Author: menno

What are the greatest American sitcoms of all time? Everybody will have their own opinion, but there are a few shows that will probably appear on most lists. People will disagree about whether modern shows are better than the old ones – most of the comedies on the list below (which was the result of an on-line vote) are fairly recent, but perhaps the people voting weren’t old enough to remember the golden age of TV, if, of course, it ever existed. However, nearly all these shows are still regularly shown on cable and satellite channels. Here, in reverse order,…

Before there were videogame consoles, there were arcade cabinets. These giant, hulking cabinets were made up of three main components: a television screen, a joystick, and a mini computer capable of drawing graphics and running games. Arcades were a worldwide phenomenon. They could be found everywhere, from dedicated arcades to restaurants, bars, shops, take aways, and more. Each arcade cabinet was specifically designed to run a single game and run it well. Over the years, some arcade games gained fame and notoriety for their quality, forever being remembered as some of the finest video games ever created. This top 10…

Walt Disney’s life and creative works have always been subject to scrutiny and intrigue. Although he was far from a secretive man, fans and critics alike are drawn to the idea that there was more than meets the eye to a man whose core ideals were dedicated to creating wonder and bringing childhood imagination to life. Since Disney’s first theme park opened in California in 1955, more than 650 million guests have come flooding through the gates to enjoy the place “where dreams come true”. There are now six Disney theme parks around the world which all run like clockwork…

Gamers are obsessed with finding hidden easter eggs in their favourite video games. The idea of developers slipping in some sort of hidden feature or code dates back to the early days of video games when programmers didn’t really get the credit they deserved for their work. In retaliation, many tried to slip in their names or images into the games they worked on. Nowadays, easter eggs are an expected feature in games. Modern games are filled with countless pop culture references and acknowledgements of other games (which are typically rival studios taking friendly digs at each other), but the…

Horror can be a very difficult genre to bring to TV. Typically, the longer a story goes on for then the harder it is to provide a worthy scare at the end. This can be problematic for long-running shows as shocking the same characters week in week out will eventually wear thin on audiences who are looking for some sort of resolution or pay-off which doesn’t just happen during the last 5 minutes of the episode. However, some TV shows do make it work. The anthology format is one of the most popular ways to approach the genre (a different…

Mazur Travel / Shutterstock.com Sir Elton John is a singer and pianist with a musical style ranging from Hard Rock romps to Soft Rock ballads. With a career dating from the 1960s, in partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton John boasts a bountiful back catalogue and is one of the most successful artists in the music industry. 10. Bennie and the Jets (1974) Bennie and the Jets is a Soul-oriented Rock song, produced by Gus Dudgeon, lyrics by Bernie Taupin. A light arrangement of piano, vocals and drum for much of the track, it is nevertheless one of Elton John’s…

Largest Pharmaceutical companies in the world, listed by 2013 revenue converted to US$. 10 Eli Lilly 23.1 billion Despite being a little-known name outside of pharmaceutical circles Eli Lilly is a well-established company, named for its founder who set up shop in 1876. Lilly was a veteran of the American Civil War who initially tried his hand at the cotton trade before incorporating a wholesale drug company. In his first year of business the company made US$4,470 and this was more than doubled the following year. Eli Lilly and Company was formally set up in 1881, and business boomed, turning…

Horses have played a number of important roles throughout human history. As far back as 2,000BC, they were used for transportation and agricultural work, a role they still play today. Horses have also played important roles in wars, races, and sports over the years. A number of filmmakers have made films about horses, some better than others. This top 10 will list the top 10 horse movies. 10 – National Velvet – 1945 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mZ428oWZl8 ‘National Velvet’, released in 1945, was one of the first popular horse movies. Based on the popular novel of the same name, National Velvet told the…

Throughout a career which has spanned more than half a century, Tina Turner has established herself as one of the all-time great performers. Amongst her achievements are eight Grammy Awards, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and record sales figures which total over 100 million. Turner can also claim to be the solo artist who has sold the most concert tickets in history. Despite high-profile relationships and a crossover into acting, the quality of her songs have been at the very heart of Turner’s success. Here, we look at the Top 10 Tina Turner Songs. 10.…

Before making a name for himself as a Hollywood superstar, Harrison Ford was set on building a career as a carpenter. The Chicago born actor fell in love with carpentry as teen and was hoping to work in the field, but a fateful meeting with writer, director, and producer George Lucas changed his plans. After playing space scoundrel Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope, Ford’s life was changed and his carpentry plans were put aside in favour of Hollywood super stardom. Ford has starred in more than 65 movies over his long career, some better than others. This…

