Are you a shopper by stealth? You go out shopping but then leave your shopping bags in the car until your partner goes out and then run your purchases inside and shove them into the back of your wardrobe so they won't be discovered. When your partner asks ''Is that new?'' you roll your eyes and tell them you've worn it before and you can't believe they didn't notice.
Now I don't want to get into the ethics of shopping by stealth, having done this myself on the odd occasion. Sometimes it's just easier. But what I do want to ask is whether you are really cheating yourself?
What do I mean by cheating yourself? Well it's one thing to hide things from your partner. I'm sure there are many things snuck inside by both sexes, be they tools, shoes, torches and toys that shouldn't always be explained. But it's another thing to hide things from yourself.
These are the purchases that when you do a wardrobe cull months or years later, they still have the labels left on them or they're still in the bag, hidden in the back of the wardrobe.
They're the purchases you made because you were bored or hormonal or drinking on a Friday night while surfing the net and the next day you knew it was a mistake. You might spend $50, $100 or $250 every other week but together it can add up to hundreds or thousands over a year. Which is a whole lot of money to spend on something you bought on a whim and will never use or Ventilation system.
Maybe start by recognising those times when you are likely to either overspend or buy things you really don't need. If you are window shopping during your lunch break, find something else to do instead. Pop on a pair of sneakers and go for a run, go to a gallery, or read a book. If window shopping is a social thing and you don't want to miss out, then leave your credit card behind so you're not tempted. Sounds simple but it's so effective.
If you love cruising online shopping sites then put your credit card in another room, don't save your details to favourite sites, or shut down the computer.
The credit card bill is a little different. Firstly you need to remove your head from the giant pile of cashmere you have dug it into (cashmere sounds much better than sand) and recognise what you are dealing with. So open all your credit card statements and face up to what you owe. With a bottle of wine if necessary. Once you know how much you owe then make a plan to pay off your debt.
This might mean cutting up cards (especially if you have multiple cards) or talking to your bank about refinancing to another lower rate card or loan. Ultimately you need to know what you have to work with and then make a plan for what you are going to do about it.
As for teams, three winners emerged from the post-frenzy shopping market -- Arizona, Chicago and Tennessee. Based on playing time from last year, I'd give the Cardinals the slight edge from the post-March 17 market. Among their signings, cornerback Antoine Cason played 976 snaps for the Chargers last year, Jasper Brinkley had 813 snaps at linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, and Chilo Rachal had 643 snaps on the Bears' offensive line. The cost was a combined $5.7 million in contracts.
Bears general manager Phil Emery kept grabbing depth for his offensive line after being aggressive early and getting Jermon Bushrod and Martellus Bennett. Among the Bears' five post-March 17 signings were offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Eben Britton. Slauson started 16 games and had 786 snaps for the Jets in 2012. Britton had only 253 snaps last season, but he comes with 30 career starts. The cost was $1.53 million for both on one-year deals.
By being patient, the Titans picked up center Chris Spencer and defensive tackle Antonio Johnson, along with three other UFAs after March 17.
It's been pretty well proven that NFL championships can't be bought through free agency. Teams have tried and failed for decades. The key is being smart.
The Bucs were the free-agency winners in 2012, getting Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks, but they finished 7-9. How the Dolphins will do this season depends on the development of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. He should improve with Wallace, Gibson and Dustin Keller as added targets.
Overall, though, the Denver Broncos should be recognized for what they did both in the hot early market and late in the game. They ranked 12th in unrestricted spending, putting up $44.5 million on five players, but all five had at least 634 snaps last season and four had 799 or more.
2013年5月19日星期日
2011年9月22日星期四
Rescue team cover worst-hit Sikkim, 4 roads
Rescue teams have covered almost all earthquake affected areas in worst-hit North Sikkim though four key roads, which connect different parts of the region, continued to remain blocked following Sunday's natural disaster.
Home Ministry officials said that rescue team of National Disaster Response Force, ITBP, Army and other volunteers covered most of the villages in North Sikkim and were of the opinion that death toll may not go up.
71 people were killed and 58 injured in Sikkim in the quake, according to the state government.
Most of the employees and labourers of the Teesta Hydro Electro Project have been counted for and fears of recovery of more bodies in and around the construction site have been dispelled by the rescuers.
Four pregnant women were shifted by ITBP to Mangan Chungthang hospitals. Rescue teams also evacuated 18 more Indian tourists from Rangma Range and nine civilian workers of Teesta project from Pegong. Power supply in Sikkim has been normal except in the some parts of North district. The death toll in North District is 54, West District four and South District one. 12 people died in East District. Ten teams of NDRF comprising 403 personnel along with necessary equipment have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Three teams of NDRF which were located at Gangtok have moved to Mangan and two teams located at Mangan have been deployed for search and rescue operations in villages Ramam, Lingzya and Dzongu.
