HOME |
RSS | 
Comments Off
The Detroit Free Press has published a multimedia tribute to Aretha Franklin’s recording of “Respect,” which was the number one song 40 years ago. It’s a fascinating story. Link -via Metafilter
Comments Off 
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a plastic that can literally heal itself. This unique plastic works similarly to human skin (but faster). When a crack forms, a liquid healing agent is released from tiny channels within the plastic to fill the crack, then hardens due to contact with the top layer of the plastic.
The goal is to use this new polymer for implantable medical devices and computer cooling components, although I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll follow up with cell phones that heal themselves after being dropped. Link [Technology Review]
Food stylists go through great lengths to make "food" in advertisements and magazines look so yummy.
But sometimes it’s just easier to go with fake food props rather than fiddling with the real thing (note: by law, the food being advertised have to be the real, edible kind – but garnishes and accompanying "side" dishes don’t).
Here’s a neat collection of fake foods and other special effects Tengrove Studios: Link
Previously on Neatorama: Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality | Secrets of Food Stylists
Here’s a story of a guy who (supposedly) found that after 18 years, fast-food burgers look and taste just like it was made this morning! Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] – via Miss Cellania
Show of your gangsta geeksta-tough credentials by wearing one (or all) of these computer key rings! Link – via Smidigt
Apparently, spam and egg sandwich ("supamu sando") is quite popular in Japan.
A couple months ago, Bunk sent me this advertisement for a Spam Sandwich sold at Freshness Burger, a very popular fast food chain in Japan and South Korea: For about $4 U.S., you can have a big hunk of spam, lettuce, tomato, and an over-easy egg. So yummy, you’ll go “Boing” when you eat it.
Add this to the never-ending list of human oddities: The Woolly-Headed Boy who fascinated 18th century English society.
Woolly hair is a rare congenital abnormality of structure of scalp hair. It is marked by extreme kinkiness of hair in Caucasians. Woolly hair is either already present at birth or appears in the first months of life. The curls, wih an average diameter of 0.5 cm. , lie closely together and usually make the hair difficult to comb; in addition, the hair may be more fragile than usual.
Finally! We now have the explanation to Phil Spector’s wild hair: Link.
Comments Off 
For more of Andy Singer’s comics, check out his website: No Exit.
Comments Off 
Apparently, a Russian ninja had been terrorizing the hillside of Italy, until a feisty old pensioner got ‘im:
The old man came down the stairs but tripped on the last step letting off his rifle.
Startled, the "ninja" made his escape, hopping onto a bicycle and racing off into the nearby cornfields – followed by police who were quickly on the scene. Police eventually trailed him to an abandoned farmhouse where he was arrested.
He was later identified as Igor Vaclavic, a former soldier from the Russian army. He was caught carrying night scopes and a head torch. When asked about his chosen disguise, he told police he had been inspired by his boyhood idol – Robin Hood.
Link – Thanks David R and moronic50!
Comments Off 
Amazing DIY boombox with an 8-track player, AM/FM radio, power antennas, brake lights, and lots more. Make sure to watch the video.
Feast your eyes on the result of weeks of work using the various remains of over a dozen cars — from 80′s BMW’s to a 1990 Toyota Tercel — it’s the glorious Turbo II Junkyard Boogaloo boombox.
Link (Part 1) | Link (Part 2) – via Make
A very weird looking tunnel that runs straight through a house.
In music, sampling [wiki] is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording. This is typically done with a sampler, which can be a piece of hardware or a computer program on a digital computer. Sampling is also possible with tape loops or with vinyl records on a phonograph.
In this neat clip, Socalled explains his philosophy behind finding and using a good sample of existing music, he says “it’s like they put it there 80 years ago so that we could use it now.”
Click play or go to Link [YouTube].
The Box Doodle Project challenges you to make something out of a box. The object is to make the most out of the least material. The site includes a box doodle tool, so you can doodle a box online! Link -via Everlasting Blort
Comments Off 
Music store proprietor Steve Baker sent a guitar to his stepson in Iraq in 2004. His stepson’s friend wanted one, too, so he sent another. When more requests came in, Operation Happy Note was born. As of now, Baker and his wife have sent over 300 musical instruments to soldiers overseas. Link -via Exploding Aardvark
Got a little princess in your life? Daddy’s little girl will go absolutely nuts for this AMAZING pumpkin-shaped fantasy carriage bed, inspired by the fairy tale Cinderella.
Oh, and what’s $47,000 if you can bring sweet dreams and a little smile to your daughter’s face?
Link (Don’t miss their entire line of fantasy-themed beds) – Thanks Tiffany!
Here’s a collection of some very creative bus ads: Link – via haha.nu, Thanks Lin7!
Kasey, whose Compubeaver case-mod made waves in the blogosphere, has come up with another art project: meatshorts.
Link – Thanks Kasey!
Would you trust a bank whose ATM uses "unactivated" version of Windows?
Alex Feldstein caught this Russian ATM with the Windows Product Activation warning box:
"Your Windows product must be activated within 7 days. Do you want to activate Windows now?"
