While some web agencies specialise in one area, there are some who offer a number of different services. This can include web design, web development and SEO. There are some benefits to choosing a joined-up agency who offer a variety of services you can take advantage of. If you require all the services offered by an agency it can be preferable to use them rather than separate agencies for each area.
If working with a single web agency you may only have one point of contact. This can be beneficial by simplifying things. If you want web design, web development and SEO, for example, and choose three different companies then you will have three points of contact instead of just one.
With any business decision money is a consideration and opting for a single cohesive agency can save on costs. You may only have to pay for the services of one account manager, for example, rather than two or three. Different departments of the same company don’t have to work around each other but can rather work together. This can lead to more understanding between departments and better productivity.
A major benefit can be the speed at which tasks are carried out. With departments working together as one company the time between a task being established as necessary and beginning is typically shorter. There are times when a developer needs something to be done by a designer or someone in SEO needs something done by a developer. If using separate agencies it means work having to be sent from one agency to another. This takes time and things can get lost. If this is being done by one agency, someone can just ask someone on the other side of the room to quickly carry out a task for them.
Relationships between different parts of a joined-up agency can be beneficial to their clients. Web designers and web developers being able to work together can certainly be a positive. Designers design sites; they don’t create the final product. They may, therefore, not know exactly which pieces of functionality within a site can easily fit together. Within one company, a designer and developer can work together on this. If a designer is unsure if one of their ideas will work in practice, then they can ask a developer there and then. Over the course of a website design and build this can lead to a lot of saved time and potentially prevent unrealistic designs being made that will have to be modified at a later date.
The relationship between a designer or developer and the SEO department can also be important, and having this under one roof has its advantages. There are times when SEO factors are not taken into consideration while a website is being created. This can be solved with consultation between SEO experts and the designers and developers. They can advise as to what should be included in the design and anything that will have a detrimental impact on the search engine ranking.
There are many positives to employing one agency to carry out different web-related tasks. Different departments within one agency can work together much more easily than where things are carried out by different companies and this is beneficial to clients.
Andrew Marshall ©
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Impact of the Budget on Families
Amid much debate the 2012 budget has been announced by the Chancellor George Osborne. The big headlines are the income tax changes including the increase in personal allowance, a decrease in the additional tax rate and changes to the tax paid by pensioners. But how will families be impacted by this budget?
Everybody’s income tax will be impacted in some way apart from those who currently don’t pay tax. There will be a reduction in the tax bill for those both at the top and bottom of the pay scale. The personal allowance which can be earned before paying tax is being increase from £7,475 to £8,105 with a further increase to £9,205 in a year’s time. The amount that additional rate tax payers (those earning above £150,000 a year) pay is coming down in a year’s time, with any earnings above the threshold being taxed at 45p in the pound rather than the current 50p. There is also a change in threshold before people begin to pay tax at 40p, with this coming down from £42,475 to £41,450. Those who pay 40p on some of their earnings will now pay this amount on just over £1,000 more of their income than previously. There will also be some who now pay this amount on some of their income who currently do not.
There had previously been changes to child benefit proposed meaning that those in the 40p tax bracket would lose all of their child benefit while those below this wouldn’t lose any. This has been revised to avoid the so-called cliff-edge. The highest earner within a family will be taken into consideration with those earning below £50,000 keeping their child benefit and those earning above £60,000 losing it all. Between these amounts parents will receive less child benefit as their income increases. It will be reduced by 1% for every £100 earned over this amount.
Driving will again become more expensive over the next year with a 3.02p increase in a litre of fuel from August. Vehicle duty will also rise, but only at the level of inflation.
There are a number of changes that will impact families, either positively or negatively, with this depending on the circumstances of an individual family. Below are some example families and how the budget will impact them in the coming year.
Example 1:
Circumstances: A single parent with one child
Work: Works full-time earning the national minimum wage of £6.19 an hour
Car: Has a medium emissions car and spends £10 on petrol a week
Impact: Will be £294 better off. This is mainly due to the increase in the personal tax allowance.
Example 2:
Circumstances: Married couple with 2 children
Work: One parent works full-time earning £30,000 with the other working 20 hours a week earning £7 an hour
Car: Have two medium emissions cars and spend £50 on petrol a week
Impact: £414 worse off. The majority of this is due to losing the entire £545 they previously received in tax credits.
Example 3:
Circumstances: Married couple with four children
Work: Both work full-time earning £40,000 each
Car: Two medium emissions cars and spend £60 on petrol a week
Impact: £288 better off. This is from the increase in the personal tax allowance and paying less national insurance.
