Sunset Oil

Vertical World

Water Reflection

Stargate Vs. Swimming Pool

Soul Escape

Mini-me

Salt Flat Creativity

Alien Spaceship Beaming Sunlight

Divine Aircraft

Human Watering

When it’s said that as much as one in seven nurtures a phobia of clowns, here’s list of ten scary clowns. To end things off here’s words Johnny Depp himself used in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle when explaining his own fear of clowns:

Something about the painted face, the fake smile, There always seemed to be a darkness lurking just under the surface, a potential for real evil.

Pennywise (It)

That Stephen is the king of horror has never been more obvious than after reading his 1986 novel “It”. When this masterpiece later went on the become a TV miniseries in 1990, director Tommy Lee Wallace casted british actor Tim Curry to play the child slaughtering clown Pennywise. An odd choice on paper perhaps, but Curry successfully managed to scar a whole generation of kids, including myself. Pennywise is definitely the world’s scariest clown.

The Poltergeist Clown (Poltergeist)

Peter Hartlaub said it best for The San Francisco Chronicle. Even at the age of 39, with a mortgage, two sick kids and a leaking pipe in the laundry room, the clown in the movie Poltergeist still gives him the creeps. For the following three reasons he explains:

1. It doesn’t talk
2. It keeps showing up in different places
3. It’s a f***ing clown

The last reason pretty much sums up this whole list.

Violator (Spawn)

The oldest hell-born brother of three, The Violator is a demon sent to Earth in disguise as an overweight, balding clown with a menacing face paint. Building Hell’s army on Earth in Todd MacFarlane’s comic book creation Spawn, The Violator is the true comic book villain, making it to 97th place in IGN’s ranking of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time.

Ronald McDonald

As the prominent figure of a certain fast food franchise, Ronald McDonald is the only non-fictive clown on this list. But while the other clowns are limited to comic books and movies, Ronald is causing true mayhem in the real world. No other clown has as many lives on his conscience as McDonald’s own Ronald McDonald – successfully clogging arteries and feeding the overweight since 1963.

Zombie clown (Zombieland)

In the 2009 horror comedy Zombieland, main character Columbus is forced to face his fear of clowns when crossing a blood-thirsty zombiefied carnival clown. Red nosed, with a dark hungry stare and an over sized bow tie this zombie clown is by far the movies’ scariest undead.

The Joker (Batman)

Jack Nicholson brought the art of clownmanship to new heights in his portrait of The Joker in the 1989 Batman. Less than 20 years later Heath Ledger made life hell for coulrophobians worldwide when interpreting the same Batman character. It is said that he locked himself in his hotel room for two whole weeks in efforts to nail The Joker’s distinctive laughter. Speculators claim it was this last attempt in portraying a cold-blooded, sociopathic clown that finally cost Ledger his life.

The Klowns (Killer Klowns From Outer Space)

One Friday night the sleepy town Cove Crescent get’s a visit from outer space. It’s the Killer Klowns on the hunt for human blood. As the night progresses local police are overrun with distressed phone calls from people being zapped into candy floss cocoons and emptied of blood through striped curly straws. Being rolled into a cocoon and suck on blood with straws is manageable, but what’s really scary is the idea of being chased by an alien clown mobb with oddly shaped heads.

Krusty (The Simpsons)

Krusty the Clown in the animated series The Simpsons is based on the real clown entertainer Bozo the Clown. Neither of the two are particularly scary, at least not the obvious kind of scary that clowns like Pennywise or the Poltergeist clown are. Krusty is more unpleasant than intimidating, with his cynical view of life, his failing moral and never ending thirst for money and liquor. He represents the stereotype clown with something very dark resting under the surface.

Captain Spaulding (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects)

Appearing in two Rob Zombie movies, House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, Captain Spaulding is a serial killing clown and the leader of the Firefly clan. Taking his role as a clown quite seriously Captain Spaulding will tolerate no ridiculing. Here’s a scene from The Devil’s Rejects that showcases just how proud Captain Spaulding is of being a clown.

Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal series)

Sweet Tooth is the ice-cream truck driving killer clown of the video game Twisted Metal. Being featured on every game cover to date, Needless Kane has become the game’s mascot and a perfect example of the evil clown as depicted by modern Western pop culture. Needless Kane has had three major looks, the first depicting the true clown look, the second introducing the trademark flaming hair and the third going for a Chainsaw massacre look with a mask bolted onto his face. All three different, all three scary as hell.

