A new plan backed by the Government to reduce the amount of sugar in soft drinks sold to Australians is, according to many doctors, a distraction from attempting any real change.
The Australian Beverages Council, representing the non-alcoholic drinks industry in Australia, has announced a commitment to reduce total sugar use by 20% by 2025. The move is backed by the Coalition Government.
Despite the Government’s approval of the pledge, experts have predicted that because the pledge applies across the entire industries’ portfolio that companies will simply produce lower kilojoule products rather than reduce sugar content.
Nothing in the current agreed commitment guarantees that any individual product would need to reduce its physical sugar content.
The AMA (Australian Medical Association) has been at the forefront of this issue, leading calls for the Government to introduce a tax to discourage the consumption of high sugar beverages. President of the AMA, Tony Bartone, has described the recent pledge as an attempt to “muddy the waters” and create a “diversion from the real issue”.
Mr Bartone went on to say that a sugar tax would address the issue of high consumption, which is “the heart of the problem”.
However, Health Minister Greg Hunt disagrees, saying that the industry was regulating itself. He said that Australia would need to “tackle the obesity epidemic” via the “practise of industry”, “participation” and “the support of government”.
Mr Hunt denied claims that this pledge was an attempt to shut up advocates of a sugar tax. He then proceeded to speak about the price of groceries and the effect on cost of living that a sugar tax would have on everyday Australians.
Mr Hunt and others who reject the notion of a sugar tax believe that regular Australians do not want to pay an added fee on soft drinks as part of a public health initiative.
It’s been a trend in interior design for longer than we’ve known about IKEA. So how do you master this international flair? Scandinavian design in a nutshell is all about curved, modernist furniture in muted tones and an overall simplistic design. But far from falling on the plain side, it strikes a perfect balance between liveable comfort and artistic decor. Here’s 5 of the best features of Scandi design to bring to your home.
Subtle colour palettes
The first thing you’ll notice in a Scandinavian design home is that there’s very little colour. Taking inspiration from minimalist and modern decor the typical colour palettes are shades of white, black and grey. This isn’t to say colour can’t be a feature; just that it’s not front and centre. You could add a splash of colour with throw cushions to liven up a grey sofa. Pastels and muted tones are preferred with pale blues, yellow and green featuring often.
Less is more
You may also notice many rooms are stripped back to the bare minimum. One word we would never use for Scandinavian design is cluttered. Every item has a purpose in the home which is one of the reasons this design style is so well-suited to small spaces. A highly functional room is one that includes only the necessities. Apply the less is more mantra to your bedroom by asking yourself what you really need in the room versus what is nice to have. Your desk may be convenient near your bed but is it making for the most attractive, functional space? Move it out into the living room or find another space to turn into a study and see if you don’t enjoy using your bedroom that little bit more.
Shapes and textures
With muted colour palettes and a flair for the minimal, how do you keep your home from looking like a hospital?
First off, ditch the harsh edges. They’ll only add severity to your home instead of the warm and welcoming vibes you want to be putting out. Instead opt for everything curved; from coffee tables to artworks. Round shapes and fluid lines will keep a softness in your decor and steer you clear of asylum chic.
Next, you should embrace the Danish method Hygge (pronounced hue-guh). Hygge has no direct English translation and as such you can take many meanings from it. It’s a lifestyle and a feeling that comes from good food, great friends and the cosy contentment of a warm, welcoming home. Adding textures to your decor is sure to bring more of this mysterious element to your home. Achieve Hygge in your bedroom with an inviting bed layered in throw rugs and fur cushions. Plus light some candles that will fill the room with pleasant scents and a warm glow.
Go natural
Remember when we said green was a popular feature colour? Well here’s why; Scandi decor is a big believer in natural elements. From wood furniture to potted plants, there’s rarely a room without a touch of the outdoors. Plants in particular are a great way to bring a touch of life to your decor and balance out those simple colour palettes. They’re a perfect addition to your kitchen, bathroom, entryway or any space that doesn’t fit the bill for typical decoration.
