Tesla wants to develop its own music service

Tesla wants to develop its own music service - LA Times

It may not be enough for the electric car company Tesla to take on the giants of Detroit, like General Motors and Ford. The Palo Alto-based automaker is said to be exploring its very own music streaming service too, a move that would pit the company against market leader Spotify, and the aggressive efforts by Apple to conquer the world of on-demand music.

As part of its souped-up dashboard, Tesla is considering the idea of offering drivers a personalized listening experience, and has had talks with major record http://www.lawn-care-academy.com/overseeding-lawns.html labels to develop an in-house music platform, according to Recode.

The rush to bring Internet music not only to people's phones, but to their connected homes and cars is lucrative territory with even more potential, experts say. And Tesla's tight control over the look and feel of its cars might lend itself to an improved music experience -- with high-definition audio and an intuitive dashboard -- that's better designed than add-on services.

"One thing to watch will be the degree to which other car manufacturers follow Tesla's lead and start trying to control the in-car experience," said Mark Mulligan, a digital music market analyst. "There have already been some efforts in this direction, but so far partnerships and integrations have been the norm."

As Tesla considers a dive into the battle royale already playing out in the streaming market, it confronts the loyalties and habits of music subscribers, whose time and effort spent curating playlists and radio stations might make them harder to convert. "Not only will Tesla need to focus on what a great in-car experience looks like, it will have to build a multiplatform user experience that competes with the best-in-class mobile experiences like Spotify's," Mulligan said. "Tesla users will have little interest in having to use one streaming service in the car and one everywhere else, having to build two sets of playlists and cloud libraries etc."

Compounding this challenge is the question of Tesla's limited scale and the viability of building a new streaming product from scratch. Tesla Sprinkler Installation Fort Worth counts about 100,000 customers compared with Spotify's 50 million subscribers. About 27 million users have used car systems integrated with the music service Pandora, for instance. And more than 200 car models allow drivers to control Pandora right from the dashboard, a company representative said.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a representative told Recode, "We believe it's important to have an exceptional in-car experience so our customers can listen to the music they want from whatever source they choose."

As challenging as Tesla's move might ap pear, Jessica Caldwell, the director of industry analysis with the auto research website Edmunds.com said it could play into Tesla's allure as a top-tier, innovative brand. "Tesla has a certain amount of cachet they have built up over time, they have this cool factor that no other car company has," she said. A personalized music service also bolsters Tesla's mission of controlling the customer experience, and could further differentiate the company as competition for high-end electric cars intensifies.

But ultimately, even for Tesla, Caldwell is skeptical, given the level of difficulty of breaking into the music market. "For someone who is trying to do so many things, this seems like a bit of a stretch."

CAPTION

The GOP fin ally unveiled its plan to replace Obamacare. White House tapes mystery solved? Not exactly. UC Riverside has one of the smallest racial achievement gaps in the nation. Bree'Anna Guzman was killed more than 5 years ago.

Credits: Associated Press / Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Genaro Molina / Marcus Yam

The GOP finally unveiled its plan to replace Obamacare. White House tapes mystery solved? Not exactly. UC Riverside has one of the smallest racial achievement gaps in the nation. Bree'Anna Guzman was killed more than 5 years ago.

Credits: Associated Press / Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Genaro Molina / Marcus Yam

CAPTION

The GOP finally unveiled its plan to replace Obamacare. White House tapes mystery solved? Not exactly. UC Riverside has one of the smallest racial achievement gaps in the nation. Bree'Anna Guzman was killed more than 5 years ago.

Credits: Associated Press / Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Genaro Molina / Marcus Yam

The GOP finally unveiled its plan to replace Obamacare. White House tapes mystery solved? Not exactly. UC Riverside has one of the smallest racial achievement gaps in the nation. Bree'Anna Guzman was killed more than 5 years ago.



Credits: Associated Press / Getty / Irfan Khan / KTLA / Genaro Molina / Marcus Yam

CAPTION

California is generating more solar and wind power than it can use. President Trump's intervention with Otto Warmbier was rare for a president who resists broadly promoting human rights. A new salary agreement with the city of L.A. would give DWP workers six raises over five years. Kam Redlawsk has a genetic disorder that progressively weakens her muscles.

Credits: Gina Ferazzi / KTLA / Rick Loomis / Eben McCue

California is generating more solar and wind power than it can use. President Trump's intervention with Otto Warmbier was rare for a president who resists broadly promoting human rights. A new salary agreement with the city of L.A. would give DWP workers six raises over five years. Kam Redlawsk has a genetic disorder that progressively weakens her muscles.

