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Conor McGregor is one of the most dominant fighters alive.

A two-division champion in UFC, McGregor now finds himself as the king of combat sports, living a lavish life and getting ready for the biggest fight of his career 12 rounds in a boxing ring against the undefeated Floyd "Money" Mayweather and the likely nine-figure payday that will come with it.

But while McGregor is a natural to the superstar life, it wasn't something he was born into. Coming from a working-class family from the suburbs of Dublin, McGregor found his way through childhood gyms, a stint as a plumber's apprentice, and eventual worldwide fame as the most "Notorious" fighter on the planet, and the biggest name in the UFC.

Below we take a look a McGregor's rise to the top of the world.

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How Conor McGregor went from Dublin plumber to the king of combat sports - The Advocate

In the space of four short years, Conor McGregor has grown accustomed to the trappings of luxury that have accompanied his rise through the ranks of mixed martial arts.

But the 29-year-old multi-millionaire Irishman, who faces Floyd Mayweather in a cross-combat superfight on Saturday, insists he has never forgotten his humble beginnings.

Hand-to-mouth existence

Until he was discovered and signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2013, McGregor was eking out a hand-to-mouth existence.

The former apprentice plumber was on the dole as he attempted to make a name for himself on the Irish mixed martial arts circuit.

Its mind-blowing. But I never forget the struggles. I never forget where I came from. I never ever forget the hard times, McGregor says.

When things were really bad I didnt have a pot to piss in. Really, nothing. Im not a stupid guy and it was hard standing in the dole queue.

McGregors life now, as he contemplates Saturdays bout with Mayweather, could not be more different.

Private jets, tailor-made suits and multi-million-dollar purses feature regularly in his life.

He owns a luxury yacht which he christened The 188 a reference to the amount of his 188 weekly benefits cheque before his career took off.

I pinch myself because I am surrounded by luxury. But make no mistake its luxury built on sacrifice, McGregor explained.

Initially, McGregors family had attempted to steer him away from fighting, encouraging him to work as a plumbers apprentice during his teens.

I hated every minute of it, McGregor recalled. You were talking 14 or 15-hour days.

I was getting ordered around, getting people their lunch, all this crap. I just thought, This life isnt for me, Im going to pack it in. Im going to chase my dreams.

Winning streak

A mixed early start to his career in Ireland was followed by an eight-fight winning streak between 2011 and 2012.

In 2013, UFC chief Dana White signed him to a multi-fight contract and the worlds dominant mixed martial arts circuit had its next star.

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Plumber to superstar, McGregor taps into fame - The Hindu

Buying a pair of jeans these days is a lot different than it used to be. Sure, you can find some basic denim if thats what youre into, but theres also plenty of weird AF types of pants to choose from. Were still not over Topshops clear knee jeans (just in case you wanted to show off your kneecaps but maybe not get them wet?) or the bare butt jeans from Vetements, providing easy access to your booty at all times.

It seems as though ASOS has hopped on the bizarre jeans trend, as they recently introduced their high waisted straight leg jeans with open back and theyre exactly what they sound like. The pants have a half-moon shaped cutout in the back (with a line of fabric down the middle), pretty much guaranteeing that youll sport a stylish plumber's crack wherever you may go.

Courtesy of brand

Courtesy of brand

We have just one question about these pants. OK, scratch that, we have a lot of questions. But the biggest mystery seems to be: If were showing off our butts in our jeans now, does that mean we need butt facials? Or at least a DIY butt skin-care routine? Wait what Instagram filter looks best on the butt? Ugh, this is stressful.

Fortunately, weve already put together a guide for dealing with butt acne (AKA buttne). Some of the go-to tips recommended by dermatologists? Avoid tight-fitting clothing (especially while sweating), dont over-scrub, and rely on gentle exfoliants to keep your skin smooth and hydrated.

If youre brave enough to try these latest butt-jeans, you can snag em for$60 on ASOSs website. Of course, all butts are perfect the way they are, but if you happen to find out which Insta filter gets your booty the most likes, be sure to let us know.

More on weird AF jeans:

Now, check out these celebs with their own beauty lines:

Follow De Elizabeth on Twitter and Instagram.

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ASOS Is Selling Jeans That Give You Permanent Plumber's Butt - Allure Magazine

People may grieve in different ways, but Tom McDonalds way of paying tribute to his late friend is especially unique.

