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22 May 2013

Top 10 Moore Tornado Photos

On May 20th, 2013, a monstrous F5 tornado devastated the city of Moore, Oklahoma.  24 people lost their lives, and a further 237 were injured in one of the worst tornadoes in American history.  As I live only a few miles from the area that was destroyed and drove through often, I felt very personally affected.  With so many stories emerging in the aftermath of the disaster, I have chosen 10 of my favorites, trying to focus on the more uplifting.

#10. Jesus


Oklahoma is arguably the most religious state in the country, which makes this picture even more poignant.  The smile of the woman’s face as she reaches for the picture of Jesus that was left untouched in the tornado shows her thanks at the miracle that she survived.

#9. Carrying Survivors

   Although Briarwood Elementary School suffered a direct hit, everyone inside the school survived in a miracle.  This photo shows children being carried away from the school by two kind-hearted people who were nearby at the time.  The kids would soon be reunited with their families.

#8. Tornado Dog


This beautiful but heart breaking photo was taken by a deputy who saw the dog on top of a pile of rubble.  The dog refused to leave when coaxed away, and rescuers soon found out why.  The body of its owner was found in the rubble.  However, a woman soon contacted local authorities to say the dog was actually her brother’s, and that her brother was alive and well and looking for his dog.  Its still unknown if the dog was related to the person whose body was found.

#7. Moore Tornado


This has been the most publicized picture of the F5 tornado.  The photo was taken not long after the tornado had formed, before it reached the towns of Newcastle and Moore.

#6. Warren Theater

  The Warren Theater in Moore held up impressively considering the power of the tornado.  But what’s eery about this photo is the words that remain on the movie board – “mud”, “oblivion”, “into the darkness”, and “pain” – all titles or parts of titles from movies currently showing.

#5. Shock


This dramatic photo shows a man’s reaction to hearing the devastating news that the bodies of seven children had just been pulled from Plaza Tower Elementary School.  The American flag is also an important part of the photo, it represents how the country came together to support Moore.

#4. Destruction Path

This aerial photo clearly shows the path the monster F5 tornado took through Moore.  As you can see, along th edge of the tornado’s path, there are many houses that are untouched, while the house directly next to it is completely destroyed.  This is the random nature of tornadoes.

#3. Plaza Towers Elementary School Girl


Seven young children died when Plaza Towers Elementary School took a direct hit from the tornado.  This photo shows one of the kids who were fortunate enough to survive.  The smile on the girl’s face at being rescues, in the middle of all the chaos, makes for a beautiful photo.

#2. Hug Seen Around the World


The details surrounding the “hug seen around the world” have recently emerged.  Jim Routon rushed to Briarwood Elementary School after he learned the school had taken a direct hit from the tornado.  As he frantically attempted to help rescue children, he saw his 7 year-old neighbor Hezekiah Darbon was alive and safe.  Routon rushed to hug the boy in pure relief.  The neighbors revealed in an interview how they have always shared a close bond, calling each other “Big Dog” and “Little Dog.”

#1. Briarwood Elementary School

It was a tough choice between the top two, but I feel this photo has became THE iconic photo of the tornado.  LaDonna Cobb is a teacher at Briarwood, and when the tornado struck, she used her body to shield her students.  A classroom wall fell on her, badly bruising her and knocking her unconscious.  In the photo, LaDonna is walking with one of her students behind her husband Steve, who is clutching the couple’s daughter, Jordan.  The Cobbs stayed to comfort anyone who had not been reunited after the tornado.  Miraculously, everyone in the school survived.

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18 May 2013

Top 10 Whatchamacallits

Whatchamacallits are things that are extremely common, but you have no idea what they’re called.  Here’s 10 of them to help improve your vocabulary.  Just a warning, use these words sparingly, or you run the risk of convincing everyone that you’re the biggest nerd alive.

 

#10. Aglet


The humble aglet is probably one of the more famous whatchamacallits on this list, thanks to being featured on an episode of the popular Disney show Phineas and Ferb.  They even made an aglet song.  For those who don’t know, the aglet is the hard part on the end of shoelaces that allow you to thread the laces through the wholes on your shoe.

