Disney characters are usually always on the “cutesy” side of animation and rightfully so, since their targeted market is for kids. However, the talented Tim Shumate might make you want to have a second glance at these characters as he transforms Disney characters into pieces of drool worthy art.

1. Ariel/Siren

We all know her to be under the sea, a castaway in her own family. Tom Shumate turns this lovable Disney character into a Siren we want on land.

(Siren)

2. Snow White/Waiting for Loves True Kiss

After seeing this piece of art you will wish you were the 8th dwarf.

(Waiting for Loves True Kiss)

3. Belle/Till the Last Petal Falls

Belle from Beauty and the Beast always seemed to have a rebellious side, this print shows a little more of it.

(Till the Last Petal Falls)

4. Jasmine/Royal Blood

Jasmine stole the heart of Aladdin in 1992, now she’ll be sure to steal yours in 2012 with this flirtatious piece.

(Royal Blood)

5. Tinker Bell/Those Who Wander are Not Always Lost

Sprinkle some pixie dust my way.

(Those Who Wander are Not Always Lost)

Check out these and more fantastic pieces of art created by Tom Shumate on Society6

Our friends and resident music experts at Sonos have put together an interesting visualization that lists some of the best cover songs of all time. Charted out along a grid that rates them based upon faithfulness to the original as well as quality, this graphic looks at Kid Rock, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and 30 others who have taken the risk of covering other artists’ songs.

First, here’s Nirvana’s take on David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World, then the visualization follows. Click to enlarge.

Many times throughout our lives people ask the age old question “What Would You Buy If You Were Rich?” I could say I would be responsible and make sure that everyone and their grandma would not have any debt, would drive a fast car and live in a mansion, but I would be a liar. I would want the coolest gadgets, geektastic toys and downright crazy stuff to adorn MY mansion with, so here are my top 6 things I would buy if I was rich. (Hey, at least I am honest!)

Ahem.

1. Customizable Shark Seabreacher

Yep. That’s right, if I was rich I wouldn’t buy a yacht or a cruise ship, I would buy a custom made Seabreacher and have it look like a shark. This baby can submerge underwater and launch up in the air at high speeds. Some of their  high tech features include; a snorkel mounted video camera that transmits live video to LCD screens for the pilot and passenger during dives, GPS navigation, and on board stereo system with iPod docking. Starting Price: $ 81,000 USD.

The video makes my mouth water.

2. The 30th Anniversary Authentic Pac-Man Arcade Cocktail Table

Made by the same folks who created Pac-Man, Namco, the 30th Anniversary is built with the 1980 cabinets that are reminiscent of those days. If I was rich, I would put this bad boy in my newly designed man cave and drool over its 19″ LCD monitor that captures the vintage graphics, customize its look with the removable decals and deactivated coin doors. While dancing to the sounds of “Wocka, Wocka, Wocka” and spend my days playing Pac-Man and the 12 other vintage games that come included. Price: $3,500 CAD.

(via: hammacher)

3. DOC XL Sofa Bunk Bed

Every room would have one of these terrific DOC XL sofa bunk beds, for the night’s we party too hard or for family and friends to crash on, if I was rich of course. Besides, I don’t know why we give up on bunk beds just cause we grow up. Price: $5400 USD.

Looks like a normal couch right?

Wait for it…

I love anything that is more than meets the eye!

TADA!

(via: bonbon)

4. Labyrinth Aquarium

The only pets I would acquire if I was rich would be fish, and I would add them to my Labyrinth Aquarium which allow the fish to roam freely from globe to globe. Beta fish are miraculous creatures! Price: $6,500 USD.

(via: opulantitems)

5. Aviator Wing Desk

If I was rich I would turn up the testosterone with this World War II fighter plane inspired desk to lay my laptop upon while I catch up on the latest Digg and Reddit stories and maybe say hi to mom on Facebook. Price: $2195 USD.

(via: restorationhardware)

6. Mustang Pool Table

Not only would it match my real Ford Mustang if I was rich, but it would look sweet in a games room. The thing about being rich is coasters need not apply. Price: $14,995 USD

(via: mustangpooltable)

If I was rich, I would now be broke.

The doctors and chief surgeons might get most of the spotlight on TV’s biggest medical dramas and comedies but just like in the medical profession, it’s the people that’s supposedly “under” them that deserve some, if not, most of the credit. Surgical technologists, surgical nurses and even anesthesiologists contribute a great deal of work and dedication to ensure their patients’ well being as the big-headed, ego dragging son of a you-know-what who’s just there to do the cutting and sewing when everyone else’s job is done. And while we can’t recognize the efforts of those who do these thankless jobs day in and day out even though all of us should (those of you who can afford to fill a school bus with beer and chocolates should do so now), the least we can do is honor the attempts in TV land to portray this thankless profession with the nobility it deserves.

