Pitch In and Tackle Do-It-Together Home Improvement Projects ...

In today?s All Thing Women blog post I wanted to talk about a great article I found in the Eastern Arizona Courier talking about DIY home improvement projects. When looking to get jobs done around the house, I am guilty of simply asking my wife and if she is busy doing other odd jobs I will just try to complete the task by myself. The article below talks about how do-it-yourself jobs can be done more efficiently if we turn them into do-it-together projects.

Why do-it-yourself (DIY) when you can do-it-together? Now DIYers are teaming up with friends, families or companies to tackle home improvement and spring-cleaning projects.

?Tackling home improvement or maintenance projects is a great way to work together with others in your community to accomplish more in less time,? says Kathy Krafka Harkema, spokesperson for Pella Windows and Doors.

How about tackling a do-it-together project like tree-trimming, landscaping or gardening projects to help spruce up the neighborhood? Share tools and labor with friends to clean up the backyard, build a deck or patio, or paint outdoor areas. Get the kids involved in chores like planting trees, spreading mulch or washing decks, patio furniture or your windows. Join together to get all the windows in the neighborhood sparkly clean.

About 69 percent of men and 74 percent of women are likely to clean and wash their windows during spring cleaning, according to the 2011 National Spring Cleaning Survey by the American Cleaning Institute. But many are unsure of how to do it.

?Make conducting a quick home check-up and cleaning your windows part of your spring home improvement checklist to create a better view and help enhance your home?s potential energy efficiency,? Krafka Harkema says. ?Team up with your neighbors so everyone?s windows look good. Use the right tools, cleaners and equipment to do the job safely and correctly.?

Window washing tips

Follow these tips from experts at Pella on how to clean windows and insect screens:

* Delegate members of your team to different jobs to maximize efficiency.

* Use a premixed vinegar and water solution (one part white vinegar for 10 parts water) and a soft, lint-free cloth to wash window glass.

* Apply a generous amount of cleaner and rinse with clear water if streaks remain.

* If needed to remove grease, oil, tape adhesive, crayons or paint marks, apply a solvent such as acetone or mineral spirits to a paper towel. Wipe clean using a dry, clean, lint-free cloth.

* Avoid ammonia- or alcohol-based glass cleaners that can leave streaks or a film that attracts moisture and dust.

* Avoid using a razor blade to scrape off stubborn marks on glass ? permanent scratches may result.

* To remove dust and dirt from screens, simply vacuum with the upholstery brush.

* For grease spots on kitchen or patio screens, use hot water and a mild detergent.

* For a flat screen on a storm door or patio door, remove the screen and wash with soap and water. Or use a drapery brush attachment on a vacuum.

Remember, cleaning windows from inside your home is safer than standing on a tall ladder. Consider replacement windows with a tilt-in feature, like Pella double-hung windows, or extra-wide openings between the sash and frame, like Pella casement windows, to make window cleaning easier.

Source:
http://www.eacourier.com/online_features/how_to/pitch-in-and-tackle-do-it-together-home-improvement-projects/article_a03b9f7b-b037-5a07-b726-fd8ee859fd46.html

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Best Diet For A Diabetic Person

Article Directory :: Health & Fitness Articles

A person who has diabetes must make specific adjustments to his diet, in order to maintain proper blood sugar levels and slow progression of the disease. If you have diabetes and you are not careful about what you eat, you run the risk of suffering adverse effects including glaucoma, stroke, and even a diabetic coma.

By losing excess weight and eating sensibly, you can minimize the symptoms of diabetes and effectively control your blood sugar levels. Many people automatically think that being diagnosed with diabetes means that you must stop eating anything that tastes good. This is simply not true, and people with diabetes can enjoy most of the same foods that everyone else does, with a few simple modifications.

The best diet for a diabetic person involves eating on a regular basis in smaller portions. You must maintain your blood sugar levels, by eating smaller portions more often, it is easier for your body to deal with what you have consumed. Overeating will cause a serious rise in your blood glucose levels.

If you have only recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you need to make dietary changes as soon as you can, and if you need to, obtain a referral to a dietician from your family doctor. A dietician can help you to formulate an eating plan that contains foods that you enjoy and will also advise you on the appropriate portions that you should be eating. One of the most important parts of your eating plan is to have something to eat as soon as possible when you get up in the morning. This is extremely important because it helps to normalize your blood sugar since you have been fasting for about 7 hours while sleeping.