Credits: Gina Ferazzi / KTLA / Rick Loomis / Eben McCue

CAPTION

Protesters outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office were removed from the area after staging a "die-in" on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning.

Protesters outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office were removed from the area after staging a "die-in" on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning.

CAPTION

The explosion near the Kabul Bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah also Sprinkler System Installation Fort Worth wounded at least 60 people.



The explosion near the Kabul Bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah also wounded at least 60 people.

CAPTION

The state has achieved dramatic success in renewable energy production.

The state has achieved dramatic success in renewable energy production.

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-hy-tesla-music-20170623-story.html

Gardening

One-Hour Miniature Herb http://ambler.temple.edu/arboretum/about-ambler-arboretum/arboretum-history Garden

Have all the herbs you need in one container. Follow these six Sprinkler System Installation Flower Mound quick steps to complete this mini herb garden in under an hour.



Toad Lily

No fall garden should be without toad lilies. These Asian curiosities bloom...

Phlox

Phlox are one of those bounteous summer flowers any large sunny flowerbed or...

Trumpet Vine

Plant a trumpet vine Sprinkler System Flower Mound and you're sure to have hummingbirds visiting your yard i...

Easy Groundcovers

Let easy-growing groundcovers be the solution to your landscaping problems....

Salvia

There are hundreds of different types of salvias, commonly called sage, but...

Ajuga

In the world of groundcovers, there isn't a whole lot to get excited about....

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/

Home & Garden - InfoBarrel

Stop Zika: San Francisco Plant (Codiaeum variegatum) Kills Mosquito Eggs and LarvaeWouldn't you know it, a teen has found a way to kill mosquito eggs and larvae within Home Improvement College Station 24 hours by using a common https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renovation plant. What's more, the San Francisco plant (aka Codiaeum variegatum aka Garden Croton or Variegated Croton) is super easy to grow indoors and outdoors. It requires hardly any care. I even included a handy make-your-own plant extract recipe to kill mosquito Best Home Improvement College Station eggs and larvae in and around your own home. Fortunately, on Zazzle, this plant is available for purchase from a reputable, customer-support based company (so I included it within this article).





http://www.infobarrel.com/c-Home_and_Garden

Battle of the Nasal Washes

How many times are children admonished not to put things up their noses? Yet somehow fingers, food and small toys eventually get up there and a disgruntled parent, teacher, doctor or other unfortunate party is stuck with the slimy job of removing said object from those twin mucousal highways.

So, it is understandable that the idea of snorting, squirting or pouring a salt water solution up the nose on purpose might be regarded with suspicion.

"You squeeze [water] in one nostril and out the other. It's freaky," said Dr. Donald Levy, medical https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UqSm2OQEnw director at the Osher Clinical Center for Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "But you're letting the body find a way to heal itself with minimal intervention."



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Nasal irrigation, sometimes called a nasal rinse or, if you want to be posh, nasal lavage, can ease sinus-related problems, from the common cold to allergies. While there are several methods of getting the water up there in the first place, the general process involves water going up the nose and out again in order to flush out mucous, allergens and germs to ease sinus-related problems, from the common cold to allergies.

The simplest way to irrigate might be to sniff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UqSm2OQEnw the water up from a cupped hand, while a nebulizer, which creates a fine mist that one br eathes in to clear out the nasal passages, would be more complicated.

Ultimately, the method of nasal irrigation used depends on what people find works best to manage their symptoms, though there have been studies that show some methods are more effective than others.

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A 2002 study published in the journal The Laryngoscope used a dyed solution laced with traceable markers to compare three methods of nasal irrigation to determine how much solution traveled through the nasal passages and where the solution went. Irrigation techniques that allowed more water to reach further into the nasal passages were deemed most effective.

The only technique that did not pass muster was the nebulizer, according to the study, because the vapor remains in the fleshy part of the nose and is ineffective at irrigating the nasal passages.

Visit the OnCall+ Cold & Flu Center

The following are videos of three https://www.groupon.com/local/phoenix/landscaping different nasal irrigation methods. With expert comments, see which method comes out on top and which one goes down the drain.

Technique #1: Syringe

Robyn Curhan, 43, found relief from the pain and pressure in her sinuses by using a syringe to do saline nasal irrigation.

