While it’s fairly undeniable that NYC is the most exciting city in the world and pretty amazing on almost every level (food, entertainment, culture, nightlife), there are many heinous aspects to living in New York that may elude the casual tourist or potential transplant.

Sure, it’s expensive and dirty and has a (truly undeserved, by the way) reputation for being dangerous, and there’s rumors about it being overrun with tourists and bums. But these unfortunate facts can be overlooked by anyone who makes a choice to live there. The truly annoying irritations are the more regular instances that become the deal breaker for NYC dropouts.

Obviously there are exceptions to all of these scenarios, but the bottom line is that there will be a trade-off to all the great things you love about New York. These are those trade-offs. Continue Reading

In a world filled with mystery and intrigue, I ask the readers of TheDailyContributor.com to answer me this: Why do old people feel the need to talk to you? It’s truly astounding. Of course I wanted to look directly in her old wrinkled face and yell, “I don’t care about your cranberry glazed ham you made for Christmas you old bat!” but I simply nodded and smiled instead.  What is it about old people?

An old, slightly hunch-backed man standing in line in front of me in the bank turned around and asked me, “Will they be depositing the security checks today?” What about a dude wearing jeans and a t-shirt says, “I know when they will be depositing the security checks.” Continue Reading

It appears BioWare has gone and done it again. They’ve made a game so stunning and spectacular that my life is now completely consumed. I enjoy video games as much as the next guy but rarely do I play a game that grips me so strongly.

Before I played Dragon Age Origins (DAO), BioWare had already developed my two favorite video games of all time - Mass Effect, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. When I played SWKOTOR, I never thought I’d play a better game. Then Mass Effect came along, and I really thought I’d never play a better game. Then DAO came along, and I know I will never play a better game (until Mass Effect 2 of course). Continue Reading

There are so many great movie characters out there - but a very underrated group of movie characters are dead ones. TheDailyContributor.com will stand by no longer and watch dead movie characters be discriminated against - they’re real movie characters too.

Just so there is no confusion, a dead movie character is not referring to the actor who played the roll. This list is referring to characters in a movie who are dead. For example, Bruce Willis’s character in The Sixth Sense is dead - he’s a ghost. Continue Reading

10) The Banks Mansion

If I was a Banks, I would get to live in a fantastic mansion with all the luxurious accouterments one could hope for - including an amazing pool house.

The Banks mansion would certainly impress any guest and secure my place amongst my friends as having the best house. Continue Reading

Dormammu is a comic book villain from the Marvel Comic Universe is ranked #95 in our list of The 100 Best Marvel Villains Ever.

Although a member of the Faltine race, Dormammu has spent most of his life in the Dark Dimension, where his people had banished him. Following his arrival there, Dormammu allied himself to the Dark Dimension’s ruler, Olnar, showing him how to expand his realm by absorbing other pocket universes into it. Inadvertently, this was to precipitate Dormammu’s rise to power. One of these universes was occupied by the Mindless Ones, destructive beings that, once released in the Dark Dimension, began to wreak havoc. Before they were finally stopped, Olnar was killed and Dormammu had been named regent.

His appetite for power still not satisfied, Dormammu set his sights on conquering Earth but repeated attempts to invade were repelled by various mystical beings, including the ANCIENT ONE and later, Dr. Stephen Strange. Although less powerful than Dormammu, Strange has defeated him on several occasions even trapping him in a separate pocket universe for a time. Hugely powerful, Dormammu is a difficult creature to destroy altogether. Although quelled at present, he is likely to re-emerge at some point in the future.

There are some gift-giving instances where killing two birds with one stone doesn’t work. For instance, buying your girlfriend a nice fluffy bathrobe because you want to borrow it does not count… especially if she finds you wearing it on the couch hours later with a glass of eggnog and Home Alone on the TV.

But there are some times when you can benefit more than the recipient with a thoughtful gift. Here are five fun gifts to consider this holiday season that donate portions of their proceeds to great causes. Note that some of them may no longer guarantee delivery by the holidays on regular ground shipping but expedited methods are available. Continue Reading

When one navigates the boundless regions of Craigslist, you’re bound to unearth a few gems. Whether it’s some guy in El Paso giving away free dirt or a male teenager in Duluth searching for 6 female roommates, Craigslist has it all. You want an ‘86 RV? A set of lawn chairs? Tennis lessons? Do you want to meet up during lunch? Anything you want, Craigslist has it.

One of my personal favorite sections on Craigslist is the Rants and Raves section. Here, users can vent to the Craigslist community about anything they’d like. Today we travel to Craigslist San Diego. San Diego Craigslist > city of san diego > personals > rants & raves:

Let’s take a look at the Craigslist Rant of the day: Continue Reading

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The one time when your job actually recognizes your hard work with free food, an open bar and an opportunity for you to act like a normal, stress-free person around your coworkers!

To make the most out this special time, we present you with a holiday edition of How To Use Quotes At Work. If you like this you should also check out more from How To Use Quotes At Work series: The Big Lebowski, Home Alone, and Spaceballs are a few. Continue Reading

The Enforcer is a comic book villain from the Marvel Comic Universe is ranked #96 in our list of The 100 Best Marvel Villains Ever.

Son of a movie mogul, Charles Delazny left college to become the Enforcer. His primary weapon was a disintegration device, at times worn as an amulet or ring.

The Enforcer, often going by the name of childhood acquaintance Carson Collier, built up a secret criminal empire from his father’s Delazny Studios and clashed with GHOST RIDER and SPIDER-WOMAN. He was later shot and killed by THE SCOURGES of the UNDERWORLD.

100 Controller	99 Circus of Crime	98 Speed Demon	97 Modok	96 Enforcer

Continue Reading

The Huxtable family is one of televisions all-time greatest. The Cosby Show was groundbreaking in so many ways and a major part of that was the dynamic nature of the Huxtable family. Every time I watch The Cosby Show, I wish, somehow, to be a part of it.

What’s not to like? Watch any episode of The Cosby Show and you’ll want to be part of that family too. They laugh, they learn, they cry and they care. They are so much more than a simple and upper-middle class family living in Brooklyn Heights: Continue Reading

What happens when funny people try to make a funny movie about being unfunny? This movie: a serious, uncomfortable meditation on death and “the one that got away.” Funny People generates a handful of laughs and leaves you feeling like you just had a really depressing conversation with your best friend.

Adam Sandler stars as a reincarnation of himself, a superstar comedian with a slew of comedy films under his belt. When he is suddenly diagnosed with cancer, he hires aspiring comedian Seth Rogen to be his assistant. Rogen encourages the perpetual bachelor to tell loved ones about his illness. Enter: the love of his life, Leslie Mann, who is now married with two kids. Continue Reading