Neatorama

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• The Knights Templar
• Grilling on Top of a Moving Submarine
• Wizard Of Oz The Short Version - Talk About A Grim Fairy Tale!
• Misconceptions About Driving
• Ten Nonfiction Books that will Spark Conversation in 2015
• The Forbidden Places & Subterranean Secrets of 10 Big Cities
• News Stories Summarized with LEGO Minifigs
• The Cat’s Revenge
• Worst Job Title Ever
• Father and Son Fun: Dads and Their Mini-mes
• Lonesome George (A Musical Memorial)
• 5 Brilliant Product Concepts by Steven M. Johnson
• Tillie Klimek, High Priestess of the Bluebeard Clique
• The Brock - Adventures In Bros Sitting
• Hospital Opens a Bar for Science, But There's a Catch ...
• Parents Talk To Kids About The Birds And The Bees For The First Time
• Camouflaged
• <i>Doctor Who</i> in the Style of Dr. Seuss
• Zombie Brains Rice Krispie Treats

The Knights Templar Posted: 12 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST The following is an article from the book Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again. Start with nine very determined knights and a couple of sacred oaths. Add a jealous and vindictive king, a puppet pope, a mysterious wagon train, and a medieval “celebrity roast,” and you get the amazing -and sometimes bizarre- story of the warrior-monks known as the Knights Templar. At the end of the First Crusade (1095-1099), the Christian armies of Europe had succeeded in wresting control of the Holy Land and the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. But very soon afterward, the Muslims started winning battles and regaining some of their lands, which made traveling to the Holy Land from Europe a perilous undertaking for pilgrims and non pilgrims alike. In 1118, nine knights, concerned for the welfare of the Christian pilgrims, bound themselves together in the creation of a knightly order of warrior-monks called the Knights Templar. The order’s full name -the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon- was a reference to the Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem, where the Templars were stationed when they took their vows. They vowed to consecrate their swords and their very lives to the defense of the Christian faith, and to live humbly and simply according to the monkish dictates of poverty, chastity, and humility. THE PRICE OF ADMISSION Candidates seeking to join the Knights Templar had to prove that they came from noble families or that their father was a knight. Potential Templars also had to be at a least 21, unmarried, and free of all obligations, including debt. Eventually, the competition for admission was so great that the candidates had to pay a very high fee to get in, making it increasingly difficult for anyone but the well-heeled (mostly noblemen) to apply. In addition to fully-armed knights, there were originally three other categories of Templars: the sergeants, who formed the light cavalry; the farmers, entrusted with the administration of the Knights Templar’s affairs; and the chaplains, charged with ministering to the spiritual needs of the order. Another one of their vows was to swear complete and utter obedience to their boss, the grand master (who answered only to the pope). MONKS WITH MUSCLE The Templar knights were the shock troops of the Crusader forces. They rarely wielded the largest force in any particular battle. But the effectiveness of medieval armies was often determined not by numerical superiority, but by training and equipment. Weight of armor, rigor of discipline, and sophistication of battle tactics (all of which the Templars had on their side, and their opponents, for the most part, didn’t) proved to be as decisive as firepower would be later. When the Templars went into battle -a mere dozen fully armed knights, charging on heavy horses- they would function like 20th-century tanks, easily scattering a force of 200 or 300 Saracens (the Crusaders’ name for Muslim soldiers). A massed charge of 100 mounted knights could crush 3,000 adversaries. NO RETREAT, NO NOTHING When taken prisoner, the Templars (if they were lucky) were told they might be allowed to live -on the condition that they renounce their faith. At the siege of Safed, in Palestine in 1264, ninety Templars met their death in battle; 80 others were taken prisoner and told their lives would be spared if they denied Christ. They refused and were executed. This fidelity to their faith, although very admirable, cost the Templars dearly. Overall, it’s been estimated that in less than two centuries, almost 20,000 Templars -knights and sergeants- perished in war. This death toll could also be attributed to one of their most solemn vows: when in battle, no matter what the odds, they swore not to retreat. AND THEY WERE WELL MANORED TOO Remember those other vows the Templars swore? To live like monks and obey the vows of poverty and humility? Apparently, someone needed to remind them. Within a few decades of their founding, the Knights Templar had become -perhaps with the exception of the papacy- the most powerful, most prestigious, and most apparently unshakable institution of its age. And the foundation of this tremendous power and influence was money. From 1128 (a mere decade after the organization’s founding) onward, the order began expanding at an extraordinary pace, taking in not just new members recruited from the noblest houses of Europe, but also huge donations of money, property, and arms. Because they were under the pope’s protection -and were themselves designated the protectors of the Christian faith- kings, princes, and church officials were, shall we say, obliged to give freely. Within another year or so, the Knights Templar owned vast tracts of land in France, Scotland, England, Spain, and