Could A President Trump Still Run His Business Empire?

Presidential candidate Donald Trump has a stake in hundreds of businesses including hotels and golf courses around the world. While it’s still unsure how much the real-estate mogul is actually worth… there’s no denying he’s a wealthy man. But what happens to all Trump’s assets and investments if he becomes the next president of the United States? Will he have to give up his businesses while in office?

Trump Empire (washingtonpost.com)

Well, it’s complicated but the answer is no, legally speaking. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 does not require that the president sells or change how they handle their private businesses. In fact, only unelected officials who serve in the executive branch are prohibited from a business based conflict of interest. For example, the Treasury Secretary under George W. Bush had to sell off his Goldman Sachs stock before taking office. But the president is exempt, on the basis that any business holding could be viewed as a conflict of interest since the president holds the highest office and is assumed to have a hand in everything. Instead of taking all of the President’s business holdings, we as the electorate are expected to trust the person we elect not to act dishonestly.

Still, if elected, Trump would be at the very least legally required to disclose all of his holdings, companies, and business relationships. Historically, in order to maintain propriety, presidents have put their investments in a blind trust, which is run by a third party without involvement by the president. Since the 1960s, most presidents have done so. But the problem with blind trusts is that it’s really hard to make sure they’re blind.

And there is a big complication when it comes to Trump: his name. Since his a large source of income is his brand name, it would be impossible for Trump not to notice which buildings and businesses license his name after transferring ownership of it to a blind trust. Also, if his children run the trust, as he said they would, it would obviously be far from blind. Without Trump selling off the entire Trump Organization and removing his children from the company as well, the conflicts of interest that exist can’t truly be mitigated. This is potentially a huge problem, especially concerning Trump’s unique political and business relationships.

Take South Korea for example: Trump recently said that the country should handle its own military defense without any U.S. aid, including the development of nuclear weapons. And in past business dealings in South Korea, Trump partnered with Daewoo Engineering and Construction, a company involved in nuclear energy. Hypothetically, if Trump is elected and follows through with his push for nuclear development in South Korea, Daewoo Engineering and Construction - therefore the Trump Organization - could potentially make an enormous profit. And this just one example of potential foreign conflicts of interest.

According to Newsweek, Trump is allegedly connected to business dealings in at least 10 other countries including India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil and Germany. And The New York Times reports that the Trump Organization owes hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bank of China and Goldman Sachs. But in truth, we don’t even know the depth of his businesses and possible conflicts since he has not publically released his financial information. In essence, if elected, we’d have to trust that he would act in the best interest of the United States, despite the apparent conflicts that would emerge as he engages politically with former partners and foes.

Thank you for reading, don't forget to comment and subscribe so you catch another article everyday. See you next time. Bye.

Read more

Where Has The U.S. Tested Nuclear Weapons?

In the summer of 1945, as world war two was coming to an end, the United States detonated the world’s first atomic bomb. But it wasn’t on Hiroshima. The bomb actually exploded in New Mexico, resulting in zero casualties; it was a test. Since that day, the US has conducted more than a thousand similar tests -  many on land, others underground, and even some in outer space!

nuclear weapon (worldatlas.com)

So, where exactly has the US tested nuclear weapons? Well, after the war ended, the United States moved its nuclear testing to isolated regions in the Pacific Ocean - namely the Marshall Islands. From 1946 to 1958, the US performed 67 tests on the remote archipelago, one of which was a thousand times as powerful as the Hiroshima explosion. Before testing began, the US government evacuated some - but not all - of Marshall Islands’ residents. Nevertheless, thousands suffered from radioactive fallout.

By the end of the 1940’s, the Soviet Union had developed its own atomic bomb, increasing pressure on the US to expand its nuclear program. So in 1951, while it was still testing in the Pacific, the US established another test site in rural Nevada. Over the next four decades, more than 900 nuclear weapons were detonated at this site, making it the most bombed place on earth. Although most of the explosions occurred underground, about one hundred were on land, with mushroom clouds so large they could be seen from Las Vegas.

The government wanted to see the real-world repercussions of such a weapon, as, being at the height of the Cold War, the US was foreseeing a potential nuclear attack. Officials even constructed a makeshift “survival town” complete with fake buildings, homes and electrical substations near ground zero. In 1961, the Soviet Union tested the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, called the ‘Tsar Bomba.' In response, the US expanded its nuclear testing outside Nevada, to more sites in New Mexico, Colorado, Mississippi, Amchitka, a tiny island in southernmost Alaska. Five tests were even conducted in outer space to observe the effects of nuclear explosions at high altitudes.

With the end of the Cold War and fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US ended its nuclear testing program. In the 1990s, nearly every country in the world signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear explosions. But the treaty never went into full effect, as the US and seven other world powers, including China and North Korea never ratified it, despite the fact that the US was the first to sign it. As a result, nonsignatories such as India and Pakistan detonated nuclear weapons as recently as 1998, and North Korea conducts tests regularly, against the international protest. The last time the United States tested a nuclear weapon was in 1992.

Today, the government is more focused on providing reparations to those affected by the blasts. For example, radioactive fallout in Nevada routinely blew east to towns in Utah, causing an uptick in cancer and brain tumors. After decades of campaigning from victims, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990. So far, $2 billion dollars has been paid to more than 32,000 people. Similar reparations have been paid to residents of the Marshall Islands. So although nuclear testing is a distant memory to many Americans, those in close proximity to the blasts still feel its effects everyday. The United States was not the only country testing nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Thanks for reading the article, don’t forget to comment and subscribe for more articles every day! Bye.

