Home Kitchen

The joys and dangers of oil rubbed bronze finishes

Bronze finishes provide consumers with highly versatile colors for cabinet hardware. This range of finishes can be used in classic and contemporary hardware designs for your kitchen or bathroom. In recent years, oil rubbed bronze finishes, in particular, have become extremely popular for kitchen and bathroom accents, such as cabinet hardware.

The savvy consumer should be aware that many manufacturers offer smooth, uniform bronze finishes designated as “oil rubbed bronze” which are actually plated bronze finishes. Silver bronze finishes can be beautiful and are optimal for those looking for a warm but even look.

The color, in fact the highly textured look of a real oil rubbed bronze finish is considered “vivid” and ranges from black to a golden brown coloration over time. Those who want such an authentic oil rubbed bronze finish should know that it will change as the oils in your hands ‘mature’ the finish on your knobs and pulls. This diverse patina can add depth and texture to hardware accents.

We can compare the vivid appearance of oil rubbed bronze finishes to batches of yarn dye when weaving or crocheting. It has been suggested that the yarn be purchased from a dye lot to create a better looking garment. With oil rubbed brass knobs and pulls, it’s best to buy an extra item or two to take your look into the future in case you need to replace a knob or pull or if additional cabinets are added to your space.

We hope this short article serves as a starting point for consumers to educate themselves on the range of bronze finishes and the pros and cons of uniform vs. Hardware Finishes for Living Cabinets Both purists who delight in the natural range of rich finishes and those seeking consistency should clarify their selections with their hardware vendor and send inquiries directly to manufacturers if necessary.

Auto

Owning a luxury car: why you need to be careful

Everyone who drives wants to be behind the wheel of a luxury car. Luxury brands like Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and Audi make vehicles that have high-quality features and are extremely pleasing to the senses. These are not the only manufacturers of luxury cars. Companies like Hyundai and Toyota also have high-end luxury models. Associating luxury brands with a name like Mercedes Benz is still an American fixation, but around the world that is slowly changing. Manufacturers build a range of vehicles, from economy to luxury, and people are learning to recognize luxury as separate from the brand name.

With so much said about luxury vehicles, owning one is still a distant dream for most, unless you do the math, buy one with a hefty loan, and sell it in a few years, when the market value is still appreciable. Another option is to buy used luxury cars that are in good condition. Finding a company that not only sells you luxury cars, but also provides related services such as shipping, car certification, car warranty, as well as attractive service contracts and financial assistance would all do make the whole project more meaningful.

Prices are a fraction of the current model price, and models are up to ten years old. For example, a 2007 Acura TL is available for around $ 7,500, while the current 2017 model is priced close to $ 35,000 at a dealership showroom. Acura is the brand of cars manufactured by Honda in Japan. Most cars have low mileage and are in good condition, although it may be worth reminding the buyer that low mileage is not exactly a good thing. A car must always be in working order. But the thing about luxury cars is that they are only brought out on special occasions when there is the option of a second car. This is the reason why most luxury cars for resale have low mileage.

Here are some things to consider when buying a used luxury car

· Get ​​an inspection by an expert. This can cost money, but it is worth it because there are chances that the vehicle was damaged in the past and that is why it was sold.

· Choose a dealer wisely. Each dealership has its own standards for the type of used cars it will stock and sell, just as a manufacturer has its own standards for the product manufactured. Compare between a couple of dealers and don’t just go for the lowest priced one just for that, a low price, sometimes a low price doesn’t mean it’s a good deal.

Do your research on the model, when it was released, what were the customer reviews? You can get the car’s VIN number and check with Carfax.com for any previous accidents. You can ask the dealer to help you with this.

Once you’ve taken care of these three factors and are satisfied with the car, go ahead and get behind the wheel of that luxury car. Problems can arise, but they can be solved and there’s nothing better than sitting in a custom-made soft leather seat in the opulent expanse of your new luxury car.

Digital Marketing

How to write an awesome blog post

When your audience reads your blog content, you want them to click thinking, “Wow, that was amazing!” – after sharing it with your friends, of course.

There are tried and true ways to create amazing content for your blog that you need to consider if you want your blog to be truly successful.

Know your audience

Remember, just because you know who your audience is today doesn’t mean that your audience hasn’t evolved in a couple of years. Keep your ears to the ground, studying your audience as you grow to stay ahead of trends.

