My apologies to those of you who might actually like Twilight, but I’m sure you already know that there are plenty of others who would gladly carve up your sparkly vampires into beautiful planters. Since the link to the original source is broken, here’s one to a different tutorial to make your own.

Link Via Craftzine

Yesterday, I posted Anthony Bordain’s great Krampus Carol and now for those of you who want a terrifying reminder of the evil Christmas character inside your own home, you can always look to this great doll from Shove Mink of Croshame. While the link doesn’t have any directions to make your own, the pictures can still provide you with a good starting point if you’re already a skilled crocheter.

Link Via Laughing Squid

This great book sculpture and many more like it were completed by a completely anonymous artist who covertly installed them inside a variety of museums, libraries and other locations in Edinburgh, Scotland. While no one knows who is responsible, the artist did reveal herself as a woman in her farewell note. Check out the rest at the link.

Link Via Laughing Squid

Photographer Toss McLellan has a great photo series called “Everyone Has A Piece of the Puzzle” wherein he dissects and lays out the parts of commonly used electronic items. The pictures look great and give us an all new look at items we use every day.

Link Via BoingBoing

If you’ve ever wondered what Kermit and the hand that operates him do when they’re not performing, or wondered what the bottom of an iceberg looks like, then you should take a long look at the fun artwork of DeviantArt Naolito.Personally, I’d love to see some of these designs on tee shirts, maybe even in the Neatoshop.

Link Via BuzzFeed

Michael Beitz is quite skilled at turning ordinary objects into otherworldly art pieces. While my personal favorite is this great jointed tree, there are plenty more amazing objects at the link.

Link Via Laughing Squid

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Artist Brian Dettmer is a talented artist and his media of choice happens to be books. With a little bit of careful carving, he can make amazing creations from already printed pages. While there are a number of artists who work with books, it seems safe to say that Brian has definately earned his nickname ” the book surgeon.”

Link Via BuzzFeed

Most old tires end up in landfills, but these amazing artists, philanthropists and creators have gone out of their way to ensure that these old tires are turned into something better. WebEcoist has 25 cool items made from these useful, but no longer needed car accessories.

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If you’ve ever wished your makeup could better incorporate scientific principles, then you might want to check out Sephora’s newest nail polish, one that creates cool 3D effects once you put a magnet over it while it is drying. I’m not big on nail polish, but I’d love to play with this formula. How about you other geek ladies?

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I’m not big on high heels, even Super Mario heels, but these Breaking Bad Converse are just my speed, although The Walking Dead and Dexter ones are also incredible.

Link Via Geekosystem

Geek girls who have a hard time accessorizing  in a way that actually expresses their specific interests are sure to enjoy these sexy and cute Super Mario high heels from Etsy seller and Flickr user MagicBeanBuyer.

Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

If you’ve managed to put together a great steampunk version of a pop culture costume, but just can’t seem to find the right helmet, Etsy user Kyobb just might have what you’re looking for. Of course, even if they don’t work for your costume, they are simply stunning to look at and would make great home decor.

Link Via Geeks Are Sexy

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We’ve featured slingshots by German CEO Jorg Sprave before, but this amazing pump-action slingshot was just too awesome to ignore. True, it might not fire machetes, circular blades or any of the other horrendously deadly ammo he has used in other machines, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be hit by one of these shots.

Via Geekosystem

(Video Link)

It takes a true Harry Potter fan to commission a carpenter to build a nine foot tall cat house that looks just like the Weasley family Burrow. That and a crazy cat lady.

Via BuzzFeed

Have you ever wanted to see what a haunted LEGO house would look like? Well, Mike Doyle’s abandoned LEGO houses are probably just about as close as you can get. He has three great ones on his site, including the one above, aptly titled “Three Story Victorian With Tree.”

