“Hello, Wisconsin!”
One of our favorite shows, ever, That 70s Show was last aired a decade ago, in May of 2006 (can you believe it?!) The show was about a bunch of teenagers growing up in the 70s, a time when American society was just opening up and evolving into something more “modernized”. The cast itself was brilliantly put together, and each character lived up to expectations. All have moved on, some to A-list careers, but they still remain friends to this day, the closest being Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who are now married with 2 children.
Here are some super awesome facts on your favorite TV show that you probably didn’t know about already…
The “stoner circle” is one typical of a group of friends sitting for a session of pot smoking. Due to censors, the show couldn’t actually show a joint being passed around, so smoke was let off in the room and the camera went around the circle, though each character really did act stoned and even a noob could tell you that it is the epic puff, puff, pass way of doing things.
Kurtwood Smith, who plays Red Forman was the only member of the cast who is actually from Wisconsin and probably grew up in the same era that the show is about. And, the character of the Forman patriarch was supposed to be played by Chuck Norris, but he was too busy with Texas Ranger. Looks like Smith did a pretty good job, though we never saw the foot up anyone’s *ass!
Mila Kunis, who played Jackie Burkheart was only 14 years old when she got the part, though she lied to producers and said she was 16 at the time. Danny Masterson, who played Steven Hyde was the eldest kid in the circle, 22 at the time. So, when the show actually ended, Kunis was then 22 years old!
Love was in the air! During the filming of the show, Laura Prepon who played Donna Pinciotti, was datinf Danny Masterson’s brother. Though Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkheart were steady as a couple on-screen, off-screen actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis had their own separate lives. Mila has famously said that it was long after the show was over that the two began to hook up as friends with benefits, which slowly turned to love. Now, the two are married with 2 kids!
FEZ, played by Wilmer Valderrama, is actually a short-form for Foreign Exchange Student. No one really knows his full name throughout the show, neither from where he comes. Jackie is the only character who calls people by their names, while everyone else refers to the other by their last names.
And last but not least, there would never have been the name, “That 70s Show”. Originally, the writers wanted to name it after song titles by The Who – Teenage Wasteland or The Kids Are Alright. Due to copyright issues, they settled for their simple title, which, as you would have it, created history.
If you thought eating soggy fries and cold pizza was unappetizing, then you are in for a shock when you read about this super-fresh (and sometimes so fresh that they’re actually alive) dishes that our fellow human beings relish in different parts of the Far East. Though it is important to respect foreign cultures and not judge, we can’t help but judge and feel extremely squeamish when we come across these disgusting delicacies people eat in the Far East. Be warned.
There are those who are against abortions, because the entire process is considered painful. But there are stories and images that have emerged of the Chinese who feast on human foetuses for health and sexual improvement. The dish isn’t easy to come by (obviously), and the preparation for it is just as painstaking. The unborn infant is stewed for hours on end in special herbal formulations along with chicken and voila! You got yourself some baby soup. Yes, yes, look away.
We aren’t referring to the psychological term of a wandering mind. This is an actual delicacy that involves the eating of the brain of the monkey while it is still alive. Quickly, here’s the process before we ourselves wretch up our lunch – tie monkey to table – knock monkey’s head till skull cracks open – pull out live brain – savor the feast while the little primate screams in anguish for a quick death. We’re sorry.
Recently a video surfaced of what looked like a live frog’s head and the body being chopped up and eaten right then and there. The same goes for this Taiwanese specialty, where the fish is pulled out of water and made to swim in boiling oil. It is then placed on a plate for serving, while the fish is slowly being cooked to death. Bet you won’t be eating anything close to something fishy for a while, right?!
This dish has, in fact, reached all the way to the Land O’ The Free – North America. It’s inhumane to say the least (but after what you just read, your tastebuds might be numb anyways). A half-growing baby duck is consumed from the shell. When you crack the duck egg, what you find is partial egg – partial duck beak and body. It is an infamous aphrodisiac and customers are actually in awe of how the egg is fit for consumption at just the right time. Disgusting.
