10 Most Expensive Vehicles of U.S. Military

1. Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, better known as the Stealth Bomber, can launch conventional and nuclear weapons against the most heavily protected enemy lines on earth thanks to its ability to evade radar detection. Originally, it was supposed to be manufactured in a run of 132, but it was so expensive that the initial 1987 order was slashed to 21. The cost of the B-2 program in 1997 was $737 million, or just over $1 billion today. Combined with procurement costs, the B-2 Spirit costs over $2 billion. The craft was first used during the Kosovo War in 1999, and it has been used successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. They have also been used during the 2011 Libyan uprising, according to the BBC.No other country on earth has a larger defense budget than the United States. According to the Department of Defense, its base budget for fiscal year 2010 is over $500 billion, with another $130 billion to bolster the War on Terrorism and another $33 billion in supplemental spending on top of that. And that’s not to mention Homeland Security or nuclear arsenal maintenance.A lot of this money is spent on aircraft, tanks and ships, all of which are top – of – line and represent the furthest advances in military technology. In other words, they cost a lot of money.

2. Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey

The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is a versatile aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities similar to those of a helicopter. However, it’s much faster than any existing chopper and it can fly at speeds as high as those of conventional turboprop airplanes. It was first used for combat in 2007 in Iraq, and the Marine Corps intends to use them in Afghanistan by late 2011. Unfortunately, the Osprey was plagued by a series of accidents during its design and testing phase between 1991 and 2000, and during that period the aircraft was involved in multiple accidents that caused thirty fatalities. Since 2008, the Osprey program has cost $27 billion, and as of 2010, each unit has cost $67 million.

3. USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)

Named for World War II veteran and former President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is the final Nimitz supercarrier to be produced for the US Navy. It was commissioned in 2001 and built by Northrop Grumman for a cost of $6.2 billion.

The carrier was completed in 2009, and is docked in Virginia. At almost 1,100 feet in length, it’s one of the longest warships in the world. Its top speed is over 30 knots, which it reaches with the help of two onboard nuclear reactors. This power source is capable of keeping the ship running for more than twenty years without once having to refuel.

4. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

The F-35 Lightning II was developed as part of a joint program between the US, the UK and other allies known as the Joint Strike Fighter program. It was developed for use in air, ground and reconnaissance missions, it has a wingspan of 35 feet and a length of over 51 feet. Its internal fuel capacity is over 18,000 pounds and it can reach speeds of 1,200 miles per hour. The F-35 Lightning II is armed with a 4-barreled Gatling cannon and eight types of missiles, and if all else fails, it also has a B61 nuclear bomb. The cost for one aircraft is $122 million. The US plans to purchase over 2,000 units, at a cost of $323 billion. When this deal was cut in 2001, it made Lockheed Martin the recipient of the largest military contract in history.

5. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

The F/A-18 Hornet was introduced by McDonnell Douglas and is manufactured by Boeing, who acquired the company in 1997. After making it maiden voyage in 1978, it was introduced in 1983 and since then, it has been used in a variety of capacities. It was used in Operation Desert Storm, and it’s the featured aircraft of the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. However, its primary functions are reconnaissance and air support.

The Hornet can reach a maximum speed of 1190 miles per hour, and it can climb up to 50,000 feet in a minute. Outside of the US, the fighter is used by the armed forces of such countries as Australia, Canada and Switzerland, and it has appeared in the 1996 science fiction film Independence Day as the aircraft used to defeat the alien menace. A 2006 report by the US Navy estimated that the cost of one unit is $57 million.

6. Boeing EA-18G Growler

The Boeing EA-18G Growler is a carrier-based fighter used for electronic warfare. It can disrupt radar and jam an enemy communication system with electromagnetic radiation and directed-energy weapons. Because of its use as an electronic warfare fighter, it carries no guns, although it carries missiles for self-defense.

The Growler is a modified version of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, and it’s relatively new; it went into production in 2007 and only began operating in September 2009. The aircraft has a wingspan of over 44 feet and a length of over 60 feet. According to the US Navy, it costs $67 million to manufacture a single unit.

7. Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle had its fifteen minutes of fame when 2008 presidential candidate John McCain cited the amphibious assault vehicle as the basis for a costly program that was wasting billions of taxpayer dollars. Developed for the US Marine Corps, it is deployed at sea and transports a full marine rifle squad to shore, then operates on land with the full capabilities of a tank.

