Top 10 in 10 Genres by The American Film Institute

LOS ANGELES - The American Film Institute's top-10 lists of the best in 10 film genres:

Animation

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937.
2. Pinocchio, 1940.
3. Bambi, 1942.
4. The Lion King, 1994.
5. Fantasia, 1940.
6. Toy Story, 1995.
7. Beauty and the Beast, 1991.
8. Shrek, 2001.
9. Cinderella, 1950.
10. Finding Nemo, 2003.

Fantasy

1. The Wizard of Oz, 1939.
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001.
3. It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.
4. King Kong, 1933.
5. Miracle on 34th Street, 1947.
6. Field of Dreams, 1989.
7. Harvey, 1950.
8. Groundhog Day, 1993.
9. The Thief of Bagdad, 1924.
10. Big, 1988.

Gangster

1. The Godfather, 1972.
2. Goodfellas, 1990.
3. The Godfather Part II, 1974.
4. White Heat, 1949.
5. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967.
6. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation, 1932.
7. Pulp Fiction, 1994.
8. The Public Enemy, 1931.
9. Little Caesar, 1930.
10. Scarface, 1983.

Science Fiction

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968.
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, 1977.
3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982.
4. A Clockwork Orange, 1971.
5. The Day The Earth Stood Still, 1951.
6. Blade Runner, 1982.
7. Alien, 1979.
8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, 1991.
9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956.
10. Back to the Future, 1985.

Western

1. The Searchers, 1956.
2. High Noon, 1952.
3. Shane, 1953.
4. Unforgiven, 1992.
5. Red River, 1948.
6. The Wild Bunch, 1969.
7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller, 1971.
9. Stagecoach, 1939.
10. Cat Ballou, 1965.

Sports

1. Raging Bull, 1980.
2. Rocky, 1976.
3. The Pride of the Yankees, 1942.
4. Hoosiers, 1986.
5. Bull Durham, 1988.
6. The Hustler, 1961.
7. Caddyshack, 1980.
8. Breaking Away, 1979.
9. National Velvet, 1944.
10. Jerry Maguire, 1996.

Mystery

1. Vertigo, 1958.
2. Chinatown, 1974.
3. Rear Window, 1954.
4. Laura, 1944.
5. The Third Man, 1949.
6. The Maltese Falcon, 1941.
7. North By Northwest, 1959.
8. Blue Velvet, 1986.
9. Dial M for Murder, 1954.
10. The Usual Suspects, 1995.

Romantic Comedy

1. City Lights, 1931.
2. Annie Hall, 1977.
3. It Happened One Night, 1934.
4. Roman Holiday, 1953.
5. The Philadelphia Story, 1940.
6. When Harry Met Sally ..., 1989.
7. Adam's Rib, 1949.
8. Moonstruck, 1987.
9. Harold and Maude, 1971.
10. Sleepless in Seattle, 1993.

Courtroom Drama

1. To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962.
2. 12 Angry Men, 1957.
3. Kramer Vs. Kramer, 1979.
4. The Verdict, 1982.
5. A Few Good Men, 1992.
6. Witness for the Prosecution, 1957.
7. Anatomy of a Murder, 1959.
8. In Cold Blood, 1967.
9. A Cry in the Dark, 1988.
10. Judgment at Nuremberg, 1961.

Epic

1. Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.
2. Ben-Hur, 1959.
3. Schindler's List, 1993.
4. Gone With the Wind, 1939.
5. Spartacus, 1960.
6. Titanic, 1997.
7. All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930.
8. Saving Private Ryan, 1998.
9. Reds, 1981.
10. The Ten Commandments, 1956.

