We all know that first impressions last. That they are the stuff that lasting opinions are made from, and can take a lot of hard work and effort to change. So why, when it comes to home design, do so many people forget.

A lot of effort often goes into the interior decoration of the first few rooms – the hallway, the lounge, the kitchen; the areas that people assume will be the first to be seen.

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Is there one way above all others that is the ‘right’ way to light your bathroom? Or is it, like most things in life, a maze of confusing contradictory advice and uncertainty? Well, the truth is, it’s all down to the individual. Not only will different people prefer different sorts of lighting, but the different activities the bathroom is used for will also have a major effect on the type of lighting used.

For example, smaller rooms with just a shower and no bath aren’t going to need to be as well lit as a sprawling bathroom with all manner of different areas. Likewise, those who want to spend hours relaxing in a bath are going to need more specific lighting around the tub itself, while those whose primary concern is getting that make up just right will most likely be wanting some specific vanity lighting, perhaps recessed into a mirror.

Either way, the first rule is that you will need general lighting. Ceiling lighting is the most common kind. The trick here is not to have it too bright, but also not to have it too dark. Either will make the room feel unwelcoming, and having it too murky will also most likely lead to accidents in such an environment. For those who want to have a more subtle feel to their bathroom lighting, having the ceiling lighting recessed into the ceiling will make for a much more comfortable feel to the lights there.

Home lighting needs to be carefully thought through though, and adding both task and accent lighting to the general lighting will ensure you have the mood you want in your bathroom. Having shadows on your face when trying to get ready or having to strain your eyes to see will not be great for anyone.

There are several options for anyone who wants to buy beauty care accessories and professional beauty products online. Many websites offer these types of products but be sure to check that the site which you choose to order from has a secure online payment system and a reliable delivery service which does not include any hidden costs. Look for a sit which has a link to a ‘fan page’ on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and check out what  customer s are saying about the firm on these sites: after all ,they have not been paid to provide positive reviews but have been attracted by good deals, a good service and special offers. Beauty care accessories from famous firms such as Babyliss, eyelure, OPI nails, TIGI, St Tropez and GHD are expensive to purchase on the high street and some professional beauty products are only usually available to those i n the beauty or hair trade, who have access to wholesale providers. However, many online sites offer these products to the general public at extremely reasonable prices.  Check that the site which you choose is verified as safe by an independent certification such as ‘Internet Shopping is Safe’ and browse the site, reading all customer care information, delivery rates, and returns policies before you order. After you have compared sites and found the best bargains on beauty care accessories, your desired products are merely a click away. Whether you need a paraffin wax heater, professional curling tongs, eyelash curlers, hairdryers, luxury manicure kits, false eyelashes or pedicure kits, there are some outstanding deals available online. Be cautious, however, about branded products being offered at prices which are comparatively, suspiciously low in relation to what is on offer from similar products on similar sites. If a price is too good to be true, it is worth ensuring that everything is ‘kosher’ before you proceed.  Shop carefully and wisely and you can undoubtedly pick up amazing bargains on professional beauty products.

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If you are looking for commercial window cleaners in Milton Keynes, there are a few options, but be sure to choose a company which is reputable, has a record of providing services to prestigious customers, is environmentally friendly and offers a range of services such as cladding cleaners services. It is recommended that you also choose a firm with a long record in the industry which is fully compliant with stringent health and safety laws and uses highly trained staff in all of its operational business practices.  As well as operating as cladding cleaners, many such firms offer specialist sky cleaner services whereby tall buildings and extensive glass structures can be thoroughly cleaned and maintained through the use of highly trained staff and state-of-the art equipment.  Companies offering such excellent services may operate as commercial window cleaners in Milton Keynes but will often have several operational bases in a wide area, allowing for the provision of services over a wide geographical area. Any reputable and responsible company will carry out a full assessment of your requirements, all relevant health and safety precautions and advise you on the most appropriate services before providing you with a comprehensive quote. It is crucially important that companies operating in this sector build up a reputation for reliability and safety-consciousness because without these central values, they will not only go out of business but could also be prosecuted and face heavy fines or even jail terms. Therefore, bear in mind that it is worth paying a fair price for a firm which never compromises on safety and quality of service in order to attract customers through extremely low prices. That said, if you regularly use the services of established firms, they will sometimes offer you discounted services in order to reward your loyalty as a valued customer.

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It is not just businesses that benefit from the impact of fleet management and vehicle tracking systems. Government-run organisations and charities can also make use of such systems.

One non-profit entity that intends to do just this is the Arohanui Hospice in New Zealand.

According to a report in the Manawatu Standard, the medical centre is becoming increasingly reliant on its wheels and has therefore devised a new plan that will see money generated each year for both new vehicles and for fleet management.

