Losing patience with US trade deficit
For many years, some economists sounded like car alarms - warning incessantly about America's huge and persistent trade deficit.
Nothing happened, though. Unlike, say, in Argentina, Russia, or East Asia during the 1990s, no foreign nations demanded the United States take drastic action to shrink its deficits. The day of reckoning - if it ever was to arrive - seemed a long way off.
Now, there are indications that the world may be starting to lose patience with America's import profligacy and buildup in debts to foreigners.
Foreign interest in buying US stocks and bonds is slipping. May was the third consecutive month foreigners were net sellers of US stocks. Further, Japan appears not so keen on buying dollars to keep the price of the yen down, and thus help its exports be more competitive, now that the Japanese domestic economy has started to bustle. Recent monthly numbers suggest Japan, which already holds 16 percent of US Treasury bonds, is buying fewer of them.
Another telltale sign is the value of the dollar. An index that weighs its value against major foreign currencies shows the dollar down 19 percent since a peak in February, 2002.
That slow decline isn't all bad. It actually reduces the trade deficit by encouraging US exports (because they're cheaper to foreigners) and discouraging imports (because they're more costly to Americans). The real danger lies in a rapid decline. If foreign lenders become nervous, they could force the value of the dollar down precipitously and do real damage to the US economy.
So, is it time to listen to those sounding the alarm? Here's the case they make.
This year the deficit in the nation's current account will reach a record $600 billion, estimates Charles McMillion, president of MBG Information Services, a Washington economic consulting firm. That deficit measures the trade in goods, such as stereos and cars, as well as services, such as tourism and insurance - indeed most everything except the flow of capital, such as investments and foreign loans.
And this current-account deficit continues - to the tune of $1.1 million a minute. The cumulative deficit since 1990 in the US current account adds up to $3.1 trillion, Mr. McMillion calculates.
To finance the deficits, the US must borrow an equivalent amount, one way or another. These new debts are added to the nation's already massive foreign debts. It means more of the federal taxes Americans pay are being sent to central bankers in China, Japan, Taiwan, and to other foreign entities and individuals - now owning about 40 percent of Uncle Sam's debt.
Today's huge trade deficits are basically unsustainable, argues McMillion. He has good company in that view, including Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve.
This year's current account deficit is running in excess of 5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, its total output of goods and services. That's a level many economists consider dangerous.
At some point - and nobody knows precisely when - too many foreigners may well say, "I've got enough dollar assets. I'm not going to buy any more. Maybe I will even sell some."
That, says McMillion, would likely raise interest rates in the US and thereby hurt the economic expansion. Americans would pay more to finance purchases of homes, cars, and other consumer goods.
The OPEC nations, seeing the purchasing power in Europe and Japan of their dollar-priced oil exports decline, could be tempted to raise the price of oil again. The restraint that cheap imports place on prices of goods sold in the US would weaken, perhaps boosting inflation. Many goods no longer produced in the US - such as cellphones, computer parts, and flat-panel screens - would become more expensive.
The alarmists have been wrong before. America is all right as long as foreigners continue to want to hold more US assets. But it's also true, as McMillion points out, that the trade deficit has made the US economy more vulnerable to an external shock - such as a terrorist attack or financial panic.


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January 19, 1997Time Travelers
By MICHAEL UPCHURCH
The characters in William Boyd's stories journey to exotic locales -- some of them in the mind
OF NATHALIE X
AND OTHER STORIES
By William Boyd.
177 pp. New York:
Alfred A. Knopf. $22.
t isn't possible to discuss ''the world of William Boyd'' as you might that of Barbara Pym or Raymond Carver. The reason? Mr. Boyd's fictional landscapes are far too diverse in character to be classified as a single imaginative entity. Consider, for example, the dozen or more that are on display in his provocative new collection of stories.
Ranging in setting from Hollywood to London to an imaginary Brazil, and in time from World War I to the present, the book highlights Mr. Boyd's pleasing variousness as a writer. He is at once as playful as the most perverse metafictionist yet as passionate as the lushest writer of romance. He has a taste for ambiguity and, at the same time, a frank appetite for slapstick (no longer as broad, thankfully, as in his early novels ''A Good Man in Africa'' and ''Stars and Bars''). This quality of miscellany may occasionally raise questions about whether he has any cohesive identity as a writer. Yet the very discontinuities that he explores -- of personality, of locale, of subject matter -- are what he is all about.
The title story draws on Mr. Boyd's screenwriting experiences, portraying a West African film director, Aurelien No, who in ways both farcical and sublime remains blissfully impervious to the machinations of Hollywood agents, actors and producers. It helps, perhaps, that upon his arrival in Los Angeles, Aurelien rarely strays more than a few blocks from the airport. It also helps that, with his almost mystical cinema verite approach, he is unperturbed by minor annoyances like a boom mike dropping into the frame: ''Oh, I don't worry about that sort of thing. . . . It adds to the verisimilitude.''
Aurelien's escapades give Mr. Boyd an excuse to serve up a feast of quips about Hollywood, most of them beginning, ''I have a theory about this town.'' But his wit is sharpest in creating an untarnished soul who slips through a byzantine power structure in so serendipitous a fashion as not to be touched by it at all.
In other stories, the protagonists don't get off so lightly. Wesley Bright, the hapless hero of ''Never Saw Brazil,'' develops a whole fantasy life, complete with shape-shifting alter ego, inspired by Brazil's chorinho music. But instead of enhancing his workaday London existence, Wesley's musical obsessions riddle it with pitfalls. His dissatisfaction with his life and his name (''It was like being condemned to wear too-small shoes all the time'') is sympathetically portrayed -- and perhaps reveals something of Mr. Boyd as well. Both author and character, it would seem, can't help going to exotic locales -- in their dreams, if not always in reality.
The story called ''Cork,'' which takes place in Lisbon, sets up yet another sort of conflict: between a pragmatic young British widow, who is the proprietor of a cork-processing factory, and her husband's former office manager, with whom she embarks on an affair. Her lover will meet her only once a year, however, and he insists that their encounters be pseudonymous masquerades. For him, this role playing is indispensable: ''You see, because I am nothing, I can imagine anything. . . . If I were something, I would be unable to imagine.'' Yet for the widow their relationship's circumscribed nature -- which has as much to do with her lover's private circumstances as his predilections -- is agony. The most vital thing in her life has neither a time nor a place in which to exist.
Punctuating the story are excerpts from a monograph on the peculiar traits of cork trees, especially their vulnerability to disease. This is vintage Boyd, entwining a seemingly dry scientific treatise into his tale in such a way as to heighten the passion at stake. As it turns out, the rare character of cork -- ''lightness, impermeability, elasticity'' -- and the unusual nature of the threatened love affair have much in common.
''Loose Continuity,'' perhaps the collection's strongest story, again uses scientific parlance (about the paths meteors take through planetary atmospheres) as it contrasts a designer's strife-torn love life in 1930's Germany with her unexpected professional success in 1940's Los Angeles. Hardly able to connect the two worlds, or her two selves, she stands in awe at the chancy trajectory that has led her from one to the other.
The collection's range is also clearly demonstrated by the sobering ''Transfigured Night,'' in which the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein takes stoic measure of World War I's catastrophes and his own family's history of suicide; by ''The Dream Lover'' and ''Alpes-Maritimes,'' which pick up where Mr. Boyd's earlier story ''Gifts'' (inspired by his student days at the University of Nice) left off; and by ''The Persistence of Vision,'' in which a painter's trained eye transforms a jittery marital history into a seamless -- though mutable -- sequence of images.
Many of the stories' startling contrasts in texture are explained by the author's fascination with different means of perception -- whether the camera lens, as in the title story, or the painter's selective eye, in ''The Persistence of Vision,'' or a pocket diary in the pithy jeu d'esprit ''Lunch'' (which could have been written by Donald Barthelme). Whatever the refracting device, Mr. Boyd's ability to zero in on ordinary human foibles and woes -- daydream delusions, cultural dislocations, emotional smash-ups -- is swift and sure.
Only two pieces fail to come to life: ''N Is for N,'' a commissioned piece for an illustrated alphabet by David Hockney, and ''Hotel des Voyageurs,'' an elusive vignette that takes its inspiration from a passage by Cyril Connolly.
Mr. Boyd's eclectic erudition is evident throughout the book, though rarely in an obfuscating way. Even if you don't get his ''in'' jokes -- for instance, the title story's comparison of Aurelien No's cult director status with that of J. J. Todd, the film maker protagonist of Mr. Boyd's novel ''The New Confessions'' -- his eccentric wit and restless intelligence exert a powerful appeal.
Michael Upchurch's latest novel is ''Passive Intruder.''
Return to the Books Home Page

domain: artistic


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Another fun activity beside baking and cooking during halloween (check out DIY Halloween Recipes for ideas) is decorating. I admit that I’m not the kind of person who likes to decorate her home like a haunted house, but I enjoy having some small and fun halloween decorations in my apartment. Plus, I like the cute kind of items you can find for Halloween and am not that much into the very scary, creepy looking stuff.
So this year, I decided to make little Halloween decorations for my apartment and have selected 3 DIY ideas.
Do you have any other DIY Halloween ideas to share? I would love to hear about them.