Link Via CraftZine

It’s easy to look at this picture and wonder, “why is this umbrella so special that it is locked in a glass case?” But that’s before you learn it was a brilliant Soviet spy weapon:

So it was that one day, while Markov was walking to his car in London, he felt a sharp bite on his thigh. When he turned around he saw nothing, only a man who fumbled briefly with an umbrella before running off. The next day he became deathly ill, and died, as one is wont to do when becoming deathly ill. To this day no one has ever been tried for the murder.

Just about every woman has a ring with jewels on it, but these rings on WebUrbanist are really unique. From the weird and creepy, like the belly button, tooth and pimple rings on the bottom row of the montage, to the cool projector, architecture and book ones on the top row, there are all kinds of fascinating looks for women brave enough to wear them.

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I don’t know about you guys, but I’m always misplacing all my USB drives and SD cards. Fortunately, someone has finally created a delightful city where they can all go to spend some time together when you’re not using them.

Link Via Geekosystem

This amazing origami dinosaur would be cool if it were made from any paper, but the selection of materials by creator Tran Trung Hieu puts it over the edge. You can see more of his great works at the BuzzFeed article linked or at the artist’s Flickr page.

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I know you guys like tree houses based on how many of you comment every time we share links like this, so I’m really happy to get to share this great collection of tree houses with you guys. Which one is your favorite? I like the middle one on the bottom row of the pics above.

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It takes some seriously impressive skills to make a working replica like this amazing Pip Boy as seen in Fall Out.

Via Geeks Are Sexy

BuzzFeed has a great list of cool hotel rooms, and while most of them have stunning interiors, I have to say that this cow-shaped room is the one that really caught my attention. It’s apparently in Belgium, but I couldn’t find much else about it. Anyone care to fill me in?

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I recently came across artist James Hance’s website and I have to say, I’m impressed with what he calls his “Relentlessly Cheery Art.” Just look at this piece titled “Chester Copperpot’s Goonie Clubhouse Band” and you’ll see how fun his work really is. See more over at his website and if you like his paintings, go ahead and indulge -the prints are only $10 each.

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I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a sucker for colorized antique photos and these 40 images of Wales from back in the Victorian Era are simply stunning. They really give you an idea of what life was like at that time and place.

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Cool Shooters Ice Tray – $7.95

Are you looking for a great way to beat the heat? You need the Cool Shooters Ice Tray from the NeatoShop.  This fabulous ice tray makes 4 picardie-style shot glasses.

The Cool Shooters Ice Tray is perfect for your next hot summer party.

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more cool Ice Trays.

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When I was a youngster, I thought firefighters were the coolest people alive…not because they were heroes, but because they got to slide down a pole to go to work. These days, while I respect the heck out of firefighters (anyone who lives in Southern California knows just how important they are), I have to say the people who own this house filled with slides might just be the coolest people on earth.

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Sure Pirates of the Caribbean made millions and millions of dollars, but before it came out, no pirate movie up until that point had ever made a decent profit. It’s one of the many great movies that were serious risks when they were made, Cracked has more.

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What happens when you meld art and science? The team at The Imaginary Foundation aims to find out with its traveling exhibit and online virtual home featuring video and art on such topics as time travel and the nature of the cosmos.

This installation endeavors to fuse the aesthetic beauty of art and science in order  create a synthesis of mind, one which is as much rational as it is fantastic. Think of this undivided mind as a prototype of human possibility –an evolutionary signal of convergence, harmony, and accelerated progress. The rest is up to us.

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Artist Carole A. Feuerman creates sculptures that are so realistic, it can be hard to tell that they aren’t actually real people -other than the face that many of them are coming out of walls or missing body parts like their arms. Be sure to click on the link to see more of her awesome sculptures.

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If you’re familiar with Regretsy, then you know most of their featured products are absolute trash. That being said, like Cake Wrecks, they occasionally find something that is truly worthy of praise. This amazing pinata is just one of the many detailed, artistic and downright cool designs you can order from the Pulp Parlour. Anyone wanna buy me one for my birthday this year?

