Asian decor for the home is the kind of the theme that requires full committal. If you say you are going to go all out with a Japanese or Chinese room, it means getting the right accents, artwork, and of course, discount home furniture. The right furniture is really going to bring the whole look to life and is rather easy to come by if you know what you are looking for.
First, you need to decide if your room is going to lean more towards a Japanese or Chinese traditional design. Japanese homes focus on natural material. You’ll want to invest in things like bamboo, stone, and straw accents. The colors are usually soft earth tones of green, brown and gray, sometimes black. When considering furniture, it’s often low to the ground. Tables, futons, and beds are all as close to the floor as possible.
Chinese rooms are a bit more bold, with ornate decorations and detailing. Red is a symbol for luck and therefore a very important color in decor and furniture. Yellow and green are also often used as accents. You’ll often look for furniture in red woods and with lots of ornamentation.
When decorating for the bedroom, platform beds work well especially when going for the Japanese theme. These are very low to the ground and have a sleek look. When looking at armories and dressers, don’t hold back on discount home furniture with intricate designs on them or elaborate handles. They can be absolutely beautiful and even the focus of the bedroom.
The living room is another great place to consider this theme. You can get cherry wood furniture for the entertainment center, end tables and coffee table which would work well if you are leaning towards a Chinese theme. Darker woods or furniture stained or painted black would be perfect for Japanese. Don’t forget the importance of adding accents to these, like ornate vases or statues of dragons, geishas or even Buddha. Bonsai plants will also look great on any piece of furniture.
For the dining area, a set with square chairs and neutral colors works well. Simplicity is key, so a square edged table is perfect. If you want to go for something more traditional you can get a chabudai, which is the low tables that many Asian homes use. Chairs not needed, just cushions on the floor will accompany these kinds of tables!
No matter what room you decorate, or if you choose to design the whole house in the same exotic decor, your home is going to make you feel like you’ve stepped into another country.
Three Different Types of Kitchen Furniture
When you are searching for kitchen furniture, you will notice quickly that there are lots of different types going from retro kitchen furniture to antique kitchen furniture. In this article you will read about islands, pot racks and carts. If you want to read on, you’re making a good choice. When finished reading this post you will know all about kitchen furniture. As you see we’ll explain quite a bit, so let’s head on.
Kitchen carts are very versatile and can really be put to good use. You can use a cart for storage but also for a mobile workplace. If your kitchen’s counter isn’t that large, you might be willing to extend your counter with a kitchen cart. Metal and wood are the main components of a kitchen cart. Almost if not all kitchen cards have either drawers or shelves to store your kitchen supplies. Kitchen carts are pretty versatile as you’re not limited to use it for storage or for a mobile workplace, you can also use them as a kitchen table. It’s only a little bit smaller but hey, it’s on wheels. In the old days you really didn’t have such modern furniture kitchen but now you do, so use it.
A different type of kitchen furniture is the pot rack. They are handy little things allowing you to store your pots and pans in one place. The prices really vary on these as there are a lot of models out there. They can go from really basic to more exclusive and the price goes with it of course. The main reason to get a pot rack is to create more space in the kitchen and to have a more soothing feeling when you feel that everything is organized in the kitchen.
Another piece of furniture: island. The island is also mostly used for storage and creating more space in the kitchen. When it comes to furniture though all of the different pieces have their uses, but they also bring a whole new look to your kitchen. You can make the kitchen give a more at home feeling when you get different types of furniture in your kitchen.
Flooring Service and Installation
How is your floor looking? Is it about that time to get a new one? There are flooring services that will not only provide the flooring materials but they will install it for you.
Flooring services can do everything for you and your floor without you hardly even being involved at all. What I mean by that is you can contact them on the phone or go to their business and set up a time for them to come and do an assessment of your area of concern complimentary.
Your floor may be a wood floor that needs to be re-laid. This is going to take a bit of work to find the color wood, the right type of wood for your climate, the finish and then any designs in the wood you might be interested in. This will include the renovation of the current wood and the installment of the new wood. You will not have to join in the process as the flooring experts will take complete charge of the situation.
