#auction house florida

[dejavuestateliquidator]

Estate Liquidation Auctions: Everything You Need to Know

An estate liquidation auction is a sale of all or part of the contents of an estate, typically held after the death of the owner. Estate liquidation auctions can also be held to downsize an estate, settle a divorce, or simply to sell off unwanted items.

[beepingmemesauce2727]

Plans for future Spidey-Villains if I were in charge of continuing The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Mac Gargan / Scorpion:

• Private Investigator hired by J. Jonah Jameson, like in the comics

• Fails due to Peter using his spider-sense to evade him, leading to him being fired by Jameson, which not only causes him to lose his job, but also leaves him homeless, but is offered a second chance by a man claiming to work for The Kingpin

• Registers for an experimental operation by Wilson Fisk and Alastair Smythe, the idea behind the operation being to essentially create a genetically-enhanced police officer

• He is injected with multiple steroids that enhance his physical strength, and his outfitted with bulletproof armor equipped with a cybernetic tail

• Same story as in the comics basically, he is sent to capture Spider-Man, but over time, the chemical augmentations start affecting his brain and drive him to insanity, leading him to paralyze Smythe, and attack J.J.J., Peter promptly defeats him

• Eventually joins a new version of the Sinister Six

Roderick Kingsley / Hobgoblin

• Perfume company CEO, wants to buy Oscorp, but Harry doesn't like him as he thinks Oscorp is the "Osborn Family Legacy", Roderick doesn't like Harry either, seeing him as a nepo baby, (which Harry kind of is)

• Has a twin-brother named Daniel, but is less successful than Roderick, leading to constant belittling by his older brother

• Secretly does shady business deals, like in Season 2 where he attended the auction with NYC's various crime lords

• Hires a spy to infiltrate Oscorp one night, that thug discovers the Green Goblin's tech, spy steals it and brings it back to Roderick

• Roderick sees an opportunity, and creates a new persona, The Hobgoblin, and learns that Osborn used performance-enhancers to gain his superhuman powers

• Creates a chemical compound that includes all of the effects of the original Globulin Green with none of the side-effects

• Roderick decides he can frame other people as the Hobgoblin so he can get away with his crimes scott-free and take control of Oscorp and expand his business

• Multiple people are framed for being the Hobgoblin throughout the third season, including Ned Leeds, Harry Osborn, Emily Osborn, J. Jonah Jameson, and even Roderick's own brother Daniel

• Enters a turf war with Wilson Fisk

• Eventually, Roderick is outed as the Hobgoblin, and is imprisoned

Art by TheJikaruss on Deviantart

Micheal Morbius / Morbius the Living Vampire

• Born in Greece in 1939, raised in America

• Was raised by his single mother, his father left his mother before he was born

• His mother died of a rare illness which caused her blood cells to rapidly degenerate, and eventually, Michael develops this disorder as well

• He meets Emil Nikos, and they become best friends, Nikos finds out about Michael's condition and vows to help him create a cure

• They won a Nobel Prize for their achievements in hematological research, and used the money to conduct the experiment that would cure Michael of his condition in 1971

• The experiment involved injecting Michael with a serum derived from the DNA of vampire bats, and electroshock therapy to enhance Michael's mutated blood cells

• The experiment goes awry, and Michael is transformed into a hideous creature resembling a vampire

• Michael kills Nikos in a bloodthirsty rage, and only regains his senses when he has completely drained Nikos of his blood

• Wracked with immeasurable guilt, Michael attempts suicide, but saves himself as living is a habit

• He roams the world for decades, eventually stumbling upon the house of Curt and Martha Connors, who he attacks while Peter is on a school field trip to the Florida Everglades

Morris Bench / Hydro-Man

• Demolitions expert, as he is in the show

• His wife divorced him a few months prior to the series, so he's a bit depressed

• He is brought to an experiment taking place on a cargo ship overseen by Oscorp, where there are experimenting with a device that can filter out hazardous chemicals in the world's various oceans

• The ship is attacked by the Hobgoblin, who is trying to steal technology, a fight breaks out between Spider-Man and Hobgoblin, and in the scuffle, Morris is knocked overboard

• Morris' body reacts strangely to the generator's radioactive materials, which causes his body to break down and then reform itself into a body that can transform itself into living water

• Hydro-Man escapes the hospital he was held in, and runs into the Hobgoblin, who convinces Morris that Spider-Man is responsible for his condition, and Hydro-Man swears revenge against the web-slinger

• He battles Spider-Man, who defeats him by freezing him with liquid nitrogen, and handing him over to the NYPD

• He is imprisoned, but eventually thawed out to join a new version of the Sinister Six

Cletus Kasady / Carnage

• Cletus is revealed to be a serial killer like in the comics

• He was born to Roscoe and Louise Kasady, and after he tortured and killed his mother's dog, he was sent to the St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children

• After he burned down the orphanage and killed the staff and its students, he murdered his parents as revenge for locking him up in that hell-hole

• He went on to murder several more people, until he was arrested, where the judge labeled him insane and had Cletus sent to the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane, where he "befriended" Eddie Brock

• After the Venom Symbiote returns to Eddie in his and Cletus' cell, Eddie turns into Venom and causes a break out

• Little did Eddie know, the symbiote had produced an offspring, and it bonded to Cletus' bloodstream, turning the symbiote red and giving it full control over Kasady's cellular structure, making him much stronger than Eddie and Venom

• Cletus became Carnage, and resumed his killing spree, but on a mass scale, turning anyone in his way into his symbiote possessed minions

• Spider-Man realizes he has no choice but to team up with Venom. He also joins up with Black Cat, Cloak & Dagger, Morbius, Sandman, Prowler, and Silver Sable to take down Carnage and his drones

• Carnage is eventually defeated, and the symbiote hordes are returned to normal

• Cletus is imprisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D., due to the catastrophic event he just caused, and that's the last we ever see of Carnage

• Or is it?

Hobie Brown / Prowler

• He becomes friends with Peter in Season 3

• He has a bone to pick with Harry Osborn due to his doping in Season 2

• However, his girlfriend Mindy McPherson is kidnapped by the Hobgoblin's men, and he takes matters into his own hands

• He dons the Prowler suit for the first time, and takes out mutiple caches of Hobgoblin's goons throughout the city in order to get to Mindy

• He runs into Spider-Man, and they get into a disagreement on how to take down The Hobgoblin, Peter just wants to simply defeat Hobgoblin and bring him to justice, whereas Hobie wants to kill Hobgoblin, and they get into a fight

• They eventually stop fighting, and put their differences aside to save Mindy

• They defeat Hobgoblin and his men and save Mindy, but Hobgoblin escapes before he can be arrested

• Prowler eventually teams up with Spidey again during the "Maximum Carnage" event

John Jameson / Man-Wolf

• Still in Ravencroft after Season 2

• He's still obsessed with the strength he obtained during his time as Colonel Jupiter

• He is visited in his cell by J.J.J. and Miles Warren, who offers to give him back the power he so desperately wants

• He is injected with a steroid that turns him back into Colonel Jupiter, and he becomes an ally to Spider-Man again

• Warren secretly installed nanites into John's bloodstream that would activate under lunar rays

• During one night out on patrol, John keeled over in pain and transformed into a hulking canine creature dubbed The Man-Wolf

• Man-Wolf eventually attacked his father at the DB, but Spider-Man used an antidote on John that eliminated the nanites in his system and turned him back into a human

• John was eventually turned back into Man-Wolf, and kidnapped by Kraven the Hunter and forced to fight Spider-Man again during this show's adaptation of "Kraven's Last Hunt", (Man-Wolf takes the place of Vermin) but after Kraven dies, Spider-Man goes after Man-Wolf and turns him back into a human again

• Warren finds a strand of Man-Wolf's hair, and keeps it along with a sample of Globulin Green...for safe keeping

Prof. Miles Warren / Jackal

• He's taken Dr. Connors' place as ESU's science division

• He has an assistant named Debra Whitman

• He was behind Molten Man and Man-Wolf, and will be the ultimate mastermind behind the Clone Saga

• He creates a clone of Peter and Gwen, the Peter clone is used to tarnish Peter's reputation as Spider-Man, while the Gwen clone would become Miles' surrogate daughter

• Miles' wife and daughter died prior to the series in an accident, and Gwen reminded him of his daughter

• So that when she died, Miles had a mental breakdown and decided to use his expertise in cellular biology to create a perfect clone of Gwen

• But Peter and his clone eventually put aside their differences, and confronted Miles in the ESU lab

• As a last resort, he injected himself with a serum comprised of canine DNA and Norman Osborn's Goblin serum, turning him into a monster called The Jackal

• He's eventually defeated, imprisoned, and returned to his human form after a vicious fight with Peter Parker and Ben Reilly

• He later escapes prison and creates a newer, stronger clone he calls Kaine, he brainwashes Kaine and sends him after Peter and Ben

• Kaine is eventually freed from his brainwashing and kills Miles for all the people he's hurt, Peter, Gwen, Curt Connors and his family, Mark Allan, and John Jameson

Art by Lunamidnight1998 on Deviantart

Martin Li / Mr. Negative

• Was experimented on by Wilson Fisk's head scientist, Dr. Jonathan Ohnn, and was imbued with Light & Darkforce powers

• Runs a soup kitchen with Aunt May and Nathan Lubensky called F.E.A.S.T.

• Secretly a crime lord called Mr. Negative and forms a group called the Inner Demons

• The experiments by Dr. Ohnn also created Cloak & Dagger

• Becomes the third wheel in The Kingpin and Hobgoblin's Turf War

• Eventually depowered and redeemed

Thank you for reading! :)

[bropunzeling]

"arranged marriage mattdrai" ok i BLACKED OUT. and i am now thinking of some sort of weird marriage bets frat au mashup where leon and matthew are rival frat presidents and matthew's dumb friends (johnny hockey) bid on leon for him during the annual charity date auction whatever the fuck thing that frat houses do except leon is aggressively following the spirit of the whole auction date thing and is treating matthew nice in a mean way and matthew is ?

screaming. what a beautiful fucking concept this is. Very Serious Dates at the local student dive bar!!!! maybe leon asks matthew to come as his date to the big end of semester formal!!!! maybe they spend spring break together 😌 it's no spain but florida is just as fun. i think this could be very fun for them and they could drive each other into looping sexual/emotional crises through the power of cut up t-shirts and doing ice luge shots

[danyvcollins8]

Antique Auction Guide: What to Know About Buying & Selling

You’re at an antique auction. You feel the thrill of potential discovery in every item up for bid. But how do you know what’s worth your money or just old trash?

If selling is more your game, can you spot a hidden gem among Grandma’s heirlooms that others would dream of owning? This guide aims to unravel these mysteries by offering insights into buying and selling antiques effectively. Dive right in; let this be your road map through the exciting world of antique auctions!

Types of Antiques Offered at Auction in Clearwater, FL

From vintage furniture to remarkable pottery pieces, every auction offers a unique selection that’s sure to impress antique lovers. It is quite common for people to find Chinese Ming Dynasty pottery and Art Nouveau jewelry while browsing furniture pieces from the Victorian era or items from mid-century modern tables. Moreover, these scavengers often discover a plethora of aged wine bottles from Europe.

On your next trip, finding classic chandeliers with intricate detailing dating back centuries could be possible! Even sports memorabilia make their appearance in auctions sometimes. This includes autographed baseball cards and historic match tickets.

Stay eager because comic books that bring waves of nostalgia can also spring surprises, along with old-world paintings stirring profound emotions! It just showcases how diverse and versatile Clearwater’s antique offerings are, providing endless opportunities worth exploring for everyone interested!

Tips for Buying at an Antique

Diving into the world of antiques can seem daunting, but remember, knowledge is power. You must understand that in Clearwater, Florida, auctions, online platforms usually charge lower premiums compared to direct auction services, and this could save you a significant amount. The price range for items at an auction varies widely; some may be surprisingly affordable, while others might reach astronomical figures.

Keep yourself updated with prices through regular research so as not to overpay or underbid for artifacts. Are there hidden costs? Sellers pay what’s called ‘seller premiums,’ which are fees based on a percentage of the final sale cost. Buyers, too, have their share known as ‘buyer premiums.’

A key term you should know about is ‘reserves’. A reserve is a minimum acceptable bid amount set by the seller. Sellers reserve the right to withhold a sale if bids do not meet this reserve number. However, they still have to pay listing fees regardless of whether a sale occurs or not.

Remember: Bidding requires registration, so ensure your paperwork is done correctly before hitting any auction houses!

Determining Your Budget Before Shopping Antiques

While venturing into Clearwater’s antique market, take steps to set your financial limits. This precaution prevents costly mishaps, as antiques can range from moderately priced to astonishingly expensive. Before shopping for antiques, you have two tasks: understand the general price range of desired items and decide what you’re willing to spend.

Research helps in both areas. Identify reputable online platforms that offer an idea of current pricing trends for various antiques. Consider enlisting a professional appraiser who specializes in your area of interest for a more personalized budget estimation. They provide precise valuations that aid in making informed decisions about potential purchases or even sales later. Remember, though: while setting out hunting relics with deep pockets may seem appealing, respect your personal spending boundaries regardless of how enticing that vintage piece looks.

Don’t let perceived value override established monetary confines; seek enchantment within your allotted fiscal sphere.

Selling Your Own Antiques at an Auction House in Clearwater, FL

When planning to sell your own antiquities at an auction house in Clearwater, FL, there’s a clear process you can follow. First, connect with the auction house staff so they’re aware of your interest. They will inform you about upcoming auctions and provide catalogs for them.

Next, inspect properties alongside a knowledgeable professional, such as a builder or handyman. This way, all necessary repairs can be accounted for before making pricing decisions. Procuring legal packs from the auctioneer may also prove fruitful, giving comprehensive insights into each available property.

This means no hidden surprises later down the line! However, swift action remains crucial due to the short periods between catalog releases and actual auctions.

Remember that setting budgets precedes any other step. Understanding how much renovation costs might be, plus knowing payment methods, adds value, too! Lastly, but importantly, don’t overlook those terms and conditions paperwork. Stay familiarized with what needs to be paid without any nasty surprises on D-day.

Essential Expert Advice when Attending Auctions In Clearwater, FL

Auction catalogs come out a month beforehand, so use this time wisely. Investigate the item of interest by researching its history, condition, and value range. Additionally, obtain information about any associated costs, such as set fees or percentages owed to the vendor or auction house. These expenses can add up quickly if they are not taken into account, so be sure to factor them in when making bids at Clearwater auctions.

Always have sufficient funds for deposits, usually around 10%, since failure to provide that could lead you into legal trouble with sellers.

Therefore, avoiding relying solely on selling items at an auction is important. This is because vendors always set a reserve price, which is the minimum acceptable bid they must receive for them to sell the item. As such, there is no guarantee that items will always be sold through auctions.

Additionally, be cautious while referring to guide prices provided by auction houses; they’re often lower than the actual worth to boost public attention, but they might misdirect you when setting your budget limit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid During the Antique Buying & Selling Process

Your attitude during the negotiation plays a vital role. Approaching dealers with respect ensures they will be more receptive in their responses. People may believe that haggling is a must during this process. Unfortunately, this assumption can lead to misunderstandings or neglected opportunities for discovering good items at fair prices.

When you pressure an antique dealer into dropping the price drastically, it may seem unfair and disrespectful toward their expertise and business expenses. Don’t let reality TV fool you, either! Those massive discounts stay confined primarily to television sets as part of scripted deals rather than actual transactions on the ground. So, keep expectations realistic!

Credits: https://blackwellauctions.com/antique-auction-guide-what-to-know-about-buying-selling/

Lastly, remember one man’s trash might just turn out to be another’s treasure. Targeting lower-priced antiques alone won’t suffice. Instead, focus on finding pieces that resonate personally. Striking a balance between taste and affordability should remain your goal.

Navigating the exciting world of antique buying and selling shouldn’t be intimidating. Knowledge is power; knowing what items to look for, understanding the auction process, and acting promptly are key. Always remember that every art piece has a story; your goal should be discovering its worth, considering its historical value.

[worldofwardcraft]

Suspicious riches.

December 5, 2022

It's not unheard-of for someone like a president's son to lean on his famous name and connections in order to get ahead. Yet Republicans remain obsessed with Hunter Biden's business dealings and income, despite there being no evidence of any illegalities or the president's involvement. Meanwhile, these same Republicans are perfectly content to ignore the pecuniary irregularities of the grifters in their own ranks.

Consider, for example, 27-year-old GOP congressman Madison Cawthorn (pictured above with his new digs), who lost his bid for reelection in the North Carolina Republican primary. Cawthorn recently bought a palatial three-bedroom home in Cape Coral, Florida for $1.12 million that measures a spacious 2,281 square feet and includes a pool and spa.

As a congressman for two years, he was paid $174,000 per. And he's never held any other high-paying job. Cawthorn has apparently owned a real estate investment company called SPQR Holdings since 2019, of which he is the only employee. But the company has no reported income, and its only recorded transaction was purchasing a six-acre property in Georgia for $20,000 in a foreclosure auction. So where did he get the scratch to buy that costly crib?

Or, take his fellow first-termer, recently reelected (just barely) Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert. This high school dropout went from being up to her ears in debt to being worth a reported $41 million in just two years. Her financial disclosure statement says her husband earned $1 million from his energy consulting firm, but that her own restaurant, Shooters Grill, is now closed. Her campaign finance committee has only $300,000 cash on hand, according to FEC data. Plus, her congressional salary is (like Cawthorn's) $174,000 a year. Where did the other $40 million come from?

Then there are the Trumps. When Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington examined the financial disclosures of Ivanka and Jared Kushner covering when they "worked" in the Trump maladministration, CREW found the couple took in between $172 million and $640 million in outside income (the exact amount remains shadowy).

Included in their haul were the millions Ivanka made when the Chinese government granted her dozens of product patents on everything from wedding dresses to voting machines — without any explanation why. Then, after leaving the White House, Jared received a whopping $2 billion from the Saudi Arabian government for his newly established private equity firm to invest. Since when did Jared become a financial genius?

However, after the GOP takes over the House, don't expect them to investigate any of these monetary mysteries. No, siree. Instead, it'll be all Hunter all the time.

[nancypullen]

Thursday

I’m trying to convince myself to paint the powder room vanity. I have everything I need, and it’s a small vanity and probably won’t take much time at all. I just can’t seem to get motivated.  I purchased paint from Heirloom Traditions.  It’s supposed to be amazing so I hope it lives up to the hype. You can check it out here: https://www.allinonepaint.com/ They’re always offering free sample pots, all you pay is the $6.99 shipping.  My vanity is small enough that one sample pot should do the trick. Most folks are painting dressers or kitchen cabinets, but my little job will be inexpensive and hopefully quick. The previous owner of this house apparently had a nautical theme in the powder room.  That’s fine, to each their own, but she glued everything in place. She had glued sea shells to the mirror, and worse, there was rope glued all the way around the ceiling. I was able to get the shells off the mirror and scrape it clean, but when the painters pulled that rope down (it was basically cemented on) it tore up the dry wall and made the whole room look shabby and awful.  I don’t need that little bathroom to be HGTV worthy, but it looked really bad.  That is why I was so thrilled when Mickey started sending me photos of his work while I was down in Florida. This is what it looked like at the top of every wall.

And this is what it looks like now, thanks to my hand dandy husband.

Those vent covers went back in, there are no gaping holes. Drywall addressed, trim added, ceiling painted...my hero!

He also removed the contractor grade mirror...

and touched up that wall.

No, there’s not an abnormality in the wall. There’s something about the lighting and the way it throws shadows.  It’s fine.  Just between you and me I plan to change that light fixture anyway. That faucet s coming out too. I have a couple of floral/bee pictures that I printed for this room. I’ve got my auction mirror as well. I’m heading in this direction.

None of those colors are exact, that’s just me playing with ideas.  But that’s the neighborhood we’ll end up in.  A cute little rug, a pretty soap bottle,and some contrasting hand towels (already have those!) and we can check another room off the list.  Hallelujah!  By the time that’s finished it’ll be gardening season.  I may have to ignore the inside of the house until fall. Speaking of things that need work, why is my hair the only project that’s never finished?  While visiting my mother I made an appointment for a hair cut.  I don’t have much faith in the hair community in Denton, so I thought I’d roll the dice in Florida. I gambled and lost. I don’t think the stylist believed me when I stressed that my hair is like a gremlin, once it gets wet all hell breaks loose. To her credit she listened when I said I only wanted about an inch off the ends.  The length is perfect.  But she tried to give me “face framing layers” and cut my hair like straight hair. You can’t do that.  There’s a process to cutting layers into my hair and it usually involves a Ouija board and a goat sacrifice. What is does not involve is sliding the scissors down the hair shafts to create feathery ends.  For me that’s a recipe for frizz.  It did not end well.  It took me two days to calm the beast, and of course one of those days was the big family gathering where loads of photos were taken. I’m always frozen in time with bad hair. At least I had makeup on.

It doesn’t help that I’m growing the white out (again!). I’m so over coloring my hair.  I’m hoping that by autumn (maybe our October trip?) I’ll have enough growth to get a good trim and call it done.  I wish I’d never colored after the first grow out during lockdown.  I bought into the whole “look younger” hogwash.  How about just looking healthy?  Authentic? Comfortable?  I’m not looking for a job or a date. I. am. free.  My hair is too. This was snapped on the morning that my sister and I flew out.  When we looked at this selfie we all moaned about wrinkles, hair, etc.  

But ya’ know what? We’re all grannies, and we’re healthy, and we’re happy. I’ll gladly take every crinkle and white hair (even those frizzy layers!) because they’re no big deal.  Gosh, people are dealing with very real, very heavy problems - who cares about aging? It’s a privilege denied to many.  I’m grateful. Now, after saying all of that - can you believe my mom is 87? She looks fantastic!  She can work circles around me in the yard too.  I hope I have a scoop of her heartiest DNA. Alright, I guess I’d better get busy in that bathroom.  I can’t finish until I start, right?  Can’t get to the fun stuff like pictures and soap bottles until I lay the foundation.  Guess I’ll turn on a murder podcast and make some progress. I hope you’re having a wonderful Thursday. If not, then treat yo’self!  A cookie, a new bottle of nail polish, a bouquet - any little treat can be a cheerful spot in a ho hum day.  You deserve it. Stay safe, stay well, be happy.

Nancy

[houseofcravenart]

Checkout more about blockchain authentication art in Florida  

House of Craven offers Blockchain Authentication Services for art and collectables, providing new security and assurance for owners, collectors, and investors in Florida. This service utilizes blockchain technology to verify and protect the authenticity of valuable items, ensuring each piece has a unique, traceable digital record. As an auction house dedicated to innovation and client trust, House of Craven integrates this technology to support transparency in the art and collectables market, safeguarding against forgery and enhancing asset value.

Blockchain authentication is particularly valuable in today’s art world, where provenance and authenticity are critical. House of Craven creates a digital “fingerprint” for each piece, linking it to a blockchain where data cannot be tampered with or altered. This permanent record includes vital information about the item—such as ownership history, previous appraisals, and transaction details offering collectors and potential buyers’ peace of mind when investing in high-value assets.

The authentication process begins with a comprehensive evaluation of the piece conducted by our team of experts. Each item undergoes detailed documentation and scanning, and many are embedded with a discreet RFID chip or digital signature, further securing the record. This technology allows for immediate verification of an item’s authenticity, simplifying transactions and reducing the risk of fraud. Collectors, museums, and auction houses can easily verify the authenticity of pieces before purchasing or insuring them, reducing liability and adding confidence to every transaction.

An added feature of our Blockchain authentication service is the option to mint NFTs linked to each physical piece. These digital counterparts can be traded or displayed in virtual spaces, expanding the value of ownership in the digital art landscape. Each NFT is backed by a blockchain record, ensuring it is unique and tied to its corresponding physical item.

Our Blockchain authentication service reflects our commitment to combining traditional expertise with innovative technology. By implementing blockchain authentication art in Florida, we empower collectors and artists to secure the value of their work, fostering trust and confidence in a rapidly evolving industry.

[redpoint-gainesville]

Gainesville Student Apartments

Redpoint Gainesville is an excellent Gainesville student apartment just minutes from Santa Fe College and the UF Campus. It's an apartment that's close to perfect. This is a premier destination for off-campus student housing in Gainesville, which is looking for a community that offers a diverse selection of apartments to meet the unique needs of University of Florida (UF) students. With a prime location, Redpoint Gainesville provides convenient access to academic resources and student activities. Students living here experience the ultimate convenience, comfort, and community that come together to create the ideal housing for students near the University of Florida. To know more, call the Redpoint Gainesville at (352) 707-8068.

Gainesville, FL - Healthcare

Gainesville is a top-rated city because it boasts a lot of advantages. Among these is the top-notch healthcare system. Gainesville has a variety of healthcare facilities, including the UF Health Shands Hospital, the North Florida Regional Medical Center, and the Kanapaha Botanical Garden. This hospital is renowned for its expertise when it comes to colon cancer surgery, hip replacement, heart failure, and lung cancer surgery. The city also boasts the largest live oak tree in Florida, which makes it an ideal choice for outdoor enthusiasts. Also, the city's real estate offers plenty of outdoor activities for residents to enjoy.

University of Florida

The leading public university in the USA is what the University of Florida is known for. In fact, it ranked fourth in Forbes' listings. The university features a high faculty-to-student ratio of 97.3% and a strong retention rate. I like the features of this university, as it is recognized for its commitment to innovation and diversity, and it actively engages in community development, space exploration, disease treatment, urban growth, and industrial advancement. Florida is an economic and ecological crossroads that addresses the unique needs of the states while responding to global challenges with optimism.

Gainesville Country Club Auction

The Gainesville Country Club auction winners plan to revive the clubhouse and course to "some semblance of past glory." The club sold at auction for just over $2 million, less than two months after an Alachua County judge granted a final judgment of foreclosure against the owner. The winning bid was placed by SILS Holdings Inc., whose managers include successful auto dealers Irving J. Matthews and Sanford L. Woods Sr., as well as entrepreneur Stanley Campbell. Linnes Finney Jr., the LLC's listed president and partner with Port St. Lucie-based law firm Simmons, Finney & Winfield LLC, said his clients want to see the course reopened. The 294-acre Gainesville Country Club was sold at the auction for just over $2 million.

Link to map

University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611, United States Head north on FL-121 N/SW 34th St 0.2 mi Turn left onto SW 20th Ave 1.7 mi Turn right onto SW 62nd Blvd 0.1 mi Turn right onto SW 13th Pl Restricted usage road Destination will be on the left 0.2 mi Redpoint Gainesville 5120 SW 13th Pl, Gainesville, FL 32607, United States

[theboardroomsurfshow]

Surf Legends Unveiled: Unraveling the Stories Behind Surfing Icons

Embark on a captivating journey into the world of surfing legends through the ages, discovering the intricate tales that shaped the evolution of surfboard design and the lives of iconic surfers.

Toes Reef - Randy Ric's Serendipitous Discovery

Toes Reef, a hidden gem in the 60s, uncovered by Randy Ric right in front of his house during high tide, sparked a surfing revolution. Located at the southeast shore of Oahu, it became a breeding ground for surfing talent, shaping the future of the sport.

Surf Legends Unveiled: Unraveling the Stories Behind Surfing Icons

Witness the radical shift in surfboard design during the late 60s, as the Breakaway rail concept transformed the surfing landscape. Delve into the transition from longer to shorter boards and the example of boards quickly becoming obsolete in the ever-evolving surfing trends.

Global Surfing Odyssey of Gerry and Victor

Embark on a 65-year surfing journey with Jerry, tracing his roots from training grounds at Toes Reef to traveling to 70+ countries. Encounter the unsung heroes who played pivotal roles in shaping surfboard design through personal interactions and collaborations.

Legends of the Surfboard Shaping Scene

Explore the legends like Jack Shipley and John Kelly, whose innovations redefined surfboard design. From shaping encounters to feedback loops, discover the intertwined stories that propelled design progress and paved the way for modern surfboards.

Big Wave Riders and Regional Influences

Uncover the stories of influential surfers like the Big Wave Rider from Florida, who left indelible marks on the surfing community. Dive into the regional labels that showcase global influences, hinting at the future inclusion of East Coast legends in auctions.

Pioneering Designs: Matt Kin and Kivlin

Marvel at the unique surfboards crafted by Matt Kin and Kiblin, revered for their historical value and innovative designs. Explore how these rare collector's items set the pace for modern surfing and continue to captivate enthusiasts worldwide.

Champion Surfer Turned Innovator: Pete Peterson

Follow the extraordinary journey of Pete Peterson, from WWII underwater welder to champion surfer and paddleboard innovator. Discover how his pioneering approach revolutionized paddleboard design, shaping the evolution of surfing equipment post-war.

Legacy of Craftsmanship: VY's Japanese Block Plane

Unravel the story behind VY's Japanese block plane, a testament to the craftsmanship of a bygone era. Explore how meticulous restoration work preserves the historical integrity of vintage surfboards, ensuring their legacy endures.

Collectible Surfboard Features and Future Trends

Delve into the unique features of collectible surfboards, from Super Scoop to hatchet fins, and explore the increasing demand for vintage surfboards by renowned artists like Pat Curran. Discover the future collectibility of surfboards ridden by legends like Kelly Slater and Andy Irons.

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The Trouble With Writing About Vivian Maier

Biographers get distracted by the photographer’s unusual life story—to the point of diminishing her work itself.

Until 12 years ago, the photographer Vivian Maier was largely unknown. Though she shot incessantly from 1950 until about a decade before her death in 2009, she hid her pictures, literally locking them away. Often, she didn’t even bother to develop her rolls of film. She made money as a live-in nanny for families in New York and Chicago (briefly working for talk-show host Phil Donahue). As she got older, she rented storage lockers to house her overwhelming accumulation of books, magazines, newspapers, and other miscellany. The contents of those lockers were auctioned off in 2007 after she fell into arrears, which is how then-26-year-old John Maloof, a former art student, began purchasing the bulk of Maier’s archive: more than 140,000 images, most of them undeveloped and unprinted. A couple of years later, he uploaded some of the pictures to a street photography group on Flickr to immediate acclaim.

The images arrived already imbued with the aura of permanence. They sometimes evoke the wanderlust of Robert Frank’s photos, the wry self-deprecation of Lee Friedlander, or the grubbiness of Weegee, but they’re not derivative. Attentive to plaintive or absurd interludes in American life, primarily in New York City and Chicago, Maier made a piecemeal record of the sudden encounters and furtive gestures that turn any street into a guerrilla theater. She captured politicians on the campaign trail (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, LBJ); celebrities at premieres or out in the wild (Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn); laborers and commuters; drunks, criminals, and down-and-outs; flaneurs and well-coiffed women in furs. She cataloged the textures and cast-offs of the urban environment: graffiti, fire escapes, signs, garbage, shadows, abandoned newspapers, half-demolished buildings. She easily switched between registers, from gentle wit—as in a 1975 photo of an elderly trio crossing a Chicago street in rhyming yellow apparel, or a 1960s photo of an imperious dog loitering beneath a pay phone—to almost ethnographic sincerity, as in her photos from a six-month solo voyage around the world in 1959. She often photographed children, particularly when they were aggrieved or lost in adultlike introspection. Above all, she made images of casual lyricism, as in her celebrated 1957 photo of a woman in white drifting through a dark Florida night. Maier’s are the kinds of photos about which you can only say: These are the real deal.

The fact that Maier was dead by the time she became famous has proved a boon for her posthumous renown; in her absence, the mysteries around the photographer-nanny became irresistible hooks for editors and curators. Maloof has been entrepreneurial about marketing her story. At least half a dozen monographs have appeared in the last decade, bolstered by numerous exhibitions and a steady chorus of press. In 2015, Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary that Maloof co-directed, was nominated for an Oscar and burnished Maier’s legend further. If she’s not quite in the canon yet, she’s certainly wait-listed.

Maier has also been the subject of two notable biographies. The first, Vivian Maier: A Photographer’s Life and Afterlife, by Pamela Bannos, was released in 2016. The second, Vivian Maier Developed: The Untold Story of the Photographer Nanny, by Ann Marks, exemplifies the allure and risks of writing about the enigmatic Maier. Marks, a former marketing executive at Dow Jones, began to dig into Maier’s life after watching Maloof’s film. She kicks off her biography with a brassy sales pitch: “By book’s end, key questions will be answered, including the one everyone asks: ‘Who was Vivian Maier, and why didn’t she share her photographs?’ Mystery solved.”

Well, maybe, maybe not. Treating Maier like a riddle makes for good jacket copy but can also turn her into a kind of Rorschach: One sees in her whatever the critical mode du jour demands. Circa 2011, she was “the best street photographer you’ve never heard of,” to quote Mother Jones. Today, she is an aerosol of neuroses and quirks, the lonely spinster who shampooed with vinegar and slathered Vaseline on her face; who wore men’s size 12 shoes; who dumped drippings from a roast pan into a glass and drank them. As Marks describes Maier’s eccentricities, she starts to play the amateur clinician, marshaling hypotheses from medical experts whose secondhand diagnoses foreground a story of trauma and unwitting victimhood. Commercial publishers require a takeaway, and so Maier becomes here something she would have detested: an inspiration.

Maier is a tricky subject for a biographer. She spent the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s as a nanny, shuttling between families, or sometimes enjoying the reprieve of stable employment. (Her longest post was 11 years.) Whenever she moved, she locked her room and forbade anyone from entering. She seems not to have had romantic relationships, and had few personal ties. She left behind little by way of diaries or letters. Marks bases part of her portrait of Maier on the recollections of people who knew her glancingly, who remember her as an “extraterrestrial” figure. “She was … a very foreign presence in Highland Park,” recalls a friend of the Gensburgs, the family that employed Maier the longest. Marks’s physical rundown suggests why:

[Maier] dressed formally; her everyday attire consisted of a tailored suit or crisp Peter Pan–collared blouse paired with a calf-length skirt. She still wore old-fashioned rolled-down stockings, unable to make the transition to pantyhose. It was all covered up with oversize men’s coats in beiges and grays and topped with a trademark floppy hat.

Adding to the sense of foreignness was Maier’s brusqueness and penchant for French expressions. She presented a stern image that seemed at odds with the sensibility of her photos: The strict disciplinarian who insisted that her young charges address her as “Mademoiselle” and who sometimes slapped the children in her care also created a portfolio rife with humor and tenderness. More puzzling still, the woman who once traveled the world alone, who frankly espoused her opinions, and who seethed with ambition spent most of her adult life in the suburbs, anonymously plying her art. Marks begins her book with an epigraph of dichotomous terms acquaintances used to describe Maier, among them: Caring/Cold, Feminine/Masculine, Jovial/Cynical, Passionate/Frigid, Social/Solitary, Mary Poppins/Wicked Witch.

Despite her outward formality, a streak of playfulness runs through her photographs. In her more than 600 self-portraits, she finds ingenious ways to use mirrors and storefront windows to reflect her plain intensity, or else manifests as a kind of negative presence, as in more oblique shots of her shadow against sidewalks and walls. A self-portrait from the 1970s depicts her shadow against a laborer’s mud-spattered behind; another shows her shadow hovering amid a patch of buttercups (an image later used on a dress displayed in Bergdorf Goodman’s storefront). Other self-portraits are more direct: Maier reflected in a car mirror, her face neutral, aloof. According to Marks, Maier almost never let anyone else take her picture. How are we to understand these paradoxes?

In Marks’s telling, Maier inherited a split sense of self. Maier’s mother, Marie Jaussaud, was born in France in 1897, the illegitimate daughter of a teenage fling. “The baby girl was welcomed into a world where she officially didn’t exist,” Marks writes, noting that this shame “set into motion three generations of family dysfunction.” By 1919, Marie had immigrated to New York City, where she married an alcoholic steam engineer named Charles Maier. The couple gave birth to a son, Carl, in 1920, and to a daughter, Vivian, in 1926. The Maiers’ marriage was unhappy, and in 1932 Marie and Vivian fled to France, leaving young Carl behind. Mother and daughter returned to New York in 1938, where Maier eventually lodged with a widowed family friend, and found work in a doll factory (perhaps accounting for some later shots of dolls discarded in trash cans).