Sushi is relished all over the world. Fresh raw fish and pungent dips are part of the Japanese thoroughfare. There is also the beloved little pufferfish, similar to the one we saw in Finding Nemo. However, it is terribly toxic, with an almost instant death if consumed incorrectly. There is only a small part of the fish that is safe for human consumption. Only super trained chefs and highly scrutinized restaurants with permits can serve this deadly sushi. Eat at your own risk.
Anthony Bordain tried this dish and nearly gave up before he even started. Live cobras are grabbed from their cages and their hearts are literally cut out in front of the customer. Still beating, still alive, still gasping – the cobra heart is to be immediately swallowed, straight down the throat, beating all the way down to the stomach. You may then consume a strong bit of alcohol to forget the terrible experience altogether.
This is plain torture and whoever came up with this dish should have their feet bound with a rock and sent to the bottom of the ocean to die, much like the creatures they torture for their pleasure. As the name suggests, shark fin soup, probably one of the most expensive and famous delicacies to come out of the Far East, is made by cutting the fin of a shark and serving it in soup form. The rest of the shark is then sent back to the ocean, to sink to a slow, helpless death.
Fish and sperm are generally known to be salty, so we’ve heard. And combining the two is apparently a savored dish as well. Cod sperm is either served raw and fresh or stewed or fried, much like sweetbreads. Maybe if you didn’t know what you were putting in your mouth, it would be alright. But if you did, would you actually swallow it?!
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Why are the gods so cruel? The rest of us mere mortals struggle while they try to keep a straight face with their mockery, there are some who are born and bred lucky. Celebrities of the past not only raked in millions of dollars for playing a few roles here and there, but managed to spawn some of the most gorgeous kids of our generation. Growing up in the lap of luxury, little stress marks show on any of their blooming faces, and the best of beauty products are always within reach of their manicured hands. We welcome the celebrity kids who grew up as gorgeous as their parents, and are all set to become the famous ones of our time…
Gigi Hadid
She was born into a wealthy family in Beverly Hills and studied at Malibu High School where she was the captain of the volleyball team and also competed in horse riding. Gigi Hadid has now made a career as a fashion model and has been the face of a number of top fashion magazines at the age of 21. She even descends from a line of royalty on her father’s side, and her mother herself was a great model of the 80s. Her siblings are equally just as gorgeous as she is – fellow model Bella Hadid and brother Anwar.
Ava Philippe
Her mother was the smiley face of the movie Legally Blonde and her father was the heartthrob of the 90s. Ava Philippe managed to catch all the right genes of both her parents who met on the sets of Cruel Intentions and Reese Witherspoon famously told him, “You’re my birthday present”. Ava recently made her public debut with her mom on the red carpet, and the press noted that they looked like siblings! Let’s watch what comes next with this celebrity kid…
Lily-Rose Depp
The offspring of Hollywood’s coolest couple, Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp, Lily-Rose grew up in a chilled out home environment that probably didn’t have much of schooling and punishing. She was allowed to be her own person, and at the young age of 13 was even open about her fluid sexuality. Now, the young star is already starring in a yet-to-be-released movie opposite Natalie Portman and has posed for a number of international magazines.
Hailie Jade Scott-Mathers
Recognize the last name? That’s the baby of the Real Slim Shady! Eminem has had many achievements in his fantastic career as one of the greatest rap artists ever, but this seems to be his best yet – his daughter Hailie. Can you believe it, the girl is turning 20 this year? He even wrote a rap song on her called Hailie, and has mentioned her numerous times in his tumultuous lyrics. She is currently a student at a top university and carries on her life away from the spotlight. Probably one of the most regular star kids out there, right?