• Reference/Source: azcentral.com by The American Film Institute

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10 Celebrities Accused Of Mistreating Animals

#1.Kim Kardashian is in hot water with animal rights groups after tweeting a picture of her holding a black kitten by its scruff. PETA was uncharacteristically diplomatic, saying, “Kim Kardashian isn’t the only person who mistakenly thinks that because a mother cat picks up her kittens by the scruff of the neck that a supportive hand under the rump isn’t needed. But I’ll bet plenty of fans have let her know—nicely, we hope!”
Kim responded to the attention, writing, “I have been getting negative comments regarding the way I was holding the kitty, but rest assured, the owner and vet were on set and showed me how to pick him up. The cat was not harmed in any way and is perfectly fine! I love animals.” [NY Daily News]
It’s heartbreaking to hear about animal abuse—I still cry every time that damn Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial comes on. But because the number of celebrities accused of animal abuse is kind of shocking, we rounded up 10 offenders.

#2.Paris Hilton has had more accusations of animal cruelty and neglect than any other celebrity. Her neighbors say her animals wander the neighborhood—at least one kitten was hit by a car. Her employees allegedly reported that sometimes Paris will adopt a puppy but doesn’t want to train it so she’ll leave it in a closet and days later, they’ll find it dead. Another cat was taken back to the shelter after Paris failed to pick it up after it was neutered. Paris told Ellen DeGeneres that she had 17 pets at one time, many of which are apparently left in her home for months at a time with only a maid to feed them. She was also berated for carrying her chihuahua Tinkerbell around like an accessory and causing animal shelters to be flooded with chihuahuas whose owners had taken a cue from the socialite. With Paris’ attention span, she needs a pet intervention. [Monsters and Critics,Gawker]

#3.British artist Banksy, whose movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop” just came out in theaters, was accused of animal abuse after painting an elephant for an art show. The elephant was covered in nontoxic, floral paint and cards were handed out, which read, “There’s an elephant in the room. There’s a problem we never talk about. Twenty-billion people live below the poverty line.” Which, uh, the world’s population is an estimated 6.69 billion people. A representative from the group In Defense of Animals said, “It didn’t seem the elephant was under stress. There were carrots and things, but it’s another example of our exploitation of animals—so gimmicky.” I’m much more offended by the lack of fact-checking than the elephant.

#4.The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals went to check on Britney Spears’ dog London after officers received complaints from people who saw him in a cast and were worried that he’d broken his leg and had not been treated properly. The SPCA confirmed that they’d heard from Britney’s veterinarian that London had proper medical attention. What? Did people think that Britney had put her own dog’s leg in a cast herself?

#5.Everyone’s heard of Ozzy Osbourne‘s infamous chomping off a bat’s head during a performance. But did you know that an audience member threw it on stage and Osbourne thought it was fake and had to be rushed to the hospital for a rabies vaccination afterward? Kinda makes it less metal, huh? [MTV]

#6.Gerard Butler was accused of punching a guy’s dog in the face recently while walking his (super cute) pug Lolita. The dog’s owner claims that the dogs touched noses and Butler punched his greyhound so hard that it slammed into a fence and yelped in pain. Butler also allegedly ranted about how the dog should be put to sleep. Butler, however, says he was trying to break the dogs apart after the greyhound attacked Lolita and bit her on the neck, after which Butler had to spend four hours at the vet while Lolita got stitches. I believe Butler because the other guy’s story sounds totally illogical. And he’s probably much less attractive than Gerard. [Soft Pedia]

#7.Cesar Millan, known to many as the Dog Whisperer, has been accused of animal cruelty by the RSPCA, who say that his training techniques—which include electric shock collars, pinning them to the floor, and restricting their air supply with nooses—causes “unnecessary pain and suffering.” Millan claims he did not use electric shock but maintains that “dogs should be treated as dogs, not substitute children” and that owners need to be strong and calm leaders. Yeah, but it’s pretty lame to claim you’re whispering when you’re really choking. [Daily Mail]

