Category: Uncategorized

Various lists have been discussed when it comes to cars. There have been lists that discuss the top ten sports cars, the ten most expensive cars to be produced etc. We decided to compile a list of top ten manufacturers. I am sure all of you must have heard the following names before. There really is nothing new, just some general information about your favorite automobile manufacturers. How many of you own how many of these cars? I am going to be honest here and confess that I do not own any of the following brands. You can share your experiences in the comments though. Also, I think if you consider the headlights, no brand beats B.M.W and Audi, at least in my opinion. The interesting bit I came across while compiling this article was that I finally discovered what B.M.W meant. I know, it is ignorant considering the fact that I live and breathe cars, but once a friend told me what it meant and I believed him. Never bothered to check whether it was correct or not. Enjoy the read!

 

10. VOLKSWAGEN

Volkswagen is often shortened to VW. It is based in Germany and they are the largest sellers of the Volkswagen Group. They own Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, SEAT and Lamborghini. They also own 49.9% of Porsche. If you translate the name from German it English is means ‘people’s car’. Their tagline is ‘Das Auto’ which translates into ‘The Car’. Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Beetle and Volkswagen Passat are in the top ten list of best selling cars that was compiled by 24/7 Wall St. They are the only manufacturer to have three cars in the top ten list. Their headquarters are based in Wolfsburg, Germany and employ over 368,500 people as of 2009. In the year 2010, the company earned revenues of around 80 billion Euros.

 

9. PORSCHE

Porsche Automobil Holding SE is based in Germany. It is a holding company with investments in the automobile industry. Porsche SE is owned by Piech and Porsche families and also Qatar Holdings. The company owns around 50.73% voting rights in Volkswagen AG. The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in the year 1931. It earned revenues of 10,928 million Euros in 2011 and houses 12,202 employees. The headquarters are based in Stuttgart. The holding company made a very wise decision when it decided to step into the automobile world.

 

8. TOYOTA

Toyota Motor Corporation is based in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. It employed around 317,734 employees in 2010 (worldwide). Considering the production, Toyota was also the world’s largest producer of cars two years ago. It is the ninth largest company in the world in terms of revenue. Toyota Motor Corporation was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937. The first product by the was a Type A engine. Toyota AA was the first car they ever manufactured. The Toyota Motor Corporation Group includes Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino Motors. The number of employees have now increased to 324,747. TMC has a total of 522 subsidiaries. The total revenues in 2012 so far were around 18 trillion Yen.

 

7. ROLLS-ROYCE

The company was founded by Charles Stewart rolls and Sir Henry Royce in 1906. They partnered up in 1904. They manufacture automobiles and airplane engines. They headquarter is based in Derby, England. In 1971, the company was nationalized. Rolls-Royce Motors and Rolls-Royce Limited were formed. Rolls-Royce Limited was later privatized in 1987 and was called Rolls-Royce plc.

 

6. CHEVROLET

Chevrolet is also known as Chevy. It is a brand produced by General Motors and I am sure you are aware of that. The brand was founded by Louis Chevrolet which was later acquired by GM in 1918. Chevrolet was founded in 1911. The headquarters are based in Detroit, Michigan. Do you remember Bumblebee in the Transformers Trilogy? Yeah, that is a Chevy and it is beautiful.

 

Few can argue that saving money during a recession can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are a few ways to increase your savings each month. Let’s take a look at how people save money during a recession.

10. Re-Use Old Stuff

During a recession, it is important that you become creative. Solving problems in the most cost-efficient manner possible is what will save you a lot of money at the end of the month. A sure fire way to save money is to re-use old stuff. Stretch household items for a bit longer than you are normally used to. There are plenty of resources on the Internet that can show anyone how to recycle, re-use, and effectively utilize what they already own, without using a lot of money to do so.

9. Cut Down on Food

 

While food is a bare essential and is needed to survive, you should be making a proactive decision to save as much money on food as possible. If you really want to cut down on your bills, consider purchasing a whole chicken versus pieces of meat at the supermarket. The process is much simpler than you think. Instead of dining out on the weekend consider visiting a whole foods market and investing your money there. You would be surprised by how much healthier you are and how much money you save when you avoid foods with high-fat content.

