Archive for July, 2009
12 Cool Garage Door Art
Cool pictures of garage door art from around then world. Many of these pictures are from the craze that started in Germany and is now being taken up by artistic garage owners around the world.
12 Of The Most Iconic Photographs Ever Taken
Timothy H. O’Sullivan – Battle of Gettysburg
This photograph has become synonymous with The Battle of Gettysburg, which was the most bloody battle of the American Civil War. Photographer Timothy H. O’Sullivan documented and recorded the battlefield, and this picture became a sensation. For many, this was their first chance to see, first hand, the true extent of the Civil War. However, it was not until 40 years after the battle that the pictures were mass produced, as photo-engraving had not been established. The picture shows dead confederate soldiers on the battlefield, and has earned its place in history as an iconic photograph.
Lawrence Beitler – Lynching
Lawrence Beitler took this iconic photograph on August 7, 1930, showing the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. It sold thousands of copies, which Beitler stayed up for 10 days and nights printing them. It has become iconic over the years as it is one of the best and most recognisable images of lynchingwhich at the time was commonplace, but now serves only as a reminder of the pre-Civil Rights era. The photo shows a crowd that have turned out to view the lynching, and the audience a mixture of anger and fulfillment. The photo was so popular it has been the inspiration for many poems and songs down the years.
Joe Rosenthal – Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is an historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. It became the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year as its publication, and came to be regarded in the United States as one of the most significant and
recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time.
Alberto Korda – Che Guevara
Alberto Korda’s well known photograph of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, titled ‘Guerrillero Heroico’ or ‘Heroic Guerrilla’ has become a symbol of the 20th centry. It shows Che, as he was known, at a memorial service for victims of the La Coubre explosion. The picture depicts the then-31 year-old’s stoic and character and now appear on T-shirts, tattoos, murials and walls all around the world. Despite being one of the most reproduced images in history, Korda, a lifelong Communist and supporter of the Cuban Revolution, claimed no payment for his picture. The rights of the picture are now disputed. Still, it remains
one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century.
Eddie Adams – Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing Nguyễn Văn Lém
Most of the iconic images of the 20th and 21st century have owned their photographers Pulitzer prizes for their work, and this image is no exception. Eddie Adams was famous for his portraits of celebrties and for being a prolific photojournalist, having been in 13 wars. However, possibly his most famous image is of the execution of Nguy?n Van LÈm by Nguy?n Ng?c Loan during the Vietnam War. Adams later apologized in person to General Nguyen and his family for the irreparable damage it did to Loan’s honor while he was alive.
Moon Landing
Possibly the most talked-about, debated and controversial picture in history, the picture of the moon landing has been seen as a feat of human engineering at its best, and has been speculated as a hoax by contractors of the event. Those in doubt of the authenticity of the picture have come up with many suggestions as to why and how it might have been faked. However, none of the accusations have been proved correct and the debate continues in some circles. For many, though, it provides a sense of accomplishment and acheivement by the human race to send a man to the moon, which for years was considered an impossibility. The American flag also installs national pride in the US as the winners of the so-called ‘Space Race’, and their establishment as the world’s one remaining super power.
Richard Drew – The Falling Man
“The Falling Man” is a photograph taken by Richard Drew at 9:41:15 a.m., on September 11, 2001 of a man falling from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in New York City. The man in the photohraph remains unknown. Many people find the image disturbing because it is a horrific image of what people had to resort to during the attacks. The picture is deceptive, however, as it suggest that man was falling straight down, however, this is just one of many photographs of his fall. It is evident from these other pictures that he tumbling out of control.
Huynh Cong Ut – Napalm Strike
This photo of a naked and terrified young girl running towards Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Nick Ut has entered popular culture as a symbol of the horror of the Vietnam War. It was taken during the American bombing of the village of Trang Bang, Viet Nam. However there has been much controversy over the events depicted in the photo. It is suggested that American bombers had nothing to do with this event and that there have been many derogatory and misleading comments about the American troops in regard to this photo. Nevertheless, it is said that this photo ended the war in Vietnam and served as an icon for the peace movement that was prevelent in the 1970s.