Mechanical boost gauges have become the staple in boost pressure monitoring for all types of engines, gasoline, diesel, or otherwise. Ultra-precise bourdon tube meter movement ensures accuracy and durability not seen anywhere else in the industry. A simple 1/8" NPT pressure connection requires no electrical hookup for operation. Includes 1/8" NPT fittings and nylon line kit.
- Includes bulb and socket assembly with red and green bulb covers
- Includes 10 ft. Nylon tubing
- Includes Male and Female 1/8" NPT compression fittings
- Includes 1/8" NPT to 1/4" NPT adapter/fitting
- Includes gauge mounting hardware and installation instructions


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Many sites recently reposted a text titled “The Man Who Created AIDS: Dr.Robert Gallo .” The text went super-viral especially on social networks, I think they did not get enough information about Dr Gallo and his research in HIV, says Micheal Thomas.
Let me explain what you need to know about Dr.Robert Gallo ‘s co-discoverery of the human immunodeficiency virus etc.
Unfortunately, a large part of the damage has already been done, and that among other articles has helped foster the continued existence of a completely unfounded theory based primarily on not understanding what a patent is in molecular biology.
A patent on Ebola or HIV is not the same as a patent on an engine. Whereas the engine’s patent is reserving the production of that type of engine to the patent holder, a patent on HIV or Ebola is a patent meant to specify how the virus was isolated, how the genotype was determined, and what this consensus genotype is. In biology, you can patent things you found to concretely identify that component, potentially for use in a more complex system later. Keep in mind that you can even patent seeds obtained from cross-pollination: the patent does not mean the species was genetically modified in a laboratory.
The same way a patent on cross-bred species does not mean it was created in a lab, a patent on a virus genome does NOT mean it was created in a lab. Dr.Robert Gallo first published his isolation and identification of HIV in 1984, and patented this in 1985. After older blood samples were then analysed in a search for this virus, it was then found in the past: it didn’t suddenly occur in the 1970s or 1980s.
Despite the claims of the article whose damage I am working to undo, the earliest samples of HIV positive blood did not originate from New York homosexuals from the 1970s, but instead date back to 1920s Congo. The virus most certainly did not originate from biological weapons programs, which are only today becoming advanced enough that creating such a virus is even theoretically possible. They were most certainly not advanced enough in 1920, or even 1960, to create a synthetic retrovirus, which I might add, has still never actually been accomplished.
One of the articles I saw blaming Dr.Robert Gallo comically claims that chimps were supposedly deliberately infected and released in 1979, which somehow led to the virus occurring in New York in 1971. The viral “Gallo did it” article that I convinced my friend to take down had an embedded video, where a man “explains” over dramatic music that HIV was created through “combining lymphoma, leukemia, and carcinoma viruses.” I literally burst out laughing, because none of what he listed was a retrovirus or even a virus, and cancer has literally nothing to do with HIV. You could spend your entire life combining lymphomas, carcinomas, and leukemia, and you would still never end up with a retrovirus at the end.
All of these theories make very specific claims, without any evidence. They encourage me to believe that a man (who thinks cancers are viruses) has special knowledge and access to untold classified documents. To prove his point, the video displays extremely blurry documents that are barely legible beyond seeing Gallo’s name. For all we know, these documents are completely fake, or actually completely harmless. We don’t know, because as is the norm in such articles or videos: no sources are supplied.
Yes, the United States did and maybe still does have biological weapons programs. The Soviets did, and Russia still runs its “Vector” high-security lab, as well. This is absolutely no indication that HIV is a bioweapon, especially considering the actual time-line of infections. There are even more reasons why Ebola is certainly not a bioweapon, but that is beyond the scope of this text. Gallo was a scientist, and a researcher, and his position in the public eye is yet another reason to doubt him being an evil mastermind.
— Dr. Robert Gallo (@DrRobertCGallo) November 23, 2015
There is no historical evidence actually implicating Gallo, or any others, in creating a HIV virus, what I know is, Dr.Robert Gallo co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS and he developed the blood test that detects the virus, but that doesnot mean he created the virus, in fact you should even thank him that now he has a vaccine that may beat the virus.
All of the historical and scientific evidence, as well as a general understanding of patents in science, point to a legitimate researcher, along with his peers, simply trying to identify understand a human illness. There may very well be one or more synthetic doomsday viruses sitting snugly or being worked on in undisclosed locations (or in BSL-4 labs), but HIV and Ebola are not examples of this.
- An Interview with Dr Gallo About The Cause Of AIDS
- Nigerian Proffessor Made Antiviral Drug that cures HIV AIDS
- Giant Rats to detect TB in African prisons
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domain: news


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The Rhône River stretches from the Alps to the Mediterranean through an incredibly diverse expanse. At its southern end, between the cities of Vienne and Avignon, rolling hills meet plateaus of varying elevation under the toasty Mediterranean sun. Long, warm summers and mild winters allow the region’s dominant grape variety, Grenache, to yield good concentration via stony soils and low rainfall. While Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most recognizable of the region’s nine cru appellations, it is Cairanne (elevated to cru status in 2016), that is perhaps the most promising and exciting, often producing wines that express a distinct finesse.
To think of the wines of Cairanne is to think of Marcel Richaud, who was instrumental in elevating the region to cru status. Marcel comes from a vine growing family that focused their energies on producing and selling fruit to the local cooperative. While still in his teens he decided to break from that tradition to forge his own path as a vigneron, producing his first vintage at the age of 19. He soon made a name for himself across the region, into the Paris wine scene, and then internationally.
As with most renowned winemakers, concentrating on making wine in the vineyard first was one of the keys to his success. Organic methods were used from the very beginning and cellar work is performed with the goal of expressing the region’s terroir with purity. Most of the varieties are vinified apart in cement vats with indigenous yeasts and no addition of sulfites, save for a small amount at bottling.
Over the years, Marcel has grown the estate by recouping family vineyards from the cooperative and purchasing land. Today, he is retired, and the nearly 200 acre estate is run by his children: Thomas, Claire, and Edith. But even though Marcel has stepped back from daily operations, his influence is still clearly tasted in every sip of the wines that bear his name.
Included in The Talented Marcel Richaud’s Old Hand at Southern Rhône’s Newest Appellation 9-Bottle Package are three each of the following wines:
The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.
Cairanne (2018) Regular Price: $37
The village of Cairanne is situated atop a range of low hills with ideal exposure. It’s elevation ensures slightly cooler temperatures than much of the region and lends a brightness and delicacy to the wine. This organically certified cuvée aims to express the village’s terroir from soils of poor, stony clay-limestone on mid-slope plots. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan from 40 to 70-year-old vines, the wine is fermented and aged primarily in concrete tanks, with a portion in oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites. The result is a wine that is both rich and electric, with complex aromas of fruit (both fresh and preserved) and herbal spice. A sip fills the mouth with ripe berries and licorice riding a mineral spine.
“Terre de Galet” (Côtes du Rhône 2018) Regular Price: $32
A certified organic blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 10% Mouvèdre, and 5% Counoise, “Terre de Galets” comes from a mix of plots and vines 10 to 40 years old growing in a mixture of red clay and the region’s famous round stones (galets roulés). The vineyards are located on the Plan de Dieu, some of the most significant terroir in Côtes du Rhône. Post-harvest, all the fruit is destemmed, with the exception of the Carignan which is fermented whole-cluster. The wine then ages in concrete vats for six months in an underground cellar. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites, it is energetic, well-structured, with loads of ripe fruit and spice.
“à la source” (Vin de France Rouge 2019) Regular Price: $23
A certified organic and poundable blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre from the estate’s youngest vines and newest plantations located near Cairanne, on the terroirs of Combes, Granges, and Sousville. Each variety is vinified separately in concrete vats and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with only a small amount of sulfites. A smooth and easy-drinking wine that emphasizes the fruit yet has enough complexity to pair with a charcuterie plate but might even be better with a garlicky “white” pizza from nearby Tomatoes Apizza. Serve with a slight chill.

domain: geography


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Shoot specific fungal endophytes alter soil phosphorus (P) fractions and potential acid phosphatase activity but do not increase P uptake in tall fescue
An experiment was performed to test how different fungal endophyte strains influenced tall fescue’s ability to access P from four P sources varying in solubility.
Novel endophyte infected (AR542E+ or AR584E+), common toxic endophyte infected (CTE+), or endophyte-free (E-) tall fescues were grown for 90 days in acidic soils amended with 30 mg kg−1 P of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4), iron phosphate (FePO4), aluminum phosphate (AlPO4), or tricalcium phosphate ((Ca3(PO4)2), respectively.
Phosphorus form strongly influenced plant biomass, P acquisition, agronomic P use efficiency, microbial communities, P fractions. P uptake and vegetative biomass were similar for plants grown with AlPO4, Ca3(PO4)2, and KH2PO4 but greater than in control and FePO4 soils. Infection with AR542E+ resulted in significantly less shoot biomass than CTE+ and E- varieties; there was no influence of endophyte on root biomass. The biomarker for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi, 16:1ω5c) was selected as an effective predictor of variations in P uptake and tall fescue biomass. Potential acid phosphatase activity was strongly influenced by endophyte x P form interaction.
Endophyte infection in tall fescue significantly affected the NaOH-extractable inorganic P fraction, but had little detectable influence on soil microbial community structure, root biomass, or P uptake.
KeywordsNeotyphodium coenophialum Epichloë coenophiala Microbial community Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) Phosphorus fractions Potential acid phosphatase activity (AcPase)
We thank Dr. Mark S. Coyne for helpful comments on this manuscript. We also thank collaborators at the Noble Foundation for providing the seed gifts. This work was financially supported by National Research Initiative no. 2011-67019-30392 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
- Bacon CW, Hill NS (1996) Symptomless grass endophytes: products of coevolutionary symbioses and their role in the ecological adaption of infected grasses. In: Redlin SC, Carris LM (eds) Systematics, ecology and evolution of endophytic fungi of grasses and woody plants. American Phytopathological Society Press, St. Paul, pp 155–178Google Scholar
- Belesky DP, Burner DM (2004) Germination and seedling development of a tall fescue cultivar in response to native and novel endophyte. In: Kallenbach R, Rosenkrans C Jr, Lock TR (eds) Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium o Neotyphodium/Grass Interactions. Fayetteville, pp 23–26Google Scholar
- Guo J, McCulley RL, McNear DH Jr (2015) Tall fescue cultivar and fungal endophyte combinations influence plant growth and root exudate composition. Front Plant Sci 6:1–13Google Scholar
- Lynch JP, Brown MK (2008) Root strategies for phosphorus acquisition. In: White PJ, Hammond JP (eds) The Ecophysiology of plant-phosphorus interactions. Springer, Netherlands, pp 51–81Google Scholar
- Song YN, Zhang FS, Marschner P, Fan FL, Gao HM, Bao XG, Sun JH, Li L (2007) Effect of intercropping on crop yield and chemical and microbiological properties in rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Biol Fertil Soils 43:565–574CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1971) Methods of chemical analysis for water and wastes. Cincinnati, OH, USAGoogle Scholar

