Really is that going to cut it in the new economy? An analysis of census data by The New York Times shows that from 2000 to 2010, occupations that are more than 70 percent female accounted for almost a third of all job growth for men, double the share of the previous decade. Though he says the recession had little to do with his career choice, he believes the tough times that have limited the prospects for new law school graduates have also helped make his father, a lawyer, more accepting. am for one exhausted over that idiotic concept of "man's work" etc. At John G.

Maybe I am just a cynic and see shadows in corners that don't exist but this mornings Style section of the New York Times set my blood to boil. There was a profile of Graham Hill the founder of Treehugger who has a new product/project to sell. This new venture strikes me as equally suspect but perhaps this is the Facebook effect, where I see a young male selling out for great personal wealth while professing to be "different." Later this month, Mr. Hsieh will try it out for himself, when he comes to New York to stay in the LifeEdited apartment.

Guarantee your spot at one of these upcoming workshops by clicking here: Events buffalo buffalo ny ice new york SIMA snow snow and ice snow and ice symposium symposium tradeshowCome and catch up with the Landscape Management Network at SIMA’s Snow and Ice Symposium 2012 in Buffalo, NY. We’re at Booth #1520 and will be on hand with free trials and answers to your questions about estimating and business management software for the snow and ice industry. Mike Lysecki, Landscape Management Network. 2011’s highest rated Symposium speaker is back for an encore performance!

US Cities: Greater New York City Area 37,569. Architecture in Bermuda 1939 – before LinkedIn existed Architects and Planners have been busy creating profiles on LinkedIn. The latest statistics (as of May 16, 2012) show there are 1,128,581 LinkedIn profiles in the Architecture and Planning Industry. For those readers interested in knowing just where all these profiles are in the world, here’s a breakdown: United States 337,376. India 69,140. Italy 63,357. United Kingdom 59,815. Brazil 50,974. Spain 43,815. Netherlands 29.585. Canada 29,339. France 27,700. Mexico 24,250.

See original article at New York Bill Proposes Additional Protection to Homeowners Against Mechanic Liens. New York Assembly Bill 105 proposes to change the state’s mechanics lien laws to provide more protections to homeowners against mechanic lien filings, and therefore, further water down the contractor and suppliers rights to file a mechanics lien against an owner-occupied residential project. We saw one get proposed (and shot down) in Virginia , and there are  similar bills currently being contemplated in Pennsylvania  and New Hampshire.

This amount can be much higher, and an example of this is a new Virginia law that allows contracts of up to $350,000 to be un-bonded. In some states, you can file a lien against the lease interest in the property, but in others, like New York, it may be trickier. See original article at How Can I Secure Payment If There Are No Lien Or Bond Rights On The Project? This blog’s focus is traditionally on mechanics lien and bond claim laws. It provides security for the credit you’re extending to your customer. What am I talking about? Joint Check Agreements.

found this blog entry in the New York Times today pondering the numerous green labels and certifications that perpetuate the marketplace. Recently I stopped at an upmarket cafeteria near Rockefeller Center in Manhattan where plaques and posters proclaimed that it had been certified by the Green Restaurant Association, a nonprofit group that is endorsed by the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Resources Defense Council and the New York State Restaurant Association. Ah I used to love that show. There was nothing green about any of their acreage. The S.F.I.

See original article at Filing New York Mechanics Lien When Tenant Commissioned Work Depends On Owner’s Consent If you performed construction work or furnished materials or equipment to a construction project commissioned by a tenant in New York, you may have the right to file a mechanics lien, but it depends greatly on just how involved the property owner was in the work. The New York Supreme Court commented on this in a 2006 case, Elliott-Williams Co. Impromptu Gourmet Inc Featured New York TenantThis is tricky.

So, unfortunately, the claimant may simply be without lien rights ( as is the case in New York ). See original article at Oklahoma’s Little Miller Act Now Applies To Private Construction on Public Land When performing work on a private construction project performed on state land, there may be a black hole of mechanics lien rights. This is recently resolved by Oklahoma. The change effectively makes the state’s Little Miller Act (governing bond claims against state projects) applicable to private construction projects whenever they are performed on public land.

I read in this mornings New York Times a great op-ed piece by Dean Baker who I feel sums up the current crisis in more than economic terms. worker between ages 50 and 61 who has been unemployed for 17 months has only about a 9 percent chance of finding a new job in the next three months. But given that most new businesses will fail, it may not be the best advice to tell older workers who have lost their jobs to also put their savings at risk to start a new business. He describes it in people terms. Loud volumes. percent of the labor force. One is suicide.

I read this in the New York Times today about Habitat for Humanity in Oregon who are building not just homes but full on communities. The article goes on to state that Habitat has gone beyond the new build phase and are buying foreclosed/abandoned homes in those cities and locales badly hit by the financial crisis and are remodeling them to build new and happy homes and residents. Recirculation,” Mr. Gray said in describing his money’s new path, from the old lumber and construction scene of the 1950s and 1960s — the G.I. So let's hope more of this comes along.

My mother used to say "take it from the source" and yes even the most well established and legitimate sources make mistakes (and yes that includes my beloved New York Times) their very longevity and place in the culture have demonstrated its worth and value to society at large. That came via the New York Times, which had an article so from that I then attended a talk, read a book, went to local meetings and yes relied on other websites to further educate and ultimately develop my opinion on the subject. But it would also be artificial if I did not. and so on.

