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Top 10 Invented Languages

Inventing a language from scratch might seem like an odd way to spend your time, but there are good reasons to do it. People create languages for scientific, cultural and artistic purposes: to test theories about how the brain works, to help people communicate, to ‘improve’ existing languages, or because they just need a new language for a book they’re writing. Here are some of the best examples of invented languages:

10. Solresol

Developed by Francois Sudre in the first half of the nineteenth century, Solresol is an example of an international auxiliary language: a planned, deliberately simplified language created in order to make worldwide communication easier. Solresol was the first such language to gain any recognition, but what really made it unique is its musical basis: it contains a total of only seven syllables, made up of the names of the musical scale (do re mi fa so la si).

This arrangement meant that words could be written in musical notation, and that the language could be communicated by singing. Syllables could be expressed in seven colors and easily ‘read’ by the illiterate.  Unfortunately, Solresol never really took off, although some devoted fans remain today.

9. Quenya

Quenya was one of at least twenty invented languages used by JRR Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings trilogy. A ceremonial Elvish tongue, it’s the most elaborate of all of Tolkien’s languages. In fact, Middle Earth was invented for Quenya and not vice versa: Tolkien began to write his stories in order to provide his language with a rich historical background.

According to Tolkien, Quenya was his attempt to create the most beautiful language imaginable, and the sounds and grammar were taken mostly from the real Earth languages that he thought were the most beautiful: Finnish, Latin and Greek.

8. Toki Pona

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions can be shaped by the language he speaks. The Toki Pona language is an attempt, based on this theory, to simplify life by using an extremely simplified language. Toki Pona has only 123 words, which can be combined to make more ‘complex’ words. So, ‘happy’ in Toki Pona is ‘feel good’, alcohol is ‘crazy water’ and geology is ‘earth knowledge’. Although it’s easy to learn, the language has some obvious difficulties expressing nuances of meaning.

7. Lingua Ignota

Lingua Ignota was the first known human-made language, created by German abbess Hildegard of Bingen in the 12^th Century. The name means ‘unknown tongue’, and it was probably used as a secret language by Hildegard and her fellow nuns, although its exact purpose remains unclear. Hildegard was an accomplished composer, and words from the language were often used in her musical compositions. She left behind a glossary of only around 1000 words, most of which were religious or medical terms.

6. Laadan

A professor of linguistics, Dr. Suzette Haden, created Laadan as another test of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: in this case, to test the idea that human languages are not adequate for female expression. Laadan is designed to allow people to express things in words which in English can only be conveyed by body language or tone. So, for example, a sentence might contain a special word that indicates that the whole sentence is meant to be a warning.

Laadan also contains many ways to describe emotions: there are separate names for an emotion that means ‘happiness for a good reason’ and one that means ‘happiness for no reason’, and a single word for expressing the feeling of ‘I’m angry for a reason but nothing can be done about it.’

5. Newspeak

Newspeak was created by George Orwell for his novel 1984. The book’s totalitarian was in the process of replacing English with Newspeak, intending to eventually wipe out English altogether. Newspeak’s purpose was to ‘narrow the range of thought’: for example, it did not contain the words free or freedom, so the idea of freedom became literally unthinkable. Rather than creating new words, the government aimed to destroy them. Several words from Newspeak like doublethink and ungood have been picked up into English, where they’re usually used to make a point about something that’s considered totalitarian in nature.

4. Enochian

This language appeared in the 16^th century in a series of books by astrologer John Dee and seer Edward Kelley. According to Dee, it was the language used by God to create the world, which had gradually ‘devolved’ over time to become the Biblical Hebrew of the Old Testament. Luckily for them, this language was taught to Dee and Kelley by angels. Enochian also came with an alphabet, which Dee and Kelley used to write their books detailing magical practices.

Modern skeptics have since pointed out that Enochian has far more in common grammatically with English than any form of Hebrew. Still, the language became popular again in the 20^th century, and it’s still used by some occultists today.

3. E-Prime

Another language constructed to make a philosophical point, E-Prime is simply a version of English that forbids all forms of the verb ‘to be’ (is, was, were, etc). According to Alfred Korzybski, who promoted the language in his 1933 book Science and Sanity, E-Prime can be used to sharpen critical thinking and make ideas clearer. For example, in E-prime a person can’t say ‘This is an awful movie’: it must be rephrased as ‘I dislike this movie.’ ‘You’re wrong’ is also impossible: instead he must say ‘I disagree with you.’ Because of this, it’s easier for speakers and listeners distinguish fact from opinion.

On the other hand, following E-Prime to the letter becomes burdensome: ‘This is a flower’ must become something like ‘English speakers call this a flower.’ Today, E-Prime remains popular, but mostly just as an interesting thought exercise to improve clarity.

