1) Boston City Hall; Boston, Massachusetts

While it was hip for it’s time, this concrete structure now gets routinely criticized for its dreary façade and incongruity with the rest of the city’s more genteel architecture. Luckily, it’s very close to more aesthetically pleasing attractions.

2) Montparnasse Tower; Paris, France

While it’s almost universally agreed that this ominous stick is a blight on the landscape of the world’s most stunning city, its detractors admit that there is one very good reason to take in the view from the building’s observation deck: it’s the only place you can go to get a view of the city without it.

3) LuckyShoe Monument; Tuuri, Finland

It may be over-the-top, but there is something to be said for the giant, golden horseshoe that looms over Finland’s second-largest shopping center. The shoe, and, in fact, the entire town in which it is situated, is said to bring good luck to those who visit.

4) Metropolitan Cathedral; Liverpool, England

The people who work here must be so sick of the space capsule jokes. Even those who find the building’s shell a little, well, “spacey,” have to admit the building’s circular interior is pretty spectacular.

5) Port Authority Bus Terminal; New York City, New York

Those who pass by this iron monstrosity might be tempted to ask about a completion date, but alas, this is the finished product. Hated by New Yorkers and tourists alike, this aptly named station is enough to make you take the train.

6) Torres de Colón; Madrid, Spain

Like a set of giant salt-and-pepper shakers, these matching towers loom over the city to the dissatisfaction of many area residents. Not surprisingly, the buildings are also known as “El Enchufe” or “The Plug” for the plug-like structure that holds them together.

7) Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts; Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Some feel the building’s minimalist box design is a triumph, others say it’s an eyesore. Luckily, here in this most mysterious of countries an equally mysterious building seems strangely appropriate.

8 ) Scottish Parliament Building; Edinburgh, Scotland

Stone, oak, and bamboo comprise the buildings that make up the Scottish Parliament, a building that is the subject of much debate. Hopefully the discussions that take place inside the building are more decisive than the ones that take place about it.

9) Birmingham Central Library; Birmingham, England

One look and it’s easy to see how this genre of architecture came to be known as the “Brutalist” style. Not surprisingly, the issue of its possible demolition has been looming over the town for years.

10) Peter the Great Statue; Moscow, Russia

Think Tim Burton meets Pirates of the Caribbean. Some 15 stories high, the larger-than-life monument was designed by controversial artist, Zurab K. Tsereteli, whose statue of Christopher Columbus was repeatedly rejected by the United States.

Source: members.virtualtourist.com/vt/t/1c7/

The 26-year-old victim was trapped when he tried to fish out his mobile phone, which had fallen into the toilet bowl, and fell foul of the suction system.

The high-speed TGV train had to stop for two hours while firemen cut through the train’s pipework.

The man was carried away by emergency services, with the toilet still attached to his arm.

“He came out on a stretcher, with his hand still jammed in the toilet bowl, which they had to saw clean off,” said Benoit Gigou, a witness to the man’s plight.

The incident happened on Sunday evening, aboard a train travelling in western France between La Rochelle and Paris.

In this situation there was nothing to do, and Oct. 28, 2006 the mine was closed. The process of dissolution of potassium salt in the mine got stronger, and after 9 months, on July 28, 2007, a minor pit had appeared.

The pit was growing very fast, and by the summer of 2008 reached a diameter of 1150 feet and a depth of about 330 feet. Then, the process has slowed down.

Click pictures to enlarge

Not only the territory of the mine was hit by the pit, but also the railway Chusovskaya-Solikamsk (old track is clearly visible on the photo). Passenger trains were canceled as early as 2006, for freight trains there was built temporary bypassing (see the bottom of the picture). Now, suburban and long-distance passenger trains depart from the station Berezniki-Sortirovochnaya located south to the city, where passengers are brought to by bus.

Noteworthy that this incident was not the first. In 1986, at mine number 3 a similar case occurred - strong water inflow into the face after the collapse of the rocks. Then there a pit of similar size appeared, just more elongated. But it happened outside the city, and now residents of Berezniki are going to rest to the lake formed.

The bathroom often seems to be a great source of amusement.

Different signs around the world are usually poorly translated, with pretty hilarious results. Other signs are just plain weird, or have been defaced by folks with a healthy combination of humor and boredom. I have collected 10 signs that grabbed my attention.

We can not allow you to use the bathroom!

Can’t find anywhere to pee? Blame the terrorists. Photo taken at the American embassy in Tokyo.

Good old Engrish bathroom sign

It has separated! Don’t mistake!

Presented without comment…

Really, what could I possibly add to describe this fantastic Chinese bathroom sign?

Even Lego minifigs need to relieve themselves!

From the bathroom door at the Legoland Discovery Center

Wash those genitals!

Sure, it is probably (hopefully) a joke sign, but it made me chuckle.

Please use butt to flush!

Ahhhh…. Nothing says "fun" like some juvenile humor and a black marker….

Girl’s what?

Bad grammar is everywhere, but this sign is on the bathroom wall at a school!

Aliens do number 1 and 2, just like us!

This sign is found at the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, Washington.

It took me some time to figure this one out…

This sign is from a bathroom in Turkey, and no matter how often I look at it, I can’t figure out exactly what they are trying to tell me. It appears they are just trying to say that this is the way to the male and female bathrooms.

A lesson in hand washing

No offense, but if you work at this company and need a 6 step lesson on how to wash your hands, you might want to ask yourself whether you made the right career move.