There is a balm to the stress of politics, the rush of industry, the lassitude of boredom. It is not a synthetic substance or a drug. Since ancient times inspiration is incorporated into design with the magic ingredient of water. Water fountains blend nature into indoor and outdoor spaces. From luxurious custom built creations to mass produced desktop fountains there are versions and sizes for public and pr ...

On the surface, banks and credit unions appear to serve similar functions. However, there are many differences between the two. The stark distinction is that banks are under obligation to stockholders, whereas a credit union is a member-owned institution. Before making a decision as to which you should use, it is important to review the pros and cons of banks and credit unions. Advantages of Banks The prima ...

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) the southwestern region of the United States (Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico), California, Florida, and Hawaii experienced the hottest weather in 2013. The city with the highest recorded temperature (according to NCDC data) in 2013 was Death Valley, California, which recorded a temperature of 134 de ...

With all the controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") one thing is certain: healthcare is a hot topic. Opponents of a universal healthcare system have claimed that the United States offers the best healthcare in the world because it operates in a free market. It's easy to take issue with that assertion, especially considering the exorbitant costs in the US healthcare system, but it ...

It's an interesting question: do men wear cologne less often today than in years past? The answer not only relates to the long-term ebbs and flows in the market for men's fragrances and cosmetics, but also reveals changing attitudes among men in general. Aftershave vs. Cologne To answer the question properly, we first need to define some terms. Cologne is different than aftershave. Aftershave's primary purp ...

Hot summer days in Houston cause many homeowners to neglect their heating systems. When you are always keeping the air conditioner blasting, you may forget to have the furnace system serviced properly. But it is important to make sure you have a working furnace system to warm the home when there are days when the temperature drops. Costs can vary depending upon the type of heating system you have. Here we’l ...

When you have a fragile item that you are shipping across the country, or across the world you may take precautions to help ensure its safe arrival. This could be anything from placing "fragile" or "this side up" stickers on the box, writing fragile on the box, packing with extra care, and paying more for shipping. However you may be wondering if the package you ship will truly be treated any differently if ...

Laying a concrete foundation for a home is not a simple task. Unless you are a contractor, it's best to leave this one to the professionals and hire a company to pour the cement and tackle all the other details. Foundations are crucial because they form the basis for any building, whether a high rise or a residential home. A foundation is the cornerstone of stability for a structure, preventing it from sink ...

The legal profession is constantly subject to review, scrutiny, and reform. The purpose of these efforts is to ensure that the law is available and accessible to individuals and the system of justice protects the rights of the innocent over those who are guilty or in violation of the law. Moreover, legal reforms are necessary to prevent those within the system from abuses that corrupt the delivery of justic ...

New car sales in the United States have rebounded significantly since the auto industry bailouts of 2009. New year-to-date (YTD) car sales data through September 2013 show that nearly 6 million units have been sold nationwide, an increase of 5.5 percent over the same YTD sales numbers twelve months earlier. Sales of light duty trucks -- pickups, cross-over vehicles, minivans and Sports Utility Vehicles -- a ...