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Luxury Pizza?

From the “Only in New York” category comes the world’s most expensive pizza. At $250 a slice or $1,000 for the whole pie, this Manhattan pizzeria brings a luxury dining experience to one of America’s favorite foods. 

Created by Nino Selimaj, owner of Nino’s Bellissima Pizza in New York City, the $1,000-pizza is created with creme fraiche as a base, four types of caviar, sliced lobster tail, salmon roe and a touch of wasabi.
 
Selimaj himself came up with the creation in 2007 after spending a year researching the ingredients. 

Each $250 slice contains a different kind of caviar. While Selimaj admits his gourmet creation isn’t for everyone, and that sales have been hampered a bit by the recession, he says customers are still coming in. In 2010, he reported sales of about one pie every two weeks. Pre-economic downturn, Selimaj was selling between two and 10 luxury pies per week. 

How does it taste? Very good, according to those who have tried it, although, not surprisingly, not like pizza at all! Would you pay $250 for a taste? 

Napping is Not Just for Kids

For some people, an afternoon nap is a signal you are losing your edge. For others –and not just for the elderly – naps can be a valued way of life. Most people, say the sleep experts at the Mayo Clinic, fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. But whether you’re sleep-deprived or looking for a way to relax, it’s good to understand when and how to get the most out of napping.

 

The Upsides:

Napping offers various benefits for healthy adults: 

·         Reduced fatigue

·         Increased alertness

·         Improved mood

·         Improved performance, including quicker reaction time, better memory, and fewer accidents or mistakes

The Downsides:

·         Sleep inertia – some people may feel groggy or disoriented after napping

·         Nighttime sleep problems – while short naps do not generally affect nighttime sleep patterns, napping could worsen problems for those who generally sleep poorly.

Experts agree you should consider taking a nap if you are not feeling well, if you are feeling unusually fatigued, or if you are about to experience sleep loss, such as having to work an unexpected night shift. Under normal circumstances, to get the most out of napping, consider these simple tips:

·         A 10 to 30 minute nap provides the best opportunity to wake up feeling refreshed – and some people claim that a 10-minute power nap dramatically increases productivity.

5 Quick Ways to Brighten Any Room

​Want to brighten up a room, but don’t have the time to paint or budget to add a window? Consider the following easy fixes:

Hang a mirror. Hang a mirror (or lean a large one against a wall) to toss light around your room and open it up.

Add metallics. Golds and silver accents will make any space sparkle. Think picture frames, fixtures, lamps and decorative items like vases or candle holders.

Freshen with flowers. A pop of floral can brighten a room, especially when that floral is fresh. Add a bouquet to a table for a bit of vibrancy.

Think yellow or white. While light colors may show dirt and grime, white and yellow accents can brighten an area, fast. Add white and yellow throw pillows, swap out the duvet on your bed, or hang a new set of curtains.

Declutter. Last, but not least, a clutter sweep will help brighten your space up. Stack books, toss old magazines, fold the laundry and nix the knick knacks, and your home will thank you for it.

Renovating? Why Building Codes are Critical

We’ve all heard horror stories about the remodeling project that needs to be torn down or redone because it didn’t live up to code. While many believe that investigating building codes is too confusing, time consuming and costly, the consequences of not getting the necessary permits before starting a construction project are both upsetting and expensive. 

Securing a building permit before you start planning a renovation can also prove critical should you sell your home in the near or distant future. Potential buyers could request proof of permit for that room above the garage you added. Not having one is a risk most buyers wouldn’t want to absorb.

Building codes were designed to set public-safety standards for things like construction, maintenance, use and occupancy. Codes address all aspects of construction, including structural integrity, fire resistance, safe exits, lighting, electrical, energy conservation, plumbing, ventilation, and correct use of construction materials. 

 

In order to make a change to your property, you need a permit that states your renovations coincide with all applicable building codes. Permits may be needed to cover projects such as the installation of foundations and sprinkler systems, the addition of a porch or deck, changes to driveways and room additions. These codes are modified often, and established and enforced by government officials or politicians. Enforcement tactics can include denying permits, occupancy certificates, or imposing fines. 