domain: chemistry


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The WAGE Center has partnered with the State University of New York University at Albany School of Social Welfare as a field location for Generalist Field Instruction. Since September, 2016, three Master of Social Work student interns have spent two full days each week learning the basics of case management. This has been accomplished through interaction with drop-in employment seekers, working side-by-side with case managers in Project Based Voucher and Family Self-Sufficiency programs and other WAGE Center visitors.
These interactions focus on removing barriers to employment, housing and personal development through a holistic approach. Often, case management clients become employment seekers, students in educational programming and participants in various groups and workshops, in which Social Work Interns are also involved.
The Social Work Interns have created a Women’s Group focusing on empowerment, and self-esteem building with the guidance of WAGE Center staff and their SUNY Albany Field Instructor. This eight week program encourages participants to consider healthy lifestyle choices, examine perceptions of themselves and others and developing empowerment tactics to approach life challenges. Women engage in conversations about these topics with peers and group leaders and describe how applying discussed positive choices impact their lives.
Wage Center Interns are also invited to take part in all staff development, outreach, and community meetings attended and/or sponsored by the WAGE Center. They are encouraged to engage with other providers to assist in providing case management resources across the spectrum, so that participants are able to remove barriers and respond to challenges as they pursue positive outcomes.

domain: sociology


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Prices of Charlotte-area homes, including distressed sales, were unchanged in February from the same month a year ago, according to Santa Ana, Calif.-based CoreLogic.Read More »
The prices of homes in the Charlotte area could dip by 4.4 percent by the end of the year. That’s the prediction in a report released Thursday by Truckee, Calif.-based Clear Capital.Read More »
Fort Mill, S.C.-based Red Ventures, which helps companies market themselves, has bought Wilmington-based Homeinsurance.com, a Web-based company that allows customers to shop for home and automobile insurance.Read More »
Tom Miller, general counsel for the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, has retired after 30 years of working for the state governmental agency that licenses and regulates real estate agents.Read More »
Charlotte-based SouthEast Commercial Real Estate Group this week announced five Charlotte-area sales and one lease deal.Read More »
Woodfield Investments can’t get enough of southwest Charlotte. Last week, the Virginia-based developer broke ground on Whitehall Parc, a $30 million, 268-unit, Class A luxury apartment project on 13 acres near Ayrsley Park in the Westinghouse/Arrowood corridor.
Tagged with: Woodfield InvestmentsRead More »
Existing-home sales in North Carolina grew by 22 percent in February from the same month last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the North Carolina Association of Realtors. But the average selling price fell over the period. Last ...
Tagged with: North Carolina Association of RealtorsRead More »
The Charlotte-area foreclosure rate rose 0.63 percentage points in January from the same month a year ago and was higher than the national rate, Santa Ana, Calif.-based CoreLogic said Tuesday.Read More »


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Before selling your mobile home in Jacksonville, there are improvements you can make to add value to your property. Learn about these improvements and the selling options available to you in our latest post!
#1 – Make It Energy Efficient
People love mobile homes because they offer the perfect combination of affordability and minimal maintenance. They’re so easy to operate, you’ll never feel like your home will be in chaos – just pick up a broom or vacuum once every day if that’s all there is for upkeep! Not only do homeowners save money on utilities but by having such small spaces around them (and not paying too much rent), these same people don’t really need anything extra: no big furniture either which means less bills down front as well. As long as the property is properly insulated, It shouldn’t cost a fortune to keep it at an acceptable temperature year-round. In order for potential buyers and their families enjoy living in your home without worrying about high utility bills from heating or cooling expenses they should make sure you have done all possible steps beforehand such sealing off doors with insulation on skirting boards etc..
In fact by doing this you will not only save yourself money but also help them out!
If appliances need to be replaced before selling, look for ones with the Energy Star. These appliances are much more efficient and will help to lower utility costs while helping the environment.
#2 – Tend To The Yard
A few changes to you yard can have a huge impact on the appeal of your home. A clean, well-maintained exterior will make people want to see more and subconsciously note that they like what’s in front their eyes! You should take care not only about small details such as cleaning up any unsightly items or adding stepping stones but also think bigger things like planting flowers near windows where it is easy for guests inside get glimpses every day while watching TV at night – this kind if thing creates excellent curb appeal which helps sell homes faster because buyers feel an instant connection when seeing these improvements first hand before even getting out into our gardens themselves. Even if you don’t usually keep chairs outside, set up an outdoor sitting area to make the yard and entire property more inviting and appealing.
#3 – Paint
One quick coat of paint can change the entire feel and appearance of a room. It also helps to cover up minor damages as well as nicks that may be on your wall, making you home appear less valuable than it actually is! Painting exterior surfaces such as siding or decking boards could make for an interesting project at low cost too; this way we’ll have more curb appeal when potential buyers come around looking for your house. You may think that painting the outside of your mobile home is a simple task, but it’s important to be mindful about what materials you’re working with. Depending on where and how wide an area will get painted (exterior surfaces), there could potentially need more prep work before starting any kind or paint job!
#4 – Move It
Your home is mobile after all. By moving it to a new location, you can quickly increase the overall value without having to change anything about your home. Your lot fees might go up, but hopefully, you don’t have to pay them for very long.
In addition to these tips, there are many other ways you can add value to your mobile home before selling. While major remodels and knocking down walls can get expensive, swapping out fixtures and making small, inexpensive improvements can add value to your mobile home.
Consider Your Selling Options
The tips listed above are great if you are hiring an agent or attempting to sell the property on your own. There is however another way to sell your mobile home, and that is directly to a Jacksonville investor. When you choose to sell your mobile home directly to ALKO Investment LLC , you’ll be able to avoid repair costs, marketing costs, lot fees, and the continued holding costs you will incur while you are waiting to find a buyer. For many mobile home owners, selling directly can be a more lucrative choice! Don’t spend another dime on it until you find out if selling direct is the right choice for you!

