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The Best Comic Book Of All Time? Here’s 5 Contenders

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When it comes to superheroes, there’s always a debate as to which character, series, or artist is the best. However, there aren’t many conversations about which particular issue of a comic book is the best. While it’s all subjective because of how many genres, styles, and characters there are in the comic book world, there are still some that stand out. Here are five contenders that should be brought up in every conversation about the best comic book of all time.

5. Infinity Gauntlet #6

Almost everyone has seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe films that deal with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet that gives him the power to eliminate half of all living beings in the universe. The plot for the films is quite a bit different from the comic book series that shows how Thanos came to power, though.

In “Infinity Gauntlet”, Thanos has already erased half of life by the time the series’s finale comes along. In a twist that never happened in the films, though, Nebula ends up taking the gauntlet from Thanos. Therefore, Thanos has to team up with the heroes (albeit briefly) to stop her from gaining ultimate power in the final showdown.

4. The Incredible Hulk #181

First appearances for heroes will always be valuable, but the quality of that first issue might not hold up so well. One of those debut issues that still holds strong to this day is the debut of Wolverine as he shows up in The Incredible Hulk #181. 

After trying and failing to attack Hulk, Wolverine briefly turns his attention to another enemy before he and Hulk go back and forth multiple times throughout the issue. On the cover, Wolverine has a bit of a different look and is dubbed as “The world’s first and greatest Canadian superhero.”

3. Superman Vol. 2 #75

When Superman Vol. 2 #75 was released in November 1992, almost everyone that was familiar with Superman (and even those that weren’t) had to have their hands on this issue. After all, it was known as “The Death of Superman.” Featuring an absolutely brutal battle with Doomsday, this issue also has the famous cover with Superman’s tattered cape on a pole, symbolizing his demise.

During their epic fight, Doomsday and Superman both take each other out for good with one massive simultaneous punch. Lois Lane and paramedics rush to help Superman, but he quickly fades into the beyond, and Earth is left without its greatest hero.

2. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #121

Perhaps nobody has had as many memorable comic book storylines as Spider-Man, and “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” really resonates as his best. Norman Osbourne really becomes unraveled after his son overdoses and blames Spider-Man for his shortcomings. As the Green Goblin, Osbourne kidnaps Gwen Stacy, ultimately leading to a battle on the George Washington Bridge.

Gwen gets knocked off of the bridge, and Spider-Man naturally uses his webs to catch her. He thinks that he’s saved the day, but realizes that catching her with his webs snapped her neck. It’s a very important storyline for Spider-Man, who then seeks revenge on the Green Goblin.

1. Batman: The Killing Joke #1

No list of great comic book issues would be complete without The Killing Joke. As a warning for those that are introducing people to comic books for the first time, though, this one is very graphic. This once-off issue dives deep into the psychology of the Joker, who kidnaps Barbara Gordon.

The Joker then commits heinous acts against her father, commissioner James Gordon. Batman and the Joker do battle, which ultimately ends with the Joker telling Bats a joke about two inmates escaping an asylum, which gets a chuckle out of Batman. However, the Joker didn’t get away. The ending is open for interpretation, with many thinking that Batman snapped Joker’s neck on the spot for his crimes.

Portal: 5 Reasons We Still Love The Classic Computer Game

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In 2007, Valve released a bundle that would change gaming forever called “The Orange Box”. Much of the fanfare was directed toward the release of “Half-Life 2” being released on the Xbox 360 for the first time, as well as the “Episode 2” expansion that hadn’t been released before. “Team Fortress 2” also enthralled many, as it was the sequel to an already-successful multiplayer game.

Then, there was an unknown puzzle game included with “The Orange Box” called “Portal”. While many played it after beating “Half-Life 2”, it has become perhaps the most iconic game of the bunch. It’s still being referenced today and spawned a popular sequel. So what gave “Portal” so much staying power? Here are five reasons we still love it to this day.

5. The Physics

Most people hadn’t seen the type of physics “Portal” could offer until its release. Valve had hired students from the DigiPen Institute of Technology after they made a similar indie game called “Narbacular Drop”. The concept was then developed into “Portal”, which essentially became the best tech demo in video game history. To test out the mechanics of the game, the developers actually used a 2-D engine to see if it was possible.

