This is something you probably did not know about the Earth. These giant holes in the earth’s crust, created by nature or by human hands.

Monticello Dam was constructed between 1953 and 1957. The dam is a medium concrete-arch dam with a structural height of 304 ft (93 m) and a crest length of 1023 ft (312 m). It contains 326,000 cubic yards (249,000 m?) of concrete. Napa County, California, United States.

Guatemala city – A 330-foot-deep sinkhole killed at least two teenagers as it swallowed about a dozen homes early Friday and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people in a crowded Guatemala City neighborhood. Officials blamed the sinkhole on recent rains and an underground sewage flow from a ruptured main.

Mir Mine (kimberlite diamond pipe “Peace”) is an abandoned open pit diamond mine located in Mirny, Eastern Siberia. The mine is 525 m deep and has a diameter of 1200 m. It was the first and one of the largest diamond pipes of the USSR.

The Bingham Canyon Mine is an open-pit mine extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is owned by Rio Tinto plc through Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation which operates the mine, a concentrator and a smelter. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km2). According to Kennecott, it is the world’s largest man-made excavation.
Over its life, Bingham Canyon has proven to be one of the world’s most productive mines. As of 2004, ore from the mine has yielded more than 17 million tons (15.4 Mt) of copper, 23 million ounces (652 t) of gold, 190 million ounces (5386 t) of silver, and 850 million pounds (386 kt) of molybdenum. The value of these resources is greater than the Comstock Lode, Klondike, and California gold rush mining regions combined. Cumulatively, Bingham Canyon has produced more copper than any other mine in the world, although mines in Chile, Arizona, and New Mexico now exceed Bingham Canyon’s annual production rate. High molybdenum prices in 2005 made the molybdenum produced at Bingham Canyon in that year worth even more than the copper. The value of the metal produced in 2006 at Bingham Canyon was US$1.8 billion dollars.
The mine is regarded as one of the most up-to-date integrated copper operations in the world, employing 1,400 people. The smelting and refining facilities are recognised as being among the world’s best for environmental protection practice and achievement.
The infrastructure required for an operation this size is impressive. 450,000 tons (408 kt) of material are removed from the mine daily. Electric shovels can carry up to 56 cubic yards (43 m3) or 98 tons (89 t) of ore in a single scoop. Ore is loaded into a fleet of 64 very large dump trucks which each carry 255 tons (231 t) of ore at a time, at a cost of approximately US$3 million per truck. There is a five mile (8 km) series of conveyors that take ore to the Copperton concentrator and flotation plant. The longest conveyor is 2.5 miles (4 km) long and passes through an existing railroad tunnel inside the mine.

Kimberley is famous for the Big Hole, which is often called the worlds deepest man made hole. Kimberley is the place where diamonds are found. And the Big Hole is a huge pit, almost circular and 215m deep, right in the middle of the town. Just for completeness sake: Kimberley Big Hole is not the biggest man made hole, that is Jagersfontein Mine.
The diamonds found at Kimberly were formed in vertical pipes. Huge layers of rocks eroded, and so it is cut through by todays surface. The circular pipe reaches the surface right on the farm, two Dutch settlers bought in 1871. The two brothers called Johannes Nicolaas and Diederik Arnoldus de Beer soon discovered the diamonds on their ground. This lead to a diamond rush, which made it impossible for them to keep the land. They were not able to protect it from the growing tide of intruders, so they sold it. And although they did not become the owners of the mines, one of the mines inherited their name and until today the diamond trade is connected with their names. De Beers is the company which today controlls virtually all diamonds on Earth.
Today the Big Hole is about 215m deep, but 40m of ground water leave only 175m visible. Originally the hole was 240m deep, but after it was abandoned it was used to throw debris in. The underground Kimberly Mine was mined to a depth of 1097m.

The Diavik Diamond Mine is a diamond mine in the North Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Yellowknife. It has become an important part of the regional economy, employing 700, grossing C$100 million in sales, and producing 8 million carats or about 1,600 kg (3,527 lb) of diamonds annually. The area was surveyed in 1992 and construction began in 2001, with production commencing in January 2003. It is connected by an ice road and Diavik Airport with a 5,235 feet (1,596 m) gravel runway regularly accommodating Boeing 737 jet aircraft.

