Month: November 2012

Ten Places You Should Not Visit

We keep talking about travel and we even compiled some lists for you in order to help you in your decision to visit places. As far as I am concerned, travelling is absolutely awesome but there are some places that you still should not visit. This list will tell you why you shouldn’t visit the places mentioned, of course, there are a lot more, but these made it onto our list. Enjoy the read.

10. BUBBLY CREEK, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

I am sure you are familiar with the Chicago River in the South Branch. Bubbly Creek is used as a nickname for one section of that particular river. During the nineteenth century, a lot of waste was dumped into the water including blood and entrails (livestock) due to which the portion began to bubble with methane and hydrogen sulfide. This particular creek is highly toxic. We are uncertain whether it is fatal or not, but nonetheless, strike this place off your list of places to visit and experience. Unless of course you don’t mind getting terribly sick.

9. IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN

Stretching from the South and the East from the Izu Peninsula of Honshu in Japan is a group of volcanic islands. It becomes a part of Tokyo and consists of two towns and six different villages. Since the islands are volcanic, the stench of sulfur forever prevails in the environment. Most of you who are not so chemistry-friendly should know that sulfur kind of smells like farts. If you do happen to visit these islands, make sure you take gas masks with you otherwise breathing could be a major issue.

8. DALLOL, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

This particular place is said to be a ghost town. It is located in the Afar Region. It is a part of the Afar Depression which lies near the horn of Africa. This particular region is also home to the Dallol Volcano and a lot of salt canyons. Today Dallol only has a couple of standing structures made of salt and rest of the place is pretty much a ghost town. There are a lot hot springs though, which might attract you. There has been no actual sighting of ghosts in the town, but just to be on the safe side, stay away. Besides, it is boring.

7. ALNWICK POISON GARDENS, ENGLAND

I am pretty sure it is obvious why you shouldn’t visit this place. There is a botanical garden in Italy that is home to medicinal and poisonous plants. It was built in the 1500s. This particular garden was inspired by those in Italy. It is home to plants that can kill and not one plant inside the garden is harmless. They even have varieties of belladonna, tobacco and mandrake. They also possess a license to grow some interesting plants; coca and cannabis. I know what you are thinking. Don’t even try. They are locked behind bars.

6. DZERZHINSK, NIZHNY NOVGOROD OBLAST, RUSSIA

Dzerzhinsk is Russian city that lies 400 km from Moscow. It was founded in 1920. It used to be the house of major chemical weapon development facilities back in the day and many dangerous, highly toxic chemicals were produced at the facility. When the facility shifted, most of the toxic materials were buried in the ground so you can assume that the city has a very toxic nature, environment wise. It is unsafe and unhealthy to live in that area. The population of that city is only around 250,000 people.

November 30, 2012
10 Exotic Forests Around the Globe – Page 2 of 2

5. The Cloud Forests

Cloud forests, or montane forests, are unlike any others. Known as “nature’s water towers“, cloud forests play a unique role in evaporation and precipitation, helping to purify both water and air. Not only do these forests supply fresh water to nearby residents, they contain some of the most amazing biodiversity on earth. Most cloud forests are found in Asia and Central America, but they’re particularly threatened in Central America. In places like Guatemala, where 40% of the water comes from the cloud forest, preservation is essential. Though cloud forests are located around the world, Guatemala is emblematic of the cloud forest problem because its national symbol, the Resplendent Quetzal, is in danger of extinction as its habitat continues to be destroyed by logging, non-native species, development and climate change.

4. White Mountain National Forest

The Whites are on every leaf peeper’s radar as one of the best places in the country to catch the fall-color spectacle. When the mercury plunges and sends shivers through the sugar maples, white birches, and other hardwoods that control the valleys and middle slopes of these mountains, the whole landscape comes aflame; whether you walk, drive, ride, or paddle your way through these glowing forests, it’s an experience to remember. But fame has its price: Think twice before joining the bus, RV, and auto parade from Boston or New York to spots like North Conway on weekends in September and October.

3. Coconino National Forest, Arizona

Crisp fall climate and magnificent greenery aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Arizona. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what you’ll find in north-central Arizona’s Coconino National Forest. Much of Coconino is high-elevation Arizona, the mountains top out at 12,000 feet, and a lot of the land is over the patronizing Mogollon and Coconino Plateaus. Up high, the areas of ponderosa pines are broken by attitudes of aspen. Changing leaves announce fall’s coming as early as mid-September. That’s when forest roads and trails begin to bustle with the crowds of nature lovers who come to enjoy the display.

2. Pisgah National Forest

The northern forests of New England and the Midwest may get most of the fall-foliage propaganda, but down south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the Blue Ridge puts on a vibrant show of its own. Come October, few places are more appealing than the deeply crumpled scenery around Asheville, North Carolina, most of which lies within the limits of Pisgah National Forest. Crusty fall weather welcomes every shade of gold, red, and auburn to Pisgah’s variegated “cove forests,” the mixed-hardwood glories of the southern Appalachians.

1. Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri

Renowned for its beautiful scenic qualities, Mark Twain National Forest lies mostly within the Ozark Plateau, dotted with relic hills from this country’s oldest mountains, the Ozarks. Landscapes here range from mildly rolling plains to heavily dismembered areas with deep supple valleys containing clear, cool spring-fed rivers and streams. Peaks, hills, and knobs of varying heights are dispersed throughout. Bare rock and open glades augment visual interest in many areas, and the fall color is vibrant — the oaks, sweetgum, and sugar maple put on a show of yellow, orange and red. Along the river banks, one can find sycamore, Ozark witch hazel, elm, and other bottomland trees.

November 30, 2012
30 Famous Mythical Humanoid Creatures

16. Vampires

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Vampires are mythological beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures. Although vampiric entities have been recorded in many cultures, the belief in vampires demons is as old as man himself, and may go back to prehistoric times. Vampires were generally referred to as cold beings who could be destroyed by daylight. Holes appearing in the earth over a grave were taken as a sign of vampirism. There is no scientific evidence of vampirism except the Vampire Bat.

17. Tellem

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The Tellem were the people who inhabited the Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali. It is thought by some in Mali today that the Tellem possessed the power of flight. They are described like “Lord of the ring’s Hobbit like creatures” and they built dwellings around the base of the escarpment as well as directly into the cliff-face like the hobbits. Many of these structures are still visible in the area.

18. Yeti

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Yeti or abominable snowman mythological humanoid creature said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Pakistan and Nepal. The scientific community largely regards the Yeti as a legend, yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology parallel to Bigfoot of North America. It is tall, bipedal creature covered with long white hair and wore no clothes. He had an interesting feature of changing his hair color in sunlight to fox red.

19. Tiyanak

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Tiyank is a creature which, in Philippine mythology , imitates the form of a child. It usually takes the form of a newborn baby and cries like one in the jungle to attract unwary travelers. Once it is picked up by the victim, it reverts to its true form and attacks the victim. The tianak delights in leading travelers astray. Theories claim that the tianak is the spirit of a child whose mother died before giving birth. This caused it to be “born in the ground”, thus gaining its current state.

20. Werewolf

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Werewolf is a mythological human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely, by being bitten or scratched by another werewolf, or after being placed under a curse. This transformation is often associated with the appearance of the full moon. Werewolves are often attributed super-human strength and senses, far beyond those of both wolves or men.

21. Fomorian

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In Irish mythology , were a semi-divine race who inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to the Tuatha Dé Danann who represent the gods of human civilization. They are sometimes said to have had the body of a man and the head of a goat, or to have had one eye, one arm and one leg, but some, for example Elatha, were very beautiful.

22. Blemmyes

The Blemmyes was a tribe which became fictionalized as a race of creatures believed to be acephalous (headless) monsters who had eyes and mouths on their chest. Ancient writers sometimes used the term anthropophagi to describe the Blemmyes.

23. Tikbalang

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Tikbalang is a creature of Philippine myth said to lurk in the mountains and forests of the Philippines. It is generally described as a tall, bony humanoid creature with disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats down.It has the head and feet of an animal, most commonly a horse. It is sometimes believed to be a transformation of an aborted fetus which has been sent to earth from hell. Tikbalangs are said to scare travelers and lead them astray such that they keep on returning to an arbitrary path no matter how far he goes or where he turns. Supposedly this is counteracted by wearing one’s shirt inside out.

24. Encantado

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An encantado is a Brazilian legendary creature. They live in a deep underwater realm named the Encante. Encantados are most commonly viewed as a type of freshwater dolphin or sea snake that has the ability to shapeshift into human form. They are characterized by superior musical ability, seductiveness, and attraction to parties. The creature’s transformation into human form seems to be rare, and usually occurs at night. While in human form the encantado will wear a hat to hide its protruding forehead. It does not disappear while shapeshifting and frequently displays magical abilities, such as the power to control storms and haunt humans. They use various mind control techniques and can inflict illness. Many villagers will not go near the Amazon River at night because of this. Plenty of South Americans believe in the existence of the encantado and claim to have seen and interacted with the species.

25. Aswang

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Aswang is a mythical creature in Filipino folklore. The aswang is an inherently evil vampire-like creature and is the subject of a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which vary greatly. Spanish colonizers noted that the Aswang was the most feared among the mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century. “Aswangs” are often described as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always female. They are sometimes used as a generic term applied to all types of witches, manananggals, shapeshifters, werewolves, and monsters. Aswang stories and definitions vary greatly from region to region and person to person, so no one particular set of characteristics can be ascribed to the term. However, the term is often used interchangeably with manananggal, which is a particular creature with a specific set of features. They are often portrayed as a monster with wings which flap loudly when she’s far away and quietly when she’s nearer.

