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2016/04/29

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For the 7th Year in a Row, 100% of Students from This School Are Going to College

Posted: 29 Apr 2016 04:00 AM PDT


(Photo: Urban Prep Academies)

Urban Prep Academies is a 3-campus all-boys school in Chicago. Six years ago, we told you about an impressive achievement of the school: every one of their graduating seniors was going to college.

That was followed by another year, and other. It's 2016, and for the seventh year in a row, every single senior has committed to a 4-year college. CBS Chicago (auto-start video) reports:

Founder and CEO of Urban Prep Tim King says the students have been admitted to more than 220 colleges and universities this year.

“We’ve got two guys going to my alma mater, Georgetown University, we have our first admit to Yale University this year,” said King. “We have students who’ve been admitted to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Morehouse College, schools all over the country. It’s a huge level of diversity in terms of the types of schools these young men will be going to in the fall.” […]

“Every year, I’m just wowed by these young men by what they are doing,” King said. “They really make me proud. We started Urban Prep with the goal of moving the needle when it comes to black male achievement and these guys proved to me, the city and the world every year, that we did the right thing when we founded Urban Prep ten years ago.”

-via Huffington Post

Everything Wrong With <i>Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens</i>

Posted: 29 Apr 2016 02:00 AM PDT

I’ve always subscribed to the idea that real Star Wars fans hate Star Wars, and they live to pick apart everything George Lucas ever did. That is apparently transferring to Disney. Now that the warm glow of a new Star Wars film has worn off, and critics all over have their hands on the home video, we get to hear about everything possible they can pick at. Hang on to your seats, the critique of The Force Awakens takes a whopping 19 minutes.  

(YouTube link)

Cinema Sins found quite a bit to criticize, while the best part of the video is just reliving those moments we recall from the first theater experience of Star Wars in years. -via Tastefully Offensive

Why The Punisher Is the Most Moral Character on <i>Daredevil</i>

Posted: 29 Apr 2016 12:00 AM PDT


(Image: Marvel Studios)

WARNING: Spoilers of season 2 of Daredevil.

Daredevil investigates a series of horrible mass murders committed against criminals in New York City, As he does so, the audience imagines that he is hunting down a sociopathic supervillain. Then we learn that this demented killer is a familiar character in the Marvel universe. It's Frank Castle--the Punisher.

Frank Castle is not a nice guy. But he's usually not presented as a mass murdering lunatic. 

As we learn about Castle's life, we can become sympathetic to him. But Stephen Gutowski of The Federalist goes further seeing Castle as a sympathetic character. He says that the Punisher the hero of the second season, if not the most moral character in it.

In the DC universe, the old question is "Why doesn't Batman just kill the Joker?" Doing so would make the world a better, safer place. Batman doesn't because he wants to rely on the criminal justice system. Daredevil has a similar view.

The Punisher has zero faith in the ability or willingness of the state to establish justice. So he'll do the necessary work himself. Gutowski writes:

Daredevil, who’s willing to break every law and ethical rule on the road to putting villains in useless prisons but unwilling to go any further, willingly participates in a vicious cycle that makes a mockery of justice. Allowing the revolving door of crime to continue ad infinitum is naive at best and immoral at worst. The Punisher realizes this and attempts to end the cycle instead.

When Daredevil asks him what he’s going to do, The Punisher responds, “I’ll do what’s required.” I think that sums it up pretty well. Heck, even Daredevil himself eventually admits the Punisher is right.

Is Castle's solution viable in our real world? Gutowski says that it has been at least once. When the corrupt Colombian government was unable to take down the drug lord Pablo Escobar, a brutal vigilante group called Los Pepes did:

The Colombian government formed its own pseudo-military force, the search bloc, to fight Escobar, but it was never as effective as Los Pepes. Los Pepes killed and intimidated Escobar’s closest allies and associates. They applied the pressure that forced Escobar into hiding and, eventually, into the gunfire of the search bloc, who killed him.

