Latest news with #Manhattanite
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tourist finds $27,000 sparkling surprise after she kicks 'spiderweb' in Arkansas park
A New York woman who kicked a 'spiderweb' at an iconic Arkansas national park had actually stumbled across a $27,000 diamond she plans to use for her engagement ring. Manhattanite Micherre Fox, 31, made the more than 1,330-mile trek from the Big Apple to Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park with one goal in mind. Fox had set out on a mission to diligently explore the park known for being rich with gems and find the perfect diamond to adorn her dream engagement ring. She decided on this frugal tactic to score a stunning ring without her and her boyfriend breaking the bank more than two years ago. 'There's something symbolic about being able to solve problems with money, but sometimes money runs out in a marriage,' Fox said in a press release. 'You need to be willing and able to solve those problems with hard work.' The recent grad-school graduate was determined to make good use of her month-long break between academia and the start of her new job. She researched locations around the world where she could go diamond hunting, thrilled to find out that the best place to search for treasures was in Arkansas. Fox eagerly packed her bags and arrived in the Bear State on July 8 to kick off her adventure. But weeks into her endeavor, she felt as if she were out of luck. She had spent three weeks searching high and low for a glimmering diamond to take home with her, but had not found what she was looking for. On the morning of July 29, her last day at the state park before she would have to return to New York City, the situation took an upward turn. Fox had spotted what she believed was a spiderweb covered in dew shining at her feet. She then kicked it with her boot in an attempt to disperse the shiny fibers, but quickly realized she had come across something far more valuable. In awe, Fox bent down and reached for the tiny glistening object - a 2.30-carat white diamond. 'Having never seen an actual diamond in my hands, I didn't know for sure, but it was the most 'diamond-y diamond' I had seen,' Fox recalled in disbelief. Tightly holding on to the gemstone, Fox rushed to the Diamond Discovery Center to get her prize examined and weighed by park staff. When they confirmed it was in fact a white diamond weighing more than two carats, Fox dropped to her knees and sobbed. The news took Fox on an emotional rollercoaster, as she quickly stopped crying and started laughing. Arkansas State Parks described Fox's diamond as about the size of a human canine tooth. It has a 'a smooth, rounded shape and beautiful metallic luster,' which will look absolutely stunning on Fox's engagement ring. Fox's find was the third-largest diamond found in the Crater of Diamonds State Park this year. And according to StoneAglo estimates, a 2.3-carat diamond is worth roughly $27,100 right now. 'Ms. Fox's story highlights the fact that, even when putting forth your best effort, being in the right place at the right time plays a part in finding diamonds,' park Assistant Superintendent Waymon Cox said. 'After weeks of hard work, Ms. Fox found her diamond sitting right on top of the ground.' Fox named her cherished possession the Fox-Ballou Diamond, after her and her partner's last names. While she undoubtedly put in the effort and dedication, Fox attributed a portion of her success to sheer luck. 'When you are literally picking up the dirt in your hands, no amount of research can do that for you,' she explained. 'No amount of education can take you all the way. It was daunting!' More than 366 diamonds from the park have been registered this year so far, according to a press release. Just 11 of them have weighed more than one carat. David DeCook of Stewartville, Minnesota, found the heaviest one this year in April when he took home a stunning 3.81-carat brown diamond named the Duke Diamond. Even though they are valuable, brown diamonds are worth less than white diamonds, according to Naturally Colored. Three carats of white diamond could cost about $40,000, while the same amount of brown diamond costs about $10,000. Brown diamonds' values range from $1,000 to $5,000 per carat, according to Ouros Jewels. Based on these numbers, the Duke Diamond could be worth anywhere from $3,810 to $19,050. Since 1906, when the first diamonds were discovered in the historic region by the lands then-owner John Huddleston, more than 75,000 have been found. The largest gem ever unearthed at the park was a whopping 40.23-carat white diamond with a pink cast in 1924. It was discovered while the land was still a mining area - as it did not officially become a state park until 1972 - and was dubbed the Uncle Sam. The Uncle Sam was later cut into a 12.42-carat emerald shape, which no sits in the Smithsonian's mineral and gem collection.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Instagram Map stirs debate on location-sharing and privacy among Gen Z
