This island, according to Plato’s words, was very developed and modern island for the time. This island was rich with fertile land and minerals, and the population engaged in agriculture, livestock, mining… They dug and melted ore. This island was rich with the most valuable metal now – gold. According to Plato’s writings this island was very rich with a metal, so-called Orichalcum, that could be found only on this island. In the middle of the island there were two water sources. From one flowed cold water and hot from another. Around these sources they built pools and bathrooms. On this island there were several cities that were very well organized and very modern with large docks.

Entire island was run by Atlant with ten kings who have met every six years to pass and make laws. It was beautiful to live and grow up on this island, as people lived in prosperity in the rich country which has developed an entire culture. But all that stopped when people of Atlantis decided to invade the rest of the world led by the Greeks. What happened after that isn’t very well-known. The war started, and during the war, however, this island mysteriously disappeared. Plato writes in his book that Atlantis disappeared 9000 years before Plato’s time. There are many theories about the disappearance of this advanced civilization.

The most famous theory is that the island disappeared because they destroyed themselves by using a horrible energy that they were not allowed to use, then the theory that the gods punished them for depravity and decay of moral values as people of Atlantis became greedy and immoral. But the most acceptable theory is that destroying of the island is a natural disaster that has engulfed this island during the war with the rest of the world. There are assumptions that a series of earthquakes have taken place and completely destroyed the island that was flooded, more precisely tsunami caused by the earthquake. After that, for centuries people have tried to find this mystical island, even in these attempts were also found most of today’s continents such as South and North America.

Today nothing is known about this island, but today many believe that the satellite images of the bottom of the Atlantic show the lines crossing at right angles, which reminds of the streets and parts of the city, and many think that these are the remains of Atlantis while others, however, argue, that these are ordinary cracks (faults) on the bottom of the ocean that are characteristic for the Atlantic.

Then there are various theories about their origin, but also on their general purpose. There are those whose thinking is closer to science-fiction films by which black holes are actually gates between different worlds and that all around us are parallel worlds that you can come to through these gates – black holes. Some believe that black holes are like whirlpools in the water only this whirlpools last forever and they suck in everything that comes in their way, so the planets which are sucked in actually spend an eternity in the maelstrom. Of course these are all assumptions of many scenarios that resemble Hollywood films. But it’s hard to tell whether this is true or is it just exuberant human imagination. What is certain is that all the scientists are convinced that this phenomenons do exist. They are almost sure that they do exist, thanks to modern technology with which they managed to reach the data that suggest that black holes really do exist even in our galaxy. These years scientists, with the help of modern telescopes, were able to detect X-rays from the galactic center what confirms that there’s a black hole in the center of the Milky Way. To discover a black hole is very difficult because it absorbs and sucks everything even the light, so it’s hard to see them.

Nothing in the galaxy can survive a black hole because they suck in all bodies of all sizes and content, where the black hole exists time stops, space disappears, light is absorbed. That is why scientists find it difficult to confirm the existence of black holes because there is nothing that could pass through a black hole or reach it without being sucked in and destroyed. It is assumed that black holes are actually created by destruction of the stars. It is believed that when stars run out of their nuclear fuel, they slowly begin to collapse and in their place this giant and terrifying phenomena is created. When the star begins to lose it’s nuclear fuel, the star is increasingly difficult to resist the gravitational force, then the star begins to collapse into a small volume and violates time and space and in some way drills hole in space that swallows everything that’s found nearby. Star is being eroded by increasing the force that attracts all around it, even light. This information came from observing two stars and one of them began to collapse and then began to suck in another star. Either way, scientists are more certain that they exist and that they are even close to us but, for the reasons mentioned above, it is difficult to observe them and generally get to them to determine their meaning, role and their development.

10. Asparagus

This is a herb analyzed since 17th century, when it is showed that it ‘stirs up the lust in men and women’. After that, in the 19th century, we can find writings that say that asparagus was eaten by bride and groom before their first wedding night, and not just asparagus, but three dishes of aphrodisiac food. However, the asparagus is proven to contain lots of elements, like vitamins (A, C, B6), folic acid and some other things that increase histamine production which is essential for orgasms in both sexes. If there is someone who practices eating this for better sex experience, please, tell the others is it really worth trying.

9. The Devil’s Soup

It is wide known that when people get drunk, everything may happen, from just a simple kiss with someone to spending the whole, wild night with a stranger. The movies and series are full of examples for this statement. So, the alcohol affects our sexual behavior for sure. I’m not sure what exactly is in there, but some say it is creditable for lots of relations and long wild nights.

8. Chocolate

You wouldn’t believe for how long the chocolate exist – earliest know mention of chocolate is from 1100 B.C. and it’s said that Aztecs were making it in a form of a drink firstly. Today’s chocolate must be different, not sure if better or worse, but it still causes mostly the same reactions in people. It affects the brain’s neurotransmitters that affect our feelings, so we are more likely to have an intercourse than usually. The true mix is chocolate with red wine for the perfect experience.

7. Oysters

Well, it must be in every aphrodisiac foods list, because of its properties, that’s why it is called the cliche of all aphrodisiacs. It is proven that oysters are full of zinc that is  responsible for the progesteron and testosterone in organism and positively affects the sexual desire. Oysters were firstly selected as aphrodisiac because of their physical resemblance to female sex organ, but later on is discovered that zinc is responsible for everything. Did you know that the lack of zinc causes the erectile dysfunction? So, go for the oysters!

6. Avocado

If you are aware of how avocado looks like it’ll be making a perfect sense to you that it is on this list. Besides looking like ‘hanging tree testicles’ as the Spanish Inquisition said when forbade it, it is also full of elements that influence our body’s processes. It’s proven that its ingredients enrich and strengthen our immune system, but the avocado also contains elements in a way responsible for sexual urges – potassium, folic acid, B6… It is enough to say that even Aztecs used it, so it’s been a long tradition of this fruit.

5. Chinese Ginseng

This plant is a natural stimulant for boosting the libido. It can be ingested either in tea form or as a supplement; you can buy it dried but it is very expensive, though – for only 30 grams you will have to pay about 50$! But look at it this way, it’s better than viagra which is almost the same price, and it has both energizing and stress relieving characteristics. By the way, the meaning of this word is literally ‘man’s root‘ which explains its usage.

4. Almonds

This may be the oldest fertility symbol and aphrodisiac. We can find almonds in lots of cultures using for things connected to sex, for example in Bible – Samson gives to Delilah a branch of almonds; in India it was used for curing pre-ejaculation, etc. Besides being a healthy food, a scent and a taste of almonds have always been connected to seduction, you know how many almond body lotions and other products are produced for this purposes? Almonds, like other aphrodisiacs are full of zinc, potassium. They are good to eat, not just for your sexual life, but life itself.

3. Figs

Hmm, figs… You may find the fact that an open fig imitates a female sex organ a little odd, but it is said that a fig is a stimulant. This is also one of the oldest fruits, maybe even the oldest one. It is also mentioned in the Bible (Adam and Eve wore it as a covering for private parts of the body) and Cleopatra used it as a symbol of sexuality, fertility and love.

2. Strawberries

There are, apparently, many ways of eating strawberries; from where and with what is a personal choice. It’s not proven that it has a perfect match but it is most frequently eaten with cream, than with champagne, chocolate and even vodka. I guess it has the best effect with champagne, you know what we said about alcohol and sexuality…

1. Honey

Use of honey is also reported in Bible, as well as the ‘first’ doctor, Hippocrates, was prescribing it for treating sexual issues. That says enough, we’ll agree. But in addition, let’s think about ‘honeymoon‘, why it is called honey? An old tradition is that bride and groom must drink honey every evening from their wedding to the first New moon; that’s how Attila the Hun died… On the other hand, we have science that says it is full of vitamin B and some acids that boost stamina.

Well, that would be pretty much it, if you can tell us about some other good aphrodisiac do not hesitate to do so.

The construction of the tower began in 1173 and lasted nearly 200 years. The main reasons for this were structural problems with the tower. When the first three floors were built he began to sink slowly to the ground. Building of the tower stopped for 100 years because of that. The first attempt to correct the wrong slope of Pisa tower was in 1275 when construction continued. In 1301 six stories were finished, and the final completion of the tower was in 1350.  But with the completion of construction the tower continued to sink in the ground. Each year its vertical gradient increased for one millimeter. The worst case was a vertical gradient of up to 5 meters. Since 1990 a tour of the interior of the tower is closed to visitors due to security.

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Victoria Falls is composed of four waterfalls, which are separated by small islands and reefs. Victoria Falls form the largest continuous mist in the world. It is even visible from 50 kilometers away. Nearby, downstream from this waterfall in 1905 a construction of railway bridge has been completed. Travel by train across the bridge is a unique experience for all tourists who come to the region. Falls and surrounding parks are a major attraction for visitors to Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls National Park is a home of many rare plants and tree species. It covers about 20 square kilometers and is considered a natural resource not only in Africa, but around the world.