Stanley J. Forman – Fire on Marlborough Street
On July 22, 1975, Stanley J. Forman took this infamous photograph while working for the Boston Herald. He climbed on the back of a fire truck as it raced towards a reported fire at Marlborough Street. Just as the crew had arrived at the scene, a young woman and small girl fell from an apartment above. The woman died instantly, but the young girl lived. This photo earned Forman a Pulitzer prize, and in addition, convinced Boston and several other cities to introduce more comprehensive fire safety laws.
Tank Man – Jeff Widener
Often considered the most iconic photograph in history, ‘tank man’ or ‘the unknown rebel’ shows an act of courage and defiance and earned the anonymous man widespread fame. It took place during the protests at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, and has subsequently become a symbol of the end of the Cold War era, and one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. Four people claim to have took photos of the event, but the most reproduced image, and the most famous was by Jeff Widener.
Mike Wells – Uganda
This example of emotive imagery is of child in Uganda holding hands with a missionary. The stark contrast between the two people serves as a reminder of the gulf in wealth between developed and developing countries. Mike Wells, the photographer, took this picture to show the extent of starvation in Africa. He took it for a magazine, and when they went 5 months without printing it, he decided to enter it into a competition. However, Wells has stated that he is against winning a compeition with a picture of a starving boy.
Kevin Carter – Vulture Stalking a Child
This shocking photo depicts a starving Sudanese child being stalked by a patient vulture. It is a horrific picture that gave people a true look at the dire condition in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kevin Carter, who took the photo, won a Pulitzer Prize for this work. Kevin then came under a lot of scrutiny for spending over 20 minutes setting up the photo instead of helping the child. Three months after taking the photo, he committed suicide.
Ten Tallest Buildings in the World
The world is a beautiful place in more ways than one. Amongst the urban landscape and thousands of ordinary brick-and-mortar buildings, skyscrapers are architectural and engineering marvels that rise hundreds of meters and even a thousand feet into the air. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), is the official body that determines which buildings fall under the ‘The World’s Tallest Building’ category. It ranks the height of buildings, based on the height to the architectural top of the building, highest occupied floor, top of the roof or the tip of the building.
Let us look at what according to CTBUH are the world’s tallest buildings as of now.
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan – 1671 ft (509 m) 101 Floors
Taipei 101 became the world’s tallest building to be constructed in the new millennium and the first to cross the half-kilometer mark. The construction costed $1.76 billion and was completed in 2004. This multiuse steel-and-glass skyscraper was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and has 61 elevators. It reflects the traditional Chinese pagoda, with a soaring podium base, eight tiers of eight storeys (eight is considered to be a number for prosperous growth in China), narrow pinnacle tower and a spire. The building has an 18 ft, 882-ton ball-shaped damper at the top that counteracts swaying during typhoons and earthquakes. Although, CTBUH only takes into consideration the floors above the ground level, there are 5 floors underground too. The number “101” also represents the mailing code of Taipei’s international business district. It has been hailed as the Seven New Wonders of the World by Newsweek magazine in 2006 and as the Seven Wonders of Engineering by Discovery Channel in 2005.
Shanghai World Financial Center – 1614 ft (492 m) 101 Floors
This super tall skyscraper in Shanghai that dominates the skyline over East China is destined to become a symbolic icon, giving the city a new status and depicts the arrival of a new era in Asia. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and officially opened its doors to the public on August 28, 2008. It is a mixed use building with excellent urban shopping malls at the base, a 174-room luxurious five-star hotel at the top and sixty-two floors filled with offices. There are three observation decks between the 94th to the 100th level. It has a total of 31 elevators and the construction cost was US $1.20 billion. The most remarkable feature of this majestic building is the aperture at the top of the building. It is the 2nd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Twin Towers – 1483 ft (452 m) 88 Floors
The beautiful world-famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were constructed in 1998. The name sounds as romantic as they look together. These elegantly slender towers were once the world’s tallest before being ousted from that position by Taipei 101.
