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Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Ice Caves
Plummeting to new depths: Spectacular ice caves photographed for the first time deep beneath a Swiss glacier
By Alex Ward
These spectacular ice caves deep below a Swiss glacier have been mapped, photographed and surveyed for the first time.
A team of eight descended into the moulins – vertical shafts – below the Gorner Glacier near Zermatt in October.
Their work inside the remarkable icy caverns will help researchers get a better understanding of glaciers and their rate of melting.
Descending the depths: A team of eight climbed down the moulins - vertical shafts - in the Gorner Glacier near Zermatt in Switzerland
Photographer Robbie Shone, 32, was part of the team. He said: 'It was extremely spectacular. This was the first time I'd been in an ice cave and they were absolutely beautiful. They were a really bright blue.
'Ice caves are more impressive "normal" caves. They offer a completely different challenge. I'm now fascinated by them and would like to visit more.
'We were the first group to map these moulins and because the glaciers move around 15 metres (50ft) a year - they change every year. Because of this we will be the only people to see them in that state.
The team had to abseil into the moulins because the entrances were often vertical shafts that were up to 65ft deep. Mr Shone said: 'We were camping for six days and because of the heavy snow we spent two days digging a path down to the glacier.
'Our camp was about an hour away from the glacier and we got up at 5am to get ready and then spent around eight hours on the glacier. The temperature varied - at night time it dropped down as low as -18 degrees. The trip was a complete success and will help researchers get a better understanding of glaciers' rate of melting.'
The Gorner Glacier is 8.7miles long and is the second largest glacial system in the Alps.
Inside the ice cave: The team's work will help researchers get a better understanding of glaciers and their rate of melting
Vertical limit: The team had to abseil often vertical shafts that are up to 65ft deep
Top 7 myths about drinking water - busted! - A LOGICAL DEBATE
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Spear Fishermen
The one that didn't get away: Incredible athleticism of spear fishermen caught in mid-flight
- Local fishermen leap into the water with spears to catch fish on the Loyalty Islands Province in New Caledonia
- The sea clan lives almost entirely on fish and other sea creatures
By Alex Ward
With perfect precision, this spear fisherman leaps into the air in a spectacular display of a bizarre spear hunting technique.
The fisherman shows off his incredible skill on the Loyalty Islands Province in New Caledonia where the sea clan live almost entirely on fish and other sea creatures.
However, despite the odd way of catching his food, fisherman Albert is just showing a normal way of life on the islands in the south west Pacific Ocean.
Fly fishing: Spear fisherman Albert uses perfect precision to catch fish in this idyllic location on an island in New Caledonia
Photographer Stephane Ducandas, 41, who also lives on the islands, said be believes the fishing technique is unique.
He said: 'I have never seen this type of fishing anywhere else. In New Caledonia, some prawn fisherman use Assegai (a spear or pole-type weapon).
'But jumping like this with that incredible precision was absolutely amazing and typical of Loyalty Island.'
Mr Ducandas used a camera with special underwater equipment to capture the incredible moments.
He said: 'This is the kind of subject that most interests me photographically. It's all about the moment - one special light, one special relationship between one person and myself.
'I'm most interested in photographing human stories and lives. When I meet with someone, I share his world, his job, his family and his life before I get out the camera.'
Catch of the day: Albert shows off his spear and what he can catch on the island where people live almost entirely on fish and other sea creatures
Unique technique: Local fisherman jump with precision in a way not seen anywhere else says photographer Stephane Ducandas
10 Things you shouldn't say to Your Boss
01. "That's impossible." When your boss gives an assignment to you or a goal to your team, don't dismiss it as unattainable. Ideally you should find a way to meet your supervisor's expectations, but if something truly is not feasible, suggest an alternative. Example: "I like your plan for moving up the newsletter's schedule, but I'm not sure how we can make that happen this month with the other assignments we have. Is it OK if I postpone the XYZ deadline for a week to make the newsletter a priority?"
02. "But we've always done it this way." Just because you're comfortable with a particular way of doing things doesn't mean it's the best way for your team or organization. Be open to change. Sure, there will probably be an adjustment period with some confusion and kinks, but once you've learned the new system, it should be worth it.
03. "That's not my job." Your boss knows your team members, their responsibilities and their skills. Trust that if the boss gives you an assignment, there's a good reason for it. Maybe your co-worker has another high-priority assignment, or maybe your boss thinks your skill set is better suited to the task. Impress your supervisor with your can-do attitude. If you're feeling swamped with assignments, address the issue this way instead: "I can do that, but I also have this assignment … How would you like me to prioritize everything?"