McDonalds friend from childhood, Roy Riegel, was a devoted baseball fan and an exceptionally talented plumber. He also passed away in April 2008.

CHECK OUT:Daughter Fulfills Dads Last Wish With Side-Splitting Obituary

Originally, the retired New York City transit authority worker had planned on sprinkling his buddys remains on the fields but he soon figured out that he wouldnt be allowed to leave ashes on a baseball green.

So instead of dirtying up the fields, McDonald started depositing his friends ashes in a way that was only fit for a plumber: flushing them down the stadium toilets.

While the tribute may seem a little vulgar, McDonald figures that its a more personal homage to his buddy and its more permanent.

(WATCH the video below)

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Man Goes to 13 Ball Parks to Scatter Pal's Ashes in the Perfect Way for a Plumber - Good News Network

If you're waiting longer these days to get an appointment with an electrician, plumber or carpenter, don't blame it only on summer vacations.

There's a growing shortage of these skilled workers that perform essential jobs at major construction sites and inside customers' homes. Even in a strengthening economy, more experienced and older trade workers are retiring.

Unfortunately, there aren't enough younger people poised to take their places.

That has to change because left unchecked, this could blossom into an acute skilled worker shortage that touches everyone. It will mean higher costs or delays for those building new office towers, rehabbing houses or merely dealing with annoying, everyday emergencies like clogged toilets and sinks.

Some local schools, unions and companies are working to ease the labor crunch. That's an important mission, and more organizations need to get on board.

"This could be a very large problem," says Mark Klein, co-president of Lincolnshire-based Klein Tools, which makes products for the electrical industry and electricians. "It's a huge supply and demand issue."

A recent survey of more than 600 union and nonunion electricians found that 56 percent said more experienced electricians are leaving the field, compared with 44 percent in 2015, according to an analysis of independent research commissioned by Klein.

What's more, 40 percent of those asked say they are concerned there won't be enough qualified electricians available in the coming years to meet demand.

A similar dynamic is running through plumbing, carpentry and other construction-related trades where the median worker age is over 40 years old and the need for new workers is building, according to the Washington D.C.-based National Association of Home Builders.

Why did this job crunch happen?

The Great Recession and subprime mortgage meltdown of the late 2000s and early 2010s took a toll. The economic disaster meant a loss of nearly 1.5 million construction-related jobs, with hundreds of thousand workers leaving the field for good. Many independent contractors also went out of business.

Those construction businesses that endured didn't spend much-needed cash on mentoring or recruiting new workers. Unions, which also were reeling from related economic hardships, cut back on paid apprenticeships. That kept many young people out of the trade job pipeline.

But there's another hurdle to attracting new workers: lack of exposure to the trades at an early age.

As high school shop classes and other related "build-it-yourself" experiences are being taken out of curricula, students don't get much hands-on exposure to making stuff and problem-solving.

Nor do they get a chance to envision the trades as a career option versus a four-year college degree.

We need to appreciate that some people have a talent for working with their hands and solving those daunting difficulties that come with creating and fixing things.

As someone who has a hard time switching on the snowblower and comes from a family that could repair mostly anything mechanical, I've long admired those abilities.

Lately, there's been a burgeoning effort to recruit younger people to fill these important positions. Increasingly, it's across-the-board with higher education, business and unions stepping up to do the sales pitch that says, barring other Great Recession calamities, an enduring and good-paying career is possible.

Taking part are area community colleges, including the City Colleges of Chicago. The system's Dawson Technical Institute, part of Kennedy-King College, offers programs in carpentry, plumbing, electric line work and more.

In a few weeks, the Chicago-based Plumbers Local 130 is opening a state-of-the-art training center that will expose apprentices to "real world" construction scenarios and plumbing issues. The center also will focus on how to work with "green" technology and rainwater harvesting, says James Coyne, business manager of the 6,000-member local.

For its part, Klein is investing $2 million over five years in union and business programs that develop training, scholarships and an endowment that provides tools to upcoming electricians.

This is all good but it's only a start.

More local unions, companies and educational institutions have to come to the rescue. They must push themselves to be more creative and inclusive than ever before, opening the trades further to women and minorities.

And as Plumbers Local 130 is showing, there's also a need to emphasize new ways of doing the jobs, one that offers greater rewards by stressing emerging environmental and technological advances.

