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Archive for February, 2010

Burning Man Art

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Burning Man happens every year in the Black Rock Desert. Out there in the nothern part of Nevada, crazy people gather to act, well, crazy. Folks dress up (or down, as the case may be), and create wild art pieces. Or are those failed science projects? Who knows? Chances are, however, drugs and alcohol might just be involved. But that’s for you to judge.

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Burning Man is a party for big people.

  

Photo By: Stuart Updegrave

  

Burning Man 2009

Faces only a mother can love, and few men can kiss.

  

Photo By: Eric Spaceman

 

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Check out these guns!

   

Photo By: Stuart Updegrave

   

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 Who says there’s no such thing as unicorns?

   

Photo By: Stuart Updegrave

 

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 Here, horse-y horse-y!

  

Photo By: Stuart Updagrave

   

Burning Man 2009

There are dragons in the land!

  

Photo By: Ericspaceman

  

Eye art bikes, Burning Man 2005

 What, your bike didn’t come with a giant eye?

Photo By: mr. nightshade

 

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Uh, you name it

   

Photo By: Stuart Updagrave

   

 Art in any form

This is how they get cable out there.

   

Photo By: Hans Speijer

 

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This guy’s a little tied up at the moment

   

Photo By Stuart Updegrave

  

 If normal life is just a little to normal for you, your heart just may be burning for a little Burning Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking A Look At The Most Weird And Wonderful Hotels

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Around the world, there are accommodation options to suit the needs of everyone.  From cheap hostels in which a bathroom needs to be shared, to luxury resorts where the staff cater to your every need, the following selection of hotels are considered to be some of the most weird and wonderful anywhere in the world.

Cappadocia, Turkey

Situated in central-west Turkey, Cappadocia dates back to the 6th century B.C and whilst once a popular Turkish settlement, is now a massively popular tourist attraction in the country.

The uniqueness about Cappadocia is that from a distance, it looks like a vast, mountainous region.  When close up, however, it is apparent that there are homes and rooms all over the region, many of which are some of the most peculiar but well adored hotel rooms in the world.

Capsule Hotels, Japan

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Exploring Some Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth

Friday, February 19th, 2010

In the world of all things related to the paranormal, the world is generally divided into two separate groups – those who are scared and do not want to find out any more details about the ghost or unexplainable activity and those who whilst being somewhat scared, can not help but want to find every piece of information on the haunting.

The following places are said to be some of the most haunted places on the earth and have been researched extensively over the years.  Not only has their been many different sightings of ghosts, but there has been paranormal activity linked to real life events in the past that simply cannot be explained.

Tower of London, London, UK

Located on the banks of the River Thames, the Tower of London looks as prestigious and powerful today as it did when it was first built in 1078.

Used for various reasons throughout its illustrious history, there have been sightings and reports of numerous ghosts and unexplainable events, from Ann Boleyn, the wife of Henry VII (that should be Henry VIII – thanks Chris!) who lived in the tower and was beheaded in 1536, to dozens of prisoners who were held in the prison and dungeons of the tower and left to die a slow and painful death.

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, UK

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The Seven Nearly-Wonders Of The World

Monday, February 15th, 2010

For those who have an interest in facts and information, the seven Wonders of the World will be very familiar.  These main seven wonders, however, are only of the ancient world and there are actually many different groups, depending on whether, for example, they are man made, natural or industrial.

The seven wonders included here are popular choices in their own categories and are considered by some to make an ideal definitive seven Wonders of the World list themselves.

Angel Falls

Known locally as Kerepakupai meru, Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world and is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canaima National Park in Venezeula.

With a drop of 2,647 feet and a total height of 3,212 feet, it stands well over 700 feet taller than Niagra Falls, arguably the most popular water fall in the world.

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World War II: Photos You Have Never Seen

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

All wars are a nightmare to those involved. Thank God, most of us don’t know what it is like and have ever been involved in the fights. Most of us have never suffered from hunger, from invaders, or had no home, no clothes and no hope. In most countries of the world, the present generation has no idea about War World II, or they judge on it from shots published by Life magazine. There’s another side you have never seen.  The photos featured in my post today were taken in the former USSR during World War II on the occupied territories.  The authors of most of them are not known — these are photos from family archives posted online by grandchildren of those who took part in the war. Some of the photos belong to the Soviet journalists of that time- Vladimir Lupejko and Dmitri Baltermants. The photos are shocking and cruel, but they should teach us to respect others’ lives and dignity. We are equal and we are not born to be slaves.

