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Shoddy construction throughout the world, but especially in China and the U.S., is a type of malinvestment, and it will have consequences. Everybody seems to know about China's real estate bubble and brand new empty cities, but few seem to understand that maintenance is essentially non-existent. Build it new, and when it gets "old" (say, 20 years), then tear it down and rebuild it in grand style. That has been the Chinese mindset since the Great Transformation launched in 1978 ("To get rich is glorious"). But when real estate development becomes half of the economy, and literally thousands of highrise...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER – Local architecture plays an important role in the culture of the marsh Arabs of southern Iraq.  No structure captures the lifestyle and traditions of the region more than the “mudhif,” a traditional structure making a comeback in modern construction here thanks to a little outside help. First built in the marshes of what is now southern Iraq over 5,000 years ago, the mudhif is a unique local meeting place constructed entirely of reeds, straw and other natural materials. Over time, the building process hasn't changed greatly. Lengths of reed about 10 meters long are bunched...

(IsraelNN.com) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has refused to back down to Israel’s insistence on building for Jews in all of Jerusalem and charged that construction projects undermine "America's unique ability to play a role -- an essential role, I might add -- in the peace process." Speaking to more than 7,000 delegates at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention in Washington, she maintained that her criticism of Israel’s policy does not conflict with the fact that her "commitment to Israel's security and Israel's future is rock solid, unwavering, enduring and forever.”

The Crisis Was Obama's confrontation with Israel premeditated? JERUSALEM—Suddenly, my city feels again like a war zone. Since the suicide bombings ended in 2005, life in Jerusalem has been for the most part relatively calm. The worst disruptions have been the traffic jams resulting from construction of a light rail, just like in a normal city. But now, again, there are clusters of helmeted border police near the gates of the Old City, black smoke from burning tires in the Arab village across from my porch, young men marching with green Islamist flags toward my neighborhood, ambulances parked at strategic...

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel would continue to build in Jerusalem in the same way that it has over the last 42 years. "The building in Jerusalem - and in all other places - will continue in the same way as has been customary over the last 42 years," said Netanyahu at a Likud party meeting.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust. (Proverbs 21:22)..... Using the Jericho model I would encourage you to take back your family, your neighborhood, your town, your state, your government and your country the same way God gave Jericho to Joshua. ***** Read about THE JERICHO WALK and see if this is a way for you to "TAKE BACK THE LAND"!

NEWS RELEASE ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan 2010-01-CA-102 For Immediate Release KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 21) - The Herat governor and Regional Command-West commander inaugurated a new building for Herat's provincial council, Jan. 16. The Herat Provincial Reconstruction Team built the 600-meter building with funds from the Italian Ministry of Defence. The project cost approximately 112,000 Euros and was built to assist Afghan authorities, as well as promote stability and development in the area. Nineteen new members of the council took their oaths at the inauguration of the new building. Five of the group were women, one of whom will be...

The Price Of Construction Materials Is About To Soar Commodities / Investing 2010 Jan 08, 2010 - 01:46 AM By: DailyWealth Tom Dyson writes: If you want to know what's going on in the economy, you need to watch the price of lumber... Housing is the most important asset class in America. When house prices fall, banks fail, consumers cut back, unemployment rises, and the economy collapses. But when house prices are strong, the economy rebounds. In other words, the U.S. real estate market is the main pivot in the whole economic mess we're in right now. If you can...

(IsraelNN.com) The United States responded with lukewarm praise Wednesday night to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's announcement of a "painful but necessary" decision to freeze all new construction in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria in a last-ditch attempt to revive final status talks with the Palestinian Authority. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded within moments of Netanyahu's announcement, issuing a statement of approval for the decision. Middle East envoy George Mitchell added minutes later at a news briefing in Washington D.C. that "it falls short of a full settlement freeze," but still is "more than any other Israeli government...

