Crime doesn't pay. In fact, even misdemeanor crimes can literally prevent you from being paid. That's because committing a crime can cost you your job and potentially ruin your entire career. And murder isn't the only charge that can devastate your career prospects. Less severe misdemeanor charges can also have major career consequences. Here are seven misdemeanors that can ruin your career.

1. Petty theft: Petty theft is defined differently in different states, but generally involves theft of personal property valued at less than $100. While this may not seem like the end of the world, a conviction for petty theft can be the equivalent of career suicide. That's because employers aren't likely to trust someone willing to steal the things they want. If an employer can't trust their employees not to steal, it's unlikely they will hire a convicted thief, or retain a recently convicted thief.
2. Simple assault: Simple assault is physical bodily contact without the consent of the person being touched. This can include acts of violence, such as striking an individual, or less violent acts such as shaking, grabbing, or non-sexual touching. Simple assault doesn't carry the heavy punishments associated with aggravated or sexual assault, but there's a good chance your employer may not know that. An assault charge may signal to employers that you're unable to control your emotions, and could therefore represent a potential liability in the workplace. That could end your career as quickly as it began.
3. DUI/Drunk driving charges: There may be no more potentially devastating misdemeanor citation than the dreaded DUI. These misdemeanor offenses are common, carry stiff penalties, are potentially difficult to remove from an employee's criminal record, and can send the wrong impression about an employee's level of maturity and responsibility. Getting hired with a DUI on your record can be more difficult, and for certain types of employees, a DUI can spell the end of a perfectly good career. Don't drink and drive!
4. Sex offenses: Sex offenses are major red flags for employers, even if they're misdemeanors such as indecent exposure. That's because sex offenses have major political implications that can be a nightmare for employers in certain situations. In addition, inappropriate sexual behavior is one thing that no employer is willing to handle on the job, and if you're acting sexually inappropriate in your personal life, you're more of a liability on the job. These highly sensitive offenses can be a disaster for employees in all careers.

5. Public intoxication: It's amazing how enjoying one too many drinks on the beach can quickly turn into career suicide. A citation for public intoxication is a serious matter, and employers are sure to notice. After all, if you can't handle your booze in a public place in your free time, how responsible will you be on the job? Employers simply can't afford to take any chances on someone who is convicted of public intoxication, even if it is a misdemeanor charge.
6. Weapons charges: Are you a gun fanatic? In addition to handling your weapons with care, you had better be sure you don't get cited for misdemeanor weapons violations like carrying a concealed weapon or brandishing a concealed firearm. These charges could end your career. How would you expect an employer to react to an employee's conviction on a weapons charge? What if the employee brought the weapon to work? What if the employee had the weapon concealed during business hours? And what if something happened that caused the employee to use the weapon? An employer is likely to conclude that hiring or retaining an employee guilty of a weapons charge might not be worth the risk, and that's not a position you want to be in.
7. Trespass: Trespass occurs when an individual enters the real property of another without consent. This may sound fancy, but it's easier to trespass than you might think, and getting cited for trespass can be a one-way ticket to the unemployment line. A trespass violation may be innocent enough, such as attempting to enter a nightclub without authorization, but the charge carries negative connotations that can cause employers to think twice about hiring or retaining you. Before involving yourself in any questionable behavior, be mindful of whose property you happen to be on at the time.

Some of the best athletes in the world became great because they could dedicate their childhoods and adolescence to training in the best gyms with the best coaches. Their parents invested in their careers and they succeeded. But other stories are far more inspiring, showing that talent, determination, and maybe a bit of luck can take you farther than a fat bank account can. These athletes may have started out with nothing, but now they're raking in the cash, being honored by their countries, and providing motivation for kids out there with big dreams.

1. Michael Oher

   You know you've got an inspiring come-from-behind story when Hollywood makes a movie out of it. The film about football and family, The Blind Side earned Sandra Bullock an Oscar and Michael Oher a lot of deserved respect. Oher, who was a star offensive lineman for the University of Mississippi and now for the Baltimore Ravens, grew up as one of 13 children in his family, ending up in foster care and occasionally on the streets. Then he met the Tuohys, a family who ended up adopting him and helping turn his life around. Now with his story on the big screen and his career pushing forward in the NFL, Oher is inspiring people across the country.

2. Usain Bolt

   It may be no surprise that one of the fastest men in the world could skyrocket to success by the age of 22, but Usain Bolt's upbringing is far away from the fame he's achieved. He grew up in a village, Trelawny Parish, in Jamaica where they still don't have street lights and running water service is spotty. Villagers say it was only brought to the village because of Bolt's three Olympic gold medals. Bolt used to play cricket in the street with an orange and a banana tree stump because athletic supplies weren't readily available. But obviously none of this stopped Bolt from reaching his potential, as he has won five World gold medals on top of his Olympic honors, and holds the records in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and the 4×100 meters relay.

3. Jameel McClain

   Another Baltimore Raven, Jameel McClain's story is just as inspiring as that of Michael Oher. McClain grew up in Philadelphia with barely enough to get by. He was lucky to get meals and sometimes shelter from his local Salvation Army. His best pair of shoes growing up was a pair he found hanging from a telephone wire. But his skills in football helped pull him out of poverty. He played for Syracuse, and even though he was undrafted, was picked up by the Ravens as a free agent in 2008. He now doesn't have to worry about food, shelter, or shoes and gives back to local Salvation Armys when he has the chance.

4. Tsegaye Kebede

   It takes a lot of determination to be able to run a marathon, and even more to become one of the top long-distance runners in the world. But Tsegaye Kebede had faced tougher obstacles in his life than 26.2 miles. The Ethiopian runner's family had 15 children, and there was very little money to be had. Kebede used to eat just one meal a day and collect firewood, earning about a dollar a day, just to help his family survive. Now, he has earned medals in the Beijing Olympics and World Championships, victories in major marathons, and, maybe more importantly, prize money that has helped his family back home build a house, buy cattle, and become self-sufficient.

