Today's Hot links

10 Amazing Hotels Around the World

2011-08-15T03:54:00.000-07:00

If you are sick of the usual service and architecture you see everytime you travel, the following hotels are a must-try for every curious traveler. Each has a different construction and thematic, so you’re bound to find something you will enjoy. Here are 10 amazing, offbeat hotel destinations.

1. The Giraffe Manor is a luxurious and exclusive hotel located just outside Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, famous for its resident herd of giraffe. Apart from the top accommodation, you can enjoy Nairobi’s finest kitchens and bump heads with a giraffe or two. According to their website, the Giraffe Manor is the only place in the world where you can enjoy the breathtaking experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table and at the front door.

2. It’s not the comfort you’re usually accustomed with, but the dasparkhotel is an innovative hospitality tool many people are starting to enjoy. Located in Ottensheim, Austria, the offbeat hotel offers three 10-ton segments of drainage pipe, each 6.5 feet in diameter for you to stay in.

3. Located in Harlingen, one hour drive from Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Harbour Crane offers you total control over your accomodation. Used until 1996 to unload timber, the crane is now offered for day-time and night-time occupation by two people.

4. A hotel dog lovers will particularly enjoy, the Dog Bark Park Inn is a hotel located in Cottonwood, Idaho, in the shape of a beagle. Guests enter the body of the beagle from a private 2nd story deck. Some of the decorations and furniture inside the hotel are made by an artist to fit in with the hotel’s theme.

5. Perhaps one of the most luxurious places you can stay in is the Hotel Everland in Paris, a one-room inn on the roof of the Palais de Tokyo museum. The hotel includes bathroom, a king-size bed and a lounge, being only available one night. The view is one of the most magnificent – Seine and the Eiffel Tower shining bright at night. You can only make reservations online, just one random hour a day.

6. Mixing Turkish and European influence, the Marmara Antalya, in Antalya, Turkey, is Turkeyâ€™s most prestigious chain, taking pride in stunning views, great architecture and warm service. The exciting detail is that each of the two dozens room spins slowly so that guest take in the entire view.

7. Also located in Turkey is the Cappadocia Hotel, a building literally carved into the Yunak Evleri mountain cliff. It offers cave houses, just like the Flintones had, and a 19th century Greek mansion – complete with 30 rooms dating back to the 5th and 6th century.

8. Part of the Woodlyn Park in New Zealand (the Hobbit Motel) is likely the place where hobbits stayed while shooting Lord of The Rings. You can stay in one of the two hillside burrows that are almost identical to the ones J.R.R. Tolkien talks about in his books.

9. Just outside of Cave Junction, Oregon, the the Out ‘n’ About Treesort & Treehouse Institute offers 18 treehouses you probably couldn’t have dreamt up as a child. Many rooms have bathrooms and refrigerators. Some are located at an amazing height of 300 feet. Nothing better for a serene vacation than living it up in the woods.

10. Another interesting destination for New Zealand, Christchurch more precisely, is the Wagon Stays. The name says it all: you get to stay in wagons equipped with bathrooms, kitchens, and satellite TV. Wagon Stays offers the atmosphere of an early settlers wagon combined with modern facilities to maximize your comfort.

Walking Dead Season 2 Coming in July

2011-08-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

The Walking Dead Season 2 was supposedly going to be arriving next October but it seems that AMC is preparing to unload the new season on us fans much sooner then we all expected. Emmy Award winning actor Bryan Cranston told New York Magazine ( via The Daily Blam ) that Walking Dead season 2 is coming in July, 3 months earlier then we all expected saying quote;

“It was a decision from AMC that they wanted to position us in July… They want to attract as many eyeballs as possible, away from the heavy competition of the September, November [or] January start.”

The Hollywood Reporter was the one that broke the news that Walking Dead Season 2 would be coming in October shortly after the final episode of Season 1 Ended. My thoughts on why AMC was aiming for October again was to capitlize on the FEARFEST they do every Halloween but I also had said that I think the show could hold its own in any time frame and help boost AMC’s ratings during periods where they might not be as high. This new July release date shows that AMC is doing just that. Since Halloween already delivers them strong ratings a July release of Walking Dead Season 2 means they will get fantastic summer ratings now on their network.
Walking Dead Season 2 Darabont has revealed would take us into the second book and introduce some of the fantastic winter visuals that Volume 2 of Walking Dead did so well. Walking Dead Season 2 will be 13 episodes as opposed to the 6 episodes in the first season.

Top 10 Best Horror Movies of 2010 So Far

2011-08-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have been an admirer of movies since I was a kid and my tastes have evolved as I’ve gotten older. Nothing pleases me more than a slow artful drama, or a tasteless slapstick comedy all the way to brain-dead action flicks, but the one genre I will always have a passionate love for is horror. I may not be as versed in the genre as many horror-buffs, but as the years go by nothing really puts a smile on my face like a good jaunt into the world of horror. Every year I like to take a step back and recognize the films that spoke to me the most and while there is still a couple months to go I thought it’d be fun to take a look back and relive some of my favorites from this year so far.
Unfortunately, I feel like the horror releases both theatrically and direct-to-DVD have been extremely lackluster, and I had trouble filling out what I thought was a worthwhile list of 10 high quality films. The first four choices are all what I would call good films, but the real crème de la crème don’t kick in till the top six and I am keeping my fingers crossed that come December 31^st the first half of the list will look a little different. Most of these flicks are on DVD and Blu Ray right now so if you’re looking for something to watch this Halloween get to your nearest DVD retailer and pick one up or head out to the theater and check them out!
10. The Crazies – I knew that this film was a remake of a George Romero movie and admittedly I have never seen Romero’s original film. I cannot compare the two films, but while watching the update I can’t help but feel like the original moves a little slower and cares less about breakneck pacing to please today’s ADD audiences. I absolutely love Timothy Olyphant and his deputy in this flick though, as well as the intense nature of its pace.

9. Daybreakers – I had extremely high expectations for this film upon its release. The previews made this film out to look like it was going to be all kinds of crazy. What I got was considerably less so, serves me right for being fooled by the trailer. I found the film to be a lot slower than I was expecting and for as serious as it seemed the film wanted to be all the cheesy acting by Willem Dafoe and over the top gore at the end was sort of jarring. I really did enjoy the film though, but I was really hoping the filmmakers would explore the lore of Subsiders and the effects that the lack of blood had on the vampire population and less on the ridiculous discovery of the cure.

8. The Wolfman – I expect that this is not going to be a popular pick and had this year not been severely lacking in unbelievable horror films there is probably no way this would have been considered to be on the list. That being said I had a ton of fun watching this one; Del Toro is tragically miscast in the lead and the only time I enjoyed his character is when he was covered in hair, not speaking and decapitating everyone in his path. I really dug the werewolf makeup effects and transformation but when it came to the beast getting on all fours and moving at incredible speed, I found myself face palming more than once. Plus this film feature Anthony Hopkins chewing ever so delightfully on the scenery and a so bad it’s good final fight sequence that had me cringing and smiling all at the same time.

7. Piranha 3D – This film is not high art, it’s nothing but dumb fun. PIRANHA 3D was a film that knew what it was and it succeeding in being what it sought out to be. The flick doesn’t take itself too seriously, and presents itself as nothing but a throwback to the old cheesy movies where it was all about having some fun and watching people get mutilated, rather it be by a hockey mask wearing lunatic, a giant great white shark or thousands and thousands of bloodthirsty pre-historic fish. While basking in its final 10 to 15 minutes of glory I couldn’t help but wish there were some elements left out even though the film has a fast and furious pace and a pretty short run-time, but the little girl and boy plot could have easily been substituted for a few extended scenes of partying or underwater exploring with the scientific team. The 3D while decent was not a real necessity to the film and may have hampered my enjoyment just a bit.

6. The Last Exorcism – I don’t know exactly what I was expecting when I went in to this flick, but when I came out I certainly don’t think what I watched was at all what I imagined it would be. That in itself is just one of the reasons this film hooked me in and had me wishing it offered just a little more than it was willing to show. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of hand held style camera footage movies, but I would say that I am a moderate fan when it is done well and this is an example of it done well. THE LAST EXORCISM does not rely on cheap jump scares to have you squirming in your seat; it does it by creating and sustaining an uneasy tone and by the looks Nell, the girl being exorcised, shoots at the characters. Knowing if she is crazy or truly possessed becomes moot because you’re so drawn in to the story and how it presents itself to you. Each character comes to life so it’s not just Nell’s well-being you’re concerned about it’s everyone you’ve been watching throughout the film and the ending is without a doubt divisive, but it still was effective for me.

5. Let Me In – If you had asked me when LET ME IN was announced that it was going into production, if it was going to end up being on any “best of” lists I would have scoffed and laughed the question off. I had no hope for this film being any good considering how much I loved LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, which was my favorite horror film of 2008. Matt Reeve’s did a fantastic job of carrying over the tone of the Swedish film while also throwing in a little flair for jaded American audiences. It didn’t quite reach the level of appreciation I have for the original, but it still a very solid release, and for anyone not familiar with the Swedish version will probably love it more than me.

4. Paranormal Activity 2 – Anyone who has ever complained about the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY will likely not find the sequel too endearing. I waited years for the first to finally get released and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2’s release kind of snuck up on me. When I left the theater after watching it I for sure felt like the film was scarier than the first and also enhanced it. The first ended up being my favorite horror film from last year, and while I still love the sequel it loses a few points for being a little slower than its predecessor.

3. Frozen – I feel like Adam Green is a director that is going to take the world by storm should he ever get a huge budget and a fitting release to the films he makes. Sure his HATCHET films are over-the-top cheesy and tastelessly violent, but that’s why I like them (even though I haven’t seen HATCHET II). FROZEN is an extremely intense character piece with some very top notch performances especially from Emma Bell. The decisions made by characters are a contention amongst haters to the film, but I happen to be fascinated by how realistic Green portrays emotions in a time of panic and desperations.

2. Buried – I got to finally check BURIED out a few weeks ago, and the experience stuck with me for a long time after I finished watching it. I really believe that this is a movie that can be enjoyed over and over despite its minimalist setting and central premise. Ryan Reynold’s performance is extremely captivating and for a film that takes place entirely in a box just big enough to fit a human body, is very exciting to watch; kudos to Lionsgate for picking the film up for distribution, but shame on them for keeping the release so limited. Most might say this doesn’t belong on a horror list, but I’d argue that the horrific nature of what is happening to Reynold’s character is stuff that populates my worst nightmares.

1. Shutter Island – I had almost forgotten that this was released this year before I went back through everything I’ve had a chance to check out. This was released back in February and I remember being somewhat conflicted with how I felt upon viewing it the first time. I definitely knew that I liked it, and as it sat with me for a few days it grew and grew on me. Finally, when it was released on DVD and Blu Ray I picked it up immediately and rewatched it several times and it just got better after each viewing. Each subsequent viewing after knowing how it ends up makes DiCaprio’s performance fascinating to watch. Really hope he gets recognized for this come Oscar season.

Top 10 Modern Creature Feature Movies

2011-08-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of SUPER 8 it felt fitting to take a look back at some of my favorite creature features. For the list I considered everything from nature gone wild, mythical creatures, aliens and straightforward monster movies; I didn’t want to leave any species untouched. So hopefully I’ve been able to put together a wide selection of blood thirsty creatures of the cinema variety. The one theme I tried to stick close to was picking movies that are relatively recent without dipping into the well of older flicks, so keep that in mind if you have a beloved black and white creature feature you’re livid I haven’t included or any older film you felt deserved some love.
10. The Troll Hunter - Probably the most recent of the films on the list and currently available on demand and in a limited theatrical release is THE TROLL HUNTER. The film takes the found footage style and throws in some troll mythology and is both tense and interesting. There are some slower moments where the film loses a little of its momentum, but the troll designs are pretty fantastic and the CGI is impressive.

9. Rogue - I’m not sure how many people out there remember a little movie a while back called LAKE PLACID. I remember enjoying it at a younger age and thinking the idea of a giant crocodile or alligator was pretty intimidating and then I found ROGUE. This film was released under the Dimension Extreme label a few years back and was pleasantly surprised. ROGUE even proved that there was a time that Sam Worthington could act, but the star is mood and tension as well as the gigantic and brutal crocodile. It isn’t quite as action packed as some might expect but ROGUE is still an impressive representation of nature gone wild.

8. Splice - There is a specific moment in SPLICE that people often retreat to as the moment they absolutely hated the film. This moment while I don’t champion, is also something that ads an interesting dynamic to the film, both as a character study and in central conflict in the film. SPLICE is a slow and moody creature feature that abandons the deliberate pace in the finale with more audience friendly mayhem and yet another divisive twist to close out the events. Vincenzo Natali has a knack for an interesting story and his direction in SPLICE is admirably bold for making some of the choices he makes.

7. Feast - Director John Gulager will be delivering his vision of blood thirsty piranhas when PIRANHA 3DD is released but until then we can continue to watch his creature feature of FEAST. It took me a while to check this one out, but when I did I was not disappointed. Equal parts over-the-top violence and goofy humor the film has some pretty gag inducing effects and laugh out loud moments as well. Feel free to check out the vastly inferior sequels of SLOPPY SECONDS and THE HAPPY FINISH as well but don’t expect the same enjoyment that the first FEAST dishes out.

6. Piranha 3D - PIRANHA worked well in theaters in 3D but it worked just as well in 2D when it was released on DVD. Alexander Aja orchestrated one extremely brutal 12 minute symphony of mayhem during the beach massacre towards the end of the film that was worth the ticket price or DVD purchase. Not only that but I’m sure there’s a fair share of dudes that are still suffering from a stiff wrist watching the underwater ballet between Riley Steele and Kelly Brook. Bottom line is that PIRANHA was nothing but pure popcorn fun and I can’t wait for more piranha mayhem in 3DD.

5. Splinter - A lot of times some of my favorite movies are ones I had no awareness of and either came out of nowhere or I stumbled upon while scoping the web. SPLINTER is a film I’d seen talked about in several outlets and decided to give it a shot and not only was I surprised, but I was blown away at how inventive and riveting it was. The idea behind the creature was relatively simple but executed in a pretty interesting way and the performances were also very good. Some of my favorite settings in movies are single location films because they provide a feeling of isolation and SPLINTER does just that with its gas station setting. Director Toby Wilkins for me is one to watch and probably the only reason I might check out a few episodes of the Teen Wolf TV series on MTV.

4. The Descent - For the majority of the film people would be confused why I would call this a creature feature. Barely any creature shows up for quite some time, in fact the creatures only assist in the already unbearable claustrophobic setting. The descent is a nightmare for people who have problems even watching people in confined spaces and it’s also so effective and memorable because of the tight spaces within the caves the women in the film are climbing through. When the creatures finally show up we’re thrust into an even worse nightmare where the women not only have to battle darkness and tight spaces but monsters than can navigate it with ease. Neil Marshall’s THE DESCENT is a monster movie all horror fans should become acquainted with at some time or another.

3. The Mist – Frank Darabont really knocked it out of the park with THE MIST. I love claustrophobic settings and a bunch of people trapped in a grocery store with creatures from another world creates a pretty tense tone. The CGI is a little shaky here and there but the creature designs are pretty great and pile the intensely dark and depressing ending then THE MIST makes for a very unforgettable experience.

2. Cloverfield - I will always remember the first time I saw CLOVERFIELD. The anticipation I had up until the first reel was almost unbearable with the ad campaign and the secrecy behind blurring or obscuring the creature shots from trailers and clips had me at mercy. I don’t have the hatred for shaky cam that others have and watching CLOVERFIELD on opening night was an incredible experience. The movie is fast and furious, the creature design was fantastic, sound design was brilliant and the integration of the special effects was unforgettable. CLOVERFIELD is a film that takes minimal time commitment because it’s just barely over an hour long so it’s always a film in my regular DVD rotation.

1. King Kong - The classic movie monster King Kong redone for the modern day was a film I completely adored when it was released. My one complaint is the length, but I found the visual effects especially in the finale when Kong is battling the planes are stunning. Peter Jackson’s KING KONG is great through and through as an adventure, romance and drama and even with the bloated runtime I can watch this film over and over.

Hot Potato: ‘UFC Rio’ Ring Girl Maria Melilo

2011-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

According to Terra Sports (via MMAMania), Brazilian model Maria Melilo has reportedly been hired as a guest Octagon Girl for UFC 134, August 27th in Rio De Janeiro — beating out other local ring girl hopefuls like Carol Dias and Juliana Salimeni. (Update: According to MMAFighting, none of them will be used. Well that sucks.) But don’t worry, she’s qualified. Maria (also known as “Meg”) has held round-cards for Brazilian MMA promotions including Jungle Fight, has appeared in Brazilian Playboy, and won the 11th season of Big Brother Brasil. Check out lots more photos of her after jump, and share your thoughts in the comments section…

The Ten Hottest Women of American Idol

2011-08-13T10:37:00.001-07:00

10. Amy Davis

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? The gorgeous Amy Davis worked to launch a music career even after she was eliminated from American Idol. She worked as a model and television host but for the past few years has been out of the spotlight.

9. Bikini Girl (Katrina Darell)

Appeared on: Season 8
Where is she now? We all remember that she couldn’t really sing but she did have the you know what to walk into the Idol audition with a bikini-off. She also came back to the season finale and forced a bikini-off contest with then-judge Kara DioGuardi.

