Beautiful and Stylish couples

Beautiful, stylish stars who know how to apply themselves in front of photographers. Look.

01. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

At the ceremony Golden Globes 2011 Angelina Jolie in a shimmering green dress with long sleeves Versace exuded the charm of old Hollywood, and Brad Pitt chose a low-key costume, adding to his bow tie and dark glasses, giving his image a little bit of mystery. 13 more stars after the break...

02. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi happy to demonstrate their diametrically opposed preferences in clothing. Portia loves feminine style and the latest fashion news, while Ellen always wears pantsuits, preferring to designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci.

03. Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson.

Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson loves choosing outfits risky to enter the red carpet. The thirst for adventure leads Diane Kruger choose dresses from Karl Lagerfeld and Nina Ricci on the catwalk. Jackson is usually inspired by the sight of his friend, adding to his usual dark triple bold strokes, like this exotic neckerchief.

04. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy.

At any event, this pair comes in a very elegant dress. Claire Danes is very fond of sophisticated dress from Narciso Rodriguez, and highlighting the shape model of Herve Leger (pictured it exactly in a dress), and Hugh Dancy remains faithful to the brilliant costumes of Kevin Klein.

05. Giselle Beyonce and Jay-Z.

These influential figures of contemporary music passionately engaged not only in music but also fashion. Beyonce creates collections for the fashion house House of Dereon, which is co-owner of her mother. And Jay-Z is developing a hip-hop clothing for Rocawear. On the red carpet at the singer appears in glamourous outfits by Giorgio Armani, Elie Saab (as pictured) or Versace. Jay-Z prefers smooth costumes from Tom Ford.

06. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Nature is very generously presented the couple with beauty and charm, so they can afford to wear anything you want. Jada Pinkett Smith loves bold colors sparkling dress from Roberto Cavalli and Monique Luiller (as pictured). Will Smith, a supporter of suits and tuxedos with small silk inserts.

07. Gwen Renee Stefani and Gavin Rossdale.

Gwen Renee Stefani and Gavin Rossdale are both followers of the punk-style glamor, both on stage and in everyday life. Here, Rossdale said his free way of spectacular leopard moccasins. Attire Mtefani also full of surprises: it combines thin top with shorts, a bright scarf and mesh sandals.

08. Fergie and Josh Duhamel.

All free from filming and concerts while Fergie and Josh spend together. The singer from Black Eyed Peas stirs interest to the person with sexy dresses and tall heels, while Duhamel preference for strict, but perfectly tailored black or gray suits.

09. Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.

The style of this pair - look young and fun. At the screening of "Family of Jones" Demi Moore came in a yellow dress with lots of frills from J. Mendel, and Ashton Kutcher this time opted for a leather jacket and a retro-style glasses in the 80's.

10. Heidi Klum and Seal.

Super model Heidi Klum and holder of three music Grammy Forces are a fashion as to any sport. Heidi Klum likes to wear very visible things, such as multi-colored dress by Marc Jacobs, where she attended the ceremony Golden Globes. Forces are also not afraid to wear the latest delights of men's fashion - for example, that these two color shoes.

11. David and Victoria Beckham.

This pair is always dressed so that it attracts attention. Victoria rarely wears any thing not on an outstanding designer. Usually she wears dresses accentuate the figure and gorgeous shoes (as in the photo: dress by William Tempest, shoes by Brian Atwood). David recently suddenly switched from beautiful suits to more "everyday" items such as jeans and a hoodie. In this attire he appeared at the launch of her clothing line Adidas Originals.

12. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.

This couple is dressed very modestly, then defiantly sexy. At the last ceremony of the Golden Globes they appeared in the clothing that combines yourself these two poles: Jennifer Lopez modestly draped in a white dress by Zuhair Murad, and Marc Anthony have chosen the coal-black suit and shirt from Gucci.

13. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

Sarah's outfits and her husband Matthew is always perfectly complement each other when they go out on the red carpet. Parker has always been a great connoisseur of fashion and have always gravitated towards the ultra-feminine products of Christian Dior. And Broderick in his traditional suit with sharp lapels makes its way more expressive.

14. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

The president and first lady, Michelle Obama became the legislature of a new fashion in the White House. In the wardrobe of the First Lady of America are represented, and the creation of famous designers such as Oscar de la Renta, and models created by independent artists such as Naeem Khan. President Obama diplomatically chooses suits from Georges de Paris and of his favorite Chicago designer Hartmarksa.

Gorgeous Pagodas in China

01 Liuhe Pagoda

This architectural wonder is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, in Hangzhou. It is also known as “Six Harmonies Pagoda”. Liuhe Pagoda was originally built, during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD). The octagonal pagoda was built out of brick and wood, and is 196 feet high.

The pagoda is most popular structure associated with Buddhism. Its origin can be traced all the way back to the 3rd century BC. Let’s take a look at 06 more and most amazing pagodas in China today after the break...

06 Sakayamuni Pagoda

Sakayamuni Pagoda is the oldest and fully-wooden pagoda in China. It was originally a big temple and built during the Liao Dynasty. Its total height is 67.31m.

05 Big Wild Goose Pagoda

One of the four ancient capitals of China, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a symbol of Chinese culture and a holy place for Buddhists. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is located in Xian and 211.6 feet high. It is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture, due to its simple style.

04 Tianning Pagoda

13-story Tianning Pagoda is the tallest pagoda in the world, standing at 504.6 feet. Very tough wood, brought in from Burma, and 75 tons of brass and gold were used in the construction of this incredible structure.

03 Yellow Crane Pagoda

Yellow Crane Pagoda Known as “The First Scenery under Heaven”. Yellow Crane Pagoda is one of the most popular towers south of the Yangtze River. Yellow Crane Pagoda a symbol of Wuhan City. Originally built during the Three Kingdoms Period, by Sun Quan. The current structure dates back to 1985, and it copies the design of a Qing Dynasty picture.

02 Leifeng Pagoda

The octagonal, five-story pagoda was built out of brick and wood. Constructed in 975, by the King of Wuyue Kingdom, to celebrate the birth of his son, Leifeng Pagoda quickly became one of the most famous buildings in China.

01 Sun and Moon Pagodas

 Sun and Moon pagodas are one of the most popular attractions of Guilin,located on Banyu Lake. Sun Pagoda, is the tallest copper pagoda in the world, 41 meters. And Moon Pagoda is 35 meters tall. The best time to visit the Sun and Moon pagodas of Banyu Lake, is at night, when they both light up in gold and blue.

Top Ten Badasses of the World’s Special Forces

In honor of a recent list of cheesy 80s actioners, here is a list for us James Bond wannabes. This list looks at 10 of the special forces from around the world that have the honor of being the most elite and – consequently – badass. Feel free to mention your own favorites in the comments which will no doubt include a lot that are not listed here.

10 Spetsnaz

Whereas most of the training regimens of militaries around the world are designed to teach, Russia’s Special Purpose Regiments, equivalent to the U. S. Green Berets, endure punishment daily throughout their training. They may quit anytime they want. The Spetsnaz want only the best, pain-hardened, battle-loving killers. They spar with the express goal of injuring each other, breaking ribs, fingers, vertebrae, healing only long enough to get back on their feet and complete the training. They are typically deployed for reconnaissance or house-to-house close quarters combat, but are also employed as extremely formidable bodyguards for high-ranking politicians. They claim that they are not taught to ignore pain, since that is impossible. They are instead taught to enjoy it. 09 More after the break...

09 French Naval Commandos

They call themselves “berets verts,” or “green berets,” and consist of 6 units: Hubert, Trepel, de Montfort, de Penfentenyo, Jaubert, and Kieffer. Each unit is trained for special tasks, whether combat diving, close quarters sea combat, exfiltration, canine units, or long range fire support, including snipers and missile launchers. They were established much at the behest of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who was a naval officer in WWII.

