Dramatic Changes In American Life [Infographic]

American life has changed dramatically in just 30 years. The U.S. population has grown by more than 80 million people. The male population has increased by more than 40 million, while the female population has grown by 38 million. Women still have a slight population edge over men with an additional five million members.

The average sales price for a home in 1983 was $89,000. In 2013, the average home sales price slightly more than $272,000. The average American's income has increased a great deal since 1983. The average person earned a salary of just $21,000 in 1983. In 2013, the average American earns a yearly salary of $49,000.

The political landscape has changed dramatically. In 1983, only 24 women held an elected position. The current number of elected women in office is 97. In 1983, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan won the election with just more than 50 percent of the vote. In contrast, Democratic President Obama was re-elected with 51 percent of the popular vote.

Batman 'Joker' child-killer claims 'no choice'

AFP - A nursery killer who carried out murders disguised as Batman villain 'The Joker' told a court on Monday he was left "no choice" but to stab to death two toddlers and their minder at a Belgian creche -- despite saying he knew murder was wrong.

An artist's impression of Kim De Gelder on the first day of his trial at Gent's courthouse on February 22, 2013. A nursery killer disguised as Batman villain 'The Joker' told a court on Monday he was left "no choice" but to stab to death two toddlers and their minder at a Belgian creche -- despite saying he knew murder was wrong.

"I was aware that you should not (kill) but I did not see any other choice," Kim De Gelder told the court in Ghent, which is considering whether the 24-year-old can be held responsible for his knife rampage.

"I was pushed towards this choice, perhaps from outside. It came directly," De Gelder said in reply to lengthy questioning by the presiding judge.

De Gelder is charged with killing the two infants and their 54-year-old carer in an attack on the Fable Land nursery in the town of Dendermonde in January 2009, as well as the attempted murder of 22 others at the creche -- including 16 babies and toddlers.

De Gelder is further charged with murdering an elderly woman in a separate attack a week earlier.

The court must determine whether De Gelder can be considered sane or not. On Friday, his lawyer told the 12 jurors his client was a paranoid schizophrenic who "is irresponsible and cannot be punished."

Just after the release of cult 2008 Batman movie "The Dark Knight," De Gelder entered the nursery with his hair dyed red and his face painted white with black around his eyes -- like the film's villain 'The Joker,' as played by the late Australian actor Heath Ledger.

Last year, US youth James Holmes was accused of killing 12 people and wounding 58 in a cinema screening the sequel of the film.

De Gelder, speaking in Flemish, told the court on Monday he would "keep the explanation of his motives for the end of the trial, or for another trial."

He said he had had a happy childhood but relations with his parents became difficult when he was around 15 as they opposed his plans to study psychology or law.

At age 18, De Gelder said he thought of committing suicide by lying under a train but then changed his plans to "taking the lives of other people."

Saying he was in despair, he said he had lied to psychiatrists, telling them during the investigation that he had heard "voices" pushing him to act.

"You had other choices, you could have looked for a job," the presiding judge interjected.

"I already told you it was the crisis," De Gelder replied.

Why did you search out people unknown to you? he was asked.

"The people you know, the people you like -- you do not kill them," De Gelder replied.

At other times the accused appeared irritated -- as when he took the judge and prosecutor to task, the latter for supposedly "smiling" during his questioning.

Police said De Gelder planned to attack two more nurseries, a police academy and also Belgium's king -- but he was picked up by officers within an hour of the nursery rampage.

The Cost of Being Batman [Infographic]

It’s all fun and games pretending to be Batman.  Jumping around the house in your favourite fancy dress costume as a child was very entertaining, but what if you actually wanted to get down to the serious act of crime fighting?  Becoming a real life Batman is a pricey affair, especially if you want to adopt his executive lifestyle, in addition to his crime fighting hobby.

A real-life Wayne Manor would set you cost around $6,000,000 and you would have to budget-in around $37,000 just to run and maintain it.  Only the Iron Man himself, Tony Stark could afford that!  The crime fighting kit is rather expensive too, his head-gear alone would cost over $1,000,000; you better make sure it fits correctly for that price!  And you wouldn’t expect an oil leak in your Batman car either, which would set you back at least $18,000,000.

Don’t go and take out a loan to emulate Batman just yet though, take those superhero stars from your eyes and remember that Bruce Wayne was fortunate enough to inherit Wayne Enterprises!  So if you’re not lucky enough to have billionaire parents, you best start drafting your business plan; as only a serious business tycoon could afford all Batman’s amazing possessions!

Batman The Dark Knight Rises | The Legend Ends

Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the comic book hero, Batman has been well received and has quickly become the most successful Batman franchise in Hollywood history. 

