Top 10 Olympic Medal Winning Countries

The Olympics is a widely known event that has been held in several countries over the years and has made for itself a niche in the sporting world that is surpassed by no other. Each country since the inception of the Olympics has strived to be able to host it and also to win the most medals in the cut throat competition.  It is a matter of national pride if any competition within the event is won by a certain country’s representative. The wide TV and press coverage alone makes it an extremely important event no matter what country any sports enthusiast is in. Below is a detailed list of all the countries that have made it to the top ten as far as medal winning is concerned.

The United States Of America

The USA is right at the top of the list with having participated in every session of the Olympics since its inception. They also have the best track record to date. According to record they have only ever missed one Olympics which was in 1980 and this session was boycotted due to certain reasons. There is a committee in the USA that deals solely with its participation in the Olympics and it is known as USOC or The United States Olympic Committee. American participants are recorded to have won due to their own effort and talent about 2298 medals (summer games) and 253 (winter Olympics). Swimming and athletics have been America’s strongest sports throughout their participation and the maximum medals have been won for these. 09 more after the break...

10 Most Amazing Water Parks

01. Water park in an old Aircraft Hangar

Is summer, and it's time to get together with family or a group of friends and go to a warm pool or water park. Today, we'll tell you about the top ten most unusual and exciting water parks in the world. 09 more after the break...

The Most Expensive Wedding Rings In The World

 "A wedding ring - not a simple decoration." What is the meaning laid down in this phrase, which cause feelings of joy. A wedding ring - it means a wedding coming up soon! Of all the customs, exchange wedding rings - the most beautiful - a symbol of fidelity and happiness from a young age and gray hairs. Let's look at engagement rings famous women who have managed their boyfriend in the whole state! 45 celebs after the break...

Maijishan Grottoes in China

 The Maijishan Grottoes are a series of 194 caves cut in the side of the hill of Majishan in Tianshui, Gansu Province, northwest China. This example of rock cut architecture contains over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and over 1,000 square meters of murals. Construction began in the Later Qin era (384-417 CE). 05 more images after the break...

10 Odd Games

01. Buzkashi

Buzkashi is the Afghan national sport. It is also a popular sport among the south Central Asians such as the Uzbeks, Hazaras, Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Turkmens and Pashtuns. The Turkic name of the game is Kökbörü; Kök = "blue", börü = "wolf", denoting the grey wolf—the holy symbol of the Turkic people. Other Turkic names of the game are Ulak Tartish, Kuk Pari, Kök Berü, and Ulak Tyrtysh. Kökbörü is the most popular national sport of Kyrgyzstan. In the West, the game (Turkish: Cirit) is also played by Kyrgyz Turks who migrated to Ulupamir village in the Van district of Turkey from the Pamir region. Buzkashi is often compared to polo. Both games are played between people on horseback, both involve propelling an object toward a goal, and both get fairly rough. However, polo is played with a ball, and buzkashi is played with a headless goat carcass. Polo matches are played for fixed periods totaling about an hour; traditional Buzkashi may continue for days, but in its more regulated tournament version also has a limited match time.wiki 09 more sports after the break...

Top 10 Beautiful Palaces Around the World

The word PALACE is derived from the Latin name Palatium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. In many parts of Europe, the term is also applied to relatively large urban buildings built as the private mansions of the aristocracy. Here is a collection of top 10 palaces around the world. 

10. Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

 The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia was the official residence of the Russian Tsars. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style; the green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle. The palace has been calculated to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases. Its principal façade is 250 m long and 100 ft high. 09 more after the break...

Ritemail Picdump — 51 pics

Ritemail Picdump — 49 more images after the break...

Buddha Statue in Leshan

 The Leshan Giant Buddha (simplified Chinese: Lèsha-n Dàfó) was built during the Tang Dynasty (618–907AD). It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It was not damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. 09 more images after the break...

Tower Design of English Project

The English held a contest to design London’s wacky rip-off of the Eiffel Tower — Inspired by the financial success of the Eiffel Tower — which was erected in Paris for the 1889 World's Fair — a group of Englishmen attempted to bang out their own ersatz Eiffel a year later. This contest to design the never-to-be "Great Tower of London" received 68 designs. Some resemble alien fortresses and all of them would've (supposedly) prompted an international Eiffel Tower arms race. To quote:

Taking into consideration the enormous popularity of the Eiffel Tower and the consequent pecuniary benefits conferred on those interested in that undertaking, it is not too much to anticipate that, in the course of a short time, every important country will possess its tall Tower. The project of erecting a great Tower in London soon found the willing support of many capitalists, who felt convinced that if the scheme were properly laid before the public there would be no great difficulty in accomplishing the object. 12 more images after the break...

Top 10 Famous Sea Stacks From Around the World

A stack or sea stack is a rock formation made up of a steep or upright column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast. They are formed when part of a headland is eroded by water crashing against the rock or as a result of wind erosion. These impressive formations are intricately created by nature only through time, tide and wind. Here are 10 famous sea stack formations from around the World.

