Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Top 10 Video Games That Were BANNED
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| Top 10 Video Games That Were BANNED |
Growing up, I saw the birth of the modern video game, and had every Nintendo system that there was
from NES to N64 and up. And since then, the video game market has become a 93 billion dollar market, so to say it's competitive would be an understatement.
And because of that, game makers are always looking for new and exciting and controversial ways to sell games. And the topics of some games have gone a little too far, so far in fact, that they were actually banned from store shelves.
In this article that's exactly what we're going to talk about, those games that are going to make you say, that actually existed? So let's jump right into it, These are 10 video games that were banned.
Number one : RapeLay
RapeLay was released on April 21st, 2006, for PC, and was created by Japanese game developers,
Illusion Soft.
The main goal of the game is to stalk and engage in forced sexual encounters with a mother and her two daughters, with a variety of options and locations at the player's disposal.
Oh this one's just full of all kinds of cringe.
Shockingly, the game has been banned in many countries, including Argentina, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, just to name some, and basically just because it's a gross and distasteful game play premise.
Illusion Soft has obviously since then removed all trace of the game from their website, and has completely ended distribution, while Japan has since banned, obviously, all rape games.
You know, the Japanese culture is into some really bizarre, weird stuff, so if this game is too much for them, you know it's bad.
Number two Wolfenstein 3D
Originally released May fifth of 1992 for PC, Wolfenstein 3D was actually banned in Germany for its inclusion of the Nazi army as the game's main enemies. That, alongside the Nazi Party's anthem as the game's musical theme, and a cyborg version of Adolf Hitler as the final boss.
A Super Nintendo Version of this game was released in 1994, but was drastically edited to remove any themes, visuals, or references of the Nazi party, including removing Hitler's little mustache, and renaming the boss character to Staatmeister.
I see the insensitivity in all of this, because, you know, Germany and the Nazi, I get it, but you're fighting Hitler. It's not like you're fighting Gandhi, Hitler was a bad guy, let's take out the digital version of him, why not?
Number three Manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 was released on October 29th, 2007, for the PS2, PSP, and Wii, and was banned in several countries, including South Korea, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Germany, for its over the top gory murders.
The game allows players to kill enemies using a variety of gruesome weapons or objects leading to a very, very graphic, gory, and horrific death. Like, really over the top.
Many countries didn't like the idea of teaching young kids how to kill someone with a plastic bag, or razor wire, or a sledgehammer, or a shotgun, or hedge trimmers. Just to name a few. So, they banned it.
Number four : The Pokemon Trading Card Game
Wait, Pokemon? Yeah, I know.
Released for the Game Boy Color on April 10th, 2000, the Pokemon Trading Card Game was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia by top religious authorities.
They stated that the game resembles a game of gambling. They went on to say that certain cards carried religious symbolism such as the Star of David, which he thought connected to international Zionism, and Israel's national emblem. That, along with cards that depicted the cross for Christians, and triangles for the Free Masons, just was a no-no there.
Yo, Saudi Arabia, you need to chill man. Take a little chill pill, it is a trading card game, it's not gonna burn your house down, it's not gonna bring the apocalypse, it's gonna bring Charizard and Squirtle.
Number five : Homefront
Released on March 15th, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, Homefront depicts the United States under forced occupation from Kim Jong Il and a highly advanced version of the North Korean military forces.
The game, for fairly obvious reasons, immediately was banned from South Korea, mostly because of the strained relationship between North and South Korea.
In North America, however, we are more tolerant of these things because it's just a game, But to this day, games involving actions against the North are immediately banned in the South, since North Korea tends to, kind of over react to issues, just a little bit.
Well we all saw what happened after the movie The Interview, so, I wouldn't be surprised if a video game made him just lose his mind.
Number six : Fallout 3
Released on October 28th, 2008, for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, Fallout 3 is set in a post nuclear war
apocalypse version of Washington DC.
The game includes a significant side mission in which a player must decide to either disarm or detonate a live atomic bomb which sits in the middle of a small community of settlers.
There's a mini nuke launcher weapon named The Fat Man in the game, which was the name of the nuke that blew up Nagasaki in World War II. For this reason, this caused the original game to be banned in Japan, and only an edited version was allowed to be sold there.
The game was also banned in India due to the inclusion of mutated two-headed cows, called Brahmin,
similar to the cow breed in India called Brahman, which are held in deep respect by Hindus.