Watch a video demonstrating nasal irrigation using a syringe.

Using syringes to do nasal irrigation is an example of positive pressure irrigation, in which pressure is applied to a liquid so that it travels up the nostrils. The Laryngoscope study found positive pressure to be most effective at distributing a lot of solution far into the nasal passages.

Flushing a large area of the nasal passages clears mucous buildup and irritating allergens, allowing fluids in the sinuses -- the large and small cavernous areas concentrated around the nose, behind the eyes and up into the forehead -- to drain freely through the nose.
< br>Clearing these regions helps prevent the pain and pressure that occur due to backed up sinus fluids during a cold or severe allergies.

But doctors urge caution when using syringes because they can spray water with force. And if water does not drain out through the nostrils, it drains through the throat.

"I worry that people would be too vigorous," said Dr. Roberta Lee, medical director at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "People don't realize how delicate the tissues up there are."

To protect those tissues a little and remove some of the sting of the salt water, Haddon recommends adding a pinch of baking powder, as Curhan does, to lower the pH and buffer the solution.

Technique #2: Squeeze Bottle



Kellie Gentry, 28, relies on a nasal rinse with a squeeze bottle to keep her sinuses clear, and it is a proven method.

"It gets to the sinuses as well as you're going to get," said Levy of the Osher Clinical Center. "To me the gut feeling is I'm now draining better. I feel less irritated."

Watch a video demonstrating nasal irrigation using a squeeze bottle.

Rinsing with squeeze bottles is a fast, cheap and easy way to clear nasal passages and reduce the effects of a cold or an allergy as well as the need for medications. Packs like Gentry's, complete with prepared salt mixes, are available at almost any drugstore or supermarket.

And squeeze bottles are another form of positive pressure irrigation. The Laryngoscope study found that positive pressure irrigation is particularly effective at clearing the drainage areas for the ethmoid sinus regions by the bridge of the nose and the maxillary sinus regions on either side of the nose.

Negative pressure irrigation -- water sniffed up from a cupped hand -- was comparable to positive irrigation, acco rding to the study, although it did not distribute the solution as evenly.

But saline nasal rinses can be uncomfortable unless you get the technique down.

Dr. Sezelle Gereau Haddon, assistant professor and clinical instructor of pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Hospital of New York, recommends a technique for using squeeze bottles that involves bending forward and panting "like a puppy" to keep the palate elevated and close off the back of the nose so the rinse water does not flow down the throat.

"All this gunk kind of comes out your nose," which clears out the area where many of the major sinus cavities drain, said Haddon.

And for those who are still wary of shooting water into the nose, Levy has some reassuring words:

"Water is not going to go into the brain, even if you try."

Technique #3: Neti Pot

Carrie Erwin, 26, tapped into a less modern but still effective technique to clear her nose.

Watch a video demonstrating nasal irrigation using a neti pot.

Though neti pots were not included in the 2002 study, they have long been used to manage sinus problems. Neti pots originated in Southeast Asia as an Ayurvedic cleansing technique. Traditional pots look like ceramic Aladdin lamps, squat with long, slender spouts that get pushed into the nostrils.

Tilting the head allows the water to flow into one nostril, travel up behind the nose into the nasopharynx and flow out the other nostril. Water that does not drain through the nose can be spit out through the mouth.

Irrigating with neti pots falls somewhere between positive and negative irrigation, Lee said, as a more passive way to cleanse the nasal passages.

But some may not find the "pouring" sensation combined with tilting the head comforting.

"Patients often feel like they're drowning," Haddon said.

The drowning sensation could be a matter of technique, but Haddon said that it was impossible to get her patien ts to comply with using it.

Still, there are reasons to try irrigating with neti pots if other methods do not work well.

"They're gentle, they're not under pressure," Lee said. "Simpler is better."

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Spring allergy season is here! Visit the ABCNews.com OnCall+ Allergy Center to get all your questions answered about pollen, allergic rhinits, sinusitis and more.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesNews/battle-nasal-washes/story?id=5977773

How to Make a Simple Greenhouse Automatic Watering System

An automatic watering system for the greenhouse doesn't need to cost Sprinkler System Installation a fortune. In fact, they are very simple to make, and once set up, will allow you to get on with other things, or even go on vacation, knowing that your plants will not shrivel up and die through lack of water while you are away.

Greenhouse plants, as we all know, need regular and frequent waterings especially during the hotter days of spring and summer.

