Monday, 25 March 2013
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Seven Mile Bridge in Florida
The Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key (part of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Among the longest bridges in existence when it was built, it is one of the many bridges on US 1 in the Keys, where the road is called the Overseas Highway.
There are two bridges in this location. The older bridge, originally known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, was constructed from 1909-1912 under the direction of Henry Flagler as part of the Florida East Coast Railway's Key West Extension, also known as the Overseas Railroad.
Photo � Link
History � After the railroad sustained considerable damage due to effects of the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the line was sold to the United States Federal Government, who subsequently refurbished Seven Mile Bridge for automobile use. Dismantled trackage was recycled, painted white, and used as guardrails. It had a swing span that opened to allow passage of boat traffic, near where the bridge crosses Pigeon Key, a small island where a work camp for Flagler's railroad was located. Hurricane Donna in 1960 caused further damage.
The current road bridge was constructed from 1978 to 1982. The vast majority of the original bridge still exists, used as fishing piers and access to Pigeon Key, but the swing span over the Moser Channel of the Intracoastal Waterway has been removed. 10 images after the break...
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Stair Stepped Villages Palangan � Iran
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Palangan (meaning leopards in Persian) is a village located 47 kilometers north-west of Kamyaran in Iran's Kurdestan province. This village is spread over both sides of a valley. All of the houses are made of stone and like a staircase they are in a continuous pattern, i.e. the roof of one house is the yard of another house. This village is one of the most beautiful villages of the province not only because of its unique architecture, but also because of its beautiful nature. It is located beside a river which flows into the Sirwan River. This area was one of the important regions of Kurdistan from Saljooqi period on and Palangan Castle which is next to the village over a mountain bears witness to this claim. (source: Islamic Republic of Iran's Minister of Interior). 19 more images after the break...
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The Lion Monument in Lucerne � Switzerland
The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, is a sculpture in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820�21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris, France. Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."
From the early 17th century, a regiment of Swiss mercenaries had served as part of the Royal Household of France. On 6 October 1789, King Louis XVI had been forced to move with his family from the Palace of Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. In June 1791 he tried to flee abroad. In the 1792 10th of August Insurrection, revolutionaries stormed the palace. Fighting broke out spontaneously after the Royal Family had been escorted from the Tuileries to take refuge with the Legislative Assembly. The Swiss Guards ran low on ammunition and were overwhelmed by superior numbers. A note written by the King has survived, ordering the Swiss to retire and return to their barracks, but this was only acted on after their position had become untenable.
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Of the Swiss Guards defending the Tuileries, more than six hundred were killed during the fighting or massacred after surrender. An estimated two hundred more died in prison of their wounds or were killed during the September Massacres that followed. Apart from about a hundred Swiss who escaped from the Tuileries, the only survivors of the regiment were a 300 strong detachment which had been sent to Normandy a few days before August 10. The Swiss officers were mostly amongst those massacred, although Major Karl Josef von Bachmann � in command at the Tuileries �was formally tried and guillotined in September, still wearing his red uniform coat. Two surviving Swiss officers achieved senior rank under Napoleon. 09 more images after the break...
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Fly Geyser in the Nevada Desert
Fly Geyser, also known as Fly Ranch Geyser is a small geothermal geyser that is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) north of Gerlach in Washoe County, Nevada. The Geyser is located in Hualapai Flat, about 1/3 of a mile from State Route 34. It is large enough to be seen from the road.
Fly Geyser is located on the private Fly Ranch and is accessible only by a small private dirt road. The ranch is currently owned by Todd Jaksick. There is a high fence and a locked gate topped with spikes to exclude trespassers from this private property.
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Fly Geyser is a little-known tourist attraction, even to Nevada residents. It is located near the edge of Fly Reservoir and is only about 5 feet (1.5 m) high, (12 feet (3.7 m) counting the mound on which it sits). The Geyser is not an entirely natural phenomenon, and was accidentally created in 1916 during well drilling. The well functioned normally for several decades, but in the 1960s geothermally heated water found a weak spot in the wall and began escaping to the surface. Dissolved minerals started rising and accumulating, creating the mount on which the geyser sits, which continues growing. Today water is constantly spewing, reaching 5 feet (1.5 m) in the air. The geyser contains several terraces discharging water into 30 to 40 pools over an area of 30 hectares (74 acres). The geyser is made up of a series of different minerals, which gives it its magnificent coloration.
