Top 10 Exclusive Foods

Of the top ten exclusive and most sought after foods a few come to mind while others come as a bit of a surprise. Often these foods are quite expensive due to the rarity of the product, astronomically expensive in some cases, appearing only at the tables of the rich and famous. Of those tasty morsels that are the most prized, some are meats, spices, fungi, fish eggs, melons, chocolate, saliva, yes, you heard me right, saliva, and even precious metals.

10. Saffron

To start off, what is life without spice? The highest ranking of spices is the elusive Indian spice Saffron. Although Saffron is not hard to grow and is harvested worldwide, it is derived from the saffron flower which requires painstaking care to collect. The labor and resources needed to harvest just 1 pound of saffron takes 50,000 to 75,000 flowers to make. The sum total of an entire football field of these small flowers. The spice costs between $500 per pound to $5,000. With that price tag, the crocus saffron stamens pack the sweetest nectar and the biggest buck blooming in at number 10.

9. The Dansuke Watermelon

Watermelons may line the sides of country roads in summertime but these costly watermelons won’t be at any common picnic. These watermelons are not large in size, a measly 17 pounds, but in Japan they cost a great deal more than their weight and are made up mostly of water. The Dansuke Watermelon is a black watermelon, the most expensive watermelon in the world that is harder and crisper than the American watermelon. One watermelon can cost as much as $6,100.  They grow only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and are usually given as rare gifts. Only a few grow, perhaps 65 in a season bringing the Dansuke Watermelon to number 9 of the top ten expensive, exclusive foods.

8. Yubari Melon

Another Japanese fruit, the Yubari melon can cost anywhere between $60 to $150 in the US. Generally, the best of the variety cost $200. In 2008 two Yubari melons went for $26,000. What do you think of them melons? They are grown in Yubari, Hokkaido, a small populated town close to Sapporo. They are similar in appearance to the common cantaloupe except they are perfectly round and have smooth skin. They are exceptionally sweet although the sweetness is not considered overpowering. It is said that the high volcanic ash content in the soil makes it the sweetest, juiciest melons in the world bringing these very special melons in at number 8.

7. Matsutake Mushroom

Mushrooms are mysterious, neither plant nor animal, and the Matsutake mushroom, another Japanese delicacy is one mystery that costs between $90 to $905 per pound. It has been highly prized in Japan for centuries and is found on particular pine trees in Japan, Korea and China and a few other places in the world. They form a symbiotic relationship with the tree’s roots and never grow again in the same spot more than one time. The flavor is pungent, spicy and meaty like Portobello mushrooms. The Japanese refer to it as the “the king of autumn flavor” and “the king of the mushrooms.” For such royal mushrooms, they pop up into the top ten lists at number 7.

6. Chocopologie by Knipschildt

The most prized chocolate in the world is by Chocopologie by Knipschildt. It costs $2,600 per pound. It is a handmade chocolate truffle that contains 70% Valrhona cacao and black truffle. Dark chocolate is the most expensive and it can only be pre-ordered. The exclusive chocolate was created by Fritz Knipchildt, a Chocolatier from Denmark who moved to the US and founded his famous bittersweet delicacy in 1996. It is made with no preservatives or additives and from what can be told about it, is a tiny morsel that any chocolate lover should not pass within the top ten of exclusive foods at number 6.

5. Kobe Beef

Where’s the beef? The best of it comes from the most pampered cows in the world, the Wagyu cows of Japan. The heftiest priced beef, Kobe beef, comes from Japanese cows that are fed the best grass and beer! They are bovines raised in the lap of luxury receiving daily massages to ensure the tenderness of the product. The most expensive and sought after beef is the tenderest in the mouth and the most hard on the wallet. A 200 gram filet costs more than $100. Up to $770 per kilo, the Kobe beef has a heavy marbling of fat that adds to the flavor of this legendary meat, bringing the Wagyu cow’s home at number 5.

4. Caviar

The Alma’s Caviar variety is the most highly esteemed because the eggs of the Beluga Sturgeon fish are very hard to come by. They are tiny, pale, amber eggs that cost an astounding $8,400 to $15,500 a pound. The word ‘Almas’ is Iranian for diamond and these little fish eggs sparkle the brightest. It is because the Beluga fish takes over 20 years to mature making its eggs limited.  These fish are rare although they have existed for over 120 million years; they are the oldest survivors of the dinosaur era. The fish are found mainly in the Caspian Sea and live up to 80 years old. The Almas Caviar is prepared in Iran and is sold only in London at one outlet called, The Caviar House and Punier. The waiting list to buy this caviar is 4 years and it is sold in a 24 karat, gold tin box spawning in at number 4.