domain: design


The Pentagon was deeply involved in the production of the hit Hollywood film Captain Marvel, and is using the movie to spread recruitment propaganda.
The superhero blockbuster Captain Marvel is a perfect case study for how the United States military uses Hollywood to spread propaganda.
The US military is at the center of the plot of Captain Marvel. The film’s protagonist, Carol Danvers, is a former US Air Force pilot who becomes a superhero after absorbing the powers of an advanced technology created by another US military scientist. (That scientist happens to be a member of the advanced alien race known as the Kree, who for unexplained reasons decided to do groundbreaking military research for, of all the myriad places in the universe, the US of A).
As soon as the film opens, it bombards viewers with two hours of non-stop US military propaganda. And it is not even subtle; at the plot’s climax, Captain Marvel changes the colors of her suit to match those of the American flag.
But the US military is not only part of the story of Captain Marvel; as The Grayzone details below, the Pentagon was deeply involved in the production of the film itself.
The cast and directors of Captain Marvel worked closely with the United States military, relying on US military officers as consultants and advisers, employing dozens of active-duty US soldiers as extras. Several scenes were shot on a US military base. And since its release, the US Department of Defense has promoted the film relentlessly on its website and social media accounts.
Progressive cultural representation + militarist propaganda
Captain Marvel was marketed as a feminist blockbuster, a rare superhero movie featuring a female lead. As the women-centered magazine Elle trumpeted, “Captain Marvel Is Now the Highest Grossing Movie With a Female Lead Ever.”
As is so often the case in Hollywood, however, ostensibly progressive breakthroughs in cultural representation were seamlessly blended with US militarist propaganda.
Captain Marvel (played by Brie Larson) has two close allies: Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), a former CIA agent who finds himself directionless in life after successfully defeating communism in the Cold War; and Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), another fighter pilot in the US military. The three team up in a benevolent, US military-backed mission to try to save a race of misunderstood underdog refugee aliens known as the Skrulls from annihilation by the Kree, a belligerent galactic superpower.
Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios, who produced and distributed Captain Marvel, respectively, had a similar marketing strategy with their 2018 opus Black Panther, which was also sold as a progressive anti-racist film with a majority-Black cast — and which just so happened to feature as a sidekick a white CIA agent who helped save the hero T’challa’s reactionary absolute monarchy from a revolution led by the anti-imperialist internationalist villain Killmonger. (There is good reason Black Panther was aggressively promoted by the CIA on social media.)
Investigative journalists and academics have documented the intimate relationship between Hollywood, the military, and intelligence agencies. Relying on declassified FOIA documents, researchers Tom Secker and Matthew Alford revealed that the DoD, CIA, and NSA have influenced more than 1800 movies and TV shows, and had even prevented films deemed too critical of the Pentagon from being made.
This year’s Captain Marvel is the just the latest and most blatant example of the US military exploiting the film industry to generate support for its agenda.
About 50 airmen from the Fresno-based 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard and the 412th Test Wing from Edwards Air Force Base, California, had roles as extras for the film. B-1 and B-2 bombers; F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets; and a NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, as well as housing, runways, the flighline and a hangar at Edwards were used in the [film]. About 490 cast and crew members with 37 trucks spent about 21 days on the base for setup, filming and tear-down.
Brie Larson, who portrays Danvers, also went to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and met female fighter pilots, including Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, the first Air Force female fighter pilot.
The Pentagon published a photo of the celebrity cast members from the film — Samuel L. Jackson, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, and Brie Larson — and its directors, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, standing with Air Force General Jeannie Leavitt in front of an F-15 fighter jet from the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing, in Edwards Air Force Base on February 20, 2019.
The Pentagon revealed that General Leavitt, the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service and the US Air Force’s first female fighter pilot, also served as a consultant for the Captain Marvel movie.
DoD tweeted a video interview with Leavitt, boasting of how she worked with the star of the movie to perfect her character.
Parts of the film were shot on the Edwards Air Force Base in California. The Air Force News Service (AFNS) noted that, “To ensure an accurate depiction of military service, filmmakers and actors immersed with Airmen from across the Air Force.”
The military was even part of the premiere of the film. On March 4, jets from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard — which was directly involved in the production of Captain Marvel — flew above to celebrate.
In photos published by the Air Force, co-director Ryan Fleck can be seen wearing a military jacket over his t-shirt.
The Air Force News Service reported that, after the Pentagon round table, DoD held a screening of the film with the directors, which “was held to highlight Air Force collaboration with Disney and the inspiration behind the main character’s warrior ethos: ‘higher, further, faster.'”
Predictably, the US Air Force has used this film to try to recruit new soldiers.


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Colombian beauty queen Ariadna Gutierrez responds to the media regarding her being offered by an entertainment company that is casting her as one of its performers. Her controversial situation of gained the attention of the entertainment company, stating that she has the big qualities that should try venturing to another entertainment genre. This will be a crucial situation for Ariadna Gutierrez because she might or might not change her life after winning as the first runner-up of Miss Universe 2015 in Las Vegas in the State of Nevada.
However, She mentioned that she would never ever resort into exposing all of her body parts in a public scene. This means that she rejected the offer that was initiated by Steve Hirsch when he was trying to lure her as one of his casts. Steve Hirsch is the current owner of Vivid Honcho that is responsible for producing adult-themed films in the United States. The reason behind is that the producers find her to be very alluring and fit for the job in order to generate millions of dollars worth of salaries when she will start accepting the offer.
|Miss Colombia Universe Ariadna Gutierrez|
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that a certain owner of a film industry is making an offer to a personality that is worth a million bucks. She can appear as many movies she would want it, which could do a better image for her and for the company if given the chance to accept this particular offer from a certain entertainment industry.
One proof that Vivid entertainment has successfully launched fame was when they produced viral videos of Kim Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, Kendra Wilkinson, and other individuals. All videos exposed these stars performing a private scene that was being taped.
Ariadna Gutierrez indicated that she is open about doing a Barenaked pose to magazines for as long as it is not vulgar. She maintains that her dignity should be always come clean to the media by not exposing any private parts of her body. Gutierrez believes that brave individuals who are going to pose themselves with their private parts being exposed to the public can create negative perceptions to the public.
Ariadna Gutierrez is a beauty queen in Colombia as she was crowned as Miss Colombia 2015 that was crowned by Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega. Gutierrez is a local celebrity in her country as well as a professional runway model. She became one of the hot favorites during the Miss Universe 2015 competition due to her catwalk skills, aura, and pleasing personality.
|Ariadna was wrongfully crowned while Paulina Vega passed the crown to Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach as Miss Universe 2015|
She became an internet sensation when Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner. Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, who is now the reigning Miss Universe 2015 was eventually announced as the real winner of the concluded event in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 20, 2015.


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Cablevision yesterday said it had unearthed accounting shenanigans at its Rainbow Media unit and fired 14 people, including the president of its American Movie Classics cable channel.
After a five-month internal investigation, Cablevision found that employees at Rainbow – which includes AMC, the WE channel and Fox Sports Net, among other cable properties – had improperly accounted for certain expenses and fabricated invoices.
News Corp., which owns The Post, owns a stake in Fox Sports Net.
Among the 14 employees jettisoned was Kate McEnroe, the president of AMC, who has been with Rainbow since 1981 and was once named one of the most influential people in the cable industry by a trade publication.
Cablevision recently announced it was joining a buyout group headed by Edgar Bronfman Jr. to make a run at Vivendi’s entertainment assets.
As part of the plan, Cablevision would contribute its Rainbow properties to the deal.
A source close to the Bronfman group said that Bronfman was aware of the investigation when he agreed to bring Cablevision on board, and that yesterday’s announcement will have no impact on the deal.
Cablevision said it had informed government authorities about the matter.
A spokesperson for the Securities and Exchange Commission declined comment, but securities law experts say the announcement is likely to trigger an investigation.
“This should be a red flag for the SEC,” said Howard Meyers, an attorney at Meyers & Heim and a former SEC official.
The investigation included contacting more than 150 of the company’s vendors.
Cablevision said the improper accounting is not material to previously released results, and that the company will not be forced to restate any of its financial records.
The review to date has found that $6.2 million of expenses for 2003 were improperly booked in 2002. All but $1.7 million of that amount was identified and reversed prior to releasing the company’s 2002 results in February.
In a statement, Cablevision president and CEO Jimmy Dolan said, “The company cannot tolerate any improprieties related to financial matters. As soon as our internal accountants identified this problem, the company launched an extensive review and has taken measures to help insure that a problem of this type does not occur again.”
Cablevision stock closed down 31 cents yesterday, at $22.54, but the announcement came after the close of trading.
In after-hours trading, the stock was down only slightly – indicating that investors, at least for the moment, are buying Cablevision’s contention that the matter is not material.
“It’s not material to the valuation of the company,” said Marc Gabelli, managing director at Gabelli Asset Management, a big Cablevision investor.
Gabelli noted that the company is expected to bring in $4.2 billion of revenue this year.
He said the announcement shows Cablevision has a “good communication flow with the Street.”
Cablevision said it uncovered accounting irregularities at its Rainbow Media unit and fired 14 employees of American Movie Classics, including President Kate McEnroe. Rainbow Media includes:
* The Independent Film Channel
* WE: Women’s Entertainment
* Fuse, a 24-hour music channel
* 60 percent stake in Madison Square Garden

domain: economics


SCARBOROUGH – Telecommunications company OTELCO said preparations have started to install fiber-optic internet technology for 1,600 Scarborough locations, waiting for service to be ready in early winter 2022.
On September 15, city council members spoke with Tracy Scheckel, director of marketing and public relations for OTELCO, who said the current plan for fiber-optic internet in Scarborough involves installation starting in February of l ‘next year. However, construction delays could occur.
OTELCO plans to offer 150 megabytes, 500 megabytes and one gigabyte of speed to 1,600 locations in Scarborough, Scheckel said.
Fiber internet has less resistance than copper or coaxial cables, making the signal farther away and stronger, she said. Faster speeds have been important for people during the COVID-19 pandemic, with plenty of upload and download information online.
OTELCO recommends that those interested in the services visit the otelco.com/builds website, Scheckel said, to see if their home is included in the planned construction. If the service is not available, she said that OTELCO always recommends people fill out the form.
âIf we see an increase in interest in an area that seems to make the numbers work for us, we’ll explore construction there, so tell us you want it and maybe we’ll come,â he said. she declared.
City council and the public should appreciate that OTELCO’s plan is a commercial enterprise, said chief executive Tom Hall.
âThey saw an area where there seems to be a business opportunity,â he said. “That’s not to say that there aren’t detailed discussions at the state, county and – I think you can have them at the local level, about expanding broadband ourselves at the. -beyond these investments. All is not lost, and I think a lot of that focus, given a state like Maine, the numbers, financially, just don’t work. There isn’t the density to do a business case, but I think there is a high public policy goal, high here statewide. “
Scheckel told advisers the 1,600 locations were homes or addresses specific to Scarborough. OTELCO has planned constructions until the middle of 2023.
âThere is definitely an opportunity for collaboration down the road if the city wants it,â she said.


Application of Whiteness meter/Brightness meter can be noticed in paper and pulp making, ceramic, fabrics and minerals industries. This apparatus is basically used to determine optical characteristics and transparency of different materials. This machine is capable of measuring brightness of multiple materials at the same time. Its digital display screen is used for viewing measured data. It can store measured information even after power loss. This system is equipped with thermal micro printer for easy accessibility of measured value. Long working life is one of its key factors. We are a prestigious exporter and manufacturer of finest grade Whiteness meter/Brightness meter.