Link

If superheros were to start their own nations, then these flags would be ideal ways for each of the respective heroes to display their pride in their respective countries. How many can you recognize?

This image is available as a print by creator Fabian Gonzalez.

Link Via Laughing Squid

Video Games

Steve Thomas is able to master an array of artistic styles and he does a great job of integrating these with pop culture icons. He’s made travel posters for The Lord of The Rings, propaganda posters for social media and all kinds of other great works, but my personal favorite are his delightful videogame propaganda posters like this one for Joust. He broke the series into 12 parts so you can even buy a calendar of them.

Star Wars

Artist Steve Squall made these recruitment posters for both the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial Navy. I have to say, given the messages of the Rebel Alliance posters that memorialize Alderaan and condemn wookiee slavery, I don’t see why anyone would want to join the Imperial Navy.

Stormtroopers

I love DeviantArt user Comixmill’s poster reminding stormtroopers to enforce height requirements because it’s one of those things you won’t get unless you’re really into Star Wars and remember the line Leia says to Luke when they first meet.

The Mushroom Kingdom

These four awesome Mario-themed propaganda posters, notably all recruiting for Bowser’s evil squad, are limited edition prints available as a set from Fro Design Co. for only $80.

Panda Revolution

There’s something so delightful about pandas that their propaganda actually makes me want to sign up to fight for any cause they are promoting. I think DeviantArt user Xaiobaosg’s panda revolution posters are so cute, they’re seriously dangerous for society.

Bert

After illustrator Kevin Skinner’s younger brother had a heart attack, Kevin opted to raise money for his family’s medical bills the best way he knew how –by offering limited edition linocuts on eBay. Perhaps the coolest of the artworks was this image, called Invincible, depicting Bert in a very ominous Soviet-style poster.

Gorf

If you watch enough Muppets, then you probably get the obscure gorf reference, but if not, it’s still easy to appreciate the fine level of detail in this picture by Dave Pryor, including the “It’s Not Easy Being Green” text in the background.

Dino D-Day

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the Nazi scientists were able to resurrect dinosaurs and put them on the front line against the Allies, then you have got to check out the upcoming game, Dino D-Day. To help promote this brilliant resurrection of the played out WWII first person shooter genre, the company making the game is selling an array of WWII-style propaganda posters featuring dinosaurs. The result is mind-bogglingly awesome.

Dalek

All of you Doctor Who lovers will be sure to appreciate these fun Dalek “Victory” posters the BBC put out to promote the “Victory of the Daleks” episode that featured Winston Churchill fighting Nazi Germany with the help of the Daleks.

Lenin Cat

If you’re a big fan of I Can Has Cheezburger and their many other photo sites, then you are likely familiar with the epic battle between Business Cat and Lenin Cat. For a minute, the shop was selling this pro-communist kitteh tee, and while it’s sold out now, they might bring it back if enough people ask for it to be reprinted. As of right now, Business Cat is still tee shirt free, so score one for Lenin Cat.

The Smurfs

DeviantArt user Domnx makes a lot of propaganda art, but this Smurfs one is particularly great. I love how she switched up the usual communist red tones for blue and worked “Papa” into the slogan.

Sponge Bob

Never has a little yellow sponge looked so intimidating as this. Interestingly, this picture by DeviantArt user BeJay was inspired by the many propaganda artworks of fellow site user Domnx.

Planet of the Apes

Imagine Charlton Heston’s face if he stumbled upon this intimidating pro-ape poster by Deviant Art user Satansgoalie.

Social Media

Brian Lane Winfield Moore’s propaganda posters may have a distinct WWII style, but with the themes all focused on social media, the designs are all ready for WWIII.

Zombies

Apparently Brian Merice created this image so he could submit it as a tee design on Threadless. Personally, I’m a little sad this shirt never got made. I certainly would have voted for it.

