Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Star Trekis expanding on TV in new and exciting ways. For one, the franchise is getting some new animated shows, for the first time since the original Trekanimated series aired back in the 1960s. As well as a kid-friendly Nickelodeon venture, theresStar Trek: Lower Decks,an adult-oriented show coming to CBS All Access from Rick & Mortywriter Mike McMahan. ATrekanimated workplace comedy is a unique twist for the brand, and were being promised big laughs from it.

While speaking to Collider, producer Akiva Goldsman stated that its a seriously funny show, describing McMahan himself as a genius.

[Lower Decks] literally couldnt seem funnier to me, Goldsman said. There was a test reel going around the office and I didnt see it and that sucks. But Ive seen the still frames, and the pitches for it are funny. Like literally the pitch for it is the funniest thing youve ever heard. Second Contact? I mean, its the greatest thing ever I think Mike McMahan is actually a genius.

McMahan recently opened up about the approach hes taking toTrekcontinuity inLower Decks.Hes confirmed that it will take place around the same time asThe Next Generation, featuring connections and references that fans can pick up on that will firmly root it in established canon. At the same time, though, McMahan wanted to be careful to make the series accessible to newbies and those just looking for a fun animated sitcom.

Lower Decks is set on the lower levels of the U.S.S. Cerritos, a not-so-important ship in Starfleets armada. The quirky cast of Ensign protagonists includes the irreverent Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), stickler for the rules Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Starfleet fangirl Tendi (Noel Wells).

Production has managed to avoid being delayed by the pandemic, with work continuing during lockdown, so we should be able to see Star Trek: Lower Decks on CBS All Access sometime later this year. The same goes forDiscoveryseason 3.Picardseason 2, meanwhile, which has been held up, is likely due sometime in 2021.

More here:
Star Trek: Lower Decks EP Says The Show Will Be Seriously Funny - We Got This Covered

Players have watched Hearthstone slowly evolvesometimes glacially sosince it launched in 2014. We've had endless expansions, new modes like Battlegrounds and Tavern Brawl, and most recently a whole new class. We've also received very gradual quality of life improvements. It infamously took years for Blizzard to have more deck slots (didn't have the technology, too confusing for players) and then more time to be able to copy and share deck codes.

As of this year, we can finally reorder decksa small adjustment, but one that alleviates the need many of us feel to line the hero portraits up neatly. Overall, progress is slow and steady, but six years into the life of the game it baffles me that we still don't have in-game deck tracking.

The function of a deck tracker is to, well, track your deck. Letting you know what cards remain and what your opponent has played so far, as well as all sorts of additional info captured from the client. Some might argue that the mental gymnastery of having to remember everything youself is part of the game's skill, but those people clearly never alt+tab out to catch up on their YouTube backlog while an opponent is using the rope to decide whether to play a one-drop on turn one.

What's puzzling is that Blizzard isn't against players tracking cards, as was made clear early in Hearthstone's life. Six months after release, game director Ben Brode replied to a tweet (above) to reassure players that "any app that duplicates what you can do with a pencil and paper already is fine". Even players competing in the Grandmasters tournament are using deck trackers, as they're participating from their home setups. If these add-ons are acceptable at tournament-level then it's strange to see no sign of them becoming an official feature.

It looked as though things were ripe for change in 2018, which saw the launch of an official deck tracking app for PC that could also record and share replays. Unfortunately, the Official Companion App is not actually made by Blizzard and is only available on Hearthstone's China servers. This means that players on the remaining three servers have had to find other means of tracking their matches.

My go-to deck tracker is the HSReplay.net Companion App. It has a simple overlay that I can adjust to display which cards have been played in the match so far, when cards were drawn, and which secrets I may have to play around. I can also dig into my win rates for specific decks and arena run stats. Open a Hearthstone Twitch stream and you'll see the top streamers using similar software. Seemingly everyone agrees that deck trackers are a helpful addition, yet the community has to download an add-on to solve the problem.

The natural downside of a Blizzard-made deck tracker is that it could put these websites in a spot of trouble. Data collected through HSReplay's companion app fuels their website with valuable data on the current meta and trending decks. The introduction of official support would likely push third parties that have built their entire business models off this omission out of the picture.

While deck trackers are fine to use in Hearthstone, they can suck the fun out of some of the modes if you get too bogged down in their features. For example, in Hearthstone's Battlegrounds mode, stats outlining the odds of you winning or losing versus each opponent can feel like they remove the fun. I'm not much of a Battlegrounds player myself, but community responses to deck tracker overlays in this mode have been very positive, overall. Notable additions let you see your opponent's last known board, and display a full list of the minions in each tavern tier to help you make selections that synergise well with your build.

Hearthstone would benefit from official deck tracker support now more than ever due to the contents of its Standard sets. Rogue's Shadowjeweler Hanar adds secrets from four different classes into a match. That's 22 secrets in the pool, with a 'Christmas tree' of up to five active at a time. Highlander decks also feature 30 different cards, making it tricky to remember what's still lurking in the latter half of your deck, particularly during marathon sessions.

If both the community and the developer are already in agreement that deck trackers are just the digital equivalent of scribbling down match progress on a piece of paper, why are we still waiting for official support? Even Android phones feature third-party deck tracker apps, so we know it's possible to implement on the mobile version without it having a negative effect on the experience. There's an established list of changes that Hearthstone players continue to push for, but official deck tracker support is at the top of mine.

Link:
Hearthstone is over six years old and we're still waiting for an official deck tracker - PC Gamer

In 2015, Atlassian was preparing to go public, but it was not your typical company in so many ways. For starters, it was founded in Australia, it had two co-founder co-CEOs, and it offered collaboration tools centered on software development.

That meant that the company leaders really needed to work hard to help investors understand the true value proposition that it had to offer, and it made the roadshow deck production process even more critical than perhaps it normally would have been.

A major factor in its favor was that Atlassian didnt just suddenly decide to go public. Founded in 2002, it waited until 2010 to accept outside investment. After 10 straight years of free cash flow, when it took its second tranche of investment in 2014, it selected T. Rowe Price, perhaps to prepare for working with institutional investors before it went public the next year.

We sat down with company president Jay Simons to discuss what it was like, and how his team produced the document that would help define them for investors and analysts.

Continued here:
Pitch deck teardown: The making of Atlassians 2015 roadshow presentation - TechCrunch

An Italian-style villa on the Strand in Hermosa Beach has hit the market for $18.995 million, making it the most expensive single-family home listed there.

The three-story, 6,857-square-foot house with six bedrooms, a Boston-inspired bar with tap and an expansive rooftop deck sits on an oversized lot with front-row ocean views.

Its got the second-largest rooftop deck on the Strand, which is something you can only do in Hermosa Beach, said Bryn Stroyke of Stroyke Properties Group at Bayside Real Estate Partners, the listing agent who has been selling Strand properties for 30 years.

As he explained, these on-top-of-the-world decks where you have the most amazing views anywhere are not allowed in neighboring Manhattan Beach.

Local architect Edward C. Beall designed the house in collaboration with the original owners to capture those views and ensure privacy from foot and bike traffic along this quieter stretch of beach.

The house was also fitted with design elements inspired by the owners travels through Italy. There are mosaic floors, radial-cut slab marble stairway wainscotting, gold leaf baroque ceiling detail in the entryway, intricate, curved wrought-iron staircase railings, and Roman columns.

An imported Roman marble tub outfits the master bathroom, one of five bathrooms and five powder rooms in all.

The attention to detail on this property is extraordinary, Stroyke said. Every single level was really thought out by the owners, and there was literally no budget on building it.

Built in 2012, the homes levels are accessed by staircase or elevator.

A retractable 16-foot skylight opens on the rooftop deck engineered to structurally accommodate a future swimming pool.Theres already an outdoor shower.Other details include a dumbwaiter service, a laundry chute and a full Viking outdoor kitchen, one of two on the property.

A second Viking kitchen outfits the spacious beachfront patio.

