Month: August 2017

Minecraft: How to Build a Windmill

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How to make a windmill in Minecraft:

Step 1: Find some flat land of suitable size, somewhere surrounded by grass helps the mill look more realistic when its finished. Although feel free to ignore this step and build your mill in a volcano.

Step 2: Start the base of the windmill by building a 10×10 square.

Step 3: Make this first shape 5 blocks tall.

Step 4: Seal off this first section with a roof.

Step 5: Decide which side of this box will be the front and build a door there.

Step 6: Remove the grass inside the first section and replace it with a suitable material for a floor. Wood will do but you can also experiment with different coloured wool.

Step 7: Make a set of stairs breaking out of the ground floor section.

Step 8: Build up another two blocks all around your structure.

Step 9: Build a new box shape on top of what you already have with dimensions 8x8x5 (WxLxH).

Step 10: On top of this build a third box of dimensions 6x6x5.

Step 11: Finally build a forth box on top with dimensions 4x4x5.

Step 12: Carefully take out the corners of all the box shapes you’ve made so far.

Step 13: Replace these blocks with a darker material, unprocessed wood is suitable. This gives the windmill a nice detail and stops it looking like one big bland box.

Step 14: Position a few blocks coming out of the top of the mill, These are what the blades will be attached to

Step 15: Using a coloured wool build 4 symmetrical blades. Make them at least 10 blocks long

Step 16: Take out the middle section of your wool blades.

Step 17: Replace these removed parts with a fence post. This gives the blades a more solid feel and helps make it look more authentic from a distance

Step 18: Head back inside and build a balcony attached to the 2nd box shape we built earlier. Decorate this with items such as a picnic table and BBQ.

Step 19: Add a series of ladders leading up to the top of your mill.

Step 20: If you want you can add torches around the place to help keep it free from zombies at night or just so it looks nicer.

Step 21: Create a window from the 2nd box we build earlier looking out onto the balcony.

Step 22: If you haven’t already done so you can build some support columns form the balcony, These don’t do anything apart from make the mill look more realistic.

Step 23: Head back inside and build the mechanism for milling wheat. The main components you need to create for this are a long shaft leading from the top where the blades are down to the bottom where you should put two flat surfaces to grind the wheat between. Unfortunately Minecraft doesn’t have the ability to make large mechanical contraptions like this actually work so you’ll need to …

Double Glazing Composite Doors Online

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Global conservatory roofs changed the conservatory market with ultra frame charging £ 1500 trade for a roof then global came in at £ 600. Well they have done it with the entrance doors market. Composite doors from retailers at £ 1299 they can sell a lot cheaper. These doors are expensive and have a lot put in them to make them. Global have opened a company called door-stop that plans on cracking the market wide open making the doors cheaper to installers and passing on the benefits to the end user. These doors are very well designed, strong and secure.

If you go and buy one of theses doors trade at £ 399 that's a third of the price. Yes you have to get your own double glazing installer to install but what a saving. These doors come in different colors and designs not the same as a standard uPVC door that's just plastic they are like traditional doors but will last 50 years with the solid structure and locking systems of them. Where door stop win with over 16,854,220,800 different design options! They launch APRIL 2008.

We have found the online retailers bringing down the cost of double glazing so that more home owners can afford to get their windows changed even during the credit crunch. A house full of top quality rehau windows for less than 80% RRP and front doors from £ 189, of course you have a bit nice or know some one to fit them as they are supply only diy products. The products are as good as you can buy from any established home improvements company.

Good quality entrance doors come with high security locking systems that have claw locks, tradition secure flag hinges, letterboxes and spy hole door knockers will cost you more. These doors take the edge away from the uPVC look and look just like a real timber door, except they are maintenance free. …

