The 2009 TIME 100 Finalists

Courtesy & Complete List: Time

Activism

• Aung San Suu Kyi: National League of Democracy leader (63)
• Yoani Sénchez: Blogger (33)
• The Charter 08 authors: The 303 Chinese citizens who signed this pro-democracy manifesto
• Dalai Lama: Spiritual leader (73)

US Politics

• Barack Obama (47, President of the United States)
• Sarah Palin: Governor of Alaska (45)
• Hillary Clinton: US Secretary of State (61)

President Contenders – 2012 America

• Mike Huckabee: Commentator, candidate-in-waiting (53)
• Michelle Obama: First Lady (45)
• Ron Paul: U.S. Representative, former presidential candidate (73)

GOP Opposition

• Eric Cantor: Republican whip, U.S. House of Representatives (45)
• John Boehner: U.S. House minority leader (59)
• Newt Gingrich: Political analyst (65)
• Jonathan Krohn: Lil’ Limbaugh (14)

Behind the scenes – Wheeler dealers

• Ron Bloom: Auto adviser (53)
• Neel Kashkari: TARP-throb (35)

Government Organizations

• Bill Gross: Pimco co-founder (65)
• James Lockhart: Federal Housing Finance Agency CEO (62)
• Sheila Bair: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation chairwoman (54)

Religion – Jesus Christ

• Pope Benedict XVI (81)
• Rowan Williams: Archbishop of Canterbury (58)
• Rick Warren: Evangelist (55)

Social Service

• Sister Mary Scullion: Philadelphia’s Mother Theresa (55)

Finance

• Leonard Abess: Banker (60)
• Odell Barnes: The foreclosure king

Filthy Rich & Powerful

• Warren Buffett: Berkshire Hathaway chairman (78)
• T. Boone Pickens: Billionaire, renewable-energy booster (80)

Media, News Heads

• Sam Zell: Tribune Co. chairman and CEO (67)
• Rupert Murdoch: News Corp. chairman (78)

TV Executives

• Charlie Gasparino: CNBC on-air editor (47)
• Abdul Rahman al-Rashed: Al-Arabiya general manager
• Seth MacFarlane: Animation maven (35)

On Screen Persona – Ladies

• Katie Couric: News anchor (52)
• Oprah Winfrey: Kingmaker (55)
• Rachel Maddow: MSNBC host (35)

TV Shows

• Jon Stewart: Faux-news anchor (46)
• Jay Leno: Prime-time TV host (58)
• Tina Fey: Actress, comedian, writer (38)
• The View: Whoopi Goldberg moderates discussions and is joined by Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters

Extreme Right: Conservative Gang

• Bill O’Reilly: Commentator/enforcer of spin-free zone (59)
• Rush Limbaugh: Radio host (58)

Bank Board

• Jamie Dimon: JPMorgan Chase CEO (53)
• Ken Lewis: Bank of America CEO (61)
• Dick Kovacevich: Wells Fargo chairman (66)
• Lloyd Blankfein: Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO (54)

Dow Brass Ring

• Michael Duke: Wal-Mart CEO (57)
• Jeffrey Immelt: General Electric chairman and CEO (53)
• Indra Nooyi: PepsiCo CEO (53)

Hi-Tech Crowd

• Jeff Bezos: Amazon.com chairman (45)
• Steve Jobs: Apple chairman and CEO (56)
• Jeff Kindler: Pfizer CEO (54)
• John Chambers: Cisco Systems CEO (59)
• Steve Ballmer: Microsoft CEO (53)

Dangerous Liaisons

• Muqtada al-Sadr: Shi’ite cleric (35)
• Rod Blagojevich: Former Illinois governor (52)
• Baitullah Mehsud: Taliban leader

Glamor Dolls

• Kate Winslet: Actress (33)
• Angelina Jolie: Actress (33)

Rich People’s Hobby

• Stella McCartney: Fashion designer (37)
• Tom Ford: Fashion designer (47)

Mid-Life Crisis Gentlemen

• Joaquin Phoenix: Actor, alleged rapper (34)
• Ricky Gervais: Comedian, scamp (47)
• Patrick Swayze: Actor (56)

Out-of work Hollywood Stars

• Tom Hanks: Actor, filmmaker (52)
• George Clooney: Actor (47)
• Brad Pitt: Actor (45)
• Hugh Jackman: Actor, Oscar host (40)
• Clint Eastwood: Actor, director (78)