Read more

10 Things You Didn't Know About Donald Trump

What's up everyone, today we are going to be counting down 10 Things You Didn't KnowAbout
Donald Trump. So with the presidential election coming up on November the 8th all Americans are waiting to see who will become their next president. Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Leave a comment down below letting me know who you would prefer to see as president or if you would prefer neither of them!

Donald Trump (wikipedia)

1) Donald Trump full name is Donald John Trump, he was born on June 14th, 1946 in Queens, New York City making him 69 years old as of May 2016. Trump was 1 of 5 siblings having 2 brothers, Fred Trump Jr and Robert Trump and 2 sisters, Maryanne Trump and Elizabeth Trump. His father, Fred Trump was a rich real estate developer and married Mary Anne Macleod back in 1936.

2) Back during the Vietnam war Donald Trump became eligible for the draft lottery, this determined the order of call to military service for men born from 1944 to 1950. However, he was not drafted due to various different student deferments while he attended college as well as a medical deferment he obtained in 1968 after his college graduation. The medical reason Trump used was a condition called heel spurs in both his feet. However Trump told one of his campaign audiences he only suffered it in one foot, and that he 2could not remember which one.

3) Donald trumps net worth is around $4.5 Billion as of may 6th 2016. He is currently the 324th richest person in the world up from 405th in 2015. In terms of the United States, he is just outside the top 100 coming in at spot number 113. Trump's wealth hasn't all been self-made. However, he was born into a rich family with his father Fred Trump being a real estate developer and giving him a small loan of a million dollars which trump invested into property development in Manhattan. He later returned the loan with interest to his father and things just started to escalate from then on out.

4) Donald Trump has had his businesses be declared bankrupt 5 separate times in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009 and 2014. Firstly in 1991 the Trump Taj Mahal became unable to service its debt and filed for bankruptcy, this was the only time where trumps personal financial resources became involved The following year on November 2nd the trump plaza hotel filed bankruptcy and Trump lost his 49% stake in the company to several other lenders. Although it could have been worse as in return for the 49% stake Donald Trump received better terms on the $550 million he still owed to the lenders and got to keep his position as chief executive. However, he didn't get paid or have a role in day to day running operations 12 Years later in 2004 Donald's 3rd bankruptcy came about, this time, involving Trump hotels and casino resorts. This time, Trump lost a huge 56% stake in the company and had to give bondholders stock in exchange for clearing some of the debt. However just 1 year later the same company re-emerged under the new name trump entertainment resorts holdings. Trump also wrote about this bankruptcy in his book "think big and kick ass in business and life" I quote "I figured it was the bank's problem, not mine. What the hell did I care? I actually told one bank, 'I told you, you shouldn't have loaned me that money. I told you the goddamn deal was no good.' The 4th bankruptcy came in 2009 and involved trump entertainment resorts once again but was bought back by Donald Trump and other investors the same year. Then finally in 2014 the same company filed bankruptcy AGAIN and it was finally purchased by billionaire Carl Icahn.

5) Unlike most billionaires Donald Trump likes to be in the limelight, whether that be on the news, doing his presidential runs or starring in TV shows and movies. So far during his lifetime he's starred in a home alone 2 lost in new york, the nanny, the fresh prince of bel-air, days of our lives, wall street money never sleeps, He's had a character in the little rascals, hosted his own radio show called trumped! And even starred as himself in an episode of sex and the city. Just to add on it says here Trump is a member of the screen actors guild and receives over $110,000 pension every year. Why on earth they give a billionaire, this is beyond me.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump (wikipedia)

6) a couple of years ago Trump was taken to court over rape and assault allegations involving him and his ex-wife Ivana Zelnickova. Everything that supposedly happened was documented in a book by Harry Hurt called Lost Tycoon The many lives of Donald j trump. I will read some of the excerpt to you guys know. If you don't want to listen, just skip the next 30 seconds or so. Suddenly, according to Ivana, the Donald storms into the room *I'm sorry but why the hell is he referred to as THE Donald?" but anyway he is cursing out loud "your fucking doctor has ruined my bald patch." The Donald flings Ivana down onto the bed, then he pins back her arms and grabs her by the hair, the part of her head he is grabbing corresponds to the spot on his head where the scalp reduction operation has been done. The Donald starts ripping out Ivana's hair by the handful as if he is trying to make her feel the same kind of pain he is feeling. He rips off her clothes and unzips his pants; then he jams his penis inside her for the 1st time in more than sixteen months. It is a violent assault. According to the versions, she repeats to some of her closest friends "he raped me." When the Donald finally pulls out, Ivana jumps up from the bed and runs upstairs to her mother's room. She locks the door and stays there crying for the rest of the night.

7) So it seems that Donald Trump has a thing for his daughter Ivanka Trump. 1st off in 2006 he was on the view and was asked how he would feel if Ivanka posed for Playboy. His response was "I don't think Ivanka would do that, although she does have a very nice figure... Also in a recent edition of Rolling Stone, Trump said this about Ivanka. Yeah, she's really something, and what a beauty, that one. If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father?

