Shame on Indian govt and Media

I wish this mail reaches right ppl, today itself. Please
take this as high priority to frwd.

 

 

 

Hosting Pakistani Flag and burning Indian Flag

 

 

 

 

A Kashmiri separatist leader burning the Indian Flag
Indian Flag Burnt in Srinagar

Shame on Indian govt and Media also for not

making it Breaking News
The only country of the world, where one can dare to burn the national flag..
All these become the masala
breaking news of Indian news channels:
*       If Tendulkar cuts the cake which is made to look like national flag, he is condemned.
*       If Mandira Bedi wears a saree with the flags of all the countries being portrayed on that, is made to apologies.
*       If one cop in Kolkata and one in Bangalore is terminated of his duties for throwing the Indian national flag on ground, by mistake.
Then why double standards:
*       During the ongoing Amarnath Sangarsh, Jammuites holding the Indian National Flag and chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ are open fired by the J&K Police on orders from the  Police Commissioner(belongs to kashmir). Peaceful protesters are killed..
*       Like in case of Amarnath case, people in Kashmir
when want to get some demand fulfilled, protest by burning Indian national Flag, hosting Pakistani Flag and chanting ‘Hindustan Murdabad, PakistanJindabad’. But no body condemns. Infact, all such protest are followed by a team of union ministers visiting Kashmir and immediately sanctioning a few thousand crore rupees for Kashmiris.
*       Every year on 14th Aug (Pakistani Indipendence Day), Pakistani flag is hosted every where in Kashmir, including the govt. buildings and on 15th Aug, same people burn the Indian flag.
This only happens in India!!!!
just see d pictures above
Really shame on indian media
who never showsthese pics………
shame shame shame ! If  These Are Breaking News…..

 

 

 

 

 

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From:”JAYESH SHARMA” <jailikes_u@undisclosedrecipient.com>

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:08 PM

World Largest Objects

15 of the World’s Largest Objects!

Here are 15 of the worlds largest objects, from swimming pools to motorcycles to football tables!

World’s Largest Book

The award for largest published book goes to an author and scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michael Hawley. The 133-pound book is five by seven feet, 112 pages, needs a gallon of ink for printing, and costs $2,000 to produce. Its title? “Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Kingdom.”
World’s Largest Motorcycle

Officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, Gregory Dunham, from California’s Stockton, built the world’s largest motorcycle. Greg spent three years in his workshop crafting this 11 feet tall, 20 feet long monster bike which is powered by a 8.2 litre (V8 engine and has tyres that are 1.88 m tall. The 6,500-pound motorcycle with a pricetag of $300,000 is totally rideable.
World’s Largest Bottle of Wine

It’s a 490 liter Grande Cuvee TBA NV No.7 2005 of Austrian wine maker Kracher, presented in Rehetobel Switzerland. The bottle itself has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest bottle of wine, holding the equivalent to 640 regular bottles of wine.
World’s Largest Revolver

You’re looking at what probably is the largest revolver in the world: a replica of Remington model 1859, by Mr. Ryszard Tobys. It’s 1.26 meter (4.13 ft.) long.
World’s Largest Pencil

This mother-of-all writing utensils weighs in at 21,500 lbs and stretches to 76 feet long and it’s a version of the classic No. 2. The huge pencil was built in New York by Ashrita Furman and many talented craftsmen.
World’s Largest Pinata

Breaking the Guinness Record for the world’s largest pinata, according to an onsite Guinness adjudicator, this giant mock donkey measured 28.5 meters long; 7.2 meters wide and 18 meters tall and was filled with 8,000 pounds (3,628 kilograms) of candy. A wrecking ball was used to help smash the pinata during a public event, where Carnival Cruise Lines was producing a television commercial.
World’s Largest Crossword

