Top 10 Unresolved International Controversies

Unfortunately, the disputes between sovereign countries over control of certain area are not the matter of the past. There are more territorial disputes all around the world than you would think. On all continents, countries are in a row with others, from Africa to Europe, from Asia to America. Some international controversies seem unimportant and one can hardly imagine that they can turn into a hot confrontation. On the other hand, other unresolved controversies are already hot and erupted into a military confrontation. The following list can be taken as an analysis of unresolved controversies, at least of the most important ones.

10. Cyprus

Turkish-Greek disputes over the island of Cyprus last for centuries. Today’s conflict is nothing new, rather than that, it is continuing of centuries of wars and political crises between Turkey and Greece. Turkish size of the island in 1571, British lease and the following annexation during WWI, 1960 declaration of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish invasion of 1974, NATO peacekeeping operation… all these events led to a present state in which the island is divided, UN force must be present and neither Greece nor Turkey seems to be willing to retreat from their position.

9. Falklands

The Falkland Islands were originally under the control of France but throughout the history, this piece of land changed its owner several times – Britain, Spain, Argentina… Britain declared the control over the islands in 1690. Later, the Argentina tried several times to get the islands under its control. Argentinians were able to gain control of the Falklands in 1833 for a short time. They tried once again in 1982 but this time, Britain intervened. British PM Margaret Thatcher – the Iron Lady – decided to send a task force to repeal Argentinian invasion. Brits succeeded and Thatcher was enjoying a phenomenal success. However, the problem is not solved and the dispute of both countries over Falklands is still among unresolved controversies.

8. KaNgwane

The problem over KaNgwane is an example of African international controversies. The area is now dissolved among several South African provinces but it is claimed by the monarchs of Swaziland to be the traditional and historical part of their country. The importance of this piece of land is also connected to the fact that it can give Swaziland the access to the sea.

7. Kashmir conflict

The conflict of India and Pakistan over the Kashmir territory started just after the creation of Pakistan in 1947. From that moment, several insurgencies aiming at the level of autonomy took place and there were no less than three Indo-Pakistani wars. It is one the best known international controversies and is carefully watched by governments all around the world because the larger conflict of the two countries can turn deadly as both posses nuclear weapons.

6. South Kuril Islands

Another well known of unresolved controversies and territorial disputes is that between Japan and Russia over the South Kuril Islands northeast of Japanese Home islands and south of Kamchatka, Russia. Taken by Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and re-taken by the Soviet Union after the World War II, the islands are still claimed by Japan as the San Francisco of 1951 which targeted this problem is – according to Japanese opinion – covering all of the islands in the region.

5. Senkaku Islands

The islands between the Japan and Taiwan are at the center of a territorial dispute involving Japan, People´s Republic of China (mainland China) and the Republic of China (Taiwan). This is another of the potentially explosive one among international controversies especially because there is a possible undersea oil deposit.

4. Eastern Ukraine

The crisis in Eastern Ukraine and Russian involvement via the direct support for separationist forces is one of the most urgent disputes and one of the most important of unresolved controversies. It is of crucial importance for European politicians and it will be the problem to be solved for the new US administration as well.

3. Crimea

The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 ignited one of the most severe international controversies and dispute between The Russian Federation and the European Union as well as with the United States. Along with the continuing war in Eastern Ukraine (see no. 4 of this list), it damaged the Russian-Western relationship. The future of this relationship will depend on the outcome of important elections in Europe and the real approach of Trump administration towards Russia.

2. Taiwan

After the World War II, China started its rule over the island of Taiwan. In the next year, it has become the last stand of Chiang Kai-shek´s supporters and generalissimos himself after they lost the power in the Chinese Communist revolution. But the new China – People´s Republic of China – still considers Taiwan as an integral part of mainland China. Taiwan, on the other hand, is enjoying the protection of the United States.

1. Palestine

Definitely the most important and the most difficult of all unresolved controversies in today´s world. Its solution was not found by generations of politicians all around the world. Although the majority of Western politicians support the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian problem, the specific agreement is light years distant.

As you can see from this list, there are plenty of instability spots in the world. The analysis of unresolved controversies shows that most of these disputes can easily exceed local level and become a major global crisis. Different politicians will deal with these crises differently. For better understanding, their political stances, read our list of Top 10 Most Influential Political Ideologies.