Number seven : Football Manager 2005
Football Manager 2005, despite its terrible name, was released on November 4th, 2004, for the PC, and is a game all about managing a soccer team in a mostly text and number-based interface without any real ability to play as the team. Pretty simple game, except that it was banned in China, because it included Tibet and Taiwan as independent countries and not a part of China.
However, in a twist, the ban caused the game to be heavily pirated in China, and become popular in the underground market. A Chinese version of the game was ultimately released with country edits.
Number eight : Mass Effect
Mass Effect was released on November 20th, 2007, for the Xbox 360, and was promptly banned in Singapore due to the ability to engage in sexual activities with the same gender and with an alien.
Whoa, what you got against alien sex, man? Don't knock it till you try it.
The player's character can choose to play as either gender, and during the story, encounters an alien female named Liara, as the story progresses the player can then romance Liara. Ultimately, Singapore decided to lift the ban by labeling the box with an 18 or older rating. But the game and its sequels are still currently banned in the United Arab Emirates.
If all of that surprises you, keep in mind Singapore is the same country that has a $1000 fine if you walk around your own home naked. So yeah, they're a little conservative.
Number nine : Mortal Kombat
The modern reboot of the classic 1992 fighting game, Mortal Kombat, was released on April 19th, 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. As the ninth game in the series, the game stays true to its gory roots,
but adds to the brutal violence with greatly improved graphics and new features.
New features, like what Matt? Oh, you know, new features, like extra gruesome fatal finishing moves which sees fighters being dismembered, dissolved, bashed, impaled, and even sawed in half from the groin up.
The excessive violence got the game banned in Australia, Germany, and South Korea.
All of these finishing moves are on YouTube, look it up at your own discretion.
And number 10 : Postal 2
Released on April 13th, 2003, Postal 2 gives the player a variety of lethal weapons in a small American trailer park town filled with innocent civilians, and includes extremely gory effects, as well as the ability to pee on the deceased and living characters.
In 2004, the game was banned in New Zealand, and anyone caught purchasing or in possession of the game faced charges of up to 10 years in prison or $50,000 in fines.
The developers, Running With Scissors, which is just such an appropriate name, tried to get around the extreme controversy by stating that the story could be completed without violence but failed to mention that it is quite difficult to do so.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2016
7 MYTHS You Still Believe About ALLERGIES!
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| 7 MYTHS You Still Believe About ALLERGIES! |
It's finally that time of year, you know, the one that brings sunshine, happiness, and uncontrollable sneezing. Yes, I'm talking about that red eye annoyance, that millions suffer from every year, allergies,
but, surprisingly, it's a very misunderstood topic that has caused countless myths to form from it, from where they come from to how to deal with them.
In this article, I'm going to take the seven most commonly believed myths that you likely still believe about allergies, and explain the truth behind them.
Despite there being a number of studies done to understand them, there's still a lot of misinformation
floating around out there that should be put to bed, so allow me to do that.
Here are 7 MYTHS You Still Believe About ALLERGIES!
ALLERGIES are annoying but not life threatening
We start off with the most deadly of the myths on this list. The idea that allergies should be looked at as a mere annoyance has been spread around a lot, especially with certain anti-allergy medications making light of them in certain commercials.
However, despite the hilarity that can be brought to you from a man sneezing and falling down a hill, it can actually bring much worse, death. That's right, many people have sensitivity so severe that exposure to these allergens can actually cause anaphylactic shock. That, in turn, can swell the throat's lining and tongue, restricting the airway, and lower blood pressure, and when it's difficult to breathe, without immediate help, death isn't far off, so next time you see a season commercial, try to remember that it's the optimistic reaction.
ALLERGIES are only stress related
This may come as a surprise, but there are many people out there who actually believe that allergies are not real. They think that they're either heavily exaggerated, or even psychosomatic, brought on because of stress, or internal mental conflict. However, recent studies have shown just how real allergies are.
We've already established that they can be life-threatening, and while our brains have something to do with the reactions themselves, it's a stretch to claim that they're all in our minds.
Now one thing feeding into the myth is that emotions can in fact bring about an allergic reaction, like, for example, if a person deathly allergic to peanuts simply saws a peanut, and began having a reaction to it, but that doesn't mean that the peanut allergy is all in their head.
Modern medicine has proven definitively that allergies are 100% a real issue, so if you see someone allergic to peanuts, or seafood, don't give them a piece of chow covered in peanut butter. It's not a good thing.
