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We tend to put gifts into two categories: the practical and the thoughtful. Practical gifts can be tools, appliances, or even those sets of socks and underwear kids dread to find under their Christmas trees. Thoughtful gifts tend to show that the giver knows the receiver well and took extra time to come up with something memorable: maybe a poem or a reference to an inside joke. However, these presents–while appreciated–tend to find themselves cluttered in drawers or closets after a few months, not being able to do much more than exist as a gift.

Still, the best of all presents have a charming, subtle way of combining the two for something both useful and well-planned.

And one Christmas, my father hit this unique jackpot.

The initial wave of gifts had winded down, everyone beginning to stretch, yawn, and regret having gotten up so early, when my dad pulled out a thin present from behind the tree for my mom. She opened it up and laughed with delight. There on her lap was a custom-made calendar with pictures of their grandkids. My parents were still new to the grand-parenting stage, so any pictures or videos were immediately cherished. Always good with computers, my dad had meticulously planned and produced this calendar over the previous two weeks and had impressed all of us there. And it was the perfect gift: my mom likes to keep a calendar hanging in the kitchen, and now she has something even more enjoyable to look at.

The grandkid calendar instantly became a Christmas-time mainstay. Even while he gave her new gifts as well, every year my father comes up with a new calendar for her to enjoy. And as the number of grandchildren grows, the pool of pictures from which to draw becomes even larger. Now, each month is themed, so my mom can see Sydney and Addison in their Halloween costumers during October and Jackson and Julia hunting for Easter eggs in April.

All in all, a custom-made calendar can be the perfect solution to anyone stumped with what to give. Even businesses have turned to promotional wall calendars to not only give their clients something to use, but something to remember them by, with their name imprinted at the bottom. Utility and individuality have not fit so nicely on the same page–or in the same month.

We are living in a wonderful age of technology right now as the third generation iPhone makes its appearance with more applications that literally makes it a pocket computer. As a filmmaker and photographer, it is amazing that you can shoot a little video with the iPhone or a cell phone. I think back when my father carried a boxy camera around the streets to New York City to catch photographic glimpses of the world he loved. All of the images were in black and white, which gives the old New York City photos depth, contrast and a simplified beauty.

I’m not knocking the technology of today. While I might have edited actual film where each piece was physically cut at a certain frame and spliced to the next frame of another shot, the advent of non-linear digital editing was a blessing to film editors. Every time I use my Avid or Final Cut Pro and edit in frames to get to the perfect in point or out point, I appreciate the precision of the process. With film, the idea of cutting frame by frame was too arduous and it would have driven the Assistant Editor crazy keeping track of each little frame.

Yes, I am a true advocate of progress and technology but I must admit that my mind does linger to the past when my Dad had to frame his shot, check the aperture, focus, shoot and then wait until the film was developed before he knew the outcome. If anything, I thank technology for the memories of the old New York City photos.

When your office goes paperless, it can make some people uneasy because that means, “change”. While it sounds like a great idea, change is at times difficult to implement. It is good not to use a printer. It is good to eliminate Post-It Notes, the bane of some peoples’ existence. (To others, Post-It Notes are little bits of colored, adhesive saviors.) But looking at the big picture of the paperless revolution, it can be the saving grace for businesses large and small.

Aside from the obvious reasons for going paperless such as saving trees, saving the environment, increasing office productivity, centralizing files and opening office space once used by bulky filing cabinets, paperless offices is on the rise. It’s the next logical step.

From a practical point of view, it is best to outsource to a company that specializes in hi-speed scanning service and electronic document management. For instance, there are several high tech companies in Utah that are transferring files and forms into electronic documents through scanner service Utah specialists. Government offices, law offices, insurance companies and medical facilities are sending paper documents to Utah scanner services.

Once the documents are placed in a centralized database, it is easier to access a file through the computer rather than walk to a filing cabinet nearby or in another area of the office. Eventually, the “change” to paperless will be seamless and scanning in Utah and other locations will become the norm. Then think about spreading out when the filing cabinets are gone! That’s change we can all handle.