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There is a huge number of stairs and passages, which in total length is over 4.5 kilometers. Borobudur design is influenced by the temples at Angkor, in Cambodia and symbolizes the structure of the universe. But the Borobudur himself influenced the construction of other major temples. Most of the temples constructed in Indonesia at this time shows that Indian culture had a strong influence on the kingdoms in this part of the world. Borobudur was declared a national monument in 1983 and was followed by extensive reconstruction supported by the United Nations.

While I was watching 10 minute long video for the popular pop song, I was amazed of singers courage. She was walking on invisible line between vulgar, morally unacceptable, ugly and in some way originally. I had to ask myself what is the magic ingredient that needs to separate you from the mass, and so if these extremes are needed at all? Is the „rocket bra“ art or not? Lately, it is hard not to notice futuristic fashion trend that is taking over the show-business scene worldwide. Ok future arrived little bit sooner than it should, and it was interesting in individual cases, but sudden all of modern pop artists starts to wear uniforms, what leads me to think that Star Wars remake is back. And again as the history of uniformed trends repeat, despite efforts to look original they are all the same: Weird! Oops, I also forgot: Boring! No more originality, no more art. Back to basics.

People can occasionally be blind. Instead of copy/paste methodology, they hardly realize the easier way – exploring their each individual personality. Cause, that’s the way to be unique. We always look up to higher role-models on our big TV screens, in „haute couture“ magazines, never noticing what is inside in all of us. I think that is the right way to find pure art – just look deep in yourself. You’ll find some kind of modern, never seen art. It’s like a fingerprint. Only you have it! Many people never found it. So what is that one thing inside you’re soul that makes you original? Remember that cans in hair are not art, it’s just a jackpot of crazy combinations that world never seen. Everybody can do that. Maybe it is original in lower level, but definitely not art. And definitely not something to look up to. If you are a crazy-futuristic-trend fan, and you don’t believe me, just ask yourself why is retro style back in fashion. Why is „simple“ outfit always a score? Why is Adele such a big star? We may find that whole future stuff interesting for a while, but considering that the future has not arrived yet, why are we in so much rush to get her? I don’t know why everybody thinks that future is a huge silver outfit with crazy lens in your eyes that makes you look like an alien. Maybe future is subtle and simply with deeper meaning. Maybe there is nothing spectacular about future.

Couldn’t help at notice that a similar thing happens in the women’s world. Girls are trying to be unique, original, looking up to their famous role models; they want to stand out from the crowd, just to be loved. But those unique are the one that complains about how they are now „too specific“. And being „too specific“ is now problem why they can’t find a boyfriend, or have a normal relationship. Think about this, and you will find the established pattern of women’s behavior, and also a fascinating fact you should be aware – When a guy falls in love, that „special“ chick is just some ordinary girl from the crowd. That typical-look-girl becomes special only in his sight. She has something more than a original look.

The point is simple – follow trends but give them your personal touch, make heart and mind become friends. Follow your fingerprint. Follow that simple mark that makes art. That makes future. Look up to stars just to find inspiration for your own originality. Be smart, don’t do copy/paste methodology. Make your own style, and when they  copy/paste you, then you’ll now you’re more than a uniformed trend package. Be a role-model for yourself. Love. Live. Enjoy. You only have one life, so paint it in your favorite color, and always have in mind words of the famous Salvador Dali: „Don’t bother about being modern. Unfortunately, it is the one thing that whatever you do, you can not avoid.“

A humble teacher teaches in public school on weekdays, but on weekends he sets of to the surrounding villages with many books on Alfa and Beto. The books may be hard to carry, but knowledge that he gives to the children is very important .

Due to poor economic conditions and distance, many children are unable to learn and discover world that surrounds them. That’s why Luis Humberto carries loads of encyclopedias, textbooks, atlases, novels and others, to teach them and to show them.

When he started, he had only 70 books in his own home. But, in time, many people realized the magnificent meaning of his act, so they donated near five thousand books to him and his cause. He always had patience for those who had wishes, and more than that, he fulfilled them. Every boy and every girl have heard about a fairy tale, about car or a famous hero. All they need to do is to ask senor Luis, and he will provide books or comics.

His greatest support was his wife, Diana, with whom he had build the first public library in La Gloria. For that purpose his mother left him a piece of land, and by time, with Diana, Luis built library for five thousand books he had. „At first everyone thought we were crazy and they made fun of us, just because we were ready to go very far to help children in their homework and make their weekends a bit more fun. At first we had very few books. Now we have a lot more, as well as blackboards and chalk. We are becoming more professional. Now they are mad, and we became a real institution. We are like Sancho Panza and Don Quixote of the twenty – first century“ – says Luis Humberto Soriano, addressing to his donkeys. Colombian documentary filmmaker Carlos Rendón Zipagauta has been working on a documentary about brave adventure of Luis Humberto and about bad state of education in Columbia. The documentary was awarded, which gave Carlos wind in the back to extend it with more additional minutes, supported by French and Colombian government.

The unselfish act of Luis Humberto tells a  lot about him as a human, but he himself tells the story of similar childhood and discovers his mantra: „Now, let’s leave that behind us. We need to live in the present and to show that Colombians are good people. Colombia has to change“. And, as long as Luis has faith in his people and country, the faith will remain within us.

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Above all, her physical appearance caused the admiration of the people. She had a very large blue eyes, which many say that were the most beautiful eyes of Hollywood, long brownish-reddish hair, freckles on the small nose, rough hoarse voice, and of course cigarettes, which she was eternally protruding from her mouth. Bette Davis was the first actor that lit a cigarette on film, and otherwise, in private life many say that between her fingers or corner of her lips she always had a cigarette. Many remember her by her sophisticated way of holding cigarettes. She was also an actress with very sharp tongue. She always said and commented outspoken. She was the first person that swore on film, but she hasn’t even refrained from swearing in public and TV or radio show. She almost always played the gossipy guile that chopps everyone with her vocabulary, whom she came across. Her experts have said that she was very warlike, who stood up to anyone, even the biggest and most powerful directors.

During the forties and fifties, Bette was the most powerful and highest paid American actress. She was so influential that she easily changed the decisions of the director, redesigning his texts, played a role as she imagined it, not how others say it. Directors were all silent so she wouldn’t go from shooting, because having Bette Davis in a film was a privilege, and no one wanted to oppose it. She was a lot talented actress and everyone loved her, no matter what she played: guile or psychopath. Nobody knew to fake it like she did. Even the slogan that has promoted one of Bette’s film was: “Who is better than evil Betty?”. Bette Davis was the first president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she has been awarded with an Oscar twice, the first actress to receive a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute and the first actor to be nominated for ten Oscars.

She was born as Ruth Elizabeth Davis on 5th of April, 1908. In Louevlu, Massachusetts. She had a sister Barbara, with whom she was very close and inseparable until Barbara’s death. In 1915 parents of Bette and Barbara divorced, and two of them with their mother lived in a few places before they left to New York where Bette began to think about acting. Bette wished to be an actress when she saw Rudolph Valentino in the film, and decided that if she ever become an actress that she will be called Bette and not Ruth Elizabeth. She enters the Cushing Academy in New York and in addition attends many schools of acting, dancing, singing… She was not very successful at the beginning of her career. As far as she was later powerful and a great actress at the beginning she wasn’t so lucky. At the audition they refused her, saying that she is dishonest, irresponsible and even ugly. In the second half of her twenties she gained permanent engagements in the theaters but she wasn’t particularly impressing the audience. The directors were not very happy with it. But at the end of the twenties she was spotted by one of the agents from Universal Studio in Hollywood and called for a trial recording. The actress herself later laughed about the situation when she was at the station in Los Angeles waiting for agent who went past her and went into the studio and said that there was no one who resembles the actress, since she was very thin and not very pretty.

At the beginning, she had no success, she appeared in many films that were not successful, she was almost at the dismissal and people in the Universal Studio underestimated her acting abilities. But just at that fateful moment she was given a role in “The Man Who Played God”, which received great reviews. She was observed from other studio, “Warner Brothers” and they offered her a five-year contract, which she of course accepted. And there begins her successful film career. Her very successful first film, in which she has proved herself as a great dramatic actress, was “Human Bondage” (1934) and since then Bette was always more successful. At the time, actresses were largely avoided acting evil women or women with low moral, but that wasn’t a problem for Bette Davis. She accepted the role of guile or a psychopath and she represented them in a great way, so she is remembered as the most talented actresses of that period.

