Men mean well, but they usually say "good".

— Jaydi Samuels (@JessCallMeJaydi) May 13, 2013

(YouTube link)

Vivid Sydney is an annual festival going on now through June 10th, featuring light shows, music, drama, and other performances in Sydney, Australia. This video show parts of a light show called PLAY by Spinifex Group projected on the Sydney Opera House. The full 14-minute Spinifex show is also available to watch. You can see more video clips of the opening night of the festival at vimeo.  -via reddit

Ninja BBQ Set

Don't let Father's Day sneak up on you. Get your favorite grill master the Ninja BBQ Set from the NeatoShop. This dangerously fun set includes a stainless steel fork and spatula with sword shaped handles. The set comes housed in a black carrying case that converts into a heavy duty pocketed apron. It is the perfect gift for Dad's who love to do battle with the grill. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Kitchen Stuff.

Link 

Emily Stoneking, an artist in Vermont, makes delightfully macabre knitted works, often of dissections. Here's an alien who had the misfortune to experience a breakdown while passing through our solar system. 

Link -via Lustik

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer, since many schools are out, pools are opening, employers are juggling everyone's vacations, and the weather is nice enough for a cookout. I hear there's a big car race Sunday as well. But let's not forget the original meaning of Memorial Day -to remember those who gave the last full measure in service to their country. If you're not familiar with the poppy symbol here, check out the story from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. But the world being the way it is (meaning "we love holidays") you don't have to wait until Monday for a holiday. Today is Towel Day! Don't forget to take your towel with you. And since you have a three-day weekend, why not catch up on everything that's been happening this week at Neatorama!

In the second installment of a continuing series that may be the end of John Farrier -or at least his digestive system- we witnessed Don't Eat That, John! -- The Taco Bell Doritos Taco Smoothie.

Eddie Deezen wrote The Flintstones: A Modern Stone Age Family.

Kibble Me This: The History of Dog Food was a contribution from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader.

The Annals of Improbable Research gave us The Science Behind Luwak Coffee.

Embarrassing Moments in Engineering (and What They've Taught Us) came from mental_floss magazine.

Over at the Spotlight blog, Alex posted Illustrated Recipe: Artwork Inspired by Marie-Antoine Careme's Extravagant Food.

David Israel got some audience participation going with a personal post called The Toy You Can't Throw Out. You can add your favorites to the conversation anytime.
 
Our featured pet this week at the pet blog Lifestyles of the Cute and Cuddly was Steve the cat, sent in by Neatoramanaut Kate Nelson. Your cat or dog or other animal can be a featured pet on Lifestyles of the Cute and Cuddly, too! All you need to do is send us a picture.

We also one brainteaser from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader this week: Fun With Words. As ususal, the answers y'all came up with were more entertaining than the actual answer!

In the What Is It? game, we had an object that is an unknown. Rob at the What Is It? blog researched every guess and found no definitive answer. So we decided to select two winning funny answers! Pismonque said it is "an ingenious device to mechanically reproduce the sound of one hand clapping." That's good enough to win a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! And Joseph Francis said "You cast it like a fishing rod and it scratches the back of someone on the other side of the gymnasium. I forget what it's called." But he didn't specify a t-shirt. Check out the answers to the other mystery items of the week at the What Is It? blog.

The post that drew the most comments (besides the contest) was The Toy You Can't Throw Out, followed by a tie between Don't Eat That, John! -- The Taco Bell Doritos Taco Smoothie and Americans, What Surprised You the Most When Visiting Europe?

The comments of the week are polar opposites. ChrisW responded to the headline Tourist Rescued After Dining on Iceberg by saying, "I had no idea dining on iceberg was dangerous. Perhaps romaine would be better." Ha! Then in the post about precious toys, ladybugs told a great story: "I have a Hawaiian rag doll that I've had since I was 2 months old. My mom & I flew to Oahu to meet up with dad while he was on R&R from the Vietnam war. It's where he got to meet me for the first time. I've had it 43 years and will never get rid of it. I keep the doll in my cedar chest." Thanks for sharing that with us!

The most popular post this week was America's Most Expensive Home for Sale, followed by LEDs in an Engagement Ring and Kibble Me This: The History of Dog Food.

The post with the most ♥s was Fennec Fox Walking Against the Wind, followed by Helen Mirren Fulfills Sick Little Boy's Dream of Tea with the Queen and Tree Got Its Bark Blown Off by Lightning. If you skipped any of these, you might want to take a second look!

