التصنيف: غير مصنف

  • Western Nations TAKING ACTION ON DECLINING BIRTH RATES

    Western Nations TAKING ACTION ON DECLINING BIRTH RATES

    For Years, Elon Musk has consistently argued that one of the greatest threats to civilization is collalapsing Birt Rates.

    The Billionaire Ceo Believes That Declining Fertility Could Hollow Out Economies, Weaken Workforces, and Leave the West Unable to Sustain ITSELF.

    In an x ​​post last week, he wrote: “Low birth rate is the number one thread to the West. There will be no west if this contingent.”

    In august, musk amplified a warning from political commentator my pool, who wrote: “The population isn’t ‘collapsing’ – it has collapsed. Musk Reposted it, Adding: “i’ve Been Warning About This Since the Turn of the Century.”

    Now, Governments in Europe and the US Taching Steps to Combat Falling Birth Rates, and Introducing Police to Encourage People to have more children – from Tax breaks and family allowances to Longer leave and subsidized childcare.

    While musk has been a vocal advocate for increasing BIRTH RATES, DEMOGRAPHERS TOOLD BUSINESS INSIVE THAT ITH IT DECONDARY APPONSONSIBLE FOR GOVERNMENTS TAKING ACTION.

    A WAVE OF PRO-NATAL Police

    In France, President Emmanuel Macron Has Called for A “Demographic Rearmament.”

    In July, His Government Predged to Replace the Current Low-Paid Parental Leave with a New, Better-Paid “Birth Leave.” This Waled Offer SEVERAL MONTHS OF LEAVE AROUND HALF SALARY, CAPPED at € 1,900, around $ 2,200 a month.

    That Same Month, Spain Passed A New Family Law Extending Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave to 17 Weeks, while Some Regions, Including the Capital Madrid, Expanded Their “Baby Check” programs.

    Italy is Leaning on Financial Incentives: Since Janary, Moters of Two or More Children Have Qualified for LifeMetime Payroll Tax Breaks, and Families Can Access Zero-Interest “LOANS, Alongside Child Allowance.

    Hungary Extended Its Own Policy in January, Granting LifeMetime-Incom-Tax Exemptions to Moters of Two or More Children.

    Eve the uk, typically cautious about family subsidies, launched one of its mos out environmental -ears reforms in decades: Starting in september, parants of children as nine months will be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a Week.

    Meanwhile, The US PASSED A FEDERAL PACKAGE IN JULY EXPANDING FAMILY TAX CREDITS AND CREATING NEW SAVINGS ACCOUNTS UNDER The Banner of the “Working Families Tax Cut.”


    File - This Feb. 16, 2017 File Photo Shows NewBorn Babies in the Nursery of a postpartum recovery center in upstate new York. Accntification to a government Report relayed wednesday, May 15, 2019, US BIRTH RATES REACHED RECORD LOWS FOR WOMEN IN THEIR Teens and 20s, Leading to the Fewest Babies in 32 years. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

    In 2024, The US Total Fertility Rate Fell to a New Low of Around 1.6 Children per Woman – Well Below the 2.1 Replacement Level.

    Associated Press



    ‘Musk and Some Other Commentators have Only Made the Issue More Visible’

    AS Governments Step Up Pro-Natatist Measures, Demographic Experts Told Business Insider IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO SEE MUSHER AND OTHER TECH AS DRIVERS OF SHIFTS.

    “Concern with Low Rates is nothing new and Certainly Nothing Anyone in the Tech World, and Certainly Not Musk, Should Get Any Credit for Originating on,” Said Ronald Lee, Founding Director of the Economics and Demography of Aging.

    He notd that property property police were already widespread in Europe and east asia decadees ago, while the US Social Security System was overhauled in the Early 1980s with aging in mind.

    Thomas Sobotka, Deputy Director at the Vienna Institute of Demography, Made a Similar Point.

    “This is not a new topic Among Researchers and Many Policemakers,” He Said, Citting France’s Family Benefits Dating Back to the 1930s and Japan’s Interventions in the 1990s.

    “Musk and some other commentators have Only made the willse more visible – and, regretFully, Also more politely polarized.”

    Wolfgang Lutz, Founding Director of the Wittgenstein Center for Demography and Global Human Capital, Was more Blunt: “Tech Like Elon Musk May Be Experts in Their Fields, but they are not experts in demographry. vague conjectures Rather than scientific reasoning. “

    The Chorus Grows

    Other Tech Leaders have echoed Musk’s Concerns.

    Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has gone nor to finish free ivf Treatments at a Moscow Clinic for Women Using His Sperm.

    In a july 2024 telegram post, he Called Declining fertility “an increasingly Serious willldwide” and urged his followers to “Defy Convention – Redefine the Norm!”

    Sam Altman, CEO of Openai, has invested in reproductive-tech startups, Including Conception, which is Developing Ways to Extend Fertility and Event Two Men to Have Biological Children.


    Openai CEO Sam Altman

    Openai CEO Sam Altman.

    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images



    An uncetain fix

    Whether the flurry of new incentives will actually reverse the trend is far from Clear. Fertility Rates Across the Developed World Have Been Below Replacement Level for Decades, Driven by High Costs, Dalayed Parenthod, and Cultural Shifts.

    Experts Note That Lavish Programs in South Korea, Japan, and Hungary have failed to reverse declining Birth Rates.

    Lee Said Eve Scandinavia’s Geneerous Parental Leave and Childcare Systems have not prevent fertility from Falling. “Financial incentives are Mostly absurdly Small relative to the cost of a child,” he said, adding that hungary about 5% of gdp annually on pro-birth measures with little result.

    Sobotka Said Governments Can’t Fully Offset the Costs and Personal Trade-Offs of Childbearing, Though Well-Designed Police Can Still Help Parents Realize Family Family and Lift Fertility Modestly.

    “Altogether, these Packages of Family Police Can Boost Fertility Rates in the Order of Up to 0.2, Maximum 0.3 Children per Woman,” He Said.

    Lutz was skeptical. He argued that while family support programs are valuable for child well-being, their impact on fertility is marginal at best and could backfire if they flush out of the workforce.

    Anna Rotkirch, Research Director at the Population Research Institute in Helsinki, Pointed to Estonia As an Example Where Expanded Family Police in the 2000s Initially Boosted and Third Births But Ultimately Stem a Collaps in Firmts Over the past decade.

    “We Need New and Boldings Solutions,” She Said, “Which Also Have to Come From Employers, City Planners, and Society at Large – Not JUST POLITICians.”

    In the us, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Director of the Carolina Population Center, argued that the modest measures being discussed Will Likely Not “Budge” BIRTH RATES THEY DON’T TACKLE The Main Barries American Parents: Expensive Housing, Unafordable Childcare, and the Absence of Paid Leave.

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  • The Finance Jobs Most Impacted by Trump’s H-1b Visa Change

    The Finance Jobs Most Impacted by Trump’s H-1b Visa Change

    President Donald Trump’s New H-1b Visa Policy May Big Tech the Hardest, but Wall Street is well with the blast zone.

    Big Banks Like JPMORGAN, Goldman Sachs, and Citi Have Long Used the Work Visas to Hire A Range of Highly Skilled Oversseas Workers, from Junior Bankers to Technologists and Hands Risk Managers.

    Trump’s Late Friday Executive Order, Which Raised the Application FEE to $ 100,000 Each, is Expective to Upon This Hiring Process in A Way that it is a lot of harder for internationals to get a leg up in financial Experts Said.

    “If the $ 100,000 Fee is indeed implement, I WOUT DEMAND FOR H-1BS WOULD SHRINK TO JUST The Most Highly Compensated, Hardest-To-Finish Role,” Said Ted Chiappari, Head of Duane Morris’ Immigration Law Group.

    Chiappari pointed to Junior-Level Bankers, Like Analysts, Who He Said Are Common Recipients of Financial Industry H-1b Visas. Computer-Related Jobs are Also A Big Source of the Finance Industry’s H-1b Hiring, Making Up About Two-Thirds of Applications Last Year, Accounting to A Recent Report from JPMORGA. The firm predicted the policy Change Could Result in 5,500 Fewer Work Authorizations Being Granty Every Month.

