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.

Giant Rabbit

A popular pet for small children, there are several different rabbit species, the vast majority of which do not grow much greater than a foot in length.

However, the are some species that exceed this figure and can grow several feet in length and weigh in at well over 10 pounds, depending on the breed.

For example, the picture is of a Flemish Giant, with the typical weight being up to 18lbs.  The second picture, a British Giant, whilst slightly smaller, can still weigh an impressive 12 pounds.

Cane Toad

Often known as the Giant Neotropical Toad, Cane Toads are one of the biggest species of toads in the world and compared to other similar amphibians, such as frogs, can be somewhat intimidating.

On average, Cane Toads are around 6 inches length, but there have been detailed reports on Cane Toads in the past measuring a massive 15 inches.

Ribbon Worm

With over 1,500 species of Ribbon Worms around the world, they can be found in a range of different habitats, from oceans to fresh water areas.

Measuring on average 8 inches in length, there are many reported sightings of Ribbon Worms exceed 50 metres in length, making them the longest non-vertebrate animals in the world.

Blue Whale

The largest vertebrate animals in the world, blue whales are a fascinating sight to behold, measuring, on average, over 100 feet in length.  Add to this their substantial weight of almost 200 ton and you cannot help but be taken aback by their sheer size when physically seeing a blue whale.

Andean Condor

With a wing span of up to 10 feet, the Andean Condor are by far the largest flying birds in the world and as part of the vulture family, have somewhat of a menacing look about them.

Living for up to fifty years, they are one of the longest living birds in the world and are recognized, other than by their size, for their distinct ruffle of white feathers around their neck.

Goliath Bird Eater

Given its name due it being observed eating a hummingbird when first discovered, the Goliath Bird Eater is part of the tarantula family of spiders and is considered to be the largest of them all.

Having a leg span of up to 12 inches, they are very defensive animals and will not only put up a web barrier around their food, but will also appear to hiss if they feel threatened.

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.

Grimaldi’s

Considered to be a competitor of Lombardi’s for the title of ‘best pizza in New York’, there are several Grimaldi’s in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs.  As none of them take reservations, the popularity of the Grimaldi’s pizzeria’s regularly means that you should expect to queue outside of the restaurant for at least thirty minutes.

However, it’s reputed by many that the pizza is well worth it and as they do not sell it in slices, only by the whole pizza, you should be ready to sit down, relax and tuck in to the very large and wonderfully tasting pizzas.

The Spotted Pig

Located in the East Village, The Spotted Pig is considered by some to be one of the best places to eat in York.

A mix of classic English and Italian cuisines, The Spotted Pig is one of the most popular restaurants with New York locals, said to be due to its laid back atmosphere, its late opening (2am, each and every night) and of course, the fantastic food that is served by head chef April Bloomfield.

Bamn

‘Back in the day’, automats were popular in New York.  Working in exactly the same way a vending machine did, a customer placed their money into the machine, pressed the relevant button and outcome their chosen food.

Brought back to life in recent years, the difference between Bamn and the more traditional automats is that they offer a much more radical and somewhat futuristic type of food – grilled Mac and cheese or green tea ice cream, anyone?

Unfortunately, it has been said in recent weeks that Bamn has been closed – I wouldn’t expect for long, however.

Katz’s Deli

Some of you may be thinking that Katz’s Deli shouldn’t be included because it is quite a popular place due to being featured in the film ‘When Harry Met Sally’.  However, whilst Katz’s Deli might be visited by tourists, many don’t do anymore that take a photo of the outside.

Big mistake, if you like good quality food and have some time to spare.

Not particularly trendy inside, New Yorkers love the place for the fact that the food is great, the service is friendly and the fact that it is relatively cheap is a big plus.

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.

credit: NASA

Culture and science often inspire one another. During tests of the Space Shuttle program, the first fully complete orbiter was christened the Enterprise due to a write-in campaign by Star Trek fans, taking its title from the show’s famed spaceship. Plans to dub the vessel Constitution were scrapped in favor of Captain James T. Kirk’s charge, and the Enterprise was rolled out in 1976 to engage in a series of highly successful landing tests of the ship’s design. Unfortunately for Trek fans, the orbiter was not meant for long-term use, although some of its parts were used in other shuttles.

