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How to protect your home from water damage

Avoid soggy disasters with these tips Water damage is one of the most common and costliest disasters your home can experience, costing billions of dollars annually. Safeguard your most important asset against water damage with the right insurance coverage and the following practical advice. Water damage and insurance Different types of water damage are insured by different types of policies. Homeowners and renters insurance provides coverage for burst pipes, wind driven rain and damage resulting from ice dams on your roof. Generally speaking, water that comes from the top down—such as rainfall and burst sprinklers—is covered by a standard homeowners policy. Some policies cover sewer and drain backups, but many do not; however, you can purchase a sewer backup rider to your homeowners or renters coverage. Typically, water that comes from the bottom up—such as an overflowing river—is covered by a separate flood insurance policy, which can be purchased from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and from some private insurers. If you live in a flood prone area, learn more about appropriate coverage. Properly maintaining a home is one of the best ways to prevent water damage from water disasters. Prevent basement water seepage Reseal your basement. Water in the basement is often caused by cracks in building foundations or floor slabs. If you notice water seepage after heavy rain when you’ve never had a problem, it may mean that your once-waterproof cement floors and basement walls have deteriorated. Painting vulnerable areas with water sealant can prevent seepage. Make sure water drains away from the building. Seepage is exacerbated by soil that has settled in a way to make water flow toward the building. After a storm, and especially if the ground is already saturated, rainwater that flows towards the building goes down the outside of the foundation wall potentially through any cracks. Install a backwater valve. Though less common than other causes of basement water, sewer backups are messy. Learn more about your sewer responsibilities and install and maintain a backwater valve, which allows sewage to go out, but not come back in. Maintain and understand your indoor plumbing systems Inspect appliance hoses and faucets. Make it a practice every year to check hoses leading to water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerator icemakers. You may also want to invest in a water leak monitoring and shut-off system that can alert you to any leakage issues. Immediately replace any hoses that have cracks or leaks, and replace them all every five to seven years. Inspect showers and tubs. Check the seal and caulking around showers and tubs to make sure they are watertight and reseal if necessary. When away on vacation, shut off the water supply to the washing machine and never leave the house while the washer or dishwasher is running. Know the location of the main water shut-off valve in your home. A damaged hose or a burst pipe can send water racing into your home. Being able to locate and shut off the main water supply quickly will save stress, money and time. Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will protect against the increased pressure caused by freezing pipes and can help prevent your pipes from bursting. Check plumbing and heating pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks and have any necessary repairs made immediately. Repair and protect your home’s exterior Caulk and seal windows to guard against water seepage. Inspect your roof for missing, damaged and aging shingles and make necessary repairs. Check your downspouts. Remove debris that may have accumulated in downspouts and rain gutters. Position downspouts so that they direct water away from the house. Check sprinklers and irrigation systems to be sure they are not creating water damage to the walls and foundations of the house. Turn off and drain outside faucets to protect against frozen pipes. Install gutter guards to prevent gutter clogs and keep water flowing away from the house instead of accumulating on the roof. Protect your possessions Store off-season and other bulk belongings in waterproof bins, especially in areas where there are plumbing pipes or that are prone to dampness, such as basements and attics. Never store valuables or memorabilia where there is risk of destruction from water. Water and damp also brings with it the threat of mold damage. Keep belongings stored on shelving off the floor in basements. In case of water seepage or sewer backup, they’re less likely to get damaged. Keep an up-to-date home inventory. Having a comprehensive list of your possessions will save time, trouble and stress in case of loss from water damage.