26. Basajaun

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In Basque mythology, the basajaunak are a spirit dwelling in caves or in the woods who protects flocks of livestock and teaches skills such as agriculture and ironworking to humans. The basajaun also exists in Aragonese mythology in the valleys of Tena, Ansó, and Broto. Fifteenth-century carvings depicting the basajaunak can be seen in Burgos Cathedral and in the monastery of Santa María la Real in Nájera.

27. Rakshasa

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Rakshasha is a demon or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist mythology . They are believed to be derived from foot of the Hindu God of Creation. Rakshasas are a populous race of supernatural humanoids. Powerful warriors, they resort to the use of magic and illusion when unsuccessful with conventional weapons. As shape-changers, they can assume various physical forms, and it is not always clear whether they have a true or natural form. Rakshasas are notorious for desecrating graves, harassing priests, possessing human beings, and so on. Their fingernails are venomous.

28. Wendigo

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Wendigo is a mythical creature appearing in the mythology of the Algonquian people. It is a malevolent cannibalistic spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans. Wendigos were alien like embodiments of gluttony, greed, and excess; they were constantly searching for new victims. In some traditions, humans who became overpowered by greed could turn into Wendigos; the Wendigo myth thus served as a method of encouraging cooperation and moderation.

29. Incubus

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Incubus is a demon in male form supposed to lie upon sleepers, especially women, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions. Victims may have been experiencing waking dreams or sleep paralysis. The influence of incubi could also have been invoked to escape punishment for actual crimes.

30. Sasquatch

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Sasquatch or better known as Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. The scientific community considers Bigfoot to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a real creature. Alleged witnesses have described large eyes, a pronounced brow ridge, and a large, low-set forehead; the top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, similar to the sagittal crest of the male gorilla. Bigfoot is commonly reported to have a strong, unpleasant smell by those who claim to have encountered it. Proponents have also claimed that Bigfoot is omnivorous and mainly nocturnal.

November 28, 2012
10 Renowned Thought Experiments – Page 2 of 2
5. Doomsday Argument

The Doomsday argument ( DA ) is a probabilistic argument that claims to predict the number of future members of the human species given only an estimate of the total number of humans born so far. Simply put, it says that supposing the humans alive today are in a random place in the whole human history timeline, chances are we are about halfway through it. Denoting by N the total number of humans who were ever or will ever be born, the Copernican principle suggests that humans are equally likely (along with the other N − 1 humans) to find themselves at any position n, so humans assume that our fractional position f = n/N is uniformly distributed on the interval (0, 1] prior to learning our absolute position. If we take that 60 billion humans have been born so far (Leslie’s figure), then we can estimate that there is a 95% chance that the total number of humans N will be less than 20 × 60 billion = 1.2 trillion. Assuming that the world population stabilizes at 10 billion and a life expectancy of 80 years, it can be estimated that the remaining 1140 billion humans will be born in 9120 years. Depending on the projection of world population in the forthcoming centuries, estimates may vary, but the main point of the argument is that it is unlikely that more than 1.2 trillion humans will ever live.

4. Brain in a Vat

There has been no more influential thought experiment than the so-called “ brain in a vat ” hypothesis, which has permeated everything from cognitive science and philosophy to popular culture. The experiment asks you to imagine a mad scientist has taken your brain from your body and placed it in a vat of some kind of life sustaining fluid. Electrodes have been connected to your brain, and these are connected to a computer that generates images and sensations. Since all your information about the world is filtered through the brain, this computer would have the ability to simulate your everyday experience. If this were indeed possible, how could you ever truly prove that the world around you was real, and not just a simulation generated by a computer? If you’re thinking this all sounds a bit like The Matrix, you’re right. That film, along with several other sci-fi stories and movies, was heavily influenced by the brain in a vat thought experiment. At its heart, the exercise asks you to question the nature of experience, and to consider what it really means to be human.

3. Balls and Vase Problem

The Ross–Littlewood paradox (also known as the balls and vase problem or the ping pong ball problem ) is a hypothetical problem in abstract mathematics and logic designed to illustrate the seemingly paradoxical, or at least non-intuitive, nature of infinity. More specifically, the Ross–Littlewood paradox tries to illustrate the conceptual difficulties with the notion of a supertask, in which one is trying to complete an infinite number of tasks sequentially. The problem starts with an empty vase and an infinite supply of balls. One then performs an infinite number of steps, where at each step balls are added as well as removed from the vase. The question is then posed: How many balls are in the vase when one is done?

