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Memory Is The Greatest Trick We Play On Ourselves - After Reality

Here are some amusing images FWD’ed to me in my email InBox … Enjoy!

               

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How to Prevent Frozen Water Pipes

A frozen pipe isn’t itself a problem. After all, copper pipes can get to temperatures far below the freezing point of water without cracking. But too often it is accompanied by an ice blockage inside the pipe. That can lead to a pressure build up that ultimately bursts the pipe. Not only do you lose the ability to get water from the faucet, but now have the larger problem of clean up and repair.

In many homes, the odds of a burst pipe in winter from low temperatures are very low. But others have exposed pipes in crawlspaces or elsewhere. It takes only a modest opening around the base of the house to let in winds that can chill pipes to sub-freezing temperatures.

Even without that exposure, temperatures below about 20F/-6.7C present higher odds of ice forming inside pipes that will plug them up. Fortunately, to prevent that is usually straightforward and typically very inexpensive.

One old-fashioned remedy still works well: opening up the faucets to a slow drip.

Running water is slightly less susceptible to freezing than still water. But the main effect comes from simply opening the valve. That allows air and water to move, reducing any pressure build-up in front of the ice blockage. That gives the pressure ’somewhere to go’… somewhere other than pressing out the sides of the pipe, i.e. causing a break.

But there’s another old-fashioned saying that’s useful here: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preventing the pipes from getting too cold in the first place reduces the odds to near zero of having a break.

One way to accomplish that is to wrap them with low-cost insulating foam.

The foam itself supplies no heat. But it helps the pipes and water retain any heat they have. Water and pipes at, say 35F/1.7C, will tend not to go below freezing if they retain the heat present in the water and pipe before the temperatures outside dipped.

The foam comes in different forms. One popular style is a long, flat rectangle that curls into a cylinder. The cylinder formed is the circumference of the pipe. That makes it easy to wrap the pipe along its length and simple to cut the rectangle to the proper length and/or width.

It’s inexpensive, easy to install and easy to replace.

Another method is more costly and a little more difficult to install. But it has the advantage of protecting pipes no matter what the temperature. Foam will only retain heat up to a point. Some is always lost. Installing a heating system for the water pipes is as sure a thing as possible.

There are two basic types: wires or tape along the pipe, and a circulating system.

The first type is simply a wire or tape containing one that sits along the surface of the pipe. Electricity passes through it and heats the wire, which transfers heat to the pipe and the water inside. Costs vary, but if it’s properly installed the method is nearly foolproof.

The second type is a little more expensive, but uses existing facilities. Sometimes it’s already built into the home. In this technique, hot water from the water heater is pumped slowly through the pipes. Cold water is circulated back into the heater. The system operates automatically via an in-built thermostat and pump that is put in the water line.

It costs a little more to run, because the system heats and re-heats water that isn’t being used. But it is the surest way to prevent any ice blockage. Any ice that forms will be quickly melted by the warm water before it can become a problem.

               

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Simple Toilet Repairs

Toilet repairs run the gamut. It can be as extensive as a complete replacement or as simple as replacing a broken flush handle. All of them are well within the ability of the average do-it-yourselfer.

Leaks around the base are usually a sign that the toilet will have to be replaced. In some cases, it’s a simple tear in the wax paper that was used to seal the hole in the floor. Sometimes a kind of grease is used instead and it can dry out or acquire a hole. In those cases, the old toilet can be re-used but the steps for repair are the same as installing a new toilet.

Other problems are much more common.

When you hear the toilet water continue to run forever, a few simple things can be the culprit. Inside the tank is a large plastic ball that floats called, not suprisingly, a float. It’s attached to a rod that controls a valve. If the ball never rises enough to shut off the water, it will continue to run.

Test that by pulling up on the rod. The water flow should stop almost instantly. If it does, simply bend the rod down slightly until the ball floats high enough to shut off the valve.

In more typical cases, the cause is the failure of the small rubber stopper or flapper at the base of the tank used to seal off the hole. Water leaks through the hole and the float does its job by falling down as the water level lowers. That opens the valve and the water runs. Continuously. Very annoying.