8. Dress Nicely With Less Cash

You don’t need to own a $1500 Armani suit in order to dress sharp. As a matter of fact, you can look and feel like a million bucks for less than $20. The key to dressing elegantly is to hit thrift stores that focus on selling high quality clothing. More often than not, you can purchase very nice clothing for almost half of what you would purchase in the store. This also falls into the category of hair styling and other forms of personal care. Whenever you are trying to look nice, realize that you can do it for a lot less.

7. Start a Business

As crazy as it sounds, you should consider starting a business in order to save money during a recession. Now, we know what you might be thinking: doesn’t it cost money to start a business? Well, not really. Studies have shown that there are a variety of services that one could start that would require virtually no start-up cost. For example, you could become a dog walker, buy and sell on eBay, and do some side freelancing work. Everyone is different and finding your own niche during a recession is the most important part of working for yourself.

6. Cut Down on Cable

 

Television happens to be one of the larger bills for most people across the country. If
you were to cut down on cable, or even give up television all together, you would be able to save a decent amount of money each and every month. While a lot of people can’t see themselves doing this, the key to making it work is to find other activities to spend your time doing. On a similar note, one reason why people spend much more money on food than they should is because they are watching television. Studies have shown that people are likely to eat much more when they are watching television than doing any other activity in their home.

5. Downgrade Your Cell Phone

Most people love their smart phone. Without it, they would be lost. But experts suggest that if you can’t afford it, ditch them. While smartphones are nice and reliable, they can slap a huge price on your monthly bills. If you can’t re-negotiate a better plan or find a phone that is a bit more cost efficient, consider downgrading your cell phone to something a bit more “cave man”. You would be paying close to five times less than what you normally pay by doing this.

 

4. Invest in Yourself

This doesn’t mean going out and spending hundreds of dollars on clothes and other memorabilia. Basically, take time to learn new things and gather knowledge that will allow you to become more efficient in other areas of your life. For example, commit to reading one book on saving money each month or participate in workshops that will teach you how to make money from home.

 

3. Spend Less and Save More

While the concept itself sounds simple, it can be a challenge to actually do.  Spending less and saving more basically has to do with cutting back on various areas of your life. For example, instead of signing up for a gym membership, work out at the park. You will be able to burn just as many calories but you won’t be paying the month to month membership fee.

 

2. Check out Craigslist

When times are tough, it would be nice to be able to purchase items for discount prices. Well, you can when you go through Craigslist. They offer almost anything that you could ever want. Here, you can find people who are selling vehicles, furniture, and even tools. The best part is that they are being sold for a fraction of what you would normally buy them for. On the same note, consider selling things on Craigslist. This would be a quick and easy way to put some cash in your pocket each month.

 

1. Slash Bills by Staying Committed

Finally, the best way that anyone can save money is to make the decision to do so. No amount of coupon codes or website offers will work if the person isn’t committed to the process. It might take some courage but anyone can save money during a recession. Simply stay persistent and the process will work.

5. Katie Ledecky

The world of Olympic sport is notoriously competitive, and it’s essential to start as early as possible. But few expect to win Olympic gold while still in their teens. In fact, Katie Ledecky seemed as surprised as anyone when she won the 800-meter freestyle swim, with the second fastest time ever. She started swimming at the tender age of six, just nine years before the 2012 Olympic event where she won her gold, and her whole career took off very quickly. She recently spoke about her success to swim hopefuls at an event at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. Just a year earlier, at a similar event she had been one of those hopefuls. Who knows where she’ll be in a few more years?

 

4. Tanishq Mathew Abraham

Another child genius, who was accepted into Mensa at the age of four and a half. Two years later, he was writing science essays for the NASA website and applying for American River College, which he started at the age of seven. He completed courses in Astronomy and Geology, coming top of his class in both and now at nine says “I like particle physics, anti-matter, the fate of the universe and the Big Bang.”