3. White Truffle

Who when they think of the most expensive foods does not think of truffles? The holy grail of mushrooms is the White Truffle. Pigs root them out in the woods in search of the truffle’s unique aroma that resembles their own sex hormones. Neither animal nor plant, the White Truffle crowns the forest floors with the most prized truffle because of its intense flavor, aroma and scarcity. The White Truffle sells for between $1,360-$4,200 per pound and resists the measures man has taken to domesticate and cultivate it. The fungi are only found underground and grow on the roots of certain trees in particular regions in Italy and Croatia. The most expensive White Truffle ever sold was for $330,000! How’s that for a magic mushroom? It comes in at number 3!

2. Bird’s Nest Soup

One of the rarest foods, and one of the highest sought after, is Bird’s Nest Soup. Otherwise known as the “Caviar of the East” this is a food that has been served in China for over 400 years. It is made up of the saliva nests built by cave swifts, a bird found in southeast China. It is dissolved in water to create a gelatinous soup. It is the most expensive animal product consumed by humans. In Hong Kong a bowl costs up to $30, the red version can cost $10 per gram, the most prized nests of them all. Per pound the cost ranges from $910 to $4,535. The saliva is believed to have nutritional, medicinal and aphrodisiac properties bringing in just a simple bit of spit at number 2.

1. Gold

No, these consumers do not have Pica, the nutritional disease where people eat things like plaster, dirt or newspaper; these people eat a precious metal because it has no ill effect on the human body and just because you can say you did. Eat this as the number one top ten of exclusive and highly sought after foods and you too will be able to say you’ve eaten gold. It is the world’s most expensive food, a product with a flavorless taste, used mainly in small quantities as flakes or gold leaves for decoration to adorn other expensive foods. The price for edible gold is $33,000-$110,000 per kilo. One gold-eating customer paid to cover an entire Christmas turkey with gold leaf. It is insanely popular around the time of the Oscars where people use it for drinks and to make Oscar-shaped cookies where gold, celebrities, and goodies gain certain attention.

Ms. Taguig 2011.. Vote and Like Ms. Vanessa Thanks

Taguig is a city in Metro Manila in the Philippines and they are now having a pageant for the search of Ms. Taguig 2011. and below is the representative of my place. So please just click the link below and click the like button (available on facebook user only).


And she is my friend... PLEASE!!!

Just Click and Like

Top 10 Creepy Creatures of the Deep

Ah, the ocean. Bottomless, beautiful, and home to a wide diversity of life: from the spunky dolphin to the majestic whale. Also, the source of endless amounts of nightmare fuel! There are plenty of creepy, dark back roads evolution has taken in the big blue; almost all of them ready to haunt your dreams. Well enjoy your summer vacation.

10. The Hagfish

Say hello to the hagfish, a creature of the class Myxini. The hagfish has many unique qualities: it’s the only creature with a skull but without a spinal column, and it excretes massive amounts of slime as a defense tactic. But even that disgusting little factoid pales to the worst characteristic ever, of any animal in the animal kingdom, even the candiru*.
You see, the hagfish enters other creatures and then eats them from the inside out. And that’s not even the absolute worst part. The hagfish has no way to penetrate the skin, so it has to find some way to get into the fish. That would be the fish’s orifices. And all orifices are up for grabs.
That’s right, the hagfish will not only eat its prey alive, and it’ll anally violate it first.
(*The Candiru is a small parasitic catfish that reportedly enters the human body via the urethra.)

9. Tiburonia Granrojo

Better known as the Big Red Jellyfish and, since it’s on this list; you know that doesn’t have anything to do with the chewing gum. It’s three feet wide, fulfilling the “big” part. It’s also “red”. And we bet you think we’re going to tell you it’s got stinging tentacles that’ll kill you. But no, no it doesn’t. It has “oral arms.”
The Big Red doesn’t give a crap about actually paralyzing its prey. It just grabs whatever the hell it wants to eat and puts it in its mouth. Alive. Quite possibly screaming about the Great Old Ones.
In fact, we’re pretty sure these are just little Cthulus, waiting to burst free. Kill on sight, gentlemen.