#9. Keeper


A keeper is the the little band on your watch or belt that helps keep it on.  You can actually buy keepers online if yours breaks, I was surprised to find out.  According to a product description, they “help keep the slack on your watch down and out of the way.”

#8. Tragus


The small point of cartilage directly in front of the opening in front of your ear is known as the tragus.  This aids in amplifying noise coming from behind the ear.  These sounds are slightly delayed, which helps the brain figure out if a sound is coming from in front or behind. Its name comes from the Greek word “tragos“, meaning goat, because of a tuft of hair that is usually underneath the tragus, resembling a goat’s beard.

#7. Dingbat


You know when you want to cuss someone out but you don’t think it’s appropriate, so instead you call them a @*#^$&#?  You just told them exactly how you feel using dingbats.  They allow you to express your feelings without having to worry about offending any young readers.

#6. Bridge


The bridge is the part of glasses that goes over the nose.  It connects the two lenses, and is usually supported by nose pads, which help make the glasses more comfortable on the nose.  New glasses called “pierced glasses” feature a bridge that actually goes through the cartialge of the nose, and is a permanent feature.

#5. Phosphenes


When you close your eyes and see a flash of light or a small point of light, that phenomenon is known as phosphenes.  Random firings of cells in the visual system is believed to cause the “lights”.  Phosphenes is more common in meditators, prisoners (because of the lack of visual stimulus), and psychedelic drug users.

#4. Elflock


Unfortunately, this word’s definition isn’t nearly as exciting as it sounds.  Elflock refers to a tangled lock of hair, that looks as if it has been tangled by small elves.  Coincidentally, there is also a company called Elflock Media, which specializes in video editing.

#3. Punt/Kick


A punt or kick, whichever you prefer, is the indention of the bottom of a wine glass.  There is a suprising amount of cotroversy over the actual purpose of a punt.  Some of the arguments include: it helps balance the wine, it helps consolidate sediments in wine so not too much is poured out, it makes it easier to stack, and it helps strengthen the bottle.

#2. Philtrum


The philtrum is the groove between the nose and the upper lip on mammals.  It’s not unique to humans, appearing in numerous mammals.  If the philtrum does not form properly in embryos, a cleft lip can result.  In Jewish mythology, an angel strikes newborns on the upper lip so that he forgets all he knew as a soul, forming the cleft lip.

#1. Ferrule


The word ferrule comes from the Latin word “ferrum”, meaning iron.  It refers to a small bracelet made for fastening, usually made out of some metal.  Ferrules include the metal piece on a pencil, the cap on an umbrella, and even our good friend the aglet.  So look around you, ferrules are everywhere!

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09 May 2013
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Top 10 Best Selling Book Series

There is nothing better than curling up with a good book to read and even better if it is a book series so if you enjoyed the first there is plenty more to look forward to.  The definition of a book series is: a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. I compiled this list of the Top 10 Best Selling Book Series which is based on the approximate number of copies sold rather than the amount printed.

#10 The Baby-sitters Club – Ann M. Martin 170million

The Baby-sitters Club  is a series of novels written by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic between 1986 and 2000, that sold 170 milllon copies.  Many of the novels were ghostwritten, including 43 by Peter Lerangis. However, Ann M. Martin wrote the first 35 novels. The series is about a group of middle school students living in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. They run a business called the Baby-sitters Club that helps parents find babysitters from the club who are available for jobs by calling during their club meetings. As of December 31, 2009, the Baby-sitters Club series was out of print. However, in April 2010 the series was re-released with updated versions of certain volumes of the original series, as well as a newly written prequel.

#9 Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends – Rev. w. Awdry and Christopher Awdry 200million

The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. (Wilbert) Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14 between 1983 and 1996 and a further book in 2007. Another book was released in 2011. Characters and stories from the books formed the basis of the children’s television series Thomas and Friends.

#8 Nancy Drew – various authors as Carolyn Keene 200 million

Nancy Drew is a fictional character in a mystery fiction series created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer. The character first appeared in 1930; the books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Over the decades the character has evolved in response to changes in US culture and tastes. Nancy Drew books have been translated into over 45 languages. Nancy Drew has featured in five films, two television shows, and a number of popular computer games; she also appears in a variety of merchandise sold over the world.