The Todd from “Scrubs”

He might look like another muscle slicing meathead with no real chance at any other career, outside of beef slicer at an Arby’s. Looks can be deceiving, so don’t let the flaming surgical hairnet fool you.

He’s actually quite an effective and thorough surgeon who not only loves his work as much as he loves the ladies (we assume), but he knows how to think on his feet in an operating room even though he’s usually thinking about other activities that don’t involve standing. Despite all of his obvious, shallow flaws, he can actually be quite the helper in the OR because unlike other surgeons with more advanced brains, he actually “lives in the moment” whether he’s over the knife or the few times he’s under someone else.

Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan from “M*A*S*H”

In times as dire and extreme as war, a hard-edged, hard-charging and hard working surgical nurse is exactly the kind of person any patient would want in their corner. Other times? Not so much.

Maj. Houlihan, the strict, leggy blonde of the M*A*S*H 4077th Unit who served during the Korean conflict, may have been a huge pain in her shapely and firm ass outside of the OR but when she took the table, she could wrangle a scalpel and pass a suture with the best of them. She’s efficient, responsive, quick and dedicated to her profession and her patients, even if she sometimes lets military logic get in the way of common sense. It also doesn’t hurt that those big blue eyes of hers make wearing a surgical mask and cap a fashion must.

Liz Cruz from “Nip/Tuck”

Plastic surgery might not be the most noble medical profession a human being can enter but it does have it’s own unique moments where ethics are tested and lines are drawn between right and wrong, which is just about every procedure a plastic surgeon schedules.

This anesthesiologist is probably the lone voice of reason in an otherwise extremely corruptible medical facility, as evidenced by the fact that a drug lord with even less scruples than the chief skin cutters almost took down their entire operation. She doesn’t just know the right thing to do in any given situation. She does her job in spite of this to the best of her ability and always puts the patient first, even if the patient would like to put her six feet underground such as the drug lord’s very naive wife who Cruz cares for even though her husband almost killed her.

Martha Masters from “House M.D.”

This intern might have a lot to learn about skirting the basic rules of doctor-patient confidentiality and medical ethics, but she has a firebrand form of dedication to not only serving her patients but the medical profession as a whole, even if those rules get in the way of actually helping her patients.

She reluctantly joins Dr. House’s team, even though she’s still wet behind the ears and House’s job requirements entail not drowning from his daily waterboard torture approach to investigative medicine. Despite her initial misgivings and shyness, she still puts her beliefs and ethics ahead of her introversion and works to help her patients within the ethical boundaries of her practice. This not only makes her a knowledgeable and experienced physician, but one who is also willing to stand up for what she believes, even if it’s in House’s gruff and leathery face.

Lt. Kellye Yamato from “M*A*S*H”

She might not be the most recognizable face at the 4077th but she was there for the camp’s entire run and even though she was lost in the background, she easily has the biggest heart of anyone on the staff.

The “Hey, Look Me Over” episode features Kellye trying to get the notorious babehound Hawkeye Pierce to pay more than a second of attention to her and when Hawkeye fails to even notice her existence outside of the OR, probably because he’s too chicken to face the possibility of rejecting and hurting her by getting close to her, she shows him just how endearing and dedicated she can be by giving a dying and delirious soldier one last moment of tenderness by pretending to be his girl back home as he drifts into death. She has a unique and endearing quality you just can’t train, even in the most experienced surgical technologist .

Dog Defender, Fish Freak

Antoine Goetschel is a Swiss lawyer who strongly believes in animal rights without bias or selectivity.

“There is a danger we only protect animals we think are cute” Goetschel said in relation to a case he had worked which debated the idea of fish cruelty.”

When a 34 year old fisherman bragged about his ten minute struggle with a giant pike, Zurich’s animal advocate Antoine Goetschel was summoned by Zurich to defend the ‘victim’. Although the fish had been eaten and a stronger case would certainly been made had the creature gone to waste, Goetschel took the stand on behalf of the pike. Referring to a German court’s decision that a struggle of longer than one minute constituted abuse, Goetschel questioned the (sentient) nature of the beast and called for a legal limit time for anglers. It sounds ridiculous, but Goetschel makes an interesting point: “if we put a hook in the mouth of a puppy and did the same thing for ten minutes, what would our reaction be?” Interesting, but not exactly valid; a puppy is infinitely weaker than a giant pike and would be ‘caught’ for torture, not for food as the fish was. Still, paralegal to this lawyer would definitely be interesting. It must also be mentioned that Goetschel defended the fish at the request of Zurich, and not out of his own hatred for fishing. He also participates in deciding who has the better interests of a pet in mind during a legal battle. Dog lawyer Linda Cawley handles similar cases, including animal hoarding issues, which can be a dangerous and dirty problem for all involved. Cawley also handles cases just as ridiculous as the Swiss fish: one trial involved a man who faced animal abuse fines for simply barking at his neighbor’s dog. While a paralegal assisting an animal rights activist can expect to waste some time, some of the issues which go to trial are meaningful issues which question our ethics and morals as a society.

