Twister Champion by Naolito

Well, this is just fantastic! T-shirt designer extraordinaire Naolito illustrates how Mr. Fantastic is a natural champ at the game of Twister. View his designs over at his official website, Facebook page, Tumblr and deviantArt - then visit his NeatoShop page for more neat T-shirt designs: Link

Beakerful of Science	Evolution of Hypnotoad	Typical Tourist	Dragon Egg

View more designs by Naolito | All Funny T-shirts

Your purchase helps support indie artists, who get handsome royalties for each sale, and this blog. If you're a professional artist or T-shirt designer, let's talk! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get your website/FB page featured on the blog.

In the Nineteenth Century, artisans in Eastern Europe made amazing smoking pipes out of meerschaum, a soft mineral. Roy Ricketts has assembled a collection of outstanding examples of this crafting tradition. Ben Marks of Collectors' Weekly explains why craftsmen used meerschaum:

Meerschaum is a relatively new material to pipe making, appearing no earlier than the 18th century. Found primarily in and around the city of Eskişehir in western Turkey, meerschaum is a porous mineral that’s soft enough to be carved but hard enough to be polished, revealing the carver’s artistry. Unlike hardwood briar pipes, which are also finely carved, meerschaum does not burn, which means the bowl is cool to the touch when it’s being smoked and the pipe material imparts no flavor to the tobacco. And because meerschaum is porous, meerschaum pipes change color over time as they are smoked. Thus, the stone, which is carved white, turns butterscotch brown when made into a pipe, filled with tobacco, and smoked, a process that’s frequently hurried along by rubbing a finished pipe with beeswax and, occasionally, ox blood.

At the link, you can see more photos of pipes in Mr. Ricketts's collection.

Link

What is your cat thinking about? Dan Piraro of Bizarro Comics exposed the dark secret of pet psychic in this comic panel. Whaddayasay? Nailed it? Link

The Galaxy Guide by Warbucks Design

Forget towels and bring an EE-3 carbine rifle so we can properly welcome our newest T-shirt artist, Warbucks Design, to the NeatoShop. Check out his Facebook page to view his neat-o designs, then head on over to his NeatoShop page for more: Link

Wizneyland	You're a Zombie, Chuck!	Wampas, Inc.	Batzinga!

View more T-shirts by Warbucks Design | View all Funny T-shirts over at the NeatoShop

Are you a professional T-shirt designer, artist or illustrator? Get your tees listed on the NeatoShop and get your website/FB page featured here on the blog. We've got a great profit sharing program. Email us to get started!

The following is an excerpt from The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black
by E.B. Hudspeth

Philadelphia, the late 1870s. Doctor Spencer Black, a son of a grave robber and a gifted surgeon, had a revelation: what if mythological creatures like mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs were, in fact, evolutionary ancestors of humankind? The good doctor dedicated his life studying the anatomy of such beasts, until he mysteriously disappeared years later, leaving only a body of work called The Codex Extinct Animalia, detailing the anatomical structures of mythological beasts.

In the first half of the sci-fi/fantasy book The Resurrectionist, author and illustrator E.B. Hudspeth, retold the fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black - beginning from his humble childhood, medical training, travel with the carnivals, and his mysterious disappearance. In the later half, Hudspeth included the meticulous anatomical drawings of mythological creatures.

If you love Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the gorgeous anatomical drawings of Gray's Anatomy, The Resurrectionist is the book for you.

Publisher Quirk Books has graciously supplied a sample of the marvelous illustrations you'll see in book:

Many details regarding the heraldry of the sphinx are still unknown. These creatures varied widely throughout the African continent. In Egypt, there are great statues of this animal - the sphinx sol, the protector and scourge of Ra, the sun god. Sphinxes are shown bearing a ram's head (a criosphinx) or a goat's head. These species are typically depicted without wings; I suspect that, like many flightless birds, the sphinx lost its need for flight because of geographical isolation. This evolution likely occurred before the animal's arrival in Egypt or Africa; however, I cannot determine whence it originated.

The famed sphinx of Thebes appears strikingly similar to the specimen in my record. Though few in number, the species had a developed human mind with an advanced intellect; they were more than likely fierce and successful predators.

