#medians or landscaping

[theknittinggoblin]

It is so incredibly tempting sometimes to just start treating customers like kindergartners bc they clearly do not understand the concept of

Put Things Back Where You Found Them

[headspace-hotel]

How would one write a work of horror fiction about Lawns?

I think there may have been a post saying this, but it's stuck with me: just as zombies, vampires, monsters, and serial killers embodied deep fears within culture at the time they were extremely popular, I think the iconic horror monster of the upcoming years might be the Backrooms.

No, no not like in the crappy indie games about the Backrooms, where there are monsters everywhere. I mean like in this youtube video where it is simply a quiet, empty, endless labyrinth of rooms that superficially appear to be human-made, but they have strange, arbitrary layouts and forms, and there is no sign of the essential processes of life—no food, no place to sleep, no recognizable living spaces.

The place itself is the monster. Though it appears familiar and human, it is as fundamentally hostile to human life as the surface of Mars. Though it appears like a place purposefully designed for human needs, none of the basic resources and facilities for meeting human needs are apparent. It is something much worse, much more indifferent and at the same time much more hateful, than an uncaring and unforgiving wilderness.

Imagine, then, a sidewalk bordered by uniform green lawn, running alongside wide stretches of asphalt road. Imagine the sidewalk continuing on to meet other sidewalks, branching and intersecting in strange, illogical patterns. Imagine broad stretches of uniform green under a relentless warm sun and blue sky, no birdsong, no insects.

Imagine green grass with no dandelions, no clovers, perfectly lush and homogenous, surrounded by sidewalks that separate other plots of flat green turf, all perfect, bordering curbs that drop off into roads which stretch steadily toward the horizon, surrounded by sidewalks and green grass, splitting off into other roads that travel through a similar landscape, green and crisscrossed with paths. In every direction, this is all you see.

You keep walking, steadily following the sidewalk. Sidewalks branch and meet each other strangely, sometimes diagonally crossing lush strips of lawn, sometimes pivoting to meet the street and resuming on the other side. Some stretches of road have a broad green median also covered with green grass. In some places, there are neat mounds of black mulch around the base of perfectly trimmed yew bushes. The sun is warm—very warm.

Any perceptible grade to the ground seems to lead to a storm drain, in which there is no sign of water. Water is all you can think about. How long have you been walking? Your surroundings appear the same. You finally notice a stretch of grass that appears to be freshly wet, as though recently watered, and you are nearly prepared to lick any moisture you can collect off the grass blades, but a strange thought stops you.

Why, you think, does this grass appear so spotless, uniform and green...?

[lilacargent]

How cold is too cold?

The Quelec had been left alone after their adamant refusal to join the Conclave. This draconian looking species viewed most other creatures as lesser, which made the conclave just as happy to ignore the Quelec and their nearly uninhabitable icy planet.

It didn’t take long before the Prideful creatures couldn’t stand being put to the side like they didn’t matter. Requesting a diplomatic convoy to reopen the conversation was only a ploy to take them hostage and issue ridiculous demands to capture the Conclaves attention.

It is now that a conclave mother ship is hanging just out of orbit to make a plan to get them back. Above a massive map of the icy landscape with one thin line of forest across its median, the three crews tasked with the retrieval are discussing loudly.

“No they can sense electrical currents, and any blast from their breath weapons will shut down our vehicles.” The tall bipedal alien that looks remarkably like a yeti yells at the other people around the table ‘going in with a full frontal attack is going to get everyone killed and if they don’t the cold will. The hostages are held at this planets south pole, which functions as a great prison because of its insane cold!’ The group of Lokachs (a more serpent like alien) hiss at the hostile tone ‘ssssoo far you have not gotten a better idea. Perhaps think for yourself Loquacious.’ When a fight is about to break out the human mediator steps forward. Followed by a tall bearded man and a woman dressed in remarkably non uniform clothes, with markings on her face. ‘No fighting here, they send all of us because we have different experiences with the cold. You, Loquacious of the Relokip, can keep your internal temperatures high like the Quelec can but you’re saying they can sense how you do that?’ the second in command responds ‘Captain Drissum, sir. We generate static electricity in our fur and change it through our nerve system into heat. But the energy will set off the sense of the Quelec.’ With a slow nod Marcus will gesture to the people with him ‘We specifically picked people from a cold climate with generations of experience for this mission: Katjuk from the united Inuit tribes, and Bjørn from the high north and re-established viking society. After many humans left the planet because space travel became widely available the sudden climate changes from the departure of all these people caused an ice age to some degree. All of a sudden skills their people had perfected over generations became increasingly valuable, now they come to share this with us.’

