20 YEARS LATER...

It was two decades ago on this day that the world was changed by immense tragedy that struck on the east coast of the United States. We will never forget the fallen...

Here's hoping that we remain vigilant, and don't allow history to repeat itself that will cause us to return our brave service members to distant lands—specifically Afghanistan—in the name of the war on terror.

May God bless America, and may God protect our troops.

ABOVE: Photo by Jesse Mills

17 Years Ago, Today...

We Will Never Forget. That has been this nation's mantra since the 1-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001. I remember where I was on that fateful day—at home, having a day off from class (I started my fourth year in college a few weeks earlier), and turning on the TV to see what was transpiring in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC that morning. I forgot what prompted me to switch on the TV after I got out of bed that day, but the image above will be imprinted on my mind forever. Of course, it will be imprinted on the minds of 300 million other Americans (and folks around the world) as well. And it should be... We Will Never Forget.


Image courtesy of Eric Eisenhour - Facebook

Photos of the Day: The Wilshire Grand's Spire Is Complete!

Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Just thought I'd share these great photos that I found online showing the Wilshire Grand Center after the final piece of its spire was installed early this morning. The skyscraper now stands at about 1,100 feet-tall, with the spire making it around 90 feet higher than the U.S. Bank Tower (which was the tallest building in Los Angeles up until this past week) and officially giving the Wilshire Grand Center the honorary position of being the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. Sure, it's still the fourth-highest building in the United States (behind New York's 1 World Trade Center and the Empire State Building, as well as Chicago's Willis Tower). But other than that, I'm so proud to be an Angeleno! For the most part, that is. Yes, I keep saying that.


Gary Leonard, AP


Gary Leonard, AP


Reed Saxon, AP

Honoring the People of Paris...

Just thought I'd share this photo that I saw on Facebook showing the 1 World Trade Center in New York City with its antenna spire lit in blue, white and red—corresponding to the order of colors on the French flag. First, Charlie Hebdo and now this. The people of France need all of the support they can get as they have been continually placed in the crosshairs of cowardly fanatics since January. This is another example of why the war on terrorism will not go away for a long time. Pray for Paris.

Photos of the Day: Checking Out the New Wilshire Grand Center in Person...

Yesterday, I worked at a location in downtown Los Angeles that was only a few blocks away from the new Wilshire Grand Center (WGC)...which is currently undergoing construction. This skyscraper is still ways away from making its grand opening in 2017—but the fact that this is supposed to be the nation's tallest building west of the Mississippi River once completed (the highest U.S. building east of the Mississippi being none other than the 1 World Trade Center in New York City) made me eager to see it in person. I had such a long work day yesterday that I took photos of the WGC early in the morning and late at night, before I went home. Can't wait to take more pics once this tower opens to the public!

Remembering 9/11...

Today marks 14 years since that fateful day which would change the geopolitical landscape of the U.S. and the world forever. Just thought I'd commemorate this anniversary by sharing this terrific photo of the 1 World Trade Center...which now stands tall and proud in New York City and serves as a reminder that the greatest nation on this planet will not succumb to those cowardly enough to resort to terrorism to achieve their destructive aims on September 11, 2001.


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook

Photos of the Day: The Wilshire Grand Center Continues to Take Shape...

Just thought I'd end this month by sharing these cool progress photos of what will soon be the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. The Wilshire Grand Center is scheduled to open in downtown Los Angeles two years from now...and based on these pics, the construction remains right on schedule (not to jinx it or anything) for its grand debut. Unlike the other buildings that dot L.A.'s skyline, I plan to visit this tower once it opens to the public in 2017. Of course, if I had enough money to spare on another trip to New York, I'd check out the 1 World Trade Center first! Oh well.


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook

1 WTC: Now Open for Business!

Taylor Mason / NY on Air

After beginning construction more than eight years ago, the 1 World Trade Center has opened its doors today to its main tenant (the magazine conglomerate, Condé Nast) and the public who are eager to visit Manhattan's newest iconic skyscraper. Here are some photos of America's tallest building to commemorate today's grand opening...


Image courtesy of WTC Progress - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook

13 Years Ago, Today...

We Will Never Forget. That has been this nation's mantra since the 1-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001. While the photos above and below show how far New York City has come since its Twin Towers were taken out by two airliners that fateful morning, the threat to this country still remains as serious as ever. Al-Qaeda has not been the same since Osama bin Laden was eliminated by American Special Forces more than three years ago, but the rise of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in Iraq and Syria exemplifies that the U.S. and its allies need to be increasingly vigilant for extremist groups that will emerge to replace Al-Qaeda as a major menace to peace and freedom-loving nations (President Obama proved this when he went in front of the TV camera last night to address the American public on how the U.S. will move forward to "degrade and ultimately defeat" the ISIS threat). Here's hoping that ISIS will eventually be eliminated, with its demise joining the diminishing (but still-present) danger posed by al-Qaeda—and other counter-terrorist victories such as the U.S. airstrike that caused the death of Somali terrorist leader Ahmed Abdi Godane a little over a week ago—as signs that America and other countries with free societies will not rest until terrorists are either neutralized or brought to justice around the globe. That is all.


Image courtesy of Eric Eisenhour - Facebook

The Wilshire Grand Center: Finally Emerging Above the Chasm...