8) Trump actually has his own YouTube channel called Donald J Trump for President and it features videos of trumps campaigns as well as random other stuff usually with him in it.

9) Donald Trump has received many awards during his time on earth, some of them include the 1990 golden raspberry award for worst supporting actor for his role in ghosts can't do it. An honorary doctorate of business administration in 2010 from Robert Gordon University. However, this got revoked after a number of statements were made that are against the ethos and values of the university. Finally, Trump received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

10) So this surprised me but Donald Trump has over 18 different books authored including his name, the 1st being Trump the art of the deal published in 1987 and the most recent being Crippled America: how to make America great again published in 2015. A few other books in between include trump how to get rich, trump 101 the way to success and trump the art of survival.

And those were 10 Things You Didn't Know About Donald Trump. Let me know if you enjoyed the article by leaving a comment. But thanks for reading, I'll see you in the next article.

Read more

10 Shocking Things You Didn't Know About Hillary Clinton!

So the 2016 presidential elections have been full of controversy, but although you might think I'm talking exclusively about Trump, I'm actually speaking just as much about Hillary. Yes, Hillary Clinton has been plagued by controversy, and not just during this election but for decades prior. She's been involved in some extremely shady and downright illegal things that many of you may not have even known have happened.

Hillary Clinton (wikipedia)

So today, we're going to make a plunge and find out exactly what those things are. So without further ado, here are 10 shocking things you didn't know about Hillary Clinton.

Number 1: she may be very ill.

There's been a lot of controversy in the media and across the internet about exactly what the real state of Hillary's health is. There's multiple videos on YouTube on her trying to give a speech at various rallies where she is simply unable to speak because she swings into these violent coughing fits. Most recently, a cell phone video of her surfaced, where she was clearly unable to stand, stumbling into her private vehicle where her security literally had to hold her up. Now, the official answer to all of these events, according to her physician, is that the 68-year-old simply had pneumonia, but given her poor medical history, that may not be true. Hillary has had concussions and multiple blood clots in her leg among other things that may be all contributing to overall declining health. This has led many people to believe that she's hiding something way worse than pneumonia simply for the fact that she doesn't want it to affect the voting results.

Number 2: she almost didn't marry Bill.

Okay, obviously Bill and Hillary have had all kinds of issues in their marriage, but the most interesting is that they almost didn't get married at all. It took more than three proposals for Hillary to say yes to Bill. He first proposed to her at a trip to London, England, but she declined, and even trying multiple times after that, he still got the same answer. It wasn't until he actually went out and bought a house for Hillary that she had previously said that she liked and told her you'd better come marry me, 'cause I can't live in it by myself, that she finally said yes. And of course they lived happily, mostly, every after.

Number 3: she can drink a lot.

Back in 2004, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John McCain were on a congressional tour of Estonia. The pair found themselves at a tavern in the capital city of Tallinn. According to the people present, the two declared a head-to-head vodka drinking contest because, you know, that's what you do when you're in a foreign country and you're a politician. Clinton apparently out drank McCain shot after shot, which is impressive, not because she's a woman, but because she's a politician, and I genuinely had no idea they had any idea how to have fun.

Number 4: she was rejected by the Marines.

In 1973, when she was just 26 years old, Hillary made an attempt to join the Marine Corps, however, she was rejected. According to her story, they rejected her simply because she was too old, at the yes, ripe age of 26, but the story has been met with a lot of criticism. She claims that her age, her poor eyesight and the mere fact that she was a woman were the contributing factors to her rejection. But since then, many Marines have come forward claiming that during the time that she tried to join, the Armed Forces were so desperate for lawyers that those details simply would not have mattered, and that she essentially made the entire story up.

Number 5: she hasn't driven a car since 1996.

Okay, it's important to note that many politicians get aids and Secret Service agents to drive them around for security reasons. However, many politicians still retain and update their drivers licenses so that they can drive their own vehicles. Well, Hillary's an exception to that however, apparently, because she has not driven a motor vehicle in two full decades, all the way back to 1996. She once joked that she remembers the last time that she was behind the wheel, and so does the Secret Service, which is apparently why she hasn't driven since.

Clinton's family (wikipedia)

Number 6: she has had many firsts in her title.

Hillary held the title of first lady for eight years, but something many of you may not know is that is not the only first in her name. Due to her involvement in the Whitewater controversy, which was a shady real estate investment scandal, she actually became the first and only first lady to ever be subpoenaed. On top of that, she and her husband were the first first couple to be ever fingerprinted by the FBI. Okay, take my fingerprints but be gentle, or don't, mmm. On a more positive note, she was the first lady ever to earn a post-graduate degree, be elected to public office or, of course, run for the presidency herself.

Number 7: she won a Grammy Award.

Hillary Clinton has achieved many things. She's a lawyer, a politician and a Grammy Award winning artist. In 1997, at the 39th Grammy Awards, she actually won a Grammy Award for the Best Spoken Word Album of the Year. The album that she won for was the audio book version of It Takes a Village, a book that she published just the previous year. Not only that, but her husband Bill, possibly inspired by her, went on to win two Grammy Awards himself for also Spoken Word Albums.

Number 8: she has been linked to multiple deaths.