Where function and art combine
If there were one overarching design theme to employ in your Scandinavian dream home it’s that everything is art. From an open-air closet to industrial style lamps, every element of your home should border on being a stand-alone artwork. Thus, when combined it creates a livable museum of interesting and practical design.
This is also why it leans toward minimalism and designers work hard to only include items that serve a purpose. The same way you can’t view a museum with excessively encumbered walls, your home will view better with a number of carefully selected pieces filling its rooms. When shopping, consider if your furniture or decor choice would make a striking addition if there were nothing else in the room. If the answer is yes, you’re probably on the right track.
It takes a keen eye to pull off a Scandinavian design but that doesn’t mean it’s unachievable for the everyday home. Knowing the features to focus on and what to ditch in your home is the easiest way to transform your living spaces into a Scandinavian dream.
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) says that over 70% of the world’s businesses operate at least in part on the cloud today. This makes sense when you consider the benefits like lower fixed costs, higher flexibility, automatic software updates, increased collaboration, and the freedom to work from anywhere.
Unfortunately, though, the cloud does have its share of security problems – something that about 90% of companies are at least moderately concerned about. Concerns include vulnerability, having accounts hijacked, and full-scale data breaches. While this has changed the way that we transmit and store data today, there are still many companies who are hesitant to move to the cloud. Others make the switch to a hosted phone service without a clear security plan in place.
Password Hijacking
Today, Atlan Tech says too many companies are implementing high-quality networking equipment (e.g. handsets) without changing their passwords from the default settings, which are things like “admin.” These passwords are designed to be replaced when they’re installed, but too many IT pros say they’ll “deal with it later” and then they never do. When this happens, hackers have an easy entry point to eavesdrop, intercept calls, and attack your business in many other ways too.
Another issue that must be dealt with, for this very same reason, is account hijacking. Here attackers are using you or your employees’ login information to remotely access sensitive data that you’ve stored on the cloud. They’re also falsifying and manipulating information in much the same way. Other hijackers are scripting bugs so they can easily steal credentials without being detected. This is what happened to Amazon in 2010.
As business owners, we also must watch for phishing, keylogging, and buffer overflow threats too. For instance, the “Man in the Cloud Attack” involves the theft of user tokens that cloud platforms use to verify individual devices without requiring logins during each update and sync.
Internal threats
When you switch from a traditional phone service to a cloud-based business phone system, your voice data becomes a part of your Local Area Network. This means that if you have any weaknesses that already exist in your network security they become vulnerabilities in your phone service too. This is especially true if you have any outdated firewall technologies. They’ll become a risk after you implement this new technology. As such, you don’t want to implement a hosted PBX and cross your fingers in hopes that your firewall is tough enough. Instead, you want to make sure you understand your network and security needs before you make this change.
When you work with the right VoIP vendor they’ll have the staff and knowledge to walk you through a full-scale network assessment. Sangoma says this is something you’ll want to take advantage of, especially if you don’t have the resources to make sure everything is always covered. In specific, you’ll want to be concerned with DDoS attacks, which can prevent you from reliably accessing your cloud because your network becomes overloaded when under such attacks. This greatly reduces how your cloud-based phone system performs. It’s particularly concerning for a VoIP service because voice data doesn’t tolerate buffering and insufficient bandwidth.
IT Toolbox says that no company is too small for an attack. Kaspersky Lab conducted a survey that shows 21% of businesses cited malware and 22% cited hacking as the number one threats to their business. However, attacks aren’t the only thing you should be concerned with. Verisign says the size of these attacks are also growing. As such, if your business has a few gigabytes per second of upstream bandwidth, a 5-10 Gbps attack could be catastrophic. This is because hackers are sending malformed packets which can crash your apps or render your hardware almost unresponsive to users. This caused victims $4.73 billion globally in 2013. VOIP security expert, Mark Collier says the newer unsecured systems are even bigger targets of more expensive attacks.
