You know we’ve become a nation that insists on being “connected” at all times when even your grandmother is texting. Phones … email … the Internet. We want it all, and we want it now.

But with consumers jittery about spending on anything but the basics, the question naturally arises: Do you really need a landline phone if you also own a cellphone?

Here are four reasons against pulling the plug:

* Better 9-1-1 location tracking. Dispatch centers can find the exact address where landline calls originated. However, with wireless phones, emergency responders can only pinpoint an approximate latitude and longitude of wireless phones — not exactly comforting if, say, you’re having a heart attack in an apartment building. “Even if we nail your [cellphone] location, we don’t know what floor you are on,” says Steve Marzolf, president of the National Association of State 911 Administrators in a recent MSNBC.com (now NBCNews.com) article.

* Higher reliability. “Frustrating” may be the nicest word to describe the feeling of having an important cellphone call dropped, mid-sentence, due to a poor wireless signal.

* No need to constantly recharge. In what may be the strangest example of the perils of forgetting to recharge a mobile phone, the Washington Post recently reported that police in Silver Spring, Md., tracked down a serial burglar after he left his cell phone plugged in at the scene of his last crime. His own home, it turned out, had lost power in a storm. (See “Higher reliability.”)

* Sweetheart deals. The cost of maintaining a landline is actually plummeting in places where cable companies are offering great deals on phone, TV and Internet.

In fact, price may be spurring many to rethink cutting the cord. But thanks to the convergence of landlines and cellphones, consumers don’t have to answer the “either-or” question. For example, the new VTech DS6521-2 phone with “Connect to Cell” technology is the answer for anyone who wants the best of both worlds (www.vtechphones.com).

You can make and receive both cell and landline calls on this stylish, two-handset cordless phone system. Its one-button pairing feature makes set-up easy.

For those cell phone users who opted for frugality and are now suffering from “Cord Cutters Remorse Syndrome,” you’re in luck. You don’t even need a landline to use it, and outbound calls can be made using cellular minutes while at home — even if your cellular phone is charging.

So, if you’re someone who is entertaining the idea of going solely mobile, just remember that it may not be time to cut the landline cord just yet.

NewsUSA

Most of us have gotten the message that exposing our skin to UV rays without any protection is about as smart as handing a signed blank check to a stranger. But it’s only recently that health experts have seriously begun warning about an equally dangerous threat those rays pose to another part of our bodies: our eyes.

Think about it: The eyes are the only internal body tissues directly exposed to UV. Three hundred and sixty five days a year — no matter how “cloudy” it appears outside — radiation (mainly) from the sun is beaming down on our vulnerable windows to the world.

“The rods and cones of the eye are rich in light-absorbing pigmented molecules called chromophores, making it particularly susceptible to photochemical reactions,” says Dr. Howard Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., former chairman of the Cornea and Contact Lenses Department at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Optometry, noting that even the light produced by indoor fluorescent light bulbs relies on the release of UV radiation. “Over time, damage from UV radiation is cumulative and often irreversible.”

Among the potential effects of long-term exposure:

Cataracts. This progressive clouding of the eye’s lens is the primary cause of blindness worldwide, and recent studies have shown that UV accelerates the deterioration that leads to this age-related condition. Cataract affects more than 22 million people age 40 and older in the U.S. alone.

Eyelid Cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 5-10 percent of all skin cancers are found on the eyelids.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Damage to the blood vessels and corresponding nerves in the retina blurs fine detail and dulls colors.

Alarmed that 94 percent of the population remains unaware of the adverse effect UV radiation has on their eyes, an expert panel recommended the adoption of the eye-care equivalent of the successful systems used to rate skincare and sunscreen products. That’s now being done — in the form of the first-ever “Eye-Sun Protection Factor” (E-SPF) — by Essilor, the nation’s leading manufacturer of optical lenses (www.ESPF.com).

“This means consumers will be able to better evaluate the complete level of eye protection provided by their eyewear,” says Purcell.

E-SPF values vary from a low of two to a maximum of 25 for everyday lenses, with Essilor’s own Crizal No-Glare lenses being the first to attain the most complete daily protection level. For tinted and polarized sun lenses, the same company’s Crizal SunShield UV No-Glare lenses provide the maximum protection level with an E-SPF of 50+.

And, yes, that does translate into 50 times more protection than without wearing any lens.

