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It is a fact that the SOPA and PIPA bills currently being debated in the United States Congress are harbingers of doom and destruction for the Internet as we know it. It has yet to be confirmed whether SOPA is indeed asking for the first-born child of all Web developers, or whether PIPA in fact calls for daily sacrifices of World of Warcraft addicts to the Mayan feathered serpent god Kukulkan.

What is clear is that SOPA and PIPA opens the door to legions of leathery-winged lawyers who are bloodthirsty to swarm the Internet with lawsuits for any and all sites that so much as link to a blacklisted website. Oh, the bills claim not to encourage blacklists, but that’s silly. You can’t keep track of which sites are bad, naughty sites that have allegedly pirated content, without maintaining lists.

So which websites will be put at risk of being shut down by SOPA and PIPA? We here at This Blog Rules have peered into the future using our magic decoder ring found at the bottom of a bottle of tequila, and this is what we came up with. The 13 most popular and important websites (by Alexa ranking and the author’s whim) that fall under the purview of SOPA/PIPA are as follows.

1. Google

That’s right, folks, Google itself falls under the purview of SOPA/PIPA. Although Google has the legal and lobbying resources to fight SOPA/PIPA, it could easily be targeted as a site that links to pirated content, because just about every damn thing on the Internet is linked to from Google, including allegedly pirated content.

2. Facebook

If you post a link to anything that has allegedly been pirated — say, a six-year-old Justin Bieber singing a cover of a Justin Timberlake song without permission — then Facebook could be held liable by Timberlake’s recording company. In turn, Facebook would have to shut down or notify the offending user account. Admittedly, it would be awesome to see Bieber and Timberlake try to sue the shit out of each other in an epic struggle to see who has the biggest nads.

3. YouTube

If the aforementioned six-year-old version of Justin Bieber posts that cover of the Timberlake song, then YouTube could be held liable by any company that feels like hunting Bieber down and suing him. All someone would have to do is send a notice to YouTube threatening litigation, and if YouTube doesn’t shut down the offending account within three days, YouTube could be forced to go offline. It’s technically true.

4. Yahoo!

If you are one of the twelve people who still use Yahoo! to search for things on the Internet, just know that SOPA/PIPA could shut down Yahoo! if it links to anything some clown deems to be pirated. And Yahoo!, being just a small Internet start-up, might not survive the legal proceedings.

5. Wikipedia

Wikipedia, which is known for its unpatriotically objective coverage of conspiracy theories and Mayan apocalypse predictions, is also at risk from SOPA/PIPA. The entry about Megavideo, for example, might link to Megavideo. Gasp! As we all know, Megavideo is run by evil, evil pirates who say “Arrrrgh” and aren’t attractive like Johnny Depp, and therefore should be sued into the dirt. Wikipedia, which dares to acknowledge the existence of Megavideo, could be sued for such America-hating blasphemy.

6. Blogger

Like YouTube, Blogger is owned by Google. And if Google can be sued under SOPA/PIPA, so can anything it owns. Anyone can open a blog on Blogger and write things in it and link to things in it. This is called free speech, and it is dangerous. It’s a good thing Congress is there to protect copyright holders from such villainous pirates as Forex-and-Sexy-Time-Plus-Bieber-Videos.Blogspot.com.

7. Twitter

Stop! Don’t tweet that link to the site that links to a site that links to the YouTube video of a budding pop star singing adorable covers of aging pop stars who stick their junk in a hole in a box. Twitter could be sued for this under SOPA/PIPA, but even worse, you could have your account suspended. Imagine the ridicule you’ll endure by “the Twitter community.”

8. LinkedIn

As the number-one social network for professionals, envelope stuffers, and Independent Thumb Twiddling Professionals, LinkedIn lets users link to content in their timeline of updates. Although nobody ever reads your LinkedIn updates, a vigilant asshole could send LinkedIn an injunction to shut your account down if you link to anything that links to anything that links to anything that links to anything allegedly deemed to be pirated.

9. eBay

Yup. eBay could be at risk under SOPA/PIPA. I mean, it’s not like we’re afraid for the welfare of eBay — or of any of the aforementioned wildly successful Internet companies, really — but the point is that if you put your shitty 1988 Topps baseball card box set up for auction on eBay, and include an informational link to a website that might once have hosted allegedly “pirated” content, then eBay itself could be sued, and your account could be terminated. Are you seeing a pattern here?

10. WordPress

A free blogging platform that could be sued under SOPA/PIPA. Are you starting to get the picture? Everything on the Internet is endangered by SOPA/PIPA. Everything.