Teenage Heartthrobs

• Zac Efron: Actor, pinup (21)
• Miley Cyrus: Actress, singer (16: Hannah Montana)
• Taylor Swift: Singer (19)
• The Jonas Brothers: Kevin, 21; Joe, 19; Nick, 16 : Musicians, hormone aggregators

Teaching in University: Academia

• Nouriel Roubini: Economics professor (49)
• Meredith Whitney: Banking analyst (39)
• Roland Fryer: Harvard University economics professor (31)

Fancy Construction: Civil Engineers

• Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio: Founders, Diller Scofidio + Renfro
• Rem Koolhaas: Architect (64)
• Renzo Piano: Architect (71)

Queer

• Dan Barber: Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef (39)
• Damien Hirst: Wealthy art provocateur (43)
• William Kentridge: Artist (54)
• Gustavo Dudamel: Los Angeles Philharmonic (28)

Rappers

• Kanye West: Musician (31)
• Lil’ Wayne: Self-proclaimed greatest rapper alive (26)
• T-Pain: Musician, producer (23)
• M.I.A.: Singer (31)

Alternate Grammy

• Rain: South Korean pop star
• Prince: Singer, commercial genius, legend (50)

Gulf Autocrats

• Gamal Mubarak: Egyptian politician (46)
• Sheik Mohammed al-Maktoum: Emir of Dubai (59)
• Madeeha Hasan Odhaib: Seamstress, Baghdad district councilwoman (38)

Petrol & Oil mixed with Money

• Ali al-Naimi: Saudi Arabian Oil Minister (74)
• Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: Saudi billionaire (54)
• Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority managing director

Forbes Top 10 in World

• Carlos Slim: Mexican monopolist (60)
• Alexander Lebedev: Billionaire (49)
• Mo Ibrahim: Sudanese-born cell-phone magnate

Sports

• Tiger Woods: Golfer (33)
• Danica Patrick: Racy driver (28)
• Manny Pacquiao: Boxer (30)
• Rafael Nadal: Tennis player (22)
• Lance Armstrong: Bicyclist (37)
• Kaká: Soccer star (29)
• Michael Phelps: Olympian (23)
• Kobe Bryant: Basketball star (30)

Sports Club Owners

• Mark Cuban: Entrepreneur (50)

Military, Army

• General Petraeus: General, U.S. Central Command chief (56)
• David McKiernan: International Security Assistance Force commander (57)

Local Govt; Big Impact

• Michelle Rhee: Washington, D.C., schools chancellor (39)
• Elizabeth Warren: Congressional Oversight Panel chairwoman (59)

Finance

• Ben Bernanke: Federal Reserve Chairman (55)

Hollywood Movies

• Judd Apatow: Director, producer (41)
• Tyler Perry: Filmmaker (39)
• Danny Boyle: The Oscars’ top dog (52)

Television Programming

• Matthew Weiner: Mad Men creator (44)

Thinkers, Bestsellers

• Malcolm Gladwell: Author (45)
• Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein: Nudgers

Writers, Book Keepers

• Tucker Max: Frat-boy laureate (33)
• Jeff Kinney: Author (38)
• Takashi Murakami: Artist (46)
• Stephenie Meyer: Author (35)
• Roberto Saviano: Mob muckraker (29)
• Khaled Hosseini: Author (44)

Notable Indians

• Ram Charan: Management consultant to the stars (67)
• Ratan Tata: Tata Motors chairman (71)
• Mukesh Ambani: Petrol prince (51)
• Ronnie Screwvala: UTV Group CEO (46)

Commonwealth

• Tony Blair: Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (55)
• Gordon Brown: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (58)
• Boris Johnson: Mayor of London (44)
• Kevin Rudd: Prime Minister of Australia (51)

EU

• Angela Merkel: Chancellor of Germany (54)

Jews, Israel Lobby

• Benjamin Netanyahu: Prime Minister–designate of Israel (59)
• George Mitchell: US envoy to the Middle East (75)
• Tzipi Livni: Israeli Foreign Minister (50)

Environment, Pollution

• Steven Chu: U.S. Secretary of Energy (61)
• Connie Hedegaard: Danish energy czar (48)

Researchers: More Academia

• Yochiro Nambu: University of Chicago professor (88)
• Nicholas Christakis: Social scientist (47)