Just Five More Minutes…please!?

Damn that Jäger!

Don’t Even Ask!

Where am I…how did I get here?

How come when your drunk you always close one eye?

Who opened the curtains?

Why don’t you take a picture dumb ass, it’ll last longer!

Why God whyyyyyy!?

Camera 1, Camera 2, Camera 1, Camera 2

I hate my life.

Here are my picks for the Top 10 Ecommerce WordPress Themes for online businesses:

1. eStore (Live Demo)

This recent addition to the ecommerce theme market by ElegantThemes is the best we’ve seen so far, with integrated functions and options for a complete e-store eperience. Upload product images and set the product price directly in the post editing view. You also get a shopping cart solution without any plugins needed. For the affiliate who wishes to redirect a visitor to an external product page, it is just a matter of swapping a piece of code as explained in the ElegantThemes support forum thread. See explanation below:

Open ‘includes/single-product.php’ and replace:

<a href=”#”><span><?php _e(‘Add to cart’,'eStore’); ?></span></a>

with:

<?php $customLink = get_post_meta($post->ID,’Customlink’,true) ? get_post_meta($post->ID,’Customlink’,true) : ‘#’; ?>
<a href=”<?php echo $customLink; ?>” target=”_blank” class=”addto-cart”><span><?php _e(‘Buy It Now’,'eStore’); ?></span></a>

1. EGoods (Live Demo)

EGoods is a great way to show off your wares and provide your customers with support and information that they need. It allows you to display the title of each product with a thumbnail image on the main page; and if features an “add to cart” button built in. There are three color schemes and two page templates for total versatility.

2. WP Shop Reloaded (Live Demo)

WP Shop is an elegant theme that has a simple, dramatic header and large thumbnails for easier product identification. There are two color schemes: steel gray and bronze; and the navigation is easy to identify and use throughout the site. Perfect for selling high-end jewelry, cosmetics, and accessories!

3. Ecommerce

Ecommerce is highly customizable. Of course, it has a plugin that will allow you to manage your storefront using your WP blog, but it also has six different color styles, blogging tools and is search engine optimized to help increase traffic.

4. StorePress Ecommerce

This handy-dandy theme is perfect for any type of product sales online. It features full PayPal integration and allows you to manage your orders from your WordPress admin panel. You can easily customize each product listing, and your customers have their own user panel which lets them see their order status.

5. Classified

Classified is exactly what it sounds like: an online listing for products that you are interested in selling to your site visitors: cars, real estate, advertising, products or services. It is also fully integrated with PayPal, has plenty of ad-ready widget space; and it is multi-language and multi-currency functional.

6. Auction

This theme allows you to create an Ebay style auction site out of your WordPress blog. It is integrated with both PayPal and Google Maps, has an advanced rating system and is widget ready. You and your site members can customize your listings with multiple options.

7. Market

Market lets you sell your own products or affiliate products using a professional looking grid-view store front. It features a built-in shopping cart, thumbnail popups, a thumbnail generator and multiple payment options.

8. JobPress

JobPress is a theme that allows you to create a job listing site out of your WordPress blog. It is easy to configure, PayPal integrated and offers RSS feeds for each category. Individuals who blog on a specific industry may find that a job board added to their site can increase traffic dramatically.

9. Shopaholic

Shopaholic is a deceptively simple theme that has lots of features underneath its clean, modern lines. It offers integration with eShop e-Commerce plugins, a slider to feature your top products, five widget positions, universal browser compatibility and automatic thumbnail resize.

10. CRM Tools

For the company that is selling services like freelance web design, marketing and copywriting; CRM Tools is an excellent choice. It has a cool flash header/navigation tool and it allows you to build your site as a valuable resource for current and potential clients.

There may be a few surprises in store, but don’t be alarmed to see the stars of the above mentioned walking away with their hands full on August 29th. Here is our break down of the anticipated winners in the comedy categories this year:

30 Rock – Comedy Series

30 Rock is expected to take this one, having won it for the last 3 years running. Despite lower viewer ratings this year, 30 Rock has picked up 22 nominations in total, so get your money on Tina Fey & Alec Baldwin getting their hands on the trophy again.

