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mindfulbilling · 3 years ago

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Benefits of Massage Therapy

The benefits of massage go far beyond mere relaxation. In fact, massage is a holistic therapy that can affect any part of the body, from pain in the lower back to pressure in the neck.

To learn more, an interview was conducted with Emmanuel Bistas, a licensed US masseur, founder and director of the New Chicago Massage School, co-owner of the River North Massage Therapy Center, who has been teaching massage students for over a decade.

Below are some of his answers to frequently asked questions about his work.

What are the benefits of massage?

People think of massage as a way to heal the body, but its benefits start in the mind. The body sends a signal to the brain and nervous system that it is ready to relax. The central control systems then transmit this message to the muscles and other parts of the body, creating a relaxing effect.

The process can be compared to typing. You work with a computer and the information is processed on the hard drive, but you can still edit the data with the keyboard (the only difference is that the computer is the body, the hard drive is the brain, and the keyboard is the muscles and skin.)

How is massage different from the drug you get at the drugstore?

It's about collaboration. The patient plays a big role. It's not the same as taking a chemical, a pill that knocks you out whether you believe it or not

To get the full benefits of massage, there are four things you should do:

Be open-minded: If the patient does not like being touched or does not think massage will help, the treatment will create more tension than relaxing benefits.

Collaborate: If the pressure isn't right, you have to say something. Likewise, when you feel overheated, when you feel too cold, or if you feel any other type of uncomfortable feeling.

Get involved: regular massage is more effective than emergency treatment. If you receive a massage only when you are in severe pain, you are putting the therapist in an impossible position as they have 60 minutes to undo the damage that has been done over the years.

Know what it is not: massage is a complementary therapy - it won't make you healthier. Good physical and mental condition also requires adequate nutrition, sufficient rest, exercise and medical care.

What is the difference between Western and Oriental massage styles?

The difference is in how therapists think about the body. In the Western style, the main focus is on muscles and tissues - basically the entire physical body. But in the Eastern style, you don't even think about the muscles.

The main focus is on the flow of energy and information through the body and on how to cleanse them.

The techniques of each approach are similar in that they involve applying pressure in a strategic manner. But both schools use different maps to get to the bottom of their techniques. It can be compared to two people heading to the city center. One has a bicycle map and the other has a pedestrian path map. They both see the same terrain, but follow different paths and notice different landmarks

What types of massage are best for my symptoms?

This is not the right question. Firstly, because each type of massage can be adapted to the patient's needs. You can change the pressure, depth, speed or temperature of the treatment, all without changing the treatment procedure.

Second, each symptom can mean different things. For example, back pain may indicate a real upper back problem, but it could also be due to pressure in the chest, as a result of slouching, or many other causes.

In other words, symptoms are an incredible guide. It is more effective to choose a massage style based on what is best for us.

Mindful Billing & Management LLC provides professional insurance billing services to holistic practitioners With a personal touch. We are here to help you, give us a call (305)204-1090.

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luciferissatan · 7 years ago

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History facts i now know

1) the creators of the Kellogg cereal brand were two brothers who fuckin HATED each other

2) their parents were involved with helping slaves in the underground railroad to get through Michigan and into canada

3) the oldest brother was a doctor and during his time in charge of a clinic (that later burned down) he had a ton of dudes follow him around to write down his every thought

4) one of these lasted for more than 20 hours and he had to have his head massaged and bags of ice to keep him "stimulated" as he talked nonstop to a "benumbed secretary"

5) Chicago was originally called Shikaakwa

6) Native Americans called it that bc of the rank ass onions along the river

7) Benjamin Franklin had a number of illegitimate kids he probably didnt know about

8) back to the Kelloggs the older brother was married 40 some years and died a virgin

9) adopted many kids, 4 of which were Mexican, at least 7 were African American, and 1 Puerto Rican

10) good dad but abused tf out of his younger brother who later became insanely more sucessful than he would be

11) my man Garrison went into the North screaming "FUCK slavery" and nobody would hear it

#history #history is so cool yall #ill update this later #college

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sheriflavored · 7 years ago

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Sometimes I really need to take a step back and look at my goals without the magnifying glass that I’ve been holding up to’m. The end of 2017 is coming and it’s coming fast. I remember thinking, holy cow it’s 2017. Now I’m thinking, holy cow it’s almost 2018. I remember turning 24 and freaking the hell out, not feeling like I’ve accomplished anything or did anything to be proud of. Sometimes, I need to be reminded that I’m still young and what I’ve done so far is quite good. Not excellent, but it’s something to be proud of.

I tend to think of years as Aug-June since you know, school. So I’m going to recount all the cool things I’ve done since I started (and finished) grad school.

Beginning July 2016-December 2017:

1. Survived MSAN bootcamp + fall mod 1 (2016). Hands down, the toughest 5 + 7 weeks of my academic life. I was emotionally, physically and mentally drained every day. I cried a lot at the end of the 5 weeks, I just couldn’t bear it anymore. I was sleeping 3 hours a night and felt like when I was awake, a baby was just sitting on my chest the entire time. I downed large cups of coffee (not an avid coffee drinker really), oh two, I downed on average two large cups of raw black coffee a day. Oh and I almost got put on AP, chewed out by my director for conduct issues and decided there was no way I was going to be able to train and do this grad school thing at the same time.

2. Japan (2016). I started my trip with a 30 page EDA assignment due in the middle of my trip. I stayed up for approximately 40 something hours, with mini one hour naps in between. My dreams bled ggplot color schemes. I watched Natalie sleep on the chairs of the Vancouver airport over the glaring screen of my laptop. I spent the first 5 days refreshing my email, hoping that I didn’t get kicked out of the program. Apparently, we went during the absolute worst time to go to Japan. I was reminded of what typhoons felt and looked like. Boy, I not miss the 6 inches of rain that happened within a matter of minutes nor do I miss having to wear long pants so people wouldn’t be scared of my mosquito bitten legs. But I do miss the food, the people, the cleanliness. Oh, I got to say I went paragliding off a random mountain in front of Mount Fuji with some cool Japanese stoner bros and ate ramen literally every day for 7 days.

3. Chicago (2016). The bean was underwhelming. The ambiance was aight. I can’t believe the night life there lasts until 5am. Oh, the best part? Lou Malnati’s.

4. Snowboarding (2017). I learned how to heel/toe this year after going 3-4 times this past season. How? I fell on my ass and ate it (not my ass) a few times. Totally worth.

5. 3500 Mile road trip from Raleigh/Durham North Carolina to San Jose California (2017). This was probably one of the favorite things I’ve done this year. Went to New Orleans, Austin, Phoenix/Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, Home. Cafe Du Monde, overrated. Shaya, fantastic. We rode bikes through the rain all about NOLA. Waited hours for oysters, had good fried shrimp from a random liquor store ran by an Asian man and his son in the middle of some residential neighborhood across the (bleh) Mississippi River. Had shitty “Korean Fusion” tacos--taco. Walked around the grandest of canyons. Stuffed our faces with KBBQ and American bbq. Drove continuously for insane amounts of hours, but I wouldn’t been able to bear it with anyone besides my bestie. Oh, yeah we were also in a prius with a Bernie sticker plastered on the bumper. Could you believe that we didn’t see one god damn prius for almost the entirety of the south?

