From the 140th floor: Hope you’re not scared of heights

by Jerry Guo on

That’s the view from the 140th floor of Burj Dubai, which will become the tallest building (that’s even including communication towers) in the history of mankind when it’s completed sometime next year. There will be a total of 160 floors and some 3.5 million square of office and residential space. And don’t forget about the $4.1 billion construction bill.

I recently had dinner with a couple of the guys who helped design the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, so I’m a bit awed by just how outrageous skyscraper engineering has become (as well as how fierce the competition has been getting–did you know there’s a committee to designate the world’s tallest skyscraper?).

Photo courtesy of burjdubaiskyscraper.com.

Thrill Seekers Can Swim Nose to Nose with Crocs in Australia

by Josh Lew on

Adventurers needn’t head to the Outback to get a taste of what it is like to be eye-to-eye with Australian wildlife. A new attraction at Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin, Northern Territory, allows divers to come within inches of giant saltwater crocodiles. A mask and swimsuit is all that is required for those who want to enter the “Cage of Death.” The transparent “cage” is made from 5-inch-thick acrylic. It moves on runners through 4 croc pens housing animals that 18 feet long and weigh over 1 ton. The “ride” takes about 20 minutes.

Despite their legendary status, crocodiles attacks are rare. Warning signs are displayed on lakes and rivers inhabited by the giant beasts. On average, there are only 1 or two croc-related deaths per year. That probably doesn’t lessen the amount of adrenaline that comes from being face-to-face with the toothy creatures, separated by only 5 inches of glass.

[Via Reuters]

Photo of the Day (11.08.09)

by Anna Brones on

No matter what your political leanings are, we’re all going to remember where we were on November 4, 2008. The momentous election of an African American as US President was watched around the world. This photo by pirano of various foreign newspapers all featuring President-Elect Barack Obama gives us an idea of just how “global” the American election was. Where were you?

Want your shot considered for Photo of the Day? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr pool.

Roanoke’s new art museum opens today and the collection is fabulous

by Jamie Rhein on

Today people in Roanoke, Virginia are having a fine time of festivities. To celebrate the completion of its brand new building and name change to the Taubman Museum of Art, the museum is putting on an all day shindig. There are: “circus performers, jazz bands, jugglers, puppets, ballet, rock ‘n’ roll, a blues guitar legend named Guitar Shorty, ” and oodles of kids’ activities, according to this blurb in the Roanoke Times.

Even though going to the opening isn’t probably going to happen for you–or me, unless you live close and your timing is so impeccable that you happen to be reading this and say, “Well, I’ll be, that’s just around the corner,” the museum looks as if it will be one more terrific reason to head to Roanoke.

As I browsed the museum’s former Web site, the breadth of the collection and exhibits popped out. Two in particular caught my attention because of their unusual quality. One, Earthly Delights: Judith Leiber Handbags showcases Leiber’s 50-year work as a handbag artist. Her handbags have been carried by First Ladies at presidential inaugurations which made me wonder if Michelle Obama will get one for Obama’s inauguration. The museum has 100 pieces of Leiber’s work.

The exhibit Pens and Needles: Drawings for Tattoos highlights the intricacies of tattoo art. We’ve written posts on the subject. The focus of this exhibit is tattoo artistry, though–not tattoo language snafus.

Rachael Dunlap at Intelligent Travel was in Roanoke a couple of months ago and was impressed with the museum’s architecture and offers an overview of what makes it special. She also gives its permanent collection kudos.

Survivorman Calls it Quits

by Josh Lew on

Filmmaker and Discovery and Science Channel star Les Stroud, known for his show, Survivorman, is calling it quits after three seasons. The 47 year-old Canadian earned street cred amongst survivalists by filming himself completing various week-long survival challenges. Unlike Man Versus Wild’s Bear Grylls, Stroud traveled without a camera crew and survival experts. I, for one, found his solo approach to film-making and survival refreshing compared to Grylls’ preening in front of the camera.

Stroud explained his decision to call it quits to Reuters: “You can only do seven days surviving without food a certain number of times a year. I’m pleased with what I have done, I’ve been copied around the world, but 25 times I’ve not eaten anything for a week while sleeping on rocks. I need to move on.”

Filming for the third, and now final, season is wrapping up in Papua this month. Though the tag Survivorman will probably always remain with him, Stroud plans to move on to other projects. He is writing a book about wilderness survival and is planning a new show where he will follow in the footsteps of famous explorers.