CAMP TAJI – The shift of U.S. forces out of Iraqi cities has created a new set of tasks for troops in the Iraqi countryside, and a newly-formed group is concentrating on infrastructure projects here. Combining the talents of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment's leadership with members of the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team North and the 1479th Civil Affairs Company to form a Project Working Group, the goal is to highlight projects that benefit the local populace. During a meeting held at the Tarmiyah Center, Oct. 13, district engineers from Tarmiyah, Abayachi, and Mushada met with members of the...

FORT DRUM, N.Y., Oct. 8, 2009 – With five of the 10th Mountain Division’s six brigade-size elements deployed, returning from deployments or en route to new deployments, their new commander said he’s focused on ensuring their wellness and resiliency and that of their families. Army Maj. Gen. James L. Terry, the new 10th Mountain Division commander, said one of his main focuses is on the wellness and resiliency of soldiers and their families. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tiffany Evans   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Maj. Gen. James L. Terry called looking out for their well-being one...

Developers of a new Jewish neighborhood on privately-owned land in eastern Jerusalem plan to lay the cornerstone for the project Wednesday afternoon, ignoring U.S. President Barack Obama’s opposition to Jewish “settlers" in the area. Former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau plans to be on hand for the ceremony which marks the development of 105 luxury units in Nof Tzion.

This past Saturday, an entire apartment building in Shanghai collapsed. To be fair, the building was under construction and thus unoccupied, but it's still a minor miracle that there was only one fatality. Sounds like there was a problem with some nearby flood prevention walls at the Dianpu River, but there's no hard evidence as to why this huge building simply fell over. Anyway, here are some sweet pictures of the architectural carnage.

Robert and Kay Lynn lay in bed shortly after closing on their new home in the Blue Oaks subdivision in Rancho Murieta, Calif., abutting an 18-hole golf course. They were listening to the “pop, pop, pop” of what they thought were acorns falling onto the roof. The Lynns soon realized those were not acorns dropping on the roof. “Little did we know it was the house cracking,” says Mrs. Lynn, 67 years old. Mr. Lynn, 68, says they bought the property in 2002 for $357,000 as a weekend home and an investment. The stucco house was moving and shifting, with...

At around 5:30am on June 27, an unoccupied building still under construction at Lianhuanan Road in the Minxing district of Shanghai city toppled over. One worker was killed. According to information, a 70 meter section of the flood prevention wall in nearby Dianpu River and that may have something to do with this building collapse.

The Commerce Department said housing starts fell 12.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 458,000 units, the lowest on records dating back to January 1959, from March's upwardly revised 525,000 units. Compared to the same period last year, housing starts tumbled 54.2 percent.

(IsraelNN.com) The city of Jerusalem responded on Thursday with a biting, detailed statement to what it called the "disinformation campaign" that was conducted during this week's visit to the capital by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton on Wednesday slammed Israel's demolition of buildings in the northern and eastern neighborhoods of the city. "Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'Roadmap,'" she said. "It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she told...

Soldiers from the 41st Brigade, 10th Division Iraqi Army Division assemble a pyramid displaying an Iraqi flag at their initial training graduation at the Besmaya Range Complex, Dec. 31, 2008. Photo by Pfc. Terence Ewings, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. COB ADDER — Approximately 2,100 Iraqi Army Soldiers graduated their initial training at the Besmaya Range Complex Dec. 31, increasing the might of the Iraqi Security Forces. As he visually reviewed the graduating troops of the 41st Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, Gen Habeeb Talib Abbas, commander of the 10th Iraqi Army Division stood and saluted the newest members.Habeeb displayed...

America has failed to invest in its infrastructure for the past 50 years, and the bill is coming due. The situation is reminiscent of the ancient Roman Empire, which grew strong because of its advanced aqueduct system, but which fell into decline when that feat of engineering tumbled into disrepair. We're in danger of repeating that history, but it's not too late to fix the problem if we take decisive action now. That's why Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and I formed Building America's Future earlier this year. Long before any of us realized we...

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Parliament says that part of the roof of its Strasbourg chamber has collapsed.