Charlotte Will Witness The Peak of The Perseid Meteor Shower This Week

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte Will Witness The Peak of The Perseid Meteor Shower This Week

The Charlotte region is currently witnessing the largest meteor shower of the year as the earth passes through the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, the parent of the Perseid meteor shower.

According to NASA, stargazers could see up to 100 meteors an hour between midnight an dawn on August 11th, 12th, and 13th of 2021. This year’s shower will be especially bright with a mostly dark moon and clear skies forecasted for t he Charlotte region.

“With very fast and bright meteors, Perseids frequently leave long ‘wakes’ of light and color behind them as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere,” commented NASA.

via Felix Zai

If you want to get the best view, download a GPS-synced skymap on your phone and find the constellation Perseus – that is where most of the meteors will be originating from.

History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” Visits Fort Mill In Upcoming Episode

Charlotte Stories
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History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” Visits Fort Mill In Upcoming Episode

Stanley Black & Decker announced today that the company’s iconic DEWALT tools will be the star of an upcoming “Modern Marvels: Machines” episode on The HISTORY Channel. The episode, part of the show’s season featuring modern machines airs Sunday, August 15 at 10/9c.

The show will visit the company’s Ft. Mill, South Carolina Manufacturing Facility to get an inside look at the production of DEWALT power tools. He discovers how the facility uses cutting edge technology to make cutting edge tools. Between robots, cobots (collaborative robots) and their 650 hard-working employees, a power tool comes off the production line every 30 seconds.

“Our employees have a tremendous sense of pride for what they do, but hosting The HISTORY Channel at our facility brought that to a new level,” said Stanley Black & Decker Plant Manager, Brendan Pidgeon. “Many people have misconceptions on what manufacturing looks like and we were proud to have the unique opportunity to showcase our highly digital and sustainable facility, as well as the dedicated employees of Stanley Black & Decker. Hopefully this episode gives the country a sneak peek to how rewarding a career in manufacturing can be.”

Help Us Find The Mystery Impact Driver #FindThatImpactDriver

The Ft. Mill Manufacturing Facility produces 80-100,000 units every week and sell the products online and in retail stores around the world. One of the highest volume tools in the facility is the DEWALT Impact Driver, making up nearly half of that weekly output. During the filming of this episode, Richman wanted to provide a personal touch for DEWALT fans. He took an Impact Driver off the production line before it went into packaging, and slid a note into the box, sharing how much he enjoyed making the product.

DEWALT is looking for that lucky customer that purchased this Impact Driver with the special note and wants to share in the excitement by sending them a DEWALT prize pack. Hint – you’re looking for a DCF887D2. If you are the recipient, post the personalized note from Adam Richman on our social channels, tagging @DEWALT, @HISTORY and #ModernMarvels. Follow the excitement using #FindThatImpactDriver.

To learn more about the show or view the episode after Sunday’s premiere, visit https://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels.

Honeywell Donating $1.5 Million For New STEM Innovation Center at CLT Airport

Charlotte Stories
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Honeywell Donating $1.5 Million For New STEM Innovation Center at CLT Airport

Carolinas Aviation Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate that has served as a hub of community engagement for aviation history and STEM education in the Charlotte region for nearly three decades, today announced a $1.5 million gift from Charlotte-based Honeywell, catalyzing the launch of the public phase of the museum’s largest fundraising effort.

The gift brings the Lift Off Campaign’s quiet phase funding total to $10 million, including $3.5 million in additional private contributions from unnamed donors. The $10 million also includes an expected $5 million from Charlotte Douglas International Airport for site development.

The goal of The Lift-Off Campaign is to raise $22 million in cash investments – plus several million dollars of in-kind support – toward creation of a state-of-the-art STEM innovation center on airport property, with construction expected to begin in early 2022 and a planned opening in 2023.

The reimagined Carolinas Aviation Museum, which will be developed in partnership with Charlotte Douglas International Airport, will house dozens of aircraft and include exhibits such as interactive cockpits, flight simulators, and historic artifacts that chronicle the region’s indelible connection to the wonder of flight and aviation innovation. The new facility will be located at the site of Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s historic WPA/Douglas Airport Hangar, which will be restored as part of the museum project.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from the Airport, the City of Charlotte and the generous investment from Honeywell, and we are ready to lift off on our next phase to create an exciting new facility that matches the innovation we seek to inspire,” said Carolinas Aviation Museum President Stephen Saucier. “We are looking forward to once again connecting in person with the region, contributing to Charlotte’s cultural tourism and economic growth, and providing impactful hands-on learning opportunities in STEM that will help address economic mobility.”

