(YouTube link)
I just found out that Maru, the Japanese Scottish Fold who took the internet by storm, is turning three years old today. That means he was quite young when we first featured him on Neatorama. Here is a compilation video for the occasion. -via I Am Bored
Miss Cellania's Blog Posts
Scientists mapping the ruins of the abandoned Maya city of Caracol in Belize knew they had tackled a big job, uncovering the city from the encroaching jungle. They didn't know how big it really is until modern mapping techniques took a look underneath the forest canopy.
How much bigger is it?
Caracol was burned around A.D. 895, and was completely abandoned by the year 1050. Link -Thanks, Marilyn!
(Image credit: University of Central Florida Caracol Archaeological Project)
An April 2009 flyover of the Maya city of Caracol used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) equipment—which bounces laser beams off the ground—to help scientists construct a 3-D map of the settlement in western Belize. The survey revealed previously unknown buildings, roads, and other features in just four days, scientists announced earlier this month at the International Symposium on Archaeometry in Tampa, Florida.
How much bigger is it?
...the project also revealed thousands of new structures, 11 new roads, tens of thousands of agricultural terraces, and even a number of hidden caves throughout a city, which is now known to stretch over 68 square miles (177 square kilometers).
Caracol was burned around A.D. 895, and was completely abandoned by the year 1050. Link -Thanks, Marilyn!
(Image credit: University of Central Florida Caracol Archaeological Project)
Mental_floss presents a sequel to an earlier much-enjoyed quiz about movie and TV characters who went to college. In today's Lunchtime Quiz, you'll be given a television character, then you select which real college he or she was supposed to have attended. Just by guessing, I scored 40%. You will do better! Link
Our own JohnnyCat has a whole series of grievance posts about movies in his blog The Litter Box. The latest is about some annoying television gimmicks that are incorporated into film, like the "switch-off":
Link
This is that annoying behavior that hack script characters engage in, wherein they tune in to some disaster being played out on live television. “Turn on channel 2! You gotta see this!” And after a brief description of a horrible incident, or perhaps even a surprise announcement from a rival character, someone grabs the remote and switches the TV off. As if there’s no inherent interest in that story anymore. Nobody does this, ever.
Link
Those who sleep with a mask on can now scare the living daylights out of a roommate or bedmate with the Michael Jackson Sleep Mask. Now half price! The mask features a picture of Jackson's eyes, enlarged just enough to be truly creepy. Link -via Rue the Day
Children think that the president of the United States is a rich man by definition because he has an extremely prestigious and important job. Of course, "rich" is a relative term. The Atlantic looks at the wealth of all 43 men who have held the office, adjusted to the current value of the dollar.
Link -via TYWKIWDBI
We analyzed presidential finances based on historical sources. Most media evaluations of the net worth of presidents have come up with a very wide range, a spread in which the highest figure was often several times the lowest estimate. Most sources provided no hard figures at all. Most of these efforts have focused largely on the analysis of recent chief executives. That is because it is much easier to calculate figures in a world where assets and incomes are a matter of public record.
One of the most important conclusions of this analysis is that the presidency has little to do with wealth. Several brought huge net worths to the job. Many lost most of their fortunes after leaving office. Some never had any money at all.
Link -via TYWKIWDBI
Considering the small population of the continent, Antarctica has a lot of abandoned settlements. In such extremely low temperatures, it is much easier to leave structures and possessions behind than to take them with you when you leave. Harsh conditions also preserve what is left, since bacteria and mold that break down materials elsewhere on earth can't survive in Antarctica. Camps and settlements abandoned 100 years ago still sit, appearing just as they did when they were in use. The hut shown was left by Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1909. See and read about ten of these places at WebUrbanist. Link
(Image credit: Noah Stryker)
(Image credit: Noah Stryker)
What would happen if a tropical storm hit the oil floating in the Gulf? It depends on the storm, and exactly where it meets the oil.