Violence has always played a defining role in the evolution of video games. The release of Death Race in 1976 was one of the earliest video game controversies, even though the monochrome pixelly game was barely capable of showing any violence (players could run over stick figure people and turn them into tombstones). In the years since, the advancement of video game technology has led to more realistic and gratuitous displays of blood, guts and gore on our computer and TV screens. 10. Prince of Persia (1989 /PC) The original Prince of Persia was a tricky and skilful platformer which…

Director Michael Bay first made a name for himself making big budget commercials for some of the biggest names in advertising, including Coca-Cola and the Red Cross. These commercials were flamboyant, well shot, and well directed, and they attracted the attention of Jerry Bruckheimer, one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. Bruckheimer saw potential in Bay, so he hired him to direct one of his projects, ‘Bad Boys’. Bad Boys turned Bay into a star overnight and his career has gone from strength to strength since. This top 10 list will look at the top 10 Michael Bay movies.…

Originally formed in 1995, The Black Eyed Peas found major success after the turn of the 21st century, emerging as one of the biggest music groups of their generation. The band consists of will.i.am, Fergie, Taboo and apl.de.ap. Fergie’s vocal talents and will.i.am’s production skills are central to their success and the BEPs are known for mixing elements of hip hop, R&B, dance and pop music. Their string of worldwide hits has earned them a place amongst the most downloaded music artists of all-time and in total, their record sales are estimated to exceed 50 million units worldwide. Below, we…

10 Plitvice (Croatia) One of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, Plitvice National Park is largest and oldest national park in Croatia. It is not hard to see why the area has long been admired and preserved for future generations: the whole area is bursting with ethereal waterfalls and shallow lakes, set against well-established forests full of mature and elegant trees. An extra facet of beauty is added by the colours of water which changes from pale bright green to turquoise to soft blue depending on the level of minerals and elements in the water at the time. These minerals are leeched…

Every hip hop lover should at least have heard a beat by Dr. Dre, founder of the renowned group NWA and producer of many artists and albums. Dre changed the way of producing hip hop music forever with “The Chronic,” an album which introduced Snoop Doggy Dogg to the hip hop world. A more varied use of samples, use of skits and humorous intermezzos, re-pitching voice to fit musical elements were just some of the things which paved the way for a unique style of production which was set to change the world of hip hop. For those who don’t…

Jennifer Lopez is one of the most famous female singers today and is known for her powerful songs and sexy dancing style. Jennifer Lopez’s music covers a number of different styles including Latin pop, dance and R&B and since launching here singing career in 1999 she has had numerous hits. Here are the top ten. 10. Ain’t It Funny 9. Get Right This catchy tune reached number one in the United Kingdom and really allows Jennifer Lopez to show off her impressive range to the full. 8. Love Don’t Cost a Thing This song reached number three when it was…

One of the most influential and successful directors of all time, Steven Spielberg has completely changed the film industry and is almost single-handedly responsible for revolutionising big budget blockbusters. Trying his hand at many different genres of movies and constantly changing his style and approach to filmmaking, he has created a truly impressive filmography and it’s no easy task picking out his top 10. 10. War of the Worlds (2005) Clearly influenced by the events of 9/11, War of the Worlds is a tense and shocking adaptation of HG Wells’ classic sci-fi novel. It’s hard not to compare the movie’s…

Nirvana were one of the pioneers, and some might say the masters, of grunge rock in the early 1990s. The tragic death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 was a huge shock to Nirvana fans across the globe, but it gave the band an iconic status and ensured a lasting legacy in the world of music. With albums ranging from the gritty sounds on their debut Bleach, to the hugely popular Nevermind and the acoustic Unplugged in New York, it’s not easy to pick just ten best-ever Nirvana songs. But as a Nirvana fan since the early days of Bleach, these…

Queen are a band worth remembering, one of the greats of classic rock and roll. Their songs will survive the ages and will be played incessantly, commemorated and celebrated. The age-old debate will remain though: which 10 songs, out of so many classic tunes, are the very best? 10. Who Wants To Live Forever Released from the album A Kind Of Magic, bassist Brian May wrote the song for the movie Highlander in 1986. Though the band were primarily known for their vibrant theatrics and stadium-anthems, this single proved that there was an element of subtle tenderness in their work…

The comforting thing about ninety-nine per cent of all urban legends is that they are not true and you can shrug off the creepy sensations engendered by hearing these tales in the gloom of a chill winter’s night, secure in the knowledge that there is no truth behind them. However, the remaining one per cent are true or at least based in reality – so read on, knowing that these tales cannot be dismissed as works of fiction… 10. Two Arms for Tug-o-War Gore-meisters sometimes spin the yarn of the mass tug-o-war that saw two men losing their arms when…

