What in the world could cause an entire city to be abandoned? Some become unlivable due to environmental disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis to nuclear meltdowns. Others become the center of military activity and remain contested and uninhabited as a result – or are simply left as memorials to the terrible events that took place in them. Still others are simply deserted when they outlive their usefulness as trade outposts or mining towns.

This Halloween, forget the plastic cape and cheesy costume. Why not find and explore the real relics and strange structures of an actual ghost town or abandoned city instead? From Azerbaijan to Japan, Italy to Siberia and Cyprus to China, here are twenty-four haunting real-life ghost villages, towns and cities from around the world.

Click to learn more

The image gallery is incredible! I would have never thought that such cities exist or at least not in these dimensions. A whole island, a "walled city" or the futurictic village - places that all have been abandoned for different reasons and now are real ghost towns.

A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language

It's exactly what I would think. *headdesk* What has become of us? =D

A horde of wild cats (with a few rebel-home-cats) just gallopped over the roof.

O___________o

I soooooo don't wanna know what they were after. The screeching and whining was nightmarish enough. Thank you very much.

But, you know, if they went from left to right, they probably have to get back the same way, right?

So. Not. Cool. Nope.

*glares at roof and plots death-by-mice*

Well, I have several versions of the bible but never before one like this. *hmm*

Let Richard Dreyfuss' people go

A new audio-book version of the Bible, jam-packed with stars, has made it to shelves in time for the holidays. Richard Dreyfuss does Moses, Max Von Sydow does Noah and Gary Sinise is David, but they're just the beginning. The cast of 600 includes John Heard (Matthew), Lou Diamond Phillips (Mark), Chris McDonald (Luke) and Louis Gossett Jr. (John). Luke Perry is Judas. Who's Jesus? James Caviezel, who played the role once before, in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ." Producer Carl Amari told The Times that he pitched the project to Christian publisher Thomas Nelson.

"I always thought it would be cool to do a radio drama of the Bible," said Amari, who grew up "not real religious" in the Catholic Church. "You're dramatizing the greatest story ever told. It's God's word. How can you make God's word lift off the page? With great actors, great sound effects and music."...

When Amari projected that the venture would cost $4 million, the entire Thomas Nelson board of directors "looked at me," he recalled. It would be a leap of faith, given that the company's previous audio Bibles had cost at most $17,000 to produce. Then again, just 20,000 copies constituted a bestseller.

The audio Bible -- which is a faithful rendering of the New King James Version -- includes a musical score and evocative sound effects, just like a film."It's verbal Cinerama," said actor Michael York, who narrates both the Old and New Testaments. The 79-CD, 90-hour set costs $125. [full article]

Maybe more people are going to finally "read" the bible. I know for sure that my siblings would jump at the chance. :)

Stuff you come up with that totally confuses "normal" people.

People who have no idea of the world and language that exists behind the desktop. HA! =D

I was shopping yesterday for cosmetics (you know, the usual, creme, lotion and stuff like that) and I got samples as well.

One of them is from Troll Cosmetics GmbH.

O____________o

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't wanna look like a witch after a frog-therapy... *rotfl*

Seriously, who thought it would be a good name for their company?

Saw it at kejsarinna. And couldn't resist. =D

( the meme )

I am working off steam. Please bear with me and the spamming. *offers cookies*

Snagged from booknerdguru whose wordle fits the name. ^^



Mine is already reaching for Christmas Stollen! And back to 70s and it cartoons. *snickers* A real jumble of my livejournal.

...could talk. O_o

Yup.

It would be HELL.


"Nu-uh, I won't move next to the tomato. She makes me look orange. And I am a red paprika." *looks pointly*

*puts potato nose up* "He is sneezing. I don't want to get wheat germs."


Ah, mom and I were talking about gardening. No idea how that came up though... *wonders*

Treffen sich 2 Rosinen. Fragt die eine die andere: »Sag mal, wieso hast du denn einen Helm auf?«

Sagt die andere: »Ich muss gleich noch in den Stollen!«

(The German word "stollen" has two meanings: 1. Christmas stollen 2. gallery. Unfortunately it's not so funny if you translate it into English. *sigh*)