Friday, March 30, 2012
The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 156
1 WTC (the Freedom Tower) is poised to be the tallest building in New York City within the next two weeks. It's just a matter of time before the steel perimeter reaches its apex and work can proceed on the roof and antenna levels.
Meanwhile, there's been little progress made on resolving the financing and construction of the museum complex adjacent to the tower. That means that the completion date will continue to slide later and later and will likely mean at least a 2013 open at the earliest. It should have been opened around 3Q 2012.
At the same time, work is proceeding on the podiums for 2 and 3 WTC, though no word has been given as to whether they will be built out to their anticipated heights or just built for the retail space on the lower levels.
4 WTC construction continues, though at a slower pace.
Infrastructure for Greenwich Street, which runs atop the 1/9 subway box continues to be installed, and it will be a matter of time before that critical project is completed.
"The World Trade Center perimeter steel is up the 100th floor," said Foye, at a press conference following the authority's monthly board meeting today. "I think if not today, tomorrow, next week, shortly we're gonna be the tallest building in Manhattan, eclipsing even the Empire State Building."The tower will eventually reach 1,776 feet, but that includes a roughly 400 foot high antenna mast.
The Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall, according to the Skyscraper Museum.
Meanwhile, there's been little progress made on resolving the financing and construction of the museum complex adjacent to the tower. That means that the completion date will continue to slide later and later and will likely mean at least a 2013 open at the earliest. It should have been opened around 3Q 2012.
At the same time, work is proceeding on the podiums for 2 and 3 WTC, though no word has been given as to whether they will be built out to their anticipated heights or just built for the retail space on the lower levels.
4 WTC construction continues, though at a slower pace.
Infrastructure for Greenwich Street, which runs atop the 1/9 subway box continues to be installed, and it will be a matter of time before that critical project is completed.
It's Time For Florida Move To Amend The Stand Your Ground Statute
Are Florida legislators taking the hint about the mess with Stand Your Ground that were exposed by the Tayvon Martin death at the hands of George Zimmerman and moving to act to modify/amend/repeal it?
Thus far, the Senate has not considered any changes - the 2005 items were the enacting/amending legislation imposing SYG.
No action in the House either.
The Florida Statute that needs to be addressed is Fla. Stat. Sec. 776.012.
If you're a Florida resident and want to see this law changed, this is where you've got to put pressure on legislators to change the SYG law to give civilians no greater rights to use firearms than law enforcement (as it stands, a civilian could shoot someone in cold blood and claim self defense and not even be charged unless there's probable cause - and even then, prosecutors are showing themselves unwilling or incapable of doing so, but a police officer in the same situation would likely find themselves assigned to desk duty, brought up on charges of police misconduct, and face potential civil damages cases too).
It's one thing to stand your ground on your own property or in your own home. It's quite another for someone to do so on a public street or byway or park. And it has the potential to put more than those involved in the incident at risk. At a minimum, the law should be amended such that a person is not entitled to SYG if they initiate the contact or thereafter chase after the person.
The fact is that law enforcement was opposed to this legislation at the outset and the legislature enacted it over their objections. We're now seeing the results of that disastrous choice, and it is past time for Florida to rectify the situation. It may not bring back Tayvon Martin, but it could spare others who are killed under similar circumstances.
Thus far, the Senate has not considered any changes - the 2005 items were the enacting/amending legislation imposing SYG.
No action in the House either.
The Florida Statute that needs to be addressed is Fla. Stat. Sec. 776.012.
If you're a Florida resident and want to see this law changed, this is where you've got to put pressure on legislators to change the SYG law to give civilians no greater rights to use firearms than law enforcement (as it stands, a civilian could shoot someone in cold blood and claim self defense and not even be charged unless there's probable cause - and even then, prosecutors are showing themselves unwilling or incapable of doing so, but a police officer in the same situation would likely find themselves assigned to desk duty, brought up on charges of police misconduct, and face potential civil damages cases too).
It's one thing to stand your ground on your own property or in your own home. It's quite another for someone to do so on a public street or byway or park. And it has the potential to put more than those involved in the incident at risk. At a minimum, the law should be amended such that a person is not entitled to SYG if they initiate the contact or thereafter chase after the person.
The fact is that law enforcement was opposed to this legislation at the outset and the legislature enacted it over their objections. We're now seeing the results of that disastrous choice, and it is past time for Florida to rectify the situation. It may not bring back Tayvon Martin, but it could spare others who are killed under similar circumstances.
Who Wants To Be a Multi-Millionaire?
That's the big question of the day since today's Mega Millions jackpot is likely to exceed $540 million ($389 cash option). Even after federal and state taxes, you're talking about serious coin. You'd still be looking at around $230 million or so.
So, what would you do with it?
I know what I'd do.
I'd first make sure that Mrs. Lawhawk retires from work. That's a no brainer. I'd retire soon after that.
After paying off the usual assorted expenses, I think we'd first go and split the money into several portions. One portion would be annuitized to allow us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives ($50 million sounds about right). This way, even if we spend $1 million a year, which I think is crazy, we'd still have millions in reserve down the line if we invest cautiously).
I'm not sure that I would consider moving from our current residence, though we might move to a neighboring town where we've had our eye on due to the school district's performance. We would definitely take care of various home improvements we had been looking to do over a period of years except we'd be able to do them all in one shot.
Another $30-50 million would go to investing in real estate, businesses, etc., and the largest chunk would go to create a charitable foundation. That last chunk would be $100+ million, and I could see spending it over a period of years on the issues and opportunities we hold dear.
