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Best Of 2011 (9) Sports (8) FootBall (7) Bizare (6) Unusual (6) Pages-From-India (5) Movies (4) Tips (4) Women (4) Best Of World (3) Bollywood (3) Festivals (3) Horror (3) Places (3) WWW (3) Food (2) Men (2)

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Threaded discussions related to news for nerds.
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6. The Register: Sci/Tech News for the World
Biting the hand that feeds IT.
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7. Techdirt.
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8. Ars Technica
The PC enthusiast's resource. Power users and the tools they love, without computing religion.
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9. Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things
Blogging about what's new in science, technology, industrial design, toys, and art.
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10.kuro5hin.org || technology and culture, from the trenches
Threaded discussions on technology and culture.
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Best Entertainers of 2011

Best Bollywood Entertainers of 2011

2011, was a year of many highs and several lows for the Indian film industry. There was drama, catfights, box office clashes, chartbusting songs, 100 crore+ blockbusters, scandal, women centric films actually doing well, hook ups and break ups amongst other things.

To break away from the clichéd countdowns that appear at the end of each year, we at Bollyspice decided to compile a list of the Top 10 entertainers of 2011. The list isn’t just a countdown of movies, it’s a list of people, rumours, music, wannabe stars and starlets that made news and made us chuckle – both intentionally and unintentionally! Read on…


1. Vidya Balan made us all go Ooh La La with her turn in The Dirty Picture (Film)
Without a doubt, the top entertainer this year was Vidya ‘Boombat’ Balan who raised oomph levels to the stratosphere with her uninhibited, free spirited portrayal of Silk – a lower class belle who makes it big in the film industry in Madras in the 80s. Her one liners, cracks and innuendos made an otherwise average film an outstanding one. Balan’s performance combined with the oh so catchy, straight out of the 80s Ooh La La get both her and the campy, kitsch song a place in the top spot as entertainment of the year.




2. Nargis Fakhri and her laughable debut in Rockstar (Film)
Ranbir Kapoor proved his acting chops yet again in this beautifully crafted, subtle Imtiaz Ali film which had lilting music by maestro A.R. Rahman. What Ali got horribly wrong though was casting 32-year-old debutante Nargis Fakhri as the female lead in this otherwise near perfect film. Fakhri was so bad she makes Katrina Kaif look like Madhubala in comparison. While Ranbir was flawless, he was let down by Nargis who had little to offer in terms of performance, ruining key portions of the film with her inexperience, blandness and unintentionally comical dramatics. I hate to admit, but even Sonam, Deepika or Katrina would have been marginally better choices – and that’s saying a lot.

3. Salman’s hat-trick of blockbusters (Film)
Love him or hate him, this rebel with a cause proved his clout at the box office and completed a hat-trick of blockbusters which began with Dabangg in 2010. In 2011, both Ready and Bodyguard proved to be huge money-spinners entertaining masses across the globe, even if they had little in terms of plot or coherence and were slammed critically. The amount of money that was generated by all three films goes to show that Salman is by far one of the most reliable draws at the box office. His acting range may be limited but the success of these films proves that he is, beyond a doubt, the darling of the masses.

4. Akon’s chart-busting ‘Chammak Challo’ (Film/Music)
Forget the film, Akon’s chart-busting anthem ‘Chammak Challo’ very nearly made Ra.One worth the price of its ticket. Catchy with a capital C, Ra.One will probably be remembered for this song alone, which no doubt will be played at clubs and weddings for years to come. Full marks to Akon, for his Hindi pronunciation – maybe Kangana can take some tips. And lastly, but by no means the least, a special mention to a piping hot Kareena Kapoor gyrating to the number in her red ghaghra and nose ring, which became a style statement in itself.

