Top 10 Dogs for Lazy Owners

Too many people decide that they wanted a cutesy, wootsie, little dog to love and then spend a ton of time and money picking out a perfect pooch. Then these people proceed to ignore the dog after a couple of months when the novelty wears off and they realize that a dog is work.

I want to shake those people and scream: “A dog is not a lawn ornament or a household decoration!” In addition to the basics—water, food, and shelter—a dog needs attention, affection, mental stimulation, grooming, and physical activity.

So for those who insist on dog companionship but have no intention of taking 30-minute walks daily, spending weeks, or money, for training, or taking the dog to the groomers bi-weekly, I offer this list of low-maintenance dogs. (I know, some people really aren’t physically able to walk a dog everyday for whatever reason but would still like companionship. Ignore the “lazy” in the title and read on.)

Note: I am not in any way advocating that you neglect or ignore any dog. My point here is please don’t adopt a high-energy Border Collie if you hate walking to the car or a high maintenance Shih Tzu if you barely brush your own hair. Bring home a dog that needs a tenth of the work for the same amount of love.

10. Bolognese

This breed was thought to have descended from dogs like the Bichon Frisé in southern Italy. The Bolognese became popular as a companion dog among royal courts and nobility of Spain and other parts of Europe up to the early 1800’s. This is a sturdy breed of Toy/Companion dogs without any particular genetic health problems. A Bolognese’s needs for:

Space – Minimal. A good apartment dog. This toy breed has a sturdy body and weighs up 8 – 14 pounds, the size of a newborn.
Exercise – Low. A playful dog, but not highly active. Occasional walks are good.
Training – Low. This dog is smart and trainable. She may be reserved with strangers, but she gets along with kids and other animals.
Grooming – Moderate. This is a long hair breed with white hair. It mats up easily, but it doesn’t shed much and is actually considered hypoallergenic.

9. Japanese Chin

The Japanese Chin, also known as the Japanese Spaniel, is actually believed to have originated in China and brought to Japan as a gift from a Chinese emperor. It was a popular dog of Japanese royalty and was introduced in Europe in the 1800s. The Japanese Chin’s needs for:

Space – Low. This is a small dog not quite reaching a foot in height and weighing 8 to 11 pounds.
Training – Low. This is a smart, quiet, mild-mannered dog. The Chin gets along well with almost everyone, including strangers, other animals and children. They are also alert and sensitive to their surroundings.
Exercise – Low. This small dog is made for the lap. Plus, with its shorter muzzle, too much exercise could cause breathing and heat problems. Occasional short walks would do.
Grooming – Moderate. The Chin’s coat needs regular brushing/combing to maintain its appearance and avoid matting. And they do shed lightly year-round but are very clean and do not smell.

Cons – Difficult to housetrain during the first 4 months of life. Other health concerns include luxating patellas, heart problems, back problems, cataracts.

8. Greyhound

A racing dog on a list for 10 Best Dogs for Lazy Owners? A-ha, you learn something new all the time. Yes, they do sprint fast, but they are not high-energy dogs. In fact, Greyhounds have been referred as “Forty-five mile per hour couch potatoes.” Greyhounds have been around for some time can be traced to ancient Egypt and Greece and have often been used for hunting and herding throughout history. The Greyhound’s need for:

Space – Low. Seriously. Yes, this is a larger dog (60 to 70 pounds as an adult and 2 1/2 feet high), but they can thrive in small spaces. Most Greyhounds are quiet, gentle animals, and actually make better “apartment dogs” then breeds that are smaller but more active.
Training – Low-ish. These dogs are rather obedient and get along well with strangers, school-aged children, and other dogs. You maybe should train or supervise them around smaller pet animals or very young children.
Exercise – Low to moderate. Yes, greyhounds are sprinters and they love running, but they do not require extensive exercise. A 20 to 30 minute walk many days will keep an adult Greyhound healthy.
Grooming – Low. She has a short, smooth coat and no undercoat. These are good dogs to have if you have allergies.

Cons – Some skin sensitivities and sensitive to extreme temperatures

7. Bullmastiff

Yes, a Bullmastiff, as in that super large dog, is pretty low maintenance. This powerful, guard dog was developed in the mid-1800 as a cross between the English Mastiff and the Old English Bulldog. They were bred, not to attack intruders, but to stand in front of them or knock them down and hold them. For their size, they tend to be pretty low-energy dog. A Bullmastiff’s needs for:

Space – Low-ish. Because of its size (100 to 130 lbs, 21 to 27” in height), you do need enough space in the house just so the dog can move and lounge around. However, these are calm, low-key dogs and they actually do fine in apartments. And they do best when they live inside with the owner.
Training – Low. Some training is recommended just for walking the large dog so he doesn’t pull. This dog is very loyal to its family, even-tempered, calm, and very tolerant of children. In fact, these dogs crave human attention and are quiet affectionate.
Grooming – Low. It has a short, smooth coat that sheds little.
Exercise – Low to moderate. The Bullmastiff is a calm, low-energy dog—it’s even known to be a lazy dog, clearly OK with lying on the sofa. However, because he is such a large dog, obesity can be a concern. Occasional long walks are a good idea, but they can be leisurely, low-key walks.

