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  • 8 Energy Saving Tips

    8 Energy Saving Tips

    Our environment is suffering and our resources are depleting because we use too much of everything. If you follow one or all of the tips below, you can actually see real savings on your energy bill.

    In a typical U.S. home, appliances and electronics make up about 20% of energy use. Energy Star labels are strict guidelines created by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency for energy efficiency.

    Light bulbs: Use energy saving CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) instead of the conventional incandescent light bulbs. Although CFLs cost 3-5 times as much as the incandescent light bulb, CFLs only use one-quarter of the electricity and lasts years longer. Each CFL bulb contains 5mg of mercury, so you will have an extra item to sort in the recycling bin.

    Dishes: Never load your dishes in a dishwasher unless they are a full load. Air-dry dishes instead of using a dryer.

    Laundry: Wash clothes with cold or warm water instead of hot water when you can. Instead of using the dryer, air-dry or hang your clothes on a clothes line. Don’t use the dryer unless it houses a full load.

    Refrigerators: Think of what you want to take out before you open the refrigerator. Leaving the door open will waste extra energy.

    Take Showers, less Baths: Taking showers instead of baths will reduce water usage and also lower your heating bill.

    Using a power strip can reduce electricity used to power home appliances. Even when your appliances are turned off, energy is still being consumed from the outlet. To avoid extra energy costs, unplug the appliance or use a power strip.

    Weather-Strip Windows and Doors: Check windows and doors for air leaks. Air leaks can be sealed by caulking or weather-stripping. By securing the leaks in your home, cool and hot air will be kept in your home longer. Less heating and cooling will help you save on energy costs.

    Look for the Energy Star label: Energy Star labels are only given when products and appliances meet strict guidelines of energy efficiency from U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency.

    In a typical U.S. home, electronics and appliances make up about 20% of energy use. Energy Star labels are strict guidelines created by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency for energy efficiency. Light bulbs: Use energy saving CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) instead of the conventional incandescent light bulbs. To avoid extra energy costs, unplug the appliance or use a power strip. Less heating and cooling will help you save on energy costs.

  • Solar: Will It Ever Power Our Vehicles

    Solar: Will It Ever Power Our Vehicles

    As solar power has matured as a technology, companies have started applying it to more than just houses. Acting as an energy platform for our transport was an obvious application.

    Solar: Will It Ever Power Our Vehicles

    As an active technology, one of the first uses for solar power was on NASA spacecraft. Not used for propelling the crafts, interested parties immediately started thinking about using solar power for getting us around in our daily lives.

    The problem is you simply can’t produce enough energy to meet the power needs. Until technology is developed to make the sunlight conversion process much more efficient, there really is not an answer to the problem.

    Quantum dots are a form of nanotechnology that is being developed by numerous companies for solar power applications. This technology essentially tries to create tiny solar robots to convert the sunlight to energy.

    In the meantime, solar power applications are being developed with a focus on hybrids. The basic idea is to use solar power to provide energy to the batteries powering the hybrid cars. Put another way, it is a step towards the ultimate goal. Honda does not discuss its research but is believed to have built a facility solely for this purpose and is dumping money into it hand over foot.

    The creation of viable solar vehicles is dependent on the advances of the underlying technology. Solar hybrids should be on the market relatively quickly. The big breakthrough, however, will be when viable commercial applications are developed using nanotechnology.

    As an active technology, one of the first uses for solar power was on NASA spacecraft. Quantum dots are a form of nanotechnology that is being developed by numerous companies for solar power applications. In the meantime, solar power applications are being developed with a focus on hybrids. The basic idea is to use solar power to provide energy to the batteries powering the hybrid cars.

  • Home Appliances, Select Them On Price Or Energy Efficiency?

    Home Appliances, Select Them On Price Or Energy Efficiency?