6. Completed two internships (2017). One focused on Machine Learning and the other software engineering.

7. Completed my M.S. (2017). Yeah I guess that’s cool--I got my M.S. before I turned 25.

8. Thailand (2017). It was emotionally and physically draining. Too hot and humid. Too much empathy. Too much poverty. Cheap. Would only return for the islands. Oh and, apparently mosquito repellant isn’t 100% effective. My bites turned purple, lowkey thought I was going to die. But--I got to visit an elephant sanctuary and fed, bathed and hung out with some pretty rad elephants. Went to a real live muay thai fight night--although I did fall asleep through half of it because I was just exhausted at that point. I lived in a bamboo hut that made me realize I really don’t need that much to survive and live a fulfilling life. I had the best mango smoothie and pad thai of my life. I got a massage almost every day I was there. Oh and I ate some weird things like scorpion?

9. Outsidelands (2017). This was cool. Day three was the best. Would never go for all three days again, once is enough. Never buy presale for OSL.

10. Met a cool dude (2017). Now we’re dating and I’ve never been so happy and fulfilled. He’s showed me what qualities from a partner I desired, could live without and could not live without. For the first time, I’m being treated like a queen.

11. New York (2017). I fell in love with the city. I never thought I’d fall in love with any city more than I had fallen for San Francisco. It’s really got something to it.

12. About to start my first big girl job (2017/2018). Offer is about to be served soon.

I guess when I list it out like that..I’ve done quite a bit in the last year and a half.

In terms of personal growth, I’ve recently began recognizing all the emotional trauma that I had to go through for the last six or so years. I’ve learned to accept that not any one person can take the entire blame for anything that goes wrong. You can keep shifting the blame from person to person, but you’ve also got to learn how to move on and give yourself the credit you deserve. It’s been a slow and grueling process, but I’m slowly emptying out the skeletons in my closet. I don’t have space for them anymore. This year, I started to learn how to let go. Let go of things that clutter my space. Let go of painful memories. Let go of grudges, let go of people.

I’ve learned that things don’t always necessarily go in the ways we plan them to, but it’s our actions during times of adversity that show our strengths.

I’m learning to be full.

#personal #reflection #goals

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lifestartblog · 5 years ago

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LifeStart Expands to The Wrigley Building Location

LifeStart, the largest network of multi-tenant amenity spaces, announces its expansion to The Wrigley Building, its 48th club in Chicago and 97th club nationally.

One of the most historic addresses, in the midst of Michigan Avenue, the Loop and River North, The Wrigley Building is in the epicenter of Chicago. Tenants have access to several amenities including complimentary water-taxi, on-site dining, and a state-of-the-art health club.

LifeStart plans to turn up the energy to deliver a social-fitness environment designed to enhance The Wrigley Building brand and culture. The newly designed programming will organically draw tenants to a vibrant amenity space, with a group fitness schedule that encompasses all areas of exercise, including outdoor programs like Boat Yoga or Bootcamp, and tenant engagement programs including Pilates & Prosecco or Guided Meditation. LifeStart also added an exciting pop-up engagement room to the fitness center, which features a menu of offerings including cryo-facials, massages, Normatec recovery and Theragun sessions and more, to refresh and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul.

As part of the transition, the health club now features updated equipment which includes Peloton bikes, Technogym Strength and TRX Functional training bays.

With the addition of The Wrigley Building, LifeStart further develops a growing partnership with Zeller Realty Group as they take on the management of a 3rd location.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lifestart-expands-iconic-wrigley-building-location-jordan-borkan

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redstarfiction-blog · 7 years ago

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Just A Little - A Shameless Fic.

Hi guys, So I’ve had some really lovely messages from people inquiring about my Shameless fics. Generally they will be posted here: https://shamelessly4shameless.tumblr.com/ but so that you can see the sort of thing that is occurring here is a one shot of Mickey and Ian as they try to find a way to be better for each other. Thank you for reading and thank you for your interest in my wee side-venture from Outlander. I’m still finding my way with these characters but in Shameless style there is a LOT of bad language in this piece. Much love, Han

The argument had begun over a damn cross-word puzzle. It was on the back of paper that Ian had picked up on a whim to find out what was going on in the world outside of South-Side Chicago, USA. He had skimmed the news stories, most depressing, some shocking but he had come to the conclusion that the rest of the world was just as fucked up and miserable as them and been about to chuck it in the trash when the puzzle caught his eye.

He had found a mostly working pen and a crumpled joint down the side of the sofa and been working his way through both the joint and the puzzle when Mickey walked in.

“Hey!”

A kiss, always a kiss no matter what sort of day he’d had, and Ian noticed that he tasted of beer already.

“Shitty day?”

“Too fuckin’ right. People don’t just buy guns anymore, they fuckin’ haggle and some dipshit tried to hold me up with my own fuckin’ stock. Like I would keep the fuckin’ things loaded for some asshole to rob me with?”

Ian laughed and wrapped his hand in the front of Mickey’s shirt, pulling him down and kissing him again, his tongue gently gelling with Mickey’s before softly biting his full lower lip.

“You want me to take your mind off it?”

Green eyes met blue and for the first time that day, Mickey smiled a genuine smile and let his breath out in a soft exhalation of happiness.

“You already did but if you want to fuck, I need to shower first.”

“Sure. I’ll try and finish this while you wash up.”

Ian gestured to the paper folded in his lap and Mickey raised one finely arched eyebrow at him

“You checkin’ their spelling?”

“No, it’s a cross-word.”

“Cross-word? The fuck is that?”

Mickey sat down beside Ian and peered at the little grid, some blank squares already filled in with Ian’s scruffy penmanship.

“You have to try and fill it in based on the clues, here.”

Ian explained, and Mickey nodded, a small frown creasing his brow.

“Right. They give you money for it?”

“No, it’s just for fun.”

“Fun? Shit.” Mickey eyed it doubtfully and then shrugged.

“Alright. Give me a clue.”

“Er …”

Ian looked doubtfully at the clues that were left

“I’ve done the easy ones ...”

“So give me a fuckin’ hard one.”

Mickey snapped, the humour of his statement lost on him and his eyes narrowed as Ian laughed

“What? You think I’m stupid or somethin’?”

“No it’s just ‘Give me a hard one’ ? C’mon. Dude, seriously?”

“You gonna give me a fuckin’ clue or should I just fuck off and leave you jerkin’ off over your fuckin’ paper and how smart you are?”

Ian held up his hands and looked at the list of remain clues again.

“OK, how about this one … ‘Correct name for the North Star’ seven letters.”

Mickey sniffed and absent-mindedly rubbed his knuckles over his chin thinking

“Polaris.”

“What?”

Ian sat back and looked at Mickey in open surprise

“Fuckin’ polaris. The polar star. Brightest in the night sky.”

Mickey jabbed at the paper with his finger

“Write it down, it’s right.”

Ian duly wrote it in and grinned at Mickey

“How did you know that?”

“I dunno. Discovery channel maybe. I know things.”

Mickey sounded defensive and Ian realised that he had insulted him without really meaning to.

“I know you do. Hey, I’m sorry. I was being a prick. You want another?”

“Yeah sure.”

Mickey plucked the joint Ian had discarded from the ash tray and lit it with one hand, the other slung across the back of the sofa, loosely around Ian’s bare shoulders, his fingertips lightly caressing the skin in small, gentle circles.

“What is Canada’s national animal? Six letters.”

“Moose.”

“That’s five letters.”

“Fuckin’ Mooses then.”

Ian laughed and kissed the edge of Mickey’s jaw

“Wolves.”

“Nah that’s a plural. It would be a single.”

“Wolf, then.”

“That’s four letters Mick.”

