Tag Archives: construction

Design Competition for Pedestrian Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Design Competition for Pedestrian Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island

Source: City of Providence, Rhode Island The City of Providence is staging a limited design competition to select the designer for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge that will replace the old Interstate 195 Bridge that spans the Providence River. The bridge will create a new connection for pedestrians and bicyclists from the Fox Point and College Hill neighborhoods to Downtown and link two new wate… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Kanye West, Justin Bieber Join Tradition Of Mega-Release Weeks

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Kanye West, Justin Bieber Join Tradition Of Mega-Release Weeks

This isn’t the first time labels have loaded the shelves with new releases all at once. By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker Kanye West Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images The sheer volume of mainstream albums dropping this week makes our head spin like that ancient artifact, the vinyl record. Monday saw the release of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday, Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Ke$ha’s Cannibal, Jay-Z’s The Hits Collection Vol. 1, Lloyd Banks’ Hunger for More 2 and My Chemical Romance’s Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. And Friday is the big day for Justin Bieber’s My Worlds Acoustic. Many may wonder why the big wigs of the music industry would put out such a gargantuan selection all at once. But there’s a precedent for this kind of strategy. In fact, music lovers have been through this very same overload dilemma a handful of times over the last decade. Here’s a look back at some of them: September 11, 2001 became a national tragedy, it was supposed to be a huge day for the music business. Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” soundtrack, Jay-Z’s Blueprint, Bob Dylan’s Love and Theft, Ben Folds’ Rockin’ the Suburbs, Nickelback’s Silver Side Up and P.O.D.’s Satellite were among the many albums that were released at the beginning of the week. November 18, 2003 marked the start to one of the year’s biggest music release weeks. The range of albums seemed to hit every demographic imaginable. Releases included Britney Spears’ In the Zone, Blink-182’s self-titled fifth studio album, Timbaland & Magoo’s Under Construction, Part II, Christmas albums from Whitey Houston and Ashanti, compilations from Michael Jackson, Moby and Joe Satriani, and live albums/DVDs from Dave Matthews Band and Linkin Park. Following the pattern of Thanksgiving week album releases, November 22, 2004 began another big week. Two “American Idol” winners, Fantasia and Ruben Studdard went head-to-head with Free Yourself and I Need an Angel, respectively. The shelves were also packed with U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, Gwen Stefani’s solo debut Love. Angel. Music. Baby., as well as other releases from Creed, Anthrax, Evanescence, Nirvana and Jessica Simpson. September 12, 2006 was the drop date of Justin Timberlake’s second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, which produced five smash hit singles. That week John Mayer’s Continuum and Bob Seger’s Face the Promise were released, and both eventually went platinum. Other albums and compilations came from the Mars Volta, Papa Roach, Lionel Richie, Veruca Salt, Everclear, and the Barenaked Ladies. On September 11, 2007 after threatening to retire from music if his album Curtis was outsold, 50 Cent came in second to Kanye West’s Graduation. And though he wasn’t included in the 50 Cent Challenge, Kenny Chesney’s Just Who I Am: Pirates and Poets was released the same day and sold very well. The date also marked the release of Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam, which didn’t exactly pose a threat. One of the wildest weeks of 2009’s album drop calendar was easily that of November 16 . Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster, Justin Bieber’s My World, Leona Lewis’ Echo, OneRepublic’s Waking Up, Kris Allen’s self-titled debut, Norah Jones’ The Fall, and compilations from both Janet Jackson and Fall Out Boy were some of the new additions to the music scene. Which new albums are you buying this week? Talk about it in the comments! Open the floodgates! It’s Mega-Release Week, with Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Ne-Yo, Ke$ha, My Chemical Romance and Lloyd Banks all dropping new albums. Stick with MTV News for everything you need to know about the brand-new music. Related Artists Kanye West Justin Bieber

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Emma Watson ‘Very Proud’ Of ‘Deathly Hallows – Part 1’

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Emma Watson ‘Very Proud’ Of ‘Deathly Hallows – Part 1’