BYOD environments
Another important threat is being caused by companies’ bring your own device (BOYD) policies. While this is a popular way to lower your hardware costs and increase your employees’ productivity, things like outdated operating systems, malware, and insecure applications create significant security risks to your network. This is why before your employees use their own devices to connect to your VoIP solution, you need to make sure that you add them to your security equation and create a security strategy just for this purpose. Don’t overlook this because of the potential for leveraging smartphones and tablets for a major attack looms and it’s something you can’t afford.
Weak encryption tools
It’s important to understand that end-to-end encryption of voice data packets is necessary so there’s no interception of the data at any point along the transmission path. This can typically happen with your network, your internet service provider, or at all points in-between. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that’s easy to understand since voice encryption is slightly complex and varies depending on factors like how sensitive your transmitted voice data is. This is why Cisco has made some core recommendations for best practices regarding basic encryption, including:
Keeping costs as low as possible while balancing encryption with business-specific security needs
Making sure that your vendor enables SIP over TLS security in their switch fabric
Using packet encryption protocols (e.g. SRTP) and when they’re not available, encrypting mobile device calls with VPNs
Encrypting voice channels to prevent eavesdropping as packets travel through public networks
APIs’ very nature makes them a threat to your cloud security. While they do let you customise your cloud’s features so they fit your business’ needs, they also authenticate, provide access, and effect encryption. Incapsula says that these are just some of the reasons why you need an end-to-end protection strategy. Of course, encryption is just one way of protecting your data. This is why it’s so important to have an end-to-end approach, instead of treating your vendor and your network as two separate entities. With this approach, you’ll be better equipped to combat any potential threats.
These days, the low-carb diet is all the rage for people who want to lose weight. But, did you know that eating fewer carbohydrates could actually improve your mental health, too?
Read on to learn more about the mental and emotional benefits that stem from consuming a low-carb diet.
How low are we talking?
There’s a lot of variety when it comes to deciding how low you’re going to go when you’re consuming a low-carb diet. Active people, for example, will need more carbs than someone who is sedentary for most of the day.
It takes some experimentation to figure out the right number of carbs to eat to help you feel your best. A good place to start for most people, though, is to drop your carbs somewhere between 50 and 100 grams per day.
This is significantly lower than the number of carbs people who eat the recommended dietary intake consume on a daily basis. But, it’s not so low that you’ll feel overly restricted or deprived.
What about the low-carb flu?
When they first drop the number of carbs they eat, many people experience a collection of symptoms that are typically known as the “low-carb flu.” Common symptoms include:
Headaches
Nausea
Brain fog
Fatigue
Low energy
Hunger
Carbohydrate cravings
These symptoms typically only last a couple of weeks, then your body will start to adjust and you’ll begin burning fat instead of carbs for fuel.
Mental health benefits of a low-carb diet
At this point, you might be wondering why someone would put themselves through weeks of nausea and low energy just to start burning fat instead of carbs. Well, for many people, the low-carb flu is worth it in exchange for the mental health benefits they experience once their symptoms go away.
Some of the most common mental health benefits people experience include:
1. Reduces anxiety
Low-carb diets have been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the body, including in the brain.
Low-carb diets also improve the body’s ability to convert glutamate (a brain-stimulating neurotransmitter) to GABA (a neurotransmitter that reduces brain stimulation). When these two neurotransmitters function properly, feelings of anxiety are reduced.
Another study found that the decrease in sugar that accompanies a low-carb diet also helps improve mood and minimise feelings of stress and anxiety.
This is especially true when a decrease in carbs is paired with an increase in consumption of healthy fats (avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, salmon, etc.), which reduce inflammation, promote healthy cell growth, and boost brain function to combat mood disorders.
2. Relieves depression
Low-carb diets can also help fight depression. In fact, in animal studies, low-carb diets have been shown to have a similar effect to traditional antidepressants drugs.
In this study, rats who were fed a low-carb diet were less likely to exhibit “behaviour despair” than rats who were fed a high-carbohydrate diet.
It’s believed that one of the main benefits of a low-carb diet for depression is the fact that low-carb diets minimise inflammation in the body and brain. Severe inflammation in the brain has been connected to increased feelings of depression.