Bette Davis was completely ahead of her time. Dressed pants in public, smoked cigarettes, advertised alcohol, swore… one columnist, once made a joke and said that if Betty lived two hundred years ago, she would have been burned at the stake as a witch. Her way of acting has impressed audiences around the world. She won two Oscars for the film “Dangerous” (1935) and “Jazabel” (1938). Although many think that she was supposed to receive an Oscar for the film “All about Eve” and “Whatever happened to Baby Jane?” and that just by being only nominated, this actress in some way was damaged and that isn’t fair. During the thirties and early forties she became highest paid actress and many directors fought over her. But her career slowly began to fade in her late forties. But what’s characteristic for Bette, is that whenever her career was threatened, she just discovered the roles that returned her to the top. So it was with the film “All about Eve” in which she played the main character Margo. Many are saying that this is her best movie ever. This film helped her to get back to the top. During the fifties she played many interesting roles, in the late fifties, however, her career begins to fade again, but Beete of course, finds a way to survive.

In early sixties her horror phase begins, in which she plays psychopaths and evil women who do not hesitate to do the worst things and hurt others. Her best-known horrors are “Whatever happened to Baby Jane?” (1962), “Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte” (1964), “The Nanny” (1965), “Dead Ringer” (1964)… Acting in these movies strengthened her on the throne as the most talented Hollywood actress. Bette Davis will always be different from others because she didn’t hesitate to act ugly, evil, immoral people, she was about to be completely transformed in order to play the role better, while her fellow actresses raced to win a greater seducing role and who will be more beautiful in the film. Her film “Whatever happened to Baby Jane?”, despite the good acting of actors and the film’s plot, will be remembered for the scandals that took place between the two main actresses. The film starred Bette Davis with Joan Crawford, which she normally hated, and the hatred originated decades ago. The two of them didn’t love each other, for unknown reasons. Joan Crawford had previously stated that she could not believe that anyone could build a career based on big googlie eyes, while Bette Davis said that Joan Crawford was a prostitute who slept with all the actors from Hollywood except Lesie. Their disagreements were continued during the filming as well.

In one scene when Baby Jane (Bette) should kick Blanche (Joan) in the head, there are stories that Bette Davis really kicked Joan in the head, which of course was supposed to act out. And Joan also, in the one scene where Bette is supposed to carry her, deliberately hindered Bette because she knew that she has back problems, so during the filming of that scene Bette injured her back. Skirmishes continued. Many who were present on the set, today talk that Bette even shortened the text of Joan in the film so she can completely put her into the background. Are these all the gossip or truth? We don’t know. Discussion Between this two divas will continue in the next film “Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte” whose director is imagined the two main character from the movie “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” again acting together. Joan Crawford  filmed the first few scenes, and then suddenly withdrew from the film reportedly due to illness, but many in fact think that Bette Davis influenced that Joan was thrown out from the film. There is much speculation to why the two of them hated each other so much, from the stories that Joan took over a man that Bette loved, to stories that Joan was even in love with Bette, because Joan was known for her lesbian relationships with other actresses.

Of course all these scandals and disagreements fall into the shadows you see all the films. Both divas magnificently put forward this film which many consider as one among the 100 best movies ever made. Bette’s role in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” was nominated for an Oscar but didn’t get it, although many believe it should. Bette Davis filmed literally until the last day. Even later, when she had a stroke and seized one side of her body, she went on to record and to receive praise for her excellent work. Her second to last film was “The Whales of August,” which received great reviews. In this film she played next to, also aging film legend Lillian Gish. In 1989, she’s making her last film “Wicked Stepmother”, starring Miranda Pierpoint. She died on 6th of October 1989 in Paris.

There are many things that bind us to this beautiful and talented lady. First of all, the name Oskar. Believe it or not, unofficially she was godfather to this award. When she received the statuette (Oscar), she joked that the statue resembles her husband whose middle name is Oscar and she called the statue Oscar. After that, many in the room begin to call him Oscar, so that award officially received the name Oscar. Bette Davis is backed by four marriages and three children. Especially at the end of her life, Bette Davis experienced a difficult time when her daughter Bidi wrote a book in which she wrote many bad things about her mother. “It was a page of broken heart”, said Robert Wagner, her great friend. Those were difficult times for Bette. As evidence of how much they admired her, younger and older people is a song “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes, that song and was the biggest musical hit in 1981.

There are many sentences uttered by Bette Davis that are quoted to this very day. The most famous sentence from the movie “All about Eve” was: “Fasten your seat belts it’s going to be a bumpy night“. Her most famous statements were given during the interviews “I’m just too much”, “Hollywood always wanted me to be pretty, but I fought for realism” and “I work to stay alive”.

Also there is a famous sentence from Bette Davis addressed to her rival Joan Crawford. When she was asked how can she play a bit*h so good, Bette Davis said, “Why am I so good at playing bitc**s? I think it’s because I’m not a bit*h. Maybe that’s why Miss Crawford always plays ladies”. The rivalry between these two divas lasted as long as they were both breathing.

Of course we will not remember Bette only for her selfish behavior and her conflicts with almost all the actors with whom she was filming, but also for her charity and her struggle against Nazis and raising the morale of American soldiers. She used her influence, and from one old and dilapidated restaurant for the soldiers, she turned into an exclusive and attractive restaurant “Hollywood Canteen”, in which the famous Hollywood actors were working in the kitchen and serve soldiers during the World War Two. Bette brought in every night a well-known actors who would be at the service of soldiers. Later she made a film “Hollywood Canteen” in which she played herself. In 1980 she received a medal for assisting soldiers and people during the war. All this shows how, in addition to being sometimes selfish, arrogant, chatty and she was a great woman as well. In her late forties she even dared to do what no one of her colleagues dared to do,  she terminated all contracts with studio and become an independent artist who earned from part-time jobs. Which was very revolutionary as Bette Davis herself.

10. Zoe Castello and April Ryan

Zoe and April are females that we are adding for a combination of both looks and personality. Both appearing in The Longest Journey games, these female protagonists are one of those you attach to emotionally and live with them through their adventures. April in particular was a very strong female lead and the writer Tørnquist paid special attention to flesh out her personality as much as possible. We discovered more about Zoe and April through their actions and their diaries where they described how they felt and what they were thinking about when met with certain topics and missions. Sadly the sequel that was supposed to explain a lot of things, especially after Dreamfall, never saw the light of day and apparently it never will.

9. Bloodrayne

BloodRayne first brought her dhampiric sexiness in 2002 with the game simply called BloodRayne. It didn’t take long for her to become a hit and she scored another game in 2004 and 2011 alongside many comic books and even appeared in playboy. Sadly the movie media didn’t see her in her best light as she appeared in Uwe Ball movies of the same name and we all know the quality that man puts into his movies. Is “/sarcasm” even necessary?

8. Resident Evil girls

Resident Evil probably doesn’t sound like somewhere you will find hot women but sure enough gamers managed to find few icons even in zombie slaying mayhem. First Resident Evil came out in 1996 though it would take some time and sequels for these females to get in more recognizable shape. Depending on your preference the first female was either Jill Valentine or Clair Redfield though both of them paved the way for the rest, the most notable being Ada Wong in RE4. Rooster of hooties was expanded in RE5 as well with Sheva Alomar and, according to some, even by the evil Excella. As we all know Resident Evil moves are not faithful to the game series but if you are a fan of Milla Jovovich or Sienna Guillory’s portrayal of Jill Valentine, you sure had some good time with them.

7. Princess Daphne

Princess Daphne may not be a favorite these days, but it’s important to know that she was the first lady of gaming. Her first appearance was in 1983 arcade classic Dragon’s Lair and back then both the game and Daphne looked amazing. This was mostly thanks to Don Bluth who was working on the animation and made the game to look like a cartoon. Dragon’s Lair was essentially a quick time events driven game where the player had to press a right button at the right moment. Of course, given this nature and no indicators on screen, players had to play the game numerous times before figuring out and memorizing the correct pattern. Players controlled Dirk the Daring in his quest to defeat the evil Dragon and save the damsel in distress.  Before someone asks, yes, Daphne is the first gaming female we associated with princess in a castle.

6. Fighting games girls

This choice is a bit of a cop out but here is the thing – there are a lot of fighting games, a lot of sexy females from them and people tend to either mix them together or stay true to one series. In other words you might as well make a list constructed entirely out of ladies from fighting games. Even so we are not diminishing their influence here. Depending on your preference or chance, you were first exposed either to ladies in 2D like Mileena and Kitana from Mortal Kombat or the ever so popular Chun Li from Street Fighter, or the 3D ladies like Nina from Tekken or perhaps the not-so-small roster of ladies from Dead or Alive series along with their breast physics (and yes that is the term first used there). One of all-star favorites are also Mai from King of Fighters, Cammy from Street Fighter, Ivy from Soul Calibur and a bunch of others. I am sure if we asked around enough we would hear some choices even from Clay Fighter.

