Quick -how many nuclear accidents can you name? Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Fukushima …any more? There have been quite a few nuclear accidents of varying danger that you probably never heard of, including some fatal incidents. For example, in 1957, nuclear waste exploded at a reactor near the Soviet town of Ozyorsk.

One of the storage tanks contained around 70 to 80 tons of radioactive liquid waste, and its cooling mechanism stopped working and wasn’t fixed. The tank’s contents, made up mostly of ammonium nitrate and acetates, began to dry out as the liquid heated up and evaporated. Moreover, the temperature increase caused an explosion whose force was equivalent to 70 to 100 tons of TNT, and this sent huge amounts of radioactivity – roughly 20 MCi (800 PBq) – into the environment. The fallout cloud from the explosion contaminated an area of up to 7,722 square miles (20,000 square kilometers).

Over a period of nearly two years, about 10,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area. In terms of fatalities, the exact cost of the incident is not known, but immediately around the site of the explosion there were 66 diagnosed cases of chronic radiation syndrome.

Read more about the Ozyorsk incident and nine others in a list at Tech Graffiti. Link -via the Presurfer

(Image credit: Ecodefense, Heinrich Boell Stiftung Russia, Alla Slapovskaya, Alisa Nikulina)

Redditor Fidget08 snapped this photo of a tree with its bark blown off after it was hit by a lightning. Now who's gonna carve a baseball bat out of it? Via Laughing Squid

Chipmunk and Acorn Salt & Pepper Shakers

Are you nuts about cute salt and pepper shakers shaped like small furry rodents? Well, you are going to really love the Chipmunk and Acorn Salt and Pepper Shaker from the NeatoShop. This sweet set features an adorable chipmunk holding an acorn. The shakers are held together by love and magnets. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Salt & Pepper Shakers.

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In defense of item #3, I would like to point out that the bathtub is the only place in the apartment long enough for an average sized adult to stretch out. No extra charge for the pillow.

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Gandalf and Saruman Salt & Pepper Shakers

You shall not pass ... the salt in any boring ol' salt and pepper shakers! Check out the NeatoShop's new arrival of Lord of the Rings Salt & Pepper Shakers. Perfect for breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper.

Gollum & Samwise - Salt & Pepper Shakers

Frodo Kiss - Salt & Pepper Shakers

Aragon & Arwen - Salt & Pepper Shakers

Lord of the Rings Horseback - Salt & Pepper Shakers

View all Lord of the Rings Salt and Pepper Shakers | More LOTR items from the NeatoShop

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At first I thought this might be a sequel to the 2008 video Death Star Over San Francisco, but it's not. Oh yes, in this alternate reality, Earth is part of the Galactic Empire, but in this world, it's still okay to use the fake "amateur shaky cam" effect. And then the Enterprise shows up from the future to grab some more whales.  -via Buzzfeed

Georgina Hirst, a veterinarian, spotted these two friends in the Black Mountains of Wales:

"The lamb was obviously hungry and it's quite amazing that it learnt to suckle from the mare. It might have just copied the foal."

The vet, from Hay on the Wye, Powys, added: "Trying to get mares to adopt foals can be very challenging so it's incredible the mare was so receptive of the lamb.

"She would even stand guard while the foal and the lamb slept cuddled together." 

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(Photo: BNPS)

Congratulations! And welcome to the adult world of debt. Remember: A Lannister always pays his debts, even if it might takes a long time. Link -via Blame It On The Voices

How to get a woman mad in two easy steps: 1. Take a picture of her. 2. Don't show it to her.

— JD (@JohnDuffy21) April 24, 2013

~Illustrated by: Stefan Hey~

Get this on a T-shirt over at the Twaggies Shop: How to Get a Women Mad in Two Easy Steps

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A David Attenborough soundalike delivers a anthropological piece poking fun at Sweden's equality, agnosticism, tolerance, and sexual liberation. Featuring the actual prime minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, plus several famous Swedish actors. Contains NSFW language. -via reddit

Taco Bell's line of taco shells made with Doritos flavors are, of course, awesome. That's why Taco Bell has been able to sell half a billion of them. Not everything in life (e.g. cars, houses, in-laws) comes in delicious Doritos flavors, but tacos do. There's just one problem with Doritos Locos Tacos: they're not the healthiest of foods.

Let's fix that. Inspired by a tweet by Robb Allen, I'll show you how to make these tacos into vegan smoothies.