5. Shah Rukh Khan hamming beyond repair as the techy geek in Ra.One (Film)
The film itself was not half as bad as people made it out to be – it was a first of sorts for all its technical wizardry and a brave attempt to deviate from the norm, with many fans including many on our staff voting this film as the Biggest Entertainer of the Year. Ra.One was, without a doubt, one of the most talked about films of 2011 what with all the cash pumped into its publicity. While the film was tolerable, what was not was Shah Rukh Khan in a laughable role as a geek in the first half. Khan was so ridiculously over the top and hammy that when his character dies in the first half you almost breath a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the movie improved from there on but SRK’s unintentionally funny, spectacled afro act was, put simply, atrocious. Thankfully, he redeemed himself somewhat in his suave act in Don 2 which released at the fag end of 2011.

6. The Veena Malik-FHM Circus (Print/Media/TV)
Starlets, these days will go to any lengths for publicity and Pakistani actress Veena Malik is one such prime example of this.
A massive controversy erupted in both Pakistan and India when Malik posed nude with the initials of Pakistan’s controversial Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency plastered across her arm – a shot which she claimed was doctored, whilst others claimed it was a cheap PR stunt for an upcoming reality show that she would be hosting. The shot resulted in, amongst other things, a ‘fatwa’ being issued by an Indian-Muslim body with even drama queen Rakhi Sawant joining the moral brigade and issuing venomous statements against her to be contemporary.

The story is still making headlines at the time of writing – and one thing’s for sure, Veena has certainly made people sit up and take notice…but whether all the drama results in unimaginable success or a fizzled career (Mamta Kulkarni – anybody remember her?), remains to be seen.

7. Sunny Leone shows em who’s boss (Television)
Where there’s Big Brother, there has to be controversy even if the show takes place in a somewhat conservative place like India. Porn star Sunny Leone’s entry into India’s equivalent of Big Brother, reality series Bigg Boss caused an outcry from the Lok Sabha and the BJP’s youth wing, but as they say rightly, you’re nobody until you’re talked about. As a result of her appearance on the show, her Twitter feed gained 8000 followers in just two days and she was one of the most searched celebrities on Google. Filmmakers jumped on the bandwagon too, with Mahesh Bhatt offering her the female lead in Jism 2 – a sequel to the 2003 smash hit Jism which starred Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, and made them Bollywood royalty over night.

8. Kangana’s attempts at English and her various surgical enhancements (Rumour/Fact)
Kangana Ranaut had a major hit this year in Tanu Weds Manu, but what caught everyone’s eye were those eye-popping assets she flaunted in David Dhawan’s abysmal Rascals. She flatly denied all of the allegations of course… but the results were visible in her two-piece which eventually made no difference to the box office performance of the aforementioned film. The alleged enhancement combined with her outrageously weird fashion sense and incomprehensible attempts at English get Kangana ninth place in our list – albeit unintentionally.

9. The Abhi-Ash baby drama and Ash’s subsequent replacement with Kareena in Madhur Bhadarkar’s Heroine (Rumour/Fact)
2011 was also the year when Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan announced that they were going to be parents. Obviously, the press had a field day with this story – right from predicting the birth date (bets were on 11.11.11), to the gender of the baby – some even went so far as to say that the Bachchans were due to have twins, while several columnists insisted that the Bachchans had ensured that the baby would most definitely be a boy. Most of these bizarre, concocted stories all proved to be false though, when Ash and Abhi became proud parents of a baby girl at Mumbai’s Seven Hills Hospital on November 16, 2011.
Another controversy to stem from this story was Ash’s ouster from Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine. Ash announced her pregnancy midway through the shooting, leaving both Bhandarkar and UTV high and dry leading to a war of words between Amitabh Bachchan and Madhur Bhandarkar on Twitter, followed by the latters apology on a public platform. All ended well though, when Kareena Kapoor, the director’s original choice came on board at an astronomical price making Bebo one of the highest earning female artistes in the country.

10. The SRK-Priyanka-Shahid merry go round (Rumour)
The ‘are-they-aren’t-they together’ status of their relationship left gossip mongers in a tizzy and provided much fodder for daily glossies. Naturally, both Sasha and PC denied it till they went blue, but when income tax officials raided Priyanka’s house in January, rumour has it that they were greeted at the door by a shocked Shahid (in just his shorts!). Tales of their break ups, fights and make ups continued to do the rounds until they finally called it quits halfway through the year.

