MikeLigalig.com

tua na lagi.  don't tell me nawong pod na ni psy after photoshopping fann.

1. Anna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy

2. Madame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert

3. War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy

4. Lolita
by Vladimir Nabokov

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain

6. Hamlet
by William Shakespeare

7. The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. In Search of Lost Time
by Marcel Proust

9. The Stories of Anton Chekhov
by Anton Chekhov

There are several lifetimes' worth of promising literary leads hereâ€"544 books in all. An 85-page appendix providing enlightened summaries of all the works mentioned is worth the price of admission all on its own. But to get you started, here, in all its glory, is the all-time, ultimate Top Top 10 list, derived from the top 10 lists of 125 of the world's most celebrated writers combined. Read it andâ€" well, just read it.

more at: http://www.time.com/


10. Middlemarch
by George Eliot

you mean, nag-shave ka na?

behold, thus, the omnipotent...

nagsayaw man na siyag gangnam style.  di na ako.  pangutan-on kuno nato si lolla...

ayaw na lang ug paabot kay gilamoy na ni ondoy.

truly soulful, and truly neutered.

aw, one step ahead man god kaha ning tblanders sa technology and espionage, wa na lay labot sa medicine ug stocks...

i wish you could do that...

ang gakarsones o kanang wa?

unzaon man nga kita man ang image?

wa pod tingali sila mangaliya nga ibaligya...

5. Johana's New Boyfriend Also Was a Suspect


Johana was a fashion model

Marco Diaz, Johana's boyfriend when she died, also was targeted by investigators and will reportedly face trial. Victor's lawyer claims Marco is the true killer and that he had no help from Victor:

    ... cigarette butts found near Johana’s body belonged to Diaz and all the witnesses have incriminated him.

http://www.heavy.com/

4. Victor Used to Date the Slain Sister


Victor and Johana

Johana, murdered shortly before her 20th birthday, was a former girlfriend of Victor. He says he broke up with her and moved on to Edith long before the murder. At the time of her death, Johana was thought to be dating a man named Marco Diaz.

3. Edith Had to Pass Psych Tests to Marry the Killer


Victor is serving a 12-year sentence

Edith's mother, Marcelina, managed to block an earlier wedding date in December by claiming Edith was mentally incompetent. But Edith successfully completed court-ordered psychological testing, and the wedding was rescheduled. Marcelina says Edith is "guilty of a terrible betrayal," and she fears Victor may harm Edith too.

2. Edith's Family Disowned Her


Edith Casas

Still grieving the loss of one twin daughter, the family has now doubled its grief â€" as Edith is symbolically dead to them. The twins' father, Valentin Casas, summed it up like this:

    For me, they are both dead. Johana is with God and Edith is with the Devil.

1. Edith Believes Victor is Innocent


Victor and Edith

Edith says she's in love with her husband, whom she's been dating since before the murder, and that he did not kill her sister. They plan to start a family. She said this in a prior interview:

    I’m going to get married to the person I love and not the person who killed my sister. Victor is not a violent person and I’m not mad. We’ve got no doubts about what we’re doing. We love each other.

Cingolani is appealing his conviction and expects to win. His lawyer says he's the victim of a "judicial scandal."

Woman Marries Twin Sister’s Killer: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

by Heavy Staff   
Heavy.com

On Valentine's Day, an Argentinian woman married the man convicted of murdering her twin sister â€" to the dismay of her distraught parents and an angry crowd that gathered to throw stones and eggs.

Edith Casas, 23, wed Victor Cingolani, 28, who was returned to his cell after the ceremony to serve the remaining 12 years of a 13-year prison sentence. He was convicted last year of being a "willing participant" in the 2010 murder of fashion model Johana Casas.

The ceremony took place at a civil registry office in Pico Truncade, southern Argentina, the same city where Johana's dead body was found on the outskirts of town â€" shot twice.

Here's what you should know about this bizarre love story:

aguy, unsa man tawon ning hitaboa.  tingalig nalumos na ron ang 4 ka isda tawon...

mongo beans.  ginagmay lang aron di mamuwak ang kamot.

malipay gyod kog pagi unta aron ilatos, hehe.

labi na ug panamastamasan pa gyod ang orig nga sinuwat, aw, nahimo na hinoong jueteng.

