tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-747609973589004462024-03-12T15:04:34.527-07:00Make you SmartMelany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.comBlogger994125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-73145145950370165742010-03-30T20:53:00.000-07:002010-03-30T20:54:00.229-07:00Berteman, Enggak Ada Ruginya<div style="text-align: justify;" class="font26 c_karir pb_10"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="left" style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: justify;"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; width: 298px;"> <div id="loadarea" style="margin-bottom: 5px; width: 298px;"><img src="http://www.kompas.com/data/photo/2009/12/01/1950093p.jpg" width="298" border="0" /> </div></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><em>Career networking</em> semestinya dibangun sejak pertama kali kita menginjakkan kaki di dunia kerja. Bila merasa relasi Anda itu-itu saja, pertanda saatnya Anda bergaul lagi. Atasi kendala yang membuat langkah Anda terhambat.<br /><br /><strong>"Teman saya punya banyak relasi, bahkan tak sedikit menjadi teman akrabnya. Saya kok enggak bisa seprti dia, ya?"</strong><br /><br />Dasar <em>networking </em>itu gampang saja. Selama Anda tahu cara berbicara dengan orang lain dan enggak punya masalah dalam melakukan interaksi sosial, yang diperlukan hanyalah berteman. Tapi Anda tak harus menjadi sahabat karib seseorang untuk bisa mendapatkan keuntungan dari pertemanan itu. Anda cuma perlu jadi kenalan yang baik, yang bisa diandalkan saat dia membutuhkan bantuan. Sikap <em>helpful </em>adalah dasar <em>networking</em>, selama itu tidak saling merugikan. Di lain waktu, bantuan Anda itu pasti akan terbayar. Karena suka membantu, orang lain tak ragu membalas saat Anda memerlukannya.</p><div style="text-align: justify;">Berteman atau mencari teman bisa dengan cara bergabung dalam organisasi-organisasi atau komunitas. Tak harus berkaitan dengan pekerjaan, tapi sebaiknya memang yang Anda tertarik. Dengan begitu, Anda akan aktif di dalamnya dan tidak merasa "tersiksa". Oh ya, jangan remehkan <em>network </em>pertemanan. Karena ini juga potensial untuk membantu Anda mendapat pekerjaan, bisnis baru, kontak-kontak yang Anda perlukan dalam pekerjaan, dan sebagainya.<br /><br /><strong>"Saya pemalu dan introvert. Saya sulit membuka pembicaraan, apalagi ngobrol panjang lebar. Pokoknya saya 'garing' banget, deh"</strong><br /><br />Apa pun kepribadian Anda, selama Anda memiliki karier dan ingin berkembang, <em>networking</em> harus terus dilakoni. Coba lakukan hal berikut ini:<br /><br /><em>* Relaks</em>. Rasa grogi atau khawatir akan mudah terpancar dan terlihat, jadi jangan biarkan itu terjadi. Saat akan memulai suatu pembicaraan atau kontak dengan seseorang, tarik napas dalam-dalam, berpikir positif, katakan bahwa Anda orang yang menyenangkan. Jangan merasa "kecil" dibandingkan orang lain, karena Anda punya hak berkenalan dengan siapa pun. Kalau tak dapat respons positif dari orang yang Anda dekati, jangan kecil hati, cuek saja.<br /><br /><em>* Jadi diri sendiri. </em>Jangan meniru gaya orang lain dan berpikir keras tentang bahan obrolan yang hebat-hebat. <em>Ngobrol </em>saja tentang hal-hal yang masuk akal, sehari-hari, dan ringan. Bisa saja diawali dengan kondisi cuaca saat itu. Jika dilakukan dengan benar, pembicaraan akan terus berkembang ke hal lain. Tak perlu mencoba melucu, karena tidak semua orang dianugerahi kemampuan menarik perhatian orang lain dengan gaya lucu. Lakukan kontak mata dan senyum. Ini membuat Anda terlihat antusias, <em>pede</em>, dan menghargai orang lain.<br /><br /><em>* Manners itu nomor satu</em>. Jadilah pendengar yang baik, hindari terlalu banyak menginterupsi dan mengeluarkan komentar-komentar sinis atau kasar. Akhiri pembicaraan dengan elegan, dan tawarkan untuk saling bertukar kartu nama.<br /><br /><strong>"Saya selalu fokus, bahkan dalam memilih teman atau relasi. Saya tidak akan berteman dengan seseorang yang menurut saya enggak bakal memberi manfaat"</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Pertanyaannya, siapa sih yang seharusnya ada di dalam daftar kontak Anda? Siapa yang harus didekati? Jawabannya adalah siapa pun yang Anda kenal. Setiap orang yang tahu nama Anda, semestinya masuk dalam <em>contact list </em>Anda (kecuali orang yang jelas-jelas membenci Anda).<br /><br />Tak jadi soal apa pekerjaannya, di mana dia tinggal, seberapa besar <em>power </em>dan kekayaannya. Jangan membuat praduga atau asumsi siapa yang bisa dan tidak bisa membantu Anda. Ford R. Myers, seorang pakar karier di Amerika mengatakan, sebagian besar kliennya yang awalnya punya masalah dalam <em>networking</em>, setelah berkonsultasi dengannya, justru mendapatkan pekerjaan melalui orang-orang yang justru tidak mereka harapkan bakal bisa membantu. Nah, apakah Anda masih mau terlalu pilih-pilih teman?<br /><br /><strong>"Saya sudah datang ke pertemuan-pertemuan, gaul di Facebook, mengumpulkan banyak kartu nama. Tapi, kontak-kontak saya itu 'bertebaran', sehingga saat membutuhkannya, saya bingung mencari"</strong><br /><br />Networking perlu ketelatenan dan keteraturan. Dalam buku Gaul, Meraih Lebih Banyak Kesempatan (Eileen Rachman & Petrina Omar), kalau Anda sudah memiliki sekumpulan kontak, bergabung dalam sejumlah pertemuan, datang ke pertemuan-pertemuan, tugas selanjutnya adalah menjaga hubungan terus berkesinambungan. Salah satu caranya adalah dengan mengembangkan <em>database </em>atau membuat catatan-catatan penting tentang kontak-kontak Anda atau database. Misalnya, orang yang selalu dan perlu segera dihubungi beri tanda "HOT", di acara apa Anda bertemu, hal-hal yang dipertukarkan, dan topik obrolan yang terakhir kali dibicarakan.<br /></div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-1214240460514002792010-03-22T19:04:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:16:59.610-07:00Sikh Priest Sets New Record for World’s Longest Beard<p style="text-align: justify;">Bhai Sarwan Singh, the head priest of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple, was already acknowledged as the man with the <strong>world’s longest beard</strong>, but now, his facial hair is even longer.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Sikh priest was recently invited to take part in a television show, in Rome Italy, where he had his beard measured. After carefully measuring his beard, from the tip of his chin, to the end of his beard, judges decided Bhai Sarwan Singh has beaten his previous record, set in 2008, by two inches. It is now 1.895 m long.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Singh, who has never shaved his facial hair, had never actually known how long his beard really was, until 2008. He has always seen it as a gift from God, and he only agreed to appear on television, to promote the Sikh religion. He has done nothing special to help his beard grow, and calls it his “favorite body part.”</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">To prevent it from actually touching the floor, Bhai Sarwan Singh wears his long beard rolled up or over his shoulder.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14327" title="worlds-longest-beard" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/worlds-longest-beard.jpg" alt="worlds-longest-beard" width="325" height="481" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14326"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14328" title="worlds-longest-beard2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/worlds-longest-beard2.jpg" alt="worlds-longest-beard2" width="312" height="480" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14329" title="worlds-longest-beard3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/worlds-longest-beard3.jpg" alt="worlds-longest-beard3" width="328" height="410" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14330" title="worlds-longest-beard4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/worlds-longest-beard4.jpg" alt="worlds-longest-beard4" width="400" height="293" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14331" title="worlds-longest-beard5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/worlds-longest-beard5.jpg" alt="worlds-longest-beard5" width="400" height="329" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-2788462565209091482010-03-22T19:03:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:04:11.384-07:00Mallakhamb – Extreme Indian Pole Dancing<p>Modern pole-dancing may be attractive to look-at, but in terms of difficulty, it’s nothing to the old Indian <strong>sport of Mallakhamb</strong>.</p> <p>Mallakhamb originated in Maharastra, India, during the 12th century, as a form of training for wrestlers. The word “Malla” means wrestler, while “khamb” translates as pole. This old art had almost been lost throughout the centuries, but it’s become increasingly popular, in recent years, mainly due to the efforts of coaches like Uday Deshpande.</p> <p>The sport of Mallkhamb has athletes climb up a wooden pole, 55 cm in diameter,at the base, and 35, at the top, and perform various poses and feats. The pole is most often made of teak, because of its sturdiness, and before exercises begin, it’s rubbed with castor oil, to prevent friction.</p> <p>Even though Mallakhamb is yet to be recognized as an official sport, in India, it has been embraced by visually-impaired boys. This art is about feeling and understanding the strength and balance of one’s body, and that’s why blind Mallakhamb athletes are just as good as those with perfect eyesight.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14344" title="Mallakhamb" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb" width="550" height="825" /></p> <p><span id="more-14343"></span></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14345" title="Mallakhamb2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb2.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb2" width="550" height="825" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14346" title="Mallakhamb3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb3.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb3" width="550" height="413" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14347" title="Mallakhamb4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb4.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb4" width="550" height="825" /></p> <p>Above photos via <a href="http://samarthavyayam.org/Album12.html" target="_blank">Samarthavyayam</a></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14348" title="Mallakhamb5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb5.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb5" width="451" height="600" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14349" title="Mallakhamb6" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb6.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb6" width="451" height="300" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14350" title="Mallakhamb7" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb7.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb7" width="478" height="600" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14351" title="Mallakhamb8" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb8.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb8" width="539" height="421" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14352" title="Mallakhamb9" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb9.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb9" width="326" height="450" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14353" title="Mallakhamb10" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb10.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb10" width="550" height="396" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14354" title="Mallakhamb11" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb11.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb11" width="550" height="871" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14355" title="Mallakhamb12" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb12.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb12" width="550" height="413" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14356" title="Mallakhamb13" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Mallakhamb13.jpg" alt="Mallakhamb13" width="479" height="900" /></p> <p>Above photos via <a href="http://shrinivashavaldar.com/index.html" target="_blank">Shrinivashavaldar</a></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-55660776786973363822010-03-22T19:02:00.000-07:002010-03-22T19:03:14.971-07:00Death Star Watermelon and Cantaloupe<p style="text-align: justify;">They say you shouldn’t play with your food, but when something as awesome as the Death Star is involved, rules don’t really apply. And plus, it’s <a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/too-cute-to-eat.html" target="_blank">food art</a>!</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The <strong>Death Star cantaloupe</strong> isn’t very new, It was showcased for the first time in 2008, on the Evil Scientist blog, together with hints on how to make your own. Apparently, all you need is the cantaloupe, a pen knife and five minutes. Placed against the right background, the Death Star cantaloupe looks just as deadly as the real thing, but it’s much tastier.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The <strong>Death Star watermelon</strong> needs a bit more carving, because it doesn’t have the texture advantages of the cantaloupe, but the end result is even more impressive, and just as tasty. Unfortunately, both organic Death Stars are very vulnerable, even without that damned exhaust port.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">via <a href="http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/03/death-star-watermelons.html" target="_blank">Kuriositas</a></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14365" title="Watermelon-Death_Star3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Watermelon-Death_Star3.jpg" alt="Watermelon-Death_Star3" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14361"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/2695428348/" target="_blank">Photo Credits</a>]</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14364" title="Watermelon-Death_Star4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Watermelon-Death_Star4.jpg" alt="Watermelon-Death_Star4" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/2694609985/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Photo Credits</a>]</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14363" title="Watermelon-Death_Star5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Watermelon-Death_Star5.jpg" alt="Watermelon-Death_Star5" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/2694611331/in/photostream/" target="_blank">Photo Credits</a>]</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14362" title="Watermelon-Death_Star" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Watermelon-Death_Star.jpg" alt="Watermelon-Death_Star" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56624456@N00/3457714371/" target="_blank">Photo Credits</a>]</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14366" title="Watermelon-Death_Star2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Watermelon-Death_Star2.jpg" alt="Watermelon-Death_Star2" width="550" height="733" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">[<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joestump/3460573696/" target="_blank">Photo Credits</a>]</p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-38757818785416008182010-03-22T18:26:00.000-07:002010-03-22T18:28:22.876-07:00Foto Panas Dara The Virgin Dengan Pacar<div style="padding: 4px 0px; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1936" title="dara virgin" src="http://malindofm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/25gtsag-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dara Rizki Ruhiana yang awalnya lebih dikenal sebagai Dara Mamamia kali ini lebih populer dengan sebutan Dara The Virgin. Bersama Cameria Happy Pramita, Dara melaju pesat ngebentuk The Virgin Band dibawah asuhan Ahmad Dhani. Dara adalah sulung dari 3 bersaudara. Hobi Dara The Virgin adalah renang, nyanyi dan lari pagi. Dara Mamamia juga ngefans sama yang berwarna kuning dah hitam. Dara The Virgin yang paling demen nyanyi ini ternyata fans berat sama yang namanya Film India. Selain itu, temen duet Mitha The Virgin ini juga dikenal pemakan daging dan sambal ekstra pedas.<span id="more-1934"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Biodata Dara The Virgin or Profil Dara Rizki Ruhiana :</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">* Nama Lengap : Dara Rizki Ruhiana<br />* Nama Kecil : Dara<br />* Nama Beken : Dara The Virgin, Dara Mamamia<br />* Tempat Lahir : Tasikmalaya<br />* Tanggal Lahir : 9 Agustus 1991<br />* Nama Ayah : Asep Ruhiat<br />* Nama Ibu : Nunung Mardiana<br />* Prestasi : Finalis Mamamia Show 2008<br />* Band : The Virgin Band<br />* Manajemen : Republik Cinta Manajemen</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-PdJ_mSLbkKMmmufoB5pK2t76K9tK9rm7X9e5Tf34pl737i1X8iVohwwg7wgoKMV5w1n7SsC8cYVbaZ_doH_6sd0-YJ5JADQw-RQqr2uLVIbFchMDy5g1SO2IHtqVG7l_K1Ulzj3tQ4/s320/344s6yf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWuG0vtfC2WoP0z5H5HAiEQAT-d0I4QMlL_iZX-gaHM9Cc2OMHWR_2Pt_WicpLAgtK2U2iFckGVx2vST_J0fMu2XP6QaYSOKPxKik9LENDagG7uyyhMgkBHVJUKqLie2ZhC7jH1E81WI/s320/33lhu2h.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWuG0vtfC2WoP0z5H5HAiEQAT-d0I4QMlL_iZX-gaHM9Cc2OMHWR_2Pt_WicpLAgtK2U2iFckGVx2vST_J0fMu2XP6QaYSOKPxKik9LENDagG7uyyhMgkBHVJUKqLie2ZhC7jH1E81WI/s320/33lhu2h.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjaq8d-FoP1I1h_6-sXadSCD_spAd3zjUcJvZlUEwP7LJT7JqZ1OZrz5kmIdZRCfd5HtuymV3KKF1O24EA0pugyiC6Ez_jGohVP3PpFBuUnkpU-9pHoo52VS3WesbjESOe00lUhiI5Tg/s320/b4dj50.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFItIp7yYqJ0gDlLqnbYPzOKvw9NdM-hvkHVIemDSlr5JkyezQRIvs2cWyQro_kSWN__b6TB2d_FeDxPPXA6_9hTY5NaTfCoc9W69IdAkd_vnF-5cu88f6NT2S9MDMsUwSxDmsXjDzD4g/s320/o9iidv.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijA09DYdNSktJAEhyphenhyphenjy9kIrwFq_TfI7R4TjapEiwNdCRXC6c4NpXSOrn2AKdQWrWCdtjr9hnAsPBcPxPjBHlI_cX_Fea3KRvVlGoTBjAlq2eLfaZQNUMtlG2gDPPZMfIoSWrSc7TtgkI/s320/fa0c9i.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD6dcs8GmZVApiQknXqzOnFx48TbBAq6mAIxmbDrs3AYqRzgfMXyDeyZmzHf2nyMYIuoIy3084WNvoJ1Xewa4GSR4xl644lgJtlKjhp5LOTKqsS73iAKjkB7RKOIsG7IPKH65YVbCATI/s320/dfxo2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRc_ylSUyh67vbFY1FMeCeVPJcmphECf_w2O6O8qyF4YrulJyYumSKbuxt3hjA2-RTM1162B0f7cJ5lLurwKLklOhhwBPsJJbcKb6Eh8Q9D3ao5uZREHzv49OTWf64oVlVtLGEcfn5_Q/s320/w8ncph.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-10614488058243047452010-03-22T18:19:00.000-07:002010-03-22T18:21:40.901-07:00Gadis Dimesumi Saat Mabuk<div style="text-align: justify;" class="postdetail"> <div style="padding: 4px 0px;"> </div> <p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1955" title="InfoD" src="http://malindofm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/InfoD1.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="269" /><br /></p><p>Oktaviano Prastiwan P Tolok (24) yang didakwa memerkosa mahasiswi asal Norwegia dituntut tujuh tahun penjara dalam sidang di Pengadilan Negeri Denpasar.</p> <p>Jaksa penuntut umum Ari Dewanto dalam sidang yang dipimpin Daniel Palitin itu mengatakan, terdakwa terbukti melakukan persetubuhan diluar perkawinan dengan korban yang saat itu sedang tidak berdaya.</p> <p>Menurut jaksa, perkosaan itu terjadi di dekat kampus Fakultas Ekonomi Unud, Jimbaran, Minggu (15/11) tahun lalu yang bermula saat korban dalam kondisi mabuk. <span id="more-1954"></span></p> <p>Pria asal NTT yang ketika itu sedang mangkal di pos ojek Kuta dan melihat korban berjalan sempoyongan langsung menawarkan jasa.</p> <p>“Mendapatkan tawaran ojek, korban yang sudah setengah sadar langsung mengiyakan dan meminta kepada terdakwa untuk diantar ke tempat penginapannya di Hotel Segara Sari, Kedonganan, Kuta,” kata jaksa.</p> <p>Saat mengendarai sepeda motor bernopol DK 7313 BI miliknya, terdakwa memacu motornya ke tempat penginapan hotel. Namun belum sempat tiba di pertigaan jalan menuju hotel, ia berubah pikiran.</p> <p>Terdakwa membelokkan motornya ke arah kampus Unud, di daerah bukit Jimbaran dan setibanya di pinggir lapangan Fakultas Ekonomi Unud, terdakwa menurunkan korban. Di tempat yang sepi dan gelap itu, terdakwa selanjutnya memperkosa korban yang tercatat sebagai siswa pertukaran antarnegara.</p> <p>Korban yang kemudian sadar telah diperdaya terdakwa segera melaporkan ke tenaga keamanan hotel dan terdakwa selanjutnya ditangkap. Jaksa melihat tidak ada pembenaran dan pemaafan, yang dapat menghapuskan kesalahan terdakwa.</p> <p>Jaksa juga mempertimbangkan unsur pemberat, yakni perbuatan terdakwa bertentangan dengan nilai kesusilaan dan kepatutan dalam pergaulan di masyarakat. Selain itu, perbuatan terdakwa telah mencoreng citra Bali sebagai daerah yang aman sebagai tujuan wisata.</p> <p>Sementara hal yang meringankan, selain belum pernah dihukum, terdakwa mengakui semua perbuatannya secara terus terang. Terdakwa langsung menyatakan mengerti dan menyatakan akan mengajukan pembelaan yang akan disampaikan dalam persidangan 29 Maret mendatang.</p></div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-1798960622144809142010-03-22T18:17:00.001-07:002010-03-22T18:17:44.629-07:00Inilah Sepatu Adidas Terbaru Yang Paling LangkaMerek terkenal Adidas memang selalu menampilkan sisi fenomenal dari setiap peluncuran edisi terbaru sepatu mereka.<br /><br /><blockquote> Adidas berani membayar mahal untuk biaya promosi dengan menggandeng tokoh / bintang sepakbola atau atlet terkenal di setiap brandnya. Tapi kali Adidas tampil sedikit berbeda, tidak terlalu menonjolkan sportynya, Adidas justru hadir dengan lebih berbau film di edisi terbarunya. Edisi Adidas Star Wars 2010 merupakan koleksi paling baru, tidak tau ini hanya semacam konsep semata atau sudah final dan akan diluncurkan. Tapi designnya keren abis. Coba perhatikan aja gambar dan foto sepatu Adidas di bawah ini:</blockquote><br /><img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_xwing_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /><br /><a name="more"></a><img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_tie_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_vader_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_sand_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_luke_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_ds_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /> <img alt="" src="http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad274/kimyong2009/adidas_atat_bg-550x412.jpg" border="0" /><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /></div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-63693794355495539552010-03-22T18:09:00.000-07:002010-03-22T18:10:05.240-07:00Fakta-Fakta dibalik Mengkonsumsi Telur<div align="center"> <img alt="" src="http://wb6.indo-work.com/pdimage/50/1107250_eggs1.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">Fakta-Fakta dibalik Konsumsi Telur</span></span></b></div><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><div style="margin: 5px 20px 20px;"> <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;"> Quote:</div> <table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"><b><span style="color: blue;">TELUR</span></b> memang mengandung kolesterol yang cukup tinggi, 213 miligram per butir. Karena itu, makanan sumber protein ini sebelumnya pernah dinyatakan sebagai penyebab utama penyakit jantung. Pada faktanya, kolesterol dari makanan bukanlah penyebab utama penyumbatan arteri, tapi lemak jenuh dan lemak trans.<br /><br />Risiko penyakit jantung dari sarapan sehat satu ini lebih disebabkan oleh campurannya, khususnya mentega, yang mempunyai kandungan lemak jenuh lebih tinggi dibandingkan telur itu sendiri. Karena itu, Anda bisa menekan jumlah lemak jenuh dengan mengonsumsi telur rebus.<br /><br />Para pakar menyatakan bahwa telur mengandung nutrisi sehat dan secara umum aman jika dibatasi satu butir sehari. Selain itu, cobalah mengurangi kolesterol dari makan lainnya, seperti daging. Anda sebaiknya mengonsumsi tidak lebih dari 300 miligram kolesterol per hari.