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This subreddit dedicated to bad Earth pics was created in 2012 and has gained over 22k members since then. Some of the photos feature sarcastic captions about what beautiful scenery they are capturing, while others actually highlight beautiful backdrops and sunsets tainted by parking lots and telephone poles in the forefront. Any photos of Earth are welcome in this subreddit, as long as they are not actually good enough to be featured background images on a new laptop. (You know the ones.)

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but there are a few places that we can all agree are stunning. Even if you have no plans to ever see the Seven Natural Wonders, you can’t deny that sites like the Victoria Falls, the Great Barrier Reef, and Mount Everest are special. But why are there so many ugly cities? According to Alain de Botton, a London-based writer and author of The Architecture of Happiness, calling a city attractive might not even be subjective. There might be certain criteria that a city can meet to make it more or less beautiful.

#2

A Breathtaking View From My Office

Final score:

310points

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Isabella 2 years ago (edited)

Maybe it's time to upgrade your ""Window"! 😁

120points

#3

A Beautiful Sunset

Final score:

290points

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Falcon 2 years ago

You might want to stop on the side of the road to admire it more. 😁

142points

There is nothing wrong with a city being known for something other than its looks. If every place in the world was as stunning as Florence or Kyoto, they would not seem as special. But as Alain de Botton outlines in his book, there are six principles a city must follow to be deemed attractive. The first being order, or “some degree of uniformity among buildings”. Next, he mentions visible life. People must be out and about doing things, walking their dogs, having picnics, etc. Compactness also adds value to a city’s appearance. If everything is too spread out, the open space makes the city feel less lively. Similarly, coziness and mystery help as well, meaning there should be many streets with some “unexpected turns here and there”. Scale is also important to de Botton, as he says structures should be no larger than five stories high, unless they are particularly monumental buildings. And lastly, local color is important, meaning that the city’s color scheme should reflect its culture or a sense of place.

#4

Everything Is Bigger And More Beautiful In Texas

Final score:

289points

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Bored Retsuko 2 years ago

Friendly reminder: downvotes are NOT dislike buttons. Downvoting a comment just because you don't agree = not cool. If a comment gets downvoted, its author will get banned from the site. So please downvote only in case of obvious spam ("how to make cash") or if someone is literally harrassing a fellow panda

267points

Random Anon 2 years ago

Lol yeah. I've been suspended a few times because apparently, playing the devil's advocate is not something some in this community are open to, regardless of how one sided something is.

80points

Zack Podany 2 years ago

Santa is rethinking his policy of giving the a******s coal for Christmas.

6points

Bookaday 2 years ago

Hmmm… what could he replace it with? Dirt? And they could grow plants for the environment instead of trying to hurt it. Would they though?

2points

Featherytoad 2 years ago (edited)

I was suspended once and then banned for no good reason. I just created a new email address and created a new Bored Panda account. Screw you BP and everyone who down voted me.

5points

Injun Joe 2 years ago

My chest hurts just by looking at this.

5points

MonkeyInTheMiddle 2 years ago

Same

0points

Me 2 years ago

Big, yes. But who claimed things are more beautiful in Texas? Lived here decades and never heard that claim.

5points

CrazyCatLady 2 years ago

It’s sarcasm because the photo shows such a horrible enviroment

6points

Jknbt 2 years ago

refineries have about 17 units arranged in series... the output of one is the input to the next... if the first one goes down, it is like dominoes going down... this sort of upset has to be reported to the gov't... whoever personally caused this will get discipline... if the mistake was really stupid or a willful unsafe act, they will probably get fired... the company will have to pay fines for something like this... so rage away if you want, this is not acceptable, but it is also the exception with rather severe accountabilities all around...

4points

Molly 2 years ago

Texas is bad.

1point

Shelli Aderman 2 years ago

😥

1point

JustGiveMeSomeTruth 2 years ago

Technology people will keep developing more efficient ways ways to reduce energy usage... until perfect we need fuel

1point

strawberry.panda (she/they) 2 years ago

Sooo beautiful (/s)

1point

Archaelus Joaquim Dugenia 2 years ago

no its not

0points

soggyfroggy 2 years ago

'Murica

0points

Melanie Allen 2 years ago

Pretty sure that is the Houston Beaumont area, which I refer to as the armpit of Texas because it's hot, damp, and stinky.