Lourdes Leon
Madonna was the pop star of the 80s and continues to be a respected legend in the music industry. However, her personal life has been anything but stable. She moved from man to man of varying ages, and managed to have three kids in the process – one is David who she adopted from Malawi, the other is a teenage son Rocco who she recently lost custody of and the third is Lourdes Leon, a daughter who has turned out to look exactly like her mom did at her age, and so gorgeous at that. She recently came into the spotlight after she accompanied her to a Alexander Wang show at NYFW.
Kaia Gerber
When you have a supermodel mom, you better look like her! That seems to be just the case with Cindy Crawford’s little girl, Kaia. She’s barely 14 and already modelling for a number of fashion magazines. Her innocent look, gorgeous hair and doe eyes are winning her a lot of positive attention from her mom’s colleagues in the fashion industry.
Hailey Baldwin
Her parents were the power couple of Hollywood and have been in the news for their public shenanigans as well as their work. Now their younger daughter, Hailey, sister to model Ireland, is taking her charming Baldwin looks to the red carpet. She was earlier known as a starlet and socialite, and also short-term girlfriend to Justin Bieber. Now, she is a model in her own right and is ready to make her catwalk debut.
Maya Thurman-Hawke
Her mother is a deadly actress and her father is one of those actors that casts a spell wherever he goes. Now Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke’s little girl is all grown up and is already starting a storm in Hollywood. Rumours were rife that director Sofia Coppola walked out of a project because Maya wasn’t cast as the lead. She also just landed herself a prime deal as the face of one of London’s top brands.
Eve Hewson
Let’s round up our list of celebrity kids with one of rock’s most favorite frontmen – U2’s Bono and his baby girl, Eve. She is nearly 25 years old now, but she has already been a part of big projects – starring in an Emmy nominated series and playing the lead opposite Jamie Foxx and Taron Egerton. Watch out for this one!
So when it comes to conquering obstacles, there are always the triumphant stories and then there are those that end in tragedy. Mt. Everest in the Himalayas is one of those historic monuments that stands testament to many-a trial and failure, but also achievements that literally match no other. Here are some of the Top Stories From The Summit Of Mt. Everest…
Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay
“First to climb Mt. Everest” prize already went to Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary years ago. So, there are others who want to create and break their own records. One of these over-ambitious people was former Foreign Minister of Nepal, Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay. He took it upon himself to scale the summit and become the oldest living person to do so. However, on the way up, his body couldn’t take it anymore and by the time he tried to climb down and reach the base, he unfortunately breathed his last. He was 76 at the time. The current record for the oldest living person to successfully make it up goes to Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese climber who was 80 years old and had gone through a couple of heart operations and a problem with his pelvis.
Shriya Shah-Klorfine
Anyone in their right mind knows the dangers of climbing a mountain and literally puts their life and death in the hands of volatile nature. The same can be said for Nepal-born and Canadian-raised Shriya Shah-Klorfine. The professional climber tried to make it to the summit and was almost successful, though she, like many others, fell ill. On her descent down the mountain of ice, she succumbed to the roughness of Everest. Her body had to be carried down by experienced Sherpas, a perilous task that requires serious expertise and expenses. She is lucky to have been able to afford the over $30,000 price, as there are many other deceased climbers who’s resting place are the slopes of mountainside.
Hannelore Schmatz
Have you heard of the South East Ridge of Mt. Everest? It is also called the “Rainbow Valley” due to the number of bodies of dead climbers, all garbed in colourful attire. Many have been buried by snow, others recovered and returned to their homes and still more never recovered. One distinctive climber who’s remains became somewhat of a landmark for others belonged to German Hannelore Schmatz. It was 1979 that she managed to summit the peak, but on her way down, triumph evaded her. Though she was warned by the Sherpa she came with to continue descending, she and climbing partner, Ray Gennet decided to spend the night after building a camp. When the Sherpa came back the next day, what he found haunted other Everest enthusiasts for years to come – Hannelore was found with her head resting on her backpack, eyes frozen and hair billowing in the wind. It stayed that way until a gust of ice cold wind finally blew her body off her resting place. Ray Gennet’s body was never found.