Over the next few years, NASA produced functional orbiters in conjunction with Boeing and Lockheed Martin, starting in 1981 with Space Shuttle Columbia, then Challenger in 1983, Discovery in 1984, and Atlantis 1985. Over the next thirty years, these shuttles would house numerous scientific experiments (such as the effects of low gravity on spiderwebs), enable the launch of satellites, assist in the construction of the International Space Station, and even conduct repairs, like on the Hubble Telescope.

credit: NASA

Things were not always easy, especially at the beginning of the program. Although repeated initial tests confirmed the relative safety of the program, Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed due to an O-ring failure on January 28th, 1986, with a loss of all crew aboard during its launch. Seeing as how its first flight was a mere three years prior, this unfortunate tragedy ended up suspending the program for nearly three years, and NASA was criticized heavily for its reticence in discussing the issue with the media.

Moreover, despite numerous safety measures put in place after the Challenger disaster, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere on February 1st, 2003. Due to the high speed of velocity at the time of the catastrophe, a search for vehicle fragments took place in three states was launched. The program was again suspended for over two years before normal flights resumed.

credit: NASA

In addition to these setbacks, the program has been criticized as failing to adhere to its original goals. Although proposed as an inexpensive alternative to the Apollo Program, which had primarily produced rockets that were entirely disposable and expendable, the total cost of the program will clock in just shy of $200 billion by the time it is retired. Even adjusting for inflation, the program has spent well over what the Apollo or Mercury Programs did, although arguably the expense of disposable crafts has not been explored were it to continue beyond moon missions.

Despite this, the Space Shuttle program has had a significant impact on society and science. Scientifically, its ability to launch satellites from low orbit has led to interplanetary exploration via space probe, and crews willing and able to repair objects already launched completely saved the Hubble Telescope, which produces images of breathtaking beauty–not to mention invaluable data. The program has also inspired an entire generation of astronauts as well as entrepreneurs. The Ansari X Prize was a $10 million prize that went to SpaceShipOne, a privately funded and engineered reusable craft capable of reaching space.

credit: NASA

The history of the Space Shuttle program is nearing a close, but its impact will be felt for years. After just five more missions, shuttles will no longer be the means of reaching for the stars. Fortunately, due to the countless lessons learned, the bravery of hundreds of astronauts, and the contributions of thousands of engineers and scientists, humans will still be able to grasp them.

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

Opened in April 2005 for a final sum of $2.7 billion, Wynn Las Vegas is widely regarded as the richest and most expensive casino in the world. With over 2,700 rooms, Ferarri and Maserati dealerships, a waterfall and range of restaurants (to name just a small selection of the hotel and casino’s attractions), Wynn Las Vegas is a sight to behold both inside and out.

The Venetian

Renovated in 2003, four years after its May 1999 opening, the Venetian is part of the world’s largest five star hotel resort and has a combined total of in excess of 8,100 rooms.

Home to 120,00 square feet of casino floor, not to mention real Gondolas that can be used to relax on the casino’s waters, the Venetian cost $1.5 billion dollars to create and is seen as one of the most iconic casinos on the Las Vegas strip.

MGM Grand

Almost two decades old, the MGM Grand, whilst considered to be a relatively middle-of-the-road casino in regards to financial value itself, when it is considered that the casino is part of the larger MGM brand (which owns ten casinos in Las Vegas alone), its value becomes exponential.

The largest hotel when it opened in 1993, the MGM Grand features 6,852 rooms and showcasing its lion theme, displays up to six real lions each day in a glass habitant enclosure.

Caesars Palace

Possibly one of the most noticeable and memorable casinos in Las Vegas, Caesars Palace opened its doors in 1966 and changed hands several times until 2005 when the current owners, Harrah’s Entertainment, took over the casino.