    For many people, price is the most important consideration when buying appliances. What they forget, however, is that there are two prices for anything that consumes power, the buying price and the running price. Buying appliances with energy efficiency in mind may cost more up front but save you money in the long run.
    Most modern appliances like refrigerators and washing machines carry a label indicating their energy efficiency. Products which use the least amount of power are qualified to use the “Energy Star” label. This is a government backed program aimed at providing consumers and businesses information about saving energy.
    In order to be labelled, energy efficient, a product must meet certain criteria. For example, refrigerators must use 15% less electricity than the minimum standard set by the federal government. Office equipment must automatically switch to a low-power sleep mode after a certain period of inactivity.


    Almost every major appliance such as air conditioners, freezers, furnaces, and pool heaters qualify for the Energy Star label. Buying an Energy Star product will save you money on your utility bills and will be better for the environment. Using less electricity in the home means less fossil fuel consumed by power producing plants, and less greenhouse gas emissions.
    Will an energy efficient product save you money? Absolutely! Each product has a label which says how much energy it consumes. You can use this information to figure out exactly how much power you will save over the life span of the appliance. Factor in rising energy costs and your savings are even more.
    The energy efficiency of any product is dependent on the engineering of the various parts that use power. An air conditioner has a circulation pump, a fan, and a motor to turn the blades, as well as electronic components for controlling the temperature. Each one of these can be designed to save energy, so the overall energy efficiency is affected by the quality of these components.
    Some local governments offer incentives for people to buy energy efficient products. Be sure to get informed – you may qualify for rebates or low interest loans to purchase these items.

    Buying appliances with energy efficiency in mind may cost more up front but save you money in the long run.
    Most modern appliances like refrigerators and washing machines carry a label indicating their energy efficiency. Almost every major appliance such as air conditioners, freezers, furnaces, and pool heaters qualify for the Energy Star label. Each one of these can be designed to save energy, so the overall energy efficiency is affected by the quality of these components.

  • A Ghillie Suit; a Sharpshooter’s Most Essential Item

    A Ghillie Suit; a Sharpshooter’s Most Essential Item

    Everyone has heard of what camouflage is, but far fewer people have seen a ghillie suit. You might not see it at all unless you are looking hard. When barons would pay men to patrol their properties to repel illegal hunters, the ghillie suit dates back to Scotland. Ghillies, as they came to be known, would get in the bushes and wait for poachers in outfits they would craft from rags and frayed materials.

    Nowadays ghillie suits are used for a number of activities from the deadly act of sharpshooting to the much less deadly game of paintball. The materials used have changed but the concept behind the covering remains the same. Even when the enemy or mark comes within a really close range to them, the modern ghillie suit wearer can remain unseen and look like a pile of sticks in the forest.

    Because of their straightforward concept and high effectiveness, ghillie suits have been associated with sharpshooting. Around the time of the conclusion of the eighteenth century the art of sniping began. To destroy and break the spirits of the enemy, rebels would pick off targets from far-away areas. When weapons became more accurate and a shooter could be over one-hundred meters from their mark, snipers came about.

    The use of snipers in military combat changed the technique in which wars were fought. Officers would stand with troops and give commands during battle before the deployment of snipers. Infantry warfare went from direct engagements to covered, flanking techniques as more commanders were killed. Commanders had to mix and try in with the lower-ranking soldiers to avoid being shot. These tactics took engagements from an open field to locations that had more shelter for both forces such as hills or forests. As more ferocious and far-away techniques were implemented to fight, the code of conduct that military men in the past held onto was forgotten.

    The talent to stay unseen for sharpshooters lies within the ghillie suit; textiles hang down and give the sharpshooter unbelievable camouflage protection. A desert ghillie suit, for example, would appear a lot different than a woodlands ghillie suit.

    Modern day sharpshooters still continue to use the suit for protection and cover while on imperative missions. A well-made suit to cover the shooter is the most essential asset besides the gun. Several times during the escape the shooter will use the camouflage of the ghillie suit to get him out without harm.

    Everyone has heard of what camouflage is, but far fewer people have seen a ghillie suit. The ghillie suit dates back to Scotland when barons would pay men to patrol their properties to repel illegal hunters. The talent to stay unseen for sharpshooters lies within the ghillie suit; textiles hang down and give the sharpshooter unbelievable camouflage protection. A desert ghillie suit, for example, would appear a lot different than a woodlands ghillie suit.

