Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The pandemic has affected all aspects of real estate, including what buyers are looking for in a new home. After all, social distancing has kept us at home, giving us much to reconsider about our space.

What does this mean? Well, for some, it means the very things they thought they wanted in their dream home are becoming a bit of a nightmare now that some are home 24/7. Case in point: A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that some homeowners have had it with the all-white kitchen. As it turns out, a white kitchen is harder to keep clean, plus many want a little more color in their decor.

Now, if you're an investor looking to rent or sell a property, this is not to say you should scrap that kitchen reno with the beautiful white marble countertops. But there are some home features and amenities you should consider in the era of social distancing.

A recent article in Boston Magazine reported that travelers might see more streamlined hotel rooms in the future -- think fewer surfaces and trim, making it easier to keep things clean. What's more is that what's good for life on the road is also a good move for home decor. Property investors may want to consider the following:

Skip the carpet. Carpets are breeding grounds for dirt and germs. Homebuyers will want to see easy-to-clean surfaces they can disinfect upon moving in. If you opt for hardwood floors instead of wall-to-wall carpeting, you'll be a hit with buyers, especially those who have pets.

Hang washable wall coverings. Yes, wallpaper has indeed made a comeback. If you're planning to hang some in your property, make sure it's the washable kind. Choose designs that have a thin coating covering the paper so it can be wiped down with a dampened cloth.

Install soundproofing. Soundproofing isn't just for home theaters. It's now the perfect invisible improvement to the walls and floors of homes where children are learning while parents are on Zoom calls for work. Speaking of which...

Add a Zoom room. Open-concept floor plans are wonderful for entertaining but not so much when residents need privacy for working. If you can't create a Zoom room with a door that closes, a designated space for uninterrupted conference calls would be a good thing to include in your home staging.

Rethink entrances. A grand foyer can wow guests, but what about the residents who simply want to get in, take off their shoes, and scrub off the outdoor dirt and germs? A secondary entrance, be it on the side, in the back, or from the garage, will make a hit with homeowners who are eager to keep their homes neat and sanitary. Bonus points for mudrooms, especially those that have a sink for handwashing before entering the main part of the home.

Nix the crown moulding. This suggestion might offend some of the HGTV crowd who love a good aesthetic. But room details like this just add more dust and places for germs to hang out.

Opt for simpler door hardware. Many of us (the writer included) are fanatical about wiping down high-touch areas like door knobs and handles. In keeping with the germ-free approach, homebuyers will appreciate simple, smoother hardware on doors and cabinets that won't trap dirt and germs. Even better? Choose hardware with an antimicrobial coating for peace of mind.

We have all been spending much more time at home than we ever expected. And while distribution of a vaccine has commenced, it will be some time before the general population has access to it. Until then, we will be socially distancing at home. These features and upgrades will be a hit in your own home as well as with homebuyers looking to keep spaces clean and organized.

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COVID Has Resulted in a New Wish List for Homebuyers - Motley Fool

Randall Waszynski

In an effort to diminish or eliminate the presence of certain chemicals in drinking water on Long Island, Suffolk County Water Authority plans to construct an additional 56 wells featuring the authoritys Advanced Oxidation Process

Each new AOP must be pilot tested and approved by the NYS Department of Health before it can be put in service, said CEO Jeff Szabo, adding that SCWA is in constant contact with the state Department of Health regarding the process.

The advanced treatment of water will have the ability to remove 1, 4-Dioxane from the water. Additionally, the chemicals PFOA and PFOS common in things like stainmaster carpet, firefighting foam and once used in Teflon pots have been documented to have concerning levels in the drinking water. Seth Wallach, the community outreach coordinator for SCWA, said it is one of the most heavily used products in the building industry and commercial products.

Fortunately, SCWA already had the technology in place at a slew of locations for treating this but for other purposes. It is called Granular Activated Carbon treatment.

We already had carbon in place for that. The good fortune is that that same carbon that was in place for that also takes out the PFOS and PFOA. We have quite a few wells that are impacted by that, Wallach said, adding an additional 20 GACs (bringing the total to 155) would bring SCWA within compliance with the new regulations for PFOS and PFOA. When it comes to this emerging contaminant, we feel that the county's water supply is in pretty good shape. We are going to be able to have everything in service. Right now, we are using a strategy of turning off wells if they are impacted or if we don't have treatment of them. By the time we start turning wells back on for the next summer peak, which is how we kind of operate. In the fall and winter, people are not consuming water. If we had an impacted well, we had the good fortune to be able to turn it off for now.

SCWA currently has $13.3 million in acquired grant funds allocated toward this project. However, the capital for the project (not to mention operational expenses) will require hundreds of millions of dollars.

We are suing the polluters, Wallach said. We have two different litigations going right now: one for PFOA and PFOS and one for 1, 4-Dioxane.

Wallach explained that the damages associated with the lawsuits will go directly toward this cause. The idea is to have the companies that contaminated the water in the first place to essentially pay for the extensive chemical removal process. It is noteworthy, however, that the project moving forward is not contingent on collecting damages from the two suits.

SCWA anticipates applying for state grant funding to construct 14 additional wells, with each well estimated to cost $2.5 million just in capital cost, but that number varies based on the characteristics and location of the well.

The cost that these grants cover is really the capital cost of construction, Wallach said. There is an additional cost of operating these systems over their lifetime. That really isn't contemplated by the grants.

Szabo furthered Wallachs point.

You have to factor in 30 or 40 years of operational cost. All of these wells are going to require more carbon. They are going to require more manpower to operate these filtration systems. The equipment has to be changed out as it wears out, Szabo said. This really escalates the finish cost of it.

Implementing the drinking water standards immediately is difficult, Szabo explained, because of the extensive state permitting process and construction of treatment systems at 76 sites that will take five to six years to finish. SCWA has approximately 600 total wells.

In January 2020, a Water Quality Treatment Charge was instituted by SCWA to pay for the cost to install new water treatment systems throughout our distribution system. The $20 charged to each customer per quarter equates to $0.22 per day. This charge remains necessary, though that may be subject to change, considering an upcoming review of the general charge.

It was key for SCWA to receive approval from the state DOH in 2018 that pioneering AOP treatment system, which, combined with use of GAC filtering, can remediate the contamination issues.

Lastly, SCWA officials say that the NYS Assembly is awaiting the passing of an upcoming piece of legislation that would provide for the reimbursement of emerging contaminant grants by the responsible parties. It has already passed in the Senate and is awaiting action in the Assembly. Tens of millions of dollars could potentially be returned to state coffers in this case.

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SCWA plans to build 56 wells - Long Island Advance

There is increasing concern that electricity generation from fossil fuels contributes to climate change and air pollution. In response to these concerns, governments around the world are encouraging the installation of intermittent electricity generation projects including Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs).

But Whoa,Nelly! NIMBYs (Not-In-My-Backyard) around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts are speaking loudly, and acting, to put a halt to the invasion of noisy wind farms in their backyards.Following numerous reports from Maryland to Canada to France on wind turbine noise, the NIMBYs are becoming energized (no pun intended).

Despite the political obsession for intermittent electricity generated from wind turbines, NIMBYs are alive and well! Here is a sampling of NIMBYs around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts that are stepping up to stop the installation of those monstrosities in their backyards:

In Germany, thousands are being driven mad by practically incessant, turbine generated low-frequency noise and infra-sound, and are fighting back with a fury and energy which has rattled the wind industry. There are now hundreds of anti-wind industry groups across Germany. And many of those groups and individuals have launched litigation against developers and government to either prevent wind farms from being built, or to seek substantial financial compensation for the loss of the use and enjoyment of their homes. In Germany, locals expressed their opposition in no uncertain terms voting 25 to 1 against a giant wind project proposed for their patch of paradise.

The list of the NIMBY resistance goes on and on at locations like New York, Wisconsin, and Scotland, etc.

Before too hastily pursuing those wind turbines for the generation of intermittent electricity, politicians should read the numerous published reports from Maryland to Canada to France about the effects of wind turbine noise, and listen to their NIMBY constituents that are rejecting those monstrosities in their backyards.

This piece first appeared and CFACT.org.

Ron Stein is an engineer who, drawing upon 25 years of project management and business development experience, launched PTS Advance in 1995. He is an author, engineer, and energy expert who writes frequently on issues of energy and economics.

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NIMBY's Are Making More Noise Than Wind Turbines - newgeography.com

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Buying a car is a large, emotional decision fraught with layers of research and deep thinking. Finding the right accessories to complement said vehicle can be an equally dizzying process, whether it be for adventuring or just daily maintenance. Layer on the shifting circumstances of 2020, and theres a whole new list of must-have accessories that pacify problems previously not considered, such as batteries that drain from disuse. Different times, different priorities.

Most people dont keep tabs on battery tender or roof rack technology, but in the coronavirus affected year of 2020 cars are parked for longer periods of time and road travel is ever more important for weekends and vacation days. Thats why we compiled a list of 10 all-star products that provide lots of value to a wide range of drivers during such unprecedented times.

Many are practical additions to any driving universe that will come in handy right away and you dont have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate or need them.

Cold weather drains batteries, as does leaving a car sitting unused. Classic car owners often use battery maintainers to keep infrequently-used vehicles charged with a low but constant supply of power. The past year unexpectedly disrupted the driving habits of thousands of commuters, keeping vehicles parked in driveways or garages for longer periods of time, suddenly highlighting the benefit and necessity of owning a maintainer.

Deltrans Battery Tender brand of chargers and maintainers are among the best, and the 1.25 Amp charger a standout. The Deltran Battery Plus 1.25 Amp unit is strong enough to maintain large pickup batteries and also adjusts voltage to compensate for temperature, ensuring even charging and prolonging battery life. Once it fully charges a battery the system sets itself on trickle mode, replenishing charge that naturally dissipates.

The Battery Tender Plus 1.25 Amp retails for $50, but Deltran also has a range of models for lighter and heavier duty applications.

Road trips have increased in popularity this year with the shrinking availability (and higher risk) of air travel. Spending more hours in the car can mean more mess inside it. Floor mats are a good solution to keeping a vehicles native carpet clean, but a few provide superior protection such as WeatherTechs Custom-Fit Floor Liners. WeatherTechs liners dont come cheap relative to other manufacturers, but they have many advantages in construction, fitment and variety.

WeatherTech uses digital laser measurements to create floor liners (not mats) that overlay the vehicles carpet from wall-to-wall, and in some cases even up the sides of the footwells for a higher level of protection. The liners are made from a durable, patented plastic and typically are deep enough to retain liquid from major spills. In most cases theyre available in multiple colors.

Floor liners from WeatherTech range in cost, but most models range from $170 to $200 range and come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Often times road trip destinations require bulky equipment that demand the cargo space of a large SUV or truck. For drivers that want to transport kayaks, surfboards or stand-up paddle boards but dont want to compromise interior space or who operate a smaller vehicle, an affordable, flexible rack attachment is key. Its also important to find one that works with various crossbars, even the factory-installed kind.

The Inno Long Board/SUP/Kayak carrier securely and easily stows one kayak or canoe, two longboards or three short surfboards. They also have a locking mechanism for overnight storage. Easily maneuverable straps and a ratchet-type fastener make it easy to for one person to load and unload. Installing the system on the crossbars also is a cinch.

Inno makes other rack attachments which can hold larger loads, but the 445 is a versatile and high-quality piece for quick weekend trips, especially for solo weekend warriors or those that travel in small packs of two or three. The 445 retails for $191 on Amazon.

You never can be sure what youll need to haul, and in 2020 more time at home means more home projects. For many do-it-yourselfers, that translates to moving oddly-shaped items back (and forth) from the home improvement store, or hauling mounds of cardboard boxes or old junk to the dump.

To effectively carry unusually-shaped loads on the roof of a vehicle or to secure items to the bed of a pickup, quality strapslike the Yakima 8005006 Heavy-Duty Strapsare a must. They also will work with a naked roof, making them extra versatile. One of the major pitfalls of most roof rack straps is that the ends are made of metal. Inevitably the roof or sides of your vehicle will take a beating. This $33 set of straps conveniently encases the metal parts in soft rubber.

A 16-feet long, Yakimas heavy duty straps are made of box-stitched polypropylene webbing. The cam-type steel buckles are easy to feed the straps through for a secure fit and easily detach when unloading without the use of pliers or screwdrivers. Notably, these arent ratchet straps, so theyll need one good final tug before starting your journey.

Carrying a high-quality flashlight in a glovebox or console is never a bad idea for road trips or daily commutes. Even if you never wind up peering into the engine bay in December darkness, the Coast G19 LED inspection beam flashlight is a well-made and durable pen light.

Like a tiny Hollywood-style spotlight, the G19 gives a perfectly circular, high-intensity beam that illuminates only what you want to see. Its usefulness extends to travel, providing overnight flight or back-seat passengers nighttime visibility with little disruption to others, and serves many purposes for outdoorsy types. The G19 illuminates objects 65 feet away and runs for two and half hours on a single AAA battery. The case is water and impact resistant.

The G19 runs just $14 on Amazon. For those with more space in the glovebox, look to the similar 2-AAA Coast G20 inspection beam light, which offers a longer battery life.

Fuel economy, safety, ride quality: theyre among the many to reasons keep tires topped up and at optimum pressure. And in 2020, with vehicles just sitting around or getting less use than is normal (especially in regions with large temperature swings) keeping tires inflated is even more important. The Viair 88P portable compressor / tire inflator is a cheap, easy-to-use and reliable portable compressor that can help maintain your tires wherever you store your vehicle.

The 88P is a tad more expensive and heavy-duty compared with other inflators, but in a world increasingly populated with SUVs, it can fill tires up to 33 inches in size. The compressors long cords make moving around the vehicle mostly hassle-free.

Some tire inflators can be powered through interior 12V outlets, but they usually need more power than these outlets can provide. The 88P connects to the vehicles battery terminals, providing it plenty of juice without any risk to internal systems. The Viair 88P sells for $66 and comes with a one-year warranty.

In 2020, road trips have become a much needed escape from the house. That means lots of people want to take their pets with them, especially if theres nobody at home to watch them. This brings up a familiar dilemma: how to take your pup on a trip without ending up with mud, fur, or other debris on your seats. Its also important for your dog to be secure and comfortable, not sliding around or nervous.

The solution is a durable, hammock-style seat cover, which adds a forward flap to standard rear-seat covers. The 4Knines Dog Seat Covers are durable and easy-to-use hammocks that come in 54- or 60-inch widths. The straps quickly latch around your front and rear headrests and form a semi-enclosed pen for your pooch with Velcro openings for seat belts.

The hammock covers are made of heavy-duty, colorfast polyester and are free of any heavy chemicals or harmful dyes. Theyre soft and comfy but tough, and easy to clean with a moist towel or in a washing machine. 4Knines regular-size hammock seat cover costs $60 on Amazon.

Not everybody feels confident enough to do their own vehicle service, but in 2020 some people have taken to do doing basic maintenance tasks at home. Every D-I-Y mechanic really wants a $3,000 shop-style garage lift, but if you cant swing one of those, these durable Race Ramps RR-40 ramps can greatly alleviate some of the hassles of working under a vehicle, and safely too. Ramps are safer and easier to use than jack stands when you need to get under a car, but choosing the right ramp is important.

Race Ramps products are made of high-density foam. They can bear lots of weight and are rock tough, but are easy to move around and store. At 6 pounds each, theyre 80 percent lighter than equivalent steel ramps and more stable when a vehicle rolls onto them thanks to their grippy foam construction.

The $160 RR-40 ramps provide 7 inches of vehicle lift, support 1,500 pounds each, and can accommodate tires up to 8 inches wide. Theyre well suited to a wide range of vehicles, but Race Ramps also offer larger models for bigger machinery.

As with kayaks and paddle boards, bikes are a popular items for road tripping or just a daylong jaunt to the trailhead. In August Americans took 37% more road trips in 2020 than they did in 2019, according to the Department of Transportation. With such limited travel options this year, more people are using their bikes to get back to nature.

The hitch-mounted, American-made 1Up USA heavy-duty bike rack has an industrial look and isnt cheap at $569, but its strength and durability make it a good investment.This rack works with vehicles that have a 2-inch trailer hitch mount. 1Up USA also makes racks for 1.25-inch mounts on smaller vehicles.

The rack itself weighs 46 pounds and it can support up to 200 pounds of weight, enough for a pair of very brawny e-bikes with wheelbases up to 54 inches. Its made of anodized aluminum, so it wont rust, and folds out of place when not in use. 1Up USA also includes a re-usable storage box, and offers attachment to expand its capabilities.

Youre out driving on a mountain road and hear a grinding noise from your left rear wheel and pull over. Youve only got one bar of signal on your phone. Maybe youll reach someone.

Wilsons WeBoost Drive Reach system, about $500, consists of internal and external antennas and a signal amplifier inside your car, can provide up to 50dB of signal gain. It also has quite a bit more uplink and downlink signal power than earlier signal boosters including Wilsons own Drive X. These abilities can turn one bar into two and allow your phone to work more effectively as a mobile hotspot. Multiple phones also can use the system simultaneously.

The amplifier box and antennae are easy to install on your own, but you may be more satisfied in the long running spending an extra $100 or so to have the amplifier and cables installed out of sight.

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Forbes Wheels 10 Best Car Accessories For Holidays And 2021 Travel - Forbes

THIS PAST MAY,the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, was briefly in the public eye for being the first major American museum to reopen after the initial wave of coronavirus-related lockdowns. Come November, the debut of the final component of a $450 million expansion projectthe Nancy and Rich Kinder building, which boasts 164,000 square feet of exhibition space dedicated to international modern and contemporary artcoincided with the onset of what promises to be the pandemics deadliest season yet. Despite the grim winter forecast, museum leadership, armed with the blessing of Governor Abbotts Strike Force team (of which Nancy Kinder is a member) to reopen Texas, blithely pushed through the launch of this game changer for the Houston art world. Thus, a highly curated behind-the-scenes press stratagem competed with Instagram posts by @ChangeTheMuseum that challenged official accounts of virus-free opening weeks and high staff morale with reminders that the buildings security guards continue to work for nine dollars an hour, and that some staff have indeed become infected.

In public remarks, director Gary Tinterow has emphasized the long view, remaining laser-focused on celebrating how the Steven Holldesigned expansionalmost unparalleled in modern timesnearly doubles the MFAHs available exhibition space while also unifying an undeniably impressive fourteen-acre campus that includes two preexisting exhibition buildings, a Noguchi-designed sculpture garden, conservation lab, public plaza, and studio school (also a recent build by Steven Holl Architects). Touted as well is the fact that this massive piece of cultural infrastructure, aimed at an audience that is 92 percent local, was supported entirely through private donations and incurred zero debt. As it stands now, the MFAH is outflanked in both endowment and square footage only by the Getty and the Met. Where it is still sprinting to catch up is in the quantity of its holdings, although a $450 million boost to the endowment from oil heiress Caroline Wiess Law in the mid-2000s has driven a buying spree, especially of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art. Hence the need for the Kinder, whose namesake patrons also drew their fortune from the oil industry, specifically through pipeline and storage developments.

For those not ready to venture indoors, there is much to appreciate from the outside. The facade is a carapace of milky-white half-cylinders in glass, which modulate the climates double-whammy of bright daylight and heat. Small reflecting pools notch the buildings footprint and add visual interest in ways similar to Tadao Andos Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The graceful roof pattern is choreographed by a series of massive concave arcs, as if the building had been embossed by a canopy of low-hanging clouds. Inspired by Texass grand skies, the motif has become a new trademark for Holl, appearing in contemporaneous designs for Princeton University and Franklin & Marshall College. The edifice may be at its most alluring by night, when the glass tubes catch interior light and disperse it as an otherworldly glow, recalling the lantern-like structures that comprise the architects Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Stepping inside, a brilliantly white, three-story atrium that clearly riffs on Frank Lloyd Wrights Guggenheim primes visitors for experiences of aesthetic awe. While the building footprint is technically a trapezoid, the interior impression is of a wedge with rounded edges, an incandescent slice of birthday cake. Eyes are drawn upward by an Alexander Calder mobile and a multipaneled Gerhard Richter painting hanging on the top floor. Both secondhand commissions rejected from their intended homes, they are nevertheless stunning accents that elevate the gaze to Holls enchanting ceiling, which evokes overlapping sheaves of paper. The gaps between the curved planes let in just the right amount of soft radiance, a theme carried throughout the buildings lighting concept, which for the most part achieves a warm elegance. Yet the overzealous addition of glowing panels to the rotunda balconies walls illuminate the artworks opposite them about as appealingly as would an open refrigerator. Gracious touches include handsome wood-tiled flooring throughout most galleries and springy carpeting in the photography, prints, and drawings rooms, while the ground-floor terrazzo thoughtfully quotes Ludwig Mies van der Rohes Law building across the street (now accessible via an art-filled tunnel). Narrow stairwells create pinch points that hurry visitors between the buildings three floors. Statement sculptures and immersive installations occupy the ground level (Kusama, Turrell, and a retrofuturistic Gyula Kosice); the second is divided discretely between curatorial departments, with starkly different display strategies to boot; and the third floor presents a series of themed arrangements of intermixed collections, mostly post-1960.

Unfortunately, with its bland #GetModern-at-the-MFAH marketing campaign, the museum misses an opportunity to trumpet a truly unique success: It now clearly stands as a preeminent institution internationally in its ability to articulate broad-reaching historical and geographic narratives about modern and contemporary art of the Americas that are authentic and deep. How this plays out curatorially in the galleries is invigorating, and honors South-facing local, national, and transnational histories as well as urgent demands to bring more women artists and artists of color into the room. An arresting moment in the twentieth-century European and American art galleries, for example, juxtaposes sorrowful tableaux by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Kathe Kllwitz, and Texas artist John Biggers. Meanwhile, the emergence of geometric abstraction is most commandingly illustrated in galleries devoted to artists working in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela, where that aesthetic flame has arguably held out longest. This provocative recalibration makes the Mondrian hanging back in the European galleries look, well, old. Throughout floors two and three, thoughtfully placed reappearancesof works by Lygia Clark, Hlio Oiticica, Antonio Berni, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Ettore Sottsass, Dorothy Hood, Fred Eversley, Sam Gilliam, Carrie Mae Weems, Viola Freyforge conversations between disparate galleries and mediums.

The Kinders top floor is currently dominated by anodyne formalist arrangementsColor into Light, Light into Space, Line into Space (the latter architected around extensive holdings of works by Gego)whose generic appeal thankfully does not diminish the impact of individual works. The scope and quality of the collection is excellent, and to see so much of it laid out in one place is one of the buildings true unadulterated pleasures. One hopes the inaugural crowd-pleasing installations (including an LOL! gallery) will soon be refreshed with more conceptually probing displays like that found in Border, Mapping, Witness, which includes a room centered on work thematizing the USMexico border. Engrossing photographs of migrant laborers by Alejandro Cartagena and detention and border infrastructure by David Taylor are joined with Camilo Ontiveross gut-wrenching Temporary Storage, 2009/2017, a precariously balanced bundle of all the abandoned possessions of Juan Manuel Montes, Trumps first DACA deportee.

The building is also decorated with a number of spectacular site-specific commissionsby Cruz-Diez, Olafur Eliasson, Ai Weiwei, Byung Hoon Choi, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Cristina Iglesias, and El Anatsui (whose metallic curtain is, as of this writing, still en route from Lagos). Over time, these will securely index the building to its origins in the early twenty-first century. Happily, much of this self-consciously photogenic art occupies exterior and below-ground passageways, which may mitigate against aspirant influencers clogging the galleries. Iglesias is the only woman of the lot, but her kinetic pool, Inner Landscape (the lithosphere, the roots, the water), 2020, is most highly visible in its location at the Main Street entrance. This sculpture-slash-water-feature, which empties and refills roughly by the hour, represents in muddy bronze a rocky pool crisscrossed with roots and decaying vegetation. In essence, it simulates the very geologic processes that over millennia have produced the high-carbon fossil fuels that, since the Industrial Revolution, have enabled anything like modern and contemporary art and its museums to exist. Admittedly I, like most Houstonians who have visited the Kinder, immediately and instinctively loved it, and am thrilled to imagine the kinds of cultural experiences it will enable the citys public to have. I do not, however, love the petromodernity that it glorifies. Here lies the inadvertent brilliance of Iglesiass Inner Landscape, an appropriately ambivalent monument that will literally and figuratively ground every visit to the MFAHs new building with an acknowledgment of the extractive industriesoil, financethat have funded this seemingly debt-free gift to humanity.