0points

Brenda 2 years ago

Without those factories and refineries, many of your favorite things would cease to exist.

0points

Joy 2 years ago

I have heard bigger the better, in this case....

0points

john s 2 years ago

that looks like i10

0points

#5

A Breathtaking View Of Shanghai

Final score:

275points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

I would rather not take that breath!

205points

#6

The Original Mona Lisa, In All Her Glory

Final score:

265points

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Hphizzle 2 years ago

My favorite part of seeing that in person was the young British child behind me saying in a disappointed voice “It’s not that big.” “It’s not very colorful.” 100% agree with you little man.

176points

De Botton believes that all of these principles should be considered by city planners. But as Nancy Mitchell points out in a piece for Apartment Therapy, de Botton’s ideas overlap with urban planner Jane Jacobs’ four qualities of successful city neighborhoods. Jacobs’ qualities include a mixture of primary uses, short blocks, a mixture of buildings of different ages, and density.

She notes the importance of a mixture of primary uses, so there is more than one appealing reason to visit or live in a certain city. If there are attractive neighborhoods, successful businesses, unique restaurants, tourist attractions, and cute local shops, a city has successfully accomplished this quality. Short blocks are self-explanatory, but they make it easier to get around and support many businesses at once. If a shop or restaurant is too far away, it may deter residents from making the trek. Or if it’s out of sight, it is likely to be out of mind as well. But having short blocks allows residents to have access to many things at once and makes them more likely to engage with their community.

#7

I Just Visited A Friend In Paris. He Has Quite A View From His Sh*tter

Final score:

256points

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Kayla J 2 years ago

That kind of selling point probably adds an extra 0 on its cost/rent

118points

#8

Travelled 3 Hours By Bus To See Mt. Fuji And Got This Incredible Shot

Final score:

242points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

At least there are some trees.

60points

#9

Amazing View Of The Alps In Switzerland

Final score:

241points

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Ange Marsden 2 years ago (edited)

So that's what busses do on their day off

191points

A mixture of buildings of different ages was not an aesthetic choice of Jacobs, but rather more of a financial tactic. She believed that if a building is older and has less expensive rent than new structures, certain companies would be able to conduct their business without being pushed out by rising rent prices. She wanted to prevent older, more traditional businesses from having to close down, taking a piece of the city’s history with them.

Density is also self-explanatory, but it’s helpful for several reasons. First, it allows businesses and restaurants to thrive when there are enough patrons to keep them afloat. It also allows for more diversity when a city has a larger number of people and is likely to attract even more. Dense cities are also better for the environment as residents are less reliant on cars for transportation when everything is close by.

#10

A Breathtaking View Of A Frozen Waterfall In New York

Final score:

226points

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PickleRick 2 years ago

HA!😂

49points

#11

Canoeing Through Open Waters

Final score:

219points

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I I 2 years ago

sad picture , we're disgusting

305points

#12

This Is It, My Lifelong Dream: Going To The United States Of America. My Arrival In New York City. Here Pictured, The Glorious NYC Skyline

Final score:

210points

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PalmKitty 2 years ago (edited)

More clear than my future

116points

De Botton and Jacobs had different reasons for favoring similar features in a city, but it is encouraging to hear that whether a city planner focuses on aesthetics or the success of a city neighborhood, they will probably kill two birds with one stone. Time and time again, however, we see modern cities built to be cheaper, uglier versions of their predecessors. And why is that? The School of Life broke down some of their theories as to why modern cities are such eyesores in this piece, the first being what they call “The War on Beauty”.

They explain that hundreds of years ago, it was understood that when an architect designed a building, they would strive to make it functional and beautiful. However, more recently, functionalism seems to have become the sole priority for many designers. “The concept of beauty had been rendered old-fashioned, it smelt elitist and wooly. No one could any more complain that beauty was missing from the world without sounding soft-headed,” The School of Life writes. “Modernity became ugly because it forgot how to articulate that beauty is, in the end, as much of a necessity for a building as a functioning.”

#13

Tallest Mountain In Kansas: Mt Sunflower

Final score:

202points

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Birgit M 2 years ago

I really like this pic!

