Neatorama

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• All 11 Doctors in Crochet
• Houdini Horse
• The Future of Fashion
• Heart Lip Gloss
• Monster Chair
• Creepy Stories of Grave Robbing
• Death Valley Dreamscape
• Welsh Tourist Wrestles Australian Shark
• Keep Austin Weird
• Sweet Little Prank: Library Announced that Lance Armstrong Books will be Reclassified as Fiction
• Middle Class in Manhattan
• Eames House Blocks
• Let's Go and Meet the Bronies
• Can a Library be Bookless?
• The Reader's Thumbprint of Literature
• Quadruple DNA Helix
• The Best Car in Preschool
• How To Sort Cases of Beer
• The First Known Solar-Powered Vertebrate
• Dachshund and Cupcake Salt & Pepper Shaker
• Dog with a Camera
• The Velopresso
• Jonty Hurwitz's Amazing Engineered Optical Illusions
• Men Try Out Labor Pains
• Chelsea Swank's Beautiful <i>Star Wars</i> Rings
• 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes You Never Hear
• Cups and Balls with Yann Frisch
• Hello Kitty Deluxe Valentine's Day Mix
• The Big Top's Top Ten

All 11 Doctors in Crochet Posted: 22 Jan 2013 04:00 AM PST Here's my idea: an officially-sanctioned, professionally-written episode of Doctor Who in which all eleven incarnations of the Doctor meet. It would be produced in stop-motion animation using Allison Hoffman's beautiful crocheted Doctor dolls. Link -via Geek Crafts

Houdini Horse Posted: 22 Jan 2013 03:00 AM PST (YouTube link) Mariska is an all-access horse. The Friesian mare doesn't just open her door -she opens ALL the doors! Read more about Mariska at her blog. Link  -via Tastefully Offensive

The Future of Fashion Posted: 22 Jan 2013 02:00 AM PST Yes, those are eyelashes. Fake ones (hopefully). The German fashion house SIOK sent this model down the catwalk at Berlin's Fashion Week: Seemingly a cross between eyelash extensions and Cousin It, the weird lashes were just one of a succession of odd beauty looks, including a Phantom of the Opera style half-and-half face, and a black mantilla veil. This will be the look of the year. Be prepared. Link -via Dave Barry | Image: Berlin Fashion Week

Heart Lip Gloss Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:00 AM PST Heart Lip Gloss You could wear your heart on your sleeve. Or you could wear your heart on your keys and always have extra soft and kissable lips at your fingertips. The Heart Lip Gloss from the Neatoshop comes in an hinged container with a chain loop for easy hanging. Heart Lips Gloss is available in Hot Pink, Red, and Pink containers. Buy one or buy all three.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Personal Care items and festive Valentine's Day ideas.  Link

Monster Chair Posted: 22 Jan 2013 01:00 AM PST When he was a little boy, designer Jason Goh liked to play with his food (his favorite was the asian dish fish balls). His grandma told him that if he kept playing with his food, the fish balls would transform into a big hairy monster that would eat him alive. Fast forward to today, where Jason took his grandma's tale as inspiration for this monstrous chair named "Moyee." The big furry ball of a chair has a long tongue and interior mood lighting. Adults and kids alike would have a lot of fun playing or resting inside! (If you're wondering, the chair is weighted, so it won't roll around when you're inside). Via Yanko Design

Creepy Stories of Grave Robbing Posted: 22 Jan 2013 12:00 AM PST There's no resting in peace when a loved one cannot bear to let go. A recent case in Detroit of a man arrested for sneaking his father's body home before the funeral inspired a list of other cases of body snatching. Some perpetrators hoped the dead would return to life. Others just wanted to keep the body around. Jean Stevens and her twin sister June were so inseparable, they even married brothers. When June was diagnosed with cancer, Jean shared a bed with her and rubbed her back. And when June died in October of 2009, she was buried in her sister’s backyard--but only for a few days. Lonely and claustrophobic at the thought of her sister trapped underground, Jean had June dug up and brought inside to live with her, just like she had done 10 years earlier with James, her husband of 60 years, who had been buried at a nearby cemetery. Police eventually uncovered Jean's unconventional living arrangement. Read that and other stories at The Daily Beast. Link (Image credit: Ed White/AP)

