By Ralph Winn
According to FBI reports, every ‘15.4’ seconds a home is burglarized in the United States. Burglary is now the most serious threat to a home. Although considered a non-violent property crime because residents are usually not at home, victims of burglary are often left traumatized by the incident.
Thieves are usually looking for small and expensive items that can be sold undetected for cash. Targeted items include: jewelry, guns, laptop computers, cash, DVD and VCR players, and other small electronic products. Burglars continue to prosper because statistics show that police only solve about ‘13%’ of all reported burglaries. As well, the thief is usually long gone by the time the crime has been reported.
Entering Your Home
Home burglaries are most likely to happen during the day when people are at work. Law enforcement statistics reveal that although ‘70%’ of burglars use a certain degree of force when breaking into a home, they prefer homes with the easiest access. They search for an unoccupied home with the easiest access, the most extensive cover, and the best escape route. Their favorite method of entry is an unlocked door or window. Thieves are clever and will roam neighborhoods looking for the best target.
Burglary Prevention
It’s important to be security-aware at all times, even when you are at home.
House Appearance: Thieves will look for signs that your house is empty. Don’t make it obvious that you are away. Methods thieves use to determine if a house is empty include: monitoring a house for activity, overflowing mail boxes, and ringing the doorbell to find out if anyone is home. If someone does answer, they will make up an excuse such as they are looking for someone who lives on the street. Trim trees and shrubs, especially close to windows and doors, which can be used as cover.
Windows: Only one open window will allow thieves to enter and exit quickly. Secure all accessible windows with blocking devices. Make sure a burglar cannot reach inside the window and remove the blocking device. Anti-lift devices will prevent windows from being lifted out. Install alarm systems on windows that can be accessed from the ground.
Doors and Locks: Make your home difficult to enter. A burglar will avoid a home if it takes too much effort to enter. Most burglars enter through the front, back, or garage doors. The garage and back doors also provide the most cover. Use quality locks that are resistant to manipulation and lock-picking. A quality deadbolt lock will stop pliers from breaking lock cylinder pins. Use a door knob lock set that has a mechanism to prevent the lock from being slipped with a credit card.
Sliding-Glass Patio Doors: Sliding glass doors are secured by latches not locks. They can be forced open from the outside because of the flawed latch mechanisms. This can be easily modified by placing a wooden rod in the track to limit movement. Place visible signage on the glass door that points out an alarm system or a dog.
Home Safes: Keeping a safe in your home is a sound investment. Home safes are constructed to keep thieves from accessing important documents and valuables. Home safes need to be solidly secured to the floor. Protect the safe code and occasionally change it.
Keep an Inventory of Valuables: One way to identify your valuables is by engraving your drivers’ license number on them. Photograph and record the serial numbers of all valuables. Store the copies in a safe deposit box. Keep receipts of the larger items in case you need to prove the value of the items for insurance purposes. Make sure your home insurance policy is current and insured for the correct amount at today’s prices.
Lighting: Light-timers are an inexpensive and worthwhile product. Use light-timers near the front and back windows with the curtains closed. The pattern of lights turning on and off gives the appearance of occupancy. Light timers can be used to turn on radios or television sets to give the appearance of occupancy. Outside lighting is also very important. Lighting on the front of a property should always be on a timer to suggest occupancy. Lighting should also be on a timer to turn on at dusk and off at dawn.
Alarm Systems: Alarm systems deter burglaries because they increase the fear of being caught. Burglars will usually avoid homes with visible alarm signs. Don’t write your alarm code on or near the alarm keypad. Alarm systems need to be properly installed and maintained. All systems should have an audible horn or bell to be effective. The sound alarms should be programmed to reset automatically after a few minutes. The thief will flee and your neighbors will not be annoyed. It is also highly recommended to install motion-activated sensor lights.
Garden Shed and Garage: Keep them locked. These areas contain valuable tools and usually harbor items thieves can use to break into your home. Always lock the doors between your house and garage.
Exterior Property: Don’t leave items such as expensive toys, bicycles, or lawnmowers on the front lawn. Lock your side gates. Gates allow thieves easy access to the back of your house where it is hidden from the street.
