Mini Cooper

World's Most Dangerous Jobs

Skyscraper Windows Cleaners

You need nerves of steel to be a window cleaner in Dubai. When this worker spotted a mark on an apartment window, he just had to pop out to give the glass a quick wipe with a squeegee. Nothing odd about that – except that the apartment was located 400ft up on the 34th floor of a tower block in Jumeirah Beach, Dubai. He stepped out on to the narrow ledge and, holding the frame, stretched across to wipe away the annoying smudge. As he takes his life into his hands, at least he has the sense to hold on to the window frame, even if it is by his fingertips, as he goes about his task. He was snapped making sure the windows were sparkling by a resident in a neighbouring apartment block. He didn't have a safety harnesses or cradles and helmets. He had nothing. When it comes to safety among its massive immigrant workforce, the Dubai authorities have a dubious record. Conditions in which immigrants are expected to work have been a subject of discussion in the United Arab Emirates for many years. Yet the majority of these employees have no voice, especially when it comes to their own safety. They are also aware that, if they are deported, there are thousands of others willing to take their place.

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Helicopter Linemen

 

The first time you see these guys over the power lines you may think it's fake. But linemen who work from helicopters are for real and they are considered a highly specialized area of line work; few linemen have the special training to perform it. Incredible as it seems, live high voltage transmission lines can be worked barehanded. The lineman must be isolated from the ground by using an insulated bucket truck or other method. The lineman wears special conductive clothing which is connected to the live power line, at which point the line and the lineman are at the same potential, allowing the lineman to handle the wire safely.
Live wire work is extremely common on low voltage distribution systems within the UK as all linesmen are trained to work 'live'. Live wire work on high voltage distribution systems within the UK is carried out by specialist teams. These teams are sometimes referred to as 'Hot Glove' teams.

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Crocodile Wrestlers

 

The daily grind at the office may not seem so bad after viewing these startling images.
For, no matter how grumpy your boss may be this morning, at least you aren't actually risking life and limb by sticking your head in his jaws.
But that is exactly what the crocodile wrestlers at a Thai zoo do on a daily basis. The men at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo perform what may well be the world's most dangerous job. The wranglers have been performing the stunts at the zoo on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, since it was set up in 1985. During the hour-long shows they stick their head between the jaws of some of the zoo's biggest crocs, in the style of Krai Thong, a legendary Thai crocodile hunter.

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Lion Trainers

 

Newlyweds from Montana, celebrating in Las Vegas were checking out the lion enclosure at the MGM Grand Hotel when they videotaped these images. The man was videotaping the male and female lions and their two trainers when all of a sudden the male took exception at something that was going on and made a lunge. A struggle ensued and a female also decided to join the fray but the trainer managed to break free with the help of his colleague and made a hasty escape from the enclosure with the male still appearing extremely agitated. There is no evidence of any blood being spilled, but the trainer is evidently in great pain during the attack. Soundproof glass muffled any noise, however. Jack Hanna appeared on GMA and he said the attack would be considered mild. The trainer was lucky it was the male getting over-excited as females launch much more devastating attacks. (Link)

Miners

 

Gilberto Angulos does not need to say a word to tell the tale of working 30 years in Chile's mines. His broken body does all the talking for him. A jagged scar runs down his forehead. A metal plate keeps his fractured left forearm together. A bone never properly set juts from his left shoulder. The injuries are the remnants of a mine explosion that nearly killed him. In 2003, Angulos was driving excavation equipment in a large copper mine when he felt a rush of air. Instead of being killed, Angulos was taken 1,300 miles (2,092 km) south to Santiago, where he spent a year in the hospital. The damage to the miner was permanent. Now the San Jose mine collapse and got trapped 33 men in Chile. The owner and operator of that mine, the San Esteban Mining Co., did not complete promised improvements to the mine where the men were trapped for 70 days, 2,300 feet (701 meters) underground. Many of the 33 trapped miners and their peers had had numerous brushes with death in the depths of a mine. Mario Gomez had two fingers sliced off by falling rocks. Victor Segovia spent a year recovering after a rock slammed into his back. Franklin Lobos was trapped for three hours during a previous cave-in. Hector Avila worked 20 years in the mines and became close friends with several of the recently-trapped miners when he worked with them at the San Jose mine. A geologist was killed in the same 2007 accident, prompting the closure of the San Jose mine. But the mine was reopened soon after.