Schumacher and Tim Burton have both previously tried their hand at creating a Batman that audiences can relate to by casting George Clooney and Michael Keaton. However, both attempts failed to make a good impression.

Batman the Dark Knight Rises is the third and final instalment of the Nolan adaptation with promotional posters detailing ‘The Legend Ends’. Although it has been promoted as the final instalment, there are talks of another film that will tie in with a Justice League plot.
 
A small number of Batman fanatics who watched an advance screening of The Dark Knight Rises have been expressing their enthusiasm for the film, but are restricted when it comes to publicising their review. Reviews of the Batman the Dark Knight Rises film cannot be made public until the day before 20th July release date. According to The Guardian, the film has received ‘standing ovations’ at the advance preview with one fan, Tom McAuliffe stating: “So much awesome...Can’t wait to see it again. And again.”

Christian Bale has been talking about the cast and British director, Christopher Nolan in the lead up to the Batman the Dark Knight Rises premiere. In a report by the Daily Record Christian Bale admitted that the conclusion of the Batman franchise has left an ambivalent aftertaste, commenting: “It’s bittersweet. I wasn’t sure Chris was going to make a third one. It’s meant a great deal in my life and it had been important but Chris has been so inspirational on each of the movies and he’s saying that it’s time to say goodbye.”

Tom Hardy is the latest villain to come to our screens and will be playing ‘the man who broke the Bat’, Bane. Talking about Hardy’s work and character, Bale was full of praise: “Tom is a phenomenal actor and I think having a mask over most of your face is a terrific hurdle. But he’s got such wonderful eyes and he can give expression through that.”

Catwoman is another character that will be introduced in Batman the Dark Knight Rises played by Anne Hathaway. Following in the footsteps of Michelle Pfeiffer and Lee Meriwether, Hathaway had some impressive boots to fill. Bale said: “Anne did a really great job, she sort of incorporated herself into Chris’s world of Batman – and very quickly. She did that for the first time when we did a reading for it."

“We could all see that she could speak through the costume, which can be a tricky thing. You can look like a bunch of idiots just walking around with silly ears and a rubber suit. She concentrated on how she felt inside the suit rather than being self-conscious about how she looked.”

The film premiere will be coming to cinema screens including the prestigious IMAX theatre on 20th July, with the Leicester Square premier and red carpet appearances taking place on 18th July.

About Today's Contributor:
Batman The Dark Knight Rises |The Legend Ends has been written by Refresh Accommodation, a specialist in providing London visitors with quality serviced apartments on short stay and long term lets. 

The Superhero Reboot: The Story Of A Bat And A Spider...

If there is one type of film that gets 'rebooted' more than any other it is that which concerns itself with the superhero. Arguably a 'reboot' is little more than a euphemism for repackaging the same story, however as long as the public is willing to spend the cash to see them, they'll stick around. And besides, July 2012 has two huge reboots slated for release with action fans and geeks alike drooling in anticipation.

Batman

Well-loved and probably the most famous reboot in the superhero flick world, Batman is super cool. Ok, we're not talking about the shift from Adam West to Michael Keaton, though this was a major step in the genres evolution.

Five Iconic Cars From Television History

Iconic cars on television play a major role in shaping the personalities of shows. In many cases, people remember the cars over the actual content of the shows, and have fond memories of owning collectibles and model kits of cars from series. Some of the best cars to have appeared in television shows derive their appeal from their unusual features, or for their association with glamour and danger. And sometimes, they are just cool. Although many of these cars wouldn’t quite work in the same way in the real world, on their own merits within their shows they deserve some more specific attention. The most iconic cars from television consequently include, in no particular order:

1 - KITT, Knight Rider

KITT had everything. It talked, helped out Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) with mysteries, and had its own personality that helped it to become a favourite with children. The star of Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986 KITT was actually a T top 1982 Pontiac Trans-Am that was resigned for the series by engineer Michael Scheffe. Some of KITT’s best features included its voice commands, speed boosters, and its ability to run on autopilot when Knight was solving crimes. Models of KITT have sold on eBay, while other models have appeared on stage with Hasselhoff.

10 Most Expensive Comic Books

Superheroes are big business. It’s currently impossible to visit a cinema without the latest comic book adaptation bearing down at you from the billboards. If it’s Avengers Assemble, that’s OK; when it’s Green Lantern...

One of the great pop culture successes of the 20th Century, comic books and their characters have rich and fascinating histories. Avid fans often respect the silver screen versions, but know nothing beats having a classic issue in your hands, if you have the cash. Here are the 10 Most Expensive Comic Books, whose values have soared like Superman.