    Several times during the escape the shooter will use the camouflage of the ghillie suit to get him out without harm.

  • Air Guns For Target Shooting

    Air Guns For Target Shooting

    It is important to know the proper procedures for using an air gun since many people use it as a safe means for promoting target shooting, hunting and plinking in the younger generation. The majority of people judge the quality air gun by its accuracy level.
    Air guns are available in different shapes and sizes and you can select from a good variety available. Some air guns come with an option of adjustable trigger, power velocity, shockproof and multiple shots features that are simply not resistible for a passionate shooter. You need to make sure
    that the air gun you are using is stored in a proper unloaded manner and out of the reach of small children.


    Beginners may want to use a sandbag to provide support for the air gun. This helps in maintaining the gun alignment and keeps it steady while the user can concentrate completely on the target. Air guns give you an option to practice indoors or outside in the open. All you need is a good shooting
    range to develop your passion for shooting and leave the rest on your trusted air gun. Air guns can be classified into multi-stroke and
    single-stroke where the latter provides higher amount of accuracy. High-powered air guns are meant for big events like Olympic competitions or for professional military use.
    For normal use, a low powered air gun is the best option. Pre-charged air gun is another common variety with the advantage of multiple shots. It operates with a special hose that supplies compressed air for multiple shots.
    Make sure all shooting ranges are free from any unwanted targets like someone in your neighborhood. All air gun should be treated with respect because a slight careless mistake may have a disastrous impact on the target. The “On Safe” mode provides safeguards to both its user
    and the external environment. Take your air gun to the a.repeatable dealer if it needs to be repaired.
    Do not attempt to dissemble your air gun. If the surface. gets worn out or damaged with use, you might feel a need to.replace the backstop.
    All shooters should wear shooting glasses while using air.
    guns to avoid any unwanted circumstances. Air guns should.
    not be aimed at water surfaces or a hard surface that can.
    eventually cause the pellet to bounce on someone or.
    something you had not targeted.

  • Useful Self Help Resources

    Useful Self Help Resources

    For establishing a guide to health and wellness, a person has many resources at their disposal that will provide help them in many areas. Most illnesses occur from exposure to outside sources but people are more susceptible to the illnesses because they lack the proper diet and nutrition to fight off the diseases naturally. The self-help efforts of medical professionals, healthcare administrators, and family can have a dramatic effect on the life of an individual.

    Some medical professionals might recommend a vitamin regimen to improve the immune system. They might also recommend that a sleep study takes place to rule out any sleep disorders that might be affecting the person’s health. Vitamins, nutritional supplements, and the proper amount of sleep each night can enhance the body’s immune system and diminish the threat of illnesses dramatically. Identifying the causes for some symptoms might require a lifestyle study of the individual.

    People can access information about nutritional supplements through a multitude of websites established on the internet. The internet is filled with millions of self-help resources that are reliable and will give the correct dosages of vitamins that will give a person more vitality and improve their quality of life. There are many articles about health and wellness published throughout the year and people can gain access to these self-help resources by purchasing a newspaper each day.

    People can use health and fitness magazines as self-help resources to learn about healthy diets or they can turn to health care professionals who specialize in nutrition and can supply several diet plans that will be quite suitable for people of all sizes and shapes. Using these self-help resources at any time is quite easy because they do not look out of place in a work or home environment. Health and fitness magazines are widely accepted self-help reference materials that are affordable and can be useful to every member in the family.

    The subscription rates for self-help magazines make them one of the best self-help tools available to the public today. Any type of deficiency can be improved upon with the help of the self-help tools in these articles.

    Some people use internet chat rooms as a self-help resource. This type of fiber therapy is a great tool for friends to use to help those that suffer from some mental disorders and the chat rooms serve as a low cost method of finding self-help support for many problems.

    There are many articles about health and wellness published throughout the year and people can gain access to these self-help resources by purchasing a newspaper each day.

    People can use health and fitness magazines as self-help resources to learn about healthy diets or they can turn to health care professionals who specialize in nutrition and can supply several diet plans that will be quite suitable for people of all sizes and shapes. The subscription rates for self-help magazines make them one of the best self-help tools available to the public today. Some people use internet chat rooms as a self-help resource.