Stay up-to-date on industry trends

The more you know about your industry, the more you will have to share with your audience. Being aware of what is happening will make you the go-to person for the right information about the niche you are involved in. Not only that, reading and studying your industry will also make you better at doing what you do and it will show in the effect your content has on your audience.

URL structure and tags are important

Some bloggers underestimate the power of the correct URL structure and tags they use in their blog posts. These factors are still important. The best URL consists of a unique keyword-rich title. The best tags consist of keywords found within the content. Don’t forget your image tags. Make it count.

Know your numbers

Do you know what kind of blog posts get the most traction on your blog? If not, you should know. Once you figure out which types of blog posts are getting the most shares, views, engagement, and conversions, you can create more of those that work and make the most of the ones that are working by promoting them more strongly.

Link internally

A great way to make more impact and increase the wow factor in your blog posts is to practice good linking practices by internally linking to other blog posts that relate to the current blog post your audience is reading.

Understand how keywords work

There are many types of keywords, from short tail to long tail and everything in between. The more you can understand how keywords work and which keywords are important within your niche, the better you can use them to your advantage.

Use many forms of content

Don’t skimp on using different forms of content such as videos, images, podcasts, text, and more. Your blog will be much more dynamic and interesting with all kinds of content used. For example, some “how-to” blogs may be better presented via video rather than a text-only post.

Engage your readers

Don’t skip your call to action and reader engagement ideas like asking them to buy, click, read, comment, or other actions you want them to take. By talking to them like they are real people, you will get a lot more conversions than if you leave it to chance.

Business

Are you inventive enough to be an inventor? Some guidelines for the success of the invention!

Inventors make a lot of money when the invention is needed and when the process is done correctly. There are different types of inventions. Some inventions are more practical, making everyday life easier for people (pens for example), some inventions are simply for entertainment purposes (television) and some inventions are multipurpose (educational devices that are also entertaining). Furthermore, some inventions are simply responses to medical problems, as in prosthetic devices, while others are simply “improvements” made to existing inventions. As you can see, something can be successfully invented in many styles and through many creative avenues.

However, in general, inventions succeed or fail, depending on the need or desire of the consumer for the product. Let’s face it, if something isn’t needed or wanted, no one will buy it, no matter how smart it is! Even Thomas Alva Edison (invented the light bulb) failed thousands of times before inventing many successful products, as did the famous British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair. One of Sir Clive’s “famous failures” included an X-Bike that was a cross between a pair of scissors and a bicycle. Thomas Edison’s biggest failure overall was an invention of a mining operation that would separate iron from other low-grade minerals, and Mr. Edison spent his fortune and eventually lost it, attempting a successful “method of invention.”

However, inventors are rarely deterred, and continuing to try and invent eventually leads to extreme success, as in the cases of Thomas Edison and Sir Clive. Successful invention involves a certain number of steps or processes that will routinely lead to successful inventions:

A. Realistic evaluation of the potential of the invention. Let’s face it, if it’s not “needed or desired,” it won’t sell.

B. If a patent is needed. In some cases, believe it or not, it is not.

C. The legal protection of ideas. Do not allow ideas to be stolen or copied.

D. The development of a marketable product. In addition to being necessary or desired, a product must be affordable enough for prices to appeal to the consumer.

E. The engineering and prototyping methods for making an invention a reality. This must be done correctly for marketing to be successful.

F. Licensing issues. Some inventions require researching existing licenses and also obtaining licenses.

G. Propose to companies and approach companies for the promotion of the final product. The correct methods to approach interested companies and investors.

H. Royalties and Advance Payment Options. Without the knowledge of these issues, investors can lose money in the long run.

I. Verification of existing patents, trademarks and copyrights. There is no point in inventing something that is already protected by someone else.

As with any other type of business (and inventing something is generally a “business venture”), a lot of work needs to be done before, during, and after the invention process. Everything from the right market research to the right patent processes, trademark and copyright information, needs to be established a lot, and successful inventors proceed slowly and carefully during each stage of the invention process. Also, successful inventors are very determined and patient. Typically, many failures occur with each product before an “invention success” occurs, so a calm and dedicated personality is also necessary.