Safe to say he’s not your average 9-year-old. He is also interested in music, performing with the San Francisco Boys Chorus as well as the child-prodigy staple of chess. He also struggles to fit in with his peers, saying “I’m not very good because kids and people are kind of rude to me”. Because of that, he is partly home-schooled by his parents who are a software engineer and a doctor of veterinary medicine and insist that they are not pushing him. His mother says “People think we want all these things, but it’s his passion. This is what he loves.” A child genius who doesn’t have pushy parents? Stranger things have happened…

 

3. Willow Smith

Will Smith’s son Jaden has recently starred with his Dad in sci-fi blockbuster “After Earth” but it’s his daughter Willow who has the real star quality. Inheriting the musical talent from her Dad (of “Wickey-wickey-wild-wild-west” fame), Willow had a hit single with “Whip My Hair” in 2010, which reached no 11 in America and no 2 in Britain, but she has also made an appearance in “I Am Legend”, not-so-co-incidentally starring Will Smith. At the age of 12, she’s already performed at the White House, although the failure of later singles meant that she’s stepped away from the limelight. But she has diva potential and it’s very likely that Willow Smith will be back soon.

 

2. Romeo Beckham

A friend of Suri Cruise’s and only of the only celebrity children to challenge her for famous parentage, Romeo is the second child of soccer player David Beckham and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. His entire life has been in the spotlight, so it’s little wonder that no only is he used to it, but he also seems to enjoy it and has started a career modelling for Burberry. According to Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, Romeo has “impeccable taste” and loves fashion, just as both his parents do. Victoria Beckham has her own clothing line, and David Beckham is well known for his unusual fashion choices, most notably a sarong. Somehow, David Beckham still manages to make it onto the “best dressed” lists, and Romeo is following him by appearing at no 26 in GQ’s 2011 list of Britain’s best dressed men.

A best dressed man at only 8? A modelling career at 10? The rest of his life has a lot to live up to…

 

1. Alana Thompson

The name may not mean much to you, but Alana is better known as “Honey Boo Boo” – beauty queen, breakout star of “Toddlers and Tiaras” and focus of her own show “Here comes Honey Boo Boo“. The shows looks at Alana’s self-confessed redneck family as they fart endlessly, eat cheeseballs off the floor and attend the “Redneck Olympics” featuring delightful sports such as bobbing for pigs’ feet. Highlights of the show include mother June describing a woman’s intimate parts as a “biscuit” and the family acquiring a gay pig as a pet.

And at the center of it all is 7-year-old Alana – she’s a little rounder than some beauty queens, and not the most successful but she certainly has a distinctive personality. She also says some strange things at times – no wonder, given that she chugs “go go juice” (a mix of Mountain Dew and Red Bull) before shows. In some countries, that would be child abuse. Here’s it’s entertainment. The Honey Boo Boo bubble will burst some day, but until then she’s a rightful winner of our Number One Most Precocious Child Award.

Rap used to be my favorite genre of music until I shifted to trance and heavy metal and from then on I have never looked back. That is not the case with most of you out there, of that I am sure. Loads of our readers are hardcore rap and hip hop fans and this particular list goes out to you. Check out how much your favorite rap artist made in the year 2011. The list is ranked based on the annual earnings for the year 2011. Enjoy the read!

 

10. LUDACRIS

He earned $12 million in the year 2011.

Christopher Brian Bridges was born on the 11^th September of year 1977. He is an actor and a rapper from the States. He is also the co-founder of Disturbing the Peace. He has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic’s Choice, MTV and three Grammy Awards. He was born in Champaign, Illinois at then moved to Atlanta Georgia. His career started in the year 1997. His latest record was released in the year 2010 called Battle of the Sexes. Interestingly, he started his career as a disc jockey.

 

9. AKON

He earned $13 million in the year 2011.

His real name is Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam and he was born on the 16^th April of 1973. He is a songwriter, record producer, rapper and also a businessman. He rose to fame in the year 2004 with the first single of his debut album Trouble. The single was called Locked Up. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in United States and his career started in the year 1996. He originates from Dakar in Senegal. I loved his song by the name of ‘yeah’. That’s when I discovered him.