5. Princess Zelda

Unlike a lot of choices, Zelda is a fair maiden. You can even hear gamers that she is a true marriage material and it’s hard to disagree with that though I am sure nay sayers will more focus on the games themselves that are subjectively either good or bad. Of course not every Zelda game features the same, well Zelda. While her most dominant appearance is that of a princess, she played the role of supporting female characters that are less aristocratic and more down on earth. For better or for worse a lot of people also remember her from The Legend of Zelda TV show where she was a lot more annoying and playing to the stereotype of spoiled princess. She also made Link constantly say the phrase “Well excuuuuuuuse me princess”.

4. Final Fantasy girls

There is no way in hell to make fans pick just one female from the long running Final Fantasy series. Hell, it’s impossible to even narrow it down to one game, let alone one character and even then someone will pick Sephiroth. If this sounds like an attempt to justify yet another cop out on this list then it’s true but for this list to contain anything but FF girls it was imperative. So what to say about girls from the never-ending fantasy? Well Tifa seems to be the most popular one probably because she appears to be a great supportive character while also looking very good. Other choices would include Lightning and Yune for similar reasons though for those who can never have enough of cuteness there is also Vanille. Or Chocobo. 

3. Alyx Vance

Alyx first appeared in Valve’s Half Life 2 and from then on appeared in many lists like this one. Similarly to girls from the Dreamfall series, miss Vance is liked for her looks and personality. Unlike diaries April and Zoe had, Alyx has the task of filling the speechless gap of Freeman and as such her persona and actions are flashed out more often and more potently. We know that she is an uplifting person, always looking on the bright side of things and defending from fear and scariness by the means of jokes. Of course it helps a lot that the facial engine used was amazing when it came out, and still is, giving this character a wide range of emotions she could portray. Of course not even she can remain positive while waiting for the Episode 3 or Half Life 3.

2. Samus Aran

Samus is both a sex symbol for many gamers (hello there Zero Suit) as well as being the first badass girl who battled with aliens in space. Initially people didn’t know that she was a female at all mostly because of the robotic suit she is wearing. Say hello to cheat codes that revealed that she is a female and say hello to the space bikini she wore at the end of the game. Samus is mostly connected to the Metroid series that were action platformers at first but then jumped into several other genres, most notable being first person action games. She is not limited just to her starring franchise though and has since appeared as locked character in numerous Nintendo games or a fighter in Super Smash games.

1. Lara Croft

Predictable isn’t it? Lara Croft has been a wet dream for many gamers, men and even females for over a decade now. Her first appearance was in 1996 game called Tomb Raider and she gained more and more worldwide recognition after that. She appeared in more than 10 games, had a line of action figures and merchandise, comic books, movies starring Angelina Jolie and she will soon get a reboot coming out in 2012. Despite not being the only strong or sexy female in our list, she was a can of fresh air in the good old ’96 because she was a female protagonist, a capable female protagonist, and she was such a contrast to all the other heroes at the time. I guess I should mention that this mostly goes for us western audiences in EU and US but her influence expanded overnight.  It’s also true that the game itself, or series, is not bad and has influenced other popular games like the ever popular Sands of Time trilogy. Whether your role model is Indiana Jones or Nathan Drake, this is a perfect female for you. Of course without dissecting her initial character too much because otherwise we could conclude that she is a horrible person not caring for history. Isn’t perspective a bitch?

So where is Bayonetta? Faith? Morrigan? Harley Quin? Nariko? Princess Peach? Kate Archer? Chloe? Million others? Well, in case you didn’t figured it out, that just means there are a lot of good looking, sexy, cute, beautiful and just attractive females in gaming. Every one of us has its own list, possibly even larger than 10 spots but as i’ve said in the beginning this list was made by crossing a lot of other lists and polls so chances are some favorites might have been excluded. It doesn’t hurt your private collection of pics and posters anyway.

1. Before USA got into the War

Before 1939, when the War out-broke in Europe, American cinematography consisted mainly of musicals, comedies, romantic melodramas and Westerns. There was a complete ignorance of fascism or any kind of dictatorship. Americans led pacifistic and isolationistic policy. Only after Hitler seized Czechoslovakia did American films start to show political events on screen. The first film that stood sharply against fascism was The Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939). This film spoke not only against fascism, but also how its ideology confronts and threats American democracy. A year after this film, appeared a film that was adaptation of Phyllis Bottome’s novel, which brought to daylight the facts of which most of the well-informed people were aware. The Mortal Storm, that’s the name of the film, showed a new wave of Nazi’s cruelty and barbarism.

2. USA backing the Allies

Because of the growing panic in the country, American government controlled showing violent scenes of war and combats. However, there were several documentary films that did breakout in the public. Four of those, which were the most impressive were widely distributed (two from England and two from Germany). The British ones were The Lion Has Wings and The London Can Take It (both from 1940) and the German ones – Baptism of Fire and Victory in the West (1940, 1941). At this time, American films started to show, more and more, the cruelty of war, the severity of threat of Nazi ideology and related topics. Such were films The Man I Married and Four Sons (1940). After England’s shattered retreat from Dunkirk, president Roosevelt decided to aid British, and that was the removing of the last trace of American neutrality. Than, the need for films preparing American public for entering the war emerged.

3. Preparing the public for the War

The Ramparts We Watch (1940) was one of the films that made strong plea to get ready for the War. This film had informative character and was objective; it was supposed to show America’s place in the world and how it should fight for its liberty and democracy. The stress of the film was on military preparedness. Addition to this was The World in Flames (1940), a film that spoke about happenings leading to War. Two great names also included in awaking American awareness against fascism and isolation policy – Alfred Hitchcock and Charles Chaplin. Hitchcock made Foreign Correspondent, a film showing an American newspaperman in England reporting on the impending war there. Chaplin’s The Great Dictator (1940) made fun of Hitler and Mussolini. The plot is about a Jewish barber with amnesia who was sent to concentration camp, and escaped searching for a friendly place. As the American neutrality was disappearing, films about spies, manhunts and saboteurs emerged. Those were Flight Command (1940), I Wanted Wings (1941), Dive Bobmer (1941) and Navy Blues (1941) etc. At the same time, films that were supposed to make it easier for young people to accept changes war had brought appeared, like Buck Privates, Caught in Act, Call Out the Marines, You’ll Never Get Rich…

4. Entering the War

America didn’t enter the War officially until the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, but they were messing in the War by aiding the Allies. After Pearl Harbor, the film studios were mobilized for national defense. The president appointed Lowel Mellet as coordinator of government’s motion pictures. The Hollywood was given six basic suggestions of what should be in the movies – “(1) The  Issues of the War: what we are fighting for, the American way of life; (2) The Nature of the Enemy: his ideology, his objectives, his methods; (3) The United Nations: our allies in arms; (4) The Production Front: supplying the materials for victory; (5) The Home Front: civilian responsibility; (6) The Fighting Forces: our armed services,our allies and our associates.” As the War went on, the films were trying to keep up with happenings in Europe, such as Atlantic Convoy, The Navy Comes Through, Flying Tigers, War Dogs and others. Then, documentary films emerged, showing the real tension of War. The most famous was Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series. There were also The Nazis Strike, Divide and Conquere and others. Capra’s series was made for the purpose of creating better soldiers, believing that a soldier who knows his enemy and why he is fighting is a better one.

5. “Our brothers in arms”

There was number of films that were telling a stories from the inside of conquered countries. Films describe resistance of people in Europe against Nazism, their needs and hopes, ways of fighting… Those films were The Moon is Down, This Land is Mine, Hangmen Also Die, The  Commandos, Edge of Darkness, Cross of Lorraine, Song of Russia and North Star. But one that is the most outstanding is Mission to Moscow.

6. Individualism and Idealism

After America’s being in war for a couple of years, its filmmakers were somewhat preoccupied with the deep emotional crisis of individuals – Action in the North Atlantic (1943), Destination Tokyo (1943), Sahara (1944), Air Force (1944), A  Walk in the Sun (1945), The Story of G.I. Joe (1945), and The Purple Heart (1945).

7. Home front

Films dealing with the home front were mainly humorous in order to ease the pain of all changes in American life due to the War. Hale the Conquering Hero, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, and See Here Private Hargrove were among the best films on this subject. The More the Merrier (1943) and Princess O’Rourke (1943) were the films that stood out from the rest in wave of film for their mockery of the irksome tribulation of a people who had to put out with seemingly endless scarcities and inconveniences.

In the end we can say that Hollywood has established a relatively standard form of uncritical cinematic staging of foreign proceedings. It features an emotionally-narrative fragmentation (avoiding the broader historical context and the complex political messages, as well as focusing on individuals), clear and stereotyped division into good and bad characters, indulging themselves socially acceptable patterns executioner-victim, a traditional moralism etc. Besides all the foregoing, the question remains whether the presented political and ideological aspect of Hollywood’s less important characteristic, and, in turn, the policy to the extent permeated the production of the world’s largest film industry, that it can interpret and explain, if not in form and a broader ideological and political context.

