Public officials and engineers have long warned about the dangers posed by the outdated, moldering pipelines that snake beneath the streets of major cities like New York, feeding gas into the furnaces of millions of homes.

For nearly two decades, federal authorities have directed pipeline operators to replace these leak-prone, cast-iron lines with pipes made of plastic and other modern materials. And many states, including New York, have embarked on programs to do just that.

But these efforts could take decades to complete, and in the meantime, weakened pipes could spring deadly leaks.

This possibility and the need for repairs have come into sharp focus in the aftermath of an explosion that tore apart two buildings in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more.

"The human cost of inaction is clear," said Ydanis Rodriguez, a New York City councilman, in a statement to reporters. "If the necessary funding for these repairs and improvements is not granted by the federal and state governments, tragic occurrences such as today's may become more common in our city."

It's not yet clear what caused the leak that led to the explosion. Records show that the city approved a permit to replace 120 feet of gas piping last summer for a heating system at one of the collapsed buildings. The company that did the work, New York Heating Corp., did not return calls seeking comment.

But a Consolidated Edison spokeswoman, D. Joy Faber, confirmed to HuffPost that the main pipe that funneled gas into the heating systems of the now-obliterated East Harlem buildings was partly made of cast iron and dated back to 1887. And as several engineers and officials noted, that can be a problem.

Compared with a more pliable material like plastic, cast iron becomes brittle over time. A heavy blow can crack the pipes, and so can ground movements caused by alternating spells of warmth and cold.

Federal data on the integrity of gas mains show that serious leaks causing death, injury or major property damage stem from cast iron pipes four times more often than those made from other materials.

In January 2011, a leak in a cast-iron gas pipeline in Philadelphia led to a blast that killed a utility worker and injured five others. Fuel from another leaky cast iron gas main caused a major explosion in Allentown, Pa., a month later, killing five people, including a 16-year-old girl and a 4-month-old boy.

Your wedding ceremony is the very heart of your wedding. It’s full of some of the most meaningful moments -- walking down the aisle to your beloved and seeing his or her reaction for the first time, reciting your vows, and (finally) being pronounced newlyweds -- and there is no greater source of inspiration than a real wedding. We adore each and every one of the real wedding ceremonies featured on Lover.ly, but we’ve managed to choose a few awe-inspiring favorites. Take a peek!

Anyone who has watched even a few minutes of porn may end up with some very particular ideas about what real-world sex entails.

Porn -- at least, the kind where super-toned, tanned, hairless women are penetrated in a variety of acrobatic positions by equally toned, tanned men -- is full of myths about sex. Redditor black_brotha decided to ask women on the site what they "learned" from porn that turned out to be completely untrue in the real world.

Here are 11 of the most worrying un-truths women said porn taught them:

1. That their bodies were abnormal: "I was 100% convinced that I needed labiaplasty and was really ashamed to be naked in front of [a] guy because I thought he would think I was a freak."

2. That all sex focuses on the guy's pleasure: "I thought having sex with a man meant having to pretend I enjoyed it even if I wasn't, that it didn't matter if I had an orgasm, and that it was normal for a guy not to give a shit about my pleasure."

3. That "sexy" is purely physical, and incredibly specific:

I felt like I had to fit into a box I could never fit in. It made me feel dysphoric about not just my body, but who I was. I'm a clumsy, boyish, awkward female, that couldn't do an attractive striptease to save their life AKA the antithesis of your typical "sexy female"... There is more than just one kind of sexy and its all subjective. I've realized that Im sexy in my own way and I'm much happier now.
4. That men don't like women with hair "down there": "I thought men would expect completely hairless women and they would be repulsed by me."

5. That orgasms are almost effortless: "I thought orgasms were much easier to achieve than they actually are. As a result I thought something was wrong with me for a long time. I just assumed that PIV=almost instant orgasm. I was so disappointed to find that wasn't the case."

6. That men only find certain bodies (white, toned and smooth-skinned) attractive: "It did make me think that only women with perfect bodies ever had sex."
7. That all penises are circumcised and eight inches long: "I didn't know uncircumcised penises existed, because all the porn I'd seen prior had circumcised male performers."

8. That insanely complex sexual positions feel good for everyone:

Those positions? Yeah, most of them don't feel good.I know everyone's different, but it is VERY DIFFICULT, bordering on impossible to have an orgasm with that much distance between the partners! Besides, one of the best things about sex is the closeness of skin-to-skin contact.
9. That you had to do everything women in porn videos did in order for your partner to enjoy themself: "It didn't occur to me until like age 27 that I didn't have to let a guy come on my face if I didn't want to. Or I didn't have to swallow. Or that it was okay to not moan if I didn't feel like moaning."

10. That men are always ready and willing: "I thought that all men liked being aggressive and dominant, like in porn, and that if they were under 50, they were always going to be able to get hard and orgasm."

Nicki Minaj is having a blast in Cabo, boating on the beautiful blue waters, drinking with friends, and taking plenty of photos of herself in bikinis. Ever since the 31-year-old arrived in Mexico on March 8, she's been sharing pictures of her trip with her fans on Instagram, and on Tuesday she decided it was time to get into a bikini and soak up the sun.