5. Lebron James

   You don't have to like King James to be inspired by his story. Lebron James now makes tens of millions of dollars each year playing for whatever team he feels like blessing with his presence, but his early life was less than ideal. His mom was just 16 years old when he was born and he spent a few of his early school years in a foster home. His father figure was in and out of prison for selling drugs and committing fraud. But James has obviously made a name for himself. After appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school basketball player, an 18-year-old James became the No. 1 draft pick right out of high school. His success is undeniable and is surely motivating young people around the country to work hard for what they want and maybe be a little more humble once they get it.

6. Rafer Johnson

   Growing up black in 1930s America wasn't easy, and Rafer Johnson's family were not well off. They lived in a poor, segregated Dallas neighborhood until they moved to California, where they spent time living in a train boxcar with a curtain acting as a room divider. But after the family's luck started picking up, Johnson took the opportunity to excel in almost every sport in high school, and go on to compete in decathlons, the toughest track event. He became Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1958, set world records in 1958 and 1960, and won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. Besides being a great athlete, he's also a great philanthropist, serving briefly in the Peace Corps and helping to found the Special Olympics in Southern California.

7. Manny Pacquiao

   Boxing great Manny Pacquiao has really had to fight his way up from the bottom. His home country, the Philippines, is relatively poor, and Pacquiao's dad once got so desperate that he even ate the family dog. After this obviously disturbing event, Pacquiao ran away from home and lived on the streets, selling doughnuts to make money to survive. Boxing became a way for him to turn his life around, and there's no doubt that it worked. Pacquiao has become something of a national legend, even becoming the first athlete to appear on a Philippines postage stamp. He has the distinction of being the only boxer to ever win world titles in eight different weight divisions and is considered one of the best boxers of his generation.

Let's qualify the title of this article. Below are seven cult TV shows we'd like to see on the big screen so long as they're not watered down by Hollywood producers or turned into gross franchises designed to sell Chicken McNuggets. But in this day and age, with such a dearth of creative story-telling in the U.S. film industry, is this even possible? And isn't the small-screen medium of television, where a show's half-hour time slot is broken up by three commercial breaks, exactly what made these shows so creative in the first place? Director Tim Burton might answer "yes" to that last question, but he is the one mainstream filmmaker we trust to bring to the big screen a television show as unique and weird as the Gothic, afternoon soap opera Dark Shadows. Even if his film ends up sucking, at least there's a whole new generation of kids who might be inspired to check out the original on DVD. With that in mind, we wondered what other cult television shows might hold up if given the big screen treatment.

1. The Prisoner (1967-1968)

   Probably one of the strangest and most disturbing television shows of all time, The Prisoner is more like a surreal allegory than any kind of spy thriller. In the show's iconic opening credits, Patrick McGoohan, playing an unnamed secret agent of some sort, is seen angrily resigning from his job before returning to his home to pack a suitcase, presumably for a much needed vacation. He is gassed before he can finish, wakes up in "the village," and is told by a snide yet ominous disembodied voice, identifying itself as "the new number 2," that he is now "number 6." McGoohan's character shouts "I am not a number! I am a free man!" Throughout the series, McGoohan does his best to screw with the heads of his mysterious captors while they try to screw with his, demanding "information" and an answer to their question, "Why did you resign?"

2. The Ernie Kovacs Show (1952-1955)

   There's no question that without Ernie Kovacs, there would be no Will Ferrell. Kovacs' brand of humor was as broad as it was cerebral. He produced the first sketch comedy show on television, developing television camera tricks for humorous effect that are still used on live sketch comedy shows, including Saturday Night Live, today. Kovacs was spontaneous and comfortable as an improviser, but he also constructed elaborate and expensive sight gags that sometime lasted only a few seconds. He apparently disliked performing in front of live audiences, who were sometimes unable to appreciate his humorous visuals while separated from the television monitors. Some of Kovacs' most appreciated comedy was both surreal and absurd. His recurring "Nairobi Trio" sketch featured three actors in monkey suits mechanically miming to the music of Robert Maxwell's "Solfeggio," clobbering each other in time to the music's cadences.

3. Space: 1999 (1975-1977)

   Starring the hot and heavy couple of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain who were married at the time, the elaborately and expensively produced Space: 1999 may be the most quintessential of '70s television shows. Thanks to the feathered haircuts and flared trousers, as well as special effects that owed much to Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey, traveling the galaxy on a moon that's been knocked out of its orbit never seemed so groovy. The music for the first season's opening credits, composed by Barry Gray, featured plenty of wah-wah rhythm guitar, soaring strings, and enough stacked brass to blow out the sound systems of a thousand discos.

4. Roobarb and Custard (1974)

   Roobarb and Custard is a dog and cat duo created for British television by writer Grange Calveley and celebrated animator Bob Godrey. It was the first fully animated series to be created in the United Kingdom. The animation was drawn with marker pens in a purposefully rough style, the result being the animated characters constantly moved or "boiled" and infused the humorous dog versus cat stories with a kinetic energy. The show's crazy theme song was composed by Johnny Hawksworth.

5. The Persuaders! (1971-1972)

   Tony Curtis is Danny Wilde, who went from the mean streets of New York City to become an oil millionaire. Roger Moore is Oxford-educated fop Lord Brett Sinclair, a former army officer and race car driver. After first meeting and nearly beating each other to a pulp while on holiday in the French Riviera, an enlightened judge employs this odd couple to solve a local crime as recompense for trashing a hotel bar. Wilde and Lord Sinclair then decide to continue to put their talents to good use while gallivanting together across the globe. This show was wildly popular in both the U.S. and Europe, and still has a strong cult following.