The Ukrainian city of Lvov has recently installed what might just be the world’s largest crossword (in physical size). The puzzle covers the entire side of a residential tower block that’s approximately 30 meters tall. During the day the crossword appears empty – with the answers lighting up at night. The questions for the puzzle are located in different point of interests of the city: monuments, theatres, fountains etc. so people walking around the city can try to solve the puzzle and write down their answers. When night comes they can meet at this house and check how they did.
World’s Largest Easter Egg

In 2005, a Belgian city entered the Guinness Book of Records creating the Largest Easter Egg ever. The Belgian chocolate producer Guylian made the chocolate egg with at least 50,000 bars. The egg measured 8.32 metres high, beating the previous record made in Kwazulu-Natal, South-Africa in 1996. Twenty-six craftsman worked altogether 525 hours to build the egg. They used 1950 kg (4300 lb) of chocolates.
World’s Largest Burger

Weighing in at 123 pounds, this giant burger features an 80-pound beef patty, a 30-pound bun, 12 tomatoes and 160 slices of cheese. Made at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, Pennsylvania restaurant, they also throw on a pound each of lettuce, ketchup, mustard and mayo — and up to five onions. The menu price for the Beer Barrel Main Event Charity Burger comes at $379.
World’s Largest Swimming Pool

This swimming pool is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, had a 115ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water. Acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest swimming pool, it took five years to build, cost nearly £1billion and the annual maintenance bill will be £2million.
The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile’s southern coast. The saltwater pool contains 250,000 cubic metresof water and is even navigable in small boats.
World’s Largest Chair

This is not Photoshopped —it’s an actual photograph of the world’s largest chair, in the piazza of Manzano, Italy, a city of chair makers where it was created.
World’s Largest Birthday Cake

Made in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair, the world’s largest birthday cake weighted 25,000 pounds and stood 23 feet tall. The ingredients list includes the 10,500 pounds of flour needed for the cake.

World’s Largest Cheese

Dutch gourmet cheese maker Beemster made a record-breaking cheese wheel. The giant cheese measures 6 feet wide and weighs 1,323 pounds.
World’s Largest Beer Can

Not much information on what could very well be the World’s Largest Beer Can.
World’s Largest Football Table

Here’s the largest table football game in the world. In fact, Table Football XXL is so huge, two entire soccer teams — 22 players — could face off with it, settling their challenges without ever setting foos on a real field. This monster was built by Amsterdam brewer Amstel, a stunt that coincided with the European Champions League Finals. If this wanted to buy this one, you’d need six flight cases just to ship it to you.

Hotels Funny Wow

The Giraffe Manor is a luxurious and exclusive hotel located just outsideKenya’s capital, Nairobi, famous for its resident herd of giraffe. Apart from the top accommodation, you can enjoy Nairobi’s finest kitchens and bump heads with a giraffe or two. According to their website, the Giraffe Manor is the only place in the world where you can enjoy the breathtaking experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table and at the front door.

2. It’s not the comfort you’re usually accustomed with, but the dasparkhotel is an innovative hospitality tool many people are starting to enjoy. Located in Ottensheim, Austria, the offbeat hotel offers three 10-ton segments of drainage pipe, each 6.5 feet in diameter for you to stay in..

Located in Harlingen, one hour drive from Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Harbour Crane offers you total control over your accomodation. Used until 1996 to unload timber, the crane is now offered for day-time and night-time occupation by two people.

A hotel dog lovers will particularly enjoy, the Dog Bark Park Inn is a hotel located in Cottonwood, Idaho, in the shape of a beagle. Guests enter the body of the beagle from a private 2nd story deck. Some of the decorations and furniture inside the hotel are made by an artist to fit in with the hotel’s theme

Perhaps one of the most luxurious places you can stay in is the Hotel Everland in Paris, a one-room inn on the roof of the Palais de Tokyomuseum. The hotel includes bathroom, a king-size bed and a lounge, being only available one night. The view is one of the most magnificent – Seine and the Eiffel Tower shining bright at night. You can only make reservations online, just one random hour a day.

6. Mixing Turkish and European influence, the Marmara Antalya, in Antalya, Turkey, is Turkey’s most prestigious chain, taking pride in stunning views, great architecture and warm service. The exciting detail is that each of the two dozens room spins slowly so that guest take in the entire view.