When you think of irrigation systems, especially automated ones, you think of lengths of tubing and expensive timers, all connected to the water supply that you may or may not have in your greenhouse.

With the system outlined in the video above, you can carry the water into the greenhouse from elsewhere, as once it is in the container you choose to use as a reservoir, it will only need the occasional topping up.



The bigger the reservoir, the less often you will need to replenish the water.

On top of the bench place a double layer of black polythene, making sure it reaches all the sides. This is to stop water from draining away naturally.



Place the capillary matting on top of this.

Attach the hose to the pump, and place in reservoir.

Fill the reservoir with water until it is around three quarters full.

Plug the pump into your timer switch, and set it to come o n for a minute or two, twice day, or more often if you live in an area of extreme heat.

Each time the pump runs, water from the reservoir will wash over all the https://www.houzz.com/photos/landscape capillary matting area, then return to the water container it came from, minus, of course, what your plants have drank and a little bit more that is absorbed by the matting.

It takes typically less than a minute to thoroughly wet the whole area, in what could be called a flood wash watering.

You can even add liquid fertilizer to the water, to make sure your plants have all the nutrients they need.

This automatic irrigation system is simple to set up, inexpensive to prepare and run, and absolutely anybody could put it together, no matter how untechnically minded you are.

Go ahead and fit one Sprinkler System up - your plants will love you for i t!

https://hubpages.com/living/How-to-Make-a-Greenhouse-Automatic-Watering-System

California water: End of the LA lawn (Opinion)

"We're so used to Southern California having these beautiful, lush lawns and palm trees and seasonal flowers," she told me by phone from Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles, where she is general manager at a landscaping business called A Greener Tomorrow. But now, because of the drought and new water regulations, "I'm telling you, all I see is Arizona and Las Vegas."

"Who's going to be willing to pay?" she said. "You can't maintain a lawn!"

The idea of Los Angeles -- much less Bel Air and Beverly Hills -- ripping out its water-sucking lawns and oh-so-thirsty flowers is indeed a shock, especially if installing and maintaining those lawns is your livelihood. But consider the context: California is in an extreme drought. Snowpack in the state, one measure of how much water will be available this summer, is at an all-time low, at just 5% of normal. Rivers are running dry, as I found last summer on a three-week trip down the San Joaquin. With no water at the surface, farme rs are turning below the ground, pumping out groundwater at such an alarming rate that the land actually is sinking. In some places, that's happening at the truly astounding rate of almost 1 foot per year.

I see where Uribe's coming from. The 35-year-old loves the colorful, landscaped version of Los Angeles. And she fears a drab, monochromatic future -- a blah city, all dirt and rocks.

But this is a crisis. And the California lawn is a reasonable casualty.

I applaud Gov. Jerry Brown's recent push to require all cities and towns to cut their water use by 25%. To help local entities with the new Sprinkler System Installation Greenville mandate, the state plans to support the replacement of 50 million square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant plants (otherwise known as "cash for grass"), create a rebate system so residents will get help replacing water-hogging appliances with more efficient models, require golf courses to cut water use, and ban watering the grass found on public street medians, among other provisions.

The total savings, according to the governor's office, will be 1.5 million acre feet of water over nine months. For context, 1 million acre feet is said by environmental groups to be as much water as 2 million families would need in a year.The state's focus on lawns makes sense given that grass and other landscaping account for up to 50% of http://www.coloradogardening.com/ all urban water use, said Ellen Hanak, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. "It's nice for us to have trees and landscapes, but we could do that with half of the water," she said. "It's not like it's going to mean the end of our economy or the end of our way of life."

If anything, the requirements don't go far enough.

Each year, California uses 6 million more acre feet of water "than our riv ers and aquifers can sustainably provide," according to a 2014 report from the Pacific Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Those groups found 14 million acre feet of water per year could be saved if a number of changes were made to the way cities and farms operate. Among the recommendations: More-efficient farming techniques, including drip irrigation and "smart irrigation scheduling," which waters crops exactly when and where they need it.



So Brown's plan won't fix California's water woes.

But it's an important start.

Nex t, the state should direct its focus to farms, which consume 80% of all human-used water in California and generate only 2% of the state's gross domestic product. It's reasonable, if politically tricky, for the state to focus more attention on the industry that consumes more water than any other. California can create a water budget that allows farms, people and fish to thrive.Much water can be saved with newer technologies, without forcing farmers to give up the land they use to grow crops, said Heather Cooley, water program director at the Pacific Institute.

