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The World's Deadliest Animal

Here are the top ten and with their method of predation/subtrafuge. Ranked by who kills the most people annually.

10) Posion Dart Frog, clearly not for kissing and one wonders if its habitat has extended into the Marina district in San Francisco (but that is another story)
view-source:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5KGokH88VZa3O_jM6kqfSob3ND9uxz_sOJw8DJdOSHmGZ21fYAwaThTq9m4ax7U6cFAg-PexaHMx4JYnpr3_VgBIpdmc2EbiuSLQJkc6qdhPn7IOiE1ESiJT6rkEuWvRev6AAFrR5TBH/s400/blue_auratus.jpg


9.) Cape Buffalo, also commonly known as the water buffalo. When faced with a predator, cape buffalos charge head on. That's 1,500 pounds of beast topped off with two big, sharp horns. You're lucky if there's only one - the real danger comes when a herd of thousands stampedes in your direction.



8.) Polar Bear, not so cuddly anymore! But one might have guessed this since I bet they get pretty hungry and have few chances at prey--making each kill important and a ruthless competitor.



7.) Elephant, Elephants kill more than 500 people a year worldwide. African elephants generally weigh in around 16,000 pounds. Here is a story of a friend of man/domesticated animal--which when mistreated can turn nasty. I have to say, I am rooting for the elephant on this one. Ever hear the story of how Louis Leaky would go after the poachers in africa?



6.) Australian Saltwater Crocodile, I don't know how they determined this would be the worst preditator after the Louisana type...We used to joke in Savannah about how the crocs would come up from the river and eat unwary poodles.



5.) African Lion, (or lioness to be more exact)



4.) Great White Shark, isn't interesting we have at least four animals/insects/fish/amphibians who are from the Cretaeous on this list?



3.) Australian Box Jellyfish,Also known as the sea wasp, this salad-bowl sized jellyfish can have up to 60 tentacles each 15 feet long. Each tentacle has 5,000 stinging cells and enough toxin to kill 60 humans.



2.) Asian Cobra, While the Asian Cobra doesn't hold the title of most venomous snake, it does the most with what it has. Of the 50,000 deaths by snakebite a year, Asian Cobras are responsible for the largest chunk.



1.) Mosquito, Sort of an unassuming predator, no? But some mosquitoes carry and transfer malaria causing parasites. As a result, these little pests are responsible for the deaths of more than two million people a year.


source The World's Deadliest Animal, Nice n Funny 


Weird and Interesting Facts From Around the Globe
1. The Only Royal Palace Used by a Monarch in the U.S.

photo source
The only royal palace used by a monarch in the U.S. is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the Iolani Palace and belonged to the monarchs King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. The building then served as the capitol building until Hawaii became a state in 1959. Today the Iolani Palace is a museum.

2. Central Park - Surface Area (NY, U.S.) 
photo source
New York's Central Park is larger than the principality of Monaco. It occupies an area of 840 acres (340 hectares).

3. No Water Heater at Iceland
Strokkur geyser, Iceland   photo source
Urban Icelandic homes do not need a water heater or a furnace for heating. Steam and hot water are piped into the city from natural geysers and hot springs for use in homes and buildings.

4. European Territories on the African Continent?
Ceuta, Spain   photo source
Spain is the European country closest to Africa. In fact, the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla are the only European territories on the African continent. Mainland Spain is only 12 miles away from Ceuta. You can take a 35 minute ferry from Ageciras on the southern coast of Spain, to Ceuta. From there you can enter Morocco to visit cities like Tangiers, Casablanca and Fez. 

5. Why Canberra is the Capital of Australia?
Canberra      photo source

The site of Canberra was selected for the location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's two largest cities. A location was chosen which was 248km (154mi) from Sydney and 483km (300mi) from Melbourne. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely planned city.

6. Table Mountain - Plant Species (South Africa)
Table Mountain alone has over 1,500 species of plants, more than the entire United Kingdom.

7. Canary Islands Were Named After Dogs (Spain)
Tenerife, Canary Islands    photo source
The Canary Islands were named after dogs, not birds. In Roman times, the islands were known for the wild dogs which roamed there. The Latin word for “dog” is “canis” and so they were christened the Canary Islands. When explorers visited the islands in the 16 th century, they brought home pretty little singing birds which they had found there and which they duly named “canaries”.

