Burj Khalifa (829.84 m): It  is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is currently the tallest structure in the world. Burj Khalifa has been designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as The Address Downtown Dubai, 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Khalifa Lake.

Abraj Al-Bait Towers (601 m):  Also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower is a complex topped out in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The building holds several world records in the construction world, including: the tallest hotel in the world, constructed with the tallest clock tower in the world and displaying the world’s largest clock face!

Taipei 101 (509m): Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world’s tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

Shanghai World Financial Center (494.4 m): This supertall skyscraper is located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by Mori Building. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and ground-floor shopping malls.

International Commerce Centre (484m): ICC Tower has a total of 108 floors and this skyscraper was completed in 2010 in West Kowloon,Hong Kong. It is a part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station.

Petronas Towers (454m): Menara Petronas, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers or Menara Berkembar Petronas in Malay) are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH’s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

Nanjing Greenland Financial Center (450m): Located in Nanjing, China, the 89-story building comprises retail and office space in the lower section, and restaurants, a hotel, and a public observatory near the top. The tower’s stepping is functional, helping separate these sections.

Willis Tower (442m): Formerly named, and still commonly referred to as, the Sears Tower is a 108-story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. At the time of its completion in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York, and it held this rank for nearly 25 years. The Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the seventh-tallest freestanding structure in the world.

Kingkey 100 (441.8m). It’s former name is Kingkey Finance Center Plaza, is a supertall skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. It is located in Shenzhen’s Luohu District in an area which can be described as the financial district.

Guangzhou International Finance Centre (440.2m): It is a tall skyscraper at Zhujiang Avenue West in Tianhe District  at  Guangzhou, China.

John Rogan is 8’9”, standing two inch short of the world’s tallest man. Referred to as the Negro Giant, his frame gave him problems as he had to take on crutches while walking. Though he wasn’t fit to work, he sold pictures of himself as souvenirs.

John F Carol, an American standing 8’8”, his height was attributed to a hormonal problem called gigantism. His spine suffered when he grew up taller than most expected. He suffered from kyphosis and scoliosis.

Väinö Myllyrinne was an acromegalic giant who was at one time (1940-1963) the world’s tallest person. He stood 222 cm (7 feet 3.5 inches) and weighed 197 kg (31 stone) at the age of 21, but continued growing slowly until his late thirties, attaining a final height of 251 cm (8 feet 3 inches).

Sultan Kosen is 8′ 3″ and has been declared as the tallest living person since 2009. He was known to be living in Turkey. His height just like other people suffering from gigantism suffered due to a tumor in the pituitary gland. From here, his growth hormone increased especially when his epiphesial plate wasn’t completely closed.

Unfortunately, as with a lot of household furniture, today’s consumer is more concerned with meeting a tight budget than striving for design excellence. Mass produced designs have become so much of a norm throughout the house that swerving any degree away from them may really upset your dinner guests.

No but seriously; there is a clear lack of variation from large scale door retailers, which is why we have put together this list of bizarre and interesting doors. If these don’t kick-start your mojo for the non-massed produced nothing will. Enjoy these awesome doors:

1. Glass door design

The internal door market is flooded with bland light wooden or semi-wooden doors. This beautiful glass door is not only made from a different material but can be customised with imagery of your choice. Not for households with small children or the heavy handed. Semi transparency also means that a sunny day can transform a room.

2. Printed door wallpapers

If you already succumbed to the pressure of boring design and purchased a mass produced door, fear not. Door wallpapers allow you to instantly transform any flat door into numerous printed variations. Add a secret tunnel, put a supermodel behind your door or simply update the colour. A cheap and very easy way to change the look of your room.

3. A hobbit’s door

Two doors are better than one, well what about three? Three doors in one are what you get should you decide to install this design marvel. Not only a really fun design; this door is practical for small children and adults alike – bizarre in design but extremely functional in build and material used.

