Oldest Shoes Compilation

Old shoes doesn't sound interesting but here are some fine examples. These shoes range from the incredibly short and tall Venetian Chopines, which had 2 foot soles for courtesans to wade through sewage lined streets, to the opposite-shaped long, skinny, medieval Poulaines, which had toes stuffed with moss. Interestingly the worlds oldest shoes come from the New World, or Oregon to be exact.

One of the favorites are the Roman shoes from the time of Constantine, whose style show just show eastern, or to our eyes, Arabic, the Empire would have felt at that time.

Ancient Greek Pair of Terracotta Boots 900 BC

16th C cows mouth shoe

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Rare Construction Photos The Statue Of Liberty

There is always a point in time when famous landmarks weren't there. One image of America which is fixed in the minds of millions is the Statue of Liberty and the history of its construction is fascinating.

Take a trip back in time and see extraordinary behind the scenes images of the creation of this superlative structure.

A giant is formed. The sheer scale of the statue under construction can be seen here, in contrast to the workmen posing woodenly for that fairly new invention, the camera. The more formal name for the statue is Liberty Enlightening the World and it is constructed with sheets of pure copper, even though the picture makes it look something like marble.

It is something of a miracle that we now have the finished product standing proudly on Liberty Island. Had it not been for the contributions of ordinary French and Americans then she would never have arisen in the first instance.

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World's Most Colorful Snakes

Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. We all know that most of the snakes a dangerous and some are deadly too. But we rarely know that some of the snakes are so color full too.

Now let's have a look at a collection of most colorful snakes on earth.

Emerald Tree Boa

Most species of boas are colorful like the Corallus caninus, a non-venomous snake found in the rain-forests of South America. Adults grow to about 6 feet or 1.8 m in length.. They have highly developed front teeth that are likely proportionately larger than those of any other non-venomous snake.

Coast Garter Snake

This species of snake is called Coast Garter Snake or Thamnophis elegans terrestris have toxins in their saliva and the bite can produce mild reaction in humans. They are not considered dangerous to humans, although they excrete a foul smelling musk when handled.

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Did You Know Pandas Fly Business Class?

How do you transport a giant Panda from China to the United States? Apparently Panda travel in business class and the picture above is not a hoax. Cool...

After extensive consultation with the Sanctury's veterinary staff it was concluded that the importance of the panda cub precluded it from traveling in the hold of the aircraft, where attending to its needs would be difficult. Thus China Airlines agreed to donate seats in its Business Traveler First cabin for the panda cub named Squee Squee and his carer, Fu Jiang Lang, seen here sitting in the window seat.

Source from Buzzfeed

The Life Of Joseph Stalin In Photos

Yes, this is not exactly Stalin's real photo album. This is the work of a writer Nodar Djin who has tried to imagine the way Stalin's photo album looked like if he had one.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (18 December 1878 – 5 March 1953; born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953.

While formally the office of the General Secretary was elective and was not initially regarded as the top position in the Soviet state, after Vladimir Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin managed to consolidate more and more power in his hands, gradually putting down all opposition groups within the party. This included Leon Trotsky, the Red Army organizer, proponent of world revolution, and principal critic of Stalin among the early Soviet leaders, who was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1929. Instead, Stalin's idea of socialism in one country became the primary line of the Soviet politics.

In power until his death in 1953, Stalin led the USSR during the period of post-war reconstruction, marked by the dominance of Stalinist architecture (most famously represented by the Stalin skyscrapers). The successful development of the Soviet nuclear program enabled the country to become the world's second nuclear weapons power; the Soviet space program was started as spin-off of the nuclear project. In his last years, Stalin also launched the so-called Great Construction Projects of Communism and the Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature.

This is my house. It’s small, yes, but I didn’t need a bigger one because I was just as small. I kept a goat in the annex and her name was Jeanne. In honor of Jeanne d’Arc. My father Beso worked in Tbilisi and he didn’t like Jeanna. So, when I was at school, he got drunk and choked her to death.

It’s me at school. I’m in the back raw, but in the middle. The photographer didn’t let me get closer to the pillow, even though I was his best pupil. Probably, he was bribed. By those who are next to the pillow, not by their parents. My parent, seeing the picture, told me to grow faster. But he liked it in general because one cannot see smallpox scars on my face in it.

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Nuclear Bombs Testing

Since the time of Trinity, which is the first nuclear explosion in 1945, nearly 2,000 nuclear tests have been performed, with the majority taking place during the 1960s and 1970s. When the technology was new, tests were frequent and often spectacular, and led to the development of newer, more deadly weapons.

