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During the long, cold winter months, it can be tempting to crank up the heat in your home so you stay toasty and warm. Unfortunately, turning up the heat can ultimately increase your energy use by a lot. This is especially true if you were one of the 9.26 million people who had a second home in 2017. But luckily, there are plenty of easy ways you can survive the cold winter months and lower your energy usage. So if you're looking to reduce your energy use this winter, keep reading. First, let's start with your windows. Did you know that having proper draperies can reduce heat loss from a room by up to 10%? So if you have thin or no curtains at all, it may be time to invest in some heavy draperies. This way, you can add both aesthetics and warmth to your home. You should also check your ...

When someone produces music, their goal is normally to share it with the world. But in some cases, musicians decide they don't like royalty arrangements they've made or who they're working with. This is the case with several prominent musicians from the 70s who have filed claims against UMG Recordings and Sony Music. Artists including John Waite, Joe Ely, David Johansen, John Lyon, and Paul Collins tried to give notices of termination to their publishers and record labels. Unfortunately, they were allegedly met with dismissals or invitations to renegotiate the deals they previously made. Many artists in the 70s gave away the rights to their music when their careers were just taking off. The Copyright Act of 1976 gave these artists a second chance by allowing them to terminate copyright g...

Volatile organic compounds (VOC)s are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature. VOCs can include both human-made and naturally occurring chemical compounds. According to a new market research report "VOC Sensors and Monitors Market by Device Type (Sensors and Monitors), Application (Industrial Process Monitoring, Environmental Monitoring, Air Purification and Monitoring, and Leak Detection), and Geography -- Global Forecast to 2023," the VOC sensors and monitors market is projected to increase from $140 billion in 2018 to $178 million by 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 4.6% over the five-year period. The growth of this essential market can be attributed to a wide variety of factors, including increased enforcement of occupational health...

As a culture, it could be argued that Americans are rather obsessed with youth. And when our good looks start to fade, it's not uncommon for some people to panic. We may vow to exercise regularly, follow a strict diet, or splurge on fancy skin care and wellness products all in an effort to stay taut and smooth. But if the damage is already done, there's only so much you can do. That may well be why preventative methods are now becoming much more popular. Women in their 20s and 30s are now using eye creams that were once reserved for an older crowd. And some of them are even turning to procedures at an earlier age. Although one in every six drivers on the road is over the age of 65, the drivers of the cosmetic procedure industry will likely be of a younger generation: millennials. It'...

Storms are a part of life. Whether you live high in the mountains, by the beach, or out in the open plains, chances are, a low-pressure system or two will roll through your neighborhood and threaten the safety of your property. No matter where you live, storm preparedness is essential to keeping your family and your belongings safe. From securing household items down to making sure your septic tank is functioning properly (25% of U.S. use a septic system), there are dozens of things you need to consider prior to a storm striking your area. By taking the proper precautions, you can ensure that you don’t have to rebuild or replace parts of your home with each passing gale. Luckily, storm preparedness is fairly simple. It only takes a bit of planning and a few key steps to protect your ...

The U.S. flooring industry reported growth of 3.2% in value and 3.85% in dollars from last year. Selecting the right type of flooring is an important step no matter what kind of structure you're designing. You need to consider durability, appearance, and various other aspects when picking out flooring -- especially when it comes to creating the right balance of style and function. Here are some of the predicted most popular flooring trends for 2019: True to nature -- Flooring options like bamboo are becoming incredibly popular for a variety of reasons. Not only is bamboo one of the most durable and strongest materials available, but has environmental benefits, as well. Another natural materials that look great as a flooring option are stone and wire-brushed wood. "High variety w...

Homeowners need to take care of every aspect of their property in order to avoid expensive issues and other structural problems. Though you need to focus on everything from mold remediation to plumbing, it's important that you don't neglect your home's roof and gutters. Gutter cleaning should be done at least twice a year, but you can't just set up a ladder, grab a bucket, and start cleaning them out. You need to do a little more and avoid making some costly mistakes. First, you should be aware of how your gutters actually got clogged in the first place. There are several causes of clogged, overflowing, or damage and rusted gutters, including: Improperly pitched gutters -- In order for water to flow properly, your gutters need to be pitched correctly. Make sure the slope sits at the c...

Childhood trauma can impact the way an adult functions in society. Regardless of where the trauma originates, the result is the same: the child grows up unaware of how to deal with their conflicting (oftentimes overwhelming) emotions and finds themselves dealing with depression, health problems, alcoholism, drug abuse, and may even end up considering suicide. Idaho ranks fifth nationwide for children who have experienced more than three adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The definition of an ACE includes abuse and neglect, as well as dysfunction in the home, such as substance abuse, divorce, violence, or incarceration. Though Idaho's numbers are large, they're far from the only state facing such problems; statistically speaking, between 40% and 50% of marriages end in divorce, with 1...

The way business is done is always adapting and today's technology has lead to all sorts of revolutionary changes across the workforce, both throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. Despite all the recent workforce changes, businesses still struggle with all sorts of document challenges. According to a U.S. Bank study, 82% of organizations that fail do so because of cash flow problems, but losing track of essential documents can lead to all sorts of organizational failure. Approximately 7.5% of all documents get lost; 3% of the remainder get misfiled. Additionally, according to a global survey of knowledge workers and IT professionals, document challenges account for 21.3% of productivity loss. "Information and the speed at which it flows throughout an organization is a key deter...