Okay, this is a serious one. An unsettling number of bodies have allegedly accumulated in the presidential nominee's wake over the years. Now there are too many to list individually, but there are some more notable ones that I want to tell you about. Just a few months ago, John Ashe, former United Nations General Assembly president, died from a bizarre gym incident right before he could bring the Clintons up on charges related to illegal donations for their election fund. They found him with a crushed throat because he apparently dropped a dumbbell on himself. But one of the most notable was that of James McDougal, who was a financial partner of the Clintons in a real estate deal alongside his wife, Susan. On March 8, 1998, McDougal had a heart attack while in solitary confinement, before he could provide witness testimony to a case that the Clintons were involved in, but if you think that's bad, a total of 46 people who were close to Hillary over the years have died from either bizarre or unexplained deaths.

Number 9: she conversed with a ghost.

So most presidents have admitted to talking to God as Christianity is a popular tool amongst those running to get elected, but Hillary took it a step farther by saying that she claims to have spoken with a ghost. She has said that she's had frequent conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt while she was living in the White House. Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady herself from 1933 to 1945 and died in 1962. Apparently, she would come back on occasion just to remind Hillary that she needed to buck up or grow a skin as thick as a rhinoceros. Hillary claims that she was told to communicate with Eleanor by her spiritual advisor. Oh, and it also turns out that Roosevelt wasn't the only famous spirit up for a chat, because Hillary also claims that she has spoken with Gandhi.

Number 10: the email controversy.

Okay, many of you probably already know about this, but for those of you that don't, allow me to explain. In early 2015, it was revealed that Hillary, during her time as secretary of state, exclusively used her family's private email server to send emails. Now you might be wondering Matt, why is that a big deal? It's just emails. Well, it's a big deal because some of those emails contained highly classified material. As with every other politician, she was supposed to use official State Department email accounts maintained on federal servers for security purposes. This was such a big deal that the FBI actually launched an investigation into this scandal, revealing that 113 emails contained information that was considered classified at the time that it was sent, but it gets worse. Out of those emails, 65 were deemed secret, and 22 were deemed top secret. Now this outraged politicians and the public alike, as many believed that she was putting America's national security at risk, which she was. But it gets even worse because she deleted over 31,000 emails in what appeared to be an attempt to cover up an unauthorized use of a home server for official email use. Now she has since admitted to this, saying that the reason that she had all of her emails on one phone is because it was just more convenient, and it was simply inconvenient to carry two separate phones. Yeah, yeah, Hillary, that's a good excuse, you know, sending nuke launch codes and stuff like that just because it's inconvenient to carry two phones. Yeah, that's good.

So those were 10 shocking things you didn't know about Hillary Clinton, but I wanna know from you guys. Is there anything I missed? Is there some scandal out there that she did that I may have missed on this list, and I also want to know in the comments which one on this list was the most shocking to you. Was it the mail thing or was it something as simple as the fact that she denied her husband Bill multiple times before they got married. I wanna know from you in the comments, and that's it.

I will see you guys next time with a brand new article. Thanks for reading, bye.

Read more

10 Video Games That Were Banned

What, a grown man can't play with a doll of himself? So growing up, I saw the birth of the modern video game and had every Nintendo system that there was from NES to N64 and up. And since then, the video game market has become a 93 billion dollar market, so to say it's competitive would be an understatement. And because of that, game makers are always looking for new and exciting and controversial ways to sell games. And the topics of some games have gone a little too far, so far in fact, that they were actually banned from store shelves. So in this video that's exactly what we're going to talk about, those games that are going to make you say, that actually existed? So let's jump right into it.

These are 10 video games that were banned.

No. 1: RapeLay.

gamefaqs.net

Oh my God, RapeLay was released on April 21st, 2006, for PC, and was created by Japanese game developers, Illusion Soft. The main goal of the game is to stalk and engage in forced sexual encounters with a mother and her two daughters, with a variety of options and locations at the player's disposal. Oh, this one's just full of all kinds of cringe. Shockingly, the game has been banned in many countries, including Argentina, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, just to name some, and basically just because it's a gross and distasteful game play premise. Illusion Soft has obviously since then removed all trace of the game from their website, and has completely ended distribution, while Japan has since banned, obviously, all rape games. You know, the Japanese culture is into some really bizarre, weird stuff, so if this game is too much for them, you know it's bad.

No. 2: Wolfenstein 3D.

wikipedia

Originally released May fifth of 1992 for PC, Wolfenstein 3D was actually banned in Germany for its inclusion of the Nazi army as the game's main enemies. That, alongside the Nazi Party's anthem as the game's musical theme, and a cyborg version of Adolf Hitler as the final boss. A Super Nintendo Version of this game was released in 1994, but was drastically edited to remove any themes, visuals, or references of the Nazi party, including removing Hitler's little mustache, and renaming the boss character to Staatmeister. I see the insensitivity in all of this, because, you know, Germany and the Nazi, I get it, but you're fighting Hitler. It's not like you're fighting Gandhi, Hitler was a bad guy, let's take out the digital version of him, why not?

No. 3 Manhunt 2.

dailymail.co.uk

Manhunt 2 was released on October 29th, 2007, for the PS2, PSP, and Wii, and was banned in several countries, including South Korea, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Germany, for its over the top gory murders. The game allows players to kill enemies using a variety of gruesome weapons or objects leading to a very, very graphic, gory, and horrific death. Like, really over the top. Many countries didn't like the idea of teaching young kids how to kill someone with a plastic bag, or razor wire, or a sledgehammer, or a shotgun, or hedge trimmers. Just to name a few. So, they banned it. What, you don't want Timmy running around the house with a pair of scissors being like, "Mama, I'ma cut your jugular, come here!"

