You might not have a dad cool enough to make you a K-9 ring bearer, but that doesn't mean you can't make your ring bearer a little geeky. Etsy seller BridalBliss2000 sells this great Wonder Woman pillow as well as a few other geektastic ring pillows with classic characters like Batman, Superman and Chewbacca.

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Smithsonian has an interactive map in which a map of New York is overlaid with a map drawn by cartographer Joseph Colton in 1836. Moving the earlier map around, you can see that the streets are mostly in the same place, but the shorelines have expanded, the islands are bigger, and there is no Central Park -in fact, a lot of the city was countryside and hills back then. Read more about it at the interactive site. Link -via Digg

Funny, I don't remember Mario in Jurassic Park, but why not? Isn't Yoshi a dinosaur? (Photo provenance unknown - does anyone know the back story of this bootleg video game?)

Captain Bayley, maker of the wonderful steampunk AT-AT and AT-ST, has been working with Doctor Who and Transformers themes lately. Here's his mask that could inspire a great reboot of a classic cartoon series.

Link -via Technabob

Mickey & Pluto BFF Salt & Pepper Shakers

Could your kitchen table use a bit of Disney magic? Spice it up with the Mickey & Pluto BFF Salt & Pepper Shakers from the NeatoShop. This doggone cute set features Mickey Mouse and Pluto. The shakers are made of glazed ceramic and are held together by magnets. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Salt & Pepper Shakers. 

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Banana Nana by Dann Matthews

Bello! Love bananas? Then you surely love this Banana Nana T-shirt by Dann Matthews!

Visit Dann at his official website and Facebook page, then check out his NeatoShop page for more cool shirt designs! You won't regret it!

Potato	Mathematical	Moryuken!	Beaker Bunsen

View more designs by Dann Matthews | More Funny T-shirts

Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn generous royalties, and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

It's a great find by redditor rumperpumper83. Now if only we could look closer at the inner yolk. Perhaps there's another egg inside!

Link -via Foodbeast

(YouTube link)

Marquese Scott, also known as Nonstop, reinterprets Michael Jackson's "Thriller" with his own dance moves. If you remember Nonstop, you know that means defying the laws of physics. -via Daily Picks and Flicks

(Photo: Ben W. Waldman)

This clever ad from 2009 by the BBDO agency attached huge Gilette Fusion razors to zambonis smoothing the ice during professional hockey games. Shaving without shaving cream? Ouch! 

Link -via Super Punch

You know the story. A young merman prince, dissatisfied with life under the sea and curious about the human world, goes to the surface and encounters a lovely young woman.

deviantARTist FERNL re-imagined The Little Mermaid with Ariel as a human princess and Prince Eric as the merman son of the King of the Sea: Link

Your favorite internet cats are now in kaleidoscope form! It changes constantly with your mouse moves. I see serious cat, keyboard cat, business cat, Shironeko, longcat, and others whose names escape me at the moment. Link -via Everlasting Blort

(Photo: Etihad Airways)

Ever been on a long flight with a screaming baby? Etihad Airlines, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is working on a solution:

Acting as an extra pair of hands for put-upon parents, it is hoped the nannies will keep little ones amused while on board a plane.

Tricks up the orange-aproned nannies’ sleeves include face painting, puppets, magic tricks and origami. According to the airline, the nannies can help with entertaining children and settling them before bed, but will not be able to take children to the bathroom or off their parents’ hands entirely. For older children there are quizzes and tours of the galley.

Etihad expects to have 500 nannies, approved by Norland, a childcare training college in the UK, bringing order to the skies by the end of the year.

Link

Photo: Victor Muteau

It's raining ... sand! If you're in Cardiff, Wales, this week, check out Jesus Hernandez' performance art "The Sand" at the World Stage Design 2013. Now where's my umbrella?

Some words can't be translated into other languages without a lot of explanation. Ella Frances Sanders illustrated 11 such terms that won't render in English as one-word equivalents. You can view them all at the link.

Link -via Core77

The following is a Whodunit by Hy Conrad featuring Sherman Oliver Holmes, a mysterious crime solver and great-great-grandson of Sherlock Holmes. Can you solve the crime?

