Fascinating Facts about US Military

The United States spends more on its military than rest of the top 15 nations with the highest military expenditure. The rest of the list includes China ($119 bn), UK ($59.6 bn), France ($59.3bn), Russia ($58.7bn), Japan ($54.5bn), Germany ($45.2bn), Saudi Arabia ($45.2bn), India ($41.3bn), Italy ($37bn), Brazil ($33.5bn), South Korea ($27.6bn), Australia ($24bn), Canada ($22.8bn) and Turkey ($17.5bn). The US spends $698 billion. (Figures courtesy Stockholm International Peace Research Institute).

The total known land area occupied by US bases and facilities is 15,654 square miles — bigger than Washington DC, Massachusetts, and New Jersey combined.

By 2033, the US will be paying $59 billion a year to its veterans injured in the wars.

In 2007, the amount of money labeled ‘wasted’ or ‘lost’ in Iraq — $11 billion — could pay 220,000 teachers salaries.

Defence spending is higher today than at any time since the height of World War II. 

The yearly cost of stationing one soldier in Iraq could feed 60 American families. 

Each day in Afghanistan costs the government more than it did to build the entire Pentagon.

In 2008, the Pentagon spent more money every five seconds in Iraq than the average American earned in a year.

Decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US Defence Department still has more than 40 generals, admirals or civilian equivalents based in Europe.

The amount the government has spent compensating radiation victims of nuclear testing ($1.5 billion) could fully educate 13,000 American kids.

The Pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health, education, welfare, and safety. 

The US has 5 per cent of the world’s population — but almost 50% of the world’s total military expenditure. 

Thai Restaurant on Tree

If picnicking under a tree seems a little been there, done that to you, why not give picnicking atop a tree a try? At theSoneva Kiri Eco Resort in Thailand, guests have the option to dine in a lofty woven Tree Pod perched 16 feet off the ground. And as if that wasn't already cool enough, all of the food and beverages arrive courtesy of a flying waiter via a zip line! Click through the gallery to see photos of all of the treetop dining options and the other luxurious green amenities at the Soneva Kiri.

Soneva Kiri is comprised of 42 resort villas and 21 spectacular private residences that sit on 150 acres of lush tropical rainforest and beaches. In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, the resort prides itself on its environmentally conscious practices. Strategies like passive cooling, daylighting, recycling rainwater catchment and natural filtration and green roofs help the resort achieve its green goals, Guests are also offered the option to ride in electric carts and bicycles on their way to the beaches instead of in cars.

Unique Temples of the World

01. Cadet Chapel U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado.

The history of architecture of temples rich and varied, and this suggests that it began with the construction of temples and distributed all architectural innovations, all styles and directions. As of today we can admire the preserved places of worship of the great civilizations of the ancient world, as well as new models of amazing religious structures.  

02.. Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Colombia. Previously, there was a mine, in which the Indians extracted salt. 

03. Cathedral of Our Lady in tears, the city of Syracuse, Italy.

04. Church of St. Joseph - the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, built the Church of St. Joseph's in Chicago.

05. Church of St.. George is in the Ethiopian town of Lalibela. Built in the 13th century and goes into the ground at 25 meters. 

06. The church comfort, Cordoba (Spain). Designed in the past year.

07. Cathedral - Basilica of Glorious small Bogomateri.Eto the highest in Latin America, the Catholic Cathedral: its height is 114 m + 10 m cross on top.

08. Grundtvig Church in Copenhagen, Denmark. Construction of the church lasted from 1921 to 1926. 

09. Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Brazil.

10. Stavkirka in Borgunne, Norway. Metal parts in the construction were not used.

11. Paraportiani Church, Mykonos Island, Greece. The temple was built in 15-17 centuries.

12. Church of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Because of the complexity of manufacturing of masonry structures, the cathedral will be able to finish no earlier than 2026.

13. Milan Cathedral. It was built over five centuries.

14. St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square is located in the Moskve.yl built in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible.

15. Jubilee Church, Rome. It was built in 1996-2003.

 

16. Notre-Dame-du-O in the French city Ronshan. Tourists coming to see the church become a major source of income ronshantsev.

17. Las Lajas Cathedral, Colombia. Construction of the temple on the 30-meter arch bridge was completed in 1948.

18. Hatlgrimskirkya in Reykjavik, Iceland. The construction of this church took 38 years.

19. St. Michael's Monastery, Kiev. It is believed that St. Michael's Cathedral was the first temple with a gilt top, from which went to Russia, this kind of tradition.