2. Esperanto

Esperanto is the most successful international auxiliary language to date, with up to two million speakers worldwide. It was invented in the late 19^th century by a Polish doctor, Ludovik Zamenhof, who wanted to end interethnic conflict by providing everyone with a common tongue. Zamenhof’s aim was a language that was simple to learn and politically neutral.

Esperanto gained in popularity after World War I, but it was suppressed in Poland during World War II, and many associations that promoted it, including the League of Nations, did not survive the war. Today, the closest thing we have to the ‘international language’ dreamed of by Zamenhof is the very non-simple, non-neutral English.

1. Klingon

Esperanto may have more speakers, but Klingon is maybe the most famous constructed language if them all. The language of a fictional warrior alien race in the Star Trek movies and TV shows, Klingon was mostly created by a linguist who deliberately added complex rules and sounds that are rare in human languages. Another possible difficulty for anyone wanting to communicate in Klingon is that, as a space-based language, it’s lacking a lot of normal Earth words. For example, there are several different words for ‘fight’, but no word for ‘hello’: the closest Klingon equivalent is ‘What do you want?’

Despite these challenges, a small amount of dedicated speakers worldwide are able to communicate fluently in Klingon, and there have even been several Klingon translations of Shakespeare plays.

Top 10 Baffling Video Game Accessories

The video game industry has pumped out countless accessories over the years. Most are functional but forgettable, the Ray Romanos of the video game world. Some, like the NES Zapper, are iconic. And then there are these ten, which make absolutely no sense. Maybe they were good ideas that went awry, or maybe they’re shameless attempts to cash in on fads. Or maybe they were designed by a team of drunken monkeys. We’ll never know.

10. Kinect Game Boat

The Game Boat adds a whole new level of realism to all one fifth of the Kinect’s boat themed games. Who would buy an accessory that’s only intended for one portion of one game? Especially if all it does is make the game more awkward to play? The Amazon listing even says it’s “the first accessory for the peripheral which doesn’t need any.” It’s an impediment to fun. Asking a clerk for a Game Boat is like asking a pharmacist to poke holes in your condoms.

The boat looks so poorly designed it would have been rejected by Titanic evacuees. And the box’s crudely translated slogan of, “Enjoy the emotions of the best games in the reality of your home” suggests that the Game Boat was made in a country where video games rank behind trying not to starve to death as the number one pastime. So not only will purchasing the Game Boat announce to the world, “I have no concept of fiscal responsibility,” it will probably support slave labour, too.

9. Wii Baby and Me

Baby and Me is the perfect game for parents who don’t want to waste any time ruining both video games and the idea of reproducing for their children. By adding a Wii Remote to the doll the baby itself becomes a controller, because nothing says “realistic childrearing simulation” like splitting open a baby’s back and jamming a hunk of plastic inside.

Cries, giggles, gurgles and more emerge from the remote, thereby “bringing the baby to life.” Although we’re not sure how having tinny sounds pulsate from an infant’s chest while its cold, dead eyes stare unblinkingly at you could be considered lifelike. Maybe they meant “unlife.”

Once you’ve turned your doll into a cyborg you can play all sorts of exciting minigames with it—everything from rocking the baby to sleep to clapping is included! And several of the minigames are even compatible with the Wii Balance Board, because that’s a wonderful lesson to teach future mothers—the best time to test your balance is when you’re clinging to your newborn child.

8. Wii Cooking Kit

The Wii has more food preparation games than scientists say can theoretically exist, so it makes sense that somebody would try to cash in on this baffling, nature defying market. The only problem is that exactly zero of those games are played with motions that even vaguely resemble cooking. Trying to make pan fried lobster in Cooking Mama is like trying to mime a howler monkey assassinating the pope. Attaching a plastic frying pan won’t make it any more realistic, it will just look like the monkey stopped off at a Home Outfitters.

The demographic of “people who like cooking enough to buy accessories for cooking video games, but not enough to cook actual food” is limited to nerdy anorexics and anyone who’s so fat they can no longer wedge themselves through their kitchen doorway. And the latter works up a sweat just turning on their television—asking them to flip a plastic frying pan would be like asking them to have a heart attack, assuming they didn’t get desperate for a snack and eat it first.

7. Wii Slip Proof Gloves

Are your Wii sessions so intense that you constantly find the controller flying out of your hands? Are you still having difficulty getting the hang of using your thumbs? Or do you just sweat more than Lil Wayne at a paternity test? Whichever it is, the Wii Slip Proof Gloves are the product for you, you disgusting, uncoordinated nerd!

For a mere $12.99, you can purchase the video game equivalent of a special kid helmet. Look, if you need gloves to play video games, you’ve suffered too many concussions to know what video games are. Anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to wear these would choke to death on them when they tried to put them on. Buying these for your children is like admitting that their mother chain smoked during pregnancy. If you need gloves to help you hold a piece of plastic you either lost your fingers in a chainsaw slapping competition or you produce so much perspiration that your pets drown every time you forget to put on deodorant. You’d have to be pretty dumb to buy these, is what we’re trying to say here.

