There is ‘Money’ by Pink Floyd, ‘Money, Money’ by Liza Minnelli and even ‘Money Money Money’ by Abba. The list could go on: Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Had $1,000,000, Take the Money and Run, The Gambler, Money for Nothing, Money Talks…
…all great songs about the green stuff, but let’s focus on more recent material.
Here are the ten best musical tributes to money from the last few years:
10. Got Your Money – ODB (1999)
ODB begins Got Your Money by expressing his love for all the “pretty girls in the world,” then backpedals and includes “the ugly ones, too.”
Apparently, both types of women initially show interest in him, and then later express a reversal of those opinions. The song also suggests that women like to imply they are carrying ODB’s child – when, in fact, they are not.
This song contains a lot of nonsensical lyrics, but one thing is clear – ODB is VERY angry over some missing money.
9. Picture of Success – Rilo Kiley (2001)
Jenny Lewis, lead singer of Rilo Kiley, sounds pretty defeated by life in Picture of Success - she’s got a lot of hopes and dreams, but for the moment they’re all stagnant because her “bills keep changing colors.”
8. The Ghost of Tom Joad – Rage Against the Machine (2000)
This isn’t your father’s The Ghost of Tom Joad.
No offense to Bruce Springsteen, his version is great, but Rage Against the Machine brings all the frustration, anger and disappointment of this song to the forefront.
The song is based on the novel The Grapes of Wrath, which tells the bleak story of an American family in search of land, jobs and dignity during the Great Depression – and makes our current economic problems seem like a piece of cake.
7. Gold Digger – Kanye West (2005)
If Kanye West wasn’t rich before this single dropped, he definitely was afterwards. Gold Digger hit No. 1 on Billboards’ “Hot 100” in September of 2005 and broke the record for most digital downloads in a single week, with over 80,000 copies sold.
You’ve all heard the song before, so I don’t need to tell you what it’s about. If you need a refresher, try watching the music video.
6. I Will Buy You a New Life – Everclear (1997)
A lot of Everclear’s early songs were about young people trying to get by – and high – without much money. I Will Buy You a New Life is about a young man that would like to buy his lady all the things she wants but, unfortunately, he’s broke as a joke.
Singer Art Alexakis seems to know what it’s like to be penniless:
I hate those people who love to tell you
Money is the root of all that kills
They have never been poor
They have never had the joy of a welfare Christmas
Does the guy in the song ever buy the house and the car for his one-and-only? Probably not, but it’s the thought that counts.
5. 10 Dollar – MIA (2005)
10 Dollar is about dial-a-brides on the Internet and child prostitution in third world countries.
I’ll let MIA elaborate on her childhood experiences:
“So in India, when I was 5-years-old they taught me this song and basically it was about this little girl. She was making roti and she runs out of oil, and then she goes to a shop to buy some oil, but when she’s at the shop she finds out she’s got no money. So when she looks at the shopkeeper she gives him a wink. She’s trying to hustle some free oil. And I can’t believe that’s the song they taught me when I was 5-years-old… Instead of ‘Row, row, row your boat,’ I got to sing about how a little girl has no money when she goes to the shop and she winks at the shopkeeper to get some free oil. And I thought that was really interesting that these children at five get taught to sing this happy little skippy song. So then I was like, okay I’m gonna make a happy little skippy song about prostitution and all these issues that you have in Sri Lanka and Thailand.”
If only money could bring you back to life. I guess that was one of Biggie’s “problems”.
The song was released after his death and was his second No. 1 single that year – making him the only artist in the history of Hot 100 to have two No. 1 singles posthumously.
If you scan Notorious B.I.G.’s wikipedia page or read his biography you’ll see a whole lot Mo’ Problems than you’ll see Mo’ Money.
3. Pocketful of Money – Jens Lekman (2005)
Thanks Jens – finally someone enjoying their hard earned cash:
I’ve got my pockets full of money
I’m gonna spend it all tonight
I’ve got my pockets full of money
I’m gonna spend it all tonight
A whole month’s salary
Gonna set it to flames
on some girl, we just met recently
I barely know her name
I can almost guarantee you that Jens did not regret blowing all his money when he woke up the next day.
2. The Big Three Killed My Baby – The White Stripes (1999)
Detroit is known for, amongst other things, the Red Wings hockey team, Motown, the auto industry, and the White Stripes. The latter two are featured in this song by the city’s top garage rockers.
“The Big Three” mentioned in the title refer to the three largest automakers in the 50s and 60s: Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. The song is an attack on them, relating to the fall of the labor unions in the 60s and the ties these companies have with the oil industry.
Jack White says of this song, “That’s why I say [in the song], ‘…don’t let them tell you the future’s electric, because gasoline’s not measured in metric.’ The idea that they won’t make any money if they make a good car. Kind of a shame. That’s where we’re from, that’s what this whole town is about.”
1. Gone ‘til November – Wyclef Jean (1997)
This slow jam from Wyclef Jean showcases a musician at the top of his game. He’s backed up by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra on the song – and if that isn’t enough to impress you, Bob Dylan makes a quick cameo in the music video.
Gone ‘til November is Clef’s love letter to his lady. He’s trying to explain to her why he has to head south for the next few months. It sounds like she would rather he stay home than go chase money in other cities.
This is a guest post by Gary Kohler from the life insurance website LifeCover.ca. Gary has a crush on Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis.
