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Digital media and marketing software maker Adobe Systems (ADBE) received severalmore price-target increases to its stock on Thursday in the wake of its beat-and-raise fiscal second-quarter results late Tuesday.

XAutoplay: On | OffAdobe stock got price-target increases on Wednesday from at least four Wall Street firms, with the most bullish being Piper Jaffray, which kept its overweight rating and raised its target to 180 from 160.

Adobe ended trading down 0.4% to 143.69 on the stock market today. On Wednesday, Adobe hit a record high of 147.45.

On Thursday, Morgan Stanley maintained its equal-weight rating on Adobe, but raised its price target to 150 from 137.CFRA stuck withits hold rating on Adobe, but upped its target to 152 from 129. Baird reiterated its outperform rating and increased its price target to 160 from 140. And Canaccord Genuity stayed with a buy rating and hiked its target to 165 from 145.

IBD'S TAKE: Adobe stock has an IBD Composite Rating of 98, meaning it has outperformed 98% of stocks in key metrics over the past 12 months. For more information on Adobe, visit the IBD Stock Checkup.

"Q2 saw continued strong execution in the core top-line growth engines of the Adobe story additions to the annual recurring revenue (ARR) base for Digital Media again exceeded expectations, while revenue growth in the Digital Marketing business trended higher," Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss said in a note to clients. "Current targets for fiscal 2017 look quite conservative."

Adobe is benefiting from its shift to a cloud-computing business model for its creative software, which includes programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. It also is riding a growth curve for its digital marketing business, analysts say.

"We call Adobe one of our secular buy 'compounding' stocks, which means that investors should rationally expect Adobe shares to roughly double within a five-year window," Canaccord analyst Richard Davis said in a note to clients.

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Adobe Stock Hits Record High On Beat-And-Raise Earnings Report

4:41 PM ET A Relative Strength Rating upgrade for Red Hat shows improving technical performance.

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Adobe Systems Stock Gets More Price-Target Hikes Post-Earnings - Investor's Business Daily

If your childhood was squarely planted in the '80s or '90s, then theres a good chance your bedroom was littered with a number of Hasbro toys like Transformers, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., ROM, or Micronauts. I dont know about you, but Hasbro ruled everything around me -- get the money, dollar-dollar bill ya'll, right? Everyone I knew was having Toy Story-like adventures with their Hasbro toys (including me) and had a fleet of 3.75-inch G.I. Joes taking on ROM or a few choice Transformers. It didn't matter that it was a hodgepodge of universes, because in my mind, all of these creations existed in the same plane of made-up reality.

So when IDW decided to launch the Revolution crossover in 2016, that created a scenario where these Hasbro worlds collided, it was like they mined my childhood. They found a way to have all of these properties co-exist, and it helps to have all the licenses available. Now Transformers and G.I. Joe have a long history of crossovers, but IDW went further by getting M.A.S.K., ROM, and Micronauts involved too. This massive, shared universe would have a three-year plan to start with, and after a successful first year, the second event, First Strike infiltrates comic shops this summer.

I spoke with the co-writers of First Strike, Mairghread Scott and David Rodriguez, the artist Max Dunbar, and even IDW editor-in-chief, David Hedgecock about the big team-ups, conflicts, and what to expect from this blockbuster event. And below the interview, check out our gallery that includes exclusive sneak peeks of the first two pages of First Strike #1 (unlettered), retailer incentive covers for First Strike #2 by Jay Fosgitt and Leonardo Manco, and covers for the First Strike one-shots.

First Strike is not only an intriguing series for those already vested in the Hasbro shared universe since Revolution, but it feels as if those who have been reading the separate IDW Hasbro Comics -- whether they be G.I. Joe, ROM, M.A.S.K., Micronauts, or Transformers: Till All Are One -- may want to tune in too, since those titles are coming to a close just as First Strike is ramping up. Talk about how all of these paths are funneling into First Strike and coming out the other end with one shots and tie-ins.

Mairghread Scott: Well, for my series, Till All Are One, weve been following Starscream and Windblade as they try to maintain peace between all the various factions of Transformers. Recently, theyve been recovering from an attack on Cybertron during Titan Wars and Elita One has become a major challenger to Starscream for control of the planet. Starscream has a tenuous hold on power and another attack on Cybertron could mean losing it all together. My Till All Are One series wraps up just before First Strike, and then the annual will come out after First Strike and deal with the political fallout of the last few years of events in all these books.

David Rodriguez: Mairghread and I have worked very closely with the editors and creative teams of the other books to make sure that the events from the individual titles and First Strike tie-ins dovetailed into the events of the First Strike series itself. Both the G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand teams will be working through their own existential crisis (from internal and external forces) that will affect how they come out of this event. The Transformers must deal with the ramifications of an insurgency that changes their world in a real and permanent way. Each of the one-shots and tie-ins serve to buttress the details of those characters and teams and give them time to shine outside of the Cybertron-centric war being waged.