She praised Brown's order as "a very positive step forward."

"California is facing a drought of epic proportions, and we need to work together to reduce the use of water so there's sufficient water for cities, for farms and for ecosystems," she told me. "We need to be preparing not only for this drought but for the next one."

And that's the crux of it.

This California drought has been extreme. But in the future, as the climate continues to warm, Cooley and others say the state likely will see more hot, dry years like this.



They won't Sprinkler System Installation Greenville seem so abnormal, sadly.

All the more reason it's good for California to deal with its grass problem pronto.

If it's smart, it can do so without looking like the Arizona desert.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/opinions/sutter-california-water/index.html

Home builders beating back fire sprinkler laws

HARTFORD, Conn. - Nearly three dozen states have rejected http://www.rainbird.com/homeowner/index.htm the idea of requiring sprinkler systems in homes by enacting legislation or rules that prohibit mandatory installation.

Home builders, still reeling from the recession, say requiring sprinklers would add to their costs. They have found allies in state legislatures and rule-making bodies that have turned aside arguments by fire safety officials that requiring sprinklers in homes save lives.

The National Association of Home Builders has not taken a position on state action banning mandatory fire sprinklers in homes, said program manager Steve Orlowski, but the group has argued that installing residential sprinklers should be up to homeowners.

Either through legislation or code, 34 states have prohibited mandatory residential fire sprinklers, Orlowski said. Only two states -- California and Maryland -- have a dopted codes requiring installation of home sprinklers, he said.

In other states, sprinkler legislation died or is pending until next year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Connecticut, for example, is deferring action until next year. A measure requiring automatic fire extinguishing systems in one- and two-family homes failed to make it to a vote in the Public Safety and Security Committee.

Sen. Anthony Guglielmo, the committee's ranking Republican senator, said legislators did not have enough information about the cost to builders and municipalities that would enforce the law. Legislators will take up the issue Sprinkler System Installation Rockwall next year only after hearing the recommendations of officials and others brought together by the state Department of Public Safety, he said.

The International Code Council, an organization of building inspectors, fire offici als and others who set building standards, recommended in 2009 that states and municipalities adopt codes requiring sprinkler systems in homes and townhouses less than three stories high. The regulations took effect Jan. 1.

The National Fire Protection Association has said sprinklers will particularly help young children, the elderly and the disabled by giving them time to escape burning homes.

Opponents of requiring sprinklers cite their cost -- and subsequent impact on home prices -- and voters' dissatisfaction with government mandates.

In Missouri, lawmakers extended for eight years rules that require builders to offer sprinklers but do not mandate them.

"Our main concern, in this housing market, is that the requirement for mandatory fire sprinklers could Sprinkler System cost $7,000 to $15,000 per home," said Missouri state Sen. Eric Schmitt, Republican chairman of the Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee. "In this market, it's very difficult to justify."

In New Hampshire, Gov. John Lynch tried to vetoed legislation that prohibited local planning boards from requiring sprinkler systems in homes as a condition of approval for local permits. The decision about whether to require fire sprinklers should remain a local one, Lynch said.

Legislators overrode the veto.

Sen. John S. Barnes, Republican chairman of the Public Municipal Affairs Committee, said the override vote was not easy because he typically favors local control. But he does not believe any government body should be ordering homeowners to install fire sprinklers.



"If I buy or build a house, I think I should decide whether I put in a sprinkler system," he said.

John A. Viniello, president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, said the process by which codes are approved is flawed. Codes regulating wiri ng, construction and other facets of home construction are informed by expert advice from industry and others, he said.

But when legislatures have a role in the process, codes too often are modified or scuttled, he said.

"Once the politicians get involved, it's over," he said.



http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/29/home-builders-beating-back-fire-sprinkler-laws.html

In Case of Emergency: When to Call an Emergency Electrician

Electricity is tricky.

And working with it can be dangerous.



When something goes funky with your electricity, it's not like clearing a clogged drain or patching a hole in the wall. Electrical issues are best left to the experts.

If you're wondering when is the right time to call an emergency electrician, here are eight situations that require immediate action:

1. Exposed Wires

Any time you see exposed wires, it's a big deal. Exposed wires greatly increase the risk of electrocution and fire and remedy an immediate repair.

Period.

2. Wires in the Water

Like exposed wires, wires in water is really dangerous.

