Saturday, March 13, 2010

Biggest card house in the world

World's Tallest House of Cards
World's Tallest House of Cards

Bryan Berg (born 1975) is a professional "cardstacker" Born in Iowa, Berg now lives with his wife in Santa Fe, New Mexico who builds houses of cards on a very large scale. Berg broke his own record by building a replica of the Venetian Macau resort hotel. He completed it in 44 days, using 218,792 cards (more than 4000 decks). The structure measured 10.5 meters (34 feet) long, three meters (10 feet) tall and weighed more than 272 kilograms (600 pounds).

Source;- wikipedia.org
World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

World's Tallest House of Cards

India's Top 10 Hotels | 5 star resorts | top 10 luxury hotels

Amanresorts Amanbagh, Alwar
Best Desert Retreat: This ultra-deluxe resort sits on the former site of the Maharajah of Alwar's hunting lodge and personal pleasure garden. Amanbagh means "peaceful garden" and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more tranquil spot than this soft-sandstone hotel surrounded by graceful palms, fragrant eucalyptus and frangipani trees and manicured jade green lawns.. The elegant "haveli-style" rooms are among the largest in the country.

Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Best Place To Feel Like Royalty: Everything about this breathtaking property, from the arrival by boat on Lake Pichola and the views of the City Palace, will make you feel as regal as the peacock that wander the property. Many rooms boast private, walled courtyards with silken parasols and inlaid furniture, as well as private butler service. Upgrade to a suite with its own tented dining facility and infinity pool, or better yet, to the 2,650-square- foot Kohinoor Suite with its courtyard fountains, fireplaces and sauna in the master bedroom. Sorry, no throne.

Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai
Best Dining: This 565-room hotel weaves Moorish, Oriental and Florentine styles together: It features vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, archways, silk carpets, crystal chandeliers and a cantilever stairway. This diversity is also reflected in the hotel's dining venues, which happen to be Mumbai's hottest: the Middle Eastern Souk, Morimoto's Wasabi and the Zodiac Grill, where the menu changes each month to match the astrological sign.

Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
Best Tent Accommodations: Built in 1727, majestic Jaipur is also known as "The Pink City" for its oleander-rose buildings, domes and minarets. This smaller luxury hotel about five miles from the city center reflects Jaipur's colors and stateliness. It offers a variety of courtyard accommodations, from suites to air-conditioned luxury tents with teak floors, Edwardian claw-foot tubs and embroidered interior canopies. Flashlight not required.

Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra
Best Views Of The Taj Mahal: Views of the domed marble mausoleum are clear from practically every window of this property (including some bathrooms!). This hotel features Moghul architecture, terraced gardens and several reflection pools. The 103 rooms are decked out in rich purples, oranges and yellows.. Their marble bathrooms are stately with their imposing soaking tubs.

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur
Best Place For Romance: It's hard to top the setting of this white marble palace which seems to be floating atop Lake Pichola on its four-acre island pedestal. Adding to the storybook effect are the decorative details in the elegant suites: bohemian crystals, ornate glass work, green lotus leaves and cusped arches. The rooms look out on medieval gardens and hilltop fortresses.

The Four Seasons, Mumbai
Best Car Service: Driving conditions in India can be a little daunting. At the Four Seasons, the newest entrant to the country's luxury-hotel market, a fleet of 20 BMW Series 7s is available for guests--not that they'll need to go far: The glass tower hotel (whose 202 rooms look straight at the Arabian sea) is conveniently located in Worli, the city's financial center, obviously targeted to the increasing number of business travelers flocking to Mumbai.

The Imperial, New Delhi
Best Common Spaces: Built in 1936, the landmark Imperial Hotel, with its parade of palm trees, glossy Italian marble floors, teak furnishings and high ceilings, will make you feel like you should have arrived on elephant, sword on hip. But don't worry; the spacious rooms--the Deco suites are particularly stunning--have all the modern conveniences. Ask the resident curator to guide you through the hotel's hanging collection of British art.

The Leela Palace Kempinski, Bangalore
Best Business Hotel: Bangalore, India's third-largest city, has morphed into a hip, global technology center, attracting CEOs from Google, Yahoo!, IBM, Honeywell, and, of course, Bill Gates. The Leela Palace offers great accommodations and dining (at the lovely Jamavar) plus superior conference facilities. Expect to rub elbows with local resident Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon president and India's richest woman.

Devi Garh, Delwara Near Udaipur
Sexiest Design: From the outside, Devi Garh, an 18th-century Rajput palace-fort, looks just like so many of the majestic edifices throughout Rajasthan. But step inside and you'll find a totally reinvented minimalist décor. In one room, a sunken marble tub sits alone in a room looking at the Aravali Hills through floor-to-ceiling glass. Each of the 39 suites is embellished with marble and semi-precious stones. The hotel has a spa and can arrange camel rides.

World's Most Expensive Cars | Top 10 List 2009-2010

Here is the 10 most expensive production cars on the market
Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. It claims to be the fastest car with a top speed of 253 mph+. However, the title for the fastest car goes to the SSC Ultimate Aero which exceed 253 mph pushing this car to 2nd place for the fastest car.