#8.Because his karma ran out (or came full circle), Jesse James has been accused of animal abuse on top of the whole ruining Sandra Bullock‘s life thing. A source says that Jesse fought his pit bulls almost to the death and one of their legs was nearly completely torn off. According to the source, “Sandra was horrified and in tears when she first heard what had happened to those animals. She believed he was this gentle biker with a heart of gold. But if he can let this sort of thing happen to his dogs, that tells you who he really is—Jesse IS heartless.” [Ecorazzi]

#9.PETA asked prosecutors to investigate Mike Tyson‘s Animal Planet reality TV show about pigeon racing, saying the races likely involve illegal gambling and cruelty to animals. Mike Tyson has apparently been raising pigeons since he was little, but this will be his first venture into racing them. The important thing to take away here is that Mike Tyson raises pigeons. WTF? [Stuff]

#10.Jon Gosselin made the honest mistake of talking about how his kids treat the family dogs, saying, “Those kids beat them up, climb on them, pull their tails, bite at them, drag them around and everything you can imagine not to do to an animal.” Animal activists got all up in his business and Gosselin issued another statement saying, “We understand the responsibilities of being good dog owners. Whenever my kids are with Shoka and Nala, everyone is carefully supervised to ensure that no one—dog or child—is injured.” That’s just how kids are with animals. I used to get knocked on my butt by our German Shepherd and I would turn around and spank him. Just as Jesus would have done, had he been a toddler with a large dog. Probably. [Zimbio]

• Reference/Source: thefrisky.com by Olivia Allin

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10 Products That Were Recently Banned (Pullout)

These products were banned over the last decade because they were either considered to dangerous or unnecessary.

1. Trans Fats
Most food companies add Trans fat to their products because they stay fresh for a longer period of time. However, the body finds it difficult to break it down and starts suffering from heart disease or high cholesterol problems. Denmark and Switzerland banned certain products that were laced with over two percent of Trans fat.
2. Baby Walkers
Canada banned baby walkers in 2004 because according to statistics, over 1,900 babies were injured while using it. The Ministry determined that this happened because infants do not have the required abilities to use the product safely. Parents in Canada need not worry because studies reveal that baby walkers do not help babies walk faster.
3. Incandescent Light Bulbs
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs last much longer than Incandescent Bulbs and use only 25% of the available energy which is why the latter has been phased out by countries like Australia and Cuba. California plans to ban them within the next 8 years.


4. Chewing Gum
Singapore banned chewing hum in 1992 and the bill was revised about 6 years back. People are not allowed to stick their gum under chairs, on the floor or under tables. When somebody stuck it on the doors of the metro, it became necessary to ban it. Those who travel to Singapore are not allowed to carry gum and the Government constantly tells the public about how gum is hazardous to health.
5. Use of Cigarettes on Television and Movies
India banned smoking in movies and on television in 2005 as it was felt that children tend to take up the habit after seeing their favorite actors indulging in it. According to the ban, the actor’s hand is supposed to get blurred out if the scene demands that he should smoke.
6. Plastic Bags
People use about a trillion plastic bags through the year and we all know how harmful plastic is for the environment. Bangladesh banned the use of plastic bags in 2002 after the found that the floods of 1988 and 1998 occurred because the drains got blocked with such bags. The ban was introduced in Africa, United Kingdom and Australia soon after.


7. Extremely Skinny Models
Even though this is not a product; it definitely deserves a mention in this list. Hiring extremely skinny models for advertisements was banned after the model, Luisel Ramos died in 2006. She had a cardiac arrest after which doctors realized that she had been surviving on diet coke and leaves for over 90 days. The Italian Government then declared that the body mass index of all models should not go below 18.
8. Circus Animals
After it was revealed that circus animals were living in miserable conditions and were made to starve just so that they would perform better on the final day; the Bolivian Senate banned the circus in 2009. Denmark, Austria, Finland and Costa Rica introduced similar bans many years back.
9. Cigarettes
Ireland prohibited smoking indoors in 2004 while Bhutan banned the sale of cigarettes in 2008. Those who go against the ban in Bhutan have to pay a fine of about 232 dollars. However, the sad part is that tobacco products are still being traded illegally in this mountainous kingdom.
10. Products used for Spanking Children
Sweden declared in 1979 that parents could not spank their children using certain products or otherwise, after which over 24 countries followed suit. Studies show that after the ban was introduced, child abuse rates were reduced considerably.

