Yesterday, I posted a neat little tip to get rid of the smell from kitchen sponge by microwaving it, and Neatoramanaut Frau decided to share something equally amazing, and told us to blog about her amazing discovery. So here it is, just as she wrote it.

Oh, and by the way, we do carry a lot of really weird and wonderful ice trays in the NeatoShop. This one above is the Have An Ice Day Ice Tray ($7.95), which makes smiley face ice cubes (technically, ice ovals). Go on and take a look: Link

(YouTube link)

You know how sometimes you hear a word over and over and it starts to sound really silly? Yeah, this is one of those times. Who knew so many movies features this one idiom? Apparently Eddie Murphy says it in every film he's done! The very last word is NSFW. See a list of the films at Pajiba. Link -via the Presurfer

Would you believe... a helicopter ejection seat? A solar-powered flashlight? An inflatable anchor? They're not jokes -well, they are the subjects of some jokes, but these gadgets really exist, and they really do the job, as you'll see in this list from Cracked. NSFW text. Link -via The Daily What

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A low-tech solution to a modern problem! Christopher Locke made an amplifier for his cell phone using a broken trumpet and scrap metal. No power cords, no batteries, no moving parts. And you can slip your Mp3 player in it as well. Link -Thanks, Chris!

A couple of years ago, we posted a link to a Florida story that gripped the nation. "The Girl in the Window" was the victim of severe neglect. Her name is Danielle, and although she was almost seven years old when she was removed from her home, she could not speak or interact with others, and was extremely malnourished. Danielle was a feral child. The St. Petersburg Times has updated the online story several times.

Danielle is now 12 years old, and has been adopted by Bernie and Diane Lierow, who also have five sons. She still suffers from the effects of "environmental autism" due to her earlier neglect, but is making great strides. A book about Danielle will be released later this year. See pictures and video of Danielle at her parent's website. http://www.danisstory.org/ -via J-Walk Blog

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This bookshelf designed by Corentin Dombrecht is purr-fect for a home with cats -since they are going to climb your bookshelves anyway! The wood is unpainted and unvarnished to prevent a cat from slipping, and there's a built-in cat hammock on the top. The Cat-Library™ doesn't seem to be available for sale -yet, but it is making the rounds of design shows. Link -via Metafilter

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but is seems to me that creating an inspired dedication is much more flattering than just copying it. That’s why artistic takes on classic movie posters are so cool, they combine true creativity and adoration to the original. We even sell some of these posters in the Neatoshop (like the one seen above), The Zombie Wars posters by Matt Busch. Here are some more excellent artist renditions of classic movies and television shows.

Star Wars: The Villains

In anticipation of the Star Wars 25^th Anniversary, the same Matt Busch responsible for the brilliant Zombie Wars poster also created a poster that depicts only those fighting for the Dark Side.

Brouha on Mustafar

You’ve gotta admit, an epic battle between Anakin and his master, Obi Wan Kenobi would be completely worth a $49.95 Pay Per View fee. The guys over at Old Red Jalopy did a great job at capturing the spirit of a classic boxing poster while incorporating plenty of Star Wars touches.

Imperial Recruitment Propaganda

Like our earth armies, the Empire needs to constantly advertise in order to keep recruitment numbers high. Especially while the rebels are busy destroying whole Death Stars full of troops. These posters by Feng Zhu are sure to help get the enrollment numbers rising.

Minimalist Planet Travel Signs

These minimalist planet posters by Justin Van Genderen are beyond cool both for their travel-style designs and the art deco inspired images used for each planet.

Rebel Transport, Inc.

I adore Steve Thomas’ art and his delightful travel posters were one of the biggest inspirations for me to do this post. While this Rebel Transport poster is my favorite of his Star Wars works, there are plenty more on his site, so please view the rest at the link.

Lord Of the Rings

If you like the artwork from Steve’s Rebel Transport, Inc., but prefer Tolkien over Lucas, then be sure to check out his website anyway to enjoy travel posters for The Shire and other wonderful places from the Lord of the Rings universe.

Believe it or not the lightweight bicycle pictured above was printed out on a computer. Designed by scientists in Bristol, England, it is created by building up layers of nylon powder through a process known as Additive Layer Manufacturing. The computer-aided design is sent to a printer  filled with the powdered material.

