This is the list of the most well known mythical creatures. As always, if you want to add more, use the comments at the bottom of the page. We Love One Piece!
This topic is a very subjective one, and I realise that there will be many disagreements with my selected 10 books. Feel free to add any additional books with a reason, to the comments field.
These myths have became popular since ancient times, but after all they are not true, they are only myths or may be can be a facts :) its your judgment.
1. Myth: Snakes are slimy
A snake’s skin is actually very smooth and dry. It is made of the same thing that makes human finger nails and hair. It is called keratin.
2. Myth : Snakes lie next to a person to size them up
Even the largest of snakes would have trouble eating a human. There are a few things wrong with this myth that give it away without even needing to think much about it.
3.Myth : Snakes can hypnotize you with their eyes
Not in this lifetime they can’t. This myth is probably a result of the snakes unblinking stare. Caused by the fact that they have no eyelids, NOT because they are masters of hypnotic warfare.
4.Myth: Hoop Snakes exist
While we might find it amusing to imagine a snake that takes its own tail in its mouth, rolls itself in to a hoop, and wheels around in search of prey it simply isn’t true. There has NEVER been any evidence that a hoop snake exists.
5.Myth: Some, such as the Western DiamondBack Rattlesnake do, but then so does the Jungle Carpet
Python which is harmless. The only way to tell a venomous snake from a non-venomous one is to be familiar with what you are looking at. Triangular heads is NOT an accurate way to tell.
6.Myth: Rat Snakes are poisonous.
Rat snakes are Non-poisonous, rodent-eating Reptiles.
7.Myth: Some Snakes grow a beard as they get older.
Snakes are reptiles and do not have any hair on their bodies let alone a beard. It is impossible for them to have beards for their bodies do not have any ability of growing hair.
8.Myth: If one Snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are)
Snakes are not vengeful animals and are not interested in chasing or tracing people who hurt them. They do not have the necessary memory and intellect to remember people to trace them back. Neither do snakes have a feeling of camaraderie nor do snakes pair for life. Once again Bollywood is responsible for this myth.
I do not know whether it is funny or not at you. But the picture gives me the inspiration and I laughed for a moment to see the picture. Happy Viewing.
Maintaining air superiority has been one of the cornerstones of every major war that has waged ever since the invention of the airplane; be it the classic World War I dog fights or the atomic bombings in 1945 to the more recent usage of droids in America’s war on terror. However if it is organized missions and calculated air strikes that we’re talking about, then it mostly begins post World War I. This list picks up ten such military aircraft missions that were instrumental in shaping world history, and politics.
“Air power may end war, or end civilization” – Winston Churchill, 1933
10.The Bombing of Guernica
Aircraft of note: Heinkel He-111
The only major conflict during the otherwise uneasy lull in Europe between the two World Wars was the Spanish Civil War. Of course, relentless wars (or rather, bickerings) for Independence had been raging (in several Asian countries) for decades, none had escalated to the status of a full blown war, save for this.
This was a typical Civil war: One faction of the population (the Nationalists, led by General Francisco Franco) fighting another (the Republicans who were protecting the left wing government). And as with most civil wars, the neighboring countries saw in this, an opportunity to intervene, and rally their own forces. As a result the Soviet Union sprung to the aid of the Republicans providing them with Polikarpov fighters and the Tupolev SB-2 bomber. Italy, under Mussolini, supported Franco. The Nationalists, however had asked for help from a far more formidable ally, in the form of Germany. Germany, who were looking for an excuse to divert international attention away from its own military rearmament jumped to their aid. It sent in nearly 19000 odd volunteers into Spain, mostly from its Luftwaffe, and they formed what was known as the Condor Legion. Despite their seemingly amateurish roots, the bombers of the Condor Legion attacked the small town of Guernica in northern Spain on April 26th, 1937. Though Guernica was hardly of any strategic value from a military point of view, this one attack codenamed Operation Rügen , changed the world’s views on the potential of the bomber. For over three hours, German Heinkel He-111’s, accompanied by strafing fighters, pounded the small town with 45,000 kg of high explosive and incendiary bombs, decimating nearly a third of the entire population and injuring a thousand. Seventy percent of the town was destroyed and fires that started by the incendiaries raged for three days.