  • Making Volleyball Drills Effective

    Making Volleyball Drills Effective

    The volleyball drill is supposed to do several things. And, the volleyball drill is also necessary to teach players how to react during a game in certain situations. Why is it then that players hate to do the volleyball drill?
    It could be that they do not understand what they are trying to learn from the volleyball drill either. In this case, provide them with the knowledge they need and they will improve faster during the volleyball drill.
    There are several types of volleyball drills that need to be considered for every level of player.

    • Attacking is one volleyball drill every player needs to have. In this case, some volleyball drills that could be done include approach and attack, drills that will teach middles to follow the ball and beat the ball to the setter, cover self, defense to hitting transition as well as others.
    • A key element that should be taught through a volleyball drill or two is control. There are many types of drills here including 2 X 2 tip drill, 4 X 2 Pepper as well as cross court pepper and a number of others all to teach ball control through volleyball drills.
    • Defense volleyball drills are crucial to the successful game. From teaching aggressiveness, to practice digging balls to the responsibilities of players, these volleyball drills are necessary.
    • Other important skills that your volleyball team needs to learn through the volleyball drill includes blocking, passing, setting and serving.
      Probably the most important of all volleyball drill options is the team drill. All teams need to learn to work together, not to work individually, at making the team a success. Only then can a volleyball drill be effective at teaching students how to win. Both coaches and players can find awesome drills to use to teach these techniques online.

    And, the volleyball drill is also necessary to teach players how to react during a game in certain situations. Why is it then that players hate to do the volleyball drill?
    Probably the most important of all volleyball drill options is the team drill. Only then can a volleyball drill be effective at teaching students how to win.

  • Training To Be A Better Court Volleyball Player

    Training To Be A Better Court Volleyball Player

    To be a great court volleyball player you need to be powerful, energetic, graceful, and able to handle the ball with finesse. Training for an upcoming season of competitive court volleyball requires a diverse regimen of strength training, endurance building, and technique improvement.

    Many people who want to improve their volleyball game spend a lot of time practicing important moves like spiking the ball and serving. These are the fundamentals of the game, and unless you can serve accurately and spike with a lot of force, you will probably not be able to lend your team very much support. It is important to gain some mastery of these elements of volleyball before you start to focus on other, less crucial aspects of your performance.

    It is important to train both the lower and the upper body to be a great volleyball player. You will need strong arms and shoulders in order to send the ball flying, so weight lifting to improve your biceps and other upper body muscles is a key part of any volleyball training regimen. Strong legs are the powerhouse that fuel a good volleyball team member.

    Court volleyball is very much about being able to move quickly while avoiding collisions with other players. Any volleyball athlete can benefit from improving his or her reflexes.

    Most injuries on the court happen when players crash into each other while running, jumping, or diving for the ball. If you can learn to respond instantaneously to the movements of other players you will able to protect yourself and your teammates from this kind of common, and often painful, mishap.

    To be a great court volleyball player you need to be powerful, energetic, graceful, and able to handle the ball with finesse. Training for an upcoming season of competitive court volleyball requires a diverse regimen of strength training, endurance building, and technique improvement.

    You will need strong arms and shoulders in order to send the ball flying, so weight lifting to improve your biceps and other upper body muscles is a key part of any volleyball training regimen.

  • Strength Train For A Longer Life

    Strength Train For A Longer Life

    Strength training can be beneficial for all age groups. It is a great form of exercise that can really improve quality of life and help fight off disease and injury.

    A lot of the health benefits you get from exercise in general can be derived through strength training. It decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and increases insulin sensitivity, to name a few.

    Strength training can be really beneficial to mental health. It is a good stress reliever. Throwing some metal around is a great way to unwind after a hard day at the office.

