CasaSugar

Goodman Company Reannounces Recall of Air Conditioner/Heat Pump Units Due to Fire Hazard

tdsollog — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:55:08 -0800

NEWS from CPSCU.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionOffice of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 8, 2009Release # 10-058 Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 366-0339CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908Goodman Company Reannounces Recall of Air Conditioner/Heat Pump Units Due to Fire HazardWASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.Name of Product: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner/Heat Pump (PTACs) UnitsUnits: About 30,000; previously recalled in August 2008Manufacturer: Goodman Company, LP, of Houston, TexasHazard: The power cords on the PTACs can overheat, posing a burn or fire hazard.Incidents/Injuries: Goodman has received eleven reports of smoke or fire associated with the PTAC's power cords. No injuries have been reported.Description: The recall includes 5.0 kW Amana-brand, Comfort-Aire-brand and Century-brand Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner units with model numbers PTxxx3x50xx (Amana) and EKTxxx-150x (Comfort-Aire and Century) and serial numbers 0702112056 through 0804237539. The model and serial numbers are located on the control board plate found under the PTAC unit's front cover.Sold at: Goodman and heating and cooling equipment dealers nationwide from February 2007 through June 2008 for between $700 and $1,000.Manufactured in: United StatesRemedy: Consumers should contact Goodman to receive a free replacement power cord. Commercial and institutional owners will be contacted directly and will install the power cord.Consumer Contact: For additional information regarding Amana-brand units, contact Goodman at (800) 366-0339 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday; for Comfort-Aire and Century-brand units call (877) 442-4482 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; or visit www.regcen.com/ptaccord for all products.To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including a picture of the recalled product, please go to:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10058.html

Turn An Ordinary Fan Into An Actual Air Conditioner

Beachwalker — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:10:36 -0700

Here is a great idea....if you are running a fan try setting
a bowl of ice cubes in front of it. The melting ice will cool
the breeze, turning an ordinary fan into an actual air
conditioner.

Caring for Naturally Wavy Hair

Baigneuse — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:01:16 -0800

Though I may be clueless when it comes to fancily styling hair, with all the research I've done I take pride in my knowledge of caring for it, and I must say that the lack of resources regaurding naturally wavy hair is quite disappointing. Even with the Curly Girl method, which is still fairly new, wavy hair seems to be lacking in information. So while I'm still no guru of hair, maybe sharing my methods of caring for my waves will be helpful to someone, somewhere. To find out more, keep reading.

EVOLVh hair products...loving it.

StellaJ — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:05:04 -0800

I recently bought some new products to go along with my new cut and color...and i'm LOVING them, which is a little unusual for me, to really love my hair products. It's not really cheap for $28 but the ultimate styling lotion is marketed as 4 products in one, so it becomes a very good value that way. They say it's good for hold, volume (i have fine hair), no frizz, shine, and moisturizes. And it really does it which is super wonderful to get all this from just one product. This is especially great on days I don't want to blow dry and I just put it in and air dry, and my hair looks amazing once dry. Anyways, I've been using for about a month and loving it. I also got the shampoo, and love it also. I still have quite a bit of conditioner left, so decided to get that next time. Their website is www.evolvh.com if you want to check it. I highly recommend.

John Frieda Weather Works Shampoo & Conditioner

Daphne 51 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:07:12 -0800

I would like to rave about John Frieda's Weather Works shampoo and conditioner; it really works! I live in Oregon where the air is perpetually damp, and evry day's a good hair day as long as I use this stuff about ever 3 days. Plus, it smell so good, I don't even need perfume. And it's so sudsy, it defies the heavy-mineralized water I wash it in! It's great.

Hair Tips.

salimen — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:20:57 -0800

Top Five Hair Tips

No matter what your hair woe-frizz, flatness, gray roots, oiliness, or dandruff-it only takes five simple moves to get gorgeous hair.