Vinyl floors are a bit different. They will be removed a lot easier than a wood floor sometimes and can be installed easily in one piece with just a few measurements. All you have to do is pick the flooring material you like for your house and watch it come to life. The beauty of a vinyl floor is that it is so easy to install and to clean.
Tile floors are a bit different. They will need to be individually placed and cut to size so the floor looks even and professionally done. The pieces have to be cut perfectly for them to fit so it is best to have a floor like this done by a skilled professional who has been doing it for years.
No matter what the flooring type, a professional that comes to give you an assessment of your house will give you an estimate before you decide to hire that company. You will have the chance to love the floor decision you make, see examples of their work and then accept the offer or decline it depending on how confident you are feeling.
Before you buy something permanent like a floor you really should be sure that you love it. A good company should ensure you that they will do a good job and make you feel confident about your new purchase.
Causes Of Algae Growth In Roofing
The roof is a very important component of a building for it is the only component that can make occupants stay inside the structure. It protects the occupants from the weather conditions outside eventually giving them shelter. There are different roofing techniques that can be applied and they are maintained differently.
Housetop maintenance is an important practice that ensures better and longer service. Different roofing designs and materials maintained differently. Iron sheets can rust if they are not galvanized. Roofs which are below trees may accumulate leaves which rot to form humus. Humus absorbs moisture which can peel the paint protecting the sheets and eventually initiating rusting. Removal of leaves and any other organic components from roof tops protect the sheets from rusting and henceforth elongating the life of the roof.
Painting and galvanizing iron sheets are other techniques used for preventing rust from developing. Paint covers the upper layer of the sheet which is capable of reacting with water. The use of red oxide undercoat is mostly recommended to effectively protect them. There are paints which are specifically manufactured for roof materials and they offer stronger protection then normal paints for plaster walls. Galvanizing roof sheets with zinc inhibits any possible reaction of water.
Clay tile house tops are mostly affected by rain water and dust. Dust accumulates in the tile grooves and subsequent rains may cause formation of humus or algae. Algae end up depositing the green color materials on the tile which may end up absorbing water and start leaking into the building. Accumulation of humus tends to facilitate a good environment for plants to grow. Humus and algae are to scrapped off by periodic checks and faulty tiles replaced. Tiles may also loose position by tilting as a result of weather aspects like wind.
Sources of leaks in roofs should be identified and amply repaired. Causes of leaks could be rusting, nail holes from missing nails or from poorly joined components. The leaks are best checked from the interior of a roof. Fixing the leaks depends on the type of material that has been used. Adhesives like bitumen is applied on iron sheets or the sheets are nailed again.
Loose sheets as a result of blowing wind are nailed back as soon as possible to avoid more roof destruction. Strong winds remove nails by moving the sheets upwards and this weakens the house top. Weak house tops can be very dangerous in times of storms.
Cement roofs are well maintained by getting rid of all debris accumulating on top in order to reduce the possibility of moss and algae growth. Accumulation of water may weaken the cement and make it disintegrate. All tree branches above buildings should be cut to minimize the amount of debris falling.
The best maintenance to be performed is semi annual inspections to discover and fix problems as soon as possible. Since the roof is the top most part of the structure it tends to get more abuse from elements than any other part of the structure. Proper and timely maintenance operations go in a long way in avoiding major repairs and overhauls. Major roof renovations are very expensive to fund partly due to the technical know how of builders required and the high cost of materials. Better longer service is hence obtained by carrying out proper maintenance.
Easy Steps to Select Quality Home Furniture
Going for a couple of moments to do your homework is among the wisest moves you may make when purchasing any product. This really is most certainly the situation when you’re searching to purchase furniture, whether it’s for the office or home. Some online analysis can rapidly let you know which kind of furniture is most the way you like. After you have whittled lower your requirements, the whole job may become much simpler.
