Avalon Allen December 3rd, 2019 - 2:35 PM

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, will be released in theaters on December 20, 2019, marking the final addition to the newStar Warstrilogy that began in 2015. The Force Awakenshigh-quality CGI and special effects starkly contrasts that of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, which came out in 1977 and marked the beginning of this iconic and absurdlyfinancially successful franchise. Unlike its other releases, the very first Star Wars was not a highly anticipated film in fact it was famously regarded as a huge career risk for creator George Lucas in his filmmaking career. 42 years later, lets look back on the initial reception to the movie that began it all.

The creation of A New Hope,or simplyStar Wars,was famously riddled with problems and doubt towards its success. The 2004 documentary Empire of Dreams provides a great dissection of many of these issues, and the reservations people felt about the movie. George Lucas initially came up with the idea for a space-fantasy film soon after releasing his directorial debut THX 1138 (1971), a social science-fiction movie that was a financial flop which Lucas believed was the result of its bleak story being unable to reach an audience. As a result, he wanted to make an adventurous, optimistic space odyssey that would be accessible to the masses.

He wouldnt start writing the script for what would eventually become Star Wars until January 1973. Lucas pulled from inspirations like Flash Gordon, the Vietnam War, Camelot lore, and Akira Kurosawas 1958 adventure filmThe Hidden Fortress . However, many of the major studios refused to budget his movie, including United Artists, Universal Pictures, and (ironically) Disney. In June 1973, Lucas managed to convince 20th Century Fox to fund his idea. Star Wars was also cursed with a long and difficult production that went way over budget. Despite Lucass passion for the movie, many of his crew members didnt take it seriously and doubted that it would do well financially or critically. In 1977, Lucas showed an early version of the film. The audience was comprised of Fox executives and several other directors, including Lucas fellow Movie Brats Brian De Palma, John Milius, and Steven Spielberg the last of whom was the only filmmaker to actually enjoy Star Wars.

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977 to fewer than 32 theaters. Despite the many detractors, doubters, and critics, the film was an instantaneous and record-breaking success. Lucas has stated how he spent most of the release day in a sound studio, only to leave for his lunch break and find floods of people waiting outside Manns Chinese Theater so that they could see his movie. With all of its earnings adjusted to inflation, the movie is the second highest-grossing film in the United States with estimated ticket sales being $178,119,600. The film was extremely well-received by critics and audiences. Famed movie reviewer Roger Ebert described it as an out-of-the-body experience and commented that the magic of Star Wars is only dramatized by the special effects; the movies heart is in its endearingly human (and non-human) people. After its release, everyone involved with Star Wars found that their careers sky-rocketed. Even members of the films technical staff like model makers were being asked for autographs. The films also cemented the careers of its main cast: Carrie Fischer, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill.

An important aspect of Hollywood that Star Wars revolutionized was merchandising. Displaying true innovation and hindsight, George Lucas recognized the importance of promoting not just a movie, but the objects and products made in connection with it. He formed a partnership with Kenner Toy Company, who agreed to produce a line of action figures for the film. Due to the franchises fantastic and creative world building, fans eagerly wanted to immerse themselves in the universe Star Wars set up. Merchandise especially action figures allowed them to do this.

Kenner was unprepared for the incomparable popularityStar Wars attracted, and wasnt properly stocked with enough action figures. Instead, they sold an Early Bird Certificate Package which was basically an IOU that could eventually be exchanged for four action figures. Lucas created a movie so popular that he managed to make a profit not even on actual merchandise, but solely on the promise of it. He earned so much from the toy sales alone that he was able to use that wealth to independently finance Star Warss next two sequels:The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. By 1978, Kenner managed to sell 40 million units of toys. The films incredible success would inspire future big-budget franchises to invest in toys based on their films characters, in turn creating an industry based on movie-inspired items. Even to this day, Star Wars commodities like t-shirts and decorations are a common staple in every modern nerds house.