From the beachfront patio, glass doors open to a below-grade family room fronted by the Strand. Nearby is the bar. A wine closet, 800-gallon saltwater aquarium and an eight-seat movie theater, as well as a bonus room that doubles as a gym, also occupy this lower level.

The homes second floor sits slightly above the Strand with a great room warmed by a fireplace, a formal dining area and an eat-in gourmet kitchen equipped with a 5-foot La Cornue range, copper sinks and a built-in Miele espresso machine.

A tiled terrace extends the adjoining den outdoors.

On the top floor of the house are most of the bedrooms, including a private master apartment.

Among its highlights is an expansive dressing closet. The wood-paneled room has his and hers dressers, shoe display shelves and a handbag display cabinet.Another cabinet was designed to hold suits.

The second and third floors also boast ocean views.

Although the property is new on the market, Stroyke has already had interest from locals and those outside the beach area and not surprisingly.

If you want the small beach town with that sense of community and the walk to the village, its not Malibu, its not Venice, its not Santa Monica, its not (Pacific) Palisades, its not Redondo Beach, its not Long Beach, he said. In L.A. County, thats Manhattan and Hermosa Beach.

See the rest here:
Hermosa Beach home with 'on-top-of-the-world deck' tops asking price at $19 million - Beach Reporter

As the Below Deck series and spin-offs continue to multiply, its only natural to contrast the differing crew, boats, and captains. Turnover in yachting seems quite high among the crew, but the captains have been pretty consistent throughout the seasons.

Captain Lee Rosbach is our OG from the pilot episode, while Captain Sandy Yawn replaced Captain Mark Howard after one season and has been on Below Deck Mediterranean ever since. Captain Glenn Shephard is the newcomer at the helm of Below Deck Sailing Yacht. And while he seemed to have a firm and steady hand in terms of dealing with crew issues, his handling of a suspected charter guest with drugs did not go over so well in the season finale.

Captain Sandy had a lot to say about how Captain Glenn dealt with a charter guest who supposedly brought drugs on board the boat. The primary and the guest in question were confronted, and bags were searched. Captain Glenn did not find anything incriminating, and the charter guests tipped generously despite the uncomfortable situation. But what do you do when two crew members report seeing the charter guest behaving erratically with a white powder under his nose?

According to Captain Sandy, it should have been handled differently. Ive had lots of experience dealing with clients and drugs, she told In Touch Weekly. And while its hard to judge as each situation could be different, Sandy would not have gone through a clients luggage.

Sandy recalled one instance when a charter guest brazenly let her know that he had illegal substances on his person. I had one guy come up to me once and he goes, Can I smoke pot on the bow? I go, Did you ask me that question because you think I want to join you? Why [did] you ask me that? Sandy said, seriously, right now. You are on an international vessel. That word is a big, no. And if you have marijuana on board, I suggest you get it off now.

Sandysstrategy isto have the guest dispose of their own stash. She explained, I prefer to go to the primary client and say, Its been brought to my attention that theres maybe drugs on board. I need you to handle this and handle it now. I need them off the vessel.

If a client chooses not to cooperate, Sandy relies on administrative channels to deal with the issue. If they refuse to take their drugs off, she said, I then call the charter broker, first their broker, and I say, Im going to remove your client off the vessel because theyre refusing to take their drugs off.

Captain Glenn had other options, and Sandy suggested that searching luggage is not the best tact. I actually work within the confines. I dont ever go through their stuff, she concluded, thats not my job. Im not a cop.

TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF CAPTAIN GLENNS APPROACH? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN THIS SITUATION? IS SANDY RIGHT?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

Read more:
Below Deck Mediterranean Star Captain Sandy Yawn Says She Would Never Go Through A Guests Belongings If She Suspected They Brought Drugs On The Boat...

Driveways and patios are everyone's favorite hangout spots during beautiful days but only if it's designed and paved the right way. AG Paving is in the business of outdoor paving, from driveways to patios. They are praised as the industry expert in and around Northampton.