Also located in Turkey is the Cappadocia Hotel, a building literally carved into the Yunak Evleri mountain cliff. It offers cave houses, just like the Flintones had, and a 19th century Greek mansion – complete with 30 rooms dating back to the 5th and 6th century

Part of the Woodlyn Park in New Zealand (the Hobbit Motel) is likely the place where hobbits stayed while shooting Lord of The Rings. You can stay in one of the two hillside burrows that are almost identical to the ones J.R.R. Tolkien talks about in his books

Just outside of Cave Junction, Oregon, the the Out ‘n’ About Tree sort Tree house Institute offers 18 tree houses you probably couldn’t have dreamt up as a child. Many rooms have bathrooms and refrigerators. Some are located at an amazing height of 300 feet. Nothing better for a serene vacation than living it up in the woods.

Another interesting destination for New zealand, Christchurch more precisely, is the Wagon Stays. The name says it all: you get to stay in wagons equipped with bathrooms, kitchens, and satellite TV. Wagon Stays offers the atmosphere of an early settlers wagon combined with modern facilities to maximize your comfort.

 

Breathtaking Aquariums Around The World

7 Breathtaking Aquariums Around The World

1 – Dubai aquarium in the Dubai Mall

Stingrays swim in the Dubai aquarium in the Dubai Mall, whichcovers the area of 50 soccer pitches.
The Dubai Aquarium – vast, entertaining, an engineering marvel, three storeys tall and featuring glass ‘walk-through’ tunnels that contain exotic marine life.

2 – Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta

World’s Largest Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium,Atlanta, a wonderful home for more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species (notable specimens: whale sharks, beluga whales, manta ray) and with a capacity of 8.1 million US gallons (31,000 m³) of marine fresh water

3 – Churaumi Aquarium

World’s Second Largest Aquarium , Churaumi Aquarium,part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan; capacity: 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water; one of the few places where visitors can see a great variety of sea creatures including sharks andmanta rays.

4 – The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA)

AQWA, an unbelievable journey to the underwater world ofWestern Australia, “from the icy waters of the southern ocean to the tropical wonderland of coral reefs in the Far North”
The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is a privately owned aquarium in Hillarys, Western Australia. It opened as Underwater World, Perth on April 13, 1988 and was acquired by the current owners, Coral World International and Morris Kahn, in 1991. It changed to its current name on January 1, 2001.
The facility holds approximately 400 species of marine life.

5 – UShaka Marine World

Largest Aquarium in Africa – UShaka Marine World, located onthe strip of land between the beachfront and the harbor in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; a beautiful amusement parkand at the same time the worlds fifth largest aquarium with 32water tanks. The sea creatures found in the aquarium range from small sea horses all the way through to sharks and dolphins. The Aquarium is built to look like an old wreck.

6 – AquaDom, Radisson Hotel Aquarium

World’s Largest Cylindrical Aquarium , AquaDom, Radisson Hotel Aquarium, Berlin; 25 meters high aquarium, with a capacity of 260,000 gallons of water and over 2,500 fish (56 species); visitors can travel through the aquarium using an encased elevator and get to the top where there is a restaurant and an open view of the city; hotel rooms can also experience the underwater view.

7 – The 32 million dollar Virtual Aquarium

World’s Largest Virtual Fish Tank, 30 by 250 meters LED screen or 32 million dollar Virtual Aquarium mounted at about 80 feet in the air between two shopping malls in Beijing.

Breathtaking Oasis

Breathtaking Oasis!

An Oasis is a fertile, watered spot in a desert. 

Check out these breathtaking Oases, which are probably the most beautiful Oases in the world!

Ubari Oasis (Libya)

Ubari is an oasis city in South-Western Libya, in the Targa valley. It lies between the Messak Sattafat plateau and Idhan Ubari sand dunes and lakes. The oasis is the second centre after Ghat for Kel AjjerTuareg. Neighbouring villages include Germa, and In Garran. The water is salted like the dead sea, but swimming into it is rather not a good idea as it is very dirty.