    “If i were a hiring manager and the choice was between candidate a and candidate b, and let’s say i liked Candidate a a little bittter but he had a $ 100,000 price tag on him – i’d have to like a lot a lot,” Said Meridith, Fower Street Recruiting Firm.

    A Career-Altering Fee

    For Young People, The New Visa Fee Could Alter Their Entire Career Path. Breaking into Finance – Whether in Hedge or Investment Banking – Is a Complex Process that offen begins in college, if not earlier.

    If the new h-1b Fee prompts some banks to avoid hiring international students to start entry-level ranks, us universities may have fewer students from Other Countries purensuing this track or attending at all.

    “I think it going to make it that much mess attractive to come to the United States,” Chiappari Said.

    Junior Bankers Earning Roughly $ 185,000 or SO, Including Bonuses, Might Not Justify the $ 100,000 Visa Sponsorship Expens.

    “The Question Everyone is Considering is, what’s the cut-off point? A Million-Dollar VP?” Said an Associate at A Private Large Equity Firm.

    This person said that an associates Earning Under $ 400,000 Might not Warrant the Added Expense, but Higher-Level Employees with Bigger Salaries and Revenue-Generating Potential Could.

    Dennes Said She Wow Be “Really freaked out” if she were an international student.

    “One of the reasons why you study in the United States is to Secure A Job in the United States,” She Said, Adding, “Now Nobody Wants to Hire You Have a $ 100,000 Price Tag on Your Head.”

    ‘Offshore and outsource’

    The Visa Application Fee is Expert to Drive More Hiring of American Tech Talent – But Only to A Point, Dennes Said. MANY US FINANCIAL FILLS LIKE GOLDMAN SACHS HAVE ESTABLISHED SOFTWARE AND TECHI HUBS IN COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA, WHICH COULD SEE MORE HARING TO MAKE FOR WORKERS WHO WAUDED HAVE PROVIOUSLY COME TO THE US ON H-1 B Visas.

    “If it gets too too to do busines in the us,” Chiappari Said, “They’ll Just Offshore and Outsource.”

    Not all tech jobs will be so easily expendable. Some Tech Jobs Can Be Expensive and Hard to Fill, Who Has Led Some Financial Firms to Offer Generous Pay Packages to Compete With Tech Firms and the Rest of the Economy.

    The industry’s Higher Salaries Could Play to Its Advantage in the H-1b Lottery, Said Bo Cooper, a partner at Immigration-Focused Law Firm Fragomen, WHO NOTED THAT CERTAIN INDUSTRIES, Companies, or Roles Be Exempted from the Prize.

    On Tuesday, The administration proposed a Change to the H-1b Lottery That “Wold Give Boosted Chances in the Lottery to Those H-1b Candidates Who Wold Receive the Highest Said.

    While the real impact for the Wall Street May Not Be Entirely Unil Bonus Season Rolls Around, in Some Cases, Its Already Happening. An Executive at A Small Multistrategy Hedge End Told Business Insider His Firm Has Decide Against Hiring A Portfolio Manager from A Foreign Country Cecause of the Fee.

    The Executive Said Firms with Deep Pockets Are More Likely to Eat the Added Cost of the Fee, Saying, “This is a Rounding Error in Their Recruiting Expensses.”

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  • I was an artist at Goyard, lv after art school. Now I Run My Brand.

    I was an artist at Goyard, lv after art school. Now I Run My Brand.

    This as-told-tos Essay is bassed on a conversation with jasline ang, 38, an artist and cofound of studio caring in single. The following has been edited for Length and Clarity.

    I trained with Goyard in France, where they can actually fail you as artist.

    That was just i was 26, in my second job after graduating from the nanyang academy of fine arts in single with a diploma in fashion design.

    My first jab was with an independent Tailor, where I WORKED FOR ONE-AND-HALF YEARS. Thatn, a Friend Working at Goyard’s Then-Distributor in Singapore Approached with as they were bringing in the brand and needed a Customization artist.

    They Sent with to Carcassonne, in the South of France, for About Two Weeks of Training in 2013. I Painted on the Brand’s Canvas, just like what clients would for their customizations.

    They were really happy with my work, so i passed the assessment and camep to singapore to start the Customization Studio.

    Everyday, I have been painted what clients wanted on their bags. The Standard Requests were initials and stripes, but there were also portraits and pets.


    Jasline anghen she was an an artist at Goyard.

    Jasline Ang’s First Job Was with Goyard, where she Set up the brand’s first customization in singapore.

    Jasline ang



    Those Years Tought with About Luxury, CraftSmanship, Quality, and Precision. We’re trained to be really careful; if we make a Major Mistake, The Bag is Done. I think it is happy to one or two bags.

    As an artist, I was Very Lucky to get a good, Steady Paycheck.

    AFTER ABOUT FOUR YEARS, I FELT READY TO MAKE A MOVE. There was an opening at Louis Vuitton, so i joined say.

    At Louis Vuitton, The Painting is Done In-Store and Only on the Hard-Odded Pieces, Like the Big Trunks. It felt more freestyle and artistic.


    Jasline ang at work at Louis Vuitton.

    Jasline Ang Spent over Four Years As an inhouse Customization Artist at Louis Vuitton.

    Jasline ang



    Remember Working on a feng shui series acroSs five hat boxes, including a dragon on one and a phoenix on another. THEN, THERE WAS A BIG LEOPARD THAT I PAINTED ACROSS A STAK OF TRUNS, SO the image connected when you stacked.

    There’s always something BIG and Exciting for Big Brands: A Party, A Show, and Travel Around the Southeast Asia and Australia Region. The Benefits Were Good, and Business Was Booming.

    But after a while, I felt creation stagnation. SINCE YOU’RE ALWOYS EXECUTING WHATEVER THE CLIENT WANTS, you can’t really have your own particular style.

    I quit in 2022, freelancing, and then started my own business about a year late.

    Leaping From Luxury to My Own Studio

    I WANTED Something Unique and Scalable – and with Room for with to Express Creatively.

    I brainstorm with my close friend Melissa tan. At the time, she didn’t want to continue her corplate hr non -loewe, too, so we started this business.

    We wanted a strong identity that’s recognizable and niche enough that we don’t have to computete so hard. Fashion and Hand-Drawn Prints Maried My Two Greatest Strengths. AFTER YEARS IN LUXURY, THIS COMBINATION JUST MADE SENSE.

    We named the studio caring – “qi” is her chinese name, and “ling” is mine. Cilling is Also the name of a mythical creurae in chinese culture.

    WORKING WITH MELISSA IS REALLY THE BEST COMBINATION. At studio caring, I Handle the Creative Day-to-Day, and Melissa Runs Operations and Finance.


    Studio Celing Cofounders Jasline Ang and Melissa Tan.

    Jasline Ang Set up Studio Calking with Her Longime Friend Melissa Tan 2023.

    Jasline ang



    We used Our Own Savings and Still will nearly Everything ourselves. For Our First Products, we launched Small, Limited Runs of Items at A Design Fair, and the Response was Better than we were experted.

    Customers Really Loved My Designs and Original Prints on Silk Scarves with Hand-Rolled Edges, Kimonos, and Pareos. My prints are inspired by natural and come with a whimsical narrative.

    AS A SMALL BRAND, WE CAN KEEP PRICES COMPETITIVE COURSE UNDER THE BEST Quality and Materials. We Produce in Small Quantities and Do Not Offer Discounts. I Design Pieces to Be Timeless So Customers Can Wear for Years.

    Running a boutique label in singapore is expensive. The Market is Small, Competition is Global, and Expectations are High.

    We are the profitable, but it wasn’t – and it still isn’t – easy. We did not pay pay salads for the first year, and i’m definitely drafwing than what ued to make at louis vuitton.

    Dreaming Bigger with it

    As an artist, I really enjoy what he has to offfer. Some artists Say he is taking over Our jobs, but i’m not in that Camp.

    I use chatgt and midjourney to create Campiaign visuals you can see on our Instagram. I’ll direct it to the model and the scnene – like a lotus, or something mythical – and then i create a composite with real photos of our products.