6. Night Gallery (1970-1973)

   Writer and television alchemist Rod Serling got even weirder after The Twilight Zone. Each episode of his show Night Gallery takes inspiration from a gallery of garish paintings, as well as stories by several luminaries of horror and supernatural writing, including H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, and A.E. van Vogt. The show maintains a grim, often grotesque vibe, even when the material is treated tongue in cheek or played up for laughs. Although there has yet to be a film adaptation of the Night Gallery oeuvre, the show has influenced many film makers, including Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro.

7. The Secrets of Isis (1975-1976)

   The Secrets of Isis may not qualify as a "cult" television show, or for that matter a particularly good television show. But it deserves to be remembered for being the first weekly American live-action television series whose lead character happened to be a female superhero and happened to be, well, pretty hot! Joanna Cameron plays a school teacher who, during an archeological dig, finds an amulet that grants whoever wears it the powers of Isis, which include just about any super power a superhero needs to take care of business. Maybe the concept is a bit threadbare and the characters a little too goody-two shoes for today's young audiences. But Cameron was absolutely charming in her role as a 20th-century ass-kicking Egyptian deity. And the show lives on thanks to Hulu.

President Obama was recently criticized by Republicans and conservatives for releasing a campaign ad that focuses on the anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and directly implies that Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney would not have given the necessary orders to carry out that mission. Pundits, including The Daily Show's host Jon Stewart, have been weighing in with opinions regarding the appropriateness of the ad. Whether or not President Obama's ad will be one we talk about beyond its 2012 date stamp remains to be seen. With that in mind, here are eight presidential campaign ads people still talk about, presented to you for comparative analysis.

1. You like Ike! I like Ike! Everybody likes Ike for president! (1952)

   We begin with a fun animated ad for Dwight Eisenhower's campaign for president, featuring the ridiculously catchy "Ike for President" jingle ("Ike" was the nickname for Eisenhower). Except for a brief moment where the Democratic opposition appear as three fenced-in donkeys, the ad is nothing like today's attack ads. And Eisenhower, who continued the New Deal agencies, launched the Interstate Highway System, and sent federal troops to Little Rock, Ark., to enforce the desegregation of public schools, was nothing like today's Republicans.

2. John F. Kennedy (1960)

   This ad really seems like an anachronism, less a political ad and more like a brief excerpt from a State of the Union address. The bill John F. Kennedy is referring to in this ad would become amendments to the 1935 Social Security Act that established both Medicare and Medicaid. A final version of this bill was presented to Congress and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

3. Lyndon B. Johnson "Daisy" ad (1964)

   They don't make 'em like this anymore! In this campaign ad for Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential run, a little girl counts to 10 as she plucks the petals off of a daisy. Her voice is replaced by a stern male voice-over that counts backwards from 10 to zero. The camera zooms in on the little girl's eyeball, and suddenly, footage of a nuclear bomb exploding fills the screen. The message is clear. Vote for the Republican Barry Goldwater, and you can kiss the planet goodbye. The ad aired only once. Johnson won the race by a landslide.

4. Bush and Dukakis on Crime (1988)

   This ad and its sequel, the notorious "revolving door" ad, helped Republican George H. W. Bush win the 1988 presidential election against Democrat Michael Dukakis. The first "weekend pass" ad uses a mug shot of convicted murderer Willie Horton who, while on release from prison during a weekend furlough program, repeatedly raped a woman and pistol-whipped and knifed her fiance. Dukakis, then the Governor of Massachusetts, was lambasted for supporting the state's furlough program, while the Bush campaign was accused of racism for their use of Horton's mug shot in the ad. The second ad featured several actors portraying prisoners entering and exiting a prison through a revolving door. A voice-over solemly intoned: "Michael Dukakis says he wants to do for America what he's done for Massachusetts." Dukakis' campaign never recovered from the ads.

5. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Ad on John Kerry (2004)

   The term "swift boating," which refers to an organized effort to expose a person for lying about whatever, came into popular vernacular after this ad, created by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), a group of Vietnam veterans who served at the same time as Senator John Kerry, aired during Kerry's Presidential bid in an effort to debunk his military service record. However, none of the veterans in this ad were present during the occasions where Kerry won his Purple Heart medals, and only one actually served in Kerry's boat crew. Kerry's post-Vietnam anti-war activism may have been the real reason for the creation of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. And in fact, one of the four SBVT ads describes Kerry as a man who "renounced his country's symbols."

6. Rick Perry for President (2012)

   This head slapper is now seen as one of the many nails that Rick Perry, who is still Governor of Texas, drove into the coffin of his 2012 campaign for the Republican candidate nomination for President. The irony of the outdoors location and the choice of L.L. Bean fashion is apparently lost on the gay-bashing Perry, who obviously has never seen Brokeback Mountain.

7. Obama and sex education (2008)

   Senator John McCain's 2008 presidential bid didn't get a lot of help from this ad which implied then-Senator Obama had pushed through legislation to teach sex education to kindergarteners. The ad's incredulous voice-over asks, "Learning about sex before learning how to read?" The legislation Obama helped to pass was actually carefully designed to educate children to be aware of and avoid sexual predators. Planned Parenthood created an ad in response to the controversy.

8. George Wallace Presidential TV ad (1968)

   In 1968, George Wallace entered the race for president as an independent. The former Alabama governor (who would go on to win three more non-consecutive terms) had no problems at the time expressing his opposition to desegregation, as well as a vaguely defined, but no less passionate support for law and order. This campaign ad has all the technical finesse and subtlety of a B-horror movie trailer, but is a good reminder that there is some historical precedent for today's negative ads.