Huacachina (Peru)

Shimmering beneath the scorching sun of the Peruvian desert is an extraordinary sight – a tiny settlement, complete with lagoon, lush palm groves, carob trees, cafes, neatly clipped lawns, 100-strong population and even the odd swimming pool.

For thousands of years, Huacachina, otherwise known as the ‘oasis of Americas’ – there is only one – has been a beacon of green, hidden deep amid hundreds of miles of barren desert. Huacachina serves as a resort for local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sport of sandboarding on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high.

Ein Gedi (Israel)

En Gedi is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. The springs here have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site since the Chalcolithic period. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and was famous in the time of Solomon (Josh 15:62). Today the Israeli kibbutz of En Gedi sits along the southern bank of the Nahal Arugot.

Chebika Oasis (Tunisia)

Chebika belongs to the collection of unlikely desert oases of the mountains north of the great Tunisian chotts. Least famous, Chebika offers perhaps the most effective and dramatic experience among them. Where the mountains rise, Chebika lies. Most of the year it is so exposed to the sun that it once was known as Qasr el-Shams, Castle of the Sun.

Timia Oasis (Niger)

Timia Oasis, located on the Aïr Mountains (northern Niger), is billed as the most beautiful oasis in the country for a reason. It is not quite the image of a pool of water amidst the sand-dunes with a couple of palm-trees on either side. Instead it is a rich network of lush gardens in the middle of some of the most hostile terrain on earth- as true an oasis as you’ll ever find. Oranges and pomegranates hang from branches and can be plucked (for a fee) and eaten on the spot. Date palms and citrus trees, and beneath the cool of the spreading leaves, any number of herbs, cereals and garden vegetables are grown. The Tuareg who tend the gardens export their produce all over the Aïr region- indeed in some cases all over Niger. After the searing heat of the Sahara, the Timia Oasis is the perfect rest-stop for a group of travellers, and time is well spent exploring the refreshing shade of the carefully-groomed orchards.

Herðubreiðarlindir (Iceland)

On Herðubreið, situated in the Highlands of Iceland in the midst of the desert of Ódáðahraun –a very big lava field originating from eruptions of the volcano Trölladyngja–, lies an oasis called Herðubreiðarlindir with a camp ground and famous hiking trails. In former times, outcasts lived there who had been excluded from Icelandic society because of crimes they had committed.

Gaberoun (Libya)

Gaberoun is an oasis with a large lake located in the municipality Sabha in the Libyan Sahara. The old Bedouin settlement by the western shore of the lake has been abandoned, and now lays in ruins. A rudimentary tourist camp is located on the northeastern shore, including an open patio, sleeping huts, and a souvenir shop (attended by a touareg in full costume) in the winter.

The lake is very salty, swimming can be pleasant despite the salt water crustaceans. Mosquitoes are abundant, especially in the summer. October to May is considered the best time to visit as the climate is milder.

Events of the day

Commemorative medals featuring US President Barack Obama are seen in the Czech city of Jablonec nad Nisou ahead of a visit by Mr Obama on 4 April.

Dublin dancer Rachel Devlyn poses outside the Gaiety Theatre in the Irish republic’s capital for the launch of a gay theatre festival.

An Iraqi investor peers at the dealing board at Baghdad’s Iraq Stock Exchange, which has announced it is to introduce a computerised system to show share prices.

Indian President Pratibha Patil presents the Padma Shri award to actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

Mausam Noor during an election campaign at Habibpur in her North Malda constituency

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is welcomed by Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen as she arrives at the World Forum Conference Centre in The Hague.

A man wears a brain-machine interface, equipped with electroencephalogra phy (EEG) devices and near-infrared spectroscope (NIRS) optical sensors in a special headgear to measure slight electrical current and blood flow change in the brain at Japanese auto giant Honda’s headquarters in Tokyo.

