I like to think I'm a pretty open person which is why on holiday I read The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was a very good read and I would well recommend it to anyone wanting to find out about alternatives to Intelligent Design. The religion details how our creator/god is an invisible flying spaghetti monster.
His followers are pastafarians and his chosen people are pirates. The book details some pretty convincing evidence (in the form of a graph) that declining sea levels are a direct correlation to the falling number of pirates.
Now the interesting part of the book comes in explaining gravity. Other religions acknowledge gravity and scientific theories can't really explain why gravity stops us floating into the air. The FSM theory is that for each person (and animals and objects I assume) the FSM has an invisible noodle holding you down on earth, meaning also that we are all connected to the god though a noodle. The theory also explains that the global rise in population and the average human getting taller are related as the FSM find it harder to hold us down with his noodles (but not too hard because remember it is a god).
Pretty convincing as you can see and completely plausible. This got me thinking while I was in Hong Kong. I observed that in general people were shorter than me, infact in general people in that area of the world are shorter.
Now if people are taller in the west and shorter in the east then the FSM finds it easier to keep the people in the east on the ground therefore we can predict that the FSM likes to hover some where over China. Perhaps there are more pirates in China (I'm not sure if software pirates count) ?
I might be looking into it too much but I don't believe that is unusual in religion. You can find out more about the FSM and the 10 million (and growing) pastafarians on www.venganza.org.
My iMac has been in repair for the past week and has been given a clean bill of health ready for me to sell it. On Friday OS X 10.5 Leopard was released after two and a half years since Tiger arrived. I brought my last iMac shortly after the release of Tiger so it seems fitting that I finally upgrade to an Intel Mac. The Ars Technica review of Leopard is the most in depth I've read and highlights a lot of interesting areas with the new OS. If you want to know many of the under lying technical changes to OS X as well as the more graphic changes then its well worth a read.
There are a lot of new features in Leopard but a few stand out with Time Machine looking to be one of the best. I currently use Super Duper for my daily backup but it only takes a snapshot of my drive rather than backing up file changes. Spaces are also a welcome improvement and after using multiple desktops on Ubuntu I can imagine they will just as useful in OS X. The updated look in Leopard also looks exciting though I wont be convinced about the space theme until using it for a bit. I hope to have a new iMac within the coming weeks and if I can find anything that hasn't already been covered elsewhere on-line I will post it on here!
Thanks to modern technology, your windows can be much more than just holes in the wall. With benefits ranging from enhanced resistance to intrusion, sound control, energy efficiency and many more, modern windows will enhance your comfort quite significantly.
If you are contemplating a window replacement, this might be a great idea, as your old windows may be holding your house back from its true potential. Here are the benefits to be gained from a window replacement.
1.Increased Home Value
While installing new windows will come at some cost, this cost will easily be compensated for by a considerable increase in the value of the house. Additionally, many buyers have been known to stall or walk away from a purchase once it becomes clear that a home has not been fitted with modern windows.
2.Better All-Round Security and Safety
The modern window provides the best of security features – they open easily to let you out in the case of an emergency, and they shut securely to keep intruders out.
3.Dust and Allergen Control
Modern windows sometimes have blinds and shades between the glass, which are effective at helping to keep out dust and allergens. This is particularly useful for people who suffer from allergic reactions such as hay fever. These windows are also safer for young children, as there are no dangling cords to potentially endanger them. In addition, keeping away the dust and allergens can also prevent pests from making their home in your home - should you ever suspect that there are pests in your home, you should call a professional like the team at Pest Control Experts https://www.
4.Improved Energy Efficiency
Modern windows will help you optimise your energy consumption by improving temperature management. This will save you a little extra expenditure on bills, and will help ensure that your air conditioner/heater enjoys a longer lifespan. For more information on how windows can help improve energy efficiency, contact expert window installers Wombourne Windows, who will be happy to help.
5.Noise Reduction
Noise can be annoying, and you probably don’t want to have to put up with it after a hard day at work, or elsewhere. Thankfully, modern windows come with noise-cancelling features such as insulating frames and triple-pane glass, which will help keep out the noise and will help preserve your peace of mind.
