The idea of caring for a blind dog can be intimidating: What special care needs to be taken? Is it possible to treat him as a normal dog? Are there extra financial stresses with the care of a blind dog?
The care for a blind dog shouldn’t be any more imposing than that of a regular dog, says Paula Biancone, Director of Animal Welfare for Speak for the Unspoken, a nonprofit group based in Ohio, dedicated to caring for dogs with special needs.
“Blind dogs, especially those who are born blind, have no idea they are blind,” says Paula. “They act just like any other puppy or dog, just with extra navigation skills.”
Being unable to see is typically the only handicap a blind dog will have. Blind dogs can still play, run, find food, jump up on the sofa, crawl onto a dog bed, go on hikes and walks … basically anything a normal dog can do, they can do. “The only thing they can’t do is see,” Paula says.
Paula stresses that training a blind dog should be no different than training a dog or puppy who can see. Leash training works the same way as standard manners training — relying more on your voice, instead of any hand motions. Walk your blind dog leashed like you would any other dog.
Living with a blind dog
Blind dogs do what is called “mapping” when they are introduced to a new space. Puppies do the same when they start to stand and explore at around two weeks old. Paula explains that mapping is a lot like what a robotic sweeper does when it’s getting the layout of your home and the rooms it will be working in. The dog will walk, or “map,” the perimeter of the space along the walls, then around the objects in the area (couch, tables, chairs, etc.) until he has mapped out the entire space. This process is repeated a few more times until the dog can remember the layout of the space.
“If something is new in the space, or if something moves, the dog will just repeat the mapping in the area of that newly-introduced object,” says Paula. Mapping isn’t just limited to small rooms, but to the entire house and yards.
“After many years of caring and fostering blind dogs, we have found that no special gear is needed,” says Paula. “Since blind dogs have their hearing, training is the same as any other dog — you can use verbal-only commands, or verbal and touch commands for training.”
To let others know your dog is seeing impaired, your dog can wear a bandana, harness and or even collar tag that tells other people he is blind, so they know to address him through voice cues and touch. This is especially important if he somehow becomes lost.
As people’s interest in ultra-organised homes shows no signs of abating, we’ve collected eight clutter-free kitchens with smart storage solutions in our latest lookbook.
Spearheaded by Japanese organisational guru Marie Kondo, well-organised interiors have become a global trend. In no room is this more evident than in the kitchen, where pantries are stocked up with decanted jam jars, spice racks are labelled and shelving units are customised to house specific utensils.
The following projects, which range from compact apartments to home extensions, use hooks, nooks, racks, shelves, cubby holes and display units to create tidy kitchens where not a grain is out of place.
Paolo Vimercati and Melanie Schubert of SAM Architects demolished a garage hidden behind several listed buildings in south London in order to create this mews house for themselves.
Designed to accommodate their “modern lifestyles”, the home’s interior is clad in vertical planks of charred larch and has plenty of open-plan spaces.
The kitchen has pink, blue and orange plywood units that are filled with cooking books and glassware, while a pegboard display area is used to hang crockery.
Space-saving storage solutions can be found in Fifth Avenue Kitchen, a compact New York apartment created by interior design studio Handwerk Art and Design for a client who works in the film industry.
Aiming to make the most of the 160-square-foot (15 square-metre) space, Handwerk retrofitted the kitchen with features including a pegboard wall for hanging mugs, aprons and other items.
“Starting with a study of their cooking habits and spatial needs, we designed a set of custom cabinets for the whole kitchen that placed everything specifically and precisely,” said the studio.
Plywood and planed softwood structures with square tiles characterise this playful galley kitchen designed by Nimtim Architects for a home extension project in Forest Hill, London.
A kitchen island features a tiled waterfall countertop above a sink and shelving. The kitchen walls were designed to be filled in to increase privacy, or easily removed to maximise open space depending on the family’s future needs.
This family home in Taiwan was reorganised by studio HAO Design so that its occupants could spend more time with each other. In the kitchen, the parents are able to watch their children play games or listen to them play the piano while they are making dinner.