‘The story started with us, and I think it’s right that it should end with us,’ she tells MTV News. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Emma Watson Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images The three main “Harry Potter” stars — Daniel Radcliffe ,

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Kanye West, Nicki Minaj And Ke$ha Lead Huge Album-Release Week

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Kanye West, Nicki Minaj And Ke$ha Lead Huge Album-Release Week

My Chemical Romance also moved their album to Monday to get a jump on the holidays. By Gil Kaufman Kanye West Photo: MJ Kim/ Getty Images It happens every year around this time. No, not that food coma from too much turkey — the parade of megastar albums that drops the week of Thanksgiving. While the past two weeks have already seen the release of a number of potential blockbusters, from Taylor Swift’s instant-platinum Speak Now to new albums from Susan Boyle, Kid Rock, Rihanna, Josh Groban and Rascal Flatts, Monday’s bumper crop could help pump some life into the holiday season. After Kanye West decided to stake out the off-cycle Monday as the release date for his eagerly anticipated My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, his competitors fell in line to take advantage of the holiday-week sales rush, with Nicki Minaj, My Chemical Romance and Ke$ha pushing their release dates up one day as well. “I think Kanye will do great,” said Carl Mello, director of purchasing for the 28-store Newbury Comics chain, one of the few remaining non-big-box music retailers in the nation. “He did himself a lot of favors putting up so many tracks during the year and engaging with the audience.” Between the string of G.O.O.D. Friday releases and his headline-grabbing “Runaway” mini-movie , Mello said Kanye set the album up by whetting his audience’s appetite for months on end. As for Nicki’s Pink Friday, even though she spent the year building up cred with a series of features and her own hit “Your Love,” Mello predicted she’d do “fine” but wasn’t expecting her to put up Kanye numbers. “It’s nice to have a female rapper who is credible and has a chance at being quite popular,” he said. The bigger challenge might come for My Chem, whose Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys has gotten good buzz thanks to the speedy single “Na Na Na,” but they have been out of stores since 2006’s The Black Parade, which divided some fans. “There’s almost nothing harder to sell than something that reacted well with 13- to 14-year-olds a few years ago, but who don’t necessarily make the journey with the band over the years,” he said, noting the dive in popularity of similar bands such as Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte. And though first-week sales of Rihanna’s Loud are not expected to be blockbuster, Mello also said he expects that album and Kid Rock’s Born Free to be solid sellers through the end of the year, along with Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, as well as Swift and previously released discs by Eminem and Lil Wayne. Billboard magazine Senior Chart Manager and analyst Keith Caulfield agrees that West will probably have the biggest sales week, but said Ne-Yo could also have a solid bow with Libra Scale after months of working singles to radio. While he thinks Nicki could have a good week, Caulfield was cautious about Ke$ha’s Cannibal. “She could also do well, but because she’s so track-oriented, it’s hard to say,” he said. “The best comparison for Nicki would seem to be Missy Elliott at her height with Under Construction, which sold 259,000 in its first week, and that’s when people bought a lot of records. It’s hard to gauge how an artist who, up until this point, has been very track-oriented but has an established record for a long time before releasing a proper album will do.” He pointed to fellow Young Money rapper Drake, who built his career up for nearly a year with a popular mixtape and features before releasing a full-length debut. “She’s very different. She’s colorful and versatile, but it’s hard to pinpoint how that will translate into sales,” he said, noting that “Your Love” has sold a very respectable 700,000 downloads to date. Also in the mix are greatest-hits releases from Jay-Z and Pink; Lloyd Banks’ H.F.M.2 ; the reissue of Nine Inch Nails’ debut, Pretty Hate Machine ; a Jimi Hendrix box set that Mello said is doing very well at his stores; Bruce Springsteen’s The Promise archival set; the “Burlesque” soundtrack; and next Friday, a Target exclusive acoustic set from Justin Bieber. And the hits will keep coming through the holidays, with a Christmas-themed “Glee” soundtrack on November 30 — which will also bring the latest from the Black Eyed Peas, The Beginning — followed the next week by T.I.’s No Mercy. December 14 brings the last potential blockbuster of 2010, the first posthumous album of Michael Jackson material, Michael, as well as the major-label debut of “American Idol” season-nine runner-up Crystal Bowersox, Farmer’s Daughter ; R. Kelly’s Love Letter ; and Ciara’s Basic Instinct. (All release dates subject to change.) Which new release are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments!