Los Pepes operated in a reality where there were no good options and vigilantism may well have been justified. Like the Punisher, they did what was required. Of course, the Punisher wasn’t exactly like Los Pepes. He was better, actually. Los Pepes is thought to have attacked Escobar’s family members and likely included rival drug dealers among their ranks. The Punisher is a decorated veteran who’s motivated by the tragic murder of his family and only kills criminals he knows to be murderers themselves.

Gutowski argues that the Punisher is the Los Pepes of the Marvel universe--a necessary extreme measure.

-via Jonah Goldberg

POLL: Do you agree with Gutowski's argument?

  • No, Castle stepped beyond what was a reasonable response in an orderly society.
  • Yes, Castle did what was necessary.
  • Just show me the poll results.

Beetle Named After Chewbacca

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 11:00 PM PDT

A group of scientists have described four new species of weevil beetles found in Papua New Guinea. One of them was named Trigonopterus chewbacca, after the Wookiee we all know and love from Star Wars. The other beetles have names that don’t relate to any pop culture franchise. The names were reported in the journal ZooKeys.  

Researchers said that they named the weevil after the Wookiee because of its dense scales on the head and legs, which “reminds the authors of Chewbacca’s dense fur.”

Yeah, right. Dense scales. They were just looking for an excuse to name a species after a Star Wars character. But that’s a legitimate desire, as far as I’m concerned.  

(Imagecredit: Van Dam, Laufa, Riedel)

How the Tank Got Its Name

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:00 PM PDT


(Photo: Mark Holloway)

During World War I, warring nations developed large, heavily armored, self-propelled vehicles that could support infantry attacks. They called these war machines "tanks." Why?

It was the British who came up with the name. The engineers wanted the vehicles to remain a secret from the Germans, so they told workers assembing them that these machines they were building would be used to carry water onto the battlefield. They were mobile water tanks. The History Channel (auto-start video) explains:

To keep the project secret from enemies, production workers were reportedly told the vehicles they were building would be used to carry water on the battlefield (alternate theories suggest the shells of the new vehicles resembled water tanks). Either way, the new vehicles were shipped in crates labeled “tank” and the name stuck.

-via TYWKIWDBI

16 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Plastic Surgeons

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:00 PM PDT

Unless you yourself are a plastic surgeon, there’s probably a lot you don’t know about what they do. The specialty was born to help those who were wounded in war, but is now heavily supported by people who want to look better. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but most of us will never be able to afford such surgery, or else are unwilling to undergo surgery without a medical reason. But you might very well be interested in this fascinating career and the details that go with it.

3. THEY’RE DRAWING LANDMARKS ON YOU.

Watch enough reality television and you’ll eventually spot a plastic surgeon taking a black marker to the bare torso of a patient. Matthew Schulman, M.D., a plastic surgeon based in Manhattan, says that surgeons are basically acting as topographers, marking areas of the body that may change shape or become less visible when a patient is lying down. “We’re drawing landmarks for ourselves because a person looks different when on the table,” he says. “I might circle where the fat is thickest, or where the nipple is while standing.” No special medical ink is used: It’s just a Sharpie.

10. THEY WORK WITH WITNESS PROTECTION.

That gangster-movie cliché of having to modify your face to avoid being spotted after offering damning testimony? It’s true. Kress has operated on several government witnesses, and they can forget about follow-up visits. “I’ve had Federal Marshals come in and tell me, ‘This is the only time you’re going to see this guy, so give him whatever instructions he needs,’” he says. Kress has also worked on covert military operatives who have had their name and image published in media and run the risk of being recognized.

Those are just two of the 16 secrets of plastic surgeons that you can learn about at mental_floss.

(Image credit: © Photographer - James C. Mutter/Facial Plastic Surgeon Babak Azizadeh, MD)

A New <i>Watership Down</i> Movie Is in Development

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 08:00 PM PDT

When Richard Adams's first novel was published in 1972, one critic wrote "I announce with trembling excitement the looks of an exceptional story." This was Watership Down, a masterfully crafted tale of adventure, courage, tyranny, and freedom.

