Chattanooga Pulse » The List

The List – Places To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Right

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:13:16 +0000

While St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone here in the Scenic City, it is never too early to start making vacation plans for next year…and here are some helpful suggestions.

1. Dublin, Ireland — St. Patrick’s Day belongs to the Irish, so it’s fitting that a top Irish city would be at the head of the table.

2. Philadelphia — Since 1771, the people of Philadelphia have officially celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.

3. San Francisco — More than just a parade, the St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration in San Francisco is a huge cultural event. Few others can compete with this one.

4. Chicago — The Chicago River turns green every March as the people of the Windy City celebrate another big day.

5. Coatbridge — Not just one day, but a week-long celebration, with many different musical acts, parades and festivals. The annual event is known for honoring the old Irish heritage and it’s as authentic as they come.

6. New York — The annual parade is one of the city’s largest, and that’s saying a lot considering the vast number of parades that take place there during the year.

7. Boston — Come hungry! Boston has a long history as a home to generations of Irish immigrants, so the home-cooking becomes readily available during the third week of March.

8. Savannah — Long known as the best place in the South to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Savannah paints the city green for the big day, including their river, just like Chicago.

Source: eZineHolidays

The List – Top Ten Creative Uses For Silly Putty

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:52:34 +0000

The makers of Silly Putty recently held a contest to come up with the most creative use for one of the stranger toys ever to become popular with both kids and adults. Here are some of the best.

1. Form into a ball, throw it at the stock market listings and invest in the stock it lifts off the page. — Peter H., Collinsville, Conn.

2. End an unbearable date by making a swollen gland and excusing yourself because you’re not feeling well. — Judith D., Norwich, Conn.

3. Use as an alternative to cement handprints at Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for flash-in-the-pan actors. — Charles G., Dallas, Texas

4. Stick yucky vegetables under the dining room table. — Pam Straub, North H., N.H.

5. Roll a long piece across your dorm room floor to clean it without a vacuum. — Justin K., Urbana, Ohio

6. Used it take a fingerprint off my truck that was broken into. They caught the culprit and a few weeks later, I got all my stuff and a reward. — Ron F., Library, Pa.

7. Use to give hairdos to Pez dispensers. — Stephanie H., Costa Mesa, Calif.

8. Use in the study of martial arts. It flows like water, breaks like a brick, can disguise itself and has the agility of a cat. — Brian V., Springfield, Mo.

9. Roll into snakes of all sizes to scare away pesky neighbors. — Gregory J., Gloversville, N.Y.

10. Make a boat for your pet hamster. — Alex Z., Plymouth, Minn

The List – The Top 14 Most Influential Jazz Artists

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:16:52 +0000

1. Louis Armstrong
2. Duke Ellington
3. Charlie Parker
4. Miles Davis
5. Benny Goodman
6. Coleman Hawkins
7. Count Basie
8. John Coltrane
9. Billie Holiday
10. Max Roach
11. Dizzy Gillespie
12. Art Blakey
13. Charles Mingus
14. Thelonius Monk

As one of the most well respected American art forms, jazz has shaped the music industry, spawning both the careers of various musical geniuses and an abundance of elemental new music genres.

The artists behind this ever-growing phenomenon are recognized as some of the best musicians of all time.

Pick any (or all) from the above list and you’ll be well on your way to discovering how powerful music can be in your life and for your soul.

Soures: ListVerse.com

The List – Top Chattanooga Landmarks

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:37:35 +0000

1. Lookout Mountain. Home to Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway, as well as the fabled “power structure” that secretly rules the entire valley, this is the primary destination for nearly every visitor to our fair city.

2. The Tennessee Aquarium. Everyone loves fish, be they of the large river variety or the sharky ocean variety. Plus penguins, otters and butterflies. What’s not to like?

3. The Chattanooga Choo-Choo. More than a hotel, it’s a living reminder of the romantic bygone era of train travel and the fabled “Track 29”.

4. The Walnut Street Bridge. Sadly closed at the moment for needed renovation, the landmark walking bridge has been a destination choice for visitors and residents alike for years.

5. The Chattanooga-Chickamauga Civil War Battlefield. Civil War buffs from around the nation (and the world) have made the trek to the hallowed grounds of Chickamauga since it was dedicated over a century ago.

