Thin Walls Make Good Neighbors
I'm still hot on the trail of the Structured Chaos Apartment Building -- the stack of glass apartment blocks that wasn't very well stacked. Or maybe you thought they were stacked spectacularly well. Whatever.In my research, I came across this photo of Hong Kong apartments and such that I had to share with you. Click on the photo to see it much larger.
I have to wonder what life would be like to live in one of these towers, in such a dense urban jungle, but also right on the edge of civilization/nature. Most Americans seem to have an aversion to density -- or at least their "idea" of density -- noise, pollution, traffic congestion, lack of privacy, claustrophobia...
But there are a lot of positives to such density too -- number one has to be that public transportation becomes economically viable, and thus getting around is more energy-efficient and less car-dependent. Which means substantially less carbon released into the air.
Also, people become more connected to their neighbors and surroundings by necessity... whether they like it or not! Which may help explain why all cities in America over a certain size -- I think it's 75,000 population -- have voted Democratic for the past many decades... even Salt Lake City! The ideas that we're all in this together, that we all have a stake in the success of this country, and that we all have to look out for each other are central premises to certain voters.
Why do YOU think America's population centers are also its hotbeds of liberalism? [be nice...]
Finally, just so we can all keep current, here's a drawing of the tallest towers in the world that are at least under construction as of April 2008. Again, click on it to see it VERY LARGE. The winner so far? The Burj Dubai.
posted by Howard at 2:15 PM
6 Comments:
population centers = hotbeds of liberalism because?
1. Mass hysteria.
2. Inbreeding.
It's also mostly just the "edges" of the continent. And just "spots" of California. How else to explain Obama and then PropH8 here? That still seriously confounds me.
Even more confounding: almost without exception, the liberals I know are all "for" density housing, this program and that program. But when asked point-blank: "And when are YOU moving into the 54-story apartment building?" They genuinely look repulsed and say "Not ME. I meant for THEM." It really makes me want to hit them. Hit the liberal, I mean. Not the "them" the liberal is all "for", but only as long as it is not in their neighborhood and the liberal is not required to be a participant.
Please give me a theory...anything...that explains that.
I am a weird mix of "small-town conservative/big-world liberal"....from moving many times in my childhood life and experiencing directed-at-me-personally prejudice, stereotyping, etc. from people who had "never been anywhere else"---not even via books or media, which even the most hinterland person has access to.
The REAL Pansy Bottom Line? Okay:
People gravitate to and will more often than not KNEE-JERK CHOOSE that which is "familiar" to them. Even when the "familiar" is horrible and they might even hate it. But it is what they are used to and have had programmed into them. They forget they truly do have free will. And they are afraid of their free will----because choosing an action means owning your decision. And people fear the cost might be too much.
And the knee jerk choosing goes both ways: city and country. Just because large populations tend to be democrats does NOT mean that the democrat proposals are, in fact, the best solutions.
Human imagination is far more expansive and boundary-free than a political party's dogmatic yippings.
The reason that population centers are more liberal that more rural areas, ....fewer relationships with livestock.
The Chicago spire.... Really??!?! Somebody green lighted that, who wasnt in the "adult entertainment" industry???
You got a problem with the Chicago Spire? Well, screw you! Heh heh heh...
And as someone who grew up in Wyoming, and got tired quick about the cliched joke, "Where men are men and sheep are scared," I would just add that you city folks don't understand. Sheep are asking for it.
Which reminds me of one of Pansy's Favorite Jokes:
An expert on ghosts is giving a speech. He asks the audience to raise their hand if they believe in ghosts. Most of the people raise their hand. He asks who has ever seen a ghost. About half the people raise their hand. He then asks if anyone has ever spoken with a ghost. Only a few raise their hand. Finally he asks if anyone present has ever had sex with a ghost. Only one man (probably from Wyoming or Colorado) raised his hand. Everyone is fascinated and asks him what sex with a ghost was like. He said "Sex with a ghost? I thought you were talking about goats."
rim shot/ta da
Ummm.....what was the topic of this blog post? Liberals? Overpopulation? I say: Shoot 'em all, from tall buildings. Let the goats sort it out. Now aren't you sorry you weren't nicer to that goat after the prom?
I had a friend who worked in Hong Kong. His 500 sq ft apt waw priced at 12K US/month.
Play the tape of the last eight years to get an explanation why American has overwhelming gone back to our liberal roots and values. Get used to it too. It will be here for decades. Thank God. 8>)
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