Honda and Japan’s research laboratory ATR have announced the development of a humanoid robot, Asimo, that can move its hands and legs after receiving brain activity signals from a human.

A bison looks for something to eat in blowing snow at the Terry Bison Ranch south of Cheyenne. Parts of Wyoming were battered by a second snowstorm last week.

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Road to Death

Road to Death #2

This is part 2 of the series. The previous one is here – Issue #1

Crazy Routes in Andes, Albania New Zealand

Necessity may dictate that you choose the “road less traveled”, but for goodness sake, leave weaker-nerved passengers behind. They might experience life-changing (and underwear-changing) circumstances that they will never forget, or forgive.

One of the Chinese military roads to “boost the morale of their troops” -

and here is how they navigate it:

Tirana to Elbasan Road in Albania

This is a hairy route, very high, badly maintained with high volume of heavy truck traffic – count on these Albanian drivers to be dare-devils, too. Whatever pictures we could get, look pretty serious:

The cool thing about this road is that it leads to various interesting “rabbit trails” with ancient ruins at the end:


some of the bridges there look pretty ancient too, and require some extra faith that they’ll hold:

The Skippers Canyon Road near Queenstown:
Katie Laurence writes to us:
“This road is made from a very narrow cut in the middle of a sheer cliff face. The large tourist buses go along it, and it’s so narrow that if two vehicles have to pass each other, one vehicle might have to reverse for anything up to 3 kilometres of winding narrow road to get to a place wide enough to pass. It is the SCARIEST road you could imagine…”
A few aerial shots first:

(image credit: David Wall Photography)
and this is how it looks close up, with sheer drops just outside the single lane (with almost not enough space for tires) -


(images credit: beez kneez)

window.google_ render_ad( );

Some other bad road predicaments:
This road in Sahara is totally beset by drifting dunes: they change location and are hard to get rid of, considering the desert is all around it:

Potholes from hell:



(image credit: Roussos)
This is pretty extreme, I’d say:

Stelvio Pass Road – redefining switchbacks – A Scenic yet Dangerous Road!
Height – 2757 meters
Location – in the Italian Alps, near Bormio and Sulden, 75 km from Bolzano, close to Swiss border. (The road connects the Valtellina with the upper Adige valley and Merano)
Claim to fame – “the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, after the Col de l’Iseran (2770 m)”

The Pulpit Rock Hike – if you fall, it’s 1000 meters down
This place is indeed so spectacular, that we are going to write a special post about it. For now, just to give you a taste of some scenery – a few shots of people definitely having fun (not forgetting thousand-meter drops at every turn)

(image credit: Globosapiens)

(image credit: Susi Varming)

We finish with a scenario which might not have a happy ending.

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Top 5 World’s Most Amazing Islands

Top 5 World’s Most Amazing Islands

Check out these interesting Islands, very interesting info! Includes the Alcatraz Island, Easter Island, Sealand, Surtsey the Gunkanjima!

5. ALCATRAZ ISLAND (USA): home to the first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast

Alcatraz Island (sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock) is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area. The first European to discover the island was Juan de Ayala in 1775, who charted the San Francisco Bay and named the island “La Isla de los Alcatraces”, which means “Island of the Pelicans”.

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of ships to San Francisco Bay, creating an urgent need for a navigational lighthouse. In response, Alcatraz lighthouse #1 was erected and lit in the summer of 1853. Because of its natural isolation in the middle of a bay, surrounded by cold water and strong sea currents, Alcatraz was soon considered by the U.S. Army as an ideal location for holding captives. Alcatraz was the Army’s first long-term prison, and it was already beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing inmates to harsh conditions and iron fisted discipline. Due to rising operational costs because of its location, the Military Department decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and it was subsequently taken over by the Department of Justice and later became the famous federal prision and finally a recreation area.