As I search out businesses that are Made in America for my focus on Build America, today's New York Times has an article about the new birth or re-growth of American manufacturing thanks to Government subsidies. The subsidy comes from New York State, which supplies, at cost, the electric power that Revere uses to produce copper sheets and slabs. Similarly, the Otis Elevator Company is moving production to a new factory in Florence, S.C., Yes those subsidies that seemingly are an issue of debate, discussion and well confusion. percent from 11.7 Biden Jr.

As I continue to be mystified at the astronomical values of varying Internet ventures I found another article from the New York Times that shares my dis-suspension of belief when it comes to the current IPO values of companies that offer nothing; as in terms of revenue, longevity, capital earnings and more importantly - jobs. As the New York Times discussed in a recent article about Apple and its role in not only California and the community which it exists, how it avoids paying US taxes as a simple part of doing business. The irony not lost here at all. Bubble?

I read an interesting article about another new way to get Solar Power for one's home - via contracting with the provider/installer. Marc Steiner for The New York Times By DIANE CARDWELL Published: May 9, 2012 HOLMDEL, N.J. Jay Nuzzi, a New Jersey state trooper, had put off installing solar panels on his home here for years, deterred by the $70,000 it could cost. Some analysts caution that despite all the activity, the sector still faces hurdles, like the high costs of bringing in new customers and getting financing. like the concept just not the methods here.

The company has been training conductors on how to use the new gadgets for several months and are rolling out the service in the Boston to Portland, Me., The New York Times notes that ticketing is ripe for disruption. With the new iPhone-powered system, conductors can monitor passenger check-ins in real time. A centuries-old method of transportation is getting a modern day makeover. On Monday, Amtrak announced that it had started using iPhones to scan passengers’ tickets, shelving the familiar hole-puncher. and San Jose, Calif., to Sacramento routes.

This was reiterated last month in a New York appeals decision, CPN Mech., Lien Blog CPN Mech Inc v Madison Park Owner LLC Lien Challenge New YorkSee original article at Think A Mechanics Lien Amount is Exaggerated? That’s A Tough Case To Prove Quickly Just this morning a letter appeared on my desk from a general contractor who claims a subcontractor’s mechanics lien is “exaggerated;” meaning it claims to be owed way more money than actually owed. This is a really common occurrence in the mechanics lien world. Argument ensues.

Bond Program Backing Green Energy By DIANE CARDWELL Will Toor, a Boulder County commissioner, who advocates the use of Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds.Kevin Moloney for The New York TimesWill Toor, a Boulder County commissioner, who advocates the use of Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds. Under the initiative, cities and counties could sell bonds to pay for a new wind farm or energy efficient windows at City Hall, and the federal government would help pick up the tab. But hardly anyone bit. The program is relatively small. The requirements are confusing. Bellis said.

But Colby Sambrotto, the founder of ForSaleByOwner.com and USRealty.com, a discount broker, says that after trying to sell his own home in New York by himself, he was forced to hire an agent to get it shown to potential buyers. While the Banking Industry has been assailed, legislated and protested against for the great Mortgage recession of 2008, I have often wondered why (and blogged many times about) why Mortgage Brokers and their partners in crime, Real Estate Agents, have come away unscathed. Imagine bidding on homes as one does in an Art Auction. They are salesmen.

This morning this article was on the front page of the New York Times regarding the surplus of skilled crafstman seeking work via Craigslist. You can follow the pulse of the economy just by watching what’s going on with Craigslist,” said Jerry Patterson, a carpenter in Phoenix who once had plentiful work framing new homes and remodeling older ones. After rising early in the year, new-home sales fell in March, and government spending on infrastructure projects remains low. For security purposes I no longer use Craigslist unless it is for a minor transaction.

Soon after I find myself reading an article in the New York Times about an “Instant Bridge” (cool video at link ). Lien Blog Concrete Forming Featured Manufactured Homes Mechanics Lien New York Times Prefabricated Bridge Prefabricated Building Prefabrication Specially Fabricated Materials Universal Forest Products WashingtonSee original article at Prefabricated Construction Rising – Who Has Mechanics Lien Rights? Everyone looks for ways to save money. That video is at the top of this post. Mechanic Lien Rights For Off-Site Work. KB Seattle, Inc.

In states like New York, written consent from every unit owner is required before a mechanics lien is authorized against the complex. See original article at Associations Must Authorize Condo Work For Florida Mechanics Lien…Or Do They? Filing a mechanics lien against a condominium complex for work performed on the “common elements” can be a tricky affair. Typically, this work is authorized by the association or developer, but not specifically by each and every condo unit owner. This question is answered differently state-by-state. In  S. Coastal Elec.,

The New York Supreme Court issued an opinion last week that could spell trouble for the growing green building industry, as it ruled that a Cogen Energy System installation did not constitute an “improvement” subject to a mechanics lien. The New York Supreme Court Opinion in Trystate Mech., Is A Cogen Energy System An “Improvement” Under New York Mechanics Lien Law? Previous New York cases hold that where an improvement “was not intended to be permanent,” the Lien Law does not apply (Nevbesky v.

