Top 10 Magazines in The World

NO it’s not the bulky comic book, neither it’s the children’s bedtime catalogue; it’s an honest, knowledgeable, acid free twenty page magazine. We all read it almost every day, its colorful and filled with rich business men, celebrities and models etc. pasted on glossy pages thin as silk to keep us entertained. So why are they so popular? May be because they help decorate a superstore or lure senior citizens into the market or whatever. Read on and find out why are they so popular.

10. Newsweek

As the name suggests this weekly, high quality slick American paper stack contains articles, discussions and opinions of scored, all time wining writers and journalists. So then you might think, why it’s so popular, in fact it should be “boringly” very popular, but be alarmed that this magazine is not intended for fashion geeks and entertainment junkies, it’s not your page flipping entertainment; it’s a serious attempt at news and the world today. This magazine picks out the most negotiable issues and discusses it and stretches opinions, in other words it’s a special news bulletin on paper. It also provides a touch of latest news from the showbiz world. Average net circulation = 3183000

9. Playboy

Since 1953, this American magazine has stirred and shaped men in every way, it has bought sex fresh from the shelves of gorgeous ladies into the pockets of ordinary men and teenagers. This periodical features photos of nude women in the most pleasing and erotic takes, of course you need to control yourself, but the newer issues every month packs a meaty punch and you find yourself hard to resist. The magic is in how this magazine tackles the deep desires of men; it publishes content such as interviews of artists, actors and other famous figures that is suited to the public while keeping an eye on changing trends and fashion. Playboy certainly plays its game and enjoys its revenue. Average net circulation = 3215000

8. People

“People” the magazine wholly responsible for human interests or should I say the magazine that spies on people when they do something interesting? It’s an American weekly magazine that has made its name throughout the world by coming up with interesting rankings such as “the best dressed”, “the best chefs around the world” and “the sexiest man alive”. It focuses on the key interest areas and has done a good job because its average net circulation is 3625000.

7. BusinessWeek

Every library, every academic shelf, and every well-equipped office will have this magazine somewhere around. It’s surprising to note that so much research goes into writing this critical magazine because each boring event in the business world is studied in-depth, analyzed and then printed. This magazine is very bold and straightforward; it always tries to express its opinion just the way it is not sugar-coating it. Many companies rely on its research and credibility and most importantly its topic of a four page analytical review of how political pressures impact the business world. Publishes 57 issues per year! It’s not to be missed

6. Ladies’ Home Journal

My mother has a stack of kitchen magazines, “How to Cook the Microwave Way” and other detailed cooking periodicals all around the house and the last thing on the menu was this Home Journal. I mean I got bored just by looking at them let alone flipping the pages, what on earth is in it that is fooling young moms into buying them. Ladies’ Home Journal is a leading women’s magazine which contains everything from beauty, fashion, health, relationships, food, pets and games mothers love to play. Average net circulation = 4101000

5. Time

  The magazine of time, a periodical not to be missed, a compilation giving you exactly what you want for the news and what you want filtered out. This magazine is genius creation, because it has become a platform for the most talked about news in the world. Very few personalities and some serious debaters qualify to discuss in the magazine, so in short this magazine contains a high quality of opinionated matter. What more do you want from a flashy magazine that gives you a world summary in a bunch and provide shocking stories behind certain events. This is an American weekly magazine with an average net circulation of 4112000; after all it is an abbreviation of “The International Magazine of Events”

4. Woman’s Day

If your wife is giving you a hard time when you return from a hectic day at the office, just stop by the superstore and get one of these Women’s Day magazines for her and you will be rewarded with utter silence. This magazine contains home decor ideas, relationship advice, lifestyle tips and lots more. This is an experienced women magazine with every curiosity for the ladies covered in detail and style. It’s an Australian weekly magazine with an average net circulation of 4205000 copies

3. Family Circle

This is an American answer to the Australians, “if you can come up with a woman’s magazine we will bring in the whole family!”