    To create a shoot like that in real life would be very costly. With he, I can Achieve the Mood I Want. IT TAKES ABOUT ONE FULL DAY, BUT IT EXPANDS THE POSSIBILITIES FOR OUR MARKETING CAMPAGIGENS AND ALLOWS US TO INTERVENTION.

    I’ve tried use he to generate prints, but it can’t give with the idea of ​​have in my head.

    With he, of believe human artistry is more important than Ever – My prints are Born from intuition and personal experience. They are can’t be coded.

    I see he swimming as a replacement, but as a tool to help with Faster and Dream Bigger Work.

    Swapped A Steady Paycheck for Your Own Business? Contact Huileng tan via email at [email protected].

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  • Inside Reclusive Millionaire Orville Wright’s Historic Ohio Mansion

    Inside Reclusive Millionaire Orville Wright’s Historic Ohio Mansion


    • Orville Wright, one of the Wright brothers, built a mansion called Hawthorn Hill near Dayton, Ohio.
    • The inventor and reclusive millionaire lived at Hawthorn Hill with his father and sister.
    • Orville Wright hosted celebrities, presidents, and family members at the home, completed in 1914.

    Orville Wright was a fiercely private person.

    Despite his fame as one of the Wright brothers, inventors of the world’s first piloted airplane, he often refused to make speeches or public appearances. Only a few recordings of his voice exist.

    Hawthorn Hill, his 6,200-square-foot “success mansion” built just outside Dayton, Ohio, was a rare setting where he felt fully at home.

    The Georgian Revival-style estate was his oasis. When the extended Wright family gathered there for holiday dinners, he was even known to play some practical jokes.

    Now a museum open to the public, Hawthorn Hill preserves an intimate look into Orville Wright’s world and his contributions to the world of modern aviation. It was just 66 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 that Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969.

    I visited Orville Wright’s historic residence in August. Take a look inside Hawthorn Hill.

    Orville Wright was the younger of the Wright brothers, the aeronautical engineers who invented the world’s first piloted airplane.

    Wilbur Wright (left) and Orville Wright.
    Wilbur Wright (left) and Orville Wright. API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

    The Wright brothers worked as bicycle mechanics in Dayton, Ohio, before becoming known as the fathers of modern aviation. In 1903, they became the first people to pilot an aircraft when their Wright Flyer, made of wood and fabric sewn on the family sewing machine, flew for 12 seconds on the shores of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

    Numerous patents and aircraft later, Orville Wright’s net worth was around $1.3 million when he died in 1948, which would be about $17.4 million in 2025 when adjusted for inflation.

    One of their original flying machines, the 1905 Wright Flyer III, is on display at the Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

    The 1905 Wright Flyer III.
    The 1905 Wright Flyer III. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    The 1905 Wright Flyer III was the first airplane that could take off, remain in the air while being controlled by a pilot, and land safely without damage. It is also the first airplane to be designated a National Historic Landmark.

    The mansion is now a museum open to the public with tours offered through Dayton History.

    Hawthorn Hill.
    Hawthorn Hill. Dayton Ohio Photos

    After Orville Wright’s death in 1948, National Cash Register purchased the home and used it as a corporate guest house. The company then gifted the estate to the Wright Family Foundation in 2006. Dayton History took ownership of Hawthorn Hill in 2013 and has worked to restore the home to its original, historic appearance.

    Tours of Hawthorn Hill are offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $16 per person and are available through Dayton History.

    Tours of Hawthorn Hill begin at Carillon Historical Park, a 65-acre campus dedicated to the history of Dayton, Ohio.

    Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
    Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    A shuttle transports visitors from Carillon Historical Park to the mansion, located just under 3 miles away in the suburb of Oakwood.

    During Dayton’s booming industrial years in the 1920s, when over 1,000 manufacturing facilities were established within the city’s limits, the suburb of Oakwood became a hot spot for wealthy industrialists to build expansive mansions.

    The first stop inside Hawthorn Hill was the entrance hall, which featured original furnishings from the Wrights’ time living there.

    The entrance hall at Hawthorn Hill.
    The entrance hall at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Unlike other wealthy business tycoons who hired interior decorators, Orville Wright and his sister, Katharine Wright, picked out all of the furniture themselves. They bought most of it in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from Berkey and Gay Furniture Company and Century Furniture Company showrooms.

    “The sofa, the two chairs, that mirror, that table, are all pieces that if he were to walk through the door today, he would recognize,” Heckman said of the entryway.

    Orville Wright greeted his important guests in the reception room.

    The reception room at Hawthorn Hill.
    The reception room at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Famous guests at Hawthorn Hill included Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

    The reception room featured a bronze statue called La Muse de L’Aviation, or The Muse of Aviation.

    La Muse de L'Aviation displayed at Hawthorn Hill.
    La Muse de L’Aviation displayed at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Created by Louis-Albert Carvin in 1908, the piece shows Wilbur and Orville Wright beneath a winged muse who points to an eagle in flight. The base of the statue depicts biplane wings and propellers.

    “The idea was that the airplane was this new foundation, the airplane was the underpinning of it all,” Heckman said.

    The living room was the largest room in the house.

    The living room at Hawthorn Hill.
    The living room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Two of Orville Wright’s nieces held their weddings at Hawthorn Hill, with their ceremonies taking place in front of the fireplace mantle in the living room.

    Orville Wright’s library and study was located off the living room.

    Orville Wright's library and study.
    Orville Wright’s library and study. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    He would often use this room to read or listen to the radio.

    The room was full of his engineering projects, such as a chair and footrest he altered to help with his back and leg pain.

    Orville Wright's specially-engineered chair.
    Orville Wright’s specially-engineered chair. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Orville Wright broke his leg in a plane crash in 1908. As a result, one leg was about an inch shorter than the other. To alleviate some of his pain, he drilled holes in the arms of a chair to mount a bookstand he could use instead of holding a book open. He also angled the footrest away from the seat cushion to take the pressure off his lower back and legs.

    Orville Wright was an avid reader, with over 500 books in his library.

    Bookshelves in Orville Wright's library and study.
    Bookshelves in Orville Wright’s library and study. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    The clock on the bookshelf was set to 10:40, his time of death in 1948.

    Heckman showed me how the books in his library were later stamped by the executors of his estate.

    A stamp in one of Orville Wright's books.
    A stamp in one of Orville Wright’s books. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    The stamp read “From the private library of Orville Wright” with an image of a plane.

    The dining room hosted many Wright family gatherings over the years on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    The dining room at Hawthorn Hill.
    The dining room. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Orville Wright was known for being painfully shy, but he also enjoyed a good practical joke in the comfort of his own home, Heckman said. He once hooked up a fishing line to a serving bowl of mashed potatoes to playfully prevent a greedy nephew from taking more than his fair share. Another time, he built a mechanical cockroach to dart across the Thanksgiving dinner table, causing pandemonium.

    The kitchen has not yet been restored to its original historic appearance.

    The kitchen at Hawthorn Hill.
    The kitchen. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    After the National Cash Register purchased Hawthorn Hill to use as a corporate guest house, the company renovated many of its rooms, including the kitchen. The white-painted cabinets and appliances are from the 1980s, but Dayton History plans to eventually restore the space to the way it looked when Orville Wright lived there.

    The tour continued upstairs in Orville Wright’s father’s bedroom.

    A bedroom at Hawthorn Hill.
    A bedroom at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Bishop Milton Wright died in his sleep in his bedroom in 1917 at the age of 88. His funeral was held at Hawthorn Hill.

    This guest bedroom was once known as the Rose Room for its previous rose and champagne-colored furnishings.

    The Rose Room at Hawthorn Hill.
    The Rose Room at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    The room’s vanity and the chest of drawers were the only two pieces of furniture that the Wrights brought to Hawthorn Hill from their home in West Dayton.

    “That was at the urging of Katharine Wright, because she paid for both of these herself from her salary as a school teacher, and she insisted that these two pieces came to the new house,” Heckman said.

    The Blue Room was supposed to be Wilbur Wright’s bedroom, but he died before the home was completed.

