CARPE DIEM: April Real Estate Blowout

Houston is now the 31st metro or state real estate market reporting double-digit gains in April (see full list here):

"April marked the eleventh straight month of growth in Houston home sales. Total sales and sales of single-family units registered increases of nearly 10% each over April of 2011. The average price of a single-family home rose by 11% year-over-year to $223,000. Rising demand pushed down the inventory of single-family homes by 27% compared to a year earlier. The Houston Association of Realtors expects tighter inventory will continue to push prices upward and spur new home construction in the coming months."


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The Reasoning Behind Using A Food Bucket

Article Directory :: Food & Drink Articles

It's always the way when you have made a big dinner for friends and family that there are left over's. Many people actually throw this food away, but that is just wasteful, when they could use it for another day.

The best way to do this is to use a food storage item. This way you can save the un-eaten surplus food for another day. This can be placed in the fridge or in the freezer ready for re-heating.

One of the main items that get left over is meat and vegetables. The meat can be used for a casserole and the vegetables can be mashed together and made into bubble and squeak.

If you have made a lasagna or pasta dish these can easily be frozen, and then defrosted and heated up again whenever you like. This is a great way to save the foods and also means you do not throw away your money either, and helps you not having to cook one night.

Food storage items can also be used if you only need to use some of a particular food. This can include a tinned product, or even something that needs to be kept covered like cheese or a half used vegetable or fruit.

Keeping these items in an air tight container will mean that they will last longer and stay fresher too. Using a storage container can also help to save space in the fridge and keeps it all organized.

You can also keep dry items in food storage containers. This can include tea bags, biscuits, sugar and flour. Using these containers you can save on space too, as they take up less room than having several of the same packets or tins.

You need to remember though when you have saved any cooked foods or meals, or any half opened tins etc, that you label the container. You can use a normal marker pen to do this, writing down what is in it and the date it was put in there. That way you make sure that you will not use or eat something that may not be suitable, and you can also rotate the containers so that the newest items go to the back.

A lot of people decide to bulk buy items, such as tins and flour. This is so that in times of emergency they have a bulk load of foods that they can use. This is a good idea, especially for areas that get a lot of storms or snow, where people know they could be cut off from everything for a few weeks or even months.

The best thing for this is the food bucket. These come in varying sizes and can contain many tinned items in one, or dry food stuff.

You will of course need to check these dates every so often, as if they have not been used for some time, you may have to cook it up or throw it away. Of course cooking and using it is the best answer as you would have just wasted food and money.

Food storage are a great way to save on space, save food and save money, to find out more go to foodstoragebucket.com

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Congress Scrutinizes San Onofre Power Plant Over Damaged Tubes

LOS ANGELES -- The idled San Onofre nuclear power plant is facing new scrutiny from Congress as the utility that operates it moves closer to proposing a fix to get the twin reactors back in service.

The chair of the U.S. Senate's environment committee pressed federal regulators Tuesday to disclose details about the design of the plant's troubled steam generators, in which hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water have been damaged by unexpected vibration and friction.

Meanwhile, operator Southern California Edison said it was working toward meeting federal benchmarks that could open the way for a restart of at least one of the reactors, perhaps in time to meet summer power demand.

The twin reactors, located along the coast between San Diego and Los Angeles, have been shut down for more than three months while investigators try to determine the cause of the unusual tube wear.

On Tuesday, Sen. Barbara Boxer asked Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko for documentation on how the federal agency reviewed a series of modifications to the generators, which might be the culprit in the mechanical trouble. Boxer, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, sent a similar letter to SCE parent Edison International.

At issue is whether Edison sidestepped any federal requirements by conducting extensive design changes, a claim leveled by an environmental group that said the alterations are at the heart of the plant's problems.

"Concerns have been raised that design changes in the steam generators contributed to accelerated wear in tubes carrying radioactive water," wrote Boxer, D-Calif. "The determination to restart the San Onofre reactors must ensure the safety of the millions of Californians who live and work near the plant."

A 13-page report issued by Friends of the Earth, a group critical of the nuclear industry, warned that running the plant at reduced power would not resolve problems with badly worn tubing.

Earlier this month Edison announced a tentative plan to restart and run the seaside reactors at lower power, at least for several months, because engineers believe that will ease vibration that could be eroding tubes.

The four generators at San Onofre each have nearly 10,000 alloy tubes that carry radioactive water.

The generators function something like a car radiator, which controls heat in a vehicle's engine. The generator tubes circulate hot, radioactive water from the reactors, which heats a bath of non-radioactive water surrounding them. That makes steam, which is used to turn turbines to make electricity.

The tubes represent a critical safety barrier ? if a tube breaks, there is the potential that radioactivity can escape into the atmosphere.