<br /><br />Berikut beberapa fakta menarik seputar telur:<br /><div style="margin: 5px 20px 20px;"> <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;"> <b>Spoiler</b> for <i>Fakta telur</i>: <input onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 10px; width: 60px;" value="Hide" type="button"> </div> <div class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ; margin: 0px; padding: 6px;"> <div> <b><span style="color: blue;"> - Cegah gangguan penglihatan.</span></b> Kuning telur mengandung lutein dan zeaxanthin, dua antioksidan yang membantu mencegah macular degeneration, penyebab utama kebutaan. Macular degeneration merupakan gangguan penglihatan di pusat penglihatan (macula) akibat kerusakan retina.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Telur mengandung bakteri salmonella.</span></b> Karena itu, ada baiknya menghindari produk yang mengandung telur mentah, termasuk milkshake dan adonan kue. Untuk memastikan telur bebas dari bakteri, masaklah di suhu 160 derajat sebelum dikonsumsi.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Kolesterol hanya terdapat dalam kuning telur, bukan di putih telur.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Telur merupakan sumber yang baik</span></b> untuk mendapatkan protein, besi, dan seng. Akan tetapi, telur kurang kandungan serat.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Sebutir telur menyediakan</span></b> 12 persen (6 gram) dari rekomendasi protein harian Anda.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">- Noda hijau pada telur</span></b> yang telah direbus tidak berbahaya dan bukan pertanda keracunan bakteri.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Semakin segar telur,</span></b> semakin sulit dikupas.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Sebutir telur mengandung sekitar 75 kalori.</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">- Kandungan choline</span></b> dalam telur berfungsi mendukung perkembangan otak dan memori pada janin serta orang dewasa.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;"> - Telur mengandung vitamin A, B12, D dan E</span></b>, tapi tidak mengandung vitamin C.<br /><br /><i><b>The National Academy of Sciences</b></i><b> menganjurkan bahwa perempuan hamil sebaiknya mengonsumsi 450 gram choline per hari. Jumlah ini setara dengan dua butir telur. Satu butir telur, termasuk kuning telur, mengandung sekitar 250 miligram choline. </b> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <b><span style="color: royalblue;"></span></b><br /><div align="center"> <b><span style="color: royalblue;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sumber Nutrisi yang Baik Ada pada Telur</span></span></b></div> <b><span style="color: royalblue;"></span></b><br /><br /><div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;"> Quote:</div> Satu butir telur berukuran besar mengandung 6.25 gram protein, 75 kalori dan 13 vitamin essensial, juga mengandung mineral. Sebagian besar protein ada di dalam putih telur, sementara vitamin, mineral dan lemaknya terkadung di dalam carotenoid atau pigmen kuning yang ada pada kuning telur. Selain itu, kuning telur juga mengandung kolesterol.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Cara terbaik menikmati telur :</span></b><br /><div style="margin: 5px 20px 20px;"> <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;"> <b>Spoiler</b> for <i>Cara terbaik</i>: <input onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 10px; width: 60px;" value="Hide" type="button"> </div> <div class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ; margin: 0px; padding: 6px;"> <div><br />- Menikmati telur mata sapi, omelet atau frittata (omelet Italia dengan sayuran dan daging yang dipotong dadu)<br /><br />- Campur telur dengan campuran dari tuntunan piramida makanan (Food Guide Pyramid) untuk membuat berbagai macam makanan.<br /><br />- Mengkombinasi telur dengan sisa sayuran, pasta atau ayam agar makanan menjadi lebih kreatif dan mudah, tidak mahal dan penuh nutrisi </div> </div> </div><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: small;">Hilangkan Resiko Penyakit Food-Bourne.</span></b><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Foodborne</span></b> adalah penyakit yang disebabkan karena mengkonsumsi makanan atau minuman yang tercemar. Dalam situs Agrinews Online, Foodborne disease disebabkan oleh berbagai macam mikroorganisme atau mikroba patogen yang mengkontaminasi makanan, jadi terdapat bermacam-macam infeksi foodborne disease.<br /><br />Selain itu, zat kimia beracun, atau zat berbahaya lain dapat menyebabkan foodborne disease jika zat-zat tersebut terdapat dalam makanan. Makanan yang berasal baik dari hewan maupun tumbuhan dapat berperan sebagai media pembawa mikroorganisme penyebab penyakit pada manusia.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: blue;">Untuk mencegah food bourne saat hendak mengonsumsi telur</span></b>, baiknya:<br /><div style="margin: 5px 20px 20px;"> <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;"> <b>Spoiler</b> for <i>Sebelum makan telur</i>: <input onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerText = ''; this.value = 'Show'; }" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 10px; width: 60px;" value="Hide" type="button"> </div> <div class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ; margin: 0px; padding: 6px;"> <div><br />- Cuci tangan sebelum dan sesudah memegang telur mentah<br /><br />- Pisahkan telur mentah dari amkanan lainnya, khususnya dari makanan yang tidak perlu dimasak- Simpan telur di dalam kardus karton di tempat yang paling dingin di lemari es<br /><br />- Masak telur dan menghidangkannya dengan segera, ketika masak telur harus pada suhu 160 derajat Fahrenheit . </div> </div> </div><div id="TixyyLink" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /></div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-78359599628816218192010-03-22T18:02:00.000-07:002010-03-22T18:07:34.033-07:00The Underwater Restaurant of the Red Sea<p style="text-align: justify;">The world’s first underwater restaurant and bar, the <strong>Red Sea Star Restaurant</strong> is still one of the most amazing places on Earth.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Located in Eliat, Israel’s southernmost city, the Red Sea Star was built in 1998, in an area that had become very dirty and polluted, due to illegal human activities. Designing and planning the underwater structure lasted 4 years, during which time, a coral nursery was created, to revive the beautiful underwater life that was once present in the area. The actual building lasted another 4 years.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Submerged six meters under the Red Sea, this underwater restaurant, bar and observatory features a marine-themed interior design and a large number of windows that allow visitors to check out the underwater paradise that surrounds them. The Red Sea Star is the world’s only night-time underwater observatory, using a soft light (specific colors and wave lengths) to reveal the natural habitat, without disturbing it.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14370" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant" width="500" height="375" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14369"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14371" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant2.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant2" width="500" height="275" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14372" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant3.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant3" width="500" height="280" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14373" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant4.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant4" width="500" height="375" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14374" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant5.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant5" width="400" height="592" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14375" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant6" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant6.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant6" width="400" height="551" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14376" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant7" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant7.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant7" width="400" height="298" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14377" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant8" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant8.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant8" width="338" height="400" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14378" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant9" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant9.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant9" width="550" height="361" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14379" title="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant10" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant10.jpg" alt="Red-Sea-Star-Restaurant10" width="510" height="422" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-58594759098311499442010-03-22T17:57:00.002-07:002010-03-22T17:58:47.716-07:00Dictator Toddlers Show the Evil in All of Us<p style="text-align: justify;">Danish artist Nina Maria Kleivan replaced her new-born daughter’s baby clothes with uniforms of known dictators like Hitler, Stalin or Mussolini.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">No, Ms. Kleivan is not a fan of dictatorship, she just used this opportunity to show that evil is present in all of us, no matter how innocent we may look. The idea for this unusual art project came to Nina after she suffered some complications from her pregnancy,and was forced to spend some time at home.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Away from her art studio, the artist chose her young daughter, Faustina, as a canvas. Looking at her, Nina started contemplating on the idea that each human being starts with a clean slate and has the opportunity to do good or bad, in life. “Even my daughter could end up ruling Denmark with an iron fist. The possibility is still there,” she says.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Her <strong>Potency photo-series</strong> features Faustina dressed as some of the most ruthless dictators in history, including the likes of Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Saddam Hussein and Augusto Pinochet. Nina Maria Kleivan said “Hitler and Stalin were the most hard to do. It hurt.”</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Like the Childzilla series, Potency may be comical, but it’s meant to have people ponder on where evil comes from.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">via AOLnews</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14384" title="Child-dictator" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Child-dictator.JPEG" alt="Child-dictator" width="550" height="374" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14383"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14385" title="Child-dictator2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Child-dictator2.JPEG" alt="Child-dictator2" width="550" height="374" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Josef Stalin and Augusto Pinochet</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14386" title="Child-dictator3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Child-dictator3.JPEG" alt="Child-dictator3" width="550" height="374" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Benito Mussolini and Mao Zedong</p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-34779267740164464232010-03-22T17:57:00.001-07:002010-03-22T17:57:47.671-07:00Cheesy Steve Jobs<p>Calm down Apple fanboys, I’m not calling your venerable hero cheesy. It’s just that what else are you going to call the head of Steve Jobs, made of Mozzarella <a href="http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/new-york-chef-makes-cheese-from-human-breast-milk.html" target="_blank">cheese</a>?</p> <p>An able cook, who also happens to be an avid Apple fanboy, decided to show his appreciation for the “greatest consumer electronics company of all times”, by making the head of its leader, Steve Jobs, out of Mozzarella.</p> <p>I have to say the cook made great use of only cheese and pepper, to create a very detailed image of Steve Jobs. He’s going to serve <strong>Steve Jobs’ Mozzarella head</strong> at an iPad Launch Party. If you want to do the same, head over to <a href="http://www.thecooksden.com/steve-jobs-cheese-head/" target="_blank">The Cook’s Den</a>, for detailed instructions on how to make your own.</p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14391" title="Steve-Jobs-head" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Steve-Jobs-head.jpg" alt="Steve-Jobs-head" width="500" height="379" /></p> <p><span id="more-14390"></span></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14392" title="Steve-Jobs-head2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Steve-Jobs-head2.jpg" alt="Steve-Jobs-head2" width="500" height="400" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14393" title="Steve-Jobs-head3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Steve-Jobs-head3.jpg" alt="Steve-Jobs-head3" width="500" height="363" /></p> <p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14394" title="Steve-Jobs-head4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Steve-Jobs-head4.jpg" alt="Steve-Jobs-head4" width="525" height="377" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-53454925197517150862010-03-22T17:48:00.000-07:002010-03-22T17:56:44.163-07:00Gunther von Hagen’s Plastinated Animal Menagerie<p style="text-align: justify;">Doctor <strong>Gunther von Hagen</strong> , the anatomist who invented plastination, presents his newest exhibition – a collection of the most revered animals in the world.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">At the “Body Worlds of Animals” exhibition, held at Neunkirchen Zoo, Germany, people can discover the intricate anatomy of some of the most remarkable creatures in the animal kingdom. Samba and Chiana, two elephants donated by the zoo to the Institute of Plastination, four years ago, return home in plastinated form. The whole process of plastinating an elephant took 64,000 hours, 4 tons of silicone and 40,000 liters of acetone. By comparison, platinating a human body takes only 3,000 hours of work.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">But the difficult and time-consuming process is well worth it, if it can reveal amazing mechanisms, like an elephant’s trunk, manipulated by 40,000 muscles, or the incredible cardiovascular system of the giraffe, which prevents it from being in permanent cardiac arrest.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The <strong>Body Worlds of Animals</strong> features other popular animals, like the bear, gorilla, or ostrich, stripped of their skin and ready for inspection. Dr. Gunther von Hagen, a self-declared animal lover, hopes his exhibition ” will increase appreciation for animals, especially endangered species, and remind us all of our obligation to animal wellfare.”</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Photos by <strong>REUTERS </strong>via Daylife</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14398" title="Gunther-von-Hagens" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="368" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14397"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14399" title="Gunther-von-Hagens2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens2.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="378" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14400" title="Gunther-von-Hagens3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens3.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="380" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14401" title="Gunther-von-Hagens4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens4.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="349" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14402" title="Gunther-von-Hagens8" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens8.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="372" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14405" title="GERMANY/" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens51.jpg" alt="" width="401" height="610" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14406" title="GERMANY/" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens61.jpg" alt="" width="464" height="610" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14407" title="GERMANY/" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Gunther-von-Hagens7.jpg" alt="" width="419" height="610" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-17060668748470148272010-03-22T17:42:00.000-07:002010-03-22T17:47:53.904-07:00Fairytale Urban Art Spotted in the Ukraine<p style="text-align: justify;">It’s amazing how many incredible artistic wonders go unnoticed, simply because they’re so well hidden that no one knows about them.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">This particular artwork is set up at the 13th floor of an Ukrainian apartment building, in Kiev. It’s really hard to describe, and even looking at the <strong>amazing photos</strong> below, it’s hard to understand the meaning of this installation. The man who took the photos described it as the entrance to a fairytale land, that made him feel like he didn’t belong there. So he just quickly took some photos and quickly got out of there.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">To protect the tenants of this Kiev building from some unwanted attention, the photograph didn’t reveal the address of this abstract masterpiece. Intricate colorful moulds cover the walls of this 13th floor, from floor to ceiling, and the light coming from the ceiling windows creates a truly fantastic atmosphere.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">via holy-mozart</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14421" title="Kiex-urban-art" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art1.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14419"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14422" title="Kiex-urban-art2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art2.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="700" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14423" title="Kiex-urban-art3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art3.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="700" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14424" title="Kiex-urban-art4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art4.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="413" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14425" title="Kiex-urban-art5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art5.jpg" alt="" width="525" height="700" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14426" title="Kiex-urban-art6" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Kiex-urban-art6.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="413" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-13791316599125375322010-03-22T17:41:00.001-07:002010-03-22T17:41:47.363-07:00Chinese Engineer Invents Robot Cook<p style="text-align: justify;">Liu Changfa, a retired automation engineer,from China, needed only one year to create a <strong>robot cook</strong>, using only rudimentary tools, like hammer and axe.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Chinese inventor connected his robot cook to a laptop computer and a cellphone that allow to choose preset menus, or program it to cook certain dishes. Vinegar, salt, sugar and all other seasoning is stored in the robot’s chest, and the cooking takes place in its belly, where an induction cooker is installed. With the help of some dedicated software, the dedicated robot can be programmed to add a certain amount of seasoning, or stir a dish a certain number of times.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">All Liu Changfa has to do is put the raw ingredients into the pot, and wait for the beeping sound, made by the robot. He has already contacted a Chinese restaurant, which will test the robot cook in its kitchen, and add robot dishes on its menu. More restaurants will shortly follow, says Liu Changfa.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Well, I’d wait a while before adding cooking to the list of automated fields, but this is definitely a step in that direction.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Photos via CNS Photo</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14412" title="robot-cook" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/robot-cook.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14411"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14413" title="robot-cook2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/robot-cook2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14414" title="robot-cook3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/robot-cook3.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14415" title="robot-cook4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/robot-cook4.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-43686860884948246242010-03-22T17:27:00.000-07:002010-03-22T17:39:26.976-07:00Russian Cows Get to Watch TV<p style="text-align: justify;">They’re probably going to end up in someone’s burger, but at least these guys can say they’ve lived a happy life.</p><div> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">A Russian farmer learned that happy cows are more productive, so he decided to buy some state of the art LED TVs (not sure if they’re HD) so the cows can have something to watch. The TV’s play an endless loop of images taken in the Swiss Alps, showing green pastures, lakes and trees, stretching as far as the eye can see.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">The reaction of the cows wasn’t as spectacular as you might expect. These are high quality displays, a human would have probably jumped for joy, but the cows simply ignored their expensive gifts. Now the farmer is measuring the results of his investment, by comparing the productivity of these <strong>television-watching cows</strong>, to a group deprived of television.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">I tell you, these cows better step up their game, or they might end up with a hole in their stomachs. And that’s no joke.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">via EnglishRussia</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14431" title="television-for-cows" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span id="more-14430"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14432" title="television-for-cows2" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows2.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14433" title="television-for-cows3" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows3.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14434" title="television-for-cows4" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows4.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14435" title="television-for-cows5" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows5.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14436" title="television-for-cows6" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows6.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="675" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14437" title="television-for-cows7" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows7.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14438" title="television-for-cows8" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows8.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="675" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14439" title="television-for-cows9" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows9.