Jumat, 25 Januari 2013

Share: Top 10 Natural wonders of the world

1. The Wave. Between Arizona and Utah - USA 


It's on the border of arizona and utah. made of sand 190 million-year-old who turned to stone.



2. Antelope Canyon. Arizona - USA 

Being in Navajo Land, near Page, Arizona in the United Selatan.Antelope Antelope Canyon or The cliff is a cliff into a favorite of photographers and visits to places of tourists to see the incredible scenery. Antelope Canyon is located in the southwestern area of ​​America, precisely in the northern Arizona.

Antelope Canyon is a natural wonder that is formed from the erosion of rocks, water and wind. Antelope Canyon is the rock originally split. The first impression when I saw this place was like entering a small cave high. But when it comes in, turns in it is quite extensive. Antelope Canyon can be seen in the light coming from the cracks. Both of indentation, depth, and color that exist in rocks that have different shapes. Incoming light bounced off the rocks-the rocks there to produce different colors.


The scenery is so beautiful Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon able to pamper the eyes of the tourists, especially the enterprising photographer to capture the beautiful sights. Antelope Canyon is a paradise for photographers. The combination of the light coming in the craters is able to make the people who see it will be amazed. First place is not so crowded because it's pretty remote. Even many photographers are trying to hide the beautiful places in this area. But as time passed, this place has become one of the attractions in Arizona. Please stop by to Antelope Canyon for those who want to pamper the eyes with beautiful sights.

3. Great Blue Hole (Belize) 


Located at a distance of 60 miles from Belize City. Circle with a diameter of 0.4 kilometers. A good place for diving. it about 480 feet or 145 meters because of its depth so that its dark blue color.

4. Crystal Cave of the Giants (Mexico) 

Located inside the mine in Chihuahua Mexico. Color and shape vary. The color was gold and silver.


5. Eye of the Sahara (Mauritania) 


Being in the southwestern Sahara desert. diameter 30 mil so clearly visible from space.


6. Blue Lake Cave (Brazil) 


Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil has a lot of lakes and beautiful underground cave: Gruta do Lago Azul, Gruta do Mimoso, Aquario Natural. Blue Lake Cave "Gruta do Lago Azul" (Blue Lake Cave) is a natural monument formed by nature with beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and beautiful big blue lake. Extraordinary beauty of this lake, and its blue color at the center of attention and that is the beauty of the lake. 

7. Giants Causeway (Ireland) 

In this area there are about 40,000 basalt pillars overlap. Geologically, this happens because of the explosion of the volcano, which is located on the northern coast of Ireland. Interestingly, almost all the poles have six sides, although sometimes found also the post with the four, or even five, seven and eight. Tallest mast is 12 meters long and thick formations can reach 28 meters.


8. Hell Gate (Uzbekistan) 


Ordinary mentioned "the door to hell". located near the small town, Darvaz. 35 years ago, a team of geologists were digging to find the source of the gas. But what they found was a cavern of fire. It is estimated this cave will continue to burn gas forever.


9. Wave Rock (Australia) 


Made naturally by itself. Given the nickname "Wave Rock" because its shape resembles a wave. height can reach 15 meters and a length of up to 110 meters.

10. Chocolate Hills (Philippines) 

The extent of 50 square kilometers. located in Bohol, Philippines. An estimated aktifita formed by volcanic.  

Kamis, 24 Januari 2013

Share: Top 10 Weirdest Items Sold on eBay

Share Top 10 | In 1995, one of the most successful dotcom businesses got established when eBay came online. The site allows a consumer to directly deal with another consumer. Products and services could be offered, and interested buyers would bid for a chance to purchase that
product or service. In other words, it was the marriage of an age-old transaction style called auction and modern technology.
The site has since expanded, with standard shopping now allowed through a Buy Now button option. It truly has gone a long way.  The site has seen a variety of products and services offered for bidding, including an Enzo Ferrari, a yacht, an airplane, a power dinner with a business mogul and a host of other luxury stuffs. This is aside from the usual items, like clothes and gadgets.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, there have also been ridiculously weird items that have been offered. And even more ridiculous, there have been buyers to these weird stuffs. Both seller and buyer are like candidates for Dumb and Dumber.
Here is a list of the top ten weirdest items sold on eBay.