Though recent Star Wars additions havent generated responses quite as ecstatic as the original movies, as exemplified with the divisive prequel films or The Last Jedi, its a franchise that still remains as profitable and popular as ever. Regardless of what you think about its newer additions, the powerful impact and legacy Star Wars left will always be an undeniable game-changer for the history of cinema. Truly the Force was strong with this film.

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Looking Back on the Production and Impact of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope - mxdwn.com

Winter sees an increase in the use of heating in our homes, with many of us burning fuels (like oil, coal and gas), so its important to be aware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Thats why weve teamed up with Gas Networks Ireland to help you keep your home and family safe.

Here are some of the biggest carbon monoxide risks in your home and how you can protect yourself from this silent killer.

Fireplaces, flues and chimneys

If youre planning on lighting the fire this Winter, make sure to have your chimney swept regularly and keep vents and flues clear.

Gas fires, like all fuel burning appliances, should be serviced regularly. Staining, sooting or discolouration around a gas fire or appliance can be indicators of carbon monoxide.

Likewise a strange smell (you cant smell carbon monoxide, but you can smell other fumes produced by combustion) or condensation on windows or walls when the appliance is operational.

If you spot any of these signs, contact a Registered Gas Installer or qualified technician for your fuel type immediately and get it checked before using it again.

Gas cookers and fuel-burning appliances

If you have a gas cooker or any other fuel-burning appliance make sure to get them serviced and regularly maintained by a qualified service agent.

Gas appliances can be serviced by contacting your gas supplier or a Registered Gas Installer.

Other fuel-burning appliances you may have include: an oil or gas heater, a gas fire or a wood-burning stove.

Gas and oil boilers

Its really important to get boilers serviced regularly once a year at a minimum. If you spot a potential problem in the meantime, be sure to contact a registered gas or oil technician.

Flueless gas water heaters and open-flue-type water heaters are considered out-of-date and unsafe. For example, those in bathrooms. If you think you have an older unsafe water heater, call Gas Ireland on 1850 79 79 79 for a free safety check.

Barbecues, lawnmowers and garage-stored cars

Remember all appliances need ventilation to breathe!

Never run a car, lawnmower or other fuel-powered equipment in a confined or poorly ventilated space, e.g. a closed garage.

Never use a barbecue indoors, in a tent or directly under an awning; they can give off carbon monoxide for several hours after use, even if they appear to have gone out. And never use an appliance you think could be faulty or for any purpose it wasnt designed for.

No carbon monoxide alarm

Another big carbon monoxide risk? Not having at least one audible carbon monoxide alarm! Install one this Winter as per the manufacturers instructions and it could save your life.

Ideally, you should have one in every room you have a fuel burning appliance. Plus one within 5 metres (16 feet) of every bedroom to protect you while youre asleep.

For more information, visit theGas Networks Irelandwebsite.

Read the rest here:
What are the biggest carbon monoxide risks in your home? - Irish Mirror

Mod the Sims isn't the only website with tons and tons of custom content and mods available for Simmers everywhere to download and employ in their gameplay, but it is one of the most popular among them. There's a good reason for that, too. Mod the Sims has plenty of custom content and mods ranging from cosmetic mods and custom hair to mods that totally change the way you experienceThe Sims and consequently how your Sims experience their lives.

RELATED: Sims 4: 5 Reasons Arts & Crafts Is The Best Theme Choice (& 5 Why It Should Have Been Happy Haunts)

Whether you're one of those Simmers who has gigabytes upon gigabytes of mods in their game or just getting started in the world of mods, here are the ten best Sims 4 custom content finds on Mod the Sims.

If you're the kind ofSims player who likes building stories with your Sims right down to changing their appearances every so often, this is the kind of gameplay mod you'll love.

Mod the Sims user flerb has made it possible for your Sims to automatically grow beards without you having to go into CAS and adjust your Sim's beard length. This means more time you get to spend actually playing the game rather than fussing over your Sim's appearance in CAS. You even get to pick the color of your Sim's beard for even more realistic gameplay.