80points

#14

I Was Sick For 10 Days In Kashmir, India. At Least I Could Capture The View From My Hotel Window

Final score:

191points

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Frances M 2 years ago

And the dog nursing it’s puppies 🐶

157points

#15

I Heard You Guys Might Like My Aerial Photo Of London

Final score:

191points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

That looks just about right!

74points

The School of Life also theorizes that no one understands what is attractive anyway. Many assume that in the premodern world, there were strict rules about what features made a building attractive, but over time, people started to disagree. Different styles like Gothic, Islamic, Chinese, Alpine and Thai architecture emerged and debates ensued about what was best. Eventually, objective standards went out the window, and it was not clear what was even ugly anymore, property developers had their way with creating bland, characterless buildings. “Cities grew ever uglier, but no one was allowed to say that there was such a thing as ‘ugliness’,” The School of Life notes. “After all, isn’t taste just a very very personal thing?”

#16

The Electric Company Cut Away An Ugly Tree For Some Beautiful Power Lines

Final score:

187points

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Nor 2 years ago

Grateful they didn t chop the whole tree down, like they normally do

193points

#17

A Truly Inspiring View Of The Great British Woodland

Final score:

185points

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STress 2 years ago

Well, someone has to fertilize the ground from time to time...

93points

#18

Glacier National Park, Walmart

Final score:

182points

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C C 2 years ago

Is it on sale at Walmart?

43points

Originality is another theory The School of Life puts forward for why modern architecture is so sad to look at. They explain that for most of history, architects did not feel the need to be unique or reinvent the wheel. They worked together with a team, and various districts of any given city looked cohesive. But eventually, the age of individualism began, and architects began thinking that big, bold choices were the way to go when designing buildings. “To ask an architect to fit in with everyone else was as stifling as asking a poet to type out the tax code,” The School of Life writes. Then some of the ugliest buildings in the world came about: Sky Tower in Taiwan, Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, The Sharp Centre in Toronto, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. While these structures can get credit for creativity, I'm personally not a believer in the idea that all publicity is good.

#19

A Lovely Floating Island On A Lake In Japan

Final score:

179points

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Kayla J 2 years ago

I am only commenting in hopes someone will interact with it and remind me after my brain is fried from the heat tomorrow to come back and see if anyone knows the story behind this. It looks man made and not just like trash thrown in the water and I'd love to know more.

113points

#20

Beautiful Mountain View In China

Final score:

174points

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Glitterati 2 years ago (edited)

Spent 8 weeks backpacking in Oct and Nov in China and saw the actual sky once in Yangzhou. I really missed seeing blue and real air. Was a cool experience nonetheless, but certainly dystopian in places.

50points

#21

Stunning Hq View Of Venus As Seen From A Verdant Field

Final score:

171points

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Deborah Harris 2 years ago

I see what you did there :P

39points

Sprawl is another reason cities might be becoming uglier. This makes sense with Alain de Botton’s requirements for attractive cities, as compactness is one of them. While suburbs have grown rampant and tightly organized cities are becoming a thing of the past, sprawl has made our cities less attractive as well. With so much space taken up by roads, parking lots and cars, cute, cozy, compact cities have become harder to find. It is much less enjoyable to have to drive 20 minutes on a highway and pass dozens of ugly billboards than to walk 20 minutes and pass dozens of people, cafes and shops.

#22

Tree Adds Natural Beauty To Downtown Area

Final score:

161points

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Ange Marsden 2 years ago

It'll grow on you

60points

#23

Stunning View Of Lake Michigan From Downtown Chicago

Final score:

157points

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Tiny Guy 2 years ago

I live in Michigan and Lake Michigan is beautiful! Its very big and you just have to go around the buildings to see it.

5points

#24

Butthole Mountain

Final score:

151points

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Maya Baggins 2 years ago

Dog gives 0 f*cks about your pic of the mountains. He is an astrodog showing you a close up on Uranus

76points

Another reason The School of Life notes for why cities have become so ugly is that we are no longer required to use only local resources. Once upon a time, it was impossible to source materials from other places and cities had to look locally. This gave cities character and unique features that could not be found anywhere else in the world. However, today, many cities look indistinguishable from one another. Almost everyone has access to the same resources, and unless an architect makes a brilliantly ugly building in the name of originality, your city might not stand out among many others.