 

8. DR DRE

He earned $14 million in the year 2011.

He was born on the 18^th February of 1965 and his birth name is Andre Romelle Young. He is an entrepreneur, rapper, record producer and record executive. He founded and is currently the CEO of Aftermath Entertainment. He has produced albums for many acclaimed rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent and Game. He was born in Compton, California and his origins lie in Los Angeles, California. His career started in the year 1983 and he is known for this trademark ‘beats’ audio.

 

7. SNOOP DOGG

He earned $14 million in the year 2011.

His actual name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. and he was born on the 20^th October of year 1971. I personally do not like his work. He is an actor, rapper and record producer based in America. His career started in the year 1992 and is into Hip hop, reggae and dub. Due to many reasons he is also known as Snoop Lion now instead of Snoop Dogg. His debut album was released in 1993 by the name of ‘doggystyle’. It ranked number one on Billboard 200 and R&B charts.

 

6. EMINEM

He earned $14 million in the year 2011.

He was born on the 17^th October of 1972 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States. His career started in 1992. His birth name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III and he was originally known as Slim Shady. He is a rapper, record producer, actor and songwriter based in America. Eminem rose to popularity in the year 1999. He is one of the rappers I do not really like as well.

 

5. BIRDMAN

He earned $15 million in the year 2011.

His birth name is Bryan Williams and he was born on the 15^th February of 1969. He is commonly known as Birdman or Baby. He is a businessman, record producer and a rapper. He is into hip hop and rap and his career started in 1989. Birdman is the co-founder of Cash Money Records. You should know that Lil Wayne happens to be his son. He adopted Lil Wayne. His net worth is around $ 110 million. He also formed an oil and gas exploration company in early 2010. It was called Bronald Oil and Gas. It was a joint venture with his brother Slim.

 

4. LIL WAYNE

He earned $15 million in the year 2011.

He was born on the 27^th September of 1982 and is an American rapper. His actual name is Dwanye Michael Carter, Jr. He is a rapper and a songwriter and his career began in 1992. He joined Cash Money Records when he was nine years old. In the year 1997 he joined a group called Hot Boys and they debuted with the album called Get It How U Live! in the same year. He gained most of his popularity from the album Guerrilla Warfare that was released in 1999.

 

3. KANYE WEST

He earned $16 million in the year 2011.

Kanye Omari West was born on the 8^th June of 1977. He is an American musician, fashion designer and film director. He actually rose to fame as a producer. He gained popularity with his work on the Jay-Z’s album called The Blueprint. He released his own debut album in the year 2004 and it was called The College Dropout. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, United States and his career started in the year 1996. He also happens to be a music video director.

 

2. DIDDY

He earned $35 million in the year 2011.

Known as P. Diddy, Diddy and Puff Daddy, Sean John Combs was born on the 4^th November of year 1969 in the New York City. He happens to be a rapper, singer, actor, entrepreneur and a record producer based in America. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and released his debut album in 1997 which was called No Way Out. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. He is also the producer of Making the Band. His career started in the year 1988.

 

1. JAY Z

He earned $37 million in the year 2011.

He is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur. His birth name is Shawn Corey Carter and he was born on the 4^th December of 1969. He happens to be one of the most financially successful hip hop entrepreneurs. He is the creator of Rocawear and the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings. His career started in the year 1989. According to Rolling Stone, he is ranked as the 88^th greatest artist of all time.

 

Human race has been evolving from day to day. There are things that were so much being used in past and now no one even knows about them. This evolution has made us forget so many things. A present day child would not know what is a telegram? or how a gramophone works? May be a few of us have not even seen a cycle with the front wheel being twice the size of the rear wheels. All these things have become so much out dated that we get to see them in only books or, for that matter, in museums.
We list some of the things that might get extinct in our own lives. Our off springs would be told about them but hopefully they would not get to see them in real. Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come

 

1. Post office

A post office is the head quarter where all the postal services are dealt with. These services, given by the government for the citizens, include posting, receipt, transmission or delivery of mail. In olden days, post was the prime method of communication between two distant entities. Due to the advancement in electronic media and the advantages it gives, the usage of postage is already at a low. And since the mail is being discouraged (and emails making their way) soon it will be thought that post offices should be discontinued and the space and the man power should be used elsewhere.

