Monday, August 6, 2012

How to Cool to Your Home: Window AC or Mini Split System : Home ...

James Dulley responds to a reader question about cooling a second floor bedroom and addition. He discusses the differences between window ac units and the mini-split cooling systems in an article featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer (08/04/12).

So which system is better for cooling a room?

Reader Question:

We added a room, but our central air conditioner doesn?t cool it well. Our second floor master bedroom also does not stay cool. Does it make sense to install a window air conditioner or a mini-split system?

James? Response:

The cooling problems you are having are not uncommon. This is particularly true for second-floor rooms, The cool air conditioned are is more dense than warm air, so it tends to drop to the first floor.

Also, second-floor ceilings are exposed to the hot underside of the roof.

For both your new room addition and your second-floor bedroom, installing a mini-split air-conditioning system is more efficient and effective than a window air conditioner. The only drawback is a mini-split system is more expensive to ?install initially and cannot later be moved to a different room.

I have a two-story house with a central heat pump. I recently installed a LG Art Cool mini-split system for my master bedroom. I selected the smaller output 9,000 BTU model which has an efficiency of SEER 28 and inverter compressor technology. My central heat pump is SEER 13, so my Art Cool model is twice as efficient. I chose the heat pump version so it can also heat efficiently during the winter.

A window air conditioner has all the components ? compressor, air circulation fan, condenser fan, etc ? in the cabinet in the window.

Even though it is insulated against heat flow and sound, it still is not ideal for good efficiency. Thew newest ones are fairly quiet, but can be annoying in a bedroom at night.

A mini-split system is very similar to a central air conditioner or heat pump with the condenser fan, coils and compressor in a n outdoor unit.

Some models allow the outdoor unit to be placed up to 100 feet from the room. This virtually eliminates noise from those components getting indoors at night.

instead of having the indoor cooling coil in an air duct system as with your existing central air conditioner, the coil is mounted in a fan unit on the wall or ceiling of the room. It is connected to the outdoor unit by refrigerant and electric lines. Only a three-inch-diameter hole needs to be cut through the wall. The condensate drain goes out through the same hole.

Mini-split systems can be used to air condition an entire house by installing wall units in several rooms. The cool air will ?circulate throughout the house. This is commonly done in houses using baseboard electric or hydronic heat which do not already have a heating duct system.

In addition to the higher SEER rating, installing a mini-split unit allows for cooling zones. For example, in my case, there is no need to keep downstairs cool all night when I am sleeping in the bedroom. ?My mini-split system allows me to set the central thermostat higher at night to save.

James Dulley provides you with insight into the two-systems. You can decide what best fits your budget and your cooling needs. When you need heating and cooling contractors, contact HomeServicesLink. We?re your home improvement and repair contractor connection in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

About Home Services Link

Source: http://homeserviceslink.com/cincinnatihomeimprovementblog/2012/08/06/how-to-cool-to-your-home-window-ac-or-mini-split-system/

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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Utah Children's Writers: Spotlight: Author Maggie Lyons


Interview with Maggie Lyons

Maggie Lyons was born in Wales and brought up in England before gravitating west to Virginia?s coast. She zigzagged her way through a motley variety of careers from orchestral management to law-firm media relations to academic editing. Writing and editing nonfiction for adults brought plenty of satisfaction but nothing like the magic she discovered in writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Several of her articles, poetry, and a chapter book have been published in the children?s magazines Stories for Children Magazine and knowonder!?

What inspired you to write?

I?ve always loved words. My parents read stories to me when I was small and I became an avid reader. Language has always been a great love of mine, including learning how to read, write, and speak foreign languages, and read, interpret, and play music.

Have you had any training to become a writer?

In terms of formal training, one summer, centuries ago, I attended a short creative writing course at Georgetown University. Informally, all those years of writing business-related nonfiction certainly helped, as have countless pieces of advice from members of my critique group and articles on writing, and reading the works of master writers.?

Have you ever suffered from writer?s block? If yes, how did you ?cure? it?

I suffer from writer?s block whenever I try to write something worth reading. My ?cure? is a walk down a country lane, or through a quiet field, or if it?s really bad, I move to another country.

Can you share some?writing experiences with us?

