy Painting Found And Restored
• Girl Scout’s Newest Cookie Flavor Is In Short Supply
• Player Collects Impossible Shock Arrow In Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Polish Scientists Create Detailed Map Of <i>The Witcher</i>
• Black Diamond From Outer Space
• What's Happened Since the Hunga-Tonga Eruption
• Create Your Own Music Box with Music Box Fun

Getting Ready to GO, <i>Star Wars</i>-style Posted: 27 Jan 2022 07:10 AM PST Nothing's more fun than a music video made with Star Wars clips, especially if it's by the masters of the genre, Auralnauts. "Everyone in Star Wars Getting Ready to GO" is an original song by Scott Beetley and Auralnauts. The lyrics are at the YouTube page. Besides the song, the magic here is the absolute perfect clip choice for every lyric. That brings up the question: were the clips chosen to go with the lyrics, or were the lyrics written around the clips? This music video is an excerpt from their latest parody called Star Wars Ep. 7: Banana Time. It's long, but worth every minute. -via Boing Boing

Trumpet Day is Coming! Posted: 27 Jan 2022 04:22 AM PST As if February didn't have enough holidays: we have the Lunar New Year on the first, Groundhog Day on the second, the Super Bowl on the 13th, Valentines Day on the 14th, and Presidents Day on the 21st (Mardi Gras isn't until March first). Our friend Ron Gordon, keeper of the calendar holidays, informs us that February second is Trumpet Day. How's that? The date is written 2/2/22, which sounds like four notes of a classic trumpet fanfare! Gordon is having a contest for Trumpet Day, which has been in the works since 2013. Now the time is here, and  they are looking for "the brassiest, classiest, sassiest way to celebrate the day!" Share your Trumpet Day ideas or celebration and win both money and bragging rights. Send in your entries by noon on February 15 to rongordon135@gmail.com or mail to Ron Gordon Box 5133 Redwood City, CA. 94063 The Trumpet Day Contest features our largest prize ever----$2,222---with nary a decimal. The prize will be shared by lots of folks---we will have 2+2+22 plus “to” plus “too” plus “two toooo!!” winners. Our best holiday math suggests that means Fifty-Two people will divide the prize---no one gets really rich, but all can brag and tooot their own horns about their brilliant accomplishments. Read more about Trumpet Day at the Trumpet Day website.

The Art of Hiding Things Posted: 27 Jan 2022 03:55 AM PST I have nothing to hide.https://t.co/aW5hXYjg7ppic.twitter.com/6LcZK9O422 — Alex Falcone (@alex_falcone) January 25, 2022 Alex Falcone, his website tells us "is the only comedian and writer living in Los Angeles." That means that he's in high demand in the entertainment desert that is southern California. He's appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Portlandia. That's probably just a starting point for now, when casting directors start dragging warm bodies off the streets of Los Angeles to fill roles. He has a very public face, but Falcone is also a private, even secretive person. He likes to hide special things in hollowed out objects, such as books. Strap in for a journey as he takes you through the many layers of his apartment, where nothing is as it seems. Warning: there are drugs involved. -via Jessamyn West

Man Turns His Cubicle Into a Cozy Cabin in the Woods Posted: 26 Jan 2022 11:39 PM PST 🏕️ Thinking outside of the cubicle: When his boss said that he could decorate his cubicle, Lucas Mundt went to town ... or rather, he went to the woods. Er, that's not right either. Mundt turned his cubicle into a cozy cabin in the woods. I suppose when you can't work from home, make your work look just like home. 🏛️ People spend a lot of money trying to look young, but universities in the USA spent millions of dollars making their buildings look old. Why? Here's the reason behind the collegiate gothic, the architectural trend that makes colleges look like they're straight outta the Middle Ages. 🥪 You can't spell delightful without deli: Oscar Mayer made a face mask that looks like a bologna. 🔊 Before computers, here's how sound effects for old Disney cartoons were created. Now that's creative! 🐦 Songs of Disappearance: An album of bird calls from endangered birds in Australia topped the music chart, beating Taylor Swift, ABBA, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé. 🧙‍♀️ When you hear the word "paisley," you probably think of the teardrop ornamental pattern for fabrics, but long before that, the town of Paisley in Scotland was the scene of an infamous witch hunt that caused the death of seven "witches." More neat stuff at our new sites: Pictojam, Homes & Hues, Laughosaurus, Pop Culturista, Supa Fluffy, and Spooky Daily. Featured art: Me and My Demons by Edu Ely Current Special: Save up to 20% on all T-shirts from the NeatoShop in this sitewide special (ends tonight!)

