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Monthly Archives: January 2010

Consult your Podiatrist or foot specialist for “Bunions”

January 28, 2010 Philip McCarthy

How would a podiatrist or foot specialist define ‘Bunion’?

Consult your Podiatrist or foot specialist for "Bunions"

Bunion is an enlargement on the side of the foot near the base of the big toe (hallux). The enlargement is made up of a bursa (fluid-filled sac) under the skin. Technically, the term bunion is just the soft tissue enlargement that occurs.

Signs & Symptoms of “Bunions”

Bunions are usually termed mild, moderate or severe. Just because you have a bunion does not mean you have to have pain. There are some people with very severe bunions and no pain and people with mild bunions and a lot of pain.

Pain on the inside of your foot at the big toe joint .
Swelling on the inside of your foot at the big toe joint
Redness on the inside of your foot at the big toe joint
Numbness or burning in the big toe (hallux)
Decreased motion at the big toe joint
Painful bursa (fluid-filled sac) on the inside of your foot at the big toe joint
Pain while wearing shoes – especially shoes too narrow or with high heels
Pain during activities
Corn in between the big toe and second toe
Callous formation on the side or bottom of the big toe or big toe joint
Callous under the second toe joint (2nd MTPJ)
Pain in the second toe joint

Diagnosis & Tests recommended by Podiatrists -

Your foot doctor (podiatrist) will ask you questions about the symptoms you are having while examining your foot. You will also probably be asked to stand and walk barefoot to further assess your foot function. The presence of a bunion is usually obvious, but sometimes there is more going on than just a bunion, so your podiatrist will usually take an x-ray.

The podiatrist will measure angles between the bones to help determine the stage of the bunion. Bunions are usually termed mild, moderate or severe. It is considered normal if your big toe bends up to 15 degrees toward your second toe. If the angle is more than 15 degrees, then it is considered hallux valgus.

Bunions can start out mild and progress to severe. There is no clear-cut way to predict if a bunion will get worse. The severity of the bunion and the symptoms you have will help determine what treatment is recommended for you.

Source – About dot com on foot health.

California Title 24 Standards and Requirements

January 27, 2010 Sophie Parker

California Title 24 Standards and Requirements

The requirement for when the 2008 standards must be followed is dependent on when the application for the building permit is submitted. If the application for the building permit is submitted on or after 1/1/10, the 2008 standards must be met.

The Energy Commission adopted the 2008 changes to the Building Energy Efficiency Standards for a number of reasons:

1. To provide California with an adequate, reasonably-priced, and environmentally-sound supply of energy.

2. To respond to Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which mandates that California must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

3. To pursue California energy policy that energy efficiency is the resource of first choice for meeting California’s energy needs.

4. To act on the findings of California’s Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) that …

Standards are the most cost effective means to achieve energy efficiency

Expect the Building Energy Efficiency Standards to continue to be upgraded over time to reduce electricity and peak demand, and recognize the role of the California Title 24 Standards in reducing energy related to meeting California’s water needs and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

5. To meet the West Coast Governors’ Global Warming Initiative commitment to include aggressive energy efficiency measures into updates of state building codes.

6. To meet the Executive Order in the Green Building Initiative to improve the energy efficiency of nonresidential buildings through aggressive standards.

California Title 24 Standards – Source : Solutions For Green.

Guidance On Garage Floor Coatings

January 26, 2010 Vivian Marshall

In general, coatings are planned for protecting different kinds of surfaces. As a defensive layer, they are manufactured hard and tough. Because of its toughness, a coating is generally seen in places which comprises of heavy wear and tear such as storehouse, industrialized floors and chemical plants. As well, they are moreover applied to brighten or classify surfaces and cover up stained concrete.

Garage Floor Coating -
The sharp look of a garage floor coating is something which encourages the majority of homeowners to set aside some time to take care of their garage floor. These coatings are manufactured in many great colors, and you are also able to add flaking materials to give it additional grip and a classier look. However garage floor coatings are as well an excellent plan to carry out as they make longer the life of your garage floor.

What are floor coatings made of -

The majority of these coatings are made up of a high-grade epoxy which resists water, oil and further materials, defending against the contaminants that eat away at your garage floor and sooner or later reason for it to be unsuccessful. They make concentrated effort a lot easier. There’s a reason that auto shops are one of the main money-making clients when it comes to this innovative garage flooring solution.
Selecting Garage Floor Coating

Suppliers care for the garage floor coatings offered at house improvement stores as they damage and delaminate. Suppliers are always hired to take away these unsuccessful coatings and reapply high performance 70 – 100 % solids epoxies. On the other hand there are so many companies available online from where you can buy a high quality epoxy coating and appoint a professional to apply it.