Orgasms are somewhat of an untold mystery. Nowhere is this fact driven home more, than when you start looking up its definition and realize that there are nearly 30 different ways to describe its physical and emotional properties. You probably already know orgasms result in muscular contractions, increase heart rate/blood pressure, are associated with intense pleasure, and can be experienced by both men and women. But what are a few things you may not know:
10. Got Sperm?
When the male orgasms, he ejaculates secretions of sperm, amounting to 10 cubic centimeters (cc) per encounter. It has been calculated that the average male will orgasm enough fluid over his lifetime, to fill a one gallon milk carton, fourteen times.
9. Not Just For Women
While it is common knowledge that women have various g-spot locations, not many are aware that men have these to. Three spots to be exact. There is the frenulum (directly underneath the male appendage), the perineum (patch of skin between the testicles and anus), and the prostate gland.
8. Aunt Flo Can Be a Welcome Visitor
For most men, anytime is a good time for an orgasm, but for women, there are certain times that are better than others. It has been found the best time for her (pleasure wise), is during her “period”. This is unfortunately when many women (and some men) are uncomfortable with having sex. The reason orgasms are better during this time, is the increase in blood circulation around the groin area.
7. Material Girl Goes Wild
One of the big shocks of the 20th century, was that our nations sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe, claimed she never achieved orgasm by any of her famous lovers (John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, etc.). It wasn’t until shortly before her death (age 36) she told her psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, “Bless you doctor—all the years I had never had one. What wasted years. How can I describe to you, a man, what it feels like to a woman? Think of a light switch with a rheostat control. As you begin to turn it on, the bulb begins to get bright, then brighter, and brighter and finally in a blinding flash is fully lit. It is so good…” Yeah, we know Marilyn!
6. On Your Marks, Get Set, Impregnate
The average speed of ejaculate during a male orgasm is 28 mph, according to the Kinsey Institute. This is in excess of the top speeds of the greatest runners in the world. This is in exact opposite of the slow and steady pace of the sperm, which is only capable of traveling 1½ inches every 15-minutes of intense swimming. The force of orgasm is thought to give them a head start, considering they have a good 3 or 4 inches to go before they reach their final destination.
5. One To Die For
Orgasms aren’t just for the living. If the sacral nerves in the spinal chord are oxygenated and stimulated, then there isn’t any reason why a dead person can’t climax. I still suggest sex only with the living though.
4. Be Loud, Be Proud
Not all women can produce the same orgasm results in their men. In fact, it is the more “vocal” women that achieve the desired results on a consistent basis. Studies show that males orgasm 59 percent of the time while their partner is screaming in ecstasy, and only 2 percent of the time while she’s lying quiet, counting gold sprinkles on the ceiling.
3. Thank You, Sir. My I Have Another?
Many women are capable of multiple orgasms. The most female orgasms recorded by doctors, William Hartman and Marilyn Fithian, were 134 within a single hour. That is a little over two orgasms per minute. Interestingly, it has also been noted that some women are capable of multiple orgasms even during such seemingly mundane activities as stroking their eyebrow, rubbing their knee, thinking (about an orgasm), or brushing their teeth.
2. Natural Selection
Orgasm is an evolutionary function of nature. In 1967, a man named Desmond Morris wrote a controversial book called, The Naked Ape. The book looked at the female orgasm, suggesting its purpose was to not only encourage interest in sexual activity, but promote exhaustion to encourage her to remain in the horizontal position (preventing sperm from leaking out). He also suggested women’s difficulty in attaining orgasm with men, was in fact a form of natural selection. Only the most patient, caring, and imaginative men (considered preferred traits) would have the best chance of eliciting an orgasm, and thus successfully conceiving a child.
1. You’re Never Too Young
Masturbation has been noted in prenatal ultrasound images, especially in males, where their hand appears to be wrapped around their appendage and moving respectively back and forth. It is not uncommon to find young children engaging in various forms of self-stimulation, resulting in a sort of orgasm. This is of course long before their sexual organs are capable of adult function (releasing egg or semen). Considering the great circle of life, it is also believed that an orgasm could be achieved the same in death as in life, by the stimulation of a certain points on the spinal column. This theory has yet to be put to the test however.
Freak shows were much more popular fifty years ago than they are today. In fact, they are now illegal in some states. Freak shows were common at state fairs, carnivals, and circus sideshows. Curtains would be tightly drawn around the various “three-headed lady” or “alligator boy” tents. Curious customers wondered what was inside, and perhaps even forked over some cash to take a peek. More often than not, the customers would be heartily disappointed because most of these shows were a ruse. Most, but not all…
Here are the top 10 freak show acts of all time:
10. The Hottentot Venus
Saartjie ‘Sarah’ Baartman’s stage name was the Hottentot Venus. She became a popular sideshow attraction during the 18th century thanks to a European fascination with African ‘natives.’ Her features attracted men and women who would come to see her in the name of science, lust, or curiosity.
At the time, people from many different cultures (including North America, Africa, and Asia) were brought to Europe and treated as exotic animals rather than people, exploited in the name of entertainment. Some were kidnapped, others tricked. Khoikhoi women, of which Sarah Baartman was the most famous, were often promised wealth and fame in return for touring the countryside. These promises never came to fruition, and the women were bought and sold amongst entertainers as valuable commodities to add to the entertainer’s repertoire. The title of these Khoisian dance attractions was often something like “The African Goddess of Love.”
South African president Nelson Mandela requested that Saartjie ‘Sarah’ Baartman’s remains be returned from France (where she died at the age of 25). After being treated like an animal in a strange country (she was even caged), she was finally given a dignified resting place near her birthplace on Women’s Day, 2002.
