The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency that is part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, annually ranks the 15,000-plus <a title=Nursing homes at Great Places! Href=http://www. greatplacesinc. com/features/NursingHomes. aspx>nursing homes</a> that participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs. Last December, the agency released its first quality ratings for these facilities. The Center uses a star rating system, from a low of one star to a high of five. The ratings, based on health inspection surveys, staffing data and quality of care measures, are available at http://www. medicare. gov/NHCompare. com. The website provides easy access to essential information for anyone evaluating <a title=Nursing homes at Great Places! Href=http://www. greatplacesinc. com/features/NursingHomes. aspx>nursing homes</a> in a particular geographic area. According to the CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems, “Our goal in developing this unprecedented quality rating system is to provide families a straightforward assessment of nursing home quality, with meaningful distinctions between high and low performing homes. The new information will also help consumers and families identify important questions to ask nursing homes and challenge nursing homes to improve their quality of care. ” The rating system is based on a nursing home’s performance in the following critical areas: § Health inspection surveys. State and federal surveyors perform annual assessments of each facility’s healthcare services and measure its compliance with local and federal rules. The survey is intended to protect residents’ health and safety. § § Quality measures. This category uses 10 key measures to examine the quality of a facility, including percentages of residents who have pressure ulcers (i. e. , bedsores) after their first 90 days in the facility; the numbers of residents whose mobility worsened after admissions; and the receipt of proper medical care by the population. § § Staffing information. This category calculates the number of hours of nursing and other staff care per patient per day, adjusted to account for the particular needs of residents (e. g. , illness levels, services required. ) This measurement is considered to be particularly important, because the more professional attention is paid to nursing home residents, the more likely it is that the resident is receiving appropriate care. § The product of the system is a quality rating for a nursing home’s performance according to these measures, coupled with a composite score. A one-star rating means that the facility is “much below average,” while two stars represent “below average” performance. Three stars? “Average. “ Four stars means “above average,” and five, the highest rating, means “much above average. ” The new system has gotten high praise from Senator Herb Kohl, Democrat from Wisconsin, who’s chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging. “With this new rating system, CMS is improving the ability of consumers to readily obtain critical information which should be used in conjunction with in-person visits to a facility. “ He added, “Transparency is key when it comes to nursing home quality. I commend Acting Administrator Weems and, as always, appreciate the opportunity to work together to improve our nation’s nursing homes. ” “Choosing a nursing home or community-based care is one of the most difficult and sometimes confusing decisions families have to make,” noted Thomas Hamilton, director of the CMS group that designed the new system. “The new website improvements also include links to information for community-based alternatives to nursing homes that may be of great interest to families. Regardless of the type of support a family chooses,” he said, “It is vital that families and caregivers use the Web site as just one of many important sources of information they should consult. Families should also consult with their physician, talk to the state’s nursing home ombudsman or the state’s survey and certification office and, most importantly, visit the nursing home or community-based program for themselves. ” The first round of ratings found about 12 percent of the nation’s nursing homes deserved the five-star rating, while a disturbing 22 percent received only one star. Ratings for the other approximately two-thirds of the nursing homes were distributed fairly evenly among the two, three and four star rankings. U. S. News rolled up the data to produce listings of the best (http://health. usnews. com/sections/health/best-nursing-homes/index. html) and worst (http://health. usnews. com/articles/health/best-nursing-homes/2009/03/11/10-worst-states-for-top-nursing-homes. html) nursing homes, concluding that the 10 states that have the lowest percentage of top-rated homes are Louisiana, which has only nine five-star homes, slightly more than three percent of the 284 facilities in that state. Georgia, with 6. 2 percent of its facilities rated tops, was second, followed by Oklahoma (7. 1 percent); Tennessee (7. 3 percent); West Virginia (7. 7 percent); Kentucky (8. 7 percent); Indiana (8. 9 percent); Missouri (9. 1 percent); Texas (9. 3 percent); and Ohio and Utah, tied for tenth place, with 9. 9 percent of five-star rated facilities.