Codes vary with location—each state, county, city and town can have their own specialized codes for things like electricity, plumbing, construction and fire. Typically, each code or permit requires separate inspections and inspectors. Inquire with your city hall to find out the correct department and process for securing permits. 

Some homeowners avoid securing a building permit to avoid a potential increase in property taxes should the renovation result in an increase in the assessed value of the property. However, the extra precautionary step is vital and ensures you won’t suffer from repercussions such as hefty fines, or having to tear down your new deck due to improper construction or zoning. Taking the time to check on your local building codes and obtaining a permit will help ensure your renovation project goes smoothly.

Possibilities for the Future–interesting stuff

1. Auto repair shops go away.  A gasoline engine has 20,000 individual parts.  An electrical engine has 20.  Electric cars are sold with lifetime guarantees and are only repaired by dealers.  It will take only 10 minutes to remove and replace an electric engine.  Faulty electric engines are not repaired in the dealership but are sent to a regional repair shop that repairs them with robots.  Essentially, if your electric “Check Motor” light comes on, you simply drive up to what looks like a car wash.  Your car is towed through while you have a cup of coffee and out comes your car with a new engine
2. Gas stations go away.  Parking meters are replaced by meters that dispense electricity.  All companies install electrical recharging stations.
3. All major auto manufacturers have already designated 5-6 billion dollars each to start building new plants that only build electric cars.
4. Coal industries,  Oil companies  and Drilling for oil become rare.

Homes will produce and store more electrical energy during the day than they use and will sell it back to the grid.  The grid stores it and dispenses it to industries that are high electricity users.
A baby born today may see more gas powered cars in museums than on the street.                                            

 

Other TRENDS

 

1. In 1998, Kodak had 170,000 employees and sold 85% of all photo paper worldwide.  Within just a few years, their business model disappeared and they went bankrupt.

What happened to Kodak will happen in a lot of industries in the next 5-10 years and, most people won’t see it coming.

Did you think in 1998 that 3 years later you would never take pictures on film again?

Yet digital cameras were invented in 1975.  The first ones only had 10,000 pixels, but followed Moore’s law.  So as with all exponential technologies, it was a disappointment for a time, before it became way superior and became mainstream in only a few short years.  It will now happen again (but much faster) with Artificial Intelligence, health, autonomous and electric cars, education, 3D printing, agriculture and jobs.

2. Software will disrupt most traditional industries in the next 5-10 years.
3. Uber is just a software tool, they don’t own any cars, yet they are now the biggest taxi company in the world.
4.  Airbnb is now the biggest hotel company in the world, although they don’t own any properties.

5. Artificial Intelligence: Computers become exponentially better in understanding the world.  This year, a computer beat the best Go-player in the world, 10 years earlier than expected.
6. In the U.S., young lawyers already don’t get jobs.  Because of IBM’s Watson, you can get legal advice (so far for more or less basic stuff) within seconds, with 90% accuracy compared with 70% accuracy when done by humans.  So, if you study law, stop immediately.  There will be 90% fewer lawyers in the future, only omniscient specialists will remain.

6A. Watson already helps doctors/nurses diagnosing cancer, it’s 4 times more accurate than human doctors.

7. Facebook now has a pattern recognition software that can recognize faces better than humans. In 2030, computers will become more intelligent than humans.
8. Autonomous cars: In 2018 the first self-driving cars will appear for the public.  Around 2020, the complete industry will start to be disrupted.  You don’t want to own a car anymore.  You will call a car with your phone, it will show up at your location and drive you to your destination.  You will not need to park it you only pay for the driven distance and can be productive while driving.  The very young children oftoday will never get a driver’s license and will never own a car.

8A. It will change the cities, because we will need 90-95% fewer cars for that.  We can transform former parking spaces into parks. 
1.2 million people die each year in car accidents worldwide.  We now have one accident every 60,000 mi (100,000 km), with autonomous driving that will drop to 1 accident in 6 million miles (10 million km).  That will save a million lives worldwide each year.

8B. Most car companies will doubtless become bankrupt.  Traditional car companies try the evolutionary approach and just build a better car, while tech companies (Tesla, Apple, Google) will do the revolutionary approach and build a computer on wheels.

