Home Sauna Or Hot Tub – Enjoy Health and Relaxation

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Unwinding in a hot tub is an excellent way to relieve tension and recover that calm feeling we value so highly. Hot tubs are also good for improving circulation, lessening aching muscles and joints, dropping blood sugar levels for diabetics and helping with weight loss. Those with tendinitis, bursitis carpal tunnel syndrome and cerebral palsy can also benefit from using a hot tub. If you choose to go this course, consider these factors:

1. The quantity of people who will make use of the hot tub

2. The time of year when the hot tub will be in use

3. Whether you have a good location for it

4. If that site will require waterproofing or additional preparation

5. How much money you plan to spend on it

6. If you should include options such as padded seats or extra jets

You may decide that you would like to situate your hot tub outside, where you can take pleasure in the beauties of nature at any time of day. If you intend on using it throughout the year, you can purchase a tub with added insulation to reduce your electricity bills notably, and you will want a quality cover for your hot tub if you reside in an area of the country that experiences extreme cold and significant snowfalls in the winter. If security or privacy is a concern, you will want to place your hot tub indoors, and buying a movable hot tub will permit you to exercise both options.

Two distinct types of saunas afford the healing features that people are after – the far-infrared sauna and the customary Finnish sauna. Both cleanse the body from its perspiration, leave the skin recharged and re-toned, and have many other health benefits as well. Your task is to choose the one that best suits your particular needs and circumstances.

The far-infrared sauna naturally puts out heat waves (similar to those we receive daily from the sun) that warm objects without warming the atmosphere. This type of sauna also provides the benefits we expect without any threat of radiation exposure or burning, and is much more energy efficient.

The Finnish sauna is obtainable for home use with heaters. The vapor it generates uniformly distributes the heat, which can reach 100 degrees Celsius. If you don’t care for the steam and extreme heat the Finnish sauna provides or cannot afford to build a sauna room in your home, a portable infrared sauna can answer your problem, even if you live in an apartment.

The lower temperature in the infrared sauna helps those with a range of chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia and certain types of cancer with deep penetration of the skin. The straight heat from the sauna loosens fat cells and toxins, and breathing is not troubled by high temperatures

Whatever you decide, you will want to check out the supplies and accessories that are available to keep your sauna or hot tub functioning correctly.

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Source by Anita Koppens

You Can Make Your Own Affordable Residential Solar Power

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Solar panels are the largest expense of any solar power system and finding affordable solar panels can be a challenge. Because of this many homeowners have taken to building their own solar panels from scratch and have saved a lot of money in the process.

There are a few ways to build a very affordable solar panel yourself and the method you choose depends on the time you have to devote to the project and your budget.

The easiest way to build an affordable solar panel yourself is to use one of the many kits available on the web that include a detailed assembly manual and all the parts you’ll need to complete the project. This is the quickest way to assemble a working residential solar energy system and have the assurance that it will work when it’s completed.

These kits are available from a variety of places and come in a few different power outputs so you can be sure to find one that fits your needs.

If you plan on building your own solar panels you can save even more money.

You can choose to make one panel or many panels at time depending on your budget. To save even more money consider making more than one panel. You will be able to buy some items in bulk or larger sizes to be able to produce more panels and save even more money.

Another advantage of building your own solar panels is that many of the parts such as paint, fasteners, silicone caulk can be found locally for very little money.

You can also purchase PV cells, tabbing wire, bus wire, insulated wire, diodes, and other wiring connectors in bulk cheaper than one piece at a time. eBay is a great resource for finding the equipment that you need.

Other items like plywood and Plexiglas can be purchased in larger sizes you can cut them down to the finished size of your panels to produce more than one panel from them.

When building your own solar energy system you can purchase things like inverters and charge controllers to the size of your current system and upgrade latter to bigger devices as your system grows and sell your smaller ones on eBay to recover some of your money.

There are manuals on the web that include detailed instructions and many include video how to segments so you can see exactly how to make your solar panel.