Since 2000, 374 miners have died practicing their trade in Chile, according to government statistics. That seems like a fun job, doesn't it?

(Link)

Target Girls

 

Target girl is a term sometimes used in circus and vaudeville to denote a female assistant in "impalement" acts such as knife throwing, archery or sharpshooting. The assistant stands in front of a target board or is strapped to a moving board and the impalement artist throws knives or shoots projectiles so as to hit the board but miss the assistant. The presence of an assistant as a human target provides a powerful element of risk. Without assistants placing themselves in danger these acts would be simple demonstrations of accuracy, but with the potential for injury or death the show is much more dramatic. Where can I apply?

(Link)

Loggers

 

Logging takes an annual toll like few other occupations. The biggest hazard, according to Roger Smith of RL Logging in Olympia, Wash., comes from logging mountain slopes. "You're working steep terrain with 70-degree, 80-degree grades with rocks and sliding logs," he says. About half the time, he's taking down 60- to 70-year-old trees with trunk diameters of 30 inches or more. If not felled correctly, these can go crashing down slopes, rolling over anyone in their paths. The old forest canopies often have those snags, which are big dead branches that break off and can fall erratically when the tree comes down. Loggers call them "widow makers." Even after the trees are cut, the job of loading them can be tough. "Somebody just got killed here recently," he says. "He was running a harvester and one of the teeth of the chain broke off and went right through the bulletproof glass window of his cab."

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Fishermen

 

129 deaths per 100,000 people employed in the industry and 61 injuries per 100,000 for 2008, makes working in the Fishing Industry the number one most dangerous job in the world. A Cable TV show, Deadliest Catch, on the Discovery Network, shows real crab fishers in the Bering Sea. They make a living working many hours a day, 7 days a week, often in the dark, without a break for long stretches of time. They must perform the catch within the window of opportunity, or lose their income for the year. Freezing water and icy boat decks can lead to horrific accidents, and storms can swamp small fishing vessels, sometimes claiming entire crews.

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Deminers

 

Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area. Manual demining is still the best system currently in use because it has been proven that the current generation of mine clearance machines can only clear up to an 80 percent certainty at best, whereas manual demining can give a 99.6 percent certainty. But this work can be very dangerous. Demining resulted in at least 500 deaths from 1996 to 2002.

(Link)

Construction Worker

 

These are the people you see hoisting those giant steel beams to create the structural framework of office buildings and other large projects. The United Steelworkers union claims that deaths among structural construction workers are increasing as owners and managers try to cut costs. The most common cause of death among them, according to the BLS, is falling.

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source : http://www.toxel.com

The mystery of Chernobyl

A bitter dispute is raging over whether the fallout zone is a wasteland or wonderland. Now, a team of scientists is heading back into the contaminated area to find out the truth. 

 

 'We walked out into a wasteland, grey and desolate. The buildings had deteriorated, windows had been smashed. Trees and weeds had grown over everything: it was a ghost town." It reads like a passage from a post-apocalyptic novel, such as Cormac McCarthy's The Road; in fact, it's how Tim Mousseau describes his first visit to Chernobyl. 

In 1999, this Professor of Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina travelled to the site of the world's most horrific nuclear accident, alongside Professor Anders Møller, an ornithologist and evolutionary biologist from the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. Their on-site research has sparked an intense controversy over the effects of radiation on humans and animals – one which they hope their latest trip into the fallout zone, which sets out in two weeks, will help to resolve.

The basic facts of Chernobyl are well known. At 1.23am on April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Soviet nuclear power plant (sited in modern-day Ukraine) exploded, after an electrical test went horribly wrong. The radioactive material released was hundreds of times greater than the fallout over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, polluting about 80,000 square miles of land across Europe and spreading radioactive rain as far as north-west Ireland.

In the wake of the accident, more than 300,000 people were evacuated and an 800 square mile exclusion zone created around the reactor. Yet recently it has been reported that the abandoned town of Pripyat has become a wildlife haven. There have been sightings of wolves, bears and moose wandering through the deserted streets, and swifts swoop round abandoned office blocks.