High ceilings in the kitchen meant there was room for a large black steel storage rack to be hung above a white-tiled island. The cage-like storage system serves as a “visual focus” and can also be used to hold plants or kitchenware.
This former studio flat in Budapest was reorganised by Hungarian studio Position Collective to create an Airbnb property suitable for two guests. Rather than rearranging the layout – and mindful of the small budget – the studio installed a plywood furniture and storage system that caters to temporary occupants’ needs.
In the kitchen, it features a modular pegboard storage wall with adjustable shelves to showcase different pieces of local Hungarian art books, home accessories and cooking equipment.
London studio Nimtim Architects transformed a 1920s semi-detached house in Southwark using multifunctional plywood partitions with arched openings and alcoves for storing belongings.
A limited, neutral-toned material palette was employed in the kitchen, comprised of handmade terracotta floor tiles, laminated countertops and sustainably sourced plywood.
For the revamp of a flat in Stoke Newington, British interior firm Studio Merlin added an abundance of storage to form serene, clutter-free living spaces.
An opening in the living room connects the kitchen, where there’s a wall of deep-set IKEA cabinets with smokey blue door fronts and a seating nook. Above this, a series of pantry-style shelves means the owner can easily access jars of cooking ingredients.
Named after the peninsula of land that the residential complex sits on, this red home extension was constructed by Santiago-based architecture studio Guillermo Acuña Arquitectos Asociados using pine stilts.
An open-plan room in the heart of the home is a communal space designed for cooking and eating. Large pine shelves filled with ornaments and tableware line the walls.
An anti-vax social-media campaign has targeted the family of a 6-year-old girl who died suddenly.
A photo of the child posted on the “Died Suddenly” Twitter blamed her parents for vaccinating her.
#DiedSuddenly is a recent iteration of an online conspiracy spreading disinformation about vaccines.
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After the unexpected death of a young girl with long-time health issues in Ohio, online conspiracy theorists took the opportunity to blame the COVID-19 vaccine for her passing.
Just hours after the funeral of six-year-old Anastasia Weaver, who died in January, strangers online were quick to contact grieving family members to further their anti-vaccination agenda. One Facebook user messaged the child’s mother, according to AP, calling her a “murderer.”
Anastasia’s obituary said that the kindergartener died unexpectedly at the Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio on January 25. She had previously experienced health problems, including epilepsy, asthma, and frequent hospitalizations resulting from respiratory viruses, her obituary said.
While the results of her autopsy are not yet public, doctors “haven’t given us any information other than it was due to all of her chronic conditions,” Jessica Day-Weaver, Anastasia’s mother, told AP.
Even so, the “Died Suddenly” Twitter page — and, more widely, the anti-vaccination movement — has co-opted and exploited the death of a young girl after the account posted a photograph of Anastasia on Twitter with a syringe emoji as a kind of “warning” against COVID vaccines.
“Her mother is a nurse, and she heavily pushed the vaccine on Facebook,” the post said, falsely indicating that her mother and the vaccine were in some way responsible for her death.
The “Died Suddenly” hashtag is centered around a video by the same name, which labels itself as a “documentary film of a generation.”
Produced late last year by the far-right online commentator Stew Peters, the film misrepresents the stories of health crises and frames them as vaccine-related deaths. The hour-long movie claims, among other things, that COVID vaccines cause blood clots that cause unexpected deaths — an idea that health experts have repeatedly debunked as misinformation.
Anastasia and her family are only one of the latest targets of the “Died Suddenly” Twitter account, which began posting in October 2022 and has nearly 300,000 followers. Other Twitter accounts are also pushing this line and trawling for death stories.
Some of those whose lives the movie has used for anti-vaccination propaganda, as Matt Shuham reported in the HuffPost, are fighting to take their stories back.
Traffic to the #DiedSuddenly hashtag has increased by 740% on Twitter over the past two months compared to the previous two, according to an analysis conducted for the Associated Press, and searches for the term on Google spiked around the time the video was released. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also tweeted in support of the video a few days after it came out.
While the film “premiered” on the site Rumble — a video-sharing site popular within the alt-right community — the entire video is also available to watch on Twitter after the site removed its COVID-misinformation label, when billionaire Elon Musk took over the platform, according to The Atlantic.
“Twitter under Elon Musk has been giving signals to the communities of conspiracy theorists that Twitter’s door might be open to them again,” Jing Zeng, a researcher on Twitter and conspiracy theories, told The Atlantic.
Dogs are supposed to be our best friends, but do you have a dog who doesn’t like you? This breakdown in the relationship between dog and owner can be stressful for all. How do you know if your dog doesn’t like you? Your dog’s body language is a clear indicator of how your dog is feeling about you in the moment.
5 signs your dog doesn’t like you
1. Stiff body language. Dogs use their bodies to communicate with each other and people. One of the first signs that your dog doesn’t like you or is uncomfortable being near you is stiff or uncomfortable body language. This includes whale eyes — the whites of their eyes are visible — when you approach, tucked-in tails or cowering and moving away from you.
2. Avoids contact with you. If your dog avoids spending time near you, including playtime, your dog might not like you. Note: Dogs do have personal preferences for how they show attention and not all dogs are cuddly. That doesn’t mean they don’t like their people; they might just prefer to play or do something more active than lounging around.
3. Reluctant or refuses to take treats from your hands. If your dog is uncomfortable taking food or treats from your hand, that’s a clear sign that your dog isn’t comfortable being near you.
4. Growling, snapping or biting you. This is the clearest way your dog can communicate that he doesn’t like you, or he doesn’t like the specific ways that you are interacting with him at that moment.
5. Showing stress signs. Stress signs include yawning (when not tired) and lip licking and panting (when they aren’t hot). Your dog may be telling you he’s nervous or uncomfortable being near you or with how you are interacting with him.
Why does my dog not like me?
There are a variety of reasons your dog might not like you or not like the way you are interacting with him. These include:
You aren’t meeting your dog’s needs
Someone mistreated your dog in the past, which can result in dogs struggling to form relationships and connections with people.
Some dogs are wary of new people, so if your dog has only recently come home, it’s possible he just isn’t used to you yet.
Dogs thrive on routine and predictable behavior. If you behave unpredictably around your dog, he may struggle to trust and connect with you.
Dogs particularly struggle when owners don’t respect their personal space, forcing them into interactions like hugging and cuddling when they aren’t comfortable.
Improving your relationship with your dog
It’s possible to change how your dog feels about you. Just like any other relationship in your life, building a strong relationship with your dog takes work. Start by respecting your dog’s space and not forcing interactions. This will make your dog feel safe and trust that you won’t do things that harm or upset him. Prioritize spending quality time with your dog, doing things that your dog enjoys. If you think your dog doesn’t like you, don’t take it personally. Instead, recognize that this is a new opportunity for you to find other ways to connect with your dog.
If you’re struggling with your relationship with your dog, work with a dog trainer in your area who utilizes positive reinforcement and relationship-building approaches. A trainer will assess your dog’s interactions with you and help improve the ways you and your dog communicate and interact with each other. Training is an excellent way to not only increase positive communication between you and your dog but also to make your dog like you more.
Most people think that cabinet resurfacing and cabinet refacing services are different. In fact, they are both industry terms, used interchangeably, describing the same process. Cabinet refacing/resurfacing is an affordable, efficient and eco-friendly way to update the look of existing cabinets, without a full replacement.
On Wednesday, Microsoft’s new AI-powered Bing search engine refused Insider’s request to write a cover letter.
By Thursday, it complied with the request and produced a cover letter.
Bing can now churn out a cover letter in a boilerplate format, including a few sentences that seemed to fulfill the job requirements.
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Microsoft’s new AI-enabled Bing search engine has a new take on the ethics of helping job applicants write cover letters.
Microsoft rolled out the souped-up Bing search engine on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I asked Bing to write a cover letter for the position of social media content producer at Insider, based on this job description. In response, Bing said: “I’m sorry, but I cannot write a cover letter for you. That would be unethical and unfair to other applicants.”
Bing answer to an Insider request for a job cover letter.
Bing
Less than 24 hours later, it reversed course: Bing agreed to help me write cover letters.
To be doubly sure, I again asked the new Bing on Friday to write a cover letter for the same social media content producer job. Here’s what it produced:
Microsoft’s Bing can now generate job cover letters.
Microsoft Bing
What Bing came up with is similar to ChatGPT’s creations. Both programs can write cover letters in a boilerplate format, including a few specific sentences targeted to fulfill some of the job requirements outlined in the job description.
When Insider asked Microsoft to explain why Bing can now generate a cover letter, a spokesperson declined to specifically answer the question, saying, “In general, Bing will be able to help a user write a letter.”
“It’s important to note that we are at the beginning of this journey with this product preview, and we will continue to improve our systems over time,” the spokesperson added via email.
Changing fast
I have noticed small changes to Bing’s responses every time I asked the the platform the same questions, which means it’s constantly learning.
For instance, the cover letter Bing generated on Thursday said: “I am a digital media enthusiast with a passion for creating and distributing engaging content across various platforms.”
On Friday, for the same prompt Bing said: “I am a digital media enthusiast with a keen interest in the Insider brands and a proven track record of creating and distributing engaging content across various social platforms.”
Such changes, within the space of mere hours, show that AI platforms adapt and evolve rapidly.
Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing is new, so it’s still under trial. Users have to sign up for a waitlist to get access. It’s also not fail proof: The search engine itself says in its FAQ that it isn’t unusual for its responses to be unexpected — or even wrong. It asks users to “use your own judgment and double check the facts.”
“Bing aims to base all its responses on reliable sources — but AI can make mistakes, and third party content on the internet may not always be accurate or reliable,” reads Microsoft’s FAQ section.
Even so, Bing has already displayed at least one big change in what it can — or at least, will — do in the span of 24 hours. Just think about what it’ll be able to do in a week.
No longer restricted to aquarium walls and sushi platters, algae are now breaking out as superstar ingredients in the skin care industry. From high nutrition content to ultra hydration and antioxidant delivery, people are buzzing about the benefits of algae on the skin, especially the popular blue-green, brown and red algae varieties. With their reputation as the “superfood of the sea,” algae are transforming skin care products. Read on to find out how they may help with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
First of all, what are these aquatic organisms called algae? For clarification, we called on our in-house expert Katy Muenter who is a marine biologist and our Vice President of Product & Education. Katy explains: “Algae are special types of photosynthetic organisms that use the energy from the sun to grow. These range in size from a single cell to over 50 meters long, and can be found in every environment on the planet, including marine intertidal zones, hot springs, and even within ice and snow.”
Algae have many unique adaptations that help protect them from environmental damage so they can survive in these extreme conditions. You also might not know that algae represent some of the most sustainable ingredients in skin care. The fast growth rates and minimal impact from harvest means that these superfoods of the sea can provide health and skin care benefits without concern over environmental impacts.
Blue-Green, Brown And Red Algae Skin Care Benefits
Algae have been used for thousands of years in skin care for delivering skin hydration. The extraordinary properties of algae evolved from their many and varied living conditions. With advancements in skin care science, we can now harness the unique properties of algae.
Some benefits include:
Replenishing, hydrating skin benefits
A reduction in the appearance of wrinkles
An improvement in the appearance of skin firmness
Like land-based superfoods, blue-green and red algae are vibrant in color and contain antioxidant pigments that naturally protect the skin. These compounds boost the skin’s defenses against a variety of environmental stressors. Besides acting as antioxidant powerhouses, algae also contain high concentrations of nutrients and amino acids. The intense dose of nutrition and protein building blocks replenish the skin and deliver superior hydrating benefits.
More specifically, blue-green algae extract acts as a natural retinoid alternative that reduces wrinkles. The brown algae extract contributes to increasing the appearance of firmness, hydration and elasticity in the skin thanks to its high water-holding capacity and ability to protect against the appearance of aging caused by collagen and elastin degradation. Lastly, red algae extract contains vitamins, minerals, and amino-acids to reduce the visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines.