As you probably know, this list is by no means exhaustive and there are plenty of other cool propaganda style posters out there, so if you know any, please feel free to share them in the comments. Also, which of these posters would be most effective on you?

I don’t know about you guys, but I would absolutely love to have my own knitted Tardis blanket like this one, created by Flickr user hedoknitstic. Aside from the obviously awesome style it adds to your room, how cool would it be to get to tell everyone that your bed is bigger on the inside than on the outside?

Link via Craftzine

I don’t know about you guys, but ever since I got a digital camera, I’ve never looked back. Film is so unpredictable, expensive and the limited quantities are always frustrating. That being said, there is something comforting, artistic and nostalgic about photography using film -the same thing that made so many people carry a soft spot for Polaroids years after they became impractical.

Maybe that’s why I’m so fascinated with this awesome post on Photojojo that shows you 20 different ways to use a disposable film camera and end up with something wonderful. My favorite project is the one pictured above. Apparently, if you tape two of the cameras together at just the right angle and take a photo with them simultaneously, you can superimpose them together to create a 3D image. Pretty cool, right?

And that’s not the only hack worth messing about with. Some of the other tricks involve damaging the lens or film, which can result in a surprisingly artistic or nostalgic look depending on how you do it. Another great suggestion is the idea of putting a colored or patterned filter in front of the lens or flash in order to add a little excitement to an otherwise mundane shot.

The ideas are so cool that I’m inspired to grab a disposable camera and try out my luck with their suggestions. Have any of you tried this hacks or discovered your own methods to enhance your disposable pics?

Special thanks to Sprite Stitch, a wonderful website dedicated to video-game-themed crafts.

This great design by Flickr user CrystalPowell combines four of the greatest Nintendo classics in one.

For those that like their videogames really old school, this Commodore 64 cross stitch by Craftster Forum user Maltririel is just the ticket.

The classic Space Invaders cross stitch by Flickr user Cross-stitch ninja is fun, but I must admit that I prefer the Space Invaders/Futurama cross over piece featured on Let’s Get Radical.

Personally, I was never very good at Space Invaders, but Arkanoid was a serious addiction for me for a while. That’s why I’m in love with this design by Eunice of Mondo Pixel.

Flickr user Sewsew-a-go-go stitched this massive 12” x 28” screen from the NES classic Punch Out Game.

If you liked Street Fighter more than Punch Out, then this character select menu by Etsy user StitchPleaseMD might belong on your wall. For an action shot of the game, look no further than this excellent piece by Sprite Stitch forum user Celes_Lionheart.

As someone who grew up playing Sega, I tend to think the Genesis doesn’t get nearly enough love. That’s why this Sonic title screen cross stitch by the wife of Reddit user Maggoty makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

Becky Schaefer’s pieces featuring Lara Croft are an elegant bridge between classic floral cross stitch patterns and modern video game designs.

If you’ve ever wished you could bring your favorite classic Nintendo characters with you wherever you went, then you might want to drop by A Little Stranger and pick up one of these precious cross stitch necklaces.

This Bubble Bobble clock by Craftster forum user Jazzhands isn’t for sale, but I know I’m not the only one who would line up to buy one if it was.

Flickr user Mechasheva happily declares, “It’s on like Donkey Kong” with this one.

For something a little more romantic, check out this great Tetris piece by Penelope Teapot.

The Pixel Bit Megaman cross stitch featuring the face of our hero and the bosses is cute, but it’s hard to top the epic boss battle image by Deviant Art user Karma Pudding.

Pacman’s adorable simplicity makes him a perfect subject for aspiring cross stitchers. The framed piece by Etsy seller lostmitten seems like an excellent addition for any kitchen. The scrolling Pac Man piece is so tiny that the creator, Flickr user Everythingisaspoon, had to use single strands of thread to make it.