8. Katharine McPhee

Appeared on: Season 5
Where is she now? She finished as a runner-up to Taylor Hicks but captured the attention of millions of fans with her great voice and amazing looks. Since her days on Idol, Katharine has recorded several albums, gotten married and even had a few minor television roles. She has a new album due out in 2011.

7. Kelly Pickler

Appeared on: Season 5
Where is she now? She was the silly country-girl and in that respect, not much has changed. Kellie has toured with some of the biggest acts in country music, dated bad boys like Kid Rock, and released several #1 singles. Kelly recently tied the knot with her boyfriend Kyle Jacobs. The two gave up their elaborate wedding plans and opted for a private beach-wedding.

6. Nadia Turner

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? We’re not sure what Nadia has been doing lately but in the years following her Idol appearance she released 2 studio albums, both to limited success. Nadia also participated in a USO tour shortly after her time on Idol was over.

5. Jennifer Lopez

Appeared as an American Idol Judge, Season 10
Where is she now? Jennifer Lopez makes it to the top ten, not only because she is one of the most beautiful women in the world but also because she jumped on board what seemed to be the Titanic and dodged the iceberg. She has been an interesting addition to the show through the auditions and Hollywood rounds and we can’t wait for the live shows to start.

4. Syesha Mercado

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? After recording her first studio album, Syesha worked on several tours, opening for acts around the country. Beginning in 2009 and running through December 2010, she toured with the theatre company for Dreamgirls.

3. Carrie Underwood

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? Carrie Underwood is one of the most celebrated artists in Country Music and the top-selling Idol of all-time. Carrie jumped from the Idol stage to the top of the country charts and hasn’t fallen. Last year Carrie married hockey player Mike Fisher, and seems to be rolling right into the next phase of her life.

2. Alaina Alexander

Appeared on: Season 6
Where is she now? It was a shocking vote when Alaina exited early from season 6 of American Idol. Since then, she has worked hard to model and contnues to write songs. Alaina had said during the audition process that Idol was her last chance to pursue her music career. After 6 years of struggling in LA, she had decided to pack it in.

1. Ashley Hartman

Appeared on: Season 2
Where is she now? Shortly after Ashley was eliminated from American Idol she landed a modeling contract. This California girl has modeled, hosted a reality series for MTV, and stayed busy acting. She is one of the few contestants to pose for Maxim magazine.

19 of the Greatest Science Fiction Book Series

2011-08-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Science Fiction writers—much like their cousins over in Fantasy—are renowned for being able write volume upon volume of prose, great tracts of novels, seemingly without end. Often these tomes are filled with nothing so much as overly lengthy location descriptions and predictable plots. However, some of the true greats of Science Fiction have surpassed the limits of the form, and created vast inter-twined plots set across multiple novels, and multiple time periods.

19. The Odyssey Series by Arthur C. Clarke

2001: A Space Odyssey is an undisputed masterpiece in the field of Science Fiction—it’s too bad the sequels can’t say the same thing. 2010, 2061 and 3001 just couldn’t live up to the power of the original. Perhaps it’s because the novel was written in conjunction with the immensely influential film, or maybe Clarke tired of the saga of the monoliths. None of them are bad novels, it’s just the blinding strength of the first in the series makes them dim in comparison. I do have a soft spot for 3001 especially, though I have no idea why. Also, if you can get hold of it, try and read the comic adaptation of 2001, it was one of Jack Kirby’s finest works.

18 Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Regardless of what you think of his politics, OSC wrote an amazing novel in Ender’s Game. It’s a book that just about every high school boy connects with on a deeply visceral level. However, like some of the other series on this list, it suffered diminishing returns. After the astonishing Ender’s Game, Card went on a more philosophical bent with Speaker For The Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind—which is where many readers lost the series. To be fair, at this point they are a bit dry, but still readable. It was after this that Card wrote the Shadow novels, a parallel set of stories that felt like he was milking the franchise. Then there was A War of Gifts: An Ender Story, about which the less said the better.

17. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

I can’t be the only kid, who at the age of 10 found myself entranced by the futuristic yet feudal world of Pern, with its engineered fire-breathing dragons, deadly threadfall, and telepathic bonding. Impressive in their longevity (19 novels and counting) McCaffrey’s Pern stories are perhaps not the most cerebral of novels, and they sit on a line somewhere between SciFi and Fantasy that can cause many a pedantic argument. Yet even for all this, they’re extremely fun reads for young adults, and maintain their interest throughout the series.

16. Barsoom by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Starting with Princess of Mars, and on for 11 novels and countless stories, the grand high king of pulp crafted the tales of Barsoom, the dying world of Mars. Populated by giant four-armed brutes, beautiful topless aliens, noble beasts and immense treasures, the stories inspired generations of writers to follow. By today’s eyes, they’re misogynistic, racist and colonialist, but for the time were ripping good yarns. The staid morality found therein has dated poorly, but if you can turn off modern sensibilities for a couple of hundred pages, the sheer scope of adventure will draw you in. Plus, there’s an upcoming John Carter film by Mark Andrews and Andrew Stanton of Pixar.

15. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

A recent series of novels, of which The Last Colony was a Hugo nominee for best novel in 2008. The series puts humanity as a troubled race in a universe full of other species, which they must battle against for livable planets. Adults at the age of 65 are allowed to sign up for the military, and when they join, their brains are transferred to younger clones, jam packed with nanotech and genetically souped up abilities, before being sent into the fray. Comparatively short to the other entries on this list (only four novels at present), Scalzi’s series artfully combines military action with philosophical depth, and has been compared to Heinlein at his best.

14. Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell

Another recent series, Buckell’s Crystal Rain and its sort-of sequels are a refreshing take on science fiction, that challenges the traditional Euro-centrism of the genre. What does that mean? Buckell’s from the Caribbean, and he adds a distinctive flavor to his work, bringing island patois and outlook to series. Well, maybe series is the wrong term. The three novels are independent of one another, but take place in the same universe, and share a common character or two—including the Rastafarian badass Pepper. The second novel in the trilogy — Ragamuffin — was nominated for a Nebula.

13. The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

Okay, calling the Baroque Cycle Sci Fi is perhaps debatable. It’s alternate history (more or less), but Stephenson say’s it’s Sc iFi, and who the hell am I to argue with Neal Stephenson. Notoriously long, the Baroque Cycle is made up of eight books spanning three volumes spanning 1660-1714, and is heavily thematically linked to the development of science and technology. It’s also deeply concerned with alchemy, numbers, cryptology and linguistics, because, well, it’s Stephenson, and that’s the sort of shit he’s into. If you ever struggled with his other work (I know that the end of Snowcrash left me a bit headachey), Baroque Cycle probably won’t be for you, but for fans of super-dense concepts and ideas, you can’t beat Stephenson.

12. Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons

Okay, let’s take one of the key works of English fiction — Canterbury Tales — and recast it in the far future, about a group of pilgrims going to the tombs of Hyperion. Well, that’s the first novel in the quartet, and the conceit is dropped after that. However, the Hyperion Cantos is a magnificent work of literary depth, filled with allusions to seminal works of English literature, plus the machinations of a human interplanetary Government on the verge of collapse. Religion, death, war, and FTL travel mingle with references to John Keats.

11. Seafort Saga by David Feintuch

Feintuch has a habit of creating main characters that are utter bastards. Not in the badass kinda way, but just complete assholes. They’re usually doing the best they can in the situation, but they’re massively flawed — and all the more endearing for that. Nicholas Seafort is a rigid adherent to the rules, and has an unusually strict moral code. Set in the 22nd century, the Saga is spread over 7 books (and one more in the works) following Seafort from being a Midshipman to the leader of Earth, and usually stuck making horrible no-win situations along the way. The original four novels are probably the strongest, but it’s an incredible body of work, and intriguing in its world building.

10. Lensman by Edward Elmer “Doc” Smith.

This classic series of pulp novels from the 30s and 40s became a major influence on a generation of SciFi writers and comic book creators. Hell, the Green Lantern Corp is pretty much a direct ripoff of Lensmen. Intergalactic police force. Check. Ancient benevolent aliens. Check. Alien artifact that confers new powers on the members of the force. Check. Yeah, there’s a few similarities. In Lensman, the members are given a Lens, a symbiotic creature which gives them the mental powers of telepathy with which to police the galaxy, with plenty of now dated rip-roaring adventure, and more than a fair share of Eugenics.

9. The Culture Cycle by Iain M. Banks

Over eight loosely connected books, Scottish author Iain M. Banks, the Culture is described as a grand, a futuristic pan-species society, a liberal anarchy, completely egalitarian and loosely governed by super-intelligent AIs. The world is “post-scarcity”, so completely past any limits of food, health or age. So how do you write stories about such a utopia? Hell, how do you write eight books plus short stories about it? You focus on the people that do the dirty work, and help other societies get closer to joining the Culture.

8. Riverworld by Philip José Farmer

Imagine every human who ever lived was suddenly resurrected on the banks of an unimaginably long river. Every person who had ever lived from the point of early homo sapiens onwards, with all their food needs met and their cultures in conflict. So what happens? Well, a whole bunch of 20th century rock stars play gigs, some people enslave others, and Mark Twain builds a steamboat. As flippant as that may seem, Farmer takes a diverse array of disparate historical figures, liberally mixes in original ones, and sets them the task of figuring out the how and why of their sudden resurrection. While the series does lose its strength in later volumes, it wins massive points for originality, and involving very interesting characters.

7. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson

Describing the Illuminatus! Trilogy is an exercise in foolishness. Massive conspiracies, alternate dimensions, sex, drugs, rock & roll, fnord, all hail Eris Discordia. Everything about the novels borders on post-modern absurdism, which makes them essential reading. It’s a rambling ode to time travel and unreliable narrators. Everybody fucks everybody else, and there’s a rather passive aggressive dwarf. It reads a bit like a darker Hitchhiker’s Guide, packed with black humor and surrealism. Read it, your brain will appreciate the exercise. Fnord.

6. The Sprawl Trilogy by William Gibson

For me it was a toss-up wether to choose Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy Bridge trilogy. Both are similar in style, and Gibson’s cyberpunk is in fine form on both series. Sprawl has slightly more known, comprised of the excellent Neuromancer (1984), Count Zero (1986) and Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988), plus three volumes of short stories. These are the archtypical cyberpunk. Those infamous grey skys, console cowboys, cybernetic killing machines and nation sized Zaibatsus. While cyberpunk feels dated under the light of modern technology, it still packs a gritty punch.

5. Michael Moorecock’s Multiverse

Oh boy, the multiverse. Spread over dozens of novels ranging every setting imaginable, Moorecock’s Multiverse is SciFi, Fantasy, and just about every other genre you can think of. There’s steampunk, high fantasy, post-apocalyptic wastelands, time traveling dandies, Russian assassins, evil Sun Gods, and much more. Yet throughout such disparate novels you will constantly find recurring characters in the archetypes of the Eternal Champion, the Lords of Order and the Dukes of Chaos, who battle for control of the multiverse, while others fight for the balance. While it’s impossible to call Moorecock’s most famous character — Elric — SciFi, Jerry Cornelius and the Dancers at the End of Time definitely are.

4. Dune by Frank Herbert

This series is contentious. Few dispute the grandeur and influence of Dune itself, but the sequels (Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune) are more philosophical and at times much harder to follow. Following Dune’s success perhaps Herbert grew self-indulgent. Unfortunately, he died before finishing the final book in the famous series, so we’ll never know how the epic of sandworms and spice will end. And no matter what anybody says, the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson books NEVER EXISTED!

3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

If you haven’t read this five book trilogy, you’re a bad person. Quite possibly the funniest works of the English language, the absurdist comedy of HGttG is an instant barometer of someone’s worth. If they find it funny, they can be considered a decent human being. Any other view should lead to instant shunning and social ostracization. If you have read the books, consider listening to the radio plays as well. They’re slightly different, and provide a bit of a different view on the story. As with Dune, I refuse to acknowledge the existence of the Eoin Colfer sixth book.

2. Ringworld by Larry Niven

You want to blame anyone for Halo, you might as well level your ire at Niven. If it weren’t for his fantastic stories about an artificial ring planet, hidden deep in space, then the iconic look — and name — of Halo wouldn’t even exist. Technically part of Niven’s significantly larger Known Space series, there are seven books devoted just to this curious alien artifact, filled with genetically altered humans and a vast amount of unimaginable technology. What’s funny is that the sequel to the original book was only written to try and patch up the scientific flaws in the first, due to bitching by fans.

1. The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov

Where do you start with Foundation? Arguably Asimov’s most famous body of work, if won the Hugo Award for “Best All-Time Series” in 1966, and covers around 500 years of time over seven novels — chronicling the attempts of a small planet at the ass-end of the galaxy to preserver the knowledge of humanity from various dark ages. Guiding them are messages left by the long dead Harry Seldon, who figured out how to mathematically predict the actions of massive groups of humans. To prevent a 30,000 dark age, he sets up a colony at the edge of the galaxy, and falsely tells them they’re to put together an encyclopedia of all knowledge, when their actual task is to shorten those barbaric times down to a single millennium. It’s an amazing set of novels, and rightly deserves its renowned as the greatest series in all of Science Fiction.

15 Bizarre Experiments Gone Tragically Wrong

2011-08-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

“Are you a human being between the ages of 1 and 99 who often, sometimes or never has trouble falling asleep? If so, you’re a perfect candidate for a clinical study!” These things are advertised all over the place, and if you don’t mind a team of doctors probing at you like you’re a Kentucky potato farmer in a spaceship, it can be a great way to earn a little extra cash. But before reaching into your empty wallet for a business card on which to jot the clinic’s number, keep in mind that these things don’t always go so well.

The Stanford Prison Guard Experiment

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In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo placed 24 undergrads in a mock prison to see what would happen when people stopped being polite and started getting real.    Unfortunately, things got a little too real. The students were randomly split into two groups: prisoners and guards. They were outfitted with uniforms and even worked under a fake warden, played by Zimbardo himself. The prisoners had to stay in their cells 24/7, but the guards worked in shifts and could go home when off-duty.    Though intended to last two weeks, the experiment was shut down after a short six days. The guards had become hostile and physically abusive, and the prisoners were showing signs of extreme stress, anxiety and depression. The fake prison environment became so compelling for the participants that even Zimbardo fell prey to the illusion and turned a blind eye to the aggression of the guards and the anxiousness and passivity of the prisoners. Sanitary conditions declined remarkably. The guards attacked the protesting prisoners with fire extinguishers on only the second day of the experiment. Prisoners were also forced to count off their ‘numbers’, and one was even locked in a closet (which they called ‘solitary confinement’) for going on a hunger strike.   This experiment marked the end of the golden age of psychology… that is, the time when you could get away with anything and not have to worry about so-called “regulations” and “crimes against humanity”. When all was said and done, the once psychologically healthy participants were returned to their normal lives. Don’t worry about them; they were compensated $15 dollars a day for their trouble, and with a good health plan, that will cover the co-pay for their therapists.    

The Milgram Obedience Experiments

Intrigued by the testimony of World War II war criminal Adolph Eichmann claiming that he was merely following instructions when he ordered the deaths of millions of Jews, Milgram devised an experiment to test the strength of human will against the power of perceived authority.    He created an elaborate (though fake) machine, donned a white lab coat, and recruited 40 men from newspaper ads to join him in this lab one by one. Told that they were participating in an experiment about education, the participants (dubbed “teachers”) were told to ask a series of questions to an unseen man (the “student”) and use the machine to deliver him an electric shock for each incorrect answer.    The teachers were told that the shock generator, which looked like something out of a bizarre sci-fi nightmare, could administer shocks from 30 volts to 450 volts Its switches were labeled “slight shock”, “moderate shock”, “danger: severe shock,” and “XXX”. They weren’t told what the “XXX” button does, but I doubt they thought it meant “Vigorous Tickle”.    Now, remember that the shocks weren’t real. The student was merely an actor helping Milgram with the experiment. But as the shock level increased and the student pleaded, screamed, screeched, squealed and begged to be released, the teachers almost always kept shocking him for each wrong answer and failure to respond. It wasn’t that they wanted to. Many displayed signs of extreme stress and anxiety, but were unable to refuse the authority of the “doctor”.
65% of the participants delivered “XXX” shocks to the struggling actor behind the curtain, all because some dude in a white coat urged them on, saying “You must continue… It is essential that you continue.” Pretty shocking, to say the least.      

Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

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In 1928 a representative of a Chicago-based charity approached the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) with a simple mission: to offer medical aid to impoverished African Americans in the South.    The PHS and the Chicago-based Rosenwald fund began to treat men with syphilis across a number of counties in Georgia, but when the Great Depression hit, the Rosenwald Fund had to withdraw its support. The members of the PHS contemplated the old adage that when life gives you lemons, you should make a national scandal. Rather than scrap the study, they reorganized it. The study was “salvaged” and changed into an examination of the effects of untreated syphilis on living subjects.    The PHS teamed up with the Tuskegee Institute, an organization with a strong history of service to local African Americans. The participants received free medical exams, food, free transportation and the guarantee that their burial fees would be comped. How this didn’t raise a few eyebrows, it’s hard to say. But then again, these men weren’t really informed of too much. They weren’t even told that they had syphilis. Lest some other medical organization with wacky, unorthodox methods try to actually help their patients get better, the PHS worked round the clock to prevent other agencies from offering medical treatment to study participants.    In 1943, the PHS finally had access to penicillin which they administered as a cure to all patients with syphilis. This was a fabulous opportunity to get back to their roots and the original mission of their study. What was that original mission again? To help poor African Americans? It’s hard to remember, and the PHS had long forgotten as well. They refused to administer this miracle drug to study participants who would die without it. In 1972 the study was finally brought to an end with the help of whistle-blower working with the PHS. He leaked the story to the press and the national embarrassment could at last be felt.

