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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Best photo editing Web sites




Picnik - This is probably the cleanest design of all of the online editors. Each tools are accessed through tabs, and this presents both a benefit and a drawback. Without multiple tools on the screen, it's not as easy to switch between tools. That said, you always know what too you're working with, making for a very straightforward editor.

Splashup - Still in beta, this Java application has more functionality than Picnik, treading close that of a standalone photo editor. One thing that was noticeably missing in my test (and a must, in my opinion, for any editor that allows selection of parts of images) is the "magic lasso" tool. Still, it's impressive how much you can do beyond adjust color and tone, and the ability to work in layers is invaluable.

Fotoflexer - Another editor with tools laid out in tabs, Fotoflexer offers the most options for direct photo sharing. Everything from Facebook and Flickr to Orkut and Twitter is available. Layers are also available to work in, though not to the extent that you can in Splashup. This editor does have no features in beta that are worth testing, including "Curves," giving you access to the histogram.

Pixenate - Even though it's one of my favorite editors to play with, don't mistake that for not having options. Pixenate has the friendly tool options you expect (including a "spirit level" which comes in handier than you'd think!), as well as a toolbox of fun effects. I haven't seen another editor that allows you to take one photo and make an Andy Warhol-style pop art version of your image.

Photoshop.com - You would think this would be the granddaddy of them all, but it's not. Originating as Photoshop Express back in March, it's matured beyond that beta version. It combines the essential editing tools with photo sharing capabilities, and also makes for clean distribution to other Web sites. I really like the layout and having my online editing and sharing in one spot.

Source:

A.M. Brown

www.examiner.com


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James Dean would turn 77 if alive today


  • Born: 8 February 1931
  • Birthplace: Marion, Indiana
  • Died: 30 September 1955 (automobile crash)
  • Best Known As: Movie icon and star of Rebel Without a Cause

In little more than a year's time and after appearing in only three feature films, James Byron Dean became one of the most admired screen stars of all time, achieving cult status and becoming an icon of American culture. The son of a dental technician, Dean was born in Marion, IN, an unprepossessing Midwestern burg that has since become a shrine to Dean aficionados. At five, Dean moved to Los Angeles with his family. Four years later, his mother died, and he was returned to the Midwest, to be cared for by relatives on their Fairmount, IN, farm. Upon graduation from high school, he returned to California and attended Santa Monica Junior College and U.C.L.A., later gravitating to acting, first with James Whitmore's workshop group, then in television commercials. His earliest existing film appearance was as one of Christ's apostles in "Hill Number One," a 1951 episode of the TV religious series Family Theatre. Working as a busboy between acting engagements in New York, he was given his first Broadway break in the short-lived The Jaguar. Dean soon began receiving uncredited bit parts in Hollywood films, the most prominent of which was his tongue-twisting turn as a soda emporium customer in Universal's Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952). Then it was back to New York, where he observed classes at the Actors' Studio. While making a few scattered live-TV appearances, Dean paid the bills by working as a "test pilot" on the audience-participation series Beat the Clock, walking through the various stunts in rehearsal to see if "normal" people could perform them during the telecast. Upon being cast in the Broadway play The Immoralist, he was compelled to give up his Beat the Clock job to another aspiring actor, Warren Oates.

Creating a sensation as an Arab gigolo in The Immoralist, Dean came to the attention of director Elia Kazan, who'd previously brought the "Method" to the masses by casting Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and Viva Zapata! (1952). Sensing an embryonic Brando in Dean, Kazan cast the sensitive young actor as Cal Trask in the 1955 film adaptation of Steinbeck's East of Eden. Playing a hell-raising teenager who yearned openly and unashamedly to be loved and accepted by his rigid and taciturn father (Raymond Massey), Dean "spoke" to the disenfranchised youth of the Eisenhower era far more eloquently than any previous actor. Dean carried his loner persona over into his next film, Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Even after four decades, this Nicholas Ray-directed film remains the quintessential misunderstood-teen flick. While Rebel was in production, East of Eden hit the theaters, stirring up the first signs of Dean's staggering popularity -- what would later become the "James Dean Cult." Knowing they had a gold mine on their hands, Warner Bros. instantly upped the budget of Rebel, scrapping the black-and-white footage that had already been shot and starting the whole project over in color and Cinemascope. Now committed to a seven-year contract at Warners, Dean was afforded third billing to Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor in Giant, director George Stevens' epic cinemazation of Edna Ferber's best-seller. As Jett Rink, Dean once more played the brooding outsider, this time separated from his heart's desire by his lowly station in life. Even when cast in a villainous light, however, Dean remains the most fascinating presence in the film, especially in his brilliantly choreographed climactic drunk scene. Dean plays the cast-off loner in all three of his starring features, unable to draw attention to himself until forcing the issue.

