By Kevin Brasler of Washington Consumers' Checkbook January 14 at 8:00 AM

Because we share our world with a mind-boggling number and variety of creepy crawlies, its almost inevitable that at some point youll be sharing your home with some of them. When it happens, you want them out now.

If youre ready to call in an exterminator, choose carefully: In a study of 88 local operators, Checkbook.org found big company-to-company differences when it asked area consumers to rate pest-control services they had used. Of the 88 companies, 12 were rated superior overall by 90 percent or more of their customers Checkbook surveyed, but 17 companies got such favorable ratings from only 50 percent or fewer of their surveyed customers.

Companies lowest ratings resulted from doing work that didnt solve the problem, but Checkbook also receives many complaints about companies failing to show up for appointments, sloppiness, alarmist termite inspections that lead to unnecessary work, inept inspections that fail to detect infestations and salespeople who push expensive, unnecessary annual contracts.

Youll also want to compare costs. Checkbooks mystery shoppers found large price differences. For example, to treat a house for cockroaches, some companies would charge less than $165 with a 90-day period of free follow-up while other companies would charge more than $270 with no free follow-up.

No matter what type of pest problem you have, dont assume you have to pay more to get good critter control; Checkbook found no relationship between price and quality. Some highly rated companies charge low prices, and some poorly rated companies charge high prices.

What needs to be done to solve your pest problem depends on whats bugging you. What follows is advice on what to consider when hiring an exterminator for the most common types of household pest problems.

If you must resort to chemical warfare, check labels for proper safety precautions and find out about possible health effects. If you use a professional, have the company provide a copy of the label from the pesticides they will use, determine up front how long the house must be vacated after application and how long the chemicals will be potent, be skeptical about safety claims, and insist that the company follow safety precautions.

Rodents, roaches, ants and stinging insects

Before you seek professional exterminating help, consider what you can do to remedy the problem. You can prevent or control most household pest problems by taking a few general steps: Cut off access to foods; keep your home as clean as possible (good luck, parents!); reduce or eliminate excess moisture; and seal cracks and other entry points. In addition to these preventive measures, you can place baits and traps and use sprays to rein in minor or moderate infestations. Doing what you can on your own usually will spare you the expense of hiring an exterminator and lessen the risk of exposure to pesticides that could harm your family or pets.

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Pest control services: Cost doesnt mean quality

Colorado Springs Power Washing
Power washing services contractors in Denver and Colorado Springs. More info call us 303-289-1700. Visit website:http://www.bbsdenver.com/what_we_do.html.

By: John Buttler

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Colorado Springs Power Washing - Video

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation, usually measured at a person's upper arm. A persons blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure over diastolic pressure and is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Normal resting blood pressure for an adult is approximately 120/80mm Hg.

Blood pressure varies depending on situation, activity, and disease states, and is regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems. Blood pressure that is pathologically low is called hypotension, and pressure that is pathologically high is hypertension. Both have many causes and can range from mild to severe, with both acute and chronic forms. Chronic hypertension is a risk factor for many complications, including peripheral vascular disease, heart attack, and stroke. Hypertension is generally more common, also due to the demands of modern lifestyles. Hypertension and hypotension go often undetected because of infrequent monitoring.

The table on the right shows the classification of blood pressure adopted by the American Heart Association for adults who are 18 years and older.[1] It assumes the values are a result of averaging blood pressure readings measured at two or more visits to the doctor.[3][4]

In the UK, clinic blood pressures are usually categorised into three groups; low (90/60 or lower), normal (between 90/60 and 139/80), and high (140/90 or higher).[5][6]

Blood pressure fluctuates from minute to minute and normally shows a circadian rhythm over a 24-hour period, with highest readings in the afternoons and lowest readings at night.[7][8] Loss of the normal fall in blood pressure at night is associated with a greater future risk of cardiovascular disease and there is evidence that night-time blood pressure is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular events than day-time blood pressure.[9]

Various factors, such as age and sex, influence a person's blood pressure and variations in it. In children, the normal ranges are lower than for adults and depend on height.[10] Reference blood pressure values have been developed for children in different countries, based on the distribution of blood pressure in children of these countries.[11] As adults age, systolic pressure tends to rise and diastolic tends to fall.[12] In the elderly, blood pressure tends to be above the normal adult range,[13] largely because of reduced flexibility of the arteries. Also, an individual's blood pressure varies with exercise, emotional reactions, sleep, digestion, time of day and circadian rhythm.