There are two additional geysers in the area that were created in a way similar to Fly Geyser. The first geyser is approximately three feet high and is shaped like a miniature volcano. The second geyser is cone-shaped and is of the same approximate size as Fly Geyser. Like Fly Geyser, these geysers are continually growing. 26 more images after the break...
Friday, 22 March 2013
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Blanket of fog hangs over the Dubai
Dubai-based German photographer Sebastian Opitz captures the surreal and mystical look of his adopted city as fog rolls in and out at sunrise. The photographer renames the cityscape as Cloud City for the brief moments when the mist takes over and fills the empty space between the towering buildings. Optiz's images offer a serene and dreamy view of a bustling city, re-imagining it as a heavenly metropolis in the sky.
The photographer says, "I've been living in Dubai for over four years now and always dreamed of taking one of those rare shots from above the fog. This only happens on 4 - 6 days per year and when it happens it will be over by 9 AM. So one has to make sure to be up on the roof of a tower before sunrise and hope for the best." Luckily, Opitz was there to catch the magical event from high above the city on the 85th floor of the Princess Tower.
Opitz also took a time lapse video that covers a little over four hours in less than two minutes.08 more images after the break...
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Art of Reused Electrical Cables by Federico Uribe
Artist Federico Uribe just released a lovely new collection of work made from electrical and a/v cables called, appropriately, Contectado. Uribe works almost exclusively with multitudes of repurposed objects to create vibrantly colored sculptures and 2D artworks like this. Via Now
Uribe creates sculptures which are not sculpted but constructed and weaved, in all kinds of different ways, curious and unpredictable, repetitive and almost compulsive. They follow the classics canons of figurative and abstract art, but the result is absolutely unusual, whimsical, of enormous efficacy and communicability. When observed from close, his works reveal various kinds of interpretations; they invite us to touch them, to discover the detail and connection between one element and another. When viewed form further away, they offer volumes, forms, textures and color. Distance, proximity and perception are key factors in the interaction between Uribe�s work and its viewers. 09 more images after the break...
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Extreme Road To School
Children walk along a narrow mountain road to get to school in Bijie, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Banpo Elementary School is located halfway up a mountain and each day students from the nearby Genguan village have to climb a narrow winding footpath cut into the mountainside...Picture: HAP/Quirky China News / Rex Features
16 more images after the break...
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The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi � Capital Gate Building
Capital Gate is an iconic leaning skyscraper located in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. At 160 meter (520 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and leans at an astounding 18 degrees to the west, four times than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the "World�s furthest leaning man-made tower."
To make this possible, the central core of the building slants in the opposite direction to the lean of the structure, and it straightens as it grows. The building sits on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel exoskeleton known as the diagrid sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
Photo Via � Flicker
The ground-breaking form of Capital Gate is due not only to its lean, but also to its funnel shape. The tower widens as it spirals upwards and outwards. Due to its strange design each hotel room is unique in size and shape, with floor-to-ceiling windows that let guests soak up the best of the sweeping views of the city below.
Capital Gate forms the focal point of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre complex and the Capital Centre master development, a connected group of 23 towers including branded hotels, commercial buildings, residential and serviced apartment complexes and developments for mixed use. These facilities are built overlooking an urban highway along the south-western shore of Abu Dhabi, with Capital Gate dominating the waterfront from its position at the western edge.
The 35-storey tower, which opened less just a year ago after five years of construction, is fast becoming one of Abu Dhabi's most famous landmarks. 09 more images after the break...
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
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Bart Smits Belgium street Artist
Belgium street artist Bart Smits attracted attention after a shark painted in Brussels. However, he draws a long time and amount of work would be enough for a few materials.We decided to select the most interesting. Lives and works Bart Smits in the small town of Mechelen, Belgium. The artist prefers to two main areas of his life - aerosols and canvases. He is behind specialized education through art school and the Academy of Arts. However, Smates believes he still has a lot to learn. The artist tries to draw on the walls only on legal grounds, although he was repeatedly caught and fined. 17 more images after the break...