For Germany this attack was a huge success because they had seen this primarily as an opportunity to test their own troops and equipment. This was also the first instance of a Nazi tactic that would later be known as carpet-bombing. Also, this raid made many other European countries fear Germany, and made them more yielding to the German demands.
The bombing of Guernica was the subject of a famous anti-war painting by Pablo Picasso.
9.Blitzkrieg over Poland
Aircraft of note: Messerschmitt Bf109
Germany’s Blitzkrieg, or lightning war over Poland kicked off the Second World War on September 1, 1939. The Blitzkrieg was a kind of battle strategy that had never been seen before. It relied entirely on speed, tact, and surprise and was particularly devised to generate psychological shock and strew chaos all over enemy ground. A formidable combination of the German Luftwaffe, supported by ground forces proved too mighty for the ill-prepared Poles to counter. The best fighter aircraft in the Polish inventory, the P.Z.L P.11 was comprehensively outclassed by the hard hitting Messerschmitt in speed, maneuverability and strike abilities.
Poland nevertheless, put up a brave fight. Though their defense ultimately failed, The P.11’s did claim 126 Luftwaffe aircraft in the process. The German Propaganda Ministry made a huge hue and cry over Germany’s success, and claimed that the Polish Air Force had been destroyed on ground in the first day itself. This was far from the truth. The P.11’s in fact did a darn good job at protecting Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. Several German Heinkel bombers were destroyed and the Polish pilots took to desperate measures to save their nation, including ramming German aircraft with their own before bailing out. They could not hold out for long, and soon, when the Soviet Union acting in concert with Germany crossed the border into Poland, it sealed the fate of the beleaguered nation.
The Polish Air Force continued to fight. Many desperate and valiant pilots took off to the skies to single handedly engage huge German fighter formations, in what were ultimately suicide missions. Other Polish pilots escaped Poland in order to continue fighting from friendly countries, and enlisted in other Air Forces, like that of the French and the RAF of Great Britain.
Germany’s Blitzkrieg over Poland was the first of a series of attacks that would go on to include Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in the course of the Second World War. The sheer might of this German war machine sent shockwaves throughout the whole of Europe.
8.The Battle of Britain
Aircraft of note: Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane
By June 1940 several European nations had fallen to the German Blitzkrieg – Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. This was when Hitler decided to go all out in an attempt to take over the mighty Great Britain. This set the scene for one of the finest air battles in all of human history and catapulted two of the most famous British fighters to fame viz. the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane. The main impediment to a German invasion of Britain was the English Channel and the naval superiority that the English exercised in the waters. Hitler therefore decided to first gain control over the skies and then lead an amphibious assault into the Isles.
The German Luftwaffe sent a seemingly gigantic strike force, comprising 1300 bombers, dive-bombers and 1200 single and twin engine fighters. The British RAF had a much smaller number at their disposal – just 600 front-line fighters (Spitfires and Hurricanes). But the Germans lacked organization and were caught unawares by superior British radar technology that warned the RAF where and when the Luftwaffe would strike long before the actual strikes came. In July and August, the German air-assaults were confined to ports, air fields, Fighter Command Installations and radar stations in an attempt to cripple the British defense. Though Britain lost a great many fine young pilots, the Luftwaffe sustained heavier injuries. Nearly 600 Messerschimtts and Heinkels were taken out by the RAF. The British then retaliated with a surprise attack on Berlin. This infuriated Hitler and he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift focus from the Fighter Command Installations and attack London instead. The attack over London led to huge civilian casualties, but gave the British Fighter Command time to regroup and reorganize. The sheer fortitude shown by the British was incredible and awe-inspiring. The entire population seemed ready to fight tooth-and-nail against all-odds for the sake of thwarting the Germans. The spirit of the people could be summed up in the words of Sir Winston Churchill “We shall not flag nor fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France and on the seas and oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender and even if, which I do not for the moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, will carry on the struggle …”
In the end, the loose unorganized German fighters, though more in number, were no match for the disciplined British Spitfires and Hurricanes and were systematically shot down. The Germans were losing their fighters faster than their industries back home could produce them. Hitler finally called off the assault; Germany’s invasion of Britain was indefinitely postponed.
