This evening, Friday, August 15, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan that while all but a handful of our residents by now have had their power restored by Eversource, New Canaan's Public Works and Human Services staffs continue to offer assistance to those with issues with the utilities or those in need.In a number of parts of town, there remain telephone and cable wires down and it will take several more days for Frontier and Optimum to make repairs and restore services.

COVID-19

"On the coronavirus front, New Canaan had 3 new positive test results for COVID this week bringing our cumulative total to 248," said Moynihan. The new positives range in age from 14 to 20 years old, with 2 females and 1 male.All 3 individuals are asymptomaticand two have already retested negative. The third is isolating at home.

"Our Health Director notes that shenow has access to data from the CT Department of Health that includes all negative COVID tests for our residents who test, which she didnt have access to before.So to put further detail to this, for period August 1stthrough August 14tha total of 373 residents were tested and only 3 tested positive. This is a test positivity rate of less than 1%," said Moynihan.

COVID tests for teachers and students

New Canaan Health Department has arranged with Stamford Hospital PCR testing of teachers and students next week here in New Canaan. "By conducting this testing of teachers and students we hope to get a picture of current community transmission trends prior to the opening of school," he said. "The health and safety of all our residents remains of utmost importance to the Town of New Canaan.We remind you that if you travel to any of the states on the Governors list of coronavirus hot states except for less than 24 hours you must quarantine for 14 days upon your return home, Moynihan continued.

Please continue to wear masks when social distancing cannot be achieved and when masks are required indoors in public places and continue to wash or sanitize hands when in contact with public surfaces.

Everbridge

Next week the Town will launch a new emergency outcall service platform called Everbridge. If you are receiving this message by phone or email you will be pre-registered in Everbridge.Watch for additional information about Everbridge early next week.

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New Canaan Power Restoration Update, Three New COVID Positives, Testing for Teachers and Students, Everbridge - HamletHub

Scott McGillivray and Debra Salmoni are the dream team one would like to have when renovating their house. The latest episode (August 15, Saturday) of the show, the pair met Laura and Dale, house owners of a carriage house who bought it to get some income. Laura and Dale thought that the house would help them to have a steady flow of income, but the renovation was taking too much of their time.

After struggling to land on a place that would be good enough to invite guests, Laura and Dale decided to turn to Scott and Debra. When Scott first saw the house, he was excited to be part of a renovation that involved a carriage house. However, as he spent more time looking at the property, he realized that the house will require a lot of time and effort.As he walked into the house, Scott quickly realized that the space of the house was not being properly used. Estimating that the house can fetch them around $80,000 per month, Scott knew that he had to work hard to bring his imagination to life. With the help of Debra, Scott came up with the plan of renovating the house.

Meanwhile, Debra thought of ways in which the designs can help retain the original beauty of the house. The pair was aware that people would come to a carriage house to get the real experience. Keeping that in mind, Scott and Debra planned their renovation to ensure the true beauty is not lost with all the renovation.Scott started by breaking some walls and converting big bedrooms into two rooms to make sure they bring in more money. He then brought in new appliances for the bathroom and kitchen to ensure that it matches the idea they both had in mind.

Meanwhile, Debra bought some items that she thought would fit the house. Without wasting any time, Debra and Scott got to their work. Laura and Dale also helped out with the house as they helped to renovate a carriage door. Scott wanted to bring the doors to add them as an element in the house and with a little help from the owners, he managed to save some cost.

With the help of everyone, Scott and Debra were able to complete the renovation on time and undoubtedly, Laura and Dale loved in.

'Vacation House Rules' airs on Saturdays at 8 pm ET on HGTV.

Read more:
'Vacation House Rules': Scott and Debra land carriage house for renovation, can they bring its beauty to life? - MEAWW

As the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary wades through the Restoration Blueprint public meetings, discussions, drafts and revisions processes, water quality remains a primary concern for all parties involved.

The Weekly caught up with Karen Bohnsack, who deals with all things water quality for the sanctuary, to learn more.