If PC wasn’t breaking up/getting back together with Shahid, she was seen with Shah Rukh Khan, resulting in rumours of Gauri Khan being upset with their growing proximity.

Slander it may be – but it surely kept us entertained throughout the year.


Natural Disaster Pictures In 2011

Disaster Pictures  In 2011


1. A whirpool forms off the Japanese coast after the tsunami on March 11.


2. This sightseeing boat, Hama Yuri, was pulled 1300 feet from the coast and somehow balanced itself on a two story house during the tsunami in Japan. Reuters


3. A massive tornado that tore a 6-mile (10-kilometer) path across southwestern Missouri killed at least 89 people as it slammed into the city of Joplin. Here, residents of Joplin walk down the street after the May 22 tornado. AP Photo

4. A monstrous dust storm (Haboob) roars through Phoenix, Arizona in July. AP Photo


5. An aerial shot of the damage immediately following the Japanese tsunami. Reuters


6.  A man sits in front of a destroyed apartment building following the Joplin, Missouri tornado. Reuters

7. A mother comforts her son in Concord, Alabama, near his house which was completely destroyed by a tornado in April. AP Photo

8. Chile's Puyehue volcano erupts, causing air traffic cancellations across South America, New Zealand, Australia and forcing over 3,000 people to evacuate. Reuters

9. A woman cries while sitting on a road amid the destroyed city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan after the massive earthquake and tsunami. Reuters


10. A woman hangs onto a street sign in chest deep water along the flooded streets in Rangsit on the outskirts of Bangkok on October 24. AP Photo

Not Released Movies (Banned)

1. The Exorcist


The Exorcist was released theatrically in 1973. The film has since had an overwhelming effect on popular culture and has been described by some as the scariest horror movie of all time. It is also one of the highest grossing movies of all time, earning $441million worldwide. The Exorcist was banned in many individual towns and countries for being horrifyingly scary, and in some cases for religious reasons. The film affected many audiences so strongly that, at many theaters, paramedics were called to treat people who fainted and others who went into hysterics. In the UK, The Exorcist wasn’t available until 1990, when it passed the British Board of Film Censorship (BBFC) with an 18 rating.
The Exorcist tells the story of a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon. The events surrounding the girl’s behavior and subsequent exorcism make up the main plot line. Unlike other items on this list, excessive violence is not a contributing factor to its banned status. The Exorcist is a psychological thriller and uses a clever plot and even subliminal messaging to terrify audiences.

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre  was banned outright in many countries, and numerous cinemas stopped showing the film after receiving complaints about the nature of extreme violence. The film was marketed as a true story to attract a wider audience, though the plot is entirely fictional. In reality the film was inspired by the crimes of notorious serial killer, Ed Gein, who famously collected tokens from his victims, such as nipples, skin masks and heads, and kept them in his house.

The film revolves around five friends visiting their Grandpa’s old house, who are systematically chased down and murdered by a masked chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of cannibals. Despite the film’s initial poor critical reception at the time of its release, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre became the highest grossing independent film of all time, for a short time. It is widely considered as one of the most influential horror movies in cinema history, and a pioneer in the “slasher” genre. The movie established power tools as a popular murder weapon in horror flicks, and also a killer depicted as large, burly, and faceless.

3. Cannibal Holocaust
Cannibal Holocaust is an Italian horror film that is banned to this day in over fifty countries. Upon it’s release, director Ruggero Deodata was arrested and charged with murder, after rumors suggested Cannibal Holocaust was a snuff film, though he was later cleared of all charges. The movie was filmed in the Amazon rainforest and features real members of indigenous tribes.

The plot consists of the search for a documentary film crew who had gone to film indigenous tribes and been missing for two months. A second team sent on a rescue mission recovers their lost cans of film and learns their fate. Seven animals were killed in the making of the film. An example includes a scene where a squirrel monkey was decapitated, and tribe members proceed to devour its brain. Cannibal Holocaust also involved scenes of graphic murder, including impalement of several characters. It is regarded as one of the most sickening and graphic films in existence.

