Home Improvement? Yes, Succeed You Can! | Marijuana for MRSA

Design a renovation with an eye to creating built-in storage. For example, a broom closet can be reborn into a small pantry, or you can add floor-level shelving to a coat closest for shoes and bags. If you are renovating to sell a home, the benefit of the added storage can be the deciding factor in a buyer?s decision.

When it comes to home improvement, the lowest bidder for your project will not always translate to be the one who does the best work. Many times, a quote that is too good to be true is just that, due to poor work quality or hidden costs. Be sure to check with any agencies that provide feedback about contractors before hiring them.

Kitchen cabinets can be extremely heavy. Make them lighter by removing the doors and drawers from all of your new cabinets before installing them. The lighter cabinets will be easier to maneuver and there will be nothing to get in your way as you screw the cabinets to the wall.

For a temporary and inexpensive way to childproof the edges of fireplaces, tables, and other objects, try using foam pipe insulation sleeves, which are pre-slit sleeves of cushy styrofoam. You can cover the sleeves with tablecloths or throws to disguise the do-it-yourself bumpers until your child no longer needs them.

Interior paint finishes come in a number of textures. For ordinary homeowners there is no reason to select a texture rougher than ?eggshell? or ?orange peel.? In years gone by much rougher textures (like ?popcorn?) were used for walls and ceilings in order to provide visual interest and dampen sound. These textures proved easy to damage and hard to clean, and so fell out of common use.

To repair a larger hole in your walls, use sheet rock. First make the hole into an uniform square or rectangle by cutting away a measured area. Doing this will make the hole bigger, but will allow you to get exact dimensions for repair. Then cut a piece of sheet rock that is the same size as the square or rectangle you just cut from the wall. Place the newly cut piece of sheet rock in the hole and secure in place with drywall nails. Then apply joint compound to the seams. Cover the seams with joint tape, then apply another layer of joint compound and smooth it out. When dry, paint over it with any color.

Never agree to a discount from a contractor for not bothering with paperwork. Without a contract you are completely out of luck if the contractor doesn?t fulfill his obligations and do the work to the quality that you expected.

When you are designing your kitchen, think hard about whether you want an open or closed kitchen floor plan. If you like to be able to talk with your family, watch television and generally know what?s going on in the rest of the house while cooking, you may want an open kitchen plan. However, if you would prefer for the kitchen clutter to stay hidden, you may prefer a kitchen with a door that can be closed.

If you are lucky enough to have a deck on your home, then you probably do routine cleaning such as sweeping and general removal of outdoor debris. You should also do a deep cleaning of your deck surface at least once a year. Remove everything from your deck to give yourself plenty of room to work.

If you live in dry or fire-prone areas and are concerned about choosing the best fencing material for your home, consider red or white cedar fences. Cedar wood is well-loved for its durability and distinctive fragrance; it is also rated highly for safety in areas that are potentially threatened by wildfires.

Cover all surfaces appropriately before starting an improvement project. If you are tearing down walls or kitchen cupboards, cover any surfaces that have a finish that might get scratched, including floors and nearby walls. If you are painting, make sure to use a dropcloth on the floor and painter?s tape with paper coverings for features such as doorknobs and light switch face plates.

An extremely simple way to improve your home is to change out your air filters. Not only do allergens and dust creep into your air ducts when the filter is too clogged, but the efficiency of your system can be brought down by neglecting to change the filters. This is very important to do often if you have pets in the house.

If you are the proud owner of a home with a slate roof, a good thing to do is clean it regularly. Do what you can to keep it in good condition and it can last 75-200 years. It is not nicknamed ?the hundred year roof? for nothing.

Painting home improvement projects require dry days. This tip is critical for having success in painting your home. On wet and humid afternoons, paint dries more slowly on the walls, which means that you will be at your project longer. Only painting on the dry days will cut your time in between coats and speed up the project overall.

When doing a web search looking for a contractor to hire, do specific niche searches. Many contractors work in niche aspects of home improvement and can do an excellent job for you. These contractors have the experience and expertise that is required for many of the niche home improvement jobs.

It doesn?t matter if you?re trying to throw on some new wallpaper or pull up an old rug, your home improvements will not go as planned unless you?re properly prepared and knowledgeable about what you?re attempting to do. Be sure that you?re taking this information seriously and working to implement what you have read above.

