Keep The Flooring Options Simple

Keep The Flooring Options Simple

There are many different types of flooring on the market these days, and sometimes it may feel that you’re spoiled for choice. However, when it comes to choosing flooring for everyday domestic needs there are really only two types of flooring that you need to look at in most cases, and these are vinyl flooring and laminate flooring. These two choices will usually give you everything you need in order to make most rooms in your house look presentable and give you some extra benefits into the bargain.

First off, vinyl flooring is one of the best things you can fit in either the kitchen or the bathroom. For a start it can look really good, since there are many different patterns now available in this flooring style, and also the material can be made to look like wood or even ceramic in some cases. Some vinyl floor tiles are now so realistic looking that it can fool someone into thinking that you have actually installed a real wood floor. But the best thing about vinyl is the fact that it is very easy to maintain and to keep clean. This is especially important if you have children, who really do tend to spill things all the time. With a vinyl floor all you need to do in most cases is wipe it with a damp cloth and it comes up looking as good as new.

However, vinyl flooring may not be to everyone’s liking, and when it comes to choosing flooring for somewhere such as the lounge and you want a far more authentic feel to the floor, it is probably worth looking at laminate as a good choice. As with vinyl flooring, there are now a huge number of designs available, many made to replicate some of the classic wood patterns such as oak, chestnut, and mahogany. If you are looking for a light look to your lounge then you can choose something such as pine, but if you have traditional furniture it may be worth while looking at something such as mahogany which will give a far darker look. One of the main suppliers of laminate flooring is DuPont flooring, and simply by looking at the range available from this supplier can often be all that you need.

Many people will think you have to look at a range or flooring styles in order to make your house look good. But as outlined above you really do not need much then laminate flooring or vinyl tiles in order to make a really good design impression as well as having a floor that is easy to maintain and clean. The good thing about these two materials is that they’re also easy to install, and so if you fancy doing a bit of DIY they could be right up your street.

<div class=SpaceX scrubs Falcon I rocket launch
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SpaceX scrubs Falcon I rocket launch

Monday, November 28, 2005

SpaceX called off the much-delayed inaugural launch of their new Falcon 1 rocket on Saturday from Kwajalein’s Omelek Island launch site. The intent was to launch the U.S. Air Force Academy’s FalconSat 2 satellite, which will monitor plasma interactions with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere.

The launch was delayed, then finally cancelled after an oxygen boil-off vent had accidentally been left open. The oxygen was unable to cool the helium pressurant, which then proceeded to evaporate faster than it could be replenished. A main computer issue, probably serious enough to cause a scrub on its own, was also discovered.

This long-anticipated flight was originally expected to be launched in January 2005, however a series of setbacks forced a series of delays, with the flight most recently scheduled to be in early 2006. It was intended to be launched from the Kwajalein atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The maiden voyage was originally intended to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with a Naval Research Laboratory satellite and a Space Services Incorporated space burial payload.

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<div class=Medal-seeking Spanish men arrive at 2014 Goalball World Championships
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Medal-seeking Spanish men arrive at 2014 Goalball World Championships

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Spain’s men’s national goalball team arrived in Espoo, Finland Friday for the start of the 2014 IBSA Goalball World Championships. The team comes into the tournament with the goal of securing a medal, which would qualify them for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. The team missed the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Head coach Francisco Monreal said, “The objective is to reach the medal round, and qualify directly for the 2016 Games, but we need to be realistic and not think game by game, we can get a surprise. […] The competition will be decided in one game, head or tails, where it doesn’t matter what happened before. ((es))Spanish language: ?el objetivo previsto es alcanzar las medallas y clasificarnos directamente para los Juegos de 2016, pero hay que ser realistas y como no vayamos pensando partido a partido, nos podemos llevar una sorpresa. […] La competición se decidirá en un partido a cara o cruz, como son los cruces de cuartos, y donde no sirve de nada lo realizado en la primera fase

Coming into the competition, the team was ranked eleventh in the world based on the IBSA Unofficial rankings published late last month, down one spot from the April rankings. The team is scheduled to play their first game against the ninth ranked United States men’s team on Monday morning, before playing twenty-first ranked Germany later in the afternoon. Their other scheduled competitors in pool play are top ranked Iran, third ranked Algeria, seventh ranked Finland, twelfth ranked Czech Republic and twentieth ranked Ukraine. The team needs to finish in the top four in their group to advance to the second round.