Although there are tons of books and other materials on the proper procedures to follow, a future inventor can also save money on materials and save time by visiting US government sites specifically configured for the needs of inventors and product / service creators. . These sites are:

United States Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov

United States Copyright Office: http://www.copyright.gov

If you prefer to buy a book or report on how to successfully bring an invention to market, a simple online search will reveal literally hundreds of those materials.

As with any commercial enterprise, future inventors who are informed and equipped with the “tools” necessary for a successful invention, do their “invention homework”, and support their efforts with the necessary funds, most of the time they will produce a invention that works. , it takes, and best of all, it “sells”. After all, what better reward than knowing that consumers were so excited about an invention that they would gladly pay for it?

Relationship

Parenting Toolkit: Paradoxical Intervention

Sometimes stopping problem behavior requires prescribing the problem behavior. Like vaccination, in which a little bit of the disease is injected into the system to help it build immunity, paradoxical intervention promotes a bit of bad behavior in hopes of ending it.

For example, let’s say two brothers are fighting; not serious fights but verbal insults and maybe some pinching and shoving. Normally, parents would tell them to stop, and at best that only works for a few minutes. So instead of telling the siblings to stop, the parent suggests a set time and place where they can engage in that behavior for a limited period of time. You need to create a space, say the garage or the game room. You need a stopwatch, just like a referee. The idea is to allow siblings to engage in this behavior for, say, 20 minutes. There should be rules such as no hitting, spitting, throwing hard objects, etc. Rules are also set about what they can do: they can be allowed to name, yell, and maybe even throw pillows. In fact, it can be organized like a pillow fight with the same conditions and guidelines. Siblings should be included in making the rules. They are allowed to engage in this behavior without punishment or reprimand.

Another example: let’s say a child overeats. Instead of trying to limit the amount of food eaten, try a paradoxical intervention by offering extra food. If the child is eating a whole bag of potato chips, offer another bag. The idea here is that the child eventually rejects the offered food. If this continues, the child will refuse more and more and this can help establish the behavior of saying no to extra food.

In all cases, children engage in behaviors for a reason, and most of the time that reason is to satisfy a need. The need can be attention, it can be love, it can be a way of expressing anger, and it can be a way of communicating something. By showing the child that you are not trying to stop the behavior, but are actually willing to allow it to escalate, you can tell the child that you are interested in finding out the reason for the behavior without saying anything. Children will not be able to answer “why are you doing that”. You will probably get “I don’t know” for an answer. But, if they feel that you are on their side rather than against them, they are more likely to reveal information that would not have otherwise been expressed.

Paradoxical intervention, sometimes called reverse psychology, must be handled with caution, as it can backfire. For example, a young child who refuses to eat dinner may be told that he absolutely cannot eat dinner. Often the child, wanting to be an opponent, will demand to eat dinner. But, sometimes they can just say “okay” and walk away from the table. Paradoxical intervention is best used when other interventions have not worked. The parent should think about it carefully and then try. If it doesn’t work, just stop.

Parents need to realize that doing the same thing over and over again, like telling their children to stop this or that and expecting a different result, is foolish at best. The definition of insanity is jokingly defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If, as a parent, you are not getting the results you want in your children from you current behavior, just do something different. Paradoxical intervention is generally something very different and often elicits a different response.

Gaming

Hack ‘n Slash?

Or maybe more to the point, stress relief. Stop and ask yourself these questions:

1. Have you ever bought one of those cheesy stress reliever toys at a local Spencers or other novelty store? You know the. They are often shaped like a human and are squishy, ​​or painted with a target, or make annoying repetitive sounds designed to make you want to yell at them. You’re supposed to pile on them as much abuse as you can, and they’ll keep coming back for more.

2. Have you ever found yourself playing a violent game like Unreal Tournament, or any “street fighter” type game, and have you realized that hitting your opponent senselessly makes you feel a little less like suffocating someone? for real?

3. Have you ever looked up the omnipotent and immortal cheat codes for your favorite role-playing video game and used them to cast the most devastating “city killer” spells throughout the game, for no other reason than the pleasure of watching those? little buggers die?

Now, ask yourself: Have you ever logged into a MU * that you knew offered nothing but plain old, usually hack n ‘slash actions, and found yourself spending hours running typing “KILL (insert generic monster name here) “, and are you really enjoying it?