Long gone are the days of nonviolent video games where the object of the game isn't to kill as many people as you can. Thanks to the advancements in video game technology and design, the games have only gotten gorier year after year. Although the connection between video games and violent tendencies in youth is an ongoing debate that may never be proven, we can't help but wonder if these eight gruesome video games should be the first to blame.

1. Manhunt

   Manhunt may just be the scariest and most gruesome video game out there. The incredibly controversial stealth horror game follows death-row inmate, James Earl Cash, as he sneaks around committing the most sadistic crimes imaginable. From gory decapitations, bashed in skulls, and police officer beat-downs, Manhunt takes the cake for disturbing and unnecessarily violent video games.

2. God of War

   God of War is an action-adventure video game that follows a Greek mythology character Kratos as he embarks on adventures that always involve some sort of bloody battle. One swing of Kratos' Blades of Chaos and you've got a slashed up enemy. The gruesome fights and gory cinematics are enough to give any adult nightmares.

3. Thrill Kill

   Maybe it's the fact that you're playing a deviant from hell or maybe it's all the killings you have to commit, but Thrill Kill is definitely a game you feel bad playing. Killing is the name of the game. You even have a "kill meter" instead of a standard life bar and anything goes in Thrill Kill, including brutal dismemberments, mutilation, and weapons you've never seen before. This gruesome game was later cancelled and released online, but continues to be a popular fighting game.

4. Gears of War

   The military science fiction video game Gears of War might be a cinematic masterpiece, but that only means blood and gore are just that much more graphic. It's perfectly normal to have blood splattered on your screen as you chainsaw someone in half or blow their limbs away with an assault rifle. This game is definitely not for the weak-stomached.

5. Postal

   Postal and its sequel Postal 2 are incredibly violent video games that allows the player to take on the role of "The Postal Dude." This character is given several mundane tasks to accomplish and it's up to him if he wants to do it in a civil or non-civil way. Those who choose the latter can toss grenades, hit people with anthrax-infested cow heads, and dismember victims in more ways than you can imagine.

6. The Punisher

   While The Punisher video game is not as gruesome as its movie of the same name, but by no means is it for the faint of heart. The Punisher is based on the anti-hero's adventures and run-ins with petty criminals. With his wide range of firearms, there's no telling what The Punisher won't do. In fact, the on-screen executions are so violent that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) required that they be partially censored.

7. Mad World

   Mad World takes gore to a whole other level of nauseating. This game lets players skewer their opponents with lampposts, throw darts at their bodies, and dispose of them in a meat grinder. Mad World is a sick game and those who play it better sleep with one eye open at night.

8. Mortal Kombat

   This popular series of fighting games is by far one of the most violent in video game history. Since its release in 1992, parents have been up in arms over the gratuitous violence and disturbing images. The more recent editions of the series, such as Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks and Mortal Kombat: Deception have brought a whole new level of grossness to the game. The fights are bloodier and very painful to watch, especially when enemies are sawed up and dismembered.

When J. Sterling Morton arrived in Nebraska territory in 1854, he immediately began a campaign to plant trees. Morton, a respected agriculturalist who would become Secretary of the Nebraska territory, and his fellow pioneers not only missed trees, but needed them as windbreaks (to keep soil in place), fuel, and building materials. Morton would go on to propose to the State Board of Agriculture the creation of a holiday, called "Arbor Day," to help promote the planting and nurturing of trees. It may seem strange that Morton, a staunch anti-agrarian conservative, once said, "Each generation takes the earth as trustees," but Morton was a product of his time, when agricultural practices were making way for an industrial revolution, and all of the social, economic, and political upheaval that would follow. Below are eight fun things that you, as a trustee of the planet, can do to celebrate Arbor Day.

1. Plant a tree

   Because of the mild weather in most parts of the country, early spring is generally the best time to plant a tree. Planting trees in an urban environment is a great initiative, helping to combat CO2 emissions and beautifying the environment. Before planting, be sure to check with your local Parks and Recreation Department if there are any local requirements for digging a hole for a tree. Trees planted in inappropriate areas can cause power outages, broken sidewalks, or obstruct driver and pedestrian views of traffic.

2. Take a hike

   Hiking can be a great way to clear your mind and exercise your body. Depending on where you live, you can visit some of the country's bigger name, more physically challenging trails and parks for your hike, including the Appalachian Trail or Grand Canyon National Park. Or type "hiking in (your city)" into Google and see what local organizations and clubs suggest as hiking trails for a low impact workout. Be sure to prepare for your hike, even if it's just through a park located in the middle of your city. Hot weather, insects, or a twisted ankle can turn a simple hike into an unpleasant endurance test.

3. Build a treehouse

   This suggestion probably warrants its own eight-point list. A treehouse can be simple or complex, but it will always rest on a platform. The platform is your foundation for whatever crazy construction you decide to build, and will help minimize damage to the tree as well as the structure of your treehouse. Of course, this isn't a project you're going to be able to complete in a day, but for those of you already handy with a hammer and nails, it may be an ideal project to take on during the milder days of April and May.

4. Volunteer for a beautification project

   Residents often take matters into their own hands when it comes to cleaning up and beautifying their city's neighborhoods. Organizations dedicated to coordinating beautification efforts, including litter clean up, recycling, and planting of flowers, always need volunteers to realize their projects. Get online and type "beautification" and your city into a search engine; you'll find like-minded people who volunteer their time to make the environment a better place. And volunteer work is a great thing to add to your resume, no matter what line of work you are in.