 

2. Cheques

Ever used a cheque? Majority of us have had. But what for those who have never used a cheque ever? They are surviving good as well. The question is how they are surviving when cheques were an integral part of our payment structures. The answer is they are shifting to ATM cards and online backing. Most of the banks today have already shifted to the online system and people can use the internet and the web portal provided by the bank to make payments. Needless to mention that the online system does not make us wait until the cheque gets cleared from the bank.

 

3. Land line phones

‘Land line phones’ or ‘land line phone connections’ are phone connections that are given by the local telecommunication authorities. There was a time when only a few of the citizens were using this facility. Then came a time when almost every home had a phone line. But due to the introduction of mobile phones, the usage of the land line phones has decreased significantly. Also the demand of every one for being online always and the privacy required by every individual, mobile phones are replacing landline at a rapid speed.

 

4. CDs and Tapes

Tapes replaced the old records, CDs replaced the tapes and then DVDs replaced the CDS. Putting CDs and DVDs in one category, this medium of data storage ruled for almost 2 decades. Be it audio or video, CDs and DVDs replaced the magnetic tapes almost everywhere. Now at present day, already CDs and DVDs are being discouraged and flash memory is on the rise. How long would it take before CDs go extinct? Just a matter of years now!

 

5. Wrist watches/Diaries

Mobile phones affected the land line phones, talked on that topic already. What other things we DO NOT need to carry once we are carrying our cell phone? The facilities a normal cell phone has include a clock for sure. Why carry a watch then? Most of the people around have already stopped wearing a watch, especially the ones who used a watch just for checking the time (not as a symbol). The same goes with diaries as well. Most of us save out contacts and address in the cell phones. Who needs a separate book for that now?

 

6. Newspaper

It is said that a perfect breakfast has to include the daily news with whatever you are eating. But do we really need a paper print of the news for that? If we are good enough to use the computer for all the other activities, why do we need a print out version of news? By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a day. Calculate the amount of paper and ink wastage. Till when the world would bare all that? Newspapers will soon be replaced with websites that offer daily news for free.

 

7. Books

Like news papers, books also would be replaced with the e-versions. There were people who used to say that no one would let go a physical book, that one can hold in his hand. But then, when we compare the price of the two, it is not far away in time that people start going for the much more cheaper e-books then spending almost 10 times more to get a hard copy. Especially with so many gadgets being introduced like the iPad and Tabs, reading from an e-book does not seem so difficult.

 

8. Television

Televisions might not totally get extinct any time soon but how much long would it take for a human being to realize the amount of time we actually waste while watching the television. With cable rates being sky rocketing and a commercial break after every 4 to 5 minutes, it is not very far away that people start looking for online streaming options.

 

9. Music

This is undoubtedly the saddest part of the story, Like a slow poisoned victim, the music industry is dying at a slow rate. Not just because of the privacy and the illegal downloading, also the fact that 40% of the downloads these days are traditional music. This is because the lack of chances for the innovative new music.

 

10. Human Privacy

When was the last time, that you did something was cool and did not tweet about it? Or went to an amusement place and did not write some details on Facebook or Myspace. We are totally addicted to tell our e-social meet up websites to tell/write each and every detail about us. We put in pictures and we share videos as well. We even put our GPS coordinates on the web whenever we use Google Latitude or Foursquare. Ever thought we are killing our own privacy with such acts? Obviously there is no stopping to that now.

 

 

 

5. Raiders of the Lost Ark

It is one of the greatest adventure films of all time and Harrison Ford’s role as Indiana Jones is the stuff that Hollywood legends are made of. Even his quirks like being terrified of snakes are handled so well that they have become iconic features in pop culture. Yet, in the scene in Raiders while Indy and Marion are in the Well of Souls, there is a bit of a flub that is only accessible if you watch the old VHS tapes (as the DVD version has been modified). If you look carefully when the Cobra rises and hisses at Indy, you will see the reflection of safety glass between it and Harrison Ford. You can even see the reflection of the torch he carries when he waves it around.