By Jaqueline Salimen

FRIZZY HAIR

Frizz is as common as humidity in August. But with these tips, it doesn't have to be.
1. STAY HYDRATED. Frizz occurs when dry hair absorbs water from the air, but cream-based moisturizing shampoo and conditioner can prevent it-just be sure to rinse well so hair doesn't look dull or greasy. And lather up only a few times a week: "The natural oils that accumulate in the meantime are good frizz-fighters," says hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins.
2. DRY THE RIGHT WAY. To keep waves smooth, apply styling lotion to damp hair, then let it air-dry-and resist the urge to tousle. "The more you put your hands through it, the more likely you are to create frizz," says hairstylist Garren. To make straight hair sleek, point the dryer toward the ends- "going against the grain, even a little, can cause frizz," he says. And keep blow-drying until every bit of dampness is gone.
3. COAT WITH CAUTION. Use silicone drops or spray to combat frizz, but don't overdose. Apply a drop or spritz to your palms first, then rub them together and pat them over frizz, starting at the ends and working toward the crown (you can always add more later).
4. OIL WELL. To further ward off frizz, give your hair a twice-weekly oil treatment (pros like jojoba oil). Work about a tablespoon through dry hair, first with your hands, then with a synthetic-bristle paddle brush (boar bristles would just soak up the oil). Leave it on for as long as possible before shampooing as usual; even five to ten minutes helps.
5. CUT AND COLOR CORRECTLY. Avoid overlayering, which makes short pieces stick out and get fuzzy. If you have coarse or curly hair, stay away from razor cuts, as they rough up the cuticle and exacerbate frizz. By contrast, nearly blunt cuts can help weigh down frizz. As for color, steer clear of a full head of highlights or a solid blonde: "Bleaching deteriorates the outer layer of the hair, making it coarser and frizzier,"

Insurers dropping Chinese drywall policies

starangel82 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:07 -0700

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – James and Maria Ivory's dreams of a relaxing retirement on Florida's Gulf Coast were put on hold when they discovered their new home had been built with Chinese drywall that emits sulfuric fumes and corrodes pipes. It got worse when they asked their insurer for help - and not only was their claim denied, but they've been told their entire policy won't be renewed.

Thousands of homeowners nationwide who bought new houses constructed from the defective building materials are finding their hopes dashed, their lives in limbo. And experts warn that cases like the Ivorys', in which insurers drop policies or send notices of non-renewal based on the presence of the Chinese drywall, will become rampant as insurance companies process the hundreds of claims currently in the pipeline.

At least three insurers have already canceled or refused to renew policies after homeowners sought their help replacing the bad wallboard. Because mortgage companies require homeowners to insure their properties, they are then at risk of foreclosure, yet no law prevents the cancellations.

"This is like the small wave that's out on the horizon that's going to continue to grow and grow until it becomes a tsunami," said Florida attorney David Durkee, who represents hundreds of homeowners who are suing builders, suppliers and manufacturers over the drywall. "This is going to become critical mass very shortly."

During the height of the U.S. housing boom, with building materials in short supply, American construction companies imported millions of pounds of Chinese-made drywall because it was abundant and cheap. An Associated Press analysis of shipping records found that more than 500 million pounds of Chinese gypsum board was imported between 2004 and 2008 - enough to have built tens of thousands of homes. They are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, especially Florida.

The defective materials have since been found by state and federal agencies to emit "volatile sulfur compounds," and contain traces of strontium sulfide, which can produce a rotten-egg odor, along with organic compounds not found in American-made drywall. Homeowners complain the fumes are corroding copper pipes, destroying TVs and air conditioners, and blackening jewelry and silverware. Some believe the wallboard is also making them ill.

The federal government is studying the problem and considering some sort of relief for homeowners.

Meanwhile, the AP interviewed several homeowners who, like the Ivorys, were unlucky enough to purchase properties built with Chinese drywall, and are now being hit with a second and third wave of bad news: Their insurers are declining to fill their claims, then canceling the policy or issuing notices that policies won't be renewed until the problem is fixed. The homeowners have little recourse since neither the Chinese manufacturers nor the Chinese government are likely to respond to any lawsuits or reimburse them for the defective drywall.

In each instance, the insurer learned of the drywall through a claim filed by the homeowner seeking financial help with its removal.

The Ivorys have sued, but it could take months for their case and hundreds like it to work their way through the courts. In the meantime, they have moved back to Colorado because their three-bedroom ranch home two miles from the Gulf of Mexico is unlivable and soon will be uninsured.

"It's been an emotional roller-coaster," said James Ivory, who is still making mortgage payments on the house. "It was all in our heads, nice weather down there, calm life, beaches. Now I don't know what to do."

John Kuczwanski, a spokesman for the Ivorys' insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., said their claim was denied because the drywall is considered a builder defect, which is not covered under the policy. It also considers the drywall a pre-existing condition that could lead to future damage, which is why the company won't renew the policy unless the problem is fixed.

