I'm Afraid of Heights

Earlier this week, the tallest man-made structure ever erected, the Burj Khalifa, formerly known as Burj Dubai, was opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hovering at 2,717 feet, or just a wee bit taller than the ziggurat of Babel, of Old Testament lore, which some say rose to 60 feet above its Babylonian bed.


If you have but $1.5 billion, you might construct one yourself! The completion of the tower coincided with a worldwide economic slump and overbuilding, causing it to be described as the latest ... in [a] string of monuments to architectural vacancy.

Time will tell, however, I can guarantee I'll never be found up in a building that tall. It's probably safe, but I wouldn't feel secure.