4. The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead narrates the horrifying story of five college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a wooded area. Their vacation becomes gruesome when they find an audiotape that releases evil spirits. The low-budget slasher movie was very well-received by critics and successful at the box office, and a cult following has emerged in recent years.

Because of its graphic violence and terror, The Evil Dead is banned in several countries, including Finland, Germany, Iceland and Ireland. Perhaps the most disturbing scene is when a young woman is raped by a tree possessed by an evil spirit. This scene in particular has been heavily criticized for being perverse and misogynistic, despite the film’s overall critical success. Graphic scenes of dismemberment are also shown, as well as various torture scenes.


5. Natural Born Killer
Natural Born Killers was released in 1994, directed by Oliver Stone. The film was a spec-screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino, who based the movie on the lives of Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate; two lovers who embarked on a vicious murder spree. The movie was banned completely in Ireland, and denied distribution in the USA. Stone later cut approximately four minutes of footage, resulting in the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) allowing its distribution.

The film is extremely controversial as it glorifies acts of murder, with the notorious killers appearing on magazine covers and T-shirts in various scenes, almost like regular celebrities with fans. There are also some confirmed copycat murders. The most famous of which is the Columbine High School massacre. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered twelve people during a rampage, whilst reportedly shouting quotes from the movie. They also wore clothes during the massacre similar to Mickey Knox in the opening scene of the movie.

6. A Serbian Film
Banned in Spain, Norway and Brazil, A Serbian Film is arguably one of the most controversial films of all time. Contributing factors of the ban were scenes of child rape, incest and murder, among others. A Serbian Film received mixed reviews from critics; some of which condemned the film for it’s extreme sexual violence. The plot revolves around an aging porn star, who agrees to participate in one last film in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia themed snuff film, from which there is no escape.




7. Scum
Scum is the hard and shocking story of life in a British Borstal for young offenders during the 1970s. The film was originally banned completely from television because of its graphic depictions of racism, gang rape, suicide and violence. It was, however, remade entirely in 1979, with the newer version starring a young Ray Winstone in his breakthrough role, as Carlin. The remade version was also banned, though eventually a court case concluded that Scum should remain distributable in the UK. The newer version of Scum received good reviews from critics, and was praised for its accurate depiction of a brutal borstal regime.

The actual regime in borstals at the time involved little or no rehabilitation, with many boys being savagely beaten by wardens much older than themselves. The inmates survived by adopting a dog-eat-dog mentality, and the film brilliantly portrays this through Winstone’s character, as he rises to the top of the pecking order and becomes the “Daddy”. The scene above shows Carlin as he asserts his authority and takes over leadership of the borstal.

8. The Human Centipede 2
If you have ever seen or heard of the first human centipede movie, you shouldn’t be surprised that it barely avoided being banned in many countries. The central plot line involves a mad Dutch scientist who kidnaps a trio of American tourists and surgically stitches them together, mouth to anus. The movie has been heavily criticized for showing no attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalized, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience.

The sequel is due to be released in October, 2011, but has been denied a classification for distribution in the United Kingdom. Director Tom Six has stated that “the sequel contains much more blood and faces than the original”, and also that “[the movie] makes the first film look like My Little Pony in comparison”. The new film also contains a larger centipede involving twelve people and involves graphic rape and masturbation scenes. The trailer above is for the original Human Centipede.

9. Mikey
Upon release in 1992, Mikey was banned in many countries and is still banned today in the UK. Many graphic scenes of torture and murder contributed to the ban, as well as the James Bulger murder of 1993, when two young children tortured and murdered a toddler. The film narrates the life of Mikey Holt; a sociopathic nine year old who horrifically murders his foster parents and friends. Many of his carers seem to die in “accidents”, causing Mikey to move from family to family. The plot of the film mostly covers Mikey’s attempts to avoid suspicion, by killing people who he suspects to know about his murderous tendencies.


10. Grotesque
Grotesque is a 2009 Japanese splatter horror. The story follows the lives of a young couple who are snatched off the streets whilst on their first date, and are subjected to horrific torture by their insane kidnapper. Because of extremely disturbing footage, including eye gouging and amputation scenes, Grotesque is banned in many countries, including the UK. The film has been criticized for involving little narrative or character development, unlike successful splatter horrors such as Hostel or Saw. As a result the film received generally poor reviews from most critics, and was a commercial failure.