8. Snakehead Fish

No, that is not, in fact, a cartoon character. Nor was it exposed to nuclear waste. It’s just the Snakehead, which is commonly found in Asia and Africa. How it got the name is pretty obvious.
So why are we mentioning it here, beyond it being a creepy fish with fangs? Because it can come out of the water to say hello, and maybe even eat some rats! Yes, the Snakehead can come out of the water for short periods of time, as it has a primitive lung near its gills.
Oh, by the way, they’ve been spotted all up and down the Eastern Seaboard, they’ve been seen in the UK, and they’ve even been spotted in Canada. They might be what’s called an “invasive species”, which can take hold in other locations.
Happy swimming!

7. Promachoteuthis Sulcus

The Promachoteuthis is a fairly undistinguished squid. Only one has ever been caught in the wild, thanks to (whom else?) the Germans. Of course, we only need one to haunt your freaking’ dreams.
You see, this squid has teeth. Not pointy little fangs, not a beak… it’s got a mouth under there. You half expect this thing to start speaking to you, reciting an eldritch language and summoning Nyarlathotep to ensure terrible vengeance for its death.
You have to wonder what the guys who hauled this thing up thought when they first saw it. If it’s anything other than ‘DEAR LORD IT HAS TEETH!’ maybe we should feed them to the hagfish.

6. Deep Sea Lizard Fish

 

We like how this is called a “lizard fish,” named either by somebody who misses the points of jokes an awful lot or somebody who didn’t want this immediately fished to destruction because nobody thinks something like that should exist. Because it shouldn’t.
Are we being judgmental? Well, yes. On the other hand, things that big with mouths full of needle teeth make us that way. These things need to die. We’d recommend eating them if we weren’t sure their very flesh was coated with spines to gouge your mouth open and kill you while the dead-eyed lizardfish looks on laughing. (Deep Sea Lizard Fish is at 2:49 in video above.)
So we nuke them. The lack of whales is a small price to pay.

5. Vampire Squid

The name “vampire squid” is misleading, although it’s easy to understand why a squid that’s jet black with red eyes and webbed tentacles topped with wicked spikes would be mistaken for a creature barfed up out of hell. Especially since the inside of the creature shows its tentacles are covered in spines! That’s to stick in your mind for when the bad dreams come.
Oh, but wait, there’s more: it can also trigger all sorts of flashes across its body. Scientists say that it has light-generating organs under its skin called “photophores”, but we’re pretty sure it’s witchcraft. After all, these are the same scientists who gave this thing a Latin name that means “vampire squid from hell,” so you know they’re hiding something.

4. Pelican Eel

Eels in general are disgusting creatures that societies have spent centuries trying to eradicate on the basis of “that isn’t right.”  Eels can bite, they can electrocute you, but there was one advantage we had over them: they couldn’t eat parts of us whole.
Well, say hello to the Pelican Eel, who can do that. Just how big is this cute little guy’s appetite? So big they’ve actually caught a specimen with a whole squid in its stomach. Yes, a whole squid. It just slurped it up alive, like you’d eat calamari.
On the other hand, the squid is related to some of the freaks on this list, so he maybe deserves a little less sympathy.

3. The Elbowed Magapinna Squid

Squid, as you might have noticed, are creatures with a wide variety of evolutionary branches on the old tree of life. In fact, squid have evolved in many, many unique ways- resulting in freaky features, such as elbows.
Why elbows? Why not elbows? After all, squid have to develop an ability to take over the earth somehow, and at least some of the humans will figure out that the squid, in their reverse scuba suits, have trouble with doors and pull ups, since they lack joints. Leave it to the Magapinna! It’ll open those doors and pull itself up the sides of buildings lickety split, and eat the few remaining humans that have been able to defend themselves against the squid hordes.
Isn’t evolution beautiful?

2. Stargazer

 

The Stargazer fish doesn’t have incredible dreams that lives in a small town are holding back, nor does it have any particular interest in astronomy. It just happens to sit on the bottom of the ocean a lot, and since it needs to eat, has its eyes on the top of its head. Or maybe on stalks, because “eyes on top of the skull” wasn’t quite unnerving enough.
But it gets better! You see, Stargazers aren’t just kind of ugly, they’re actively dangerous! They’ve got poison spines and some can even turn out a pretty nasty electric shock. Yes, this may be the slacker of the “things that can really hurt you” category, but that doesn’t mean it won’t put in the effort if you get close enough.