Francys Arsentiev
When mountaineer Francys Arsentiev and her husband Sergei decided to scale Everest without bottled oxygen, everyone was a sceptic. However, they succeeded to do so, but with little luck on their side. On their way back down, they were exhausted, and had to spend another night on the slope with barely any oxygen. Somewhere the next day, Sergei got separated from his wife and tried to climb back up the mountain to find her. Long story short, his body was found a year later, and from the looks of it, he had fallen to his death. As for Francys – she was found by two other climbers with little life left in her, and they stayed till her very end. Her body was lowered out of site of regular climbers and she was given a sort-of decent last rites to the dead.
Namgyal Sherpa
Another brave soul who traversed the difficult slopes of Mt. Everest was local resident Namgyal. They say you can play with fire only so many times before you get burnt. The same goes for this brave Sherpa who was part of the expedition to clear Everest of all the trash and some bodies left behind by climbers. During his own life, Namgyal has scaled his favourite mountain a cool 1o times, but the 11th was to be his last. At 8,000 metres (the location of many-a collapse and death of unfortunate climbers), he pointed to his chest and breathed his last. He had not been feeling particularly well during this last ascent.
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Independence day, better known as 4th of July, is a federal holiday in the United States. It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th July, 1776 by the Continental Congress when thirteen colonies became the United States of America and stopped being part of the British Empire. The holiday is usually marked with big parades all over major cities, fireworks and all manner of celebrations. Many use this holiday to reconnect with family and friends by organising parties and different outings.
Happy 4th of July!
1. Independence was gained two days earlier on July 2nd, 1776. The Congress spent the two days debating and revising the Declaration of Independence before its signing.
2. Only a few members of Congress (if any) signed the Declaration of Independence on 4th July. According to historians, most of the signatories did not sign the Declaration until August 2nd, 1776.
3. The first draft by Thomas Jefferson was not in favor of slavery. Even though he owned slaves himself, Thomas Jefferson felt that slavery was against human rights. Delegates who owned slaves were opposed to freeing them and therefore the section did not make it to the final document.
4. over 150 million hotdogs are consumed on this day.
5. Three presidents namely, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Monroe died on this day.
6. Calvin Coolidge Jnr., the 30th president of the United States was born on this day.
7. Philippines and Rwanda also celebrate holidays on July 4th.
8. Most flags and fireworks used on this day were made in China.
9. The National Anthem lyrics were set from an official song for a British club.
The 4th of July weekend is usually a big holiday and most US residents know it just for the big parades and parties. There are more facts to this day than many realise! Happy Independence Day to all Americans and we pray for PEACE!
Everybody loves a good mystery. Whether it emanates from the pages of a dog-eared Agatha Christie novel or conspiracy theories conjured up by “experts”, there is no end to efforts being made to demystify phenomenon that plagued the earth now and in the past. One of the topics at the top of such a list would be about the long-lost island of Atlantis. Believed to be hidden by the expansive waters of our planet’s oceans, there have been numerous stories about the magical isle and morals that warn us about what could happen to the future of our generation if we were to meet a similar fateful end. Let’s revisit the mysteriously magical land of Atlantis and all its fabulous possibilities:
Atlantis
No one really knew of the existence of Atlantis until it was mentioned in the work of Plato – Timaeus and Critias – where the Atlantans attacked ancient Athens but failed to conquer, due to the latter’s “ideal state” and later fell out of favor with the gods that resulted in the land diving to the bottom of the ocean. He claimed that it existed some 9,000 years before his present day and that it was located beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Many other philosophers, especially from the Renaissance period referenced Atlantis, but only because Plato did it first. Most notable was in Thomas More’s Utopia.
Ever since the European lot traversed the world and discovered new lands, there was rife speculation among them about the existence of Atlantis. When they came upon the New World, they made the connection between the ancient Mayan civilization to that of the lost isle. The former disappeared suddenly, but the best part is that they left behind a rich heritage – complete with a calendar and huge pyramid-like structures that spoke of their religiously cult past. Though there isn’t any physical evidence of Atlantis, many believe it faced a similar fate to that of the Mayans.