    It has great benefits on the musculoskeletal system and can help treat and prevent back pain, ankle, shoulder and knee problems. Strengthening the muscles around a joint can help take the strain off joints. The knee is a great example, by strengthening the quadriceps and hamstring muscles you are taking some of the load off the joint.
    Strength Training for the Elderly

    Strength training is a great form of exercise for an elderly population. Falls are a big issue in elderly, and fractured pelvis can have a shocking effect on an elderly person’s life. Strength training is beneficial in helping to prevent falls. The stronger you are, the more easily you catch yourself if you are off balance. Strength training also increases bone density, which means if you have a fall you are less likely to break as bone.

    Strength training can involve unilateral exercises. These are basically exercises done on 1 leg, such as lunges, single leg squats, standing hip extension and abduction. By standing on one leg you are challenging balance. Maintaining your balance as you age is a big part of preventing falls.
    Strength Training for Athletes

    Virtually all sports have some dependence on maximal strength. It underpins performance in almost every sport. Sports such as football and rugby have an obvious need for a high level of maximal strength, but all sports from tennis to baseball rely on it to help improve performance.

    Athletes use a variety of methods in strength training. Machine weights, free weights, dumbells, barbells, kettle balls, resistance bands are all available and useful tools in helping developing strength.

    Strength training can not only enhance athletic performance, it can also help prevent injury. Most sports involve large amounts of force being produced and also absorbed by the body. Strength training can prepare tendons, muscles and ligaments to cope this high level of force experienced during sport.

    A good strength training program also ensures that proper balance is maintained between muscle groups. Correct balance between opposing muscle groups ensures good posture, which leads to efficient movement, as well as helping prevent injury.

    Strength training is a great form of exercise for an elderly population. Strength training is beneficial in helping to prevent falls. Strength training can involve unilateral exercises. Strength training can not only enhance athletic performance, it can also help prevent injury. Strength training can prepare muscles, ligaments and tendons to cope this high level of force experienced during sport.

  • Why Flirting is Important to Relationships

    Why Flirting is Important to Relationships

    What is flirting? Are you good at it? Do you recognize it when someone is flirting with you? Is flirting harmful to relationships or good for them? Some people think that flirting is harmful, but I am here to tell you why flirting is important to relationships. Before we can talk about why flirting is important to relationships, however, we must first identify what flirting is.

    Flirting is a form of communication that happens between two people that indicates the other is playfully interested in either getting to know the other one better or taking the relationship a little farther. Flirting can be a shy smile with down turned face and upturned eyes. Okay, so now that we all know what we are talking about, it is time to learn why flirting is important to relationships.

    Of all, flirting is important to relationships early on; it is flirting that begins relationships.If no one ever flirts, no one ever knows that the other person is interested, and the relationship never gets started.

    Flirting early on is also important because it makes you feel as if you are attractive. It is a joyful game that makes people feel good and want to get to know you better; which is why flirting is important to relationships early on.

    Later, flirting is important to relationships because it signals an intimate connection to your partner. Nothing makes a woman feel better than to know that she and her man have a lingering connection, and nothing can bring up that feeling in her quite like an innocent-but-more flirt from across the room at a crowded gathering. It is as if the whole world disappears for just a moment and there is nothing and no one but the two people involved.

    Studies show that flirting is important to relationships even when the relationship has been ongoing for years; that is because it makes the couple feel good about themselves, their partner, and the relationship in general. Why is flirting important to relationships?

    It keeps a little sizzle going and makes you feel great, sexy, and wanted. So the next time you are enduring a boring-but-necessary business event or sitting through your niece’s graduation party or getting ready to go to the grocery store, remember why flirting is important to relationships and give your spouse or significant other a little pinch on the butt or a quick little wink of the eye. Trust me, it will work wonders and bring a little spice to your love life.

    Some people think that flirting is harmful, but I am here to tell you why flirting is important to relationships. Before we can talk about why flirting is important to relationships, however, we must first identify what flirting is.

    It is a joyful game that makes people feel good and want to get to know you better; which is why flirting is important to relationships early on.

    The next time you are enduring a boring-but-necessary business event or sitting through your niece’s graduation party or getting ready to go to the grocery store, remember why flirting is important to relationships and give your spouse or significant other a little pinch on the butt or a quick little wink of the eye.