1. Blue-Ringed Octopus

OK, so the blue-ringed octopus might be the cutest animal on this list, not that that’s particularly hard, but we concede the point. It’s just a tiny little octopus covered in polka dots. A tiny little octopus that’s more fatal than Rambo suffering a bout of ‘roid rage.
The blue-ringed octopus, you see, is from Australia, and no animal in Australia is allowed to exist without some horrible form of venom that will kill you slowly. This particular octopus, though, is an overachiever even by Australian standards, with a painless bite that will slowly paralyze your entire body until you die from being unable to breathe.
The only way to survive is to have people doing CPR on you until medics arrive. And put you on a ventilator to keep you alive. Oh, and you’ll be fully aware most of the time. Yep, no anti venom- you’re just going to have to sweat it out. Luckily, most people make a full recovery.

Heart no Kuni no Alice

PLOT:

Alice Liddell is an insecure girl who is jealous of her sister's beauty and grace. During one of their outings, Alice's sister goes to get a deck of cards for a game while Alice falls asleep. When a white rabbit comes and encourages her to chase him, Alice assumes she is dreaming and tries to go back to napping until the rabbit turns into a man with white rabbit ears and carries her off. Peter White(the white rabbit) throws Alice into a hole that appears in her yard and jumps in after her. When they land in a strange, open area, Peter starts confessing his undying love for her. He tells her to drink some 'medicine' but when she refuses, he simply pours the liquid into his mouth and then kisses her, forcing her to drink it. It is later revealed that this liquid is some kind of way to prevent her from going home. Alice learns that she is in Wonderland and the only way she might be able to return to her world is to interact and spend time with the strange people in Wonderland, which slowly refills the medicine vial. However, Wonderland is going through violent times - everyone is reckless and uncaring as to who lives or dies, and with a civil war going on everyone in the strange world finds it hard to trust each other with an instinct to kill.

CHARACTER:

Most characters in Alice in the Country of Hearts are very loosely based on Lewis Carroll's originals, though there are also a few invented by QuinRose.

Alice Liddell (アリス＝リデル, Arisu Rideru^?)

One of the very few characters who are similar in personality, physical appearance, and reactions to the original book. Alice reacts to everything a little bit more realistically than the original Alice, questioning her surroundings, however she is still dreamy and absent minded. Many of the other characters note that Alice unintentionally leads them on. Her views on life in general have made her a valuable part of wonderland life. The inhabitants fall in love with her because she values life, not like the people who live there. She often considers returning home, but is dissuaded by painful headaches induced by Nightmare whenever she tries to recall memories of her sisters Edith and Lorina or whether she considers if she has seen Peter before or not. In the manga, she chooses to reside in the neutral Clock Tower with Julius Monrey.

Peter White (ペーター＝ホワイト, Pētā Howaito^?)

Voiced by: Kōki Miyata

Other than having a pair of white rabbit ears, wearing a watch, and wearing a suit coat he has little in common with the White Rabbit upon which he is based. He is the first to meet Alice and claims to be desperately in love with her; his sociopathic tendencies mean that he will not hesitate to kill anyone he dislikes, especially if they get between him and Alice. Alice mentions hating him on several instances, but he is persistent in gaining her love. Peter is able to turn into an actual rabbit, which he does so in order to gain Alice's affections since she has a soft spot for his rabbit form, and works for the Queen of Hearts in Heart Castle as a Prime Minister. He is often caught rhyming as he speaks, however in the original version he is heard talking normally without rhyming. It appears he and Nightmare know why Alice was brought to his world and it appears he is some how connected to her older sister.

Blood Dupre (ブラッド＝デュプレ, Buraddo Dupure^?)

Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi

Leader of the Hatters, he is charming, flirtatious, laid-back and loves black tea, Blood is nothing like the Mad Hatter, the character he represents. He rules the Hatter's Mansion area and is strongly hated by Mary Gowland for making his name known throughout the Land of Hearts. He is also involved in a civil war with the Queen of Hearts. Alice notices right away that he looks exactly like her ex-boyfriend. Nightmare created his face to look identically like her ex-boyfriend, though his reasons for doing so unknown. In the beginning, Blood states he has no intention of loving Alice, and discusses trying to kill her. He even attempts to choke her at one point, and shoots at her during a ball held by his elder sister Vivaldi. However, like many others, Blood develops a strong interest in her, and antagonizes Julius just so Alice will leave Julius to stay with Blood, though she never actually leaves the Clock Tower. It is even suggested later in the manga that Blood is in fact jealous and directs his negative feelings at Alice.