Medical Doctors

• Dr. Alain Carpentier: Heart surgeon (75)
• Peter Pronovost: Johns Hopkins physician (44)
• Eric Chivian (professor of psychiatry at Harvard) and Richard Cizik (Evangelical)
• Doris A. Taylor: Medical researcher
• Stephan Schuster and Webb Miller: Gene genies
• Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki: 23andMe co-founders
• Douglas Melton: Harvard Stem Cell Institute co-director (55)
• Craig Venter: Geneticist (62)

South Asia

• Sonia Gandhi: Indian National Congress Party president (62)
• Asif Ali Zardari: President of Pakistan (53)
• Ashfaq Pervez Kayani: Pakistan army chief of staff (56)

Africa

• Morgan Tsvangirai: Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (57)
• Robert Mugabe: President of Zimbabwe (85)
• Paul Kagame: President of Rwanda (51)

Enemy?

• Vladimir Putin: Prime Minister of Russia (56)
• Hu Jintao: President of China (66)
• Ma Ying-jeou: President of Taiwan (58)
• Evo Morales: President of Bolivia (49)

Incumbent?

• Jacob Zuma: African National Congress president (66)
• Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysian politician (61)

Technology & Web Entrepreneurs

• Jessica Flannery: Kiva co-founder (32)
• Nate Silver: FiveThirtyEight.com (31)
• The Twitter Guys, Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone
• Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook founder (24)
• Jay Adelson: Digg CEO (38)
• moot: 4chan.org founder

Entertainment Industry

• Michael Rapino: Live Nation CEO (43)
• Ryan Schreiber: Pitchfork Media founder (33)

Cool Guys

• Dov Charney: American Apparel founder (40)
• Richard Kelly: Xcel Energy CEO (63)

Inner Villain Exposure Enablers

• Jeff Han: Perceptive Pixel founder (33)
• Will Wright: Game designer (49)
• Dan Houser: Rockstar Games co-founder (34)
• Shigeru Miyamoto: Video-game designer (56)

Volunteering, NGO, Donations

• Larry Brilliant: Google good guy (64)
• Nancy Brinker: Susan G. Komen founder (62)
• Mary Lou Jepsen: Pixel Qi founder (44)

Example Bureaucrats

• Tom Dart: Cook County, Ill., sheriff (46)
• Cory Booker: Mayor of Newark, N.J. (39)
• Michael Bloomberg: Mayor of New York City (67)

Newsmakers

• The Pregnant Man: Thomas Beatie (35)
• Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III: Pilot (58)

போப் பத்து

செய்தி:

ஹெச்.ஐ.வி நோய் பரவுவதை தடுக்க ஆணுறை பயன்படுத்துவதில் பயனில்லை என்றும், இது பிரச்சனையை மேலும் தீவிரமாக்கும் என்றும் எய்ட்ஸ் பிரச்சினையை ஆணுறைகள்தான் அதிகமாக்குகின்றன என்று சென்ற வாரம் கத்தோலிக்க மதகுரு போப்பாண்டவர் 16வது பெனடிக்ட் கூறியிருந்தார்.

ஆன்மிக மற்றும் விழிப்புணர்வு தான் இதற்கு தீர்வு என்றும், எய்ட்ஸ் நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களிடையே மனிதாபிமானம் மற்றும் நட்புடன் பழகுவதே தீர்வாக இருக்கும் என்றும் போப் கூறியிருந்தார்.

போப்பாண்டவர் 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அங்கோலா தலைநகர் லுவாண்டாவில் பிரார்த்தனை கூட்டத்தில் உரையாற்றும் நிகழ்ச்சிக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தது. அதற்கான அரங்கில் 30 ஆயிரம் பேர் சென்றனர். அப்போது ஏற்பட்ட நெரிசலில் சிக்கி 2 பேர் இறந்தனர்.

ஏன் சொன்னார்?