Oh yeah and that’s what it’s all about, this periodical talks about food, holidays, teens, home decor, health, style, beauty, fashion, prom, pets, charity and so on. The magazine is endless, and it is read by young mothers and newlywed women. This magazine even launched another website called Momster.com for mothers and teenagers. Average net circulation = 4634000

2. Better Homes and Gardens

If you have dirty chaotic home and the swimming pool needs cleaning, then you don’t need to call the cleaning and the vacuuming swat team to do the job, because now YOU CAN, all you need is a fresh copy of Better Homes and Gardens and that’s it. This magazine is the fourth bestselling magazine in US and it features content under recipes and cooking, decorating and home ideas, gardening, entertaining, holidays, health and family, pets and so on. They have got the best editors around America to produce such a worthy content. Average net circulation = 7605000

1. Reader’s Digest

At last the winner on our list, this is a true companion, a must have around your table and it’s a common interest magazine. It’s so popular that according to one survey this magazine is bought by almost everybody than any other magazine of any nature. That’s because it’s an all in one magazine, it contains areas such as heath, vocabulary, cooking, general advice, true stories, jokes, word games and so on. This magazine also publishes a series of books as supplements under the name “Reader’s Digest Select Editions”. A magazine for the elderly and the educated with average net circulation of stunning 12078000 copies around the globe

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Top 5 Greatest Strategy Games

5. Bridge

19th century developed from earlier games. This is the king of trick taking card games. Teams work together to try and make books after bidding on how many they expect to take and the suit to be considered trump. Not as popular as it once was, there are still a number of fans and newspaper columns devoted to the strategy of the game appear in many newspapers on a regular basis.

4. Civilization

The opposite of the conquer the world type games this is about developing societies through trade and cooperation with other players. You need to help your fellow players in order to advance your own societies and the game has a good moral lesson as well as being highly fun to play. An online version of the game has been remarkably successful as well.

3. Dungeons and Dragons

While this one barely qualifies on the physical pieces requirement it has to make the list based on originality and long lasting appeal. In 1974 Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) a small company that produced wargames produced this based on their chainmail game of wargame rules. The longest lasting and most popular of the RPG (Role playing game) genre has each player create a fantasy (typically middle ages style) character while a DM (Dungeon Master) creates a story scenario. The players then work as a team to solve the created problems such as battling monsters, negotiating with NPCs(Non player characters run by the DM), disarming traps, and rescuing damsels in distress. The role playing part can range from minor bad acting out of fantasies to seriously talented (I’ve seen a few people who could be on the stage with their skill) but the strategic part is what interests many players. There have been several editions over the years with different rules so be sure your group uses the same set that you do. The game suffered a bad reputation in 1982 when an exploitive TV movie was made about a teenage player using the game as a way to plan the murder of his stepfather.

2. Settlers of Catan

The game that established Germany as the most innovative game nation of the last decade has had tremendous worldwide popularity with many different versions (Seafarers of Catan/Starfarers of Catan). One of the cooperation/resource trading games genre it features gathering of the resources you have access to such as wood, grain, wool, and brick and trading extras to other players so that you can each build your areas. Played on a board of interconnecting hexagons, it can be rearranged for each new game creating different strategies each time.

1. Carcassonne

This German game won the 2001 game of the year award and has been extremely popular worldwide with a number of optional expansion sets. Square tiles are drawn and feature a puzzle like design. Placed together in different ways the game board is built as you play as you try to build cities, roads, fields, and cloisters scoring points both along the way and at the end. One of the fun aspects in multiplayer is that no one gets eliminated along the way and has to sit and watch the surviving players.

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Top 5 Deadliest Forces of the World

5. Kopassus

Formed in 1952, the Indonesian Army’s feared special forces group quickly established a bad name for themselves by spearheading government military campaigns.

Famous ops: In 1981, an Islamic extremist group hijacked Garuda Flight 206. After the aircraft landed, Kopassus commando executed a fast-paced operation, killing three hijackers and freeing 50 passengers.

4. Sayeret Matkal

The elite special forces of the Israeli defence force are experts in small arms, martial arts and gathering intelligence from deep behind enemy lines. These days they’re kept busy with counter-terrorism gigs and hostage rescue.