“Fuck! What are you, the fuckin’ letter police?”

Mickey’s brows drew together as he tried to think of something else and Ian snapped his fingers triumphantly

“Beaver! It’s a beaver!”

“The fuck! No one has a fuckin’ beaver as their national animal.”

Mickey shook his head and scowled

“No, it is! I remember at school we did a project on Canada ...”

“Beavers are like fuckin’ river rats with retarded tails.”

Mickey drew heavily on the joint and Ian rolled his eyes

“Whatever, I’m writing it in.”

“No! It’s not a beaver it’s got to be like … a black bear or something.”

“You get the whole ‘number of letters’ thing, right? Six. This has to be six.”

Ian flinched as Mickey thumped his arm lightly.

“I’m not fuckin’ dumb...”

“Then stop acting it! Jesus. It’s fuckin’ beaver. Idiot!”

Ian snapped and thumped Mickey back, hard. It was a split second and Ian immediately wished he hadn’t said it, hadn’t hit Mickey so hard but it was too late and as if in slow motion he saw the emotions flicker across his boyfriend’s face; shock, hurt, anger and then that impenetrable mask of indifference slammed into place, shutting Ian and the rest of the world out, sealing Mickey in on himself, a defence mechanism that was no doubt learned as a little kid trying to survive in a house with Terry Milkovich.

“What the fuck did you just call me?”

“Nothin’. I shouldn’t have said it. I’m sorry.”

Ian tried to touch Mickey and the older boy flinched backwards, slapping his hand away and standing up. Ian stood too, the paper and pen falling to the floor, forgotten in the heated atmosphere of the room.

“You didn’t say nothin’, huh? You sure? Cause if you want to say it again I’m fuckin’ listening.”

Mickey stepped forward, his eyes flashing dangerously, arms loose by his side, a fighters stance.

“Jesus!”

Ian threw his hands up in frustration.

“Why does everything have to be like this with you? I’m an asshole for two seconds and suddenly we have to fuckin' knock the shit out of each other?”

“Oh, so I should just take it, huh? You fuckin’ call me stupid and laugh at me and I’m supposed to just take it?”

“No. You can tell me I hurt your feelings or ...”

“You didn’t fuckin’ hurt my feelings! Fuck you! Think I’m some sort of little pussy bitch as well as dumb?”

Mickey shoved Ian in the centre of his chest with one hand, it was rough but not vicious. A warning.

“Stop it! Stop hitting me every time you feel insecure.”

Ian shoved him back and Mickey came forward, years of training, of conditioning, pushing him down the same road he had followed his entire life. Someone insults you, you hit them. They hit you back, you hit them harder and you don’t stop until they quit getting up.

He wrapped his left hand in Ian’s vest front, dragging him forward, a harsh echo of Ian’s earlier action. There were no kisses now.

“What did you call me, bitch?”

Mickey raised his fist and Ian stared at him, hard.

“You hit me and we are fucking through. I mean it.”

Ian’s voice was flat and authoritative, with no trace of bluster. Mickey flinched as if struck and his eyes widened. He lowered his arm and let go of Ian’s clothing and stepped back.

“What do you mean ‘through’?”

“I mean through. Over. Done. This is not the way we are going to live.”

Mickey swallowed hard and folded his arms across his chest. He knew Ian and knew when he made his mind up there was no changing it. If Ian said they were through then they would be through and nothing Mickey said or did would be enough to change it once it was done. Fear curled in his throat making it hard to speak.

“You’ve hit me before, I ain’t ever threaten to leave you for it.”

Ian was smoothing down the fabric of his vest and massaging the patches on his chest where Mickey’s knuckles had pressed in, bruising him, but at Mickey’s words he looked up, ruddy eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“You’re right. But it has to stop Mick. We can’t go on like it. I can’t. I don't want to be scared of my boyfriend.”

Ian's words cut him deeply and Mickey didn't know what to do with the feelings of guilt that made his shirt feel too tight across his shoulders and the house suddenly too small around him. His mask of indifference wavered, cracked and broke.

“So then what? You want me to talk about my feelings, like some faggot on the TV whining about his wife leavin’ and the dog fuckin’ dyin’?”

“No. But I want you to stop using your fists. I mean, Seriously Mickey. Is this what you want to be? Some asshole like your dad, knocking me around, knocking Yevgeny around?”

“Hey! Fuck you! I’ve never touched that kid!”

Mickey snapped, pointing a finger angrily at Ian but not moving forward, not touching him.

“Not yet. But when he gets bigger? When he learns to talk back, to say ‘Fuck you!’ … you gonna punch him in the face?”

Ian challenged, never taking his eyes from his boyfriend. He watched as initial shock turned to revulsion and then to guilt.

“No. Course not.”

Mickey mumbled and pursed his lips looking away from Ian’s face.

“Fine. Then you can control it and you can stop doing it to me. You want us to be together? You stop hitting me.”

Ian spoke firmly but not unkindly and Mickey forced himself to look at him again.

“So from now on, if I slap your ass when we fuck, you’re gone?”

Mickey shrugged one shoulder upward trying to downplay the emotions running through him, the panic he felt at the thought of Ian walking away from him.

Ian’s lip quirked upward in a lopsided smile

“No, but that’s different. I’m talking about this.”

he gestured to the space between them, the room and the atmosphere that still crackled with the threat of violence.

“I piss you off and you bust my nose, my jaw, whatever. It’s not love, Mick. It’s wrong.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t like it either, but it’s kind of who I am, Ian. It’s what I am.”

Mickey shrugged again and looked downwards, studying the frayed caps of his boots, steel visible beneath the fraying leather. He didn't know exactly what love was and was not, had never known but he thought maybe with Ian he was starting to learn. He looked up at the sparks of gold and copper that the sunlight sent streaking through Ian's hair and at the smattering of freckles that criss-crossed his nose and cheeks and Mickey knew with a certainty that if he could not teach himself what love was with Ian Gallagher, he would never learn it in his life.

“So you’ll change. Just a little. And so will I.”

Ian stepped forward tentatively and held out his hand, as if approaching an unfamiliar dog that might bite him if he moved too quickly. Mickey met his gaze and stood perfectly still, letting Ian cup his cheek in his palm.

“I’m sorry I was an asshole. I know you're not stupid.”

Ian murmured and drew in close enough to feel the heat of Mickey’s body and feel the soft warmth of his breath as Mickey reached up and threaded his tattooed fingers through the lengths of Ian’s hair, gently pulling him down until their foreheads touched.

Mickey’s eyes blurred into twin blue orbs and then disappeared as he closed his eyes and ran his free hand up the length of Ian’s bicep.

“I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t want to scare you, Ian.”

“It’s OK. We’re OK.”

Ian slipped his hands under Mickey’s shirt and stroked his back gently

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“It’s not a fuckin’ beaver.”

“It is. But fuck it, who gives a shit?”

Ian pulled out of the embrace and grinned down at Mickey.

“Get in the shower. I’m going to scrub your back.”

“Yeah?”

Mickey’s own grin was almost shy and Ian took a firm grip on his ass and drew him up onto his tiptoes. Mickey gasped and gripped Ian’s shoulders equally hard.

“Not just your back.”

Ian growled softly, delighting in the way his words made Mickey lick his lip and the way his pupils swelled, darkening his blue eyes, the last of the fear leaving them until only lust remained.

“Fuck yeah, beaver boy.”