Dr. Robert Bartholow

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Not all clinical studies are advertised on subways and newspapers. Sometimes you don’t sign up or get paid, but just kind of land in the study by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is what happened to a woman named Mary Rafferty.
Dr. Robert Bartholow was the nineteenth century medical community’s answer to Hannibal Lecter. His victims, by which I mean patients (by which I mean victims), were not too thankful for this can-do attitude of his. Mary Rafferty was a 30-year-old patient who had a 2-inch-diameter hole in her skull as the result of a cancerous ulcer. As if this poor woman didn’t have it bad enough with the cancer and, you know, the giant hole in her head, Dr. Bartholow decided to try out some of his craziest experiments on her. Bartholow zapped the exposed brain tissue here and there with small electrical currents. When Rafferty said that it didn’t hurt, the good doctor took that as a sign to up the voltage. If it doesn’t sting a little, after all, why electrocute your brain? Where’s the thrill? With the strengthened electrical current coursing through her brain, Rafferty complained of pain, began convulsing and soon went into a coma. Three days later she awoke. She suffered a major seizure the very next day and died. Bartholow shrugged his shoulders. That cancer is a killer, he explained. Nothing he could do to change that. In an ideal world, Bartholow would have been thrown in prison for the rest of his life for this unethical, human experimentation. We do not live in an ideal world. He was lightly criticized by the AMA and then became Professor Emeritus at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.  

Project MK-ULTRA

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Project MK-ULTRA is the name of a terrifying, covert CIA study conducted from the early 1950’s to the late 60’s. Everyone was up to some wild stuff in the 60’s. Woodstock, Janis Joplin, love beads, lava lamps, and more. I think we can forgive the CIA the same way we forgive Baby-Boomers for what transpired in this embarrassing decade of free love and excessive drug use.    Of course, the CIA wasn’t so concerned with taking LSD and putting on a record as it was with administering LSD to other people (U.S. and Canadian citizens) to see if it was a viable method of mind control. And they weren’t so much about free love as they were about utilizing a cornucopia of nightmarish methodologies to manipulate, control, subdue, and violate people. The surreptitious administration of LSD was just one of these. They also secretly gave people a lot of other drugs and chemicals, tested truth serums, physically and sexually abused people, isolated individuals and put them into forced sensory deprivation, and much more.    In the 70’s when the Baby-Boomers were watching Grease and trying to overcome the hangover of the previous decade, the lid was blown off of Project MK-ULTRA by the U.S. Congress and something called the Church Committee. A cache of documents was uncovered and the reality of these tests, carried out on unwitting people “at all social levels, high and low, native Americans and foreign”. Man oh man, the 60’s were nuts. But at least they gave us Simon & Garfunkel.  

Monkey Drug Trials

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Monkeys can be really cute, especially when doing things that people do. Wearing little shirts and hats, smiling, drawing pictures and even learning sign language are all so endearing. But monkeys are not so cute when taught to partake in the darkest corners of human behavior, like addiction to hard drugs. If you ever see a gang of junkie chimpanzees walking down the street late at night, turn and walk (or run for your freaking life) in the other direction. This might be the most important lesson gleaned from the “Monkey Drug Trials.”
In 1969 a bunch of monkeys were trained to use a wide array of drugs including morphine, codeine, cocaine, amphetamines and booze. Once they had learned to swig, snort and shoot themselves up sufficiently they were left on their own with a large supply of grade-A stuff. They tried to escape, were driven into a frenzy, tore off their own fingers, peeled off their own fur, and many died. The simple point of the study, to understand the way addiction and drug use functions in humans, seems to have been missed. After all, there are enough people who do this stuff willingly to themselves. Go ask them for their stories and memoirs, why don’t you? Can’t we leave the cute little hat-wearing chimps out of it?

Willowbrook State School

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From 1963 to 1966 a number of atrocities were carried out in a clinical study that took place at the Willowbrook State School in New York. The school, which catered to “mentally defective persons”, undertook a research project regarding the effects of infectious hepatitis and also to test gamma globulin, a type of antibody, as an effective prevention of the disease or treatment of it.    You’d think anyone working in a school for “mentally defective persons” would have some sympathy for them. Unfortunately they were apparently seen as nothing more than human guinea pigs. The subjects of the study, all of whom were children, were intentionally infected with hepatitis — some of them through forced consumption of the stool of infected individuals. While this study was taking place, the Willowbrook School closed its doors to students who did not participate in the study. Thus, uninformed parents desperate for the specialized help that the Willowbrook School could offer their children signed their kids up.    Not even kids in Dickens novels get treated this unethically, all the more evidence that the only “mentally defective persons” in the building were the faculty who turned a blind eye and the doctors who conducted the research.    

Unit 731

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Unit 731 was a part of the Imperial Japanese Army in charge of covert chemical and biological warfare research during World War II. Headed by one of history’s unsung d-bags, Shiro Ishii, their labs did research that involved the vivisecting of live human test subjects, many of whom were pregnant and many of whom were forcefully impregnated by the doctors themselves. People were injected with diseases, limbs were removed and then reattached to other parts of the body, individuals were frozen and thawed to test gangrene, and prisoners were raped repeatedly by individuals with syphilis and gonorrhea to conduct testing on said STDs.  In a distortion of logic, morality, justice and everything good in this world, Ishii was granted immunity by the American Occupation Authorities and lived as a free man until the ripe old age of 67. An extremely graphic movie, The Men Behind the Sun, documented the horrific events in terrifying detail.   

Otto Lilenthal’s Last Flight

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The desire to take to the skies with the elegance and freedom of an eagle or a dove has echoed in the human imagination since we first emerged from the caves and gazed at the splendor of the heavens. It has also led a great deal of intelligent men to die embarrassing, clumsy deaths dressed as giant man-birds. Otto Lilienthal, widely known as “the Glider King” had been so successful with his gliding flights that the dream of sustained flight seemed within reach. But on a flight in 1896 he plummeted 17 meters and made a beeline to that great chicken coop in the sky. Reportedly his last words were “Small sacrifices must be made!” Well, those might have been his last words on land, but it’s safe to assume this his actual last words were, “Oh shit!”    

MIT Study Fiasco

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College students will do anything for money… except work. Clinical studies seem tailor made for the university community. A couple hours of being examined, turn and cough, and voila! Enough money for a box of cereal and a dime bag. But it might be better to just get a job at the Dairy Queen off campus.    In a tragic case of research gone wrong, a 19-year-old student at the University of Rochester died after participating in an MIT study being carried out in the U of Rochester Medical building . The study, which focused on the role of airborne chemicals in lung cancer, died two days after receiving a bronchoscopy (an intensive inside view at a person’s airways) along with a fatal does of the antithetic lidocane.    The president of the University of Rochester called the death of Hoiyan (Nicole) Wan “particularly tragic” as she died in support of “one of the basic missions of the University — research that will enable individuals to lead better lives.” It’s unclear whose lives were supposed to be bettered by a careless study like this, but there were no reported deaths at the Dairy Queen all year long.    

The Aversion Project

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Tired of those pesky homosexuals always sneaking into their armed forces, the government of apartheid era South Africa conducted a number of experiments on its gay and lesbian members to see if homosexuality could be effectively cured.    The army forced over 900 gay and lesbian individuals to undergo unwanted sex-change operations throughout the 70’s and 80’s. This, of course, was only a last resort if the aversion therapies didn’t work out. The aversion therapies included electric shock, hormone therapy, and forms of sexual abuse. If these methods didn’t work, they sought new solutions through chemical castrations and radical surgeries.    While the individuals who were subjected to these horrible experiments have and will have to deal with these consequences for the rest of their lives (many of them were young at the time, the majority estimated between 16 and 24), the doctor in charge of these procedures has had to deal with very little. Dr. Aubrey Levin is currently Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary’s med school. He also operates a private practice with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.    

Elizabeth Fleischman Ascheim

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Perhaps wary of the danger a clinical study can pose to its participants, some doctors prefer to test on themselves. This way, they don’t have to deal with waivers, payments, or the possibility of becoming a murderer in the name of science. But sometimes they end up dead.   Elizabeth Fleischman Ascheim thought she had it all. She had even bagged a handsome, Jewish doctor as her husband, which very well might be the American dream. A dutiful wife with a healthy dose of intellectual curiosity, she quit her humdrum job as a bookkeeper to join her husband, Dr. Wolf, in the lab with his X-Ray machines. Turns out that those heavy lead smocks you have to put on at the dentist’s office are actually doing you a very valuable service. Her petticoats proved no protection against the intensity of the X-Ray machines. In 1905 Elizabeth Ascheim died, hoisted by her own petard.
 

Karl Soucek

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A famous tombstone reads, “It is not whether you fail or triumph, it’s that you keep your word and at least try.” Written upon the grave of Karl Soucek, this is a message of daring, most certainly, but with enough outright stubbornness to make sure anyone who reads it understands why it’s on a gravestone in the first place.    Karl Soucek was a professional stuntman and daredevil who planned to ride down Niagara Falls in a special, protective capsule of his own design. Not one to be careless, he decided to test his genius in a simulation. The simulation, however, was just as terrifyingly dangerous as the actual stunt.    With the backing of a financial company seeking publicity, Karl Soucek tumbled down an artificial waterfall from the very top of the Astrodome in Texas. Intending to land in the pool at the bottom, Soucek veered off course and hit the rim of the pool instead. He died the next day.    I wonder if that tombstone quote came from the day before this accident or from the hospital bed the day after. Perhaps in a case like this the important thing is whether you triumph or fail, and not whether you stick to your bizarre personal declaration to fall down a waterfall in a barrel. The whole thing probably started with a drunken dare in a pub, anyway.
 

David Reimer

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In 1965 a baby boy named David Reimer went to the hospital for a routine circumcision which ended in the accidental removal of his penis. Devastated by this horrible loss, David’s parents took the advice of psychologist John Money and gave baby David a sex change operation. He became Brenda Reimer and was never told the truth about his gender.
Little did the Reimer’s know, they were participating in an experiment at the hands of Dr. John Money . Seeking to prove his hypothesis that gender was a result purely of nurture and not of nature, Money believed that this once-in-a-lifetime chance to experiment would vindicate his belief.
The ordeal had a devastating toll on the Reimer family. Brenda’s mother was suicidal and her father an alcoholic. When she was 14 years old, and still displaying behavior typical to boys, Brenda was at last told the truth by her parents. It’s hard to imagine this conversation. Brenda’s choice was to become David again. She received a reverse sex-change operation, stopped taking estrogen, and tried to lead a normal life. Sadly, David committed suicide at 38.

The Monster Study

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They say that children make great test studies. After all, most of them are too short to reach the phone and dial the number of a good lawyer. This must have been comforting to the men behind what is now called “The Monster Study. ” But then again, what if their parents sue? Just use orphans! Brilliant.    The Monster Study, conducted using 22 orphaned children as test subjects in 1939, was designed to study the cause of stuttering and speech pathology in children. Wendell Johnson of the University of Iowa was the head of the study but utilized the help of a graduate student of his, Mary Tudor, to carry it out. The children were split into two groups. Tudor administered positive speech therapy to one group and negative therapy to the other half. Positive therapy included praising, positive reinforcement, and the overlooking of minor problems with their speech. Negative therapy included intense criticism, belittling, and accusing the children of being stutterers.    Sounds like this Mary Tudor was lacking a maternal instinct or two. Many of the children she belittled for the sake of impressing her freaky prof, though they had once spoken normally, began to develop speech pathologies that would last them a lifetime. The charming name, “The Monster Study,” was coined by Johnson’s peers who found it all just appalling. When asked to answer for this disgusting study, they say that Johnson had some trouble of his own finding the words.

Ridelust’s Top 20 Cars of 2010.

2011-08-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it’s actually December again… man, where did the time go. It seems like it was just yesterday when the big Christmas tree was going up in Rockefeller Center for 2009 and people were ice skating in circles in Central Park. Here at Ridelust.com we’ve had a pretty nutty year trying to bring you some of the best automotive news on the net. During that time we were also able to review a bunch of the newest cars for you guys as well. After some discussion we decided that we’d come up with a list of not the Top 10 Cars of 2010 like all those other blogs, but the Top 20 Cars of 2010. That’s right… we took it right to the next level! Some of these you’ll agree with and some you’ll no doubt crucify us over. Either way though we think this list is pretty spot on so feel free to check it out and let us know what you think.

• 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Because it’s the sexiest car to come out of Detroit in the last 40 years.

• 2011 Ferrari 458

556 natural aspirated HP and oh that noise!

• 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Because wagons are socially acceptable, and the CTS-V isn’t.

• 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

The baddest, fastest and most track oriented Porsche ever produced.

• 2011 Mustang GT 5.0

Because it’s still Kurt’s favorite street car of the last year.

• 2011 Lancia Stratos

It’s a baby Ferrari in a better wrapper.

• 2011 Chevy Volt

Where green meets practical.

• 2011 Ford Explorer

The reinvention of the SUV from the company that created the modern day SUV.

• 2011 Hyundai Equus

Both for the car and for re-writing how to sell luxury cars.

• 2011 Dodge Charger

Dodge proves you can make a legend attractive again by adding 2 more doors.

• 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Because the Koreans have out-Japanesed the Japanese.

• 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Because Mazda still makes the best roadster on the planet earth.

• 2011 Chevy Cruze

Only because it’s the first entry level Chevy Kurt would even think about buying.

• 2011 Porsche Panamera

Because Porsche proved that you can in fact, sell ugly to the masses.

• 2011 Honda CR-Z

If you need to pick a hybrid, at least this comes with a six speed.

• 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

It’s still the fastest…

• 2011 Ford Fiesta ST

Best affordable concept car that’s headed to production.

• 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Simply put, for the money there is no better car on earth.

• 2011 Fiat 500 Abarth

The car we’d most like to see on these shores, soon…

• 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS

15 Fortunes Lost to Drugs

2011-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Celebrities are just as fallible and prone to love of substances as we non-celebrity types. The main difference is that when they fail, they tend to do so in a spectacular fashion. And the whole world knows about it shortly thereafter.
They can perform, you say? Earn millions on a job, you reason? Fabulous for them, but when they start undermining that success by way of gleeful exuberance, spending money like it is going out of style, it just tosses them right back down to our level–or lower. Here are 15 celebrities, business moguls, and athletes who lost their fortunes to drugs.
15. Corey Haim

Image: Bree/Wikimedia
Weird, unlikely, spontaneous and memorable, that was Corey Haim. He was also manipulative, weak-willed and easily led by his demons, in this case both illegal and prescription drugs.
The former star of unforgettable 1980s movies like Lucas and The Lost Boys had ups and downs a-plenty. In the late ’80s, Haim began to cultivate a taste for various illegal drugs, including cocaine. Later, he got clean from the white powder, but then began abusing prescription drugs, revolving in and out of hospitals and rehab.
Everyone from Haim’s mother to former best friend Corey Feldman tried to keep him clean, but he just kept falling off the wagon. His comeback attempts all failed, due in part to all-to-brief clean stints. In the end, Haim didn’t just fall off the wagon, he blew it to bits. He died penniless and alone at the age of 38.
14. Darryl Strawberry

Image: slgckgc/Wikimedia
In 1984, Darryl Strawberry celebrated his amazing baseball career by going on a 7-year bender of cocaine, alcohol, and wife-beating. When he decided that taxes weren’t part of his game plan, MLB suspended him multiple times; he later couldn’t get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Good thing Strawberry still had his addiction to comfort and love him, because he’d alienated almost everyone else around him. He eventually lost the financial fruits of his career to blow, pot, booze and the IRS.
By the time Strawberry hit 30, he was a homeless, wasted shell of a man. Since then, however, Strawberry found another way out in the form of God and although broke, he is now clean.
13. Chet Baker

Image: Michiel Hendryckx/Eikimedia
Chet Baker’s drug-addled destruction wasn’t as glorious as, say, Marylin Monroe’s, but he didn’t do badly, either. After a couple stints in the army, the talented jazz musician, who hit his nadir in the late ’70s, managed to get himself kicked out of both the UK and Germany for various drug-related shenanigans. One such incident involved him being badly beaten while copping drugs.
Along with losing his money, he lost his teeth, which–you can imagine–had a disastrous effect on his career. But thanks to musicians like Elvis Costello, who gave Baker another shot at glory, he started making a comeback in the 1980s. With his evocative yet emotionally distant approach to jazz, he enjoyed moderate success overseas, arguably more so than here.
Baker reached the peak of his comeback around the time of his death. Whilst in Amsterdam in the late 1980s, he took a nosedive from his second story hotel room. Doped to the gills on heroin and coke, he probably just got clumsy and keeled over. His death lacked the zing of publicity-fodder by being linked to a murder or a sex scandal, but still, what an ignominious way to die.
12. John P. Rogers

