Articles by Roger Walker

Once you have had a beautiful carpet fitted you probably don’t really think much more about it, until perhaps you have to call Cheltenham Carpet Cleaning company https://www.clean-able.co.uk/commercial-carpet-cleaning-cheltenham/ because someone has spilt red wine all over it. But carpets have a long long history and it is thought that they were first developed in Central Asia thousands and thousands of years ago.

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These carpets were created in the size and style of what we know call rugs. Nomadic individuals needed a way to keep themselves warm in the colder months and initially animal hide was used but this was problematic to handle and move around. Instead they started to other materials from sheep and goats and create tent items using warp, weft and pile. These were created on very basic looms that were made from wooden ribs that were secured to the ground. The warp was then fastened and the looming for their early style rugs could take place. The patterns that were woven tended to be of geometric or curved shapes.

During the 16th Century in both Persia and India te technology and artistic design of carpets was enhanced and further developed. Workshops in the courts would take place where individuals would be taught the skills need to create elaborate carpets. One of the most famous carpets in the world, known as the Ardabil carpet was created during this time period and you can see this in the V&A Museum in London. It is thought to date back to 1539 AD and was ordered by Shah Tahmasp as a carpet to be laid in the sheikh Safi mosque. It took a total of three years for around five weavers to complete this intricate rug that when finished measured 534 cms wide by 1152 cms long. It is thought that the carpet was probably created in Persia in the city of Kashan.

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There were originally two identical carpets made but in order to repair one carpet the other was taken apart. These remnants of the second carpet can be seen in the Los Angeles County Museum in America. They were both made with a pile made from wool, warp and wefts made from silk and persian knots.

A quick internet search will see you find a number of other key carpets that are often displayed in museums and are testament to the skill and creativity that went into the creation of these early forms of carpet.

When it comes to relationships, many of us need a helping hand from time to time. This can be for all sorts of reasons from issues with keeping the romance alive to problems in the bedroom department. If you want to enjoy a satisfying relationship that makes both you and your partner happy, it is important to ensure you tackle any issues within your relationship rather than burying your head in the sand.

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Where would we be without electricity? One answer, advanced by the Eagle comic in their 1980’s cartoon strip “The Tower King”, is that we would be sent back into a new middle ages and have to go and live in a Castle again in some kind of Game of Thrones world. Simply put then electricity is incredibly important and vital to our modern day survival. No Television, no computers, with cooking food and boiling water over open fires becoming the norm. Steam trains would have to come back though so it’s not all bad. Luckily we are not in that space in society, electricity powers some incredible technological advances such as the products provided by a Home Automation Company where you can control your home at the touch of a button. Who and how did we discover this miraculous power?

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You can’t really “discover” electricity because it is a natural force that existed well before we came along with our fancy science ideas. Anyone looking out of their mud hut during a lighting storm could see that there was plainly something going on as there was all this bright hot flashing stuff shooting down from the sky blowing up trees and incinerating slow moving wildlife. Think instead of us understanding what it is and then trying to figure out how we can use it to our advantage, which is the approach that humans take to most things they find in the natural world.

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Scientists knew about static electricity, probably by rubbing their feet on a carpet and then touching a mate, but the true discovery of really powerful electricity comes from Benjamin Franklin. Franklin theorised that electricity had both positively and negatively charged elements and electricity flowed between them. So, a cloud is a positive and the earth is the negative therefore the lighting is the flow of energy.

To test this he waited till there was a nice big storm and contrary to sensible advice he set off up a hill with a kite and key to illustrate this. He launched the kite up into the air with the key tied around it act as a conductor. The lightning stuck, the key glowed and Franklin got a shock but he had proved that electricity was a power. One hundred years later Thomas Edison used this power to generate a small amount of energy to pass through a metal coil in a light bulb.

Although Franklin gets the praise it turns out that using electricity might have older roots. The basics for batteries have been discovered in use by the Egyptians, who also had knowledge of steam power, and English’s scientists William Gilbert and Sir Thomas Browne were already studying it fifty years before Franklin.

If there is something that bothers every owner of a bong, it is having to clean it. Due to the combustion that occurs every time we smoke, in our bong or pipe there are many particles, ash and dirt. This causes that our bong acquires a characteristic smell, that the flavor at the time of using it is not the best possible. Therefore, it is very important to clean our accessories frequently. This will allow not only to enjoy a much better flavor, but also to extend the useful life of our bong or pipe and get it to always look like the first day.