Example 4:
Circumstances: Same as Example 3
Work: One parent works full-time earning £80,000 while the other parent doesn’t work
Car: Same as Example 3
Impact: £669 worse off. While their situation is almost identical to Example 3 with the same overall earnings, they will be £957 worse off than the family in that example. This is because they will lose all of their child benefit as one person is earning £80,000 rather than two earning £40,000 each.
Example 5:
Circumstances: Married couple with one child
Work: One parent earns £200,000 a year while the other doesn’t work
Car: One high emissions car and spend £60 a week on petrol
Impact: £399 worse off. This is due to losing child benefit and paying more in income tax and more for fuel.
The above calculations were made using the >BBC Budget Calculator.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Contributing to Charity without Donating Money
When we think of contributing to charity many think of donating money. But if you can’t afford to donate money to a charity there are still many things you can do to contribute towards a good cause.
One way of contributing towards charitable causes is by volunteering, and there are many ways of doing this. Of course charities do need funding, but they also need volunteers in order to be a success.
Charity shops always need volunteers and without them they simply wouldn’t survive. Visit most town centres in the UK and you will likely come across a charity shop or two. If you enter a charity shop and buy something then the person serving you will likely be volunteering their time. It is not just working in the shop that volunteers are required for but for a host of other roles too.
Charity events across the country raise vast amounts of money for good causes every year. From nationally known events for Children in Need and Comic Relief to small local initiatives raising a few hundred or a few thousand pounds, these are an important lifeline for many charities. For these events to take place volunteers are required both in the lead up with organisation and during the course of the event itself. Some of the more common examples of charity events are runs, bike rides and jumble sales. These events are only possible due to those willing to volunteer their time. Taking part in a charity event is another way of contributing. If you take part in a charity bike ride, for example, then you can get people to sponsor you. You are taking part in a challenge and others are usually prepared to sponsor you to do this. Many enjoy this challenge as they are achieving two goals; they are taking part in a challenge and raising money.
While volunteering is a great way of contributing your time to a charitable cause, it is not the only way of contributing. Donating items is another effective way people can help. Clothes you no longer wear or clothes that have outgrown your children can be donated. Children get older and no longer use the toys they once cherished and rather than leaving them unused in the garage or loft or throwing them out they can be donated to charity. Clothes and toys are just two of many examples of items that can be donated. There are a number of ways this can help charities achieve their goals. Items, especially clothing, can be given to those who really need them. Items can also be given to charity shops, where they will be sold on with profits going towards good causes. Without items being donated they would not have anything to sell.
For charities to successfully achieve their objectives they need financial contributions from the public. This is not the only way of donating to charity though. Without volunteers most charities would simply not be able to operate no matter how much was donated. And donating unwanted items means that things that would otherwise go unused will be used by those who can make use of them or they can help raise much needed funds.
Andrew Marshall ©
Charity Law
One way of contributing towards charitable causes is by volunteering, and there are many ways of doing this. Of course charities do need funding, but they also need volunteers in order to be a success.
Charity shops always need volunteers and without them they simply wouldn’t survive. Visit most town centres in the UK and you will likely come across a charity shop or two. If you enter a charity shop and buy something then the person serving you will likely be volunteering their time. It is not just working in the shop that volunteers are required for but for a host of other roles too.
Charity events across the country raise vast amounts of money for good causes every year. From nationally known events for Children in Need and Comic Relief to small local initiatives raising a few hundred or a few thousand pounds, these are an important lifeline for many charities. For these events to take place volunteers are required both in the lead up with organisation and during the course of the event itself. Some of the more common examples of charity events are runs, bike rides and jumble sales. These events are only possible due to those willing to volunteer their time. Taking part in a charity event is another way of contributing. If you take part in a charity bike ride, for example, then you can get people to sponsor you. You are taking part in a challenge and others are usually prepared to sponsor you to do this. Many enjoy this challenge as they are achieving two goals; they are taking part in a challenge and raising money.
While volunteering is a great way of contributing your time to a charitable cause, it is not the only way of contributing. Donating items is another effective way people can help. Clothes you no longer wear or clothes that have outgrown your children can be donated. Children get older and no longer use the toys they once cherished and rather than leaving them unused in the garage or loft or throwing them out they can be donated to charity. Clothes and toys are just two of many examples of items that can be donated. There are a number of ways this can help charities achieve their goals. Items, especially clothing, can be given to those who really need them. Items can also be given to charity shops, where they will be sold on with profits going towards good causes. Without items being donated they would not have anything to sell.