20. Chapel of the crown of thorns, Arkansas, USA. The building has 425 windows.

Top 10 Goalkeepers of all Time

Literally the last man standing in the team in a game of football, the goalkeeper has a seminal position in any football match. He is the last limit of defense in a team against the opponent team, and if he fails, all fails. The skill set of a goalkeeper is simply wide, from timing, to coordination of body, superb reflexes, communication, and perfection in timing and angles.

Let us look at the following list of top ten goalkeepers in football. Like all lists in this blog that involve a controversial matter, there is no specific order. Feel free to take your grievances, if any, to the “comments” section.

01. Julio Cesar de Espindola

Julio Cesar de Espindola is from Brazil, and plays as goalkeeper in the Internazionale MIlano of the Itaian Serie A. He is the first choice as goalkeeper for the national team Brazil, ad has won the international cap fifty three times. The IFFHS felicitated Julio Cesar as the best goalkeeper, as well as Serie A Goalkeeper of 2009.

02. Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas is a Spanish goalkeeper playing for Spanish La Liga and Real Madrid. He is one of the best goalkeepers from Europe. He is also the first capped Goalkeeper ever. He is the captain for both the national team of Spain as well as Real Madrid. It was he that led the team for the first European Championship in 44 years. The FIFA world Cup victory was also led by him.

03. Gianluigi “Gigi” Buffon

Gianluigi was declared one of the top footballers of our time. The Italian national team and Juventus of Serie A rightly consider him a hallmark. He has been known for attaining the Serie A Goalkeeper Record for a total of eight times. He was also named captain of the Italian team for Euro 2008.

04. Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar is a former Dutch footballer that had a long and successful career. He is the most capped footballer in the national team of Netherlands. He won the UEFA Champions League twice, both with Ajaz and Manchester United in 1995 and 2008. he was given the Best European Goalkeeper award in 1995.

05. Igor Akinfeev

Igor Akinfeev played for CSKA Moscow from Russia. His creditable performance in Euro 2008 earned him quite a few fans.

06. Petr Cech

Petr Cech wears the goalkeeper’s gloves for Czech Republic and Chelsea. He was at the receiving end of the Best Goalkeeper award consecutively from 2004 to 2008.

07. Victor Valdes

Victor Valdes plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish National team. He is the most successful goalkeeper in the history of Barcelona. Valdes had a number of titles under his belt, such as four La Liga titles, Copa Del Rey Title and others.

08. Hugo LLoris

Hugo Lloris is a French Association Player and plays for the Olmpique Lyonnais as Goalkeeper. He won the Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year twice. He was a tour de force when France qualified for the 2010 FIFA world cup. He captained the team as well.

09. Shay Given

Shay Given is an Irish footballer that plays for Manchester City. He has played for Ireland more than any other footballer. He played for New Castle in UEFA Cup and the Champions League.

10. Maarten Stekelenburg

Maarten Stekelenburg was Dutch Goalkeeper playing for Ajax and the Netherlands national team. He replaced Edwin der Sar as goalkeeper in 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Statues of Easter Island

The Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) is a private research program and archive created by Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Principle Investigator and EISP founder and director, with Cristián Arévalo Pakarati, Rapa Nui artist and co-director of EISP. The profound and immediate need for conservation actions on the moai became apparent over the course of more than 20 years of subjective observation and field experience acquired by us during our island-wide archaeological survey, which was conducted in association with our Chilean and Rapa Nui colleagues.

The Easter Island Statue Project office is located at 225 Arizona Avenue, Studio 500, Santa Monica, CA, 90401. The EISP field office is located at the Mana Gallery, Petero Atamu s/n, Hanga Roa, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile.

Cyclists share water bottle with Thirsty Koala

Even though we had heard that native animals have been suffering in the heat wave conditions of the last week in Adelaide it came as a surprise to be stopped on the side of the road during a bike ride by a thirsty young koala .

In the southern hemisphere the summer has just ended. It had been a really hot summer in Australia and the koala bear suffered a lot from the weather. Koalas do not drink water, instead they get the water they need from the eucalyptus leaves that they eat. However, it was so hot that the koalas actually had to get water from humans. The cyclists were surprised to see this koala approach them as they stopped to have a drink. The koala bear looked at them with thirsty eyes and they somehow got the message that the little guy was thirsty. They gave his the water bottle and he drank from it as if he had done so his whole life. The other koala is at a house. The owners of the home saw the koala approach and left a tub of water out for it. It not only had a drink but decided to cool off by jumping in!