For every structure that claims the title of "World’s Tallest" there are thousands of people who make the decision to never, under any circumstances, go to the top of these structures. One of the most common phobias on Earth is the fear of heights, and there are millions of people on Earth who would rather take a rock to the head than go anywhere near these amazingly tall, and somewhat frightening, structures.
1. The Grand Canyon Skywalk
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Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight. Standing 3,600 feet above the floor of the Grand Canyon on a glass panel is enough to make even the bravest of individuals weak in the knees. The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a unique structure that extends out over the edge of the Grand Canyon, where its distance from the glass to the floor of the Grand Canyon exceeds the height of the tallest building on Earth.
Built in 2007 as a tourist attraction, the Skywalk juts out 70 feet out at its farthest point, beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon. Weighing one million pounds without the counterweights that keep the Skywalk from turning into a tourist tragedy, it is an awe-inspiring sight to stand over the edge of the canyon.
Don’t worry though, only 120 people are allowed on the Skywalk at any one time, and the Skywalk itself can hold 822 people, each weighing 200 pounds.
2. Burj Khalifa
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The tallest structure ever built, and several hundreds of feet above the next tallest skyscraper, is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is a base-jumpers dream, but for anyone afraid of heights it is enemy number one.
This skyscraper stands 2,717 feet above the ground, and holds several records related to the tallest structures on Earth. It beat the previous tallest structure by 600 feet, and it boasts the highest swimming pool on Earth. Ever wanted to go for a swim on the 76th floor of a skyscraper? Well, you can do that here. The building also has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world at 1,450 feet. On a clear day it is possible to see 100 miles in every direction, just don’t look down.
If you don’t like riding an elevator, then you should stay away from this building. The tallest elevator shafts in the world are found here and on February 8, 2010, one elevator became stuck between floors, trapping tourists for nearly an hour. For someone who hates heights, that would be the equivalent of hell.
3. The Gateway Arch
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St. Louis is the Gateway to the West and to celebrate this, the city built The Gateway Arch in 1967. While it may just look like a horseshoe stuck in the ground from a distance, it takes on a whole new level of panic inducing fear for those afraid of heights when standing on the observation deck of the Arch. Standing 630 feet above the ground, the observation deck features 32 small windows that a visitor can look through to see as far as 30 miles on a clear day. That may not seem too bad, especially considering the observation deck of the tallest building in the world is three times as high, but when you see nothing holding you up in the air but two pillars to the side, and only air below you, you may have a different feeling about this view.
4. Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III
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People who fear heights may hate the previous three buildings and monuments, but at least these places are held in place by steel and concrete. Not so for the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III. At this third section of the aerial tramway in Kaprun, Austria, there is nothing holding you up from crashing into the ground but some cables. The tramway opened on November 26, 1966 and the third section of the tramway is the tallest aerial tramway support pillar in the world. Standing 372 feet above the ground, the pillar sits on a concrete slab that rests on the edge of a mountain. Originally built to just over 300 feet, the tramway pillar has been extended twice, which is two times too many for anyone who doesn’t like hanging in the air on a swinging tramway.
5. The Skybridge at the Petronas Towers
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Located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Petronas Towers are the tallest twin powers in the world, and formerly the tallest buildings in the world. However, it is not the towers that make anyone who is afraid of heights cringe; it is the Skybridge that runs between them.
The Skybridge is a walkway that runs between the two towers, and it is the tallest two-story bridge on the planet. Sitting 558 feet above the ground, it is best when walking on it to not think about the fact that the bridge weighs 750 tons, and is not actually bolted to the towers. The bridge is designed to slide back in and out of the towers in order to prevent the bridge from breaking due to high winds.
6. Royal Gorge Bridge
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The Royal Gorge Bridge, located in Canon City, Colorado, was the tallest bridge in the world, hanging 955 feet above the Arkansas River. Built in 1929, it was the tallest bridge in the world until it was beat by a bridge in China. What makes this bridge a bit tougher to walk on is the fact that it contains 1,292 wood planks that are all that separate you from to the river far below. This bridge is very popular with base jumpers, with thousands jumping off the edge of this bridge since it first opened.
7. CN Tower
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Before it was beat by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada was the tallest freestanding structure on the planet. Standing 1,815 feet high, the CN Tower has many features to help make anyone who hates heights hug the ground in fear. First, there is the glass elevator that moves up outside the tower to show you just how high you are going with each second that goes by. In addition, the highest public observation gallery can be found on the CN Tower, rising 1,467 feet in the air. The CN Tower also features the highest bar in the world at 1,135 feet, the highest wine cellar at 1,152 and the highest revolving restaurant at 1,152 feet as well. Worse of all, at least for individuals who fears heights, is the glass floor in the observation deck, which is 1,122 feet above the ground.It takes a brave soul to stand on this piece of glass that looks straight down to the ground.
As more and more building continue to rise up to the sky, there are plenty of people who choose to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Whether it is standing on a piece of glass over one thousand feet above the ground, or walking across a small bridge that moves with every brush of wind, these places are the places that give anyone who fears heights a severe panic attack. For those that hate heights, there are plenty of sights to see that sit firmly upon the ground.
Author: Craig Baird — Copyrighted © roadtickle.com
"Profile" (1994) - What is he thinking?
Image via moillusions
Artist Kumi Yamashita’s work is the perfect example of two truths: that things are not always what they seem and more metaphorically, that sometimes we have to view things in a different light to discover a new meaning. If this sounds too cryptic, just marvel over how Yamashita breathes new life into simple, wall-mounted cut-outs by providing them with an interesting shadow.
