| Top 10 Most Ridiculous Propagandistic Posters Posted: 04 Feb 2013 09:07 PM PST  All nations that partook in the First and Second World War had the difficult task of finding the best strategies to defeat their enemies. Yet that was not all they had to do, as one of the major concerns of the governments and army generals at the time consisted of justifying their involvement to the population. Since providing a logical explanation to why they want to drag the country into all-out war was mostly inefficient, they had to figure out a way to make the population WANT to get involved. And, what better way to determine common people to want to fight, work for free and offer money to sustain military campaigns than propaganda? Following, we will analyze some of the most ludicrous propagandistic posters – all unintentionally so, in their defense – that were all over the place during the world war period. 1. The British on the not-so-dumb women 
The legend of the alleged WW1 spy Mata Hari remained vivid in the British culture and has continued to fascinate the officials throughout the Second World War as well. Otherwise, how else could you explain the “Keep Mum, She’s Not So Dumb” poster in an era when gender inequality did not constitute a critical problem for the society? The message is quite simple really: unless you’re nice to her, she will become a spy and show you who’s who.
2. From the wisdom of Private Caution 
The Private Caution Says series of posters really made a difference in WW2 and possibly turned the odds in the advantage of the United States and the Allies. If it weren’t for this hygiene obsessed character, the US soldiers would all engage in unprotected sexual activities and would require hospitalization due to contracting gonorrhea and/or syphilis. Yet, the unsettling thing about these posters is that the private appears to be scared when seeing an officer passing by. Perhaps there’s more “wisdom” in this than you thought.
3. Boy, the Soviets really had a problem with work related injuries 
If there was a time and a place where you wouldn’t want to have a job, then that would have be Soviet Russia during WW2. Well, at least this is what you can deduce from the amount of disturbing, yet silly posters proprietary to that period like the “Look Out For Buffers” or “Don’t Clutter Your Workplace”. Thank goodness for those warning posters or else the Russians would have surely lost the war because of too many men dying due to work related accidents. 4. Don’t worry, the lonely Canadian soldier will save us all 
Men, and particularly brave men who are willing to fight for their countries are the most valuable resource during war. While the Canadian government understood this perfectly, they conveyed it into a completely laughable propaganda image. The most preposterous poster of the time was the “Why Don’t They Come?” picture that depicts a brave soldier watching hockey and asking himself why his fellow Canadians don’t want to participate in the great “hockey” game that is the war overseas.
5. If you continue to hurt yourself at work, the Nazis win the war 
What was initially intended to be a blood donation campaign created by the US government in WW2 turned out terribly mostly because of the obscure language used and the fact that all posters presented people driving screwdrivers through their hands. Not only did few people actually hear of the 7th column, but implying that work accidents can be prevented or else the Nazi’s win the war is a bit farfetched. Later on, the creepy “Don’t Give Your Blood To The 7th Column” posters were modified and became clearer for everyone.
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| Top 10 Must-Have Prank Apps Posted: 03 Feb 2013 09:05 PM PST  Back in the days of cord phones, few of us – at least aside from science fiction writers and a handful of visionaries from Apple – could even imagine the potential of a smartphone. However, now that the communication devices are equipped high-powered processors that are quickly catching up with the resources of the most potent laptops, the sky is the limit. Smartphone entertainment, or “phone-tertainment” if you will, has an unimaginable diversity. But, since we are after all humans, playing pranks on our friends remains one of its main practical applications. Following, I am sharing with you a top 10 collection apps that are mandatory for any iPhone owner with a sense of humor. 1. iSurprise 
How much does your friend love his new iPhone? It would have to be a lot, considering how much he spent on it. Wouldn’t it be a shame if his screen suddenly cracked? Well, you don't have to throw it against the wall causing permanent display damage if you have the iSurprise app! Although it is actually designed with a plethora of customizations for pictures and numerous other features, the beauty of the iSurprise app resides in its ability to simulate a cracked display screen. Surprise!
2. iGun Pro 
Did you hear about the guy who replaced his car’s horn with a recording of gunfire? Traffic was no longer moving so slowly around him. But you do not have to go through all that trouble, thanks to the iGun Pro app. What the iGun does is simulate the sound of twenty guns, from the infamous Glock pistol to the modern day Uzi sub-machinegun. And it also has an astoundingly accurate visual depiction of the gun firing, including smoke, recoil and everything. Don’t go robbing any banks now!
3. Ghost Prank Pro 
Remember those creepy photos of seemingly normal environments and people who are photo-bombed by ghastly apparitions from beyond? With Ghost Prank Pro, you don’t need to witness paranormal phenomena in order to scare the bejesus out of your friends. This handy iPhone app permits you to take a standard photograph with your phone’s camera and then superimpose ghostly figures. Just imagine the possibilities. However, perhaps you should save this prank for Halloween or a moment with similarly creepy atmosphere for maximum effects.
