NationStates Jolt Archive

I actually hadn't heard about this at all, but it seems likely that I'm in a small minority of people who didn't know. At least that would be my guess.

So they're building a new tower where the WTC was, called predictably enough the 'Freedom Tower' (implying accidently that it used to be the 'French Tower' hehe.)

But here's the question-looking at this picture (http://www.membrana.ru/images/articles/1089052721-1.jpeg), does it kinda give the impression that it's giving the finger? I understand it's supposed to evoke the Statue of Liberty's torch (underlining the 'French Tower' thing, now that I think about it...), but it kinda looks more like it's flippin' the bird.

Not sure how I feel about that. I guess it depends on who you think is on the recieving end of it...

So, what d'ya think? All in my head?

Kind of, however I have some doubts that was the architects intent. It looks too me like one of those stupid bits they put on buildings to make them bigger.

Kind of, however I have some doubts that was the architects intent. It looks too me like one of those stupid bits they put on buildings to make them bigger.
They put that big needle antenee thingy on it so it would be 1,776 ft tall, symbolizing 1776. Kind of suprised they didn't go all the way and paint it like a flag...

They put that big needle antenee thingy on it so it would be 1,776 ft tall, symbolizing 1776. Kind of suprised they didn't go all the way and paint it like a flag...

Really? hehehe. I wonder if I could convince Blair to build a tower 1,812 feet tall :D

It’s all in you head. Still, I honestly don’t like the building plan. I like Donald Trump’s idea of just rebuilding the Twin Towers.

Really? hehehe. I wonder if I could convince Blair to build a tower 1,812 feet tall :D
That'd be a shame since it'd be Trumped by the Jackson tower only two years after it was completed.

You have a dirty mind :p

Doesn't look like it's giving the finger, it does look bloody awfull though. Mishapen, lopsided and as if it's about to fall over. The spike on the top is an obvious afterthought. COuldnt they come up with anything better to remember the dead by than another badly designed office block?

Really? hehehe. I wonder if I could convince Blair to build a tower 1,812 feet tall :D
Which was a draw, even though Americans dominated the British at New Orleans (fought after the war tho)

Which was a draw, even though Americans dominated the British at New Orleans (fought after the war tho)

Indeed. But I still think it evens the score a bit.
(remember we had more important things to do than to slap you because of a hissy fit you threw :D , like Boney. )

Which was a draw, even though Americans dominated the British at New Orleans (fought after the war tho)

By dominated I think you mean utterly decimated the enemy while incurring insignificant losses.

You have a dirty mind :p
That would be *Andrew* Jackson.

"Finally, on January 8, 1815 the day commemorated today as the victory day in the Battle of New Orleans, two British generals, including Major General Pakenham, were killed in battle, with a third severely wounded. Soldiers described battlefield action as confused and haphazard in the dark hours of that foggy morning. Britain suffered over 2,000 casualties in that decisive battle, whereas Jackson lost only 71 men. The British forces withdrew through Lake Borgne and into the Gulf, firing on Fort St. Philip for over a week before sailing out to sea for good."

That's the end of the war of 1812 which the Canadians are so proud the British "won*" for them. Keep in mind the British troops, some of whom were veterans who had fought against Napoleon, greatly outnumberd the poorly equipped Americans.

I mentioned 1814, because the Battle of New Orleans started in December of that year, the tready ending hostilities was signed that year, and of a little grammy winning diddy (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/battleof.htm) sung by Johnny Horton (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/classic-country/battle-of-new-orleans---johnny-horton-14929.html).

I can only guess at part of what you might have been thinking. But as Bartleby might say, "I would prefer not to."

*No one really won the war of 1812. The British didn't get what they wanted. America didn't get what it wanted. Everyone just decided enough was enough, and left it at that. The only thing we could all agree on was that the Canadians (who hadn't yet begun exporting premium tail) just weren't worth it.

By dominated I think you mean utterly decimated the enemy while incurring insignificant losses.

I found these stats.

British losses were approximately 700 killed and 1,400 wounded; American losses amounted to only eight killed and 13 wounded.

