Simple Roots Wellness offers healthy recipes

By Deborah Neyens, correspondent

January 20, 2015 | 5:00 am

VINTON Alexa Schirm wants to expose the myths around good nutrition.

You dont have to eat crazy health food to be healthy, she said. I want people to understand that eating whole foods is a realistic lifestyle.

Schirms desire to help people sift through the ever-changing and often contradictory information about how much and what they should be eating is the foundation of her business, Simple Roots Wellness.

Schirm, who has a degree in dietetics from Iowa State University and is pursuing a masters degree in health sciences from the University of Alabama, previously owned a fitness studio in Vinton. She sold that business last year so she could focus on providing nutrition consulting services on a full-time basis.

In February 2014, she launched Simple Roots Wellness as a blog and an eight-week, online nutrition course. The blog provides tips and recipes for eating healthier, while the course provides instruction in nutrition basics along with meal plans and other tools to help clients implement healthy changes in their diet.

I showcase nutrition in a different light, Schirm said of her online services. The eight-week course helps people understand the science behind nutrition and gives them a practical application for the information.

Its not about a restrictive diet. Its about understanding the bodys needs so they can choose the right foods.

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Ground Floor: Vinton business sheds light on nutrition

A New York Times report, triggered by the leak of new documents, sheds light on how US officials so quickly concluded North Korea was the source of the November hacking attack against Sony Pictures.

President Barack Obama in December blames North Korean for the Sony hack and vows to respond proportionately. Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

The National Security Agency was tracking North Korea's hackers long before they attacked Sony Pictures, according to report that sheds light on how US officials so quickly concluded North Korea was to blame for the hack.

The NSA used malware to track North Korean hackers as part of a program launched more than four years ago, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing former US officials, computer experts and a newly released top secret document, (PDF), which was provided to Der Spiegel by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

"Spurred by concerns over North Korea's maturing capabilities," the spy agency penetrated North Korea's networks in 2010 with help from South Korea and other American allies, the Times reported. A classified program evolved into an "ambitious effort" to place malware that could track the internal workers of computers and networks used by the North's hackers -- "a force that South Korea's military recently said numbers roughly 6,000 people," the Times reported.

Evidence gathered by what the Times referred to as the "early warning radar" of software reportedly played a role in President Barack Obama's relatively quick decision to accuse Kim Jong-un's government of ordering the attack on Sony -- a move that raised some eyebrows in the security community.

Brian Hale, a spokesman for the director of national intelligence, said he could not speak to the Times report as it relates to the Sony hack. But he did confirm that the US intelligence community (USIC) is fully aware of North Korea's many efforts in recent years to "probe and infiltrate US commercial networks and cyber infrastructure.

"The USIC has been tracking North Korean intrusions and phishing attacks on a routine basis. While no two situations are the same, it is our shared goal to prevent bad actors from exploiting, disrupting or damaging US commercial networks and cyber infrastructure, " he said in a statement. "When it becomes clear that cyber criminals have the ability and intent to do damage, we work cooperatively to defend networks."

The cyberattacks against Sony, carried out in November by a group that called itself the Guardians of the Peace, resulted in the leaking of thousands of documents that revealed the inner workings of Sony and its movie deals, including embarrassing email exchanges between executives and personal information of employees and celebrities. Four weeks after the attack, the FBI said it had determined the North Korean government was responsible for the hacks, based on analysis of the software used during the attacks.

Obama signed an executive order early this month to authorize sanctions that allow the US Treasury Department to restrict North Korean officials, entities and supporters from accessing the US financial system. This means Americans are not allowed to do business with them.

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NSA was tracking North Korea back in 2010, docs reveal

Robert Allenby had been in the Amuse Wine Bar inside the Honolulu Design Center with friends last Friday night. Photograph: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

A woman has presented a version of events that shed further light on the golfer Robert Allenbys story of being kidnapped and beaten in Hawaii.

The woman reportedly told Nine News that she found the 43-year-old Allenby bloodied and confused and arguing with two men approximately a block away from where he had been last Friday night.

Allenby said he was abducted from the popular Amuse Wine Bar in the tourist hub of Waikiki, beaten by a group of men, thrown in the boot of a car and dumped on a street some 10 kilometres away.