Similar to the MGM Grand, Caesars Palace may not be a particularly rich casino by itself. When considering that it is part of the larger Harrah’s Entertainment and the company has a collected turnover of over $10 billion, it’s easy to see why any list about the world’s richest casinos should include Caesars Palace.

The Palms

Compared to other casinos, not only in Las Vegas but all around the world, the Palms may not be instantly recognizable. However, there is one aspect of this casino that millions of people will have heard of – and that’s the $40,000 a night Playboy suite.

Opened in 2001, the Palms is relatively small in size (there are 702 rooms and 95,000 square feet of casino) but is a favorite casino amongst the rich and famous from Hollywood and is the home of the Las Vegas branch of Hard Rock Cafe, the ever-popular Moon and Rain nightclubs, as well as playing host to several TV programs, including MTV’s The Real World.

What does it take to channel your own path? How much time do you have to reach the peak of your career, personal happiness, and friendships? And why did I come to the waterfall to ask myself about this? I couldn’t help but wonder. It’s just so great to go to a waterfall and treat yourself by giving these deeper things some thought. By doing so, you’re sure to be pleased with “new you” just waiting to be discovered. Explore some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls, and see what they inspire in you.

Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe/Zambia

Victoria Falls, or Mosi-oa-Tunya, is located in southern Africa between the countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. It was named after Victoria Queen in 1855 by David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer and missionary. Before that time the falls, were known as “The Mist that Thunders.” According to one of the lists of wonders it takes its place in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, it is one of the largest and most exciting. With its width of 1,708 meters and height of 108 meters it forms one of the biggest water screens in the world.

Photo by JensD

Photo by fctwente

Steinsdalsfossen – Norway

Steinsdalsfossen is the most visited waterfalls in Norway. It is located not far from Bergen on the river Fosselva. Steinsdalsfossen is about 50 meters high and is at its greatest when the snow melts in May and June. A path goes behind the falls where the visitors can stay dry and watch the powerful falls from within. You must add Steinsdalsfossen to your list of places to visit for sure!

Photo by Rimantux

Photo by Bjornhb

Niagara Falls – Canada/USA

Niagara Falls is located on the border between Canada and the United States. It consists of three waterfalls – Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls – which separate the U.S. state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. In spite of its height of only about 53 meters, the gorgeous Niagara Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in northern America, with a producing capacity of up to 4.4 gigawatts of electricity. An extremely impressive view is observed from the Canadian side from the Rainbow Bridge connecting the two countries.

Photo by rosswillett

Photo by Indigo_Ocean

Giessbach Waterfalls – Switzerland

This vivid and picturesque waterfall is claimed neither as the largest nor the highest falls. Usually one can see the Giessbach Falls on European travel postcards as it combines all the natural elements that Swiss beauty is known for – crystal-clear lakes and snowy white mountain peaks surrounded in serene greenery. It’s formed by 14 cascades falling into Lake Brienz. What a wonderful spectacle!

Photo by macounette

Photo by TheFleX

Yellowstone Falls – USA

Yellowstone Falls is located within Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA. It is formed by two major waterfalls on the Yellowstone River – Upper Yellowstone and Lower Yellowstone – which both enter the famed Grand Canyon. The Lower Falls are almost twice as high as Niagara, and in no way comparable to it are only about 22 meters in width. The Lower Falls are surrounded with volcanic rocks and mountains. It is believed that Jim Bridger may have been the first white American to see the falls in 1846. In 1969 the falls were formally named the Yellowstone Falls.

Photo by Dominic Kamp

Photo by fieldphotos

Iguazu Falls – Argentina/Brazil

Iguazu Falls is a complex of falls on the Iguazu River within Iguazu National Park, which is located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The waterfall took its name from the Guaraní words “y” as water and “guasu” meaning large. Iguazu Falls contains around 270 smaller falls with an overall width of 2,7 km. The major waterfall in the Iguazu complex is called Devil’s Throat (also knows as “Garganta del Diablo” in Spanish) and is outlining the border between the two countries. Multiple islands separate the waterfalls from other. Upon seeing Iguazu, the United States’ First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed “Poor Niagara!” Undoubtedly, Iguazu must be on your list of places to visit.