1. Toasted Cheese with an image of the Virgin Mary – $28,000

When a piece of toast that had grilled cheese on it suddenly projected an image of what looks to be like the Virgin Mary, the whole world actually took notice, as news agencies reported on what had happened. The item was then placed on eBay and made available to the highest bidder. And no, there was no religious limitation as to who could make a bid, as even non-believers were allowed. The starting bid was for $99, which many believe was already too much for grilled cheese bread that had probably already lost its taste. But not to the bidders! There were actually several who wanted the item, so much so that the winning bid went all the way up to $28,000. Let me say that again.  A piece of toasted cheese bread was sold for $28,000. Now, that is even weirder than the image of any person appearing on cheese.

2. The Virginity of a Financially Troubled College Student – $10,000

Speaking of virgins, somebody actually offered one on eBay. Only this time, it was not just an image of a virgin, but rather, the actual virginity of a young college girl. The girl was having trouble with money, so she decided that if she were to lose it, she might as well make money out of it. Hmm, sounds pretty much like soliciting and prostitution to me. She offered it for a starting bid of $10,000.  Some rich businessman actually took her up on her offer, paid the $10,000, but gave the money out of pity more than anything else. He never claimed his purchase.

3. Best Friend for a Day – $7,600

The Beatles said money cannot buy you love, but in this case, it sure bought the winning bidder a friend. Somebody offered to be the best friend of anyone so long as you post the highest bid. It was only offered for 99 cents, but amazingly, the winning bid went up to $7,600. All for a chance to have someone listen to his problems for one whole day. The winner definitely has money. I mean, who would burn that much amount for a temporary best friend for a day? Then again, he is probably leading a very sad life if he needs to buy a friend. Besides, don’t they have one of those Dial-a-Friend thingy?

4. Leftovers from Christmas – $338

Some person based in England actually had the gall to post his Christmas leftovers on eBay. Well, he was actually giving it away, as the starting bid was only a penny. The bid shot up to $338 by the end of the auction. I am guessing there were still lots of sumptuous food left for somebody to even think of offering that amount. For $338, he could have probably bought himself several decent meals.

5. Slightly used Body Bag – $177.50

Define morbid. Getting a body bag as a souvenir after a deceased person used it definitely qualifies as morbid. It will also certainly qualify as weird. It is more than weird actually. But to sell it on eBay is to take it on a whole new level. Granted that it was just for a starting bid of 99 cents, still, just the thought of it can make you shake your head involuntarily. Buying it however brought it to a whole new plane. Now, that was not just morbid and weird, that was also stupid.

6. Holy Potato – $147

To probably take advantage of the toasted cheese Virgin, somebody offered a potato chip with an image of a cross. If it could appear in cheese, why can’t it appear in potatoes? And if somebody bought the toasted cheese, someone will surely buy the potato as well.

7. Mustache – $25

For those having a hard time growing facial hair, it was a chance of a lifetime. A mustache was offered for sale. How you could transplant it to your face is a whole different matter.

8. Shoes To Die For – $25

Wow, an amazing pair of shoes with starting bid of only $15. Only, it was literally to die for, as it was a pair made for a dead person on open casket display. Well, if the shoes were really good, and if you’re not that delicate, then it probably was a good deal.

9. A Friend – $10.50

Now, this one I don’t get. Somebody offered to be a best friend for a day, and it got a winning bid of $7,600. Here is another one offering to be a friend, and not just for a day, but also for whenever you need someone to talk to. Yet, it only got a winning bid of $10.50.