Up & Down: Hope for Wie and LPGA, plus the obligatory Tiger downers
December 29th, 2009Up Doing the Conde Nasty We’ll probably never know who made the editorial call and why, but the game’s most popular publication, Golf Digest, has benched playing editor Tiger Woods indefinitely in the aftermath of his trysts with various women in various towns at various times in various positions (hey, that’s about as nice as I can phrase it). After enduring ridicule for having Woods on the cover this month with a photo-shopped picture of President Obama — the cover was in production weeks before the Woods scandal broke — the monthly magazine elected to give the world No. 1 some time off to plot his personal and professional course. Besides, the next cover story was probably something like, “Tiger Woods: Escaping the Ultimate Bad Lie. ” Just wondering aloud: How many of these firms that have, somewhat controversially, stood by Woods have signed binding contracts they cannot escape from? Watching golf on Sundaze The Golf Channel takes over next year as the primary outlet for LPGA broadcasts, which means there hardly will be enough hours in the day for most of the packed Thursday-Sunday coverage, given the network’s existing commitments with the European, Nationwide, Champions and PGA tours. With more tournament content than ever, an interesting notion was broached over lunch a few days ago with a trio of Golf Channel honchos: moving away from the traditional Sunday finish. Page Thompson, who runs the network, said he has mentioned to the LPGA that a Monday finale at select tournaments would give the tour an unfettered and unfiltered audience — and it’s a point worth pursuing. Volunteers would swap working Thursday for Monday, so the logistics seem doable. The men’s U. S. Open used to end with 36 holes on Saturday. LPGA events have ended on Saturdays in the recent past. Like with movies distributed on CDs, the second-tier tours need to consider adding alternate endings. Remarkably remaking Wie The president is taking a few days off to decompress in Hawaii over the holidays, and no doubt the golf-addicted lefty will bash a few balls around while enjoying the warm weather. That said, he’s clearly the second-most famous golfer on the islands at the moment, and based on the success of Michelle Wie’s career makeover, the second-most popular, too. While IMG has rightly been savaged for its handling of the Woods affair, there’s little doubt that the mega-management firm has steered Wie back onto the rails. On Christmas Eve, Wie and some of her former high school classmates distributed toys and Walmart gift cards to ailing kids associated with the Ronald McDonald House. Now 20 and in her third year at Stanford, Wie won for the first time as a professional in 2009 and definitely is a star on the ascent once again. Woods and Wie: two ships of state heading in opposite directions. Yuta man? Since there are no official tournaments this week around the globe, the final 2009 top 50 in the world ranking has already been finalized, locking up berths in the 2010 Masters for a slew of folks who had not otherwise already qualified, including Robert Allenby, 2008 Euro Tour money leader Robert Karlsson, Adam Scott, Ryder Cup stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez . . . and some dude named Yuta Ikeda. If the latter doesn’t ring a bell, you are hardly alone. Ikeda plays almost exclusively in Japan, where he has won four times in the past two years. But he has not often left Japanese soil. In that same 24-month span, he has played in two events sanctioned by other tours, missing the cut at the British Open and finishing T51 at HSBC Champions. In his past 33 official events over two seasons, he has 11 top 10 finishes, which sounds pretty good until you consider he finished outside the top 20 a total of 16 times against weak fields. Japanese teen Ryo Ishikawa won over doubters at the Presidents Cup matches, and Ikeda will have plenty of convincing to do at Augusta National next spring. Starting right here. Down Not too proud to say, “We told you so” The news was all too predictable. We have been waiting for the other Nike to drop, and it already has plopped onto the final floor. In a study released this week, a pair of UC Davis professors have determined that Woods’ marital infidelity has already cost between $5 million and $14 million in losses to those owning stock in companies with which Woods had endorsement deals. Summarized the report: “Because most of the firms that Mr. Woods endorses are either large or owned by large parent companies, the losses are extremely widespread. Mr. Woods’ top five sponsors (Accenture, Nike, Gillette, Electronic Arts and Gatorade) lost 2-3 percent of their aggregate market value after the accident, and his core sports-related sponsors EA, Nike and PepsiCo (Gatorade) lost over four percent. The pace of losses slowed by Dec. 11, the date Mr. Woods announced his leave from golf, but as late as Dec. 17, shareholders had not recovered their losses. ” In other words, the scandal quagmire is so deep, Woods is hurting folks both when he is present (as a pitchman), and when he isn’t (as a player). When the messenger trumps the message Continuing in the same vein as above, Dan Neil, a Pulitzer-winning writer at the Los Angeles Times, gave the PGA Tour a vicious kick to the groin last week, claiming it was time for advertisers “to break those links,” as the headline read, to the professional game because of the Woods fiasco. It almost didn’t matter that Neil whiffed on several key points — that sponsoring tournaments spreads a brand name as well as anything on the sports-marketing platform, and at a relatively cheap price. Just the fact that a guy with a pedigree of that nature pulled the chain on the tour tank was damning enough. Then he called Woods a “philandering golf god, emotionally retarded frat boy and straight-up liar” and suggested that all sponsors jump ship because golf’s wholesome image had proven to be a complete canard. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, sort of Someday soon, in journalism schools across the land, entire semesters will surely be devoted to the media’s groundbreaking and confidence-shaking handling of the Woods affair. Non-traditional news outlets or celebrity websites often led the way, paying for news tips, printing stories without bylines so that writers were not held accountable for mistakes and identifying few sources that could be vetted — it might have changed the face of media, albeit not always for the better. But this week, the new-media nadir might have been reached with a completely unattributed and un-sourced e-mail that was casually distributed to hundreds of writers and fans nationally and posted on at least two websites, like here and here. Whatever happened to credibility? As one of my editors put it, “this has not been American media’s finest hour. ” What we think, vs. what we know Since I have saddled and straddled my ethical high horse, what about the report last week in the New York Daily News that claimed that LPGA veteran Helen Alfredsson had knowledge that Woods was having an affair? The publication, citing quotes the LPGA veteran gave a Swedish station, said she “became the first of Woods’ peers to breach the green wall of silence. ” The headline said that golfers knew he was being unfaithful, but said nothing. Oh, really? As it related to Woods’ dalliances, Alfredsson told the Swedish station, “I heard it last summer during the British Open. ” Was that the men’s or women’s version of the British Open? So, she heard a rumor, in other words, which is a long way from having hard facts. Which is an even longer way from actually knowing anything. Inhale, exhale, cough Happened to be looking through a Baseball America report the other day when an interesting note on a top minor leaguer all but leaped off the computer screen. It noted that one of the Milwaukee Brewers’ top pitching prospects had twice tested positive for marijuana and was one more positive test away from a lifetime ban. Let’s compare that standard to the PGA Tour’s 2-year-old system. First, players who have tested positive for street drugs on tour have not been identified and no suspension, if any, has been announced. Second, the office of the commissioner has complete authority to hand down sanctions — or do essentially nothing. Thirdly, penalties for performance-enhancing drugs and street drugs are not treated the same on tour (the LPGA made no such distinction when formulating its testing plan). The Brewers’ kid is a puff away from getting the boot for life, but the PGA Tour system looks more and more like a smokescreen to create the illusion of accountability FIND WHAT YOU WANT AT golf discount, golf online, shipping free
Efforts to Strip Health Care Provisions Fall Short
December 10th, 2009senate Democrats on Friday beat back Republican efforts to strip out two major provisions of their health care bill that would make deep cuts in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans and create a new long-term-care insurance program. In different ways, the two provisions reflect Democratic priorities. For years, Democrats have asserted that the private Medicare plans, operated by insurance companies under contract with the government, are getting unwarranted subsidies. Many Democrats say the long-term-care program would fill a gap in the social safety net, though critics assert that the program would be financially unsustainable. The votes capped a bitterly partisan first week of debate on the legislation. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, said the Senate would work through the weekend. By a vote of 57 to 41, the Senate on Friday rejected a Republican motion to eliminate the cuts affecting private Medicare Advantage plans, which provide comprehensive care to nearly one-fourth of the 45 million Medicare beneficiaries. The bill would cut $118 billion from projected spending on such plans over the next 10 years. Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, said some older Americans would inevitably lose some benefits, like vision and dental care, which they now receive from the Medicare Advantage plans. The No. 2 Republican in the Senate, Jon Kyl of Arizona, said Democrats were breaking Mr. Obama’s promise that “if you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep it. ”But Democrats said the Republicans were just trying to protect the insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, said he had yet to see any instance in which the Republican argument “does not happen to coincide with the interest of the insurance industry. ”In the long-term-care insurance program, people could qualify for cash benefits if they became severely disabled after voluntarily paying premiums for at least five years. The money could be used for things that help people maintain their independence, like housing modifications, special telephone and computer equipment or the services of a caregiver. Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, said: “This is the next logical step after the Americans with Disabilities Act. It will provide so many people in this country with the security and peace of mind, knowing they won’t have to go to a nursing home or an institution if they become disabled. ”Under the bill, premiums would be set to cover the cost of the new program. But Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said the government could incur “a huge new liability down the road. ”The Senate voted, 51 to 47, to strip the new program from the bill, but the Senate had previously agreed to set a 60-vote threshold, so the effort failed, and the program remains in the bill. Mr. Thune led the effort to eliminate the program. He won support from 11 Democrats, including the chairman of the Finance Committee, Max Baucus of Montana, and the chairman of the Budget Committee, Kent Conrad of North Dakota. The program is supported by President Obama. The House bill includes a similar program. Away from the floor debate, Democrats continued searching for a compromise on the divisive question of whether to create a new government-run health insurance plan. Two pivotal centrists, Senators Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said they could not support any of these proposals being floated by Democrats. “The public option is really a government-created and government-run insurance company,” Mr. Lieberman said. “It won’t help a single poor person get insurance. ”
Aperitif Hybrid Tea Rose
November 25th, 2009The latter part of last summer was hot and droughty in Westminster. I went to look at a garden, locally, on top of a windy hill that is quite exposed to the worst of winter’s harshness. Included was a small rose garden. Due to the weather and some neglect, all of the roses looked poor, except one. This was a yellow hybrid tea, fully foliated and loaded with buds about to unfurl, still bearing the remnants of what was obviously a heavy spring and early summer bloom. It had about eight husky canes and stood every bit of 5 feet tall. As a class, yellow hybrid teas tend to be the most difficult of all. In general they don’t have a strong constitution. They seem particularly prone to winter kill. For years I have been searching for a good yellow hybrid tea and to stumble across one so serendipitously is truly amazing. The homeowner said the rose was about three or four years old and that this was her best rose; so easy to grow and so reliable. With some investigating the rose turned out to be Aperitif, not budded but growing on its own root. Aperitif is a recent introduction from New Zealand. We checked further and found that in just a few years, Aperitif has developed quite a worldwide reputation for vigor and reliability.
Aperitif has glowing, well-formed, yellow blooms on long, strong stems. The four and a half inch blooms are exquisite, with up to 30 petals and a light fragrance. The long stems, which will reach 18 to 22 inches, make Aperitif an exceptional addition to floral arrangements. The bush is very vigorous and will grow easily in the garden, reaching a height of 60 inches. The glossy, medium dark foliage is quite disease resistant.
Planting and Care
For best results, plant in early spring.
Plant 4 feet apart in well-drained soil enriched with compost.
Prefers full sun.
Fertilize with Rose-Tone monthly from March 15th through August 15th.
Prune in the spring.
Hardy in zones 5 (with protection)-9.
Click here to view Aperitif Hybrid Tea Rose on the Carroll Gardens website.
Free Game Downloads Offers New Choices For High Stakes Internet Gambling!
November 24th, 2009Free Game Downloads Makes High Stakes Internet Gambling Fun!Free Game Downloads is the Internet site to find casino gaming software for gambling. They have just introduced two brand new casinos that have come on the scene as well as reporting resources for the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. Even during a global recession, many people still play poker online. In fact, on November 17th Patrik Antonius took down the largest pot in the history of online poker, which was $878,000 in one hand of $500/$1,000 Pot Limit Omaha. That night was very profitable as Antonius won $2. 4 million dollars in all, and these were not tournament chips but actual cash! Antonius and another Internet high stakes poker player Isildur1 played for huge amounts of money as there were at least 5 pots worth over $500,000 each and 6 over $400,000. Free Game Downloads also promotes the online poker room that Patrik Antonius and other top champions play poker online. Any high stakes players can take a chance at competing against them and make a recognized name for themselves. And with interest still high from the 2009 World Series of Poker where 21 year old Joseph Cada took down the Main Event, winning over $8. 5 million dollars in the process, they have news feed pages that will allow visitors to have access to WSOP and WPT tournament results all year round. The list of available reports automatically updates, each containing official results released from the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour. For visitors with an interest in slot and poker tournaments, the Euro Pound Casinos area of the website will keep them informed of the latest in competition events as they are provided. One recently held event was the Grand Slam of Slots which gave one lucky winner $1 million dollars! Currently, in a special contest for UK players, another slot tournament featured will reward a player with £8,888,888 British Pounds. Slot players will definitely be interested as this is the largest jackpot ever offered by a online casino. If a visitor wants the best chance to make money playing slots, they will appreciate the newest casino member who offers the highest payouts that you will find online. Specializing in slots, they also have Blackjack, Video Poker and Roulette in either European or American style. Plus another brand new feature of the website is the RSS news feed that will allow subscribers to easily keep up with any new developments or casino offerings. RSS news feeds are easily added to an RSS reader or to any MyYahoo or iGoogle page. So instead of coming back from time to time seeking the latest updates and information, the information automatically updates and comes to the subscriber.