The most emailed posts were The NEW Periodic Table Song with LEGO X-Wing is the World's Largest LEGO Model in second place. Nothing else came close.

Three weeks from tomorrow is Fathers Day. Don't wait until the last minute to find something really meaningful for your Dad (or other father figure)! Check out the selection of gifts at the NeatoShop, including the newest t-shirt designs so you'll have something surprising and unique to give.

And be sure to join us for extra content every day at the Neatoramanauts Facebook page. Tell your friends to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, too! And mobile users: Flipboard makes it easy to keep up with Neatorama.

Be extra careful if you're traveling this holiday weekend. My family is headed out on a road trip, and we have a daughter with a brand new learner's permit. Buckle your seatbelt and keep a safe distance! 

No, the school isn't tiny. This is actually a bus for a campground in Nova Scotia. The owners call it "Canada's smallest operational school bus." Mark Stevenson of Jalopnik took a few photos of it, which you can view at the link.

Link | Campground Website

Om nom! Cassius the Croc, the world's largest crocodile in captivity, turned 110 this week. Just be thankful that you are not the cake:

Far North Queensland keepers of the world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity sang the old croc Happy Birthday before giving him the 20kg meat cake topped with candles.

"He destroyed it in about 30 seconds," Marineland Melanesia croc wrangler Billy Craig said. "It's one of the biggest meals he's had - we decided to spoil him."

Cleo Fraser of NT News has the story: Link

(YouTube link)

A classic skit. Some people have no idea how offensive they are until you turn it around on them. And the real kicker is that turning it around often doesn't even get the point across. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

Trolltunga is an odd rock protrusion jutting out over Ringedalsvatnet, a lake in southern Norway. The name means "the troll's tongue." Would you be willing to sit on the end? He promises not to eat you.

Link -via TYWKIWDBI

(Photos: Steinar Talmoen, Jan Skrodzki

Sugar isn't always sweet, especially when Darwin's involved. Entomologists at North Carolina State University showed that when glucose is used in roach-bait poison, cockroaches evolve to dislike sweets:

Glucose sets off bitter receptors in roach taste buds, causing roaches to avoid foods that bring on this taste-bud reaction. This aversion has a genetic basis and it eventually spreads to offspring, resulting in increasingly large groups of cockroaches that reject glucose and any baits made with it.

In normal German cockroaches, glucose elicits activity in sugar gustatory receptor neurons, which react when exposed to sugars like glucose and fructose – components of corn syrup, a common roach-bait ingredient. Generally, roaches have a sweet tooth for these sugars. [...]

Glucose-averse roaches that were forced to taste glucose refused to ingest the sugar, akin to a child who spits out her bitter-tasting food.

Link

A hedgehog in Bude, Cornwall, England, was taken to the vet because he was so big and round that he couldn't walk or curl up. Veterinary staff were puzzled, because the huge hedgehog was of normal weight. An x-ray revealed that the animal was, indeed, inflated. Veterinary surgeon Adam Revitt said he had never seen a case of "balloon syndrome" before.

Balloon syndrome occurs when bacteria gets into a wound and gives off gas that becomes trapped under the skin, Mr Revitt explained.

He added: "This is the first case I had ever seen. It is uncommon. There are very few things published about it.

"Without the treatment it couldn’t breathe and would probably have died."

Revitt used a syringe to slowly deflate the hedgehog over about five minutes. The animal is now on antibiotics and is recovering nicely. Link  -via Arbroath

Previously at Neatorama: A similar case from 2007.

If Klein Bottles - which have neither an inside nor an outside surface - aren't confusing enough for your, check these glass Klein bottles made by Alan Bennett for the Science Museum in London:

A single surface model made by Alan Bennett in Bedford, United Kingdom. It consists of three Klein bottles set inside each other to produce, when cut, three pairs of single-twist Mobius strips. A Klein bottle has no edges, no outside or inside and cannot be properly constructed in three dimensions. (Source)

A single surface model made by Alan Bennett in Bedford, 1995. It consists of a sphere with three interlinked loops the equivalent of three interconnected Klein bottles. (Source)

A single surface glass vessel made by Alan Bennett in Bedford, United Kingdom. It consists of a triple loop Klein bottle which when cut gives a pair of five-twist Mobius strips. (Source)

View those and many more neat Klein bottle images over at this Dark Roasted Blend post aptly titled Topological Marvel: The Klein Bottle in Art - Thanks Avi!