10. Stand-in for Line to Harry Potter Book – No winner

Everyone was excited for the release of the final book in the Harry Potter series. Lines were formed days before its release. Those who don’t want to wait could bid for this service.  Alas, some magic must have been performed because the winning bidder never showed up to pay and claim his prize.

Share: Top 10 Most watched videos on youtube

Share Top 10 | YouTube is probably one of the greatest technological innovations of our time. Along with Facebook and Twitter, YouTube is one of the prime reasons behind the concept of viral entertainment. Some would-be artists who want to break in to the
business have also used it as a springboard.
Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, all employees of PayPal, created the site. Google has since bought it out for $1.65 billion. Along the way, it has given us the likes of the sneezing panda and several cat and dog videos. It also introduced us to the prodigious talent of Justin Bieber. Without YouTube, only a few of us would have seen and been astonished by the reply of Caitlin Upton in the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant. It also showed us the power of music, when a trio of Chinese kids, who could not speak a word of English, uploaded a video while lip synching along to a song by the Backstreet Boys.
Some videos simply become classics and are still viewed after a long time. Most others are viral in nature, with its popularity spiraling in an instant. The following are the top ten most viewed YouTube videos as of 18 November 2012.

1. Justin Bieber, featuring Ludacris – Baby – 801,151,854 views


The video was uploaded on 19 February 2010 and immediately became popular. It starred Justin Bieber, the Canadian teen singer and songwriter, who was discovered in YouTube in 2008. He quickly impressed the likes of Usher, and was then signed up to a recording contract by Island Records.

2. Psy – Gangnam Style – 755,274,312 views


As you read this, Gangnam Style may have already overtaken the Justin Bieber video at the number one spot. This video was released only on 15 July 2012, but it has already jumped all the way to the second spot. At the rate it is going, this may become the first video to hit a billion views. It features Park Jae Sang, or Psy, a South Korean singer and songwriter who has rapped and danced his way to the hearts of everyone in this world with this catchy number.

3. Jennifer Lopez, featuring Pitbull – On the Floor – 621,956,883 views


This video was released on 3 March 2011 during the height of American Idol’s tenth season that featured Jennifer Lopez as one of the judges. It served as sort of a comeback song for one of the most influential Hispanic performers in the United States. Lopez has already sold 70 million records around the world, and this song further solidified her status as an elite celebrity.

4. Eminem, featuring Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie – 515,347,432 views


Marshall Bruce Mathers III, or more popularly known as Eminem, is already considered one of the greatest artists of all time by many influential magazines. Ten of his albums reached the number one spot in the last decade, ranking him as the best selling artist of the decade. Rolling Stones magazine has proclaimed him as the King of Hip Hop. When he combined his talent with the equally talented Barbadian singer, Rihanna, the song had the makings of a hit before it even got released. True enough, the response was electric and the video has become one of the top viewed YouTube videos ever since it got posted last 5 August 2010.

5. LMFAO, featuring Laurenn Bennett and Goonrock – Party Rock Anthem – 501,088,243 views


This video was released on 8 March 2011 and had all the ingredients of a hit. It has a lively video, a party song, a rock song, a tune that was anthemic, and they sported a name that the young generation could easily identify. Though the duo which makes up LMFAO, Redfoo and his nephew Skyblu, insist that the name does not stand for Laughing My Fucking Ass Off, but instead means Love My Friends And Others, everyone knows better. More than half a billion people have already seen and danced along to this video.

6. Shakira – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) – 500,085,070 views


The song was posted on 4 June 2010 and served as the official song of the 2010 World Cup of football held in South Africa. Football is the most popular sport in the world, so any song that is connected to the World Cup would probably have drawn a lot of views. By having someone as sexy as Shakira sing it, combined with clips of the most popular football players in the world in action, Waka Waka was an easy bet to become one of the most viewed YouTube videos ever.  Or at least until the next World Cup four years from now.

7. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance – 496,246,333 views


She is one of the most popular and recognizable artists in the world today. Known for her risqué songs, outlandish outfits and daring performances, she has become a favorite of music lovers worldwide, so much so that all her songs are keenly awaited for. Bad Romance was posted on 23 November 2009 and did not disappoint, as a great video was able to enhance a tremendously catchy song.

8. Charlie Bit My Finger Again – 496,081,407 views


This is the oldest video in the list and the only one that is not a song. It is one of the earlier classics that came out when YouTube was still in its infancy. The father of two English boys posted the video on 22 May 2007. The younger one, Charlie, was only a year old and he had bitten the finger of his three-year-old brother named Harry. It was simple and funny.

9. Michel Telo – Ai Se Eu Te Pego – 458,776,408 views


Telo is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. This is his biggest song that became an international hit, topping the charts in Europe, Quebec, and Latin America.

10. Don Omar, featuring Lucenzo – Danza Kuduro – 404,501,808 views


This is a sexy video from the Puerto Rican singer and actor Don Omar. He is commonly referred to as El Rey, or The King. This video has allowed him to be one of YouTube’s royalty in terms of

Share: Top 10 Young Actors To Watch in 2013


Share Top 10 | Every year a batch of new actors steps into the limelight, waiting to get their break and snag that coveted role that stars like Andrew Garfield, Kristen Stewart and Emma Stone turned down. Now that 2012 is practically
over, it’s time to predict who the big stars of tomorrow will be. We have huge movies like The Hunger Games sequel and Ender’s Game hitting the screen next year, which means that any new actors attached to those franchises is likely to garner a lot of media attention. But there are also a lot of young actors who made a splash this year, and will continue to have success through 2013. So, here are our picks for the Top 10 Young Actors To Watch in 2013.

10. AnnaSophia Robb


  • Where You’ve Seen Her: Sleepwalking, Race To Witch Mountain
  • What’s Next: The CW’s next big series is The Carrie Diaries, which chronicles the teenage life of Carrie Bradshaw, a role made famous by Sarah Jessica Parker. AnnaSophia Robb has some big shoes to fill, but she’s in good hands. Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will be producing the series, and based on their track record, this could mean big things for young Robb.

9. Daniel Bruhl


  • You Know Him From: Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglorious Basterds
  • What’s Next: Daniel Bruhl is best known for his work in German films, as well as his role as the charming Fredrick Zoller in Inglorious Basterds. In 2013, Bruhl will make a splash in a number of American films, including Ron Howard‘s Rush and A Most Wanted Man, which also stars Rachel McAdams, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Willem Dafoe. He’s also replacing James McAvoy in Bill Condon‘s Wikileaks movie The Man Who Sold The World. There’s big things in store for this German actor.

8. Zoe Kazan


  • You Know Him From: Bored To Death, Revolutionary Road, Ruby Sparks
  • What’s Next: This year, Zoe Kazan wrote and starred in Ruby Sparks, an indie movie about a writer suffering from writer’s block who conjures up the woman of his dreams. Like the now successful Lena Dunham, Kazan has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Besides her promising career as a writer, Kazan also has some interesting movies coming up, including The F Word, which stars Daniel Radcliffe. 2013 is looking like good year for Kazan.

7. Brie Larson


  • You Know Her From: Greenberg, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 21 Jump Street
  • What’s Next: Next year, Brie Larson will be popping up everywhere. She has a number of movies coming out, including Relanxious with Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis, Squirrel to the Nuts with Owen Wilson, The Spectacular Now with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Shailene Woodley, and a part in Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s directorial debut Don Jon’s Addiction. And let’s not forget that she also has a guest starring role on Community. 2013 is going to be a busy year for one Brie Larson.