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World�s Longest Residential Building � Karl Marx Hof
We�ve looked at many of the world�s largest things in the past, so for something different, let�s look at the longest. Karl-Marx-Hof in Vienna is the world�s longest residential building, stretching more than a kilometre through the 19th district better known for large houses and diplomatic residences. The building consists of almost 1,400 apartments, meant to house up to 5,000 people. The design included amenities such as a swimming pool, library, laundries, shops, a school and medical facilities. Only the eastern side of the building stretches the full 1,100 metres, but in many sections there are blocks on the western side of the development which create internal courtyards and parks for the residents. The building consists of almost 1,400 apartments, meant to house up to 5,000 people. The design included amenities such as a swimming pool, library, laundries, shops, a school and medical facilities. Only the eastern side of the building stretches the full 1,100 metres, but in many sections there are blocks on the western side of the development which create internal courtyards and parks for the residents.
The apartments were some of the first in the city to each include a toilet, running water and balconies � luxuries that workers of the time had never experienced before. Today, however, they are less desirable due to their small size and the fact that many don�t have showers or other modern facilities. Several tunnels had to be incorporated into the design to allow the continuation of city streets and traffic flow. The building suffered heavy damage during the Austrian Civil War of 1934 when military and police forces took severe action, bombarding the building to force out unarmed families and Party workers who were barricaded inside. This damage wasn�t repaired until some years after World War 2. 09 more images after the break...
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Pictures Tokyo second half 19th Century
You do not let the misleading presence of color in photographs. The consequences of manual processing of photos aniline dye. All the pictures you see, were made between 1865 and 1895 years. Just at this time, Tokyo was renamed from the old name and became the capital of Edo Japan. Before that, we recall, was the country's main city of Kyoto. The pictures you see now are made by Japanese photographer Kusakabe Kimbey. That he then added the photos paint. So, in the picture you will see the sights of Tokyo itself, no skyscrapers and incredible population density. The focus will be the Imperial Palace, many parks, temple complexes and life of the Japanese. 18 more images after the break...
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The Widest Street in the World � 9 de Julio Avenue
9 de Julio Avenue (or Avenida 9 de Julio, in the local tongue) in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, is not just any street. Nine lanes wide, with gardened medians between the opposing flow of traffic, this is the widest street in the world. Only those with a quick pace and long legs will be lucky to get to the other side before the traffic lights at the intersection changes. A pedestrian crossing this street usually requires a few extra minutes and two to three traffic light rotations. 9 de Julio Avenue is only 1 km long but 110 meters wide.
The avenue's unusual width is because it spans an entire city block, the distance between two streets in the checkerboard pattern used in Buenos Aires. The avenue runs to the west of the R�o de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constituci�n station in the south. It has up to seven lanes in each direction and is flanked on either side by parallel streets of two lanes each.
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The street runs far in both directions and connects the unique sections of the metropolis. Some of Buenos Aires� main landmarks can be seen along the way; most notably, the Obelisk, that sits in the middle of 9 de Julio, the original French Embassy, the statue of Don Quixote, the Teatro Colon and the former Ministry of Communications building - the only building that sits on the avenue itself at the intersection with Moreno street.
The avenue was first planned in 1888, with the name of Ayohuma; but the road was long opposed by affected landlords and residents, so work did not start until 1935. Even the French government refused to submit the embassy building for demolition, and local preservationists opposed the move as well, as the building is widely hailed as an architectural masterpiece. The initial phase was inaugurated on 9 July 1937 and the main stretch of the avenue was completed in the 1960s. The southern connections were completed after 1980, when the downtown portion of the tollway system was completed. Clearing the right-of-way for these intersections required massive condemnations in the Constituci�n area. 08 more images after the break...
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Rajo Verma Married to Five Brothers
Rajo Verma, 21, lives in one room with the siblings, in Northern India, The young wife spends each night with a different brother in turn, She does not know which of siblings is the father of her young son, Fraternal polyandry is tradition in the small village near Dehradun. A young Indian woman has spoken out about being married to five husbands, all of whom are brothers. Rajo Verma, 21, lives in one room with the siblings and they sleep on blankets on the floor. The mother-of-one, who sleeps each night with a different brother, does not know which of her five related husbands is the father of her 18-month-old son.