Work with your neighbors: If you hear an alarm, hear breaking glass, or see suspicious activity, don’t approach, call the police. Neighbors can pick up your mail, newspapers, bills, and periodically inspect home. Ask your neighbors to occasionally park in your driveway. This will give the appearance of occupancy while you are away. Giving a trusted neighbor your keys will make it unnecessary to hide them near the door.
Prevention Makes a World of Difference
At first, it may take a conscious effort, but get in the habit of locking up. It will soon become a normal routine every time you leave and while you are at home. If you have been burgled once, the chance of it happening again is increased. Thieves will often return when you have had sufficient time to replace the items they stole. Take all the precautions to keep them out. If you do come across a burglar in your home, don’t confront them. Call the police. Your life and your family’s life are worth more than any product you own. Adopting safe security methods is the key to achieving a worry-free and happy life for you and your family.
About the Author: Ralph Winn. 35 years in the Security System industry. Home Security and Alarm Monitoring tips.
Source: isnare.com
Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=216100&ca=Home+Management
Wednesday, March 9, 2005File:Plastic bag stock sized.jpg
They are cheap, useful, and very plentiful, and that is exactly the problem, according to researchers. A report issued on Feb. 23 by a cadre of environment and economics researchers suggested that Kenya should ban the common plastic bag that one gets at the checkout counter of grocery stores, and place a levy on other plastic bags, all to combat the country’s environmental problems stemming from the bags’ popularity.
Monday, November 14, 2016
On Wednesday, India demonetised ?500 (about US$7.50) and ?1000 notes, announced as a measure to fight corruption, fake notes, and black money. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian citizens late Tuesday, and said 500 and 1000 rupee notes would cease to be legal tender at midnight.
To minimise possible difficulties to citizens, transactions using old 500 and 1000 rupee notes were accepted at government hospitals, railway ticket bookings, government buses, and airports. The notes were also accepted at public-sector petrol-pumps, government-authorised consumer co-operative stores, milk booths authorised by State governments, and cremation grounds till Friday midnight. These shops were obliged to have a record of their stocks and sales.
In his announcement, Modi said, “For your immediate needs, you can go to any bank, head post office or sub post office, show your identity proof like Aadhar card, voter’s card, ration card, passport, income tax PAN card number or other approved proofs and exchange your old 500 or thousand rupee notes for new notes.” ((hi))Hindi language: ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ????, ???? ??, ???? ?????, ?????? ?????, ???? ?????, ????????, ???? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???
Modi also announced those who failed to change their currency till December 30 can exchange the notes at Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s office along with a declaration form till March 31. The notes can be exchanged till December 30 at any branch of any bank across India.
By Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said demonetised money equivalent to almost US$30 billion was deposited in banks across India. According to estimate, the old notes accounted for 85% of the total money in circulation. New 500 rupee and 2000 rupee notes are to be issued. Modi said RBI would exercise caution from past experience and limit the circulation of large-value notes.
International tourists could purchase up to 5000 rupees using the old notes at airport exchanges till Friday.
A limit was imposed on cash withdrawal; a maximum of 10000 rupees each day, and 20000 rupees each week, can be withdrawn. Moreover, from Thursday (November 10) till November 24, 4000 rupees can be exchanged in the banks and post offices. The amount is credited to the bank account.
Government workers were informed about demonetising when the announcement was made. Modi announced all banks would remain closed for public work on Wednesday.
In the United States, Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election on Tuesday, immediately after which stock markets dropped globally. Following the US election and demonetising the money, the Indian stock market fell by 1700 points on Wednesday. Sensex lost 1,688.69 points and Nifty lost 111.55 points on the same day. Indian technology sector companies experienced loss. TCS suffered 4.93% loss and Infosys lost 2.74%.