• Reference/Source: top-10-list.org by top10contributor

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The Top 10 Banned foods of the world

We usually have the freedom to eat whatever we please, and what is considered a taboo in one culture, might be a delicacy in another.

However, there are some foods that are banned in certain parts of the world, due to various reasons like environmental risks, cruelty to animals, or because that certain food was found to be injurious to one’s health.


Here is a low-down on some of the foods that have been banned in some or the other part of the world:

1. Foie Gras 

Foie gras is a delicacy made out of duck or goose liver. It is banned in Turkey, the European Union, and Israel due to a process called force-feeding. To make foie gras, birds are force-fed corn mash or some other type of food about 8 days before they are slaughtered in order to enlarge the liver and give it a fatty consistency. 

Citing cruelty to animals, some countries have placed a ban on this item. However, Foie Gras is still readily found in many of these countries.

2. Japanese Puffer Fish (Fugu)

Sometimes known as blowfish, Fugu in Asian countries, this fish is banned in many countries due to its internal organs and other body parts being highly poisonous. In fact, if you eat the wrong part of this fish, or unknowingly consume a poisonous part of the fish, you will more than likely die from tetrodotoxin, which is a neurotoxin that destroys your body’s nerve tissue, paralyzing the body and then causing asphyxiation. In the European Union, selling or consuming this fish is strictly prohibited. In the U.S., it is illegal to sell, harvest, or serve the fish without having a license to do so. 

3. Sassafras

In the past, sassafras was a widely used plant, often used by Indian tribes to treat common ailments, as well as a way to have some sort of aromatherapy. It is said that the herb could sure a cold, stomach ache, and other ailments. It was also used as a cure for syphilis. Before the 1960s, sassafras was used in many different foods, and even drinks. However, in the 1960s, the FDA banned all use of sassafras and any ingredient made out of it, most notably, safrole. It was banned due to the fact that it is possibly carcinogenic, as determined by lab rat experiments, which concluded that rats given sassafras often contracted liver cancer.

4. Absinthe

In the 1800s, absinthe was gradually banned in many locations around the world. This was due to a large increase in violence and hallucinations, as well as mental illness. Again in the 20th century, researchers looked at absinthe and considered it to be highly unsafe. In 1915, absinthe was banned in most European countries with the exception of a few.

5. Horse Meat

Horse meat is considered to be a taboo food in many countries, including the U.S., Ireland, Australia, Canada, and throughout various cultural groups around the world. Both the U.S. and U.K. have banned the slaughter and consumption of horses, as they are seen as companions and labeled “sports animals.”

6. Casu Marzu Maggot Cheese

Casu marzu, which means "rotting cheese" in Sardinian, is not just an aged and very smelly cheese, it is an illegal commodity in many places. Casu marzu is a runny white cheese made by injecting Pecorino Sardo cheese with cheese-eating larvae that measure about one-half inch long.

7. Blackened Redfish

In 1980, New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme publicized his recipe for blackened redfish, which is still very popular today. The recipe was so popular that it sparked a blackened redfish craze in the 1980s, which so severely threatened the redfish stock that the Commerce Department had to step in and close down fisheries in July 1986.

8. Uncertified Chilean Sea Bass

At first, the uncertified Chilean sea bass was banned by 24 nations, including the U.S. due to the fact that it was extremely popular in restaurants as well as in the home and many feared it would become endangered. The fish is known for having flaky white flesh and a high fat content, which makes it tasty. Today, the fish is banned in even more countries due to the fact that it has become over-fished.