Girlfriends of Salman Khan

Salman Khan is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood. He has a huge fan following. He had also his fair share of romance and break-ups with the top actresses of Bollywood. In this post, I am going to talk about the women that came into Salman Khan’s life. With some of them, he had serious relationships and some were just rumors.

Sangeeta Bijlani:
The first lady Salman Khan dated early in his carrier was Sangeeta Bijlani. Winner of Miss India beauty pageant 1980, Sangeeta Bijlani was a popular model and actress. Sangeeta Bijlani came to Bollywood in the late 80s. It was believed that Salman Khan had a serious relationship with Sangeeta Bijlani but for some reasons, the couple broke up. After their break-up, Sangeeta Bijlani married former Indian Cricket team captain, Azharuddin. Even after breaking up with Salman Khan, Sangeeta Bijlani had good relationship with Salman Khan’s family members. Last year, Sangeeta ended his fourteen year old marriage with Azharuddin. She went to Salman Khan for help.

Somy Ali:
After Sangeeta Bijlani, the girl who came to Salman Khan’s life was Somy Ali. Born to an Iraqi mother and Pakistani father, Somy used to live in the U.S. She then came to Mumbai to build up an acting career. In 1993, at the age of 19, she starred in Anth with Sunil Shetty which became a big hit. Somy Ali and Salman Khan had a long time relationship but the two eventually broke up. Rumor spread out that due to Salman Khan’s excessive drinking and abusive behavior, Somy Ali had to live him. After leaving India, she obtained bachelor’s degree in Pyschology from Nova Southeastern University of Florida. Then in 2010, when Salman Khan launched a charity foundation named Being Human, he ran into trouble again with Somy Ali for she also launched another charity foundation “Human Being” back in 2007.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan:
After Somy Ali, the women who came in Salman Khan’s life was none other than Aishwarya Rai, winner of Miss World 1994. The two came together while doing 1999 blockbuster Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachcha’s on-screen chemistry looked great. Unfortunately, their love life was a very turbulent one. Aishwarya Rai became another victim of Salman Khan’s abusive behavior. He used to call her on the phone late at night and shouted and pounded on the door. He even abused Aishwarya Rai. In March 2002, Aishwarya Rai finally broke up with Salman Khan. Even after breaking up, he stalked Aishwarya Rai for a long time. It was said that one night being drunk, he stormed into Aishwarya Rai’s house and broke furniture and threatened his family. Her family filed complaint with police.

Katrina Kaif:
The next lady to enter in Salman Khan’s life is Katrina Kaif. This British-Indian actress and model met Salman Khan during her struggling days in Bollywood. She debuted in a movie called Boom directed by Kaizad Gustad. The movie bombed at the box office. Katrina Kaif was busy with small time modeling assignments and during this time she met Salman Khan. Salman Khan introduced her to big time producers but no one was interested to caste her for poor Hindi accent. Then in 2005, she was paired up with Salman Khan in Maine Pyaar Kiyun Kya. The movie was a hit. She was also the female lead in Salman Khan and Govinda starrer, Partner in 2006. In 2007, she also got her first big hit with Akshay Kumar in Namastey London. With each success relationship between Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan went sour and eventually they broke up.


Bruna Abdallah:
After Katrina Kaif it was Bruna Abdullah. Bruna Abdullah is an Indian model of Brazilian and Arabian origin. She caught Indian audience’s attention with her sizzling item song performance “Rehem Kare” in Anubhav Sinha’s action movie, Cash. She also appeared in I Hate Love Storys with Imran Khan. She was first noticed on Channel V’s show India’s Hottest. It was said that after Katrina Kaif, Bruna Abdullah became Salman Khan’s love interest but there was no such evidence. Later, she clarified that there was no such relationship between her and Salman Khan. She had only two meetings with Khan, one was related to work while the second one was a social meeting.