6. Wii Bowling Ball

The Wii Bowling Ball is meant for people who want to spice up the thrills of virtual bowling by making every frame a chance to put a hunk of plastic through their television. It comes with a safety strap, but anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to buy the ball will mistake it for a tail.

The ball is advertised as having, “additional silicone finger slots to accommodate smaller fingers.” That sounds like a feature a sex toy would have, and using this as a sex toy might actually be a safer idea. The quote, “perfect for the gamer looking for something new to conquer” only reinforces that notion, because the only time we’ve heard “conquer” used to describe plastic balls is when they’re intended to enter orifices. And that would probably look less ridiculous than using this to pretend bowl—the image of the Bowling Ball in action looks like it was taken by someone who mistook bowling for rhythmic gymnastics.

5. Wii Inflatable Racing Cart

This inflatable cart features a steering wheel with a slot for a Wii remote, giving players the ability to embarrass themselves in a wide variety of racing games. It looks like a cute idea for kids until you realise it’s impossible to control any game from that position, unless your goal is to crash into walls repeatedly and lose. But don’t take our word for it—check out this hilariously bad promo video, where the picture in picture gameplay clearly doesn’t sync up with what the actors are doing.

That’s a pretty serious design flaw, although if you expected any better from a company that thought it was a masterstroke of artistic design to put “racing” on their racing cart you have nobody to blame but yourself. The cart’s website notes that it was “designed in the style of the sports car,” which only raises further questions. Either this is the most poorly designed sports car in history, or they don’t even know what product they’re selling. And if those are the only two conclusions you can reach about an accessory, you shouldn’t pay money for it.

4. Sega Action Chair

The Sega Action Chair comes from an era where every accessory, no matter how mundane, needed a rad adjective in front of it, like the Nintendo Power Glove, or the Siemens Xtreme Speculum. It also comes from an era where every accessory was an overpriced piece of crap that didn’t work.

In theory, players would sit in the chair, grab the handles and pull themselves around, and the game would react to their movement. But you needed Herculean strength to move the chair just a single inch, and by that point your virtual character had long since died. Trying to play a game with the Action Chair was like trying to make your car turn by leaning over; and the inevitable four car pileup would still be more comfortable than sitting in this monstrosity. Add in the hundred dollar price tag, and the only people who owned an Action Chair were rich kids whose parents passive-aggressively hated them.

3. Sega Activator

The Activator was Sega’s attempt to introduce motion control to the world of video games, but it was about as successful as an attempt to introduce sanitation to New Jersey.

Players used the Activator by standing inside the octagon and having a seizure. Each of the eight panels represented a button, and to “press” that button you waved your hand or foot over it. If it worked, and it often didn’t, you soon discovered the Activator’s biggest flaw—even the simplest combination of moves required an insane motion. Want to perform a special attack in Street Fighter? Punch to the left and right simultaneously while kicking straight back. Trying to rip out some dude’s spine in Mortal Kombat? Kick both legs back at once, and punch backwards and forwards at the same time. Just want to pause the damn game? Do a spinning jump kick while head-butting sideways.

Playing a game against someone with a real controller was like a paraplegic fist fighting a gorilla. By the time you remembered what three directions you needed to punch to shuffle forward they’d already finished kicking your ass. An Activator player’s only hope was to flail at random, and that was only effective if they “accidentally” hit their opponent in the face. After five minutes with the Activator, they’d be angry enough to do it.

2. Wii Car Adaptor

Buying a Wii Car Adaptor is like buying a traffic accident. No matter how safe and responsible your passengers are, sooner or later one of them is going to stick a Wii Remote in your eye and you’ll be running down pedestrians while Mario music plays. And since the sort of person who would buy this would also buy the Wii Bowling Ball, you’ll probably be unconscious while it happens.

The only people who think it’s safe to use this don’t know what cars are. It would be less irresponsible to install a minibar in your vehicle than it would be to let people play Wii Sports while you drive. If you were pulled over by the police and they saw you had a Wii Car Adaptor installed, they’d legally be allowed to beat you. It probably comes with a disclaimer stating that the manufacturer can’t be held responsible for your vehicular manslaughter. The only upside to the Wii Car Adaptor is that anyone who uses it shouldn’t be contributing to the gene pool anyway.

1. Rez Trance Vibrator

Rez is a rail shooter set to electronic music. Vibrators are sex toys set to vaginas. Combining them was so obvious.