Location apps often get installed because of parents' safety concerns. As those teenagers who often grumbled about being surveilled by their parents grew up and moved out, they began using Find My or Life360 to check on their friends in potentially risky situations. Laura Kelly, a 23-year-old who works as a prison re-entry case manager in Boston, shares her location with her friends in case of a potential emergency, such as when someone goes missing from a large group or if they're Ubering home after drinking too much. Over time, she's amassed 45 people on her Find My account. 'There's been times where one of my friends got way too drunk and was a wanderer, so we were like, 'Oh, just checked her location and tracked her down,'' Kelly said. 'I found her on a stump and I was like, 'Thank God.' It reminded me why I do it.' As Gen Z's parents and grandparents get older, the roles have reversed, with their children now keeping tabs on them. It's helpful for the same reasons that tracking friends can be, whether that's figuring out if someone is running late or going somewhere unexpected. For Kelly, looking at Find My is useful to see if her parents are busy. 'Whenever I call them, I'll check beforehand to see if they're home because I feel like they're more likely to answer,' she said. 'If they don't answer my call, I'll look and be like, 'Well, what are they doing if they're not talking to me?'' For many, tracking a friend's location is just an extension of stalking someone's social media. You don't have to ask to know what swank new restaurant your friends are trying, where they're seeing a concert that night or if they're hanging out with your other friends that you have on Find My. The Instagram Map correctly assessed people's desire to see what their friends are doing in real time, while adding an additional layer of public posts about any given spot. And yet nearly everyone the Washington Post spoke to is uncertain about the point of Instagram Map. Some said it feels like an inevitable end point for a deeply surveilled, voyeuristic culture. Nearly every day, Rachel Suleymanov checks in on her friends' locations. She described the Find My map as a form of social media, even without the input of Instagram. As a 24-year-old Manhattanite whose friends live in Brooklyn, she's gotten used to seeing hangouts that she can't make it to on the Find My app. To trade locations with the current 25 friends she tracks, Suleymanov said, 'was almost like saying 'I love you' in a relationship'. But Instagram Map is a step too far, she said. 'I just think about the amount of people that are following me that I barely know,' Suleymanov said. 'I feel like the point of Instagram is that I can post about where I am, should I want to do that. I don't know if a Snapchat map equivalent is necessary in any way.' Location sharing goes hand in hand with Gen Z's quest to be authentic online, Jessica Maddox, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Georgia, said. But, she argues, many don't necessarily trust Instagram parent company Meta. 'They've been on social media long enough, and have been wronged by social media enough, that they are right to be suspicious of this Instagram feature,' Maddox said. 'I think back to earlier this year, when TikTok was going to be banned, right? [Young] people literally joined a Chinese app instead of going to Instagram.' Gladden uses Find My to check in with friends who don't use social media as regularly. But she isn't sure those more private friends would appreciate her snooping: 'If I check their location, I can never say anything about it because they might unshare it.' The fear of an unshared location is real for Find My obsessives, especially because they get a notification if a friend drops them. For Caty DuDevoir, a graduate student of anthropology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, unsharing a location usually results in tension in the friendship. 'When you unshare your location with someone, it feels wrong,' DuDevoir, 23, said. 'It feels like a hiccup in a relationship, in a friendship. Are you hiding something? What does this mean for our friendship? That is sort of weird because it's just not that deep. We're on a floating rock. If someone wants to stop sharing their location, I don't think it's a big deal. And yes, it sometimes feels hurtful.' While there are safety and social benefits to tracking friends, it gets tricky if you catch them in an ill-advised situation. Surprising hook-ups, hanging out with disliked friends and embarrassing hobbies are all noticeable if someone has your location. 'We found out that [a friend] was back with her ex-boyfriend via the Find My Friends thing,' Montse Cuetos, 23, who recently graduated from IE University in Spain, said. 'I was scrolling through and I was like, 'What? You didn't tell us that was happening.'' It varies from person to person, but Find My users often find themselves unsure of what to do if they spot a situation unfolding from a map's-eye view. Confronting a friend about something seen on the map would be a violation of privacy for DuDevoir, even if the location was shared freely. 'I just wait for that person to tell me the story that goes behind why they were in a certain place,' she said. 'If they don't feel comfortable, it's not something that I'm going to push them on.' That balance becomes a problem, especially as Instagram and Snapchat have made people's locations so readily available. Besides, isn't there something magical about naturally running into a friend at the coffee shop? Cuetos thinks so, despite her collection of 21 friends on Find My. 'Having unrestricted access to so much information about your social environment is kind of messed up,' Cuetos said. 'It's like if you had super powers, would you want to read minds? No, it would ruin everybody for you.'