Top 10 Funniest The Big Bang Theory Episodes

The Big Bang Theory has had us in splits since 2007. It’s already in its 10th season, and it doesn’t look like people around the world are going to give it up anytime soon. It’s the show that made nerds and geeks a part of mainstream culture. We love watching Leonard, Penny, Sheldon, Howard, Raj, and others break-up and make-up over science, make it through socially awkward situations and enjoy some of the best chemistry we’ve seen in a sitcom.

Here’s a recap of some of the funniest Big Bang Theory episodes that make rainy days tolerable and fun again. Let’s raise a toast to the best Big Bang Theory episodes and hope this quirky group of friends stay with us for a long time.

10. The Middle Earth Paradigm, S1e6

This is one of the best episodes of Big Bang Theory, in which there’s a costume party. Penny kisses Leonard in a Frodo costume, Raj manages to make it through the evening despite being unable to talk to women, and Sheldon turns up looking like the Doppler effect hoping there will be judging and prizes for ‘the most accurate representation of a scientific principle’! On a side note, this is also the episode where Leonard and Penny kiss for the first time.

9. The Troll Manifestation, S8e14

This is the episode in which Amy writes an erotic fan fiction story called Little House on the Prairie. It is a thinly veiled story of her and Sheldon. Only, it’s set in the eighteenth century and the hero is a time-traveler who, according to Bernadette, is just as exhausting in fantasy as Sheldon.

‘What is time travel?’ asks the eighteenth century Amelia.

‘What part don’t you understand? ‘Time’ or ‘Travel’?” says Cooper/Sheldon.

If the ladies reading the story is funny, stay tuned for the enactment that Amy and Sheldon do in the end of the episode.

8. The Barbarian Sublimation, S2e3

This gem among Big Bang Theory episodes is where Penny gets hooked to World of Warcraft. She’s hit rock bottom in work and love, and keeps pestering Sheldon to show her how to play, going so far as to wake him in the middle of the night to ask advise about a quest. A great comic-duo is born and Leonard tries to advise Penny on her addiction, turning up as a WoW character and having his head sliced off. This is one of the funniest Big Bang Theory episodes in which Penny plays a huge role.

7. The Proton Transmogrification, S7e22

Bob Newhart’s Professor Proton waving around a Jedi stick and Sheldon’s conviction that he’s there to give him advice a la Obi Wan Kenobi makes for consistently funny moments in one of the best episodes of Big Bang Theory. The sitcom is best when it focuses on geek culture. This episode is about Star Wars, Sheldon coming to terms with the loss of a mentor and Bob Newhart dressed in Jedi robes advising Sheldon about getting a prenup.

6. The Euclid Alternative, S2e5

In this episode, Sheldon learns to drive, with disastrous consequences. This is one of the first episodes of Big Bang Theory in which Sheldon becomes a stand-out character and takes some of the focus from Leonard. He keeps bugging his friends to drive him around on errands, until they recommend he gets a driver’s license (which he didn’t get at sixteen because he was ‘otherwise engaged’).

There is a hilarious scene in which he irritates the DMV with questions about the questions on the application, until she hands him the Learner’s License to get rid of him. Another standout moment is Sheldon at the driving simulator.

5. The Table Polarization, S7, e16

This is one of the funniest Big Bang Theory episodes in which Leonard tries to get the gang to sit around an actual dining table. There’s a battle of wills between Sheldon and Leonard. Penny tries to get Leonard to stand up to Sheldon. Sheldon is made to realize that just like Penny is changing Leonard, Amy has changed him too into an ‘affection, open-minded’ individual, and that it won’t do. He decides to break up with Amy. Hilarity follows.

4. The Panty Pinata Polarization, S2e7

A Penny versus Sheldon battle of wills makes for hilarious television. Sheldon blocks Penny from freeloading on the WiFi, hangs her laundry on a telephone wire so she can play panty pinata and retrieve it, and Penny gets revenge by telling on him to his mother. Meanwhile, Raj and Howard try to figure out where America’s Next Top Model lives.

3. The Love Spell Potential, S6e23

The girls’ can’t make it to Vegas on a planned trip, so they play Dungeons and Dragons with the boys. Howard does some fantastic impressions as Dungeon Master. But the gang tease Amy and Sheldon for their lack of intimacy, and Bernadette casts a love spell on them in the game. This hits too close to home for Amy, and she goes off to mope. Sheldon follows to comfort her, and hilarity happens. This is one of the funniest Big Bang Theory episodes in which Sheldon and Amy literally play at intimacy, in his bedroom, with dice.