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle is manufactured by General Dynamics, and the cost for each unit is over $22 million. To date, the program, which is expected to be complete in 2015, has a project cost of $15 billion, $3 billion of which has already been spent. The Bowles-Simpson Commission has recommended that the program be cancelled, and Secretary of Defense Gates said in January 2011 that he believes the program should end.

8. Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

The E-2 Hawkeye is an airborne early warning aircraft that dates back to the 1960s. It has been upgraded to the E-2B and E-2C models when advances were made to its radar and communications capabilities, but the most recent model, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, is the most sophisticated yet. It features a new radar system that triples the craft’s ability to monitor territory.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, which took its first flight in 2007, costs $232 million to produce. It features a brand new avionics suite, complete with satellite communications capability, and the capability for midair refueling. According to Northrup Grumman, the aircraft began delivery to the US Navy in 2010.

9. Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

The C17A Globemaster III is a military transport aircraft in operation since 1993. The plane, which can drop over 100 paratroopers into a war zone at one time, has been used to move troops into Iraq and Afghanistan, and has also been used to deliver humanitarian aid and perform medical evacuations.

The price for one unit is $191 million. McDonnell Douglas developed it during the 1980s for strategic and tactical airlift, and it’s used by the militaries of the U . K . and Canada, as well as by NATO. Both the United Arab Emirates and India are planning to use the aircraft as well.

10. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

According to its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, the F-22 Raptor is the best combat aircraft on earth. While this might seem tantamount to saying your son is brilliant, one look at the aircraft’s capabilities actually bears out the manufacturer’s statement. It can break the sound barrier, it can avoid detection by radar and it can shoot down cruise missiles.

Unfortunately, an Air Force budget document estimated that one unit costs $150 million, with an overall program cost of $65 billion. The high price inspired the Defense Department to call for the program’s end in 2009. The Senate voted to end it in July of that year, and when the military policy bill was signed into law three months later, funding for further production of the F-22 had been cut.

Source : http://www.cnbc.com/id/15839285

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10 Celebrities Who Have Killed Someone

We have many lists on the site relating to murder, killing and death in general. This list takes a slightly different angle from those in that it relates specifically to celebrities who have killed, or been accused of having killed. None of the entries here are celebrities because of their crimes; they are all people who committed (or were accused) after their celebrity was already established.

10. Snoop Dog
Rapper

The rapper famous for his duet with D. Dre in ‘Ain’t Nothin but a G Thing.’ He was arrested and put on trial in connection with the death of Philip Woldemariam, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed by Snoop’s bodyguard, McKinley Lee. Both Snoop and Lee were defended by Johnnie Cochran at the trial, and were both found not guilty on grounds of self-defense. He has since gone on to enjoy a lucrative career.

9. Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle
Silent Film Actor

A silent film actor who acted alongside the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Mabel Normand. Some of his most notable films are ”His Wedding Night,” “Coney Island,” and “Out West.” On September 5, 1921, he rented rooms 1220 and 1221, at the San Fransisco St. Francis Hotel, and invited several women along. One of these women was a party loving actress named Virginia Rappe. Rappe was already in poor health as a result of heavy drinking and multiple abortions. A drunken Rappe claimed that Arbuckle tried to rape her while she was unconscious. After she died, a week later, it was theorized that Arbuckle may have raped her with a Coca Cola bottle, resulting in her bladder rupturing. He was found innocent at a trial, however his career never recovered from the scandal, and it haunted him until his death, in 1933.

8. C-Murder
Rapper

Rapper C-Murder, aka Corey Miller, who was part of the rap group TRU, with his brothers Master P and Silkk the Shocker, was at the Platinum Club in Harvey, Louisiana, on January 12, 2002. After an altercation resulted in 16 year old Steve Thomas being beaten and shot to death, Miller was identified as the assailant. After being convicted of second degree murder, the verdict was overturned by the Louisiana Supreme Court, in 2006. A second trial found him and the brother of rap mogul Master P guilty, and they were sentenced to life in prison. It has been said that the motivation for the killing was after Thomas embarrassed C-Murder during a rap battle hosted at the club that evening.

