As an alternative to living in a location with an expensive view, one could purchase flat-screen displays showing views from any disired location. You could be living in an appartment in LA and looking out the window in Paris.
The system might work like cable television: a monthly fee for various different channels of view. The fee would cover the providers cost of maintaining cameras and views in scattered locations.
Also, the option to have pay-per-view events and favorite days. One might watch realistic Fourth of July fireworks out one's window in the middle of Winter.-- dontthink, Apr 23 2000 hover boards http://www.airboard.com.au/zippyanna asked... [egnor, Apr 23 2000, last modified Oct 17 2004] If you can give me views from other planets <Moon or Mars> I'd go for it...otherwise any street full of monkies looks like any other street full of monkies, for the most part...-- StarChaser, Apr 23 2000 Not everybody is as cynical or antisocial as the chaser of stars.-- dontthink, May 02 2000 Do you remember in Back to the Future 2, Lorraine came in and went up to a window with a lovely view. She said that the screen was old and broken. Just before it was switched off, you could hear "You're tuned to The Scenery Channel. Broadcasting beautiful views 24 hours a day". I love that film.-- waltzer, May 02 2000 I would agree with StarChaser that a big flat panel showing the world is a webcam viewer's dream come true, but probably not worth the cost. Perhaps if the monitors were holographically immersive... Otherwise, peeking out the window will be the same as watching a TV a foot away. Ouch!-- quanta, May 02 2000 <grin> I am rather anti-social in person, but in this sort of instance I'm not. I am, however, very demophobic, and the idea of seeing large groups of people just does absolutely nothing for me. If, as I said, you could get views of other worlds, I'd go for it, or possibly things like forests or mountains <I live in Florida, where a one-foot rise in elevation is called a ridge...> but otherwise there's no way I'd even consider blowing the money on it. If I wanted to see lots of people, I'd go to Ybor City.-- StarChaser, May 05 2000 OffTopic: I'm in FL also, StarChaser. Hello from St. Pete...-- tomierna, May 05 2000 <grin> Hey! I'm in Tampa...-- StarChaser, May 06 2000 A resounding Hey! to you both- from Edmonton, Canada- almost as far away from you folks as the Moon, but not quite.
The mountains up here are a 3 hour drive away and absolutely incredible, and the forests are much closer and just as breathtaking. It must be familiarity breeding contempt in my case- I'd much rather have a sea view. Again- preferably without the people.
The only problem is that if you show gorgeous views without people, sooner or later some yutz will build a mega-resort there, which will bring people in, which will spoil the view, etc....
I *am* as cynical as the chaser of stars, most likely. Maybe because every great, quiet, picturesque vacation spot I've been to in my life has been overrun by monkeys within 2 years of my visit. Or worse- night club and resort owners and E! TV reporters. (Cancun in particular comes to mind....)-- BigThor, Aug 29 2000 random, halfbakery