Basic Landscaping Principles

Landscaping is one of the hardest tasks that many homeowners do not have any knowledge about. And as a result, they often just hire a landscaping expert to help them achieve what they really want for their garden or lawn. But for homeowners who would rather try to do it themselves, here are the basic landscaping principles you can use as your guide.

- Simplicity. Start with simple designs and from there, create your own landscape. When choosing a landscape design, always consider the weather in your area, the soil type and other environmental and physical factors.

- Line. Deciding for the lines in doing your landscape is very important. Curvilinear design is the most common but it can also be the most difficult one to master as you need to be very creative in expressing the shape of your landscape.

- Focal point. In every landscape, there is always that focal point that instantly catches the attention of the people. Decide whether to use a plant or a garden ornament as your focal point. Usually, people go for a fountain, a shrub or a pond.

Trivia Info Resource: www.greenacresgroup.net

Common Weeds Found In Connecticut

In general, not all weeds are intrinsically bad; there are some that many people consider lovely.  Weeds are like other plants but when they start growing in your lawn or garden and they are not controlled, they can overpower the plants you are trying to grow.  If the weeds are strong enough and left on their own, they can cause overcrowding and depletion of the soil nutrients and moisture that should be available to your grass or garden plants.

Weeds In Connecticut

If you live in Connecticut, below are the types of weeds you will commonly see on lawns and gardens:

Barnyard grass – These are weeds that have a spreading, flattened base with maroon coloration. They also have thick stems and smooth leaves. When left unchecked, they may grow up to 5 feet tall. Its Seed heads are usually colored green or purple and more than 1 ft. in length.

Cheat grass – Cheat grasses are characterized by their branched base with stems that usually display red coloration. Its blades are flat and both leaves and sheaths are covered with soft hairs. They can grow rapidly from seed, maturing within 2 months. They can also grow to a height of up to 2 feet.

Giant foxtail – They are clump-forming annual grasses with long, bristly, slightly drooping seed heads that look like a fox’s tail. They grow upright and may reach 3 to 4 feet tall. Its leaves can reach up to 16 inches long and are covered with many small hairs on the upper leaf surfaces.

Perennial ryegrass – These are coarse, bunching grasses with broad, hairless leaf blades that have protruding parallel veins on the upper surface. The leaves are glossy on the underside and they can grow up to 18 inches. Its seed head is a single spike with alternating smaller spikes.

Info source: www.kclandscapingct.com

Most Common A/V System Accessories To Invest In

Audio video system or A/V system is not only used in business presentations and seminars. It is also being used these days in most homes. Homeowners who are so into home entertainment invest in A/V system and have it set up in a certain room that is built specifically for that purpose. They call it their home theater or entertainment room. And aside from the A/V system itself, homeowners also invest in accessories that make the A/V system even more powerful. Here are some of the most common ones:

- Wireless keyboard mouse. This is used to navigate the screen freely without the inconvenience of a wire connected to the device.

- Projector lamps. This is used to make the images or video a lot bigger without compromising its quality.

- Screen trolley or rack. For people who want a sophisticated design for their home theater, a screen trolley or rack is recommended.

- Wi-Fi speakers. This is for better sound quality inside the room using Wi-Fi connection.

These are the most common accessories that many homeowners buy for their A/V system to complete their home theater experience.

Trivia Info Resource: www.avc.ae

Bits And Pieces About The History Of Dental Veneers

Dental veneers offer a chance for individuals to “reset” their teeth. This happens by getting rid of old canvas, or your current flawed tooth. A veneer is a way by which you could completely replace and cover up the surface of your teeth.

Veneers are made of thin, custom-made shells that can be bonded to the surface of a tooth. They are made of either porcelain or composite resin. A veneer completely covers the original tooth with a realistic-looking replacement. It effectively alters the outside layer of the tooth by changing its color, shape, and size, giving it a more appealing appearance.

Dental veneers were invented in 1928 by a dentist based in California, Charles Pincus. At that time, they were created for a film shoot to change the appearance of an actor’s teeth. Several years later, in 1937, Pincus designed acrylic veneers with dental adhesive, made for temporary use.

Although the early dental veneers can give patients a beautiful “Hollywood smile”, they came with bonding and longevity issues. A solution was discovered in 1959 by Dr. Michael Buonocore. He introduced etching of porcelain veneers to improve bonding.

Further research made by Simonsen and Calamia in 1982 yielded the results that porcelain veneers could be etched with hydrofluoric acid. The strength of the bond could be stable enough to attach the veneers permanently.

Veneers today can now last between 10-30 years due to better cements and bonding agents. They are one of the most popular cosmetic and aesthetic dental solutions nowadays.

Info source: www.apaaesthetic.ae

World’s Most Bizarre Events

Every year, there are numerous events that are happening each day around the world. You would want to witness one of the most amazing events that you are indeed missing out. These events may inspire you to know what else is really out in the world.