8. French Overseas Departments and Territories
France in the World    source
Nearly 20% of the territory of France lies outside Europe. These regions are known as "DOM-TOM" (overseas departments and territories), where over 2.5 million French citizens live.

9. Guam's Roads are Made With Coral
Guam's Road    photo source
Roads on the Pacific island of Guam are made with coral. Guam has no sand, all the “sand” on the beaches being ground coral. So this coral sand is used for mixing concrete rather than going to the expense of importing real sand from other countries.

10. India's Population
photo source
With one child born every 1.26 seconds in India the population is expected to grow rapidly and will at current rates become the most populated place in the world by 2075 with a projected population of 1,900 million.

11. Salt Deposit in Bolivia
photo source
The largest deposit of salt on the planet is found in Bolivia. The Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni salt beds or salt flats) contain over 64 million tons of salt! Believe it or not what you see in the picture above is SALT! When it rains the water forms a thin layer on top that reflects the entire sky!

12. The Caribbean - Island Inhabitation
source
One of the most awesome facts that you’ll ever hear about these isles, is that roughly only 2% of the islands are inhabited. Think of the islands that you know & that figure only represents 2% of the total islands that are down there. It is amazing the amount of land, there is down here, only seen and roamed upon by wildlife.

13. Mt. Everest Grows?
photo source
Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters every year: the two tectonic plates of Asia and India, which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other, causing the Himalyan peaks to grow slightly each year.

14. Chinese Unused Homes
These skyscraper in Chenggong, where there are already 100,00 new homes, should be bustling with life but are instead empty    photo source
By 2025, China will build sufficient skyscrapers to make up 10 New York-sized cities, yet China has 64 million unused homes, including whole empty cities.  Build and populate later is China's policy, as can be seen also in Las Vegas and Spain.


15. Longest Street in the World (Canada)
Yonge Street   photo source
The Longest Street in the World is Yonge Street (pronounced “young”), referred to as “Main Street Ontario”, connects the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto in Canada to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1,896 km (1,178 mi), and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an Event of National Historic Significance.


16. Multi-Ethnic New York
photo source
In New York, there are more Italians than in Rome, more Irish than in Dublin and more Jews than in Tel Aviv. The big apple stands out anytime, no matter who you are or what you’re interested in.


source Weird and Interesting Facts From Around the Globe, Nice n Funny 




Dubai’ Lost Projects

s01. IRIS CRYSTAL TOWER

The Iris Crystal – left render from Iris; central and right render from Aedas
The Iris Crystal – Left render from Iris; central and right render from Aedas

Featuring a sinuous twist to a luxury commercial tower, The Iris Crystal was designed by Aedas as an eye-catching structure that took inspiration from its location at the head of an artificial bay and based its form on cascading water. The striking double skin exterior, made up of an inner façade of glazing protected by an outer solar screen, reminiscent of Arabic sun screens, was designed to protect the tower from solar gain. The tower was to be built in the Business Bay section of Dubai – a brand new ‘city within a city’ concept that was to be developed between 2008 and 2012-15. Many projects in this area have suffered from financial difficulties of some sort, and the Iris Crystal is no exception. Despite selling 60% of the available let space by June 2008, the tower has suffered massive delays, with no superstructure in place as yet and no official announcement as to when construction will begin again.
Left: Hydropolis  Centre: concept room  Right: Overhead view of Resort and Land Station – renders from designbuild-network and impactlab
 Left: Hydropolis  Centre: Concept Room  Right: Overhead view of Resort and Land Station – Renders from designbuild-network and Impactlab

The premise of Hydropolis – a hotel submerged 20 metres below sea level – may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but a joint venture between German designer Joachim Hauser and financier Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai almost led to underwater living becoming a reality. Visitors would reach the hotel from the land station, taking an underground train to the main resort complex situated just off Jumeira Beach. This complex has been designed with reference to the human nervous system, with restaurants, bars, meeting rooms and suites extending away from the ballroom as a central point, acting as the ‘heart’. The ballroom would not be fully submerged, with the roof retractable to allow open air events to take place – even as the view from the windows shows an underwater scene. Unfortunately, with a price tag of $300 million to construct the 220 suite resort, the project tailed off as the recession hit and has been indefinitely delayed as of 2008.