This situation is usually the result of nasty weather putting water where it normally wouldn't be. (We will just assume there aren't wires casually soaking in water around your house.)

If someone or something comes into contact wi th the water or an object within the water, the outcome could easily be electrocution or fire.

If you see wires in water, do not hesitate to call an emergency electrician.

3. Smoking Outlets

Smoking is no longer cool. But it never has been for an electrical outlet.

This one should go without saying but if your https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWoSWNwtVKA outlet is smoking, there's a serious problem. Turn off the circuit breaker and call the fire department.



Once you're sure there's nothing burning in the wall, call an electrician to resolve the issue.

4. Only Your Electricity Is Out

If it's only your home in the neighborhood that has lost electricity, that could be a bad sign. In this situation, you may need assistance.

It may not be a dire situation, but it's best to not take chances. Turn to a 24-hour emergency service to take care of the issue.

5. A Persistent Issue

If a particular appliance or source of light is giving you continuous problems for more than an hour, you'll want to call an electrician right away for preventative repairs.

To call this an actual emergency might be a stretch, but depending on the issue at hand and the nature of the appliance, it's better to be safe than sorry.

6. Buzzing and Humming

Loud buzzing or humming from your child is annoying.

But when it comes from a breaker box, it could be extremely dangerous, as it often indicates a faulty breaker that has p oor wiring or is failing to trip.

You really don't want to expose your home to a wide variety of electrical failures, so get an emergency electrician in there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWoSWNwtVKA ASAP.

7. Burning or Pungent Smells

Smells that resemble burnt plastic should be taken seriously.

Sure, you could try to blame the bad smell on the cook in the kitchen, but in doing so, you're quickly at risk of losing your home to an electrical fire.

That smell could indicate damaged wires in your home. So shut off power to the problematic area and call an emergency electrician http://www.ibew.org/ right away.

8. Signs of Burnt Wiring or Overloaded Outlets

And finally, blackened or brown marks around your in-home outlets are not only unsightly, but they are a sign that the outlets are most likely overloading and getting much too hot.

Yo u do not want this, so call an emergency electrician for sure if you've got overloaded outlets.

Bottom line, if you ever have any doubts about electrical issues in your home, it never hurts to call an electrician. Even if it ends up not being a true emergency situation, let them decide.

They'd much rather you be safe than sorry.

http://www.articlecity.com/blog/emergency-electrician/

A Beginner's Guide to Gardening

The rewards of gardening are great -- fresh air, exercise, beauty and relaxation, to name a few. But designing and planting your very first garden can feel like an overwhelming task. Luckily, gardens are https://www.sprinklr.com/ surprisingly forgiving creations, and the best way to learn is by simply diving in. Here are 10 tips to help get a new garden off on the right foot.

1. Get to know your site. Take your time to get familiar with your property before beginning a new garden. Here are a few things you may like to try while you're getting to know your landscape:

Take a leisurely stroll around your property with a notebook and make a rough sketch of the existing planting areas.

Add notes to your garden "map" about which areas get the most sun and which are shaded.

A simple soil test from your local garden center will tell you whether your soil is well-balanced in nutrients and pH.

If you're thinking of g rowing edibles (vegetables, fruit or herbs), it's a good idea to have your soil tested for lead. Most at-home kits aren't reliable indicators of lead in the soil, but you can send your soil samples to the Lead Safe America Foundation for a free lead test. If you find that your soil has an unsafe level of lead, you can still grow edibles in raised beds or pots with new soil.

List which existing plants and features (such as fences or paths) you'd like to keep and which need to be replaced or removed.

Spend time just hanging out in your garden. Let yourself daydream and see if any creative ideas present themselves.

Related: Visualize Your Garden Plans From the Perfect Porch Swing

2. Determine your style and goals. Gather a few images that inspire you and look for a theme. Are you drawn to lush flower-filled gardens or more crisply defined modern outdoor spaces? It helps to pair a few words with the pictures you've chosen, so try to come up with something that evokes the sort of garden you want, even if it's not an "official" style term.

For instance, maybe you'll decide your style is Industrial Zen or Playful Modern or Simplified Cottage. While you're figuring this out, it helps to keep a photo of the exterior of your home at hand -- whatever style you choose should be able to work well with the architectural style of your home as well as your personal preferences.

Once you've named your style, take a moment to jot down the activities and features you imagine enjoying in your landscape. If you have children, you may need a lot of open space for running around. Or perhaps you dream of relaxing in the middle of a big wildflower meadow -- whatever it is, write it down.