La Tomatina – This event is being held at Bunyol, Spain every 26^th of August. Each year, about 30,000 people assemble to participate in the largest tomato fight in the world. 5 massive tomato-packed rockets are being exploded in the air to start the fight. This event has 2 rules – only tomatoes can be thrown and you need to squish every tomato prior to throwing it so that its force against you won’t cause injury to your target’s head.

Oktoberfest – This is otherwise known as the celebration of beer. This is considered the biggest festival in the world with more than 6 million people attending every year. This event happens from September 19 to October 4 annually in Theresienwiese, Germany. Approximately over 6L of beer is being consumed in the beer gardens. The event starts on the first Saturday with a procession of tent concessionaries that are pulled by gigantic horses.

Songkran – This is the celebration of the Buddhist New Year that lasts for 3 full days in April in Thailand. The goal of this event is to cleanse everybody and everything in sight. To douse everything in water is the main way of cleansing. Participants will be armed with water guns, hoses or buckets so they can get the other wet.

Trivia Info Resource: www.emdiworld.ae

Most Bizarre Wedding Themes

People have different ideas and plans for their own wedding. Some may want a grand wedding with all the lights and fireworks while others just want a simple one with the closest family and friends to witness their big day. No matter what your choice is, no one should judge you or tell you what and how to plan your own wedding.

With this being said, there are some weddings listed as the most bizarre ones. Check out some of them below:

- The superhero wedding. This is when the bride, the groom, the entourage and even the guests are all dressed as their favorite superhero.  This theme may be weird to most people but this actually happened in an England wedding where the couple is dressed as superheroes with the wife as WonderWoman and the groom as Batman.

- The just-show-up-naked wedding. This happened in Australia when a couple just won an all-expense wedding ceremony from a local radio station on the condition that they have to be married naked. This does not necessarily mean “all the way” naked though as the bride wore a veil and some flowers to cover her private parts and the groom wore just a hat to cover his private part as well.

- The zombie wedding. Currently, this is one of the most bizarre wedding themes today. Because of the popularity of the show “The Walking Dead”, many couples decide to have this zombie themed wedding where the bride, the groom and the entourage are required to dress as the undead.

Trivia Info Resource: www.crockwellfarm.co.uk

The Top 3 Misconceptions About Chiropractic Care

A lot of people can attest to the various ways chiropractic treatment has helped them overcome different health and physical conditions. Chronic back pain, headaches and migraine, asthma, and sciatica are just some of the maladies that can be effectively treated by chiropractic care.

Unfortunately, there are still many people who have a lot of misconceptions about chiropractic care. The top misconceptions are:

1. All forms of chiropractic treatments are painful – Most patients will find chiropractic adjustment is more comfortable than expected. This is because chiropractors are trained and know how to relax the spine and when pressure must be applied for a pain-free adjustment. In rare cases, a certain amount of discomfort may be felt by the patient but it is hardly substantial enough to result in any feeling of pain.

2. Chiropractic treatments are dangerous – A lot of people fear to undergo chiropractic care because they believe it can damage the body and expose them to more serious risks or illness. They also think that this danger comes from the misconception that chiropractors are not licensed doctors. The truth is, chiropractors are doctors and are medical professionals. As such, they are trained, educated, and licensed – making them competent in performing their treatments safely and effectively.

3. Once you see a chiropractor, you’ll have to keep going back for consultation and treatment forever - Many people think that when they initially go to the chiropractor, they will be required or at least advised to continue seeing them weekly for the rest of their life. In reality, chiropractors do not require or advise patients to come in for continuous care if symptoms are not present.

Info source: www.bodyinbalance.com.au

The Most Popular German Luxury Car Brands

Michael Schumacher. Nico Rosberg. Sebastian Vettel. These are just 3 of the most famous, talented, and award-winning race car drivers in the world that Germany is proud of. And in addition to these professional race car drivers, Germany is also known for their various brands of luxury cars.

Germany is indeed known for great and fast drivers and cars. But which German brands of luxury cars are the most popular and sought-after around the world? These are:

BMW

BMW has led the sales in luxury cars in various countries for several years now. Last year, BMW was considered the top-selling luxury brand in the USA in terms of sales. Their most popular models include the 7 Series, the compact 1 Series, the BMW X3, and their first fully electric vehicle, the BMW i3.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz’s M-Class is a popular choice for luxury German vehicles. This model was first introduced in 1997. It is a mid-size luxury SUV and has undergone various changes over the years. In 2015, the M-Class was rebranded as the GLE-Class as part of Mercedes-Benz’s lineup restructuring.

Audi

This German brand has various models that are well-known worldwide. The S3 and S6 are the most popular ones under the Sports model. The A3, A4, and A5 are their most sought-after Compact Executive Vehicles.

