Geri Halliwell

In the early 90s the boy bands like the Back Street Boys dominated the world of pop music. It was then that Bob and Chris Herbert, father-and-son management team came up with the idea of making an only-girls band. The Herberts along with Chic Murphey came up with audition for the same and out of about 400 applicants they brought forth the "Spice Girls".

The British pop girl group, Spice Girls, consisting of five singers Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell, were formed in 1994. They were signed to the Virgin Records, a British record label. In 1996 they released their debut single "Wannabe" which was a worldwide hit and established them as a global phenomenon.

They paved the way for the commercial teen pop culture in the 90s. They repeated their success with their debut album "Spice" that sold more than 23 million copies worldwide and thus created history in the music industry being the best selling album by a female group. They also became the best selling girl group of all time with 75 million copies sold worldwide with only four albums and 12 singles.

The Top of the Pop magazine gave each member of the group their alias which was liked by both the media and the girls. Thus Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty became the most widely recognized individuals and came to be known as the biggest cultural icons of the 90s. Their first book and manifesto "Girl Power!" launched in 1997 sold 200,000 copies within a day, and was later translated into 20 more languages. The same year also saw them winning New Artist and Album of the year at the Billboard Music Awards. They also won the International Hit of the Year and Best selling British Single awards for "Wannabe" at the at the Ivor Novello Awards.

But the group dint stay together for a long. After seeing the height of their career, Geri Halliwell left the group in 1998, making headlines world over. She went on to launch a solo career later. The rest of the girls stuck together determined to carry on the band. After Geri's departure the girls came out with "Goodbye", which was considered as a tribute to Geri. It topped the UK Singles Chart and became their third Consecutive Christmas number one, a feat which was previously set by The Beatles.

Leann Rimes

Not sure what's happening with me on this one, but it seems like the more I listen to it, the better Family gets. Family simply stated is one of Leann Rimes's best CDs to date.

Unfortunately, it's not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can't force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Family. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you've got one of Leann Rimes's most impressive releases ever.

If you're a Leann Rimes fan this is a CD your collection flat cannot be without. In fact, this is one of those CDs that you don't even have to be a fan of Rimes, or even Contemporary Country to know is good. It's just good music. Period.

While this entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Nothing Better To Do, track 4 - Good Friend And a Glass Of Wine, and track 14 - When You Love Someone Like That.

Maine Coon Cat

The Maine Coon Cat breed is known for many striking characteristics. Not the least of these is its size. Huge Maine Coon Cats are quite something to behold!

Myths and legends abound when it comes to a big Maine Coon Cat. We've all heard a story at some point about a massive cat of enormous proportions. So just how big are they, compared to most cats?

An average house cat weighs between 8 and 11 pounds. If they weigh more, they are probably on the chubby side. A female Coon usually weighs between 9 - 13 pounds. Then there are the boys. Males usually tip the scales at around 13 - 18 pounds. There are definitely some huge Maine Coon Cats out there!

The physique of this cat breed is solid. They are strong, muscular, and well proportioned. So an extra large Coon will have a frame to hold his weight. That means he'll be noticeably longer and wider than most other cats. Now, add a shaggy coat and a massive tail. What a specimen!

"What about really huge Maine Coon Cats?" you ask. It's true, many males end up growing well past the average. It's not unusual to hear of a 20 pounder, and sometimes even 25 - 30 or more pounds! These are definitely huge Maine Coon Cats.

Many people want to know where to get a very large Coon. This happens especially when there are photos of big Maine Coon Cats circulating on the Internet. Some folks see pictures of huge Maine Coon Cats and ask, "Where can I get one of those?"

That is certainly part of the allure of this breed. If you are ready to commit to a new cat in your life, you'll want to make sure this cat breed is right for you. Then you'll want to locate a responsible breeder in your area. Most breeders will not breed specifically for size. They are breeding to a standard, breeding great specimens in order to produce, with each litter, the best example possible of what a this breed is meant to be.

Also, these kittens are born to be a certain size. Feeding them extra food or supplements won't make their bones grow longer. It'll only make them fat, and perhaps raise the risk of hip dysplasia.

The kittens are already genetically predestined to be larger than an average cat. But just like in human families, there will be the occasional kitten who falls below the lowest "average threshold" and ends up being a beautiful 8 pound cat. There will also be some who are clearly going to be big, going above and beyond the high end of 18 pounds. The breeder will be able to tell you. So, put in a request for a big boy and your breeder will work with you.

Birds

If there's nearly one thing universal in Native American mythology it is giant birds, monster birds, even the Thunderbird (which has been adopted as a brand name for many products not to mention the name of a TV show with associated spin-off motion pictures). Now apart from the actual observations of these winged monstrosities, there's nothing all that unusual about giant flying creatures in mythology. What sets these 'birds' apart is that they often like to snack on the natives - as takeaways, not dine in. Is there any natural terrestrial explanation for birds carrying away humans, like a crow picking up a kernel of corn? Or, might one have to resort to another, more unnatural and perhaps extraterrestrial explanation?