What is your primary objective as the associate director for water quality and ecosystem restoration for FKNMS? My goal is to work with the community and suite of partners who have authority over activities that impact water quality to understand the sources of water quality decline, and develop and implement solutions. Through my role, I want the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to be a leader in demonstrating commitment, action, and progress towards improving water quality in the Florida Keys.

Is your position relatively new with FKNMS? When did you start? Yes, my position is relatively new with the sanctuary, and was created with the recognition that we needed to have more dedicated attention to water quality issues and solutions. I started in mid-August 2019.

What are the biggest water quality challenges for the Sanctuary? Are these local, regional, global or a mix? Water quality in the sanctuary is affected by a mix of local, regional and global factors.

Locally, wastewater, stormwater runoff and land-based sources of pollution from the islands are among the most important contributors to water quality decline as they contribute high concentrations of nutrients and other pollutants into nearshore waters. The Keys are made of a porous limestone bedrock, so pollutants that soak into the ground may eventually reach nearby surface waters.

Were also influenced by waters that flow to the Keys from other locations, including the Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida, which is highly urbanized and home to 8 million people. This connectivity adds additional complexity to managing water quality locally, as wastewater and stormwater inputs from Floridas east and southwest coasts also have the ability to influence Keys water quality.

Globally, increasing temperatures and ocean acidification will affect our waters, and sea level rise and changing storm and rainfall patterns may exacerbate local water quality issues by increasing runoff of various land-based pollutants into nearshore waters.

How are water quality and ecosystem restoration connected? Restoring and protecting water quality is essential for the overall recovery and sustainability of habitats, fish and wildlife in the Keys.

The coral reefs and seagrasses thrive in and rely on clean, clear water that is low in nutrients. Exposure to nutrients, toxins and other pollutants negatively affects these resources and their associated marine life, which over time causes shifts to algae dominated areas with cloudier water and fewer fish.

Can we restore our coral, seagrass, mangroves etc. if we dont tackle water quality issues? Good water quality is fundamental to a healthy ecosystem and is important for the long term success of any restoration effort. We have and will continue to work on water quality solutions within the Florida Keys and regionally. However, understanding that such improvements are extremely complex and require significant time and financial investments, it is important to simultaneously pursue proactive restoration to maintain key ecosystem functions.

What is the Water Quality Protection Program, how can it help, and can folks get involved? The Water Quality Protection Program (WQPP) was created as part of the legislation that established the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This program has worked for over 25 years to address sources of pollution and maintain the water quality conditions needed to sustain healthy coral reefs, seagrass and marine wildlife populations.

Through this program, a variety of corrective actions, education and outreach, monitoring, and research activities have been undertaken to better understand and address the sources of pollution contributing to water quality degradation within the Florida Keys. In addition to contributing strong scientific information and providing a forum for public input on water quality issues, the WQPP allows for collaboration among the different agencies with water quality responsibilities, which creates an opportunity to achieve meaningful improvements in water quality beyond what an individual agency or organization could accomplish alone.

Members of the community can attend WQPP meetings both to become more informed about water quality issues and to share concerns or perspectives about water quality from their experience. Visit ocean.floridamarine.org/FKNMS_WQPP/ to learn more.

Whats one thing people can do to help improve water quality? Protecting and improving water quality is complex and challenging, and requires both coordinated agency action and individual effort. Probably the best thing that each individual can do is to become informed about water quality, then consider their own activities and identify one way you can specifically change your behaviors to protect water quality. This may include keeping nutrient-rich yard waste and fish scraps out of canals and nearshore waters, using vessel pumpout services, reducing fertilizer use or avoiding applications before rain, proper disposal of household chemicals and/or connecting to central sewer if you havent yet. Such small, individual efforts can help, especially if everyone contributes.

Bohnsack can be reached at [emailprotected].

Read more from the original source:
Sanctuarys expert talks about sources, restoration and why it matters - Florida Keys Weekly

The crew from Sumter Utilities of Ashville, N.C., who Adolfo Brecino considers his heroes, after restoring power to his home on Aug. 12, 2020 in Wilton, Conn.

The crew from Sumter Utilities of Ashville, N.C., who Adolfo Brecino considers his heroes, after restoring power to his home on Aug. 12, 2020 in Wilton, Conn.