For more information on the campaign and plans for the museum’s new facility, visit carolinasaviation.org.

Charlotte’s ‘Wanderwall’ Ranked Among The Top 50 Public Artworks in America

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte’s ‘Wanderwall’ Ranked Among The Top 50 Public Artworks in America
photo by NAARO

One of Charlotte’s biggest displays of public arts is now ranked as among the Top 50 in America.

According to The Public Arts Network, Charlotte’s new 18,000 square foot ‘Wonderwall’ installation is “a dynamic cultural asset for the City of Charlotte, Wanderwall celebrates the spirit of growth and discovery.”

The entire display is made up of 5,768 individual pieces and climbs over 8 stories tall, wrapping around the Southwest and Southeast sides of the new Stonewall Station parking garage.

photo by NAARO

The Public Arts Network goes on to describe the art piece in poetic fashion:

“Wanderwall makes an impact at the urban scale as it catches high-speed glances from motorists on the adjacent freeway. From the sidewalk, it is a tectonic experience, as the pleated contours and patterning come into closer focus. Viewed from the garage’s interior, the porosity of the patterns cut into each individual part produce a tracery of dynamic light. A novel approach to façade systems, Wanderwall is suspended as one continuous piece, without the use of a secondary support structure. Unlike a typical panelized system, the skin is assembled onsite as a unified, ultra-thin surface, and the gentle pleating provides structural depth for the one-eighth inch material to continuously span both elevations. The 16-inch deep directional folds across the structural skin borrows from the concept of nappe—a geological term relating to both the movement and form that creates the earth’s peaks and valleys over their tectonic history.”

Wonderwall now joins Metalmorphisis, CPCC’s Bronze Angel, and our numerous building-size graphitti art installations in enhancing Charlotte’s world-class art scene.

Wonderwall was built by Crescent Communities and Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council at a cost of $1.4 million.

The current state of bingo in the UK

Cathy Miller
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The current state of bingo in the UK

Many industries suffered through the COVID-19 pandemic but online gambling is one that has shown considerable growth. Online bingo has been a success, with the convenience of finding games to join easily and from the comforts of home. Growth in the land-based version of the game slowed with players unable to travel to local parlours because of restrictions placed during the global pandemic. 

The bingo industry in the UK was worth an estimated £910 Million-Per-Year from April 2019 to May 2020,this mainly because of the increase of players turning to the online game, as online casinos improve further with the advancements in technology. This article shall look briefly at what the current state of play is within the UK bingo industry and what the current trends could show for the future of the game.

Online bingo growing rapidly

From that estimation, the land-based bingo market accounted for a significant £636 million however, online bingo is showing signs of booming over the coming years. Reports show that funds wagered into online bingo at online casinos was up 0.9% over the above timeframe mentioned, while the amount of funds wagered in land-based casinos fell by 5.7%.

One of the primary factors that affected that decrease in of course was the COVID-19 pandemic with many players forced to isolate rather than risk exposure to the deadly virus. These players looked into other avenues to play their favourite game,and if they still wanted to play bingo, there were an abundance of options open to them at online casinos.

Another factor to consider in the decrease of land-based bingo revenue is that more people of all ages would communicate online through social media applications such as Facebook and this platform also had free games available, which were cleverly advertised to players using advanced algorithms to target players who may have searched for online bingo previously on their web browser. 

Review the best online bingo websites

The convenience as mentioned and the chance to play for real money was an attractive prospect which may have led to land-based bingo parlours losing some of their regular clients because of this. Whichbingo is a website that has been compiled by experts who review online casinos and on this page, you can find information regarding online bingo. 

Players who wish to play online bingo can check out the list of the top ten online bingo sites at Whichbingo where you will find some sites offering bingo bonuses which giveaway free bonus money or bingo cards when you sign up  for a new membership. What is great about this website is that the offers have been checked for reliability and websites reviewed for so even a novice online gambler will find a bingo website that is suited for them. 

The Future of Bingo in the UK

Bingo should continue to grow in popularity, with online bingo becoming the main focus of the growth. Perhaps the biggest advantage that live bingo offers over the online version is the social interaction between players. This, though, can soon be countered in the online game via the use of VR technology and live casino games using similar technological innovations.