Storm Neon Candy Trooper by DarkChoocoolat

w00t! We'd like to welcome a new T-shirt artist to the NeatoShop. Check out the nifty Tees by French designer Florent Rousseau AKA DarkChoocoolat (why, my favorite kind of snack!), visit his Facebook page, then head on over to the NeatoShop to get the t-shirts: Link

Storm Candy Trooper	Octosushi	Keep Calm Dharma	Banana Trap

View more T-shirt designs by DarkChoocoolat | Funny T-shirts

P.S. Are you a T-shirt designer? Get your tees listed on the NeatoShop and get featured here - we've got a great profit sharing program for professional artists and illustrators. Email us to find out how!

Seulbi Kim, a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, offers this one-handed solution to transporting food from your local burger joint. She writes:

The carrier will reduce the volume by about 50% compared to that today because I tried to simplify the design and minimize the amount of paper used with a hook for French fries, a sleeve for a burger, and a hole for soda drink, which causes people to carry it easier, and more materials saving. It is one-handed, convenient, practical, and compact, so your hands can be more free by holding all in one.

Link -via Foodbeast | Designer's Website

It has taken more than two years of work, but Detroit, the city in which the movie RoboCop takes place, will finally get a statue of its favorite son:

The 10-foot tall statue that pays homage to a crime-fighting cyborg from a 1980s action film based in Detroit has been put together and is ready to head to back to the Motor City. [...]

The fundraising effort to build the monument raised $67,436 through 2,718 backers about two years ago. So far, that funding has been enough to cover the cost of the monument's construction, though organizers have not ruled out the need for an additional round of fundraising or a corporate partnership as the project moves further along.

The effort to build a Robocop statue in Detroit began in 2011 when a Massachusetts resident posted a Twitter message to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, saying that "Philadelphia has a statue of Rocky & Robocop would kick Rocky's butt. He's a GREAT ambassador for Detroit."

Mayor Bing responded to the Tweet by saying, "There are not any plans to erect a statue to Robocop. Thank you for the suggestion."

Link -via Jalopnik

(Photo: Imagination Station Detroit)

When I was a kid, my introduction to classical music was via Bugs Bunny cartoons. That's where I first experienced composers like Wagner ("Kill the Rabbit!") and Rossini ("Although your face looks like it might have gone through a machine..."). And who can forget Michigan J. Frog's rendition of Rossini's "Largo al Factotum?" ("La, la-la-la-la-la-la LA la!")

For better or worse, kids aren't watching the old WB cartoons like they used to. Maybe they're not PC enough or look too faded next to the awesomeness of The Clone Wars. But kids still need to be exposed to classical music in a way that's accessible. That's why I recently took my son to an evening of John Williams's music, conducted by the maestro himself.

Wow!

Besides the fun atmosphere (like a mini-Comic-Con, people were all decked out in Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Superman garb), my son really enjoyed watching and listening to the big orchestra play all his favorites: "Princess Leia's Theme,"  "The Imperial March," "Luke's Theme," and also the theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Having studied classical music in college, I was able to give him special insight and explain which instruments he should watch as different sections of the orchestra brought forth different parts of the themes. If a similar concert comes to your town, I strongly recommend it as a great intro to the symphony orchestra.

Two great things have happened since the concert:

First, I notice when I'm driving him to school in the morning and have the local classical station on the radio, he'll call out which instruments he hears playing. And while not always correct, at least we're not listening to The Backyardigans and Yo Gabba Gabba every day now.

But even better, once, on the way to school, the radio was playing "Habanera" from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen and my son called out: "Hey dad! It's the song from Up!" Indeed it was! If you remember the good folks at Pixar used it extremely effectively when Mr. Fredricksen was coming down the stairlift to get to the main floor of the house.

It doesn't get much better than that! Pixar will be his WB.

Before they went to college, the Disney princesses went to their high school proms. DeviantART member spicysteweddemon was on the scene to take pictures of the couples. You can view them all at the link.

Link | Artist's Gallery

This hardened criminal was apprehended on Oct. 17, 1893. The nefarious François Bertillon, aged 23 months, was nabbed for "gluttony, nibbling all the pears from a basket."

Parents of toddlers: you know how to use this photo. Keep it handy.

Link -via The Oddment Emporium

(Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Amirite, moms?