Off camera, Dean unfortunately possessed a fascination with fast cars. Upon completing Giant, he piled into his new 7,000 dollar Porsche and zoomed off to a racing event in Salinas. Traveling 115 miles an hour, Dean was killed in a head-on crash just outside Paso Robles, CA. The hysterical outpouring of grief that attended his death had not been witnessed by the motion picture community since the demise of Rudolph Valentino in 1926. The cult worship of James Dean assumed a variety of shapes, sizes, and degrees. Book upon book has been written about Dean's short life; original poster art from his films has been auctioned off at astronomical prices and two full-length biopics have been produced: the hastily cobbled together The James Dean Story (1957) and the made-for-TV James Dean (1976), the latter project based on the memoirs of Dean's roommate, James Bast, and starring Stephen McHattie. After Dean's death, two of the actor's scheduled post-Giant projects, the 1955 TV musical adaptation of Our Town and the 1956 Rocky Graziano biopic Somebody Up There Likes Me, were both re-cast with Paul Newman. It is quite possible that the James Dean mystique, which persists to the present day, might not have been as intense had he lived longer, but like so many others untimely ripped from our midst -- Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon -- James Dean has transcended mere idol status and entered the hallowed halls of Legend.

By:

Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Dave Matthews Band - Bio

South African vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews formed the Dave Matthews Band in Virginia in the early '90s. Featuring the creative talents of Matthews, Stefan Lessard, LeRoi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, and Carter Beauford, the group presented a more pop-oriented version of the Grateful Dead crossed with traces of jazz, funk, and the worldbeat explorations of Paul Simon and Sting. The band built up a strong word-of-mouth following in the early '90s by touring the country constantly, with special attention paid to college campuses. In addition to amassing a sizable following, their self-released album Remember Two Things sold well for an independent release; soon, they were attracting the attention of major labels. Signing with RCA, the Dave Matthews Band released their major-label debut, Under the Table and Dreaming, in the fall of 1994. By spring of 1995, the record had launched the hit single "What Would You Say" and sold over a million copies, thus setting the stage for an extremely successful career.

A year and a half after the release of Under the Table and Dreaming, the record had sold over four million copies in the U.S. alone. In April of 1996, the Dave Matthews Band released Crash, which entered the charts at number two and quickly went platinum. Throughout 1996, the group toured behind Crash, which reached multi-platinum status and spun off five successful singles. Also in 1996, Matthews launched an attack on bootleggers in conjunction with the Federal Government, targeting stores that were selling semi-legal discs of live performances. The efforts of Matthews, his band, and his management resulted in an unprecedented crackdown on bootleggers in early 1997 -- with nearly all of the major foreign bootlegging companies placed under arrest by the United States -- thereby putting a moratorium on the entire underground industry.

To further combat the bootleggers, Dave Matthews released an official double-disc live album, Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95, in the fall of 1997. It was an unexpected success, debuting at number three on the charts and selling a million copies within the first five months of its release. The live record paved the way for a string of future DMB concert recordings; it also drummed up support for the April 1998 release of Before These Crowded Streets, the group's most ambitious album to date. Another two-disc live effort, Listener Supported, followed a year later. Summer tours also packed the band's schedule during the late '90s, with sold-out shows across the U.S. The new millennium, however, saw the band returning to the studio with Glen Ballard to record a fourth studio album -- Everyday, issued in February 2001. Although popular, it was overshadowed by rumors of a darker album that was recorded with Steve Lillywhite in 2000 but ultimately rejected; the band eventually chose songs from the session, re-recorded several others, and released the results in July 2002 as Busted Stuff. Its debut single, "Where Are You Going," was also featured on the soundtrack to the Adam Sandler flick Mr. Deeds.