Famous ops: Best known for Operation Entebbe, a rescue mission to free hostages held on Air France flight 139 at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport in 1976. One Israeli soldier, 45 Ugandan soldiers, six hijackers and three hostages were killed in the operation, which at least managed to free 100 hostages.

3. The Kaibiles

Guatemala’s fearless counter revolutionary commando forces are experts in jungle warfare and counter insurgency ops. Established in 1975, their motto is, “If I advance, follow me. If I stop, urge me on. If I retreat, kill me.”

Famous ops: Eight Kaibiles were killed and five wounded in an ambush in Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping force. The dead soldiers were part of a botched operation to capture the deputy commander of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army.

2. Alpha Group

Russia’s trigger-happy counter-terrorist squad of 700 hardcore dudes, formed in 1974 and survived despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Famous ops: The 2004 Beslan school hostage rescue crisis, where 1200 hostages were held by Chechen separatists ended with 31 dead terrorists. A good result except they also terminated more than 350 civilians.

1. U.S. Navy SEALs

The United States Navy SEa, Air and Land (SEAL) teams are renowned for their ability to work underwater and deal with special reconnaissance, counter terrorism, hostage rescue and unconventional warfare.

Famous Ops: A team authorised by Barack Obama killed Osama bin Laden in his compound in Pakistan. Three Navy SEALs also killed three Somalian pirates when they held a captain hostage.

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Top 5 Largest Robberies in History

5. Knightsbridge Security Deposit

12th July 1987-UK: £60 million

 Valerio Viccei migrated to the UK from Italy in 1986, where he was wanted for over 50 armed robberies. He decided to continue his successful trade in his new homeland, where he and an accomplice entered the Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Centre and asked to rent a Safe Deposit Box. After being led into the vault, they subdued the manager and the guards. Valerio hung a sign outside stating that the Deposit was temporarily closed to deter more customers, and then went about letting in more accomplices. The gang then plundered the safe deposit boxes at will and netted an estimated £60 million, which translates approximately into a whopping $174 million in today’s money. The police were not alerted until an hour after the robbery, giving the team plenty of time to flee the scene. Valerio fled to Latin America whilst his accomplices were arrested, then foolishly returned to England sometime later to retrieve his beloved Ferrari, where he was subsequently caught. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison. One would think that with the better part of $174 million, you would just buy another Ferrari. Or two. He was killed in 2000 while on day release in Italy, as a result of a gunfight with police.

4. Baghdad Bank Robbery

12th July 2007- Baghdad, Iraq: $282 million

 Employees of the Dar Es Salaam bank showed up to work one morning to find that the doors were unlocked, the vault open, and all the money was gone. It is believed that 3 guards at the bank made off with a staggering $282 million in this whopping haul. Yes, more than a quarter of a billion dollars! That’s more money than the entire economies of some small countries. It is unclear why the bank had such a large amount of cash on hand, but it was all in US currency. It is suspected that the guards had the assistance of militias, to avoid detection at security checkpoints around Baghdad, as having a lazy $282 million in the boot of your car might raise suspicions. No one has been brought to justice for this brazen crime and none of the money has been recovered. The robbery received surprisingly little media coverage.

3. Boston Museum

18th March 1990- Boston, USA: $300 million

Number 3 on our list is also considered the biggest art heist in history. Two men dressed as police officers convinced 2 inexperienced security guards at the Gardner Museum that they were responding to a disturbance. Contrary to museum policy, the 2 guards let the “officers” into the premises, where they quickly learned that they had been duped after being handcuffed by the men in the basement. Amazingly, the 2 men managed to do this despite having no visible weapons whatsoever. The men spent the next 81 minutes calmly selecting 12 pieces of art with a combined value of over $300 million, and this was 20 years ago. Among the paintings stolen were 3 Rembrandt’s and a Vermeer. The two then took the surveillance tapes and departed, never to be heard from again, though in 1994 an offer was made to return the paintings for $2.6 million and immunity from prosecution, but the writer was never heard from again. The men appear to possibly be amateurs, as they made no effort to avoid damaging the paintings and left even more valuable works behind. The case has never been solved and there is a $5 million reward for any information pertaining to the return of the artworks. Also, authorities have announced that they will not prosecute anyone who has the paintings and offers to return them. More on the details of this interesting robbery can be read here.