6. Asa Butterfield


  • You Know Her From: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Hugo
  • What’s Next: Asa Butterfield landed one of the most coveted roles a young actor could hope for – the title character in the long overdue adaptation of the much loved sci-fi novel Ender’s Game, written by Orson Scott Card. Butterfield could be the next Daniel Radcliffe, Robert Pattinson or Josh Hutcherson. If so, he’s in for one hell of ride.

5. Chadwick Boseman


  • You Know Him From: Lie To Me, The Express
  • What’s Next: Last year, Chadwick Boseman was on this list. But 2012 came and went, and we barely heard of him. That’s because 42, the film in which he stars as legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, doesn’t hit theaters until Spring 2013. The trailer has already hit the web and looks great. We’re hoping this movie will be the beginning of a beautiful career for this young actor.

4. Liam Hemsworth


  • You Know Her From: The Last Song, The Hunger Games
  • What’s Next: Liam Hemsworth‘s role in The Hunger Games is almost equivalent to Taylor Lautner‘s in the very first Twilight movie. He was barely seen onscreen, and when we did catch him, he came off as a jealous boyfriend. But in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Hemsworth should play a larger role, and thus become a little more known like his big brother Chris Hemsworth. You know, Thor.

3. Sam Claflin


  • You Know Him From: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Snow White and the Huntsman
  • What’s Next: After months of speculation and casting predictions, Sam Claflin was named the victor. He landed the coveted role of Finnick Odair in the next Hunger Games movie, set to hit theaters next November. That alone places Claflin among Hollywood’s hottest young actors. But just in case that wasn’t enough to convince you, he also made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood list, which includes the likes of Lena Dunham, Chris Colfer, Chloe Moretz and Aziz Ansari.

2. Henry Cavill


  • Best Known For: The Tudors, Immortals
  • What’s Next: Henry Cavill has been around for a while, but next year he’ll become a household name. Cavill was once called the unluckiest man in Hollywood. He lost out on many roles, including James Bond (to Daniel Craig), Edward Cullen (to Robert Pattinson) and Cedric Diggory (again to Pattinson). But, he finally landed something big. He’ll be playing Superman in Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel. Seems like it was worth the wait, no?

1. Rebel Wilson


  • You Know Her From: Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect
  • What’s Next: Rebel Wilson has a big, big year ahead of her. Not only will she be hosting the MTV Movie Awards next April, but she’s working on her very own comedy series called Super Fun Night, à la Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling. She’s also co-starring in Michael Bay‘s next movie Pain & Gain. And like Claflin was named one Forbes’ brightest actors under 30.
Do you agree with our list? Who do you think will breakout in 2013?

Share: Top 10 Mustaches That Brutalized Modern History

Share Top 10 | While the beard is depicted throughout history as the symbol of manhood and wisdom, nothing spells tyranny and despotism better than the mustache.
For apparently unknown reasons, starting with Odoacer (433 – 493 AD), the first barbarian king of Italy, to Alexander Lukashenko, the current president of Belarus, dictators the world over have felt the urge to sport a mo’.
While an answer to the question, “Why do almost all tyrants grow a mustache?” remains a mystery, here’s a list of the most influential mustachioed dictators of modern history.
10 Alexander Lukashenko
Born 30 August 1954

Lukashenko


Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Alexander Lukashenko), the current president of Belarus, is the last dictator in Europe. His reign began on 20 July 1994 when he was democratically elected by the population. But he never left the presidential seat again…
Although Lukashenko shows clear traits of dictatorship – such as a fondness for his own personality cult – he is still the least vicious dictator on our list. 


