[Food & Nutrition]
Wild about watermelon
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
That sweet, juicy, seed-spitting food is a staple of summertime picnics and backyard barbeques.
While we think of watermelon as a purely American treat, it actually was harvested 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Also in history, a watermelon was thrown at the Roman Governor Demosthenes during a political debate. He picked it up, placed it on his head, and thanked the thrower for providing him with a ...
[Energy Efficiency]
Buying central air conditioning
Sunday, June 04, 2006
If you're planning to "beat the heat" this summer with a new central air conditioning unit, follow our tips to success.
If your existing air conditioning unit is more than 15 years old, or if you've been having problems with your unit, it's probably time to think about replacing the air conditioner with a newer, more energy efficient unit. Or, if you've not had central air conditioning before, you may be looking forw...
[Just for Fun]
Let’s juggle
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
It’s laughable exercise—healthful, entertaining and contagiously fun.
Contrary to popular opinion, juggling doesn’t take coordination. Instead, juggling teaches it! In fact, this is the one sport in the world where those of us with two left feet and three thumbs begin with an automatic edge: We already know how to drop effectively. Here’s how to expand effective dropp...
[Energy Efficiency]
Buying a room air conditioner
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
If you hope to keep cooler this summer by installing a room air conditioner, follow our tips to success.
If central air conditioning isn't feasible with your home, or if there's just a single room that needs additional cooling, a room air conditioner may be your wisest choice. Be aware, though, that room air conditioners are generally not as energy efficient as a central air system.
When shopping f...
[Safety]
Child-seat safety
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
New study confirms survival advantage to properly-restrained children.
Summer is the time to hit the road, with trips to the park, the swimming pool, the campground and regional events and destinations. That’s all the more reason to make sure your most precious cargo—your children—are buckled up properly for safety. High-profile cases, such as the one by singer/actress...
[Energy Efficiency]
Sizing a new air conditioning system
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Looking at a new air conditioning system this year? Correct sizing matters a lot.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, well over half of all HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) contractors do not correctly size heating and cooling systems.
The most common mistake is oversizing. This makes the new system more expensive to install, but also forces the syste...
[Home & Garden]
Here come the hummingbirds!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Attract the frenetic flyers to your garden.
There are the gently floating butterflies, and then there are the frantic hummingbirds, darting and dashing, and even flying backwards. Like helicopters, they can hover. A ruby-throated hummingbird, the one most common to Iowans, can travel 2,600 miles in migration. Such fun! If you are fascinated b...
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