Author: JD
New York’s JFK airport building luxury animal terminal
Jet-setting stallions and high-flying hounds at New York’s Kennedy Airport can look forward to a new luxury terminal that will handle the more than 70,000 animals flying in and out every year. The ARK at JFK, its name inspired by Noah’s biblical vessel, will more than measure up to terminals for humans: Horses and cows will occupy sleek, climate-controlled stalls with showers, and doggies will lounge in hotel suites featuring flat-screen TVs. A special space for penguins will allow them mating privacy. The ARK is billed as the world’s first air terminal for animals. SEE ALSO: The difference between hotels that are dog friendly — and just dog tolerant Set to open next year, the $48 million, 178,000-square-foot shelter and quarantine facility will take in every kind of animal imaginable — even an occasional sloth or aardvark. From here, they’ll head to barns, cages, racetracks, shows and competition venues in the United States and abroad. Many arriving animals are quarantined for a period of time (for horses, it’s normally about three days) to make sure they’re not carrying contagious diseases. And The ARK is designed to make their stay as pleasant as possible, with hay-lined stalls for up to 70 horses and 180 head of cattle, plus an aviary and holding pens for goats, pigs and sheep. For dog owners, The ARK will offer a 20,000-square-foot luxury “resort” run by the company Paradise 4 Paws, complete with bone-shaped splashing pools For dog owners, The ARK will offer a 20,000-square-foot luxury “resort” run by the company Paradise 4 Paws, complete with bone-shaped splashing pools, massage therapy and “pawdicures with colored nail pawlish.” Dogs can watch flat-screen TVs and their owners can check in on them via webcam. Cats will have their own trees to climb. And all animals will have access to a 24-hour clinic run by Cornell University’s veterinary college. Even animals that don’t need to be quarantined — a huge dog that can’t fit in the cabin and has to travel as cargo, for example — will be held at the facility until departure or pickup by its owner. “A lot of our design making is in collaboration with veterinarians and consultants to help minimize the amount of stress placed on the animal,” said Cliff Bollmann, a leading airport architect working on The ARK for the San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler. Kennedy receives the bulk of animals entering the United States, but there are similar facilities near airports in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Juan. Until Kennedy’s ARK opens, animals in transit will continue to be handled at the airport’s aging 10,000-foot Vetport, built in the 1950s. IMAGE: THE ARK Lachlan Oldaker, an Oklahoma-based equine specialist and key member of the architectural team, called The ARK “an enormous leap forward.” “The design allows planes to taxi directly to the building, so horses can be transported in a seamless fashion that reduces stress,” she said. The ARK is being built on the site of an unused cargo terminal that has been demolished. ARK Development, an affiliate of the Madison Avenue real estate company Racebrook Capital, has signed a 32-year lease for the airport property with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agency that runs Kennedy. When completed, the facility is subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Animals will be charged fees — still being determined depending on services — that will help fund the terminal. High-end dog “suites” could top $100 per night High-end dog “suites” could top $100 per night. Transporting animals by air is not aimed at low-income owners. A flight to London for a dog can cost about $1,000, plus a crate, airport fees and vet certifications. And moving a horse can add up to at least $10,000. The ARK’s designers have had to meet challenges not found in other architectural projects — for instance, figuring out how to dispose of animal waste. They came up with the idea of a “poo chute,” an angled floor from which manure slides into a container. Among the supporters of this unusual animal kingdom is Dr. Richard Goldstein, the chief medical officer at New York’s Animal Medical Center, which treats sick animals of all species from around the world. IMAGE: THE ARK “Our veterinarians have often been in a position of having to arrange transport for many of our traveling patients at all hours of the day and night, and will look forward to working with The ARK to make this experience better for everyone involved,” Goldstein said. But even when it comes to healthy animals, the equine wing is a welcome improvement to international show jumper and organizer Derek Braun. Horses must currently be driven to a quarantine facility in Newburgh, about 80 miles north of Kennedy. The ARK has an in-house quarantine. “I personally, as well as competitors for my shows, ship so many horses from Europe each year that having the peace of mind that one step of the travel process will be eliminated is a big relief because it eliminates part of the risk of injury,” he said.