Elliot March (エリオット＝マーチ, Eriotto Māchi^?)

Voiced by: Tsuguo Mogami

Other than having a pair of brown hare ears, Elliot shares no likeness to the March Hare, upon which he is based. He first seems willing to help Alice, until he points his weapon at her and says he wants to "test his new gun". But later in the manga, Elliot comes across as a kind and sweet person with the willingness to kill people without hesitation. Elliot is dedicated to serving Blood, due to the fact that Blood helped Elliot escape prison for a terrible sin. Elliot had destroyed his friend's clock (the people of Wonderland have clocks instead of hearts, and when repaired the clocks become a new person), as his friend had wished. Because Wonderland needs replacements, the act of destroying a clock is taboo and he was thrown in jail. Elliot constantly states that he isn't a rabbit and doesn't like carrots, though all he ever eats is carrot-flavored dishes.

Dee and Dum (トゥイードル＝ディー、トゥイードル＝ダム, Tuīdoru Dī, Tuīdoru Damu^?)

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama

Twins based on the characters Tweedledum and Tweedledee that besides being twins and finishing each others' sentences on occasion, they look and act nothing like their counterparts. Dee and Dum are the young gatekeepers to the Hatter Mansion. Due to their young age, they often slack off and love money and killing. They have a violent tendencies and actually tried to kill Alice upon first meeting her, thinking that slitting her throat would be a fun game. They don't think life is important, thinking that Alice, like everyone else, will have a replacement. In Joker no Kuni, they are seen being able to change into an adult form.

Boris Airay (ボリス＝エレイ, Borisu Erei^?)

Voiced by: Noriaki Sugiyama

Boris is the counterpart of the Cheshire Cat; like the character he is based on, Boris loves riddles. He has functional cat ears and a tail, several piercings and tattoos, and dresses in short, exposing outfits with a pink boa and a collar with a chain. Boris works in the Amusement Park District for Mary Gowland. Though he is sly, devious character with a childish persona, he becomes close to Alice. He is friends with Dee and Dum, despite the fact that they work for opposing groups, and even goes to Hatter Mansion to have tea parties and interact with Elliot and Blood. Boris has on numerous occasions, sneaked into the Castle of Hearts. When his luck ran out, Alice found him badly wounded and bloody, and after a reprimanding from Alice, Boris promised to change his careless and ruthless ways for Alice's sake. When Ace threatens to kill Alice, Boris only shoots at his feet saying, "I can't kill you because it would make Alice sad." He gets mad at Ace when he kills in front of Alice. Like many others in the Land of Hearts, he also falls in love with Alice.

Vivaldi (ビバルディ, Bibarudi^?)

Voiced by: Yuhko Kaida

Vivaldi is based upon The Queen of Hearts. Like the character in Carroll's book, she regularly orders the beheading of servants for the smallest of mishaps. She tends to use the majestic plural and is demanding and dangerous. A beautiful and composed woman who shows little emotion, she does expose her feelings towards Blood when Peter and Ace inform her of his interest and advances to Alice. She loves cute things and has a secret room full of stuffed animals. Only a few select maids know of her collection. Vivaldi is Blood's older sister and as the Queen of Hearts, she is the only person aside from Alice who is able to keep Peter in line.

Ace (エース, Ēsu^?)

Voiced by: Daisuke Hirakawa

Ace is an original character, though he is possibly based on the Knave of Hearts. He is the Knight of Heart Castle and considered the most skilled swordsman in Wonderland, but has a notoriously bad sense of direction and often forgets how to get to places. Though, seemingly harmless at first, he becomes more devious over time and demonstrates a tendency towards violence. His lost adventures are revealed to be assassinations of people that the Joker or the Clockmaker want him to kill; he helps Julius Monrey collect clocks from people who have died while killing those who get in his way. Ace is one of the first characters to admit that he has no romantic interest in Alice, though that changes shortly after he says it. Despite confessing to love Alice, she notes how he used her a shield when Peter threatened to shoot him. He almost kills Alice because she is changing everyone in Wonderland, but mentions that if he killed her, he couldn't hear her heartbeat anymore, so changes his mind.