The Indian rupee is also used in the neighbouring countries of Bhutan and Nepal. The border area uses Indian currency for day-to-day transactions. The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMA) has announced the exchange of old notes will be facilitated till December 15. RMA governor Dasho Penjore informed Indian news site The Wire, “We do not know exactly how much Indian currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 is in circulation in Bhutan. We will get a better idea after the deadline to deposit their amount”. RMA has 30% of its international exchange reserve in Indian rupees. Nepal Rastra Bank directed all Nepali banks to stop conducting transactions using the Indian rupee.
On Thursday, there were long queues in front of ATMs and banks to exchange the old notes and withdraw money. BBC reported some banks ran out of cash. Police were called to some banks to maintain discipline. Banks were open on Saturday and Sunday for money exchange.
Shops did not accept the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes. Some emphasised cash-less transaction as well. BBC reported some traders and small business owners in Delhi threatened to call a strike as this move affected their business.
eRetail websites like Amazon and Flipkart announced they would not accept the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes on Cash on Delivery orders. Amazon also announced 15% discount on gift cards worth 500 or 1000 rupees.
The government ceased all transactions using the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes before Saturday. But a Wikinews correspondent noticed a jeweler shop accepting the demonetised notes on Saturday. When questioned, the jeweler said they were accepting the old notes only on purchase. When the correspondent, who did not identify as a reporter to the shop owners, said the old 500 and 1000 rupee notes were not legal money, they said they will exchange the notes in a bank since there were 50 days to exchange with a new and legal tender. They refused to exchange old 500 rupee notes with change, asserting the customer needs to buy merchandise from their shop.
College Admission Tougher Than Ever
by
Pamela Good
In news that does not bode well for high school seniors across the United States, college admissions are getting tougher than ever. Admission rates continue to plummet as schools are receiving more and more applications and, in turn, can be more selective about their acceptances. Competition at the top schools is so tough that many universities are saying they are turning away candidates with perfect SAT scores. Harvard, for example, had more than 30,489 applicants in 2009, a 10 percent increase from just two years ago. The result was a 6.9% acceptance rate. The story is the same at many colleges across the United States.
With such stiff competition parents and students are often left to wonder what more they can do. Joel S, a father of three from Brooklyn, NY says “if perfect SAT scores and being involved in a ton of extracurricular is not enough, what is? Does my son have to split the atom to get into Harvard?” This confusion has left many turning to college admission advisors or consultants for help. Four years ago, the Independent Educational Consultants Assn., a nonprofit in Fairfax, Va., estimated that some 22% of the freshmen at private, four-year colleges had used a college consultant. These often expensive advisors promote themselves to students as their ticket into the Ivy League or other top colleges. But do they work? Some applicants say yes, without a doubt. Michelle T, a student at Columbia University in New York, used the help of a college admissions advisor, along with her guidance counselor and teachers during her application season. “Without a doubt, the college admissions consultant was the most helpful person. My teachers were great, but the consultant really knew his stuff and helps me write an essay which a lot of people thought was great. They also knew all about the college and really helped with the little things,” Michelle says. Dr Sahil Mehta, President of HigherEdDoc which runs Ivy Help, the consulting firm that Michelle hired, agrees. “Getting admission to your dream college is not an easy task. In these difficult times, when there is cutthroat competition in every field, you mayneed help making your application great. In such a scenario, it becomes very important to seek professional’s services to get through the admission process” Dr Mehta says. The admissions advisors seem to offer help with everything from selecting the schools to apply to, brainstorming and editing a personal statement or common application essay, and interview preparation. Some even help with writing letters to appeal a wait-list decision. The cost associated with these packages is often high, running anywhere from $150 per hour to up to $1000 per hour. Many companies have “unlimited packages” where costs can run as high as $50,000 for these advisors to help students with their application. Ivy Help says it charges around $150 per hour and has several packages that students and their families can choose from. For families with the resources to do so, hiring an advisor seems like a reasonable thing to do. After all, each wants their child to write a great college personal statement and interview well. But don’t jump the gun just yet though. Dr Mehta warns “an advisor can help you make your actual application great, however if your SAT scores and GPA are not high enough, you still will not get into an Ivy League school.” Ivy Help
is a consulting company that can help you get accepted to the top colleges in the USA through services such as
college admission help
, Ivy League admissions consulting, personal statement editing, interview preparation, essay coaching and much more.