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off of the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 60 miles from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is almost perfectly circular, over 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last ice age when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.
This site was made famous by Jacques-Yves Cousteau who declared it one of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world. In 1971 he brought his ship, the Calypso to the hole to chart its depths.

This Cognac is ultimate luxury! Henri IV Dudognon Heritage, valued in the decanter shown here at 1 million British pounds sterling ($1.9 million US).

The name Henri IV honors the French king (1553-1610) who is a direct ancestor of Claudine Dudognon–Buraud, heiress to Maison Dudognon, which is located in the center of the smallest area of France’s Cognac Grande Champagne region. It has been producing this cognac since 1776. The decanter is made of 24 K Yellow Gold & Sterling Platinum and decorated with 6,500 certified brilliant cut diamonds. It weighs about 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) and is filled with 33 ounces of Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne, aged in barrels for more than 100 years to produce an alcohol content of 41%. This a luxury masterpiece was created by jeweller Jose Davalos.

The most expensive Tequila – Tequila Ley .925

Mexican tequila distilling company called Tequila Ley .925 made the most expensive tequila bottle in the world – which currently holds the Guinness World Book of Records title for the most expensive tequila bottle ever made. Tequila Ley .925 an estimated value of 1 million Euros. Bottle made of platinum, adorned 6,000 brilliant-cut diamonds 1 to 30 points “D” quality. Bottle design by Fernando Altamirano.

The most expensive Vodka – DIVA Premium Vodka

Each bottle is decorated with precious stones. As a result, the cost of one bottle DIVA Premium Vodka is between £ 2000 to £ 540000 (from $ 3700 to $ 1000000). It is triple-distilled, ice-filtered, filtered through purifying Nordic birch charcoal, then finally passed through a fine sand of diamonds and gems.

Collection of the best Las Vegas Weddings photos.

A wedding party poses before a vintage Las Vegas neon sign moments after the marriage ceremony at a nearby chapel.

Florida residents Larry and Nicole Ford marry in Las Vegas and make a stop on Fremont Street to view the legendary Vegas signs as part of their wedding photo tour of the Strip.

A couple finalizes their Las Vegas wedding after a quick ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel, which features drive-through service.

Newlyweds pedal down Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas on a classic cruiser-style bicycle.

Newlyweds share a kiss as the sun sets behind palm trees in a Las Vegas display featuring a rotund statue of Elvis.

Newlyweds pose before a mural along Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.

Newlyweds cavort along downtown Las Vegas’s Fremont Street.

A couple from the Netherlands pose shortly after their wedding at the Chapel of Flowers.

The wedding reception for these newlyweds includes refreshments from the In-N-Out Burger joint.

Elvis impersonator Greg Miller entertains guests at a Las Vegas wedding reception.

Source: National Geographic. Photos: Jared & Trish McMillen/StudioATG.com

See also http://lumq.com/03/wedding-in-jerusalem/

The Cuban photographer Alberto Corda took some photos of an argentine doctor and Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara in March of 1960.

This photo was assumed as a basis of the romantic revolutionist’s iconic image.

The nose image on the left and the palms one on the right didn’t go down in history.

Che Guevara couldn’t keep still on Cuba and was eager to do something, for instance revolution. He couldn’t also do anything in Congo, as this country was inhabited by sluggish people (How fascinating are Che’s Congolese diaries!) After all, Che Guevara moved to Bolivia and also failed to stir up Vallengrad peasantry to revolt. The Bolivian army soldiers (and of course, where to go without CIA) shot Che Guevara on 9th of October 1967. They didn’t shoot him in the face, so that it could be seen that the killed person was Che Guevara.

Everyone wanted to be photographed with a well-known dead body.

Che Guevara’s hands were cut off and sent to Cuba, so that the Argentine police could compare them with the file samples. The body was buried next to the landing strip in a common grave.

The Bolivians first cut off the hands, and after that decided to do the same thing with Che’s fingers.

Only in 1997 the Cuban delegation reported that the body was found. They transported the remains to Cuba, and then buried them in a Santa-Clara town mausoleum.