2. City Bonds Robbery

2nd May 1990- London, UK: £292 million

John Goddard was a 58 year old messenger working for broker Sheppards, who was mugged whilst carrying a briefcase on a quiet London side street. However, the contents of that briefcase contained £292 million in bearer bonds. Goddard was delivering Bank of England Treasury bills from banks and building societies. Due to the nature of bearer bonds, whoever is carrying them is deemed the owner. They are as good as cash. He was held at knifepoint, whilst his assailant made off with 301 Treasury bills, most valued at £1 million each. Keith Cheeseman was arrested in connection to the crime and received a 6 and a half year sentence. Police believe that the mugging was carried out by Patrick Thomas, but he was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head before he could be charged. All but 2 of the bonds were recovered after police and the FBI infiltrated the gang responsible. It’s amazing that the second largest robbery in history was carried out by a low level thief brandishing only a knife on an insignificant back street.

1. Central Bank of Iraq

18th March 2003- Baghdad, Iraq: $1 billion

Some robberies require careful planning. Others use brute force. But the largest in history was as simple was it was effective. Saddam Hussein treated Iraq as his own personal fiefdom, so it’s no surprise that he would feel that the Central Bank of Iraq was his personal bank account. The day before Coalition forces began bombing Iraq, he sent his son Qusay to make a withdrawal on his behalf with a handwritten note. Qusay oversaw the withdrawal of boxes stuffed with $100 bills in a five-hour operation which netted the dictator about $1 billion in US dollars. It didn’t get him very far, as he was caught sometime later hiding in a hole in the ground whilst his son was killed by US forces. Approximately $650 million was later found by US troops hidden in the walls of one of his palace’s, though the remaining $350 million has never been recovered and is considered lost.

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5. Gino Bartali

Gino Bartali was born in Italy on 1914. He has won the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, both times also winning the mountain competition, and the Giro D’Italia three times in 1936, 1937 and 1946, also here he won the mountain competition all three times. Bartali also won the Tour de Suisse in 1946 and 1947. Bartali was a good climber and a pioneer of derailleur gears. His style was unusual: he rarely danced on the pedals and often stayed in the saddle throughout a 15km climb. When others attacked, he stayed in the saddle but changed up gear, to a sprocket three teeth smaller.

He rode smoothly on mountains but every now and then freewheeled, always with his right foot lowered with his weight on it. Then a second or two later he would start pedaling again.

4. Séan Kelly

Séan Kelly was born in Ireland in 1956, and became one the most successful rider of the 1980s and the best Classics rider of all times. His wins include the Vuelta a España in 1988, 4 point class wins in both the Tour de France and the Giro D’Italia, 7 consecutive win in Paris-Nice form 1982 – 1988, 2 wins in Tour de Suisse, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liége.

3. Jacques Anquetil

Jacques Anquetil was born in France in 1934. He has won the Tour de France five time, in 1957 and 1961-1964, the Giro D’Italia twice in 1960 and 1964, the Vuelta a España in 1936 and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1966. Anquetil also holds several records:

•  He was the first to the Tour de France five times
•  He was the first to win all three big stage races
•  He was the first French rider to win the Giro D’Italia
•  He was the first French rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France form the first day to the last.

2. Bernard Hinault

Bernard Hinault was born in France in 1954, and is one of only five riders to have won all three big stage races, and the only to have won each more than once. Hinault is the only rider ever to have finished either first or second in each Tour de France he finished. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985, the Giro D’Italia in 1980, 1982 and 1985 and the Vuelta a España in 1978 and 1983. Among Hinault many other victories are Paris-Roubaix in 1981, Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1977 and 1980 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1980.