3. Minimises symptoms of bipolar disorder
Finally, a low-carb diet can also benefit from those who suffer from bipolar disorder.
Low-carb diets have profound benefits for people who struggle with epilepsy, and researchers have found a number of connections between epilepsy and bipolar disorder. In fact, many of the mood stabilising medications that are prescribed to people with bipolar disorder are anticonvulsants that were originally meant to treat seizures — examples include Depakote, Lamictal, and Trileptal.
Research into the benefits of low-carb diets for people with bipolar disorder is still relatively new. However, the studies that have been conducted have yielded impressive results. For example, one study looked at two women with bipolar disorder who maintained a low-carb diet for two and three years, respectively.
These women experienced significant stabilisation in their moods without any adverse side effects.
Tips for sticking to a low-carb diet
Many people are hesitant to start a low-carb diet because they think it’s unsustainable. While it does take some time to adjust to this new way of eating, it’s not as unattainable as many people believe.
If you’re interested in trying a low-carb diet but aren’t sure where to begin, listed below are some tips that will help you get started:
Plan your meals in advance and meal prep when possible to ensure you always have low-carb options on hand
Don’t restrict fat — if you’re eating fewer carbohydrates, you need to replace those calories with fat, otherwise, you could end up undereating
Be patient and prepare yourself for some discomfort — accept that you’re going to experience some low-carb flu symptoms for a couple weeks after you get started
Plan ahead when eating out to make sure you can find a low-carb option
Finally, remember that you don’t need to be perfect to make progress. If you slip up every once in a while, it’s not the end of the world. You can still reap the benefits of a low-carb diet, even if you’re not eating low-carb 100 percent of the time.
The NSW Blues won just their second State of Origin series since 2005 last night as the team dubbed the “Baby Blues” for their inexperience took advantage of the representative retirements of a number of Maroons stars to take an uncatchable 2-0 lead in the 2019 series, following their impressive game 1 win in Melbourne.
Queensland started the game on top, with Dane Gagai coming heartbreakingly close to a try in the first few minutes as his foot hit the sideline at the same time as he grounded the ball. Soon afterwards Valentine Holmes scored on the other side of the field, before Gagai claimed the meat pie on his second attempt.
At 10-0 down the Blues looked nervous before a piece of James Maloney magic put speedster Josh Addo-Carr over the line. Just before half time Ben Hunt gifted NSW the second penalty try in State of Origin history by blocking captain Boyd Cordner as he chased down a Maloney kick. At the break the Blues were up 12-10.
Early in the second half Latrell Mitchell ran straight over his opposite number Will Chambers, with Maloney converting to give NSW an 8 point lead. Chambers, however, quickly returned the favour to get to within four points.
Despite a James Roberts being sin-binned with 10 minutes to go, neither side was able to score again. In the end there were 3 tries apiece, with Queensland’s lack of goal kickers coming back to bite them as Holmes only converted one to Maloney’s 3.
Cordner, who left the field with concussion with 6 minutes to go, was awarded man of the match – although Maloney gave him some stiff competition for most influential New South Welshman. Billy Slater made a huge impact for Queensland coming back from injury, and proved why he will be remembered as one of the best fullbacks ever to play the game – if not the best.
Game 3 of this year’s State of Origin series will take place at Suncorp Stadium, with the Maroons desperate to avoid a whitewash as the Blues chase a 3-0 win for the first time since 2000.
Cryptocurrencies continue to take the world by storm, with values increasing and new products entering the market all the time. While Bitcoin is still the world’s biggest digital currency, it faces serious competition from Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Ripple just to name a few. The rise of cryptocurrencies has been called the biggest evolution of the financial system in history, as decentralised exchanges and blockchain technology continue to change how the world views money.
While no-one knows exactly what’s in store for the crypto market for the remainder of 2018, the trending markets seen in 2017 seem to be consolidating into trading ranges across time scales. The entire cryptocurrency market is now worth over $700 billion, with much of this value belonging to just a few financial instruments.
