Category Archives: Curiosity

Willie Nelson rescued 70 horses from a slaughterhouse to roam free at his Texas ranch

Willie Nelson is an iconic singer and advocate for marijuana legalization, but when he’s not on stage he loves nothing more than spending time at him Texas home: “Luck Ranch”.

He jokes, “When you’re here, you’re in Luck, and when you’re not, you’re out of Luck.”

Willie’s not the only resident in “Luck” – there are also 70 rescue horses that live on the 700 acres of land.

“My horses are probably the luckiest horses in the world. They get hand-fed twice a day, and they were just ready to go to slaughter is probably the last thing they remembered, so they’re happy horses,” Willie said.

Rescuing animals is another cause that is very close to his heart. In 2015, he won the People’s Silver Telly Award for his music video, “The Love of Horses”, which showcased him meeting with campaigners working to put an end to horse slaughter.

Willie Nelson is nearly 86-years-old, but he has no intention of stopping either his activism or his music. In fact, he’s actually in the middle of a tour, and will spend 200 days on the road.

“It’s a lot of traveling and being away from home,” he said. “But that’s what we do.”

Nelson also has another side project that he enjoys: producing and selling his own weed brand called Willie’s Reserve – but only in the states where it’s legal of course.

When asked about his future plans of retirement, his answers are always mixed.

“I retire after every show,” Nelson said. “I say, ‘That’s it, I’m not goin’ no more,’ but then we hang out awhile and people [his band] feel like playing, and so we go play again.”

But for now, he seems happy with the way his life is: he’s got his music and his horses. Sounds like a pretty good life.

Tattooed bikers confront abusive pet owners to rescue animals

While the United States has passed various laws to keep animal abuse from taking place, these laws are not always followed as well as they should be. We hate to see animals being mistreated and it makes our day when others share our point of view. That is what makes this story such an amazing one. There is one unlikely group that is taking matters into their own hands.

That’s right, these tattooed bikers are fed up with the disrespect. They are looking to put a stop to these types of occurrences. The sadistic humans who are willing to treat animals poorly will need to start making better decisions. Rescue Ink is a biker group that is spreading a very important message. Perhaps these the folks who abuse animals will listen to them.

We wouldn’t want to end up on the wrong side of these bikers, that is for sure. When neglected animals are being kept by the wrong sort of folks, this group provides them with all of the convincing that they need. It is hard to say no to these guys. They do not allow their persuasion to ever step outside of the boundaries of the law, however.

They do use some techniques that would be described as “in your face”, though. The abusive pet owners have no choice but to give up their animals when they are confronted by these men. We wouldn’t want to find out what happens when you say no. The bikers say that they are more effective than the police in this regard. The police are unable to engage in certain tactics.

This is something that the abusive pet owners are already well aware of. However, when they see these bikers pulling up? It is a whole different story. They do not know what the bikers are capable of, nor do they wish to find out. No one is injured and the pets are handed over to the proper authorities in a timely manner.

If you would like to learn more about what this Long Island organization has to offer, please be sure to check out the informative clip below. The group tries their best to make sure that truly loving pet owners get the help they need and no animal is removed without just cause. We would like to think that we speak for all of the animal lovers out there when we say: THANK YOU!! Please keep up the great work.

Artist Transforms Driftwood Into Fantastical Sculptures That Look Like Spirits Of Nature

If you are a lover of art, nature, and how the two can reflect each other if it’s done right, you are really enjoy to enjoy these fantastic sculptures that are meant to look like spirits of nature. These are incredible sculptures that the designer made from wood to show that beauty and art can come from nature and still compliment each other perfectly in a way that would amaze any of the two disciplines.

Debra, the creator of these amazing pieces, says that she always uses as much as the driftwood’s natural shape and form as she can so that the wood gets to tell its own story and it’s not forced into being something that it’s not. This is also a great way to recycle wood and use it for something that is going to bring many years of happiness to all those who look at and admire what she creates.

Debra Bernier, a talented artist from Victoria, Canada. Creates beautiful driftwood spirit sculptures that you could look at all day long. Debra uses natural materials, such as driftwood, shells and clay to make her masterpieces.

