Build your own city at MyMiniCity! Select a country, name your town, and then revisit to see it grow. I created Neatorama City, which is supposed to grow as more people visit. Last time I looked, there was a population of two.
Update: Just a couple hours later, the population has soared to 99, unemployment is at a staggering 49%, but there is still no crime.
You can start your own city, too. Link -via Dump Trumpet (who has a new URL)
There are some really scary-looking things hanging out underwater! This Wolf Fish is the least nasty picture I could find in the post The Ten Nastiest Fish of All Time. Not for the squeamish. http://www.anglingmasters.com/10-nasty-fish.asp -via the Presurfer
In this Nokia Telenor ad, a little girl reads her essay about the future, to the increasing consternation of the adults around her. -via Dark Roasted Blend
Wired presents a gallery of cubicle makeovers from Kelley L. Moore featured in her book Cube Chic. These would really cheer up a drab, dull workspace, but they won’t make up for a lousy benefits package. This one could feed your daydreams about a tropical vacation! Link -via J-Walk Blog
Stefan Pochmann is a Rubik’s cube champion. In this video, he is solving a Megaminx {wiki}, a 12-sided puzzle with 50 moveable pieces. Link to Pochmann’s website. -via Unique Daily
There is a Flickr pool for every conceivable subject. Bears in Ill-Fitting Hats is a delightful collection of 47 illustrations of... well, you know. The bear pictured here is a contribution from Neatorama favorite Apelad. Link -via Metafilter
PsyBlog has teasers and links to ten really strange psychological studies, such as psychic dogs, married couples who resemble each other, and the antidepressant qualities of semen. You are invited to vote for which you think is the weirdest. Link
Enjoy a collection of mp3s of Christmas music recorded on wax in the early 20th century. This includes music from the Edison Concert Band and the Edison Mixed Quartet. Eddie Cantor's rendition of The Only Thing I Want for Christmas (Is Just To Keep The Things That I've Got) is especially recommended. Link -via Metafilter
A policeman’s job is never easy, but dumb criminals make it somewhat easier. This list was whittled down from a much longer list of stories of the stupid things lawbreakers did this past year. These are in chronological order instead of rank. The dates are from the news stories; in some cases the crime itself happened earlier. Most of the links have accompanying video.
1. Lottery Thief Sets Himself on Fire
ROME, GA June 2 A convenience-store thief got away, but the video from the security camera told a strange, strange tale. A man broke into the store overnight, and tried to cover his tracks by burning the place down. He threw charcoal lighter fluid around, but by the time he ignited it, the fumes had permeated the store, and he set himself on fire. While in flames, he grabbed a roll of lottery tickets and fled. At the time of the story, police were looking for a man with facial, neck, and possibly wrist burns.
2. Ten Hours Stuck in Restaurant Vent
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL June 8 An employee of the Lucky Buffet noticed a strange sight on arriving at the restaurant. There were legs hanging out of a vent over the grill! 45-year-old Billy Jordan had tried to enter the restaurant the night before by climbing through the ductwork, but became stuck and stayed there for ten hours. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue workers used a rope to pull Jordan back out through the roof, after which he was arrested for burglary.
3. Immovable ATM
MILWAUKEE, WI July 27 Three men backed a stolen vehicle through the glass front of a gas station. Their intent was to steal an ATM. But they didn’t realize that ATMs are bolted to the floor. After some thought, they tied a rope around the machine and attched it to the vehicle, but still could not dislodge it. They left empty-handed. The ATM was still in working order the next day.
4. The Famous Duct Tape Bandit
ASHLAND, KY August 13 Police say Kasey Kazee entered Shamrock Liquors and attempted to rob the store. Employees were astonished that he had disguised his face by wrapping it in duct tape! The store manager chased him out with a baseball bat and an employee held him in the parking lot until police arrived. Police removed the duct tape after taking pictures, and arrested Kazee, who denied any memory of the incident. See a video report here.
5. The Sign of the Crime
ADLINGTON, ENGLAND September 6 Peter Addison and his friend Mark Ridgeway vandalized the Toc H centre, a children’s campsite building. They smashed crockery, set off fire extinguishers, and drew grafitti on the walls. Part of the grafitti said “Peter Addison was here.” Police found Addison through a computer database. Both teenagers pled guilty and were ordered to pay for the damage.
Inspector Gareth Woods, of Cheshire Police, said: "This crime is up there with the dumbest of all in the criminal league table.
"There are some pretty stupid criminals around, but to leave your own name at the scene of the crime takes the biscuit.”
6. He Didn’t See the Cop
LITTLE ROCK, AR September 7 21-year-old Langston Robins walked right past a uniformed police officer at the Metropolitan Bank and handed a robbery note to the teller. The unarmed would-be robber was arrested after a foot pursuit. Little Rock police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said:
"I just don't know why he didn't see a uniformed police officer standing basically right in front of him," Hastings tells the Associated Press. "My guess is he's just not the brightest of people."
7. He Stole a Car to Turn Himself In
GENEVA, NY September 13 29-year-old Vincent Estrada Junior was pulled over because the car he was driving had been stolen from a parking lot. Estrada explained that he had stolen the car in order to drive to the Geneva City Police Department and turn himself in on a family court warrant! He didn’t make his destination, as police took him to the Ontario County Jail instead, where he was held on car theft charges.
(image credit: Ontario County Sheriff's Office)
8. Burglar Falls Asleep Under Victim’s Bed
WHITLEY BAY, England September 17 Usually, the burglar robs the house while the victim is asleep, but in this story, the roles were reversed. 24-year-old Mark Smith sneaked into Heather Stephenson’s home, crept past her while she was ironing, and rifled through her belongings in the bedroom. Then he fell asleep under her bed. Mrs. Stephenson couldn’t wake him, and police officers had to drag him out from under the bed. Smith’s vodka and valium consumption were to blame. He received an 18-month sentence for burglary.
9. Cash My Million-Dollar Bill!
PITTSBURGH, PA November 9 A man flew into a rage at the Giant Eagle supermarket when employees refused to cash a million-dollar bill. 66-year-old Samuel Porter slammed an electronic machine on the counter and refused to give his name to authorities. He was then taken to the Allegheny County Jail. The largest bill currently in circulation is the $100 dollar bill.
RALEIGH, NC December 11 There had been a stabbing, and police were on the scene talking to a woman who had been a witness to the crime. 38-year-old Anthony William jumped into the woman’s car and drove away! He was arrested the next day, easily identified by the cops who saw him steal the car.
Geek Culture is offering assemble-it-yourself snowglobe kits. One of the several scenes available is the Bill Gates snowglobe. The floating bits are gold coins and green bills! Link -via Gizmodo
Neatorama has posted several stories about animals that produce fluorescent proteins after gene splicing. Now South Korean scientists have produced cloned cats that produce RFP (Red Fluorescent Protein). The cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet rays! Three such cats were cloned, and two of the Turkish Angoras have survived to adulthood. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071212210021.3u7d8gpx&show_article=1%E2%84%91=large -via Metafilter