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James Cameron Supports Aboriginal People In Lawsuit Against Canada

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on James Cameron Supports Aboriginal People In Lawsuit Against Canada

‘Avatar’ director is helping Canadian tribal peoples concerned about pollution caused by government’s oil-sands extraction. By Eric Ditzian James Cameron Photo: MTV News After spreading word of the colonial persecution of a tribe of blue aliens on a natural-resource-rich planet called Pandora, James Cameron has been focusing his environmental activism closer to home. In April, the “Avatar” director pledged to assist Brazilian tribes in their fight against the construction of a controversial dam project, and now he has committed to helping aboriginal peoples in Canada take legal action in connection with pollution from oil development. Cameron, who was born in Ontario, Canada, met privately with aboriginal leaders and residents of Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, on Tuesday to discuss the community’s concerns about the connection between high cancer rates and water, air and wildlife pollution stemming from ongoing exploration and extraction of oil sands, according to The Vancouver Sun. “I will be meeting with [Alberta] Premier [Ed] Stelmach tomorrow and I will be doing a press conference afterwards to get the word out there about what’s happening here,” he told the paper. “Hopefully we can make a difference and get things moving in the right direction. It’s going to be a fight, as I’m sure you know. But if you all stand together and work together with the other First Nations, I think we can draw a line in the sand here.” Fort Chipewyan residents have long complained about high rates of cancer and other illnesses they say stem from oil-sands development and are planning legal action against the provincial and federal governments. In 2009, the Sun reports, the Alberta Cancer Board announced that Fort Chipewyan residents had experienced 30 percent more cancer cases than normal, though the community’s small population might have rendered that rate a statistical anomaly. The Alberta government has denied that oil-industry activities have negatively impacted communities downstream from development sites. The extent of Cameron’s assistance is still being determined. In addition to his meeting with government officials and the media attention that his presence attracts, the Oscar winner might directly contribute to legal efforts or help with a fundraising drive. “There’s a big imperative for them to get this tar-sands oil right,” Cameron said. “We’re not saying they have to stop development, we’re not saying they have to take the jobs away. We’re just saying they’ve got to do it right. They’ve got to do it in a way that’s responsible. Responsible development, responsible to the environment and responsible to the people directly affected by it. That’s not a lot to ask. There’s a lot of money at stake here, and they should spend some of it to fix this problem.” Share your thoughts about Cameron’s efforts in the comments. Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: James Cameron

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Survey Shows Arabs More Opposed to GZ Mosque Than American Media