I made two smoothies, one for each of the two flavors in which Taco Bell offers these culinary delights: nacho cheese and cool ranch. Both flavors used the same smoothie ingredients:

• 1 cup of organic soy milk
• 1 cup of diced pineapple
• 5 large strawberries
• 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries
• 1 whole banana
• 1 teaspoon of Chia seed

Chia seed or salvia hispanica is, yes, the same plant used to make Chia Pets. While it can be used for household decoration, chia seed is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid, protein and fiber. It's a popular ingredient in vegan cuisine.

Photographer Nolan Conway was impressed by the wide variety of  people who visited his local McDonalds, which led to a photo project called Happy Meals. He's traveled the country, finding interesting people at McDonalds. Of course, you recognize this couple. That's Vance and Nancy Evans of Bakersfield, California. At least that's who they say they are. See more photos from the series at Wired. Link -via Laughing Squid

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This guy's such a great gymnast, he appears to totally defy gravity! The popular Japanese TV show Masquerade is a talent contest. Look through their YouTube channel and you'll see many such physical illusions. -via Tastefully Offensive

PLEASE Hand Lettered Sticky Notes

Are you looking for a magical notepad that helps you get everything you want? You need the PLEASE Hand Lettered Sticky Notes from the NeatoShop. This polite notepad is inscribed with the magic word right across on the top.

The PLEASE Hand Lettered Sticky Notes pad comes with 100 sheets for your writing pleasure.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Stationery.

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Tintype is an old photographic process that imprints images on sheets of iron. David Emitt Adams used this method to print landscape images of the American Southwest on metal cans. He writes:

For this body of work, I collect discarded cans from the desert floor, some over four decades old, which have earned a deep reddish-brown, rusty patina. This patina is the evidence of light and time, the two main components inherent in the very nature of photography. I use these objects to speak of human involvement with this landscape and create images on their surfaces through a labor-intensive 19th century photographic process known as wet-plate collodion. 

Link -via Junkculture

A truck carrying tons of grapes overturned and spilled on the 210 in the San Gabriel Valley in California. You don't get an opportunity to write a headline like that often. Link -Thanks, Michael Carney!

Respect The Chemistry by Baznet

The soul? There's nothing but chemistry here, and Walter wants YOU to respect the chemistry. You'll find this and many other neat T-shirt designs by Baznet over at his Tumblr. Check it out, then visit his NeatoShop page to buy some cool tees: Link

Your purchase helps support indie artists, as well as Neatorama.

Super Daft Bros	Adventure Cook	Night Watch Bros	Super Doctor Who

View more designs by Baznet | More Funny T-shirts over at the NeatoShop

 If you're a professional artist or T-shirt designer, let's talk! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn handsome royalties per shirt sold, and get your website/FB page featured on the blog to boot!

Artist James Hance mashed up Wizard of Oz and with a bit of Bouguereau to create this fantastic piece: The Adoration of Elphie. Flying monkeys have never looked so cute!

View more Wizard of Oz stuff from the NeatoShop.

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This is no teddy bear! Brad Josephs, a nature guide, left his GoPro camera out where a bear could find it. The bear wasn't able to eat it, but his attempt lets you see the inside of his mouth. Watch the video, then change your underwear.

-via Dave Barry

Cryptids are rarely seen, but when they are, their legends grow and grow with each retelling. That's because cryptids don't exist, except in legends. It's a good thing, too, because the Aloo has a ten-foot wingspan, the Kongamato robs human graves, and the Popobawa sodomizes its victims. Read about ten flying creatures of your nightmares at Environmental Graffiti. Link

(Image credit: Ramon FVelasquez)

Because there's no such thing as too much Nutella, Lisa Douglas invented the Nutella cocktail. First, soften Nutella in a microwave oven and dribble it along the inside of a glass. Then add 1.5 shots of Frangelico liqueur, 1 shot of Godiva chocolate liqueur and 4-5 shots of chocolate milk. Drink immediately and repeat the process as long as necessary.

Link -via Tasteologie

YouTube user Flippycat laughs at your puny attempt at domino. Watch this clip of him knocking down giant dominoes made from 30,000 individual domino bricks: Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via FAIL Blog

But, in the Latin alphabet, Jehovah begins with--wait, no, that's not going to help us. And how do I type a tau on this keyboard?

Indiana Jones will never make it past Josh Mecouch's test.

Link -via Nerd Approved

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AsapSCIENCE gives us a song with all the elements in order, including the recently-added ones. Those go pretty fast, so try to keep up! The tune is "Infernal Gallop" by Jacques Offenbach, which most folks call "the Can Can Song."  -via Blame It On The Voices

Twilight Pendant

The Twilight Pendant from the NeatoShop is a striking necklace. This piece is handcrafted in England and features bats flying around a glistening full moon. Nine Swarovski crystal stars light their way. It makes a wonderful gift for any vampire bat fan.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more unusual Jewelry. 