1. போகிற போக்கில் பெட்ரோல் தீர்ந்துடும் போலிருக்கு. போப் மொபைலை இழுக்க ஆள் தேவை. மதகுருவை தேர் கட்டி இழுத்தால் எயிட்ஸ் போயிரும்னு சொன்னால் போகிற வழிக்கு பாதகமில்லே.
2. டாக்டர். கஸ்தூரிரங்கன் ஆராய்ச்சி அப்படித்தான் சொல்லிச்சு. தமிழன் சொன்னதை தரணிக்கு சொன்னார்.
3. ‘முகமது நபியவர்கள் இவ்வுலகத்துக்கு கொண்டுவந்தது தீமை தான்’ என்று சொன்னதைப் போல் பரபரப்பு கொண்டு வரத்தான். இப்படி கவன ஈர்ப்பு செய்யாவிட்டால் எவர் சீந்துவார்?
4. மக்கள் தொகை எக்க்ச்சக்கம் ஆகிவிட்டது. பிறகு எப்படிக் குறைப்பது!
5. அமெரிக்க மதகுருமார் – தேவாலயத்தில் தொண்டாற்ற வந்த பச்சிளம் பாலகர்களுடன் உறவு கொண்டபோது போட்டுக் கொள்ளாத ஆணுறை இப்போது மட்டும் எதற்கு?
6. பெண்ணுக்கு பெண்ணுறை இல்லாத சமச்சீர் கிடைக்காத சமூக அறச்சீற்றம்.
7. இந்தப் பற்றற்ற லோகத்தில் அனைத்தையும் துறப்பதே கிறித்துவ மதத் தலைவரின் குறிக்கோள். பட்டாடையும் வண்ணமயமான இருப்பிடமும் விட்டபிறகு, காண்டத்திற்கு ஏது இடம்?
8. இளைஞர்களிடம் ‘செய்யாதே’ என்று சொன்னால் செய்வார்கள். எனவே, எதிர்மறை உபயோகம்.
9. Average breakage rate of all condoms: 1,168/25,184 = 4.64%
   Average slippage rate of all condoms: 636/18,495 = 3.44%
   Total failure rate of all condoms: 8.08%
10. இன்னும் போப் சொல்வதையெல்லாம் வேதவாக்காக எடுத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கீங்க?!

Therthal 2009: பிரதம மந்திரி வேட்பாளர்கள்

இந்தத் தேர்தலில் பிரதம மந்திரியாக யாருக்கெல்லாம் ஆசை? எவருக்கு வாய்ப்பு?

ஒவ்வொரு கட்சியும் முன்னிறுத்துபவர் பட்டியல்:

1. வருண் காந்தி
2. இராகுல் காந்தி
3. மாயாவதி
4. லாலு பிரசாத் யாதவ்
5. நரேந்திர மோடி
6. மன்மோகன் சிங்
7. லால் கிருஷ்ண அத்வானி
8. ஜெ ஜெயலலிதா
9. சரத் பவார்
10. சோனியா காந்தி

10 terms not to use with Muslims

1. “The Clash of Civilizations.”

2. “Secular.”

3. “Assimilation.”

4. “Reformation.”

5. “Jihadi.”

6. “Moderate.”

7. “Interfaith.”

8. “Freedom.”

9. “Religious Freedom.”

10. “Tolerance.”

Thanks: There’s a big difference between what we say and what they hear | csmonitor.com

Richest politicians: India Today: MP & Parliament Elections 2009

1. T. Subbarami Reddy
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Andhra Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 239.6 cr

2. Jaya Bachchan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 214.3 cr

3. Rahul Bajaj
Independent
Rajya Sabha, Maharashtra
Total Assets: Rs 190. 6 cr

4. Anil H. Lad
Indian National Congress
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 175 cr

5. M. Krishnappa
Indian National Congress
MLA, Vijay Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 136 cr

6. MAM Ramaswamy
Janata Dal (Secular)
Rajya Sabha, Karnataka
Total Assets Rs 107.7 cr

7. Anand Singh
BJP
MLA, Vijayanagara, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 239 cr

8. Anil V. Salgaocar
Independent
MLA, Sanvordem, Goa
Total Assets: Rs 91.4 cr

9. N.A. Haris
Indian National Congress
MLA, Shanti Nagar, Karnataka
Total Assets: Rs 85.3 cr

10. Mahendra Mohan
Samajwadi Party
Rajya Sabha, Uttar Pradesh
Total Assets: Rs 85 cr

Thanks: Wealth leadership

The world’s biggest losers: ForeignPolicy.com

Thanks: Elliot Spitzer, Christopher Dodd, Tim Geithner, the Pope, Joseph Fritzl, and more | David Rothkopf

Here are thirteen choices from this month’s headlines ranked by just how little sympathy we should have for them:

13.) Edward Liddy

The only reason this guy is on the list is that his career is probably finished simply because most people will forever associate him with A.I.G. But while the company has already joined Enron, Long Term Capital Management, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Blue Horseshoe in Wall Street’s Hall of Infamy, Liddy himself is something like a hero, coming to work for a dollar a year as a public service in the most thankless job in the global business community.  (And what is Blue Horseshoe? Hint: “Blue Horseshoe loves Anacot Steel.”)