Death Valley Dreamscape Posted: 21 Jan 2013 11:00 PM PST Gavin Heffernan of Sunchaser Pictures and his team braved sub-freezing temperatures in Death Valley National Park to bring us this gorgeous gem: Death Valley Dreamlapse. Despite temps below freezing, we went on December 13th, 2012 – the night of the Geminid Meteor Shower Peak, and a time of great planetary alignment! Armed only with boxed wine, firewood, and our DSLRs, we had to conquer epic climbs, sand roads with the 4x4 Jeep, and the occasional UFO... But it was all worth it when the skies cleared and showed us an incredible galactic palette! Star Trails shot at 25 sec exposures. No special effects used, just the rotation of the earth's axis. Photography Merging: STARSTAX. Used Canon 5D & 7D, with a 24mm/1.4 lens and a 28mm/1.8. The Geminids get crazy as the sun comes up (2:20-2:35) but you can spot a bunch more throughout, if you look closely -- or here's a nice shot (bit.ly/SkZGdw). There's also some passing planets (1:15-1:30 and 2:15-2:25). I think these are Jupiter and Mars(?), but maybe some smart astronomer out there can verify? But that's not all! Gavin's timelapse has a nifty little twist: a UFO appeared in the skies: The "UFO" appears at (1:30-1:35) and makes three broad circular sweeps over the desert. Though in timelapse it appears to be moving fast, consider the 5 seconds = about 50 minutes, so it's creeping. There was no sound, so it definitely wasn't a helicopter. Do you know what it is? Check out the gorgeous time lapse and let us know in the comment: Link [vimeo] - via Universe Today

Welsh Tourist Wrestles Australian Shark Posted: 21 Jan 2013 10:00 PM PST Paul Marshallsea of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, was barbecuing at Bulcock Beach in Australia when he heard bathers yell "Shark!" The 62-year-old tourist saw a shark approaching children and ran into the water, grabbed the shark, and pulled it away from the youngsters. "My instincts took over and I just grabbed the shark by the tail. "I know it was dangerous but it almost looked beautiful - you have got to have respect for a beautiful animal." Helicopters and lifesavers on water bikes later lured the shark out to sea with the tide. An Australian coastguard spokesman said: "We don't recommend manhandling sharks but this gentleman did a great job." The six-foot dusky shark snapped at Marshallsea's leg, but missed by a fraction of an inch. A nearby TV crew caught the action on video. Link -via Time Newsfeed

Keep Austin Weird Posted: 21 Jan 2013 09:00 PM PST Geographically, Austin is located in Texas. But that's about it. Locals boast of their oddness with ubiquitous "Keep Austin Weird" bumper stickers. In contrast, I was never able to sell more than three "Keep Longview Weird" stickers. Are you a man moving to Austin? You'll need to wear the appropriate uniform. Cartoonist Jackie Evangelisti has some tips: Once you’ve embraced your itchy push broom, it is only a matter of time before the stash gets a name and possibly a spot on that sleeve you couldn’t quite afford to finish. The years spent grooming and growing only add to your popularity as you surpass a Mr. Pringles level of thickness and ascend Austin’s invisible ladder. Due to the hoards arriving daily, the longer someone’s been in Austin, the cooler people think they are. Living on top feels magical, but unfortunately this young transient city won’t admire you forever. So go out somewhere classy for a tenth Beardaversary, prepared to bid that decade long love affair farewell. Either that or watch it slowly evolve into a hairy security blanket that won’t fetch any free PBRs that aren’t already empty. Link -via Pleated Jeans

Sweet Little Prank: Library Announced that Lance Armstrong Books will be Reclassified as Fiction Posted: 21 Jan 2013 08:00 PM PST Photo: Dane Murray After Lance Armstrong's televised confession for doping, a librarian named Jack Dee in Manly, Australia, created this sweet little notice as a prank: ALL NON-FICTION LANCE ARMSTRONG BOOKS INCLUDING 'Lance Armstrong: Images of a Champion', 'The Lance Armstrong Performance Program' and 'Lance Armstrong: World's Greatest Champion' WILL SOON BE MOVED TO THE FICTION SECTION The sign was photographed and posted to Twitter by library patron Dane Murray, and it went viral. That shocked Dee, who took it down and apologized to the library's board because the media had reported it as straight news (indeed, book classification is not up to the individual libraries).