Miley Cyrus is pushing the envelope again, but this time, it wasn't exactly intentional.

The star took the stage during her March 9 Bangerz Tour performance in Milwaukee, Wis. wearing a particularly revealing outfit that appeared to just be a bra and panties ... because apparently, it was just her bra and panties.

No, that's not a new costume; that's the absence of a costume. After the performance, Cyrus took to Twitter to tell her fans what happened. She admitted that for the first time, she couldn't complete her costume change quickly enough and had to run out onstage in her undies when her next song began to play.

Time and again, I come across articles offering bra tips. And time and again, I find myself saying, "Well, those rules only apply to ladies with at least a C cup. What about those who are a bit more ... petite?"

So, I decided to find out for myself. For the first time in my life, I got a bra fitting -- I know it seems like it should be a teenage rite of passage, but I honestly never thought I needed one as an A or B cup. During a recent trip to Manhattan's Intimacy, the lovely Dee Binyard, one of the store's bra fit stylists, selected a slew of bras that made me realize just how important fit really is, even for small-chested women.

Thanks to Dee -- and nearly 25 years of being a woman (for roughly 10 of which I actually needed a bra) -- I've gleaned six bra-shopping commandments for petite ladies.*

1. Yes, you do need support. 
Contrary to my former belief, A and B cups need to be supported. Small chests rarely lead to the kind of back pain that keeps chiropractors in business; but without proper support, you can accelerate sagging. As Dr. Cynthia S. Vaughn, a spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association, once told me, wearing a bra as a small-chested woman is "not so much for current times, but for later in life." That said, if you prefer to go braless, more power to you.

2. The fit of the band is crucial. 
During my fitting with Dee, she emphasized that the firmness of the band (not the straps) is of utmost importance. As a general rule, she says the firmness should be on the loosest hook of your band so that the band sits level on your back. From there, you adjust to the tighter hooks as the band stretches out. "I know we all want comfort," she told me. "But comfort doesn't necessarily mean that the band is going to give you that looseness. You want to be able to lift your arms without your breasts coming out the bottom of the bra." Amen, sister.

3. Don't get comfortable in your cup size, because things change. 
With all of the size discrepancies between brands, and our bodies constantly changing, it's not a good idea to assume that once you're a 34A, you'll always be a 34A. Never buy a bra without trying it on, and try to get fitted every year or so.

4. There's no reason to wear padding ... unless you want to.
I'm not going to lie: My 15-year-old self definitely tried on padded bras. These days, I'm comfortable with my size, so I personally don't feel the need for padding and would probably feel uncomfortable if I did wear it. But if you feel great about yourself with a little extra something, by all means, pad away!

5. You need more than one or two bras. 
If you're like me, you find a couple of bras that work and wear them to death. Judging by Dee's reaction to this statement, this is very bad. "I would say you need a good seven to 10 bras so you'd be able to alternate every day," she told me. "This way, your bra and the elasticity on the band gets that rest that it needs so that it's fresh for the next wear." She also recommends wearing your bras two or three times before you wash them to extend their lives.

6. Most importantly, wear what you feel great in. 
I can't stress this enough. Lingerie should be fun, not just functional. It should also be comfortable, because no one wants to be awkwardly adjusting underwire all day.


*In no way am I asserting that all women, whatever their size, must wear bras. These tips are for the ladies who want to wear bras. Please completely disregard if you'd rather go braless (and just know: I envy you).

Photoshop fails have become more common than ever, with various retailers chopping off limbs and backsides. So it's really no surprise that Target is the most recent culprit to distort a model.

In a major fail noticed first by Jezebel, the store's website features a photo of a teen model wearing a junior's swimsuit. In what appears to be an attempt to make her legs look longer/bottom half look smaller, the model is missing a piece of her vagina. OUCH.

The photo has since been removed from the website, but not before Jezebel had the chance to post the photo, which clearly shows there has been a square cut out of the bottom of the swimsuit. The only thing worse than photoshopping adult models is photoshopping junior models, who market to young girls. Perhaps Target should take a page out of Aerie's book.

Aaron Carter seems to be having a bit of a meltdown on Twitter. The musician has been very open with his followers about his heartbreak and regret after losing the love of his life ... about 10 years ago.

This "love" he is referring to is Hilary Duff. The two dated when they were 13 years old and the relationship was particularly meaningful to Carter. So much so, in fact, that he hasn't managed to move on from his teen dream girl. The only problem is that Duff wasn't his teen dream girl back in the day. Their year–and–a–half long relationship came to an end when Carter chose Lindsay Lohan over the "Lizzie McGuire" star.

Now Carter and Duff are both 26 years old and Duff is newly–separated. For Carter, this seems to be the perfect time to profess his love … on social media … very uncomfortably.

Carter's recent rant began on Tuesday, March 4, when he retweeted a photo of his ex.
Since then, the self–proclaimed hopeless romantic has frequently referred to his long lost love. Carter clearly blames himself for the decay of his relationship with Duff, referring to himself as a "stupid douche."