11. Bing

Another search engine no one uses that could nonetheless be sued under SOPA/PIPA. Same goes for AOL.

12. Blekko

A cool new search engine start-up company that filters out spammy websites from the search engine results, Blekko could be sued under SOPA/PIPA if it happens to ever link to a website that has allegedly pirated content. Which it does, obviously, because it’s a search engine.

13. Tumblr

Imagine the havoc that would be created if one person on Tumblr shares a rad picture of someone’s copyrighted emo crybaby treatise about how it’s his right to wear skinny pants, but then a thousand emo crybaby Tumblr users reblog the offending content. That means Tumblr has to shut down all of those accounts if some other crybaby raises a whiny stink about it. Otherwise Tumblr itself would have to shut down.

Everything Else

Any site, really, can be sued under SOPA/PIPA or sent an injunction wherein the site owner has to comply within three days. Popular sharing sites like Tumblr, Flickr, Vimeo, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Etsy, SoundCloud, and Posterous could all be screwed.

WikiLeaks, which publishes classified documents about stuff that, you know, matters, would be pushed further into the “O noz, we’re terrorists” camp via SOPA/PIPA. Think about it. If everybody and his grandma becomes a criminal worthy of being locked up for twelve months just for posting a song, imagine what the WikiLeaks founders would become in the eyes of the law for posting stuff that makes fools of the powers that be. Satan incarnate.

Even the Pulitzer Prize-winning, educational documentary website This Blog Rules would be at risk from SOPA/PIPA. As is well known, This Blog Rules is the go-to website for learning how to be more patriotic, a better parent, better in bed, more deadly on the field of battle, and freer as a people under the Constitution of the United States of America. Porno producers and civics teachers alike should be very concerned about this.

If none of this moves you, think about your own crappy website. What if you link to something you didn’t even know was pirated or allegedly pirated, and some jerk neighbor of yours decides to screw you over just because you made it with his spouse last weekend? SOPA/PIPA gives such petty vendettas a free outlet for exercising themselves, as it lets anyone narc on anyone else.

So get your ass over to this post by This Blog Rules head honcho Will Paoletto. Educate yourself. And get involved. Either that, or be inundated with a swarm of bloodsucking lawyers who want to make money off your terrorist linking activities.

Will Conley once worked inside the United States Capitol as a reporter, and once was all he needed.

Aliens (1986)

James Cameron takes over the reins from Ridley Scott, surpassing his English counterpart in the process. Cameron ups the action and alien quotient in what is one of the most exciting movies ever made. A whirlwind of panic and violence ensues as US Marines drop like flies leaving Ellen “Get Away From Her You Bitch” Ripley to clear up the mess, cementing her place as the most iconic action heroine in cinematic history.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Thanks to this gripping follow-up we now have the modern movie cliché that the sequel should be darker than the predecessor. The Empire Strikes Back is constructed of scenes awash with Lucas’s unworldly imagination, consisting of immense screen battles, none more memorable than the Hoth Battle; new characters including Yoda, Land and Boba and shock revelations (“I am your father”).

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Is Hannibal Lecter’s second outing technically a sequel? It certainly wasn’t marketed as one. But there is some narrative continuation from Manhunter to The Silence of the Lambs, so that’s enough for me. Its calibre is certainly undeniable. This deeply scary study in terror was the first film to scoop the Oscars and the Chainsaw awards and begun an ostensibly masochistic love affair between the audience and Anthony Hopkins’s Hannibal, and his screen time was only a total of 16 minutes.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Originally intended as a straight to DVD movie, Toy Story 2 hits all the right buttons and asserts itself as the greatest animated sequel to have graced the big screen. This heart-warming family movie grips the audience from start to finish with fresh new characters whilst taking old ones into new territory. A tragic tale of a child growing out of toys, old-fashioned cowboy Woody is told to forget about being loved by kids forever and embrace his role in a retro toy collection.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan’s re-imagining of the Batman lore is simply tenacious and arguably the greatest comic-book movie ever made. This enthralling sequel is all the more haunting as we witness Heath Ledger, in his penultimate movie; give the performance of a lifetime, exquisitely portraying the psychotic Joker. Nolan’s rumination on the aftershocks of Batman’s origin belongs on the list of the greatest films of all time.