The team’s roster includes Jose Daniel Fernández, Cristian Santamaria, Félix Vargas, Roman Martínez, Jesús Santana, and Javier Serrato. They are led by head coach Monreal, with assistant coach Carles Estrany and physiotherapist José Bravo. The team is drawn from around the country, with Santana playing for a club in the Canary Islands, Serrato playing for Valencia, Fernández for Madrid area Chamartín, Santamaría for Cantabria, Vargas coming from Barcelona and Martínez from Aragón.

Absent from the 2012 Summer Paralympics, the last major international competition the team competed in was the 2010 Goalball World Championships in Sheffield, England where the team finished fifth. In last year’s IBSA European Goalball Championships in Turkey, the team finished second, behind World Championship hosts and Paralympic gold medalists Finland.

Goalball was created in 1946, exclusively for people with a visual disability and designed to help with the rehabilitation of veterans returning from World War II. Play in the Paralympics consists of two twelve-minute periods, with a three minute break between halves. Players are blindfolded to ensure all are equally visually handicapped on-court, and the game can be stopped to ensure goggles are properly fitted. Standing in front of a long goal, they throw the ball at the opposition team’s net who in turn try to block it by listening to the ball, which contains a bell, and using their bodies to prevent the ball from going in. The audience is asked to remain silent during play.

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<div class=Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group
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Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group

Thursday, November 7, 2019

On Monday, Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar Nemzet revealed a deal whereby, on October 29, Hungarian state-owned enterprise HDT Védelmi Ipari Kft. (HDT Limited) acquired Austrian mortar and shell manufacturer Hirtenberger Defence Group. Hirtenberger Defence Group also acknowledged the deal.

In the deal, Austrian, United Kingdom and New Zealand production sites are to be kept, with market sales expected to cover for the price in the long run. A government-guaranteed loan covered the costs, but the exact figure was kept secret.

The November 4 issue of Magyar Nemzet published an interview with Gáspár Maróth, the Hungarian Government commissioner responsible for defence, defence industries and coordinating defence modernization, in which the deal was announced. On the same day, the Hirtenberger Defence Group issued a corresponding press release.

While not naming any other bidders, Maróth said the Hungarian bid won after lengthy negotiations, out of mulitple competing offers. He said he expects no political turmoil between the neighboring Austria and Hungary over the sale. He also noted the acquisition fits into the Hungarian “outward investment” ((hu))Hungarian language: ?t?kekihelyezési strategy of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The Austrian partner asked for the price to be kept secret, but the commissioner stated the purchase was financed by a loan, so it is not a burden on the state budget. With government resolution No. 1430/2019, the state issued an indemnity bond to cover for HDT’s 38.8 million euro loan, and daily Népszava covered the story with a headline pointing out that amount as the presumed price. The creditor Hungarian Development Bank is state-owned as well. Already-queued orders won’t leave idle capacity for some years, Maróth said, and paying back this loan seems realistic; unnamed industry experts called this dubious to Népszava, as the market is saturated and margins are thin, while noting this kind of equipment is needed by the Defence Forces.

The company structure remains unchanged and all sites continue to operate, but Hungarian engineers are to join the research and development team. Maróth pointed out it would have been much more costly and time-consuming to research mortar technology than to acquire it this way. He noted, “the army modernization does not just cover buying ‘hardware’ but technology transfer as well.” ((hu))Hungarian language: ?a hader? modernizációja a „vas” megvétele mellett a tudástranszferre is kiterjed.

Népszava noted the purchase appeared to circumvent the Ministry of Defence. HDT Limited was registered on August 6, 2019 and is under the aegis of Hungarian National Asset Management, Inc.

To modernize its military, in 2018, Hungary licensed Czech firearm technology and started assembling firearms in Kiskunfélegyháza, then agreed with Airbus to open a helicopter parts factory as a joint venture in Gyula.

US President Trump has called for NATO members to increase military spending. According to a March 14, 2019 NATO press release, Hungary spent an estimated 1.15% of its GDP on military expenditures in 2018; NATO guidelines call for 2%. Maróth noted the military had been “effectively disarmed” ((hu))Hungarian language: ?gyakorlatilag lefegyverzett by 2010, when Viktor Orbán regained the prime ministry of Hungary for his second term. Hungary launched a military development program dubbed “Zrínyi 2026” in 2017 to address structural and financial challenges faced by the Defence Force and to renew its equipment.