There are many who believed and tried to convince others, that Atlantis is located in the Bermuda region. The Bermuda triangle itself has been at the centre of some of the most weirdest theories since it is said to have swallowed up many a missing ship and airplane alike. This region has been seldom explored and is avoided by travelers who prefer preserving their lives instead of delving into the mysteries of the deep. But anyhow, that’s crazy talk and doesn’t hold significance among the archaeological and scientific community.
Though there is no substantial evidence to prove any theorist either completely right or terrifically wrong, what we can learn about a land long lost but not forgotten, is that we need to preserve our own and that the way we seem to be currently polluting it means that we, too may find ourselves and heritage at the bottom of an ocean, never to be found again – merely a mystery to the annals of history.
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If you think that Guantanamo is hell on earth for criminals who are locked up for heinous crimes, you may swallow your words when you find out how those accused of committing a wrongful deed and asserted by the ruler came to meet their end. In short, inhumane is the word of the day. From maiming to boiling the perpetrator alive, there are the most shockingly creative ways that justice was apparently served. You will be glad to be living in modern times where being thrown in a jail with a tub of petroleum jelly is the most scary part of serving your sentence.
Judas Cradle
Sounds like a metal band, no? Well, this is no Iron Maiden, this is a medieval torture device known as the Judas Cradle. The victim was tied by the hands and legs and made to dangle above the pyramid-like structure. As the person fell asleep and his/her body began to relax, the tip would poke the genital area. This device was used for those who were accused of being against the Catholic church or following paganism. You wouldn’t get impaled altogether, but the slow force of the pyramid head would hurt the gentle human parts.
Rat Torture
Game Of Thrones fans would be familiar with the scene where Arya Stark, Gendry and Podrick are locked up in Harrenhall and where she is picked up by Tywin Lannister to be her cup bearer, but not before she witnesses random prisoners being picked up for torture. One of the methods was the infamous rat torture. The person was made to sit with a bucket of rats tied to his/her stomach. The end of the bucket was slowly heated and the scurrying rats would literally gnaw their way out of the scalding bucket through the person’s abdomen, resulting in a scary death of torn guts.
Brazen Bull
Another horrifying and slow death was meted out through the Brazen Bull. As the name suggests, a hollow carved brass bull was placed over a fire and the victim shoved inside. As the bull heated up, the person would literally be roasted alive inside the bull, while tube fittings made their agonized screams sound like a raging bull. It is said that the creator met his end through his own invention, after he was craftily led to enter the bull by an appalled king who was justifiably shaken by the creation. However, many victims would later be led to their own heated fate in a similar way.
Iron Maiden
So, since we spoke about this earlier, we need to “Up The Irons!”. Here is another torture device made of nightmares: think, sealed in a spiked coffin. And no, it isn’t punk mummy art. A standing iron coffin shaped like a human was where the prisoner was led and then the coffin door would shut tight, causing the victim to be nearly suffocated in the small space, not to mention speared through in the front and back. It would take a while before the person bled out or ran out of oxygen, whichever happened first. Good news, if any, is that there is no sufficient evidence to suggest anyone was made to endure the maiden.
The Rack
Braveheart comes to mind when one thinks of this method of torture. During the Medieval ages, the prisoner would be bound at both ends – the hands and legs and executioners would crank the ropes so that the victim’s limbs would be torn from their body in what would be a frightening way to die. Imagine the pain, suffocation and noise as you realized your own body was literally being torn apart.
Chinese Water Torture
We all know the modern water boarding torture maneuver by interrogators today. In the past as well, water was used to harm victims and lead them to a slow death, but not before going completely insane in the process. The Chinese, known for their twisted ways of meting out a painfully prolonged death, used to tie a victim’s head in a small box-like device and drops of cold water would one by one drop on to the top of the head. It slowly froze the person’s brain, but not before they went mad with the sensation.