Photo: Contributed Photo / Adolfo Briceno

The crew from Sumter Utilities of Ashville, N.C., who Adolfo Brecino considers his heroes, after restoring power to his home on Aug. 12, 2020 in Wilton, Conn.

The crew from Sumter Utilities of Ashville, N.C., who Adolfo Brecino considers his heroes, after restoring power to his home on Aug. 12, 2020 in Wilton, Conn.

Seven calls to Eversource and six crews later, Wilton mans power finally restored

WILTON First his power went out, then it came back on, then it went out again.

Many officials tried to help him, but finally, after crews repeatedly came and went without fixing the problem, Adolfo Briceno flagged down a utility foreman from North Carolina who assessed what was wrong, assembled his crew and restored electricity to Brecinos Wilridge Road home.

For Brecino, losing power was more difficult than it would be for most since the 60-year-old suffers from myasthenia gravis. The condition has left him with shortness of breath, a drooping eye that prevents him from driving, and problems with the muscles in his neck.

My muscles are so weak I cant pull the cord on my generator, he said, let alone get out to buy gas to fill it.

For that, Brecino relied on his neighbors, who he called his heroes.

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After he initially lost power on Aug. 4 due to Tropical Storm Isaias, Brecino relied on his generator until the lights came back on the morning of Aug. 9.

I got full power but for just a couple of hours, he told Hearst Connecticut Media, explaining that his lights began to flicker and nothing was turning on. It was like getting no power, nothing was working, he said.

He immediately called his electrician who told him the problem was with a pair of cables running from the utility pole to his house.

Thats when he began his quest for Eversource to restore his power.

I called Eversource at least seven times and four crews came to assess the problem, he said. They all filed reports, including my health condition, but nobody was able to help me, he said, because they came in pickup trucks and didnt have the right equipment.

He said when he finally reached someone at Eversource, they could not tell him when someone would be able to help him.

By Aug. 11, Brecino called Wilton First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslices office and spoke with her executive assistant Jackie Rochester, who placed several calls to Eversource on his behalf. A crew was supposed to be at his house by 5 p.m., but never arrived, Brecino said.

Brecino climbed the government ladder and reached out to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., on Aug. 12. Shortly after his office intervened, a crew from Au Sable Forks in upstate New York arrived, but Brecinos hopes were quickly dashed.

They checked the power coming to my house and told me that I was receiving full power and that the problem was inside my house, he said. They left my house without fixing the problem and with my generator turned off.

As luck would have it, Donny Lewis, a foreman with Sumter Utilities in Asheville, N.C., was passing by. Brecino flagged him down and explained the problem.

He called the rest of his crew and they were able to confirm what my electrician was saying all along that the problem was in one of the pairs of wires coming from the electric pole to my house. After requesting the proper authorization, Foreman Lewis and his crew were able to fix the problem restoring the power coming to my house.

Brecino said he is very grateful to Lewis and his crew and his neighbors.

It was a three-day ordeal that I dont wish on anybody, he said.

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Seven calls to Eversource and six crews later, Wilton mans power finally restored - The Wilton Bulletin

One of the unexpected by-products of the current COVID-19 pandemic is the escalation of prices in musical equipment. Guitar Center, one of the United States largest music gear retailers, has such a reduced inventory right now youd think they were selling toilet paper. Why is this? With more and more people stuck at home, people who already engage in musical hobbies are buying more gear to enjoy with so many more hours of free time on their hands. The other reason is simple supply and demand, with a twist: larger than normal demand for gear has made it harder to keep in stock, and the supply chain delays caused by factors related to the pandemic and global economic struggles prevent stores from staying well stocked.

Funny thing is, theres been a tone-deaf (pun intended) undercurrent of opinion in the last few years that guitar music is dead. While there is a rise of non-guitarcentric music these days, the various forms of music centered around stringed instruments is alive and well, particularly the genres based on electric guitar.