Step 1: Put the Bong to soak

This is in case you have not cleaned your bong for a long time. Try using fairly hot water (but not boiling) in a pot. Place the bong inside and let it soak for about an hour. It may seem silly, but soaking will help all the resin and dirt inside it soften, allowing it to be much easier to remove later. This step will facilitate its cleaning.

Step 2: Prepare the liquid

In case you have a special liquid to clean bongs, it is recommended that you throw a certain amount into a glass and add a good handful of salt. It does not matter what kind of salt it is. Why? This will help to undo the resin that has formed inside your bong, getting a much deeper cleaning. In addition, it will also help to rub or scratch the bong inside. In this way, the interior part that is so difficult to access without the special brushes will be cleaned. In any case, do not go over the amount of salt, or it will not dissolve enough. If there is too much, the salt could scratch of glass bongs, something we do not want.

Step 3: Shake and brush

Introduce the liquid inside your bong or pipe. The same way you do when you fill it with water to smoke. Keep in mind that resin and dirt will not be removed just by adding the liquid. Therefore, it is best to cover the outputs of the bong with your fingers, and begin to shake insistently. Stay shaking for a couple of minutes. This will give the liquid enough time to act and remove bacteria and dirt from your bong.

Once you have done this, you can brush your bong to remove all the dirt from its interior in a deeper way. Use the brushes that we have recommended or any brush you have at home. An old toothbrush would be perfect. It is difficult, but try to access all the holes in your bong through the mouthpiece. Be careful if your bong is crystal or delicate, since you could damage a piece.

If after brushing all the dirt has not been removed, rinse your bong with the special liquid again and shake for a few minutes. Once the process is finished, rinse the bong with plenty of water. This will remove any remaining liquid.

Step 4: Clean the bowl

It is the piece in which you put the marijuana to smoke it. It will probably be full of dried ash, dirt, resin and maybe even something burned. To clean it you can help with the cleaning product. Rinse the piece with it and brush it thoroughly as you have done with the bong. If that’s still not enough, use a lighter to heat it as much as you can, as you can see in the image. This will help to soften the resin and dirt (something similar to when you heat hash). When it is hot, use a pair of tweezers or any other small object to scratch the dirt and remove it. This is the part of your bong that is harder to clean. Unlike the others, it is recommended to clean it every time you use it, as it takes a few seconds and will help you to keep it in the best possible condition.

Step 5: Dirty it again

Once the bong is completely washed and cleaned, you simply have to let it dry. When it’s ready, it’s time to mess it up again. Enjoy your shiny bong like the first day, without annoying and unpleasant odors, with a perfect appearance and, most importantly, with a unique flavor: that of your marijuana.

Would you prefer financial advice from a human or a robot? New research suggests that Millennials prefer to discuss their financial planning face to face with a human being. It’s all to do with creating a relationship that transcends finance even though a human financial adviser may charge higher fees.

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So why are human financial advisers better than robot advisers? And why, if you were looking for an independent financial advisor Marlborough rugby club gives their backing to, would you choose a human being, not a robot? The reasons, it seems, are complex.

Emotions

Algorithms are no match for human emotions and intuition, or an advisor who’s capable of dealing with them. Making a wise investment after a significant financial event can be difficult when emotions run high. Who better to advise you than a human being who can empathise and give you sound advice you can understand rather than a robo-adviser who will focus only on the investment opportunities?

Flexibility

A human adviser is ready to respond to any life changing events that come your way whether that’s a financial windfall or a lost job. They’re flexible enough to give you the advice you need for your changing life situations and to change and adapt advice to your unique needs. By contrast, an algorithm led robo-adviser doesn’t offer that flexibility, and may not give you the best advice.

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Commitment

An adviser who’s committed to helping you achieve results is worth their weight in gold. They also win out against robo-advisers who can set reminders and goals and create tasks but don’t have the sheer commitment that helps you commit to and achieve your goals. When you seek independent financial advice through Chilvester or another human financial adviser, you’re putting your future first.

Tailored service

Ultimately, whether you prefer a human or robo-adviser may be down to whether you’re happy to accept a one size fits all service or you’re happier with an adviser who can tailor their service to your unique needs. An automated service may be both more cost effective and more streamlined, but there are limitations to accepting financial advice that doesn’t take into account your particular circumstances.

Technology in the financial sector isn’t going anywhere. But whether you prefer a human or robo-adviser may ultimately depend on just how human you are.