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="674" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14440" title="television-for-cows10" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows10.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="675" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14441" title="television-for-cows11" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows11.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14442" title="television-for-cows12" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows12.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14443" title="television-for-cows13" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows13.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="675" /></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-14444" title="television-for-cows14" src="http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/television-for-cows14.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="675" /></p>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-87719914807151584742010-03-21T21:09:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:11:05.050-07:00Top 10 Brilliant Movie Recuts<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>Because it is Saturday I decided to do a list I have been wanting to do for a very long time. This is a list of movie trailers that have been recut by amateurs to change their genre. For example, a horror movie might be recut to make it a romantic comedy. I can spend all day watching these so I hope that all the listverse readers will enjoy this list as much as I enjoyed the hours picking out the entries.</p> <p><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Terminator</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OfwQKapDMws&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OfwQKapDMws&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This one has a slightly offputting voice-over, but I have included it because one slightly NSFW moment made me laugh out loud. See if you can work out which scene it is.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Willy Wonka</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Po-kwO32QmE&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Po-kwO32QmE&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Here we see Willy Wonka in quite a different light from the books and films. Just when you thought Gene Wilder couldn’t be more sinister in the role, you are proven wrong.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Office Space</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/atHWASn_ygo&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/atHWASn_ygo&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This is a film all geeks love. Here we see the a comedy turned into a psychological thriller.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">American Pie 2</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0EPFOn_sjCs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0EPFOn_sjCs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This is actually the second recut by the same person – the first one is also excellent but it doesn’t allow embedding. If you want to view that too, you can find it here. Both are recut to be horror movies.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Mrs Doubtfire – the Psycho</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3bgipCebuI&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N3bgipCebuI&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This brilliant recut shows how a skilled editor can totally transform a film with virtually no changes except the music.</p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Ring</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SgxayErS5As&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SgxayErS5As&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>No need to close your eyes in terror during this one – this is a very well done recut of the Ring to make it appear to be a tearjerker.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Brokeback of the <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 200, 0); color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px; position: relative; background-color: transparent;">Ring</span></span><span style="position: relative;" class="preLoadWrap" id="preLoadWrap0"><div style="position: absolute; z-index: 4000; top: -32px; left: -18px; display: none;" id="preLoadLayer0"><img style="border: medium none ; width: 22px; height: 22px;" src="http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif" class="preloadImg" /></div></span></span></div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tgt-BiFiBek&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tgt-BiFiBek&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This is another straight movie turned gay. It is hilarious and extremely well done. If you like this one, you should also check out Brokeback to the Future, Meet Joe Brokeback, and The Empire Brokeback. We could do nearly an entire list based on brokeback recuts.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Top Gun</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekXxi9IKZSA&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekXxi9IKZSA&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Frankly, it doesn’t take a lot of recutting to make Top Gun appear to be a gay movie, but here we have it anyway – from a military film to a gay romance.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Shining</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KmkVWuP_sO0&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KmkVWuP_sO0&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Here is our favorite horror movie recut as a romantic comedy. It just goes to show how clever film editors can be and why we so often see a film trailer we love for a film we hate. In this recut they even manage to include the bathroom scene with the dead lady!</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Scary Mary Poppins</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2T5_0AGdFic&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2T5_0AGdFic&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>This is the recut that got the whole thing going. It is quite well known (for reasons that are obvious when you see how good it is). Enjoy.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-79243759314519031182010-03-21T21:06:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:07:44.377-07:00Top 10 Notable Residents of Broadmoor Hospital<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton. The hospital was built in 1863 to a design by Sir Joshua Jebb, and covers 210,000 square metres (53 acres) within its secure perimeter. After the escape of John Straffen (see below) in 1952, who murdered a local child, the hospital set up an alarm system. The hospital has seen some prolific inmates since its inception, and this list describes 10 of its most famous tenants.</p> <p><span id="more-22804"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Robert Napper</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/robert-napper-001-tm.jpg?w=400&h=240" alt="Robert-Napper--001" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="240" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Robert Clive Napper is a convicted British murderer and rapist who was remanded in Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely on 18 December 2008 for the manslaughter of Rachel Nickell. He is a paranoid schizophrenic who has also been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. The marriage of Napper’s parents was violent; Napper witnessed violent attacks on his mother which ended in divorce when he was 10. Napper and his siblings (two brothers and a sister) were placed in foster care and underwent psychiatric treatment.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Napper underwent a personality change after a family friend assaulted him on a camping holiday when he was 12. The offender was jailed, but Napper became introverted, obsessively tidy and reclusive according to his mother. He also bullied his siblings and spied on his sister while she undressed.</p> <p>Napper’s convictions include an offense with an air-gun, stabbing a young mother forty-nine times in front of her two year-old son, killing then sexually assaulting a woman and smothering her four-year-old daughter, and admitted to two rapes, but it is believed he is the ‘Green Chain Rapist’ who carried out at least 70 savage attacks across south-east London over a four-year period ending in 1994</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Graham Young</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/article-1088801-01349dc30000044d-878_468x312-tm.jpg?w=400&h=266" alt="Article-1088801-01349Dc30000044D-878 468X312" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="266" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Graham Frederick Young is notable for his obsession with the use of poison, and for having been imprisoned for murder in his teens, only to kill again after his release. Born in Neasden, north London, he was fascinated from a young age by poisons and their effects. In 1961 at 14 he started to test poisons on his family, enough to make them violently ill. He amassed large quantities of antimony and digitalis by repeatedly buying small amounts, lying about his age and claiming they were for science experiments at school.</p> <p>In 1962 Young’s stepmother Molly died from poison. He had been poisoning his father, sister, and a school friend. Young’s aunt Winnie, who knew of his fascination with chemistry and poisons, became suspicious. He might have escaped suspicion as he suffered the same nausea and sicknesses as his family, however he sometimes forgot which foods he had laced. He was sent to a psychiatrist, who recommended contacting the police. Young was arrested on May 23, 1962. He confessed to the attempted murders of his father, sister, and friend. The remains of his stepmother could not be analyzed because she had been cremated.</p> <p>Young was sentenced to 15 years in Broadmoor but was released after nine years, having been deemed “fully recovered”. After release from hospital in 1971, he began work as a storekeeper at John Hadland Laboratories, which manufactured thallium bromide-iodide infrared lenses used in military equipment. Soon after he began work, his foreman, Bob Egle, grew ill and died. Young had been making tea laced with poisons for his colleagues. A sickness swept through his workplace and, mistaken for a virus, was nicknamed the Bovingdon Bug. These cases of nausea and illness, sometimes severe enough to require hospitalization, were later attributed to Young and his tea. Young poisoned about 70 people during the next few months, although none fatally. Young is the subject of an extremely good film called The Young Poisoner’s Handbook</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Kenneth Erskine</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/kenneth-erskine_280_797434a-tm.jpg?w=251&h=350" alt="Kenneth-Erskine 280 797434A" vspace="4" width="251" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Kenneth Erskine is an English serial killer who became known as the Stockwell Strangler. During 1986, Erskine murdered seven elderly people, breaking into their homes and strangling them; most often they were sexually assaulted. The crimes took place in London. A homeless drifter and solvent abuser, Erskine was 24 years old when he committed the crimes, but had the mental age of a 12-year-old. Police suspected Erskine of four others murders but Erskine has never been charged with any of these murders. Erskine was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum term of 40 years, but has since been found to be suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983, and is therefore now held at Broadmoor. He is unlikely to be freed until at least 2028 and the age of 66. Some 20 years later, the trial judge’s recommendation is still one of the heaviest ever handed out in British legal history.</p> <p>In February 1996, Erskine was again in the news, this time for preventing the possible murder of Peter Sutcliffe (see below), by raising the alarm as a fellow inmate, Paul Wilson, attempted to strangle Sutcliffe with the flex from a pair of stereo headphones.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">David Copeland</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/news-graphics-2007-_445205a-tm.jpg?w=291&h=350" alt="News-Graphics-2007- 445205A" vspace="4" width="291" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>David John Copeland is a former member of the British National Party and the National Socialist Movement, who became known as the “London Nail Bomber,” after a 13-day bombing campaign in April 1999 aimed at London’s black, Bangladeshi and gay communities. The bombs killed three, including a pregnant woman, and injured 129, four of whom lost limbs. No warnings were given.</p> <p>After his arrest, he told psychiatrists that he had started having sadistic dreams when he was about 12, including dreams or fantasies that he had been reincarnated as an SS officer with access to women as slaves. Copeland wrote to BBC correspondent Graeme McLagan, denying that he had schizophrenia, and telling McLagan that the “ZOG,” or Zionist Occupation Government, was pumping him full of drugs in order to sweep him under the carpet. He wrote, “I bomb the blacks, Pakis, degenerates. I would have bombed the Jews as well if I’d got a chance”. When asked by police why he had targeted ethnic minorities, he replied: “Because I don’t like them, I want them out of this country, I believe in the master race.</p> <p>Although Copeland was diagnosed by five psychiatrists as having paranoid schizophrenia, and a consultant concluded he had a personality disorder, his plea of diminished responsibility was not accepted by the prosecution, which was under pressure not to concede to his pleas of guilty to manslaughter. He was convicted of murder on June 30, 2000, and given six concurrent life sentences.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Peter Sutcliffe</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/peter-sutcliffe_280_489268a-tm.jpg?w=251&h=350" alt="Peter-Sutcliffe 280 489268A" vspace="4" width="251" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Peter William Sutcliffe is an English serial killer who was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper. Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 of murdering 13 women and attacking several others. He is currently serving life imprisonment in Broadmoor. Reportedly a loner at school, he left at the age of 15 and took a series of menial jobs, including two stints as a grave digger during the 1960s. He frequented prostitutes as a young man and it has been speculated that a bad experience with one (during which he was allegedly conned out of money) helped fuel his violent hatred against women.</p> <p>In 1981, Sutcliffe was stopped by the police with a 24 year old prostitute. A police check revealed the car was fitted with false number plates and Sutcliffe was arrested for this offence and transferred to Dewsbury Police Station, West Yorkshire. At Dewsbury he was questioned in relation to the Yorkshire Ripper case as he matched so many of the physical characteristics known. The next day police returned to the scene of the arrest and discovered a knife, hammer and rope he discarded when he briefly slipped away from police during the arrest. After two days of intensive questioning, on the afternoon of 4 January 1981 Sutcliffe suddenly declared he was the Ripper. Over the next day, Sutcliffe calmly described his many attacks. Weeks later he claimed God told him to murder the women. He displayed emotion only when telling of the murder of his youngest victim, Jayne MacDonald.</p> <p>At his trial, Sutcliffe pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of murder, but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The basis of this defence was his claim that he was the tool of God’s will. Sutcliffe first claimed to have heard voices while working as a gravedigger, that ultimately ordered him to kill prostitutes. He claimed that the voices originated from a headstone of a deceased Polish man, Bronislaw Zapolski, and that the voices were that of God.</p> <p>In the years of Sutcliffe’s incarceration, there have been numerous attempts on his life from other inmates. The first was during his stay at HMP Parkhurst when James Costello, a 35-year-old career criminal from Glasgow plunged a broken coffee jar twice into the left side of Sutcliffe’s face. Whilst at Broadmoor he was subject to an attempted strangulation (thwarted by Kenneth Erskine, above) and lost the vision in his left eye after being attacked with a pen.</p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">John Straffen</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/article-1088801-0248219e000004b0-41_233x325-tm.jpg?w=250&h=350" alt="Article-1088801-0248219E000004B0-41 233X325" vspace="4" width="250" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>John Thomas Straffen was a British serial killer who was the longest-serving prisoner in British legal history. Straffen killed two young girls in the summer of 1951. He was found to be unfit to plead and committed to Broadmoor; during a brief escape in 1952 he killed again. This time he was convicted of murder. Respited due to his mental state, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he remained in prison until his death more than 50 years later.</p> <p>Aged 8, Straffen was referred to a Child Guidance Clinic for stealing and truancy. In 1939 he first came before a Juvenile Court for stealing a purse from a girl, and was given two years’ probation. His probation officer found that Straffen did not understand the difference between right and wrong, or the meaning of probation. The family was living in crowded lodgings at the time and Straffen’s mother had no time to help, so the probation officer took the boy to a psychiatrist. As a result, Straffen was certified as a mental defective under the Mental Deficiency Act 1927. A report was compiled on him in 1940 which gave his Intelligence Quotient as 58 and placed his mental age at six. When Straffen was 14, he was strongly suspected of being responsible for strangling two prize geese owned by one of the officers of his school; however, no proof was found and it was not noted on his records. At the age of 16 the school authorities undertook a review which found his I.Q. was 64 and his mental age 9 years 6 months and recommended his discharge.</p> <p>In 1951, Straffen killed two young girls for which he was sent to Broadmoor. In 1952 whilst cleaning some outbuildings, he escaped over a perimeter wall, and within 2 hours had killed another young girl. It was this escape and subsequent murder that urged the government to install an alarm system. To this day, the alarm is tested every Monday morning at 10am for two minutes, and then sounded again to give the ‘all clear’. With hooters located in several locations round Surrey and Berkshire, the alarm can be heard for up to 15 miles in each direction from Broadmoor.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Charles Bronson</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/217a9bae-0d36-8ba2-b03147ba082f84c7-tm.jpg?w=215&h=350" alt="217A9Bae-0D36-8Ba2-B03147Ba082F84C7" vspace="4" width="215" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Charles “Charlie” Bronson (born Michael Gordon Peterson) is an English criminal often referred to in the British press as the “most violent prisoner in Britain”. Born in Luton, England, Michael often found his way into fights before he began a bare-knuckle boxing career in the East End of London. His promoter was not happy with his name and suggested he change it to Charles Bronson.</p> <p>In 1974 he was imprisoned for a robbery and sentenced to seven years. While in prison he began making a name for himself as a loose cannon often fighting convicts and prison guards. These fights added years onto his sentence. Regarded as a problem prisoner, he was moved 120 times throughout Her Majesty’s Prison Service and spent all but 4 years of his imprisoned life in solitary confinement. What was originally a seven year term stretched out to fourteen year sentence that resulted in his first wife Irene, with whom he had a son, leaving him. He was released on October 30, 1988 but only spent 69 days free before he was arrested again. Bronson has spent a total of just four months and nine days out of custody since 1974. Known as one of the hardest criminals in England, Bronson has written many books about his experiences and famous prisoners he has met throughout his internment. </p> <p>Bronson has been involved in over a dozen hostage incidents, one of which includes taking hostages and staging a 47-hour rooftop protest at Broadmoor in 1983, causing £750,000 (nearly $1.5m) worth of damage. Bronson has spent time at all three of England’s high-security psychiatric hospitals.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Richard Dadd</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/screen-shot-2010-02-21-at-1-42-46-pm-tm.jpg?w=273&h=350" alt="Screen Shot 2010-02-21 At 1.42.46 Pm" vspace="4" width="273" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Richard Dadd was an English painter of the Victorian era, noted for his depictions of fairies and other supernatural subjects, Orientalist scenes, and enigmatic genre scenes, rendered with obsessively minuscule detail. Most of the works for which he is best known were created while he was incarcerated in Broadmoor hospital.</p> <p>In 1842, Sir Thomas Phillips, the former mayor of Newport, chose Dadd to accompany him as his draftsman on an expedition through Europe to Greece, Turkey, Palestine and finally Egypt. In November of that year they spent a grueling two weeks in Palestine, passing from Jerusalem to Jordan and returning across the Engaddi wilderness. Toward the end of December, while traveling up the Nile by boat, Dadd underwent a dramatic personality change, becoming delusional and increasingly violent, and believing himself to be under the influence of the Egyptian god Osiris. His condition was initially thought to be sunstroke. On his return in the spring of 1843, he was diagnosed to be of unsound mind and was taken by his family to recuperate in the countryside village of Cobham, Kent. In August of that year, having become convinced that his father was the Devil in disguise, Dadd killed him with a knife and fled for France. En route to Paris Dadd attempted to kill another tourist with a razor, but was overpowered and was arrested by the police. Dadd confessed to the killing of his father and was returned to England, where he was committed to the criminal department of Bethlem psychiatric hospital (also known as Bedlam). Here and subsequently at the newly created Broadmoor, Dadd was cared for and encouraged to continue painting.</p> <p>Dadd probably suffered from a form of paranoid schizophrenia. He appears to have been genetically predisposed to mental illness; two of his siblings were similarly afflicted, while a third had “a private attendant” for unknown reasons.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Daniel M’Naghten</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/2-2-3-7_00_full-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="2.2.3.7 00 Full" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Daniel M’Naghten (pronounced, and sometimes spelled, McNaughton) was a Scottish woodturner who assassinated English civil servant Edward Drummond while suffering from paranoid delusions. Through his trial and its aftermath, he has given his name to the legal test of criminal insanity in England and other common law jurisdictions known as the M’Naghten Rules.</p> <p>In 1840 M’Naghten sold his wood turning business and spent two years in London and Glasgow. Whilst in Glasgow in 1841 he complained to various people, including his father, the Glasgow commissioner of police, and an MP, that he was being persecuted by the Tories and followed by their spies. No-one took him seriously, believing him to be deluded. In January 1843, M’Naghten was noticed acting suspiciously around Whitehall in London. On the afternoon of 20 January the Prime Minister’s private secretary, civil servant Edward Drummond, was walking towards Downing Street from Charing Cross when M’Naghten approached him from behind, drew a pistol and fired at point-blank range into his back. M’Naghten was overpowered by a police constable before he could fire a second pistol.