The medical centre provides palliative care to patients suffering of all ages suffering from life-limiting illnesses. The services include supporting people in their communities, inpatient care, respite care and a 24-hour advice service. Also, social work provisions, family support and bereavement support are also given by the hospice.

During a recent ceremony, the Hospice took over ownership of a new car and palliative care co-ordinator Pare Corkran got to sit behind the wheel of the Mazda that she will be able use while visiting patients.

The vehicle was handed over at Palmfeild Motors, which is the firm that will look after the management of the fleet. In this capacity, the organisation will be responsible for various things, including servicing and replacing the motors.

One of the groups that has raised money for the project is Feilding Friends. Chairman of the organisation Don Taylor said that plans to provide and maintain one car had been discussed but then it was decided that it would make more sense to contribute to the overall fleet management plan.

He added: “It gives us some direction – a very tangible contribution.”

If the hospice has enough money in future, it may decide that vehicle tracking systems should also be put in place to help it keep tabs on its fleet and ensure it runs efficiently.

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Fleet management services are used by a variety of companies and other organisations around the UK.

Sometimes combined with vehicle tracking, it can be a good way for them to minimise the risks associated with investing in cars, vans, lorries or buses and it also helps to improve efficiency and productivity.

This means that the overall costs of transportation and staff can be reduced. Not only this, but it can also help ensure complete compliance with government legislation.

However, it is not only those in the UK who are making good use of this type of service.

Those across the Atlantic in the Big Apple have proved this point. Under the terms of a new programme, New York is planning to reduce the costs of its fleet for employees of the city.

As well as establishing new metrics for fleet management, the proposals will reduce the overall number of vehicles owned by the city.

A car sharing initiative is being implemented and the idea was announced by mayor of the capital Michael Bloomberg, deputy mayor for operations Stephen Goldsmith and transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

Currently in its pilot stage, the programme will enable workers at the Department of Transportation to share the use of dedicated Zipcar vehicles for official business.

Mr Bloomberg stated: “Earlier this year, we announced a large-scale effort to make city government smaller, smarter and more sustainable – both environmentally and fiscally.”

He added: “An important component of that effort is looking at city-owned cars. A car share programme could help reduce the number of cars we use, cut our costs, free up parking on our streets and reduce the congestion on our streets, and the pollution in our air.”

Many organisations are currently seeking ways to reduce their running costs due to the economic conditions and investing in the management of fleets and on vehicle tracking are two possible factors that can help.

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We are all familiar with vehicle tracking systems. They have been used for many years now and the technology behind them continues to get more and more impressive.GPS vehicle tracking can provide a number of services. Many motorists use it because it helps them to find given locations.

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Vehicle tracking systems have a wide range of uses and can be used by companies and individuals alike. One of the markets for such products that is gaining strength at present is public transport.

Businesses and local authorities responsible for providing such services are coming under increasing pressure to give accurate information to passengers.

Also, having a GPS vehicle tracking system in place can make managing a fleet of buses, for example, much easier.

One organisation that is determined to use such technology effectively is Leicester City Council.

It already has a Star Trak provision in place but it is looking to improve this and, according to reports in the Leicester Mercury, it has invited bids from firms around the world that believe they are capable of achieving this.

Later this year, a seminar will be held at which interested parties will provide greater detail on how they would enhance the vehicle tracking systems.

At present, users of the service complain that it can be unreliable and this is something the local authority is eager to correct.

The city council’s traffic operations team leader, Ed Kocik, commented: “We’re pleased with the level of interest from companies hoping to work with us on the new Star Trak system. We want an accurate and cost-effective system and we’re looking forward to hearing what expertise these firms have.”

Among the countries that have businesses vying for the project are Spain, France, Germany and Canada. There are also three British companies that are keen to get involved.

GPS vehicle tracking systems are seen as particularly useful for public transport providers that operate in busy, congested towns and cities as it can be hard for them to stick to a given timetable. Despite this, dense urban areas are not the only locations in which such technology is utilised.

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Complications can often arise over a lost heir as evidenced in the Ancient Greek myth of the tragedy of Oedipus.

Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, but was left on a hillside to die, with his feet pinned together, because of a prediction that he would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. However, he was rescued by shepherds and brought up in the Royal Palace of Corinth as the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope.

As a young man Oedipus consulted the Delphic oracle about his future and was told that he would indeed kill his father and marry his mother. Devastated by this news, he left Corinth determined not to be the cause of his father’s death. He eventually travelled to Thebes but on the way he was forced to kill an older man who challenged him on the road (his father, unbeknown to him). Arriving in Thebes he learned of the fearsome Sphinx who was terrorising the city because no one could answer her riddle

“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?”

He answered it successfully (man throughout his life) and won the hand of the recently widowed queen. Eventually the true story came out and Jocasta hanged herself in despair whilst Oedipus blinded himself and, guided by his two daughters, wandered aimlessly round Greece until he died.