Allegedly, this photo was shot in an Uwajimaya, an Asian grocery store chain in Seattle. I think I'll try something safer, such as the chicken.

Link

(Photo: unknown)

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mothers, Grandmothers, Aunts, and Mother Figures. May your Mother's Day be filled with love, laughter,

wonderful handmade cards,

and gifts.

May you also be lucky enough to have some sweet, sweet person clean all the goo off the inside of your minivan.   

A special thank you goes out to all the hardworking preschool and elementary school teachers who help make Mother's Day so special for us Moms. I applaud your creativity, patience, and follow-through. Without you my scrapbook would be empty. 

Darth Vader USB Hub	Wolverine Cookie Jar	Camera Lens Mug	Zombie Wine Bottle Holder
Retro Record - Glass Platter	Mustache Bottle Opener	Superman Caped Pint Glass	Grill Sergeant BBQ Apron

Our pal Walyou has compiled their favorite stuff from the NeatoShop into a neat gallery post. See which one is your favorite: 50 Cool Little Knick-Knacks To Have Around In A Geeky Home - Thanks Fede!

Marc Derepentigny has created what is possibly the coolest fan-made Transformers costume ever! The 7-foot suit comes complete with servo-actuated claws, moving LED eyes and smoke thrusters.

Our pal Yan of Geeks Are Sexy found out that he lives nearby and went over to interview him:

Marc has been building costumes as far as he can remember, even dating back to his early childhood. It first started with cardboard and hot glue, eventually evolving into styrene plastic and Crazy Glue, which is what the robot is made of. He estimates the time it took him to build it at two years, with around two hours of work per day, and a total cost of about $2000.

Read more over at Geeks Are Sexy (don't miss the video clip!): Link

Until the words emerged from my mouth, I never imagined that I would ever utter the phrase, "Is there baby poop on my face?"

Lunarbaboon smiles because he knows what's coming.

Link

(Video Link)

These construction workers in Thailand must drive a beam into the ground. They don't have a machine to do the job, so they dance on a crossbeam--with musical accompaniment--until they've pounded the beam into position.

-via The Presurfer

Physically brave to the point of recklessness, this leader has courage beyond any doubt. But sometimes, this hero, revered by many, makes poor decisions, largely because of the belief that the best solution to any problem is a direct, frontal attack. 

Yes, I'm taking about Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony. But I'm also referring to Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood.

The Elements of Harmony were absent from America during the terrible years of 1861 to 1865. But there were plenty of heroes, clods, fools and geniuses among the general officers of both armies. You can find similar people--er, ponies-- on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic today. Let's link together ponies and their military counterparts during the American Civil War.

Like Twilight Sparkle, U.S. Maj. Gen. Henry Jackson Hunt did not seek fame, but he also did not avoid great responsibility. He was an intellectual who bent his logical mind to solving complex problems. I suspect that if Twilight Sparkle had been in command of Federal artillery at Gettysburg, she would have devastated Pickett's Charge as well as Hunt did.

Pinkie Pie is an outside of the box thinker noted for her bold and original solutions. The one-man band that she made during "Swarm of the Century" confused her friends, but terminated the parasprite menace. Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart had a similar disposition, well-demonstrated during his terror-inducing circumnavigation of the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign.

Most Twaggies are available as prints and t-shirts in the Neatoshop right down here. Don't see the one you're looking for? Just e-mail us! 

If you give a kid your iPhone, she will ask you to use your camera. When you say okay, she will take dozens and dozens of pictures of other people's feet. Some will be her brother's feet.

Those feet will remind her of her feet and she will take dozens and dozens of pictures of her own feet.

Taking pictures of her own feet will remind her that she doesn't like wearing shoes and she will ask to take off her shoes. You will tell her no, but she will sit on the ground and take them off anyway. Your iPhone will be left laying in the dirt as you struggle to get the kids shoes back on.

Putting the shoes back on will remind the kid of feet and she will ask you to play with your iPhone.

Muscular dystrophy gives Nick Torrance added challenges at Pickney Community High School in Pickney, Michigan. But opening his locker is no longer one of them, thanks to the mechanical ingenuity of fellow students Micah Stuhldreher and Wyatt Smrcka. Nick can now wave his hand over a sensor on his wheelchair whenever he needs to open or close his locker:

They were told to tear off a locker door and figure out a way to open and close it. They originally installed a relay inside the locker, but it took up too much space, so they switched to a computer.