NewsUSA

By: Jack Russell

With the rising energy costs there has been an increase in interest for energy saving appliances.
Efficent “tankless” water heaters have become very popular for their capability to heat hot water on demand, with no storage tank required.
Instead of holding water in a traditional water tank, they circulate the cold water through a series of electrically heated coils that warm the water as it moves pass this heat source.
This newer process of warming water requires more expensive equipment than the conventional water heater, but this money is regained in the long term with energy efficiency savings.
The energy savings is mainly gained from no longer needing to heat an entire tank of water.

Since the tankless water heaters do not store hot water but rather constantly heat water as it is demanded, they do not run out of hot water.
There is one exception, to this “endless” supply of heated water.
The flow rate is limited.
In other words if you simultaneously use more water than the flow of the water heater (i.e. 3 people showering at one time) you will receive unheated water.

Since conventional water heater stores the water together in a large tank it is able to provide water at a set temperature.
Tankless water heaters differ in this aspect since they are dependent upon the incoming water temperature and the flow rate.
The incoming water temperature can vary greatly from summer to winter.
The capacity of a tankless water heater is generally measured by how many temperature degrees it can increase water temperature by gallons per minute (gpm).
Most tankless water heaters are powered by gas to better handle the heat output and response time required.
These gas powered water heaters require proper venting, normally more venting than the older, conventional water heaters required.
If you are replacing a conventional electric water heater tank, you may want to add a power vent in the side of the wall. This would be the less costly alternative if there is no existing roof vent.
Some of the smaller and more portable single-fixture units are powered electrically.

Author Bio
Jack Russell is a retired construction worker who spends his free time as a freelance writer for sites like www.foremansfinder.com – an industrial resource site.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Pet parenting can be as crazy as it is fun, especially around the holidays. Add the stress of hosting family and friends, and many pet parents end up ignoring Fido or Fluffy in favor of cooking a feast or wrapping last-minute gifts. So, how do you find balance between preparing for the holidays and tending to your pet?

Rose Hamilton — Chief Marketing Officer at Pet360.com, the ultimate pet-parenting destination — offers the following tips to keep your pet top of mind during the holiday season.

* Keep Plants and Goodies Out of Reach: Many traditional holiday plants, like poinsettias and mistletoe, can be harmful to your pet’s health, so be sure to keep these out of reach. Also, refrain from sharing specific holiday treats with your tail-wagger, particularly fruitcake and sugar-free goods, which contain dog-toxic ingredients.

* Decorate Wisely: Holiday decor can be dangerous for pets, so it’s important to take certain precautions when decorating. Place fresh trees in discreet corners, and keep lights, ornaments and tinsel off the lower branches. Deter your pet from electrical cords by spraying the cords with lemon peel or bitter orange tea.

* Mind Your Pet’s Manners: Heightened activity at home can affect your pet’s behavior, so it’s important to prepare. Hosting small gatherings prior to the holiday can help reinforce good manners. If you know your pet won’t hold back his excitement, set aside a safe room with a bed, water, toys and some treats where he can stay during your event.

* Get the Right Travel Gear: Crates are useful for all forms of travel, but if flying, be certain to use an airline-approved shipping crate. Take all health records with you, and ensure that your pet is wearing a collar and tag with appropriate contact information.

* Give Back with Gifts: While toys and treats are always welcomed by our furry relatives, consider a comfortable bed or deluxe grooming session to pamper your pet instead. Older pets may especially benefit from a therapeutic bed or massage.

For more tips on pet parenting around the holidays, visit www.Pet360.com.

NewsUSA

Decorating can be one of the most exciting times during your experience as a homeowner. Not only are you creating the essence of your home, you are also adding your very own personal touch and style.

One of the easiest ways to add unique spice to an ordinarily drab room — incorporate exceptional artwork.

“Many of my clients are simply amazed at how effective a colorful painting can be at bringing new life to a room that has become tired,” says Matthew Johnston, an artist known for his vibrant Tall Tulips paintings (talltulips.com).

However, as easy as it sounds, purchasing and hanging a painting on the center of the wall isn’t going to cut it in most cases. Johnston offers his advice to ensure your next painting purchases work with your room rather than against it:

Large High-Traffic Rooms

For family rooms, living rooms and rooms off the kitchen, Johnston recommends figurative diptych paintings to create a story within each area. Diptych paintings consist of two separate panels that hang together and work as one.