Other factors that may affect the growth in online bingo and see land-based bingo remain in good stead is that the older generation may not be comfortable with experimenting in online gambling and prefer to withdraw their winnings instantly. Some older players do not fully understand the use of some payment methods online and may feel the land-based bingo halls are still the place to play bingo in the UK. 

Top 3 tips for choosing: The perfect dress for your beach wedding

Silvia Woolard
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Top 3 tips for choosing: The perfect dress for your beach wedding

Beach romance – it’s peaceful, fresh breezes and reflections of sunlight on the water. It’s the perfect setting for a summer wedding reception! During the warm season, the bride’s appearance is not as dependent on the vagaries of the weather. You can afford to choose something open and feminine and not worry about outerwear, which will weigh down the image and cover up all the beauty.

Dresses for seaside weddings

The styles of beach wedding dresses from this lookbook https://www.justinalexander.com/ is very diverse, each bride will be able to create a spectacular summer image, beneficially playing up the features of his figure are popular such types:

A-silhouette

Dresses with a trapeze skirt are a wedding fashion classic. They are gentle and feminine, they can be complemented by different elements of cut and decor, and play around with fabrics of different textures to achieve the desired effect. Beach dress A-silhouette is a combination of delicate openwork patterns on the bodice with transparent inserts and a light layered skirt of airy translucent fabrics. Deep neckline on the back or neckline, as well as the slits on the skirt, will make the dress even more comfortable for the hot weather, and the image of the bride – more sensual.

Straight cut

A straight wedding dress will emphasize the restraint and elegance of the bride. This particular style is ideal for design experiments. Laconic silhouette allows you to accentuate the creative decorations or unusual cutting elements. For the beach ceremony, wedding dresses with a straight skirt of thin flowing fabric are suitable. You can choose a skirt with high slits or ahem flowing into a luxurious plume. The sea breeze will effectively flutter silk and chiffon, and the bride will appear before the guests as a real beach diva, feminine and sophisticated.

Short dress

Dress in a playful short skirt is not only comfortable in the summer heat but also a variety of images, from traditional to creative. Model “baby doll” with a fluffy skirt will fit perfectly into the scenario of a youth beach party. For those who have perfect proportions, you can choose a close-fitting dress-flannel made of delicate lace or guipure, thereby creating an elegant, feminine image. Short models, showing the slender legs of the bride, are already quite a brave wedding look. Be careful with necklines or transparent inserts. It is important not to overdo the degree of openness of the dress, otherwise, you can lose the tenderness and reverence of the bride’s image.

Silhouette “fish”

Fish or mermaid wedding dresses are the most sophisticated summer option. For the beach ceremony, you can consider models made of translucent fabrics with thin straps and skirts with slits. Dresses with decorations of shiny stones and pearls, with incrustations, sequins, and shimmering embroidery are reminiscent of the treasures of the sea depths and the shine of the water surface in the sun. They will look perfect for the beach ceremony. Thin weightless capes and skirts with light plumes, fluttering in the wind, will be a spectacular decoration of the dress.

Transformer dress

Wedding model transformers combine the beauty and effect of long dresses with the practicality and convenience of short ones. For the beach ceremony a short fishnet mini with a translucent plume skirt, which will create a spectacular image for the official part of the event and photo session, and during the celebration enjoy the freedom and comfort, will come in handy.

Crop Top

Stylish and daring models of cropped tops look unusual and relevant. For a beach wedding, you can consider options with a maximum open strapless top or a loose bolero of translucent fabric. The bottom of the wedding set could be a puffy sun skirt or a tight-fitting model just below the knee or to the floor. Asymmetric cut skirts or with a train are very effective to complement the top.

Fabrics for beach wedding dresses

Any wedding ceremony on the beach involves sunny and hot weather. Of course, dense heavy fabrics will not only look inappropriate but will cause discomfort. To create beach wedding dresses designers choose chiffon, tulle, silk, and lace. These materials are air permeable, effectively flow and envelop the bride’s figure due to their fine texture. Especially beautiful are long skirts with plumes, made of chiffon or layered tulle combined with lace or richly decorated bodice.

Color of dress for a beach wedding

When it is better to let your imagination run wild and experiment with colors, even when it comes to the bride’s dress. The traditional white can be abandoned in favor of the current shades of powder, ivory, and cappuccino. No less harmonious on the seashore will look gentle blue, lavender, ashy pink shades. However, the snow-white classics on the background of the azure waves look contrasting and no less exquisite.