Cons – Some tendencies for bloating, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and eye problems. Cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. Tendency to drool or slobber.

6. Pug

Originating in China, Pugs were probably used as royal gifts or for barter in China as well as Tibet and Japan, eventually making their way over to Europe. A Pug’s needs for:

Space – Low. This dog gets to about 18 pounds at the upper end of the scale (if not overfed!) and up to a foot in height. Perfect for apartment life.
Training – Low. Despite it pinched-looking face, Pug’s are typically affectionate dogs that enjoy children. They are also notoriously stubborn. Consider training if you seriously don’t want him on the couch, but he insists.
Grooming – Moderate. Here’s a drawback. While a relatively short-haired dog, Pugs tend to shed quite a bit. And, you do actually have to clean in those wrinkles occasionally to avoid irritation or infection.
Exercise – Way low. You really don’t want to exercise this dog to much. Because of the way the Pug’s head and face are built, they have very compact breathing passageways. This means they have trouble breathing if they overdo it and they have difficulty controlling their body temperature (dogs cool their temperature through panting). Definitely no strenuous exercise for the Pug and no outings where she might get really hot.

Cons – Snorer—don’t let her on the bed with you if you’re a light sleeper. Possible respiratory problems, hip dysplasia, and encephalitis.

5. Glen of Imaal Terrier

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a type of a working dog from Ireland bred for hunting vermin, badger-baiting and hunting fox. The Glen of Imaal Terrier’s need for:

Space – Low-ish. This terrier gets up to 35 pounds (about the weight of a 2-year-old) and up to 14 inches long. This dog works well in apartments and houses with small yards.
Training – Low to moderate. Clever and highly trainable dog, Glen of Imaals get along well with people and kids, but may be yippy and territorial with other dogs. They also might see other household pets as game if the terrier is not socialize to get along.
Exercise – Low-ish. These terriers have short legs compared to their body, so they aren’t really built for running, jumping or other strenuous activities. Some short walks are still good for them, but he won’t stress you out everyday about it. In, fact, it is said the Glen of Imaal Terriers tend to make up their own exercise, so if you have a yard, that would be good for them too. (But have a good fence because they like to dig.)
Grooming – Low to moderate. A Glen’s outer coat will grow to 3-4″ if left unattended and it will matt, but this breed does not shed much.

4. Bulldog

Bulldogs were originally bred in the 1600s to hold bulls for butchers, and later used for fighting, or “bullbaiting”. When fighting was outlawed, breeders bred Bulldogs with gentler temperaments to soften the breed. A Bulldog’s needs for:

Space – Low. A small but muscular dog, weighing in at 40 – 50 pounds, apartment living is fine, but avoid if you this breed if you have back problems.
Training – Low. An affectionate and very loyal dog, Bulldogs get along well with people, kids and other house pets.
Grooming – Low. A short hair dog, but they do require wrinkle cleaning of the folds on their face.
Exercise – Not a particular active breed. However, these dogs can easily become obese, so a little exercise is good. Low intensity exercise only, like casual walks is recommended. In fact, because of its short muzzle, heavy exercise and exercise in hot weather can be a health hazard.

3. Puggle

A Puggle is considered a recent crossbreed (sometimes known as a “designer dog”) that is a mix of a Pug and a Beagle. He or she may be an original mix or a second or third generation. Puggles are low maintenance dogs that make excellent house pets. A Puggle’s needs for:

Space – Low. Puggles are smaller dogs (15 – 30 lbs, up to 15” in height), good for apartment or house life.
Training – Low. Puggles are laid-back and cheerful. They are sturdy and playful, but also affectionate, lap dogs. They pretty much get along everyone including children, other dogs, and other family pets. They are also very loyal and eager to please their owners.
Exercise – Lowish. These dogs do have a little energy to work off (the Beagle in them) so occasional walks or a romp in the yard is good. On the other side, Puggles tire quickly and like to kick back. Additionally, because of its shorter nasal cavity (inherited from the Pug), long or strenuous workouts are a big no-no. This can cause trouble breathing or controlling body temperature.
Grooming – Low to moderate. They are generally low maintenance, but they shed quite a bit, especially in the spring. They may also need wrinkle cleaning depending how much Pug they inherited.