Judging from the amount of nuke test done, I just can imagine the amount of radiation human kind had been exposed.

Starting in the 1990s, there have been efforts to limit the future testing of nuclear weapons, including a U.S. moratorium and a U.N. comprehensive test ban treaty. As a result, testing has slowed, though not halted, and there are questions about the future. Who will take over for those experienced engineers who are now near retirement, and should we act as stewards with enormous stockpiles of nuclear weapons? 

Gathered here are images from the first 30 years of nuclear testing.

Exposed wiring of The Gadget, the nuclear device which exploded as part of Trinity, the first nuclear weapons test of an atomic bomb. At the time of this photo, the device was being prepared for its detonation, which took place on July 16, 1945. (U.S. Department of Defense)  

Upshot-Knothole Grable, a test carried out by the U.S. military in Nevada on May 25, 1953. A 280mm nuclear shell was fired 10km into the desert by the M65 Atomic Cannon, detonating in the air, about 500 feet above the ground, with a resulting 15 kiloton explosion. (U.S. Department of Defense) 

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Day Of Ashura - The 10th Day Of Muharram

Ashura, meaning tenth in Arabic. Ashura is a religious observance marked every year by Muslims, on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. Ashura is an ancient observance that is now recognized for different reasons and in different ways among Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. Below is a little explanation on Sunni and Shi'a.

Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah (Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة‎, "people of the tradition [of Muhammad] and the community") or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah (Arabic: أهل السنة‎) for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites. 

Shia Islam (Arabic: شيعة‎, Shīʿah) is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī (شيعة علي), meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".

Ashura Day Celebration For Sunni Islam

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, local Jews observed a day of fasting at this time, their Day of Atonement. The Prophet Muhammad learned of this tradition, and stated that the Muslims should also fast. He himself fasted for 2 days, and recommended that others do so as well. This fast is not required, simply recommended.

Ashura Day Celebration For Shi'a Islam

In the year 680 A.D., an event happened that was a turning point for what was to become the Shi'a Muslim 

community. Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was brutally murdered during a battle against the ruling Caliph, on the 10th day of Muharram (Ashura). This took place in Karbala (modern-day Iraq), which is now an important pilgrimage site for Shi'a Muslims.

Shi'a Muslims observe the day in mourning for Hussein and in remembrance of his martyrdom. Reenactments and plays are performed, attempting to relive the tragedy and keep the lessons of this event alive. Some Shi'a Muslims beat and flog themselves in parades on this day, to express their grief and to reenact the pain that Hussein suffered.

Collection of images of very devout Shi'a cut and whip themselves into a bloody froth in observance. Here are photos of Ashura from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

I might not really understand the important of why these people self cutting and whipping their body into bloody bath but, I really cannot find any different with Thaipusam where people also piecing themself in the sense of devotion. I'll do more research...

WARNING: GRAPHIC DISTURBING IMAGE

(Reuters / Babu)

(AP / K.M. Chaudary)

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Best Food For Antioxidants

Although scientists didn't realize their significance until relatively recently, antioxidants are now thought to be important dietary nutrients. So, what are antioxidants, exactly? They're substances in food which prevent damage to your body's cells and tissues caused by free radicals. It's important to keep free radicals in check, as they may contribute to aging, cancer and chronic diseases such as heart disease and Parkinson's disease.

Certain vitamins, such as A, C, and E have antioxidant properties, as do bioflavonoids – free radical-fighting chemicals naturally present in certain plants. In general, fruits and vegetables are great sources of these substances. There are various methods of calculating the antioxidant value of foods, one of which is the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) assay, used by the USDA. Health officials currently recommend consuming about 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC units per day.

1. Spices

Source

Bland food lovers, beware! When measured by weight, spices are the richest source of antioxidants. The type of spice with the greatest antioxidant capacity is cloves, with an exceptional ORAC value of almost 300,000 units. (Note, however, that ORAC value is calculated per 100 grams – please don't try to eat 100 grams of cloves just for the antioxidants!) Other especially antioxidant-rich spices include oregano, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, cinnamon, sage and vanilla.

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9 Tallest Mountains In Solar System

Mount Everest, at 29,029 feet tall (5.5 miles), is the tallest mountain on earth. But, not known to many, Hawaii's Mauna Kea is actually much more taller than Everest, which is actually 33,465 feet tall, although only 13,796 of which are above sea level. 

If we look beyond our planet earth, there are lots and lots of taller mountains compare to Everest and Mauna Kea. Following are the tallest mountains in various worlds of the Solar System. Heights are given base to peak.