    A guest bedroom at Hawthorn Hill known as the Blue Room.
    The Blue Room at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Instead, it functioned as another guest room.

    Katharine Wright lived at Hawthorn Hill until her marriage at age 52 to journalist Henry J. Haskell in 1926.

    Katharine Wright's bedroom at Hawthorn Hill.
    Katharine Wright’s bedroom at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Katharine Wright became a celebrity in her own right while serving as Orville Wright’s business and household manager, secretary, confidant, and plus-one at high-profile gatherings.

    Her marriage caused a deep rift in her relationship with her brother, who felt that she was abandoning him. Orville Wright refused to allow the couple to wed at Hawthorn Hill, and the two remained estranged for the rest of their lives.

    Katharine Wright died of pneumonia in 1929. By the time Orville Wright arrived at her deathbed, she was already unconscious. Her funeral, however, was held at Hawthorn Hill.

    Her room also featured a jute balcony where Charles Lindbergh famously appeared while visiting Hawthorn Hill in 1927.

    A jute balcony at Hawthorn Hill.
    A jute balcony at Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    In 1927, Wright hosted Charles Lindbergh, the first man to fly across the Atlantic, in what was supposed to be a private visit without any public appearances. However, as word spread that “Lucky Lindy” had arrived at Hawthorn Hill, crowds gathered outside the house.

    “Orville, being so shy and reserved, isn’t the kind to go outside and shake a thousand hands and send people on their way,” Heckman said.

    An archival photo of Hawthorn Hill shows an enthusiastic crowd waving up at Lindbergh as Orville Wright hid from view.

    Crowds gathered at Hawthorn Hill during Charles Lindbergh's visit.
    Crowds gathered at Hawthorn Hill during Charles Lindbergh’s visit. Dayton History

    Orville Wright, who did his best to avoid publicity and appearing in front of crowds, begged Lindbergh to do something to make his admirers disperse. Lindbergh ended up stepping out onto the balcony of Hawthorn Hill to wave to the crowd.

    The final stop on the Hawthorn Hill tour was Orville Wright’s bedroom.

    Orville Wright's room, featuring his original mattress, at Hawthorn Hill.
    Orville Wright’s room, featuring his original mattress. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    His bedroom still featured his original mattress and a painting of an airplane.

    “When he’d wake up in the morning, one of the first things he would see would be his place in history right across from his bed,” Heckman said.

    Heckman added one more stop that isn’t usually on scheduled tours of Hawthorn Hill: the rooftop.

    The view from the roof of Hawthorn Hill.
    The view from the roof of Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    Up in the attic, I climbed a steep set of wooden stairs that led to the roof.

    The elevated lookout point provided views of Dayton and nearby Oakwood estates of other local business tycoons. Orville Wright’s neighbors included Elmer Biechler, president and general manager of Frigidaire, and Joseph Green, the inventor of Cheez-It crackers.

    Hawthorn Hill offers a glimpse into Dayton’s long history as a center of innovation — and a side of Orville Wright that the world rarely saw.

    Hawthorn Hill.
    Hawthorn Hill. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

    “Our hope is that you can go to a lot of places in the Dayton area and elsewhere around the country to learn about the engineering marvel of the airplane and how the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Here, you’re walking through his home,” Heckman said. “We’re trying to express to people what he would have been like if he had been your uncle, your neighbor, your cousin, a friend.”


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  • Amazon Seeks More Grassroots AI Adoption, Relying Less on Salespeople

    Amazon Seeks More Grassroots AI Adoption, Relying Less on Salespeople

    Amazon Web Services Wants It It Applications to Gain More Traction Organically, Without Leaning Heavily on Sales Teams.

    Rivals Such As Cursor and Windsurf Have Better Grassroots adoption than AWS’S CODING ASSISTANT Q DEVELOPER, while far Enterprise Customers to favor Microsoft’s Github Copilot, Accounting to an Internal Amazon obtained by Business Innsider.

    Q Developer Did Manage to SEE “OCCACONAL SUCCESSES” SELLING Directly to Senior Executives, but Such Wins Required Involvement Sales, The Explained Document.

    To close the gap, aws recently launched kiro, an he coding assistant designed to attract more self-serve designs.

    “Unil Recently, aws did not have a Compeling Product for the ‘Grassroot’ Cohort,” The Document Acknowledged.

    The Assessment Highlights How the Dynamics have Changed for AWS in the Age of AI. In its Early Years, Aws Thrived Becouse Many Developers Adopted Its Cloud Services on their Own, Spreading Usage Organically Than Through Top-Down Mandates. By Contrast, q Developer’s Difficulty Gaining Traction Through Word of Mouth Suggests AWS haen unable to recreate that playbook in at Least one corner of it he portfolio.

    Sales debate

    IT ALSO UNDERSCORES A LONG-RUNNING DEBATE IN SOFTWARE SALES: WHETHER TO TARGET SENIOR EXECUTIVES Directly or Build Momentum Individual Users before scaling into organizations.

    Historically, Local Software Won Deals by Selling to Top Decision-Makers Who Signed Broad, Companywide Contracts. But the original cloud Succes of AWS and viral apps Such as slack and zoom has shifted attention toward a bottom-up model that starts with Small Teams and Grows from. In the he wind, viral adoption has become more crucial, as evidenced by the explosive organic grown of services including chatgt and cursor.

    An aws spokesperson told b qat all sales channels are important and many camelopers users prior to their employers getting onboard. The spokesperson added that q cameoper’s usage has incresed “9-pold per person” this year.

    “We had the pleasure of serving an incredibly diversel community of budilders with different technology Needs and we’re Focus on Meeting Customers where they are on their Journey, Whether Individual Developer Adoption or Enterprise-Wide Impremmentation,” spokesperson Said.

    More viral adoption

    The q Applications Play a Central Role in Aws he AI ​​ambitions, Having Headline the Company’s 2023 Re: Invent Conference and Serving As an umbrella brand for much he portfolio. AWS is leaning on say to convince wall street it is not slipping in the he, as microsoft and Google – Armed with Deeper Application Portfolios – Steadily Gain Ground.

    SO FAR, Q DEVELOPER BRINGS IN ONLY A FRACTION OF The Revenue Generated by Rivivals Cursor and Windsurf, nor previously business instead.

    Change May Be Coming for the Q Business he chatbot as well. AWS PLANS to lotten the Product’s Sales Cycle by Shifting Toward A USER-LEED ADOPTION MODEL, ONCE IT UPGRADES TO AI AGENTIC PLATFORY INTERNALLY COCK, ACCIVING TO ANOTHER INTERNAL DOCUMUME BY BI.

    Of Course, virality isn’t something a company can manufacture, and the traditional top-down sales remeins vital for MANY software, Particularly in regulated industries. There are also early signs of some of the viral “vibe coding” startups loth steam lately.

    But in he, Word-of-Mouth and Strong User Communities have Become More Important As Developers and Business Users Increasingly Drive Purchasing Decisions, Said Matt Murphy, An Investor at Menlo Ventures.

    “We are definitely Seeing in he tooling that classic marketing and sales techniques are less efficient,” Murphy Told Bi.

    ‘Enterprise-Ready’ Features

    AWS HAS SEEN ENCOURAGING Early Feedback on Kiro Sine Its July Debut, Though uses have also pressed for more robust controls, one of the documents strued. To address this, the company plans to prioritizes “Enterprise-Ready” Features to Accelerate Kiro’s Adoption Among Corporate Clients, IT Added.

    Skepticism lingers Inside aws over Q’s Future. Some Employees Told Bi That AWS DOESN’t Have a Strong Track record in Business Applications, and the Company’s True Lie In Infrastructure, Such as Compute and Storage, Rather than End-User Software.

    Aws’ spokesperson told bak it’s “Not correct” to say that thats have hayn’t been sucesides its core infrastructure services, Highlighting Products As Bedrock, Connect, and SageMaker.

    “We are the top leader, or leader of leaders, on all calibrations of measurement in the nosreds of third-party evaluation years, and no one Else is Close,” The Spokesperson Said.

    Wall Street Analysts, Howver, Echo Parts of the Employs Concerns. Colin Sebastian of RW Baird Said the Absence of A Robust Application Offering Could Represent a Strategic Vulnerability for AWS, this thorough and Amazon’s Expects to see Faster Growth Going Forward.