7. Gig Young
Actor

Academy award winning actor Gig Young, won Best Supporting Actor for “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” and appeared in films like “Sergeant York,” “The Three Musketeers,” “Teacher’s Pet,” “The Touch of Mink” and “Game of Death.” He married his fourth wife, 21 year old German actress Kim Schmidt, at the age of 64. Three weeks after their marriage, the couple was found dead in their Manhattan apartment. Police ultimately concluded that Young killed Schmidt, and then turned the gun on himself. No motive for the killing was ever made clear.

6. Don King
Boxing Promoter

Don King has promoted some of the most well known names in boxing, such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Evander Holyfield. After dropping out of Kent State University, he ran an illegal bookmaking operation and was charged with two different killings, 13 years apart. After he shot Hillary Brown in the back, it was found to be a justifiable homicide since Brown was attempting to rob him. King was convicted of second degree murder after he stomped Sam Garrett to death, an employee who owed him $600. He served just under four years in prison.

5. Paul Kelly
Actor

Stage and screen actor, Paul Kelly won a Tony Award for his role in the play “Command Decision.” During a fistfight, in 1927, with actor Ray Raymond, he ended up beating Raymond to death. He spent 25 months in San Quentin prison. Kelly later married Raymond’s widow, Dorothy MacKaye, who was briefly imprisoned as an accomplice. He died in 1956, of a heart attack at age 57.

4. Sid Vicious
Bassist for the Sex Pistols

Sid Vicious was the bassist for the controversial punk rock group the Sex Pistols. Along with his girlfriend, prostitute Nancy Spungen, he suffered from heroin addiction. One night, while staying in their room at New York’s Hotel Chelsea, Sid woke to find Nancy stabbed to death in the bathroom. He was arrested and charged for her killing. He frequently changed his story saying that he stabbed her, not meaning to kill her, in the middle of an argument, and then claimed he didn’t remember what happened. Sid died a few months later from a heroin overdose.

3. Phil Spector
Record Producer

This legendary record producer has backed numerous music legends such as the Beatles, the Ramones, Ike and Tina Turner and the Righteous Brothers. After actress Lana Clarkson was found shot to death in his mansion, Spector claimed the gunshot was self inflicted, but numerous people have claimed to have been held at gunpoint by Spector in the past. The first trial resulted in a hung jury, while the second trial found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 19 years to life.

2. Robert Blake
Actor

The actor who starred in films like “In Cold Blood” and the TV series “Baretta”, also started out as a child star in the 1930’s in the “Our Gang” series. In 2000, he married Christian Brando’s (Marlon Brando’s son) ex girlfriend, Bonnie Lee Bakley, who had a history of exploiting older men, especially celebrities for money. The couple went out to eat and, after leaving, Blake claims he went back to the restaurant with Bonnie in the car, to retrieve his gun he left at the table. When he returned to the car Bonnie was found shot to death. He was put on trial for her killing, but was later found innocent. Another jury found him liable for Bakley’s death, and he was ordered to pay her children $30 million.

1. O.J. Simpson
Footballer and actor

O.J. Simpson was recently divorced from his wife, Nicole Brown. When Brown and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death, much evidence pointed towards Simpson whose high speed chase and trial became headline news for over a year. He was eventually found not guilty in a controversial verdict, despite DNA evidence and a long history of spousal abuse. He was found responsible for their wrongful deaths by a civil court, and in 2006 wrote a hypothetical book explaining how he could have killed them. Some say he did it, some say he didn’t. We will probably never know.

Source : listverse.com

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10 Dumbest 911 Calls

1. The woman who called 911 to ask a police officer on a date

A woman in Aloha, Oregon, called 911 because she thought a deputy who had just visited her house on a complaint was good-looking. After her neighbors reported a noise complaint, two sheriff’s deputies knocked on Lorna Jeanne Dudash’s door. One of them caught her eye. When they left, Dudash dialed 9-1-1 in a desperate attempt to get the deputy she described to dispatchers as “a cutie pie” to return. She said that she didn’t have an emergency; she just wanted the dispatcher to “throw the cute police back her way”. The “cute” deputy returned, and, once he determined there was no legitimate emergency, he arrested Dudash for misusing 9-1-1. She now faces a fine of up to several thousand dollars and up to a year in jail.

