This is absolutely adorable, it's a great way to share your love with the world...or at least enjoy a good snowfall together.

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Michael Minelli wants you to know he's not a douchebag, or at least, he doesn't think so. That's why he's suing the author and publisher of the book "Hot Chicks With Douchebags" for including him. The libel lawsuit should be interesting, as the lawyers will have to establish the relative "douchebaggery" of Minelli. I think the prosecution might have a hard time after seeing a picture of Minelli, who claims the book has caused him to receive "hatred, contempt, and humiliation" and has resulted in "friends, acquaintances, coworkers, employees, and strangers alike" calling him a "douchebag." Here's a quick excerpt of the page in question:

[Minelli's] popped-collar, spikey-haired presence was so far beyond regular douche, so far beyond uberdouche, he could spontaneously create a new element on the periodic tables--Douche Nine.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/1118082douche1.html

Regardless of where you believe to be the true “Happiest Place On Earth” is, you have to admit, Disneyland is at least pretty magical. It's so magical, in fact, that even after 50 years and over 500 million of visitors, there are still tons of secrets hidden in and about the Magical Kingdom.

1. Disneyland was expected to fail.

Opening day was such a disaster that pretty much every press organization that attended the celebration had predicted the park's failure within one year.

It opened on a day that was 101 degrees and the street asphalt still wasn't dry, leading to it sticking to shoes. By the end of the first day, all but 2 of the 48 Autopia cars were crashed and about half the rides were broken.

Despite all that, park visitors loved it and attendance continued to grow day by day.

Source (Photo: ThomasFredrick [Flickr])

2. Need a real drink?

While many Disney fanatics may already know this one, others may find it surprising to know there is exactly one place in the entire park that serves alcoholic beverages.

The place is called Club 33 and it is a very exclusive club to get in. To gain entry, there is a ten year waiting list and admission is at least a thousand dollars. Supposedly, the food is good though.

Source (Photo: emmyboop [Flickr])

3. Tomorrow Land is so outdated.

Or at least, the first version is by now. The only Tomorrow Land ride that still exists in its original state from the opening is Autopia, and even it was changed to fit with Cars the movie. Actually though, there is one major change in Autopia from how it was on opening day -there were originally no guide rail to keep people on track. Sometimes Disney was a little too trusting of the good of humans.

Source (Photo: Frikitiki [Flickr])

4. There's a Disney Underground.

Photo: lwr [Flickr]

It's not quite as exciting as it sounds though. Despite rumors, the area under the park isn't a massive underground city. There are many underground basements though, where cast can relax, change in and out of costumes and eat lunch in peace. Think of it like a few really big break rooms.

Disney World on the other hand, was built late enough that they have a full city underground.

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5. Olympic sports anyone?

Photo: Frikitiki [Flickr]

Just walking around the park over and over again is exercise enough for most people, but employees have the option of working out in the Matterhorn. Surely you didn't think that huge mountain was only used for one little ride did you? No, the Matterhorn is officially classified as a gym and has a full basketball court inside. In 1984, it was even certified as an official Olympic Stadium.

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6. It's safe, but not 100% safe.

Photo: videocrab [Flickr]

Despite persisting urban legends that claim no one ever died in the park, people have. At least 12 people have died there, reports vary as to whether some additional death tales are true or not. All things considered though, 12 deaths in over 50 years isn't that bad. Keep in mind, aside from dangerous rides, there is also a notable amount of gang violence at other Southern California amusement parks that doesn't occur as frequently at Disneyland.

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7. Ever feel like you're being watched?

You might be. There are cameras everywhere. Aside from average security brigades, they even have special tasks forces with only a handful of things to focus on.

There are at least two special forces at the park, one dedicated to catching people using drugs at the park, and another dedicated to catching people who flash or flip off the cameras during the photo parts of the rides. If you've ever gotten a message saying your photo isn't available when you got off the ride, there's a good chance someone either flashed some breast or flipped the bird to the camera.

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8. A ghostly Hazmat problem.

Photo: major_clanger [Flickr]

There are many reports of people trying to spill the ashes of loved ones in the Haunted Mansion. As nice of a thought as it is, there are plenty of ghosts in the Mansion already and if everyone dumped their ashes here, then the whole thing would be covered in dust. So, every time it happens, the Mansion needs to be closed and a hazmat team cleans it.

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9. A pirate's life for Jack.