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Source: http://cannabismrsacure.letstalkaboutpot.com/home-improvement-yes-succeed-you-can/

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Armstrong ban hits sport hard after signs of progress

LONDON, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Cycling has long been mired in

doping controversy but there had been signs that authorities

were winning their fight against drugs before Lance Armstrong's

fall from grace reopened all the old wounds.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency's decision on Friday

to strip Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and ban

him for life is a hammer blow to a sport which had often relied

on the exploits of the cancer survivor for good publicity.

Stemming the flow of a stream of tales about cheats at the

top, Armstrong's story of overcoming the biggest odds to become

the greatest rider the world has ever seen transcended cycling

and made the sport much more popular in the United States.

The suspicions were always there that the American, like so

many other cyclists of his era, had dabbled in doping as he won

every Tour from 1999 to 2005 but until Friday most fans hoped he

would end up clean.

Armstrong denies wrongdoing but has been sanctioned after

ending his fight against what he believes is an unfair

witch-hunt, one which has hurt cycling just as much as the man

himself just when the sport appeared to be shedding the drugs

tag.

"It just adds to the negative image of our sport," British

rider Chris Froome told reporters at the Tour of Spain.

Froome finished second behind compatriot Bradley Wiggins in

July's Tour de France, a race that for once gained headlines for

superb displays of racing and endurance rather than the scourge

of doping which had all too often marred the event.

Yes, twice winner Alberto Contador was missing because of a

doping ban and top rider Frank Schleck failed a test for a

banned diuretic on this year's Tour but the International

Cycling Union (UCI) hailed the event a huge success for its

anti-doping drive.

Just last week the UCI proudly stated there had been no

positive tests from the final batch of samples from the Tour but

now the organisation is trapped in an uncomfortable dilemma.

Either it accepts USADA's decision and the inevitable loss

of credibility for cycling or it fights the charges because it

believes the letter of the law has not been followed by USADA

given Armstrong has never failed a doping test.

"BONE IDLENESS"

USADA is relying on testimony from other riders and the UCI

wants the Court of Arbitration for Sport to have a final say on

Armstrong's guilt or innocence but going against an anti-doping

agency never looks good for a governing body, even if it has

long fought against drugs itself.

A rider cannot avoid the drug testers these days whatever he

does. As soon as they crossed the line on this year's Tour, UCI

"chaperones" were hovering ready to pounce and drag random names

off to a doping control.

Testers now often appear at ungodly hours of the morning to

surprise any would-be dopers.

Wiggins, Britain's first Tour champion and the London

Olympic time trial winner, was asked what he thought about

people who said only dopers could win the world's greatest stage

race.

"I can't be doing with people like that," he replied after a

few trademark expletives.

"It justifies their own bone idleness because they can't

ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives."

Cycling has begun to change, riders want to be recognised

for their veritable endeavour and doping could soon be confined

to only the desperate.

The sport has survived decades of previous bad press but as

long as the sport's greatest hero is officially branded a cheat,

cyclists will always risk being tarred with the same brush.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cycling-armstrong-ban-hits-sport-hard-signs-progress-124824162--spt.html

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Establish Your own Boat From Scratch - Boat Building Plans

DIY notion is a expanding trend for lengthy time and with the introduction with the world wide web factors obtained a whole lot a lot easier to search out resources and instruction in tips on how to create your personal boat from total scratch.

Below are 7 great causes why and the way you could develop your own personal boat from scratch:

one. Freedom. Any time you construct your individual boat from scratch you have all of the freedom in selecting the design, the materials, accessories and any other extras.

2. Save Cash.By setting up a homemade boat you can expect to save plenty of cash. Brand new boats fees a large number of dollars, even so with DIY you can conserve at the least 50 percent or a lot more!

three. Stay clear of Financial debt. Many people invest in a boat on credit score, however by cautiously choosing the setting up materials you may easily lessen or maybe avoid financial debt.

four. Good quality. With DIY you are able to guarantee quality! Just because you are free to select the best high quality plywood and extras. Plus you happen to be effectively familiar together with the boat making the servicing even less difficult.

5. Enjoyable. DIY is normally fun, irrespective of whether you do it oneself or with friends and family. It is a good way to learn new abilities and also a excellent entertainment and time killer.

6. Rest. Trust me having a boat is good way to relaxation, just picture oneself on a sunny and tranquil day on the sea with your friends and acquiring a get together within the middle with the ocean. Excellent entertaining.

seven. Pride of Ownership. Positioning a boat will make you proud, family and friends will see you being a element of an elite group of individuals who've mastered the art of boat constructing.