To complete an infinite number of steps, let us assume that the vase is empty at two minutes before noon, and that one performs the steps as follows:
- The first step is performed at one minute before noon.
- The second step is performed at 30 seconds before noon.
- The third step is performed at 15 seconds before noon.
- Each subsequent step n is performed at 2¹⁻ⁿ minutes before noon.
This guarantees that a countably infinite number of steps is performed by noon. At each step, 10 balls are added to the vase, and one ball is removed from the vase. The question now is: How many balls are in the vase at noon? Answers to the puzzle fall into 4l categories. 1) The most intuitive answer seems to be that the vase contains an infinite number of balls by noon. 2) However, suppose that the balls of the infinite supply of balls were numbered, and that at step 1 one inserts balls 1 through 10 into the vase, and removes ball number 1. At step 2, one inserts balls 11 through 20, and removes ball 2. This means that by noon, every ball n that is inserted into the vase is eventually removed in a subsequent step (namely, step n). Hence, the vase is empty at noon. 3) Although the state of the balls and the vase is well-defined at every moment in time prior to noon, no conclusion can be made about any moment in time at or after noon. Thus, for all we know, at noon, the vase just magically disappears. 4) The problem is ill-posed. To be precise, according to the problem statement, an infinite number of operations will be performed before noon, and then asks us about the state of affairs at noon. But, if infinitely many operations have to take place (sequentially) before noon, then noon is a point in time that can never be reached.

2. Schrödinger’s Cat

Schrödinger’s cat is a thought experiment, often described as a paradox, devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It illustrates what he saw as the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics applied to everyday objects. The thought experiment presents a cat that might be alive or dead, depending on an earlier random event. A cat is trapped in a box with radioactive material, a Geiger counter, and a mechanism rigged to release poison if particle decay is detected. According to Erwin Schrödinger, the cat exists in two probable states. But that doesn’t track with reality (cats are not both alive and dead). Proposed in 1935, the postulate illustrates that some quantum concepts just don’t work at nonquantum scales. Also that Schrödinger was a dog person.

1. Maxwell’s Demon

Maxwell’s demon is a thought experiment created by the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, in which a supernatural being is instructed to attempt to violate the second law of thermodynamics. The second law of thermodynamics ensures (through statistical probability) that two bodies of different temperature, when brought into contact with each other and isolated from the rest of the Universe, will evolve to a thermodynamic equilibrium in which both bodies have approximately the same temperature. The thought experiment demonstrates Maxwell’s point by describing how to violate the 2nd Law to “show that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics has only a statistical certainty.” In the experiment an imaginary container is divided into two parts by an insulated wall, with a door that can be opened and closed by what came to be called ” Maxwell’s Demon“. The hypothetical demon is able to let only the “hot” molecules of gas flow through to a favored side of the chamber, causing that side to appear to spontaneously heat up while the other side cools down.
November 24, 2012
Top Ten Sandbox Style Games

5. Roblox

At first glance Roblox appears to be a game for kids and given the fact that it is populated by children it lives up to that expectation. However, if you take some time to get past the obvious kid appeal of the game you will find a very well done sandbox game that allows you to create as much content as your heart desires. Whether you feel like making a lost island filled with pirates or a football field all of this and more is possible within the world of Roblox.

4. Minecraft

Minecraft is a surprisingly popular game that is all about you creating a world just the way you want it. While the name implies that you will spend a lot of time mining this is actually not how the game works. By using a series of tools you can dig out tunnels, build houses, even to a degree create animals and other such things. If you get bored with building yourself you can log into the Minecraft server and explore the worlds created by other people. This is a great game to introduce to your children and spend a few hours playing with them.

3. SecondLife

SecondLIfe is a virtual world the almost exclusively features user generated content. In SecondLife you create an avatar and can make them look and move in any fashion you wish and move them through a virtual word filled with nightclubs, castles, accurate models of real world cities and more. SecondLIfe is the epitome of what a computer based sandbox game should be. The one thing you should be aware of about SecondLife is that it is not a place for young children given that it is highly social in nature and caters to adults.

2. Pen and Paper Role Playing Games

The pen and paper role playing game started out in the late sixties with a game called Dungeons and Dragons and since its inception pen and paper role playing games have reached hundreds of millions of people who get together at a friend’s house, share munchies and play the part of wizards, vampires and more. The pen and paper rpg requires a lot of imagination but when done right will suck you into a world of your own creation without ever having to touch a video game controller.

1. Let’s Pretend

Before the rise of video games, before the invention of television, children were left largely to their own devices for entertainment and somehow managed to survive despite not having a single electronic game in their possession. In the sandbox game of let’s pretend a thumb and forefinger became a gun, a stick became a sword, and whatever material was handy became whatever the children playing let’s pretend turned it into. Let’s pretend is so poplar and beloved around the world that on any given day you can walk down a street and you are likely to find someone playing this game. The best part about let’s pretend is that its free, and that it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you are willing to let your imagination free for just a little while, you can play too.

November 23, 2012
10 Highest Grossing Leonardo DiCaprio Movies

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on the 11^th November of year 1974 in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is an actor and a film producer. His career started in the year 1989. He became the limelight with his film Titanic. He has been nominated for the Golden Globe Award around eight times and he won it once for his performance in the movie ‘The Aviator’. This list discusses ten of his highest grossing movies to date along with their original synopsis. Enjoy the read!