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A Super Worm Moon will appear on Sunday making our lunar satellite look even bigger

This weekend the first supermoon of the year will be visible, named the Worm Moon, reaching its biggest and brightest in the night sky on Sunday. The Worm Moon is named for the earthworms that begin to appear in March, when the soil begins to warm up, bringing robins and other birds for the start of spring. It won’t be as spectacular in the UK as it could be as forecasts for the weekend point to cloudy skies, that will obscure the magnitude of Earth’s natural satellite. The clocks change to British Summer Time, moving an hour ahead on Sunday morning, with the moon first rising above the horizon at 19:06 BST, and the point it will appear largest will be 19:48 BST. It should appear full through until Tuesday morning, according to NASA. The best time to photograph the Moon is at it rises. When the Moon is low on the horizon the atmosphere makes it appear even larger, astronomers suggest. This shows the first Supermoon of 2020 as it rises above Tenerife’s Teide National Park. The Worm Moon can be viewed from Sunday Evening through to Tuesday morning The near full supermoon sets over London. Also know as the Worm Moon, taken in 2020 What is a supermoon? A ‘supermoon’ appears to us as a larger-than-usual Moon in our night sky. A supermoon takes place when the moon is full and its orbit at its perigee point is closest to Earth. As the moon orbits in an ellipse its closest point – the perigee – will come very close to earth. The farthest point of the ellipse is called the apogee. When a full moon appears at perigee, the moon looks brighter and larger than a regular moon, hence the nickname supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the full moon nearly coincides with perigee – the point in the orbit of the moon at which it is nearest to the Earth. At perigee a supermoon can appear as much as 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter than normal, when viewed from Earth, depending on the time of year. Full moon names were historically used to track the seasons by various Native American tribes, and therefore are closely related to nature. If possible, the best time to view the full moon is when it is close to the horizon, due to an optical illusion that makes it appear bigger due to its relative size compared to buildings, trees and other objects in the foreground. Astronomers advise photographers to download apps and maps to track the progress of the moon across the sky, in order to make sightings easier. Dr Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University said supermoons often encourage people to go out and take their first steps in astrophotography thinking the moon will be much larger than normal. ‘However, in reality supermoons are never huge at all so don’t get fooled in thinking that you can see it being larger than usual,’ he said. ‘The so-called “moon illusion” will make the moon appear much larger than it really is, when it is close to the horizon, but that happens for any full moon or moon phase you observe,’ he said,’ adding ‘go out there and enjoy spotting the moon.’ Different publications use slightly different thresholds for deciding when a full moon is close enough to the Earth to qualify as a supermoon. For example, this year March is only ‘borderline’ a supermoon, with moons in April, May and June being much closer to the Sun than this month’s full moon. ‘The full Moons in April and May are nearly tied as the closest full Moons of the year,’ NASA explained in a blog post. ‘The full Moon on May 26, 2021, will be slightly closer to the Earth than the full Moon on April 26, 2021, but only by a slim 0.04%!’ The moon at 99.0 per cent rises behind One World Trade Center and the skyline of lower Manhattan in New York City at sunset on March 8, 2020 A Sunday evening almost full moon at 97.6 per cent, as it sets behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City The moon at 99% rises behind One World Trade Center and the skyline of lower Manhattan in New York City at sunset on March 8, 2020 UPCOMING STARGAZING EVENTS April 12: New Moon – take advantage of a dark night sky to see the planets April 22 & 23: Lyrid Meteor Shower – this show of meteors will reach its annual peak April 27: Pink Full Moon – will be a Super Moon this year and 30% brighter than usual March – April: Constellation of Orion visible in the night sky Lockdown lethargy has seen people look to the stars for inspiration, with many taking up astrophotography as a new hobby, and with nothing more than a smartphone it is possible to capture stunning images of the moon. Wex Photo Video, an online photography service, said they saw a 260 per cent increase in traffic to their astronomy section since the start of lockdown in 2020. While the Super Worm Moon will provide a good opportunity to photograph our natural satellite, experts predict the April and June moons will be more impressive. Some regard the April moon not the March moon, as the first supermoon of 2021, including Chris Grimmer, an astrophotographer for Wex. ‘April’s Full Moon is traditionally known as the Pink Full Moon. This year, it’s also a Super Moon, so it will look a little larger than a usual Full Moon,’ he explained. ‘This Supermoon brings the Moon to approx. 223,000 km from earth, roughly 35,000 kms closer than at Apogee. This results in it appearing 30% brighter than normal,’ which is the upper end of how much brighter it can get. Before technology, the moon could be used in this way to estimate time of month/year as a lunar cycle almost mirrors our monthly cycle. ‘The >>Read more
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What is Web3? The future of the internet, a ‘marketing buzzword’ or something still to be defined?