4. A door of beer

Most of us like to unwind with the occasional beer or two, but who would have thought to create doors from the empty bottles? Johnsen Schmaling Architects that’s who. Held in place by a thin web of precision-milled neoprene which suspends each bottle in the aluminium frame. Not really designed for the home, these 9’- 6’ doors showcase what can be done with unusual materials.

5. The twisted fantasy door

Made from the sum parts of one door this fractured door really does remind us of something out of a sci-fi movie. It looks as though some giant fist has been smashed against it or it is going to disintegrate and leave a passage to another dimension!

These bizarre and interesting door designs were brought to you by Yale composite doors. Yale composite doors come in seven different styles; from Victorian to contemporary doors Yale has a design for you.

1. CollegeHumor

Here’s another very entertaining website.  Tons of cool links, Funny Pictures and awesome videos that they make themselves. It is as the name suggests “College Humor”.

2. FunnyOrDIE

Now this website, is one of my favorites. Not because they have Funny Pictures and Videos or  because they make hilarious custom animations… but because the owner of this website is Will Ferrell. Yup, I like goof ball actors. Guilty as charged.

3. FunCage

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, one of our own. Believe it or not, the position is well deserved. We’re talking thousands of Random Funny Pics, Animated GIFs, Funny Videos, Entertaining blog and much more.  You can easily spend a couple of hours here and not even know it.

4. TopWTF

Yet another pretty cool website. Top What The Freak.  (Yup, that’s the polite translation). A collection of  Funny Pictures, Videos and News that will make you say What The Freak!?

5.xkcd

These guys really know how to scribble and have the sense of humor to go along with it. This is one of the best websites on the internet when it comes to web comics. They updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’s well worth it.

We’ve all dreamed of doing something, so we thought it would make an interesting post to list some of favourite wacky activities and show you how you can do them:

Drive a Formula One Car
What human male (or indeed female) has never wanted to drive the fastest cars on the planet? For many people, driving a formula one car is a far off dream, never to be realised. However, you might be surprised to find out that quite a few race tracks now offer F1 experience days. For your money you’ll get a proper training and safety briefing, tuition and the chance to drive a formula one car and experience the sheer acceleration that no other car can offer.

Ride a Motorbike Around the World
Oh yes, the thought of taking off for a few months on two wheels must be an appealing prospect to many people. Organising a trip of such magnitude can be a logistical nightmare and requires skill and experience. Thankfully, there are companies out there who can organise and co-ordinate the whole thing for you. We found this amazing trip from London to Magadan taking 105 days and the price includes all the organisation, training, accommodation and transporting your bike back to base. We also found trips from London to Sydney and many more excursions for those wanting something a bit different. Rock and Roll!

Drive a Tank
As far as driving experiences go, you couldn’t ask for anything more different than spending a day driving round in a tank. If you’ve always fancied driving some hefty military vehicles, we found this cracking experience day out giving you the chance to drive four separate vehicles including several huge tanks. If you’ve also felt the urge to fire off a few mortar rounds then that desire will also satisfied because you’ll get taught how to fire a 17^th century mortar!

Space Travel
Ok, so this might be a bit of a stretch for some people, but if you happen to have a spare $200,000 available for a day out then you could become one of the world’s first space tourists. There’s no firm news yet as to when the first flights will be available, but Virgin Galactic have been developing and building a series of spacecraft designed to give ordinary people a taste of space travel. Although the price tag is huge and you might be waiting some time, it would certainly be a day to remember!

About the Author: Jon Quinton works for Wish who offer a range of exhilarating experience days and unique gifts including flying days, driving days and pamper/spa days.

1.  Fingered Citron

Photo Credit

Otherwise known as the Buddha’s Hand, this odd-looking fruit resembles nothing so much as an arthritic hand.  A staple of diets in China and Japan for centuries, this strange fruit is a member of the Citron family, which pre-dates the more well-known citrus fruits.  The rind and white flesh are edible and often served candied, while the center-most part of the fruit is sour and usually goes uneaten.  The rind is frequently used as an air freshener in homes, or as a natural insect repellent.  Curiously enough, it also has a place in many religious ceremonies.