Nuts Should Not Be Given to Infants Under One
A guideline that is still followed by parents, nannies, and even doctors today is one that, as it turns out,
is an absolute myth. The guideline says that it is unwise to give any infant under the age of 12 months nuts, fish, or any other potentially allergenic foods.
The idea was formed and published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2000, but only eight years later, in 2008, a big change in thinking came about.
It turns out so long as there are no choking hazards, exposing young children, as early as six months after birth to these allergenic foods, may actually prove beneficial to them later in life. Studies have shown that early introduction to these foods may actually encourage a tolerance in the body to them, making it less likely that they will suffer negative reactions to them as adults.
Fur Causes Allergies Not The Animal
So many people would love to have a cat or dog around the house, but simply can't because of their allergies to what they believe is their fur.
Well, unfortunately, pet allergies are real, and in fact, 10% to 15% of people have them, but surprisingly, it's not the fur that's the problem.
Most pet allergies are set off by dander, which are microscopic pieces of skin off of the animal that become airborne and thus, we breath it in. With the large percentage of the population is actually is allergic to, is a protein in cats and dogs skin, urine, and saliva.
Sadly, because all breeds obviously have skin, everyone is subject to be allergic to animals to some degree.
Sorry animal lovers.
If there's any consolation, cats are twice as likely to cause reactions than dogs, so the dog people can carefully rejoice.
Many People Have Milk Allergies
I know, lactose intolerance is a thing, and many of you watching likely suffer from it, but I've got a pretty amazing factoid for you.
You're not allergic to milk,
well most of you, anyway.
You see, lactose intolerance is a name for a condition that sees a lack of lactese in the body, which is an enzyme that is needed to break down the sugars in the milk products, so there's still an adverse reaction to the milk that you take in, but it's not an allergic one.
Most infants who are born with the actual milk allergy outgrow them well before adulthood.
Allergies in Children Go Away as They Age
While I did just say all of that about milk allergies going away, that doesn't apply to other allergies, unfortunately. The fact is, children are nearly 10 times more likely to develop allergies to certain foods,
and as many studies have shown, a large number of them continue to have those allergies well into adulthood.
Allergies to milk, wheat, and the eggs typically lessen, and then vanish, as people age, but allergies to things like fish, shellfish, and nuts, can be an issue from childhood through old age, and beyond.
Beyond being death, so be careful.
Organic Food is non Allergenic
Everybody knows that healthy eating is an important part of living a better life. However, if part of that eating involves avoiding foods to which you have an allergy to, then turning to organic or completely natural foods could very well not be the answer.
In fact, when it comes to natural food such as nuts, fish, milk, and eggs, nearly 90% of all allergic reactions are caused by them. It's not the chemicals and additives in the 100% organic food that cause the reactions, it's the actual proteins in each bite.
So be careful what you put in your mouth, because I don't want you to be sick. I want you around for a long time.
Thank you guys so much for reading. If you enjoyed this, and maybe it made you chuckle a little bit, I'd very much appreciate it if you clicked these Share buttons bellow. As usual, if you wanna learn any more about anything I talked about, ask for any of my sources in the comments.
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Friday, August 12, 2016
10 Most MYSTERIOUS BOOKS In History!
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| 10 Most MYSTERIOUS BOOKS In History! |
So throughout the course of history over 130 million books have been published, so obviously humans have a thirst for knowledge. And when you think of books, what do you think of? Harry Potter, The Alchemist, the Bible, maybe? Well, what about books that replicate themselves or predict the future?
Well today I'm going to show you a list of books that actually existed that defy all logic by existing at all.
So let's jump right into it. These are the 10 most mysterious books in history.
Number one is the Book of Soyga
Also known as Aldaraia, the Book of Soyga is a legendary book that exists right now in the UK that is said to have been presented to Adam himself by the angels of God in the Garden of Eden.
The 197 pages of the book consists of everything from spells, rituals, and information on other magics, demonology, and astrology.
The first known owner of this book was John Dee, a well-known Elizabethan mathematician, astrologer, and consultant to the court of the queen. He possessed over 3,000 books, which was the largest library in England at the time.
After his death, however, the book seemed to vanish from existence only to suddenly resurface in not one but two different places in 1994. One was the British Library in London and the other was the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
Okay, so obviously the existence of this book defies logic but what also defies logic is why this guy had over 3,000 books. I mean, I'm all about hobbies and whatnot but go see some sunlight, man.
Number two is the Rohonc Codex
All 448 pages of this book are written in a language that to this day is still indecipherable. The Rohonc Codex's words are written from right to left on each page and are accompanied by 87 illustrations of military battles, landscapes, and other images that may have religious influence.