We all know that Johnny Depp is dang sexy, but just the character of Jack Sparrow? Apparently, a lot of women still think he's just as good as Depp. In Pirate's Booty, an ex-actor at Disneyland confessed how many women would try to hump him just for playing the character. The stories range from flirting to receiving napkins with naughty offers.

(Photo: Locket479 [Flickr])

10. Words from beyond.

Ever notice the telegraph clicking at the New Orleans' train station? It's ticking out the speech Disney gave out on the park's opening day. Traces of Disney are all over the park, my favorite one though is his old apartment over the fire house on Main Street. They always leave the light on in his memory. Not only is it cute, but it's also rad that he got to live in the park.

Source (Photo: Mysteryofmaps [Flickr])

A few other fun tidbits:

• Steve Martin used to work in the magic shop here.


• There used to be live girls dressed like mermaids in the 2000 Leagues Under the Sea pool.


• Did your balloon pop? Just show any balloon seller your popped balloon and they'll give you a new one.


• The Imagineers put special touches everywhere. The Haunted Mansion features faces of a few of the early Imagineers and has tombstones written with inside joke references.


• Coke gives the park free soda to eliminate competition in the park and for the advertising.


• Hidden Mickeys are spread all over the park and there's at least one in every ride.

Source and Source

I have the feeling this is the future of our school music programs. Surely they can't say they don't have the money to fund arts and music when it's all being made from veggies. The best part is, when you're done you still have a healthy, yummy snack. That can also help the school lunch program as well, just mix the budget for both and everyone wins. Especially this guy, the ultimate veggie band teacher.

Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - via BoingBoing

If you were somehow bothered by the previous post of dancing squirrels than maybe you'll be one of the sick weirdos that would love these earings made of their feet. As a related note, you may be interested in these equally disturbing custom squirrel taxidermy projects.

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Maybe it's just me, but I think the whole stuffy lawyer image is ok. Stereotypical attorneys may not be people I'd want to hang out with outside of the court room, but they sure know their way around loopholes. That being said, I just don't want an attourney that looks like he just fell out of a Little John video with his sweet Mercedes and Jamacian belt buckle. Oh well, I guess if you need help getting something expunged from your record, he's your man.

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Russian cake maker Zhanna makes amazingly real cakes. The cognac bottle looks cool, but I have to admit, I'm a little disturbed by this cake with beer, fish and newspapers in the decoration. The entire cake is edible, including the fish. But I have to wonder if a frosting fish still tastes a little fishy.

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Ever wonder what it would be like to be an oppressed citizen in the USSR in 1984? Here's your chance. For a mere 220 American Dollars you can visit the newest, hippest theme park in Lithuania and be swept back into the glory days of Soviet Russia. A past bunker of the Soviet Union has now been converted to a historical reenactment site.

"On entry, all belongings, including money, cameras and phones, are handed over and under the watchful eye of guards and alsatians, tourists change into threadbare Soviet coats and are herded through the bunker.

Experiences include watching TV programs from 1984, wearing gas masks, learning the Soviet anthem under duress, eating typical Soviet food (with genuine Soviet tableware) and even undergoing a concentration-camp-style interrogation and medical check."

If that's not convincing enough for you, perhaps it would help if you knew that all actors involved in the project were actually in the Soviet Army.

At least you get a shot of vodka at the end.

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(Photo: Azill Photos)

YouTube Link

Finally, a fashion show for the diet-impaired. Yes the models may still be little waifs, but the clothes themselves completely make up for it. How? They're all made of chocolate!

Apparently the New York Chocolate Fashion Show happens every year, but this time it was extra awesome since the theme was super heroes. Over sixty chocolatiers and pastry chefs carefully pasted skin tight chocolate suits to their models. Iron man and Wonder Woman walked the runway careful to keep their body heat down so they wouldn't melt their super suits.

As you can see in the video, the costumes are quite elaborate to put together. I'd have a hard time not eating my clothes if it was me.

If you're like me, you've desperately wanted to watch squirrels dance to Michael Jackson...even if you're sane though, you will still enjoy this. Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

Attention geek girls, whether or not you already own the slave Leia costume, you can now attract your nerdy catch by smelling like the sexy princess as well. Better pre-order now, Star Wars shop is officially starting to sell the Slave Leia perfume on August 30.

Link Via Foolish Gadgets

Deviant Art user CyberDrone has a great collection of printable Doctor Who characters and icons for your geektastic pleasure. She even has each of the eleven doctors, so you get to play with your favorite.

Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant can finally try to out Doctor each other at my beck and call. Mwahaha.