Since First Strike is the second story in a trilogy with the Hasbro universe, is it packaged in a way that will allow newcomers to come in fresh, not having read Revolution? Folks still have time to catch up, but whats the important stuff to know going in?

DR: I think the series works as a jumping on point without needing much catch up. The events that the reader really needs to know is that at some point in the past, Optimus Prime annexed Earth and begged forgiveness (not really) rather than asked permission. This rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. But now Earth is getting a seat at the big kids' table on Cybertron and joining the council of worlds. But Colton, and some other upstanding citizens of the planet, decide that the risk is too great. The Cybertronians are an immediate threat and need to be dealt with. And even if you dont know that, we set this up in the early pages of the series.

MS: The Davids and I have done everything possible to make this event very new-reader friendly. We add little things like captions to introduce a character the first time they show up and David Rodriguez and I have made sure the dialogue gives you a great sense of who these people are and what they want right off the bat. That said, if you like earning extra credit, you should check out Revolution from last year, the current G.I. Joe comics, Revolutionaries, Optimus Prime, and Till All Are One. I am 100% biased, but definitely read all of Till All Are One just because weve had a grand old time doing robot politics.

First Strike has a fairly robust roster, and as in any crossover event, fans are going to wonder how you came to the decisions of your principal cast from each Hasbro property. Were they characters that artist Max Dunbar liked to draw? I particularly like how much were seeing Scarlett, Arcee, and Lady Jaye on the covers.

Max Dunbar: It would be pretty hard for them to pick a character I wouldnt enjoy drawing from these franchises. I feel really lucky to be able to draw all these iconic characters that Ive been a fan of since I was a kid. In particular, Scarlett is a huge favorite of mine, and I love drawing her new design that Giannis Milonogiannis came up with.

DR: We have yet to find the thing that Max cant draw, so that made our lives pretty easy when selecting characters. A lot of the cast came directly from the events of their own books. That gave us a pretty clear pool of characters to choose from. And then each of us had some personal favorites that we thought would fit and checked to see who was available to play a major role or just a super cool cameo. (Like Hashtag!) And the villains just sort of fell into place. We needed a group that made tactical sense and who also had something to gain from this mission. Theres no way Miles Mayhem is going to war with Transformers to save mankind. The female representation in the series happened organically (which is always nice) and I agree that its great to see them not just participating in the series, but driving most of the event.

MS: I have been telling John Barber, Carlos Guzman, and David Hedgecock that I want to write Scarlett and the G.I. Joes for years, but itd be unfair to steal it from Aubrey Sitterson since he does such a great job. So when they floated the idea of Cobra and G.I. Joe coming to Cybertron, I jumped on the idea and really wanted to write it. Outside of Starscream and Windblade, Scarlett is probably my favorite character in all the Hasbro properties, ever since my days working on the G.I. Joe Renegades cartoon. So my dream cast was just mixing the G.I. Joes and the Transformers, especially since I also get to use some of Johns characters like Optimus Prime and Arcee, too. Of course, we didnt want to leave our other great properties out, so we tried to pull in the characters we thought would work best for the plot and... well, the ones we really liked writing: Matt Trakker of M.A.S.K. and Shazraella of Micronauts are definitely the two stand-outs, though not the only additions to our list.

Fico Ossio had a monstrous task in Revolution to tell this massive story visually and also drawing so many characters. It makes a crossover like this seem so daunting from the sidelines. When we read this series, will we get a sense that no one is sitting it out?

MS: I want you to imagine David Hedgecock, IDW, and Hasbro tipping over the whole Hasbro toy box and telling you to have fun. Would you just pick up one or two toys? Or have a massive battle that used as many toys as possible? The harder question hasnt been who to use, but who might need to sit it out just for page space. That said, I think we tried to pick our teams wisely and get the coolest characters from each franchise and use them in unique ways. Ive loved finding cool ways to use the M.A.S.K. characters and the Torchbearers and the Space Knights that feel like they can live in the same world, and its been surprisingly organic so far.

DR: Even though the event and ramifications are huge, I think we went with a more targeted approach and keep our focus on the three main factions in the war. On one side are the Joes and their allies, and then a very clear bad guy group with Colton and his team. But there is also Starscream and the Cybertronians who have been attacked at home and may not see eye-to-eye with anyone involved. And that friction drives much of the conflict of our story.

Is setting the bulk of the story on Cybertron going to be an easier, or even greater task for Max?

MD: Im not sure if I would lean either way on that. There are definite challenges to the story being set on Cybertron, a crowd shot of Transformers is really tricky and time-consuming... but I think just the nature of the story, and huge scale that the action plays out on would be a challenge no matter where it was set.

DR: I am going to guess that it makes it harder because there isnt a lot of real world reference for some of the places we need to go. And I dont know if writing down you know, like that Sharkticon pit from the original animated movie helps him at all. But I have full faith that he will deliver something awesome.