“When I work with driftwood, I never start with a blank canvas. Each piece of driftwood is already a sculpture, created by the caresses of the waves and wind”. Each hand crafted piece represents the spirits of nature. A human fusing together with nature. “The wood tells a story and I try to think of its journey as I hold it in my hand. I extend or shorten the curves and contours that already exist into familiar shapes of animals or peoples’ faces.”

Debra gets her inspiration from children, animals and nature. “The finished pieces are a reflection of not only my life, my family, and children, but of an eternal, sacred connection we all share with nature.” When she was young, Debra loved visiting beaches and being with nature. She is very happy that she is still able to share that love now through her extraordinary sculptures.

“The little girl in me is still fascinated by the shapes in wood, the sun sparkling on the water, smooth, grey stones, and salty seaweed. Simplicity brings me more happiness than complexity. I hope to share this with others.” Her artwork is for sale. Image credit: Debra Bernier. You can view her entire collection on Etsy.

Glorious Capture Of Bonding Moment Between Mongolian Eagle Keepers And Their Birds

In the treacherous Altai Mountains in the far reaches of western Mongolia, golden eagles build their nests high up on rock faces. Every winter, nomads from the country’s Kazakh minority brave subzero temperatures and travel the mountains on horseback in search of young eaglets to take home and train as their hunting partners.

After maintaining this practice for hundreds of years, the burkitshi — as men who hunt with eagles are called in Kazakh — are slowly dying out. There are no more than 50 to 60 “true” hunters left, and each winter claims a few more. Young people are uninterested in the tradition and increasingly migrating to cities, like the polluted Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator.

Photographer Daniel Kordan recently spent time with a group of eagle keepers, where he was able to capture the beauty of their bonds.

Each September, a large berkutchi festival takes place, attracting tourists from around the region. But Kordan’s experience was decidedly more intimate, as he used local guides to connect with nomad families, who brought him in and introduced him to the area’s eagle keepers. His images demonstrate the power and skill of both the handlers and the eagles, as well as the pride both parties take in their shared mission.

Kordan, who also leads photography workshops and expeditions, came away from his time in Mongolia with a renewed respect and appreciation for the people he encountered.

In an interview for My Modern Met, Daniel said, “I’m fascinated by nomad culture. It’s an elusive culture, almost extinct nowadays. There are just around 300 eagle keepers left keeping this thousand-year-old tradition. It’s hard to keep and so easy to move toward “civilization,” but these people try to keep the tradition and pass it on through generations.”

Racing through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles.

The eagles soar through the air at speeds of up to 200mph as they race to reach their keeper first, during an annual festival celebrating the heritage of the Turkic group.

The Golden Eagle festival is held every October in Bayan-Olgii, a province in western Mongolia.

The Kazakhs of the Altai mountain range in western Mongolia are the only people that hunt with golden eagles, and today there are around 400 practising falconers.

The tradition of hunting with golden eagles is said to have been started by the nomadic Khitans from Manchuria in northern China around 940AD.

Other activities held during the Golden Eagle festival include horse racing, archery and Bushkashi, which is a goatskin tug of war on horseback

The festival also sees awards handed out for Best Turned Out Eagle And Owner, Best Eagle At Hunting Prey and Best Eagle At Locating Its Owner From A Distance.

“That people are actually very happy with this life, no matter how hard it is. And even kids starting from 13 years old can keep their eagle. The bond with the bird is so strong! Actually, even the eyes and the look of the eagle and its master resemble each other. They also respect their bird and release it into the wild after it turns 10 years old.” explained the artist.

Talking about the daily routine of Mongolian people, Kordan said, “They start the day early, by taking care of their horses, sheep, goats, cooking meals, and making furs. Closer to winter and in the spring they migrate from one spot to another. Sometimes nomads need to travel thousands of kilometers. So winter migration is the most fascinating thing. Every day they need to assemble their Ger tent and move to another place with all their herds. That’s lots of endurance and work.”

As you can imagine, these people have their own culture and their uniqueness is a form of isolation from the rest of the world. So reaching out to them is not as easy as one may think.

“I found local guides and drivers to bring me to nomads. It took me a while to find the right contacts during my research. Basically, all nomad families are connected, so after you find the first connection, it’s easy to communicate. I also speak Russian and it helped to communicate with them, as some of older people know Russian from Soviet times.”