In 1950, Maier again returned to France. It was there she began taking photographs with a box camera: panoramas of the Alps, studies of the region’s working class, portraits of family. “It is clear from her early negatives and prints that Vivian possessed a great deal of confidence,” Marks writes. “She typically covered her subjects with just one shot, an approach that would become a trademark.” In the spring of 1951, Maier returned to New York, where she continued shooting, and even flirted with the idea of launching a picture postcard business. Most importantly, Maier revolutionized her practice by purchasing a Rolleiflex camera, which allowed her to literally shoot from the hip.

Marie almost entirely disappears from the biography after this point. “[She] stands out as disturbed and mentally unstable, even among a group of troubled individuals,” Marks writes of Maier’s mother. A doctor who examined the family records for this biography suggests that Marie had narcissistic personality disorder. She rarely held a steady job and was allergic to housework. She fabricated medical ailments, and in a letter to an officer about Carl’s care, she strikes a paranoid tone, lamenting that everyone had “plotted against” her. Although Marks acknowledges that it’s impossible to accurately diagnose Marie, this doesn’t stop her from premising the whole biography on such drive-by psychologizing. Indeed, the book is a case study for what responsible biographers shouldn’t do.

Some of Marks’s theories are more credible than others. It’s likely, for example, that Maier was a hoarder. By the time she died, she had crammed more than eight tons of possessions into storage lockers. (Her hoarding cost her at least one nanny job.) At other times, though, Marks’s hypotheses are purely speculative. “Physical and sexual abuse can contribute to trauma,” she writes, “and Vivian’s behavior suggests that she may have endured this type of exploitation.” The behavior in question—Maier’s distaste for physical intimacy, her fusty wardrobe, and her cautioning young girls against sitting on men’s laps—doesn’t strike me as compelling evidence of childhood sexual abuse so much as the traits of a reserved woman with old-fashioned notions of propriety. “[Maier’s] brother was definitively diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her mother almost certainly had a history of some sort of mental illness,” Marks writes. “Many felt Vivian’s grandfather Nicolas Baille may have also, based on his antisocial behavior and extreme paranoia.” (Marks doesn’t specify whom she means by “Many.”) She asks the same doctor who diagnosed Maier’s mother to take a crack at Maier herself. The verdict: Maier was perhaps a “classic case of schizoid disorder.”

Marks uses the fact of Carl Maier’s schizophrenia to prop up this diagnosis. One of the assets of her largely lackluster biography is the gumshoe work she does chasing down Carl’s records and filling in his story. (The book’s multiple appendixes, including one devoted to “genealogical tips,” suggests that building out a family tree is Marks’s real passion.) Carl was imprisoned at age 16 for tampering with the mail and forging a check. He joined the military but was dishonorably discharged for a drug-related offense. He bounced in and out of psychiatric hospitals as an adult and died of an aortic thrombosis at a rest home in 1977, at age 57. He and Maier had little contact with each other, although Marks portrays them as heirs to a common bloodline of mental illness. Marks takes Carl’s diagnosis at face value, despite how often the label schizophrenia was slapped onto criminalized bodies at mid-century, particularly among institutionalized drug users. Still, let’s grant that Carl had some kind of genetic psychological disturbance—what does that mean for Maier?

It means that her creativity, her art, is inextricable from mental illness. That’s a generic enough argument, but in Marks’s hands, it turns cloying. Her interpretations of Maier’s work sometimes take unfortunate cues from clinical analyses. She quotes a father-son duo of Freudian therapists who posit that “the negative themes that surface in Vivian’s portfolio—including death, violent crime, demolition, and garbage—represent subconscious reflections of her low self-esteem.” Name any worthwhile photographer—any worthwhile artist—and you’ll encounter “negative themes.” This is vapid psychoanalysis and even worse critical writing.

As I read, I was increasingly irritated by this reductive and patronizing portrayal of Maier. (This is underscored by how Marks refers to Maier as “Vivian.” “I use her first name throughout because this is how most people know and speak about her,” Marks writes by way of explanation. She doesn’t consider that Maier, who worked in a service capacity all of her life, was unlikely to be addressed by her surname.) “With immense strength of character and perseverance,” Marks writes, “Vivian developed compensatory qualities and coping mechanisms, like photography, to manage her mental health issues.” In Marks’s account, Maier is a mentally ill woman who took photos almost as a therapeutic tic rather than a full-fledged artist with (perhaps) a mental illness. Maier’s self-portraits, according to Marks, are simply ways to substantiate herself in the world—signposts of a woman who was forever unmoored. Even Maier’s prolificness is evidence of a compulsion, as if her taking pictures was of a piece with her hoarding of newspapers. Marks never considers that perhaps Maier just enjoyed being a photographer, and that the act of framing a shot was itself creatively fulfilling. Would anyone point to a writer’s pile of false starts and trashed drafts as signs of a mental disorder?

Just because Maier often didn’t develop her rolls of film and rarely produced prints (and almost never exhibited them) doesn’t mean that her creative practice was somehow stunted or insular. That’s a careerist view of how a photographer should operate. Maier was undoubtedly a serious, dedicated, and consummate artist, largely self-taught, who honed her craft over decades. As Marks herself notes, Maier was more than a hobbyist, even from the beginning: “Altogether, the thousands of early images … confirm how intensely Vivian worked to master the basics of photography during her time in [France].” In New York, Maier sought out “colleagues to learn from, collaborate with, and engage in shoptalk.” She assiduously cropped images and experimented with color film. Even by the end of her career, Maier was known to leave precise instructions for the technicians entrusted with developing her images. But by pressing her into a queasy Hallmark narrative of a woman triumphing over her demons, Marks’s biography unintentionally undervalues Maier’s achievement. Photography wasn’t a “coping mechanism” but her life’s work.

“I’m sort of a spy,” Maier once told someone who asked about her profession. She was being cheeky, but the remark indicates how she saw herself: as a witness and a trespasser, a woman interested in momentary revelations of truth, no matter how painful or embarrassing or fraught. Her photographs represent a vast album of American street life across five decades, and, parallel to that, a chronicle of Maier’s own place in that landscape. It’s a body of work that’s simultaneously objective and subjective, in which Maier is both the author and a recurrent, ambiguous protagonist who lends the entire undertaking a kind of self-referential weight. Contrary to Marks’s argument, I see no meaningful distinction between the photographer and the world in Maier’s work. She doesn’t appear to me as an isolated woman trying to fix her coordinates in a universe from which she was somehow estranged. She looks, instead, like a woman who was profoundly and intuitively present.

If you read enough biographies, you realize that the genre has a fatal flaw, a system error: Every person is unknowable, not least of all to themselves. There is, in everyone, some small cinder of truth that never sees the light of day. Biographers pretend that this cinder can be revealed, and that order can be imposed upon an unruly life. That’s a lie. Ann Marks hasn’t solved the mystery of Maier—why would we want her to? The photographer’s mystery remains intact, suffusing the thousands of indelible images she left behind in those storage lockers. It’s better to look there for the truth of her life, in those pictures of the world that she put away, as if she saw, and understood, what the rest of us never would. ~ Jeremy Lybarger · Dec 21, 2021.

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[julietookoff]

Up North Trip

March - July 2024

As usual I was planning my next geo-trip. I ordered a Bluetti power station to use for my CPAP while Jeep camping. Corny wired it right to the car battery to charge while driving. I cut a 4" upholstery foam to fit the Jeep and zipped it inside one of my sleeping bags. I left for a few days with Corny's folding bike. At my first stop, I bought a Florida Annual State Park pass. I cached around Ocala and Lake City. I found many of the oldest geocaches in several counties. The Bluetti worked like a charm - it will last me 3 nights without a charge. I have since discovered it will be fully topped up within a few hours of driving.