5. Draw a tree

   Here's a more contemplative, less physically demanding activity you can try, even if you don't consider yourself "artistic." Going outdoors with a pad and pencil, and drawing without anyone looking over your shoulder, is a great way to commune with nature. If you find drawing a stick figure intimidating, try bringing a journal to write in instead (leave the iPad at home). Many incredible American artists and writers, including painter Walter Anderson and writer Henry David Thoreau were profoundly inspired by nature. Bring a drawing pad or journal outside, and see if you are similarly inspired.

6. Prune your trees

   If you have trees in your yard, take a look to see if they need pruning. Pruning is the process of cutting and removing branches to improve the growth and health of a tree. Younger trees need to be pruned so that they grow properly, and older trees need pruning in order to remain healthy. However, improper pruning can weaken a tree's structure and allow entry for insects. Consult with a professional before getting out there with a six pack and a chain saw.

7. Consider a career in forestry

   So maybe planting a tree and building a treehouse has inspired you to consider a career change? Careers in forestry require very specific skill sets and draw upon a variety of disciplines, including biology, physical science, and engineering. Forestry is also a very competitive field. Do a little research, and you'll discover many, many forestry-related jobs that require you to spend time in the great outdoors. As part of your research into the world of forestry, consider volunteering for the U.S. Forest Service, who employ 30,000 permanent employees across the U.S.

8. Visit a park

   If you live in a city, and greenery is hard to come by, take a break from the concrete and glass and visit a nearby, small, public park. New York City's Central Park opened just a couple years after J. Sterling Morton arrived in the Nebraska territories, with additional improvements and expansion being completed in 1873, one year before Arbor Day became an official holiday. One of the park's landscape designers, Frederick Law Olmsted, described Central Park as "the first real park made in this country — a democratic development of the highest significance." Most cities have smaller, less expansive public parks that remain open so long as the population visits them.

It seems like every few weeks there's another album of jazz standards, classic songs dating as far back as the 1930s, sung by a pop musician. Recently, pop super freak Lady Gaga not only sang a duet with jazz vocalist and crazy-maker Tony Bennett, she stripped down and posed naked in his painting studio for the January issue of Vanity Fair! So where are the boundaries when it comes to music? Isn't jazz supposed to be played by uptight guys in expensive suits while rock 'n' roll is pounded out by hairy dudes in black leather or purple-haired sex kittens in fishnets? The following list of non-jazz artists heavily informed by jazz shows that great musicians, no matter how they may end up being branded by popular culture, enjoy and are inspired by all kinds of music. (Photo by Poiseon Bild & Text)

1. David Bowie

   Concerned not only with how he would sound, but how he would look onstage, a teenaged David Bowie purchased as his first instrument an especially flashy saxophone, a Selmer cream-colored Bakelite acrylic alto saxophone with gold keys. Bowie then boldly phoned up jazz baritone saxophonist Ronnie Russ and asked him for music lessons. After just seven lessons with Russ, the 13-year-old Bowie quit, explaining that he was joining a band and would one day be famous. Years later, Bowie invited Russ to play on "Walk on the Wild Side," a song that would become a hit single from Lou Reed's Transformer album. Bowie has always called upon musicians from the worlds of jazz and the avant-garde to play his music, combining them into hybrid ensembles once unheard of in rock, inspiring Bowie's longtime pianist, the classically-trained improvising virtuoso Mike Garson, to call him "the Miles Davis of rock 'n' roll." Recently, many contemporary jazz musicians, including The Wee Trio and pianist Robert Glasper have begun recording creative interpretations of Bowie's repertoire.

2. Charlie Watts

   Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts comes from the world of jazz, and brings that world's sense of swing to blues and rock 'n' roll. In his autobiography Life, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards describes Watts' languid "economical" drumming in great detail, explaining that while his hi-hat is always a bit ahead of the beat, it disappears on the two and the four to make way for the snare, which is always a bit behind. "Charlie's quintessentially a jazz drummer," Richards writes. "Which means the rest of the band is a jazz band in a way." Watts has drummed with his own big band for many years now, performing relatively straight ahead arrangements of jazz standards, and even occasionally playing with brushes!

3. A Tribe Called Quest

   A Tribe Called Quest's relentlessly funky 1991 album The Low End Theory is an innovative and successful blend of hip-hop and the laid-back rhythms of jazz, thanks in no small part to the contributions of jazz great Ron Carter on upright bass. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as one of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and wrote that at the time of its release "people connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz, both were revolutionary forms of black music based in improvisation and flow, but A Tribe Called Quest's second album drew the entire picture."

4. Jimi Hendrix

   Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jimi Hendrix loved jazz and jazz musicians loved him back. Although Hendrix was self-taught and couldn't read music, he was highly regarded by trained musicians from the world of jazz, including drummer Tony Williams whose band Lifetime was inspired in part by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. And in fact, Hendrix was preparing to record an album with jazz trumpeter Miles Davis before his untimely passing. His swinging "Up From the Skies" from the album Axis: Bold As Love features a groove and brushwork that's straight out of modern jazz. Jazz arranger Gil Evans orchestrated and recorded a big band version of "…Skies" and many other Hendrix tunes, including "Voodoo Chile," which features a tuba taking on the role of an electric guitar!

5. Joni Mitchell

   From the very beginning, Joni Mitchell's music had a harmonic vocabulary and rhythmic approach that separated her from fellow folkies. On her sixth album Court and Spark (please note, this was back in the day when artists had careers that lasted more than a year and whose body of work included several albums), Mitchell employed musicians from the jazz fusion band L.A. Express, including Joe Sample on keyboards, Tom Scott on saxophone and flute, and Larry Carlton on guitar. The great fretless bassist Jaco Pastorius would become a frequent collaborator, and later, Mitchell would collaborate with the great bassist and composer Charles Mingus on a full-length very un-folk-like album that amazingly went to number 17 on the Billboard charts.