#Shameless #Shameless US #ian gallagher #Ian x Mickey #mickey milkovich #gallavich #fanfic #fanfiction #shameless fanfiction

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rivernorthspa · 4 months ago

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redstarfictionshameless · 7 years ago

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Just A Little

One of the things I love about Mickey and Ian is the way Mickey tries to develop himself to be a better person/ a better partner for Ian as their love blossoms. One thing I would have loved to see was Ian and Mickey confront the violent side of their relationship and maybe make different choices so here is a small Shameless Imagine about that and how it could have happened.

He had found a mostly working pen and a crumpled joint down the side of the sofa and been working his way through both the joint and the puzzle when Mickey walked in.

“Hey!”

A kiss, always a kiss no matter what sort of day he’d had, and Ian noticed that he tasted of beer already.

“Shitty day?”

Ian laughed and wrapped his hand in the front of Mickey’s shirt, pulling him down and kissing him again, his tongue gently gelling with Mickey’s before softly biting his full lower lip.

“You want me to take your mind off it?”

Green eyes met blue and for the first time that day, Mickey smiled a genuine smile and let his breath out in a soft exhalation of happiness.

“You already did but if you want to fuck, I need to shower first.”

“Sure. I’ll try and finish this while you wash up.”

Ian gestured to the paper folded in his lap and Mickey raised one finely arched eyebrow at him

“You checkin’ their spelling?”

“No, it’s a cross-word.”

“Cross-word? The fuck is that?”

Mickey sat down beside Ian and peered at the little grid, some blank squares already filled in with Ian’s scruffy penmanship.

“You have to try and fill it in based on the clues, here.”

Ian explained, and Mickey nodded, a small frown creasing his brow.

“Right. They give you money for it?”

“No, it’s just for fun.”

“Fun? Shit.” Mickey eyed it doubtfully and then shrugged.

“Alright. Give me a clue.”

“Er …”

Ian looked doubtfully at the clues that were left

“I’ve done the easy ones ...”

“So give me a fuckin’ hard one.”

Mickey snapped, the humour of his statement lost on him and his eyes narrowed as Ian laughed

“What? You think I’m stupid or somethin’?”

“No it’s just ‘Give me a hard one’ ? C’mon. Dude, seriously?”

“You gonna give me a fuckin’ clue or should I just fuck off and leave you jerkin’ off over your fuckin’ paper and how smart you are?”

Ian held up his hands and looked at the list of remain clues again.

“OK, how about this one … ‘Correct name for the North Star’ seven letters.”

Mickey sniffed and absent-mindedly rubbed his knuckles over his chin thinking

“Polaris.”

“What?”

Ian sat back and looked at Mickey in open surprise

“Fuckin’ polaris. The polar star. Brightest in the night sky.”

Mickey jabbed at the paper with his finger

“Write it down, it’s right.”

Ian duly wrote it in and grinned at Mickey

“How did you know that?”

“I dunno. Discovery channel maybe. I know things.”

Mickey sounded defensive and Ian realised that he had insulted him without really meaning to.

“I know you do. Hey, I’m sorry. I was being a prick. You want another?”

“Yeah sure.”

“What is Canada’s national animal? Six letters.”

“Moose.”

“That’s five letters.”

“Fuckin’ Mooses then.”

Ian laughed and kissed the edge of Mickey’s jaw

“Wolves.”

“Nah that’s a plural. It would be a single.”

“Wolf, then.”

“That’s four letters Mick.”

“Fuck! What are you, the fuckin’ letter police?”

Mickey’s brows drew together as he tried to think of something else and Ian snapped his fingers triumphantly

“Beaver! It’s a beaver!”

“The fuck! No one has a fuckin’ beaver as their national animal.”

Mickey shook his head and scowled

“No, it is! I remember at school we did a project on Canada ...”

“Beavers are like fuckin’ river rats with retarded tails.”

Mickey drew heavily on the joint and Ian rolled his eyes

“Whatever, I’m writing it in.”

“No! It’s not a beaver it’s got to be like … a black bear or something.”

“You get the whole ‘number of letters’ thing, right? Six. This has to be six.”

Ian flinched as Mickey thumped his arm lightly.

“I’m not fuckin’ dumb...”

“Then stop acting it! Jesus. It’s fuckin’ beaver. Idiot!”

“What the fuck did you just call me?”

“Nothin’. I shouldn’t have said it. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t say nothin’, huh? You sure? Cause if you want to say it again I’m fuckin’ listening.”

Mickey stepped forward, his eyes flashing dangerously, arms loose by his side, a fighters stance.

“Jesus!”

Ian threw his hands up in frustration.

“Why does everything have to be like this with you? I’m an asshole for two seconds and suddenly we have to fuckin' knock the shit out of each other?”

“Oh, so I should just take it, huh? You fuckin’ call me stupid and laugh at me and I’m supposed to just take it?”

“No. You can tell me I hurt your feelings or ...”

“You didn’t fuckin’ hurt my feelings! Fuck you! Think I’m some sort of little pussy bitch as well as dumb?”

Mickey shoved Ian in the centre of his chest with one hand, it was rough but not vicious. A warning.

“Stop it! Stop hitting me every time you feel insecure.”

He wrapped his left hand in Ian’s vest front, dragging him forward, a harsh echo of Ian’s earlier action. There were no kisses now.

“What did you call me, bitch?”

Mickey raised his fist and Ian stared at him, hard.

“You hit me and we are fucking through. I mean it.”

Ian’s voice was flat and authoritative, with no trace of bluster. Mickey flinched as if struck and his eyes widened. He lowered his arm and let go of Ian’s clothing and stepped back.

“What do you mean ‘through’?”

“I mean through. Over. Done. This is not the way we are going to live.”

“You’ve hit me before, I ain’t ever threaten to leave you for it.”

“You’re right. But it has to stop Mick. We can’t go on like it. I can’t. I don't want to be scared of my boyfriend.”

“So then what? You want me to talk about my feelings, like some faggot on the TV whining about his wife leavin’ and the dog fuckin’ dyin’?”

“No. But I want you to stop using your fists. I mean, Seriously Mickey. Is this what you want to be? Some asshole like your dad, knocking me around, knocking Yevgeny around?”

“Hey! Fuck you! I’ve never touched that kid!”

Mickey snapped, pointing a finger angrily at Ian but not moving forward, not touching him.

“Not yet. But when he gets bigger? When he learns to talk back, to say ‘Fuck you!’ … you gonna punch him in the face?”

Ian challenged, never taking his eyes from his boyfriend. He watched as initial shock turned to revulsion and then to guilt.

“No. Course not.”

Mickey mumbled and pursed his lips looking away from Ian’s face.

“Fine. Then you can control it and you can stop doing it to me. You want us to be together? You stop hitting me.”

Ian spoke firmly but not unkindly and Mickey forced himself to look at him again.

“So from now on, if I slap your ass when we fuck, you’re gone?”

Mickey shrugged one shoulder upward trying to downplay the emotions running through him, the panic he felt at the thought of Ian walking away from him.

Ian’s lip quirked upward in a lopsided smile

“No, but that’s different. I’m talking about this.”

he gestured to the space between them, the room and the atmosphere that still crackled with the threat of violence.

“I piss you off and you bust my nose, my jaw, whatever. It’s not love, Mick. It’s wrong.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t like it either, but it’s kind of who I am, Ian. It’s what I am.”

“So you’ll change. Just a little. And so will I.”

“I’m sorry I was an asshole. I know you're not stupid.”

Mickey’s eyes blurred into twin blue orbs and then disappeared as he closed his eyes and ran his free hand up the length of Ian’s bicep.