The four-time PGA Tour winner said he became separated from his friend after they paid the bar tab at 10.48pm. He went to the bathroom and next thing you know Im being dumped in a park miles away, Allenby said. I only know this part because a homeless woman found me and told me she saw a few guys pull up and throw me out of the car. That is where I got the scrapes above my eye from the sidewalk.

Allenby claimed that the woman, who has spoken to the Hawaiian police but who has not been named, helped him escape the attentions of other homeless people.

The homeless woman got me away from the others and then a retired military guy walking past came to my aid, he said.

He got me into a taxi and paid for me to get to my hotel and I called police from there. I have his details and will be getting back in touch with him for sure.

The woman alleged Allenby requested that she use his credit card to withdraw $500 to pay his attackers so he could get his wallet back, according to Nine News. She said that the two men became aggressive and that was when the passing former military officer intervened and helped Allenby into a taxi back to his hotel.

It has also emerged that the Honolulu police department has CCTV footage of a suspect using Allenbys credit card to buy two bottles of alcohol in Waikiki on Saturday.

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Robert Allenby: woman sheds further light on attack

A TAPAS restaurant will be the first new name at Southamptons emerging 40m Arts Complex.

With construction work on the Guildhall Square site well under way, the 1m Tapas Barcelona has been announced as the first name to be part of the site.

The new restaurant will create up to 50 new jobs and is set to open this summer alongside flats being built on the former Tyrrell and Green site.

The 21m arts complex facilities, which include two auditoria, galleries and state-of-the-art film and media facilities, is set to open next April.

There will be seven ground floor restaurant units alongside 38 apartments at the site, and developer Grosvenor has announced Delicious Dining will run the 5,000sq ft Tapas Barcelona eatery.

Delicious Dining already runs several of Southamptons bestknown restaurants and nightspots, including Banana Wharf in Ocean Village and the Grand Cafe in Terminus Terrace.

Tapas Barcelona will employ 40 to 50 staff, and feature a range of Spanish, South American and Latin American-inspired dishes.

Delicious Dinings chief executive, Steve Hughes, pictured, said: The restaurant, which will occupy the ground floor, will offer small plates from Spain and Latin America and very much reflect the cultural vision of the development.

As a local business we are thrilled to have agreed terms and look forward to the fitting out phase starting in May 2015 with the official opening in the summer.

City council leader Simon Letts said: The announcement of this first retail letting at the Arts Complex is very positive news.

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Tapas Barcelona to open restaurant at Southampton's new Arts Complex

Home Expo offers remodeling ideas
Matt Gerhard talks about custom designs.

By: WLUK-TV FOX 11

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Home Expo offers remodeling ideas - Video

WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a record-high result of 60 in the final quarter of 2014. A reading of 60 indicates remodelers' confidence in the quarter-over-quarter improvement in the remodeling market.

An RMI above 50 indicates that more remodelers report market activity is higher (compared to the prior quarter) than report it is lower. The overall RMI averages ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future remodeling activity.

"The recent pace and volume of business has been a boon to our remodeler members' confidence in the recovery of the housing market," said NAHB Remodelers Chair Paul Sullivan, CAPS, CGR, CGP, of Waterville Valley, N.H. "The upward trajectory of the RMI results over the past year has shown that home owners are ready, willing and deciding to remodel."

The RMI's future market conditions index rose to 60 from 58 in the previous quarter. All four of its subcomponents--calls for bids, amount of work committed for the next three months, backlog of jobs and appointments for proposals--increased from the previous quarter's reading.

The current market conditions component of the RMI also increased to 60 from 57 in the previous quarter. The readings for all subcomponents, including large additions and small remodels as well as maintenance and repair, also saw increases.

"Even with some weakness in existing homes sales and house prices earlier in the year, remodelers are upbeat as 2014 closes," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "The consistent improvement in RMI results throughout 2014 are a sign of the gradual recovery of the remodeling market."

For more information about remodeling, visit http://www.nahb.org/remodel.