The nominees are:

• Curb your enthusiasm
• Modern Family
• The Office
• 30 Rock
• Nurse Jackie
• Glee

Alec Baldwin – Lead actor in a comedy series

This is a two horse race between Alec Baldwin and Tony Shalhoub; who have won this award twice and three times respectively. Jim Parsons could sneak in with a surprise win, having seen his role evolve into a critically acclaimed position this year, however history often dictates the future, and with 30 Rock on it’s current pedestal; it’s going to be hard to see this award going elsewhere.

The nominations are:

• Larry David – Curb your enthusiasm
• Tony Shalhoub – Monk
• Steve Carrell – The Office
• Matthew Morrison – Glee
• Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

Edie Falco – Lead actress in a comedy series

Tina Fey, Toni Collette and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have all won this award before, however this one could go to either Lea Michele of Glee, or Edie Falco from Nurse Jackie; which has taken the nation by storm with Edie’s performances of late, which have been described as “wicked, heartbreaking and funny” so don’t count on 30 Rock walking away with this one.

The nominations are:

• Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
• Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus – New adventures of old Christine
• Lea Michele – Glee
• Toni Collette – United States on Tara
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock

Ty Burrell – Supporting actor in a comedy series

Jon Cryer picked up this award last year; however it is clearly Modern Family’s time to grab this one, with 3 nominations in the same category. It is hard to choose between the 3, but Ty Burrell should take this after seeing his work recognized by being nominated for the 2010 Television Critics Association Award.

The nominations are:

• Jesse Tyler – Modern Family
• Chris Colfer – Glee
• Jon Cryer – Two and a half men
• Ty Burrell – Modern Family
• Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family
• Neil Patrick Harris – How I met your mother

Kristen Wiig – Supporting actress in a comedy series

Kristen Wiig should win this, after her performances on Saturday Night Live, taking on many different personas; however Jane Lynch will probably take it after the Madonna episode of Glee, in which she remade the Vogue video in one of the funniest episodes of the year. Modern Family have two nominations in this category, but it’s only fair that someone else gets a crack of the whip.

The nominations are:

• Jane Lynch – Glee
• Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live
• Julie Bowen – Modern Family
• Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
• Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
• Holland Tyler – Two and a half men

Glee – Writing for a comedy series

30 Rock has picked up two nominations in this category, however Glee has become an international hit because of it’s soundtrack. Created by Ryan Murphy (creator of Nip/Tuck), Glee has already won a Golden Globe and a People’s choice award, so it’s more than likely they will run away with this one too.

The nominations are:

• The Office
• Modern Family
• Glee
• 30 Rock (Tina Fey & Kay Cannon)
• 30 Rock (Matt Hubbard)

Bill Maher – Writing for a variety, music or comedy special

Bill Maher is expected to win this one; having been nominated for this and the outstanding variety, music or comedy special, along with 2 nominations for the same awards for a series.

The nominations are:

• Bill Maher – But I’m not wrong
• Wanda Sykes – I’ma be me
• The Kennedy Centre Honours
• 63rd Annual Tony awards
• 82 Annual academy awards

The Daily Show – Variety, music or comedy series

Saturday Night Live has had some great contributors over the years, with the likes of Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey reprising roles on a regular basis, however the ‘fake news’ program: The Daily show with Jon Stewart will win this, picking on political figures, media organisations and recent headlines, all with a satirical twist which often over exaggerate claims or chains of events.

The nominations are:

• The Colbert Report
• The Daily show with Jon Stewart
• Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
• Saturday Night Live
• Real time with Bill Maher

Glee – Directing for a comedy series

The Office took this award last year, but with Glee being nominated twice; there can only be one winner in this category. Glee’s choreography and costumes contribute massively to this series, so recognition is deserved with this award.

The nominations are:

• Nurse Jackie
• 30 Rock
• Glee (Ryan Murphy)
• Glee (Paris Barclay)
• Modern Family

Already decided Emmy Acard in the comedy category

Some of the comedy awards have already been decided; with the following all picking up their awards early:

• Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series: Neil Patrick Harris – Glee
• Outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy series: The Colbert Report
• Outstanding sound mixing for a comedy or drama series – Glee
• Outstanding picture editing for a comedy series (single or multi camera) – Modern Family
• Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series – Saturday Night Live
• Outstanding casting for a comedy series – Modern Family

This is a guest list by Tony Haslam, part of the hotels team at travelsupermarket.com

1. Queensland, Australien

Louring in the waters outside Queensland, are a whole army of deadly aquatic animals. There you’ll find blue-ringed octopus, cone shells, box jellyfish, scorpion fish and the small but highly venomous irukandji jellyfish. Of all these unpleasant sea creatures the box jellyfish ranks as the dealiest, killing anywhere between 100 to 200 people every year. In the Box jellyfish family, the Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are considered among the most venomous creates in the world. It can grow up to ten foot long and is the sole cause for many beaches’ closing every year.