For charities to successfully achieve their objectives they need financial contributions from the public. This is not the only way of donating to charity though. Without volunteers most charities would simply not be able to operate no matter how much was donated. And donating unwanted items means that things that would otherwise go unused will be used by those who can make use of them or they can help raise much needed funds.
Andrew Marshall ©
Charity Law
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Origin of English Place Names
People often wonder where place names come from. English place names come from a variety of old English and Anglo-Saxon words. Below are some examples of typical English place names and their origin. These are grouped into certain types of place names and includes some examples.
Place Names Ending in Don
There are several places in England ending with Don, such as Wimbledon, Croydon, Abingdon and, of course, London. The Don ending of the first three of these places comes from the Old English word Dun, meaning hill. Wimbledon comes from Wynnman’s Hill, Croydon comes from Crocus Hill and Abingdon from Aebba Hill. However, London does not come from this same origin, with its name a shortening of Londinium, a name from Roman Times, although the reason for this is unknown.
Place Names Ending in Mouth
Many place names are connected to waterways, with towns and cities ending in Mouth an example of this. This is a very common origin, with examples including Bournemouth, Plymouth and Great Yarmouth. This ending simply means that a town or city is at the mouth of a river. Bournemouth is at the mouth of the River Bourne, although the mouth is no longer visible as it goes underground at the Lower Garden not far from the sea. Plymouth’s etymology comes from being at the mouth of the River Plym, which itself was named after a nearby settlement upstream called Plimpton, or Plum Tree. Great Yarmouth is so-called due to being at the mouth of the River Yare.
Place Names Ending in Ford
Watford and Oxford are examples of English place names ending in Ford. This, perhaps not surprisingly, comes from being named after a Ford, as in a stream that can be walked or driven across. Watford stands on a low hill where the River Colne was forded with the Wat part of the name likely coming from the word Wet. It is effectively called Wetford. The name Oxford comes from Ford of the Oxen as it was a place often used as a crossing point by Oxen.
Place Names Ending in Bury
Bury endings is one of the more simple; it used to mean Borough. Salisbury originally comes from Serebberi, or borough of the Sareb, while Aylesbury comes from Aeglesburgh, meaning Fort of the Aegal. The town of Bury just means borough.
Place Names Ending in Stoke
The word Stoke comes from the Old English word for Stok, which meant place. So the city of Stoke or Stoke-Upon-Trent simply meant Place or a place on the River Trent. The Basing part of the town of Basingstoke comes from the Basa people, so Basingstoke essentially means place of the Basa people.
Place Names Ending in Ingham
Birmingham and Nottingham are amongst the places that end in Ingham. The Ing comes from Inga which meant people of, with the Ham meaning homestead. So Ingham really means People of the Homestead. Birmingham is Old English for Beormingaham, meaning a settlement of the Beormingas people, who were an Anglican Tribe. Nottingham started as Snotingaham, or Home of the Snot’s people. Snot was a Saxon Chief.
Andrew Marshall ©
Lester Aldridge
Flats in Wimbledon
Place Names Ending in Don
There are several places in England ending with Don, such as Wimbledon, Croydon, Abingdon and, of course, London. The Don ending of the first three of these places comes from the Old English word Dun, meaning hill. Wimbledon comes from Wynnman’s Hill, Croydon comes from Crocus Hill and Abingdon from Aebba Hill. However, London does not come from this same origin, with its name a shortening of Londinium, a name from Roman Times, although the reason for this is unknown.
Place Names Ending in Mouth
Many place names are connected to waterways, with towns and cities ending in Mouth an example of this. This is a very common origin, with examples including Bournemouth, Plymouth and Great Yarmouth. This ending simply means that a town or city is at the mouth of a river. Bournemouth is at the mouth of the River Bourne, although the mouth is no longer visible as it goes underground at the Lower Garden not far from the sea. Plymouth’s etymology comes from being at the mouth of the River Plym, which itself was named after a nearby settlement upstream called Plimpton, or Plum Tree. Great Yarmouth is so-called due to being at the mouth of the River Yare.
Place Names Ending in Ford
Watford and Oxford are examples of English place names ending in Ford. This, perhaps not surprisingly, comes from being named after a Ford, as in a stream that can be walked or driven across. Watford stands on a low hill where the River Colne was forded with the Wat part of the name likely coming from the word Wet. It is effectively called Wetford. The name Oxford comes from Ford of the Oxen as it was a place often used as a crossing point by Oxen.
Place Names Ending in Bury
Bury endings is one of the more simple; it used to mean Borough. Salisbury originally comes from Serebberi, or borough of the Sareb, while Aylesbury comes from Aeglesburgh, meaning Fort of the Aegal. The town of Bury just means borough.