Paving is a great way to give people's gardens a separate border using different styles. It can make any outdoor living space more cohesive and complete. If anyone is looking for a professional and reliable paving contractor in Northampton, they can turn to AG Paving. They have been operating as a successful paving company for many years and have enough experience to give customers the best results. The company works closely with its clients to give them the perfect and most fitting results. They believe that attention to detail and stellar craftsmanship is the key to achieving excellent customer satisfaction and is what separates them from the rest. From block paving to landscaping, AG Paving can transform any exterior space into works of art.

AG Paving believes that driveways are a gateway to any home. Guests and visitors always form the first impression about a house and the people that live in it based on what they see from the driveway which is why it is so important to ensure homeowners have the best driveway to show for. AG Paving is the go-to expert when it comes to driveways and patio paving. Their patios and driveways can last more than 20 years even with minimal maintenance or upkeep. They offer many different types of driveway, from gravel to concrete and asphalt. From installing new driveways and patios to redesigning and restructuring existing ones, AG Paving can handle everything. With their help, they can quickly transform any driveway from a bland area of the property into one that is welcoming and complements the rest of the house.

Another very popular driveway paving material in Northampton that AG Paving offers is Resin Bonded gravel surfacing. This type of material is ideal for driveways, outdoor patios, conservatories, swimming pool surrounds, and even handicap gain access and ramps. This type of surface is totally permeable SUDS certified system and makes use of an environmentally friendly manufacturing process. It uses a mix of aggregates and resin together with a hardener to form a tough and resilient surface perfect for car or pedestrian use. AG Paving has had years of experience installing resin bonded gravel surface which is done by skilled technicians using modern equipment.

Media ContactCompany Name: AG PavingContact Person: Andrei MereacreEmail: Send EmailPhone: 07478664953Address:6 Spanslade Road City: NorthamtonState: Northamptonshire, NN 9DLCountry: United KingdomWebsite: http://www.agpaving.co.uk

Originally posted here:
AG Paving Offers Expert Paving Services to Transform Outdoor Space and Boost Curb Appeal - Press Release - Digital Journal

A 3-year-old girl who suffered life-threatening injuries Wednesday night after falling from the second story of a Worcester home was pushing an air conditioner out the window, police said Thursday.

Officers responded around 9:53 p.m. to a report of a child that fell from a window at a home on Illinois Street, the Worcester Police Department said in a statement.

Upon arrival, police were told that the childs mother drove her to the hospital, the statement said. The child was identified as a 3-year-old female. Her injuries are considered life threatening.

Police learned the child was pushing out the air conditioner from the second-floor window when she fell and landed on the pavement of the driveway, according to the statement.

The investigation is ongoing, the statement.

Read more:
3-year-old girl who fell from second story of Worcester home was pushing air conditioner out of window; Polic - MassLive.com

COUNTY NEWS

Motorists are reminded thatwestboundTrinityDrivecontinues tobe reduced to a singlelanefrom DP Rd to the Knecht Street intersection. Thisclosureis necessary for the removal and installation of new curb & gutter, sidewalks anddriveway pads through this area, as part of the State DOTs NM502 reconstruction and roundabout installation.

Star Paving has placed new, additional signage (ROAD CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC) today. The additional signage was requested in response to safety concerns received by the County that motorists are using the Mari Mac Village entrance to travel across the parking lot to exit onto Centralwithout using proper parking lot driving lanes. This activity of cutting across parking spaces in the lot has increased over the past three weeks and created a potentially dangerous situation with other motorists and pedestrians in the lot.

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Motorists Asked Not To Use Mari Mac Village Parking Lot As Shortcut Between Trinity And Central Due To Safety Concerns - Los Alamos Reporter

Time to get your hardscape in shape for outdoor living! Paver installationis not just a great way to make your yard look amazing, its also long-lasting, flexible and simple to maintain.

I recently spoke with Joe Raboine, director ofBelgardResidential Hardscapes. The result of our conversation? The following guide to paver installationpros, cons, prices, maintenance and more.

What types ofpaversare available?Materials: Four core types of paving materials are used for residential hardscapes. The oldest is stone pavers, then clay and most recently interlocking concrete pavers. There are also porcelain pavers, new within the last five years.