01. Dun Briste, Ireland

Photo Link

 Dun Briste, a spectacular sea-stack, estimated to be approximately 50 metres (165ft) in height, stands 80 metres (260ft) off Downpatrick Head, in the town-land of Knockaun, east of Ballycastle, Ireland. Downpatrick Head is where the Atlantic has gouged a huge bay from the mighty cliffs and their summits scoured of all vegetation except grass by the ceaseless ocean winds.

Each year, Downpatrick is frequented by birdwatchers, who come to observe and record the many different species which take up positions on the stratified face of the stack as the seasons change. In May and early June, the headland itself is a blaze of colour when the sea-pink comes into bloom. Link Map

09 more  Sea Stacks after the break...

11 Continuously Inhabited Oldest Cities in the World

Ever since man learned to grow their own food and rear cattle, they have been living in permanent to semi-permanent settlements with certain degree of planning. Although opinions vary on whether any particular ancient settlement can be considered to be a city, there is no doubt that towns and cities have a long history.

The earliest civilizations in history were established in the region known as Mesopotamia, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran. Archaeological remains unearthed in Mesopotamia provides proof of settlements dating back to 10,000 BC. After Mesopotamia, the city culture arose in Syria and Anatolia, as shown by the city of Çatalhöyük (7500-5700BC). Mohenjodaro of the Indus Valley Civilization in present-day Pakistan existed from about 2600 BC and was one of the largest ancient cites with a population of 50,000 or more.

While it might not be too difficult to determine which is the oldest city in the world, there is fierce contention for the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Often the age claims are disputed and historical evidences are difficult to prove. Then there are differences in opinion as to the definitions of "city" as well as "continuously inhabited". In any case, the following cities besides being some of the ancient in the world, they continue to grow and thrive until the present day.

01. Jericho, Israel

Continuously Inhabited Since: 9000 BC

Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories, capital of the Jericho Governorate and with a modest population of around 20,000. Situated well below sea level Jericho is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.

Described in the Old Testament as the "City of Palm Trees", copious springs in and around Jericho have made it an attractive site for human habitation for thousands of years. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back 11,000 years (9000 BCE), almost to the very beginning of the Holocene epoch of the Earth's history.

During the Younger Dryas period of cold and drought, permanent habitation of any one location was not possible. However, the spring at what would become Jericho was a popular camping ground for hunter-gatherer groups, who left a scattering stone tools behind them. Around 9600 BCE the droughts and cold of the Younger Dryas Stadial had come to an end, making it possible for groups to extend the duration of their stay, eventually leading to year round habitation and permanent settlement. By about 9400 BCE Jericho had more than 70 dwellings, and was home to over 1000 people. 10 more cities after the break...

Tanusree Dutta Latest Glamorous Photoshoot

Tanusree Dutta Latest Glamorous Photoshoot — 08 more images after the break...

The Great Wall of China Meets the Sea

The end of the Great Wall of China. Photo Link 

 Old Dragon’s Head - Where The Great Wall of China Meets the Sea — The Great Wall of China is one of the most amazing piece of architecture and the most ambitious building project ever attempted in the history of mankind. Construction of this formidable defensive structure, built to ward off invasion and to protect the Chinese Empire, goes back by more than two thousand years to the the 7th century BC during the Chunqiu period. Especially famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained and fortified. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. 08 more images after the break...

Selena Gomez Timeline

 Selena Gomez Timeline 12 more images after the break...

One Horse Power Car

One Horse Power Car — More after the break...

Iran in 1960s

When the people of the West today hear the word "Iran", they come to mind veiled women, burning American flags and angry crowd shouted nationalist slogans. But those who kept the memories of Tehran, 1960-70s, painted a completely different picture. 

01. Aerial view of Vali-Asr Square in 1971 Courtesy of Kaveh Farrokh 

Before the Islamic revolution in 1979 the capital of Iran was one of the most culturally advanced in the world. The newspaper The New York Times wrote: "Before the revolution, Iran was the most cultural and multi-ethnic country in the region. It quickly developed art, literature, film and television industry. " Education may receive, both men and women, and residents went on holiday to the ski resorts are located in the mountains of Mount Elbrus. Kaveh Farrokh (Kaveh Farrokh), author of the photos presented below, is now living in Canada, but remembers his youth spent in Iran, when it was possible to watch American films in movie theaters and upscale to roam the airport, stuffed with advanced technology of the time. However, the sweet life was not for all Iranians. Social and economic inequalities caused by the policies of the government of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, led to the poverty of some and the incredible wealth of others. Such contrasts led to the downfall of the government of the Shah and the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the consequences of which still define the course of the country. 19 more images after the break...