Cons –Because of the shorter nasal cavity, Puggles are a little more susceptible to heat stroke.

2. Rat Terrier

Sometimes also known as an American hairless terrier, the Rat Terrier was bred to control, guess what, rats…and any other vermin or game they could catch. Originally bred in England, they were common farm dogs in the US in the early 1900s and Teddy Roosevelt hunted with them often. A Rat Terrier’s needs for:

Space – Low. The upper weight limit for this guy is 25 pounds and a foot tall or less. Practically shoebox size. There is also a Miniature Rat Terrier that is under one foot and under 10 pounds.
Training – Low. Rat Terriers are friendly dogs that get along well with everyone: strangers, children, dogs, cats. They generally cheerful but they can be very sensitive to changes in their environment, like increased activity or its owner’s mood. If you want to train him, he is very smart.
Exercise – Low. They love lounging on the sofa in a lap as much as tearing about the yard. Some occasional exercise, walking or playing in the yard, will occupy them.
Grooming – Low. These dogs have a smooth coat with little shedding.

1. Chihuahua

The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world, named after the state of Chihuahua in Mexico where it was discovered in 1850. Its breeding origins are uncertain, but assumed to be descendants of dogs of Chinese or Spanish explorers. A Chihuahua’s needs for:

Space – Minimal. Pretty much an indoor dog, 2 – 6 pounds, up to 9 inches high, can fit in your purse.
Training – Low. However, if you have other animals or kids, consider another dog or you may have a nervous breakdown on your hands. Chihuahua are fiercely loyal to one person but are often considered high-strung.
Grooming – Low. Both the short-hair and long-hair types require minimal grooming.
Exercise – Minimal. An occasional walkie is nice. But do not let them become overweight as it brings on serious health problems for this small breed.

Cons – Chihuahuas are also prone to some genetic anomalies such as epilepsy and seizure disorders, hypoglycemia, heart problems, or collapsed trachea.

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Top 10 Dumbest Pet Products

Humans have kept animals as pets since the dawn of time. They make loyal and loving companions. But we’ve come far from the days when man and beast would sleep on the ground beneath the stars together. Our pets have recently become exceedingly pampered and fawned over. The products sold in specialty pet stores are evidence to this trend. Here are ten of the most ridiculous, useless, and just plain stupid pet products.
10. Clothing

There’s no better way to irritate your furry friend that to press them to the floor and forcibly clothe them. You’ll get the satisfaction of seeing your costumed pet stare perplexedly at you for a few seconds and then commence removing/ripping/soiling his or her new outfit.
9. Pet Stroller

“Hey do you wanna go for a walk around the neighborhood?”
“Yeah sure! But what about Mr. Whiskers?”
“He can come along! I’ve got a Pet Stroller!”
Does this situation seem familiar to you? Of course it doesn’t. Any reasonable pet owner knows that carrying your cat out into the noisy and unpredictable world with you in a small, confined space is a very, very bad idea.
8. Pawlish

This punny product is meant to give your pooch a fashionable manicure or pedicure. Just like people! (Hint: Dogs are not people.)
7. Babble Ball

The Babble Ball is a toy that either talks or emits various sounds when touched. This toy could provide for two very unfortunate scenarios:
Your dog is so intrigued by the Babble Ball that he plays with it all through the night. The sound of voices and strange animal sounds echo throughout the house. You, the owner, are kept awake for weeks on end and, consequentially, are driven insane.
Your pup listens to the sounds of voices emitting from an inanimate object and his perception of reality is distorted. He eventually snaps and goes Cujo on your ass.
6. Chuckit! Ball Launcher

Tired of the incredible arm strain it takes to throw a small ball a relatively short distance? Then thank the sweet lord for the Chuckit! Ball Launcher. (Note: Anyone I see using a Chuckit! will be laughed at/pushed into a ditch.)



5. Dog Poop Freeze

Although it is slightly embarrassing and nauseating to crouch down and pick up the steaming pile that Poochie just deposited, it is a necessary aspect of dog ownership; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a square foot of clean earth in Central Park. Dog Poop Freeze claims that with a simple spray doggy cleanup will be 100% easier. Here’s a hint: fire-extinguishing your pup’s poop isn’t going to make it a less embarrassing or disgusting task.
Bonus: My favorite product review from Amazon.com – “I reminisce about old days when a uncle and his born-again Christian nephew had to make poop sculptures out of WARM poop. Not anymore, Scooter. Now I can finally make that lifesize poop sculpture of Debbie Gibson in my basement.”
4. Kong Stuff’n Paste