10. BLOOD DIAMOND

$67,839,400

A South African mercenary and a Mende fisherman find their fates forever intertwined as they embark on a quest to obtain a rare and highly coveted pink diamond in director Edward Zwick’s frantic adventure drama. Ripped from his family farm and forced to toil away in the sweltering South African diamond fields, Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) discovered an extraordinary rough stone of immeasurable value. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hired gun who specializes in the sale of so-called “blood diamonds” that are used to finance rebellions and terrorist organizations, and is currently serving time for smuggling. As a bloody civil war rages in Sierra Leone and Archer learns that Vandy has safely hidden the diamond in a place where no one would ever suspect, the pair enlist the aid of disillusioned American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) in recovering the treasure that has the power to save Vandy’s family and provide the desperate Archer with a much-needed chance for redemption.

9. ROMEO + JULIET

$82,656,900

Longtime rivals in religion and business, the Montagues and the Capulets share a page from the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story when they form rival gangs. Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) is aloof toward the goings-on of his Montague cousins, but after he realizes that Juliet (Claire Danes) is a Capulet at the end of one very wild party, the enmity between the two clans becomes the root of his angst. He relies heavily — and with serious consequences — on his rebel gender-bender of a friend, Mercutio (Harold Perrineau Jr.), and Father (not Friar) Lawrence (Pete Postlethwaite) for protection and support. Romeo is, of course, exiled, and it looks like Juliet will be forced into an arranged marriage with the bland Paris (Paul Rudd).

8. THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK

$96,203,400

The tyrannical King Louis XIV desires the beautiful Christine, so he orders her suitor to face death at the front. Louis’ twin brother Philippe is the man in the iron mask, held prisoner for the past six years. Arthos and Porthos plan to free Philippe and put him in Louis’ place on the throne.

7. GANGS OF NEW YORK

$103,142,000

In 1846, as waves of Irish immigrants poured into the New York neighborhood of Five Points, a number of citizens of British and Dutch heritage who were born in the United States began making an open display of their resentment toward the new arrivals. William Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), better known as “Bill the Butcher” for his deadly skill with a knife, bands his fellow “Native Americans” into a gang to take on the Irish immigrants; the immigrants in turn form a gang of their own, “The Dead Rabbits,” organized by Priest Vallon (Liam Neeson). After an especially bloody clash between the Natives and the Rabbits leaves Vallon dead, his son goes missing

6. SHUTTER ISLAND

$127,529,900

The film opens in 1954 as World War II veteran and current federal marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner, Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), ferry to Shutter Island, a water-bound mental hospital housing the criminally insane. They have been asked to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), a patient admitted to the asylum after she murdered her three children. As Teddy quizzes Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the head of the institution, he begins to suspect that the authorities in charge might not be giving him the whole truth, and that a terrible fate may befall all the patients in the spooky Ward C — a unit devoted to the most heinous of the hospital’s inmates. Complicating matters further, Teddy has a secret of his own — the arsonist who murdered his wife is incarcerated on Shutter Island.

November 19, 2012
Top Ten Television Detectives

5. Fox Mulder (The X-Files)

X-Files was a show for the conspiracy theorist in all of us. Whether it was aliens or government cover- ups we watched as Fox Mulder (portrayed brilliantly by David Duchovny) chased down bad guys ripped straight out of pulp fiction and slowly convinced us all that there was more to this world than met the eye. While there have been many shows that have tried to duplicate the X-Files, none have been nearly as good and the main reason for that is because none of them have Fox Mulder leading the charge.

4. Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU)

The Law & Order franchise has produced some very memorable television detectives and this list could have easily been filled with all of them. However, Detective Benson stands out among all of them because she has come to symbolize so much of what a detective that deals with sex offenders should be. Tough, compassionate, and dedicated are all qualities that someone working heinous crimes needs and Detective Benson has them in spades without shoving it in your face. The world could honestly use more people like Detective Olivia Benson.

3. Debra Morgan (Dexter)

There is something refreshing about a female character that acts and talks like a man but still maintains her femininity. Debra Morgan (portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter) is a foul-mouthed, ambitious young woman who has busted her hump since day one in Miami Metro and been rewarded by promotion after promotion. While she doesn’t win many friends because of her abrasiveness, she more than makes up for this in her dogged determination to find the bad guy and her stalwart beliefs in right and wrong. While she is far from perfect, there is no one I would rather have tracking down a killer.

2. Gil Grissom (C.S.I.)

Gil Grissom made being a science geek not only cool, but exciting as well. Grissom (portrayed by William Peterson) was the night shift supervisor for the Las Vegas P.D.’s C.S.I. unit and used hard science (combined with cool special effects) to bust the bad guys. While most of what you see him do is far-fetched, it did give us an idea of just how important the science behind the police work is. In a genre inundated with tough guy types, a character that used his brain more than brawn was a very refreshing change.