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Remodelers Optimistic About Market Improvement

ABBOTSFORD, BC (PRWEB) January 20, 2015

Phantom Screens has been awarded Best Of Houzz for Design & Customer Satisfaction by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. Phantom Screens - the leading provider of retractable screens in North America - was chosen by the more than 25 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 500,000 active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

We are honored to have been selected for Best Of Houzz 2015 award in both Design and Customer Satisfaction categories, said Paul Ackah-Sanzah, senior marketing manager of Phantom Screens. It is especially meaningful as the selection of winners is done by actual homeowners our customers. Building our Houzz profile has not just helped us to share info about our products, but to participate in discussions, offer advice to help solve design dilemmas, and deliver inspiration. It is a true community of people and companies who are brought together by the common goal of creating functional and beautiful living spaces, and Phantom Screens is happy to be part of it.

Design award winners work was the most popular among the more than 25 million monthly users on Houzz, known as Houzzers. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2014. Winners will receive a Best Of Houzz 2015 badge on their profiles, helping Houzz users around the world who discover and love a professionals work to learn even more about that business popularity and satisfaction rating among their peers in the Houzz community.

Houzz provides homeowners with a 360 degree view of home building, remodeling and design industry professionals, empowering them to engage the right people and products for their project, said Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing for Houzz. Were delighted to recognize Phantom Screens among our Best Of professionals as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.

Follow Phantom Screens on Houzz: http://www.houzz.com/pro/phantom-screens

About Phantom Screens: Phantom Screens is North Americas leading provider of retractable screens. Phantoms screens offer insect protection, solar shading and enhanced privacy for doorways, windows, and large openings such as outdoor living spaces, and lift & slide door systems. Phantom retractable screens are designed to pull or lower into place when required and retract out of sight when not in use.

Every Phantom screen is backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty for added peace of mind. Since its beginning in 1992, the Phantom brand has been synonymous with quality, innovative product development, and superior customer service. According to independent market research, 97% of Phantom customers rate their overall Phantom experience from good to outstanding. Phantom Screens is a Registered Provider with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES), and a member of the NAHBs Leading Supplier Council. For more information about Phantom Screens retractable screen products, or to find an Authorized Distributor or Dealer near you, visit http://www.phantomscreens.com or call 1-888-PHANTOM

About Houzz: Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish - online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community powered by social tools, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin and Sydney. For more information, visit http://www.houzz.com

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Phantom Screens Receives Best Of Houzz 2015 Award

The National Association of the Remodeling Industrys (NARI) released its fourth-quarter Remodeling Business Pulse (RBP) data of current and future remodeling business conditions that continue to point to growth. Currently 67 percent of remodelers nationwide are seeing growth compared to only 15 percent who are reporting declines.

The current conditions rating showed a slight directional decline at 6.31, down from 6.41 in September. (Ratings above 5 indicate growth). This easing comes after two quarters of growth. While the ratings of current conditions remain positive, marginal decreases in three of the four sub-components reflect lower growth rates.

There has been long-term improvement in sales value, which indicates that larger projects are making a comeback, said Tom OGrady, CR, CKBR, chairman of NARIs Strategic Planning & Research Committee and president of OGrady Builders, based in Drexel Hill, Pa. Consumers are feeling that the economy will be good for the foreseeable future.

While postponed projects remain the top reason at 70 percent for growth, moving into the number two position is consumers feelings of more certainty about the future. Economic growth was seen as a driver as well, while improving home prices remained unchanged at 50 percent.

While all ratings of current conditions remain positive, most of the sub-components were softer than September. This is indicative of the slow, steady recovery of the remodeling industry, said Tom OGrady. The majority of remodelers are seeing growth and are confident that the market is improving, which is in line with market indicators.

Comparing business conditions across different regions of the county, it is noted that the West has the strongest ratings for all of the sub-measures of current conditions. The Northeast is lower on all measures except conversion to bids to jobs, where it dips significantly lower versus all but the Midwest. The outlook for the future is directionally strongest in the South.

The survey also provided detailed findings regarding energy-efficiency upgrades. A dominant proportion of remodelers 80 percent discussed energy efficiency with homeowners. Cost, savings and payback period are the dominant issues on homeowners minds. Interestingly, 94 percent of remodelers are involved in one or more energy-savings upgrades, with added insulation, high R windows and high-efficiency furnaces being the most popular.

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NARI Reports Outlook for Business in First Three Months of 2015 Improves

Emergency Plumber in Vancouver Call 604-433-5555
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