It’s summer time and it’s barbecue time! Time to drag out the grill, clean it and fire it up. But wait. Have you considered smoking your food rather than a quick grill of a hamburger or hot dog? What about this? Have you tried to duplicate that great barbecued brisket or ribs you had in Texas or North Carolina or wherever the heck that place was when you were passing through many years ago? Perhaps it’s time to assess what you have and think about a smoker for a juicy, succulent more flavorful barbecued beef, chicken, pork, even veggies and fruit.

Singeing your meat, even burning it is a thing of the past. Gas grills will cook the meat but the flavor is missing. It’s better to take the time to actually cook your meat slowly so it retains juices and flavor. Adding flavored woodchips or wood pellets to the mix enhances the flavor and gives it that genuine barbecue flavor. It’s time to step up to something more sophisticated and get serious about your food.

There are several manufacturers that make various models of smokers so there’s a huge field to choose from to learn how to smoke meat. One of the best smoker grills that we have found is from Louisiana Grills and it grills, barbecues, smokes, even bakes. The grill is actually a convection cooker which eliminates the need for a rotisserie, cooks with a more even temperature and allows the meat to retain juices. It’s the same with vegetables. They cook slower, retain the nutrients and flavor.

Based in Wisconsin, SPE, Inc. provides an array of services including steel erecting, and steel placement reinforcing, and precast concrete erecting. Our Wisconsin steel erectors are some of the leading tradesmen in the industry. We currently serve a wide variety of customers in several markets including the commercial, industrial, educational, and medical.

Our Wisconsin steel erectors have successfully completed projects ranging from a small remodel project to a completely new hospital and medical office complex. Significant projects currently under contract include a new public arena, an addition to a parking ramp, and a new manufacturing facility.

We would welcome the opportunity to more fully discuss our capacities and abilities with you and to provide a price for your steel erecting, steel placement reinforcing, and/or precast concrete erecting needs. We are confident that our steel erectors are the best in Wisconsin and that we can provide you with the services you need.

The Johnson house, also known as “The Glass House,” is a very sophisticated steel-framed glass house, that has attracted attention all over the world. For a box style house, it has a high degree of sophistication. The theme of the house is that of a game of chess caught in the moment of checkmate. The design is nearly completely open glass and has some of the largest windows in Connecticut, compared to other architecture during the same era, 1949.

Many have criticized the functionality of such a home, as not able to offer enough privacy as a true home should. The creator, Philip Johnson, said this “…Comfort is not a function of beauty… purpose is not necessary to make a building beautiful…sooner or later we will fit our buildings so that they can be used…where form comes from I don’t know, but it has nothing at all to do with the functional or sociological aspects of our architecture.” I am not sure what that means, but there you go.

The truth is, no one actually lives in it, and it attracts many art loving tourists each year. On the same grounds are many modern sculptures, as well as beautiful flower gardens. All visitors to the Glass House site are required to purchase a tour ticket. Tours are recommended for ages 10 and up. All tours cover a half mile of uneven terrain so please choose shoes suitable for diverse terrain. No food or drink is allowed on the site, with the exception of water.

We tend to put gifts into two categories: the practical and the thoughtful. Practical gifts can be tools, appliances, or even those sets of socks and underwear kids dread to find under their Christmas trees. Thoughtful gifts tend to show that the giver knows the receiver well and took extra time to come up with something memorable: maybe a poem or a reference to an inside joke. However, these presents–while appreciated–tend to find themselves cluttered in drawers or closets after a few months, not being able to do much more than exist as a gift.

Still, the best of all presents have a charming, subtle way of combining the two for something both useful and well-planned.

And one Christmas, my father hit this unique jackpot.

The initial wave of gifts had winded down, everyone beginning to stretch, yawn, and regret having gotten up so early, when my dad pulled out a thin present from behind the tree for my mom. She opened it up and laughed with delight. There on her lap was a custom-made calendar with pictures of their grandkids. My parents were still new to the grand-parenting stage, so any pictures or videos were immediately cherished. Always good with computers, my dad had meticulously planned and produced this calendar over the previous two weeks and had impressed all of us there. And it was the perfect gift: my mom likes to keep a calendar hanging in the kitchen, and now she has something even more enjoyable to look at.