Before you decide to make the leap and purchase your brand-new household furniture, you have to think about a couple of key details. Knowing quality could be a little tricky, but you will find ways it can be done. Considering along a warranty is an efficient method to establish the real quality of the product. The longer a product’s warranty, the greater a manufacturer thinks within the product. Using a warranty as the guide, you are able to bypass a lot of the clever salesmanship that may accompany furniture. Producers that know they’re developing a quality product may have no qualms about including a warranty.
Also make certain that you could see lots of images from the furniture that you’re purchasing. When websites offer you detailed pictures, it shows they have belief within their product. Some furniture retailers even offer you videos on the sites to ensure that you will get much more of a concept of the way the products will appear in your house. Be sure to consider the specs and measure your parking space to guarantee the product will fit nicely.
Changing any product whether it’s a vehicle, some type of computer or furniture is a total waste of your time and effort. Purchasing quality items which will last makes sense, as you will save time searching for substitutes. By doing all of your research and adhering towards the fundamentals, you’ll be able to find quality furniture in a reasonable cost. Prior to you making you buy the car, complete your “due diligence.” Contemplate the photos from the furniture and gain as much information as you possibly can including set up particulars, and warranty.
Online shopping has transformed the planet we reside in along with the right research now we are able to get preferred results.. People frequently make buying mistakes because of insufficient preparation and planning. Within the “dark days” prior to the Internet, it had been much more hard to research items to make certain these were worth your hard earned money. The good thing is that today all that has transformed.
Marketing Public Library Services in Sierra Leone
Introduction
The concept of instituting marketing principles to non-profit institutions such as library and information Services is no longer a controversy. Organizations operate in an environment of change. Today we live in a global market for many goods and services in which technology, purchasing power and many factors change on a regular basis. One of the key functions of marketing is to find out how these changes affect clientele’s wants and needs and to develop organizational strategies and plans that will ensure that the library meets these challenges (Dransfield and Needham, 1995). It is therefore not surprising that public librarians are joining the marketing bandwagon. This article explores the marketing activities in the operations of the Sierra Leone Public Library services.
Public Libraries
A Public Library is funded wholly and partly from public funds and the use of which is not restricted to any class persons in the community but freely available to all. It is a major agency of enlightenment for adults, providing for children the recorded experiences of others which will help them grow into adults.
Usherhood (1981) defined Public Library as an organization established, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some form of or other community organization. It provides access to knowledge, information and works of imagination through a range of resources and services and equally available to members of the public community regardless of race, nationality, economic and employment status and educational attainment.
The Sierra Leone Library Board (SLLB)
The Sierra Leone Library Board (SLLB) was established by Ordinance in June, 1959. The setting up of the Board was envisaged in the Government’s White Paper on Educational Development in 1958 and its functions outlined therein as follows:
• To provide a national/public library Service;
• To support and reinforce program of adult and fundamental education;
• To provide effective services for children and young adults including requisite services to schools;
• To provide much needed information and references services;
• To provide where needed adequate services for special groups, that is women and girls, language groups.
The Central Library is designed to give public services to Freetown and also to function as headquarter of the National/Public Library services and to provide accommodation for a growing collection of book and non-book materials in the country. It does all technical processing of stock for the Regional and Branch Libraries and has an Adult Lending Reference and a Children’s department.
Libraries are charged with responsibility to provide information service to support educational, recreation and personal endeavors of the members of their respective communities and the Sierra Leone Library Board is not an exception to that. The following services are provided at the Sierra Leone Library Board to Clientele:
Children Services
The Sierra Leone Library Board provides information services to children by the provision of books and other materials for children which are often housed in a special section known as the Children’s Library. A special service for children known as child orientated educational program specially designed for younger library users is included in the children’s library services. They also provide services to children through storytelling, drama/play and reading aloud.
Book Borrowing and Lending Service
The main task of Sierra Leone Library Board is to provide the public with access to books and periodicals. The Sierra Leone Library Board typically offers access to a variety of books which are available for borrowing by anyone with the appropriate library card.
Current Awareness Service
At the Sierra Leone Library Board, current awareness service is aimed at bringing to the notice of potential users, newly available documents and information services. This is done by collating information and producing new secondary sources, circulating current periodicals or other documents acquired and producing and distributing one or more forms of bulletins.
