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.

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!

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

About first collapse of the bridge
The bridge was nearing completion, when the local engineering began noticing increasing distortions of key structural members already in place. After four years of construction, the south arm and part of the central section of the bridge collapsed into the St. Lawrence River in just 15 seconds. Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day near quitting time, 75 were killed and the rest were injured.
About second collapse of the bridge
After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge, but September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers.

December 15, 1967. Silver Bridge (USA)
46 people dead.

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed while it was choked with rush hour traffic, resulting in the deaths of 46 people. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eye-bar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect only 0.1 inches (2.54 mm) deep. It was also noted that the bridge was carrying much heavier loads than it was originally designed for and was poorly maintained.
The new bridge that replaced the Silver Bridge was named the Silver Memorial Bridge.

March 17, 1945. Ludendorff Bridge (Remagen, Germany)
28 people dead.

28 U.S. army engineers were killed while working to strengthen the bridge, and 93 others were wounded.

May 9, 1980. Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Florida, USA)
35 people dead.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was collapsed on May 9, 1980, when the freighter SS Summit Venture collided with a pier (support column) during a storm , sending over 1200 feet of the bridge plummeting into Tampa Bay. The collision caused six automobiles and a bus to fall 150 feet, killing 35 people.

June 28, 1983. Mianus River Bridge (Connecticut, USA)
3 people dead.

Three people were killed when their vehicles fell with the bridge into the Mianus River 70 feet below, and three were seriously injured. Collapse due to failure of the Pin and Hanger assembly supporting the span.

October 21, 1994. Seongsu Bridge (Seoul, South Korea)
32 people dead.

On October 21, 1994, Seongsu Bridge connecting Seongsu-dong and Apgujeong-dong of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, collapsed. The slab (48 m) between the fifth and the sixth leg of the Bridge collapsed so 32 people died and 17 people were injured. One of its concrete slabs fell due to a failure of the suspension structure. This structural failure was caused by joints of trusses (steel structures) supporting the bridge slab were not welded to the full; the welding thickness, which should be over 10mm, was only 8mm; and further, connecting pins for steel bolts were poor.

January 4, 1999. Rainbow bridge (China)
40 people dead.

In January 4, 1999, a pedestrian Rainbow bridge across the Qi River in the Sichuan province collapsed three years after it was built. The collapse of the Rainbow bridge led to 40 deaths and 14 injuries. Parts of the bridge were rusty, concrete used in its construction was too weak and there were serious welding problems.

March 4 , 2001. Hintze Ribeiro Bridge (Castelo de Paiva, Portugal)
70 people dead.

On March 4, 2001, the Hintze Ribeiro Bridge, made of steel and concrete, collapsed in Entre-os-Rios, Castelo de Paiva, Portugal, killing to 70 people, including those in a bus and three cars that were attempting to get to the other side of the river.

August 28, 2003. Bridge Daman (Daman, India)
25 people dead.

At least 25 people, including 23 children, die when a bridge in the western coastal area of Daman collapsed into a muddy river, throwing a school bus, 10 vehicles and pedestrians into the swirling waters due to heavy rains.

November 7, 2005. (Almunecar, Spain)
6 people dead.

Five Portuguese and one Spanish national died near Almunecar on Spain’s, after a 20-ton section of motorway viaduct fell from 80 meters onto workers below.

December 2, 2006. (Bihar, India)
33 people dead.

Thirty-three people are killed when a 150-year-old bridge, being dismantled, crashed on the train near the Bhagalpur railway station in the state of Bihar.

August 1, 2007. Minneapolis I-35W bridge (Minneapolis, USA)
13 people dead.

On August 1, 2007, during the evening rush hour, the main spans of the bridge collapsed, falling into the river and onto its banks. Thirteen people died and approximately one hundred more were injured. The 1,907-foot bridge fell into the Mississippi River. Currently under investigation.

August 13, 2007. Tuo River bridge (Hunan, China)
34 people dead.

The 140-foot-high bridge spanning the Tuo River in the central Hunan city of Fenghuang collapsed as workers removed scaffolding from its facade. Investigation underway.

Sources: wikipedia canada.com

There was the fashion show for pets in New York – Pet Fashion Week. One of the original organizers of the event was the Swarovski company, which determined the participants Fashion Week. As reported in a press release Pet Fashion Week, the organizers witnessed the rapid development of the fashion industry for the animals and see the open market prospects.
Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP
Source: petfashionweek.com

© Charles Dharapak/AP

To better appreciate the facts, it is important to view them in light of the poverty thresholds (income levels below which a person or a family is considered “poor”) for 2002. Towards that, here are some of the 2002 poverty thresholds from Census.gov.

• Single person: $9,183
• Two person household: $11,756
• Three person household: $14,348
• Four person household: $18,392

See the link: Interesting Facts And Confusing Thoughts About The American Poor

Three Sections Collapse
The eight-lane bridge near the University of Minnesota and the Metrodome stadium, where the Minnesota Twins baseball team was playing, stretched almost 2,000 feet (610 meters). Three of its four sections gave way, collapsing into the water and onto a freight train running on riverside tracks.
“It apparently is just a loading and unloading track,” said Tom White, a spokesman for the Washington-based Association of American Railroads. “It’s not a real busy line.”
U.S. grain and freight shipments on the river are unlikely to be disrupted by the collapse because most cargo is loaded downstream, traders and a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.
The bridge, built in 1967, was inspected in 2005 and 2006. A March 2001 study by the state’s transport agency found that the approach spans “exhibited several fatigue problems, primarily due to unanticipated out-of-plane distortion of the girders. Concern about fatigue cracking in the deck truss is heightened by a lack of redundancy in the main truss system.”
The agency recommended that the deck be replaced by 2020 or beyond, Pawlenty said.
Bridge Just `Vanished’
South Minneapolis resident Xavier Sose said he was standing in the doorway of his balcony yesterday when he heard and felt a low rumble. He looked toward the bridge and saw dust shoot out of each end.
“The next thing you know, the entire center section of the bridge just vanished,” he said in a phone interview. “Cars were sliding down, and everything was covered in dust.”
Survivors were taken to the riverbank and transported to area hospitals, Minnesota State Patrol spokesman Steve Johnson said.
A school bus carrying about 60 children was on the bridge. As many as 10 were taken to hospitals and the rest released to their families, Ted Canova of the American Red Cross said. He put out a call for blood donors and financial donations.
The Hennepin County Medical Center received one drowning victim, six others with serious injuries and 22 more with non- critical injuries, Joseph Clinton, chief of emergency medicine, said in a televised news conference.
“We in the federal government must respond, and respond robustly, to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity — that bridge — gets rebuilt as quickly as possible,” President George W. Bush told reporters this morning.

© Damian Dovarganes / AP
South California

© Jon M. Fletcher / AP
Taylor, Florida

© Phil Sandlin / AP
Columbia County, Lake City, Florida

© Lexey Swall / Naples Daily News
Picayune Strand State Forest, Naples, Florida

© Kevork Djansezian / AP
Catalina island, California

© Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Los Angeles firemen are saving Griffith Park

© Reed Saxon / AP
Griffith Park

© Damian Dovarganes / AP
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