4. Prankboard: Mr. Rogers 
The days of prank calling are over, long live the prank texts! The Prankboard app now enables you to carry out mischievous acts of villainy and prey on your unsuspecting friends with premade jokes taken out Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Hopefully the developers own full copyright for them.
5. iBeer 
If you thought that the norm is drinking beer from the glass, then you clearly haven't heard about the iBeer application. Well, you won’t exactly be drinking it, but that is what everyone else will believe for a few moments. The iBeer simulates the presence of the golden beverage inside your iPhone case and the fluid’s motion determined by tilting the screen is extremely realistic. At the same time, you can actually replace the beer with another beverage like coffee, coke or champagne. And, another great trick with this app is that you can “pour” it into another iPhone, providing it has iBeer installed. Did we mention that the iPad version is called iBeerKeg
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| Top 10 Must-Read SF Books Posted: 02 Feb 2013 09:05 PM PST  Science fiction is the genre utilized by visionary writers to transcend the barriers of the mundane and imagine a completely different society wielding unimaginably complex technology or, on the contrary, broken down post apocalyptic scenarios where humanity and adjacent species revert to the cave dwellers stage. But that is exactly what makes science fiction so great, as not being forced to adapt the storyline to match current events or recreate historically accurate scenarios opens up a world of possibilities. Following, a list of what critics, awards and the number of copies sold deem to be the best sci-fi novels of all time. 1. Frank Herbert’s “Dune” 
Arguably the biggest masterpiece of the science fiction genre, Dune has been highly acclaimed by critics and fans. For its authorship, Frank Herbert received the Nebula Prize and the Hugo Award. It is necessary to mention that Dune is only the original book in the 8 novel series written by Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert (Frank Herbert’s son) in collaboration Kevin J. Anderson have released several prequels to it. The plot revolves around a desert planet inhabited by rebels of the empire and gigantic sandworms, which just happens to be the only source of mélange – a drug with invaluable properties – in the galaxy. The immersive story involves political plots, strange religions and humanity’s time old quest for a messiah.
2. Robert Heinlein’s “Stranger in a strange land” 
This international best seller shifts the paradigm of aliens completely. Rather than view them as ruthless invaders like H.G. Wells, Robert Heinlein’s tale involves the adventures of a human born among Martians who returns to his home planet. Naturally, his Martian education gives him an entirely new perception of the Earth’s society and he embarks on a journey to overcome the differences of two species and put an end to fear and jealousy between them by creating the Church of All Worlds.
3. Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Red Mars” 
Many critics have associated Robinson’s Red Mars with an instruction manual for the terra-forming of new worlds, except this particular manual is packed with an immersive plot, incredibly detailed characters and much more. The story line takes us on a journey alongside the original group of Mars colonists and their adventures of creating a new society. And, the main question is whether or not this planet should be transformed into a second Earth.
4. Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” 
Just like Dune, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation is part of a huge series of novels and has several sequels and prequels. However, most people are only familiar with the Foundation Trilogy, which comprises of:
• Foundation • Foundation and the Empire • Second Foundation The genius and vision of Isaac Asimov are evident in these books, as it weaves a complex tale of human empire that stretched out so far across space that Earth, its planet of origin was nearly forgotten. The fate of all empires, corruption, bureaucracy and intrigues has finally made the empire collapse. However, thanks to one man – the psycho-historian Hari Sheldon – and his desperate attempt to preserve humanity’s achievements and help the race transcend into a new era, there is still hope. 5. Arthur C. Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama” 
By all accounts, the novel “Rendezvous with Rama” can be regarded as vastly superior to the world famous “2001: A Space Odyssey”. However, because the latter has inspired the popular movie with the same title, few people – safe for the diehard Arthur C. Clarke fans – know about it. In this book, a cylindrical-shaped object enters our solar system and a team of astronauts is sent to investigate its origin and purpose. It is then when they find out that what they believed to be a strange asteroid is in fact an alien craft filled with androids who were preparing to embark on an important mission.
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| Top 10 Most Useless Tutorials On The Internet Posted: 02 Feb 2013 09:05 AM PST  There’s no denying the fact that the internet constitutes an uniquely comprehensive source of information, irrespective of the field you are interested in. Unlike the previous generation, people nowadays are not forced to spend hours at the local library in search of that mysterious rare guide or novel necessary for work or a school project. Whether or not the innate laziness that comes as a direct consequence of the facile access to almost every piece of knowledge that ever existed was worth it is for the next generations to decide. However, in addition to the constructive how to guides, the online environment is also riddled with incredibly ridiculous and of absolutely redundant tutorials. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 that I have put together. 1. Cutting (No running) with “kitchen” scissors 
Considering that these handy cutting utensils have been around for approximately 4,000 years – their original versions were invented in Ancient Egypt in approximately 1,500 B.C. – writing a guide on how to properly use scissors and more specifically “kitchen scissors” is really a waste of cyberspace. Evidently, since the author had very little useful information to include, he goes to suggest that storing the kitchen scissors in the kitchen is very both practical and convenient. After all, everyone knows that kitchen scissors should be stored in the basement, behind the boiler, right? At the same time, the tutorial alerts us that we should refrain from the ungodly temptation of using this particular tool to cut anything that’s not related to the kitchen!