#25

Spectacular View Of The Water From My Room

Final score:

141points

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Deborah Harris 2 years ago

hey not fair ..this was every room in the UK the last few days :P

29points

#26

So Beautiful I Had To Stop And Take A Picture

Final score:

131points

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That other Panda 2 years ago

There’s a story behind this one…

49points

#27

One Of The Most Iconic Man Made Structures In The World, Behold The Magnificence Of The Cristo Redentor, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Final score:

131points

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KiT 2 years ago

Truly mystical

49points

We hope you're enjoying this list of the most spectacular views the world has to offer. You might even be getting inspiration for when you plan your next vacation. The gorgeous views of parking lots, gas stations, portable toilets and airports are just begging for you to come visit. Keep upvoting the photos that amaze you the most, and then let us know in the comments what the most brilliant view in your hometown is. And if you'd like to celebrate the wonders of our world even more after finishing this list, you can check out the bad Earth pics subreddit right here.

#28

Thought-Provoking Street Art In Vancouver, Canada

Final score:

131points

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PickleRick 2 years ago

That piece could promote a movement.

140points

#29

The Beautiful Chattahoochee River

Final score:

128points

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Firstname Lastname 2 years ago

At first my brain read this as "Chocolate" river, and given the color, accepted that.

104points

#30

The Awe-Inspiring Colosseum

Final score:

123points

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That other Panda 2 years ago

I dunno why you’re hiding behind a dumpster but okay

134points

#31

Beautiful Rainbow In South Boston

Final score:

120points

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KiT 2 years ago

It's an interesting pic

19points

#32

Just Got Back From Paris, The Mountains Almost Look Like They Were Added In With Ms Paint. So Beautiful

Final score:

115points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

You could have fooled me!

49points

#33

Beautiful Picture Of Hong Kong

Final score:

114points

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D Battle II 2 years ago

I call shenanigans!

26points

#34

Outstanding View Of Machu-Picchu, One Of The 7 Wonders Of The World

Final score:

114points

POST

Down With Agent Hedgehog! 2 years ago

Giant finger?

27points

#35

Beautiful View From My Hotel In Thailand! I Could Sit Here For Hours

Final score:

105points

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ggus44 2 years ago

Looks like someone else could sit there for hours too (I hope he is just sitting there 😅)

39points

#36

Picture I Took Of San Francisco From The Golden Gate Bridge

Final score:

97points

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europaleta 2 years ago

I love the skyscrapers you caught there.

23points

#37

The Recent Snow Melt Has Revealed Dog S**t Island

Final score:

90points

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Chris Jones 2 years ago

I'm a dog owner... PICK IT UP!

95points

#38

Walked 0.00004 Miles In 68° Heat To Get This Picture For You All

Final score:

90points

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Pittsburgh rare 2 years ago

I like it. Unironically

43points

#39

The Majesty Of Nature

Final score:

83points

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Gemma jones 2 years ago

why are people taking photos of their dog on the toilet, bit invasive and when you gotta go to the loo you gotta go,

52points

#40

Ohio Landscape Completely Untouched By Man. Breathtaking

Final score:

67points

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Joel Blue 2 years ago

Newcomers town exit off 77. To be fair they have a Taco Bell now too.

15points

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#41

The Beautiful West Side Of Detroit Has It's Fair Share Of Nature

Final score:

24points

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imonion 2 years ago

Poor little one :(

7points

#42

God In Person Painting A Beautiful Sky On The Window Of My Office In Mexico. God Is Mexican

Final score:

23points

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Fred Van Der Zee 2 years ago

Might be called Jesus as well.

9points

#43

Old Faithful Cleveland, Ohio

Final score:

23points

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#44

Oasis Of Fresh Water

Final score:

21points

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#45

Fine Tumbleweave Specimen Spotted Near Dollartree

Final score:

20points

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Down With Agent Hedgehog! 2 years ago

Is that hair?!

11points

#46

Wild Onion Flourishing In A Concrete Jungle

Final score:

20points

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Deborah Harris 2 years ago

nah it has no roots ... lies !!! lol

1point

#47

Breathtaking View Of The Highest Point Of Denmark

Final score:

20points

POST

C C 2 years ago

Beautiful! Imagine living somewhere surrounded by so much green land!