Petronas Tower 1 is the 3rd tallest building in the world.
Petronas Tower 2 is the 4th tallest building in the world.
However, they still remain the tallest twin buildings in the world. They were designed by Argentine-American architect Cesar Pelli and were built on Kuala Lumpur’s race track. The structure is made of high-strength concrete and has a curtain wall of glass and stainless steel sun shades that help diffuse the intensity of light.
The major feature of the towers is the skybridge between the towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-storey bridge in the world. Visitors are allowed on the Skyway. The skybridge is also meant to be used in case of a fire or for other emergencies.
The Sears Tower – 1451 ft (452 m) 108 Floors
Located in Chicago, Illinois, The Sears Tower was constructed in 1974, and has been the world’s tallest building, overtaking the World Trade Center. Although, it is no longer the tallest building in the world, the Sears Tower is the 5th tallest and still has the world’s highest occupiable floors, highest elevator ride and the highest roof deck. The top of the tower is the highest point in Illinois. It is said that four states can be seen from the top of the tower.
This tower was designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Khan in a “bundled tube” system with nine squares, sheathed in a dark tinted glass curtain wall. The building leans a few inches due to its asymmetrical design and this can be felt occasionally. The Sears Tower has a separate tourist entrance and attracts more 1.5 million tourists each year.
Jin Mao Tower – 1380 ft (421 m) 88 Floors
The name of the landmark super-tall skyscraper, Jin Mao, literally means “Golden Prosperity Building.” Currently ranked the 6th tallest in the world, it was designed by the Chicago based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and constructed in 1999. It is located in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. The architecture ingeniously combines elements of traditional Chinese culture with the modern architectural styles of the time, which makes it one of the well-constructed buildings in China. The proportions of this structure revolve around the number 8, which according to Chinese belief, signifies prosperity.
It houses the very luxurious Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel and several offices. The construction cost is estimated to be 530 million dollars. The tower has several exhibition halls, banquet halls, entertainment and an observation deck on the 88th floor that can fit about 1000 tourists. The daily maintenance of this tower is reported to be an unbelievable US$121,000.
Two International Finance Center (IFC) – 1362 ft (415 m) 88 Floors
Constructed in 2003, the IFC with its two skyscrapers overlooking the Victoria Harbor, is a prominent landmark in Hongkong, China. One International Finance Center is 38 storeys high. The Two International Finance Center, which is the world’s 7th tallest building, has 88 storeys and has been designed to house financial firms with advanced telecommunications, raised floors for better cabling and floor plans that are almost without columns. About 15,000 people can be accommodated in this building. Although, there are 88 storeys, there are some floors that are considered to be “taboo” and are not used, such as the 14th and 24th floors, as these numbers spell evil for the Chinese.
The IFC mall has an array of famous retailers and several top jewelry retailers, health& skin care and fashion houses, along with restaurants and a cinema. It is one of the few buildings in the world to be equipped with double-deck elevators.
CITIC Plaza – 1283 ft (391 m) 80 Floors
The China International Trust and Investment Company (CITIC) Plaza, built in 1997, is located in Guangzhou, in the growing Tianhe District. It was the tallest building in the world when it was built and is currently the tallest concrete building in the world. It is ranked as the fourth tallest building in China, seventh in Asia and eighth in the world. This building is part of a complex which has two other 38-storey residential buildings.
CITIC Plaza has two antennas on the top, like spires. This elegant building is surrounded by several other tall buildings and gives an indication of the increasing prosperity of Guangzhou. It is close to the Tianhe Sports Center where part of the Asia games 2010 will be held.
Shun Hing Square – 1260 ft (382 m) 69 Floors
The Shun Hing Square tower, built in 1996, is one of the world’s tallest buildings and occupies the 9th place currently. This brilliantly constructed building is in Shenzhen, China, and is said to be one of the most beautiful buildings. It has the distinction of being the tallest all-steel building in China and the fifth tallest in China. The specialty of this building is that it was built with an incredible speed of four floors in nine days. The spires on the top of the building add to the height and without them, it stands at 325 m tall.