The New Owner of an Old Plantation Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:54 PM PST Frederick Miller wanted to buy a home in the area he grew up in, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, that was big enough to accommodate reunions of his huge extended family. When his sister sent him a listing for a 10.50-acre estate called Sharswood, he jumped on the opportunity, and bought it in 2020. Only then did Miller's sisters start to dig into the history of Sharswood. It was once a 2,000-acre tobacco plantation owned by Charles Edwin Miller and Nathaniel Crenshaw Miller, and in 1860 was home to 58 enslaved people. The family's genealogy records go back to 1870, when their Miller ancestors lived on land that would have been on the larger plantation of the time. The 1860 census only listed the number of slaves by gender and age, but there were matches with the later records they had. The plantation has ancestral ties to new owner Frederick Miller and his many relatives. Thinking about what their ancestors may have endured in captivity is painful. Although the Miller men who owned the property never married, the descendants of those enslaved at Sharswood believe they had children with women on the property. They wonder about ancestors who would have had no say in that. That some of them are descendants of the enslaved and the enslaver is a real possibility. They have thought of all of that. And more. “When I saw the cabin, a feeling came over me like I believe I’m home,” said Dexter Miller. “I could feel my ancestors, and it almost brought tears to my eyes. I can picture them sitting around the fireplace, and the stories they were telling. I’m in the presence of my ancestors hundreds of years ago who lived here and slept here and birthed here. But I also think about what happened around that big oak tree. Were my ancestors beaten there? Hanged there? That’s crept into my mind. You never know.” Read the story of the Millers and their discovery of their family legacy at Sharswood at Tell Us USA. -via Metafilter  (Image source: Zillow)

The Declining Use of the Jet Bridge Posted: 26 Jan 2022 05:41 PM PST I was not familiar with the term "jet bridge" until I watched this video, although I have used them many times. It's the hallway that swings out from an airport terminal to a plane so that passengers can board without climbing stairs. It's an innovation that makes all the difference in the world for people who use wheelchairs. However, in the cutthroat world of budget airlines these days, it's considered a luxury that can be cut to save some money. Airports charge the airlines per-passenger fees which can vary depending on whether a jet bridge is used. Planes are also charged parking fees (by the minute) which are higher near the terminal or at a jet bridge. Personally, I don't mind climbing stairs to get on a plane, but when the plane is parked a half mile from the terminal and there's no bus or luggage transport, it can get a a bit annoying. Simple Flying explains what's happened to the simple luxury of the jet bridge.   -via Boing Boing

The Struggle of Keeping Your <i>Jeopardy!</i> Winning Streak a Secret Posted: 26 Jan 2022 10:08 AM PST Amy Schneider is on a months-long winning streak on the game show Jeopardy! On Tuesday, she surpassed Matt Amodio to become the second-winningest contestant on the show when she won her 39th game (Ken Jennings is still the champ, winning 74 consecutive games). How long will this continue? A few people know, including Schneider herself, but she's not telling anyone. See, Jeopardy! tapes a week's worth of shows at a time, and they air a couple of months later. So that's a long time to keep a TV spoiler to yourself. The show doesn't stipulate secrecy as a requirement, but encourages it to make the game more fun for viewers. As it was, Schneider held a small party for friends when her first episode aired. They were excited when she won, but had no idea how many times she would go back to defend her title. And they still don't. Ken Jennings' boss was in on his winning streak, since he had to miss work again and again for TV tapings. They collaborated on stories to tell other employees about his frequent absences. Now imagine that Schneider won enough money to retire from her job -which could happen. Quitting months before anyone knows why would be an obvious spoiler. What would you do? Read how Schneider and other big Jeopardy! Winners deal with the tension and temptation to tell at The Ringer. -via Digg

Amazon Delivery Driver vs Black Bear Posted: 25 Jan 2022 09:54 PM PST 🐻 An Amazon driver was trying to deliver a package when a black bear suddenly appeared! So who will win the face-off of an Amazon delivery driver vs a black bear? 🅰️ It's amazing to see how letters in the modern Latin alphabet evolved from Proto-Sinaitic script (c. 1750 BCE). Did you know that "A" evolved from the shape of a cow's head and "D" from a fish? 🚗 Those crazy Russian mechanics of Garage 54 flipped a Lada. On purpose. 🏠 We all know that The Simpsons is fiction because its about a middle class family with a single working parent owning a house and two cars. But did you know that the Simpsons' house would be worth $450K in today's real estate market? ICYMI: The Mystery of the Alaskan Killer Bigfoot and 3D Printed SpongeBob SquarePants Sponge Holder More neat posts over at our new sites: Supa Fluffy, Pictojam, Homes & Hues, and Pop Culturista. 🚀 Featured art: That's No Moon by indie artist Dumbassman - see how many characters, space ships, symbols and items you recognize from their silhouettes. See also: Sci-Fi T-Shirts Current Special: Save up to 20% on all T-shirts from the NeatoShop in this sitewide special. Hurry - this ends soon!