9. The Fiji Mermaid
At some point in the 1800s P.T. Barnum (partner with James Anthony Bailey in the Barnum and Bailey Circus) came up with an incredible business idea. Entrepreneurs in other types of business might develop a new type of vacuum cleaner or a system for delivering frozen foods, but Barnum’s unique trade led him to invent one of the ultimate freak show creations of the time: The Fiji Mermaid.
Although the Fiji Mermaid is not “real,” the concept behind its creation is enough to place it in the top ten freakish carnival sideshows of all time. Seriously, who cuts up skeletons and fuses them together as a way to make money? Congratulations, Barnum, you’re a top-notch freak.
8. General Tom Thumb
P.T. Barnum was exploiting real humans before he promoted fake mermaids in his show. Earlier, he had sought out his fifth cousin Charles Stratton, a four-year-old boy who had hardly grown an inch from the time he was six months old. Barnum explained to Charles’ father that the young man could make a living for the family if he joined his circus organization. Charles, who was otherwise unemployable in those times due to his height and size (not to mention his age), was eager to step onstage. Barnum taught him to dance, sing, dress up, and impersonate famous people.
The act toured in the late 1700s, when Barnum and Stratton’s father (both obviously shameless and exploitative businessmen) went into business together as circus pioneers. Young Charles Stratton, just five years old at the time of his first shows, performed under the stage name General Tom Thumb, and wowed audiences in the United States with his complex routines and hilarious antics despite his young age and debilitating condition.
7. The Black Scorpion (also performs under the name Lobster Boy)
This is one of those sideshow gags that sounds much more “insane” than it really is. Going by the name “The Black Scorpion” or “Lobster Boy,” this unique “claw handed” character works as a positive force in the world of freak show entertainers, increasing the perception that freak shows are a good thing, not a derisive or negative force in the world of entertainment.
In 2008, The Black Scorpion joined an exhibit at Coney Island’s Sideshows by the Seashore and was filmed for TLC’s hit television show, Taboo. Lobster Boy is using his deformity to transform his industry into something better
6. The Jones Twins
The Jones Twins, a Siamese twin couplet who toured the nation in the late 1800s, are a tragic story of the overlooked human element of sideshow attractions. Oftentimes we forget that these spectacles are human beings; human beings who are often limited from securing traditional employment due to their unusual conditions. The Jones Twins, only 15 months old at the time of their deaths, had been a sideshow attraction for upwards of half of their lives. The exact reason for their deaths is unknown.
5. Mr. Frank Lentini
Born at the turn of the 20th century, Frank Lentini ultimately became one of the world’s most successful and long-lived sideshow acts. His condition was incredibly unique: Lentini had a third leg. This, on its own, was enough to attract an audience; but, what shocked people even more was the fact that the three-legged man was also equipped with two sets of fully-functioning genitals. Although he was never known to show off this often-aspired-to peculiarity, it was enough to land him a beautiful wife, Theresa Murray. She was the mother of his four two-legged children. One can only imagine the most audacious question asked by audience members: “Frank, we know you’ve got two, but which one do you use?” The answer will never be known.
4. Pickled Punks
The name is quite ambiguous, and at first we assume that these freak show stars might be selected individuals from bands like Blink 182 or Sum 41 who have been submerged in vinegar and put on display. Unfortunately, the popularized “pickled punks” side show attraction is much more morbid than that. A “pickled punk” is a term used to describe an unborn (or stillborn) fetus that has been preserved in a pickle jar of formaldehyde.
This sideshow attraction was apparently devised in the 1600s by King Frederick III of Denmark, who collected numerous pickled punk specimens. The collection of Ulisse Aldrovandi, an Italian naturalist (pictured above), reached over 18,000 preserved specimens.
3. Chelsea Charms
The breast show ever, Chelsea Charms, a present-day Las Vegas lap dancer, is said to have the largest breasts in recorded history. Her boobs have made her so famous that she’s gone from sideshow status to the main stage attraction at clubs all over the world. Her gargantuan, size 153XXX breasts, drop jaws and open wallets.
What could be more unbelievable than this photograph? The fact that Chelsea Charms claims to have never undergone any sort of breast augmentation surgery. All natural, or silicone enhanced? You be the judge.
2. The Elephant Man
Joseph Merrick, a 19th century sideshow performer, was the victim of a condition beyond words. While many sideshow entertainers retain the ability to speak, smile, or look half-way normal in the face (or at least some part of their body), Elephant Man Joseph Merrick, the British runaway and lifelong carnie, was deformed beyond human identification. Although he may have appeared to have both arms and legs, Merrick’s rampant congenital disorder caused abnormal growths to occur all over his body. In the end, judging by the numerous pictures available online, Merrick is more disfigured than human-figured. He was never able to live anything close to a normal human life, and his emotional state and mental abilities vary from report to report.
1. Lazarus Colloredo and Joannes Baptista Colloredo
These Italian conjoined twins made their living by entertaining carnival audiences with the simplest act imaginable: standing there. They toured in Europe in the 1600s, and pioneered the idea of a “freak show,” a concept that would later spawn careers for countless individuals who were born with genetic abnormalities or defects.
Unfortunately, the brothers were not “all there.” Joannes Baptista, the smaller of the two conjoined twins, was a mere protrusion in the chest of his mobile counterpart. He could not speak or act freely, but rumor has it that he would squirm and shake his hands and arms if poked in the breast. These sorts of anomalies drew more and more people to attend their visits to local townships, and it is rumored that the brothers made a comfortable living from these “freak show” tours.