The Lighthouse Tower – renders by WS Atkins & Partners
The Lighthouse Tower – Renders by WS Atkins & Partners

Designed by WS Atkins, who were also behind the Burj Al Arab and the Bahrain World Trade Center, the Lighthouse Tower was designed as an eco-friendly alternative to the usual super-tall skyscrapers shooting up around Dubai. Rather than being one solid tower, the structure is actually made up of two separate towers connected by a series of bridges and sky-gardens and clad in over 4,000 solar panels. It was also planned to attach three wind turbines to the south-facing façade, creating between 700 and 900 megawatt hours of energy. Even the lifts were designed in such a way that a lift heading downwards would create 30% of the energy required for a simultaneously ascending lift. Overall, the designers planned to reduce energy consumption by 65% and water consumption by 40% compared to a standard skyscraper. The idea of a ‘lighthouse’ therefore is symbolic of the Lighthouse Tower being a new style of tower, lighting the way forward. Sadly, however, despite winning awards for sustainable design, the tower has now been cancelled.

04. DUBAI OPERA HOUSE 
Dubai Opera House – Images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects and designboom
Dubai Opera House – Images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects and Designboom

Brainchild of Zaha Hadid, the celebrated Iraqi-British architect, the Dubai Opera House was to be built in the new Lagoons development of Dubai. The development, which would have spanned over seven interlinking artificial islands and included residential and commercial developments along with hotels, a museum, a marina and the Opera House, was estimated to cost around $25 billion, but construction was delayed in 2008 and subsequently suspended. This obviously impacted on the development of the Opera House, unfortunately leading to its cancellation. Had the project survived, the project would have included a 2,500 seat opera house, an 800 seat playhouse, an art gallery, performing arts school, two libraries, an outdoor theatre and a luxury 6 star hotel. The structure was designed to emulate the gentle peaks and troughs of sand dunes, with a graceful timelessness that sets it apart from many of the standard commercial towers that have already been built in Dubai.

source Dubai’s Lost Projects, Nice n Funny 

The Pad – renders by James Law Cybertecture
The Pad – Renders by James Law Cybertecture

Possibly the first building to be inspired by a global corporation, the Pad derived its unusual look from the iPod, imitating the look of the iconic mp3 player resting in a docking station. Designed by James Law, an architect specializing in cybertecture, the 230 residential apartments were to feature futuristic technology to appeal to a young, urban generation. Planned facilities included iHealth (technology to measure your weight, blood pressure and temperature in your bathroom), iAmbience (lighting that changes to indicate that you’ve received email, phone calls and text messages), iReality (panoramas from other parts of the world projected onto windows) and iArt (a server that you can subscribe to and update the artwork in your apartment). The complex would also include spa, gym, swimming pool, oxygen bar, nightclub, running track and barbeque and gathering areas. Rooms were projected to cost from US$343,688 for a studio apartment to US$901,158 for a two bedroom apartment, and more than 90% of the apartments were pre-sold. However, construction of The Pad has hit delays after a promising start, and the project is currently on hold with no news as to when the development might begin to develop momentum again.

06. BURJ AL ALAM 
Burj Al Alam – Renders by Fortune Group
Burj Al Alam – Renders by Fortune Group

The Burj Al Alam was to be one of the world’s tallest buildings until its construction was put on hold shortly after piling works to the foundations was completed due to delays in payments from investors. At a proposed 510 metres high, it would be taller than the famous Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, but renders show it to be a delicate, intricate design with a slender, hyperboloid tower topped with a crown resembling a crystal flower. As a mixed-use tower, 74 floors would be dedicated to office space and the top 27 floors would be residential and luxury hotel accommodation. Within the six storey crown there would be a luxury Turkish bath, sky garden and private club facilities, and there would be retail units situated in the base of the tower. Construction began in 2006, but the tower is still suffering from heavy delays and may be on hold for the foreseeable future.

