Saturday, May 23, 2009

VIDEO: Construction of the World Trade Center & Freedom Tower























I remember distinctly when I first saw the twin towers. I was about 11 years old and it was the pan shot across the Hudson towards Manhattan in the opening sequence of Barney Miller.



The image of two massive slivers of silver sticking up proudly and with ultimate defiance to everything around them will stay with me forever.

As an 11 year old those buildings seemed to defy gravity and commonsense, how come they are so big, why are they so big and how come they don't fall down and yes what would happen if a plane flew into them and of course how the hell did they build them?

Well I found a fantastic video made in 1983 from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey of the construction of the World Trade Center.



Here are a few facts about the World Trade Center:

1. The WTC opened in 1970 after 8 years of construction.

2. The WTC was the dream of David Rockefeller, chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank, and Nelson Rockefeller, former Governor of New York.

3. The Rockefellers wanted to name the towers after themselves, but the mayor of NY, John Lindsay, insisted on the World Trade Center.

4. The City chose to build the WTC instead of building a new tunnel and large bridge over the Hudson River.

5. The World Trade Center was designed by architect Minoura Yamasaki.

6. According to Yamasaki, downtown Manhattan was the perfect place to erect the towers because there wasn't "a single building worth saving in the neighborhood."

7. Owners of nearby buildings disagreed, and delayed demolition by three weeks with their protests.

8. Sixteen blocks were cleared to house the completed WTC.

9. More than 10,000 workers involved in building the complex.

10. More than 60 of them died during construction.

11. The excavation work displaced enough soil to create Liberty Park, where four 60-floor towers and four apartment buildings were constructed.

***
Please note "Fact 11" is disputed - YT member "opusbeme" claims it should read Battery Park City !!
***

12. The WTC's foundations were laid at 60 feet below ground level.

13. The complex covered 16 acres when finished.

14. In addition to the towers, five other office buildings made up the WTC complex
The WTC had 12 million square feet of space.

15. Each floor was 50,000 square feet.

16. The buildings had their own ZIP codes - 10047 and 10048.

17. The towers were designed to look like a futuristic sculpture.

18. The structure was revolutionary. Its main supports were external, lining the four corners of each tower.

19. Critics condemned the completed buildings as "boring."

20. Completed, the buildings were 100 feet taller then the Empire State building. 


As 43 year old I am also absolutely fascinated by the construction of the Freedom Tower, the monolith replacing the WTC and something I have dubbed the "middle finger".

Watch as the construction of this mother begins to rise.




I will be posting video as the construction of the tower progresses over the next 5 years or so. 

The Freedom Tower as fully finished, 1776 foot of magnificant steel glass and concrete.

http://www.jreednet.com/blog/uploaded_images/FreedomTower3-718638.jpg


Related Amazon Reading

The World Trade Center (America's Landmarks and Monuments)The World Trade Center (America's Landmarks and Monuments)by Tamara L. Britton 
Buy new: $24.21 / Used from: $4.56
Usually ships in 24 hours

c Political Animal 2009

Bookmark and Share

Share Investor Portfolio: 22 May 2009

The Share Investor Portfolio now contains 17 stocks listed on the NZSX. The bulk of the portfolio started back in 2002 and I have added to the bulk of it by using dividends and some cash.

The Share Investor Portfolio as at 22 May 2009
  • Auckland International Airport [AIA] 3000
  • ASB Capital NO. 2 Ltd [ASBPB] 10000
  • Briscoe Group Ltd [BGR] 3000
  • Fletcher Building Ltd [FBU] 1114
  • Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd [FPH] 5000
  • Freightways Ltd [FRE] 8200
  • Goodman Fielder Ltd [GFF] 2000
  • Halleinstein Glasson Ltd [HLG] 1000
  • Kiwi Income Property Trust [KIP] 1000
  • Mainfreight Ltd [MFT] 3125
  • Michael Hill International Ltd [MHI] 3000
  • Postie Plus Ltd [PPG] 2535
  • Pumpkin Patch Ltd [PPL] 5000
  • Ryman Healthcare Ltd [RYM] 5000
  • Sky City Entertainment [SKC] 35000
  • Steel & Tube Holdings Ltd [STU] 400
  • The Warehouse Group Ltd [WHS] 8000

Related Share Investor Reading: Why did you buy that stock?

Why did you buy that stock? [Fletcher Building Ltd]
Why did you buy that stock? [Freightways Ltd]
Why did you buy that stock? [Kiwi Income Property Trust]
Why did you buy that stock? [Hallenstein Glasson]
Why did you buy that stock? [Briscoe Group]
Why did you buy that stock? [Fisher & Paykel Healthcare]
Why did you buy that stock? [Pumpkin Patch Ltd]
Why did you buy that stock? [Ryman Healthcare]
Why did you buy that stock? [Michael Hill International]
Why did you buy that stock? [Mainfreight Ltd]
Why did you buy that stock? [The Warehouse Group]
Why did you buy that stock? [Goodman Fielder]
Why did you buy that stock? [Auckland Airport]
Why did you buy that stock? [Sky City Entertainment]


Discuss this topic @ Shareinvestor.net.nz

Related Amazon Reading

The Warren Buffett Portfolio: Mastering the Power of the Focus Investment Strategy
The Warren Buffett Portfolio: Mastering the Power of the Focus Investment Strategy by Robert G. Hagstrom
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $1.57
Usually ships in 24 hours

c Share Investor 2008,2009

Friday, May 22, 2009

Carol Hirshfeld's naked grab for taxpayer cash!

When Carol Hirshfeld first came on the scene and when I was a much less informed lefty loser I thought she and jug ears John Campbell were the cats pajamas.

Socialism at 7 or otherwise known as Campbell Live is Left biased in the extreme, inaccurate at best and slanderous at times at its worst.

The damage they do to young impressionable minds must be horrendous.

It is no surprise that she will now work for a racist TV station, Maaoori TV, with a socialist agenda that is supported by the long suffering taxpayer.

She maybe cute and on guys list to do but boy that thin veneer hides a tainted way of thinking.

Related Amazon Reading

A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream MediaA Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media by Bernard Goldberg 
Buy new: $17.13 / Used from: $12.95
Usually ships in 24 hours

c Political Animal 2009

Bookmark and Share

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Banking Madness!

My adventures with Bryce the Banker have kept myself and many others amused and there is yet another tale to be told about the ASB in Albany and its approach to customers now that the economic wolves are seemingly at their customer's doors.

When I visited Bryce the last time I asked him what the chances of me getting a loan to buy an investment property was.

He kind of laughed nervously and mentioned it was harder now than it was a year or so back but thinking to myself, considering I seemed to be the only middle class Kiwi who didn't buy an investment house during the housing boom, I now thought it was a good time to buy one.

Consider this:

1. Housing is approaching realistic asking prices
2. Your expenses are now likely to be recouped by the rent received
3. Interest rates are lower by at least 2% than during the boom

But then also think about this:

Even though my financial position is now stronger than it was a few years back and the investment case to buy a house for rental purposes is much more attractive, the ASB Bank and probably yours too is unwilling to lend as much money for that purpose.

Interesting that in some cases at the height of the housing boom that banks were lending more than 100% mortgages and throwing money at monkeys while now they will barely consider you even though you now back their deposits and lending through your taxes.

A case for some contrary investment thinking, in other words good sound financial practice, is clearly needed within our banks and the staff that they employ.

Treat each customer and lending case on its own individual financial merits and you will please your good customers and keep your CEO from losing sleep at night.

End of lesson.


Recent Share Investor Reading
Discuss this topic at Shareinvestorforum.com




c Share Investor 2009