Your 4-Step Beginners Guide to Fitness and Weight Loss

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Step 1 – Food. Counting calories, carbs and grams of fat can be very intimidating. I do not and will not do it. It is easier and quite effective to just try to increase your nutrition, and cut out the foods that do not actually feed you. This will automatically reduce the calorie content. Look for high protein foods such as, meats, fish and eggs (if vegetarian there are alternatives). Add lots of green veggies. Raw is best as the nutrients are still intact, not heat damaged or diluted by boiling; Lightly steamed or quick stir fry is okay. Avoid white food (except cauliflower) as they are high starch, and high on the glycemic index (I will over simplify to say high on the glycemic index means it converts to fat easily). Avoid anything made from flour. This means cakes, cookies, pasta and bread. Do not worry, you will not starve. To keep from being hungry either increase the proportion of the proteins, or veggies or add beans. Beans are starchy so they are filling. They have high fiber, and although they have calories they are processed slowly so you do not get hungry for quite a while. This means you end up eating less. If after you fill up on these foods you want one of the foods you are avoiding go ahead. Have ONE. One cookie, or one slice of cake. Not one each. If you feel deprived of these things you will not keep up with the healthy eating. Or instead of giving yourself permission to have one treat a day, some people prefer being very, very strict with themselves 6 days a week and on the 7th having a "Cheat day". I can not stop with just one, so I like the cheat day myself. I even write down the foods I really want, it is a reminder that I do not have to give them up forever, I can still have cheese cake. Other people say no cheating, never. If you can do it, I salute you. I have tried and ever I just wave up. I want a plan that actually works, not one where I can play the martyr with my friends and family or where I try to impress people with my will power. I do not actually have any will power.

Step 2 – Water. You need water for your body to be able to flush out the fat, and the toxins stored in the fat (that could be a whole other article). Everything your body does, it does better with adequate water. Chances are, you are not drinking enough water (soda, coffee and juices do not count). Start getting more water by substituting water or tea for your soft drinks and coffee. Do this slowly, give yourself time to adapt. If you normally drink 4 soft drinks a day, then on day one make it 3 soft drinks and 1 water or green tea. When you are used to the …

How To Find Money In Your Budget For Charity

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"I would love to give, but there are so many worthy charities out there that I can not decide." "The rich are able to afford to give to charity." I'm not rich. " "We should take care of those in need in our own country before we give to other countries." All are common excuses (or even reasons) for not giving up a little bit of what we have to help others who need. Most of us feel bad for those with less than us, and want to help, but can not see their way to finding funds within their budgets to reach out. Yet, each of us in North America, regardless of our incoming, have the capacity to "discover" methods by which we can assist those people who are less fortunate than we may be. Yes, even the poorest of us can do so, and definitely the wealthy can redirect money to others, if we choose.

Recently, I visited Ocho Rios, Jamaica. My wife and I took none of the guided tours, ate at none of the tourist attractions, bought nothing from cruise ship-sponsored kiosks. Instead, we walked two miles back through the town center, beyond the acceptable tourist spots, through the local farmers market, behind the preparation areas hidden behind the pallets of local foods, among the local garden and "plantation" areas, and into the residences Bordering the market. From there, we were able to see the contrast between the tarpaulin-roofed homes to the mansions of Mick Jagger and other "rich and famous" homeowners. It was overwhelming. But how could we, with only a hundred dollars or so, make any difference? And what right did I have to act so voyeuristically, peering into the desperate lives of these people as if they were zoo animals on display?

This private dissection served a purpose: it made me think, "how can I help?" I came up with several solutions.

First, I write for a living. That day, I began a new manuscript, calling on the images and experiences that day in Jamaica. I will be publishing it within the year, and every penny of revenues will be directed to Ocho Rios. If I were to simply hand over the cash to a relief agency, much of it might not make it into the hands of those in need. I expect to earn only a modest amount from this book. I know a couple from Jamaica who will take the money I earn each year, proceed to the farmers market, and discretely distribute money to several of the vendors. Every penny. What difference will it make? For a brief period, those families will benefit. And there is one solution, for each of us who cruise or take vacations in countries like Honduras, Belize, Jamaica, etc. Take half of the money that you had intended to spend on souvenirs, tours and local trips for yourself, and give it away discretely. Not willing to part with fifty percent? How about 10%? Any amount …

Cage Vs Aviaries: Which One Should You Choose?

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It’s aquariums for most but for some, its aviaries. Pet lovers tend to relax more and feel calmer when they watch their pets in action and nothing promises more action than watching colorful birds of different species take flight and belt out a cacophony of sounds in birdsongs.

The thing is, people tend to confuse aviaries with bird cages, thinking that they’re one and the same thing. For the clueless and for those who want to know the difference between each, aviaries are large enclosures for confining birds but have larger living spaces than cages. Aviaries also allow birds more space to fly and are usually designed to mimic a bird’s natural habitat. Because these cages allow birds to fly, they are sometimes referred to as flight cages. Plus, aviaries will also allow you to house a number of bird species.