Produced only in Japan (of course), the Trance Vibrator pulsed in time to the game’s soundtrack. The official story was that you were supposed to hold, pocket or sit on the vibrator while you played, and the sensation would “extend the game’s synaesthesia.” The idea behind Rez was that everything, from the graphics to the gameplay, synced up with the music, and the vibrator would bring that synchronisation to a player’s sense of touch. There was just one tiny flaw—everyone used it to masturbate.

And we’re not just jumping to perverted conclusions—for one thing, the use of the word “synaesthesia” makes it sound like they would have packaged a hit of acid with the game had it been legal, so it’s hard to believe their intentions were pure. As further evidence, check out this quote from the game’s creator: “You can put it anywhere—your foot, your back, your waist. It’s up to our customers’ imagination.” He didn’t explicitly add “Jam it up your butt if it makes you happy,” but the implication is there. Did we mention the vibrator was designed to be washable?

Top 10 Extravagant Luxuries of the Ultra Rich

When you are a member of the elite Ultra Rich you have enough money to buy almost anything. It’s fun to dream about what you might buy if you had a million dollars – but what if you had billions? Here are the top 10 most extravagant luxuries enjoyed by the richest people in the world:

10. Excessive Personal Entourages

It’s understandable that rich folks are generally busy doing what they do and so they hire assistants. But for the Ultra-Rich, the concept of help has reached ridiculous levels of hedonism. Take mega superstar Mariah Carey. You might not be a Mariah fan, but her work has allowed her to amass a fortune that has an estimated value of $500 million. With that wealth, Mariah has taken the concept of luxury to new heights. Ms. Carey employs a battalion size staff that literally caters to her ever whim (whim, not need mind you). The woman has an assistant whose sole job is to carry around sanitary hand wipes to give to Carey after she shakes hands with anyone. It is reported that she even has an assistant who has the responsibility of telling Mariah how beautiful she is every morning and several times throughout the day. Now that’s a Diva! Then of course there is the globetrotting and mega film starlet Angelina Jolie. With a personal fortune valued at $100 million, Ms. Jolie (and able companion Brad Pitt) employs a small legion of assistants to help her. This includes a gaggle of nannies (of different nationalities to match the nations of birth of her adopted kids), at least 4 nurses and a doctor, a couple of personal assistants cooks, maids, cleaners, bodyguards and the like. The Ultra-Rich value their time and hire other folks to take care of mundane tasks associated with living life, while they can pursue more important tasks.

9. Professional Sports Teams

A lot of us are sports fans- we love our basketball, football, baseball, etc. We go to the games and we sport the team apparel in support. And that’s about it. Only big boys (and girls) have enough paper (that’s money for those of you who aren’t hip) to purchase their very own professional sports team. What sports fan hasn’t wanted to be the ‘the man’ of their favorite franchise and be able to chart the winning course! For most of us, this is about as likely as hitting the lottery. But for a very select few, the dream is a reality: for a very steep price. You have to be insanely rich to afford a franchise in one of the three major American sports (football, basketball and baseball). Take the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League as an example. Dubbed ‘America’s Team’, a fan and businessman Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 for a hefty price (at the time) of $150 million. With personal net worth at about $1.8 billion (he made his money in oil) this was a pretty good deal for him because in this exceptional case the stadium was included. That move allowed him to maximize his profit potential once the team improved its play on the field and the fans started to return. Today, that $150 million investment is worth $1.8 billion, as the latest assessment values the Cowboys. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (worth about $13 billion) owns two professional teams. In 1988, he bought the National Basketball Association’s Portland Trailblazers for the cool sum of $70 million. Nine years later, he dropped another $200 million for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Today, these investments are worth $356 million and $994 million, respectively. Consequently, the price to attend a professional sports event has skyrocketed. Between player’s salaries and the insane cost of the franchise itself, owners are diligently working to recoup on their investments.

8. Media Outlets

If you want to make money and you’re a public figure or entertainer (i.e. talk show host, singer, etc.), then your horse is usually tied to whichever production company is willing to support you. Sure, if you’re successful, you will reap a benefit; but the vast majority of the funds you generate are going to go to the company you work for. The solution to this (as well as the ability to chart one’s own creative and visionary course) is to own your production company. Of course this is easier said than done – the large media conglomerates hold a monopoly on any type of real control in this arena. It takes real money and leverage to do otherwise. Enter craft master Martha Stewart. The former caterer has turned her culinary/ home crafts skills into a multi-billion dollar industry by taking control of her business ventures. By consolidating her various enterprises under the umbrella of her media company, Martha Living Ominimedia – Ms. Stewart has amassed a net worth of $600+ million. Martha owns her own magazines (Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings), produces and markets her television show (Martha StewartLiving), and markets/sells a whole slew of product lines. Then of course there is Oprah. With a staggering net worth of $2.4 billion, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful and influential media personalities. Her Harpo Productions has long produced her award winning and highly rated, The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as other media projects. This cash cow (and other ventures such as her own magazine ‘O’), has allowed Ms. Winfrey to take another step in media dominance as she has purchased her own cable TV network. Christened OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network, natch), the cable channel (a 24/7 affair of Oprah inspired entertainment) allows Oprah to do what she wants, how she wants. And keep all the money if it works!