11points

#48

Breathtaking Maryland Waterfall

Final score:

19points

POST

#49

Gorgeous Rivers Flowing At The Base Of A Stunning Snow-Capped Mountain

Final score:

18points

POST

Hphizzle 2 years ago

Ahh springtime in the Midwest.

8points

#50

Beautiful Salt Flats In Scenic Eastern Tennessee

Final score:

18points

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Inigo Montoya 2 years ago

Hardwood floors everywhere are gasping in terror.

7points

#51

A Group Of Sacred Water Bottles Being Readied For An Ancient Burning Ceremony. Ko Samet, Thailand

Final score:

17points

POST

I I 2 years ago

recycle ffs

10points

#52

Blossoming Philadelphia Architecture Against The Skyline

Final score:

17points

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Irishwoman abroad 2 years ago

What the actual F happened here? This should be on the architecture shaming page!

10points

#53

Beautiful Bird Species Feeding

Final score:

16points

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#54

View Of My Front Yard In Sunny San Diego

Final score:

16points

POST

#55

When Man And Nature Work Together, We Get Stunning Beauty Such As Thiis

Final score:

16points

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#56

Magnificent Snow Covered Mountain Peak In Southern Alaska (Sorry For Potato Quality)

Final score:

15points

POST

Ban-One 2 years ago

Made by Roy (Richard Dreyfus) in "Close Encounters"

5points

#57

Stunning Shot Of A Boeing 747 Slicing Through California Skies

Final score:

15points

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I I 2 years ago

no chem trails ?

4points

#58

Portland: An Absolutely Glorious View From A Bridge

Final score:

15points

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Kate Johnson 2 years ago

This is like where Nick's Aunt Marie's trailer was stashed to be hidden, down by the river. At least his Mom saw it.

1point

#59

My Friend Sent Me This Today

Final score:

15points

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Frances M 2 years ago

Start of spring, no leave on the trees yet, but the playgrounds are clean and in good working order. Better than around my area…

15points

#60

One Of Africa's Many Magnificent Waterfalls!

Final score:

15points

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Deborah Harris 2 years ago

To be honest ...for a lot of people there, it would be beautiful :)

10points

#61

The Natural Beauty Of St. Louis

Final score:

14points

POST

Irishwoman abroad 2 years ago

Well, that bit is unspoilt

2points

#62

Beautiful Frozen Lake

Final score:

14points

POST

Down With Agent Hedgehog! 2 years ago

Problem?

1point

#63

Drove Like 4 And A Half Minutes Or Something Like That To Get This

Final score:

14points

POST

Daria Z 2 years ago

This is not bad compared to others.

21points

#64

Beautfiul Russian Architecture And Art

Final score:

14points

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flippin berry 2 years ago

Perhaps they meant a flashlight?

6points

#65

Majestic Williamsburg River- Flowing From Brooklyn To Manhattan

Final score:

14points

POST

София Харитонова 2 years ago (edited)

Why are these subway tiles so dirty?.. I'm always shocked at the state of subway in US. In Russia subways are much more clean and nice. And it's freaking Russia!

6points

#66

Fascinating Amsterdam, Netherlands

Final score:

14points

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M O'Connell 2 years ago

I must have a "problem" because I started thinking about how I would get all those useful roofing tiles home.

11points

#67

Oh Texas, Your Natural Beauty Never Seizes To Inspire

Final score:

14points

POST

C C 2 years ago

Texas does have the most amazing flat sky though... maybe the flat earth followers live there and think that's why the world is flat lol

7points

#68

The Amazing Beauty Of San Francisco [not Sure Of Resolution, But It's Probably Pretty High]

Final score:

13points

POST

#69

Awe-Inspiring Statue In Chicago

Final score:

13points

POST

Kayla J 2 years ago

"German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol created Man with Fish in 2001. Made from painted bronze and standing 16 feet tall, the piece depicts an expressionless man locked in a passionless embrace with a fish that spits water from its mouth! But how does it feel to be a fish out of water?" http://www.statuestorieschicago.com/statue-manwithfish.php

11points

#70

Full Moon

Final score:

12points

POST

Hańka 2 years ago

Why here?

4points