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Grenville M. DodgeGrenville Mellen Dodge (April 12, 1831 – January 3, 1916) was a Union army officer on the frontier and pioneering figure in military intelligence during the Civil War, who served as Ulysses S. Grant's intelligence Chief in the Western Theater. He served in several notable assignments, including command of the XVI Corps during the Atlanta Campaign.
He later served as a U.S. Congressman, businessman, and railroad executive who helped direct the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Historian Stanley P. Hirshon suggested that Dodge, "by virtue of the range of his abilities and activities," could be considered "more important in the national life after the Civil War than his more famous colleagues and friends, Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan." Provided by Wikipedia
Personal recollections of President Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses S. Grant and General William T. Sherman
Published 1911Contributors: '; “...Dodge, Grenville Mellen, 1831-1916....”
Record Source: Published Materials

domain: history


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A clarion call has been made for the full accountability of all COVID 19 -19 interventions to the Government of Liberia and the Civil Societies Organizations and other institutions since the inception of the deadly pandemic in the country so as to ensure that all targeted persons and projects earmarked to benefit are catered for.
The call us made yesterday by BudgIT-Liberia in partnership with three other civil societies groups, Follow The Money Liberia, Liberia and Educate The Future Liberia at a press conference to launch its Covid-19 Transparency and Accountability Project(CTAP), a sensitization and awareness initiative to address the many issues surrounding how the government and other institutions are going about expending received from foreign countries and donor agencies to curtail the spread and mitigate the risks associated with the pandemic.
Speaking from a prepared text at the Boulevard Hotel in Monrovia, Abraham Vanie, Country Lead, BudgIT is a civic nonprofit organization registered in 2020 and seeks to enhance citizens’ understanding of the budget and matters of public spending using technological tools to simplify the budget to raise the standard of transparency and accountability in government. Along with its partners, the organization has activated a Pan-African tracking system for all COVID funds received and donated to virtually all African countries and relies on the conviction that every community in the continent has skilled, sensitized and largely self-organizing citizens to engage in budget tracking while presenting feedback and results to the government and development partners in a constructive manner.
“The COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project – CTAP is an initiative that seeks to stimulate public conversation around ensuring proper accountability and transparency of funding and finances donated to the fight against Covid-19 during this Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This project seeks to promote accountability and transparency by tracking COVID-19 intervention funds across 10 African Countries through the adoption of follow the money initiative”, Mr Vanie said.
Mr. Vanie said that African governments have made difficult decisions and were quick to impose confinement measures, including physical and social distancing, which will have significant socio-economic costs. These measures, which along with contact tracing and isolation, expanded or increased hand washing have helped to slow down the spread of the virus. He made specific reference to Liberia where after the Covid 19 pandemic erupted in the country in March 2020, the government through the Office of the President, based on the rapid increase in the number of the cases at the time, declared a state of Emergency and was approved by the national legislature for the period of sixty (60) days and led to a total lockdown of the country and a curfew placed from 3 pm to 8 am in the fifteen subdivisions of Liberia.
BudgIT, Mr. Vanie expressed his heartfelt concerned about how corruption has permeated the minds of stakeholders who capitalize on emergency situations that threaten the survival of mankind by enriching themselves without conscience. “Amidst this global health emergency of international concern, multinational institutions, NGOs, INGOs, Governments, Development partners are contributing millions of dollars to the fight against Covid-19. Corruption within public services deepens people’s suspicions of government health actions, and it undermines health-care access. When new diseases such as Ebola in West Africa or covid-19 emerge, a lack of accountability and transparency in the utilization of intervention funds can also result in public distrust and confidence in government efforts to fight the pandemic there”, he added.
The young activist said it was against this background that BudgIT-Liberia as an integrity driven institution that promotes transparency and accountability, plans to implement the tracking of Covid-19 project funds in a collaborative effort yet transparent and accountable manner in Liberia and that the project is aimed at assessing the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 funds that came to Liberia. The project will run from January to October of 2021.
The CTAP when implemented, according to the officials will achieve, among others, ensure that all contributions made to the Government of Liberia to fight against Covid-19 are tracked and monitored, proper accountability of finances from receiving of these finances up to the final expenditure as well as reporting, do an appraisal of certain expenditures that go beyond certain threshold as prescribed by the Public Financial Management Law and the Public procurement Concession Commission laws and procedures and ensure that the Government makes public all expenditures of Covid-19 financing to ensure open accountability and transparency.
Asked what prompted their decision to launch the project, Mr. Samuel J. Kpartor, Country lead, FOLLOW THE MONEY LIBERIA, said it was obvious that for the sake of accountability and transparency, there was a need to get involved in a process that will ensure that all funds brought in the country for the sake of the pandemic be properly accounted for and that the beneficiaries are reached. He further said that there are a lot of controversies in the public space already that people are diverting funds and that the government does not even know how much has been received and expended in total thus far. “ You could even see that in his State of the Nation Address, the President could not even tell the nation to what extent the palliatives meant for the people have reached them”, Mr. Kpartor said.
Answering the question how will the initiative be taken serious when they lack prosecutorial power to take legal action against those found wanting in the process of their activities, Mr. Kpator said what they intend to do is to get the facts and records and turn them to the recent legal institutions of government for prosecution and also inform the donors on how interventions brought in the country were mismanaged by authorities so as to inform the donors’ actions against the culprits. He expressed hope in the judiciary system that recently convicted a former national defense Minister and current Senator Elect Brownie Samukai for misapplications of pension funds meant for some members of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
Mr. Vanie in his last summary of the program said that the timing for this project cannot be more perfect, as the trajectory of the COVID19 disease reiterates the reality that viruses respect no borders, and the world’s strongest healthcare systems can be threatened by the failings of its weakest health systems and that the project will address the threat of accountability and the socio-economic dimensions on the resultant effects of COVID-19.


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Just about every tour boat operator offers snorkel trips that include Stingray City. This world-famous attraction is located at a shallow sandbar in the North Sound on Grand Cayman. Dozens of Southern Stingrays gather there hoping for handouts of food from tourists on visiting boats.
The congregation of rays is believed to have started due to fishermen cleaning their catch in the area and discarding the entrails into the water. It was later realised that people would pay to come there to observe the rays and even get in the water and interact with them. You should be careful if you handle them, as the sting from their barb can be very painful. Fortunately, stings are extremely rare.
Boatswains Beach/Cayman Turtle Farm – http://www.turtle.ky
The turtle farm began in 1968 as a research facility and developed over the years into a thriving tourist site. Visitors would come there to observe the turtles and have their picture taken holding one. The facility was largely destroyed by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and was redeveloped later as Boatswains Beach on the land side of the road, making it less prone to damage by future hurricanes.
The facility includes a shark tank, aviary, turtle breeding pond, artificial swim lagoon with waterfall, restaurant and gift shop. Visitors are still able to handle the turtles and observe them in their various stages of development. Each year the facility releases turtles back into the waters surrounding the islands in hopes of sustaining their population in the wild. Turtle meat is very tasty and has been eaten locally for hundreds of years. The facility breeds some turtles that are destined to show up on the menu of locals restaurants.
National Museum – http://www.museum.ky
Established as a place of learning and enjoyment, the Cayman Islands National Museum provides residents and visitors with a rich understanding of the Caymanian heritage through its exhibits and special activities. The museum is dedicated to the preservation, research and dissemination of all aspects of the Caymanian heritage.
The building that houses the museum was once used as the court house and what is now the gift shop was once George Town’s first post office. After years of planning, artifact conservation, and exhibit design, the Cayman Islands National Museum opened to the public in 1990. Hurricane Ivan damaged the building badly in 2004 and it did not re-open until repairs were completed in 2009.
The history of the museum’s collections dates back to the days of Mr. Ira Thompson who, in the 1930’s, began collecting Cayman artifacts as a hobby. In 1979 the government purchased Mr. Ira’s collection and it became the nucleus of the National Museum’s collection. Today, the museum’s collection contains over 8,000 items ranging from tiny coins to a 14-foot catboat, to natural history specimens and rare documents.
Botanic Park – http://www.botanic-park.ky
Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Grand Cayman Botanic Park in 1994. Located on Frank Sound Road in the district of North Side, the 65-acre Botanic Park is about a 45-minute drive from George Town. An
In 1995 the Park became the home for the National Trust for the Cayman’s Islands’endemic Grand Cayman Blue Iguana captive breeding program. The program has brought this magnificent reptile back from the brink of extinction, thanks in large part to the efforts of Fred Burton, the program’s director.
Pedro St. James – http://www.pedrostjames.ky
Built by William Eden over 200 years ago, this national historic site is known as the birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands. Though often referred to as a “castle”, the structure which was built in the late 1700s was actually a Great House and was lived in by the Eden family who farmed the adjacent land.
Over the years the structure was used as a courthouse, jail, Government Assembly and restaurant. On December 5th 1831 it was the venue for a meeting where the decision was made to form the first elected parliament. On May 3rd 1835, Robert Thompson who was sent by the Governor of Jamaica, held court at Pedro St. James to issue the proclamation ending slavery in the British Empire.
Over the years the structure was partially destroyed by hurricanes and fires and was eventually purchased by the Cayman Islands Government in 1991 for development as an historic site. The renovation of the structure and development of the site was completed in 1996 at a cost of approximately US$10 million. In addition to the great house, the complex also features a multimedia theatre which details the history of the building, as well as a gift shop and visitor center.
Motor Museum – http://www.caymanmotormuseum.com
The Cayman Motor Museum is a private museum owned by businessman Andreas Ugland. He created it to house his large collection of exotic, rare, and classic motorcars and motorbikes which number over 80. The museum is located at the northern tip of the district of West Bay.
Included in the collection are an 1886 Benz, a 1905 Cadillac, the original “Bat-mobile”, an exact replica of the “Bat-cycle”, the 1956 Daimler DK400 which was Queen Elizabeth II’s first limousine, nearly a dozen classic Ferraris, Maseratis, Corvettes, and Jaguars. You’ll also see Rolls-Royces (including a 1930 “Phantom”) and Bentleys (including Sir Elton John’s 1963 classic).
Cayman’s cultural past is also on display at the museum through a collection of magnificent paintings, rare photographs and local artifacts. A gift shop offers visitors unique auto memorabilia and souvenirs.
Kittiwake – http://www.kittiwakecayman.com
The Kittiwake was a Chanticleer Class Submarine Rescue ship in service between 1945 and 1994. The ship was involved in the recovery of the Challenger Space Shuttle after it exploded and fell into the sea in January 1986. The Kittiwake was responsible for recovering the so-called “black box” from the ocean floor.
In 2010, ownership of the decommissioned vessel was transferred to the Cayman Islands government and it began its journey to what would be its final resting place, the crystal clear waters off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. It was sank on January 5th 2011 and currently rests upright in just over 60 feet of water.
The ship now serves as an artificial reef and is home to hundreds of fish and marine animals. The Kittiwake ship wreck is a private park and attraction that is managed by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association and visitors to it are required to pay an entry fee.
The video linked below is hosted on YouTube and was filmed by Elly Wray with intro shots by Alex Mustard on January 15th 2011.


