We don’t know if it’s just us, but does it feel like, in the past few years, there has been an exponential growth of very visible billionaires? When we were growing up, or even just a few years ago, you could count them on one hand. But, now they’re everywhere. Of course, social media has pushed that agenda and we need to use a certain amount of scrutiny when it comes to what we read. And, of course, with the world finally becoming a global village due to access to the Internet, Facebook and other social media platforms, we finally are seeing more of a level playing field, although there are just too many people around the world that simply go without.
Being a global bigwig is not always a piece of cake, though. That’s for sure. The earth is littered with examples of “almost rans” who, for one reason or another, were never able to complete their missions. Some of these are rather spectacular fails. But, at least they tried, correct? Here are a few examples
The Ryugyong Hotel, or Yu-Kyung Hotel, is an unfinished 105-story, 330-metre-tall pyramid-shaped skyscraper in Pyongyang, North Korea. Its name is also one of the historical names for Pyongyang. The building is also known as the 105 Building, a reference to its number of floors. Wikipedia
The Land of Oz Theme Park. The Land of Oz is a theme park based on L. Frank Baum’s Land of Oz books, located in the resort town of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, US. Carolina Caribbean Corporation opened it in 1970 under the guidance of Grover Robbins, who had been successful with Tweetsie Railroad. And then it never opened. Or did it? Word has it that it is opening again and will soon be welcoming visitors. Click here. Either way, you can stay at the delightful Top of the Beech Inn nearby. Click here to book.
North Carolina is a lovely part of the USA. Click here to explore its features.
Hudson State River Hospital. A former New York state psychiatric hospital which operated from 1873 until its closure in the early 2000s. The campus is notable for its main building, known as a “Kirkbride,” which has been designated a National Historic Landmark due to its exemplary High Victorian Gothic architecture, the first use of that style for an American institutional building. It was intended to be completed quickly, but went far over its original schedule and budget. Construction, however, was far from over and would continue for another 25 years. A century later, it was slowly closed down as psychiatric treatment had changed enough that large hospitals were no longer needed. The campus was closed and abandoned in 2003 and fell into a state of disrepair. Much content courtesy of Wikipedia.
In the USA, you’ll need a car. Hertz are everywhere, with the right vehicle for you. Click here.