Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sound And Easy Steps To Effective Home Improvements

If you have a large backyard and you do not already have one, it may be beneficial to build a deck before putting your house on the market. This is because potential home buyers look at a deck as a crucial entertaining space for family and friends to hang out in.

Get really good references for contractors you use on your home improvements. It is far too easy for a con artist to take your money and run, leaving you with a wreck of a home and no more money to fix it. Don?t trust just anyone. Make sure you have plenty of excellent references, from people you really trust.

Never try to use makeshift solutions or inferior equipment to replace tools you need for your home improvement project. While you may be tempted to save time and money this way, the equipment you attempt to replace is expensive or hard to get hold of for a reason. Using stopgap measures can give you unsatisfactory results or even expose you to danger.

Listen to a contractor when you discuss your home improvement project and pay attention to what he says. If he gently lets you know an idea is folly, or asks you questions to get a better understanding of your needs, then he?s probably a great contractor. Also, see if he?s listening to you or if he?s just trying to get you to do what he envisions.

Consider converting unused rooms in your house. Before you spend too much money adding an extra room or two to your home, seriously look at what you have to work with. Are you getting much use out of that exercise room or office? Even storage spaces like attics can be transformed into something useful, like a bedroom.

Doing any home improvement requires that you plan ahead for any and all complications that could arise. This will help keep you within your budget if you can anticipate any changes that have to be made on the fly. Not only will it keep you on budget, but proper planning will prevent delays.

Instead of installing electricity based heating system in your home, consider going with a large wood burning fireplace. With the proper piping and the right size, a wood burning fireplace is more cost effective and heats better. If the electricity ever goes out, you are still able to keep warm in the winter.

If your plan is to remodel your kitchen, consider keeping your old appliances to save money. You can find stainless steel appliques for appliances which can make them look more high end, or appliance paint to cover up dings or scratches that have suddenly appeared over the years. Clean the handles and glass while you?re at it.

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.

You can see now that there are very simple steps that you can take right away to increase the overall worth and appearance of your home, even if you are operating on a shoestring budget! Put some of these suggestions into practice for a more attractive and manicured home.

Rochell Sweetser is known for a web site on Concrete Stain

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Activists: Bomb hits security vehicle in Syria

AAA??May. 27, 2012?4:35 AM ET
Activists: Bomb hits security vehicle in Syria
By BASSEM MROUEBy BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Saturday, May 26, 2012 purports to show covered bodies after a government assault on Houla, Syria. Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday. The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Saturday, May 26, 2012 purports to show covered bodies after a government assault on Houla, Syria. Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday. The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Saturday, May 26, 2012 purports to show an injured child in Houla, Syria. Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday. The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Saturday, May 26, 2012 purports to show an injured Syrian in a hospital in Houla, Syria. Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday. The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Saturday, May 26, 2012 purports to show covered bodies after a government assault on Houla, Syria. Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday. The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

Anti-Syrian regime mourners chant slogans as they carry the body of soldier Khaled Shurbajy, who was shot by Syrian security forces in Dir el Zour last week after disobeying orders to fire on anti-Assad protesters, during his funeral procession, in the Kfar Suseh area of Damascus, Syria, on Saturday , May 26, 2012. (AP Photo)

(AP) ? Activists say that a bomb has struck a security vehicle in the Syrian capital of Damascus, causing casualties.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees say Sunday's blast occurred in the upscale neighborhood of Mazzeh.

The LCC said the blast occurred near a military airport in the neighborhood. The Observatory said the explosion caused casualties but did not give a breakdown.

A video posted online by activists showed thick black smoke billowing from what it said was Mazzeh.

Damascus is tightly controlled by regime forces but has been hit by a wave of blasts over recent months that claimed the lives of scores of people. Most of the blasts have targeted Syrian security agencies.

Associated Press

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Fitness instructor spins 24 hours for cancer society

Consie Severson takes on her fourth 24-hour Ride for Research today.

?Every year that I have done this has been special for me, but this year will be more special since I lost my sister to cancer in March,? said Severson, a four-year cancer survivor herself.