Photo by mArIaMaRtA

Photo by Paulitta

Huangguoshu Waterfall – China

Huangguoshu (also known as Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfall) is one of the largest waterfalls in China (and Asia as a whole). It is located on the Baihe River in Anshun, Guizhou Province. It’s possible to explore, watch and even touch the waterfall from behind – from the water-curtain cave named “Shuiliandong”. Because of this fact the Huangguoshu Waterfalls is one of the few falls in the world that can be viewed from any of its sides – back, front, above, below, left and right.

Photo by pkuyrz

Photo by chanhhtravel

Gullfoss – Iceland

Gullfoss (from the Icelandic words “gull” meaning gold and “foss” meaning waterfall) is the largest waterfall in Europe and Iceland’s most beautiful one. It is located in southwest Iceland, in the canyon of the Hvítá River. Gullfoss consists of two levels – one 21 meters tall and the other 11 meters in height – arranged orthogonally to each other. The overall depth of the falls is 70 meters. The waterfalls make up a part of the “Golden Circle” – a group of geysers and hot water springs – the most popular tourists’ day tour and place of interest in the country.

Photo by coshipi

Photo by canipokeyourhair

Angel Falls – Venezuela

At a height of 1024 m, Angel Falls is the world’s tallest waterfall. It is located within Canapa National Park in Venezuela. The name of the fall has nothing to do with angels; it is named after Jimmie Angel, an American aviator who was the first to fly over the falls in a plane in 1933. In Venezuela the waterfall is known as Kerepakupai merú (which in the Pemon language means “waterfall of the deepest place”). The Angel Falls can be reached only by air, which makes the expedition not only fascinating but also extremely unpredictable.

Photo by Hein Pieterse

Photo by countstex

Beaver Falls – Supai, Arizona, USA

Beaver Falls is the fourth set of waterfalls in the Havasu Creek canyon. It’s claimed by many as not being an actual waterfall because of its short height and the fact that there are a big number of smaller falls which are located close to each other. Despite its size, Beaver Falls is the most beautiful in the range. The waterfall is located approximately 9.7 km downstream of Supai, and is the most difficult to access. What a great place for cliff-jumping, climbing, and other sites to explore!

Photo by tfavretto

Photo by grayboy72

Life is full of funny moments. You don’t have to visit a comedy club to have a laugh. People do silly, ironic, and generally amusing things all around us every day. Who knows? Maybe even you gave someone a reason to smile recently without realizing it! In this photostream we’ll share funny everyday moments and sights that people thought were worth capturing on film (or in pixels). We hope you’ll share a laugh with us.

The vast majority of people have physically seen a substantial amount of animals and could, generally speaking, differentiate between a real and a fake picture of those animals.

Pictures of other animals, however, are slightly more tricky to determine how truthful the photographs of them are.

Whilst you may not believe that the following photographs are real, I can whole-heartedly guarantee that each and every one of them lives, or has lived, somewhere on our planet.

Tigon

Also known as a Tiglon, a Tigon is the animal that is born as a result of mating between a female lion and a male tiger and although you may never have heard of one before, they are not considered to be ‘one-off’ animals and are one of the more popular animal hybrids.

Due to the mixed genetic makeup, Tigon’s, whilst having a lot of characteristics that are similar to both lions and tigers, they have several differences, most notably their substantial size.

Liger

The opposite in terms to a Tigon, a Liger is born as a result of breeding between a male lion and tigress and they are considered to currently be the more popular hybridization of the two animals.

Often weighing in at well over 700lbs and in excess of ten feet from the tip of their tail to their nose, they are without doubt the largest of the big cat species and when found in the wild, are a force to reckoned with.

Pink Dolphin

If I told you that the first of these two images had been Photoshopped, what would you say had been changed? The color of the dolphin, perhaps?

Wrong – it’s actually only the color of the water to show just how pink the dolphin actually is.

First seen in a lake in Louisiana, it has been discovered that the dolphin is actually an albino, with other common features amongst both albino humans and animals, including distinctive red eyes.

