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Miss Universe 2011 (89 pics)

Voodoo — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:17:00 PDT

Leila Lopes is crowned Miss Universe 2011. But let’s take a closer look at each pageant’s participant.

Miss Angola 2011, Leila Lopes

Breathtaking Angel Falls (7 pics)

Voodoo — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:54:10 PDT

Angel Falls is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft). The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park. Hiking trails to this place does not exist.

The Most Attractive Princesses (24 pics)

submitter — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Luxury Overboard: Private Yacht as Tropical Island Paradise

dornob — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:00:05 PDT

[ Filed under House Boats & in the Architecture category ]

So you already have your own private tropical island and giant-sized personal luxury yacht … how do you take things to the next level? Why, you combine the two into a portable slice of floating paradise, of course!

Somewhere between crazy and kitsch, this monster of the sea features its own miniature volcano, flowing waterfall, mountain stream, and valley pool flanked by a series of small bamboo huts and shelter-providing palm trees, all set upon (and concealing) a cruise-ship-style deck.

For adults looking for a little more reality on their oceanic voyage, an extendable deck can be deployed belowdecks via a fold-down hatch in the hull; this opening revealing stairs leading to shelters, seating and other detachable smaller sea-faring vessels for short off-ship excursions.

“This view shows the guest cabanas nestled around the pool and highlights the two deck owners’ suites carved out of the front of the volcano and looking out across the bow. The interior features an owners suite located inside the volcano and spread over two decks. The living room balcony affords views out over the front of the yacht from behind the waterfall. Located behind the bedroom is the owners private spa.”

But YI Designs is not quite done yet – they propose to build the ultra-rich vessels they have yet to dream of, if they have the wealth to afford them. Concepts include a remake of the streets of Monaco, a Chinese sailing ship and a kind of abstracted Taj Mahal on the water.

Insane? Perhaps, but if there is a market, who knows – these may actually be constructed some day. “‘The Streets of Monaco’ is our first design proposal. The theme is based around the Mediterranean principality with the primary focus being the famous grand prix circuit.”

“The idea was to recreate the circuit as a fully functional kart track able to accommodate three karts side by side to allow for plenty of overtaking. The Monaco story extends beyond this exterior architecture and into the interior spaces giving a seamless transition as guests move between the various areas of the yacht.”

Keep Going - Check out this Great Related Dornob Article:

Luxury Yacht + Portable Pool = Safe Deep-Ocean Swimming

New Luxury Mega-Yacht: 10,000 Sf. Floating Super-Mansion

[ Filed under House Boats & in the Architecture category ]

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Pundit Kitchen: Hefty Debt

Amemeda — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:00:34 PDT

Wanna see what the United States’ debt looks like? Click the image to see!

I can has politics?

The Most Creative High School Graduation Photo Album (15 pics)

Voodoo — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:13:13 PDT

The idea of this creative high school graduation photo album belongs to the students of one Russian school. Somebody has really got the brains full of incredible and smart ideas!

Workers Prepare 26-Foot-tall Marilyn Monroe Sculpture for Unveiling in Chicago

Dmitry — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:19:13 PDT

Advertise here with BSA

Nick Valenza helps to put some finishing touches on «Forever Marilyn», a sculpture by Seward Johnson, on July 14, in Chicago. The stainless steel and aluminum sculpture which stands 26 feet tall and weighs 34,000 pounds will be unveiled tomorrow and remain on display in Chicago through the spring of 2012. The sculpture was inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic scene in the 1955 movie Seven Year Itch. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

Autin Wright helps to put some finishing touches on «Forever Marilyn». (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

Nick Valenza helps to put some finishing touches on «Forever Marilyn». (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

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China: Past and Present (30 pics)

Voodoo — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:36:25 PDT

We all know that China is a progressive country. These pictures show China then and now. The changes are clear.

Beijing, 1980

Kalaşnikov – omul, armele, legenda

(author unknown) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:42:01 PDT

Istoria alege deseori oameni cu origini umile, cu care marchează însă definitiv traseul omenirii. Un astfel de om este creatorul celei mai eficiente arme de asalt. Într-un paradox nemaiîntâlnit, om şi armă şi-au influenţat reciproc destinele. Omul şi-a împrumutat numele armelor, iar ele l-au făcut celebru pe mapamond. E o celebritate pe care, astăzi, nonagenarul armurier şi inventator o priveşte cu dispreţ şi răceală, dar de care nu se mai poate elibera. Cele peste 100 milioane de arme de foc produse după ”reţeta” sa i-au adus o nedorită jertfă de alte câteva sute de milioane de vieţi omeneşti.