Meet Sherman Holmes

Sergeant Gunther Wilson rolled the library ladder over the shards of glass and water, then climbed to the top rung. "This skylight must be how the thief got in," he said, pointing to the smashed skylight and the rope dangling down into the room from a crossbeam. "Forensics can use this ladder to dust for prints."

"There won't be any prints," said a familiar, high-pitched voice. The sergeant gazed down to see Sherman Holmes standing below him in the university's research library.

"What're you doing here?" Wilson barked.

"The victim asked me to help out."

Sherman, it turned out, was a friend of Professor Plotny, the man who had acquired the small Etruscan statue that had just been stolen.

"I spent a fortune of my own money on that statuette." The burly professor wrung his hands. "I left it on the center table when I exited the building last night. I locked the door. But, of course, anyone up on the roof could have looked in and seen it."

Sergeant Wilson shook his head. "No thief goes around rooftops with a rope, just hoping someone left valuables on a table. It had to be someone who knew the statuette and knew your rather careless habits."

A small, wiry man stepped forward, brandishing an authentic English accent Sherman would have killed for. "Next to no one knew about the statue, officer. I'm Donald Westbank, an Etruscan expert. I arrived yesterday from London. Dr. Plotny and I examined the statue together and, frankly, I was thrilled. What a find! I was a little jet-lagged, so I left the library around six, just in time for that little storm you had. I took a cab to the hotel and ordered from room service. When I got here this morning, I found Gina, the professor's assistant, unlocking the doors."

Gina, an athletic-looking graduate student, came forward with her story. "I left Professor Plotny and Mr. Westbank here yesterday at 5:30 p.m. My dorm room is just around the block. I did some studying until seven, when the rain stopped. Then I joined a friend at the Cathay Cafe for Chinese food. I got back to my room around 8:30."

"And your dorm building is on the other side of this block?" Wilson asked. "Are the roofs all connected?"

"How would I know if the roofs are connected?" she said. "And I resent your implication."

"So do I," the professor added. "It must have been an outsider. If you want to know my whereabouts...I left the library around 7:15 to drive to my brother's for a birthday party. I spent the night with his family and was the last one to get back here this morning."

Sergeant Wilson took Sherman Holmes aside. "I'm in the dark," he whispered. "But I know you've got it all figured out."

"As a matter of fact, no," Sherman lied. "I haven't a clue."

WHO STOLE THE STATUE?

WHAT CLUE POINTS TO THE THIEF?

Show Answer

The whodunit above was provided by American mystery fiction author Hy Conrad.

In addition to his work in mystery and crime puzzles, Hy was also one of the original writers for the groundbreaking TV series Monk.

Currently, Hy is working on mystery novel series "Abel Adventures" as well as the Monk series of novels, starting with Mr. Monk Helps Himself (published by Penguin, order from Amazon here)

Check out Hy's official website and Facebook page - and stay tuned for more whodunits puzzlers on Neatorama from the master of whodunit mysteries himself!

Creepy Carnival Clown Car Window Cling

Do you get lonely commuting to work all by yourself? Invite the Creepy Carnival Clown Car Window Cling to join you for a ride. This frightfully fun window decal features a clown skeleton with bloody knife. He makes the perfect undead friend. 

Be sure to check the Neatohop for more great Car Accessories. 

Link

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope discovered a star forming 4,500 light years from Earth. Astronomers describe it as reminiscent of a caterpillar:

The glowing white head of the caterpillar shape is the core of the protostar. This is where the nuclear process has just begun, allowing the dense collection of gas, plasma and dust to shine with its own light, explains Zolt Levay of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

But Trekkies know that this is actually the doomsday machine, a planet-destroying menace from an episode of classic Star Trek.

(Video Link)

Link -via Ace of Spades HQ

(Images: NASA, CBS)

(YouTube link)

A compilation of kittens learning about slides. Sometimes they really like them -sometimes not. -via Tastefully Offensive

Sarah Moran of Nerd Bastards snapped photos of great cosplay displays at this year's DragonCon in Atlanta. My favorite is this mashup of The Wizard of Oz and Iron Man. Tony Stark no longer needs a heart from the Wizard.

You can see more of Ms. Moran's cosplay photos at the link.

Link

World-record distance swimmer Diana Nyad first tried to swim from Cuba to the U.S. in 1978. It was not successful. Just a few minutes ago, at age 64, Nyad reached Key West, Florida, successfully completing the 103-mile swim in her fifth attempt. She swam for 52 hours and set a world record for a distance swim without a shark cage.