Happy family: Five brothers (L-R) Sant Ram Verma, 28, Bajju Verma, 32, Gopal Verma, 26, Guddu Verma, 21, and Dinesh Verma, 19, with their shared wife Rajo Verma, 20, and their son Jay Verma. The set-up may seem peculiar, but it is tradition in the small village near Dehradun, Northern India, for women to also marry the brothers of their first husband. She told the Sun: 'Initially it felt a bit awkward. 'But I don�t favour one over the other.' Rajo and first husband Guddu wed in an arranged Hindu marriage four years ago. Since then she has married Baiju, 32, Sant Ram, 28, Gopal, 26, and Dinesh, 19 - the latest in the line of husbands - who married her as soon as he turned 18. 'We all have $ex; with her but I�m not jealous,' first husband Guddu - who remains the only official spouse - said. 'We�re one big happy family.' 03 images after the break...
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
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Animated Lake Michigan Ice Floes Captured by Dave Gorum
Even after living here for 14 years I�m always struck by the juxtaposition of Chicago�s towering steel skyline against the brutal midwest winter as it transforms the lakefront into an arctic landscape. Dave Gorum,co-founder and creative director over at Carbonmade, went out last week and shot some footage of the densely packed ice chunks as they sloshed around in Lake Michigan off Lake Shore Drive and then converted them into these great gifs. 03 more images after the break...
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Neha Dhupia FHM India February 2013
Indian actress and model Neha Dhupia is the cover star of the men�s magazine FHM India for their February 2013 issue. 06 more images after the break...
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Tree Bound Installations by Sculptor Keith Jennings
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Sculptor Keith Jennings carves wise faces into trees, revealing each wooden tower's inner spirit. Jennings first embarked on his Tree Spirits project back in 1982 when he decided to creatively manipulate a tree in his backyard with a few hand tools. Starting out as a way to kill time on a budget, the artist wound up honing his craft. Jennings was later commissioned to apply his wood sculpting skills on a series of trees throughout St. Simons Island, located right off the coast of the state of Georgia.
Jennings took two to four days to sculpt each serene face throughout the forest, allowing them to intriguingly blend into their surroundings. (Of course, once they're spotted, it's hard not to notice their faces.) Each sculptural portrait emerges from its wooden post like a haunting sage, ready to impart some knowledge. The artist says that each face he carves into the wood is created entirely according to the tree. He insists, "I don�t have that much to do with it. The wood speaks to you, ya know?� 06 more images after the break...
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The Enigmatic Moray Agricultural Terraces of the Incas
One of the most visually stunning Inca ruins is at Moray, an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 km northwest of Cuzco and just west of the village of Maras. In a large bowl-like depression, is constructed a series of concentric terraces that looks like an ancient Greek amphitheater. The largest of these terraces are at the center � they are enormous in size, and descend to a depth of approximately 150 meter, leading to a circular bottom so well drained that it never completely floods, no matter how plentiful the rain.
The concentric terraces are split by multiple staircases that extend upward like spokes of a wheel and enable people to walk from the top to the bottom of the bowl. Six more terraces, in connected ellipses rather than perfect circles, surround the concentric heart of Moray, and eight terraced steps that cover only a fraction of the perimeter overlook the site. The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but the most widely agreed theory is they used to serve as �agricultural research station�.
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One of the most remarkable feature of the site is the vast difference in temperature that exist between the top and the bottom reaches of the structure, which can be as much as 15�C. This large temperature difference created micro climates, similar to what is achieved in greenhouses in modern times, that was possibly used by the Inca to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops.
It is no coincidence that the temperature difference corresponds to the natural difference between coastal sea level farmland and Andean farming terraces 1,000 meters about sea level. Furthermore, pollen studies indicate that soils from different regions of the Inca empire was imported to each of the large circular terraces. It is now believed that the Moray terraces were used by Incan priest-scientists to experiment with vegetable crops to determine which should be disseminated for domestic production to farmers with fields all over the Andean region.