A Kong is a rubbery, snowman-shaped toy that dogs apparently go nuts over. The primary reason for popularity is the fact that the Kong can be filled with food, treats, and practically anything else. Kong Paste is basically a can of doggie spray cheese in a variety of flavors that can be sprayed into the Kong. Alright, fine. But what happens when the Kong doesn’t get cleaned out completely? The chunks of meaty paste begin to fester in the corners of the rubbery snowman, creating bacteria and ultimately producing a small civilization; like that episode of The Simpsons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_VII).
3. Vibrating Massage Mitt

It’s the purrfect gift for any pet! Haha get it? But not really. This product is marketed as a massaging mitt that relaxes pets and strengthens the bond between pet and owner. I would imagine a different scenario unfolding: You walk over to Fluffy and turn on the massaging device that makes sounds similar to that of a vacuum cleaner. Fluffy reacts to the terrifying vacuum sound, engraving deep scratch marks on your arms. Fluffy has lost all trust in you as a dependable owner. You bastard.
2. Secure Outdoor Cat Run

Your cat will thoroughly enjoy being confined in a weird green tube…thing for hours on end, being taunted by small animals protected by the layer of fabric that separates your cat from the fun, vibrant world.
1. Doggles

Just look at the picture! I am not even going to bother to comment on the sheer stupidness of this product.
Contributor: kfinch90

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Top 15 Amazing Natural Wonders

The world is inundated with the most prolific beauties of nature ever witnessed. Nearly everywhere there are inhabitants, an amazing piece of Earth’s wonder is never too far away. From huge forests to enormous collections of marine life, our planet shares its natural glory with us in some of the most astounding areas imaginable. Here are 15:

15. Central Sikhote Alin Russian Federation

The Sikhote Alin mountain range contains one the richest and most unusual temperate forests of the world. It is a mixing zone between taiga (an area characterized by coniferous forests) and the subtropics where southern species such as the tiger and Himalayan bear cohabit with northern species such as brown bear and lynx. The site runs form the peaks of the Sikote Alin to the Sea of Japan and is important for the survival of many endangered species such as the Amur tiger.

14. Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn – Switzerland

One of the most glaciated areas in the Alps, the site includes Europe’s largest glacier and a range of classic features resulting from glacial activity such as U-shaped valleys, cirques (an amphitheatre-like valley), horn peaks and moraines (any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated debris). It provides an outstanding geological record of the uplift and compression that formed the High Alps. The diversity of Alpine wildlife is represented in a range of alpine and sub-alpine habitats, and plant colonization in the wake of retreating glaciers provides an outstanding example of plant succession. The impressive vista of the North Wall of the High Alps, centred on the mountains of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, has played an important role in European literature and art.

13. Cerrado Protected Areas Brazil

The two sites included in the designation contain flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado – one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tropical ecosystems. For millennia, the sites have acted as refuges for species during periods of climate change and will be vital for maintaining Cerrado biodiversity during future climate fluctuations.

12. Alejandro de Humboldt National Park Cuba

Complex geology and varied topography have led to a diversity of ecosystems and species unmatched in the insular Caribbean and created one of the most biologically diverse tropical island sites on earth. Many of the underlying rocks are toxic to plants and so species must adapt in order to survive in these hostile environments. This unique process of evolution has resulted in the development of many new species and the park is one of the most important sites in the Western Hemisphere for the conservation of endemic (characteristic of) flora. Endemism of vertebrates and invertebrates is also very high.

11. Galápagos Islands Ecuador

Situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000km from the South American continent, the19 islands of the Galápagos have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Ongoing volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. Located at the confluence of three oceanic currents, the Galápagos is a “melting pot” of marine species. These processes, along with the isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life – such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finches – which inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, following his visit in 1835.

10. Lake Turkana National Parks Kenya

Southern Island National Park has been added to Kenya’s Lake Turkana National Parks World Heritage site. The most saline of Africa’s large lakes, Turkana is an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. The three National Parks are a stopover point for migrant waterbirds and are important breeding grounds for Nile crocodile, hippopotamus and a range of venomous snakes. The Koobi Fora deposits, rich in mammalian, molluscan and other fossil remains, have contributed more to understanding paleoenvironments than any other site on the continent.

9. Yellowstone Wyoming, Montana, Idaho (USA)

Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,472 square miles (8,987 km²), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. Half of the world’s geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining, nearly-intact ecosystem in the Earth’s northern temperate zone. Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened. The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Grizzlies, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in the park.

8. The Grand Canyon Arizona (USA)

The canyon, created by the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years, is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 29 km) and attains a depth of more than a mile (1.6 km). Nearly two billion years of the Earth’s history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted.