In the same year old man who took part in burying Che Guevara in Bolivia decided to put some documents, photos and the lock of Che’s hair up for auction. This lot was sold for 119 000 dollars. Willoldo insists that only he knows where Che Guevara is buried, and there are another person’s remains on Cuba.

Three days ago, on 19th of January, the stamp with the name “50 years of Cuban Revolution victory” (joint Russia and Cuba edition) was issued. And the star, unlike on the old Cuban stamp, was displayed, of course. It’s worthy to mention that the US can’t venture on such a stamp issue.

But now USA uses this type of Che image!

Years later I learned a lot about various methods to move practically anything regardless of the size. Nonetheless I’m still captivated by big mechanisms that can easily lift and move objects that are also humongous. All these mechanisms are nothing but extension of our own arms, a logical sequel of a digging stick, stone hammer, lever, etc. It started so simply, and has gone so far.

This picture shows a floating crane “Titan” lifting a passenger ferry Karrabbee in Sidney, Australia. During the traditional ferry competition one of ferries happened to… sink. Luckily it happened after all passengers had gotten off the board. So the organizers simply pulled the “Titan” to the site and picked up the ferry from the bottom. By the way, this thing actually floats itself too! Who knows, perhaps, if their catholic highnesses of middle ages knew of such machines in their time, there would have been fewer her majesty ships at the bottom of the see. “Titan” lifted Karrabbee in 1984. And in late 80s “Titan” sank itself when it was being towed from Australia to Asia during a storm or something. Don’t you just love this picture: “Titan” floating from Australia to Asia…

And this cutie is called “Yoshida”.

Doesn’t it look like one of those lovely monsters from Japanese movies? Say, Godzilla, Motra and such? Floating crane Yoshida was built by Mitsubishi heavy Industries Division. Its lifting capacity is 3700 tons with 925 tonns per each hook.


Here is a submarine hanging on its ropes as a fish on a fishing rod.

Here is a floating crane «Asian Hercules» puting down the famous Gateshead Millennium Bridge in New Castle.

«Asian Hercules» participated in dismantling of the world’s largest (as of 2002) gantry cranes “Kockums” and replacing it with the new one called “Hyundai”.

Here is “Kockums”, 128m high and capable of lifting 1,500 tons with rail track 175 meters wide and 710 meters long.


It was assembled in 1973-74. It stood in the shipyard in Malmo, in Sweden, and up till its dismantling it had participated in the construction of 75 boats and ships. For the very last time it was used in 1997 when it loaded the Oresund Bridge’s fundamental high pillars (see the picture below) onto a cargo ship.

By then the Kockums crane had significantly worn out. In the 1990s it was sold to Burmeister & Wain, a Danish company which soon became bankrupt even before the dismantling began. Thus the Kockums remained integral until 2002 when it was again sold to Hyundai Heavy Industries (a Korean company) for… (guess how much). One dollar! It was shipped thereafter to Korea as a historical object of interest. By the way, Koreans named it “Malmo tears”. The Swedes cried when saying goodbye to the Malmo landmark that served as a background to their lives.
Dismantling.

The Koreans put a bright Korean thingamajig in the place of the previous crane loved by so many Swedes.





Some retro: 1951, floating crane “London Mammoth” is towing a steamer.

7500t Full Revolving Floating Crane. This name speaks for itself. It lifts 7500 tonns and spins like an ice skater. It is set on a floating platform which also has another crane of a smaller size and plenty of various hoists – just in case. This wonder is assembled in Shanghai by the Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Co.

Seven and a half thousand tons – this is really a lot. I don’t think there are crane with bigger capacity. But we’ll keep looking.

The Army has a Special Forces Corps unified command and its formed of 3 Special Forces Brigades, a High Command GAFE group, a GAFE group assigned to the Airborne Brigade and several Amphibious Special Forces Groups.

The Special Forces Brigades are formed by 9 SF battalions. The First brigade has the 1°, 2° y 3° SF battalions, The Second brigade has the 5°,6°,7° y 8°, and the Third brigade has the 4° y 9° and a Rapid Intervention Force group.
The High Command GAFE is a group with no more than 100 members, they are specially trained in counter-terrorist tactics. They receive orders directly from the Secretary of National Defense.
The Navy has a special operations force called Fuerzas Especiales, better known as FES. Their specialty are unconventional warfare, assault, counter-terrorism, and special reconnaissance operations.
There is also another special forces unit called Batallones de Comandos Anfibios. These units carry out special tasks for the Amphibious Reaction Forces (Marines).