When choosing a dress for a coastal wedding, it is important to remember that the image is relaxed, delicate, and sensual. Light, like fairy wings, fabrics, delicate shimmer and transparency, the intertwining of openwork patterns – all this is used by designers to create summer collections of wedding dresses. Before heading to the salon for a fitting, look for examples of bridal images on the websites of bridal brands and salons, and be sure to save the ones you like. With clear pictures, it will be much easier for you to find the dress of your dreams!

5 Moving Tips for Military Families

Sharon Anderson
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5 Moving Tips for Military Families

Moving is a stressful process for everyone, but this stress can be more pressing for military families, with more moves made more frequently. You may have made more than on Permanent Changes of Station this year alone. To help make your military moves less stressful and more efficient, here are five top moving tips for military families. 

1. Gather Moving Details Ahead of Time 

As soon as you receive orders, schedule a time to meet with your base transportation and family center representatives. When you meet, have them go over all of the relocation information as well as the options available for military housing. Should any additional resources be needed, such as moving sponsors, this is the time to bring up these matters. 

2. Encourage Minimalistic Living

With the likelihood of moving, letting go of items as often as you can, will make the process of moving easier. With fewer items to bring with you on your next move, the process will go by faster. We suggest that you begin following a schedule of donating the items you wish to part with regularly. These items can include clothing, furniture, books, and anything else that you do not see yourself taking with you. Keep only those things that matter most to you, as well as the essentials you know you’ll need. Letting go of items regularly is also a great way to stay organized and contribute to planet-friendly shopping. You can make an effort to donate and sell often to make moving easier. 

3. Keep A Binder

The frequent moving you experience should give you enough reason to start keeping an organized binder that tracks all of the information you’ll need. If you’re moving to a new state, you’ll have to take care of everything from car re-registrations to school enrollment. To make that easier, keep your paperwork in order within your PCS binder. At the very least, you’ll want to store birth certificates, housing paperwork, and contact information as bases change. You can also create your own PCS checklist to make sure you have included all necessary paperwork. Use this binder to guide your DITY move, or the moving of household items under individual actions rather than through military assistance. You can organize your moving day using your own rental equipment, vehicles, and carriers. 

4. Find Your Moving Company 

Once these essentials are covered, it’s time to hire a company to help you move. Many moving companies are listed as part of military families’ reimbursement packages, making this part of the transition straightforward. Lock in a day and time for moving, so you have as much time as possible to prepare in advance. From here, transfer school paperwork, start school enrollment, and schedule any temporary stays for gap periods between moves. The sooner you get all of this in order, the sooner you can focus on planning your move, with more time to do so in an organized way. 

5. Move Before the Summer

If possible, avoid moving in the summer months. Most likely, between May through August, rates will be higher across the board. Moving companies will be heavily booked, roads will be hectic, and gas will be pricier. If you have no choice but to move during the summer, try to move earlier to avoid the hustle of everything and the associated higher costs. 

The Bottom Line 

Moving as a military family can be a constant stressor. Take some of the stress of yourself by preparing ahead of time for these changes. Stay organized, let go of unnecessary items, and be proactive about moving orders. You’ve got this!

How Online Casinos Become So Popular

Sharon Anderson
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How Online Casinos Become So Popular

The casino is thought to have existed in 16th century Persia, the history says ‘As Nas.’ The game was later taught to French settlers in New Orleans by Persian sailors. The game is played like a modern five-card stud with 25 cards of 5 different suits. But poker hand rankings like three-of-a-kind already exist.

While America fueled poker, its popularity grew as American gambling shifted from border towns to riverboats. While gambling was tolerated on the southwest frontier during the early 1800s, people became less tolerant in the 1830s. As tolerance waned, several cities in the West passed laws banning gambling, and many towns kicked out famous gamblers. Then many gamblers traded in steamboats that sailed the Mississippi River. However, carrying heavy equipment such as a roulette wheel was difficult on a steamboat, the reason why the popularity of card game poker increased. As the popularity of poker grew, the 20-card deck was replaced by the 52-card deck.

The time of the American Civil War was also a period when many additions to poker. These include draw poker, stud poker (five-card variant), and straights. Further American developments such as the introduction of wild cards in 1875, lowball and split-pot poker appeared in the 1900s, and the community card game of poker appeared in 1925. The game’s popularity slowly spread to other countries, especially Asia, mainly due to the influence of the US military.

The game of poker has evolved. Two centuries ago, the game was mainly played by con artists, criminals, and knife-makers on riverboats. Now it is a famous ‘sport’ which is played all over the world by professionals. The celebrity status of poker players has replaced today’s criminal group. Moreover, technology has taken it a step further, and poker hands are no longer handled by professional cheaters manipulating the deck but more often by software programs that connect millions of players worldwide.