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
Saturday, April 4, 2009
The Republican Party of Alaska is requesting United States Senator Mark Begich, Democrat, to resign to pave way for a new election. This request is based on the U.S. Justice Department withdrawing charges against former Senator Ted Stevens.
Stevens was originally convicted in October just before the November election. He lost the election to Begich by a narrow margin. Given that the U.S. Justice Department has dropped charges that had affected the outcome of the election, they may have re-elected Steven if it was done before the election.
According to Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, Begich won over Stevens only because “a few thousand Alaskans thought that Senator Stevens was guilty of seven felonies.” Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, through her SarahPAC spokeswoman, agreed.
Begich indicated that he would not step down as he felt that Alaskans wanted a change and a senator that is “independent as Alaska.”
“Today, with our country in a severe recession, it’s more important than ever that we have a senator focused on fixing our economy so Alaskans have the jobs they need to support their families,” Begich also stated.
The other U.S. Senator from Alaska, Republican Lisa Murkowski, stated “In light of the good news yesterday, I am sure many of us wish we could turn the clock back to last November. Unfortunately, that is not an option.”
The US Department of Justice has asked for corruption charges against former Senator Ted Stevens to be dropped because evidence was withheld from the defense team by the original prosecutors. The Justice Department has stated that it will not retry Stevens.
In a statement, US Attorney General Eric Holder said, “After careful review, I have concluded that certain information should have been provided to the defense for use at trial. In light of this conclusion, and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances of this particular case, I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial.”
| In light of the good news yesterday, I am sure many of us wish we could turn the clock back to last November. Unfortunately, that is not an option. | ||
Stevens was convicted in October on seven felony counts of lying on senate disclosure forms about gifts, largely in the form of free renovations to his home, received from an oil service company; his conviction is thought to have been a large factor in his November electoral defeat to former Anchorage mayor Mark Begich, the current junior Senator from Alaska. Stevens immediately appealed his conviction and has maintained his innocence.
Stevens, 85, spent the six weeks leading up to the election on trial in Washington and lost just days after being convicted.
Begich’s victory was a coup for Democrats in Alaska. It also was a victory for Democrats in the Senate, who, with Begich’s win, landed 58 of the 60 votes they need to have a filibuster-proof majority.
Begich received 151,767 votes (47.77%) to Stevens’ 147,814 (46.52%). The winning margin was 3,953 votes (1.24%). Three other candidates were in the race: Bob Bird of the Alaskan Independence Party (13,197; 4.15%), Ted Gianoutsos (independent) (1,385; 0.44%) and Fredrick D. Haas of the Libertarian Party (2483 0.78%)
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Recently, Finnish open-source video game developer Perttu Ahola discussed Minetest, his “longest ever project”, with Wikinews.
Started in October 2010, Minetest was an attempt by Ahola to create a sandbox game similar to Minecraft. Minecraft is a multi-platform commercial game, which was in alpha version when Ahola challenged himself to create something similar to it from scratch, he told Wikinews.
Minetest is an open-source game, which is free for anyone to download and play. It is written in the C++ programming language, and the source code is available on code-hosting site GitHub. According to Ahola, Minetest attempts to run on older hardware, with limited graphics, but to be accessible to more people: those who have outdated technology, and making it available for no cost. Minecraft, on the other hand, is a paid game, currently costing USD 26.95 for its computer version. Minecraft is currently owned by Microsoft, and performs poorly on older hardware.
A correspondent from French Wikinews contacted Perttu Ahola via Internet Relay Chat a few weeks ago, discussing Minecraft. This interview is built on top of the previous interview, as we take a deeper dive into knowing more about this free game which is about to turn ten years old in a few months.
Naturopathy was first heard talked about around 1900 by Benedict Lust. Schooled in hydrotherapy and other natural practices in Germanty, Lust was sent to the United States to share the practices in which him and his father Sebastio Kneipp has discovered. Shortly there after in 1905, Lust started and was the founder of the American School of Naturopathy in new York, which was the first naturopathic college in all of the United States.