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Here’s a fact you’re not likely to see on tonight’s evening news broadcasts: According to a recent poll, Arabs living abroad are more likely to be opposed to the “Ground Zero Mosque” than the American media are. According to a recent survey by the Arabic online news service Elaph (Arabic version here ), 58 percent of Arabs think the construction should be moved elsewhere. And according to a Media Research Center study released last week, 55 percent of network news coverage of the debate has come down on the pro-Mosque side. The MRC study also found that on the question of whether opposition to the mosque demonstrated a widely held “Islamophobia” among Americans, 93 percent of network news soundbites answered ion the affirmative. In contrast, when asked whether the United States is a “tolerant” or “bigoted” society, 63 percent of Elaph respondents chose the former. So the Arab world has a more favorable view of Americans than our own media elite, and sides with the American people over the network news broadcasters on the hot-button issue of the day. Faoud Ajami highlighted the Elaph poll in his Wall Street Journal column on Monday: From his recent travels to the Persian Gulf-sponsored and paid for by the State Department-Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf returned with a none-too-subtle threat. His project, the Ground Zero Mosque, would have to go on. Its cancellation would risk putting “our soldiers, our troops, our embassies and citizens under attack in the Muslim world.” Leave aside the attempt to make this project a matter of national security. The self-appointed bridge between America and the Arab-Islamic world is a false witness to the sentiments in Islamic lands. Deputy Editorial Page Editor Bret Stephens and Editorial Board member Matthew Kaminski on the plan for a ‘Mosque at Ground Zero,’ and Senior Editorial Writer Joseph Rago reports on the Missouri results. The truth is that the trajectory of Islam in America (and Europe for that matter) is at variance with the play of things in Islam’s main habitat. A survey by Elaph, the most respected electronic daily in the Arab world, gave a decided edge to those who objected to the building of this mosque-58% saw it as a project of folly. Elaph was at it again in the aftermath of Pastor Terry Jones’s threat to burn copies of the Quran: It queried its readers as to whether America was a “tolerant” or a “bigoted” society. The split was 63% to 37% in favor of those who accepted the good faith and pluralism of this country. So a larger proportion of Arabs believe in that notion than American journalists. That is a sad indictment of the press in this country.

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NYT’s Blow Offers Fabulous Opinion on 9/11, Mosques and Koran Burning

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New York Times columnist Charles Blow wrote a short piece on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 that should be must-reading for all Americans on both sides of the aisle. In fact, I’m sure liberal Times devotees will be just as shocked by ” A Lesson From 9/11 ” as conservatives that take the three minutes necessary to get through it. After sharing his experience as a New Yorker who was in Manhattan that awful day, Blow marvelously tied it all together with what Americans have fought and died for since our forefathers were colonists: My attitude that day was the same as most Americans: the terrorists must not be allowed to win. America would not be cowed. We would rise, our greatness would shine, and our ideas of freedom would remain a beacon to the world. That is why the debate these past few weeks over Islam in America – from the proposed Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan to talk of the burning of Korans – has been so hard to watch. Too much of the debate seems to be centered around the sensitivities of terrorists a world away who have hijacked the passions of a faith, who would see us destroyed and who want to attract more damaged souls to their cause. I understand, in theory, the idea of not stirring the hornet’s nest while our troops are still in harm’s way. But I chafe at the idea that great American debates, in all their ugliness and splendor, should be tempered for terrorists and their attempts to recruit. Blow then shared results of a new ABC News/Washington Post poll finding the number of people feeling America is currently safer from terrorism than before 9/11 is at a new low. He continued: But we simply cannot allow this new wave of fear to make us into something that we’re not. We are a country of freedoms, a country where religious freedom and freedom of speech hold equal standing, a country in which the construction of a building and the destruction of a book are rights extended to all, even if opposed by most. Free expressions are not always pleasant, but they must ever be protected, with no regard to the proclivities of the enemy. This is America, and the moment we forget that, they start to win. Indeed. Our media today, and much of the cowering Left, operate under the premise that we have to alter our behavior to win the approval of our enemies or else expect violent repercussions. Although Blow didn’t use the word, it’s akin to wartime appeasement. As most Europeans found out during World War II, it doesn’t work. The more modern term that pertains to appeasing radical Islam is dhimmitude, a process by which Western nations enact changes to their culture and their very way of life so as not to create unrest in their growing Muslim populations. This is already happening in Holland, France, Germany, and Great Britain to name a few. With this in mind, what we as a nation have to decide is whether we’re going to follow Europe’s lead and start remaking ourselves out of fear that our enemies will somehow retaliate or enjoy new recruits if we don’t. As Blow surprisingly noted, if we do this, we lose. After England’s Neville Chamberlain made a fool out of himself at Munich, stronger leaders named Churchill and Roosevelt opted to not make the same mistake he did. 72 years later, the United States is once again faced with the option of either following today’s Neville Chamberlains or taking a stronger, less-cowardly, more American approach with our enemies. Of course, some of the recent furor concerning a little-known Pastor in Gainesville, Florida, was stoked by comments made by David Petraeus. Although most Americans have great respect for the General, it is possible he over-reacted to Terry Jones’s Koran burning threat, and may have unnecessarily inflamed the situation with his warning. That, too, is up for debate, or at least should be unless we fear that also will stoke our enemies’ ire. But if a diehard liberal like Blow can see that we shouldn’t be afraid of debates on sensitive subjects, maybe the rest of the cowering media can pull out their pacifiers, take off their diapers, and stop acting like freedom of speech is only a good thing if nobody is offended by it. As Europe learned in 1939, if you give your enemies an inch, they’ll take a mile. If we give up this right to make radical Islamists happy, what’ll be next?