    “The AWS platform has a less-walloped Application Layer to Help Drive More Enterprise AI Adoption, Which May Be Part of the Why Google and Microsoft Have Greater Acceleration,” Sebastian Said.

    Have a type? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected] or signal, telegram, or whatsapp at 650-942-3061. Use a personal email address, a nonwork wifi Network, and a nonwork Device; Here’s Our Guide to Sharing Information Securely.

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  • Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘The Life of A Showgirl’: Everything We Know

    Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘The Life of A Showgirl’: Everything We Know

    Taylor Swift Fans Rejoice: The Chart-Topping Pop Star, Who’s Been Far-Avoiding the Spotlight Since Concluding the Eras Tour December, Has Office Another New Era Motion.

    Swift Announched Tuesday That Her 12th Studio Album is Titled “The Life of A Showgirl.” She made the Big Reveal in a teaser for her appeaarans on “New Heights,” The Podcast Hosted by Her Now-Fiancé, Travis Kelce, and His Brother, Jason Kelce.

    When the full episode premiered, swift simultaneously revealed the album cover, tracklist, and remote date – October 3 – on Social Media.

    During the episode itself, swift also shared more details about the album’s aesthetic, explaining how the cover art was inspired by her bend-the-scens Experience of the eras tour.

    “My day ends with me in a bathtub, not usually in a bedazzled dress,” Swift Said on “New Heights.” “I WANTED TO GLAMORize All the Different aspects of How the Tour Felt.”

    “The reasson i want to have an offstage moment as the main album cover is Because the album isn’t really about what happy to me, but what i was going through offstage.”

    The Singer’s Most Attentive Followers, AKA “Swifties,” Are Constantly Keeping An Eye for East and Hints of New Music – But Speculation Ramped Up Earlier That Week Wen Taylor, The Social Media of Swift’s, SHARED A Collection of 12 Photos from the eras tour, all of the Swift Wearing Different Shades of Orange.

    The Caption Said, “Thinking About When Said ‘See You Next Era …’” with a Burning-Heart Emoji.

    Casual Observers of Swift May Recognize Her Custom of Color-Coding Album Cycles. Each COLOR Usually Corresponds with the Album’s Artwork and, in Some Cases, its Lyrics and Themes.

    Such was the case for 2012’s “Red,” Named for the Color Swift Associates with Passionates, Reckless Love Affairs, and 2017’s “reputation,” an album whose Black-White aesthetic was partially intended to evoke newsprint. Orange HAD YET TO ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OTHER ALBUM IN SWIFT’S CATog.

    Later that day, swift’s officer website was updated with a countdown to 12:12 am on Tuesday, August 12, Set against a sparkly orange backdrop. (The Numeric Repetition is another of Swift’s Calling Cards.)

    “The Life of A Showgirl” will be swift’s first new album announuncing that she bought back her masters, giving her computes OwnerShip of her musical catalog and effecatively reign her “Taylor’s version” Project Moot. Before the Purchase was made public in May, Swifties Had Been Eagerly Anticipating the Rerecorded Version of “Reputation,” Her Fan-Favorite Sixth Album-Though Swift Has Has No Immint Plans to Release it.

    “To be perfectly honest, it’s the one the one album in those first 6 that that thought couldn’t be improked by redoing,” swift wrote in an openter to fan. She added that she did finish finish reterection Her self-Titled debut album-The Only Other Missing Entry in The “Taylor’s Version” Series-THOUGH SHE DIDN’T CLARIFY WHEN IT MIGHT COME TO LIGHT.

    “Those Two albums Can Still have their moments to remerge when the time is right, if that is to be something guys to be excited by,” She wrote. “But if it is happy, it won’t be from a place of sadness and longing for what i wish i could. It will be a celebration now.”

    Instead, Swifties Will Soon Get a Batch of Fresh Tracks from the Prolific Songwriter. “The Life of A Showgirl” is the follow-up to 2024’s “The tortured Poets Department,” A Colossal Double Album That Topped The Billboard 200 Chart for 17 Weeks-The Longest Reign of Swift’s Career Thus Far-and Spawned the No. 1 Single “Fortnight.”

    The Tracklist Includes 12 Songs and A Duet With Sabrina Carpenter


    Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter Perform Together During the Eras Tour.

    Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter Perform Together During the Eras Tour.

    TAS2024/Getty Images for Tas



    In the final Photo that Taylor Nation Shared on Instagram, Swift is singing onstage with Sabrina Carpenter, her fan-Turned-Protégé and Eras Tour Opener.

    Swifties took the inclusion as a clue that carpenter is featured on “the life of a showgirl” – a theory that was prove Correct when swift the officer tracklist. The album’s closer and titular track is a duet with carpenter.

    Other Song Titles Include “The Fate of Ophelia,” A Reference to the Tragic heroine in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” and “Elizabeth Taylor,” Named AFTER The Famous’ Movie Star.

    Among Many Other Literary References, swift has included nods to bot Shakespeare and Elizabeth Taylor in past songs; One of Her Most Famous Hits, 2008’s “Love Story,” Is an Optimistic Twist on “Romeo + Juliet.” Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor is name-Dropped in the 2017 Single “… Ready for it?”

    Also Notable: Track 10 on “The Life of A Showgirl” is Titled “Cancelled!” and stylized in all caps. Swift Ruminated on the Psychological Effects of “Cancel Culture” and Celebrity Worship Throughout “Reputation,” As Well As The “TTPD” Standout Track, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”

    Swift Reunited with Max Martin and Shellback to Co-Produce ‘The Life of a Showgirl’


    Max Martin Attends Spotify's inaugural Secret Genius Awards in 2017.

    Max Martin Attends Spotify’s inaugural Secret Genius Awards in 2017.

    Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Spotify



    Though he is Famously Private and Media-Averse, Max Martin is Known as One of the Music Industry’s Most iconic Hitmakers, Dating back to ’90s hits like you back “by *nsync,” i want that way “by the backstreet boys,” …

    Martin Began Working With Shellback, A Fellow Swede, in the Mid-Aughts. Together, They Co-Produced The Biggest Hits from Swift’s Beloved Album “Red” (“22,” We are Never Getting Back Together, “And” I Were Trouble “) and Much of Pair of Pop BlockBusters,” 1989 “and” Reputation. “

    During the episode of “New Heights,” Swift Described Martin As Her “Mentor” and Said He Helped Make Some of Favorite Songs in Her Discography, Including “Shake It off,” “Blank Space,” and “Delicate.”

    “We’ve Never Actually Made An Album before you just just the three of us. There’s no Other Collaborators. Its Just the Three of US Making A Focused,” She Explained. “It felt like catching lightning in a bottle.”

    As One Might Suspect from the Duo’s Participation, Swift Confirmed That She Consider “The Life of A Showgirl” to be full of “bangers” and “melodies that so infectious that you’re almost angry at it.”

    “I Essentially Said to Him, I want to be as proud of an album as i am of the eras tour, and for the suame reasons,” Swift Said of Martin. She’s Said She Waled Fly to Sweden in BetWeen Shows to Work on Music With Him.

    “THIS ALBUM IS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BEGIND THE SCENES IN MY LIFE DURING THIS TOUR, WHICH WAS SO EXUBERANT AND ELECTRIC AND VIBRANT. IT COMES FROM LIKE THE MOST INFECTIOUSLY JOYFUL, WILD, DRAMATIC PLAC “And so that Effervescence has come at through on this record.”

    Swift has already shut down theories of a double album


    Taylor Swift in a Press Photo for "The Life of a Showgirl."

    “The Life of a Showgirl” was co-product by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback.

    Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/Tas Rights Management



    For her previous two albums, Swift Surprise-relayed another set of songs just a few hours after they each dropped, Dubbed “Midnights” and “The tortured poets department:” Respectively.

    In the latter’s case, this nearly doubles the length of “the tortured poets department,” MAKING IT HER BULKEST ALBUM TO DATE 31 SONGS – A DECISION DREW PLENTY OF CRITICISM.