9
Paul Kagame
Born 28 October 1957

Paul-Kagame-Saluting

Paul Kagame is the current president of The Republic of Rwanda, rising to power as the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the main force that ended the “Rwandan Genocide” (a famous mass slaughter of approximately 800.000 people).
Even though Kagame’s regime has been frequently praised for its contribution to the end of the Rwandan crisis, in June 2006 the International Federation of Human Rights and Human Rights Watch described what they called “serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Rwanda Patriotic Army and its leader, Paul Kagame.”
According to The Economist, anyone who poses the slightest political threat to Kagame`s regime is dealt with ruthlessly. Kagame has been accused of using strict anti-hate speech laws to stifle dissent. Apparently, President Paul Kagame and his government have never accepted that the press should be guaranteed genuine freedom


8
Augusto Pinochet
25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006

General-Augusto-Pinochet--008

Augusto Pinochet was an army general and dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990. His regime began in 1973, after overthrowing the socialist government of the elected President of Chile, Salvador Allende. He took part in the coup only one month after being promoted by Allende to General Chief of Staff of the Army.
Although Pinochet’s government implemented a large number of economic reforms – such as currency stabilization, tariff cutting, opening Chile’s markets to global trade, restricting labour unions, privatizing social security, and privatizing hundreds of state-controlled industries – its human rights record was absolutely terrible.
According to various official reports and investigations, the Pinochet regime implemented harsh measures against its political opponents, with approximately 1,000-3,ooo people killed, up to 80,000 imprisoned, and up to 30,000 tortured by his regime – including women and children.
When asked what is wrong with democracy, Pinochet answered that “sometimes, you need to torture, murder and rape people until they stop having the wrong economic ideas.”


7
Rafael Trujillo
24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961
Rafael-Trujillo-Photo-Gallery-C10471727-1

Rafael Trujillo ruled as the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961 – a period of crackdowns and genocide that remains one of the bloodiest ever in the Americas. He also developed a classic personality cult: monuments to Trujillo were in abundance during his tenure.
It has been estimated that Trujillo’s authoritarian rule was responsible for the deaths of more than 50,000 people. He masterminded the famous Parsley Massacre, a government-sponsored genocide in October 1937, involving the summary executions of Haitian families living in the borderlands with Haiti. The violence resulted in the killing of 20,000 ethnic Haitian civilians, over a period of about five days.


6
Saddam Hussein
28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006

Cn Image.Size.Saddam-Tapes

Saddam Hussein was a leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party. He played a key role in the (1968) 17 July Revolution, which saw the party wrest control from the Iraqi monarchy. Saddam officially rose to power in 1979, even though he had been de facto head of Iraq for several years prior.
His regime is most notable for initiating the 20th century’s longest conventional war – the Iran-Iraq War (a.k.a. First Gulf War), which lasted from 1980 to 1988 – and for fighting the coalition led by the US and the UK in the Second Gulf War.
According to The New York Times, Saddam Hussein indirectly murdered as many as a million of his people – many with poison gas. He tortured, maimed and imprisoned countless more. His unprovoked invasion of Iran is estimated to have left another million people dead.

5
Mouammar Gaddafi
June 1942 – 20 October 2011

1Gadafi

Mouammar Gaddafi was a political theorist, and the absolute leader of Libya from 1969 to 2011. He is a promoter of the “Third Universal Theory”, a style of government proposed in the early 1970s that rejects modern liberal representative democracy (and capitalism) in favor of a type direct democracy, overseen by the government, which allows for direct political participation from all adult citizens. The theory contends that freedom of speech should be based on the public ownership of book publishers, newspapers, television, and radio stations, on the grounds that private ownership of these institutions would be undemocratic.
Even though Gaddafi is portrayed as a merciless dictator who is alleged to have been raping school girls, executing political opponents and hiring mercenaries to murder his own people, his supporters have lauded him as a champion of anti-imperialism, as well as both Arab and African nationalism.


4
Benito Mussolini
29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945
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Benito Mussolini was the dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He has been called the “Duce of Fascism”, as he is considered to be one of the key figures in the creation of this political ideology.
Mussolini’s genuine dictatorship was born between 1925 and 1927, when, as the Prime Minister of Italy, he progressively dismantled virtually all constitutional and conventional restraints on his power, thereby building a police state.
Mussolini is also famous for leading Italy into the calamity of the Second World War by siding with Hitler’s Germany, and subsequently embracing The Third Reich’s views on a number of issues. He once stated that he “could easily sacrifice 500,000 barbaric Slavs for 50,000 Italians”.
Although Mussolini in his prime is pictured with a clean-shaven face, he used to sport a moustache in his youth – probably the initial engine behind his eagerness to recreate the Roman Empire.