Portugal. Another decade passed, and their possessions extended to Italy, Austria, Germany, and Hungary, and as far east as Egypt and Constantinople (modern day Istanbul), as wells Palestine. By the late 12th century, their European possessions alone numbered more than 7,000 estates. These were mostly manors, farms, churches, monasteries, and castles -all of which generated considerable revenue. MONKS WITH MUSCLE AND MONEY… (Image credit: Pline) Since the Templars had so many well-fortified castles scattered through Europe (more than 800 of them, at one point), these were logical places for noblemen to deposit their wealth when they went on crusades to the Holy Land. A nobleman would naturally take only the ablest men and would have to leave his treasure only lightly guarded. So the Templar castles became natural places to leave money -especially since they were populated by warrior-monks who’d sworn a vow of poverty. Being the good businessmen they were, the Templars even gave the noblemen a letter of draft with a secret code that could only be recognized by Templars -sort of like the personal identification number you get with a bank card. They could then present the letter and code to any Templar castle along the way and withdraw gold in coins that were used in that particular area. So the Templars became the de facto bankers of Europe. …AND TAX EXEMPT STATUS The order was exempt from all taxes, as well as tolls on roads, bridges, and rivers. The Templars could offer sanctuary, like any church of the day, or convene their own courts to try local cases. They ran their own markets and fairs, pocketing most of the proceeds. Their many commercial activities included the operation of farms, vineyards, and mines. At the peak of their power, the Templars handled much, if not most, of the available capital in all of Western Europe. They also lent money and collected interest (a practice expressly forbidden under church law) on a massive scale. The English monarchs, for example, were chronically in debt to the Templars. A RISING STAR Let’s introduce an actual Knight Templar. Jacques de Molay was one of the up-and-comers of the Templar organization in the 13th century. Born in France in the duchy of Burgundy to a noble but poor family, he joined the Templars in 1265 at age 21. Like those before him, Jacques had most likely joined the Templars in hopes of doing glorious battle with the enemies of Christendom (he did see some action in Syria). But the fame-and-fortune bit may have also served as a motivator. UP THE ORGANIZATION On his way up the ladder of Templar success, he was named English master of the temple (the head Templar in England). By 1291, de Molay had moved from England to the island of Cyprus, which, more than 100 years earlier, Richard the Lionhearted had sold to the Knights Templar (and you didn’t even know he owned Cyprus, did you?). Jacques de Molay was elevated to the office of 23rd grand master of the Knights Templar sometime in the 1290s. He stayed in Cyprus until fate put him on a collision course with the evil and powerful king who wanted to destroy him -and the Knights Templar. The knights had some very powerful enemies, notably King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V. Philip was enormously ambitious both for himself and for his country, and had little compunction about crushing anyone or anything that stood in his way. (His nickname, “Philip the Fair,” referred to his good looks -he was tall and handsome, with long blond hair and blue eyes- and not his political modus operandi.) PHILIP THE UNFAIR He’d already engineered the kidnapping and murder of one pope, Boniface VIII, and is widely believed to have orchestrated the death, probably by poison, of another (Benedict XI). By 1305 he’d installed his own puppet pope, Clement V, on the papal throne, which had been moved to Avignon, France (its a long story). Anyway, with the pope in his pocket, the French king had the latitude he needed to move against the organization whose wealth and power he covered: the Knights Templar. (In addition to greed, the king had a personal grudge against the knights. He’d asked to be received into the order as an honorary Templar -the kind of status previously conferred upon Richard the Lionhearted- and had been insultingly refused.) The official reason for Philip’s displeasure with the Knights Templar was that they were a bunch of heretics who indulged in a variety of “perversions” at their secret ceremonies. The Templars, it was alleged, worshipped demonic powers. They were accused of infanticide, and if that wasn’t bad enough, of engaging in “obscene kissing” at their initiation ceremonies. What really happened at these ceremonies? This much is known: When a new knight was admitted to the order, the secret proceedings began with the candidates answering a long series of questions designed to determine whether he was truly ready to swear complete obedience to the Templars. If the candidate passed this test, he was admitted. The white mantle of the order (a loose, sleeveless cloak) stamped with the red cross of the Crusaders was placed by the master over the neck of the candidate. Then the master kissed the new entrant on the mouth. To end the ceremony, the master delivered a lengthy sermon on the duties of every Templar. THE OLD “SATANIC RITUALS” CHARGE One charge leveled against the Templars stands out as the most bizarre and improbable. These soldiers of Christ, who had fought and laid down their lives for Christendom by the thousands, were accused of ritually denying Christ and of trampling and spitting on the cross. These charges, like most of the aforementioned accusations, were in all likelihood fabricated. No matter. With his laundry list of charges and the blessing of the