Meno decadente e cupo della band in cui canta; il side project di Paul Banks ha tutte le carte per diventare un entità solida ed indipendente, fatta sempre di luci ed ombre, ma questa volta sono smorzate da pianoforte ed innesti di elettronica. Julian/Paul costruisce 11 brani cullandosi su una dolce malinconia, nella foto che lo ritrae dopo una festa in cui si resta soli e sbronzi. La struttura sonora è improntata sempre sul rock, ed alcuni brani non sfigurerebbero nella discografia interpoliana, come “Games for Days”, “Unwind” o il brano messo in free download nel sito “Fun that we have”, se non fosse che lì alla chitarra c’è il Sig. Daniel Kessler che tesse l’inconfondibile trademark del gruppo. L’album è molto curato negli arrangiamenti e nei sui 40 minuti scarsi si passa dalla drammaticità crescente di Skyscraper, supportata da chitarra acustica, pianoforte ed archi, “Madrid song” e “On the esplanade” per concludere con la strumentale “H” ricordandoci che la festa è finita, o forse no; la festa è appena cominciata.

[cv] Hier eine Vorschau eines 200 Meter hohen Gebäudekomplexes, an welchem bereits gebaut wird. Auf den beigefügten Bildern wirkt die Fassade goldig-kitschig, dies mag sehr passend sein für Las Vegas. Für Benidorm jedoch ist zu hoffen, dass der reale Eindruck des Gebäudes erdiger und mit ein wenig mediterraner Patina daher kommt.

[cv] Die Schweiz will hoch hinaus, oder eben doch nicht. Wir schreiben bald das Jahr 2010 und in Zürich wird dieses Wochenende über eine Begrenzung der Höhe bei Gebäuden abgestimmt. Eine Volksinitiative aus der Ecke der Demokraten (Schweizer Demokraten, SD) wird an den Urnen entscheiden, ob 40 Meter genug Höhe sind für Gebäude in der Stadt Zürich. Den Abstimmenden empfehle ich nicht nur ein vorweihnachtliches Wochenende in Manhattan, sondern auch ein Kurztrip nach Benidorm, um sich zu vergewissern, dass Wolkenkratzer nur am Himmel kratzen und nicht an den Menschen.

Es entbehrt nicht einer gewissen Ironie, dass am selben Wochenende gesamtschweizerisch über die so genannte Minarettinitiative (www.minarette.ch) abgestimmt wird. Hierbei geht es um ein grundsätzliches Minarettverbot. Über die Abstimmungsergebnisse werde ich in der nächsten Woche selbstverständlich meine Meinung äussern.

Hochhäuser 40 Meter sind nicht genug (Tagesanzeiger).pdf (776KB)

Abfuhr für Hochhaus-Verhinderer (NZZ Online).pdf (87 KB)

I’m checking your answers to the skyscraper post and I notice that you just copy the answer of the person who posted it before you. When the answer is wrong, it shows that you did not do your homework carefully. Check the Internet when you do not know or when you are not sure. There is no excuse!   Type on Google  ”Empire State”, click on images, and you will see that the  Empire State is not the skyscraper that appears in the blog.

I’ll give you a hint

the skyscraper that appears in the blog was the highest building in the world only for a year, then the Empire State was built. So, they are from the same period but the Empire State is a bit “younger”

Another hint:

I’m afraid you’ve missed it. This is not the Empire State!

SOME FACTS:

This mysterious building is an example of art-deco style and it has  77 stories and  is 1,048 ft (319 m) tall.

It is decorated with eagle heads, pineapples, and automobile-related designs.

At the top there is  a slim 185-ft (56-m) stainless spire.

What’s the name of the building?

Correct your post 69 homework

POST 72

A New York-i sötét zsaruk új nagylemeze 2010 elejére várható. Sam Fogarino dobos szerint az új Interpol-album visszatérés lesz az együttes debütáló nagylemeze, a ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ hangzásához. „Miközben azzal kísérleteztünk, hogy úgymond továbblépjünk, kimondatlanul is rájöttünk, hogy nem szakadhatunk el a hangzásunkat meghatározó alapvetésektől” – nyilatkozta Fogarino, aki az új lemezzel kapcsolatos információhoz pontos megjelenési dátumot vagy címet nem mellékelt. Kapcsolódó hír, hogy az Interpol frontembere, Paul Banks decemberben brit turnéra viszi Julian Plenti néven elkészített ‘Skyscraper’ című szólóalbumát.