The grandkid calendar instantly became a Christmas-time mainstay. Even while he gave her new gifts as well, every year my father comes up with a new calendar for her to enjoy. And as the number of grandchildren grows, the pool of pictures from which to draw becomes even larger. Now, each month is themed, so my mom can see Sydney and Addison in their Halloween costumers during October and Jackson and Julia hunting for Easter eggs in April.

All in all, a custom-made calendar can be the perfect solution to anyone stumped with what to give. Even businesses have turned to promotional wall calendars to not only give their clients something to use, but something to remember them by, with their name imprinted at the bottom. Utility and individuality have not fit so nicely on the same page–or in the same month.

Today’s economy highlights the financial crunch many people experience. It’s a given: emergency situations, loss of a job, losing pace with the monthly mortgage or rent. Sometimes, people are forced to decide food versus heat. There are times when there are no choices because there is no money.

Recently, cash advance stores have become more prominent in cities across the nation. They dot every street corner, especially in poor neighborhoods. Ready to provide a cash advance or a payday loan to people needing a financial boost, these establishments are necessary panacea for ailing bank accounts. Unfortunately, there are companies waiting to prey on peoples’ vulnerabilities.

Here are some tips to come from a position of strength than weakness. Follow these rules and you won’t regret it:

•  Budget accordingly by figuring out exactly how much money you’ll need until next payday. Do not take more than you’ll need because you’ll be paying back more than you borrowed.
•  Read the whole document including the small print. Make note of due dates, interest rates, all fees. Pay attention to detail and make sure you understand all terms and conditions.
•  Pay on time every time to avoid big late fees and high interest rates. It’s a fact. Don’t mess around with the due date.
•  Do your homework and research your store of choice. If you are in Utah or Nevada, check the offices of USA Cash Services for online or phone applications. The representatives make sure you totally understand all terms and conditions before permitting a Utah cash advance or a Nevada payday loan. It’s their job.

There are lots of things that go unnoticed either because they are boring or people simply do not think about them. My job fits both criteria so it’s no wonder that when I tell people I sell plumbing supplies their eyes instantly get a glassy sheen. Part of it is my enthusiasm; I could talk for hours on the differences between plumber’s putties or our latest line of inner washer couplers. Thankfully there are people that share my passion for pipes. Every year there is a convention in Las Vegas where companies and vendors rub elbows and show off the latest products. Unfortunately, our company is only large enough to afford one representative and everyone wanted to see the convention. That’s when I hatched my plan and found a Las Vegas video production company.

The plan worked wonderfully. I found a local video production company that send out a small ENG, electronic new gathering, crew to document the whole convention. At first a few of the vendors and booths were wary, but after the second day I had vendors giving small demonstrations and companies giving away some of their trade secrets. After the Las Vegas video production company helped me edit and format the film, I sent one to the convention president and took the other home with me. My company loved it, and, come to find out, so did the convention president. He elected me the convention videographer and now I’m in charge of making a convention video every year

Valve boxes

are an integral part of any commercial or residential construction project pertaining to water, electric, catv, telephone, any kind of utilities. It is important to think of the valve box location for easy access for repair yet to be in an inconspicuous place for aesthetics. As mundane as valve boxes may be, don’t forget to budget for them and most importantly, think about the best location to place them.

Early valve boxes were made of concrete because the only market at the time was strictly commercial. The prefabricated valve boxes were heavy, expensive and costly to ship and install. But with the advent of thermal plastics that are lighter, durable and easy to install, residential applications for valve boxes are a mainstay in construction.

Some contractors still install valves above ground as a way to save money. But the reality of using a valve box and cover is the most cost effective and efficient means of protecting pipes, wires and mechanicals from the elements. Including valve boxes and valve box covers should be standard operating procedure for all construction and irrigation projects.

Remember to order valve boxes that give ease of access–enough room for hands and tools. Each valve box needs a cover that fits tightly to give protection from the elements and should be easy to remove for servicing. And lastly, install the valve box properly so it is flush with the ground and does not create a hazard for tripping.