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Once the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood, Herman Mankiewicz co-wrote “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles before succumbing to alcoholism in 1953. Herman J. Mankiewicz saw Hollywood as a gold mine. Moving to the West to take a screenwriting job in 1926, he invited more East Coast writers to share in the film industry’s easy money. “Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots,” Mankiewicz telegrammed to a friend....

History has made the Vikings out to be a barbaric group of nomads that did nothing but rape and pillage — which might not be the case. Wikimedia CommonsThe Vikings may not have been the violent nomads that history books have made them out to be, according to new evidence. The Vikings have long held a reputation for being brutal warriors and conquerors. But there have been a number of archaeological discoveries suggesting that the Vikings may have been more cultured than the barbaric image so often presented in the history books, not to mention pop culture....

One pedophile priest was jailed for sexually abusing dozens of children. Opus Bono gave him commissary cash. FacebookOpus Bono Sacerdotii’s ethos is so unbelievable that it reads like bad parody. But it’s been helping and protecting sexual criminals since 2002. It’s a reinvigorating sight to behold when sexual abuse victims receive a compassionate outpouring of support. From financial charity to emotional assistance, we can do a good job of helping people back up....

The world mourned this Sunday when the media reported that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment. Although police have yet to release the autopsy report, due to the circumstances in which he was found, Hoffman is thought to have died from a fatal heroin overdose at the age of 46. Despite the mourning that has marked the wake of Hoffman’s death, friends, fans and family members may find solace in the rich legacy he’s left behind, much of it caught on film....

With moss carpeting the floors and vines slithering up the walls, these abandoned structures are some of the most hauntingly beautiful places reclaimed by nature. Image Sources: Flickr Once we give up on a structure, or even a whole city, it soon begins to embody the chilling beauty of the abandoned. Then, with a little more time, a new — even more eerie, and even more beautiful — mood starts to set in....

It was silent for 95 years and showed no signs that it was about to erupt — but then it did. NASA Earth ObservatoryThe Raikoke Volcano in Russia’s Kuril Islands erupts after 95 years of inactivity. Sometimes the view is simply better from above — way above. This was certainly the case with the stunning photos of the Raikoke Volcano’s eruption that were captured all the way from outer space by a number of satellites as well as the International Space Station (ISS)....

These Stephen Hawking quotes and photos will expand your mind, feed your soul, and make you believe that absolutely anything is possible. “People who boast about their I.Q. are losers.“Flickr “Quiet people have the loudest minds.“Flickr “All of my life, I have been fascinated by the big questions that face us, and have tried to find scientific answers to them. Perhaps that is why I have sold more books on physics than Madonna has on sex....

Soon after appearing in “Scarface,” actress Tammy Lynn Leppert disappeared from Cocoa Beach, Florida on July 6, 1983 at the age of just 18. YouTubeTammy Lynn Leppert’s disappearance remains unsolved four decades after she vanished at the age of just 18. The young and beautiful Tammy Lynn Leppert was at the start of a promising modeling and acting career in the early 1980s. Blonde and hazel-eyed, she had first begun modeling in beauty pageants at the age of four and had taken home over 280 crowns....

Enjoy earth from above with these 39 captivating aerial photographs. From the mind-blowing 2-million strong tent city of Mecca to the staggering tulip fields of the Netherlands, we take a look at the most astounding aerial photography ever: Fort Bourtange in the Netherlands. Glacial river, Iceland. Over 2 million pilgrims occupy this make-shift tent city outside of Mecca during Hadj. Lake Natron in Tanzania. This amazing aerial photograph captures the fascinating design of the Eixample district of Barcelona....

The Dead Rabbits feuded with the Bowery Boys for decades, ultimately coming to blows in one of New York City’s worst riots. Wikimedia Commons A map of the Five Points district of Lower Manhattan. “Mulberry Street… and Worth… Cross and Orange… and Little Water. Each of the Five Points is a finger. When I close my hand it becomes a fist. And, if I wish, I can turn it against you....

John F. Kennedy Jr. was just 38 years old when he died in a tragic plane crash on July 16, 1999 — and not everyone believes that it was an accident. When John F. Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash in 1999, the media came to a quick conclusion — the so-called “Kennedy curse” was alive and well. After all, the heir apparent to the family dynasty had lost both his father, President John F....