Differences between left and right arm blood pressure measurements tend to be random and average to nearly zero if enough measurements are taken. However, in a small percentage of cases there is a consistent difference greater than 10mm Hg which may need further investigation, e.g. for obstructive arterial disease.[14][15]

The risk of cardiovascular disease increases progressively above 115/75mm Hg.[16] In the past, hypertension was only diagnosed if secondary signs of high arterial pressure were present, along with a prolonged high systolic pressure reading over several visits. Regarding hypotension, in practice blood pressure is considered too low only if noticeable symptoms are present.[2]

Clinical trials demonstrate that people who maintain arterial pressures at the low end of these pressure ranges have much better long term cardiovascular health. The principal medical debate concerns the aggressiveness and relative value of methods used to lower pressures into this range for those who do not maintain such pressure on their own. Elevations, more commonly seen in older people, though often considered normal, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

The mean arterial pressure (MAP) is the average over a cardiac cycle and is determined by the cardiac output (CO), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and central venous pressure (CVP),[18]

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Blood pressure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If there were any doubts about Samsung Electronicss ambitions for its homegrown Tizen mobile operating system, it may be time to put them to rest.

The worlds largest handset maker will begin selling its new Tizen smartphone, the Samsung Z1, in India today, marking Samsungs biggest step so far in trying to build a credible alternative to Googles dominant Android operating system.

You could be forgiven for harboring some skepticism. The company first said it would launch a Tizen smartphone in the second half of 2012. Since that failed prophecy, Samsung has said again and again that it was on the verge of releasing a Tizen smartphone capped by a trio of failures to launch last year.

The repeated stumbles have wreaked havoc on the platforms credibility, particularly among developers, who are staying mostly on the sidelines for the new smartphone launch.

That could come back to bite Samsung, despite a workaround that allows Samsung Z1 users to access services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube without the app makers having had to develop Tizen-specific apps.

Even viable platforms without a critical developer engagement fail, said Roberta Cozza, a research director for Gartner. Samsung in its past software efforts has not shown a good track record with developers community. It has a lot to prove here as an ecosystem owner beyond just a technology leader and limited time given their market challenged position.

As for the device itself, Samsung has recalibrated its new Tizen smartphone once aimed at Japan and France to target the lowest end of the market. At 5,700 Indian rupees ($92), the phone is aimed at consumers who may have never had a bank account, never mind a smartphone.

On many levels, the device is basic ideal for a lightweight operating system like Tizen that isnt necessarily meant to handle heavy-duty tasks. The interface is simple and uncluttered, and is designed to focus on core smartphone functions like phone calls, messaging and photos.

While part of Tizens appeal is its potential role in tying together disparate Samsung products, from washing machines to wearable devices, the Galaxy Z1s specifications arent powerful enough to link to the companys current line of smartwatches.

What it does have, in a similar nod to Samsungs new mid-range smartphone lines, are some select features of its premium phones part of an attempt to set apart the Samsung Z1 from a growing pool of low-end competitors.

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Samsung Recalibrates Tizen Phones for the Low-End

By Scott Van Voorhis

Boston.com Correspondent | 01.13.15 | 3:54 PM

Marble, quartz, and honed granite, as well as more neutral color design patterns, are the hot tickets now in home design when it comes time to sell, experts say.

The changing tastes come amid an uptick in spending on home renovations (including kitchen revamps), a brightening economy, and rising home prices.

Home renovation spending was on track for a record year in 2014. Home and kitchen upgrades were expected to surpass the $145 billion tallied in 2006, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

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But while spending on home renovations are back, new styles and tastes are taking hold over the excesses of the irrationally exuberant bubble years. Crazy expensive customized kitchens are definitely out.

I think there is a decrease in excitement about granite everywhere, said James Roche, chief executive of Houseplans.com, which tracks building design trends across the country. The idea of covering everything in granite is equated with the Baby Boom McMansion phase. I dont think people like that aesthetic.

Homeowners who went nuts building over-the-top custom kitchens in the 1990s and 2000s learned the hard way, with the new owners often ripping things out and starting over, notes Neda Vander Stoep, a top agent in the Back Bay office of Coldwell Banker Residential Mortgage.

Some examples include crazy ornate backsplashes, black appliances, ornate floor tiles, customer, custom cabinets with ornate detail and overly customized cabinet hardware, she said. Instead, while owners still want great looking kitchens, they also want to ensure they are making a wise investment as well, she added.

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Home Renovations Bounce Back With Neutral Colors

The cause of a devastating fire that destroyed a business remained under investigation Wednesday morning in Armstrong County.

Blume's Solid Surface on Freeport Road in South Buffalo Township went up in flames around 6 p.m. Tuesday. The company specializes in kitchen countertops and has been in business for 25 years.

VIDEO: Watch Amber Nicotra's report

"I've never quite worked for a company like this," said employee Bob Waltz. "Coming here and seeing this, I liked working for this place. They were great owners, great people to work for. They went above and beyond everything."

When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from all sides of the building. They encountered water issues when hydrants were frozen due to the extreme cold.

Several hours and more than 100 firefighters were needed to get the four-alarm blaze under control. Nobody was hurt in the fire.

The entire facility was destroyed, except for a few walls that are still standing.

South Buffalo Township Fire Chief Randy Brozenick says the fire appears to have started when an engine block heater caught fire in a truck that was parked behind the building in a loading area.

A state police fire marshal was investigating the fire, which spread rapidly in part because materials used to finish the countertops also burned.