8C. Many engineers from Volkswagen and Audi are completely terrified of Tesla.

9. Insurance companies will have massive trouble because, without accidents, the insurance will become 100 x cheaper.  Their car insurance business model will disappear.
10. Real estate will change.  Because if you can work while you commute, people will move further away to live in a more beautiful neighborhood
11. Electric cars will become mainstream about 2020.  Cities will be less noisy because all new cars will run on electricity.
12. Electricity will become incredibly cheap and clean:  Solar production has been on an exponential curve for 30 years, but you can now see the burgeoning impact.
13. Last year, more solar energy was installed worldwide than fossil.  Energy companies are desperately trying to limit access to the grid to prevent competition from home solar installations, but that simply cannot continue… technology will take care of that strategy.
14. With cheap electricity comes cheap and abundant water.  Desalination of salt water now only needs 2 kWh per cubic meter (@ 0.25 cents).  We don’t have scarce water in most places, we only have scarce drinking water.  Imagine what will be possible if anyone can have as much clean water as he wants, for nearly no cost.
15. Health: The Tricorder X price will be announced this year.  There are companies who will build a medical device (called the “Tricorder” from Star Trek) that works with your phone, which takes your retina scan, your blood sample and you breath into it.  It then analyses 54 bio-markers that will identify nearly any disease.  It will be cheap, so in a few years everyone on this planet will have access to world class medical analysis, nearly for free.
16. 3D printing: The price of the cheapest 3D printer came down from $18,000 to $400 within 10 years.  In the same time, it became 100 times faster.  All major shoe companies have already started 3D printing shoes.
17. Some spare airplane parts are already 3D printed in remote airports.  The space station now has a printer that eliminates the need for the large amount of spare parts they used to have in the past.
18. At the end of this year, new smart phones will have 3D scanning possibilities.  You can then 3D scan your feet and print your perfect shoe at home.
19. In China, they already 3D printed and built a complete 6-story office building.  By 2027, 10% of everything that’s being produced will be 3D printed.
20. Business opportunities: If you think of a niche you want to go in, first ask yourself: “In the future, do I think we will have that?”  And, if the answer is yes, how can you make that happen sooner?

20A. If it doesn’t work with your phone, forget the idea.  Any idea designed for success in the 20th century is doomed to failure in the 21st century.

20B. Work: 70-80% of jobs will disappear in the next 20 years.  There will be a lot of new jobs, but it is not clear if there will be enough new jobs in such a short time.

21. Agriculture: There will be a $100 agricultural robot in the future.  Farmers in 3rd world countries can then become managers of their field instead of working all day on their fields.
22. Aeroponics will need much less water.  The first Petri dish produced veal is now available and will be cheaper than cow produced veal in 2018.  Right now, 30% of all agricultural surfaces are used for cows.  Imagine if we don’t need that space anymore.
23. There are several startups who will bring insect protein to the market shortly.  It contains more protein than meat.  It will be labeled as “alternative protein source”.

Backyard Bounty: The Case for Your Own Vegetable Garden

(BPT)—For most kids, “eat your vegetables” sounds about as much fun as homework on a Friday—but as adults know, vegetables are a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle. Want to get your children excited about veggies? Grow your own with them!
 
Studies show that having children participate in vegetable gardening helps teach them responsibility, fostering a sense of ownership that ups the likelihood they’ll eat vegetables more often. Really!
 
Growing your own vegetable garden has other benefits, as well. Aside from having fresh, fortifying food stocked at home, tending to your garden also serves as outdoor exercise, and can even have de-stressing effects.
 
Vegetable gardens also shrink your environmental footprint, allowing for composting, as well as for cutting down the use of natural resources used for commercially-grown crops.

 

Many vegetables are amenable to a variety of living situations—even container pots on an apartment balcony. Leafy greens like arugula, kale and spinach are ideal for beginners, especially if using transplants, which eliminate the challenge of starting from a seed. (You’ll reap the harvest six weeks sooner, too!)
 
Consider starting with staples like broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, sweet potatoes or tomatoes—these nutrient-packed foods are a delicious accompaniment to any meal. Your family will thank you!
 
Source: Bonnie Plants