3. Start small. Dreaming is wonderful, but when it comes time to begin digging in the earth, it's equally important to stay grounded in reality. The bigger the garden, the more time and energy it will require to maintain. Examine what you want (say, a vegetable garden) and then scale it down (for example, plant one raised bed rather than six). You can always expand next year!

This holds true for purchasing plants too: It's easy to get seduced by the bountiful plants at the nursery and come home with far too many. Remember, planting takes time, so buy only what you can comfortably get into the ground within the next day or two.

4. Make a plan. Even if you're planting only a single raised vegetable bed or cluster of potted flowers on the patio, having a plan is key. If you're not sure which plants to buy, take a "research" trip to a local nursery (without buying anything!) and snap photos of plants you'd like to consider adding to your garden. Look at the tags and note down when they bloom, as well as sun and water requirements.

Pulling this information together into a sketched-out plan (no artistic skills required) takes extra time initially but will make for a more successful garden in the end. Choose plant s that bloom in different seasons for year-round color, and be sure to pick plants with similar sun and water requirements to plant together.

5. Pick the right tools for the job (without going overboard). Having the proper tools makes garden chores more pleasant -- but don't think you need to buy out the store on day one. Just a few tools and supplies should keep your garden running smoothly. The basics include:

Gardening gloves. Choose a pair that feels comfortable and protects against thorns.

Shovel. This is essential for preparing sizable garden beds and for digging holes for trees, shrubs and large plants. A shovel with a pointed tip is more versatile than a flat spade.

Trowel and weeding tool (or a Japanese gardener's knife). Use these tools to dig holes for planting and pull weeds out at the root.

Long garden hose and spray nozzle. Select a hose long enough to comfortably reach each of the main areas of your garden.

Hand pruner. Sh arp clippers can trim branches and cut back woody plants like rosemary.

Metal rake. Use this to spread mulch and prepare beds for planting.

Leaf rake. Use a flexible plastic or bamboo rake to gather leaves.

RELATED: 5 Tools Every Gardener Should Own

6. Mix up perennials and annuals. A common newbie mistake is to grab too many plants from the "annuals" section at the nursery, making for a garden that dies back within a single year. For longevity and color, go for a mix of perennials (plants that come back year after year) and annuals (plants that bloom and die within a single season).

7. Repeat, repeat, repeat. One great way to give your garden a professionally designed look (with little effort) is to repeat the same plants and hardscaping materials in different places throughout the landscape. Avoid picking one plant of each type, as this tends to appear jumbled -- even in a wild English cottage-style garden, plants look best when repeated or pl anted in clusters. The same goes for other materials: Choose just a few hardscaping materials for paths, pots, planters and outdoor furniture, and repeat, repeat, repeat.

RELATED: Incorporate Outdoor Rocking Chairs

8. Combine seeds and starts for an affordable mix. Starting an entire garden from seed can save money, but it can also be incredibly frustrating. Purchasing only started plants is not only expensive, but it also may limit your choice of what to grow. The best option is usually a combination of the two: Pick up some started seedlings at your local nursery and start some of your own from seed. Good plants to start from seed yourself include lettuce, radishes, beans, sunflowers, marigolds, cosmos and zinnias.

9. Grow what you like. This sounds utterly simple, but it's something even the most experienced gardeners sometimes seem to forget. Why grow squash if it's not really your favorite? Over the years, we've stopped bothering to grow beans Sprinkler System Installation Mckinney and zucchini, instead devoting extra garden space to family favorites like snap peas, radishes, Tuscan kale and mini pumpkins for Halloween.



10. Further your garden education. Seeking out local workshops is a wonderful way to learn more about gardening and connect with other gardeners in your community. Check plant nurseries, community gardens and botanical gardens in your area for free or low-cost workshops on a wide range of topics like container gardening, using native plants, attracting pollinators, creating a waterwise garden and composting.



Gardening is a lifelong learning experience, and even the most seasoned gardeners are learning all the time -- so don't beat yourself up if it seems that there's too much to Sprinkler System know. Just begin somewhere and take it one season at a time. The wonderful thing about gardening is that there's usually room for do-overs.

http://www.foxnews.com/real-estate/2017/03/31/beginners-guide-to-gardening.html

Texas proposes law that would allow adoption agencies to ban Jews, Muslims, gays

AUSTIN, Texas -- Parents seeking to adopt children in Texas could soon be rejected by state-funded or private agencies with religious objections to them being Jewish, Muslim, gay, single, or interfaith couples, under a proposal in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Five other states have passed similar laws protecting faith-based adoption organizations that refuse to place children with gay parents or other households on religious grounds - but Texas' rule would extend to state-funded agencies. Only South Dakota's is similarly sweepingly.