Julius Monrey (ユリウス＝モンレー, Yuriusu Monrē^?)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

Julius is an original character, though it is suggested that he represents Time (who has an argument with the Mad Hatter), from the original Alice in Wonderland book. He is in charge of the only neutral district, the Clock Tower Plaza; it is also shown that he controls the world's time. As the fixer of clocks, he is regarded as the mortician of Wonderland, since the fixed clocks will become the hearts of reborn Wonderland residents. Julius is initially the closest character to Alice; she trusts him and lives in his Clock Tower with him. While seemingly apathetic and anti-social, several characters mention how much he must like Alice because of his eagerness to help her get home and to give her a room to stay in. Later on, Julius shows jealousy towards the other men in Alice's life and tells her to leave, saying that she can go where ever she chooses as he thinks she feels obligated to stay. Alice refuses to leave and Julius admits that he doesn't find her annoying. As his attachment to Alice grows, he becomes protective of her when other characters threaten to take her away. It is seen that Julius does not enjoy roller coasters, crowds, and Blood

Mary Gowland (メリー＝ゴーランド, Merī Gōrando^?)

Voiced by: Kenyu Horiuchi

Boss of the Amusement Park, Gowland is a possible parody of The Duchess as he is a marquis and semi owner of Cheshire Cat. However he gets angered at Boris when he bleeds on his floor. Other than those times he enjoys the company of him and Alice. He is an older man with mood swings, but is generally a cheery and very social person. He has the power to pull out his violin, which turns into a kind of gun or rifle at his will, in various sizes, though he has no talent playing it. He invites Alice to come to the park any time she likes and visits her at the clock tower. Gowland is the archenemy of Blood Dupre, who told everyone Gowland's first name is Mary, making his name 'Merry Go Round', like the term merry-go-round. Dupre seems eager to pick fights with Mary, making fun of him and his name, throwing Gowland into a violent rage.

Nightmare Gottschalk (ナイトメア＝ゴットシャルク, Naitomea Gottosharuku^?)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

Nightmare is based on The Caterpillar in the original Alice in Wonderland, but is usually seen when Alice is sleeping. Later, he comes to the clocktower with a resident of Clover. He is the one who allowed Peter to bring Alice into Wonderland. He calls himself an 'Demon', claiming he is the embodiment of bad dreams. He interacts mostly with Alice, but also appears before Peter and Julius as well. It appears he along with Peter knows why Alice was sent to their world. He also claims to love her. He is sickly in the books and is seen coughing up blood, but hates doctors and injections. He wears an eyepatch for unmentioned reasons and seems to not have any weapon. In Clover no Kuni, he is seen in the clover tower.

Pierce Villier (ピアス＝ヴィリエ, Piasu Virie^?)

Voiced by: Sōichirō Hoshi

Pierce is the counterpart of the Dormouse and the Gravedigger of Wonderland. He has functional mouse ears and a tail and suffers from insomnia; he drinks coffee to try and stay awake. He used to be a part of the Hatter family, but ran away because the twins bullied him, which was the cause of his sleepless nights. He adores Nightmare because he helps him sleep and is often worried about his health. Pierce is terrified of Boris who often tries to eat him and constantly makes him feel like his life is in danger. However, he likes Peter and Elliot because he doesn't feel threatened around rabbits. In an side chapter of the manga, he attempts to kiss Alice soon as he recognizes her as an outsider. Alice then slaps him in the face and asks him "if he tries to kiss strangers often".

Gray Ringmarc (グレイ＝リングマーク, Gurei Ringumāku^?)

Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai

Gray is based on the Lizard in the original Alice in Wonderland. He works for Nightmare, though is often reduced to acting as a nanny of sorts in order to force Nightmare to do his work, and tends to be a workaholic, pushing his subordinates to do the same. In contrast, he is notably a poor cook and artist, despite his best efforts. By nature Gray is a kind man who cares for people and animals, but he is also a former assassin and a deadly combatant. As a result, he is unwillingly Ace's designated sparring partner as he is the only one who can match the Knight of Heart's skill. Gray often compares and sees himself as inferior to Julius, particularly in regards to his relationship to Alice.