At Kin, we are experts in the field of heir hunters and next of kin, and perhaps if we had been around at the time of Oedipus, such tragedy need not have occurred. Family relations and inheritances can be complicated and it is always wise to use a expert in the field to untangle even the most intricate of connections.

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Choosing the best wedding bands can be a difficult and expensive decision. It is important to choose a band which not only has a repertoire which reflects the tastes of the happy couple, but will also ensure that the diverse tastes of guests are catered for in order to ensure that they get up and dance and truly get the part started.  However, before you even think about playlists and repertoires you need to make sure that the band can deliver a professional and dynamic performance. Seek out function bands which have good word-of-mouth reputations as well as testimonials on their websites and a record of local, national and perhaps international performances at a variety of functions such as weddings, engagement parties, Bar-Mitzvahs, grand openings and events.  Wedding bands which have an established reputation of performing successfully at a variety of locations for disparate occasions are likely to have the versatility to be able to offer you and your guests exactly what you require for your special day. Function bands can sometimes be extremely successful and even garner some critical acclaim because of professionalism in their field and powerful, soulful performances.  Many of these types of bands will have a choice of set playlists which they can perform but may also be able to deliver special arrangements and requests for first dances and other key moments during the wedding reception. The stereotypical function band wearing tattered n uniforms whilst listlessly droning out faded hits which do not register with any guests at all are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In fact, many wedding bands these days are extremely professional and include musicians and vocalists who would put many modern recording artists in the shade in regards to talent, musicianship and performance delivery.  One of the advantages of bands with their own websites is that they often contain links to video or audio recordings of their performances, so therefore you can try before you buy and you don’t have to rely on a subjective recommendation or hearsay.

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Hip-Hop clothing has taken the styles of the street corners and adapted it with the spread of hip-hop culture until it is so ubiquitous that it influences the entire spectrum of fashion from urban fashion to haute couture.  Items like heavily starched chinos and plaid work shirts from brands such as Carhartt were adopted by those involved in the early days of the culture since they were cheap and worn daily.

Artists such as LL Cool J were regularly seen in Troop clothes and Kangol hats, Run DMC championed Adidas in publicity photos and on wax, and the Wu Tang Clan were regularly seen singing the praises of    Clarks Wallabees and Tommy Hilfiger clothing.  As Hip-Hop entrepreneurs began to knock on the door of corporate America through stratospheric commercial success, producers and artists began t capitalise on the links between music, art and fashion and create their own branded Hip-Hop clothing lines which would further boost their earnings from loyal fans.

Urban clothing brands such as Sean John by Puff Daddy, Wu-Wear and Phat Farm from Russell Simmons and Rocawear from Damon Dash and Jay-Z.  With the spread of the internet, these brand as well as many other urban fashion brands have become available to fashion conscious celebrities fans adn aficionados worldwide. Trainers, or sneakers as Americans call them, are also a mainstay of hip-hop culture and many artists have either put their name to special edition trainers by brands such as Nike or Adidas or designed their own sneakers for mass production.

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Urban clothes and urban fashion encompass a wide variety of styles, from work wear to sportswear to more formal and elaborate evening attire. However, no matter how expensive or heavily styled,  an urban clothing item usually includes a subtle or blatant reference back to the roots of hip-hop culture on the city streets; a sly nod to where it all began.

Whilst Hip-Hop purists may claim that commercial hip-hop music has lost its political relevance to the streets which spawned it, the popularity of urban fashion and its cross-cultural adoption by members of every social stratum bears evidence to its success and dominance. Hip-Hop has rightly allowed figures such as Jay-Z to become hugely successful and influential, much to the chagrin of traditional corporate America and to the admiration of millions of fans and admirers in various spheres worldwide. Figures such as Mark Ecko have founded legendary brands such as Ecko Unlimited and have thus taken hip-hop clothing to another level of innovation and popularity.

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A mailbox or post-box is an excellent addition to any commercial or residential property. Mailboxes are more secure than simple letterboxes which are cut into doorways since they allow staff or residents to check mail before they carry it inside their properties. Mailboxes can be made from a variety of materials such as plastic, metal or even wood and are often coated with a protective weatherproof paint. The variety of post-boxes is simply staggering- from single mailboxes for individual detached properties or shops to banks of mailboxes which can be linked together in the lobbies and hallways of apartment blocks and available in every colour, style, and finish   imaginable. Communal mailboxes which can be linked together in modular form are especially useful if you are a landlord who is renovating a property so that is of a suitable standard to rent. Too often in rented accommodation where there is only one common shared entrance, which may have a security entry system, the postman has no option but to dump every tenant’s mail together through the main entrance, where it is mixed up and trodden on by several pairs of feet before it can be retrieved. Mail deposited in this way can easily go missing, be discarded or fall into the wrong hands. However, a neat bank of mailboxes allows each tenant to have their own post-box where their own mail is deposited safely and which they have exclusive access to via the use of a security key. These arrangements will save complaints from tenants further down the line, will look professional and lets tenants know that you take their needs into consideration. Furthermore, tenants of less scrupulous and understanding landlords may wish to contribute towards this type of instalment themselves. For businesses and private properties alike, post-boxes are convenient and effective, can look stylish and are also extremely functional and are therefore an essential addition to any property.