The majority of people are afraid of owning a boat simply just since it is as well high priced and if this can be you situation then allow me reassure you that boat developing is just not that hard. With only step by step DIY guidelines any one can make a boat from scratch, plus it's a good time killer.

What you require a DIY boat building plans that may guide you in every single stage in good specifics in how to create a boat. These ideas consist of a number of boat patterns plus directions in tips on how to nicely keep and how to fine tune your boat for improved extended phrase efficiency.

There any many online sources over the internet that should assist you to in the way to begin your new DIY project, plus there are actually a broad varieties of on-line shops and retail outlets of marine supplies.

Whether or not you decide on to develop a simple wooden boat or perhaps a large calibre cruiser, 1 issue is for sure that you simply can have many entertaining plus you are going to conserve many greens for your long term undertaking.

Learn all there is to know about what it takes to get the best DIY Boat Plans for Boat Building and start building the boat of your dreams.

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Financial Tools: Knowing When to Use a Pliers or a Wrench ...

In the course of helping families with their investment planning at Secured Retirement Advisors, the discussion often turns towards specific investment product trade-offs. In fact, as a financial advisor, that may very well be the greatest value that I offer: Helping families weigh the trade-offs of the many retirement investment tools offered. In other words, should we choose one product over another. Should we pay more tax today and do a Roth Conversion, or hold off only to potentially pay more tax on our retirement assets in the future? Knowing which financial tool is best suited to their retirement goals is very stressful for people because of the potentially significant impact on their savings, so the families we help are very relieved to have a trusted financial advisor to guide them through the maze of trade-off decisions.

I remember that when I was growing up, my grandfather had a garage with every tool you could possibly imagine. ?He had hundreds of tools, some quite specialized, some more common. My grandfather knew each tool?s specific meaning and purpose. No one tool was better than another but each was best suited for a specific task or purpose. Now, occasionally someone will use the wrong tool for the wrong job. When any tool is used incorrectly, the tool cannot be blamed. Using a pair of pliers to tighten a bolt would be a good example of using a tool for a purpose other than what it was designed for, achieving a less than optimal result. While many of us have probably tried this trick at one time or another, we?ve all found out that by using the pliers to tighten a bolt we ended up causing damage and stripping the bolt. ?The primary purpose of a pliers is not to be used as a wrench. Similarly, hammers have a different but no less important purpose then the pliers. A hammer can be used to build a house or destroy a house, but how that hammer is used is not the hammer?s fault. ?The effectiveness of the hammer depends on the person swinging that tool not the hammer itself.

Similarly, families are confused about the intended purpose of various financial products or tools. ?My belief is that, much like the tools in my grandfathers garage, no one tool is better than another and incorrect application of a financial tool does not make it a ?bad tool?. Yet many of us have been told this product is good, and that product is bad. ?The financial investment?industry is really good at trying to promote those specific products, or tools, that they offer in their inventory so it?s not surprising when a mutual fund company says that an insurance product is bad, or conversely, the insurance product companies say that investment products can be bad. ?There is no such thing as a ?bad? financial tool but you have to understand that every tool has its primary purpose. ?It?s no wonder that many consumers find themselves confused by all of the contradictory comments.

In my experience, all investment products fall into one of three primary purposes:

1. Capital preservation with the trade-off being growth potential.
2. Growth potential with the trade-off being investment safety.
3. Between preservation and pure growth potential, offering better returns with the trade-off being liquidity or level of access to the entire account balance for a longer period of time.

Understanding how each of these financial tools work together is imperative. Making sure that you?re working with a trusted financial advisor like those at Secured Retirement Advisors who understand the different tools and how they are best used is crucial. ?No one tool or category can be used 100% of the time. A retiree that comes into our office with 100% of their money in CDs is making a mistake just as a family nearing retirement that has 100% of their money in aggressive growth mutual funds is making a mistake. ?Most retirees? plans need a balance of both, and because families are often looking at safety and growth, it often makes sense to look at putting aside investments that could require more time.

All financial products have one of three primary trade-offs: safety, growth or liquidity. Understanding how the investment tools are used and how they fit together within your unique, personalized retirement plan is important. ?Working with a comprehensive advisor like those at Secured Retirement Advisors in St. Louis Park, will ensure that all the investment tools are considered. ?We start with the overall plan, not the product. This customized plan will tell us which financial tools are the right ones for you.

If you would like a complementary ?3 Step Review? of your own retirement plan, call Secured Retirement Advisors at 952-460-3260.