DARE: Drugs Are Rather Excellent

Drug defense lawyers can be particularly interesting for a number of reasons. Whether the paralegal must assist in the research regarding a small marijuana charge or a cocaine trafficking one, the case may wind up being responsible for changes in the law. It’s also rewarding to successfully defend a person who truly doesn’t belong in jail — namely pot smokers or even non-violent junkies addicted to hard drugs. Harsh drug and alcohol laws in America are needlessly locking away literally thousands of non-violent individuals, where tax payers shell out cash to keep them locked away from society and working for large corporations for cents a day. This new-age slavery is a huge problem, and many are working to stop it. James Novak is one of many lawyers who have recently had a change of heart; tired of his job as a DUI prosecutor, he became a highly skilled criminal defender instead. A paralegal assisting a person who truly cares about the reasoning behind and effect of drug laws which irreversibly effect tens of thousands of Americans truly has an important job. There are lawyers who take their activism even further, both literally and figuratively, in a way those effectiveness is questionable but must be admired for boldness nonetheless. Attorney Douglas Andrew Palaschak was arrested when a police raid shut down an LSD party in his own office. It was more than a relaxed evening of barreling through outer space at warp speed: Palaschak was making a statement.

“The current company line is that all drugs are bad for everybody,” he said, “and that simply is not true. Evil flourishes when good men remain silent.” Palaschak acknowledges that he may be subject to discipline but maintains that some illegal substances shouldn’t be illegal at all.

His paralegal was actually suspected of providing the LSD for the party and faces her own charges as well.

Mr. Green With the Rope

High-profile murder cases can be an exciting field to work with for any paralegal, but the stress may outweigh any other positives. Child murders, serial killers, rape, torture, and abuse are all gruesome subjects which can be difficult to deal with, even for a seasoned attorney. The recent and infamous case of Leiby Kletzky was too much to handle for defense attorney Gerard Marrone. Levi Aron smothered, murdered, and dismembered 8-year-old Kletzky; Marrone couldn’t handle defending such a heinous crime. It’s understandable, but having to defend obviously guilty criminals is a stressful idea that many high-profile lawyers frequently have to deal with. Additionally, Marrone stepped out where another kind of villain was able to step in. Jennifer McCann took Marrone’s place, and is renowned for defending high-profile suspects — namely one Kathleen Prisco, who was found not guilty on an insanity plea even though she stabbed her husband to death in a fit of rage. The same verdict will be pursued for Aron. Therefor a paralegal can only sit by and watch, forced to assist on whatever the lawyer chooses to undertake. Other lawyers, on a lighter note, are responsible for rewarding wins likethe exoneration of an innocent man after fifteen years in prison. Working to free the innocent and jail the truly monstrous is a cause to be involved in.

Have you ever wondered what it takes to commit a perfect, untraceable murder which would confound today’s advanced forensic science and technology? If you answered ‘no’, that’s because you don’t feel comfortable admitting such a morbid curiosity, you liar. It’s actually somewhat of a scientific question, and an important one which, if studied closely, may actually be able to help law enforcement and forensic scientists to close gaps presented in real criminal investigations. Unlike Leopold and Loeb, who managed to do the exact opposite of what they had set out to, there are many murderers who have discovered the formula for the perfect crime — and therefore remain anonymous and free today. This is not to say that there’s a guy out there who has repeatedly killed and never once made a mistake (although it’s possible), but instead that there are certain rules which should always be followed when committing bloody crimes, if the criminal wishes to remain undetected. With a billion different ways to trace even the smallest piece of evidence back to the culprit, how does one fool forensic science?

Body of Evidence

No body, no evidence, right? Not exactly. Forensic science has other ways of detecting whether or not a body was ever present at a certain scene. Casey Anthony’s trial was a perfect example of this, except for the small detail that the woman was exonerated, set free despite generous amounts of evidence pointing to her as the murderer of her own child. Forensic science experts testified that a corpse had been present in the trunk of Anthony’s car — all without having seen blood or body parts in the trunk. Regardless, the smell of death was the first tip. Forensic scientists and detectives recognize the smell of death easily. Secondly, there were maggots present in the trunk — bugs which forensic science experts state are only present after a person has been dead for a few days. Lastly, there were strands of hair found in the trunk, which is especially significant because the roots of the hair showed signs that the hair had been shed postmortem. This shows that forensic science is advanced enough to make a pretty solid case against you based on a few fibers, some tiny bugs, and an odor. As seen in Anthony’s case, being a white woman with enough money to hire a decent lawyer can really take forensic science down a notch, but you’ll still look pretty guilty.