7.The Dambusters
Aircraft of note: Avro Lancaster
The No. 617 Squadron was the most famous squadron in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, and not without reason. Under the command of ace fighter pilot, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, they were involved in one of the most interesting assaults in aircraft history. This was a special, highly secret mission codenamed Operation Chastise, meant to breach three of the most important German dams that held back more than 300 million tons of water vital for Germany’s industries. These dams were the Möhne, the Eder and the Sorpe, and they had heavy anti-aircraft defenses in place. To make a successful assault, the RAF bombers would have to avoid the anti-aircraft fire at all costs. The approach that was planned was ingenious and the amount of brain storming that went into was phenomenal. The bombers would be heading for the dams, while keeping very, very low, almost skimming over the water surface. This would ensure that all anti-aircraft fire would go over them leaving them unharmed. The bomb that was to be utilized was a special spinning bomb which would bounce over the water surface much like stone-skipping. Before releasing the bomb it would be spun up to speeds of 500 rpm in the bomb bay, so that when it hit the water it would skip across the surface rather than sink. The crew had to release the bomb while flying exactly at 345 km/h, exactly 18.3 meters (that’s 60 feet ) above the water surface. Moreover, the bomb had to touch the water surface at precisely 388 meters from the dam wall with no more than 6% deviation.
The aircraft that was chosen was none other than the legendary Lancaster, one of the prized bombers in the RAF inventory. Nineteen of them took off with 133 crew members on board, and successfully breached the Möhne, and the Eder. However the attack on the Sorpe and the Schwelme dams failed owing to technical difficulties. It wasn’t that the Lancasters suffered no damage. One of the Lancasters even hit the sea, owing to it flying too low. Out of the 19 Lancasters that went on the mission, eight of them and 56 crew members failed to return. Five of those eight were shot down en route, or crashed, two were destroyed during the assault, one was shot down on the way back and two more were so badly damaged that they had to abandon the mission. However, most of what the intent was, had been achieved. Severe flooding occurred where the Möhne Dam was breached and electricity and railways were disrupted. Similar flooding and power disruption happened where the Eder broke as well. The Germans however were surprisingly quick with the repair works and 20000 men who were working on the Atlantic Wall were moved to repair the breached dams.
The No. 617 Squadron thus went into the history books as the legendary Dambusters. Gibson was given the Victoria Cross for his brilliant leadership and became a National hero. Unfortunately, he did not survive the war, and was killed in a De Havilland Mosquito on another bombing raid.
6.Pearl Harbor
Aircraft of note: Nakajima B5N Kate, B5N, Aichi D3A Val, Mitsubishi A6M Zeke
The historic attack on Pearl Harbor which would go on to make President Franklin D Roosevelt proclaim that date to be one that would live in infamy, was one of the most sudden and surprising air strikes that has happened in the history of modern warfare. On December 7, 1941, waves of Japanese Bombers, supported by hordes of strafing fighters were sighted over the US naval stronghold in Hawaii, called Pearl Harbor. 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes, launched from Japanese aircraft carriers, wreaked havoc over an unsuspecting US Navy.
The strike was intended to be of a preventive nature, meant to eliminate vital American fleet units, and to prevent the US from competing with the Japanese in their conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya. Also it was hoped that it would buy Japan enough time to strengthen its establishment and help bring the whole of Southeast Asia under its control, effortlessly. The primary targets were the prestigious US Battleships, which were the navy’s pride. The US Navy did suffer an enormous amount of damage. Four of its prime battleships were sunk. Three destroyers, three cruisers and a minelayer also fell to the same fate. Close to 200 US aircraft were destroyed and nearly 2500 men were killed and a thousand more wounded. Japan’s losses were far lesser: only 29 aircraft units and five midget submarines were lost and 65 men were killed or wounded.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was also the first instance of a powerful military aerial assault that had not initiated off land, rather off aircraft carriers. There were however two key disadvantages with Pearl Harbor, that the Japanese either overlooked or consciously did not take into consideration. One was, the proximity of the harbor to the shore, as a result of which most of the ships were on shallow waters. This allowed some of the sunk and damaged ships to be salvaged and repaired, and human casualties were far less than what the Japanese would have wanted. The second disadvantage was that three of the US Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were not present in Pearl Harbor at that time, which if successfully damaged or sunk would have cost the US a lot more.