#7 Noddy – Enid Blyton 200 million

Noddy is a book series written by British author Enid Blyton (1897-1968).  Enid Blyton wrote numerous successful children’s books, selling over 600 million worldwide.  Noddy was her most wide know character.  Early Noddy books have become collectibles, along with other Blytons. Noddy is a little wooden boy who lives in his own little House-for-One in Toyland.  Sales of Noddy books are large, with an estimated 600,000 annual sales in France alone, and growing popularity in India, a large market for Blyton books. The Noddy character is owned by Chorion. Television shows based on the character have run on British television since 1955 and continue to appear to this day. Enid Blyton would make #1 on my list of best children authors.

#6 Sweet Valley High – Francine Pascal and ghostwriters 250 million

Sweet Valley High are a series of novels that chronicle the lives of identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield who live in Sweet Valley.  The series was created by Francine Pascal, who presided over a team of ghostwriters  for the duration of the series.  The series began in 1983 and ceased publication twenty years later with over 152 books to its name. A TV series based on Sweet Valley High ran for 88 episodes between 1994 and 1997.

#5 Choose Your Own Adventure – Various Authors 250 million

Choose Your Own Adventure, as published by Bantam Books, was one of the most popular children’s series during the 1980s and 1990s, selling more than 250 million copies between 1979 and 1998.  Originally created for 10 to 14 year olds, the books are written in the second person. The stories are formatted so that, after a couple of pages of reading, the protagonist faces two or three options, each of which leads to more options, and then to one of many endings. The series was highly successful after it began printing with Bantam Books. It prompted the creation of three other series by different authors with Bantam Books that worked with the same format.

#4 Berenstain Bears – Stan and Jan Berenstain 260 million

The Berenstain Bears is a series of Childrens books that were created by American writers and illustrators Stan(1923-2005) and Jan (1923 – 2012)Berenstain.  Since the 1962 debut of the first Berenstain Bears book, The Big Honey Hunt, the series has grown to over 300 titles, which have sold approximately 260 million copies in 23 languages. The books feature a family of anthropomorphic bears who generally learn a moral or safety-related lesson in the course of each story. The Berenstain Bears franchise has also expanded well beyond the books, encompassing two television series and a wide variety of other products and licenses.

#3 Perry Mason – Erle Stanley Gardner 300 million

Perry mason are a series of detective novels that are written by American lawyer and author Erle Stanley Gardner.  Perry Mason is a fictional character in all the novels; he is the main character in all the novels and is a defense attorney.  Perry Mason was featured in 82 novels.  Author Erle Stanley Gardner died in 1970. The character of Perry Mason was portrayed each weekday on a long-running radio series,followed by well-known depictions on film and television, including “television’s most successful and longest-running lawyer series”from 1957 to 1966 starring Raymond Burr. There were also 30 made-for-TV movies filmed from 1985 to 1993.

#2 Goosebumps – R.L. Stine 300 million

Goosebumps is a series of children’s horror fiction novels written by American author R.L. Stine.  There were 62 books published in the original series.  Since then there have been spin off series written by Stine.  The series has spawned a television series and numerous merchandise.  The book series was a best seller in many countries and has been translated into 35 languages.

# 1 Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling 450 million

Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels written by British author J.K. Rowlings.  There are seven books in the series.  The first book in the series was released in 1997 in the UK and 1998 in the US. The seventh book “Deathly Hallows’ was released in 2007 and broke sales records as the fastest-selling book ever, a record it still holds today.  The book series has been translated into 67 languages, placing Rowlings as the most translated author in history. The books have also been made into movies distributed by Warner Bros. and consist of eight fantasy films.  It is the highest grossing film series of all time.  The word Muggle has spread beyond its Harry Potter origins, becoming one of few pop culture words to land in the Oxford English Dictionary.

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01 May 2013

Top 10 Magicians Of All Time

Humans have always been obsessed with the supernatural, including magic.  Certain people have been able to use this to make a career for themselves, becoming world famous (and of course super-rich).  Here are the ten greatest magicians of all time.