“In my figurative diptych paintings, each figure has their own physical space, yet they are a couple,” says Johnston. “Their face is cropped, and viewers can imagine themselves as being in the painting. The viewer has to look to other parts of the painting to imagine a story … each individual person can create a different story for the painting.”

Awkward Wall Spaces

For stairways, long hallways and between windows, Johnston recommends using a tall, narrow painting, like his Tall Tulips.

“They are perfect for hanging up a staircase,” says Johnston. “You can hang the Tall Tulips at different heights following the risers up the stairs; a great look for a difficult space.”

This style of painting also works well because they are bright and don’t require ideal lighting.

Focal Wall Areas

Spaces like the area over a fireplace will get a lot of attention from passersby. Hanging your prized piece is the perfect step for these spots.

“Many of my clients choose my large floral paintings,” says Johnston. “Oftentimes, they will hang these on a wall which faces the front door … to make an impression when first walking in the home.”

To learn more about Matthew Johnston and his work, visit www.talltulips.com.

NewsUSA

More Awesome Art

We are on the brink of giving the world its largest ocean reserve.

The national marine reserve network covers 40 per cent of our oceans, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.But the reserves leave significant areas and ocean life vulnerable.

Now is the time to ask our environment minister to extend the protection for the creatures living in our majestic, biologically diverse oceans.

Sharks, tuna and wrasse can’t ask for protection, but you can:

http://www.protectourcoralsea.org.au/act-now/sign

This Article was found on The Australian Conservation Foundation web site.
Fish can’t type but you can.
We only have one planet and now is the time to take action.

Playtime is central to a child’s development. Many experts agree that reading, however, is just as important.

According to Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., senior vice president of education outreach for Sylvan Learning, now is the perfect time for learning and discovery. “It’s very important that children continue to practice their academic skills year-round as strong reading skills are incredibly important for all subjects in school. The more children read, the more they’ll enjoy reading, and the better readers they’re likely to become.”

Here are some reading tips from the brain-trust at the National Learning Association and tutoring authority, Sylvan Learning.

* Be a reading role model. By spending time reading, you show your child that reading is both fun and useful.

* Set aside a consistent time each day for reading. Depending on your family’s schedule, reading time might be in the morning, afternoon or before bed. Whatever time you choose, stick to it! Consistency is key to building good habits.

* Let your child make their reading choices. Let kids read whatever they want. Now is a good time to encourage reading about topics they don’t study during school to explore new interests, discover new talents or delve into old hobbies.

* Get your child to savor the book she or he is reading. Don’t rush through a book — take time to enjoy it. Have your child stop and think about plot points and characters. This will develop their analytical skills.

* Set goals and reward effort. Reward reading with more reading. Download the next book in your child’s favorite series on your tablet or Kindle. Let your child peruse library catalogues online for e-books.

* Read the book, then watch the movie. Few things make kids feel more “superior” than comparing and contrasting a movie to the book it’s based on. “That’s not the way it was in the book!” Let them explain the differences, guess why a director made those changes and then discuss which version they preferred.

* Go online for ideas. There are lots of websites for kids’ book choices.
Visit www.BookAdventure.com for reading tips, book suggestions and educational games.

NewsUSA

When the economy nosedived, and companies had reason to be scared, a few businesses got resourceful.

Low incomes and record job losses pushed consumers toward trends like buying in bulk and using group discount websites. And where there was demand, supply soon followed.

In came the success of wholesalers like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s. But warehouse clubs weren’t the only stores seeing growth in bulk sales. Farmers markets, co-ops and natural food stores observed more supersized shopping. Whole Foods said bulk food purchases were growing by approximately 25 percent every year.

That wasn’t the only buying trend to emerge, however.

“The Groupon following led to an explosion of similar sites, like LivingSocial and Dealfind, not to mention all of the city-specific ones,” says Joe Kalfa, the leader of a new movement of group buying called All Our Power.

“You can buy virtually any commodity in bulk and get all kinds of group discounts on spas, restaurants and vacations galore, but what about monthly expenses like car insurance, gas and health care? It seems to me like there’s room for some improvement,” adds Kalfa.

Well, maybe there is.

According to Time magazine’s Moneyland, warehouse club members can save 25 to 35 percent on their food budget. Shoppers who forego packaging altogether and buy food from bins or dispensers save anywhere from 30 to 90 percent over prepackaged products.

Imagine those types of savings applied to insurance policies, gas prices, medical bills, cell phone plans and more.

All Our Power, which seeks to rally 10 million members and secure membership discounts from all kinds of service providers and retailers, could be the next group-buying trend to take flight.