The bi ll had been scheduled for debate and approval Saturday in the state House, but lawmakers bogged down with other matters. It now is expected to come up next week.

Republican sponsors of Texas' bill say it is designed to support the religious freedom of adoption agencies and foster care providers. Many of the agencies are private and faith-based but receive state funds.

But opponents say it robs children of stable homes while funding discrimination with taxpayer dollars.

"This would allow adoption agencies to turn away qualified, loving parents who are perhaps perfect in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law every way because the agency has a difference in religious belief," said Catherine Oakley, senior legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign. "This goes against the best interest of the child."

The bill also blatantly violates the Constitution, Oakley added.

"As a governmental entity, Texas is bound to treat people equally under the law," said Oakley. "This is a violation of equal protection under the law."

State Rep. James Frank, the bill's author, said it's designed to address the state's foster care crisis by making "reasonable accommodations so everyone can participate in the system."

"Everyone is welcome. But you don't have to think alike to participate," said Frank, a Republican from rural Wichita Falls, near Texas' border with Oklahoma.

Suzanne Bryant, an Austin-based adoption attorney who works with LGBT clients and was one of the first individuals to have a legal same-sex marriage in Texas, said the bill fails to provide alternatives for prospective parents rebuffed by adoption agencies.

"Say you call an agency and say, 'I'm Jewish,' and it's a Catholic agency and they hang up on you," said Bryant. "The bill says you can be referred to another agency, but there's no mechanism to set that up."



Not only could agencies turn away hopeful parents under the religious freedom provision, but they could require children in the foster care system to comply with their faith-based requirements, said Bryant.

That means child welfare organizations could send LGBT kids to conversion therapy, a treatment designed to turn people straight - which the Pan American Health Organization calls a "serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people." And they could deny young people contraception and abortions.

"If a 17-year-old who is sexually active wants birth control, the burden to prove that constitutional right is on the child," said Bryant. "They don't have their parents advocating for them and supposed to go it alone against the system."

More than 100 children died in Texas child protective services last year alone, when a judge had already ruled that the system violate d youngsters' constitutional rights by leaving them more troubled when they left the system than when they entered it. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott made fixing foster care an "emergency" priority and the Legislature has increased funding while backing a number of major changes.

Frank said most adoptions happen through the state's Child Protective Services, which would not be subject to the religious freedom mandate, though outside agencies that receive state funding would be. He said his bill "codifies" the choices adoption agencies are already making as they select parents.

"My guess is if you have an LGBT agency they're going to pick an LGBT family, and if you have a Baptist agency they may be more likely to pick a Baptist family," Frank said. "They're free to do that and should be free to do that."

Frank also said the bill directs state child services to ensure that other outside adoption providers without religious objections are made avail able to help would-be adoptive parents who get turned away by any who do raise objections.

But his proposal is just one of 24 pending bills in the Texas Legislature that LGBT advocates say encourage discrimination.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-proposes-law-that-would-allow-adoption-agencies-to-ban-jews-muslims-gays/

Super Bowl grounds crew fumbles end zone paint job

The grounds crew for Super Bowl 50 last week wound up fumbling the end zone paint job.

For a brief time, both end zones at Levi's Stadium were painted with the Denver Broncos team name and logo, Sports Illustrated reports.

The mistake was quickly covered up and by Thursday one of the end zones featured the team name and logo of the Charlotte Panthers, the other team in the Super Bowl.



Ground skeepers on Monday painted the Broncos end zone on the visitor side, which was the wrong side, CBSSports reported. The https://www.paintersusainc.com/ Broncos were supposed to get the other end zone because they are the home team for the Super Bowl.

CBS photographer James Martin spotted the do-over.

"See the faint remains of 'BRONCOS' in the end zone? Grounds crew painted the logo on the wrong side," he tweeted.

Levi's Stadium acknowledged the fix in a tweet Thursday that said, "@Panthers, the end zone is officially ready for dabbing."

The Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 7 and is being held in Santa Clara, Calif., for the first time.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/02/01/super-bowl-grounds-crew-fumbles-end-zone-paint-job.html