Category: Health

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com] This arrived from my mortgage holder:
When adding energy-efficient upgrades to your home, it’s important to ensure even the most fundamental of enhancements, such as lighting, offer the ease of use, reliability and value expected from the traditional, incandescent options.

Advancements in bulb technology 
Though they have had a presence in homes for the last three decades, the compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulb has greatly improved since its infancy. Some enhancements include reduced price, availability in standard warm tones and “A-line” shaped bulbs that mimic the look and feel of traditional incandescent bulbs.

New technologies include GE’s Bright from the Start CFL. This hybrid halogen-CFL light bulb provides instant brightness, and is now available at stores in a 100-watt incandescent replacement. It is also available in other wattages for table or floor lamps, globe lights for vanity lighting and floodlights for recessed lighting used in rooms throughout the home.

While new lighting advancements bring a wealth of benefits to many homeowners, there are still some mixed messages about the value of CFL bulbs, as a whole.

Common myths related to CFL bulbs 
As the lighting industry shifts to provide more energy-efficient lighting options, more homeowners are giving CFLs a try. However, a variety of myths about CFL lighting still exist today.

1. CFLs produce an unattractive blue light
Today’s CFLs can produce a soft white color similar to incandescent bulbs. Check the packaging for Kelvin numbers within a range of 2,700 to 3,000 for a warmer light appearance.

2. CFLs take a long time to get bright
While many CFLs take up to a minute to reach full brightness, there are now more advanced options. GE’s hybrid-halogen CFL uses a Brightness Booster, or a halogen capsule, for instant brightness, eliminating the wait for bright light.

3. CFLs are only available in corkscrew shapes
Many options are now available that mirror the traditional shape of incandescent bulbs for a variety of applications. One option is a 100-watt replacement bulb for table or floor lamps, as well as globe lights commonly used for bathroom vanity lighting and recessed lighting in kitchen, living and dining rooms.

Copyright© 2013 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com}

My former Rowan University colleague Prof. Debra Nussbaum wrote in the Sunday, Aug. 19, 2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer ” College campuses have the perfect recipe for a spike in bad manners: Start with young people leaving home for the first time. Move them in with total strangers. Add alcohol (it happens). Then sprinkle in today’s technology and small living quarters.

Here’s the link:  http://www.inquirer.com/opinion/20130818_Civility_critical_to_surviving_dormitory_life.html

Says Prof. Nussbaum:

The rules for making peace with roommates are not much different from the basic etiquette that makes life better for everyone. To get you started this fall, try these tips from local students and Rutgers University roommate agreements:

• If you make a mess, clean it up.
• Decide ahead of time what you will share, who will buy what, and when guests are allowed.
• Talk about volume on movies and music, and about your schedules. If you have an 8 a.m. class on Wednesdays or a 6 a.m. practice, let your roommate know.
• Don’t use social media to air your complaints.
• Be honest and talk to your roommate when something bothers you.
• Don’t bring a pet to the apartment without getting your roommate’s permission (yes, this really happened).
• Living with your best friend doesn’t always work out.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com}

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

This appeared some time ago in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Rodale’s editors blogged, and got many outside comments and tips, at www.rodale.com/plastic-free.

Their muse was Beth Terry, a Californian who since 2007 has been lessening her plastic use. She blogs and offers numerous insights at www.myplasticfreelife.com (an excellent website).

Emily’s main advice is to start by amassing all the plaastic you use in a week. Analyze it. there is probably a lot of packaging you could eliminate. More specific types from the group:

• Carry your own cutlery. Skip single-use items.
• Use metal or glass food storage containers.
• Wrap lunch sandwiches in waxed paper.
• Try laundry detergent powders that come in a box.
• Carry reusable shopping bags.
• Carry a reusable bottle, or buy drinks in glass or aluminum.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]