Lamborghini Reventon $1,600,000. The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built is the second on the list. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

McLaren F1 $970,000. In 1994, the McLaren F1 was the fastest and most expensive car. Even though it was built 15 years ago, it has an unbelievable top speed of 240 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Even as of today, the McLaren F1 is still top on the list and it outperformed many other super cars.

Ferrari Enzo $670,000. The most known supercar ever built. The Enzo has a top speed of 217 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Only 400 units were produced and it is currently being sold for over $1,000,000 at auctions.

Pagani Zonda C12 F $667,321. Produced by a small independent company in Italy, the Pagani Zonda C12 F is the 5th fastest car in the world. It promises to delivery a top speed of 215 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

SSC Ultimate Aero $654,400. Don't let the price tag fool you, the 6th most expensive car is actually the fastest street legal car in the world with a top speed of 257 mph+ and reaching 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. This baby cost nearly half as much as the Bugatti Veyron, yet has enough power to top the most expensive car in a speed race. It is estimated that only 25 of this exact model will ever be produced.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo $555,000. The first true American production certified super car, this cowboy is also rank 3rd for the fastest car in the world. It has a top speed of 248 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. If you are a true American patriot, you can be proud to show off this car.

Koenigsegg CCX $545,568. Swedish made, the Koenigsegg is fighting hard to become the fastest car in the world. Currently, it is the 4th fastest car in the world with a top speed of 245 mph+, the car manufacture Koenigsegg is not giving up and will continue to try and produce the fastest car. Good luck with that!

Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Roadster $495,000. A GT supercar, the SLR McLaren is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world with a top speed of 206 mph+ and reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. It is a luxurious convertible with a really powerful engine, which results in outstanding performances and style.

Porsche Carrera GT $440,000. A supercar with dynamic stability control and a top speed of 205 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. The Porsche Carrera GT applies the absolute calibers of a true racing car to offer an unprecedented driving feeling on the road.

Most Expensive Cars Wallpapers, Luxury Cars Pictures, Sports Car Photos, Classic Cars Pics:









16 lions face death because of a shortage of funds to feed them

Lions at the SanWild sanctuary in Limpopo province, South Africa

Lions at the SanWild sanctuary in Limpopo province, South Africa. Photograph: SanWild

Sixteen lions on a South African game reserve are facing death because of a shortage of funds to feed them, it emerged today.

The SanWild sanctuary, in Limpopo province, has issued an urgent appeal for donations to save the three prides of 14 adults and two cubs.

Officials have warned that if the sanctuary cannot meet the 45,000 rand (£4,000) monthly cost of meat to keep the lions healthy it will be forced to have them put down them ‑ possibly as soon as next month.

"The situation on the ground for our lions is dire and, unless we can urgently find sponsorship, the lions will have to be put down," Louise Joubert, founder trustee of SanWild, said. "We find ourselves in a difficult situation. We can't allow them to start starving. We would rather euthanise them than let them end up as a trophy on some hunter's wall."

The eight males and eight females have lived at the sanctuary, near Tzaneen, since 2003 and 2004 after being rescued from the canned hunting industry in which animals are usually bred in captivity to be hunted in a confined space.

Each pride now lives in a six-hectare (15-acre) enclosure. Each animal requires 4-5kg of meat per day and would be unable to fend for itself in the wild. All the males have been sterilised to prevent breeding.

"They are stunning lions," Joubert said. "But last year, due the worldwide recession, we really battled to get funding for them. We've managed to keep them going until the end of March, but we're really desperate to get people to adopt the lions or provide sponsorship on a monthly basis. Small donations do make a difference."

She said SanWild was bringing a court case against the South African government next week over what it claims are broken promises of financial support.

The South African courts are reviewing rules that could effectively ban the canned hunting industry, which kills an estimated 1,000 lions per year.

However, such a move would raise the prospect of thousands of lions being put down because they cannot be released into the wild and there are insufficient resources to protect them in parks or reserves.

Yolan Friedmann, chief executive of the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa, who supports the ban, said: "This is the question on everyone's minds. Three to four thousand lions would need to be put in a free range reserve, but here we are struggling with 16."

VAI :- guardian

William Ricketts Sanctuary Aboriginal Sculptured People

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Sculpture from the William Ricketts sanctuary
It was an incredible place, William Ricketts (1898-1993) was an Australian potter and sculptor of the arts and crafts movement. His incredible works opened the eyes of Australians to the beauty of the land and the real raw nature of "wild life" and its essence. The Sanctuary was a real eye opener to the possibilities of spiritual artwork.
Hidden deep within a lush Australian rainforest are a set of mystical Aborigine sculptures seemingly merged into the natural surroundings. Moss covered torsos of men, women and children protrude from tree trunks and boulders. Some reach heavenward with widespread wings, others envelop each other protectively – all are symbols of the relationship the indigenous Australian Aborigines have with nature.

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