pope, Philip the Fair planned a secret operation designed to strike a swift and lethal blow to the Templar’s organization. Philip and Clement V summoned Jacques de Molay to France -supposedly to discuss a new crusade to retake the Holy Land- in the autumn of 1307. FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE PREQUEL In a dawn raid on Friday, October 13, 1307, Philip’s forces captured and arrested de Molay and many of his brethren in Paris and throughout France, apparently without a hint of struggle or protest. There has never been a definitive explanation of why the Templars, who were reputed to be such fierce warriors on the battlefield, went into captivity so meekly. A lot of evidence suggests that de Molay and his men had been tipped off in advance of the supposedly super secret raids. Although exact numbers are impossible to come by, many knights apparently remained at large -as did the entire Templar fleet of ships, which appeared to have vanished, along with whatever loot it may have been carrying (probably most of the Templar’s loot). Another possible clue lies in the story of the number of wagons, rumored to be loaded with Templar treasure, which was seen leaving Paris a week before the mass arrests. Some believe that the unlucky ones such as de Molay were willing to stay behind to face whatever fate had in store in order to protect whatever was in those wagons. Speaking of luck: the superstition that Friday the 13th is a day of misfortune is believed to stem from Philip’s raids against the Knights Templar on that date. PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES Philip had no actual proof of his accusations -because Templar meetings and initiations were held in highest secrecy- so he had to resort to torture in order to get the confessions he wanted. Seventy-two Templars in France eventually “confessed” to the aforementioned perversions and heresies against the church, but 54 of them later recanted. Philip declared that the 54 were heretics and had them all burned at the stake. A COALITION OF ONE Philip’s efforts to badger other European leaders into joining him in his persecution of the Templars met with limited success. In Lorraine, which today is in France but was part of Germany at the time, the reigning Duke supported the Templars; a few were tried and quickly exonerated. Most Templars simply shaved their beards, dressed like civilians, and melted away into the local populace -who, significantly enough, did not betray them. In the rest of Germany, the Templars defied their would-be judges, appearing in court fully armed. Thoroughly intimidated, the judges promptly pronounced them innocent. In both Germany and Spain, whole new orders were created as a refuge for fugitive Templars. In Scotland Robert Bruce was getting ready to fight the English and he needed all the help he could get. It’s rumored that he ignored the papal order to arrest the Templars and welcomed them into his army. In Portugal, the Templars were cleared by an inquiry and simply modified their name, becoming the Knights of Christ. (Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese sea captain and explorer who commanded the first fleet to reach India from Europe and in the 1490s, was a Knight of Christ.) GOOD KNIGHT, JACQUES After his arrest on that morning in October, 1307, de Molay spent nearly seven years in prison. Pope Clement officially abolished the Knights Templar in March 1312, after which most of the knights still being held were released, but de Molay wasn’t so lucky. Even though he confessed to denying Christ and trampling on the Holy Cross, he steadfastly denounced any accusations that his order’s initiation ritual consisted of homosexual practices. On March 18, 1314, de Molay was paraded before the populace to publicly confess his and his order’s sins, But he refused to play ball. Instead, he withdrew his earlier confessions and said that the only crime he was guilty of was lying about his so-called sins in order to end the torture to which he was subjected. Understandably, this did not sit well with either Philip or the pope. A CURSE ON YOUR MAISON After this disappointing performance (to Philip, that is), the French king had Grand Master de Molay roasted slowly on a spit over burning coals. Scholars have claimed that, as de Molay burned in agony, he cordially invited both King Philip and Pope Clement to meet him before God within a year. Sure enough, both of them died within a year of de Molay’s death. Whether de Molay actually made this statement will forever remain a mystery. As will that question of the scheduled meeting in heaven. THE MYTH LIVES ON Jacques de Molay’s death in 1314 signaled the end of the Knights Templar as a formal -and formidable- organization. But in the centuries that followed their mystique only seemed to intensify; it’s even speculated that the Templars traveled to North America before Columbus. In any case, the surviving Templars were no doubt peeved at Philip and Clement for their treachery, so their navy declared guerrilla war on all French ships. The naval battle flag of the Templars is familiar to everyone even today. After all, who hasn’t seen a black flag with a white skull and crossbones? ______________________________ The article above is reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again. The book is a compendium of entertaining information chock-full of facts on a plethora of history topics. Uncle John's first plunge into history was a smash hit - over half a million copies sold! And this sequel gives you more colorful characters, cultural milestones, historical hindsight, groundbreaking events, and scintillating sagas. Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. Check out their website here: Bathroom Reader Institute

