Old Fart Can't Survive TOP of Pinnacle@Duxton?

[makapaaa]

Hence the hurry to cut ribbon up there?

MM Lee believes property values will continue to rise in long term
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 November 2008 2341 hrs
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The Pinnacle@Duxton</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=update> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

SINGAPORE: VIPs including Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew had the chance to tour The Pinnacle@Duxton on Sunday, and they were impressed by what they saw.

All seven blocks at The Pinnacle are linked by sky-bridges.

On the top-most 50th storey is a sky garden with breathtaking views of the cityscape. HDB names it "The Contemplative Zone".

On the 26th storey, there is an 800-metre long jogging track as well as fitness centres.

The Pinnacle has the highest HDB blocks in Singapore. Prices are similarly high for late buyers.

When it went on sale in 2004, 4-room flats cost $288,400 to $392,100 and 5-roomers cost $343,100 to $451,100.

428 units were offered for sale in September 2008, and this time 4-room flats cost $450,000 to $550,000 while 5-room flats cost $550,000 to over $600,000.

The Pinnacle has 1,848 units in total.

HDB says the flats still cost less than what nearby flats are fetching on the resale market.

5-room flats in the vicinity cost $593,000 to $670,000.

Minister Mentor Lee said property values are bound to go up in the long run because the government is continuously building more infrastructure and attracting higher-value investments that provide higher wages to employees.

- CNA/ir

 

[myo539]

Some who cannot afford a bite of the pie will throw cold water at the project - for that matter - whatever project that they do not have a share in it. Calamasi is sour, but this grape is sour too!

 

[ahleebabasingaporethief]

The SHORT MINISTAR that runs HDB is living on FANTASY ISLAND. His name should be TATU.

ALSO, THE PROJECT should be renamed "I-CON" seeing how they still try to con the public at large.

At prices above $450K for 4 rooms and above $500K for 5 rooms, anyone that buys should have their heads examined.

At that kind of prices, one can buy A CONDO at areas like Hillview, Changi, Sembawang, Woodlands.

Come next year, most condos will be around that kind of pricing.

IN TIMES LIKE THIS, THEY STILL WANT TO MAKE MAXIMUM PROFITS.

I WILL NOT ERECT THEM IN THE NEXT ERECTIONS!

 

[imperialarms]

i toured Pinnacle@Duxton and i erected

 

[DOM the Clown]

The SHORT MINISTAR that runs HDB is living on FANTASY ISLAND. His name should be TATU.

Bro,
For the sake of those young kids coming in here, please consider adding picture or information of those things from yesteryears.....

Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.


Original series

Fantasy Island (1977)

Original run January 14, 1978 – May 19, 1984
Before it became a long-running original television show, Fantasy Island was introduced to viewers in 1977 through two highly-rated made-for-television films in which Mr. Roarke and Tattoo played relatively minor roles. Airing from 1978 to 1984, the original series starred Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke, the enigmatic overseer of a mysterious island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where people from all walks of life could come and live out their fantasies, albeit for a price.

Roarke was known for his white suit and cultured demeanor, and was initially accompanied by an energetic sidekick, Tattoo, played by Hervé Villechaize. Tattoo would run up the main bell tower to ring the bell and shout "The plane! The plane!" to announce the arrival of a new set of guests at the beginning of each episode. This line, shown at the beginning of the show's credits, became an unlikely catchphrase because of Villechaize's spirited delivery and French accent (he actually pronounced it, "De plane! De plane!"). In later seasons, he would arrive in his personal go-cart, sized for him, and recklessly drive to join Roarke for the visitor reception while staff scrambled to get out of his way. From 1980 to 1982, Wendy Schaal joined the cast as another assistant named Julie. In a highly unpopular move with fans, the producers fired Villechaize from the series before the 1983–1984 season (which ended up being its last) and Tattoo was replaced by a more sedate butler type named Lawrence, played by Christopher Hewett. Lawrence's personality was exactly the opposite of Tattoo's in many ways. For instance, Lawrence was also responsible for the bell ringing, but instead of climbing to the tower he simply pushed a button outside to have the bell ring automatically.

Roarke would then welcome his guests by lifting his glass and saying: "My dear guests, I am Mr. Roarke, your host. Welcome to Fantasy Island.".