Quote from: hubag bohol on February 19, 2013, 10:55:25 AM
Bwahaha! Kang kinsa kaha diayng kuko ang nakiskisan!

naa ra na ni bugsay o ni pikoy.

gaba.  haraw mahimo silang babaye unya mao nay ibaligya.  (lizod pod diay kay lain na pod ang dakpon... unta.)

di ba na the same parehas similar ang butete ug buriring?  or is it a rose by any other name is an antwanga?

US Air Force / Staff Sgt Bennie J. Davis III
B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion

The B-2 bomber was so costly that Congress cut its initial 1987 purchase order from 132 to 21. (A 2008 crash leaves the current number at 20.) The B-2 is hard to detect via infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual or radar signals. This stealth capability makes it able to attack enemy targets with less fear of retaliation. In use since 1993, the B-2 has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.time.com/

F-22 Raptor: $350 million

First conceived during the Cold War as an airframe to vie with Soviet aircraft that was never built, the F-22 is touted by manufacturer Lockheed Martin as the best overall combat plane in the world â€" not to mention the most expensive. It can shoot down enemy cruise missiles, fly long distances at supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all types of radar detection. But the Senate debate over whether to build seven more â€" at a taxpayer cost of $1.67 billion â€" eventually came down to the plane's job-creating abilities. The axed project would have employed 25,000 Americans.

Staff Sgt Jacob N. Bailey / U.S. Air Force
C17A Globemaster III: $328 million

The Air Force military-transport plane is used to move troops into war zones, perform medical evacuations and conduct airdrop missions. There are 190 C17As in service; the aircraft is propelled by four turbofan engines (of the same type used on the twin-engine Boeing 757) and can drop 102 paratroopers at once. In operation since 1993, it has been used to deliver troops and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Drewski2112
P-8A Poseidon: $290 million

Boeing's spruced-up military version of its 737 jet will be used by the Navy to conduct anti-submarine warfare and gather intelligence. It can carry torpedoes, missiles, depth charges and other weapons. The P-8A is expected to go into service in 2013.

Dabashian
VH-71 Kestrel: $241 million

This high-tech helicopter project, intended to replace the President's aging chopper fleet, was running more than 50% over budget by the time Barack Obama took office. Soon after his Inauguration, the President announced plans to scrap the helicopters because of cost overruns. On July 22, however, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved restoring $485 million to fund the Kestrels.

Northrop Grumman
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: $232 million

A major step forward for surveillance and reconnaissance, the Advanced Hawkeye's powerful new radar system will increase the range of territory an aircraft can monitor by 300%. "It can probably watch the pistachios pop in Iran," an analyst for the think tank Lexington Institute told National Defense in July. Though development of the plane is on track and two test versions have been delivered to the Navy, budget cuts may keep the planes grounded for at least a year longer than planned.

Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes / US Air Force
F-35 Lightning II: $122 million

Lockheed Martin's 2001 deal to build these stealth, supersonic fighter jets was at the time the largest military contract ever. The F-35s, intended to replace an aging aircraft arsenal, were developed as part of a Joint Strike Fighter program between the U.S. and its allies and were criticized as underpowered and overweight â€" and therefore easy targets. Making matters worse, from 2007 to 2008, cyberspies infiltrated the 7.5 million lines of computer code that powered the Joint Strike Fighter, raising concerns that enemies could copy the F-35's design and exploit its weaknesses. In April 2009, Lockheed Martin said it did not believe the program had been compromised.

V-22 Osprey: $118 million

This tiltrotor aircraft, which takes off and lands like a helicopter but can fly faster and farther like a fixed-wing plane, was first used in combat in Iraq in 2007. The Osprey's production has been bedeviled by design and construction problems: the craft claimed the lives of at least 30 Marines and civilians during its development alone (former Vice President Dick Cheney tried repeatedly to ground the plane). Still, because of its range and versatility, the Marine Corps plans to deploy a squadron of V-22s to Afghanistan by the end of the year.

Navy
EA-18G Growler: $102 million

Hot off the presses, the Growler is a lightly armed version of the F/A-18 fighter that has been updated for electronic warfare (it is currently being delivered to the Navy). Growlers are capable of not only finding and disrupting anti-aircraft radar, but also jamming enemy communications.

TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE MILITARY PLANES


F/A-18 Hornet: $94 million

First entering service in the 1980s, the twin-engine fighter plane was the U.S.'s first strike fighter â€" an aircraft capable of attacking both ground and aerial targets. It has seen action in Operation Desert Storm and as the aircraft of the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. The F/A-18 is also used by Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland.