It’s often said that Hollywood has run out of original ideas, which is why there are so many remakes. Actually, remakes are part of a longstanding Hollywood tradition- the very first remake was 1904’s The Great Train Robbery.
The first version of The Great Train Robbery was made in 1903 and is the “first narrative film” (sometimes referred to as the first feature film). In other words, Hollywood made its first “remake” as soon as it got the chance!
Hollywood continues to churn out remakes like the Amish churn butter, and most of them are absolutely terrible. However, as the Amish will tell you, if you churn long enough, you’ll eventually get something good. Throughout Hollywood history, there have actually been some good remakes. These are most of them:
10. Assault on Precinct 13
The original “Assault” from the 1970s, directed by John Carpenter, is actually a pretty good movie for what it cost. The idea is that the different gangs, usually split by their race, have united and are going to take out the aforementioned precinct.
The remake sounds terrible on paper: Ethan Hawke as a drug addict, Drea de Matteo as her Sopranos character, and John Leguizamo as a tweaker. And this time, instead of being in Los Angeles in the summer, it’s Detroit in the winter, and it’s a group of corrupt cops.
Yet, it works- partially because of the awesome action sequences and partially because, amazingly, the cast are all great. In short, somebody actually decided that instead of just profiting from a title five people recognized, they should actually make a movie. We wish all of Hollywood was so courteous.
9. The Thing
The 1950s original took a classic science fiction short story and made into a movie about fighting a bloodthirsty plant in the Arctic. You know, because everybody’s afraid of photosynthesis.
The 1982 remake (also John Carpenter) decided to stick to the original story, featuring a shape shifter that could take on any form it wished and incredibly gross (and awesome) special effects; i.e. the movie they should have made in the first place.
Although nobody’s face ever explodes in the movie, so we have no idea where the idea for the movie poster came from.
8. Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur, from the ’50s, is incredibly gay. We don’t mean this in a derogatory sense, we mean this in the sense that it’s all about dudes wanting to have sex with other dudes. It makes the Jesus parts seem a little random, but it’s nice that Hollywood spent the equivalent of Titanic’s budget on what amounts to a break-up. In fact, according to imdb.com, Rock Hudson was offered the role but “his agent explained to him that the film’s gay subtext was too much of a risk to his career.”
The 1950’s version was actually a remake of a movie made in the 1920s, which mostly featured a cheap-looking chariot race and lots of bad acting, as opposed to the ’50s version, which featured an incredibly expensive chariot race with lots of elaborate stonework. And lots of bad acting.
There’s a reason we still remember the ’50s version and the ’20s version is thankfully forgotten.
7. Ocean’s Eleven
The original “Ocean’s Eleven” is a great movie, solely because it consists almost entirely of the Rat Pack sitting around drinking, and occasionally pulling off a heist. Sure, it’s supposedly a heist movie, but it’s basically a movie about sitting around and getting wasted.
As fun as that can be, we like the remake better, if for no other reason than the heist is clever, elaborate, and features Carl Reiner rappelling down an elevator shaft. And really, when are you going to see that in the movies?
6. The Fly
The original “Fly” from the ’50s is…well…you see…it’s…
We’re struggling to find a description of a movie that features a scientist with a fly’s head and arm while a fly buzzes around with the scientist’s head and arm that doesn’t involve the word “ridiculous”, but that might be a writing challenge too great for anyone.
Thankfully, David Cronenberg knew this, which is why instead of limb swapping, it features Jeff Goldblum’s flesh falling off in disgusting chunks, kidnapping Geena Davis, and vomiting all over people to dissolve their flesh. It also happens to be a thoughtful film about the boundaries of humanity and an epic tragedy. Just not boring.
5. Heaven Can Wait
“Here Comes Mr. Jordan” is a beloved, award-winning comedy classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. This means, of course, that nobody watches it or has ever heard of it. But if you get a chance, it’s pretty fun.
In ‘78, Warren Beatty, tired of all the jokes about his life, decided to make a movie that didn’t involve him being a lothario and remade it into…a beloved, award-winning comedy classic from the New Age of Hollywood, which, of course, means that nobody watches it or has ever heard of it.
Maybe it’s less a remake and more the continuation of a curse.
4. The Amityville Horror
The original ’70s “Amityville Horror” is the biggest block of cheese you can get outside of a deli. Seriously. It’s ridiculous. Highly entertaining, especially as James Brolin decides the best way to improve the film is to eat the scenery, but ridiculous. And the book’s worse.
So it’s a little weird that the 2005 version actually works. For one thing, Ryan Reynolds convincingly goes insane, and the movie has figured out that whenever you have a family with a parent going insane, the creepy parts are mostly a loving parent losing it instead of ghost effects ripped off from Japanese movies.
Also, there’s a hot babysitter. Scantily clad babysitters can improve any movie; I hear they’re digitally inserting them into Citizen Kane.
3. Beau Geste
“Beau Geste” is a novel about stealing the family jewels and running off to the French Foreign Legion. The 1926 movie is pretty much a straight take on the story, which means it’s like every other silent film from the time.
The 1939 remake has two distinct advantages: one, dialogue, which really helps, and two, Gary freaking Cooper. Cooper never gets his due, but if you want a cinematic man’s man, toting a bolt-action rifle and kicking ass, Cooper’s your man.
