Explaining Rewards Credit Cards for Charlotte Area Banks

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Banks have issued so many credit cards that they made themselves engaged in fierce competition with each other, fighting for customers’ attention. Therefore, they constantly come up with different credit card incentive programs designed to encourage customers to use their credit or debit cards more frequently. These programs offer to card-holders either points, or flyer miles, or cash. We are explaining the differences between these types of rewards in the paragraphs below. To those readers who are not interested in receiving any rewards on their credit cards, we are also explaining about plain vanilla credit card and what benefits it gives to card-holders.

Cashback Reward Cards

The monetary award that some cards offer is referred to as cashback. The credit cards that promise to return cash to their users are called cashback cards. As a rule, cashback cards pay the users a small percentage – around 5 percent – in cash rewards for each transaction or a purchase that is larger than a certain amount. Card holders usually receive this cash return while they are making their purchases. If you are interested in learning more about this type of credit cards, you may see details in the article enumerating the best cashback cards of July 2019. It will help you choose the right card best suited to your financial situation and goals.

Points Reward Cards

Other credit card companies give you rewards in the form of points. Every time you use your card, you collect points. These points can be redeemed later for cash, gift cards, travel, or other merchandise. There is, however, some difference in how companies allocate these points. Some of them would give you equal points for all purchases. No matter what you buy – cosmetics, clothes, or furniture – you will receive the same points for the items you bought. Other companies, in contrast, give extra points for certain categories of goods or services. You may get extra points, when you buy groceries, pay for a dinner in a restaurant, or fill your car with fuel at a gas station. 

Travel Rewards Cards

There are also travel rewards credit cards. If you fly frequently, this type of the reward card may suit you well. What you need to know in this regard is that there two kinds of travel rewards credit cards. One is general purpose credit cards that pay rewards on all travel purchase. The other is brand-specific credit cards that pay rewards on purchases with a specific airline or hotel. 

If you have preferences for a certain airline, flying only with it, the second type is for you. The brand-specific credit card will suit you more also if you prefer staying in certain hotels whenever you go. When you specify what airline you prefer and in what hotels you stay, you earn more travel rewards with brand-specific credit cards, if you remain unquestionably loyal to your chosen brands. On the other hand, if you hunt for lucrative deals, prefer flying the cheapest airline, and choose hotels that offer less expensive services, then you should order the general-purpose travel rewards credit cards. 

You can use rewards offered by various rewards credit cards for different purposes. The cash rewards can help reduce your credit card balance. With travel rewards, you can travel to different places more often than you usually do, because they allow you to have trips for free. Or on a lesser scale, you can use rewards to purchase holiday and birthday gifts. There are also different possibilities to invest your rewards, either putting them into your investment account or using them to reduce your mortgage

Plain Vanilla Cards

Those of you who do not seek to receive rewards on their credit card may apply for so-called plain vanilla credit card. In the world of finance, the concept “plain vanilla” refers to the most basic version of a financial instrument. It is the opposite of an exotic instrument, which changes the components of a traditional financial instrument, which results in a better security. It might help you understand what the plain vanilla credit card is, if you think about plain vanilla ice-cream. Just as plain vanilla ice-cream does not contain fruits and nuts, the plain vanilla credit card does not offer any additional rewards. It allows you to have a revolving balance up to a specific credit limit. When you make a purchase, you use up your credit. After you pay, you receive more credit. At the end of the month, a finance charge is applied to outstanding balance. But note that plain vanilla cards have a minimum payment payable by a certain due date. You will be fined if you are late with your payment.  

It is clearly more pleasant to receive rewards when you use your credit cards. Yet what you need to keep in mind is that not all rewards are offered infinitely. Some reward programs nullify your rewards if you do not use them by a certain date. If you do not make your credit card payments on time, some programs also forfeit your rewards. Therefore, when you use credit cards with rewards, you should be accurate with your payments, if you wish to continue enjoying your benefits.  

When Should You Consider Duct Cleaning Toronto?

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There is limited information about the advantages and potential problems of air duct cleaning Toronto. Because the conditions in every house are different, usually people tend to generalize on the benefits of air duct cleaning in Toronto. The inhabitants of your home are not suffering from respiratory ailments such as asthma, coughs, sneezing, and allergies, you don’t see the reason to think that the air ducts are polluted with dust and debris and therefore, you conclude that cleaning your ducts is not worth. 

However, on the other side of the coin, your family might be suffering from regular respiratory issues that in most cases, do not see the cause. If everyone is suffering from the same ailment or related respiratory ailments, that is enough proof that the problem is the condition of your environment. The quality of the air in your home might be poor because of contamination from dirty air ducts that have remained uncleaned for a long time. You should think about duct cleaning Toronto if:

 

  • There Is Significant Mold Growth on The Ducts, Metal Surfaces, and Other Heating and Cooling Appliances.