The Friends of the Earth report also expanded an earlier allegation that Edison misled federal regulators about the modifications, a claim disputed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the company.

The trouble began to unfold in January, when the Unit 3 reactor was shut down as a precaution after a tube break. Traces of radiation escaped at the time, but officials said there was no danger to workers or neighbors. Unit 2 had been taken offline earlier that month for maintenance, but investigators later found unexpected wear on hundreds of tubes in both units.

The NRC has said there is no timetable to restart the reactors, which were replaced in 2009 and 2010 in a $670 million overhaul.

The report, written by Vermont-based nuclear consultants Fairewinds Associates, suggested the best alternatives might be scrapping and replacing the costly equipment, or spending as much as $400 million on repairs.

"Power reductions do not solve underlying and serious degradation problems," the report said, warning that running at reduced power could spread the damage and result in tube fractures.

Gradual wear is common in such tubing, but the rate of erosion at San Onofre alarmed officials since the equipment is relatively new. The company last week said more than 1,300 tubes will be taken out of service, a far higher number than previously disclosed, but that number is well within the margin to allow the generators to keep operating.

The generators were designed specifically to meet a federal test to qualify as "in-kind," or essentially identical, replacements, which allowed them to be installed without prior approval from federal regulators.

The report said a string of complex modifications involving tubes and supports should have triggered a more extensive review by the government, including public hearings, but did not.

In a statement, NRC spokesman Victor Dricks said the company informed the agency of the steam generator design changes "in accordance with NRC requirements," and that portions of the design were reviewed by federal inspectors during the installation. He added that a team of investigators is reviewing those changes as part of its probe into tube wear at the plant.

The agency announced Tuesday it was conducting a routine review of "in-kind" repairs at the plant over the prior three years, which are common in the industry. The review was not prompted by the problems with the generators.

State officials have warned of possible power shortages in the region this summer while the plant remains dark.

Edison said in a statement that "the health and safety of the public and employees is the number one priority for San Onofre."

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7 Relationship Lessons From ?Ice Loves Coco? - The Frisky

If you don?t watch ?Ice Loves Coco? you might assume that Ice-T and his wife Coco have a shallow, reality show relationship. After all, he?s a rap star, she?s a voluptuous model; usually that combo doesn?t make for the most healthy and equal partnerships. But anyone who has watched ?Ice Loves Coco? knows that these two crazy kids are actually the reality show exception: they have a genuinely solid relationship and have been married for over 11 years. As an avid fan of the show, I thought it might be helpful to compile some relationship tips I?ve learned from watching the show. Read on for seven love lessons from Coco and Ice-T that we should all take to heart?

1. Stay curious about your partner. Even after 11 years, Coco and Ice still seem genuinely intrigued by each other. As Ice said in a recent episode, ?I think you stop learning new things about your partner when you?re uninterested in them.? So simple, so true. No matter how well you think you know each other, remember that there?s always more to learn.

2. Adore each other. This sounds so corny, but you guys, the way Ice and Coco look at each other is seriously the sweetest thing ever; you can tell how much they adore each other. Many people try to play it cool in their relationships, but really, we should all take a page from Ice and Coco?s playbook and be more transparent about our romantic feelings. Never hide your love away!

3. Go on adventures. Some of the best bonding experiences a couple can have are of the random, crazy, adventurous variety, so practice saying ?yes? to new experiences as a couple. Ziplining, art classes, even trying new foods?anything that takes you out of your comfort zone is good. And if one or both of you is a little scared, even better: you can take turns playing the fearless hero.

4. Prioritize your relationship. Coco was recently offered the lead role in an action movie, but when the director mentioned that it would be filming in New Mexico for three months, Coco paused. She didn?t want to be away from Ice for that long. When she talked it out with Ice, he agreed it would be awful to be apart but reminded her that should never sacrifice her career for their relationship. The lesson here? Your relationship shouldn?t necessarily be more important than other parts of your life, but you should always take it into consideration.

5. Be a cheerleader. Coco is always by Ice?s side at his movie premieres and often visits the set of ?Law and Order? to cheer him on, which is awesome. Even more awesome, though, is that she knows that support goes both ways: Ice goes to Coco?s photo shoots and is always rooting for her, too. Remember to cheer your partner on in whatever they?re passionate about, and expect them to cheer for you in return.

6. Revel in your differences. Ice is naturally laid back. Coco is a self-professed control freak. Does this cause tension sometimes? Of course. Do they ever try to change each other? No way. Ice and Coco understand that our differences are often the things that bring us together and ultimately strengthen our relationships.