12.) Forbes Billionaires List

According to Forbes, the official magazine of Wall Street greed, the world’s billionaires managed to misplace $1.4 trillion in the past year, their ranks thinning from 1125 to 793. Their average net worth has fallen by almost a quarter to only $3 billion. Both Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim each lost $25 billion. One, Adolf Merckle, ended up killing himself. Former Wall Street titans like Hank Greenberg and Sandy Weill fell completely off the list as did Facebook wunderkind Mark Zuckerberg. But Zuckerberg is only 25 and still has $900 million left. So as far as sympathy goes this is pretty much a mixed bag. The reality is that these days even a few hundred million gets you pretty far so let’s not lose too much sleep over them. (The reason they are this low on the list is not because I feel sympathy for them… it’s because I feel considerably less for everyone else on the list.)

11.) Eliot Spitzer

Poor Eliot. If only he had kept it in his pants, this would have been his moment. One can hardly imagine what is making his life worse right now, the fact that the A.I.G. scandal and the collapse of Wall Street could have been his apotheosis, the moment the howling dogs of ambition in his breast might have finally gotten enough red meat of press exposure… or the fact that his wife Silda has stood by him and thus will have the moral high ground in his marriage until he dies. Admittedly, while Spitzer unzipped his own career, his worst violation did not come against the public but against his family.

10.) Gordon Brown

It’s hard to hate Gordon Brown. In fact, it’s hard not to feel bad for the guy. This is due in part to the fact that he is Britain’s first prime minister who is also part basset hound. Also, he had to follow Tony Blair who was quite telegenic and appealing, particularly in that phase of his career when he was being played by Michael Sheen. (Less so later when he was being played by one of George W. Bush’s hand-puppets.) Still, Gordon did accept the job of PM, did screw it up to a fare-thee-well and now is on the verge of blowing his last big moment on the public stage as he prepares to host a G20 Summit that is very likely to realize somewhere between zero and few of his grand ambitions for it.

9.) Bibi Netanyahu

The fact that a man President Clinton’s White House spokesman once called “one of the most obnoxious individuals you’re going to come into — just a liar and a cheat” has managed to bring himself to the verge of returning as Israel’s prime minister is something of an amazing feat. Although perhaps not so much if you are familiar with what people in Israel euphemistically call politics. But Netanyahu assured that he was lost before he even took office by teaming up with racist boor Avigdor Lieberman. Together the two may fight so hard to protect Israel that they irreversibly weaken it.

8.) A.I.G. Bonus Babies

The NY Times writes, “Residents who had been pillars of Connecticut towns are finding themselves the focus of populist rage.” But shouldn’t we have hated them already for even wanting to be pillars of Connecticut towns? I mean, these people actually chose to become insurance executives and live in John Cheever hell just to become wealthy? Didn’t they see The Ice Storm. Oh, the humanity! I hate them for their stale dreams more than I do the fact they squandered one of the great names of Wall Street while gaming both global financial markets and the American taxpayer.

7.) Ben Bernanke

In ancient societies, dark uncontrollable forces were placated by throwing virgins into volcanoes. In Washington, the ritual involves throwing officials under the bus. (The bus is implacable but near-sighted.  As it approaches one victim, it will be at least temporarily satisfied if that victim throws someone else in its path.) Edward Liddy was in front of the bus this week during Congressional hearings and at the last minute, threw Bernanke in its path by saying the Fed knew everything A.I.G. was doing re: bonuses. But later the bus claimed other more delicious victims and Bernanke escaped… then he announced the U.S. government was going to print a trillion dollars in monopoly money to stem the crisis. Inflation was a near certainty before… now it will be Bernanke’s inflation. No one will even remember he had anything to do with A.I.G. … and that won’t be a good thing.