Grilling on Top of a Moving Submarine Posted: 12 Jan 2015 04:00 AM PST Redditor shanbuscus offers this photo of his dad on top of HMAS Onslow, a diesel submarine operated by Australia's navy from 1968 to 1999. It's now on display and open to visitors at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. In the comments, other redditors who were submariners describe at great length what submarine air smells like after a lengthy cruise. -via Twisted Sifter

Wizard Of Oz The Short Version - Talk About A Grim Fairy Tale! Posted: 12 Jan 2015 03:00 AM PST Wizard Of Oz- The Short Version by Mike Jacobsen There's an alternate version of Baum's beloved book locked away in some private collection somewhere that's much shorter than the original, one that tells a much darker tale about Dorothy. The wizard really doesn't come into play in this version, because those denizens of Oz the lion, tin man and scarecrow just take what they need from the poor girl and leave her for carrion! Needless to say this version didn't test well with audiences, and L. Frank frankly wasn't a fan himself, so it was locked away never to see the light of day, until now... Show the world how their favorite fantasy tale could have gone with this Wizard Of Oz- The Short Version t-shirt by Mike Jacobsen, it reinforces the fact that there truly is no place like home if you want to keep your body parts right where they belong! Visit Mike Jacobsen's Facebook fan page, official website, Tumblr and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more frightfully good designs: Sizzlin' Chicken Goldilocks Phone Home Bad! View more designs by Mike Jacobsen | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Misconceptions About Driving Posted: 12 Jan 2015 03:00 AM PST (YouTube link) I’ve always thought that changing oil every 3,000 miles was just propaganda from oil companies, but I’d be a little nervous about going 7 to 10 thousand miles between oil changes. Honestly, I never changed my oil for my first twenty years of driving, because every car I owned leaked so much that I was constantly adding new oil anyway. Then for the second twenty years of car ownership, I’ve relied on others for car maintenance, so when I suggested putting water in the battery the other day, my husband laughed. Apparently, we don’t do that anymore. In this week’s Misconceptions video from mental_floss, we learn some other things you’ve heard about cars and driving that aren’t necessarily so. -via mental_floss