2. The woman who called 911 after getting locked inside her own car

A Florida woman called 911 because she was locked inside her car. Turns out all she needed to do was manually pull up the lock on the door. The unidentified woman was parked at a Walgreen’s store in Kissimmee. “My car will not start. I’m locked inside my car,” the unidentified woman said. “Nothing electrical works. And it’s getting very hot in here, and I’m not feeling well.” The dispatcher then suggested pulling up the lock. The woman tried it and was successfully able to open the door.

3. The lonely man who called 911 over 27,000 times

John Triplette, a 45-year-old unemployed man, was charged for abusing the 911 emergency line: he made over 27,000 calls to 911. Police says he was a lonely man who would call the dispatchers for company, sometimes hundreds of times a day. He would also make various noises, including grunts and other bodily noises, minimal conversation in a disguised voice, beeps from the touch pad, etc. The prank 911 calls were made from a T-Mobile cell phone which leaded to his arrest after police tracked his cell signal. Police said he apologized for the calls. He said he made them “because they were free.” He faces $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

4. The woman who called 911 because McDonald’s didn’t have McNuggets

Angered that her local McDonald’s was out of Chicken McNuggets, a Florida woman called 911 three times to report the fast food “ emergency.” Latreasa Goodman, 27, called police to complain that a cashier would not give her a refund. When cops responded to the restaurant, Goodman told them, “This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn’t have McNuggets, I wouldn’t have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don’t want one.” She was arrested and the Police pressed charges for misusing the 911 system.

5. The wife who called 911 to make her husband stop watching porn

A frustrated German housewife called police because her husband would not stop watching porn movies. The 44-year-old woman, from Aachen, dialed the emergency police number and told the dispatcher in a weepy voice there was an emergency. But when officers arrived at the scene they found her pacing the apartment while her husband, 46, sat in front of the TV watching a blue movie. She was told however that there was nothing the police could do in such a case, but refer her to a counselor for help.

6. The 4-year-old boy who called 911 because he couldn’t solve a math problem

A 4-year-old kid named Johnny decided to call 911 when he needed help with his math homework. Amazingly, the dispatcher actually helped him; the video is a must-see.

7. The woman who called 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice

A woman called 911 to report she didn’t get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Fort Worth-area restaurant. The angry costumer told the the dispatcher, “to get a police officer up here, what has to happen?” The customer also said: “He didn’t even put extra shrimp in there.” The upset customer was gone when an officer arrived the next day. Restaurant workers said the woman had been denied a refund after leaving with her order, then returning to complain. The cook said there was nothing wrong with the meal.

8. The couple who called the police to settle a cold feet row

A woman called the local 911 in China after her boyfriend refused to warm up her cold feet. Police officer Xiao Deng, of Ningbo, received two consecutive calls, one from the woman complaining her boyfriend refused to warm her feet – the other from the man saying his girlfriend was too demanding. Deng went out to the rental apartment, close to Ningbo University, to try to resolve the issue but found the couple still rowing. He eventually persuaded the boyfriend that it was a man’s job to warm his girlfriend’s feet but told the woman not to leave her feet there for too long. The young couple put aside their differences and thanked him for coming out to solve their problem.

9. The man who called 911 because he was turned away at a nightclub

A man in Beaverton, Oregon called 911 when a nightclub refused to let him inside. Employees at “The Caribe” nightclub in Beaverton said they didn’t let Edgar Dieguez-Lopez inside because he was too intoxicated. Dieguez-Lopez then called
911 and complained to dispatchers that he was denied entry. Dispatchers explained through a translator that the club has a right to refuse service and asked him to wait outside for the police. Officers responded to the club and found cocaine inside one of Dieguez-Lopez’s socks. He was arrested on drug charges.

10. The man who was been chased by cops and called 911 to try to fool them

A Sarasota man about to be pulled over by police tried to lure officers away by making a fake 911 call. Officers were following a 28-year-old man’s car to make a traffic stop when they got a 911 call for an armed robbery happening several blocks away. The man’s plan seemed to work at first when the officers cut off their chase to answer the call. But then other officers in the area followed him into a parking lot and saw a gun in his car. Officer’s determined that the man was a felon and not allowed to possess a firearm. After the man was arrested, officers said they discovered that the bogus 911 call came from his cell phone.

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How to Prevent Virus from Flash disk Infecting Your Computer

Flash disk is a media that is the most widely used in virus spread. At the time when we plug flas disk into computer’s USB port, then default windows will directly open a new task with the Auto play function. Many viruses use the Auto Play function to spread themselves and then infecting our computer.