MS: My goal every issue is how far can I push Max before he breaks. Have we gotten there yet, Max?

MD: Not quite broken yet! Almost... But not quite.

Will Cybertron give the Transformer characters an upper hand going in? Quoting a line in your zero issue, are the characters from G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K. for example, going to be out of their weight class?

MS: I think the Transformers are at a huge disadvantage. Joe Colton has been studying how to defeat them for years; he is a master strategist and has planned a decisive first strike (Get it?) to knock them completely off balance. They also have to try to fight off the villains while protecting their home and civilians. Transformers may be in a whole other weight class, but they have never dealt with a foe quite like Joe Colton, which is why Scarlett becomes so important, because no one knows Joe quite like her.

DR: I think it hinders the Cybertronians at first because it is SO outside of their personal reality. A human invasion of Cybertron isnt really something theyve ever considered, and even while its happening, they are still sort of like well damn, weve got termites, we ought to do something about that. And thats the teeny tiny advantage Colton exploits to get the jump on them. But that only lasts so long before the Transformers remind everyone just how deadly 30-foot war machines can be.

Crossovers give us these dream confrontations that are born out of comic shops, campfires, and gaming tables, but I think what is more interesting is who works together. There are some interesting alliances going on in First Strike, like Shazraella from Micronauts teaming up with G.I. Joes Lady Storm Shadow. Share with us the thinking and logistics behind some of these partners in crime or justice.

DR: It might sound weird, but just like in real life, a lot of the relationships happen naturally. We put the characters in situations by design and then some of them just click right away. Your example of Shaz and Storm Shadow is one of those. We knew they would be assisting each other, but there was one line that Mairghread wrote for Shaz that cemented their relationship forever. Scarlett becoming a sort of mentor to Matt Trakker is another that I enjoy, the twins and Soundwave and Miles Mayhem and pretty much everyone. Other times they are fun to draw together visually or their personalities play off each other in such a way that you just want to see them playing together more and more.

MS: My favorite part is writing how these characters interact with each other, especially when they are one the same side. In this series fans will finally get to see Elita One and Optimus butt heads, and possibly come to blows. Shazraella is a joy to write and packs a lot of attitude for someone so small. Teaming her with the worlds deadliest assassin created a lot of interesting dynamics. My favorite interaction though is probably a scene I just wrote for Optimus and Scarlett. Scarlett needs to convince Optimus to trust this entire mission in her hands when none of the other Transformers want to trust the humans very much, and I just loved having these two leaders really have a heart-to-spark conversation.

Because of the long-running cartoons, and past comic crossovers, G.I. Joe and Transformers are a natural fit, since who else on Earth could deal with Cybertronians but G.I. Joe, right? But I think what made Revolution, and now First Strike, kind of mind-blowing is folding in all of these other space series like Micronauts and ROM and M.A.S.K. who naturally fit with the Joe crowd. It really lends more to these pairings were talking about, almost gives them a boost or power-up. Talk about how those other three properties gave you more possibilities and enhanced this Hasbro universe that you wouldnt have had otherwise.

DR: It helped me to see the scope of the event when you have these groups to play with and consider how they are affected by what is happening when were building the narrative. For better or worse, the Transformers are an immense part of the universe and have been around the longest. So, anything that affects them will have a powerful effect on everything, including the Microverse. Now that doesnt mean they all have equal screen time or stake in this. But before we figured out which part everyone played, we had to consider ROM and the Solstar Order, we had to consider the entire M.A.S.K team and their emotional state when First Strike ramps up, and their contribution had to make sense. That made the entire experience richer. And again, WE HAD ALL THE TOYS!

MS: For those of you Micronaut readers, Enerchange tech comes in real handy for us in this series and the various M.A.S.K. illusions and hard light abilities are a boost going up against anyone. But more than the tech vs. tech battles, the different Hasbro properties give us a chance to show different viewpoints and desires in the script. Matt Trakkers had run-ins with Transformers, but he didnt expect to become an interstellar solider like hell have to be in this book. Transformers are the best and worst thing thats ever happened to the Microverse and ROMs people... still dont care about anyone but the Dire Wraiths. But that makes problems all its own.

Talk about the evil forces that step it up in First Strike, like Starscream or Elita One, oh and Baron Ironblood in particular, as hes been slowly assembling and retooling Cobra. Is he playing the long game in all of this?

MS: Well, Starscream and Elita arent bad guys in our book, theyre just politicians. They may have different viewpoints but ultimately want whats best for Cybertron, even if they have very different ideas of how to accomplish it. The main villain in this piece is Baron Ironblood who is actually Joe Colton, the founder of G.I. Joe. He has decided the Transformers are too big a threat and eventually their war will destroy Earth. To stop them, he assembles a team including Destro, Storm Shadow, Shazraella, Miles Mayhem, Garrison Krieger, a metric ton of Red Shadow ninjas, and more.