4. The Portal Gun Itself

There are some iconic weapons and tools in video game history and the Portal Gun joined that pantheon almost immediately after the game was released. Not only does it have a neat aesthetic with its white shell and claw-like texture, but it shoots portals. 

Ever since “Portal” was released, many have been making their own replicas of the Portal Gun through various forms that range from paper mache to 3-D printing. The protagonist, Chell, doesn’t speak at all during the game but carries a big Portal Gun.

3. The End Credits

“Portal” ends pretty abruptly for those that are playing it for the first time. After you defeat the final stage, the game ends with a brief cutscene and then goes straight to the credits, making you wonder how such a short amount of time has passed.

Then, the end credits start to ramp up. The victor is treated to a song called “Still Alive” which became one of the most famous in gaming history. Lines like “But there’s no sense crying over every mistake, you just keep on trying till you run out of cake” really resonated with players. This, of course, led to the everlasting meme about the cake being a lie. The end credits also set up well for the sequel that would be released in 2011, while “Still Alive” was even given the “Rock Band” treatment.

2. The Broad Appeal

While most games are for a very specific demographic, that’s not the case for “Portal”. Because of its humor that appeals to all ages and the fact that it’s a fun physics-based puzzle game, everyone from small children to the elderly has tried out “Portal” at least once. 

Another aspect of “Portal” that most people seemed to love was the game’s length. Players can knock out the entire thing in one sitting without much problem, while still feeling like they got their money’s worth. Of course, nobody plays “Portal” just once thanks to its replayability factor.

1. GLaDOS

Of course, you can’t mention “Portal” without talking about the antagonist from the first game, GLaDOS. Voiced by Ellen McLain, GLaDOS was the perfect foil for our quiet protagonist throughout the game. At first, this AI seems sweet and instructional but develops more personality over time to the point where you can’t wait to take her down. 

Still, it was a bit sad to see her go at the conclusion of the first game (though she thankfully returned) because we missed her hilarious quips. It’s not easy to give a scientific robot a wide range of personalities, but the Valve team did just that.

How To Stay Alert To Opportunities In Your Job Search

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As everyone knows, finding the right job isn’t easy. There are plenty of websites that can help to assist you to find a job, but even then it’s hard to make sure it’s a good fit. If you find yourself on the job hunt, you know that it’s a big-time commitment that can feel like a job in itself. With that in mind, you can’t be actively searching 24 hours a day. There are ways that you can stay alert to the opportunities in your job search, though, and these are the best ways to make sure you’re up to date.

5. Don’t Forget Old Methods

When we think about job opportunities becoming available, we always go to the internet to search for what we need. There are some old-school ways of doing things that are still advantageous, however. Don’t be afraid to pick up a local newspaper to see what places are hiring, even if it’s not the specific position that you’re looking for. 

The company may have another spot for you if they’re in a hiring period. Also, try the method of walking in to speak to a manager. Though they may refer you to the online application, they’ll at least have a face associated with the name.

4. Contact Your State’s Labor Department

One of the best resources that you have at your disposal is your state’s labor department. Because of the tie-ins with unemployment benefits, state governments have a firsthand knowledge of what jobs are available in every city. 

Make sure to register for the job board in your state or country, and you’ll get notifications about the jobs that become available. If you’re unemployed at the moment, simply applying for some of these jobs will help you to meet unemployment requirements whether you get an interview or now.

3. Apply For Future Considerations

There may be a company out there that’s holding the keys to your dream job, but somebody else is in that position currently. It doesn’t hurt to still include your application in their database, as all companies will retain resumes and apps for future consideration.

This is especially true for businesses where many have identified it as their dream place to work. Think of sports organizations, certain restaurants, etc. It might not be the instant solution that you’re looking for, but it can at least set you up down the road while you’re also landing a job to get you through until then.

2. Keep a Current Resume With Recruiters

The role of a recruiter has become more active than ever before. All day, recruiters will scour through resumes on a full-time basis so that human resources departments in corporations don’t have to, and can allocate their resources elsewhere.