04. "I can't stand ___" or "I refuse to work with ___." Be willing to work with everyone on your team. Otherwise, the boss may see the problem as your bad attitude, not the other employee. When a co-worker acts in a way that makes it difficult to work together, speak with the person directly. If that doesn't resolve the issue, ask your boss for advice. Example: "I've found that Carolyn has a hard time meeting deadlines, which makes it difficult for me to do my job when we work together. What do you suggest I do?" Note: If the issue is very sensitive—such as if the person is sexually harassing you or making racist comments—go to your boss about the problem immediately. Don't wait until you're assigned to work closely together.
05. "Oops ... I should have asked, but I didn't want to bother you." Don't risk making a costly or time-consuming mistake just because you're too intimidated to speak up and ask questions. If you don't have enough information to complete an assignment well, ask follow-up questions until you feel confident that you understand what's expected of you. Your boss would much rather you take a bit more time on the front end of an assignment than spend extra time cleaning up a mess afterward.
06. "I figured you knew ..." Nobody likes to be blindsided, so don't put your supervisor in that position. Give your boss an opportunity to solve problems before taking them to his or her boss or to HR.
07. "I'm taking off these days for vacation." By all means, you should use your vacation days. But don't assume that you can take off whenever you want; requesttime off. Your plans may coincide with another co-worker's or with a major deadline, and in either case your boss may have to decline your request. Never commit to travel plans without receiving your boss's OK first.
08. "Why haven't you accepted my friend request on Facebook?" It's great to have a friendly relationship with your boss, but don't kid yourself into thinking you're buddies. Keep your professional and personal lives separate, and don't seek to connect to your supervisor on social media platforms like Facebook (LinkedIn is an exception). Do you really want your boss to see everything that goes up on your Wall anyway? If your boss ignored your friend request, consider it a blessing and don't mention it.
09. "I don't get paid enough for this." That kind of statement makes you sound like an entitled whiner, which won't impress your boss and certainly won't make you a stronger candidate for future promotions or raises. If you're feeling underpaid, undervalued or dumped on, schedule a meeting with your supervisor to talk about the issue calmly and respectfully. Have specific examples prepared to support your point.
10. "If you don't____, then I'll quit." When your boss can't (or won't) give you what you ask for—whether it's a promotion, a raise, an enviable assignment or anything else—he or she knows that there's a chance you might seek another job. Stating that outright will only lead to awkwardness between you and your supervisor and may embarrass you later if you change your mind or are unable to find a new job.
Khan Shatyr - The World's Tallest Tent in Kazakhstan
Photo — Link
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, is an architectural project that is billed as the world's largest tent. The "tent" is made of a transparent material and suspended on a network of cables strung from a central spire 150 meters high. The structure has a 200 meter elliptical base enclosing an area of 140,000 square metres. Underneath the tent, an area larger than 10 football stadiums, is an urban-scale internal park, shopping and entertainment venue with squares and cobbled streets, a boating river, shopping centre, mini golf and indoor beach resort. The transparent material allows sunlight through which, in conjunction with air heating and cooling systems, maintains a comfortable internal temperature between 15–30 °C while outside the temperature varies between -35 and 35 °C across the year.
To prevent condensation in the winter, three translucent layers of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene fabric or EFTE act to channel warm air. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading. Inside, low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while opening vents at the apex induce stack-effect ventilation. The transparency and scale of the tent stands out in the skyline like a beacon, changing colors at night and streaming in natural light during the day.
Photo — Link
Inaugurated in 2010 by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Khan Shatyr was described as "the latest vanity project" of Kazakhstan's increasingly autocratic president by The Guardian.
Nazarbayev moved Kazakhstan's capital to the isolated northern city from Almaty in 1998 and renamed it Astana, which means, literally, "capital". On the tenth anniversary of the move, Nazarbayev signed a decree declaring 6 July – which happens to be his birthday – Astana Day. The name "Khan Shatyr" itself roughly translates as 'the tent of the khan, or king".
Nazarbayev has ruled Kazakhstan with an iron fist since it gained independence amid the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. His current presidential term expires in 2012, but under legal changes approved by parliament in 2007, he is allowed to serve as president indefinitely.
Photo — Link
USA Election Illustrated Using Fast Food
Soon after the US election was over, Berlin-based artists Lisa Rienermann and Anna Lena Schiller decided to create an infographic illustrating the most important facts about the US presidential election. The duo decided that burgers and fries, the stereotypical American meal, was the most appropriate medium for visualization.