6. The Creative Discovery Museum. Have kids that are driving you nuts and you need to get them out of the house? Head over to the CDM and not only will they be entertained, but they’ll also learn something (if they’re not careful).

7. International Towing and Recovery Museum. Yes, it’s a museum devoted to the tow truck. And if you haven’t been there yet, what are you waiting for? Seriously—it’s cool.

The List – The Ten Most Popular Karaoke Songs

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:19:52 +0000

1. “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi

2. “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffet

3. “Like A Virgin” by Madonna

4. “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

5. “Under The Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

6. “YMCA” by The Village People

7. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

8. “Summer Nights” by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta

9. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

10. “There’s A Tear In My Beer” by Hank Williams Jr

Once upon a time, karaoke was something that only the Japanese did, but like so many things started by our friends across the Pacific, it made its way to our shores and quickly became the bread-and-butter for many bars and nightclubs who found it quite entertaining to host a karaoke night.

As for karaoke trivia, Finland holds the record for the largest number of people singing karaoke at one time—more than 80,000 people singing “Hard Rock Hallelujah” in 2006 in Helsinki after Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

The People’s Republic of China holds the record for the longest non-stop rally of karaoke: 456 hours, two minutes, and five seconds between February 20, 2009 and March 11, 2009. Sounds like a challenge, Chattanooga…

Note: One of our karaoke-ist staffers insists that Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” belongs on the above List.

The List – Amazon’s Bestselling Electronic Gadgets

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:56:28 +0000

1. Kindle Wireless: For the reader who doesn’t like lugging around their entire library.

2. Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT: GPS units are becoming a “must-have” for everyone who drives, not just the professionals.

3. Apple iPod touch 8 GB: When it comes to gadgets, Apple is the king of the hill.

4. Apple iPod touch 32 GB: Did we mention how crowded that Apple hill was?

5. Flip UltraHD Camcorder: Remember when you couldn’t fit a camcorder in your shirt pocket?

6. Garmin nüvi 765/765T: Another GPS from the company that’s starting to dominate the market.

7. Apple iPod classic 160 GB: Wow, another Apple gadget.

8. Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player: You thought your HDTV looked good with regular DVDs…wait till you see Blu-ray in action.

9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera: One of the best cameras for the price we’ve seen yet.

10. Apple iPod touch 64 GB: Yes, four (count them) iPods make the top ten sales list. Impressive.

Amazon.com has long been one of the “go-to” places online to shop for electronics. What also makes them helpful is that they keep track of what people are buying, giving us all a window into what is popular…and what isn’t.

Though the fact that the Kindle, Amazon’s own electronic book reader, tops the list may have more to do with Amazon than actual sales, though to be fair, we’ve seen a LOT of people with Kindles around town of late.

The List – Top Ten Valentine Gifts for Women

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:51:34 +0000

1. Red Roses
If you want to say a Valentine’s Day, “I love you,” nothing expresses that sentiment better than beautiful red roses.

2. Box of Chocolates
Who wouldn’t appreciate a heart-shaped or golden box filled with sweets?

3. Romantic Heart Pendant
Heart-shaped pendants say “I love you” and are worn close to her heart.

4. Sweet and Sexy Lingerie
A Valentine’s Day gift selection of pretty things for her to wear to bed.

5. A Classic Perfume
If you know what her signature fragrance is, you can’t go wrong with one of these.

6. Apple iPod Touch
The iPod Touch does everything an iPhone does, without having to change your phone plan.

7. Apple iTunes Gift Certificate
Give her something to play on her iPod, and let her choose her favorite songs that remind her of you.

8. Gemstone Earrings
Small and sparkly, earrings with stones can dazzle.

9. Diamond Heart Jewelry
If you want to melt a heart, there’s nothing like bestowing a jeweled one that is mounted with a diamond…or two…or more.

10. A Ring That Symbolizes a Promise
Bestow a promise ring on your love this Valentine’s Day, and it says you’re ready to take the next (small) step in your relationship.