Claudia Ciesla:
Rumor about romantic relationship between Salman Khan and Claudia Ciesla started to spread when news came out that Salman Khan introduced her to his family. He said,
“Claudia is a very nice girl and I have introduced her to my family.” Claudia also spoke highly of Salman Khan. Salman Khan also said Claudia Ciesla is his “special friend.” Later, Claudia, in an interview, said, 'Salman and I are just good friends. He is not my boyfriend, as has been reported here. Everyone knows that it's Katrina Kaif who is his girlfriend and not me. I haven't even been that long in India to start controversies.'


Asin:
After Claudia, the girl with whom Salman Khan was romantically linked was Asin Thottumkal of Ghajini fame. Asin and Salman Khan did two movies- London Dreams and Ready. A picture of London Dreams, showing Salman Khan on his knees before Asin, started a new rumor. Even South Indian media claimed that Asin and Salman Khan got married but later it was revealed that the two shot a wedding sequence for Aniz Bazmee’s upcoming movie, Ready.


Hazel Keech:
The latest rumor that is spreading about Salman Khan is about his relationship with British model’ Hazel Keech. Hazel came to India to work with Salman Khan in his upcoming movie, Bodyguard. The movie was shot in Pune and it was reported that the two had a great time in Pune. It was reported that the two were having a good time and they enjoy each other’s company. Hazel and Salman went on biking in Pune. Who knows if this is just another rumor or not?

Worst 10 Serial Killing

1. The Whitechapel Murders in London (1888)
These murders are noteworthy because of their shocking ferociousness, and because they were committed by the legendary Jack the Ripper. He, no doubt, is the most well-known of all serial killers worldwide. His blood-lust and unsolved kills are the stuff of many mystery novels, but he was by no means a fictional character. In 1888, he violently murdered prostitutes in Whitechapel, London, typically by slitting their throats and removing their internal organs. This fierce savagery caught the attention of the media and terrified everyone. Though the police vigorously sought him out, Jack the Ripper always managed to elude them. Whenever he killed, he seemed to appear out of nowhere, encased in fogs, and then vanished without a trace. He was never found, and nobody knows up to this day why he suddenly stopped killing and disappeared. Nobody even knows his real name. Jack the Ripper is a moniker given to him based on a letter that he allegedly wrote to the media.

2. The Boogeyman Murders
Hamilton Howard Fish, better known as Albert Fish, was a child killer, rapist and cannibal who committed many heinous acts in the 1920s in the United States. Because of his savage ways, he has been called many things: a vampire, a werewolf, the Gray Man, and the Boogeyman. But he had a deceptively benign, grandfatherly appearance, and this was how he lured many children towards him. He allegedly victimized about a hundred children in different places in the U.S., raping, killing and/or eating those children, using special recipes he cooked them with. In 1936, at age 65, he was executed on the electric chair after being convicted.

3. The Ted Bundy Murders
Theodore Robert Bundy was a psychopathic serial killer who murdered many women in the 1970s, including college women who broke up with him or had offended him in some way. A law student himself, he was attractive, well-mannered, intelligent—and very adept in deceiving people and luring them to their deaths. He murdered about 35 victims, but some experts say he may have killed more than a hundred. He bludgeoned and strangled his victims, at times also raping them or having sexual intercourse with their dead bodies. Ted Bundy died on the electric chair in 1989.








4. The Charles Manson Murders
Charles Manson was the charismatic leader of “The Family,” a cult-like group in California in the 1960s. Members of the group, under Manson’s direct orders, went on killing sprees, the most famous of which were the Tate and LaBianca murders. Prior to this, Manson was a convicted criminal who committed various offenses. He was also a singer and songwriter. He still lives, serving his sentence.





5. The Pickton Murders
Robert Pickton was a Canadian pig farmer turned serial killer. He is thought to have murdered about sixty women; most of them sex trade workers and drug users in the Vancouver area. Given the large number of victims, about a hundred million dollars was spent on the investigation of his crimes. The trial that led to his conviction was the longest in Canadian history, and perhaps the most controversial.






