Category Archives: Reviews

Future Of Housing: “Abodu” Backyard Homes Pre-Approved For Installation In San Jose, CA (In Two Weeks)

From a HousingWire.com online release:

Abodu Backyard Homes interiorHaving gained this pre-approval status, Abodu said one of its units can be installed in a backyard in as little as two weeks.

“Abodu is proud to enter the Bay Area market and provide a new, cost-effective alternative for those seeking more space or looking to monetize their backyard via rental income,” said John Geary, co-founder at Abodu.  “Whether a buyer is installing an Abodu backyard home for a family member or as an additional source of income, this is a great and easy way to increase the value and functionality of a home.”

In 2017, the state of California passed several laws that gave cities more flexibility for allowing homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Most recently, at the beginning of this year, the state approved legislation that gave homeowners with ADUs constructed without a permit the ability to be inspected and approved under the standards that were in place the year the structure was built.

To read more: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/50113-bay-area-company-combats-housing-crunch-with-backyard-home-offering?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20HousingWire%20Daily&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76675682&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93dN4nTMs2PA2T2vda9Fl_yxtwTimIec6gC5lps_L28CvH39n6jpIudt4UhedfW7zpQXXOPD2jHGmjulumHC2_Zkpe6g&_hsmi=76675682

Medical Reviews: “Unnecessary” Leg Stent Surgery Can Make Vascular Disease Worse

From a Wall Street Jouranl online article:

The Price We Pay - Marty Makary MDDr. Makary examines the practice of performing unnecessary vascular procedures in a chapter of his new book, “The Price We Pay,” published Sept. 10. In it, he describes what seems to be the “predatory” practice of some doctors seeking out patients at health screenings in churches.

Dr. Hicks says performing unnecessary leg procedures like stenting can make vascular disease worse, creating blockage in narrow arteries or causing an artery to rupture. She says patients with early leg pain have a 1% to 2% risk of limb loss after five years. But aggressive procedures increase that risk to 5% to 10%.

Some physicians are stenting leg arteries and removing plaque at alarming rates, these doctors say. The often-avoidable procedures could put patients at risk of complications and worsening disease.

Johns Hopkins researchers published a study in June in the Journal of Vascular Surgery analyzing national data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers the Medicare program. The research identified 320 physicians whose rates for conducting such procedures in patients newly diagnosed with leg pain were 14% or higher. The mean rate of all 5,664 physicians was 3.5%.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-sound-an-alarm-over-leg-stent-surgery-11568127286?mod=cx_immersive&cx_navSource=cx_immersive&cx_tag=poptarget&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

Top Travel Destinations: Hiking And Viewing The Fall Colors On Mackinac Island, Michigan

From a Michigan.org online article:

Mackinac-Island-Fall-ColorsThere are over 140 miles of trails and roads leading to great views on Mackinac Island. Stop by the Visitor’s Center to buy a map of the trails, significant points of interest and self-tours. Or visit a rental bike shop for a map, (though these have less detail). One of the most popular trails is the 8.2-mile road along the island’s perimeter. Typically there are bikers along this trail, but plenty of pedestrians also use it to see the beautiful shorelines. The road is not very hilly but it is long, so take your time to enjoy the views and be sure to stop occasionally to read about the history of the island. If you’d like to get deeper inland, there are several trails that lead to great views of the changing reds, yellows, and oranges as well as vantage points to see the beautiful shorelines. Stay aware of bikers and horses and be sure to stop at Sugar Loaf, Fort Mackinac, Skull Cave or Arch Rock for amazing views.

To read more: https://www.michigan.org/article/trip-idea/pure-michigan-hiking-trails-see-brilliant-fall-colors

Top New Camper Trailers: The Opus OP 15′ Hybrid Caravan Is “Go Anywhere”

From a Curbed.com online review:

Opus OP 15′ Hybrid Caravan interiorThe trailer is set up for families thanks to a king-size bed on one side and twin bunk beds on the other. A full bathroom boasts a shower, sink, and chemical toilet, and bamboo shelving allows for plenty of storage space. A leatherette dining area provides a place to sit inside, and on-demand hot water, a heater, and built-in air conditioning come standard.

https://www.opuscamper.us/op15/

Opus has created their first full-size, hard-sided camper. Called the Opus OP 15, the new trailer blends off-road capabilities with amenities for a family. It’s also expandable, designed with a pop-up top for extra headroom in a way that’s similar to Safari Condo’s Alto R Series trailer. This means that while you’re towing the Opus OP 15, you have a low-roof, compact, 15-foot trailer. But once you get to camp you have plenty of room inside.

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/9/9/20857187/rv-camper-travel-trailer-off-road-opus-op-15

Top Exhibitions: William Blake At Tate Britain (Sept. 11, 2019 to Feb. 2, 2020)

From a Tate Britain online description:

Nebuchandnezzar by William BlakeAlthough Blake was considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, he is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as “Pre-Romantic”. A committed Christian who was hostile to the Church of England (indeed, to almost all forms of organised religion), Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American Revolutions.

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. What he called his prophetic works were said by 20th-century critic Northrop Frye to form “what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language”. His visual artistry led 21st-century critic Jonathan Jones to proclaim him “far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced”. In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.

To read more: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-blake-39

Future Of Tourism: Athenea Eco-Friendly Luxury Floating Suites Will Be Available Soon

From a Curbed.com online article:

ANTHENEA IS THE FIRST FLOATING ECO-LUX HOTEL SUITE interiorThe domed capsule is the brainchild of naval architect Jean-Michel Ducancelle, who was inspired by the floating saucer in the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Under development for the last 15 years, this 21st-century version is outfitted with five south-facing solar panels that soak up the sun and power the electric motors and mechanical systems.