Place Names Ending in Stoke
The word Stoke comes from the Old English word for Stok, which meant place. So the city of Stoke or Stoke-Upon-Trent simply meant Place or a place on the River Trent. The Basing part of the town of Basingstoke comes from the Basa people, so Basingstoke essentially means place of the Basa people.
Place Names Ending in Ingham
Birmingham and Nottingham are amongst the places that end in Ingham. The Ing comes from Inga which meant people of, with the Ham meaning homestead. So Ingham really means People of the Homestead. Birmingham is Old English for Beormingaham, meaning a settlement of the Beormingas people, who were an Anglican Tribe. Nottingham started as Snotingaham, or Home of the Snot’s people. Snot was a Saxon Chief.
Andrew Marshall ©
Lester Aldridge
Flats in Wimbledon
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Benefits of Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a form of web hosting that is growing in popularity. This is largely due to its many benefits that include the potential to save on costs, scalability, and less chance of downtime.
Cost Savings
An important benefit of cloud hosting is that it can save on costs. With cloud hosting you pay for hosting resource, such as bandwidth, as you use it. When traffic increases extra resource is available to your website and this will automatically be deployed, but you don’t pay for it when you are not using it. With other forms of hosting you hire servers based on the amount of traffic you expect. This means having to hire enough servers to cope with expected traffic which potentially means paying for more than is necessary. This is not a worry with Cloud Hosting. It is almost like paying for hosting depending on the amount of traffic to the website. When traffic is high you pay more for your hosting as more resource is required, but when traffic is slow the hosting costs are lower.
Scalability
Cloud hosting can be advantageous to growing businesses. As a business expands the popularity of their website typically does too, and more traffic leads to more bandwidth being required. This can lead to problems in term of hosting with more servers costing more money. If a website increases in popularity too rapidly it can make it hard for the hosting to keep up with it. Acquiring more servers cannot always be done instantly meaning that in the short term a website, and therefore a business, can suffer. These potential issues can be mitigated with cloud hosting. Hosting resource can be easily adapted to meet a website’s needs, meaning bandwidth can be easily increased to meet demand.
Less Chance of Downtime
By opting for cloud hosting website owners can limit the possibility of downtime. Downtime can be a particular problem when experiencing spikes in traffic due to a lack of resource to cope with this. As resource can more easily keep up with traffic, cloud hosting is less susceptible to downtime. There is also the issue of physical servers versus cloud servers. If a website is hosted on a single physical server and there is a problem with this server then it can cause website downtime. This doesn’t have to be the case with cloud hosting as the load is spread across a number of servers. If one server fails then another can take the load meaning a website is unaffected.
Backup and Data Storage
With cloud hosting there is less chance of losing data. If this is stored on a physical server and the server blows up or there is a fire in the building where it is stored then this data will be lost. As being stored in the cloud means there is no single physical server it means this risk doesn’t exist. This is no single point of failure that can result in the loss of data.
No Need to Update Hardware
If a website is hosted on dedicated servers then these might need constantly updating. This is not the case with cloud hosting as there are no physical servers to update. To an extent this makes cloud hosting future proof as you can respond more easily as technology advances.
Which Types of Websites can Benefit?
Growing businesses can benefit from cloud hosting. As traffic increases it is simpler, and potentially cheaper, to increase their bandwidth than if using physical servers. Resource is readily available when required without there being the need to pay for servers that might not be needed. Websites with fluctuating traffic can also find cloud hosting advantageous. This includes seasonal websites, for examples Christmas related sites or holiday company sites that might be particularly popular leading up to the summer period. These websites can benefit from having extra resource available at busy times without having to pay for it all year round.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
An Introduction to Watford
Watford is a town in the county of Hertfordshire in the South of England. It lies just under 20 miles north of London but is not part of greater London, although it is often mistaken as a suburb of the capital. The population of the town of Watford is around 80,000 with the district home to around 120,000 and it was at the time of the last census the 47th largest town in England. The name ‘Watford’ originates from the Anglo-Saxon word for Ford.
A Brief History of Watford
Literature of Watford’s existence goes back to 1007. In the Doomsday book, though not mentioned by name, it is part of the area of Cashio, the area where Watford town hall now stands. The first significant settlements were in the 1100’s around the time that the Abbott of St Albans was allowed to hold a weekly market on land he owned. He was also responsible for St Mary’s Church being built, which was the town’s first church and still stands to this day. It was built in 1230 and extensively restored in 1871. Although this period was the real beginnings of Watford there is evidence of people travelling through the area prior to this on their way from London to the West Midlands. A road was built for this purpose, as was a railways and canal later on. Until the industrial revolution Watford was mainly an agricultural area. During the industrial revolution the Grand Union Canal was built in 1798. A key point in the town’s future was the building of the London and Birmingham Railway in 1837. The railway station was built to the north of Watford, outside of the town centre. The Watford High Street Railway has been built in the centre of town since. The railway travels under the town centre, the reason being that they originally wanted to keep the smoke from stream trains away from some of the estates at the request of land owners.