 

To be able to detect mold growth of heating and cooling systems, there are few things you should be aware of.

The first one is that some surfaces of the heating and cooling system may not or may be partially accessible for examination. So, ask your duct cleaning expert to show you such areas and if there is any mold that exists there. 

Secondly, it is worth noting that many substances may look like mold, so to know whether it is mold or not, you need an expert to determine that by carrying out lab analysis. For just $50, some microbiology labs would be able to analyse your sample and give you the results.

If your ducts are insulated and you notice moisture on them, and you cannot clean all the mold, you should consider removing them and replacing them with new ones.

Note that, if the conditions leading to mold are not taken care of, the mold will resurface even after the duct cleaning.

 

  • Ducts Are Invested by Vermin.

 

If you don’t carry out duct cleaning Toronto for a long time, your ducts might become home for vermin such as insects and rodents. These uninvited friends are disgusting as some produce some disturbing sounds at night. Besides, their waste may cause bad odour and make your home unlivable. If they continue living there for a long time, they might invite other dangerous reptiles such as snakes which come looking for prey.

 

  • Your Ducts Are Clogged.

 

If you don’t do duct cleaning, debris, animals’ dander and dust accumulate inside the duct surface and make the ducts ineffective.

 

  • Suggestions When Hiring Duct Cleaning Toronto Service Provider.

 

  • Avoid duct cleaners who emphasize so much about health advantages of duct cleaning- such claims have not basis. If the cleaner emphasizes that you should clean your ducts regularly to make your HVAC system effective, run away. Such cleaners are only trying to entice.
  • If you hire a duct cleaner, do not let him use chemical biocides unless you are familiar with those chemicals and you know their pros and cons. The results of such chemicals might be detrimental especially if it gets into the indoor air. There are many unresolved issues concerning duct cleaners who use chemical treatments for cleaning other people’s homes and cause health issues to family members later.
  • After cleaning, make sure you and the duct cleaner you hired together inspect the heating and cooling system to make sure everything is alright after the cleaning of the ducts.
  • It is essential to interview the companies you are considering to hire for your duct cleaning. You want to know whether the companies are;
  • Experienced in cleaning the ducts and have handled the same work like yours in the past.
  • Whether they use methods that ensure the health of the family members, your pets are maintained, and your property is not contaminated during the process. 
  • Make sure that the firm is licensed by the local authority to do what it claims to do.
  • You also want to know about the customer reviews and testimonials from past clients.

The North Carolina Zoo Society Establishes Trust Fund for Branson Langley’s Daughter

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The staff of the North Carolina Zoological Society is mourning the loss of Branson Joe Langley, the dedicated and beloved arborist who died in an incident at the North Carolina Zoo on July 18, 2019. We will miss him, and we, as an organization, have decided to honor his memory and his life by establishing a trust fund to provide support to his precious 9-year-old daughter, Maggie. “The Maggie Fund” will be used to further her education and help her achieve all the dreams that her father wished for her.

Individuals can donate to the The Maggie Fund, by mailing a check to the North Carolina Zoo Society or by making a donation online. Please address mail-in donations to The Maggie Fund; In care of The North Carolina Zoo Society; 4403 Zoo Parkway; Asheboro, NC 27205.

Online donations may be made by going to the Zoo Society’s Webpage at nczoo.com. We will begin accepting online donations for The Maggie Fund by noon on Saturday, July 20, 2019.

Donations made by mail or online will be acknowledged by a letter that will be sent to the donor and a letter that will be sent to Mr. Langley’s family.

The North Carolina Zoo Society is a private, 501(c)3 nonprofit that raises money and engenders public support for the North Carolina Zoo.

Doctors Warning #SunBurnTattoo Challenge Can Be Extremely Dangerous

There is a dangerous new viral trend growing in popularity this summer – the #SunburnTattoo challenge.

An increasing number of social media posts now include images of shapes, words like “ThugLife” and “Happy”, and initials temporarily ‘burned’ onto their skin.

Inked Magazine dubbed the fad the latest trend to hit social media, with one person even attempting to tan the Mona Lisa to his chest.

 

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The #sunburntattoo challenge has began!

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The majority of people taking the challenge use temporary tattoo stencils to cover parts of their body with a small design, layout in the sun, then post the resulting creation on social media.

There are even companies attempting to capitalize on the dangerous new trend – most notably, “FunTanTattoo”;

Like many recent social media trends, the #SunBurnTattoo challenge can be dangerous.