9. Arsia Mons, Mars > 9 km (5,6 mi)

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Arsia Mons is 270 miles (approximately 435 kilometres) in diameter, almost 12 miles high (more than 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) higher than the surrounding plains), and the summit caldera is 72 miles (approximately 110 km) wide. It experiences atmospheric pressure lower than 107 pascals at the summit. Except for Olympus Mons, it is the biggest volcano in volume. Arsia Mons has 30 times the volume of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, the largest volcano on the Earth.

8. Mauna Kea, Earth = 10,2 km (6,3 mi)

Source

Mauna Kea (Hawaii) has an altitude of 4,205 meters (2,6 mi) - much lower than Mount Everest. However, Mauna Kea is an island and if the distance from the bottom of the nearby ocean floor to the peak of the island is measured, then Mauna Kea is taller than Mount Everest.  Mauna Kea is over 10 km (6,2 mi) tall compared to 8.848 m (5,5 mi) for Mount Everest - making it the Earth's tallest mountain. 

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2011 Carnival Season From Around The World

Carnival Season is a festive season which occurs usually during February. Carnival Season typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party, as a way to usher out the winter and welcome spring. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

Across Europe and the Americas, parades and festivals have been taking place for nearly a month, culminating in the largest, most famous party of all: the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Brazilian Carnival is one of the best-known celebrations today, but many cities and regions worldwide celebrate with large, popular, and days-long events. The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro is the biggest carnival in the world, and the biggest popular party on the planet, according to The Guinness Book of World Records 2010. The Rio de Janeiro Carnaval is also considered the world's most famous.

Gathered below are images from the past several weeks of carnivals around the globe from 2011 season.

Please be remind. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Contain religious images. 

Contain images that might be Not Suitable or Safe For Work (NSFW) or Not School-Suitable (NSS)

A Unidos da Tijuca samba school dancer performs during a carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early Monday March 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)  

A worker prepares a carnival float at Unidos da Tijuca Samba School in Rio de Janeiro March 1, 2011. (REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes)

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Sexiest Men Of The '50s, '60s, '70s

During the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, a new generation of people began to question and challenge the traditionally accepted cultural norms. The relatively conservative ideals that were formed around international war and population growth were beginning to evolve. World just move on from World War 2 and people around the world feel the need to express themselves freely. 

During this time also the foundation for rock and roll music was formed, racial segregation was an issue, and the strict laws around sexual expression were being challenged. For this reason, the people that emerged as sex symbols during this era were extremely influential and important to popular culture.

Below is men sex symbol from that era. People of new generation might find these bunch of people as old folks but back in the days, these guys are considered as god to most of people. If you not believe me, just ask your mom or grandma. The odd is, your mom and grandma surely know 90% of these guys.

Marlon Brando - "He was such a sensitive instrument. I used to play the violin, and I liken Marlon to one of those strings that when you're playing just vibrates." —Eva Marie Saint, remembering Marlon Brando (pictured in A Streetcar Named Desire)

James Dean - "He sure appeals to me. I guess that's because I'm the type that likes to take in stray cats and dogs and he reminds me of that." —an unnamed starlet who dated Dean, talking to LIFE circa 1955

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Flying 101 Lesson By Kulula Airlines

Kulula (South Africa's favourite low fare airline), have recently released this fantastic new aircraft livery entitled Flying 101. Kulula are well known for their fun marketing exploits and this one lives up to their high standards. Each part of the aircraft is labelled with humorous captions.

Flying 101 has flown around the world several time thanks to the power of email and internet. This plane was designed in-house by our graphic design team as part of our bigger strategy to demystify air travel and explain some of the unknowns around air travel and flying. Look out for some of the quirky likes like 'The big cheese' pointing to the Captain and 'The black box – that's actually orange'.

I have to say that I really like Fukula Plane livery. Not only it come in super cool bright green colour, it also encourage people to know term aeronautical engineering. Thumbs up!

Source

Source

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World's Most Beautiful Women Is From Venezuela?

Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares, Miss Venezuela, is crowned the 2011 Miss World on its 60th anniversary at London's Earls Court. Here are photos of other heavenly creatures from this South American nation (as well as a few more shots of Ivian).

In total, Venezuela had produce 6 Miss Worlds and also 6 Miss Universe. Do the World's Most Beautiful Women Live in Venezuela? Let's find out.

Please be remind. Viewer discretion is advised. Contain images that might...