A computer splits the 3D design into many 2D layers and a laser beam is used to melt the powder material into the first of the layers.This is then covered by a new layer of powder and the process is repeated with the next 'slice'.The manufacturing process uses about one-tenth of the material required in traditional methods, reducing waste.

Made by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space group this bicycle is as strong as steel but weighs 65% less.

Link

Here's a neat little kitchen tip: tired of smelly kitchen sponge (but don't want to buy a brand new one)? Wikimommy has the solution: Microwave it!

First, rinse the sponge and squeeze it as dry as you can, repeat this process twice. Then you put the squeeze-dried sponge (which is still a bit moist) in the microwave, put it on high for about 5-10 seconds maximum. Take the sponge out with care unless you want to end up with a sponge-print on your hands. Run it through some cold water and oh the sweet smell of clean sponge!

http://wikimommy.net/2011/03/07/smell-smelly-sponges/

By now, I'm sure you've all heard that archeologists are claiming to have discovered the city of Atlantis in a mud flat located in Southern Spain, but there are plenty more "lost" civilizations out there just begging for discovery. While most of these societies did not lose their entire culture due to a massive tsunami that wiped them off the face of the earth, they instead disappeared for unknown reasons that have yet to be discovered.

Top Tenz has a fantastic article about the top ten civilizations that mysteriously disappeared and the stories are all fascinating. While you may recognize some of the group's names, like the Olmec (whose land was depopulated, most likely due to environmental changes or volcanic activity, although they may have been invaded) and the Mycenaeans (who may have been invaded, destroyed by class wars or destroyed by a natural disaster), many of the names of these cultures will be unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated history buffs.

The stories are not only fascinating in a historical context, but also a reminder that nothing lasts for ever. It's always interesting to reflect on the fact that no matter how much power an individual society wields during its peak, it is still prone to collapse -often so suddenly that the cause of the destruction is lost to history.

We've had some marvelously funny and inventive submissions to our contest imagining life trapped inside the NeatoShop warehouse while surrounded zombies. Neatoramanauts were challenged to think of creative uses for the contents of the warehouse as survival tools and weapons. Here are the three runners-up, each of whom wins a free t-shirt of his choice:

Baby Adipose Plush -  $39.95

Attention Doctor Who Fans! We present the adorable Baby Adipose Plush from the NeatoShop. He is so cute and cuddly. Really, who doesn't love an alien composed of living fat?

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Doctor Who items.

You may have thought that the gritty urban drama The Wire is a purely modern invention, but it's actually a presentation of a serialized Victorian novel written by Horatio Bucklesby Ogden. At least, that's what Sean Michael Robinson of The Hooded Utilitarian presents in a lengthy essay, excerpted here:

The Wire began syndication in 1846, and was published in 60 installments over the course of six years. Each installment was 30 pages, featuring covers and illustrations by Baxter “Bubz” Black, and selling for one shilling each. After the final installment, The Wire became available in a five volume set, departing from the traditional three.

Bucklesby Ogden himself has most often been compared to Charles Dickens. Both began as journalists, and then branched out with works such as Pickwick Papers and The Corner. While Dickens found popularity and eventual fame in his successive work, Ogden took a darker path.[...]

The serial format did The Wire no favors at the time of its publication. Though critics lauded it, the general public found the initial installments slow and difficult to get into, while later installments required intimate knowledge of all the pieces which had come before. To consume this story in small bits doled out over an extended time is to view a pointillist painting by looking at the dots.

Robinson draws distinctions between The Wire and the contemporary works of Charles Dickens.

Link via Geekosystem | Image: The Hooded Utilitarian

Kate Bauman designed  these engagement ring knuckle dusters. Some brides may need them. We know that weddings can raise one's ire.

Why have one engagement ring when you can have four? Handmade from sterling silver, the ring features four perfect cubic zirconia crystals and features elaborate detailing.

Link- Via Book of Joe

YouTube link.

Theft from such suitcases is astonishingly easy; the locks on the zippers are irrelevant.

And, as the audio commentary indicates, sometimes the problem is not theft of items from your suitcase, but material placed surreptitiously inside in order to have you inadvertently serve as the "mule" at the border.

Via Metafilter.