1. Turtle or Tortoise

It is also known as a Black/Dark Warrior – so it’s obvious that Turtle’s color is black, and it looks like chimera with snake’s head and tail and turtle’s body. Its side of the world is north and winter is its season. Its element is water because it’s believed that it lives in the ocean. It is called warrior because its shell reminds of an armor. Black Warrior represents wisdom, happiness and long life because of a belief that when turtle reaches a thousand years it can speak human languages and give lots of wise advices as well as to tell the future. The turtle also has its seven constellations, called Northern Palace. This animal is also believed to have one eye in the middle of its armor and it comes out from the water every thousand years to see the Sun and the world, according to some, this can represent immutability. In Taoism, its armor or shell, represents Earth and sky, and has many legends related to it.

2. White Tiger – Kirin (in Japan)

Second spiritual animal in Chinese religion represents courage, dignity, yin energy, but also the Buddha’s and human kind’s guardian. Its color is white, as itself, the season it is related to is fall and the element is metal. nowadays, it can be found in front of the house entrance as safe keeper. White tiger is also connected to burial ceremony, as Donald Mackenzie said: “The White Tiger of the West, for instance, is associated with metal. When, therefore, metal is placed in a grave, a ceremonial connection with the tiger god is effected. According to the Chinese Annals of Wu and Yueh, three days after the burial of the king, the essence of the element metal assumed the shape of a white tiger and crouched down on the top of the grave. Here the tiger is a protector – a preserver. To the Chinese the tiger was the king of all animals and lord of the mountains, and the tiger-jade ornament was specially reserved for commanders of armies. The male tiger was, among other things, the god of war, and in this capacity it not only assisted the armies of the emperors, but fought the demons that threatened the dead in their graves.” The origin of the ‘God of War’ story is because the swords and weapons were made of metal and the tiger represents metal. There is also a belief that this Tiger is related to God of Wealth, who was riding him, so it may be the symbol of wealth too.

3. Phoenix

Another sacred animal in China, it’s opposite of White tiger, because the Phoenix is a king of flying/sky animals. The legend related to Phoenix almost everyone knows is that rises up from its own ashes and lives again, which represents resurrection and strength. This bird is also called Red or Big bird. Its side of the world (or better say sky, because they’re all Heaven guardians) is south. The element is, of course, fire and the season is summer. According to Chinese legend this bird that lives in the sky rarely comes to Earth, only to do something important and good, or to mark the beginning of the new era. Depending on the interpretations, Phoenix symbolizes lots of things – luck, wish fulfillment, rebirth, immortality, life after death, virtues… It represents the Yang energy. It is believed that only one Phoenix can live at the time, and it lives for about a thousand years. There may be a slight difference between Chinese and for example Indian or Greek Phoenix. The Chinese one is believed to have a long bill, snake’s neck and fish’s tail. It is also frequently presented with Dragon. The Phoenix is ment to awake (and keep awaken) the five basic human characteristics – loyalty, compassion, virtue, alignment and duty.

4. Dragon

Dragon is definitely something special in Chinese religion (as it is in other religions too), because beside its religious symbolism it was a mark of Chinese Emperor who was assigned to the Son of Heaven (and the Empress was a Phoenix). Well, the exact origin of Chinese dragon is still unknown, but some jade figurines are found that date back from 4000 B.C. Some people think that old fossils – dinosaur’s bones,  are dragon bones, in reality. Anyway, its side of the world is East, the season – spring, colors are green and blue and the element is wood. They represent the Yang energy. Dragons’ duties are winds and rain, it is said that when dragon turns 2000 years it grows a horn and then it can control the weather more efficiently. There are even some myths that say that Dragons are able to give the ability of controlling natural forces to humans. According to Chinese book of mythology, there are five types of Dragons – “1) the celestial dragons who guard the abodes of the gods; 2) dragon spirits, who rule over wind and rain but can also cause flooding; 3) earth dragons, who cleanse the rivers and deepen the oceans; 4) treasure-guarding dragons; and 5) imperial dragons”. They mostly symbolize good luck and fortune, but the good will and strength as well.

So, this is basically it about the four spiritual animals of Chinese religion. In case you didn’t know, not just these animals have a symbolic value in China, but almost every animal. Since all of these animals have their own constellation, it means they all have equivalent zodiac sign whose attributes may be connected to some of this beliefs. Read for yourself, if interested, and tell us what you think!

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1. Bat

When we think about vampires, we often connect bats with them, because of their night-life, soundless wings, teeth… But, only one out of 1200 species is a blood sucker. The one that is called Desmodontidae. This bat finds victims, other smaller mammals, by their breathing. This bat is capable of coming on ground, chasing the target, and following it for its blood warmth, find the right spot and finally bite! During the hunting season, Desmodontidae doubles its own weight. Then it is strong enough to carry a rabbit! There is a widespread and unique specimen that attacks humans, it is called Desmodus Rotundus. Though this sounds a little scary, don’t worry, this bat does it only when there is nothing else left to eat. Mostly, they feed on cattle. But, don’t despair if get bitten by this kind of bat, there is a bright side of the story. Scientists say that these bats secrete chemical that makes blood more liquid, that improves its flowing, what is especially good for people who survived a stroke.

2. Sea Lamprey

A fish called Petromyzon or a Sea lamprey is a vertebrate without jaws, with poorly developed branchiae and lives nearby drinking water. Thus it is safe of attack from the surrounding but it’s not harmless at all. Like salmon, the Sea lamprey starts a journey upstream for mating, and with (her) little ones it comes back to the sea. But, while salmons go back to the open ocean, eating smaller fishes and invertebrates, grown-ups sea lampreys stick their mouth to fish or whale skin and suck their blood. They do it with its coarse tongue and sharp teeth. Scientists make fun of them and say that it is a true paradise for Sea lampreys when they stick on a whale that has liters of blood and no place to smash them against or to get rid of them.

3. Mosquito

Asian tiger mosquito, or Stegomyia albopicta in Latin, is just one out of the hundreds of species who feed on blood. If it is any consolation, this mosquito does it for the offspring. Female mosquito needs proteins to create eggs. Well, ok, it is not a comfort for those who suffered from bite of these arthropods, their anticoagulants and itchy spots. But this mosquito is not lethal in comparison with the one that transfers Malaria. A common mosquito – Anopheles maculipennis that bites millions of people is completely harmless. Even more, it is braver than its two relatives , because it is feeding freely during daylight.

4. Bedbug

Along with mosquitoes, bedbugs from Heteriptera family are small flying insects people shy away from. They can be found in almost every house around the world. Their boy is flat and brown-redish. They are hiding during the day, but by night they go out looking for food. And by food I mean blood. Cimex lectularius is a house or bed bug that feeds on human blood. They are invisible for the naked eye, but they leave red, itchy spot on the skin behind them. A special substance in their saliva prevents victim’s blood from coagulation while they’re sucking it. But, scientists say that it’s our own fault for their overrun. Once they’re out of their living caves (it is supposed that they originally lived in caves, feeding on bat’s blood) they are surrounded by seven billion red rivers that flow through bodies of seven billion people on the world. Having this around, bedbug never comes back into the cave. And truth to be told it is hard to make it go away once it locates.

5. Moth

Nature scientists from Florida University claim that 3000 moths of Tineida family are bloodsuckers. These moths once were herbivores, but suddenly they started eating human blood. We often speak about various mutations, but this is something different. A bloodsucker is created from a pest , that lives by night and sleeps by day. Scientists are afraid that this may be only a beginning, one can never know if some other specie turn to sucking people’s blood.

6. Finch

Famous naturalist Charles Darwin witnessed many strange happenings on Galapagos. He saw iguanas diving in salt water, tame hawks… Of course, he saw lots of finches, but he missed something significant – the dark side of this bird called Geospiza difficilis septentrionalis, a subgroup of finches. This animal’s feeding is mostly regular, made of some seeds and insects, but later on it was noticed that a part of food for these birds is blood. Scientists think that this change might be caused by climate, which is very dry on Galapagos, so they use blood to compensate loss of body fluids this climate can cause. On the other hand, this may not be an explanation. Some other scientists consider that this birds are starting to transform to parasite-birds

7. Fish

A vampire fish from Trichomycteridae family is one of the freshwater parasite. This fish lives in Amazon and Orinoko rivers. They are known for entering the bigger fish’s branchiae and suck blood from the victim’s main artery. A ‘funny’ thing about all this is that the fish doesn’t need to really suck, the blood pressure of the victim is working for it, so the blood comes straight into fish’s mouth. But, beside the free meal, the fish also gets the free ride, so the vampire fish can feed miles away from place they’ve been found at the first place.