</p> <p>M’Naghten appeared at Bow Street magistrates’ court the morning after the assassination attempt. He made a brief statement in which he described how persecution by the Tories had driven him to act: “The Tories in my native city have compelled me to do this. They follow, persecute me wherever I go, and have entirely destroyed my peace of mind… It can be proved by evidence. That is all I have to say”</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Ronald Kray</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/prisons-krays-tm.jpg?w=370&h=347" alt="Prisons-Krays" vspace="4" width="370" border="1" height="347" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Ronald Kray along with his twin brother Reginald, were the foremost perpetrators of organized crime in London’s East End during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald, commonly referred to as Ron or Ronnie, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assaults including torture and the murders of Jack “The Hat” McVitie and George Cornell. As West End nightclub owners they mixed with prominent entertainers including Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and politicians, which gave the Krays a veneer of respectability. In the 1960s they became celebrities in their own right, being photographed by David Bailey and interviewed on television.<br />The Kray twins became famous locally for their gang and the mayhem they caused. They narrowly avoided prison several times and in early 1952 they were called up for National Service. They deserted several times, each time being recaptured.</p> <p>It was during this period that Ron started to show the first signs of mental illness. He would refuse to eat, shave only one side of his face and suffer wild mood swings, sitting still for hours before erupting into a violent frenzy. On one occasion, Ron climbed into the prison rafters and, according to one guard, refused to come down for some six hours in spite of brother Reggie’s pleas. It is not clear whether at this stage it was another prank to annoy their guards, or if Ron had become unbalanced. Guards at the Canterbury military holding prison were convinced he was dangerously psychotic.</p> <p>They were arrested in May 1968 and convicted in 1969 by the efforts of a squad of detectives led by Detective Superintendent Leonard “Nipper” Read, and were both sentenced to life imprisonment. Ronnie was eventually certified insane and lived the remainder of his life in Broadmoor, dying on 17 March 1995 of a massive heart attack, aged 61. His funeral on 29 March 1995 was a huge event with people lining the streets. Reggie was released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, a few weeks before his death from cancer.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-34166481808151356542010-03-21T21:03:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:04:58.440-07:00Top 10 Bizarre Micronations<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>A micronation is basically what it sounds like, a tiny country! A country that’s started under questionable circumstances, like a home-made nation. Some Micronations are started as school projects, or protests, some are just jokes. Other times they’re scams to avoid taxes or con money out of people. Sometimes, it’s really unclear why a micronation was formed, and it’s hard to tell if the one running the show really takes it seriously or if they’re just out of their minds. In no particular order, here are ten examples from the weird world of micronations.</p> <p><span id="more-22827"></span><a name="item-10"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Grand Duchy of Westarctica</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/wes183-grand-duchy-of-westarcitca-10-2008-tm.jpg?w=400&h=213" alt="Wes183 - Grand Duchy Of Westarcitca $10 2008" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="213" hspace="4" /></p> <p>When the Antarctic treaty was signed it split up the territory in Antarctica among several different countries, but there is an area in Western Antarctica named Marie Byrd Land, between the claims of Chile and New Zealand, that had no territorial claim attached to it. In 2001 Travis McHenry saw the area was unclaimed and declared it an independent nation with himself as the ruler. Sending declarations to all the signing nations of the Antarctic treaty; the letters were of <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">course</span></span></span> universally ignored, as there are no year-round residents of the area and no one who claims to part of the nations’ government has even been to the location thus far. Very little is known about the intentions of the founder, or the “Nobility” of the nation. The most that’s come out of country have been a few <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">coins</span></span></span> and stamps, and a free e-mail service for “Citizens”.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Pitcairn Island</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/front-tm.jpg?w=400&h=259" alt="Front" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="259" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Of all these micronations, this one by far has the most interesting history. We’re all at least somewhat familiar with the Mutiny on the Bounty, where the evil Captain Bligh was overpowered by mutineers who wished to return to Tahiti instead of going back to England. What most don’t know is that many of the mutineers actually did eventually relocate to Tahiti, though some settled in a tiny Island called Pitcairn in the south Pacific where a few of their descendants still live today. Officially, the island is not considered a nation, but an unincorporated territory. It is legally a democracy with the town’s mayor considered the ruler, but isn’t considered a country. With a population of roughly 50 as of 2003 this island is officially the smallest democracy in the world.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Molossia</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/molossia11-tm.jpg?w=400&h=258" alt="Molossia11" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="258" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Started by Kevin Baugh in 1977 as a school project, the Republic of Mallosia is a mock dictatorship in northern Nevada described as a “hobby” by it’s de facto ruler. Kevin Baugh calls Molossia an “Enclave Nation” being that it’s surrounded by the United States, and while the country has a constitution and a national assembly, Baugh claims martial law due to the “Ever present foreign threat” of the US. The micronation also has territorial claims in Pennsylvania and northern California, and has recently laid claim to the Neptune deep (The floor of the deepest trench in the pacific ocean) and the province of “Vesperia” located on the planet Venus. Baugh has also decreed national bans on firearms, incandescent light bulbs and smoking, along with more outlandish bans against onions, catfish, walruses, and anything from Texas. The property is mainly considered a tourist trap, with tourist getting a 45 minute guided tour of the country by Kevin Baugh himself who expects them to present their passports at the gate.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Freetown Christiania</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/img2_2431-tm.jpg?w=400&h=299" alt="Img2 2431" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="299" hspace="4" /></p> <p>While not a traditional Micronation (if there is such a thing) Freetown Christiania certainly qualifies for this list as a a self-governing area with a small resident population. Freetown was established in 1971 in an abandoned military base in Copenhagen, Denmark by free-thinkers and hippies with ambitions of building a free society. Depending on who you talk to, Freetown Christiania is either “The world’s first fully functioning anarchistic society” or an area overrun with squatters and drug dealers. It’s either a “Safe, quiet town where one is free to be themselves” or a crime ridden slum, where people are often raped, mugged or murdered.</p> <p>Since the area is indeed in a state of anarchy, no official numbers exist on crime rates so it’s hard to tell if the lofty vision of the founders actually lines up with reality. The “town” consists of an area less than a kilometer square, and it’s citizens still pay taxes and city utilities to Copenhagen, but the residents claim it has it’s own set of laws and public services. The local laws forbid firearms, cameras, “hardcore” drugs and cars, though it’s unclear how these laws are enforced since the town also boasts it has no police. The main attraction for visitors is “Pusher street” where people can buy marijuana and related paraphernalia in an open-air market. Despite the fact it’s illegal in the rest of Denmark and while it has something of a bad reputation, Freetown is still known for being the origin of many famous Danish <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 200, 0); color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative; background-color: transparent;">writers</span></span><span style="position: relative;" class="preLoadWrap" id="preLoadWrap2"><div style="position: absolute; z-index: 4000; top: -32px; left: -18px; display: none;" id="preLoadLayer2"><img style="border: medium none ; width: 22px; height: 22px;" src="http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif" class="preloadImg" /></div></span></span>, artists and theater groups. It’s considered by some to be a shining example of how Anarchy is a plausible system of government.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Nation of Celestial Space</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-2-59-40-pm-tm.jpg?w=400&h=263" alt="Screen Shot 2010-02-22 At 2.59.40 Pm" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="263" hspace="4" /></p> <p>If I were rating these nations by territory claimed, this Nation would be the hands-down winner. The so-called “Nation of Celestial Space” was establishedon January 1st, 1949 by James Thomas Mangan when he wrote his local board of of deeds and titles to lay claim to some previously unclaimed territory. What was this territory? The entire Universe, minus the Earth. While this bizarre claim was ignored by most, it didn’t stop Mangan from printing coins, bills, and postage stamps for his “nation”. When the US and Russia began flying high-altitude aircraft he wrote letters of complaint to their respective state departments claiming that these flights were infringing on his territorial claim without his permission. Strangely, Mangan wasn’t the only person to establish an extra-terrestrial micronation before the Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967 forbidding territorial claims in outer space. Others included the “Other World Nation” claiming the other planets of the solar system and the “Celestial Solar Kingdom” claiming the surface of the sun.</p> <p><a name="item-5"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Rose Island</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/315-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="315" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>In 1968 Italian architect and real-estate investor Giorgio Rosa constructed a 400 square meter platform in the Adriatic sea 7 Miles from the Italian town of Rimini. The platform was meant to be a tourist spot, sporting it’s own souvenir shop, fishing pier and radio station. Soon after it was opened Rosa declared sovereignty and renamed platform “The Republic of Rose Island” and started claiming he was going to begin printing his own currency. Worried that this was a ploy to avoid taxes, the Italian government evicted Rosa and his employees soon after and the Italian navy destroyed the platform with explosives. In a snarky retort, Rosa began printing postage stamps with an image of the platform’s destruction and issued them from his “Government In Exile”.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Conch Republic</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/122-tm.jpg?w=400&h=298" alt="122" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="298" hspace="4" /></p> <p>An example of a micronation founded in the name of both protest and comedy, the Conch Republic was established on April 23 1982 to protest the building of a US border checkpoint between the Florida keys and the mainland. The checkpoint was meant to curb an influx of illegal immigration and smuggling from Cuba and other Caribbean islands, but inadvertently caused gridlock on the only highway bridge that lead to the Keys, inhibiting tourism and shipping. Mayor of Key west Denis Wardlow declared himself prime minister of the republic and during the secession ceremony declared war on the United States by breaking a stale loaf of Cuban bread over a nearby naval officer. He then quickly surrendered and applied for one billion dollars in foreign aid from the United States.</p> <p>While the secession was never serious, the keys are still jokingly referred to as the Conch Republic and the protest did succeed in persuading the Border Patrol to remove the checkpoint. The people of the Conch Republic also banded together in 1994 to re-open a national park that was closed due to the federal government closure. During the closure the Prime minister declared “The US government is closed, but the Conch republic can still issuing passports.” Indeed, passports and other souvenirs are available on the country’s <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">website</span></span></span>. Their national Motto is “We Seceded Where Others Failed”.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Republic of Minerva</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/800px-minerva_republic-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="800Px-Minerva Republic" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Wishing to create a libertarian utopia with no taxes, subsidies or welfare, real-estate millionaire Michael Oliver started a project to create an island and declare it an independent nation.<em> </em> In 1971 he succeeded. In the Minerva reef, between Tonga and New Zealand, tons of sand was poured into the shallow reefs to bring it above sea level and create a small island. The citizens of this tiny island had high hopes, thinking they could attract tourists, fisherman, even industry after adding more sand to the island, which at the time was barely stable enough to hoist a flag on. The group elected a president, Morris C. Davis, and wrote up a declaration of independence and send it to nearby nations. Suspicious of the groups intentions, nearby Tonga issued a proclamation that the island was inside their territorial waters and used soldiers to forcibly evict the residents and lower the flag. This action was supported by the South Pacific Forum, so there wasn’t much Oliver could do but fire the “President” of his nation and cut his losses. Years later former president Davis returned with an expedition of American settlers, intending to reoccupy the reef, but was again kicked out by Tongan troops. A more recent expedition has found that the artificial island has been “More or less reclaimed by the sea”.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Principality of Sealand</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/sealand-tm.jpg?w=400&h=251" alt="Sealand" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="251" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Sealand started it’s life as an <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">offshore</span></span></span> anti-aircraft platform called “HM Fort Roughs” placed in a British shipping lane during World War II to fend off German mine laying aircraft. During the war the platform housed 107 UK sailors on its 550 square meter deck and observation towers. In 1967 Pirate Radio broadcaster Paddy Roy Bates occupied the platform and set it up as a base for his pirate station “Radio Essex”. A year later Bate’s son fired a rifle at a work crew that was repairing an automated buoy near the platform, and was arrested for firearms violations since Bates and his family were still considered British Citizens. Bates was acquitted, due to the platform being three miles outside of the UK’s oceanic claim and in international waters. Seeing an opportunity Bates declared the platform the “Principality of Sealand” giving his tiny nation the motto E Mare Libertas (From the Sea, Freedom), wrote a national anthem, and started issuing stamps and currency. He stated that the court ruling gavbe him the right to declare the open-sea platform as a sovereign nation.</p> <p>Since Sealand exists in international waters, there was little the British government could do about the pirate broadcasts (and the Bates <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">family</span></span></span>’s habit of shooting at passing boats while “Defending their waters”) though to this day no one has officially recognized the sovereignty of the platform.</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a></p> <div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Principality of Hutt River</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/hrppregalia-tm.jpg?w=400&h=336" alt="Hrppregalia" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="336" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Likely the most well known micronation on this list, the Principality of Hutt River was founded by Leonard George Casley in 1970. It consists of about 75 square Kilometers of farmland near the town of Northampton in western Australia. It came into being due to a wheat quota law Casley called “Draconian”. The government imposed quotas that only allowed him to sell 99 acres of wheat when he had just grown 9900 acres. He initially fought the unfair quotas in court, even appealing to the British royal family. When all else failed, Casley resorted to an obscure tort law that allowed British colonies to secede in similar circumstances. Leonard George Casley dubbed himself “His Royal Highness Prince Leonard” and declared his independence.</p> <p>Despite nearly forty years of calling itself a sovereign state, the Principality of Hutt River hasn’t been recognized by the Commonwealth of Australia, nor any international entity. However, the principality has issued stamps, passports, and coins (one bearing the profile of American ex-president Bill Clinton) and claims approximately 18000 citizens “Living Abroad” as you can apply for citizenship for a small fee on the country’s website. It has a standing military (mostly consisting of Casley’s children and grandchildren) and even though it’s landlocked, they claim they have a navy. The Australian government, while not honoring Hutt River as a real country, regards it as simply an eccentric old man selling souvenirs to tourists. Many Australian wildernesses tours include a stop at Hutt River, billing it as “The second biggest Nation on the Continent”.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-72755126500308815542010-03-21T21:02:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:03:52.796-07:0010 People Who Give Christianity a Bad Name<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>Christianity has been around for two thousand years and, for the most part, it has preached a good message by which to live. But unfortunately, as with all organized bodies, many people claiming to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ have shown themselves to behave quite opposite to the message it espouses. This list looks at 10 of the worst.</p> <p><span id="more-22854"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Sun Myung Moon</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/moon_senate_crownedmessiah-tm.jpg?w=400&h=321" alt="Moon Senate Crownedmessiah" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="321" hspace="4" /></p> <p>He is the founder of the Unification Church, which has become worldwide since its origin in 1954. Moon was born in 1920, and has set himself up at the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. A lot of people go around saying, “I’m Jesus,” but they are usually dismissed as insane or seeking attention. </p> <p>Moon has convinced anywhere from several hundred thousand to one million people to join his church and consider him “Jesus reincarnated.” Moon is vehemently opposed to homosexuality, and yet he makes the common mistake of hating them, spewing rage at them, instead of trying of forgiving and trying to convert them from the sin. Such hateful opposition does nothing but galvanize the offended party to continue as it is. Christians must be in the business of saving souls, not assisting their damnation.</p> <p>He is extremely anti-Semitic, and his entire church with him, championing the Holocaust as divine vengeance against the Jews, because they did not support Jesus, and this brought about his murder by the Roman government.</p> <p>And none of that mentions Moon’s extraordinarily lavish lifestyle. Modern church founders typically make a lot of money founding churches. Jesus didn’t make one cent. Moon has been known to spend $2,000 a day, and give his children as much as $50,000 monthly allowances. His “True Family’s” home is a huge mansion on 18 acres in Irvington, NY, with 12 bedrooms, a dining room replete with pond and waterfall, 7 bathrooms, a bowling alley, and that’s not counting the mansions in Korea, England, Scotland, Germany, thoroughbred horses for the kids, private tutors, Ferraris, motorcycles, and blank checks to take on their vacations, first-class of course. </p> <p>Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.</p> <p>The funniest part is that he was convicted of tax fraud and served 18 months in prison. Remember the fish Jesus told Peter to catch? It had two coins in its mouth, one for each of them, to pay the tax? “Render therefore unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s.” Even Jesus paid taxes.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">David Koresh</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/1120330742_1726789850_biography-final-24-david-koresh-sf-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="1120330742 1726789850 Biography-Final-24-David-Koresh-Sf" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Vernon Wayne Howell was a handsome, charismatic Texan, considered so poor a student in elementary and middle school that he was enrolled in special ed classes. He memorized the New Testament by 11, and impregnated a 15 year old when he was 19. He must have forgotten a few verses.</p> <p>By 1983, after being kicked out of a 7th Day Adventist Church for fooling around with the pastor’s daughter, he began calling himself a prophet. He was able to recruit followers because of his good looks and magnetic personality, eventually proclaiming himself Jesus Christ, “the Son of God, the Lamb who could open the seven seals.” He taught that monogamy was the only proper relationship, but that polygamy was perfectly fine for him, and him alone, and quickly had sex with Karen Doyle, called her his second wife, after his first died, and proceeded to have sex with as many as 140 different women.</p> <p>Karen Doyle did not get pregnant, probably because she was 14 years old, so he slept with Michele Jones, 12 years old. By proclaiming this God’s will, he was able to have sex with any woman or girl whenever he liked. He tried to gun down George Roden, who was also a high ranking member of Koresh’s sect, and escaped conviction by mistrial.</p> <p>By the time of the Waco Siege, he had, by his own admission, fathered at least 12 children, some by girls as young as 12. And the followers just kept coming. To be honest, the FBI seriously botched the siege, and used unnecessary force, but Koresh was the primary culprit of his followers’ deaths, 82 of them, by fire. Which side started the fire is hotly disputed and will never be known, but Koresh told his followers, “Don’t move until you see God.”</p> <p>They didn’t see God before they burned alive, Koresh with them.