The attack on Pearl Harbor automatically culminated in the US declaring war on Japan on the very next day. This started a chain of diplomatic alliances, and soon Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy had also declared war on the US. The American policy of clandestine support for Great Britain changed into an active alliance and the mighty USA thus entered the Second World War.
5.The Atomic Bomb Raids
Aircraft of Note: B-29 Superfortress It was in late 1944 that the US began launching full scale bombing raids on Japan, and by May of 1945, many of Japan’s key cities lay devastated in rubble. In the meanwhile, the American government had spent 2 million dollars and nearly 200000 people were working overtime on a certain Manhattan Project, a secret project whose sole mission was to build a super weapon, unlike any other in human history – the atomic bomb. After some preliminary tests with this revolutionary bomb, under the leadership of Colonel Paul Tibbets, a top secret team was handpicked and given special training to do just one thing – drop the atomic bomb.
The B-29 was the automatic choice for a bomber; it was (in 1944), the most technologically advanced bomber in the world, and fifteen B-29’s were specially modified to carry the nuclear bomb. Tibbets and his crew underwent extensive training for this elite mission, including high altitude flying, long-range navigation, as well as a quick escape route. A quick escape was essential because the detonation of the atomic bomb would create huge shock waves that would extend far and wide and would even severely damage the bombers if not taken into consideration. Three targets were chosen, Hiroshima, Kokura and Nagasaki. And the attack was scheduled for August 1945, provided the weather would permit.
On August 6, the B-29 named Enola Gay, piloted by Tibbets himself, took off from the secret Pacific base of Tinian, only 1450 miles from Tokyo. Precisely at 8 15 AM it dropped its 4406 kg bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima. When the bomb detonated, the entire aircraft shook as shock waves tossed it about in the air. Robert Lewis, Tibbets’ co-pilot looked on in horror as the mushroom cloud erupted from the ground below. The only words that escaped his lips were “My God, what have we done?”
The second bomb “Fat Man” (and the last atomic bomb in the US arsenal) was dropped on the 9th of August by the B-29 named Bockscar, over the industrial city of Nagasaki. The intentional target had been Kokura, but the clouds were obscuring the city, so the third target was chosen. When the bomb detonated, the Bockscar trembled in the air, and one of the crew members later said it was as if the plane was “being beaten with a telephone pole”.
Japan surrendered unconditionally on August 14th. The end of the Second World War had thus begun. The nuclear age had, however only dawned.
The Korean War marked a milestone in aerial warfare because this would, for the first time, see jet fighters actively participating in air battles. While early jets had been used by Germany in the closing days of the Second World War, they hadn’t really played any major role in the war. The Korean War was the first war that pitched jet plane against jet plane, like never before.
The War broke out with North Korea invading South Korea in June 1950. To deal with the communist aggression against South Korea, the United States jumped to their aid with straight-winged Mustang jet fighters. The People’s Republic of China rushed to aid the communists, and the Soviet Union provided military support. The early days of the war would see aerial battles between the US Mustangs and Soviet Lavochkin La-7’s. Later, when the United Nations intervened, in support of South Korea, the jet battles became fiercer and more modern fighters were brought in. These included the American F-80 Shooting Star and F-86 Sabre, and the Soviet MiG 15. The first Sabre-Mig 15 encounter happened in December 1950 when four Sabres intercepted four MiGs at more than 25000 feet above sea level. Later, eight Sabres took on fifteen MiGs and the US fighters shot down all of six MiGs before making a getaway. The Australian Air Force participated as well, initially sending F-51 Mustangs and then later the F-8 Gloster Meteors. These were however no match for the superior MiGs and were easily taken out in several encounters. The UN aircraft were feared however, by the Soviets. The British Hawker Sea Fury that leapt in to defend South Korea was responsible for shooting down more Communist aircraft than any other non-US power.
When the Korean War ended, the USAF had suffered 103 losses and had achieved no less than 753 victories. The War thus demonstrated the effectiveness of jet fighters in an international arena. It also heralded the age of the swept-wing fighter like the Sabre and the MiG 15.