If you’ve ever pictured yourself as a coke fiend with a wallet the size of the Grand Canyon, here are three prime examples of things you can do when you’re in a cocaine-fueled craze:
1. Trash your girlfriend’s house
2. Beat up your other girlfriend, and best of all
3. Bilk some of the country’s richest men out of millions of dollars to….you guessed it, string your naughty little habit along until it kills you or gets you tossed in the slammer!
Believe it or not, the businessman-turned-druggie behind all three of these incursions had the presence of mind to convince at least three of the nation’s highest rollers to part with their money.
John P. Rogers’ Pay by Touch program was supposed to revolutionize the way customers paid for goods and services. Its innovative system of using customers’ thumbprints to authorize transactions stood to pay investors back tenfold. Like Madoff’s house of cards, it sounded like a sure thing. That’s why folks like Gordon Getty, Ron Burkle (grocery and retail magnate), and retired Appeals Court Chief Justice William Newsom funneled a combined total of $340 million into Pay by Touch, which Rogers basically turned into Pay by Snort.
It’s true what they say–“easy come, easy go”.
11. Michael Carroll

They say that wealth changes a man. Few epitomize this better than Michael Carroll. This once-and-future rubbish collector, self-proclaimed King of the Chavs (a derogatory term given to a subset of British youth from the working class – often associated with drinking, drugs and general rowdiness) lived a life of excess that would have made the ancient Romans blush.
After winning a ₤9.7 million Lotto windfall, Carroll showed up to collect his check wearing an electronic ankle bracelet for a prior offense. He proceeded purchased a fleet of luxury vehicles, dropped tens of thousands into a (failed) Dubai real estate venture, still more into his favorite local football team, and thousands of pounds on hookers and drugs.
It’s important to note that the hookers and drugs didn’t occur until after his wife left him and took their daughter with her. After all, Carroll was an idiot, but he didn’t cheat.
Carroll’s wild parties, thousands of pounds in property damage, and other steamy excesses put him right back where he started—driving a garbage truck. Now he behaves as though it were just a wild ride at an amusement park.
10. George Jung

Despite his father Frederick’s best efforts to instill the idea that money wasn’t the most important thing in life, George Jung became one of the biggest players in the coke trade during the ’70s and ’80s. Portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2001 movie Blow, Jung amassed around $700 million in today’s money working with Colombia’s Medellin Cartel. By the time the Feds had nabbed him, Jung had lost his family and most of his friends, and his empire was failing.
When the Feds release Jung from the joint in 2012, he’d be lucky to have even one dope fiend still alive his heyday raise a rolled up dollar bill to him.
9. Lindsay Lohan

There seems to be a mindset or culture in Hollywood that goes like this: “Look at me! I’m in rehab – again!” It ranks only slightly lower than, “Look, I was busted for buying coke, smashed my new Benz or got another DWI!” Case in point: Miss LiLo herself, aka Lindsay Lohan.
She’ll never be known for having nearly as much talent, success or class as actresses like Angela Bassett, Meryl Streep or Julia Roberts. But that’s no excuse for her to spend herself into a hole, mooch off her well-meaning friends, and get nabbed once again. She hasn’t blown her entire fortune yet, but don’t hold your breath for this stumbling starlet.
8. Dick Lane

Despite being the soulful and sultry Dinah Washington’s last husband, Dick “Night Train” Lane was a wreck. The Rams (and Lions and Cardinals) defensive back, known for tackling his opponents during the 1950s and 60s, did an admirable job of trying to bring down his wife’s life, too.
Lane relished booze, drugs and a lavish lifestyle. But, this being the mid-20th century, Lane only pulled in about $5 million during his entire career, not monthly the way some NFLers do today. So he relied on Dinah’s sweet pipes to maintain this lifestyle.
After Dinah perished next to him in bed, no thanks to drug ingestion, Lane’s lifestyle and mounting debts made him penniless. His $800/month pension–injured knees forced him out of the game–did little to pull him out of his bad habits.
Lane died alone at the age of 73. In his final days, he’d been cared for by some fellow he met on a golf course in an assisted living facility. Neither of his ex-wives nor his children had ever come to see him or to help. So much for the thrill of success.
7. Jack Whittaker

Murder, mayhem and millions–this is the story of Jack Whittaker’s face plant from grace into a cesspool of his own design.
If you lived in West Virginia several years ago, you may know Whittaker as the winner of what was, at the time, the largest-ever lottery payout–$315 million. After taxes on the cash option, he took home about $113 million.
Jack started out admirably enough. He donated 10% to local charities and started a fund to help low income families in the area. He also bought the lady who sold him the ticket a new house and car as a ‘tip’.
Things didn’t just go downhill after that, they straight launched off a cliff. On two occasions, he left hundreds of thousands of dollars in his car. The folks who managed the strip joint he frequented were wise to his riches: They drugged his drinks then had thieves break in to steal it.
Then the deaths happened. First, a 17-year old male friend of his granddaughter died, then his granddaughter herself was found dead under a tarp at the former friend’s home). The boy’s parents sued for wrongful death. That suit, along with mounting settlement costs, gambling debts and mooches crawling out of the woodwork turned Whittaker’s life to a shambles.
6. John Daly

Image: Carl Lindberg/Wikimedia
John Daly is proof positive that football and baseball players aren’t the only athletes who can be undone by drugs and alcohol.
Daly earned millions of dollars in corporate endorsements playing for the PGA. He augmented his unique style of playing with copious quantities of booze, perhaps thinking it improved his swing. His embarrassing showings at various golf tournaments proved otherwise.
Daily even admitted that he’d been drinking a fifth of Jack Daniels since the age of 23. This should have put the suits at the PGA on alert. Still, they let this drunken sot of a train wreck play for them, though they did suspend him for sub-par (no pun intended) performance on multiple occasions. This did nothing to assuage his booze-fueled rages and angry tantrums on the green when he actually did manage to play and wasn’t in rehab.
Other than Jack Daniels, his drink of choice seemed to be the Dirty Arnold Palmer, made of sweet tea-flavored vodka and lemonade. The drink is now famously called the Jack Daly. If there’s a moral to this story, it’s that you can be a raging idiot, but if you drink enough to pickle your liver, maybe someday they’ll rebrand the drink after you.
5. Lawrence Taylor

Image: Shawn Collins/Wikimedia
In light of his wild and self-destructive antics off the field, L.T. came under fire multiple times for both heavy cocaine use and drinking. When asked what he could do that no other linebacker could, he blithely replied “Drink!” And let us not forget that after a brief stint of sobriety, he solicited a 16-year old girl for sex. He was summarily charged with and indicted on charges of statutory rape and third-degree patronization for offering the young lady $300.
It’s that kind of behavior that can make even the most decorated player turn out to look like the biggest turd in the bowl.
4. George Best

George Best enjoyed a two-decade football career with Manchester United, Cork Celtic, South Africa’s Jewish Guild and various teams in the United States. He is still considered one of the greatest footballers around.
Like so many athletes and celebrities, though, he loved to party. When he wasn’t spending time behind bars for assaulting the fuzz or driving while intoxicated, Best could best be described as a sauced-up lout. For example, his 1990 appearance on BBC’s “Wogan,” when he drunkenly declared to the host, “Terry, I like screwing,” was not one of his crowning moments. Punching his second wife and a couple of his former girlfriends ranks high on the drunken debauchery list, too.
Best drank so heavily that in 2002, he received a liver transplant. Having pissed all his money away, Best’s transplant was paid for by the National Health Service (NHS), The UK’s publicly funded healthcare system.
Best, for all his accolades on the field, had an opportunity for redemption after his transplant. He could easily have cleaned up his act, made amends and been an example. But following his transplant, Best continued to drink. He wasn’t even coy about it. A combination of anti-rejection drugs and alcohol caused a fatal kidney infection that finally did Best in.
3. Leif Garrett

Although he was one of L. Ron Hubbard’s biggest devotees, this former ’70s heartthrob was not a very observant little Thetan. He abused copious quantities of both coke and heroin throughout his career, spending the majority of his fortune on substances that Hubbard’s doctrine holds to be verboten.
But like most religious types, we’re pretty sure he found ways to excuse his actions or just outright ignored those particular tenants of his strange cult.
Long after Garrett’s star had faded, he claimed on an episode of VH1′s Behind the Music that he was clean and sober. After that BS claim, he proceeded to get himself arrested for buying drugs from an undercover cop (they’re always buying from cops, aren’t they?), then later was busted again for possession of heroin and for riding the LA subway without a ticket.
Things must be pretty bad when a once sought-after actor can’t afford a subway ride. After walking away from a live-in treatment center, he was jailed again on heroin possession. He’s living on a pittance of only $1,000/month, yet he still tries to skate by with his addiction. Shame on you, Garrett–what would Hubbard say?
2. Andy Gibb

If you needed proof that modern teen idols aren’t the only ones whose lives can unravel because of drugs and fast living, this sweet-tempered lad should do nicely as an example.
Andy was the youngest sib in the family of brothers who formed the 70s singing sensation The Bee Gees. While brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice were far and away more successful than their youngest, he released three albums of his own (and was working on a fourth) just before his death in 1988.
Fame was well on its way to 86ing the heartthrob when he met former Dallas star Victoria Principal. When Principal gave him the ultimatum to pick her or the coke, he, like a true addict, made the wrong choice. No shocker that she dumped him.
Andy was hired for the occasional two-bit roles and even hosted a TV show. But as his looks faded, so did his career. In 1985, he entered the Betty Ford clinic to battle his addiction. Still, a day late and dollar short, Gibb died five days after his 30th birthday. He had it all: looks to die for, charm and tons of sex appeal – perhaps even some talent – but it doesn’t mean squat if you snort it all away.
1. Scott Storch

Halifax-born, American record producer Storch was at the top of his game back in 2006, producing hits for notables like Dr. Dre, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dog and Beyoncé. Everything Storch touched turned to gold or platinum.
It was during one fateful vacation that drugs seduced Storch. He started living well beyond his means. Numbers vary, depending on the source, but between August 2006 to January 2007, it’s estimated Storch ‘blew’ between $17 and $30 million. He bought a fleet of expensive cars, a yacht and enough drugs to fill both the cars and yacht.
Predictably enough, Storch’s attorneys call his financial loss “mismanagement of funds.”

Doctors of Rock: 10 Musicians with PhDs

2011-08-12T08:04:00.001-07:00

1. Greg Graffin

Lead singer and songwriter of the influential punk band Bad Religion, Graffin got his PhD in zoology from Cornell and regularly teaches courses in geology at UCLA. Graffin has co-authored two books on science and religion, Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant: A Professor and a Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism and Christianity (2006) and more recently Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God (2010). Maybe God is dead, but not punk!

2. Brian May

The legendary Queen guitarist and composer earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London. May began working on his PhD over 30 years prior to completing it in 2007, but got sidetracked when Queen hit the big-time. Apparently its never too late to finish what you started.

3. Brian Briggs

Singer and co-founder of the British folk-pop band Stornoway, Briggs has a PhD in zoology from the University of Oxford, writing his dissertation on duck behavior. Briggs found time to craft songs in his head while driving back and forth between Oxford and the various ponds where he did his research. Who knew what ornithologists did with their down time?

4. Brian Cox

While finishing up his PhD in physics at the University of Manchester, Cox was the keyboardist for the popular 90’s Irish pop rock/synthpop and dance band D:Ream. Now a professor at the University of Manchester, Cox made it into People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive issue in 2009. D:Reamy.

5. Sterling Morrison

Co-founder and guitarist for the seminal experimental rock band Velvet Underground, Morrison completed a PhD in medieval studies at the University of Texas at Austin after the band split up in 1971. Morrison worked his way through graduate school piloting tugboats, eventually earning his captain’s license. That’s Dr. Captain Morrison to you.

6. Milo Aukerman

Lead singer of the popular Los Angeles area punk band the Descendents, Aukerman earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Unashamed of his academic bent and general nerdiness, Aukerman and the Descendents titled their first full-length album Milo Goes to College(1982). Aukerman has yet to figure out how to juggle touring and science, but has contemplated building a research lab in the back of his tour bus.

7. Mira Aroyo

The Bulgarian born Aroyo is a keyboardist, singer and songwriter for the electropop/New Wave band Ladytron, and also a research scientist with a PhD in molecular genetics from Oxford University. Besides speaking several languages, it is rumored Aroyo can play a mean accordion. Sorry guys, she’s married.

8. Dan Snaith

Snaith, who goes under the stage names Caribou and Manitoba, is a Canadian born electronica/psychedelic pop composer and musician with a PhD in mathematics from Imperial College London. Snaith’s father is a mathematics professor at the University of Sheffield and his sister is studying mathematics at the University of Bristol. Insert nerdy math joke here.

8. David Grubbs

Probably best known for his work with the experimental rock group Gastr del Sol, Grubbs was also a founding member of Squirrel Bait and Bastro, and a contributing member of the The Red Krayola and The Wingdale Community Singers. Somewhere in the midst of all that Grubbs found the time to complete a PhD in English at the University of Chicago. The hands-down winner of “the guy who played in the most bands with the wierdest names” contest, Grubbs is also an assistant professor of Radio and Sound Art at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

9. Karl Precoda

Legendary guitar player for the original alternative rock band The Dream Syndicate, Precoda earned a PhD in English from the University of Virginia. Now an award winning professor of Theater and Cinema at Virginia Tech, Precoda continues to play guitar and recently helped produce the “multimedia musical extrav-o-rama” Persephone. Rad.

10. Robert Leonard

Leonard was the founding member of the 50’s nostalgia band Sha Na Na, responsible for spawning the 50′s music and culture revival that gave us Grease and Happy Days. Leonard went on to earn a PhD in linguistics from Columbia and currently teaches linguistics at Hofstra University. So, professor, what does Sha Na Na mean, anyway?

The 50 Hottest Women Of Twitter

2011-08-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Twitter has created a new and strange dynamic with celebrities where fans are closer than ever to the celebrities they admire (or lust over). We went through the top accounts on Twitter sorted by number of followers and picked what we feel are the 50 hottest women you can follow on Twitter.
We gave preference to the celebs that seem to handle their own Tweeting as opposed to women who just use the service solely as a PR machine, because where’s the fun in that? We want faux intimacy damnit!

50. Mandy Moore

Twitter Name: @TheMandyMoore
Number of Followers: 2.132.506
Mandy has had a busy couple of years, marrying longtime boyfriend, Ryan Adams and voicing the new Disney-princess in the feature film, Tangled. Mandy is enjoying the sweet success of the Disney ride, as she voiced both the speaking and singing voice of Rapunzel. If you are following Mandy you can expect a few tweets with general tips and tidbits but not too many per day.

49. Paris Hilton

Twitter Name:@ParisHilton
Number of Followers: 3.117.818
You know her as one of the most famous socialites in the world, heir to the Hilton Hotel Chain, Paris, has given us sex tapes, music and perfume. What is there that she can’t do? Paris has been on the Twitter bandwagon since it’s inception, constantly communicating with her fans. if you are following Paris you can expect several tweets per day and almost always a good night from the self-proclaimed Princess.

48. Maria Menounos

Twitter Name: @mariamenounos
Number of Followers: 74.172
She’s the entertainment news correspondent that’s not uber-obnoxious to listen to. Maria Menounos tweets her love for all-things sports, especially football. If you are looking for breaking celebrity news mixed in with Boston sports updates, then follow Maria.

47. Bethenny Frankel

Twitter Name:@Bethenny
Number of Followers: 319.531
You fell in love with her on Real Housewives of New York and now she’s one of Bravo’s biggest stars. With her own spin-off series, Bethenny Getting Married? one of the biggest draws on cable, Bethenny is cashing in on her Reality 15 minutes. With her own workout dvd, SkinnyGirl health series and healthy cook books, Bethenny has become a force. If you are following her expect several tweets, with a lot of RTs from her fans.

46. Giada de Laurentiis

Twitter Name:@GDeLaurentiis
Number of Followers: 183.383
She’s become one of the Food Network’s biggest stars and she will keep in touch with you on Twitter. Giada de Laurentiis, will tweet updates, recipes and all around fun-facts. Oh and don’t forget to check out her new product line available at Target.

45. Tyra Banks

Twitter Name:@TyraBanks
Number of Followers: 2.290.344
Tyra has given us plenty of models to talk about with her CW series, America’s Next Top Model. While she’s not walking the runway as much as she has over the past few years Tyra stays in touch with us on a daily basis through her talk show. If you are following Tyra expect random tweets but not very many on a daily basis.

44. Tina Fey

Twitter Name:@mg_tina_fey
Number of Followers: 29.080
She is one of the funniest people in Hollywood and she’s a dead-ringiner for Republican freelancer, Sarah Palin, Tina Fey is #45 on our list of hottest women who tweet. While you won’t get a ton of tweets from Tina she will from time to time throw a little antidote your way.

43. Mariah Carey

Twitter Name:@MariahCarey
Number of Followers: 3.550.784
Mariah Carey has been one of the biggest singers over the past two decades and now she’s heading into the next chapter of her life. Married to Nick Cannon they couple is happily expecting their first child in the Spring of 2011. Mariah will tweet several times a day but mostly just promotional references.

42. Kellie Pickler

Twitter Name:@kelliepickler
Number of Followers: 295.343
If you are looking for some laughs in your Twitter feed, then look no further than former American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler. While we love Kellie even she would admit that she’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Kellie will tweet her southern “thoughts” and while they may not always make sense they are definitely worth checking out.

41. Paulina Rubio

Twitter Name: @paurubio
Number of Followers:1.056.071
Paulina is one of the biggest international stars, dominating markets in Latin and South America. She tweets often, with pictures and promotional messages but the one catch, it’s all in Spanish. Sharpen you Spanish skills and follow one of the hottest women on the planet.