1. Joe Friday (Dragnet)

Joe Friday may not have been the very first television detective, but he was one of the first, and set the bar for American audiences on what to expect from a detective. Times have definitely changed since Joe Friday first graced the radio waves and small screens but his belief in justice, right and wrong, and catching the bad guy still runs deep in every good TV detective. It may be true that we would have the detective genre without Joe Friday, but it is likely the landscape would be a lot different without him. While he may not have been the most exciting detective, the reason he tops this list is quite simple, there is a little bit of Joe Friday in every one of the other people on this list.

November 12, 2012
Ten Underrated Movies Released in 2011

With so many movies coming out every year, it is very hard to keep a track of them all. That’s not all, not only do we overlook some movies but most of them do not even get the appreciation or attention they deserve. Following is a list of ten such movies that came out in late 2010 and 2011. Most of you probably didn’t even hear about these movies but they are definitely worth a onetime watch. Movie synopsis follows the movie name just to get you a little interested (allmovie). Enjoy the read and your opinions are always welcome.

10. 30 MINUTES OR LESS

Small-town pizza delivery driver Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) stumbles into an elaborate crime scheme when he’s abducted by a pair of ambitious criminals (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) who coerce him into robbing a bank on a strict timeline. Desperate, Nick implores his former best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) to help him out of the predicament. But with each attempt to thwart the would-be criminal geniuses, Nick and Chet find their dire situation spinning faster out of control.

9. THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a rising New York congressmen whose everyman charisma has earned him a loyal following among locals. One night, after suffering a crushing political defeat, David is rehearsing his concession speech in a hotel bathroom when out of a stall wanders Elise (Emily Blunt), who was hiding out from security guards after crashing a wedding. The chemistry between David and Elise is instant and electric. But as fast as she appeared, Elise has vanished, leaving David to wonder if he will ever see her again.

8. 50/50

Adam is a 27-year old public radio employee who discovers he has cancer. As his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) tries to help out, his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) proves to be a less than ideal life partner for this particular crisis. All the while, Adam’s overprotective mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) tries to overcome her son’s continued attempts to keep her out of his life. As Adam begins to discover how hard it is to deal with his situation, and to maintain various relationships in his life, he begins seeing a young counselor (Anna Kendrick) who might prove to be just as helpful personally as she is professionally.

7. CEDAR RAPIDS

Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) sells insurance for a living. He’s passionate about his career, so when the top salesman at the company dies on the eve of a big industry convention in Cedar Rapids, IA, his boss, Bill (Stephen Root), decides that Tim should take the trip to represent their company, and possibly accept a major award. Trouble is, not only has Tim never been on an airplane before, but he’s in such a state of arrested development that he’s even started sleeping with his former elementary school teacher Mrs. Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver). Arriving at the convention ready to put his best foot forward, Tim hits it off with his hotel roommate Ron (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), but is soon thrust out of his comfort zone when he learns they will be sharing a room with their amoral, hard-partying colleague Dean (John C. Reilly), whom Tim has been instructed to avoid at all costs.

6. ATTACK THE BLOCK

A group of London teens find themselves in the middle of an alien invasion and fight to defend their tower block from some evil extraterrestrials in this stylish sci-fi romp from the producers of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Beset by a gang of young thugs as she passes through a South London housing estate, Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is in the midst of being robbed when a ball of light falls out of the sky, and destroys a nearby car. Frightened, she flees from the scene just before an unearthly beast emerges from the wreckage and attacks Moses (John Boyega), the leader of the youthful gang.

5. THE GUARD

Confrontational Irish cop Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) reluctantly teams with uptight FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to take down a gang of international drug traffickers in this comedy thriller co-starring Mark Strong, Rory Keenan, and Liam Cunningham.

4. THE TRIP

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reprise their roles from Michael Winterbottom’s Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story for this tale of a restaurant critic who reluctantly invites his obnoxious best friend on a business trip through the English countryside. Tapped by The Observer to review fine restaurants throughout the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, Steve (Coogan) finds himself without a traveling companion after his girlfriend decides not to go at the last minute. After being turned down by everyone he knows, Steve extends an invitation to Rob (Brydon), and together the pair attempts to navigate the winding back roads of rural England, impersonating popular celebrities and bickering endlessly along the way.

3. FRIGHT NIGHT

A suburban Las Vegas teenager realizes that his new neighbor is a charismatic vampire in this remake of the 1985 horror comedy hit. After years of climbing to reach the top of the social ladder, high school senior Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally rules the roost. Just as Charley ditches his best pal, “Evil” Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and starts dating the most popular girl in their class, however, a handsome new face appears in the neighborhood. It belongs to Charley’s new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell), an outwardly amiable guy with a quick smile and a sharp wit. But when Ed vanishes without a trace andCharley sees a side of Jerry that everyone else seems to miss, the nouveau popular teen becomes convinced that the nice-guy act is a cover for something truly sinister.

2. TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

Matt Franklin (Grace) has just graduated from MIT, but he’s content to spend his days stacking the shelves of his local Suncoast Video instead of going to work for a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, his sarcastic twin sister, Wendy (Faris), knows he can do better, and his best friend, Barry (Fogler), has a wild streak the size of the Mississippi River. When Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer) happens into the video store one day and strikes up a conversation with Matt, he compulsively lies about having a job at Goldman Sachs. Incredibly, Matt and Tori hit it off, and she invites him to join her for a massive summer blowout. The opportunity of a lifetime finally within reach, Matt arrives at the party in style, intent on sweeping Tori off her feet.

1. WIN WIN

Paul Giamatti headlines writer/director Tom McCarthy’s comedy drama centering on a beleaguered attorney and part-time wrestling coach who schemes to keep his practice from going under by acting as the legal caretaker of an elderly client. Mike Flaherty (Giamatti) thinks he has discovered the perfect loophole to keep his practice in business. But his brilliant plan hits an unex pected hitch when his client’s troubled grandson shows up looking for a place to stay. With his home life in turmoil and both of his careers in jeopardy, Mike quickly realizes that he’ll have to get creative in order to find a way out of his current predicament.

November 5, 2012
Top 10 Most Awesome Lego Models

Who doesn’t love LEGO? My 4-year-old son does, my 34-year-old husband does….it’s something that you just never grow out of. Which explains the hours of time and effort that some people put into creating, not just a tiny fire engine, but life-size Lego models, or elaborate dioramas. Yes, these are serious hobbyists and these models are not to be touched by children. Be prepared to be amazed and a little overwhelmed by our Top 10 Most Awesome Lego Models.

10. James May’s House

This first effort was made for a TV show. British presenter James May completed a series of challenges where he built life-size, working models of things using kids’ toy kits. The Meccano bridge and the giant Scalectrix track were impressive, but the most iconic had to be this Lego house, with its Lego furniture to go with it and even a Lego cat. Strangely enough, the idea of the Lego bed never caught on (it’s probably a bit bumpy), and neither did the Lego toothbrush. As houses go, it wasn’t the most comfortable- the soft furnishings were somewhat hard – but it looked good and it was relatively quick to build, although it did require 1,000 helpers and 3.3 million bricks. The house was eventually demolished in 2010, after it failed to find a new owner despite an enthusiastic Facebook campaign to save it.

9. Obama’s Inauguration

President Obama has often shown signs of his geeky side, so I imagine he was thrilled when his (first) inauguration ceremony was recreated in Lego-scopic detail. Unveiled at Legoland California in January 2009, it features a replica of the Capitol Building, along with over 1000 figures made out of bricks (not the minifigs that you’d expect). A Lego Aretha Franklin belts out a tune, while little onlookers queue for the Portaloos. Obama’s presidency represented a huge leap forward in African-American equality, and it was a great way to celebrate that moment, as well as being an impressive feat of Lego construction.

8. Kennedy Space Center

Another American icon next, in this reproduction of the Kennedy Space Center. Using over 750,000 bricks, it took 2,500 hours to build and features replica spacecraft such as the Saturn 1B Rocket. One focal point is the Vehicle Assembly Building, which is 6ft tall by 8ft long and there is also a 6ft high rocket.

It’s all part of a long running partnership between NASA and Lego, which has seen Lego being taken into space, as well as space being recreated by Lego. Leland Melvin of NASA described is this way: “Partnering with The LEGO Group is a perfect fit. We have taken the excitement of NASA’s missions and coupled that with kids’ love of creating things with the iconic LEGO bricks.” In other words, geeky kids love Lego, NASA wants to recruit those trainee geeks at an early age….it’s a match made in heaven (or such should that be “a match made in Alpha Centauri”?) And this project is certainly an impressive result of the partnership.

7. Church of Christ

There seems to be some mystique about the next entry – perhaps appropriate, given that God moves in mysterious ways. In at least one place, it is listed as an internet myth, albeit a true one, and the website of the creator – computer programmer Amy Hughes – no longer functions, with the homepage bearing a message that says “This page is intentionally left blank”. So, information about the intricate Lego church is not forthcoming, but it is said to contain 75,000 bricks, including hundreds of minifigs sitting in pews. There are mosaics, an organ, a pulpit and an altar, and it’s a beautifully detailed work. It’s called The Church of Abston – Abston being a fictional town named after Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, the plastic used to make Lego. Before taking her site down, Amy Hughes also posted some pictures of her cat sitting inside the construction. Maybe it was meant to be a Cat-o-lic church?

