Photo: Mito Habe-Evans/NPR

The End of the World has been foretold time and time again, but this time it's for real. Well, according to Brian Haubert and a small group of true believers, anyway. They claimed that hidden in the Bible are some clues that the world will end May 21, 2011.

NPR's Weekend Edition takes a peek inside the Judgment Day movement (and the radio show behind the latest J-date):

"I've crunched the numbers, and it's going to happen," he says.

Haubert says the Bible contains coded "proofs" that reveal the timing. For example, he says, from the time of Noah's flood to May 21, 2011, is exactly 7,000 years. Revelations like this have changed his life.

"I no longer think about 401(k)s and retirement," he says. "I'm not stressed about losing my job, which a lot of other people are in this economy. I'm just a lot less stressed, and in a way I'm more carefree."

He's tried to warn his friends and family. They think he's crazy. And that saddens him.

"Oh, it's very hard," he says. "I worry about friends and family and loved ones. But I guess more recently, I'm just really looking forward to it."

Haubert is 33 and single. Brown is married with several young children, and none of them shares his beliefs. It's caused a rift with his wife — but he says that, too, was predicted in the Bible.

"God says, 'Do you love husband or wife over me? Do you love son or daughter over me?' There is a test. There is a trial here that the believers are going through. It's a fiery trial."

As May 21 nears, Brown says he feels as if he's on a "roller coaster." What if he is raptured but his family is left behind?

"I'm crying over my loved ones one minute; I'm elated the next minute," he says. "It's all over the place."

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136053462/is-the-end-nigh-well-know-soon-enough?ft=1&f=100

Just when you thought advertisements couldn’t be any more invasive of our daily lives, E-Ink (the same company that makes the display screens for the Kindle) has created cloth video screens. There are many applications this could be used for from screens on T-shirts to packaging to magazines. At the link check out some of the video examples. Link

BBQ Tools - $35.95

Mother's Day is so yesterday.  Are you ready for Father's Day?

This year show Dad how much you care by getting him the BBQ Tools from the NeatoShop.  This is the perfect gift for your favorite grill master / handyman / awesome Dad.

Be sure to check out all the fantastic Cooking Gadgets available at the NeatoShop!

What did you have for breakfast, Neatoramanauts? Eggs and bacon? Were they as awesome as these Pirate Eggs and Bacon? I didn't think so.

Found at The Whatever - via Laughing Squid Links

See more: Pirate and bacon stuff from the NeatoShop

Think you're smarter than an 8th grader? Well, see if you can pass this test, given in 1931 by the West Virginia Department of Education, as sent in by a reader of Valerie Strauss' education blog The AnswerSheet over at Washington Post:

The exam was sent to me by John N. Beall of Wilmington, N.C., who received it from his father, the teacher who administered the test in a one-room school in Gilmer County, W.Va. [...]

"The scope and depth of the exam speaks for itself. What is important to understand is that the students came from families that were very challenged financially, especially during the depression years. They lived on small family farms, and, just to make ends meet, every member of the family had to work on the farm. Each child had chores to do before and after school, and, as there were very few automobiles in that area, they walked to and from school each day, some of them walking several miles each way. At night after chores there was homework and then to bed. These young people were part of the 'Great Generation' that fought and died for freedom. Those who survived the war went on to build this great nation.

"You might want to take the exam yourself. I found it to be challenging."

Link

Are you a movie geek? More importantly, are you an evolved movie geek? It's a long journey from watching cartoons as a kid to honestly enjoying films for what they are -and some stages in between can be difficult. Read about all six stages at The Droids You're Looking For. Link -via Blame It On The Voices

One would think that a basic understanding of The Lord of the Rings would be taught in journalism school -- especially for future sports writers -- but such is apparently not the case. The New York Times corrected their statement that a bat was named after the sword used by Bilbo Baggins. Well, good for them owning up to such an embarrassingly obvious mistake.

Link via blastr

You don't have to be a sports fan to know the crazy mascots of the various teams -but it helps! Today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss will uncover how well you know the animals that represent your favorite and not-so-favorite sports teams. I scored 40% just by wild guessing. You will do better! Link

Stacy Conradt made cake pops and decorated them to resemble the Beatles! She worked from just a photograph and made up the steps as she went along. The process is archived in pictures at her blog, i met a possum. Link

Way back in the 1890s match-manufacturers, Messrs. S. I. Moreland and Sons, of Gloucester and Birmingham, issued a challenge to their customers to construct a model made with no fewer than 1000 of their matchboxes. Many marvelous creations were submitted and judged by a panel mostly composed of architects. Mr. G. W. Roberts, of 2 Wenman Street, Birmingham made the full size piano above using 3,200  matchboxes, 576 boxes that had contained small wax-vestas and 51b. of glue. His effort won first prize in the third competition. In 1898 The Strand magazine of London published an article on the contest complete with photographs of  submissions.

Link - Via Futility Closet

This lovely springtime cake contains no asparagus, but is a clever decoration project by Rosie at Sweetapolita. It was especially designed for her sister-in-law Mary, who is sick of asparagus. No worries; these spears are made of fondant, covering a chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. Link -via Nag on the Lake

Even driving down the highway can be a virtual experience! With this Google Earth application, just enter your location and destination, hit "go" to find your route, then go to the simulator panel and hit "start." You can adjust your speed as you drive along. Now, slow down and enjoy the scenery! Requires the Google Earth plug-in. The screenshot shown here is where I'm either getting on the Brooklyn Bridge or plunging into the East River. Link -via Metafilter

(YouTube link)

A time-lapse video from a security camera reveals a game in which the goal is to escape a parking lot. Why didn't they drive through the grass? -via Buzzfeed

A Tweet from Jason Sweeney cried out to be made into a Twaggie.

Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for life. Give an octopus nunchucks, no one’s ever eating fish again.

Illustration by guest artist Donovan Santiago. Like all Twaggies, this can be made into a t-shirt. Link

Elephant Funnel - $9.95

Are you looking for a way to put the fun back into your kitchen experience? You need the Elephant Funnel from the NeatoShop.  With cooking gadgets like this you are going to want to cook all the time. Who says ordinary household items can't be extraordinary!

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more awesome Cooking Gadgets!