Stepping into the middle of the group Katjuk is the first to speak, ‘we have means to travel the icy tundra without alerting the Quelec, and my friend and his crew have the skills and weapons to protect us during this track. The air is almost good for us the only dangerous aspect is the sulfur and a simple respirator will fix this without using electricity.’ Loquacious lets out a loud bellowing laugh ‘How in the eternal universe are you going to survive the cold without your electricity run suits then? And if you people are soooo cool why do you need us?!’ Marcus just facepalms and Bjørn shoulders past him towering above most people here, but only at eye hight with Loquacious ‘Unless you want us to drop you at the surface with us, you get to sit in your pretty ships and shoot up the other pole and if you are actually brave you can make a bigger splash by going into orbit and making sure they leave their hidey holes.’ kitjak pulls out several packages of fabric and shows one of them to the groups ‘these are a type of clothes our ancestors have used to keep warm in horrible cold, we are going to use them now to do the same. Now on how to get on the planet we are going to do a dead drop, with parachutes. No electricity involved.’ With a thoughtful expression the elder woman looks at the main Lokach, ‘we are going to need your biggest stealth ship, i have been told that it can start up with unheard of speeds almost straight up, is that correct? If so we would need it dropped with us, it is going to be our way out, hopefully it is too quick for the Quelec to respond and we can be picked ultimately outside of orbit.’ Taking a step forward the male bows his head ‘thisss iss the cassse indeed, how do you know it exists?’ Marcus laughs ‘we know most things, but that is not the point now.’ Seemingly having decided that the other groups knew all they needed the humans start speaking with eachother about how they are going to time all of it.

After the fact Loquacious recounts with stunned admiration to the Conclave ‘they dropped down from our highspeed ships with 30 creatures they call dogs, specifically trained to pull sleds and run in packs. The sleds flew over the icy landscape with no regard for the cold. Once they arrived at the strong hold Bjørns men put on spikes on their feet, ropes all around them and scaled the walls like it was nothing. Somehow it took no more than 30 minutes for them to return with the hostages, dropping them down with the ropes like they weighed nothing. Immediately being clothed by Kitjacks group put on the sleds, to return at breakneck speeds.’ Loquacious is silent for a bit when Ilsop (the head Lokach) speaks up ‘with no regard for their own safety they returned the people to the ship we had dropped in the forest line, the dogs are trained to not fear anything their people will tell them to do. There was no sign of exhaustion on these creatures, i believe they would have been able to walk so much further.’ Shocked faces all around look to the massive windows overlooking the internal park of this garden world where a dozen humans are playing with dangerous predators without a fear in the world.

The humans will always find a way.

Outside Bjørn is speaking with Kitjak ‘You know it wasnt even that cold, a Canadian would have worn shorts’ Laughing loudly the woman agrees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tadah

As this is not my culture i did a lot of research, if i have represented things wrong please tell me. Because of that i have remained vague on certain aspects i could not find clear info on.

This took a bit but in response to @caffineandsugar s request for nordic/inuit/ scandinavian focussed.

[13thdoctorposts]

At some point 13 fans needs to actually put the numbers to paper on the era's audience numbers, because my recollection is that they're perfectly on par and at times even better than Capaldi's and several of the latest specials. I'm tired of haters whining about 'everyone hated it' when they mean misogynists targeted it and boycotted it from the very instance of a rumour that 13 would be a woman.

Peter Nolan from Blogtor Who did a post on the numbers after the airing of Power of the Doctor, in one section of the post he compares the Whittaker and Capaldi eras…

“It’s remarkable then, that the Whittaker era of Doctor Who is overall on course not only to retain the audience it was given, but actually very slightly grow it. The average Thirteenth Doctor was watched by 4.67m viewers, up 0.12m (2.6%) on the 4.55m average of the Twelfth Doctor. It’s median viewing figure of 4.21m, meanwhile, is 0.34m (7.4%) lower than Capaldi’s, representing the boost Whittaker’s average is given by the large audiences for her first series. But overall, we haven’t seen Doctor Who just do a respectable job all things considered. Rather, it actually got ratings that would be good a decade ago.”

You can check out the whole article here https://www.blogtorwho.com/doctor-who-power-of-the-doctor-viewing-figures/?amp=1

As you can see the Whittier era did quite well especially when considering it had to fight to get through the Pandemic, which people seem to like to act like isn’t a big deal with their revisionist history of how difficult that time actually was. Not only were millions dying and getting sick, people were losing their jobs and lock downs were keeping people at home and a number of parents learnt how hard it was to home school your child even with a teacher on zoom, some while also having to work full time at home. This isn’t to mention the ridiculous amount of restrictions on how they could make the show and keep everyone safe. Sadly they also just didn’t have budget, it was why they needed Disney to come in. In the Who Corner to Corner podcast Chibs talks about how he wanted to do a new years special after Flux but was told there was no budget and he couldn’t do it but he wanted there to be a new year special so he ask if he used monster from the cupboard (a couple daleks they had sitting there) a warehouse and only 2 guest stars could he do it and they still told him they didn’t think so but he told them they were doing it and then we got Eve of the Daleks, one of my fav episodes of the run.

This goes to show the show was struggling to afford to make episodes it had no real money for marketing. If series 12 and Flux got the marketing series 11 did of course we would have seen even bigger numbers but Chibs stated in his Radio Free Skaro podcast from Gally One in 2023 that the only marketing budget they had after series 11 was marketing that could be done on the BBC that’s extremely limiting. They also didn’t have a brand manager unlike all previous eras. If you can afford a brand manager you’re not going to choose to not have one and having one probably would have also help quite a bit.

It’s not 2008 anymore, even Tennent couldn’t pull his 2008 numbers and that was with the big Disney budget to make the show and market the show, and they had a year to market the show and the most well known Doctor, so considering that vs what Chibs had to work with the Whittaker era is a solid era of Doctor Who. It just came at a time when the Budget was struggling, and the TV landscape was changing along with a campaign to try and destroy it before it began simply because they chose a Woman to be the Doctor, as demonstrated by the fact the BBC had to release a press statement backing Whittakers casting and the change to a Female Doctor. And that did have a snow ball effect of people picking everything apart to an insane level they do not do with any of the episodes from the male Doctors episodes a lot of which could be seen as far more problematic.

All this to say could the numbers had been better? Yes, if they had budget to market the show the way it needs to be marketed in a landscape with a million competing shows on far more streaming services than there were regular channels back in the day. But did the show do well with the limited resources it had. Also Yes.

[cognitivejustice]

170 European Bison reintroduced to Romania’s Țarcu mountains could help capture and store the carbon released by up to 84,000 average US petrol cars each year.

By grazing a 48 square kilometre area of grassland in a wider landscape of 300 kilometres squared, they helped to capture an additional 54,000 tonnes of carbon each year. That is around 10 times the amount that would be captured by the ecosystem without the bison.

The report’s authors note, however, that this figure could be up to 55 per cent higher or lower. The higher figure is the equivalent of around 84,000 US petrol cars annually and the median average is 43,000 cars.

They do this through a combination of evenly grazing grasslands, recycling nutrients which fertilise the soil, dispersing seeds and compacting the soil to prevent carbon from being released. Researchers say that, having evolved alongside this ecosystem for millions of years, their removal has upset the delicate balance, causing carbon to be released.

“Rewilding in this way is now clearly a major option for policymakers in the face of rapidly accelerating climate change.”

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Toronto's and Ontario's real estate markets are still incredibly hard landscapes to buy an average-priced home, for the average worker.

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) the current national average home price was $662,437 in February 2023. While that is far from the last spring average, it's not exactly affordable.

To purchase an average-priced home in Toronto, an investment currently sitting at around $1.1 million, you would need to make at least $168,000 per year, according to Zoocasa's latest report.

Unfortunately, that is incredibly far from the average median household income for Toronto residents, a mere $96,700.

It's not just Toronto that is far off either; Niagara, Hamilton-Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, Kawartha Lakes and Barrie are other Ontario cities where the media income household average is less than the required income to purchase a home. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Margaret Renkl Op-Ed from the New York Times:

Until last fall, when PBS screened “The American Buffalo,” a documentary by Ken Burns, I had no idea bison were native to Middle Tennessee, where I have lived for 37 years. I just assumed that Nashville was part of the great temperate deciduous forests that once covered much of the eastern half of the United States.

I should’ve guessed that the picture was more complicated. When I went looking for the once-endangered Tennessee coneflower in 2019, I found them in a rocky glade surrounded by grasslands blooming with wildflowers. And if there are grasslands here now, surely there must have been grasslands here in the past.

Before the European settlers arrived in North America, the region we know today as the American South was home to seven to 10 million acres of prairie, according to Dwayne Estes, a botanist, professor of biology at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., and executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, which works to research, preserve and restore native grasslands across the South. Today nearly all those Southern prairies — along with nearly all the other types of Southern grassland ecosystems, and nearly all the plants and animals they supported — are gone.

The scope of this loss of is enormous. Until the early 18th century, the South had up to 120 million acres of grasslands — prairies, savannas, wet meadows, barrens, glades, fens, marshes, coastal dunes, balds and riverscour that collectively supported a truly breathtaking array of plants and animals. In a study published in 2021, a team of scientists including Dr. Estes identified 118 major types of grassland ecosystems in the South. Some are close to extinction.

The most widespread were the savannas, grasslands characterized by scattered trees and a wildflower-rich soil. Historically, what kept young trees from filling the grasslands and turning them into dense, closed-canopy forests were two things: fire and bison (or both). “If you take fire and bison off savanna grasslands, which we did for the first time in world history, they will naturally grow up into trees,” Dr. Estes said in an interview. “They will become what we call artificial forests.” By the end of the 19th century, both bison and fire had been largely eliminated from the Southern landscape.

We know the European settlers chopped down much of the Eastern hardwood forests to harvest timber, but the ecological devastation wrought by a belief in Manifest Destiny didn’t stop with deforestation. The grasslands began to disappear, too, as trappers and settlers slaughtered the bison and suppressed the fire and turned the rich soil into farms.

Between row-crop agriculture, urban sprawl, and the transformation of open woodlands into closed-canopy forests, among other human encroachments, there is almost nothing left of the original grassland ecosystems that once sustained the immense biodiversity of the American South, from tiny insects to grasslands birds to the great buffalo itself. The grassy places we still have — pastures, public parks, highway medians and the like — don’t serve the same ecological function that our native grasslands did. These days, “grass” means species imported from Europe and Asia, monocultures that don’t support diverse plant species or native wildlife.

Today, according to calculations by the Southeastern Grasslands Institute, less than 5 percent of our original grasslands still exist. “Yet the remaining scraps include more grassland plants and animals than the Great Plains and Midwest combined,” notes Janet Marinelli in the publication Yale Environment 360. Preserving these remnants is vital, and not just for the biodiversity they sustain. Grassland remnants tell ecologists what a nearby grasslands-restoration project should look like, and they can serve as seed stock for propagation fields that will in turn provide the seeds needed to return the landscape to itself.

[mariacallous]

In 2021, despite continued struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Black-owned businesses grew by 14.3% from the year prior. This growth is a significant achievement in a landscape where Black individuals still own the lowest share of employer firms (firms with more than one employee) compared to every other racial group. The following year, Black median wealth grew, along with a 30% increase in employer firm revenue. 

In the face of this progress, a litany of lawsuits combatting programs that intentionally fund Black-owned businesses is moving through the courts, emboldened by two watershed Supreme Court cases that ended affirmative action in higher education last year. The legal backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives has been swift, leaving a chilling effect across government, nonprofit, and private investment programs. For these investors, the question lingers: Is it still legal to invest in Black-owned businesses? 

Responses from experts seem to be “yes,” but with some alternative strategies. Governments, philanthropists, banks, and businesses must use funding methods that pass legal scrutiny—and fortunately, many already exist. This report explains how tools such as special purpose credit programs, community development financial institutions, and placed-based investment—along with innovative funding models such as community ownership and crowdfunding—are all legal strategies funders can use to invest in Black businesses today.

[thoughtlessarse]

A herd of 170 bison reintroduced to Romania’s Țarcu mountains could help store CO2 emissions equivalent to removing almost 2m cars from the road for a year, research has found, demonstrating how the animals help mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. European bison disappeared from Romania more than 200 years ago, but Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania reintroduced the species to the southern Carpathian mountains in 2014. Since then, more than 100 bison have been given new homes in the Țarcu mountains, growing to more than 170 animals today, one of the largest free-roaming populations in Europe. The landscape holds the potential for 350-450 bison. The latest research, which has not been peer-reviewed, used a new model developed by scientists at the Yale School of the Environment and funded by the Global Rewilding Alliance. It calculates the additional amount of atmospheric CO2 that wildlife species help to capture and store in soils through their interactions within ecosystems. The European bison herd grazing in an area of nearly 50 sq km of grasslands within the wider Țarcu mountains, was found to potentially capture an additional 2m tonnes of carbon a year. That is nearly 9.8 times more than without the bison – although the report authors noted the 9.8 figure could be up to 55% higher or lower, given the uncertainty around the median estimate. This corresponds to the yearly CO2 emissions of 1.88m average US petrol cars. Prof Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of the Environment in Connecticut in the US, who was the lead author of the report, said: “Bison influence grassland and forest ecosystems by grazing grasslands evenly, recycling nutrients to fertilise the soil and all of its life, dispersing seeds to enrich the ecosystem, and compacting the soil to prevent stored carbon from being released. [...] A keystone species, bison play an important role in ecosystems – their grazing and browsing helps maintain a biodiverse landscape of forests, scrub, grasslands and microhabitats. In the Țarcu mountains, their return has also inspired nature-based tourism and businesses around rewilding. Schmitz noted that the Carpathian grasslands have specific soil and climate conditions, so the effect of the European bison could not necessarily be extrapolated internationally - American prairies, for example, have much lower productivity.

continue reading

[lostplay]

Game 7: Psychonauts 2 (Jan 2023)

Like Alice traveling through Wonderland, so to does Rasputin travel through a mystical adventure in Psychonauts 2. It really is astounding just how much imagination, creativity, and humor went into this project to make it the way that it is. It honestly does feel like a parallel to Alice in Wonderland on so many levels that it will leave you with that same sense of whimsy and awe. Perhaps what is most striking about it all is that it just doesn't really fumble on any of it's elements.

Graphically Psychonauts 2 looks amazing, it's basically just using an upgraded version of the previous models and characters they had on top of giving us these wonderful landscapes and worlds to go across. Both the worlds you explore both in and outside the brain-scape are interesting and filled with purpose and history. Sound design is wonderful too feeling satisfying on any given beat. As well the soundtrack for this game really helping elevate the wackiness and absurdity of any given situation you find yourself in.

Platforming is still the basic bones of what helps make Psychonauts entertaining, and the sequel doesn't stop on the hits there. You're given plenty of interesting and neat worlds to explore on top of a bunch of new mechanics to either travel or interact with it. Each world both has this nice sense of familiarity while having it's on motifs and platforming obstacles. In a lot of ways just traveling through the worlds gives you plenty of story and character without any real dialogue needed. So each platforming challenge you come across both ends up a bit like a story while at the same time providing entirely different experiences and challenges. Add on the additional fighting elements they gave to not only make combat interesting, but challenging as well really helps boost Psychonauts 2 into just a bigger, better version of it's previous self.

Then the story? Oh my goodness, the story is just amazing, and the way they are able to set this all up with little need to explore either of the other games really just helps set the mood for it's own adventure. Each beat to the story not only helps introduce new characters, but also gives plenty of context for the older ones introduced in the first two games. You are just given so much interaction, and insight to it's massive cast of characters that honestly it feels like a circus act with the way Psychonauts 2 juggles them around. Then you have the ongoing mystery plaguing the main story that slowly gets wrapped up into a world climax that just feels like a wonderful form of vindication for the series. There is definitely more for this series to explore, but for this outing it really helped set Psychonauts 2 as a proper world that feels lived in and realized.

Really Psychonauts 2 is just an outstanding display of vision coming out in full force, and keeps me in awe with how much it impressed me. It absolutely uses everything it can to it's advantage to give any player out there some wonderful worlds that are challenging , funny, and super interesting. And honestly I can't see Psychonauts 2 being in any other median because of how well it uses everything. If you ever need a game to show how it's art, Psychonauts 2 makes a great candidate.

[adrianodiprato]

+ “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ~ Maya Angelou

Count Her In

As we delve into the realm of workplace gender equality, the recently unveiled Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Gender Equality Scorecard for 2022-2023 becomes a pivotal point of reflection. In this landscape, where numbers paint a stark picture, the 2024 International Women’s Day theme "Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress" takes on renewed significance.

As we approach International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8, 2024, the resonance with the WGEA's findings amplifies our call for a future untainted by bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. The Scorecard unveils a reality where 30% of employers fall within the target range of -5% to +5% median gender pay gap, a beacon of progress. Yet, the glaring truth persists – a staggering 62% of median employer gender pay gaps exceed 5% in favor of men.

Our collective journey towards gender equality extends beyond celebration; it demands tangible action. #InspireInclusion echoes louder as we confront the persistent discrimination revealed by these figures. IWD is a platform that belongs to everyone, everywhere, and it becomes a call to action for all valid initiatives.

The heartbeat of the 2024 theme is particularly poignant against the Scorecard's backdrop. It underscores the understanding that women's economic empowerment is the linchpin for genuine gender equality. It's about bridging the gaps, offering equal opportunities for women to earn, learn, and lead, envisioning a world where entire communities thrive.

To navigate this landscape, we must #ChooseToChallenge prevailing norms and actively contribute to a more inclusive working world. Imagine workplaces where differences are not just tolerated but valued – acknowledging and celebrating the unique strengths each gender brings.

“Imagine workplaces where differences are not just tolerated but valued – acknowledging and celebrating the unique strengths each gender brings.”

As we applaud women's achievements, the Scorecard urges us to raise awareness about the systemic discrimination many women face daily. It's a clarion call to action, urging us to dismantle barriers and create pathways for women to excel in the workplace, education, and leadership roles.

The 68th Commission on the Status of Women emphasises the crucial concept of "Counting Her In." Against the Scorecard's findings, this means investing in women and girls, recognising their potential, and providing opportunities for economic empowerment. It becomes a strategic move to accelerate progress on a global scale, ensuring that no woman is left behind in the workforce.

In this journey, let's not just celebrate achievements, but let's actively address the disparities revealed by the WGEA Scorecard. By embodying the theme Count Her In, we can create a workplace landscape where women are valued, their contributions recognised, and progress accelerated for the betterment of society as a whole.

Adriano Di Prato is a best-selling author, broadcaster and the Academic Operations Manager at LCI Melbourne, a progressive art, design + enterprise private institute of higher education.

[ericgunther]

Discover the Unparalleled Real Estate Opportunities in Palm Beach County, Florida!

Palm Beach County, Florida, has proven itself as an oasis in the real estate market, showcasing remarkable stability and growth, even in challenging times. As we close out the year, the latest data reveals strong trends: Median Sales Prices are up over 7%, closed sales down just over 3%, and inventory down just under 12%. What does this signify? Palm Beach County is a shining star with homes being purchased and defying market results seen in other regions across the United States.

One key factor contributing to this growth is the limited inventory. With fewer properties available, competition among buyers has intensified, ultimately helping to stabilize property prices. In this thriving market, Palm Beach County stands out as a desirable destination for those seeking a resort-like lifestyle, coupled with the benefits of remote work opportunities and an influx of companies that have moved their businesses to the area.

Palm Beach County is celebrated for its high-end amenities, upscale shopping, world-class dining, and vibrant social scene. This idyllic setting has captured the hearts of many, driving individuals to sell homes outside Florida and invest in Palm Beach County's real estate. Some are even using their net proceeds to purchase properties in cash, while others are opting to "buy down the rate" by paying down a portion of their mortgage upfront, securing lower interest rates.

At this juncture, if a buyer (or buyers) consider a conventional mortgage without buying down the rate, a general rule of thumb suggests that for every $1,000,000 in property value, the buyer(s) should have around $312,500 in tax return-proven income.