Shapes: The most common shape is a rectangle, which runs the gamut ofsizes. The small rectangular pavers resemble handmade cobblestones like youd see in European cities. Those get progressively larger, up to whats called a slab size, typically 12 inches by 12 inches or even larger. The biggest are 2 feet by 3 feet. In addition, there are hexagons and trapezoids for a slightly more contemporary look.

Colors: An almost endless variety of colors is available, both solid and blended. Solid colors really have caught on over the last few years, but the blends are still the most popular choices. I think those blended colors always will be popular because they mimic local natural stone, varying across the country.

Where are pavers used?Use pavers for your patio, walkway, pool decking or outdoor living room. Paver installation is great fordrivewaysand other vehicular applications, too. In some marketsTexas, for examplepaver driveways have almost become the norm.

What are the major advantages of pavers?1. Beauty. Pavers look awesome and add a lot oflandscape designappeal to your yard or driveway area. Blended colors will harmonize with their surroundings because they reflect the shades of indigenous local stone.

2. Flexibility. Because a slab of concrete will move, shift and ultimately break, you have to add expansion and control joints. By contrast, pavers are a flexible system, which acts like a blanket thats placed on the earth.

3. Longevity. Pavers have been around since theRomans used them to build roads and some of those are still in existence today. Theyre considered a flexible pavement. Due to their flexibility, paver installation lasts 50-plus years if done as recommended. Thats true in any climateeven one with harsh winters or very hot, dry weather. In fact, because theyre strong and manufactured in a controlled environment, concrete pavers often carry a lifetime transferable warranty. You would never get a warranty like that on poured-in-place products!

4. Ease of repair. Another great thing about pavers is that theyre easy to repair. If you drop something extremely heavy on a paver and crack it, or you spill oil on it, you can take out the damaged paver and put in a new piece. The simplest way to remove a paver is to crush it with a hammer and break it out of there. Once you replace it with a new one, you can just sprinkle in some polysand, brush it off and youre good to go.

And the disadvantages?1. Potential problems from faulty installation. Just like any other building material, you ideally need to have someone who has been professionallytrained and certifiedto install large-scale paver projects. Substandard installations will cause issues.

2. Cost.Because theres more prep time, pavers will cost more than concrete (or asphalt, for a driveway), but since theyre so durable, they end up costing you less in the long run.

Whats the cost to install concrete pavers?Essentially the cost to install concrete pavers is between $5 and $25 a square foot, which is kind of a crazy range. But theres a reason.

In Southern markets such as Florida, you may get pavers installed for $5 to $10 a square foot because of the sand subsoil and because you dont get hardfreeze-thaw cycles. In the North where you need a thicker substrate to lay them on, cost starts at $10 and can go up to $20 or $25 per square foot.

Consider the cost of the paver material itself as well. Between the less expensive and the higher-end pavers, there may be a $3 to $5 per square foot difference.

Laura Firszt | More Content Now

More:
Pros and cons of using pavers to spruce up your yard - Aboutstark.com

This is a press release from the City of Arcata:

The City of Arcata announced [recently] that the 2020 Bayside Paving Project will begin making infrastructure improvements on Monday, June 1.

The City of Arcata has contracted with Kernen Construction for this project, and work will consist of asphalt paving and the installation of accessible concrete driveways and ramps. The project also includes, but is not limited to, minor roadway excavation, roadway striping, water service upgrades, sewer improvements and drainage improvements.

Construction work will begin on Monday, June 1 on Bayside Road between Union Street and Buttermilk Lane, and additional work on Chester Avenue will begin in late June or July.

Work will take place Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on some days the contractor may extend work hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. On days of scheduled work, community members are encouraged to follow all safety directions and traffic control devices within the project area.

If challenges are encountered with this project, please contact Kernen Construction at (707) 826-8686 or the City of Arcata at (707) 825-2176.

This project is scheduled to be completed by August 28, 2020, and more information will be provided as it becomes available. Updates on construction progress and project plans can be viewed at cityofarcata.org.

Continued here:
Bayside Paving Project Begins on Monday Redheaded Blackbelt - Redheaded Blackbelt