Wikipedia:

Invented in 1932, the electric guitar was adopted by jazz guitar players, who wanted to play single-note guitar solos in large big band ensembles. Early proponents of the electric guitar on record include Les Paul, Lonnie Johnson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, T-Bone Walker, and Charlie Christian. During the 1950s and 1960s, the electric guitar became the most important instrument in popular music.[1] It has evolved into an instrument that is capable of a multitude of sounds and styles in genres ranging from pop and rock to country music, blues and jazz. It served as a major component in the development of electric blues, rock and roll, rock music, heavy metal music and many other genres of music.

Right now, one of the metal guitar world influencers, Ola Englund, enjoys over a half million followers. For comparisons sake, not many NFL influencers can say the same thing.

With so many people snatching up music gear these days, its not hard to jump to the conclusion that many hobby industries are experiencing the same things. Just ask Netflix or any other streaming service that cant put out new content fast enough for those voracious binge watchers out there. Or go by a home improvement store on a weekend morning - theyre packed and picked over, with folks buying everything from yard-centric stuff, to woodworking materials, to home renovation items.

Imagine how much this is just killing the NFL owners as theyre forced to tell fans No, you cannot come to our stadium and spend money on our overpriced merchandise, $20 beers, and $50 parking passes.

But thats okay. People will still idolize their favorite flavor of entertainment activities, and if they cant idolize their first choice, theyll move onto a second or dive into a new third option. Maybe theyll sign up for Fender Play and learn to jam on electric guitar? It will certainly be interesting to look back on this unprecedented period in history and see how it changed modern American life, both in hobbies/pastimes and everything else.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, its Saturday night and off-topic is not only welcome, but encouraged.

So whatcha got?

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Saturday Nights Alright For Commenting: 8/15/2020 - Battle Red Blog

Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, along with their five children, captivate us each week on HGTV's Renovation Island as they work to restore a rundown beachfront resort in the Bahamas in just six months. Although the first season is coming to a close, it doesn't mean this is the last youll see of them: The Baeumler family is returning with an all-new series called Renovation, Inc.

Renovation, Inc. will premiere on HGTV on Sunday, August 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, according to a press release from the network. The show will hit the rewind button (to the pre-Bahamas era) and follow Bryan and Sarah's successful home reno business based in Ontario Canada, where the family lives.

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Viewers will get an up-close look at the business, Baeumler Quality Construction, where Bryan serves as a licensed contractor and Sarah serves as the project manager. As you can expect, the couples competing tastes and differing visions will cause them to clash throughout the series. However, Bryan and Sarah learn to compromise and stick together as they balance multiple projects, meet demanding client expectations, and of course, raise their five kids.

Its been so exciting for Sarah and me to share our adventures in The Bahamas with HGTV fans on Renovation Island, Bryan said in a statement to HGTV. Now, were even more excited to go back in time and show you what we were up to before moving to the island and how it all got started.

For now, you can still catch new episodes of Renovation Island on Sundays at 8 p.m. on HGTV. The 90-minute series finale will air on August 16. The following Sunday on August 23 at the same, the network will air a 90-minute special dubbed Renovation Island: Bryan and Sarah Tell All that looks back at the familys biggest Bahamas adventure. Finally, on the last Sunday of August, Renovation, Inc will premiere and take you back to where the family's journey began. Theres definitely no shortage of the Baeumlers this month!

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"Renovation Island" Stars Bryan and Sarah Baeumler Will Return Will an All-New Series on HGTV This Month - HouseBeautiful.com

There's never a shortage of wedding fun on Selling Sunset. First, we saw Mary Fitzgerald and Romain Bonnet tie the knot. Then, in the latest season, Christine Quinn tossed her bouquet at her extravagant winter-themed nuptials and Heather Rae Young caught it. Now, it looks like wedding bells will be in Heather's future after her boyfriend, HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, got down on one knee and proposed to her on July 25, their one-year anniversary.

Does this mean we'll finally be seeing more of Tarek on Selling Sunset now? Since season 2, many have asked why Tarek hasn't appeared on the Netflix reality show. What's more, some are wondering if his and Heather's engagement will change this and if Selling Sunset will feature their wedding next. In case you're wondering, here's what we know at the moment.

In an interview with House Beautiful, the 32-year-old model said that Tarek cant appear on the Netflix series because of his contract with HGTV.