Through this method, we will try to minimize the virus infection into computer by making disable the Auto Play function.

The steps are as follows:

- Click Start -> run “gpedit.msc”

- Select Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates

- Then select System, find the file Turn Off Auto Play and double click it

- Then check the option enabled and Turn Off Auto Play, select All Drive

- Then, click OK, Close and restart

Another way to minimize the virus infection to the computer is by enabling Guest user login and always login with the guest user. Guest user will make us indirectly killing the registry. Virus always infects registry file and change the value in it.

The last, you can minimize virus infection to computer by, of course, using anti-virus.

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10 Most Expensive Cars in the World

They’re luxurious, they’re lustworthy, they’re fast– they’re also the world’s most expensive. These 10 cars are the most expensive models you can buy today, from Maybach to Mercedes, Bugatti to Lamborghini. While only the richest of the rich can afford them, we can still drool. Here are the 10 most expensive production cars available on the road today…
Before we get started, a few notes to remember. There are single or custom cars that may exceed these prices. For example, a 1961 Ferrari 250GT sold for $11 million this year, making it the world’s most expensive car. These, however, are recently produced cars that are available today in quantities of 20 or more. Without further adieu, enjoy!

10. Maybach 62 Sedan: $390,000

While the Maybach brand was initially founded in 1909, it was reintroduced by Daimler Chrysler in 2002 to compete with Rolls Royce and Bentley. Six years later, the “Luxury Brand Status Index” voted the Maybach as the #1 luxury car– ahead of both Bentley and Rolls. If price is any indicator, the Maybach 62 runs at $390,000, a good $50k higher than a Rolls Royce Phantom and $200k higher than a Bentley Continental GTC. What does that extra scratch get you? The ultimate in luxury, powered by a 5.5L twin-turbo V12 engine pushing 612 horses. But you won’t get behind the wheel– this extended cab model is intended for your chauffeur. You’re busy in the back with models like Rosie Huntington Whitley.

9. Porsche Carrera GT: $420,000

Going from luxury to performance in 3.5 seconds, the Porsche Carrera GT is a very different car than the Maybach above. The engines are quite similar– the Carrera GT is powered by a 5.7L V10 engine producing the same 612 HP as the Maybach. But with one glance at the Porsche, you know this beast means business. The Porsche Carrera GT hits sixty from zero in 3.5 seconds, as well as 100mph from a standing start in just 6.8 seconds. This mid-engine street machine was given the wheel base, air dams and carbon fiber body elements of a pro racer with street legal sensibility.

8. Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: $450,000

While production ended on Mercedes’ top roadster this year, a savvy (see also: rich) shopper can find one of the 3,500 produced available for resale. A bit more powerful than the Porsche Carrera GT, the McLaren SLR includes a 5.4L SOHC V8 that generates a maximum power output of 626 horsepower. That pushes this 2-ton Mercedes monster to 60mph in 3.6 seconds, topping out at 208mph.

7. Koenigsegg CCX: $520,000

By the time you pronounce the name Koenigsegg phonetically, this puppy is already at 60mph. The Swedish born Koenigsegg CCX is amongst the fastest street legal cars on the road, this one hitting 60mph in 3.2 seconds. It is powered by a 4.7L V8 engine with two centrifugal superchargers that help push this baby to 806 horsepower. If you’re in the market, we suggest the CCXR version– which is built to run on biofuels, which by nature gives this Swedish beauty a 25% increase in power…

6. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo: $585,000

One of two true American sports car on this list, the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo earns its place the old fashioned way– with balls-to-the-wall power. The S7 Twin Turbo is powered by a stunning 750 horsepower V8 engine with twin turbochargers. That muscle takes this California beauty to 60mph in 3.2 seconds, but it accelerates further by hitting 200mph in just 27 seconds. Rewind to the beginning of this paragraph and read it again– and the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo has passed 200mph from a standing start.