40. Kimora Lee Simmons

Twitter Name: @OfficialKimora
Number of Followers: 308.331
She’s a fashion mogul and she will tweet all the time! If you are looking for fashion trends or in some cases, what to buy the women in your life then take the time to follow Kimora.

39. Giuliana Rancic

Twitter Name: @GiulianaRancic
Number of Followers: 1.922.633
You know and love her from E! News and her reality series with hubby, Giuliana and Bill, seen on Style Network. Giuliana Rancic tweets regularly about her life, her reality show and of course, celebrity info. Giuliana is one of our favorites to follow.

38. Chelsea Handler

Twitter Name: @chelseahandler
Number of Followers: 2.827.916
She’s the Comedy Central host and author and Chelsea Handler is as cut-throat with her tweeting as she is in her stand-up routine. Handler who recently went on a tirade regarding Angelina Jolie, tweets quite a bit so be prepared. Good thing is, every once in a while you get a gem.

37. Alicia Keys

Twitter Name: @aliciakeys
Number of Followers: 2.470.870
Alicia is a new-mom and new bride but that hasn’t slowed her down. She is busy saving the world, one tweet at a time. Kim recently enlisted several of her celebrity twitter pals to give-up all forms of Social media to raise $1 Million for her Save a Child Charity.

36. Emmy Rossum

Twitter Name: @emmyrossum
Number of Followers: 67.799

35. Shakira

Twitter Name: @shakira
Number of Followers: 3.671.188
She’s one of the biggest international stars, Colombian born singer, Shakira, will tweet your heart out but it’s about 80/20 on English and Spanish. She’s been laying low for a couple of months but as she is about to embark on her new World Tour so be prepared for lots of tweets.

34. Jessica Alba

Twitter Name: @jessicaalba
Number of Followers: 819.705
You’ve loved her since Deep Blue and now she’s one of the hottest moms in Hollywood. Jessica Alba, mom to Honor, is still working but balancing work and family life. She tweets in moderation more of course, like any good celebrity, when she’s promoting a new projects.

33. Eva Longoria

Twitter Name: @EvaLongoria
Number of Followers: 1.032.307
Recently she confirmed her pending divorce via Twitter but prior to that Eva Longoria’s tweets are usually sincere and happy. The Desperate Housewives star tweets often enough to keep you informed but not too much to be irritating. I guess we’ll be able to scratch all the San Antonio Spurs updates from now on.

32. Eliza Dushku

Twitter Name: @elizadushku
Number of Followers: 679.166
You tried to watch her on the FOX series, Dollhouse and for the fall television season, you at least saw her supporting boyfriend, Rick Fox, on Dancing With the Stars. Eliza Dushku tweets quite a bit. Mostly random life factoids or what’s going on with her life. She will use it to also put out celebrity firestorms, for instance clearing up the rumors about storming off the set of the new TNT Drama, Bird Land. Also, she’s another whoe will always remind you she’s from Boston and will always tweet about her hometown teams.

31. Julianne Hough

Twitter Name: @juliannehough
Number of Followers: 167.301
She danced her way into our living rooms taking home back to back titles on Dancing With the Stars, now she’s launched a career in country music and waht she calls an “amazing” relationship with Hollywood’s busiest man, Ryan Seacrest. While she doesn’t have quite the Twitter following that her boyfriend does, Julianne will tweet pictures, tidbits about life and more importantly all her concert info.

30. Jenny McCarthy

Twitter Name:@JennyMcCarthy
Number of Followers:220.130
There’s nothing that we can tell you abut Jenny McCarthy that you don’t know (Or haven’t already seen for that matter) but if you follow her on twitter you’ll learn about autism and her nutty crusade to “prove” that vaccines are to blame. You’ll know if she’s dating and you’ll know if she’s out with girlfriends. You won’t see too many pictures of Jenny but maybe as she gains more followers she’ll become a little more willing to share.

29. Lady GaGa

Twitter Name:@ladygaga
Number of Followers:7.346.410
There probably aren’t that many of you that aren’t already following the current Queen of Pop music, Lady GaGa but just in case check her out. You’ll get the traditional celebrity updates, where the tour is heading, what is the next single but occasionally you’ll get a gem that you don’t want to miss. She does tweet often so be prepared to see much GaGa in your twitter feed.

28. Wanessa

Twitter Name:@wanessaoficial
Number of Followers:267.232
We try to make sure you are well-rounded and you may want to add Wanessa to your twitter followings. Now, all her tweets are in Spanish but like most girls outside of the US, she has no problem sharing photos and photos and more photos. You’ll be glad that you are now following Wanessa. Trust us.

27. Lea Michele

Twitter Name:@msleamichele
Number of Followers:449.716
She was just given Billboards first ever “Triple Threat Award” and lea Michele is riding high from her Glee fame and if you can’t get enough you should check her out on twitter. Lea tweets a lot, what’s going on, where she’ll be next and what’s coming up on Glee. So if you are a Gleeker, definitely check out Ms. Lea.

26. Elizabeth Banks

Twitter Name:@ElizabethBanks
Number of Followers:286.826
You may not recognize the name Elizabeth Banks but she’s one of those “if you saw her you know who she is” kind of stars. She tweets a lot, and you’ll find youself cheering her on. Whether its an audition or a movie that has already wrapped, Elizabeth is witty and hot…is there a better combination?

25. Ashley Tisdale

Twitter Name:@ashleytisdale
Number of Followers:3.784.250
Ashely Tisdale is one of the Disney darlings that has managed to keep her head on straight. No rehab, racy videos, just a nose job and working hard at trying to have a successful music career, you can follow Ashley’s day to day life. She tweets quite a bit and will keep you informed of what’s going on in her work life. She will talk family but seldom comments on relationships..for those wondering, the occasional picture will come across from Ashley.

24. Sara Brown

Twitter Name:@SaraBrownGolf
Number of Followers:1054
Now, we’re going above and beyond with this pick. You may not have a clue who Sara Brown is but if you have a chance check out the reruns of Big Break on the Golf Channel. The hot Sara Brown appeared on two seasons, Sandals (Which was an all women season) and the All-stars season which just wrapped, Big Break Dominican Republic. Sara just over the weekend made the LPGA tour and is going to be a force in women’s golf. She was an NCAA Golfer of the year during her career at Michigan State and hails from the land of the sun in Tuscon, Arizona. Trust us, jump on this bandwagon. She’s hot, great golfer and smart…she’s just what the LPGA needs.

23. Taylor Swift

Twitter Name:@taylorswift13
Number of Followers:4.784.108
Now that Taylor has turned 21 and is dating Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, maybe we can view her as a woman and not a child with a guitar. It’s time for Taylor to sing big-girls songs, sound good on live award shows and maybe tweet some naughty pics? Well, maybe not the last part but come on Taylor, have an alcoholic drink for crying out loud.

22. Marcy Rylan

Twitter Name:@EmmeRylan
Number of Followers:3054
The adorable Marcy Rylan may not be a name that most of you recognize but she’s been acting for the last several years on the daytime soap operas, Guiding Light and now The Young and the Restless. Marcy is hot and smart, while working on Guiding Light she attended and graduated from Columbia University. Now living in LA she and husband Don have a 1-year old son, Jackson. Her tweets are amusing and witty, check her out.

21. Sisanie

Twitter Name:@Sisanie
Number of Followers:7.202

20. Katy Perry

Twitter Name: @katyperry
Number of Followers: 4.888.875
She is approaching the 5 million followers mark and Katy Perry isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Katy will tweet everything, updates on where she is and what she’s doing. Single, music and album info also comes straight from Katy’s mouth daily on her twitter account. Katy will retweet and is constantly chatting it up with other celebs on twitter. It’s not unusual to see a conversation with gal pals, Taylor Swift or Rihanna on a daily feed.

19. Audrina Patridge

Twitter Name:@AudrinaPatridge
Number of Followers:1.192.306
While Audrina doesn’t tweet as much as your would think (or expect) she’ll tweet info about where she’s going to be and what’s she going to be doing. Audrina will also keep you updated on the latest fashion trends and for all you guys, yes, she does tweet pictures.

18. Miranda Lambert

Twitter Name:@Miranda_Lambert
Number of Followers:165.049
Miranda Lambert has had a career year in Country Music and is finally breaking onto the “big stage.” She became engaged to fellow country singer, Blake Shelton, this year and took home her first Female Vocalist of the Year honors. Miranda tweets quite a bit, she’ll give you drinking and hunting updates as well as new songs she is scribing.

17. Zairanara

Twitter Name:@zairana
Number of Followers:304.113
She is one of Argentina’s most gorgeous models. Now, all of her tweets are in Spanish so if you are looking for something to actually read, just watch for tweets with links, she posts lots of pictures. You can thank us later.

16. Alyssa Milano

Twitter Name:@Alyssa_Milano
Number of Followers:1.178.510
No longer a child star, Alyssa Milano uses her nearly 2 million twitter followers to help sell her MLB clothing line as well as keeps herself relevant in today’s Hollywood circles. She tweets quite a bit and expect lots of baseball updates during the summer.

15. Nicole Richie

Twitter Name:@nicolerichie
Number of Followers:1.540.307
Nicole Richie and new husband Joel Madden tweet ALL the time. The pair will tweet about their private life and some pictures of their adorable children. Nicole has learned the art of sharing just enough while maintaining her privacy in Beverly Hills. If you are interested in her opinons, Nicole is a good one to follow.

14. Nicole Scherzinger

Twitter Name:@NicoleScherzy
Number of Followers:285.750
You can currently watch Nicole as a judge on NBCs Sing-Off but you can follow her tweets everyday. Nicole tweets all career info, where is is what she’s doing and who she’s with. If you are simply interested in peaking in on a celebrity life, check out Nicole Scherzinger’s account.

13. Nicki Minjai

Twitter Name:@nickiminaj
Number of Followers:1.903.561
With nearly 2 million followers, Nicki tweets music, photos and of course her opinions. The singer lets you know where she is and what’s next on her schedule. Don’t look too much for comic relief but tweets are definitely a release of irritating for Nicki.

12. Brooke Burke

Twitter Name:@brookeburke
Number of Followers:1.752.300
She’s a busy mom in Hollywood and she’ll tell you all about it. Brooke Burke offers advice on how to be an amazing mom, a sexy wife and a of course a busy career gal. She links from her personal blog a lot and will share some private moments as well. Pictures….some but they are worth it.

11. Demi Moore

Twitter Name:@mrskutcher
Number of Followers:3.217.198
Demi Moore tweets just to keep up with husband, Ashton Kutcher but she’ll also tweet the exceptional picture. Demi, who has been known to share quite a few bikini pictures with her tweeps also will post lots of charity links and reminds you of ways to be a better human being. Did we mention that she posts a lot of bikini pictures?

10. Dianna Agron

Twitter Name@alittlelamb
Number of Followers:199.814
You’ve fallen in love with her innocence on Glee and now you can get to know the real “good girl” if you follow Dianna Agron on twitter. She does tweet some private info, just enough to keep the paparazzi from hounding her. Some of her Glee co-stars could learn a lesson or two from Dianna…sometimes being subtle is a positive thing.

9. Ciara

Twitter Name@Ciara
Number of Followers:762.202
She’s the R&B diva that is quickly approaching the 1 million followers mark on Twitter. Thanks to a good year of music, Ciara will tweet to your hearts content. You’ll always know where she’s at and who she’s with thanks to her tweets.

8. Ivanka Trump

Twitter Name@IvankaTrump
Number of Followers:867.506
She’s the daughter of reality television’s best or worst boss, Donald Trump, and Ivanka Trump keeps you updated on all her business deals via twitter. You’ll know where this socialite turned business woman is zooming off to next to complete the next deal for Trump International.

7. Jennifer Lopez

Twitter Name@JLo
Number of Followers:854.471
We’re going to be seeing a lot more of Jennifer Lopez as she prepares to judge her first season of American Idol but for now you can follow her work on Twitter. JLo will tweet photoshoot extras, charity work as well as general info about she and hubby Marc Antony. Don’t expect to see much about JLo’s adorable twins though, she tries to keep them out of the limelight.

6. Rihanna

Twitter Name@rihanna
Number of Followers:2.326.050
After coming off a huge year, Rihanna, is all over twitter. She now tweets appearances, tour dates and even locations. The Love the Way You Lie singer will occasionally tweet about her current relationship with Baseball player, Shawn Kemp and you may catch the occasional exchange with BFF Katy Perry.

5. Emma Watson

Twitter Name@EmWatson
Number of Followers:481.131
Now that Harry Potter has wrapped, Emma Watson, is working hard to transform from her long-time role in the series. She chopped off her hair, has been seen enjoying her time will studying here in the states at Brown University and will tweet to her fans. Emma doesn’t’ tweet often but when she does you don’t want to miss it.

4. Kim Kardashian

Twitter Name@KimKardashian
Number of Followers:5.547.777
She’s the queen of Twitter and what would our day be without words of wisdom from Kim Kardashian. She’ll let you know who’s she’s dating, where she’s filming her E! reality series and oh yeah, what she’s wearing. Kim tweets often, so be prepared for lots of messages but on the upside, you’ll send you lots of photos to get through the day.

3. Padma Lakshmi

Twitter Name@PadmaLakshmi
Number of Followers:115.991
The Top Chef host doesn’t tweet 24/7 but will tweet facts about her Bravo reality series as well as her goings-on in New York City. Don’t look for too much from Padma on her 11-month old daughter, she keeps her private life off the twitter feed.

2. Emmanuelle Chriqui

Twitter Name@MissEmmanuelleC
Number of Followers:8.492
She’s one of the most gorgeous faces on HBO, Emmanuelle Chriqui, will tweet from time to time but not everyday. With fewer than 10,000 followers, maybe we can convince her to tweet more by flooding her with followers. That seemed to work for Katy Perry and Kim Kardashian.

1. Sofia Vergara

Twitter Name@SofiaVergara
Number of Followers:230.557
Our number one hottest woman on Twitter is none other than Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara. First of all the language barrier makes for some insanely funny tweets. Always plan on having to decipher Sofia’s tweets and be sure to use her “Gloria” accents are you are reading. She’ll post pictures, let you know where she is and what she’s doing and did we mention, she’ll post pictures.

The 50 Hottest Women of American Idol

2011-08-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

American Idol isn’t quite the cultural juggernaut it once was, especially with 2/3 of the original judging cast now replaced with sort of bizarre choices, but there’s something American Idol is still good for: extremely hot contestants. It’s a time worn strategy to placate guys roped into watching the show by their significant others, and we definitely think it’s the highlight of the show. We went through the casts from all ten seasons of American Idol to find the 50 hottest contestants of all time. Enjoy.

50. Carly Smithson

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? Carly Smithson appeared on Season 7 of American Idol and made it to the Top 5. Her Irish accent made Carly standout but couldn’t pull enough votes to crown her the Season 7 Idol champ. Since leaving Idol, Carly has joined the band has Fallen Angel, and has been touring as their lead singer.

49. Camile Velasco

Appeared on: Season 3
Where is she now? This Hawaiian native auditioned for Idol while working at her parents IHOP. After fighting her way through Hollywood week, Camile found herself in the Top 24 but was voted out after Elton John week. Camile has since released an album called Koy, with her first single showing up on iTunes in October of 2010. She plans to release the title track this year.

48. Celena Rae

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? You may not remember Celena Rae from Carrie Underwood’s season of Idol but she was there, just a quick elimination. Celena found herself in the Top 24 but was one of the first sent packing after her performance of Faith Hill’s When the Lights Go Down. Celena has recorded an album but hasn’t had any singles make the airwaves.

47. Lilly Scott

Appeared on: Season 9
Where is she now? This Colorado native fell off the Idol stage with her version of the Patsy Cline hit, I Fall to Pieces. Scott was a surprise exit, as judges Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi were both big fans of her style. Since appearing on Idol, Lilly has continued to pursue her music career but hasn’t quite been able to land her dream record deal.

46. Olivia Monjac

Appeared on: Season 2
Where is she now? Olivia Monjac appeared on Season 2 of American Idol and sealed her early exit by attempting the Celine Dion song, Because you Loved Me. Olivia appeared on the early wild-card round but couldn’t convince the judges to put her through. Since her short-lived Idol days…we aren’t sure what Olivia is doing…if you know, please let us know.

45. Ramiele Malubay

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? This Saudi Arabian-born singer wowed us with her big voice and tiny body during Season 7 of American Idol. After leaving Saudi Arabia, by way of the Philippines, Ramiele now calls Miramar, Florida home. Since her Idol days, Ramiele has recorded 2 albums, including a Christmas album, but none have managed to score her a hit on the Billboard charts. In 2009, Ramiele was working in Vegas and performing the National Anthem at sporting events.

44. Michelle Delamor

Appeared on: Season 9
Where is she now? Michelle was voted off Idol just before the Top 10 shows started after performing the Creed hit, With Arms Wide Open. Since falling short of the big Idol stage, Michelle has remained in LA and continues working on her music career.

43. Sabrina Sloan

Appeared on: Season 6
Where is she now? Since Sabrina was cut from American Idol, she has graduated from college and toured with several national companies for both Hairspray and In the Heights. She currently performs under the stage name Sabrina Scherff.