Middle Class in Manhattan Posted: 21 Jan 2013 07:00 PM PST "What is middle class?" is a simple question with a very complex answer. Obviously, it depends on where one lives - but in Manhattan, New York, with cost of living that are akin to skyscrapers compared to other places in the United States, the answer becomes much muddier: In a city like New York, where everything is superlative, who exactly is middle class? What kind of salary are we talking about? Where does a middle-class person live? And could the relentless rise in real estate prices push the middle class to extinction? “A lot of people are hanging on by the skin of their teeth,” said Cheryl King, an acting coach who lives and works in a combined apartment and performance space that she rents out for screenings, video shoots and workshops to help offset her own high rent. “My niece just bought a home in Atlanta for $85,000,” she said. “I almost spend that on rent and utilities in a year. To them, making $250,000 a year is wealthy. To us, it’s maybe the upper edge of middle class.” “It’s horrifying,” she added. Amy O'Leary of The New York Times explains: Link

Eames House Blocks Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:00 PM PST Eames House Blocks In 1949 Charles and Ray Eames constructed Case Study House No. 8. This beautiful landmark of modern architecture still stands on the 1.4-acre property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on which it was erected. The Eames house is regarded as a structural masterpiece. One that integrated a concept of harmony between the live and work home. Now, with the Eames House Blocks set from the NeatoShop, you can inspire your budding architect to build equally impressive and striking structures. Structures that provoke a love of language, mathematics, and a unity with the playtime environment.    Thirty-six blocks are included in this striking set. Twenty blocks for the house and 16 blocks for the studio. They are handcrafted from sustainable Michigan basswood and hand painted with non-toxic ink.  Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more stimulating Educational & Science Toys.  Link

Let's Go and Meet the Bronies Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:00 PM PST (YouTube link) John DeLancie (Star Trek's Q) explains the rise of the Bronies, and other aspects of My Little Pony fandom in a catchy little song. This is fan-made, not produced by Hasbro, but it is every bit as good as what you'll see on TV -or maybe even better!  -via Metafilter

Can a Library be Bookless? Posted: 21 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Nelson Wolff thinks so! The judge and book lover from Bexar County, Texas, was inspired while reading Steve Job's biography to create the first library system that has no books whatsoever: Wolff and other county leaders will announce plans to launch the nation's first bookless public library system, BiblioTech, with a prototype location on the South Side opening in the fall. “If you want to get an idea what it looks like, go into an Apple store,” Wolff said. Inspired while reading Apple founder Steve Jobs' biography, Wolff said he envisions several bookless libraries around the county, including in far-flung suburbs. “It's not a replacement for the (city) library system, it's an enhancement [...] People are always going to want books, but we won't be doing that in ours,” Wolff said. Read more over at My San Antonio: Link - via Dezeen POLL: What do you think, Neatoramanauts? Is a library without books still a library? Yes - A library is not just about books, you know No - that's an Internet cafe, not a library What? A library in Texas?

The Reader's Thumbprint of Literature Posted: 21 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST What literature moves you? You can have an enormous thumbprint image of the works that speak to you. Cheryl Sorg, an artist in Boston, cuts up the covers and lines of great works of literature that appeal to individual readers: Sorg works with her subjects to gather their favorite books, book quotes, song lyrics, movies, and anything culturally meaningful to them that can be found in text. Once Sorg has her list, she finds the corresponding text and cuts it up into tiny strands that she weaves and curves into the actual thumbprint. I can immediately think of lines from Shardik, Anthem and So Long and Thanks for All the Fish that I'd choose. Which passages would you want on your thumbprint? Image Link, News Story and Artist's Website -via Lustik

Quadruple DNA Helix Posted: 21 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Sometimes the double helix likes to mix it up! Scientists at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, have found that DNA at the end of chromosomes actually have a very different structure: instead of double-stranded, they have four strands. Balasubramanian's group has been pursuing a four-stranded version of the molecule that scientists have produced in the test tube now for a number of years. It is called the G-quadruplex. The "G" refers to guanine, one of the four chemical groups, or "bases", that hold DNA together and which encode our genetic information (the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine). The G-quadruplex seems to form in DNA where guanine exists in substantial quantities. Jonathan Amos of BBC has the post: Link