Make sure to connect with as many recruiters as you can. If they can put in a good word for you, then it’s likely that you’ll at least land an interview with the company you’re applying. Recruiters are easy to get in touch with compared to HR reps, making them the most valuable tool for any job search. There also isn’t that feeling of pressure talking to a recruiter compared to human resources while also providing you with some beneficial tools to boost your resume.

1. Fine Tune Your LinkedIn

Most of the recruiters that you’ll come in touch with all have one thing in common, and it’s that they have an active LinkedIn profile. The website has become the hub for almost all job searches around the world, and for good reason. 

LinkedIn is able to send notifications straight to your phone or computer as soon as a position opens up that you might be a match for. You can easily get in touch with recruiters through LinkedIn, as well, meaning that your job search can be expedited and you’ll be on your way to the new office in no time.

Watch Out For These Barn Finds: 5 Best Muscle Cars

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You can find some amazing things in barns, and some of the best finds ever have been automobiles. While motorcycles are obviously easier to store and, thus, easier to pick up in a barn find, there are still plenty of cars that have been left in barns for years. Of all types of automobiles, though, the muscle car tends to be the most common. 

A big reason why muscle cars are in barns so often is that a lot of them are project cars. Their owners likely picked them up in hopes of restoring them to their previous glory but ended up pushing the project aside for one reason or another. When you’re looking for your next big barn find, be on the lookout for these five muscle cars that are consistently ranked among the best ever.

5. Plymouth Road Runner

A former staple of the muscle car scene throughout the entirety of the 1970s, the Plymouth Road Runner was one of the more affordable muscle cars when it was first introduced. Discontinued in 1980, the Road Runner still holds up today if you can find one to restore. 

One of the reasons why the Road Runner is popular amongst collectors is because of how simple it can be to restore one. People have put in the work to replace the 6.2-liter engines and sell for a profit, while a new paint job can help to make it look like it just came off of the Detroit assembly line.

4. Dodge Challenger

While not quite as easy to restore as the Road Runner, old-school Dodge Challengers are projects that require a lot of passion and elbow grease if you can pick one in a barn find. The Challenger was first introduced in 1969 and originally ran for five years. The model came back in the late 1970s before being stopped again in 1983.

Of course, Dodge has been making the Challenger once again ever since 2008, with those newer models not being restoration projects just yet. If you can get your hands on a first-generation Challenger, though, you might be sitting on a gold mine before you even start to restore it.

3. Ford Mustang

One of the most identifiable muscle cars, the Ford Mustang has had a lot of generations throughout its history that has been ongoing since 1965. Unlike all of the other muscle cars on the list, the Mustang hasn’t had a break in its production. 

The Mustang was massively successful when it was first released, meaning that there are a lot of valuable first-generation models just waiting to be found in barns. That first generation went from 1965 until 1973, though the 1974-78 second generation still carries a lot of value, as well. Even the third generation, which wasn’t held in as high regard at the time, has become trendy once again.

2. Chevrolet Camaro

If it weren’t for the seven-year break during the 2000s, the Chevy Camaro would join the Mustang as the only muscle cars listed to not have a disruption in production. Still, the Camaro is an instant classic that started just one year after the Mustang, 

The first generation of the Camaro is the most valuable, with model years 1967 through 1969. Full restoration for one of these collectors’ dream cars runs anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000.

1. Pontiac GTO

One of the most frequently seen muscle cars in film and television, the Pontiac GTO is truly an American icon. The GTO was initially released in 1963, with four generations of the model spanning from 1963 to 1974. 

Production stopped after that year, though, and came back with a second brief run in the mid-2000s. Any of the first four generations are worth a lot to collectors, with some of the biggest restoration projects costing upwards of $75,000. 

5 Tips When Choosing a Home For Rent

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Renting has become increasingly common as the years have gone by, especially with the younger demographics. Those that are under 35 are more likely to rent a home than they are to purchase one. Because of this, the rental market figures continue to grow over time. This gives renters a lot of options to pick from as they find the right home to temporarily make their own. If you find yourself looking to rent, here are five tips to consider before making a choice.