42. Jasmine Trias

Appeared on: Season 3
Where is she now? Jasmine became the first Top 3 finalist of Filipino decent during Season 3 of Idol. After her successfull Idol appearance, Jasmine toured in the Pacific Islands and hosted a television series based in Hawaii. Since 2009, she has been performing with Hawaii’s showband The Society of Seven at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

41. Gina Glocksen

Appeared on: Season 6
Where is she now? After singing her “Heart” out Gina Glocksen was eliminated from Season 6 of American Idol. Following a brief stint with Extra as a Season 7 reporter, she headed back home to Chicago. Last we knew she was back performing with her local band.

40. Asia’h Epperson

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? Asia’h tugged on America’s heart-strings when Idol showed us that she had suffered the loss of her father just two days before her audition. After sailing through the first few rounds, Asia’h was eliminated at the Top 16 mark. Since her Idol days she has worked with Babyface and also appeared in the original cast of Hair Show.

39. Heather Cox

Appeared on Season: 5

Where is she now? Heather is one of the few contestants on our list who didn’t actually make it into the top 24. I mean…she’s blonde and her last name is Cox – how could we not put her on the list?

38. Kendall Beard

Appeared on: Season 8
Where is she now> This Texas-cutie couldn’t quite cut it on the Idol stage but back in Texas, she is happy at home.

37. Stephanie Edwards

Appeared on: Season 5

Where is she now? After being eliminated from American Idol, Stephanie spent the summer watching her Idol friends tour, as she just missed the cut. Following a couple of years with no real public life, Edwards was arrested in 2010 for a public fight but rebounded landing a gig as a lead singer in Southern Nights, a Savannah music club review.

36. Jennifer Hudson

Appeared on: Season 3

Where is she now? After being eliminated too early on her season of American Idol, Jennifer Hudson told the Idol stage to kiss-it and grabbed her own record deal, movie deal, won an Oscar, got married had a baby and oh yea, shed about 65 pounds. Jennifer used Idol to leap to the next level and hasn’t looked back.

35. Amanda Avila

Appeared on: Season 4

Where is she now? Amanda didn’t last long on the big Idol stage, being eliminated after her performance of River Deep, Mountain High by Tina Turner. Amanda has attempted a modeling career but after her Idol fame wore off….so did the interest in booking her.

34. Christina Christian

Appeared on: Season 1

Where is she now? Christina appeared on Season 1 of Idol, which honestly most people didn’t even start watching until the top 3 or 4 anyway. Info on Christian is scarce, if you know what she’s up to these days let us know in the comments.

33. Tamyra Gray

Appeared on: Season 1

Where is she now? Tamyra may have fallen short of the title of American Idol but she’s still remained part of the Idol family. Gray has co-written several songs, including I Believe, an Idol hit. Gray married Color Me Badd singer, Sam Watters in 2005 and the couple had their first child in 2010.

32. Kady Malloy

Appeared on: Season 7

Where is she now? Kady blew the judges away with her audition in Dallas, earning top-notch praise from Simon Cowell but it wasn’t enough to take home the title of American Idol. Over the last couple of years, Kady has spent her time writing songs, mostly for country radio. In 2010 she began touring with Andrea Young, a fellow singer-songwriter.

31. Carmen Rasmusen

Appeared on: Season 2

Where is she now? Since her departure from American Idol, Carmen hasn’t worked much into the music industry. Carmen married the former Governor of Utah’s son and they now have two children together.

30. Didi Benami

Appeared on: Season 9
Where is she now? Didi came to the audition for Idol after her college roommate passed away unexpectedly. Benami made it into the Top 10 and performed on the Summer American Idol tour but has since taken some time off to work on her song-writing.

29. Brooke White

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? White was a nanny for young twins when she auditioned for Idol. Brooke was the Carole King of her season, leading the piano charge on-stage. Since her exit from Idol, Brooke has released two albums and several singles but hasn’t had a ton of success so far.

28. Hadas

Appeared on: Season 2
Where is she now? There’s not much to tell about Hadas. She appeared on Season 2, got voted off and then tried to pose for Playboy. Hadas did release a couple of singles but they never amounted to much. Now she’s just another pretty face.

27. Katelyn Epperly

Appeared on: Season 9
Where is she now? Katelyn worked her way into the Top 24 but couldn’t save herself for the Top 12. Since she was eliminated, Katelyn has been living in LA and Nashville, working to land a record deal.

26. Lindsey Cardinale

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? Lindsey had one of the more famous fights with former judge Simon Cowell, but it wasn’t enough to save her. In 2007 she signed a record deal but since that went south she hasn’t been involved in the music industry.

25. Paula Abdul

Appeared: As an American Idol judge
Where is she now? Paula famously left American Idol after Season 8 and was ultimately replaced by Ellen DeGeneres. Paula recently hosted her own reality series on CBS, Live to Dance. It opened to strong ratings but quickly plummeted and was eventually canceled.

24. Jessica Sierra

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? After starting her season as a “contender” Jessica fell from Simon’s good graces and ultimately spent her days bucking the Idol system. Jessica has bounced from label to label and done a few minor tours but nothing major since 2008. In 2010, Jessica released a new single and will release a full studio album in 2011.

23. Ashley Rodriguez

Appeared on: Season 9
Where is she now? Rodriguez is still pursuing a music career, but still remains unsigned.

22. Janell Wheeler

Appeared on: Season 9

Where is she now? She was Tim Tebow’s girlfriend for a brief time before appearing on Idol. Since her Idol days, Janell has attempted to land a record deal but hasn’t had much success.

21. Becky O’Donohue

Appeared on: Season 5

Where is she now? Becky didn’t last long on idol but she did manage to use her gorgeous body to land a few modeling and hosting gigs since. Most recently in 2010, she appeared on the USA network series Psyche.

20. Mikalah Gordon

Appeared on: Season 4
Where is she now? Mikalah used her sultry-side to flirt with Simon but that couldn’t save her in the end. Most recently Gordon appeared on the CMT reality series, Gone Country 2.

19. Kelly Clarkson

Appeared on: Season 1
Where is she now? She is the original Idol and one of the biggest sellers in pop (with a little country flair) music over the last decade. She’s had hit after hit, earned Grammy’s and even toured with Reba McEntire. Kelly has a new album due out soon but can currently be heard singing with Jason Aldean on a duet, Don’t you wanna stay?, from his recently released album.

18. Kristy Lee Cook

Appeared on: Season 7
Where is she now? Cook was the horseback riding country girl from season 7. While she wasn’t that great of a vocalist, Kristy did manage to land a record deal after her Idol exit. In late 2010, Kristy inked a deal with Broken Arrow Records but we’ve yet to see any new music from her.

17. Megan Joy

Appeared on: Season 8
Where is she now? You either loved her or hated her during season 8 of American Idol. Megan Joy, had the quirky voice and was covered in tattoos but her infectious smile couldn’t save her from elimination. Megan has recorded two albums and will mark her silver screen debut this weekend in the comedy Hall Pass.

16. Haley Scarnato

Appeared on Season: 6
Where is she now? She had legs and she knew how to use them. No doubt you remember when Haley debuted her short-shorts and Simon announced to the world that he loved them but now, Haley isn’t hanging around the music business anymore.

15. Fantasia

Appeared on: Season 3
Where is she now? She’s battled fame, fortune, drugs, bankruptcy and a few flawed singles but through it all, Fantasia has kept her voice. Fantasia has managed to stay with her music and earlier this month (February 2011) she took home her first Grammy award for R&B Female Vocal Performance. Fantasia is currently in talks to portray Aretha Franklin in an upcoming biopic.

14. Kara DioGuardi

Appeared as an American Idol Judge, Seasons 8, 9
Where is she now? After two seasons of judging on American Idol, Kara DioGuardi left the series to head back to song-writing and is now going to be hoisting her own song-writers reality television show Going Platinum, on Bravo. Kara will be joined by singer/song-writer Jewel for the first season.

13. Kimberly Caldwell

Appeared on Season: 2
Where is she now? Kimberly was known for her great voice and equally good looks but was sent home a little early for her Idol fan-base. She was engaged to American Idol champ David Cook for a while but called it off and is now promoting her latest album and single, Desperate Girls & Stupid Boys.

12. Latoya London

Appeared on: Season 3
Where is she now? Latoya was involved in one of the toughest seasons of female competition with Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia but was eliminated early. Since her days on Idol, she has gotten divorced, recorded a studio album and is now touring with The Color Purple’s national company.

11. Ryan Starr

Appeared on: Season 1
Where is she now? Now, who really watched Idol during Season 1? In case you didn’t, allow us to introduce the gorgeous Ryan Starr. The talented Miss Starr worked her connections but never could seem to land a record deal. She has done some modeling but hasn’t managed to find a place in the industry she wanted to pursue.

10. Amy Davis

9. Bikini Girl (Katrina Darell)

8. Katharine McPhee

7. Kelly Pickler

6. Nadia Turner

5. Jennifer Lopez

4. Syesha Mercado

3. Carrie Underwood

2. Alaina Alexander

1. Ashley Hartman

15 People Who Secretly Led Double Lives

2011-08-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Espionage. Fraud. Secret families. Prostitution. Sexual Abuse. Vigilantism. What is it that compels people to lead double lives? It could be the promise of money or power, or it could just be for the thrill of it. Maybe some people just can’t help themselves. Here are a sampling of real-life characters who managed to successfully lead double lives — at least for a little while.

Anna Chapman

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Back in 2010, America was shocked by the news that Russia’s external intelligence agency was operating an espionage ring in the United States. More shocking was the fact that the 10 spies involved were living what appeared to be normal suburban lives around the country. One spy in particular set the media to a frenzy. Anna Chapman, the alias of Russian spy Anna Kushchyenko, is very hot. For five years, she lived in Manhattan’s Financial District and purportedly operated an international real estate company, for which she commanded more than 50 employees. She kept her spying secret from everyone, including her husband, who had been suspicious of some of the secret meetings she attended. When Chapman was arrested, some steamy photos of her from Facebook made it to the press. Articles began appearing with quotes like this one, from her ex-husband: “The sex was great and she had this incredible body.” Then she posed for playboy and appeared on the cover of Maxim in Russia. Now she lives a triple life, not just as a CEO and spy, but as a sex symbol, as well.

Mata Hari

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Chapman wasn’t the first sultry spy to lead a double life. Mata Hari, the performing name of Netherlands-born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, was the most popular exotic dancer in Paris around the turn of the 20th Century. She gained worldwide renown for her bawdy act, which relied heavily on wearing faux-Egyptian and Asian costumes, and then taking them off. She was so popular that Ernest Hemingway even claimed to have slept with her, despite the fact that he was a teenager when she died. At the start of the First World War, Mata Hari found work as a spy for French Intelligence. She then double-crossed the country, providing intelligence against France to Germany. After a long trial, she was sentenced to death by firing squad.

Klaus Fuchs

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Klaus Fuchs was a theoretical physicist from Germany who worked on the Manhattan Project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. He was highly respected for his ingenuity in the field of atomic research. And, yes — you guessed it — he was also a spy. From 1947 to 1949, Fuchs covertly provided information regarding the United States’ atomic weapons programs to the Soviet Union. With Fuchs’ help, the USSR was able to assess that the States were not yet capable of engaging in Nuclear War. Fuchs was eventually arrested and, because Russia was then considered a “friendly” nation, sentenced to only 14 years in jail.

Frank Abagnale, Jr.

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His story is well known by now, owed mostly to the notoriety of Catch Me If You Can, the Steven Spielberg movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks that was based on his autobiography. For those of you who have not seen it, Abagnale is a notorious con artist who successfully posed as an airline pilot, a teacher, a doctor, and a lawyer in the late 1960s. He started duping the airlines when he was 16, and managed to fly more than a million miles for free over the course of a couple years. After forging a degree from Columbia University, he taught a course in sociology at Brigham Young University. From there he went to Georgia, where he posed as the chief resident pediatrician of a hospital. At 19, he forged a degree from Harvard and, after managing to pass the Louisiana Bar Exam, worked at a law firm for eight months. He was finally caught in France, at the age of 22, for forging checks. He now writes books that teach consumers how to avoid becoming victims of fraud. A Broadway musical about his life, also titled Catch Me If You Can, opened in April 2011.

James Hogue

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Back in 1986, a 27 year-old man from Kansas City named James Hogue assumed the identity of a 16 year-old orphan and enrolled at a high school in Palo Alto, California. Despite the fact that a local reporter revealed his identity, he managed to escape his parole (he was arrested for stealing bike parts) and went to New Jersey, where he enrolled at Princeton University under the alias Alexi Indris-Santana. He was incredibly successful at the college, and even joined “The Ivy,” one of the school’s oldest and most prestigious clubs. For years, no one suspected that he was a fake. After completing his sophomore year, Hogue was arrested and charged with forgery, falsifying documents, and wrongful impersonation. He spent three years in jail. In 1996, he was arrested again for trying to pass himself off as a grad student at the same university.

Dominic Carter

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Dominic Carter has a face that you can’t help but trust. He has to; for years, he was a political anchor on NY1, a TV news station in New York City. As a local celebrity, he was considered a valued member of the community. Which is why it was such a shock when in 2009 it was revealed that he had been accused of domestic abuse. Police found evidence that Carter had punched, kicked, and partially strangled his wife. But that isn’t even the most surprising part. A few months later, a relative claimed that Carter had been raising a secret family, and had two children out of wedlock with a high-school sweetheart.

Brian Myerson

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This British City Tycoon has a lot of cajones. In 2009, his wife divorced him, claiming £11 million in damages. Her grievance? He had fathered a secret family, for whom he had bought a £7 million home right around the corner from their house. Myerson’s affair lasted ten years, and despite the fact that his wife claimed to be completely unaware of their existence, they were common knowledge to his friends and business partners. He was hardly careful about his two families, and even took them to the same vacation home in his native South Africa. Myerson’s take? “I might be an old-fashioned male chauvinist but I believe men should look after all their children and the women they are involved with in a traditional way.” How valiant!

Johnny Cochran

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Remember the OJ Simpson trial? Perhaps OJ wasn’t living a double life (just a really crazy single one), but his lawyer was. Back in the 1970s, Johnny Cochran seemed to be happily married to a wife he met in college, and lived with their two children. In 1974, the defense attorney, who would later become famous for representing celebrities like Simpson, Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and Sean Combs, bought a house in North Hollywood for his mistress and their son. His wife divorced him in 1977 on grounds of abuse and infidelity. He continued the relationship with his mistress and in 2004 she sued him for “palimony,” which is apparently this thing in California where he has to pay her alimony despite the fact that they were never married.

Warren G. Harding

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Before he was the 29th President of the United States, Warren Harding was an Ohio senator with a reputation for personal scandals and corruption. During his tenure in the senate, Harding was a part of the “Ohio Gang” of politicians, who supposedly threw debauched orgies at their house in Washington, D.C. Beginning in 1905, Harding carried on a 15-year affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips, the wife of a Marion, Ohio businessman. When he ran for president in 1920, he was forced to disclose his extramarital relationship with her to the Republican Party (not to be confused with the contemporary Republican Party), as well as one with another woman, and Phillips became the only person to successfully blackmail a political party for a yearly stipend. While in office, Harding engaged in two more affairs, one with the very young Nan Britton, who claims to have carried his daughter, and wrote so in her tell-all 1927 book, The President’s Daughter. Harding is generally considered to be America’s worst president.

Eliot Spitzer

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It rocked the political world in 2008 when it was revealed that New York’s gubernatorial darling Eliot Spitzer, a man infamous for cracking down on corrupt corporate dealing and exploitative Wall Street bankers, was also a frequent client of a high-end prostitution service. The then-governor had been enjoying high approval ratings and a productive term when it came to light that he had spent between 15 and 80 thousand dollars at the agency over a course of six months. Needless to say, Spitzer stepped down from his office and is no longer married to his wife, on whom the CBS drama The Good Wife is partially based.

Larry Craig

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Talk about a political boondoggle! Former Idaho Senator Larry Craig, a staunchly conservative Republican, fell into the public eye in the 1999, when he became a leading critic of Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He even referred to Clinton as “a nasty, bad, naughty boy” on NBC’s Meet The Press. It stands to reason that eight years later, Craig was literally caught with his pants down in a men’s bathroom at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport in Minnesota. He was trapped by a police operation meant to capture men soliciting public sex acts that were reportedly occurring at the airport. Taking a guilty plea in the case, Craig was discredited in the conservative political community and resigned from his Senate position, a decision he later attempted to reverse.

Ted Haggard

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Ted Haggard was a remarkably successful evangelical Christian pastor in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the leader of the National Association of Evangelicals until 2006, when it was revealed that he had been engaging in a number of vices that contradict the views of the evangelical culture. For three years, Haggard employed a “masseuse” named Mike Jones to engage in homosexual sex with him. He also purchased and smoked crystal meth with him. Haggard was formerly characterized by his political stance against gay marriage, as well as homosexuality in general. Haggard has since left the church and continues to claim that he is not gay and has never smoked meth.

Arnold and Jesse Friedman

The Friedmans were a typical-seeming family from suburban Long Island known to their community as a troupe of children’s birthday party entertainers. Patriarch Arnold Friedman fell under police investigation after receiving child pornography in the mail, and police discovered that he had been providing children with private computer lessons in his home, which, of course, suddenly seemed fishy to them. He later pleaded guilty to charges of sexually abusing children. He and his son, Jesse, were sentenced to life in prison. Footage of the family and the trial was compiled for an Oscar-nominated documentary called Capturing The Friedmans.