Greenfield Waters Florida Realty: Your Premier Real Estate Partner in Palm Beach County

In this thriving real estate market, Greenfield Waters Florida Realty stands as the beacon of luxury and excellence in Palm Beach County. As the President and Broker, Eric Gunther expresses his enthusiasm, "I am extremely happy with the results from the latest data. Florida is highly desirable for so many reasons that are unlikely and even impossible to change, making real estate generally safe in comparison to other markets or financial stores of value."

Greenfield Waters Florida Realty is renowned for handling properties valued at over one million dollars, as well as upper-middle-market properties that are highly sought after. Situated at 205 Worth Avenue on Palm Beach Island, Greenfield Waters is a natural fit for multimillion-dollar estate properties, which require the high level of intelligence, sophistication, and commitment that the firm is known for.

Eric Gunther emphasizes, "Properties that belong to high-net-worth sellers require additional understanding of personal privacy with discretion, financially pre-qualifying and vetting all possible buyers, advertising locally, nationally, and globally, acting as a 'gatekeeper,' and genuinely caring about the property for sale. We also offer special commission structures for our neighbors on Palm Beach Island, serving as a testament to our metaphorical anchor we have placed on the Island."

Eric Gunther and Greenfield Waters: Your Ideal Partner for Palm Beach Island Real Estate

If you're considering buying or selling property on Palm Beach Island, Eric Gunther and Greenfield Waters Florida Realty are your perfect partners. With a legacy of excellence, a commitment to privacy, and a deep passion for Palm Beach Island, Eric Gunther is the premier real estate professional you've been searching for. Contact Eric today to discuss your property and experience the luxury market on Palm Beach Island like never before. In Eric Gunther and Greenfield Waters Florida Realty, you've found exactly who you've been looking for in your journey through Palm Beach County's remarkable real estate landscape.

Glad to share as always,

Eric Gunther

President – Broker – Realtor

561-400-8474

eric.gunther@greenfieldwaters.com

Greenfield Waters

Florida Realty

205 Worth Avenue #125

Palm Beach, FL 33480

www.greenfieldwaters.com

Thank you for sharing our blog posts, articles and for your referral business! 

[newstfionline]

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Jackson Hole: Fed policy collides with reality in the most unequal county in America (CNN) Central bank officials from across the world have descended upon Jackson Hole, Wyoming this week to discuss policy decisions that will shape the economy for years to come. But as they talk about inflation and the economy in the abstract, residents of the popular vacation destination are very much feeling the realities of their policies. That’s because Jackson Hole is the most economically unequal place in the United States, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The snow kissed peaks and verdant valleys of Jackson Hole aren’t just awe-inspiring. They’re also symbolic. Among the top 1% in Teton County (where Jackson Hole is located), the average annual income is a jaw-dropping $22.5 million. The median household income in Teton County in 2021, meanwhile, was about $94,000, according to the US Census Bureau. The annual August symposium of global financial leaders and economic elites wouldn’t happen without the servers, cooks, drivers and hotel and event staff who make it function—the same people feeling the hard impact of elevated inflation, high interest rates and a softening economy the most. “If you look at income, Jackson Hole is really a microcosm of the nation’s wealth inequalities laid out across these dramatic landscapes of the Mountain West,” said Kenan Fikri, director of research at The Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan policy organization. “It’s a ground zero for understanding how inflation affects the budgets of lower-earning households when they’re already financially stressed.”

Trump’s Mug Shot, a Presidential First, Is a Merch Bonanza (WSJ) First came the mug shot. Then came the merch. Within hours of Donald Trump surrendering himself to authorities in Fulton County, Ga., items plastered with the glowering former president in his signature suit and cherry-red tie were all over Etsy, eBay and the custom-design site Redbubble. Trump’s own campaign got in on the action: On Thursday evening, it sent out an email, soliciting $47 donations in exchange for a T-shirt printed with the mug shot above the phrase “Never Surrender.” His campaign’s online merchandise storefront now includes shirts, beverage coozies and a bumper sticker featuring the booking photo. The former president’s son Donald Trump Jr. was also peddling a $30 T-shirt and a $16 coffee mug printed with the mug shot, saying that proceeds from the sales would go to his father’s legal defense fund. Etsy makers began listing T-shirts that said “Legend” and “NOT GUILTY” beneath Trump’s image. In near-record time, Trump’s mug shot has joined Che Guevara’s bereted visage, sneering Bart Simpson and the goofy Minions as a wearable meme—the sort of image that will be found in souvenir shops and thrift-store racks for years to come.

Ecuador election: As run-off looms, voters crave genuine change (Al Jazeera) From her small convenience store in northern Quito, Tanya Vazquez is consumed by fear. Her modest shop has been robbed three times in the last few years, she said; in one case, the perpetrator fired a gun towards her husband, although the bullet missed. One of their sons was also robbed and assaulted in the street. “I am very afraid, with all the crime that’s happening,” Vazquez told Al Jazeera from behind the shop counter in the Ecuadorian capital. “I just hope that whoever the new president is can at least give us some security and stability.” Indeed, as Ecuador grapples with rising crime and political violence, many in the country are craving change. Snap elections last Sunday were overshadowed by this month’s assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a prominent anticorruption candidate. The election will head to a run-off on October 15. These elections represent a pivotal moment for the small Andean nation, but it remains an open question as to whether either candidate can deliver the change voters crave.