Two teams of NDRF comprising 14 personnel and 16 personnel each have been deployed at Chungthan and Lachung respectively.
The doctors of the NDRF team deployed at Mangan with medical detachment have set up a medial relief camp at Manul Mangan.
Rescue team cover worst-hit Sikkim, 4 roads
Altogether 827 ITBP personnel are engaged in rescue operations and have also set up relief camps where villagers have been given shelter.
The state government has opened relief camps in each district. 2700 and 550 people have been provided shelter in srmy camps and ITBP camp (Pengong) respectively.
A total of 5,500 army personnel located in Sikkim have been pressed into relief and rescue operations. Out of this, 94 army columns (strength of columns varies from 15-40 personnel each) have been deployed for rescue operation.
Rescue columns comprising 281 personnel deployed at Mangan have set up Integrated Command Centre.
A total of 94 villages have been physically covered by the team of army jawans in their search and rescue operations. Twenty-one Engineer columns have been deployed for restoration of communication on national highways in conjunction with BRO.
A total of 940 civilians have been treated at Military hospitals. 28 civilians evacuated by army helicopters are currently under treatment at military hospitals. More than 2,400 food packets have been air-dropped in the northern part of North District.
Fifteen helicopters of Army and Air Force have been pressed into relief work. For airdropping and reconnaissance, 100 sorties have been carried out so far.
The following roads have also been opened for traffic : National Highway 31-A from Siliguri to Gangtok, National Highway 55 - Darjeeling to Siliguri, Gangtok - Rangrang and Mangan, Mangan - Chugthan, Gangtok - Natu La, Damdim - Alagarh - Rishi - Pedong and Kupup - Nathu La.
Around 3000 blankets, 400 tents, 200 stoves, 500 tarpaulin and several water purifier have been dispatched to the affected areas.
Home Ministry officials said that rescue team of National Disaster Response Force, ITBP, Army and other volunteers covered most of the villages in North Sikkim and were of the opinion that death toll may not go up.
71 people were killed and 58 injured in Sikkim in the quake, according to the state government.
Most of the employees and labourers of the Teesta Hydro Electro Project have been counted for and fears of recovery of more bodies in and around the construction site have been dispelled by the rescuers.
Four pregnant women were shifted by ITBP to Mangan Chungthang hospitals. Rescue teams also evacuated 18 more Indian tourists from Rangma Range and nine civilian workers of Teesta project from Pegong. Power supply in Sikkim has been normal except in the some parts of North district. The death toll in North District is 54, West District four and South District one. 12 people died in East District. Ten teams of NDRF comprising 403 personnel along with necessary equipment have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Three teams of NDRF which were located at Gangtok have moved to Mangan and two teams located at Mangan have been deployed for search and rescue operations in villages Ramam, Lingzya and Dzongu.
Two teams of NDRF comprising 14 personnel and 16 personnel each have been deployed at Chungthan and Lachung respectively.
The doctors of the NDRF team deployed at Mangan with medical detachment have set up a medial relief camp at Manul Mangan.
Rescue team cover worst-hit Sikkim, 4 roads
Altogether 827 ITBP personnel are engaged in rescue operations and have also set up relief camps where villagers have been given shelter.
The state government has opened relief camps in each district. 2700 and 550 people have been provided shelter in srmy camps and ITBP camp (Pengong) respectively.
A total of 5,500 army personnel located in Sikkim have been pressed into relief and rescue operations. Out of this, 94 army columns (strength of columns varies from 15-40 personnel each) have been deployed for rescue operation.
Rescue columns comprising 281 personnel deployed at Mangan have set up Integrated Command Centre.
A total of 94 villages have been physically covered by the team of army jawans in their search and rescue operations. Twenty-one Engineer columns have been deployed for restoration of communication on national highways in conjunction with BRO.
A total of 940 civilians have been treated at Military hospitals. 28 civilians evacuated by army helicopters are currently under treatment at military hospitals. More than 2,400 food packets have been air-dropped in the northern part of North District.
Fifteen helicopters of Army and Air Force have been pressed into relief work. For airdropping and reconnaissance, 100 sorties have been carried out so far.
The following roads have also been opened for traffic : National Highway 31-A from Siliguri to Gangtok, National Highway 55 - Darjeeling to Siliguri, Gangtok - Rangrang and Mangan, Mangan - Chugthan, Gangtok - Natu La, Damdim - Alagarh - Rishi - Pedong and Kupup - Nathu La.