In 2003, Matthews released his first solo album, the moody and brooding Some Devil. A "Dave Matthews and Friends" tour followed -- his "friends" being Trey Anastasio, Brady Blade, Tony Hall, Ray Paczkowski, and Tim Reynolds -- and the album's chief single, "Gravedigger," earned Matthews a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. The Dave Matthews Band returned to the road in 2004 and released more live material. They also joined Bruce Springsteen's Vote for Change tour toward the end of the year, just as their mail-order-only DMB Live Trax series debuted. In early 2005, they launched a website that featured progress reports on their next album in the form of video footage, diaries, and soundbites. When the flawed Stand Up finally appeared in May, it was the band's first album of all-new material since 2001's Everyday. Like its three predecessors, Stand Up topped the charts, making DMB the only band other than U2 to score four consecutive number one albums.

Weekend on the Rocks, another live set, followed Stand Up at the end of the year. In 2006, the two-disc compilation The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 presented one disc of previously released studio material and one of unreleased live recordings. The year 2007 found Matthews and Tim Reynolds touring Europe and America. Work had also begun on a new DMB studio album, but the band temporarily shelved the project during pre-production to focus on touring. They returned to the studio the following year, but LeRoi Moore unfortunately passed away before the album could be completed. The saxophonist had suffered a serious ATV accident in June and ultimately succumbed to his injuries two months later.

Source:

All Music Guide
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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Free Games Downloads




Get'em here!


http://takegame.com/reflexive.htm
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Sunday, September 21, 2008

Rock'n Roll Complete Inductee List

2008
Performer

* John Mellencamp
* Leonard Cohen
* Madonna
* The Dave Clark Five
* The Ventures

Sidemen

* Little Walter

Non-Performer

* Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff

2007
Performer

* Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
* Patti Smith
* R.E.M.
* The Ronettes
* Van Halen

2006
Performer

* Black Sabbath
* Blondie
* Lynyrd Skynyrd
* Miles Davis
* Sex Pistols

Lifetime Achievement

* Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss

2005
Performer

* Buddy Guy
* Percy Sledge
* The O'Jays
* The Pretenders
* U2

Lifetime Achievement

* Frank Barsalona
* Seymour Stein

2004
Performer

* Bob Seger
* George Harrison
* Jackson Browne
* Prince
* The Dells
* Traffic
* ZZ Top

Lifetime Achievement

* Jann S. Wenner

2003
Performer

* AC/DC
* Elvis Costello & the Attractions
* Righteous Brothers
* The Clash
* The Police

Sidemen

* Benny Benjamin
* Floyd Cramer
* Steve Douglas

Non-Performer

* Mo Ostin

2002
Performer

* Brenda Lee
* Gene Pitney
* Isaac Hayes
* Ramones
* Talking Heads
* Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Sidemen

* Chet Atkins

Non-Performer

* Jim Stewart

2001
Performer

* Aerosmith
* Michael Jackson
* Paul Simon
* Queen
* Ritchie Valens
* Solomon Burke
* Steely Dan
* The Flamingos

Sidemen

* James Burton
* Johnnie Johnson

Non-Performer

* Chris Blackwell

2000
Performer

* Bonnie Raitt
* Earth, Wind & Fire
* Eric Clapton
* James Taylor
* Lovin' Spoonful
* The Moonglows

Early Influence

* Billie Holiday
* Nat "King" Cole

Sidemen

* Earl Palmer
* Hal Blaine
* James Jamerson
* King Curtis
* Scotty Moore

Non-Performer

* Clive Davis

1999
Performer

* Billy Joel
* Bruce Springsteen
* Curtis Mayfield
* Del Shannon
* Dusty Springfield
* Paul McCartney
* The Staple Singers

Early Influence

* Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
* Charles Brown

Non-Performer

* George Martin

1998
Performer

* Fleetwood Mac
* Gene Vincent
* Lloyd Price
* Santana
* The Eagles
* The Mamas and the Papas

Early Influence

* Jelly Roll Morton

Non-Performer

* Allen Toussaint

1997
Performer

* Buffalo Springfield
* Crosby Stills and Nash
* Joni Mitchell
* Parliament-Funkadelic
* The (Young) Rascals
* The Bee Gees
* The Jackson Five

Early Influence

* Bill Monroe
* Mahalia Jackson

Non-Performer

* Syd Nathan

1996
Performer

* David Bowie
* Gladys Knight and the Pips
* Jefferson Airplane
* Little Willie John
* Pink Floyd
* The Shirelles
* The Velvet Underground

Early Influence

* Pete Seeger

Non-Performer

* Tom Donahue

1995
Performer

* Al Green
* Frank Zappa
* Janis Joplin
* Led Zeppelin
* Martha and the Vandellas
* Neil Young
* The Allman Brothers Band