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Forget ball drops and champagnes. Thai people really know how to ring in the new year: with a water fight! During the Songkran festival (the last one was April 13 to 15, 2013), Thai people roamed the street with water buckets and water guns filled with ice cold water to drench friends and foes alike.

Ex-pat Willy Thuan of Phuket 101 has great photos of the festivities, including this one above where the policeman seemed to enjoy being the target, for once:

Everybody will join the Songkran festivities, kids, teens mostly, but also adults and tourists, divided in two camps: the 'Strategically Ambushed' by the road side with plenty of water ammunition, and the 'Mobile Units' in the back of pick up trucks. Shops and supermarket make fortunes selling all kinds of colorful and humongous water guns. But the best weapon remains the good old plastic bowl and a big tank of icy cold water! 

Cops doing traffic and security on the road are always the favourite targets for everyone, but they are used to this and keep a smile all day or even play along. 

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Who is the young fan in this 1935 photograph? You might be surprised to see 15-year-old Ray Bradbury. Seems he was quite a fan of movie stars when his family moved to California. Read about it at Dangerous Minds. Link

Last week, NASA astronomers monitoring the Moon saw an explosion larger than anything they've seen before. On March 17, 2013, an object about the size of a small boulder hit the lunar surface in the Mare Imbrium area at an astounding speed of 56,000 mph. The resulting explosion packed as much energy as 5 tons of TNT and left a crater that could be as wide as 65 feet.

NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said:

"On the night of March 17, NASA and University of Western Ontario all-sky cameras picked up an unusual number of deep-penetrating meteors right here on Earth," he says. "These fireballs were traveling along nearly identical orbits between Earth and the asteroid belt."

This means Earth and the Moon were pelted by meteoroids at about the same time.
“My working hypothesis is that the two events are related, and that this constitutes a short duration cluster of material encountered by the Earth-Moon system," says Cooke.

Why, NeatoShop artist Wirdou has the perfect T-shirt for you to commemorate this event:

The Bodyguard | View more Funny T-shirts over at the NeatoShop

Copper Beech Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut (already known as a very expensive neighborhood) is for sale for $190 million dollars. But if you know how real estate works, you might be able to talk them down a million or so.

Copper Beech Farm spans 50 prized acres that boast roughly a mile of water frontage on the Long Island Sound, thanks in part to two offshore islands included in the offering. The main house, a French-renaissance mansion, boasts 13,519 square feet of living space including 12 bedrooms, seven full baths and two half baths, a wood-paneled library, an ornate dining room with a tracery ceiling and oak columns, a solarium, a wine cellar, a third-floor staff wing, and a three-story, wood-paneled entry foyer. The original kitchen, equipped with a dumb waiter, sits in the basement, originally part of the staff quarters. Fireplaces adorn most rooms in the Victorian manse and sleeping porches, once used during summer months before the advent of air conditioning, extend off of bedrooms.

Oh, there's also several other buildings on the property, two pools and a spa, an orchard, gardens, and a big forest. See more pictures at Forbes. Link -via Digg

(Image credit: David Ogilvy & Associates, Christie's International Real Estate)

You're on the Net reading this, so you're familiar with email spammers who fill your inbox with junk. But have you heard of the song spammer? They infest streaming sites like Spotify. The Echo Nest senior software engineer Aaron Mandel explains the various categories of musical spammers:

The very best type of music spammers — the ones whose music elicits the best mix of hysterical laughter and retributive threats when you play them for friends — are the cloners. These groups record their own versions of popular songs, replicating the originals as closely as possible with whatever time and talent they have. (Spoiler: Often, that’s not very closely.)

These cloned songs are credited to “artists” such as The Hit Crew, Hip Hop’s Finest, #1 Hits Now, DJ New Release — names that could, and often do, pass for compilation titles. They might be named after the very song they’re cloning (“Call Me Maybe,” “Thrift Shop”) or a lyric from it (“Here’s My Number,” “Party Rock Is In The House Tonight”). The name doesn’t matter, so long as it’s close enough to fool people into clicking on the track without thinking twice. [...]

The most amazing one that I’ve found to date is Charts Hits 2013’s clone of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.” It features a vocalist who makes no attempt to sound like Macklemore, and even so, he’s in way over his head. Clearly, the guy is reading from a lyric sheet. He says “mezzanine” like it rhymes with “nine” and says that he’s draped in a “Leonard mink.” The horn riff is also agonizingly squared off, with every note played at exactly the same volume.

This “Thrift Shop” clone is on  the Spotify playlist of musical spam we mentioned above, but really, it’s way too good to miss, so here’s a YouTube link too.

Read the rest over at Echo Nest: Link - via Nerdcore