Long Lost Yves Tanguy Painting Found And Restored Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:15 PM PST A painting by Surrealist artistYves Tanguy was believed to have been lost to a raid on a Paris cinema. In an interesting turn of events, this long-held belief by scholars has been disproved thanks to the discovery of the 1930 artwork.  The artwork, called Fraud in the Garden, was hiding in plain sight. The painting was bought at an auction in 1985. Tanguy's artwork was also slashed during the raid but it was restored to a 'perfect condition.' It turns out that people were doubting the claims of its authenticity due to its restored state. At least we know now, right? Read more about the painting here.  Image credit: Yves Tanguy

Girl Scout’s Newest Cookie Flavor Is In Short Supply Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:14 PM PST Good luck finding this particular cookie. It'll be an adventure, indeed.  Girl Scouts' new cookie flavor, brownie-and-salted caramel goodies called Adventurefuls are now running low in stock because of the high demand and labor shortages where the cookies are being produced. In a press statement, the Girl Scouts have reassured its customers that their cookie producer, Little Brownie Bakers, "is working diligently to address the impact that the labor shortage has had on the production of Adventurefuls." Better try the other flavors then!  Image credit: Girl Scouts of the USA

Player Collects Impossible Shock Arrow In Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:10 PM PST This game is nearly five years old. I'll let that sink in. Five years old, and players are still finding new kinds of things about it. Now that's dedication!  Recently, people in the community have been focusing their attention on reaching out of bounds areas in the games to obtain a random item stashed in there, or open a wayward chest that was lodged in them, which the developers might have forgotten during development. The challenge and tediousness in obtaining these 'impossible' items have piqued the interest of dedicated players and speedrunners.  Glitch hunter and speedrunner Luke Steelman successfully collected one of them after a year of theories and attempts. The speedrunner, also known as "LegendofLinkk" online, has obtained the shock arrow near the Daqo Chisay Shrine in Gerudo Town. Read more about his attempts here!  Image credit: LegendofLinkk / Kotaku

Polish Scientists Create Detailed Map Of <i>The Witcher</i> Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:09 PM PST For those nerds who would like to imagine the different cities featured in the fictional world of The Witcher in real life, this team of geographers has your back!  The geographers from the University of Warsaw created the first-ever detailed map of The Witcher's fictional world. The map is part of a series called Poland in the contemporary world, which highlights Polish soft power through several cultural products and achievements. The map details the topography and location of cities, islands, kingdom borders, and rivers featured in The Witcher.  Image credit: Wereszczyński et. al via Kafkadesk

Black Diamond From Outer Space Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:09 PM PST This gem is from out of this world. Literally.  Meet 'The Enigma,' a 555.55-carat black diamond that is going to be sold at an auction by Sotheby's in February. The rare gem is believed to have come from outer space. According to the auction house's jewelry specialist, Sophie Stevens, the diamond was formed in outer space. "With the carbonado diamonds, we believe that they were formed through extraterrestrial origins, with meteorites colliding with the Earth and either forming chemical vapor disposition or indeed coming from the meteorites themselves," she said. The gem is expected to be sold for at least  5 million British pounds ($6.8 million).  Image credit: Kamran Jebreili/AP

What's Happened Since the Hunga-Tonga Eruption Posted: 25 Jan 2022 06:44 PM PST The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano on January 15th was huge. The nearby nation of Tonga was flooded by a tsunami, covered with volcanic ash, and cut off from the internet for days. What have we found out about it since then? Scientific analysis has revealed the actual size of the eruption, and the massive number of lightning strikes inside it. We have a possible trajectory of the ash flung skyward. We have pictures from Tonga, which you would have thought were taken with black and white film if it weren't for the blue of the ocean. The eruption's shock wave traveled around the world four times. Astrum brings us up to speed on the Pacific eruption and what we've learned about it so far. The last minute of the video is an ad.

Create Your Own Music Box with Music Box Fun Posted: 25 Jan 2022 03:55 PM PST You can recreate a player piano scroll, or the drum on a music box with the online generator Music Box Fun! Place your notes along the grid on a 15, 20, or 30 note scale and see what happens (if you need sharps and flats, select the 30-note scale). Bryan Braun tells us how he came to build this toy. Yeah, you could pull out a score from the piano bench and build it quickly, or just fool around like me, or if you know a bit about music you can show off your chops with a familiar tune or even an original.   People who know what they're doing have shared their creations. To get an idea of what it could sound like, here's the theme from Jeopardy! And here's "Bohemian Rhapsody," although you'll want to speed up the tempo to listen to it. If you make something with this, let us know!  -via Laughing Squid

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