Early Influence

* The Orioles

Non-Performer

* Paul Ackerman

1994
Performer

* Bob Marley
* Duane Eddy
* Elton John
* John Lennon
* Rod Stewart
* The Animals
* The Band
* The Grateful Dead

Early Influence

* Willie Dixon

Non-Performer

* Johnny Otis

1993
Performer

* Cream
* Creedence Clearwater Revival
* Etta James
* Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
* Ruth Brown
* Sly and the Family Stone
* The Doors
* Van Morrison

Early Influence

* Dinah Washington

Non-Performer

* Dick Clark
* Milt Gabler

1992
Performer

* Bobby "Blue" Bland
* Booker T. and the M.G.'s
* Johnny Cash
* Sam and Dave
* The Isley Brothers
* The Jimi Hendrix Experience
* The Yardbirds

Early Influence

* Elmore James
* Professor Longhair

Non-Performer

* Bill Graham
* Doc Pomus
* Leo Fender

1991
Performer

* Ike and Tina Turner
* Jimmy Reed
* John Lee Hooker
* LaVern Baker
* The Byrds
* The Impressions
* Wilson Pickett

Early Influence

* Howlin' Wolf

Lifetime Achievement

* Nesuhi Ertegun

Non-Performer

* Dave Bartholomew
* Ralph Bass

1990
Performer

* Bobby Darin
* Hank Ballard
* Simon and Garfunkel
* The Four Seasons
* The Four Tops
* The Kinks
* The Platters
* The Who

Early Influence

* Charlie Christian
* Louis Armstrong
* Ma Rainey

Non-Performer

* Gerry Goffin and Carole King
* Holland, Dozier and Holland

1989
Performer

* Dion
* Otis Redding
* Stevie Wonder
* The Rolling Stones
* The Temptations

Early Influence

* Bessie Smith
* The Ink Spots
* The Soul Stirrers

Non-Performer

* Phil Spector

1988
Performer

* Bob Dylan
* The Beach Boys
* The Beatles
* The Drifters
* The Supremes

Early Influence

* Lead Belly
* Les Paul
* Woody Guthrie

Non-Performer

* Berry Gordy, Jr

1987
Performer

* Aretha Franklin
* B.B. King
* Big Joe Turner
* Bill Haley
* Bo Diddley
* Carl Perkins
* Clyde McPhatter
* Eddie Cochran
* Jackie Wilson
* Marvin Gaye
* Muddy Waters
* Ricky Nelson
* Roy Orbison
* Smokey Robinson
* The Coasters

Early Influence

* Hank Williams
* Louis Jordan
* T-Bone Walker

Non-Performer

* Ahmet Ertegun
* Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
* Jerry Wexler
* Leonard Chess

1986
Performer

* Buddy Holly
* Chuck Berry
* Elvis Presley
* Fats Domino
* James Brown
* Jerry Lee Lewis
* Little Richard
* Ray Charles
* Sam Cooke
* The Everly Brothers

Early Influence

* Jimmie Rodgers
* Jimmy Yancey
* Robert Johnson

Lifetime Achievement

* John Hammond

Non-Performer

* Alan Freed
* Sam Phillips
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Eight-Legged Space Survivor Gives 'Panspermia' New Life

By Robert Roy Britt, Senior Science Writer

The durable tardigrade. Credit: Rick Gillis and Roger J. Haro, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

The revelation last week that tiny eight-legged animals survived exposure to the harsh environment of space on an Earth-orbiting mission is further support for the idea that simple life forms could travel between planets.

This idea, called panspermia, is not new. It holds that the seeds of life are everywhere, and that microbial life on Earth could have traveled here from Mars or even from another star system, and then evolved into the plethora of species seen today. In essence, we may all be Martians.

In various forms, the panspermia concept was discussed among scientists in the 1700s, again in the 1800s, and then notably when Sir Fed Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe popularized it about 30 years ago. Mainstream scientists often dismissed the hypothesis, however, even into the 1990s.

But new life has been breathed into the idea in the past decade.

One big question that dogged panspermia for decades has been settled, most scientists agree: Could life endure a trip from one world to another?

One key breakthrough was a 2000 study that concluded a rock from Mars, found on Earth, remained cool enough during its violent ejection from the red planet and its fiery trip through our atmosphere 16 million years later to sustain life – were there any aboard.