The One Eyed Kitten

Born with only one eye and no nose, Cy (which is short for cyclops, the one eyed giant in Greek mythology) was born in late December 2005 and lived only one day.

As would be expected, there was much scepticism when this photo was first released. After much research, however, it was deemed to be authentic, partly due to proof that several other animals with one eye have been born in the past.

Blobfish

In my own opinion, this is, by far, the most ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life.

Looking as though it has been drawn to feature in a children’s cartoon, the blobfish actually lives in the deep, deep depths of the oceans off of the Australian coast. Surving in the high pressue environment due to being made up of not much more than a gelatinous substance, it eats by simply openeing its mouth whilst moving through the water and swallowing anything that enters.

Flying Fox

Whilst bats in general are not the most loved of creatures, they are, for the most part, relatively harmless.

Two Headed Cow

The first and foremost point that must be noted about this cow is that it is, surprisingly, not only one of a kind.  Polycephaly, the condition of having two heads, affects a vast array of different animals, most notably cats and cattle.

Whilst some more serious cases can have a detrimental effect on the animal’s health, cases like the cow shown in these photographs will very often be considered to be more of a slight deformity and will often not affect the health of the animal.

Two Headed Snake

And just to prove that the two headed cow, or in fact any animals with two heads, aren’t particularly rare, here we have a two headed snake.

Further to cats and cattle, reptiles are a type of animal that are born with two heads more regularly than others and this is a prime example of polycephaly (rather than dispropus, where two faces are apparent on one head).

Naked Mole Rat

Only 3 to 4 inches in length when fully grown, Naked Mole Rats are native to several parts of East Africa and thrive in the drier environments, becoming well-adapted to be able to live a long life in the conditons, with Naked Mole Rats living up to almost 30 years old.

What is particularly special about this rodent is that they appear to be very resistant to a range of different diseases, most notably the fact that no cancerous cells have ever been detected through any research that has been carried out on Naked Mole Rats.

World’s Smallest Horse

Standing a mere 17 inches tall, the World’s Smallest Horse, known as Thumbelina, has gained worldwide fame since she was born in May 2001.  Weighing in at a mere 57 pounds, Thumbelina has appeared on a whole range of television programs and media broadcasts, including the ever popular breakfast show, Good Morning America.

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with the other aircraft. That is their main difference from bombers. It’s well known that fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable. That made me think it was probably only recently that these powerful death machines were invented. Well, I was wrong! Fighter jets have a long and interesting history. I confess that most of the technical descriptions were taken from Wikipedia, so don’t judge too harshly.

In the aviation community, jet fighters are classified by generations. Actually there are no official definitions of these generations, and they rather represent the different stages in the development of fighter design approaches, performance capabilities, and technological evolution. The timeframes associated with each generation are inexact and only indicate the general period during which fighter jets’ design philosophies and technology employment had a prevailing influence.

Now let’s get back to the very early history of fighter jets. Since World War II, achieving and maintaining air superiority has been a key component of victory in warfare. Still, the purchase, training, and maintenance of a fighter fleet is not the last priority in defense budgets. By the end of the war, turbojet engines were already beginning to replace piston engines as the means of propulsion, and increasingly sophisticated refinements to armament were already appearing. Early fighters were very small and lightly armed, predominantly all-metal monoplanes with wing-mounted batteries of cannons or machine guns.

Modern jet fighters are predominantly powered by one or two turbofan engines and equipped with a radar as the primary method of target acquisition. Armament consists primarily of air-to-air missiles (from as few as two to as many as eight or twelve), with a cannon as backup armament (typically between 20 and 30 mm in caliber). They can also have air-to-surface missiles and guided or unguided bombs.

Let’s take a look at the different generations of fighter jets and some of their representatives. The number of fighters in every generation is astonishing, and if you’d like to get more info, here comes the full list of fighter jets from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fighter_aircraft. I’m not sure that the list is full though, as it doesn’t include my favorite Harrier Jump Jet, a British-designed military jet aircraft capable of vertical / short takeoff and landing via thrust vectoring.

