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Suborbital space tourism finally arrives | FCC prepares to run public C-band auction | The big four in the U.S. launch industry — United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman — hope to be one of two providers that will receive five-year contracts later this year to launch national security payloads starting in 2022. | China’s launch rate stays high | The International Space Station is the largest ever crewed object in space.

 
The Glorious World of Sweet Holiday Salads
This article is adapted from the November 18, 2024, edition of Gastro Obscura’s Favorite Things newsletter. You can sign up here. When I recently Googled “Thanksgiving salad,” the results were recipes for vibrant, fresh vegetable mixtures, thoughtfully tossed with seasonal nuts and savory dressings. This was not what I wanted to see. Googling “Thanksgiving salad with Cool Whip,” on the other hand, delivered the recipes I was looking for: the fanciful sweet salads that 20th-century Americans concocted out of...

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Black and White House Museum in Hereford,...
This three-story black and white home, once called the Old House, was built in 1621. It almost appears striped, outfitted with dark wooden beams and white panels, typical of England’s Tudor and Stuart eras. Its upper floors jut out, making it a recognizable part of Hereford’s historic center. Originally it served as a home and shop for a butcher during the reign of James I, reflecting the wealth of local traders. The building features distinctive overhanging upper floors and...

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Why Microservice Hotel PMS Architecture is the...
Client-server architecture has long powered hospitality IT but limits scalability and agility. Microservice-based PMS offers a solution enabling rapid innovation and flexibility, essential for today’s evolving hotel tech needs. In this article, you will explore the microservice hotel PMS architecture world and why it is the future of hotel tech architecture.  From Traditional PMS Architecture The post Why Microservice Hotel PMS Architecture is the Future appeared first on Revfine.com.

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5 Reasons Your Hotel Needs a Multi-Channel...
Understanding guests’ communication preferences and engaging on their terms is the key to elevating your hotel’s upselling strategy. From email and SMS to front desk conversations, learn how a multi-channel approach and data-driven technology can improve guest satisfaction, increase revenue, and create memorable experiences that set your hotel apart. Engage Guests on Their Terms: The The post 5 Reasons Your Hotel Needs a Multi-Channel Communication Strategy appeared first on Revfine.com.

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The Vital Role of Revenue Management and...
It’s an antiquated idea that revenue management works independently from sales and marketing. Each department impacts the other and influences the hotel’s overall profitability. Every business goal contributes to the bottom line. When the revenue-generating departments work together on shared goals, they can contribute to a fatter bottom line. In today’s world, hotel bookings start The post The Vital Role of Revenue Management and Brand Reputation appeared first on Revfine.com.

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Fat Bears and 5 Other Stories of...
As you prepare for the cold months to come, you can be glad you’re not a painted turtle—the species evolved to be freeze-tolerant and hatchlings spend winter just chillin’, literally, in sandy burrows—or a grotesquely engorged ant about to make the ultimate sacrifice to feed the colony. Instead, forage some of the last sweet berries, get your mind right for the dark winter, and enjoy these stories about preparing for the cold. All Winter, These Ants Make the Ultimate...

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The Hospitality Industry’s Digital Evolution – PMS...
The hospitality sector is evolving rapidly. The digital age has brought new challenges and opportunities for hoteliers, making it essential to adopt advanced systems to optimize operations and enhance guest experiences. Two critical components of a hotel’s technology ecosystem are the Property Management System (PMS) and the Revenue Management System (RMS). Together, they help hotels The post The Hospitality Industry’s Digital Evolution – PMS and RMS: The Dynamic Duo Driving Hotel Success in a Digital World appeared first on...

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Grand Brasserie in New York, New York
It’s close to midnight. You’re stepping out of a Broadway theater and into the neon hellscape of Times Square. You’re hungry, and too dignified (and/or sober) to wait two hours for a slice of Joe’s Pizza. The Olive Garden, Hard Rock Cafe, and Margaritaville don’t enthrall you, despite their ability to seduce out-of-town masses. The Rum House, a perpetually mobbed piano bar, will require you to beg and bribe your way in. What’s a patron of the Midtown-based arts...

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Edison Bamboo in Kawasaki, Japan
Thomas Edison is commonly credited as the inventor of the incandescent lightbulb, if somewhat controversially. Historians would agree that several scientists had invented working lightbulbs before Edison, and that the American inventor merely improved the functionality and reliability, getting his version patented. In school, Japanese children are often taught what a great figure he was, but they are seldom taught that the Japanese bamboo contributed greatly to the development of Edison’s electric lamp. In 1860, Joseph Swann invented an earlier...

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Sunny the Sunfish in Onalaska, Wisconsin
As a state famous for its lakes, Wisconsin is often considered an angler’s paradise. It’s no surprise, then, that the state is also famous for its oversized fiberglass fish. Giant fish are found throughout the state, but one of the most picturesque, Sunny the Sunfish, can be found on a bluff overlooking Lake Onalaska. Lake Onalaska itself is not one of Wisconsin’s many glacial lakes. Instead, it’s a man-made lake, formed in April 1937 with the completion of Lock...

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Racism and Sexism Claims Shake a Modern...
About two hours north of Montreal is a surprising village—one that’s quite different from the otherwise sleepy surroundings. Past the occasional Tim Hortons and just outside the town of Trois-Rivières, the road curves deep into the woods. Here, between the trees, visitors will find Tudor manors, Viking-style halls, and a jousting arena. This is Duché de Bicolline, or Duchy of Bicolline, the largest medieval-style settlement in North America—and one that’s still growing, both physically and philosophically. The Duchy, or...

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'Myth (Sphinx)—Kate Moss' in Oslo, Norway
Oslo is a city teeming with public art, and one of its more unusual pieces can be found tucked away in a downtown passage. Since 2009, Myth (Sphinx)—Kate Moss, a 10-foot (three-meter) bronze sculpture of the British supermodel, painted in stark white and posed in a provocative yoga stance, has drawn considerable attention. In this sculpture, Moss—dressed only in a bikini—appears with her ankles contorted around her ears. Created by London-based artist Marc Quinn, the work is based on...

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SS President Coolidge in Luganville, Vanuatu
Just 250 meters off the southern coast of Espiritu Santo lies a World War II wreck at a convenient depth for recreational diving. Not only that, the wreck is large, and almost completely intact, making it regarded as one of the best wreck dives in the world. This sunken ship is the SS President Coolidge, a cruise liner that was converted into a troop carrier during the war. But it didn’t sink due to an enemy attack. In October...

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National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion...
The depths of rural Wisconsin might seem like an unlikely place for a Catholic holy site, but some claim that this shrine is on par with Lourdes in terms of its legacy of miraculous healing. In 1859, a Belgian-born woman by the name of Adele Brise claimed to see an apparition of the Virgin Mary on this site. In 2010, Bishop David L. Ricken officially recognized the vision, making this the first Marian apparition to be approved on American soil.  After...

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Fire Hydrant Plug Preserve in Brisbane, California
Brisbane’s quirky tradition of painting fire hydrants has splashed the town with vibrant color and personality. It all began in the 1970s, when the Brisbane Federated Women’s Club decided that even the fire hydrants deserved a makeover to celebrate the bicentennial. These once-utilitarian objects were transformed into mini masterpieces, each one adorned with playful designs and cheerful faces. As new hydrants popped up, they too were painted, keeping the tradition alive. As the older hydrants were replaced, the town...

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