There is a certain taste of fun in tearing NPCs to pieces. Heck, there’s even a nice adrenaline rush from beating another player (hence the few and far between but very popular PK-only games). But best of all, there can be a wonderful stress release when conquering virtual enemies. It’s the same underlying motivation and relief that leads people to kick-box to manage stress, bang on their pillows, or buy those novelty stress toys and riddle each other with bullets at UT.

You do not believe me? Give it a try. Keep an open mind. Train your character a bit, get good weapons and go hunting. See if you don’t feel the stress melt away with each level you win!

Health Fitness

Easy exercises for paraplegics that you can do regularly

Paraplegia is a condition that is related to spinal cord injuries and causes lower body paralysis. Although a person with the condition may have full or partial mobility of the upper body, the muscles can atrophy and there may be a deterioration in cardiovascular health due to inactivity. An inactive lifestyle makes a person more prone to coronary artery disease, obesity, and diabetes. The benefits of doing paraplegic exercises They include improved mood and strength, a wider range of motion, and the accumulation of muscle mass.

Breathing exercises

The degree of paralysis varies between individuals, but many have difficulty breathing. Paraplegic breathing exercises increase lung capacity and strengthen cardiovascular endurance. It has been recommended by the University of Alabama Birmingham Spinal Cord Injury Network Information Center that breathing exercises for paraplegics should begin with a deep breath, holding it for five seconds before exhaling. Then you need to take a deep breath as fast as you can and exhale all the air from your lungs immediately. The pattern is as follows: inhale deeply, hold, inhale, and hold. Repeat one more time before exhaling. Finally, take a deep breath and exhale as you count out loud.

Bicep curls

Doing paraplegic upper-body exercises, such as bicep curls, strengthens the arm, promotes better weight, and reduces muscle wasting or breakdown. Paraplegics can have muscle weakness and it is vital that they start the program slowly, building initial strength by using light weights and then moving on to a more intense regimen. Using weights provides resistance and helps build stronger muscles. Bicep curls for paraplegics strengthen the upper and front of the arms. To do the exercise, hang your arms outside the wheelchair with a light weight on both hands. Your palms should turn to the front. Bend your arms slightly, lifting the weights toward your shoulders. Stop before they touch your body. Return to the straight arm position and repeat until you achieve the desired repetitions.

Side lift and shrug

These paraplegic exercises strengthen the shoulders and increase their mobility and range of motion. With a light weight in each hand, place your arms straight at your sides. Bend your arms until the weights are parallel to the ground. Return to the starting position and then repeat until you complete the desired number of repetitions.

These are just a few of the paraplegic exercises you can do. There are more exercises that are tailored to a particular disability. You can search for them online or ask your physical therapist about them.

Legal Law

Closing the achievement gap

Closing the achievement gap in education is an important goal for many educators. American education experienced a long and sustained period of school reform, fraught with significant challenges. Both legislators and governors have made the school reform movement their top project priority since the 1980s. The school reform movement has experienced profound achievements in the past and continues to face significant challenges, although it has achieved its goal of creating change in school conditions, student performance and institutional policy. One of the main objectives is to close the achievement gap in education.

Understand the achievement gap

Closing the achievement gap is about equalizing opportunities between people of different races and / or economic backgrounds. There is a growing difference in the performance of underprivileged minority students compared to the performance of white students at the same grade level. This achievement gap is a clear question of racism and the effects of the power of privilege. Educational institutions, educators and policy makers face a genuine lack of understanding in creating and developing schools that can cope with the context of a diversified society. The challenge continues with creating the right policy that could help close the performance gap.

Policies to close the achievement gap

The National Governors Association for Best Practices is investigating the achievement gap challenge facing schools today. This requires the creation of new policies and the development of old policies to close the achievement gap that occurs in the United States and around the world, between the poor and ethnic minority groups. The policy manual reveals the nature of the performance problem, its history, and the efforts of different states to solve the existing problem. The primer also discusses alternative solutions and strategies at the state level, including important issues and factors to avoid when implementing solutions.