“I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t want to scare you, Ian.”

“It’s OK. We’re OK.”

Ian slipped his hands under Mickey’s shirt and stroked his back gently

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“It’s not a fuckin’ beaver.”

“It is. But fuck it, who gives a shit?”

Ian pulled out of the embrace and grinned down at Mickey.

“Get in the shower. I’m going to scrub your back.”

“Yeah?”

Mickey’s own grin was almost shy and Ian took a firm grip on his ass and drew him up onto his tiptoes. Mickey gasped and gripped Ian’s shoulders equally hard.

“Not just your back.”

Ian growled softly, delighting in the way his words made Mickey lick his lip and the way his pupils swelled, darkening his blue eyes, the last of the fear leaving them until only lust remained.

“Fuck yeah, beaver boy.”

#shameless #Shameless US #shameless fanfiction #shameless fic #ian x mickey #ian and mickey #ian gallagher #mickey milkovich #Gallagher #gallavich

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shamelessly4shameless-blog · 7 years ago

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Just A Little.

He had found a mostly working pen and a crumpled joint down the side of the sofa and been working his way through both the joint and the puzzle when Mickey walked in.

“Hey!”

A kiss, always a kiss no matter what sort of day he’d had, and Ian noticed that he tasted of beer already.

“Shitty day?”

Ian laughed and wrapped his hand in the front of Mickey’s shirt, pulling him down and kissing him again, his tongue gently gelling with Mickey’s before softly biting his full lower lip.

“You want me to take your mind off it?”

Green eyes met blue and for the first time that day, Mickey smiled a genuine smile and let his breath out in a soft exhalation of happiness.

“You already did but if you want to fuck, I need to shower first.”

“Sure. I’ll try and finish this while you wash up.”

Ian gestured to the paper folded in his lap and Mickey raised one finely arched eyebrow at him

“You checkin’ their spelling?”

“No, it’s a cross-word.”

“Cross-word? The fuck is that?”

Mickey sat down beside Ian and peered at the little grid, some blank squares already filled in with Ian’s scruffy penmanship.

“You have to try and fill it in based on the clues, here.”

Ian explained, and Mickey nodded, a small frown creasing his brow.

“Right. They give you money for it?”

“No, it’s just for fun.”

“Fun? Shit.” Mickey eyed it doubtfully and then shrugged.

“Alright. Give me a clue.”

“Er …”

Ian looked doubtfully at the clues that were left

“I’ve done the easy ones ...”

“So give me a fuckin’ hard one.”

Mickey snapped, the humour of his statement lost on him and his eyes narrowed as Ian laughed

“What? You think I’m stupid or somethin’?”

“No it’s just ‘Give me a hard one’ ? C’mon. Dude, seriously?”

“You gonna give me a fuckin’ clue or should I just fuck off and leave you jerkin’ off over your fuckin’ paper and how smart you are?”

Ian held up his hands and looked at the list of remain clues again.

“OK, how about this one … ‘Correct name for the North Star’ seven letters.”

Mickey sniffed and absent-mindedly rubbed his knuckles over his chin thinking

“Polaris.”

“What?”

Ian sat back and looked at Mickey in open surprise

“Fuckin’ polaris. The polar star. Brightest in the night sky.”

Mickey jabbed at the paper with his finger

“Write it down, it’s right.”

Ian duly wrote it in and grinned at Mickey

“How did you know that?”

“I dunno. Discovery channel maybe. I know things.”

Mickey sounded defensive and Ian realised that he had insulted him without really meaning to.

“I know you do. Hey, I’m sorry. I was being a prick. You want another?”

“Yeah sure.”

“What is Canada’s national animal? Six letters.”

“Moose.”

“That’s five letters.”

“Fuckin’ Mooses then.”

Ian laughed and kissed the edge of Mickey’s jaw

“Wolves.”

“Nah that’s a plural. It would be a single.”

“Wolf, then.”

“That’s four letters Mick.”

“Fuck! What are you, the fuckin’ letter police?”

Mickey’s brows drew together as he tried to think of something else and Ian snapped his fingers triumphantly

“Beaver! It’s a beaver!”

“The fuck! No one has a fuckin’ beaver as their national animal.”

Mickey shook his head and scowled

“No, it is! I remember at school we did a project on Canada ...”

“Beavers are like fuckin’ river rats with retarded tails.”

Mickey drew heavily on the joint and Ian rolled his eyes

“Whatever, I’m writing it in.”

“No! It’s not a beaver it’s got to be like … a black bear or something.”

“You get the whole ‘number of letters’ thing, right? Six. This has to be six.”

Ian flinched as Mickey thumped his arm lightly.

“I’m not fuckin’ dumb...”

“Then stop acting it! Jesus. It’s fuckin’ beaver. Idiot!”

“What the fuck did you just call me?”

“Nothin’. I shouldn’t have said it. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t say nothin’, huh? You sure? Cause if you want to say it again I’m fuckin’ listening.”

Mickey stepped forward, his eyes flashing dangerously, arms loose by his side, a fighters stance.

“Jesus!”

Ian threw his hands up in frustration.

“Why does everything have to be like this with you? I’m an asshole for two seconds and suddenly we have to fuckin' knock the shit out of each other?”

“Oh, so I should just take it, huh? You fuckin’ call me stupid and laugh at me and I’m supposed to just take it?”

“No. You can tell me I hurt your feelings or ...”

“You didn’t fuckin’ hurt my feelings! Fuck you! Think I’m some sort of little pussy bitch as well as dumb?”

Mickey shoved Ian in the centre of his chest with one hand, it was rough but not vicious. A warning.

“Stop it! Stop hitting me every time you feel insecure.”

He wrapped his left hand in Ian’s vest front, dragging him forward, a harsh echo of Ian’s earlier action. There were no kisses now.

“What did you call me, bitch?”

Mickey raised his fist and Ian stared at him, hard.

“You hit me and we are fucking through. I mean it.”

Ian’s voice was flat and authoritative, with no trace of bluster. Mickey flinched as if struck and his eyes widened. He lowered his arm and let go of Ian’s clothing and stepped back.

“What do you mean ‘through’?”

“I mean through. Over. Done. This is not the way we are going to live.”

“You’ve hit me before, I ain’t ever threaten to leave you for it.”

“You’re right. But it has to stop Mick. We can’t go on like it. I can’t. I don't want to be scared of my boyfriend.”

“So then what? You want me to talk about my feelings, like some faggot on the TV whining about his wife leavin’ and the dog fuckin’ dyin’?”

“No. But I want you to stop using your fists. I mean, Seriously Mickey. Is this what you want to be? Some asshole like your dad, knocking me around, knocking Yevgeny around?”

“Hey! Fuck you! I’ve never touched that kid!”

Mickey snapped, pointing a finger angrily at Ian but not moving forward, not touching him.

“Not yet. But when he gets bigger? When he learns to talk back, to say ‘Fuck you!’ … you gonna punch him in the face?”

Ian challenged, never taking his eyes from his boyfriend. He watched as initial shock turned to revulsion and then to guilt.

“No. Course not.”

Mickey mumbled and pursed his lips looking away from Ian’s face.

“Fine. Then you can control it and you can stop doing it to me. You want us to be together? You stop hitting me.”

Ian spoke firmly but not unkindly and Mickey forced himself to look at him again.

“So from now on, if I slap your ass when we fuck, you’re gone?”