5. Know Your Budget

First and foremost, you have to know what you’ll be able to afford before you can even begin to get a little more selective. Also, remember that the rent cost per month isn’t the only thing that you’ll have to pay. There will be other fees that include the application, deposit (which can be multiple months’ worth of rent), and utilities. 

These additional charges that you face upfront and each month can add up quickly, so it’s important to have a lot of money saved up before moving into a rental. In fact, one of the biggest reasons why so many renters stay put where they are currently is due to the large costs associated with starting a new rental agreement.

4. Location, Location, Location

If you have the ability to work from home and never have to come into the office, you may want to consider a more rural rental home. In almost all cases, living farther away from major metropolitan areas will be much cheaper. Not only is the rent cheaper, but you’re likely to spend much less on gas, insurance, food, etc.

However, if you have to be in the office at least once per week, try to get as close to your building as your budget allows, granted it’s in a neighborhood that will be a good fit for you. Just a few blocks in distance can make a huge difference in safety and rent costs, so try to combine these factors when looking for a location.

3. Amenities

Amenities are something more commonly associated with apartments, but rental homes can have these too. Some landlords sweeten the pot with their tenants by including some bonuses to their properties. This can include a finished basement, a fully furnished home, a swimming pool, or even gym equipment. While the price might be higher for homes with amenities, it could save you a lot of money elsewhere if you don’t need to purchase furniture or a gym membership.

2. Room Situation

If you’re living by yourself, the first thought is that you need a one-bedroom home since it’s cheaper. However, you may be regretting that decision a few weeks in when you get tired of working in your living room. If you can afford an extra bedroom, it’s not a bad idea to take advantage. You can use this extra bedroom as an office, gaming room, or spare bedroom for when a visitor comes over.

You also want to consider how many bathrooms there are in a rental home. If you’re living alone it will be fine to have just one full bathroom. When you add other people to the mix, especially when everyone has to get ready for work or school at the same time, you’ll need more full bathrooms.

1. Condition

One thing that renters tend to do when in a rush to move into a new rental home is not inspect the properly. Many think that since they aren’t paying for potential major repairs or buying the home themselves that they don’t need to inspect. However, poor insulation, windows that don’t work, broken locks, etc. can all cause a slew of problems throughout the rental agreement. Always mark down what can be fixed before signing anything so that you’re not on the hook for payment. 

Scrabble Mania: History of the World’s Favorite Word Game

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In more than 120 countries, millions of people play Scrabble in varying forms every day. Whether it’s the classic board game version or on the Scrabble GO app, there’s no wrong way to play Scrabble. But how did this word game come to be, and what made it a cultural phenomenon that has lasted generations the same way as Monopoly or Connect Four? Let’s take a look at the history of the world’s favorite word game.

It didn’t take a team of people to come up with Scrabble, but rather the work of one unemployed man. New York native Alfred Mosher Butts was working as an architect during the 1930s and went he lost his job, decided to set out and make a board game. After realizing that there wasn’t a word game that involved some luck, as they were all skill-based only at the time.

Because of this, Butts came up with a board that featured bonus points for having good timing, introducing the double/triple word and letter spaces. Butts achieved perfection on his first try in terms of how the game was played (including avoiding too many plural words). The one thing that Butts couldn’t get right on the first try, though, was the name.

Scrabble was originally known as Criss-Cross Words, and even that wasn’t the first game that Butts came up with. Before Criss-Cross Words/Scrabble, Butts came up with a game called Lexiko. Lexiko took some more elements from other board games of the time and made just one board at a time upon request.

It was in 1938 that customers found out the Butts was no longer making Lexiko, and was working on Criss-Cross Words. After going back to the likes of Milton Bradley and Parker Bros to pitch his newest game, Butts was turned down once again. Finally, Butts got in touch with James Brunot, an entrepreneur who found the game fascinating.

The prototype for the board was there, and Brunot only made some minor tweaks before coming up with the finalized version of Scrabble with its now-famous name. At first, Scrabble was losing money for Brunot after his acquisition, but Brunot stayed true to his investment and kept plugging away until word of mouth started to make Scrabble a popular game nationwide.