Scholars have noted that the number of symbols used in the book are 10 ten times those in any known alphabet. The codex was discovered in 1700 in Hungary and since then many have tried to decipher it with wildly different translations. The fact is this mysterious book may never be truly understood, kind of like Michael Jackson.
Number three is the Great Omar Book
The full title of this book is : The Sangorski Edition of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
Well that's quite the mouthful.
Francis Sangorski was a bookbinder from London who started a firm in 1901 and created the first of what many claim to be the most cursed book of all time. The book that Sangorski made found its way to the bottom of the Atlantic when it sank with, of all things, the Titanic. Then there was a second copy madeusing Sangorski's original drawings which was destroyed soon after completion in the early days of World War II when London was bombed during the Blitz. It then took 40 years to finish the third copy, which was donated to the British Library after its maker, Stanley Bray, died.
You know, maybe I'm just pragmatic, but I would just not touch the book. I don't care what secrets lie within, it's goin' kill me, man. Be pragmatic, don't touch those pages.
Number four are The Prophecies of Nostradamus
Possibly the most famous book on this list, The Prophecies of Nostradamus is one that is widely claimed to have predicted several major events in human history. These include the rise of Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, the Great Fire of London, the dropping of the first nuclear bomb, and even the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.
People seem to consistently be linking every disaster, both those that occur naturally and those that are man-made, to the words that Michel de Nostradame wrote 400 years ago. Now this is highly contested with many believing that these predictions are 100% accurate and some that just call them out as false.
Personally I would love to be able to predict the future but not just the things that are bad. I feel like that would make you a bit of a party pooper.
Number five is the Ripley Scroll book
Named after the 15th century Augustinian monk and alchemist George Ripley, the Ripley Scroll reads almost like a journal and it's essentially a real life wizard's spell book.
It chronicles the man's travels across Europe as he combed the land in search of immortality and the secrets behind transmutation. Legend has it that he was able to change lead into gold with a spell contained within the pages by creating the philosopher's stone. This, of course, in turn was used to make the elixir of life, which many claim had made the monk immortal.
Now history claims that the man died in 1490 but he may still be out there somewhere, waiting, drinkin' on that sweet elixir.
Number six is the Popol Vuh
According to a tale told by Francisco Ximenez, a Dominican priest, the Popol Vuh was a manuscript given to him when in 1701 he visited a small town in Guatemala. The Popol Vuh, which translates to the Book of the People, contains an elaborate creation story involving four deities, a brief history of the planet, and cosmology teachings.
Though he cites his source as a parishioner in the town, no similar manuscript has ever been found. There are some scholars who argue that he should never have been given access to the pages since it was considered a closely guarded secret.
The Popol Vuh is definitely a book shrouded in mystery.
Number seven are the Beale Ciphers
The Beale ciphers are basically like the beginning of a real-life national treasure. The pages are actually a trio of ciphers which lead to a massive hidden treasure of gold, silver, and jewels worth nearly, brace yourself, $63 million.
As legend has it, in 1820 the pages were given in a box by Thomas Beale to an innkeeper in Virginia named Robert Morris. The box was given with the instruction that he should only open the box if Beale did not return within 10 years. And of course Beale disappeared so naturally Morris opened the box
and began trying to break the code written on the papers inside. In all of history, only one of the pages
has ever been deciphered and it took, believe it or not, the Declaration of Independence as a key to unlock it.
And you guys thought I was joking about the national treasure thing.
Neither of the codes have ever been broken to this day and many claim that the treasure is still out there
waiting to be found.
Number eight are the Dead Sea Scrolls
Discovered in 11 caves across the shore of the Dead Sea, starting with one that two goat herders found,
the Dead Sea Scrolls are considered the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. They were found between 1947 and 1956 and contain, amongst other things, the oldest collection of Old Testament manuscripts ever discovered. These included prophecies by Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah that had never been found in the Bible before.
The scrolls themselves are unbelievably over 2,000 years old and at least one of them is an ancient treasure map to 64 different buried treasures.
Number nine is the Liber Linteus
The Liber Linteus only contains 1,200 words written on 230 lines but what makes it truly unique is what those words are written on and also what it was used for later.
The ancient text refers to the Etruscans, people who populated italy before the rise of the Roman Empire. It's scribed on linen, making it the only known example of a book made that way.