-mr2-

Ein Artikel über das spezielle Gebäude (Name: La Rotonda) am Ende des Strandes von San Juan (Alicante), gefunden in der spanischen Architekturzeitschrift “VIA-arquitectura”.

La Rotonda.pdf

Architekt: J.A. Guardiola, Foto Oktober 2009

Das höchste Wohngebäude (Name: Neguri Gane) von Spanien besitzt 40 Stockwerke, ist 145m hoch und steht am Eingang von Benidorm (Alicante), Foto Juli 2009.

Hello Loves!

Welcome to Book Talk Volume 11!

Within the past few weeks, I met a new friend at school: Michelle. Now, Michelle loves to read and I work at a library. So, I grab a few books for her when I can. In the past week, I grabbed one of her favorite author’s: Zane. It was called Skyscraper. It’s an older novel that I read a year or so ago but still a great read.

In this African-Amercian Fiction novel, Zane has set up a list of characters that are are involved with a man’s, Thomalis, business. You have her wife Zetta; a woman who knows how to get around town. His best friend Barron; a man who he couldn’t imagine living without. His assistant Bradford; a pompous and rude man who thinks the company should be his. Bradford’s assistant Diana; the mother of male twins and a woman who needs a love life. Then there’s Anastasia, Zora, Chico, Donald. . . and many more!

The annual Christmas party is coming up sooner than the employees think. Everyone is ready to get want they want: sex, money, and revenge. Although everyone thinks they know whats going on, only Thomalis is ready to reveal what he worth.

Skyscraper is a mature novel but an excellent read nontheless. I can’t say anymore without revealing crucial parts of the book. You’ll have to read it for yourself!

Does this book sound interesting? Would you recommend it to a friend? Let me know and give me ideas of what else should be on my shelf.

<3 Shelbie M

Follow the Dow Jones Industrial Average…………

* chart provided by Meghan Smith of Howard Ecker + Company

“Seattle 008″ downtown Seattle, WA in August 2009.

1. Chicago                              65,853,319 square feet
2. Washington D.C.             58,868,060 square feet
3. Dallas/ Fort Worth        54,804,618 square feet
4. Los Angeles                      48,129,205 square feet
5. Northern New Jersey   46,127,981 square feet
6. Atlanta                               45,156,406 square feet
7. Philadelphia                     45,079,039 square feet
8. Boston                                39,634,269 square feet
9. New York City                 39,041,280 square feet
10. Houston                             36,470,700 square feet

Update, November 9: First of all, the body count should be updated to fourteen, as a pregnant woman was killed, and her baby died with her.

Second, we now have confirmation that Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to contact the terrorist organization al-Qaeda.  Just in case anyone was still wondering whether this guy was a terrorist.

Ft. Hood, Texas: a Muslim terrorist murdered 13 and wounded 31 unarmed soldiers today.

The moment I heard about this attack, I said to the group I was with, “You watch: the killers are going to be Muslims, and we’re going to be assured they aren’t terrorists.”  And other than the fact that I thought there was more than one shooter, I was pretty much right as rain.

We find out that the guy had his “Islam” issues”:

At least six months ago, Hasan came to the attention of law enforcement officials because of Internet postings about suicide bombings and other threats, including posts that equated suicide bombers to soldiers who throw themselves on a grenade to save the lives of their comrades.

They had not determined for certain whether Hasan is the author of the posting, and a formal investigation had not been opened before the shooting, said law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case.

One of the officials said late Thursday that federal search warrants were being drawn up to authorize the seizure of Hasan’s computer.

Retired Army Col. Terry Lee, who said he worked with Hasan, told Fox News that Hasan had hoped President Barack Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Lee said Hasan got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars, and had tried hard to prevent his pending deployment.

Hasan attended prayers regularly when he lived outside Washington, often in his Army uniform, said Faizul Khan, a former imam at a mosque Hasan attended in Silver Spring, Md. He said Hasan was a lifelong Muslim.

There is video of Hasan earlier in the day wearing Muslim dress.

Hasan was “hoping” for Obama’s “change,” and apparently couldn’t wait for Obama to deliver on all the appeasement and surrender-to-terrorists promises that he’d made.

Let me that, since Hasan did not see the difference between a suicide bomber and a soldier throwing himself on a grenade, I wish he’d just decided to throw himself on a grenade, instead.

I’m guessing he COULD tell the difference, after all.