Selective Dissemination of Information
A more personal information service is being run at the Sierra Leone Library Board in which the library constantly notifies library users about particular information/materials matching them in a profile of the information needs and research pre-occupation of their clientele. This is done by either bringing references to relevant items to the notice of their clients and by obtaining copies and then supply the documents themselves to library users.
Outreach Services
The Sierra Leone Library Board provides outreach information services which is committed to developing library outreach program for non-users, the undeserved, and people with special needs in the communities in restricted areas.
Computer and Internet Services
In an attempt to bridge the digital divide, information resources and government services are being provided online by the Sierra Leone Library Board. This is done by providing access to the Internet and public computers for users who otherwise would not be able to connect to these services.
Library Marketing
Marketing is often viewed as a set of strategies and techniques that belongs to administrators outside of librarianship. But, librarians are also involved in the marketing process. The essence of marketing involves finding out users needs and want, then setting out to meet these needs.
Marketing according to Weingand (1995) “can be viewed as a process of exchange and a way to foster partnership between the library and its community” (p.296). In order to maintain the relationship between the public library and the community, marketing strategies have to be employed as effective tool.
Marketing in the public library means more than simply promotion or selling. It is more concerned about user needs. Marketing the Public Library is a social and managerial process by which products and services as well as values are exchanged in order to fulfill individuals or group needs. Marketing refers to those instruments through which information, both raw and processed, are transmitted to its members. Promotion or campaigning is but two activities in the broader exercise of marketing
Planning Library Marketing Program
The continued existence of libraries, if not their survivals, may well depend upon the use of marketing and planning strategies, communicated through effective public relations, to significantly alter the perceived role and position of the library in society.
In a real sense, Public Relation is the promotion component of a full marketing plan of library program. It can be seen as the communicated module which serves the promotion function; conversely, it may be easily depicted as a philosophical relationship between library and community which serves as a guiding light for promotion activities.
Both communication and research skills serve well in the marketing planning process of which Public Relations is an important component. Specific skills and knowledge are also needed in marketing planning programs for libraries. It goes without saying that both ongoing marketing planning and programs, and in particular, how the needs of different groups of users differ from each other. Library and information services are complex entities, as are the human users and potential users of these services.
Planning, promotion and campaigning are but all activities in the boarder exercise of marketing. User studies therefore, have a very wide range of uses in relation to the planning of library marketing programs of a service. They contribute in the planning, promotion and development of library services. In their contribution they help in the understanding of different user group behavior and their needs, and can assist in effective campaigning and planning process.
Three steps to planning library marketing programs are:
• Knowing what your beliefs are and therefore what you want to achieve;
• Communicating these beliefs as practical objectives to the people with whom you work, in order that these objectives can be fulfilled; and
• Creating a vehicle which allows this to happen. This can only be achieved by defining the basic components and through organization.
Methods of marketing in Sierra Leone Library Board
Book Displays and Exhibitions
Displays and exhibitions are widely used in most public libraries as a marketing strategy to sell their products or items. The SLLB displays jackets of new books which are not yet included in the lending department for easy access by users and to increase usage. It is also a means of drawing the attention of users and non-users to particular aspects of library resources and services.
Printed materials and Publications
In order to make a very good image of the public library and for public librarians to establish better communication between the library and users, publicity programs are put in place by the management of the Sierra Leone Library Board through news release. The management also considers annual reports and newspapers as basic publicity techniques. Publications such as bibliographies, guides and brochures are used by the library to communicate with the wider public.
Public Relations Office
Public relations according to Usherhood (1981) is concerned with gaining of public support for an activity, cause, movement or institution. It is a process that furthers mental understanding and cooperation between a government; or any organization and its various public. The Sierra Leone Library Board has a Public Relations Office charged with the responsibility to enhance a smooth system of communication.