    Fans Had Already Begun Speculating That Swift was planning a Similar Surprise for “The Life of A Showgirl,” But Has Denied That’s The Case.

    “With ‘tortured poets department,’ i was like, ‘here’s a data dump of Everything of thought, felt, and experiencing in two or three years. This is 12. There’s not a 13th, there’s not other one ons coming, “Swift Said on” New Heights. “

    “This is the record i’ve been wanting to make for a very long time,” she added. “Every one singing song is on this album for nosreds of reasons, you know, and you couuldn’t take one out, and it’d be was album. You couuldn’t add one. Its just right.”

    Howver, Swift Still Aranged An Extra Treat For Fans: A Theatrical ‘Release Party’


    Taylor swift in a press image for "The Life of a Showgirl."

    “The Life of A Showgirl” is Taylor Swift’s 12th Studio Album.

    Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/Tas Rights Management



    Two Weeks before the Album’s Release, Swift Revealed That “The Life of A Showgirl” WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LIMITED-RUN CINEMATIC EVENT.

    “Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” Will Be Screened in Select Movie Theaters from October 3 to 5. It is not a feature film but a montage of album-relay clips, Including a music for “the Fate of Ophelia,” whicch will. single.

    Acciting to VarietyWhich Broke the News, “Other Elements in the Program Promised 89-Minute Running Time Will Include Footage Shot Bebind the Scenes at the ‘Ophelia’ Video Shoot, Lyric Videos for Other Songs on the Album, and Swift’s’ Never-Before-Seen Personal Reflections.”

    AMC’s Press Release Says Fans Are Allowed to Sing and Dance During The “Showgirl” Screenings. Swift echoed this sentiment in a Social Media Post About the Occossion.

    “I havehby invite you to a dazzling soirée,” Swift Wrote. “LOOKS LIKE TIME TO BRUSH OUT ERAS OUTFIT ORANT Cardigan… Tickets are on Sale Now. Dancing is optional but Very Much Encouned.”

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  • I Dined at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel, a Gilded Age Landmark

    I Dined at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel, a Gilded Age Landmark


    • I dined at the Lockwood Lobby Bar, the restaurant inside Chicago’s Palmer House hotel.
    • The current Palmer House originally opened in 1873 and was rebuilt in 1925.
    • The grand lobby features French-inspired painted ceilings and 24-karat-gold Tiffany chandeliers.

    When the city of Chicago burned down in 1871, the then-growing metropolis faced the daunting task of rebuilding its destroyed downtown.

    The period, being the peak of the Gilded Age, also brought enormous wealth … and plenty of business leaders eager to spend it on ostentatious, impressive designs.

    The result? A city full of grand European-inspired buildings, like the historic Palmer House hotel.

    Originally built in 1870 as a wedding gift from businessman Potter Palmer to his wife, Bertha, the landmark hotel reopened after the fire in 1873, and it was rebuilt again in 1925.

    Aside from its history, ornate ballrooms, and over 1,000 rooms, the hotel’s crown jewel is its lobby, a preserved masterpiece displaying French painted ceilings and gold-dipped Tiffany chandeliers.

    Today, guests at the hotel can lounge around just like they did 100 ago, and the public can visit the bar and restaurant inside the hotel.

    I visited the historic hotel to see what it was like to step inside a piece of history. I spent the night dining like the many visitors who have stayed at the hotel, including US presidents and figures like Frank Sinatra and Oscar Wilde.

    Here’s what the experience was like.

    The Palmer House hotel, originally built in the 1870s, is in the heart of downtown Chicago.

    palmer house chicago outside
    The current Palmer House hotel was built in 1873 and expanded in 1925. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    The Palmer House hotel has a long history in Chicago.

    From the first hotel’s opening in 1870 and its total destruction soon after in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to its second location’s construction in 1873, its expansion in 1925, and its rise to prominence in the 1920s as a hub for entertainment, Palmer House was Chicago staple throughout the peak of the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties.

    The hotel, which was bought by Hilton in 1945, is located in the Loop district of the city, right in the heart of the downtown and within minutes of art museums, event spaces, and the Instagram-famous Cloud Gate, also known as The Bean.

    The hotel is surrounded by other ornate Gilded Age buildings constructed during the city’s rebuilding after the fire, and it became an icon of Chicago’s resilience.

    It was deemed “the world’s first fireproof hotel” after its 1873 construction.

    Inside, the preserved lobby welcomes guests just as it did 100 years ago.

    inside chicago lockwood palmer house hotel
    The Palmer House lobby houses a collection of ceiling frescos and Tiffany chandeliers. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    The hotel’s grand lobby, which has been preserved since its construction, is inspired by Bertha Palmer’s French heritage and her friendship with Claude Monet.

    The lobby features 21 ceiling frescos by French painter Louis Pierre Rigal depicting Greek mythology. They’re illuminated by 24-karat-gold-dipped chandeliers designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, per the hotel’s website.

    I sat next to the Empire Room for a perfect view of the lobby’s preserved grandness.

    empre room palmer house lockwood chicago
    The Empire Room served as the Palmer House’s signature nightclub during the mid-century. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    The Empire Room, the hotel’s signature ballroom, was added to the hotel as its fine-dining restaurant in 1933 for that year’s World’s Fair. Soon after, it was converted into a supper club, and it served as the hotel’s signature nightclub, welcoming performers like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong.

    When visiting this historic place, my girlfriend and I chose to sit as close as possible to its magnificent decorations, like the Tiffany-designed bronze winged angels statues on the grand staircase leading to the Empire Room.

    I spent my night taking in the views with every sip and every bite.

    I opted for informal seating with a view of the historic lobby over a proper restaurant table.

    seating palmer house lockwood chicago
    Only the bar, balcony, and lobby seating have a view of the preserved lobby. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    In order to enjoy the beauty of the lobby, we sat at the low lobby tables rather than the other options available: These included the bar, upstairs at balcony tables, or inside the Lockwood Restaurant, which was located in a separate, far less ornate room.

    Despite sitting at the Lockwood Lobby Bar instead of the restaurant, the server allowed us to order from the restaurant’s full menu.

    The night was soundtracked by romantic live music.

    live music at palmer house chicago lockwood
    The hotel puts on live music for patrons from Thursday through Sunday. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    While dining, guests can enjoy the live music the hotel puts on from Thursday through Sunday. The live guitarist performed acoustic instrumental versions of modern songs, like Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Lady Gaga’s “Shallow.”

    While the live music added to the space’s romantic ambience, realizing I was hearing a slowed-down, stripped version of “Despacito” did snap me out of my Gilded Age fantasy just a bit.

    The grand space was visually littered by TV screens.

    inside palmer house lockwood chicago
    The preserved lobby features three TV screens across the space. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    The three TV screens mounted throughout the lobby also snapped me out of the old-timey bubble, although I understand their purpose, especially for the many hotel guests who use the space as a lobby.

    Nothing says functional preservation like watching a football-game screen next to a gold Tiffany chandelier on a marble wall.

    The cocktail menu offered a range of tropical summer drinks and modern takes on classic cocktails.

    palmer housse lockwood cocktail menu
    I was surprised by the comparatively low prices, given the hotel’s grand and luxurious space. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    Looking at the menu, I debated between getting a tropical drink from the seasonal summer menu or a crafted house drink. Many of the latter offered modern takes on classic cocktails like old fashioneds, martinis, and Manhattans. They ranged from $16 to $18.

    Given the hotel’s luxurious touches, the prices for drinks and food seemed low to me, but if I considered the prices at a regular hotel bar, they made more sense.

    Despite being beautifully preserved and having a fascinating history, the Palmer House today is a rather mid-scale hotel. The hotel’s 1,641 rooms are renovated and furnished in a standard contemporary fashion, and room prices per night are often a standard $250.

    Sitting at the lobby, I noticed my slightly overdressed vibe better matched the ceiling frescos and gold chandeliers than the rest of the guests, many of whom sat around the lobby in T-shirts and sneakers or with their suitcases.

    We started with some old-timey drinks.

    drinks at palmer house chicago lockwood restaurant
    The Palmer House martini and Manhattan were sweeter and more dimensional than the cocktails’ traditional versions. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    I eventually decided to go for a classic vibe, in honor of the space.