14. Plasterer

13. Foreman

12. Grinder

11. Porter

10. ?

9. Air-conditioner mounter

8. Mechanic

7. Loader driver

6. Electrician

5. Painter

4. Engineer-Airman

3. Electrician

2. Electrician

1. Military service of North Korea

(Wire Image/ Getty Image)

Kenny Baker, a dwarf at 3 feet 8 inches, was free from trilogy stigmas that may have hindered other cast members. Baker, a former circus performer, continued entertaining as a DJ, circus clown and shadow ringmaster. In addition to occasional film roles, including an elf in a 1987 production of "Sleeping Beauty," he also developed his own musical comedy act, The Mini Tones. Baker and C3PO’s Anthony Daniels are the only two actors credited with appearances in all six "Star Wars" films. Most recently, Baker made British headlines in 2005 for his arrest for driving while intoxicated.

Harrison Ford (Han Solo)

(AP Photo/ Getty Images )

While many of the "Star Wars" characters suffered from typecasting, Harrison emerged as an international, sometimes intergalactic leading man. George Lucas first cast Ford in "American Graffiti," next in "Star Wars, " and his role as Indiana Jones solidified his iconic status. Ford went on star as the iconic Jack Ryan of Tom Clancy’s novels and tried his luck at the occasional romantic comedy. The action star has yet to win an Academy Award, but he did take home the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award in 2000. Ford is set to reprise his other Lucas character Indiana Jones for an upcoming fourth installment, but it seems his Han Solo days are over.

Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)

(MPTV/ Getty Images )

Luke Skywalker may have saved the empire from galactic evil, but his lightsaber skills left actor Mark Hamill with a little to be desired. Unable to shed his role as Luke, Hamill fled the action screen for the Broadway stage to prove his acting chops trumped his saber skills. However, his biggest success turned out to be his vocal stylings, which gave life to Joker on Fox’s animated "The Adventures of Batman and Robin," as well as a number of other animated shows and movies.

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia)

(Wire Image/ Getty Images )

After immortalizing the universe’s most fearless Princess in a gold bikini, actress Carrie Fisher had trouble with life beyond "Star Wars." Fisher fell into a whirlwind of drug abuse accompanied by a quick-to-start quick-to-end marriage with Paul Simon. Her first attempts to break free from her typecast were of little note, but Fisher had a memorable turn as Meg Ryan’s friend in "When Harry Met Sally." However, she found her calling not onscreen but on paper: writing. Four successful novels and a spot atop The New York Time’s best-seller list launched her into a career of comedy-script writing, contributing to movies such "The Wedding Singer" and "Sister Act."

Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

(Wire Image/ AP Photo )

For an Oscar-winning actor, "Star Wars" proved to be much more of a burden than a blessing. Alec Guinness was already a distinguished actor with accaimed roles on his resume, but would be forever known as "Obi-Wan." He considered the trilogies’ fans to be maniacal to an extent and did his best to ignore his presence in the film. However, Guinness was one of the few cast members to recognize the commercial appeal of the film from the beginning and negotiate a percentage of the gross, which allowed him financial security to recede into the stage acting scene and write an autobiography. Guinness died in 2000 at age 86 from liver cancer.

Anthony Daniels (C3P0)

(Wire Image/ Getty Images )

Since he cast off the golden armor, English actor Anthony Daniels has not entirely relinquished his "Star Wars" past. Daniels is a contributor to sci-fi ‘zines, such as his regular column in "The Star Wars Insider," titled "New Improved Wonder Column." He has also taken an interest in Sci-Fi gaming, publishing a comic book for Dark House, "The Protocol Offensive," which is reminiscent of his former robot persona. Daniels donned the droid suit for the prequel trilogy, although he only did the voice work for "Episode I — The Phantom Menace."