USA Today
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Sex and the City' spinoff 'And Just Like That' abruptly ends just like that
"And Just Like That" is over just like that. Michael Patrick King – an executive producer of the "Sex and the City" spinoff, which airs on HBO Max – revealed the show was abruptly ending, in a note posted to the show's social media pages Friday, Aug. 1. "And just like that... the ongoing storytelling of the 'Sex And The City' universe is coming to an end," King wrote. "While I was writing the last episode of 'And Just Like That...' season 3, it became clear to me that this might be a wonderful place to stop." He said that he and franchise star Sarah Jessica Parker "held off announcing the news until now because we didn't want the word 'final' to overshadow the fun of watching the season." King said that "it's with great gratitude we thank all the viewers who have let these characters into their homes and their hearts over these many years." 'And Just Like That' Season 3: Date, time, how to watch new episodes The "SATC" revival premiered on HBO Max in late 2021, featuring three out of the four original stars, minus Kim Cattrall's promiscuous Samantha Jones. However, the fan favorite Manhattanite made an offscreen appearance through a text conversation with Parker's lead character Carrie Bradshaw. A post shared by And Just Like That... (@justlikethatmax) In the spinoff, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) were back on the New York City streets and on fans' TV screens. This story is developing. Contributing: Anthony Robledo
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
‘And Just Like That' Season 3: Date, time, how to watch new episodes
Summers are never boring with Carrie Bradshaw. For better or worse, the latest season of "And Just Like That..." has already stirred conversation from the sex columnist's questionable cloud hat to a haphazard plot hole fans were quick to call out. The "Sex and the City" revival premiered on HBO Max in late 2022, featuring three out of the four original stars, except Kim Cattrall's promiscuous Samantha Jones. However, the fan favorite Manhattanite made an off-screen appearance through a text conversation with Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie. Both Cynthia Nixon's Miranda Hobbes and Kristin Davis' Charlotte York are also back on the screens, staying by Carrie's side in the always eccentric New York City. With only a few episodes of Season 3 left, here's how to tune in ahead of the finale. When do new 'And Just Like That…' episodes come out? Season 3 of "And Just Like That…" will premiere on Thursday, May 29 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on HBO Max. How to watch 'And Just Like That…' Season 3 "And Just Like That…" Season 3 will be available to stream on Max starting Thursday, May 29 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. New episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays. Seasons 1 and 2 of "And Just Like That…" are also available to stream on Max. Watch 'And Just Like That...' with Sling + Max Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox How many episodes will 'And Just Like That…' Season 3 have? Season 3 of "And Just Like That…" will have 12 episodes. Here's what the schedule looks like: 'And Just Like That…' Season 3 cast Season 3 of "And Just Like That…" will feature a mix of old and new faces, including: Watch the 'And Just Like That…' Season 3 trailer Max released the trailer for "And Just Like That…" Season 3 on April 15. Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change. Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
New York Post
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Teensy plastic ducks and their ‘hunters' are taking over streets of Manhattan — and kids can't get enough