6.Enhanced Kerb Appeal
Windows have a potentially powerful effect on any house, when used in the right way. One of the most important ways in which windows can help improve the quality of your home is by providing optimal amounts of natural lighting. This beautifying effect of new windows extends both to the interior and exterior of the house, therefore increasing its kerb appeal. As noted previously, if you’re looking to sell, this will drive the value of your house up, and even if you are not selling, you will enjoy the comfort provided by a significantly better-looking property.
7.Low Maintenance
For busy people, low-maintenance windows are important to have. Fortunately, most modern windows do not require an extensive cleaning routine, and with features such as between-the-glass blinds, you will need to do minimal amounts of dusting and other cleaning.
Key Takeaway
New windows can significantly improve the value of a house, provide optimal amounts of natural lighting, make it safer and more secure to live in, provide better temperature, increase its kerb appeal, require much less in terms of maintenance and provide other benefits. Though they will require a higher financial outlay initially, this will likely prove to be well worth it in the long term.
It's that time of year again when I round up the best of the year in my yearly review. 2007 has been the best year ever for ImAFish with over 250,000 visitors! The year started out strong with our Vista in Virtual PC review and part two of our highly successful Cashback article series.
ImAFish went from strength to strength and in May we stormed the web with an article about tweaking OS X. The story hit the front page of news sites all around the world including Digg.com where we got 1629 diggs. In one day the article received 33,000 hits and by the end of the week over 100,000. Fortunately our hosting survived and I used a whopping 50gigs of bandwidth in one week.
In June we partnered with the newly started Health Harm EMR website with two articles about the health effects of electric magnetic radiation. I covered my two holidays this year, the first to Egypt and the second in the Autumn to Hong Kong (check out some of the awesome photos I took).
Over the year we've had visitors from almost every country in the world.
In November I refocused the advertising efforts on ImAFish experimenting with PayPerPost and TextLinkAds. The result tripled the monthly income of the site. The year has ended with a number of successful posts including my trip to the Good Food show where I met Levi Roots.
Apart from ImAFish everything is going well too, I've had my first full year of working. We have some interesting projects in the coming months and are moving offices in March to the Pump House.
Many thanks to all the people who have contributed to the blog, articles, extra and forum over the past year and lets hope 2008 is as good as this year!
Taking care of your oral health is essential to good overall well-being – after all, a bright and healthy smile will make you feel more confident and comfortable in everything that you do. Having a good dentist that you feel happy about seeing regularly is a key part of that, but choosing a practice to sign up to isn’t always straightforward.
If you’re not sure about what to consider when looking for a dentist, read on for some useful tips to help guide you.
1. Location and schedule
A key part of having a dentist is being able to schedule appointments easily. You don’t want to choose a practice that involves a lengthy commute, or one that has awkward hours that do not fit with your own work or life timings, especially in cases where you have a sudden dental emergency, and need to see someone as a matter of urgency.
Start your search with those that are in a comfortable distance from you – this may mean somewhere you can walk, drive or get public transport to easily. Make sure you review their working hours and any particular policies they have about booking appointments, to ensure they suit your needs.
2. Friendliness and approachability
A good practice will be happy to advise their patients on what to do to take care of their teeth, and explain any procedures or issues calmly and clearly. While you can stock up on Kent Express dental supplies to make sure that you have everything you need, having some professional advice on what to get is always going to be helpful.
You can often judge from the reception desk to see how communicative and welcoming the practice is. If you have particular dental concerns, it’s always a good idea to chat to the practicing dentist before joining.
3. What kind of dentist are they?
Different dentists may specialise in particular areas of oral health, including orthodontists, specialist surgeons, cosmetic dentists and general dentists.
If you’re looking for general oral health care, then a general dentist will serve you well. However, if you have specific concerns, such as wanting to achieve a specific look, or help with a particular condition, it’s worth choosing a more specialised practice for your treatment.
4. Check their accreditations
Dental practices must be registered with the General Dental Council in the UK in order to practice. This includes dentists and other therapeutic staff, including dental nurses, hygienists and anyone else you might see.
They will normally have their certificates displayed clearly in the main reception area, and you can also check online. If you’re not sure, then steer clear.
5. Personal recommendations
Recommendations from trusted family or friends are always helpful, as you know that they will have had a good experience with someone.
However, remember that everyone has a unique dental health experience, and what works for someone else may not necessarily be the best option for you. It’s always worth reviewing closely before making a final decision.