3.The Falklands Black Buck Attacks
Aircraft of note: Avro Vulcan
The Falkland Islands had been under British rule since 1833. However, Argentina, in an attempt to gain sovereignty over the Islands invaded them in 1982. Britain’s campaigns to regain lost control were made all the more difficult owing to the sheer distances involved. Once the British Task Force was in place it was deemed necessary to cripple Argentine air defenses on the Falklands. It was imperative to destroy the Argentine runway at Port Stanley in order to render it useless for the Argentine Air Force. Also, crucial Argentine radar stations had to be taken out so that the British fighters could attack without being discovered earlier on.
The missions had to happen in absolute secrecy and from friendly territory. This led to the British moving their strike base to a small Island in the Atlantic, called Ascension Island. This was in no way “close” to the Falklands – nearly 6100 Km (3800 miles) away to be precise, and bombing missions over such great distances had never been attempted before. The one bomber that was chosen was the Avro Vulcan, an iconic British jet bomber of the post-World War era. The missions to the Falklands, to destroy the Stanley runway and two other radar sites, were codenamed Operation Black Buck. There were five missions in all, and the logistics involved were staggering – Each round trip was close to 13000 kilometers – the longest in human history. The Black Buck Vulcans had to be refueled several times during the long flights to the Falklands and back. Refueling was done by RAF Victor Tankers using refueling probes.
Two Vulcans took off on the 30th of April 1982. Each had 21 bombs weighing 1000 pounds each. It was an eight hour journey to the Falklands, and the Vulcans were escorted by no less than eleven Victor Tanker aircrafts. One Vulcan developed some technical problems and had to fly back to base. The mission thus boiled down to a single Vulcan accompanied by steadily decreasing numbers of Victors heading for enemy territory. The last Victor pumped in so much fuel in the remaining Vulcan so that it would manage to get within 400 miles of Ascension Island where a new Victor would arrive and refuel the returning “dry” Vulcan.
It was at a distance of nearly 500 kilometers from Stanley, that the solitary Vulcan descended to less than 100 meters above sea level to avoid detection. While some 40 kilometers away, it began the final bombing run. It ascended to a height of more than 3000 feet and readied itself. Then, 10 kilometers away from Stanley, an anti-aircraft radar was detected. It was quickly jammed using a piece of equipment supplied to the Vulcan by the US. On the runway, all the 21 bombs were dropped diagonally.
The runway was destroyed and Argentina was shocked. Insecurity crept in. If British bombers could strike the Falklands, than there was nothing stopping them from raiding Argentina. Argentina yielded. The Black Buck raid had been successful.
2.Operation El Dorado Canyon
Aircraft of note: F-111 Aardvark, F-18 Hornet
Following a series of terrorist attacks on America in 1986, US intelligence agencies claimed that they had “incontrovertible” evidence that the incidents had all been sponsored by Libya. The Operation El Dorado was America’s response to this growing terror threat. This operation involved a British based-USAF mission to lead a bombing mission, even longer than the Black Buck Raids of 1982. The logistics of the missions were further complicated when France, Italy, Germany and Spain refused to co-operate with the US. Only UK was willing to give to the USAF some territory to serve as a base.
The bomber chosen for his mission was extremely fast, low flying F-111. Though it was a very advanced bomber, it had never built keeping such long missions in mind. Operation El Dorado Canyon would involve a round trip of 6400 miles, taking 13 hours and requiring no less than twelve in-flight refuelings, for each of the 24 F-111s. It was an ambitious mission with almost no room for error. The targets were finalized after a joint planning with the USAF and USN. There were two targets in Benghazi, a terrorist training center and an airfield. There were three other targets in the city of Tripoli, which was a terrorist Naval training camp, the Wheelus AFB and the Azziziyah Barracks.
The 24 F-111s left British soil on April 14th, 1986. Six of them were spare aircraft who returned later on. The US Navy initiated a simultaneous attack in A-6E bombers and the F-18 Hornet. Though the strikes were successful and resulted in severe damage on key Libyan targets, it wasn’t an easy mission. The Libyan Air Defense was a state-of-the-art system virtually at par with that of Soviet technology.
Of the 18 F-111s that headed for Libya, five had aborted the mission, so the number dwindled down to 13, who finally reached Tripoli. The Azziziyah Barracks was hit by three of the bombs, while one bomb hit the Sidi Balai terrorist camp. Two others hit the Tripoli airport and destroyed many grounded aircraft.