 

#10. Soul Mystique


They may be the least known act on this list, but quick-change act Soul Mystique have revived much recognition.  They were named one of the top 10 magicians in the world by Fox Bio Channel in 2008, and were invited to perform as the closing act to the event, “A Tribute to Siegfried and Roy at the London Palladium.”  The duo found fame on the show Australia’s Got Talent, where they finished as Grand Finalists in 2007, and 2nd Runners-Up in 2012.

#9. Dante


Harry August Jansen, better known as Dante the Magician, was so influential that his death in 1955 has come to end what historians call the “Golden Age of Magic.”  Dante toured the world performing his magic with a troupe of between 25 and 40 performers, becoming famous uttering the Danish nonsense words “Sim Sala Bim”, taken from a children’s song. He was well-known to be the greatest magician in the world at his time.

 

#8. Harry Blackstone Sr.


Harry Blackstone Sr. became famous for performing to the USO (United States Organizations Inc.) during World War II.  Many of the tricks that are famous today were made popular through Blackstone Sr.  “Sawing Woman in Half” was arguably his most famous trick.  He would use a saw to cut through a piece of lumber, and then seem to cut through a woman, who would rise up unharmed afterwards.  His son, Harry Blackstone Jr., also became a renowned magician, as he started from an infant in his father’s shows.

#7. Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin


19th century French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin is known as the father of the modern style of magic.  Harry Houdini idolized the magician, and chose his stage name in honor of his inspiration.  Robert-Houdin’s most famous trick was called “Second Sight.”  He would walk through the audience, touching random items.  A blindfolded assistant would then describe each item in detail.  Another variation of the trick had his Emile, sip on a glass of water, while an audience member thought of a liquid.  Robert-Houdin would “read” the audience member’s mind, through his son, and reveal the liquid.

#6. David Blaine


David Blaine became famous in the late 90′s through his show, “Street Magic.”  His show was unique for showing street magic up-close, as well as Blaine’s ultra-cool style throughout his tricks.  He then made a name for himself as an endurance artist.  Blaine has been buried alive (a stunt his idol Houdini planned on performing before his death in 1926) for a week, frozen in an ice block for 63 hours (a world record at the time), stood on a 100-foot high pillar without any harnesses for 35 hours, gone 44 days in a glass box without any food or nutrients, spun in a gyroscope for 16 hours, hung upside down for 60 hours, and most recently, spent 72 hours with one million volts of electrical discharge aimed at his body.

#5. Siegfried and Roy


German magician Siegfried Fishbacher and exotic animal trainer Roy Horn immigrated to the United States and combined their talents to form a unique magic act featuring white tigers and lions.  From 1990 to 2003, they had a show at The Mirage in Las Vegas, which was regarded as the most visited Vegas show.  In 2003, Horn was bitten by one of his tigers on the neck while performing.  He suffered large blood loss and a quarter of his skull was removed as doctors tried to save his life.  He eventually was able to talk and walk again in 2006.  However, The Mirage canceled the show in the meantime, and the duo officially announced their retirement in 2010.

#4. Criss Angel


Cristopher Nicholas Sarantakos (no wonder he choose a stage name) is relatively knew to the magic scene.  His show, Criss Angel: Mindfreak premiered on the A&E Network in 2005.  It ran until 2010, with six seasons, and earned the magician worldwide fame.  Some of his most famous stunts were walking between two buildings before a crowd in Las Vegas, cutting himself in half, and walking on water.  Angel was able to gain fame through his edgy personality and numerous levitation tricks.  He also performed in a illusion show in 2008 called Criss Angel: Believe, which was in partnership with Cirque Soleil.

#3. Penn and Teller


Penn Jillete and Raymond Teller became famous as the duo “Penn and Teller” in the late 80′s.  Their humorous magic fascinated audiences for decades.  More recently, the two have moved to a television show where they debunk pseudoscience.  One of the more unique aspects of their shows is when they show a popular trick, like “Cups and Balls” and show the audience how the trick is done.  They then perform a more complex form of the trick, like using transparent cups, to show how the trick is “really done.”  Teller almost never speaks during their tricks, and is usually subjected to violence, like being dropped on spikes, run over by an 18-wheeler, or submerged in a tank of water.