?It will be a tough one, but I?ll pull through because it means so much to me that no on else has to go through what I did and what so many people do. There?ll be no stopping me.?

Severson starts the ride on a stationary bike at Ladies World at 8:30 a.m. today and ends at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. There will be a barbecue, refreshments, kids? activities, entertainment, a raffle, and a pancake breakfast. People are welcome to join her for however long they like on the two stationary bikes that will be set up beside her.

?Some friends will be with me through the night and I?ve had lots of help so I?m well looked after and all I have to do is pedal. It?s all worth it,? she said.

People can make donations to Ride for Research, which benefits the local Canadian Cancer Society, at the event or to Severson?s personal page online at cancer.ca.

?

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Legends of La Cienega this year has 50% more window screens by ...

?Float:
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) 9 May 2012

This year? S Legends of La Cienega topic? Windows of the World?, Is clearly followed by the window in the OTW (Off the Wall antiques), of world travelers and captured award-winning eco-designer Rachel Winokur, a newcomer to the Windows of Legends designed. ? I love the elegance, warmth and charm of old items and collectibles at my window, plus the magic of the unexpected elements? Winokur States. Here is a 9? Stop sign, the background of the Winokur? s window with the title? The magic of travel photography.

About Rachel Winokur:

With 10 years experience in interior design and a focus on sustainability, Rachel runs the design company is based on designs by Etta. She has appeared on HGTV? S & DIY Design Wars? S House Crashers, has been introduced in the fall of 2011 Angeleno Interiors Magazine and was quoted in March 2012 issue of House Beautiful. In addition, panelists discuss a Rachel Green AltBuild material in Santa Monica, be this Saturday, May 12


About Legends of La Cienega

:

The 4th Legends of La Cienega Annual Meeting in 2012, passed away Wednesday to Friday can range from 9 to 11 in the vicinity of La Cienega Design in Los Angeles. Legends is slated to put on bigger and better than in previous years, as a designer and 10,000 fans. By 2012 Legends extends its reach beyond Los Angeles and invited renowned interior designers throughout the country and around the world to decorate the windows legendary. Legends takes place in a particular region consists of more than 50 highly respected design showroom and galleries, making it one of the nation? S business area of ??excellence for the design. Besides the famous cartoons of the window can design lovers enjoy a variety of programming such as lectures discussion groups moderated by the nation? S large magazine publishers, book signings, receptions, demonstrations, exhibitions, programs and more luggage space. Additionally, media partners include legends of the nation? S is the most prestigious housing, including Elle D?cor, House Beautiful House, VERANDA traditional and regional media housing California, California Home + Design Interiors & Design and Luxe.

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Breast cancer in men: uncommon, but catching it early is vital ...

?I have WHAT kind of cancer??

Such is the reaction that many men have to being told they have breast cancer. Any cancer diagnosis is a shock; but finding out you have a kind you never thought you could get makes it even harder to accept.

Because most men (and women) don?t know that men can develop breast cancer, men often fail to recognize its earliest signs and end up seeing a doctor later in the process than women do. The result: They face treatment for larger and more advanced tumors, and their cancer is more likely to have spread to other parts of the body.

?We?ve known for a long time that survival from male breast cancer has been worse than for females, and it?s largely due to men being diagnosed later? says Dr. Mehra Golshan, an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and director of Breast Surgical Services at Brigham and Women?s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. ?It?s not on the radar screen of the lay public or press.? But it should be. (Click here to hear one man?s story about his battle with breast cancer.)

Latecomers do worse

The ?latecomer effect? in men diagnosed with breast cancer recently received some rare press attention with the release of new findings on male breast cancer outcomes at the American Society of Breast Surgeons meeting in Phoenix. Dr. Jon Greif, a breast surgeon in Oakland, Calif., and his colleagues examined the medical records of more than 13,000 men who developed breast cancer, and compared their outcomes with those of more than 1.4 million women with breast cancer. It was the largest study analyzing sex differences in breast cancer ever conducted.

The study found that the five-year survival rate for women overall was 83%, compared to 74% for men. (See a video of Dr. Greif discussing the findings.) Even men diagnosed with early stage breast cancer still fared worse than women, although the gap closed for men and women diagnosed with later-stage disease.