Zelda is a pretty darn popular game so it should come as no surprise that there are tons of cross stitches done in the name of Link and his princess. They can range from epic, like the wall hanging piece with glow-in-the-dark thread featured on Crafts and Such, to inspirational, like Sprite Stitch forum user Deborah’s detailed depiction of Link, or they can be useful, like the two maps by  Sprite Stitch forum users Servotron and Blink190.

Like most videogame art mediums though, Mario reigns supreme as the star of the most designs. In fact, if I posted all of the Mario pieces I found, there wouldn’t be any space left for other geekery. Perhaps the most awesome of all of these works is also the most massive, Deviant Art user sgoheen06’s panoramic view of the end of a level that stretches 5’x2’.

This Super Mario 3 map by Radical Cross stitch is also impressively detailed, not to mention amazingly accurate.

Sprite Stitch reader Ivan sent in this absolutely adorable cross stitch made for his newborn baby. The shading and detail on Yoshi might not be appreciated by his youngster right away, but every adult who sees it is certain to be impressed.

Craftster forum user Rachel Kristen’s Mario cross stitch may be more simple than others included here, but its positive message is irresistibly pleasant.

For a little Mario humor, look no further than Craftster forum user elor23’s “I’d Hid That” stitch.

As always, feel free to share links of any other videogame cross stitch works that I’ve missed and if you liked this article, be sure to check out last year’s piece on weird and cool crochet projects. Also, stay tuned for more geeky cross stitches in the next week.

During the hot summer heatwave, while the rest of us are thinking of swimming pools and ice cream, Brian Palmer of Slate is thinking of squirrels. More specifically, do squirrels and pigeons get sweaty? How do animals beat the heat?

While most animals don't sweat very much, many species rely on the principle behind sweating to keep cool: Moisture on the skin absorbs heat and evaporates, carrying away unwanted warmth. Animals that lack sweat glands just have to find a different way to bring air into contact with moist skin. Many creatures pant, drawing air across their damp tongue. Pigeons employ a variation called gular fluttering, vibrating their throats. Birds and rodents spend a lot of time licking themselves. Squirrels tend to focus the saliva bath on the forearms, where the fur is thin and the blood flow is higher. Some birds even urinate on their legs to evaporate the heat away.

How about squirrels?

Squirrels also use their tails for thermoregulation. Ambient air chills the blood in the thin tail quickly. In the summer, the squirrel pumps the cooled blood directly back into the torso to lower its internal temperature. In the winter, the circulatory route changes slightly, so that the chilled blood coming back from the tail is heated by the warmer outbound blood before contacting the squirrel's organs. (The tail also serves as a pretty good blanket on a frigid night.) You may see squirrels running around with their tails flipped up over their bodies in the summer. This is because the lighter-colored underside of the tail absorbs less heat from the sun than the darker dorsal side, and it shades their bodies like a parasol.

Link

You’ll notice some of the flavors seen on other lists, like lychee, red bean and sesame, are not included here, as they are everyday dessert flavors in their country, and therefore, not all that strange as an ice cream flavoring. Instead, this article focuses on those flavors that make even the most native-son of a given region ask “what the heck were you thinking?”

Something’s Fishy

Agutuk

It could be debated whether or not this North American frozen treat is technically an ice cream, being as how it’s made without any cream or even vegan-friendly cream substitutes, but its nickname, “Eskimo Ice Cream” and its shocking ingredients certainly qualify it to be on this list. So what’s in agutuk? Snow, berries, seal oil and reindeer fat. If cute animals make delicious food, then this has got to be the best ice cream around.

Image via Andrea Pokrzywinski [Flickr]

Crab

As for more traditional ice creams with non-traditional flavors, this savory crab ice cream is described as more of a frozen crab bisque than what you would normally think of as ice cream.

Lobster

The lobster ice cream seems a lot more along the lines of a traditional American dessert product, as it has a sugary butter base with chunks of sweet lobster blended in. A Massachusetts dessert parlor started making the treat just to prove that they actually do concoct their own flavors. Surprisingly, the flavor took off and is now one of the most popular items served.