6.) Tim Geithner

Sadly for Tim Geithner, he even looks like a sacrificial lamb. Earnest, brilliant, trying his best, he will never be able to escape the fact that he is one of the few who will get the blame for both the misguided Bush era bailouts and the false-starts of the Obama administration. Every time there is a mistake, the bus will head in his direction. Obama says he has confidence in Geithner. That is exactly what they said about Tom Daschle before they pulled the plug on him. Heck, Obama said he would no sooner disown Jeremiah Wright than his own grandmother shortly before he disowned him, as they say, with prejudice. Geithner might survive, but he has been wounded. The good news for the economy: sometimes they say people who have been through near death experiences actually develop psychic powers.

5.) Asif Ali Zardari

Zardari was known to be a bad guy long before he became Pakistan’s president. Many of the closest friends of his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, could not stand him. Now, as it turns out, neither can most of the Pakistani people. Locked in a bitter struggle with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, Zardari showed his weakness by capitulating to demands to reinstate Pakistan’s former Chief Justice per Sharif’s demands. Now in a desperate attempt to reassert control of his own party he may be plotting the ouster of his Prime Minister according to Indian press reports. He’s on the ropes, his opposition is gaining strength, and meanwhile fraught, dangerous, complex Pakistan is hardly being governed at all.

4.) Chris Dodd

The Nutmeg State’s longest-serving senator got his job the old-fashioned way, he [effectively] inherited it from his father, Sen. Thomas Dodd. He is also now virtually certain to lose it the old-fashioned way, as a result of a combination of arrogance, corruption, lying, and misreading the mood of the times. From his questionable home-mortgage finances to the comedy of errors this week when he denied having anything to do with legislative provisions allowing the A.I.G. bonus then blamed it on his staff then blamed it on the Treasury, Dodd is serving himself up on a silver platter to his opponents. And none of that even addresses the issue that as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee he was at the center of a fat-donations-from-Wall Street-equals-zero-oversight-from-Congress culture that helped get the world into this mess in the first place.

3.) Bernie Madoff

What more can you say about Bernie? For a decade and a half he went to bed every night knowing that he was lying, cheating, faking trades, committing fraud, and putting his and countless other families at grievous risk. And yet he lived his life like a king, like the former chairman of the National Association of Securities Dealers that he was, with yachts and mansions in the Hamptons and Mayfair. In fact, noted judge of character and bankruptcy-addict Donald Trump said “he was a pretty respected guy.” That says it all.

2.) The pope

To non-believers he may be just a creepy old ex-Hitler Youth member who wears funny clothes and has appalling values, but to Catholics he is so much more than that. For example, according to one Vatican insider quoted in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, “he’s out of touch with the real world” and his papacy is “a disaster.” Another is reported to have said he “is isolated and fails to adequately consult his advisors.” At least. His Africa trip pronouncement that condoms not only don’t help the fight against AIDS but that their distribution actually “aggravates the problems” is not just a PR nightmare for the Holy See; delivered on the continent where both AIDS is most rampant and the Church is growing fastest, it is a formula for massive death and suffering.

1.) Josef Fritzl

Back in the good old days, when Joseph Alois Ratzinger was a little boy, being an Austrian sadist was a surefire path to the top, it could lead anywhere, perhaps even to world domination. But today, Austrians are outraged that one of their own could have locked his daughter in the basement, made her his sex slave, and killed one of the seven children he had with her. Which is really bad. Austria has changed, you see. There is no tolerance for twisted brutality there anymore. Well, less. In fact, fewer than a third of Austrians voted for the hate-spewing, neo-fascist extreme right parties like the Freedom Party and the Alliance for the Future. And while cynics (Jews or Muslims) might point out that this was the same proportion of the population who voted for Austria’s leading party, the Social Democrats, their point is undercut by the fact that it was only a relatively few Austrians who honor Nazi heroes in public ceremonies on the anniversary of Kristalnacht or who have participated in nasty little rituals like the recent unfurling of a Nazi flag in Hitler’s hometown of Braunau. No, there is no place for a Fritzl in modern Austria and so he will be sent to a psychiatric prison for the rest of his life. But one must wonder, is the outrage because of his crimes, because they were against fellow Austrians or because he thought so small?