The marine flowers used in our collection are an assortment of freshwater and saltwater algae sourced from all over the planet. When combined, the algae work together to deliver a high concentration of different nutrients, minerals and amino acids while effectively reducing the appearance of fine lines and improving hydration. Let’s explore how the diverse and advanced skin care benefits of algae show up throughout our Marine Flower Peptide Collection.
Algae In Our Marine Flower Peptide Collection
Sustainably sourced around the globe, the advanced algae ingredients in our Marine Flower Peptide Collection combine minerals, amino acids and antioxidants to increase the look of firmness on the skin and minimize wrinkles. This combination also provides the skin with long-lasting hydration. Blended together into our Smart Collagen+ Complex, algae actives provide essential nutrients like antioxidants and amino acids to ensure that skin looks smoother, plumper and more youthful-looking. This complex is found in our Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream and Marine Flower Peptide Serum.
Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream contains red algae extract, a Smart Collagen+ Complex,botanical peptides (rice extract) and botanical hyaluronic acid (from beetroot). This combination encourages fewer fine lines and wrinkles, diminishes puffiness and provides deep hydration. The plant-based peptides are naturally derived from sacha inchi and rice protein and are used to enhance skin’s elasticity. They also contain compounds to boost the skin’s natural defense against drying effects of the sun and the visible signs of aging.
The Marine Flower Peptide Serum rejuvenates the appearance of skin and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles. It contains both blue-green and red algae extracts, which reduce the visible signs of aging. You can also use our Marine Flower Peptide Concentrate, a gel that keeps the skin firm and supple. It contains two types of algae. Blue-green algae extract reduces the appearance of wrinkles, while brown algae extract helps the skin appear firmer. The formula absorbs rapidly to reveal smoother, revitalized, supple-looking skin.
If you’re suffering from dry skin, the Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream deeply hydrates and protects against transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Featuring dual peptide technology, this velvety nighttime essential is formulated specifically for delicate, crepey skin. Since losing water and moisture from the skin is a major cause of dry skin, this night cream works overnight to safeguard against TEWL. Like magic, this rejuvenating formula effectively locks in moisture and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with each application — all in a night’s work.
And we can’t neglect the lips! The Marine Flower Peptide Lip Serum plumps lips and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Containing brown algae extract, this silky serum helps the skin look firm and hydrated for a plumped and rejuvenated effect. Together, the products in the Marine Flower Peptide Collection reveal a more radiant, youthful-looking complexion with the look of fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Dive into our aquatic-inspired skin care products and experience the Marine Flower Peptide Collection at an Eminence Organics Spa Partner near you.
This article was originally written in September 2017.
Humans aren’t the only ones with a sweet tooth. Dogs often like the smell of chocolate, making it a tempting treat to taste. However, because dogs cannot digest and eliminate the main toxic components — the methylxanthine alkaloids theobromine and caffeine — as quickly as humans, they experience poisoning when indulging in the sweet stuff. If your dog eats chocolate, regardless if it’s milk or dark, consider it an emergency and call your veterinarian or animal poison control immediately.
If your dog eats chocolate, here’s what to do first
If you suspect your dog ate chocolate, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to emerge before contacting your vet.
Ideally, include the type of chocolate your dog ate, how much and when. Bring the chocolate source, if possible, say veterinarians Kathy Gerken and Kendon Kuo. Both work in small animal emergency and critical care at Auburn University Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital in Alabama.
“Collect any remaining packaging from the chocolate to help your veterinarian determine what type of chocolate it was and how much your dog may have ingested,” says Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana, Illinois. “Note whether the chocolates had any sort of fillings, including raisins or macadamia nuts, as they can also be toxic. If the chocolate is sugar-free, it could also contain xylitol, a toxin that can cause low blood sugar and liver damage in our dog friends.”