The characters are rabbits.

This surprised readers, especially those who suspected that they were reading a children's novel. But there is war, death, and cruelty in Watership Down, a thoroughly adult story. It enthralled an entire generation and became a bestseller.

Watership Down became a movie in 1978 and an animated television series in 2001. Now Adams's famous story is returning to the big screen. Deadline reports that Neflix and the BBC plan to turn it into an animated miniseries. They've recruited the best actors for it, including John Boyega of Star Wars, James McAvoy of X-Men, and Ben Kingsley of Ghandi.

As a devoted fan of Richard Adams's work, I'm thrilled. Watership Down, though not deep, is a truly perfect novel. If you've enjoyed it, I suggest also reading Adams's greatest and most neglected novel, Shardik. You may also enjoy Adams's autobiography, which describes the real-life people that inspired Hazel and Bigwig.

-via The Mary Sue

Regular Double Date - Last Night I Dreamt Of A Cartoon Picnic In The Park

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:00 PM PDT


Regular Double Date by Prime Premne

It's hard to enjoy a day at the park with all those critters hanging around, but at least their antics are hilarious to watch. Wait- did that bluebird just say "Mordecai" and "Rigby"? What kind of park critters are these?! Oh, according to the info center these critters are special, and used to star in their own TV show. And we're not supposed to feed them or they may become manic and hostile...whoops!

Don't add some regular old cartoon shirt to your geeky wardrobe, bring home this spectacular Regular Double Date t-shirt by Prime Premne instead!

Visit Prime Premne's Facebook fan page and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more delightfully geeky designs:

Bikini Bottom BenthosAttack The PeoplePrimorpha DracozordusThe Verminator

View more designs by Prime Premne | More Cartoon 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!

Prince’s Killer Legacy of Hairstyles

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:00 PM PDT

Prince not only came out with a new album every year (sometimes more than that), but he also changed his look, especially his hair, just as often. Artist Gary Card illustrated those looks in purple paint for every year between 1978 and 2013. That’s a lot of purple paint. See them all at Visual News. -via Everlasting Blort

Heroic Dog Rescues 2 Children from House Fire

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:00 PM PDT

The home of police officer Margo Feaser of Longwood, Florida caught on fire on Monday night. Neighbors smashed in windows to give Feaser an escape route from the home, which was rapidly filling with smoke.

Feaser got out, as did her dog and her husband, who promptly collapsed on the front lawn. But their 4 and 2-year old children were still inside.

Maxx, the family's German Shepherd mix, led firefighters back inside to the location of the kids. The entire family, including the dog, suffered severe smoke inhalation. But they're all alive, thanks to Maxx the dog. The Orlando Sentinel quotes Deputy Sheriff Dennis Lemma:

"The family canine was just absolutely remarkable leading firefighters inside," Lemma said. "It absolutely saved their lives."

Lemma said the Sheriff's Office is grateful for the quick-actions of neighbors and fire crews, but also called the deputy a hero.

"She came out and her No.1 concern was to get back in there and save those kids," Lemma said. "She's a hero and acted as such."

-via Ace of Spades HQ

An Indoor Castle Fort

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:00 PM PDT

That area of your house that has a slant roof over it is pretty useless. It’s often only good for storage, and in this case it had two closets, but they didn’t hold much. So MetalMan83 transformed that spot into a castle fort as a gift for his daughter’s fifth birthday, with doors and lights and a lookout tower! See a series of images from the building process at imgur. He’s a pretty handy dad. Look at how he decorated the nursery for his younger daughter.

<i>Firefly</i> Dungeons & Dragons Character Sheets

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 04:00 PM PDT

I think that Captain Mal Reynolds is more likely to be chaotic good, or possible chaotic neutral (he did kick a guy into a running engine). But I agree that you shouldn't cross him when he's equipped with his pretty floral bonnet.