They also will include a lot of extras such as:

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Solar Power (PV) Introduction

Instructional Videos

Electrical Wiring Plans

Installation and Mounting Guides

Home Energy Guides

Solar Panel Array Sizing Guides

Guide to Solar Power Tax Credits and Rebates

Material and Equipment Source Guide

A help Forum or Help Desk

Some will even offer bonus guides such as how to make a solar water heater or a wind generator. They may also offer updates on green living, how to perform an energy audit or a weekly or monthly call in or webinar to discuss the current DIY energy savings trends and technologies.

I can tell you this becomes very valuable as you plan your way to energy independence from the big energy conglomerates that control the cost of power for our homes.

Soon you will be able to be free of the price increases demanded every year and the additional taxes the various levels of government levy on our power usage from the utility company.

Don’t let the current window of affordable solar power and other alternative or renewable sources of energy pass you by. Soon government may not be so generous with the tax rebates and renewable energy grants as more people take advantage of them.

Already some States are considering additional taxes on residential energy systems to offset the loss of revenue from the taxes on your current grid supplier.

We are already heading toward a new generation of electric hybrid vehicles that will allow you to plug your car into the electric at home to recharge it. I know I want to recharge mine from solar or wind power instead of the utility company.

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Source by Stephen Michael

Homemade Solar Energy – Step Into The Green

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If you want to take full advantage of homemade solar energy, it’s a rather easy task to turn the sun’s energy into a benefit for your household. The plastic black hoses that twist in the day’s heat will warm the water inside to a temperature that’s right for a shower or warm pool.

The Many DIY Solar Energy Options (At Your Disposal)

Grilling – Line a box with aluminum foil, as it will create an effective but slow grill/broiler for a barbecue as well. Not a huge technological skill but surprise your neighbors with this homemade solar energy option.

Heated Water – Another way to use homemade solar energy is just as simple as making a barbecue grill. What you’ll need to do is have homemade solar panels constructed from a radiator set (make sure that it is painted black) and then set in a box facing directly toward the sun at a 30 degrees angle.

Be sure you have copper tubs attached to the back end of the radiator so that water can trickle through them. With the assistance of a small pump, the water (once warmed) can be dumped into the well-insulated storage tank for you to use inside your home. With the water in the tank, you can still take hot showers, use hot water for dishes or any other purposes you need hot water for even if the sun has been low for a couple of days.

Evacuated Tube Collection System – A third effective homemade solar energy form is to use an evacuated tube collection system, which is very easy for do-it-yourselfers. When you look at this, you’ll notice it resembles the flat plate collector. However, it’s got a vacuum tube with a heat conductor that can efficiently trap the energy of the sun, regardless of how much it is. Water that’s moved in this system is similar to what you see in the heat exchange system. Keep in mind that this system is a bit more costly than other methods but it does store the energy and release it more effectively.

Photovoltaic Cells – If you want the best of homemade solar energy, you’ll find it in the form of photovoltaic cells. Why is it considered the best to generate electrical power? It is a very eco-friendly method to power your devices.

Possible Home Modifications: How Big Of A System Do You Need

If you’ve got a small bit of technical experience, your simple system will give you a substantial amount of energy for the majority of the year. However, if you purchase bigger cells and link them together, your needs are likely to be met without any issues whatsoever.

The look of your home as well as its structure will need little modification to it to accommodate your homemade solar energy system.

Although the roof is the most obvious place to put your homemade solar panels, there’s no need to strengthen it. The two things you need to keep in mind, however, when putting your panels up there is: that’s to have a clear area with lots of sun and no tree branches overhanging.

Many people are proud to show off their homemade solar panels and have gone so far as to incorporate them in sculptures in the garden; evidence that they have a real desire to be eco-friendly to the environment.

What Was Previously Seen With Homemade Solar Energy Systems

There is a stark difference between the solar energy systems of the yester-years and the ones seen in today’s market. Whether it’s a homemade solar energy or a purchased kit set, these systems are no longer costly but rather convenient options to saving money on utility bills.