You need to know that these two types of gambling have very striking differences. In the past, more often played games like this in betting houses supported by several exciting game machines. And places like that usually have units that reach more or less up to 1000 units. But with the development of technology, this method is considered less efficient because it must take more time to prepare and cost more money. Hence why the creation of online gambling portals like https://smartcasinoguide.com/ really helped shape the future of gambling industry.

Many Choices of Game Types

Several online casino games include gambling games, roulette, baccarat, sic bo, and slots. And each player certainly has their favorite type, but the most popular are Baccarat and Roulette. 

 

Advantages of Online Casino

There are so many online gambling service provider sites that are starting to appear today. Because in this modern era, technological developments are also increasingly advanced. Even now, you have started to bet online without having to pay more to bet at the locations where the casino opened, which will cost a lot of money. The advantages of online casinos are what online casino lovers like because they can play them anywhere and anytime.

There are many types of online gambling games that can be played to your heart’s content. We can also find one betting site, but it provides a variety of games.

In addition to online casino games, which contain several games commonly played at casino sites, bettors can also try their luck by playing lottery gambling, horse racing, balls, and many others only at soccer bookies. Of course, all these gambling games are played online, so players can play them whenever they want without bothering to look for bookies or playing opponents on the same platform.

Easy To Play

The next benefit can be seen in terms of ease of playing, especially to play all these games. Only one account is needed on the casino https://smartcasinoguide.com/. So there is no need to register at several gambling sites if you want to play different online gambling games. For example, if you’re playing lottery gambling, you must register on a lottery site. While you want to play soccer gambling, you must register on a soccer site. If you look at it, it’s not practical. While on this casino gambling site, it’s a different story because you can happily play to your heart’s content in more than one type of game with one account.

Big Bonus

There is still another benefit that can be obtained directly, namely a very diverse selection of bonuses. These bonuses are given to old players and new players who can also get attractive and tempting bonuses. For example, a new member bonus is 10–20% cashback for the first deposit. Then there are also weekly bonuses, rolling rewards, and jackpots worth hundreds of thousands to millions. The completeness of this bonus is, of course, one of the reasons that make people play online gambling, especially casino gambling.

Safer And More Secure

As we all know, one of the advantages of playing online in smartcasinoguide.com is in terms of security. The safety factor is also a consideration for bettors considering this activity is quite risky and invites risk if done openly. People tend to choose to play safe gambling, and this online casino gambling offers that.

Charlotte City Council Passes Sweeping New Nondiscrimination Ordinance

Charlotte Stories
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Charlotte City Council Passes Sweeping New Nondiscrimination Ordinance

Yesterday, the Charlotte City Council unanimously passed a new measure that would add several categories to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance as well as adding new employment protections.

The changes are similar to what the city council passed in 2016, a move that sparked the state to pass the controversial HB2, but this time, the Charlotte City Council did not include language about restroom facility usage.

According to a press release from the city, the new measure amends the city’s ordinances “to include familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, pregnancy and natural hairstyle as classes protected against discrimination,” as well as adding “employment protections for all new and existing protected classes”.

The new nondiscrimination changes that govern public accommodations will take effect on October 1st of this year, and the new employment protections will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

You can read a draft of the changes here.

What do you think about the changes?

The Largest Freshwater Fish in NC History Was Just Caught Weighing Over 127 lbs

Charlotte Stories
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The Largest Freshwater Fish in NC History Was Just Caught Weighing Over 127 lbs

The biggest freshwater fish in North Carolina’s history was just caught by angler Rocky Baker.

According to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the record blue catfish was confirmed as weighing an astounding 127 pounds and 1 ounce (smashing the previous record 117 lb blue catfish). It was caught on the Roanoke River using a Mad Cat rod and Penn Squall reel with gizzard shad as bait.

Tony Crawford’s 88-lb smallmouth buffalo

Blue Catfish are the second biggest freshwater fish variety in the state and are common trophy catches in both Lake Norman and Lake Wylie.

The blue cat is followed in size by a unique fish called the ‘smallmouth buffalo‘ – a Catostomidae species related to the bigmouth buffalo and the black buffalo.

The largest smallmounth buffalo ever caught in our state was reeled in on Lake Wylie back in 1993. That fish weighed a whopping 88 lbs and was caught using pack bait.

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