Harris Jeyaraj: My Top 10 Music

1. All Rise – ப்ளூ (Band)
2. ஜெபத்தோட்ட ஜெயகீதங்கள் – 7ஆம் பாகம்: எஸ் எம் ஜெயக்குமார்
3. Hell Freezes Over – Egles
4. World Mix – Deep Forest (Band)
5. Thenes Collection -Vengelis  (Band)
6. ஆராதனா – ஆர் டி பர்மன் (இந்திப் படம்)
7. ஜானி – இளையராஜா
8. கற்பகம் – எம் எஸ் விஸ்வநாதன்
9. திருடா திருடா – ஏ ஆர் ரஹ்மான்
10. Reflections – ஹரிஹரன் கஜல்ஸ்

10 Odd Degree Programs

10 Odd Education Guide: Study well for Recession

1. Golf Management, Kyung Hee University, South Korea

2. Psychology of Exceptional Human Experiences (exploring the paranormal), Coventry, UK

3. BA in Puppet Making, University of Staffordshire

4. Retail Management Foundation degree in Bed-selling, Buckinghamshire New University, UK

5. Agricultural Marketing, Newcastle & Harper Adams University, UK

6. World Agriculture, Bangor University, UK

7. Foundation Degree in Retailing (Tesco Partnership), Manchester Metropolitan University

8. Surf Science, Plymouth University, UK

9. Foundation Degree in Funeral Service, University of Bath, UK

10. Masters in Death and Society, University of Bath, UK

Extra: Master of Science in Museum Studies in BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan

Top 10 Odd Diseases With No Known Cause

JFrater – The List Universe

10. Gulf War Syndrome

Gulf War syndrome (GWS) is an illness reported by combat veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War typified by symptoms including immune system disorders and birth defects. It has not always been clear whether these symptoms were related to Gulf War service or whether the occurrence of illnesses in Gulf War veterans is higher than comparable populations. Symptoms attributed to this syndrome have been wide-ranging, including chronic fatigue, loss of muscle control, headaches, dizziness and loss of balance, memory problems, muscle and joint pain, indigestion, skin problems, shortness of breath, and even insulin resistance. While the cause of the syndrome is unknown, some theories put forth are anthrax vaccines given to soldiers, the use of depleted uranium for weaponry, or exposure to chemical weapons destroyed in various bombings. There is also speculation that it may be caused by an unknown bacteria.

9. Twentieth-Century Disease

Also known as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), Twentieth-Century Disease is described as a chronic condition characterized by adverse effects from exposure to low levels of chemicals or other substances in modern human environments. Suspected substances include smoke, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products and paints. But here is the odd thing: blinded trials have shown that MCS patients do not actually react to chemicals, but they do react in unblinded tests when they believe they are being exposed to a trigger. The cause of the disease is unknown. It was the focus of the odd 1995 film “[SAFE]” featuring Julianne Moore.

8 Stiff Person Syndrome

Stiff person syndrome is a bizarre (and rare) disease which causes the sufferer to have random muscle spasms that can be so strong they cause the person to fall over – leading to broken bones. SPS is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Abnormal postures, often hunched over and stiffened, are characteristic of the disorder. People with SPS can be too disabled to walk or move, or they can be afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls. SPS affects twice as many women as men.

7 Morgellons Disease

Morgellons disease is characterized by symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations; finding fibers on or under the skin; and persistent skin lesions (e.g., rashes or sores). Current scientific consensus holds that Morgellons is not a new disorder and is instead a new and misleading name for known illnesses. Most doctors, including dermatologists and psychiatrists, regard Morgellons as a manifestation of known medical conditions, including delusional parasitosis, although some health professionals believe that Morgellons disease is a specific condition likely to be confirmed by future research. Researchers have found that affected skin when studied under a microscope can contain thousands of tiny hairs which may be being produced by the body (though they are not on record as being typical human hairs), but are not manmade or from plants. A New Mexico doctor reports that a former CIA agent told him the disease was caused by the French. “A botched government experiment contaminated the water. All Evian drinkers are at risk.”

6 Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a condition whose symptoms are recurring attacks of intense nausea, vomiting and sometimes abdominal pain and/or headaches or migraines. Cyclic vomiting usually develops during childhood; while it often ends during adolescence, it can persist into adult life. Onset of the condition is possible at any age but is seen to occur more often in a young age. Sufferers may vomit or retch six to twelve times an hour and an episode may last from a few hours to well over 3 weeks. Some people may find it hard to conceive how anyone can vomit after that length of time, as the stomach will have emptied after the first few instances of vomiting. Acid, bile and (if the vomiting is severe) blood may be vomited. It results in lack of sleep, normal eating, and concentration. The cause of CVS has not been determined, there are no diagnostic tests for it.