Despite a growing number of digital coins on the marketplace, Bitcoin faces the most serious competition from Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Ripple. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of Bitcoin and see what the competition has to offer for new and seasoned investors.
Bitcoin. Photo: David McBee, Pexels
Bitcoin is the originator, the world’s first cryptocurrency, the virtual coin that made everyone sit up and pay attention. With a current market cap of $150 billion, Bitcoin trading is over twice the size of its main competitor, Ethereum. This can change, however, with the market cap nothing more than the product of the total currency supply and its instant exchange rate. If either the exchange rate or the supply goes down, the market cap does too. While Bitcoin trading is still the most obvious choice for investors and traders due to its liquidity, it is facing some problems.
Slow transaction times are a serious problem for many traders, with the inefficient Bitcoin network sometimes taking hours to settle simple transactions. Bitcoin is also very bad for the environment, with the entire network using more electricity than some Western countries. This is due to how new Bitcoins are produced, with lots of computer processing time needed to “mine” new Bitcoins and keep the system ticking over.
The world’s biggest digital coin also faces issues with scalability, security, and institutional acceptance. While the environmental impact of Bitcoin is a serious concern, the slow transaction times and scalability issues inherent to the Bitcoin architecture are having the most effect on the ground.
Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum. Photo: David McBee, Pexels
Ethereum has grown quickly to become the second biggest cryptocurrency on the block. With a current market cap of $72 billion, it is almost half the size of Bitcoin and the world’s biggest altcoin. Ethereum has a number of technological advancements over Bitcoin and other cryptos, including smart contract features.
By enabling the facilitation, creation, execution, and implementation of smart contracts, Ethereum has become very attractive to blockchain-related software developers and start-ups who want to use Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) as a way to raise capital. These smart contracts and decentralised applications are run on a platform-specific cryptographic token called Ether. The use of Ether as a vehicle for moving around on the Ethereum platform makes it a much more powerful solution than Bitcoin and other alternatives.
These advances have seen Ethereum grow much more than its competition over recent months, with the growth and novelty of this cryptocurrency continuing to attract fresh money. The biggest disadvantage of Etherum is its volatility. While the smart contract technology used by Ethereum has made corporations interested in the real world application of this currency, the unpredictability of price movement is also keeping them away.
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Bitcoin Cash. Photo: Mike, Wikimedia Commons
Bitcoin Cash is a newcomer on the market, with this altcoin made in 2017 to address the scalability shortcomings inherent in Bitcoin. Despite its infancy, this cryptocurrency has grown quickly and has a current market cap of $25 billion. Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash continue to operate alongside one another, with their simultaneous yet separate nature highlighting the growing complexity of the cryptocurrency space. While Bitcoin Cash inherited the ledger of Bitcoin transactions prior to August 2017, it now uses bigger blocks for transactions.
The use of bigger blocks for transactions comes with a number of related advantages, including faster transaction speeds and greater network efficiency. The advantages offered by Bitcoin Cash have proved to be a real threat to Bitcoin, which continues to suffer from performance issues. Bitcoin Cash is still suffering from a lack of long-term acceptance, however, with the centralised nature of this cryptocurrency often seen as being manipulated and unnecessary.
Ripple (XRP)
Photo: Ivaleksey, Bigstock
Ripple has become the third biggest cryptocurrency in the world after Bitcoin and Ethereum. Its current market cap is worth about $30 billion, with this digital coin based on a consensus ledger that doesn’t need mining. This feature alone is extremely worthy because it reduces the need for computing power, reducing environmental damage and minimising network latency. Ripple believes that “distributing value is a powerful way to incentivize certain behaviours”, with this altcoin planning to distribute itself primarily through business deals.
Ripple offers a number of advantages over Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, with its user-friendly feature set allowing for easier integration with banks and financial services. Transaction speeds are a big reason for its growing acceptance, with Ripple transaction confirmations taking 5 seconds compared to Bitcoin’s 10 minutes. There are some disadvantages associated with XPR, however, with its consensus architecture and pre-mined status often seen as a problem due to the number of coins owned by Ripple themselves.
