the shiny side of life

manwigs:

Someone posted this on Facebook and I thought it was lovely… and look at how handsome these young men look in their uniforms. 

“Now why isn’t this in the headlines?

Chicago’s Urban Prep Academy (an all-male charter school) just pulled a THREE-PEAT announcing that ALL of their graduating seniors have been accepted into four-year colleges! 

Some folks have no faith in the educational system, but Urban Prep Academy on Chicago’s south side must be doing something right. Once again, 100% of its 2012 graduating seniors are heading off to college in the fall. And by the way, this school is the only all-Black, all-male public prep school in Chicago!

This is the third year in a row that the school has achieved the feat thanks to hard working teachers and parents and of course…the amazing students.”

(via hi-imcurrentlyobsessed)

amiry:

baranduin:

anditslove:

Terry Thompson, Muskingum County Animal Farm Owner, Allegedly Killed Self After Freeing Exotic Animals

Sheriff’s deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals – including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions – in a big-game hunt across the Ohio countryside Wednesday after the owner of an exotic-animal park threw their cages open and committed suicide in what appeared to be one last act of spite against his neighbors and police.

As homeowners nervously hid indoors, officers equipped with high-powered rifles and shoot-to-kill orders spread out through fields and woods to hunt down about 56 animals that had been set loose from the Muskingum County Animal Farm by its owner, Terry Thompson, before he shot himself to death Tuesday.

After an all-night hunt that extended into Wednesday afternoon, 48 animals had been killed and six captured alive and taken to the Columbus Zoo, authorities said. The only animals believed still on the loose were a wolf and a monkey.

#what the everloving fuck #why let all your animals loose because you decide to take your own life?! #why shoot them dead when you could have used tranquilizers?! #there is so much about this that angers and saddens me

This made me so fucking angry and sad and mostly angry because why was SHOOTING a bunch of ENDANGERED animals the solution for them being LOOSE? I HATE PEOPLE I HATE PEOPLE I HATE THEM SO. FUCKING. MUCH. The officers that shot these animals should pay. Lions, leopards, and ESPECIALLY FUCKING TIGERS are fucking endangered god damn species you cock sucking pieces of shit! And Jack Hanna DEFENDED this decision? I can’t even. WHY?! WHAT THE FUCK? This is such fucking bullshit and I need to stop now because I don’t think I can continue making sense on this subject. >:|

Seriously, though. ionsquare and I were just talking about this earlier, wondering why killing the animals were the first and only option. I understand time was of the essence, but why not try to trap them, or as said above, use tranquilizers?

And for Pete’s sake, WHY were these animals on an animal park? Were there professionals to handle them? I didn’t realize just how lax the laws are on this matter. The one constant thing I hear about wild animals is to stay away! They are not pets.  This picture is so sad and disturbing.

thedailywhat:

Earthquake of the Day: The United States Geological Survey is reporting a shallow earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 has just occurred 15km south of Mineral, VA.

The tremor was felt as far away and New York and Ohio. Government buildings in Washington D.C. are being evacuated as a precaution. There have been no immediate reports of injury or damage.

[usgs.]

UPDATE: USGS upgrades Virginia earthquake magnitude to 5.9 — largest on East Coast since May 5, 1897. Reportedly felt in Toronto. Depth revised to 0.6 miles underground. Still no major damage reported; USGS estimates 70% probability of “less than 1” fatality. Related: Colorado earthquake this morning was strongest in over 40 years.

London riots: Timeline and map of violence

• 4 August - Mark Duggan, 29, is shot dead by police at Ferry Lane, Tottenham. (profile)
• 6 August - Duggan’s family formally identify his body. Around 300 people gather outside Tottenham police station wanting “justice”. Bottles are being thrown and it begins.
  (it’s unclear who started. There are various reports online that give the blame to either the police or the protesters)
  Pictures: Tottenham before & after
  Article: Tottenham Riots - a peaceful protest, then suddenly all hell broke loose
• 7 August - Investigation starts after all the fires are under control. 26 police officers where injured, 55 arrests where made. Local MP David Lammy tells that community has “had the heart ripped out of it”. Later that day reports come of of windows being smashed and looting has started in various areas of London (Brixton, and more)
  Pictures: Further outbreaks of violence and looting in London
  Article: Second night of violence in London - and this time it was organised
• 8 August - Various police officers are injured. Scotland Yard talks about “copycat criminal activity across London in small and mobile groups.” Police talks about gangs of youth. Current reports in twitter talk of more riots in London, also possible in Birmingham (x) & Leeds.

Interesting reads (all from The Guardian):

• Brixton: could it happen again? 30 years after the riots
• Looting ‘fuelled by social exclusion’
• There is a context to London’s riots that can’t be ignored

Keep up to date:

• Guardian Liveblog
• #LondonRiots

Also (unconfirmed), apparently during the two days of riots in London, more has been destroyed than during the demonstrations in Egypt & Tunisia.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

(via jonsnowknows)

thedailywhat:

Before And After of the Day: Missourian Aaron Fuhrman — a self-taught landscape photographer — has been traveling around Joplin, photographing heartrending panoramic shots of the devastation left in the aftermath of Sunday’s tornado.

Fuhrman lined up one of these panoramic photos with a Google Street View screencap of the same intersection to illustrate the comprehension-challenging extent of damage caused by the twister.

[buzzfeed.]

D: