Smoke detectors are those gadgets which never get any attention unless … well, we’re all aware of the exact moments when they make their otherwise oblivious presence felt with their characteristic beeps. Funnily enough, when asked about our favorite inventions, we never think twice about naming our cell phones, tabs or computers, and remain blissfully unmindful of the one little thing that is undoubtedly the most useful.

Reportedly, around two-thirds of the deaths resulting from household fires have occurred in homes without a working smoke alarm; so, one can never underestimate the importance of a functional smoke detector. Smoke detectors may be doing the priceless job of alerting us when there’s a fire at home; but, seriously, how many of us pay attention to maintaining it or even checking it? Besides the annual or biannual battery change ritual, not many are aware that we need to replace our smoke detectors every eight to ten years. And, when it is time to replace them, we can’t just throw the old ones into the trash as they contain hazardous material.

Smoke alarms usually come in two variations, ionization and photoelectric, each being differently capable of detecting smoke. These days, we have alarms with dual sensors that incorporate both technologies to maximize the effectiveness. Smoke detectors mostly contain alkaline or lithium batteries and electronic circuit boards, which need to be recycled appropriately, whereas ionization alarms contain traces of the radioactive element, Americium-241. What it does is that it releases particles that are instrumental in detecting smoke in the area. It is present in a compartment within the plastic casing, so it can cause no harm when it is installed in homes; however, safety measures must be followed while disposing it. Disposal of smoke detectors should be done carefully to prevent radioactive material from polluting our landfills.

Household Smoke Detectors: Points to Remember

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According to the Fire Protection Agency rules, smoke detectors are potential health hazards if they are not disposed off carefully.

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By law, manufacturing companies are supposed to label their products with warnings regarding their hazardous nature due to the presence of radioactive material. This is to make users aware that they should be disposed only at a nuclear waste disposal center.

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Another option is to return the device to the manufacturer, who would then responsibly recycle or dispose it. Extreme caution should be taken while returning a smoke alarm to the manufacturer.

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While returning it, do not open the device or fidget with its components. Wrap it in paper or bubble wrap, place it in a box and seal it before dispatching.

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In case the unit cannot be returned to the manufacturer, you can give it to a Household Waste Facility in your town.

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State laws regarding disposal of smoke alarms vary, so update yourself about the rules in yours.

Disposing Smoke Detectors With Radioactive Material

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The first step is to take the smoke detector apart as different components need to be disposed separately. Ensure that you are wearing protective rubber gloves before you begin.

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You must remove the batteries from the device and recycle them as per your regional laws.

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The plastic casing needs to be removed now. You can recycle this as regular plastic.

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The remaining contents should be wrapped and then sealed into a box. Never try to compress the unit or crush it.

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Make sure to return it by UPS ground mail only. You are strictly recommended against sending it by airmail.

For some, this entire exercise may seem like a troublesome chore, but you must remember that it needs to be done after long intervals. The humble old smoke detector is the appliance that works nonstop to ensure that our homes remain protected from being ravaged in fires. Maintaining a device that does so much for our well-being shouldn’t require a lot of encouragement, should it?

Buzzle: Home & Lifestyle

I had an interview for computer technician job. I would like your expert advise and input regarding the following questions.

Given 3 technical support scenarios, what would be first 3 things you want to check?

1. After connecting the printer to you pc or laptop, it doesn’t work. what would be first 3 things come to your find / you want to check?

my answer: a)check to see if printer connected properly b)check to see if printer’s driver works
c)is the printer set as default printer

2. you bought a new monitor and you connect it to the computer. it didn’t turn on. What would be first 3 tings you want to check?
my answer: a) check to see if monitor is properly connected b) check if monitor is powered on
I can’t think of 3rd one

Please give me some feedback, I appreciate your help!

Tech Support Guy Forums – Hardware

For instance, when I wanted to start juicing and getting a fresh start to the day, I went over to that site to pick up a quality juicer.  Sure, you can blend your juices, but you won’t get the texture and quality that you want out of the juice.  A juicer is really the only way to go.  I picked up one of the more high quality versions and was soon juicing my very first breakfast smoothie.  I have to say, it created such a positive mood in me that I don’t do anything before I drink my juice for the day.

I also picked up a blender.  I know I just said that lenders are great for juicing, but I don’t use them for juicing!  I actually use them to create my protein shakes after I get home from work out.  There’s nothing better than a little banana chocolate protein shake, but my blender just wasn’t cutting it.  I needed a new blender that would actually grind that the ice and create a smooth and creamy shake for me right after I worked out.  I wasn’t about to do any more work – I had just done all that work in the gym!  So, the blender worked out really well and I got it from amorwares as well.

Lastly, I’m a big cooking fanatic.  The one thing I don’t like though is chopping.  This is why I picked up a food processor.  A food processor makes your chopping tasks so much easier by doing them in about 1/10 the time it would take to do manually.  I can’t believe how much of my time I’ve saved by getting a food processor and I can only thank amorwares for helping me out with this.

While it is not a cheap option, it is the only option for removing your tattoos permanently and with minimal damage.  If you’ve ever watched a show about gang members that are being rehabilitated, you will see that laser tattoo removal is one of the big processes that they go through in order to integrate back into society.  Many of these gang members have tattoos on their face, skull, and all over there for arms.  These are very hard areas to cover up, so they must be removed instead of just hitting.

Laser tattoo removal is a somewhat painful process, but it is possible to completely remove the appearance of some of the most obvious and extravagant tattoos.  For more information on this, you should look at a laser clinic.  These clinics specialize exclusively in laser tattoo removal and as such, are experts in that field.  They know exactly what to do and exactly how to treat different types of tattoos.