4. EASTER ISLAND (Polynesian triangle, Chile): world heritage site and one of the most isolated inhabited islands in history

Easter Island is one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands. It is 3,600 km (2,237 miles) west of continental Chile and 2,075 km (1,290 miles) east of Pitcairn. Nowdays, it is a Chilean-governed island, and is a world heritage site with much of the island protected by the Rapa Nui National Park.

First settled by a small party of Polynesians, Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on Earth, and for most of its history it was the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth. Its inhabitants the Rapanui have endured famines, epidemics, civil war, slave raids and colonialism; have seen their population crash on more than one occasion, and created a cultural legacy that has brought them fame out of all proportion to their numbers.

3. SEALAND (Principality) : World’s smallest island

The Principality of Sealand is an island and a micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former Maunsell Sea Fort located in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, in what is claimed as territorial waters using a twelve-nautical- mile radius.

Since 1967, the installation has been occupied by associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former radio broadcaster and former British Army Major, who claims that it is a sovereign and independent state. Critics, as well as court rulings in the United States and in Germany, have claimed that Roughs Tower has always remained the property of the United Kingdom, a view that is disputed by the Bates family. The population of the facility rarely exceeds ten, and its habitable area is 550 m2 (5920 sq ft).
Sealand’s claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognised by any country, yet it is sometimes cited in debates as an interesting case study of how various principles of international law can be applied to a territorial dispute.

2. SURTSEY (Iceland): The emerging island

Off the coast of Iceland on the morning of 14 November 1963, the crew of a lone fishing trawler spotted an alarming sight. Off to the southwest of the Ísleifur II, a column of dark smoke was rising from the water. Concerned that it could be another boat on fire, the captain directed his vessel towards the scene. Once there, however, they found not a boat but a series of violent explosions producing ash. This was an unmistakable indication of a volcanic eruption taking place underwater, close to the surface. Very aware of the potential danger but eager to watch, the crew kept their boat nearby. It was indeed a remarkable event that they would witness a small part of over the course of that morning: the formation of a brand-new island.

Although now quite visible, the eruption lasted for much, much longer than the Ísleifur II would have been able to watch. After several days, the volcano had broken the water’s surface, forming an island over 500 meters long and 45 meters tall. Even though the rough tides of the North Atlantic might have soon eroded the new island away, it was named Surtsey, meaning ‘Surtur’s island’ – Surtur (or Surtr) being a fire giant of Norse mythology. The island proved to be tenacious, however. The eruption was ongoing and Surtsey increased in size more quickly than the ocean could wear it down. In the meantime two other nearby volcanic eruptions produced the beginnings of islands, but neither lasted very long. By April 1964, though, the most violent parts of the eruption were over and Surtsey remained.

1. GUNKANJIMA (Japan): the Ghost (and forbidden) Island

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island’s most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan’s first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island’s most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan’s first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.
In 1959, its population density was 835 people per hectare for the whole island, or 1,391 per hectare for the residential district, one of the highest population density ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it’s called the Ghost Island. Travel to Hashima is currently prohibited.

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Amazing Shipping Container Houses

Invented more than five decades ago, the modern shipping container is the linchpin in our global distribution network of products. In the containers go toys from China, textiles from India, grain from America, and cars fromGermany. In go electronics, chocolate, and cheese.

While a number of resourceful people have converted shipping containers into make-shift shelters at the margin of society for years, architects and green designers are also increasingly turning to the strong, cheap boxes as source building blocks.

Shipping containers can be readily modified with a range of creature comforts and can be connected and stacked to create modular, efficient spaces for a fraction of the cost, labor, and resources of more conventional materials.

Discover some of the exciting possibilities of shipping container architecture, from disaster relief shelters to luxury condos, vacation homes, and off-the-grid adventurers. See what makes them green as well as cutting edge.

(Photo: Kool-Kini / Flickr )

De Maria Design Redondo Beach House

With its modern lines and appealing spaces, the award-winning Redondo Beach House by De Maria Design turns heads. The luxury beach-side showpiece was built from eight prefabricated, recycled steel shipping containers, along with some traditional building materials. According to the architects, the modified containers are “nearly indestructible, ” as well as resistant to mold, fire, and termites. Seventy percent of the building was efficiently assembled in a shop, saving time, money, and resources.