They originally used a key fob to activate the robotic device, which opened the locker, but they said Torrance wasn’t strong enough to press the button. So they switched to a sensor.

The two students won a $1,500 minigrant from the Society of American Military Engineers so other devices can be made.

Both plan to pursue robotics as a career.

Link -via DVICE

(Photo: Gillis Benedict/Daily Press & Argus)

These wonders can be found in the Rock River Canyon Wilderness area of the upper peninsula of Michigan. Nature photographer Nina Asunto snowshoed there to capture these amazing images. You can view more photos at the link.

Link -via Earth Science Picture of the Day

Luis Alberto Cayo's clever bronze pendant lets people know that you're a warm, welcoming host. And unlike a facehugger, it won't obscure your vision. Read an interview with Cayo at the link.

Link and Etsy Shop -via Nerd Bastards

(Photo: Girl Gone Geek)

If you find jogging on the treadmill boring, try this instead: treadmill dancing! Was he inspired by OK GO's Treadmill Dancing?

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via Holykaw and Pleated Jean

You shall not pass .. without taking a look at this impressive LEGO recreation of The Battle of Helm's Deep from Lord of the Rings. Made by Rick-K and Big J, the diorama is 90% completed yet it's already 100% awesome.

The LEGO Battle of Helm's Deep has over 150,000 pieces and 1,700 minifigs:

Who *yawn* are the most sleep deprived students in the world? Students from the United States, according to new research by Chad Minnich of Boston College:

"I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show," says Chad Minnich, of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.

"It's the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition," says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College.

But what about those Asian students who study all the time?

Asian countries are the highest-performing in maths tests - and Mr Minnich says this has often been associated with long hours and cramming in after-school classes.

"One would assume that they would be extremely tired," he said. "And yet when we look at the sleep factor for them, they don't necessarily seem to be suffering from as much sleep deprivation as the other countries."

Minnich placed the blame on smartphones and laptops. Sean Coughlan of the BBC has more: Link

Image: Van Engelsdorp, et al./Bee Informed

Nearly one third of commercial honeybee colonies in the United States didn't survive winter, and we're almost to the point of not having enough bees to pollinate crops:

“We’re getting closer and closer to the point where we don’t have enough bees in this country to meet pollination demands,” said entomologist Dennis vanEngelstorp of the University of Maryland, who led the survey documenting the declines.

Beekeepers lost 31 percent of their colonies in late 2012 and early 2013, roughly double what’s considered acceptable attrition through natural causes. The losses are in keeping with rates documented since 2006, when beekeeper concerns prompted the first nationwide survey of honeybee health. Hopes raised by drop in rates of loss to 22 percent in 2011-2012 were wiped out by the new numbers.

The honeybee shortage nearly came to a head in March in California, when there were barely enough bees to pollinate the almond crop.

Had the weather not been ideal, the almonds would have gone unpollinated — a taste, as it were, of a future in which honeybee problems are not solved.

“If we want to grow fruits and nuts and berries, this is important,” said vanEngelstorp. “One in every three bites [of food consumed in the U.S.] is directly or indirectly pollinated by bees.”

Link

During the blanket coverage of the Cleveland kidnapping story, when TV anchors Ashleigh Banfield of CNN interviewed TV commentator Nancy Grace of Headline News, the split-screen satellite simulcast implies that the interviewer and interviewee were at a different location (after all, why would they need satellite, otherwise?), but eagle-eyed viewers pointed out that they were actually both at the same parking lot!

At first it seems like a normal TV "remote," as Banfield interviews Grace from another location. Then the channel's graphics alert viewers: both anchors are in Phoenix. That's odd. Also: They're both outdoors, sitting in what looks to be a parking lot. And is that same building behind them? [...]

It seems that Grace and Banfield are sitting in the same parking lot, facing in the same direction, and judging by the speed of the vehicles in their shots, they cannot be sitting more than 30 feet away from each other. Yet, they're behaving as if the are on opposite sides of the world.

Dashiell Bennett and Philip Bump of of The Atlantic Wire has more: Link