Link
Much depends on the angle at which the storm crosses the slick. In the Northern Hemisphere, hurricanes rotate counterclockwise, with the largest storm surge occurring where the winds blow in the direction the storm as a whole is traveling—that's in front of the eye and off to the right. (Meteorologists worry over a hurricane's dangerous "right-front quadrant.") So if a powerful storm approached the slick from the southwest, say, its most potent winds would push the oil forward, instead of sweeping it off to the side and out of the storm's path. If the storm then plowed into the Gulf Coast, you'd expect an oily landfall.
Link
The following is an article from Uncle John's Endlessly Engrossing Bathroom Reader.
You've heard of Bigfoot, Nessie, and the Abominable Snowman. Here are a few of their more obscure (but just as fascinating) cousins.
Monster: Sciopod
Where it lived: Ethiopia
Legend: Latin for "shade foot", these relatively peaceful creatures were first recorded in around A.D. 77 by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder. They were said to live in the wilds of what is now Ethiopia and were described as small, pale, humanlike creatures-but with only one leg and a giant foot. They hopped around on that giant foot, but they also used it as sun shade: Sciopods supposedly spent several hours a day lying on their backs with their giant feet in the air to block the harsh North African sun. Sciopods were extremely powerful, too. They could kill a large game animal (or a human) with a single jumping kick. But never fear-the strange creatures didn't eat meat. Or plants. Or anything. They existed solely on the aroma of living fruit, with they always carried with them. Sciopods are mentioned in numerous writings over several centuries, ending sometime in the Middle Ages.
Where it lived: Arkansas
Legend: This monster was first heard of in the 1880s, when Arkansas farmers reported being terrorized by a huge lizard. In 1897 Fred Allsopp, a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette, wrote about an encounter with the beast. The monster, which Allsopp named a "gowrow" after the sound it made, had been eating livestock in the Ozark Mountains in the northwest of the state. A local business man named William Miller formed a posse to hunt and kill it. They found its lair, which was littered with animal (and human) bones, and waited for it. It surprised them by emerging from a nearby lake and attacking them-but they were able to kill it with several gunshots. Miller described the gowrow as being 20 feet long, with huge tusks, webbed and clawed feet, a row of horns along its spine, and a knifelike end to a long tail. He said he sent the body to the Smithsonian Institute-but it mysteriously never made it. Allsopp finished the article by saying he believed it was a "great fake", but sightings of a similar lizardlike creature were reported in the Ozarks for many years.
Where it lives: The Amazon River
Legend: Encantado means "enchanted one" in Portuguese and refers to a special kind of boto, or long-beaked river dolphin native to the Amazon-that can take human form. Encantados are curious about humans and are especially attracted to big, noisy festivals, which they often attend as musicians, staying in human form for years. How can you recognize one? Look under its hat: They always have bald spots that are actually disguised blowholes. Encantados are usually friendly, but they occasionally hypnotize and kidnap young women and take them back to the Encante, their underground city. Sometimes the women escape and return...pregnant with an Encantado baby.
Monster: Kappa
Where it lives: Japan
Legend: Kappas are said to inhabit lakes and rivers throughout the Japanese islands. They look like frogs, but with tortoiselike shells on their backs. They can leave the water-carrying their shells with them-because they have shallow depressions in their heads in which they keep a bit of water that not only allows them to walk around on land but also makes them incredibly strong. If you encounter one, bow to it. They're very polite, so they'll have to bow back to you...and the water will spill out of their head-bowls, weakening them. Their favorite food: the blood of small children. Their second-favorite: cucumbers. That's why you can still see people in Japan throwing fresh cucumbers into lakes and rivers-with the names of their children carved into them. This, the legend says, will protect their little ones from the kappa's clutches.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.
If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!
You've heard of Bigfoot, Nessie, and the Abominable Snowman. Here are a few of their more obscure (but just as fascinating) cousins.
Monster: Sciopod
Where it lived: Ethiopia
Legend: Latin for "shade foot", these relatively peaceful creatures were first recorded in around A.D. 77 by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder. They were said to live in the wilds of what is now Ethiopia and were described as small, pale, humanlike creatures-but with only one leg and a giant foot. They hopped around on that giant foot, but they also used it as sun shade: Sciopods supposedly spent several hours a day lying on their backs with their giant feet in the air to block the harsh North African sun. Sciopods were extremely powerful, too. They could kill a large game animal (or a human) with a single jumping kick. But never fear-the strange creatures didn't eat meat. Or plants. Or anything. They existed solely on the aroma of living fruit, with they always carried with them. Sciopods are mentioned in numerous writings over several centuries, ending sometime in the Middle Ages.