It’s been 104 years since the unsinkable ship, Titanic, collided with an iceberg and met with a tragic fate. The incident that killed hundreds of people and stayed imprinted in our memories has inspired many things – James Cameron to make an Oscar-winning epic love story on the ship and a Titanic II being built and set for a voyage in 2018. However, there were many theories, stories, controversial topics and heartbreaking stories that emerged from the original “ship that even God cannot sink”. Let’s take a look at the Big Secrets From The “Unsinkable” Titanic:
The true heroes of the Titanic – the crew and orchestra
If you saw the Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet flick (of course you did!) you would have noticed the scene where the band keeps playing Amazing Grace as a harrowed and jittery crowd tries to make its way to the lifeboats. Well, this happened in real life as well. While a priest stayed back to hear confessions and give the last rites to those bound to their fate in a watery grave, the orchestra played calming music to ease the tension in the air.
Chef Charles Joughin of the Titanic who survived after hitting a bottle of rum
There was a chef of the Titanic who drank himself sorry after hearing about the largest ship ever built not making it to shore. But it looks like all that rum did him good because he was the only one who survived for 2 hours in the freezing Atlantic waters as his body temperature, coupled with the alcohol kept him warm. Let’s toast to that!
The rich and the selfish passengers of the Titanic
To say that the rich and privileged on the Titanic were a pompous bunch is an understatement – the lifeboats that were provided to them on priority were not filled to capacity and could have saved so many more passengers. Alas, their allergy to the poorer lot resulted in so many more deaths. There was also a drill before the maiden voyage to teach passengers how to use lifeboats, but that was cancelled for some random reason.
Sorry for the blurry image. But this is the original iceberg that was the cause of Titanic’s fate.
The infamous iceberg that caused the biggest tragedy for civilians at sea had been floating around since 1000BC. And as a matter of fact, it might still exist today. And it seems that if the captain had spotted the iceberg just 30 seconds earlier, they could have avoided the tragedy. The binoculars that would have helped were safely locked away and the keys were apparently lost.
Titanic was one of the most epic movies ever made, directed by James Cameron and won 11 Oscars
And to speak again about the blockbuster movie by James Cameron – it won a total of 11 Oscars, though none for acting. The song My Heart Will Go On by French-Canadian singer, Celine Dion was favorited by every citizen of the earth – except for Kate Winslet who hated it and in typical British pomp said that she feels like vomiting when she hears it.
What is it that separates the legends from the rest? It’s that they stay in our hearts and minds through their untimely deaths. Overdoses, accidents, murders – unwanted circumstances took away our favorite stars while they still shined their brightest. Here is a list of Musicians Who Died Before Their Time…
Dimebag Darrell – Pantera, Damageplan
A guitarist whose fingers danced across the fretboard, Darrell “Dimebag Darrell” Abbott is probably one of metal’s most famous musicians. He was part of the cowboy metal band, Pantera and had a promising career ahead of him with the new-formed Damageplan that he co-founded with his brother. He was truly a man of raw talent. However, his prolific career was cut short on that fateful day, December 8, 2004. A deranged fan stormed the stage and point-blank shot the guitar maverick before taking a concert-goer hostage. He was later shot and killed by a police officer. Dimebag may have been slain, but there is no doubt that his memory and the work he left behind will forever stay with his fans.
Have you ever wondered how food from commercials always look so fresh and juicy and when you see it in reality it represents a flattened piece of processed food? How do companies manage to advertise mouthwatering products but are unable to deliver in reality? Well, their secrets are hidden no more – we unveil the reality behind the illusion of good advertising and photography:
Cakes often look springy and fluffy for a very hard reason – there’s cardboard between the layers of sponge. The outer parts of the cake are then smothered with frosting and other delicious paraphernalia to give us a hankering for a sweet slice of dessert heaven.
Advertisers deceiving us with cardboard cakes