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Letter boxes and post boxes are now available in a huge variety of traditional, modern and classic styles and can also feature different grades of security features.  For example, steel post boxes are available in a variety of matt or polished finishes and are reasonably secure as well as suitable for those on a more limited budget. Some firms even produce iconic reproduction US -style post boxes which feature a flag which indicated whether mail has been delivered , allowing you a taste of down home American styling in your garden in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Some of these boxes are accessed from the top or back but most feature security key access, which offers reasonable security. Furthermore, their steel construction makes them durable and able to stand the tests of variable climates such as that of the United Kingdom. Brushed stainless steel letter boxes are slightly more expensive but tend to be constructed from a thicker, higher grade steel and therefore are far more secure. They also look slightly more stylish and aesthetically pleasing.  A brand called Bobi also has an outstanding selection of large capacity mailboxes for those who receive a high volume of personal or business correspondence which may also include A4 documentation or various commercial papers. These branded boxes are very stylish and are available in a variety of colours. Specialist post boxes which are suitable for the storage of a large number of newspapers are also available, so if your job involves you reviewing the day’s news or you receive a large amount of daily papers at your home address, these boxes are your ideal option.  For those who require the ultimate in security, through the wall post-boxes are the perfect option, as they can hold a large capacity of mail but it is only accessible from the year through the use of a key or security code which is under the control of the occupant or key holder. Therefore, the postman only has access from the front to drop the letters off and only the front-plate is shown from the outside. These boxes can be fitted inside walls or posts and are totally secure.

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Many web users in the UK and elsewhere have been the victims of spam attacks and the authorities are doing what they can to tackle the problem.

In a new development, an individual who was involved in a scheme that targeted hundreds of firms with spam containing hidden viruses is facing prison.

Matthew Anderson from Aberdeenshire used his technical knowledge to perform the acts and he operated as a member in a sophisticated international gang of hackers.

The 33-year-old was caught as a result of an investigation by the authorities in Finland and officials from Scotland Yard.

During a hearing at Southwark Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to offences under the Computer Misuse Act.

The criminal activity took place between September 2005 and June 2006.

Along with his accomplices, Mr Anderson had infected computers using viruses attached to unsolicited commercial emails.

Once computers had been affected, he was able to access private and commercial data stored on them and could also activate webcams.

In addition to this, he made copies of private documents, including medical reports, CVs and wills.

Commenting on the gang behind the crimes, Detective Constable Bob Burls from the Met Office’s e-crime unit said: “This organised online criminal network infected huge numbers of computers around the world, especially targeting UK businesses and individuals.

“Matthew Anderson methodically exploited computer users not only for his own financial gain but also violating their privacy. They used sophisticated computer code to commit their crimes.”

However, he went on to say that he would like to reassure the public that the response of the international law enforcement and anti-virus companies is “increasingly sophisticated”.

Indeed, one of the ways in which consumers and businesses can help to protect themselves against attacks of this nature is to invest in spam blockers and other such products.

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New to HR, you may be fooled into thinking it is a straightforward procedure to employ someone, give them work to do and ensure they are paid on time. This is not necessarily so – HR and payroll consists of a complex web of policies and procedures that extends far beyond the normal everyday workings of your business.

It pays to implement the national industry standard guidelines in order to avoid falling foul of the law or creating dissatisfaction and resentment in your workplace. This is easier said than done, however, as you’ll find guidelines and policies for everything from working hours and breaks to maternity leave; from pay and tax to bereavement. Worse still, policies and legislation are constantly changing and updating so you will most likely need to learn all of this more than once.

You can access all the information, standard forms and policies to read and implement yourself, but this is highly time consuming. Another way to streamline this process is to employ people to manage it for you, although this can be an unwanted expense which doesn’t overcome the initial hurdle of employing your first staff. Or you could employ a specialist payroll company to take the burden off your hands.

Payroll solutions don’t stop with software, or even with pay. At Moorepay we specialise in providing HR and payroll for SMEs, utilising our specialist knowledge and experience to improve your business and save you time. The hours saved to dedicate to the money-making side of your business easily pay for the service provided and the peace of mind is priceless. You can also be safe in the knowledge that you’re implementing the latest industry standard policies and practices for your employees at all times with a tailored service that suits your budget and current business needs.

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