Old Boeing Recycled as Homes

A resident of the U.S. state of Oregon, Bruce Campbell bought an old Boeing 727 passenger plane and turned it into his house. Have a look…

01. Bruce Campbell offers one of the nine exits in the aircraft, which he found in the woods in the town of Hillsboro, Oregon. 

 “Aircraft are flying homes for people,” Campbell said. “They stay in the sky sometimes for 12 to 14 hours at a time and people have to eat and use the toilet and do almost everything else we normally do -- and all of those facilities are in there. They’re built along with lighting and climate control, everything. 10 more images after the break...

Guess Who ?

Shruthi K Hassan Photoshoot Stills

Shruthi Hassan Photoshoot Stills — 08 more images after the break...

Ritemail Picdump

Ritemail Picdump — 56 more images after the break...

Vanessa Hudgens with her Sister

From 8 years old Vanessa Hudgens participated in musical theater as a singer, a high school program was held on home schooling. There is Vanessa Hudgens participated in the filming of various TV shows. But the first significant and memorable role for Vanessa Hudgens has a role in the film "Thirteen," which became her ticket to further the world of cinema.  Vanessa Hudgens became famous as a singer, starting his solo career. And now, in the first half of 2006 recording her debut album 08 more images after the break...

I am in Hurry

I regret less the road not taken than my all-fired hurry along the road I took. - Robert Brault -

Feuture of Dubai

Feuture of Dubai by Richard Allenby-Pratt — Dubai - a city located in the desert. A city with rising skyscrapers, green golf courses, and who would have thought, even with a ski resort. Here too is clearly visible real struggle of mankind with nature. Large-scale recession and rising debt frighten its future. Not so hard to imagine how this huge metropolis under the scorching rays of the sun will turn into an abandoned metropolis, surrounded by sand, followed by the financial crisis will eliminate the wealthy donors to deprive two million foreign workers a piece of bread.British photographer and artist Richard Allenby-Pratt has created this terrible post-apocalyptic scenario that is implemented in the nightmarish representations. 13 more images after the break...

20 Reasons NOT to Work in Large Companies

Large corporations only one type of professionals - professionals working in large corporations.

The text below is made on the basis of the views of several people who worked for a long time in the office, and exchanged the comfort of open-space and free coffee in the business and a balanced life. More after the break...

Guess what ?

 Can you guess what happened with this house, 03 more images after the break...

20 Worst Footballer Euro-2012

UEFA Cup Euro 2012 ended not so long ago, as fans and fans from around the world still can not get over it. I suggest you look at the 20 worst players from different countries, have been identified on the final estimates of statistical data championship Euro-2012. 20 Worst Football Championship Euro-2012 after the break...

Winding Pedestrian Bridge

Amazing in the form of a bridge in Chicago, leading to the city park Millenium. Its designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The bridge is named in honor of "British Petroleum", which contributed to its construction of the $ 5 million. 09 more images after the break...

Salma Hayek Latest Images

Salma Hayek latest candid images, 08 more after the break...

Expression of Faces

Irish rugby star Brian O’Driscoll visita a young girl in the hospital with the Heineken Cup.

These unique photographs capture the examples of conspicuous and sheer joy, which makes them really heartwarming. 39  more images after the break...

Amazing Three-Dimensional Drawings

A collection of amazing three-dimensional images that go beyond conventional pictures. 18 more images after the break...

Twitter New Headquarters in Market Square — San Francisco

01. Twitter HQ, 1355 Market Street, San Francisco

After announcing their intention to remain in San Francisco 14 months ago, Twitter has officially moved into their new digs in Market Square (1355 Market Street to be exact). The move may help revitalize an area where office space has sat vacant for decades. Market Square consists of two art-deco buildings that are comprised of 890,000 square feet of office space above 200,000 square feet of retail space. It was originally opened in 1937. Below you will find a gallery of Twitter’s new headquarters, shot by in-house photographer @TroyHolden, enjoy! 23 more images after the break...

Amazing African Teamwork — Video

Bridges for Wild Life

Roads are often crossed by natural migration routes of animals living in a particular locality. To solve the problem of wildlife destruction under the wheels of vehicles in many countries of erecting special bridges. For these bridges, animals can move freely without risk of being shot down. This post contains a few examples of such bridges built in Canada, Australia, USA, Holland and France. 10 more images after the break...

10 interesting facts about the Moon

The Moon. Image credit: ESA

Think you know everything there is to know about the Moon? Think again! Here are 10 interesting facts about the Moon. Some you might already know, and some will be totally new to you. Enjoy!

01. The Moon formed out of the Earth

Scientists now think that the Moon was formed when a Mars-sized object crashed into our planet about 4.5 billion years ago. The collision was so large that a huge spray of material was ejected into space. The orbiting ring of debris gathered itself into a sphere, and formed the Moon. How do we know that this is how the Moon probably formed? The Moon seems to be much less dense than the Earth and lacks a lot of iron in its core. Scientists think that the Moon is made up of the upper crust material, which has mostly lower density, than the composition of the Earth. 09 more after the break...