Geek and Sundry, which previously created Dungeons & Dragons character sheets for Harry Potter characters, now brings Firefly into the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Here you can find stats for Jayne, Inara, and Kaylee. 

-via Nerd Approved

Homemade Hoverbike

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:00 PM PDT

Inventor and crazy man Colin Furze has built himself a dual-rotor hovercraft out of two gas engines and a couple of fans. It has no seat, no steering, and no brakes, but it flies! Do I have to add that you shouldn’t try this at home?

(YouTube link)

Why doesn’t it have those things? They couldn’t add an ounce more weight, or it wouldn’t have been able to take off. You can see his plans in this video and some of the early tests in this one. -via Digg

Traveler Shares Photos Of North Korea's Rarely Seen Pyongyang Metro

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:00 PM PDT

A few different sets of photos taken in North Korea have been shared online lately, and these rare pics are shaping the way we see life in that mysterious country we know so little about.

And even though we're inclined to believe photos taken in North Korea will be full of horror and suffering the pics show a country functioning much like any other.

Pyongyang even has a metro system which Kim Jong-Un will occasionally talk about with pride, an underground railway which few foreigners have ever seen until Elliott Davies shared his photos online.

Elliott begins his photographic tour of the Pyongyang metro with this video showing what it's like to enter the station and ride the 110 meter long escalator down into the nuclear bunker/subway station.

(Vimeo Link)

See Stopping All Stations - The Pyongyang Metro here

Bald Lamb Given Fluffy Sweater

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 01:00 PM PDT

A lamb born without fleece at a farm in Chilton Foliat in Wiltshire, UK, was rejected by his mother. It was just too odd. Farmhand Sally-Ann Fisher says they named the lamb Skippy because he looks like a kangaroo. He’s now being hand-raised by humans.

Ms Fisher, who farms with her partner near Ramsbury, said the lamb had been born 10 days ago but they were "not aware" that its lack of wool was a condition or a "health problem".

"He's just unlucky, but he's doing great," she said.

They don’t yet know whether Skippy will be hairless for life, but he’s already got the next best thing -a coat made out of a fluffy old white sweater. It will not only keep him warm, but may make him look more like the other sheep on the farm. -via Arbroath

Ten Things You Should Know About The Reptilian Elite Conspiracy

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:00 PM PDT

Conspiracy theories don't come much more cold blooded than the Reptilian Elite theory, which states that members of an ancient reptilian bloodline secretly rule the world.

The theory was posited and popularized by former BBC sports writer turned “son of God” David Icke back in 1999, and now an estimated twelve million Americans believe lizard people are pulling the strings.

Believers don't agree on where the Reptilian Elite came from (some say a distant planet, others say they've been on Earth since before mankind), but they all agree the Reptilian Elite are the scaly bastards behind the New World Order.

Read 10 Things You Should Know About The Reptilian Conspiracy Theory here

Rotating Bookcase Made from Recycled Sinks

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 11:00 AM PDT

There’s a lot going on here. This is the Sink-Wall, a pivoting room divider (also called a “door”) made from 20 stainless steel kitchen sinks. Each sink also serves as a storage or display unit for books or other objects. Lot-ek Architects designed and built two of these units for Edizioni Press in Chelsea, New York City. The users no doubt learned that you can’t pivot a bookcase quickly, or you’ll have to pick up books from the floor. This is just one example of recycling odd castaways into new furniture. See more of them in the post Five Incredible Pieces of Furniture Made from Recycled Parts.

Everyday Objects Look Virtually Unrecognizable In Macro Photos

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:00 AM PDT

It's funny to think that all we have to do to render something we see every day unrecognizable is zoom in real close to the object with a macro lens.

We're not used to seeing foods, toiletries and other things hanging around our house from a bug's point of view, but when you see that everyday object from way too close it becomes an awesome alien world.

Experimental artist Pyanek has been exploring the worlds we can only see with the help of a macro lens in his series Amazing Worlds Within Our World, see if you can guess which everyday items are featured in the video.