"Lovers" (1998) - aluminium sheeting, lights, cast shadows:
image via mymodernmet
"Origami" (2005) - "Each color sheet on the wall, lit from the right, casts a silhouette of a profile":
Image: Kumi Yamashita
If you liked Incredible Shadow Art Created from Junk by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster, then you’ll like Kumi Yamashita’s work. Unlike Noble and Webster, however, Yamashita does not use hundreds of pieces and no junk to create her shadow objects – faces and figures mostly – but banks on the belief that less is more.
"Feather" (2006) - light, wood, shadow:
Image via outtheway
Like a painter who tries to convey an image with the fewest number of brushstrokes, Yamashita uses slim pieces of wood, square paper or aluminum numbers and letters. Though the installations are light (pun intended), their messages are quite heavy: The profile of a handsome man above, for example, cast from the shadows of various letters, symbolizes the thoughts and words that may go through his mind, or even the implications put on us by society.
Just numbers? "City View" (2003):
Image via moillusions
Probably her simplest installation is an exclamation mark that, lit from the side, turns into a question mark. Like a firm belief that is suddenly shattered.
"Exclamation Point" (1995):
Image via outtheway
Simple? Not really. Says the Japanese-born, now New York-based artist about her motivation:
"Through my work I wish to remind ourselves of how we preconceive what is around and inside us. It is easy to passively turn to prepared information. Knowledge, ideas, and values are too often accepted without questioning."
Call it visual trickery or manipulation, but the beauty of Yamashita’s objects lies in their simplicity, symbolized by the materials she uses: paper, wood, aluminum and most importantly, light.
"Clouds" (2005) - "The thin metal object on the wall, lit from above, casts the silhouette of a couple":
Image via mymodernmet
"Glider" (2002) - light, aluminum, shadow:
Image via mymodernmet
Though born and raised in Japan, Kumi Yamashita has spent much of her adult life abroad, starting with a high-school exchange to the US in 1984. She then graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1994 from the College of Arts in Washington and with a Master of Fine Arts in 1999 from the Glasgow School of Art in the UK. Since then, she has taken part in close to 30 group exhibitions and was featured in more than 10 solo exhibitions around the world. She’s also won numerous awards for her work.
If you want to see how it's done, here's a video of "Dialogue" (1999), the silhouettes of two conversing heads produced with the help of light, a motor, styrene, shadow and 60 rotating profiles, lit from the side. Can you make out what they are talking about?
If you really want to know, you have to watch this last video of Kumi Yamashita as a guest in Takeshi Kitano show "Unbelievable," a special about visual artists that aired on 21st March 2008 on Japanese television. Don’t miss the "making of" and the audience’s reaction – it’s worth watching from start to finish!
More information about latest works and exhibitions can be found on Kumi Yamashita’s website.
PS: Original post here.
His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight.
He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.
Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.
He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, 'Let's go'.
The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.
Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, 'Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.'
'Why?' asked the pilot.
'Because I'm a photographer for CNN' , he responded, 'and I need to get
some close up shots.'
The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me, is ... You're NOT my flight instructor?'
Life is short....
Someone said:
When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME....
Tech Support: Yes, ... how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me though the process?
Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready.. What do I do first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?
Tech Support: What programs are running?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before
you can Love others.
Customer: So, what should I do?
Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.
Customer: Okay, done.
Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all
directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey! My Heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart.Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So LOVE is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. LOVE is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
Nothing s(t)ays forever like misspelled tattoos..
And he'll judge your spelling
Possibly the most famous misspelled tattoo. Instead of "CHI TOWN" as the man requested, he got "CHI TONW". He later sued the tattoo artist
Does he means spelling system?
Tomarrow never knows how to spell tommorrow right!!
Can u find 3 spelling mistakes
"Friends, straind, surley"
Dont know if this is Comedy ... or Tradgey
'To' bad you dont own a dictionary
That is one of the things that separate us from the animals. How else can you explain 11 year old Dayton Hennessey who is able to wrestle, successfully at that, with both arms and both legs amputated as a result of a life threatening bacterial infection?
This little boy from the Virginia suburbs shows moxie and courage far beyond his years. Not only does he wrestle but he also leads a very athletic and happy life doing things like riding his scooter around his neighborhood, ice skating, or playing football.
His zest for life and drive to achieve can be summed up in three words; The Human Spirit.
It should be an inspiration to us all.
Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking along the beach together. For much of the way the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying in the pace.
But your prints are in a disorganized stream of zig zags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this. But gradually, your footprints come in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends.
This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens; your footprints that once etched the sand next to the Master's are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His large footprints is the smaller "sandprint," safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one; this goes on for many miles.
But gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the larger footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually it disappears altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one; again this goes on for a long time.
But then something awful happens. The second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse than before. Zig zags all over the place. Stop...start. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints.
You're amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak:
"Lord, I understand the first scene with the zig zags, fits, starts, and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."
"That is correct," replied the Lord. "Then, when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely."
"Very good. You have understood everything so far." "Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming more like You in every way."
Precisely." "But this is my question, Lord. Was there a regression of something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first."
The Lord smiles, then laughs. "You didn't know?" He says. "That was when we danced."
FOR HE WILL TURN YOUR MOURNING INTO DANCING!!!
Original Post here.
We are all hardcore fans of the classic Tetris game.
But I found a remake of this classic game, which made me sick.
Im trying to get past the 1st Level as of now.. :(
The game can be played here
PS: Try the nightmode after getting some experience in playing the normal one ;) ;)
The Fountains of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (USA) are a vast, choreographed water fountains with performances set to light and music. The performances are visible from numerous vantage points on the Strip, both from the street and from neighboring structures. The fountain's show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight. The Fountains are set in a nine-acre man-made lake. The fountain display is choreographed to various pieces of music; current pieces include "Fly Me To The Moon" (Frank Sinatra), "Time to Say Goodbye" (Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli) and "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion).