Transport Links
Watford has excellent railway and road links. By rail there is a direct line to London Euston with a journey time of around 20 minutes. The town is close to two of the UK’s major motorways, the M1 and M25. Driving time is around 6 minutes to the M1 and around 12 minutes to the M25. Both London Heathrow and Luton airports are around a 30 minute drive away with regular bus and coach services to both of these. Within the town there is a large network of cycle lanes with a larger than average percentage of the population using these to cycle to work.
Industry and Shopping
Many large corporations have bases in Watford. This includes the head offices of companies including Weatherspoon’s, Camelot and British Waterways. The main shopping area is the High Street and the Harlequin Shopping Centre which is just off it.
Watford Football Club
Nicknamed the Hornets, Watford Football Club began as Watford Rovers in 1881 and first reached the football league in 1920. They moved to their current home, Vicarage Road, in 1922 which has a capacity of 17,000. The club’s most successful period was during the 1980’s when they were owned by Elton John and managed by Graham Taylor who later went on to manage the English national team. During this time they rose from the fourth division to the first division, the top league at the time. Their greatest moment came in 1984 when they reached the FA Cup final before losing 2-1 to Everton.
Andrew Marshall ©
http://www.mablaw.com/">Solicitors Watford
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Impact of Low Interest Rates on Individuals
The Bank of England reduced its base interest rates to an all-time low of 0.5% over two years ago and it has remained at this 315-year low ever since. There is constant debate amongst economists as to the pros and cons of keeping the base interest rate so low with good points on both sides of the argument.
This article looks at the impact of low interest rates on individuals. Low interest rates are not good for savers but do help those looking to borrow.
Savers
Low interest rates are definitely not good for savers. It means they are getting very little interest on any money they have in a regular savings account and are effectively losing money once inflation is taken into consideration. Therefore, for savers to get a decent return on savings they really need to invest. It is the only way to make a good return on their money. There is a degree of risk but many see it as a better option that keeping it in a bank account. An ISA can therefore be a good option with no tax to be paid on interest or capital gains. You can get around 3% interest rates on a cash ISA (six times that of base rate) but even more with a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Mortgage Holders
The low interest rates are beneficial to many with a mortgage. Mortgage rates are not as low as the 0.5% base rate, but the lower the base rate is the lower mortgage rates are, with many tracking the Bank of England rate. This means they are a certain amount above base rate, so when the base rate was reduced the interest on these mortgages was reduced. Low interest rates don’t help all mortgage holders though, with interest unchanged for those with fixed mortgages. Fixed mortgages protect again increases in interest but, unfortunately, means these mortgage holders cannot benefit from lower interest rates.
Home Buyers
Better interest rates are currently available on new mortgages than they were a few years ago, although some claim banks haven’t reduced them by as much as they should. This means tracker mortgages will start out with a low interest rate and fixed mortgages are available at a lower rate than they would have been previously. To an extent, though, this is mitigated by factors that negatively impact home buyers. There is a faltering housing market with few properties on the market. Prices have not fallen by much despite the struggling housing market with many choosing to stay put until they can sell for a higher price. The overall situation is not particularly good for first time buyers. While interest rates may be relatively low, obtaining a mortgage is proving difficult to many who would have found it easier four or five years ago. A higher deposit is require, something many potential first time buyers are unable to afford.
Other Loans
There is some good news for those looking to take out loans other than mortgages. Personal loans are available at better rates than normal, meaning those requiring a car loan, for example, are better placed.
Andrew Marshall ©
This article looks at the impact of low interest rates on individuals. Low interest rates are not good for savers but do help those looking to borrow.
Savers
Low interest rates are definitely not good for savers. It means they are getting very little interest on any money they have in a regular savings account and are effectively losing money once inflation is taken into consideration. Therefore, for savers to get a decent return on savings they really need to invest. It is the only way to make a good return on their money. There is a degree of risk but many see it as a better option that keeping it in a bank account. An ISA can therefore be a good option with no tax to be paid on interest or capital gains. You can get around 3% interest rates on a cash ISA (six times that of base rate) but even more with a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Mortgage Holders
The low interest rates are beneficial to many with a mortgage. Mortgage rates are not as low as the 0.5% base rate, but the lower the base rate is the lower mortgage rates are, with many tracking the Bank of England rate. This means they are a certain amount above base rate, so when the base rate was reduced the interest on these mortgages was reduced. Low interest rates don’t help all mortgage holders though, with interest unchanged for those with fixed mortgages. Fixed mortgages protect again increases in interest but, unfortunately, means these mortgage holders cannot benefit from lower interest rates.