Cryptocurrency regulation in Australia
Cryptocurrency regulation is in its early days in Australia, with new laws for digital currency exchange (DCE) providers recently implemented by AUSTRAC. The new regulations applied to Bitcoin and other digital currencies will include better record keeping and improved compliance and intelligence capabilities. While regulations will always struggle to adapt to the market, these systems and controls have been designed to significantly lower the risk of criminals using digital currencies to launder money, finance terrorism, and conduct other cybercrimes.
The new regulations are unlikely to have any significant effect on retail traders, with Australia’s regulations very similar to what was implemented in the USA in 2013. While Australia will benefit from a single authority (AUSTRAC) handling regulation and enforcement, these new rules should remain completely transparent for all retail traders unless transactions involve physical currency of $10,000 or more, in which case they need to be reported to AUSTRAC.
One of the best things about TV family series is the reflection it provides of the kind of lives people live in a society and what they go through in a daily American life. It also provides families with some quality time for each other where they settle down in front of the television set, make time to talk to one another and watch their favorite shows.
This is where people share some really great family moments especially for families that could use a little humor and get to know what are the things and issues that really go in our daily lives. All in all, family TV shows are an onscreen version of the ideas and norms people follow in the society and act as a model of ideas and norms one should follow or one should avoid.
This form of entertainment has always been the best source of entertainment and popular amidst TV programming for a long long time. It has evolved immensely from being just about sitcoms to have become more serialized cable dramas, amazing reality shows and much more. Here a few nominations that are our picks from a large pool of alternatives that we came across:
The Simpsons (1989 – present day):
The Simpsons is a show about the Simpsons of Springfield was a series of shorts that aired on Fox and became a regular show later on. The show became popular in the year 1992. The show starred big-eyed yellow colored individuals with main characters being Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, the infant Maggie and many other characters that add more fun and excitement to the show.
The show might have lost the thing it used to have, it is something that is watched and comes up with amazing episodes nearly after 3 decades of entertaining people and has generations of fan-following throughout.
Rating: 8.7 /10
Transparent (2014 – present day):
The Transparent is one of the groundbreaking show on American television. It is known for Jeffrey Tambor’s role played as Maura became simply one of the most selling things in entertainment. It inspires the title in terms of the whole plot where Jeffrey becomes a woman.
But beyond all this, the show is one of the interesting and entertaining TV stories about the way families work and how family affairs are handled. It shows a series of traumas and events that people have with people of the current vs. the elders and the complications and hurdles posed by childhood and adulthood in every individual. It also shows the transition of roles played by parents and kids in a family.
Rating: 7.8/10
Keeping up with the Kardashians (2007 – present day):
This is the reality show from the most popular and the most iconic family of individuals having the most followership over the internet and social media.
The Kardashians are one of the most followed reality-family royalty who has become famous for their punch lines and is cultural icons in America. As of the current era, there is no other family in the American entertainment who is more broad-visioned and one that has a more refined understanding of the real platform.
They know the potential of this platform and have the capacity to cash out on every member of the Kardashian family. If the same potential was known to shows and entertainers who came before them, then they would have had the same popularity as that of the Kardashians.
Rating: 2.8/10
Jane the Virgin (2014 – present day):
Jane the Virgin is a lot offered in a single package. It is a telenovela, a meta-commentary based on a fictional concept, a present age story, a depiction of a writer’s life as a woman who is young, energetic and wants to achieve a lot in her life. Also, at the same time, it is a show that revolves around a mother, grandmother, and a daughter as well. These characters are the basis of each other’s lives.
They provide the basis of the main story that provides an idea about the lives and dynamics of a diversified family that has people from all the generations. Each woman shown in the family has her own lifestyle and her own desire and perception about life. Except for Jane, Alba, and Xo who are incredible as their lives are based on emotions.
They care for and love each other and look after each other. As of yet, the Villanuevas is one of the best depictions of an American family that can be taken as a role model by American people.
Rating: 7.8/10
Bob’s Burgers (2011 – present day):
Bob’s Burgers is one amazing show that people in America enjoy. The cast and characters of the show include a father who has not got a successful past and failed in attempts to pursue his dreams.
Then there is this female character of a very organized and very upright nature. But Bob’s Burgers has a more weird approach, unlike other television families. But something that helps them stand out from the crowd is their ability to flourish along with their roles as a family.
Rating: 8.1/10
You can enjoy all these shows using cox cable services that provide users with one of the best services in the country. Apart from that, these shows are a great interpretation of an American family. Also, it depicts their values and culture of the American society.
Animal skins have been used in a wide variety of products over human history and the leather sofa is a good example of a sturdy material that has remained popular for hundreds of years. This material has remained highly valued and suggests a level of refinement not found with more common fabrics and textiles.
This is a material that has a wide range of benefits that have kept it in high demand with homeowners. Despite the abundance of synthetic materials on the market, most people are still happy to pay more for a real leather sofa.
Buying a leather sofa is a milestone for many people who want to upgrade to a really high quality lounge that will last them a very long time.
Let’s take a look at some of the main reasons people still place value in upgrading to a leather sofa.
Quality of the material
When we talk about this kind of furniture we are talking about top-of-the-line products that are leading in the furniture industry. There are few living room features that can give a first impression equal to that of an authentic leather sofa.
The rich smell and appearance of this material suggests a modicum of elegance and sophistication that simply can’t be communicated with an alternative. Due to our modern treatment processes like tanning the material of a leather sofa is able to resist peeling or cracking, keeping its aesthetic appeal for longer.
Comfort
Naturally, a leather sofa is very different to sit on that a fabric couch, loveseat or an ordinary chair. Due to the strength of the natural fibres the material will actually become softer and more inviting to sit in the longer you own it.
Another benefit is that the material can breathe quite easily, allowing heat and cold to pass through it. It doesn’t matter what temperature the rest of the room is, the couch will remain comfortable to sit in.
The material is also able to reflect moisture very well which means it is less likely to feel sticky or sweaty like vinyl or plastic-based alternatives.
Durability
Furniture experts will tell you that a leather sofa is able to survive average wear and tear for about 4 times as long as fabric couches. This material is flexible as well as strong so it is able to withstand tears and cuts.
Because of its natural properties, the couch can retain its tough structure, even the seams too. The material is also dirt and spill resistant and can be cleaned simply using a damp cloth.
Aesthetic appearance
The act of dying animal hide is special as the colour is allowed to seep into the material. This means that the colour will not fade over time, even in areas that endure the most wear and tear.
Because the material is taken from the hide of a living animal, no two pieces will ever be identical. They will have all of the natural patterns and markings that come special with that particular animal.
Get what you pay for
While in the majority of cases a leather sofa will be more expensive than a fabric alternative, they are a much longer-term investment in furniture. They also pick up less allergens over their lifespan, making them better for your health than a fabric lounge.
For anyone wishing to make a great long-term investment in their living room furniture, it’s hard to do much better than a leather sofa. Between their durability, attractiveness and comfort it’s a no-brainer when it comes to upgrading your furniture.
Tourism is a big business in Australia. The country has a lot of attractions. In Sydney, however, one of the biggest attraction is, of course, it’s harbour and going across the harbour is the famous Sydney harbour bridge. One of the biggest attractions in Sydney is to climb that bridge, and now it’s changed hands to a different company to give the tour.
BridgeClimb Sydney lost the bid to be the contractor again, so it’s changing hands to a new company called Hammons Holdings Pty Ltd. Hammons already does tours, however they are in the Blue Mountains and won the contract over BridgeClimb Sydney. It was a highly competitive process with 13 different companies interested in running the tours, and some were international tenders of very high quality.
The Road and Maritime Service explained that they would not be releasing the value of the contract under commercial confidence, but it looks as if they are going to be trusting the new company to handle things well. Prices for the climb are at $388 per person, meaning there is some serious money that could be made, especially considering how famous the climb is. The bridge is on a lot of peoples’ bucket lists, even in Australia, so it makes for a prime investment for Hammons.