The No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB is an attempt by the federal government to close the achievement gap. The policy established a new accountability practice for American schools to set the same standards with a detailed plan for evaluating performance to ensure students meet pre-established school standards. The NCLB framework allows a student to transfer to other schools located in the same district if they fail the achievement test established by the school. It is the responsibility of the school district to provide supplemental services to students who persistently fail, as well as options to study at other schools operating within the same district. The school needs to demonstrate adequate progress on the problems of consistently failing students. Not showing progress makes them open to corrective action under state law.

Schools focus their performance goals based on the conditions of students with disabilities and who come from disadvantaged families. This includes students who possess limited English language skills and proficiency. However, well-performing schools still need to modify school practices, policies, and governance to accelerate and enhance the educational experience of the disadvantaged group of students. The state considers a school to perform well only when it closes the achievement gap. The intervention of the new federal law in the educational arena has created quite a stir among schools struggling to comply with the new set of policies and criteria.

Lifestyle Fashion

Do you feel cursed? How to Get Rid of Bad Mojo with Do-It-Yourself Techniques!

Some days can be challenging, but if you have more lows than highs in a 3 week period, chances are there are stale or “negative” energies keeping you from accomplishing the little things in life. All that negativity that can fester and begin to manifest worse situations than the inexplicable breakdown of an appliance has been thrown out of control! The signs of the evil eye or spiritual work being done against you are pretty much what you would expect:

Nightmares (especially recurring ones), feeling of exhaustion, depression, paranoia, financial problems, disturbing vibrations in the house, hostility towards / from loved ones, propensity to accidents more than usual, restlessness, general malaise. Sometimes you will find yourself reflecting on every embarrassing moment you’ve ever felt, almost before waking up in the morning with your hair still glued to your pillow!

The most common form of spiritual attack is in fact the “Evil Eye”, and it is also the easiest form of malice to operate because you don’t have to be a card-carrying witch to use it.

There are varying degrees of evil eye attacks … the most feared is the feared Mal’occhio. Not everyone can perform this version of the operation skillfully, and an aspiring warlock would have to be thoroughly and competently trained to administer it. With this in mind, I draw on my experience that it is the common misconception of jealousy that most of us have to deal with.

Its operation is simple: thought creates and directs energy!

If your thoughts are emotionally and willingly focused enough on an event for it to happen, good or bad, that reality will seek to manifest!

It also works for the effectiveness of the curse. In other words, if you believe that you are cursed, or that someone you know has “rooted” you or cast the evil eye on you, too much attention will give negative energy an extra hand to dominate you and ultimately bring you down (or in its worst season, taking you out!). As dangerous as these episodes can be, there are ways to eliminate most, if not all, of the negative energies that are directed at you from the occasional smelly eye.

The first step to jealously fighting the green eye is to consider the source and get away from that person or group, such as not getting involved in their life, more particularly in their PROBLEMS! You may have to go as far as to remove some people from your favorite social network’s friends list! I’m talking about the people who call you every 5 minutes complaining miserably that everything is going wrong in their life and how lucky you are that everything comes easy to you (Yes, you can almost hear it in their voice!).

The next step I would recommend would be the 3C … Clean, Clean and Clean!

CLEANING BATH:

Cleanse yourself by taking a bath in holy water or sea salt, for at least 7 consecutive days. There are many things you can add to bath water to get rid of bad influences, but here we are going to stick to the basics. Sea salt is available at most dollar stores these days, but if you don’t have it ready, kosher salt or, at the very least, table salt will do the trick.

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, DON’T USE WINTERIZED ROCK SALT FOR SNOW IN YOUR BATHROOM!

After you put a handful of salt in your bath water, I suggest you recite a prayer of protection in accordance with your religious belief system. Psalm 23 is great for this, but even saying a prayer from your heart in your own words is great!

CLEAN THE AIR:

Burn incense throughout your home, these can be from the variety of sticks found in most dollar stores or Wal-Mart. Sage is good for this, but you can use any floral scent like rose or a woody scent like sandalwood. Both are traditionally used to create sacred spaces and to “raise” vibrations in a room. It’s also a good idea to open at least one window or door in every room to “chase evil” and quickly get rid of it from your home.

CLEAN THE HOUSE:

Rearranging some rooms in the house, primarily the living room and bedroom, is said to help “prevent evil from returning to where it was stored.” A good mop with a bucket of ammonia water (failing that, a mixture of water, white vinegar, and salt with a splash of lemon juice) is HIGHLY suggested while burning incense. This is of great value, especially if the jealousy virus has been in your house recently, trying to get you out of the conversation and out of a cup of coffee!