2.  Ugli

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Who wouldn’t at least take a moment to laugh about a fruit that goes by the name of ugli?  The only fruit with a name that begins with the letter “u”, its taste is anything but ugly.  Native to Jamaica, this tangerine-grapefruit hybrid combines sweet and sour in a combination usually only found in man-made candy.

3.  Noi-na

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Called a “sugar apple” here, the Noi-na is indigeneous to Thailand.  Looking like a cross between a green raspberry and an artichoke, this yellow-green fruit is eaten like a grapefruit.  Once ripe, the fruit break in half easily, to reveal the superbly sweet pulp.

4.  Dragon Fruit

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My youngest son went nuts when he heard about this unique fruit.  Fascinated with dragons, he imagined it to be the food that fuels their ability to create fire.  Fortunately, it doesn’t impart that ability, but the pitaya fruit, which can be found across Asia and South America, is another fruit that combines sweet and sour in a way appealing to the taste-buds of children.  The fruit of the pitaya is filled with crunchy, edible seeds, while the pulp has a texture similar to that of the kiwi fruit.

5.  Pawpaw Fruit

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The Paw-Paw is North America’s forgotten equivalent to the more well-known banana.  The largest fruit to be found in North America, this green fruit can be found across the southeast U.S.  Shorter and thicker than the widely available yellow banana, this fruit is prized across its home range.

6.  Star Fruit

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Called so for its unique shape, the carombola is native to Sri Lanka.  Fortunately, its unique flavor, coupled with the pleasing flavor has prompted its cultivation around the world.  Tasting somewhat like a grape, lemon, and mango all rolled together, the tart star fruit is popular with kids, who adore the tart combination of flavors.  This unique fruit is high in oxalic acid, which can lead to problems for kidney stone sufferers, so beware if that’s a problem.

7.  Urucu

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Native to the Amazon, the urucu looks like a cross between a Venus flytrap and an oyster.  The menacing-looking fruit opens to yield red seeds that are the best naturally occurring source of the pigment annatto.  In culinary uses, the seeds are ground up and used as a paste to flavor many Latin American dishes.

8.  Jabuticaba

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The fruit of the Brazilian Grape Tree grows to 1-2 inches in diameter, and is prized for a flavor similar to that of black grapes.  Growing directly on the trunk of the tree, the uninitiated are often confused when they see this large black fruit.  With a shelf life on the order of 3-5 days, this sweet fruit is difficult to find outside its home range.  However, it is often used to prepare jellies and jams, to impart a unique sweet flavor to foods.

9.  Monster Fruit

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The delicious monster fruit is native to the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico and Panama.  The decorative plant grows as a creeping vine, producing a 10-12 inch long fruit that looks somewhat similar to green corn.  Unripe fruit has an unpleasant odor, but once the scales have popped off, the tasty pineapple-like fruit below can be cut away and eaten.

10.  Ackee Fruit

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The national fruit of Jamaica, a cart of ackee fruit looks like cart full of eyes.  Preparing the ackee for eating takes special knowledge of this fruit, as only the inner yellow flesh, known as the arils, are edible.  Improper preparation can lead to a condition known as Jamaican vomiting sickness.  However, when properly handles, ackee fruit is a rich source of vitamin A, essential fats, zinc, and protein.

About the author:  Greg Hayes is the author of Live Fit Blog, where he writes about fitting fitness into busy lives.  To find out more about how to choose healthy snacks to help lose weight and get fit, check it out!

1. Ford FX Atmos.  With a body that looks like a cross between the Batmobile (the old-school version) and the car from The Jetsons (although it appeared earlier than either of these TV show automobiles), this car looks futuristic even by today’s standards.  The streamlined body and bubble top are somewhat at odds with the stingray headlights and finned rear panels, making this car appear to have some kind of otherworldly juxtaposition.  But apparently that’s just what Ford was going for with their futuristic design, which debuted at the 1954 Chicago motor show, apparently to gasps of delight from the audience.