David Prowse (body of Vader)

(Wire Image)

David Prowse embodied the most memorable character in the "Star Wars" trilogy, although he received little credit for it. A former body-building champion, Prowse was reportedly never told that his voice would be dubbed over and has held a grudge ever since. Unfortunately, his health began to falter in 1990, when his dormant arthritis problems intensified and ultimately paralyzed both his arms. He now participates in various British arthritis organizations and serves as vice president of the Physically Handicapped and Able-bodied Association. Despite Prowse’s lobbying efforts, he did not reprise his role for the fully armored Darth Vader in "Episode III."

Frank Oz (voice of Yoda)

(AP Photo/ Getty Images)

Frank Oz: the hands, the voice, and the brains behind some of America’s most beloved fuzzy friends and actors alike. As the voice responsible for the characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie the Bear, Cookie Monster, Grover, he earned himself a reputation loud enough to play the voice of the most-respected creature of them all: Yoda. His successful muppet empire is still going strong, while he has also gathered directing credits for a slew of films, including 2006’s version of "The Stepford Wives." Oz didn’t let Lucas down when the director made the first three episodes; Oz lent his voice to the ancient Sage for his acrobatic lightsaber battle against Count Dooku.

Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin)

(Wire Image)

After Grand Moff Tarkin met his end on the detonated Death Star in the original "Star Wars," actor Peter Cushing’s life took a turn for the quieter. He appeared sporadically in films and TV shows, completed two autobiographies and relegated himself to spectator status for his favorite hobby, bird watching. However, his retirement years did not abandon him as a lost figure in the acting world: in 1989, he was made an officer of the British Empire, receiving recognition for his contributions to acting, both in England and worldwide. Cushing died in 1994 at the age of 81 of prostate cancer.

Ja
mes Earle Jones (voice of Darth Vader)

(Retna/ Getty Images )

To portray the menacing Darth Vader, George Lucas opted for a classically trained voice: James Earle Jones. Although "Luke, I am your father" will forever live in the minds of "Star Wars" fans everywhere with Jones’ imparted poignance, he has become the most disctintive and sought- after voice in the media. In addition to Jones’ Oscar-nominated role in "The Great White Hope," Jones, like Harrison Ford, found a calling in films based on Tom Clancy books. His infamous voice can also be heard as the voice of CNN, Verizon and Mufasa in Disney’s "The Lion King." Distinguished by both his voice and acclaimed acting skills, Jones has also received one Grammy, two Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards.

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)

(Wire Image/ Getty Images )

Interestingly enough for a character who’s more than 7 feet tall and covered in yak hair, Peter Mayhew embraced his character Chewbacca instead of shedding the fuzz as soon as the scene was cut. He continued to portray the hairy but friendly beast well after the movies were completed, including a cameo at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards. Mayhew was tapped to fill the Wookie suit once again for "Episode III;" his studied movement of the character made a stand in or stuntman merely a sub-par Wookie. English by birth, Mayhew now lives in Texas, visiting science fiction expositions across the company, and in 2005, he took the oath to become a naturalized citizen.

Billy Dee Williams (Lando)

(Getty Images )

Billy Dee Williams rose to screen success in the 1970s, and by far his most recognizable role was as part of the Rebel Alliance, playing Lando Calrissian. He played Batman’s unforgettable villain, Harvey Dent in the 1989 film but was unfortunately replaced by Tommy Lee Jones when the moment arrived for Dent’s alter ego, "Two-Face," to take the screen in "Batman Forever." His screen status has markedly plunged since his 1970s fame, but he pops up occasionally, making cameo appearances on the sitcoms "Scrubs" and "That 70’s Show."

Source – abcnews.go.com/us/photogallery/

The wonderful pictures that show babies and kittens are more alike than we think. Kittens and babies can be purrfect doubles.

dailymail.co.uk

See more cats and kittens pics here

Traditional ?arnaval in Rio de Janeiro is taking place once a year and this year, the main celebration in the city will last from 2 to 5 February. The main event of the carnival is a competition in the traditional dance Samba. In Rio de Janeiro 12 main samba schools. In fact, it is areas of the city. During the carnival competition is taking place not only in the ability to dance, as well as competition for the best costume and decoration.

Also see last year’s best pictures from the ?arnival in Rio.

Photos: ©Reuters, AP, AFP, DPA