At the same time, it would be great if more experienced workers, retired or not, took a while to mentor and teach students about their crafts sort of what the federal government-backed SCORE volunteer network does to advise small business owners.

Let's get going. We can't wait much longer for a new wave of electricians, plumbers and carpenters to arrive.

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @reedtribbiz

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Local unions, schools are trying to head off a trade-worker jobs crisis - Chicago Tribune

Ceilings have a way of really showing defects when the drywall is not installed properly. While the visibility of ceiling defects can be reduced (e.g., through recessed lighting, flat paint, and other methods), the goal of every ceiling drywall installation should be to reduce or eliminate errors during construction. Everyone likes a clean-look drywall ceiling!

The first step in preparing the ceiling is to ensure there are no major issues with the sub-structure of the joists above, no plumbing or electrical issues to be addressed, and that, in general, you can live with a sealed ceiling. After thats complete, the ceiling should be strapped to ease installation.

Strapping a ceiling is the process of installing wood (or, in advanced installations, another material) perpendicular to the joists. The strapping serves as the nailing surface for the drywall. You should never install ceiling drywall fastened directly to the joists above. Why? There are several good reasons:

Strapping the ceiling also has the added benefit of reducing noise transfer from the floor above if you use an advanced material like resilient channel instead of 13 wood.

Ceilings are most often strapped with 1 x 3 uniform spruce lumber. Most home improvement stores will sell strapping in bundles, with sizes ranging from 8 feet to 16 feet. In general, you want to buy the longest strapping you can transport / install in the space.

Calculating the amount of strapping you need is simple. Measure the ceiling across parallel to the joists. Take the number of inches and divide by 16, then add 1. That gives you the number of straps to be installed. Measure the ceiling perpendicular to the joists. If this number is less than 16 feet, you can buy one strap for each length. If this number is greater, youll need to be additional straps to be installed on each length. Pick the best combination of strap lengths to achieve the ceiling.

Ceiling strapping should be installed every 16 inches on center, perpendicular to the joists above. Remember, a sheet of drywall is 4 feet, or 48 inches wide. 16 inch on-center spacing allows the drywall to be fastened four times across its width (one on each end, and two in the middle). On-center installation is important, because every 48 the strapping will be shared by two pieces of drywall. In other words, the center of thethird piece of strapping from the wall should be 48 away from the edge. This pattern should be followed all the way across the ceiling.

To keep the strappingperpendicularto the wall and in a straight line, you may want to snap a chalk line across the joists after making measurements, and before installing the strapping.

10d nails are appropriate for ceiling strapping. You can use two nails at every intersection between a joist and the strapping.We highly recommend using a framing nailer to speed installation! (Otherwise, youd be swinging a hammer upside down a few hundred times!)

Do not use finishing nails! Finishing nails will not provide sufficient hold in the ceiling above. Eventually, the strapping will pull away from the joists, and youll have a collapsed ceiling.

We recommend against screws only because of the unnecessary added installation time.

Installing ceiling strapping greatly eases drywall installation on the ceiling and ensures a smoother, even drywalling job. Special thanks to Todd over at Home Construction Improvement for helping us out with this article and for providing the two photos above.

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How to Strap a Ceiling Before Installing Drywall - One ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. Ribbons of gray, coral and pink swirl overhead in the second-floor gallery at Washington's Renwick Gallery before forming an intricate vaulted ceiling. Illusions of domes and boxes appear and then fall away as viewers move through the room. Realism turns abstract.

The overhead magic is created by Parallax Gap, a new installation that plays with perspective and illusion as it transforms the museum's stately Grand Salon.

Commissioned by the museum for the large room where Janet Echelman's woven sculpture, 1.8 Renwick, was displayed, the work depicts nine ceilings from 19th- and 20th-century buildings, including designs from Philadelphia City Hall, the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.

Layers of fabric stretched on frames are hung in layers from above. The work spans 67 by 38 feet and takes up 10,000 square feet, but it still allows parts of the gallery's own ornate ceiling and skylights to peek through. The individual ceilings overlap and collide with one another, depending on a visitor's point of view. Its name plays on its jumpy perspective, as a kind of optical interaction.

Brennan Buck and David Freedland, partners at the architecture practice FreelandBuck, created the piece, which was selected by the museum in its ABOVE the Renwick competition in 2015.