The List: Top Ten Movies Adjusted For Inflation

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:29:28 +0000

1. Gone with the Wind (1939) – $1,485,028,000

2. Star Wars (1977) – $1,309,179,000

3. The Sound of Music (1965) – $1,046,753,000

4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – $1,042,629,400

5. The Ten Commandments (1956) – $962,850,000

6. Titanic (1997) – $943,342,300

7. Jaws (1975) – $941,379,300

8. Doctor Zhivago (1965) – $912,395,600

9. The Exorcist (1973) – $812,679,700

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – $801,150,000

By the time you read this, James Cameron’s Avatar will have taken the top spot in the all-time list for highest grossing films, having finished this past weekend just $2,000,000 behind Titanic. But when inflation is taken into account, Avatar is only 26th, just behind Grease.

However, Cameron shouldn’t feel too bad. Not only does his Titanic still sit in the top ten, considering that Avatar has only been in theaters for less than 50 days and is still number one at the box office, it appears that it will continue to money hand-over-CGI-fist for many weeks and months to come.

The one-time “King of the World” can now arguably lay claim to a new title: “King of the Universe”.

The List – Top Ten Best-Selling American Beers

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:55:59 +0000

1. Bud Light. Surprised? In a nation obsessed with weight, it’s really not a shock to see a “diet” beer top the list.

2. Budweiser. The “King of Beers” helps make Anheuser-Busch the king of the U.S. cash register, holding down the top two spots.

3. Coors Light. The Silver Bullet hangs with the big boys through a combination of regional distribution and rather odd marketing.

4. Miller Lite. The once dominant American beer (“Tastes Great! Less Filling!”) has slipped of late, as Anheuser-Busch has come to dominate the advertising beer wars, especially around Super Bowl season.

5. Natural Light. Another Anheuser-Busch product that takes the fifth spot largely due to its lower price and blue-collar appeal.

6. Busch. The one-time flagship brand of Anheuser-Busch still has a lot of fans, and is usually priced somewhere between the “premium” Budweiser and the “low-cost” Natural Light.

7. Busch Light. More than half of the top-selling beers are light beers, one of the main reasons why European beer drinkers look down upon Americans.

8. Miller Genuine Draft. MGD, as it is known to its fans, promised draught beer in a bottle without having to actually spell “draught” correctly. Another victory of marketing over spelling (see number 4 on the list).

9. Miller High Life. The “Champagne of Beers” has an odd history, being extremely popular in some regional areas while virtually unknown in others, and is one of the older beers in the list.

10. Michelob Light. A premium light beer, which almost sounds like an oxymoron, but still popular enough to make the top ten.

If you’re wondering what the top-selling imports are, that list is headed by Corona Extra, followed by Heineken, Labatt Blue (popular up north), Tecate (popular in the Southwest), and Guinness, the only “dark” beer to make the list. And if you ever wondered where the “lime in the Corona” idea came from, it has nothing to do with ancient Mexican tradition or needing the citrus to combat the water it was brewed with or any other weird legends you may have heard. Nope, it was simply the result of a 1980s bar bet to a Miami Beach bartender, who was challenged to start a trend that would catch on nationwide. Obviously, he won that bet.

The List: Ten Supremely Odd English Words

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:46:05 +0000

1. Erinaceous – Like a hedgehog

2. Lamprophony – Loudness and clarity of voice

3. Depone – To testify under oath

4. Finnimbrun – A trinket or knick-knack

5. Floccinaucinihilipilification – Estimation that something is valueless.

6. Inaniloquent – Pertaining to idle talk

7. Limerance – An attempt at a scientific study into the nature of romantic love.

8. Mesonoxian – Pertaining to midnight

9. Mungo – A dumpster diver; one who extracts valuable things from trash

10. Nihilarian – A person who deals with things lacking importance.

Historically, English originated from several dialects, now collectively termed Old English, which were brought to the British Isles by Anglo-Saxon settlers beginning in the 5th century. English was further influenced by the Old Norse language of Viking invaders.

At the time of the Norman Conquest, Old English developed into Middle English, borrowing heavily from the Norman (Anglo-French) vocabulary and spelling conventions. Modern English developed with the “Great Vowel Shift” that began in 15th-century England, and continues to adopt foreign words from a variety of languages, as well as coining new words.

In fact, English has been described as a language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.