SPACE talks

    – An annual road trip is a staple for many American families.Whether plans for visiting relatives, exploring a new destination, or revisiting a favorite vacation spot, loading the car and getting behind the wheel is second nature. But, upgrading a road trip with an RV may be just the ticket to making the next adventure the best one yet.According to Phocuswright’s US Consumer Travel research, almost half of Millennials are interested in renting an RV for a leisure trip within the next 12 months. It may be because hitting the road in an RV is an exciting way to spend time traveling with friends or family on a nature-filled adventure. Don’t have an RV? Thanks to sites such as RVshare, RV rentals are easier to find and book than ever. With more than 100,000 RVs to choose from across the country, the peer-to-peer marketplace has a variety of vehicles with options ranging from a luxury motor home to a confined camper, there is something for everyone at any price point. There is ...

   – Toys for Tots is more than a Christmastime charity – thanks to a new partnership between the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and Good360.Toys for Tots, the 74-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, is launching a DoGoodNow campaign to bring toys, books, and games to families in need throughout the year.The charitable campaign is a partnership with Good360, a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving."With so many families struggling during the pandemic, Good360 is proud to continue the great work of our Marine Toys for Tots partnership," says Matt Connelly, CEO of Good360."We’ve seen firsthand how toys, books, and games bring joy to children and their loved ones served by our nonprofit partners, and expanding our efforts will significantly increase the impact of our program."The goal of the current campaign is to distribute one million more toys, books and games to families in need through the philanthropic orga...

  Payday for Instagram Users ( NewsUSA )  – Most of us can’t imagine life without Internet service at home. We use it every day for news and entertainment, as well as to research healthcare options for our families; to connect with friends and family; to search and apply for jobs, scholarships, or schools; or to shop and save time.Unfortunately, many low-income households in this country aren’t connected and they’re missing out on the life-changing resources the Internet has to offer.According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey, 81 percent of U.S. households have broadband Internet access, but only 63 percent of those with annual incomes of less than $35,000 do.For the past seven years, Comcast has been on a mission to do something about this so-called "digital divide" through its acclaimed Internet Essentials program, which has become the largest broadband adoption program for low-income families across the U.S.The program has had an enormous impact on families and...

  Outdoor Spaces Offer Style And Comfort ( NewsUSA )  – If you enjoy relaxing and entertaining on your porch or patio, you are not alone.Today’s homeowners love being outdoors, and design professionals are being tasked with creating extravagant outdoor living areas with all the creature comforts that are typically found indoors – a task they’re accomplishing with natural building materials such as cypress.Mark Tuck of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association,  www.CypressInfo.org , says, "Cypress is a beautiful wood that looks exotic. More importantly, it is a durable wood that – when properly installed and maintained – provides long-lasting performance. It’s perfect for outdoor use!"Unlike other species that need to be pressure-treated with chemicals for outdoor use, cypress comes by its durability naturally. When growing, cypress trees produce cypressene in their heartwood. This preservative oil protects the wood from the elements, and it repels insects such as te...

  Yes, Homeowners, It’s Time to Prepare for Storm Season ( NewsUSA )  – Sponsored by GAF – Here we go again?Five to nine hurricanes – with as many as four "major" ones boasting sustained winds of 111-plus mph – is what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just predicted for this year’s storm season. In other words, they’re calling for an "active" six months or so through the end of November.And while no one’s saying we’re in for a repeat of last season’s devastating triple whammy – yes, we do mean Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria – ask anyone still dealing with the havoc of having had their house battered in one of those storms if they don’t still wonder what more they could’ve done to be better prepared."It only takes one storm to devastate a community," said Acting FEMA Deputy Administrator Daniel Kaniewski.Read on for some of the best advice on readying for the next (inevitable) storm.* Check your insurance. The coups de grace for many o...

    Tips (Including Virtual Reality) For Avoiding Home Improvement Blunders ( NewsUSA )   Sponsored by GAF – Want proof of how carefully you need to weigh the alternatives before making upgrades to your home?Look no further than the Florida couple who last year decided to have their house painted to look like artist Vincent Van Gogh’s famous canvas "The Starry Night." It wasn’t just that it was such an odd choice for an exterior that it attracted tourists – sort of the local answer to New York’s Madame Tussauds – it was that the city of Mount Dora took them to court over it."Graffiti," the city called it."First Amendment!" countered homeowner Lubek Jastrzebski, an immigrant from Communist-era Poland, who argued that the city code didn’t address house colors and aesthetics.Yes, that’s an extreme example of unintended consequences. But even though legally the homeowners wound up off the hook, anyone now contemplating shelling out significant bucks on home im...

Facebook drew flak from the international community for allegedly censoring posts on its social media platform calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation over the spiraling crisis of the coronavirus pandemic in India Facebook told users that posts that included #ResignModi were “temporarily hidden” because “some content in those posts goes against our Community Standards.” According to BuzzFeed News, the people in India could not view these posts even as  those in the US, Canada or the UK could see them  with a simple search. The posts remained hidden for about three hours, but after the first report on this was out, Facebook allowed these posts to be seen in India, backtracking its previous decision related to community guideline violations. “Because the posts were hidden, it’s unclear what content violated the rules of a company whose executives have often expressed a commitment to open expression,” the report read. According to reports, soon after the BuzzFeed s...