It will remain on view through Feb. 11.

Parallax Gap, which is the first architecturally focused work commissioned by the Renwick, pushes the definition of craft in the same way the nine site-specific works in Wonder did, says Abraham Thomas, curator-in-charge of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's satellite space for contemporary craft and decorative arts. Wonder was the blockbuster exhibition that celebrated the Renwick's reopening in 2015 after a two-year, $30 million renovation.

Thomas said he wants to build on the experimental nature of that show, which pushed the boundaries of American craft to include large-scale works of contemporary art. This installation's focus on architectural is the next step in defining craft as a process, he said.

Craft is a verb, not just an object. It is an attitude, he said.

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Grand illusions: Renwick Gallery's ceiling installation celebrates the art in architecture - NewsOK.com

New Hope Presbyterian Church (EPC) wanted enhance its visual presentation during services. The Fort Myers, Fla., house of worship turned to Cape Coral, Fla.-based Creative Sound and Lighting Solutions to design and install a solution that includes projectors by Eiki International, Inc.

The integration firm installed two Eiki EK-511W LCD projectors for the front and an EK-301W as a rear confidence monitor. However, the setup for the two front EK-511W projectors was no small challenge. They ended up being suspended from the lighting bars over the stage area to visually blend in and not attract attention, according to an Eiki International, Inc. press release.

The Eiki EK-511W projector offers 7,500 ANSI lumens brightness with 80 percent uniformity and a 2500:1 contrast ratio, which was crucial to this installation because of ambient light conditions, adds the manufacturer.

For the rear confidence projector, the Eiki EK-301W proved an outstanding choice, thanks to its horizontal and vertical corner Keystone correction.

The brightness of these EK-511W front projectors was crucial to the success of the installation, says Creative Sound owner Rob Robinson in the press release.

With all the ambient light throughout the sanctuary, we needed serious lumens (brightness) to blast through to those 10-foot wide screens with a 22-foot throw. Equally notable, we had to mount the EK-301W rear projector very high. This projector was positioned a good 15 feet above the rear screen, but with the amazing corner correction in the unit, the imagery fits on the screen perfectly.

The idea was to use projection technology to help engage and inspire the congregation and that required displaying a wide range of content, Robinson continues. They use ProPresenter, a church presentation software package designed to make high-quality worship experiences easyand with this they can easily project lyrics, images, and video in a very compelling manner. They also have a full-time livestream person in the projection booth who can place any camera shot up on the screens. As a result, there is a lot of compelling imagery throughout services.

With video projection technology, questions inevitably arise during most installations; so responsive, capable support services are crucial. When queried about Eikis support services, Robinson was very complimentary. Steve Rubery, Eikis National Sales Manager, was my guiding hand on this project, says Robinson. Steve was always there on the other end of the phone when I had questionseven with the East Coast / West Coast time difference. He always makes certain that were covered.

With the successful opening of services at New Hope Presbyterian Churchs new sanctuary, Robinson reports his client is very pleased with the Eiki projectors, Ive received numerous compliments from church management. Going from a single 2000 ANSI lumens projector to the new, dual projector setup was a significant upgrade. The images, videos, and other content on the screens is bright, vivid, and really grabs ones attentionall of which makes their services that much more interesting. This new projector setup really positions them well for many years to come.

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Eiki International Projectors Descend from New Hope Presbyterian Church Ceiling - Commercial Integrator

When looking ahead to what the Dennos would be showing in our galleries this summer, I knew there was a likelihood the exhibitions would not open when planned given the gallery renovations taking place.

I had invited three noted artists with connections to the region to show as part of our summer schedule.

Sally Rogers, an Northwestern Michigan College art department alum who had gone on to a very successful international career as an artist. Sally and I had been talking about an exhibition for some time. She was considering moving her studio from North Carolina to Traverse City and I told her that would be a great time to do the exhibition. It turns out she elected to make the move to New Mexico instead, where she is now building that new studio. Sally was one of a number of artists I wanted to be sure to exhibit while I was still at the Dennos, hence I invited her to show this summer. She has a major outdoor sculpture, Nexus, installed on our campus as well.

The Grand Traverse region abounds with many fine artists who focus on the landscape of our region. In my time here I have always been drawn to the work of David Grath. His palette and interpretation of that landscape was one that I found refreshing with images I could return to again and again and enjoy the result. David was another one of the artists whose work I wanted to show in a larger presentation at the Dennos. It turns out my invitation came on his 80th birthday!

