Q:  We have $30,000 in credit card debt and it seems it will take forever to get it paid off.  Should I use money from my 401(k) to pay off that debt?  I am 35 years old. A:  I realize when you see that money sitting in your 401(k), that there is a temptation to tap into it so you can make that credit card debt disappear.  I also realize that it seems to take forever to make progress on your credit cards, especially if all you are paying is the minimum payment.  But using your 401k money to pay...

Chuck Bentley is CEO of Crown Financial Ministries, the largest Christian financial ministry in the world, founded by the late Larry Burkett. He is the host of a daily radio broadcast, My MoneyLife, featured on more than 1,000 Christian Music and Talk stations in the U.S., and author of his most recent book, Money Problems, Marriage Solutions. I recently spoke with Chuck about his advice for managing our money during difficult financial times. Why is it important to follow God's principles for...

When things don't go the way they're supposed to — viruses, star systems, presidents, even fish — we're often desperate to explain the chaos. In this episode, we search for order in the universe.

Original Air Date: August 08, 2020

Guests: 

Patrik Svensson — Lulu Miller — Alexander Boxer — Margaret Wertheim — S. James Gates Jr.

Interviews In This Hour: 

The Weird World Of Eels — We Call Them Fish. Evolution Says They're Something Else. — The Original Algorithm Was Written In The Stars — Seeing The World With A Mathematician's Eyes

Further Reading:

Nautilus: Eels Don’t Have Sex Until the Last Year of Their Life—NYAS: The Mystery of Our Mathematical Universe

We owe our past and future existence on Earth to fungi. Some can heal you, some can kill you, and some can change you forever. And the people who love them are convinced that mushrooms explain the world.

Original Air Date: June 08, 2019

Guests:

Lawrence Millman — Paul Stamets — Eugenia Bone — Michael Pollan — Dennis McKenna — Robin Carhart-Harris

Interviews In This Hour:

Humanity? It All Started With The Raven and Fungus Man — The Soil-Cleaning, Insect-Warding, Smallpox-Curing Power of Mushrooms — From Candy Caps To Morels: Notes From A Mushroom Hunter's Cookbook — John Cage, Vaclav Halek and the Marvels of Mushroom Music — Did Magic Mushrooms Shape Human Consciousness? — 'Fantastic Fungi' And How To Film Them

When things don't go the way they're supposed to — viruses, star systems, presidents, even fish — we're often desperate to explain the chaos. In this episode, we search for order in the universe.

Original Air Date: August 08, 2020

Guests:

Patrik Svensson — Lulu Miller — Alexander Boxer — Margaret Wertheim — S. James Gates Jr.

Interviews In This Hour:

The Weird World Of Eels — We Call Them Fish. Evolution Says They're Something Else. — The Original Algorithm Was Written In The Stars — Seeing The World With A Mathematician's Eyes

Further Reading:

Nautilus: Eels Don’t Have Sex Until the Last Year of Their Life—NYAS: The Mystery of Our Mathematical Universe

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Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Years ago, the mayor of my city appointed me as a government official. The weight and the joy of serving at this level were astonishing. It was weighty because my input could affect many lives. I found joy in this role because of my passion, ability to lead, personal experiences, academic training, love for people, and desire to honor God through my service. As a government-appointed official, my responsibility was to steward my role and the people I represented well. I often prayed for wisdom...

Today, I felt compelled to reach out to you all with a message of unity and hope, inspired by Daniel 7:27 (NKJV)— Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. In a world often divided by political differences, I believe we can find common ground in our shared humanity and our collective aspiration for a better world. Regardless of our individual faiths or beliefs, we all seek peace,...

The wall and ceiling industry’s past and present, show it will have a successful future.

There is a correct way to go about a construction project, and not doing so can have consequences.

Winners will be announced at the official awards ceremony to be held Wednesday, March 2^nd at 1:00pm onsite at the convention in San Antonio, Texas. 

The NIE Awards submission process will be open from approximately late Aug. through Nov. 28, 2022. 

The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed more than 80 years ago, and since then, the United States Department of Labor has struggled to define the term “independent contractor.” 

Are credit cards the right path for subcontractors to buy materials for a project? Here’s a breakdown.

FCIA’s Board of Directors met in Portland, Maine, and looked ahead to the future of the association and industry. The board, comprised of specialty firestop installation contractors from around North America, approached the discussions with one common goal: having FCIA members be recognized as the industry experts in the field of passive fire and smoke protection systems.

Batteries are increasingly being used in a vast array of applications, from consumer products and micromobility devices, known as e-bikes and e-scooters, to electric vehicles and utility-grade energy storage systems. As use of these devices has grown, so too has the number of fire incidents associated with them.

Before you hurt yourself jumping out of your Barcalounger so you can dial up the editor to launch complaints about this piece, a thread on the Walls and Ceilings bulletin board regarding "Box Marts" struck a nerve in yours truly and was the motivation behind this month's diatribe.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Specialties of the Drywall Trade Instructor Seminar held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at the IUPAT facility in Baltimore. It was obvious that a lot of planning went into setting up this building, with classrooms on the upper level and a lower level that is wide open, allowing plenty of room for the attendees to hone their skills on miles of drywall.