The project, named "Binders Full of Burgers," is a reference to the Internet meme sparked by a Mitt Romney debate response about how he used "binders full of women" to find female staff for his cabinet as governor of Massachusetts. Using burgers as pie-charts and mustard and ketchup to write and draw graphs, the images illuminate how many Americans have the right to vote, and how big the turnout will likely be, among other things. Further images show poll results illustrated with zigzagging lines of ketchup and mustard. The illustrators use hot dogs, of Frankfurters, to illustrate contributions made by German corporations to the the Obama and Romney campaigns, and fries to depict countries whose names came up most often in the presidential debate on foreign policy.
This isn't the first time that the duo has used food to explore statistics. They did the same with "Election Waffles" to illustrate the 2011 Berlin state parliamentary vote.
"We hope that the pictures once again provide a different approach to the really dry numbers," said Rienermann. If you are wondering what they did with all the food once the photo shoot was over, Rienermann said, "We ate everything in the end".
Kuwait's Golden Jubilee Fireworks Enters Guinness World Records
November 10, 2012 marked the golden jubilee of Kuwait's constitution and the country celebrated it with a spectacular $15-million fireworks display which earned the wealthy Gulf state a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis and expatriates filled the seaside Arabian Gulf Road to watch the dazzling display of colors and light that saw a staggering 77,282 fireworks launched over a period of one hour. The visual presentation marked 50 years to the day since the late emir Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah announced that Kuwait had become the first Arab state in the Gulf to issue a constitution and have a parliament.
During the past 50 years, parliament was dissolved nine times, six of them since mid-2006, while some articles of the constitution itself were frozen twice to suspend parliament for a total of 11 years in the 1970s and 1980s.
The celebration came as the government and opposition are locked in one of the worst showdowns in the OPEC member's history, amid accusations by the opposition that the government has staged a coup against the constitution.
Namba Parks - Japans 8 Level Roof Ggarden with Waterfalls
Namba Parks was conceived when Osaka Stadium closed down, presenting a great redevelopment opportunity for a new commercial district right next to the Namba Train Station, which is just one stop away from Kansai Airport. Since it's one of the first places that visitors to the city might see, owner Nankai Electric Railway asked the Jerde Partnership to envision the new development as a gateway that would redefine Osaka's identity.
Namba Parks was conceived when Osaka Stadium closed down, presenting a great redevelopment opportunity for a new commercial district right next to the Namba Train Station, which is just one stop away from Kansai Airport. Since it's one of the first places that visitors to the city might see, owner Nankai Electric Railway asked the Jerde Partnership to envision the new development as a gateway that would redefine Osaka's identity. Jerde designed Namba Parks as a huge green space and an oasis amidst Osaka's dense urban streets
The entire development includes a 30-story office tower and adjacent mall, but what really makes Namba Parks stand out is its rooftop park that gradually ascends eight levels and gives passers-through the feeling that they are actually standing high on a mountaintop in nature when they're actually right in the middle of the city. Right below the park, a gradiated "canyon" carves a path through the mall, as they stroll past shops, entertainment spots and dining venues. Different flavors of restaurants (Japanese, Korean, Italian, etc.) can be found on the 6th floor, and shops are located on the 2nd through 5th floors. There are also terraces located both on the rooftop and amidst the canyons, an amphitheater for live shows, and space for small personal vegetable gardens and wagon shops.
Top 10 YouTube Facts You Need to Know
So you think you know YouTube? Well, considering you're probably using it now as you're reading this, that's a fair statement. Still, there's more to learn friendo, and Heavy has you covered with the ten things you have to know come the technological apocalypse.
01. 4 Billion Videos are Watched Every Day
That's right, 4 billion. That includes everything the over 800 million different users YouTube enjoys every month, not to mention the astonishing 3 billion hours of video that are added every month. There is literally more video and information available on YouTube every 60 days than was created in 60 years by the three major television networks.
The creators of the tube originally wanted to make a dating site called "Tune In Ho0k Up", which was to be heavily influenced by the site Hot0rNot. After testing the waters, there was a consensus that this was not the way to go. What could have been.
03. The First Video is About Elephants...or Something
Me at the zoo
The first video put up on face book was entitled Me at the zoo , and was footage of YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim discussing elephant trunks while visiting the San Diego Zoo. This riveting short film has wracked up over 9 million views at this point. It was uploaded at 8:27PM on Saturday April 23rd, 2005.
Monday, November 26, 2012
USEFUL WEBSITES OF INDIAN GOVERNMENT
USEFUL WEBSITES OF INDIAN GOVERNMENT
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