Wall Street Journal] A conservative political action committee is going up with a new television commercial — backed by a $1.7 New York Times] A new lab, where technology for the next generation of ground vehicles for the U.S. military will be developed and tested, officially opens today in Warren, as the Obama administration and its Defense Department unveil new programs to promote fuel savings and alternative energy. But now they do, thanks to a new paper just published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Reading Roundup.

You know that awkward one- or two-week-long phase (and hopefully not more) when you move into a new place when you’re still living out of boxes, and haven’t gotten your phone lines, Internet access, or cable TV hooked up yet? The New York Times wrote about the service in Monday’s edition, describing how the operation, which consists of 20 techs, handles setting up new tenants’ home entertainment systems, cable TV, phone and fax lines, and WiFi networks. New residents of MiMA receive only a free one-hour consultation. Beyond

For example, it is becoming easier and easier to deliver professional services without all the overhead associated with the trappings of a fancy office, staff and infrastructure in New York, LA, London, Hong Kong or Paris. The lament that outsourcing drives blue collar jobs over seas has always struck me as short sighted. Globalization impacts every aspect of the economy, including the delivery of professional services. Designers, construction managers and similarly situated providers of professional services in the built industry feel the pinch from global competition as well.

If you’re going to be in the New York City area this weekend, consider joining volunteers for the 5th Annual One Thing That’s Green tree planting event, organized by MillionTreesNYC and JetBlue Airways. Once again, Earth Day is here. Every year, April 22nd is a celebration of earth as well as the place marker for the birth of the modern environmental movement of 1970. At a time when environment was ignored in sake of gas guzzling V8′s and booming industry, mainstream America was quite oblivious to many environmental concerns. Earth Day 2012.

This was in this mornings New York Times about a couple who built their dream home from a kit only to find out the hard truth: Its not easy nor as "affordable" as presented. The article is below and what one must take into consideration is that the land was inherited so the costs of said property were not included in the overall costs. That and the land is not urban but rural making the drop costs and some assembly easier than in city settings. Put up or shut up. How about offering solutions or ideas on how to improve it. Its exhausting. Its not the case. wholeheartedly agreed.

well if they wanted to capture New York they managed that in the neighborhood better than most - urban, little green and high income inequality. At one point the New York Times did numerous articles about how venture capitalists were very green in nature. I went to NYC to catch up with some acquaintances who were there for the Sustainable Summit happening this week at the Hilton. It boasts an impressive pedigree of attendees and has an impressive goal of making America a sustainable place to live, work and well play. Not much. Where is that money?

Being in New York for the Sustainable Conference this week has put the travel bug in me. The weather has been great and the love of travel is something that even when its for business it can have some pleasure. For those looking for affordable travel plans overseas try Travelsoon.com as they offer the perfect tailor made holidays. From them you can search from thousands of cheap flights, hotels and extended stay apartments. And its fairly easy to accomplish. The also offer something unique: Lowest Price Guaranteed! Looking to travel? Travel sooner vs later.

And I read yesterday about a significant project in New York slated for destruction - The Orange County Government Center in Goshen, NY. The conflict has come in recent months to this quaint village 60 miles north of New York City — with its historic harness-racing track, picturesque Main Street and Greek Revival, Federal and Victorian houses — where the blocky concrete county government center designed by the celebrated Modernist architect Paul Rudolph has always been something of a misfit. have reprinted the article below for your perusal. Edward A.

Much is made of the new electric cars that are now hitting the marketplace along with increased production of hybrids. Today in the NY Times is a discussion regarding the payback on many of the new efficient automobilies. And that is what matters in the long run.DETROIT — Ed Moran’s new Toyota Prius was programmed by the dealer to make him feel good about his gas savings. Analysts say the added cost of the new technologies is limiting the ability of fuel-efficient cars to gain broader appeal. That last one is really the most challenging if not impossible to predict.

But how about New York City taxi drivers? Come 2014, the Nissan NV200, a van we’ve written about extensively  and that field service techs have started flocking to, will replace those iconic Crown Vics as the official taxicab make of New York City. It was picked by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to replace the city’s current fleet of Ford Crown Victoria taxis starting next year. The TLC says about 600,000 riders use taxis to get around New York City’s 6,300 miles of streets every day, and a cab can carry around 30 passengers per shift.

The announcement of the change was made one day before Discovery’s annual presentation for advertisers in New York. Discovery Channel is closing the Green TV channel to be more "midland America". Ironically what gave birth to the Green TV channel a profile of Greensburg, Kansas, a pretty "midland America city" is now not midland enough apparently. And Discovery is evaluating what people want to watch and Green subject matter, along with Oprah and her OWN network, they can safely assume that is not what people want to watch. Green is a "niche." Good to know.

This was from the New York Times a few days ago discussing the ways companies are actively seeking your garbage and turn that into something reusable for the business in other way. Taking what's old and make it new again. Companies Pick Up Used Packaging, and Recycling’s Cost Allen Brisson-Smith for The New York Times By STEPHANIE STROM Published: March 23, 2012 You might be doing both, as a result of a new trend in recycling, courtesy of the manufacturers who make the original products. So far, however, no new products have been added.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has consistently sought to improve the state’s economic, energy, and environmental vitality. The increase in utility costs have caused many households in the state to undergo energy efficient upgrades to alleviate high energy usage while creating a comfortable living space. To assist in these changes, NYSERDA is offering incentives to state residents. Below are some details regarding NYSERDA incentives to retrofit your home energy system: Home Performance with Energy Star: read more.