I got back home and we had a new carwash open right next to our Taco Bell. We took advantage of the free vacuums and floor mat washer.

One of our builder's son-in-laws is building a house across the street from us. The day they were pouring the foundation, someone's husky got loose and went for a romp in the cement pond. He stuck his snout right into the cement! The guys chased him away and he came over to our yard to stretch out on his newly cemented belly. It is a bit bigger than our house and a lot more expensive. They had an issue with the back yard (a giant pit), so they fenced it in. Now the problem isn't visible unless you peek over to the neighbor's side of the fence.

We hit a great storage auction in Clearwater at an A/C facility. We got a nice clean fridge for Shorty, a rattan guest bedroom set for us, a phone for Corny and a floor lamp for me, among many smaller finds.

We were getting ready to take the fridge up to Shorty, so I packed my kitchen bin with my pepper grinder, spices, garlic chopper, stuff like that. We decided to leave the CrockPot at Shorty's house this time so we don't have to pack it every trip. Corny replaced it soon after I got home and I regained my will to live/cook again. I was stuck on refried bean nachos for a week or so.

I finished making some pillows for my sister to match her pretty blue/yellow flower napghan. We gave them to her on her birthday.

I left home March 28th and finished geocaching in all the GA counties. I skipped out on any Easter dinner and ate at a Panda south of Atlanta. I visited the Atlanta capitol around 7am. There was plenty of parking and a ton of cops around at that hour. I started the Tennessee State Star with the bike. The weather didn't cooperate - it was a cold, grey drizzly day. I bought some leather gloves but it was still too cold for bike riding. I'll have to catch the Star some other time. I took a library day and headed north to Kentucky. I put on two pairs of pants in the morning but it was so cold I never took off the outers. It was such a pretty drive in the country. In southeast Ohio I ran into some flooded roads.

^big holly trees

^Cowduck and a travel bug duck

^swim to the cache?

I'm pretty sure I passed the Serpent Mound. As I drove by I thought "Why in the world would a farmer want his field like that? WTH was he growing?" Later I saw a brochure at a rest area and what I saw looked just like it!

I met Corny at a rest area off of I-71. We continued to Caesar Creek State Park campground for two nights. We watched the eclipse at a Wapakoneta Wally's. None of my pictures turned out.

We got to Shorty's house April 9th. He was putting the finishing touches on a freshly remodeled bedroom with a new queen size mattress. That was my bedroom for the length of my stay! He treats me so well . . .

We were meeting Shorty at the Taco Bell next to his workplace whenever possible. We frequented Wally's, Sam's and Martin's for groceries to cook for Shorty. Our feeble selves helped put together some of his new IKEA furniture.

We ate at Franky's Tacos, Cane's, Fazoli's and of course Allie's. On one of Shorty's days off, we all checked out the Potowatamie Zoo (just blocks from his house).

I discovered a China Tree clearance/glitch: one cent Spring Mix Dots. I went back to the store several times and accumulated about 20 boxes.

In April I had an enlightening phone call with my brother. Now I know why my sister and mother have treated me like shit for the last 5-10 years.

My Dad and brother made their first visit to Shorty's house and got an informative tour. We had an awesome meal at Longhorn and warm cookies for dessert at Insomnia cookies in South Bend.

4/24 Corny and I worked in the barn, loading a 6x8' U-Haul with our junque. We treated R & A to Salvatori's Italian for letting us store our crap in their barn for 10 years. We didn't get it all this trip, but the better portion of it. Raccoons had tunneled through some of Corny's boxes, so they will have to be repackaged next time we get up there. We didn't have time to work on repacking as the U-Haul had to be returned to Florida in four days. It was too hot to work in the garage by the time I got home to Florida, so my treasures await . . .

Corny didn't want Bruno's pizza because it IS pretty expensive, but dang. I ordered some for Shorty and me a couple days after Corny left! We finished watching "Fallout" and started on "Colony".

I went to the Vera Bradley outlet sale at the Coliseum and bought a few things. I escaped spending just around $50 for three items.

I was in the process of getting ready for a Michigan county run when a distant relative died. I postponed leaving for home and didn't get back until May 31. I was up north for 2 months. Corny had just gotten home and unloaded the U-Haul when he heard about the funeral. He and Poco came back up north in the van. I went to the viewing but stepped out for the funeral.

We stayed in the van at Dad's house a few nights and helped as much as we were allowed. I made Mexican lasagne, buttermilk brownies, and chicken noodle soup. We left earlier than expected due to some drama.

Whenever we went out with my brother, an activity was required in addition to the meal. One visit we went to a Chinese buffet, Costco and Franke Park.

May 16, We all left Shorty's house. Corny and Poco headed south in the van and I headed north to Michigan in the Jeep for a week. I slept in the Jeep except one night at a hotel in Saginaw. I cached in every county up to and in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) and most of the way back. My favorite parts were on Jeep trails to old abandoned mines. I explored the old Ford village and dipped into Wisconsin for a few counties. I stopped at several garage sales for swag. The bugs were amazing. Before even getting out of the Jeep, I had my own personal swarms of black flies and mosquitoes, attracted by the engine heat/sound. I got to see an amazing tick parade when I undressed at a McDonald's restroom one day. A great trip, but I didn't finish all the Michigan counties. I will have to come back with the folding bike because the MI State Star is along a bike path near Lansing.

We made one more trip to go see Dad; we ate at a mexican place in Huntington - Chava's, and watched the acrobatic swifts eating bugs midair at Roush Dam. We spent over an hour at a Wally's. Shorty found some $70 boots on clearance (his size!!!) for $17! God is Godd. I found an $87 icemaker. My life has changed! I haven't had a decent cold drink of kool-aid since Oldsmar (2012).

I missed a few Survivor episodes due to my travels but one day soon I will re-watch them all. I geocached my way home via Alabama.

When I got home I downloaded my geocaches and a few days later, I couldn't find my GPS. I went back through all my travel stuff, geocaching stuff and Jeep. I thought I must've left it at a restaurant or it fell out of the Jeep or something. It was so near my birthday, Corny got me a new identical one. Two days later I found the old one, hidden deep in a corner of my big fanny pack. Oof. Well now I have two spares :0)

I planted two packs of tomato seeds June 3: Roma bush and Beefsteak vine. A couple days after I left them out overnight, somebody started eating holes in the leaves. I started spraying them with dish soap/water and bringing them in at night. We shall see if they survive. (edit: they didn't)

My favorite movies since getting back home are Quiet Place, Furiosa, Watchers, and Kingdom of Planet Apes.

We went to Texas Roadhouse on our 1st Anniversary and to a movie and Carrabbas on my birthday.

Life is Godd!

We fit out.

[xtruss]

Theodore Roosevelt’s Pocket Watch Was Stolen In 1987. It’s Finally Back At His New York Home

— By Dave Collins | June 28, 2024 | Associated Press

These photos, provided by the National Parks Service, show Theodore Roosevelt's favorite pocket watch that was stolen in July 1987 while on display in Buffalo, NY. The watch turned up at an auction house and was returned this week to the Sagamore Hill national historic site in New York. (Jason Wickersty/National Park Service via AP)

The silver pocket watch was a prized possession of Theodore Roosevelt, a keepsake given to him by his sister and her husband in 1898 before he became president that would travel with him around the world and end up at Sagamore Hill — his home on Long Island, New York, and now a national historic site.

