Jul 7, 2012

The Swan Lake in Black and White


click to enlarge
This lake is located inside Nusantara Flower Park (Cipanas, West Java, Indonesia). The big beautiful princess sculpture will welcome you there. It’s not only the princess will attract your attention, but also various swans, birds and fish that live there. The birds live in a small ‘island’, in the middle of the lake.


Jul 4, 2012

Don’t Leave your Home Alone - Home Security Tips


According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), more burglaries occur in July and August,during the peak vacation season than in any other months of the year. Today’s modern communication technology allows you to better protect and monitor your home while away.  One of the most attractive and economical ways to monitor your home is by utilizing CCTV cameras, along with a home alarm system.
Just a decade ago no one really considered using CCTV cameras to monitor their home. Today, the migration to an all-digital technology platform, such as CCTV DVRs and cloud based CCTV applications has resulted in less cost, added convenience and easier installation.  Plus, almost all CCTV camera system today are designed to work with smart phones and iPhone technology, which provides the ability to monitor your home by simply logging into your cameras.

In addition to utilizing CCTV cameras and modern technology to deter home burglaries while you’re away,following the basic tips below can reduce your home’s vulnerability to break-ins:
  • Install bright lights over porches and walkways in the front and back of your home.
  • Ensure locks on all doors and windows are properly working and are locked.
  • Lock garage and shed doors, preferably with deadbolt locks.
  • If you have an automatic garage door, look over your shoulder before leaving the driveway to ensure the garage door has completely closed behind you.
  • Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed under windows so burglars can't hide in them.
  • Keep ladders stored in a locked shed or garage so they can't be used to climb into your home.
  • Keep shades or curtains closed over garage and shed windows.
  • Keep shades or curtains closed over your windows after dark.
  • Don't leave toys, tools and equipment in the yard that could be used to break a window or to pry open a door
  • Make your home look like someone is there. Consider using timers to turn selected lights on and off automatically. Timers are also available for outdoor water sprinklers.
  • Mow your yard before you leave town.
  • Have a family member or friend bring in your mail and newspaper while you’re away or stop the service temporarily.
  • Give a trusted family member or a neighbor a key to your home in case of an emergency.  Do not leave a key in a hiding place. Thieves know where to look.
  • If you use an answering machine, do not record a message that indicates you are out of town.
The Security Product Depot is an established online provider of physical security products. As an innovative supplier of online security solutions, they are committed to offering the broadest array of CCTV camera systems, door hardware, locks, and safes for securing government, school facilities, commercial businesses and residents.

Jul 3, 2012

Trade Jobs You Shouldn’t DYI

Do you remember that old television program, ‘Home Improvement’? The star of the show, ‘Tim, the Toolman Taylor’ would prance around his home and the homes’ of friends, thinking he was helping out by doing odd jobs, but inevitably, blow up the house, knock down walls or injure himself.  Let’s be realistic, we all have little ‘Tim The Toolman’s’ running around our houses, thinking they are Mr Fix its and can take care of all our handy man needs. But unfortunately few of them can! As wives and girlfriends, we so often put in our two cents, ‘honey, I don’t think that’s a very good idea’, or ‘honey, maybe we should call in the electrical services on this one’, and yet, even though we know better, for the sake of our other half’s ego, we back down easily as soon as he gives that look, and simply says, ‘I’ve got this one dear’.

Well, as strong women, it’s time to stop backing down. It is time to stop letting hubby or boyfriend, brother or dad tackle a project for which he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing, just so we can pay a professional to come in and do it properly later. It’s time to skip the explosions, the fallouts, and the trips to emergency and simply call in the big guys from the start. While there are a few jobs your other half may be able to get done, below are a list of trades they should avoid at all cost – and this is speaking from personal experience. So put your foot down!
  1. Electrician
So my husband thought he could jump up into the roof, do a little rewiring and work in an extra power point in the lounge room for us. We did the usual routine, arguing lightly about calling electricians in Sydney, he gave the look, the magic words and I gave in. Two hours later, we were in emergency. While there are a lot of practical skills your partner may be able to master, doing circuits in science in high school does not qualify him to do electrical work on your home. Electricians train for years to know the ropes – so definitely don’t back down on this one!
       
    2.   Plumbing

I’m not going to lie, I’m not handy. I don’t know a wrench from a spanner, and can barely hammer a nail in straight, but I do know that water shooting out of a hole in my laundry is a bad thing. So did my dad, so he offered to fix it. Against my better judgement and because I didn’t have the cash, I agreed. Somehow over the course of a few hours, my dad managed to increase the size of the hole in the wall, undo anything and everything that connected and finally realise he had no idea how to put it all together. What was a cheap job for a plumber, blew out to a huge bill. Should have called in the pros to start with!