The Best Car in Preschool Posted: 21 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Redditor lingziluo is an automotive engineer in China. He built this car as a gift for his young son -a pint size working roadster! The car has an electric motor, carbon fiber body, working lights, disc brakes, a shock absorbing suspensions, and gears. See pictures of the build process at imgur and get more details in the reddit thread. Link

How To Sort Cases of Beer Posted: 21 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Well, those crates of beer aren't going to sort themselves, will they? That's why this group of Romanian warehouse workers sort cases of empty beer bottles for recycling LIKE A BOSS! Hit play or go to Link [YouTube]

The First Known Solar-Powered Vertebrate Posted: 21 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Some animals, such as particular sponge and coral species, use photosynthesis to produce energy. But only recently have scientists confirmed that a vertebrate--an animal with a backbone--does so as well. When spotted salamanders lay eggs, algae colonize the egg clusters and provide the means for photosynthesis: A close examination of the eggs revealed that some of the algae were living within the embryos themselves, and in some cases were actually inside embryonic cells. That suggested the embryos weren't just taking oxygen from the algae: they might be taking glucose too. In other words, the algae were acting as internal power stations, generating fuel for the salamanders. To find out if that was happening, Erin Graham of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and colleagues incubated salamander eggs in water containing radioactive carbon-14. Algae take up the isotope in the form of carbon dioxide, producing radioactive glucose. Graham found that the embryos became mildly radioactive – unless kept in the dark. That showed that the embryos could only take in the carbon-14 via photosynthesis in the algae. The algae do not seem to be essential to the embryos, but they are very helpful: embryos deprived of algae struggle. "Their survival rate is much lower and their growth is slowed," says Graham. Link -via TYWKIWDBI | Photo: George Grall

Dachshund and Cupcake Salt & Pepper Shaker Posted: 21 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Dachshund and Cupcake Salt & Pepper Shaker  Is your kitchen table begging for a sweet treat? Go ahead and let your house go to the dogs with the adorable Dachshund and Cupcake Salt & Pepper Shakers from the NeatoShop. This fun dog shaped salt and pepper shaker set is held together by magnets. Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Salt & Pepper Shakers.  Link

Dog with a Camera Posted: 21 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST (YouTube link) Chase has a GoPro camera strapped to his neck as he swims in the pool, fetches his ball, shakes the water off, runs around, and does those important dog things. He's certainly busy having fun! The guy, however, seems to be busy on the phone. Turns out he's watching a live stream from his dog! -via reddit

The Velopresso Posted: 21 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Photo: Ivan Coleman What do you get when you combine your love for biking and coffee? Product designers Amos Reid and Lasse Oiva did just that to create a mobile espresso bar named the "Velopresso." The duo designed the custom trike from the grounds up with environmental sustainability in mind. The Velopresso has sports a pedal-driven grinder and a gas-fired espresso machine. No electricity, no motors, no noise (except for the noise of the coffee beans being ground). Plus, it's a gorgeous work of engineering and art! More photos and Vimeo clip below: If you think about it, the Velopresso is a feedback loop. The human powers the coffee machine, and in turn, the coffee powers the human! Take a look at more over at Velopresso's website: Link - via Dear Coffee I Love You

Jonty Hurwitz's Amazing Engineered Optical Illusions Posted: 21 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Jonty Hurwitz's three-dimensional objects look like amorphous blobs or a random assortment of objects. But when viewed from certain angles and often in mirrors, their intended impressions suddenly become clear. Hurwitz begins the creative process by scanning a three-dimensional object, then uses computational software to work out alternate physical forms. You can view many more examples at the link. Link | Artist's Website

Men Try Out Labor Pains Posted: 21 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Self-inflicted torture? Dennis Storm and Valerio Zeno are the hosts of the Dutch TV show Guinea Pigs. Last week they explored what women experience (sort of) by submitting to simulated labor pains via electrodes, to the delight of the audience and women who administered them. The difference is that they only did it for ten minutes, and they did not simulate the actual birth. See the video (in Dutch) at Time. Link