No. 4: The Pokemon Trading Card Game.

youtube.com

Wait, Pokemon? Yeah, I know. Released for the Game Boy Color on April 10th, 2000, the Pokemon Trading Card Game was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia by top religious authorities. They stated that the game resembles a game of gambling. They went on to say that certain cards carried religious symbolism such as the Star of David, which he thought connected to international Zionism, and Israel's national emblem. That, along with cards that depicted the cross for Christians, and triangles for the Free Masons, just was a no-no there. Yo, Saudi Arabia, you need to chill man. Take a little chill pill; it is a trading card game, it's not gonna burn your house down, it's not gonna bring the apocalypse, it's gonna bring Charizard and Squirtle.

No. 5: Homefront.

blogspot.com

Released on March 15th, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, Homefront depicts the United States under forced occupation from Kim Jong Il and a highly advanced version of the North Korean military forces. The game, for fairly obvious reasons, immediately was banned from South Korea, mostly because of the strained relationship between North and South Korea. In North America, however, we are more tolerant of these things because it's just a game, brah! But to this day, games involving actions against the North are immediately banned in the South, since North Korea tends to, kind of over react to issues, just a little bit. Well, we all saw what happened after the movie The Interview, so, I wouldn't be surprised if a video game made him just lose his mind.

No. 6: Fallout 3.

digital-digest.com

Released on October 28th, 2008, for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, Fallout 3 is set in a post-nuclear war apocalypse version of Washington DC. The game includes a significant side mission in which a player must decide to either disarm or detonate a live atomic bomb which sits in the middle of a small community of settlers. There's a mini nuke launcher weapon named The Fat Man in the game, which was the name of the nuke that blew up Nagasaki in World War II. For this reason, this caused the original game to be banned in Japan, and only an edited version was allowed to be sold there. The game was also banned in India due to the inclusion of mutated two-headed cows, called Brahmin, similar to the cow breed in India called Brahman, which are held in deep respect by Hindus.

No. 7: Football Manager 2005.

wikipedia

Football Manager 2005, despite its terrible name, was released on November 4th, 2004, for the PC, and is a game all about managing a soccer team in a mostly text and number-based interface without any real ability to play as the team. Pretty simple game, except that it was banned in China because it included Tibet and Taiwan as independent countries and not a part of China. However, in a twist, the ban caused the game to be heavily pirated in China and become popular in the underground market. A Chinese version of the game was ultimately released with country edits.

No. 8: Mass Effect.

wikipedia

Mass Effect was released on November 20th, 2007, for the Xbox 360, and was promptly banned in Singapore due to the ability to engage in sexual activities with the same gender and with an alien. Whoa, what you got against alien sex, man? Don't knock it till you try it. The player's character can choose to play as either gender and during the story, encounters an alien female named Liara, as the story progresses the player can then romance Liara. Ultimately, Singapore decided to lift the ban by labeling the box with an 18 or older rating. But the game and its sequels are still currently banned in the United Arab Emirates. If all of that surprises you, keep in mind Singapore is the same country that has a $1000 fine if you walk around your own home naked. So yeah, they're a little conservative.

No. 9: Mortal Kombat.

giantbomb.com

The modern reboot of the classic 1992 fighting game, Mortal Kombat, was released on April 19th, 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. As the ninth game in the series, the game stays true to its gory roots, but adds to the brutal violence with greatly improved graphics and new features. New features, like what Matt? Oh, you know, new features, like extra gruesome fatal finishing moves which sees fighters being dismembered, dissolved, bashed, impaled, and even sawed in half from the groin up. The excessive violence got the game banned in Australia, Germany, and South Korea. All of these finishing moves are on YouTube, look it up at your own discretion.

No. 10: Postal 2.

gamecola.net

Released on April 13th, 2003, Postal 2 gives the player a variety of lethal weapons in a small American trailer park town filled with innocent civilians and includes extremely gory effects, as well as the ability to pee on the deceased and living characters. So, in 2004, the game was banned in New Zealand, and anyone caught purchasing or in possession of the game faced charges of up to 10 years in prison or $50,000 in fines. The developers, Running With Scissors, which is just such an appropriate name, tried to get around the extreme controversy by stating that the story could be completed without violence but failed to mention that it is quite difficult to do so.

Okay guys, that's the end of the article. Don't forget to give a comment and subscribe to our newsletter for new articles every day. I love you guys; I will see you later.

Read more

10 Most Bizarre Wedding Traditions From Around The World

So, most of us have been to, or at least seen, a wedding. And every family has a different tradition. Like, how someone's uncle always seems to end up plastered and owns the dance floor. But, traditions vary from culture to culture, too. Like in North America, for example, we have the bouquet and garter toss. Which is really weird if you think about it. I mean, the groom throws something that was wrapped around his wife's leg, and the bride throws flowers to which everyone clamors for and screams "I'm getting married next." But those are still nothing compared to what other areas of the world do when they get married. Toilet buffet, anyone?

These are the 10 most bizarre wedding traditions from around the world.