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

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John Wayne Gacy was another children’s birthday party entertainer—one who led an even more horrifying secret double life than the Friedmans. Gacy was known to the people of Des Plaines, Illinois as “Pogo the Clown,” but was given the nickname “Killer Clown” after it was discovered that he raped and murdered 33 teenage boys and young men between the years of 1972 and 1978. Gacy, a twice-married man, was a respected businessman and community activist. After the investigation of a missing 15-year-old led police to Gacy, the remains of 26 victims were discovered in the crawlspace beneath his house. He was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder and later executed by lethal injection.

Bernhard Goetz

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Bernhard Goetz, AKA the “subway vigilante,” was a seemingly mild-mannered man who operated an electronics business in Manhattan in the 1980s. It was a bad decade for the city, and crime rates were reaching record numbers. In 1981, Goetz was attacked by a group of three young men, who robbed him and left him with permanent injuries. Goetz bided his time, then decided to take matters into his own hands. In 1984, he boarded a subway train armed with a revolver and shot and seriously injured five alleged muggers. The case invoked a national controversy, with one side appalled by Goetz’s criminal negligence, as well as the racial overtones of his actions, and the other impassioned by his heroic response to his attackers. Goetz was acquitted of all charges except carrying an illegal firearm and served 8 months in jail.

10 Most Shocking Moments in the History of HBO

2011-08-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

In a little over a decade HBO dramas have pushed TV to its limits, both in terms of quality and in what they’ve gotten away with showing. If you’ve watched a TV show in the last few years that contained epic quantities of sex and violence, there’s a very good chance you might have been watching HBO. However, even in dark and violent shows there are scenes which stand out in terms of drama and shock value, and help to define a series as a whole. These are the scenes that, in many years to come, we’ll turn to our relatives and say: “Did you ever watch that show where the barbarian killed the other guy by pouring gold onto his head?” Here, we list 10 of the most shocking scenes in HBO history.
If you haven’t seen these shows there are SPOILERS ahead. And, depending on what your job is, some of these video clips might be NSFW.

10. The Sopranos: Ralphie’s Death

It’s sort of surprising that psychotic, stripper-murdering mobster Ralphie Cifaretto wasn’t killed earlier in The Sopranos, but the scene was unexpected enough to be truly shocking. Mob boss Tony Soprano suspected Ralphie of burning his prize racehorse to death and that, combined with his previous “disagreements” with the man, was enough to seal Ralphie’s fate. After a bruising fight the whiny New Jersey mobster ended up strangled to death in his own kitchen and later dismembered. Even more strangely, the character had actually taken a turn for the better in the same episode and shown some signs of regret for his previous actions, and the deed he was accused of in this scene was, for once, something that most people wouldn’t think deserving of murder. Bonus silliness points for the Tom-and-Jerry-style fight scene involving pots, pans and cans of fly spray.

9. Game of Thrones: The Golden Crown

A lot of things about the relationship between Khal Drogo and his underage wife Daenerys were shocking, but the death of creepy, sister-lusting romantic rival Viserys Targaryen was really the icing on the cake. Viserys was one of the weediest and most pathetic characters in Game of Thrones’ first season whilst Khal Drogo was like Genghis Khan in eyeliner and well known for brutally killing anyone who pissed him off at the first opportunity. Thus, Targaryen biting the dust was a foregone conclusion (after taking his sister hostage and demanding an army and a crown), with Drogo getting around the rule which prevented him from spilling blood in the sacred city by pouring a pot of searing molten gold over Targaryen’s head (this being the barbarian version of irony). The impact of the scene is only slightly reduced by how easy it was to melt a mass of gold jewellery in an ordinary stew pot, which is probably impossible under the ordinary laws of physics.

8. Generation Kill: Trombley Shooting Civilians

To borrow a Hank Hill quote for Generation Kill’s Trombley: “That boy ain’t right.” Dead-eyed and seemingly morbidly fascinated with the whole process of war, it really wasn’t a surprise when he was the first of the marines to be caught firing on civilians. In this scene, one of those wounded by US fire finally catches up with the marines. The bloody scene really brings home how brutal a fast-paced war on the ground can be for civilians, particularly in the team’s confusion and moral dilemma over whether they should deliver the boy into proper medical care, thereby risking the lives of US soldiers.

7. Deadwood: Eye Gouge

Gritty wild west drama Deadwood was never sunshine and roses, but the brutal fight between henchmen Dan Dority and Captain Joe Turner in season three really upped the ante. Dority, chief underling of Deadwood’s long running sort-of bad guy Al Swearengen (played by the formidable Ian McShane), had developed a bitter rivalry with his counterpart Captain Turner and in the end the two decided to settle their differences the traditional wild west way – a messy brawl in the mud in the middle of the main street. Giant Cartman look-alike Turner initially seemed to be beating the less chunky Dority, nearly drowning him in a disgusting puddle of what we hope is mud. At the end of one of the best fights in TV history, Dority gained the upper hand by gouging his opponent’s eye out in a truly stomach-churning scene.

6. Oz: Beecher’s Revenge

All the stories about not dropping the soap turned out to be true in HBO prison drama Oz and prisoners were often free to do truly nightmarish things to each other. Middle-class inmate Tobias Beecher was totally unprepared for life in Oswald maximum security prison, and his first year was one long hell of bullying and rape by Neo-Nazi Schillinger. At the end of the season Beecher snapped and decided to show that he was going to stop taking his crap by, well, taking a crap on Schillinger. Beecher’s pooey revenge, one of the most imaginatively disgusting things depicted on television, was understandably the start of a vendetta between the characters which would continue through the entire run of the show.

5. Band of Brothers: Concentration Camp

After spending a lot of time in previous episodes worrying about the philosophical implications of the war, the soldiers of the 101st Airborne ran up against some more of its concrete realities in the appropriately titled episode “Why We Fight,” where they come across an abandoned German concentration camp. It’s the subtle details which really sell this scene, from the things which aren’t actually shown on the screen (the prisoner crying when he tries to talk about the women’s camp), to the impossibly thin inmates who appear in the background, to just how disturbed the hardened soldiers are by the whole situation. The powerful score, comparable to the one from Schindler’s List, also greatly adds to the effect.

4. Boardwalk Empire: The Greektown Murders

In Boardwalk Empire’s sixth episode, Enoch Nucky’s muscle Jimmy Darmody and Al Capone (yes, that Al Capone) decide against going ahead with their truce with Sheridan; easier, they think, just to rub them all out. The thing that makes this scene work is the build-up; it initially seems like the gangsters’ plans have failed, with Sheridan and his crew back in control of the situation, but then the group gets to the fake receptionist… The scene’s brutality and swiftness is the other thing which helps to make it shocking – everything turns to shit (and gunshots) in a matter of seconds.

3. The Wire: Omar’s Death

The Wire has been hailed as one of the best TV series ever made, and a big part of its appeal was resident anti-hero Omar Little, the shotgun-toting, larger-than-life Robin Hood figure of modern-day Baltimore (and Barack Obama’s favorite character in the show). In a world where everything was gritty, morally grey and falling apart at the seams, Omar was practically Superman – a tough, resourceful thief who only stole from drug dealers and never hurt the innocent. After surviving daily brushes with death for five seasons, he was finally killed – shot in the side of the head by a little kid (and we mean little) who happened to get the drop on him. The show’s creators have said that they did this deliberately to show that in the world of The Wire, even heroes can die.

2. The Sopranos: Adriana’s Assassination

The Sopranos was one of the first shows to define the HBO brand and this scene was one of its most shocking moments. Sexy moll Adriana had been the long-term girlfriend of Tony Soprano’s protégé Christopher Moltisanti, lasting multiple seasons in the topsy-turvy world of The Sopranos and had gone on to become a popular fan favorite. After being manipulated by the FBI into becoming an informer in season five, she made the mistake of breaking down and confessing everything to her boyfriend, Chris. Given that Chris was a psychotic mobster, this proved to be a bad idea and, out of the blue, she was killed off with brutal finality by Consigliere Silvio. The scene was so dark that many fans refused to believe her death was real, citing the fact that the murder took place off camera unlike nearly every other “whacking” in the series. A 2005 statement from the actor who played Silvio confirmed that the character was dead. He is reported to have asked: “Do [the fans] think I was shooting squirrels?”

1. Game of Thrones: Jaime Lannister Pushes Bran Stark Out Of A Window

With a pilot featuring multiple decapitations, a sex crazed dwarf and not one but two instances of incest, Game of Thrones was in danger of looking like “Caligula: The Series.” Tongues were ripped out, hearts were eaten, major characters were killed off and everyone was having sex everywhere (and let’s not forget the awesome finale, as summarized by the lead image). Up until this point Jaime had seemed like a cool, sympathetic character (of which there are few enough in Game of Thrones) – this scene totally turned our perceptions of him around. Jaime Lannister pushing Bran Stark out of a window defined the tone of the series – a random sex scene (involving twins), followed by the cold-blooded attempted murder of a child. The scene single-handedly sets the events of the entire series into motion; truly a terrific cliff-hanger… or cliff-plunger, as the case may be.

15 of the Guiltiest People Who Thwarted Justice

2011-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Juries are not always comprised of the brightest bulbs on the scoreboard. With people who don’t know enough to lie to get out of jury duty, it’s amazing the jails are as full as they are. Here are 15 of the guiltiest people who are still able to go see Captain America without having to wait for it to hit cable TV on the prison TV.

Casey Anthony

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2011′s O.J. probably would already be in jail if it wasn’t for the media’s endless scrutiny. But hey, Nancy Grace has gotta eat. Nothing says innocent like going out to party after your child goes missing. Casey Anthony is the obvious first choice here. She was the inspiration for this very list. Anthony was accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, proceeding to party for a month whilst donning borderline-stripper outfits with a bunch of nasty looking dudes and crappy beers, then lying to police about the entire thing. She claimed that her daughter had disappeared in the trusted care of a babysitter who turned out to not exist.
The only ‘guilty’ verdict returned was ‘providing false information to a law enforcement officer’, which were misdemeanors and marked as time served. Anthony went free.
Evidence Against Casey Anthony:
Being a General Douchebag
- Casey thwarts her mother’s efforts to see or speak to Caylee for a month until…
- Cindy, Casey’s mother, apparently discovered Casey’s abandoned vehicle at an impound lot smelling “like there’s been a damn dead body in the car.”
- Getting a “Bella Vita” (Beautiful Life) tattoo while her toddler was missing, lying dead in the woods.
- Casey never actually reported her daughter missing. It was Cindy, Casey’s mother, who called made the calls to 911.
Tall Tales
- Casey originally told detectives that Caylee had been abducted by a nanny named Zanny, but Zanny never actually existed.
- Casey claimed that she declined to contact authorities for a month because she was independently searching for Zanny, but her browser history showed that no searches for the nonexistent women had been typed in until after she made up the story.
- Casey also claims two different stories regarding Zanny, one in which Zanny kidnaps Caylee. In the other, Zanny is asked to care for Caylee for a few days or more.
- Casey’s lawyer defended the story that Caylee had accidentally drowned in the family’s pool, prompting Casey and her father to hide and dispose of the body out of fear of Cindy’s reaction.
Caylee’s Corpse
- Found in a plastic bag with duct tape near her mouth six months after her disappearance.
- FBI forensics expert testified to finding the outline of a heart-shaped sticker on duct tape attached to Caylee’s skull. Similar stickers were found at the crime scene and in Caylee’s bedroom.
- The body was found down the road from the Anthony’s residence, close to the area where Casey used to bury her pets.
Stinky Death Car
- Witnesses testified to ‘foul odor’ coming from Anthony’s car.
- Expert testimony reporting that the strong odor in Anthony’s car was consistent with that of a decomposing body.
- Cadaver dog signaled that there may have been a body in the trunk.
- Expert testimony about the “shockingly high” levels of chloroform in the trunk.
- Veteran FBI specialist Karen Lowe testified the hair in Anthony’s trunk matched Caylee’s hair and contained postmortem root banding.
- Evidence of chloroform in the car.
Google Trail
- Family laptop used to search for
• chloroform
• neck-breaking
• making weapons out of household products
• inhalation
• death
• self-defense
• head injuries
• ruptured spleen
• chest trauma
• internal bleeding
• alcohol
around the time of Caylee’s disappearance.
- The records of these searches had been intentionally deleted.
Misc. Facts
- Rare type of (Henkel) duct tape used to seal Caylee’s mouth. Casey then used the same type of duct tape to post ‘missing’ posters.
I believe myself to be leaving out a few details here, like Casey Anthony’s suspicious statements to her mother while in prison, her jovial demeanor about the police searching for Caylee in the wrong area, inventing a job at Universal Studios, the discovery of Caylee’s body in an Anthony baby blanket (which Cindy Anthony noticed was missing from their home), etc. However, way too much time was spent poring over a terrible case that is now closed without any justice for Caylee.

Lizzie Borden

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Lizzy Borden was put on trial for murdering her father and step mother with a hatchet. She did typical innocent person things like attempt to buy acid weeks before the murder and burn one of her dresses, which probably wasn’t covered in blood. Of course, the biggest piece of evidence that makes her innocent is that a heavy metal band was named after her. No one involved in heavy metal could do such a horrible thing without singing and playing guitar badly about it.

R. Kelly

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If you don’t know what R. Kelly did, then you probably don’t want to know. Pretty much anything you do with a 14-year-old kid puts you in jail, unless you happen to be a millionaire urinating on their prepubescent face. Somehow, unlike every other rapper that has been put in front of a jury, R. Kelly walked away free to sample.

Robert Blake

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Not even fictional 70′s police detective Baretta or the Little Rascals would believe the story Robert Blake told authorities when his wife was found dead. She was shot in a parking lot, while Blake when back inside the restaurant to get a gun he left behind. At trial, the defense claimed Mrs. Blake was killed by associates of Christian Brando, son of Marlon. He was acquitted despite witness testimony from two different men that Blake had tried to hire them to kill his wife. How did this not get higher ratings than the O.J. Trial?

Lucky Luciano

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Probably the only mob boss with more cajones than Carlo, was Lucky. While sitting in jail during World War 2, the Federal Government was having some trouble down at the docks in New York. Someone had started some fires. The government cut a deal with Lucky that if he used his organization to keep the docks safe so that the military equipment would go in and out, he’d be let out of jail and deported after the war. At the end of the war, the government kept up their end and Lucky laughed all the way back to Italy, as it was his guys that set the fire.

Katherine Harris

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Remember the presidential election in 2000? Florida had some problems with hanging chads, but amazingly the Secretary of State for the State of Florida confidently called the election for George W. Bush. Maybe that was because she was also co-chair of Bush’s Florida election efforts. Later, she was elected to the House of Representatives, probably with no money from military contractors. Harris went on to become embroiled in a bribery scandal while running for Senator, which coincidentally involved military contractors. She plead ignorance, which, if you’ve ever heard her speak, you’ve got to believe.

Carlo Gambino

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One of the most powerful crime bosses in the history of the Mafia, Carlo only served 22 months of his entire 74 years of life in jail. He died in front of the TV a free man, probably wondering how he’d collect on royalties from the Godfather movies. Thankfully, he never lived to see the confusing end of the Sopranos.

Neil Bush

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Back before destroying the US economy was popular, H. W. Bush had another son that attempted to destroy the economy using his savings and loan. While living like a French monarch and a Roman Emperor combined, his daddy made sure the tax payers got the bill. Thanks, H.W. Next time, use a condom. Fortunately, this kind of financial malfeasance would never happen again.

Henry Paulson

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If you’re one of those poor people that lost a house or two during the big housing bubble, you can blame a lot of it on Paulson. Thanks to his efforts, the government gave hundreds of billions of dollars to banks that lost hundreds of billions of dollars. And rather than help people that were losing their home, they all bought ivory backscratchers. Nice job, Treasury Secretary.

Roman Polanski

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Just because you can make a movie doesn’t mean you can live out scenes from Lolita. Polanski managed to escape justice and is technically a fugitive. They almost got him in 2009, but like a sleazy Lex Luthor, Polanski slipped free. Guess you have to be a pop music icon to touch kids and live in America at the same time.

Ted Kennedy

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Remember why Ted Kennedy didn’t get elected president back in the day? Seems he left his date to drown after driving into the river one night. Perhaps his enormous head prevented him from diving back down and saving his date.

The Ramseys

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The bizarre case of the murder of JonBenett Ramsey still goes unsolved. Somehow, a child that the couple fawned over nonstop for make up, hair, talent shows and on and on, was left alone long enough to be murdered in their own house. Maybe if the Keystone Cops hadn’t bungled the investigation, this wouldn’t be endless fodder for Law & Order TV shows.