The future of the internet is a multi-trillion-dollar question facing the technology industry, including some of the world’s wealthiest companies and investors. At the center of a vigorous debate around how our online experiences will evolve is a concept called Web3. The term has existed for the better part of a decade, but remains a hazy and polarising topic, splitting those who see it as a way to change the world for the better, and others who spy an opportunity to make even more money from a decentralized internet. So what exactly is Web3, and how is it already changing our internet? A brief history of the World Wide Web The first version of the internet, known as Web 1.0, existed between the early nineties and early noughties. During that time, the internet was largely decentralized and spread across numerous web pages, which weren’t very linked or interactive. Internet users also didn’t produce their own content to share online. The current era of the internet, Web 2.0, has been around since the mid-noughties. It’s defined by the centralization of things like communication and commerce on corporate platforms, where we post photos to Facebook that we’ll later find embarrassing, buy stuff on Amazon, and show everyone our breakfast on Instagram. This has led to the creation of a whole lot of data about internet users, including their political leanings and spending patterns, which corporations have sold off to advertisers and even to political campaigns. According to some, the future of the internet will see users take back control, become part-owners of the web, share in the profits made from their content and decentralize it once again. This is where the idea of Web3 comes in. What is Web3? Web3 is a concept for the next iteration of the internet, built around decentralized blockchain technology — that’s the same technology used by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, where data isn’t managed by a centralized server or authority, but by all of the computer systems that run on the blockchain. The term Web3 was introduced in 2014 by Gavin Wood, a co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, but the term gained mainstream attention last year, amid hype from blockchain enthusiasts and technology investors. The technologies behind it could allow internet users to earn money, assets, or ownership for making content or otherwise contributing to the web, according to Kelsie Nabben, a researcher at RMIT University’s Blockchain Innovation Hub. “People that are creating value — say when you or I post photos or have video calls — we have no ownership over that value, which is the data we are creating,” she said. “I don’t think there’s consensus on what Web3 is. “The tools can create amazing communities and community dynamics, and then these microcosms of innovation and experimentation have the potential to change economies, the way labor and employment work, as well as access and participation and digital inclusion.” So when will Web3 be here? In a sense, elements of Web3 are already forming part of our current internet, including systems that use blockchain technology such as cryptocurrencies, some of the virtual worlds in the metaverse, and non-fungible tokens or NFTs, which are tokens that assign ownership to things like digital artwork. For example, in Web 1.0 you may have emailed someone a photo of yourself. In Web 2.0, you may have shared a selfie with friends on a centralized social media platform, and that platform might have mined the photo for usable or monetizable data. In a Web3 world, your social media profile photo could, for example, be an NFT of digital artwork or image you own. This is something Twitter actually introduced in January, to a pretty mixed response. Why are some people skeptical of Web3? Despite Web3’s ideals of decentralization and shared ownership, some believe it is also an opportunity for investors to cash in. Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is known for his interest in cryptocurrencies, but in December he said he thought Web3 seemed to be “more marketing buzzword than reality”. Around the same time, Twitter founder and fellow blockchain advocate Jack Dorsey said Web3 still had “corporate incentives” and was heavily controlled by venture capitalists and their limited partners, or shareholders. We’ve already seen some musicians and artists have their work sold as NFTs without their consent on new Web3-associated platforms. Ms. Nabben said while there were “very transformative ideologies” behind parts of Web3, it was important to think through the potential downsides of any new technologies. This includes the technology’s limitations, who can access it, and how it can be exploited. “That’s obviously what generally went wrong with Web 2.0, or the current internet as we have it — that many of the apps and the platforms that we use have become very extractive and very exploitative,” she said. “But in practice, we see that’s not what happens and there’s still politics, and people will still try to find ways to exploit the system.” Ms. Nabben encourages people to be cautious and investigate the Web3 platforms or products they are interested in before jumping in. “Look at things like whether the source code is publicly available, whether the platform is privately owned, what the business model is, and whether it’s venture-capital-backed or was funded through a new funding model,” she said. “Not everyone would necessarily agree that Web3, as it appears now, is desirable — large players benefit from the way that the internet is structured now, and [there are] still very real commercial interests in some Web3 things, which aren’t necessarily bad, but people should be made aware of them.” What could the future of the internet actually look like? Moxie Marlinspike, the founder of encrypted messaging app Signal, wrote on his website in January that technical and market realities were impacting Web3’s dreams of decentralization, but “you can’t stop a gold rush”. Mr. Marlinspike said he could understand the idealism of Web3’s advocates and the use of blockchain technology was leading to “creativity/exploration that is somewhat reminiscent of early internet days”. >>Read more
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How is life insurance sold?