Link via Craftzine

Ever wonder what Doctor Octagon's room looks like or what Wonder Woman is up to behind closed doors? Enter the excellent photography of artist Ian Pool. WebUrbanist has a great collection of his images featuring geek icons doing what they do when no one else is watching.

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If you are one of those poor geeks who has been misled into thinking that only cool people can play guitar, here's the instrument that will turn it all around for you: The Koopa Troopa guitar. Finally you can please both your rocker side and your gamer side at the same time.

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Geeks love classic Nintendo and since many techies are also handy at hacking electronics, it’s no surprise that there are tons of mods for old Nintendo controllers.  Whether you’re a big fan of Mario, Zelda, Contra or Bomberman, these classic Nintendo controller hacks are sure to remind you of the good ol’ days of gaming.

Doorbell

Ding-dong. Who’s there? Does it really matter when you have an awesomely geektastic doorbell like this? When I posted this one on Neatorama last year, we got quite a few notable comments, some wondering if hitting the right button code would make the secret door in your house open up and others desperately hoping that the ring would be the theme song for Mario. Whatever the specifics though, this thing is pretty darn cool.

Rear Bike Light

If you’re looking for a Nintendo controller mod that could save your life, then try this LED bike light made from a controller. While it’s own creator seems to hate it, saying, “I had yet to see an NES controller bike flasher, and what could be more tacky then modding it with ultrabright LEDs,” it still is both functional and far more stylish than standard rear bike lights.

Cell Phone

If you think people look at you crazy when you use a Bluetooth, just imagine how insane they’ll think you are when they see you talking into a Nintendo controller. Fortunately, you can do so without actually losing your mind if you just follow the tutorial on DIY Happy that shows you how to turn your controller into a cell phone.

iPod Controller

Sure you can control your iPod directly using their patented click wheel, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, owners of 3^rd and 4^th gen iPods can hack a Nintendo controller into being a wired remote control. Sure it’s a bit pointless, but not everyone has mastered the art of blending style with functionality.

iPhone dock

Perhaps you don’t have a 3^rd or 4^th generation iPod though, don’t worry, you can still play with your Apple toy with a Nintendo attachment if you simply build yourself a cool docking station like this one. While it was made specifically for the iPhone, it seems like it would also work for any iPod with minimal adjustments.

Mp3 Player

But why just dock or control an iPod with a controller when you could, instead make your controller into the mp3 player? This one is great because every button actually does something and the device can plug directly into your computer. Plus, you can even attach it to these sweet cartridge speakers for even more rocking old school gaming fun.

Memory Card Reader

Card readers are incredibly handy, but man are they boring to look at. If you want to spice up your desk area, then the instructions on this blog post can teach you how to combine the inside of your favorite card reader with the outside of a Nintendo controller. I haven’t tried this myself, but it does look incredibly simple, which is always a plus.

4-port USB hub

With all these mods that can be hooked into a USB-port, it seems only logical to go ahead and make a hub for all of them. Of course, I would recommend adding a slightly longer cord to yours, but that’s just me.

Flash drive

Now that you have 4 ports of Nintendo goodness, why not go ahead and make a flash drive out of a controller? The best part of this one is the fact that the drive has a security feature that makes it operate only after the user has entered the Konami code. I know you Neatonauts love that idea.

Computer Mouse

What better way to open the files on your Nintendo USB drive that’s hooked into a Nintendo USB hub than with a Nintendo computer mouse? While this optical mouse looks neat, it can’t move around as well on your desk and it certainly isn’t very ergonomic. I guess that’s the price you pay for computer fashion.

Belt Buckle

Speaking of fashion, maybe you’re not so good at working with electronics but you still want to show off your love of the Nintendo controller. In that case, the NES belt is a perfect choice for you to show off your fashion geekery without having to learn about all the inner workings of the controller itself.

Zip-up Wallet

For those who aren’t into hard plastic belt buckles, there is still hope for your Nintendo fashion needs. While making a Zip-up controller wallet is bound to be a little more difficult, it’s still a great place to hold on to your change.

Giant Controller Turned Coffee Table

While the rest of the controllers included here are actual Nintendo controllers hacked into serving other functions, this is a hand-made giant Nintendo controller that can not only operate as a coffee table, but is also wired up to work on a classic Nintendo system. It even opens up to reveal a nice storage space where you can put away your games when you’re done playing. Talk about functional! Have any of you tried modding a Nintendo controller or do you plan to try any of these ideas out? Tell us about it in the comments.