Over the weekend a good friend living in New York City , sent me a link to a Wall Street Journal article which outlines what all of us here in New Orleans have been seeing over the past few years, new exciting business growth. The most telling aspect of McCollam’s piece is how he sees, and how it is apparent to New Orleans residents, that the attitude and culture of business has changed. ” It’s a problem that New Orleans seems to have overcome in the years since Hurricane Katrina—so much so that Mr. Williamson can now afford a little levity.

I love the 1932 photo of New York construction workers lunching on a beam. It appeared in the Sunday photo supplement of the  New York Herald Tribune. Due to the collaborative nature of Wikipedia , we now know much more about the photo. It was taken by  Charles C. Ebbets during construction of the  RCA Building (renamed as the GE Building in 1986) at  Rockefeller Center. Ebbets took the photo on the 69th floor of the RCA Building during the last months of construction. Though the identities of a few of the men are disputed (i.e. Regis Mohawk Reservation.

New York’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge has been hit by a crane being towed by a barge. The crane smashed into scaffolding that is attached to the underside of the bridge ripping a 50ft hole in the structure. The scaffolding was being used by workers to repaint the bridge but there were no reports of injuries after the accident, which happened during the night. Officials have said there does not appear to be any structural damage to the bridge, which crosses the East River and connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. International News Brooklyn Bridge Crane crash scaffolding usa

Nevertheless, New York is going to get slammed with commercial space whether we’re ready for it or not.  I’m actually not talking about about how to deal with parks or trees or green rooftops (are there any in NYC?), but rather office space  certified by the United States Green Building Council as LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design).  According to a blog post put out by the real estate consulting group gpNYC , there are 6 million square feet of LEED certified office space slated to go online in Manhattan in 2013. 

Consider the statute in New York’s Little Miller Act , for example, which opens the payment bond for inspection to the public: A copy of such payment bond shall be kept in the office of the head of the department or bureau having charge of the public improvement in connection with which the bond was given and a copy shall also be kept in the office of the comptroller or other appropriate official; such copies shall be open to public inspection. You’re Entitled To A Copy Of The Payment Bond. Remember this statement: You are entitled to a copy of the payment bond. 

These days, you get a new TV, plug it in, and when it stops working, it’s 10 or more years later and you want to get a new one anyway. Is the new generation of technicians entering the workforce the main impetus behind this change in culture? There was an article in the New York Times that discussed the upgrade in the field service staff for Comcast [“ Today’s Cable Guy, Upgraded and Better Dressed ”]. Check out our new Job Board! These days, field service firms don’t always need to send a technician in a van to fix a problem. The No. Very much so.

Graceful Gliding Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays Last weekend, we logged on to satellitetvmanhattanny.com to buy more channels to our basic programming in New York. One of the channels my husband has to have is ESPN and all of the affiliated sports channels. He is a huge sports fanatic, but as our oldest daughter has realized her passion for swimming, she is also interested in following elite swimmers as they train for upcoming Olympic trials. We all learn best through motivation from the best. What a contrast this is to the strokes of those just starting out!

As more and more women’s issues have been brought under fire in this new political landscape -women are finding everything from social services, to health care and their right to privacy and security at risk or under a glaring microscope of what has long been a major issues in economic security and social justice which the women’s movement was all about. have found myself of late in defense of women - to women. There are distinctly two camps of women it appears: Those in support of the sisterhood and those who see themselves distinctly at odds with it. Both views are valid. In the U.S.,

According to a New York Times/CBS News poll conducted last month, nearly a fifth of families making less than $15,000 said that they were middle class and nearly two-fifths of those making more than $100,000 said that they were middle class. My last post is about who are the "Middle Class" and since this is the year of the Middle Class as the election pinata, I am still trying to define who or what makes the Middle Class. Not everyone wanted to be rich but everyone would agree security is a perfectly good measure of success. Well its a dream apparently. his television catchphrase.

Before becoming a columnist, I worked as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for The New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor for seventeen years. I have been asking those of late who are you when it comes to defining yourself with regards to class? Are you poor, middle or rich? find the answers as complex as they come from varying sources either or both psychological and economical. With the recent campaign cycle in full swing there has been an immense focus on the middle class and the rich - the "1%" over that of the poor. But definitions vary. Up from 7.3

The Marcellus Shale formation here in Ohio and in western New York, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia took the biggest hit. Welcome to the Collaborative Revolution! The US Department of Energy has released revised estimates of shale gas reserves that are significantly lower than those touted last year. The practical effect, I think, will be to drive natural gas prices higher over time and may cause energy companies investing in exploration, extraction and transportation of natural gas to proceed more cautiously. The blurb from Penn Energy is linked below. Salmon, Esq.

One way that our nation has begun to encourage home owners to go green is through Federal Tax Credits for those who purchase qualifying equipment in which to build their new homes or upgrade an existing one. Home and business owners alike should be able to find benefits for incentives in their local that can include similar programs and examples like these for New York State. ·          National Grid (Gas) – Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs (Metro New York). ·          NYSERDA – Solar Thermal Incentive Program. Equipment. Utilities.