We also find out from Hasan’s co-workers that Hasan loudly said that the “Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor.”  They initially assumed he meant that Muslims should stand up and fight the terrorists like al-Qaeda.  But he made it clear to them that he meant Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan should turn against their American allies and join the terrorists.

Hasan was objectively against the United States.  Both vocally and in writing, he expressed Jihadist statements.  He obtained weapons and murdered as many unarmed soldiers as he could.  He is a terrorist.

If that isn’t enough, there’s this from the Los Angeles Times:

A witness has told investigators that the Army major who allegedly opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Ft.  Hood Army Base Thursday shouted  “Allahu Akbar” — Arabic for “God is Great” and the rallying cry of suicide bombers around the world — before unleashing his bloody assault that left 13 dead and 30 others wounded.

In a briefing with reporters this morning at the base, Col. John Rossi said, “We do have a witness who reported that.”

And this morning on NBC’s “Today” show, Lester Holt aired tape of the father of a soldier who said that his daughter told him the same thing.

For what it’s worth, experts in Arabic say that “Allah Akbar” doesn’t actually mean, “God is great.”  It really means, “Allah is GREATER.”

The Qur’an says: “Fight and slay the pagans [Christians] wherever ye find them and seize them, confine them, and lie in wait for them in every place of ambush” (Surah 9:5).

That’s worthy of mention, given the fact that Hasan was seen handing out Korans just prior to his lethal terrorist attack.

But don’t worry, people.  Nothing to see here.  Obama officials have scurried to assure everyone that this wasn’t a terrorist attack.

Right.

Let me tell you that one of the key ingredients of psychosis is maintaining false and fixed beliefs.  And by that standard, the Obama White House and the mainstream media are nearly as psycho as Major Hasan.

This in actual fact amounts to the second successful terrorist attack against the United States by a Muslim extremist.  Here’s a link to the first, which occurred in June.  We’re told:

Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, 23, also known as Carlos Bledsoe, is charged with capital murder and 16 counts of terroristic acts.

According to the police reports, Muhammad admitted to shooting the victims, and then revealed how and why.

He told police that he put three weapons, including an assault rifle, into his SUV and then drove around until he saw the Recruiting Station and the two soldiers smoking outside the building.

He then pulled into the parking lot in front of the station, stopped his vehicle, and began shooting at the soldiers standing outside, firing several rounds from an SKS assault rifle with the intent of killing them. Muhammad also told officers that he would have killed more soldiers if they had been on the parking lot. Muhammad also told police he was a practicing Muslim, and that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past.

That’s one more attack than President Bush suffered throughout his entire eight year presidency, you should know.

Of course, Bush learned his lesson, and then he taught the terrorists their lesson.  Bush was surprised, and had to build a system to protect the nation from scratch.  He created plenty of safeguards to defend the country from the next terrorist attack and got them up and running.  But those days are long gone, as Obama knocked down most of those safeguards like lined-up dominoes.

We’ve had a whole mess of attempted terrorist attacks that were broken up between the two successful ones (see here and then here for others).

It seems that the doctrine that Obama’s sheer wonderfulness will stop Muslims from wanting to kill us has a few problems.

Weakness is provacative to jihadists.  And Obama is so, so very weak.

In fact he’s a lot WORSE than weak, given his “response” to the murder of a dozen soldiers.  Can you believe giving a “shout out” to supporters at an event AFTER he knew about the steadily increasing body count? What’s sad is, I can.

Now we are desperately trying to release our Gitmo detainees knowing full well that many of them will return to their terrorist activities to fight and kill American soldiers again.  After all, Obama said he’d free these people.  And it’s about time he kept at least one promise in his life, I suppose.

And as we ponder the horrendous murder of our unarmed soldiers at the hands of a psychiatrist-turned terrorist (remember the medical doctors in the U.K. who unleashed a terror attack?), we have to realize: our president actually tried to release terrorists suspects detained at Gitmo to the United States.  The more the merrier, I suppose.

Obama ended “the war on terror” by redefining it as an “overseas contingency operation.”  No matter, the terrorists are very much on a very different page than Obama.

This is the worlds largest tower, and cost 4.1 billion to build. The project started in 2004 and was supposed to be done this past september, but wont be long now. The building is 167 stories tall and has 3,595,100 square feet of space. The fast elevators go 40mph and are the fastest in the world.

Here is a picture of it almost complete.

Posted by: Scott

is almost done..

images by Joi.