In 1952, just three years after Scrabble had been released to the public, the game was in such high demand that Brunot had to enlist the help of a larger distributor to get the game into as many households as possible. Stores were also clamoring to have Scrabble on their shelves before Christmastime, including the likes of retail giant Macy’s.

Throughout the 1950s, millions of Scrabble sets had sold, and by the time the 1970s came around, it was an iconic name in board games. Businesswoman Harriet T. Righter acquired the trademark for Scrabble, which she retained until her death in 1982. Two years later, Coleco (known for its video game dealings), got the trademark, but then soon folded. Since then, Hasbro has owned the Scrabble trademark.

Over the course of Scrabble’s life, there have been some changes to the rules, but most of them have been minor. This includes determining who goes first, as well as the challenge system. The thing that has changed the most with Scrabble is the dictionary. Originally, Scrabble players used a standard English dictionary, but now there are multiple dictionaries dedicated to Scrabble alone. This includes the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, which was first published in 1978 and has had multiple editions ever since.

To this day, more than one million Scrabble boards are sold each year in North America alone. All in all, there have been well over 100 million boards to come off the shelves, showing that Scrabble is one of the titans of the board game industry.

5 Tips For Becoming Your Own Tech Support

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Whether you’re trying to recover important spreadsheets at work or finding out how to fix your wifi router at home, everyone needs tech support at one time or another. In fact, most people will need tech support on a daily basis. The most tempting thing to do is to call a professional to seek help, naturally.

However, getting professional tech support can be extremely time-consuming with long queues on the phone. In some cases, tech support can also be expensive if someone has to come to your home or office. The best thing that you can do is to become your own tech support. You’ll be able to troubleshoot your problems right away, saving you time and money. Here’s how you can do that:

5. YouTube Instructions

While the internet does, admittedly, have its problems, there’s a lot of good that the world wide web has done for everyone. One of these things is access to free instructional videos via YouTube. Each day, countless videos are uploaded instructing people how to do almost everything under the sun. 

This includes technical support, all the way down to the specific equipment that you’re using. The videos may not be the highest quality, but you’ll learn a lot by going down a tech support rabbit hole.

4. Get Active in Forums

Technical support is a true passion for a lot of people, and thus, there are a lot of online forums dedicated to the field. One of the more popular ones is Reddit, while Tech Support Guy Forums, Tech Support Forum, and Tom’s Guide also lead the way. 

You’ll be able to talk with some of the brightest minds in tech support who aren’t looking for a payday to help you, they have a genuine passion for IT and want to help others become masters.

3. Online Courses

While you can take courses for just about anything online these days, one of the first major fields where online classes became popular was tech support. You don’t have to go to a full-fledged four-year university to take tech support courses, as many of the ones offered online are free to the public.

One of the more common types of free courses you’ll find online is coding. Not only can learning coding help land you a job, but it also allows you to run your own website while not needing to enlist the help of professional tech support. From HTML to JavaScript and everything in between, more people are becoming versed in coding each day.

2. Crack the Books

Sometimes the most simple thing you can do is one of the best. There are plenty of online courses you can take to learn tech support, but maybe not being able to get online is the current issue you’re facing. If that’s the case, head down to your local library or bookstore. There are countless books regarding tech support, ranging from beginner level all the way to expert/master’s degree-level difficulties.

You don’t want to just grab the most popular or best-selling tech support book, though. Many of them can become dated rather quickly, so always check to see if the latest edition is available. Books that are specifically targeted toward IT professionals will be your best bet for learning.

1. Tinker When You Can

You can read and get instruction all you want, but you have to put what you’ve learned into practice before it becomes second nature. Like shooting free throws on the basketball court, always be practicing to see where you can improve. This can mean trying to build something from scratch like a website or running virus scans on someone’s computer. Practice makes perfect, and the more that you practice, the better your chances are of becoming your own tech support.

Legit Ways To Reduce Tax On Your Salary In The US

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The average American pays more than $15,000 in income taxes. This leaves a lot of people shocked when they get their first paycheck as that amount you thought you were making per hour is actually a lot less. Thankfully, there are many ways in which you can lower your taxes throughout the year while still getting the most out of your yearly tax return. Here are five legit ways to reduce tax on your salary in the United States.