ENR’s Best of the Best 2011 Award Winners: Best Civil Works/Infrastructure – Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Floodwall , New Orleans, La.; Best Cultural/Worship – DiMenna Center for Classical Music , New York, N.Y.; submitted to ENR New York by H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture. submitted to ENR New York by Clark Construction Group LLC. Best Renovation/Restoration – Jackson Barracks Historical Renovation , New Orleans, La.; submitted to ENR New York by Clark Construction Group LLC. Lin International.

Nick is an architect licensed in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For this week’s Guest Post Friday here at Construction Law Musings we welcome back Nick Pacella.  His practice has spanned several economic swings and he has been able to reposition the eggs in his basket to make the most of each recovery. He is currently focusing on adapting existing commercial buildings to take advantage of materials and processes that promote improved energy efficiency for both the owner and the tenants. Drawings, even on their best day, can only hope to tell part of the story.

Thanks for the post from Sylvester Campbell I just moved to New York City. If you are going to live in New York, you have to be creative about saving money, that’s for sure got a great internship at Conde Naste and I am hoping that one day soon it will turn into a higher paying job. have a great little apartment with my college roommate. She is going to the Parsons Fashion School ( yes the one on Project Runway), but studying fashion marketing. She isn’t a designer, although I wish that she were! We logged onto www.newyorkenergyrates.com and got a great energy rate.

New York is an example of a true non-notice state, never requiring preliminary notice. Sending preliminary notice out on every project is easier if you sign 1-5 new contracts per week.  More than any other construction participant, complying with mechanic lien and bond claim laws is most burdensome for building material suppliers. This post examines the four primary challenges material suppliers face in the mechanics lien context. It’s interesting that material suppliers are so consistently met with strict lien and bond claim laws in each state.

The myth that only if "you work hard" is clearly not the case nor even true as the article from the New York Times (reprinted below) illustrates. The Washington Post has an article showing that of all fields suffering for new degrees - Architecture is the highest. Liberal commentators have long emphasized class, but the attention on the right is largely new. The Horatio Alger myth/legend/story is one we all Americans hear from birth. Its a myth and a dream for a reason - its simply not a fact. The Pew Study found that income mobility is very much a fact of birth.

Starting in 2013, the NV200 will be thrown into another kind of service: New York’s taxi system. In May, the New York City announced that the NV200 would be the “Taxi of Tomorrow,” replacing the iconic Crown Victoria’s that ply the streets of Manhattan and the outer boroughs. The $1 billion deal would make the NV200 the exclusive taxi on New York streets for at least 10 years. Check out our new Job Board! Nissan rolled out its NV200 last year and has been testing electric prototypes with companies around the world.

Starting in 2013, the NV200 will be thrown into another kind of service: New York’s taxi system. In May, the New York City announced that the NV200 would be the “Taxi of Tomorrow,” replacing the iconic Crown Victoria’s that ply the streets of Manhattan and the outer boroughs. The $1 billion deal would make the NV200 the exclusive taxi on New York streets for at least 10 years. Check out our new Job Board! Nissan rolled out its NV200 last year and has been testing electric prototypes with companies around the world.

DALLAS – With a background in painting for Broadway, television and film, Dawn Cleaves decided it was time to start her own company, Artisan Finishes, once she moved home to Texas from New York. The company is celebrating one year in business. Construction News

Tomorrow I am off to New York City to spend Christmas with family, so today I say goodbye to the blog for a week. Personally, I have enlarged my practice, published a book, started a new business and had a my first child. Season's Greetings! excuse the 2010 photo. Well, its that time of the year. This year has been an incredible journey for me and I hope to reflect at length during my trip. What a year for better building, right? This year has been phenomenal. have been busy. So, its time to take a rest. For the next week I will shutdown the blog and focus on family.

Below is an article from the New York Times Home section documenting one individuals project that became something both useful, practical and yes visually stimulating. Upcycling is taking something that exists and turning into something else entirely. We all have done some upcycling in our life's. from the coffee mug pencil holder to the arts and crafts projects in school turning objects into art or vice versa. The most ambitious and familiar of upcycling is quilting. Taking extra fabric and creating an expression of individuality and practicality and usefulness.

and no shock its the same as it has been for decades - Wash DC, San Francisco, New York. During the Industrial Revolution, Europe and the New World developed a rate of economic development that far outpaced the rest of the world. Ashraf and Galor acknowledge these factors but argue that what really propelled Europe and the New World's economic ascendance was their relative openness to other cultures, which they measure in terms of greater or lesser geographical isolation. The report from the Atlantic.wire is below. They use this measure to gauge two things.

With that in mind, we’re introducing a new weekly feature, in which we’ll highlight a few of the more interesting field service jobs culled from our very own SmartVan Job Board. Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison (ADDA) is a New York-area distributor of diesel and alternative-fuel engines, transmissions, and propulsion devices for mostly medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Check out our new Job Board! Repairing drones in Afghanistan? Check. Running tests on fighter jets? We have that too. Repair drones in Afghanistan. military. For How Much : $60,000 in base pay.

Engineer Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner, did a nice blog post today titled A Traffic Engineer’s Lament. Here’s an excerpt: An example I’ve used time and time again in New York City is that the Brooklyn Bridge, when it was largely a rail and walking bridge, handled 430,000 people daily.  Once the bridge opened, the ferry stopped running and driving was the only choice—here in transit-rich New York City. He further laments that the traffic engineering of the last century focused so strongly on cars. It pays.