6. Willie Nelson

   The influence of jazz on "outlaw country" music legend Willie Nelson can be heard in the utterly unique phrasing he employs when singing a song and in his collaborations with contemporary Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Nelson has always pushed the form of classic country music, while acknowledging and exploring its roots. Back in 1978, Nelson recorded Stardust, one of the earliest examples of an album of jazz standards sung by a non-jazz artist that, much to the surprise of his record company, went on to sell 5 million copies.

7. Lou Reed

   In 1959, when singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lou Reed first heard alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman playing free jazz, he thought: "What a great thing to do on electric guitar!" Reed would go on to form The Velvet Underground, one of the most influential and experimental rock bands ever, and later feature Coleman and free jazz cornet and pocket trumpeter Don Cherry on his solo recordings. Most recently, Reed performed a set of freely improvised music with saxophonist John Zorn and violinist and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and, like Coleman and his fellow musicians years before, was roundly booed by the audience who were probably expecting a sing-along version of Reed's "Sweet Jane."

8. Prince

   The talented and enigmatic Prince has said his father, the jazz pianist and composer John L. Nelson, inspired him to become a musician. After a long period of father-son estrangement, the two reconciled as Prince's career was skyrocketing, and co-composed a handful of songs, including "The Ladder" from Around the World in a Day and the haunting "Under the Cherry Moon" from Parade. In 1987, Prince embraced his jazz pedigree by collaborating with saxophonist Eric Leeds on two albums of instrumental jazz-funk titled Madhouse 8 and Madhouse 16. There are no musician credits on either album, possibly because Prince was concerned at how jazz critics would receive the music. Both albums, rare and treasured by musicians, including jazzers, are now acknowledged as predecessors to the so-called "acid-jazz" movement.

9. Lars Ulrich

   Did you know that Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's father owned a jazz club back in the '50s and reviewed jazz for Copenhagen's newspapers? Ulrich's father, who also enjoyed the Doors and Jimi Hendrix, would play his son plenty of jazz records to try and get him excited about great drummers like Max Roach and Elvin Jones. Some of those early listening experiences would inform the rhythmic concepts and complex time signatures heard on albums like Metallica's classic Master of Puppets.

When we hear about fixed or violent elections in other countries, we tend to shake our heads and think to ourselves, "Thank goodness that doesn't happen in the U.S.!" What we tend to forget, though, is that we've had plenty of controversial elections in our short history. From presidents to senators and probably hundreds of local officials that we aren't familiar with, many elected leaders end up with the office through suspicious means. These nine races certainly make us question whether it really is the people's choice or if there are other shadier factors at play.

1. 1876 presidential election

   When Samuel J. Tilden and Rutherford B. Hayes faced off in the 1876 run for the top office in the country, they probably didn't realize it was going to be one of the most controversial of its kind. Tilden, a Democrat, actually won the popular vote and only needed one of 20 disputed electoral votes to win the election. A special committee was formed to settle the matter of the remaining votes, and the victory was ultimately given to Hayes, though it was still one of the closest margins of victory in American history. Hayes was given the presidency in part because of an informal deal struck by the parties; Hayes gets to be president, but all the federal troops have to be withdrawn from the South, marking the end of Reconstruction.

2. 1800 presidential election

   In the so-called "Revolution of 1800," Democratic-Republican (yes, that was a thing back then) Vice President Thomas Jefferson beat out Federalist President John Adams. Besides there being dirty smear campaigns on both sides, an activity that wasn't common at the time, the old rules on how the Electoral College votes complicated matters. At the time, members of the Electoral College each got to vote for two candidates: whoever had the most would be president and the person with the second most would become vice president. Jefferson and Aaron Burr were both Republicans and the party had planned for one person to not vote for Burr so that he would become Jefferson's VP. Someone clearly didn't understand his assignment, because Jefferson and Burr received the same number of votes, causing the result to be decided by the House of Representatives. Alexander Hamilton's serious personal beef with Burr may have cost Burr the presidency as he championed for Jefferson. It seems as though Burr may have had the final feuding laugh, though.

3. 1836 vice presidential election

   You know it's going to be an interesting election when one of the candidates' names is Richard "Dick" Johnson. We don't know if he went by Dick, but we're fairly positive people called him that behind his back at least. While his presidential running mate, Martin Van Buren, won nearly 60% of the Electoral votes, giving him the presidency without controversy, Johnson's past kept him from getting important votes to give him the majority. Johnson had a common law wife with black heritage who used to be his father's slave; after she died, he had an affair with another family slave and then sold her for auction when she ran away with another man. Oh, and he then slept with her sister. Johnson's lack of a majority sent the VP election to the Senate for the only time in American history, making the Electoral College irrelevant to the vice presidential election.

4. 1924 Senate election

   After running in a special election to serve the remaining term of a resigning Iowa senator, Smith Wildman Brookhart (that appears to be his given middle name and not something he earned at some crazy college parties) ran for a full term in 1924 as a Republican. He won, but because he was considered too radical by most of the Republicans in the Senate, his opponent mounted a challenge with the elections committee. The opponent, Daniel Steck, won over the committee, including the Iowa Republican Party on the basis that Brookhart wasn't loyal to the party because he supported a Progressive Party candidate in the presidential elections. His seat was given to Steck, but Brookhart came back to win Iowa's other Senate seat easily, showing that the people wanted Brookhart and that the election challenge was shadier than they were trying to prove the election was.