It also helps that the movie, directed by William Wellman, has a bunch of amazing shots and some really weird, eerie effects to it, mostly achieved by depicting the relentless isolation of the fort they’re holding. You will want Gary Cooper to jump the walls and just kick every ass there is, but Hollywood was more restrained back in the day.
2. Cat People
The original “Cat People” is one of those movies that has a lot of weird, Freudian subtext. “No, you cannot make love to me! I will turn into a panther and kill you!” Yeah, seriously, that’s the plot. It’s actually a pretty effective film, for the time, although it’s hard to keep a straight face now that we’ve had minor advances in human thought like sexual freedom and women’s rights.
What’s great about the 1982 remake is that it takes all the sexual subtext of the first one and adds liberal doses of freaky weirdness and Jerry Springer. Now there’s incest and bestiality in the mix, which makes for an exceptionally entertaining drinking game where every time somebody brings up one of the two (or both together; it’s that kind of movie), you do a shot. You’ll probably make it past the half hour mark, but not much further. Try to stay conscious long enough to see Natassja Kinski covered in water.
1. True Lies
This is France for you: they come up with a superb idea about a secret agent pretending to have a normal life who discovers his wife is having an affair…and DON’T make it about the action sequences.
This is why we remake your movies, France. Because we know what they need, and what they need is Arnold Schwarznegger in a Harrier blowing away terrorists with Vulcan cannons. We’re going to be digitally inserting that into the works of Jean Renoir next, and you’ll thank us for it.
Google is amazing (please thank me for this amazing revelation). There are some things you probably didn’t know Google can do. Take your time and read the information below. You’ll likely learn a few tips and tricks that will make you appreciate Google even more.
10. Find a beautiful wallpaper for your desktop resolution with Google images
Next to “Exact size” click on “Use my desktop resolution”. Then, next to “Content types” select “Photo content.”
Enter some words. If you want to find cows, enter beautiful cows Let’s see the results:
Notice that many of the images in the results are from wallpaper sites. Google Images makes it very convenient to go through these types of sites and browse them like a gallery instead of going to each gallery site separately. Yes, I hear you say: Wow, I didn’t know Google could do this.
9. Create unlimited disposable email addresses with Gmail
Take the following example:
That’s right, you can add one or more dots ANYWHERE between your username and send messages to that ‘new’ email. All of those messages will arrive to your old (without dots) email. Hard to explain without a picture. But somehow Google did find a way to do it…
Sometimes you may receive a message sent to an address that looks like yours but has a different number or arrangement of periods. While we know it might be unnerving if you think someone else’s mail is being routed to your account, don’t worry: both of these addresses are yours.
Gmail doesn’t recognize dots as characters within usernames, you can add or remove the dots from a Gmail address without changing the actual destination address; they’ll all go to your inbox, and only yours. In short:
All these addresses belong to the same person. You can see this if you try to sign in with your username, but adding or removing a dot from it. You’ll still go to your account.
I’ve noticed there’s not a single video site that allows you to search videos by duration. Let’s say I want to learn Spanish and I want comprehensive videos for that (longer than 20 minutes.) To search, I go to Google Advanced Video Search page and select “Long” next to “Duration”. Here’s what happens:
Now all that’s left is to get some free time and watch those…
7. Want to find an iPad alternative using Google Search?
Sure, you can write ‘iPad alternative’ in Google but that won’t give you the best results. Instead, try this:
Using “better than product” where product=any product will give you not only alternatives but better alternatives to a particular product. Very cool.
6. Detect any unknown language with Google Language Detector
Another good way to detect and also translate is to use Google Translate and the “Detect Language” option:
5. See what the Dutch haven been searching for recently using Google Insights
Google is the most popular search engine in almost any country in the world. Google Insights (like the name suggests) gives you ‘insights’ of what people have been searching for around the world. For example, Netherlands:
Hyves is a Dutch portal and social network. Weer seems to be a weather portal.
4. When did Google become more popular than Microsoft? Google Trends has the answer
Google Trends helps you discover the trends on various topics and see what people have been searching for over time. In this case, you can see when people started searching for Google more than Microsoft in early 2005.
3. Hate opening PDF files? Google Docs is the solution
So you’ve been searching on Google for a particular topic and found a PDF file:
Instead of opening the file in Adobe Reader (which is a painful process), you can click on “Quick View” and open the file in Google Docs! It takes seconds to open and it’s way more flexible. If you choose later, you can always save the file as PDF by choosing the export option in Google Docs.
2. Scan and Read your RSS feeds like email messages in Google Reader
You probably know how easy it is to open and read email messages in Gmail thanks to the list view. Well, you can do the same in Google Reader:
The default view in Google Reader is ‘expanded’ which makes the items pretty difficult to scan and read. If you change the view from expanded to ‘list’, then it becomes WAY easier to SCAN items and pick what you like.
1. Google can tell you the answer to life and the universe
Let’s face it; in a world that is heavily reliant upon technology, especially the Internet, none of us are entirely safe from running into an online scam. There are literally thousands of them, and even though you may consider yourself “e-smart,” the people who set up these scams may be looking to target those who consider themselves to be too educated to ever fall for a scam, as they are the least likely to put up their walls and push the scammer away. According to scambusters.org, “being smart is NOT enough to protect yourself from Internet scams.”
According to Internet World Stats about 1,802,330,457 people use the Internet. That’s a huge number, and with large numbers of people, there is always a few “bad apples” in the bunch. Since the Internet is so widely available, it’s no surprise that people would attempt to scam others out of money and sometimes their identity. Scams are so prevalent in today’s world that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has said that over 560 million dollars have been lost to internet scams and fraud. In 2009 alone, the number of people who made a complaint about a scam online increased by 20% to a whopping 336,655 complaints.