Info source: www.ts-export.com

The Top 3 PR Trends Of 2016

PR trends also usually come and go every year. This year, as of now, there were three PR trends that stood out. These are:

1. The growing popularity of thought leadership development and execution. Thought leadership is one of the newer marketing trends wherein business leaders and companies position themselves as leaders in their spaces and, this in turn, serves as a great framework for related PR tactics and campaigns. Under this trend, business leaders and organizations have to control the original content around their brands. When companies focus on thought leadership, they can surround their campaign and audience with the right kind of content.

2. The decline of the traditional press release. PR and marketing experts say that you are only wasting your resources if you’re still writing and distributing traditional press releases to journalists and outlets to get them to cover your news. Nowadays, it is now more essential for PR professionals and marketers to embrace new and different ways of getting news about their offerings and accomplishments to their audience. Using social media, for one, is a more efficient and effective way of sharing news today. 

3. Content amplification is crucial. Although there are now plenty of channels to promote your messages, you still have to know how to leverage and amplify your content to get more people to read it. This all starts with the quality of the content you’re trying to get in front of your audience. PR experts say that if you start with good content, amplifying it to your targeted audience becomes much easier, and you’ll find even more avenues for distribution.

Info source: wma-Dubai.com

Why Venture Into Online Business

One of the best ways to achieve a more stable future is starting your own business. Working and relying on your salary alone will no longer work these days. You have to think of a better way to secure your future and your family’s future financially and venturing into online business is a smart idea.

- Online business is now becoming a trend. More and more people do their shopping online. Although there are some who are still comfortable with traditional shopping such as going to a grocery store or any shop to buy something, more and more people are seeing the advantages of shopping online.

- Online business provides better option for business owners. Aside from the low maintenance factor, business owners are also able to reach out to more customers online. Hey have better options when it comes to the products they offer and the mode of payment.

- Online business saves time, money and effort. This is for both the business owner and the consumers. As compared to traditional shopping, you can greatly save time, money and effort when you sell and shop online.

Trivia Info Resource: heyflux.com

Brown Fat – What Is It?

White fat makes up the majority of the fat in your body. It is used to store any excess calories you consume. But did you know about brown fat?

Brown Fat Facts

Brown fat is a special type of fat that is found in the body in small amounts. It can burn calories at a very high rate. You just have to know how to activate your brown fat cells so weight loss can speed up.

Under the right conditions, brown fat can burn calories to produce heat. When it is fully activated, it can generate 300 times more heat than any other tissue in the body. Did you know that only 2 ounces of brown fat can burn several hundred calories each day? This is equivalent to a 30-minute bout of exercise.

Brown fat is often located in the sides of the neck and in the region above the collarbone. Other usual locations will include the upper back and along the sides of the upper spine. Due to the fact that they are so small and that they lie deep under the skin, they do not appear as bulges.

How To Activate Brown Sugar

Expose your skin to cool temperatures – Researchers discovered that sitting in a 59°F room for about 2 hours with your summer clothing will help stimulate brown fat to burn 100-250 calories. A Japanese research team, on the other hand, found that people aged 38 and under showed signs of brown fat activation in a 66°F setting.

Consume more apples with the peel on – Apple peels contain ursolic acid in high concentrations. This substance increases brown fat and muscle mass. Also, it reduces obesity and improves glucose tolerance. Other foods containing ursolic acid will include plums, blueberries, basil, thyme, and cranberries.

Trivia Info Resource: www.bodysmart.ae

The Usual Types Of Corrosion

Corrosion is a natural process which is caused by the transformation of iron from its natural state to steel. Steel is fundamentally an unstable state of iron and corrosion is the process of iron returning to its natural state. The driving force of corrosion in this product is the energy used during the refining process.

The kind of corrosion that develops in metal products is based on how a part is used and the conditions it is exposed to. Below is an overview of the usual types of corrosion:

Galvanic corrosion – This is the most common type of corrosion and occurs when two metals with different electrochemical charges are linked through a conductive path. Galvanic corrosion occurs when metal ions move from the anodized metal to the cathodic metal. It can also come up when one impure metal is present. If a metal contains a combination of alloys that has different charges, one of the metals can become corroded. The anodized metal, which is the weaker, less resistant one, loses ions to the stronger, positively charged cathodic metal and thus corrosion happens.

General corrosion – This type of corrosion happens as a result of rust. If metal, particularly steel, is exposed to water, the surface becomes oxidized and a thin layer of rust appears. Like galvanic corrosion, general corrosion is also electrochemical. In order to prevent oxidation, a preventative coating must interfere with the reaction.

Stress-corrosion cracking or SCC – A metal product or component can experience SCC along the grain boundary subjected to extreme tensile stress. Because of this, cracks can form, which are the usual targets of corrosion. SCC is usually caused by stress from cold work, welding, and thermal treatment.

Info source: cortec-me.com