First generation subsonic jet fighters (mid-1940s to mid-1950s)

These are some of the very first fighter jets which entered production during the closing years of World War II as described above.

Germany: Me 262 ( the first operational jet fighter ever)

Photo by f0rbe5 on Flickr

Photo by Starliner1649 on Flickr

UK: Gloster Meteor

Photo by alexdrennan on Flickr

Photo by Nick Foss on Flickr

USA: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (soon re-designated F-80)

Photo by Ken’s Aviation on Flickr

Photo from Wikipedia

UK: De Havilland Vampire

Photo by f0rbe5 on Flickr

Photo by f0rbe5 on Flickr

Russian: Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

Photo by The-Doctor on Flickr

Photo by Ken’s Aviation on Flickr

Second generation jet fighters (mid-1950s to early 1960s)

The development of second-generation fighters was shaped by technological breakthroughs, lessons learned from the aerial battles of the Korean War, and a focus on conducting operations in a nuclear warfare environment. Technological advances in aerodynamics, propulsion and aerospace building materials (primarily aluminum alloys) permitted designers to experiment with aeronautical innovations, such as swept wings, delta wings, and area-ruled fuselages. Widespread use of after-burning turbojet engines allowed these aircraft to break the sound barrier, and gave them the ability to sustain supersonic speeds in level flight — it became a common capability amongst fighters of this generation. Radar-guided (RF) missiles were introduced as well, but early examples proved unreliable.

France: Dassault Mirage III/5

Photo from globalsecurity.org

Photo from globalsecurity.org

USSR: Sukhoi Su-7 ‘Fitter-A’

Photo from paulsue.plus.com

Photo from fas.org

UK: Gloster Javelin

Photo by emdjt42 on Flickr

Photo by Chris McLoughlin on Flickr

UK: Supermarine Swift

Photo by Megashorts on Flickr

Photo by PHLAIRLINE.COM on Flickr

USA: Grumman F-9 Cougar

Photo from alfa7.cz

Photo by Ken’s Aviation on Flickr

USA: Convair F-106 Delta Dart

Photo by thomash208 on Flickr

Photo by thomash208 on Flickr

Third-generation jet fighters (early 1960s to circa 1970)

The third generation witnessed continued maturation of second-generation innovations, but it is most marked by renewed emphases on maneuverability and traditional ground-attack capabilities. Enhancements to improve the aerodynamic performance of third-generation fighters included flight control surfaces such as canards, powered slats, and blown flaps. A number of technologies would be tried for vertical / short takeoff and landing, but thrust vectoring would be successful on the Harrier jump jet.

France: Dassault Mirage F1

Photo by tchikedou on Flickr

Photo by tchikedou on Flickr

Japan: Mitsubishi F-1

Photo from atchat.jp

Photo from militaryphotos.net

Photo from militaryphotos.net

USSR: Tupolev Tu-28 ‘Fiddler’

Photo from wikimedia.org

USA: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

Photo by Ken’s Aviation on Flickr

Photo by Ken’s Aviation on Flickr

Fourth generation jet fighters (circa 1970 to mid-1990s)

Fourth-generation fighters continued the trend towards multi-role configurations, and were equipped with increasingly-sophisticated avionics and weapon systems.

China: AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo

USA: Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Photo by by MATEUS_27:24&25 on Flickr

USSR: Sukhoi Su-33 ‘Flanker D’

Photo by sletch on Flickr

Photo by sletch on Flickr

4.5th generation jet fighters (1990s to 2005)

The end of the Cold War in 1991 led many governments to significantly decrease military spending as a “peace dividend.” Air force inventories were cut, and research and development programs intended to produce what was then anticipated to be the “fifth-generation” fighters.

Fifth generation jet fighters (2005 to the present)

Fifth generation jet fighters took serious hits; many programs were canceled during the first half of the 1990s, and those which survived were “stretched out.” The fifth generation was ushered in by the Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor in late 2005. Currently the cutting edge of fighter design, fifth-generation fighters are characterized as being designed from the start to operate in a network-centric combat environment and to feature extremely low, all-aspect, multi-spectral signatures employing advanced materials and shaping techniques.