Link | Official website

-via Metafilter

(Image credit: Women's Sports Foundation)

Yellow Brick Abbey Road by Baznet

Over the rainbow and across the street! Here's something to come together for: Yellow Brick Abbey Road by Baznet. Whatever you do, don't pay attention to the Mean Mr. Mustard behind the curtain!

Check out Baznet's Tumblr for more neat T-shirt designs, then visit his NeatoShop page. Your purchase helps support indie artists as well as this blog!

Super Doctor Who	Kneel Before Zod	Arkham Psychiatric: The Doctor Is In	Dinner Time

View more designs by Baznet | More Funny T-shirts

Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop, earn generous royalties, and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Tarot cards are fun and all, but who can relate with their weird old-school pictures? That's why we support the new and improved tarot created by DeviantArt user SceithAilm featuring your favorite Lord of the Rings characters.

Link Via Laughing Squid

Labor Day is an American holiday to celebrate working people and their contributions. It was born out of the organized labor movement, specifically the Pullman Strike in 1894. The original meaning of the holiday is often overlooked in the 21st century, but it used to be the main focus of Labor Day, as you can see in 16 vintage photos of the celebration at mental_floss. Shown here is a union float from a Labor Day parade in 1909, and a community barbecue from 1940. Link

(Video Link)

Poor little Ormie. He just wants a cookie, but someone had to put them on the top of the fridge and when you're this short, that can be a big problem.

Via Pets Lady

A man fishing in the Nile river at Qena, Egypt, spotted a stork that had a suspicious electronic device attached to it. He captured the bird and alerted authorities to a possible case of espionage. Qena security chief Mohammed Kamal explained what happened then.

Puzzled officers examined the bird, fearing the gadget was a bomb or spying equipment, and then called in veterinary experts.

Eventually, they discovered it was a wildlife tracker used by French scientists to follow the movement of migratory birds, said Ayman Abdallah, head of veterinary services in Qena.

He said the device stopped working when the bird crossed the French border, absolving it of being a spy.

But he said it would have to remain in police custody for the time being because officials need permission from state prosecutors to release the bird.

And you thought the stork only brought babies. Link -via Arbroath

(Image credit: AP)

You may remember LilMoon's cute Fourth Doctor pony plush. She makes plushes of everything, including this adorable Pokémon.  By Jove, I do believe that he's ready for a tussle!

Link

Bigfoot Luggage Tags

Are you worried that your luggage might inexplicably disappear into a forest of bags? Put Sasquatch on the case with the Bigfoot Luggage Tag from the NeatoShop. This is the luggage tag of legends. 

Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Travel Accessories. 

Link

Volkswagen had a years-long series of counterintuitive ads in the 1960s that played up how different the Beetle and the Microbus (then called simply the VW and the VW Station Wagon) were from every other vehicle. The ads were very different from standard automobile advertising as well, because the headlines were often so strange that you were forced to read the fine print, where the car's apparent drawback was explained to be an asset in disguise. While other companies enticed buyers to upgrade with new designs each year, this ad appealed to thrifty drivers by showing how VW replacement parts work with every model. One ad shows a man pushing his Bug, with the headline "And if you run out of gas, it's easy to push." In the small print, they explained that this year (1962) the company has installed a gas gauge in its new vehicles. Before that, you ran out of gas and then flipped a lever to use the reserve tank to get to a gas station. But that's one reason why a new Beetle cost around $1,500 at the time -about a thousand dollars less than other new cars. Link

(Image credit: Flickr user James Vaughan)

Binturongs, aka bear cats, are a tree-dwelling critter from South Asia. While they're usually pretty cute, and they tend to smell like buttered popcorn, their younger versions are simply impossibly cute. If you need more evidence, just check out Zoo Born's collection of photos of the baby recently born at the Staten Island Zoo.

Link

(YouTube link)

So, you're supposed to bring something to the picnic and you don't want to cook. Mark Rober's recipe for watermelon smoothies requires no cooking, but is sure to impress the relatives -and you'll be remembered as the coolest aunt or uncle ever! Just make sure you get a seedless watermelon, and allow time for it to be thoroughly chilled. -via Viral Viral Videos