3
Fidel Castro
Born August 1926

Fidel-Castro-Thumb

Fidel Castro has led Cuba since 1959, when, following a military intervention, he managed to chase away the former leader, Fulgenico Batista. In 2006, suffering from ailing health, he stepped down from power – supposedly delegating his duties to his brother Raul.
Castro is a very controversial and divisive world figure, lauded as a champion of anti-imperialism, humanitarianism, socialism and environmentalism by his supporters, but considered by his critics as a dictator who has overseen multiple human rights abuses. His example has significantly influenced the politics of various individuals and groups across the world, including Nelson Mandela, Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales.
Like Mussolini, Castro is not a lifelong mustachioed dictator, as he chose to grow a beard after obtaining the power in Cuba. It has served him well – at one point the CIA even considered exposing him to a chemical that would make his beard hairs fall out, thereby depriving him of the respect of the Cubans.


2
Joseph Stalin
18 December 1878 – 5 March 1953

Portrait-Of-Joseph-Stalin-1879-Hi

Joseph Stalin was the absolute ruler of the former Soviet Union from 1941 to 1953, one of the key figures in the Second World War, and one of the most vicious dictators of all time, next to our number one entry.
Stalin’s regime is responsible for at least 10 million deaths – 6 million from famine and 4 million from other causes. Some historians have suggested a body count of as high as 20 million.
Stalin created a cult of personality, with numerous towns, villages and cities being renamed after him. He accepted grandiloquent titles like “Coryphaeus of Science”, “Father of Nations”, “Brilliant Genius of Humanity”, “Great Architect of Communism”, “Gardener of Human Happiness” – and helped rewrite Soviet history to give him a more significant role in the revolution of 1917. At the same time, he rather dubiously insisted that he be remembered for “the extraordinary modesty characteristic of truly great people”. 


1
Adolf Hitler
20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945
Adolf-Hitler

Adolf Hitler is – without a shadow of doubt – the most vicious dictator in human history. Though his mustache quite frankly leaves a lot to be desired, Hitler managed to become the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. Hitler’s aim to establish a “New Order” of German Aryan hegemony in Europe led to the outbreak of the Second World War, and consequently to the deaths of an estimated 50 million people.
His manner of nation-building relied on the absolute obedience of all subordinates to their superiors; he viewed the government structure as a pyramid, with himself as the infallible leader at the apex. His leadership style involved giving contradictory orders to his subordinates, and placing them in positions where their duties and responsibilities overlapped with those of others, in order to ensure, in his words, that “the stronger one do the job”. In this way, Hitler fostered distrust, competition, and infighting among his subordinates in order to consolidate and maximize his own power. Though Auden’s poem could equally apply to any dictator on this list, it seems fitting to offer his “Epitaph on a Tyrant” to the most brutal of them all:
“Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,
And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;
He knew human folly like the back of his hand,
And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;
When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,
And when he cried the little children died in the streets.”

Rabu, 23 Januari 2013

Share: Top 10 Most Impressive Ancient Inca Ruins

Share Top 10 | The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru in the early 13th century. Starting from 1438, they began conquering lands surrounding the Inca heartland of Cuzco, creating the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The coming of the Spanish conquistadors in 1532 marked an end to the short-lived Inca Empire. What remains of their civilization is limited as the conquistadors plundered what they could. But visitors can still gain an appreciation of how advanced the Inca were from the amazing ancient Inca ruins found in the highlands of South America.