No. 1: The Blackening in Scotland.

emlii.com

In Scotland, it's tradition to capture the bride and/or groom days or weeks before the wedding, and then dump countless things on them. I'm not talking about nice things like water or confetti, no, it wouldn't be something simple as that. No, no, I'm talking about spoiled food, rotten fish, curdled milk, tar, garbage, you name it. The dirtier the betta'. Once that deed is done, the victim is then paraded around the city for all to see, then taken out for a night of drinks. Which, they're definitely gonna need. The belief is, if the person can withstand that embarrassment, of being covered in filth and shown around the community, they can cope with anything in marriage.

No. 2: Tree marriage in India.

ibtimes.co.uk

Many countries believe in curses, and have countless ways to rid themselves or their family members of those curses. In certain areas of India, a specific curse is removed through a wedding. But, not just any wedding, it's about to get weird. Some women, who were born under a certain astrological period, are called "mangliks." These women are thought to be so cursed, that if they are married, that they will cause their husband to die early. So what logical thing do they do first? Well, to remove the curse, the woman is first married to a tree. A tree. Once the nuptials are over, the tree is cut down and destroyed, and the curse is considered gone.

No. 3: Feet beating in Korea.

emlii.com

While some traditions are just weird, others like this one are downright painful. Like, walk into a door painful. In Korea, once the wedding is over, it's a tradition that the groom's feet be beaten with a fish or a cane. I prefer the fish, I mean, isn't that softer? The shoes and socks of the groom are removed, and the legs are tied together while the friends just (imitates caning) go at it. This is to ensure that he doesn't disappoint his new wife during their first night together as a married couple. Yeah, I don't understand the logic of that one. If his legs don't work, and they're all bruised, and he's hurt, I mean, that doesn't make him more likely to perform later, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying, no, it doesn't.

No. 4: No bathroom breaks in Indonesia.

talesmaze.com

In Indonesia, once the wedding celebration is over, and the newlywed couple take off to enjoy their alone time, AKA the honeymoon, that's where the real challenge begins. The family keeps watching over the couple to make sure that they don't use the bathroom for three days. That's right, not a single bathroom visit for three days after the wedding. It's actually said to bring good luck to the couple, and ensure that they have a long and happy marriage full of healthy children. I don't know about a long, happy life, but I can think of a long, happy something else they're gonna be releasing. Yeah, I don't know about you, but 72 hours without a single bowel movement just sounds ouch-y. That's frigging disgusting,

No. 5: Chicken liver in China.

opposingviews.com

This is another instance of a tradition that takes place before the wedding itself. You see, in order to set a wedding date, a couple from China or inner Mongolia must hold a knife together and cut the cake. Ops, I'm sorry, did I say cake? I meant a baby chicken. Upon doing so, the couple must inspect the chicken's liver. If it's healthy, then they can set a wedding date. If it isn't, then they must continue killing chicks until they find a suitable one. Otherwise, no wedding date can be planned. Oh my God, you're murdering chicks to determine the wedding date? I don't have a joke for that; I'm just very sad.

No. 6: The war of the shoes in India.

quora.com

Okay, imagine a game of capture the flag. Two teams are doing whatever they can to grab on to a piece of cloth, keeping it away from their opponents. Well, that's pretty much what this tradition is all about. In India, right before the groom arrives at the altar, he removes his shoes. And upon doing so, the chaos begins. The bride's family instantly rushes over to try to take the shoes, while the groom's family tries to protect them. If the bride's family is successful, the groom must pay a so-called "ransom." to try to get them back. Well, all is fun in love and war, and the shoe is stealing? I don't, this one's weird.

No. 7: Shooting arrows in China.

ubizarre.com

Let's go back to China for a moment; they're fun. In the Uyghur culture, a groom shoots his bride with three arrows. Yes, arrows. But, no need to worry, these arrows don't have arrowheads on them, so they aren't deadly. However, they are very painful nonetheless. Once the arrows are shot, the groom picks them back up and breaks each one of them. This is supposed to be a gesture of love, in that he will take care of her for the rest of his life. Well, at least they don't use real arrowheads, but I'm gonna be completely honest with you, based on the other things on this list, I would not put it past them.

No. 8: Sex lessons in Africa.

wikipedia

Okay, now this gets awkward. In some villages in Africa, once the wedding ceremony is over, and the honeymoon begins, so do the lessons. Wait, lessons, yeah, well, once the newlyweds start their fun, they're not alone. Usually, the village elder lies under the bed after instructing the new bride on how to satisfy her husband. The reason she stays in the room is in case there are any complications and her support is needed again. She's strictly there for instructing the new couple on how to, you know, enjoy their new time together. And here I thought watching Titanic with my parents was awkward, yeah, no.

No. 9: Tears of joy in China.

dailymail.co.uk

Weddings are such a joyous occasion. Such beautiful ceremonies and parents giving away their children may cause many tears of joy amongst the guests. However, this tradition gives us a slightly different situation. In China, a month before the wedding, the bride to be is required to cry at least an hour a day, every day. After 10 days, the mother is then to start crying. 10 days after that, the grandmother joins in the tears. By the end of the month, every female in the family is crying as well. Since all the ladies cry in different tones, it's considered to be an expression of happiness, with tears of joy. How do you force yourself to cry that much? I mean, are they just, like, punching each other in the leg, or pinching each other, or just eating entire onions.