We're guessing the throwback Thursday remark is a nod to his history with Duff. But, will she actually be his #tbt?

Hilary Duff has not publicly responded to any of Carter's pleas for attention (on Twitter or otherwise), so Carter shouldn't keep his hopes up too high.

Carter declared bankruptcy in late 2013, but he's still making music. Let's not lose hope yet, Aaron! At least we still have that "Aaron Carter's Coming To Town" episode of "Lizzie McGuire"…

Hollywood could use a new Angelina Jolie — or rather, they could use the old Angelina Jolie, the rebellious, sex-mad Angelina we had before she reinvented herself as a beatifically smiling humanitarian goddess. Where are the avid actresses who can stride on-screen and conquer with a flick of their finger, who can use their carnal craziness to enliven the most unimaginative of B-movies, who can size up their male leads with an "I will fuck you and eat you, and not necessarily in that order" stare? Unto this breach comes this weekend's 300: Rise of an Empire, and while the sorta-sequel might at first seem more than sorta superfluous, by the time its female lead Eva Green is engaging in the movie's centerpiece sex scene, you'll know its purpose: The wild-eyed Green is serving us vintage Jolie on a platter, and the film (and Hollywood) is all the better for it.

In Rise of an Empire, Green plays Artemisia, a Persian commander leading the charge against Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton). Though Greek herself, Artemisia has long vowed revenge against her own people: As a child, her village was burned to the ground, her mother was raped in front of her, and then young Artemisia was sold into slavery. Rescued by the king of Persia, she soon becomes a fearsome warrior, and Green gives her all to the eye-popping part, purring entreaties, shouting orders, and kissing severed heads in short order. Artemisia is ostensibly the film's villain, but her motives are so understandable and Green's charisma is so all-consuming that when one battle sequence concludes with Artemisia seemingly slaughtering all of our heroes a third of the way through the movie, you kind of have to hand it to her. She deserved that win!
But of course, Themistocles and his army can't be that quickly dispatched, and as the movie nears its halfway point, it is decided: He and Artemisia will negotiate a sitdown in the middle of the sea to determine whether war can be averted, or at least altered. The two of them meet face to face deep below deck in Artemisia's quarters — a detente rather like the Pacino/De Niro sitdown in Heat — and attempt to talk it out. When that fails to move the needle much, Themistocles and Artemisia instead do what more protagonists and antagonists ought to do in movies like this: They have wild, knock-down, shake-the-rafters sex.

There's punching. There's hair-pulling. There's even mild choking! The subtext of their battle sequences, the fight to come out on top, is literally wrought in this assignation as both Themistocles and Artemisia toss each other around and jostle for dominance. The film would like us to believe that it's a draw between them, but this is no contest: The wildly charismatic Green, who proved her sexual bona fides in The Dreamers and Casino Royale, positively dwarfs the mild Stapleton. By the time she's topless and swinging a sword — the sort of provocative pose that Greeks might sculpt into stone were Artemisia not busy trying to kill them all — Green has given us a sex scene for the ages, the sort of buzzed-about encounter usually reserved for premium cable instead of the multiplex.

Returned to his curious men afterwards, Themistocles is quizzed about the encounter, and he's utterly speechless, earning one of this very serious movie's few big laughs. But from then on, Green's crazy sexual verve powers each showdown, and when Themistocles and Artemisia lock eyes in the final battle — across a sea of warships, mind you — it's as romantic as it is dangerous. Once they eventually cross that sea and begins to cross their blades, she leans in, smiles, and says, "You fight much harder than you fuck." That, people, is how you say "I love you" in ancient Greece.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney accused President Barack Obama Sunday of appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin and said there’s “no question” that Putin “believes he is weak.”

Cheney said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation that Obama and his advisers “have created an image around the world, not just to the Russians, of weakness… the Syrian situation is a classic. We got all ready to do something -- a lot of the allies signed on -- and at the last minute, Obama backed off.”

Cheney said that in responding to Russia’s seizure of Crimea, “there are military options that don’t involve putting troops on the ground in Crimea. We could go back and reinstate the ballistic-missile defense program that was taken out, that was originally going to go in Poland (and) the Czech Republic and Obama took it out to appease Putin.”

He also suggested that Obama offer military equipment and training to the Ukrainians and do joint training exercises in Poland.
Cheney did admit that Bush administration’s responses to the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia “were not effective in terms of driving Putin out.” Some observers see Putin’s successful invasion of Georgia as the template for Russian actions in Crimea.

Cheney’s comments came as Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary under both President George W. Bush and under Obama, said on Fox News Sunday that Putin’s seizure of Crime appeared to be irreversible. “I do not believe that Crimea will slip out of Russia's hand," he said.

More Republican criticism of Obama’s handling of the Ukraine crisis came from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a potential Republican presidential contender. In an interview on ABC’s This Week, Cruz said Obama’s foreign policy was “to alienate and abandon our friends and to coddle and appease our enemies. You better believe that Putin sees in Benghazi four Americans are murdered and noting happens, there’s no retribution. You better believe that Putin sees in Syria (that) Obama draws a red line and ignores a red line.”