Since 1998 over 3.5 million people have climbed the bridge including celebrities such as Oprah and Jamie Oliver and the original business was started after they helped organise the first climbs in 1989, so some are sad to see it go. The new company, however, wants to take a new approach using new technology to help tell the story of the bridge as it’s climbed.
The new company is also hoping to link the bridge climb with its Blue Mountains tours to help increase traffic flow between the two and drive to interest even higher. They expect that the interest will grow even more because of the decision. Paul Cave (The owner of BridgeClimb) stated that “It has been a privilege for us to make a hero of the bridge, and of every climber on every climb.” Paul is sad that he will no longer be able to fulfil people’s wishes with his own company.
Now, however, Hammon has a lot to live up to, considering in 20 years there has never been a serious injury it’s a pretty big goal to live up to. Hammon, however, believes that his company will be able to keep the Bridge climb just as exciting and safe if not more so.
We see it every day when we leave for work, and it’s the same thing when we come back at night. We say to ourselves: “Ah, it’s not too serious, it makes all kinds of noise … it can wait a little longer. After all, I press the remote control, it opens and closes anyway! “
That being said, YES … we can wait a little longer and keep our old garage door. But what are the dangers that can affect my safety and that of my loved ones?
Here’s what your decision to postpone your purchase may entail.
First of all,…
It is important to remember that your garage door is the most important moving part of your home, and therefore it is essential that it operates safely and especially when you need it the most.
The second point that we forget too often: the garage door can represent 20 to 45% of the facade of your home. This is the first thing you see when you park at the garage entrance. An old, poorly maintained and old garage door will give visitors a different picture of your personality, which you do not want to show, do you?
The spring system is capital!
Photo: Bildlove, Bigstock
If your garage door is old and has almost never been adequately maintained, it may be that the spring system, also known as the “counterweight system”, to lift and close the door is out of adjustment. The life of the springs, torsion or extension, is about 5 to 7 years.
Another point you need to know is that a 9-foot wide garage door can weigh about 140 lbs (63.5 kg) and a 16-foot garage door (2 car garage), about 260lbs (118 kg). A garage door opener can easily lift a garage door up to 350 lbs (159 kg), but remember one important thing; it will push down the same weight. That’s where the danger comes from. If the photoelectric sensors do not work well, this can lead to serious accidents.
To give you a reference, if the spring system works very well, a well-balanced garage door will weigh between 8 and 10 pounds (3.5 to 4.5 kg). To find out, you need to pull the emergency cord to deactivate the opener and then lift your door with one hand. If this is not possible, contact DOIC garage doors without delay. Do not try to fix the problem yourself. The spring system is under high tension. You could be seriously injured if you do not know anything about garage door repairs.
Tighten bolts and nuts before it falls!
Another source of noise from your old garage door is that some nuts and bolts may need to be tightened. Look closely at the hinges and the system that holds the rails. If necessary, bolt these parts securely.
And the wheels it rolls?
The word says it very well: wheels must roll in the rails and not slide. If they have become “square”, it’s time to change them! Also, if you find that they are about to get out of the steel rod that holds them back, still there, do not wait. Have the necessary repairs done.
And if all goes well, proper lubrication of the metal parts is necessary.
Photo: Brizmaker, Bigstock
If your garage is damp, please note that some metal parts in your old garage door may wear prematurely. The rust will do its job …proper lubrication of all the metal parts (springs, wheels, rails) will prolong their useful life and their proper functioning.
And what about your opener?
If your opener is as old as Tom Jones, it is entirely possible that it is not equipped with automatic overturning systems. This means that if a person or animal passes under the door when it is in the descent position, it must go up automatically. Unfortunately, there are too many unfortunate incidents involving children because one or both of the inversion systems did not work correctly.
We recommend that you change your garage door opener if it was manufactured before 1993. It’s about your safety and that of your loved ones.
If you are tired of problems with your old garage door, contact specialists in your area. Their will be happy to explain the full range of garage doors and garage door openers on the market.
