Misery Bear encounters zombie teddy bears in this Halloween offering from Chris Hayward and Nat Saunders for BBC Comedy. Not recommended for young children. -Thanks, Nat!
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
It's once again time for the Fill in the Bubble Frenzy with boy genius Mal and his talking dog Chad! Tell us what goes in the speech bubble and win any T-shirt available in the NeatoShop -take a look around, pick one out and tell us what shirt you’d like with your submission in the comments. If you don't specify a t-shirt with your entry, you forfeit the prize. Enter as many times as you like (text only, please), but leave only one entry per comment. For inspiration, check out Mal and Chad’s comic strip adventures by Stephen McCranie at malandchad.com. Good luck!
Update: The winning line is from Matt, with the entry That's the last time I try the "Knock knock. Who's there? Bananna." joke! Matt, however, did not select a t-shirt.
Early this year, scientists heard of a new and different monkey in the Kachin state of Myanmar. When they arrived at the site, they found the monkey had been "discovered" by the hunters who killed it. It was eaten soon after.
Local hunters told the FFI team that the rainy season was a good time to look for the monkeys because they made more noise during rain. Eventually, more of the snub-nosed monkeys were seen, but they moved so fast no photographs could be taken. Link
(Image credit: Ngwe Lwin)
Scientists first learned of "Snubby"—as they nicknamed the species—from hunters in the remote, mountainous Kachin state (map) in early 2010, according to the U.K.-based conservation group Flora & Fauna International (FFI), which announced the discovery Wednesday.
The hunters told the team of R. strykeri's fleshy lips, upturned nose, and odd respiratory issue: Rain falling into the monkeys' noses possibly causes the animals to sneeze, so they often spend soggy days with their heads tucked between their knees, the hunters said.
Local hunters told the FFI team that the rainy season was a good time to look for the monkeys because they made more noise during rain. Eventually, more of the snub-nosed monkeys were seen, but they moved so fast no photographs could be taken. Link
(Image credit: Ngwe Lwin)
(YouTube link)
This music video for the song "Mecha Love" by Hadouken is a compilation of people doing awesome things. A very few are from viral advertising and use special effects, but the vast majority of these clips are just people doing what they do, awesomely. -via Laughing Squid
Mike Szczys went all out this Halloween and installed a matrix of 70 LEDs in a pumpkin! The result is a way to scroll messages in the dark for visitors and trick-or-treaters. See a video of the Jack-o-Lantern in action, and the complete process of building it at Hack a Day. Link -Thanks, Mike!
From the folks who brought us Growing Up Heroes comes another nostalgia blog, this one dedicated to Halloween. You are invited to submit photographs of your childhood Halloween costumes, and enjoy pictures of trick-or-treat long ago. Personally, I don't see this adorable Ewok from 1985 as "long ago", but there are pictures from different eras as well. Link
Animals that live underwater as so different they never fail to astound us. Marine invertebrates may flop like jelly when we see them on land, but in their own environment they can be as rigid as they need to be, thanks to the fluid skeletons they formed by compressing water within their organs. Read about how they work and see some gorgeous underwater pictures at Environmental Graffiti. Link -via the Presurfer
(Image credit: Flickr user Neil Barman)
The slogan is "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," but since Neatorama sponsored my trip to the BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2010, I had to report my experiences to Alex -and I might as well share some of them with you. It was my first excursion to any kind of trade convention, and my first trip to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas, or at least the big resort casinos, are designed to extract as much money as possible from every visitor and then send them home. Rooms are relatively inexpensive compared to other cities, despite the fact that my room rate went up between the time I made reservations and the time I checked in. I skipped the $10 sandwiches in the airports and later regretted it, because the cheapest hamburger at the hotel was $15. Try the all-you-can-eat buffet, it's only $42. However, once you leave the hotel, you can find normally-priced food -IF you can figure out how to get there! I played the slots just enough to say I'd gambled in Las Vegas, but not enough to rate the free drink treatment. If there is one tip for a Las Vegas trip, it's bring more money.
2. Distance is an illusion in Las Vegas.
3. Las Vegas is built for tourists.
The strip has lots of wonderful street performers: costumed characters posing for pictures, musicians and magicians, a woman with a snake, and one fellow who invited me to his Facebook page. It was like Times Square, except in New York there are some locals in the crowd. Here, you can tell the residents because they are working.
4. Jet lag is a killer.
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(Image credit: Flickr user Justin Bugsy Sailor)
1. Bring more money.Las Vegas, or at least the big resort casinos, are designed to extract as much money as possible from every visitor and then send them home. Rooms are relatively inexpensive compared to other cities, despite the fact that my room rate went up between the time I made reservations and the time I checked in. I skipped the $10 sandwiches in the airports and later regretted it, because the cheapest hamburger at the hotel was $15. Try the all-you-can-eat buffet, it's only $42. However, once you leave the hotel, you can find normally-priced food -IF you can figure out how to get there! I played the slots just enough to say I'd gambled in Las Vegas, but not enough to rate the free drink treatment. If there is one tip for a Las Vegas trip, it's bring more money.
