The Most Popular Buildings/Bridges/Structures Around The World
There are hundreds of thousands of buildings, bridges, and structures that have been built in numerous locations around the world. Each one serves a specific purpose, whether allowing people to travel from one place to another or providing a place for individuals to live, work, or play. Out of all of the building, bridges, and structures in the world, only a few have the distinction of being the most popular ones in the world.
There are many reasons why a building, bridge, or structure may be designated as one of the most popular of their kind. One common reason may be that the appearance of the item attracts a large number of individuals to view it. Whether the item is considered beautiful or just unique, many individuals will flock to view it and take pictures to document that they were there. The appearance of the item may also cause it to be documented in a variety of different mediums, including movies, books, and postcards.
One of the most popular buildings in the world is the Empire State building, located in New York City, New York in the United States of America. This building is the largest building in a city full of large buildings and has helped define the New York City skyline since 1931. Considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Empire State Building is nearly 1,500 feet high and has 102 floors. The observation deck, located on the 86th floor of the building, has been visited by more than 110 million individuals.
Another one of the most popular buildings in the world is the Notre Dame de Paris, located in Paris, France. This cathedral has been immortalized in numerous films, plays, and literature and is considered the most familiar cathedral in the world. The features of the cathedral make this building a classic example of French Gothic architecture and the building took nearly 200 years to complete, beginning in 1160 and finished in 1345. It is estimated that more than 12 million individuals visit the Notre Dame de Paris each year.
One of the popular bridges in the world is the Millau Viaduct, located in southern France. The bridge is considered the highest vehicular bridge in the world, spanning the valley of the River Tarn at a maximum height of 1,125 feet at its highest point. Dedicated in 2004, the construction of the bridge has broken three world records; highest road bridge deck in the world, highest mast in the world, and highest pylons in the world. The bridge also has the designation of having the longest cable-stayed deck in the world.
One of the most popular structures in the world is the Great Wall of China, considered the world’s longest man building structure and is also the largest man-made structure when considering mass and surface area. In fact, the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that is visible from space. The Great Wall stretches over 4,000 miles, stretching from the city of Shanhaiguan in the eastern portion of the country to the city of Lop Nur in the western portion of the country. Because the building of the Great Wall began before bricks became widely used, the entire length of the Great Wall was constructed of wood, stones, and earth.
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No Jail Time For Grandma!
My diminutive, white haired, 88 year old mother-in-law drives a red sports car and is now being threatened with prison time. Well, maybe not prison, because no one in their right mind wants to envision a little old lady pushing a walker and being led to the hoosegow by burly armed sheriff’s deputies.
The whole thing started a few weeks ago when she got a ticket because she parked her car in a handicapped zone just as she does every time she drives to the mall. This time though, her parking permit had expired and the decal stuck on her back window was out of date.
Sounds simple doesn’t it? Take a few minutes to write a check and send it to the address on the ticket that was under her windshield wipers and the problem is solved. Wrong! Governmental bureaucracy rears its ugly head!
Buying a new sticker for her car would have been no problem if she’d remembered that the old one was expiring. Her memory was jogged last week however, when she received a summons demanding that she pay up or the local constabulary would throw her in jail.
As soon as she received the summons, without reading any farther than the first paragraph where it threatened her with incarceration if she didn’t pay the ticket immediately, she drove downtown to the courthouse where she had gotten her parking permit, to pay the fine.
It was the wrong place, but they did tell her that after paying the ticket she would have to return to the license bureau to get her new decals. They were even helpful enough to give her the exact amount she would have to pay for the new permit; even telling her she could just put it in the mail.
It’s important to know that my mother-in-law is as deaf as a post unless her hearing aids are working properly. If they are working, as often as not they emit a ultra high frequency feed back, that drive all the dogs in the neighborhood nuts. Most of the time if she hears every 10th word, she’s having a good day.
One of the clerks was patient enough to write down the address of the municipal building complex and the department she needed, along with the amount she needed for the new permit. She was now armed and ready to pay her fine!
After finding the municipal building, which handles traffic violations, including handicapped parking sins, she located the municipal court clerk’s office. Unfortunately there was a sign on the door that said the department was closed from 11:00am to 3:00 p.m. for a Thanksgiving party. It doesn’t take much to exhaust an 88 year old lady, no matter in how good a shape she’s kept herself, so she went home to fight the battle another day.
The day after Thanksgiving the situation didn’t improve much for the municipal clerk’s office was closed for the holiday. She did get advice from an office employee who was working over time. He looked at her summons and told her she could just mail the amount of the fine into the office, thus saving her a lot of aggravation.
That’s just what she did! The next day she sent the money for the fines and court costs, including an additional amount for the fee to renew her handicap permit. Any governmental agency, when faced with more money than they expected, does what comes naturally; they keep it! They didn’t apply it to the fines or to the new decal. No one seems to know where the money is!
Unfortunately now, fees for her new handicapped permit had been sucked up into governmental never, never land. Once again she had to pay again the fines for not having a decal, even though the clerk acknowledged that they had received her money. They just don’t know where it is!
After this was done, when she went back to the courthouse to get her new decal, she was told that she would now have to have a another doctor’s physical before she could be issue a new handicap parking permit!
Evidently the 88 year old, white haired, mostly deaf taxpayer had finally come to the last straw. She reached across the counter, grabbed her application for handicap parking and told the clerk, “I just won’t get another permit. It’ll be easier to find another parking place at Wal Mart than to have to go through all the red tape again!”