"We are spending maybe 45% of the world's budget on defense. If we drop to 42% or 43%, would we be suddenly in danger of some kind of invasion?" asked Representative Justin Amash, a Michigan Republican and part of a new breed of deficit hawks who talk of spending as a bigger threat than war. "We're bankrupting our country, and it's going to put us in danger."

more at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136312,00.html#ixzz2LPThgLx0

How Did We Get Here?

The single-engine, single-seat f-35 is a real-life example of the adage that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Think of it as a flying Swiss Army knife, able to engage in dogfights, drop bombs and spy. Tweaking the plane's hardware makes the F-35A stealthy enough for the Air Force, the F-35B's vertical-landing capability lets it operate from the Marines' amphibious ships, and the Navy F-35C's design is beefy enough to endure punishing carrier operations.

more at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136312,00.html#ixzz2LPSziC00

Dan Winters for TIME

The F-35 is the only fighter in development for the [US] Air Force, Navy and Marines

is this seal alive, bai hubs?

gwapo sila uy.  kanyahay rag naay tblanders nga ing-anang nawong, hah.  lupig ta uy.  nawong nig di angay hilabtan, asows.

The name Tibetan mastiff is a misnomer; it is not a true mastiff. The term "mastiff" was used primarily because it meant "large dog". Early Western visitors to Tibet misnamed several of its breeds: The "Tibetan Terrier" is not a terrier and the "Tibetan Spaniel" is not a spaniel. A better name for the dog would be Tibetan mountain dog or, to encompass the land race breed throughout its range, Himalayan mountain dog. (wikipedia)


ka-cute sa puppy sa himalayan mountain dog (aka tibetan mastiff)

The Tibetan Mastiff also known as do-khyi (variously translated as "home guard", "door guard", "dog which may be tied", "dog which may be kept"), reflects its use as a guardian of herds, flocks, tents, villages, monasteries, and palaces, much as the old English ban-dog (also meaning tied dog) was a dog tied outside the home as a guardian. However, in nomad camps and in villages, the do-khyi is traditionally allowed to run loose at night. (wikipedia)


kaguwapo na lang iroa, di angay i-plastic surgery.

idiot.  mr yu should have undergone plastic surgery himself so he'd look like a great dane.

butete nga way konsinsya?

A flower for a sweetheart? A frog unafraid of Kermit-ment


The minuscule amphibian branched out into modelling for these sweet shots

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

'I have never seen a frog that small before so I really wanted to take some photographs of it.

'Some of its body was almost transparent and appeared a bit jelly-like.'

Now the tiny creature is a frequent visitor to Mr Sebastian's fish pond.

He said: 'I keep seeing him all the time near the pond in my garden now, he seems very happy there.'


On your marks: the tiny creature prepares to leap

The thumbnail-sized frog may be short of stature but is striking - with a distinctive stripe across its eyes

Mr Sebastian, who found the frog in plants by the fish pond in his garden, believes the creature had not long ago transformed from a tadpole.

He said: 'At first I thought it was a snail but when I went to touch it, the creature jumped.

'I think it had just become a frog from a tadpole and although I don't know how old it was I was astonished by the size of it.

At only half an inch long the tiny amphibian can perch on the top of a matchstick

The frog that's so small it can hop on to a matchstick for a rest

By Helen Lawson

18 February 2013
 

Hanging out on the top of a matchstick, this tiny frog was only too happy to strike a pose for the camera.

At only half an inch long, the minuscule amphibian is so light it can rest atop flowers and branches without them giving way beneath its legs.

The adorable photographs are the work of Lessy Sebastian, 48, from Jakarta, Indonesia, who grabbed his camera to take some quick snaps before his new friend scarpered.


Lessy Sebastian snapped this tiny frog after discovering the creature in his garden in Jakarta, Indonesia

The 'robocop' headset that lets police see through walls and identity suspects just by LOOKING at them


The Golden-i unit is operated by voice commands and head movements, and allows the wearer to access vital information without using their hands. It also features an infrared camera so police and firefighters can spot people easily from their heat signature, allowing them to 'see through' walls.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

how about a crispy wheelchair, folks?

from the looks of it, i hope that will not come to pass.