Below is a list of 10 of the most successful Internet scams. Some are extremely popular these days while others have taken the backburner to more seemingly successful scams. If you ever run into something you believe is a scam, remember the old phrase: “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.”
While your presence online can expose you to Internet scams, you can also use the Internet to protect yourself. Onguardonline.gov invites you to stop and think before you click, while providing useful resources to help you guard against scams. US readers: don’t forget to report attempted scams to the FBI’s Internet Complaint Center. You can also report complaints for cross-border scams at econsumer.gov.
10. Lottery Scams
Have you ever received an email stating that you’ve won the lottery in some other country, usually with a total of a few million dollars? If so, you know all about lottery scams. These scams target people with the promise of millions of dollars, which will be deposited into their bank accounts after completing a few easy steps. However, the catch is that you must pay thousands of dollars ahead of time before you receive your promised millions. Sadly, once you hand over your thousands, your lottery win is nowhere to be found, and you’re out money. Though it seems silly, what’s a few thousand dollars compared to a couple million?
What’s the attraction?
Money. In the world we live in today, money is the way of the world. Money is power, and people are always looking for a way to get rich quickly. Sadly, these opportunities are very far and few between. Many people will jump at the chance to get their hands on millions of dollars without thinking that it could be a scam that will inevitably leave them empty-handed. It’s a case of leaping before you look, and victims of lottery scams end up in debt or out of a lot of money.
9. Disaster Relief
Recently, disaster relief scams have been on the rise. In a country’s time of need, money is usually the best donation to provide, and scammers have become well aware of this. Generally, these scammers will send out emails with a link to a fake donation website that asks you to make a donation, usually by using your debit or credit card online. However, by providing this information, such as your card number, the scammers have access to your information which could then provide them access to your money. In the end you’re out of money, some scammer has your information, and you never really donated to the real cause. Make sure you donate your money to a reliable organization, at the correct web address. If your request for a donation came through email, it’s probably a phishing scam. Take the time to research a real relief fund before you donate money.
What’s the attraction?
Many like to believe that most of the world’s population is caring and wants to be of assistance in the time of a disaster or crisis somewhere in the world. When a large amount of people die in a country or many are left homeless due to a natural disaster, many people come together and decide to donate money, usually through online programs to help relief efforts. With disasters in New Orleans, Haiti, New York City, China, Chile, and many other locations, disaster relief scams have become extremely popular. The fact is that people want to help, but sometimes scammers are able to take advantage of the sympathetic nature of some people to benefit for themselves.
8. Online Dating
Today, online dating websites have become extremely popular. Participants set up a dating profile on one of the online dating websites that promise to give you access to hundreds of potential partners. Be warned, that this also gives online scammers access to you! For example, let’s say one of the fellow members messages you, and over time the connection grows and becomes pretty strong. The member has led you to believe that he or she is pretty well off. Next, your online boyfriend or girlfriend tells you that he/she is out of the country doing business and needs your assistance with a few things. The scam starts when that person wants you to cash a money order and wire the money. Those who fall for the scam are hurt both emotionally and financially.
What’s the attraction?
Internet dating can be great for people who find it challenging to find dating partners in their daily life. Cashing a money order and wiring the money for someone else doesn’t seem to alarm many people, because people fall for this scam regularly. Perhaps the victim believes that the bank won’t cash a counterfeit or altered money order. In fact, it can be several weeks before their bank gets this information from the bank that issued the item and when this happens they want their money back. Or, perhaps when you’ve made a connection with someone, the trust level is high enough to believe that the transaction is legitimate. When the person you’ve been talking to for months seems promising, it’s hard to differentiate between lies and a true scam.
7. Rogue Software
Have you ever been to a legitimate website and had a sudden pop-up that says something along the lines that your computer if infected with viruses and worms and needs to be cleaned ASAP? This is another popular scam today as many people will fall for the pop-up and then download the rogue software, usually software that looks like it is legitimate anti-virus software that promises to clean your computer of all of the viruses. Though many times this rogue software is free, there are times when the program does cost money, and people do fall for it. While many people generally aren’t out of money with this scam, their computer is infected with even more viruses, Trojans, worms, and other things that can not only ruin the computer, but can have their private information exposed to the scammers.
What’s the attraction?
Some people who see an alert that their computer is infected, panic and go to extremes to ensure that the computer is fixed right away. Scammers know that many people will fall for rogue software simply because the software is right there, and there is no need to go out and buy a program or search the internet for another program that may work. This rogue software looks just like real anti-virus software, so people don’t even know the difference. It’s always best to have anti-virus software already installed on your computer. Never download software from an unfamiliar website.
6. Travel and Vacation Scams
It’s safe to say that in today’s world, many people are cutting out their yearly vacation in order to make ends meet at home. And while people are giving up their travels, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily want to, and it surely doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t take a vacation deal if someone offered it to them. This is why scammers who run travel and vacation scams are cashing in each day. Unknowing consumers will seek out a vacation deal, usually one that is seriously too good to even begin to believe. Something like a trip to Disney, all expenses paid, you just give us a few hundred dollars. Who would believe that? Sadly, some people do. These scams aren’t as popular as before, as people have smartened up, but at the same time they’re also on the rise, as more and more people are looking for ways to continue their normal lifestyles, and that usually comes in the form of saving money and attempting to find any type of deal that may be out there to enjoy.
What’s the attraction?