7. Columbia Ice Fields Alberta, Canada

The Columbia Ice field is located in the Canadian Rockies, astride the Continental Divide of North America. The ice field lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 325 km² in area, 100 to 365 metres (328′ to 1,197′) in depth and receives up to seven meters (23 feet) of snowfall per year. The ice field feeds eight major glaciers, including: Athabasca Glacier, Castleguard Glacier, Columbia Glacier, Dome Glacier, Stutfield Glacier, and the Saskatchewan Glacier. [Image Source - copyright Matthew Walters]

6. The Great Barrier Reef Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s Largest coral reef system. It is composed of roughly 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2,600 kilometers (1,616 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (132,974 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from orbit and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

5. Angel Falls Venezuela

Angel Falls is the world’s highest free-falling, freshwater waterfall at 979 m (3,212 ft), with a clear drop of 807 m (2,648 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park, in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela. The height of the falls is so great that before getting anywhere near the ground the water is buffeted by the strong winds and turned into mist. The base of the falls feeds into the Churun River, a tributary of the Carrao River.

4. Vredefort Dome Johannesburg, South Africa

Two billion years ago a meteorite 10km in diameter hit the earth about 100km southwest of Johannesburg, creating an enormous impact crater. This area, near Vredefort in the Free State, is now known as the Vredefort Dome. It was voted South Africa’s seventh World Heritage site at Unesco’s 29th World Heritage Committee meeting in Durban in July 2005. The meteorite, larger than Table Mountain, caused a thousand-megaton blast of energy that is now considered the largest meteor impact sight on Earth.

3. Aurora Borealis Northern Hemisphere

Auroras are natural different colored light displays, which are usually observed in the night sky, particularly in the polar zone. In northern latitudes, it is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas. It often appears as a greenish glow (or sometimes a faint red), as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. The aurora borealis is also called the ‘northern lights’, as it is only visible in the North sky from the Northern Hemisphere. The aurora borealis most often occurs from September to October and from March to April.

2. The Amazon Rainforest South America

The Amazon Rainforest is a moist broadleaf forest in the Amazon Basin of South America. The area is also known as Amazonia or the Amazon Basin, and encompasses seven million square kilometers (1.2 billion acres), though the forest itself occupies some 5.5 million square kilometers, located within nine nations: Brazil (with 60 percent of the rainforest), Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Amazon represents over half of the planet’s remaining tropical rainforest in the world.

1. Milford Sound New Zealand

Milford Sound is located in the south west of New Zealand’s South Island. Although called a sound, it is more accurately classified as a fjord. Milford Sound, the most famous tourist site of New Zealand, has also been called an eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling. It is situated within the Fiordland National Park which is in turn part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1200 metres or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1517 m (4977 ft), said to resemble an elephant’s head, and Lion Mountain, 1302 m (4271 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters. The drive to Milford Sound itself passes through unspoiled mountain landscapes before entering the 1.2 km Homer Tunnel which emerges into rain-forest carpeted canyons that descend to the sound. Near Milford Sound are also locations used to film some of the scenes of the Argonath in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Contributor: StewWriter

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Top 10 Sci Fi Inventions that Should not be Invented

There are tons of awesome inventions in sci fi movies and books. Things like faster than light travel, force fields and bionic implants. There are also some things that, on the surface, seem like they would make life easier and simpler. This is a list of sci fi inventions that seem great, but are really more trouble then they are worth.

10. Flying Cars

Imagine being stuck in traffic. It sucks right? Now imagine that you could flip a switch, and suddenly your car would begin to rise into the air. You fly over all those suckers stuck in traffic, gloating. Now that you’re flying, imagine running into a tree. Next, imagine getting into a fender bender with another flying car and plummeting toward your death in a flaming heap of twisted metal.

Flying cars would undoubtedly solve a number of problems. The only thing is, they would create a whole new world of problems. To keep from running into every single power line and radio tower we would need to create laws dictating where you could drive. Kind of like creating flying roads. Of course, as soon as you get enough flying cars, you get a traffic jam on the skyways, thus negating the purpose of having a flying car.

9. Cryogenic freezing

Cryogenic freezing actually exists today. Every year, dozens of people elect to be frozen in the hope that medical advances will progress to the point where they can be thawed and cured of their diseases. Despite obvious risks and expenses, this process has been around for decades.

Now, let’s assume that medical science advances to the point where it is possible to thaw the frozen bodies and heal any diseases which might have occurred. Suddenly, you can just go freeze yourself and thaw yourself at some point in the future. The question is then, what happens to the population when people who would have otherwise died, are brought to life in the future? Talk about overpopulation.

8. Artificial Intelligence

Movies and literature are chock full of robots. It’s quite possibly one of the most cliché objects in sci fi media. Despite this, robots are very real today and AI is not far off. Wouldn’t it be great though, to have a servant who will do anything you ask? Or perhaps a lover who never ages? What about a machine that completely supplants all menial laborers?

