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All posts by Wayne

Avoiding Rip Currents In The Ocean This Summer

Florida has some of the best beaches in the world. Tourists come to Florida for the Disney World experience, but what makes Florida most famous are its world class beaches, with various types of powdery sand, water, eco-structures and natural beauty.
Different areas of Florida have different types of surf. For instance, New Smyrna Beach is the surf capitol of the world, and many surfers go there and to Daytona Beach as well to experience some serious waves. But to the in-experienced swimmer, the ocean can change unfavorably in the blink of an eye.

On June 17th in Daytona Beach, there were almost three hundred rescues from lifeguards on duty in regard to rip currents, most people unaware of the danger the ocean possesses, due to weather changes that pick up winds that affect the surf. When the winds are fierce, the ocean can get quite dangerous, making any current beach condition while rip currents are present chancy at best.

Beneath the surf there are open pockets that water runs through with such a force that it can easily carry swimmers out to sea. What causes swimmers to panic is when they lose footing, due to a shift in position. One minute swimmers feel the ocean floor beneath them, the next minute they don’t, and become disorientated. Many try to swim back to shore, but the water can drag them further out, or the waves become more intense, and one can easily get caught in the tide.

Rip currents are always possible, especially when there is a tropical storm brewing, or a shift in climate change. The summer months are when people are more susceptible, due to the hurricane season approaching with shifts in atmosphere and storms coming in from the tropics.

Rip currents in the ocean are responsible for most beach drowning deaths, for aside from the currents taking one further out to sea, getting caught in a rip current can cause panic, which makes people susceptible to drowning, especially if they begin to swallow water.

To avoid this danger while swimming, simply remain aware of what is going on. Is it windy, did the surf get rougher? Do you feel the sand shifting beneath you? If so, swim through the tide diagonally, not against it, for you will get closer to the shoreline because you are breaking through against the pull of the rip current, and will be pushed to shore by each incoming wave. Try to remain calm, and always swim near a lifeguard, or around other people that you can signal for help, preferably people that you know are watching out for you. A few simple precautions can help keep your fun vacation from turning into a tragedy.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: A Review

Let me now progress to saying that if I pitched this idea to you, you would tell me I was an absolute lunatic for even thinking this up: okay, so get this, a six-foot-tall milkshake, a flying box of fries with braces, and a childish, possibly mentally-impaired (legitimately – they do allude to Meatwad being slightly less than mentally capable) meatball do nothing all day except mess with their fat, hairy, balding neighbor named Carl who works from the home and doesn’t care about anything except for women.

That’s it? Yep.

That is pretty much the premise of ATHF. They did start out as detectives, but they quit doing that after the first two or three episodes pretty much.

Anyway, as stupid as it sounds (and I know how stupid it sounds. Trust me. It is stupid.), it’s hilarious. At least, it’s hilarious in my eyes. Master Shake, or as he is more commonly known Shake, is played by Dana Snyder, who might be the only voice actor who doesn’t do a handful of voices on the show, and this six-foot-tall, walking, talking milkshake is the king of the Aqua Teen universe. At least, he thinks he is. Mostly, he’s just comedic in his absolute failure at everything he does. The only thing he’s king of is Meatwad, the little meatball who generally acts like a child, which is all the funnier when he mouths off at Frylock, the only sane, responsible cast member of the show. At least, until he snaps and just stops caring about anything. And then there’s Carl, Carl the magnificent, Carl the beautiful. Everything about Carl is the opposite of perfection, and that is why he is just so unlovable.

There are three rules in the Aqua Teen universe (physics need not apply in New Jersey): something awful must happen to Carl, Carl’s car, Carl’s pool, or Carl’s house; everything that gets dropped or, as is more likely, thrown must blow up upon contact of the ground or floor; and continuity must not exist – ever. All of these things must happen in every single episode.

Look, I’m not saying Aqua Teen Hunger Force is for everyone – it’s not. But if you don’t mind pure idiocy, then you might get a few chuckles out of Aqua Teen, or if you’re like me, you might die laughing every time you watch it.

The best part? Carl’s accent. The way Carl talks is hilarious to me, because he is almost always angry, hammered, or yelling about the New York Giants (or women or the band Boston or Styx or well, everything), possibly all three at the same time.