5. 2000 presidential election

   We all remember the Florida ballot controversy of the 2000 election. George W. Bush and Al Gore, both looking so young and fresh-faced, were in the running to be president. It was basically down to the results in Florida to decide who would be president, and the margin was so slim, that state law required a machine-run recount. Bush ended up winning by only about 300 votes, and then 900 when some overseas absentee ballots came in, though some media questioned the legality of some of these ballots. Gore requested a recount by hand (due to problems with the butterfly ballot design) in four Florida counties, and this caused all kinds of problems with deadlines being missed and extended. The Supreme Court got involved and eventually declared that the original results stood. Democrats felt that Bush had won the election unfairly, and Republicans thought that Democrats were trying to steal the presidency by using hanging chads as an excuse.

6. 1824 presidential election

   Sometimes referred to as the "corrupt bargain," the 1824 election isn't exactly one Americans remember fondly (or probably at all for most of us). It is the only election since the Twelfth Amendment was passed that has had to be decided by the House of Representatives. The Amendment mandates that if no candidate gets a majority, or more than half, of the electoral votes, the House will choose. Andrew Jackson received the most votes, both popular and electoral, but the number wasn't good enough to win the election outright. When the House decided, they chose John Quincy Adams instead. Jackson and his supporters believed Henry Clay, another candidate, made a deal with Adams: Clay would throw his support behind Adams if Adams made him Secretary of State when he won. It's never been proven, but Adams did give the position to Clay. Very suspicious, indeed.

7. 1974 Senate election in New Hampshire

   This race is actually the longest election contest in the country's history. New Hampshire Senator Norris Cotton was stepping down, and the emerging candidates were Democrat John Durkin and Republican Louis Wyman. On election day, Wyman beat out Durkin by 355 votes. Durkin demanded a recount, the result of which was Durkin winning by 10 votes. Wyman took his troubles to the state's ballot law commission with an appeal, and the commission eventually declared that Wyman had won by two votes. Wyman was seated for the remaining few days of Cotton's term, and then the quarreling had to start again. Durkin asked the full Senate to decide who to seat, as they have final say. But they couldn't make up their minds. Eventually, the two candidates decided it would just be easier to have a new election, which was held almost 10 months after the original. Durkin won by 27,000 votes. What was going on with the counts before?

8. 2004 presidential election

   Just like in 2000, the 2004 election ruffled some feathers. George W. Bush ended up winning over John Kerry, but the results in Ohio will always be a sore subject among Democrats. Kerry decided ultimately not to challenge the results. Many Americans suspect that there may have been some unethical maneuvers made by Republican elections officials in the state. For example, two of them were convicted of rigging the recount in a way that would keep them from having to recount all the votes in the state. There were also suspicions that the voting machines didn't work as they should, possibly taking votes away from Kerry.

9. 1888 presidential election

   This was one of just four instances in American history where the winner of the popular vote didn't win the presidency — a result that can make you question the merits of the Electoral College system. Incumbent Grover Cleveland, who had won the popular vote by 0.8% (still a win!), lost the election to Benjamin Harrison. The decisive state in this race was New York, Cleveland's home state no less. Harrison took it with a less-than-1 percent lead, giving him all the electoral votes, votes that would've given Cleveland the victory. Many of the states Harrison won were by a slim margin, while Cleveland won by a lot in other states, making the results seem all but fair.

We live in a time where bipartisan action, such as the passage by both Houses and signing by President Obama last Thursday of the JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, is viewed by consumer advocates with suspicion, if not outright scorn. We are in an election year, and that's usually what it takes for Congress and the Senate to pass any sort of meaningful legislation, even when that legislation does more to benefit Wall Street and the banking industry than "Main Street" and "mom and pop shops." The JOBS Act — you can read the text of the legislation here — is being touted as a jobs creation bill that makes it easier for "emerging growth companies" to raise capital and grow. But there's more to the bill than just political rhetoric. Here are eight things you should know about the JOBS Act, which goes into effect in 2013. (Photo by jurvetson licensed though Creative Commons.)

1. The bill redefines crowd funding

   Crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, are delighted with the JOBS Act for the simple reason that small businesses or startups as they are defined by the bill, and we will take a look at that definition later, will now be able to offer backers shares in company stock return for their support. Using a crowdfunding platform, a startup can now raise up to $1 million. Investors with a net worth less than $100,000 can invest 5% of their annual income or $2,000, whichever is higher. Wealthier people can invest up to 10% of their income. Crowdfunding platforms will be required to register with the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission), and as an industry, are considering methods for self-regulation, since the potential for online scams is great.

2. Get ready for lots of unsolicited ads!

   The bill lifts a ban on advertising to the general public about investment opportunities, including hedge funds, which had been banned from advertising their offerings in order to be exempt from registering their shares and interests with the SEC. There are some rules in place, and more restrictions on such advertising may be implemented by the SEC in the coming month. But critics are concerned that inexperienced, unprepared investors will be lured by false advertising to become victims of fraud.

3. Senior citizens should beware

   In a letter to congressional leaders, Joyce Rogers, AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) senior vice president for government affairs expressed concern that loosening regulations on what the JOBS Act defines as small businesses or startups will "open the floodgates to a repeat of the kind of penny stock and other 'boiler room' frauds that have ensnared financially unsophisticated and vulnerable investors in the past." She reminded congress that senior citizens are "disproportionately represented among victims of securities fraud."

4. You won't have to be an accredited investor to invest in a start-up

   With the JOBS Act, those who do not meet the criteria of an "accredited investor" as defined by the SEC can invest in startups through crowd funding. Advocates of the bill believe this will be a boon to small businesses and give them access to potentially millions of investors. But, consumer advocates are sounding the alarm, as there is potential for non-accredited investors to lose money in their investments. "Venture capital funds lose money in six to seven of every 10 companies they back," says Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America. "And these are experts. How do you think the average investor is going to do?"