There are two basic ways to repair that situation.

Sometimes it’s possible to simply take a rough sponge or pad of steel wool and scour off any slime on the base of the rubber stopper. If its surface became uneven due to mold build-up, small cracks open up when it doesn’t seat properly.

Sometimes that rubber stopper can be defective, or the hinges may break. Occasionally the small metal pins that secure the hinges to the toilet may break from having rusted then moved many times. In all such cases, just buy a kit and re-install the stopper using the simple instructions on the package.

It may take years, but the rod connected to the flush handle does sometimes break if made of plastic or corrode until it breaks if made of metal. These are inexpensive and easy to replace. Each will last about as long as the other. Just remove the clip that attaches the rod inside to the chain. Then remove the small plastic and/or metal retaining nuts and replace the part.

On rare occasions it may be necessary to replace the floating ball, water feed tube or other parts. Kits are available that contain all these parts. Installation is simple by following the instructions on the package.

               

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Illuminate the Garage

Garage lighting often gets little attention. An incandescent bulb or two, maybe a fluorescent fixture and it’s considered finished. But a garage can have many uses and lighting is often poorly designed for most of them.

Even such a simple act as parking the car and walking into the house can be compromised by poor lighting design. Bumping into low shelves, tripping over toys and many other common garage accidents could be avoided with proper lighting.

But how can you achieve that?

The process starts by first recognizing the difference between wattage and illumination. A 100-watt incandescent bulb draws 100 watts of power from the electrical outlet. That’s how the number gets assigned. The bulb consumes 100-watts. That’s only indirectly related to how much light is given off, measured in lumens.

A standard 100-watt bulb gives off about 1,740 lumens. By comparison, a pair of 4-foot 54-watt fluorescent bulbs, the type commonly found in garage lighting fixtures, can provide anywhere between 5,000-8,800 lumens, depending on the design. That’s a considerable difference in efficiency, which is one of the major reasons fluorescent bulbs are so much cheaper to use.

In many garages, that ordinary 2-bulb fluorescent fixture may well be adequate, but usually just barely. Any garage with shelves, corners, or - most especially- a workbench will need much more.

As in any other area of the home, there are three types of lighting: ambient, task and accent. Accent lights are just what they sound like, lights used to highlight some feature, such as a decorative wall painting. Ambient light provides the overall illumination for the room. Task lights are especially important in a garage that is used for anything more than just to store the car.

Even something as simple as storing tools and tool boxes, gardening supplies and the like will benefit greatly from task lights. Imagine going into the garage to pull out the right chemical and grabbing weed killer instead of plant food. That means a trip back to the garage for the right stuff. Grab a flat head screwdriver instead of a Phillips head and you have the same problem.

Good ambient light is still important, though. No one should have to feel their way around the garage to avoid bumping into things. Slips and falls are more common in the garage than they are on indoor floors, even though both are about equally slick. Installing lights that provide good ambient light are a small investment to minimize that risk.

Finally, though it’s not often considered very much, a garage too creates a mood. Compare the dark hole of many home garages to the well lit atmosphere of a professional car dealership garage. Safety is one factor. But having lights to lift the spirits is just as important, especially since many garages have few or no windows.

Design a lighting scheme for the garage with the same attention to goals as you would any other room in the house. If you spend time there, it’s worth lighting right.

               

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Useful and Effective Retirement Planning Tips

One of the best things that you can do for yourself in your lifetime is prepare and plan properly for retirement. You want to be able to do more than just live comfortably after you retire, you want to be able to maintain the same lifestyle that you did before, if not better, and this can only be done with proper and effective planning and management skills.

Preparing

There are so many different things that you should be doing in order to prepare for your retirement, but there are a few retirement planning tips in particular that are going to be of great help to you. One of the most major retirement planning tips is to review your finances. Even if you start in your early twenties, which may seem very young to some people but is actually the smartest idea, knowing where you stand is going to help you focus on where you are headed in the future.

If you are far in debt then obviously you are not going to be ready to retire and so the first step you are going to have to take is to begin paying off your debts and then really get focused on saving for retirement. Set up a personal budget and include some amount for retirement until after you have gotten your debts out of the way and can focus solely on your retirement savings.