2. Distance is an illusion in Las Vegas.
(Image credit: Flickr user Bill Rice)
Friday night I wandered down the strip and checked out the other casinos. Distance is deceiving in Vegas. The hotel and casino buildings are massive compared to buildings in other cities. You look out the window and tell yourself, "The Luxor is just next door -and Excalibur is the next building. No problem to walk!" But each resort covers many acres and "two buildings down" can easily be a half-mile walk. I walked as far as the Bellagio and probably put five miles on my feet. I was rewarded with a fairly nice video of the Bellagio Fountains (nice except when that woman stuck her camera in front of mine) and blisters on my feet. My legs were sore for a week afterward. That didn't stop me from doing the same walk in the sunlight on Saturday! When planning the particulars of your trip to Vegas, take your age and physical condition into consideration.3. Las Vegas is built for tourists.
The strip has lots of wonderful street performers: costumed characters posing for pictures, musicians and magicians, a woman with a snake, and one fellow who invited me to his Facebook page. It was like Times Square, except in New York there are some locals in the crowd. Here, you can tell the residents because they are working.
4. Jet lag is a killer.
Christoph Neimann illustrated the laws of physics as they apply to our daily lives. I can really relate to this one.
But back to Newton: he discovered that any two objects in the universe attract each other, and that this force is proportional to their mass. The Earth is heavier than the Moon, and therefore attracts our bodies with a much greater force. This explains why an empty refrigerator administrates a much smaller gravitational pull than, say, one that's stacked with 50 pounds of delicious leftovers.
He also explains physics as it relates to waking up, subway crowding, and hair loss. Link -via The Daily What
Just because we like to keep you on your toes, this week we have a second round of the Name That Weird Invention! contest. Steven M. Johnson comes up with all sorts of wacky inventions in his weekly Museum of Possibilities posts. Can you come up with a name for this one? The commenter suggesting the funniest and wittiest name win a free T-shirt from the NeatoShop.
Contest rules: one entry per comment, though you can enter as many as you'd like. Please make a selection of the T-shirt you want (may we suggest the Science T-shirt, Funny T-shirt, and Artist-designed T-shirt categories?) alongside your entry. If you don't select a shirt, then you forfeit the prize. Good luck!
Update: Congratulations to our winners, Noah, who suggested "Colostocamp", and Hannah for "Loitering Within Tent". Both win t-shirts from the NeatoShop!
Honorable mentions: CB Dragon "The Tuggie", Old Geezer "The Sleep-walker Outdoorsman", Deathbyawesomeness "Porta-Tent", Michael Hicks "Roam Dome Tent", Trevor "The Burkamper", Trevor "The Eskimove", and John P "Dome of the Walk".
You read the books, but not all characters are likable (just like real life). This list will no doubt spark discussion both for who it includes and for who it omits. I won't tell you who is number one, but you know Scarlet O'Hara is on this list. Melanie made it, too.
Which literary characters do you really dislike? http://librarysciencedegree.org/the-50-most-hated-characters-in-literary-history/ -via Interesting Pile
4.) Scarlett O’Hara
Gone With the Wind
Author: Margaret Mitchell
For every fan who finds Scarlett O’Hara romantic and admirable, there is another who thinks her a selfish, altogether loathsome figure with few redeeming qualities.
48.) Melanie Hamilton Wilkes
Gone With the Wind
Author: Margaret Mitchell
Along with chief romantic rival Scarlett O’Hara, Melanie Hamilton Wilkes garners quite a bit of hatred as well. Many readers think of her as far too perfect to be relatable, insufferable at worst and boring at best.
Which literary characters do you really dislike? http://librarysciencedegree.org/the-50-most-hated-characters-in-literary-history/ -via Interesting Pile
In this 1950s ad for soft drinks, the new 12-ounce size is labeled as "King Size". Contrast that with the more recent sign below.
Sociological Images looks at how food and drink serving sizes have grown over time. Link -via Boing Boing
On one hand, it is kind of sad to think of anyone eating instant noodles for Christmas dinner. On the other hand, the campaign will raise money for overseas troops. The new British product called "The Pot Noeldle" from Pot Noodle is turkey and stuffing flavored noodles.
The Christmas-dinner-flavored noodles will sell for £1.10 a package. Link -via Arbroath
(Image credit: Martin Argles for the Guardian)
A donation of 2p from every pot sold will be made to the RAF Association's Wings appeal to support the Miles More Minutes project, which gives troops posted overseas more time to telephone their loved ones over the Christmas period.
The flavour was developed and trialled last year for personnel serving on 27 Squadron after member Sergeant Ian Hobbs said troops regarded the brand as a home comfort.
Squadron Leader Stuart Balfour, head of RAF licensing, said: "The snack is enjoyed by so many of the troops and it's great to know that every pot sold will help them keep in touch with loved ones at what is a really important time of the year."
The Christmas-dinner-flavored noodles will sell for £1.10 a package. Link -via Arbroath
(Image credit: Martin Argles for the Guardian)
Paul, the octopus who predicted the outcome of World Cup soccer matches (featured previously at Neatorama), has died at his home at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany. He was two years old.
There was no indication that Paul had predicted his passing. Link -via Metafilter
After Germany's semi-final defeat, Paul tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final, which prompted one news agency to report he had spurred a jump in demand for Spanish government bonds. Paul's prediction duly came to pass: Spain won.
Staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in western Germany said in a statement they were "devastated" to learn of Paul's death when they returned to work on Tuesday.
"He appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life," said the centre's manager Stefan Porwoll.
There was no indication that Paul had predicted his passing. Link -via Metafilter
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