A buzz has already formed around the young movement as consumers worldwide realize the potential benefits of a free membership with access to serious negotiating power.

Are you tired of paying too much for car insurance or gas? You’re not the only one. Sign up and learn more about your buying power at www.allourpower.com. Or, see what others are saying on Twitter @ AllOurPower.

NewsUSA

 

Roofs for Troops: Helping Struggling Military Families

It’s a good thing no one joins the armed forces to get rich because it turns out a higher percentage of military families are in debt than civilians.

And that has one New Jersey company ticked off enough to do something about it.

According to a report by the Financial Industry Regulation Authority’s Investor Education Foundation, 27 percent of military families surveyed admitted having more than $10,000 in credit card debt, compared to 16 percent of civilian adults. And while the foundation noted that “navigating the complexities of today’s economy can be challenging” for anyone, it singled out one issue — frequent moves and deployments — that “further complicate” military families’ finances.

Think about it: Every move from, say, Fort Hood, Texas, to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, means once again having to decide whether to buy a new house, rent or live on base.

And so, to help ease their burden, GAF, the largest roofing manufacturer in North America, is offering $300 rebates throughout 2012 to all active military, veterans and retirees who buy a GAF Lifetime Roofing System and have it installed by one of their factory-certified contractors — with the contractor in many cases kicking in another $300. (The full details can be found at www.gaf.com/military or www.military.com/discounts.)

“We’re honored to be able to give back to the brave men and women who’ve risked their lives to keep our country safe,” says Paul Bromfield, a senior vice president at the company.

How else are military families hurting financially?

* More than one-third of respondents reported having trouble covering monthly expenses and bills.

* About 10 percent of mortgage borrowers admitted having been late on a payment at least once in the two years prior to the survey, and 3 percent said they’d been involved in a foreclosure process over that same period.

* Household expenses exceeded the income of one in seven respondents.

* Only 39 percent of enlisted personnel and junior non-commissioned officers said they’d set aside enough emergency cash to sustain them for three months, with the number higher for senior NCOs (46 percent) and officers (67 percent).

Enraged yet? Well, at least Congress did take steps to cap the interest rate that so-called “predatory lenders” can charge active-duty service members and their families for things like payday loans — though 36 percent isn’t exactly what you’d call low — which enlisted personnel and junior NCOs turn to significantly more often than civilians.

NewsUSA

Savvy consumers are now turning to solar energy to beat utility price spikes.

Thanks to technological advances and attractive rebates, home solar-electric systems are more popular and affordable than ever. Last year, Americans installed 33 megawatts of residential solar systems, enough to power the equivalent of more than 41,000 homes.

In Southern California, Cheryl and Robert Boland faced electrical bills that averaged $300 a month and spiked to nearly $600 during the dog days of summer. Then the Bolands installed solar panels on the roof of their Apple Valley home. “Now our utility bill averages about $1.75 each month,” said Cheryl Boland.

“When I compare the cost of installing the system with what we will save on our bills over the next two decades, solar gives us an incredible return on investment. For us, it was all about the money.”

For homeowners interested in using solar panels to combat high energy bills, here are four important points to consider:

The right installer. Experience and reputation are critical in selecting a solar installer.

The solar professional will not only design your system and install the panels, but he or she will guide you through the process of obtaining tax incentives and rebates, potentially saving you thousands of dollars. To find a qualified installer in your area, visit www.solarworld.com/meltmybill.

Smart system design. A residential solar system must be designed to produce the right amount of power for your home and lifestyle. A good installer will review your previous year’s energy bills along with the orientation and shading of your roof. Check your installer’s credentials for signs of credible certification, for instance, as a manufacturer’s authorized installer.

Reputable panel manufacturer. Because home solar-energy systems should last for at least 25 years, homeowners must know theirs is built to last. Many customers find assurance in purchasing products made by manufacturers with proven longevity. “It was important to us to choose a panel from a long-standing American producer,” Boland said.

Guaranteed power output. A factory process called “plus sorting” ensures that solar panels are tested to meet or exceed their nameplate power rating. Plus, a 25-year linear warranty and 10-year workmanship warranty provide consumer protection.

With these four elements in place, homeowners often experience a 50 percent decrease in their electric bills, and sometimes eliminate their bills completely. For more info on using solar panels at home, visitwww.solarworld.com/meltmybill.

NewsUSA