Carpet, Dollar and Sedge!

Carpet, Dollar & Sedge. If you know what these are that means you’ve probably had, or worse, have them. For those of you who aren't yet familiar with these names they're weeds. They are very invasive weeds that we see in the warm southeast United States. Many of us have taken up arms against them with little success, inevitably seeking out the professional lawn service companies such as Chem-Lawn Truegreen and Scotts, to name but two. I, in the past, sought out the pros to dispose of many lawn and garden weeds. I will point out that my lawn variety is St. Augustine floratam, a very water hungry variety. There are three weed types I'd like to address.

NUTSEDGE! I hate this weed with a passion. The lawn service assured me they could kill it all. They used chemicals know by the names Image and Manor, products that state they kill Nutsedge. Maybe they kill Nutsedge in Argentina during the cold months, but not here! I did some homework and talked with my local chemical supply store (DIY weed and bug killing) and was directed to only one chemical that guaranteed it would kill the dreaded sedge, Basagran! Basagran used in conjunction with an herbicidal oil, used to allow chemical to stick to the weed, would be successful. You can substitute vegetable oil for herbicidal oil with the same result. You know what? It worked just as I was told it would. The sedge browned out in a couple of days, killing the roots as well. All I needed to do was harvest the dead sedge.

DOLLAR WEED! This weed has such a long root system that you cannot dig all of it up to eliminate it, aside from tearing up your entire lawn and/or garden. It gets everywhere and the best you can accomplish is to control it when it surfaces. The chemical of choice here is Atrizine and only Atrizine! Why? Because it works, that's why. Here we go again, Image and Manor will kill Dollar Weed in ....yada, yada, yada! Due to the fact that too many people overapplied Atrizine in the concentrated form(if 1 oz is good then 3 oz will be really good!- NOT good) the EPA banned it. You may only buy it in the diluted gallon jug because people used it stupidly and did not follow the specific mixing instructions. Don't use Atrizine if it will be raining within a couple of days. The chemical works best when allowed to absorb into the leaf and when it's dry the leaf will absorb this moisture and hasten it's departure. To a lesser extent it will kill some of the root system if the area remains dry for several days. FYI! If you use a zoned sprinkler system try to direct spray away from moist or shaded areas as Dollar Weed loves moist soil to grow faster. Do Not over-water your yard as this will encourage weed growth and migration.

CARPET GRASS! This is a real pain in the butt! There is no chemical, that is still legal, you can use to kill carpet grass. People know this weed who have planted plugs or sodded a lawn. It creeps in and starts to take over the lawn voraciously. The only remedy I know for this, and I've had partial success with it, is 20 Mule Team Borax laundry booster. Yes, that's right, a laundry additive. Just sprinkle over the carpet grass and wait for it to yellow before pulling it out. When removed use Preen, or similar product, to ensure it won't return. Do Not over-apply the Borax as it can damage your lawn if it has poor drainage(ie: clay or tight soil).Borax can also be used on Dollar Weed but is not as effective as Atrizine.

Be smart when applying any killing agent to your property. Overuse will create collateral botanical damage, pet illness/poisoning and human health issues from contaminated shoes and clothing inside the house from the yard. When handling herbicides, and pesticides, always remember to WASH YOUR HANDS and change your clothes before lounging. When using powdered or misting chemicals always wear a breathing shield(doctors mask), gloves and eye protection. In concentration these chemicals are harmful to humans and animals as well as weeds! At the very least make sure your shield your eyes, as chemicals enter the bloodstream VERY FAST through the eye tissue.

Note: The treatments listed above are NOT a permanent fix. These weeds will come back! The important thing to remember is not to stress out because they are treatable.

Fay's Just a Blowhard!

I have been watching the way people have been 'attempting' to prepare for, what the weather forecasters keep saying is a "hurricane in the making". This is referring to tropical storm Fay which, as I type, has gone past me and is heading towards Disneyworld in Orlando, FL. The storm never came to be a hurricane unlike a few years back when we went through the entire alphabet and into the Greek alphabet to give all the storms a name. I'm getting away from where I want to go with this article. I was observing the buying habits of our so-called enlightened populace when it comes to 'GREEN' thinking, conservation and saving money. These are the flags that everyone waves high when they talk about it, except when they panic however. Everyone was buying bottled water instead of reusable plastic storage containers, gobs of batteries of all shapes and sizes instead of self-powering flashlights that can be purchased for less than 4 packs of batteries. Did I mention these flashlights require $0 to operate-FOREVER! Oh yes, don't forget batteries for the radio! That's right, they make wind up radios as well that require $0 to operate-FOREVER! I know, nothing works forever but they will live a lot longer than all those batteries COMBINED and don't need special disposal when rendered useless eventually! Some of the things I saw people grabbing up days before the storm MIGHT hit their area were ice, beer and chips (crisps for you Brits). You know. The Basics! I guess the ice is to keep the beer cold while they wait for the storm! BTW, it was just a windy, rainy storm and not much more here. I hope the kids will like cold beer and chips for dinner. Enjoy the beer!
ps. just because the water is bottled doesn't mean it's safer than your tap water!

Hot Water? No Tanks!

The days of the water heater tank in the basement or in the garage could be heading for oblivion. The day of the tankless water heater is upon us! Or is it? I first started hearing about these devices about 12 years ago when I was in England. The flats are so compact over there that they needed to do something like this for space sake if not just for efficiency. I thought that this was a great idea since this seemed like it would be great for my house by freeing up space in the garage, thus allowing me to store more 'stuff' where the tank was. I never got around to it until just this past year. I spoke to several plumbers about tankless heaters and I got the same response from all of them, "how much hot water do you need for how many people at once" and "do you plan on running your dishwasher or washing machine while you shower?". Odd questions I thought but I pursued it further and was told that the concept was good, it's just that the pipes need to be larger in the house than it was built with to get the needed 'gallons per minute' from the unit. Oh well, maybe another time.

The tankless water heater works by electrically heating the water while it's still in the pipe and delivers it to where the demand is. No demand means the unit is off until hot water is needed again.

The Upside - hot water on-demand without having run down of stored hot water, since none is stored. Uses electricity ONLY when water is required, thus lowering electrical costs. Small unit mounts on wall thereby eliminating a bulky tank.
Units can run from $200-$500 USD, not including installation which is reasonable for long term cost savings.

The Downside - unless your home was/is designed for this system during construction the pipe size and flow rate will diminish with multiple calls for heated water. A home with 2 adults not washing clothes would be appropriate for this system, not for families.

Recommended with reservations noted above.

Disclaimer: The unit shown above is for example purposes only and does not reflect any judgement on this units abilities or performance.

Boom! Boom! Out Go The Lights!

This is appropriate for anyone who lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, or any other lightning rich area, in the summer months. Those of you who enjoy the snap, crackle and pop of a good lightning storm (like me)would enjoy the sky-ripping bolts of pure electricity steaking across the sky and also striking the land. Now for the sober side of lightning. When it hits buildings, at the very least, the power goes out and the very worst is the building is destroyed. Several things happen when lightning hits near your home or power sub-station. The electricity may fluctuate and stay on, it may go off for a short while or a long while, the current may surge and destroy non protected devices, it may follow a metallic pipe or line and bring the power into the house causing a fire, plumbing fixtures may be destroyed and worst of all it could cause human or pet casualties. There isn't too much you can do to stop a bolt of lightning and yes, I know what your going to say "but I have lightning rods on my roof to protect me". Okay, I see! You have metal rods on your roof to attract lightning to your house! Hmmm! I will continue to something you do have control over. Everyone has appliances (ie: washer, dryer, fridge, tv, pc), to some extent, that could be adversely effected by an electrical surge. Most plug-in surge suppressors cannot handle a direct hit from lightning. Once the current gets into the house it will fan out across any wiring it can find. What can you do? Simple. Contact your local electric company and ask if they can provide a surge suppressor for your outside meter. My provider is Withlacoochee River Electric Co-op. I pay a very small monthly fee (<$7) and this gets me the surge stopper installed on the meter AS WELL AS full insurance coverage for any major appliance in the house that is damaged by a surge that manages to get through. I don't know about you but I know I could never afford to replace more than 1 appliance at any one time. The Upside - very low cost whole house 'lightning through the wires' protection.

The Downside - not all electric companies offer this service. Ask Them To!!

Recommended item!

FYI Alerts!

These will be, in my personal opinion, items worthy of mention. I will be non specific on price and where it was obtained unless I am emailed for further information about it. I will be reviewing items per request and I will be specific about the items I have had hands on with, on a day to day basis, in my home or at work. The FYI's will tend to be 'have you heard about this?' items or services that I just feel like sharing. Maybe you will even benefit from them as I have.

I Have Seen The Light..and it is Good!

I found, after receiving a bigger than usual electric bill, that I had a hole in the air I was pouring electric light into. This is similar to swimming pools that are a hole in the ground you pour money into. In Florida houses are lit up most of the time and 99% are using incandescent light bulbs. This is one of the biggest invisible expenses on your bill. I selected this item to be my first cost cutter in the house. I now have 75% of my lighting with these tube bulbs. They use 30 watts of electricity to produce 60 watts of light and in two of my rooms I found the light to be brighter than the old lights and was able to eliminate secondary lights altogether.

The Upside - good lighting with lower operating cost. Try home stores like Lowes or Home Depot for larger multi packs (I got mine cheaper there than at that BIG retailer).

The Downside - do not use fluorescents with security lighting as the response time is inadequate for instant lighting. These bulbs get full brightness after 2-3 seconds.

Recommended item!

What's it all about, Alfie? Who's Alfie?

I am writing this blog in, what I believe to be, a realistic manner. I use the word Blue in my title in an optimistic way for I would love this planet to be truly blue again. That will, unfortunately, be up to others, the powers that be, etc. You know the routine. I can only care for my piece of the world and I won’t tell you how to take care of yours. I will, however, offer suggestions on things I have found and in most cases have implemented, in my own home or outdoor property, that have proven worthy of mention. In life everything has an up AND a down side, and I will express them to you. In many cases I wish these products and ideas had presented themselves to me rather than hunting them down and then look for an honest review. The vast majority of the things that I will write about will be based on what I have 'hands on' time with. I will be honest when I tell you if it's junk or a gem. It’s funny how a series of events in our corner of the globe (e.g, oil prices, unemployment and high bills) can trigger a metamorphosis in ones thinking of how to conserve or ‘get more bang for the buck’ in trying to reduce costs just to survive these times. I hope you will be educated and entertained and at the same time maybe save some cash.

How to Fake Alexa. Can I Fake My Alexa Ranking?

You most likely found this post because you were thinking to yourself... Can I Fake My Alexa Ranking? So you decided to search for information on How to Fake Alexa. I am going to tip you on finding out how to increase your Alexa rank.

Right now I am going to show you how to fake Alexa. Next time you say to yourself, "How Can I Fake My Alexa Ranking?" You will know the answer! I’ll show you how to fake your Alexa rank so you can quickly get a low Alexa rank for your new site even though most people think that is not possible.

Let me clear something up right away... I cannot actually fake my Alexa rank and you can't fake your Alexa rank either. But there are definitely some things you can do to boost it. This isn't exactly how to fake Alexa but it is as close as you can get.

To give yourself a nice boost in Alexa rank, one thing you can do is write a post about how to fake Alexa. Yes, that is exactly what I am doing right now!

You see, "How to fake Alexa" is one of the top things that bloggers and other webmasters search for because they know having a good Alexa rank is can be very important to their success. So the whole reason for this post is to get ranked for the keyword phrase How to Fake Alexa and get as many people here as possible looking for tips on boosting Alexa rank. This will, in turn, help my Alexa ranking.

Can I fake my Alexa Rank? No, I can't.

At least to my knowledge there are no methods on How to Fake Alexa. There are no real ways to fake Alexa so you will just have to live with that fact. But you can easily increase your Alexa rank by doing some things such as what I am doing right now.

This is the best method I have found for lowering your Alexa rank as quickly as possible. Like I said before, I am going to keep using keyword phrases related How To Fake Alexa so I can get this post ranked as highly as possible and lower my Alexa rank from all the traffic I get from internet marketers, webmasters, and bloggers.

Doing this will attract the attention of people who know what Alexa is, such as; internet marketers, bloggers, and webmasters. They will come here trying to figure out how I can fake my Alexa rank and hopefully learn how to fake Alexa themselves. And that's perfect because these are the people I want to come here because they are the ones who will probably have the Alexa toolbar installed.

If you aren't even sure what Alexa rank is, the simplest way to define it is that the Alexa rank is a ranking system that bases its ranking on the amount of traffic a website receives from people who have the Alexa toolbar installed. The Alexa ranking tends to be highly skewed towards websites that get most of their traffic from internet marketers, webmasters, bloggers, and other technical people. This is because these people are much more likely to have the Alexa toolbar installed than your average internet user.

Your Alexa rank is used by internet marketers, webmasters, and potential advertisers as one of the factors in determining the value of your website. Simply put, the value of a link on your website, an ad on your site, or the monetary value of your site as a whole is very much related to your Alexa rank.

So you definitely want to have a good Alexa rank. And like I mentioned before, the best way to fake Alexa rank is to get tons of people who have the Alexa toolbar installed on their browser to visit your website.

By attracting internet marketers and other web savvy people who have the Alexa toolbar installed, you will be able to increase your own Alexa rank. That's exactly how I will be able to bring my Alexa ranking way down by making a post like this. Because when internet marketers come to see if I really do know how to fake Alexa rank, they will be helping me lower my own Alexa ranking.

To be honest, the ability to attract as many Alexa toolbar users here to the free home business tips blog as possible will artificially enhance my Alexa ranking and that is really how I can fake my Alexa rank.

One other great strategy that I can give you on how to fake Alexa is to simply install the toolbar on your own browser and set your website as your start up home page. And visit your own site as much as possible. Yes, your visits do count toward your Alexa rank. Every little bit helps.

This is a copied text for the same purpose as this post. This is an experiment only!
http://www.zimbio.com/alexa+rank/articles/165/How+Fake+Alexa+Can+Fake+My+Alexa+Ranking