And the incredible survival tale of the tiny tardigrades, also called water bears, is a dramatic reminder that life can survive space travel. The dot-sized invertebrate creatures endured 10 days of exposure, and upon return to Earth, scientists found that even some of those exposed to solar radiation had made it through. Though it had already been shown that single-celled organisms could survive space, tardigrades are eight-legged animals on a different branch of the tree of life than microbes.

"It is an exciting result that seems to support the idea that life forms could be exchanged between planets such as Earth and Mars," said David Morrison, an astrobiologist at NASA's Ames Research Center.

"Now we know that species from three very different organism groups – bacteria, lichens and invertebrate animals – are able to survive at least short periods under space vacuum and also under some restricted conditions of solar radiation," said K. Ingemar Jonsson, who led the tardigrade study out of Kristianstad University in Sweden. "And if protected from sunlight, all these groups could probably survive for several months, perhaps years, in space."

So to travel through space, it looks like a bug or small animal needs a rock for protection. Equally important, the creature needs a hospitable environment upon arrival.

Mars to Earth

Some scientists think life might have originated on Mars and then been transported to Earth in a meteorite kicked up by an asteroid impact.

"Mars had a stable crust 4.5 billion years ago, at a time when Earth was still in the throes of recovery from the moon-forming impact," said Jay Melosh of the Lunar and Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona. "So conditions on Mars were conducive to the origin of life long before those on Earth."

Melosh explains what might have happened next: "Once life began on Mars, the Late Heavy Bombardment [lots of big rocks crashed into Earth and Mars about 4 billion years ago] would have provided abundant means of transport for the Mars-Earth diaspora. Given Mars' current very hostile surface environment, I would not be surprised if it petered out later (maybe some life still persists in the subsurface, living off the chemical and energetic gleanings from Mars' still-active volcanism).

Melosh calls the scenario "an excellent bet."

But could the reverse be true? Might life have originated on Earth and been transported to Mars?

"Mars today is so hostile and lacking in food or liquid water on its surface that it is very unlikely that any such naturally transported living organisms could survive," Melosh said.

Researchers figure we've sent plenty of microbes to the moon and Mars, on spacecraft. But most don't think they stand much chance of surviving. Only below the surface of Mars, where an Earth organism would find protection from radiation and where there might be liquid water, is colonization a potentially serious risk, they say.

"As long as we operate on the surface of Mars, there is very little risk, since surface conditions there are so harsh," Morrison said. "Remember the issue is not simply survival, but ability to grow and reproduce."

Microbes that manage to stick to a spacecraft throughout a six-month voyage to Mars are very unlikely to get off the spacecraft once there, according to research done by Andrew Schuerger of the University of Florida. And if they do jump to the ground, Schuerger said, there are 13 different "biocidal factors" that spell almost certain death to the invading species. From DNA damage to sterilization, any surviving microbes would be unlikely to successfully reproduce.

Schuerger has tried multiple experiments to breed life among hardy creatures under Mars-like conditions. One major difference between Earth and Mars is the red planet's extremely thin atmosphere, about 1 percent as thick as ours.

"I have not been able to get any microorganisms to grow under the conditions of Mars' surface pressure," he said in a telephone interview. "I am skeptical that a microorganism can be displaced from a spacecraft, get into the surface of Mars, and grow."

Star-to-star?

Interstellar panspermia remains a highly unlikely proposition in the minds of most scientists.

Multiple studies have shown that the raw material of life are common around other stars, and in fact the very seeds of life known as amino acids could also be everywhere. Life, therefore, might be common around other stars, scientists say. But getting from one star to another is another matter altogether. It would take four years just to get from our solar system to the next nearest star ... and that's if a rock was (impossibly) traveling at the speed of light.

"Star-to-star hops are so unlikely and take so long to complete that I very much doubt that panspermia has occurred by this mechanism, at least by natural agencies," Melosh said.

Even the "we're all Martians" idea remains a stretch for many researchers, who invoke Occam's razor (the simplest solution is often the best one).

"It's plausible that our early progenitors were transported here," Schuerger said, "but I think that's a complicated method. I think it's a lot easier to say life started on Earth and evolved on Earth."

Via:
www.livescience.com
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25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today

This list summarizes 25 of the most controversial banned books and tells you where you can read them all for free online. Exercise your rights by reading at least one of these banned books today!