Erin Bradley's Park Slope Family Circus imagines Bil, Thelma, Billy, Dolly, Jeffy and P.J. not in Scottsdale, Arizona, but a wealthy neighborhood of Brooklyn. They're rich enough to afford absurdities.

Link -via 22 Words

Live Long and Prosper Star Trek Photo Frame

Father's Day is right around the corner. Are you looking for the perfect gift for your Star Trek loving Dad? Get Dad the Live Long and Prosper Star Trek Photo Frame from the NeatoShop. This fantastic frame features Spock and the U.S.S. Enterprise. The opening is in the shape of the Sarfleet insignia. The frame holds a 4 x 6 photo.    

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Star Trek items. 

Link

M.C. Escher's tessellated lizards will look great on your floor! The tiles for the bathroom floor pictured were custom-designed, but you can contact the company Arbore about making some for you. Link -via Boing Boing

Eventually, someone will break your heart. Don't wait until s/he has ripped it out of your chest and stomped on it before developing a contingency plan. Be prepared with Melanie Chernock's first aid kit. It contains chocolate, vodka, tissues, bubble bath, a candle and a music CD with appropriate songs.

Link -via Fubiz

(YouTube link)

Maru, the internet's favorite cat, turned six years old yesterday. As is her custom, mugumogu posted a retrospective of Maru's best moments from the past year in a birthday video. Link -via Cute Overload

w00t! If you love Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series on Neatorama, you'd love this: they're having an awesome Father's Day Sale, where the entire Uncle John's store is 30% off from May 20th to July 16th, 2013. They must be off their rockers! Thanks for letting us know, Mana!

Check out the latest Uncle John's Bathroom Readers article on Neatorama:

• Kibble Me This: The History of Dog Food
• Sex in Aladdin: Anatomy of a Rumor
• The Pee-Mobile
• Betty Freeman's Day in Court
• The Birth of the Dishwasher

View all Bathroom Reader articles on Neatorama | Don't forget to check out the official Uncle John's Bathroom Reader website

(Image generated at Word Cloud for Kids)

What do the following words have in common? It's not really that difficult if you chip away at them for a while.

Sheath

Pirate

Ashamed

Brandy

Continue reading for the answer.

(Video Link)

Guys, she doesn't want you to solve her problems or even just suggest possible solutions. Just listen and empathize as best you can. In this hilarious short film, Jason Headley offers great relationship advice.

-via American Digest

What happened after the movie ended? Old Red Jalopy collaborated with Next Movie to envision what would logically happen after the credits rolled.

As you can see above, Willy Wonka's chocolate factory would've been closed by the authorities for sure. Willy himself is probably hiding somewhere in Loompaland to avoid lawsuits.

Take a look at the rest: Link - Thanks Andie!

(YouTube link)

To celebrate YouTube's eighth anniversary, Dane Boe put together a retrospective of viral videos to the tune of Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire." You might recognize all the clips, most of them were posted here at Neatorama over the past eight years. -via Viral Viral Videos   

No ordinary plate will do. The photography duo Nicky & Max photographed food presented in the elegant Bauhaus style. Their simple shapes, colors and forms result in lovely images of fine food. You can see more photos from their series at the link.

Link -via Foodiggity | Artists' Website

Etckt had great success with their Periodic Table of Star Wars (the Original Trilogy), so, just like Lucas did, they followed that up with the prequels. And just like the prequels, this new periodic table has more special effects.

Each element cell is now a cube (rendered as hexagons), with all the pertinent information, and elements/characters categorized as Jedi, Sith, royalty, politicians, droids, etc. Of course, Anakin Skywalker heads the table, along with Qui-Gon Jin. You can see more details and the full-size version by clicking the image at Etckt. Link -Thanks, Matthew Gallagher!

Aragorn & Arwen Salt & Pepper Shakers

Celebrate a love worth becoming mortal for with the Aragorn & Arwen Salt & Pepper Shakers from the NeatoShop. This beautiful set is made of glazed ceramic and feature hand painted details. Magnets hold the two shakers together. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Salt & Pepper Shakers and fantastic The Lord of the Rings items. 