7. Ultra-Extravagant Weddings

Marriage is a special commitment and getting married is a special occasion. The average wedding in the US will set a normal couple back about $24,000. Personally, I thought that figure was a little on the high end – but I’m cheap. For the Ultra-Rich, $24,000 probably wouldn’t pay for the flowers. Take the wedding of Sheik Mohammad bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (whew!). This gentleman is the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and he was getting married (to a princess, in fact!). Well, when you’re a prince of a very oil rich nation, no expense is to be spared for something as special as marriage. His parents commissioned for a 20,000 seat stadium to be built for the occasion. The total cost for what turned into a week-long celebration (the prince visited and fed the residents of every town in the small country) was close to $100 million (when adjusted for inflation – this took place in 1981). Of course there was the very lavish wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Royalty do weddings like no other and this international event had a $32 million price tag. With spectacular carriages, an amazing ceremony in historic churches, custom designed wedding dresses, military regalia, and the entire world watching – the event was billed as the marriage of the century. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, but it was truly a fairy-tale wedding event.

6. Legacy Endowments

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” Granted, I believe that Stan Lee wrote these words for Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) back in the 1960s, but the sentiment applies to those of great wealth as well as superheroes. In most cases, perhaps surprisingly, the Ultra-Rich step up to the plate and invest a good deal of their financial resources to lasting causes. While some could argue that the point behind so-called legacy endowments is to maintain one’s name into perpetuity – the end result is still worthwhile. One of the first such endowments was the legacy gift left by business mogul Andrew Carnegie back in 1910. He endowed $10 million to a trust for the purpose to” hasten the abolition of international war.” Today, we see a good deal of work in the area of endowments being done by multi-billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet (through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Based on the concept that “every life has equal value” the gates Foundation funds a slew of grants that seek to improve the living conditions and opportunities of people around the world. This particular endowment is valued at $37 billion and has handed out well over $24 billion in grants since its creation. Indeed, Mr. Buffet has stated that he intends to leave his entire fortune to the foundation upon his death. I don’t know how his heirs feel about this, but that’s certainly a charitable contribution considering his net worth is $50 billion. No doubt his legacy is one that will stand the test of time.

5. Election to Political Office

The Ultra-Rich get ultra-bored. When making money, which these folks are obviously very good at, becomes ho-hum; the Ultra-Rich turns their sights to other pursuits. For some, government service in public office becomes a worthwhile endeavor. To their credit, they aren’t doing it for the money – we all know that government service doesn’t pay what these guys can make in a day. Whatever the personal motivation, some of the Ultra-Rich have been very successful in the political arena. The current mayor of New York City is a shining example (check the video above – 5 minutes in). Michael Bloomberg is listed as the 8^th richest person in America, with a portfolio that is valued in the $18 billion range. By far, he is the richest person holding public office. Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the terminator and former governor of California, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The box-office superstar has a net worth somewhere in the area of $800 million. Of course, there have been other less successful forays into public service by the Ultra-Rich. Perhaps the most well-known are the presidential runs of self-made billionaire Ross Perot. While Mr. Perot did manage to secure 20% of the popular vote when he ran in 1992; he failed to earn a single of the all-important Electoral College votes (though he spent a good deal of his own money in the attempt). There is also the example of Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estee Lauder fortune (and a personally worth of about $3 billion). Mr. Lauder made a run for the mayor’s office in New York City in 1989, but lost the contest to Rudy Giuliani. What’s interesting however is where Mr. Lauder cut his teeth at government service – first at the Pentagon, then as the US ambassador to Austria. Not too shabby at all.

4. $100+ Million Homes

Perhaps the most visible and important symbol of wealth (Ultra or otherwise) is the home that one owns. You might not live there, but you better have a crib that’s worth some serious dough if you want to be in the Rich and Famous club. The Ultra-Rich, of course, take this concept to the next level. The Ultra-Rich have homes that could house a small country in terms of size. Aaron Spelling’s home in Los Angeles, for example, is 56,000 sq feet! With over 120 rooms, it sits on 4.6 acres of prime LA real estate. And with a $150 million price tag, it can be yours if this fits your lifestyle. Bill Gates’ lakeside home in Medina Washington is said to be a technological wonder befitting something out of Star Trek (or the tech whiz persona of the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire). Named Xanadu, the Gates family home measures out at an impressive 66,000 sq ft and is valued at about $147 million. While the Gate’s home has all of the normal trappings of a mansion – lots of rooms, libraries, etc; the features that garner the most attention are tech based. One in particular requires all guests to wear a special pen that allows the home to tailor certain features of the home to the wearer’s preference – such as room temperatures, music, etc. On the extreme end of this future home is the house of Mukest Ambani, the 9^th richest man in the world and head of Reliance Industries in Mumbai. His future home, which he has christened “Antilla”, will cost an estimated $2 billion! And this is not just another run of the mill super mansion. No sir! Mr. Ambani is building himself a tower. Planned to reach upwards of 550 ft, the home is said to be based on the well-known Mumbai Tower. Every floor is to feature a different design, with no two being the same. With over 400,000 ft of planned interior space, we can expect that every luxurious feature will be available upon its completion.