Godfather II (1974)

Opinions are divided whether this sprawling epic outstrips its predecessor. Coppola’s reluctant return see’s him delivering a damning picture which capture’s the intensity of Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone in the way The Godfather simply couldn’t. The effectiveness of the two intertwining tales is sheer brilliance, following the rise of Pacino’s mobster as he gains the world but loses his soul, whilst simultaneously exploring the founding of the Corleone crime empire by Vito Corleone, played by De Niro.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

James Cameron’s pulsating spectacle keeps its chase-plot moving at breakneck-speed. T2 sees the coming of age of CGI, Cameron’s morphing metal villain is unprecedented from an FX point of view. Occasionally, incessant gun-fire and innovative special effects are pushed to one side as Arnie’s killer cyborg develops a touching and humorous relationship with John Connor as he adopts the role of surrogate date and bodyguard. But the T-100 isn’t the only hero here, like another Cameron sequel; a strong heroine shares the limelight this time in the form of gutsy Sarah Connor.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The best of the Rings trilogy see’s the story carried briskly to the stirring battle of Helm’s Deep. This epic battle segment is arguably the greatest ever to grace our cinema screens and is intertwined effectively with the adventures of ring bearer Frodo and his faithful companion Sam. And of course, like all good sequels, a new fresh character is introduced. Andy Serkis is sensational as the manipulative Gollum, as a major advance in CG characters is made.

Mad Max 2 (The Road Warrior)

With Mad Max, George Miller created one of the greatest independent action movies ever made.  But when Warner Brothers came knocking for a sequel, Miller now had the funds to expand on his dusty post-apocalyptic world by accelerating the action with enthralling car chases,  darker sub-plots, whilst also creating a mythology and legend to give depth to his dystopian world.

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

Sam Raimi’s low budget cult film is essentially a B-movie come good. Evil Dead 2 made zilch when it opened in 1987, but has built up a diehard fan following due to its downright ridiculous and incomprehensible narrative.  So why is it placed? For one it’s hilarious gory. Also, star Bruce Campbell’s chainsaw/shotgun combo is outlandishly genius. But the main reason is the witnessing of a young Raimi demonstrates his undoubted potential with manic montages and genius camera work.

Aidan Donovan is an award-winning writer who produces articles for a number of companies who sell cheap dishwashers.

The Blizzard of 1888

With up to 50 inches of snow dumped across the northeast of the United States this monster blizzard was aptly dubbed ‘The Great White Hurricane’. Major metropolitan areas like New York faced severe winds of up to 45miles an hour, drifts of more than 50 feet and floods caused when the snow melted. With fire departments unable to function, the financial losses from fires alone amounted to a staggering $25 million. Human casualties totaled 400, with 200 people dying in New York alone.

The Great Snow of 1717

Any era would have been hard by the severity of the snowfall experienced in New England, United States in February and March of 1717. But at a time when transportation consisted of horseback or by foot these harsh series of snowstorms were particularly devastating. Boston and Philadelphia got hit the hardest, but it is uncertain how widespread the effects were as record-keeping in colonial New England was rather sketchy. With snow drifts of 25 feet high, entire houses were buried rapping people in their homes for days. Those fortunate enough exited from second story windows.

Lhunze County

It may come as a surprise that Tibet’s climate is generally quite arid with low snowfall rates experienced during the winter months. For that reason, the snow storm that hit Lhzune County in October 2008 was particularly shocking. Officials reported snow depth of up to six feet as villages experienced continous snow fall for 36 hours. The severe blizzard caused may buildings to collapse, resulting in seven deaths. Rescue crews fought to clear roads and bring food and aid to those trapped by the storm. The unforgiving storm had detrimental economic effects as local farmers were forced to sell or slaughter large parts of their livestock.

The Storm of the Century

Not only did this storm produce 60 inches of snow in some areas, it created torrential rains, winds and tornadoes. In early March 1993, a storm surged up on the east coast of the United States unleashing snow and wind on a wider area than any other storm in history.  The storm spread as far north as Canada to as far south as Central America. But the eye of the storm was focused on Cuba and the eastern states of the US where high winds were compared to that of a hurricane which ultimately created tornadoes. The storm claimed over 300 lives.

Armistice Day Blizzard

On November 11 1940, a devastating snow storm swept through the Midwest of the United States, encompassing Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. Some areas saw 27 inches of snow accompanied by 80 mph winds and snow drifts of up to 20 feet high. The storm claimed the lives of 154 people. The blizzard struck right in the middle of the duck hunting season killing 25 hunters due to a lack of preparation. Perhaps the most tragic story was the 66 people who died in Lake Michigan when three freighters and two small boats capsized due to the weight of the snow.