No. 10: The toilet buffet in France.

sheknows.com

It's the moment you've all been waiting for. In France, it's tradition for the bridal party to gather leftovers, whether it be food, drink, or pretty much anything edible, and put it all into a toilet bowl replica. This includes basically whatever the party guests find absolutely disgusting. Once that's done, they bring the toilet bowl into the room of the newlyweds, and will not leave until the couple drinks everything out of it. This is supposed to provide fuel, you know, for the wedding night.

Hey guys, thanks a lot for reading this article. If you enjoyed this, I would appreciate nothing more in the world than for you to leave a comment on this article and, of course, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter. Thanks again for watching, guys, I'll see you next time. Bye.

Read more

How Powerful Is Hawaii?

Hawaii state map (wikipedia)

August 21, 2016, marks 57 years since Hawaii gained statehood. As an isolated archipelago with its own language, culture, and history, Hawaii is undoubtedly the most unique US State, and it even has its own long-running sovereignty movement. So, how would Hawaii fare on its own? Just how powerful is Hawaii?

Well, Hawaii is a string of eight main islands and more than 100 smaller islands. Although that may sound large, the state as a whole is very, very small. All 137 islands combined amount to roughly 6,400 square miles, meaning they could fit inside the state of New Jersey. About 1.4 million people live in Hawaii, but the state’s de facto population is considerably larger. That’s because Hawaii is home to about 50,000 troops and sees roughly 8 million visitors each year. That said, it should come as no surprise that the tourism industry is the largest single contributor to Hawaii’s economy, accounting for nearly a quarter of the state’s almost $80 billion dollar GDP.

The island also relies heavily on agriculture, and, because of its tropical climate, it is able to produce and export a number of specialty crops, like coffee and macadamia nuts. When it comes to its economy, Hawaii’s extreme isolation is both a major benefit and a crippling drawback With the nearest landmass more than 2,000 miles away, shipping costs are egregiously high, leaving local producers unable to compete.

What’s more, the controversial Jones Act prohibits foreign container ships from picking up goods from more than one US port, meaning that most ships bypass Hawaii on their way to or from the mainland. This takes a huge financial toll on Hawaiian residents and business-owners. Not only do Hawaiians pay more taxes per person than anyone in the US, the high costs of gas, electricity, housing and imported goods make the island the most expensive place to live in the nation. This is all against the backdrop of Hawaii’s complicated relations with the US.

Back in the 1800’s, Hawaii was an independent monarchy, and its economy was dominated by sugarcane and pineapple production. The beneficiaries were mostly American plantation owners, many of whom clashed with the island’s royal family over local political issues. Meanwhile, the US had its eye on the archipelago as a strategic military base. In the late 19th century, American businessmen partnered with US military to oust the Queen, simultaneously banning Hawaiian language and culture. The US has since apologized for the overthrow, however, Hawaii’s small indigenous population continues to experience disenfranchisement. Native Hawaiians are disproportionately recognized in the state’s homeless and incarcerated populations and are more likely to experience health problems. Natives have long argued that the answer to these problems is regaining self-rule, either through a semi-autonomous government, not unlike those of mainland Native American groups, or through full-blown independence. Some activists have even drafted their own constitution and garnered support from high-profile politicians like Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. However with no real plan in place for succession, it may be years before the island sees any degree of sovereignty.

Okay, that's all. See in another article. Bye!

Read more

What Is The Hague And How Powerful Is It?

The Hague (b-europe.com)

For years, China has made expansive claims to the resource-rich South China Sea, despite opposition from much of Southeast Asia. In July 2016, an international tribunal in the Hague categorically rejected China’s claims, saying there was no historical evidence for its exclusive control of the waters. China’ state news agency called the ruling “null and void” as the Hague has “no jurisdiction”.

So what exactly is the Hague? And how much power does it really have? Well, The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands and is the country’s seat of government. But the Hague is better known as the “judicial capital of the world,” as the city is home to around 160 international organizations. These include the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, the International Criminal Court and the Carnegie Foundation. Many countries also have foreign embassies in the Hague, and it is one of the main hosts of the United Nations, along with Geneva, Vienna, and New York.

The Hague has been important to the Netherland’s for more than 200 years. However, it didn’t become a global hub until the late 19th century. In 1899, Russian Czar Nicholas II called for an international meeting on peace and disarmament, fearing neighboring aggressions. 26 countries met in the Hague to draft some of the first international treaties on war and created the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which was the world’s first panel for settling international disputes. A second convention was held 8 years later under the request of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Over the next century, a number of other panels and organizations emerged in the Hague. Today, the city houses organizations for ostensibly all international legal issues, including cross-border crime, corruption, environmental violations, human rights abuses, as well as land and maritime disputes. For instance, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been coercing nations to destroy their illegal chemical weapons for nearly two decades. In 2013, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for facilitating the destruction of Syria’s stockpile.

But other initiatives have seen less success. For instance, the International Criminal Court has issued two arrest warrants for Sudan’s President, for his alleged involvement in war crimes, human rights violations and genocide between 2003 and 2008. However, because the ICC depends on cooperation from the Sudanese government, the President remains at large. This is perhaps the largest hurdle for the Hague. Although they have thus far been successful in drafting a set of international norms based on universal values, and at compelling member states to sign on to those norms, they have not quite figured out how to enforce them. As brutal leaders and aggressive governments continue to shed light on the shortcomings of international law, the Hague remains more of a symbol of peace than justice.