3. Super Yachts

The Ultra-Rich only deal in the grand and this definitely includes the yachts that spark their interest or even get their attention. Super yachts, by definition (and I looked this up), is any yacht that measures 80 feet or longer. Well, the Ultra-Rich find the number meager. At least Roman Abramovich (the Russian billionaire business tycoon) does: he happens to own the largest yacht (at least currently) in the world. His super yacht, the Eclipse, measures out at 531.5 feet. This, of course, to go along with his 282 ft yacht, the Ecstasea; and the 377 ft yacht, the Pelorus. It’s best, apparently, to have a set of yachts. The second largest yacht in the world, the Dubai – coming in at 526 ft – is owned by one of the richest men in the world (some say richest), Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai. These super yachts are literally homes that float. Private gyms, luxurious bedrooms, helicopter pads, full staff, submarines, jet skis – you name it, these super yachts have it. And the price? Well, these babies fall in the $19 million plus range. But as they say, “you get what you pay for!”

2. Luxurious Submarines

Submarines. Really. Apparently yachts are no longer the sole nautical symbol of extreme wealth. It seems that the Ultra-Rich are now very interested in doing their best impressions of Captain Nemo and have taken to the depths of the world’s oceans and seas. But even Jacque Costeau would marvel at the technological wonder of these modern-day submersibles for play. And believe me, these are toys that only the rich can afford. Super venture capitalist Tom Perkins had to lay down a cool $1.5 million for his Super Falcon sub, just to give you a hint. Subs bring a whole new dimension to scuba diving – which is pretty much the extent of what these vehicles are used for (these vehicles are large enough for 1 to 4 people). For the most part, the folks who can afford these personal subs include them as an extra feature with their Super Yachts. Microsoft co-founder and multi-billionaire Paul Allen has two subs on his super yacht, the Octopus. Though one has to wonder when someone will buy an actual full size submarine and trick it out. Hmmm…

1. Personal Islands

The wealthy tend to value their privacy and nothing (really!) can be more private than your very own island. Picture a tropic getaway: beautiful weather, crystal clear water, sandy beaches… all nestled away on a small speck of land in the middle of the ocean. Surprisingly (at least to me), real estate of this nature is available for purchase – if you have that type of cash to afford it. Mega superstar Mel Gibson ponied up $15 million for his Mago Island (located in Fiji), while the Magic Man himself, Mr. David Copperfield (who pulls in a whopping $57 mil a year) owns not one, but a slew of small islands in the Bahamas. The prices for tropical properties surrounded by water vary – depending on location, development and access; purchasers will spend in the neighborhood of $3 to $25 million. But just think – unless some natives come along with the property (which would be kind of cool – that would make you a king or something wouldn’t it??)  – having an island affords one with a level of privacy and peace that would be hard to capture anywhere else.

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Fashion High Heel Shoes

There are many styles of shoes which are narrower than others and therefore can suit those that are looking for narrow shoes. Through these types of shoes that are available, high heels, pumps and stilettos are often some of the most popular narrow shoes that are available. Choosing a variety of narrow width shoes can ensure that you are prepared for a variety of occasions, from outfits that require formal shoes, as well as shoes which can be worn through the day, on a day to day basis.

Shopping for narrow shoes means that you will often have less of a choice when it comes to choosing shoes for a different occasion. Through the choices which are available through traditional shoes, many women find that some types of shoes are narrower than others, as well as some brands and therefore women are able to find some of these brands that suit their narrow feet. In the case that you are unable to find these brands that have narrow widths within the shoes, than there are always options available to choose shoes from the internet that can be purchased to fit even the narrowest of feet.

While shopping for women’s narrow shoes, there are many choices that are available through retailers that specialize in custom shoes, as well as those sites which are available on the internet. Through these websites, there are often brands which specialize in narrow shoes. Through these shoe websites, you are able to find a variety of brands, a variety of styles and shoes that can be worn for many, many occasions.

When shopping online, be sure to look at the detailed size charts and measurements that are available. This can help to ensure that you are finding the right size.