The government food pyramid is a great starting point to get a good idea of what types of foods you should be eating. You will need to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and lean meats. The vegetables that you choose should be non starchy vegetables and eating fresh fruit is better than canned fruit because sugary syrup is used in packing the latter. Being diabetic does not mean that you can never again eat sugar. If you plan to have sweets, eat a small amount and be sure to get some exercise after you eat some. It is important to burn the sugar off as quickly as you can after you eat it.

A good walk of about 60 minutes per day is a great way to get your exercise, and you should generally try to do this at least every other day if you cannot manage it daily. Keep in mind that your diabetes is here to stay and you have to learn to manage it. Making lifestyle changes for the long term is the best way to remain healthy. If you are exercising regularly and not losing weight, do not become discouraged. Studies have shown that exercise can improve your insulin sensitivity.

There are probably some local support groups in your area. It is a good idea to join in a group for the moral support, as well as the opportunity to learn more about managing and living with diabetes. Public health centers also have free information and nutrition guides to assist you in making the necessary changes to your diet.

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Facebook buys Instagram photo app for $1 bn

The big ticket purchase was seen by some as a move by Facebook to strengthen its defenses against Google and blazingly hot newcomer Pinterest in the weeks ahead of what promises to be a history-making stock market debut.

"For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family," Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said in announcing the deal.

"Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests."

Zuckerberg called the acquisition "an important milestone for Facebook because it's the first time we've ever acquired a product and company with so many users" but promised it was a rare acquisition.

An Instagram application tuned to Apple's iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices has been downloaded more than 27 million times since the first version was released in late 2010 by the San Francisco startup.

Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom released the figure while providing a glimpse last month at a version of the application being tailored for smartphones power by Google-backed Android software.

The free mini-program lets people give classic looks to square photos using "filters" and then share them at Twitter, Facebook or other social networks.

Apple crowned Instagram its app-of-the-year for 2011.

"We're psyched to be joining Facebook," Systrom said in a blog post Monday on the Instagram website.

"It's important to be clear that Instagram is not going away," he continued. "We'll be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network."

Instagram's roster of backers includes Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

Enlarge

Facebook announced Monday that it made a billion-dollar-deal to buy the startup behind wildly popular smartphone photo sharing application Instagram.

Facebook users flood the world's largest social network with images to share with friends, but the website hasn't proven to be an ideal stage for organizing pictures around topics -- a forte that has made Pinterest a star.

"Facebook is pushing into the Pinterest space," said analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies.

"The thing about Instagram and Pinterest is that they are really interesting in the context of posting pictures around topics," he continued.

Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group said that Facebook is building a defense against Pinterest, which has been luring people's attention away from the social network.

"Instagram is a reasonable competitive hedge against Pinterest," Enderle said.

"At the heart of both startups is picture indexing -- they are just handled differently."

While Bajarin referred to the billion-dollar price tag for Instagram "boggling," Enderle contended that it could prove to be a bargain if it helps Facebook shine for its IPO on Wall Street.

Facebook in February filed for a stock offering and could raise as much as $10 billion in the largest flotation ever by an Internet company on Wall Street.

Facebook -- the leading social network in all but six countries, notably China and Russia -- said it has more than 845 million users, including 483 million who log in daily.

Facebook's value has been estimated at between $75 billion and $100 billion.

"The Instagram buy could be worth tens of billions of dollars if it holds off Pinterest and Facebook remains on top," Enderle said.

"Given what Facebook is trying to do -- get a massive valuation when it goes public -- a billion dollars is a trivial sum."

(c) 2012 AFP

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No link between video games and aggression: study

4 hrs.

Matthew Hawkins

For years, countless studies have claimed that video games, particularly ones containing violent content, are the cause of aggression in the real world. But researchers have not only recently discovered benefits from game playing, but also how such previous studies might be in error.

A research team at the University of Goethe, in Sweden, spent hundreds of hours playing competitive online games and watching others. They focused on games that not only contained aggressive content, but in which the goal was to fight each other.?

The results, according to Science Daily, betray what many might assume. Most of the time, players must actually play nice with each other, instead of just blowing each other up.?Clear thinking and coordination is also honed in such activities.

As a direct result, players who act aggressively or too emotionally do not perform as well in similar situations. Being rude is also a deterrent; abrasive and obnoxious players will naturally have a hard time finding someone to play alongside.

And it is this last finding that has led Jonas Ivarsson, one of the researchers, to cast doubt on all previous studies that link aggression in the virtual space and aggression in real life:?