One of the professors from Penn State, in this NPR tale of good vs. evil, calculated the large amount of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale deep beneath the surface of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia and presented his admirable findings with pride to the administration of his University.       . I didn’t know much, if anything, about fracking until about three months ago when I downloaded a podcast of This American Life that explored the issue and then specifically looked into two professors who had conflicting opinions about the benefits of fracking.  After

Nick Wingfield wrote a great piece in the New York Times about how Apple, long reluctant to cater to the business market and its particular needs, is starting to warm up to business. Check out our new Job Board! It’s been fascinating to watch how swiftly businesses – of all sizes and across all industries, even blue-collar businesses such as field service – have adopted the iPad during the past year. Photo from GraphicLeftovers. Of course, business folks, too, have warmed to Apple, demanding access to their preferred devices at work. Employees ” Exactly.

Five workers were involved in a building collapse in New York City yesterday. It sounds like they were pouring the concrete on the forth floor when the collapse happened. Four were injured, one of them seriously, and one was treated … Continue reading → Product

As Motoko Rich reports at the New York Times, Even with the same college and professional degrees, men earn more than women. Yesterday I read a Pew Study on the long term affects of being unemployed and they found that unilaterally the time one was unemployed only slightly varied between those with upper degrees, high school and no degree. Showing that now for what is qualified as the "long term" unemployed there was little difference in percentage points when it came right down to it. Wages are declining across the board and for women that really isn't' that far to go. HomeE.J.

Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HSC. Cumberland County-based Harsco Corp. today said it received a contract expansion worth about $25 million to provide scaffolding and services for the completion of a multi-fuel power plant in Virginia next year. Harsco is providing services to Richmond, Va.-based Dominion based Dominion Virginia Power, which is building a 585-megawatt power plant near St. Paul, Va. Dominion began the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center — capable of burning almost any type of coal and waste wood — in 2008.

Beacon developed a 20 MegaWatt flywheel storage facility in upstate New York to help manage electrical grid power fluctuations. LeChase Construction, Rochester NY, built the New York plant and hasn’t received final payment, making them the largest creditor. He is helping construct a new bridge that boggles his mind in terms of complexity and uselessness. Beacon Power Corp , which previously received a $43M US Dept of Energy loan guarantee, just filed for bankruptcy protection. The photo below gives a sense of the facility.

In my tour of New York Open Houses in between Occupying Wall Street I toured the High Line Park. The new Tribeca. The New York Times today had an article discussing the most recent generous donation to the park's fundraising efforts to finish what is perhaps an elegant statement about the challenges and successes of public and private partnerships when done right. The gift, which will help build up the park’s endowment and pay for the design of the last section, is the single largest donation ever made to a New York City park, according to city officials.

This 2007 New York Times article , quoting Holcim’s main competitor, outlines that cement production is one of the largest single sources of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions — reaching five per cent.  The Holcim Awards North America ceremony. I’m trained as a journalist to be a little skeptical about businesses which spend millions on good deeds, then offer to pay the travel costs to an awards program recognizing the winners.  They may — in fact one or both probably did — decline Holcim Canada Inc.’s However, I cannot claim such purity. 

Milton CAT Brings The Hottest Business Management Workshop for Landscape Contractors to New York State. Events budget lmn milton milton cat new york overhead recovery plan for profit pricing seminar workshopThe workshop that’s turning great landscape contractors into great landscape business owners. Get out of your truck and into the boardroom for the best 2 days you’ve ever spent on your business. You’re going to leave this workshop with: An operating budget built with your number s, for your company. ” — Landscape Design-Build Contractor, Ontario.

It was intended originally to promote my new venture into Green Remodeling and my then partner and I business, Vida Verde. Today in the Home section of the New York Times an article about the truth of going green even for diehards has come home to roost with their organic chickens nesting in their certified coop. But they were a lot cheaper: the total cost of the new roof, including installation, was about $12,000, Mr. Alter noted, while “the metallic roof probably would have cost double.” I started this blog just prior to the Economy's "official" downturn. she said.

In some states, like California , the lien deadline starts from when all construction on the project is completed (in CA, it’s 90 days from the end of the project); in others, like New York , the deadline counts from your completion of work or furnishing of materials (in NY, it’s 8 months from last furnishing on non-residential projects, 4 months on residential projects). If you’re furnishing labor or materials to a construction project someplace in the United States, you will likely have the right to file a mechanics lien if you’re unpaid.

On Friday I happened to be in a little place called New York City.  On Thursday, on my way to New York, I was listing to some conservative talk radio.  While there, I happened to stroll through a particular street you may have heard of once or twice before – Wall Street. .  . This time however, there was no sign of Kurt Douglass charging along the sidwalk in an Italian suit with a $1500 briefcase.  Instead there were thousdand of people in pretty clear protest of the shenanigans that have taken place on Wall Street.  It was quite a site. .  . million? 

Reading the article below from this mornings New York Times I was reminded of the drawbacks (but also the immense perks) out of working from your home. Some went on to find jobs in their field, others moved, others found new prospects and well the last to remain are making it work with part time work and odd jobs. While the concept is nothing new, working from home has become increasingly easier and more necessary. In the last year the calls started to decline from a trickle to non-existent which meant I either had to market more, network more or simply fold up shop.