After being lobotomized in 1941 at 23 years old, Rosemary Kennedy would spend the rest of her life institutionalized and isolated from her family. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and MuseumThe Kennedy family at Hyannis Port on September 4, 1931. From left to right: Robert, John, Eunice, Jean (on lap of) Joseph Sr., Rose (behind) Patricia, Kathleen, Joseph Jr. (behind) Rosemary Kennedy. Dog in foreground is “Buddy.” Though John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie Kennedy might be the most recognizable members of their family, the Kennedys were famous long before John became the president of the United States....

Wat Rong Khun, known as the White Temple, was created with the intent of making ‘paradise on Earth’. But for most, this doesn’t include murals of Keanu Reeves. Source: WordPress The old adage “You can’t judge a book by its cover” apparently also applies to a temple. Within Thailand’s Wat Rong Khun — popularly known as the White Temple — you will encounter a somewhat non-traditional interior. Where you may expect to find reverent Buddhist sculptures and quiet areas of worship, you’ll see crazy murals that blend science fiction imagery, pop culture and the teachings of Buddha....

On November 3, 1984, serial killer Bobby Joe Long abducted and raped 17-year-old Lisa McVey in Tampa, Florida. But then, after 26 hours of torture, she convinced him to let her go. In 1984, Lisa McVey decided to kill herself. After years of sexual abuse from her grandmother’s boyfriend, the Florida teen planned to die by suicide and even wrote a goodbye note. But then, a serial killer kidnapped her. This terrifying twist in Lisa McVey’s story made her want to live....

Quentin Roosevelt responded to the call of duty and fought during World War I, but the former president’s son was tragically shot down over France on July 14, 1918. Sagamore Hill National Historic SiteQuentin Roosevelt in 1918, the year he died at the age of 20 in France. In one of the last letters that Quentin Roosevelt ever wrote, he told his parents about the morbid thrill of war. His squadron had lost a man, he said, but the “excitement” of conflict made up for it....

The truth about Roman crucifixion, the hats on Easter Island’s statues, and gruesome remains from a Goth murder. Jesus-Era Skeleton Proves That Roman Crucifixions Might Have Actually Happened Soprintendenza Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Verona, Rovigo and Vicenza While religious and historical texts have long claimed that the likes of Jesus and countless others suffered crucifixion during the Roman era, there was virtually no archaeological evidence to ever back up any such claims....

Decapitated skeleton uncovered at Pompeii, strange discovery found inside supposed hawk mummy sarcophagus, bodies buried with extraordinary riches unearthed at Ancient Roman city. Headless Skeleton Of Man Trying To Flee Vesuvius Eruption Found At Pompeii Las Vegas Review-Journal/AP Although the historic eruption of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius and its subsequent destruction of the city of Pompeii happened in 79 A.D., archaeologists are still making new discoveries that reveal the extent of the horrors....

UCLA professor Doran George died about seven months ago, but recently released autopsy information has provided new insight into his shocking death. UCLA/Doran George (left) died at Skip Chasey’s home during a botched bondage session. UCLA professor Doran George died on Nov. 19, 2017, at the age of 48. Now, autopsy information has surfaced on a podcast called “The Grey Zone.” The podcast’s host, Los Angeles-based crime journalist Mark Ebner, revealed George accidentally died during a bondage session at the home of Skip Chasey, a Hollywood executive for the William Morris Endeavor agency....

Biologists suggest that humans lack tails because of a random genetic mutation that appeared 20 million years ago. Wikimedia CommonsAnimals today use their tails for a variety of purposes, but humans lost theirs millions of years ago. Humans and apes share many physical characteristics, some which have remained, and some which have evolved, but there’s always been one main difference in that monkeys have tails, and humans do not. A new study pinpoints a mutation in a gene called TBXT as the reason for this....

From noses far more powerful than you imagined to fur that isn’t actually white, these astounding polar bear facts are truly fascinating. They’re the mightiest predators of the Arctic, the masters of the ice and ocean. But disappearing ice might soon spell their doom. Here are twenty-one polar bear facts to help you appreciate these incredible animals before time runs out: Though polar bears appear to be white, their fur is actually pigment-free and transparent, with a hollow core that merely reflects the largely white light around them....