But in 1987, it went from museum piece to pilfered prize when someone stole it from an unlocked case at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York, where it was on loan.

It was mystery that endured 36 years until it turned up at a Florida auction house last year and was seized by federal agents. On Thursday, it was returned to public display at Sagamore Hill as the National Park Service and the FBI triumphantly announced it was back home during a ceremony featuring Roosevelt’s great-grandson, Tweed Roosevelt.

“This was feel-good news,” Tweed Roosevelt, 82, said Friday in a phone interview. “For me, it kind of felt like almost as if a piece of TR’s spirit being returned to Sagamore Hill, like a little bit of him was coming back. And so I felt that was really cool.”

Growing up, he said he didn’t know about the watch and only learned about it vaguely after it was stolen. He called it “unremarkable” in appearance, but priceless to his great grandfather.

“As it turns out, this isn’t just any old pocket watch,” he said. “It was a watch that TR placed great sentimental value on.”

The mystery of the watch’s disappearance, however, is not fully solved. It is still not clear who stole it and how. The Park Service and FBI only released details of its reappearance this week after an investigation. The agencies did not return messages seeking comment Friday.

Roosevelt, who was president from 1901 to 1909, apparently had the watch with him at the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War and during future exploits, including wild game hunting in Africa and exploring the Amazon in South America, according to the Park Service.

This photo, provided by the National Parks Service, show Theodore Roosevelt's favorite pocket watch that was stolen in July 1987 while on display in Buffalo, NY. The watch turned up at an auction house and was returned this week to the Sagamore Hill national historic site in New York. (Jason Wickersty/National Park Service via AP)

The watch, made by the now-defunct Waltham Watch Co. in Massachusetts, appears like many pocket watches of its day, with a plain silver exterior and no etchings. But the inside reveals its significance, with engraving that says “THEODORE ROOSEVELT” and “FROM D.R. & C.R.R.,” referring to Roosevelt’s brother-in-law and sister, Douglas Robinson Jr. and Corinne Roosevelt Robinson.

When it showed up last year at Blackwell Auctions in Clearwater, Florida, owner Edwin Bailey was excited by the engraving but skeptical it was real. It had no supporting documents with it, and the general mindset among art dealers and collectors is to verify before getting your hopes up, he said.

Bailey said he did not know the watch was stolen, and the person who brought it to him didn’t know where it came from. He declined to identify the person, saying he never divulges the identities of his consigners. He only would say the person was an art dealer and collector in Buffalo in the 1970s and 1980s.

The collector told Bailey that he received the watch from another man who used to borrow money from him to go “picking” for antiques and other collectibles in the late 1980s. The picker would leave the watch with the collector as collateral, Bailey said.

One day, the picker never showed up to retrieve the watch, and the collector found out that he had died, Bailey said.

“This dealer probably had that thing just squirreled away for 30 years thinking it was just another pocket watch,” Bailey said Friday. “I don’t think that my consigner had a clue about not only where it came from, but he probably didn’t even suspect it was real.”

Bailey said he researched the watch for weeks, pouring through Roosevelt’s writings in online archives, trying to come up with definitive proof it was authentic. He said he found several bits of evidence that made him believe it was. The FBI, Park Service and Sagamore Hill officials would later confirm it was the real deal.

In a note to his sister in May 1898, Roosevelt wrote, “Darling Corinne, You could not have given me a more useful present than the watch; it was exactly what I wished. ... Thank old Douglas for the watch — and for his many, many kindnesses.”

He also mentioned a watch in his 1914 book “Through the Brazilian Wilderness.” Writing about a bayou crossing, he said “One result of the swim, by the way, was that my watch, a veteran of Cuba and Africa, came to an indignant halt.” Bailey believes that was the same watch Roosevelt’s sister and brother-in-law gave him.

Bailey also wrote letters and sent pictures of the watch to various museums, the Sagamore Hill historic site and others, asking if they had any information about it.

Last year, shortly before he was set to put the watch up for auction, Bailey got a visit from several people he thought were interested buyers. Then they pulled out their badges and a warrant. It was the FBI coming to investigate the watch and take possession of it, he said.

The federal agents were courteous in asking questions, and he told them the story. He said he was glad that the watch is now where it belongs.

“It was exciting,” Bailey said. “I’ve had a small handful of items that I say ‘these are the best things I’ve ever handled.’ I got to hold something that was personally treasured by a prominent American president. … This was Teddy Roosevelt’s watch. This was a Mount Rushmore guy’s personal pocket watch.”

[dankusner]

Lyndon B. Johnson's 'Golden Rule' gift watch up for auction

Christie's describes this watch as "a historically important and extremely rare 18K gold automatic wristwatch with 'Golden Rule' dial and bracelet, made by Tiffany & Co. for U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson."

A customized "Golden Rule" watch Lyndon B. Johnson once gifted to Senator Robert Kerr of Oklahoma is up for auction and expected to go for tens of thousands of dollars.

Auction house Christie's currently estimates the gold watch — a Patek Philippe automatic wristwatch from the 1950s that Tiffany and Co. retailed — to sell for between $25,000 and $45,000.

"This is what people come for at auction. To

have something out of the norm, a wristwatch that stands out for its pedigree," said Remi Guillemin, Christie's Head of Watches for Europe and the Americas.

Johnson had multiple versions of the watch designed with "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" written on the dial, leading people to nickname them "Golden Rule" watches.

Lara Hall, the curator of the LBJ Presidential Library & Museum, doesn't know why Johnson decided to include that phrase on the watch.

Guillemin said it is very rare for Patek Philippe to have words or emblems added to its dials.

Christie's estimates that approximately 12 versions of the watch are known to exist.

The watch up for auction was manufactured in 1954 and uses a reference model number of 2526.

Guillemin said the model is important to note because it is "the first automatic, serially produced wristwatch by Patek Philippe."

Johnson gifted the watch to his contemporary just over the Red River when they were in the Senate together.

The exact details of when this deal happened and what prompted it are unknown.

Johnson is recorded by Christie's as giving one of the "Golden Rule" watches to Senator George Smathers of Florida in 1956.

"For Johnson, the giving of gifts was a personal task, 'a great opportunity,' he said, 'for engraving my spirit on the minds and hearts of my people,'" Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote in her 1976 book Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream.

Kerr later gifted the watch to a pilot as a thank you for navigating the plane the Senator was traveling on during a storm.

Guillemin said the pilot's daughter reached out to the auction house to sell the watch.

Hall said Johnson wasn't necessarily a "watch person" but he did give them out as gifts over the years.

However, Johnson had other things he would hand out to people.

Among the most famous, and most eclectic, gifts Johnson distributed were electric toothbrushes and razors.

But Hall said there was a method behind the idea.

People use those items after they wake up and before they go to bed.

So in the early morning and late at night, Johnson would be on their minds.

"I'm sure that the watches were just kind of an extension of that," Hall said.

The Golden Rule watch will hit the auction block Monday in New York City as part of its Important Watches Spring auction.

One thing that sticks out to Guillemin as the "Golden Rule" heads to auction is that the watch hasn't been modified over the years.

It's still very much the same piece Johnson gave to Kerr seven decades ago.

"I personally appreciate the fact that the watch is in its kind of untouched state," Guillemin said.

"It's not that it's a 10 out of 10 in terms of quality. On top, it has patina, which is always something that you kind of like to see. I'd rather see this rather than seeing a watch, for example, being overly restored, which, for me, loses a bit of its essence."

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