Archive for February 14th, 2008
Love, Japanese Style
It’s Valentine’s Day, and in the U.S., that means chocolates, roses, romantic dinners and marriage proposals galore. In Japan, Valentines Day is almost unrecognizable by U.S. standards. On February 14, only the men receive chocolates, and they spend most of the day trying not to receive them! That’s because (and I’m sure this will catch on in the states soon!) March 14 is White Day, a holiday created in Japan in 1980. Tradition dictates that the men who received gifts on Valentine’s Day must return the favor and give something in return to the ladies. The return gift is also called a “sanbai-gaeshiin”, since the gift the boy gives is supposed to be three times the value of the gift he received.
According to the Wikipedia, “There are many theories about the origins of White Day. According to one, the holiday began in 1965 when a marshmallow maker started marketing to men on the grounds that they should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts with marshmallows.
“Soon thereafter, confectionery companies began to realize that they could capitalize on such a tradition as well, and began marketing white chocolate. Now, men give both white and non-white chocolate, as well as other edible and non-edible gifts, such as jewelry or objects of sentimental value, or white clothing like lingerie, to women from whom they received chocolate on Valentine’s Day one month earlier.”
Not to be out done, single folks have created their own holiday, too, called Black Day. Celebrated on April 14, those that didn’t receive gifts for Valentine’s Day or White Day will get together and eat noodles with black bean or white sauce to represent their “singledom.”
White (and Black) Day is actually becoming more widespread, and is celebrated in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and various European countries.
What do you think? Do you think White Day will ever catch on in America? Post your thoughts in the comments!
Links to White Day and Black Day
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Bizarro: Van Gogh's Valentine
For those of you who didn’t get it, here’s a little story about Vincent van Gogh’s ear:
Van Gogh felt an increasing fear that Gauguin was going to desert him, and what he described as a situation of "excessive tension" reached a crisis point on 23 December 1888, when Van Gogh stalked Gauguin with a razor and then cut off the lower part of his own left ear, which he wrapped in newspaper and gave to a prostitute named Rachel in the local brothel, asking her to "keep this object carefully." (Source)
Healthwise, Vincent was a basket case. Over the years, doctors came up with various mental and physical diagnoses including temporal lobe epilepsy, bipolar disorder, absinthe poisoning, lead poisoning, hypergraphia, and sunstroke (Source).
And on that note, Happy Valentin’s Day, everyone! Be sure to visit Dan Piraro’s website and blog for more Bizarro.
Update 2/14/08 – here’s another cute one, Dog and Cat’s Valentine:
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Best Valentine's Day gifts ever
I don’t really buy into Valentine’s Day. I mean, I want a card (even a homemade card), but I don’t need flowers at work and a huge box of chocolates or anything like that. I’m not a very sappy, romantic person.
However, I do like strange, quirky and macabre things, so I’ve assembled a list of heart-shaped Valentines that I wouldn’t mind receiving. It’s probably a little too late to do anything about it now, but keep these in mind for 2009 if your significant other seems less than thrilled with that stuffed animal you bought this year.
I love this medical illustration bracelet by dirtybirdd on etsy. I have a feeling it might creep my co-workers out (I work in a very conservative environment), but who says that’s a bad thing?
This is some serious talent right here. Obviously Craftster’s BeatnikChick knows what she’s doing. It’s so detailed and gorgeous there’s no way I could use it as an actual handkerchief.
This necklace from Elsewheres.com is a really sophisticated take on the anatomical heart, I think. It doesn’t scream “I reject this Hallmark Holiday created to force couples to spend money to show their love for one another!”… it whispers it.
Once again, the good people on Craftster have just blown my mind. Bravo, KittyKill, bravo!!
I’d like to see the room that this fits seamlessly in. I’m imagining it on the side table in a cardiologist’s waiting room. If you’re a cardiologist who has been searching for that perfect anatomically-correct heart to spark up your waiting room, Coolhunting.com might just have the thing for you. Even if you’re not a cardiologist, you could check CoolHunting out, cause they have some neat stuff.
Wear your heart on your sleeve… er… chest… with this lovely screenprinted shirt from Hopedespair on etsy.
A heart stuffie!! And if you really hate Valentine’s day, you could give it to your dog to play with and watch him tear the stuffing out of it. But it would be a shame to do that to such a detailed craft. My knitting projects never turn out this cool (or this professional). PrettyCranium, you rock.
You can rarely go wrong with food, but skip the heart-shaped box of caramel creams and try out these gems instead:
Dare I say that this is even tastier than conversation hearts?? I’d wager that it is. I guess it’s sort of like getting a chocolate bunny for Easter, although if hearts aren’t your thing, you could impress your sweetie with ears, brains or teeth also from bluelips.com.
OK, I actually really hate Jell-O. The texture and consistency of it really grosses me out for some reason. But this mold from anatomical.com would be a great addition to my skull and brain molds. Maybe this is a gift more appropriate for Halloween than Valentine’s Day. Oh well, to each his (or her) own.
I wish I could lay claim to these amazing cupcakes from Claire Crespo’s Hey There, Cupcake!