The systems were, at one time, quite undependable and would only work when the sunlight was at a strong strength. They were pretty useless in the winter. However, today’s homemade solar energy systems are available practically all year long and costs approximately 50 percent less.

Think back to what solar was used to do thousands of years ago: dry meat and grains to use when they were out of season. No doubt, solar energy has come a long way in the form of homemade solar energy.

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Source by Jeremy McAllister

Karaoke 101 – Everything You Need to Know About Karaoke

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Karaoke mania is sweeping the world! Have you taken your trip up to the stage yet to belt out your favorite song to those you know and love? If not, you might just find yourself on the singing end of your nearest karaoke system very soon! So what is this karaoke, anyway? What’s the buzz about the newest karaoke player? What do you need to know to be “in the know” about this latest craze? Here are some facts, figures, karaoke lingo, and trivia you may want to know.

Karaoke is a Japanese word, made up of abbreviations of two other Japanese words. “Kara” comes from the word “karappo”, meaning empty. “Oke” comes from the word “okesutura”, meaning orchestra. So “Karaoke” literally means empty orchestra. Karaoke players play the music of the songs, without the lead vocals. So empty orchestra means you get the music without the voices.

The first karaoke system was invented in the 1970’s in Kobe, Japan, by Daisuk Inoue, a musician. He leased his karaoke player for 100 yen, and Karaoke soon became the fun thing to do.

Unfortunately, he did not get a patent for his invention, and someone else went on to patent it under a different name, “Minus-One”. As you see, his Minus-One system didn’t catch on near as well as the catchy “Karaoke”, so Daisuk still got his claim to fame. Word of Daisuk’s new machine spread, and from Japan it has now become wildly popular all across Asia, Europe, and the USA.

Perhaps karaoke players are most popular of all in Finland. Finland holds several world Karaoke records. They have more karaoke bars per capita than any other place in the world. They hold the world record for the largest amount of people singing the same karaoke song at one time: 80,000 people! What song were they singing? Hard Rock Hallelujah! Finland also holds the world record for the longest round of non-stop Karaoke singing: 240 hours!

Imagine that! Now you can use your karaoke system to come up with new world records!

Karaoke Lingo:

What’s a new craze without it’s own specialized vocabulary to go with it? Here are some karaoke words to know:

Karaoke Player – this is the karaoke machine itself. It plays karaoke songs, or music without the words. The lyrics are shown on a monitor so people can still sing the song even if they don’t know the words.

Spinning Karaoke – this is cycling on stationary bicycles while singing karaoke. What a workout!

KJ – this is the Karaoke DJ. He runs the karaoke system, and gets everyone involved. He adjusts the karaoke player to alter the key or the pitch to better match the voice range of the singer, and adds some echo, so that everyone sounds more professional.

Kamikaze Karaoke – In Kamikaze Karaoke, the KJ will choose a pitch number for you, and you have to try to sing the song in that pitch.

Hitokara – means you must sing the song alone.

Karamovie – movie video clips where they leave out the voices

Health Benefits of Karaoke:

And here is great news – karaoke singing releases endorphins! Those are the “happy hormones” that make us feel good!

In addition, karaoke singing releases stress and tension, and helps exercise the lungs. So the next time you want to head off to your local karaoke bar, you can feel good about it!

Newest Types of Karaoke Player:

Now you can get Karaoke Ipods, Karaoke Cell Phones, and DVD Player/Karaoke System combos. China has a Karaoke car. Japan, and now spreading to other countries, has Karaoke Boxes – karaoke system/sound-insulated rooms.

Latest Karaoke News:

Jackie Chan will sing the opening song for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics – KARAOKE STYLE!

Go figure. Maybe there’s something to this karaoke after all. You should try it!

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Source by Christine Durham

Pollution: Checking the Damages Caused to the Respiratory System

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THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DAMAGE

The long-term effects of air pollution include serious diseases like cancer. The highly polluted city air slowly metamorphoses our healthy and pink colored lung tissues into darkened particles of smog, dust, and other pollutants, making the lungs more vulnerable to infection. The highly sensitive respiratory system can be damaged in a number of ways.

Environmental pollution: One of the potent dangers is the environmental pollution. The environment smog contains many chemicals. Many of these chemicals are exhausted by the vehicles and the industries. What is more, several household cleaning products also emit such poisonous gases.

Cigarette smoke: This is yet another dangerous emission. The passive smokers are the hardest hit. Burning fags pose a serious threat to our respiratory system. Tobacco smoke contains over 40 chemicals including the dangerous tar. Most of them are known causes of cancer. Approximately 90 per cent of lung cancer cases among men, and more than 70 per cent among women have been traced to smoking.

Besides tar several other chemicals enter our lungs from a burning cigarette. The tar from a single cigarette temporarily immobilizes the cilia of the upper and lower tracts of the respiratory route. The tar also temporarily paralyses the macrophages in the lung alveoli. When the cleansing and filtering functions are made inactive, the lungs and the air passages are laid bare to the different particles, viruses and bacteria that are airborne besides of course the tar.

These substances settle down in the lungs’ mucous layers. It takes almost an hour for the paralyzed cilia to recover. But repeated paralyzing from the heated tar eventually kills them. Mucus builds up as a result of repeated smoking. The accumulated mucus blocks the smaller air passages. The obstruction triggers the “smoker’s cough”. This familiar reflex cough is the distressed lung’s effort to clear the air routes.

Indoor air pollution: This is one of the most dangerous but often disregarded dangers. The offices and homes are mostly bases of indoor air pollution. Many cleaning compounds besides furniture and synthetic carpets, certain construction materials, and even air fresheners emit hazardous gases. These remain highly concentrated in unventilated or AC rooms. The most vulnerable sections of people exposed to these respiratory dangers are children, elderly people and those having a history of respiratory illnesses. These people generally spend most of their time within the four walls. The indoor air pollutants not only weaken our lungs but also invite infections.

Occupational risks: Many professionals are daily exposed to impurities released by their activities. These workers run a high risk of suffering from respiratory diseases. Mention may be made of people picking cotton, those working in work in farms or shipyards, mechanics installing brake insulation or lining. Other people who suffer from such risks are miners, construction workers, quarry workers, stone cutters, and sandblasters among others.

GOVERNMENT & NGO MONITORING OF POLLUTION

All the governments have their independent agencies to monitor the pollution levels. There are also non-governmental agencies (NGOs) that carry out this activity. The OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in USA, for instance, issues regulations for protection of workers. It has made mandatory the wearing of air masks with filters for certain jobs. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) monitors and also regulates the pollutants released into the air by different organizations and industries. In spite of such efforts, across the world, various types of respiratory illnesses have registered a rise.

DISORDERS & DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Any portion of the respiratory tract can be affected by the disorders and diseases of the respiratory system. Though the common ailments of the respiratory system are trivial, yet at times they can be life threatening as well.

Common cold, running nose & stuffy nose: Viruses cause colds by targeting the pharynx and the nasal passages. First, the viruses infiltrate the body through the respiratory system. Then, they target the cells in the nasal passage membranes. But before they can destroy the cells, the body’s immune system fights back. The immune system increases the flow of blood to the area. Such reinforcement of white blood cells leads to swelling of the membranes. This causes the stuffy nose. Increase in mucous secretions to neutralize the viral attack leads to the runny nose. Mentionably, the infection can affect the sinuses — membrane-lined cavities located within the head, besides the middle ear and the lower respiratory tract.

Hay fever & asthma: These are allergic reactions of the respiratory system. These conditions are caused when the immune system is irritated by irritants like dust or pollen. The symptoms of hay fever are sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose. It is a seasonal reaction when there is abundance of pollens in the air. Asthma attacks are generally mild. But, they can be life threatening too. A person suffering from asthma experiences difficulty in breathing. It occurs as the bronchi and bronchioles get inflamed and remain constricted temporarily.

Laryngitis: Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. Laryngitis is caused by various factors. They can be diverse like voice overuse, cigarette smoke or viral infection. Laryngitis leaves different effects on the voice. Till the inflammation subsides, it can either get hoarse, or get reduced to a whisper.