Seeing one of our alma mater's schools get a building with our name on it - or a significant scholarship foundation seems about right. We could make giving away that money our job. It would be fun. We'd be able to go where we want, spend it on the things we appreciate, and still end up with enough money for family and friends to enjoy and savor (and they know who they are - so if you have to ask, you're not on that very short list).
Anyways, it's fun to dream about hitting the lottery. Winning it and knowing how to handle all that money is another story. I hope that whoever does takes the time to deal with it prudently and makes a lasting impression on their community.
So, what would you do with it?
I know what I'd do.
I'd first make sure that Mrs. Lawhawk retires from work. That's a no brainer. I'd retire soon after that.
After paying off the usual assorted expenses, I think we'd first go and split the money into several portions. One portion would be annuitized to allow us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives ($50 million sounds about right). This way, even if we spend $1 million a year, which I think is crazy, we'd still have millions in reserve down the line if we invest cautiously).
I'm not sure that I would consider moving from our current residence, though we might move to a neighboring town where we've had our eye on due to the school district's performance. We would definitely take care of various home improvements we had been looking to do over a period of years except we'd be able to do them all in one shot.
Another $30-50 million would go to investing in real estate, businesses, etc., and the largest chunk would go to create a charitable foundation. That last chunk would be $100+ million, and I could see spending it over a period of years on the issues and opportunities we hold dear.
Seeing one of our alma mater's schools get a building with our name on it - or a significant scholarship foundation seems about right. We could make giving away that money our job. It would be fun. We'd be able to go where we want, spend it on the things we appreciate, and still end up with enough money for family and friends to enjoy and savor (and they know who they are - so if you have to ask, you're not on that very short list).
Anyways, it's fun to dream about hitting the lottery. Winning it and knowing how to handle all that money is another story. I hope that whoever does takes the time to deal with it prudently and makes a lasting impression on their community.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Israel in Review
Some of you may have noticed a significant absence over the past two weeks. I spent most of that time in Israel with Mrs. Lawhawk, touring the northern part of the country. It was part of our 10th anniversary gift to each other, and it was awesome to spend it with the love of my life.
It's a tour that I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to see some of the most interesting and beautiful country anywhere in the world (I'll be posting photos from the trip later this week).
Our tour started in Jerusalem, and included touring the Stations of the Cross, the City of David, Tower of David, Western Wall and Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall Tunnels, Arab Quarter, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Israel Museum and Yad Vashem. Additionally, we visited Ben Yehuda Street and Machene Yehuda (the famous Jerusalem open air food and produce market).
From there, we headed to the Dead Sea and Masada. After taking the tram up to the summit, Mrs. Lawhawk and I hiked down, which was a highlight for the trip. I had done that hike (both up and down) the last time I was there 19 years ago.
Next, we stayed at a hotel on a kibbutz in Northern Israel and then headed to the Galilee and Golan Heights. Highlights there included the ruins of Bet She'an, Tzvat, visiting the Golan Heights Winery (which includes the Yarden, Gamla, and Golan branded wines), seeing the border with Syria, crossing the Jordan River and visiting the site where Christians believe that Christ was baptized.
Then, the trip proceeded on to Nazareth and the Basilica of the Annunciation, Caesarea, Haifa and the Bahai Gardens, and finally on to Tel Aviv. We walked through the old city of Yafo (Jaffa), parts of Neve Tzedek, and the Tel Aviv food market.
It was fascinating to see so much of the country and walk in the path of historical and religious figures from 2,000 years (or older). After all, we're talking about a country where events span thousands of years and form the seeds of current sociopolitical and religious divisions.
It's a tour that I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to see some of the most interesting and beautiful country anywhere in the world (I'll be posting photos from the trip later this week).
Our tour started in Jerusalem, and included touring the Stations of the Cross, the City of David, Tower of David, Western Wall and Jewish Quarter, the Western Wall Tunnels, Arab Quarter, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Israel Museum and Yad Vashem. Additionally, we visited Ben Yehuda Street and Machene Yehuda (the famous Jerusalem open air food and produce market).
From there, we headed to the Dead Sea and Masada. After taking the tram up to the summit, Mrs. Lawhawk and I hiked down, which was a highlight for the trip. I had done that hike (both up and down) the last time I was there 19 years ago.
Next, we stayed at a hotel on a kibbutz in Northern Israel and then headed to the Galilee and Golan Heights. Highlights there included the ruins of Bet She'an, Tzvat, visiting the Golan Heights Winery (which includes the Yarden, Gamla, and Golan branded wines), seeing the border with Syria, crossing the Jordan River and visiting the site where Christians believe that Christ was baptized.
Then, the trip proceeded on to Nazareth and the Basilica of the Annunciation, Caesarea, Haifa and the Bahai Gardens, and finally on to Tel Aviv. We walked through the old city of Yafo (Jaffa), parts of Neve Tzedek, and the Tel Aviv food market.
It was fascinating to see so much of the country and walk in the path of historical and religious figures from 2,000 years (or older). After all, we're talking about a country where events span thousands of years and form the seeds of current sociopolitical and religious divisions.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Dr. Who Trailer Released
Give me some Daleks any day. And Ben Browder for good measure.
The Doctor returns later this year with 14 new episodes. It also marks the end of the run for the Doctor's companions Rory and Amy, who are leaving the show. (HT: Mrs. Lawhawk)
The Doctor returns later this year with 14 new episodes. It also marks the end of the run for the Doctor's companions Rory and Amy, who are leaving the show. (HT: Mrs. Lawhawk)
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