Source: http://securedretirements.com/financial-tools-knowing-when-to-use-a-pliers-or-a-wrench/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=financial-tools-knowing-when-to-use-a-pliers-or-a-wrench

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US general: We hacked the enemy in Afghanistan

The U.S. military has been launching cyberattacks against its opponents in Afghanistan, a senior officer says, making an unusually explicit acknowledgment of the oft-hidden world of electronic warfare.

Marine Lt. Gen. Richard P. Mills' comments came last week at a conference in Baltimore during which he explained how U.S. commanders considered cyber weapons an important part of their arsenal.

"I can tell you that as a commander in Afghanistan in the year 2010, I was able to use my cyber operations against my adversary with great impact," Mills said. "I was able to get inside his nets, infect his command-and-control, and in fact defend myself against his almost constant incursions to get inside my wire, to affect my operations."

Mills, now a deputy commandant with the Marine Corps, was in charge of international forces in southwestern Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011, according to his official biography. He didn't go into any further detail as to the nature or scope of his forces' attacks, but experts said that such a public admission that they were being carried out was itself striking.

"This is news," said James Lewis, a cyber-security analyst with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. He said that while it was generally known in defense circles that cyberattacks had been carried out by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, he had never seen a senior officer take credit for them in such a way.

"It's not secret," Lewis said in a telephone interview, but he added: "I haven't seen as explicit a statement on this as the one" Mills made.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Damien Pickart declined to elaborate on Mills' comments, saying in an email that "for reasons of security . we do not provide specific information regarding our intentions, plans, capabilities or operations."

The email said that the Pentagon's cyber operations were properly authorized and that they took place within the bounds of international law and the "confines of existing policy."

U.S. defense planners have spent the past few years debating that policy, asking how and under what circumstances the Pentagon would launch a cyberattack against its enemies, but it's only recently become apparent that a sophisticated program of U.S.-backed cyberattacks is already under way.

A book by The New York Times reporter David Sanger recently recounted how President Barack Obama ordered a wave of electronic incursions aimed at physically sabotaging Iran's disputed atomic energy program. Subsequent reports have linked the program to a virus dubbed Flame, which prompted a temporary Internet blackout across Iran's oil industry in April, and another virus called Gauss, which appeared to have been aimed at stealing information from customers of Lebanese banks. An earlier report alleged that U.S. forces in Iraq had hacked into a terrorist group's computer there to lure its members into an ambush.

Herbert Lin, a cyber expert at the National Research Council, agreed that Mills' comments were unusual in terms of the fact that they were made publicly. But Lin said that the United States was, little by little, opening up about the fact that its military was launching attacks across the Internet.

"The U.S. military is starting to talk more and more in terms of what it's doing and how it's doing it," he said. "A couple of years ago it was hard to get them to acknowledge that they were doing offense at all ? even as a matter of policy, let alone in specific theaters or specific operations."

Mills' brief comments about cyberattacks in Afghanistan were delivered to the TechNet Land Forces East conference in Baltimore on Aug. 15, but they did not appear to have attracted much attention at the time. Footage of the speech was only recently posted to the Internet by conference organizers.

___

Online:

Mills' speech: http://slidesha.re/RJHtXk

Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://raphae.li/twitter

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-general-hacked-enemy-afghanistan-161426332.html

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Squalor surrounds South Africa's platinum treasure chest

MARIKANA, South Africa (Reuters) - Children play and dogs and chickens forage near sewage spilling from pit latrines in the shadow of Lonmin's Marikana mine in South Africa which extracts the platinum used to make jewelry and auto parts.

Ramshackle settlements cluster around this mine operated by the world no. 3 platinum producer and around others in the North West Province, the world's prime platinum mining region.

"This is no way to live or grow children. Fifty people share one toilet. We don't have water," said a woman who identified herself as Pinky, the wife of a striking rock drill operator at Marikana who shares a one-room tin box with her husband and two children.

The mine and its squalid settlement was the scene of labor violence last week which killed 40 miners, two police and two security guards, the deadliest security incident in South Africa since the end of white minority rule 18 years ago.

A report this week by the Bench Marks Foundation, a church-linked organization that monitors corporate responsibility, found that living conditions for South Africa's black miners on the platinum belt were the worst in the country.

"The conditions in the township constructed by Lonmin are appalling. There are broken down drainage systems spilling directly into the river at three different points," Bench Marks Foundation executive director John Capel said, adding this situation had been left unattended for the last five years.

