Knee feels like it needs to pop

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin It already feels like August in Texas, at least where ERCOT and the state’s electricity grid are concerned. The weather is fine - clear, warm and sunny as it tends to be in mid-May. But the grid, managed by a quasi-agency with the word “Reliability” somewhat ironically contained in its name (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), most definitely is not so fine. Friday evening, ERCOT was forced for the second time this non-summer month to warn Texans of a potential shortage of capacity on the grid after 6 power generation facilities totaling 2,900 MWH tripped offline for unspecified reasons. “We’re asking Texans to conserve power when they can by setting their thermostats to 78-degrees or above and avoiding the usage of large appliances (such as dishwashers, washers and dryers) during peak hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. through the weekend,” ERCOT’s notice pleaded. It’s the kind of warning Texans have sadly become … [Read more...] about It Already Feels Like August In Texas, At Least Where The Grid’s Concerned

Imagine if you could control your iPhone with your mind. How would that actually work? Would sad emotions automatically pull up cute animal YouTube clips? Would you use your brain as a cursor to hit buttons? Would you type text messages by thinking words . . . and if so, how do you stop from thinking words *BUTTS* that you didn’t *ARMPITS* actually want to send? advertisement advertisement These are the questions both asked and answered in a new series of concept videos imagining a day in the life of having a brain-computer interface (BCI). We are on the precipice of computer chips being able to read sizable pieces of human thought while companies like Meta and Snap have funded research in this industry estimated to reach $3.3 billion by 2026. Just as designers needed to invent modalities like pinch-to-zoom to make touchscreen smartphones feasible, so too will they need to create new interfaces for us to focus our jumbled thoughts into organized … [Read more...] about What a brain-controlled computer might feel like

On May 9, Monsta X’s agency Starship Entertainment announced that three of the boy band's six members renewed their contracts while the other three are still in negotiations. [STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT] Many K-pop fans are having sleepless nights, as it is soon time for idol groups that debuted in 2015 to renew their contracts with their agencies. Outcomes can vary from groups losing members or even disbanding altogether. It is predicted to be a nail-biting year for many fans who fear the "seven-year curse," which highlights the unique nature of how K-pop acts are formed and operate. On May 9, WM Entertainment announced that six of the seven Oh My Girl members renewed their contracts and Jiho, who did not, was leaving the agency and girl group. Oh My Girl fans, while supportive of her decision, were devastated. The same day, Monsta X’s agency Starship Entertainment announced that three of the boy band's six members renewed their contracts while the other three are still in … [Read more...] about K-pop fans left biting their nails in anticipation of the ‘seven-year curse’

The pandemic was a catalyst for all types of change, and that includes how comfortable many Americans are with their nest eggs. advertisement advertisement Americans say they need an average net worth of $774,000 to be “financially comfortable,” and an average net worth of $2.2 million to be “wealthy,” according to the Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey 2022. The online survey, which was conducted in February and comprises answers from 1,000 Americans between the ages of 21 and 75, shows not only that people think they need more to be considered wealthy than they did in 2021 ($1.9 million), but that they need more to feel like they’re on solid financial footing, too. That’s perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the data: The average amount needed to attain financial comfort is down significantly from five years ago. In 2018, the average amount needed to attain monetary contentment was $1.4 million—but by 2021, it was only $624,000 and was … [Read more...] about Are you wealthy? Here’s how much money Americans say they need to live comfortably

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin 6 Tips for First Time Home Buyers. What you really need to know before buying a house. Getty Buying a home will likely be the biggest purchase you make in your life. At least until you buy your second, more expensive home. Recently, the real estate market has appeared to be cooling. All the same, home ownership is still a major part of the American Dream. It can also be a great way to help build wealth over time, when done properly. Here are six things you need to know when buying your first home. Begin with Getting Ready to Borrow via a Mortgage . Your dream home may or may not be within reach today. You might be able to buy more house than you really need. How much of a mortgage payment you can truly afford will likely depend on your lifestyle as well as assets, income and debt. Before you run off and find your dream home, you should put some time into determining what you can really afford. You … [Read more...] about 6 Things First Time Home Buyers Need To Know

(CNN) The bloodshed over Easter weekend was emblematic of the alarming and unabated surge in gun violence in the United States. From New York to Pennsylvania to Florida, from Nevada to California to Oregon, eight people were killed and dozens injured during at least 10 mass shootings last weekend alone. The violence added to the year's growing toll of mass shootings in the US, which stood at 154 as of Sunday morning, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive and CNN define a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. 2 house parties, an Easter fete and a mall were among the sites of at least 10 weekend US mass shootings The Easter weekend carnage included two teenagers who were gunned down at a packed party in Pittsburgh early Sunday when, police said, multiple shooters unloaded more than 90 rounds. Some partygoers -- many of them underage -- suffered cuts and broken bones from jumping out … [Read more...] about The gun violence epidemic feels hopeless. These five experts have possible solutions

It was one of the more spectacular TV flops of the 21st century. Late in the second term of President George W. Bush, in 2007, Fox News decided that it had the right-wing alternative to Comedy Central’s popular and influential The Daily Show with Jon Stewart . The 1/2 Hour News Hour would puncture liberal pieties and media bias in the fashion that Stewart and his cast of fake correspondents fired barbs at conservatives and right-wing media like Fox News. The show tanked—hard—more or less after the pilot aired in February 2007. And with its failure, modern progressives (and future leftists) had all the evidence they needed: Conservatives weren’t funny. advertisement advertisement For the last 15 years, that take—frequently informed by one failed late-night show—has stuck among anyone who isn’t a conservative. But all the while, right wingers were making comedy—and succeeding. Some of it flew under the radar in subterranean clubs and YouTube channels, … [Read more...] about Why you need to take right-wing comedy seriously

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin While the concept of aparthotels isn’t necessarily new—i.e. a serviced apartment with hotel-like amenities that attempts to elevate the experience to something beyond both—what is new is the popularity of aparthotels in the post-pandemic era. And for good reason. Offering all the comforts of home in a beautiful, well-designed space, aparthotels come with elevated health and safety measures, as well as a number of increasingly lavish amenities—everything from on-site co-working spaces and yoga studios to personalized concierge services and an array of food and beverage options. In the UK market, no one has done aparthotels quite like Locke —at least not when it comes to groundbreaking design. The company owns properties in London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Manchester, Dublin, and Munich, with a larger European expansion on the horizon. At each Locke location, you’ll find all the things you need to live your normal, … [Read more...] about Most Serviced Apartments Are Unfashionable And Basic. Meet Locke—A Design-Forward ‘Aparthotel’ Providing A Much-Needed Antidote

Sports Illustrated recently made a bold proclamation when they claimed “model” Sarina Nowak resembled legendary entertainer Marilyn Monroe. “Spend some time today with Marilyn Monroe look-alike @sarina_nowak! #SISwimSearch,” SI captioned the video of Nowak. WATCH: A post shared by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@si_swimsuit) on Aug 2, 2017 at 8:45am PDT Monroe was well before my time, and I’ve never fully understood all the hype that surrounds her. I also can’t get a solid grip on whether or not Nowak shares a similar appearance with her, other than they both have blonde hair. A post shared by SARINA NOWAK (@sarina_nowak) on Aug 2, 2017 at 9:35am PDT A post shared by SARINA NOWAK (@sarina_nowak) on Jul 25, 2017 at 12:16pm PDT A post shared by SARINA NOWAK (@sarina_nowak) on Jul 21, 2017 at 10:06am PDT A post shared by SARINA NOWAK (@sarina_nowak) on Jul 12, 2017 at 10:55am PDT I bounced some of these … [Read more...] about Sports Illustrated Thinks This ‘Model’ Looks Like Marilyn Monroe – Does She?

Forget the internet. The discount chain is opening three new bricks-and-mortar stores every day, betting that customers will respond to lower prices in places overlooked by other retailers. When a supermarket in Olive Hill, Kentucky, population 1,500, went belly up, the owner approached Dollar General to see if the company had any interest in taking over the real estate. The answer was yes. In 2019, Dollar General relocated the store it opened 50 years previous to the supermarket’s spot on the main drag, named after the town’s most famous resident, late country singer Tom T. Hall. Then it proceeded to open three more Dollar Generals nearby, encircling the tiny town, in the last year. With a speed seldom seen in the retail landscape, residents of Olive Hill went from one Dollar General to, figuratively at least, not being able to throw a rock without hitting one. Few other options exist. The closest Walmart or Kroger is 20 miles away, a costly trip when gas prices have soared … [Read more...] about How Dollar General Is Spreading Like Hot Gossip In Tiny Towns Across The Country