#2. Harry Houdini


Harry Houdini, who was active in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s, is most famous for being an escape artist.  He gained fame by touring Europe, asking different police forces to lock him up at every stop.  He would go on to escape a straitjacket while hanging off a skyscraper, a straitjacket from underwater, and being buried alive, which he reportedly barely survived.  There were charges that Houdini’s escapes were faked, but Houdini attacked fake magicians throughout his career.  The circumstances of his death in 1926 are fittingly dramatic, as a popular story says a college student asked Houdini if his stomach could withstand any punch.  Houdini died a few days later from peritonitis, from a ruptured appendix.

#1. David Copperfield


David Copperfield’s long, illustrious career has allowed him to become the most successful solo entertainer in history.  At 19, he was headlining a show in a large hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.  He was approached by ABC in 1977 to produce a magic special.  In his specials, Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear, floated over the Grand Canyon, and walked through the Great Wall of China.  Even at 56, Copperfield still performs over 500 shows a week.  He was one of the first magicians to successfully combine amazing magic tricks with great storytelling.

Posted by Kyle in Entertainment, People | Leave a Comment
14 Apr 2013
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Top 10 Margaret Thatcher Quotes

Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 – 1990.  She is seen by many as, other than Winston Churchill, the finest leader to come out of Europe in the last century.  She helped Britain recover economically and saved the country from socialism as well as breaking the strangle hold of the unions.

#10

 “I’m back… and you knew I was coming. On my way here I passed a cinema with the sign ‘The Mummy Returns’.”

#9

“In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”

#8

“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s a day you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.”

#7

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t”

#6

“Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high-road to pride, self esteem and personal satisfaction.”

#5

“To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning.”

#4

“Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Watch your words for they become actions.
Watch your actions for they become habits.
Watch your habits for they become your character.
And watch your character for it becomes your destiny.
What we think, we become.
My father always said that… and I think I am fine.”

#3

“What is success.  I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing you are doing, knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.”

#2

“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time and you would achieve nothing.”

#1

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Posted by Wendy in History, People and tagged , , , , , , , ,
27 Mar 2013

Top 10 Creative Billboards

Billboards are an excellent advertising tool as a person can not help but see them as you are driving or walking by.  Some advertisers take billboards to the extreme using great creativity.  Here are the top 10 creative billboards.

#10 Berger, Natural Finish Colours

A billboard produced by JWT agency from Mumbai, India, which implemented optical illusion to express the message, ‘Natural Finish Colours’, in a clear manner.  The billboard was cut out to look like the painter hanging from the ropes was painting the same color as that of the sky.

#9 Oldtimer Motorway rest stop

Placed at the opening of a tunnel this is a creative billboard by a Vienna, Austria agency.  The billboard is advertising “Oldtimer” a large Austrian motorway rest stop chain.  The billboard states “All you can eat rest stop” as you drive right into the open mouth!

#8 Adidas 2006 World Cup

A giant picture of German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn arched over a road near Munich airport in this Adidas campaign for the build up to the 2006 World Cup.  Sadly, giant Oliver couldn’t do any more than real Oliver could to help his side, who lost out to eventual winners Italy in the semi-finals.

#7 Playboy Wet T-shirt

This Playboy billboard surprised and delighted Germans in 2007. It is an example of using the outdoor weather to affect your advertising campaign.  The slogan on the billboard is “Guys, pray for rain”.  When it does rain the playboy t-shirt turns transparent and the breast beneath are exposed.

#6 The Day After Tomorrow

This really creative billboard is not because of the content but the location.  Created by a Mumbai, India company the billboard was placed half under water in the ocean, keep with the theme of the movie.  For those, that haven’t seen the movie, it’s a film about global disasters which results in the world being submerged in the sea.

#5 Ford Mustang Burnout

Created by Team Detroit this billboard was showcased in Detroit, MI at the Woodward Dream Cruise, the world’s largest one-day automotive event. A smoke machine was installed behind the board, and every few minutes the rear wheel would spin, spewing smoke for the ultimate one-minute burnout.

#4 Calgary International Film Festival

This billboard made by a Calgary, Canada company is advertising the Calgary International Film Festival.  The slogan being: only the best films make it.  To make the billboard more dramatic the company made real water comes out of the eyes as tears.