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Since 2013, viewers of the home renovation network have watched Tarek co-host Flip or Flop with his ex-wife, Christina Anstead. The father of two also has his own show Flipping 101 and he previously had a digital series called Tarek's Flip Side. Whats more, HGTV often has stars from its various TV shows collaborate for crossover projects. Tarek has made guest appearances on Brother vs Brother, Rock the Block, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

But this isnt to say that Tarek won't ever be filmed with the Selling Sunset crew. According to Heather, her fianc might actually be joining her that is, if Netflix gives the green light for a new season.

"We might have a special announcement to make for season 4, if we get season 4," she told Entertainment Tonight. "There's a possibility that he might be jumping on."

She continued: "So much of my life is Tarek, and I can talk about him. He is a huge part of my life and he can't be on the show with me, so all I can do is talk about him and talk about our moments and talk about how much fun we have and everything going on. But, yeah, there might have been a deal made so we'll see But honestly, I don't know about season 4, but fingers crossed!"

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Selling Sunset executive producer Adam DiVello shared with The Wrap that the show respected Tarek's decision to stay off camera when he was Heather's plus one at Christine's wedding. Thanks to strategic camera placement and editing, Tarek was able to enjoy the festivities without worrying about his contract.

In the case of Christines wedding, I think Tarek came by at some point," he told the outlet. "I think it was even after dinner, and just like hung out with her for a while because they wanted to hang out and have some fun.

Now, whether or not a potential season 4 of Selling Sunset will show Heather and Tareks engagement, is still up in the air. When asked if it would be the focal point of upcoming episodes, Adam said: We certainly dont want to miss things when were [on production hiatus], so we try to get as big of events as we can."

While the couple anticipates getting married in "less than a year," the two have yet to confirm if they want their special day on TV. Well just have to wait and see!

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The Real Reason Why 'Selling Sunset' Never Shows Heather Rae Youngs Fianc Tarek El Moussa - GoodHousekeeping.com

By Marc Levy Friday, August 14, 2020Leaders at the new Central Square Church said they plan to spend as much as $7 million on renovations at Central Squares First Baptist Church of Cambridge, seen in a church video.

The choice of a construction manager means renovations can begin on Central Squares First Baptist Church of Cambridge, a landmark structure standing at River and Magazine streets since 1881 and now officially home to a new organization called Central Square Church. Leaders at the new church said they plan to spend as much as $7 million on the work.

Central Square Church, formed in July out of the congregation based in the historic building and its neighbor down the street, Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, said it had already raised $3.5 million as of Dec. 10 from 160 of their combined households and former members around the world, according to a statement online.

The total raised to date is significantly more than what we needed to get into the building to do basic renovations, and halfway to our dream goal, church leaders said.

The construction manager, the University Park-based Siena, said it would be working with Wessling Architects of Quincy on finish restorations, modifications, restrooms and accessibility upgrades inside as well as restoration of the gabled slate roof, wood windows and doors and the brick masonry faade, including sandstone trim and terra cotta detailing.

The renovations were needed, and the merger of congregations was needed to accomplish them.

Sunday services and other building activities ended in the winter of 2018-2019 after pipes burst and the buildings water had to be shut off, freezing out what First Baptist pastor Henry Johnson called a handful of parishioners and sending them to Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, itself sharing space with three other congregations in a smaller, white-paneled building at 234 Franklin St. The historic church hadnt been maintained properly since a 1975 architectural refresh and was in need of an extreme makeover, Johnson said last summer.

Merging gives First Baptist a new lease on life, and Cambridge Community Fellowship Church the room it needed to be comfortable and safe.

The year before I met pastor Johnson, we had had an Easter service where we violated every fire code we had chairs stacked in front of the doorways, said Larry Kim, who was senior pastor at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church.

While First Baptist had an older, African American congregation, CCFCs membership was majority Asian American, mostly college students and young families. It was founded in 1996, while First Baptist dated back to 1817 and thrived for many decades certainly in 1960, when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. came to town and more than 2,000 people overflowed the hall to hear him speak.