One experience rockets to mind even though it happened decades ago, when Paul Hume was music critic at The Washington Post. For several years, I was the program annotator for the National Symphony Orchestra, which has its home in Washington, DC. Program annotators contribute notes on the music that can be found in concert program booklets. It?s that stuff most people in the audience don?t read because they?re too busy trying to find their names in the list of donors. Mr. Hume decided my notes were too frivolous and said so in the newspaper three weeks in a row. Since I prefer to avoid aspersions cast against me in newspapers, or wherever, I began including technical musical analyses in my notes, even though I suspected many, perhaps most, of the few who read the program notes would bypass even a whiff of technical analysis. That dried up the flow of invective from the Post, but more people fell asleep during the concerts.

Like all authors, you have had your fair share of rejection letters. You obviously did not let the letters deter you. How did you keep your determination without getting discouraged?

My characters were screaming their heads off to be released from their files. I couldn?t let them down and I was tired of all the noise in my writing space.


Please describe to us your relationship between you and your editor. What makes an author/editor relationship a success?

My relationship with my editors can be slightly tense at times because I?m a professional editor and therefore quite opinionated about editorial matters. When I manage to get off my high horse about editorial style, I find my editors have some amazingly wise advice about writing style. The two things are not necessarily related. While my nonfiction writing experience helped improve the fluency of my fiction writing, it didn?t do much to hone the stylistic techniques that distinguish the highest levels of that particular art.

How do you see the future of book publishing, both traditional, electronic, and print on demand?

I doubt that electronic publishing will wipe out old-fashioned print books for a very long time, if ever. But the new developments in interactive electronic books for children are truly exciting. I?d certainly love to see my books published in an interactive format some day.?

What advice would you give to a new writer?

Write, read, read, write?everything you can, not just on the art of writing and promoting your work. Study the work of great writers. Join a critique group and online writers? groups. You can?t have too much input from others.

Thank you Maggie for taking some time to share with us about writing. For those who want to know more about Maggie Lyons you can follower her at

Title: Vin and the Dorky Duet

Publisher: Halo Publishing Int. & MuseItUp Publishing (Canadian e-book publisher)

ISBN: 978-1-61244-091-0 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-77127-073-1 (eBook)

Genre of Book: Children?s Chapter Book Adventure

About the Book:

A twelve-year-old boy named Vin, goes on a mission?reluctantly. He doesn?t share the optimism of the knights of old who embarked on impossible missions without a doubt they?d succeed. When magnetic compost heaps, man-eating bubble baths and other disasters erupt, Vin comes close to packing in the whole ridiculous business. He calls it Operation BS, his code name for a mission to introduce his sister to a boy she has a crush on. He doesn?t want to play matchmaker, but Meg?s promise to reward him with a David Beckham autographed soccer jersey is a decisive incentive.

Available wherever books are sold and online.

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Source: http://utahchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/2012/08/spotlight-author-maggie-lyons.html

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At No Cost Calls Internet Based To A Virtual Cell Phone Number ...

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Comments Off For the average individual or business, free calls online are a godsend given the skyrocketing costs of telephone services.

Think of how the normal, traditional phone system works. You dial a number, the signal goes through telephone lines and reaches another telephone at the other end. For this service, the telephone company charges you a fee, either on a flat monthly basis or on a per call basis.

This becomes more expensive when you are calling someone outside of your locality, and still more expensive when that someone is in another country. As energy costs, manpower rates and other business expenses increase, these charges rise, placing the cost of phone calls beyond the reach of many individuals and businesses. The alternative that has emerged in recent years is a communication line that bypasses the traditional telephone system. The first element in this alternative line is internet communication via a personal computer.

The computer becomes the phone handset and the internet the telephone line.

The technology underlying this is known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. It is what enables voice communications between one computer, with a microphone and speaker, and another computer. Since this facility is available at no charge, free calls online have become available to people with computers.

But what if the other party being called does not have a computer? For instance, if a person with a computer equipped with a VoIP facility would like to call someone out-of-town or in another country, what recourse does he or she have? This becomes important not just for families living in different countries who want to stay in touch, but also for businesses who want to maintain lines of communication with their customers in different parts of the world without making them pay for exorbitant telephone charges. The third element in this alternative line of communications is the virtual phone number.