#3 Bloom Grocery Chain

The billboard on N.C. 150 in central North Carolina emits the smell of black pepper and charcoal to promote a new line of beef available at the Bloom grocery chain. Bloom is part of the Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion chain. The billboard shows a fork piercing a piece of meat. A Bloom spokeswoman says the billboard will emit scents from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day until June 18. A high-powered fan at the bottom of the billboard spreads the aroma by blowing air over cartridges loaded with fragrance oil.

#2 Nationwide Insurance

Nationwide Insurance pulled out all the stops for this ad campaign.  TM Advertising took over three billboards mounted on the side of the Atlas Building in downtown Columbus, two for a fake company called “Coop’s Paints” and one for its logo and “Life Comes at You Fast” tagline. The middle “Coop’s Paints” billboard spills yellow paint out of the imaginary world of advertising and into reality, covering the bottom of the building, the parking lot below, cars and the parking attendant’s shelter.

#1 McDonald’s sundial

McDonald’s sundial billboard is the perfect example of such creativity and ingenuity. Displayed is their breakfast menu as well as their lunch menu. The sun casts a shadow on each item that corresponds to the time of day you would normally eat it.  Ad agency Leo Burnett, with the help of an engineer, researched the perfect location so that the sundial can create the cool effect.

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22 Mar 2013

Top 10 Forgotten Songs of the 90′s

The 90′s had amazing music, almost anyone would agree with that.  But with all the great music, some of the biggest hits were forgotten in later decades.  Here are ten songs that were big hits in their day, but have become forgotten by pop culture today. These songs are hard to rank but I tried to combine the success of the song with how forgotten the artist and song is today.

 

#10. UB40 – (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love with You

   In 1961, Elvis Presley released “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, based on a melody from a French song from 1784.  In 1993, British reggae band UB40 covered the song.  Their version proved to be a major success, reaching number one in more than 10 countries, including the US and the UK.  The song also finished in the top 5 on year-end charts in the US, Australia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. UB40 is one of the best-selling bands in history, having sold over 70 million albums since the band formed in 1978.

#9. Wilson Phillips – Hold On

   Wilson Phillips were an all-female band made up of Brian Wilsons’ daughters Carnie and Wendy, as well as Chynna Phillips, daughter of John and Michelle Phillips, from The Mamas & the Papas.  Wilson Phillips’ self-titled debut album made them the best-selling female band of all time (at the time), and had three number one singles.  The biggest hit was “Hold On”, which Billboard named as their number one single of 1990.  Chynna Phillips and her mother became the only mother and daughter to reach number one on Billboard, on separate songs.  Wilson Phillips released another, less-successful, album before going on hiatus until 2004, when they reunited, have since released 3 further albums.

#8. Counting Crows – Mr. Jones

   Alternative rock band Counting Crows released their debut album, August and Everything After, in 1993.  The lead single “Mr. Jones” became a surprise success, reaching number 2 on billboard, and charting across the world.  The song describes lead singer Adam Duritz’s conversation with Mr. Jones, with both men dreaming of becoming famous musicians.  Mr. Jones has been interpreted in many ways, as being the protagonist to Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man”, Duritz’s friend Marty Jones, bassist of The Himalayans, Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, or even an imaginary friend.

#7. Weezer – Buddy Holly

   “Buddy Holly” was released as the second single from Weezer’s 1994 debut album, The Blue Album.  The song mentions the influential namesake rock musician, as well as actress Mary Tyler Moore.  It was released on what would’ve been Holly’s 58th birthday.  The innovative music video, directed by Spike Jonze, used clips from the 1970’s show Happy Days to make it appear as if Weezer were playing in the show.  The memorable ending of the video, which received huge amounts of airplay, uses a body double to show Fonzi dancing to the song.

#6. Real McCoy – Another Night

   German Eurodance group Real McCoy released “Another Night” in the summer of 1993, but it would only become a hit towards the end of 1994.  The song reached number one in Australia and Canada, and hit number three on Billboard.  “Another Night” even made it on Billboard’s Top 100 Songs of the first 50 years of the charts, and was the only song on the list that did not reach the top two.  It is the best-selling German single in American history, despite not charting high in Germany.