 

Half-boat, half-futuristic pod, the Anthenea is a bold take on sea-bound tourism. While we’ve already seen everything from an underwater Maldives hotel to an elevating floating home, the 538-square-foot Anthenea is being billed as “the world’s first eco-luxe floating hotel suite” (that can also be used as a spa, restaurant, night club, or really whatever the buyer can dream of).

http://www.anthenea.fr/en/homepage/

To read more: https://www.curbed.com/2019/9/5/20850121/solar-powered-floating-hotel-suite-anthenea

Destination Restaurants: The Halyard (& Jack’s Shack) At Sound View Hotel In Greenport, NY

From a Bon Appétit magazine online review:

The Halyard RestaurantImmediately upon checking into one of the Sound View’s cedar-paneled rooms, all clean white sheets and sailcloth pillows and views straight out onto the beach (ALL of the rooms at the Sound View look straight out onto the beach), I felt my blood pressure slow. For lunch, we jammed lobster rolls the size of our faces into our faces by the pool. Come late afternoon, we sat on our sandswept porch drinking canned rosé and watched the sky turn gold.

image-asset

The Halyard

Jack's Shack at the Sound View in Greenport NYFor dinner at The Halyard (Sound View’s hotel-restaurant-that-decidedly-doesn’t-suck), we grabbed a corner table on the open-air deck and ate peak-season heirloom tomato gazpacho and crisply seared scallops caught just a few miles away. Afterwards, loose on Greenport IPAs, we moseyed over to the piano bar for karaoke night and performed Alanis Morissette duets for a group of drunken Scottish people (all of whom are now our best friends) late into the night. It was a perfect weekend, the kind that made summer feel as endless as it did in the good old days, back before Google calendars existed.

https://soundviewgreenport.com/

To read more: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/sound-view-hotel-north-fork

World’s Top Exhibitions: “The Deep Listener” By Danish Artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen, Serpentine Galleries, London (2019)

deeplistener1Designed as an augmented reality and spatial audio work downloadable as an app for mobile devices, it is both a site specific public artwork and a digital archive of these species, using tools and platforms from a range of fields including video games, computer generated images and film. Inspired by ecological science-fiction and scientific research, Kudsk Steensen creates a form of ‘slow media’ that uses the technological to foster attention rather than distraction. 

...a journey to both see and hear five of London’s species: London plane trees, bats, parakeets, azure blue damselflies and reedbeds.

Kudsk Steensen has collaborated with the field recordist and sound designer Matt McCorkle to represent five species as sound. The audio and visuals within the project are drawn directly from organic source material gathered from a period of embedded research within Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. These organic materials are then transformed through digital processes to be re-embedded within the same context.

Download brochure: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/files/press-releases/the_deep_listener_tdl_a5_digital_v2_final.pdf

Website: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/exhibitions-events/serpentine-augmented-architecture

Future Of City Mobility: Revel Electric Mopeds Offer App-Based Utility And Affordability

From CityLab.com online article:

Revel Electric Mopeds NYC pricingCompared to the toylikerule-floutingsidewalk-cluttering kick-scooters, proper motor scooters also promise to be a more regulated—and officially legitimized—form of urban transportation. “It rides and parks in the street and flows through traffic, completely off sidewalks,” says Frank Reig, CEO of Revel. “You’re part of the traffic lane and have a license plate.”

Revel Electric Mopeds NYC rear viewTo get started, the company requires a scan of your license, accompanied by an in-app selfie, to go through a $19 background check approval. What you don’t need is a motorcycle license, or any prior experience piloting these kinds of vehicles. And that could prove to be a challenge for some.

The electric mopeds that Revel uses in D.C. are made by the Chinese company NIU; they sell about $3,000 to $5,000 if you want your own, and they are similar in price and capabilities to their gas-powered Vespa cousins. They have a range of about 60 miles and can go about 30 miles per hour—fast enough to keep up with traffic in the city.

To read more: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/09/revel-electric-scooter-rental-review-moped-safety-tips-app/597367/?utm_campaign=citylab-daily-newsletter&utm_medium=email&silverid=%25%25RECIPIENT_ID%25%25&utm_source=newsletter

Top California Hotels: The Farmhouse Inn Is A Culinary Destination In Sonoma Wine Country

From a Jetsetter.com online review:

Farmhouse Inn, CA roomDespite the overwhelming presence of boutique inns along the Atlantic, they’re not a strictly East Coast commodity. Case in point: Sonoma’s  Farmhouse Inn.

The 25-room property, located just 30 minutes from Calistoga and Napa Valley, attracts visitors from near and far with guest rooms done up in homey, (you guessed it) farmstead-style decor (think: plaid throws and rustic tree limb end tables, all adhering to a neutral palette of white, beige, and brown), brightened up by bouquets of fresh seasonal flowers. Farmhouse Inn, CA signBeyond its aesthetically-pleasing interiors, the inn also knows a thing or two about food—starting with a nightly turndown service that includes homemade cookies and milk, and ending with the Farmhouse Restaurant, an onsite Michelin-starred, farm-to-table dining experience with killer dishes like peach salad, chanterelle tortellini, and wild Alaskan halibut.

To read more: https://www.jetsetter.com/magazine/the-coziest-inns-ever/?