Another enigma is the way how drainage for water flowing through the aqueducts worked. The lowest level is perfectly drained and never gets flooded even after incessant rains. It is suggested that there must be underground channels built by the depressions' bottom allowing water to drain. It is also argued that the bottom is over a very porous natural rock formation that enables water filtering toward the earth's interior.
We might never know why Moray was constructed, but the agricultural research station is a very likely possibility. Perhaps it is not surprising, since about 60 percent of the world�s food crops originated in the Andes, including hundreds of varieties of maize and thousands of potato varieties. 16 more images after the break...
Friday, 15 March 2013
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The Agora Tower � Taipei, Taiwan
On the last and biggest parcel of land available for residential use in taipei city, vincent callebaut 's twisting, foliage-filled 'agora tower' will preside over the rest of the urban xinyin district. the architect, known for his distinct eco-vision, has designed a high-density space that aims at limiting the ecologic footprint of its inhabitants by forging a symbiotic relationship between the urban dweller and nature. tall planted balconies of suspended orchards, organic vegetable gardens and and medicinal greenery will take root in the high-performance building. in true cradle-to-cradle fashion, even the construction process transforms itself; industrial waste will be returned as a 'technical nutrient' to be indefinitely recycled. the helicoidal towers appropriate their form from the structure of DNA, conceptually speaking to the building blocks of life, as well as dynamism and twinning. four types of housing units form a full level allowing their twisting forms to optimize space for open-air hanging gardens. the angled apartments additionally offer exceptional views of the bustling city by multiplying the transversal views of the overall east-west rhomboidal pyramid. corbelled floors provide structure and privacy. 16 more images after the break...
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Jacqueline Fernandez Salwar Kameez Photoshoot
Parties are meant to showcase some of the best dresses of the time. Sarees, salwar kameez, lehenga, sharara and gowns are the kinds of party dresses available in the market. With so many varieties and designs present, one can take their own pick by selecting some of the most graceful pieces of art. Out of all the above mentioned party wear dresses, salwar kameez looks really classy and elegant. It is the most comfortable of all and tends to create a style statement. In fact, every woman would love to flaunt her curves in a well-fitted salwar kameez (or sometimes called as suits also). 05 more images after the break...
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Paper Landscape Illustrated by Eiko Ojala
The artist works digitally without the aid of 3D software where he draws everything by hand to create landscapes, figures and portraits that look as if they�ve been cut from paper. Most critical are the placement of shadows which Ojala also draws by hand, though via email he admits the complexity occasionally requires the use of photographed shadows which he then incorporates into the illustrations. His latest work is this beautiful Vertical Landscape which is easily one of his most accomplished pieces and I think bodes well for this young illustrator�s career. 04 more images after the break...
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Vieux Port Pavilion by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partner�s re-imagining of the World Heritage-listed harbour at Marseilles, France has been officially unveiled. Opened by the President of Marseille Provence M�tropole, Eug�ne Caselli, and the Mayor of Marseille, Jean-Claude Gaudin on 2 March, the new Vieux Port events pavilion has been built to celebrate the French city�s year as the European Capital of Culture.
Constructed using highly reflective stainless steel and supported by slim pillars, the new events pavilion is a simple canopy which measures 46m by 22m, and is completely open on all sides. The polished, mirrored surface of the pavilion reflects the views of the historic port and has been designed to taper towards the edges in order to reduce the structure�s visual impact.
Lord Foster said of the design: �I know the harbour at Marseille well and it is a truly grand space. This project is a great opportunity to enhance it using very simple means, to improve it with a large pavilion for events, for markets, for special occasions. Our approach has been to work with the climate, to create shade, but at the same time to respect the space of the harbour - just making it better.�
As part of the scheme, the boat houses and technical installations located alongside the quays have been relocated to new platforms and clubhouses over the water. Another feature of the project has been the enlargement of the pedestrian area around the harbour and the removal of kerbs and level changes, which the designers say will reduce the traffic over the coming years and provide 'a safe, pedestrianised environment that extends to the water�s edge'.
Spencer de Grey, Head of Design at Foster + Partners, added: �Our aim has been to make the Vieux Port accessible to all - the project is an invitation to the people of Marseille to enjoy and use this grand space for events, markets and celebrations once again. The new pavilion is quite literally a reflection of its surroundings - its lightweight steel structure is a minimal intervention and appears as a simple silver line on the horizon, but it brings a new focus, provides basic shelter and creates a venue for performances during this very important year for the city.� 04 more images after the break...