 

#5. Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars

   Dishwalla’s only hit single, “Counting Blue Cars” was released in 1996.  It received a lot of radio airplay, and charted highly, being ranked in the top 30 of 1996.  It also won Billboard’s 1996 “Best Rock Song” award.  The song became famous for its chorus, “Tell me all your thoughts on God, cause I’d really like to meet her”, which caused mild controversy.  The band got their name from a Hindi term for person who provides cable to a neighborhood.   The band found the name in a Wired article, and decided to name themselves after the term.

#4. The Presidents of the United States of America – Peaches

The President of the United States of America (also known as PUSA due to their long name) released their self-titled debut album in 1995.  The singe “Peaches” became a surprise hit, charting around the world, reaching number one in Canada, and being nominated for a Grammy.  The unusual song describes moving to the country in order to eat canned peaches for free.  The video was just as bizarre, showing the band playing in front of trees growing peach cans.  Ninjas suddenly attack the band, who eventually win the fight.

#3. Duncan Sheik – Barely Breathing

“Barely Breathing” was written as a “throwaway” track just to complete Duncan Sheik’s self-titled debut album in 1997.  The song would go on to become his only hit, and would make him one of the biggest one-hit wonders of the 90′s.  “Barely Breathing” won a BMI Award for the Most Played Song of 1997.  Despite five later albums, and writing compositions for movies and Broadway, Sheik was never able to even come close to the success of “Barely Breathing.”

#2. Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men – One Sweet Day

   Spending an incredible 16 weeks at number one on Bilboard’s Hot 100, “One Sweet Day” is the longest running numer-one single in US history.  The song was named the #2 song of 1996, but the top song of the entire decade.  It was written about losing a loved one, and meeting them again in heaven, where you realize you’d taken them for granted.  The song was heavily inspired by the AIDS epidemic that was gripping the globe at the time. The music video was made up of pieces of the recording process, since the busy schedules of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men meant the two could not get together to film an actual video.

#1. New Radicals – You Get What You Give

   In 1998, New Radicals released the first single off their debut album, “You Get What You Give.”  The song became an international hit, and would go on to be played over a million times on the radio in the US alone.  The song was praised for its motivational message. However, the lines near end where lead singer Gregg Alexander writes about political messages like “Health insurance, rip-off lying” and slams celebrities Beck, Hanson, Marilyn Manson, and Courtney Love for being fake created controversy.  Most of the media attention was focused on the celebrities, which Alexander said he’d written as a test to see if attention would be focused on the political issues or the celebrities.

Posted by Kyle in Entertainment, Music and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
18 Mar 2013
1 Comment

Top 10 Food and Drinks Banned in the USA

After a vacation we are back with our next list. All over the world you can find certain foods and drinks that are banned from a country and for various reasons.  This is a list of the top 10 food and drinks that are banned in the USA.  The organization that controls the food in the US in the US Department of Agriculture and they ban certain items in the US for health reasons, sanctions or to protect a species.

#10 Absinthe

Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic  (90-148 proof)beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium (a.k.a. “grand wormwood”), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs.  Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It arose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th-century France.  In 2007, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) effectively lifted the longstanding absinthe ban, and has since approved many brands for sale in the U.S. market.  The importation, distribution, and sale of absinthe is permitted with respect to the following restrictions:  The product must be thujone-free as per TTB guidelines. The word “absinthe” can neither be the brand name nor stand alone on the label. The packaging cannot “project images of hallucinogenic, psychotropic or mind-altering effects.”  Absinthe imported in violation of these regulations is subject to seizure at the discretion of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

#9 Ackee

Ackee is a fruit similar to the lychee that is native to tropical western Africa.  It was also imported to Jamaica in 1778.  It is the national fruit of Jamaica and common in a lot of Jamaican cuisine. The unripened or inedible portions of the fruit can be toxic as they contain the toxins hypoglycin A and hypoglycin B. The importing of canned ackee into the U.S. has at times been restricted due to unripe ackee arilli being included. However, it is currently allowed, provided that the amount of hypoglycin present meets the standards of the Food and Drug Administration.

#8 Pig’s Blood Cake

Ti-hoeh-koe, pig’s blood cake is made of pork blood and sticky rice.  It is a traditional Taiwanese dish.  The rice and blood are cooked together and then left to set up; the rice binds the blood. The end result is like a sausage without a skin.  This is then put on a stick and the street vendors cover the pigs blood cake with a layer of peanut powder and cilantro.  If you’re a fan of black pudding or blood sausage—and who isn’t?—then you will adore pork blood cake, which is sweet, warm, unctuous, and with a slight chewiness.  USDA has banned pig’s blood cake in the US due to sanitary reasons.