Link

At the age of 80, Japanese mountain climber and adventurer Yuichiro Miura reached the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday. But he may not hold that title for long:

There are reports that Nepalese climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, 81, is planning an assault on the world’s highest peak next week, despite some recent intestinal problems.

Sherchan frustrated Miura’s record-setting ambitions once before when, in May 2008, Miura conquered the mountain at the age of 75, only to arrive a day after Sherchan's ascent at age 76 years and 340 days.

This is Miura’s third ascent of the 29,028-foot peak. He also earned the oldest climber title in 2003, at age 70, a milestone broken four years later when fellow Japanese climber Katsusuke Yanagisawa ascended at age 71.

But at least for now, Miura is expressing nothing but satisfaction at his accomplishment.

"This is the best feeling in the world,” an entry said on his Facebook page. “How could I have come so far at the world's oldest age of 80, I’ve never felt like this in my life. But I've never been more exhausted than this." [...]

The veteran adventurer also hit the spotlight in 1970 when he became the first person to ski down Everest with help from a parachute, a feat documented in the 1975 Academy Award-winning documentary "The Man Who Skied Down Everest."

Link

(Photo: AFP)

(YouTube link)

This video from RTÉ Radio 1 shows a cat in County Offaly, Ireland, suckling ducklings along with her own kittens. Isn't that amazing? Well, from what I can see, the ducklings are not nursing, although they may give it a try after seeing the kittens do it. After all, ducks don't suck. But they sure are craving some snuggling from the mama cat! What really is amazing is that a video from a radio network has no audio. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

"Sorry for trying to enslave Eternia."

"Water under the bridge, man. Water under the bridge."

In an alternate universe depicted by Matthew Skiff, He-Man and Skeletor just talked out their differences.

Link -via Nerd Bastards

Remember that time you gave that long and tearful toast at your brother's wedding, only to find out later that you had a huge chunk of spinach stuck in your teeth? Or the time you stole that basketball and shot that brilliant last-second 3-pointer into the other team's basket? Or what about when you built that giant highway bridge for the city and it suddenly collapsed one day? On second thought, that last one is its own special kind of embarrassing. And one for which you'd probably trade a million spinach-toothed moments. So take comfort in knowing that, if nothing else, your bad hair day didn't put anyone in danger or make the nightly news.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge is Falling Down

Tacoma, Washington, 1940

While buildings and bridges are made to bend in the wind, the engineers behind the Tacoma Narrows Bridge might have benefited from heeding a different aphorism: everything in moderation. Stretching 2,800 feet above the riverbed, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was (at the time) the third-longest suspension bridge in the world, behind the Golden Gate in San Francisco and the George Washington in New York City. Its sleek design incorporated a roadbed only 39 feet wide, making the bridge far more slender and light than its contemporaries. But it was also a lot more flexible.

The simple fact is that any structure built without enough "give" is more likely to break in a strong wind. There's no shortage of mathematical formulas for calculating how flexible a structure should be. Yet, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge was only one-third as stiff as common engineering rules dictated. Even in modest winds, the roadway oscillated up and down several feet, quickly earning it the nickname Galloping Gertie.

While drivers found the undulations unsettling, the bridge seemed steady enough from the outset—at least to everyone except University of Washington engineering professor Bert Farquharson. Worried that it was far too flexible, Farquharson began studying the bridge in an attempt to uncover what sort of retrofits might improve its stability. As part of his investigation, he showed up at Tacoma Narrows on the morning of November 7, 1940, to film the movement of the bridge. His timing was eerily coincidental. As he was shooting, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge began heaving, and soon collapsed.

(YouTube link) 

The Moral: It's o.k. to be a stiff. Materials like wood, metal, and concrete vibrate when they're struck—whether it's your fork hitting a wine glass (causing it to ring) or wind pushing across the roadbed of a bridge. If sustained, the vibrations can build to dangerous levels. It's like pushing someone on a swing; when they reach the back-most point in the oscillation, the same light push over and over will make the swing go higher and higher. You don't have to push harder each time; you just have to push repeatedly at the right moment. Similarly, if wind pushes a roadbed steadily for long enough, it can oscillate higher and higher, creating what's known as resonance.

Rhiannon's cake is delicious, right down to the core. She made it for her sister, a teacher, who wanted to show her students how the Earth is structured. The baking challenge was to bake a hemisphere within a hemisphere within a hemisphere. At the link, you can read about how Rhiannon did it.

Link