5. Donations

You’ll see a lot of wealthy people wind up making big donations, and it’s not always out of the kindness of their hearts. That’s because donating money can be a big money saver on your taxes, with some people being able to deduct a maximum of 60 percent of their adjusted gross income. If you’re donating a significant sum, don’t just assume that you can write it off and have it approved without documentation, however.

Any charitable contribution of $250 or more will need a certified letter stating that you’ve made that donation. For most people, though, needing to itemize donations won’t be necessary. However, you’ll still want to document any contributions made for your personal knowledge.

4. Home Office Deduction

Each year, the amount of people working from home is growing. Because of this, the amount of money that people are spending to make their homes more suited for remote work is growing, too. Thankfully, the IRS allows you to deduct $5 per square foot of your home that’s being used exclusively for office space. This means that you can deduct $1,500 each year just for setting up a desk in a spare bedroom, or really anywhere that you find it comfortable to get work done.

3. Health Savings Account

Many of us will end up putting money into a savings account as soon as we’re paid, but that will still be taxed. Instead, you can start putting some of your money into a Health Savings Account, or HSA, which can cover a wide range of healthcare costs. This can be anything from teeth cleanings to new glasses and doctor visits. 

The amount that you contribute to an HSA isn’t taxed, as the amount is determined before federal taxes are taken out. Even depositing into your HSA account is tax deductible, while using your HSA card to make payments is tax exempt. As the account grows, that money is tax-deferred, meaning that keeping a good amount of your money in HSA is a great way to avoid paying high taxes.

2. Update Your W-4

At the start of the year, the human resources department of your employer will ask you to take another look at your W-4 form for tax withholding. Many people opt to have their taxes taken out of their paychecks in large sums throughout the course of the year, meaning that they’ll get a big refund each year.

However, if you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck, it might be wise to update your W-4 so that you’re getting more each payday. If you find yourself living comfortably and end up getting a raise, you can have the IRS withhold more each paycheck so that you’re getting a large refund.

1. Retirement Plans

The system in the United States is set up so that you can enjoy a comfortable retirement. As such, there are a lot of tax breaks when you’re putting your money into a retirement plan like a 401(k) or IRA. Contributions, which can happen automatically with every paycheck, are tax-deductible, while the money in these accounts isn’t taxed as the numbers grow.

There is one caveat to this method, though. If you end up needing a lot of money, but it’s tied up until you reach retirement age. Taking out the money early can lead to a large tax penalty that’s automatically taken out upon withdrawal.

What Is Mental Age

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We’ve all heard someone comment on our personalities, saying that we have an “old soul” or “young at heart.” It turns out that these might not just be expressions that are anecdotal but could even be backed by science. There’s a concept that has gained a lot of traction in recent years called mental age. Determining both mental and emotional intelligence, mental age shows how far ahead or behind someone can be of the expectations at a given age.

While many consider mental age to be a newer concept, it actually goes back for a few centuries. Earlier scientists theorized that intelligence was based mainly on skull size. In their eyes, the larger the skull, the larger the brain, and the higher the intelligence. There have been studies that suggest that there’s a link, but it’s not as strong as first believed.

Once science began to develop, there were more scientific ways to actually measure intelligence. With more modern testing, someone’s mental age is calculated and then divided by their actual age with a maximum of 18. Test makers believed that mental age no longer increases in adulthood, therefore making 18 the cutoff line. The result is multiplied by 100, which is then considered their intelligence quotient (a.k.a. IQ).

Those with an IQ of at least 145 are determined to be very gifted, while those that are in the 90 to 109 range are considered average. The lowest possible IQ score is 40, with 80 being the baseline for being below average.

The concept of mental age being put into an identifiable number comes from a French psychologist named Alfred Binet. Binet studied the human brain and psychology all the way up to his death in October 1911. He and psychologist Theodore Simon created the intelligence test in the early 20th century and tweaked it multiple times before Binet’s death

Testing for mental age then made its way to the United States, where it was again tweaked at Stanford University, hence the Stanford-Binet intelligence test name. In more recent years, a mental age has been given to someone by taking someone’s score on an IQ test and dividing it by the average score of people that age. The end result is then multiplied by the person’s real age until the age of 14.