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A Million Ways To Say I Love You for St. Valentine’s Day

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

There are a million ways to say “I love you.” For example …

… taking a beautiful shot

Photo by takuya miyamoto*

… touching tenderly

Photo by Martyn @ Negaro

… leaving an “I love you” note in the morning

Photo by jessica.diamond

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Whopping Whales, Tall Toads And Other Odd Sized Animals

Monday, February 8th, 2010

There are hundreds of thousands of different animal species, with sizes ranging from the gigantic to the absolutely miniscule.

Whilst it is common to see particularly large or small versions of some animals, these are a selection of odd shaped animals that you may not even know existed.

Capybara

The largest rodent in the world, for anyone who is not a fan of mice or rats, Capybaras can be considered a worst a nightmare.

Native to South America, Capybaras can grow up to 4 foot 3 inches in length, way up to 140 pounds and look, to all intents and purposes, a large, heavy rat.

Irish Wolfhound

Known as man’s best friend, dogs come in all shapes and sizes.  From tiny Chihuahuas that can be nothing more than a few inches in length to dogs that are the same size of a small horse.

Out of all of the dog breeds, it is the Irish Wolfhound that is, on average, the tallest breed and can stand at the withers (their shoulders), a staggering three feet tall.

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Five Of The Best Non-Tourist Places To Eat In New York City

Monday, February 8th, 2010

When taking into consideration that there are literally thousands upon thousands of places to eat in the Manhattan area of New York alone, from cafes and delis to Michelin starred restaurants ran by world famous chefs, there really is a gastronomic delight for everyone.

With millions of people visiting New York on a regular basis, everyone is looking for something different in term of places to eat.  Although the main tourist spots are packed full of restaurants to suit the vast majority of tastes, it is the places that the local New Yorkers head to that are so often looked for and the following are some of the most popular non-tourist eateries in the whole of Manhattan.

Lombardi’s

Located at 32 Spring Street (the corner of Spring and Mott Street), Lombardi’s is a institution in Manhattan, for the simple fact that it claims to be the very first pizzeria not only in New York, but the whole of America.

With the company opening originally in 1897 as a grocery store, it developed into a pizzeria in 1905 for which it has remained ever since (with the exception of moving premises to a block away after being closed for several years throughout the 1980’s).

There is not much else to be said about Lombardi’s without actually going to taste the food – which, cooked in stone ovens, is said to be the best pizza in New York.

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A History of the Space Shuttle Program

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

This year, the Space Shuttle program will officially be retired. Due to former president George W. Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration, it will not be extended. Although this news might be sad to some, American participation in space exploration is not coming to an end. Project Constellation is taking its place and will mean many more years of space-bound missions. The history of the Space Shuttle program, however, is a long and colorful one. Despite its pending termination, this does not diminish its important contributions, not only to scientific progress but its impact on our society as well.

Although the first official Space Shuttle launch took place long after the Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union was over, it was conceived during the 1960s while Americans and Russians were scrambling to get to the moon. Then-president Richard Nixon formed a committee right as Neil Armstrong was taking his first historic steps to find a more cost-effective program for space flights. The idea was to find a viable means to perform scientific studies as well as make the shuttle available for potential commercial use, not to mention the Department of Defense’s interest in the program.

 

 

canadian astronaut spacewalk

credit: NASA

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The Richest Casinos In The World

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Once considered to be establishments that were only frequented by rogues, drunks or criminals, casinos have evolved over the past century into places that can be enjoyed by everyone (even children, as although they are not allowed on the casino floor, a lot of the larger casinos have areas which are child-friendly).

With the extensive media coverage that many different casino games now receive, it is no wonder that casinos see millions upon millions of dollars being spent on their games continually, as well as their hotel suites, restaurants and other facilities, making them some of the richest and most prosperous businesses in the world.

As would be expected, all of the following casinos are located in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world and seen as some of – if not the – richest casinos anywhere on the globe.

Wynn Las Vegas

 

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