5. Executives won't be accountable for misrepresenting public offerings

   Huh? Yes, it's true. Now to be clear, before going public, a company will have to release an official prospectus, which in case you don't know, is a document that must reveal all aspects of a company's business and game plan, the good, the bad, and the ugly. They're also hard to decipher, as they're written mostly by lawyers. However, presentations to promote public offerings, be they PowerPoint slideshows or slick, colorful brochures, need not be as complete or as accurate as the prospectus, and more tellingly, people providing potential investors with such promotional tools will not be held accountable for any misrepresentations down the line. So backers should look hard at a startups prospectus before parting with any hard earned savings.

6. The SEC can't police this

   After signing the JOBS Act, in an effort to reassure Americans concerned about getting taken advantage of by unscrupulous companies and banks, President Obama said, "…these startups and small businesses will be subject to rigorous oversight. The SEC is going to play an important role in implementing this bill." But the SEC lacks the money and resources to scrutinize what will be countless small, local offerings before they go public. To make matters worse, state regulators are prevented by the bill from reviewing or registering securities sold through crowdfunding. Crowdfunding sites believe "crowdsourcing" and social networks will effectively flag fraudulent offerings and provide regulation of the securities markets. If you just rolled your eyes after reading that statement, you're probably not alone.

7. Start-up companies are exempt from independent accounting requirements for up to five years after they begin selling shares in the stock market

   Here's where we get to the JOBS Act's definition of a "small business" or "startup" (these are actually referred to in the bill as "emerging growth companies"). According to the bill, an emerging growth company is any company making up $1 billion in revenues. Does your local independent bookstore pull in $1 billion annually? How about your favorite after-hours pizza place? A company earning close to a billion dollars in revenue that is exempt from independent accounting requirements is a company that can lie about its profits, losses, and even how it makes or loses money in the first place.

8. It's not all bad?

   There is a vision in this bill, in spite of the fact that it seems to favor Wall Street, big banks, and, well, criminals. Private startups can now attempt to raise as much as a million dollars through crowd funding. Backers can invest in their local independent bookstore as well as projects that are for social good. Social networking, which we maligned above, may serve to vet and eradicate cheats, and promote projects fully deserving of support. However, as we saw with Kony 2012, reality and how reality is represented on the Internet can be two very different things.

Kanye sings about 808s, but it's the 404 that will really break your heart. Whether you're a nube or a pro at surfing the Internet, it's doubtless that you've run across a 404 error page. 404 is the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) code for an Internet destination that simply doesn't exist. And some pages have gotten creative and cute with these pages. The buck may stop there, but you've never had more fun hitting a dead end than with these nine totally awesome 404 pages.

1. Tinsanity.net

   This website doesn't have much to offer (except for links to an online video game and a webcomic), but it does have a funny error page for webheads and Adult Swim fans. The frantically running cup gif from Aqua Teen Hunger Force lets you know that you just got 404'd.

2. B3ta.com

   This 404 page might just be the best of the web, as it contains a long sequence of 404-themed images. Some are funny, some are crass, and some are clever. B3ta.com is a website that hits the highlights of the rest of the web, with an active messageboard and collaborative posting. Get your inner geek on and spend a few minutes on the site, either on the 404 page or elsewhere.

3. Lileks.com

   Lileks.com's error report looks like a page from a 404 pulp novel (which, by the way, should exist if they don't already). Anyone who can self-referentially rip on sloppy code and use the phrase "feckless lummox" on their 404 page really knows their audience, which appears to be long-time web readers — the comprehensive website and blog has been active since 1997.

4. LarkNews.com

   If The Onion had a teetotalling little sister that was religious, cutesy, and marginally funny, her name would be LarkNews.com. A well-meaning website with good-natured jokes (nothing too blasphemous, but there's some fun to be had), LarkNews.com's error page follows suit. The 404 contains a breakdown of why you've arrived at the page, with cheeky reasons for each denomination.

5. Acme.com

   You'll find a nod to the anvil you'd expect to see, and you'll find it front and center. But you won't find it on the error page. Data-heavy Acme.com doesn't offer much by way of design, but is a site for freeware that's been active on the Internet since 1991. And what they lack in flashy style, they more than make up for in pith — the 404 page resembles a blue screen of death. (And if you don't know what that is, there's a good chance you're not sure what a 404 page is, either. Look 'em up. Tech knowledge is good for you.)

6. HomestarRunner.com

   "Ow! My browser!" This Teen Girl Squad error page reminds old school Homestar fans exactly what they've loved about the site for years, and may help orient new viewers to one of the best (read: silliest) examples of early Internet humor. The combination of text and graphics are so true to form that fans might even be pleased to run across this laugh-worthy page when they're riding waves (because they're surfers, you see) that don't exist.

7. PoemOfQuotes.com

   This website, which houses — you guessed it — poetry and quotes, has a fun verse for its 404 page. Poetry lovers and cute page likers will enjoy the text, and will certainly find that this site has more to offer than just a couplet or a quip.

8. Slonky.com

   Oh, snap! This funny, nerdy photo and accompanying text at Slonky.com is sure to make even the coolest geek grin. The Washington, D.C.-based marketing and business solutions firm has plenty of creativity, and they know how to make themselves shine — even when you come across an "Error 404, dude."

9. Freeshell.org

   Jbaber.Freeshell.org doesn't offer much by way of a front page, but the site's admins are obviously fans of both NES Mario and J.R.R. Tolkien — and that, for the Internet, is cool. The gentle title is a quote from the prolific fantasy writer's oft-quoted poem in Lord of the Rings — "not all those who wander are lost." Additionally, a screen shot of the end of World 2 of the 8-bit Mario Bros. game reminds the viewer that this page is not the one they're looking for, and that their "princess is in another castle."