‘Blurred Lines’ Lawsuit: Judge Rejects New Trial
Plus: Judge rules that Universal Music & T.I. should be held liable for copyright infringement. The federal judge overseeing the high-profile lawsuit brought by the Marvin Gayefamily against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over the smash hit “Blurred Lines” has handed down some big rulings in the wake of a jury verdict after a trial held last March. Most importantly, U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt has rejected arguments over expert witness testimony and jury instructions and denied a bid for a new trial. ‘Blurred Lines’ Trial Verdict: Jury Rules Against Pharrell Williams & Robin Thicke He’s also accepted the Gaye family’s contention that record labels including UMG Recordings, Interscope and Star Trak Entertainment should be held liable for their distribution of a song that was found to be a copy of Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” Also ruled a copyright infringer is Clifford “T.I.” Harris Jr., the rapper who contributed a verse on the blockbuster “Blurred Lines” song. The judge has denied the Gayes’ bid for an injunction, meaning the song won’t be removed from distribution outlets, but has granted a request for an ongoing royalty rate of 50 percent of songwriter and publishing revenues. Marvin Gaye Family Lawyer: How I Won the ‘Blurred Lines’ Trial (Guest Column) On the plus side for Williams in particular, the judge has cut the jury’s $7.4 million verdict down to $5.3 million. The $2 million trimming is comprised of a reduction in actual damages from $4 million to just under $3.2 million and a cutting of the profits that Williams has to turn over from about $1.6 million to about $358,000. The ruling paves the way for the next phase of the showdown when Thicke and Williams are expected to take the dispute to an appeals court.
Hussein Fatal died
Bruce Washington (born April 3, 1977), better known by his stage name, Hussein Fatal, is an American rapper and member of the hip hop group Outlawz. He is best known for his collaborative work with Tupac Shakur, as a member of Outlaw Immortalz. Hussein Fatal died on Saturday, July, 11, 2015 in a car accident. It has been confirmed by E.D.I and Napoleon.
Virgin’s First Hotel Got Rid of Everything We Hate About Hotels
Everyone who works at the new Virgin Hotel is impossibly chic … but in an incredibly accessible sort of way. (Photo: Virgin) Let’s start with the minibar. It’s a very good place to start. In all my years of visiting hotels for both business and pleasure, the minibar has become a true source of discontent. While they’re handy in a pinch, the amount of egregious price gouging that occurs in those diminutive refrigerators is criminal. Virgin’s new hotel, its first, in Chicago has an exceptional minibar. All of the items — from the Peanut M&M’s to the red wine to the little packets of Emergen-C — are priced at street prices. Yes, street prices. What does that mean? It means those Peanut M&M’s are just $1 and the bottle of red wine is $24. It means you can have a Kind bar for breakfast for the price of a Kind bar ($2.25), not the price of a filet mignon. Related: Insanely Stylish Hotels You Can Actually Afford You can finally afford to eat from the minibar. (Photo: Jo Piazza) Hotel management was so serious about making sure the prices were equivalent to what was in the stores lining the Loop below that its director of food and beverages ventured out on foot with a pen and a notepad to record the local price of all minibar items. The eradication of minibar inflation is just one of the things the new hotel property has done to eliminate the dozens of little indignities the modern hotel system imposes on the traveler. While having to sign in to a Wi-Fi system won’t ruin anyone’s business trip or vacation, it is often just one of a thousand paper cuts inflicted on the traveler that make time away from home more stressful than it has to be. The Virgin hotel has free and open Wi-Fi throughout the property. “Bandwidth is a right, not a revenue stream,” the hotel’s website boasts. Praise the Internet gods, someone has finally gotten it right. If it sounds like I drank the Kool-Aid, it’s because I did. I’m a sucker for convenience, and that is what this property gave me. Here’s a closer look: The property Located right above the Loop portion of the Chicago L at the corner of Lake and Wabash, the hotel occupies the Old Dearborn Bank Building designed by C.W. and George Rapp. The new design perfectly blends the old with Virgin’s modern chic aesthetic. On the ground floor you can still see where the bank tellers used to sit, and the current check-in desk is the bank’s original cigar bar and candy stand. The lobby blends the old decor with the new. (Photo: Virgin) This was clearly a building meant for business, but a whimsical one with delicate moldings on the ceiling and gilded brass elevator doors, all of which are original. Some of the doors on the room floors were the original office doors, and you can tell by the mail slots still on the bottom. Two rooms on each floor are pet friendly and marked by an obedient pooch statue chained to the outside of the door. Related: Hotels That Will Actually Make You Happier These dogs used to be freestanding, but then guests started moving them around. (Photo: Virgin) The rooms Don’t call them rooms. They refer to them as “chambers” here. That’s because each space actually consists of at least two rooms: a sleeping area and a smaller area for storing clothes and getting ready, separated by a sliding (and locking) door. The chambers feel much roomier than a standard hotel room in Chicago. (Photo: Virgin) Each of these chambers was designed with the woman traveler in mind. Why? Richard Branson believes that if a room has a woman’s approval, a man’s approval will typically follow suit. I asked my fiancé if this was true. He nodded obediently. The sliding doors are meant to allow the solo woman traveler an extra layer of protection when accepting