 

4. Braveheart

During the epic film about Scottish warrior William Wallace, Mel Gibson did many things right both as an actor and director. The film entered into popular culture with force, making idols of the blue painted warriors struggle for freedom and really cemented Gibson’s legacy as a great director of epic films. Yet, during the funeral scene for Wallace’s wife Murron, if you watch closely there is a small gaffe even he couldn’t catch. As he bends down to kiss her and stands again, just over his left shoulder, through the trees, for just a moment, you can see a van drive by. It is a very small and quick moment, but something to keep an eye out for if nothing else than to avoid the tears!

 

3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter has become one of the most iconic series in the history of film. It helped rejuvenate a fantasy film genre that had almost been lost completely to B-film status and made major stars of its all British cast. However, there are still moments of film bloopers that somehow made the cut if you know where to look. For instance in Chamber of Secrets, during the dueling scene, Snape pulls Malfoy to his feet at which point on the far left of the screen the director and his camera are fully visible.

 

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Johnny Depps role as Captain Jack Sparrow is nothing short of iconic and the pirates series has brought back a nearly lost art of swashbuckling film to the forefront in the process. Jack’s mannerisms are often imitated and the film is highly quotable, but perhaps you may not know one unique gaffe that is quite un-pirate like. During the scene where Jack looks over his crew and says “On deck, you scabrous dogs”, off to the very left of the screen, over the shoulder of Sparrow, a crew member can visibly be seen. He sticks out as he wears a short sleeved shirt, a tan cowboy hat and sunglasses as he stares at the sea during a scene of many period pirates in the midst of a plunder.

 

1. Star Wars

Perhaps no film has a bigger cult audience than Star Wars. Its affect on culture at large and on the film industry as well are incredible and with the sale of the franchise to the Disney Corporation, we are sure to see Star Wars for generations to come. Yet, when the film was being made, few had any idea it would even be successful, much less as revered as it is. With silly costumes, crazy dialogue and a Space Cowboy theme, it isn’t hard to see why. This goof, which stayed in the film, even got incorporated into the story in the more recent rereleases. As the Storm Troopers break into the control room, the Storm Trooper on the right of the screen bonks his head on the door frame. This unintentional bit of hilarity now even has a sound effect and is part of the scene on purpose in newer DVD versions.

Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile, and is well-known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy. Hubble has sent us such pictures from this macrocosm that we believe our universe is not only intensely far-out, but also almost impossibly dazzling. We have collected here the finest picture collection from 20 years of Hubble telescoping.

 

1. Crab Nebula

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The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant, all that remains of a tremendous stellar explosion. Observers in China and Japan recorded the supernova nearly 1,000 years ago, in 1054.

 

2. Antennae Galaxies

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These two spiral galaxies, drawn together by gravity, started to interact a few hundred million years ago. The Antennae Galaxies are the nearest and youngest examples of a pair of colliding galaxies.

 

3. Supergiant Star V838

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V838 Monocerotis is a red variable star in the constellation Monoceros about 20,000 light years from the Sun.  Also known as Starry Night, so named because it reminded astronomers of the Vincent van Gogh canvas. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way.

 

4. Bug Nebula

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Gas released by a dying star races across space at more than 600,000 miles an hour, forming the delicate shape of a celestial butterfly. This nebula is also known as NGC 6302 or the Bug Nebula.

 

5. Mystic Moutain

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Hubble’s 20th anniversary image shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula . The top of a three-light-year tall pillar of cool hydrogen is being worn away by the radiation of nearby stars, while stars within the pillar unleash jets of gas that stream from the peaks.

 

6. Cigar Galaxy

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Messier 82 or Cigar Galaxy is a prototypenearby starburst galaxy about 12 million light-years away which is five times as bright as the whole Milky Way and one hundred times as bright as our galaxy’s center.