Go check it out. Go enjoy. But be warned. They do not discriminate. Anything and everything that can be offended will be.

An Easter Basket for the Construction Dad

You want to give Dad an Easter basket for Easter. What do you give the man that has everything? He won’t go for the cute bunny stuff. Maybe your dad is into home repair or construction. He probably has all the tools you can imagine. What else would you give dad in an Easter basket for a construction dad? If your dad is a construction or fixer upper dad and you want to give him the perfect Easter basket for a construction dad, here are a few suggestions that might help. First you might want to ask in a conversation if your dad is working on something special or if he could use something. He will probably tell you he doesn’t need anything so ask mom to make sure. Suggestions for an Easter basket for a construction dad:

1. Gift card from Lowe’s or Home Depot: An Easter basket for a construction dad could easily hold a gift card from Lowe’s or the Home Depot. If dad doesn’t give you a specific idea that he wants from there to save time guessing you may want to buy a gift card. This way dad can get what he really needs or wants.

2. Magazine – Remodeling, Residential Design and Build, Construction Business Owner or Remodeler are great magazines for the home repair or construction industry. An Easter basket for a construction dad should contain one of these magazines if the dad likes to read.

3. Ladder – Your dad may need a new ladder for his work or hobby. If you have a dad that likes construction or home repair he could probably use a new ladder. If your dad already has the traditional ladders and they are in good shape you might want to consider buying a folding ladder that you can use at different angles for different jobs. The ladder folds into different shapes. A dad that is used to working in construction or home repair would love a ladder in his Easter basket.

4. Tools – Tools get old and break. Your dad might like the new tools that have come out. You could buy a bunch of little tools to fill an Easter basket for a construction or home repair dad. You might buy a tool that has a laser that shows a straight line. You can even get a laser with a bubble to show if something is even. This helps when you put the line on. If the line goes up or down the bubble will move off center until it is straightened. Your dad has probably been using the same hammer for twenty years so you may want to get him a new one. The possibility for tools is endless.

5. Tool Box – Tool Boxes wear out. An Easter basket for a construction or home repair dad could be a tool box. Instead of an Easter “basket” the tool box could be the basket for the dad who likes construction or home repair.

6. Tool Belt – Tool belts are a little more flimsy than tool boxes. A tool belt is a great Easter gift for a dad who likes construction or home repair because if he doesn’t have one, he can certainly use it and if he does have one it probably needs to be replaced.

7. Pants – Pants may seem a funny idea for an Easter basket for a construction or home repair dad. Pants wear out quickly and if your dad likes to put tools in his pants pockets or hang them from his pants he probably could use new pants. Some pants have special pockets and flaps for tools to go in and hang from. These pants don’t last long because they are worked hard. An Easter basket for a dad who likes construction or home repair might include pants.

Your Easter basket for a dad who likes construction or home repair will be a great Easter gift for your dad. Happy Easter.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth for DS

When developers at Capcom pitched the idea of a video game about lawyers, I am willing to bet that there were some skeptics. To perhaps everyone’s surprise, however, the game has been a huge success, as many innovative games turn out to be. Ace Attorney Investigations is the 5th game in this series and takes it in a new direction by taking the main character, Miles Edgeworth out of the courtroom and into the streets to investigate crime scenes.

Premise

For those unfamiliar with the Ace Attorney series, the game works basically as an adventure/graphic novel. Much of the game is interesting and dramatic storyline, which is broken up and made interactive by puzzles that the gamer has to solve. Most of these games have you assume the role of lawyer who must cross examine witnesses, examine evidence, and other such lawyer duties. In this game, Miles Edgeworth follows similar tactics in his quest to examine crime scenes and get to the bottom of things.

Storyline

As always with Ace Attorney games, the storyline is one of the highlights. Hilarious characters and unforgettable dialogue occurs throughout this game. With so much light-heartedness, it seems remarkable that it’s a game about crime. The writers of this game have a fun outlook on life that really shines through and makes the game something worth experiencing.