Many elements of New York are thought-about excessive crime areas, and auto insurance companies are naturally going to hike auto insurance coverage charges up for drivers who stay, and drive, in high crime areas. Residing and driving in New York does not imply it’s a must to pay outrageously high auto insurance rates. There is a method to get low cost auto insurance in New York. So, aside from transferring to a safer place, how will you combat these risks and get cheaper auto insurance coverage in New York?

From Austin Real Estate to New York City, everyone seems to be raving about a new trend in horticulture: rooftop gardening. For this week’s Guest Post Friday here at Musings, we welcome James Kim.  James writes for Austin Real Estate service Homecity.com. HomeCity HomeCity combines powerful online Austin MLS search technology and other online tools with personalized real estate services to provide clients with the knowledge they need to make the right buying and selling decisions. These gardens are adding life and color to dim cities and dark roofs. license.

Apparently Alec Hoag was a celebrated pimp, thief and confidence man in New York City in the 1840s. He developed a new method of stealing from johns as described below in The Straight Dope. The construction business employees a high percentage of funny folks willing to say what pops into their heads. It makes for fun job sites. The wide open nature of construction work tends to attract more colorful characters. So I love when I hear a perfect Smart Alec comment…and I read one this morning. ” His Smart Alec comment below makes me laugh every time I read it.

Long before the statue of Liberty graced the skyline of New York Harbor, before the Brooklyn Bridge stretched across the East River, and before the New York skyline began to rise, there were utility companies already building the energy infrastructure that was needed to help sustain the city’s growth. Boiler Care in New York City Dwellings. Most particularly important is in the case of new boilers. New boilers should be monitored until the proper intervals between needed cleanings can be established through experience.

So on that note another project that came to my attention via the New York Times this morning. Focusing mainly on commercial property at first, the group plans to exploit a new tax arrangement that allows property owners to upgrade their buildings at no upfront cost, typically cutting their energy use and their utility bills by a third. State and city officials are optimistic they may have found a way to tackle one of the nation’s biggest energy problems — waste in older buildings — without new money from Washington. It’s a big deal,” said James D.

Scaffolding and a two-story building facade collapsed onto a passing New York bus today. The collapse happend in the Harlem area of New York injuring 18 people, Some people were trapped under the rubble and resqued by New York Firefighters. ‘We pulled into the stop and I heard a falling sound of something collapsing toward the back, and the back of the bus filled up with smoke,’ he told the New York Times. International News Building bus collapse New York scaffolding

But some interesting uses have been popping up: New York City starting putting them on all building permits , so New Yorkers can scan them and see what’s being built. Also, Nissan has started to put QR codes on the windows of all its new cars , so potential buyers can instantly get more information about the car they’re looking at. Joe Pulizzi, a writer at Contracting Business, wrote an interesting post this morning, looking at possible uses that contractors might have for QR codes. Not sure what QR codes are ? Chances are you’ve seen one.

Reilly first came to New York ten years ago and was working close by the Twin Towers when tragedy hit on 9-11. Reilly has vivid memories of that September day when two planes crashed into New York’s tallest buildings and irreversibly changed America. Soon after the Meath man travelled home to a booming Ireland, but despite the plentiful opportunities he was once again lured back to the city that new sleeps. In 2007 he returned to New York with his girlfriend, Geraldine Fox. When it comes to fashion, there is London, Paris, Milan or New York.

The other states include California, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Grab your computer and check the status of your employees. Back in 2007, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) introduced an online system that performs employment authorization “check ups.&# That system is known as E-Verify , and its use began picking up steam in 2009, when federal contractors were forced to use the system to verify the employment status of their workers.

“Crocodile&# Dundee, the bushman who conquers New York with a grin, a “G~day&# and a big knife, Paul Hogan made himself into an emblem of Australianness–and sold it to the world. Paul Hogan (Film Star). The former pool lifeguard, union organizer and Sydney Harbour Bridge scaffolder who stumbled onto the telly in 1972 when his workmates dared him to enter a talent show. As Hoges the footy-loving pub philosopher of The Paul Hogan Show, and as Michael J. Adrian Chiles (TV Personality). feature of his presentations is his Birmingham accent. Richard Dunn (Boxer).

In every year from 1992 to 2009, Phoenix granted permits for two to three times as many new homes as did the San Francisco and San Jose metropolitan areas combined. The world’s richest places tend to be dense, with well-educated residents and a free-market-orientation (or tax havens or oil-rich) — think of New York and the Bay Area, of Singapore, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. They might better schedule their days or invent something entirely new — software code written to expedite repeated tasks, or a machine that automates portions of a task. And that is happening.

After Van Jones left the White House no other person has occupied the position of Green Jobs Czar and since that Mr. Jones has organized a new group that focus on restoring the Middle Class through series of ideas - green jobs only a part of that equation. There is no question its failure along with two other US Solar manufacturers this year gives fuel to the fire about providing Government subsidies to risky new green industries. The company may have trouble finding a buyer, said Adam Krop, an analyst at Ardour Capital Partners in New York. This from Bloomberg News.

Listen up New York State, on July 22, 2011, the Governor of New York State amended its lien laws. As noted on the New York Mechanic’s Lien Blog , the new bill allows folks in the construction industry to breathe a little easier when it comes to liens for retainage (money earned by a contractor but not meant to be paid until the completion of the project or until some other date that is mutually agreed upon). New York’s Governor, in signing this bill, clearly agrees with the philosophy of crossing the bridge once you get there.