A miracle:’ Virginia man meets Chilean family 42 years after he was stolen as newborn (USA Today) It has been 42 years since María Angélica González saw her son. He was a newborn. A nurse told González he needed to be put in an incubator because he was premature. Not long after, she returned with devastating news: The baby was dead. For 42 years, that’s what González believed. For 42 years, it has been a lie. Gonzalez’s son, Jimmy Lippert Thyden, was stolen from González, adopted out to unwitting parents in the United States and raised in Arlington, Virginia. For 42 years, Thyden believed he had no living relatives in Chile, where he was born. Then one day in April, Thyden read a USA TODAY story about a California man who had learned he was stolen from his mother in Chile and illegally adopted out to an American couple. It got Thyden thinking: Could the same thing have happened to him? Within weeks, Thyden learned the truth. And last week, González finally got to hug her son. “It’s a miracle from God,” González, 69, told USA TODAY during a video chat in Spanish as she sat with Thyden on Saturday. “When I learned that he was alive, I couldn’t believe it.”

Legal Troubles for Sarkozy (Foreign Policy) It’s been an eventful week for former world leaders facing legal problems. On Friday, magistrates in Paris ordered former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to stand trial on charges that his 2007 election campaign received a $54 million illegal contribution from former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi’s government. The one-term president has denied wrongdoing alongside 12 other co-defendants, including three of his former cabinet ministers. He will be tried in 2025. This is far from Sarkozy’s first indictment rodeo. The 68-year-old leader has been convicted twice for corruption and influence-peddling. In May, he lost his first appeal for a 2021 accusation alleging he tried to bribe a judge. His three-year prison term was brought down to just one trip around the sun, which Sarkozy can fulfill under house arrest. He still faces a second probe into allegations that he received a payment of $3.2 million by Russian insurance firm Reso-Garantia in 2019 while he was working as a consultant.

Nerve agents, poison and window falls. Over the years, Kremlin foes have been attacked or killed (AP) The attacks range from the exotic—poisoned by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent—to the more mundane of getting shot at close range. Some take a fatal plunge from an open window. Over the years, Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways. None, however, has been known to perish in an air accident. But on Wednesday, a private plane carrying a mercenary chief who staged a brief rebellion in Russia plummeted into a field from tens of thousands of feet after breaking apart. Assassination attempts against foes of President Vladimir Putin have been common during his nearly quarter century in power. Those close to the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities, but the Kremlin has routinely denied involvement—as it did on Friday by saying it was “a complete lie” it had anything to do with the jet crash. There also have been reports of prominent Russian executives dying under mysterious circumstances, including falling from windows, although whether they were deliberate killings or suicides is sometimes difficult to determine.

UNICEF says a year on from Pakistan’s catastrophic floods, millions of children still need support (AP) The United Nations children’s agency on Friday warned that a year on from Pakistan’s devastating floods, an estimated 4 million children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services as a shortage of funds remains a hurdle in recovery. The warning from UNICEF comes as authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province are racing against time to evacuate people from areas affected by the overflowing River Sutlej. Since Aug. 1, rescuers have evacuated over 100,000 people from marooned areas in the districts of Kasur and Bahawalpur. More than six months ago, dozens of countries and international institutions at a U.N.-backed conference in Geneva pledged more than $9 billion to help Pakistan recover and rebuild from last summer’s floods. But most of the pledges were in the form of loans for projects, which are still in the planning stages.

A Crisis of Confidence Is Gripping China’s Economy (NYT) Earlier this year, David Yang was brimming with confidence about the prospects for his perfume factory in eastern China. After nearly three years of paralyzing Covid lockdowns, China had lifted its restrictions in late 2022. The economy seemed destined to roar back to life. Mr. Yang and his two business partners invested more than $60,000 in March to expand production capacity at the factory, expecting a wave of growth. But the new business never materialized. In fact, it’s worse. People are not spending, he said, and orders are one-third of what they were five years ago. “It is disheartening,” Mr. Yang said. “The economy is really going downhill right now.” For much of the past four decades, China’s economy seemed like an unstoppable force, the engine behind the country’s rise to a global superpower. But the economy is now plagued by a series of crises. A real estate crisis born from years of overbuilding and excessive borrowing is running alongside a larger debt crisis, while young people are struggling with record joblessness. And amid the drip feed of bad economic news, a new crisis is emerging: a crisis of confidence. A growing lack of faith in the future of the Chinese economy is verging on despair. Consumers are holding back on spending. Businesses are reluctant to invest and create jobs. And would-be entrepreneurs are not starting new businesses. “Low confidence is a major issue in the Chinese economy now,” said Larry Hu, chief China economist for Macquarie Group, an Australian financial services firm.