Ford FX Atmos – Photo Courtesy of Motor Trend

2. Ford Gyron.  Not to knock Ford, but they had some pretty crazy concepts that never made it to production.  This bullet-shaped two-seater, released in 1961, rode on only two wheels, with the inclusion of a gyroscope for balance.  Unfortunately, it basically amounted to an enclosed motorcycle and lacked the appeal needed to entice consumers from either the car or the motorcycle market (of course, it’s not quite as bad as the Machimoto, a motorcycle-car designed to hold nine).

Ford Gyron – Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

3. Chrysler Voyager III.  This 1990 vehicle could be considered the first attempt at a crossover vehicle (before the era of SUVs) if it hadn’t taken such a belly flop.  The car was basically a two-in-one, with seating for eight with what looks a ginormous camper trailer and seating for three in the detachable front end (a city-size compact).  Not only ugly, but inefficient.  It’s like owning two cars in one, but both of them suck.

Chrysler Voyager III – Photo Courtesy of Chrysler

4. Renault Racoon.  This French car company has long produced vehicles that suited every stripe of driver, but the Raccoon, which premiered in 1992, is one they should have abandoned in the wilderness.  It looks like someone slapped a computer mouse on wheels and called it a car.  And with a notoriously finicky suspension, the handling was just as bad as the appearance.  Renault’s goal with this crazy concept remains unclear…even to them.

Renault Racoon – Photo Courtesy of Renault

5. Honda Fuya-Jo.  This car, which debuted at the 1999 Tokyo motor show, looks a little bit like a vacuum cleaner without a handle.  Despite the sub-compact size of the cabin, there are four seats in this vehicle. But the tall, lean profile and teeny-tiny wheels almost assure that a turn at high speeds (if you could reach high speeds in this vehicle) would result in the whole works toppling over.  And with little reinforcement and a lot of glass, very few people would be willing to risk it.

Honda Fuya-Jo – Photo Courtesy of Honda

About the author: Sarah Danielson writes for Boston Garage Equipment where you can find a MOT socket tester and a comprehensive range of garage equipment that is manufactured to exact standards.

1. Bullet knife

Hidden blades have long been a staple of the knife community because of their low-key and surprising qualities. The strange bullet knife is definitely surprising, but not the least bit inconspicuous.

2. Bloody Chef’s knife

Have you ever wanted to trick your dinner guests or unsuspecting family members into thinking you killed someone with a kitchen knife and didn’t wash it before making dinner? Me neither.

3. WASP Injection Knife

The WASP Injection knife might look like an ordinary knife but it has the capability of freezing and exploding internal organs. When stabbed into an object, the knife releases freezing air into the target at 800psi. It’s designed for divers to defend themselves from sharks, but it’s perhaps the most impractical piece of equipment out there.

4. Scorpion Wrist knife

If you’ve ever wanted a massive collection of blades shaped like a scorpion that fits around your wrist, this is the knife for you. This really bizarre knife seems extremely dangerous, both for the person wearing it and anyone within arm’s reach.

5. Umbrella sword

It’s easy to understand why someone would want an umbrella, but it’s hard to come up with a reason why you would want a sharp sword hidden within its handle.

6. Pointless knife

One of the most paranoid knife designs features a knife with no sharp point. The idea behind this knife is that it allows you to chop things without the risk of getting stabbed. Nevertheless, it still leaves a heavy rhetorical question: why would anyone want this pointless knife?

7. Knifeless Knife

The next step from the pointless knife is the knifeless knife. The well-known Swiss Army knives come in a variety of models, but the most curious are those that feature no knives. These so-called knives are more for the modern traveler than the handy man.

8. Peanut Knife Necklace

This seems like a very niche knife design. There are probably few people who would want to wear a golden peanut necklace but even fewer who would want that peanut to contain a small knife.

Timothy Martinez Jr. is a freelance writer and contributes to a number of blogs, including the official blog of Knife Depot.