Scammers are highly aware of today’s financial situation in many countries. They know that people don’t have as much money sitting around as they did before. They know that people are choosing to give up their yearly vacation in order to make sure that all of their bills are paid. They also know that people are looking for a way out and seeking things that are often too good to be true. Anyone who plans a yearly vacation knows just how nice it is to take a week or so off work and just relax and leave things behind for a few days. Scammers know this too, and they know that if they offer someone a good deal on a vacation, many will take it. Who wouldn’t want to go on a trip for a lot less than it would generally cost? With people seeking deals, scammers are looking for steals. In the end it all boils down to money, and usually by the end of this type of scam, the scammer comes out the winner.
5. Fake Auctions/Sales
With the popularity of places such as eBay, Craigslist, and other auction websites growing each day, it’s no surprise that fake auctions and fake sales would start to become an issue online. Many people use these websites on a daily basis to obtain items at a discounted price; and where you find people with money, you will also usually find scammers trying to take it off their hands. At first, it looks like an opportunity to save money, but in the end many people are left empty-handed and out some bucks. These fake auction and sales scams usually happen pretty frequently and in the blink of an eye. It’s simple. The scammer creates an ad or auction on a website, stating that he has a certain item for sale, usually something that is pretty expensive to begin with, for a very low price. The scammer knows that people will jump all over this “deal,” without even stopping to think that it could be fake and just a luring act for money. Plenty of people fall for it, making this particular scam a huge success.
What’s the attraction?
Saving money. Who doesn’t want to be able to save a few bucks on an expensive item? Coupons are good, but coupons aren’t always offered on the newest electronics, so people will look at other ways to save. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll look in the Sunday paper and find a coupon for Apple’s iPad or Sony’s new Playstation console; it just doesn’t happen. Craigslist and eBay have become the perfect websites to go to if you’re looking to buy items for cheaper than they’d cost in the store. However, the amount of scamming that goes on is unbelievable and many people end up regretting their decision. Sometimes it’s best to fork out a few extra dollars and buy the product in a store, but this doesn’t mean that every auction or online sale you find is a scam. If the deal seems like a ’steal’, remember you may be the one getting ripped off.
4. “Free” Trial
We’ve all seen the ads and pop-ups on certain websites that promise a free trial of some sort of product: weight-loss pills, a colon cleanse, or dieting pills. We all know how expensive these products can be, so many people will fall for the free trial scam. While many do get the free product they were promised, the scam starts when you have to provide your banking information to pay for shipping and handling fees. With the information you provide, the company can then charge you each month for not canceling your free trial. Usually the cancellation notice is in a very fine print that most people pay no attention to. However, after not canceling your free trial within 15 or 30 days, your debit or credit card is billed monthly. Sometimes even after canceling, the company who has your banking information will sell it to an affiliate company who can then use it as they please.
What’s the attraction?
Free stuff! Who doesn’t like free stuff? Free is good. Free means no money is spent and free means you get to try something without providing any sort of money for the product itself. The catch is that when you provide your banking information to pay for shipping, you’re giving this company access to take out amounts of money each month for your “free trial.” Most people don’t remember to cancel, so in the end you could be out money for a product that was never free at all. Thankfully if you contact your bank, many times the bank will cover these fees and ensure that you are safe from the company taking more money out of your account.
3. Working from Home
Not only do these scams mean you’re out of money, but it could mean that your computer is left nothing short of…ruined. These scams usually have a situation where you are given the opportunity to work at home, making your computer a “money-making machine” by doing very simple things. However, you aren’t told what these things are and how to locate them on the Internet without paying a few dollars. The catch is that you’re paying for information that you often don’t receive, or that often has nothing to do with working from home. Often times you are guaranteed that within 24 hours you’ll have full access to information and programs that allow your computer to make money for you, without much effort on your part. But this is just another scam and you’ve provided your banking information, and many times you’ve installed rogue software that will only ruin your computer.
What’s the attraction?
Who wouldn’t want to work in their pajamas and slippers all day while sipping a cup of hot coffee? Many people would love to be able to have a job like this, and this is why people get sucked into the work at home scams. Working at home is easy and requires less energy than it does to work outside of your home. Paying a measly $5 seems like nothing when you can have the great opportunity of not having to drive to work each day. But many times you get nothing in return from the $5 that you put out, and you’re left with the same early morning routine.
2. PayPal
Many times with these PayPal scams, one is scammed when they have someone respond to an online ad they have placed on Craigslist or some other similar site. The scammers will usually respond to the ad, stating that they are interested in the product that is being sold and that the product will be sent to a friend or family member within the U.S. Many times these scammers are people from a foreign country who are promising to pay more money than what the seller asked for in the first place. After shipping the item and after the seller pays, you’ll realize that soon enough, PayPal has taken the money from your account, and that you’re out of the item you were trying to sell. Many times the “buyer” will contact PayPal saying that they never received the item, or in even worse cases, the scammer will be using a fake PayPal address or a stolen account.
What’s the attraction?
When you’re desperately trying to get rid of an item, you are probably pretty impatient and anxious to get rid of it. So when someone responds you probably don’t think twice about the possibility that the person on the other side is a scammer that is trying to get your item without paying for it. People fall for it simply because many times the scammer is giving them more money that what was asked for and because they really just want to get rid of the item and have money to spend elsewhere.