The body is the most important thing to get rid of, because forensic science has a lot of fancy tricks it can pull while inspecting a corpse. That evidence is best if it’s never found. Blood tests to determine drugs, poisons, or alcohol in the victim’s system can tell the authorities a lot about your methods. Ballistics or weapons testing, dactyloscopy (fingerprinting), botany (pieces of grass on the corpse which only come from a certain park in town), entomology (more insects), odontology (don’t bite the victim), and serology (sperms and stuff) are just some of the methods forensic science is used to solve crimes when studying the body.

Trace Evidence

The next step would be to get rid of the trace evidence. Those maggots and corpse-hair in Casey Anthony’s trunk are what you want to get rid of from your crime scene. Making sure there’s no trace evidence can be exceedingly difficult unless you Dexter-ize the crime scene beforehand, and even then it’s hard to tell if no microscopic particles made their way into your carpet or from your clothes and onto the body. Destroying the entire crime scene can be one way to avoid leaving trace evidence behind. If you get rid of your victim on a boat, burning the boat would probably do the trick. Crimes committed in areas where harsh weather conditions were likely to wash or blow away small particles also prevent a problem for forensic science. Not leaving body parts in an area where it’s going to leave a distinctive odor, where the dog can dig it up, or in garbage cans is probably a bright idea.

Blaming the Other Guy

If you do leave a crime scene from which evidence can be collected, you can always trick the legal system into punishing someone else for your heinous acts. It isn’t that hard and actually happens all the time. Leaving a cigarette butt smoked by your unlucky suspect-to-be, a cup they drank out of, or an article of their clothing can all condemn that person to guilt in the court’s eyes. This, too, can be tricky, because if the only evidence pointing to that person’s guilt is what you’ve left for the police to find, they’ll probably know something’s up. It would be smart to make sure that person has a shady alibi (i.e. a loner who stays home by himself without contacting others for long periods of time).

Ballistics

Not only can forensic science trace gun ownership, but bullets can be traced to a gun as well. Gunpowder residue found on or around a victim’s body can provide the forensic scientist with clues about how the shooting happened and the type of gun used to commit the crime.

The best way to thwart forensic science would, at this point in time, be to prevent it from even begin studying and deciphering evidence. It’s extremely hard to clean an object or crime scene of all evidence, so making sure those things are never found is to the advantage of the criminal. This is undoubtedly the unfortunate fate of thousands of missing persons across America and in the entire world; no body and no crime scene typically means no evidence and no crime. There have certainly been a good number of murderers convicted using mere circumstantial evidence, but this is significantly less common (and slower) than trials using solid forensic evidence against the suspect.

What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that gained notoriety during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The name is derived from “cyberpunk” in the 1980’s regarding science fiction and coined by the science fiction author, J.W. Jeter, who was trying to describe various Victorian science-fiction works, having the term used in a number of entertaining trends, such as stories, video games and fashion.

In the Art/Fashion world, Steampunk is a pseudo-Victorian mechanical style using materials such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather with artistry and essentials coinciding with the Victorian era. They are eccentric pieces of art that expanded popularity within Goth, punks, cybergoths, industrial music fans and gaming communities, that is a continuous movement towards instituting Steampunk as a culture and lifestyle.

Today, the Steampunk style is gaining popularity with the online culture.

We have found 10 interesting pieces you may want to add to your wardrobe or Steampunk collection.

1. Steampunk Wizard of Oz Tinman Necklace

(Via freeheart1)

2. Steampunk Jewelry Ring Vintage Watch Movement

(Via SteamDesigns)

3. Steampunk Fascinator

(Via RedsRibbons)

4. The Mechanical Insect (Watch Part) Necklace

(Via sweetheartsinner)

5. Steampunk Industrial Cocktail Ring

(Via qacreate)

6. Steampunk Goggles

(Via HAMBOT5000)

7. Steampunk Nerf Gun

(Via HAMBOT5000)

8. Steampunk Bracelet

(Via edmdesigns)

9. Men’s Steampunk Hat

(Via OnceUponABustle)

10. Steamlight Desk Lamp

(Via lightexture)

Steampunk is making “old” new again.

***

Erin Ryan is a writer for various blogs and a Social Media Specialist who has a keen understanding of the power of Social Media for business and fervently stays up-to-date with the Social Media Industry. Erin enjoys scouring the Internet for pop-cultured items and information in her spare time. You can connect with Erin on Twitter or read more Social Media Articles written by Erin Ryan.

Read more Cool Articles like this on the Top Cultured Website.

…and if you’d like to be as smart as this guy, I’d recommend checking this out.

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Cereal Monsters

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Batman, Superman & Wonderwoman

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