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. He is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
http://www.bluemarlinbob.com
http://www.redfishbob.com
What Is Solar Power? Knowing Could Save You Money
Like most people you probably know that now more than ever we need to find alternative energy sources. Solar, nuclear and wind power are all viable options, but solar power is the most popular alternate energy source for residential homes.
Beyond knowing that it turns the sun’s rays into electricity, do you really know how it all works? If you’re interested in learning more about solar energy and are considering having it installed in your home, call a company that sets up solar panels start asking them questions.
You can also use the internet to research what solar energy is, find out how much it costs, the pros and cons of having it and you can even learn how it all works. If after learning what solar power is all about, and you decide that it’s for you, start pricing around and set up your home for solar capabilities so that you never have to pay another dime to the electric companies.
What Is Solar Power? Solar Cells
Solar cells are one of the first things you’ll learn about in your quest for finding out more about solar power. Solar cells are plates that look like they’re made of tinted glass.
These cells are set up on your roof or on special platforms and they are the plates that actually catch the sun’s rays. In order to power an entire home, it may be necessary to cover your entire roof with these cells.
It all depends on how much energy you need. Installing these solar cells can cost quite a bit of money but it’s a one time cost that will save you money in the long run.
Just make sure that you are going to be living in your home for the next several years. Also, you may need to repair or replace cells as time goes on so you should also save for these unexpected costs.
What Is Solar Power? Converter Boxes
Also, in your quest to find out what solar energy is, you’ll learn about the converter boxes that transform the energy from the sun’s rays into actual electricity. This is how you power your home, or whatever else you intend to power with solar panels.
These are the heart of the solar power system and can also set you back quite a bit financially. These converters can also hold a charge, which means they will store the energy you don’t use so that you can use electricity even if no sun is shining, such as at night.
As you find out more and more what solar power is, you should get a good idea of whether or not solar energy is for you. Ask as many sources as you can and make sure you’re not being sold by anyone because they may not give you such an honest answer if they are just trying to get you to buy something from them.
Do your own research, read all you can and learn about what solar power is from the experts. That is the best way to find out about this technology and it’s the best way to make a decision of whether or not solar energy is for you and your home.
Madison Greene is like anyone else. She is interested in saving the planet and finding alternatives for depleting natural resources. Learn how you can safely make your own alternative fuel at home for less than one dollar a gallon. Visit: http://www.LearnToMakeBioDiesel.com
How to be Politically Inept this Christmas
There, now it’s out there; the “C” word, Christmas. Somehow it’s become politically incorrect to wish others Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa or anything that suggests a belief system. Well, I’ve decided to forgo political correctness at the risk of being labeled “politically inept” this holiday season.
Be Different in December
I choose to celebrate in December because Christmas is in it. You may celebrate in December for a different reason. I not only respect but cherish that diversity among us. Yet that diversity is discounted and stripped away from us when the Politically Correct (P.C.) Police force all to be the same by restricting us to Happy Holidays and Seasons Greetings. Can we Americans afford any more loss of our identities? Can we afford to lose the meanings behind our traditions, actions and feelings?
The advent and proliferation of social media encourage us to “live in the open.” Tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube enable us to share what makes us human. In theory, our humanity should make us more desirable as a business associate. When you defy the P.C. Police and offer a greeting with more flavor than Seasons Greetings, we learn you are a person of character and courage as well as spirited and thoughtful. Much is shared in less than 2 seconds!
Speak Your Peace of Mind
We’re entitled to all speak our own “language” of the season. Consider that, as an example, if one of us speaks Spanish, another French and the third Italian, none of us can be accused of being wrong. Background, upbringing and, sometimes, life choices enable each of us to express ourselves in a preferred way. I prefer to offer Merry Christmas because it has meaning in its language that I understand best and represents the best expression I’ve got to give. The P.C. Police stand ready to chastise us for choosing the “wrong” form of expression. I’m giving others a gift of my heartfelt wishes; Merry Christmas enables me to present those wishes with the clearest and strongest meaning I know. By watering the message down to Happy Holidays, I feel like I’m cheating you, giving you less than the best I have to offer.
I can accept that not everyone will be happy with my gift of Merry Christmas. Some will take offense, but that’s because they choose to be offended. They’re so concerned with their own selfish perspective of the way things ought to be, they can’t see my gift for what it is. Let’s face it; some people are looking for reasons to be offended.
Give Your Gift Any Way
You must be willing to get into trouble now and then if you’re ever going to be comfortable using your preferred greeting at every opportunity. When you occasionally find someone who takes exception, is offended and won’t accept your gift, don’t blame yourself for their problem. I refuse to walk on eggshells because someone might want to pick a fight over my choice of words. Saying Merry Christmas doesn’t mean I’m pushing religion; I don’t expect anyone will convert to Christianity because I offered them a Merry Christmas!
I encourage you to join The League of the Politically Inept and give your greeting gifts at every opportunity during December. I’m convinced most people appreciate it, and your encouragement emboldens them to do the same. When December is over the politically inept will have had a lot more fun than the politically correct. Don’t forget the reason you celebrate this season, and continue to be generous with your gift of your favorite greeting.
Copyright 2007 Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson the Trouble Breaker is a keynote speaker who works with organizations to convert trouble into double and triple digit performance breakthroughs. Discover breakthrough concepts at http://ShortcutsToResults.com. Visit http://TroubleBreaker.com for presentations on performance improvement.