Dogs are man’s (and woman’s!) best friend. They stick by us through thick and thin, always with feelings of love and joy in their hearts. A lot of films featuring our canine compatriots have been released over the years. This top 10 will list the top 10 dog movies. 10. K-9 − 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCRZBon82Qw James Belushi was on top of his game in the late 80s. After getting his big break on American comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, he played prominent roles in a number of 80s classics including ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Red Heat’. 1989’s ‘K-9’ saw…

Some very tall buildings have been erected in recent years, but even the largest of them would look tiny against the structures on this list, which have all been proposed and are, apparently, theoretically possible, at least if the appropriate materials were available. Perhaps some of them will one day become reality; until then, here are the world’s ten largest proposed but unbuilt structures, in reverse order. 10. Bionic Tower 4,029 feet The Bionic Tower has been designed as a solution to land shortage in crowded city locations such as Hong Kong. If it is ever built, this 300 storey…

If you enjoyed reading Suzanne Collins’ the Hunger Games trilogy, try reading one of the following similar books: 10. The Host: Stephenie Meyer Stephenie Meyer is better known for her Twilight series, the sparkling Edward Cullen and his beautiful eventual bride Bella (the pair upon which the sexy Fifty Shades trilogy was originally based, in case you were not already aware!). In The Host, the earth has been taken over by a race of aliens who use human bodies as hosts. The aliens are polite, careful and tend to obey rules, regulations and speed limits – but they also tend…

One of the most successful artistic collaboration on the electronic music scene, Daft Punk is a trend-setting French duo credited with reviving the international house arena. With a career spanning over 17 years, the group released four studio albums, one soundtrack album, two remix albums, two live albums and they have been involved in countless musical projects. French electronic duo, Daft Punk draws its name from an unfavourable review received by its members for their performance in a guitar-based group called Darlin’. When Darlin’ disbanded, two of its members, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, formed Daft Punk and started…

Video game developers have always been appealed by the idea of creating a post-apocalyptic playground for gamers to explore. Whether it’s been caused by a global nuclear war, zombie outbreak, artificial intelligence revolution or some other world-ending event, the concept offers ample opportunity for creativity and unique gaming experiences. From point and click adventure games to action packed shooters, the following list is some of the best video games which deal with deal with the apocalypse. 10. RAGE Although RAGE doesn’t always make the most of its post-apocalyptic setting, it’s not a game which is trying to reinvent the wheel.…

It is generally true that air travel is becoming safer. In spite of the fact that many more people are now travelling by air, the number of people killed in air accidents has shown an overall downward trend. Nowadays air disasters are rare, but this can make them seem even more shocking when they do occur. The list that follows is of the ten events with the most fatalities, in reverse order. 10. Iranian Air Force (15-2280) Ilyushin Il-76MD, 19th February 2003 – 275 deaths Carrying 257 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and eighteen crew, this military transport plane…

10 Hangzhou Bay Bridge Hangzhou Bay is an immense estuary delta that divided the Chinese municipality of Jiaxing from neighbouring Ningbo. The idea for the bridge was touted for many years before construction even reached the drawing board, but the bridge was eventually completed in 2007. It was not opened to the public until 2008, after a period of rigorous and stringent testing. The area where the bridge lies is prone to not only typhoons, but also some of the highest tidal forces in the world and, as if that was not enough to be going on with, earthquakes! To…

Johnny Depp has had one of the most unconventional and extraordinary careers in Hollywood. Emerging as a teen heartthrob and TV star in the hit show 21 Jump Street, it wasn’t long before Depp was a leading man on the silver screen. However, Depp has always balanced his blockbuster career with tough dramatic roles in smaller art-house movies. As these top 10 movies prove, few A-list stars have managed to have such an illustrious and varied career as Johnny Depp has. 10. The Brave (1997) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLBgXeK1-BM Depp has always maintained that he has Native American ancestry. Although he has never…

Gamers are familiar with the concept of death. Whether they’re taking down hordes of faceless enemies in a FPS or squishing cartoonish villains by jumping on their heads, most gamers dish out death without much thought. However, death in video games can be used to great effect, and there’s nothing more shocking than having your favourite character die unexpectedly. 10. Yoshi – Super Mario World Super Mario World added a new gameplay element by introducing Yoshi, and riding on the back of the dinosaur made a big difference to how the game could be played. However, players quickly learned that…