The implication is that if wildlife can return so soon, nuclear radiation – and nuclear power – might be less dangerous than has been suggested. James Lovelock, the creator of the Gaia theory, has even written that the natural world "would welcome nuclear waste as the perfect guardian against greedy developers… the preference of wildlife for nuclear-waste sites suggests that the best sites for its disposal are the tropical forests and other habitats in need of a reliable guardian against their destruction by hungry farmers and developers".

By Sanjida O'Connell 5:56PM BST 31 Aug 2009

sourch : http://www.telegraph.co.uk

10 of The World’s Most Unique Restrooms

1. THE JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER RESTROOM, USA

   
   The Kohler art centre houses arts exhibits in Sheboygan, WI, USA. The Kohler fund sponsored six artists to design artwork using the facilities and sources from Kohler- a company that sells bathrooms and accessories. One of the restroom units entitled “The Social History of Architecture” features the development of architecture from ancient Egypt until the current time. One restroom unit features “The Many Uses of Water” using beautiful ceramics in blue colours.
   
   

2. SOCCER BALL SHAPED RESTROOM, KOREA
   

   
   In 2002, both South Korea and Japan became the hosts for the football World Cup finals. A former Korean mayor came up with the idea of having soccer ball shaped restrooms around the football stadium as part of a campaign to develop clean and comfortable public restrooms in Korea during the big event.
   

3. “POP UP” RESTROOM, UK

   
   This is actually a “pop-up” urinal for use during the nighttime. The durable, cylindrical stainless steel urinal, which is called the Urilift will be lowered into the ground during the day or when it is not needed. Healthmatic, a Wiltshire, UK based company has been given rights to distribute the Urilift in the UK. The Urilift can be used by 3 persons simultaneously.
   

4. SEMI-TRANSPARENT TOILET, UK

   
   This public toilet was built in front of London’s Tate Britain Gallery as an art exhibit by an Italian born artist. What is special about this restroom is that it is made up of semi-transparent glass. The “visitors” of the public toilet (who need to defy their own fear and embarrassment) can see through the one-way mirrored glass but passers-by can’t see the person inside the restroom.
   

5. THE “TOILET BAR” RESTROOM, AUSTRIA

   
   The “toilet bar” of Vienna is actually a public restroom situated in an underpass near the Austria National Opera. The restroom features several units of urinals shaped like thick lipsticked lips with teeth and a tongue. Patrons were charged 75 cents for each visit. Eventually, the urinals were removed after facing public and political pressures as they were said to be offensive and sexist objects.
   

6. WORLD’S LARGEST RESTROOM, CHINA
   

   
   Quite recently in July 2007, a Southwestern Chinese city in Chongqing opened up a free of charge, four-story public restroom. There are more than 1,000 toilets in this 30,000 square foot restroom. It features an Egyptian-themed interior with soothing music playing in the background. Some of the urinals are uniquely shaped, including crocodile’s mouths and busts of women. The government officials in Chongqing are currently preparing to submit an application to list this facility as the world’s largest public restroom in the Guinness World Records.
   

7. 3-D GOLDSTORE, HONG KONG RESTROOM, CHINA

   
   The gold store owner in Hong Kong was inspired by Lenin’s vision of building public restrooms made of gold. Everything in the restroom including the toilet, sink, tiles and doors are all made of solid gold.
   

8. THE CHAMBER POT GALLERY RESTROOM, USA

   
   The Chamber Pot gallery is a public restroom located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA. What’s special about this restroom is that it acts as a showcase for art works by local artists. The paintings will hang for a year in the restroom and there is a log book in the office that highlights the artists and their art work as well as contact information.
   

9. SINGAPORE ZOO RESTROOM, SINGAPORE

   
   This spacious and airy restroom has won many awards locally and internationally for its cleanliness and practical design. A big section of the restrooms are located outdoors, resembling a beautiful garden.
   