Seems unrealistic, for the napoleonic era. That's nothing.

I really think we should take this to another thread, if there's the need for it though. I'll stop the hijack. Apologiies CToaN


EDIT: Kibolonia gives larger casualties that I am more inclined to believe on the American side... especially given I got mine from an obviously biased-pro-usa source :D

I would rather see both the twin towers rebuilt-both larger and taller than before.

Its primary purpose is a multi billion dollar trade center-it could once agian be a major international hub for business.
Also, it would be a fitting memorial to remember those taht persihed there.

We are cabaple of building great things. And we are probably better able to protect them now.

It’s all in you head. Still, I honestly don’t like the building plan. I like Donald Trump’s idea of just rebuilding the Twin Towers.

Amen to that.
They were ugly, but they did the job -- which was to contain most of the office space in Manhattan. This stupid Freedom Tower -- with its empty framework nonsense -- cuts down on the office space that would be restored by simply rebuilding the complex with updated code.

Of course, it's politically correct to let a small minority of victims' families dictate exactly how this privately owned space is to be used... just as they tried to tell NYC that the Great Kills Sanitation Facility (aka a DUMP) on Staten Island was hallowed ground because minute bits of their loved ones may have been taken there.

I don't care if it's giving the finger or not, I just think it's ugly an an impractical waste of valuable Manhattan space.

to me, it looks like a giant laser pointer -- the kind of thing you'd use in a presentation.

very sad that this is the best architecture we can come up with...

I actually hadn't heard about this at all, but it seems likely that I'm in a small minority of people who didn't know. At least that would be my guess.

So they're building a new tower where the WTC was, called predictably enough the 'Freedom Tower' (implying accidently that it used to be the 'French Tower' hehe.)

But here's the question-looking at this picture (http://www.membrana.ru/images/articles/1089052721-1.jpeg), does it kinda give the impression that it's giving the finger? I understand it's supposed to evoke the Statue of Liberty's torch (underlining the 'French Tower' thing, now that I think about it...), but it kinda looks more like it's flippin' the bird.

Not sure how I feel about that. I guess it depends on who you think is on the recieving end of it...

So, what d'ya think? All in my head?

Any skyscraper, ultimately, has little more symbolic meaning than a huge phallus icon. Make of that what you will.

Shoulda rebuilt the twin towers. If people are paranoid, mount an anti-aircraft system on the top.

Dead tie, which is cool because when I started this poll it was starting to look like I was the only one. The thread devolved into an odd discussion of the War of 1812 for a while, that was interesting...

I'll give this another shot, see if the dead split continues...

I dunno, maybe this is just 'cause I live down the street from the CN Tower and Skydome...but it doesn't look so much like a giant 'flipping of the bird' sculpture so much as a jaunty, cubist-style erection.

Don't know about the antennae, though.

Giving the finger eastward? Or towards Mecca? I hope that's coincidental.

Either that, or NYC has one hell of a Cubist erection...

Giving the finger eastward? Or towards Mecca? I hope that's coincidental.

Either that, or NYC has one hell of a Cubist erection...
Is it facing east? I can't tell. Yeah....that's.......odd....

Woah, what's with the shape of that building?

Is it facing east? I can't tell. Yeah....that's.......odd....

Well think about the fact that the world is round. You would have to face it North or South to not be flipping of Mecca. In the end though, you're pretty much just giving yourself the finger.

This rather reminds me of a similar suggestion that was floating around a few years ago:

http://radio.weblogs.com/0121911/images/WTC%20one%20finger%20salute.jpg

I agree with Mr. Trump. We should rebuild it exactly as it was, just restructured into the far safer steel superstrcture that would have saved it. I've had enough Freedom this and Liberty that. It's bad enought that the nearest In't airport got Libert added to its name. *smack*

It's the buildings' erect cock. It's the symbol of american hyper-masculinity.

I'm fairly sure I read something a few days or weeks ago that said they'd scrapped that spiral design because they felt it wouldn't be secure enough against truck bombs. I think they said they're going for a single tower in the mold of the Twin Towers that will be the most securely reinforced skyscraper in the world. They're still planning on calling it the Freedom Tower, unfortunately.