One of the containers can even sport a pool! The lessons learned from Redondo Beach House are being incorporated into a line of more affordable, accessible designs, soon available as Logical Homes.

(Photo: Urban Space Management)

London’s Container City

Conceived by Urban Space Management, London’s Container City first sprang up in the heart of the Docklands in 2001. It took just five months to complete the original 12 work studios, at a height of three stories. Shortly after that a fourth floor of studios and living apartments was added.

Container City was designed to be low cost, as well as environmentally friendly. Recycled materials made up 80% of building supplies. Architect Nicholas Lacey and partners and engineer Buro Happold used component pieces to build up adaptable living and work spaces.

(Photo: Kool-Kini / Flickr )

Container City II

Container City I was a success, and in2002, Urban Space Management added an addition, dubbed Container City II. Reaching five stories high, Container City II is connected to its earlier iteration via walkways. It also boasts an elevator and full disabled access, as well as 22 studios.

(Photo: Paul McCredie)

Port-a-Bach

Need some flexibility with security? Need a temporary structure or small vacation home? Going off the grid? The Port-a-Bach system from New Zealand’s Atelier Workshop might be a good fit.

Costing around $55,000, Port-a-Bach sleeps two adults and two children comfortably, in a dwelling that folds up into a fully enclosed steel shell. It comes with large internal storage cupboards and shelves; a stainless steel kitchen; bathroom with shower, sink and composting toilet; bunk beds and dressing room. Fabric screens allow you to shape internal space, as well as shelter the outdoor deck area.

Bach (pronounced Batch) is Kiwi slang for “Bachelor Pad,” and refers to the many small cabins that dot the famously picturesque country.

(Photo: Urban Space Management)

Cove Park Artists’ Retreat

Set on 50 acres of gorgeous Scottish countryside, Cove Park is an artist’s retreat designed to stimulate and reinvigorate. Urban Space Management first brought in three repurposed shipping containers in 2001, and the center became so popular that more units have been added.

Doesn’t look like your average shipping box, does it?

(Photo: Bark Design Collective)

All Terrain Cabin

Canada’s Bark Design Collective built the All Terrain Cabin (ATC) as a showcase for sustainable (and Canadian!) ingenuity. The small home is based on a standard shipping container, and is said to be suitable for a family of four, plus a pet, to live off the grid in comfort and style.

The cabin folds up to look like any old shipping container, and can be sent via rail, truck, ship, airplane, or even helicopter. When you’re ready to rest your bones, the cabin quickly unfolds to 480 square feet of living space, with a range of creature comforts.

(Photo: Courtesy of Ecopod)

The Ecopod

Another container home designed for on- or off-grid living is the Ecopod. Made from a shipping container, an electric winch is used to raise and lower the heavy deck door (power is supplied by a solar panel). The floor is made from recycled car tires, and the walls have birch paneling (over closed-cell soya foam insulation). The glass is double paned to slow heat transfer.

The Ecopod can be used as a stand alone unit or with other structures. It is designed to minimize environmental impact.

(Photo: Quik House )

Adam Kalkin Quik House

Want your own container house? There’s a six-month waiting list for the Quik House by architect Adam Kalkin, who is based in New Jersey. The distinctive Quik House comes in a prefabricated kit, based on recycled shipping containers (in fact a completed house is about 75% recycled materials by weight).

The standard Quik House offers 2,000 square feet, three bedrooms and two and one-half baths, though larger options are also available. The shell assembles within just one day, and all the interior details can be finished within about three months.

The Quik House comes in two colors (orange or natural rust bloom), and the estimated total cost, including shipping and assembly, is $184,000. You can add even greener options such as solar panels, wind turbines, a green roof, and additional insulation (to R-50).