08 Marsoc

Currently, only men are allowed to try out for the U. S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. It’s primary missions are typically special reconnaissance, direct action, and internal defense within foreign nations.  Their training regimen is comprised of 4 phases, increasing in strenuousness. Phase 1 is SERE training, survival, evasion, resistance, escape. They are trained to make fire by friction, fire by mirrors, even fire by ice, depending on the location to which they are deployed. You mold the ice with the heat of your hands into the shape of a lens, which works just like a magnifying glass. Of course, they take matches and Zippos with them. After this, they begin physical fitness training, and hand-to-hand combat, practicing a hybrid of the most functional martial arts: Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, even Pankration. Then, Sayoc Kali, which is Filipino knife fighting. This is just phase 1. Phase 2 is marksmanship, amphibious demolitions, reconnaissance. Phase 3 is a contrinuation of 2, but with the addition of field radioes and satellite data-uplink systems. Phase 4 is “irregular warfare” instruction, which is a euphemism for “anything goes.” This phase consists primarily of the Derna Bridge operation, which forces the recruits to use all skills acquired during the course.

07 MI-6

The closest thing to James Bond can be found in the personnel of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, or Security Service, section 6. It works in close partnership with section 5 (MI-5), the latter which is more of a pure spy agency, dedicated to counter-intelligence and counter-espionage.

MI-6, however, is the unit which deploys its agents all over the world to detect international intelligence threats and “neutralize” them before they become truly dangerous. Their headquarters is at Vauxhall Cross, London, and they will be quick to tell you there that there is no James Bond among them, and that their assignments and missions are quite boring.

They do, however, have an agent very similar to “Q,” who is in charge of all equipment and weaponry deployed for each operation. They also have indoor firing ranges, dojos, and a gym.

The closest thing to James Bond can be found in the personnel of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, or Security Service, section 6. It works in close partnership with section 5 (MI-5), the latter which is more of a pure spy agency, dedicated to counter-intelligence and counter-espionage.

MI-6, however, is the unit which deploys its agents all over the world to detect international intelligence threats and “neutralize” them before they become truly dangerous. Their headquarters is at Vauxhall Cross, London, and they will be quick to tell you there that there is no James Bond among them, and that their assignments and missions are quite boring.

They do, however, have an agent very similar to “Q,” who is in charge of all equipment and weaponry deployed for each operation. They also have indoor firing ranges, dojos, and a gym.

06 U. S. Army Rangers

After basic Army training, voluntary enlistment into the 75th Ranger Regiment will train the recruit for the HALO parachute jump, SERE, languages, elite combatives expert, mountain warfare, combat diving, in addition to all the weapons qualification training.

After nine weeks of this, they enroll in Advanced Individual Training, to become masters of their chosen fields, then immediately enroll in the Army Airborne School, then in Ranger Indoctrination or Orientation Programs.

By the time they’ve graduated, they’re so well trained that members have reported waking up screaming from nightmares about Ranger school to be relieved that they are only in Vietnam.

But then, they lose a few points for an incident a Ranger told me about: he was the captain of a tank regiment on maneuvers in the Amazon jungle. Just an exercise, but because of the sweltering heat, they had to open their tank hatches. This captain, who shall remain nameless, heard a thump behind him, and turned to see a Goliath Bird-eating Spider crawling toward him, raising its front legs and hissing.

He admits to screaming like a girl, knifing the tarantula, jumping out of the tank and running off into the jungle for a mile and a half. His buddies still rib him about it.

05 U. S. Army Green Berets

Screen Shot 2010-01-11 At 1.53.46 Pm

That’s their nickname. Technically they are the U. S. Army Special Forces, as opposed to the special forces of other countries, many of which also wear green berets.

Typically, the Green Berets are trained to administer “unconventional warfare,” which entails infiltrating a hostile area in anticipation of a large-scale military engagement, and training the local resistance populations to fight back against the enemy. This was done in South Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, among others.

In the event that there is no local resistance to the enemy, the Green Berets infiltrate and soften up the enemy by “neutralizing” as many of its officers as possible. This usually involved sniping and throat cutting.

Training is very extensive and begins with the Army’s assessment of the recruit’s possession of 12 attributes: intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, trustworthiness, accountability, maturity, stability, judgment, decisiveness, teamwork, influence, and communications. 40% of applicants satisfy the Army that they have these attributes.