Malcolm Heyhoes Tips for December Uk Horse Racing
November 23rd, 2009December usually means the King George at Kempton for the racing fan, but the traditional centre-piece of the Christmas programme is merely the climax to a thrilling month’s racing that begins at Sandown with the two-mile spectacular that is the Tingle Creek Trophy on Saturday, December 2.
Shocks are a rarity in this Grade One contest and even though many of the familiar faces will be missing from this valuable event, it’s safe to say that backers should stick with those horses towards the head of the market.
In the absence of leading two-mile lights such as Well Chief, and Newmill, this may well be an excellent opportunity for Voy Por Ustedes, last season’s top two-mile chaser and Arkle Trophy hero, to establish his claims for the two-mile chasing crown.
His trainer, Alan King, has long earmarked this race as an ideal starting-point for his stable star and with agility and the need to travel up with the pace a priority at Sandown, Voy Por Ustedes has plenty in his favour. Ashley Brook, last year’s runner-up, may also be in opposition and it’ll be intriguing to see how he fares after missing most of last season through injury.
The Tingle Creek isn’t the only top two-mile chase on the agenda at Sandown because the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase is also a key feature of Sandown’s cracking December 2 card. There’s already a wealth of talent in the two-mile novice chase division and it would be no surprise to see Fair Along, a most impressive winner of the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham contest this prize and put his Arkle credentials on the line.
Remarkably five of the last eight winners of the Henry VIII ran in the Independent Chase at Cheltenham while trainer Paul Nicholls has also been responsible for two of the last seven winners and whatever he runs from his Ditcheat stable should be noted. The same is true for Alan King’s Barbury Castle yard and My Way de Solzen, a most impressive winner on his Lingfield chase debut, would be another top-notch contender.
Sandown’s Saturday card wouldn’t be complete without a bookies’ benefit in the shape of the William Hill Handicap Hurdle which has been a graveyard for market leaders in recent seasons. It is twelve years now since a favourite has landed this two-mile contest and the soundest advice is to stick with horses carrying a low weight that are trained by Gary Moore or Philip Hobbs and have run already in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Open meeting. Both Mahogany Blaze and Verasi fit this bill.
On Sunday December 3 Ireland stages a couple of key races in their pattern calendar courtesy of the Drinmore Novices’ Chase and the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse, the latter being widely acknowledged as a stepping-stone to Champion Hurdle success and likely this year to feature Brave Inca and Asian Maze, two of Ireland’s leading candidates for top two-mile hurdling honours.
The best of the jumps action switches to Cheltenham on December 9 for a superb day’s racing that features the Boylseports. com International Hurdle (formerly known as the Bula Hurdle) as the meeting’s showpiece contest. Punters needn’t look any further than Detroit City the current Champion Hurdle favourite, for the most likely winner of the Boylesports. The Philip Hobbs-trained grey is rapidly developing into a course specialist at Prestbury Park and only last month he swiftly added the Greatwood Hurdle to the Triumph Hurdle he landed back in March.
The former contest has twice supplied the winner of the Boylesports and all being well the vastly improved Detroit City should make it three mainly at the expense of some inferior rivals. The Irish landed the race a year ago but any raiders from across the Irish Sea will be hard pressed to make it three recent winners this time around.
The Boylesports. com Gold Cup Chase is yet another change of name for a race that was once called the Massey-Ferguson Gold Cup, the Tripleprint, the Robin Cook and now this anonymous bookmaking mouthful. Sometimes progress has its limitations. Still, this is a cracking handicap and the trick here is to look for a horse carrying less then eleven stone that boasts wining form at the course, features towards the head of the betting and is trained either by Nicky Henderson or Paul Nicholls. Irish horses also tend to do well here.
Over at Lingfield on December 9 there are a couple of important novice events courtesy of the December Novices’ Chase and the Summit Junior Hurdle. The two highest-rated juveniles to win this event in the last three years were trained by Francois Doumen (the injury-prone Grand Seigneur in 1999/2000 and future Champion Hurdle winner Hors La Loi in 1998/9), and any horse sent over by the gallic raider must be respected while Oliver Sherwood has had this race in mind for some time for his smart youngster,. Marodima.