Roarke's personal vehicle was an orange Dodge Aspen station wagon with a Safari top with the stance of a modern-day sport utility vehicle.


Tattoo and Mr. Roarke welcome visitors to Fantasy Island.In the early seasons, it was noted that each guest had paid $50,000 in advance for the fulfillment of their fantasies and that Fantasy Island was a business. Later, it became clear that the price a guest paid was substantial to him or her, and for one little girl whose father was one of Roarke's guests, she'd emptied her piggy bank - less than ten dollars - to have her fantasy about her father fulfilled.

In the two pilot movies Roarke was actually a rather sinister figure, but once the series went into production he soon became much more benevolent. In later seasons there were often supernatural overtones. Roarke also seemed to have his own supernatural powers of some sort, although it was never explained how this came to be. In one episode, when a guest says 'Thank God things worked out well', Roarke and Tattoo share a very odd look and Roarke says in a cryptic way 'Thank God indeed'. In the same episode, Roarke uses some mysterious powers to help Tattoo with his magic act.

Roarke had a strong moral code, but he was always merciful as he tried to teach his guests the error of their ways. Several guests died on the island, either due to their own negligence, aggression or arrogance, or because they were dying and Roarke was allowing them to live out one last wish. When necessary, Roarke would directly intervene when the fantasy became dangerous to the guest. For instance, when Tattoo had his own fantasy, which ended up with him being chased by hostile natives in canoes, Mr. Roarke suddenly appeared in a motorboat, snared Tattoo's canoe with a grappling hook and towed it away at high speed to help his employee escape.

The usual format of each episode consisted of an introduction in which Roarke would describe to Tattoo (or another assistant) the nature of each person's fantasy, usually with a cryptic comment suggesting the person's fantasy will not turn out as they expected. The episode would then alternate between two or three independent storylines as the guests experienced their fantasies and interacted with Roarke. Often, the fantasies would turn out to be morality lessons for the guests, sometimes to the point of (apparently) putting their lives at risk, only to have Roarke step in at the last minute and reveal the deception. It is mentioned a few times that a condition of visiting Fantasy Island is that guests never reveal what goes on there. A small number of guests decided to make the irrevocable choice to stay permanently, living out their fantasy until death; one such person was an actor who'd been in a Tarzan-type TV series in the 1960s.

It was shown every Saturday night on ABC at 10:00 PM, after the The Love Boat, which was also produced by Aaron Spelling. Like several other series of the era, such as the abovementioned The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote, Fantasy Island employed many celebrity (if not A-list film stars of the time) guest stars, often bringing them back repeatedly for different roles. Such guests included TV stars like Bill Bixby and Bob Denver, music stars like Sonny Bono and Robert Goulet, classic film stars like Peter Lawford and Ray Bolger, young starlets like Victoria Principal and Barbi Benton, character actors such as Howard Duff and David Doyle, and soap opera actors like Dack Rambo.

The program was popular in its day, and its campy style has won it a cult following in reruns.

It was filmed primarily in Burbank, California with the opening scenes of the enchanting island coastline being that of Kauai, Hawaii. The gorgeous house with the bell tower, where Tattoo rings the bell, is the Queen Anne Cottage, located in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. The plane, "arriving" with the guests, was filmed in the lagoon behind the Queen Anne Cottage. Sometimes, outdoor scenes were filmed at the Arboretum.


1998 series

Original run September 26, 1998 – January 23, 1999
In 1998, ABC revived the series. The role of Mr. Roarke was filled by Malcolm McDowell and, unlike in the first series, the supernatural aspect of his character and of Fantasy Island itself was emphasized from the start, along with a dose of dark humor. Director Barry Sonnenfeld, known for his work on The Addams Family movies, was a chief creative force on the new series. Another departure from the original involved filming location, with the new series filmed in Hawaii, rather than in California.

The supporting cast was also expanded for the new series. There was no attempt to replace Tattoo, with Roarke instead having a team of assistants — one of whom was a beautiful female shape shifter — who were assigned to help create and maintain the various fantasy worlds created on the island. Apparently these assistants were imprisoned on the island in order to pay off some debt, sometimes hinting that they were in some kind of Limbo, with many parallels between the regulars and William Shakespeare's The Tempest. The series was cancelled midway through the season, with this subplot never resolved.