Chelsea Swank's Beautiful <i>Star Wars</i> Rings Posted: 21 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Chelsea Swank makes jewelry with many popular themes, including Halo, Donnie Darko and steampunk. But what grabbed my attention is her collection of Star Wars gold and silver rings, many of them paired for couples. Link -via Technabob

17 Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes You Never Hear Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST The United States is observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today. Dr. King is best known for his work to in the Civil Rights Movement and his assassination in 1968. When asked for a King quote, most Americans will respond with the most famous line from his "I Have a Dream" speech about his children living "...in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." But Dr. King had a lot to say, about poverty, religion, education, and war as well as civil rights. Take some time to read a selection of Dr. King's concise sentences that convey big ideas, along with photographs that illustrate his career from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize to being arrested, at Buzzfeed. Link (Image source: The Library of Congress)

Cups and Balls with Yann Frisch Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Blink and you'll miss it! French magician Yann Frisch shows us how much fun (or rather, frustration) that one can have with cups and balls. Hit play or go to Link [YouTube] - Thanks Marge!

Hello Kitty Deluxe Valentine's Day Mix Posted: 21 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Hello Kitty Deluxe Valentine's Day Mix Attention Hello Kitty fans. Are you looking for the Purr-fect Valentine's Day treat for your sweet. You need the Hello Kitty Deluxe Valentine's Day Mix from the NeatoShop. This deliciously fun bag includes an assortment of: Cupid Corn Foil-wrapped chocolate hearts Mellocreme Hearts  Chocolate Dutch Mints  Red Raspberry Hearts Be sure to check out the Neatoshop for more fantastic Hello Kitty items.  Link