Symptoms of chocolate toxicity in dogs
Even if you don’t catch your dog eating chocolate, you may see clues something is not right. Initial signs your dog may be experiencing chocolate toxicity may show up in the first couple hours after ingestion, but it can take up to 24 hours, and recovery can take up to three days.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include:
Vomiting (mild symptom)
Diarrhea (mild symptom)
Increased thirst (mild symptom)
Hyperactivity (mild symptom)
More serious symptoms include:
Increased or irregular heart rate or rhythm (including panting, lethargy, confusion, dizziness and shortness of breath)
Muscle tremors
Seizures
“Severe signs include the previous but affect the central nervous system, as well, leading to seizures, coma and sometimes death,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo.
Why is chocolate toxic to dogs?
“Chocolate toxicosis is a very common episode and should always be treated as a medical emergency,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo.
When ingested, methylxanthines affect the dog’s central nervous system, cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Chocolate toxicity symptoms in dogs can range from mild to severe to fatal.
While theobromine occurs naturally in cocoa beans, the amount in chocolates depends on the type of chocolate as well as the brand and size of the candy.
“The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated amounts of methylxanthines are present,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo.
The darker the chocolate, the more toxic for dogs
Here are the most common types of chocolate, from most dangerous to least toxic, and the approximate amount of methylxanthine per ounce of chocolate.
An easy way to remember is that the more bitter the chocolate tastes, the more toxic it is for dogs. But all of them can have unpleasant effects on our dogs.
“White chocolate is not risk-free but carries a significantly lower dose of toxins and is generally not an issue with regard to methylxanthines,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo. “However, white chocolate ingestion has a higher association with gastrointestinal upset and pancreatitis.”
Understandably, the most common incidences of dogs eating chocolate happen during holidays, including Easter, Halloween and Christmas. The variety of chocolates that vets treat dogs for eating ranges from candy bars to cookies to chocolate bars and baked items.
“Typically, most chocolate candies contain milk chocolate or white chocolate,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo. “Dogs tend to consume these in larger amounts making up their toxicity. With baked goods, the chocolate tends to be darker and/or purer cacao, with higher concentrations of the toxins, meaning it takes much less to be ingested to become toxic. Additionally, baked goods may contain other items, such as raisins, macadamia nuts or marijuana that could also pose additional toxicity risk.”
How much chocolate is toxic to dogs?
ASPCA and Merck Vet Manual both say 100 to 200 mg of theobromine and caffeine per kg of dog weight is a lethal dose.
“We start seeing clinical signs around 20 mg/kg and they progressively get worse as they increase,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo. “But the 100 mg/kg of either substance (theobromine or caffeine) is essentially fatal. For a 15-pound dog that eats 1-ounce of a 72 percent cocoa chocolate bar, that dog would receive about 42 mg/kg of methylxanthines and result in significant cardiac arrhythmias.”
Remember that the dose determines the poison.
“The amount of chocolate that may be toxic to your pet depends on their size and medical history,” says Dr. Wismer. “It takes much less chocolate to be a problem for smaller dogs than larger dogs”
And while age is not a major factor in assessment, your dog’s history is significant.
“If the dog already has a history of gastrointestinal, cardiac and/or neurological disease, there is a potential that a lower toxicity threshold is required before clinical signs are evident,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo.
Chocolate toxicity for dogs by types of candy
Americans consume a lot of sweets, according to Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data. These are our favorites, according to Statista’s 2020 data. Use this simple chart to find out about how many milligrams of theobromine are in a serving of these chocolates, as well as their potential toxicity for dogs.
Name
Serving Size
Mg of Theobromine
3 Musketeers
1.92oz bar
~63mg
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds
1.45oz
75mg
Butterfinger
1.9oz bar
~21mg
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate
1.55oz bar (43g)
99mg
Peanut M&Ms
1.74oz bag (49g)
~58mg
Kit Kat Milk Chocolate
1.5oz bar (42g)
54.58mg
Hershey’s Kisses
9 pieces (41g)
74mg
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
1.6oz package (45g)
35.55mg
Snickers
1.86oz bar
~48mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, The Hershey Company
How to treat dogs with chocolate toxicity
Your vet will determine treatment based on the type and amount of chocolate your dog ate, along with your pet’s size, age and medical history, sometimes using a toxicity calculator.