Natilee Harren is an art historian and critic and the author of Fluxus Forms: Scores, Multiples, and the Eternal Network (University of Chicago Press, 2020)and Karl Haendel: Knights Heritage (LAXART, 2017). She teaches at the University of Houston School of Art.

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Natilee Harren on the Kinder building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Artforum

SHABWA You will meet the beekeepers late at night on the roads, stacks of wooden lockers stowed in the back of their pick-up trucks. In war-torn Yemen, with its endless checkpoints and occasional explosions, no one travels as much as the beekeepers migrating with their hives, chasing the flowers.

Honey is a serious business in Yemen. In this sparsely industrialized country, with its dizzying winding mountain roads, this liquid gold is reputed to be one of the best in the Middle East, if not the world. There is no need to engage in the national debate about which region holds the prize for the finest honey.

The soldiers at the roadblocks are clued into the situation: beekeepers can make a very handsome living, but it would be unwise to put a ransom on these farmers. "In any case, they are afraid of our bees. We usually pass by unchecked," laughs Sad Al-Aulaqi, 40, a beekeeper in Shabwa, in the south of the country.

This little man, full of energy and good humor, is eager to take his bees from his region and this valley, a few kilometers from the departmental capital, Atak. The flowering season is over here, so he must bring his hives elsewhere. But, for the time being, "that is not possible ," he says, grumbling. Battles between the army and the Houthi rebels prevent him from taking the road linking Marib, the large tribal town in the north, to the mountains that surround the capital, Sanaa.

"When you're on the move, bees become unpredictable: it's hard to guess what they need," explains Farea Al-Muslimi, a hive owner in Wessab.

Sad Al-Aulaqi has a method for traveling with a bit more certainty: he carries his bees at night while they sleep. If he isn't settled by dawn without having installed them properly, they could flee, disoriented. If he keeps them locked up in the hives, the heat would put their wax to the test.

Beekeepers travel in pairs or trios, but they need to talk to everyone.

The beekeeper stays up-to-date with the situation the war's front lines by way of WhatsApp groups. There is a very strong community spirit in this trade. Beekeepers travel in pairs or trios, but they need to talk to everyone else to find out where flowering is good, whether rain is causing flooding in the valleys, and where it's okay to congregate since the bees circulate between the hives. Al-Aulaqi also warns his neighbors when he gives sugar or medicine to his bees: they will either take advantage of it or choose to move away.

Photo: Mohammed Dahman Xinhua/ZUMA

On his WhatsApp group, Al-Aulaqi dissuades colleagues from joining him in a place where there are already too many of them. Today, he's looking for jujube trees, a thorny tree bearing a kind of bland and chalky type of date fruit.

Farea Al-Muslimi, founder of an independent think tank, the Sana'a Center, and beehive owner in the village of Wessab, says the more time one can stay in the same location, the better you can manage your bees. "But when we move around, the bees become unpredictable: it's hard to guess what they need," explains

In the summer, the beekeepers move to the Ibb Mountains in Dhamar, Al-Bayda. Winter is spent on the southern coast, near the ports of Aden, Moukalla or Bir Ali. In order to find a place that is not too cramped, that is away from livestock and from recent pesticide sprays, Sad Al-Aulaqi and his companion, Adel Saleh Saber, don't speak with political authorities but instead with tribal chiefs. "Travellers are welcome, especially in the North, where tribal traditions are still strong," Al-Aulaqi said. "They are not racist towards people from the South."

The war has introduced new complications for these relationships. At the start of the conflict in 2015, Sad Al-Aulaqi joined the fight against the Houthi rebels, who are originally from the North and who had taken control of Sanaa. They were heading towards his hometown of Assaib in the south and so the beekeeper left everything behind his family, his hives to join the fight on the frontline.

Wounded, Al-Aulaqi was immobilized for many weeks. "I lost 300 bees, they died without my care. It took me two years to recover," he says, lamenting "these useless wars."

Since then, he has been focused on trying to modernize his craft, which he learned on the job with his uncle. He admits he covets the more productive European beehives and is hoping to attain a higher quality honey in the large market of Atak, an important region in the south that enjoys relative peace.

The stings don't even make my skin swell anymore.