Caviar

For an equally luxurious treat, consider the caviar ice cream by Philippe Faur. If that’s not your style, he also makes mustard, Roquefort, black truffles, pepper and foie gras flavor as well. Unlike the lobster ice creams, these aren’t meant for dessert though, they are actually intended as a side dish or appetizer to tantalize the senses and prepare you for accompanying flavors to come.

Oyster

Apparently luxurious savory ice creams aren’t actually a modern trend, but an old time classic that has been long forgotten about. Lorraine Eaton discovered and posted a recipe for oyster ice cream that dates back to 1824 and was supposedly a popular treat amongst the upper classes in the time of the Revolutionary War. The dish itself is essentially just an oyster stew with the oysters strained out. Reviews from Eaton’s recreation of the dish seem fairly mixed and one tester nearly vomited after tasting it, but it would certainly be a brave appetizer for those who want to feel a gourmet connection with the founding fathers.

Shrimp

If you’re looking for a customizable fish-based ice cream, better head to Cold Stone Creamery in Florida’s Fernandina Beach during the local shrimp fest to try their shrimp ice cream with your choice of mix-ins. Apparently, the light flavor of shrimp makes this base a perfect compliment to tropical fruits like pineapple and coconut.

Octopus, Squid Ink and Eel

The Japanese are known for being very open to new flavors. In fact, ice cream itself is even a fairly recent addition to the national palate, which is why they are so open to experimenting with flavor combinations most Americans could never even imagine. Some fun flavors you might be afraid to try include octopus, squid ink and eel. Supposedly the octopus flavor isn’t too bad and it doesn’t have any chunks in it unless you buy it garnished with tentacles. Squid ink has a rather mild flavor, so the pitch black sweet also gets fairly high ratings, even from non-natives.

On the other hand, eel seems to be limited to those with more “acquired tastes” for the fish and is said to taste incredibly fishy, or as one reviewer put it, “imagine a section of the ocean where about eight thousand very large sea creatures have died and started to decompose.” I’m all for exotic tastes, but this is one I think I’d have to pass on.

Images via wilhelmja [Flickr], Katherine Donaldson [Flickr] and Associated Content

Where’s The Meat?

Beef Tongue, Pit Viper and Horse

The same Japanese ice cream company that brought you the aforementioned fishy flavors has also concocted many out of land-dwelling creatures, including cows, snakes and horses, yes, horses. All three flavors were present at The Yokohama Ice Cream Expo and Beef tongue was surprisingly one of the most popular flavors at the entire convention.

Pit vipers are one of the most deadly snakes in Japan, but they are also considered an aphrodisiac, which is perhaps the only reason an ice cream was made from them, as the flavor is said to be pretty nasty.

Perhaps the most disturbing of the ice creams though, at least to Western sensibilities, is the raw horse flesh ice cream, which is as disturbing as it sounds: a vanilla ice cream with chunks of uncooked horse meat. Apparently, it is not entirely uncommon to see horse meat served in Japanese restaurants as a type of sashimi.

Images via foxypar4 [Flickr], Kat the Acrobat [Vox] and Andrea RF [WordPress]

Taste The British Isles

Don’t think the Japanese are the only ones to make gross flavors of ice cream. Master ice cream maker Gino Soldan recently made headlines when he made creamy desserts from some of the best-known British cuisines, including haggis, pork pie, shortbread and sausages with mash. Soldan, who works in the Morelli’s ice cream parlor in Harrod’s, is no stranger to unique flavors. In fact, he’ll make just about any flavor you want as long as you give him enough advanced notice and once made a pickled onion and white chocolate ice cream as a special request for a party.

If you’re less adventurous, perhaps you’d like to try some of his easier-to-swallow gourmet flavors that include Yorkshire pudding, clotted cream and eccles cake.