Shun Hing Square is a complex that has an office tower and another 35-storey building for residential, office and retail purposes. The 69th floor has an observation deck called the Meridian View Center. Tourists will have to pay US$12 to go up.
Empire State Building – 1250 ft (381 m) – 102 Floors
The Empire State Building of New York, United States of America, built in 1931, is one of the oldest and most famous buildings in the world and there is certainly not a person who has not heard of it. Now rated as the 10th tallest building, it was the world’s tallest building for forty-one years, until the World Trade Center was constructed in the year 1972. After the unfortunate incident with the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in the State of New York.
It has also been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The beauty of the Empire State Building is doubled with the beautiful lights at the top of the building. In fact, the view of the building at night is considered to be a tourist attraction.
Coming Up
Standing tall among all others is another marvel, the Burj Dubai Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is still under construction and will not be considered as the tallest building until completion in September 2009. It already has 160 storeys and overtook Taipei 101 and surpassed the KVLY-TV mast in the U.S., which is 629 m, achieving the status of being the tallest man-made structure on the planet. The eventual height remains a secret, but speculation is that it will reach 900 meters.
There may be a future magical moment in the offing. The plan for the proposed Sky City 1000 by Japan shows the height at 1000 meters and 196 floors. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Burj Dubai, Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (167 Stories)
15 Most Beautiful Islands and Beaches
When I think of summer, I think of vocation 
and when I start dreaming of vocation I see beautiful sunny islands, with golden beaches, tanned bodies, warm ocean water and a cocktail with mint. This sounds so delicious! Being inspired with these dreams I decided to make a photostream of the most beautiful islands I could found. I didn’t use any comparison lists to choose the best of them, I have just found about 35 or so islands loved by tourists, reviewed about 10 photos of each of them and have chosen those those that reminded me of the island in my dreams.
So if you’ve been on some other island that should be added to this list and have some “hot” photos let me know, and I’ll add it to our collection. So here we go!
Bora Bora, Polynesia
Credits: Photos by Ireyon on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Totalisator on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Tensaibuta on Flickr
Credits: Photos by H!ghTower on Flickr
Bermuda, Church Bay Beach
Credits: Photos by Jason Duncan on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jason Duncan on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Gregob on Flickr
Aruba, Netherlands
Credits: Photos by AGMaynard on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Wirralwater on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Shane Stroud on Flickr
Credits: Photos by AGMaynard on Flickr
Baros, Maldives
Credits: Photos by Ashmieke on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Nattu on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Sallylondon on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Kimbo2000 on Flickr
La Dique island, Anse Source D’Argent beach, Seychelles
Credits: Photos by Pbrun on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Pbrun on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Elsadegeus on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Elsadegeus on Flickr
Bottom Bay Beach, Barbados
Credits: Photos by Maranguns on Flickr
Credits: Photos by JP in-Focus on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jonny_wood on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Greg and Lori on Flickr
Chale Island, Diani Beach, Kenya
Credits: Photos by Alienx on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Donshappysnaps on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Epcprince on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Alienx on Flickr
Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii
Credits: Photos by Andrew_wertheimer on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Fiordiligi0127 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Joel Abroad on Flickr
Credits: Photos by John.Briggs on Flickr
Nassau, Bahamas
Credits: Photos by Mandolindsay on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Sumolounge on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Bobindrums on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jimday1982 on Flickr
Phi Phi Island, Thailand
Credits: Photos by Stoicviking on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Robby152 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Somah on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Mikechang on Flickr
Blue Lagoon Beach, Mauritius
Credits: Photos by Riteshkapur on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Pollie1 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Orusxiii on Flickr
Smuggler’s Cove Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Credits: Photos by EternalNY1 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by EternalNY1 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Typophiles on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Superqq on Flickr
Binningup Beach, Western Australia
Credits: Photos by Ormsbyka69 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Wuppies on Flickr
Credits: Photos by JonathanDevlin on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Gramarye on Flickr
Blue Bay Beach, Kiwengwa – Zanzibar
Credits: Photos by Callumscott2 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jules1651 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Emeryjl on Flickr
Clifton Beach, Tasmania
Credits: Photos by Jayjay04 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jayjay04 on Flickr
Credits: Photos by Jayjay04 on Flickr
10 Incredible Underground Lakes and Rivers
Far below the Earth’s surface, where the sun rarely penetrates, is a world of twinkling glow worms, precious gems and limestone caves and mountains, a land inhabited by nature alone. Within this world are visions to rival many landscapes decorating our horizon; lakes lie still and calm, great networks of caves know no borders and rivers and rivulets carve an ever-evolving terrain.