Iran Blizzard

Very little is known about the fierce blizzard that struck Iran in February of 1972, although with a death toll of approximately 4,000 it ranks as one of the deadliest snowstorms in history.  According to contemporary reports, whole communities were wiped out with the city of Ardakan and outlying villages hit the hardest hit, with no survivors in Kakkan or Kumar. In the northwest, near the border with Turkey, the village of Sheklab and its 100 inhabitants were buried by up to eight metres of snow.

Quebec Ice Storm

Frequently described as the 20^th century’s worst ice storm, an estimated $1 billion worth of damage were caused in Ontario and Quebec in January 4 to 10 1998. Roughly 2.5 million residents went without electricity for nearly a week in what was called the greatest natural disaster in Canadian history. Freezing rain exceeded 100mm – the largest amount on record.

Chinese Winter Storms

Chinas worst winter in 50 years occurred in January 2008 and coincided with the Chinese New Year festival. Transportation networks erupted into sheer chaos at a time where more than 178 million travelled to celebrate the holidays with their family. Dozens of people died as desperate revellers ignored warnings not to travel. The snow storm caused extensive damage to a vast number of low-rise buildings, the roofs of which collapsed, killing occupants inside. It was estimated that about 223,000 homes were destroyed and 862,000 others were damaged. According to some media sources the storms were directly responsible for at least 129 deaths

The Great Lakes Storm of 1913

If you think blizzards are bad, add cyclones to the equation and you can see why The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 stands as the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the Great Lakes region. Causing over 250 deaths, the monstrous blizzard was highly unpredicted by weather forecasters. Whiteouts and winds of up to 90mph caused unforeseen disasters leading to the deaths of 250 people. The storm destroyed 19 ships, stranded 19 more and waves of up to 35 feet swept many sailors to their doom. In hindsight, meteorologists are astounded that a storm of this strength, which usually lasts for 4-5 hours, pounded these regions for 16.

The Children’s Blizzard

One of the most tragic of snowstorms was so deadly because it arrived came unexpectedly during a warm day. The year 1888 was a brutal year for snow. Two months before the Great White Hurricane hit the northeast US in March, the Children’s Blizzard pounded Nebraska and the Midwest. Due to the idyllic conditions, revelers ventured outside unprepared to what was about to hit them. The arctic air swept in from the north and mixed with air that was packed with moisture from the south, creating blizzard conditions at a rapid level. Many school children were victims to the blizzard as they made their way home from school; many died of hypothermia. The majority of the 230 people who died were children

Aidan Donovan is a writer who produces articles for a number of van leasing companies. He has a wide array of knowledge.

Last month I graduated from bank loans and credit card borrowing to cash advances and although I was skeptical at first now I actually think it’s a good move. For years I existed on bank loans, borrowing whenever I was short, which seemed to be most of the time. I always seemed to be scratching around trying to make a match between payday at the factory and the cough-up day on the loan and somehow I always missed by a day or two. But I managed somehow and the truth is that if I spent an extra buck here and there in interest or penalty charges, it was okay by me, I was borrowing the money anyway. I was also a pro at providing all the information the loan company asked for every time. How come they didn’t have me on file I don’t know!

When we all spiraled into this latest recession I found it harder and harder to get a loan. They were still there but the number of questions was up and the waiting time was forever. I felt frantic whenever my phone went at home.

Then I heard this guy Andy talking on his cell-phone one day, something that we are absolutely not allowed to do on the factory floor. I asked him what was so urgent and he whispered, “I was organizing a cash advance.”
“What’s that?” I whispered putting my ears up. He explained that you can get an almost automatic loan based on the fact that you have a regular job and have a regular payday where you work. I copied down the phone number on the back of my cigarette box.

I called them that night. The last payment on my car was due in a week and there was no way I could raise the dough in time; not even my regular source would put up that fast. I was ready to say goodbye to my car for the fourth time this year.

To cut a long story short, you don’t even have to call; it’s easier to do it all online. This is how it goes: The decision about can be made the same day, sometimes even in minutes. You can get your money in 24 hours and pay it back when you get your next paycheck.

Where I was borrowing previously, from the bank, I could sometimes wait weeks for a decision. The bank also did a credit check on me every time I called. These cash advance companies often don’t require a credit check. This is excellent for people like me, who have less than perfect credit. Almost anyone can get the money they need to get out of the sticky situation they are in. I made the car payment and I’m out of jail on that. It cost me a bit more than a normal loan but I got it quicker and it probably saved me getting another negative entry on my credit file.