Bronchitis: Bronchitis refers to membrane inflammation. The membranes lining the bronchioles or the bronchi get inflamed. Bronchitis occurs due to bacterial or viral infection. Bronchitis can also happen from irritating chemicals.

Pneumonia: This infection of the alveoli is caused by viruses or bacteria. Pneumonia is a potentially serious state of the lungs. In pneumonia the alveoli gets inflamed after fluid builds up. This gathering of fluid and the consequent inflammation impedes the flow of carbon dioxide and oxygen between the alveoli and capillaries.

Tuberculosis: Also known as TB, it is caused by the tuberculosis bacterium. The lungs are primarily attacked in TB. At times, other body tissues also get affected. Unaddressed, the lung infection can even destroy the lung tissues. Earlier, tuberculosis was controlled by antibiotics. However, the bacterium has evolved an antibiotic-resistant strain posing a grave health problem.

Emphysema: This non-contagious disease affects alveolar tissue gets partially destroyed. The remaining alveoli gets enlarged and weakened. During exhalation, the bronchioles collapse. As a result, air remains trapped inside the alveoli. In the long run, emphysema affects the patient’s ability for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. The circulatory system also fails to function. This causes breathing problems. Emphysema can occur due to genetic factors besides infection, smoke, smog, and cigarette.

Lung cancer: The main cancer causing agents are uranium, asbestos, and tobacco smoke. Genetic reasons can also cause cancer. The respiratory cancerous tumors are formed in the lung tissue (alveolar), the bronchioles or the bronchi. Early detection of such tumors can halt their progression to other parts of the body. Then the treatments are more effective, and the prognosis for recovery is rather good. Unfortunately, 85 per cent of the lung cancers are diagnosed at a later stage when the tumors have already spread. In such extreme cases, the prognosis is poor.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome: It is also called RDS. The dysfunction refers to a cluster of symptoms. All point to severe malfunctioning of lungs.

IRDS: Premature infants may suffer from Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS). IRDS happens when the alveoli fail to fully expand during inhalation. Alveoli expansion needs a chemical called surfactant. However, among the premature infants, the undeveloped alveoli fail to produce enough surfactant. The common treatment for IRDS is administration of air and surfactant through a breathing tube. This administration enables the alveoli to produce surfactant.

ARDS: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) occurs when the lungs get severely injured. Many automobile accidents, poisonous gases, or lung inflammation can cause such a dysfunction. ARDS patients generally have to battle for life with 50 per cent survival rate.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR RESPIRATORY DISEASES

Many traditional and alternative health systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy have various means of treating the different types of respiratory disorders. Yoga has simple breathing exercises called ‘Pranayam’ that have proven track records. The other alternative health systems like Ayurveda, Unani and homoeopathy also have viable strategies to effectively treat the respiratory ailments.

However, prior to taking recourse to any of them, one should consult experts of those systems. Obviously some of the obnoxious habits like smoking and taking of alcohol must be given up to get the optimum results. This holds true for any treatment.

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Source by Nilutpal Gogoi

Who in the World is Clinton Ober?

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Clinton Ober was born on the 14th of July in 1944. He spent his learning years growing up and becoming familiar with nature while living in the state of Montana. His initial training in nature consisted of learning many of the ways of the Native Americans who resided nearby. His surrounding community consisted mostly of ranchers and farmers from whom he discovered his deep respect for the land he walked upon.

What really sets Clinton apart from most other people is that Mr. Ober made a life shacking discovery. During a period of his life when he was ill and almost died he found himself spending a considerable amount of time in the hospital. One day when he woke up he realized that the blues in the sky and the greens in the grass were more vivid and clearer then he had ever noticed previously. He had a great desire to do something constructive that would benefit mankind and so he quickly parted with all his material possessions and ventured forth to take on a new life. As he sat thinking, he wondered what he would now do with his life and to his amazement he come up with a short quote, “become an opposite charge”.