The attack was over in just over ten minutes and the twelve F-111 turned around for the long flight back to British soil. One of the bombers was lost in the raid, possibly hit by a surface-to-air-missile and its crew killed.
The raid was considered a success. It did not topple Gadaffi, but it did put an end to the Libyan sponsored terror attacks on the US.
1.The Gulf War Bombers
Aircraft of note: F-117 Nighthawk, B-52 Stratofortress
The Gulf War saw the use of some the most advanced bombers that exist today. One day after the deadline that the UN had set for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, the Allied forces joined hands in one of the biggest air assaults of all time. The campaign was conducted by the US, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy and Free Kuwait as well as by several Arab forces.
The Lockheed F 117 “stealth fighter” was used in this mission. The F-117s flew over Baghdad and destroyed key command and control centers. The Baghdad anti-aircraft defences fired away randomly because the F-117s couldn’t be seen thanks to superior stealth technology. Later on, the B-52, one of the biggest bombers ever built in history was brought into the attack. They flew a round trip of more than 22000 kilometers for nearly 35 hours, the longest at that time. Other fighter-bombers joined in the raid and soon most of the Iraqi defense systems lay crippled and jammed. For more than a month, the Coalition aircraft kept hitting down upon any target that seemed capable of spawning any form of threat. On the very first day of Operation Desert Storm Iraq’s ground control centers and air defenses had been destroyed. This was when the fighters moved in. Jaguars, F-16’s, and F-18’s systematically tore away all remaining Iraqi strongholds. The RAF’s celebrated Tornado bombers also flew in to wreak havoc over what remained in Iraq. Later on, teams of Buccaneers and Tornados used laser pods and Sidewinder missiles to destroy all key road bridges in the country. Twenty bridges over the Tigris and the Euphrates were destroyed and this cut all the supply and communication lines to the Iraqi military forces in Kuwait.
In the final leg of the War, American B-52s struck down upon Iraqi land forces, mostly the Divisions in Kuwait and Southern Iraq. It was on 3rd March 1991 that Iraq finally accepted ceasefire.
The Gulf War this showcased the potential that modern bombers had in devastating whole countries and forcing defeats. Iraq had learnt it, the hard way.
This leading lady is best known from the hit science fiction movie,Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Before she made it big in the movies she was growing up on the set of the television series Hope & Faith where she had the recurring role of Hope's teenage daughter Sydney. Not surprising, before the acting bug hit Megan won awards for modeling and still continues to model today.
Megan Fox also likes to show her creative side on her skin with personal messages and images that hold meaning to her. Here is a collection of her tattoos to study and possibly inspire.
Gilded Butterflies
Megan Fox has Old English text on her right scapula reading:
"We will all laugh at gilded butterflies."
This is a reference, not a complete quote (although pretty close), from Act V, Scene III of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear.
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
Here is the full quote by King Lear to his daughter, Cordelia:
No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison. We two alone will sing like birds i' th' cage. When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down And ask of thee forgiveness. So we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too- Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out- And take upon 's the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies; and we'll wear out, In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones That ebb and flow by th' moon.
Love the Way You Lie
Here's the controversial music video by Eminem and Rihanna featuring Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings). Despite the content I think it is well shot. You get to see lots of tattoo action too.
Little Girls With Broken Hearts
Megan Fox is obviously a fan of stringing words together with her own personal meaning.
Like the large Old English text on her left rib cage.
there
once was
a little
girl who
never knew
love until
a boy
broke her
HEART
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
Marilyn Monroe
From One Goddess to Another
Megan Fox is an obvious fan of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. She has a popular image of Marilyn tattooed on her inner right forearm.
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
As of April many sources are saying that Megan Fox is likely getting the famous icon lasered off as the image has been drastically fading but this has not been confirmed or denied by Fox's "people".
Moon & Star
On the inner aspect of her lower leg above her right ankle, Megan Fox has a crescent moon overlapping a five pointed star. It is the one visibly colored tattoo that she has.