Sad Al-Aulaqi's low-grade honey market segment is now becoming crowded. Throughout Yemen, men are leaving the cities, where jobs are scarce, to become farmers and beekeepers. "The market is flooded and our bees don't have enough to eat," says Al-Aulaqi. Prices have fallen by one third since the beginning of the conflict in 2015, according to merchants in Atak. Hei now sells his production at 200 Saudi riyals per kilogram (44 euros), while better quality honey can be exported to Saudi Arabia at up to 130 euros per kg.

On this November day, he and Saber are harvesting their second crop of the year, following the one in early spring. They open their small wooden crates, which they keep out of the sun under a blanket, a carpet, and a braided mat. They keep the bees apart with branches of oiled grass, smoking them with a mat rolled into a stick and set on fire like a big cigar.

Both men work unprotected. "The stings don't even make my skin swell anymore," says Al-Aulaqi, stretching out his uncovered arm. "I'm immune."

At night, alone under breathtaking skies, the two bee business partners talk politics and personal plans. Saber, who is 28, is counting on this harvest to finance his marriage to a woman from the neighboring province of Abyane. Al-Aulaqi, for his part, says he sees his wife and five children only about once a month. But, he adds: "It's better than working in Saudi Arabia."

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Yemen's Nomadic Honey Traders Face The Sting Of Civil War - Worldcrunch

There is increasing concern that electricity generation from fossil fuels contributes to climate change and air pollution. In response to these concerns, governments around the world are encouraging the installation of intermittent electricity generation projects including Industrial Wind Turbines (IWTs).

But Whoa, Nelly! NIMBYs (Not-In-My-Backyard) around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts are speaking loudly, and acting, to put a halt to the invasion of noisy wind farms in their backyards. Following numerous reports from Maryland toCanadatoFranceon wind turbine noise, the NIMBYs are becoming energized (no pun intended).

Despite the political obsession for intermittent electricity generated from wind turbines, NIMBYs are alive and well! Here is a sampling of NIMBYs around the globe from Germany to Australia, California, New York, and Massachusetts that are stepping up to stop the installation of those monstrosities in their backyards:

The list of the NIMBY resistance goes on and on at locations likeNew York,Wisconsin, andScotland, etc.

In California, the state with the least reliable electrical power system in the nation, between 2008 and 2017,theGolden State experienced far more individual outageswith almost 4,297 individual outages in the ten-year period, more than 2.5 times as many as its closest rival, Texas. The state continues shuttering most of the in-state natural gas and nuclear power plants that have been providing continuous uninterruptible electricity, in favor of intermittent electricity from wind and solar while adding EV charging loads onto the grid. Power outages are now commonplace in California with more to follow for the Golden state.

Before too hastily pursuing those wind turbines for the generation of intermittent electricity, politicians should read the numerous published reports fromMarylandtoCanadatoFranceabout the effects of wind turbine noise, and listen to their NIMBY constituents that are rejecting those monstrosities in their backyards.

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NIMBY's Are Making More Noise Than Wind Turbines - OpEd - Eurasia Review

Construction has wrapped up on one of Amazons new, temporary office buildings in Crystal City.

The renovation project, part of developer JBG Smiths extensive development plan for the area, helped to modernize the office buildings 273,000 square feet of space while giving the exterior a shiny new glass-and-steel look.

Amazon is temporarily leasing the 14-story building while the first phase of its permanent HQ2 is under construction. Amazon currently leases 857,000 square feet of temporary space in five local JBG Smith buildings, the developer says.

The opening of the newly reimagined 1770 Crystal Drive coincides with the two-year anniversary of Amazons selection of National Landing as the location of its second headquarters and JBG SMITH as its partner to house and develop the project, JBG said in a press release. The building was completed two quarters ahead of schedule and under budget.

The construction started shortly after Amazon announced that National Landing the collective term for the Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard neighborhoods was getting the new HQ2.

The return to productive use of 1770 Crystal Drive represents yet another significant milestone in National Landings ongoing transformation into a vibrant 18-hour neighborhood, said Matt Kelly, CEO of JBG Smith, in a statement. We are thrilled to partner with Amazon and accommodate its growing presence in the region as we continue to make progress on its modern new headquarters.

The building is a short walk from the Crystal City Metro station and has expansive views of the D.C. skyline and the Potomac River from the top floors, the press release notes. It will be part of a new retail district that is expected to feature new stores, buzzy restaurants and an Alamo Drafthouse movie theater.

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Construction Wraps Up on Crystal City Building That Will House Amazon Offices - ARLnow

New commercial

OFFICE BUILDING: 2886 NE Evangeline Thruway, Lafayette; Clayton Homes, owner and applicant; description, modular office; self, contractor; $17,000.

OTHER: 705 W. University Ave., Lafayette; Lafayette Consolidated Government, owner; description, City Hall elevator; Trahan Architecture and Planning, applicant; Garden City Construction Co., contractor; $156,800.