Great caricatures (65 pics)

(author unknown) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:39:41 PDT

Pictures of Old America (42 pics)

(author unknown) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:15:09 PDT

elcome to DailyPicdump.com the hottest site on the net for daily galleries full of funny and interesting pics!.

Japan: three months after the quake

(author unknown) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 12:56:19 PDT

Japan continues to deal with the enormous task of cleaning up and moving forward three months after the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northeast coast. Local authorities are still dealing with the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and now the rainy season, which could increase the risk of disease as workers clear away the debris, is approaching. Collected here are images from this past weekend marking the three-month point, as well then-and-now images of the destruction shot by Kyodo News via the Associated Press.

Bohemian Rhapsody (28 pics)

submitter — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:00:00 PDT

The Planet's Tallest Buildings (22 pics)

Voodoo — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:11:55 PDT

As you look at the world’s tallest skyscrapers up to the second tallest it is undoubtedly impressive what humans can achieve. However, the 2,717 foot Burj Khalifa in Dubai blows all previous “tall” buildings out of the water and makes one wonder what humans cannot achieve.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

138.8 metres (455.4 ft)

Amazing Air Show by the US Air Force (16 pics)

submitter — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:00:00 PDT

Top 12 Olympian Greek Gods

Oliver.H — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:17:14 PDT

The Twelve Olympians, in Greek mythology, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. The Twelve Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans. There are many who are believed to be a part of these 12 Olympians but we have listed the one with most citations.

Fact: The well known Hades is not generally included in this list. He did not have a seat in the pantheon because he spent almost all of his time in the underworld. Plato connected the Twelve Olympians with the twelve months, and proposed that the final month be devoted to rites in honor of Hades and the spirits of the dead, implying that he considered Hades to be one of the Twelve. Hades is phased out in later groupings due to his chthonic associations.

12. Athena

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Athena is one of the most beloved deities among the Greek pantheon. She is the goddess of wisdom, honorable war, and justice. Her mother is Metis, Zeus’ first wife, but Athena came out of Zeus’ head after he devoured her mother (Zeus feared that Metis would give birth to a child more powerful than him). Of all his children, Zeus is most favors Athena. There’s nothing much to say about her, other than the fact that she’s really nice.

She is the virgin goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, defence and strategic warfare. One of her epithets (titles) is “Grey-eyed”. Her gift to the Greeks was the useful olive tree. The underside of the olive tree’s leaf is grey, and when the wind lifts the leaves, it shows Athena’s many “eyes”.

11. Ares

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The resident crackpot among the gods, Ares is often described as the Greek god of war. More accurately, he is the god of bloodlust and savagery in warfare, opposed to Athena as patron of strategic war. Ares is identified with the Roman god Mars, but Mars is nothing compared to this kid. According to legend, he is the ancestor of the warrior Spartans and that he discovered the Greek city of Thebes. While some people like collecting comics or potted plants, this guy enjoys wreaking havoc among warring parties. Like James Caan in “The Godfather,” launches wars based on a whim.

He is often portrayed with a spear, a brazen armor, and an eagle owl, which is sacred to him. Soldiers often sacrifice a dog to Ares to gain his favor before an upcoming battle.

10. Demeter

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Demeter controls the fertility of the earth as goddess of Agriculture; also gives life after death to those who learn her Mysteries.

Some scholars believe that the mystery rites of Demeter derived from those of the Egyptian goddess Isis. In Graeco-Roman times, they were sometimes considered to be the same or at least strongly similar goddesses.
Ancient Greeks might also dedicate sneezes to Demeter, similar to someone saying “God bless you!” An unexpected or timely sneeze could be thought to have oracular meaning as a message from Demeter, perhaps to abandon the idea under discussion. This may be the origin of the phrase “not to be sneezed at”, not to be discounted or taken lightly.

9. Hephaestus

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Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of fire and the forge. He is in charge of creating weapons for the gods, and his hearth is located in the fiery pits of Mount Etna. Consequently, he is the god of volcanoes. He was also two-timed by his wife and was born with nobody wanting him.