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|Heston Blue Chip strong in Sophomore Pace Elim|
Toscano Chooses Post Two And Four For Her Charges as Field Set for $US55500 Breeders Crown Colt Pace
By Frank & Ray Cotolo
October 20, 2012
Heston Blue Chip returned after a month’s layoff, added Lasix and defeated the supplemented Michaels Power to win the second of a pair of three-year-old colt pace Breeders Crown elimination in 1:50.3 at Woodbine on Saturday.
Heston Blue Chip took the lead, with A Rocknroll Dance in second and Michaels Power in third. Heston Blue Chip took them by the quarter in :27.1. Michaels Power came first over from third and rolled quickly to the top at the half in :55 (:27.4).
Into the far turn, Michaels Power held command, with Heston Blue Chip in second and Dapper Dude pacing into third, first over. Michaels Power was holding on at three-quarters in 1:23.1 (:28.1).
Down the stretch, Michaels Power still had the lead but Heston Blue Chip was fidgeting behind, looking for room.
Meanwhile, Sweet Lou and Mel Mara came off cover and charged after the leader.
Heston Blue Chip found a seam and closed in on Michaels Power to get up in time and win in 1:50.3 (:27.2).
Mel Mara was second, Sweet Lou was third, Michaels Power was fourth and Dapper Dude finished fifth.
Heston Blue Chip ($8.30) is by American Ideal, out of the mare Shot Togo Bluechip by Cam’s Card Shark. He is owned by Kenneth Jacobs, trained by Linda Toscano and Tim Tetrick was in the bike.
“He had a lot of racing this year and I knew that [the layoff] wouldn’t be a problem. We took him to The Red Mile and added Lasix to him and qualified at Lexington,” trainer Linda Toscano said.
P/P Horse Trainer Driver M/L
1 Michaels Power-Casie Coleman-Scott Zeron
2 Bettors Edge-Linda Toscano-David Miller
3 Escape The News-Ronald Burke-Yannick Gingras
4 Heston Blue Chip-Linda Toscano-Tim Tetrick
5 Panther Hanover-James Dean-Sylvain Filion
6 Dapper Dude-Robert Mcintosh-John Campbell
7 Sweet Lou-Ron Burke-Dave Palone
8 Thinking Out Loud-Robert Mcintosh-John Campbell
9 Hillbilly Hanover-Ronald Burke-Tim Tetrick
10 Mel Mara-Tony Alagna-Ron Pierce
AE 1 Warrawee Needy-Carl Jamieson-Jody Jamieson
AE 2 Speed Again-Jeffrey Gillis-Jody Jamieson

domain: sports


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What better gift is there to get than jewelry! Jess LC Jewelry is so beautiful and when I look through her collections I want every piece.
Jessica has been designing jewelry since she was 15. Her jewelry designs have been featured in Real Simple, People Magazine and US Weekly! She also has a fantastic blog. Make sure you take a look.
I ordered this piece awhile back and I absolutely love it.
Today Jess is giving away a $60 credit to her shop!
To enter this giveaway visit Jess LC and come back to tell me what you would choose if you won.
For an additional entry blog, facebook or tweet this giveaway.
This giveaway has ended.
Congrats to Connie from Sogni e Sorrisi


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What is Botflies (Maggots)?
Botflies, or Cuterebra, are larvae that form in the tissues of animal hosts. After they hatch, these larvae can get in the animal’s body through any opening, such as a skin injury, mouth, ear, or nose, and settle into the tissues and continue their life process. There are more than 25 types of these “maggot” like larvae, and they are discovered in tropical areas, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. They can be likewise described as “warbles” throughout the larvae phase. Cuterebra primarily infest bunnies or many kinds of rodents. If a canine is outdoors frequently or is searching bunny, they are more vulnerable to getting larvae into their body.
Botflies in dogs happen when the Cuterebra larvae get in the body of a canine, and place themselves into the tissue of the pet dog and start their lifecycle within that tissue.
Signs of Botflies (Maggots) in Dogs
If your pet dog has actually been contaminated with a botfly within his tissue, he will show particular signs. Signs of a botfly problem are:
- Swelling or bump on the skin
- Scratching or licking of the location
- Little hole in the middle of the swelling
- Skin abscess
Although Cuterebra types normally contaminate bunnies or other outside rodents, a canine might end up being a victim if he is outdoors searching. Various Cuterebra types can contaminate your pet dog, although some are more typical than others. Kinds of these bugs that can contaminate your pet dog are:
- Cuterebra types (bunny Cuterebra fly)
- Warble flies (Hypoderma types)
Reasons For Botflies (Maggots) in Dogs
Cuterebra is a typical North American fly that is brought in primarily to rodents, bunnies, or little outside mammals. Reasons for problem of a botfly in a canine can consist of:
- Being outdoors frequently in the summertime
- Being around bunny burrows
- Searching bunny
- Communicating with rodents or rodent nesting locations
Medical Diagnosis of Botflies (Maggots) in Dogs
If you think your pet dog has a botfly in their tissue, do not try to eliminate it by yourself. You can seriously trigger damage to your animal if you do this. It is necessary to take your pet dog to a vet to have it identified correctly and eliminated expertly.
Your vet will take a close take a look at the open or draining pipes injury underneath the hair of the pet dog. Because the hair will be matted from any discharge, he might require to shave around the contaminated location to get a more detailed look. The injury will be a swelling or have a great deal of swelling and there will be a hole in the middle of it, and frequently the real larvae will have the ability to be seen glancing out to get some air.
Medical Diagnosis is done by a visual research study of the warble hole, and the vet might select to do other tests to eliminate any other parasites or bacterial infection that might be triggered by the botfly.
Treatment of Botflies (Maggots) in Dogs
Treatment for a botfly problem in your pet dog must just be done by a vet to guarantee complete security and healing of the pet dog. The vet understands how to get rid of the botfly securely so no damaging compounds from the Cuterebra are launched into your pet dog’s blood stream. Issues can occur if the larvae rupture throughout the elimination procedure. Treatment consists of:
The physician will require to offer your pet dog anesthesia to keep him unwinded and pain-free throughout the elimination of the botfly.
The vet will utilize a tool to securely get rid of the botfly from the tissue, being extremely cautious not to squeeze excessive or burst the larvae.
It is possible that the vet might recommend an antibiotic once the botfly is gotten rid of, depending upon the severity of the problem. This is not constantly essential, however can happen and the vet will decide on this once the botfly is effectively gotten rid of.
Healing of Botflies (Maggots) in Dogs
After the elimination of the botfly, it is necessary to keep your eye on the afflicted location. Your vet will interact with you on what to look for in regards to recovery or any problems. If any problems from the injury website happen, call the vet without doubt. Once the botfly has actually been gotten rid of effectively by the vet, diagnosis benefits your pet dog. He will be back to regular in no time at all!
Avoidance is vital to keep the botflies far from your liked one. Attempt to keep your pet dog far from locations where there are a great deal of bunnies or rodents; look for burrows and nests of these outside mammals and attempt to keep your pet dog out of those locations. When the weather condition ends up being warmer, your pet dog has a greater possibility of being exposed to botflies; the Cuterebra lay their eggs in the summer season and early fall seasons. Inspect your pet dog every night for anything foreign on the skin or underneath the skin.

domain: pet


Burger King in the UK has implored their customers to order from rival fast-food restaurant McDonalds in a shocking social media post.
Just weeks after Ireland entered tougher restrictions, the UK will follow suit and will begin its second national lockdown on Thursday, November 6.
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed last week that all restaurants across the nation must close except for takeaways.
As restaurants prepare to move to deliveries, Burger King has called on its customers to order from McDonald's.
But there is a very good reason behind the shocking social media post.
Taking to Twitter, the fast-food giant explained that it is important to support all businesses over the course of the lockdown.
Before posting the plea, they joked: 'We know, we never thought we'd be saying this either.'
They then posted a long list of food retailers who would, in ordinary times, be Burger King's main competition.
'We never thought we'd be encouraging you to order from [...] any of our sister food chains,' they wrote.
'We never thought we'd be asking you to do this, but restaurants employing thousands of staff really need your support at the moment.
'So, if you want to help, keep treating yourself to tasty meals through home delivery, takeaway or drive thru.
We know, we never thought we’d be saying this either. pic.twitter.com/cVRMSLSDq6
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) November 2, 2020
'Getting a Whopper [from Burger King] is always best, but ordering a Big Mac [from McDonald's] is also not such a bad thing.'
Burger King fans have praised the chain for its classy message about McDonald's.
The tweet has been retweeted nearly 45,000 times and had been liked by 121,000 people.
The chain also tagged a number of other smaller UK burger joints as they called on its followers to support local business.
The UK will enter lockdown on Thursday, November 6, for six weeks.