Interestingly after the Etruscans fell their Roman conquerors would have destroyed the text if for not how it was preserved and hidden. The Liber Linteus was written on wrappings covering an Egyptian tailor's mummified wife, which is how it was discovered in the 1800s when the mummy was donated to a museum.
Number 10 is the Voynich manuscript
This final one is vastly considered the most mysterious book on the planet.
The Voynich manuscript is so old and confusing that many an argument has been had to how exactly it needs to be studied. Written by an anonymous author, the manuscript is almost impossible to translate
but some people claim that it's actually a puzzle.
The book, which in the 1800s was part of a Jesuit library, is named after Wilfred Voynich, a Polish book dealer who came into its possession in 1909.
It's an illustrated, handwritten codex penned in a language that was previously unknown.
To this day it's still not known exactly what the manuscript is or even what's said on its pages.
Thank you guys so much for reading. If you enjoyed this, and maybe it made you chuckle a little bit, I'd very much appreciate it if you clicked these Share buttons bellow. As usual, if you wanna learn any more about anything I talked about, ask for any of my sources in the comments.
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Make sure that you click like and follow and the right sidebar, and I will see you all back here in the next article with a brand new video of facts.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
7 URBAN LEGEND MYTHS You Still Believe!
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| 7 URBAN LEGEND MYTHS You Still Believe! |
Urban legends are a fun part of our culture, people like telling them or hearing them depending on whether you like to do the scaring or be scared. But the vast majority of them simply aren't true, and for reasons you might not expect.
Well in this article I'm going to take seven of the most commonly believed urban legend myths that you
likely still believe and explain the truth behind them.
There are a number of stories still shared around dinner tables, water coolers, and on social media that come from a completely fictitious place. So, today I'm gonna set those straight.
Some that are going around are more obvious than others but rest assured there are a number of people who still think that they are true, so without further ado, these are seven urban legend myths that you still believe.
The legendary town of USA, Japan
With all of the imports coming from Japan it's not surprising that this myth formed and became so well known.
The story goes that many of the items that you buy in the United States that say on them "Made in the USA" are actually manufactured in a town in Japan that was renamed USA so that they could import easier into America.
After World War II the words "Made in Japan" became synonymous with cheaply made products. Soon after, this myth was spread to imply a Japanese marketing genius had found a workaround somehow.
In reality, it's pretty ridiculous to think that the US would have such ho-hum importing laws or laws against misleading advertising or that Japan would really go as far as to rename an entire city just to fool American customers.
Little bit of common sense my friends.
The crapper invention
How perfect is it that the toilet, a device that we use every day that makes our lives easier by dealing with our, well, crap, happens to be invented by a guy named Thomas Crapper, maybe it's too good to be true?
Yeah, just a little bit, yeah, well that's cause it is.
Though Thomas Crapper was a plumber with multiple patents, none of them were for the toilet. Alexander Cummings is credited with the toilet's invention, not Crapper, whose name I can't seem to say enough.
This myth was the product of author Wallace Rayborn, who in his book "Flushed with Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper, created the myth. The work was fictitious but managed to spread the rumor that Mr. Crapper was, ahem, heir to the throne.
The spider hairdo
Once upon a time a vain woman who was obsessed with her tall hairdo suffered a headache that lasted several days until ultimately brought about her death. When they let down her hair hundreds of tiny spiders leapt from the follicles, having lived in the well-kept hairdo their entire lives.
Now I bet that that's not the first time that you've heard this urban legend but, is there any truth to it?
Well of course not, this myth was spread in the 1950s to warn young ladies against being vain and had to encourage them to choose hygiene over how they looked.
It's actually somehow still used today though it's been reworded to say that a person's dreadlocks house the arachnids.
Eh, I don't like spiders, let's just move on, it's not true.
The alligators of New York City
Have you heard this one before, a family buys a baby alligator while on vacation, brings it home to New York City and after a year or two starts to realize that they're raising a dangerous animal in their home, so what do they do well they drop it down the nearest manhole into the sewers where it grows over time into a huge monster.
That might sound ridiculous but this legend is far from new and it's evolved into a claim that there's a small army of vicious alligators under the New York streets.
I'm not kidding, time to take a bite outta this myth.
According to multiple experts the idea that an alligator could not only survive the cold of New York but thrive there is of course ridiculous. Additionally the amount of toxins and garbage that the creature would be living in would punch its scaled clock before it grew to an inch.
Lemmings migrate to their own deaths
It's a well-known urban legend that these adorable little creatures follow each other everywhere, even off of a cliff, well this myth was made famous by a couple different sources. The first is a documentary produced by Disney of all studios in 1958, in the film it's seen that the film actually forced the adorable Lemmings to a cliff's edge where they were pushed over.