Ten Nonfiction Books that will Spark Conversation in 2015 Posted: 12 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST Today via social media, not only is it possible for an individual to make waves in the public image of a small business or large corporation, but an average person can — with one bad decision or incidence of less-than-stellar behavior — negatively impact their life and reputation for the long term. The book cover pictured above is So You've Been Publicly Shamedby Jon Ronson. Inspired by the author's 2012 online identity theft, after which he confronted the criminals, Ronson takes an indepth look at being publicly shamed on social media in present-day society. According to pre-sale reviews, Ronson's treatment of the topic is both hard-hitting and handled with humor. The book is scheduled to publish and be shipped in March of this year.  Read about nine more non-fiction titles that will spark conversations in 2015 at Geeks Are Sexy.

The Forbidden Places & Subterranean Secrets of 10 Big Cities Posted: 12 Jan 2015 01:00 AM PST You can explore a city all day and night, but if you don’t go underground, there’s still more than meets the eye. Every large city has underground infrastructure, for transportation, communication, utilities, etc, but some have even more. Find out what underground secrets metropolitan areas are hiding, like the gloriously-decorated water reservoir under Istanbul, the network of nuclear shelters underneath Beijing, or the mine shafts beaneath Odessa. The Odessa Catacombs started out as a system of natural caves, which were then expanded rapidly due to mining operations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Smugglers too, were known to frequent this subterranean realm so close to the Black Sea coast. When the Nazis invaded Odessa in 1941, the Red Army retreated north towards Russia; but as many as 6,000 Soviet partisans remained, hiding out in the tunnels beneath the city. From here they would launch surprise attacks on the occupying forces, destroying factories, stores and convoys before disappearing back into the labyrinth… and many would remain down there, right up until the Soviets returned to liberate Odessa in 1944. Beijing Underground City was open to the public for a few years, but since it’s off-limits now, you can see it only in pictures. Those you will find, along with the stories of nine other cities and their subterranean secrets, at Urban Ghosts. (Image credit: The Bohemian Blog)

News Stories Summarized with LEGO Minifigs Posted: 12 Jan 2015 12:00 AM PST On Wednesday, a Pennsylvania grand jury indicted a jail guard with forcing prisoners to play patty-cake and hug each other. Here's the gist of that story summarized by The Short News, a site that presents the news with LEGO minifigs. Its Instagram account is filled with these carefully selected and arranged toys. On June 30 of this year, a leap second will be added to calendars, jumping time recording forward precisely one second. Some people are worried about what this will do to computer networks. A Brazilian man was stabbed in the head. He jumped on his motorcycle and rode it for 2 hours until he arrived at the hospital--all while the knife was still embedded in his skull. Police in Colorado arrested a man for pointing a banana at them. New York City municipal employee was suspended for repeatedly answering the phone in a robotic voice. Police in Australia used a rowboat and golf carts to chase a robbery suspect. -via Jonah Goldberg

The Cat’s Revenge Posted: 11 Jan 2015 10:00 PM PST (YouTube link) Sometimes the overwhelming urge to pet a cat will trump common sense. This cat obviously does not want to be petted, but the guy is so determined that he puts an oven mitt on his hand. The cat is having none of it. The man should’ve stopped while he was ahead, but no, he had to go and invade the cat’s sense of space and dignity. The cat chases him completely out of the house! I thought, well, he won’t be back for a while. But that wasn’t enough for the cat: stay until the end of the video for even more feline payback. -via Viral Viral Videos

Worst Job Title Ever Posted: 11 Jan 2015 08:00 PM PST Chelsea Krost is a millennial, which means a 20-something who is often derided by grumpy members of older generations, including mine. She bills herself as a millennial lifestyle expert and she appeared in that capacity as a guest on ABC's Good Morning America. In this segment, which you can watch here, Krost responds to the question, "It it okay to stalk your ex on Facebook?" -via David Burge, who quips, "What would we do without experts?"