#7 Foie gras

Although not banned in the whole of the US, foie gras remains a controversial food and there most likely will be more areas in the US banning this ingredient in the future.  Foie gras involves the controversial force-feeding of birds with more food than they would eat in the wild, and more than they would voluntarily eat domestically. The feed, usually corn boiled with fat (to facilitate ingestion), deposits large amounts of fat in the liver, thereby producing the buttery consistency sought by some gastronomes.  At time of publishing this list Foie gras is banned in the State of California, City of Chicago and City of San Diego.

#6 Redfish

In 1980, New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme publicized his recipe for blackened redfish, which is still very popular today. The recipe was so popular that it sparked a blackened redfish craze in the 1980s, which so severely threatened the redfish stock that the Commerce Department had to step in and close down fishe­ries in July 1986 and limited the sale in order to help the regrowth of the Redfish population.  The term redfish applies to various species of scorpion fish and sciaenops occellatus.  The sale of redfish for profit is banned in all US states except Mississippi.

#5 Casu marzu

Carsu marzu is a traditional Sheep milk cheese found mainly in Sardinia, Italy.  The cheese is notable for containing live insect larvae.  The fermentation stage is brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly.  The larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down of the cheese’s fats.  Some people clear the larvae from the cheese before consuming while others do not.  Some call this cheese ‘maggot cheese’.  It is banned in the US because of health reasons and the maggots’ mouthhooks can severely damage stomach lining.

#4 Wild beluga caviar

The Beluga (huso huso) is the largest of all sturgeons (up to 6 meters/20 feet in length) and is the only carnivore, but unfortunately, because of aggressive modern fishing methods such a size seems extremely unlikely these days.  Because of its immense size, the Beluga caviar has the biggest eggs, which are the most highly prized for their large grain and fine skin. The egg color varies from light grey to nearly black.  Beluga caviar is protected as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This law generally prohibits the import/export and interstate sale of listed species and products made from them. The United States banned the importation of beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea basin as of September 30, 2005, and from the Black Sea basin as of October 28, 2005. No beluga caviar from any country in these basins could be legally imported after these dates.

#3 Japanese Puffer Fish

In US restaurants and fish markets are banned from serving or selling puffer fish (also known as puffer, fugu, bok, blowfish, globefish, swellfish, balloonfish, or sea squab) unless they have a license to do so.  This is in order that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) can be sure that it is obtained from a safe source.  The puffer fish’s skin and its certain organs contain tetrodotoxin, an extremely poisonous neurotoxin which has the potential to paralyse a human by damaging or destroying nerve tissue and also lead to asphyxiation. Only a few milligrams of this toxin are enough for a fatal reaction to occur. However, it has been eaten for many years in Japan, where experts serve it as a delicacy.

#2 Haggis

Haggis is considered the National dish of Scotland.  Haggis is a savory dish containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach and simmered for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a sausage casing rather than an actual stomach.  Since 1971, it has been illegal to import haggis into the US from the UK due to a ban on food containing sheep lung, which constitutes 10 to 15% of the traditional recipe.The situation was further complicated in 1989 when all UK beef and lamb was banned from importation to the US due to the BSE crisis. In 2010, a spokeswoman for the US Department of Agriculture stated that they were reviewing the ban on beef and lamb products, but the ban on food containing sheep lung will remain in force.

#1 Unpasteurized milk

Pasteurization was first used in the United States in the 1890s after the discovery of germ theory to control the hazards of highly contagious bacterial diseases that was thought to be easily transmitted to humans through the drinking of raw milk.  When it was first used, pasteurization was thought to make raw milk from any source safer to consume. More recently, farm sanitation has greatly improved and effective testing has been developed making other approaches to ensuring safety of milk more feasible; however, pasteurization continues to be widely used to prevent infected milk from entering the food supply.  Most states impose restrictions on raw milk suppliers due to concerns about safety.

Posted by Wendy in Food & Health and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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