(Photo: Kool-Kini / Flickr )

LiNX Temporary Structures

Dublin-based designer Richard Barnwall envisioned this design, dubbed theLiNX, as a temporary structure for construction workers. The two-storey model pictured is to be comprised of four 20-foot containers. Such designs offer flexibility and rapid deployment, and may even work for more permanent homes.

(Photo: Ross Stevens / Flickr )

Ross Stevens House

Industrial designer Ross Stevens built this distinctive house inWellington, New Zealand. Repurposed shipping containers form an intriguing contrast to the surrounding hill. In fact, the unique home makes use of the hill itself, expanding interior space beyond the containers.

Parts of the Ross Stevens house are surprisingly spacious and comfortable. There’s even a cool table made from a repurposed door.

(Photo: Kool-Kini / Flickr)

Student Housing Project Keetwonen, Amsterdam

Billed as the largest container city in the world, Amsterdam’s massiveKeetwonen complex houses 1,000 students, many of whom are happy to secure housing in the city’s tight real estate market. Designed by Tempo Housing in 2006, Keetwonen is said to be a roaring success, with units that are well insulated, surprisingly quiet and comfortable.

Each resident enjoys a balcony, bathroom, kitchen, separate sleeping and studying rooms, and large windows. The complex has central heating and high speed Internet, as well as dedicated bike parking.

Keetwonen has proved so popular that its lease has been extended until at least 2016.

(Photo: Site-Specific )

Site-Specific Exhibition

Site-Specific and Buatalah Studio were asked to design a green building exhibition for Baan Lae Suan Fair in Bangkok. They came up with a design for a family of three, made out of four reused shipping containers and prefabricated modules. The home reuses graywater and incorporates spaces for growing food.

Unusual Weather Phenomena – Amazing

Moon Bows – A rainbow is caused by the Sun shining on moisture droplets, most commonly in a post-rain atmosphere. A moon bow is much rarer, only seen at night when the moon is low and full to almost full. One popular place to see moon bows is at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky,

Mirages – Mirages occur when light is refracted to produce an image of an object or the sky where it is not. It is most commonly seen on hot surfaces, such as the pavement or a desert.

Haloes – Like rainbows, haloes are formed around the Sun due to moisture (in this case ice crystals) being refracted from the Sun’s rays in the upper atmosphere. Sometimes two or more areas of the circle or arcs surrounding the Sun will be brighter, forming what are called Sun Dogs. Haloes can also form around the Moon, and occasionally around the brighter stars and planets like Venus.

Belt of Venus – The belt of Venus is a phenomenon that occurs during dusty evenings when a band of pinkish or brownish sky will appear between the sky and the horizon

Noctilucent Clouds – Noctilucent clouds are atmospherically high clouds that refract light at dusk when the Sun has already set, illuminating the sky with no seeming light source.

Aurora Borealis – Also known in the southern hemisphere as the Aurora Australis, the Aurora Borealis are charged particles from the Sun that have reached the Earth’s upper atmosphere and become excited. They are more typically seen closer to the poles and during the equinoxes of the year.

Coloured Moon – Due to different atmospheric issues, the moon will occasionally appear tinged with a color, such as blue, orange, or red. Excess smoke, dust, and eclipses can cause the moon to change color.

Mammatus Clouds – These odd-shaped clouds are often associated with a storm front, especially one involving a thunderstorm. It’s not completely understood how they form

Pyrocumulus Clouds – Another heat related phenomenon, pyrocumulus clouds form from the fast and intense heating of an area to create convecture, which in turn creates a cumulous cloud. Volcanoes, forest fires, and nuclear explosion (in the form of a mushroom cloud) are all prime causes of pyrocumulus clouds.

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Fire Rainbow – A fire rainbow is an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs only when the sun is high allowing its light to pass through high-altitude cirrus clouds with a high content of ice crystals.

Green Ray – Also known as the Green Flash. This occurs very briefly before total sunset and after sunrise. It appears as a green flash above the sun that lasts very briefly, generally only a few moments. It is caused by refraction of light in the atmosphere.