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Photo Project Ashes and Snow
Canadian documentary photographer Gregory Colbert began his career working with the master of photography in Paris, where he was shooting a documentary on important social issues. That movie led by Gregory Colbert in the world of photography. His first solo show as a photographer, took place in 1992, when the wizard turned 32 years old. The exhibition was held at the gallery �Musee de l'Elysee�. Gregory spent the next decade traveling, visiting Asia, Africa and even Antarctica. Everywhere keen photographer demonstrating the relationship of animals and humans. His most famous exhibition "Ashes and Snow" saw more than ten million people across the globe. 18 more images after the break...
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Return of a Legend Titanic 2
Everyone is calling it the "return of a legend." Last year, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer revealed plans for Titanic II, a modern-day functioning replica of the original luxury liner. According to the design plan, "While every bit as luxurious as her namesake, Titanic II will have every modern amenity along with 21st century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems." Passengers can purchase tickets and experience a journey across the ocean in a real life flash to the past, including class divisions and even costumes from the time period.
Just like the original, the accommodations are designed to match the finest restaurants and hotels on land. The plush furniture, carved oak designs, wrought iron and glass dome, and grand central staircase will mimic the grandeur of the original ship, and Palmer says, "This magnificent vessel is to be constructed in memory of the heroic people who served on the ship, the passengers who sadly shared their fate, and all those that survived the tragedy."
The vessel will take its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 2016 and something important to note, the new design will be extremely prepared for any emergency, equipped with 18 modern lifeboats that can hold beyond the ship�s capacity of 2,435 passengers and 900 crew. 14 more images after the break...
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Beautiful Glasswinged Butterfly
Have you ever seen a glasswinged butterfly (Greta oto)? You might think that this creature is a figment of one's imagination, perhaps a Photoshopped composite shot of a butterfly blending into a serene setting, but the truth is that it exists! The aptly named insect is a brush-footed (or four-footed) butterfly whose wings appear to be made of glass, though they're not. The tissue within their wings lack the usually colorful pigments found in other butterflies; thus, they have a glassy, transparent appearance.
Found primarily in Central America (Mexico through Panama), the glasswinged butterfly's name in Spanish is Espejitos which translates as little mirrors. In certain lights, the translucent wing parts have a glossy, almost reflective quality to them that makes their Spanish name effectively accurate. Whether they're seen as glass or mirrors, though, there's something absolutely fascinating about the way these butterflies' wings offer a surreal look at the environment around the insect. It's like they're tiny ornaments designed to draw the eye to the scenic appeal of nature. 13 more images after the break...
Thursday, 14 March 2013
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The Hanging Fangweng Restaurant Above Yangtze River
Fangweng Restaurant is located in China, in Hubei Province, about 12km north of the city of Yichang, near Sanyou Cave, or �The Cave of the Three Travelers�. The restaurant is in the Happy Valley of the Xiling Gorge, an especially scenic stretch of cliffs, caves and park land located around the area where the Chang Jiang River flows into the Yangtze. The entrance to the Fangweng Restaurant is an uninspiring grey brick building, but at the far end of a narrow concrete bridge, the restaurant caves into the cliff, the floor hanging several hundred feet above the ground. From this end, customers can view the flowing water of Yangtze River. For the daredevils, a bungee jumping platform is nearby.
Walking into the restaurant and down the steps, one will come to a natural �cave lobby�. Rightward, a 30-meter-long plank road has been built along the cliffside. It leads to another natural cave, which has been transformed into a dining hall. Warm lighting from the ceiling lends a golden yellow glow throughout. Dimly lit and Chinese-style furnishings blend in with its surroundings. Part of the dining hall hangs out of the cave, where some dining tables are placed. This is a place sitting high in the air, where the flowing waters can be watched from above. 06 more images after the break...
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The Largest Aquarium in the World � Georgia Aquarium
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The world�s largest aquarium is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It houses more than 120,000 animals, representing 500 species in 8.5 million gallons of water. There are 60 different habitats with 12,000 square feet of viewing windows, and it cost $290 million to build.