Lust has great success in the early years, however after the 1930’s naturopathy medicine. went into a recession with the discovery of penicillin. With it most other natural health professions declined as well. The post war era brought about several new drugs such as antibiotics and corticosteroids which changed the way we looked at medicine.
Although greatly reduced in the post war era, naturopathic medicine never completely stopped. One of the greatest modern steps back toward the practice was in 1956 when the National College of naturopathic Medicine was opened in Portland, Oregon. This school was the first modern school of the practice, and offered 4 year medical training in naturopathy, with the goal of integrating naturopthic practices back into the mainstream system.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Acclaimed actor and singer Debbie Reynolds died at the age of 84 yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Her son, Todd Fisher, said around noon yesterday she suffered a stroke brought on by the stress of the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
Reynolds’ credits include lead roles in films Singin’ in the Rain, Bundle of Joy, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, the last of which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She worked to preserve Hollywood history and memorabilia for posterity and, like Carrie Fisher, as an advocate for mental health awareness.
Born Mary Francis Reynolds in 1932, she was given the stage name “Debbie” by Warner Brothers director Jack Warner, which she would later say was done without her permission. She would go on to spend twenty years with MGM studios. Reynolds received a Tony Award nomination for her acting in the 1973 revival of Irene. Reynolds’ business interests included owning various private museums of film memorabilia as part of her personal Hollywood history preservation project. She would often purchase and hold items such as Marilyn Monroe’s dress from The Seven Year Itch and Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra headdress until they could be displayed to the public. More recently, she was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2000 for a Will & Grace recurring role and appeared as the main character’s mother in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra. She worked as a voice actress on animated productions such as the children’s show Kim Possible and the more adult Family Guy. She was honored with the 2016 Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild in 2015.
In Reynolds’ personal life, her first husband and father of her two children, Eddie Fisher, very publicly left her for her friend Elizabeth Taylor. She declared bankruptcy in 1997 after a failed casino project.
Carrie Fisher was an actor, author, and mental health advocate best known for acting in the Star Wars film series and for her novel Postcards from the Edge, which had a character inspired by her mother, Reynolds. Fisher was taken ill while flying from London to Los Angeles and died on Tuesday. Fisher and Reynolds did not speak for several years, though this rift was long over by the time of Fisher’s death. According to Todd Fisher, he and his mother had been discussing his sister’s funeral at his home shortly before the stroke; Reynolds said to him, “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.”
Reynolds is survived by son Todd Fisher and granddaughter Billie Lourd.
Friday, December 10, 2021
On Wednesday, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in the hills near the Coonoor city of Tamil Nadu. The general was flying to Wellington, Tamil Nadu with 13 others. Among the dead were his wife and other top defence personnel. The aircraft involved in the crash was a Mil Mi-17 v5. The Indian Air Force later confirmed the death of all but one of the 14 persons on the flight.
The helicopter took off from Sulur Air Force Station and was headed to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. General Rawat, his wife and his staff were travelling to the DSSC, where Rawat was to address the college’s faculty and student officers. At 12:08 PM local time (0638 UTC), the helicopter lost contact with the Sulur Air force base. It subsequently crashed near a residential colony of private tea estate employees on the outskirts of the hamlet of Nanjappachatiram, Bandishola Panchayat, in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area of Coonoor Taluk, Nilgiris district.
Krishnaswamy, an eyewitness told the BBC, “Even the electric poles shook. Trees toppled. There was smoke everywhere, there was a raging flame above the trees. I saw just one person with my own eyes, he was burning, and he fell down.” Reportedly, the crash victims were burnt beyond recognition. The only survivor Group Captain Varun Singh is undergoing treatments in the military hospital in Wellington. The cause of the crash remains unknown but is suspected to be bad weather and poor visibility. The Indian Air Force has initiated an inquiry about the crash to ascertain the reason.
The Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh expressed deep condolences about the incident and stated, he was “deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.” Rawat was the first Chief of Defence Staff of India who was appointed in December 2019 by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
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