2. Oh, snap! 
How else could you react after winning an argument than by snapping your fingers in your interlocutor’s face as a display of good sportsmanship? The guide in discussion here teaches reader the (proper?) technique of finger snapping. Except, they’re doing it wrong. For the sake of the argument, if for some reason you have to explain the technique of finger snapping to another person, at least remember that it’s the MIDDLE finger that connects to upper part of the thumb and that performs the downward motion, not the index one (as mentioned in the guide).
3. DIY staple removal 
The most “useful” section in the guide on how to remove a staple that somehow got implanted in your arm is probably the one where they blatantly tell you to “remove the staple”. It’s not all bad, after all they do advise against showing everyone how awesome your new piercing is before you proceed to getting it out and that’s got to count for something. The part that’s really bothersome is that the guide does not specify what types of lubricant should be used apart from soap. Is it engine lubricant?
4. Turning your room into a shrine dedicated to pens 
As you can read from the first paragraph, this tutorial on how to keep your large pen collection well organized is helpful even when you don’t have a collection to begin with. This could make you a bit paranoid, but the author of the tutorial is hiding somewhere in your room right not, shaking his head in disappointment because of all the pens that are scattered around on your floor, under your bed and surprisingly, in your shoes. The only marginally valuable advice you can read in this article is that you should not organize your pen on the bed, as to avoid staining the sheets.
5. Ah, change the channel already! 
The audience of an online guide on how to switch the TV channel will probably remain a mystery, like the Loch Ness monster and the Yetis. In other words, the concept of person who is capable of turning on the computer, opening the search engine and looking for this guide but for some reason cannot change the channel on a standard TV set (or an older model, like the dial versions popular in the 50s that are presented later on in the guide) is hilarious.
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| Top 10 Most Stupendous Robberies Of All Times Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:05 PM PST  Even though most people dream of pulling a hundred million dollar heist and live happily for the rest of their lives, nobody actually goes through with it. In fact, for most of them robbing a bank and spending the rest of their lives worry free is nothing more than a fleeting though. However, some people decided to put their idea into practice and very few of them managed to get away with it. Well, at least temporarily. Perhaps the most surprising thing associated with the following robberies is the fact that they seem to bear the mark of a professional thief. And, even more surprising, nobody got killed during the robberies. Let’s elaborate. 1. The Central Bank of Iraq
This was by far the simplest way to steal from a bank: one day before the Coalition started bombarding Iraq, Saddam Hussein sent his son with a written hand note to the Central Bank of Iraq to withdraw one billion dollars. Interestingly enough the bank representatives did not suspect a thing, in spite of the fact that loading this large sum of cash took approximately five hours. The very next day war broke out. Furthermore, only 650 million dollars were recuperated by the Americans after Hussein got captured.
2. The Boston Museum 
The robbery at the Gardner Museum in Boston will be remembered as the biggest art theft in history, although it happened more than a century ago. Contrary to the museum’s policy, the inexperienced guards allowed two burglars dressed as police officers on the premises. Even though they did not appear to be carrying any sort of weapon whatsoever, they managed to handcuff a guard in the basement and in less than 2 hours took off with 12 valuable pieces of art worth over 300 million dollars along with the museum’s surveillance tapes. The authors of the robbery were never found and currently there is a 5 million dollars ransom for any info regarding the heist.
3. John Goddard mugging 
More often than not, mugging a person on the street will not land thieves more than a top-notch phone, credit cards and some cash. If they’re lucky! The last thing a thief would expect to find in a briefcase of a person is over 300 city bonds to the Bank of England Treasury, bills estimated to be worth around one million pounds each. This is precisely what happened to John Goddard, a messenger working for a famous London broker. Fortunately, with the help of the FBI, all but two bonds were recovered, while the low level thieves responsible were arrested and convicted.
4. Dar El Salaam bank 
The forth most impressive robbery of all times took place in Baghdad, Iraq four years later after the Saddam Hussein heist. While it was not as simple and efficient, the mystery around this crime stems from the fact that the bank had a quarter billion dollars in US currency in there. Even though the authors are unknown, evidence suggests that the thieves were the guards of the bank who were working closely with the Iraqi militia to avoid detection at security checkpoints.
5. British Bank Of the Middle East 
Even if the sum of cash stolen from the British Bank of the Middle East is estimated to be around 100 million dollars in today’s market, the reason why this robbery made it to this top consists of the methods that the thieves employed to get the cash. To summarize, they blasted off the wall of the bank connected to the Catholic Church in the area, opened the vaults with the help of an experienced Corsican locksmith and stole everything they found over the course of two days.
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