Father and Son Fun: Dads and Their Mini-mes Posted: 11 Jan 2015 06:00 PM PST In a traditional nuclear family, Daddy is an important figure in all his children's lives, but the bond between father and son is particularly strong. Dad is generally son's first image of masculinity, of a worldviiew that's exclusively male. Sons imprint what is acceptable and respectful behavior for a male and how to interact with the opposite sex. But much of the time, a dad is someone with whom to have fun adventures, whether at or far from home. These photos show dads and sons enjoying each other's company, creating perhaps the most cherished memories dads can provide.   See the rest of this sweet photo collection here.    Image: Alexander Image: dablju.mk   Image: imgur.com

Lonesome George (A Musical Memorial) Posted: 11 Jan 2015 04:00 PM PST (YouTube link) For years, Neatorama followed the story of Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island tortoise in the world. George died in 2012 at the age of 100-and-something, after quite a few unsuccessful attempts to breed him with other subspecies of Galapagos tortoises. He was recently stuffed. Here's a little song about Lonesome George from NPR's Skunk Bear. It seems to be a fitting tribute. I’d like to think that Lonesome George is cavorting with lovely female Pinta Island tortoises on that big island in the sky. -via Metafilter

5 Brilliant Product Concepts by Steven M. Johnson Posted: 11 Jan 2015 02:00 PM PST If rips and tears in trouser legs is considered cool looking, why couldn't we learn to like pre-damaged new cars? pic.twitter.com/l4WjaNJ2Pk — Steven M. Johnson (@jmnevets) December 18, 2014 Steven M. Johnson has a widely wandering mind. He's been an urban planner, a newspaper artist, and a trends analyst, among other careers. New ideas always draw his attention. He conceives of products that would benefit us all--or at least cunning marketers--if only they were put into action. For example, some people love to buy pre-damaged jeans. Wouldn't they also buy pre-damaged cars? My hunch is that this concept already exists. Maybe it would be bewildering, suggesting that tasks are never ending. pic.twitter.com/3VwG57WxWx — Steven M. Johnson (@jmnevets) December 3, 2014 Spectator sports are satisfying to fans, who identify with a particular team or player. I find the games boring! pic.twitter.com/bD6IVl1Exu — Steven M. Johnson (@jmnevets) November 25, 2014 No one ever thought to hire me as a TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS EXPERT, but I seem to want to offer solutions anyway: pic.twitter.com/Mq4oqhPYfo — Steven M. Johnson (@jmnevets) January 7, 2015 Survivalists expect things will go bad in US cities. I suggest they wear a Bike Vest at all times, just in case. pic.twitter.com/INbXelohch — Steven M. Johnson (@jmnevets) December 6, 2014 By the way: Steven Johnson once had a regular column at Neatorama: the Museum of Possibilities. Check it out for more playful designs.

Tillie Klimek, High Priestess of the Bluebeard Clique Posted: 11 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST Tillie Klimek spent a large part of her life cooking. The problem with that was that if she was mad at someone or if she was the beneficiary of life insurance, the recipe often included arsenic. By the time Klimek was arrested in 1922, she had three dead husbands and one in the hospital for arsenic poisoning, two dead children, one dead grandchild, a dead lover, and numerous dead cousins -all for whom she’d cooked meals. Her cousin Nellie Koulik, also a widow, was arrested for providing arsenic.   Since Chicago was so thoroughly out of control in the '20s, it's not surprising that Tillie's trial turned into something of a circus. On numerous occasions, the judge was forced to yell, "This is not a theater!" But the audience would have disagreed with him. Gossipy neighbors, three gravediggers, and a "lady undertaker" testified against Tillie, and just like Hamlet's gravediggers, they were hilarious. One gravedigger kept the audience in stitches by telling a scandalous story about Tillie's lover John, the one who would come over after Frank left for work. "Once I seen him kiss her," said the gravedigger, and when McLaughlin asked what happened next, the gravedigger replied, "Why then, Tillie put up some newspapers in front of the window, so I couldn't see in." Everybody cracked up at this part—even Tillie. Tillie Klimek was far from the only woman in Chicago in the 1920s to go to trial for murder, but her case differed from the others in that she wasn’t pretty, didn’t flirt with the court and newspaper reporters, and she didn’t beat the rap, like so many others did. Read the whole sordid story of the perennial widow and her sensational trial at Jezebel. -via Digg