Q&A for American Independent THIS IS A BUSINESS Midwest Theatrical... more »
Q&A for American Independent THIS IS A BUSINESS Midwest Theatrical Premiere. Burgeoning indie film superstars Tom Stern and Dan Stern talk about the film and the indie filmmaking process.
Buy the film now on DVD or VOD through Indiepix Films at www.indiepix.net/thisisabusiness
"Four Stars! (Highest Rating) A wry, absurdist gem." --Todd David Schwartz, CBS
"...endearingly quirky..." --Charles Wilson, LA WEEKLY
"...bone-dry comedy..." --Robert Koehler, VARIETY
"...delightfully surreal comedy..."
--Joe Williams, ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH
Official Selection of Lisbon Village Festival, Dances With Films, St. Louis International Film Festival, and Raue Center for the Arts American Independents' Series. (more) « less


Atelier tuning Schwabenfolia from Germany engaged in transformation of cars appearance with the help of films. Sometimes accompanied by improved completion specifications. This comprehensive modernization was a sports sedan 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. His new project is the German master named Stealth Fighter.
The already powerful vehicle power unit has undergone aggressive a force, which resulted in significantly increased productivity. 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X by Schwabenfolia a capacity of 390 horsepower and maximum torque of 520 Nm. power grew by 95 horsepower and was carried out with the help of a new sports exhaust system Invidia Q300 and chip-tuning of the electronic engine control unit.
Torque realized racing tires Michelin Pilot Sport Cup (Semi-Slicks). Mnogospitsevye wheels Enkei Yamato 18 inches stand out bright orange colors, atypical for the majority of both serial and tuned cars.
Sedan 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X «Stealth Fighter» Master Schwabenfolia vinyl film coated steel color, nicknamed “camouflage against enemy radars.” The roof spoiler and the rear of the car is different shade of black. Radiator grille give an orange border.
Designers came up with the fantasy further design of the exterior. it can be seen from the Umbrella Corporation logo serial movie “Resident Evil” on the back door, and placed on the trunk lid made Hello-Kitty embossed logo in the style of Military. Besides all this body 2018-2019 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X by Schwabenfolia just littered with various warning labels.


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31 Body Positive Affirmations to Kick Start your Body Love Journey!
Daily affirmations can be a powerful tool in growing and lovingly transforming your body image. So what is an affirmation you may ask? It is a positive sentence that you repeat to yourself on a daily basis. It is something you aspire to achieve or grow into, yet said as if you're already there. Typically written down and kept somewhere you'll see it often (such as taped to your bathroom mirror), affirmations are read out loud to yourself each day.
Affirmations are something that have been a powerful tool on my own body positive journey and I'm so excited to share them here! The great thing is that you can use affirmations in so many different areas of your life. Everything from body image, finances, career, family, love, the list rally is endless!
Though the concept may seem simple, they have been shown to really transform the way you see yourself and your life. The theory behind how they work is that when you begin saying affirmations each day, you may not believe them. Over time through repetition the idea sinks into your subconscious mind and becomes your reality. They are a easy, accessible way to begin to correct and change your limiting beliefs to open the door to new possibilities in your life.
The following are daily affirmations specifically centered around body positivity, confidence, and saying "yes" to living your best life! I strongly encourage you to pick 3 or 4 and write them down. Post them somewhere you'll see them often and repeat them aloud to yourself at least once daily. If none of the affirmations below are your cup of tea, then go ahead and create your own! As long as they're written in the present tense (as in "I am" or "I have" instead of "I wish I was"...) and written in the positive, you're good to go!
I am amazingly strong and powerful.
I am courageous and brave.
I choose to know that I am enough.
I am my own biggest cheerleader.
I live my best life each and every day.
My body is worth celebrating every single day.
My body is the vehicle to achieving my biggest and brightest dreams.
I am more than a body, I am me and I am perfect.
My body deserves all the love I so freely give to others.
I am worthy of unconditional love & acceptance.
In each moment I am the best version of me.
I am sexy in every way.
I am my own kind of perfect.
My opinion is the only one that matters.
I love myself in the present as I continue to grow and evolve.
I am grateful for my ________ (fill in the blank with any body part you have a hard time loving).
I accept myself for where I am in the present moment.
I choose kindness and self-compassion as my first step on this journey.
Food is not something that is earned, it is a gift for my body to keep it healthy and strong.
My worth is not defined by a number on a scale.
I create my own definition of what beautiful is.
I respect and honour myself at every size.
I embrace my unique body.
Exercise is a form of self love, not punishment.
I kick ass at being me.
I'm comfortable and at home in my skin.
I say yes to speaking to myself with love and kindness.
I am allowed to take up space.
My body is a sacred temple.
I am open to new and exciting experiences every day.
I love myself. (To make this even more powerful, say "I love you" while looking at yourself in a mirror!)
I'm wishing you all the love, confidence, and happiness in the world! Let daily affirmations be the first step and integral part of your very own personal journey to loving and accepting your body.
Do you want more body loving goodness??
Join the Body Love Tribe!! This FREE supportive space is where I jump on live and do regular trainings to show you how you can learn to love your body!!
Click here now to join.
Do you need a hand getting some healthy body love habits started?
Maybe you want to learn to love your body but don't know where to begin?
Grab my FREE Healthy Body Love Habits Checklist today and begin implementing these simple, free steps into your day to care for your health and love on your body!

domain: psychology


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We are 3 women in early 60's who want to go to New York for five nights. Our hubbies have no interest so we are going to do it up big doing all the stuff girls like to do. We would like to do at least two muisicals, and would also like to do a hop on/hop off type of tour of the city. We also would like to know good location to stay due to proximity to theatres, shopping and restaurants. Can anyone advise on a good tour company, restaurants and hotel that isn't exorbitant in price (looking for $250 to $300 per night (100 each per night) thank you
3 Crazy Canucks in New York
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Arsonist strikes in late-night Wallington spree
A fire-starter torched piles of rubbish and a skip in an arson spree in the early hours of this morning.
Firefighters were called to a burning skip just off Maldon Road in Wallington at about 3am.
The fire in Maldon Road had grown so large it set light an overhanging tree and the crew from Wallington fire station had to hose down both the skip and the tree.
As the team left the scene they were alerted to a fire in nearby Alcester Court off Alcester Road.
When they arrived they found two fires - the suspected arsonist had set a pile of rubbish in a grass-covered area and then torched litter near a brick wall.
The firefighters used a hose to douse both fires and then called the police who are investigating.
If you saw anyone behaving on a suspect manner in the area or have any other information, you can call police on 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Comments are closed on this article.