This quote stuck clearly in his mind as he progressed about on his daily tasks. Perhaps his subconscious was trying to send him some sort of message telling him what he should now make his top priority. As he studied the issue further he devised an understanding that even as a human we have a particular bio-electrical relationship with our surrounding earth. This concept was similar to that found in electrical theory. He comes to the conclusion that by way of a ground connection the human body could be neutralized of any charge resulting in a more positive nervous system.

Since we are currently residing in an electrical predominant world we have come to lose contact with our natural grounding effect which leaves us extremely vulnerable to any sort of outside electrical interference. Clinton concluded that this affects the way our cells behave and the transfer of vital information concerning our wellbeing.

Over a period of several years Clinton spent a considerable amount of time digging deeper into the mysteries of charges, grounding and its effects on the human body. This was virgin territory and the engineers and scientist as well as those in the medical profession that he consulted were essentially useless in providing data for Clintons work. Finally he compiled a paper on EMF and its complicated issues concerning the body. Mr. Ober noticed that effects that occur to humans when they were subjected to specific amounts of EMF simply could not be reproduced in animal tests. What was different here he wondered.

Aha, the answer lied in shoes. Animals wear no shoes but humans wear then for many hours each and every day. In addition the animals did not sleep in beds that were insulated from the ground. Without shoes and sleeping on the ground the animals were effectively discharging excess static buildup.

It was discovered that when humans were grounded as they slept healing of the body took a rapid positive leap. With his new found knowledge Clinton designed a method where humans could be grounded while sleeping in their bed. The result of this research was that 85 percent of the test subjects fell asleep quicker when they were grounded and 93 percent admitted they slept better. There was a marked feeling of restfulness upon awakening, less muscle stiffness and a drastic reduction in back related problems.

Just as everyone was preparing to call Mr. Ober a quack his research was confirmed by a Dr Russell Whitten who confirmed the results by grounding 35 of his patients. Without doubt the human body needed to have a period of grounding in order to lead a non-stressful lifestyle. Grounding the body can have a significant effect upon the bodies’ health. In addition, going barefooted whenever it is possible provides somewhat of the same result. So now you know the significant work performed by Mr. Clinton Ober. Try your own experiments and see what you come up with.

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Source by Joseph Parish

Start Your Home Design Using These Home Design Tools

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You’ve decided you want to build a new home. Where do you start? First, we suggest you purchase your land, as this will surely impact the design of your home. Second, start putting your ideas together before visiting your architect.

Start with a vision of your new home. Is there a certain architectural style you prefer? Colonial? Cape? Saltbox? Farmhouse? From there, start with the basics in home design. How many bedrooms will you need? Do you want a Master Bedroom with or without a Master Bathroom suite? Will it be located on the first or second floor? If this is a vacation home which will become your retirement home, you may prefer to have the main rooms located on the first floor for easy access in later years. Do you want a large, eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room?

Are you planning to entertain small or large groups of people in your home? Is a cathedral Great Room on your list of priorities? Will you need a living room or media room separate from your Great Room? Do you have a specific hobby or interest that requires a separate room or area?

Compare all of these areas with your current home. Does the space you have now fit your needs? Write down the measurements of your space and then mark whether or not the space is adequate. Wherever possible, look for areas to reduce the living space. For instance, if you have a large laundry room now and you only really use half of the space, mark it as a potential space saver. Anytime you reduce the square footage of your new home you will save money in initial material costs, but in energy costs over the life of the home as well.

A home fulfills many purposes, but it can also satisfy numerous personal, aesthetic, and emotional requirements that can be difficult to describe in words. In starting to imagine your home design, it will help your architect if you identify and communicate how you want each space to feel. How?

You may find it a challenge to explain how you want a room to feel. Start by doing some simple exercises. Pick up a home magazine or imagine a home you are familiar with. Find a room you like. What do you like about it? The way the afternoon sunlight casts shadows within the room? The room’s intimacy or its abundant space?

Think about other spaces you enjoy – the park, the library, your friend’s home. How does the space make you feel? What creates that feeling? Be specific, and write down what you like about it. For instance, you might write, “I like how the room’s color tones change as the sun sets” or “I love how the outdoors is brought inside”. These small realizations will help the home design to evolve from a floor plan to a custom home that is an extension of your life philosophy.