Start from the TOPmost floor of the house and work DOWN from the BACK of the house to the FRONT door. If you have rugs or rugs around the house, just fill a dollar store spray bottle with the water from your mop and spray the areas you can’t mop. Let the mist settle on the carpeted areas for about 15 minutes, then vacuum over it. After vacuuming, empty the vacuum bag or container outside your home into a garbage bag. Any excess water from the mop should be flushed down the toilet. You can also clean flat surfaces, such as countertops and tables, using the spray bottle method.

The last thing you need to do is light a white candle, with the names of your family members carved on it, anointed with olive oil. This should burn for at least 7 days after your cleaning project has started. If your candle goes out completely before the 7 days are up, simply anoint another one and light it instead!

In fact, I would make a habit of lighting white candles at least once a month for spiritual protection.

Speaking of protection, my next article will move on to preventing the evil eye as we build an amulet or a fitted “mojo” bag for personal psychic protection.

If you continue to have problems beyond 2 weeks after doing your cleanse, I suggest that you consult with an experienced spiritualist or magic practitioner to ensure that there are no extreme magical practices directed against you or your loved ones.

That’s it for now, gang! I’ll share more information in the next few weeks!

Health and spirit!

Pets

Aggressive behavior in American Bulldogs

Aggression in dogs is the result of many causes. There may be a trigger that can trigger aggression, for example if your dog was attacked or felt threatened as a puppy and this was not resolved correctly, or it could be that your dog has dominance issues. Aggression in dogs, especially bulldogs, needs to be addressed quickly and effectively, whatever the reason. Due to their powerful physique, American Bulldogs with aggression issues can be dangerous dogs. It is paramount that this is resolved immediately for the safety of everyone, including the dog.

The source of aggressive behavior in American Bulldogs

A critical age for socializing a dog is 6 weeks, this is when you should begin training your dog, starting with teaching him not to bite. Socializing your dog involves familiarizing him with interaction with people and other dogs; it may take 14 weeks, but it can be extended to a longer period.

There are several factors to consider. To begin with, a puppy should be with his mother and littermates until he is 8 weeks old. Treat your puppy with care between 8 and 10 weeks of age and avoid harsh discipline towards them at all costs. Aggressive behavior in dogs can be produced by treating them harshly, yelling, or hitting them at a young age. To avoid aggression problems in the future, proper socialization with people and other dogs should be in place by the time the puppy reaches 14 weeks.

Many influences can trigger real aggression. It is not carved in stone, but some dog breeds can lean more towards aggression than others, genetics and heredity can and do play a role. Additionally, non-neutered or spayed dogs are more prone to aggression.

The environment in which the dog lives is by far the most important concern when it comes to aggressive behavior. A frightened dog or one that has previously been attacked by another dog, living in poor condition, punitive owners, or no socialization are key factors in dogs displaying aggressive behavior.

The need to establish a hierarchical order in the pack can fuel aggression. A dog that tests mastery can do this by posturing, biting, and other aggressive gestures. Establishing dominance with your dog at an early age is important to you as the owner / master, this will prevent your dog from trying to take control of the house.

Stop and control aggressive behavior

Your dog will reach sexual maturity at 14 months and if he exhibits aggressive behavior, especially after he has been neutered or spayed, it is advisable to seek the appropriate help with training. What you need to do is establish yourself as the leader of the pack. Whatever happens, don’t reward aggressive behavior for any reason, especially if the behavior is caused by fear.

Make sure there is strong leadership in the home, train your dog to respond to commands, and that you are in charge of feeding and walking times. Giving in to your dog’s demands and letting him go when he misbehaves will cause him to show aggression towards other people.

Defensive aggression through fear can cause a dog to lash out at a person, as inappropriate socialization may have occurred at some point. Seek training with a canine behavior specialist who can work to acclimate the dog to the social environment; It is critical that these dogs are kept away from young children as they can be seen as direct threats to the dog.

Aggressive behavior in dogs is a massive problem that many owners experience, but don’t despair, it can be addressed. If the assault turns into an attack, you are facing dire consequences, so seek professional help immediately.