    The Palmer House martini, unlike a traditional martini made largely with either gin or vodka and a wash of vermouth, more closely resembled a spritz, combining citrusy mandarin vodka with sweet plum bitters and crisp Moscato wine.

    The Palmer House blackberry Manhattan was also a slightly sweeter, more palatable version of the classic cocktail it honored. It featured plum bitters and switched the traditional sweet vermouth for an amaro.

    The drinks, which were $16 and $17, respectively, were nicely crafted and felt elevated. I enjoyed how they offered a modern and unique take on the classic cocktails that might’ve been served around the time the first Palmer House opened.

    The Margherita flatbread was a tasty start to the meal.

    margherita flatbread chicago palmer house
    The Margherita flatbread was tasty, cheesy, and filling — worthy of being a main entrée. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    To start the dinner, I ordered the Margherita flatbread, one of the appetizers on the menu. Topped with tasty tomato sauce, balsamic-coated tomatoes, and fresh basil, the cheesy flatbread felt like an elevated version of a traditional pizza.

    The $16 appetizer was filling. Even after splitting it between the two of us, most of the flatbread ended up in a to-go box at the end of the night (and tasted great out of the air fryer the next morning).

    The orecchiette dish was a highlight of my night, apart from the stunning setting.

    orechielle palmer house lockwood restaurant chicago
    The dish featured grilled chicken topped with ramp pesto on a bed of creamy leek pasta. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    As my main meal, I went for the orecchiette dish, which featured grilled chicken breast on a bed of creamy pasta featuring guanciale-and-leek sauce and Broccolini, topped with Calabrian chili breadcrumbs and ramp pesto.

    The flavorful dish tasted fresh, silky, and creamy. The standout element for me was the ramp pesto, which amplified the freshness of the dish and showcased a regional ingredient.

    The dish made me think of how chefs throughout Palmer House’s history would’ve used seasonal ingredients, back when you could only eat whatever produce was in season in the region you were in.

    We topped off our dinner with Palmer House’s iconic invention: the brownie.

    palmer house chicago brownie
    The Lockwood Restaurant serves a brownie made with the original 1893 recipe created at the Palmer House. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    I couldn’t visit this historic hotel without trying its most important contribution to the world: the brownie.

    Created for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago World’s Fair, at the request of Bertha Palmer, the original recipe for the chocolate brownie — although they didn’t call it that — was crafted to be easily transported in a lunchbox. Per the hotel’s website, Bertha Palmer had asked the hotel’s chef to craft a dessert that would be “more unique than a piece of pie or cake” and “like a cookie, but denser and more decadent with chocolate.”

    Today, the Lockwood Restaurant serves the same original brownie recipe, dressed up on the plate with a chocolate topping, strawberries, and brownie crumbs. It costs $13.

    I bit into a slice of history, and it was nothing like a brownie I could get anywhere else. The brownie was nutty and tart-like, while also being very chocolate-rich and fudgy. Topped with finely chopped walnuts and apricot preserves, it felt luxurious and more dimensional than the boxed brownies I’m used to.

    Dining here felt like being inside a painting. I’ll be coming back whenever I’m in the city.

    author selfie palmer house lockwood restaurant chicago
    I loved my experience at the Palmer House, and I’ll be returning whenever I’m in the city. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

    Even though it is and functions as a hotel lobby, the Lockwood Lobby Bar was an amazing and unique experience that I wouldn’t be able to recreate anywhere else.

    Sitting under the French frescos and the Tiffany chandeliers felt like stepping into a Gilded Age painting, or like dining inside a museum exhibit.

    Although not being a hotel guest made me feel like a bit of an outsider, its casual vibe provided a sharp contrast with places with dress codes or hard-to-get reservations. The lower-than-expected prices felt comparable to other bars in the city, but this one came with beautiful surroundings.

    I’ll definitely be heading back, and whenever I’m in Chicago, this will be a go-to spot.


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  • VO2 Max Test Showed with Fast How I Should Run to Burn Fat, Build Muscle

    VO2 Max Test Showed with Fast How I Should Run to Burn Fat, Build Muscle

    I’m what i call an “on-pper” athlete. I’ve been running for a decade, i regularly take weightlifting classes, and finished a marathon. In my mind, I should be ripped, shredded – all the paper metaphors that applia to human bodies.

    Reality reveals some writecles. My Running Pace Slowed Down Over The Years, and I Still Can’t Do Real Burpee. I Recount the Second Half of the New York City Marathon with the Same Gravitas People Devotes to Speaking of Real Adversity.

    Si, I have no idea how “healthy” I actually. To get to the Heart of the Matter, decidated to test my Heart. I scheduled an “Active Metabolic Assessment” Through the athletic Club Life Time. The Ama Wold Measure My Heart Rate and My Vo2 Max – How Much Oxygen I Consumed at Different Running Intensities – To Check How Strong My Heart Is.

    A HIGH VO2 MAX IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE “401K” of Good Health – Something You Should Invest in Sooner Rather than Later. Dr. Bradley Serwer, an Interventional Cardiologist and the Chief Medical Office of a Physician-LEED HealthCare Organization Called Vitalsolition, Told with that vo2 Max ASSESSments are helpful in potentially diagram Issues and can use to create Personalized trace plans.

    “We’re able to estabish a baseline and then, with a mixture of training, hopofully see that vo2 max with time,” serwer, who is not affillyed with my life, said. The Assessment Wold Also Show with Which Running Speeds Wauld Help with Burn Fat, and Which Ones Waled Build Muscle and Cardiovascular Health, with the Goal of Increasing the Speeds in Both.

    In the end, i learned i will need to challenge mySelf more – but Luckily, swimming in the daunting ways i thought.

    We Started With A Body Composition Analysis


    Inbody 570 Analysis Machine

    A Body Composition Analysis Use Electrocurents to Measure My Body’s Percentage of Muscle, Fat, and Water Content.

    Corrie Aune for Bi



    Before we did anything, Donovan Stewart, A Personal Trainer at Life Time, Performed A Body Composition Analysis, Which uses Electrocurrent to Measure My Muscle, Fat, and Water Content Percentages. This Help Could with Identify Specific Fitness Goals, Such as Reducing Fat or Building Muscle.

    I’d Gotten Two Body Composition Analyses before – one at the start of the year and one about eight months late. This Third One Confirmed That My Main Goal Should Be to Lose a Little Bit of Body Fat with Sacrificing Muscle, WHICH IS NECESARY FOR HEALTHY AGING.

    While Extreme Running Can Hinder Muscle Growth, Stewart Explained that Certain Speeds Can Actually Help Runners Bulk Up. Knowing How of Run Each Speed ​​Could Ensure I Hit My Weight Loss Goals while Also Steadily Gaining Muscle.

    My Heart Rate Soared in Anticipation

    Stewartjoked that my heart rate was already high before I stepped on the Treadmill. Nor tightened the heart rate monitor around my arm and pinched the oxygen mask around my nose, realized of was nervous.


    The Author Puts on a Mask

    A mask tracked my oxygen flow Throughout the assessment.

    Corrie Aune for Bi



    The plan was Simple Enough: I’d Start off at a Comfortable Walking Pace. Every two minutes, stewart would increes my speed and incline, then to the rate the difficulty from 1 to 10.

    It was more of a mental struggle

    That’s though i was straining to run faste than I Ever Had, I Still Didn’t Want to Give Up Too Soon. My brain was eyeing the Ever-Enticing “Stop” Button on the Treadmill, but My Ego Could Always Go 0.2 MPH faste.


    The Author is on a Treadmill

    Nor the speed incresed, i rated the difficulty on a scale of 1 to 10.

    Corrie Aune for Bi



    AS I RAN, I REFLECTED ON THE FACT THAT I TE TALK MYSELF OUT OF DOING MORE Challenging Runs Becausee I Hate Being Uncomfortable (with the Exception of the Marathon, in Which Fomo Overrode All My Natural Instincts).

    I learned that if i can run it with a trainer and photographer watching, I show probably try to keep up the pace i’m out on my own, too.