Well, the worst thing of all is that not only fish, birds and insects are bloodsuckers. It is known that in some cultures of ancient times there was a custom of sacrificing and drinking human blood as a rite. Unfortunately, this custom still lives up to today! This custom was characteristic for pre-colombian Peru, and people of Masai from Kenya and Tansania still do such kind of rites.

8. April 1st, Fools Day

Well, I guess there is no need for explaining this holiday so much, because there can’t be one who doesn’t know about it, whether he/she liked it or not. This is a day when every kind of joke is allowed, and you can be forgiven even for not so pleasant ones. All in all, this is one very happy holiday! There is no certain historic information about origins of this holiday, but there are several theories. One is that some European people, when new calendar replaced the old one, refused to celebrate the beginning of the New Year on January 1st, but did it on April 1st, so other people made fun of them. There is another theory that emperor Constantine allowed one man to be a king for a day on 1st of April, and that man decided that day to be devoted to fun and laugh. So, don’t remember to make as much jokes as you can on that day, to have a good laugh, and of course trust no one – that’s how you’ll spend it hilariously!

7. Valentine’s Day

This is a holiday everyone knows and celebrates, but not many know its origins. St Valentine was a  person, one of the theories is that he was martyred because he didn’t want to give up Christianity, so he was murdered on February 14th. This holiday was celebrated even in ancient Rome, this day was devoted to Juno, the Goddess of marriage. Today on this day every couple exchanges gifts, flowers, spends more time together. Well, this is something all couples should do every day, not to have just one day to devote to their relationship and partner. But, nevermind. There were various traditions all around the world about Valentine’s Day, some are still alive. For example, centuries ago it was believed that if woman sees a sparrow flying over her head she will marry soon and be very happy, but she’ll not have much money. There were many others, let’s call them superstitions, maybe some of them survived to nowadays. Feel free to tell us about some interesting tradition you follow or you’ve heard about.

6. Passover

This holiday is also called Pesach in Hebrew and it is a most important and mostly celebrated Jewish holiday. knowing that there are Jews all around the globe, we can imagine how many places where it is celebrated there are. Depending on the calendar and a country it is celebrated for seven or eight days (seven days in Israel only). It is meant to remind all Hebrews about the time when their ancestors were released from slavery in Egypt – Exodus story (from the Bible). So, practically, it is celebration of liberty. This story is being told on the first and the second evening during the dinner that comes after the Passover Seder – service. Things on the plate during the dinner are called Symbols of the Seder Plate. There are seven of them – vegetables (they are put in salty water before eating that represents tears of their slave-ancestors), lamb’s shank bone (reminds of plague that killed all the first-borns in Egypt, and the lamb’s blood was a sign that death should just pass by that door), boiled egg (as a symbol of fertility), Charoset or Haroset (a mixture of apples, wine and nuts that Hebrews used when building structures in Egypt), bitter herbs (that remind the bitterness of the slavery) and the last one that was added long after these ones and it’s optional – orange (as a symbol of marginalized groups in their society – women and homosexuals). And as any other religious holiday, this one also has a certain diet that is called Kosher. The negative food list contains barley, oats, corn, legumes…

5. Buddha Day

This is the widest celebrated Buddhist holiday. It celebrates three things in one day – birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. Other and more common name for this holiday is Vesak – it’s the name of the month when it is celebrated in the Indian calendar. It can be celebrated in the last full moon in May, with a little exception for the leap years, when the celebration is moved to June. All the Buddhists all over the Asia spend this day in temples completing their religious duties. There are four of them – Tum Boon (going to temples for Dharma preaching), Rub Sill (abstaining from all the immoral actions), Tuk Bard (giving the food to monks and meditation practice) and the most important is Vien Tien (in the evening all the people organize a candle-lit process, every person must hold flowers and candles on his/her way to the temple). They say that in such way they make a path for Buddha and all his followers to their home – a temple.

4. Ramadan

This is the biggest Islamic holiday and it lasts for a month!!! And there is more, they’re fasting for the whole month, to learn how to self-restraint, as the Qur’an commands. They are not allowed to eat and drink during the whole day, they may have a meal after the sunset and before sunrise. In Ramadan (as to say the ninth month of Islamic calendar) the fasting is not the only thing that purifies the body and the soul. Besides restriction of eating and drinking during the whole day for all over the age of 12, there are also restrictions for every part of the body. For example, the mouths’ restriction is to abstain from gossips and talking in vain. The fasting extends to the upper level, it requires re-evaluation of personal beliefs and deeds, and according to that – asking for forgiveness. Above all, this, being the month when Allah revealed the Qur’an to his prophet Muhammad, this is a month of worshiping their God. So, every evening during the whole month one thirtieth of the Qur’an is being read, so they finish it in complete. It may seem very hard, even impossible to live like this for a month, but because all the Muslims are doing the same, they give each other support, and beside that, it is said that God will reward good deeds done in this period, more that ones done in any other time. So, they all have a strong will for fasting and praying, and above all re-examine their faith. Furthermore, they pray five times a day, and go to mosque, but that’s what they do anyway. In the end of the fasting, they through a party named ‘Iftar’, but after Ramadan, they still do their best to continue with the good deeds.

3. Easter

The simplest description of this holiday is celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but it’s even more than that. One specific thing about this holiday is that it must always be on Sunday. And it is the first Sunday of the full moon after the spring equinox. The Easter tradition doesn’t represent only one day, the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion when He resurrected from the dead, but it also includes 40 days before it, that are devoted to fasting, as a symbol of repentance and more self-discipline. For Christians, this is one of the biggest holidays (beside Christmas), because due to their doctrine, Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, to pay the penalty for our sins, all out of love, being the Son of God, thus giving an eternal life to all who believe. More about this can be found in all of the Gospels in the NewTestimony. Though Easter, in certain way, can be very sad holiday, it is very happy at the same time, because Jesus was crucified (which might be sad) but after that he resurrected and saved us all (that is the happy part), so He defeated death. There are lots of ways of celebrating it, but the most common includes dying eggs and kicking one against the other to see which one is tougher. The first painted egg must be red and it is preserved until the next Easter as a house-keeping egg. This holiday reminds us to forgive and ask for forgiveness for all our sins, not just from God, but from the people too, so that metaphorically our mind and spirit are reborn after a purification of the soul. That’s a good message for all the people, not just the Christians, to forgive and ask for forgiveness, they’ll feel much better after that.

2. Christmas

This is the widest celebrated holiday in the Christian world in all the continents. It is the day when Jesus was born, so it is celebrated as a very happy holiday, because according to Christianism, Jesus came to save people’s souls from hell and help them repent and gain the redemption of the soul. Depending on the calendar (the Gregorian and the Julian ones) it is celebrated on the 25th of December in catholic countries and on the 7th of January in Orthodox countries. The two calendars differ in 13 days, so it explains the difference in dates, but no matter which calendar you follow, it is told that New Year cannot come before Jesus was born (Christmas always comes first), so there is the Orthodox New Year celebrated on January 13th. The first year in historical documents that shows a celebration of this holiday is 354 AD. It is considered that some elements of this festivity have their origins way back in pagan religion (for example the burning of a yule log), because some pagan people were converted to Christians. The tradition was slightly change during the Dark (Middle) Ages, when it was in the shadow of the Epiphany, but after that it was the public festival again. After that up to even nowadays there have been (and I guess it will be more) lots of discussions about Christmas, it origin, the way it was celebrated… We’ll only pay attention to some most popular traditions considering Christmas, because discussions can be endless. The actual birth of Jesus is described in several Gospels (according to Luke and Mathew for example) and in the celebration of Christmas people try to imitate those circumstances – meaning place decoration, actions, etc. The inevitable part of the celebration is certainly a Christmas Tree, that can be really lovely decorated, and in some countries the Santa Claus. There are also certain songs, called Christmas Carols to be sung that day, mostly by children. Some of those songs were originally national, folk songs that took religious form. Other important thing was/is food. Dishes vary from country to country but the common thing between them is that they must be eaten in family surrounding. All in all, a very happy and ff (friends and family) holiday.