 

 

13+ Cute Little Places That Look Too Good To Be Real

Once again planet earth is prooving itself with the beauties it holds. Even in some petite, cute cities, it captures the most breathtaking sceneries, and here we’re presenting to you 18 of those. Now all you have left to do is choose which one to visit first.

1. Xitang, China

2. Shaanxi, China

3. Portofino, Italy

4. Damüls, Austria

5. Colmar, France

6. Shirakawa-Gō, Japan

7. Desenzano Del Garda, Italy

8. Vang Vieng, Laos

9. Manarola, Italy

10. Zermatt, Switzerland

11. Reine, Norway

 12. Hallstatt, Austria

13. Jiufen, Taiwan

14. Kakortok, Greenland

15. Bled, Slovenia

16. Dazhai, China

17. Burano, Italy

18. Yangshuo County, China

Enormous Sculptures Rooted in Nature Are Like Mystical Goddesses of Music Festivals

South African multidisciplinary artist Daniel Popper is known for his colossal figurative sculptures and spectacular public art installations at art and music events around the world. Daniel is well-known for his massive public art installations at top festivals like the Electric Forest festival in the USA,  Boom Festival in Portugal, Rainbow Serpent festival in Australia, as well as Afrikaburn in the Tankwa Karoo in South Africa.

One of Popper’s most recent sculptures, Modem Swamp, was an epic, 8-meter-tall (26-foot-tall) female figure at Modem Festival in Croatia. Created using steel and fiberglass, and covered in concrete, the whimsical character is posed holding her face in front of her head like a mask, revealing the wild jungle growing within her skull.
At night, projection mapping makes the piece look like it’s made from chrome.

Each sculpture has a story behind it, but I like to leave the questions about each piece a little bit open, so people can come and bring their own ideas to it,” Popper claimed. “I want people to come here and ask questions of themselves about their relationship with nature.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? I bet they do.
Scroll down to see more of Popper’s incredible sculptures and explore even more of his growing portfolio on his instagram.

1. The first major U.S. exhibition of artist Daniel Popper at The Morton Arboretum.

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4. South African multidisciplinary artist Daniel Popper creates giant figurative sculptures for art and music events around the world.

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6. Each larger-than-life figure brings magic and fantasy to the places they inhabit.

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8. The sculptures present the connection between humans and trees.

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10 Most Beautiful Villages in Italy

By all means, Italy is one of the most incredible countries in Europe, if not in the whole world. So, that’s no surprise why this country in southern Europe is often among the top travel destinations. Truly indeed, it is a country of immense natural beauty.

Amazing landmarks, architectural masterpieces, rolling hills, majestic jagged peaks, crystal clear lakes, world-class museums, beautiful beaches, rugged coastlines, and of course delicious local food – you can have it all in Italy. But it’s also true that some of the most beautiful places in Italy are its villages. So, the good news? Whichever you choose to visit first, surely it will be a hit in this country.

Scroll down in order to explore the best villages in Italy. Also, feel free to share your travel experiences with us!

#1 Ravello, Amalfi Coast

Ravello is a charming, little village located approximately 350 meters above the sea.  One travel blogger once noted that Ravello actually “represents nature’s music.”  It features impressive monuments, lovely landscapes, and spectacular views that have reportedly inspired many a European artist who found themselves in this spot.

#2 Castelmezzano, Basilicata

You’ll find the memorable village of Castelmezzano perched high on a cliffside amidst the well-known Lucanian Dolomites.  This getaway reportedly has pretty much everything for a genuine Italian experience. The village also features the popular Volo dell’Angelo (in English “Flight of the Angel”.) This walking path across the bluffs is one of the best hikes in the entire country.

#3 Matera, Basilicata

This village in southern Italy is “Città dei Sassi”, or “city of stones”. Some travel mavens say this place in Italy is one of the most ancient and beautiful places on the planet.  It owes a lot of its fame to the memorable sassi, ancient cave-residences that carve right into the surrounding hills’ rock.

#4 Cefalu, Sicily

This small, idyllic village is surprisingly popular, especially with Italian sun-worshippers.  Here you will discover not only narrow medieval streets and beautiful beaches, but also a surprisingly hip night scene, and noteworthy Sicilian restaurants. You can find it between the coastline and the mountains on one of the most scenic islands in the world.