"If someone were to have bought a new car and there was a defective part, would that person go to their auto insurance to get that fixed or would they go back to the manufacturer?" Kuczwanski said. "We provide insurance, not warranty service."

Citizens, a last-resort insurer backed by the state of Florida for people who can't find affordable coverage elsewhere, has received 23 claims about Chinese drywall, and has so far denied five. Citizens could not immediately say how many policies had been canceled or not renewed because of the drywall.

Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, agreed that homeowners policies were never meant to cover "faulty, inadequate or defective" workmanship, construction or materials.

Tom Zutell, spokesman for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, said the cancellations are troubling, but legal. No law prevents insurance companies from canceling policies because of Chinese drywall.

"We are staying out of the fray at the moment," he said.

Even if a homeowner does not file a claim over the drywall and remains covered, they could later be denied a claim for a fire or another calamity if insurance investigators determine the home contained undisclosed Chinese drywall.

"If you think that by not telling your insurance company about the drywall that you're protected, you're sadly mistaken," Durkee said.

A newly married couple in Hallandale Beach, Fla., saved up for five years to buy their first home only to later discover it had Chinese drywall. They filed a claim with their insurer, Universal Insurance Co. of North America, and were denied.

Universal then sent the couple a letter, stating their policy was being dropped because "the dwelling was built with Chinese drywall."

The couple then signed on with Citizens, but didn't divulge the drywall issue, and hasn't filed another claim. The 31-year-old man requested anonymity because he's afraid of losing his insurance policy, and thus his home.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do if that happened," he said. "All this has basically taken us back five years. We saved money to buy this home."

Universal did not respond to requests for comment.

Louisiana lawyer Daniel Becnel Jr., who represents more than 200 owners of homes containing Chinese drywall, is advising his clients to avoid filing claims with their insurers or they could lose their houses.

"I really believe everybody should have an insurance claim with this," Becnel said. "But it's hard to tell somebody to go make a claim, then they lose their policy ... This is a nightmare for people."

"I tell people flat out if you file, you may lose your insurance," agreed Mississippi attorney Steve Mullins, who has about 100 clients with Chinese drywall in their homes.

One of Mullins' clients, Chris Whitfield, a 29-year-old tire repairman in Picayune, Miss., says he moved out of his house because the drywall was making his family sick. His claim was then denied by his insurer, Nationwide, which followed up with notice that he would be dropped because his policy didn't cover unoccupied dwellings.

Nationwide spokeswoman Liz Christopher declined to comment on Whitfield's case and could not say how many drywall claims had been submitted or how many policies had been canceled or not renewed.

Whitfield offered to move back into the house, but he said he was told he'd first have to replace the drywall.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said.

Source: Yahoo! News/AP

Is It Better to Be Free in Hell or Pay Taxes in Heaven?

stephley — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:33:36 -0700

"Anyone who has a lot of information, thinks a lot, and by thinking increases his understanding of a situation will have not less but more trouble coming to a clear decision. To the ignorant, the world looks simple. ...Once we gather a little information, however, we run into trouble. We ... become more acutely aware [of] what we don’t know. This probably explains why we find so few scientists and scholars among politicians. It probably also explains why organizations tend to separate their information -gathering and decision -making branches. ... to provide decision-makers with only the bare outlines of all the available information so that they will not be hobbled by excessive detail when they are obliged to render decisions."
Dietrich Dorner, The Logic of Failure, 1988

Naturally, we Democrats aren’t doing very well at organizing in support of our goals for a better world: we’re Democrats. Democrats are by nature disorganized – largely because we are diverse, independent, curious, thoughtful, skeptical, compassionate toward all and loyal to the wider community. This lack of organization shows that with everyone participating we’ll naturally make good decisions for the good of the whole community. We only need to get the Truth out to those ignorant, misguided others ...

Er ... what about those others?

Here at least
We shall be free; the Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure; and, in my choice,
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

Satan, speaking in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, 1667

What with immigrants stealing American jobs and tax dollars, Wall Street stealing our homes to pay executives, gays getting married, "death panels," forced abortions, intolerable taxes, plans to socialize health care, and a liberal media – to say nothing of a President with no birth certificate, wars and bailouts we can’t afford, the myth of global warming undermining the cheap energy we need for our cars, plastics, and air-conditioners, and the government pushing unfunded mandates down our throats, we’re living in Hell. But as long as we have guns, we call the shots: better to be free and armed in Hell than to serve in a socialist Heaven and pay taxes to the government.
* * *

We are social creatures, bound together by our dependence on one another. Our young are born helpless, and take years to learn the skills and technologies of living. The fundamental systems that make our lives possible are also social: language, writing, religion, trade, laws, money, governments.