“Efforts should be made to have the dog vomit as quickly as possible,” say Drs. Gerken and Kuo, although vomiting should not be induced at home. “Ideally, this should be done with a veterinarian as we need to make sure that it is safe for your dog to vomit. Some dogs are already exhibiting neurologic signs and cannot protect their airway, putting them at risk for aspiration. Fluid therapy and activated charcoal should be administered because chocolate can be recirculated in the dog’s intestines and remain toxic for a longer time.”
There’s no question that dogs eating chocolate is an urgent situation, but the prognosis typically is good with prompt and appropriate treatment. Death by chocolate is rare for our canine companions, but we are wise to keep the sweet stuff inaccessible to them.
Promotion: Chinese architecture practice Studio8 has renovated the interior of a 1930s villa in Hangzhou, China, transforming it into a hotpot restaurant and cocktail bar that celebrates the building’s history.
The Gud restaurant and bar includes a roof terrace, dining space on the upper floors and bar on the ground floor.
The 496-square-metre space occupies a three-storey building that was built in 1939, as well as a later-built extension and the ground floor of an adjacent property.
Antique hotpots are displayed throughout the interior
Although the villa had previously undergone a number of renovations, when designing the restaurant Studio8 aimed to maintain the building’s original features, including the street-facing facade.
Service areas, including the kitchen, restroom and staircase, are located in the extension and adjacent building, leaving the full space of the historic villa for restaurant dining and the cocktail bar.
The cocktail bar features red velvet seating
The Gud restaurant specialises in hotpots, which lead Studio8 to study the culture of the cuisine and introduce aspects of it into the interior design, creating a “museum-like experience”.
The project’s design was informed by three stages of making and experiencing hotpots – the heat from the fire that cooks it, water as the main medium of the food, and the elevation of the flavour coming from the steam.
Studio8 used the themes of “heat, medium and elevation of flavour” to influence the function, materials, textures and light used in each space.
The restaurant interior was informed by hotpot cuisine
The cocktail bar on the ground floor of the historic villa was designed to be a lively space. It features a red floor, a fireplace, structural columns that display antique hotpots and red velvet sofas.
Part of the original brick wall was left exposed and a recessed mirrored ceiling at the perimeter of the room makes the space feel larger and more luxurious.
The interior nods to the building’s history
“As the first element, heat is a fundamental design factor on the first floor, where human interactions were planned out accordingly,” said Studio8.
“The aim was to create a warmer and more welcoming space at the beginning of the hotpot experience, where people and friends meet first, have a cocktail and wait for everyone to arrive.”
The restaurant features glass-brick niches
On the upper floor is the restaurant’s main dining area, which features glass-brick niches in the walls where windows used to be.
At the sides of the dining area, Studio8 opened up the ceiling to expose the wooden roof structure.
The third floor includes a private dining room
“After passing through the heated cocktail bar, comes the second element, water – the medium that reunites all elements,” said Studio8.
“Family and friends are seated together in groups around the round tables on the second floor for the food experience, a process that the architects relate to water reconstructing the atoms of the ingredients.”
A roof terrace overlooks the city
The building’s original timber staircase was removed and a new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.
The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors with a “lighting system to represent the continuous energy flow transition”.
A terrace and private dining room are located on the third floor of the villa.
A new enclosed staircase that connects the three floor levels was added in the patio area.
“Here, the customers are reconnected with the city and able to look at it from different heights and angles, corresponding to the last element, steam, the elevation of taste,” said Studio8.
“The simply designed interior shows off the geometric shape of the attic, while benches on the roof allow customers to have a more exclusive interaction with the city.”
The staircase has double glazed U-shaped glass partitions along its floors
Studio8 is currently working on a number of renovation projects that aim to respect the history of the building, including the transformation of hotels and restaurants.
Home prices are on the decline after their pandemic-era melt-up.
That’s bad news for current real-estate investors, and probably good news for prospective ones.
Here’s how to navigate today’s shifting market.