07. ANARA TOWER 
The Anara Tower – Renders by Atkins Design Studio
The Anara Tower – Renders by Atkins Design Studio

Don’t be fooled by its appearance – the Anara Tower wasn’t a wind turbine but, more surprisingly, it didn’t even contain a wind turbine anywhere in its design. The turbine-style glazed pod at the very top of the tower was, in fact, a luxury restaurant designed to give the best of panoramic views from around 600 metres in the air. The shape of the tower was also designed in such a way that 60% of the building had panoramic ocean views, as well as having two multi-purpose sports courts, food and retail areas, a swimming pool and four sky gardens providing green outdoor space for residents.

Influenced by the iconic shape of minarets, Atkins Design Studio sought a recognisable shape for both local and international visitors, deciding on the wind turbine design. Not only did the design showcase the tower’s eco-credentials (maximising water and energy efficiency in addition to complying with LEED certification requirements), but it had also been designed with the future in mind, with the rear elevation allowing for future expansion of the building through four connecting sky bridges. Unfortunately the tower design wasn’t completely ‘future-proofed’, and was cancelled in 2009.

08. ROAD AND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS 
The RTA Headquarters – Centre: interior render from Design Design LLC; Left and right: renders of opposing elevations by Zwarts and Jansma
The RTA Headquarters – Centre: interior render from Design Design LLC; Left and right: renders of opposing elevations by Zwarts and Jansma

Planned to be built in the middle of an artificial lake, the new Road and Transport Authority Headquarters would have been an eye-catching addition to Dubai’s skyline. Created by the Dutch firm Zwarts and Jansma Architects and influenced by the shape of the RTA logo, the structure featured two 20 storey high electronic screens that would have displayed traffic data to the surrounding area. The surface of the manmade lake was to come alive in office hours, swirling and rippling to make a kinetic water show, but at night it would have been calm and serene, reflecting the sky and the building in a ‘water mirror’ effect and making the structure appear to float above the water. The architects were especially interested in the intersection of waterways, subways and highways in reflecting the core work of the Road and Transport Authority.

The unusual exterior, described as a ‘glass crystal with Venetian blinds’, would have been created through the use of sun breaks to reduce reflection and solar gain, saving 20% of the energy usually used to cool the interior. The gridded nature of the façade and its unusual angles would also have made the structure appear different from different angles due to light refraction. Unfortunately, the project has now been cancelled.

09. TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL AND TOWER
The Trump International Hotel & Tower – Left: Original design; Centre & right: Revised design – all renders by WS Atkins.
The Trump International Hotel & Tower – Left: Original design; Centre & right: Revised design – All renders by WS Atkins.

Set to be the centrepiece of the famous Palm Jumeirah Islands in Dubai, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Dubai underwent several incarnations before deciding on the imposing modernist split tower structure that was set to be completed by 2009. The original design was a tulip-inspired structure with four golden petals sheathing a central circular tower, but later redesigns focused on a split tower that linked at the top, with a monorail and station situated in the open core between the two tower shafts. Positioned in the ‘trunk’ of the Palm Islands, the tower would have acted as a gateway-like structure to the rest of the resort.

As a partnership between local developers Nakheel and the Trump Organisation, the project foundered as a result of the global recession, along with several other Nakheel projects. After being put on hold indefinitely in 2009, the project was finally cancelled in early 2011.

10. DYNAMIC TOWER 
The Dynamic Tower – Left: Differing shapes of the Tower; Right: The mechanics of the Tower – all renders by Dynamic Architecture
The Dynamic Tower – Left: Differing shapes of the Tower; Right: The mechanics of the Tower – All renders by Dynamic Architecture

The Dynamic Tower is a fairly radical idea, even for the architectural excesses of Dubai – a 420 metre high tower where each floor revolves independently at a maximum rate of 6 metres per minute, or one revolution every 90 minutes. The movement would result in a tower with a constantly evolving shape and appearance. In addition, it would be the world’s first prefabricated skyscraper, with over 90% of the tower manufactured in a factory and shipped to site, where it would be assembled in two-thirds of the time of a normal skyscraper. The only true construction work on site would be the building of the core, which would contain services and supply each floor with clean water based on the technology used for in-flight refuelling of aircraft. Each apartment would be a pre-built ‘module’ that would come preinstalled with kitchen and bathroom suites.