Viewers were shocked by the idea that these creatures would actually take their own lives but fully believed it. So much so that the film titled "White Wilderness" actually won and Academy Award for best documentary.
The second source was the game Lemmings which is one of my favorite childhood video games. Google it, it's pretty fun.
Walt Disney's body and head were cryogenically frozen
Speaking of Disney, a legendary technical innovator, inventor and beloved story teller, Walt Disney passed away on December 15th, 1966.
A rumor soon spread that the genius creator of the world's most famous mouse had himself cryogenically frozen and that his body slash head are stored under the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney.
Now in all fairness it was said that he wanted to stay frozen until science brought about the ability to
reanimate him, however in truth Disney was cremated on December 17th, 1966, two days after his death. His daughter Diane confirmed his ashes were interred in Glendale, California and the idea that he was frozen was made pretty much false.
Pop Rocks and Cola
Fizzing candy and Cola, what's not to like?
Well if you're a child of the 70s, 80s or 90s, you know exactly what's not to like.
Pain and potentially death.
There was an urban legend created shortly after Pop Rocks were invented, you know the famous candy that crackles in your mouth after it goes in there, which is that if you mix this magical confectionery with Pepsi or Cola, you would create a reaction inside of your body that would lead to immense pain or you know the end of your life.
Now of course there is no truth to this rumor and General Foods, the manufacturer of Pop Rocks, tried valiantly to debunk it due to taking a sales hit, but yet it remains, feel free to try it yourself because beyond possibly hurting your teeth, you know with all that sugar, nothing bad's gonna happen.
Thank you guys so much for reading. If you enjoyed this, and maybe it made you chuckle a little bit, I'd very much appreciate it if you clicked these Share buttons bellow. As usual, if you wanna learn any more about anything I talked about, ask for any of my sources in the comments.
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Make sure that you click like and follow and the right sidebar, and I will see you all back here in the next article with a brand new video of facts.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
7 MYTHS You Still Believe About SERIAL KILLERS
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| 7 MYTHS You Still Believe About SERIAL KILLERS |
Serial killers, it's a creepy topic, and not exactly something that we take classes for in school which means that the majority of what we learn about them is through rumors and word of mouth. But, as we know by now, that game of telephone creates myths, some of which, believe it or not, actually puts you at risk. So, today I'm going to take seven of the most commonly believed myths that you likely still believe about serial killers and explain the truth behind them so that hopefully you'll better understand why these people kill in the first place. Who they really are, and most importantly, how to protect yourself.
This is Seven Myths You Still Believe About Serial Killers.
Serial killers account for most murders
Many people believe that the majority of homicides in most countries are carried out by serial killers. But, the truth is that serial killers account for at most only 1% of murders.
According to recent FBI crime statistics, around 15,000 murders are committed annually in the United States, which is pretty alarming considering only 1% of them attributed to serial killers.
So, think about that next time you piss off your neighbor. You know, the one that's always taking out his trash late at night? Oh yeah, that's limbs in there.
In the United States, most serial killers are Caucasian
When you think of a serial killer, you probably think of people like Ted Bundy, or John Wayne Gacy.
Very few of you can probably picture a serial killer who isn't white, likely because the most famous ones are Caucasian. But, the truth is skin color has absolutely nothing to do with one's ability to cut someone else like a fish. The ability to become a serial killer exists in all shades and colors. In fact, there are quite a number of documented cases of African American, Latino and Asian American serial killers.
The most famous examples of which are Matthew Emmanuel Macon, Jimmie Reed and Shelly Brooks.
Yes, there are even female serial killers. Think about it. They carry a lot more on them than men do.
They have purses. They're always ready.
All serial killers are male
Following what I just mentioned, there are many people who believe that there are actually no female serial killers. This is primarily due to the fact that the most famous ones are, in fact, male, and the perpetuation of this myth by the media, and even the government.
Believe it or not, in 1998, a highly regarded FBI profiler named Ray Hazelwood announced to all of America, "There are no female serial killers."
To which all the female serial killers went, "Good, good."
Well, Roy was most definitely mistaken because even though the number of males in this category
outweigh the number of females, there have been many female serial killers. In fact, crime data shows that 17% of all serial homicides committed in the United States are done by females. Additionally, it reveals that there are more female serial murders than there are female one-time killers.