9. Ortolan

In the same cruel fashion as foie gras, this tiny bird has little to sing about, as historically it was horribly tortured before being eaten as a gastronomic treat by the aristocracy of France. 

Its fate was often to be captured, have its eyes poked out, and be put in a small cage, then force-fed until it grew to four times its normal size. Next the poor bird would be drowned in brandy, roasted, and eaten whole. The Ortolan is now considered to be a protected species in France.

10. Shark fins

Though still in the process of being banned world wide, the slicing of shark fins is now banned in Scottish waters, as well as UK waters. In Hawaii, the practice is banned entirely due to the fact that 60,000 sharks were found dead each year. The practice, often seen as barbaric, has been banned in countries because it is seen as cruel and brutal and many species of rare sharks are becoming endangered, or even extinct.

• Reference/Source: ifood.tv

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10 of the Best Memory Aids to Help Prevent Misused Words

Do you have trouble remembering which word to use in certain situations? Plenty of words are similar and easy to confuse — and that can make you sound stupid even if what you’ve written is brilliant. Here are some tricks for choosing the right word.

Using words correctly in our writing is crucial to maintaining credibility. Too often, though, we misuse words. Here are 10 of the most commonly misused words, along with memory aids to help you keep them straight.

1 - Principal / principle

The principal of a school is the head of that school, in other words, the main person of the school. Likewise, the principal of a loan is the main portion of the loan. Because the principal of a school is responsible for our education, and loans help us meet our needs, both are our pals. On the other hand, a principle is an idea or a concept, and both of these words, like principle, have an e in them.

2 - Council / counsel

A council is a group of people who make decisions. Counsel, as a noun, refers to a person who gives (typically legal) advice. The last two letters of counsel are e and l, which appear at the beginning of legal.

3 - Loose / lose

When something is loose, it is still there, but not as tightly fastened. A loose button doesn’t stay as close to your shirt or jacket as it should — in other words, it’s farther away. Loose, because it has two instances of the letter o, is longer than lose. But it takes only an instant to lose something, therefore lose is shorter than loose.

4 - Compliment / complement

To compliment someone is to praise that person. Both of these words have the letter i near the middle. To complement something is to make it complete. Both of these words begin with comple.

5 - Capital / capitol

The capital of a state or a country is the city where the main functions of its government are located. Main has the letter a, as does capital, at the end of the word.
A capitol is the building where government officials meet. Such a building typically has a round dome, or rotunda — similar in shape to the letter o that is in capitol.

6 - To / too / two

When we go to a place, we start from one location and typically end up in the desired location. Think of the t in to as your start and the o as your ending.
Too refers to an excessive amount of something. Here, too has too many instances of the letter o.
Two refers to the number. The last two letters, wo, are the first two letters of won. This word, in turn, sounds like the number one, which immediately precedes two.

7 - Bankrupt / bankruptcy, insolvent / insolvency, pregnant / pregnancy

In each pair of words, the adjective form (bankrupt company, insolvent organization, pregnant woman) is shorter than the noun form (a company in bankruptcy, or insolvency; a woman with a difficult pregnancy). Adjectives modify nouns. In other words, adjectives are merely the window dressing, while the noun is the main act. A noun can exist by itself, but an adjective can’t.

If you were to see, for example, George Strait in concert, you wouldn’t see him right away. There would be one or more warmup performers preceding him (adjectives), usually with a smaller set of songs and a smaller audience. However, Mr. Strait, as the headliner (noun), would have the larger audience and the larger set of songs.

Caution: Bankruptcy can be a noun, but it can also be an adjective, as in bankruptcy court.

8 - E.g. / i.e.

E.g. means for example, while i.e. means that is. E.g. and example both begin with e. The phrase that is and the abbreviation i.e. both have the letter i.

9 - Imminent / eminent

Something that is imminent will happen soon, in other words, immediately.
An eminent person or idea is one that stands out from the rest. That is, it has made an exit from the rest. Both eminent and exit begin with e.