The answer is no, it would not be great. AI is a common theme in sci fi and usually it causes more problems than solutions. If you don’t believe me, think about the facts. The current trend is that every two years processors double in speed, halve in size and halve in price. Assuming this trend continues, in 20 years you’ll be able to purchase a computer the size of a postage stamp that’s smarter than the human brain, for about $1. Now who’s the superior species?

7. Prediction of the future

Wouldn’t it be great to stop murders before they happened? How about wars? What about knowing next week’s lotto numbers? Worthwhile goals, all of them. And entirely within reach with a time viewing machine. Imagine how many problems would be solved. No more war, famine or pestilence. The complete utilitarian society, right?

Wrong. So let’s say, hypothetically speaking, that the US has a time viewing machine; this machine then predicts that China is going to attack Los Angeles. To prevent this from happening, the US issues a preemptive strike, thus starting a war in which China launches a missile headed straight for California. Thus becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is true of any major man made catastrophe.

6. Teleportation Device

Imagine a world where you can travel to New Zealand on Saturday, then stop over in Denmark for quick visit on Sunday, before you have to be to work on Monday. No longer do we have to use precious fossil fuel to travel. Terrorism in travel is a thing of the past. Until a terrorist teleports a bomb into the White House.

First, let’s assume that there is some sort of safety protocol in place to prevent things like that from happening. Technically, a teleporter breaks down all of the atoms in your body and sends them to the destination, where they are then reconstructed. The only problem with this is the actual transmission of the atoms. That’s where information age comes in. It makes far more sense to just transmit the blueprints of your atomic structure to a reconstruction device. Essentially, a teleporter is just a fax machine. The problem arises in the early use of such devices. Have you ever made a copy of a copy of a copy? Even using the highest quality copy machine, the quality degenerates rapidly. At first, it might not be noticeable. What are a few atoms from a hair? Or a fingernail? Or your heart? We’re not sure what even the smallest change in your atomic structure would do.

5. Nanobots

Cancer has been cured! The human lifespan numbers in the centuries. All degenerative diseases have ceased to exist. Major injuries heal within seconds. Recreational drug use no longer has any negative effects. Hangovers are a thing of the past.
Nanobots have cured the world. These self replicating robots are now injected into everyone as a natural immunization. To describe the horrors of these machines, here’s a quote from Eric Drexler’s book Engines of Creation:

Imagine such a replicator floating in a bottle of chemicals, making copies of itself….the first replicator assembles a copy in one thousand seconds, the two replicators then build two more in the next thousand seconds, the four build another four, and the eight build another eight. At the end of ten hours, there are not thirty-six new replicators, but over 68 billion. In less than a day, they would weigh a ton; in less than two days, they would outweigh the Earth; in another four hours, they would exceed the mass of the Sun and all the planets combined – if the bottle of chemicals hadn’t run dry long before.

Part of the appeal of nanobots is that only a few need be injected and they can replicate in the human body. This also describes the danger. To put it succinctly: We are the Borg. Lower your shields. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance if futile!

4. Weather Control

Welcome to the future. Global hunger has been solved. The world community lives in utopian tranquility without hurricanes, tornadoes or floods. The human race can now turn its gaze to more worthwhile things like space travel and beer.
The problem with weather control arises when we unleash specific weather on delicate ecosystems which cannot exist except under certain conditions. If this hurdle is overcome there is no reason we shouldn’t have a weather control device. Until it breaks. Then a world lulled into complacency by good weather is suddenly thrown into a natural disaster. Or, in a worst case scenario, a hostile foreign power takes over our weather control devices and unleashes storms of unimaginable power and magnitude against us.

3. Genetic Engineering

Perfect humans. Engineered from before birth to be the best of the best. What could be better than having the perfect child, with no possible risk of inherited flaws? All without the use of those messy nanobots. I think the movie Gattaca (1997) says it best:

We want to give your child the best possible start. Believe me, we have enough imperfection built in already. Your child doesn’t need any more additional burdens. Keep in mind, this child is still you. Simply, the best, of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result.

The danger arises not from any physical aspect of genetic engineering, but rather the social aspects. When you begin to breed perfect humans, you create an entirely new social class. Bringing discrimination to new levels, the class you belong to will not be determined by social status, income or the color of your skin, rather, the build of your genes.

2. Holodecks

After a stressful day at work, what could be more relaxing than coming home and relaxing in a nice peaceful meadow? Perhaps going for a relaxing drive in your flying car? With a holodeck, you can go anywhere, be anyone, or do anything. With the way videogames are heading, holodecks are not too far off. Imagine that you can have anything you want. Any fantasy you have is possible. And there is the danger.

