New Seven Wonders of the World

[P_Funk]

I noticed that North America doesn't get anything. Thats no surprise. We don't build anything worth remembering mostly, not on an all-time world list anyway. The closest that we ever got was Art Deco with the Empire State Building. And looking at everything they keep building even if it isn't offensive and gaudy its at least unimpressive. Its also funny that the only really impressive stuff we build is utilitarian primarily. Dams and bridges. Very little cultural significance beyond its impressiveness.

[fatty]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

I noticed that North America doesn't get anything.

That's not true.

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by fatty

That's not true.

You mean that Mexican one? I believe they call that Central America.

[fatty]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

You mean that Mexican one? I believe they call that Central America.

They would be wrong, then :p

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by fatty

They would be wrong, then :p

Very well. But you know what I meant.

[The Avon Lady]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

Very well. But you know what I meant.

You meant North North America. :p

But I disagree with what you meant. I think that we've made so many monumentous ( ? ) structures that we take them for granted and also cannot find enough distinction between them to pick one as a world wonder. There's also the attitude of what's to be impressed with when it's built with modern technology and the construction workers didn't have their hands cut off after project completion.

[joea]

I think it is silly to choose just "7" wonders myself.

[Jimbuna]

How do you define something as a 'wonder' ?
What precisely is a 'wonder' ? (open to individual perception I suspect)
What criteria do you base your assessment on ?

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

How do you define something as a 'wonder' ?
What precisely is a 'wonder' ? (open to individual perception I suspect)
What criteria do you base your assessment on ?

Well all of the massive landmarks that we have constructed in modern times seem to lack a certain nameless beauty that you see in the more ancient things.

Pyramids made with massive golden brown blocks in a pleasing shape. Hanging gardens just sounds impressive. The Collossus of Rhodes is just cool.

What makes all those things different from what we build today is that they were built for their own existance. A beautiful monument. We instead build utilitarian things. Some of the most impressive architecture we have is of bridges and dams and buildings. These things are useful first and pretty second. And really if you look at the trends since the late 60s everything is either all glass or filled with lots of concrete. What kind of monuments do we have? Our monuments are small and off to the side. What beaituful things we have aren't wonderous. They don't baffle you as to how it was done or why. You don't often see a building that makes you smile and sigh. And as tall and impressive as the World Trade Centre was I didn't think that it was particularly beautiful.

Theres an inexplicable quality to the wonders of ancient times that seems to be missing in what we build. That isn't to say that we can't build some very nice stuff but I rarely see a building these days thats younger than 60 years that I really want to take a picture of. Even castles of the middle ages are better looking than anything they're erecting in my city right now. And that just seems odd since we are more capable than ever to make truly unimaginable things.

And has anything thought about the fact that we keep bringing down all our older buildings to build new ones? It might just be an argument for the disposable culture.

[geetrue]

Why can't we have our own 7 wonders of the world?


Mine would be:

The Grand Canyon

The Black Forest Gernan turnpike thingy with no speed limit's

The International Space Station

The US Navy submarine that tapped into the Russian undrwater cable comunications network

The Atomic/Hydrogen bomb

Angel Falls in Venzula

World Wide Web

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by geetrue

The Atomic/Hydrogen bomb

I don't think that Andrey Sakarov would like that.

[Jimbuna]

Well if ot's buildings we're discussing, I'll go for the Houses of Parliament
It's a wonder they weren't pulled down years ago

:rotfl: :rotfl:

[bookworm_020]

Originally Posted by geetrue

Why can't we have our own 7 wonders of the world?


Mine would be:

The Grand Canyon

The Black Forest Gernan turnpike thingy with no speed limit's

The International Space Station

The US Navy submarine that tapped into the Russian undrwater cable comunications network

The Atomic/Hydrogen bomb

Angel Falls in Venzula

World Wide Web

The origianl seven wonders, like the new ones, are all man made objects, the the Grand Canyon and Angel Falls are out as they are natural.

The International space staion is not on the face of the planet, so that's out (Skylab may count, it's still in peaces all over Western and central Australia!)

A sub tapping a cable would be discounted as it wouldn't be considered a wonder on the country that's been tapped

The A-Bomb would also be discounted for the same reason (It would make a list on inovations!)

The Autobarn in Germany may be an impressive technicial feet, but lack a level of granduar that is required to be a wonder, as it's just a road with no speed limit.

The Web might be wonderful, but it lacks a physical presence (outside of internet cafe's and Subsim.com).

Don't feel to bad about North America not getting a look in. The Sydney Opera House didn't make it either!

[Letum]

You made him happy!

OP

[bookworm_020]

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Good work Letum!