Disabled piglet uses toy wheelchair

Tuesday, 19 February 2013



A ten-day-Old piglet has learned how to walk using a wheelchair made out of toys!

Chris P Bacon was born with defective back legs, which means he cannot walk on them. To help him get around, his owner Dr Len Lucero has made him a harness and a two-wheeled buggy out of K’Nex toy parts.

Dr Lucero took the piglet home from his veterinary surgery in Claremont, Florida, when his original owner brought him in not knowing what to do with him.

Using toy parts from his kids’ toys, Dr Lucero made the buggy and harness to help Chris P Bacon get around.

Videos of Chris P Bacon have become a smash on the internet, with thousands of piggy fans following his progress. Since the first videos were posted, a company specialising in wheelchairs for disabled pets has donated a wheelchair to Chris P Bacon.

At the moment the tiny piglet only weighs 0.9kg so the wheelchair is too big for him, but he’ll soon grow into it.

Dr Lucero thinks Chris P Bacon is an American pot bellied pig and could end up weighing around 22kg, if not more.

http://www.firstnews.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z-uO5TPQfM#ws

Yasuyoshi Chibaâ€"AFP/Getty Images
Feb. 10, 2013. Revelers of Gavioes da Fiel samba school performs atop a float during the second night of carnival parades at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

http://lightbox.time.com/

Miguel Vidalâ€"Reuters
Feb. 11, 2013. Revelers use fire extinguishers during a flour fight at the "O Entroido" festival in Spain's northwestern village of Laza.

http://lightbox.time.com/

Pilar Olivaresâ€"Reuters
Feb. 10, 2013. Revelers dance atop a float of the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school on the first night of the annual carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome.

http://lightbox.time.com/

Artists perform during the Carnival parade in Nice, France. The 129th Carnival of Nice runs from February 15 to March 6 and celebrates the "King of the Five Continents".

http://www.voanews.com/

Members of the Astronomical Association of Sabadell prepare to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 pass near Earth, in Sabadell near Barcelona, Spain, February 15, 2013.

http://www.voanews.com/

Rows of North Korean children stand and salute at a sports arena in Pyongyang for a national meeting of the Children's Union.

http://www.voanews.com/

17 February 2013


An owner holds her Oriental Shorthair cat during a cat exhibition in the Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek. Cats owners from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gathered in Bishkek to show off their pets.

http://www.voanews.com/

mao ba kaha na ang linutoan ug chicken nga gitawag ug "pinaupo"?  it's a tagalog way of cooking i read somewhere.  wa pa hinoon ko makatilaw ani and i don't exactly look forward to it.  daghan rag paagi ang tagalog cooking that i find barbaric.

nilupad diay si botoy kun mao.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI4evww1WVM#ws

mora man sad ug bunga ang iyang nawong.

ka-cute.  hinaot wa si botoy mahulog ani pag-nightmare niya.

Quote from: islander on February 17, 2013, 11:27:35 AM
Ketchum told redOrbit that the findings definitively prove the existence of a surviving hominin in North America.

bantay mo diha, fr chic and lorenz.

The scientists hypothesize that the Bigfoot creature is a hybrid cross of modern Homo sapiens, with a novel primate species, giving it the species name Homo sapiens cognatus.

Dr. Melba S. Ketchum of DNA Diagnostics, and colleagues, analyzed 111 specimens during the study that were purported to be Sasquatch hair, blood, skin, and other tissue types. Individuals at 34 different hominin research sites in 14 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces submitted samples for the study.

The researchers sequenced 20 whole, and 10 partial mitochondrial genomes, as well as 3 whole nuclear genomes. Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, comes from mitochondria and is passed down on maternal lineage across generations. Nuclear DNA (nuDNA) is the genetic information contained in the cell nucleus, and is the equal combination of DNA from parents of an individual.

Ketchum told redOrbit that the findings definitively prove the existence of a surviving hominin in North America.

more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112784054/bigfoot-dna-sequenced-homo-sapiens-cognatus-021413/

Bigfoot Is Real, And We Have DNA To Prove It: Researchers

February 14, 2013


Image Credit: meunierd / Shutterstock

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com â€" Your Universe Online


We thought the first evidence would emerge from some backyard video footage, or a smartphone photo, but the real proof of the existence of Bigfoot actually lies in the DNA.