Painting Test

Imagine you are walking into an Art Gallery, there are 4 paintings on the wall…

Painting (1) = a tree with falling leaves, autumn season…

Painting (2) = many trees with lots of leaves and sturdy trunks…

Painting (3) = a tree in the winter season,with snow….

Painting (4) = a garden with trees and flowers…

Rank these four paintings according to your preference…from the one you like best to the one you least like…

Scroll down for interpretation:

This test is to see what you think is important when choosing your partner.

Painting (1) = Money : your partner has to be well to do.

Painting (2) = Figure : your partner has to be well built/has a fantastic figure.

Painting (3) = Looks : looks means a lot to you.

Painting (4) = Personality : a person with good character will attract you

Answers Some Funny Tricky Questions

I am going to ask you three questions.
And you have to answer them instantly.

You can’t take your time you have to answer immediately.
Let’s find out just how clever you really are ……..

First Question:
You are participating in a race. You overtake the second.
What position do you finish?

Think

NOW! See the answer below..

Second Question:

If you overtake the last then you arrive…?

Think

NOW! See the answer below..

Third Question:
Subject: *Very very Tricky maths!
Note: This riddle must be done IN YOUR HEAD ONLY and NOT using paper and a pen.
Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it.
Now add another 1000.
Now add 30.
Another 1000.
Now add 20.
Now add another 1000.
Now add 10.

What is the total? (scroll down for answer)

Did you get 5000?

Answers:

Answer 1 :
If you answer that you arrived first, then you are absolutely wrong!!!
Cause you overtake the second and you take his place so you arrived second!!!

Answer 2 :
If you answer that you arrived second last then you are wrong again.
Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST !!!! The question is wrong!
You’re not very good at this are you???

Answer 3 :

The correct answer is actually 4100.
Don’ t believe it? Check with your calculator!
The decimal sequence confuses our brain, that always jumps to the highest decimals (100s instead of 10s).

Try To Figure This One Out

A king’s princess wanted to get married to smart man to rule the kingdom. The king called on the three smartest men in his kingdom to come forth. “I’m going to put either a red or a white dot on each of you foreheads when your eyes are closed.” said the king. The men closed their eyes, and the king put a red dot on each of there foreheads. They could see eachothers but not their own. When the men opened their eyes the king said “If you see red raise your hand. All three men raised their hands. “If one of you can tell me what color of dot you’ve got on your forehead please stand up. There will be no talking.” One man stood up, waited a minute, and said “I’ve got a red dot on my head.” How did he know what colour dot was on his forehead.

Answer :

If he had a white dot on his forehead. the other two would’ve stood up immediately because the other one had stuck up his hand. If the man standing up had white, the other man must have seen red on him.

True Analysis

Situation:
You are in a deep deep forest…as you walk on you saw an old hut standing there…
(1) What is the status of the door? (Opened/closed)

You enter the hut and see a table…
(2) What is the shape of the table?
(Round/Oval/Square/Rectangle/Triangle)

On top of the table there is a vase…in the vase there is water.
(3) How much water is it filled up with?
(Full/Half/Empty)

(4) and what is the vase made of?
[(Glass/porcelain/clay)(metal/plastic/wood)]

You walk out of the hut…as you carry on your walk in the forest… you see a waterfall from afar…there is water runningdown…
(5) What is the speed of the water?
(Choose a number ranging from 0 to 10)

Some time after the waterfall…you step on something hard on the ground… as you look down… you see glistening gold in colour. You bend down and pick it up… it is a keychain chained with keys…
6) How many key /keys you see hanging on the keychain?
(Choose a number ranging from 1 to 10) You walk on and on…trying to find your way out… suddenly you see a castle.
(7) What is the condition of the castle?
(Old/new)

You enter the castle and saw a pool of murky water with shining jewels floating on it…
(8) Will you pick up the jewel?
(YES/NO)

Next to the murky pool… there’s another pool…with clear water and money floating on it…
(9) Will you pick the money?
(YES/NO)

Walking to the end of the castle there is an exit…you proceed to walk out of the castle. Outside the exit, there is big garden, you see a box on the ground.
(10) What is the size of the box?
(small/medium/big)

(11) What is the material of the box?
(cardboard/paper/wooden/metal)

There is a bridge in the garden some distance away from the box,
(12) What is the bridge made of?
(metal/wooden/rattan)

Across the bridge, there is a horse.
(13) What is the colour of the horse?
(white/grey/brown/black)

(14) What is the horse doing?
(still and quiet/nibbling grass/running about)

OH NO!!! There is a tornado coming… some distance from the horse.
You have 3 options:

run and hide in the box?
run and hide under the bridge?
run to the horse, ride on and gallop away?
||||||||||||||||||||

Here are the interpretations:
(1) The door:
opened door – you are a person who iswilling to share
closed door – you are a person who is keeping things to yourself

(2) The table:
Round/oval – any friends that came along, you will accept and trust them completely
Square/rectangle – you are a bit more choosy on friends and only hangout with those whom you think are on the same frequency
Triangle – you are really very very picky about friends and there are not many friends in your life

(3) Water in vase:
Empty – your life is not fulfilled
Half filled – what you want in your life is half fullfilled
Full – your life is completely fulfilled and good for you!