    The best speed for fat loss isn’t the quickest


    The Instructor Show Results on the Computer

    I Learned About The Benefits of Each Cardio Zone.

    Corrie aune fo bi



    After the Assessment, Stewart Broke Down My Personal Cardio Areas. He outlined which of my paces were a breeze, moderately challenging, and galloping-from to fast, all Determined by my oxygen consumption and heart rate at Different intervals.


    A Breakdown of Cardio Areas

    Cardio Areas are Determined by My Heart Rate, with Zone 5 Being the Hardest.

    My life



    To my surprise, faste Speed ​​doesn’t Equal Greater Fat Loss, which is a Common Misconception, Stewart Said.

    I learned that area 1 through 3-ranging from a walk to a moderately-paced yog-are the best for burning luck. This is Because the body primarily relies on fat for energy at this intensity.

    People Generally Hit Their Vo2 Max in Zone 4, Serwer Said, Which is a Shift Occurs. As One Moves Faster and Reaches Zone 5, Their Body Stops Getting Enough Energy from Oxygen, relay on Carbohydrates for Quick Fuel.

    Considering My Goals, Stewart Recommended that I SPEND ABOUT 80% of my Weekly workouts focus on area 2 and 3 cardio. SINCE I WAS MOSTLY RUNNING AT A ZONE 2 PACE, The goal is to gently increes my speed.


    A Calorie/Fat/Carb Breakdown of Cardio Areas

    Faster Speeds Burn More Calories, but not more lucky.

    My life



    “You should be able to go out with a group and carry on a conversation for that long run,” Serwer Said. Doing so is “training your body to burn luck more efficiently.”

    Sprinting has its own benefits

    While the assessment gave with an “optimal” VO2 Max Score, Stewart Said He’d Personally Give with A Slightly Lower One Based on His Observations.

    Serwer also said that vo2 max test results can vary Because not all testing equipment is the SAME. Plus, Small Factors Like Masks Not Being Put on Tightly Enough Can Alter Results. That’s why he said it’s a good idea to re-testy few months and look for consistent grown in the results.

    “As a Runner, You’re Going to Want to Improve Your Vo2 Max,” Serwer Said. “You want to operate more efficiently so that your body use mes Energy to produce the Same Results.”


    A Watch Displaying VO2 Max

    My Watch after I ran at my zone 4 pace.

    Julia Pugachevsky



    One way to quickly budild up my vo2 max is to practice flush myself more to the limit. Stewart Recommended Spending the Other 20% of My Week On Zone 4 Cardio, Shaving off ABOUT A Minute for Mile in My Speed. High-Intensity Cardio Also Puts More Strain on My Muscles, Helping with Build Up Muscle Mass.

    Days after the assessment, sprinted around a Local track Field for the first time in my life. Just want i wanten to give up, my watch announced that i’d run my fastest mile ever.

    I Learned, Begrudingly, that of Can Hit My More Aspirational Athletic Goals. My Brain Just Needs to Get Out of the Way First.

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  • Myn Ten Picked Up On Online Investing, Met With A Financial Planner

    Myn Ten Picked Up On Online Investing, Met With A Financial Planner

    Since before he was Old Enough to get a traditional job, my son was making his own Money. He lAunched Businesses From a Young Age, Such as Reselling Sneakers and Flipping Dirt bikes. He Constantly Talked About Money and Entrepreneurship.

    Cre and tourned 14 and COULD FINALLY GET HIRED WHERE LIVE IN SOUTERN CALIFORNIA, he JUMED IN RIGHT AWAY. He took on Multiple Jobs, Umiring Baseball Games, Refereeing Youth Football Flagand Bussing tables at a Local Restaurant.

    While it may May Like a Lot for a 14-Yaar-Old, The Commitments Were Less than the 30 or More Hours a Week He Had Previously dedicated to sports. AFTER PLAYING SPORTS SINCE HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD, he tole with want to spend my working and MAKING MONEY INSTTEAD. For Him, Working Wasn’t a Burden, It was an Opportunity.

    Now, He’s Taking the Money Has EARNED AND Planning for HIS Future.

    Money Has Always Been on His Mind

    Growing up in a family where his mom was previously a Wealth Advisor and he had had uncles on bot sides of the family in wealth management, my son haad been overhearing (and socialiacipating in) Conversations ABOUT and Life Ing Ing.

    Becuses he was so interestted in Wealth CreationThe Content Fed to Him on His Social Media Feeds was offten About Investing and Money Hacks. He’d Constantly item with Instagram Reels with Claims Like, “here’s How to Make $ 1,000 Flipping Old Properties,” or “Is How Millionaires Save and Invest.”

    Most of say skipped from step 1 to step 10, leaving out the hard parts in the middle, but they sparked great conversations between us. I’d Sit Down with Him, Explain What Was True, What Was Missing, and How Those Strategies Actually Workhed in the Real World.

    One Reel Made Something CLICK, and He WANTED TO TAKE ACTION

    One Day, He Sent me a Reel Explaining How Saving $ 100 a Month as a Teen Could Events Grow to Over A Million Dollars, Thanks to Compound interest. He asced, “is this real?”

    Of Told Him, “Yes, Is Absolutely Real.” It ‘sone of the Most Powerful Financial Tools You Can Use, Especilantly When You Start Early. HIS QUICKLY ASKED, “Can You Help Me Set This Up?”


    The author's so works as a referee at a flag football game.

    The author Says Her Son Makes by Working Multiple Jobs, Including Refereeing Youth Sports Games.

    Courtesy of Chris Rosenberg



    We consulted a professional

    I Suggested We Meet With AFplanner SO He COULD PUT HIS PLAN INTO ACTION. We prepared for the meeting together, discussing his goals and a formed a few quants he wanted to Ask. He scheduled the meeting with a Local Financial Planner of Knew from Our Community Networking Group, and then Walked in and Ran the Thing Himself.

    During the Meeting, Sat in the Corner as a Silent Observer. Although I was once licensed and workhed in wealth management, i wanted to own this – and he did.

    Appreciated that the advisor treated Him like any other client. She asced About His Incoms, Goals, and tolerance. She explained the time Value of Money, Investment Options, and How Different Savings Levels Wouuld Grow Over Time. She Showed Him Historical Market Performance and Used Conservatives Estimates in A Financial Calculator to Walk Him Through the Actual Numbers. He asced Smart Questions, Listened Closely, and Together They Built a Plan for Him.

    He was the decision-maker, and that made all the difference

    Soon after the meeting, the advisor sent over the final documents for my son to look over and outlined the next steps. Although of Also Had to Sign I Since Since he is a minor, he made all the decisions.

    With Her Guidance and HIS Input, They Structured a Plan Where He’d Invest a Large Portion of His Income Toward Retirement and Future Real Estate Goals. Nor he pointed out, his expenses are extremely low, so he chose to invest more and spend less for now.

    That moment Changed something for me. I’ve always tried to provides more for my kids than i haad i wash growing up. But realized that helping say stupine a financial foundation early, one that they ow and drive themselves, was more powerful than anything i say for say. The great gift isn’t what i gIive say, but what i have enabled say to budild for themeslves.

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  • 15 New Albums You Shouldten to Now: Geese, Young Thug, and More

    15 New Albums You Shouldten to Now: Geese, Young Thug, and More

    With so Much Good Music Being Release All the Time, It Can Be Hard to Determine What to List to First. Every Week, Pitchfork Offers a Run-Down of Significant New Releasa Avoidable on Streaming Services. This Week’s Batch Includes New Albums from Geese, Young Thug, Neko Case, Mariah Carey, Jeff Tweedy, Cate Le Bon, Donat Cat, M. Sage, Amanda Shires, Chris Williams, Rochelle Jordan, Mason Lindahl, Piotr Kurk, Cardo Got Wings, and Xexa. Subscribe to Pitchfork’s New Music Friday Newsletter to get our recommendations in your inbox Every Week. (All releasses Featured here are independently seled by our editors. When you boy something something our affiliate links, Howver, Pitchfork Earns an Affiliate Commission.)


    Geese: Getting killed (Partisan)

    Geese Getting Killed

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