Do this for each room in your home design. It is also helpful to describe what you don’t like about certain floor plans, rooms, or space. For instance, if you are not fond of having to walk through your closet to enter your Master Bedroom, document this. Perhaps you like the great room in a magazine photo but you don’t like the television being the center of attention. Or, you may like the space but find it lacks the intimacy you’re looking for in your home – a cozy corner where you can chat with another couple, a well-lit reading area, or a secluded spot for your cell phone chargers, mail and telephone. Keep all of your notes together. Cut out full pages or small photos that describe your likes and dislikes. As you go through this process, you can update your thoughts with text and photos. Eventually, you will come to a good understanding of what you want your custom home to look and feel like. Bring your notebook to your first meeting with your architect. Starting with your vision in hand will expedite the design process while guaranteeing success.

Your custom home architect will spend time with you to guide you through this process and will translate your ideas into a preliminary design for your consideration and review. The result will be much more than a home with a standard floor plan – you will have a custom home design that matches your philosophy and lifestyle, a reflection of who you are, your dreams and aspirations.

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Source by Jeremy Bonin

How to Pass the ICC (S1) Bolting Code Examination

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Passing any type of exam, easy or complicated, depends a lot upon your preparation. The cliché in sales is most applicable to exam taking where it says: “If you work it hard, it will be easy. If you take it easy, it will be hard.” After all, whatever questions the exam has, they are things that you are supposed to have already studied and learned. Needless to say, you have to be amply prepared in order to pass the ICC (S1) Bolting Code Exam.

Though the ICC does not require the examinee to have previous experience in order to take the exam, it is still good to have at least some experience to be able to understand what is discussed in your review materials. You can understand the code requirements better if you have actual experience doing the job. It is your practical support for the theory that is being discussed. What is being impressed here is that you have a better chance of passing the ICC (S1) Bolting Code exam if you have actual experience before taking it.

One good thing about this exam is that it is an open book exam most of the way. Therefore if you are very familiar with the required codes used in the ICC (S1) Bolting Exam then you know where to start looking for them. In this regard you need to get hold and study the correct materials referring to these bolting codes and standards. This will assist you in knowing the correct required codes and literatures to study and review to help you answer the questions during the exam.

In studying for the exam, devote more time to topics that have greater weighted average. For instance, High-Strength Bolting has 44% of the total score, and Steel Framing Observation is weighted at 27%. The rest of the topics, General Requirements and Material Sampling, Testing and Verification combined are only 26% of the total score. In other words, you have to prioritize your study and review time according to the importance of the subject.

On the examination day itself, it will be good if you will be there on the examination site at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start. You must have steady your nerves before the exam starts and rushing to get there will only disrupt your normal blood flow which your brain cells will surely need. Important instructions are given before the exam, such as the tutorial instructions before taking a computer-based exam. You really need these instructions in order that your answers will be right on track.

Another way to increase your chances of passing this exam is to sign-up for the ICC (S1) Bolting Exam course. This teaches and mentors the examinee about this particular examination. You will need this especially if you are new to the industry and/or it’s been a long time since you took your last exam. This course is good in refreshing your memory and testing you against mock exams. Taking practice exams will also help you control your nerves, a necessary skill in passing exams. Plus taking this course will have you prepared so that you can have a feel of what’s going to happen on exam day.

Best of luck on the exam.

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Source by Rodger Little

Dry Penis Skin: Connected to Liver Health?

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Some doctors believe that the penis is a barometer of a man’s overall health and that issues that affect the penis – such as chronically dry penis skin – should be looked at to see if they indicate any larger problems. With this in mind, is it possible that something like dry penis skin could give a clue as to how healthy another body part is – such as perhaps the liver? It’s interesting to think, and important to note, that paying attention to penis health could have benefits beyond the pleasure one derives from the penis at play.

