Thursday, May 31, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-31-2012

"A man in earnest finds means or, if he cannot find, creates them."-William Ellery Channing






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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-30-2012

"Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader."
-Tacitus








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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Pool safety tips

Building a Barrier Against Swimming Pool Accidents


Each year, 300 children under age 5 drown in swimming pools. That’s the shocking estimate from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Help prevent accidents in your home pool or spa by installing safety barriers that help keep kids away from the water when you’re not around.
Protect your kids with these recommendations from the CPSC:

Fences and Walls
  • Barriers should be at least 4 feet tall.
  • For an inground pool, barriers should begin no more than 4 inches from the ground. For aboveground pools, the clearance between the top of the pool and the bottom of the barrier should be no more than 4 inches.
  • To help discourage a child from climbing over a barrier, eliminate handholds or footholds, and restrict the size of any cutouts, openings, or spaces to 1-1/4 inches.
  • To help keep children from trying to crawl through a barrier, check that openings are small enough to block a 4-inch sphere
Gates
  • Position latches out of the reach of young children, or use a childproof closure.
  • Make sure there are no openings more than 1/2 –inch-across within 18 inches of the latch release.
  • Install gates so they open away from the pool.
  • Choose gates that are self-closing and self-latching.
Covers
  • Remove ladders and slides when using a pool cover. Aboveground pools should have steps and ladders that can be locked or removed when not in use.
  • Choose covers that comply with American Society for Testing and Materials standards and are capable of supporting two adults and a child.
  • Be sure your cover can be quickly removed in an emergency.
Your Home
  • Install alarms on doors opening out to a pool or hot tub.
  • Install self-latching or self-closing doors out to the pool
Check with your local building code for safety barrier requirements before installing a pool. Learn more about pool barrier recommendations from the CSPC.



The information in this article was obtained from various sources. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under any policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.

Quote of the Day 5-29-2012

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself."
-Henry Ward Beecher





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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-16-2012

"Let us follow our destiny, ebb and flow. Whatever may happen, we master fortune by accepting it."-Virgil







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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-15-2012

"Surely there is something in the unruffled calm of nature that overawes our little anxieties and doubts; the sight of the deep-blue sky and the clustering stars above seems to impart a quiet to the mind."-Jonathan Edwards





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Monday, May 14, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-14-2012

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do."-Samuel Smiles







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Friday, May 11, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-11-2012

"We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do."-Samuel Smiles






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Thursday, May 10, 2012

It's getting hot out!

How to Help Conquer Home Humidity


According to ENERGY STAR®, the ideal indoor humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent. In addition to just making you uncomfortable, high humidity levels can pose a threat to your home’s structure and surfaces. Help clear the air with these tips for reducing and controlling humidity at home.

Why Home Humidity Matters

Managing indoor humidity levels can:
  • Improve personal comfort.
  • Control moisture that can damage your home’s wood, paint and siding.
  • Prevent mildew growth and odors in clothing and belongings.
  • Improve indoor air quality by reducing dust mites, mold and other allergens.
  • Reduce pest infestations.
  • Improve the energy efficiency of your air conditioner.

How to Help Reduce and Control Humidity

Some Southern homeowners use their air conditioners year-round to combat humidity. Theo Etzel, CEO of Conditioned Air Corporation of Naples, Inc. in Naples, Florida, has these recommendations for more effective continuous use of your cooling system:
  • Set the fan to automatic. (Keeping it in the “on” position actually re-humidifies the space by blowing air over a wet coil when the condenser cycles off.)
  • Invest in a unit with a variable-speed air handler.
  • Consider installing a whole-house dehumidifier.
  • Don’t automatically lower the thermostat. Etzel says turning down the thermostat to reduce humidity can actually be a sign of an oversized air conditioning system.

Ways to Help Cut Excess Humidity

Etzel notes that air-conditioning systems can only keep up with the moisture they’re designed to remove, whether the systems condition fresh incoming air, recirculating interior air, or both.

Here are ways to help keep additional moisture and humidity from infiltrating the home:
  • Vent clothes dryers to the outdoors.
  • Install vent fans in kitchens and bathrooms.
  • Run a dehumidifier.
  • Cover dirt floors in crawl spaces with a plastic vapor barrier.
  • Seal air and duct leaks.
  • Select houseplants that absorb moisture from the air, such as Boston ferns.
  • Keep air-conditioning drip pans and drain lines clean and unobstructed.
  • Avoid activities that add moisture to the air on humid days, such as taking hot showers and boiling water on the stove.
  • Take measures outside. ENERGY STAR suggests keeping gutters and downspouts clean, extending downspouts further from the house, watering plants only when needed and sloping soil away from foundations to keep water from pooling.
Here are more humidity-reducing tips for keeping your home comfortable and functional in warm weather.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under any policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.