1. Eddy Merckx

Eddy Merchx was born in Belgium in 1945 and became the best road bicycle racer the world has ever seen. He won the Tour de France 5 times in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974, the Giro D’Italia 5 times in 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974 and the Vuelta a España once in 1973. Merckx also won the Tour de Suisse once, Paris-Nice 3 times, Dauphné-Libéré once, Paris-Roubaix 3 times, Liège-Bastogne-Liége 5 times and the World Road Race Championship 3 times. Eddy Merckx is also one of only five riders to win all three big stage races during their career, the four others are: Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault and Alberto Contador.

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Top 5 More Ancient Inventions You Think Are Modern

5. Shipyards

The world’s earliest dockyards were built in the Harappan port city of Lothal circa 2400 BC in Gujarat, India. Lothal’s dockyards connected to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert was a part of the Arabian Sea. Lothal engineers accorded high priority to the creation of a dockyard and a warehouse to serve the purposes of naval trade. The dock was built on the eastern flank of the town, and is regarded by archaeologists as an engineering feat of the highest order. It was located away from the main current of the river to avoid silting, but provided access to ships in high tide as well. The name of the ancient Greek city of Naupactus means “shipyeard”. Naupactus’ repuation in this field extends to the time of legend, where it is depicted as the place where the Heraclidae built a fleet to invade the Peloponnesus.

4. Speculum

A speculum (Latin for “mirror”) is a medical tool for investigating body cavities, with a form dependent on the body cavity for which it is designed. Vaginal specula were used by the Romans, and speculum artifacts have been found in Pompeii. The original instruments were excavated from the House of the Surgeon at Pompeii, so named because of the materials that were recovered there. It comprises a priapiscus with 2 (or sometimes 3 or 4) dovetailing valves which are opened and closed by a handle with a screw mechanism, an arrangement that was still to be found in the specula of 18th-century Europe. Soranus is the first author who makes mention of the speculum specially made for the vagina. Graeco-Roman writers on gynecology and obstetrics frequently recommend its use in the diagnosis and treatment of vaginal and uterine disorders, yet it is one of the rarest surviving medical instruments.

3. Processed Rubber

Although vulcanization is a 19th century invention, the history of rubber cured by other means goes back to prehistoric times. The name “Olmec” means “rubber people” in the Aztec language. Ancient Mesoamericans, spanning from ancient Olmecs to Aztecs, extracted latex from Castilla elastica, a type of rubber tree in the area. The juice of a local vine, Ipomoea alba, was then mixed with this latex to create an ancient processed rubber as early as 1600 BC. Archaeological evidence indicates that rubber was already in use in Mesoamerica by the Early Formative Period – a dozen balls were found in the Olmec El Manati sacrificial bog. By the time of the Spanish Conquest, 3000 years later, rubber was being exported from the tropical zones to sites all over Mesoamerica. Iconography suggests that although there were many uses for rubber, rubber balls both for offerings and for ritual ballgames were the primary products.

2. Umbrellas

In the sculptures at Nineveh the parasol appears frequently. Austen Henry Layard gives a picture of a bas-relief representing a king in his chariot, with an attendant holding a parasol over his head. It has a curtain hanging down behind, but is otherwise exactly like those in use today. It is reserved exclusively for the monarch (who was bald), and is never carried over any other person. In Egypt, the parasol is found in various shapes. In some instances it is depicted as a flaellum, a fan of palm-leaves or coloured feathers fixed on a long handle, resembling those now carried behind the Pope in processions. In China, the 2nd century commentator Fu Qian added that this collapsible umbrella of Wang Mang’s carriage had bendable joints which enabled them to be extended or retracted.

1. Toothpaste

 The earliest known reference to toothpaste is in a manuscript from Egypt in the 4th century A.D., which prescribes a mixture of iris flowers. Many early toothpaste formulations were based on urine. However, toothpastes or powders did not come into general use until the 19th century. The Greeks, and then the Romans, improved the recipes for toothpaste by adding abrasives such as crushed bones and oyster shells. In the 9th century, the Persian musician and fashion designer Ziryab is known to have invented a type of toothpaste, which he popularized throughout Islamic Spain. The exact ingredients of this toothpaste are currently unknown, but it was reported to have been both “functional and pleasant to taste”.