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How To Maintain Your Silver Jewelry

How To Maintain Your Silver Jewelry

How to Maintain Your Silver Jewelry

by

Zensilver

Silver is known for its beauty and versatility. It is widely used to make different kinds of artifacts, dinnerware, and cutlery, etc. Jewelry like silver ring and silver bracelet is the most popular and well-known form of silver. The elegant luster of silver is what makes it very popular for jewelry production. But like most other metals, silver develops stains and tarnish over time. That is why it is important to clean your precious silver jewelry to avoid damage. Let us look at some easy methods to maintain your jewelry.

Prompt cleaning and buffing

When you use silver jewelry, you must remember to promptly clean it after every use. You can clean the jewelry in slightly warm water using a mild detergent that does not contain phosphate. Do not wash you silver jewelry along with other dishes as it can scratch the silver. Rubber causes corrosion on silver jewelry so make sure you do not use rubber gloves while performing this task.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xGvFON-Kpo[/youtube]

After washing the silver, promptly wipe it thoroughly with a soft cloth. When you gently rub the soft cloth over the jewelry it will make the silver shine. In case of tarnished silver, washing alone will not help. You can purchase polish that is specially made for silver jewelry. Read instructions on the polish container carefully. Then take some polish and use a soft sponge or cloth that usually comes with the polish and rub the silver with it.

You can also use white toothpaste that does not have any special ingredients for whitening. Put some toothpaste on a soft sponge or cloth that s damp, and gently rub the silver. You can also try moistening the silver first and then directly applying the paste on it. Continue the process until the tarnish is completely removed. Rinse the jewelry with warm water and then use a towel to dry it.

You can also make use of dips that are available at stores. Jewelry is soaked in this solution which has the capability of dissolving stains. In this method you will not be required to rub the jewelry. Remember not to make use of this dip on silver that has a grey or an oxidized finish as it may damage it.

Storing silver jewelry

In order to maintain your silver jewelry it is also important to store it in the right way after it has been cleaned and polished. Use pieces of a flannel or tissue that is acid free and individually wrap each piece of silver in it. Then store the wrapped pieces of silver jewelry in properly sealed zip lock plastics. Do not let the silver ring, silver bracelet, or other jewelry come in contact with paint, stainless steel, or rubber materials.

Zensilver offers an exhaustive range of silver jewellery, sterling silver jewellery and

silver bracelet

by the diversity of shape, style, size and much more. The products also promise superlative quality and competitive price. For more product info on

silver jewellery

that we can deliver direct to your door www.zensilver.com.au

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

<div class=King of Tonga dies, aged 88
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King of Tonga dies, aged 88

Monday, September 11, 2006

According to an official news release on the Tongan Royal Palace website, His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV passed away peacefully at 11.34pm local time (2334 UTC), on Sunday, 10th September at Mercy Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand aged 88.

King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV was the ruler of Tonga following the death of his mother, Queen S?lote Tupou III, in 1965. His wife was Queen Halaevalu Mata?aho ?Ahome?e, born in 1926. The couple had four children.

“The sun has set in the Kingdom of Tonga,” said an official government statement from the royal palace.

His death ends 41 years of his reign.

The capital, Nukua’alofa, was draped in black and purple, the official colours of mourning.

His state funeral is expected to be held on September 19. An official month of mourning was declared.

His body will be flown home on Wednesday, September 13.

The Kingdom of Tonga was stricken into mourning earlier this year, when in July, Prince Tu’ipelehake and his wife Princess Kaimana, along with their driver Vinisia Hefa, were killed when their vehicle was stuck by a speeding car on a San Francisco, California, USA highway.

King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV was once known as being the World’s heaviest monarch (his weight exceeded 200 kg then), as well as later being the victim of a number of money-making schemes.

Crown Prince Taufa’ahau Tupou V, the King’s eldest son, was sworn in on Monday, September 11 as the next king but his formal coronation is likely to be next year . He and his sister, Princess Pilolevu have represented the monarch during his lengthy absences due to failing health.

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<div class=Japan nuclear disaster: areas to remain off-limits for decades
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Japan nuclear disaster: areas to remain off-limits for decades

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Japanese officials have admitted for the first time that certain radiation-stricken areas around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant may remain uninhabitable for decades. Japanese media this week reported that embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan is to visit affected areas within days to tell residents and local officials that it will remain too dangerous to return to parts of Fukushima Prefecture in the foreseeable future.