  Five Hot Trends in Hardwood Flooring ( NewsUSA )  – More than ever, homeowners are appreciating the added value – aesthetic and monetary – that hardwood floors bring to a home."They also offer what can be an overwhelming variety of possibilities and choices," says Linda Jovanovich of the American Hardwood Information Center,  www.hardwoodinfo.com . "Here’s a look at five top flooring trends that will help if you can’t see the wood for the trees." Made in America "There’s a growing demand for American-produced hardwoods," says Michael Martin, President and CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association."It’s part of the general trend toward locally-sourced materials of all kinds in the U.S."Consumer concerns about sustainability, quality, safety, and environmental factors are more easily addressed when a hardwood is domestically grown and milled. Plus, the U.S. offers an unrivaled range of readily available species suitable for flooring. Stains a...

  The Story of the Barcode: Past, Present, and Future ( NewsUSA )  – Same-day delivery. Self-checkout. Buy online, pick-up in store. Countless modern shopping conveniences that are currently available can be traced back to the debut of a seemingly simple technology with a powerful impact on global commerce – the barcode.Today, the barcode is used by millions of people everywhere, every day. However, its creation required decades of collaboration with grocery industry leaders to establish its design, use, and ultimately cement its place in retail. This year, we celebrate the definitive moment in history when 45 years ago, the first Universal Product Code (UPC) was scanned – a milestone that led to unprecedented economic opportunities and the variety of shopping options we enjoy today. The Barcode’s Origins Few shoppers today remember a time when product prices were manually entered at a cash register. Before checkouts featured barcodes and scanners, long lines snaked ...

  Weathering The Storm Starts at The Top ( NewsUSA )  – While property damage caused by extreme weather often makes headlines, even isolated spring and summer storms can wreak havoc on your home’s  roof .When functioning as a system, the right roof uses components to help protect your home from the elements in three key areas. First, the roofing system helps defend against weather-inflicted damage. Second, the roofing system is designed to protect against moisture intrusion. Finally, the roofing system helps a home breathe with balanced attic ventilation.As such, it’s a good practice to make sure your home’s roof is in optimal condition before storm season gets underway. The following tips can help prepare your roof to weather nature’s storms.Look for damage: Some weather damage is easily visible. For example, divots on shingles or missing shingle granules may indicate hail damage. Thin, horizontal lines where granules have worn off may also indicate that a storm has affe...

  Self-Publishing Helps Parents Share New Books with Kids ( NewsUSA )  – It’s no surprise that parents today seek books that will delight, engage, and educate their children. However, some parents are seeing gaps in the available options of topics they want to share with their children. To combat this, there is a growing trend of parents who have taken matters into their own hands and turned to self-publishing to fill these holes themselves. Kindle Direct Publishing  (KDP) from Amazon is one self-publishing option that offers editorial freedom and ease of use for busy parents looking to create something that meets their kids’ needs.KDP success stories include Handeep Dhoot (who writes as " Dr. Dhoot "), a mom with a Ph.D. in chemistry who wanted to introduce her young daughter to STEM topics.Dr. Dhoot has self-published the growing Tinker Toddler series of STEM books aimed at young children, including Machine Learning for Babies & Toddlers."Becoming a parent helped ...

  Hispanic Homeowner Follows A Step-By-Step Plan to Buy A House ( NewsUSA )  – A national housing survey found 88 percent of Hispanics felt homeownership was a good long-term investment, with 92 percent reporting they planned to be homeowners.Jocelyn Vasquez is living proof of those statistics.At a young age, her parents instilled the belief that if you owned a home, you had achieved the American dream. That dream of homeownership carried a lot of weight for her Hispanic parents, who had immigrated from El Salvador in 1977.Jocelyn turned the dream into an aggressive goal for herself:"My goal, as a U.S. citizen, was to graduate college and get a house before turning 30," says Jocelyn. "And, I wanted to do it on my own."To accomplish this, the Los Angeles, California resident made a roadmap for herself. She saved, attended college and kept her student loan debt as low as possible – all without burdening her parents.After she graduated, Jocelyn got a job as a loan offi...

  Eco-Friendly, Health-Enhancing Home Design ( NewsUSA )  – As the coronavirus pandemic rapidly turned the "new normal" household into hubs for all daily activities, Summer 2020 now means moving parents’ offices, kid’s camps, vacation destinations, and virtually everything under one roof.Although this dynamic could forge family bonds, it can also ignite the already heated stresses and struggles facing many Americans during this difficult time – making optimal home climate control a critical key to keeping their cool as temperatures heat up this season.Recent studies show how our increased togetherness can significantly disrupt domestic bliss. In fact,  research  suggests that people forced to live in quarantine conditions face a greater risk of anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, insomnia and post-traumatic stress symptoms.And, despite feeling close to their children during the pandemic, 61percent of parents say they have shouted, yelled, or screamed at them at...

  Innovative, Economical Fire Extinguisher That Is Safe and Simple ( NewsUSA )  – Every household and business needs a fire safety plan, and a simple to-use fire protection device can be a key component of keeping your family and property safe.However, all fire-suppression devices are not created equal, and portability, safety, and ease of use are key when selecting the right fire protection product for your home, business or wherever.BlazzOut Inc has developed a lightweight and user-friendly fire-extinguishing device that offers several advantages for home, business, and vehicle use as well as other settings where simple, environmentally-friendly firefighting is needed, such as schools, libraries, and  farms.The signature BlazzOut product is a compact, lightweight, and easy-to-handle grenade-style extinguisher known as BlazzKiller. The device is designed to be thrown into a fire from a safe distance that contains a non-toxic water-based formula, which is economical and e...

  Make Your “Full House” Fully Energy-Efficient This Winter ( NewsUSA )  -The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly turned the "new normal" household into hubs for all family life, moving the workplace, grade school, college, extracurricular activities, meals, gyms, and hobbies, all under one roof.Although this new "Full House" dynamic could forge family bonds, it will also cause energy use and utility bills to skyrocket with all home technologies, appliances and systems running overtime at unprecedented levels – making optimal, energy-efficient home climate control a critical part of both keeping everyone comfortable AND minimizing utility bills due to significantly more time spent at home.The good news is that families can successfully prevent a utility bill blitz this winter by following a few simple steps. With home heating and cooling accounting for nearly half of home energy use, small steps can go a long way.* Ease Into Electric:  According to Columbia University’s E...

  y es, COVID-19 May Be Having A Positive Impact on Household Dynamics ( NewsUSA )  – Turns out a lot of us actually like certain changes we’ve made in our lives while holed up at home since the coronavirus hit.No, we’re not talking about what turned out to be the not so stop-gap measures experts usually cite in arguing the entire world has been forever transformed due to COVD-19. Telemedicine. Telemeetings. Fist bumps — well, okay, maybe not fist bumps, but (sadly) "handshakes may be one of the last things to come back," the Boston Globe reported.Instead, a new survey of U.S. adults aged 18 and over provides rare insight into what could be the pandemic’s long-term impact on individual household dynamics.Think about it: Fifty-three percent of those surveyed report spending an extra 7.4 hours, on average, at home each day, which works out to be the equivalent of two additional days per week. And what have we been doing with that extra time?We’ve been cooking together more (14 ...

  Continue Reading:  HOME OFFICE MAKEOVER Rewards Program Adds Perks to Home Buying ( NewsUSA )  – The COVID-19 pandemic and historically low mortgage interest rates have caused a flurry of home buying across the United States. Families are searching for more flexible work or learning spaces, larger homes and spacious yards for cooped up kids.For those just getting started, an Arizona-based real estate rewards and referral network company, RBN (Real Buyer Network), offers homebuyers added value to their purchase through its relationship with American Express.Here’s how it works: Homebuyers use an RBN participating agent for their home purchase and they can earn American Express Membership Rewards® points up to the purchase price of the home.Larry and Myra of North Carolina recently earned more than 500,000 reward points with RBN. "We enrolled with RBN and were put in touch with Thomas Wohl, Broker, Realtor and it’s probably the best decision we ever made. Thomas was not j...

  BookTrib Bites: Books for a Better Life, and a Charming Children’s Tale ( NewsUSA ) "The End of Migraines: 150 Ways to Stop Your Pain" by Alexander Mauskop M.D. This incisive cutting-edge approach to migraine treatment is highly readable, informative and hopeful, offering ingredients that migraine sufferers can benefit from. The author has treated thousands of patients with migraine during decades of clinical experience. What resonates is how practical a resource this proves to be; one is able to "own" one’s migraine tendencies and have the knowledge needed to improve his or her condition.The author’s approach includes understanding environmental triggers, the value of exercise, meditation and diet. It also details alternative approaches including acupuncture and reflexology along with traditional medications prescribed to migraineurs. The breakdown of medications, citing the positive and negative effects, is particularly useful. Purchase at  https://amzn.to/3c69l...

  With All Eyes on Our Eyes, Targeted Wrinkle Solutions in Demand ( NewsUSA )  – A combination of stress, lack of sleep, and increased time squinting at screens as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that our eyes are working harder than ever. Although there is cause for optimism, video meetings and face masks will likely be with us for some time. That means that all eyes are on our eyes and the wrinkles surrounding them, especially that stubborn spot between the brows, where vertical wrinkles known as “elevens” develop over time. These wrinkles can be some of the most challenging to address, and many eye-care products don’t do the job. “Wrinkles in the eye area are a concern for many of our patients, especially now that everyone is paying more attention to each other’s eyes for communication while wearing masks and attending video meetings,” says Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, board-certified New York dermatologist and founder of Entiere Dermatology. “The eye...