Home Buyers
Better interest rates are currently available on new mortgages than they were a few years ago, although some claim banks haven’t reduced them by as much as they should. This means tracker mortgages will start out with a low interest rate and fixed mortgages are available at a lower rate than they would have been previously. To an extent, though, this is mitigated by factors that negatively impact home buyers. There is a faltering housing market with few properties on the market. Prices have not fallen by much despite the struggling housing market with many choosing to stay put until they can sell for a higher price. The overall situation is not particularly good for first time buyers. While interest rates may be relatively low, obtaining a mortgage is proving difficult to many who would have found it easier four or five years ago. A higher deposit is require, something many potential first time buyers are unable to afford.
Other Loans
There is some good news for those looking to take out loans other than mortgages. Personal loans are available at better rates than normal, meaning those requiring a car loan, for example, are better placed.
Andrew Marshall ©
Monday, March 12, 2012
An Introduction to Dermatology
Dermatology is the area of medicine related to skin. Put simply, it is the form of medicine that deals with the skin and skin related diseases. As well as the skin, it includes things related to the scalp, hair and nails. Dermatologists are experts in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin diseases.
A wide range of medical conditions are related to the skin and dermatology covers all of these, whether it is a skin disorder or skin disease or something loosely related to the skin. Below are some of the areas of dermatology and what they cover:
Cosmetic Dermatology – Anything that is considered to improve a patient’s appearance. Includes liposuction and cosmetic surgery.
Dermatopathology – This cover the pathology of the skin.
Immunodermatology – Looks at skin as an organ of immunity in health and disease.
Pediatric Dermatology – Diagnosing and treating skin problems in children, including those present at birth and those developed during childhood.
The above is just some of the areas covered within dermatology. Therapies that are provided by a dermatologist include hair removal and transplants, laser therapy, phototherapy, radiation therapy and allergy testing. Examples of skin diseases that come under the area of dermatology include skin cancer, acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections, nail disorders and anything related to the sweat glands.
There are a number of reasons why someone may wish to see a dermatologist. Any skin complaint is covered and if someone has a skin abnormality of any type consulting with a dermatologist may be a good idea. This includes any cyst or mole that is changing. A dermatologist can advise patients on whether their issue is anything serious and on treatments that should be undertaken. A dermatologist, though, can be consulted for things much less serious as well. If someone is concerned about eczema or acne, for example, a dermatologist will usually be able to help, whether simple advice is all that is required or if treatment can help.
There are many everyday activities that can have a negative impact on skin and therefore cross over to the area of dermatology. Some of these are below.
Too much time in the sun – Spending too much time in the sun without sufficient protection can impact the skin. This is particularly the case for those with light skin as they do not naturally deal well with strong sunlight.
A poor diet – A poor diet can impact health in all sorts of ways, including a person’s skin. A lack of fruit and vegetables, for example, can result in a lack of colour in skin.
Smoking – Smokers expose their skin to chemicals that can increase the aging of skin.
Stress – High stress levels can have a surprisingly negative impact on skin.
Biting finger nails – biting ones finger nails can increase the likelihood of skin infections.
The area of dermatology covers a wide array of conditions and treatments. A dermatologist is a specialist in the area of skin health and there are dermatologists who cover all types of skin condition on all areas of the body.
Andrew Marshall ©
Dermatologist London
A wide range of medical conditions are related to the skin and dermatology covers all of these, whether it is a skin disorder or skin disease or something loosely related to the skin. Below are some of the areas of dermatology and what they cover:
Cosmetic Dermatology – Anything that is considered to improve a patient’s appearance. Includes liposuction and cosmetic surgery.
Dermatopathology – This cover the pathology of the skin.
Immunodermatology – Looks at skin as an organ of immunity in health and disease.
Pediatric Dermatology – Diagnosing and treating skin problems in children, including those present at birth and those developed during childhood.
The above is just some of the areas covered within dermatology. Therapies that are provided by a dermatologist include hair removal and transplants, laser therapy, phototherapy, radiation therapy and allergy testing. Examples of skin diseases that come under the area of dermatology include skin cancer, acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections, nail disorders and anything related to the sweat glands.