5. SSC Ultimate Aero: $620,000

It may not be the most recognizable name on this list, but it should be– the SSC Ultimate Aero is the fastest production car on the planet. Like the S7 Twin Turbo above, this one is manufactured in America by Shelby Supercars (SSC). The Ultimate Aero, however, holds the production speed record at 256.15mph– doing so with an 1,183 horsepower, 6.35L twin-turbo V8. It gets better– SSC has also produced the Ultimate Aero EV, an all-electric model which will eat Jason Calacanis’ Tesla Roadster for breakfast…

4. Enzo Ferrari: $640,000

What’s a top car list without a Ferrari? The Enzo Ferrari has rightfully earned its place among the world’s most expensive cars with one of the brand’s most powerful cars of all time. The Enzo, named after Ferrari’s founder, is a 12-cylinder mid-engine street beast that uses F1 technology for body construction, sequential transmission and braking. The result is a supercar that can accelerate to 60mph in 3.14 seconds toward a top speed of 220mph. Only 400 of the Enzo Ferrari were produced, and it isn’t likely any of its current owners would be foolish enough to let one of these go. But hey, these are tough economic times…

3. Lamborghini Reventon: $1,300,000

Lamborghini’s lone entry to the most expensive cars in the world is none other than the fiesty Reventon. The Lamborghini Reventon is a limited-edition, mid-engine sportscar that only 20 of the world’s richest racing fans can afford. This V12 street bullet has 650 horses under its hood, enough to push the Reventon to 60mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 210mph. If you ever see one of these 20-of-a-kind Lambo’s on the street, consider it a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

2. Bugatti Veyron: $1,400,000

In years past, the Bugatti Veyron would have been the world’s most expensive car, until it was unseated this year by the next model on our list. That’s not to lessen the importance of the Veyron– this is a dream car to best all dream cars. The Veyron is powered by a 987 horsepower W16 engine that achieves a top speed of 253mph. Getting there, the Veyron can hit 60mph in a stunning 2.46 seconds. It has muscle like very few others, fused with a signature style that is unique to the Bugatti brand. While the Veyron has finally been kicked off the peak of this toplist, it remains one of the most lustworthy cars in the world– regardless of its price…

1. Aston Martin One 77: $1,500,000

The new king of the world’s most expensive autos wears the Aston Martin logo. The Aston Martin One 77, revealed this summer, will be sold for 1,000,000 British Pounds Sterling, which converts roughly to $1.5 Million USD. Only 77 of the One 77 will be produced– and all 77 are already sold. This V12-powered Aston is a true supercar, exceeding 60mph in 3.5 seconds on its way to a 200+ top speed. If you’re one of the lucky 77 to get your hands on one of these machines, we’d love the generous offer of a test drive. Who wouldn’t?

Source: http://cardesk.blogspot.com/2009/06/10-most-expensive-cars-in-world.html

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10 Most Unfortunate Car Names

Marketers do a great job of convincing us to buy stuff (often stuff we don't need) - but through the annals of history they have occasionally gotten things wrong. This is a list of the ten most unfortunately named cars.

1. Mazda LaPuta (in spanish: "the whore")

The car's name actually derivates from the book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, but go explain this to spanish speakers. For them, it means "the whore".

2. Mitsubishi Pajero (in spanish: "wanker")

The Spanish version ended up as "Montero", but still many spanish-speaking customer do have a wanker.

3. Nissan Moco (in spanish: "booger")

It was only marketed in Japan as such; otherwise it would have been a bad (nose) pick for spanish speakers.

4. Buick LaCrosse (in French: "masturbating teenagers")

When Buick launched the "LaCrosse" in Canada why couldn't it have come across as "the fancy pen on wheels," or something to do with archery? Nope, in French-speaking Quebec, the meaning is, of course, masturbating teenagers.

5. Chevrolet Nova (in spanish: "It Doesn't Go")
General Motors had a very famous fiasco in trying to market the Nova car in Central and South America. "No va" in Spanish means, "It Doesn't Go".

6. Opel Ascona (in Spain and Portugal: "female genitalia")

Why couldn't the "Opel Ascona" mean "little flower" or "cute worm," which would have been cause for just mild embarrassment? Instead, it means female genitalia in Northern Spain and parts of Portugal.

7. Honda Fitta (in swedish and norwegian: "cunt")

So why can only spanish speakers have genitalic cars? Here's one for up there: the Honda "cunt"

8. Daihatsu Charade
It's not really a car, it's just pretending! This was one of those econo-boxes that was not merely humiliating to drive, it embarrassed its owner each time its name was uttered. "I drive a Charade." Good-bye, prom date!

9. Dodge Swinger
You'll also find ads for these on the back pages of adult magazines. Okay, it was the '70s, but still - why not just call it the STD?

