SEE ALSO: 10 Ways Donald Trump Has Changed Politics Forever 10 Vote for Disastrous War When Biden voted on October 2, 2002[2] in favor of the resolution to invade Iraq, no one could have known it was committing the US to a military conflict that would stretch out over seventeen years so far and would leave more than four thousand American soldiers and by some estimates more than a million Iraqi civilians dead....
Four years after the first protests, the horrors continue. Currently in the grip of one of the deadliest civil wars in recent history, and home to a nascent caliphate state, Syria in 2015 is a byword for tragedy. But even the most jaded cynic couldn’t guess the true extent of the crimes unfolding behind the headlines. 10Outbreaks In 2013, the UN reported that the Syrian state was transforming public hospitals into weapons of war....
As a legal system, Sharia Law is the very definition of ‘insanity’. Instead of things like fines or imprisonment, it advocates whipping, amputations, blinding and the death penalty for crimes as dumb as wearing pants. And, according to our TV pundits, it’s as Islamic as flowing beards and going to Mecca. Except of course it isn’t. Out of the fifty or so majority-Muslim countries, guess how many implement full Sharia?...
10Vegetarian Piranhas Piranhas have been feared by the general public since at least 1978, when Joe Dante’s Jaws ripoff Piranha planted the razor-toothed fish into the mainstream consciousness. Unbeknownst to most, however, there is an extremely close relative of the infamous fish that is nowhere near as dangerous. It has a mostly vegetarian diet, owing to its bizarrely human-looking teeth. The red-bellied pacu have started turning up in a most unusual locale, given their South American ancestry—Michigan....
Commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger, the Thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. Virtually wiped out in the wild due to constant hunting (they were thought to be a threat to sheep and other small farm animals) and the encroachment of humans on their already limited habitat the Thylacine was finally recognized as being in danger of becoming extinct in 1936, too little, too late as that same year the last Thylacine, named Benjamin, died on 7 September as the result of neglect — locked out of its sheltered sleeping quarters and exposed to freezing temperatures at night in Hobart Zoo, Tasmania....
Sadly, the reality is that Buddhists are not immune to radically interpreting their scriptures. Here are the brutal exceptions who uncharacteristically chose to ignore or pervert the Buddha’s clear injunctions against violence in the name of religion. 10Shaolin Monks’ War Of Aggression Shaolin martial arts have strict rules on how violence should be used. It forbids monks from being the aggressor. They should not kill, not even in self-defense. Only the minimum defensive force necessary to ward off an attack should be inflicted....
With so much at stake, royal families across the world have tried to keep the bloodlines clean and the seat of power firmly intact through strategic intermarriage. Ignoring rules of consanguinity may have kept various family members gainfully employed for generations. What’s the downside? (Aside from the inherent grossness, of course.) The overlapping of genetic material elevates chances of health and developmental problems, as well as murder and exile. King Tut’s many health issues—necrosis, a partially cleft palate, and stillborn children with his own sister-wife—are thought to be connected to his family tree, which looked more like a wreath due to generations of incestuous coupling....
10Eric V Of Denmark In 1286, a mysterious group of apparent Franciscan monks rode into the village of Finderup. They were heading for the barn where King Eric V of Denmark and his entourage were sleeping after a hunting expedition in the local woods. As the hunters snoozed, the murderous monks silently entered the barn and stabbed the king to death. In the ensuing confusion, the assassins ditched their monk costumes and made a clean getaway....
Often, these spirits are historical figures, such as William Shakespeare. The famous playwright was a common encounter for mediums in the 18th and 19th centuries. Other times, the spirits are less well-known. They also tend to be “elevated beings,” such as special orders or Tibetan masters. Frequently, it’s not only the spirit guide that’s interesting, but also the person being used as a channel. Here are some of those intriguing individuals and the spirits that they claimed guided them....
There are still serial killers out there who have never been caught. While some of the monsters on this list are undoubtedly dead, others could still be alive. The search goes on for these ten serial killers, and hopefully, we all live to see the day when they are brought into the light just like Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected Golden State Killer. 10 Dr. No The case of the Ohio Prostitute Killer, also known as “Dr....