Okay, Thank you for coming and reading. Please give a comment and don't forgrt to subscribe so you can catch our new articles everyday. Bye!

Read more

Which Countries Can't You Visit?

Travel restriction (youtube)

The greater part of us affection going by new nations, however not all nations cherish new guests. Many nations make it extremely difficult for Americans to visit them. In fact, the US state department has issued a list of travel warnings for more than 40 countries. So, are there any places where we can’t visit? Here are some of the most difficult countries to travel to.

North Korea. There is no US embassy in North Korea, and the US State Department “strongly recommends against all travel” there. In any case, there are a growing number of tour agencies available to visitors, unless you’re a journalist or South Korean. Be sure to have a valid passport handy at all times, and follow all the rules, because North Korean officials have been known to detain tourists, send them to hard labor camps, or even put them to death. Tour agencies claim there are around 5 thousand visitors per year, who get to see a few significant locations, under intense supervision.

Libya. First of all, if you have an Israeli passport, or have ever been to Israel, they won’t even let you in the country. Also, they recently shut down their US embassy because of militia violence. According to the US State Department, Americans are specifically targeted for kidnappings, violent crime, and murder. They encourage all American citizens living there to “depart immediately”.

Eritrea. This is a smallish country near Somalia and Ethiopia. Prior approval is needed to travel outside of the capital city, and many rural areas and border towns remain off-limits. Also, the dual US and Eritrean citizens are recognized only as Eritrean. And, because there is a national draft, dual nationality visitors may be imprisoned or forced into military service there. Eritrea does not inform the US embassy when it has detained or imprisoned dual-nationals.

Saudi Arabia. In 1930, the King himself said that the country should “remain difficult to access” for foreigners. You must have a visa in advance, and just like in Libya, if your passport has an Israeli stamp, you ain’t gettin in. All females voyaging alone should have a male buddy with them. Likewise, ownership of drugs is deserving of death, so make sure you aren't traveling with anything questionable. So it’s not that you can’t go anywhere, but there are countries where you probably shouldn’t visit.

Middle Eastern or African countries bear the most warnings for US citizens. Along with Finland, Germany, Sweden and the UK, the US has THE most powerful travel privileges in the world, allowing visa-free access to 174 countries. To travel safely, the State Department's website provides information about local terrorism, extreme weather conditions, and disease outbreaks -- it's a great resource for those hoping to visit other nations. They also offer a Smart Travel Enroll Program which informs the nearest US embassy of your visit to region, were something to go wrong. Southeast Asia is one hotspot for worldwide travelers, but the underbelly of some industries can be pretty dark.

Thanks for coming and reading, please subscribe now for all our latest article!

Read more

Why Do Tourists Vacation In War Zones?

Syria war zone (telegraph.co.uk)

In August 2016, a minibus of foreign tourists was attacked in Afghanistan, injuring at least seven people. Terror attacks are not uncommon in Afghanistan, but the incident nonetheless made headlines as most of the victims were tourists in what is ostensibly a war zone. According to its government, Afghanistan sees roughly 20 thousand tourists a year. So, why do people vacation in war-torn countries?

Well, although wars affect all aspects of a country’s economy, tourism is one of the fastest, and most likely to suffer. But war zones often do still see tourism from more adventurous travelers, ranging from those who actively seek out military activity, to others who are willing to brave the risk to see landmark locations. One such surprising location is Iraq, to which the U.S. State Department has warned against all travel for fear of kidnapping and terrorist violence. And yet, in 2013 reportedly more than 800,000 international tourists visited the country.

Travelers to Iraq are generally attracted to the country’s ancient historical sites, including the remains of Babylon, the Great Mosque of Samarra and an Ottoman fortress called Tal Afar. Particularly popular among tourists is Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a semi-autonomous region in the northeast with a majority Kurdish population. Iraqi Kurdistan is touted by guidebooks as the best place to travel in Iraq, as it issues free tourist visas for citizens of most countries, and sees considerably less violence and domestic dissent. However since the Islamic State began taking over large swaths of Iraq in 2014, tourism has dropped dramatically.

Another war-torn country with a surprising amount of tourism is Nigeria. Since 2009, Nigeria has been terrorized by Boko Haram, a jihadist group operating mostly in the rural northeast. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Boko Haram was responsible for nearly 11 thousand civilian deaths in 2015, more than any terror group in the world. Nigeria has one of the fastest growing cities in the world and is also home to stunning natural attractions like waterfalls, rainforests, and exotic animals.

Even Syria, which in the last few years has become the most dangerous place on the planet, has some vestige of tourism. Historically, Syria has been one of the most popular tourists destinations in the middle east, as the country is home to six UNESCO world heritage sites. But shortly after the country descended into civil war, commercial flights were ceased, and most hotels either closed or were repurposed as a shelter for civilians. However, this has not discouraged some tourists, who have reportedly flocked to Syria’s shared border with Turkey and Israel to observe the turmoil from afar. In late 2015, One Russian tour company even announced plans to send tourists to the front lines, trademarking the name ‘Assad Tour.'

There’s no doubt that war discourages many people from traveling. But as seen in countries like Syria and Iraq, war can itself be the main attraction. Despite the violence, tourists will likely continue to venture into the danger zone.

Read more