Despite the size and scale of the project, the tower would be self-powered through the use of renewable energy. Solar panels fixed to the roof and top of each floor and wind turbines situated between each floor will provide enough electricity to power another five similar-sized towers as well as meet the needs of the Dynamic Tower.

The project has, however, been controversial for more than just the design. The architect, David Fisher, has never built a skyscraper before, and has distributed a biography that claims he has an honorary doctorate from an institution that does not exist. He has also failed to state where the tower would be built as he ‘wanted to keep it a surprise’. Due to delays in acquiring land and issues with patents, as well as financial funding problems due to the global recession, construction has not yet started on the project, despite announcements in 2008 that completion would occur in 2010.

Museum Of Ice In Europe

The largest indoor museum of ice sculptures in Europe, which opened this winter in a Moscow park Sokolniki.
In creating elegant exposition, located in the area of 700 square meters, was attended by the world champions in international competition of sand sculpture, snow and ice.Project manager is Paul Mylnikov (five-time world champion sand sculpture) and Bagrat Stepanyan (three-time world champion in the sculpture of ice and snow).To create the existing exposition sculptors took about 1000 tons of ice and snow.
Museum is located in the eleventh pavilion park Sokolniki.Pleasure is quite expensive - adult tickets cost 300 rubles for children - Visitors bought tickets on their own with the help of the machine.The museum is open daily from 11 to 20 hours.
Already at the entrance, visitors can see the long-necked swans, which flew for a moment from the museum to get some fresh air
The temperature inside the museum is less than -10 degrees Celsius.Therefore, all visitors, young and old issue here are warm down jackets, which are advised to wear over their coats) Wearing a blue down jacket, you immediately visually get fat by 2-3 in size and begin to feel that kind sumo wrestler, protected from the cold with a thick layer of fat

7.And the grim Medusa-Gorgon ...
Inside you can see a lot of mythological creatures. Winged Pegasus ...
Terrible guard in the Shell) A closer look - without the head inside a transparent helmet
Armed with it like this, not afraid of the word "cold" weapons
Near the wall, "suspended" dinosaur skeleton.Looking at it, just remember about the Ice Age
 
 
  Part of the exhibition is devoted to the inhabitants of other planets and galaxies

Sculpres in the museum literally shimmer with rainbow colors, thanks to special lighting, which is implemented with LEDs)
16.Who he is?

Very mirror colors that are "photographed" and remember passing around.
This Skliss - marsupial cloven-hoofed, remotely resembling a flying cow)
On the surface it looks like an ordinary parrot.This bird is unusual in that it can store any number of words spoken text and move around in interstellar space.
Good-natured elephant with three legs, with numerous tentacles, several rows of eyes and a short trunk
Just wanted to shake one of his paws
In the center of everyone's favorite - Alice Selezneva
The kids at the museum and are drawn to the sculptures.Mothers can only keep that little child inadvertently not primerzlo to one of them


On a bed you can even sit or lie down.But, as the saying goes: "Do not sleep, freeze!"
Everyone in this room everything from checkerboard floor, ending here this mirror with the mysterious bubbles made of ice.
Such work requires not only skill but also great accuracy.Ice, in comparison with the stone - the material more pliable, but more brittle.Small details sculptures over time begin to "float", so the sculptors have from time to time to update them.
At room temperature, these sculptures began to lose its shape after a couple of hours, but here they can keep it for several months.Time on this watch has stopped, or simply "froze")
A large concentration of people is only slightly raises the temperature in the room.If someone shortens the life of the sculptures, so it's visitors to the museum, hands touch the exhibits.
In the hearth of the ice fire rainbow shimmers someone's heart)
If earlier in this museum can be seen frozen flowers, but now it was the turn of fruit
Of these blocks of ice sculptors of the museum is made here such wonderful fruit trees)
Arrangement of Christmas "has been fully completed yet on December.It is based on the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Next to the baby are Mary and Joseph.
Sawing of ice blocks used are the real chainsaw.The complexity of making such sculptures is that they should not see a single "joint".In addition, work with your hands at a temperature of -10 - employment is not easy!

http://www.nicenfunny.com


 

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