The sculpture court walls of the Dennos have always been a place to showcase large scale works and they present an opportunity to look at the court itself as an installation space. It is also the visitors first look when they enter the Dennos, so what is shown there sets the stage for what is to come for that visitor. The court has also become a social space and we often end up hosting events that make it difficult to install from the floor up in the court because of that. Some of our recent exhibitions have been installed from the ceiling down to make the floor area accessible for such events.

Diana Carr creates dimensional work, but does so starting from the wall. We have a wonderful work by her in our collections. After exploring her website and seeing her past wall installations, I invited her to create an installation for the court walls.

The first caution I presented to each artist when inviting them to exhibit was to advise them that the planned opening date, which was for June of this year, could very well be pushed back due to construction issues. So they had to be flexible regarding the actual dates of installation and opening.

Thanks to challenges related to gallery flooring which I have written about in earlier columns, that flexibility was indeed put to the test. In the end we installed the Sally Rogers and David Grath exhibitions before the flooring in the galleries was complete. We finally had a formal reception for these exhibitions on Aug. 2 and the flooring in the galleries was only completed the Monday before.

These exhibitions will have shorter runs than usual. Rogers and Grath close Sept. 9 and Carr on Oct. 1. The remarks from those at the opening reception for each exhibition on its own was very positive. As a whole the three installations play off each other very well. I strongly encourage you to see them before they close. They are a testament to the talented artists Traverse City has produced and that have been attracted to this culturally vibrant region.

Gene Jenneman is the executive director of the Dennos Museum Center. He can be reached at ejenneman@nmc.edu.

Excerpt from:
Museum Matters: Three great Dennos Museum exhibitions not to be missed - Traverse City Record Eagle

LUMBERTON An oven fire at the REMPAC Foam plant on Starlite Drive late Thursday afternoon forced the evacuation of about 35 employees, according to the companys senior vice president, and will delay production for a while.

The fire was quickly contained and suppressed in the 60-foot-long box oven by employees using fire extinguishers, Mike Van Etten said. No one was injured.

However, the Lumberton Fire Department had to be called when flames became localized above the oven and spread under ceiling installation, he said.

There was nothing we could do when the roof caught on fire, Van Etten said. We had to call the fire department.

The fire started about 4:45 p.m, he said. The Lumberton Fire Department was on site within minutes.

According to Van Etten, the major damage to the plant will be the roof. He will not have a good estimate of repair costs until he can get up on the roof and survey the damage.

That roof was put on about three years ago and cost a quarter of a million dollars, he said. I dont think it will cost that much to repair because there probably isnt damage to the entire roof.

This was the first time in the 20 years his company has been in the building at 2005 Starlite Drive that there has been the need to call the fire department to extinguish a fire, Van Etten said.

Our employees have extensive fire training. Some are even members of volunteer fire departments, he said. They knew what to do in this situation. If the fire had not been contained in the oven this situation could have been worse. It could have been real ugly.

He expects the the Starlite Drive plant will be shut down for about a week. Work will continue at the companys two other Robeson County sites.

Employees who work at the Starlite Drive plant should call their supervisor before they come to work, he said.

According to the companys website, it produces he highest quality, cost-effective converted flexible foam plastic products and services which meet or exceed the needs of our customers. We offer our customers a broad range of open and closed cell foamed plastic and sponge rubber materials, unique conversion processes and a corporate commitment to excellent customer service and thorough quality assurance.

A handful of firefighters still were on the scene at about 6:30 p.m. Attempts by The Robesonian to contact Lumberton Fire Department Chief Paul Ivey and Assistant Fire Chief Chris West to get more details were unsuccessful.

Lumberton firefighters responded Thursday afternoon to a fire at REMPAC Foam on Starlite Drive. The fire began in an oven used in the manufacturing of sanding sponges and then got into ceiling installation and burned through the roof.

An oven fire at REMPAC Foam on Starlite Drive caused the evacuation of about 35 employees late Thursday afternoon. No one was hurt in the fire that damaged the roof of the facility that manufactures sanding sponges and other foam products.

Bob Shiles can be reached at 910-416-5165.

Excerpt from:
Robesonian | Fire damages REMPAC plant, no one injured - The Robesonian