10. AMC Gremlin
Do you really want to own a car named after annoying small problems that are next-to-impossible to fix? Courtesy of the same folks who brought you the Pacer.

Source: http://weirdynews.blogspot.com/2008/09/10-most-unfortunate-car-names.html

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10 Most Expensive Paintings

10. $55,000,000 for Femme aux Bras Croises by Pablo Picasso (2000)

This work, painted in 1901, was a part of Picasso's famous Blue Period, a dark, sad time in the artist's life. The beautiful & various tones of blue are typical. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed staring at the endless nothing.

Femme aux Bras Croisés was sold for $55,000,000 November 8, 2000, at Christie's Rockefeller in New York City.

9. $60,500,000 for Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cézanne (1999)

This painting by Paul Cézanne, painted in ca. 1893-1894 was sold for $60,500,000 at Sotheby's New York on May 10, 1999 to "The Whitneys". Whitney, born into one of America's wealthiest families, was a venture capitalist, publisher, Broadway show and Hollywood film producer, and philanthropist.

8. $71,500,000 for Portrait de L'Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh (1998)

Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe ("Self-portrait without beard") is one of many self-portraits by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. He painted this one in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is a oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16" x 13").

This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait became one of the most expensive paintings of all time when it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.

7. $76,700,000 for The Massacre of the Innocents by Paul Rubens (2002)

The Massacre of the Innocents is one of two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting an episode of the biblical Massacre of the Innocents as related in the Gospel of Matthew.

This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only painting in this list which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $ 76,700,000 at a 2002 Sotheby's auction.

6. $78,100,000 for Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1990)

Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre was painted by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $ 78,000,000 at Sotheby's in New York City to Ryoei Saito, the honorary chairman of Daishowa Paper Manufacturing Company, Japan.

At the time of sale, it was one of the top two most expensive artworks ever sold, together with van Gogh's Portrait of Dr Gachet, which was also purchased by Saito. Saito caused international outrage when he suggested in 1991 that he intended to cremate both paintings with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 ... but the painting was saved.

5. $82,500,000 for Portrait du Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh (1990)

This painting by the Dutch Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie's, New York.

Vincent van Gogh actually painted two versions of Dr Gachet's portrait. You can view the other version, with a slightly different color scheme, at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

4. $95,200,000 for Dora Maar with Cat by Pablo Picasso (2006)

This painting near doubled its presale estimate and fetched a record $95,200,000 at auction at Sotheby's on May 3, 2006. It was sold to anonymous buyer and the ownership of the Dora Maar au Chat is still unknown to the general public.

Painted in 1941, Picasso's controversial portrait (one of his last) is sometimes described as an unflattering depiction of Dora Maar, who was an artist/photographer and mistress of Picasso whose relationship lasted ten years during the 1930s and 40s.

3. $104,000,000 for Boy with a Pipe by Pablo Picasso (2004)

Garçon à la Pipe was created during the artist's famous Rose Period, during which Picasso painted with a cheerful orange and pink palatte. The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39 × 32 inches), depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand.

The record price auction at Sotheby's New York on May 4, 2004 was a bit of a surprise to art buyers, since it was painted in the style not usually associated with the pioneering Cubist artist.

2. $135,000,000 for Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt (2006)

The record-breaking sale - which followed a court order by the Austrian government to return the painting to Bloch-Bauer's heir - was the culmination of a years-long dispute over the painting looted by Nazis during World War II.

Painted by the art nouveau master Gustav Klimt in 1907, the portrait was purchased in 2006 by cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder.

1. $140,000,000 for No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock (2006)

According to a report in the New York Times, on November 2, 2006, the painting was sold by David Geffen, founder of Geffen Records and co-founder of Dreamworks SKG, to David Martinez, managing partner of Fintech Advisory Ltd, in a private sale for a record inflation adjusted price of $140 million.
Shearman & Sterling, LLP issued a press release on behalf of its client, David Martinez, to announce that contrary to recent articles in the press, Mr Martinez does not own the painting or any rights to acquire it. The sale was never confirmed.

Painted by expressionist Jackson Pollock in his trademark "drip" style, the 4' x 8' painting is said to have been purchased by entertainment mogul David Geffen in November 2006.

Source: http://crazytopics.blogspot.com/2007/01/10-most-expensive-paintings.html

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