Mickey shrugged one shoulder upward trying to downplay the emotions running through him, the panic he felt at the thought of Ian walking away from him.

Ian’s lip quirked upward in a lopsided smile

“No, but that’s different. I’m talking about this.”

he gestured to the space between them, the room and the atmosphere that still crackled with the threat of violence.

“I piss you off and you bust my nose, my jaw, whatever. It’s not love, Mick. It’s wrong.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t like it either, but it’s kind of who I am, Ian. It’s what I am.”

“So you’ll change. Just a little. And so will I.”

“I’m sorry I was an asshole. I know you're not stupid.”

Mickey’s eyes blurred into twin blue orbs and then disappeared as he closed his eyes and ran his free hand up the length of Ian’s bicep.

“I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t want to scare you, Ian.”

“It’s OK. We’re OK.”

Ian slipped his hands under Mickey’s shirt and stroked his back gently

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“It’s not a fuckin’ beaver.”

“It is. But fuck it, who gives a shit?”

Ian pulled out of the embrace and grinned down at Mickey.

“Get in the shower. I’m going to scrub your back.”

“Yeah?”

Mickey’s own grin was almost shy and Ian took a firm grip on his ass and drew him up onto his tiptoes. Mickey gasped and gripped Ian’s shoulders equally hard.

“Not just your back.”

Ian growled softly, delighting in the way his words made Mickey lick his lip and the way his pupils swelled, darkening his blue eyes, the last of the fear leaving them until only lust remained.

“Fuck yeah, beaver boy.”

#shameless #shameless us #shameless fanfiction #mickey milkovich #ian x mickey #ian gallagher #gallavich #Gallagher #fanfic #fan fiction #love

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addictionrecoveryassistance · 6 years ago

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Detox Centers In Avila Beach California 93424

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juditmiltz · 6 years ago

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Will real estate developers seize on “Opportunity Zones” tax incentive?

The Opportunity Zones program could spur on major development in historically distressed areas such as Little Haiti (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

A short drive from downtown Miami, colorful murals highlight the Haitian diaspora and pink and yellow island-themed buildings dot Second Avenue in Little Haiti.

Among the traditional Creole eateries, some millennial-focused restaurants have emerged, advertising craft beer and featuring organic rotisserie chicken and jalapeno jam on their menus. The slow transformation has not gone unnoticed.

As some see the area poised to become the next Wynwood, Little Haiti has piqued developers’ interests in recent years.

But with an unemployment rate hovering at more than 20 percent — the city average stands at about 5 percent — developers have yet to begin building major ground-up projects in the neighborhood.

That could change, however, thanks to a little-known provision in President Trump’s tax plan that is designed to increase private investment in low-income communities nationwide.

Known as the Opportunity Zones program, it would provide tax incentives to developers who invest in historically distressed neighborhoods like Little Haiti, Little River and the city of North Miami, setting the stage for what could be massive redevelopment in those areas.

“There is a significant and potentially huge tax advantage to a developer building a project within these opportunity zones,” said Jon Chassen, a partner with the Miami law firm Bilzin Sumberg’s real estate and distressed property group.

Opportunities abound

Tucked away in the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul, the Opportunity Zones program was the brainchild of South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, meant to increase investment in low-income areas.

It works to incentivize investors by allowing them to defer their capital gains taxes — or taxes on gains made from the sale of certain types of assets — into Opportunity Zones funds. One Washington, D.C. nonprofit, the Economic Innovation Group, projects that U.S. investors have more than $2 trillion in unrealized capital gains just from stocks and mutual funds alone

For real estate developers and other investors, there are two major tax benefits from utilizing Opportunity Zones funds. The first is that the program allows investors to defer paying capital gains taxes until 2026, if they reinvest the gains in Opportunity Zones projects. The second is that investors can permanently forgo paying capital gains taxes on the sale or exchange of their investment in Opportunity Zones Funds, provided they hold the investment for at least 10 years.

According to the Economic Innovation Group, after 10 years an investor could see an added $44 for every $100 of capital gains reinvested into an Opportunity Zones program, compared to an equivalent investment in a traditional stock portfolio. That assumes the investment has annual appreciation of 7 percent.

“The real big incentive comes after 10 years. The kind of investments that are being held for 10 years are real estate investments,” said Brett Theodos, a principal research associate at the Urban Institute’s metropolitan housing and communities policy center.

There have been numerous past government efforts to encourage private investment in economically disadvantaged areas through tax incentives. What differentiates the Opportunity Zones program is that it encourages real estate construction or “substantial rehabilitation” of an existing property, some experts said.

“As a general rule, the intent is to spur new development,” Chassen said.

But it remains unclear which type of projects would benefit most from this tax break or whether existing projects might qualify. The U.S. Treasury Department is expected to release further guidance on the Opportunity Zones program in the coming months to provide more clarity.

So far, the law prohibits certain businesses from inclusion in the initiative such as private or commercial golf courses, massage parlors, along with suntan and gambling facilities.

State governors quickly nominated Opportunity Zones for Treasury Department approval. The zones are designed to be in areas that have a poverty rate of at least 20 percent or that has a median income that does not exceed more than 80 percent of the metro area. In total, there are 8,700 Opportunity Zones in the United States, both in rural areas and large metro areas.

“The challenge will be what products work best,” said John Balboni, a partner at Sullivan & Worcester, a Boston-based law firm that specializes in real estate and corporate practice. “Multifamily, warehouses, and self-storage will all take a look at this.”

While experts suggest that retail or multifamily may best fit these guidelines, some say that luxury condominiums would not be excluded from meeting the Opportunity Zones fund’s criteria. That raises questions about whether the program will really provide economic benefit to the region or would instead just be a boon to wealthy developers.

Adding to the capital stack

Shortly after the new law was announced, Avra Jain’s phone started ringing. The Miami developer, who made a name for herself redeveloping old motels on Biscayne Boulevard in the MiMo neighborhood, focuses on value-add projects in transitional neighborhoods such as Little River, Little Haiti and MiMo.

“When the law came out, the people who actually did read about it said Avra was on the top of the list to call,” Jain said. A former bond trader on Wall Street, Jain said that one of the biggest benefits of the program is that it could potentially allow her to access a new capital source.

Many banks have dialed back on their construction lending and other capital funding — such as the EB-5 visa program — has become more difficult to access because of regulatory restrictions. Now, developers, especially those with projects in low-income areas, may turn to Opportunity Zones funding to finance gaps in their project costs.

For developers like Jain, the new law could also mean that more banks and lenders are more willing to provide financing for projects in those low-income areas. “It makes what we do faster and easier,” she said.

South Florida zones

Florida has 427 designated Opportunity Zones in total that would qualify for the federal tax incentive program.

In South Florida, the Opportunity Zones map includes some in historically distressed areas such as Liberty City, Opa-Locka and Carol City. It also includes Little Haiti, North Miami and Aventura, where major mixed-use projects have already been proposed.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge) Source: Map data provided by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and OpenStreetMap contributors. Maps and research by Haru Coryne.

“There was a lot of lobbying, some from the private sector and the public sector as to which ones could get the benefit,” said Andrej Micovic, an attorney with Bilzen Sumberg’s land development and government relations group.

In Little Haiti, Dragon Global’s Magic City Innovation District sits squarely in an Opportunity Zones tract on Second Avenue. The development firm, led by Tony Cho and Bob Zangrillo, is planning to build a $1.3 billion mixed-use entertainment center in Little Haiti that will have 20 buildings, including a 15,000-square-foot innovation center that will be home to startups. The project received initial financing from Arkansas-based Bank of the Ozarks in February, but has not broken ground. The project is expect to take 10 years to build.