#5 Manarola, Cinque Terre

Manarola , as considered by many travel mavens is the most beautiful of all five villages in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cinque Terre. This quaint community highlights all the brightly-colored buildings perched on the rugged slopes between the Mediterranean and the rolling hills.  Much like Italy’s other coastal towns, Manarola offers tempting regional cuisine and an intimate beach accessible via one little road.

#6 Bellagio, Lake Como

Bellagio is located halfway between the two southernmost branches of the lake, and is famous worldwide for its beautiful villas overlooking the water. Lake Como is one of the gorgeous places in Italy to visit, especially when in the north of the country. It is filled with centuries-old towns, gorgeous views and a shoreline. The tiny streets of Bellagio are so pretty that a simple walk is worth the visit.

#7 Civita di Bagnoregio, Lazio

Civita di Bagnoregio is situated high on a tuff hill half-way between Lake Bolsena and Orvieto.  It’s accessible only by walking across a significantly narrow footbridge.  This surreal spot is also known as “città che muore” or “the dying city.” Some travel bloggers believe it to be one of Italy’s most characteristic and beautiful villages.

#8 Positano, Amalfi Coast

The village of Positano is an hour south of Naples. It’s situated on the scenic Amalfi Coast.  Yes, the village includes a nice beach and nice restaurants. What makes it unique though is because it appears to cling to the local mountains.  Additionally, it appears to have multiple layers of Moorish-style homes built in an uphill sprawl.  If you’re planning a visit and looking for accommodations, veteran visitors suggest Casa Angelina, Le Sirenuse, or Villa Franca.

#9 San Gimignano, Tuscany

Many travel experts say Tuscany is arguably one of the country’s “most iconic” areas.  San Gimignano is surely Tuscany’s most beautiful village.  Nestled in the very heart of wine country, this little village includes 13 ancient towers, charming squares, and narrow streets. Here you can savor some homemade pasta, a glass of the local Tuscan red wine.  Then, take in the sight of the sun as it sets over the farmland.

#10 Alberobello, Puglia

Situated in the region of Puglia, Italy, not too far from the town of Bari.  Alberobello is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This charming village is well-known for its 1,500 trulli. For those not in the know, a trullo is a cone-shaped roof structure constructed without mortar. Also known as “the White Town,” this medieval walled city consists of buildings built atop of each other. Archways were added to support the structures and compensate for the poor foundations. There’s a 15th-century cathedral too.

 

The Most Hilarious Cat Tweets Of The Week

You say hilarious, we hear cats.

Cats are almost everywhere. You are on Instagram, your feed is flooded with cat pictures. You are on Snapchat, there are adorable cat snaps. You are on Twitter, boom, there are hilarious cat tweets everywhere.

But if you haven’t seen funny cat tweets in a while, just scroll down and catch up on the trending memes.

1. Cat owning you>>>>>>>>You owning a cat!

Damn! That is one big cat!

2. How to know that your cat likes you…

Give it a try!

3. Can’t get enough of the adorableness…

Such camouflage, much wow!

7. This lady is living the best life!

8. Cat or flowers? A beautiful dilemma!

We need such aesthetic pictures too!

9. The ultimate sport that no one supports….

10. Seeing this picture makes me comfy…

11. I can feel you, Bujibu!

12. Isn’t this the most adorable bubba you’ve ever seen???

OMG!!!! This is so cute, I can’t even!!

13. Well, this is brand new information!

It looks really scary thou….

14. Would 100% do it! Without being apologetic!

15. Thinking about my life decisions like….

16. “Momma don’t leave me behind!”

17. Because the aftermath is really ugly….

18. Hey hooman, pls make these lil birdies get off of me…

19. Being stuck in weird things=Cat level!

20. 1,2,3… I’m coming for youuu!!!

Jumping into wrong decisions like….

21. Stretching like a pro! Runs in the family😉

22. Nothing can be spared when you have a cat in your house.

 

What I need to know about checking accounts

Checking account, savings account, fixed-term deposit: How private money management works
A checking account is the basic tool for managing your money, but if you rely on it alone, you’ll end up giving money away. Here’s what you need to know about private money management.