Yet we’ve made ‘socialism’ and ‘socialist’ dirty words. We prefer the idea of ‘community’ – in the abstract. In practice, we’re pretty picky about it, especially when it impinges on our personal freedoms: at present more people seem to be bound together by the notion of "Taxed Enough Already" than by sharing a concern for people without health care.

What constitutes community? Does it include women, poor people, brown people, non-Christians, illegal aliens, gays, socialists, or people who don’t speak English?

Community falters when people believe they shouldn’t have to pay taxes for schools, safety forces, or environmental cleanups. Communities are damaged when people are forced out of their homes by predatory lending practices. There’s little community where children go hungry, or seniors can’t afford medicine. Community is badly skewed when everyone is free to carry a weapon and kill anyone they think threatens their life or well-being, but half the population is not free to terminate pregnancies that threaten their lives or well-being.

Somehow we have to find a way to live between the constraints community imposes on our individual freedoms, and the destruction of community by the pursuit of assorted freedoms, including freedom to exercise authority over facts and reality, to sell insurance and refuse claims, to exploit the resources of the planet.

So far, our efforts at participatory democracy and balancing freedom and community aren’t working. Collectively, we have neither the freedoms nor the communities we need to survive the consequences of our individual and collective actions. Unless we agree on some courses of action on global warming, energy, desertification, population, nuclear weapons, and war, one or another of them will do us in. Even worse, even if we agree, we risk choosing actions that won’t work.

No doubt our society is a mess – a vast cacophony of interests and values, cumbersome and ineffective political and social systems, profit-driven media and communications. We have no broadly shared vison of what a good society would be like, let alone Heaven. Too many of us find our society hellish – not the white men showing up with assault rifles at political meetings (they are having too much fun for Hell) but the poor, the jobless or homeless, and those excluded from the human family.

Martha C. Nussbaum, (in The Clash Within, 2007) has suggested that each of us needs to reconcile in our hearts the respective values of freedom and community: "...the real struggle [of] democracy is within the individual self, between the urge to dominate and defile the other and a willingness to live respectfully on terms of compassion and equality ..." )

That’s only a start. We really need to make democracy work. It’s possible that some effective democratic systems will grow out of the technical revolution in communications – Internet, blogging, text-messaging and all citizen journalism. Democrats, for all their disorganization, look like a better bet for democracy, but not one that presently has much political or emotional appeal.

I take scant comfort in Dorner’s counsel. We as a national community aren’t making good decisions and are now on the cusp of deciding that the Hell of the present system of private health insurance is preferable to any government program, and that the Hell of war, torture and terrorism by poor brown people is best managed by war, torture and terrorism administered by affluent Americans.

Freedom or community? Domination or compassion? NIMBY or neighbors? Guns or taxes?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-2

Bad Hair Day

htiduj — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:29:23 -0800

Yesterday I woke up, showered, did my hair and got dressed. Not really very exciting. Then as I was doing my finishing touches - a belt here, legwarmers there - I saw that my hair had dried..and it looked OILY. As in not washed in two years gross. It had no shine (so it was matte and oily which is just bizarre if you think about it)it was as heavy as a ton of bricks, and it was flatter than the macbook air. AND I have this little pixie cut (that I am growing out, so you know thats just awkward) so its not like I can put it up in a ponytail..and I have bangs. I put on a wide headband to minimalize damage..but still..it was gross.

Then I realized that it must be my shampoo. My hair has always "grown" out of shampoos, so I am very dilligent about switching it up every few days, and using a clarifying shampoo at the end of the week. But for some reason I seem to have grown out of all of my shampoos at the same time.

I decided then and there that I had to get a new shampoo/conditioner and it had to be done that afternoon. I knew exactly which brand I wanted too. You see, when I was in high school I was a blowdrying fanatic. Which is kindof funny since I have straight hair, but I wanted the blowdry to give it some volume and to prevent it from being stringy (ohh the fun fine thin hair is!). Unfortunately, I had killed my entire head. Meaning I had split hairs all the way up to my root. My stylist at the time cut off a good 6 inches, but she obviously couldn't cut all of my hair off. So she sent me home with a deep conditioning treatment mask by Modern Organic Products (MOP). I was to use it twice a week for two months, and then come back for a trim.