A team of scientists has published the results of a five-year study of DNA samples from Sasquatch in the journal DeNovo Journal of Science.

Researchers claim they have sequenced three whole Bigfoot nuclear genomes, helping to prove that the legendary creature exists in North America, and is a human relative that arose 13,000 years ago.

labad.  angay ba god ni i-news.  hahay.  kun giputlan si rodel, okay, news na.  pero namaklad unya niambak, phew.

uy, huwag isnabin.  pagpindot ana lupig pay batangas knife.  duha ka pindot, mahimo pa gyod nang pako.  these are flying soldiers, mind.

no thank you na lang.

naguol baya ko karon kay naay iring diri nga galunos.  it's a sunday.  i hope the vet is available.

di ko ana uy.  how cruel naman.

hahay.  rahman, naa ra man diay...

wala-wala man sad ta aning abilidara.  lupig pay ballerina.

The tarot has four suits (which vary by region, being the French suits in Northern Europe, the Latin suits in Southern Europe, and the German suits in Central Europe). Each of these suits has pip cards numbering from ace to ten and four face cards for a total of 14 cards. In addition, the tarot is distinguished by a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may act as the top trump or may be played to avoid following suit.

François Rabelais gives tarau as the name of one of the games played by Gargantua in his Gargantua and Pantagruel; this is likely the earliest attestation of the French form of the name. Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play card games. In English-speaking countries, where these games are largely unplayed, tarot cards are now used primarily for divinatory purposes. Occultists call the trump cards and the Fool "the major arcana" while the ten pip and four court cards in each suit are called minor arcana. The cards are traced by some occult writers to ancient Egypt or the Kabbalah but there is no documented evidence of such origins or of the usage of tarot for divination before the 18th century. (wikipedia)

The tarot (pron.: /ˈtæroʊ/; first known as trionfi and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of playing cards (most commonly numbering 78), used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot. From the late 18th century until the present time the tarot has also found use by mystics and occultists in efforts at divination or as a map of mental and spiritual pathways. (wikipedia)

uh-uh.  there's more to this.  did they expect to get sabah by their lonesome?  this is weird.

When the capital was transferred to Constantinople in 330, by political necessity the then suffragan bishopric of Byzantium was raised to an archbishopric. It was around this time that aspirations to greater status by the Archbishop of Constantinople becomes evident. Although only Rome, Antioch and Alexandria were patriarchates, by 381 a canon was inserted (and refused by the Popes) to establish the Archbishop of Constantinople as Patriarch. Political vicissitudes under the patronage of the Emperor, notably after 451 would later impress the status quo we have today by creating the Patriarchates of Constantinople and of Jerusalem. It was only after the Council of Florence in the 15th century that the Roman Church accepted the status quo of the Pentarchy. Although the Patriarchs of Constantinople have a history of trying to usurp authority and privilege during the Byzantine Empire, nevertheless, the ancient Roman privilege of red shoes were never extended nor granted to the Patriarch of Constantinople or anybody else in the Empire - a fact that remains to this day in life and iconography.

http://wiki.answers.com/

By the time of the Edict of Milan in 313 under Constantine the Great, Christianity was finally tolerated and the status of the Church enhanced throughout the Roman Empire. It was around this time that the bishops received the privilege of wearing the purple - a privilege still seen today. It was around this time after the toleration of Christianity and the transfer and donation of the imperial Lateran palace and Lateran basilica to the Bishop of Rome, (Pope Miltiades) and to the Church that privileges of imperial rank and imperial status are crystallized in the manner of footwear. Thus this privilege of red shoes can be (circumstantially, since firsthand written historical or archeological evidence have since been lost or destroyed by successive waves of barbarian pillage and destruction and looting during wars) traced at this point. The ancient Roman custom has now become Christian.

The shoes of the fisherman

why the pair is red:

The tradition of the popes wearing red shoes were carried over from the customs of ancient Rome itself. In fact, by the time of the Byzantine Empire only three people are allowed to officially wear red shoes in the empire: the Emperor, the Empress, and the Pope. Even in art, depictions of people wearing red shoes are severely restricted to the above-mentioned or the angels.

During ancient times, the manner and style of dress signified and symbolized rank, heritage, group or cultural affiliations, status, also of privilege. This was more true then than it is now. The manner and style of a person identifies him. For example, during the Yuan dynasty, only the Khan can wear green under pain of death. And during the Ching/Manchu dynasty only the Emperor can wear the Imperial yellow.