7. Don?t take life too seriously. One thing I see time and time again in successful relationships is an element of playfulness, an ability to keep things light even when times are tough. Ice and Coco are no exception?they?re always teasing each other, laughing, and just generally having fun. Try to make some room for lightness and laughter in your relationship, especially when things feel heavy. Trust me ? if it works for Ice and Coco, it will work for you.

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Gujarat Technological University Ceramic Technology 1st Sem ...

The syllabus includes introduction to computers and programming (hardware & software, flow charts and algorithms), C language (fundamentals, operators, looping, arrays & strings, functions & recursion, pointers & structures), C++ language (Principles, functions, classes and objects, arrays, static members, constructors and destructors).

Paper Pattern: Question Paper contains 7 questions out of which 5 should be answered. Mostly the questions are subdivided into two. All are subjective type. Each question carries 14 marks and the allotment is fixed.The sub-divided questions may get equal distribution of marks or may vary.

Time allotted and Marks: The duration of exam is 2 hours 30 minutes and maximum marks are 70.

Key Points: Majority of the questions can be expected from the C language. 3 or 4 programs will be given. Assumptions can be made and the result is important. Block diagram of computer can be expected for sure. Flowcharts and algorithms should be neatly represented. Polymorphism and inheritance in C++ have a repetitive pattern.

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Facebook's New Mobile News Feed Has Instagram's Fingerprints All Over It [Facebook]

When Facebook dropped $1 billion on Instagram we knew the company was very serious about photos on your mobile phone. We've already seen some Instagram-like photo filters, and starting today, Facebook's news feed is getting a nice cosmetic overhaul. More »


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Precisely what Really does a fantastic Home finance loan broker Do ...

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Lots regarding many years before obtaining a mortgage loan ended upwards being simple. Many associated with the occasion individuals don?t also need a down payment, generally there were banks in lifetime providing 108% financial loans! Nowadays points are generally harder. Your international financial disaster offers induced quite several banks to tighten up their particular financial requirements. Likewise, a lot of people usually tend to be studying your small print previous to they will enroll in a property loan in extra of many individuals utilized to.

In the wedding you are seeking for obtaining a home loan, the item definitely pays off being savvy with regards to how anyone sign up for a loan along with exactly what solution an individual make a credit card applicatoin for. Know-how is actually most surely energy in regards to mortgage loans.

For any individual who?s doubtful concerning mortgages, any mortgage specialist may guide you with all the process. There usually are various approaches you could borrow dollars. Most in the people can check around any few banking businesses and also pick the suitable fee. This doesn?t often just be sure you get the very least expensive household loan. This best standard bank just isn?t always the key one using the ideal charge. Several banking companies which usually boast low price attention rates include disguised. expenses in inclusion for you to expenses which in fact have people spending more funds right right at the end connected with the day.

A new mortgage dealer will begin which has a session, they will will focus on your preferences in add-on in order to conditions. According to the info in which you offer, the particular broker will probably check with a new panel involving creditors to determine which usually financial institution is almost all beneficial for you.

An agent won?t merely select a standard bank in your current case, they ?re going to actually negotiate using the bank to get the finest pace as properly while the very greatest offer. Any time contending for ones small business, banks will the majority of likely provide home mortgage cut and also decrease expenses as nicely as costs. Home financial loans usually have relationships along with organization advancement supervisors inside the finance institutions that can certainly help these get lots. In case the supervisor deals with the particular brokerage, the particular brokerage can finally send out far far more financial loans on the financial institution.

After you have in consultation with your specialist, selected the proper personal loan item, the actual dealer will almost certainly comprehensive almost all the important papers operate and also post it away from for you to the standard bank. You might need to provide a few files, nevertheless the dealer is planning to do the vast majority connected with documents available in your case. Almost all banking companies will return to the particular agent which possesses a pre-approval in a small time. Elegant acceptance requires concerning one particular and also 14 days to weeks, based for the bank, the particular dealer along using the function insert the two tend to be currently underneath. If a brokerage incorporates a great romantic relationship that incorporates a financial institution, sometimes they will receive swifter reply instances on the bank.

Employing a large financial company not only will spend less you you moment and hassle, but additionally, this may save a lot of money mortgage broker Sydney

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Sarah Tavel, Who Led Bessemer?s Investment In Pinterest, Gets Down To ?Business? At Pinterest

sarah tavel on twitterPinterest is starting to fill up its own Pinboard... with money people. Sarah Tavel, a former VP at Bessemer Venture Partners (the same BVP that led a Series A round in Pinterest in 2011), has now joined the social startup in a business development role. The move comes about a month after Pinterest hired Tim Kendall -- Kendall had once been a key figure building out monetization strategy at Facebook, which he left in 2010.

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