Final training consists of various endurance courses, carrying heavy backpacks over 40 miles of rugged terrain, with nothing but a live chicken and a knife, day and night. If the recruit can make a fire, he can eat the chicken cooked. He is not given matches or a lighter. He is allowed only a compass and his own hand-drawn map, completed from earlier reconnaissance courses.

04 The Delta Force

The only official United States counter-terrorism unit, dedicated to hostage rescues, counter-insurgency, and general counter-terrorism. They’re full name is 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, managed by the Army. Selection is done according to a physical fitness test: situps, pushups, followed by a 3-mile run, in an undisclosed time limit.

Then an all-night, 18-mile hike over mountainous terrain with a 35 lb backpack and a compass, no map. This finally culminated with a 40-mile hike with a 45 lb backpack, in a shorter time limit.

Then psychologists conduct a grueling battery of mental exams on the recruit to try to break him into confusion. If he passes this, he actually gets to begin Delta Force training, for 6 months. Firearms, heavy weaponry, elite hand-to-hand training.

03 Shayetet 13

The name means “Flotilla 13,” and their official motto is the same as the Israeli military: “Never Again,” in reference to the Holocaust. Their unofficial motto, as they like to joke, is “When the going gets tough, the Jews get pissed.”

They are 1 of the 3 most elite Israeli special forces units, but Shayetet 13 is the unit most similar to the Delta Force. They specialize in hostage rescue and counter-terrorism, and because they live so close to a host of nations that seem bent on eradicating them, they are at all times ready in an instant to travel abroad and kill. They are very secretive, but of their missions publicized, the most notable include Operation Spring of Youth, in which they hunted down members of Black September in Beirut Lebanon and killed them, in revenge for the 1972 Munich massacre.

Apart from their firearms and heavy weapons training, they train extensively in Krav Maga, the national martial art of Israel, to which they endearingly refer as “Jew-jitsu.” It’s philosophy is based on the principle that in a real street fight no quarter will be asked or given. Fight to kill. Groin strikes are quite prevalent.

02 Navy SEALs

You might think there are a lot of them, given the number of action movies dedicated to the plot device of an invincible warrior, but there are only about 2,000 of them. They are the Unites States’s most elite special warfare combatants. They are trained in all the fields in which the other U. S. special forces are trained, but to an even higher degree of competency.

SEAL training lasts over a year, and requires an age of between 17 and 28 years, male, incorrect vision no worse than 20/200 in either eye, and correctable to 20/20, and the physical screening test, which is beyond belief.

500 yd (460 m) swim using breast or combat sidestroke in under 12:30 with a competitive time of under 10:30.

Then training begins. Physical conditioning, diving, land warfare, for 24 weeks, then 26 more weeks of SEAL qualification training. Then specialization in whatever fields a SEAL team needs expertise in: anything from sniper to language specialist, rope climbing, diving, jumpmaster, surreptitious entry, dynamic entry (door breacher), etc.

01 British SAS

The Special Air Service is trained to perform equally well in all the fields listed for the SEALs, but is also trained by MI-5 and MI-6 for in-depth counter-espionage, more so than the SEALs. Physical competency must be of equal stature to the SEALs, to the degree that both special forces work closely together when necessary (Iraq and Afghanistan) and have good camaraderie.

They wear a tan beret, just as the U. S. Army Rangers, and both the SAS and SEALs are trained in knife fighting by experts in Apache Indian knife techniques, as well as Sayoc Kali, Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do, and for the last 3 years or so, the Keysi Fighting Method, made famous by the Chris Nolan “Batman” films.

They have the distinction of being the model on which almost all national commando units are based today, including every other entry on this list.

Via Link 1 2

The Great Banyan in India

The Great Banyan is a banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old. It became diseased after it was struck by lightning, so in 1925 the middle of the tree was excised to keep the remainder healthy; this has left it as a clonal colony, rather than a single tree. A 330 m long road was built around its circumference, but the tree continues to spread beyond it. 08 More images after the break...