Money can be hard to come by inThe Sims 4, or at least it a timely manner. It's no surprise there are plenty of cheats to remedy this problem, andDiscover University introduced the idea of student loans, but what about those Sims who are done with their education and are just looking for their dream home or money to invest in a business?

For those Simmers who don't want to cheat but still want to take their Sim's life in a specific direction, there's scarletqueenkat's SimCity Loans mod.With this mod, your Sim can take out a loan of varying amounts and pay it back over 12, 24, or 36 payments.

This mod is one of those mods that makes gameplay so much easier it's hard to live without it after a while. The UI cheats extension allows players to unlock perks, cheat the aging process, click and drag to fulfill needs, add or subtract household funds, make negative moodlets disappear, and so much more.

RELATED: Ranked: Every Sims 4 Stuff Pack, From The Worst To The Best

Like MCCC, it makes cheating your way through the game so much simpler and user-friendly. You might not even need to type in any cheats with the combination of this mod and MCCC. Make sure you download the right version of the mod if you choose to take a crack at it. The version for Metal Macs and 64-bit systems is free on Patreon.

For those Sims that love outer space, install this dynamic and animated wallpaper designed to imitate the starry sky on a clear night. It comes in four seamless tiles so as not to disturb the flow of the night sky across your Sim's bedroom wall.

Make sure you haveSpa Day installed if you want to use this wallpaper in your next build, as the scripts required for it to run are included in the game pack.If you'd like to see what the wallpaper looks like in action before you download and install it, the user has a YouTube video you can watch.

Though there are plenty of hobbies for your Sims to engage in, especially with additional game content, some Simmers still find the game isn't totally inclusive yet. This is what modders are for!

If you want your Sim to become a master canner, they can with this mod by icemunmun. Not only does this custom content include a fully functional canning station and preserve jars, it provides your sims with a custom canning skill that they can develop by using the canning station to make jams, spreads, and pickles!

This creator has provided another fun hobby for your Sims to engage in if canning isn't really their thingcandle making! This mod not only allows your Sims to create candles in all sorts of shapes and colors, it allows them to talk about candles, research candles, turn candle making into a holiday tradition, and best of all, all of the candles your Sims create at the candle making station give off actual light when your Sim lights them.

RELATED: Sims 4 Discover University: 5 Reasons To Choose Foxbury (And 5 Why You Should Attend Britechester)

These are the kinds of interactive hobbies Simmers love to see in their gameplay.

The next time you have a young adult Sim move out of their parents' house, how nice would it be to have some packing crates available to move some of your Sim's stuff with them? And what if those crates could fit right into your Sim's inventory?

The good news is there is a mod out there with CC packing crates that allow your Sim to do just that. No more juggling the family heirlooms and getting frustrated when that piano doesn't fit in your Sim's inventory and has to go into the household's inventory! Just pack it away in a packing crate and let your Sim be on their way.

WithIsland Living came the Off the Grid lot trait, which allows your Sims to live off the natural resources they're surrounded by instead of relying on pesky things like electricity. This functional solar panel allows your Sims to continue their eco-friendly way of living while still using a little bit of electricity.

RELATED: The Sims 4: 10 Gameplay Features From Previous Games That Are Still Sorely Missed

If youput this solar panel on your lot without the Off the Grid lot trait, it will reduce the amount your Sims have to pay for electricity. The water heater that comes along with these solar panels also helps reduce the amount your Sims are required to pay when the bills come around as well!

Content creators and modders forThe Sims 4are nothing if not creative (and really smart). This is made no clearer than by littledica and their wonderful custom stuff pack designed to make your Sims' kitchens look like they just stepped out of a design magazine. Not only is this pack of custom content marketed like the real thing created by EA itself, it provides plenty of new items for Simmers to use in their next build.

So if you're looking for fresh countertops, cabinets, appliances, floors, walls, chairs, tables, and more, look no further than this custom content stuff pack!