Images via Opheliates [Flickr] and Mattingham [Flickr]

Pork Rinds

Here’s one from Mexico, I can’t find much info on it, but apparently the Central Mexican town of Dolores Hidalgo has recently had a huge tourism surge after setting themselves apart in the culinary world by suddenly creating hundreds of new ice cream flavors that you can find in parlors throughout the town. While the pork rinds flavor is one of the most notable, it isn’t one of the favorites, however the avocado and tequila flavors have pretty high ratings.

Candied Bacon

Of course, not all meat-flavored ice creams are necessarily bad. While I understand the frustration some people feel at the whole bacon in everything trend, I do think candied bacon ice cream sounds rather tasty. After all, with a touch of maple syrup and some brown sugar, it already has a very candy-like flavor which seems ideal for ice cream flavoring.

Eat Your Vegetables

Salad

Lest you eat too much meat ice creams and need to follow up with some healthy veggies, relax, you can still keep your meal sundae ready with this salad ice cream. According to Food Network Humor, it has a strawberry base with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Candied Mushroom

Like bacon, there appears to be some way to “candy” mushrooms (I’ve never tried this have any of you?) and once you’ve candied them, they are supposedly pretty tasty when added to ice cream. The flavor seems to be mild, but a little nutty and earthy, which sounds about right for mushrooms.

Chilies

If you ever have trouble deciding if you want your mouth to be freezing cold or burning hot, then Sunny Sky’s “Cold Sweat” ice cream is just what you need. Made with three of the hottest peppers on earth and two killer hot sauces, those who are brave enough to try the burning cold treat are required to sign a waiver before doing so and pregnant women and those with health problems are advised to avoid it all together.

Image via sisterbeer [Flickr]

Spices Are the Spice of Life

Curry

If peppers don’t provide enough spice to kick up your ice cream, perhaps curry will. This recipe sounds surprisingly good to me, though I am far more curry-obsessed than the average person, as it combines sweet Japanese curry and carrots.

Garlic

While many people shiver at the thought of garlic ice cream, it is somewhat well-known and loved, particularly in Northern California, where it is a traditional part of the Gilroy Garlic Fest and a popular menu item at the garlic-themed Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco. If you don’t live in the region though, you can always try making your own at home with this recipe.

Image via Mila Sogono [Flickr]

Wasabi

“Japanese horseradish” isn’t just for sushi anymore, you can now try it in ice cream flavor. I’ve seen a few Japanese brand names carrying the flavor in stores, but for those of us who live outside of the flavor-adventure island, we can still make our own with this helpful recipe.

Image via puck77 [Flickr]

Mustard, Roquefort and Grass

France has always worked to be the epicenter of culinary trends and while the Japanese have been munching wasabi and beef tongue, Parisians have been exploring their own unique savory flavors, including mustard,  Roquefort cheese, and even grass. They also have some sweet flavors that sound downright heavenly, like Earl Gray.

Image via roboppy [Flickr]

Barbecue Sauce

Delaware ice cream shop Udder Delight may not be the first company to experiment with bacon ice cream, but they are the first to make their own barbeque sauce ice cream. Cackalacky Spice Sauce is an award winning sauce made by a friend of Chip Hearn, the ice cream parlor owner, which is where Hearn got the idea to incorporate it into his ice cream line ups.

Udder Delight also has one other flavor you might be shocked to hear about –Viagra. It doesn’t actually include any of the miracle pill, but it is instead a blue ice cream with orange and pineapple flavors and the fizziness of Pop Rocks.

Other Weird  and Wacky Flavors

Beer

Beer drinkers rejoice, you no longer have to choose between a frothy cold one and a frozen cold treat. Ben and Jerry’s has a beer sorbet recipe in their cookbook and if you’d like some really gourmet flavors, there’s always the Raspberry Lambic Ice Cream, Apricot Ale Frozen Custard and Speedy Stout Mocha Freeze recipes available here.