Another of the most important retirement planning tips involves discussing various retirement possibilities with your spouse, so that you can get to learn more about each other’s plans and make sure that you have all the appropriate legal papers signed. After all, no one likes to think negative thoughts and plan for death, but you certainly do not want to end up dying and leaving your spouse with nothing, and proper planning is the only way to prevent this from happening.

Yet another valuable retirement planning tip is to remember that you should not stop investing money just because your retirement has begun. If you are already retired, you still have many years ahead and so it is not the best idea to instantly convert your money into fixed-deposit and market investments.

Remember that these retirement planning tips can really be of great assistance and help you to make the most out of your retirement savings. However, you also want to hire a retirement advisor, someone who is specifically educated in the subject of retirement and who will be able to get you on the right track in terms of your preparation schedule and planning.

               

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Primers

A primer is a paint or coating applied directly to a surface to serve as an undercoat for other paints. In principle, any paint could be used as primer, but specially prepared compounds typically do the job much better.

Many surfaces aren’t quite ready to serve as the base for a single coat of oil-based or latex paint. They may soak up too much paint, or be uneven. They may be discolored. They may have chemical or physical properties that make applying a single, even coat nearly impossible.

Primers solve all those problems and more.

Primers apply a coat directly to the surface allowing a top coat to stick better. Without one, it might require several coats to produce the same result. Since primer is generally much less expensive than final-coat paints, that can substantially raise the total cost of materials. With a primer, only one coat of the final type is needed, resulting in an overall cost reduction.

A good primer will smooth out rough surfaces. Some walls, obviously, may be too pitted, requiring putty or other preparation. But a wall that is simply rough can often be made to appear smooth with a proper primer.

The effect is the result of both thickness and color. A thick primer helps fill in the low, broad valleys in a wall surface. At the same time, the color (usually a dull white or gray) helps mask any highlights, making the wall appear smoother even when it’s not.

Primer helps even out the final color in another way, too. The amount of paint soaked up, surface discolorations and other defects can cause a final coat to have a slightly different shade from one area to the next.

By giving the top coat paint something to cling to other than the bare surface, the final coat applies evenly. That results in a smoother looking wall or ceiling. Thus, light reflects evenly off the surface across the entire area. The eye sees that as a uniform shade. Even the same color can appear differently when shadows and other reflection effects occur.

Discolorations can occur because of weather, smoke, smudges and a hundred other causes. Cleaning a wall during preparation can only go so far. A primer can create a flat, even color that masks those problems. It provides a uniform starting point to which to apply the final paint. That results in a more uniform final result.

Primer is designed to dry quickly, so the job isn’t delayed much beyond the time it takes to apply. In many cases, a large wall section can be primed, then the next. The first will dry while the second section is being done. The first can then be painted while the second section is drying. That keeps the work going smoothly.

Latex primer is odor-free, dries fast and is easy to clean up. That makes it an excellent base to lay down on those surfaces that need a little more preparation before final painting.

               

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Montreal - Mont Royal

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia

Mont Royal

Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, builder of Central Park in New York, the parks atop Mont Royal provide one of Montreal’s finest attractions. From there the view of the St. Lawrence River along its edge, as well as that of the city itself, is breathtaking.

Comprising over a hundred hectares, and reaching to 234m (725ft), Mont Royal (from which the city’s name derives), offers a variety of things to see and do. Just sitting in the cafeteria inside the Chateau is alone worth the trip. From here, the buildings of Montreal are easily visible against the bold blue sky present in winter and summer. The western lookout, built in 1906 and named Belvédère Kondiaronk for a local Huron chief, offers equally spectacular vistas.

Inaugurated in 1876, the park encloses woodlands, man-made lakes, a ski slope, a sculpture garden and much more. Locals and visitors alike can enjoy sports on the tennis and basketball courts, let their kids play in the pool or just relax and enjoy the view. There are numerous bicycle trails along gravel paths and, in winter, cross-country skiing is popular.