In July 2019, leaders of both churches were still feeling their way to a merger. It took until Juneteenth this year for them to announce the formation of Central Square Church, after years of contemplation despite a relationship that dates back more than 10 years and included partnering on an October Harvest Festival and other events.

God has been moving us and bringing us together, Kim said in a Central Square Church introductory video.

Miracle in Central

Church leaders were open-eyed about the difficulties of merging churches, given the differences in demographics and evangelical denominations. We cannot pretend that there isnt some weird stuff between different races who are sitting next to each other in that church, said Leslie Moore, who held the position of traction network coordinator at Cambridge Community Fellowship Church.

Still, she said in the video, Its so unlikely that a church with black leadership goes to a church with Asian leadership, largely, and says, Hey, can we connect? I think we should do things together.

Church leaders said they felt the full $7 million goal was achievable through supporters in its networks, interested parties in Central Square and historical building renovation funds.

Michael Monestime, executive director of the Central Square Business Improvement District, conscious of the struggles at River and Magazine streets for some time, reacted Friday to news of Sienas hiring and the impending renovations, calling it the Miracle in Central.

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Historic First Baptist Church close to renovation with $3.5M raised by two merged congregations - Cambridge Day

Architecture | 3 days ago

Industrial architecture inspires a villa renovation in the suburbs of Milan

Italian architecture studioOasi has renovated an old house into an uplifting villa for a family, combining minimal design with warmth and character

Oasi Architects hasdesigned an unexpected villa in Villaggio Ambrosiano of Segrate, a pleasant communityin the Milanese suburbs. The house renovation has a unique new upper volume crafted insheet metal. Itsshape, which curves, shifts and folds around the lower level,has been extruded from imaginarylines extended fromthe urban planning regulation lines of the residential street.

We are often inspired by industrial architecture,says PietroFerrario, principal at Oasi Architects. There is something simple in its expressionand clear in its execution.

There isnt much industrial architecture in this quiet suburb, but the project required a refreshingapproach. The former house on the site had been built in the 1990s and defied many of the local planning laws, leaving it essentially illegal. Working with theplot was always going to be tricky, but the client and architect worked together to make something of it. The client, a contractor who built the project himself, was aware of the legal problems associated with the house when he bought it cheap because of them. He called up Oasi Architects who gave him the confidence to take on the project.

Instead of a limitation, the architects used this as a starting point to shape the new design. Giving a new sense of character to the house,they defined the perimeter and shape of the new first floor by extrudingthe curves and alignments from the imaginary legal lines that the new house had to follow.

When they took the design to the local administrators, they loved the project, and even encouraged them to use a unique material for the facade. The contractor chose a metal facade system that was to give the house an industrial character.

While inspired by the crude simplicity of industrial architecture, Oasi Architects starteach project with the same question: How can architecture contain life?

The interiors feature concrete floors at ground level and agrey stone staircase, however wood brings a lot of warmth. The window frames are made in pine wood the upper floors are oak. Ferrarios favourite moment of the house is the veranda space overlooking the pool where the family can drink a glass of wine, while the partner prepares some lunch.

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Industrial architecture inspires a villa renovation in the suburbs of Milan - Wallpaper*

One TikToker, @Squiglez22, picked up over 70 million views cleaning her Grandmother's pool. Fans of the videos are obsessed, Kacyee Stroh of the High School musical series even commented "I am committed to this series!"

TikTokers behind the oddly satisfying videos are thrilled, but surprised their videos are getting so much attention.

Stuck in quarantine and without access to a gym, Eddy Deluca (@eddydeluca_) had nearly lost all motivation to work out. It wasn't until he stumbled across rusted workout equipment from a neighbor that Deluca realized all those nights he had spent watching DIY videos would finally pay off.

With little building experience, Deluca took action and started building a home gym, documenting the process for TikTok to see. The first upload of his four-part series received 2.5 million views and over a thousand shares in twenty-four hours. The videos aren't complex, but they are visually mesmerizing. In a 30 second time-lapse, Deluca is seen carefully submerging rusted weights through an acid wash, slowly scrubbing away the rust with a wire brush, and perfectly covering each weight with a new coat of black spray paint.