Applying for New York State unemployment benefits, she discovered she qualified for the program’s self-employment option, which allowed her to collect benefits while starting her own business.  Liz Kupcha. At the SMPS national conference, I arranged for a 15 minute in-person interview with Liz Kupcha of Kupcha Marketing Services in Long Island, NY.  couple of years ago, as the recession bit into the industry, she lost her marketing job.  Kupcha’s story echos, in many respects, the first year of my own publishing business, some 22 years ago.  But I was broke.

We feel for the folks in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Construction Economic News Connecticut construction damage Delaware Florida free workers hurricane irene jobs Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania proven.com rebuild Rhode Island skill South Carolina tropical storm Vermont Virginia Washington D.C

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has dismissed Henry Gifford's lawsuit (PDF) against the US Green Building Council. Green Building Council, LEED has become the standard for new commercial buildings. There is, for example, a 3-year-old residential version of LEED, although it mostly applies to new construction. Under a law passed in 2008, San Francisco already requires new residential construction to meet one of those two standards, Hooper said. Being away for a week and coming home I am just catching up on some Green news.

Certain cities are still managing to be massively over-valued with regards to Real Estate - San Francisco, New York and Seattle where I live are three such locations. WASHINGTON — Builders starting on new apartments are busier than ever these days as demand for rentals climbs and the once-sacrosanct American dream of home ownership fades. Before I left for Denver I found on my door a flyer for our new program Community Power Works. As I live in a lower income neighborhood we are the target for the new program. To Rent or To Buy for that is the Question.

day after t he USGBC got good news from a New York Federal Court, one of its biggest U.S. Jetson Green ran an article stating that Passivehaus US failed to require necessary documentation in certifying buildings, sold modified copyrighted software, and developed a new and competing building standard. Passivehaus Institut pulls the plug on Passivehaus US (Photo: stefanx80 on Flickr). Yesterday I blogged about a failed green building project. Today I blog about a failed green building system. competitors went belly up. Is this the end of Passivehaus in the states?

It’s been a year since my trip to New York and a first hand look how those companies that obviously understood branding and how to “work it&#. — Last month my wife & I spent a long weekend in New York City for our anniversary. If you’re in NYC, check out these two stores and the new Pop Tart World. think was a little too old for Pop Tart World’s impact, but I’m glad we found it (new means not on maps.). One thing was obvious to me – come companies get branding and others do not. You get the point hopefully.)

Have you seen that YouTube video of the singing construction worker in New York? If you haven’t, you can scroll down to find a link to the video below

Jason’s an Empire Avenue friend from New York and he’s just started blogging.). YouTube and Foursquare sound like old, familiar friends when there’s so many new social media platforms and so much new social media technology about. Talking of old social media friend’s,   Lynn Brown and I have been talking about how much time is needed to keep on top of all the social media new developments and last week, bizarrely there seemed to be more than ever! Do we have time to go through all the new additions? Buffer. Social media boom?

In a minority of states (like New York), parties can file a mechanic’s lien extension. Short Answer:  No.  The majority of states, however, allow no extensions, and the lien will expire when the statutory period runs. Long Answer:  A few weeks ago we published a FAQ that addresses this issue just a bit:  Does A Mechanic’s Lien Cloud Title Forever? You wouldn’t believe how many people contact me thinking that their mechanic’s lien will tie up the project property forever and ever, until paid.  FAQs Lien Extensions

Already, New York City cabbies are considering adoption and the Canada Post has added a few of these electric vans to their fleet. The long awaited Ford Transit Connect Electric is making waves as it begins hitting North American markets. Metro Edmonton reporter Jil McIntosh took one of these compact and environmentally friendly little vans for a spin on a closed course at Toronto’s Exhibition Place and concluded that “the truck has more than enough pep to handle daily traffic.&# But the cost of gasoline’s not exactly on the decline either.

New York crane company owner and one of his employees are each facing a second-degree  manslaughter charge for the death of two construction workers. The charges stem from the collapse of a crane in New York City. Another example was the 2010 trial of another New York crane operator who was charged with manslaughter. According to the report, New York City is not the only jurisdiction that has been pushing a number of prosecutions for construction safety. Think safety - always. Its been awhile since I discussed the importance of safety.

et al , a New York construction manager filed a lien against the Westfield Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, Washington. Well, as its unpublished the court apparently felt it offered little in the way of new law. Managers left out in the cold? newly filed, yet unpublished, court opinion opines that a construction manager cannot file a construction lien in Washington state. So, how far reaching is this opinion? In the case of Blue Diamond Group Inc. KB Seattle 1, Inc., Blue Diamond served as the owner’s agent, assisting with managing subcontractors, vendors and other tasks.

“In 1902, a 25-year-old engineer from New York named Willis Carrier invented the first modern air-conditioning system.&#. In most areas of the United States these days, life would be almost unimaginable without a welcome blast of cool, indoor air. As a sort of ode to this modern antidote to triple-digit temperatures, Slate recently ran “A History of Air Conditioning.&# For everyone from HVAC service technicians to ordinary people who love to spend a hot day indoors, enjoying the cool air, there were plenty of interesting things to note. Here are some of the highlights.