Do not swim during jellyfish alert and make sure to always wear a full body swim suite especially made to protect against jellyfish stings (stinger-suite). Or, just don’t swim.

2. Bolinas Beach, Kalifornien

Bolina Beach is a paradise for surfers but is also a part of the notorious “Red Triangle”. This spot is thus not only famous for its totally awesome rip curls but also for being a fears feading ground for The Great White Shark. These stigmatized marina animals can be seen hunting for sea lions directly from the beach. While the odds of being attacked and killed by a shark are very low, those odds would dramatically increase if you choose to swim at Bolina Beach.

Do not swim at dusk, dawn or night. Do not wear glittery jewelry. Do not swim alone and never enter the water with an open wound.

3. Amazon Basin

Besides the piranhas, caimans and electric eels, the main reason why you shouldn’t swim the Amazon Basin is a small insect known as Toothpick fish or Candirú. This little parasitic freshwater catfish has the uncomfortable habit of invading the human urinal tube or any other bodily opening for that matter.

Do not swim with an open wounds. Wear extra underwear under your swim suite and don’t splatter around too much.

As featured in Grey’s Anaotmy

4. Gulf Coast, U.S.

Except the catastrophic oil spill courtesy of BP, the U.S Gulf Coast is the home of some very unpleasant creatures. Here lives the cottonmouth water moccasin, one of the deadliest snakes on the continent. Get a bite by this snake and you could be dead within two hours.

Do not swim underneath branches hanging over the water. You movement in the water may trigger the snake to jump down.

5. Victoria Falls, Zambia

The most dangerous place here is actually not the 360 feet high waterfall itself. The Devil’s pool is the perfect spot for the suicidal swimmers as this natural swimming lies just by the edge of the waterfall with nothing but a low lip keeping bathers from plummeting down the falls to a certain death.

6. Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Before you go camping in this national park, be advised. The area is the home to more deadly creatures than any naive tourist can imagine. Huge centipedes the size of an adult man’s arm, man eating sharks, blood sucking leeches, giant mosquitoes and poisonous caterpillars and Scorpion fish.

Getting bitten by leeches is seemingly unavoidable so make sure to take up smoking as leeches hate tobacco. When attacked, mix water with tobacco and pour it over the leech and it should let go. Whatever you do, do not try and remove it by force as it will cause it to release its venom.

7. Hanakapiai Beach, Kuai, Hawaii

Looks can be deceiving. Hawaii’s own Hanakapiai Beach on Kauai’s Nāpali Coast is nothing short of a mirage but unfortunately also a death trap. Strong ways, unpredictable riptides and powerful current has taken the lives of over 80 beach visitors. The death count is kept up to date by a handmade sign right on the beach.

To stay alive, simply do not swim here.

8. River Nile, Egypt

Camouflaged by the muddy river water, just below the surface lurks the Nile crocodile for hours in wait for its prey. The most dangerous of the crocodile family, the Nile crocodile kills hundreds of people every year in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Nile Corridor is the home of over 500,000 of these creatures, which can live for up to 100 years and grow around 20 foot long. Also to be on the look out for when vacating by these waters is the Lake Nasser’s tiger fish, a cousin to the piranha – only much larger.

9. Shired Island, Dixie County

Swim in the waters of Florida Shired Island in Florida and risk developing the following symptoms. Skin rashes, pinkeye, hepatitis, respiratory infections and any other water born illness. Winning the award America’s Most Polluted Beach in 2009, you might want to think twice before you pack for a day at the beach. Better yet, check out nrdc.org before visiting any beach. As it turns out there are over 20,000 polluted bays, ocean, and Great Lakes beaches in the country.

10. Kruger National Park

The hippo is known for its unprovoked attacks on humans and despite the fact that they are plant-eaters, this seemingly cute and cuddly animals kills hundreds of people every year, making the hippo the deadliest mammal in Africa. If ever chased by a Hippopotamus, do not run in a straight line as it will easily outrun you. Despite its short legs, the hippo can run quite fast, but only straight forward. By running in crossed patterns you stand at least a slight chance of surviving.

Photo by Vadim Onishchenko