5 Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a condition in which people experience medical symptoms that they believe are caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields. Although effects of electromagnetic fields on the body are established, sufferers of electromagnetic hypersensitivity report responding to electromagnetic radiation at intensities well below those permitted by international safety standards. The majority of trials to date have found that sufferers of electromagnetic hypersensitivity are unable to distinguish between the exposure to real and sham electromagnetic fields. Although individuals who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity believe that electromagnetic fields from common electrical devices trigger or exacerbate their symptoms, it has not been established that these fields play any role in the cause of sensitivity symptoms. In 2005 the World Health Organization concluded that there is no known scientific basis for the belief that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields.

4 Nodding Disease

The symptoms of nodding disease are very peculiar. When a child is affected by it, his/her growth appears to be completely and permanently stunted. The growth of the brain is also stunted, leading to mental retardation of the victim. The disease is named nodding disease since it causes pathological nodding. This is a seizure which begins when the victim begins to eat food, or when he/she feels cold. As soon as either of these conditions is met, the afflicted will immediately begin to nod. These seizures are brief and halt after the child stops eating or when they feel warm again. However, this symptom is very unusual as the victims don’t appear to suffer from seizures when they are given an unfamiliar food, for example a candy bar. The seizures can be severe and cause the child to collapse, leading to further injury.

3 Peruvian Meteorite Illness

The Peruvian Meteorite Illness occurred when the Carancas meteorite fell on September 15, 2007. A large chondritic meteorite crashed near the village of Carancas in Peru, close to the Bolivian border and to Lake Titicaca. The impact created a crater and scorched earth around its location. A local official, Marco Limache, said that “boiling water started coming out of the crater, and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby”, as “fetid, noxious” gases spewed from the crater. After the impact, villagers who had approached the impact site grew sick from a then-unexplained illness, with a wide array of symptoms including vomiting. While some speculate that the illness may have been caused by arsenic poisoning as arsenic in the local water was evaporated by the hot meteorite (quite unusual as most meteors are cold upon collision), there is no scientific evidence or consensus on what the cause of this mysterious and brief illness was.

2 The Sweating Sickness

Sweating sickness was a mysterious and highly virulent disease which struck England and later Europe in a series of epidemics, the first beginning in 1485 and the last in 1551, afterwards apparently vanishing. The onset of symptoms was dramatic and sudden, with death often occurring within hours. The cause is the most mysterious aspect of the disease. Commentators then and now put much blame on the general dirt and sewage of the time which may have harboured the source of infection. The first outbreak at the end of the Wars of the Roses means that it may have been brought over from France by the French mercenaries whom Henry VII used to gain the English throne, particularly as they seem to have been immune. The fact that the disease seems to have been more virulent among the rich than the poor suggests why it was judged noteworthy in comparison to the other illnesses of the time. Pictured above is Charles Brandon, Third Duke of Suffolk who died together with his brother of the sweating sickness.

1 Exploding Head Syndrome

Exploding head syndrome is a condition that causes the sufferer to occasionally experience a tremendously loud noise as originating from within his or her own head, usually described as the sound of an explosion, roar, waves crashing against rocks, loud voices, or a ringing noise. This noise usually occurs within an hour or two of falling asleep, but is not the result of a dream and can happen while awake as well. Perceived as extremely loud, the sound is usually not accompanied by pain. Attacks appear to change in frequency over time, with several attacks occurring in a space of days or weeks followed by months of remission. Sufferers often feel a sense of fear and anxiety after an attack, accompanied by elevated heart rate. The cause of the exploding head syndrome is not known, though some physicians have reported a correlation with stress or extreme fatigue. The condition may develop at any time during life and women are slightly more likely to suffer from it than men. Attacks can be one-time events, or can recur.

All Humour is Caused by Just Eight Patterns

E-Book: The Eight Patterns Of Humour – pdf

1. Positive repetition — Use of a catchphrase
2. Qualification — Using a word in a strange way
3. Application — Double meaning
4. Scale — Tricks with size
5. Qualitative recontextualization — When something changes
6. Completion — The audience has to complete an idea
7. Division — When a joke uses several tellers
8. Opposition — Relates to irony and sarcasm

More Info: Pyrrhic House >> Current Publications >> The Pattern Recognition Theory Of Humour, Complete Edition