If there is one positive note, it is that male breast cancer is rare. Dr. Golshan says that 2,100 cases are diagnosed in the United States per year. Compare that to the 226,870 new cases of invasive breast cancer that will be diagnosed in women in 2012, according to a projection by the American Cancer Society.

Know the danger signs

This does not mean male breast cancer isn?t worthy of attention. But since doctors often aren?t thinking about it, men will have to bear the main responsibility for checking themselves. The main warning signs are:

  • A lump that can be felt, typically right under the nipple (see image below)
  • Noticeable differences between the left and right chest or nipple.
  • Skin retracting or ?bunching up? around the breast area.
  • Discharge of fluid from the nipple.

Male breast cancer basics

According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, male breast cancer happens most often to men between the ages of 60 and 70. Risk factors for it include exposure to radiation, a family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation, and having high estrogen levels, which can occur with diseases like cirrhosis or Klinefelter?s syndrome.

Treatment for male breast cancer is usually a mastectomy, which is surgery to remove the breast. It may be possible to perform a breast-conserving ?lumpectomy? to reduce scarring, however. Dr. Golshan and his colleagues performed a series of seven lumpectomies in men from 1996 to 2005, which he thinks may be the only series of breast-conserving surgeries in men ever done.

Other treatments may include radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy. Most breast tumors in men are estrogen-receptor positive, says Dr. Golshan, meaning they respond to estrogen-blocking drugs that help to block the cancer?s spread. But in Dr. Greif?s study, only 41% of males were treated with anti-estrogen medications.? This suggests treatment of breast cancer in men, like awareness of the disease in general, still may have some catching up to do.

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39;Kings will transform game in SA' | Edusport Travel

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SOUTH African Rugby Union president Regan Hoskins told the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport and recreation that the Southern Kings were included in Super rugby to ?boost transformation?.

Hoskins and Saru CEO Jurie Roux were among several rugby leaders who met with the governmental sports watchdog to discuss transformation in general, which encompassed a discussion on the Kings? controversial inclusion in next year?s Super Rugby tournament.

?The reason our organisation took this bold decision to include the Kings in Super rugby is transformation,? Hoskins said.

?We mustn?t forget that as Saru we are aware of the dynamics of rugby and what is expected of our sport in terms of transformation. We can talk about transforming the administration and grassroots rugby and that?s all important, but we took the decision on the Kings because we know the country wants us to transform rugby.

?Black rugby players traditionally come from the Eastern Cape. It?s been a huge step because we believe a franchise in the Eastern Cape will be a massive boost to black players in the region, who can come through the ranks and play for the Springboks.

?We can?t wave a magic wand to transform rugby, but we can boost transformation in rugby by having a franchise in the Eastern Cape. We ask all South Africans to bear with us, because it will be in the best interests of rugby.

?It will be a painful process over the next year, but it?s been done with sincerity. All 14 provinces agreed to this decision without exception.?

The Kings are the only franchise guaranteed their place in next year?s tournament as Saru and the various stakeholders wrestle with a way to accommodate the five existing franchises in four available places.

On Monday, several proposals to find a solution to the impasse were accepted and will now go to the executive council for consideration before being presented to the general council for ratification.

?It?s a simple fact that the Kings will play next year and what we are now debating is to how to accommodate the other five franchises,? Roux said.

?The Kings will play, but not at the cost of South African rugby, or of the other five franchises. We are trying to resolve the issues surrounding those franchises, or franchise, that won?t be part of Super rugby next year.?

Critics have used the Kings? failure to win at Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup first division as proof that they will be an embarrassment in Super rugby, but Roux defended their performances.

?The Kings have recruited according to their budget and according to the competition they play in. The Kings have been playing in the Vodacom Cup,? Roux said.

