Oh, My! Two Large Metro Cranes Collapse in Venezuela

Industrial cranes on large-scale production sites are an impressive sight to behold - just as long as everything goes as planned, because if something does happen and you're nearby, then you should get ready to make the fastest run possible.

The following incident occurred in the popular Las Mercedes district in Caracas, Venezuela, when two huge cranes working on the new Metro station in the area collapsed.

There's no word if anyone was injured in the accident, but one of the cranes did crash into a neighboring building shaving it clean while the other one dipped into the hole.

If you're in a hurry, the crash happens at around 50 seconds into the video.

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BASE Jumping on Bolivia's Death Road on Friday the 13th; What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Using a bicycle to complete a B.A.S.E. (according to Wiki, it's an acronym that "stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, and Earth") jump off a man-built ramp situated near a cliff sounds like an awesome idea in theory, but not so much in reality…

Add to the mix the location known as Bolivia's Death Road, the date Friday the 13th, and the inherit risk of a miscalculation, and you have the perfect storm brewing.

All those ingredients were present during a BASE jump performed by a member of the 'Viteza si Adrenalina' team, who described the act as a "fairly stupid idea gone mildly wrong", adding the following quote:

"Unfortunately the jump didn't go quite as well as planned as you will see in the video, however I am pleased to report that owing to all the advance rescue and medical support preparations GravityBolivia were able to extract the "crasher" quickly and he suffered only minor injuries, specifically as he puts it: "a broken arse, fractures in his forearm, and cut tendons in his knee".

Video can be found below the…jump.

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Venezuelans May Have to Pay More than Five Cents a Gallon for Gas

Do you know how much Venezuelan car owners pay for gas today? Five cents for a gallon of fuel or just under 1 euro cent (€0.0096 to be precise) per liter at the official exchange rate, or according to an Associated Press report cited by the Detroit news, "less than a penny [1 U.S. cent a gallon] at the widely-used black market rate".

As an oil producer, Venezuela can offer gas at these absurdly low prices, but it comes at a cost for the government during an economic crisis.

Now, after some two decades of frozen prices at the pump, the newly elected government of President Nicolas Maduro is pondering an increase. However, that's easier said than done in a country where cheap fuel is considered a birthright, and let's not forget that the last time officials attempted to raise prices in 1989, the move sparked weeklong clashes resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.

Maduro, a former bus driver, has been testing the waters for an increase in gas prices to fuel the battered economy, as it is reported that the gasoline subsidy costs more than $12.5 billion a year in government income.

“As an oil nation, Venezuelans should have a special price advantage for hydrocarbons compared to the international market,” Maduro told mayors on December 18. “But it has to be an advantage, not a disadvantage. What converts it into a disadvantage is when the tip you give is more than what it cost to fill the tank.”

Whether Maduro will be able to pass on an increase without triggering a violent response from the opposition and the people who are already being pressed hard by 54 percent inflation and a falling currency, remains to be seen, but he does have some time in front of him as elections aren't scheduled before 2015.

Another issue that (partially) stems from the extremely low gas prices is pollution, as many Venezuelans never felt the need to opt for more fuel-efficient and greener transportation modes, holding onto American behemoths from the 1970s, such as Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Malibus and Ford LTDs. An interesting video from Venezuela's American car culture, courtesy of the New York Times (NYT), follows below.

Opening screen shot: NYT video

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