USA: Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor

Photo from wallpaperbase.com

Photo from planetagadget.com

I have always been charmed by the fascinating beauty of castles, especially those still existing only in ruins, with magnificent stones and countless secrets inside. You can almost smell the mystery and see the ghosts of the castle residents in their ancient dresses, knights on horses, and rich traders. You can see noble dukes in the old castles of England, Ireland, and Scotland and feel their souls in the ancient walls. I didn’t have a chance to visit all of the world’s most beautiful castles yet but when working on the photos for this post I felt almost like I was there and seeing them with my own eyes. Thanks to all photographers who took these beautiful photos — all of the photos are linked to photographers’ profiles on Flickr. Enjoy the article and share it with your friends!

Dunguaire Castle in Ireland

Dunguaire Castle was built in 1520 by the Hynes clan. Being almost 500 years old the castles still looks fabulous and you can see the terrific defensive walls almost like they were in the 16th century. In summer the castle is open to tourists, and it is the most photographed castle in Ireland.

Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress built in the mid 14th century. It is an amazing example of beautiful Islamic architecture and one of the most beautiful palaces I’ve ever seen. Do take a minute and look at the photos of Alhambra’s interior and you’ll be overwhelmed by its rich beauty.

Biltmore Estate in North Carolina

The beautiful Biltmore estate is not that old at all. It was built at the end of the 19th century and is the largest privately owned home in the USA at the moment. The estate was opened to the public in March of 1930 (the family it belonged to needed money), but still the members of the Vanderbilt family lived there till 1956, when it was permanently opened to the public as a house museum. It’s a truly beautiful place I must say, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

Johnstown Castle in Ireland

Johnstown Castle turned out to be a big surprise for me. Built somewhere in the early 1800s it’s situated in a large beautiful garden and is used now as a conference center and offices for an agricultural institute! There seem to be no tours of the castle but still this is a great place to visit if you plan on staying nearby.

Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands, New York

There is a beautiful love story behind the Boldt Castle on Heart Island. George Boldt was spending a lot of summers with this wife Louise in a cottage on Heart Island when in 1900 he decided to build a huge mansion for them. The building began, but was stopped in 1904 after the death of Boldt’s wife. Silence covered the island for over 70 years. In 1977 the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired Heart Island for one dollar (!) with the agreement that all the revenue from tourism would be spent on the castle restoration.

Prague Castle in the Hradcany

Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world and its history dates back to the 9th century (!) when the first walled building of the castle, the Church of Our Lady, was built. It’s been a place of residence of the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. It’s a great place to visit, and if you come to be in the Czech Republic reserve a day for this beautiful piece of architecture.

Windsor Castle in England

The gorgeous Windsor Castle fills an area of 484,000 square feet and is the largest inhabited castle in the world. Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining. I wish I had a castle for my private entertaining!

Edinburgh Castle in Scotland

Edinburgh Castle is the first in my list of castles to visit. This castle fortress stands on the volcanic Castle Rock and human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC. It has been a royal residence since the reign of David I in the 12th century, up to Union of the Crowns in 1603. From the later 17th century, the castle became a military base with a large garrison. Its importance as a historic monument was recognized in the 19th century, and various restoration programs have been carried out since.

Blarney Castle in Ireland

Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney built by the McCarthy clan sometime around 1446. Now it’s partially ruined but some rooms are accessible for tourists. At the top of the castle lies the legendary Stone of Eloquence and tourists may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence.

Chateau Gaillard in France

Château-Gaillard is a medieval castle located not far from Paris. The construction of the fortress began in 1196 by Richard the Lionheart and this huge massive building was completed in an unusually short time — 2 years. The castle consists of three enclosures separated by dry moats, with a keep in the inner enclosure. Significantly ruined, the Château-Gaillard is still very impressive and is open to the public all year round.