“In order for the stencil, or tattoo, to be apparent, you would have to damage the surrounding tissue enough that it either tans heavily or burns,” said MD Rachel Nazarian, a New York–based dermatologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (FAAD). “Both tanning and burning the skin is detrimental to your health; they’re signs that the skin is receiving ultraviolet radiation with mutating potential, which increases your risk of developing skin cancer and accelerates skin aging, meaning more wrinkles, sun spots, and loss of collagen, which causes sagging skin,” she added.

Instead of getting sucked into the latest viral fad, experts recommend beachgoers apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before going into the sun. An SPF of at least 15 is recommended, with reapplication every 80 minutes.

Freak Storm Flooded Creeks 9 Feet and Took Out Power and Trees Across Charlotte

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Last night Charlotte experienced one of the most severe thunderstorms of the year as storm clouds blew in unprecedented amounts of lightning, knocked down trees, and dumped several inches of rain in less than an hour.

So much rain was dropped in around Center City that Little Sugar Creek rose from a depth of just over a foot to over 10 feet just before midnight.

According to Charlotte’s Flood Information and Notification System, some areas of Charlotte saw over 2.7 inches of rainfall last night in less than an hour, with the hardest-hit areas being just north of Center City;

The lightning was epic and consistent, with the majority of strikes hitting between SouthEnd and Uptown.

The rushing rainwater loosened the ground enough in several places for the storm’s winds to knock down at least a dozen trees around the Charlotte region.

 

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Tree down a couple of blocks from me.

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As of 11am this morning, there are still several hundred power outages around Charlotte, according to Duke Energy’s power outage map;

Did you watch last night’s storm? 

Did you experience any flooding, downed trees, power outages?

North Carolina Now On Short List For Virgin’s 600+ MPH ‘Hyperloop’ Transit System

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How would you like to travel between Charlotte and Raleigh in under 20 minutes?

That might soon become possible if Richard Branson gets his wish of building a network of ‘Hyperloop’ transit systems around the country.

Last week, Virgin Hyperloop One‘s marketing director, senior civil engineer, and other leaders traveled to Raleigh for the second time to talk to state leaders about the possibility of bringing the technology to the Tar Heel State.

After the meeting, the company sent out a press release, saying that North Carolina is now the 9th state in the nation to work toward implementing the new technology.

“There is a tremendous opportunity to further connect these regional anchors and link North Carolina’s capital area with markets to the south and the northeast using a more efficient, sustainable, and reliable form of passenger and cargo transportation. It’s incredibly energizing the see North Carolina and the Triangle region take this important step forward in amplifying its vision for what 21st-century transportation can be,”  said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One

Virgin recently completed and tested a 550-yard-long prototype in Nevada, officially making them the only company in the world to successfully test hyperloop technology at scale. At last week’s meeting, the company’s engineer referred to the Nevada test as their “Kitty Hawk Test” (in reference to the Wright Brothers first flight tests in North Carolina).

The revolutionary Hyperloop technology allows trains to travel at 600+ mph speeds by eliminating all friction around the vehicles, including air friction (via sealed and pressurized tubes) and track friction (via a non-contact electromagnetic rail system).

The company now expects to receive federal approvals to build their first full-scale hyperloop system in California by 2024.

Gaston County Police Asking For Help In Finding Missing Girl

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The Gaston County Police Department just send out an urgent request for the public’s help in finding a missing girl.

21-year-old Eryn Renee Rauch was last seen at 4414 Derrydown Lane in Gastonia, NC on July 9th.

Eryn was last seen wearing a t-shirt with stars printed on it, dark blue shorts with white anchors, gray converse shoes and a flamingo bag. It’s thought that she may have been going to a location in Cleveland County, NC.

If you have any information about Eryn’s whereabouts, please call the Gaston County Police at 704-866-3329 or Crime Stoppers of Gaston County at 704-861-8000.

Clean Energy Jobs Grew 3.5% in 2018, Placing NC 8th Among All 50 States

More than 110,000 North Carolinians now work in clean energy after 3,700 jobs were created in the state in 2018, according to a new analysis of energy jobs data by the national nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs).

According to Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019, the state’s clean energy jobs grew 3.5 percent last year – nearly double statewide employment growth (1.9%) —and now account for more than half of North Carolina’s entire energy sector workforce (212,172).  Clean energy jobs also now employ more than ten times more workers than the state’s entire fossil fuel industry (10,022).

“Just like agriculture, biotech and banking before, clean energy is helping reshape North Carolina’s economy once again – and creating thousands of good-paying jobs along the way,”said Bob Keefe, Executive Director of E2. “Lawmakers now have the opportunity to keep those jobs growing by implementing the right suite of policies that are already in the works.”

Energy efficiency remains the largest clean energy sector in North Carolina with more than 86,500 workers – up from 84,000 in 2017. Renewable energy, led by solar (9,000 jobs), accounted for the second-most clean energy jobs (12,000) while the clean vehicles sector added more than 1,000 jobs (7,200 jobs) for a 19.5% growth rate from 2017.

“These jobs numbers are proof clean energy solutions will continue to be a worthwhile investment in North Carolina’s economic future,” said Veronica Butcher, E2’s North Carolina Representative. “The advancements highlighted in the report show businesses are creating jobs for North Carolinians that cannot be outsourced while shifting the state to clean energy future.

Analyzing the state geographically, Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019 found that while Charlotte and Raleigh accounted for about one out of every three clean jobs in the state, about 25 percent (29,000) are in rural areas. Additionally, all 100 North Carolina counties are home to some clean energy workers, with 26 counties supporting at least 900. Mecklenburg led all counties in North Carolina with more than 20,142 jobs, followed by Wake (17,491) and Guilford (6,318) counties. By density, Mecklenburg, Wake, and Iredell counties led the state, all support5ing over 20 clean jobs per 1,000 employable residents.

Additionally, Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019 shows that clean energy employment knows no political boundaries. Some of the biggest concentrations of clean energy jobs are in longtime Republican-held congressional districts, but districts held by Democrats also have large numbers of clean energy jobs. Similarly, 40 of the state’s 50 Senate districts now have more than 1,000 clean energy jobs, as do 39 state House districts.

Looking at legislative districts, 11 of North Carolina’s 13 congressional districts supported over 5,000 clean jobs. In the state legislature, 40 of the state’s 50 senate districts along with 39 house districts had over 1,000 clean energy jobs.

Other highlights from Clean Jobs North Carolina 2019:

  • 80% of clean energy employers reported it was “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult” hiring qualified workers
  • More than 4 out of every 5 clean energy workers are employed by businesses with fewer than 20 employees
  • Construction (44.3%) and manufacturing (16.8%) make up the majority of clean energy jobs.
  • 3,468 North Carolinians now work in grid modernization (2,124) and energy storage (1,344)
  • 11.4 % of North Carolinians employed in clean energy are veterans – nearly double the percentage of veterans in the overall national workplace (6%)
  • 22 counties employ at least 1,000 clean energy workers

The report follows E2’s Clean Jobs America analysis which found the clean energy jobs account for nearly 3.3 million jobs across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Both reports are based on data from the 2019 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) produced by the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO).

NC Firefighter Terminated After Saying Asylum Seekers Should Be Killed

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A North Carolina firefighter has just been terminated after saying that he thinks the US Government should kill all children and adults who came here to seek asylum and who are currently being held in US Detention Centers.

In response to a post about asylum seekers being held on the US-Mexico border, he said;

“personally I think they’re (US government officials) too easy on them (asylum seekers). They should exterminate all captive right now and broadcast it over Mexican national TV to send a message that if you cross illegally you die.”

Caleb Folwell had been volunteering with the Julian Fire and Rescue Department in southern Guilford County, NC, but soon after the post went viral, Folwell was terminated from the department, according to the Chatham County Fire Chief John Strowd.

The chief would only say that it was because of a “personnel matter.”

Soon after the incident, Spectrum News posted the article to their Facebook page, including a clear image of Folwell’s comment.

While most of the commenters on the post were appalled by the comment, some, tragically, voiced agreement and support for the idea of killing asylum seekers.

Jennifer N Bobby Utt of Collinsville, VA said;

“100% Agree With What The Firefighter Said It’s Time Those At The Boarder Need To Get This Message We Don’t Need Them Here In This Country So All Who Take Up For Them Ought To Think Of The Future For Your Kids Grandkids And All” and added “So You All Want More People In This Country That Hate Our Country These People At The Border Don’t Belong Here We Need To Take Care Of Our Own Before Them All Ya’ll Need To Grow Up.”

Valerie Davies Smith of Harrisburg, NC said;

“I actually agree with the fireman”

Daniel Glazener said;

“Me too!”

Michael Shoemaker of Statesville, NC said;

“What’s wrong with that?”

 

What do you think about Folwell’s comments? 

What do you think about those who supported his stance? 

 

 

 

Charlotte Approves Plan to Convert I-77 Shoulder Into Extra Lane

The NCDOT is about to add another lane to I-77 North to ease in congestion during rush hour.

At a meeting yesterday, the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization officially approved the NCDOT request to add the extra lane by allocating $47 million from other road, bicycle, and pedestrian projects across the state.

The new project will convert the shoulder between I-485 in Huntersville to Highway 150 in Mooresville into a temporary rush-hour lane that will open during high-congestion times.

According to the Turnpike Authority, emergency responders will be able to drive over the white sticks separating the lanes to get around traffic during emergency situations when the shoulder is being used as an extra lane.

Construction on the new shoulder/lane will start once the toll lanes are completely finished.

What do you think about the new plan?