Some tattoos are a little bit more extreme than others.  For instance, a full sleeve is much harder to remove than a simple tattoo on the shoulder.  When you’re looking for a tattoo removal clinic that actually knows what they’re doing, you need to put in some serious research.  If you’d like to know what to look into, read more here.  It’s a great resource for learning more about laser removal and how it can actually improve the quality of her life by allowing you to integrate back into society and not have people make snap judgments on your character just by a simple tattoo.

Luckily, kids these days do not have to go through this humiliation.  There is a better alternative braces that actually looks better and performs better.  It sounds too good to be true, but it’s a technology that has been out for at least five years now and is actually doing wonders for the mouths of young children.  If you haven’t heard it yet, it’s called Invisalign.  It works just like it sounds: invisibly aligns your teeth so you have an absolutely beautiful smile, just like braces.

But how does this work?  It seems too good to be true and frankly a little outrageous.  It works by putting a cover over your teeth that gradually shift them into the right position.  This cover is clear and very hard to detect, so it does not look like you’re wearing anything on your teeth at all.

Austin family orthodontics is a dental office that specializes in Invisalign.  They have the experience and the know-how to help you fit your Invisalign to your teeth and develop a plan for shifting them into perfect alignment.  For more information, check out http://www.austinfamilyorthodontics.com/invisalign/ or simply go to their homepage.  It’s such an incredible product that you shouldn’t waste another minute thinking about it – just go check out the details and you’ll thank me later!

Most Recent – Creative Writing – Voices from Yahoo!

A stroll around the intersecting circular paths through the woods of Covington Glen led visitors past the colorful tents and tables of some 60 skilled Artisians from all over the country: sparkling jewelry, colorful Renaissance clothing, leather goods, feathers and hats, swords, pottery, fortune tellers, food vendors, head circlets, soaps, elf ears, leather-bound books, boots, brooms and more. Stages featured knife throwing, juggling, Celtic music, Renaissance music, comedy, Shakespeare, fire eating and other forms of entertainment.

There were camel rides, birds of prey, live chess matches, a pirate show, other rides and games, and a tour of the local Castle Gywnn. Perhaps the most exciting entertainment was the live jousting match where knights in armor galloped across the field on horseback at full tilt with lances.

Although there was a price for some of the rides and whatever shopping and food visitors wanted, a full day’s entertainment was free with the price of admission.

The Tennessee Renaissance Festival takes place every weekend in May and on Memorial Day. The Theme Weekends are as follows:
May 12 – 13: Mother’s Day Weekend which includes a Vow Renewal Ceremony
May 19 – 20: Pirate Invasion Weekend with a crew of scuvry pirates, a Children’s Pirate Costume Contest, and donations for Second Harvest Foodbank
May 26 – 27 – 28: Royal Jousting Tournament Weekend where jousters compete in Full Armored Contact Jousting

See photos of the 27th Tennessee Renaissance Festival above.

Also see:
26th Annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival Every Weekend in May
2010 Tennessee Renaissance Festival Slideshow
Tennessee Renaissance Festival – Another Dimension to Nashville Entertainment
Tennessee Renaissance Festival 2009

Most Recent – Local – Voices from Yahoo!

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If you are one of those people who grew up not sure if you’d ever want kids, and now you find yourself married to the perfect spouse and thinking children might be in your not-so-distant future, you are not alone. If you are worried that having these kids will ruin your marriage, you are not alone, either. While it will take some work, and while it will certainly change your life, having a baby doesn’t have to ruin your marriage. You just have to get a little creative about how you think of spending time together, and you have to make the most of the time you have.

After Bedtime

Remember when you were a little kid and you used to complain about having to go to bed earlier than all of the adults? There was a reason your mom and dad made you go to sleep earlier than they did. They use the after-bedtime hours as adult time. This is the time for moms and dads to watch what they want on television, or to watch a movie not suitable for children. You might be exhausted when you put your kids to sleep, but enforcing a strict bedtime is good for the child and the parents. It gives the child a sense of routine, and a good night’s sleep, while it gives the parents some quality time together in the comfort of their own home.

Hire a Babysitter

Some parents may be wary of hiring a babysitter who is not a family member, but sometimes it is necessary if you ever want to get out of the house with just the two of you. Find someone you trust by asking a trusted neighbor or by consulting online babysitting and nanny searches. These internet babysitting profiles often run background checks and allow you to interview people before hiring them, which can put your mind at ease. Hiring a babysitter can really add up, though, from a cost standpoint. If hiring a babysitter is too expensive, see if you can trade off nights with the parents of your child’s friends. You take all the kids for a night one week, and then the next week, the other parents take their turn. This can be beneficial for everyone involved, because it allows you to spend less money while still being able to have someone you trust watch your kids, and your kids get to play with their friends every week.

Schedule Date Night

Those mommy calendars are no joke. When you have little kids running around, you need to schedule every minute of every day. Before kids, you probably had spontaneous date nights all of the time, but after kids, this can be much harder than it used to be. There is no shame in scheduling a date night. Put it on the calendar, and make sure everyone knows that you and your spouse are going out of town for a night, or maybe just dinner. It doesn’t matter what you do; what matters is that you do it alone.

Family Cuddle Time

While it’s definitely not the same as spending time alone, having quality family time every night is important for everyone. When you spend time with your kids, talking to them and sharing stories about your days and being excited about each others projects, this can foster a sense of companionship among the family. Even if you don’t feel like talking one day, pick a favorite movie or television show and cuddle up each other with a great blanket. You’ll feel great having spent quality time together with your family.

Buzzle: Children & Family