In summer, a popular activity known locally as Tam-Tams is held. Montrealers play drums (which give their name to the event) near the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier. Visitors come to hear the music and watch the locals perform a communal dance.

Not far from St. Joseph’s Oratory, the large copper-domed basilica on the mountain, there are other religious motifs as well. A large cross illuminates in purple during the time a Pope dies and another is elected. There are two cemeteries in the area - Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery (Catholic), Mount Royal Cemetery (non-denominational). Both are a pleasant place to walk and contemplate.

For a more avant-garde activity, visitors can enjoy the Beaver Lake pavilion. Retro-futurist in design, it offers a snack bar and, in the winter, skating is nearby. There are numerous sculptures, retained from a large show held in 1964, that dot the slope above.

The mountain is also home to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company) transmission facility. There are two large buildings and a 100m (310 ft) candelabra tower, which generates nearly all of Montreal’s TV and FM radio broadcasts. For those interested in stellar engineering, it’s an awesome sight.

An alternative peak is the site for the University of Montreal, which is also worth a visit. For those who enjoy academic architecture, the tower is a location of note.

Access to the mountain is simple. Any hill with a base near downtown will lead up to the top. Those preferring to ride rather than walk can take a bus or take the Metro (Montreal’s subway). Cars are permitted, as well. Just drive up Côte-des-Neiges.

               

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Retirement Planning Services Help Guide

For those individuals who have no financial acumen at all, they may want to consider using retirement planning services to help them devise a plan for when they are no longer working. While it is your money, your savings and your retirement future, if you choose to use retirement planning services it may pay to follow their advice, since you are paying for their services. Some financial services companies offer this service free as long as your investments and savings are held by their companies others charge a flat fee for helping you put your financial life in order.

One thing to remember about most retirement planning services is that they are there to help you however, they are not going to treat you like a baby. Most of them will tell you how it is, regardless of how ugly the outlook may be they will offer the advice needed to make sure you are taken care of during your retirement years. If you choose the use of retirement planning services and ignore their advice, the money you spent for their direction will be a waste.

When working with retirement planning services be prepared to answer some tough questions. That is not to say it is OK for them to treat you like a child and brow-beat you with their way of thinking. At any time you an uncomfortable with the way you are being treated, do not hesitate to take your business elsewhere.

Choosing Services Company With Caution

Many of the larger retirement planning services companies are going to be honest and fair-minded about helping with you retirement plans. However, asking family, friends and acquaintances for recommendations may help you find a company that is not a total stranger to the community. The vast majority are honest, but answering an internet ad or a mass-mailing may not be the best move you can make.

Using retirement planning services should involve a personal experience with a person to whom you can call or visit with any questions or concerns. The inability to find contact information about a retirement planning services company will be a red flag to seek advice elsewhere as their retirement plan may be to live on your money.

Do not hesitate to ask for credentials to insure the person you deal with is qualified to offer retirement planning services. Simply having a diploma or certificate of education does not mean they are qualified to offer sage advice and since it is your money and your future, be skeptical until proven otherwise.

               

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Responsibility

Teaching responsibility is one of the most difficult aspects of parenting. It is here that parents most often worry about the dilemma of stifling individual choice versus inculcating values and habits that lead to appropriate behavior.

The political parallel of that dilemma is the reasonable desire for maximum individual freedom, but the need that arises to respect the rights of others. The way out of the dilemma is to recognize that healthy self-interest and respect for others not only do not conflict but reinforce one another.

Being ‘responsible’ in the most fundamental sense of that term means ‘being the cause of or the agent that produced some effect’. Recognizing that the causes we initiate lead to good or bad consequences is part of a view of responsibility called ‘logical consequences’.

Connecting the child’s chosen actions with consequences for the child allows him or her to make the connection by choice, rather than being imposed from the outside. When that is done, the connection has a much greater tendency to ’stick’, while at the same time being viewed as fair and reasonable, since it was chosen rather than forced.

Extreme examples sometimes best help clarify the principle involved. A teen flirting with drug use might be ’scared straight’ by being exposed to the real-life consequences that habitual drug users invariably experience: bad health, jail, etc.