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
Brian
Megan Fox had a long term on again off again relationship with actor Brian Austin Green (Terminator, The Sarah Conner Chronicles) that lasted six years before she married him in the summer of 2010. She has a script tattoo of his first name between her pubic bone and right hip.
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
Yin and Yang
On the inside of Megan's left wrist is a tribal tattoo of two waves entwined like a yin and yang symbol. This tattoo has a bit of color but looks like black ink from a distance.
Here's a look-see at the tattoo:
Strength
On the back of her neck just below the hairline Megan has a black ink tattoo of the Chinese symbol of strength in calligraphy. It's a simple tattoo with a strong meaning.
Here's what the tattoo would look like:
Friedrich Nietzsche
There are no clear images of the complete tattoo but it has been pieced together that it is a quote widely attributed to German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (learn more about him below):
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
Since Megan has been known to change a word or two to make it relevant to her, I wouldn't be surprised if she's changed it up a bit.
Rumored
There's a rumor that Megan has a tattoo of "I Love Steven Johnson" on her inner left thigh but I haven't seen it in all the pictures I've surfed through. If you find an image or can confirm this (or a possible tenth) drop me a line through the contact form above.
Another rumor is that she has a line of text on one of her buttocks (thanks to Alex for the tip) that had to be covered by make-up artists for Transformers.
The Breast Tattoo
Ever since the Armani underwear/jeans commercial came out there have been people commenting on a script tattoo over her right breast peeking out from under her bra. I was never really certain about it but now I'm pretty sure that it is just the lace from the bra. I watched the video in full screen mode numerous times and paused it. If you look at the shape of the lace on the opposite side of the triangle of the bra and what appears to be a tattoo you'll see that they are the same design. Also the Armani ad was posted to their official YouTube site (see ad below) in September 2010. When I looked at bikini shots of Megan from her Hawaii trip in December 2010, which show more breast than the ad does, it is obvious there is no tattoo there. So I'm concluding that it is lace in the Armani video and not a breast tattoo.
Most will agree that fairy tales often form an integral part of our childhood. Whether it’s being read Ladybird’s Little Red Riding Hood, or watching Disney’s classic rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, chances are you know a good number of them off by heart. More recently our favorite fairy tales have been experiencing a resurgence in popularity, but not necessarily in the formats you might expect. Films, comic books, video games and more are all drawing inspiration from fairy tales these days (although some of these adaptations work better than others). Here follows what I hope is a handful of the more interesting ones; what some lack in flawless execution, they make up for in heart.
10. The 10th Kingdom
A fairy tale-themed fantasy miniseries with more than a few twists. All the expected trappings are present: Snow White, a magic mirror, a (sort of) handsome prince and even a big bad wolf (half wolf, actually). Plucky young Central Park waitress, Virginia, is sucked into a magical kingdom filled with fairy tale entities (it’s our own reality that is the titular 10th one, by the way), soon getting mixed up in saving it from the inevitable machinations of the evil queen. Despite receiving generally poor ratings, it had good reviews and even won itself an Emmy. A little cheesy at times but certainly a good effort.
9. Shrek
While the Shrek series has, admittedly, gone on a little too long for comfort, the first couple of films were definitely worth a watch. With a star studded ensemble of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz (as well as the likes of John Cleese and Antonio Banderas in subsequent installments), Shrek took traditional fairy tale mythology, shook it up and made a pretty decent movie out of it. With some stock characters as you’ve never seen them before (such as a secret thong aficionado Pinocchio, and a scheming businesswoman fairy godmother) and frequent questioning of what is truly meant by “happily ever after”, Shrek is certainly worth seeing at least once.
8. The Princess and the Frog
I had shied away from including Disney films in this list as they are often hardly rewritten at all (except for the sake of toning down their darker aspects, of course). However, Disney’s 2009 animated feature film, The Princess and the Frog, is a notable exception. Tiana is a young waitress living in New Orleans who hopes to one day open her own restaurant. Her world turns upside down when she is transformed into a frog upon kissing the cursed Prince Naveen. A welcome return to Disney’s roots in 2D animation, The Princess and the Frog is a great example of how fairy tale rewordings can still remain family friendly without being too saccharine sweet.