The toga, for example, was exclusively worn only by Roman citizens. The toga praetexta, furthermore, can only be worn by magistrates as this was a symbol of his office and rank. The republican senators wore red shoes, as did the Roman patricians. This custom was carried over from even before the Roman Empire, and before the Roman Republic tracing it back to the Kingdom of Rome. Thus this manner and custom of privilege of footwear is very ancient.

Abdication


Chris Hellier/Corbis

The last pope to abdicate, Pope Gregory XII, was elected in 1406, more than 600 years ago. A man noted for his piety, he was originally elected to end the schism that occurred after Pope Innocent VII died, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Gregory XII was one of three popes to rule at the time, and the ensuing chaos must have convinced him it was time to quit. He eventually convened a council to sort out the mess, and abdicated in 1415.

http://news.discovery.com/

Short Reigns


Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Pope Urban VII

Many of the men who have been chosen for the highest office didn't get a chance to do much with it. Pope-elect Stephen was elected in A.D. 752, but died just a few days later, without being consecrated into office. Pope Damasus II ascended to the papacy in 1048, after several political squabbles, but passed away just 23 days later. Celestine IV, who was elected in 1241, died just 16 days later â€" too early for his coronation. And Pope Urban VII, at 12 days in A.D. 1590, was the shortest-reigning pope in the Catholic Church's history.

The Catholic Church has also had several periods where no pope reigned. These gaps, known as interregnums, usually occurred when the cardinals who vote for the pope were deadlocked.

Pregnant Pope?


Constantin Film
Poster from the 2009 film Pope Joan

One legend has it that from A.D. 855 to 877, a Pope John who reigned may have actually been a woman. The story, recounted by a Dominican monk named Martin in 1265 and several others, claims that Pope John was a girl who was brought to Athens in men's clothing, according to "Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy." She took up study and became a master of learning, the story goes, but became pregnant and gave birth in a church procession. However, the chaos at the time and the discrepancies between different stories suggests this "Pope Joan" may never have existed.

Three-timing Pope


Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Another Benedict, Pope Benedict IX, had three runs at the papacy. The ne'er-do-well ascended to the highest office in 1032 as a result of family connections at the tender age of 20, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. The ruler reportedly lacked all moral balance and led a dissolute life. In 1044, the city of Rome elected an antipope (a second pope). Benedict IX drove out the antipope, but then stepped down â€" only after selling the papacy to yet another priest. Before he died, he seized the highest office one more time, but Benedict IX's final stint was short lived.

Other Benedicts


Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Pope Benedict V

The current pope isn't the only Benedict to have stepped down. During a tumultuous time in the Catholic Church's history known as the saeculum obscurum (sometimes called the Rule of the Harlots), the popes engaged in corrupt venal behavior and were too closely allied to one aristocratic family. Fed up, the people in Rome raised Benedict V to the highest position in A.D. 964. But the founder of the Holy Roman Empire, King Otto, wasn't having it: He elected an antipope, Leo VIII, instead. Benedict V chose to step down a few months after being elected. (At this chaotic time, it wasn't unheard of to have two popes elected.)

The next Benedict, Benedict VI, also faced an ignominious end to his reign: When King Otto died in 974, Benedict VI was imprisoned and put to death by his antipope successor.

Cadaver on Trial


wikimedia.org

Pope Formosus headed the Catholic Church from A.D. 891 to 896, and his reign was marked by political battles and infighting. He was excommunicated about 20 years prior to his reign, but then later absolved. After his death, his cadaver was exhumed, put on trial, and judged to be unworthy of the papacy. All of his papal edicts were deemed invalid, the fingers he used to make sacraments were ripped off, and he was tossed into the Tiber River.

Peacemaker


wikimedia.org
The Meeting between Leo the Great and Attila, by Raphael.

Pope Leo I, who reigned from A.D. 461 to 468, may have been most famous for work he did before ascending to the papacy: The former aristocrat and then bishop convinced the feared Attila the Hun not to sack Rome. It's possible Leo offered Attila a pile of loot, or the warlord used the meeting as an excuse to turn back, given his own strategic concerns.

Another possibility is that the pope may have played on Attila's superstitious fear of dying soon after the sacking, just as Alaric I (king of a tribe of Goths) did after the despoiling of Rome decades earlier, according to  "Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy."