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Adenle041:
Wow, abeg make una sponsor me to Dubai to take a view, but truly awesome, as in beautiful.

lol...where d money dey?

Loretha "Cookie" Lyon is a fictional character from the American musical drama Empire on Fox. Portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Cookie is one of the main characters within the series and the ex-wife of former drug dealer turned hip-hop mogul, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) who gets released from prison and strikes out to lay claim to half of their multimillion-dollar record label, which was initially funded by her drug money.

Background Edit

Loretha Holloway, nicknamed "Cookie", was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has two sisters, Candace (Vivica A. Fox) and Carol (Tasha Smith). Growing up, Cookie gradually began working in the drug dealing business, which is where she met, and soon married Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard). Cookie and Lucious have three living children and once deceased daughter.: Andre (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett), and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray)(Yazz the Greatest). Cookie strove to ensure that her children would get the best out of everything. In the drug dealing business, Cookie's life has revolved around music, money, and dodging the law.

One of Cookie's former accomplices is Frank Gathers (Chris Rock). Cookie, meanwhile, contributed to the beginnings of Empire Entertainment, distributing $400,000 worth of drug money to create the company. Because Cookie has been involved in drug dealing gone bad, forcing her to serve 17 years in prison, preventing her from being in her sons' lives. After Lucious becomes distant from Cookie while she is incarcerated, the two eventually get a divorce.

Storyline Edit

In the show's first episode, Cookie gets released from prison and immediately visits Jamal, her gay son (Jussie Smollett), the only member of the family that has kept in touch with her. Cookie then confronts Lucious (Terrence Howard) demanding half of the company, but he refuses and instead offers her a seven-figure income and living arrangements. She quickly realizes that her youngest son Hakeem wants nothing to do with her. The oldest and most qualified businessman, Andre (Trai Byers), convinces Cookie to manage Jamal's career, which puts Jamal and Hakeem head to head. This action also results in Cookie and Lucious being at odds.[2] Cookie is devastated when her cousin Bunkie is discovered murdered. When she was in bed with Luscious Lyon, this was confessed in his sleep. At the same time she schemes to get Jamal to come out publicly during Hakeem's debut performance at Lucious' club. While that plan falls apart, Jamal ends up performing with Hakeem anyway. He later performs a song that shows his sexuality. Cookie is later confronted by federal agents who want her to testify in front of a grand jury against the drug dealer that she ratted out to obtain her release.[3]

Creation and development Edit

Executive producer Lee Daniels revealed that Cookie was loosely based on the women in his life including his sister as well as Joan Collins' Dynasty character, Alexis Carrington. Cookie will stop at nothing to get what she wants and she will cause "havoc" along the way.[4] Henson said in an interview with TV Guide, that Cookie is the "hood version of Mama Rose from Gypsy."

Casting and portrayal Edit
On February 26, 2014, it was announced that Taraji P. Henson, best known for her Academy Award nominated performance in the 2008 film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and her most recent stint on the CBS drama, Person of Interest had been cast in the role of Cookie Lyon. After being released from a 17-year prison stint, Cookie challenges her ex-husband Lucious for half Empire Entertainment, which was initially launched with money Cookie made from selling drugs.[5] Knowing they would need well established actors to carry the series, executives at Fox reached out to Henson. Henson who had just ended her stint on Person of Interest in 2013 said she was done with television. However, Henson's manager sent her the script for Empire anyway.[6] Lee Daniels said that Henson was who he "envisioned" when he first thought of the character.[7] Daniels recalled that she actually wanted the title role in his 2009 film, Precious, a role that later went to Gabourey Sidibe, for which he said "she's out of her mind."[8] Ironically, actress and comedian Mo'Nique who also co-starred in the film Precious as the mother of the title character (portrayed by Sidibe)—for which she won an Academy Award—revealed that Daniels had also offered her the role of Cookie, but the network rejected the idea accusing her of being "difficult."[9]

Cookie "challenges me and I like that, I really do... I remember picking up the script and it scared the bejesus out of me. I was scared of Cookie," Henson explained. She knew the content would "piss off" a lot of viewers, but added, "isn't that what art is supposed to do?"[10] "I know I'm going to have to probably dig into some ugly places in my life to bring the character to life" Henson remarked.[7]

Personality Edit
"It's this combination of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Mama Rose on crack meets Lee Daniels' sister."

Danny Strong on Cookie[11]
With the announcement of Henson's casting, the character of Cookie was described as a "total badass."[5] "She's a lot of things," Henson said of her character in an interview with E!. Cookie is "very complicated and complex," the actress stated.[10] Henson hailed Cookie as her "hero." In an interview with the Associated Press, she described Cookie as "the truth." Cookie is a "strong" woman who puts her "family first." Cookie "doesn't compromise at all? never herself, and never her truth." The actress admits that Cookie says what Henson might not have the guts to say.[12] Cookie is a "tell-it-like-it-is everywoman." Henson described Cookie as "every actor's dream."[13] "There's no mask" Henson said of Cookie. She is "raw nerve."[8] Henson admitted that she can identify with Cookie's "mentality" because "I am from the 'hood.' It wasn't upper middle class; it was lower middle class." While Henson's life may not have been as bad as some of her peers, "I went to school with those kids. That's where I lived." She has compassion for a person like Cookie because "I was around it, so I can't judge" she said. Like Henson, who lost her son's father three years after giving birth, Cookie "did whatever she had to do" to support her family.[7] Henson said viewers could identify with Cookie simply because "She's just real." Cookie is not "malicious" but she "shoots straight from the hip" and she's usually right. Henson admitted that she often has to "rein [Cookie] in" to keep from becoming "over the top" in her portrayal. As an actress, because Henson is so "uninhibited," the writers tend to write her "really big." Henson said "I make a conscious effort to sit on it" because if she always played it big, Cookie becomes a "stereotype and no one cares."[14]

Fashion Edit
A big part of the character is Cookie's fashion, which Henson has quite a lot of input in. "They've given me a lot of leeway. I love dressing up, as you can see, I love to play," said Henson. For the character, when Cookie first comes out of prison, "she is a bit dated" in her fashion sense, according to Henson. However, "You'll get to see her grow, not only in her art, but also in her style."[10] Ayanna Prescod of Vibe Magazine commented, "Cookie is fierce, caring and extremely powerful. Her wardrobe is filled with fur, animal prints, golds and sparkles. After only one premiere show, women are asking how to look like Cookie."[15] After her time in prison, Cookie needed to reclaim what she put into Empire. In order to "be a boss woman", Cookie sets up a wardrobe that allows her to "look like one."[16] Empire costume designer Rita McGhee says of the character: "She is everywoman...She wears a suit, but it's a leopard suit and she wears it with some thigh-high boots. She owns the armor of her fashion. How shes feels inside matches her outside." McGhee also stated that Cookie's sense of fashion was inspired by Michelle Obama.[17] Henson said of the character's immense and varied wardrobe, "It’s like fashion on crack! It’s high drama, I get to dress up and wear things I can’t afford or that I just wouldn’t buy because I’m cheap."[18] Henson referred to Cookie as "an animal" out for what belongs to her, and stated that her love of fur and leopard prints relates to that theme.

twinskenny:
this is awesome

it really is

Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة‎‎, Arabic for "Khalifa Tower"; pronounced English /ˈbɜːrdʒ kəˈliːfə/), known as Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft).[4][9]

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It is designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to build the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy, and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was named in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, like being the tallest tower in the world.

Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, then of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), whose firm designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. Hyder Consulting was chosen to be the supervising engineer with NORR Group Consultants International Limited chosen to supervise the architecture of the project. The design of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, incorporating cultural and historical elements particular to the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra. The Y-shaped plan is designed for residential and hotel usage. A buttressed core structural system is used to support the height of the building, and the cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's summer temperatures. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators .

Development Edit

Construction began on 6 January 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010,[2][10] and is part of the new 2 km2 (490-acre) development called Downtown Dubai at the 'First Interchange' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district. The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer.[11][12] The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea.[13] The tower's construction was done by the construction division of Al Ghurair Investment group.[14][15]

Conception Edit

Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that would include 30,000 homes, nine hotels (including The Address Downtown Dubai), 3 hectares (7.4 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12-hectare (30-acre) man-made Burj Khalifa Lake. The decision to build Burj Khalifa is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil based economy to one that is service and tourism based. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Khalifa to be built in the city to garner more international recognition, and hence investment. "He (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational," said Jacqui Josephson, a tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties.[16] The tower was known as Burj Dubai ("Dubai Tower" until its official opening in January 2010.[17] It was renamed in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the federal government of UAE lent Dubai tens of billions of USD so that Dubai could pay its debts – Dubai borrowed at least $80 billion for construction projects.[17] In 2000s, Dubai started diversifying its economy but it suffered from an economic crisis in 2007–2010, leaving large scale projects already in construction abandoned.