Joker (ジョーカー, Jōkā^?)

Voiced by: Akira Ishida

An enigmatic character who the player must visit and play a card game with in order to change the season in the Alice in the country of hearts game. Two Jokers exist within the story—one is a polite and modest man while in contrast, his counterpart is foul-mouthed and condescending. He also claims Alice needs him. The jokers are in charge of the prison in wonderland. In Joker no Kuni, they are seen executing Alice's older sister, which symbolizes all the memories of Alice that took place before Wonderland.

Others

Most of the people of Wonderland are servants and guards. They are men and women who all look the same besides the uniforms they wear that represent their district location. They have no eyes and look and dress the same as the other servants in their district. Citizens of Wonderland think these people are unimportant and identical, but Alice is able to recognize their individual differences. As soon as Alice does though the guards fall in love with her. Though they are not given names, Alice still thinks of them as people and becomes angered when others do not consider them as such. In the game, it's discovered that Alice can give them faces so she could remember each one of them.

Besides servants, there are also normal citizens that have no roles in the 'game' of Wonderland. People without roles have no eyes and little to differentiate between them. Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts, was once a girl without a role. Among the citizens there are some rebels, who try to destroy their friends' clocks so they can't be replaced. Try Reading Online 

Creepy Places in America

There are just too many creepy places in America. Just seven Months and the Halloween are approaching. If you want a spine chilling experience you better go to these places and experience a supernatural and ghostly apparition on dead from the other world.

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast in Fall River, Massachusetts

 

On August 4, 1892, someone killed Mr. and Mrs. Borden with a hatchet as they were in their home. Mrs. Borden was found in an upstairs guest room and Mr. Borden was found downstairs on the sofa. The accused was Lizzie Borden, the daughter of Mr. Borden and stepdaughter to Mrs. Borden. Despite her arrest, she was acquitted of the murders and died in 1927 still being labeled a murderer by many. Paranormal recordings turned up some creepy findings. If you think you could do it, find out for yourself what the experience is like by staying overnight.

Bell Witch Cave-Adams, Tennessee

 

John Bell and his family move to Roberson County in 1804. In the late summer of 1817 something would happen that would change their lives forever. Some members of the family began seeing strange looking animals around the property. Then late at night they started hearing knocking sounds on the doors and outer walls of the house. Later sounds were being heard in the house. Sounds of a rat gnawing on the bed post, chains being drug through the house, stones being dropped on the wooden floors, then gulping and choking sounds. When asked who and what it was, it gave different identities. It once stated that it was the witch of a neighbor woman named Kate Batts. This is what many people believed, and from then on, this unseen force was called “Kate” the “Bell’s Witch”.
Her goal was the death of John Bell although no reason was given by Kate. In 1820 John Bell died and Kate was suspected of poisoning him.

Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa

 

On June 10, 1912, an intruder with an axe killed eight people as they slept in a house in the small town of Villisca, Iowa. The victims were a husband and wife along with their four young children. Two other young children who were visiting at the time were also among the dead. The murderer is unknown and was never caught. Some swear that this house is haunted by ghosts after seeing strange visions and hearing odd noises. If you are willing to find out, you can stay in this house overnight. Book early for overnight tours; available days tend to get filled fast. Should spending the night be too much for you to handle, there are also daylight tours.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

 

Staffs who work in the kitchen next to the ballroom after hours say they have heard a party going on when the room was empty. In one guest room people claim to have seen a man standing over the bed then running into the cupboard. It is further claimed that this same apparition is responsible for stealing jewelry, watches and luggage that has gone missing. Some others reported that they have seen ghosts in their rooms in the middle of the night, just standing in their room then disappearing. Sometimes, people in the lobby can hear the piano playing from the ballroom. When workers check to see what’s going on, there would be nobody sitting in front of the piano.
The historic ghost tour points out creepy and ghostly experiences that have taken place at the hotel. Although the tours are open to the public, reservations are required ahead of time. If you stay at the hotel, you may want to sleep with one eye open in case you get an unexpected ghostly visitor.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky

 

The building once held hundreds of tuberculosis patients. It closed in 1961 to be renovated. It opened in 1962 as a geriatrics center and then finally closed in 1980. Rumor has it that there is an incredible amount of paranormal activity that goes on in this location. They have several types of tours ranging from a couple of hours to a full night.
Some urban legends claim that “63,000 deaths” occurred at the Sanitorium. According to Assistant Medical Director Dr. J. Frank W. Stewart, the highest number of deaths in a single year at Waverly Hills was 152. Some independent researchers have suggested that 162 people died at Waverly Hills in 1945, so the highest total number of deaths possible over 50 years was approximately 8,212.