History and Description

The Great Banyan tree is over 250 years old and in spread it is the largest known in India, perhaps in Asia. There is no clear history of the tree, but it is mentioned in some travel books of the nineteenth century. It was damaged by two great cyclones in 1884 and 1886, when some of its main branches were broken and exposed to the attack of a hard fungus. With its large number of aerial roots, The Great Banyan looks more like a forest than an individual tree. The tree now lives without its main trunk, which decayed and was removed in 1925. The circumference of the original trunk was 1.7 m and from the ground was 15.7 m. The area occupied by the tree is about 14500 square metres (about 1.5 hectares or 4 acres). The present crown of the tree has a circumference of about 1 kilometre and the highest branch rises to about 25 m; it has at present 2880 aerial roots reaching down to the ground. Via

 Photos Via

Top Ten American Cities with Most Attractive People

01. Charleston

This South Carolina city bumped off perennial winner Miami this year; have the good-looking people really migrated north? Charlestonians also score high for friendliness, rank second for their classic sense of style, and even make the top 10 for intelligence. To see if it’s all true, just stroll the streets of this quaint city, which also ranks No. 1 for its noteworthy neighborhoods.

What makes the people of one city so good-looking and the folks elsewhere…well, not so much? Do some cities become magnets for the Greek god and goddess types, or does the mere act of living in a certain area actually have a transformative effect? Whatever the reasons, in this year’s America’s Favorite Cities survey, voters told us that good weather and great shopping go hand-in-hand with attractiveness. San Diego and Miami, for example, did well in all three categories, ending up among the top five cities to find America’s most attractive people. 09 More after the break...

02. San Diego

Maybe it’s all those sunny blondes in this SoCal city, or just the fact that everyone looks good when the forecast is perfect (its weather ranks No. 1), but San Diego maintains its No. 2 ranking in this category from last year. Certainly the locals take good care of themselves, jogging along the beaches: the city also ranks No. 2 for its athletic citizens.

03. Savannah

This newcomer to the America’s Favorite Cities survey makes a bold entrance into this category. The Georgia city also racks up a huge number of No. 2 berths in the survey, thanks in large part to its ever-so-appealing denizens.

04. Miami

Who cares if these Floridians don’t come off as brainy or even terribly nice? AFC readers ranked them near the bottom for both friendliness and smarts. But though they’ve lost their grip on the No. 1 ranking in this category, Miamians are still top-five material. Perhaps that’s because they seem to be out at the gym (No. 10 for athletic) or just out shopping. Miami ranks No. 9 for luxury boutiques and No. 3 for style.

05. Salt Lake City

Salt Lake is a survey newbie, but that didn’t stop it from cracking the upper echelon of this list. And the Utah natives rank about the same as an overall package: they’re top 10 for being physically active, friendly, and intelligent. They’re a pretty trustworthy bunch too—the city ranks No. 1 for safety.

06. Honolulu

Those island breezes toss the hair in a nice way—and no doubt all that hula dancing nicely tones the abs. The locals in the Hawaiian capital rank sixth for staying fit. And if you want to seize the moment, Honolulu is also the No. 1 city for romance.

07. San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan is one of three newcomers to the survey that cracked the top 10 in this popular category. The locals here certainly know how to charm visitors in many ways: they also made it into the top 10 for friendliness and for dressing to the nines (No. 6 for style).

08. Austin

People in the Texas capital are smart (No. 5) and amiable (No. 8 for friendliness), and they stay in shape too (No. 4 for being active). Luckily, it’s fun finding them, too: Austin ranks No. 2 for both its live music and bar scene.

09. Denver

Even though the Mile High City ranks second for its microbrews, there’s no need to pack your beer goggles when coming for a visit. (The city did slip three spots from last year in this category, however.) Denver also ranks No. 2 for its parks and outdoor spaces, and the fit locals make the most of it, ranking No. 1 for being athletic.

10. Nashville

Something about those cowboy hats must flatter the face—and being able to sing doesn’t hurt either. Music City types don’t go for rhinestones as much as they used to, which maybe helped them land at No. 10 for style. But folks are still plenty country: they rank No. 10 for farmers’ markets and No. 3 for a howdy-there friendliness.

Via— Link