6.  The Zodiac Murders
Still unsolved, these murders were committed by a mysterious serial killer nicknamed “The Zodiac Killer.” He operated in Northern California, especially in the San Francisco area, circa 1960-1970. He sent cryptic letters and mysterious phone calls to the media concerning the murders. To date, some of the ciphers in the letters have yet to be solved. He has claimed to have murdered 37 victims, but only seven (five murders and two injuries) are officially recognized. More than two thousand potential suspects have been rounded up, but no arrest has been made.

7. The Anthony Sowell Murders
Convicted of dozens of crimes including murder, rape and kidnapping, Anthony Sowell was a serial killer in Cleveland. What led to his arrest was the gruesome discovery of eleven bodies in his house. Some of the bodies were in the living room, others were found in shallow graves in the basement, the backyard, and other parts of the house. Their discovery was accidental; it took place when the police came to arrest him for alleged rape.




8. The John Wayne Gacy Murders
Also known as the “killer clown,” John Wayne Gacy was a psychopathic serial killer who victimized mostly young men and teenage boys. He is thought to have raped and murdered 33 people in the 1970s. Many of his victims were discovered buried on his properties or thrown in rivers. The victims were mostly young employees in Gacy’s contracting firm. By day, Gacy was a respectable businessman in Chicago who gave generously to charity. He contributed to fundraising events and children’s parties, which he often attended wearing a clown costume.


9. The Green River Murders
Gary Leon Ridgway committed dozens of murders in the Seattle area in the 1980s and 1990s. The first five victims were strangled and then dumped in the Green River. Subsequent victims also died by strangulation; their bodies were found mostly in forested areas. Authorities had been investigating the murders for many years, until DNA evidence led them to Ridgway.


10. The Cotton Murders
This list would not be complete with a female serial murderer – Mary Ann Cotton. This Englishwoman’s 21 victims included her own children. She poisoned them with arsenic and then took their insurance money. She was tried and then hanged in March 1873.

Powerful Photographs Of India In 2011

Powerful/Best/Famous Photographs Of India In 2011


1. India's players and team celebrate after India won their ICC Cricket World Cup final match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai April 2, 2011.



2. A woman carries her injured son through flood waters at Pahanga village in Orissa's Jajpur district. Monsoon rains collapsed mud huts and flooded wide swaths of north and east India, leaving hundreds of thousands of people marooned in the raging waters. AP Photo

3. Anna Hazare meditates at Rajghat before beginning his fast for a stringent Lokpal Bill.


4. A leopard leaps on an armed forest guard in Prakash Nagar village, near Siliguri, India. AP Photo

5.Thousands gather outside The Writers' Buildings in Kolkata awaiting Mamata Banerjee's first appearance as Chief Minister of West Bengal after a landslide victory that ended the Left's 34-year rule in the state. Reuters

6. Three-year-old Babu, a child of a migrant labourer, holds a glass filled with tea outside a makeshift tent along a road on a cold morning as cold weather continued to sweep north India at Noida in Uttar Pradesh January 4, 2011.

7. A student poses after getting her face painted during a face painting competition in Ahmedabad January 22, 2011.

8. School children ride on an auto-rickshaw on their way back home from school in Ahmedabad March 8, 2011.REUTERS/Amit Dave

9. Farmers block railway tracks during a protest in Karchana town in Uttar Pradesh January 21, 2011.REUTERS/Jitendra Prakash

10. A fisherman arranges a fishing net as his wife paddles their boat in the waters of the Periyar river on the outskirts of the southern Indian city of Kochi January 5, 2011.

Top 10 Things Parents Should Teach Children

Many parents leave it up to teachers and other educators to teach children proper manners. It is the job of the parents to do preliminary education with their children. Here are the top 10 things they would need to teach their children at a young age. The younger the better!

1. Respect for Elders:
How many times did we hear these statements from children: You’re not my mother! You’re not the boss of me. No matter who the individual is, children should have respect for them. It’s the role of the parent to teach that to their children. Otherwise, children would run into problems every time a child is being taught a lesson or two outside of the house or outside of the nuclear family.