For quick readers:

 

  • The checking account is the basic way to manage your money. Depending on how much money you have available, various other types of accounts are useful.
  • Checking accounts are used for cashless payment transactions such as transfers, direct debits, standing orders and the like. You can also use a checking account to access cash.
  • You can also overdraw a checking account: This means that you can spend more money than you have in the account. However, the interest rates are very high.
  • To open a current account you need an identity card or a valid passport.
  • As a rule, there is no interest on credit balances in current accounts. When it comes to borrowing or investing money, there are better alternatives.
  • The classic savings account is the savings book. Advantage: You get interest on your money. Disadvantages: The interest rates are low, and you can often only withdraw a maximum of 2,000 euros per month.
  • The call money account offers you the same advantages as a savings account, but is much more flexible. You can withdraw as much money as you want at any time. And the interest rate is often higher than with a savings account.
  • A time deposit account has the advantage that the interest rates are usually even higher than with a call account. Disadvantage: With a time deposit, you have to invest your money for a fixed period of time, and you can’t withdraw it at any time.
  • A credit account with a credit line works like an overdraft facility in a checking account, but is much cheaper.
    Important: You should compare the offers of different banks. The conditions and prices differ greatly. MLP can also help you with this.

The right account for the right purpose

As a student you have to manage your money well. A checking account is the basis for your monthly income and expenses. Depending on how much money you have at your disposal, other types of accounts can also be useful for you. This article gives you a brief overview of the different types and how they work.

The checking account

“Giro” in Italian means circle or circulation. This is no coincidence. After all, checking accounts are designed to conveniently handle daily incoming and outgoing payments – known as money in circulation. A checking account is the basic equipment for you when it comes to money. Checking accounts are used to handle cashless payment transactions such as transfers, direct debits, standing orders and the like. A checking account also gives you access to cash: When you open a checking account at a bank, you receive an account card (the so-called EC card), which you can use not only to make cashless payments, but also to withdraw money from ATMs. Almost every bank offers a current account, the costs are manageable, many online banks even take no fees at all for account management.

Borrow money from your own checking account

You can also overdraw a checking account: That means you can spend more money than you have in the account. How much you can overdraw, you regulate with your bank by agreeing with them a so-called Dispo, the Dispositionsrahmen. However, this is only intended to ensure that you have money available even if the account slips into the red at short notice. This can happen at the turn of the month: Current expenses are debited, and at the same time, for example, the BAföG or the money from the student job has not yet been transferred. You can bridge such overlaps with an overdraft facility. In the long term, however, you should not use the overdraft facility to borrow money. The overdraft interest rates are much too high for that.

What you need to open a checking account

To open a checking account, you need a valid ID card or passport. If you open a checking account at an online bank without branches, you identify yourself using the so-called Post-Ident procedure: You go to a post office with your bank’s registration documents and show the postal employee your ID. The banks explain the details of the registration process on their websites.

As already mentioned, checking accounts are used to manage daily payment transactions. However, this does not mean that they are equally suitable for all money-related purposes. If you spend more money than you have in your checking account, it will be expensive. This is because overdraft interest rates are usually very high. At the same time, a checking account is not suitable as a savings account. This is because there is usually no interest on credit balances in checking accounts. When it comes to borrowing or investing money, there are better options.

What is a home owner insurance?

Kitchen fire, burst water pipes or storm and snow pressure damage to the roof – the list of possible disasters in the home is long. To protect yourself against this financial risk, homeowners insurance including household insurance helps.

What is insured?

Home owner insurance

While household insurance covers damage to household contents, homeowners insurance covers damage to the building. For owner-occupied homes, it makes sense to combine both insurances. For rented apartments, household insurance is sufficient. For condominiums, you need homeowner’s insurance in addition to household insurance, which is usually taken out by the property management company for the owners’ association.

Usually, homeowner’s insurance combines fire, windstorm, water damage and building liability, but these could also be insured separately.

 

Shell insurance

Shell insurance is usually offered premium-free as an advance payment for a subsequent homeowners insurance policy. This allows the shell of the building to be insured against perils such as fire, liability for home and property, and – once the building is fully completed and covered all around – storm damage. Some insurers also offer coverage – sometimes at an additional cost – for tap water or glass breakage.