10 Underworld Nazis One strange tale involves the infamous and genocidal Nazi regime of Germany during World War II. Maps supposedly dating from this time period detail Nazi expeditions to the center of the Earth via the extreme South Seas, particularly the Antarctic region. According to the story, a German U-boat made the journey and sent a letter with plans to colonize the Hollow Earth (more on that in a moment) for the glory of the Nazi party and its thousand-year Reich....
10Meat Glue While the meat industry refers to the sticky stuff that holds their cuts of beef together as transglutaminase, most people simply call it meat glue. Restaurants and meat processors will often have a lot of extra pieces of meat lying around that don’t fit with their usual lineup of items. To make these scraps look appealing to customers, they will bind them together with a sort of glue that, if used properly, you won’t even notice is there....
However, metal detecting has not always been a hobby or adventure to look forward to. Some people have discovered things that they wouldn’t wish to. The adventure has uncovered some of the world’s strangest things, from painted mannequins to human body parts. Here, we look at some of the weirdest findings in the history of metal detecting. 10 World War II Hand Grenade Metal detecting might seem all fun and games until you discover something that genuinely risks your life, like an undetonated World War II hand grenade....
However, much like all good things, high intelligence comes with its own set of caveats, some of which may even come as a surprise to most people. While being too intelligent is not a problem many of us will ever have to deal with, for those who do, here are some unexpected ways high intelligence can have negative effects on your well-being. 10 More Mental Disorders There’s no doubt that intelligent people lead healthier lives and have higher life expectancies, as you’d expect them to....
Most traits commonly associated with our genetics are physical. We tend to believe that the way we behave and our personal preferences stem from our environment, lifestyle, and experiences. In reality, genetics play a large role in these factors as well. Here are 10 surprising traits for which you can thank (or blame) your parents. 10 How Nice You Are Your capacity for kindness and empathy is predetermined by your DNA....
Human history is a long narrative of the rise and fall of nations, empires, and the peoples that inhabit them. Yet while empires fall, rebellions are crushed, and cultures are lost to time, tiny remnants sometimes survive—precariously—across history. Here are ten examples that will surprise you. 10 The Lost Legionaries Of China Contact between the Roman Empire and Han dynasty China was limited, yet there is evidence to suggest that villagers in the remote Chinese county of Liqian are the descendants of Roman soldiers lost 2,000 years ago....
Characterized by the obsession with eating healthy foods, this disease can be confused with and/or diagnosed as anorexia; the main difference being the reasoning behind the eating habits. Anorexics are obsessed with losing weight, while orthorexics feel a need for healthy or “pure” foods. Orthorexia is not recognized by the DSM IV and in general will not be diagnosed, but it is seeing a greater stronghold across the US. You can read the tragic story of a young woman who ultimately succumbed to orthorexia here....
10Gerald And Jared Smith Around 4:00 AM on June 30, 2014, in Fresno, California, a 35-year-old woman was beaten by two 18-year-old twins named Gerald and Jared Smith. A passerby, 49-year-old Nathan Halsted, came upon the scene while riding his bike, and he tried to intervene. That’s when the twins turned their attention to Halsted. Over the course of five minutes, the twins beat and kicked Halsted unconscious. A car arrived on the scene, and the driver tried to stop Halsted’s beating....
Over time, the Sun slowly converts its original hydrogen supply into helium, primarily by a process called the proton-proton chain. It will start dying the moment it uses up all of its hydrogen. Luckily for us, that won’t happen for quite a while. 10 The Greenhouse Effect Will Become Extremely Effective One of the first things that will happen once the Sun exhausts its hydrogen is that it will brighten a lot....
10Robert PatchToy Truck What would your childhood have been without toy trucks? Boy or girl, plastic or wood, chances are you’ve had some experience with these tiny vehicles. At age five in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Robert Patch decided he wanted a toy to play with that could easily be assembled and disassembled by a child. He wanted the toy to be able to change into different types of trucks. For example, it could be a dump truck but easily change into a semi-truck....