Link via popsugar
I love gummy stuff, but I’m not sure I could sink my teeth into a squishy heart from candywarehouse.com. I’d like to find out though.
Any of these appeal to you guys? What did you get your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? Did it go over well?
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Ice Jewelry
Dutch designer Katharina Ludwig presents a line of jewelry made of ice! There are ice earrings and a ring as well as necklaces. Of course, each piece must be remade every time you wear it. Could be a real hit for women suffering from hot flashes. Link -via Unique Daily
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Naked Cowboy Sues Over Singing M&M
The Naked Cowboy has filed a $6 million lawsuit against Mars. Times Square busker Robert Burk says the candy maker stole his image for a massive video billboard featuring an M&M wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and briefs.
“All I’ve got is my underwear. It’s the most brilliant thing that’s ever been created from a marketing perspective. You can’t stop it,” said Burck, 37, who said he filed suit on the advice of lawyers and trademark experts.
The M&M appears for a few seconds in a five-minute looping advertisement that also features other New York icons. The case will be heard in Manhattan federal court. Burck began his career as a street performer in 1998, and has appeared on numerous TV shows and music videos. Link -via YesButNoButYes
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How to Sleep at Work
These stick-on eyes will make you seem alert while you get some real shut eye at your desk! Too bad I couldn’t find out who is actually selling these. Link
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The 5 Ballsiest Con Artists of All Time
It takes real bravado to convince people they should give you money because you are royalty, or because you need an airplane, or because you can protect them from other scammers. Cracked looks at the most outrageous schemers in history, as well as the profits they made and they price they paid… or not. Link
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Aqua Forest Aquariums are Gorgeous!
Yup, they’re real aquariums!
George and Steven Lo of Aqua Forest Aquarium in San Francisco make aquariums – but not just any ol’ fish tank. Their creations of "Nature Aquariums" are simply stunning: real plants are used to create a natural (albeit underwater) diorama.
Link [website has self-starting background music] | Portfolio – via Apartment Therapy San Francisco
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Whites to be a Minority in 2050
According to the latest analysis by the Pew Research Center, non-Hispanic white people will become a minority in 2050!
If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and 82% of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S.-born descendants, according to new projections developed by the Pew Research Center.
The Latino population, already the nation’s largest minority group, will triple in size and will account for most of the nation’s population growth from 2005 through 2050. Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with 14% in 2005.
The non Hispanic white population will increase more slowly than other racial and ethnic groups; whites will become a minority (47%) by 2050.
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Hubble Found A Galaxy Far, Far Away ...
The Hubble Space Telescope just snapped a photo of what may be the farthest galaxy we’ve ever seen: it’s almost 13 billion light-years away.
Since the galaxy is so far away, its light took ages to reach us, so what we see now is a snapshot of how this galaxy looked 13 billion years ago. At that point in time, the galaxy would have been newly formed, so the new observations provide a baby picture.
"We certainly were surprised to find such a bright young galaxy 13 billion years in the past," said astronomer Garth Illingworth of the University of California, Santa Cruz, a member of the research team. "This is the most detailed look to date at an object so far back in time."
If they squint, they’ll see that’s not a moon! Link
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I Have a Deram ... Draem ... Gosh Darn It!
Photo: I Love Badger Dogs [Flickr]
Some people in Corpus Christi, Texas, are deraming a draem of literacy …
See also: Hm, That’s Just Ironic previously on Neatorama
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Black Fantasy Biomechanical LEGO Creations
Wail of Echoes Eternal by Mainman [Flickr | Brickshelf]
Ephram’s Garden 1 by mondayn00dle [Flickr | MOCpages]
Megiddo Mangler/8 Track by legohaulic [Flickr]
Spade of Shades by monsterbrick [Flickr]
I am so enthralled with these fantastic LEGO creations, all entries in a "Black Fantasy Contest" over at Classic-Space LEGO forum. The idea is to create black fantasy biomechanical creatures with neon-orange "eyes."
Lots more here: Link – via The Brothers Brick
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Quote: Mark Twain on the Secret of Getting Ahead
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
– Mark Twain, humorist and author (1835 – 1910)
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Cookie Monster on NPR
Cookie Monster recently paid a visit to NPR’s New York studios. In an interview, he answered questions from James Lipton’s version of the Proust questionnaire. The interview was captured on video, and accompanies a biography of Cookie Monster. Link -via YesButNoButYes
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Darth Vader and Superman
David Prowse, who played Darth Vader’s body in three Star Wars movies, is a bodybuilder and fitness trainer. He auditioned for the first Superman movie, but was passed over in favor of Christopher Reeve. However, Prowse was hired as a personal trainer to get Reeve into shape for the part. Prowse was touched by Reeve’s 1995 riding accident and saddened by his death in 2004. Now, at age 72, Prowse is involved with Walk Once More, a charity dedicated to spinal cord injury research.
He says, “I suppose I’m carrying on Chris’s legacy. It’s a privilege to have known him, and to now be involved with Walk Once More. My friend never did walk again, but someday we’ll find a way to cure this terrible affliction.”
Also see Prowse’s website.
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