When times are good, people become complacent. Riding in gas guzzling land-yachts and dwelling in cavernous McMansions tends to dull the senses and lulls people into a false sense of security. The scale that was once used to measure the distance between wants and needs became dangerously off-kilter.

Nearly all contractors in the U.S. and Canada (98 percent) have had projects with serious quality issues in the last three years, such as errors, omissions and rework, according to the latest study released by Dodge Construction Network.

The largest obstacle in executing a management buyout is finding the financial ability to pay for the business.

The Rainscreen Association in North America announced the launch of the RAiNA Awards, an annual program celebrating outstanding achievements in rainscreen design, innovation and construction. The awards aim to recognize projects that exemplify the highest standards of excellence, technical performance, sustainability and aesthetic design in rainscreen systems across North America.

The Rainscreen Association in North America announced that Graham Finch of RDH will be presenting on how and why rainscreen walls work or when they don’t at the RAiNA Conference in Chicago on Nov. 7.

The Gypsum Association and its member companies are committed to sustainability, and now, our industry is embracing another opportunity to contribute to a greener world.

Improvements are constantly made to gypsum board and innovation still is at the forefront of the industry’s mind.

The Portland Cement Association, which represents America’s cement manufacturers, announced new leadership for its Board of Directors after holding elections on Dec. 4 at its last meeting of 2023.

The Portland Cement Association, representing America’s cement manufacturers, announced the winners of its Energy and Environment, Chairman’s Safety and Safety Innovation Awards at its 2024 Cement Fly-In in Washington, D.C.

Insulation is one of the best ways to reduce home energy costs, with a national opportunity to save 15 to 45 percent on costs, according to ICF’s Insulation Opportunity Study. With the unprecedented heat making energy costs increasingly unaffordable for all Americans, but particularly low-income Americans, this cannot be overstated.

Without question, the building and construction industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Approximately 1.1 million construction jobs were eliminated in the first two months of the pandemic prior to the industry’s designation as “essential.” While the industry has recouped nearly 80 percent of its workforce since then, companies will need to hire another 1 million workers over the next two years to meet the country’s insatiable demand for new home construction and improvement.

One of the most prominent offsite construction award programs, the Building Excellence Awards showcase the projects that best demonstrate the design flexibility, long-lasting energy performance and resiliency of SIPs.

The Structural Insulated Panel Association announced the winners of its annual Building Excellence Awards, an off-site construction awards program that recognizes outstanding residential and commercial projects.

A K-12 school in rural Alaska, a zero-energy-ready timber-frame home, low-income housing with a high-performance shell...the winners of this year’s Building Excellence Awards are a strong testament to the benefits of SIP construction.

The BlackStar Companies, LLC announced the launch of a new business division called BlackStar SIPs. BlackStar SIPs is the company’s latest entry into sustainable, cost-efficient and high-performance construction solutions for residential, commercial and government clients.

Westlake Royal Building Products announced that it has acquired Palight Trimboard from its long-standing partner Palram Americas. Through the acquisition of Palight Trimboard product lines, Westlake Royal will expand its portfolio of brands offered under Westlake Royal Trim & Mouldings Solutions, which provides the finishing touch for the interior and exterior of a home.

Westlake Royal Building Products, Inc. announced Sept. 7 that Palight Trimboard is now Skytrim, a sophisticated line of PVC trim options.

Save time with Plastic Components’ non-rusting continuous insulation trims. They improve job quality and deliver a better finish.

It is estimated that there are over 24 million U.S. Military Veterans. More than 2 million of them are under 35 years of age, and many of those are in need of good paying jobs.

The Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau announced the winners of its annual Outstanding Project of the Year Awards.

Andrea Baird is an Architect with Building Technology Consultants PC in Illinois.

Introducing the FlexSpray Pro 18V – the future of handheld sprayers from Titan. Built with JetForce Technology, this beast combines the power of airless and the control of HVLP into one versatile sprayer.

Lucinda and Emily are joined by the outgoing chief of the RSPCA

The early-bird awards entry deadline is 9 January

The Metal Construction Association announced the 2024 MCA Design Awards winners. The MCA Design Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the metal construction industry and recognize member-companies involved in the construction of outstanding building projects that use metal in significant and innovative ways.

Five projects on which ATAS International products were installed have been selected as winners of the 2024 Metal Construction Association Design Awards. The MCA Design Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the metal construction industry and recognize member-companies involved in the construction of outstanding building projects that use metal in significant and innovative ways.

Why should someone join the Florida Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association? We spoke to members of the association at its 2024 show in Orlando, Florida, to ask them why they joined. There were many different responses, from networking to education to seeing the industry’s newest products.

Walls & Ceilings names the second winner of its annual Leadership Award.

With their impressive blend of sound absorption and sound diffusion, S-4200 Panels from Sound Seal are perfect for recording studios, auditoriums, performance halls and more. Get to know more about them by visiting Sound Seal’s website and reviewing available materials.

The deadline for early-bird entries is 11.59pm on 6 February

The deadline for the early-bird price is 14 May, with a final deadline of 4 June

Keep up to date with all the latest coronavirus-related news affecting the charity sector. Please refresh for the latest updates

A series of webinars will confront the root causes of the racist riots that took place over the summer