?Their budget reflects the structure they?re in, but with Super rugby it will change. Now that they have been guaranteed a franchise it immediately means they can secure lucrative sponsorships and sign a better calibre of player and compete. That?s the reality of the professional world.?

via www.sportlive.co.za

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IUDs, implants most effective birth control

Thursday, May 24, 2012

A study to evaluate birth control methods has found dramatic differences in their effectiveness. Women who used birth control pills, the patch or vaginal ring were 20 times more likely to have an unintended pregnancy than those who used longer-acting forms such as an intrauterine device (IUD) or implant.

Results of the study, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, are reported May 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Birth control pills are the most commonly used reversible contraceptive in the United States, but their effectiveness hinges on women remembering to take a pill every day and having easy access to refills.

In the study, birth-control pills and other short-term contraceptive methods, such as the contraceptive patch or ring, were especially unreliable among younger women. For those under 21 who used birth control pills, the patch or ring, the risk of unplanned pregnancy was almost twice as high as the risk among older women. This finding suggests that increased adolescent use of longer acting contraceptive methods could prevent substantially more unplanned pregnancies.

"This study is the best evidence we have that long-acting reversible methods are far superior to the birth control pill, patch and ring," says senior author Jeffrey Peipert, MD, the Robert J. Terry Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "IUDs and implants are more effective because women can forget about them after clinicians put the devices in place."

Unintended pregnancy is a major problem in the United States. About 3 million pregnancies per year ?50 percent of all pregnancies? are unplanned. The rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States is much higher than in other developed nations, and past studies have shown that about half of these pregnancies result from contraceptive failure.

IUDs are inserted into the uterus by a health-care provider. The hormonal IUD is approved for 5 years, and the copper IUD can be used for as long as 10 years. Hormonal implants are inserted under the skin of the upper arm and are effective for three years. Many women, however, cannot afford the up-front costs of these methods, which can be more than $500.

"We know that IUDs and implants have very low failure rates ?less than 1 percent," says Brooke Winner, MD, a fourth-year resident at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the study's lead author. "But although IUDs are very effective and have been proven safe in women and adolescents, they only are chosen by 5.5 percent of women in the United States who use contraception."

Earlier contraceptive studies asked women to recall the birth control method they used and number of pregnancies. For this study, the investigators wanted to determine whether educating women about the effectiveness of various birth- control options and having them choose a method without considering cost would reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy. Birth control was provided to women free of charge.

The study involved over 7,500 women enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE project. Participants were ages 14-45 and at high risk of unintended pregnancy. The women were sexually active or planned to become sexually active in the next six months. They either were not currently using contraception or wanted to switch birth control methods. The women also said they did not want to become pregnant for the next 12 months.

Participants in this report could choose among the following birth-control methods: IUD, implant, birth control pills, patch, ring and contraceptive injection. The women were counseled about the contraceptive methods, including their effectiveness, side effects, risks and benefits. Participants were permitted to discontinue or switch methods as many times as desired during the study.

Investigators interviewed participants by telephone at three and six months and every six months thereafter for the remainder of the study. During each interview, participants were asked about missed periods and possible pregnancy. Any participant who thought they might be pregnant was asked to come in for a urine pregnancy test. Those who were pregnant were asked if it was intended and what contraceptive method (if any) they were using at time of conception.

Over the course of the three-year study, 334 women became pregnant. Of these, 156 pregnancies were due to contraceptive failure. Overall, 133 (4.55 percent) of women using pills, the patch or ring had contraceptive failure, compared with 21 (0.27 percent) of women using IUDs and implants.

"This study also is important because it showed that when IUDs and implants are provided at no cost, about 75 percent of women chose these methods for birth control," Winner says.

Women who chose an IUD or implant were more likely to be older, to have public health insurance and to have more children than women who chose other contraceptive methods. Women who chose pills, the patch or ring were more likely to have private health insurance and to not have had children previously.

Peipert says the results support a shift in how patients should be counseled, which could greatly affect unintended pregnancy rates. "If there were a drug for cancer, heart disease or diabetes that was 20 times more effective, we would recommend it first," he says. "Unintended pregnancies can have negative effects on women's health and education and the health of newborns."

###

Washington University School of Medicine: http://www.medicine.wustl.edu

Thanks to Washington University School of Medicine for this article.

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