2. The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis, S2, e11

It’s Christmas gift-giving season. This is the episode where Penny gives Sheldon a gift with the autograph and saliva of Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon has been wondering all episode what to give Penny in return, without under- or over- reciprocating. Meanwhile, Leonard is unhappy to learn that Penny’s new boyfriend is just as smart as he is good-looking. This is one of the best Christmas episodes from the show, with a heartwarming hug from Sheldon to Penny!

1. The Transporter Malfunction, S5e20

This is one of the best Star Trek-related Big Bang Theory episodes. Penny gifts Leonard and Sheldon Star Trek transporter collectible toys. Sheldon can’t bear to play with his, but Leonard Nimoy in a dream tells him to. The toy breaks. Sheldon switches his with Leonard’s. Watch the episode to see the fun!

Top 10 Humorous Stories - Sparkinlist

Top 10 Humours Sign Boards of the Time

Signs are supposed to provide us with guidance on what to do and what to avoid. However, some signs despite the serious intent that they have provided end up being hilarious. We have scouted the internet and beyond for some of the most outrageously funny signboards. So from the funniest signs around the world, these are some of the most humours sign boards of the time.

10. EXIT and be forced to EXIT

There are weird signs and there are weirder ones. This is the weirdest there is. Few outrageously funny signboards could match this warning for persons intending to exit that they will be requested to exit should they decide to use a particular door. The author of one of the humours sign boards of the time should take an IQ test.

9. You read right, “Potty.”

What more could you desire from a vegan restaurant than to be able to make use of the potty, Totty? Well, if this sign – certainly one of the funniest signs around the world – is anything to go by, you might not make it home after the meal. Or maybe, the potty might just be referring to where you get to eat your food in.

8. Drunken people crossing

Let me honestly ask this: how notorious could an area be for drunks that they should be forced to have a sign dedicated to them. Definitely a contender for the humours sign boards of the time, few outrageously funny signboards could compare.

7. Heavy pedestrians here

How discriminatory could a sign be? Taking your mind away from what heavy pedestrian traffic should ordinarily be, this sign that happens to be picked as one of our funniest signs around the world, takes a cheap shot at the overweight, and potbellied. Funny, but sad.

6. How to feed children to a lion

For a better explanation of one of the humours sign boards of the time please follow this guide for each of the images. 1. Once you get the lions attention walk back slowly to where the food is. 2. Shout for the food. 3. Bring the food close, pick up the food without bending so you don’t get eaten instead and show the food to the lion. 4. Should you get attacked instead of the food fight back.

5. The town called Accident

The world is full of outrageously funny signboards. This town with its peculiar name is definitely no exception. What still baffles me about one of the funniest signs around the world, is the intent when naming. What could have pushed the founding fathers of this town to make the town Accident.

4. Beware of thieves

If a particular section of your road is a den for thieves and highway robbers, what better way could there have been to inform the uninformed road users who may unwittingly pick up one. This does not however, prevent it from being one of the outrageously funny signboards of all time.

3. Strange dogs and strangers are one

Never before have I seen strange dogs and strangers being put in the same category. Now let us face the hypothetical situation in which a dog may have been lost. Does the fact that the dog is unknown to passersby mean that the dog should be considered a stranger. I would however like to think that the warning is meant for the dog to avoid strangers. Because I doubt that such cuddly creatures could be viewed in such a mean light.

2. Do not ride headless horses

Either, this town is extremely superstitious or that there is something that we do not know about. Wherever the headless horses are I do not care. Seriously speaking, I simply desire to know the location of this sign. I need to beware never to visit such a location.

1. Beware of the wild children

An important guideline for sign writers, make your instructions clear enough so the reader can understand what you are saying. And if we do not have a clear interpretation of what your saying, we can infer by interchanging words. In this case no amount of magic can give you a clear interpretation of what is being said.

Out of the multitude of funniest signs around the world, these are most humours sign boards of the time. Sometimes a minor dose of literacy is encouraged when composing signs like these. Might just save us all a bit of time.

Top 10 Historical Articles

Top 10 Ancient Monuments You Didn’t Know About

Move aside Stonehenge, Machu Picchu. From the ancient relics of India to underwater ruins in Japan, from a giant stone slab in Georgia to an underwater Stonehenge, the mysterious ancient monuments in this list have baffled scientists and archeologists for centuries. They are also some of the lesser known mysterious ancient monuments, that can make your imagination run wild!

10. Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala, India

This Hindu temple in South India, dedicated to the Lord Vishnu, is not as ancient as some of the others on this list of ancient monuments. And at first glance, this medieval temple doesn’t seem all that different from other Hindu temples in South India, with a towering, multi-storied structure and ornate decorations. But there lies a mystery deep within the temple recesses.

Six secret vaults in the temple, which were opened in 2011 by a committee entrusted by the Supreme Court of India, were revealed to contain diamond jewelry, golden idols, weapons, bags of gold coins and other riches. Vault B, however, has a large iron door with ornate snakes guarding it – and there is no visible way to open the doors! The tradition is that the door can only be opened with the help of sacred chants by highly erudite sadhus, or Hindu mendicants, who know exactly what they are doing. So far, no such sadhu has come forward and the vault remains sealed!

Whether or not this is true, the story and the potential treasure in the unopened vault captures the imaginations of people around the world.

9. Yonaguni Monument, Yonaguni, Japan

The ancient, underwater ‘pyramid’ or rock formation off the coast of Yonaguni in Japan’s Ryukyu Islands is more than 10,000 years old. That makes it one of the most ancient monuments of the world. This eerie, underwater remains of what looks like a city has stone columns, platforms, pillars with sharp edges, parallel faces and so on. Some scientists say they have identified drawings of animals and people in the rocks. Divers and researchers can freely explore this lesser known example of Japan’s mysterious ancient monuments. Is this Japan’s lost Atlantis? The remains of the legendary civilization of Mu, that is said to have vanished under the waves?

8. Giant Stone Spheres, Costa Rica

The Disquis Delta of Costa Rica is dotted with some perfectly spherical giant balls of magma stone that are now called Las Bolas. Archeologists who have studied the rocks say that the people who cared them, did so with the help of small stones. It was probably not an easy thing to do! But the people of the ancient Pre-Colombian civilizations that made the rocks may have used it to point the way to important locations. Or the giant spheres may have been used for astronomy. No one knows, and the Chibchan people aren’t around to explain!

7. Sayhuite Monolith, Peru

If the scientists are right, the ancient Incas worshipped water in the part of Peru where the Sayhuite Monolith was found. This large rock is like a modern-day architectural model or a 3-D city plan. Except that this mysterious rock sculpture is carved with big cats, frogs, reptiles, ponds, tunnels, irrigation channels and other features on Andesite stone. It’s impossible that the Incas could have carved andesite with the tools they had at their disposal. This is one of the ancient monuments of the world that have scientists scratching their heads for years.

6. Gobekli Tepe, Turkey

Gobekli Tepe means ‘Potbelly Hill’ in Turkish. This site on the edge of Mesopotamia is around 12000 years old, older than Stonehenge. What’s mysterious about this stunning example of ancient monuments of the world is that there are circles of megaliths, some carved with vultures, scorpions, lions and foxes, at a time when prehistoric people couldn’t possibly have had pottery or metal tools for carving. Why didn’t we know of this before? Because experts had thought this site was a grave site. Who built them? Why?

5.The Ancient Rock Ship of Iwafune, Japan

The Matsuda no Iwafune deserves to be on this list of ancient monuments because it really does’nt give us any answers. The Rock Ship sits on a steep hill slope near a town called Asuka. While you can make a guesstimate about the purpose of some of the mysterious ancient monuments on this list, the purpose of the Rock Ship is obscure. What could the solid granite sphere with two holes carved through actually be? No one knows who built them or when.

4. Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England

This list of ancient monuments will be incomplete without any standing stones in it! The standing stones around the village of Avebury aren’t as famous as Stonehenge, probably because there aren’t that many stones here. This is what makes Avebury less touristy than Stonehenge and more peaceful. But the site is not any less amazing, because it was built nearly five thousand years ago, and it may have taken as may as 1.5 million man-hours to build the bank, make the ditch and place the megaliths. Why it was built, and how, are still a mystery.

3. Blythe Intaglios, Blythe, California

The Mojave Desert near the Californian city of Blythe has giant human figures etched into the ground. One of the figures is more than 170 feet long, and it’s hard to tell what they are unless you see them from the air. That’s what happened when a pilot spotted the figures in 1930, and America’s Nazca Lines were discovered. Why were these giant drawings made between 450 and 2000 years ago? Were they signals to some eye in the sky? No on knows.