With its main concrete structure finally emerging above street level near Wilshire Boulevard, the Wilshire Grand Center (WGC) continues its ascension towards the sky as construction remains on pace for a 2017 opening of America's tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River. These images were posted on the Facebook fan page for the Wilshire Grand Center...which will be both an office complex and residential building for folks living in downtown Los Angeles. I'm looking forward to visiting the WGC when it is finally completed. Just like the Empire State Building and the 1 World Trade Center in New York, I'm hoping that non-employees and visitors like myself will get to go to the topmost floor inside the Wilshire Grand Center and take amazing photos of the L.A. skyline and the Southern California landscape beyond it. Carry on.


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of Wilshire Grand Center - Facebook

1 WTC: Photos of the Day...

Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook

It's been a while since I posted an entry about New York City's (and America's) newest symbol of greatness on this Blog, so just thought I'd share these cool photos that I found on Facebook. The 1 World Trade Center is expected to open to the public later this year.


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook


Image courtesy of One World Trade Center - Facebook

Photo of the Day, Pt. 2...

Just thought I'd post this since I also haven't blogged about the 1 World Trade Center (1 WTC) in a while...if you overlook this previous entry where I talked about Los Angeles' own Wilshire Grand Center (WGC). The 1 WTC should open later this year or early 2015, while the WGC is set for completion in 2017. Cool.


Courtesy of Facebook

The Wilshire Grand Center...

With New York City's 1 World Trade Center (1 WTC) set to open to the public by the end of this year, another skyscraper whose construction to look forward to will only be located about 30 miles from where I live here in SoCal. Known as the Wilshire Grand Center, this tower will be 1,100-feet (340 meters) tall...much higher than the U.S. Bank Tower [which has a height of 1,018 feet (310 meters)], currently the tallest building in Los Angeles as well as west of the Mississippi River [the 1 WTC, by comparison, is the highest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776-feet (541 meters) tall]. The Wilshire Grand Center just enjoyed the Guinness World Record-setting concrete pour of its foundation this weekend (it took 20 hours for 2,100 truckloads of cement to stream into the foundation, which required 21,200 cubic yards of concrete to fill the tower's base).


Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

The Wilshire Grand Center will open in 2017...with this 73-story structure serving as a luxury hotel, retail center and office complex for Angelenos to visit and work at. That's cool.


Rios Clementi Hale Studios

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

imgur.com

For all of you animal lovers out there, just thought I'd post these pics that were included in a feel-good article about a guy who found a sick baby squirrel out in the cold...and made it a new member of his family after nursing the squirrel back to health. You'd have to click on the aforementioned link to get that nice cuddly feeling seeing this little guy recover—and make some new furry friends in the process. Don't worry, I'll be back to blogging about space exploration, the USS Iowa, the Freedom Tower and other stuff in no time. Happy Holidays, y'all!


imgur.com


imgur.com


imgur.com

Happy Thanksgiving (Fellow Yanks)!

Just thought I'd mark this holiday by pointing out that you and yours have a great time feasting on stuffed turkey and shrimp cocktails today...and have fun either watching the Detroit Lions lose to the Green Bay Packers or the Oakland Raiders duke it out with the Dallas Cowboys later this afternoon. On another note, it was announced earlier this month that the 1 World Trade Center will officially be called the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere—courtesy of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Yet another reason to give thanks...and to be proud to be an American. Wait what?

EDIT (2:06 PM, PST): The Packers fell to the Lions, 40-10, about an hour ago. Leave it to me to jinx Detroit into winning its first Thanksgiving Day game since 2003. Of course, Detroit now has former USC running back/Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush on its team. Go Trojans.

New York Shows Solidarity for the Philippines

Just thought I'd share this great photo of the Empire State Building as it was recently lit up in the colors of the Philippine flag to show New York's support for the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. I would think that the 1 World Trade Center (towering in the background) would be the one that displays a red, blue, yellow and white lighting scheme in solidarity—seeing as how this skyscraper symbolizes Manhattan's own ability to rise up from the tragedy that struck it more than 12 years ago—but it's all good. Let's just keep having the aid flow into the embattled island nation to help it recover from last week's disaster.


Photo courtesy of Instagram

12 Years Later...

Just thought I'd commemorate 9/11 by posting these two pics—one new, one old—of New York City that I stumbled upon on Facebook today. The image directly below shows the USS Iowa sailing past the island of Manhattan with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center looming in the background. In the very last photo of this entry, the new 1 World Trade Center stands majestically above the rest of the New York skyline...in a pic that was taken late last month. My fellow Americans should definitely be proud that we can get back up and recover after trying to be taken down by those who are threatened and/or jealous of our freedom. Go USA!


Photo courtesy of Pacific Battleship Center - Facebook.com


Photo courtesy of WTC Progress - Facebook.com

A Clear Summer Day in New York City...

Just thought I'd post this great pic of the 1 World Trade Center as it stands majestically above the rest of the Manhattan skyline. It's safe to assume that this symbolic structure of freedom will get even more of the attention it deserves next month...on the 12-year anniversary of 9/11.

Happy August, Everyone!

Courtesy of Facebook

Just thought I'd start this month off by posting these two cool pics of the 1 World Trade Center...

Happy Independence Day!

Image of the Day... What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than to post a photo of a symbolic American structure that is now 1,776 feet-tall? Go Freedom Tower!