It’s the perfect drug. Why would anyone bother going dealing with their crappy wife and kids when they have the perfect life in the holodeck? Why would anyone bother dealing with reality? You want to be Emperor of Rome? Sure! You want to be Blackbeard the Pirate? Why not? You want to have sex with Marilyn Monroe? Whatever you want is possible with the holodeck. It’s been jokingly put forth that the holodeck would be the world’s last invention. The thing is; it would be. Why bother inventing anything else when you’ve already invented the perfect world?

1. Replicators

Replicators are the solution to nearly every problem the world has. Imagine no more world hunger. No longer is there any energy crisis. Never again will there be a shortage of medical supplies. The perfect world where you can have anything you want.

Until the complete and utter collapse of society. You see, the replicator would make work obsolete. There would be no need for money. As a matter of fact, you would only need one large replicator and you could replicate another one. You could make anything from fresh pizza to a molecule-for-molecule exact reproduction of the Hope Diamond. The last day of the world will come when anybody can make anything.

Bonus: Time Travel

Though not actually possible, time travel would create incalculable problems. Imagine going back in time and you meet a nice girl and take her out and things happen and you go back to your time and nine months later, she gives birth to your father. You kind of have to ask yourself, “What?”
The slightest change in the past would create ripples into the future. Only you would know about those ripples, because to everyone else, that’s just the way history turned out. Then let’s say you go into the future and copy the blueprints for some fantastic machine like a replicator. You bring it back to your time and invent it and somewhere along the line some knave steals your blueprints. Oh wait! That knave was you! It just doesn’t work.

Contributor: Mystern

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Top 10 Famous Deaths Caused by Animals

Though highly uncommon, several well known people throughout history have died from the result of an animal. Whether an attack, an indirect occurrence, or some kind of allergic reaction, it does happen. Here are the ten most famous records of death by animal.

10. Alexander I of Greece (1893-1920) – Monkey

Although history has unfairly described King Alexander as a careless pet owner who died from a bite “from his pet monkey”, the 27 year old monarch actually died after defending his pet dog from an attack during a walk through the Royal Gardens, and he suffered wounds from two of the monkeys. The attack occurred on October 2nd, 1920. In the report dispatched from Europe, it was stated that King had been walking in the park with a pet dog, when the dog was attacked by a monkey. The King beat off the monkey with a stick but in the fight the monkey bit him on the hand slightly. Within days he died of sepsis.

9. Joselito Gomez (1895- 1920) – Bull

José Gómez Ortega, commonly known as Joselito or Joselito el Gallo, or Gallito, was a Spanish Matador in the early twentieth century. He was born in Seville in the famous neighborhood of La Macarena. His father was the matador Fernando Gómez García, known as “El Gallo”. He was the younger brother of the matador Rafael Gómez Ortega, also known as “El Gallo”. Joselito was the youngest bullfighter to receive the title of matador, at the age of 17. Joselito was fatally gored in the ring at the age of 25 during a competitive bullfight with his brother-in-law. The day he died will also be remembered for being the only day in which the Virgin Macarena wore black clothes. Belmonte and Gómez are considered the two greatest bullfighters ever.

8. Kenneth Pinyan (1960-2005) – Horse

Kenneth Pinyan was a Gig Harbor, Washington (a suburb in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area) resident was a prolific Boeing employee who engaged in receptive anal sex with full-size stallions at a farm near the city of Enumclaw . He videotaped those sex acts and distributed them informally under the name Mr. Hands. During a July 2005 sex act, which was being videotaped by a friend of his, he suffered a perforated colon, and later died of his injuries. The story was reported in the The Seattle Times and was one of that paper’s most read stories of 2005.

Pinyan’s death prompted the passing of a bill in Washington State prohibiting both sex with animals, and the videotaping of the same, some months later. However, the video seen by many others was before the accident. The image above is from a documentary of his life released last year called Zoo that one several awards at The Sundance Film Festival.

7. Cleopatra (69 BC – 30 BC) – Asp

The ancient sources, particularly the Roman ones, are in general agreement that Cleopatra poisoned herself by inducing an asp to bite her. The oldest source is Strabo, who was alive at the time of the event, and might even have been in Alexandria. He says that there are two stories: that she applied a toxic ointment, or that she was bitten by an asp. Several Roman poets, writing within ten years of the event, all mention bites by two asps, as does Florus, a historian, some 150 years later. Vellieus , sixty years after the event, also refers to an asp. Plutarch, writing about 130 years after the event, is the main source of the story that has come down to us with all its detail of Cleopatra being found dead, her handmaiden Iras dying at her feet, and another handmaiden, Charmion, adjusting her crown before she herself falls. He then goes on to tell us that some say an asp was concealed in a basket of figs that was brought to her by a rustic, and finding it after eating a few figs, she holds out her arm for it to bite. Others say that it was hidden in a vase, and that she poked it with a spindle until it got angry enough to bite her on the arm.