The countdown to Christmas begins at Ascot on December 16 with a top-notch programme that features the Long Walk Hurdle, the totesport. com Handicap Chase and the Ladbroke Hurdle. The later race is only in its infancy at Ascot and already Nicky Henderson has proved the man to be with having won the race recently with Chauvinist.
This time around he relies upon the well-regarded Tarlac, an easy winner over course and distance on his seasonal bow while Ireland’s Victram, a dab hand in this grade, also bids to add this race to his Imperial Cup success at Sandown in March. Ireland should also be strongly represented in the Long Walk Hurdle with trainer Dessie Hughes thinking hard about bringing over Hardy Eustace for this valuable prize following his easy win over slightly shorter at this course last time.
On Boxing Day, December 26, the King George VI Chase is always a race to savour and this year’s renewal may well see a small field and an odds-on favourite in the guise of Kauto Star, who has been elevated to superstar status in most quarters following an easy success against a bunch of declining forces at Haydock last time.
In a race that has been a corker for those punters that follow the market leaders 13 of the last 18 winners have featured in the top two in the betting Kauto Star is going to be very hard to beat but at least faces decent opposition in the shape of rising stars such as Monet’s Garden and Racing Demon who should give him a race over a course that rewards quick and accurate jumping and finds out any who slack in those departments. The former holds the best chance of overturning the favourite especially if he forces the latter to match him in the jumping department over the three rapid-fire fences in the home straight.
On December 27 Chepstow stages the Coral Welsh National, a severe test that is best left to those dour staying types that can plough through the Welsh mud. Light weights and previous winning form at the course will be a bonus and backers should look closely at any horse Paul Nicholls runs in the race while over at Leopardstown on the same day there’s the Paddy Power Handicap Chase, one of the main betting events at the big Christmas festival at the Dublin-based course. Look out here for Tony Martin’s Ross River, who is being trained to win this prize after finishing third in last year’s renewal.
The Psychology Of Fashion Design And Colour
November 22nd, 2009A growing demand for cufflinks has driven us to include a broader range from popular brand names. Even with the gloomy economic forecasts, we have a full diary of requests from all over the world. Some customers have been willing to wait for months, having per ordered especially, we can honestly blame the delays as a direct result of the effects of the severe winter of 2009 in England, all manufacturing and infrastructure were dramatically hampered for many weeks. It seems obvious that the little luxuries in life, like cufflinks, are still affordable. Designs abound in silver, enamel, Swarovski crystal and combinations of. The bespoke movement in England is challenging mass production at the other end of the scale, after all has anyone developed mechanical enamelling techniques for jewellery? Regardless, there is a human story behind handmade products, and it’s always nice to hear a good story. Every day we have to deal with machines and robots, automatic teller machines, clock in, clock off, security pads, remotes, self serve supermarkets and petrol stations. I guess we’ve become conditioned to our mechanically controlled environment and forget about the human element and their individual contributions, even in developing robotics. The best way to get in touch with your favourite brand is by wearing the things they have created. So to get the ball rolling we begin with a very special feature on Alluring Cufflinks. There is psychology inherent in fashion and is extended through garments and jewellery and portrayed by the person wearing. The confidence factor aligns with the designers’ intention, so in a direct way we relate to their creativity and draw attention from the crowd. On the subject of psychology: Colour affects your bottom line in branding, packaging, web design, interiors, product design and fashion. Understanding your personal palette and how to surround yourself with your best colours, in your clothes and your home, will make you feel good about yourself and send your confidence soaring. Looking great is an inevitable by-product. Black is the colour of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains. The most emotionally intense colour, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the colour of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme colour, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention. The most romantic colour, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy. And finally Blue; the colour of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colours. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms. So when choosing a tie, incorporate, black blue and red, you’ve got it all covered, not compliment the same with your choice of cufflinks.