It was not supposed to be this way.

South Africa's former liberation movement and now ruling African National Congress was born out of South Africa's fight against apartheid, which also included rejection of the exploitation of poor black miners toiling in the country's fabled gold reefs and other mineral deposits.

Nelson Mandela's ANC promised a better life for all when it took power with the end of apartheid in 1994.

But despite Africa's largest economy devoting billions of dollars to infrastructure, housing, healthcare and education, income disparity and unemployment have mushroomed while chronic joblessness has helped entrench a massive underclass.

"BACK TO THE DARK YEARS"

These circumstances, combined with ballooning living costs and a demand for better pay, led to the violent strike by Marikana workers which culminated in the police shooting of 34 miners on Thursday.

They died in a hail of gunfire after running into a line of police at the sprawling mine facility about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg.

The violence rekindled memories of apartheid-era clashes when police representing the white minority rulers fired on masses of blacks seeking freedom. This time it was the ANC government's police, black and white, who shot the workers, all black.

"In an instant our country was plunged back into the dark years of our past and we saw the rainbow nation fast disappearing in the wake of such brutality," Mathole Motshekga the ANC's chief whip said during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday.

While mineworkers have seen their wages steadily increase over the years and mining firms have built schools, hospitals and roads to help communities around shafts, many of the 500,000 people in the sector still have trouble making ends meet.

Lonmin provides male workers who live by themselves with shared quarters in solid brick dormitories with electricity and running water.

Those workers who wish to be with their partners and children are given a "sleep out" allowance to find accommodation either at the nearby shantytown, Wonderkop, or elsewhere.

"Wages and other allowances are negotiated under union agreements and the amounts decided on are not up to the company," Lonmin spokeswoman Sue Vey said.

"Those who have families live outside mine property and the conditions there are by their own design."

The base pay for miners is about $500 a month but when production bonuses and benefits are added the average miner grosses nearly double that, according to industry and government data.

But the money goes quickly. Most miners maintain two households, with one on or near the mine site and the other for extended families who live apart from them. The average miner supports 8-10 people, according to industry data.

DRILLING IS "BREATHING DUST"

A large portion of the 3,000 workers who went on strike at Lonmin are rock drill operators who operate hand-held machines breaking apart rock walls for the ore which yields the platinum.

A rock drill operator who gave his name as Isaac left his village in impoverished Lesotho for the riches of South Africa's mines nine years ago. Now he struggles to eke out a living.

He has been off the job for almost two weeks demanding a salary of 12,500 rand ($1,500) a month, arguing the hardship endured underground is not reflected in his pay packet.

His pay-slip shows he earns 8,763.88 rand ($1,100) a month which includes an allowance of 1,000 rand to live off mine property.

After deductions for tax, medical aid and "deferred pay" of 1,300 rand a month, which will form part of a lump sum payment at the end of his contract, Isaac takes home 4,556 rand ($550).

"That's not enough. I have four children to support in Lesotho and eight other family members. I have to pay rent, buy groceries, pay debts and try to live here."

Using a mop wedged in a plastic chair, Isaac explains how to control the heavy, gyrating drill while it chips away at meters of rock face a day.

"The conditions underground are tough. It is hot, dusty, you struggle to breath," he says, displaying heavily calloused hands.

"You are breathing dust particles all day. If we need to go to the toilet, we have to wait until home time. It takes an hour to walk to the toilet underground," Isaac said.

Following what is being called the "Marikana massacre", tensions in mines across South Africa are running high with fears that labor unrest over low wages and poor living conditions could spread to other mines.

"You work so hard, for so little. You might as well be dead," said a 23-year-old Lonmin worker from Umtata in South Africa's eastern regions who works on lighting the underground tunnels. He asked to be called Thulani, fearing reprisals if his name was published.

($1 = 8.2180 South African rand)

(Additional reporting by Tshepo Tshabalala and Sherilee Laxmidas; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/squalor-surrounds-south-africas-platinum-treasure-chest-170151423--finance.html

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Wordless Wednesday - Mustang Dream Car - Mom Knows It All ...

I saw this cat while at the racetrack in Watkins Glen, NY. I love it. I want it. I totally can?t afford it but I can dream can?t I? What?s your dream car?

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below! Then head on over to From Val?s Kitchen and Here And There for more wordless fun!

Tags: Cars, featured, Ford, Ford Mustang, Watkins Glen, wordless wednesday

Category: Me And Mine

Source: http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2012/ww-mustang-dream-car/

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