Thisbuildmight not change the way you playThe Sims 4, but it will certainly elevate your Sim's lifestyle.This little collection of buildings is slotted as a nightclub but includes four pubs, discos, a gym, library,nursery for children, guest rooms, living areas, kitchens, and nightclubs galore. There isn't much custom content in this particular build, but for those Simmers who want it, the builder provides links to each one.

Shake things up for a change and install this build in your Sims' world to give them something else to do at night.

NEXT: The Sims 4: 10 Incredible Mansions That Use No Custom Content

NextPokmon: 10 Mechanics Introduced In Gen I That Are Missing Today

Madison Puzey is a freelancer writer and editor based in Georgia, USA. When she's not writing for The Gamer, she spends her time writing, gaming, and watching movies. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2017 and has loved writing since she was a little girl.

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Mod The Sims: 10 Best Sims 4 Custom Content From The Site - TheGamer

As more cities and states try to cut carbon emissions, some are taking aim at a new target: natural gas inside homes. Buildings, through heating and cooking, use almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.

In July, Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the country to ban natural gas in new buildings, starting next year. City officials say new efficient electric appliances have lower carbon footprints than gas-powered furnaces and water heaters.

We need to tackle climate change every way that we can and by doing this, were not asking people to change that much, says Kate Harrison, the Berkeley City Council member who led the initiative.

Cities like San Jose, Sacramento and Los Angeles are developing their own policies to make buildings zero carbon, and a number of cities around the world have to do the same. But opponents say the push to get rid of gas goes against what consumers are asking for, especially in their kitchens.

People love their gas stoves, says Bob Raymer, technical director with the California Building Industry Association. We dont want to force something onto the consumer that makes the consumer feel uncomfortable, or that they just dont like. After all, its their home.

But California has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2045, and about a quarter of the states emissions come from energy used by buildings. To reach its ambitious climate change goals, the state will eventually have to force or entice homeowners to electrify everything.

Swapping for electric

Today, an all-electric home isnt common in California, as Oakland resident Bruce Nilles found out.

Nilles spent his career working on reducing the countrys use of fossil fuels, first at the Sierra Club and then at the Rocky Mountain Institute.

I was thinking a lot about coal, and how do we transition the United States off of coal, and had missed the fact that right in my own home was this big source of fossil fuels, he says.

His two-story Craftsman house had four appliances that ran on natural gas: water heater, furnace, dryer and gas stove.

It never occurred to me that they were a big piece of my carbon footprint, he says.

Nilles decided to switch to electric appliances. Electricity has a lower carbon footprint in California, because the state is investing heavily in renewable energy. In 2018, half of the states electricity came from carbon emissions-free sources, like solar and wind, as well as hydropower and nuclear.

I called three different contractors and all three of them tried to persuade me not to get rid of my gas, Nilles says. Some didnt have experience switching gas appliances.

Eventually, he found one who was game to install a new electric induction range. Nilles says its a far cry from the old-school electric stoves with coils that heat up.

This thing is so fast, you put the water on and literally, 120 seconds later, its boiling, he says.

Nilles also got a new electric dryer, and in the basement, a water heater and heat pump that both heats and cools his home.

The inspector didnt actually sign off on our project, because on a check box, it said there needed to be a gas shut-off valve on our hot water heater, he says. Eventually, the city agreed to ignore the check box.

First of a kind ban on natural gas

In July, the City Council in Berkeley, Calif., voted unanimously to ban natural gas in new buildings, starting next year with homes and small apartment buildings.

The ban will include other kinds of buildings in the years to come, like high-rises and commercial space, as soon as state officials complete energy efficiency analyses of those building types.

Its going to give us a better life, City Council member Harrison says. Were going to have a cleaner environment. Were going to have less health problems. Were going to have less danger in our homes.

About 27% of Berkeleys greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas, but climate change isnt the only reason for the ban, according to the city. Berkeley sits on an earthquake fault. A major event could cause natural gas lines to break and create explosions.

Cooking on gas stoves can also cause high levels of indoor air pollution, like nitrogen dioxide. We have health effects that have never been considered that come from burning natural gas, Harrison says.