There are a number of reasons why someone may wish to see a dermatologist. Any skin complaint is covered and if someone has a skin abnormality of any type consulting with a dermatologist may be a good idea. This includes any cyst or mole that is changing. A dermatologist can advise patients on whether their issue is anything serious and on treatments that should be undertaken. A dermatologist, though, can be consulted for things much less serious as well. If someone is concerned about eczema or acne, for example, a dermatologist will usually be able to help, whether simple advice is all that is required or if treatment can help.
There are many everyday activities that can have a negative impact on skin and therefore cross over to the area of dermatology. Some of these are below.
Too much time in the sun – Spending too much time in the sun without sufficient protection can impact the skin. This is particularly the case for those with light skin as they do not naturally deal well with strong sunlight.
A poor diet – A poor diet can impact health in all sorts of ways, including a person’s skin. A lack of fruit and vegetables, for example, can result in a lack of colour in skin.
Smoking – Smokers expose their skin to chemicals that can increase the aging of skin.
Stress – High stress levels can have a surprisingly negative impact on skin.
Biting finger nails – biting ones finger nails can increase the likelihood of skin infections.
The area of dermatology covers a wide array of conditions and treatments. A dermatologist is a specialist in the area of skin health and there are dermatologists who cover all types of skin condition on all areas of the body.
Andrew Marshall ©
Dermatologist London
Friday, March 9, 2012
Tips on Adding Value to your Home
Many homeowners like to make improvement to their home. These are primarily so the homeowner can enjoy their interior changes or the extra space they have created but home improvements can also add value to the home. Here are some improvements that can lead to an increase in value.
Adding an extension increases the size of your home and therefore makes it worth more when you come to sell it. Building a conservatory, converting the loft into a living space and turning the garage into an office or bedroom are all common ways of extending the living area. Anything done to create more space will increase the home’s value.
Decorating the interior of your home is another thing that can increase its value. When buying a new home many are happy to redecorate and don’t really consider poor decoration, but others do. If your décor is such that many would not approve then you could be omitting many potential buyers. Some do not have the time, or the finances, to redecorate as soon as they have bought a home. Many will not consider buying a home if they think it will take them three years to decorate it to their satisfaction.
These days the majority of modern homes have double glazing. This keeps the heat in and is expected by many home buyers. This makes it a good investment, both while living there (keeping you warm and reducing heating bills) and when you come to sell. Buyers will pay more for a home with double glazing than one without it.
The window coverings can also make a difference and having window shutters installed can greatly increase the value. They are practical and elegant, and it is this elegance that increases the value. They are, unlike curtains, permanent fixtures and therefore can add to the potential asking price.
Replacing old fashioned fixtures and fitting, such as taps, sink and baths is a good idea. This is really about the quality of a home. Fixtures and fittings that are in poor condition will bring down the sale price. This also goes for flooring. Whether carpets, wooden flooring or tiles, well maintained and finished flooring is an important factor in the asking price. Simple things not having a quality finish will lower the cost of a home. This isn’t strictly about increasing the value but preventing the value from being less than it should be.
The type of flooring can influence the value, with wooden flooring having the ability to drive the value up. If you have wooden flooring you might consider under-floor heating. This adds an air of luxury and therefore adds to the value.
The inside of a home is not all that needs thinking about; the outside does too. Depending on the material, it may be a good idea to paint the home. This should be done every few years to stop it looking dilapidated when you come to sell.
The garden is another consideration. A well maintained garden can make a real difference and can be a winner with potential buyers.
Andrew Marshall ©
Adding an extension increases the size of your home and therefore makes it worth more when you come to sell it. Building a conservatory, converting the loft into a living space and turning the garage into an office or bedroom are all common ways of extending the living area. Anything done to create more space will increase the home’s value.
Decorating the interior of your home is another thing that can increase its value. When buying a new home many are happy to redecorate and don’t really consider poor decoration, but others do. If your décor is such that many would not approve then you could be omitting many potential buyers. Some do not have the time, or the finances, to redecorate as soon as they have bought a home. Many will not consider buying a home if they think it will take them three years to decorate it to their satisfaction.
These days the majority of modern homes have double glazing. This keeps the heat in and is expected by many home buyers. This makes it a good investment, both while living there (keeping you warm and reducing heating bills) and when you come to sell. Buyers will pay more for a home with double glazing than one without it.
The window coverings can also make a difference and having window shutters installed can greatly increase the value. They are practical and elegant, and it is this elegance that increases the value. They are, unlike curtains, permanent fixtures and therefore can add to the potential asking price.