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Arianna Huffington Equates Ground Zero Mosque Opponents to Koran-Burning Pastor

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Snatching the proverbial low-hanging fruit off the branch, Arianna Huffington compared the vast majority of Americans who oppose the construction of a mosque close to Ground Zero to the thirty members of a Florida church who plan to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11. Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, the liberal publisher criticized the president for not echoing her logical fallacy. “I think the point [President Barack Obama] could have made is to connect [Koran burning] with the opposition of the mosque,” asserted Huffington, publisher of The Huffington Post. “You can’t really completely separate these things.” Huffington then attempted to pass off circular logic as a “teachable moment:” People who are saying we should not build the mosque there are basically denying the fundamental principles the president was talking about in your interview, you know, which is basically freedom to worship your religion on private ground, wherever you are. That’s like an essential part of what America is based on. It was not an afterthought that the Fathers had – you know, religious freedom. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, founder of The Daily Caller, countered Huffington’s fatuous claims: So if you think that it’s intentionally provocative and an insult to the memory of 9/11 to build a mosque basically on the site, that’s the same as burning a Koran or hating Islam? That’s not even close. They’re not related. After agreeing with Huffington’s illogical parallel, GMA anchor George Stephanopoulos directed a loaded question at Carlson. “Here’s the point I don’t get – and it’s not a mosque it’s an Islamic center with a mosque and an inter-faith center inside – why isn’t it honoring the memories of the victims of 9/11 to put that center there and prove that we’re not going to sacrifice our freedoms?” demanded the former Clinton adviser. A transcript of the relevant portion of the segment can be found below: ABC GMA September 9, 2010 8:17 A.M. E.S.T. GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We were talking about the Florida pastor just before we came on the air. Starting with you, Tucker. This had to be kind of a tough call in the White House. You’ve got this Florida pastor, thirty followers, yet pretty clearly from the beginning the week until the president’s interview with me yesterday they were saying “we’ve got to take this on.” TUCKER CARLSON, founder of The Daily Caller: I don’t think he needed to take it on. I think it was foolish to respond to your question – a good question though it was. He should have waved his hand dismissively; this guy represents no one, he’s a lone wacko. I think the president truly believes, and many in his party do, that the center of the country is filled with people just like this, who are intolerant and hateful, and there’s no evidence of that at all. There haven’t been a lot of anti-Islamic incidents. STEPHANOPOULOS: Setting aside what happens here in the United States, which is a hard thing to set aside, I think the danger is that even if he is a wacko, around the world he is seen as representing America? CARLSON: So they’re going to hate us more now? I mean, come on. ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, founder of The Huffington Post: It’s very hard for him not to respond when General Petraeus himself has said that this is going to be putting our troops at risk. I think the point he could have made is to connect it with the opposition of the mosque. STEPHANOPOULOS: That would be doubling down though, wouldn’t it? HUFFINGTON: You can’t really completely separate these things. STEPHANOPOULOS: No, you’re right. HUFFINGTON: And I think that’s really the teachable moment. People who are saying we should not build the mosque there are basically denying the fundamental principles the president was talking about in your interview, you know, which is basically freedom to worship your religion on private ground, wherever you are. That’s like an essential part of what America is based on. It was not an afterthought that the Fathers had – you know, religious freedom. CARLSON: So if you think that it’s intentionally provocative and an insult to the memory of 9/11 to build a mosque basically on the site, that’s the same as burning a Koran or hating Islam? That’s not even close. They’re not related. HUFFINGTON: I didn’t say it’s the same, but there is a continuity. And you can’t just say “this is okay, and anything beyond that is not.” STEPHANOPOULOS: Here’s the point I don’t get – and it’s not a mosque it’s an Islamic center with a mosque and an inter-faith center inside – why isn’t it honoring the memories of the victims of 9/11 to put that center there and prove that we’re not going to sacrifice our freedoms? CARLSON: Well I guess there are two points. One, there is no mosque or inter-faith mosque, there’s actually nothing, it’s merely an idea and it’s nowhere close to coming to fruition. So the point of this is to provoke. The point of this is to put a stick in the eye of people who are offended by this, which is like seventy percent of Americans. If you truly wanted to honor the memory of those killed on 9/11 why not ask the relatives of those who were killed on 9/11. Shouldn’t they have a say in this? They’re overwhelmingly against this. STEPHANOPOULOS: A say, but not a veto.      HUFFINGTON: Yes, you can’t have a veto and still basically stand up for the fundamental principles of the country and one of them is the freedom to worship wherever you are, on private ground, and whatever religion you believe in. I mean, that’s a fundamental freedom, that was part of the founding of this country. It wasn’t like an ancillary thought that the Founders had. CARLSON: But nobody is denying that. The argument is is it a good idea? Or is it somehow a desecration? And you can believe, as I do, that it is a provocation and a desecration and it’s wrong and maybe even immoral, but that you shouldn’t prevent it legally. There is an argument to be made. And I have to say, conflating people who think it’s wrong to build the mosque at Ground Zero with people who want to burn a Koran.