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Pat Robertson</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/image540926x-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Image540926X" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>He’s worse than the previous two because he doesn’t even know how to lie convincingly. He swears that “the spirit of God comes mightily upon [him]” and enables him to leg press 2,000 pounds, though he is 79 years old. This claim has been thoroughly debunked by weightlifting experts, and yet he persists in claiming and not proving it.</p> <p>He has claimed to be able to deflect hurricanes by praying to God, and stated that Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for abortion throughout America (not for Mardi Gras, which would be a little more understandable), thus showing that he did not pray for Katrina’s deflection. He believes that 9/11 and Katrina might be divinely connected. </p> <p>Most recently, he denounced Haiti after the January 12, 2010 earthquake, stating that Haiti deserved what it was getting because it swore a pact with the Devil back in 1791, in order to drive out the French. Whether that pact was sworn or not, his comments were obviously intended to inflame and hurt, and they did so. How Christian of him. He was roundly denounced by most Christian denominations, and still refuses to retract what he said.</p> <p>He predicted Doomsday in 1982. Ronald Reagan came close, I guess. He predicted a Pacific Northwestern tsunami in 2006, then a terrorist attack on American soil sometime in 2007. He defended this last failure by stating, “All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God, in his mercy, spared us.” He has made many other predictions, none of which has come true.</p> <p>He has many times called for the destruction of Islam and all its followers, not for their conversion to Christianity. he calls Islam “satanic.” He calls Hinduism “demonic.” He even claims some Protestant Christian denominations as harboring the spirit of the Antichrist. He has made quite a few anti-Semitic remarks, notably about Ariel Sharon, the former PM of Israel, whose stroke and vegetative state Robertson calls “an act of God.”</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Matthew Hale</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/hale-1-tm.jpg?w=400&h=292" alt="Hale-1" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="292" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Hale is currently serving 40 years in prison for attempting to solicit the murder of Judge Joan Lefkow. Not a very model preacher. But actually, he calls himself the Pontifex Maximus of the Creativity Movement, which is just another offshoot from the Ku Klux Klan. The church is for whites only, and it has its own bible, in which one finds passages such as, “You have no alibi, no other way out, white man! Fight or die!”</p> <p>His church calls for a worldwide, racial holy war, to exterminate the Jews and all black people, in order to establish “a white world.” His reasoning: God is white; God created the Jews and black people to test the faith and resolve of white people; thus, killing a Jew or black person is not a sin. After one of his followers, Benjamin N. Smith, committed a deadly shooting spree, targeting only minorities, Hale “defended” his actions on TV by saying, “We do urge hatred. If you love something, you must hate that which threatens it.” He is on audio tape laughing about the shootings and imitating the sounds of gunfire.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Michael Bray</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/rev-michael-bray-left-tm.jpg?w=400&h=326" alt="Rev-Michael-Bray-Left" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="326" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Bray is not an ordained or college-educated minister, but he does preach a lot about abortion. He served 46 months of a 10 year sentence for conspiring to bomb 10 abortion clinics in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D. C. He and his wife stand firmly on the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, and that because it preaches so firmly against homosexuality and adultery, then upon being convicted of either in a court of law, the guilty party should be put to death. Even though American courts of law have no problem with either. They might be sins, but they aren’t felonies.</p> <p>Bray didn’t exactly help the Christian cause of conversion by allowing Richard Dawkins, the most famous atheist in the world, to interview him for a show called “The Root of All Evil.” Bray was thoroughly outmatched, of course, and made Christianity look like…well, the root of all evil.</p> <p>He is now out of prison and living in Wilmington, Ohio, officially labeled as a terrorist.</p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Paul Jennings Hill</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/873hill-tm.jpg?w=267&h=350" alt="873Hill" vspace="4" width="267" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Hill was a trained and ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church, but the church excommunicated him in 1993 for taking such a militant stand against abortion, and for becoming a member of the Army of God, a Christian terrorist, anti-abortion organization.</p> <p>This ordained minister finally let his anger get the best of him when he traveled to Pensacola, Florida on July 29, 1994, to an abortion clinic, and murdered one of the doctors, and his bodyguard, point-blank with shotgun blasts. He wounded the bodyguard’s wife. Then he calmly put down the shotgun in the grass and sat and waited for the police.</p> <p>He was executed. The law does not permit vigilante justice. And come to think of it, “Love thine enemies,” seems a fair argument against it also.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Marshall Herff Applewhite, Jr.</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/1463_heavens_gate_468-tm.jpg?w=400&h=256" alt="1463 Heavens Gate 468" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="256" hspace="4" /></p> <p>And if you thought the last several entries were weirdos, Applewhite has gone down in history as a true psychopath. Born May 17, 1931, he proclaimed himself a prophet in 1972, and then, as they all seem to do, proclaimed himself Jesus Christ reincarnated. He was not as handsome as #9, but he wasn’t exactly ugly, either, was married, and seemed for all the world to be “blameless and upright before God.”</p> <p>Followers flocked to his forceful charisma, when he told them that UFOs were coming to take them away to Heaven. When the UFOs didn’t show, the followers left, but he kept preaching to various friends and their acquaintances, and by 1975 acquired a following of 93 men, women and children.</p> <p>He eventually recruited people from all 50 states, and settled in Rancho Santa Fe, California. His wife died of cancer in 1985, and sometime between then and 1997, he had a nurse surgically castrate him, for purification. He called his church “Heaven’s Gate.” His congregation worshiped him fervently. </p> <p>On March 19, 1997, as the comet Hale-Bopp was passing Earth, Applewhite recorded himself preaching to his congregation that suicide “was the only way to evacuate this earth.” His congregation did not believe in suicide, but was so enamored with him, that 39 members took his word for it, and on March 24, 25, and 26, they killed themselves with mixtures of phenobarbitol and applesauce, followed by vodka. They also put plastic bags over their heads to be sure of asphyxiating, in case the poison didn’t work. </p> <p>Applewhite’s idea was to die so his spirit would ascend to the UFO following Hale-Bopp, which would then take him and his followers to another plane, both physical and spiritual.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Jim Jones</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/2771_final-report-jonestown-1_04700300-tm.jpg?w=400&h=255" alt="2771 Final-Report-Jonestown-1 04700300" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="255" hspace="4" /></p> <p>But that’s nothing compared to the 909 people, 276 of them children, who became enamored with the handsome charismatic founder of the Peoples Temple. James Warren Jones started out Methodist, and seemed to have fine intentions, endeavoring to bring about civil right for blacks and integrate American society. Somewhere along the line, he went patently insane. He was an aggressive narcissist, just as entries 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10. He never claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, and the only reason he founded the Peoples Temple was for the money he could make via his congregation. </p> <p>The strangest part is that his followers were not hopeless runaways or uneducated and uninformed. They were predominantly members of other Christian denominations, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Disciples of Christ, etc. They were taken in by his good looks and charm, and his ability to lead and convince.</p> <p>n 1974, the Temple went to Guyana, with only 50 members. But Jones promised others back in the States a tropical paradise, and they flocked by the hundreds to “Jonestown.” Because he had always been an outspoken communist sympathizer, and intended Jonestown to be a socialist save haven, he drew the attention of the U. S. Government. </p> <p>On November 17, 1978, investigating claims of abuse within the Temple, California congressman Leo Ryan went to Jonestown, and about 15 members wanted to leave with him. They attempted to depart via a nearby airstrip, and were fired upon by Temple security guards. Ryan was killed, along with four others, one a Temple member.</p> <p>When the shooters returned to Jonestown, Jones and accomplices were preparing a mass suicide by poisoning: Flavor Aid loaded with cyanide, phenergan, Valium and chloral hydrate.</p> <p>There are graphic pictures of the dead lying en masse outside the pavilion, 909 of them. The children were probably not told that the drink was poisoned.</p> <p>Jones shot himself in the head.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Charles Coughlin</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/32843h-tm.jpg?w=236&h=350" alt="32843H" vspace="4" width="236" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a priest who used the radio to acquire a large audience for his political and religious propaganda. He was born in 1891, and one of the first to use modern technology to mass communicate for such a purpose.</p> <p>He started out innocently enough, using radio to decry the KKK for burning crosses on his church grounds, but ten years later, in 1936, he started praising and defending both Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini for their politics, and spewing some of the most despicable virulence against Jews to which the world had borne witness up to that point.</p> <p>He blamed the Great Depression on “an international conspiracy of Jewish bankers,” then blamed Communism, the Russian 1917 Revolution, and Marxist atheism on “global Jewry, in its attempt to lead people astray from the perfection of Lord Jesus.”</p> <p>He plagiarized a speech by Goebbels, then delivered it himself in a rally in the Bronx, September 13, 1935, giving the “Hitler salute.” And this is what he said. This is what Father Charles E. Coughlin, SJ. said, “When we get through with the Jews in America, they’ll think the treatment they received in Germany was nothing.”</p> <p>He acquired thousands of followers, who chanted things like, “Wait until Hitler gets over here!” Coughlin was linked with a group that attempted to overthrow the U. S. Government, after which he was abandoned by most. He still refused to change his politics, and fought a series of radio duels with Unitarian Walton Cole, who wanted the Catholic Church to put an end to Coughlin’s vitriol.</p> <p>F. D. Roosevelt himself was the man who shut Coughlin up for good, when the latter started railing against the New Deal. The courts ruled that the 1st Amendment did not apply to radio, and Coughlin’s license was revoked. This forced him to pay for his own air time, which he could not do for long.</p> <p>On May 1, 1942, the Archbishop of Detroit, Most Rev. Edward Mooney, ordered Coughlin to stop his political activities and confine himself to his duties as a parish priest, warning that he would be defrocked if he refused. Coughlin complied and remained the pastor of the Shrine of the Little Flower until retiring in 1966. He died in 1979, at 88 years old, still publishing inflammatory articles against Judaism and Communism.</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Fred Phelps, Sr.</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/fred_phelps-tm.jpg?w=400&h=304" alt="Fred Phelps" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="304" hspace="4" /></p> <p>He has 13 children, 4 of whom have disowned him and their other 9 siblings. Those 4 children, two men and two women, have denounced the man himself as “a vitrolic, megalomaniacal sadistic psychopath.” I can’t phrase it better than that, and yet, it still does not fully capture the personality of this man. Ordinarily, the lister should remain aloof from the list, but in this case, except for his congregation, which officially numbers 71, 60 of whom are Phelps’s relatives, it is highly doubtful if anyone else on the planet agrees with, or even slightly supports, Phelps’s savage, barbaric perversion of Christianity and its founder. So I don’t feel quite so bad about being biased.</p> <p>His “ministry” at the Westboro Baptist Church, which he founded, in Topeka, Kansas, is based almost entirely on anti-homosexuality, which is one of the easiest, if not the easiest, sin to denounce by means of quoting the Bible. God condemns homosexuality at least twice, in Leviticus, and from this principle, Phelps feels he can condemn the entire world, but especially the United States of America, the latter which he has described as a liberal hellhole that supports homosexuality. That’s a very, VERY cleaned-up paraphrase of his graphic, disgustingly profane diction.</p> <p>Whereas, there are plenty of verses to quote against hatred, “Love thine enemies” just one of them, as quoted above. Phelps and his worshipers (since they certainly don’t worship Jesus) petulantly ignore these verses and enjoy themselves by hating others. It is a physical and emotional release, a pleasure just as sensual as that garnered by loving others.</p> <p>He may never have begun a sentence with “God loves…” For him, sermons ought to begin with “God hates…” Most of the time that blank is filled in with homosexual slurs.</p> <p>He extrapolates God’s hatred for gays to ridiculous lengths, denouncing the entire world as imminently doomed to Hell, except for…you guessed it: him and his precious few followers.</p> <p>His two estranged sons have described him as “a malignant narcissist, with the same short, viciously intemperate disposition as a serial killer toward his victims.” The only reason he has not killed anyone is not because he views it as a sin, but because it would give the rest of the world more universal ground on which to stand against him. He prefers to set himself up as God on Earth, perfect and blamelessly instigatory.</p> <p>His oldest daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, has defended their actions as righteous with every word, according to the Bible, and forcing “the sinful American nation to open its mouth and condemn itself.”</p> <p>He and his congregation picket at least 6 churches and political establishments around their hometown everyday, with signs that read, “God Hates F_gs,” “Thank God for Dead American Soldiers,” “America is Going to Hell,” etc. They do this for the sole purpose of offending and causing wanton emotional distress. They picket the funerals of dead soldiers, screaming at the families, even while they grieve at the gravesides, that the soldier has gone to Hell and so will they. Then they laugh. They have been sued at least once, successfully, but they successfully appealed this suit and paid nothing.</p> <p>Phelps is the man responsible for sending these brainwashed fools, who revel in their own malice, across the country. He has condemned every single President, from the time he was old enough to care, as the Antichrist. He has even called President Obama “a n____r” on several occasions.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-75465361425070102982010-03-21T21:00:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:02:31.812-07:0055 Academy Award Achievements<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>With the Oscars right around the corner I thought it would be fun to put together an Academy Award list. Because there are so many Oscar lists out there I wanted to do a unique list in a hopefully fun and entertaining format. This bottom to top list (10 to 1 with a bonus of 0) will have the number representing the number of achievements and lists those achievements accordingly. So I guess you could say it’s a list within a list. All accomplishments on this list are prior to the results of the 82nd Academy Awards scheduled for March 7, 2010.</p> <p><span id="more-22881"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Triple Winners</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/snn0507mf_380_546788a-tm.jpg?w=238&h=350" alt="Snn0507Mf 380 546788A" vspace="4" width="238" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Ten Oscar Winners that Have Appeared in 3 Oscar Winning Best Picture Films </p> <p>1. Donald Crisp Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) , The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and How Green Was My Valley (1941) </p> <p>2. Clark Gable, It Happened One Night (1934) , Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Gone With the Wind (1939) </p> <p>3. John Gielgud Around the World in 80 Days (1956) , Chariots of Fire (1981) and Gandhi (1982) </p> <p>4. Hugh Griffith, Ben-Hur (1959) , Tom Jones (1963) and Oliver! (1968) </p> <p>5. Dustin Hoffman, Midnight Cowboy (1969) , Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Rain Man (1988) </p> <p>6. Diane Keaton The Godfather (1972) , The Godfather Part II (1974) and Annie Hall (1977) </p> <p>7. Shirley MacLaine, Around the World in 80 Days (1956) , The Apartment (1960) and Terms of Endearment (1983) </p> <p>8. Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter (1978) , Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Out of <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >Africa</span></span></span> (1985) </p> <p>9. Morgan Freeman, Driving Miss Daisy (1989) , Unforgiven (1992) , Million Dollar Baby (2004) </p> <p>10. Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) , Terms of Endearment (1983) , The Departed</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> In the film Million Dollar Baby Morgan Freeman was originally approached to play the lead role of Frankie Dunn. But even before Clint Eastwood took on the directing and starring role he decided to take the part of Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Tony and Oscar</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/brynner-tm.jpg?w=270&h=350" alt="Brynner" vspace="4" width="270" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Nine Actors to Win a Tony Award and an Oscar for the Same Role </p> <p>1. José Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac (1947/1950) </p> <p>2. Shirley Booth in Come Back, Little Sheba (1950/1953) </p> <p>3. Yul Brynner in The King and I (1952/1956) </p> <p>4. Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady (1957/1964) </p> <p>5. Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker (1960/1962) </p> <p>6. Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons (1962/1966) </p> <p>7. Jack Albertson in The Subject Was Roses (1965/1968) </p> <p>8. Joel Grey in Cabaret (1967/1973) </p> <p>9. Lila Kedrova, and did it the other way around. She won an Oscar for Zorba the Greek, in 1964 and 20 years later won a Tony for the same role in Zorba in 1984. </p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> In the film The King and I, three musical numbers were filmed and then deleted from the movie. They were: “My Lord and Master” (a ballad sung by Tuptim shortly after her arrival in the palace) – “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?” (a soliloquy for Anna, in which she comically expresses her anger towards the King) – “I Have Dreamed” (another duet for Tuptim and Lun Tha) – It was felt that “My Lord and Master” and “I Have Dreamed” didn’t do much to advance the plot, and the number “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?” would make Anna sound too whiny and nagging. </p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Posthumous Nomination</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/heath_ledger_as_the_joker_the_dark_knight_movie_image1-tm.jpg?w=331&h=350" alt="Heath Ledger As The Joker The Dark Knight Movie Image1" vspace="4" width="331" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Eight Times Actors Have Been Nominated Posthumously </p> <p>1. Jeanne Eagels, The Letter (Nominated Best for Actress) 1928/9</p> <p>2. James Dean, East of Eden (Nominated for Best Actor) 1955</p> <p>3. James Dean, Giant (Nominated for Best Actor) 1956</p> <p>4. Spencer Tracy, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Nominated Best Actor) 1967</p> <p>5. Peter Finch, <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >Network</span></span></span> (Won for Best Actor) 1976</p> <p>6. Ralph Richardson, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (Nominated for Supporting Actor) 1984</p> <p>7. Massimo Troisi, Il Postino (Nominated for Best Actor) 1995 </p> <p>8. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight (Won for Supporting Actor) 2008 </p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> In preparation for his role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >hotel </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >room</span></span></span> for about six weeks. Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. Ledger’s interpretation of The Joker’s appearance was primarily based off of the look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell’s character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Non-Speaking Roles</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/helen1-tm.jpg?w=280&h=350" alt="Helen1" vspace="4" width="280" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Seven Oscar Nominations for a Non-Speaking Role</p> <p>1. Jane Wyman, Johnny Belinda (Won for Best Actress) (1948) </p> <p>2. Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker (Won for Best Supporting Actress) (1962) </p> <p>3. John Mills, Ryan’s Daughter (Won for Best Supporting Actor) (1970) </p> <p>4. Marlee Matlin, Children of A Lesser God (Won for Best Actress) (1986) </p> <p>5. Holly Hunter The Piano (Won for Best Actress) (1993) </p> <p>6. Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown (Nominated for Best Supporting Actress) (1999) </p> <p>7. Rinko Kikuchi, Babel (Nominated for Best Supporting Actress) (2006) </p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> In the film The Miracle Worker, for the dining room scene, Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke wore padding beneath their clothes to prevent serious bruising during the intense physical skirmish. The nine-minute sequence required three cameras and took five days to film. You can watch the scene here. </p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Non-English Roles</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/vicky-cristina-barcelona-penelope-penelope-cruz-4121525-900-600-tm.jpg?w=400&h=266" alt="Vicky-Cristina-Barcelona-Penelope-Penelope-Cruz-4121525-900-600" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="266" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Six Winning Oscars for Performing in a Spoken Language Other Than English</p> <p>1. Sophia Loren, Two Women (Italian) 1960</p> <p>2. Robert DeNiro, The Godfather Part II (Italian) 1974</p> <p>3. Roberto Benigni, Life Is Beautiful (Italian) 1997</p> <p>4. Benicio del Toro, Traffic, (Spanish) 2000</p> <p>5. Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (French) 2007</p> <p>6. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Spanish) 2008</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> With Penelope Cruz winning an Oscar for her role as Maria Elena in the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona it continues a trend of young actresses winning Best Supporting Actress Oscars in Woody Allen films. Previous winners were Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite (1995) and Dianne Wiest in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994) .</p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Back-To-Back Oscars</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ranier1-tm.jpg?w=282&h=350" alt="Ranier1" vspace="4" width="282" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Five Actors Winning Back to Back Oscars </p> <p>1. Luise Rainer: Best Actress for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and Best Actress for The Good Earth (1937) </p> <p>2. Spencer Tracy: Best Actor for Captains Courageous (1937) and Best Actor for Boys Town (1938) </p> <p>3. Katharine Hepburn: Best Actress for Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner (1967) and Best Actress for A Lion in Winter (1968) </p> <p>4. Jason Robards: Best Supporting Actor for All the President’s Men (1976) and Best Supporting Actor for Julia (1977) </p> <p>5. Tom Hanks: Best Actor, Philadelphia (1993) and Best Actor for Forrest Gump (1994) </p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> Not only is Luise Rainer (Pictured above) the first woman to win two Academy Awards and the first person to win them back to back she is also the oldest living Oscar winner. Rainer was born of Jewish parents in Dusseldorf, Germany and made three German movies. Because of the rise of the Nazis in her home country, she accepted a contract from M-G-M in 1935and departed with her parents to Hollywood. She now lives in London and on January 12, 2010 she celebrated her 100th birthday. You can watch a 100 year birthday tribute here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVCWkOh_KHY </p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Female Best Director</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/peperoniripieni_3-tm.jpg?w=333&h=350" alt="Peperoniripieni 3" vspace="4" width="333" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Four Woman Nominated for Best Director</p> <p>I found this hard to believe because there have been so many talented woman directors over the years. No woman has won an Oscar for Best Director and only four have been nominated. </p> <p>1. Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties (1976) </p> <p>2. Jane Campion for The Piano (1993) </p> <p>3. Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation (2003) </p> <p>4. Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008) </p> <p>Note: The Hurt Locker was first released theatrically in Italy in 2008. It was then released in the United States in 2009 and will be eligible for the upcoming Academy Awards. So Kathryn Bigelow could be the first woman to win an Oscar for Directing.</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> Lina Wertmüller’s films are highly reflective of her own political commitments, with the main characters either dedicated anarchists, communists, feminists (or all) .</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Big Five</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/screen-shot-2010-02-24-at-9-11-08-am-tm.jpg?w=400&h=307" alt="Screen Shot 2010-02-24 At 9.11.08 Am" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="307" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Three films winning for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Writing</p> <p>In the Biz this is known as “The Big Five” or the “Oscar Grand Slam”.</p> <p>1. It Happened One Night (1934) Director: Frank Capra Actor: Clark Gable Actress: Claudette Colbert Writing Adaptation: Robert Riskin</p> <p>2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Director: Miloš Forman Actor: Jack Nicholson Actress: Louise Fletcher Writing Adapted Screenplay: Laurence Hauben and Bo Goldman</p> <p>3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Director: Jonathan Demme, Actor: Anthony Hopkins Actress: Jodie Foster, Writing Adapted Screenplay: Ted Tally </p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> Clark Gable gave his Oscar for It Happened One Night to a child who admired it, telling him it was the winning of the statue that had mattered, not owning it. The child returned the Oscar to the Gable <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >family</span></span></span> after Clark’s death in 1960.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Self-Directing</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/laurence6-44391-tm.jpg?w=388&h=350" alt="Laurence6-44391" vspace="4" width="388" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Two Directors that Directed Themselves to an Acting Oscar</p> <p>1. Laurence Olivier, Director of and Best Actor for Hamlet (1948) </p> <p>2. Roberto Benigni, Director of and Best Actor for Life Is Beautiful (1998) </p> <p>Neither Olivier or Benigni were awarded the Oscar for Best Director</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> In the film Hamlet, Olivier played the voice of Hamlet’s father’s ghost himself by recording the dialog and playing it back at a reduced speed, giving it a macabre quality. You can hear the voice at 2 minutes and 49 second into this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu46pOY0itc </p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Four Oscars</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/hepburn-tm.jpg?w=280&h=350" alt="Hepburn" vspace="4" width="280" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> One Actor Winning 4 Oscars</p> <p>Katharine Hepburn holds the current record for the most acting Academy Awards won by an individual. The movies are: Morning Glory (1933) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) The Lion in Winter (1968) On Golden Pond (1981) All 4 Oscars are for best actress. You can see all four of her Oscars here.</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> Another one and only achievement is the only actor to win an Oscar for playing a real-life actor who has received an Oscar. Ironically it is Cate Blanchett for winning Best Supporting actress in the 2004 film The Aviator, in which she played Katharine Hepburn. </p> <p><a name="item-0"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">0</span> <div class="itemtitle">Science Fiction</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/avatar-movie-wallpapers43435-tm.jpg?w=400&h=249" alt="Avatar-Movie-Wallpapers43435" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="249" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>Achievement:</strong> Zero Science Fiction Films Winning Best Picture</p> <p>Sci-fi movies have never been a big favorite for the Academy. District 9 and Avatar are both up for best Picture for this year’s academy awards and a win from one of the two would mark the first best picture Oscar for a science fiction film. There have only been a few nominated science-fiction films for best picture in the past, including A Clockwork Orange (1971) , Star Wars (1977) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) .</p> <p><strong>Interesting Fact:</strong> There are several legends attributed to the “Oscar” nickname. Betty Davis claimed to have dubbed the statue with the name because its backside reminded her of Harmon Oscar Nelson, her husband. Another story claims the Academy’s first librarian, Margaret Herrick, named the award because it reminded her of her uncle Oscar. Columnist Sidney Skolsky lays claims to making a vaudeville reference when he coined the name in the press. The Academy began officially calling the award Oscar in 1939.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-30025185979525302792010-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:00:23.192-07:00Top 10 Bizarre or Ridiculous Fatwas<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>With no centralized Islamic religious authority like a Pope or Dalai Lama, pretty much any Muslim “scholar” can create a fatwa, a religious edict for modern life supposedly guided by the Koran or the (less authoritative) hadiths- stories from Muhammad’s life. In recent years, supply has far outstripped demand, and it’s getting laughable. Most fatwas are harmless and a little mundane, but lately, some Islamic jurists have gone straight crazy. </p> <p><span id="more-22909"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Sun and Earth</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/6a00e5521c920588330105369a88ee970b-800wi-tm.jpg?w=400&h=336" alt="6A00E5521C920588330105369A88Ee970B-800Wi" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="336" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Grand Mufti Sheikh Ibn Baaz: The Sun Revolves Around the Earth</p> <p>In a 2000 Fatwa titled “The Transmitted and Sensory Proofs of the Rotation of the Sun and Stillness of the Earth”, Saudi Arabian Grand Mufti Sheikh Ibn Baaz asserted that the earth was flat and disk-like and that the sun revolved around it. He had insisted that satellite images to the contrary were nothing but a Western conspiracy against the Islamic world.</p> <p><em>Source: Al-Ahram Weekly Issue 477, 13-19 April, 2000.</em></p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Satanic Verses</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/the_satanic_verses-tm.jpg?w=228&h=350" alt="The Satanic Verses" vspace="4" width="228" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Ayatollah Khomeini: Kill for A Book None of Us Can Should Read!</p> <p>In 1988, publication of Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses” led Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini to issue a fatwa against Rushdie, with a huge bounty for his death. This triggered several attacks on the novel’s translators, publishers and booksellers, including the murder of Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi. Millions of Muslims around the world who had never read a single line of the book, and who had never even met Rushdie before, wanted him dead. Interesting fact, 24% of Iranians at the time couldn’t even read.</p> <p><em>Source: “The West Is Choked by Fear”, Der Speigel Jan 4, 2010, Henryk Broder</em></p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Tomboys</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/image-21-tm.jpg?w=251&h=350" alt="Image-21" vspace="4" width="251" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Malaysian National Fatwa Council: Tomboy fatwa</p> <p>A University of Massachusetts study recently reported that girls who play sports have higher self esteem, and are less likely to enter (or remain in) abusive relationships. Could this fact have threatened the he-men at the Malaysia National Fatwa Council? Maybe. Perhaps that’s why Kuala Lumpur had a near riot on their hands when the Sisters in Islam marched against a Malaysian fatwa banning tomboys, which branded any girls who act un-ladylike as violating Islamic tenets. Fortunately, the as-yet undefined punishment for Malaysian girls in t-shirts and jeans hasn’t been incorporated into Sharia law yet. </p> <p><em>Source: The Malaysian Insider</em></p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Mickey Mouse</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/0-2-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="0-2" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Muhammad Al-Munajid: Bring Me the Head of Mickey Mouse</p> <p>That’s right, somebody put on hit on Mickey Mouse. Calling Mickey “one of Satan’s soldiers,” Sheikh Muhammad Al-Munajid decreed that household mice and their cartoon cousins must be “killed in all cases”, according to the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph.</p> <p>And get this—the guy’s not your average nutjob, either—Munajid used to be a former diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Washington D.C. He made the remarks on Arab television <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >network</span></span></span> al-Majd TV after he was asked to give Islam’s teaching on mice. </p> <p>But don’t worry, Mickey won’t be alone. Munajid also put a hit on Jerry from “Tom and Jerry”. Maybe they could rent a flat with Salman Rushdie (above).</p> <p><em>Source: Report: Saudi Cleric Says Mickey Mouse ‘Must Die’.</em> </p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Emoticons</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/emoticon-tm.jpg?w=400&h=301" alt="Emoticon" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="301" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Multaqa Ahl al Hadeeth: Emoticon fatwa</p> <p>I can almost get behind this one. Sure, they’re annoying, but evil? Really? Well, to a Muslim forum looking to make a name for itself—yes.</p> <p>According to Muslim Internet Forum Multaqa Ahl al Hadeeth, “Emoticons are forbidden because of its imitation to Allah’s creatures whether it is original or mixture or even deformed one and since the picture is the face and the face is what makes the real picture then emoticons which represent faces that express emotions then all that add up to make them Haram.” Additionally, “A woman should not use these images when speaking to a man who is not her mahram, because these faces are used to express how she is feeling, so it is as if she is smiling, laughing, acting shy and so on, and a woman should not do that with a non-mahram man. It is only permissible for a woman to speak to men in cases of necessity, so long as that is in a public chat room and not in private correspondence.”</p> <p><em>Source: Jihadwatch</em></p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Football</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/iranian-wome-playing-soccer-tm.jpg?w=304&h=350" alt="Iranian-Wome-Playing-Soccer" vspace="4" width="304" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Football fatwa</p> <p>No, not even the beautiful game is safe from stupid fatwas. As part of a government drive to eliminate frivolous fatwas, the Saudi newspaper Al Watan lampooned one very real edict setting out new rules for football. Ridiculous demands included “do not play with 11 people like the heretics, Jews, and Christians”, and “play in your pyjamas or regular clothes (because) colored shorts and numbered T-shirts are not Muslim clothing”. Especially ridiculous is the edict to “remove the crossbar in order not to imitate the heretics and in order to be entirely distinct from the soccer system’s despotic international rules.”</p> <p><em>Source: “A Fatwa on Football”, The Guardian, Monday 31 October 2005.</em></p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Vaccine</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/files-tm.jpg?w=400&h=251" alt="Files" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="251" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Infidel Vaccine</p> <p>Polio is actually increasing in India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Why? Because an anti-polio fatwa by anti-Western clerics forbid Pakistani children from immunizations, because the clerics are saying the vaccine is a conspiracy to make Muslims sterile. Ironically, it’s the clerics’ plans that would produce this result, as dead/paralytic kids don’t breed all that much. </p> <p><em>Source: “POLIO ERADICATION: Looking for a Little Luck”, Roberts Science 6 February 2009</em></p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Nudity and Sex</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ap-muslim-sex-070712-mn-tm-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Ap-Muslim-Sex-070712-Mn-Tm" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Rashad Hassan Khalil: No Nudity for Sex </p> <p>In 2007, the former dean of Islamic law at al-Azhar University in Cairo issued a fatwa that nudity during sexual intercourse invalidates a marriage between husband and wife. Debate was immediate. Suad Saleh, head of the women’s department of Al-Azhar’s Islamic studies, pleaded for “anything that can bring spouses closer to each other” and Islamic scholar Abdel Muti concurred, saying “Nothing is prohibited during marital sex, except of <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: static;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-weight: 400; position: relative;font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13;" >course</span></span></span> sodomy.”<br />For his part, Al-Azhar’s fatwa committee chairman Abdullah Megawar backpedaled and said that married couples could see each other naked but should really cover up with a blanket during sex. </p> <p><em>Source: SimplyDumb</em></p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Urine</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/f63e914f9c-tm.jpg?w=400&h=267" alt="F63E914F9C" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="267" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Sheik Ali Gomaa: Urine Fatwa</p> <p>According to Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ali Gomaa, drinking the urine of Muhammad is deemed a great blessing. What, they have a lot of this stuff lying around, going to waste or something? Remember, Muhammad never claimed that he himself was divine—so why does his piss have magic properties? Failing to pass the laugh test with Muslim scholars, Mufti later recanted, saying it was only his “personal opinion”. </p> <p><em>Source: “A Fatwa Free-for-All in the Islamic World”, New York Times, Michael Slackman Published: Monday, June 11, 2007</em></p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Breastfeeding</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/674twins_and_mom-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="674Twins And Mom" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p><strong>The Fatwa: </strong>Ezzat Attiya: Adult Breastfeeding in the Workplace</p> <p>In May 2007, Ezzat Attiya wondered how unrelated men and women could work together in the same office, when Islam forbids men and women who aren’t married or related to be alone together. His answer: let her suckle him FIVE TIMES. Yes, that’s right, an adult female breastfeeding an adult male coworker will defuse all sexual tension in the office. See, the female worker will now be the male worker’s foster mother, and they can be alone together anytime. Attiya’s ruling was intergalactically mocked, and quickly condemned on the homefront as well. He was later suspended from his job, pilloried in Arab newspapers, and issued a hasty retraction saying it was a “bad interpretation of a particular case.” </p> <p><em>Source: “A Fatwa Free-for-All In the Islamic World”, New York Times, Michael Slackman, Monday, June 11, 2007.</em></p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-19011533300750640792010-03-21T20:57:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:58:46.768-07:0010 Modern Cases of Linguistic Genocide<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>Linguistic genocide has frequently been used throughout history to systematically eradicate languages for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s to assert the authority of a ruling power, sometimes it’s an attempt to assimilate an ethnic minority, and sometimes it’s to provide “linguistic unity.” In modern times (the past 200 years, for this list) it has been a major cause for the decline of a number of languages. This list does not focus on the decline or death or a language through actual genocide or death, but rather points in history in which a population’s language has suffered from attempts to eradicate or replace it.</p> <p><span id="more-22932"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Speak Mandarin Campaign</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/34940_story_images-tm.jpg?w=400&h=262" alt="34940 Story Images" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="262" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The government of Singapore launched the Speak Mandarin Campaign in 1979 to promote, as the name implies, the speaking of Mandarin amongst Chinese Singaporeans. This policy has come under heavy criticism, especially since the majority of Chinese Singaporeans are from southern China, where mostly non-Mandarin Chinese languages are spoken. As part of the campaign, the government banned non-Mandarin Chinese languages in local broadcast media, and foreign media in those languages is limited. The campaign has met with some success and has resulted in the increased usage of Mandarin and a decreased usage of the other Chinese languages, which has frequently caused problems in communication between the younger and older generations.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Hawaiian</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/khh-2-tm.jpg?w=400&h=223" alt="Khh-2" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="223" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The decline of the Hawaiian language started around the 1820s due to the influence of missionaries on the islands. The missionaries’ presence resulted in an increasing number of Hawaiians learning English, but at the expense of Hawaiian. Deliberate attacks on the language didn’t come until 1893, when the Provisional Government, put in place after the fall of the monarchy, attempted to assert the English language’s dominance over Hawaiian. This included the banning of Hawaiian in public schools in 1896 (although Hawaiian was not prohibited in other contexts), which continued well into the 20th century. Hawaiian’s secondary status can still be felt there today: there are only 2,000 native speakers, although efforts to promote the learning and teaching of Hawaiian are proving somewhat successful.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Ryukyuan languages</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/okinawa-tm.jpg?w=400&h=278" alt="Okinawa" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="278" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The decline of the Ryukyuan languages started when the Ryūkyū Kingdom lost its independence to Japan in the late 19th century. The languages were severely suppressed in education by the Japanese government. In Okinawa and other regions of Japan, students were punished for speaking anything other than Standard Japanese by wearing a “dialect card” around their neck. From World War II up to the present day, Japan has considered the Ryukyuan languages to have the degraded status of a “dialect” of Japanese, rather than a separate language. Today, efforts are made to preserve the languages, but the outlook is less than positive as the vast majority of Okinawan children are now monolingual Japanese speakers.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Korean</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/korean_lc_large-tm.jpg?w=232&h=350" alt="Korean Lc Large" vspace="4" width="232" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Korea was occupied by Japan from 1910 to 1945, and during that time suffered from a cultural genocide, which included the repression of the Korean language. In schools, Japanese was the language of instruction while Korean was offered merely as an elective, but later in this changed to an outright ban on Korean during school hours. Korean was also banned in the workplace. As part of their cultural assimilation policy, Japan introduced a system in which Koreans could “voluntarily” give up their Korean names and in their stead take a Japanese one, but many were frequently compelled or harassed into adopting a Japanese name against their will. The colonization ended with Japan’s surrender in World War II, but it continues to cast a shadow over the relationship between the countries.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Russification</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/article-1050084-024f21af00000578-780_468x590-tm.jpg?w=277&h=350" alt="Article-1050084-024F21Af00000578-780 468X590" vspace="4" width="277" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>“Russification” refers to the policies of both Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union to enforce the adoption of the Russian language. It was frequently used by Russian governments to impose their authority on the minorities they governed, often in order to quell separatism and the threat of rebellion. Particularly in the Ukraine and Finland, Russification was used as a means of asserting political domination.