1. New Years Eve

New Year is definitely the oldest celebrated holiday, though it wasn’t always beginning on the 1st of January. Believe or not, the celebration of the New Year began with people from Babylon, 4000 years ago! They celebrated it during the so called New Moon, which was the night of the first fool moon after the Vernal Equinox (the first day of spring). When you think about it you’ll realize that it was rather logic to celebrate it then, with the spring being the season when everything in the nature wakes up, when the seeds are planted, everything is blossoming, etc. In Babylon, the New Year was celebrated for 11 days and modern celebrations are nothing special comparing to theirs. After the Babylonians, the Romans continued to celebrate New Year in march or a while, but due to changing calendar, for various emperors, it was no longer adjusted to the Sun. But, in the year 46 B.C. Julius Caesar established Julian Calendar (to set all the previous calendars right) that declared January 1st as the beginning of the New Year. The ones who continued celebrating it in march were proclaimed as pagans by the Church. During the Middle Ages, church was still against celebrating the New Year on January 1st – it is has been celebrated on that day only for past 400 years. The widest tradition related to the New Year also comes from the Babylonians – the were saying that when the New Year starts, they will return all they had borrowed. One of the very old traditions was using a baby in the basket in the parade to mark a start of another year, that dates back 600 years B.C. It celebrated the rebirth of Dionis, their god of wine, and when the Christianism spread, the baby represented little Jesus. And as a part of so long tradition, it was believed that one can do something to affect its luck in the next year by doing and eating certain things. That is why it is celebrated among friends and family, the people that make you happy, and it is also believed that eating something in the ring shape brought good luck. So, having the holiday close enough, try some of these or give us your lucky advice.

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First Season Opening

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Kermit

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The Great Gonzo

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Mahna Mahna

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Animal

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Bohemian Rhapsody

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Beaker

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…and, of course, without them the show wouldn’t be what it is …

Waldorf and Statler

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]]> http://www.dumage.com/greatest-muppet-show-songs/feed/ 0 http://www.dumage.com/funny-toillets/ http://www.dumage.com/funny-toillets/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:07:04 +0000 tyron http://www.dumage.com/?p=4060 We mostly spend only a few minutes in the bathroom every day, but the time we spend there can be fulfilled by the interesting things inside. Usually, we don’t pay much attention to toilet seats, so, just because of that, take a look at these funny models.

Even today in the 21th century people are amazed by the actors and their movies from the era of the silent movies. The person who will definitely won’t be forgotten is Charlie Chaplin, who is imitated with the admire and worship by the people. Silent movie era lasted until the 1927. year, when the first movie with sound was shown in public. Unfortunately today, after many years, most of the actors from this era are completely forgotten, rarely anyone knows about them and they were equally important for the world cinematography. Some of them are still known, but some of them are completely forgotten.

1. Alla Nazimova (1879-1945)

Alla Nazimova was a Russian American actress, a screenwriter and film producer. She is perhaps best known as Nazimova. She was born in Crimea on Yalta in Russian empire(now Ukraine). As a teenager she began to pursue an interest in the theater and took acting lessons  in Moscow before joining  Stanislavsky’s Moscow Art Theatre as Alla Nazimova. She quickly became mayor actress in Russia. In 1905 she moved to New York and next year she  had debut in this city. She quickly became extremely popular. 1915 she made her silent film debut in “War Brides”. Then they are followed: “Eye For Eye”, “The Red Lantern”, “Madame Peacock”, “Salome”… She died at age of 66,  in Los Angeles, California. She has star on Hollywood walk of fame.

2. Monte Blue (1887-1963)

Monte Blue was a movie actor who began his career as a  leading man in the romantic silent films. He was born as Gerard Montgomery Bluefeather in Indianapolis, Indiana. He started as a stuntman in the “Birth Of a Nation” (1915). In the next film “Intolerance” (1916) he had a small role. The movie that broke him in Hollywood is “Orphans Of the Storm” with Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish. His most successful movies are: “The Romance of Tarzan”, “Something To Think About”, “Mademoiselle Midnight”, “Main Street”…  Monte Blue has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard. He died 1963. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

3. Theda Bara (1985-1955)

Theda Bara (Theodosia Burr Goodman) was popular an American silent film actress. She was the first sex symbol of Hollywood. She had the nickname “The Vamp”. Theodosia Burr Goodman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Hollywood she became Theda Bara, Studio publicists noted that the name was an anagram of  ”Arab Death”, and her agents its have placed the story that she was the daughter of an Arab sheik and a French woman. Theda Bara made more than 40 films between 1914 and 1926. Bara is often cited as the first sex symbol of the movies because she was wearing very revealing costumes in her films,which was very brave to start the 20th century. Her unknown films are: “Cleopatra”, “The Two Orphans”, “The Lure Of Ambition”, “The Unchastened Woman”… Many films in which Theda Bara appeared were lost in a fire at Fox Studios. Bara died  in 1955 in Los Angeles, California. Although it took a long time ago and today she is one of the most original and memorable personalities of Hollywood. Theda Bara has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

4. Roscoe Arbuckle(1887-1933)

Roscoe Conkling “Fatty” Arbuckle was famous American silent film actor, director, and screenwriter. He was born in Smith center in Kansas. As a young he showed a gift for music and acting. Despite his massive physical size, Arbuckle was remarkably agile and acrobatic. He was one of the highest paid actors of Hollywood. His specialty was the antics associated with a cake in the face, which eventually became one of the standards of visual comedy in film. He was actually the first major comedian off Hollywood. He was an actor who taught Charlie Chaplin and discovered Buster Keaton and Bob Hope. His most successful movies are: “A Noise From the Deep”, “Miss Fatty’s Seaside Lovers”, “The Butcher Boy”… He died of a heart attack, aged 46, in 1933. He  has a star on Hollywood walk of fame.

5. John Barrymore (1882-1942)

Barrymore was born in the Philadelphia. First gained fame like stage actor in comedies, then high drama and culminating in Shakespearean plays (Hamlet and Richard III).  Then begins his successful film career. Today John Barrymore is mostly known for his roles in movies like: “Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde” (1920), “Sherlock Holmes” (1922), “Grand Hotel” (1932), “Dinner at Eight” (1933), ”Twentieth Century” (1934),  and “Don Juan” (1926) the first ever movie to use a Vitaphone soundtrack. John Barrymore has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  He died, age 60, in Los Angeles, California.

6. Madge Kennedy(1891-1987)

Madge Kennedy was a movie and stage actress, born in Chicago, Illinois. Kennedy first started out on Broadway with the show, Little Miss Brown. After the huge success on Broadway begins her film career.  She starred in movies such as “Baby Mine” (1917), “Our Little Wife” (1918), “Perfect Lady” (1918), “Dollars and Sense” (1920)… After a few years she left the film and returned to New York and its stage. However, to the film she returns to the fifties. She was out of motion pictures until she resumed her career in “The Marrying Kind” (1952) and “Main Street to Broadway” (1953). After that, she had roles in “The Catered Affair” (1956), “Lust for Life” (1956), “Houseboat” (1958), “A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed” (1958)… She has a small role as a secretary in the Marilyn Monroe film “Let’s Make Love” (1960). Madge Kennedy died in Woodland Hills, California in 1987. She has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

7. Louise Brooks (1906-1985)

Mary Louise Brooks, known like Louise Brooks, was an American silent film actress. She was known for his hairstyle. She was born in Cherryvale, Kansas. Brooks began her entertainment career as a dancer in modern dance company in 1922. Two years after that she got fired from that troupe, but immediately after that she got a new job as a chorus girl in “George White’s Scandals” on Broadway. Soon people from Paramount Pictures noticed her and her movie career begins. Brooks made her screen debut in the silent “The Street of Forgotten Men” in 1925. After that she made the next films “American Venus”, “The show off”, “Now We’re in the Air”, “Windy Riley Goes Hollywood”, “Pandora Box”… ,,Pandora box” was recorded in Germany, where film was described as shocking. When she returned from Germany she was ignored and blacklisted. She died ,age 78, in Rochester, New York.

8. Norma Talmadge (1894-1957)

Norma Talmadge was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. She had great success in films of the twenties. She was one of the biggest movie idols and one of the most elegant and glamorous film stars of the twenties. Norma Talmadge was born Jersey city, New Jersey. Her younger sisters Constance Talmadge and Natalie Talmadge were also movie stars. Her most famous film was “Smilin’ Through” (1922), “Secrets” (1924) and “The Lady” (1925).Her movie career ended in 30′s, with the beginning of movies with sound (talkies). She died, age 63, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Norma Talmadge has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

9. Buster Keaton (1895-1966)

Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton  was an American comic actor, producer and writer. He is remembered by his nickname “The Great Stone Face” for his method acting. In addition to Charlie Chaplin is considered one of the best comedians ever. Keaton was born Joseph Frank Keaton in Piqua, Kansas. First appeared in the film, “The Butcher Boy” which is starring Roscoe Arbuckle famous that he was fed helped in his career. He has made many films, most notably: “One Week” (1920), “The Playhouse” (1921), “Cops” (1922), “Our Hospitality” (1923), “The Navigator” (1924), “The Cameraman” (1928), “The General”(1927)… His career did not stop with the advent of sound film. He was successful and on television. In 1950, Keaton had a successful television series, “The Buster Keaton Buster Show”. He was active until his death in 1966. Interesting to him is that he designed and modified his own “pork pie hats” during his career. That hat was one of his trademarks. He died, age 70,  in Woodlands Hills, California. Keaton has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for motion pictures and for television.