User Education/Readers Advisory Service
This could be described as training a group of users in the effective use of the library and its resources. It is used to stimulate the users to make greater use of the library and introduces library staff to clientele who might be reluctant to seek their assistance. This is the principal means through which library staff can learn about readers’ needs, opinions and habits. Good communication with readers enables staff to inform and influence readers.
The Media
These involve printed and audio-visual forms of communication and any necessary equipment to render them usable. The Press, radio and television are important means of publicizing information service, since they offer potential of reaching many people from all walks of life. The media are cultivated so that messages are distributed with regularity. Publicity mechanism such as news releases, special events and brochures can also be employed.
The Social Media Groups (SMG)
The Sierra Leone Library Board makes use of the Social media groups such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Watsapp’ as an effective way for publicity in order to put their messages across to users of their services.
Challenges of Marketing Library and Information Services at the SLLB
A lot of challenges have militated against the effective planning and implementation of library marketing programs at SLLB. The following are some of the challenges:
• Inadequate Staff: Although staff numbers have been maintained, the ratio of professional staff is very low. The library is manned mostly by paraprofessionals who mostly lack the skills to plan and implement marketing programs.
• Finance: The library depends heavily on government subsidy. The government has no specific or substantial funds for the running of the library thus the library administration has to foot most of the bills that have to do with marketing. The irregular flow of funds has served as a barrier to the progress of marketing library and information services at the SLLB.
• Lack of standard printed materials and publications: The SLLB lacks most standard printed materials and publications due to poor planning of marketing programs. This negligence has made the library handicapped of public relations tools in the form of printed materials and publications such as newsletters, questionnaires, diaries and calendars.
• Displays are improper and exhibitions seem almost absent: The library depends mostly on donations and most of the books are acquired without jackets. Therefore displaying book jackets in inconsistent. In fact exhibition programs are yet to survive as they are only recently introduced. The library lacks relevant display and exhibition materials to mount these activities.
• Inability to organize frequent Radio Programs: The SLLB lacks media communication facilities. The library cannot frequently organize radio programs on its own because of lack of funds. The absence of radio programs stands out as an acute problem to the progress of marketing programs in the library.
Conclusively, marketing is the instrument that libraries use to transform their aims and objectives into operational plans of action. In most developing countries’ public libraries such as the SLLB, marketing strategies cannot operate properly due to the existence of bottlenecks in planning programs. Good marketing programs actualize the plans and measures necessary for the achievement of goals and objectives.
Dental Care For the Poor
We all know that dentists are highly specialized doctors who deal with all kinds of dental issues; however, his expertise does not limit to only teeth but may also cure other issues related to the mouth such as sore mouth, swollen gums etc.
It is widely believed that visiting a dentist more often for a routine check up is always better than visiting him for any dental issue. Though the fees charged by dentists are high there are some dental care services that may charge you nominal fee and help in getting treated at a low cost.
For those people who find it difficult to pay for their dental checkups, there are dental care organizations where cheap or free of cost dental checkups are done.. Even universities have offers for the poor to take care of their dental issues at a low price or for free. Often projects and camps are conducted by students who are doing the studies of dentistry to offer free or reasonable aid to people suffering from dental problems but can not afford dental care.
You may also come across numerous plans and communities established only for the welfare of poor who are not able to afford dental checkup. There are several NGOs and governmental organizations that can help in curing your dental problems for free or at a nominal cost. There are thousands of recognized dentist who participate in such charity based dental checkup events.
Those people who cannot afford regular dental checkup due to unfavorable financial conditions, it is suggested to opt for dental discount plans. Such plans may be available with most of the dentists. You may receive your membership card which you need to show to your dentist whenever you visit him.
Finding a proper dentist who offers cheap dental care service in your locality, may not be that tough. You may seek advice from your friends and relatives about cheap dental care programs. You may even check in business directories for reasonable or free dental checkup.
There are fair chances that you may find details of some good and reasonable dentist. A search on the internet for low cost dentist or free dental care can help you find affordable dental treatment service in your vicinity.
Buying Home Furniture Online From American Furniture Stores
Buying from American furniture stores is not just being patriotic, but makes sense, particularly if you are buying home furniture online. Even if not, furniture made in America from solid hardwoods such as maple, cherry, hickory and Oak from firms such as Nichols & Stone, Cambridge Mills and Simply Amish is of high quality wherever you buy it.
So why American, and why not import fine English furniture or French classic designs for your home? Some will prefer these of course, but it is hard to beat the solidity of American furniture made using traditional carpentry techniques with traditional American woods. Take quarter sawn oak, for example.
This comes from the same tree as ordinary oak, but the plank is sawn radially into the annual rings. If you imagine a radius drawn from the center of a cross-section of the trunk out to the bark, an ordinary plank is cut across that radius while a quarter sawn oak plank is cut down the radius. It is more expensive because you get fewer planks that way, but the grain is even and the resultant plank of wood less liable to warp.
Many American furniture manufacturers and cabinet makers employ quarter sawn oak for their furniture. Another particularly American wood is the American black walnut. This is a true walnut, unlike the African walnut which is a species of mahogany. So buying American furniture means that you are also buying sustainable American woods, which is good for the environment.
Quality of Craftsmanship
When you buy from American furniture firms such as Cambridge Mills, Nichols & Stone, American Craftsman or Simply Amish, you are buying experience and craftsmanship. Their products are crafted using proper joints, not just glued and screwed together like too much of today’s home furniture.
Yes, glue and screws might come up with a solid structure initially, but how long will it last? Nor just that, but if they cut corners with basic construction where else are they cutting corners? Is their wood properly cured and seasoned, or will it start warping in a few months? Has the seating on your sofa been properly upholstered, with well-tied springs and strong webbing, or will it start falling to pieces after a couple of years? Or is it actually just foam!
The quality of craftsmanship that you get from many American furniture stores can be second to none – or it can be the worst. It is up to you to select your furniture from recognized American furniture stores that are renowned for their quality and standard of craftsmanship. Stores like those mentioned above, or Southwood, Stickley, Sherrill and The Custom Shoppe – all American and all highly regarded.
Buying Home Furniture Online
Many of America’s best furniture manufacturers specialize in their work. It figures that craftsmen who can produce beautiful tables and chairs might not be so good at armoires or beds. Master upholsterers can make a sofa the most comfortable thing you have sat on, but would not know how to produce high quality functional home office furniture.
When buying home furniture, you may not just want to buy furniture for one room – perhaps you want a variety of pieces, which might involve a trip to several furniture stores or even several shopping malls. That is very time-consuming, and we don’t all have unlimited spare time on our hands.
This is where buying home furniture online makes perfect sense. Many online home furniture stores offer the products of a number of different American furniture firms. You can select your furniture from a variety of styles and also choose the firm that specializes in the type of furniture you are seeking. For example, you can purchase a beautiful sleigh bed from Simply Amish and the mattress from Jamison, both marketed on the same online furniture website.
You could also use one of the customization services. Many online home furniture firms offer online room planners. The Custom Shoppe is a perfect example. You enter the dimensions of your room, no matter how irregular, and the empty room plan comes up on your screen. You can then add scale representations of various furniture pieces, so you can find out exactly how and where each piece would fit.
You can choose your sectionals online to suit your room shape. The problem with sectionals is choosing the components most suited to your needs. By combining a room planner with the firm’s range of sectional products, you can buy home furniture online that makes best use of the space available to you – including corners. Buying home furniture online from American furniture stores makes sense, and there are many online that you can use.
Family Healthcare: The Dangers Of A Heart Attack & How To Avoid It
A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely.
If you know the symptoms and the risk factors of a heart attack, you can avoid having one and live a safer, healthier, longer and happier life
Heart attack has been reported to be the number one killer disease among adult Americans aged 50 yrs and older.
Typical symptoms of a heart attack include a crushing pain in the chest, sweating, difficulty breathing, weakness and pain in the arms, particularly the left.
Here are some family healthcare insights on how to prevent heart attacks.
Symptoms one could attribute to something else can cause devastating delays in seeking treatment.
These include feelings of indigestion, back shoulder and neck pain and nausea.
Early signs of trouble may appear during physical activity and disappear with rest.
Any numbness or tingling of the fingers or toes, dizziness, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing should not be ignored.
It is not enough to know the symptoms of a heart attack, which can be wide-ranging and confusing.
It appears that most Americans are oblivious of the risk factors of a heart attack.
It is very important also to know the risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and family history.
Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of surveys show that certain personal characteristics and lifestyles can lead to increased danger of a heart attack.
These danger signs are called “risk factors.”
These well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.
Attempts at modifying risk factors most certainly have contributed to the declining death rate from heart attacks in the United States.
While a few decades ago, U.S. death rates from heart attacks were on the rise, but today’s figures show that incidents of heart attacks have comparatively fallen dramatically.
And, overall, heart-related problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.
This decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable percentage is related to modification of risk factors.
New drugs can stop or limit the damage of a heart attack, but only if the patient gets help immediately, experts say.
Once the flow of blood to a portion of the heart is blocked for several hours, the damage is irreversible.
Medical technology is advancing at an increasingly rapid rate. More drugs and medical technology are available than ever before and the entire population is now more aware of the seriousness of heart attacks.
There has been an increased interest in learning CPR and many community organizations now offer this valuable training.
Of particular concern by doctors and researchers is the role that the American diet plays in the health of one’s heart.
Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some of the reasons for this are known, but others are not.
The major causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories and inadequate exercise.
When caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises the blood cholesterol.
Thus, obesity contributes to higher coronary risk in a variety of ways.
Many of the major risk factors for a heart attack are silent and much of the responsibility for their detection lies with each of us as individuals.
Regular checkups are particularly necessary if there is a family history of heart attacks of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.
May these family healthcare insights help you live a healthy and happy life.
Furniture Buying Tip – Signs of Quality Home Furniture
If you visit home furniture stores, you will find a bewildering array of house furniture. Nearly all of it looks beautiful on the showroom floor, but it can be hard to tell at first glance which furniture will stand the test of time and which will not. Here are some clues to bear in mind the next time you are visiting home furniture stores. These tips can help you decide which furnishings are worth your time and money.
Materials matter when it comes to house furniture. If you have a relatively large home furniture budget, it’s a good idea to look for items that are made of solid hardwoods such as oak, cherry, maple, birch, mahogany, walnut or teak. Softer woods such as pine, cedar, redwood or fir are a good choice if your budget won’t cover hardwood.
For smaller budgets, look for home furniture that is constructed of plywood, rather than particle board. Hardwood veneers over plywood can make very nice, high quality furnishings that are both beautiful and durable. If you can’t afford hardwood veneers, consider purchasing furnishings that utilize durable laminate veneers.
Good materials are an indicator of quality, but even the best materials aren’t worth much if the furniture’s construction is shoddy. Over the years, home furniture makers have developed construction methods that produce extremely durable, sturdy furniture. Unfortunately, some manufacturers have figured out shortcuts that make it easier and cheaper to mass produce house furniture but result in inferior items that will not have the durability of properly constructed pieces.
The points at which separate pieces of wood are connected together, called joints, represent potential weak spots in a piece of furniture. For this reason, strong joints are a good indicator of the quality level of a piece. The highest quality joints are made by carving two pieces of wood so that they lock together when joined. These beautiful joints are found in the finest furnishings. A more budget-friendly but still very strong joint is made by using dowels or screws. Staples are a cheap shortcut, and you should avoid pieces made with them you find any at home furniture stores.
Corners should be reinforced with blocks of wood that can be seen from the inside of the unit. Well-constructed furniture will have back panels attached to the back and dust panels between drawers, so these blocks may not be visible. However, gently nudging the piece will reveal how stable it is. If the blocks are in place, nudging the item should cause very little movement.
Always try the drawers if the piece has them. They should fit their openings well and line up with each other. You should be able to slide them in and out effortlessly, but you should not be able to pull them all the way out of the base. Doors should swing easily and noiselessly and should close neatly.