7. The Path
The Path is an uncanny, hallucinogenic experience, not quite art and not quite video game. Developed by Belgian studio Tale of Tales, it was released in 2009, and explores the story of Little Red Riding Hood in a way unlike any adaptation before it. After selecting one of six girls (all named after shades of red), the player is instructed to stay on the path to grandmother’s house. However, doing as you’re told results in failure; you must leave the path and brave each girl’s own unique wolf if you are to succeed (the latter word used loosely; following their respective wolf encounters, each girl appears to be quite thoroughly broken). While it’s arguably not much of a game, you can analyze The Path until the cows (or wolves?) come home.
6.Enchanted
Essentially one big Disney self parody, the conceit of 2007 release Enchanted is that a number of fairy tale characters have fallen straight out of a 2D Disney film and into modern day New York. With a mixture of both famous and relatively unknown talent, the film offered an amusing and multi-layered depiction of what might happen if the stereotypical animated fairy tale collided with the real world. Fun, fresh and still ending with a happily ever after despite Earth, according to archetypal wicked stepmother Narissa, being a place without them, Enchanted was well received by both audiences and critics alike.
5.The Brothers Grimm
A 2005 fantasy comedy interpretation of the lives of the Brothers Grimm, Terry Gilliam’s film is certainly an interesting (albeit fictional) depiction of both the men and their tales. A 20 minute preview of The Brothers Grimm was shown at Cannes, in 2005, it also appearing at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival a few months later. With Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in the title roles, and a generous handful of other stars in the supporting ones (for example, Monica Bellucci as the evil Mirror Queen and Lena Headey as tough hunts woman Angelika), the film did well at the box office and, while drawing some criticism for its alleged focus on visuals over plot, is definitely worth seeing.
4.The Bloody Chamber
Arguably Angela Carter’s most well known short fiction collection (and my favorite, hands down). Originally published in 1979, it features multiple retellings of Little Red Riding Hood, as well as Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and more. 1984 saw the release of The Company of Wolves (directed by Neil Jordan), which dealt with the more[were]wolf-centric tales in the collection, as well as its ongoing Red Riding Hood motif. Wonderfully written and laced with Carter’s trademark sumptuous magical realist imagery, The Bloody Chamber is an excellent exploration of the darker, more adult side of certain well known fairy tales.
3.Revolting Rhymes
Probably the first ever fairy tale rewordings I was ever exposed to. Written by the amazing Roald Dahl, and published in 1982, the book contains six poems in total that rewrite the tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. Funny, well written and with character-rich illustrations by Quentin Blake, Dahl’s work appeals to children of all ages (especially those who like their fairy tales with a bit of bite). Highlights include Red Riding Hood producing a pistol from her knickers to shoot the big bad wolf (subsequently making him into a coat) and such mischievous morals as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ “Gambling is not a sin / Providing that you always win.”
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
Although not based on a specific fairy tale, Guillermo del Toro’s film has undeniable fairy tale elements weaving throughout it. Indeed, the film even opens with a fairy tale (this telling the story of the loss of Princess Moanna, daughter of the king of the underworld) before the story switches to post-Civil War Spain, where Ofelia and her pregnant mother are going to live with her new stepfather. Retreating into a world of fantasy (which, considering the movie’s beginning and ending, is strongly implied to have some semblance of reality within the film world), Ofelia is guided through a series of trials by an enigmatic faun, in order to find out whether she is, in fact, the long lost Princess Moanna. With a gripping story, and del Toro’s stunning visuals, Pan’s Labyrinth was an instant – and enduring – success.
1. Fables
Created by Bill Willingham, the Fables comic book series is an excellent exploration of both contemporary fantasy and fairy tale. First published in 2002, the comics follow the lives of numerous characters from fairy and folk tales that have been forced out of their mythical homeland and are now living incognito in New York (these fairy tale folk do seem to gravitate towards the Big Apple, don’t they?). Key characters include the Big Bad Wolf (now living largely in human form under the name Bigby Wolf), Snow White, Jack Horner and Boy Blue. With both a television series and a video game said to be in the pipeline, it looks like the only way is up for this already highly popular (and critically acclaimed; it has been nominated for – and won – a number of awards) series.
1. Myth: Snakes are slimy
4.Myth: Hoop Snakes exist
8.Myth: If one Snake is killed its partner will trace you (no matter wherever you are)