Manchester rock band Oasis, featuring the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam, released some memorable songs during the 1990s. Many of these became an important part of the Britpop soundtrack, shaping the identity of that era. Cocky and cool, yet rarely free of the rivalries which eventually destroyed them, Oasis left us many haunting songs, and some great British rock ‘n’ roll. Here are ten of the best: 10. ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ This début track from ‘Definitely Maybe’ has the same energy and urgency as ‘Get Back’ from the late-Beatles era. A distorted ‘wall-of-sound’ guitar opening sets the tone for…

Action movies provide an escape from reality. They transport us to worlds not too dissimilar to ours, albeit with more explosions, more gunfire, and more crazy stuff happening. There have been hundreds of great action movies released over the years. This article will list the top 10 action movies of all time. 10. Predator Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career was at an all time high in the 80s and 90s. The former Mr Universe didn’t have much success in Hollywood at first. Most casting agents said he was too muscular and his Austrian accent was a huge turn off, so he had…

To own one of the world’s super yachts, you need to be able to spend up to half a billion pounds on the initial purchase, but there will be much more spending to follow. The cost of maintenance and fuel will be huge, and these yachts generally have crews which outnumber the guests; it is not surprising that the annual running costs of a super yacht have been estimated at twenty per cent of its initial value. As is often said about this level of opulence, ‘If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it’. Many of the…

Coldplay begun to really emerge and become popular as a band in the year 2000, when the first hit single “Yellow” first reached the airways. Radio play ensured a solid fan-base for the London based outfit, and their blend of reflective and abrasive style of alternative rock captured the imagination of many independent music lovers all over the world. The group has moved further than just the alternative rock scene thanks to great arrangements which appealed to mainstream pop culture. If you’ve just been introduced to the band and would like to know the 10 most popular songs by the…

The videogame industry is the largest entertainment industry in the world, surpassing even the movie, television, and music industries. While many gamers choose to game on the PC or on mobile devices like phones and tablets, the vast majority play games on dedicated videogame consoles. These consoles are special pieces of equipment designed to do only one thing – play games – and they excel marvellously at this job. This article will list the top 10 best selling videogame consoles of all time. 10 – Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)- Nintendo – 1983 − 61.91 million sales The great videogame crash…

Stoned59/CC BY 2.0/flickr With such a long and illustrious career, stretching from the Sixties right up to the present, it is hard to choose the best work from Eric Clapton’s vast repertoire. Here are ten of his best songs. 10. Bell Bottom Blues Bell Bottom Blues is one of Clapton’s earliest songs and was written and released in 1971 when he was with Derek and the Dominos. It was inspired by his love for Patti Boyd. She was then married to George Harrison, but had asked Clapton to get her a pair of the latest bell bottom jeans from the…

It’s a hard life being an inventor. Thinking up new devices and gadgets is no easy task and this can lead to some pretty ‘out there’ ideas. Thankfully, most of these bizarre patents never saw the light of day. Animal-trap Clearly unimpressed by conventional animal traps, in 1882 Texan James Williams invented this completely overkill method of destroying pesky animals which burrow into the ground. Williams was a practical thinker as the automated gun trap not only destroys animals which are unfortunate enough to be ‘caught’, but he also proposed that it could be set up near windows and doors…

A top 10 list of the tallest women that ever lived. Unfortunately, most of them lived in a period when good healthcare wasn’t present. They died at a relatively young age. 10 Maria Fassnauer: 7 foot 4 inches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukaoad_WZqc Maria Fassnauer was born, the first of six children, to a poor couple in Southern Tyrol. Born in 1879, she developed normally until the age of three, at which time her growth abruptly increased and she shot up to an immense height, reaching an estimate full-growth height of between 7 foot 2 inches and 7 foot 10 inches – the huge…

It’s a fact that famous people are often short. The group that stands out most are the female singers. Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Fergie they are shorter than 160 cm. What could be an explanation? You often hear that short people look better on camera. Another explanation for female singers could be the Tinker Bell Syndrome: The believe that infantilising of small women can breed a sense of resentment and rebellion that makes them more ambitious and more flamboyant than average-sized females. ‘It’s likely that being small could result in a woman developing a Tinker Bell complex. Certainly it explains…

Bob Marley, the internationally renowned Jamaican musician, activist and undisputed king of all things reggae, certainly has no shortage of great songs, with many a classic among his chart topping discography. But which are his best? When it comes to Marley, choosing favourites is a difficult task. Here is a countdown of the top ten. 10. Is This Love No top ten list would be complete without a love song, and this one, with the timeless and romantic lyric “I wanna love you and treat you right, I wanna love you every day and every night,” is a true classic.…