O.J. Simpson

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O.J. is so guilty, he almost confessed the entire thing in a book deal and TV special. Yeah, it’s amazing how many innocent people write books and hold TV shows talking about crimes they never committed. Good luck catching those real killers, O.J. How’s that going?
OJ Simpson’s trial was a gigantic media shitshow which roped in thousands of emotionally invested viewers across the country. Although the general consensus seemed (and seems) to be that OJ donned ill-fitting gloves before maniacally stabbing his ex-wife and her friend to death, the case turned into something of a race war. Many claimed that a guilty verdict would be a racist one. A non-racist miscarriage of justice was later carried out, announcing Simpson as not guilty and sending him into the world where he would later go on to fail at robbing a sports memorabilia shop of his own crap.
Evidence against OJ Simpson:
- Blood trails leading from the house contained Simpson’s DNA. Contamination or tampering were ruled out.
- Cut on Simpson’s finger. The defense responded by claiming that Simpson cut his finger on a glass in his hotel room the morning after the murders.
- Bloody shoe prints matching Simpson’s size and belonging to a rare, Italian luxury shoe.
- Hairs found in a dark knit cap were similar to Simpson’s hairs.
- Fibers on a cap were similar to those in the carpeting of Simpson’s Ford Bronco.
- Dark blue cotton fibers were found on Goldman.
- Witness testimony placed him in clothing similar to the fibers on the night of the murder.
- Gloves found at the crime scene matched those bought by Simpson’s ex-wife.
- DNA testing of gloves found evidence of Simpson and both victims.
- Gloves found by Simpson’s bed containing his ex-ex-wife’s blood.
- A mixture of blood (Simpson, his ex-wife, her friend) found on his car handle, on the console, door, steering wheel, and carpeting.
- Witness sees Simpson’s car speeding away from the scene of the crime.
- Witness sees ‘shadowy figure’ slipping back into Simpson’s home immediately after murders.
- Lack of an alibi or believable story.
- History of domestic violence against his ex-wife.

George W. Bush

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Someone had to make Neil look good by comparison in the Bush Family. Arrogant, stupid and spoiled, the frat boy president is so clueless, he actually admitted to international war crimes in his book. Fortunately for him, the US is still the most powerful country on Earth. He’d better hope it stays that way.

Dick Cheney

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Voted Time’s Most Evil Human eight years running, Cheney’s pact with the Devil continues to keep him alive to cause as much pain and suffering as possible. Fortunately, he’s become too old and feeble to pull on the reigns of power anymore. Maybe if he lives long enough, he can star in a remake of Apt Pupil.

10 Biggest Box Office Turkeys of the Noughties

2011-08-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

Making popular movies is a difficult job, and not all of them can be as successful as Avatar or Titanic. With special effects getting better and better all the time, our summer blockbusters are getting steadily more spectacular…

…but also more and more expensive and at risk of flopping badly — bringing down the studios which launched them like giant, horribly overpriced guided missiles. As it turned out, the 2000s were a great decade for both epic movies and epic failures. Here we list ten of the biggest box office turkeys of the ’00s.

10. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within had special effects which were hailed as “revolutionary” when it was released in 2001. France in 1793 was pretty revolutionary as well, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to have anything to do with it. The newly-developed “photorealistic” CGI effects gave the characters the creepy, blank faces of pod people (the so-called uncanny valley effect). The villain, General Hein, was a clichéd evil Patton wannabe who would make General Grievous from Star Wars look three-dimensional by comparison. Even worse, don’t start looking for Sephiroth or Cloud in this movie, because it had jack to do with any Final Fantasy game ever released. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within lost about $82 million worldwide and essentially led to the collapse of Square Studios, the company that released it. Nice work.

9. Slither

Space slug splatterfest Slither was meant to bring back the comedy-horror movie; instead, it practically killed it off. The tongue-in-cheek story involved a meteor carrying alien parasites crashing down in a one-horse American town and turning its population of good ‘ol boys into ravenous mutants. The movie was an slithering damp squib, making less than a quarter of its $29.5 million budget back in America after being released in 2006. Audiences saw its homages to ’70s and ’80s horror movies like Night of the Creeps as attempts at ripping them off, and many people didn’t seem to even realize that it was supposed to be a parody. Maybe people were “zombied out;” the rush of bloody Romero-sploitation movies like 28 Days Later in the 2000s had left some sick to death of walking corpses and ready to embrace some nice sparkly vampires (of course, the success of The Walking Dead might indicate that particular craze isn’t quite over!).

8. Treasure Planet

Failing to learn from the colossal ’90s bomb that was Carolco’s Cutthroat Island, Disney commissioned another big budget pirate movie in the 2000s. Treasure Planet (2002) ambitiously combined hand-drawn 2D animation with advanced 3D computer graphics and the storyline of children’s classic Treasure Island, which was re-written to ditch the pirate galleons and tropical islands for hoverboards and flying ships. The movie took four-and-a-half years to create, with over a thousand people involved in its production. It was bold, it involved a huge amount of effort from a small army of crew members, and it was an utterly insipid idea which made less than a quarter of what it cost to make in the US, losing up to $70 million worldwide. It just goes to show that Johnny Depp is the only one who can get away with this sort of cutthroat caper in a Disney movie nowadays.

7. The Alamo

This Billy Bob Thornton vehicle was so unmemorable that most critics couldn’t even be bothered to hate it; most responded with a thundering “meh.” Lacking the patriotic message of the 1960s John Wayne movie or any aspiration to re-write history, The Alamo was such a solidly middle-of-the-road effort that it failed to stir any emotions in its audiences at all. The movie also had the misfortune of being up against the massively successful biblical torture porn movie The Passion of the Christ in its first weekend, back in 2004. Audiences treated it like a Leonard Nimoy live concert and stayed well away, with the result that the movie became the second biggest box office bomb of all time, making just $26 million of the $145 million it cost to make. Boom!

6. The Adventures of Pluto Nash

Legendarily over-budget “comedy” The Adventures of Pluto Nash only succeeded in pissing away every shred of credibility Eddie Murphy had regained with the Shrek franchise. The virtually joke-free 2002 caper was a mess of terrible action scenes, dated references and nonsensical plot twists which made back virtually none of its money at the box office. Murphy showed all of his worst qualities as an actor, seeming to wander through the movie in a semi-daze when he wasn’t hamming it up like an even balder William Shatner. Why anyone thought it was a good idea to spend $120 million on this rubbish is a mystery, with a return from theaters of scarcely $7 million about all this piece of space junk could have hoped for.

5. Sahara

Matthew McConaughey is basically the cheaper version of Brendan Frasier so it was appropriate that he was chosen to star in 2005′s Sahara, an action-comedy designed to cash in on the success of the Mummy franchise. The movie featured swashbuckling Underwater and Marine Agency agent Dirk Pitt and his various sidekicks attempting to discover the source of a disease sweeping across Africa whilst fighting sinister third-world dictators and their corporate stooges. Unfortunately for its creators, the movie ended up being anything but low-rent and was plagued by massive production and distribution costs. Despite doing well in theaters and being trashily entertaining viewing, Sahara lost over $120 million at the box office, which just goes to show that it’s expensive to have movie helicopters being shot down by cannonballs…

4. Speed Racer

Based on a Japanese cartoon best known for its irresistibly catchy theme tune, the live-action version of Speed Racer was critically panned and lost more than $100 million at the box office following its 2008 release. The movie’s plot, which featured an 18-year-old driver trying to break into the world of automobile racing, was derided by critics for being conflict-free and aimed at too young an audience. The film was also not helped by PETA accusations of animal cruelty towards one of the chimps involved in production, and its directors, the Wachowski brothers, being more familiar with kung fu than car fu. Despite its box office flop, the movie’s creators were reportedly still optimistic about selling tie-in merchandise. Instead of making the flick they should have just sold the theme tune as a weapon: having an endless loop of it stuck in your head is guaranteed to drive anyone nuts…

3. Red Planet

Red Planet: a dull Val Kilmar/Carrie-Anne Moss sci-fi movie which looked similar to Apollo 13 but removed the drama, characterization and any relevance to real-life events. In the future world of 2057, mankind has sent a manned mission Mars in an attempt to find out what went wrong with its attempt to give the planet a breathable atmosphere. A good concept for a movie, but unfortunately most of the end result consisted of astronauts wandering aimlessly round a desert shot with red filters to make it look like Mars, something about flesh-eating insects, and Carrie-Ann Moss’ ass floating around in zero gravity (not that we’re complaining about the last part). Audiences reacted badly to its glacial pacing, mechanical performances and the lack of any exciting moments (except Tom Sizemore’s character being eaten in the third act), and this 2000 movie was a total bomb which lost nearly $65 million worldwide.

2. Town and Country

A virtually forgotten 2001 rom-com, Town and Country is only really notable for being just the second movie which Diane Keaton and Warren Beatty have starred in together following 1981′s Reds (yeah, that notable). Oh, and for being one of the biggest bombs in cinematic history, losing close to $100 million at the box office. The “plot” involved an aging stud played by Beatty debating whether to tell his wife about his recent affair with a cellist. Blander than the blandest of bland, the movie was shooting low, but even then failed to hit what it was aiming for. Critics derided it as crude, smug and overly WASP-ish, and it was such a stain on the records of its stars that most of them took extended breaks from the film industry until the bad publicity had died down.

1. Battlefield Earth

The 21st century has seen many great disasters, but possibly none so great as the cinematic Hindenburg which was 2000′s Battlefield Earth. Celebrity Scientologist John Travolta produced, promoted and starred in this stinker of a movie, which was based on a book of the same name by the “religion”’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard. The movie depicted a post-apocalyptic future in which Travolta’s character led stupid-looking dreadlocked aliens in high-heeled boots to enslave humanity. At the end of the movie, the human resistance, led by Barry Pepper and his collection of cavemen and bad actors, managed to defeat the aliens by shooting them down with the help of thousand-year-old planes in a way that made Independence Day look like Top Gun and Top Gun look like a gritty documentary about fighter combat. It flopped, it was panned, it was trash, and it brought attention to Scientology in exactly the opposite way that its creators had intended. That its financial loss may have been as little is $15 million was surely scant consolation. Definitely a contender for the biggest turkey of all time.

10 Best Movie Prequels of All Time

2011-08-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

It’s a generally accepted fact that there are very few good prequels; George Lucas certainly cemented it as a truism in the popular consciousness… In fairness, it is hard to create a compelling story when the audience already knows the ending, and it’s difficult to explain the origins of characters who the audience already know without flattening them and making them less interesting. But while there have been some utter disasters — The Phantom Menace, Hannibal Rising, the list goes on — there have been a handful of others which have been well worth watching. Here we list 10 of the best movie prequels of all time.

10. Infernal Affairs 2

The Martin Scorsese movie The Departed was, of course, originally based on a wildly successful and quite brilliant series of Hong Kong cops-vs-triads thrillers. The prequel to the original Infernal Affairs, Infernal Affairs II sets up all of the intrigue and counter-intrigue which takes place in the first movie. The Chinese series was probably even more acclaimed and respected than the American version, and the second movie in the series was considered almost as good as the first. Just like The Departed, the film is set over a number of years and involves moles working for both the gangsters and the police, attempting to work their way deeper into each others’ respective organizations. Tension reigns throughout…

9. Paranormal Activity 2

The first Paranormal Activity was a low-budget fright-fest, pretty much the suburban answer to The Blair Witch Project. The prequel — which is set a few weeks before the start of the first movie and focuses on the sister of the original’s possessed protagonist — delivers plenty more of the same minimalistic psychological horror. Here, the plot device of there being cameras everywhere in the house is justified by a supposed break-in that the family suffers at the beginning of the movie (which, as you can probably guess, isn’t a real break-in at all…). The old Hollywood saying goes “never work with kids or animals”: Paranormal Activity 2 uses both in the creepiest way possible, and although it feels like a retread of the original in parts, there are a couple of scenes which will put you off raising or even being around a baby for the rest of your life. What’s more, the forthcoming Paranormal Activity 3 will be another step yet further back in time, predating both the first two movies.

8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Who couldn’t think more Indiana Jones was a good idea? Well, maybe plenty of people after the disappointment that was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; but back in the Eighties, when Harrison Ford wasn’t gray, things were different. Temple of Doom was the sequel to the first hit movie, but was set before the adventurer had acquired the scar on his chin and was experienced enough to carry a gun at all times to deal with aggressive swordsmen. While not quite as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark, it had a number of very memorable moments (the insects crawling over Willie; the dinner scene; the heart-ripping, Kali-worshiping bad guy, Mola Ram) and added plenty more whip-cracking action to the franchise. Are we the only folks who think the karate-kicking Short Round is just awesome?

7. Zulu Dawn

The prequel to the jingoistic Michael Caine classic Zulu was intended to equal its predecessor in popularity, and, while it didn’t quite manage this, it’s definitely worth a watch. The movie portrayed the colonial British army’s defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana, which is mainly remembered for its being so disastrous for the red-coated boys as one of the few times that “natives” armed with spears defeated a professional army armed with cannons and rifles (notwithstanding the Zulus’ vast numerical superiority). The movie may not have had quite the punch of Zulu but it showcases good acting, big budget battle scenes and, for history geeks, a faithful representation of the actual events.

6. X-Men: First Class

The X-Men franchise definitely lost its way after X2, which is why Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn decided to bring it back to its roots by focusing on the two characters who made it interesting in the first place: Magneto and Xavier. The resulting movie was much better than the deeply lame attempt at a prequel that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine (although it could hardly have been worse) and added more interesting backstory to some of the most popular characters in the series, without the horrible awkwardness of The Last Stand. Yes, uniquely among later installments of the franchise, First Class had a story which was actually compelling. At least the improvement in quality helped the filmmakers put the craptacular third movie behind them…

5. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Hayden Christensen may not be fit to lick James Earl Jones’ shiny black metal helmet (and the fact that he transforms into him, voice and all, by the end of the movie is somewhat less than believable) but the third Star Wars prequel was still, actually, pretty good. It’s no excuse for the others, though, George! Despite maintaining the cringe-inducing dialogue uttered in the rest of the trilogy, this was far and away the best of Lucas’ films released in the later Nineties/early Noughties, and it even managed to feel appropriately epic with scenes like the “birth” of Darth Vader. The acting was also somewhat improved, with Ewan McGregor managing a more-or-less credible Alec Guinness impersonation for the first time in the series (although since Guinness was famously phoning it in on the set of Star Wars that might not have been the best example to try to imitate). All in all, a definite step up in quality from the rest of the series which so besmirched the infinitely superior originals.

4. Red Dragon

This prequel to The Silence of the Lambs involved retired police profiler Will Graham coming out of retirement to catch the goofily named “Tooth Fairy” serial killer. It wasn’t as good as Silence of the Lambs as it lacked the sympathetic central performance of Jodie Foster, but it’s not anything like bad, and you could add Anthony Hopkins’ hammy Hannibal to practically any movie (cough! except Hannibal Rising) and make it reasonably entertaining. Just imagine a version of The King’s Speech with him playing the therapist; now that would be a good movie… although his interests in the human brain might make it rather shorter. Returning to Red Dragon, it’s worth noting that Ralph Fiennes did a sterling job as the main villain. Particularly creepy are the scenes between the “Tooth Fairy” and his oblivious love interest, who at least had the excuse of being literally blind to her boyfriend’s many, many deep-seated flaws…

3. Star Trek (2009)

Just when you thought ‘Trek was all rubber-headed aliens, babble about the Prime Directive and Patrick Stewart’s big bald head, this modern take on the franchise revitalized the Star Trek brand. The 2009 film, which featured a younger, more rebellious Captain Kirk battling to save the galaxy from a time-traveling spaceship, was successful enough to become the highest-grossing movie in the series so far. As well as being a reboot, the film also serves as a prequel due to the appearance of younger versions of nearly all of the main characters in the first series. Trekkies will also appreciate the appearance of the original Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, and sci-fi fans in general will appreciate the fact that the new Spock is played by Zachary Quinto, better known as the brain-sucking supervillain, Sylar, from the NBC series Heroes. Word.

2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Sergio Leone’s atmospheric and brilliantly shot Western is actually a prequel to the other two films in his “Dollars” trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More). The movie, set during the Civil War, reintroduces the iconic Man With No Name (“the Good”) and has him acquire his signature outfit as the film unfolds. Lee Van Cleef serves up a menacing performance as the villain Angel Eyes (“the Bad”) but the real star of the show is Tuco (“the Ugly”) — a bandit with a pathos-filled backstory who manages to be hilarious, threatening and pitiful at the same time (a bit like Tom Cruise’s appearance on Oprah…). Many of the movie’s scenes are so overblown that they border on a parody of normal Westerns, yet it also works as a complete tour de force in its own right. A must watch for movie lovers.

1. The Godfather: Part II

Most people believe that movie series tend to get worse the longer they go on. In many cases they’re right, but a major piece of proof to the contrary is The Godfather: Part II, which is considered not only one of the best prequels ever made but one of the best films of all time, period. A large part of the movie is set in the early 1900s (sequences which originally appeared in the first book in Mario Puzo’s series of novels) and deals with the young Vito Corleone’s arrival in the US and how he got into the “Family” business. Robert De Niro’s Academy Award-winning role as the young Godfather is considered one of his best performances (and given that this was only one year after he made Mean Streets and two before he made Taxi Driver that’s saying something). With its awesome time shifts, everything good about the original Godfather was made even better in Part II, so that even Marlon Brando’s absence doesn’t really hurt it. A prequel and a sequel in one package? An offer you can’t refuse.

Bonus: Ring 0: Birthday

The Ring horror movies don’t have a lot of depth; they’re mainly based on the fact that curses and women who can crawl out of TV screens are inherently creepy. Furthermore, sequels and prequels tend to peter out after a few years: although many franchises can sustain one or two good sequels, not many can manage three (just ask Joel Schumacher). That’s why it’s a surprise that the prequel/fourth film in the Japanese series, Ring 0: Birthday, is such a good film. This TV movie offers us the origin of troubled psychic-girl Sadako, before she gained the power to curse people with videotapes and while she was still alive). Sadako is normally peaceful but, as you might expect in a movie of this nature, people pissing her off leads to her going all Carrie come the end. Definitely a must-see for fans of the franchise.