So, next time your girlfriend and wife cuts you up a nice steak, watch how good she is with a knife 'cause she may have experience with it.
Serial killers are socially dysfunctional
While movies, books and other media portray serial killers as isolated awkward loners who hunt down their victims, this isn't the rule in real life by any means.
Almost always, real-life serial killers are adept at hiding their true nature. Ability to put on a face that won't make them stand out in public. And what might shock you the most is that they have lives, spouses, jobs, and sometimes, yes, even kids. When caught, their friends and families immediately go on the defensive.
"No, no, not Mike.
"He can't be the Rodeo Strangler.
"I've known him for 15 years."
And it's not even uncommon for the killer to actually to become friendly with their future victims, or in some rare cases, even the very law enforcement agents looking for them.
All serial killers are mentally ill or evil geniuses
Movies, TV shows and the like depict serial killers as having debilitating mental illnesses like schizophrenia or psychosis, or often as being one of the smartest people on the planet.
However, the truth is very few serial killers suffer with any sort of mental illness at all, with, of course, the exception of whatever makes them have the ability to take a human life in the first place.
In fact, most of them aren't even considered insane by the criminal justice system. When it comes to the evil geniuses part, IQ tests performed on apprehended serial killers showed that most of them were well below genius levels ranging from borderline to above average.
As far as the evil genius part goes, IQ tests performed on apprehended serial killers showed that most of them were well below genius levels. In fact, most of them were borderline to slightly above average intelligence which is the standard results that you see in the general population.
Serial killers travel widely for their kills
Often people think of serial killers as wanting to travel away from their hometown, and are willing to travel great distances in order to avoid capture. Now, while this was true in the case of Ted Bundy who committed homicides in multiple states, roaming serial murders are very uncommon. In fact, according to a 2005 report by the FBI, most serial killers have well-defined areas of operation.
A geographical comfort zone, if you will. "Let's see who's around the block." The first murder that they commit usually occurs close to their home, and they establish their own boundaries there soon after.
Those borders only expand outwards after the killer becomes confident in the execution of their murders.
There are very few serial killers that exist
Yeah, get ready to tuck in extra tight tonight.
This myth is pretty easy to believe, considering your local news probably doesn't report on killings very often. You may be under the impression that only one or two serial killers are active at any given time. While anyone else who has been doing it for a while may be retired or unable to be found because they're more than likely dead.
Well, sorry but that just isn't true.
It only seems that way because their actual murders are spread out over time, and the scary reality is that there are a lot of monsters out there right now. In fact, there could be one living next to you.
According to the former chief of the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, John Douglas, there are between 35 and 50 active serial killers in the United States at any given time. And that's a conservative estimate.
So, next time your dog poops on your neighbor's lawn, make sure you clean it up or he's going to graft your face to that dog's ass.
Be weary of the ever-smiling because if they're smiling all day every day, they'll also be smiling while they're chopping you up.
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Thursday, July 28, 2016
10 Most DEVASTATING PLAGUES in History!
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| 10 Most DEVASTATING PLAGUES in History! |
Throughout history there have been many devastating plagues. Waves of illness that cripple entire populations and leave people in despair and ruin. But surprisingly, these diseases aren't just ancient history either. In fact, some of them are still killing people today.
So today we're going to be talking about those devastating plagues, not just what's out there now, but what has brought millions of people to their untimely deaths in the past.
These are the 10 most devastating plagues in history.
Number one The Black Death
Occurring between 1347 and 1351, this deadly plague killed 75 million people around the world and removed nearly two thirds of Europe's total population at the time.
This outbreak was the worst of many similar outbreaks throughout the centuries. Believed to have been caused by the bubonic plague, which was spread throughout Europe and Asia by rats and fleas.
The black death symptoms include swelling of the lymph nodes, neck, legs, and groin of the infected person. And even grosser is that these swellings would often grow to the point where they would burst,
spreading the disease even more.
Victims also suffered chills, weakness, vomiting, fever, and violent spasms. And the people who also see these things happening also vomit.
Number two The Antonine Plague
Often referred to as the Plague of Galen, this disease was piling up bodies between 165 and 180 CE. It was caused by a large scale outbreak of either smallpox or measles and had a 25 percent mortality rate
among those infected.
At the plague's most fatal point, it would claim up to 2000 people a day and even kill two Roman emperors. The plague was brought to Rome by their military after battles in the East and crippled the Roman army. In the end, this disease killed five million people in total, one third of the entire Roman population at the time.