2. Wash Hands:
This is very important to teach and to model to children. Washing hands could eliminate germs and can eliminate anyone being sick. With viruses such as H1N1 and SARS being deadly it is important for all children to know how to wash their hands. It should not just be taught at school, it should be emphasized and reinforced at home as well.

3. Please and Thank you:
The problem here lies sometimes in the parents and elder siblings. Children pick up on things quite fast. If for example, a parent forgets to say thank you, they child will find it is a useless word to use. Be consistent and emphasize politeness for children.

4. Table Manners:
This should be part of the grade 1 class curriculum and part of a child’s upbringing. When you sit at a table, do not use your hands to pick up food, chew with your mouth closed and wait for others to sit down before starting to eat. Constant nagging can be eliminated if children were taught table manners during their early upbringings. Teachers could reinforce this in the classroom as well.


5. Keep hands and feet to yourself:
Role-modeling is one problem parents face. Children are greatly influenced by parents and their elderly. If their parents or other elders use violence to solve their problems, children will copycat them. Parents should always emphasize “keep hands and feet to yourself at all times”. If they fail to see why they need to role model, they should examine the Bobo doll experiment by Albert Bandura.

6. Share:
Envy is one word to describe many children’s character. They always believe that someone else is much better off then them. Children also fight over TV, games and other toys because of envy. Parents should condition an appropriate behavior by role modeling and discussing appropriate manners with their children at a young age.

7. Don’t do others what you don’t want done to you:
Children love to pinch and they love to do crazy things to others. They however, sometimes realize the repercussions of their actions. Parents should always teach their kids not to do anything to others which they would not appreciate being done on them. Otherwise parents will face lots of problems and complaints from parents, teachers and other community members.


8. No one is perfect:
Some parents want their children to be perfect. They put a great deal of stress on academics and sports. When a child makes an error, parents would sometimes look down on them. Parents should not do so and should emphasize that learning is a process. No one is perfect and mistakes do occur.

9. Not to put hands where they don’t belong:
Many children do disgusting things with their hands. They then do not wash their hands when they are supposed to. Parents should reinforce the no picking nose and scratching other body parts. If it does happen, parents should prompt their children to wash their hands.

10. Read:
It seems simple, but you’d be surprised as to how many children enter kindergarten not knowing how to read. 15 minutes a day reading with your child helps them become better readers.

Top 10 Strange Ways To Get Over A Hang Over

1. Almonds:
Ted Pollard of Health911 believes that almonds prevent individuals from hangovers. The goal is to eat a few almonds before going for drinks. It will not help those who feel the aftereffects after.

2. Prickly Pears Cactus:
Eating one will eliminate nausea, inflammation and bloating people feel after a night out drinking. You may want to keep one or two inside the house if you are a regular.

3. Water:
Many people who feel hung-over feel they cannot eat or drink. Not drinking is a big mistake. When you are hung-over, you tend to dehydrate. The more you drink, the more soothe.

4. Pickle juice and canned fish:
This is what Russians and the Polish used to do in the morning after. It is known as the remedy for the “dog that bit you”.

5. Mongolian Mary:
Try eating sheep eyes in tomato juice like the Mongolians. This is one method most of you have not tried yet. It is also one of the most disgusting ones yet. Many will not able to eat it as they are not acquainted with such food.

6. Lemon in Armpits
Many Puerto Ricans believe that lemons put in armpits do help. Most people have never heard of this, but it is supposed to be holistic.

7. Ginger Tea:
The Chinese have used this to help them got over pain caused by excessive drinking. Try boiling water and adding a ginger root to it. Wait 10-15 minutes and then drink.

8. Herring Eating:
Germans love to eat herring with onions to decrease effects of hangovers. They call this dish the rollmops.

9. Egg:
Eggs have antioxidants that are good for the body. The liver which is affected by alcohol consumption uses the antioxidants to get itself into good condition again. Raw eggs are better, so drink up.

10. Bloody Mary:
I saw this appear a couple of times in my research. Many say that if you drink more of this than you will get rid of hangovers. But, Blood Mary is alcoholic. I wonder how it would help. Any ideas?