Around 3000 blankets, 400 tents, 200 stoves, 500 tarpaulin and several water purifier have been dispatched to the affected areas.
2011年8月22日星期一
Air cleaner helps asthmatic kids living with smokers
The devices are no cure-all and parents of children with asthma should always strive for a smoke-free home, researchers stress. But in cases where that's not yet a reality, they say, air cleaners may lessen the ill effects of secondhand smoke.
The study looked at the effects of HEPA air cleaners among 115 inner-city Baltimore children who had asthma and lived with a smoker. The researchers gave one-third of the families an air cleaner for their living room and one for the child's bedroom. Another third received the devices plus education sessions with a nurse on the dangers of secondhand smoke. The final third served as the "control" group, with families receiving air cleaners after the study was over.
Over six months, the study found, children in the air-cleaner groups showed improvements in wheezing, coughing and other symptoms, based on surveys of their parents. The benefit would translate into an extra 33 symptom-free days per year, the researchers estimate.
"They'd actually have an extra month free of symptoms. That's significant," said lead researcher Arlene M. Butz, an asthma specialist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore. However, she told Reuters Health, an air purifier is no substitute for a smoke-free home. Her study found that while HEPA cleaners did lower levels of airborne particles in families' homes, it did not give them the kind of air quality found in a smoke-free home.
"You want to eliminate the source of the smoke," Butz said. "When a child has asthma, there shouldn't be a smoker in the home."
Levels of nicotine in the household's air and nicotine breakdown products in the children's urine did not change with the air filters. Ideally, parents should quit smoking. But until that happens, they should limit all smoking to outside the home, according to Butz.
The issue of indoor air quality is particularly important for inner-city children, Butz said. Not only do they have higher rates of asthma than other U.S. kids, but they also have heavy exposure to secondhand smoke.
Studies have found that between 40 percent and two-thirds of inner-city children with asthma live with a smoker, Butz noted. Another issue in inner-cities is that many families live in apartment buildings, and even if parents ban smoking from their home, their next-door neighbors may be lighting up.
"We know that in multi-unit buildings, smoke does leak into other rooms," Butz said. So she recommended having a HEPA cleaner even in non-smoking apartments. If families can afford it, Butz said two devices -- one for the living area and one for the child's bedroom -- would be best. HEPA devices vary in price; the ones used in this study cost between $100 and $150, according to Butz. Then there's the cost of replacement filters and the energy used to run the machine -- which can consume about as much power as a standard light bulb.
The study looked at the effects of HEPA air cleaners among 115 inner-city Baltimore children who had asthma and lived with a smoker. The researchers gave one-third of the families an air cleaner for their living room and one for the child's bedroom. Another third received the devices plus education sessions with a nurse on the dangers of secondhand smoke. The final third served as the "control" group, with families receiving air cleaners after the study was over.
Over six months, the study found, children in the air-cleaner groups showed improvements in wheezing, coughing and other symptoms, based on surveys of their parents. The benefit would translate into an extra 33 symptom-free days per year, the researchers estimate.
"They'd actually have an extra month free of symptoms. That's significant," said lead researcher Arlene M. Butz, an asthma specialist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore. However, she told Reuters Health, an air purifier is no substitute for a smoke-free home. Her study found that while HEPA cleaners did lower levels of airborne particles in families' homes, it did not give them the kind of air quality found in a smoke-free home.
"You want to eliminate the source of the smoke," Butz said. "When a child has asthma, there shouldn't be a smoker in the home."
Levels of nicotine in the household's air and nicotine breakdown products in the children's urine did not change with the air filters. Ideally, parents should quit smoking. But until that happens, they should limit all smoking to outside the home, according to Butz.
The issue of indoor air quality is particularly important for inner-city children, Butz said. Not only do they have higher rates of asthma than other U.S. kids, but they also have heavy exposure to secondhand smoke.
Studies have found that between 40 percent and two-thirds of inner-city children with asthma live with a smoker, Butz noted. Another issue in inner-cities is that many families live in apartment buildings, and even if parents ban smoking from their home, their next-door neighbors may be lighting up.
"We know that in multi-unit buildings, smoke does leak into other rooms," Butz said. So she recommended having a HEPA cleaner even in non-smoking apartments. If families can afford it, Butz said two devices -- one for the living area and one for the child's bedroom -- would be best. HEPA devices vary in price; the ones used in this study cost between $100 and $150, according to Butz. Then there's the cost of replacement filters and the energy used to run the machine -- which can consume about as much power as a standard light bulb.
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