The Brock - Adventures In Bros Sitting Posted: 11 Jan 2015 11:29 AM PST The Brock by Kgullholmen He's every henchman's worst nightmare- a man with an insatiable bloodlust and deadly moves who doesn't value human life, or heed cries of mercy, when he's in full blown massacre mode. They call him The Brock, and he's one mighty big reason why supervillainy is a bad career choice. When you encounter The Brock in the wild it's best to run away with your butterfly wings between your legs, so you'll live to ad-venture another day. But if he's already got you in his sights you should play dead and prepare to hurt real bad in the morning! Show your love of animated awesomeness with this The Brock t-shirt by Kgullholmen, and fans of the show will instantly become your bros! Visit Kgullholmen's Facebook fan page, Tumblr and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more mighty cool designs: Double R Cafe Romani Ite Domum We Can Kill It! Hench 4 Life View more designs by Kgullholmen | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Hospital Opens a Bar for Science, But There's a Catch ... Posted: 11 Jan 2015 11:29 AM PST Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and researcher Dr. Lorenzo Leggio posing at the hospital bar. Photo: Cliff Owen/AP ... and that catch is that it's completely fake. Instead of booze, the liquid inside the bottles is colored water (but to be extra sneaky, the researchers hid real alcohol nearby so the place smells authentic). The fake hospital bar is located inside the National Institutes of Health's hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. It's part of an experiment to test the safety of a new drug designed to help heavy alcohol drinkers to quit. "The goal is to create almost a real-world environment, but to control it very strictly," said researcher Dr. Lorenzo Leggio to Lexington Herald-Leader. Leggio's team is testing how the hormone ghrelin, which creates the hungry signal, also affects alcoholics' desire for alcohol and whether blocking it helps drinkers quit. Not really! Photo: Cliff Owen/AP But if you're craving for drinks while at the hospital, there's hope: all you have to do is move to France.

Parents Talk To Kids About The Birds And The Bees For The First Time Posted: 11 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST Children are born curious, and as soon as they discover that taboo subject called “sex” they can’t help but wonder why it is kept hidden from them and what it’s all about. However, they’re not always ready for the answers they receive, and when things get a bit too raw for young minds those curious kids get totally grossed out! (YouTube Link) This extremely entertaining vid by Cut Video shows the raw reactions of kids being told about the birds and the bees for the first time by their parents, proving that curiosity will lead to the death of your childhood innocence every time! -Via Dangerous Minds

Camouflaged Posted: 11 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Jackonsonville, Florida-based photographer Graham McGeorge searches wooded regions and swamps to find the owls shown here. These subjects are eastern screech owls that inhabit the Okefenokee Swamp area in Georgia. In an interview with My Modern Met, McGeorge said it takes “patience, a keen eye and a good ear” to make such wonderful captures.   Visit McGeorge's website to see more of his work.

<i>Doctor Who</i> in the Style of Dr. Seuss Posted: 11 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST DeviantART member DrFaustusAU has given us many pop icons drawn in the style of Dr. Seuss, like Cthulhu, Batman, and horror movie characters. Now we get thirteen Doctors from the Doctor Who universe drawn in the style of the other doctor, Dr. Suess! That’s the twelve that are numbered plus the War Doctor. Keep going for a better look at each individual Doctor. Part one. Part two. And part three. If these were in a real children's book, you'd buy it now, wouldn't you? -via Unreality magazine See more of DrFaustusAU’s artwork on Neatorama.

Zombie Brains Rice Krispie Treats Posted: 11 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST A good brain, like a good Rice Krispie treat, is sweet and sticky. You have to eat it quickly because they become too hard once they get stale. Amber of the food blog Rick A Bam Boo made these tasty undead treats with Rice Krispies, marshmallows, butter, red food coloring, and food gel. Eat them before they escape! -via Chloe Webber

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