They're going ducking mad in Manhattan. A dog walker who has been decorating her neighborhood with bright, teeny plastic ducks has inadvertently created a craze — with local kids collecting and trading hundreds of the toys. The so-called 'Delightful Duck Venture' has exploded in popularity in recent months after JJ Cerillo introduced two tiny homes for the plastic waterfowl as part of a mission to simply bring joy to her neighborhood. 7 'This is kind of why I get up in the morning,' said Cerillo, a dog walker by trade. 'We're seeing kids walking down the sidewalk hunting, and it just makes my day. And I know it makes their day. It makes them so excited, they just want to find those ducks. It brings so many people together and it's about ducks.' Cerillo, 53, started placing the ducks around Chelsea and Inwood in late 2023 — affixing the colorful toys to random spots, such as posts and fences with magnets. She said over the years she's placed 'thousands upon thousands' and spent thousands of dollars of her own money on the idea. Though she originally started her waterfowl project for adults, the idea soon became a hit with kids, who spend after-school hours trying to find and collect them. So, late last year, she expanded the project by putting up metal 'duck libraries' on posts, where people can place the ducks they find elsewhere in centralized collections. 'When the library came, it gave me the opportunity to see these kids rush to this library and then I saw them all happy,' she said. 7 That idea supercharged her project as it soon went viral on social media and was profiled by Gothamist. 'When school gets out, it gets mobbed,' Cerillo said, referring to the Inwood Duck Library. 'There's a group of kids around, everyone's going in. I've even been there trying to put ducks in and they're pushing me!' Technically, the idea is to leave-a-duck-take-a-duck, but, unsurprisingly, thousands have been nabbed from the libraries. 7 Cerillo has lost count of just how many teensy ducks she's hidden throughout Manhattan, but estimates she goes through 500 per day. The Manhattanite shells out roughly $1,500 on Amazon every month to keep up with the cost of the project, but says it's well worth the price to put smiles on the faces of her neighbors. Beatrice, 11, and Mille Knittel, 9, of Inwood, joined the duck hunt in November after finding the toys littered throughout their neighborhood — and a duck trade erupted at school between other kids who were going on their own 'duck walks' with their families. At the time, the 'duck lady' was a celebrity but was shrouded in mystery. The sisters set out on a mission to find out who she was, and ultimately struck up a friendship with Cerillo. 7 7 'It was like meeting Beyonce!' said Millie. The sisters wrote a card for Cerillo thanking her for the project, signed by the kids in their classes. Cerillo expressed her gratitude by turning the girls into 'duck ambassadors' and tasking them with her job for six days when she went away on vacation. 'It was really fun. We went out really early and put that out in different places like she does, like Payson and Broadway,' explained Beatrice. Little Alex Felder, 8, of the West Village, estimates he's collected about '1,000-something' of the plastic toys over the last year on weekly walks he enjoys with his dad, James. 7 He keeps his collection on top of the family's flat radiator, which he has dubbed 'Duck State.' It's grown so large that they've taken to buying their own ducks so they can replace some of the ones they find, estimating they've put about 400 into the libraries over the last few months. 'It's all fun,' the third grader said simply. But for dad, it's a cherished time to connect with his son, telling The Post: 'The cool thing is it's really about walking around with him, a reason to walk and talk with him. It's a blessing. Over the course of a couple months, we've gotten to know every little weird landmark in Chelsea.' 7 The project is infectious, with Cerillo saying other artists are looking to install their own Duck Libraries outside of the Big Apple — including one in Idaho and another in Edinburgh, Scotland. One of Cerillo's Duck Libraries is also being featured in the Coffeeright Gallery in the Chelsea Market this month. The Duck Venture has become such an important part of Cerillo's life that last week she even got inked with an image of the plastic, yellow creature that matches stickers that cover her libraries. 'My goal is to grow this. Big things are going to happen. I'm going to make big things happen,' Cerillo said. 'Who doesn't like ducks?'