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Source: (Virtual Phone Number) http://www.virtual-phonenumber.com/free-calls-online/free-calls-online-to-a-virtual-phone-number

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Source: http://www.miguelirias.com/terrarium/at-no-cost-calls-internet-based-to-a-virtual-cell-phone-number-virtual-phonenumber-com/

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Home-based Business - My Network Marketing Adventure

Article by Scott Lindsay

Starting a home-based business is a very personal decision. Many will start a home-based business as a means of deriving additional income for their family. for those who may be considering the idea of business ownership featuring a product or service there may be questions about what type of home-based business might be right.

Below are a few ideas to help you internalize the possibilities of a home-based business. Ask yourself these questions.

1) what skills do I have that would be beneficial to a home-business startup?2) what can I do that other people are not interested in doing for themselves?3) can I use my current mode of transportation in the commission of a home-based business?4) do I have a hobby that can be the launching pad for a home-based business?5) can I use some of the things I know to facilitate a home-based business?6) can existing appliances or tools in my home be used in a home-based business?7) do I have a specific ability that might lend itself to developing a home-based business?8) Is there a way to use my home itself to develop a business that can exist within the home?9) can I use my computer to develop a home-based business that may be separate from the Internet?10) do I have the drive to start a home-based business or simply a mild curiosity?

Home-based businesses are routinely relied on for residual income. on the other hand they are a growing part of many family?s primary income.

There are many levels of commitment that can be expressed in the development of a home-based business. Many of the residual or supplementary income businesses can be essentially hands-free, while other businesses may require many hours each day to manage.

Sometimes home-based business does not result in a life of ease. it can be the hardest work you have every done. for some this is still the best possible scenario for earning a living. for others a home-based business may be ill suited to their individual temperament.

The Internet has provided a great launching pad for a variety of home-based businesses from specialty brownies to the manufacture of custom walking sticks. every conceivable passion can be exhibited in home-based business and the Internet can provide access to a world-wide market for a highly personalized product or service.

If you are considering a home-based business look to identify your passion and gifts first, then try to identify a link to the Internet where your idea can gain a much wider audience.

About the Author

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: highpowersites.com. start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: bookswealth.com

use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

Home-based Business ? Top Ten Considerations??

Source: http://mynetworkmarketingadventure.com/home-based-business-top-ten-considerations/

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Saturday, August 4, 2012

Taxes Tools ? Finance Directory

Article by bradpreece27

To get caught up with the tax returns which you have missed in previous years, you will need to get?current by submitting past year taxes. This is basically obtaining the old tax forms, gathering all the information and preparing it as you would have done it.?After that, you can then have access to the tax back calculator. The online software will ask you a set of questions, which can include details on your income, your marital status,

A tax back calculator makes an assessment of your refund based on information that includes your income, whether you?re single or married, how many kids you have, and how much taxes you?ve paid so far. The calculator takes this data into consideration and gives you a projection of the amount you can expect to receive.

When it comes to taxes, many of us are clueless about what our withholding should be, if we should pay an estimated tax or if we qualify for EIC (Earned Income Credit). The IRS and other websites offer these free tax tools, so just search for the term and take advantage of the free help. Take a look at these tax tools that will help you figure it all out:

TurboTax Deluxe and H&R Block at Home Premium are the two top selling tax software preparation programs. Both have high reviews but there is a definite difference in pricing between the two.When it comes to filing your taxes, a little organization can go a long way towards making tax season much less painful.

Before you begin your search for an online tax preparation program, there are certain factors you should consider and important tax documents that you?ll need to have at the ready. With the deadline for filing for 2009 tax season fast approaching, you may be wondering which tax tools will be the most beneficial for your particular situation; in fact, this question may have kept you from filing yet. If you are expecting a refund,

The last few weeks I?ve been sharing questions that you can ask your tax preparer to determine whether or not your tax preparer is right for you.The first thing you should consider when searching for tax prep software is the type of taxes you need to file. If you own a business or a home-based business, there is even software that can work for you.

Numbers can really be tricky when it comes to computing your taxes. One wrong computation and you might actually pay the wrong amount. In order to avoid this you?re definitely going to need some help and it takes more than just a calculator. What worse that paying taxes? The answer would be getting all the computations wrong. This would mean you not being able to get all the deductions you deserve and at the same time,

Before the March 1st RRSP deadline, tax payers are asking themselves important tax related questions; Should I put my money in a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or in my RRSP?, When is the right time to move from a province to province?There are many different types of people out there. No, that statement isn?t a new revelation or any big surprise.