</p> <p>One of the most prominent instances of Russification was in the 19th century when Ukrainian, <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">Polish</span></span></span>, Lithuanian, and Belarusian were suppressed. Use of the local languages in public places or schools was banned, and these policies intensified after several uprisings occurred.</p> <p>Under the Soviet Union, the Arabic alphabet was eradicated and many languages were ultimately made to adopt variations of the Cyrillic alphabet. In the early years of the USSR minority languages were actually promoted, but this soon changed to a policy of Russian dominance over local languages. The result was that many people came to prefer Russian over their native language, and today Russian is still widely used in former Soviet states.</p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">The British Isles</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/welsh-language-board-tm.jpg?w=400&h=222" alt="Welsh Language Board" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="222" hspace="4" /></p> <p>England’s domination over Wales, Scotland, and Ireland introduced the English language to these regions, but with the devastating consequence of the downfall of the local languages. Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, and Irish (among others) were all prohibited in education at one time or another, which possibly contributed the most to the plummeting usage of the languages. In Wales, the Welsh Not (a piece of wood with the carved letters “WN” that was hung around the children’s necks) was used in the 1800s to punish students for speaking Welsh, and beating students for using non-English languages was common throughout all of the countries. Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish had inferior status to English, whereas Scots wasn’t even recognized as a separate language, and all suffered as a result. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the British government started taking steps to protect these languages, which has been met with mixed success. In all of the countries the local languages are now spoken by a minority, and are still very much secondary to English.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">La Vergonha</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/0-3-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="0-3" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>“La vergonha” (Occitan for “the shame”) refers to the policies of the French government regarding the treatment of minority languages in <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">France</span></span></span>. The speakers were frequently made to feel excluded or humiliated in school, society, or the media simply for speaking their language. In the late 18th century all non-French languages were banned in the administration and education, with the goal of “linguistically uniting” France. In the late 19th century, there was the widespread implementation of punishment in schools for speaking the regional languages. Students caught speaking a “patois,” as the French government referred to them to convey a sense of backwardness, were made to wear an object around their neck called a symbole. Discrimination against non-French languages continues to the present day, and remains a taboo topic. Current French president Nicolas Sarkozy has in recent years refused to ratify the European Charter for Regional or Minority languages, a treaty that aims to protect and promote regional languages.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Chinese in Indonesia</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/1966_suharto-tm.jpg?w=400&h=326" alt="1966 Suharto" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="326" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Indonesia’s ethnically Chinese population faced severe discrimination under President Suharto, who ruled Indonesia from 1967 until his resignation in 1998. Included in this was the harsh suppression of the Chinese languages, which were banned in nearly all aspects of life. All Chinese-language papers were forced to close except one, and all Chinese-language schools were shut. Chinese script was banned in public, and the police could openly abuse anyone found using the languages. Even their names weren’t safe from this cultural genocide, as they were forced to change them to more Indonesian-sounding ones. The severity of Suharto’s policies, combined with the social stigma associated with Chinese, was unfortunately effective, as many people of the younger generations lost the language of their parents. Following Suharto’s resignation, these bans on the Chinese languages were revoked by President Abdurrahman Wahid.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Francoist Spain</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/francisco-franco-tm.jpg?w=299&h=350" alt="Francisco Franco" vspace="4" width="299" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Under Franco’s rule from 1939 to 1975, regional and minority languages in Spain were discriminated against to assert the dominance of the <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">Spanish </span><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">language</span></span></span>. Franco’s use of language politics was mainly to promote nationalism, and so Spanish was made the sole official language of the country. The public use of any other language was either banned or frowned upon, depending on the region and time period, and anything other than Spanish names were forbidden. The harshest policies emerged at the beginning of Franco’s rule in the 1940s and ‘50s, while they became comparatively tolerant in the last years of his regime. To further establish the lower status of the languages, they were often considered to be mere dialects of Spanish, implying that they weren’t real languages (this didn’t apply to Basque, which is far too different from Spanish).</p> <p>The largest of these regional languages were Basque, Catalan, and Galician, although all languages were subjected to Franco’s policies. Catalan provides a good example of these laws: it was banned in government-run institutions and public events, <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">advertising</span></span></span>, and the media, but it was still used in some contexts. Publishing in Catalan continued throughout Franco’s dictatorship, and there was no prohibition on speaking it in public or in commerce. From the 1950s it was allowed in <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">theater</span></span></span>, and near the end of the regime certain celebrations in Catalan were tolerated.</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Kurdish</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/girlblackboard-tm.jpg?w=400&h=276" alt="Girl&Blackboard" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="276" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The Kurds have frequently been discriminated against in multiple countries, and even when the Kurdish people are not the target of genocide, their language still is. Iraq is notable for being perhaps the most accepting of its Kurdish population; it is an official language there, and has been allowed in education, administration, and the media. This is unfortunately not always true in other countries.</p> <p>Turkey attempted to assimilate non-Turkish speakers starting in the 1930s, when Kurdish language and culture was banned. The Kurds were seen as uncivilized and ignorant, and any expression of a separate identity was seen as a crime. This finally changed in 1991 when Turkey legalized the private use of spoken Kurdish. Since then, the restrictions have been becoming more and more relaxed: Kurdish in education in no longer illegal, and there are fewer limitations on television broadcasts. Discrimination against the language still very much exists in the country despite the recent improvements.</p> <p>Something similar happened in Iran, where the government had a policy of “Persianization” in the first half of the 20th century. Speaking Kurdish was banned in schools and state institutions, and later, a total ban on the language was imposed. In other countries, this is still true: in Syria, Kurdish is banned in most contexts.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-79954056648741713702010-03-21T20:56:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:57:07.938-07:0015 Most Influential Jazz Artists<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>As one of the most well respected American art forms, jazz has shaped the music industry spawning both the careers of various musical geniuses, and an abundance of elemental new music genres. Jazz was developed in the late 19th century and early 20th century as American and European classical music was mixed with African and slave folk songs. These songs were played to a syncopated rhythm, and from this emerged ragtime, then Dixieland and subsequently Big Band, what many consider to be the beginning of modern jazz. There is obvious West African influence, visible in terms of how the music is written and played; swing rhythm, polyrhythm, improvisation and syncopation are all prominent examples which are almost exclusively characteristics of jazz music. Over the <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">course</span></span></span> of the 20th century, this art form has been changing drastically as new artists bring on new influence and new sound. Dixieland became big-band, which became be-bop, which became fusion, Latin and free jazz, which, in turn, established their own separate styles like funk, acid-jazz, hard-bop, smooth jazz, cool jazz, etc. The musicians behind this ever growing phenomena are recognized as some of the best musicians of all time. Compiled here are who I believe are the best of the best, and the most influential all throughout the history of jazz music. </p> <p><a name="item-15"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">15</span> <div class="itemtitle">Art Tatum</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9Cs_zb4q14&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D9Cs_zb4q14&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Art Tatum was a jazz pianist and virtuoso who was nearly blind. He is acknowledged by many to be one of the greatest pianists of all time, revolutionizing the role piano played in jazz. Tatum drew upon stride piano to build up a style uniquely his own, playing with swinging pulse and futuristic improvisational abilities. His approach to jazz music completely changed the way piano was played: He reharmonized melodies by altering the underlying chord structure, used innovative chord extensions, and dissonance to his benefit. All of these were characteristics of bebop music, happening some 10 years before the first bebop records were even made. He was noted also for having exquisite technique, to a point where he was able to play some of the most difficult passages at high velocity, and still present the illusion that he was hardly moving his hands. </p> <p><a name="item-14"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">14</span> <div class="itemtitle">Thelonious Monk</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmhP1RgbrrY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SmhP1RgbrrY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Some of the most complex and dissonant harmonies can be found in the repertoire of pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, one of the most important contributers to bebop music. His somewhat eccentric persona also helped popularize jazz. Known for his “hip” style in suits, hats and sunglasses, Monk, in essence, personified the uniqueness and idiosyncrasy that was his music. His novel, improvisational approach helped to create a plethora of jazz standards like “Epistrophy,” “Blue Monk,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “I Mean You,” and “Well, You Needn’t.” Monk’s style was commonly characterized by his innovative approach to piano playing which included percussive attacks and abrupt pauses. He often got up from the piano during performances and danced a bit while the other members of the band continued playing. Thelonious Monk remains one of the most celebrated and renown pianists in any genre. </p> <p><a name="item-13"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">13</span> <div class="itemtitle">Charles Mingus</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TU_RxWXijz0&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TU_RxWXijz0&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>An acclaimed bass virtuoso, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist, Charles Mingus was one of the most creative musicians in the jazz scene. He developed a completely unique style, embracing elements of gospel, hard bop, free jazz, and classical music. Mingus was called the “heir apparent to Duke Ellington” because of his fantastic writing for medium-sized ensembles. His compositions showcased the skill of each of his players, whom he made sure were not only talented, but characteristically unique like himself. Mingus was feared for his temper, both on and offstage. He once punched trombonist Jimmy Knepper in the face, breaking off a crowned tooth and essentially ruining Knepper’s embouchure. Mingus suffered from clinical depression and refused to compromise his musical integrity, which resulted in on-stage eruptions and often the threatening of other band mates. Despite this, Mingus is one of the most important figures in bebop, bass and jazz history. </p> <p><a name="item-12"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">12</span> <div class="itemtitle">Art Blakey</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EfGDTGBHM9M&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EfGDTGBHM9M&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Art Blakey was a famous American drummer and bandleader who revolutionized the way jazz drums were played. His unique approach to drumming incorporated bits of swing, blues, funk and hard bop; a style which is heard today in drummers everywhere. Along with Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he is considered to have invented the modern bebop style of drumming. For over 30 years, his band The Jazz Messengers launched the careers of a multitude of famous jazz artists, like Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Curtis Fuller, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis and countless others. The Jazz Messengers not only produced phenomenal music, but served as a proving ground of sorts for young musicians, similar to Miles Davis’ band. Art Blakey’s style changed the way jazz sounded, and the way drums were played in modern bebop. </p> <p><a name="item-11"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">11</span> <div class="itemtitle">Dizzy Gillespie</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NSau8dhpWqw&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NSau8dhpWqw&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>American jazz trumpet player, singer, composer and bandleader, Gillespie was very significant in the development of bebop and modern jazz. His trumpet playing influenced such players as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro. After spending time in Cuba and coming back to America, Gillespie also greatly helped in the advancement of Afro-Cuban Jazz. He was characterized by his horn rimmed glasses, bent trumpet and uniquely puffy cheeks when playing. A great improviser, Dizzy added a certain layer of harmonic complexity to his music, something previously unknown in jazz. Songs like “Salt Peanuts” and “Goovin’ High” were very different, both harmonically and rhythmically, when compared with the sounds of his contemporaries. Remaining true to bebop his entire career, Gillespie is remembered as one of the most influential trumpet players in history. </p> <p><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Max Roach</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UfiaJHqcRx8&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UfiaJHqcRx8&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Max Roach is considered to be one of the greatest drummers in history, and was a renowned bebop pioneer. He is, along with a select few, essentially responsible for the modern style of jazz drumming. Roach was also involved greatly in the Civil Rights movement, creating an album with Oscar Brown Jr. and Coleman Hawkins called “We Insist! – Freedom Now,” commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Roach performed with amazing style, able to play entire shows solo, showing that, given his incredible skill, he could play and completely satisfy an entire audience while fulfilling the requirements of a solo performance. Roach, completely in-tune with the bebop scene, played with artists like Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, ensuring a vibrant and successful career. </p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Billie Holiday</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h4ZyuULy9zs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h4ZyuULy9zs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>“Lady Day” was perhaps the most exceptional popular music singer of the 20th century. She wrote few songs, but when she sang, she took on a deep, personal and intimate approach. Her vocal style and intonation was inspired greatly by the sound of the instruments she heard and was filled with a profound intensity. In that manner, she developed a new style, incorporating the manipulation of phrasing and tempo. Her recording of the song “Strange Fruit” is considered one of the most important songs in history, because of it’s powerful theme and topic, and because of Holiday’s powerful performance. She received multiple posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame awards and Grammy Best Historic Album awards for her work. Although her delivery may have been somewhat thin and her range fairly limited, there is no doubt that her voice was more powerful than any at the time could have hoped to be. </p><br /><p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">John Coltrane</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ny1n5E4IdYY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ny1n5E4IdYY&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>John Coltrane is virtually synonymous with the word “cool.” At the forefront of hard bop, Coltrane, a composer and saxophone virtuoso, made serious headway into becoming one of the most important figures in jazz music. Coltrane had a harsh, strident sound and played with extreme intensity. He was able to solo and improvise with astounding power, creating “sheets of sound.” Playing tenor and soprano sax, Coltrane could either play with a smooth melodic sound, or an unmatched intensity. His compositions, along with Miles Davis, helped redefine be-bop, with the introduction of modal harmony, and the “Coltrane Changes.” Coltrane, a figurehead of avant-garde jazz, was also prolific in his recordings, making about 50 albums in his career as band leader. He has been recognized extensively, with an induction in the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award, a Grammy for “Best Jazz Solo Performance,” and a church which worships him as a saint. </p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Count Basie</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GQi4jglT0Vo&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GQi4jglT0Vo&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Groundbreaking pianist, organist, composer and bandleader, Count Basie led one of the most successful bands in history. For 50 years the Count Basie Orchestra, an incredibly popular group of musicians who included players like Lester Young, Sweets Edison, Buck Clayton and Joe Williams, maintained a reputation of one of the most swingin’ and hardhittin’ bands in America. Winner of nine Grammy awards, Basie introduced multiple generations of listeners to the big band sound. He wrote numerous standards like “April in Paris” and “One O’Clock Jump,” which, for years, have been covered by countless other artists. Basie is also remembered by his colleagues as being considerate, modest, relaxed and enthusiastic. Without Basie’s crucial presence on the scene, popular and big band music would be drastically different, and undoubtedly less influential than it has become. </p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Coleman Hawkins</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gDOXkDFr35M&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gDOXkDFr35M&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>The tenor saxophone is iconic of bebop and jazz music in general; and there is one person accountable for this: Coleman Hawkins. Hawkins innovation in swing and big band music was vital in the development of bebop in the mid 1940s. His contribution to the saxophone made the careers of people like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon possible. Hawkins’ original recording of “Body and Soul” in 1939 is considered a standard to which all tenor saxophonists set themselves. People like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Max Roach can essentially attribute their successful careers to their early work with the “Hawk.” His ability to improvise led him to cover completely new ground, previously untouched by his contemporaries; it is because of this that the tenor sax is now such an important improvisational element of jazz music. </p> <p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Benny Goodman</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3mJ4dpNal_k&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3mJ4dpNal_k&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Few can match the swingin’ sounds of Goodman’s Big Band. Benny Goodman, known as the “King of Swing,” led one of the most popular bands of the early 20th century. His 1938 concert at Carnegie hall is considered to be one of the most important live shows in American music history, as it showcased jazz’ coming to prominence as a respectable art form. Despite being a major player of big-band swing music, Goodman also helped the advancement of be-bop. Having a one of the first racially-integrated music groups and being a strong opposer of Jim Crow Laws, Goodman promoted racial-equality by not touring the Southern States. Goodman was both an important influence in popular and jazz music, as well as a prominent Civil Rights activist. </p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Miles Davis</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P4TbrgIdm0E&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P4TbrgIdm0E&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>One of the central figures of jazz in the 20th century, Miles Davis was at the forefront of multiple musical developments and the emergence of a plenitude of styles. He spearheaded the emergence of be-bop, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, funk and techno music. Keeping ahead of the game and consistently reinventing his musical style, the various lineups of his band, all of which were very successful, were always full of young brilliant players. Because of his success, many other artists were propelled to high levels of fame. Some of the famous jazz artists who owe their success to Miles include John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, J.J. Johnson, Cannonball Adderley, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. Davis received various rewards in his lifetime, including eight Grammy Awards and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Miles Davis was one of the best, most innovative, popular and influential musicians of the 20th Century. </p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Charlie Parker</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DjElQ6Ekr9o&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DjElQ6Ekr9o&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>When one thinks of jazz, they think “Charlie Parker.” Known simply as “Bird,” Charlie Parker was a pioneering jazz alto-saxophone player, bebop musician and composer. His fast, virtuosic playing, clean tone, and improvisational abilities greatly influenced other musicians at the time. His innovation in writing songs, using complex chord progressions and revolutionary harmonic form, changed the standards for composition and greatly influenced other jazz artists. Parker helped to contribute to the hipster persona associated with jazz, as well as the idea that jazz musicians were artists and intellectuals rather than simply entertainers. At the time a huge amount of other artists tried to copy Parker’s style, and often his solos and licks exactly. His influence is seen in almost every other contemporary musician and renowned jazz composer, many of whom named some choice standards after the “Bird.” </p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Duke Ellington</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hRGFqSkNjHk&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hRGFqSkNjHk&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Duke Ellington was a hugely popular pianist, composer and big-band leader. He was one of the most important band leaders in music. Although known for his pioneering in jazz, Ellington also excelled in a variety of other genres, including gospel, blues, classical, popular and soundtrack. Because of his charisma and inventive use of his orchestra, Ellington is essentially responsible for making jazz an art form, similar to classical music. He received a large variety of awards and honors including 13 Grammy awards, a Pulitzer prize, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a NAACP Spingarn Medal and Commemorative U.S. quarter to name a few. A considerable amount of musicians have been inspired by the “Duke,” including: Thelonius Monk, Sonny Stitt, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Earl Hines and Joe Pass, as Ellington has proved to be one of the most important figures in jazz and music in general. </p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Louis Armstrong</div> </div> <p><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kmfeKUNDDYs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kmfeKUNDDYs&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object></span></p> <p>Arguably one of the most important figures in American history, Louis Armstong, known as “Satchmo” or “Pops” was an incredibly influential jazz trumpet player and singer from New Orleans. He is recognized as one of the greatest musicians of all time having a major role in the creation of modern jazz. With his virtuosic abilities on the trumpet, he is largely accountable for the recognition of the trumpet as a solo instrument in jazz music. He is also one of the first scat singers and is responsible for its popularization. His singing influenced people like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, while his trumpet playing inspired the likes of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. His influence on music as a whole is almost immeasurable, both in terms of his singing and trumpet playing which have earned him a variety of honors and awards. </p> <p><span class="exclusions">Notable Exclusions: J.J. Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Ron Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Chambers, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Lester Young, Ray Brown, Gene Krupa, Frank Sinatra, Dave Brubeck, Freddie Hubbard, Earl Hines, Buddy Rich, Bill Evans, Red Garland, Clifford Brown, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, and Oscar Peterson.</span></p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-21561165606957537682010-03-21T20:54:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:55:57.407-07:00Top 10 Tips For Becoming Famous<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>Many people around the world dream of being in the spotlight! The lights, the money, the attention… how could anyone not want to be generally loved and appreciated by the masses? Well hopefully this list will show you ways of making that dream come true for you. As Gilderoy Lockhart from ‘Harry Potter’ once said ‘Fame is a fickle friend’.</p> <p><span id="more-22957"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Reality TV</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, how reality killed the video star</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/reality-tv-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Reality-Tv" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Most people around seem to know someone who has a friend who has been on a reality television show. There is so many around these days, and they are so loved, that it is a seemingly easy way to become famous. You don’t even have to be talented! The late Jade Goody (British Big Brother) rose to fame showing no desirable talent, simply for being wonderfully unintelligent. On the other hand if you are talented than reality television is a whole lot easier to not only become famous but maintain fame for a long career, for example Leona Lewis and the British singing show the X-Factor.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Timing</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, being in the right place at the right time</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/pic08-tm.jpg?w=400&h=341" alt="Pic08" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="341" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Something heroic is your best bet for that special time in the spotlight. Okay, this one is a little hard to achieve as it consists of no purposeful input into the situation, you just have to be lucky! But being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing is a real good way of becoming famous. For example Mr. Autry (pictured above, left) saved a man who fell onto the New York subway tracks. He was walking back from his kids school when a man fell onto the tracks, he made a quick decision and leapt onto the track and pushed the man flat against the floor so the train flew over them, they were both fine afterwards. Mr. Autry was all over the news and was a guest on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Win a World Record</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/im022-tm.jpg?w=274&h=350" alt="Im022" vspace="4" width="274" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Let’s face it, while flicking through a world record book one usually sees the most bizarre and utterly pointless records you could dream of. Why? Because they are unique enough to become recognized! For example there is currently a Guinness world record for most people performing a toast. This is a very easy one to break, just get a lot of people in one place at one time and raise their arms… Couldn’t be simpler. You don’t even have to succeed at breaking a record. A contestant on popular talent show ‘Britain’s got talent’ was famed, particularly on YouTube, by failing to eat as many chocolates in a minute!</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Copyright Theft</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, plagiarizing something and never confessing</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/original_fact_uk-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Original Fact Uk" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>This is a simple concept; find something which is relatively good but not well known, for example a song, and copy it! For example Naomi Shemer, who features on another listverse list: Top 10 Fascinating Deathbed Confessions, was a famous Israeli songwriter who was accused of plagiarizing her most famous song ‘Jerusalem of Gold’ from an Israeli lullaby. Although many speculated that she copied her song (which probably added to her fame) she never confessed until on her deathbed in 2004.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Charity</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, doing something generous that most people wouldn’t</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/heather-mills4_252404y-tm.jpg?w=400&h=330" alt="Heather-Mills4 252404Y" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="330" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Giving up a vast amount of money or even a little of your time is a very good way of getting on the front page of at least your local newspaper. Think about it… Gandhi went on a walk! Enough said. For example Heather Mills has done nothing but volunteer work and is famous throughout Britain. Oh but Heather was married to Beatles rock star Paul McCartney, which brings us nicely to the next item.</p> <br /><p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Relations</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, marry someone famous or be related to a celebrity</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/screen-shot-2010-02-28-at-10-22-07-am-tm.jpg?w=400&h=253" alt="Screen Shot 2010-02-28 At 10.22.07 Am" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="253" hspace="4" /></p> <p>This is a good one, as like reality television, requires no talent whatsoever, except perhaps good looks… Is that a talent…? Anyway, a good example of someone who is simply related to a famous person is <span class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: static;color:#00c800;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: rgb(0, 200, 0) ! important; font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.2px; position: relative;">Paris</span></span></span> Hilton… nice. Don’t wait to be famous, date to be famous!</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Self-Shaming</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, post something weird, funny, humiliating or dangerous on the Internet</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/chris-crocker-crying-tm.jpg?w=400&h=332" alt="Chris-Crocker-Crying" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="332" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The world of fame has been transformed by the internet and specifically You Tube. This is probably the easiest way of becoming famous… you don’t even need to leave your house. All you need is a camera and a relatively good idea, actually not even a good idea. The seemingly pointless videos “Charlie bit me” rose to fame for… well… no reason at all! People simply found it amusing. Another great example of You Tube Fame is Chris Crocker with his (or her… not really sure) “leave Britney alone” video, which became so famous it even got into a film!</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">Invent Something</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/inventor-tm.jpg?w=400&h=342" alt="Inventor" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="342" hspace="4" /></p> <p>This is hard as it is hard for the normal human mind to think ‘out-of-the-box’ and invent something the world will appreciate. Most inventions seem to have already been made! However creating something which drastically changes lives is a shore way of becoming famous. Try to look around and see problems in the world which could be fixed, is there something already invented which could be improved? The best invention to get generally loved by people is surly a cure! So get your rubber gloves and long white coats out and find a cure for cancer! Good luck! Oh by the way- many inventions were created by accident so just play around with everything and see what comes out!</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Real Talent</div> <div class="itemmore">Or, have real talent, or do something most people would love</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/wagner2a-tm.jpg?w=250&h=350" alt="Wagner2A" vspace="4" width="250" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The most dignified, deserving and profitable way to rise to fame is simply to be talented (admittedly easier said than done). If you can sing, then sing. If you can act, then act. If you can do anything talented, do it and do it well. If others share the enthusiasm you do then you will be famous! This isn’t as hard as many think if you are talented, for example; The music industry is so vast, with many genres, if you can’t get recognized in your own genre than pursue a relatively unknown one, like rock opera… awesome!</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">“Kill a prostitute”</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/rickygervais-tm.jpg?w=400&h=272" alt="Rickygervais" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="272" hspace="4" /></p> <p>DO NOT GO AND KILL ANYONE!! “Kill a prostitute” was an answer given by English comedian Rickey Gervais in an interview after being posed the question, “What advice would you give those who want to become famous?” What Rickey meant by this was that if fame is your only driving force, all you care about and all you think about, than surely you won’t mind doing something horrendous to get it. Fame shouldn’t be what you desire; a philosopher once said “fame is a by-product of courageous acts”, or something along those lines. What is meant is that one should desire to fulfill a noble act, and fame should come naturally as a result.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74760997358900446.post-70318904573917737412010-03-21T20:53:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:54:44.960-07:0010 Interesting Places to Visit with Google Earth<div style="text-align: justify;" class="snap_preview"><p>There can be little doubt that technology has changed they way we see our world, and Google Earth is a perfect example. This wonderful tool can be downloaded free of charge from earth.google.com and lets you see the world as never before, zooming about the globe at will. But there’s a lot more that Google Earth can do besides just show you your house (and who hasn’t looked up their house on Google Earth)? So here are 10 interesting places to visit using Google Earth. I provide the coordinates for each location, and you need only plug them into the search box and hit Enter to be taken directly to the spot. These are in no particular order.</p> <p>One other note, you may wish to turn off the Geographic Web layer in the sidebar (if you have it turned on). Otherwise, for a couple of these sites, all you will see are little blue boxes representing pictures that have been submitted. While these can be very enjoyable, if you’re trying to view the sights, they can be obstructive.</p> <p>There are, of course, many more interesting sights to be seen through Google Earth, and is reception for this list is good, I’ll do another for you, showcasing some more famous locations.</p> <p><span id="more-22980"></span><a name="item-10"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">10</span> <div class="itemtitle">Krakatoa</div> <div class="itemmore">6.102°S 105.423°E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/krakatoa-1-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Krakatoa-1" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>On August 27, 1883, after several weeks of rumbling and threatening (accompanied by lesser eruptions), the island of Krakatoa literally exploded in a series of four volcanic eruptions. The explosions were so powerful that they were heard clearly some 3,000 miles away, global weather patterns were disrupted for years to come, and the shockwave circled the globe seven times! Since then, the island has grown up again and is now known as Anak Krakatau (Son of Krakatau). It remains volcanically active and has been steadily growing larger since the 1950’s. Can it be much longer, then, before another Krakatoa? Only time will tell.</p> <p><a name="item-9"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">9</span> <div class="itemtitle">Meteor Crater</div> <div class="itemmore">35°1′38″N 111°1′21″W</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/meteor-crater-flagstaff-azmtcrt1-tm.jpg?w=400&h=267" alt="Meteor-Crater-Flagstaff-Azmtcrt1" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="267" hspace="4" /></p> <p>About 43 miles east of Flagstaff, AZ lies a crater some 4,000 feet in diameter and 570 feet deep. It was created about 40,000 years ago, probably by a meteor roughly 54 yards wide. Discovered in the late 1800s, the crater was originally thought to have been the site of a volcanic eruption, but in 1903, Daniel Barringer, a mining engineer and businessman, voiced the opinion that it had been the result of a meteorite impact. On August 8, 1964, Capt. John L. Kidd of American Airlines and another pilot, Gary Chapin, crash-landed in the crater in a Cessna 150. They had intended to fly over the crater but experienced a loss of lift and found themselves trapped within. They circled the crater until they ran out of fuel and crash-landed. Both pilots survived, and the remnants of their plane can be viewed even today. For the full story (and photos), go here.</p> <p><a name="item-8"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">8</span> <div class="itemtitle">Vredefort Crater</div> <div class="itemmore">27°0′0″S 27°30′0″E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/1392273928_10a1dc1428_o-tm.jpg?w=400&h=271" alt="1392273928 10A1Dc1428 O" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="271" hspace="4" /></p> <p>As long as we’re discussing meteor craters, you might want to go and check out the largest verified impact crater on Earth, located in South Africa. You’ll need to zoom out a little to really appreciate it, though. Created by an asteroid suspected to be some 6 miles wide, this crater has a diameter of as much as 186 miles! The age of the crater is estimated at more than 2 billion years.</p> <p><a name="item-7"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">7</span> <div class="itemtitle">Great Pyramid of Giza</div> <div class="itemmore">29°58′34″N 31°07′58″E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/the-great-pyramid-of-giza-2-tm.jpg?w=400&h=266" alt="The Great Pyramid Of Giza 2.Jpg" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="266" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed sometime in the 23rd century BC. The Pyramids were constructed to house the earthly remains of the great Pharaohs of Egypt and their arrangement could well be a representation of the “Belt of Orion.” From the central pyramid, if you truck just a little to the southeast, you can also plainly see the Great Sphinx.</p> <p><a name="item-6"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">6</span> <div class="itemtitle">Burj Khalifa</div> <div class="itemmore">25°11′49.7″N 55°16′26.8″E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/architecture-003-burj-khalifa-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Architecture-003-Burj-Khalifa" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai, is the tallest man-made structure in the world, towering over the landscape at an impressive 2,717 feet. Though it is difficult to see the actual building itself on Google Earth, the monstrous shadow that it casts is plainly visible. The building currently holds no less than 14 world records, including the tallest man-made structure, the world’s fastest elevator (40 mph), and the worlds highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor). The cost was a trifling $1.5 billion (U.S.).</p><br /><p><a name="item-5"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">5</span> <div class="itemtitle">Sydney Opera House</div> <div class="itemmore">33°51′25″S 151°12′53″E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/800px-sydney_opera_house_sailsk-tm.jpg?w=400&h=311" alt="800Px-Sydney Opera House Sailsk" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="311" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Conceived and largely built by Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House was completed in 1973 (construction began in 1959) at a cost of $102 million. The Concert Hall seats 2,678 individuals and houses the Sydney Opera House Great Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes. The Opera Theater seats 1,507, the Drama Theater 544, and the Playhouse (an end-stage theater) seats 398. In addition, the Studio and the Utzon Room offer flexible seating of up to 400 and 210, respectively.</p> <p><a name="item-4"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">4</span> <div class="itemtitle">Stonehenge</div> <div class="itemmore">51°10′43.84″N 1°49′34.28″W</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/local_stonehenge-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Local Stonehenge" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Believed to have been erected around 2500 BC, Stonehenge is known to have been used as a burial ground by Bronze Age cultures living in the region. Beyond that, not much is known for certain. As the people who constructed it left no written records, there is much speculation on it’s function, some of it quite colorful. The most commonly accepted theories are that it served as a primitive observatory, or perhaps a worship site. On Google Earth, the Heelstone is visible to the northeast of the structure, just beside the road, while the remnants of two other henges are visible to the southwest.</p> <p><a name="item-3"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">3</span> <div class="itemtitle">The Spring Temple Buddha</div> <div class="itemmore">33.775150°N 112.451016°E</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/spring-temple-buddha-china-tm.jpg?w=400&h=300" alt="Spring-Temple-Buddha-China" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="300" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The Spring Temple Buddha is the tallest statue in the world, at 502 feet (when considering the building upon which it sits). It was completed in 2002, at a cost of $55 million and depicts Vairocana Buddha, seen as the embodiment of Emptiness (shunyata). Until their destruction by the Taliban in 2001, the Buddhas of Bamyan were considered to be the largest standing Buddhas in the world. Plans for construction of the Spring Temple Buddha were announced shortly after their destruction.</p> <p><a name="item-2"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">2</span> <div class="itemtitle">Christ the Redeemer</div> <div class="itemmore">22°57′6″S 43°12′39″W</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/christ-tm.jpg?w=400&h=267" alt="Christ" vspace="4" width="400" border="1" height="267" hspace="4" /></p> <p>The 130-foot tall statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, stands atop the peak of the Corcovado Mountains, overlooking the city. Construction began in 1922 and was completed in 1931. As of July 2007, it is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In October 2006, on the statue’s 75th anniversary, Archbishop of Rio Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid consecrated a chapel (named for the patron saint of Brazil—Nossa Senhora Aparecida, or “Our Lady of the Apparition,”) under the statue. This allows Catholics to hold baptisms and weddings there.</p> <p><a name="item-1"></a> </p><div class="itemheading"><span class="itemnumber">1</span> <div class="itemtitle">Statue of Liberty</div> <div class="itemmore">40°41′38″N 74°2′37″W</div> </div> <p><img src="http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/statue-of-liberty-ny-tm.jpg?w=241&h=350" alt="Statue-Of-Liberty-Ny" vspace="4" width="241" border="1" height="350" hspace="4" /></p> <p>Last, but certainly by no means least, our journey brings us to the Statue of Liberty, which proudly stands in New York Harbor. A gift from France in the year 1886, Liberty stands 151 ft tall, or 305 ft. if the height of the pedestal is included. The statue’s official title is Liberty Enlightening the World, and of the several million visitors each year, one can only wonder how many notice the broken shackles at her feet, or the inscription on the book she carries; July IV MDCCLXXVI. The statue is sheathed in pure copper, over a steel framework, and is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States. From 1886 to 1902, the statue’s torch functioned as a lighthouse, but this was abandoned after discovering that it had a tendency to fatally disorient birds. Though age has tarnished the copper to a bright blue-green hue, one can imagine the incredible glow the statue might have originally had, the sun reflecting off the copper.</p> </div>Melany Christyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11675414678085035053noreply@blogger.com0