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To Letterman’s Irritation, Trump Denounces Ground Zero Mosque as ‘Insensitive,’ ‘Somebody Knocked Down the World Trade Center’

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Earning applause from the audience inside Manhattan’s Ed Sullivan Theater for Wednesday’s Late Show, Donald Trump gave David Letterman his take on placing a new mosque near Ground Zero: “I think it’s very insensitive to build it there. I think it’s not appropriate, a I think it’s insensitive and it shouldn’t be built there.” Letterman frowned, prompting Trump to point out to the audience: “I don’t know if he agrees.” Letterman eventually asked “what about the notion” of when the “pilgrims came over…looking for religious expression? And as far as I’ve always known, that’s a fundamental building block of what makes this country great.” Trump agreed, but “it’s caused such a storm that the people doing it would make so much good will” if they moved it to a different location. When Trump repeated his point, to more applause, about how “it’s very insensitive to build it there and I think they should go someplace else,” a befuddled Letterman wondered: “Describe for me what insensitivity is manifested if it’s built there?” And Letterman fretted: “Does this suggest that we are in fact officially at war with Muslims?” To which, Trump observed: “Well, somebody knocked down the World Trade Center.” Letterman also sputtered: “I don’t believe, not having read the Koran, I don’t believe that part of that belief, that pursuit is here in your face, take a look at this, what do you think? What are you going to do?” Trump, on to promote a new season of The Apprentice on NBC, retorted: “Well, somebody’s blowing us up. Somebody’s blowing up buildings, and somebody’s doing lots of bad stuff.” The Late Show Web site has a video of a portion of the Ground Zero mosque discussion. Audio: MP3 clip From the Wednesday, September 1 Late Show with David Letterman: DAVID LETTERMAN: Now, tell me everything I need to know — everything a reasonable person should understand about the rebuilding that’s taking place at the former site of the twin towers, and the construction of, possible construction of a mosque down there. What do you know about it? What do you understand about it? And what are smart people, what should we be thinking of. DONALD TRUMP: Well, the rebuilding is going very slowly. It should have gone faster. I’ve always said what we should do is rebuild the World Trade Center exactly as it was. You know, it was never a very popular building architecturally until it went down and when it went down we all felt so terrible and all of a sudden people started loving it. I came out and said we should rebuild it in exactly the same form, but a little bit taller and a lot stronger and a lot of people loved that idea, but that’s not what they’re doing. As far as the mosque is concerned, I think it’s very insensitive to build it there. I think it’s not appropriate, a I think it’s insensitive and it shouldn’t be built there. (Applause) [pause as Letterman frowns] I don’t know if he agrees LETTERMAN: Well, I don’t know — I’m so ignorant about stuff. What about the notion — I can remember, I can’t remember but, remember when the pilgrims came over? Folks, remember when the pilgrims were here? And the puritans, and they came seeking religious freedom, and freedom from religious persecution, looking for religious expression. And as far as I’ve always known, that’s a fundamental building block of what makes this country great. TRUMP: I agree. And, you know, it’s called very simply freedom of religion. And I would agree with that 100 percent. In this case, it’s caused