The son of Zeus and Hera, Hephaestus was born crippled. This made his parents disown him and throw him out of Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. It was said that he flew for nine days before landing on the island of Leto, where he was cared for by the natives. Later, when the gods recognized his blacksmith skills, he was reinstated into Olympus.

8. Artemis

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Virgin goddess of the hunt, virginity, archery and all animals. Usually, an eternally young woman, beautiful and vigorous, wearing a short costume which leaves her legs free. At Ephesus, Artemis wears a controversial costume which may represent many breasts, fruits, honeycombs, or parts of sacrificed animals. Scholars are undecided on how to interpret her outfit.

Artemis is a freedom-loving young woman who likes to roam the forests with her female companions. She doesn’t care for city life and keeps to the natural, wild environment.

Though Artemis didn’t care much for men, young boys were welcome to study at her sanctuary at Brauron. Statues of both young boys and girls have survived and can be seen at the Brauron Museum.

7. Dionysus

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Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, Liber, or Lyaeus, is the god of wine. He is also perhaps the only Olympian still considered a god although he is half mortal. His mother, Semele, had an affair with Zeus. When she was killed by Zeus appearing to her in his true form, lightening, Zeus took the baby, and like Athena, came forth from Zeus’ body, only, Dionysus came from his thigh. This idea is probably associated with his wild reputation and his status as a god of fertility.
He is known for making people, mostly girls give up their responsibilities and go crazy; that is certainly the power wine has over some people. He traveled all across the East with his followers of Maenads (wild girls), Satyrs (men with goat like features pictured with Dionysus as having tails), and the drunken fat man, Silenus.
There are a few stories in Greek myth about those who try to resist Dionysus (wine). Those who tried, were eventually driven mad, and unspeakable deeds. Among these unfortunates are Lycurgus, who in a state of madness prunes his son’s legs, and the Minyads, daughters of King Minyas, who rip apart and eat a child. Ripping apart small creatures is one of the customs of the Maenads who do it to release their inner beast. Also, in festivals dedicated to Dionysus, people paraded around with large phallic symbols (again, he is a fertility god) and ripped apart small creatures. The dolphin is associated with Dionysus as is ivy and vines.

6. Apollo

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God of light, music, poetry, prophecy and archery. Symbols include the sun, lyre, bow and arrow, raven, dolphin, wolf, swan and mouse. Twin brother of Artemis. Youngest child of Zeus and Leto.

Apollo is also a master archer, defeating monsters like the snake-like Python with his bow and arrows. The island of Delos is sacred to him, as this is the place where he and Artemis were born. In art, he is depicted as a clean-shaven young man carrying a lyre or a bow. Apollo is also famous for having affairs with both men and women.

5. Hermes

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Messenger of the Gods; god of commerce and thieves. Symbols include the caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork and tortoise (whose shell he used to invent the lyre). Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. The second-youngest Olympian, just older than Dionysus. He married Dryope, the daughter of Dryops, and their son Pan became the god of nature, lord of the satyrs, inventor of the panpipes and comrade of Dionysus.

Hermes is the herald god. He is also known as “the guider of souls.” With his caduceus in his hand, and his winged sandals on his feet, he is swift to lead the souls of the dead to the Underworld where Charon, the ferryman, can then take them over the river Styx and into the realm of Hades. Hermes is also known as a thief. When he was just an infant, he stole Apollo’s herd of cattle, and then to make up for it, gave him the lyre which he made out of a tortoise shell.

4. Poseidon

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Lord of the seas, earthquakes and horses. Symbols include the horse, bull, dolphin and trident. Middle son of Cronus and Rhea. Brother of Zeus and Hades. Married to the Nereid Amphitrite, although, like his brother Zeus, he had many lovers.

The three-pronged trident. He is associated with horses, believed to be seen in the crashing of waves on the shore. He is also believed to be the force behind earthquakes, an odd expansion of the power of a sea god, but possibly due to the association between earthquakes and tsunamis in Greece. Some scholars believe he was first a god of the earth and earthquakes, and only later took on the role of sea god.

Poseidon is often compared or combined with the Roman god of the sea, Neptune. In addition to creating horses, he is also credited with the creation of the zebra, believed to be one of his early experiments in equine engineering.