6. London

Taking on one building is a huge feat – taking on an entire city is another thing entirely. The model of London at Legoland Windsor (just outside London, so not as meta as it could be) took 24,000 hours to build and features such landmarks as the Palace of Westminster, Tower Bridge and 30 St Mary’s Axe ( better known as The Gherkin). Most remarkably, they recreate the London Eye in a perfect circle. even though anyone who’s built with Lego will tell you how difficult it is to achieve any kind of smooth curve. I still don’t know how they did it.

The rest of the model is almost as impressive, with London’s features reproduced faithfully, down to the tiny “Duck Tours” boat crossing Westminster Bridge. Altogether, the Lego London contains 13 million Lego bricks, and covers an area of 330m2. An amazing Lego metropolis!

November 3, 2012
10 Advanced Methods of Birth Control in Pipeline – Page 2 of 2

5. Contraction Inhibitor Pill “Dry Orgasm”

Male Contraceptives
Doctors have known since the 1950s that a couple of medications, usually taken for high blood pressure and schizophrenia, could also make male patients sterile. In November 2006, researchers figured out why: Both medications freeze the muscle contractions that propel sperm through the male reproductive tract. The result: A normal orgasm, sans sperm. Work is underway to turn this discovery into a marketable pill, but it’s still a long way off.

4. Adjudin “The male Patch”

Wikipedia
Adjudin is a drug which is under development as a potential non-hormonal male contraceptive drug, which acts by blocking the maturation of sperm in the testes, but without affecting testosterone production. In experiments hormonal levels (FSH, LH, testosterone) were undisturbed during administration, and normal spermatogenesis returned in 95% of the tubules of rats at 210 days after the drug had been discontinued. The oral dose effective for contraception is so high that there have been side effects in the muscles and liver, therefore the drug is being manufactured as implant or patch for males.

3. Spray-On Contraceptive

Dailymail
Contraceptives can be problematic: condoms break, pills are forgotten and patches itch. Now Australian biotech company Acrux has come up with a world first — a contraceptive spray for women. Melbourne-based Acrux recently announced positive results in clinical trials of the skin spray, working with international research organisation, The Population Council. The spray uses Acrux’s patented Metered Dose Transdermal System (MDTS) to administer a pre-set dose of the contraceptive Nestorone to the skin. The fast-drying spray allows Nestorone to be gradually absorbed into the bloodstream. Unlike older contraceptive methods, the spray is suitable for breastfeeding mothers and women who cannot tolerate contraceptive pills with oestrogens. It also has a more flexible dosing time compared with progestogen-only pills, leaves no visible residue on the skin and causes much less irritation than patches.

Another German Company Jolly Joe has created a spray-on male condom that releases liquid latex from a hard plastic tube. Currently the latex takes 2-3 minutes to dry, much too long for those of us that specialize in 5-10 second condom to penis turnover time. But don’t give up on the Jolly Joe yet, the company plans to introduce a version that will dry in less than 10 seconds sometime.

2. CatSper Blocker

BJMU
Researchers have discovered a gene key to sperm speed–a finding they say could spawn new methods of male and female contraception or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, treatments to boost male fertility. The gene controls a channel on the tails of sperm that appears to allow calcium ions to pass through. Sperm rely on calcium ions to function properly. The new findings–based on research in mice–suggest that this sperm-tail ion channel is required for full sperm mobility and fertilization. Humans have their own version of the ion-channel gene, which the researchers have dubbed CatSper . A defect in the human CatSper gene could be behind some cases of male infertility, although that has yet to be proven, the study’s lead author, Dr. David E. Clapham, told Reuters Health. On the other hand, blocking normal CatSper action could prove to be an effective form of birth control, according to Clapham. He speculated that men or women could take this potential CatSper “blocker” because it could be made to act ”wherever sperm are present.” Moreover, they report, the gene appears to be active only in fully developed sperm, which means blocking or boosting its action could have few or no side effects.

1. The Male Pill

Askmen
In 1960, an invention revolutionized female sexuality and paved the way for the women’s liberation movement. It was the birth-control pill , or simply “the pill” as it became popularly known. For four decades, the pill has put women primarily in the contraceptive driver’s seat. But an increasing number of people — both men and women — want men to take a more active role in contraception use. Their wish may be granted in the foreseeable future, as research companies grow closer to revealing the first continuous, reversible male contraceptive pill. Researchers at Edinburgh University’s Centre for Reproductive Biology have finally found a way to suppress daily sperm production while maintaining normal testosterone levels. This was not an easy task given that men emit millions of sperm in each, while women only produce one egg per month. The pill has proven to be 100% effective in preliminary clinical trials and is completely reversible. The pill contains desogestrel, a synthetic hormone that is the main component in the female pill, as well as the male hormone testosterone. This combination blocks the production of sperm while maintaining male characteristics and sex drive. As with the female contraceptive pill, it must be taken daily. In terms of effectiveness, the male pill seems to be the best. In clinical trials, all of the participants’ sperm counts dropped to zero, which means that the male pill would be more effective than the condom and even the female pill.

November 1, 2012