DR: What I like about most of our evil characters is that they really arent that bad. I mean, I love the Transformers as much as anyone, but they do kind of invite mayhem and destruction over to hang out on a regular basis. It isnt hard to make a leap that someone who has spent their life defending Earth might consider them a threat. A well-intentioned threat, perhaps, but if youre squished under a two-ton boot, youre not too worried about the boots emotional state. Every character is doing what they think is best for themselves or their people and sometimes it is selfish and short-sighted, but very rarely (Im looking at you Mayhem) is it purely cruelty or amassing of power.

Do any of you wish you had Cobra Commander or Megatron you grew up with in the mix of evil guys to write (or draw) or has this pool of bad guys given you a different yet satisfying kind of gravitas?

MS: Well, the Megatron I grew up with was a T-Rex, so yeah he'd be awesome. But hes not in our continuity and the current Megatron is a good guy, so Im not sure where hed fit in. But honestly, these villains are pretty amazing. Colton is my favorite kind of villain because he believes hes the hero. He is saving Earth by destroying Cybertron and committing Transformer genocide. He is so amazingly misguided. He also has a deep personal connection to our main hero, Scarlett, so this becomes a very personal fight. What makes the rest of our cast of villains so great is how they really dont like each other but still work well together, because they are all vicious and very skilled at killing, which is the job.

DR: I dont know, those guys cast a pretty big shadow and chew all the scenery they can get their sinister mitts on. They also come loaded with years and years of preconceptions. It was nice to have some room to breathe with this set of villains and give them a spotlight.

MD: I really like the mix of characters I get to draw. Sure, there are a few characters that would have been fun to tackle that dont headline this adventure, but I think the roster we do have more than makes up for that. Lady Storm Shadow and Shazrealla are two newer characters with fantastic designs that are an absolute blast to draw.

Can we expect more titles besides the announced one-shots bridging this to the third act, presumably next year? After all, Revolution was just short of 30 comics after all of the one-shots and tie-ins were tallied.

DR: Im sure one of our lovely editors would LOVE to answer this question.

MS: Hedgecock?

David Hedgecock: Everything you need to enjoy FIRST STRIKE is contained within the mini-series and the one-shots. Coming out of the event, we have all-new, exciting storylines that will be new-reader-friendly!

Are there any deep cut characters who makes a significant contribution toFirst Strike, perhapsa character that has thus far been relegated to the background in their respected property that we should look forward to?

DR: Not to oversell them, (probably already too late for that) but I am team Lady Stormshadow/Lady Shazraella all the way! I look forward to each of their scenes.

MS: Ironhide gets to come back in a cool way leading the defense of Cybertron and I loved writing Destro as one of the villains. Also I think Till All Are One fans will really see Elitas frustrations with Starscream and Optimus come to a boil. Also, I just want to add that this event has been amazing to co-create with Max and David. We really have tried to tell a big action blockbuster summer movie here, but also really dig down and make this story personal. The best part of crossovers is letting characters who dont normally interact challenge each other in interesting ways. If you are a fan of any of these series, I dont think you will want to miss out on First Strike. And if you dont read any of these but want to start, why not go big and start with the crazy adventure that stars everybody, then continue to follow your favorite characters whereever they go next?

First Strike is a six-issue mini-series that will be released twice-monthly, beginning in August. In addition to the main story, there will be one-shots including Micronauts: First Strike by Christos Gage and Chris Panda,G.I. Joe: First Strike by Aubrey Sitterson and Ilias Kyriazis, Optimus Prime: First Strike by John Barber and Guido Guidi due out in September; then in OctoberM.A.S.K.: First Strike by Gage and Kyriazis and Rom: First Strike by Gage and Panda, and Transformers: First Strike by Barber and Guidi. Finally, in November, G.I. Joe: Unmasked will further the team up of G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K after the events of First Strike.

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First Strike's creative team takes us inside IDW's Hasbro comic book universe - SYFY WIRE (blog)

Patch.com

PCB-Containing Paint Found At Fairfield Ludlowe High School Patch.com FAIRFIELD, CT A public forum will take place July 11 after PCB-containing paint has been determined to exist at Fairfield Ludlowe High School during the school's Window Replacement Project. Officials say the paint has been encapsulated by years of ...

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PCB-Containing Paint Found At Fairfield Ludlowe High School - Patch.com

Old neon signs across the Tenderloin are flickering anew, thanks in part to a city program that's helping businesses refurbish building facades with support from property owners.

The SF Shines program has spent about $51,000 over the last five years restoring about 10 signs, leveraging an additional $40,000 in private funding from property owners, Gloria Chan, spokesperson for the Mayors Office of Economic and Workforce Development, told Hoodline.

SF Shines supports other projects associated with facade improvement, including ADA compliance, storefront window replacement and awning replacement, Chan said.

Qualifying businesses must have at least three years left on their lease and property owners must contribute at least some funding toward any neon improvement or restoration project, Chan said.

This ensures there is support and engagement from the property owners...and the owners are working closely with tenants," she said.

Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a nonprofit focused on getting people housed and preventing displacement, helped the owners of the Verona, Fairfax, Kinney, Jefferson, Boyd, Elk and Hartland hotels submit SF Shines grant applications.

These matching fund programs are a very smart policy approach, especially for encouraging facade improvements, Shaw said. Owners are much more willing to put up money if the city is also investing in the project, he added.

And while Shaw supports SF Shines' overall goals, he said he's "much less interested in getting a new awning or a paint job as I am getting a neon sign lit up again." Neon brings back a bit of the Tenderloin's history, and also help light up the sidewalks, he added.

SF Shines is a very forward-thinking program, said Randall Ann Homan, co-author of San Francisco Neon: Survivors and Lost Icons.

Historically, cities have torn down old, busted neon signs, and here they are working to refurbish them, she said.

These signs are handmade, handprinted works of art, Homans partner and co-author Al Barna said. All of the tubes are formed by hand.

In addition to being artwork, neon signs do double-duty as a beacon for a gathering place, since they typically identify small, independent businesses, Barna added.

There is now a whole row of neon signs alight starting with the Hotel Verona at the corner of Eddy and Leavenworth, followed by hotels McKinney, Fairfax and Jefferson in a line eastward down Eddy.

That is very rare anywhere, let alone in San Francisco, Shaw said.

While a row of neon signs may be rare today, in the 1940 and 50s, San Franciscos streets used to be crowded with them, Homan said. This was especially the case in the Tenderloin and Civic Center area, which was leveled by the 1906 earthquake.

The neighborhood was basically all rebuilt at the same time, in the wake of theCity Beautifulmovement, Barna said. New buildings with exterior ornamentation and design motifs needed to be properly illuminated.

Store signs were initially alabaster and backlight with gas lighting or incandescent light bulbs. When neon came along, it was much more energy efficient and inexpensive, Homan said. They were the LEDs of their time.

But signs of yesteryear tended to burn out within five to seven years, and many business owners didnt want to spend money on repairs and maintenance, Barna said. Many signs have been demolished or left inoperable because they were too pricey to fix.

Nobody in the Tenderloin today is talking about demolishing their neon sign, Shaw said. Everyone recognizes the value of neon signs, its not even a risk that theyll be demolished. It is just a question of whether they will be restored.

There were some issues in the past of erratic performance by neon sign companies Shaw worked with, but lately he and the property owners have been working with Rago Neon out of Hayward.

Rago has displayed a very high level of professionalism, which makes a big difference, Shaw said.

Homan and Barna said there are several historic signs they'd still like to see refurbished, including the old martini glass at the Gangway (841 Larkin St.) and the towering Golden Gate Theater sign at 1 Taylor St.

If youre interested in learning more about the neon signs in your neighborhood, check out Homan and Barnas website,or sign up for one of their upcoming tours.

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City, Property Owners Restore Tenderloin's Neon Signs - Hoodline

Sacramento Bee

Air conditioner broken? Get in line Sacramento Bee HVAC repair services in Sacramento have been inundated with hundreds of calls every day during this week's record-breaking heat wave. Garick Air Conditioning Service on X Street in midtown ... When it gets hot, everyone gets impatient, said Matt ... and more »

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After 20 years of column-writing, I needed a fresh source of humor, so I decided to have the kitchen remodeled.

Doing it myself would have been the richest source of material, but actuarial tables predict I will live only another 18 years, which wouldnt have been nearly enough time to get it done.

So I turned over the remodeling to a professional, confident that merely disassembling the existing kitchen would be plenty inspirational. It was.

Do you know what an appliance garage is? Its a countertop enclosure meant to hide toasters and blenders.

I found that if I lay on my back on the countertop, with my feet supported by a ladder and my head and shoulders inside the appliance garage, I could gain access to the screws that stubbornly prevented me from removing it.

And because those screws were, oh, Id say2 feet long, I had plenty of time, while twisting, to ponder why we need to hide appliances behind a door anyway. Were talking about toasters here, not a countertop toilet.

Having removed the garage, I turned, with my sons help, to moving the refrigerator. I thought sliding it across the floor would be the hard part, but no. The hard part was disconnecting the water line for the ice-maker.

As we headed to the basement to turn off the water to that line, my wife said, Dont break the valve.So we gently twisted it. Then we roughly twisted it. Then we took a wrench to it. And then we broke it.

We arrived breathless at a hardware store just minutes later. Yes, said a clerk, we have what you need to cap that flowing water line. "Good," I replied. "Because this means I wont have to get divorced."

Not until I had demolished the kitchen did I fully realize how central it was to life. It wasnt just a food storehouse. It also held utility bills, pizza coupons, Lipitor, pliers, wind chimes, school photos, wedding invitations and the Worthington trash pickup schedule.

I still find myself instinctively heading for the familiar locale, then circling aimlessly like a migratory bird searching for recognizable geography in a barren wasteland. Occasionally, I forlornly cheep something like, Where is the cheese grater?

Of course, the wasteland will soon be replaced by a new kitchen, which will shift the challenge to forming a new mental map, a slow process for me.

I can pretty much guarantee that I will put yogurt in the oven for at least a few years before the refrigerators new location is firmly imprinted on my brain.

In fact, for humor purposes, I'm counting on it.

Joe Blundo is a Dispatch columnist.

jblundo@dispatch.com

@joeblundo

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Joe Blundo: Kitchen remodeling job is already cooking up some humor - The Columbus Dispatch

Submitted by Don Doman

When we planned our kitchen remodeling twenty years ago we considered going with tile floors, but a friend said, Why? Every time you drop a glass or dish it will break. We went with vinyl and every time we dropped a plate or glass and it broke I kicked myself of listening to my friend. The next time we remodeled, our son installed tile floors. We still love our tile floors. We use oriental carpets to add additional color, contrast, and warmth.

Memories easily become part of a mosaic.

Man has been using tile in decorating floors, wall, and counters for thousands of year. If youve ever visited cities along the Mediteranean youve probably stood in awe at ancient Greek or Roman mosaics on walls and floors. The beauty is as impressive today as it was centuries ago.

Adding tile invigorates ?nt?r??r and ?xt?r??r spaces, creating beautiful accents that impress visiting friends and h?l? you l??rn to love your home again. We have all seen ?v?r? kind ?f wall art brought to l?f? ?n b?thr??m?. T?d??, we bring ideas for improving your home design ?nd d???r?t?ng with tile in other areas of your house. H?m??wn?r? n?w?d??? are no longer content with ordinary looking tiles. In fact, the use of tiles has blurred the transition between m?d?rn and traditional with a new interpretation ?f tr?nd ?nd ?t?l? with versatile design possibilities. By joining t?g?th?r the tiles of different styles, patterns and ??z??, ?n? ??n create a number of interior decorating designs.

Two thousand year old mosaics still look beautiful today.

Decorating with tile gives ??u ?n almost unlimited range of patterns, ??l?r? and materials. The most difficult task may b? t? decide what kind of beautiful tile best suits ??ur l?f??t?l? and decor. Tile is one of the oldest and most traditional ?f bu?ld?ng materials, but it can also look totally modern, d???nd?ng on the type of tile you select, the surfaces ??u use ?t for, and the way its ?n?t?ll?d. You can even add Southwestern, A???n or African accents w?th a carefully selected tile.

Long gone are the days when the only ?h???? f?r tile in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room w?? wh?t? t?l? with white walls. Using multiple tiles in a room ?ll?w? you to be creative with the d???gn. B? u??ng multiple tiles you can come up with your own ??r??n?l design. The sky is the limit in what you ?r??t?; ju?t be sure that what you have designed ?r th? tiles you have put together are exactly what ??u want b?f?r? having them professionally ?n?t?ll?d. There are multitudes of sources offering inspiration. There are hundreds of ?t?l??h ?????b?l?t??? when it comes to wall tiles. From modern brick-shaped M?tr? T?l?? and captivating Moroccan designs, through to lavish natural ?t?n?? l?k? tr?v?rt?n? and slate. A winning wall favorite is the staggered, mult? -levelled slate splitface t?l?; ??rf??t f?r breathing new life into an old wall space.

Tile has also become so v?r??t?l? that you can literally use tile that ?? m?d? to look like brick in showers, kitchens and even in w?n? cellars. U??ng brick tile/ stone tile as a backdrop saves money without ???r?f???ng th? h?gh end look you might be trying to achieve.

Modern tile and counters blend in with your past and your future.

Local tile expert Darren Helbling of Tile First, explains When people come to us, we listen to their needs and wants . . . and budgets of course. We offer them logical, feasible options. Tile lasts for ages and we wish the same for our clients. First-time customers continually become our long term customers time and time again. We may not be related, but we want them to feel like were family. Just as our tiles and counters, we also become part of their home.

Think tile is just for ?nd??r?? Th?nk again! Using tiles to cover an ugly ?utd??r deck ????l? ?nd instantly changes the look from drab t? fabulous. An?th?r quick and easy project for older homes with raw edge m?rr?r? ?? u??ng tiles to frame the outside of the mirror. In an instant you can change th? l??k fr?m outdated to up to date.

Compared to many other hard ?urf????, most tile is reasonably ?r???d, l?ng- lasting, durable and easy to clean without periodic ??l??h?ng ?r ???l?ng. T?l? is also flexible because it comes in so many shapes and ??z??, fr?m tiny one-inch squares to giant 12-inch b? 24-inch r??t?ngl??. T?l? surfaces can add beauty, style and durability to your h?m?. Th?? ?r? ?? versatile and come in so many choices that ??u ??n create almost any look and mood. We took this to heart when we hired an artist to add color and interest to our deck . . . and it wasnt even close to being ugly.

Fashion Designer Istvan Francer says, I appreciate history, but you have to bring your own experience into your rooms. I agree. Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love, adds Nate Berkus, Interior Designer. We hired an artist to create a window-sized mosaic on an exterior wall that gave not only a northwest-Puget Sound flavor, but incorporated pieces of my wife, Peggys favorite pitcher that had shattered years before. It reminded her of her childhood. She kept the blue and white pieces in a drawer. Her memories and those broken pieces are part of our home.

Continue reading here:
Memories of Home and Decorating With Tile - The Suburban Times

By Kara Hallissey | Jun 22, 2017

(June 23, 2017) From heating and air conditioning to plumbing, kitchen and bath remodeling, O.C. Home Services in Ocean Pines provides a multitude of essentials for homeowners.

We try to cover everything from the roof to the crawl space, said Fred Showacre, who owns the business with Chris Pugaczewski. We utilize our own labor that way customers are dealing with one contractor for all their needs.

One of the reasons we moved to Ocean Pines [from Salisbury in April] is the part-timers and summer rentals, he continued. They can call one contractor and know we will go out and look at the problem or fix the leak and clean up the water rather than calling multiple companies.

O.C. Home Services also offers interior and exterior home or condominium renovations including decks, porches, cabinets, windows, floors, doors, bathrooms, additions, drywall and paint.

Sewer main replacement and cleanup, draining services, professional drying, mold remediation, restoration and disaster cleanup are additional services available through the home improvement company.

Our employees are trained in their technology fields and in customer service, Showacre said. We want to make the situation right and are constantly dealing with problems. We are committed to 100 percent customer satisfaction.

O.C. Home Services employees spend a couple hours each week on technical and customer interaction training.

It is important for us to spend the time and money for training and certifications, Showacre said. Communication is important. Letting customers know what is going on and how much it is going to cost so they can make their own educated decision. I think they appreciate our professionalism and the respect we bring to each interaction.

All 32 employees are licensed, insured and must pass a drug screening and background check before being hired.

They offer 24-hour emergency services, complimentary estimates, no overtime fees, longer warranties and upfront pricing.

The home improvement company serves customers in Worcester and Wicomico counties in addition to Sussex County, Delaware.

O.C. Home Services in Ocean Pines is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., although 24-hour emergency services are available.

O.C. Home Services is offering $50 off any drain cleaning service, $250 off a sewer main replacement, $75 off Wi-Fi thermostats, $100 off well-pump replacements and $500 off a complete kitchen remodel until June 30.

For more information, check out http://www.ocservice247.com. Call 410-860-6888 or 302-330-8300 to schedule a service or free estimate.

Continued here:
OC Home Services moves from Salis. to Ocean Pines - Ocean City Today

A Brightwaters veteran and his family have just receiveda partial home makeover through a behind-the-scenes organization calledMake It Count.

The [members of Make It Count] have every reason to spend their time living lavishinstead they spend their downtime doing what they did for us and giving away their moneyand time to see veterans live out the American Dream we risked our lives for overseas, said recipient of the makeover, LorenzoBono, a U.S. Marine who served from 2012-16.

The mission of theorganization is to provide housing, education, and healthcare to those who have served in the military, says Mark Sagliocca of Make it Count.

The organization is run by six board members in total, all of whom have different backgrounds.

My expertise is as a land developer and general contractor, said Sagliocca. While our founder, Jon Reese, is more of aWall Street financeguy.

Together the grouppools its skills and backgrounds together to give back to those who fought.

The remodeling work at 450 Peters Boulevard all started with a plate of dinner at Primi Italian Steakhouse in West Islip.

Sagliocca was eating dinner with fellow Make It Count members when he overheard the owner of Primis, Frank Bono, talking about his veteran twin brother and his brothers new home.

Thatbrother wasLorenzo.

Right when I heard he was from Brightwaters my eyes lit up because the Lions Club wanted to donate to someone in the Bay Shore area, said Sagliocca.

Thats when Make It Count sent over an e-mail to Lorenzo that had him scratching his eyes in disbelief.

When I got thee-mail from Mark talking about renovations, I just couldnt believe it, Lorenzo explained. I yelled out [to his wife], Babe, come here! Am I reading this right?'

Sagliocca explained his organizations work is made possibleby donations from places like the Lions Club, as well as individual donors.

125% of our donations go towards renovations, said Sagliocca. The reason we can do that is because we have virtually no overhead.

According to Make It Count,most of the workers, from demolitionist to plumbers, who work inthe house donate their time and expertise.

Sagliocca and his team completely flipped the Bono familys bathroomand kitchen on the main floor, installing all new appliances, cabinetry, flooring, and much more.

They bought this beautiful home and it just needed a shot in the arm, said Sagliocca.

Lorenzo told GreaterBayShore there were times when he caught himself welling up withtears as the renovations took place.

It felt like itwasnt even real, said Lorenzos wife, Samantha.

To see my wife in the kitchen like this withmy [two] kids it made me as a man, father, and asa husband feelbeyond amazing, said Lorenzo.

They never asked for help, but Make it Count soughtthem out.

We pushed ourselves on Lorenzo and Samantha because its our duty as citizens to give back, said Sagliocca.

Scroll down for before and after photos.

Nick Esposito is a Long Island native who studied journalism at St. Joseph's College in Patchogue. He's a huge fan of sports and storytelling. If you have story ideas please e-mail him at nick@greaterpatchogue.com.

Originally posted here:
'Make It Count' group helps remodel vet's new Brightwaters home - greaterlongisland.com (blog)

Preserving and marking the sites of ancient Native American burial mounds, which are prevalent in the Midwest where ancient tribes such as the Adena lived until 1 A.D, is crucial for acknowledging the depth of the scars colonialism has left on our society. However, a simple marker or plaque beside a mound can only do so much a deeper understanding of different indigenous cultures is needed if we are to truly empathize with and respect people who lived here before Europeans laid their first camps.

Imagine this situation: an Adena mound is located on the construction site of an office complex. The contractor has bought all the supplies, has promised their employees work and has promised their client an office building. Construction commences, and in the process of digging out the basement someone finds a skull. Federal law requires the contractor to call law enforcement and establish a crime scene. Then a coroner works with ethnoforensics specialists to excavate, halting the project for, say, a year.

By the time they finish, the contractor has to pay his builders for the work they were shorted and is eager to speed along the building process so the client doesn't hire somebody else for their next job. Ethnoforensics say some remains some tools, an arm or a leg might still be there, but they extracted what they could to comply with the law in a timely manner.

The land on which the mound once sat is then partially covered with an office building, and the other portion has been flattened to create a clean-cut lawn. The remains found in the mound are safe inside a local historical society, guarded by the meticulous hands of conservation specialists in a temperature-controlled room, but the land from whence it came bears no mark of the objects ever being there. And nothing marks the site that was once a sacred tomb.

Something kind of similar (kind of) happened in 2012 with Richard III of England, whose remains were found under a church parking lot. I don't think construction workers knew what they were building on when they were laying pavement, but the fiasco became a media sensation, and now there are memes about it.

It's funny when the thing being defiled is perceived by the dominant culture as larger than life has the privilege of, well, royalty.

It's not so funny when the people whose legacy is being defiled are the ancestors of a demographic that has been, and continues to be, consistently undervalued and mistreated by dominant American culture. So, what should we do about it?

One option is a plaque. A memorial. More extensive museums. But, surprise, it's not that simple.

What even is a mound? I don't know the answer, and I've visited museums and read chapters and book articles about them. I know they contain bones and "token objects," according to one of the four plaques at Shrum Mound, but I don't know what any of this meant for the Adena people. How long after someone died were they buried? Who in the tribe helped to build the mound? What kinds of rituals, if any, were held around the mounds? Why were certain tools items of use buried along with the deceased people? Some of this information may be unavailable, just because that's the nature of studying ancient societies. Then again, maybe we just destroyed all the evidence.

When I visited Shrum Mound, I could obviously see it, but I couldn't feel the depth of its meaning in my own bones the way I could in St. Paul's Cathedral. I needed a better translation of Adena culture than what the plaque could give me. Because of this, my visit to Shrum Mound in some ways felt trivial. I saw a giant bulge in the earth, but I didn't know quite what to make of it. It's impossible to connect with these ancient communities when there are no markers, but even when there are markers, I can't glean as much as I need from them to feel any such connection.

What I know I share with the Adena people is the land. Without conflating indigenous people and "nature," which can be a dehumanizing and dangerous thing to do, I've been trying to learn more about the landscape I've dwelled upon all my life, as I know it offered powerful resources to ancient communities who hunted, gathered and farmed on it. My new field guide about wildflowers in Ohio will give me a Westernized, classification-focused education. Though I can't say for sure, it's likely a much different understanding of local flora than what the Adena had. Still, it's a start.

Flipping through its sturdy pages, I take note of which are native and which were introduced from abroad (mostly Europe), as those are the plants the Adena most likely used. I learned the Oswego people used the red-flowered plant Monarda didyma, a type of mint, for tea (the plant is now colloquially called Oswego Tea). Though I'm not familiar with its red flowers, I see the light purple blooms of its relative, Monarda fistulosa, everywhere around here. That plant, colloquially named Wild Bergamot, has been cultivated for European commercial teas. I haven't yet made the tea, but I hope to try it soon and taste what the Adena might have.

Regan Detwiler can be reached at regandet@umich.edu

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Regan Detwiler: The first settlers, part three - The Michigan Daily