Replacing old fashioned fixtures and fitting, such as taps, sink and baths is a good idea. This is really about the quality of a home. Fixtures and fittings that are in poor condition will bring down the sale price. This also goes for flooring. Whether carpets, wooden flooring or tiles, well maintained and finished flooring is an important factor in the asking price. Simple things not having a quality finish will lower the cost of a home. This isn’t strictly about increasing the value but preventing the value from being less than it should be.
The type of flooring can influence the value, with wooden flooring having the ability to drive the value up. If you have wooden flooring you might consider under-floor heating. This adds an air of luxury and therefore adds to the value.
The inside of a home is not all that needs thinking about; the outside does too. Depending on the material, it may be a good idea to paint the home. This should be done every few years to stop it looking dilapidated when you come to sell.
The garden is another consideration. A well maintained garden can make a real difference and can be a winner with potential buyers.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Wine Making Process
Whatever type of wine is being made the process begins with the key ingredient – the grapes. These are harvested in late summer or early autumn with the most common time of year being September and November in the Northern Hemisphere and February and March in the Southern Hemisphere. The quality of grapes is crucial to the quality of the wine. Grapes are handpicked and transported to a winery and thus begins the wine making process. This process is different for red wine and white wine, with a brief explanation of each below.
Red Wine
The first part of making red wine once the grapes have been picked is for them to be processed in a Crusher Destemmer. The grapes are separated from their stems and crushed to create what is known as Must, which is a paste like material. This is then transferred into tanks where they are left to cold soak for several days. During this time the must gains colour and flavour. To prevent bacteria being created sulphur dioxide is added.
Apart from the picking of the grapes, fermentation is the most important part of the wine making process, and that comes next. During this stage large quantities of yeast is added and a skin is created that floats to the top of the barrel. During the rest of the fermentation process this skin is either punched down over the wine or the wine is pumped over the skin. This is done regularly. Eventually the wine is pressed away from the skins into a holding tank where it sits for the sediment to settle out.
The final stage of making red wine is the aging process. The wine is held in oak or redwood barrels to age. Here oxygen enters and acidity decreases. Wine clarification takes place and the flavour enhances. The aging period greatly varies from wine to wine, and once completed it can be bottled ready for consumption.
White Wine
Immediately after the grapes have been picked the processing begins. This is done in a Winepress, where the grapes are squeezed for two hours and then pumped into a tank where the juice is chilled, resulting in sediment dropping to the bottom so it can be easily removed.
Fermentation takes place in Fermentation Vats, which are large tanks. Here, yeast is added along with other ingredients. This is what turns the juice of the grapes into wine. This is then placed into airless vats. It is left to ferment for a period of time that varies on the type of wine, and can be as long as one month. Some wines even go through a secondary fermentation.
Once fermentation is completed the wine must be left to age. Again, the time it is left to age for varies and this has an impact on the taste. After this the wine is drawn off to separate the dead yeast cells and other sediments from the wine that will go into the bottle. It is then chilled to create more clarification before being bottled.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wine Investment
Red Wine
The first part of making red wine once the grapes have been picked is for them to be processed in a Crusher Destemmer. The grapes are separated from their stems and crushed to create what is known as Must, which is a paste like material. This is then transferred into tanks where they are left to cold soak for several days. During this time the must gains colour and flavour. To prevent bacteria being created sulphur dioxide is added.
Apart from the picking of the grapes, fermentation is the most important part of the wine making process, and that comes next. During this stage large quantities of yeast is added and a skin is created that floats to the top of the barrel. During the rest of the fermentation process this skin is either punched down over the wine or the wine is pumped over the skin. This is done regularly. Eventually the wine is pressed away from the skins into a holding tank where it sits for the sediment to settle out.
The final stage of making red wine is the aging process. The wine is held in oak or redwood barrels to age. Here oxygen enters and acidity decreases. Wine clarification takes place and the flavour enhances. The aging period greatly varies from wine to wine, and once completed it can be bottled ready for consumption.
White Wine
Immediately after the grapes have been picked the processing begins. This is done in a Winepress, where the grapes are squeezed for two hours and then pumped into a tank where the juice is chilled, resulting in sediment dropping to the bottom so it can be easily removed.
Fermentation takes place in Fermentation Vats, which are large tanks. Here, yeast is added along with other ingredients. This is what turns the juice of the grapes into wine. This is then placed into airless vats. It is left to ferment for a period of time that varies on the type of wine, and can be as long as one month. Some wines even go through a secondary fermentation.
Once fermentation is completed the wine must be left to age. Again, the time it is left to age for varies and this has an impact on the taste. After this the wine is drawn off to separate the dead yeast cells and other sediments from the wine that will go into the bottle. It is then chilled to create more clarification before being bottled.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wine Investment
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