Quote of the Day 5-10-2012

"Imagine every day to be the last of a life surrounded with hopes, cares, anger and fear. The hours that come unexpectedly will be much the more grateful."
-Horace






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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-9-2012

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."-Louisa May Alcott










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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-8-2012

"The greatest results in life are usually attained by simple means and the exercise of ordinary qualities. These may for the most part be summed in these two: common-sense and perseverance."-Owen Feltham




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Monday, May 7, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-7-2012

"We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson





Friday, May 4, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-4-2012

"Unrest of spirit is a mark of life; one problem after another presents itself and in the solving of them we can find our greatest pleasure."
-Kal Menninger




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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Stressed out?

Relieving Stress At Work

Apr 21, 2011

We live in a fast-paced world, and stress can come from just about anywhere. Both at home and at work, the effects of long-term stress – physical health problems, trouble concentrating, anxiety, depression, anger, and even suicide – can be devastating.

While marriage, divorce, and moving are often ranked as the three most stressful events in contemporary life, stress at the workplace is not far behind. According to a 2008 American Psychological Association study, 74 percent of people surveyed reported work as the most significant source of stress in their lives.
While people can certainly thrive in high-stress situations, ignoring long-term stress at work can be damaging to your health and career.

That said, stress management is never out of your hands. There are plenty of changes you can make to help control it.

Change Your Habits At Work

While general pressure, deadlines, increased responsibilities, and fear of termination can all contribute to a generally stressful atmosphere, that doesn’t mean you have to remain passive at the workplace. Here are some modifications you can make that might help:

Know Yourself

Oftentimes, we’re not even aware of the stress we’re under, or if we are, we’re not sure of the source.
Try to stay in tune with your body and your emotions while you’re at work. Does your heart rate spike in certain situations? Note it. Do you find yourself particularly aggressive or angry around certain people? Note it. Is there a certain responsibility that makes you break into a cold sweat? Note it.
Once you become aware of specific triggers for stress, it’s possible you’ll be able to do something about them.

Work On Your Communication Skills

Talking through your problems with a manager or a coworker in a calm, reasoned manner can go a long way toward repairing interpersonal relationships and ultimately reducing stress in the workplace. If you find yourself in a particularly heated or emotional exchange, consider taking a break and resuming the conversation later. Don’t be excessively negative toward coworkers, even if you disagree with them. And if you have a complaint or a problem to raise, work out beforehand what you want to say. Communicating your thoughts and feelings successfully can be a major relief of stress.

Practice Deep Breathing Exercises

You might not know it, but when you’re anxious or stressed, chances are your breathing is shallow and irregular. This creates a bad feedback loop, as irregular breathing can cause even more stress.
Take a few minutes each day to focus on deep breathing. Not only will it calm you down, but it can clear your mind and help you work.
Counseling, yoga, and meditation all offer specific methods of deep breathing, but the general idea is usually the same. While sitting up straight, take in long, deep breaths through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this for several minutes – you might try closing your eyes, too. You’ll be amazed how effective it can be.

Change Your Habits Away From Work

It’s possible that your daily routines and habits, unquestioned and developed over the years, are contributing to an intolerable amount of stress. Sometimes it’s the simplest aspects of our lives that need to be revamped.

Get More Sleep

Sleep deprivation and stress go hand-in-hand and, in fact, form a vicious cycle, one problem encouraging and contributing to the other. We need sleep to rest and process stress. And yet the trends are moving in the wrong direction. A 2005 National Sleep Foundation poll found that U.S. residents sleep, on average, 2 hours less than they did in the 19th century and one hour less than 50 years ago. In general, adults need 7–9 hours of sleep a night.

Exercise More

People have a built-in ability to fight stress: physical exercise. Scientists and health-care professionals are virtually unanimous in touting the benefits of a regular exercise routine. Jogging, biking, swimming, walking, or just about anything else that gets your heart rate up will increase your brain’s production of endorphins and improve your mood.

Leave For Work Early

You might just think of yourself as always on the go, but rushing to get to work is a bad start to any day.
Try this experiment: For a week, leave home 15 minutes before your usual departure time, and see what kind of impact it has.

Quote of the Day 5-3-2012

"Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses."-Democritus




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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-2-2012

"A good opportunity is seldom presented, and is easily lost." -Syrus





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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Quote of the Day 5-1-2012

"All truly wise thoughts have been thought already, thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, until they take firm root in our personal experience."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe






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