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The longest suspension bridges in the world!

Having already covered the tallest buildings and the highest mountains in the world.

For this list, we’re looking at the longest suspension bridges.

1. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Japan – 1,991m
The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, has the longest central span of any suspension bridge, at 1,991 metres (6,532 ft). It is located in Japan and was completed in 1998. The bridge links the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshū to Iwaya on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait. It carries part of the Honshū-Shikoku Highway.

2. Xihoumen Bridge, China – 1,650m
The Xihoumen Bridge is a suspension bridge built on the Zhoushan Archipelago, the largest offshore island group in China. The main span was completed in December 2007. The entire bridge, along with Jintang Bridge, was opened to traffic on a test basis on 25 December 2009. The opening date was put off because of a ship collision on 16 November 2009 that slightly damaged the side of Jintang Bridge.

3. Great Belt Bridge, Denmark – 1,624m
The Great Belt Fixed Link is the fixed link between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen across the Great Belt. It consists of a road suspension bridge and railway tunnel between Zealand and the island Sprogo, as well as a box girder bridge between Sprogo and Funen. The “Great Belt Bridge” commonly refers to the suspension bridge, although it may also be used to mean the beam bridge or the link in its entirety.

4. Runyang Bridge, China – 1,490m
The Runyang Bridge is a large bridge complex that crosses the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, downstream of Nanjing. The complex consists of two major bridges that link Zhenjiang on the south bank of the river and Yangzhou on the north. The bridge is part of the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway.

5. Humber Bridge, UK – 1,410m
The Humber Bridge is the fifth-largest single-span suspension bridge in the world, near Kingston upon Hull in England. It spans the Humber (the estuary formed by the rivers Trent and Ouse) between Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and Hessle on the north bank, connecting the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. The bridge carries an average of 120,000 vehicles per week, which pay a toll of £2.70 each way for cars (higher for commercial vehicles).

6. Jiangyin Suspension Bridge, China – 1,385m
The Jiangyin Suspension Bridge is the most seaward bridge to cross the Yangtze River of China. It connects the cities of Jiangyin and Jingjiang. The main span of the bridge is 1,385 metres meters long, making it the sixth-longest span suspension bridge in the world and the largest in China at the time of its completion in 1999. With the completion of the Runyang Bridge in 2005 and the Xihoumen Bridge in 2007 it became the third largest in China.

7. Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong – 1,377m
The Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. The bridge was named after two of the islands at its ends, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan . It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type. The bridge has a main span of 1,377 metres (4,518 ft) and a height of 206 metres (676 ft). The span is the largest of all bridges in the world carrying rail traffic.

8. Verrazana-Narrows Bridge, USA – 1,298m
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at the Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay.
The bridge is named for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first known European navigator to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River, while crossing The Narrows. It has a center span of 4,260 feet and was the largest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion in 1964, until it was surpassed by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom in 1981. It now has the eighth longest center span in the world, and is the largest suspension bridge in the United States. Its massive towers can be seen throughout a good part of the New York metropolitan area, including from spots in all five boroughs of New York City.

9. Golden Gate Bridge, USA – 1,280m
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed during the year 1937, and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Since its completion, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. It still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. In 1999, it was ranked fifth on the List of America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

10. Yangluo Bridge, China – 1,280m

The Yangluo Bridge is a suspension bridge near Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. With a main span of 1,280 metres (4,200 ft), it is tied with the Golden Gate Bridge for the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world. The purpose of the bridge is to carry the recently constructed Wuhan Ring Road over the Yangtze River and provide easy access to both sides of the river as part of a larger plan to promote development in the eastern portion of the city. Construction on the bridge began on November 4, 2003 and it opened to traffic on December 26, 2007.

The XII Habanons Festival featuring the presentation of Cohiba Behike is on this week in Havana, Cuba.

• The eagerly-awaited launch of the new Cohiba Behike line – the most exclusive Habanos s.a. has ever presented – will take place during the Festival.
• There will be a new habano presented in Romeo y Julieta brand called Wide Churchills, as well as the new Julieta vitola, a cigar dedicated as a special tribute to womankind.
• Opera singer Sarah Brightman, golfer Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Oscar-winning producer Stephen Evans, actress Mia Maestro, 2010 Grammy-winner Chucho Valdés and this year’s Latin Grammy winner Ivan Lins are just some of the celebrities who’ll be attending the Festival.

The twelfth edition of the Habanos Festival will take place from 22 to 26 February in Havana (Cuba). Around a thousand privileged cigar enthusiasts from over 70 countries will have the chance to attend the tobacco world’s most important event, to see and try for themselves Habanos s.a.’s new launches for 2010.

During the XII Festival, Habanos s.a. will present the new Cohiba Behike line, the most exclusive Habanos s.a. has ever launched. They will be available at the Gala dinner – the climax of the Festival on 26 February. Its unique characteristics will be announced during the week.