Not Suitable or Safe For Work (NSFW), Not Work-Suitable or Safe (NWS), Not School-Suitable (NSS)

Ivian Lunasol Sarcos Colmenares, Miss Venezuela, is crowned the 2011 Miss World on its 60th anniversary at London's Earls Court. 

Miss Venezuela talks with Miss World 2010, Alexandria Mills of the United States.

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Majlis Al Jinn - Spirits Gathering Cave

Majlis al Jinn also known as Majlis al-Jinn or locally called as Khoshilat Maqandeli is the ninth largest cave chamber in the world, as measured by the surface area of the floor. It ranks higher when measured by volume. The cave is located in a remote area of the Selma Plateau at 1,380 meters above sea level in the Sultanate of Oman, 100 km south-east from Muscat.

Majlis al-Jinn means meeting/gathering place of the Jinn. This spectacular cave is one of natural wonders in the world. The locals believe that Jinns lives in caves and since this is one of the biggest cave in the world, this chamber surely must serve as their majlis, or meeting place. That is how it got the name Majlis Al Jinn.

The entrances were discovered in June 1983 by Americans W. Don Davison, Jr. (nickname: D2) and his wife, Cheryl S. Jones. Don, a hydrogeologist, who was employed by the government of Oman's Public Authority for Water Resources (PAWR), which later became the Ministry of Water Resources. The cave was located and mapped as part of the PAWR's Karst Research Program.

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Top 10 Supercomputers

Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical compounds, biological macromolecules, polymers, and crystals), and physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels, simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and research into nuclear fusion). Today the supercomputers range in the speed of the order of 200 teraflops and we listed top ten supercomputers with performance of the order of petaflops.

No. 10 Roadrunner: United States

The US's Super Computer built by one of the most famous computing system manufacturers The IBM. The Project was executed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, USA. At this time the world's tenth fastest computer, the project expensed US$133-million. The Roadrunner is designed for a peak performance of 1.7 petaflops; achieving 1.026 on May 25, 2008 to become the world's first TOP500 Linpack sustained 1.0 petaflops system. Roadrunner being different from many existing supercomputers by the fact that it is a hybrid scheme design computer because it uses two different processor architectures.  The processors used in Road Runner's design scheme are; AMD Opteron 2210, operating at 1.8 GHz and IBM PowerXCell 8i, operating at 3.2 GHz. Cumulatively the Roadrunner is said to posses 122,400 cores. In November 2008, it reached a top performance of 1.456 petaflops, retaining its top spot in the TOP500 list.

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Bangladesh Train Surfing

This is a common scene in Bangladesh every day transportation, a Train Surfing. Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world, trains are the most used traveling vehicle there but because of the poverty many of the people can't afford a train ticket so, they need to travel on the train roofs risking their lives.

Think of this next time when you are jammed in traffic in comfort of your own car before swearing everybody around.

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Daylight Saving Time (DST) For Dummies

A brief history and explanation of the annual madness that is daylight saving time. It seems like an awful lot of hassle twice a year for a tiny payoff.

Source from Geek Are Sexy

How Pizza Name Was Invented

It's in the name, pizza was just invented to be delicious based on mathematical formulas. It makes so much sense now.

If you confuse with what I'm trying to say, a cylinder with radius r units and height h units has a volume of V cubic units given by V = π x 2r x h. So, the mathematical volume of a pizza is pizza, if you change r with z and h with a. If you still not get it, please find back your primary school mathematic text book.

Source from Neatorama

Rudest Hand Gestures In The World

A taxi cuts you off in Rome. A Mumbai merchant spurns your best offer. A maitre d' snubs you in Beirut. At times like these, words can fail even the most seasoned polyglot. But now salvation is literally at hand, thanks to Rude Hand Gestures of the World, by Romana Lefevre, with photographs by Daniel Castro. 

When you're abroad and someone is giving you the thumbs up sign, it may not mean quite what you think it does. Likewise, in Jordan you should avoid inadvertently brushing your nose with your finger as it might lead to some unwanted sexual attention.

Sign: Thumb Ups

Meaning: Up yours

Used in: Greece, Latin America, Middle East, Russia, Sardinia, Western Africa

Depending on where you are, a thumbs up could just be a sign of approval. But in some countries, this refers to an action in the nether regions, and is meant as an offense. Visitors should note that to add insult to injury, the thumb can be jerked upwards.

Sign: Le Camembert

Meaning: Shut up

Used in: France 

This gesture mimes the closing of the mouth. Hold the fingers straight and then close them against the thumb

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