3. Aphrodite

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Goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Symbols include the dove, bird, apple, bee, swan, myrtle and rose. Daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Dione, or perhaps born from the sea foam after Uranus’ blood dripped onto the earth and into the sea after being defeated by his youngest son Cronus. Married to Hephaestus, although she had many adulterous affairs, most notably with his brother Ares. Her name gave us the word “aphrodisiac.”

The island of Cyprus has many places believed to have been enjoyed by Aphrodite when she was on earth. Recently, the Cypriots have revived a tourist-friendly version of some of Aphrodite’s festivals at the town of Paphos.

2. Hera

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Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage and family.She is both Zeus’ sister and wife. After being seduced by Zeus in the form of a cuckoo, which is ironic giving Zeus’ adulterous behavior, she married him on the Island of the Hesperides in the far west of the Mediterranean. Because her husband is so disloyal, she is constantly on the lookout for anyone he has been with. When she finds them, she always punishes them severely.

A young beautiful woman, said to be the most beautiful of all goddesses, even beating out Aphrodite. Zeus was the brother of Hera, who fell in love with him from the first moment she saw him, and eventually got a love charm from Aphrodite to seal the deal. She is very relationship-oriented and spends much of her time driving off Zeus’s innumerable nymphs, mistresses, and other dalliances. She also sometimes torments the offspring of those unions, especially Hercules. To her credit, she’s gorgeous and kept Zeus busy on his honeymoon for three hundred years, so she rightfully wonders why on earth he needs to go anywhere else. When she’s really fed up, she wanders off by herself, always hoping Zeus will miss her and seek her, usually eventually relenting and returning without being so sought.

1. Zeus

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In Greek mythology, Zeus who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart was Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart was Tinia.

Being the ruler of the universe has its benefits. Zeus is infamous for being a ladies’ man, and his devious means of seducing females are favorite subjects of many Greek legends and paparazzi. He fathered many of the major gods and goddesses, including Athena, Hephaestus, the twins Apollo and Artemis, and Hercules. Aside from that, he also fathered countless mortals as well: Helen of Troy, the hero Perseus, and the nine Muses, among others. No wonder Hera is almost psychotic.

In works of art, Zeus is depicted as a bearded, old but youthful-looking man wielding a couple of thunderbolts, his weapons of choice. The guy is also a sports fanatic (with the ancient Olympic Games being played in his name) and has style as well (a temple bearing his statue is included among the original Seven Wonders of the World).

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Amazing Air Show by the US Air Force (16 pics)

Voodoo — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:38:09 PDT

These are photos of the US Air Force Thunderbirds in Romania at the 2011 Constanta Air Show. They are nothing short of majestic as they perform back to back mirror flights high overhead. They are truly amazing pilots and aircraft.

Gadgeturile secolului trecut

(author unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:27:47 PDT

Gadgeturile n-au fost dintotdeauna atât de strălucitoare ca în zilele noastre. Oobject.com face un inventar – preluat de Money.ro, al primelor dispozitive electronice menite să satisfacă capriciile celor la curent cu tehnologia din secolul trecut: de la primul walkman la primul telefon mobil

Misterele Moscovei subterane

(author unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:25:26 PDT

Obama: Six days, four nations

(author unknown) — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:50:46 PDT

US President Barack Obama began a six-day, four-nation tour (Ireland, England, France, and Poland) May 22, 2011. His 24-hour visit to Ireland included dropping by rural Moneygall, where his great-great-great-grandfather Fulmouth Kearney lived before immigrating to the United States in 1850. The second stop on Mr. Obama’s itinerary? London, for a visit with the Queen, where he was honored with a State Dinner at Buckingham Palace and gave an address to both houses of Parliament. Mr. Obama’s next stop: a meeting of the Group of 8 world powers in Deauville, France. The leaders discussed how the West could help Egypt, Tunisia and other Arab states in political transition. On the last stop: Mr. Obama visited Poland. Last year he was forced to cancel (to attend the funeral of Poland's president) when the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano restricted air space and travel. Ironically, a new volcanic eruption forced alterations of his itinerary again this year. -- Paula Nelson (Editor's note: We will not post on May 30, 2011, Memorial Day. See you again on June 1.) (55 photos total)

US President Barack Obama is greeted by a well wisher in College Green, May 23, 2011 in Dublin, Ireland. Obama visited Ireland for one day. Earlier he met with Irish President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Enda Kenny, and visited his ancestral home in Moneygall, County Offaly. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)