We cannot deny the possibility that there will be some areas where it will be hard for residents to return to their homes over a long period of time.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said, “We cannot deny the possibility that there will be some areas where it will be hard for residents to return to their homes over a long period of time.”

The dangers of radiation exposure in certain areas are expected to remain unacceptably high well after the plant finally undergoes a cold shutdown in the coming months. A final decision on which areas are to be declared off-limits will be made following detailed radiation monitoring and the creation of a comprehensive decontamination plan. Japanese officials have so far declined to specifically name any areas likely to be affected.

Scientists have for months warned of such an eventuality following the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima site in March. The government, criticised for its management of evacuations in the wake of the disaster, had hoped to lift current evacuation orders for most areas around the plant. However, it cannot do so amidst dangerously elevated radiation readings, including in the town of Okuma, situated about three kilometres from the Fukushima site, where cumulative radiation levels are over 25 times higher than government-mandated limits.

Media reports have also focused on uncertainty surrounding compensation for the many thousands of residents affected by the ongoing evacuations. The government may possibly purchase or rent the properties of those who cannot return to their homes and businesses.

Although the plant operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, has recently claimed radiation leaks from all three reactors have declined, concern continues to mount over the true scale of contamination. Scientists have detected widespread contamination of topsoil on agricultural land, further jeopardising the future habitability of significant areas, and uncertainty remains as to the true extent of radioactivity in numerous areas.

“Caesium-137, the main radioactive element thrown out during the various explosions, has a half-life of 30 years, and it is not going to disappear overnight,” said Didier Champion, a French nuclear safety expert.

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<div class=California governor signs new state budget, eligible Californians to get stimulus payments
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California governor signs new state budget, eligible Californians to get stimulus payments

Thursday, July 15, 2021

On Monday night, governor of the U.S. state of California Gavin Newsom signed a new US$262.6 billion budget bill for the state into law, with US$8.1 billion reserved for US$600 direct stimulus payments to Californians to aid in California’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill for the budget, SB 129, and the bill for the stimulus payments, SB 139, both passed both houses of the California Legislature for this fiscial year.

The payments, dubbed the Golden State Stimulus II, are set to be paid out to eligible California taxpaying residents beginning in September. To be eligible, residents must have filed a state tax return for last year, not be someone’s dependent, and must have earned no more than US$75 thousand in wages last year.

Eligible Californians would get a one-time payment of US$600, and households with dependents would receive an additional US$500. Around two-thirds of Californians are expected to get a stimulus payment, according to the governor’s office. Newsom initially proposed the payments in May to aid the state’s economic recovery, as part of his “California Comeback Plan”.

Californians who already received a stimulus payment earlier in the year are not eligible for this second payment. An additional payment of US$500 is still available for those who claimed dependents on their returns.

The budget also provides for US$5.2 billion in renters’ aid for low-income residents and landlords, which would pay for all rent left unpaid during the COVID-19 crisis, and cover rent for several coming months. Overdue water and utility payments would also be covered by US$2 billion in funding.

An additional US$1.5 billion was for grant money intended for small businesses, with US$120 million in tax credits for businesses willing to relocate to California.

California had a budget surplus of nearly US$76 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In signing SB 129, Newsom line-item vetoed Section 19.55 of the bill concerning US$2.58 billion in appropriations to various funds “on a technical basis”, citing in an explanation appropriations covered under the section were superseded by the budget. In California, a governor may approve a bill passed by the Legislature with specific items related to the budget rejected. The Legislature can override this line-item veto with a two-thirds vote of both the Assembly and the Senate.

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Consolidate Private Student Loans With Fixed Interest Rate   How To Guide

Consolidate Private Student Loans With Fixed Interest Rate How To Guide

By Larry Donaldson

If you took out multiple private student loans while in college, you are probably now swimming in a sea of paperwork each month. Having more than one student loan often means having to make payments to different lenders at different times of each month.

Another common challenge is that some your private loans may have variable interest rates, while others have fixed rates. And, it is highly likely that your loans are at different interest rates altogether.

Besides the complexity of having multiple private student loans to deal with, most grads also have trouble making the payments. Having to be responsible for multiple student loan payments is not something that many college students give much thought to during school. But, once graduation is over, reality sets in. And, the payments can easily run into the hundreds of dollars or more each month.