The stuff worked like magic. My hair healed..and well it came back to life.

Which is why I decided to change my shampoo/conditioner to one of the many MOP products. The only issue was deciding which ones!! They have a sulfate free/scent free line - which is really very thoughtful. My Grandmother, who cannot stand any scents would LOVE that. It also protects hair thats colored..so thats pretty good too. But I don't have dyed hair. But their two other regular lines (MOP and Glisten) had soo many options as well.

I decided to go with the MOP line Basil Mint Cleanser for a clarifying shampoo, and then the MOP line Lemongrass Shampoo and Conditioner for fine hair. I already own the amazing treatment mask (which is called extreme protein) as well as their leave in conditioner which is aptly named Leave in Conditioner. So I figured that I would be all set.

So, last night I washed my hair with the Basil Mint Shampoo and used the Lemongrass Conditioner. I stepped out of the shower and my hair felt soo clean. I know all shampoos clean, but this was like magic clean. Like those old Mr. Clean commercials where everything sparkles and you can see Mr. Clean's reflection on the countertop while the jingle sings...I combed my hair, and everything fell right into place. I didn't even need to put ONE styling product in. NOT ONE. Which with a pixie cut is pretty rare.

When my hair dryed, it was soft and fluffy and full and shiny and perfect.

Tonight I used the Lemongrass Shampoo and the Lemongrass Conditioner as well. Same results. This weightless volume that my fine hair has NEVER been able to achieve before happened to my hair.

And it is so soft and silky...

I think I am in love.

So to further test, I am not going to use ANY products for an entire week and see how it holds up. Then I will try my new shampoos/conditioners with products and see what the results are.

But I may just have conquered my bad hair days....

Conditioner - Recession Style

bellaressa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:39:49 -0800

During the winter, the weather here in Chicago is cold and windy. The air is very dry. Wearing a hat can make your hair extremely dry and even wearing one; the weather conditions can wrack havoc. I have deep condition my hair once a week and alternate with a few different conditioners depending on what my hair may need and what ingredients I have in the house.

Tip # 1
Rosemary Honey Hair Conditioner - This nourishing conditioner blends honey for shine, olive oil for moisture and essential oil of rosemary to stimulate hair growth.
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup warmed Olive oil (2T for normal to oily hair)
4 drops of essential oil of Rosemary

Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a clean plastic bottle with a tight fitting stopper or lid.

Apply a small amount at a time to slightly dampened hair or dry hair. Massage scalp and work mixture through hair until completely coated. Cover hair with a warm towel (towel can be heated in a microwave or dryer) or shower cap (and warm with a blow dryer); leave on to nourish and condition for 30 minutes. Remove towel or shower cap; shampoo lightly and rinse with cool water. Dry as normal and enjoy shinier, softer, and healthier hair the natural way. This is also great to do when cleaning the house the moving around creates heat for the conditioner to penetrate.

Tip # 2
Another great tip when you have time on the weekend: heat some olive oil or any essential oil and oil only your ends. Wrap your ends in a ponytail and tuck the ends. Let the oil just penetrate and wash as usual. This will help with avoiding the ends of your hair from getting dry and causing breakage and split ends.

Tip # 3
For you beer drinkers. If you ever have, any beer left or someone just did not drink. Don’t throw it out. Rinse your hair with and then do a great rinse out to avoid the scent. Beer adds protein to make hair shiny and make it feel thicker.

Tip # 4
Ladies with dandruff, here is a great treatment for your hair. It calls for lemon juice among other things.
Ingredients
Ginger root
1-teaspoon sesame oil
1-teaspoon lemon juice

Directions
Squeeze ginger root through press to obtain one tablespoon of juice. Mix all ingredients. Apply to scalp and let dry before shampooing. Repeat three times a week or for those who wash less often at least once a week.

Tip # 5
For those that use henna hair color. You can make a super conditioning hair treatment with your color. Mix henna using half the water as directed on the package. Add your favorite deep conditioner to the mixture until desired consistency is reached. Apply to hair, working through hair thoroughly. Leave on hair following directions as indicated on package. Shampoo. May be used with colorless henna to increase volume of fine hair without adding color.

So, what are your favorite tips for hair?