6. Aeschylus (525 BC – 455 BC) – Turtle

He is often recognized as the father or the founder of tragedy, and is the earliest of the three Greek Tragedians whose plays survive, the others being Sophocles and Euripides. He expanded the number of characters in plays to allow for conflict among them; previously, characters interacted only with the chorus. No more than seven of the estimated seventy plays written by Aeschylus have survived into modern times. As legend has it, an eagle, mistaking the playwright’s bald crown for a stone, dropped a tortoise on his head (though some accounts differ, claiming it was a stone dropped by an eagle or vulture that mistook his bald head for the egg of a flightless bird).

5. Timothy Treadwell (1957 – 2003) – Bear

Timothy Treadwell, born Timothy Dexter, was an American bear enthusiast, environmentalist, amateur naturalist, and documentary film maker, who lived among the coastal grizzly bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska for approximately 13 seasons. At the end of his thirteenth season in the park in 2003, he and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were killed and devoured by one or possibly two grizzly bears. An audio recording of the attack survived. Treadwell’s life, work, and death were the subject of the 2005 documentary film by Werner Herzog titled Grizzly Man.

4. Marty Feldman (1934-1982) – Shellfish

Martin Alan “Marty” Feldman was an English writer, comedian and BAFTA award winning actor, notable for his bulging eyes, which were the result of a thyroid condition known as Graves Disease. Feldman died from a heart attack (as a result of shellfish food poisoning) in a hotel room in Mexico City during the making of the film Yellowbeard. The famous cartoonist Sergio Aragones was filming a movie nearby and when he introduced himself to Feldman earlier that night, he frightened Feldman and possibly induced his heart attack. He has told the story with the punchline “I killed Marty Feldman”. The story was converted into a story in Aragones’ issue of DC Comics’ Solo.

3. Tom and Eileen Lonergan (1998) – Shark

Tom and Eileen Lonergan were a married couple from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who had just recently completed a three year tour of duty with the Peace Corps. They were stranded January 25th, 1998 while SCUBA diving with a group of divers off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and were never found. The group’s boat from the Outer Edge Dive Company accidentally abandoned Tom and Eileen due to a faulty head count taken by the dive boat crew. Upon leaving the diving area, the twenty-four other divers and five crew members failed to notice that the couple was not aboard. The couple was left to fend for themselves in shark-infested waters. Although their bodies were never recovered, they likely eventually died of dehydration, drowning, shark attack, or a combination thereof.

2. Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) – Horse

Though ultimately Reeve succumbed to an allergic reaction, much of his health struggles stemmed from his fall from a horse. Reeve suffered from asthma and allergies since childhood. He had experienced several illnesses, including Infectious Mononucleosis and malaria. He suffered from mastocytosis, a blood cell disorder. More than once he had a severe reaction to a drug. In Kessler, he tried a drug named Sygen which was theorized to help reduce damage to the spinal cord. The drug caused him to go into anaphylactic shock and his lungs shut down. He believed he had an out-of-body experience and remembered saying, “I’m sorry, but I have to go now”, before it occurred. In his autobiography, he wrote, “and then I left my body. I was up on the ceiling…I looked down and saw my body stretched out on the bed, not moving, while everybody—there were fifteen or twenty people, the doctors, the EMTs, the nurses—was working on me. The noise and commotion grew quieter as though someone were gradually turning down the volume.” After receiving a large dose of epinepherine , he woke up and was able to stabilize later that night. In 2003 and 2004, Reeve fought off a number of serious infections believed to have originated from the bone marrow. He recovered from three that could have been fatal. In early October 2004, he was being treated for a pressure wound that was causing a systemic infection called sepsis, a complication that he had experienced many times before. On October 9th, Reeve felt well and attended his son Will’s hockey game. That night, he went into cardiac arrest after receiving an antibiotic for the infection. Reeve died of heart failure at the age of 52.

1. Steve Irwin (1962-2006) – Stingray

Stephen Robert Irwin, known simply as Steve Irwin and nicknamed “The Crocodile Hunter”, was an Australian wildlife expert and television personality. He achieved world-wide fame from the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series co-hosted with his wife Terri Irwin. Together with her, he also co-owned and operated Australia Zoo, founded by his parents in Beerwah, Queensland. He died in 2006 after his chest was fatally pierced by a stingray barb.

Contributor: StewWriter

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