Frankenstein Castle in Germany

What a “romantic” name this castle has. The castle was built around 1250 by Lord Konrad who gave it the name Frankenstein (he then used this name for himself as well). In the 17th century it was used as a refuge and a hospital. Then it fell into ruins in the 18th century. The two towers we can see today are a historically inaccurate restoration of the mid-19th century. In 1970, a restaurant was built within the castle. In 1976, American soldiers founded an annual Halloween festival at the castle which became one of the biggest Halloween festivals in Europe.

The Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps, NYC, my favourite holiday destination, a fantastic city – everyone refers to New York City as something different as this wonderful place actually means something different to everyone who visits.

With an event, parade, exhibition or attraction seemingly taking place each and every day of the year, New York City seems to be continually changing. However, regardless of when you may a make a visit throughout the year, one aspect never changes – New York City at night.

A Black and White Big Apple

There aren’t many words or phrases other than breathtaking and awe-inspiring that can do this image of New York justice. Stirring a complete mix of emotions, from confusion as to where and how it is has been taken to intrigue of whom the mystery figure is, this is a true replication of New York City – fascinating, captivating and astounding.

Normality In The City

This is actually one of my favourite New York City at night photographs, not for the fact it is instantly recognisable as New York (as the rest of the pictures are), but that it shows the city as being seemingly normal – something that not very many tourists get to see.

The detail in the picture is immense (which can be truly appreciated when you click on the image to see the full version) and wherever you look, in whichever window or at the corner of whichever building, you can imagine a person carrying out normal, every day tasks in a city that can be considered anything but normal.

The City That Never Sleeps

Whilst this may only be a general photograph taken by an amateur photographer, it shows perfectly how beautiful of a city New York can be at night.

With lights blazing from every skyscraper, every office block, the Chrysler building and the vague bridge outline in the background, it appears that New York is constantly alive, working and living – the perfect reason why it is so often nicknamed the City That Never Sleeps.

Colorful, Vibrant and Astounding

Whilst similar in terms of subject matter to the previous photograph, this superb image displays just how beautiful and colorful nighttime can be in New York.

Yellows, pinks, greens and blues all dominate this image and whilst some digital image enhancement may have been used to augment the vibrancy of the colors, for anyone stood in the same position, they would see a very, very similar image.

Statue de la Liberté

What is liked most about this picture is that although it is of one of the most recognisable and synonymous New York attractions, if you were unaware of this, you would not realise that the most famous city on the earth lies only a short boat ride away from this beautiful statue.

A gift to New York from France, the Statue of Liberty was presented to the Big Apple on 28 October 1886 and remains as one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of America, being just as beautiful at night as it is during the day.

The Times Square Glow

The very first thing that is noticed about this picture is not the many lights that are being displayed from all of the skyscrapers, nor the actual sheer size of the skyscrapers themselves, but the radiating glow that appears to be coming from some huge light source in the center of Manhattan.

This huge light source is actually Times Square and the many electronic advertising boards that are on constantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Under The Brooklyn Bridge

Taken from the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge, the sun has set around an hour ago in this image and the lights of the City can be seen vividly, with the red, white and blue lights of the Empire State Building shining through beautifully.

Simple and sophisticated, the lights in the foreground on the Brooklyn Bridge compliment the masses of city lights perfectly.

Bold, Bright and Busy

In the earlier image that showed the glow of Times Square from above, imagine what it would look like if you were down where the lights were – this photograph portrays that (and the general vibrancy of New York) perfectly.

The busyness of New York.  The bright lights.  The absolute boldness of it all.  It might not be a calm and tranquil Caribbean beach, but it is the place where millions of people choose to go on vacation each and every year.

A Mirror Of Manhattan

Almost everyone has seen a picture of the New York skyline, as it is so breathtaking that it can be admired by all.  This photograph of the skyline, however, has something different.

Not only are the colors of the lights startling themselves, but the reflection of all of the buildings on the East River make it somewhat spectacular.

The City Stunner

When asked to name one of the many popular skyscraper buildings in New York City, people will often respond with either the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Center.  Whilst these are extremely popular and beautiful in their own right, the Chrysler Building is so often over looked, yet it is one of the most spectacular buildings anywhere in New York.

And this photograph proves it.