According to Intuit?s Annual List of Tax Procrastinating Cities, Toronto topped the list. (These statistics were gathered in late April of 2009 ? data related to 2008 tax year). Intuit is a maker of Quicktax, Quicktax tax online preparation software, Canada?s leading manufacturer and tax software provider.
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About the Author

Read about online marketing and also read about increase traffic and Pay per click












Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines

whereby the original author?s information and copyright must be included.

Source: http://www.financedirectorypro.com/2012/08/04/taxes-tools/

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Google Ventures-Backed MediaSpike Brings Product Sponsorships Into Social Games

mediaspike logoBlake Commagere, who's probably best known for building early, popular Facebook apps like Zombies and Vampires (hey, remember those?), has started a new company called MediaSpike to tackle one of the big problems he faced as a developer: Integrating sponsored product placements into the games. Commagere says those placements were one of the most effective and popular ways to monetize ? in fact, when some of those campaigns ended and the sponsored content disappeared, "Users would actually complain." On the other hand, he says that managing the process was "incredibly difficult." Without any tools to help with the process, everything took a lot of time, whether it was determining where the sponsorship would appear, creating the media assets (i.e., the art for the sponsored product), and then providing all the data that the advertisers wanted. Then, when the next campaign came around, he'd have to start from scratch and do it all again.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-c-XWUUuVrs/

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Improvements That Increase Safety In Your Home ?

If you are going to do home improvements to an entire property and not just one room, make sure you have a concise idea from the outset of what you are wanting to achieve. Making major alterations to plans mid project will not only cost money, but could also lead to issues with any contractors working for you.

Grimy, cracked shower doors can ruin the overall look and feel of a bathroom. By removing these eyesores and installing treated, all-glass doors, you can instantly make the room appear infinitely more spacious and modern ? not to mention more appealing for future prospective buyers if you decide to sell.

You need to make sure that a contractor who claims to be a professional really is a professional before hiring them to do any work in or around your home. There are many contractors who claim to be professionals when they really are not. You should ask to speak with a contractor?s references before hiring them.

You should always purchase the materials you need for home improvement projects in the largest possible lots. Building materials have some of the deepest volume discounts you will ever see. By planning ahead you can figure out how much material you are likely to need and buy it all at once. This will cost you much less than making multiple purchases.

Improve the overall appearance of your home, by updating your kitchen. Many older homes have dated kitchens, with dark paint and wood paneling. A fresh coat of paint or new cabinets can make the difference in updating your kitchen.

If your home has an appliance that burns gas, oil, coal, or wood, you should install a carbon monoxide detector. These detectors are very simple to install, and they can help to save your family?s life if there is a leak of this colorless, odorless gas in your home. Be sure to change the batteries twice yearly.

When hiring a contractor to do home improvements, do some research on them to make sure they are qualified and hold the proper licenses to do the work. Check the Department of Consumer Affairs, validate their licenses, and check to make sure they carry insurance so that if someone is injured in the home renovation, you do not get sued.

If you are lucky enough to have a deck on your home, then you probably do routine cleaning such as sweeping and general removal of outdoor debris. You should also do a deep cleaning of your deck surface at least once a year. Remove everything from your deck to give yourself plenty of room to work.

Make sure that you do not have too many pieces of furniture in a room. A lot of furniture makes the room look smaller. Although these pieces may fit your lifestyle, a potential buyer would most likely prefer to see more open living space. Less furniture would give the illusion that the room is bigger.

When planning for landscaping upgrades, consider native plants in your yard plan. They?re generally more hardy and require less water than non-natives. Your plant choices will vary depending on your area, but your county agricultural extension will be able to help you with planning. Also check to see if a local university has a program to help homeowners with native landscaping.

Find ways to decrease your water consumption, thereby decreasing your water bill. For example, repair leaky faucets as soon as you discover them, as those wasted drops can add up on your bill over time. Make sure water children are instructed to be careful to not leave water faucets on when not in use. Finally, consider putting in low flow shower heads to decrease water usage.

So you?ve decided to take on that long awaited home improvement project. You?ve made the right choice by starting here. In this article, we have discussed the top tricks to help you get the job done. We hope you have found this information useful and that it makes your next project that much easier to accomplish.

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Source: http://all-articles-directory.com/improvements-that-increase-safety-in-your-home/

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