(Image credit: Flickr user Miss Cellania)
Where it lived: Arkansas
Legend: This monster was first heard of in the 1880s, when Arkansas farmers reported being terrorized by a huge lizard. In 1897 Fred Allsopp, a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette, wrote about an encounter with the beast. The monster, which Allsopp named a "gowrow" after the sound it made, had been eating livestock in the Ozark Mountains in the northwest of the state. A local business man named William Miller formed a posse to hunt and kill it. They found its lair, which was littered with animal (and human) bones, and waited for it. It surprised them by emerging from a nearby lake and attacking them-but they were able to kill it with several gunshots. Miller described the gowrow as being 20 feet long, with huge tusks, webbed and clawed feet, a row of horns along its spine, and a knifelike end to a long tail. He said he sent the body to the Smithsonian Institute-but it mysteriously never made it. Allsopp finished the article by saying he believed it was a "great fake", but sightings of a similar lizardlike creature were reported in the Ozarks for many years.
(Image credit: Flickr user Luciana Christante)
Monster: EncantadoWhere it lives: The Amazon River
Legend: Encantado means "enchanted one" in Portuguese and refers to a special kind of boto, or long-beaked river dolphin native to the Amazon-that can take human form. Encantados are curious about humans and are especially attracted to big, noisy festivals, which they often attend as musicians, staying in human form for years. How can you recognize one? Look under its hat: They always have bald spots that are actually disguised blowholes. Encantados are usually friendly, but they occasionally hypnotize and kidnap young women and take them back to the Encante, their underground city. Sometimes the women escape and return...pregnant with an Encantado baby.
Monster: Kappa
Where it lives: Japan
Legend: Kappas are said to inhabit lakes and rivers throughout the Japanese islands. They look like frogs, but with tortoiselike shells on their backs. They can leave the water-carrying their shells with them-because they have shallow depressions in their heads in which they keep a bit of water that not only allows them to walk around on land but also makes them incredibly strong. If you encounter one, bow to it. They're very polite, so they'll have to bow back to you...and the water will spill out of their head-bowls, weakening them. Their favorite food: the blood of small children. Their second-favorite: cucumbers. That's why you can still see people in Japan throwing fresh cucumbers into lakes and rivers-with the names of their children carved into them. This, the legend says, will protect their little ones from the kappa's clutches.
__________
The article above is reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Endlessly Engrossing Bathroom Reader.Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.
If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!
You haven't lived until you've heard "Sweet Child o' Mine" as a swing tune!
Hear several examples at Music Machinery. Link -via Metafilter
(Image credit: Flickr user wannadancetango)
The Swinger is a bit of python code that takes any song and makes it swing. It does this be taking each beat and time-stretching the first half of each beat while time-shrinking the second half. It has quite a magical effect.
Hear several examples at Music Machinery. Link -via Metafilter
(Image credit: Flickr user wannadancetango)
In honor of Pac-Man's 30th birthday, SF Weekly has collected ten different kinds of Pac-Man cakes! From the simple "someone took a piece" cake to the elaborate setup you see in this cake Jenny made for Omar Kooheji's birthday, you'll see something that will whet your appetite. Link -via Digg
Last summer David Byrne of The Talking Heads converted an entire building, the Camden Roundhouse in London, into a musical instrument! He connected every pipe, pillar, and beam to a keyboard, from which you can make them vibrate and produce their individual sounds. This is one only of several large and different musical instruments made out of structures such as silos, a tower, a synagogue, and more at Dark Roasted Blend. Link
(Image credit: Mark Obstfeld)
(Image credit: Mark Obstfeld)
Nathan Pyle illustrated how cursors are farmed and harvested. This charming design was soon made into a t-shirt! Link -via Swiss Miss
In the Spotlight this week, we were delighted to feature a book by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, called RARE: Portraits of America's Endangered Species. The photographs are gorgeous, the stories of they were taken are surprising, and the animals are sadly, becoming more rare.