#1 A Day No Pigs Would Die

This coming of age story by Robert Newton Peck is one of the most challenged books of all time. People just can't seem to get past the graphic description of animal butchery.

#2 American Psycho

After writing a novel about a self-proclaimed serial killer, Bret Easton Ellis received numerous death threats and a massive amount of hate mail. In some countries, American Psycho cannot be purchased by anyone who is under 18.

#3 And Tango Makes Three

Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's picture book about two penguins enraged enough homophobes to be named the most challenged book of 2006.

#4 Annie on My Mind

A Kansas School Board was so keen to get this novel, which depicts a lesbian relationship between two teenagers, off of school shelves that they willingly violated the First Amendment of the United States and went head to head with a judge.

#5 Bridge to Terabithia

Author Katherine Patterson is the daughter of missionaries and the wife of a minister, but that hasn't stopped people from saying that her book, Bridge to Terabithia promotes Satanism through references to magic.

#6 Candide

U.S. Customs officials used to seize Voltaire's critically hailed satire. Apparently, not everyone was a fan of his merciless take on religion, philosophy and government.

#7 Fallen Angels

Walter Dean Myers' novel about a group of young American soldiers in the Vietnam War has incensed so many people that it appears on the American Library's Association's list of the most frequently challenged books.

#8 Fanny Hill

The U.S Supreme Court did not clear 1749's Fanny Hill (also known as Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) from obscenity charges until 1966. People complained about the book's blunt sexual descriptions and the way it parodied contemporary literature.

#9 Forever

Judy Blume was one of the first authors to write candidly about a sexually active teenage girl and has been the subject of criticism ever since. Her book, Forever, is a constant target of sexual abstinence and religious groups who don't think teenagers should be reading about a girl who goes on 'the pill.'

#10 Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's classic book about a man obsessed with creating new life was banned in several countries for being indecent, objectionable and obscene.

#11 Harry Potter (The Entire Series)

Anti-witchcraft proponents everywhere hated the Harry Potter series with a passion. Their chief complaints involved Harry's use of magic as well as his nasty habit of standing up to authority figures.

#12 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou's autobiography is one of the most challenged books of all time. Controversial issues include profanity, drug abuse and a brutal rape scene.

#13 Lady Chatterley's Lover

D. H. Lawrence's 1928 novel was the subject of numerous obscenity trials in the UK, the U.S. and other countries up into the 1960s. Objections were raised about the book's explicit sex scenes and use of taboo four-letter words.

#14 Lord of the Flies

William Golding's bestselling novel, Lord of Flies, is considered to be one of the best English-language novels of the 1900s. Nevertheless, the book's stance on subjects of human nature has made it the frequent target of censors.

#15 Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck's 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men, is one of the most challenged books of all time. People who criticize the book typically cite offensive and vulgar language.

#16 Silas Marner

George Eliot's novel about a reclusive old man redeemed by the orphan girl he raises was controversial when it was first released and is still banned as far as some school districts are concerned.

#17 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain's classic tale about the journey of Huck and his friend Jim is one of the most challenged books of all time.

#18 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Although this book isn't nearly as controversial as Twain's other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer has been barred frequently from schools and libraries alike.

#19 The Arabian Nights

There are various versions of The Arabian Nights stories and most have been banned at one point or another. To this day a law still exists to prevent the mailing of this book in the U.S.; however, the law is no longer enforced.

#20 The Catcher in the Rye

People have been banning J.D. Salinger's novel since its publication in 1951. The censorship stems from the book's profanity and anti-Christian sentiments.

#21 The Chocolate War

People have been objecting and banning this book since its publication in 1974. Chief complaints involve the 200+ swear words that appear in the story and the scenes that depict violence and masturbation.

#22 The Color Purple

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been challenged and banned all over the world for graphic violence and sexuality.

#23 The Giver

Also known by its nickname, 'the suicide book,' Lois Lowry's 1993 novel is the most commonly banned book in middle school libraries.

#24 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel of an irrepressible woman with a desperate life was banned for being lewd and indecent. What's ironic about this is that Defoe left out the dirtiest of details to make sure he would stay out of jail once Moll Flanders was published.

#25 Ulysses

Ulysses has been called the best novel of the 20th century. It has also been called the most obscene, vulgar and blasphemous book to be banned in the U.S.


Via:

http://degreedirectory.org



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Life as it is. The World Through the Eyes of Life...





































































































































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