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After their historic pandemic-era melt-up, home prices have begun to fall back toward more realistic levels as high mortgage rates cut into affordability.
Experts say the trend is set to continue. That’s bad news for real-estate investors currently holding properties — falling home prices affect how much cash they can pull out of a house through a home-equity line of credit, and make flipping homes much riskier. On the other hand, it’s potentially good news for prospective real-estate investors who have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for better deals.
Below is a list of Insider stories to help navigate the current real-estate investing landscape as prices fall.
First order of business: home price projections. It’s up for debate how far home prices end up falling — some say they’ve almost bottomed and some say they have much further to fall.
Let’s start with Morgan Stanley.
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The bank says home prices will fall another 4% in 2023, which is on the lower end of forecasts. Still, it would represent the first time home prices closed out a calendar year in the negative in more than 10 years.
The declines are due to the affordability being around the lowest levels in four decades.
“Affordability continues to deteriorate at a faster pace than at any point in at least the past 30 years,” Egan said in a January 5 note to clients. “The YoY % increase in the monthly mortgage payment as a share of household income has more than doubled any other period over that time.”
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Goldman Sachs has a slightly more bearish take. They see US home prices falling another 6% in 2023, putting peak-to-trough declines at around 10%. In certain areas of the country, losses will be worse, they said.
Strategists at the bank said their call is based on mortgage rates staying higher than investors are expecting.
“Our 2023 revised forecast primarily reflects our view that interest rates will remain at elevated levels longer than currently priced in, with 10-year Treasury yields peaking in 2023 Q3. As a result, we are raising our forecast for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to 6.5% for year-end 2023 (representing a 30 bp increase from our prior expectation),” they said.
Other calls are more severe. Ian Shepherdson, the founder of Pantheon Macroeconomics who warned of the mid-2000s housing crisis, says home prices will fall 15% in 2023 thanks to unsustainably low affordability and growing supply.
“We estimate that single-family home prices have fallen by 5.4% from their recent peak in May 2022, but they still need to fall by a further 15% or so before they return to their long-run average, compared to disposable incomes,” he said in a recent note to clients.
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Meanwhile, KPMG economist Yelena Maleyev said home prices could fall as much as 20% this year. Similar to Goldman’s call, she thinks the market is underestimating how high mortgage rates will stay in 2023.
Also like Goldman, Maleyev sees the destruction being worse in certain pockets of the country.
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More on specific markets: New York-based home-lender Knock recently published a report highlighting 15 cities that will suffer the biggest home price losses this year, therefore making them the most attractive markets for buyers.
All the cities on the list have a sale-to-list ratio below 100%, meaning that homes are expected to sell for less than what sellers are asking for them, Insider’s James Faris reported.
A “Price Reduced” sign is displayed on a home for sale in northern Virginia suburb of Vienna
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Redfin also recently shared a report on the best markets for homebuyers right now. The report highlighted 16 metropolitan areas where buyers are getting the most deal sweeteners.
“Buyers are asking sellers for things that were unheard of during the past few years,” said Redfin real-estate agent Van Welborn. Some of these include credits for repairs on the homes, mortgage-rate buy downs, and warranties on household appliances.
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When it comes to strategy, BiggerPockets’ housing market guru Dave Meyer recently shared his top 10 tips for investing in a down market. Some of them include using creative financing and looking to invest in “hybrid cities” —those with a combination of both modest cash flow and modest appreciation.
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One of the most common financing strategies real-estate investors use to build up a portfolio is the BRRRR method: buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat.
But falling home prices can affect the “refinance” part of that equation. So can falling rents, which is happening in markets around the country.
But the method is still feasible, according to Kumar Sadaram, an investor who’s grown his portfolio to over 50 properties using the strategy. But given the shifting market, there are certain risks to be aware of when using the strategy that may not have mattered even a couple years ago, he said.
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Speaking of risks, some of them are unforeseen to investors, reports Insider’s Laila Maidan. If you’re thinking about going into real-estate investing, here’s what recent buyers wish they would have known before they entered the market, according to Hippo, a home insurance firm.