Still, she admits stoves are the major sticking point. While homeowners may not have strong feelings about their water heaters, cooking is another matter.

Appliance showrooms are packed with heavy-duty gas ranges, many made to look like industrial models found in restaurant kitchens. Not offering those stoves could put builders at a competitive disadvantage, according to the building industry.

We dont support an outright ban on a particular product, says Raymer of the California Building Industry Association. What we do support are the use of regulatory and financial incentives to encourage a market to go a particular way.

The vast majority of restaurants today also use gas cooking. Under Berkeleys law, building owners will be able to apply for an exemption to the gas ban.

Its important that restaurants, along with all ratepayers, have a diverse set of energy sources they can turn to and that includes natural gas, says Sharokina Shams of the California Restaurant Association.

Still, Raymer says some builders are already switching to all-electric homes in California, because in new construction, they save $2,000 to $5,000 by not running gas lines.

A growing trend

Cities such as Sacramento have started discussing a potential ban on natural gas in new buildings, while others are looking at using incentives to get people to switch.

We know that we have to get away from fossil natural gas combustion, says Andrew McAllister of the California Energy Commission. Electricity becomes cleaner and cleaner and natural gas is methane, and its just got carbon in it. Theres no way around that.

Californias Energy Commission is currently writing a road map for how the state can cut emissions from buildings 40% by 2030.

Still, to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral, California will have to tackle natural gas use in existing buildings, not just new ones. That can be costlier. Many older homes dont have large enough electric panels, or plugs that can handle 220 volts.

Electric heat pumps and other electric appliances can be more expensive than gas-powered equivalents, especially because it can be harder to find rebates. Sacramento and San Jose are offering residents up to several thousand dollars to switch from gas to electric.

Its a cultural transition that we have to undergo, says McAllister. Its a big lift, but were in a powerful state with a big economy and a lot of creativity. So I think if anybody can do it, California can.

After all, McAllister says, a lot of the nations energy efficiency rules, including for appliances, were passed by California first.

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Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push - Stock Daily Dish

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) -- Volunteers have been at work on this Giving Tuesday with Bear Creek Services.

Construction workers from Kraus-Anderson are volunteering at a group home for four women with developmental disabilities.

The home flooded a year ago, and required many repairs. Now that the home is safe from future water damage, drywall needs to be installed.

That's where Kraus-Anderson stepped up in a major way providing the installation free of charge. This particular installation would have costed between $3,000-$4,000.

Kraus-Anderson Director of Business Development Cyle Erie visited the home months before and agreed to lend a hand.

"Bear Creek Services of course provides a wonderful service for the Rochester community and so that's why there an organization that were proud to support," Erie said.

"Well, we're a non-profit organization so our budgets are really challenged and this entire project would be about $40,000 if we had to pay out of pocket that's why these types of volunteer projects are really beneficial for us," Erie said.

The repairs at Westchester Manor comes as a big relief to the four woman who live there. And the living room space will eventually bring joy to other too, as it becomes a fun community room for all to enjoy.

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A construction company is hard at work piecing together a basement free of charge - KTTC

In a three-stop tour to these facilities from roughly 3-5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 2, a group of district officials, consulting project managers and members of the public hopped on a bus and surveyed the construction sites of these facilities.

After passing a $205 million bond referendum in April 2018, the Brainerd School District is progressing through its four-year process that will see the deconstruction, reconstruction or renovation of 12 separate facilities across the district. Mondays tour stops explored some of the most significant, and expensive, improvements to the district thats been hampered by aging infrastructure, outmoded amenities and constricted space needs for years, Superintendent Laine Larson said during the referendum campaign.

To varying degrees, all three sites have seen their skeletal frameworks everything from rebar to drywall to steel trusses constructed and in place, while crews are working through wet conditions to install the guts, or amenities of the buildings, in the form of air ventilation ducts, insulation, electrical, water and sewage piping, among other features.

Project managers of ICS Consulting noted the projects while somewhat complicated by inclement weather in recent weeks are on track for their respective completion dates.

Stopping at Harrison Elementary School first, tour participants were able to view the skeletal framework of various additions to the building first constructed in 1938 which include, among other changes, a learning commons outside each grade level's pod of classrooms, a new and bigger gymnasium, a media center and a bigger cafeteria, which will occupy the space of the current gym. The stage will stay where it is in the current gym to allow for the cafeteria to be used for plays and other performing arts events.

While the project clocks in as one of the most expensive initiatives in the district at roughly $19 million, construction bids came in low enough that all add alternate plans or, additions tacked on in the event of low and affordable contracts would be implemented. These alternates include upgrading the gym to a full-sized competition space; a fully adhered, stronger roof; new cafeteria windows; cabinets above the first- through fourth-grade lockers; acoustical treatments in the gym and cafeteria; and gym bleachers.

The steel, concrete and sheetrock framework of the new addition has been mostly installed. This, in turn, means a number of openings and realignments to the aging brick structure are being added, for the purpose of reconfiguring classrooms and office spaces on the buildings south face for better security, to widening archways for modern doors.

On the outside, 15th Street on the west side of the school will be designated for parent pick-up/drop-off and special education bus drop-off. The regular bus pick-up/drop-off area will be on Norwood Street near the new entrance. A 40-stall parking lot is set for the corner of Oak and 16th streets, with a new playground to be located to the north of the lot, as the school's addition is designed to take up the current playground's space.

The project is slated to be finished before the 2020-21 school year begins.

Upon reaching the site of the new Baxter Elementary School, tour participants were treated to an intimate view at a new facility in the early stages of construction. The surrounding area still retains the raw, newly excavated look of a groundbreaking, complete with towering mounds of transplanted earth and clear-cut groves intended for new facilities.

With the facilitys roof still to be constructed, crews have been depending on heavy tarping and scaffolding to shield the site from inclement weather. While this has been mostly affected, Site Superintendent Al Reichow noted a significant portion of the buildings floors are currently covered in 1-2 inches of standing water. This is runoff from melting snow.

Site Superintendent Al Reichow gives a tour and answers questions Monday, Dec. 2, throughout the interior of the new Baxter Elementary School being constructed on Jasperwood Drive, near Forestview Middle School. While the structural skeleton of the school is largely in place, the site lacks a roof which -- coupled with a deluge of snow in recent days and warmer temperatures inside -- means contractors are working through patches of standing water as high as 1-2 inches at any given point. Gabriel Lagarde / Brainerd Dispatch

Working through these conditions, contractors are in the process of installing the amenities that will ventilate, heat or cool, insulate and power the new facility.

With the current Baxter Elementary building set to become an early childhood facility, the new school will be two stories and able to accommodate five sections of each grade and 625 students total. Under the $26.2 million project, each grade will have its own learning commons surrounded by five classrooms, and the building will include a full-sized gymnasium, a music room and an art/science/technology space built in conjunction with a media center.

An interior view Monday, Dec. 2, of the new Baxter Elementary School under construction on Jasperwood Drive, near Forestview Middle School. Contractors have completed much of the infrastructure framework of the school and are currently working to install amenities including air ducts, insulation, electrical and other internal features. Gabriel Lagarde / Brainerd Dispatch

Exterior plans around the new elementary school include clearing the section of Jasperwood Drive and Knollwood Drive between the south-central access and south access to the future school's parcel, as well as creating two cul-de-sac style roads to ease traffic through the addition of a safe, non-vehicle traveled connection between the schools.

The new facility is set to open for the 2020-21 school year.

Much in line with myriad discussions during the referendum process, contractors noted Nisswa Elementary School is in the process of expansions to its gymnasium and classrooms to address long-standing issues of space limitations.

In particular, the site now has two gyms the original and a new one in progress, which will be merged to form a new full-sized gymnasium with a full court, two practice courts, or an expanded area for badminton, for example. Classroom upgrades include two alternative classrooms, as well as a second-story classroom addition.

Participants in a Brainerd School District tour Monday, Dec. 2, file into Nisswa Elementary School shortly before sunset. Nisswa Elementary is one of 12 facilities across the district seeing extensive construction in by 2022 and one three schools amid renovations that district officials, contractors and residents of the lakes area surveyed Monday. Gabriel Lagarde / Brainerd Dispatch

In the $12 million initiative, crews are working to remodel the southern end of the building, enlarge the cafeteria and remodel of the kitchen and office area. There will also be extra space for more classrooms to be added on in the future. Construction crews are working around the school environment, which means the foyer wont be used with the installation of a new secure entrance, which will become the schools main entrance with administrative offices.

District officials noted the facility looks to be nearly totally renovated by August 2020.

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ISD 181 gives bus tour of Nisswa, Baxter and Harrison sites under construction - Brainerd Dispatch

I am beside myself with excitement over drywall and linoleum.

Almost every year I look at the BuildingGreen top ten products for the upcoming year and wonder, how can I make this interesting or exciting? They are sometimes as boring as watching paint dry. One year it actually was about paint drying. This year at Greenbuild they tried to make it even less exciting by putting the presentation in a drab corner of the hall with little screens and lots of ambient noise, but Brent Ehrlich and Nadav Malin made the best of it. And really, there is some interesting and important stuff going on here. My top picks of the top ten:

But there have been so many advances in glass technology for the screens of our phones and tablets. Alpen has put some of these to work and used really strong, thin 1mm glass to replace the usual thick panes in the middle. The glass doesn't cost less than the usual 3-pane glass, but being thinner and lighter, it may well drive down the cost of Passive House quality windows because the frames and hardware can be lighter. Even our usually reserved BuildingGreen people can't help themselves:

That is exciting because replacing a double-glazed IGU with a ThinGlass Triple would improve the whole window U-value by 35%45% over a standard dual-pane option, according to the company. And perhaps the best part: the cost of these Alpen ThinGlass windows is the same as their standard triple-pane offerings.

Now they have somehow figured out how to deliver it in a bucket; you pour it out and somehow, magically without heat and rollers, it turns into a Lino floor. Brent writes:

It does seem like magic to me, but if it works, it's pretty amazing. I didn't think you could actually improve linoleum, but they have.

We also have no idea how long it will last. When the vacuum goes and it fills with air, we have nothing but a bit of poly iso, a problematic insulation on its own. It is an interesting product, but I really wonder how it will be used or misused, and whether we should be rethinking our aesthetics.

There are lots more at BuildingGreen, from MDF panels made from rice to levitating chillers to low CO2 carbon pavers. Check them all out.

I am beside myself with excitement over drywall and linoleum.

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BuildingGreen top ten products of the year are not boring at all - Treehugger

The research report Building Finishing Contractors Market Global Industry Analysis 2019 2025 offers precise analytical information about the Building Finishing Contractors market. The report identifies top players in the global market and divides the market into several parameters such as major drivers market strategies and imposing growth of the key players. Worldwide Building Finishing Contractors Industry also offers a granular study of the market dynamics, segmentation, revenue, share forecasts and allows you to make superior business decisions. The report serves imperative statistics on the market stature of the prominent manufacturers and is an important source of guidance and advice for companies and individuals involved in the Building Finishing Contractors industry.

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Enquire Here For Queries Or Report Customization: http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-building-finishing-contractors-market-2018-by-manufacturers-392630#InquiryForBuying

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Global Building Finishing Contractors Market 2019 by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 - The Industry Press Releases

Teenagers at Seminole Ridge High School partner with Habitat for Humanity to gain marketable skills and learn the value of community

WESTLAKE - Seventeen-year-old Danielle Shumard is building a house framing, plumbing, electric, everything.

The 1,200-square-foot residence will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a front porch and a shed by the time she is finished.

And then she will give it away.

The junior at the Weitz Academy of Construction at Seminole Ridge Community High School in Westlake is one of 170 students in six classes working together to build the modular house.