When you are in search of an epoxy coating, the most excellent option is a 100% solids coating which is rolled on once your floor has been appropriately profiled and is dried up. They get dried up quickly hence once they are mixed it’s significant to move quickly. They come in several colors and can be decorated by adding up tinted vinyl chips into the surface.

Source : http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/A-Complete-Guidance-On-Garage-Floor-Coatings/930738

Web Site Design Techniques

January 25, 2010 Sophie Parker

Following are some important tips for a web site design company designer while he or she is on the assignment of creating a compelling web page design for a client -

Know your audience

Know the characteristics of the audience of the site you’re building. If they are propellor-heads, they might browse in Unix on a 21 inch monitor. Or if they are more conservative they might have a 12 inch monitor running Internet Explorer 3. If you design a website that suits your audience, your customer won’t be complaining to you later.

Test test test – as many times as necessary !

Test your web designs in every browser and OS combination that you can get your hands on. Emulators work if you have no other choice, but there is no substitute for hands on experience.

Don’t forget resolution

Browsers and OS are important, but if your readers and customers are browsing on a smaller screen than you design on, they could be unpleasantly surprised.

Advice to Parents – How to keep away from drug rehab centers.

January 24, 2010 Philip McCarthy

You need to monitor your teen’s behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying. Your goal should be to prevent him or her from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of your teen’s activities and friends. You will be able to spot a problem early if you keep your eyes and ears open, and believe that YOUR teenager is capable of using drugs. Many parents get blind-sided by thinking that their teen would never try drugs and they will never have to visit any drug rehab center. Only then will you be ready to intervene if the situation presents itself.

The following are ten ways to monitor your teenager’s behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying:

1. Hug your teen as soon as s/he arrives home. Check for odors of possible marijuana smoke or alcohol. Remember that cologne or chewing gum may be used to hide the odor.

2. Teenagers under the influence will usually go straight to their room when they arrive home. While making eye contact, hold a brief conversation. Check for bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and their sense of balance.

3. Keep the lights on and stay up until your teenager comes home.

4. Ask your teen for the time and watch the way s/he looks at his or her watch.

5. If your teenager unexpectedly wants to spend the night at a friend’s house, and you have concerns, say no.

6. Maintain a flexible schedule. Be unpredictable so your teen cannot find it easy to plan around your activities.

7. Keep abreast of what your teen is really doing when away from home. Meet their friends and their parents and participate in mutual activities. This is a very effective form of networking.

8. Ask your neighbors to discretely keep an eye on any activities that may take place while you are not home.

9. Check to see how your teens are doing in school. Ask their teachers if there is any cause for concern or if your teen has been behaving differently.

10. After you meet your teenager’s friends, always ask them to identify themselves when they call. Get to know them. Always encourage your teens to invite their friends over while you are home.

Remember, your goal should be to prevent your teenager from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol and land up in some drug treatment center. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of their activities and friends using the above methods.

Lastly, but most important, talk to your teenager on a regular basis about the drug use she witnesses, and how she feels about it. Also, if she has been approached, have her describe how she handled the situation. Strive for honesty and ask how you can help her to remain drug free.

Drug Rehab Excerpt: http://www.treatment-centers.net/monitoring-your-teens-for-drug-use-without-appearing-to-be-spying.html

Web Site Design vs. Print layout and design

January 23, 2010 Vivian Marshall

Many Web designers recruited in various web design companies come to the Web with a print background. Either they were print designers, or they are just used to the control that a print world gives. When you print something, it provides permanence and stability. You don’t have this on the Web.

As a website design company designer, you’ll need to work with customers. You will be doing them and yourself a disservice if you don’t explain the difference between print and the Web. Especially if you bring your portfolio as print outs. This is a common problem, where the customer expects the printout to represent exactly what the page will look like.

Printouts as a Portfolio

It is always important to have a portfolio, but remember that the Web is not print, and bringing a print out is not a strong representation of your Web site design skills.

Setting Expectations

Be up-front with your customers. If they want their page to have very specific layout, font, and design elements, be sure to explain the tradeoffs such as download speed and maintenance before simply building them a completely graphical page.

Know what your customer uses

If you’re a big Netscape on the Mac fan, and your client only uses Internet Explorer for Windows, you should keep this in mind in your web designs. Your page could look very different to them.

Source : http://webdesign.about.com/od/webdesignbasics/a/aa021003a.htm