Records Edit
Tallest existing structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m or 2,063 ft)
Tallest structure ever built: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m or 2,121 ft)
Tallest freestanding structure: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m or 1,815 ft)
Tallest skyscraper (to top of spire): 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m or 1,671 ft)
Tallest skyscraper to top of antenna: 829.8 m (2,722 ft) (previously the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower – 527.3 m or 1,730 ft)
Building with most floors: 163 (previously World Trade Center – 110)[18]
Building with world's highest occupied floor: 584.5 m (1,918 ft)[19][20]
World's highest elevator installation (situated inside a rod at the very top of the building)[21]
World's longest travel distance elevators: 504 m (1,654 ft)[21][22]
Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft)[23]
World's tallest structure that includes residential space[24]
World's highest observation deck: 148th floor at 555 m (1,821 ft)[25][26]
World's highest outdoor observation deck: 124th floor at 452 m (1,483 ft)
World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade: 512 m (1,680 ft)[27]
World's highest nightclub: 144th floor
World's highest restaurant (At.mosphere): 122nd floor at 442 m (1,450 ft) (previously 360, at a height of 350 m (1,148 ft) in CN Tower)[28][29]
World's highest New Year display of fireworks.[30]
World's second highest swimming pool: 76th floor[31] (world's highest swimming pool is located on 118th floor of Ritz-Carlton Hotel at International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong).

Mr Denis Ndegbu had the choice of buying a plot of dry land in Agbara, a Lagos suburb but rather opted to buy a water-logged land near Ijanikin, a nearby neighbourhood. Two factors influenced his decision – the cost of the two plots and their proximity to the road. The water-logged parcel of land was by far cheaper than the dry land and closer to the road. Without doing any soil tests or engaging the services of any built environment professional, Mr. Ndegbu started to work on the site. He later discovered that he made a wrong decision after-all as the cost of sand-filling the land alone could have taken him far, if he had bought the dry land. When Mr Ndegbu ran out of funds, he decided to abandon the project. The plight of Mr. Ndegbu is synonymous to what many Lagosians go through on regular basis because most parts of the city are water-logged and marshy. Some of those who succeeded, erected shanties that are at best, good for the habitation of wild animals. Swamps are forested wetlands. Like marshes, they are often found near rivers or lakes and have mineral soil that drains very slowly. But unlike marshes, they have trees and bushes. They may have water in them for the whole year or for only part of the year. Experts posit that the construction of houses on swamps require special attention. Either the soil is removed or  strengthened by suitable means after ascertaining its (soil) properties. Building houses in challenging terrain and swamps requires special attention when compared to construction in ordinary soil. This is because  swampy or marshy lands are periodically and at times permanently inundated by water. Against this backdrop, the CEO of Ethical Business and Management Associates EBAM, Mr Afolabi Adedeji, a Civil Engineer, advised those who have bought swampy land to ensure that the foundation of their buildings rests on sound soil so that when the super structure (building) is completed, the weight would be evenly spread.

One of the first steps to take, according to Engr Adedeji is to sand-fill the swampy land so that it would become firm. When this is done, you should put a raft foundation to carry the building. The EBAM chairman was quick to point out that it is not in all cases that raft foundation will be effective. “Sometimes, the swamp or what we call potopoto will be too deep that using the raft foundation will not solve the problem. In that case, you should go for a pile foundation,” he said, adding that there are two types of pile foundation – end-bearing pile foundation and friction pile foundation. Adedeji who stated that it is preferable to look for virgin land that is firm because it costs less, however noted that in a place like Lagos where it is becoming increasingly difficult to get dry land to build, you   cannot run away from building on swamps. “What we should do is to apply engineering methods and techniques to get nature to suit our purpose,” he said, adding that most of Lekki and Ajah were swamps that have been turned into highbrow residential neighbourhood. Also speaking on how to effectively utilise a swampy land, past chairman, Nigerian Institute of Building NIOB Lagos State Branch and National Publicity Secretary of the Institute, Mr. Kunle Awobodu explained that building on swampy land requires soil investigation. He noted that where the water table is high, one needs to determine its capacity. Once these have been determined, the builder would now be left with the choice of the type of foundation that will be suitable on the land. The choice, he said, is between the raft foundation and piling. Awobodu advised builders on swampy soil to equally take the future level of the road around the premises into consideration. He pointed out that if the level of the road is higher than the level of the foundation, the house will have drainage challenges. Explaining that water from the ground will also pose a challenge to the building, he said this is why from the onset, the developer should use water resisting membrane to check dampness of the walls. According to him, the type of filling done before doing the foundation matters a great deal. He advised developers on such land to avoid clay materials or soil when filling water logged areas. This is because when the water table diminishes, the clay will shrink thereby creating a space underneath the slab and causing cracks on the building in future. He further noted that in constructing the fence round the building, concrete must be used on the lower part of the fence above the proper floor level. Finally, Awobodu said  painting of the external walls of the structure shouldn't be done with premium quality paint to prevent moisture on the building.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/how-to-build-on-swamp/

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