10. Pola Negri (1897-1987)

Pola Negri was a Polish stage and film actress who gained international fame from the 1910′s through the 1940′s during the Golden Era of Hollywood film. She is actually the first European to penetrate the actress in Hollywood and became an American actress. She was equally successful in silent and sound films. Negri was born Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec in Lipno, Poland. She began her career as a ballerina. She was accepted into the Imperial Ballet of Warsaw. However, due to illness she had to leave the ballet… After recovery she successfully auditioned for the Warsaw Imperial Academy of Dramatic Arts.

After that begins her successful acting career. She was very successful in Poland. She soon got a chance to move to Berlin. In Germany she starred in many silent films: “Mania”, “Der Gelbe Schein”, “Komtesse Doddy”… Soon she was noticed in Hollywood where her career started to rise. She made a lot of movies in Hollywood: “The Spanish Dancer” (1923), “Forbidden Paradise” (1924), “A Woman of the World” (1925), “Hi Diddle Diddle” (1943)… Negri retired from films and moved from Los Angeles to San Antonio, Texas, in 1957. She died, age 90, in San Antonio. Her death was caused by pneumonia and brain tumor. Pola Negri has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is 11th actress who has left his footprints  in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

1. Let’s start from Aladdin.

2.”True love” – The Little Mermaid.

Another seemingly impossible connection – a human and a mermaid. Two different worlds, but still together. This cartoon doesn’t stress social class differences that much as a will to fight for a true love. We all know a saying – the true love conquers all! Some even make fun of it, those are mostly people who failed at love. And because they failed, it means that there is no love, or that it can’t conquer all obstacles? Oh, come on… They have to ask themselves – did they fight hard enough, or better, was it really the TRUE love? Look what Ariel did, metaphorically - she disobeyed her father, the king, left her sisters and everything she knew for something completely unknown, she traded her voice for legs at sea witch’s, only to be with the one she loved! The moral of this cartoon is that we must fight for our loved ones, no matter how impossible or hard it seemed. No one says it will be easy, as it wasn’t for Ariel, but it pays off in the end. And for those who do not believe – love DOES conquer all!

3. Beauty and the Beast

Another love-related cartoon. One of the more complex ones. The first layer, or the first message of this cartoon that everyone can see is that the physical appearance isn’t the most important, but the inside beauty is what really matters. And that’s a good moral for the beginning. The second subliminal message is that a person who refuses love becomes a ‘beast’ in a way. Look at him – he refused love, and the enchantress turned him into a best that only can be saved by love. And only when he learns to ease and control his temper, become kind and appreciate people and things around him, he will become a person. The third, and the deepest underlying layer of the story is that Beauty and Beats represent two parts of a person – the rough and smooth one. In that case, the captivity in the castle represents that a person cannot ‘escape’ from her/himself and must work on bringing those parts together. Only when the rough part becomes smooth, and the smooth part learns how to control the rough one, a person really becomes complete. There is a motive of rose, which represents love through all the cartoon. The second and the third part a child could not really understand, so there is a proof that cartoons are not only for children.

4. The boy that everybody loves – Pinocchio

A cute wooden boy and his adventures is something we all watched and loved as children. As The Beauty and The Beast, Pinocchio also contains several levels of understanding. Let’s begin with the simplest one. The most obvious is that if you wish ‘upon a star your dreams come true’ and of course what makes everybody remember Pinocchio is his nose that grows every time he lies – so it is bad to lie. Certainly, those are things we teach our children, despite the fact that we all lie, sometimes… But, if you pay more attention and try to reveal other messages that Pinocchio is hiding you will be surprised, for sure. The cartoon is based upon several esoteric teachings. It begins with (our) creation. In the beginning Pinocchio is human-like, but still lifeless piece of wood, as to say an incomplete person. He must self-improve through self-discipline, self-knowledge and strong will power. The basic teachings of Gnostics. He starts his way through life. Father sends him to school, which is representing knowledge, but he is intercepted by Foul fellow the Fox, who shows him an ‘easy road to success’. So he comes to Stromboli, where he acts in a play. But, soon after, he realizes that it’s not the good way – he’s been captured in a cage, unable to go away, see his father, he will be replaced when something more interesting shows up and all the money he makes serves to enrich Stromboli. Rather realistic review of show-business. When he escapes the cage, with help of the Blue Fairy, he is again on the right road, together with his conscience – Jiminy Cricket. But for the second time, he meets the Fox, who takes him to the Pleasure Island – a place without school, meaning knowledge, and laws, meaning morals. Children are allowed to do everything – smoke, drink, destroy everything, and in the end of that kind of behavior, they become donkeys who are perfect for working in mines. It is a relation to the ‘narrow-minded’ masses, that can be controlled through mass media… Big, ignorant masses are fantastic thing to control and use as you wish. When he finally realizes that it is not a place for him, he escapes and goes home. He founds out that his father was swallowed by a whale. That is a parallel to a Book of Jonah, a story that can be found in Christianism, Judaism and Islam books. That’s Pinocchio‘s final test – he has to escape the darkness of the obtuseness and ignorance (represented by whale’s womb) in order to be a real boy, as to say an illuminated person. Meanwhile, he proved to be brave, unselfish and truthful, what the Blue Fairy asked him to become. Finally, he becomes a real boy!

5. The Chinese legend of Mulan

A rather newer cartoon than the previous ones, released in 1998, reveals the legend about a Chinese girl who couldn’t find herself in devoting to physical look and finding a perfect husband. As the first impression, you see a ‘division’ on male and female roles in the society. It is strongly specified that a man should work, maintain the family united, go to war if necessary, and a female has to feed the family, do the housework, look good and please the will of her husband. But, unlikely, in this cartoon we can see something completely different – a girl who couldn’t fit in, and whatever she did, she brought the shame on her family’s name. So, she found a way to express her real self through doing men’s stuff. She escaped from home and went to war disguised in a warrior. There, she found true friends and a perfect soul mate, who loved her for what she really was. For the first time in her life she felt good. The ‘Reflection’ song she sings perfectly shows it. So one moral of this story is that you must be true to yourself (‘True to your heart’) and follow your inner self, to find your place in this world and above all – to be truly happy, no matter what people say, they will always talk. On the other hand, this cartoon deals with two eternal motives – love and honor. She went to the army because of love she had for her father, to save him from certain death, and she returned her family the honor she stained, after showing extraordinary bravery in the battles. Some might say that it is a feminist cartoon, but I think it just counters the old male/female considering stereotypes.

6. Forever a child – Peter Pan

Another movie with a lot of hidden messages and theories. Peter Pan, a spirit of youth that will never die, a boy who doesn’t want to grow up, to lose the innocence of a child and confront to the responsibilities of an adult. That’s what it says in the beginning – All the children, except one, grow up. What does that mean? It means that the spirit is immortal, that we all should preserve some child-like attributes. A child’s happiness is an expression of love which it carries within, and the child cannot realize any different behavior (of adults). Running around and playing games are expressions of pure love and joy, but sometimes the adults (especially parents) limit their/a child, even punish it for that. But they forget that a child instinctively knows what’s essentially good or bad. A normal thing for a child is that if it feels threatened, it just defends itself and continues to play, but after several unpleasant experiences with adults, who suppress and stifle child’s love and happiness, they start to lose their innocence, bit by bit, and feel resentment. They’re no longer able to forgive, they’re frightened, because they don’t realize what were they punished for. And, of course, after years of treatment like this, they develop individual reactions that, unfortunately, make them the same as the adults. So, they grew up. I think that’s exactly what Peter Pan didn’t want, neither for himself nor for other children. In the beginning Peter lost his shadow at Wendy’s. Shadow was a subject of many psychological theories – K. G. Jung said that it represents a seat of creativity, a distant and indiscriminate aspect of mind, or repressed good characteristics or natural reactions. Wendy found his shadow and sewed it to Peter – so it means that one must confront his/her creativity, use it, try to reveal the unconscious side, not to repress things. And what about Captain Hook and the crocodile? Captain Hook is a grown up, he can’t stay in Neverland – a child’s state of mind, so he’s been chased by a crocodile, or better say the clock that ticks (louder in the Captain’s head than anywhere else) inside the crocodile, that is a constant reminder that the death is inevitable and the crocodile will be the executor. And in the end, when Wendy and her brothers come home by golden (once Captain Hook’s) ship, their father, though he didn’t believe in children’s stories etc, can see it, and he says ‘I have the strangest feeling that I’ve seen this ship before, a long time ago, when I was very young’. It clearly means that there is a bit of a child in each and every one of us, it is the question do we let it out or suppress it? Think about those stuff while raising your children. The last thing, did you notice that in this cartoon only children fly? A child’s mind knows no boundaries, there’s nothing impossible to a child.

Picture sources