1. Nigerian 419
Most people today have an email account that they use for various purposes. Of course there are the occasional spam emails that many of us just put into the junk folder, but on some days, we get an email that is really shocking. If you’ve ever received an email, usually from a Nigerian member of a family that comes from a lot of wealth stating that they are attempting to get a very large amount of money out of the country, you were a possible-victim of the Nigerian 419 scam. Usually these emails call out for your help in order to get this money moved into the U.S.
But, these emails are nothing less than a scam. It is said that over $32 billion has been lost. The Nigerian 419 scams are one of the most popular today, and the number of scammers who use this tactic continues to grow. It is said that there are about 300,000 of these scammers in the world today, but the number is steadily increasing.
What’s the attraction?
Of course like many scams on this list, the Nigerian 419 scams seem too good to be true, but somehow people fall for them. Simply, people like money. If you were given the opportunity to receive half of a million dollars for simply helping to transport money from another country, it might be very tempting, particularly if you are unaware that this is illegal. People fall for this scam each year: the promise of such a large amount of money is sometimes enough to make a gullible Internet-user fall for a huge scam.
Everyone fears something. Whether it’s a child fearing the boogey man (bogyphobia) or even fear of the number 13 (triskadekaphobia). These two seem potentially unfounded fears, though there are real people who are particularly afraid of them. Certainly fears are crippling to the person with the phobia; however, there are also some potentially crippling fears that could halt someone in their tracks on a daily basis. To be included on this list, the reason for the phobia has to be something that a person can encounter every day. Don’t be afraid, read on.
10. Chronophobia
The fear of clocks might easily be overcome; however, the alternate definition of chronophobia is the fear of time. Time surrounds us, it binds us – sorry, Star Wars moment there. If a person were to rid herself of all reminders of time such as clocks that would be one thing. But fear has a way of creeping up on someone. As soon as she thought about the fact that time is slipping away, perhaps their sanity might as well.
9. Stasibasiphobia
Most people might think that couch potatoes have this fear of standing up and walking. It’s not true; most couch potatoes are just averse to the idea. However, a person with stasibasiphobia could very well never get anything done in life, unless he was confined to a wheelchair. But what happens if that person is afraid of someone else standing up and walking? Does that mean the phobic must live in isolation in a sitting position for the rest of his life? What a drag!
8. Domatophobia
Most Americans want four walls, three meals a day and a bed to sleep on. Unfortunately, most of those things are on this list as crippling phobias including domatophobia, fear of houses or being in a house. The only logical cure to this phobia would be to live in a cave or some other natural enclosure unless the fear doesn’t extend to apartments or condos. Either way, that’s a portion of the American Dream dashed.
7. Decidophobia
You just did it! You just made the decision to continue reading this list, which includes the phobia of making decisions, decidophobia. A person who cannot make a decision is likely to be eternally stuck in a rut. Unless something becomes second nature such as everyday routines, a person could be crippled by the simple decision of what to eat for breakfast.
6. Nyctophobia and Photophobia
For these two fears, they are sides of the same coins like a Yin-Yang symbol – literally. Nyctophobia is the fear of night or darkness, while photophobia is the fear of light. Perhaps the only way to handle these fears is sleeping through the night or through the day, then again turning on all your lights might help a phobic handle the fear of darkness, not necessarily the electricity bill. On the flip side, a photophobic would have to live in the dark for the rest of his life – talk about being white as a sheet.
5. Anthropophobia and Lalophobia
Like No. 6 on our list, these fears could potentially isolate the phobic for life. Anthropophobia is a fear of people while lalophobia is the fear of speaking. Maybe the hermit with domatophobia should get together with the anthropophobic. Nope, that wouldn’t work, because the hermit is still a person. And don’t forget that never being able to speak or be around another person certainly wouldn’t do well for social skills.
4. Urophobia
From here on out, this list becomes phobias of functions that humans must do to survive. And that means that the phobias, such as urophobia or the fear of urination, would put a cramp on anyone’s life style. A catheter might be a stop gap measure as long as someone else would agree to change the phobic’s bag. Either way, everyone has to release bodily waste and this fear could make bathrooms a very unpleasant experience no matter where the phobic is.
3. Somniphobia and Clinophobia
While you don’t necessarily have to be clinophobic to be somniphobic, it doesn’t really matter once you realize that going to sleep is never an option anymore! A person with somniphobia fears sleep while a person suffering from clinophobia fears beds. I’m sure a clinophobic could just sleep standing up. However, humans need the REM cycles of sleep to help digest their everyday thoughts and activities. Without sleep, a person could, potentially, slowly go insane due to fatigue and too many screws loose in the noggin. We all have nightmares, but can you imagine having a waking nightmare about going to sleep?
2. Phagophobia
And the final piece of our American Dream is having three square meals a day. But what if you had phagophobia, the fear of eating? There are people – in hospitals – who live on liquid diets. But to go without food must be torturous on a daily basis, unless of course, you’re a phagophobic. It must be hard for a phobic like this to go out on a date since he would obviously not ask his date out for dinner. And the holidays must also get awful lonely without the company and great food!
1. Anemophobia
Catch your breath, especially if you have anemophobia, the fear of air. A person could be scared every moment of her life. Sure eating, sleeping and all the other fears on this list could cripple people on a daily basis, but not potentially for every moment of your waking life. There are a number of methods to counter phobias, all of which seem like they would fail miserably contingent on how paralyzed a phobic is of air. Outside of living in a bubble with a controlled atmosphere, nothing comes to mind to counter such a phobia. Even a little fresh air to help cleanse the mind wouldn’t help in this case.
There are lots of great songs about money.
.jpg)
Let’s see the results:
