The "News" thread.

[gwillybj]

Of all the things to forget...

Spanish skyscraper going up — but without an elevator?

Claudine Zap 22 hours ago

Intempo skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain (Enrique Domingo via Flickr)

If you are thinking of investing in an apartment at the Intempo skyscraper in Benidorm, Spain, be prepared to bring some good walking shoes: Its builders forgot a working elevator, says the Spanish news site El Pais.

According to a story surfaced on Gizmodo, the luxury high-rise tower, which started construction in 2007, was originally designed for 20 floors. But the the developers decided to push the design to include 47 floors with 269 homes. When completed, it will be Benidorm’s highest building at 650 feet.

There seemed to be just one important oversight: In going up to 47 floors, designers forgot to take into account room for an elevator shaft. El Pais reports that the architects on the project resigned in May 2012.

The building “represents a long story of incompetence,” according to El Pais. The coastal town had a building boom that led to the nickname “Beniyork” for its skyline of high-rises.

But then the recession hit. Intempo’s developer, which had once advertised the building as the “banner of the future,” and the bank that provided the loan for construction both went bankrupt in 2009. The building has cost €100 million so far.

“We had heard reports on the elevator last week when we listed the building to generate advance interest,” wrote Terry Walker, a spokesperson for Walker Property Spain’s London office, in an email to Yahoo News.

“In the light of the other problems that have been overcome at Intempo, we would be confident that a solution can be found,” Walker said.

Already 35 percent of the apartments have been sold to international buyers — the site describes the abodes as "Dubai style luxury." The building is 95 percent complete, and it is expected to be done by spring 2014.

Expect, too, a built-in exercise regime.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/-spanish-skyscraper-going-up----without-an-elevator---214416887.html

[Buster's Uncle]

 

[Rusty Edge]

Well, I guess if you can afford Dubai-style luxury you can afford to pay movers to carry all of your furniture and stuff up the stairs. As a younger man I was once part of a third story move-out into a 2-story house, and before the day was over people were watching me limp and saying "Why don't you sit down for a while?" A move-in without an elevator would be brutal!!!.

[JarlWolf]

But then again when do Dubai style aristocrats and employers care about how hard a job is? 
I pity the Indians working in Dubai, unsafe and terrible working conditions combined with an elitist arab populace that hates them. Man that's got to be rough.

[Geo]

I pity the Indians working in Dubai, unsafe and terrible working conditions combined with an elitist arab populace that hates them. Man that's got to be rough.

Even when they're Muslim? 

[Buster's Uncle]

Because Muslims would never treat poor foreign Muslim workers badly?

[Geo]

Because Muslims would never treat poor foreign Muslim workers badly?

Course not, but since there's still a multitude of non-muslim fureiners...

[Buster's Uncle]

I think it's possible to overestimate the unifying power of al-islam.  However, the presence of plentiful infidels would indeed tend to focus the prejudice elsewhere, yes...

[JarlWolf]

Two things on that accord:

Muslims are in several different sects, the two biggest are Shia and Sunni.

And they hate each other more then they do for other faiths. And add the fact most Indians are a form of Hindu, with several other minority religions such as Sikh's, Zorastorithians, etc. you can see the diverse Indians already having tensions with the relatively reactionary Muslim populace.

Then add in the fact that they are Indian. Arabs and Indians are like how a Americans treat Mexicans, or how Serbs treat Bosnians/ how most of Europe treats Turks/Moroccans.

And take an example with Mexicans/Americans again: Just because both can be relatively pious Christians, does that mean they get along on terms of faith as well? No. Different sects/branches of Christianity.

[Buster's Uncle]

Exactly.

[JarlWolf]

Plus, from personal experience, and yes I realize this does not cover the entire race, but from what I've experienced I've met some VERY arrogant, disdainful and pompous Arabs. They treat lots of the other ethnic groups in the Middle East( and foreign "khafir barbarians" such as myself, khafir being equivalent to disgusting filth/horrid infidel in their language.) like an inferior race. Of course not the whole race is like that, nor every country, but generally the more developed Arabic nations exude this arrogance I've found.

And of course, my experiences in the Middle East have also given me a bias and prejudices of my own, but then again I have reason to have those prejudices as I have been directly affected by certain groups in a negative way. The difference between me and an elitist nationalist is while I hold prejudices, I still don't treat the races I have a bit of suspicion against like garbage and utter filth, and I give a person a chance to denounce the initial suspicion.

[Buster's Uncle]

I've heard that the Persians of Iran resent the Arabs highly - no idea about Afghanistan, beyond what you're saying.

And I think a fair standard, when it comes to prejudice, is that I owe everyone fair and decent treatment and speech - but they don't have any right to my thoughts, and I want credit for trying very hard to work though my prejudices and rid myself of them.  I imagine you're not that different, Jarl.

[JarlWolf]

I think the majority of sensible people fall under that category BUncle. So yes, I'd agree.
As for Afghanistan: Afghanistan is full of warring ethnic groups. There is so many ethnic groups and sects that they are constantly at each others throats, so its irrelevant on who's the bigoted group because they all relatively hate each other.

[Buster's Uncle]

...If we get into who tends to hate whom, we'll be here all week, and OT - but I've heard the rest of Asia hates the Japanese, not least because the Japanese don't seem to think very highly of the rest of Asia...

[JarlWolf]

Mhm... we'll be here forever if we are discussing ethnic rivalries and such.

Back to news, whats your thoughts some of our most recent space explorers? Apparently Chris Hadfield and others have gotten into making music.