Bird cages on the other hand, are cages designed to house birds as pets. They are often considered too small to house more than two complimenting species at a time and are more often than not, used more for home décor without live birds in it, unlike aviaries. Cages are also too small for birds to have any flying space and choosing cages also depends on the size and species of birds you want to get.

Whether you prefer to get a bird cage or a bird aviary, there are important things you need to remember if you are to ensure that your birds will live in a safe, healthy and happy environment. For one, your cages or aviaries will depend on the number of bird species you want to breed, the weather conditions where you live and the kind of birds you want to breed. Gardens are usually the best places to build your aviaries in while indoors would be the best place for bird cages.

If you’re in a quandary about whether to get a bird cage or an aviary, you need to weigh the pros and cons of each in order to make the best decision. Cages offer you more flexibility and freedom to control your birds, allows you to create specialized diets and monitor them closely for any signs of health problems. However, birds are more prone to escape cages than aviaries so if you want more security and safety aviaries may be your best bet.

Aviaries on the other hand, allow birds to fly and live more happily because it is specifically designed to mimic their natural habitats. Since you can house more birds in them, it also gives them the opportunity to socialize, form their own flocks and choose their mates. Some breeders even attest to the fact that having aviaries actually lets you form a closer bond with your pets and is a constant reminder of why you love birds to begin with.

And lastly, aviculture experts also believe that if you want to concentrate on one or two bird species at a time, then cages would be more practical than aviaries. …

The Real Reason Counting Calories Doesn’t Work

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Most people have the right idea when they want to lose weight that they should track their calorie intake. It’s true that calories do matter when it comes to weight loss but counting calories has some serious errors. These errors are typically what breaks a diet and leaves the dieter frustrated and back at square one.

Many nutrition labels are inaccurate when it comes to the calories listed. The tallies are oftentimes wrong. We know that one gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories, one gram of protein contains 4 calories, and one gram of fat contains 9 calories. Next time you see a nutrition label, pull out your calculator and do a little check for yourself. You will notice the number you get from your calculations is not the same as that of the nutrition label. There could be a difference of enough calories on a consistent basis (that you’re consuming) that is preventing your weight loss results because the true calories are unaccounted for.

Another big error occurs when you track your calories using only a volume measurement. Here are some examples:

– A regular bag of quick oats says a serving size is “1/2 cup (40 grams)”. Most people will measure out a 1/2 cup serving and count the calories of a 1/2 cup serving and go about their day. The problem is that a 40 gram serving when weighed on a scale is actually less than 1/2 a cup measurement. A 1/2 cup measurement of quick oats is somewhere around 54 to 56 grams which is a difference of around 60 calories that are unaccounted for. If you have 1/2 a cup per day, at the end of the week this is an extra 420 calories. Those 420 calories can be preventing you from losing weight or slowing down your progress.

– All natural peanut butter has a label that reads one serving is “1 tbsp (16 grams)”. Most people take either a regular dinner spoon and scoop out their serving or they take a true tablespoon and measure the peanut butter by volume. If you are not leveling off your volume measurement, it’s likely you’re taking more peanut butter and calories in than you’re accounting for. It’s easy to take a spoonful of 32 grams instead of what the nutrition label reads as 16 grams. This could be a difference of

nearly 100 calories that are unaccounted for. If you do this daily, by the end of the week that is almost 700 calories you’re eating which is more than what you thought. This extra 700 calories can completely stall weight loss.

Trying to “eye-ball” or estimate too often can prevent weight loss. It has been shown that people do a very poor job at estimating calories. When you are consistently estimating, it’s simply that, an estimate, it’s not accurate. It’s possible for a small brownie to contain upwards of 600 calories depending on the ingredients in it. Most people might estimate a brownie as only …

Photo Opportunity: A Photographer and a Woman

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In the interval after the dancers sat back in their chairs and before the Master of Ceremonies regained possession of the microphone, a woman in manageable high heels walked briskly across the hall, with a photographer following not far behind.

The woman stopped in front of a propped-up music speaker, turned to her side, and swiveled her head forward to look at the photographer, who in turn had taken a professional position.

Everybody watched as time ticked by. Three minutes later the photographer was yet to take a picture. The woman shuffled her high heels back and forth, patted her scarf at the back, rebalanced the wad of wrapper hung around her right shoulder and returned a bland look at the general audience.

Soon thereafter the woman began to explore reasons for the delay. If the photographer weren’t too tall, and too huge, and old, he would have taken a few pictures by now.

Getting ready for a photograph and not immediately proceeding was what annoyed her about taking pictures at a public event. Younger people can tolerate such an ordeal, but not her, not when in nine months she would become a grandmother.

In a sudden disdain for the photographer, the woman’s gaze swung down, exposing the whites of her eyes. Displeasure conveyed through two scorching eyes is more direct and more stinging than that conveyed through mere spoken words, no matter how acidic.

The offending camera, a Sony, was skewed to the left where it had hooked with the flashlight appendage. The photographer pulled the flashlight out and scowled at it close up, the way African fathers glare at naughty boys, before reattaching it to the side of the camera.

He reassured himself that everything was fine. Just because he hadn’t taken a picture yet didn’t mean he was inactive. Credit, he knew, only goes to those who show results, never to those who show activity. However, he had expected better treatment from the woman, who – had he married early – was young enough to be his daughter.

Another idea flew into the woman’s head. If the old man, like many men at this age, was short-sighted and unable to read her eyes, she might at some point scream at him.

But screaming, she decided, would not only mess up her perfect picture body but might further irritate the old man. An action once taken can produce a myriad of unpredictable reactions. The photographer might feel threatened and resort to taking her picture when she was looking at her worst. Preserving her beauty by staying still trumped any delay caused by his inefficiency.

Over his camera, the photographer gazed at the woman. She was a statue of bright color in a garden full of colors. Her pink scarf tied around her head still held up high. The sheet of folded blue wrapper hung over her right shoulder draped down to her hip. But her perfect picture face had begun to melt a little at the edges.

Then …

Is a House a Good Investment For You?

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Are you among the crowd who is still thinking of where to invest the money they earned from years of working hard? There may have been unsolicited advises convincing you to put your share on various networking companies. Some may have even told you to put up a startup company. But is this the most practical thing you could probably do to your money? Perhaps, yes, if its your choice.

However, investing has its ups and downs depending on the industry you’re going to delve into. Yet, do you know that buying a house or owning one is one of the most intelligent investments you would probably make. Why?

Homes can be turned into rental properties. With necessary adjustments and with proper leasing or rental documents, you can turn your house into an additional income stream. What’s even good is rental fees tend to increase on regular intervals. There are persons who often move because of job changes. They constantly look for homes which they can rent, and yours can be their next rental homes.

Depending on a home’s location, it can also be a perfect vacation house. Typically, families, especially those with children, and those which embrace the concept of extended families – do love to have vacation houses. During specific periods of the year, the house can serve as a reunion spot for relatives to gather. So, thinking of having a vacation house? Should it be near a beach, the woods, or perhaps one that offers mountainview or cityview otherwise?

Home values typically increase. Thus, if you’re going to put your house for a resale – chances are you’re going to get good profits. So you better ask your local real estate agent which areas have markets in which home prices experience surges. Commonly, these areas include those where professionals flock because of employment opportunities.

Buying a house is also seen by financial houses as a better investment than credit cards. This is one reason why there are many lenders that charge low-interest rates on home mortgages.

Are these reasons still not enough to convince you how good of an investment is owning a house? Another bonus benefit of owning a house is the local community attachment you’re going to build. You’re start to have acquaintances who’ll later become your friends. Your neighbors will likely become close to you like family. There will be some sort of emotional attachment.…

RI Child Visitation – The Annual Feud Over Christmas Visitation

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Will a Judge of The Rhode Island Family Court order that a child should wake up and open the Christmas presents every year on Christmas morning at the house where the child resides?

NO.

Almost every judge in Rhode Island Family Court believes that the partiesshould alternate Christmas evening / Christmas Morning Visitation so that both parents have the opportunity to enjoy the children on Christmas Evening and Christmas morning. The judges have heard the usual arguments a million times before.

The argument is as simple as: “The child should wake up in his or her house every year to open the presents on Christmas morning.”

However, Rhode Island Family Court Judges usually believe that both parents have parental rights and should be able to enjoy the child on such a special day The parent with physical custody/ physical placement does not automatically get to have the child on Christmas evening and Christmas morning!