Make sure you have builders’ liability insurance. This covers personal injury and property damage that occurs during the construction phase – e.g. to neighbors or passers-by. Ask about the sum insured, which varies greatly from insurance company to insurance company and can be increased in some cases. In some cases, own work is also insured.

The duration of the shell insurance is usually 1 to 2 years, but can be extended in many cases. The insurance company must be notified of move-in or completion, otherwise benefits may be denied in the event of a claim. Upon completion of the house, the initially premium-free shell insurance becomes a homeowner’s insurance policy with a term of 3 to 10 years. It is therefore advisable to pay attention to the conditions of the homeowner’s policies even before construction begins.

Cover for unforeseeable damage

Construction insurance, which is considered “comprehensive insurance” for the construction of buildings, is also offered. With this, builders, contractors and building tradesmen can insure themselves against unforeseeable damage during construction (e.g. if the excavation pit fills with rainwater due to an exceptionally severe storm or the ceiling collapses due to a material or construction defect).

Determination of the sum insured

  • Square meter insurance

Most contracts today are calculated according to the square meter variant. In this case, the insurance company waives the objection of underinsurance in the event of a claim if the square meter information is correct.

  • Sum insurance

If you insure your building or household contents with a concretely calculated sum insured instead, make sure that it corresponds to the actual financial expenditure that would arise in the case of new construction of the building or new acquisition of the entire household contents, otherwise there is a risk of a proportionately reduced benefit in the event of a claim (even in the case of partial damage).

What you should pay attention to

Compare offers

The insurance products are similar in the core area, but very different in detail. Therefore, obtain several quotes before signing the contract and make sure you get good advice. Have unfamiliar terms explained to you (such as “insurance applies at first risk”) and ask for benefit overviews. These make it easier to compare different products.

Check insurance needs

Check whether your desired insurance needs are sufficiently covered (e.g. outbuildings, swimming pool including cover, whirlpool, solar system including glasses, underfloor or wall heating, photovoltaic system, carport, ground collectors, large glass surfaces, conservatory and roof glazing, artificial glazing, plastic panes, solar and flat collectors, (natural) fencing, greenhouse, pergola, sun awning, playground equipment, scope of coverage of any shell insurance, damage caused by
environmental disturbance (for example by oil tank), dog liability, aquarium, waterbed, increased liability limits for cash, jewelry and other valuables, ceramic, or induction cooktop, expensive bicycles and e-bikes, lawn robot, etc.).

Damage caused by gross negligence

In our opinion, it makes sense to also insure damage caused by gross negligence. If this is not the case and, for example, an apartment fire is caused by gross negligence, you will not be compensated for your damage by the insurance company (the distinction from minor negligence is often difficult).

Many insurance companies cover gross negligence, but sometimes for an additional charge. Pay attention to the agreed amount of the payment to be made by the insurance company. This can be up to 100 percent of the damage, but can also be limited with a maximum damage payment. Comparison is particularly important here.

TIP

Ask about coverage of 100 percent also for damage caused by gross negligence.

Pipe water damage

The extent of pipe replacement within the building varies widely among insurers. This ranges mostly from 6 meters, to 10 meters, to 12 meters, to 15 meters, to unlimited protection.

There are also differences in coverage for damage to supply and drainage pipes outside the building (at the property and outside the property). Some products even provide an exclusion of benefits outside the property.

Catastrophe protection

Catastrophe protection (e.g., flood, inundation, mudflow) is often covered in newer products up to a maximum amount (depending on the insurance, usually between 4,000 euros and a maximum of 10,000 euros for the building and 4,000 euros and a maximum of 10,000 euros additionally for the household contents). Some insurers also offer higher protection for an additional charge. Furthermore, the risk zone (keyword HORA) in which the home is located is often important – the greater the risk, the higher the premium or this risk is not insurable at all – there are great differences here.

Replacement value

Make sure that your contract provides for a general replacement value replacement, so that you also receive the replacement value and not only the current market value for older items. The contract should not include a clause that says only the current value will then be replaced if the current value of the insured item in the event of a loss is less than 40 percent of the new value. Floor and basement stuff is often only replaced at current value.