10 - Allude / elude

To allude to something means to refer to it. If you did so while speaking, such an action would be oral. The last two letters of oral are the first two letters of allude.
To elude someone means to escape capture or recognition. Escape and elude both begin with e.

Hope you learn a LOT guys! Ciao...

• Reference/Source: techrepublic.com by Calvin Sun

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10 Most Misspelled Words in Blogs

Ok, so technically the following words aren’t misspelled. They’re misused. The reason you should review this list is because a spell checker won’t correct these for you. Make sure that you’ve got foolproof control over them (especially if you tend to write around 3:12 AM like I am now). Extensively misusing them throughout your posts may actually cost you a visitor or two every now and then because some folks do get caught up on these, which means they won’t focus 100 % of their attention on your incredibly valuable content!

1. Your - You’re
As mentioned above, your message might lose impact if you’re not paying attention to this number one word maltreatment. If you find it particularly difficult to separate them from each other, stop using ‘you’re’ altogether and notice how you are starting to improve your spelling.

2. Then - Than
The next step is then to tell yourself that it’s better late than never to get that vowel placement in order. Then your readers might find something more useful to comment on than your apparent spelling impediment.

3. Its - it’s
It’s best to write an article and its words properly for optimal reader engagement. Again, if you still fail to tell the difference without effort, just write how great it is not having to worry about misusing or misspelling words.

4. To - Too - Two
To write two posts per day, or not to write two posts per day. That too is the question.

5. Were - Where - We’re
Where in the world were you? We were at Billy’s and we’re staying for another day. Make sure your blog visitors do that too.

6. There - Their - They’re
They’re moving their cursor over there. By focusing more attention on proper word use, your visitors won’t highlight and pinpoint your mistakes.

7. A - An - And
A flawlessly written article serves as an eye-opener and should provide lasting value. Remember also that an abbreviation like SUV starts with a vowel pronunciation and requires an ‘an’ in front of it.

8. Off - Of
Of all the mistakes you could prevent from appearing, start off by checking out this common mix up. You should have paid attention at school when they told you not to write ’should of’. Or off your visitors go.

9. Here - Hear
Hear ye! Hear ye! Here is a blog worth reading. You can almost hear the distant clicks of new visitors finding their way over here this very moment.

10. Lose - Loose
But if you’re too loose on your writing discipline, you will end up losing those readers after a while. You’d have a bolt loose if you don’t apply these 10 writing rules from now on with greater care. You win some and you don’t lose anyone.

• Reference/Source: theprobabilist.com by The Probabilist

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Top 10 Largest Countries in Europe

List of Top 10 Largest European Countries Listed in Descending Order by Maximum area Covered.

1. Russia is the largest European country that occupies 17,075,400 Square Kilometer (6,592,800 Square Miles).



2. Ukraine is the second largest country in the Europe that covers 603,628 Square Kilometer (233,090 Square Miles).



3. With 551,695 Square Kilometer (213,010 Square Mile) France is third largest country in Europe.



4. Spain Comes on fourth rank with 504,030 Square Kilometer (195,364 Square Mile).



5. Sweden holds fifth position with occupying 449,964 Square Kilometer (173,745 Square Mile).



6. Germany stands as a Sixth biggest European country with 357,021 Square Kilometer (137,847 Square Mile).



7. Finland covers 338,424 Square Kilometer (130,596 Square Mile) and hold position of Seventh largest country in Europe.



8. Norway, this eighth biggest European country occupies 385,252 Square Kilometer (148,746 Square Mile).



9. In the list of top 10 largest countries in Europe Poland ranks at number nine with 312,685 Square Kilometer (120,696.41 Square Mile).




10. Italy, this tenth largest Country of Europe Occupies 301,338 Square Kilometer (116,346 Square Mile).

• Reference/Source: worldrecordsnews.com

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