If the parties cannot reach a settlement, the judge will normally order the following Schedule. The normal schedule for the Christmas Holiday is that one parent will have Christmas evening until between 11:00am to 2:00pm Christmas day and the other parent will have Christmas day from 11:00am to 2:00pm overnight on Christmas night. The partieswill alternate that schedule on a year to year basis.

Emotional arguments typically will not work in RI Family Court. There are hundreds of these disputes before the Rhode Island Family Court in a given year and Judges must be consistent and fair and must respect the parental rights of the non custodial parent (the parent with visitation rights).

(I have the word “visitation” because it suggests that the non custodial parent is a “visitor” in his/her child’s life. I prefer using “Parenting time”)

Don’t expect that your case will be different from the thousands of cases that come before the Family Court on this issue. Don’t waste too much money in Lawyers / Attorneys fees fighting about this issue since everyone knows the question and everyone knows the answer!

There is an argument that is made over and over again in Rhode Island Family Court which essentially opines that “young children” should be able to wake up at their house and open the presents at their house. To the people who make this argument “Their house” means the house of the parent who has physical custody/ physical placement of the minor child.

This doctrine is rejected by most Family Court Judges who see the issue as a matter of fairness to alternate the holiday. However, some judges may look sympathetically on this argument since Christmas is a very special moment for 4, 5, 6.and 7 year old children.

In the event that there is an existing order regarding Christmas visits then the party seeking to alter the visits must show a change in circumstances to change the designated schedule.

Often the best thing to do is negotiate. Judges will often ask the aprties to attempt mediation to resolve their holiday visitation …

50 Cheap Valentine's Day Gifts to Romance Your Sweetheart (without Looking Cheap)

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  1. Create an indoor picnic with available props, ie, picnic tablecloth, paper goods. Share finger foods and favorite trees along with a glass of wine. Spice up "dessert." Enjoy your picnic on the living room floor or in bed. Play card games, board games, or make up your own.
  2. Decorate a unique-looking jar or box with craft items. Write numerous love notes on small pieces of paper and fill the jar with them. Present the jar to your sweetheart.
  3. There are many local and national Valentine's Day giveaway contests with great prizes. Enter as many as you can and maybe you'll get lucky.
  4. For young couples with kids, get them involved in an all-family fun Valentine's Day dinner at home. Mom can prepare a dessert for two and light the candles while dad puts the kids to bed.
  5. Since Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, celebrate with a day full of low-cost activities you both enjoy doing (depending upon your location and weather). Do something with your significant other that he / she rarely has time to do, but loves.
  6. Take a 2-hour, one-time salsa or tango dancing lesson together. Or, identify some other interest you share and find a place to give you one-time extended lesson on Valentine's Day.
  7. Gals … Make the entire day full of his favorites: the breakfast of his dreams, the dinner of his dreams, TV that is his favorite, his music, etc. Do not say anything about it, surprise him all day long.
  8. Take the person you love to experience something spectacular in nature: a sunset, a sunrise, the calm of the beach, share an evening walk gazing at the moon.
  9. Create a framed group of photos that put your relationship in chronological order of events, by months or years (depending on how long you've been together).
  10. Create a CD with songs that make you think of your sweetheart, and give it to him / her.
  11. Choose specialty foods, such as wine, cheese, fresh bread / dessert from a favorite bakery. Enjoy in front of your warm, toasty fireplace.
  12. Create an at-home spa day for your mate. Deliver the gift in a basket filled with inexpensive candles, bubble bath, rose petals, facial mask and scrub. Then give your mate time to enjoy it. When he / she is done, heat up towels in the dryer for drying off.
  13. Give each other long-lingering back rubs or head-to-toe body massages. Invest in luxurious lotion or oils.
  14. Create a favorite drink together. Try all kinds of ingredients. Enjoy taste-testing. Be sure to record the ingredients, so you can make the "your" drink again on Valentine's Day year after year.
  15. Watch an old movie at home together, with popcorn and soft drinks and candy – movie-theater style.
  16. Share a scrumptious dessert and latté at a local patisserie or bakery.
  17. Pick a few household chores your Valentine usually does and surprise them by doing it before they get a chance, ie, making the bed. It does not sound romantic, but
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