When Private Student Loan Consolidation Makes Sense

For graduates who have taken out multiple student loans and are now having trouble making their loan payments each month, private student loan consolidation can help.

Simply put, consolidation is the act of paying off all of one’s outstanding loans in full with the money received with from new, consolidation loan.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2_hFTYz19Q[/youtube]

How Can Consolidation Help?

Consolidation loans can be helpful in many ways. First, they simply your life by making you responsible for just a single payment each month.

Next, they can actually lower your payments in one or both of two ways:

a. By lowering your rate

b. By stretching out your payments over more time, say from 10 years to 20 or 30 years.

Finally, consolidation loans can be negotiated at a fixed rate, which means you can lock in your new low rate over the life of the loan.

How To Consolidate Private Student Loans With A Fixed Interest Rate

If you are wondering how to get the best deal on a fixed interest rate private consolidation loan, here are some tips that can help:

1.Calculate your current interest rate: In order to determine whether any would-be offer you get is worth going for, you are going to want to start by figuring out the weighted average of your existing loans’ rates. For example, if you currently have three loans at 5%, 3% and 2.5% interest rates, you would calculated the weighted average interest rate as follows.

First, figure out what percentage of your total outstanding balance is represented by each loan. Let’s say that the answer is 20%, 30% and 50%, respectively. Just multiply these percentages by the interest rate for each loan and add them together, as follows:

(20% x 5%) + (30% x 3%) + (50% + 2.5%) = weighted average interest rate

2. Figure out your ideal repayment period: Use an online loan calculator and plug in your current outstanding balance (total across all loans) and your desired new interest rate. Then, plug in different repayment periods like 20 years, 25 years and 30 years. See how each one affects both the monthly payment amounts and the cost of your loan.

3. Build a list of at least 5 private consolidation lenders: Now, it’s time to do your research. Make a list of at least 5 lenders. Don’t skip this step – remember, more offers is always better than fewer!

4. Contact and apply with all 5 lenders: Now, take the time to contact and actually apply for a consolidation loan with each lender. hint: be sure to apply for the same repayment period so that you can compare the offers equally.

5. Compare offers: Compare each offer you get separately, and be sure to read the fine print. The most important piece of information to look at is the interest rate of each offer.

Follow these tips to get the best-possible deal on a fixed interest rate loan.

About the Author: Find more info and helpful tips on private student loan consolidation at:

Best Private Student Loan Consolidation

.

Source:

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<div class=Tomatoes, watermelons, peppers reduce stroke risk, Finnish study suggests
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Tomatoes, watermelons, peppers reduce stroke risk, Finnish study suggests

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

A Finnish study has indicated that having higher body levels of lycopene — a red chemical occurring in tomatoes, watermelons, grapefruit, peppers, and papaya — may reduce the risk of stroke. The research for the study, which is in the issue of medical journal Neurology released today, examined 1,031 men aged between 42 and 61 over a period of twelve years on average.

The study, which was financed by the Lapland Central Hospital, found that the men with higher amounts of lycopene in their blood system experienced fewer strokes than men with lower levels. Eleven strokes occurred amongst the 259 men in the highest of the four lycopene level categories while 25 of the 258 men in the categories with the lowest lycopene level categories experienced strokes. This suggests a stroke was 55% less likely if one had a high amount of the chemical in one’s diet than if one had a low amount.

“The results support the recommendation that people get more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day,” said Dr Jouni Karppi of the Department of Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland. Eating these types of foods in such quantities “would likely lead to a major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to previous research”, the primary author of the study continued. He added that inflammation and blood clotting — the cause of ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke — occurred less frequently.

In the US state of New York, Lenox Hill Hospital Center for Stroke and Neuro-Endovascular Surgery director Dr. Rafael Ortiz said that, alongside exercise and non-smoking, “diet is very important” for reducing the likelihood of stroke. However, these results “should not deter people from eating other types of fruit and vegetables as they all have health benefits and remain an important part of a staple diet”, according to Dr Clare Walton of The Stroke Association in the UK.

The results came as part of a wider study on cardiovascular disease development risks. The United States Department of Agriculture also registers high concentrations of lycopene in tomato purées, pastes and sauces. All those surveyed lived in, or in close proximity to, the Finnish town of Kuopio, where the University of Eastern Finland is located.

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