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Jane Jacobs fought Robert Moses for the heart of the Village, but local businesses have suffered far more from the rise of the app economy.
Here’s a very incomplete list of the things that have closed in my old New York City neighborhood in the last 10 years: the pizza place, the laundromat, the Chinese food place (Mamma Buddha), the other Chinese food place (Baby Buddha), the pastry shop, the antique store, the other antique store, the bookstore, the deli that illegally sold me cigarettes when I was 16, the coffee shop, the bar, the other bar, the other pizza place, the one that gave me free pizza when I’d walk home from elementary school.
The West Village, where I grew up, has turned into many things: It’s a gallery for the rich who visit for brunch on weekends, a prop for movie sets, a stash spot for billionaires who’ve converted countless multi-family homes into McMansions in the middle of New York City, and more things to more people. Back in the ’80s, my parents bought a loft in a converted women’s prison, all the way on the far west side—with their property safe from rising rents, they’ve been able to stay.
Back then, you could find a two-bedroom apartment in the West Village renting for under $1,000 a month. Now, a two-bedroom rents for about $7,000 per month. I live in a two-bedroom apartment with roommates across the Manhattan bridge—it’s not a great neighborhood, the subway is 15 minutes away, the highway shakes my bedroom every time a truck passes. It’s not where I grew up, but it’s what I can afford.
Neighborhoods used to be valuable because of their convenience—which, in New York, is usually measured by how close they are to public transportation, their proximity to the commercial centers of Manhattan—and their amenities. There was value in the local. But now, with apps available for pretty much anything you could want, locality is losing ground to a different form of convenience, one that means you never have to leave your house, but one that also means once you’re out of your house there’s not much there. Every time I visit my parents, I notice more and more boxes stacked in the hallway stamped with the logos of on-demand delivery services; they’ve taken the place of the small businesses I frequented as a city kid in the ’90s.
The West Village was gentrifying well before apps were a thing, but technology might be the nail in its coffin: The Village, and so many other neighborhoods around the world, can function without having to work at a street level. The internet as it relates to locality is of course not totally bad. I’ve used Yelp countless times to find restaurants and shops I would have never otherwise gone to. But good or bad, the effect is the same: locality and the need for local knowledge is lost.
Rent used to keep development in check: If the rent was so high that basic services couldn’t exist, a neighborhood would become less desirable and its rents would stagnate. In the ’90s, rents in the West Village got too high for a lot of small shops, which closed. New ones opened, and these would be something equally useful but more expensive—a self-service laundromat might be replaced by a full-service dry cleaner, for example. That doesn’t happen anymore. In Williamsburg, another heavily (and quickly) gentrified New York City neighborhood, banks, Walgreens franchises, and tourist destination dining spots are replacing the bars and restaurants that were part of the initial wave of gentrification.
Apps don’t start the process, but they do enable neighborhoods to retain their real estate value without having any local value. With the dozens of apps built to disrupt local markets and quickly satisfy every need, there’s no longer a need for those former pillars of a neighborhood, grocery stores and laundromats and corner stores. Instead, we’ve got Amazon Prime Now for electronics and dry goods within an hour; Fresh Direct for groceries; Drizly for wine; Fly Cleaners for laundry; and Postmates, which hires local (underpaid) workers to get you anything else you might need. More services spring up each day.
As a result, space gets used for other things—galleries, high-end boutiques, destination restaurants—or sits empty. What might look like a vibrant neighborhood to a tourist is actually a difficult neighborhood to live in for someone like me, a middle class writer who needs things like lunch for less than $10, paper towels from the deli, and a cheap place to do my laundry.
Today, there are few stores and restaurants I can afford to patronize in the West Village. When I dog-sit at my parents’ house it’s rare for me to shop locally; I’m forced to rely on the same apps I lament to bring me what I need. When I do that I’m participating in the system that undermined what made the Village great—its community, the chance interactions you had with neighbors on the street, the ability of people to run small-businesses there that were net benefits to the people who live there.
Taken to its logical conclusion, this cycle—gentrification, rising rents, local businesses dying and being replaced by their app-mediated equivalents—kills neighborhoods. Some places have lost almost all function except as tourist destinations. Many flagship stores in SoHo, the trendy Manhattan neighborhood historically home to artists and galleries, for example, pay tens of thousands of dollars a month in rent and don’t care much about making a profit. Now, the neighborhood functions as a showcase for luxury brands. That’s started to creep into the West Village too. On Bleecker Street, just a few blocks from where I grew up, Marc Jacobs owns six stores that are essentially display cases for each of his collections. They’ve replaced a bookstore, some independent clothing stores, and a cheap antique store owned by a friendly guy who would give me small gems when I was a kid. (I was very into gems.)
This a sad fate for the Village; Jane Jacobs wrote her treatise on urbanism, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, from a townhouse a couple blocks away from where I grew up. She believed all neighborhoods should emulate the Village’s small shops, varied street lengths, and focus on its community. But even back in the ’60s, Jacobs saw how the neighborhood institutions that the poor and middle class relied on were being usurped for the benefit of the rich.
“The well-off have many ways of assuaging needs for which poorer people may depend may depend much on sidewalk life,” she wrote. “But nevertheless, many of the rich or near-rich in cities appear to appreciate sidewalk life as much as anybody. At any rate, they pay enormous rents to move into areas with an exuberant and varied sidewalk life. They actually crowd out the middle class and the poor in lively areas like Yorkville or Greenwich Village in New York, or Telegraph Hill in San Francisco.” Jacobs went on to warn that the “outstanding success” of a neighborhood like the Village has a tendency to be ruined by the wealthy. Fifty years later, her predictions have come true.
In every gentrified city there now exists a dead zone, caused by rents so high that stores selling the things normal people need can’t survive. The lawyer and writer Tim Wu called the phenomenon “high rent blight,” and explained how it works in The New Yorker. “If you’re a landlord, why would you keep renting to a local café or restaurant at five thousand or ten thousand dollars a month when you might get twenty thousand or even forty thousand dollars a month from Chase?” For landlords, the calculation is that simple.
And it’s not just New York. In San Francisco, the Mission’s new condos are having a hard time filling their storefronts; in London shops are closing all over the place as the city experiences its own gentrification crisis, precipitated by a huge deregulation of the housing market and a boom-time economy. In L.A., newly built mixed-use neighborhoods are already retail ghost towns, even as the apartments above them command sky-high rents.
There are, of course, potential policy solutions. New York regulates hundreds of thousands of apartments to help reduce citywide rents, offers incentives to developers to include affordable housing in new buildings, and has several programs encouraging middle class homeownership. But nothing like that exists for commercial storefronts, probably because of the market-friendliness of local politicians. “These things are treated as if they’re entirely private market decisions,” said Scott Bernstein, the president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, an urban planning think tank. “There are all sorts of programs for subsidizing housing but there’s not one for stores.”
Tech, for its part, isn’t helping the situation. Uber has been insensitive when it comes to labor issues, presenting its drivers as happy independent contractors with flexible schedules as opposed to people who would rather have full-time employment but can only find sporadic work; Airbnb is spending millions in cities like San Francisco to convince people to vote against regulation that protects low-income neighborhoods from having too many apartments usurped by Airbnb-ers.
In other words: Apps that replace stores have presented themselves as unquestionable goods, necessary disruptors of an outdated system. Jordan Metzner, the founder of laundry delivery app Washio told New York magazine last year that he and his business partners were out to not only provide convenience, but to “demolish laundry.”
Talk of disruption and convenience obfuscates what’s actually happening: It’s more convenient than ever for those who understand technology and can afford the higher prices of delivered laundry and food; life is less convenient for everyone who’s not quite so fortunate. Not only are local laundromats, delis, and the like cheaper than the equivalent apps, but they also function as community spaces where chance interactions occur. Urban planners call them “third places,” which differentiates them from the “first” and “second” places of home and work—Jane Jacobs herself thought them crucial to the functioning of the ideal city.
People appear to be searching for the sense of community provided by these third places even as they close all over: Indie bookstores, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants are thriving in New York and other gentrifying cities, as people try to replicate what once made neighborhoods great. But there’s a difference between a laundromat and a $10 cocktail bar or destination restaurant, because the latter aren’t the same kinds of spaces non-gentrifying residents of New York and other cities need.
My grandma wouldn’t sip a Manhattan at an overpriced West Village cocktail bar. There is a group of people the market favors and rewards, and those people are not my grandmother. While laundry, food, wine and everything else are now available with a few taps, everyone else learns to live with less.


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We received the sad news today of the passing of George Romero, one of the icons of the Horror genre. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll see dozens, maybe hundreds, of articles analyzing his movies, looking at the life of the man himself, and looking at his impact on film and the Horror genre.
What many people forget though, is that Horror is a very subjective, and personal experience, and that’s the view I want to take on Romero’s passing. I want to share the way the man and his work impacted me.
To start, I’ve always been a Horror fan. I saw Gremlins in the theater at just four years old and immediately rooted for the monsters. I saw Child’s Play, I saw Critters, I watched all the classics. They were really just fun movies for me though, none of them inspired any sense of fear or even nervousness.
I was also a latch-key kid. My mom left for work long before the crack of dawn, and made sure I was up hours before I had to catch the bus for school, and that was when I first experienced George Romero.
It was late October, I was 13 and I was flipping through the channels at 5 AM. One station I always trusted was the Sci-Fi channel. They played classic Horror movies at 5 AM every day back then, so I settled in.
It turned out to be George Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. I was glued to it. Even in black and white, the blood and shadows played with my head. Everything the characters did made sense, they were all the things I could think of for what made sense to respond to their situation. So when everything they did failed, I failed. Then morning came. I felt relief and elation for Ben when he made it, only to have my heart drop when other survivors dropped him without hesitation.
For a seventh grader, that hit home like nothing else. It was something I knew, something everyone knows, that sometimes you work hard, and seem to succeed, only to have everything ripped away and be left with nothing. But to actually SEE it portrayed in such a way on television like that made it real in a way few things feel when you’re 13.
It probably didn’t help that right after that I had to walk by myself, half a mile to my bus stop with only one dingy, yellow street lamp for light and a nice thin layer of fog.
That was the first time a movie really freaked me out. I was going through the house on commercial breaks, checking locks, making sure the lights were on, and peering out the windows into the darkness of the neighborhood. It also made me extremely jumpy on the walk to the bus stop.
Night of the Living Dead showed me what Horror movies could really do when they were artfully crafted. They could be more than just fun little monster movies. They can affect you on a much deeper level, make you feel things you’re not used to and that you don’t want to feel. They give you that rush of adrenaline from the fight or flight response, even though you’re safe, cozy, and warm in a theater or your own home.
This movie was likely the turning point in my life with regards to Horror. It turned something that was just fun into something deeper and stronger. It’s the reason I write Horror now, watch Horror movies and TV shows all the time, read Horror novels and play Horror video games. It turned something that was merely an interest into a way of life. (And I can probably blame it for my twisted sense of humor, too.)
For all that, thank you George. We’ll miss you.