such a storm that the people doing it would make so much good will if they said, “hey, listen, we want to make everybody happy, including ourselves. We’re going to pick a site that’s a little further away.” Everybody would be happy and I think it would be such incredible good will. I would say if they wanted to do it from a PR standpoint it would be the greatest thing they could do. But I don’t see it happening. I see the developer, he’s pretty tough, and he wants to build it there. He’s get no money. He’s got a lot of problems. But I think the mosque is a real big issue in this city and in this country and I think it’s very insensitive to build it there and I think they should go someplace else. (Applause) LETTERMAN: Insensitive, and describe for me what insensitivity is manifested if it’s built there. TRUMP: Well, I just think there’s such ire. There’s such — I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I mean, I goy that site because I have a big building down there, 40 Wall Street, and the level of animosity and hatred and all of the things that this mosque is engendering, it’s very inappropriate. And I’m like you, I believe freedom of religion, but at the same time, sometimes you have to make a turn. It shouldn’t be forced upon them. If they did it of their own volition it would be such a popular thing for them. LETTERMAN: If they did what? TRUMP: If they moved it to a different site. LETTERMAN: The notion — does this suggest that we are in fact officially at war with Muslims? Is that what this suggests? TRUMP: Well, somebody knocked down the World Trade Center. LETTERMAN: Yes. No denying that, and they were Muslims, but they weren’t, it’s not, how do I want to express this? We’re not at — we’re at war with those people and they happen to be Muslims. We’re not at war with Muslims. (Applause) TRUMP: Well, I would say that’s right, David, I would say that’s right. And whether you like it or not, there’s a lot of people in this country that are just absolutely — you see the people who died in the World Trade Center, when you see their mothers and their fathers and their wives standing there just weeping and crying because of the mosque, I just think it would be a great thing if they would move it, if they would voluntarily say, “you know, we’re going to move this.” I think they would engender, I mean, it would be so good for them. LETTERMAN: Yes, but I don’t believe, not having read the Koran, I don’t believe that part of that belief, that pursuit is here in your face, take a look at this, what do you think? What are you going to do? TRUMP: Well, somebody’s blowing us up. I mean, somebody’s blowing up buildings, and somebody’s doing lots of bad stuff, David. And, you know, we’re at war, which as you know because you and I had this discussion two times ago when I was on the show. We should have never been in Iraq in the first place….

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To Letterman’s Irritation, Trump Denounces Ground Zero Mosque as ‘Insensitive,’ ‘Somebody Knocked Down the World Trade Center’

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Sustain: An Eco-Supply Store On The Rocks

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

It is a tough environment for brick-and-mortar retailers right now. It is tougher still if you are in a niche market, like green bricks, mortar and eco-supplies. It is even tougher if you are in a small town on the Canadian shield like Huntsville, Ontario , which earlier this summer accommodated the G8 but was too small for the G20. I met Jonath… Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Sustain: An Eco-Supply Store On The Rocks

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