Syria’s south rocked by protests amid anger over fuel hikes (Washington Post) Protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad have spread across southern Syria in the days following a government decision to slash fuel subsidies, amid growing desperation as hyperinflation sends prices soaring. As the relatively rare protests gained force under a government that has applied brutal tactics to keep its population in line through more than a decade of civil war, young activists crept through the streets of the southern city of Sweida at night, affixing makeshift fliers to shuttered storefronts, encouraging civil unrest. The protests began Aug. 20 at a central roundabout, with a chant of “Syria wants freedom.” A demonstrator spray-painted a message on the roundabout’s edge, giving the gathering point a new name: “Dignity Square.” The demonstrations have since spread, as have photos and videos of them, some evoking the protests that filled the country’s streets in 2011 as hopeful masses demanded the ouster of Assad. Years of conflict were to follow.

Power returns to most of Kenya after a 14-hour outage (AP) Electricity was being restored in most parts of Kenya on Saturday, 14 hours after the longest outage in recent memory, the majority government-owned power distributor said. There was still no clear explanation for the outage that hit on Friday night, shutting down the country’s main international airport, affecting major hospitals and even the president’s office compound. The outage came just weeks before Kenya’s government hosts the first Africa Climate Summit, where energy will be key on the agenda. Kenya gets almost all its energy from renewable sources, but infrastructure and alleged mismanagement remain an issue in the country of more than 50 million people.

[shawnboday]

What Does The Real Estate Market Look Like Currently?

As we dive into the third quarter of 2023, it's a perfect moment to reflect on the housing market's journey so far this year and project what lies ahead. The real estate landscape has been marked by some notable shifts, and understanding these trends can help both homebuyers and sellers make informed decisions in the coming months.

The second quarter of the year saw a significant rise in mortgage interest rates. Starting at 6.32 percent in early April, the average 30-year mortgage loan rate climbed to 6.84 percent by late June. Alongside this, the national median home price rose from $375,400 in March to $396,100 by May. These changes in rates and prices have set the stage for an intriguing Q3.

Experts are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming quarter. Despite traditionally buoyant summer months for real estate, Q2's elevated rates led to a somewhat subdued environment. The ongoing challenge remains a severe shortage of housing inventory, with new listings for sale hovering around 25-30 percent below last year's levels. This scarcity of homes, coupled with higher mortgage rates, suggests that the third quarter of 2023 might not witness robust home-buying activity.

Mortgage interest rates, a pivotal factor, are projected to remain within the 6.4 to 6.7 percent range for a 30-year fixed mortgage, according to financial analysts. While recent data suggests that inflation may ease in the coming months, leading to a potential drop in mortgage rates, the predictions vary. Some experts believe rates could even dip below 6.5 percent, while others expect them to hover around 6.75 percent initially and eventually decline toward 6.0 percent by September.

The lack of housing inventory will continue to exert pressure on home prices throughout Q3. Buyers may encounter fierce competition, with a higher percentage of homes selling above the asking price. While home price growth is predicted to average around 4 percent this year, median home prices are anticipated to slightly decrease, settling around $385,000 in Q3.

For potential homebuyers, the current market presents affordability challenges. High home prices combined with elevated mortgage rates mean careful consideration is essential before making a purchase. Experts advise potential buyers to ensure job stability and steady earnings before committing to a home transaction.

On the flip side, sellers continue to have the upper hand in many markets due to tight inventory levels. However, sellers should weigh the benefits of selling against the potential challenge of finding a new home in a market with elevated rates. The decision to sell should take into account the balance between current low mortgage rates and potentially higher ones in the future.

The real estate market in the third quarter of 2023 promises a mix of challenges and opportunities. While the housing shortage and increased mortgage rates pose hurdles, the potential for stabilized or slightly reduced home prices may provide some respite for both buyers and sellers. As you navigate this complex landscape, remember that careful consideration and expert guidance are essential to make the right decisions for your unique circumstances.

[steampunkforever]

There’s a weird inversion of “this is what they took from us” here where people look at how the US seems to be sliding into fascism (yes, I read the new republic magazine, how could you tell?) and do a bit of yearning for the “before times” when the country’s overton window wasn’t so shifted in a politically disfavorable direction.

Ignoring problems like historical equality at the time (voting rights and divorces were both restricted back in the 40s when the US was much more unionized than it is now, but you can’t deny that certain things were nicer) what’s a median era for “this was a good baseline for the United States politically?”

Your answer mustn’t swing into mad prophesies about Karl Marx rapturing us all into the means of production when Lenin/St Peter blows his horn and the revolution starts. This needs to be a median political climate from US history in which conservatives/republicans/rightists aren’t magically purged from memory but the political landscape is less doomed-looking than it is now.

Where is that white-picket Mayberry 1950s conservative American utopia analog for your average left-leaning American? Where’s a general point in US history that things were generally balanced enough for the US left to be more or less satisfied (in retrospect) enough to say “we should get back to this point and then work toward progress from it?”

Does it exist at all? Because if it doesn’t, right now is as good as things have ever been and that changes the political calculus of how we should complain about modern life.

[bestorangecountyturf]

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