10Moray
Moray
Moray is an Incan agricultural laboratory that was likely used to cultivate resistant and hearty varieties of plants high in the Andes. The site contains several circular terraces, that could be used to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops as the lower terraces have lower temperatures. The deepest crater is about 150 meters (492 feet) deep with a temperature difference of up to 15° C between the top and the bottom level.


9Winay Wayna
Winay Waynaflickr/nathangibbs
The Inca site of Winay Wayna is built into a hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. It is located on on the Inca Trail and, like today, may have served as a rest stop for weary travelers on their way to the famous Machu Picchu. The Inca ruins of Winay Wayna consists of upper and lower house complexes connected by a staircase and fountain structures. Beside the houses lies an area of agricultural terraces.


8Coricancha
Coricanchaflickr/Andras Jancsik
The Coricancha in Cuzco, originally named Inti Kancha (‘Temple of the Sun’) was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Like so many other Inca monuments it was severely devastated by the conquistadors, who built a Christian church, Santo Domingo, on top of the ruins. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry of the Incas.


7Llactapata
Llactapataflickr/Traveling Lao
Located at 2,840 meters (9,318 feet) above sea level along the Inca trail, Llactapata means “High Town” in Quechua. It was probably used for crop production and storage. Llactapata was burned by Manco Inca Yupanqui, during his retreat to discourage Spanish pursuit. In part due to these efforts, the Spanish never discovered the Inca trail or any of its Inca settlements.


6Isla del Sol
Isla del Solflickr/jimmyharris
Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is a rocky, hilly island located in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. According to the Inca religion, it was the first land that appeared after the waters of a great flood began to recede and the Sun emerged from the island to illuminate the sky once again. As the birthplace of the Sun God, the Incas built several sacred sites on the island. Among these Inca ruins are the Sacred Rock and a labyrinth-like building called Chicana.


5Sacsayhuaman
Sacsayhuamanflickr/dachalan
Sacsayhuamán is an Inca walled complex high above the city of Cusco. The imperial city Cusco, was laid out in the form of a puma, the animal that symbolized the Inca dynasty. The belly of the puma was the main plaza, the river Tullumayo formed its spine, and the hill of Sacsayhuamán its head. There are three parallel walls built in different levels with lime stones of enormous sizes. It is suggested that the zigzagging walls represent the teeth of the puma’s head. The Inca wall is built in such a way that a single piece of paper will not fit between many of the stones.


4Pisac
Pisacflickr/Vautrin_Baires
Pisac, a word of Quechua origins, means “partridge”. Inca tradition dictated building cities in the shape of birds and animals, and as such, Pisac is partridge shaped. The Inca ruins included a military citadel, religious temples, and individual dwellings, and overlooks the Sacred Valley, between the Salkantay Mountains. It is thought that Písac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley and controlled a route which connected the Inca Empire with the border of the rain forest.


3Choquequirao
Choquequiraoflickr/ojjo
Seated on the border of Cuzco and Apurimac, Choquequirao (meaning Cradle of Gold), is located 3085 meter (10,120 feet) above sea level. The Inca ruins contains a staircase configuration, made up of 180 terraces. Built in a completely different style than Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is much larger in area. One can only travel to Choquequirao by foot or horseback, and as such, is visited much less often than Machu Picchu. Without benefit of wheels, the trek to Choquequirao from Cachora can take up to four days!


2Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytamboflickr/Rodrigo
During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for the Inca resistance. Nowadays the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo is an important tourist attraction and one of the most common starting points for hike known as the Inca Trail.


1Machu Picchu
#1 of Ancient Inca Ruinsflickr/szeke
The most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world, Machu Pichu was rediscovered in 1911 by Hawaiian historian Hiram after it lay hidden for centuries above the Urubamba Valley. The “Lost City of the Incas” is invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces and watered by natural springs. Although known locally, it was largely unknown to the outside world before being rediscovered in 1911. Since then, Machu Picchu has become the most important tourist attraction in Peru.