    3.   Cabinet making

The final one, was a great laugh when it happened, but not so much fun getting fixed. My sister’s brand new hubby decided he’d help out by installing a brand new flat pack kitchen. Never having done anything like this before and a bit of a city boy, he figured he was basically playing leggo – fitting bits together – how wrong he was. To his credit, he put all the pieces together almost correctly, and it actually looked quite lovely, we were all impressed.

Until she cooked us a first big grand meal to bless it – and all the plates slowly slid down the bench and onto the floor. Unfortunately hubby didn’t realise that a real cabinet maker has to check the angles on the slab, especially in old houses – and as the kicks, cupboards and bench tops were all fitted nice and flush to the angled slab, the angle exacerbated and she had a slight, but destructive slippery slide on her hands!

The moral of the story – ladies, stop worrying about hurting his ego and start worrying more about how he’s hurting the hip pocket! Call in the qualified, trained people from the start!

Jul 2, 2012

Cheese Cake


Another cake shot from me. A friend gave me this cheese cake.The cake has rich cheese taste inside. The various topping (peach jelly, chocolate and whipped cream) blended perfectly with the whole taste.


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Jun 30, 2012

Railways

Captured at my husband's home town (Bumiayu, Central Java, Indonesia)
Railways are our gates to the glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and sunshine, to them, alas! We return ~ E.M. Foster

Jun 27, 2012

Effective Plumbing Services in Melbourne


Faucet leakages such as pipe breakage and sewerage blockages are major problems that definitely require an effective plumbing services Melbourne. Highly qualified and experienced plumbers are what you needed to repair and fix these problems. A lot of people are affected by this problem but cannot help themselves because they lack the knowledge and tools to effectively solve the situation. Fortunately, there were a number of companies that provide services at an affordable and convenient rate.

In older homes, plumbing problems is pretty common. They come in as seems to be a simple task to something more complex. Some small jobs can be handles easily by a handy homeowner, while others are so complex that an average homeowner shouldn’t even begin to consider solving or work on it on their own.

Affected persons look for various characteristics and qualities in a plumber to deliver top class service. These qualities include accessibility, qualifications, and the effectiveness of the services provided. These aforementioned can be gathered from similar persons who have an experience on these kinds of problems. It’s good to research on relevant and useful information that concerns the best plumbing services Melbourne.

So if you have plumbing problems whether major or minor only, there are things that you should certainly consider before you hire a plumbing contractor.

License
A plumber should have a license, bonded and insured to be doing any kind of work in your home. Major or large plumbing projects require city or town permits and of course sometimes require that the plumber you will hire to perform the work be licensed. If your plumber is licensed, bonded and insured, you can be sure that you are protected if something goes wrong. If a problem occurs as a result of the plumber’s work which is not related to the original problem, the plumbers insurance should protect you.

Experience
Experience is one of the most valuable qualifications that a plumber should possess. The more a plumber is accustomed to doing a job, the better he will be prepared to handle any problems or surprises that may occur in the middle or during the project. Experienced plumbers gained some of the knowledge and skills in handling different problems over a number of years. They are also able to provide the best services due to their level of qualifications acquired. Though experience may cost you a higher rate, it will be more likely to get the job done much faster and efficiently.

References
References maybe is the most important. Of course, you want to know and hear personally from someone how the plumber actually works. It is comforting to know that the plumber you’ll hire did a good job, how fast he completes a project, how fair and respectful he is, etc.

Guarantee
There has to be a guarantee that comes along with the plumber’s work. A written agreement that guarantees his work for a week, thirty days or ninety days is important. Because if you don’t get a written guarantee covering anything that goes wrong with the work, you might end up paying for a repair again if something goes wrong.

Price
Price is often a big issue when considering home repairs. The cost difference between one plumber to another can be crucial and drastic. In cases like this, it is not wise to choose solely on the price. The lowest priced plumber maybe so because of the quality of work he provides. You want to get the most qualified plumber for the best price rather than any plumber at the best price. A good tip however is, look for those who provide free estimates, and get several estimates from various plumbers to compare.

Plumbing is an important part of your daily living on your home, so you want the work done quickly, properly and most importantly, effective and efficient from a highly qualified plumbing services Melbourne.

Elijah has been blogging about conserving energy and saving the environment for last 3 years. When he is not writing, Elijah work in a plumbing services Melbourne with the technology of installing hot water systems in any kinds of homes and offices.

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