(YouTube Link)

See more Stunning Unrecognizable Macro Photographs Of Everyday Objects here

The Pork Awakens - A Fleece Force For Good

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT


The Pork Awakens by Kenny Durkin

The rest of the gang were a bit hesitant about the merger, but Miss Piggy was really looking forward to linking up with the big D for one reason and one reason only- the opportunity to star in her favorite sci-fi movie series. She'd been doing Pigs In Space on the Muppet Show for years, but the premises were never about wars or powerful women with psychic powers so she felt like her acting abilities were being underused. But when Kermit came to her all worried about the new corporate merger Piggy got stars in her eyes and forced Kermit to sign the paperwork immediately!

Show the world the fleecy side of the SW universe with this The Pork Awakens t-shirt by Kenny Durkin, it's spicier than a kissing scene with Link Hogthrob and sure to earn you more than a few fans!

Visit Kenny Durkin's Facebook fan page, official website and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more action packed designs:

Prawn SoloThe Amphibian CandidateThe Big BowwowskiRowlf's Tavern

View more designs by Kenny Durkin | More Movie 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!

Firefighters 1, Police 0

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT

A group of Kansas City, Missouri, police officers found themselves stuck in an elevator. We can only speculate how long they sat there discussing their situation before they broke down and called emergency services. The Kansas City Fire Department responded, and couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the rescue. This picture will no doubt be on the wall of every firehouse in the midwest. If Kansas City puts out a fireman’s calendar, it will be on that, too. -via reddit

Pop Culture Characters Looking Right At Home In The Real World

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 08:00 AM PDT

When pop culture characters become a part of our lives we wish they were real so we can hang out with them, knowing full well they'll never make the leap into our real 3D world.

But imagination is what brought these characters to life, so perhaps a bit of imaginative thinking is all it takes to bring them out of the land of 2D, well, that and a little digital image compositing.

A bunch of Russian artists have been contributing amazing composite images to a community page called 2D Among Us, and their creations are nothing short of spectacular.

Their shared images run the full gamut of fandom, including live action movies, video games and, of course, classic 2D animation, all of which looks right at home in the real world.

Stuck In The Real World: Characters From Cartoons And Movies Placed In The Real World

Desert Critters

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:00 AM PDT

A desert fox only wants to devote his time looking for something to eat, like most wild creatures do, but this annoying young fennec fox kit named Nibbles wants to be buddies or something. What’s a fox to do?

(vimeo link)

The story is simple and classic, the desert animation is lovely, and the foxes are cute. Enjoy CalArts student Li Wen Toh’s latest film. -via Digg

Laura Keeble's Stained Glass Pop Art

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:00 AM PDT

Laura Keeble, a British artist, takes stained glass from old churches and turns it into everyday objects. This McDonald's Happy Meal becomes a symbol of the Eucharist titled The Glass Supper. In other pieces, memorial church glass becomes a security camera and a phone booth becomes a confessional.

These works express Keeble's fascination with how certain physical forms establish and distinguish between the sacred and the profane. In an interview for the Lawrence Alkin Gallery, she explains:

I've been interested in the use of stained glass and the ecclesiastical language of sacred and holy relics/objects for some time.

I find the aspect of ‘magical thinking’ a very interesting thought process, that no matter what culture we originate from this thought that an object can have such divine powers as to control a situation externally from itself has thrived for centuries. Stained glass in particular was originally used by the church to convey the stories of the bible for parishioners who were unable to read but also the view was that when the light from the sun shone through the images of the biblical stories, it was some how purified and made sacred. […]

I decided to create glass CCTV’s to examine the omnipresence. The idea of being watched everywhere by a control. The aspect of not ever questioning an authority and the feeling that you must follow a set of rules or face the consequences. The feelings of guilt and fear are very much promoted in our society and the idea that we need to be watched at all times incase something bad happens or we do something bad is an interesting way of creating a false sense of safety.

Although it's not stained glass, I can't resist adding this great visual pun that Keeble made. It shows Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady," as a literal iron. 

-via Hi-Fructose
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