 

7. Ant Nebula

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Technical name Mz 3 , is a young bipolar planetary nebula made of gaseous dusty clouds that are composed of a bright core and four distinct high-velocity outflows that have been named lobes and seems to resemble an ant. The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth.

 

8. Carina Nebula: Star Birth in the Extreme

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This image, released for Hubble’s 17th anniversary, shows a region of star birth and death in the Carina Nebula. The nebula contains at least a dozen brilliant stars that are 50 to 100 times the mass of our Sun.

 

9. Firestorm of Star Birth In Galaxy NGC 604

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10. Helix Nebula

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Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding , probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae. The estimated distance is about 700 light-years. It is very famous being similar to the “The Sauron’s Great Eye from Lord of the Rings”

The most common misconception about religious people is that they’re soppy – spineless pushovers who would never stand up for themselves. But a cursory glance through the Bible reveals the exact opposite – the Jews and the early Christians were brave, strong and heroic. The women of the Bible were no exception, and though they are less famous than their male counterparts, they are no less admirable. So, brace yourself for tales of death, war and intrigue in our Top 10 Awesome Women of the Bible.

10. Rebekah

Rebekah is almost a perfect model of an Old Testament woman – she is “fair” to look at, not shy about speaking to strangers and hospitable. When Isaac is looking for a wife, it is Rebekah that catches his eye, while drawing water. They fall in love – an unusual occurrence in a society of arranged marriages – and she bears him twin boys. She is described as shrewd and intelligent as well as being beautiful, and her intelligence is shown in her dealings with the king of the the land that she and Isaac settle in. She also makes wise decisions about which of her twins would be best placed to take over from Isaac – studious Jacob rather than the slightly older Esau, who had a quick temper.  True, she uses slightly dubious methods to ensure Jacob’s succession, but she did it for the right reasons. A good role model for the future mothers of Israel.

9. Rachel

And one of the future mothers of Israel was Rebekah’s daughter-in-law Rachel – in fact, she is an official “Mother of Israel”, one of four that is remembered in “Echad Mi Yodea“, a Jewish song sung at Passover. Rachel married Jacob, in another love story but this one was anything but straightforward. Jacob fell in love with her, but her father Laban (also Rebekah’s brother – but that kind of thing was acceptable back then) made Jacob work for seven years before being allowed to marry his daughter. Then, in a masterstroke of trickery, Laban presented Jacob with a be-veiled bride, who he married and seduced before it was revealed that…ta-da! It was Rachel’s sister Leah!

So, Jacob had to work for another seven years before being allowed to marry Rachel as well (again, it was acceptable back then)  – that’s clearly how awesome this woman was. Pity she died in childbirth with Jacob’s twelfth son, Benjamin. She was remembered as Jacob’s favourite wife, and her tomb is still a landmark today

8. Naomi

Mother-in-laws generally get a bad press, but if you’re one of Naomi’s daughter-in-laws you’d  count yourself pretty lucky. Of course, having your husband die young so that you have no-one but your mother-in-law to rely on isn’t so lucky and that’s the situation that Ruth and Orpah both found themselves in. When Naomi’s sons both died unexpectedly, she decided to go back to her home in Bethlehem and leave her widowed daughter-in-laws behind in Moab. But Ruth decided to go with Naomi and eventually found work in the field of a man called Boaz. Naomi engineered a plan where Boaz fell in love with Ruth, thus ensuring financial security for all of them. A nice mother-in-law and clever with it.

7. Miriam

Of all the tough gigs in the Bible, being the sister of Moses must be one of the worst. Wandering through the wilderness, following your little brother’s every command and developing a kind of leprosy if you dared to question it. But Miriam coped with it all, and more. It was her that saved Moses’ life as a baby, when she hid him in the reeds of the River Nile so that the Pharoah wouldn’t have him killed (at the time, all the male Hebrew babies were being drowned at birth on the Pharoah’s orders). Not only did her actions save his life, she also arranged for their mother to act as his wet nurse, when the baby was found by the Pharoah’s daughter. That’s some smart thinking.