Rose Gardening- How To Take Care During Winter
November 22nd, 2009While winter is the season of hibernation and dormancy for your roses, it can spell disaster, if you let it face the season with out taking any precaution. The tougher varieties like old garden roses and own-root types normally survive through the bitter cold, but the more delicate varieties like hybrid teas and budded roses can wither easily, if left unprotected. Preparation process for your rose bush, begins right at the time of selecting the roses for plantation. While browsing the net or printed catalogues, or even admiring the roses on display at your local garden store, be careful to choose only those types which are tough to glide through the harshness of winter, typical of the area in which you live in. consult the “hardiness zone maps”, if necessary before you make that final selection. The key to making your roses make it through the harsh winter is to deliberately make them hibernate or push them into dormancy. You can achieve this by stopping any fertilizing activity by mid August, ceasing all dead heading and pruning activities by the beginning of October. You must let hip formation to further ensure dormancy. Be certain to keep your plants in a frozen condition, if you live in very cold areas. Prevent the freeze/thaw/freeze cycles to happen repeatedly. To ensure this, never put any early covers on your plants. Bide your time till the first hard frost hits and the leaves start falling. Remove all fallen leaves, diseased leaves and other debris from around your rose bush at this time, as these insects and fungi hibernate during winter and return to damage during spring. Prune and trim the taller roses, before you put on any winter covering. Do not prune these too thoroughly, as you will have to prune again to remove dead and disease-infected canes in spring. You can tie the canes together - this will protect them from the cold and gusty winter winds. One of the very popular and easy methods to protect your rose bush during winter months is called “hilling”. This method involves piling a lot of moisture-free loose soil or compost around your rose bush. This piling should be around 10 to 12 inches in depth. This is a very good covering for the plants, provided it is dry. You should cover the mound with hay, leaves or evergreen branches, once it has frozen completely. With this type of dry covering, with moisture-free soil or compost, your rose bushes have the winter protection that they need so badly to survive. After your have successfully put your rose garden to rest for the winter, take some time off to sharpen your garden maintenance tools, so that you can start afresh in spring. Winter is the time for short days and long nights. As you sit and warm your heels by the fire side, browse through the websites and printed catalogues to order for next year’s roses.
Cosmetics: Drugstore or Department Store Brands?
November 21st, 2009We all love the beautification and enhancement purposes that our makeup provides us; however, when it comes down to deciding which products to choose, do you go for Drugstore or Department Store Brands?
I am an avid fan and consumer of several different makeup products and brands. This comes from years of experience in finding what works best for my skin type, the best colors for my skin tone, and the enhancement factors. I’ve tried makeup brands from both drugstore and department stores and both outlets carry great product brands. If you are limited by your budget of how much you should spend for your cosmetics, then shopping at fine drugstores would be an excellent source for you. You can choose from a large variety of brand name and quality products, that will provide the same or better results that you are seeking from the department store brands.
I purchased a department store lipstick, a very popular brand I might add, that didn’t provide the advertised results that I was seeking. I later chose a similar color of a less expensive brand from a fine drugstore retailer and guess what. . . . . It was better, the color was richer & creamier, and it lasted longer. The least expensive brand of lipstick is now my brand of choice. There is a process of elimination when shopping for cosmetics. You have to choose products that compliment and not camouflage your skin. You want products that will enhance your best features, and there are a plethora of products out there to provide you with the exact results that you are seeking. You can also mix colors together to create the perfect match for your skin tone.
We have a choice of many great products and brands of cosmetics. If you are a fanatic such as myself, you shouldn’t have any problems shopping around and finding the perfect products for your particular skin type. Drugstores carry great brands, they are not expensive, you can exchange the product to get another color, and it’s not expensive. Disadvantage: You can’t try the products on before you purchase, and there aren’t any Makeup Specialists on hand to assist you in choosing the correct products and colors. Department Stores carry every brand of cosmetics known and each brand has their own section and counters in the stores. There are “Makeup Specialists” on hand to assist you with Makeup Application, Techniques, and Color Matching. Disadvantage: The sales people will attempt to recommend and sell you other products that you probably don’t need and they are expensive.
So, wherever you choose to shop for your cosmetics, be it drugstores or department stores, make sure you purchase makeup that compliments and enhances your best features. Take your time and shop wisely to choose products that will provide you with the results you are seeking, never allow the sales people to pressure you into purchasing products that you don’t need, and be beautiful!
Monica M. Burns
Copyright2006 Monica M. Burns. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author - Image Consultant/Fashion Stylist
Monica M. Burns is a Writer, Expert Author, and Image Consultant/Fashion Stylist. She is President and Founder of Fabulous Life Image Consulting. She is also Founding Editor and President of Monica M. Burns Inc. Publications and Fabulous Life Image Online Magazine. She is an Expert in her field with over ten (10) years of experience. She has authored several eBooklets and other reading information materials and is a featured Expert Author and Writer on many websites and in many In-Print and Online Magazines. She has also contributed to several poetic anthologies and won awards for her work.
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