In an attempt to contrast this series with the original, the new Mr. Roarke usually wore black; in the first episode, he picked the single black suit out of a closet of white ones and ordered that the rest be burned. Also during the first episode, an assistant came into Mr. Roarke's office, shouting "The planes! The planes!" Mr. Roarke ordered the assistant to never do that again.

Episodes of the revived series regularly opened with a sequence set in the travel agency that actually books the fantasies, operated by two elderly travel agents played by Fyvush Finkel and 1930s silver screen leading lady Sylvia Sidney (in her final acting role).

 

[The_Latest_H]

Another sign of LKY living in the past, and not in the present. Trying to defy the world market is about as fantasy as it is.

Slowly but surely, isn't LKY becoming erratic?

 

[eeoror88]

After few years, as in other public hdb estates it will turn into an urban slum with urine in lift, O$P$ paintings , neighbours quarrelling, etc etc

 

[theblackhole]

shoutings at night,screaming at night.quarrellings and urinating,littering and dirtying the whole urban slums...killings and murders...and suicides...deaths alone...stink to high heaven....the bright future and the golden age.

 

[Ah Guan]

Minister Mentor Lee said property values are bound to go up in the long run

Of course property prices will go up in the long run. But how long is "long run"? 5 years? 10? 100?

2 weeks ago he also said the world economy will recover in "3 to 5 years if there is no mulfunction in the banking system".

I would appreciate it if he can be more precise than the Chinese horoscope when making these "prophecies".

 

[angie II]

Of course property prices will go up in the long run. But how long is "long run"? 5 years? 10? 100?

2 weeks ago he also said the world economy will recover in "3 to 5 years if there is no mulfunction in the banking system".

I would appreciate it if he can be more precise than the Chinese horoscope when making these "prophecies".

u have 2 forgive him... unless he can be sure he will still be around

 

[madmansg]

I think it is worth the price as they got fifty stories of staircases with naked girls.

 

[prince123456]

u guys forgot abt.. karang guni karang guni..
or .. uncle auntie.. want .. ice-cream.. .or .. .buy durian seller or keropok seller

lol

 

[zhihau]

On the top-most 50th storey is a sky garden with breathtaking views of the cityscape. HDB names it "The Contemplative Zone".

... 4-room flats cost $450,000 to $550,000 while 5-room flats cost $550,000 to over $600,000 ...

the contemplative zone indeed... one must be wondering how on earth did he/she got conned... half a million bucks for a 99 year lease? wouldn't it be better if i topped it up a lil' just to get a freehold estate when the private property market starts to cool in late 2008?

 

[snrcitizen]

the contemplative zone indeed... one must be wondering how on earth did he/she got conned... half a million bucks for a 99 year lease? wouldn't it be better if i topped it up a lil' just to get a freehold estate when the private property market starts to cool in late 2008?

HDB calls it the contemplative zone because it is a zone 50 stories high where people can contemplate sky diving without a parachute when they cannot afford the mortgage.

 

[TeeKee]

HDB calls it the contemplative zone because it is a zone 50 stories high where people can contemplate sky diving without a parachute when they cannot afford the mortgage.

strange right? angmos usually jump for fun, while asians jump out of desperate measures..

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[snrcitizen]

strange right? angmos usually jump for fun, while asians jump out of desperate measures..

I would not be surprised that the angmos are already doing that since the sub-prime crisis started in the US. :p

 

[TeeKee]

I would not be surprised that the angmos are already doing that since the sub-prime crisis started in the US. :p

very few cases as compared to asia leh..maybe they believing in God helps??

 

[zhihau]

HDB calls it the contemplative zone because it is a zone 50 stories high where people can contemplate sky diving without a parachute when they cannot afford the mortgage.

oh good grief... :(:(:(

 

[troubledtimes]

I would not be surprised that the angmos are already doing that since the sub-prime crisis started in the US. :p

How can you say that. It shows you dont understand ang mo at all. Ang mos dont jump out of desperate measures, they shoot themselves!

 

[snrcitizen]

How can you say that. It shows you dont understand ang mo at all. Ang mos dont jump out of desperate measures, they shoot themselves!

Well, perhaps they shoot themselves in the suburbs and jump in the cities with high rise buildings. How about that for a compromise?