room service. The lights on the vanity are perfectly calibrated to allow for flawless makeup application, and the showers all have a bench to make leg shaving a breeze. What I loved There are no hidden fees anywhere in the hotel, which means you don’t feel like you’re being taken advantage of or ripped off. Free Wi-Fi and plentiful electrical outlets make my life better. At Virgin you can’t walk more than 3 feet without stumbling upon an outlet. Small touches abound to improve the life of the business traveler. All of the seating is ergonomically calibrated to make it easy and comfortable to type away on a laptop. Even the headboard on the bed is ergonomically sound for sitting up and working. The in-room safe is large enough for a laptop (most hotel safes are not). Each room comes with a yoga mat for in-room exercise. The televisions are smart TVs so you can easily stream Netflix or movies from your own device. Need a ride? The house car here is a Tesla and will take you anywhere within a 2-mile radius. What I didn’t love I can honestly say there wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this hotel. The rooftop bar was a tad sceney and got crowded early, but that was to be expected on a lovely Chicago summer evening. While it can get a little loud, the crowd there is hip and fun. Where to eat and drink The property has a total of five food-and-beverage options. I was immediately drawn to Miss Ricky’s on the ground floor, a British take on the classic American diner with an actual casting room in the back that plays a loop of old black-and-white movies. The name is a homage to Richard Branson’s mom, who still calls him Ricky. Be sure to indulge in one of its boozy milkshakes with a Tupelo King doughnut filled with marshmallow fluff, roasted bananas, and maple-glazed bacon. Across the lobby from Miss Ricky’s is Two Zero Three, a coffee bar by day, with blends from the local Bow Truss coffee, and a wine bar by night with an extensive wine list and plenty of local charcuterie. Take in the mural as you walk in the main entrance. It was commissioned from a local artist who also happens to work at the front desk, and some of the subjects are people who work in the hotel. Related: Hotels With the Most Amazing Free Amenities The “Funny Library” in the Commons Club was curated from local shops. (Photo: Virgin) The second floor of the hotel is dominated by the Commons Club, and from 6 to 7 every night it hosts a delightful happy hour with free drinks for hotel guests. Unlike the “free drinks” at most hotels that consist of a cheap white and a cheap red, maybe a local beer if you’re lucky, the happy hour here consists of an extensive wine and beer list. Want a cocktail? Just ask. Want small bites? Head up to Cerise, the rooftop bar with spectacular views of the city and delicious izakaya-style plates. Enjoy a tremendous view of the Chicago skyline on a summer day. (Photo: Virgin) Where to Relax: The Spa here occupies what used to be the bank president’s office and contains a beautiful, rich oak fireplace, surrounded by ornate marble. As with most of the hotel, almost everything in the spa is eminently Instagrammable, but isn’t that the point? Can we please all agree that the worst thing about most spas is the supposedly Zen spa music. It does little to make anyone feel anything Zen. The Spa here played jazz during my facial service, and I couldn’t have appreciated it more. They also allow you to plug in your own phone to enjoy your playlist. A champagne cart is wheeled around the manicure bar and the treatment rooms are referred to as cocoons. For $15 all hotel guests can also enjoy the hotel’s Turkish-inspired unisex hammam on the spa level. Hammam access comes free with all spa treatments. Let Yahoo Travel inspire you every day. Hang out with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
A$AP Rocky Says Atlanta Rappers Sound the Same
A$AP Rocky sat down for a lengthy interview as part of the Red Bull Academy back in May, but it was not until today full video of the lecture made it to the web. During the hour and a half discussion, he touched on dozens of topics, but one of the most controversial si his take on the rap scene in Atlanta. SEE ALSO: A$AP ROCKY REGRETS DISSING RITA ORA IN “BETTER THINGS” Rakim admitted he feels like the dopest music right now is coming out of the A, but didn’t hesitate to share his opinion most of the rappers there sound the same, unlike the variety of artists and styles from NYC. If we’re gonna be honest, some of the dopest music is coming out of Atlanta right now, but all them n****s sound the same,” he said. “Here [New York City] there’s not as much dope s*** – well it is, but a lot of people don’t see it the way I see it. [New York rappers] don’t sound alike. Everybody got their own different thing going on… Them Atlanta dudes – it’s a few dudes that’s doing their own thing that’s killing it. I’m not saying all Atlanta rappers sound the same, but for the most part, majority. They all kind of have similar cadences, flows and delivery. They even recycle the same lyrics from each other.” Rocky then claimed he is not trying to diss the scene, but doesn’t understand why some Atlanta artists are interested in copying others. The At.Long.Last.A$AP rapper then compared Future’s “S***” to Que’s “OG Bobby Johnson.” I gotta just say it. This ain’t dissing nobody, but I don’t understand how Future can make a song like “S***.” Then this n****, I forget his name… You make “OG Bobby Johnson” and it’s like, “head shot, head shot, hit them with the…” It’s the same thing Future’s saying. And we allowed that… Not taking nothing away from Que – I know his name – I just feel like, come on. I like the song. If you ask me if I like the song – yes, it’s a dope song… and this sounds like I’m downplaying this guy. I don’t even know him, so I don’t got nothing against him. I’m just telling the situation. I feel like it’s okay to be inspired, but you can’t bite off contemporary artists that’s in your same league.”