The Big Top's Top Ten Posted: 21 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST The following is an article from the bookHistory's Lists from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. They came in all shapes and sizes, and we gawked and gasped, just like we were supposed to do. Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages: our list of the top ten circus attractions ever to grace the sawdust stage of circus big tops and sideshows! 1. JUMBO P.T. Barnum brought Jumbo the elephant to New York City on Easter Sunday 1882, just in time for the annual opening of "the Greatest Show on Earth" at Madison Square Garden. In the first six weeks, Jumbo helped the show gross $336,000. Twelve feet tall at the shoulders and weighing in at six and a half tons (in fact, the word "jumbo" as we use it comes from his name), he's considered the greatest circus attraction in American history. Jumbo traveled like royalty in a private railroad car called "Jumbo's palace car," a crimson-and-gold boxcar with huge double doors. Unfortunately, popularity and size were no match for a speeding freight train that took Jumbo's life on September 15, 1885, in St. Thomas, Ontario, as he was being loaded onto his palace. 2. EMMETT KELLY (YouTube link) Emmett Kelly's best known routine was trying to sweep a spotlight onto a dustpan on the Ringling circus stage. From 1942 to 1956, he appeared as a classic tramp clown called "Weary Willie," his version of a Depression-era hobo. Kelly's style was different from his flashy peers: he wandered around the arena dressed in tattered clothing, using pantomime instead of words to connect with the crowd. He died, aged 80, of a heart attack in Sarasota, Florida- the longtime winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailer Circus. 3. GENERAL TOM THUMB In 1842, Barnum hired four-year-old dwarf Charles Stratton, who soon became famous as General Tom Thumb. Only 25 inches tall, Stratton started touring the United States with Barnum's circus, impersonating characters like Cupid and Napoleon Bonaparte. He also sang, danced, and participated in skits. Barnum took him on a European tour, where he appeared twice before Queen Victoria and became an international celebrity. But it was his wedding (by which time he'd grown to his adult height of 2' 11") to 2' 8" Lavinia Warren, in 1863 that drew the greatest public attention. Barnum charged $75 a ticket and 2,000 people -including congressional representatives, millionaires, and generals- attended. During their honeymoon, the little couple were wined and dined by President and Mrs. Lincoln at the White House. 4. ZIP THE PINHEAD With all due respect, William Henry Johnson was an oddity. His body developed normally, but his head remained small and tapered at the tip. Van Emburgh's Circus in Somerville, New Jersey, paid Johnson's parents to display their son and billed him as a "wild negro boy" who had been caught in Africa and put on display in a cage. Johnson's popularity came to the attention of P.T. Barnum, who gave him a new look by putting him in a furry suit and shaping his Afro to a tiny point that accented his sloping brow; Barnum also renamed him "Zip the Pinhead." It's said that during his 67 years in show business, more than 100 million people visited Zip at the circus. His last words were, "Well, we fooled 'em for a long time, didn't we?" 5. THE FLYING WALLENDAS In 1922, Karl Wallenda formed a foursome called The Great Wallendas. They toured Europe, performing daredevil acts like forming a four-man pyramid and cycling across a tightrope high above the crowd. John Ringling was so impressed with the performance that he hired them to perform for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. They debuted at Madison Square Garden in 1928 and performed without a net because it had been lost in transit. The act was a crowd pleaser, but it wasn't always fail proof -or fall-proof. At an Akron, Ohio, performance, the group fell from a high wire to the ground, but they were unhurt. A reporter who witnessed the accident said, "The Wallendas fell so gracefully that it seemed as it they were flying" -and that's how the Great Wallendas became the Flying Wallendas. Forty-odd years later, on March 22, 1978, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wallenda fell to his death from a high wire at the age of 73. 6. HARRY HOUDINI One of the world's greatest magicians got his start with the Welsh Brothers Circus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1895. For 26 weeks, Harry Houdini and his wife Beatrice sang, danced, and performed a trick called "metamorphosis," in which they switched places in a locked trunk. Houdini continued to hone his voice and showmanship while becoming an expert at handcuff manipulation. The rest was history; his expertise in escapism launched him into international stardom far away from the circus world. 7. MARIO ZACCHINI Wanted: "Man who wishes to be explosively propelled ninety miles an hour out of a cannon across a circus tent into a net." Mario Zacchini apparently thought that sounded like a good job because after committing to the feat, he and four of his brothers spent years being launched from a silver-painted cannon three times a day with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Zacchinis have acknowledged that their shattering cannon blasts were purely sound effects achieved by igniting half a cup of black gunpowder, but Mario and his family never revealed the secret of the launching mechanism. Mario often said that "flying isn't the hard part; landing in the net is." 8. GARGANTUA Billed as "the world's most terrifying living creature," the gorilla known as Gargantua the Great saved the Ringling brothers from bankruptcy when he joined the show in 1938. The circus claimed that the scar-faced, snarling gorilla, captured in Africa as a baby, hated humans -thus piquing the interest of a lot of humans. In his early years, Gargantua, known as "Buddy," was renamed by new owners after a giant in French literature, which, quite frankly, sounded a lot more frightening than "Buddy." Gargantua apparently had a circus mate named Mrs. Gargantua, but her title was in name only because he never showed any interest in her. 9. MABEL STARK She may have been small in stature -standing just five feet tall- but the Marvelous Mabel Stark stood above the crowd as the greatest female tiger trainer in history. For a time, in the early 1920s, her act was the most popular of all six of Ringling's wild animal acts. In 1928, after she slipped in a muddy arena, two tigers knocked her to the ground and attacked her, clawing at her shoulders, arms, and chest, and tearing muscles in her back, thigh, and hip; her injuries required 378 stitches, but in just a few weeks, she was back in the steel cages, swathed in bandages and walking with a cane. In 1950, Mabel was attacked so brutally by one of her tigers that it took 175 stitches to save her right arm. The incidents didn't stop fearless Mabel, though; she spent 57 years in the limelight, and died of a self-administered drug overdose after being fired from her last job at a theme park called Jungleland. 10. THE MIDDLEBUSH GIANT Billed as the world's tallest man, Arthur James Caley (aka the Middlebush Giant), was given the stage name of Colonel Routh Goshen by P.T. Barnum. Stories about him abounded; Barnum either discovered him while traveling abroad or first saw him on the streets of New York; he was either born on the Isle of Man in 1827 or in Jerusalem in 1837 -Barnum made up so many stories about the big guy that he himself might not have remembered which one was true. At any rate, the circus billed the Middlebush Giant as standing at 7' 11" and weighing 620 pounds, but he most likely topped no more than 7' 5", around the same heights as today's tallest pro basketball players. "Colonel Routh Goshen" died in Middlebush, New Jersey, in 1889 and is buried there. ___________________ The article above was reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader History's Lists. 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!

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