Sorrel-Weed House in Savannah, Georgia

 

The Sorrel Weed House has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in Savannah. People claim to see figures in the windows and hear disembodied voices inside the house. The connecting carriage house behind the main house was said to have housed a female African-American slave who was murdered by a member of the family.
The beautiful house was completed in 1840 for Francis Sorrel. Due to its history, it was named as a State Landmark in Georgia. Its present day happenings caused it to be featured in an episode of Ghost Hunters, where evidence was found that there may be more than the living in the house. The Ghost Hunters tour of the Sorrel-Weed House will tell you all about the evidence that was found. Keep your eyes and ears open when you pass through.

Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California

 

For thirty-eight years starting in 1884, this architectural wonder was not constructed as the result of need; it was built under the orders of Sarah L. Winchester because, as rumors say, she believed spirits were giving her building instructions. Mrs. Winchester was the wife of rifle manufacturer William Winchester. After her husband and daughter’s deaths, rumors say that Mrs. Winchester ordered the building of the house because she believed she was cursed by the spirits of those whose deaths were a result of Winchester rifles, those who would also make her death happen if she did not continuously build a house for them. What was once an eight-room house turned into a massive 160 room mansion. The construction took place day and night, all week and all year until her death in 1922. Stairs lead to the ceiling and doors lead to nothing. It is said that ghosts, including Sarah herself, haunt the house. While the reasoning behind the constant building is not known for sure, what is for sure is that the house is unlike any other you have ever been to. Take a public flashlight tour on Halloween to see if you can have your own ghostly experience.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

You do not walk into an eleven acre abandoned penitentiary if you want to feel warm and fuzzy. The most sought after Halloween tour, appropriately titled “Terror Behind the Walls”, takes place at night and does not discuss the history of the prison; the main objective of the night tour is to scare you senseless. The informational tours about its sordid history take place during daytime hours, which are undoubtedly still creepy as you walk around the facility that opened in 1829. Keep your eyes open for ghosts, which are said to walk the abandoned halls. If you feel a hand on you, do not be surprised if there is no one there when you turn around. Listen for noises, those of the living (and maybe the dead), which can catch you off guard no matter where in the facility you are. Before you enter, make sure to sign the waiver, which is necessary to take the tour.

The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francis Ville, Louisiana

 

There are a variety of legends surrounding the Myrtles. The house is reputedly built over an Indian burial ground, and the ghost of a young Indian woman has been report ted and during the Civil War, the house was ransacked by Union soldiers, and legend claims that three were killed in the house. Supposedly, there is a blood stain in a doorway, roughly the size of a human body that will not come clean. Other legends say that cleaners have been unable to push their mop or broom into that space.
This 200+ year plantation is incredibly beautiful and, as some may say, quite haunted. In addition to the beauty of the location, the stories of love and death that occurred at the plantation are enough to create a draw to the plantation. When you mix in the numerous stories of ghostly encounters and unexplainable photographs, it creates quite the creepy locale. There are historic tours and mystery tours available of Myrtles Plantation.

Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery

 
Located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, this cemetery exists peacefully in the Rubio Woods. At first glance, it looks like a small, unimportant cemetery. The chain link fence which once protected it from outsiders is broken, a big hole marring the protective metal. The cemetery itself is broken down, suffering from years of vandalism and trespassing. Some gravestones are dismantled.
Although this sounds like an innocent, unimportant cemetery, its past is shrouded in despair and death. A white, uninhabited pond exists in the northwest corner of the cemetery. Mob bosses used it as dumping grounds for their victims in the early 1900s. They officially stopped burying the dead in the 1960s. Since that time, people have reported many sightings, making Bachelor’s Grove the most haunted cemetery in the United States. Many of those sightings are seen near the pond.
Sightings include a ghost called the White Lady. Clad in white, she roams the graves looking for her lost baby. Other sightings include a two-headed man and a ghost house. Bachelor’s Grove is truly the spookiest haunting grounds in the United States.