For this reason, you see a lot of children that are either placed into advanced classes during their elementary school years or possibly held back. About one percent of students skip at least one grade due to their mental age and testing, while roughly 10 percent of children are held back at least one time before high school.

There are other mental age tests that don’t measure IQ, as well. A more recent test that has garnered a lot of attention lately is the Arealme mental age test. In this test, users are asked questions about their own personalities that include their fashion sense and quickness to come to anger. These are mostly “yes or no” questions that will determine your mental age based on your responses, gender, and real age.

At the end of the day, there isn’t a finite way of determining how old you are, mentally. Since it’s a concept, you can only be defined by your physical age. For now, it remains a psychological state of mind. You can be much more advanced in terms of intelligence than people in your same age bracket, but determining exactly how much more you know can be next to impossible.

“A person may be a moron or an imbecile if he is lacking in judgment,” Alfred Binet said. “But with good judgment, he can never be either. Indeed the rest of the intellectual faculties seem of little importance in comparison with judgment.”

The Most Common Tarot Card Decks

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For centuries, many of us have looked to tarot cards to look into the past, the future, or even to assess our lives in the present. As a result, there have been many tarot decks created over the years. Some have been custom-made for self-use, never leaving possession of their creator. Then, there are decks that have withstood the test of time and have become staples. Out of all of the tarot card decks, these three are the most common.

Tarot of Marseilles

Nobody’s quite sure where the Tarot of Marseilles was first created, despite the name suggesting that it was in France. This pack of 78 cards really became popular in France during the 1600s, hence the name. Many speculate that the deck was created in Milan, Italy, and is credited with being the original tarot deck of occult use.

There are four suits with the Tarot of Marseilles: Swords, Cups, Coins, and Clubs. The trump cards are given French names in this deck, including Le Diable (The Devil), Le Soleil (The Sun), and Le Monde (The World). These stylistic cards were originally woodcuts but were eventually stenciled and drawn by hand. 

There have been many variations of the Tarot of Marseilles deck, and are still being made today due to its influence. Author Armando Amaya has said that the deck caused him to stop “lying and started being true to my loved ones…no more laziness, inactivity or boredom, no drugs and alcohol.”

The Tarot of Marseilles does have a strong occult following, but more modern uses have frequently been about self-help and straight-up entertainment. Writer Beth Daley said that “The cards have never been a misguided attempt to predict the future,” but rather a “creative means of re-interpreting and coming to terms with an uncertain present.”

Rider-Waite Tarot

The Rider-Waite Tarot can be found just about anywhere, with more than 100 million deck copies currently in existence. The deck gets its name from the publishing company, Rider, as well as A.E. Waite. Waite was a poet that never judged those that practiced the occult, but rather became entranced with the practice himself and became a mystic.

With that, Waite enlisted the help of Pamela Colman Smith, a British artist, to illustrate the Rider-Waite deck. Smith was very successful in her own right despite not having her name included in the deck’s title. She would illustrate dozens of books and was a successful writer. It took Smith just six months to illustrate the famous deck, which was heavily inspired by magician Eliphas Levi. 

Perhaps the most famous card is XV – The Devil of the Major Arcana, which has been used in pop culture frequently. The Minor Arcana features the suits Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The Rider-Waite Tarot is now public domain, allowing people to create their own without punishment in most cases.

Thoth Tarot Deck

The final deck was the brainchild of perhaps the most famous occultist of the 20th century, Aleister Crowley. Crowley formed his own religion, Thelema, with this deck sort of serving as the religion’s version of the Bible. The Thoth deck was painted by Lady Frieda Harris, who was introduced to Crowley after she had an established career in art. 

The original concept for the deck was going to be much tamer. However, it was Harris that convinced Crowley to really tap into the occult side of things. Crowley loved the end result and praised Harris repeatedly for her work and the two became very close after collaborating until Crowley’s death in 1947.

The zodiac is a big component of the Thoth deck and does make some changes from the traditional card names. For instance, the page was switched to the princess, while the knight took over the place of the king and the prince took the traditional’s knight spot. The only one that remained constant was the queen.