1. Cheddar Gorge is Britain’s biggest canyon and is found within the Cheddar Caves, where the UK’s oldest complete human skeleton was found in 1903. Known as the Cheddar Man, the remains were estimated to be 9,000 years old
2. Hamilton Pool Preserve, in Austin, Texas, was created quite naturally when the dome of an underground cave collapsed revealing this stunning natural pool. It is now frequented by day-trippers and naturalists. That’s naturalists not naturists, although no doubt someone has tried to go skinny dipping at one point!
3. Hamilton Pool from another perspective. When there’s been heavy rainfall, 45ft waterfalls cascade from the rim of the cavern. It must be pretty spectacular when you’re bathing.
4. Stalagtites adorn the roof of Luray Caverns, Virginia, the still waters throwing a perfect reflection.
5. Legend has it that early cavemen inhabited Wookey Caves in Somerset, England.
6. This underground lake in Mellisani Caves, near Kefalonia, was found when the roof of the cave collapsed after an earthquake in 1953.
7. Lechuguilla Cave, in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico is the fifth longest cave discovered yet at 120 miles (193 km) long and measures 489 metres (1,604 ft) deep, making it the deepest in continental United States.
8. This underground lake near Macan is one of many that are considered to be gifts from the gods by the Mayans, and therefore sacred.
9. The limestone flow feeding into this underground lake in Mexico resembles a waterfall turned to stone. Maybe the Ice Queen is privy to this particular cavern?
10. How long must it have taken for this little waterfall in Banff, Canada, to make this underwater lake?
12 Unusual and Creative Hotels
Collection of unusual and creative hotels that are committed to providing unforgettable experiences for its guests.
Floating Hotel in Sweden
At this hotel, guests can work and socialize in an inspiring environment, enjoy good food and drink, and then fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves. [link]
Sand Hotel in United Kingdom
World’s first sand castle hotel at Weymouth beach in the seaside Town of Dorset in the UK. [link]
Jungle Hotel in Mexico
V-Houses, an amazing jungle retreat near the fishing village of Yelapa in tropical Mexico. [link]
Ice Hotel in Canada
Unique ice and snow hotel offers a distinctive and incomparable experience that disappears every spring. [link]
Capsule Hotel in Japan
Modern hotel where the guest space is reduced in size to a modular plastic or fiberglass block, providing enough room to sleep. [link]
Survival Pod Hotel in Netherlands
The Capsule Hotel, which consists of oil rig survival pods, is located on a canal in Amsterdam. [link]
Cave Hotel in Turkey
Unusual Cave hotel in Turkey offers fabulous atmosphere and a perfectly exotic setting. [link]
Airplane Hotel in Sweden
Now you can spend the night on-board a real jumbo jet… [link]
Treehouse Hotel in India
Eco-friendly jungle getaway located in the heart of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. Get ready for wonderful and amazing experiences. [link]
Prison Hotel in Germany
Former German prison turned hotel offers guests a jailhouse experience, with a possibility of walking out whenever they like. [link]
Underwater Hotel in Fiji
World’s first undersea resort located on a private island in Fiji. Poseidon Resorts offers exciting adventures with luxury accommodation. [link]
Drain Pipe Hotel in Austria
Cool hotel constructed from repurposed, incredibly robust drain pipes. [link]