In another upload, he records the day-long process of building a bench press from scratch and even includes a moment for those looking for the oddly mesmerizing moment: peeling tape from a freshly painted piece of wood. The post has garnered dedicated fans, with multiple commenters writing "so satisfying!" and another writing "I don't even workout out, but I'm invested in this series!"

Deluca isn't alone in his overnight virality, TikToker @squiglez22 has taken the platform by storm with a series titled, "Cleaning My Grandma's Pool that Hasn't Been Open in 11 years." The series has tens of thousands of comments and over 70 million views, however, the biggest hits from the series contain what can only be described as the oddly satisfying. On a video posted on May 18th, she can be seen power washing mud from the bottom of the emptied-out pool. The series is resonating with users too, with one commenter writing "This is the most satisfying thing to watch." The series even garnered attention from Kaycee Stroh of the Highschool Musical Series who commented "I am committed to this series!"

Whether it's rust removal, washing, or painting, an entire genre has emerged, hypnotizing viewers with oddly satisfying videos of household and outdoor chores that leave us wondering why are we watching it?

Evan Malone, professor of Art and Film Philosophy at the University of Houston, describes the phenomenon as "bursts of cinemacity" in our everyday life. Malone watches these ordered experiences like watching a James Bond film, "Bond doesn't fumble through his pocket when he's looking for keys. He's very precise in his movements. When I clean things nothing works, I sit there scrubbing for minutes at a time. With pressure washing it just comes right off it's like the James Bond of cleaning." When we see dirt being washed from pool tiles we get to witness an ordinary action executed perfectly. "We don't think about aesthetics in our normal lives, and what art or an aesthetic experience does is this refamiliarization with the normal, it's an invasion of the cinematic in our everyday."

The phenomenon isn't limited to cleaning either: user Breanne Malonis (@bretomolonis) has been documenting a home renovation. The most popular videos in the series are usually timelapses of the step by step process of building furniture around the house. "The process of building a home and watching all of it come together from nothing can be very satisfying...every time we posted a before and after so many people seemed to be amazed by the process."

There are other elements at play in the success of oddly satisfying, yet ordinary, videos, according to Malone. Describing what psychologist and philosopher, George Herbert Mead calls "Symbolic Self Completion," Malone explained, "if I have all these things on my mental checklist of things to do around the house, I can get the satisfaction of crossing things off my checklist from watching videos...instead of just showing us before and after of rusty weights and then a gym, you can get the same sense of satisfaction and sense of self-completion watching each step as you would doing the whole project yourself."

This experience isn't just for audiences either, creators receive added benefits separate from shares and likes. Malone likens this to when someone posts pictures of themselves working out. "They take a picture of them at the gym on day one and people comment 'you go!' or 'that's awesome!', and in that moment you already have the benefits of working out. People are already congratulating you for your willpower so then you feel like you don't need to actually complete it, you've symbolically self completed."

Deluca, for his part, was shocked to see his videos gaining so much attention, but recognized the pleasure people derive from his videos and those like them, "it's a sensory thing, like cleaning the rust off the weights. I'm just like everybody else, I watch it, but I don't know what it is." He also added, "I think it's wholesome content and people like to see that you are working hard and putting effort into something."

With large parts of the world still stuck in quarantine, Malone wonders if all this attention might simply be a form of escapism. "The picture that is emerging from media studies and psych literature is that this is self-soothing the world is getting more chaotic, there is this desire to see something ordered and familiar, or more ordered." With uncertainty lurking, the hypnotizing moments tucked inside these TikToks holds a promise of order and perfection that keep us coming back for more.

Malone's simplest answer could explain why Emily Bennett (@emilyy.nicholee) was able to acquire over 400,000 new followers. Bennett used the quarantine as an excuse to turn her lakeside beach into a small oasis. The majority of the videos consist of tedious outdoor work: raking sand, pulling out weeds, and laying down bricks. "I think the series got popular because so many people are stuck at home right now. Everyone just wants to be able to get out of the house and be at the beach themselves, so seeing us at our little beach made people happy.

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Oddly satisfying home renovation TikTok's are going viral. This is why they feel so great. - Insider - INSIDER