I'm fairly sure I read something a few days or weeks ago that said they'd scrapped that spiral design because they felt it wouldn't be secure enough against truck bombs. I think they said they're going for a single tower in the mold of the Twin Towers that will be the most securely reinforced skyscraper in the world. They're still planning on calling it the Freedom Tower, unfortunately.
There was this: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4515759.stm)
Police fear it would be difficult to protect the building against a possible truck bomb because of the heavy traffic along nearby West Street.

and then this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4634221.stm):
Under new plans it is further from the road and has a strengthened structure.

The redesign calls for a concrete and steel pedestal, clad in ornamental metalwork, and topped by a tower of glass.
(from yesterday, the article that caught my slow ass up)

It has the picture (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41247000/jpg/_41247453_newplan_getty203b.jpg) that still has the twist, but it might be an old one. That picture doesn't seem as much like it's flipping the bird, I should note.

Newest design calls for a 200 foot (yes 200) concrete, windowless bunker/base for the rest of the now non-twisting sky scraper. It sucks, they shouldn't build anything, because no-one will let them do anything good because they are so paranoid of future attacks.

I have a better idea. Lets put a huge above ground Missile Silo instead. Much ruder than the middle finger.

'Tis not giving the finger, but it's extremely ugly. Ugh.

Oh yeah, it's giving the finger...TO THE TERRORISTS! :rolleyes:

It's all in your head.

Why don't we just put up a giant hanging sign there saying "Oh no you didn't!"

I have a better idea. Lets put a huge above ground Missile Silo instead. Much ruder than the middle finger.

I like it. Just have a display giving targeting coordinates for where we suspect a certain Mr. bin Laden to be at any given moment.

Why don't we just put up a giant hanging sign there saying "Oh no you didn't!"

Adding a "Bi-atch" at the end.

It is giving you the finger! The Finger of Freedom facing fortuitosly forward from faraway.
See, I can do alliteration, whoo!

Anyway, that design is just plain horrible. I mean, if we we're going to make something that is a horribly ugly yet useless eyesore, then let's go all the way. Make it bright orange with pink spokes coming of the sides and lets carry the phallic symbolism to the maximum extent.
How about having it be 1,776 feet at the beggining of the day, and then gradually extend during the day. When it reaches 2001 feet (shortly after sunset) it shoots out a jet of foamy white water. Then it could collapse back down until the next morning.

It is giving you the finger! The Finger of Freedom facing fortuitosly forward from faraway.
See, I can do alliteration, whoo!

Anyway, that design is just plain horrible. I mean, if we we're going to make something that is a horribly ugly yet useless eyesore, then let's go all the way. Make it bright orange with pink spokes coming of the sides and lets carry the phallic symbolism to the maximum extent.
How about having it be 1,776 feet at the beggining of the day, and then gradually extend during the day. When it reaches 2001 feet (shortly after sunset) it shoots out a jet of foamy white water. Then it could collapse back down until the next morning.Aren't we uselessly creative tonight?

I like it. Just have a display giving targeting coordinates for where we suspect a certain Mr. bin Laden to be at any given moment.
Yeah and everyday at noon we have turn on the Rockets for a second. So it seems as if we're going to launch it one day.

Yeah and everyday at noon we have turn on the Rockets for a second. So it seems as if we're going to launch it one day.
And then after that we'll surprise everyone biweekly and turn the missile coordinates suddenly on a random country's capitol building.

Who knows? London, Moscow, Beijing, Abu Dhabi, Damascus...it's all random!

And then after that we'll surprise everyone biweekly and turn the missile coordinates suddenly on a random country's capitol building.

Who knows? London, Moscow, Beijing, Abu Dhabi, Damascus...it's all random!

Lets just scrap the building altogether and put a prancing German named Hanz there instead.

Much more interesting, if you ask me.

Aren't we uselessly creative tonight?
I'm useless all the time, but I suppose that creativity is rare enough to celebrate. I'm off to toast the greatness that is me, and then get that greatness flaming drunk.