But one can use the idea in much less serious circumstances. Most individuals past the age of 5 or so grasp that being treated the same as others in similar circumstances is part of the essence of fairness.

This insight helps the parent show the child that failing to accept responsibility for, say, cleaning the room or getting ready for school on time inconveniences parents. Connecting the refusal to study with the likelihood of a bad grade is another common example.

Removal of privileges for failure to take responsibility is rarely greeted cheerfully, but provided the consequences are seen as fair most children will accept them and learn the proper lesson.

One key to successfully implementing this strategy is to ensure that the connection between cause and consequences is something the child can grasp at his or her level of development. It’s pointless to tell a five-year-old that failing to practice pitching two hours per day will keep them out of the Major Leagues.

On the other hand, connecting the refusal to study diligently with the failure to get into a desired college - and the attendant long-term consequences - is perfectly appropriate for a teen in High School.

Parents should keep in mind, however, that rarely are consequences life-threatening or irreversible.

A teen that chooses not to exert the effort to get good grades one semester is unlikely to be damaged for life. There are many good schools besides Princeton and Stanford that do not require perfect grades.

Similarly, unless the child is in immediate physical danger it’s sometimes the case that doing nothing is (at least temporarily) the best approach. Sometimes allowing that extra bit of freedom to, say, not clean up the room today or skip chores, leads to a child who appreciates the breathing space. Even adults get vacations.

The highest probability of success will come from recognizing that children, like adults, have free will. Studies show that the amount of influence parents can exert over children is limited. Setting reasonable expectations, then being firm (but not bullying) is often the best one can do.

Remember, you are raising a person with the capacity to think, an individual in whom you hope to encourage self-responsibility. A duty-driven robot is an unhealthy individual just as much as is an out of control, self-indulgent whim-worshiper.

               

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The Pre-Wedding Parties

As social events go, there aren’t many that can top a wedding. The wedding reception really, is when the fun begins. But let’s not forget about the parties that precede the wedding, the engagement parties, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, the wedding shower and the rehearsal dinner. These pre-wedding parties can be great fun, too. Here is a run-down of each:

The Engagement Party

A great way to announce the upcoming nuptials is with an engagement party. Traditionally, the parents of the bride hold this event a month or so after the couple announces their engagement. However, there are no set rules and they can be held at home, at a restaurant, or anywhere the host prefers. Engagement parties for the most part are intimate affairs of a casual nature. Their purpose is to give bride and groom an opportunity to meet each other’s family members and close friends. If the couple’s parents live far apart, it’s not uncommon for the groom’s family to hold a second engagement party. Typically gifts are not given. Invitations can be hand-written or even verbal. If you need to plan for food, include an RSVP.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette Party

The stereotypical bachelor party consisting of a wild night of drinking and strippers is giving way to more coordinated events. Although still quite popular, these parties are being replaced by guys getting together to watch a major sporting event either live or on TV, or to spend a week-end together skiing or fishing, or even by holding a poker tournament. Traditionally held the night before the wedding, this too is changing and these parties are being coordinated earlier, for reasons that don’t need to be explained. For a long time, the wedding shower was the ‘bride’s party.’ Bachelorette parties are a relative newcomer to the wedding scene and they, too are coordinated by the bridal party. Make no mistake; these parties can be just as wild as the bachelor parties. But they can also involve a simple, relaxing day at the spa.

The Wedding Shower

Wedding showers are great social events designed to give the soon-to-be couple the things they’ll need when they move into their new home together. It’s also a way to add to a bride’s trousseau. Many of today’s wedding showers are themed, and can be anything from a recipe shower to a camping shower in which the gifts would include things the couple could use on their camping adventures. Wedding showers should be held a few weeks before the wedding date and only those guests who have been invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower. Some women are lucky and end up having more than one wedding shower.

Rehearsal Dinner

This is a time to relax and get ready for the big day that lies ahead. Rehearsal dinners are generally for the bridal party only and they’re held immediately after the wedding rehearsal. They’re held early so all can rest up and they’re usually held at the home of the bride or groom’s parent or at a restaurant.

               

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