New Game Features

All of the old tricks to solving cases are still around, but Capcom has also added a few new features. One of the new tricks that Miles Edgeworth brings do the game is his ability to “logically” connect evidence. As Miles examines the scene, he will make notes of things that seem interesting in his notebook. By using your stylus to draw a line between two related notes, you can connect them, which will help you solve the case. An attempted wrong connection will drain a special health bar. Another technique, which is certainly beyond the ability of real investigators, is a virtual reality machine, which will allow you to play out the crime scene to see which elements of your theory do not fit. This will help you literally see what you may be missing. For the first time in the series, you can also walk around as a character, though this really doesn’t make too much of a difference, aside from making you feel a bit freer. In reality, these new features do not greatly change the gameplay, which could be a good thing if you’re a real fan of previous games in the series. The use of the two screens and microphone is present as always, which has become something of a requirement with DS games.

Verdict

The game in many ways is different and yet much of the same. This may be a disappointment to some fans, who really want a change from the ordinary formula of clever dialogue, puzzles, and objections. The game can be frustrating at times because it requires players to solve puzzles in only one way, when there are other ways that seem possible. The game developers would have saved a lot of grief to just create multiple answers to the same problems. In that same vein, the game has no replay value, since the plot and puzzles can only be enjoyed once. All of that aside, the game is really very good and fans of Ace Attorney will rejoice at new opportunities to enforce the law. Reviewers give it a 8-9/10.

All About Carpet as Flooring Material

With improved fiber and finishing technology, carpets are better value than ever. Whether you’re a traditionalist or after one of the latest animal prints, like plain carpets or imaginative borders, there’s one to suit. Even asthmatics, usually steered clear of carpets, will find one endorsed by the British Allergy foundation.

Halls and stairs need the heaviest duty carpets, followed by living areas and then bedrooms, where you can get away with less robust types. There’s currently no grading scheme, though a new European standard is expected soon and this is likely to pinpoint where carpet should be used. Use a professional fitter to lay carpets, who will also give an estimate of quantities.

Carpets are either woven, tufted (Hessian or foam backed) or bonded, which means they don’t have a pile. Woven carpets (Ax Minster or Witt on) are more expensive as the pile and backings are woven together giving extra durability. Tufted foam backed carpets are less durable and suitable mainly for bedrooms.

Carpets: wool or synthetic?

  • Acrylic: acrylic looks and feels like wool and is often blended with other fibers. It has good stain resistance.
  • Nylon: very hard wearing and will resist crushing if in a dense twisted pile otherwise once flattened the pile is difficult to restore. Top quality brands can almost feel like wool although cheaper ones attract dirt and feel harsh. Static is now much reduced.
  • Polyester: warm underfoot, it keeps its color well and is abrasion resistant, but the pile is difficult to restore.
  • Polypropylene: inexpensive and durable but it has a harsh feel so is often used in wool blends. It flattens easily so low loop piles are common. Carpets containing this fiber are non absorbent, colorfast; they resist abrasion and are low in static.
  • Wool: the most expensive type of carpet with good insulation properties and resistance to soiling and flattening. Frequently blended with 20 percent nylon for good looks, greater resilience and durability, it is ideal for heavy duty areas. Like all woven carpets, it can not if over-wetted.

Watch points

When you choose your carpet, take a photograph of the room or rooms with you to help find the right color or pattern.

Underlay

Choose the best quality you can afford. A good underlay can prolong the life of your carpet so never use an old one with a new carpet. It will also prevent draughts through floorboards and act as sound proofing. Choose between;

  • Felt made from matted fibers: top of the range and will resist indentations.
  • Paper felt: used under foam backed carpets.
  • Solid rubber: hard wearing but not as springy as waffle rubber.
  • Waffle rubber underlay: sold in different weights from light use to heavy duty.

Carpet pile

The closer the tufts the more hard wearing the carpet can be:

  • Looped in and out of the backing; low loops are very hard wearing and often called corded if very tightly looped.
  • Cut, but short dense cut pile (velvet) is susceptible to shading and shows up tread and furniture marks. A less dense pile is known as Saxony carpet and shag pile is the longest cut pile and should be avoided on stairs. Twist pile is twisted cut pile, the more tightly twisted, the greater the durability and resistance to flattening.
  • A combination of cut and looped for a textured effect.
  • A Berber carpet that can be cut or loop with flecks of contrasting color throughout.