Number three The Great Plague of London
This contained plague occurred in England between 1665 and 1666 and killed approximately 100,000 people, or 20 percent of London's population.
This plague was believed to be another outbreak of the bubonic plague, which caused many citizens to simply leave the city. During the outbreak, the effected were quarantined in their homes with a large red cross painted on the front door.
All public events like theater and sports were banned, just to slow down the spread of the disease and 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were destroyed as they were thought to be carriers of the disease.
Number four The Italian Plague
This strain of the bubonic plague occurred in 1629 and lasted until 1631, killing 280,000 people, mostly in Milan and Venice, and is often referred to as the Great Plague of Milan.
The plague was brought to Italy during the Thirty Years' War by diseased French and German troops who infected Venetian troops. The Venetians retreated and spread the plague throughout the rest of Italy.
Historians believe the outbreak to be a critical contributing factor to the downfall of Venice as an economic and political power after losing 33 percent of its population by 1631.
Number five The Third Cholera Pandemic
Starting in India in 1852 and then spreading worldwide, then finally ending in 1860, the Cholera Pandemic was one of the most devastating diseases of the 19th century due to its spread in contaminated food and water and the contagiousness through bodily fluids produced by the symptoms.
More than one million people died in Russia alone and 23,000 people in Great Britain including 10,000 in London. This was the third largest scale outbreak of cholera in the world causing people to weaken and perish from symptoms like, brace yourself, severe diarrhea, severe hydration, severe nausea and yeah severe vomiting.
Number six The Plague of Justinian
This plague devastated Constantinople during 541 and 542 CE and was the first great bubonic plague outbreak ever.
The disease caused necrosis of victims' flesh and left many dead after only two to seven days of initial symptoms.
In other words, you get a sniffly nose and you're like I'm okay, ah!
It originated in China and spread through rats on trade ships from Egypt. At its peak, the plague's death toll claimed 5,000 people daily and eliminated 40 percent of Constantinople's population. The Plague of Justinian is regarded by historians as the very first recorded outbreak of bubonic plague and was named after Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian the First. The disease would return in later generations until the eighth century forever changing Europe's history.
Number seven The Tuberculosis Pandemic
From earlier than 4000 BCE to the present day, tuberculosis, also known as TB, has been infecting and killing people including prehistoric humans and ancient Egyptians for a very long time. It's gone by names like white death and the great white plague.
Presently, tuberculosis infects nine million people a year and kills one million of them, which comes down to nearly 3000 deaths a day.
TB is highly contagious as it affects the lungs primarily and causes violent coughing fits where the disease can transmit through tiny liquid droplets that float through the air. Vaccines have been developed to help fight the spread, but new strains have evolved and become drug-resistant.
Number eight The Third Plague Pandemic
This was yet another instance of the bubonic plague outbreak which started in the Chinese province of Yunnan in 1855 and spread all around China and India, killing more than, believe it or not, 12 million people before eventually spreading to every single continent in the world.
This was the last of the great bubonic plagues since scientific and medical practice has, thank God, improved. Doctors and scientists began to discover the source of the infection, which as it turns out, happened to be fleas which were infected with bacteria and then transmitted it back to humans through bites.
Better treatments continued to be developed and in 1959, the global yearly death toll from the disease
decreased to only 200, nearly eradicating it from the Earth.
Number nine The 16th Century Mexican Cocoliztli
Occurring between 1545 and 1548 and during the European colonization of Mexico, this outbreak of an internal hemorrhaging disease referred to as cocoliztli destroyed 80 percent of the Mexican native population, killing nearly 15 million people. Four out of every five people died within three to four days of the infection with symptoms like : bleeding from eyes, nose, and mouth, severe headaches,
severe abdominal pain, and black tongue.
The spread and severity of the disease was intensified by an extreme drought and harsh living conditions of native slaves during the development of New Spain by the Europeans.
Number 10 The Spanish Influenza Pandemic
Between 1918 and 1919, the world was hit hard by a flu that infected 500 million people and killed nearly 100 million of them.
Usually influenza affects those with weakened immune systems such as the elderly or children but this strain attacked young adults and middle aged people and used their stronger immune systems to destroy their bodies.
Symptoms of the disease included, and I'll try to get through this as fast as I can, massive fluid build up in the lungs, violent coughing, extreme chills, blackened feet, and discoloration of the face.
The spread of influenza was increased due to large troop movements during World War One and wartime news censorship led everyone to believe that Spain was hit hardest, since it was a neutral country and did not censor reporters.
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