Link:
Fire engulfs, destroys countertop business

Riding a wave of increasing demand for fire arms, high-end gun clubs are popping up across the country to cater to a new generation of shooters. They're called "guntry clubs" and they are full of luxury. (Gabe Silverman/The Washington Post)

Blake Vaught and Alex Williamson, buddies in their late 20s, were having a cognitive dissonance moment.

This place is like a country club, Vaught said, looking at a concierge desk, granite countertops and sleek black couches.

Or like a really nice steakhouse, Williamson said.

They were not at a country club. They were not at a steakhouse. They were at Elite Shooting Sports, a new gun range in Manassas, Va., that, like a wave of other new ranges around the country, is targeting a new breed of shooter younger, more affluent, style-focused, increasingly female and even environmentally conscious.

The gun industrys term for these shooting retreats: Guntry Clubs.

In Miamis arts district, a new high-end club attracts celebrities such as LeBron James who shoot fully automatic machine guns, then chill in VIP lounges. A Texas range features gun valets. A Colorado club offers custom-fitted earplugs, apps to reserve shooting lanes and chess sets. Membership fees at these new ranges are sometimes hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Cigar lounges yes. WiFi of course. There is lots of leather.

The high-end ranges come as the $15billion gun industrys sales have more than doubled since 2005. Fears of regulations with a Democrat in the Oval Office have juiced much of that growth, which is now leveling out. But experts also say an industry shift away from hunting culture has helped spawn a new generation of firearms enthusiasts buying up sleekly designed handguns and AR-15 rifles for tactical shooting practice.

The average age of new target shooters is 33, while 47percent live in urban or suburban areas, and 37percent are female, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms industry. Shooters spend $10billion a year on target shooting, including the cost of firearms, ammunition and range fees.

Those demographics and economics are attracting investors without firearms industry backgrounds; they see ranges as a new place to employ their cash. Elite Shooting Sports, a nearly $14million project, has investors from the electronics industry. Real estate, finance, hotel and auto industry executives have backed other new ranges.

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Guntry clubs target a new breed of shooter: younger, more affluent and female

Beauty Lamp Decoration
Lamp make with Fiver Materials Some materials that you #39;ll need to decorate a lamp with silk flowers include a lamp, silk roses and a glue gun. Decorate a lamp with silk roses with help from...

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Beauty Lamp Decoration - Video

Business News of Wednesday, 14 January 2015

Source: Graphic Online

After years of innovations, experiments and exhibitions, the Great Kosa Automobile Company Limited is set to begin commercial production of vehicles in Ghana.

The company, which is owned by renowned Ghanaian industrialist, Apostle Kwadwo Safo, the founder of Kristo Asafo Mission, has successfully put its new automobile assembling plant to test.

Seven sleek Kantanka-branded vehicles three 4X4 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and four pick-ups produced from the assembling plant at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region, are set to hit the roads as the company stands ready to begin commercial automobile production.

According to an interior decorator of the company, Mr Kwasi Frimpong, who conducted a Daily Graphic team round the assembling plant, at the moment, the facility could produce four 4X4 SUV and four pick-up vehicles daily.

But officials of the company say in the long term, the assembling plant will produce at least 20 vehicles daily.

The assembling plant was installed in April 2014, following a collaboration with a Chinese investor.

Currently, it operates two lines one for SUV vehicles and the other for pick-up vehicles.

Mr Frimpong says there are plans to establish another plant for the production of saloon cars in the near future.

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Kantanka to begin commercial production of vehicles

Call Karen and Jack! Former costars Debra Messing and Eric McCormack are planning a Will & Grace reunion.

The two actors will appear on television together for the first time since Will & Grace aired its series finale in May 2006. McCormack, 51, is set to appear in an upcoming episode of the NBC dramedy The Mysteries of Laura, which is led by Messing.

PHOTOS:Costars Reunited

The Smash actress, 46, stars as Detective Laura Diamond in the new series. Her character is a homicide detective with the NYPD who faces additional challenges in her personal life as her ex-husband (Josh Lucas) is now her boss in the force, and she must balance work with raising their twin boys.

McCormack will make his debut in The Mysteries of Laura as Dr. Andrew Devlin, Deadline reports. His heart surgeon character is suspected of homicide after his ex-wife dies. To make things more complicated, Detective Diamond and Dr. Devlin were once engaged.

Eric McCormack as Will Truman, Debra Messing as Grace Adler in "Will & Grace" Credit: Bill Reitzel/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

PHOTOS:'90s TV Stars: Then & Now

McCormack and Messing starred opposite one another for eight years on Will & Grace. Joined by Megan Mullally as Karen Walker and Sean Hayes as Jack McFarland, the two stars played Will Truman and Grace Adler, respectively.

Messing's Grace was a lovable interior decorator with a less-than-successful dating life, who lived with her best friend, McCormack's gay lawyer character Will.

PHOTOS: Debra Messing at the Emmys

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Debra Messing, Eric McCormack Have Will and Grace Reunion on Mysteries of Laura: Details