Georgia Aquarium was the result of the vision of one enterprising businessman Bernard Marcus, who dreamed of presenting Atlanta with an aquarium that would encourage both education and economic growth. Marcus was so inspired by aquariums that after visiting 56 of them in 13 countries with his wife, he donated $250 million toward what was to become Georgia Aquarium. Additional $40 million came in as corporate donations. The land was donated by the Coca Cola Company. 10 more images after the break...
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Jacqueline Fernandez � Miss Sri Lanka
Jacqueline Fernandez (born 1985) is a Sri Lankan actress and model who appears in Bollywood films. Fernandez is a former model and beauty queen who won Miss Sri Lanka Universe in 2006. She has received an International Indian Film Academy Award for Best Female Debut and Stardust Award for Lux Exciting New Face in 2010, for her role in Aladin.
Fernandez was born to a Sri Lankan father and a Malaysian mother. At the age of three her family, including her three siblings[ moved to Bahrain, where she spent most of her childhood. She moved to Australia for her college degree in Mass Communications, and then moved back to Sri Lanka where she worked in modelling, and television reporting and hosting. She speaks Arabic, Spanish, French, English, Urdu, Hindi and Sinhalese. 19 more images after the break...
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Futuristic Cultural Complex in Changsha � China
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) have unveiled an ambitious cultural complex, which began to take shape in October after the project broke ground in the heart of Changsha, China. In true Hadid-fashion, the Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Arts Center defines itself by extreme sinuous curves that radiate from each of the three independent structures and links them to a pedestrianized landscape that offers a �strong urban experience�, forming what they hope to be a global destination for theater and art.
The International Culture & Arts Centre embodies a unique variety of civic nodes and spaces: A Grand Theatre, a Contemporary Art Museum, a Multipurpose Hall and supporting facilities. The central plaza is generated by the relative position of these separate buildings and offers a strong urban experience whereby the flow of pedestrian visitors that come from all sides of the site intersect and meet. In parallel it also stretches outwards to the neighboring streets with unfettered and phenomenal views across Meixi lake with access towards Festival Island. 05 more images after the break...
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
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Rua Goncalo de Carvalho � Most Green Street in the World
Rua Goncalo de Carvalho is a street located in Porto Alegre, the capital and largest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Flanked by trees on either side, the street became internationally known after a campaign for its preservation spread on the Internet leading it to be dubbed "the most beautiful street in the world".
Over a span of 500 meters the sidewalks are lined with more than one hundred Rosewood trees, going up to the seventh floor of the buildings in some cases. According to some elderly residents, the trees were planted in the 1930s by employees of German origin who worked in a brewery in the neighborhood.
In 2005, the construction of a mall nearby brought the risk of changes to this beautiful street, prompting residents to mobilize. The campaign was successful, and on June 5, 2006 the then mayor Jos� Foga�a signed a decree making the street Gon�alo de Carvalho "historical, cultural and environmental development of the city."
Photographs of the street circulated among environmental groups, and the "tunnel of trees" become increasingly popular. In 2008, a Portuguese biologist saw the pictures and wrote in his blog that it was the most beautiful street in the world. The nickname caught and the street has thus been called by several publications ever since. 12 more images after the break...
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Top 10 Youngest Billionaires on the Forbes
Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz has occupied the top spot on the Forbes' youngest billionaires list, beating Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The list also includes Eduardo Saverin and Sean Parker from Facebook. Others featuring on the list are Hariri brothers, Scott Duncan and Yishikazu Tanaka. Top 10 Youngest Billionaires after the break...
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A Son�s Letter to His Mom
Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: �How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?�
The surgeon said, �I�m sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn�t make it.�
Sally said, �Why do little children get cancer? Doesn�t God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?�The surgeon asked, �Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he�s transported to the university.�
Read more after the break...
Monday, 11 March 2013
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Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Photo � Link
Photo � Link
Hagia Sophia, "Holy Wisdom" is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
The Church was dedicated to the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its dedication feast taking place on 25 December, the anniversary of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Although it is sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia), sophia is the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom � the full name in Greek being "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God".
Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician. 34 more images after the break...
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