Why should there be a connection between the state of one’s penis skin and the state of one’s liver? It’s hard to imagine that these two organs – one internal, one external, with functions that are so different from one another – could be connected in some way. Yet there is a basis for this.

What does the liver do?

Everyone knows the liver is vitally important, yet most people don’t know what it does. In fact, the liver plays a huge role in the metabolic processes that keep the body functioning at a healthy level.

Among its most important functions are taking the nutrients that one gets from food and drink and converting them into substances that are in the right form for the body to make efficient use of. It then stores these substances until there is a need for them, at which time it sends them on their way to the cells in need.

Another crucial role it plays: taking toxins – substances that are not useful to and are potentially harmful to the body – and either de-toxifying them (so they are basically harmless) or making sure they get sent out of the body.

Poor liver function

If the liver doesn’t function properly, it means the body doesn’t get the good substances it needs and/or it gets bad substances (toxins) that can harm it. The body then needs to find another way to rid itself of the toxins that the liver isn’t handling. And often it does that by secreting the toxins through the skin.

And that’s where dry skin comes in. Often when the body is called upon to get rid of these toxins through sweat, the toxins then create a skin reaction. Dermatitis, eczema, wrinkling, acne and red, itchy rashes are just a few of the ways that inappropriate toxin release manifests.

Penis sweating

Many men can testify that sweating is common around the penis. There’s a reason for this. The penis and testicles tend to be among the warmest parts of the body. Part of this is biological. The thick mane of hair surrounding the penis creates natural insulation. In addition, the penis skin is very thin, in order to allow proper growth during the erect phase, and the rate of blood flow is high in the penis. These also contribute to the generation of heat.

Location adds to the sweatiness. The fact that the organ is nestled between the thighs and usually hidden between two layers of clothes creates extra heat. All of this means that the penis tends to create a great deal of sweat – and therefore to release toxins if the liver is not functioning at its full capacity.

Does that mean that a man with dry penis skin automatically has a liver issue? Absolutely not – but if it is chronic, he may want to bring his concerns to the attention of his physician, in order to determine if there is any connection in his particular case.

Most often there is not a connection with a serious liver condition – but that still leaves a man with a dry penis to deal with. Fortunately, using a first-rate penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) can help. A crème that includes both a high-end emollient (like Shea butter) and a natural hydrator (such as vitamin E) offers double-barreled moisturizing that can soothe and repair dry, damaged skin. Add extra protection by selecting a crème with a potent antioxidant, such as alpha lipoic acid, which offsets harmful oxidative processes and smooths wrinkled appearances. Paying attention to penis health has multiple benefits for a man, including better look and feel.

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Source by John Dugan

Camping Recipes – 3 Tips on "Food Safety" to Use on Your Next Camping Trip

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It is extremely important to use good “Food Safety” when camping.  Use the following “Food Safety” so you and your fellow campers can have an enjoyable camping trip.

1. Plan Your Meals and Method of Cooking – Before you go on your camping trip plan the meals you would like to have and when. This will help you prepare the food for your trip. For instance, if you are planning on having steaks on your third night of camping, make sure the steaks are completely frozen before taking them in your cooler. You will also want to consider what method you will use to cook your meals. Remember, at time, the forest may be closed to campfires and charcoal grills so you will need to bring a propane stove or grill for cooking.

 

2. Keep Everything Clean – Remember to wash your hands before and after handling foods, especially raw meats. Also, make sure all cooking utensils and pans are clean prior to use. When packing your cooler, double wrap your raw meats to contain their juices and keeping your other foods safe.

 

3. Keep Hot Foods Hot, Cold Foods Cold – It is important to keep all your food that should be refrigerated cold. It is recommended to have two coolers, one for drinks and one for all your food. This will eliminate opening the food cooler too frequently and melting the ice more quickly. Also, keep your coolers in the shade and place an old blanket around them for further insulation. Remember to serve hot foods promptly, and store leftovers in an ice filled cooler.

 

So, as you can see, if you practice these “Food Safety” tips your next camping trip will be both SAFE and enjoyable.

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Source by Rhonda Percell