On Wednesday 24 February, at a dinner specially dedicated to the “Woman in the Habano”, you will finally be able to taste a cigar conceived as a tribute to womankind, the new vitola called Julieta, which will become part of the Romeo y Julieta brand. On Monday 22 February, after an exclusive concert by the maestro Chucho Valdés at the Gran Teatro de La Habana which will follow the launch of the 2010 products, those attending the welcome Gala will finally be able to enjoy the new Wide Churchills, a heavy ring gauge habano which also joins the Romeo y Julieta brand.

All star celebrity meeting point

In recent years the Festival has aroused interest from many celebrities who didn’t want to miss the chance to enjoy the world’s finest tobacco on its home turf: Cuba. This year’s guests will include Opera singer Sarah Brightman, the European and Ryder Cup golf champion – who won the 2010 Dubai Open just a week ago – Miguel Ángel Jiménez, and Oscar-winning producer Stephen Evans, actress Mia Maestro as well as 2010 Grammy-winner Chucho Valdés and this year’s Latin Grammy winner Ivan Lins.

Activities Programme
Over the course of the week there will be the Trade Fair, the International Seminar and the traditional visits to Habanos plantations and factories. This year the factories visited will be El Laguito – the Cohiba factory – and La Corona, the home of Romeo y Julieta.

The Alianza Habanos – Tequila will be celebrated, with tasting of the finest añejo and extra añejo tequilas accompanied by habanos, continuing the traditional association of Habanos with the world’s finest products.

The International Habanosommelier Contest, in its 9th edition, is another of the Festival highlights, with a growing following seeking advice from the sommelier when choosing a habano.

In addition, there will be a special event during Festival week, in the shape of an exclusive viewing of the British film “Cosi”, produced by Oscar winner Stephen Evans, directed by Christophe Menaul, and starring Opera singer Sarah Brightman and actors Richard E. Grant and Mia Maestro.

During the Gala Evening to round off the proceedings of the XII Festival, there will be the awards ceremony for the 2009 Premios Habanos with 3 categories (Production, Business and Communication) and the Grand Auction of Humidors, true works of art made from valuable woods by the most prestigious Cuban craftsmen. The entire proceeds, as usual, will be donated to the Cuban Public Health System. Last year the amount donated was a staggering 980,000 euros.

The Habanos Corporation is world market leader in premium cigars, and sells habanos in both Cuba and the rest of the world. To this end it has an exclusive distribution network, with presence in more than 150 countries across the five continents.

27 brands of habanos are distinguished with the Habanos Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) assigned by Habanos s.a. Among them are Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, H. Upmann, Punch, San Cristóbal de la Habana, Trinidad and Bolívar.

Inhabitants of the sleepy town of Hermeskeil in Germany took to the streets on 2007, armed with dustbins – and safety helmets. Rather than collecting rubbish, bins were used as vehicles for the 3rd annual dustbin race, with over 50 people attending the curious event. Roads were closed to make way for participants as they raced down on customary bins.

Didn’t think you’d ever end up window shopping for beef tenderloin? Get ready for a rethink, especially if you are on Queen Street in Woollahra, Sydney, Australia.

In the well-established suburb, tree-lined streets offer a perfect enclave for cafes and boutiques, and for that most unlikely of things, a supremely cool butcher shop. Victor Churchill is the first, and so far the only, butcher shop established by Vic and Anthony Puharich, the father and son duo behind Vic’s Premium Quality Meat, the leading meat supplier to some of the finest restaurants in Australia, China and Singapore.

A butcher shop – Churchill’s Butchery -has operated in the space since 1876, so it was an appropriate location for what the Puharichs envisioned as a European-inspired designer shop of meaty delights.

To realize their vision, they engaged Sydney-based Dreamtime Australia Design whose many restaurant, bar and resort projects around the world combine traditional and modern elements in a deliciously layered and multi-textured way. This was Dreamtime’s first retail project but too juicy to pass, says Dreamtime director, Michael McCann

The store boasts so many unique, custom-designed and exclusive features that the only way to absorb it all is a real-life visit. The features provoke, intrigue and amuse the customer – starting with the façade with its double-glazed, refrigerated vitrine for viewing the ever-changing array of hanging meat and poultry, plus selections displayed on custom-made copper and glass shelving.

Inside, butchers work at timber butcher’s blocks on a “stage” behind floor-to-ceiling glass while specialty cuts of meat and carcasses, hung from a custom-designed cog gear and metal chain rack, slowly pass by. The backdrop for all this is a Himalayan rock salt brick wall that infuses the hanging meat with flavor and sterilizes the air. In a humorous nod to a recent Louis Vuitton window display, multiple video cameras are trained onto the daily special inside a glass dome on a pedestal.

Victor Churchill is definitely on the leading edge of redefining the meat shop category. We are all for a future without a single sprig of plastic parsley!

The raging torrent of pre-Geneva Motor Show leaks is officially in full effect today as a series of images showing off Bertone’s new Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept have hit the Interwebs (thanks Unica-Strada!) First of all, what the heck is a Pandion? Simple: a type genus of the Pandionidae. Mmm hmm. That’d be an osprey, sometimes known as a fish hawk. Moving on, then.

