If you think those professionally created dog costumes are mean to force pets to wear, then you really ought to see the options people turn to when they don't just buy the pre-made costumes. I guess this is why Star Trek fans shouldn't get drunk.

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After 26 years of teaching children (literally my entire life), Reading Rainbow is being cancelled. It's not for a lack of interest, but a lack of funding for the show. NPR says the show also was victim of a “shift in the philosophy of educational television programming,” that started under Bush.

I don't know how many of you grew up in the 80's, but Reading Rainbow will be sorely missed by those of us who did have the show to thank for our early interest in reading.

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InventorSpot has posted their yearly list of top pet costumes for Halloween. As always, the selection fails to disappoint, like the little Football Star Costume shown. The whole list is great.

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Fans of the book will love these delicious cupcakes. They'd be great for any kids party, but that doesn't mean adults won't enjoy them too.

These are texas-sized snickerdoodle cupcakes. For frosting and decorations I used chocolate ganache (Moishe), canned vanilla frosting (Max), sprinkles, store-bought gumpaste eyes, and fondant colored tinted by hand.

Link Via Al Dente

This great Japanese video features the filming of a The Ring parody, staring an adorable celebrity chimp, Pan-Kun. The effect is not so scary, but completely hilarious.

Link Via Tokyo Mango

Someone in Australia has robbed over $10,000 worth of cucumbers in eleven separate robberies over the last three months.The latest robbery of 50 bags of pickles is the largest of the heists so far.

"The issue with the cucumber is how do you and I tell who owns a different cucumber?," SA Police Chief Inspector Kym Zander told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

"We're having difficulty establishing where they (the cucumbers) are going."

What do you think? How can they track down the cucumber thief?

Link Via Al Dente

What better way to get kids interested in biology at an early age than to make them their very own plush cell? Instructables has all the info you need to make your very own cuddly block of life.

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These steampunk Ghostbusters costumes are really inventive and visually interesting. Definately click on the link and take a look at all the pics because the old-styled ghosts accompanying them are also super cool.

Well then, let me introduce you to The League of S.T.E.A.M. (Supernatural Troublesome Ectoplasmic Apparitional Management) -- otherwise known as Steampunk Ghostbusters, who, according to their webpage, are "taking the 1984 back to 1884."

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We've posted our share of artery clogging-fair foods before, including the deep-fried Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich, but now KFC's giving them all a run for their money. This heart attack-waiting-to-happen is called the Double Down Sandwich and it's made of two deep fried chicken breasts used as bread for a bacon and cheese sandwich. It's apparently only available in limited areas, so I'm wondering, have any of you Neatorama readers tried it and lived to tell the tale? For those of you who haven't, would you try this delicious, bacony, deathwich?

Link Via Consumerist

WebUrbanist has a great collection of 15 neat school buses turned into artwork. My favorite is the one seen above based on the catbus seen in the anime movie My Neighbor Totoro. This cool art car was one of the many seen at Burning Man 2002.

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If you wondered how people actually made some of the cakes in the Threadcakes contest, previously featured on Neatorama, then you'll love this time-lapse video of a Threadless tee shirt being made into a cake. The process is so detailed and so fascinating.

Link Via Good

If you love MJ and kid's toys, then you're certain to love this great Etch-A-Sketch artwork of him created by artist George Vlosich III. It took over 150 hours to complete. Now that's some dedicated etching. He also has some great ones of the president and other celebrities on his site.

Link Via BoingBoing

Looking for something delicious and creepy? Try these fantastic brain cupcakes. The flavor sounds blissful, combining chocolate brains, raspberry cake and cream cheese frosting. If only they posted the recipe.

Link Via Boing Boing

Better Business Bureau employee Kelvin Collins wanted to learn more about diploma mills and make a point about their uselessness, so he helped his cat Oreo receive a high school diploma from a diploma mill high school.

"Oreo's a really smart cat... She keeps up with current events," said Collins.

Apparently, Collins hardly even lied on the application.

"I did lie about one thing. You have to be 18 to take the test and Oreo is only two, but that could be 18 in cat years. Who knows?" he said.

Link Via Consumerist

New research has revealed that dogs are as intelligent as two year old children. The study pointed to border collies being the smartest breed, followed by poodles. Interestingly, the average dog also seems to have the social skills of teenage humans.

On average dogs can learn approximately 165 words. The more intelligent dogs can acquire a vocabulary awareness of around 250 words. In math skills, dogs are aware of numerical differences up to five digits and can calculate the difference.

Link Image Via nyominx