(4) Material of vase:
glass/clay/porcelain – you are weak in your life and tends to be fragile
metal/plastic/wood – you are strong in your life

(5) Flow of waterfall:
0 – no sex drive at all
1 to 4 – low sex drive
5 – average sex drive
6 to 9 – high sex drive
10 – gone case!!! super high sex drive!!! Can’t live without sex… hahahaha… LOL…

(6) Keys:
1 – you have one good friend in your life
2 to 5 – you have a few good friends in your life
6 to 10 – you have a lot good friends

(7) Castle:
Old – shows that your last relationship is not a good one and is not memorable to you.
New – your last relationship is good and it’s still fresh in your heart.

(8) The jewel from the murky pool water:
YES – when your partner is around you, you will flirt around with others.
NO – when your partner is around, you will stick around with him/her most of the time.

(9) The money from the clear water pool:
YES – even when your partner is not around you, you will still flirt around with others.
NO – even when your partner is not around, you will still think of her and and will be loyal to her, not flirting around with others.

(10) The size of the box:
small – low ego
medium – average ego
big – high ego

(11) Material of the box (outlook of the box):
cardboard/paper/wooden(non-shining) – humble personality
metal – proud and stuck up personality

(12) The material of the bridge:
metal bridge – have very strong bond with your friends
wooden bridge – average bond with your friends
rattan bridge – you are not in good terms with your friends

(13) Colour of the horse:
white – your partner is pure and good in your heart.
grey/brown – your partner is only average in your heart.
black – your partner doesn’t seem to be good in your heart and appears to be bad sign.

(14) Horse action:
still and quiet/nibbling grass – your partner is a very homely and humble person.
running about – your partner is a wild type person.

This the last but most important part of the test.

From how I ended the story… a tornado approaches…
What are you going do?
There are only 3 options:

run and hide in the box?
run and hide under the bridge?
run to the horse, ride on and gallop away?
What will you choose?
Now, the above is signified by these things:
tornado – problems in your life
box – you
bridge – your friends
horse – your partner

(i) So if you choose the box, you keep your problems to yourself whenever you are met with problems.
(ii) or if you choose the bridge, you will go to your friends whenever you are met problems.
(iii) or lastly if you choose the horse, you seek your partner whenever your partner whenever you are met with problems.

50 Fun things to do in an Elevator

1. Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
2. Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers that this is your “personal space.”
3. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: “Shut up, dammit, all of you just shut UP!”
4. Whistle the first seven notes of “It’s a Small World” incessantly.
5. Sell Girl Scout cookies.
6. On a long ride, sway side to side at the natural frequency of the elevator.
7. Shave.
8. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: “Got enough air in there?”
9. Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
10. Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
11. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
12. Lean over to another passenger and whisper: “Noogie patrol coming!”
13. Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.
14. One word: Flatulence!
15. On the highest floor, hold the door open and demand that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go “plink” at the bottom.
16. Do Tai Chi exercises.
17. Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: “I’ve got new socks on!”
18. When at least 8 people have boarded, moan from the back: “Oh, not now, damn motion sickness!”
19. Give religious tracts to each passenger.
20. Meow occassionally.
21. Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.
22. Frown and mutter “gotta go, gotta go” then sigh and say “oops!”
23. Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.
24. Sing “Mary had a little lamb” while continually pushing buttons.
25. Holler “Chutes away!” whenever the elevator descends.
26. Walk on with a cooler that says “human head” on the side.
27. Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce “You’re one of THEM!” and move to the far corner of the elevator.
28. Burp, and then say “mmmm…tasty!”
29. Leave a box between the doors.
30. Ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.
31. Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers “through” it.
32. Start a sing-along.
33. When the elevator is silent, look around and ask “is that your beeper?”
34. Play the harmonica.
35. Shadow box.
36. Say “Ding!” at each floor.
37. Lean against the button panel.
38. Say “I wonder what all these do” and push the red buttons.
39. Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
40. Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your kleenex to other passengers.
41. Bring a chair along.
42. Take a bite of a sandwich and ask another passenger: “Wanna see wha in muh mouf?”
43. Blow spit bubbles.
44. Pull your gum out of your mouth in long strings.
45. Announce in a demonic voice: “I must find a more suitable host body.”
46. Carry a blanket and clutch it protectively.
47. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
48. Wear “X-Ray Specs” and leer suggestively at other passengers.
49. Stare at your thumb and say “I think it’s getting larger.”
50. If anyone brushes against you, recoil and holler “Bad touch!