Charcoal

Anyone who’s ever had to try activated charcoal tablets will gladly tell you just how gross the stuff tastes. So why someone would purposefully make an ice cream flavored with it is beyond me. Although, I guess if you had to eat charcoal after a potential poison scare, it would probably be moderately better in ice cream form. Maybe parents with nibble-happy children should start stocking their freezers now.

Stilton or Parmesan

I already mentioned the many Roquefort cheese ice creams on the market, but how does stilton or parmesan sound? While I love cheeses, I don’t know if I’m ready for them to start bombarding my ice creams just yet. Although the parmesan is described as having just a little salty flavor, the strong flavor of stilton is sure to be jolting to the taste. Perhaps it would be good as an appetizer with crackers though.

Topping It All Off

Toad Sweat

Toad Sweat is the ideal sundae topping for your cold sweat ice cream. It’s a flavored sauce with chilies so it’s creamy, spicy and sweet all at once. The company sells lemon vanilla, chocolate orange, key lime, and cranberry, all blended with habanero peppers.

I had something similar in the chocolate flavor before and while I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods, I have to say the flavor combination was actually quite good, as it left you craving more ice cream to cool the gentle burn of the delicious chocolate sauce.

Image via Stu Spivack [Flickr]

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck

This East Village ice cream truck offers up some of the most unique Sundaes around, featuring toppings such as caramelized bacon, olive oil with sea salt, curried coconut, pumpkin butter, cayenne pepper and wasabi pea dust. Have any of you seen these trucks around?

I would say the weirdest ice cream flavor I’ve ever tried would probably be aloe vera. While it sounds strange, it was actually quite good. So good, in fact, that when I couldn’t find a recipe for it online, I ended up experimenting until I found my own perfect flavor.

What’s the weirdest flavor you guys have ever tried, and would you try any on this list?

This video by Andrés Borghi of Argentina won the "Your Big Break" competition from 100% Pure New Zealand. The slogan for the competition was: ‘Capture the spirit of 100% Pure New Zealand – the youngest country on earth’. This video certainly conveys that idea!

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Sweet Shop.

I love it when people turn the ordinary into something special, it’s a nice change of pace. For example, check out these 31 cool benches, found all over the world.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by ninigoat.

An awesome collection of 16 various anti-theft gadgets that will help you keep your personal belongings, food and computer data out of strangers’ and thieves’ hands. Don’t miss the home security paintball turret!

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by talsiach.

I’ve always been obsessed with tree houses, probably because I never had one. That being said, I couldn’t stop looking at these bizarre structures at the very tippy-top of the trees. For more cool tree houses, check out the rest of those on the Now That’s Nifty post of Amazing and Awesome Tree Houses.

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How cool is it to have a light up needlework project sold complete with the lights, wiring and battery to make it work? Way too cool, that’s how cool.

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When you need a bandage your options are rather limited – the traditional boring old band-aid or some embarrassing cartoon character-endorsed variation. Sometimes you just want something a little different and what can be better than these twisted scab bandages. They’re gross, fun and are far better than having Hello Kitty cover your boo-boo.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.

WebEcoist has some truly fantastic homes on their latest post, including this fantastic hobbit house above. The whole collection is quite nice.

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Whether you love Obama or hate him, you’ll be happy to know there is now a tool to track how he has lived up to his campaign promises.

The Obameter has a compiled list of about 500 promises he made during the election run and it records if he: kept the promise, compromised, broke the promise, stalled the promise, is in the works on the issue or has not taken action on the promise. So far he’s stalled one, compromised on one and kept five, but it will be nice to see how he does in the long run.

I wish we had these for every president. I’d love to know how Kennedy, Lincoln or Andrew Jackson did on their promises.

Link Via Good Magazine

Long exposure photos are so cool because they view things in ways your eyes never could. Digital Photography School has a great collection of long exposure images and the elapsed time it took for each image to come out. For some great images, I highly recommend visiting the site and looking at all of them.

Link Via MentalFloss