To celebrate his birthday, Jill Harness wrote The Divine Dali Drama, a peek into the surreal life of Salvador Dali. He would have been 106 this month.
At NeatoBambino, we featured an excerpt from the book Love, Mom by Cynthia Baseman, "a rare glimpse into the normally private world of a grieving mother" who has experienced the heartbreak of stillbirth. In a more upbeat post, we got a look at the delicious way the Neatokids are learning about the alphabet.
Attention science fiction fans! At NeatoGeek, you're invited to participate in the Question of the Day. It's a forum to share your opinions and read what others think, and will help us know what you are interested in seeing at NeatoGeek.
We had an exclusive excerpt from the book Geekspeak: A Guide to Answering the Unanswerable, Making Sense of the Insensible, and Solving the Unsolvable by Dr. Graham Tattersall. In it, we learned how to mathematically estimate how many flies it would take to pull a car. Talk about alternative energy!
From mental_floss, we had A Brief and Incomplete History of Yodeling.
From Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, we read about The Origin of Levi's, how America's favorite pants were developed and promoted.
The Quiz Play Day contest ran all week long. We were in the lead for a while, but then Boing Boing pulled out the big guns. Still, we rallied and came close! Thanks to everyone who played, donated, and voted for your favorite blog! The promotion raisedalmost $2K $2,443 for various charities. We'll announce the prize winners as soon as we have them.
The What Is It? game came around on Thursday. Please be aware that often Alex will award prizes for both the correct answer and the funniest wrong answer (like this week), so it could pay off to play even if you have no idea what it is.
Geeks Are Sexy unveiled a contest in which you can win a prize from the NeatoShop, and all you have to do is leave a comment!
We are heading into the final full week of the competition at the Upcoming Queue. It's not too late to get involved by creating your own Neatorama posts. Even if you aren't competing, we invite you to help us out by looking through the submissions, checking out the links, and voting for those posts you think are Neatorama-worthy.
Schools are finishing up for the year all over the country. A big hearty congratulations to graduates who are picking up diplomas from high schools and colleges from all of us at Neatorama!
To celebrate his birthday, Jill Harness wrote The Divine Dali Drama, a peek into the surreal life of Salvador Dali. He would have been 106 this month.
At NeatoBambino, we featured an excerpt from the book Love, Mom by Cynthia Baseman, "a rare glimpse into the normally private world of a grieving mother" who has experienced the heartbreak of stillbirth. In a more upbeat post, we got a look at the delicious way the Neatokids are learning about the alphabet.
Attention science fiction fans! At NeatoGeek, you're invited to participate in the Question of the Day. It's a forum to share your opinions and read what others think, and will help us know what you are interested in seeing at NeatoGeek.
We had an exclusive excerpt from the book Geekspeak: A Guide to Answering the Unanswerable, Making Sense of the Insensible, and Solving the Unsolvable by Dr. Graham Tattersall. In it, we learned how to mathematically estimate how many flies it would take to pull a car. Talk about alternative energy!
From mental_floss, we had A Brief and Incomplete History of Yodeling.
From Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, we read about The Origin of Levi's, how America's favorite pants were developed and promoted.
The Quiz Play Day contest ran all week long. We were in the lead for a while, but then Boing Boing pulled out the big guns. Still, we rallied and came close! Thanks to everyone who played, donated, and voted for your favorite blog! The promotion raised
The What Is It? game came around on Thursday. Please be aware that often Alex will award prizes for both the correct answer and the funniest wrong answer (like this week), so it could pay off to play even if you have no idea what it is.
Geeks Are Sexy unveiled a contest in which you can win a prize from the NeatoShop, and all you have to do is leave a comment!
We are heading into the final full week of the competition at the Upcoming Queue. It's not too late to get involved by creating your own Neatorama posts. Even if you aren't competing, we invite you to help us out by looking through the submissions, checking out the links, and voting for those posts you think are Neatorama-worthy.
Schools are finishing up for the year all over the country. A big hearty congratulations to graduates who are picking up diplomas from high schools and colleges from all of us at Neatorama!
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