Miriam later performed a famous song of celebration after the Israelites successfully crossed the Red Sea and she was a prophetess, who heard from God as readily as Moses did.  That didn’t stop her questioning Moses’ marriage to a Cushite woman, at which point God gave her a bit of a telling-off and a case of the 7-day-leprosy. When she recovered, she followed her brother for the rest of her life, so she clearly didn’t hold a grudge. A smart and loyal woman indeed.

6. Abigail

Another woman who was intelligent as well as beautiful. Abigail was the wife of Nabal, who offended King David. King David was enraged and wanted to kill Nabal, but Abigail managed to calm him down by offering him hospitality and telling him he didn’t want to “have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed”. Nabal was soon struck down by God and David took Abigail as his own wife. So, it worked out well for her…not so well for Nabal! Abigail is also said to be prophetic and faithful, as well as wise and beautiful. A worthy queen for a great king.

5. Rahab

The story of Rahab is a great example of how God can use anyone. Rahab was a prostitute, living in the city of Jericho when the Israelites were trying to capture it. When the Israeli spies stopped at her inn, she hid them from the soldiers trying to find them and pleaded with them not to kill her. They agreed to spare her, on account of her kindness to them, and when the Israeli army took the city, she hung a red cord out of her window so the troops would know to leave her alone. She and her family were later taken in by the Israelites. She may have been a prostitute, and therefore the lowest rank of woman in society, but she was brave and pure-hearted and was rewarded for her compassion and protection towards the spies.

 

4. Esther

A sweet story about a beauty contest has much darker overtones, and at the centre of it is Esther. An obscure Jewish girl, and ward to uncle Mordecai, she rose to become Queen to King Xerxes due to her beauty and gentle nature. But at the same time as she was being feted and adored by Xerxes’, there was a plan being devised to exterminate all the Jews. The author of the plan was Haman, enemy of Mordecai and the King’s right-hand man and the whole reasoning behind the genoicide was simply that he didn’t like Mordecai very much and would stop at nothing to get rid of him. In the face of imminent death, Esther petitions the King to have mercy on her people, and in doing so exposes the wickedness of Haman. Possibly the ultimate Jewish heroine – brave and beautiful.

 

3. Deborah

Deborah lived in a bloodthirsty time for the Israelites – the judges were ruling the land and often did it by force. There weren’t many female judges, but Deborah was one, and a prophetess and oracle as well. When the Israelites were threatened by the Canaanite army (apparently annoyed the Israelites’ constant raids on their towns), it was Deborah that rallied the troops and organised the army, against the will of the military commander Barak. The Canaanites have superior numbers and technology, but a freak storm means that their chariots get stuck in the mud and the Israelites seize the victory (the commander of the Canaanites is later killed in a grisly manner by another woman, but we’ll skim over that). Brave and inspiring, Deborah is possibly the strongest female figure in the whole of the Old Testament.

 

2. Mary Magdalene

Some women in the bible get a bad rep for no real reason. And so it was with Mary Magdalene, who’s been painted as a prostitute and general loose woman, despite the lack of biblical evidence that she was any such thing. What she was, however, was gutsy. While the disciples were busy cowering in an upper room after the cruxificion, who was down there tending to the grave? That’s right, Mary Magdalene. It wasn’t a pleasant time to be a disciple, but this “fallen woman” was braver than the rest of the men put together. Lately, there have been implications that she was Jesus’ mistress and/or wife, notably in the Da Vinci Code, but that’s largely irrelevant and detracts from her chief quality , which was the most loyal and awesome of all the disciples.

 

1. Mary

But, of course, there is only one woman who really dominates the gospels and that is Mary, mother of Jesus. She is often painted as meek and mild, but in actuality she was strong and fearless. At just 14, she was charged with giving birth to the son of God which involved public shame (for appearing to get pregnant out of wedlock), an arduous trek to Bethlehem and a run for their lives to Egypt after King Herod decides to have the boy killed. She stuck with Jesus through his ministry and was there when he died, again after the likes of Peter had denied Jesus and run. Unsurprising then that she is revered by Christians all over the world and is, in her own way, a thoroughly kick-ass woman.