Friday 27 August 2010

Surfbored – 2

Are you listed?

Wondered why a zombie outbreak would fail? Yes? Log on to www.cracked.com to find out...

Arkadev Ghoshal

Here's one that claims to be America's top website for fun and videos. Delve a little deeper, and you will find that is much more than just that. Veer towards the lists, and you will probably experience the entire spectrum of human emotions, from exhilaration to utter revulsion!

The website, on a daily basis, uploads several articles. One or two of them are invariably in a list form, where the authors tick off numbers as they countdown towards the most or least of some quality, or simply count out some of the most gruesome or unintended toys or books or some such objects.

Take, for example, the list of 'Six Things Your Body Does Every Day That Science Can't Explain', or the 'Six Insane Coincidences You Won't Believe Actually Happened'. While the first article is pure science and even points directly to evidence, the second is pure history, and points to reliable historical documentation.

The difference is in the topics, but the similarity lies in the fact that all of them are quite well researched. In fact, some of them are so well researched that one would have to take a look at more than one of the links, provided as proof, before believing the statements!
One drawback of this website is that a majority of its content is USA-oriented. Therefore, it may be difficult for us Indians to understand some of the in-jokes in the texts. Nevertheless, the editorial staff at this website also seems pretty clued in on whatever strange, bizarre or amiss is happening in the world!

Take, for example, their discovery of the great hedge of India, something which probably no Indian remembers! The evidence for this hedge was dug out by a British historian from an obscure footnote of an equally obscure textbook of history, and the authorities at Cracked somehow found out!

There is one bit of caveat, however, especially for the young surfer. The language used on this website is not often very clean. Descriptions of various forms of intercourse, and other sexual innuendos, are used to explain acts of foolishness or bravery or some other extreme performances. Therefore, if you are averse to such language, steer clear!

g_arkadev@dnaindia.net

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This is my third article in the column, and the second one I have put up here…

My column Surfbored is published every Saturday on Page 3 of After Hrs, DNA Jaipur.

You can look it up on epaper.dnaindia.com, in the proper city.

And here is the online link: http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/dna-daily-news-analysis-mumbai/mi_8111/is_20100821/listed/ai_n54898101/

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