STORE: 3822 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Lafayette; BJT Development, owner; description, interior demolition white box area; Southwest Contractors LLC, applicant and contractor; $5,000.

916 Killdee Lane, Duson; Stellco LLC; $270,000.

217 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Manuel Builders; $225,000.

306 Grassy Meadows Lane, Lafayette; DSLD LLC; $198,000.

508 Greyford Drive, Lafayette Parish; South Louisiana Custom Homes LLC; $477,000.

102 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $211,500.

104 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $180,000.

111 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

313 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

311 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $247,500.

309 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

307 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $243,000.

313 San Marcos Drive, Youngsville; E J Rock Construction; $283,500.

201 Grassy Meadows Lane, Lafayette; DSLD LLC; $270,000.

106 Old Heritage Lane, Carencro; Mitch Higginbotham Construction; $184,500.

148 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $198,000.

105 Dunmore Court, Lafayette; Baudoin Custom Homes Inc.; $396,000.

103 Rio Ridge Drive, Lafayette; Coast Contemporary Construction LLC; $553,500.

109 Golden Eye Drive, Lafayette; LRZ3 Properties LLC; $513,000.

869 E. Gloria Switch Road, Lafayette; Tim Landry; $75,000.

106 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $198,000.

108 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $243,000.

109 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $247,500.

103 New Trails Lane, Youngsville; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $342,000.

100 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $247,500.

101 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $243,000.

103 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $193,500.

107 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $229,500.

105 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $180,000.

600 N. Montauban Drive, Lafayette; La Consultants LLC; $288,000.

101 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

306 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

312 Acadian Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $225,000.

113 Nova Lake Drive, Duson; D R Horton Inc. Gulf Coast; $216,000.

205 Lukes Hollow Lane, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $184,500.

207 Lukes Hollow Lane, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $166,500.

213 Redfern St., Lafayette; Lancaster Construction LLC; $270,000.

116 Tracewood Bend, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $261,000.

127 Gena Lane, Broussard; Hays Homes LLC; 513, 850.

201 Canary Palm Way, Broussard; Triple D's Homes LLC; $301,134.

218 Tennyson Drive, Broussard; Manuel Builders LLC; $193,415.

102 Canary Palm Way, Broussard; Van Alan Homes LLC; $478,773.

303 Canary Palm Way, Broussard; Coastal Custom Builders LLC; $271,771.

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Who's building where in Acadiana? Here are the building permits issued Dec. 7-11 - The Advocate

The 2020 construction season got off to a slow start because of pandemic-induced restrictions. Overall, though, industry observers here say the season finished better than expected, and 2021 is expected to even better.

About $30 million in public work is expected to continue into next year in the city, Marlene Feist, public works director of strategic development for the city of Spokane says. An additional $50 million in new work is also on the slate, including a $10 million investment package in street maintenance that will be delivered through 2021.

Major projects next year include the replacement of the deck on the Hatch Road Bridge, the next stage of rebuilding Sprague Avenue from Division Street to Grant Street, and work on the Cochran Basin, which will include infiltration of the stormwater in the basin. Water from the basin will be used on the Downriver Disc Golf Course for water features, says Feist. Other improvements will be made to T.J. Meenach Drive and the traditional Downriver Golf Course as part of the project.

The largest continuing project is the $18 million rebuild of the Post Street Bridge. An additional $15 million in water tank installations could also occur on the South Hill and near the Spokane International Airport, Feist says, though those projects are dependent on finding a suitable site and finishing additional permitting requirements.

On the residential side, Joel White, executive officer of the Spokane Home Builders Association, says builders are struggling to keep up with the demand.

Labor continues to be a hurdle, he contends. Construction companies saw a brief shutdown in March that saw several layoffs, and many workers declined to return to the workforce once the industry was allowed to restart work a few weeks following the shutdown, White says.

Additionally, supply chain disruptions made building materials, especially lumber, skyrocket in price in June, he says. Those price hikes drove up the cost of new homes, he says.

Through the first 11 months of 2019, 1,446 single family homes were permitted in Spokane County. This year has seen a marked decline, with 1,182 single family homes being permitted. However, White says, more multifamily buildings and duplexes were built this year than last.

In commercial construction, Cheryl Stewart, executive director of the Associated General Contractors Inland Northwest chapter, says she expects to see a decrease in public works projects as local governments grapple with smaller budgets.

She notes there are several big-budget transportation projects slated to begin this year, including large freeway projects and the continuation of the North Spokane Corridor.

Stewart says she expects to see fewer retail structures being built in the near future, while manufacturing and multifamily work will remain steady or grow.

Jim Frank, founder of Liberty Lake-based Greenstone Homes, says in-migration will continue to drive up demand for residential construction in Spokane and Kootenai counties. Frank says he expects to see strength in the medical and office space markets; however, he adds, retail is expected to take a major hit as the pandemic accelerates trends toward online buying.

Read more:
Construction activity likely to be strong in 2021 - Spokane Journal of Business