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Top 5 Controversial Flags

5. The Patriotes Flag

The Patriotes flag is a politically charged symbol often used by hardline nationalists in Quebec. It was used by the Patriote movement in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) between 1832 and 1838. It is highly similar to the civil flag of the German bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia. Some theories about its origins pretend that the color green was adopted to represent the Irish of Lower Canada, the color white for the “French Canadians” and red the English of the territory. Some also say that the tricolor style was inspired by the French tricolor, symbol of the French Revolution that inspired the Patriotes. It became the national flag of the Republic of Lower Canada at the Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada in 1838.

Nowadays, it is used by contemporary Quebec independence supporters as a symbol of their movement and ideal. As such, it serves a purpose similar to the Estelada flags, symbols of the Catalan independence movement. It is often seen in crowds at Quebec National Day concerts and gatherings and was featured at the voting day assembly of YES supporters of the 1995 Quebec referendum on independence.

4. The Flag of Europe                                                    

The Flag of Europe is the flag and emblem of the European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE.) It consists of a circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background. The blue represents the west, the number of stars represents completeness, while their position in a circle represents unity. The stars do not vary according to the members of either organization as they are intended to represent all the peoples of Europe, even those outside European integration.

In 1985 the EU, which was then the European Economic Community (EEC), adopted it as its own flag (having had no flag of its own before) at the initiative of the European Parliament. The flag is not mentioned in the EU’s treaties, its incorporation being dropped along with the European Constitution, but it is formally adopted in law. Despite it being the flag of two separate organizations, it is often more associated with the EU due to the EU’s higher profile and heavy usage of the emblem. The flag has also been used to represent Europe in sporting events and as a pro-democracy banner outside the Union. Euroscepticism, a general term for opposition to the European Union or the process of European integration, however, makes its use controversial in some cases.

3. The Flag of Iraq

On January 21st, 2008, a new flag was confirmed by the Iraqi parliament. In this current version, the three stars were removed, while the Takbir (the words Allaahu Akbar, or “God is Great”) was left written in green Kufic script. The flag is controversial, as some Iraqis refuse to accept the legitimacy of a government whilst foreign troops remain active in Iraq. Some Sunni tribal leaders took offense at the purging of the stars, a symbol of the nation’s former Sunni regime. However, as of April 2009, Anbar province raise the new Iraqi flag as evident on the official site of Anbar province. The New York Times reports that the flag design recently imposed is designed to be temporary and mentions that Iraqis have “expressed varying opinions about the new flag.”

2. The Confederate Flag

The Confederate battle flag, also called the Southern Cross, Stars and Bars, Dixie Flag, or The Rebel Flag, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses. Others incorporated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The display of the Confederate flag remains a highly controversial and emotional topic, generally because of disagreement over the nature of its symbolism. As a result of these varying perceptions, there have been a number of political controversies surrounding the use of the Confederate flag in Southern state flags, at sporting events, at Southern universities, and on public buildings.

According to Civil War historian and native Southerner Shelby Foote, the flag traditionally represented the South’s resistance to Northern political dominance; it became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, when fighting against desegregation suddenly became the focal point of that resistance.

1. The Flag of the USA

Also called the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and The Star-Spangled Banner, the flag features fifty stars, representing the fifty states, and thirteen stripes, which represent the original thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British crown and became the first states in the Union.

The American flag is to some a symbol of the freedom, liberty and opportunity found in the USA, while to others it represents America’s military presence around the world or economic dominance. While it is not uncommon to see news footage of the American flag being burned in protest in the Middle East, it is also sometimes burnt in protest within the country. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that, due to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is unconstitutional for a government (whether federal, state, or municipality) to prohibit the desecration of a flag, due to its status as “symbolic speech.”

In my opinion, the modern era of multiculturalism in America has brought with it a lack of appreciation for the value of American symbols. America’s earliest generations of immigrants actively assimilated into American culture and appreciated the liberty they were afforded that was often not part of the cultures they left behind.

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