2. The Great Serpent Mound, Hillsboro, Ohio

If you look at this mound from the air, you’ll see the shadow of what looks like a giant serpent. It is 1300 feet long and looks like it is swallowing an egg. No one knows why the mound was built. For burial? For astronomy? The only thing archeologists agree on is that it was built by some Pre-Columbian people.

1. Teotihuacan, Mexico City

This giant ruin of palaces and pyramids is visited by millions of visitors. But there are chilling facts about what looks like just another Aztec site. It’s not. The Aztecs didn’t build it. They discovered it after it had been abandoned for 500 years. No one knows how the compound was built, who built them. The eeriest thing about it is the skeletons found buried in one of the pyramids. There a lot of mysteries about this 2000 year old site, and not all of the answers may be pleasant when we find them!

Did you enjoy this list of ancient monuments? Did you discover something new or found something to feed your imagination? And if you have any ancient monuments of the world to share with us, please do so below.

Top 10 Creative Advertisement Banners

The hardest part for any business or service provider is to reach its target audience. To do this it needs to employ creative banners that convey the message to the intended recipient and is capable of converting the viewer of these creative banners to paying customers. This task is easier said than done. A lot of effort is put into advertisement banners design to ensure that it piques the interest of the customer. Many companies have tried and failed. We however, are not to dwell on the failures of others but on the successes of a few businesses who through relatively cheap advertising banners gained the attention of millions.

10. Ikea

In April 2012, Ikea put up one of the most creative banners of all time. The intent was clearly on showing that Ikea products are portable and a lot of Ikea products could enter a home. With that in mind they made one of the most amazing advertisement banners design, featuring over 2800 items.

9. Adobe

Adobe has set certain standards in advertisement that should be adopted. For one, they have strived to get themselves easily identified with certain features that distinguishes them in their advertisement banners design. Adobe’s logo, barring rare appearances on the top right corner – is known to appear solely, on the top left corner of the advertisement banner. Adobe’s banners always features catchy phrases that captures the reader’s attention and is retained by the reader long after he has seen the advertisement.

8. The Nissan Househunter

While you can reach a wide audience from cheap advertising banners, the most creative banners may not always be cheap. Nissan in partnership with Dubizzle, a house-hunting site automatically selected vehicles for persons based on their family size, neighborhood and budget.

7. Cadbury chocolate sculpture

Cadbury has over the past century had a mark for some of the best advertisement banners design of all time. However, it was on Facebook that they shone in all their glory. Cadbury in celebrating 1 million fans on Facebook constructed a giant chocolate thumbs up and the more fans liked their page the more chocolate got added to the statue. Needless to say, Cadbury’s fans on Facebook grew in folds with that simple gesture.

6. Amazon Prime

No company values the importance of A/B testing like Amazon. It is tough for a company with many products and services to comprehensively advertise all its products and not be a bore. Amazon has creatively done this through its Amazon Prime advertisement which simply summarizes all Amazon Prime does in under 15 words. Cheap advertisement banners like Amazon’s are the key to success.

5. Acura

Of the most amazing creative banners out there, few are as standout as the Acura advertisement banners design on Wired.com. Featuring in 2010, all the text existing on the Wired.com in which all the text and images on the site morphed into an Acura.

4. Apple

Apple needed to get to its United Kingdom customers and a creative way to do so by producing some relatively cheap advertisement banners that outlined the superiority and edge Macs had over personal computers or PCs. Do we have to add, that the UK customers heard and responded. Despite certain minor setbacks presently being faced, this advertisement caught the attention of the UK audience and they responded – well.

3. Bing

Bing may not be the largest search engine in the world but its advertisement possesses 3 characteristics that makes it a good and creative advertisement banners design. First, their advertisements show pride – that the company is proud of what it does. Secondly, Bing creates emotion in its adverts. Something that is needed to move a mere reader to a customer. Lastly, Bing sells a promise. Any organization that puts such thought into advertisement banners design is on the right track to success.

2. Apple Music

Simplicity is key in advertisement. This is a point that Apple has been trying to prove over the past decade. When Apple Music was to launch it created such a huge buzz that it was unnecessary to have a complete outline of what Apple Music was capable of in its banner ads. Therefore a simple available now logo was all that sufficed in keeping customers happy.

1.Cisco

Few companies have been able to get across a powerful message and gain the attention of millions of paying customers by a few words. Cisco, masters of their craft used a few cheap advertising banners with phrases like, “I am hacking your company,” to gain the attention of internet users.

These are the most creative advertisement banners out there. Feel free to like share or comment in the comments section below. We love reading from you.