The suggested link between games and aggression is based on the notion of transfer, which means that knowledge gained in a certain situation can be used in an entirely different context. The whole idea of transfer has been central in education research for a very long time. The question of how a learning situation should be designed in order for learners to be able to use the learned material in real life is very difficult, and has no clear answers? 'In a nutshell, we're questioning the whole gaming and violence debate, since it's not based on a real problem but rather on some hypothetical reasoning.

The finding is sure to be encouraging to those have long defended video games against claims they are to blame for societal ills. Meanwhile, those who have an agenda against violent games, or games in general, such as these lawmakers, will surely take issue with the University of Goethe's findings. At the very least, there is now more scientific data to chew on.

Matthew Hawkins is an NYC-based game journalist who has also written for EGM, GameSetWatch, Gamasutra, Giant Robot and numerous others. He also self-publishes his own game culture zine, is part of?Attract Mode, and co-hosts?The Fangamer Podcast. You can keep tabs on him via?Twitter,?or his personal home-base,?FORT90.com.

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World ? German peace activists back Grass in Israel dispute

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Source: www.japantoday.com --- Monday, April 09, 2012
Peace activists in Germany Monday voiced support for author Gunter Grass who has been barred from entering Israel over a poem accusing the Jewish state of plotting Iran's annihilation and endangering world peace. "It is unacceptable," said Willi van Ooyen, a spokesman for a group that organizes the traditional peace? ...

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Asian stock markets fall after US hiring slows

A man walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo indicating Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 142.19 points, or 1.47 percent at 9,546.26 Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A man walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo indicating Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 142.19 points, or 1.47 percent at 9,546.26 Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo as Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 142.19 points, or 1.47 percent at 9,546.26 Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A currency trader looks at monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 1.57 percent, or 31.95, to close at 1,997.08. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work in front of the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index, left, and the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 1.57 percent, or 31.95, to close at 1,997.08. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader works in front of the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Korea Exchange Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, April 9, 2012. Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 1.57 percent, or 31.95, to close at 1,997.08. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

BEIJING (AP) ? Asian stock markets declined Monday after U.S. hiring slowed in March, raising doubts about the durability of the recovery in the world's No. 1 economy.

Oil prices fell to near $102 a barrel amid hopes international talks this week may help avoid military action over Iran's nuclear program.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index lost 1.5 percent to 9,546.26 and China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.9 percent to 2,285.78. Seoul shed 1.6 percent to 1,997.08. Hong Kong, Sydney and Bangkok were closed for holidays.

In Europe, the Frankfurt, Paris and London markets were also closed.

U.S. employers added 120,000 jobs last month, according to the Labor Department. That was half the December-February pace and well short of the 210,000 economists were expecting.

"The regional markets may have overreacted to one job report since the U.S. economic data released prior to Friday were generally healthy," said analyst Alex Huang of Taipei's Mega Securities Corp.

Investors also were watching China, where analysts expect data due this week to show economic growth slowed further in the latest quarter.

"One can hardly expect very encouraging news to boost the markets either," Huang said.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent in February to 8.2 percent, the lowest since January 2009, but that was largely because many Americans stopped looking for work.

Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan's Taiex lost 1.4 percent to 7,600.87 and Singapore's benchmark fell 1 percent to 2,956.72. India's Sensex shed 1.2 percent to 17,278.4.

In currency markets, the dollar rose slightly to 81.47 yen while the euro was down just over 0.1 percent at $1.306.

Benchmark oil for May delivery was down $1.30 to $102.01 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added $1.84 to settle at $103.31 in New York on Thursday. The global oil market was closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

___

Associated Press writer Annie Huang in Taipei contributed.

Associated Press

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Peru: Hose gets food, drink to 9 trapped miners | ToWonder.com ...

LIMA, Peru (AP) ? Peruvian authorities say nine trapped miners are being supplied with sports drinks, soup and food while police, firefighters and other workers work to free them.

Police chief Jose Saavedra in southern Peru?s Ica region says the bottled items are being pushed to the miners through a hose.

Saavedra says the men have been trapped in a horizontal mining shaft that collapsed Thursday not very deep under the surface. He says the miners are behind debris about six meters (20 feet) wide that collapsed when they set off an explosion to dislodge copper ore.

The miners were working on their own at a mine that reportedly shut down commercial operations in the early 1980s in a hamlet about 282 kilometers (175 miles) south of Lima.

... read more at article source

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