It will be the schools eighth since partnering with Habitat for Humanity in 2005 on a project that teaches kids marketable skills while helping those in need.

"We rely on each other every day for everything," Shumard says about her fellow students. "When everybody comes together and is working hard, thats when you really see it pay off."

The school provides the tools, work space and kid power, and Habitat for Humanity donates most of the materials. The remainder of supplies come from local residents or businesses.

Upon its expected completion on Tuesday, the four modules that make up the home will be trucked to Belle Glade, where they will be assembled and the finishing touches applied before being presented to a deserving family.

"I want to be there," Shumard says. "Weve seen pictures and videos, and the looks on their faces when the houses get there its nice."

Under the supervision of faculty, local contractors and county inspectors, students build each house from the ground up, studying safety and learning basic construction while also developing architectural design, engineering and project management skills.

"Drywall is fun for me," Shumard says about her favorite task. "You see the walls when they are bare, and then you see something go up, and youre like, this house is actually going to go somewhere!"

The Weitz Academy of Construction is one of six academy programs construction, automotive, television production, biotechnology, information technology and ROTC that attract students from all over the county.

Shumard, who is also in ROTC, plans to attend college and become a construction manager. But not every student is as focused.

"Ive got kids that want to be engineers and kids that dont know what they want to do," says teacher Rick Terkovich who modeled the construction program after a similar one in Marathon. "To me, thats the beauty of this. We give kids the opportunity to do it all."

The teens learn what they do and do not like to do while they develop skills that can help them get into good colleges or make them immediately marketable in the working world.

"Recruiters are coming in because they dont have enough people," says Principal James Campbell of the demand for students graduating from the construction program. "They know these kids know what theyre doing."

While many graduates plan to attend college, not everyone has the desire or means to do so. And because of todays lack of qualified construction industry workers, any kid who wants a job when they graduate typically gets one right away, Campbell says.

"The pendulum shifted too far toward Everybody must go to college," Campbell says. "College is certainly a path we want to encourage, but there are other routes you can take to a successful career."

At 16, Blake Farnham already knows more than many adults about construction.

"If something breaks, I can help fix plumbing or help with electric," he says.

Farnham is in his third year of the construction program. He plans to attend college for chemical engineering and says hes proud of accomplishing the daunting task of mastering the many skills required to build a house.

"It definitely boosts my confidence, because then I can help other people," he says. "Like freshmen next year . . . Ill be able to tell them how to do it properly."

Plus, the class is fun.

"Instead of just a boring class, he jokes around," Farnham says about Terkovich. "Hes not a mean teacher he is fun to be around."

For Terkovich, a fun-loving jokester with undeniable reverence for his students, the feeling is mutual.

"I have a lot of fun working with kids seeing them succeed and seeing a family get a home," he says. "That, and my wife makes me come to work. She wont let me stay home."

wrhodes@pbpost.com

@WendyRhodesFL

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Westlake students build house, then give it away... for the 8th time - Palm Beach Post

ARLINGTON, VA (STL.News) On November 9th, NuWave Solutions employees donated their time and talents to support Habitat for Humanitys Randle Highlands Townhomes construction. This was the second annual contribution to the build. Eric Crenshaw, one of the original volunteers stated, It was exciting to see the progress made since last year. I feel invested in this community because were here, year after year, making a difference. Ken Taborn and his daughter Jordan both participated. Ken said, You cant image doing this before you get here, afterwards youre wondering why you havent done it sooner. Just knowing that someone will have a home because I donated a few hours, is extremely rewarding. This years team cut and hung drywall, installed trim, and caulked units for weather sealing. NuWaves contribution helped move DC Habitat closer to their goal of reducing poverty housing and homelessness in the nations capital. Thank you to the employees for their time, dedication, and commitment to this goal.

We look forward to our next Team Build with Habitat for Humanity!

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Originally posted here:
NuWave Solutions Gives Back to the Community By Donating Time and Efforts to Habitat for Humanity - STL News