Another project that could possibly qualify is SVP Realty’s plan to redevelop the nearby Design Place apartments at 5045 Northeast Second Avenue. It will be turned into a major mixed-use complex, with 2,798 residential units, 418 hotel rooms and 284,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

Just north of Little Haiti, an Opportunity Zones tract encompasses the site of the $4 billion SoLe Mia mega-project at 15045 Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami. It received construction financing last year from Wells Fargo and the first phase of development is under construction. Most of the ground-up work, which will include a 10-acre lagoon with beaches, 12 residential buildings and 4,300 units — along with more than 1 million square feet of retail — has not begun.

Micovic said the question is, “If there are existing projects, are these laws going to allow for further investment in these Opportunity Zones buckets.” That remains unclear.

Economic impact

While the program would likely provide big benefits to developers already investing in these areas, some wonder whether the added tax advantages would be enough to justify new investment.

Jain, the Miami developer, said the program won’t alter where she is looking to build.

“I am not going to go buy a property just because it’s in an Opportunity Zone,” she said. “It doesn’t change my style.”

Darryl Jacobs, an attorney with the Chicago-based firm Ginsberg Jacobs, said he’s been fielding calls from property owners about the new zones, but added that it may take more than tax sweeteners for developers to start building.

“It’s going to make money less expensive for deals that are already happening in those areas, and I certainly think there will be some social impact investors coming into neighborhoods that could turn the corner soon,” Jacobs said. “But is a 10 percent or 15 percent avoidance worth it to take that risk? I just don’t know.”

The new program does makes real estate a more attractive investment option at a time of rising interest rates, according to Josh Migdal, a partner at the Miami law firm Mark, Migdal & Hayden.

“It’s a huge opportunity for development in certain pockets of Miami,” Migdal said. “It also allows investors to get a return that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get, which will entice them to invest in real estate when we are near the end of the cycle.”

Neisen Kasdin, a managing partner at Akerman’s Miami office, adds the new program may further incentivize people to invest in areas that developers are already considering.

“That sweetens the investment,” he said. “That would be particularly the case for a project that doesn’t have an established market,” he added, “where investing there is riskier.”

Alex Nitkin contributed reporting

from The Real Deal Miami https://therealdeal.com/miami/2018/07/16/will-real-estate-developers-seize-on-opportunity-zones-tax-incentive/ via IFTTT

#The Real Deal Miami

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investmart007 · 6 years ago

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Top 10 Real Estate News – Ariana Grande, Shakira & America's Best Beach Towns

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/SCc34M

Top 10 Real Estate News – Ariana Grande, Shakira & America's Best Beach Towns

Pompano Beach, Florida/ June 29, 2018 (STL.News)

“Top 10 Real Estate News” “America’s Best Beach Towns” According to a WalletHub analysis of over 50 factors ranging from housing costs to water quality and number of waterfront homes, Florida has 5 of the top 10 U.S. beach towns and 4 more ranked in the top 20. Lahaina, Hawaii was ranked #1 followed by Naples, Florida #2, and Sarasota, Florida at #3. “Pete & Ariana’s New York Apartment” According to TMZ, pop star Ariana Grande and ‘Saturday Night Live’ comedian Pete Davidson are living in one of Zaha Hadid’s designed buildings in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. It is not clear whether the newly engaged couple are renting or buying the $16 million apartment. Hadid is the first female winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. She died in 2016. “Muhammad Ali’s Michigan Farm For Sale” Muhammad Ali’s longtime Michigan farm is for sale at a very specific price. The last two numbers represent Ali’s 37 career knockouts – $2,895,037. Ali bought the 81-acre property in Berrien Springs in 1975 and spent his summers and some of his retirement years there until his Parkinson’s disease became more advanced and he moved to Arizona. Structures on the property include the main house, carriage house, pool, garages, barns and office epicenter. The elaborate gym has a boxing ring in the center, exercise equipment, a steam room, baths, massage room, laundry and spa. “Cindy Crawford’s Malibu Beach House” Cindy Crawford and her husband, Randy Gerber (George Clooney’s tequila business partner), have sold their Malibu beach-bluff house for $45 million. They put the 5,300-square-foot home with tennis court, pool and path from the bluff to the beach on the market two years ago at $60 million, later reduced to $50 million. “Millions of Households Still Underwater” According to Bloomberg, a decade after the collapse of the housing market, about 4.5 million U.S. home owners are still under water and owe more than their homes are worth. Over 700,000 owe more than twice their home’s current value. Hardest hit areas are Virginia Beach, Baltimore, Chicago and Washington D.C. “Higher Taxes Drive Higher Florida Prices” With higher taxes in northern U.S. states such as New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Connecticut, more people are moving to no-state-income-tax Florida and driving up the price of luxury properties. According to Realtor.com, prices of Florida luxury condos and homes, defined as the top 5% of the market, are up 19% in the Sarasota area, 14% in Naples and about 9% in Fort Lauderdale. “Oprah Gets Another House” Oprah Winfrey collects all kinds of homes all over the United States. She has or had several fancy condos in Chicago, a farm in Indiana, a home in Hawaii, an equestrian estate in California, a mountain home in Colorado and her latest purchase of a 43-acre estate on Orcas Island near Seattle. She reportedly paid $8.275 million for her newest home. “Michael Phelps House & Pool For Sale” Michael Phelps has listed his Arizona home for $4.1 million. The 6,000-square-foot, ranch-style home includes five bedrooms and seven baths along with a 350-bottle wine room, marble countertops and limestone fireplaces. Phelps bought the Paradise Valley home in 2015 for $2.5 million. “Shakira Relists Miami Contemporary” Pop singer and former ‘Voice’ judge Shakira spends most of her time in Europe these days, so she is selling her Miami Beach home she bought in 2001. With 8,400 square feet and views of the Miami skyline, the six-bedroom, nine-bath home on half an acre near Miami Beach’s oceanfront luxury condos is on a street that has been home to a number of celebrities including Cher, Matt Damon, Billy Joel and Jennifer Lopez. This is Shakira’s second attempt at a sale having previously listed the home at $13 million and $14 million; she is now asking $11.6 million. “Ben Affleck’s Big House” Ben Affleck’s island vacation home off the coast of Georgia is for sale at $8.9 million. The compound includes the 6,000-square-foot, plantation-style Big House; 10,000-square-foot Oyster House, which is a more casual place with six bedrooms and bunk beds built from salvaged merchant ships; and the Summer House handy for cookouts and hanging out. The estate is located on 87 acres on Hampton Island overlooking North Newport River.

_____ SOURCE: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/06/prweb15598501.htm

#Ariana Grande #beach towns #Big House #Farm for Sale #Higher Taxes #Muhammad Ali #Oprah #real estate #TodayNews #Top 10 #wallethub

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sudsybear · 7 years ago

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Identity Crisis

Does anybody know who I am?

Half the UofR population was from South of Albany - Yonkers, Westchester, Manhattan, Long Island, Bronx. The whole world was on their islands (Chinatown, Little Italy, “The Village”, Wall Street, United Nations) including American popular culture (Letterman, Saturday Night Live, Broadway, Times Square). They had no need to know what lay west of the Hudson River. Their apathy toward geography was most disconcerting, and I had a huge complex about it.