10. THE JUNGLE JIM’S RESTROOM, USA

    
    
    The Jungle Jim’s restroom is located in the Jungle Jim’s International Market in Ohio, USA. The Jungle Jim’s is actually a shopping initiative which provides all sorts of products from international cuisines to pet supplies. The entrance to the restroom is rather unique, as it looks like “port-o-lets” or “porta-potties” and may confuse new customers. The walls inside are decorated and the restroom units are spacious and clean.

source : http://purpleslinky.com

10 Weird Houses and Unique Homes

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rank10. Portuguese Stone House

This weird house, located in Fafe, Portugal, is made of limestone rock. The artist who put it together is
unknown. It has a front door, roof, and windows. Good enough for Fred Flintstone. (Google Map)

rank9. Narrow House, Greenwich Village

This unique and very narrow house at 75 1/2 Bedford St., Greenwich Village, NYC is also the oldest house in Greenwich Village and possibly the narrowest in New York City. Located at , 75 1/2 Bedford Street, the narrow house was built in 1873 over a former carriage entrance way, and measures 9.5 feet wide and 30 feet deep. Former residents of the house include poet Edna St Vincent Millay, actor Cary Grant, and anthropologist Margaret Mead. The house has sold within the last couple of years for over $2 million (USD). (Google Map)

rank8. Hole N The Rock

The Hole N The Rock was carved out of a huge rock in Utah’s Canyonlands area. This unique cave home is 5,000 square feet and offers tours. Built by Albert and Gladys Christensen over a span of 12 years, it offers a fireplace, 14 rooms, and has many of the Christensen’s original furniture, doll collection, and decorations. It is said that Albert removed 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone to build it. The couple, having passed away some time ago, are buried next to the home. (Google Map)





rank7. Toilet House

 

The late Sim Jae-Duck, founder of the World Toilet Association, built this weird house in the shape of a toilet, called Haewoojae (“a place where one can solve one’s worries”). The $1 million dollar toilet home was built to spread awareness about the importance of toilet hygiene (a worthy endeavor). A generous donation of $50,000 to the WTA will get you a night in the house. After Sim passed away, his surviving family donated the building to Suwon City through an agreement to turn the house into a toilet culture museum. (Google Map)

rank6. Egg Home

24 year old Dai Haifei, an architect, couldn’t afford to rent a house in Beijing thanks to the very expensive market. So he built his own house made in the shape of an egg. The egg home is 2 meters high, with solar panels, wheels, and sack bags for walls. Read more about the egg house.






rank5. Caveland

Caveland is built from a sand mine that was hollowed out so that the owner could turn the sand into glass. In the late 40s, a woman named Sue Morris bought the property and turned it into “Caveland”, a concert venue/roller skating facility. Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, MC5, and Tina Turner all played there. Shut down in 1985, the place was turned into a home by Curt Sleeper and his family. The cave home is about 15,000 square feet, with three main chambers. Electricity comes from solar panels, and the fact that it’s a cave means the home will stay cooler. Read more about Caveland. (Google Map)

rank4. Walking House

This entry into the list of weird houses was built on 6 hydraulic legs. Designed by N55, a collective of Danish artists, along with Massachusetts engineers, the 10 foot high walking house is solar powered and wind powered. It has a living room, kitchen, toilet, and bed. So don’t worry about having your house in a flood zone – now the whole place can just walk away from it.




rank3. Haines Shoe House

Haines Shoe House was completed in 1949 by Mahlon Haines, also known as the “Shoe Wizard”. Located on Shoe House Road in Hellam, Pennsylvania, near route 30, the house is modeled after a high-topped work shoe. The interior contains 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room area, and a kitchen. Haines had owned about 40 shoe stores in the area, and wanted an interesting way to market his business. He allowed elderly couples and newlyweds to stay in the shoe house from time to time. (Google Map)



rank2. Simpsons House

The real-life replica of the house from the Simpsons was the brainchild of Fox and Pepsi. It was given away to contest winner Barbara Howard, a 63-year-old retired factory worker from Richmond, Ky. The 2200 square foot home is located at 712 Red Bark Lane in Henderson, Nevada. Unfortunately, the house has since been remodeled and now looks just like all the other cookie cutter suburban homes surrounding it. (Google Map)





rank1. Lego House

In Surrey, England, a TV presenter named James May built a full sized house made from Lego blocks. This unique home featured a toilet, shower, and lights – and was made from over 3 million little plastic Legos. The house was 20 feet high and spanned 2 stories. Unfortunately the Lego house was pulled down. However, James May did spend some time living in it.




source : http://oddculture.com