To our eyes, the Pandion isn’t really what we’ve come to expect from Alfa Romeo, at least not styling-wise. The Italian marque’s classically flowing curves are present and accounted for, but they are bisected by swaths of what appears to be clear plastic. The rear-view is especially busy – kinda like it’s fashioned from hundreds of containers worth of Tinker Toys. Oh, and fans of Battlestar Galactica are sure to appreciate the Pandion’s head-on view.

Stile Bertone – which until recently was led by Jason Castriota, the man responsible for such far-out designs as the Alfa 8C-based B.A.T. 11 and the Corvette ZR1-based Mantide – penned the Pandion, and we do see some influence from the styling house’s past designs. We don’t yet know what’s underhood of the uniquely styled concept, or really anything else about it not revealed by these images. That said, see for yourself below and, as always, let us know what you think in the Comments.

The year is 2038 and the mode of transport is the VW Breathe. Its functions are clearly defined: Quick light delivery service, Public transportation & Personal commuter.

Area of commute is of course a metropolis city, and what’s intriguing is that this fully GPS driven vehicle has two modes: human transporting and goods delivering.

For the benefit of space efficiency on the road in a big city, the Breathe will be used both as a private commuter and delivery device, so that the number of the transportation devices will be decreased. The Breathe reduces the unnecessary usage of private vehicles, public transportation, and even delivery vehicles by transforming into three different modes. Designed with advanced materials, the Breathe can transform its body shape and proportion.

Designer: Chansong Park

The first animation explains about the functions of the Breathe concept, and how it works in detail.

If you have nothing to do next Saturday and want to donate money to a good cause and see some hot men in nothing but a speedo check out the Santa Speedo Run.

This year’s run will start from Lir on Boylston at 1:00pm on Saturday, December 12th. They will be running to raise money for Crossroads for Kids and Bottom Line. Please see the Charity page or visit their website to learn more.

Started in Boston in December 2000 by five intrepid men, the Santa Speedo Run has gone on to attract thousands of runners over the last eight years.

Did you know that heart muscle damage can be reversed naturally? I am walking, talking, living proof, and this article is a case study profiling that proof.

Case History of Reversing Heart Muscle Damage

Five years ago I underwent surgery to replace a congenitally-faulty aortic valve in my heart. The valve didn’t shut properly and leaked with every heart beat, making my heart less efficient. I had lived with this valve for 67 years without realizing that it was faulty. I suffered from symptoms of this congenital defect but never realized the reason.

Cialis Professional

For instance, although I have always had great physical strength, I have never been able to perform exercise that required prolonged cardiovascular stamina. I always wondered how people could jog and talk at the same time, since I could hardly run half a mile without being totally winded.

After the surgery, I was able to do aerobic exercises that I had never been able to do before. I could easily run for 30 minutes without being winded. However, my physician informed me that my echocardiogram results indicated that my heart muscle was enlarged and somewhat damaged from a lifetime of overwork. She told me that this kind of enlargement could never be reversed, and that I would have to treat my heart with care for the rest of my life.

I appreciated her concern, but being a doctor of Chinese Medicine I did not believe that the situation could not be reversed. In Chinese Medicine it is believed that any condition can be healed.

Natural Supplement Therapy

After surgery my cardiologist prescribed coumadin to prevent any blood from clotting on the artificial aortic valve. I had serious side effects from taking coumadin so I switched to a natural blood regulator called nattokinase, which has been used by Asians for centuries to dissolve and prevent blood clots. In addition, I increased my intake of coenzyme Q10 from 30 mg to 180 mg. I had taken coenzyme Q10 for years as a natural form of support for my heart, and since I knew it had healing properties for the heart muscle, I increased my intake to therapeutic levels.

Echocardiogram Test Results

I get an echocardiogram once a year to ensure that my artificial heart valve is functioning properly and to check the general health of my heart. Three years ago, the results from my annual echocardiogram astonished my physician. She called me and asked me what I had been doing for my heart. I told her, and then asked her why. She replied that my heart muscle was no longer enlarged and that the heart wall was no longer thickened. This surprised her greatly since she had never seen a reversal of this kind in her practice.

I am pleased that my heart muscle has recovered from the stresses of a lifetime of overwork, and gratified that the Chinese Medicine point of view, where healing is always possible, has proven true in my case. I hope these results will inspire others with “chronic conditions” to realize that any condition can be healed, and that natural supplementation is always an option to consider.

There are many different kinds of flies that specialize in particular food sources such as rotting fruit, dead animals and earthworms. This document covers Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques for control of flies.

The term living statue refers to a mime artist who poses like a statue or mannequin, usually with realistic statue-like makeup, sometimes for hours at a time. It is an art that requires a great deal of patience and physical stamina.

Living statue performers have been known to pose as shop window mannequins in order to fool passersby, and a number of hidden camera shows on television have had living statues suddenly spring to life to startle people. As with all performing arts, living statue performers may perform as buskers or in commissioned shows. Some living statues are also invited to perform in fine arts exhibitions.