For me, geography is a part of identity. Regional accents, regional foods, regional past-times all contribute to who you are as a person. Those who grow up transiently, living in one part of the world for a year, then moving on, learn to appreciate those regionalisms, and their very transience becomes part of their identity. “Worldians” my brother calls them, those who, for whatever reasons, moved frequently during their formative years. Part of getting to know another person includes learning their geography. I felt no one cared about my geography, and so didn’t care about me.

My parents were both born and raised in West Virginia. My childhood holidays were spent riding along old Route 52 along the Ohio River from Cincinnati to Charleston. As a pre-schooler my family lived for a time in Caracas, Venezuela. The summer of 1982, between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I bought a plane ticket to London. For over a year I saved babysitting money, gift money, “found monies” and put them in my passbook savings account. My brother Jack lived in Berlin for a time, and I had it in my head that I needed to see Europe. I bought a plane ticket and a railway pass. My parents arranged for Jack to pick me up in London, and he and I "did" Europe, in a way. He was producing/directing a play as part of the Fringe Festival in Edinborough, so off we went. We rode the train from London, and spent several days in Edinborough. Jack dropped me off at a tourist site, left to take care of business, then hours later returned to pick me up. We did this sort of thing in Edinborough, London, again in Paris, then on to Strasbourg, and to Jack’s girlfriend’s family’s cottage in West Germany and finally on to Berlin (years before the wall fell).

I had also been a part of numerous (too numerous!) road trips with my folks across the U.S. As a pre-teen, I rode down the West Virginia turnpike in the backseat of various automobiles to deliver Jack to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. We crossed Paint Creek no fewer than eleven times each trek. As a teenager, I rode trains from Chicago to Denver, Denver to Salt Lake, Salt Lake to Portland, OR. I rode in the back of a car on both the east and west side of the Cascade Mountains. I visited the lava fields of what is now Newberry National Volcanic Monument, saw Crater Lake before the snow melted for the summer, and attended plays at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. I rode the train from LA to Seattle, passing by the devastation of the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and rode in the back of a car from Salem, OR back east through Idaho, to Yellowstone, then on to Mount Rushmore and through the Badlands. Mom drove right by Wall Drug without stopping, but Dad refused to miss the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.

The summer before my sixteenth birthday, Dad flew to Toronto for work, and Mom and I drove up via Niagara Falls. We spent a couple of days at the company apartment in Toronto, and then took the train to Moncton, New Brunswick. In New Brunswick, we stayed at the Tidal Bore Inn and I witnessed the creek reverse its flow as the tidal bore rolled in from the Bay of Fundy. From there we rode the ferry to Prince Edward Island. During my Junior year of high school I spent a long weekend with friends in Chicago. Then in my Senior year I rode on a Greyhound bus from Cincinnati to Chicago and back. All the time I was growing up, my father traveled extensively for his job. When he was home, we pulled out the map, atlas, or almanac as the dinner table discussion required. I know my geography. But I had NEVER been to Boston or New York City.

I was so frustrated with this prevalent attitude, this oblivion toward anything west of the Hudson, that I was moved to try to educate my ignorant peers. I wanted someone to care about my geography, and hence, about me.

Ken was from Gallup, New Mexico. Like many of us on the floor, he went as far away from home as he could manage. He was from a close-knit family, his parents were traditional to the core, and Ken battled his budding homosexuality all through adolescence. He was anxious to get away and become himself. He needed distance in order to blossom. We laughed a lot together. We were both homesick, both asserting independence. He struggled to establish himself with the campus gay community - a real challenge in the mid-80s. Proverbial closet doors were still firmly shut, and HIV/AIDS was a nasty “gay disease” in the U.S. He and I laughed together about dating and how he would find someone without looking like a total moron. What does a gay person look like, anyway? He was also enthusiastic about the local queen scene, and got the girls on the floor to dress him up for Drag Queen nights at one of the local bars. Also like me, he was annoyed at the attitude of the students from New York. So, he willingly went along with my scheme.

A system of underground tunnels connects the campus buildings. During inclement weather, this was truly a blessing. One particular tunnel was given over to graffiti. Mostly, the fraternities and sororities painted it to advertise a particular Greek house, or party, or some other social function. But there were few rules and the tunnel was there to be painted by whoever wanted to paint. Enlisting Ken’s help, along with some other friends, I acquired the necessary paint, and painted a map of the United States. It was large – very large – we found a ladder, set it up and climbed up to spray the outline of Maine up near the top of the fifteen foot high wall. Then outlined the coastline south to Florida, brought the St. Lawrence Seaway West into the mitt of Michigan, adding in the Great Lakes. We highlighted the Mississippi from Louisiana on up north, and finally on the West Coast, drew the line from Puget Sound to LA. I noted landmarks as best I could – and included what states I could reasonably reproduce; Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maine. I put a large asterisk at the appropriate bump in my rendition of the Ohio River and sprayed, “Cincinnati, it is a place” across the Midwest. I signed the work with a smiley face and “Allny, Allny, Allny” as an homage to my identity with Ross.

Amazingly, that mural stayed up for a couple of weeks before some fraternity finally obliterated it. When walking through that tunnel, I overheard students questioning it, wondering why it had appeared. Asking, “What’s ALL NEW YORK?” I wanted to scream at them, “It’s NOT FUCKING NEW YORK YOU SELF-CENTERED BIGOTS! IT’S ALLNY, WITH YOUR TONGUE BETWEEN YOUR MOLARS.” But realized any attempt would be futile, and I’d only alienate myself even more. But, if any students were intrigued enough by my efforts to look beyond the Hudson River, I accomplished something. I find it appropriate that the closest friends I kept since leaving college were NOT from New York City. Instead, they hail from such diverse locales as Albany, Syracuse, Maryland, Eastern Pennsylvania, Eastern Oregon, South Central Massachusetts, even a Worldian, but only one native New Yorker.

Irony of ironies, David fell in love with New York City. He spent a summer as a bike messenger in Manhattan, and later lived there for several years pursuing a career in video production. He was enthusiastic about life in The City, and left only reluctantly. Ken and his partner live there now, Ken never wants to live anywhere else.

* * *

My wisdom teeth started coming in. My gums were sore and swollen. My mouth itched like crazy. The bottom teeth erupted first, irritating my gums even more. I called my dentist at home – the one who had fixed my two front teeth just over a month previous – and asked what to do. He checked my records, determined there were no problems with them, they weren’t impacted I had plenty of room for them. “But they itch like crazy!” “Gargle with hot salt water and hydrogen peroxide, and call me back if there are any problems.” So, while I was unlearning dumness, I still was constantly using my tongue to massage my gums. This led to another quote in Stephen Paul’s little black book, “My wisdom teeth came in and it itches, so I play with it.” It seemed everyone else in the dorm endured wisdom tooth impaction and pending extraction. Another rite of passage I missed. No tonsils out, no appendicitis, no braces, no broken bones, and no wisdom tooth extraction. I am still intact today. Even my twins were born without surgery.

* * *

Roadway construction continued; I couldn’t get over it. One crew finished the piping and wiring and such while other crews worked to replace the curbstones. I was fascinated. First shovels excavated the soil to the side of the new roadway, and then specialty cranes lowered the curbs into place. Using small loaders, the men wrestled the stones to level. I saw one crack, but they salvaged it using some sort of bonding agent.

After the curbs were set, HUGE dump trucks brought in load after load of gravel to fill in the roadway. Loaders moved the piles around, spreading the gravel as level as possible. Rollers, brought in on flatbeds, ironed the rocks flat smoothing the surface to the necessary grade.

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