You can buy life insurance either as an “individual” or as part of a “group” plan. Individual Policy When you buy an individual policy, you choose the company, the plan, and the benefits and features that are right for you and your family. You might be able to buy the policy from the same agent or company representative who sells you property and liability insurance for your home, auto or business. And although you won’t qualify for any discounts by buying your life insurance and other insurance from the same representative, working with a single advisor for all your insurance needs can make your financial life simpler. Individual policies are typically sold through insurance agents or brokers. If you buy a policy through an agent or broker, you will pay a commission, also called a “load,” that is built into the premium rate. The commission compensates the agent or broker for the time spent advising you on how much and what type of life insurance to buy, for facilitating the application process, and for any further service that’s needed in future years to keep the policy up-to-date (such as changing beneficiary designations, arranging policy loans or coordinating your financial plans with your lawyer and accountant). There are two other ways to buy individual life insurance. In Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, you can buy it from a savings bank. Or you can buy a policy directly from an insurance company or from a fee-only financial advisor—what’s known as a “no load” or “low load” policy. Although there is no sales commission on these policies, the company will still have charges built into the premium to cover its marketing expenses, application processing expenses and subsequent services. Finding an insurance company that will sell you a no-load policy isn’t easy; typing in “no load life insurance” on Internet search engines will in many cases lead you to an agent or broker. Group Policy You might have life insurance automatically from your employer; many large companies do this. Your employer also might offer you the chance to buy additional life insurance under a group policy. And you might be eligible to buy life insurance under a group policy from a union or trade association or other group you belong to (such as a college alumni association or an automobile club). Compared to buying an individual life insurance policy, there are several advantages to buying life insurance under a group policy: Group purchase can sometimes offer you a lower rate for a given death benefit either because the employer or other group sponsor subsidizes the premium or because the rates are averages weighted by people younger than you. There are virtually no health qualifications for getting the group coverage. Premium payment is usually by payroll deduction (for employer-based group coverage) or linked with other payments (e.g., credit card bills), lowering the chance of missing a payment. Most employer group plans are term insurance, but if you leave that employer your state may require that you be allowed to convert the policy to a form of whole life insurance with the same insurance company that provides the group life insurance. You would then pay premiums directly to the company and keep the insurance in force. This can be an advantage if you are older, or have experienced deteriorating health, as it gives you the opportunity to qualify for whole life insurance without having a medical exam. Credit Life Insurance Credit cards and lending institutions may offer life insurance to pay off your outstanding loans in the event of your death. This is generally made available in two ways: As part of the loan at no extra charge. In this case the cost of the life insurance is borne by the lender and is included in its interest rate or other finance charges. If you have this type of credit life insurance, you don’t need separate life insurance to pay off that loan if you die. As an option at an extra charge. In this case, you should usually reject the optional coverage, provided that you have some other life insurance (group or individual) that can be designated to pay off the loan if you die. If you’re under age 50 and you don’t have other insurance that could pay off this loan, consider buying individual life insurance for this purpose as the rates will probably be better. At 50 or over (or younger with health issues), if you have no other life insurance for this purpose, the optional credit life insurance is likely to be cheaper than individual life insurance.
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Sakura – the symbol of Japan

When the god of the mountains offered Ninigi, the grandson of the sun goddess, to marry one of his daughters, he decided that if he gave preference to the eldest, High Rock, the life of their descendants would be eternal and solid, like stones. But if he prefers the youngest, Blooming, then the life of their children, regardless of social status, will be beautiful, but short, like sakura blossom. Ninigi chose Blossom and became the ancestor of the Japanese emperors. The Japanese, annually contemplating the beauty of this amazing plant and looking at the fragility of its flowering, reflect on the fact that beauty is not eternal, but life is fleeting and fragile. That is why it very much resembles a crumbling sakura flower – although it is beautiful, it leaves too soon: it is not for nothing that the blooming sakura symbolizes the frailty of life and the fickleness of being. Description of the tree Sakura is the name for trees of the pink family, the plum subfamily (the species is finely sawed cherry), most of which perform a purely decorative function: they bloom, but do not bear fruit (unlike other trees of its kind, Japanese sakura is grown not for the sake of berries, but for flowers). There are 16 types of sakura and more than 400 varieties. Despite the fact that cherry trees can be found mainly in the south of the northern hemisphere: in China, Korea, in the Himalayas, most of the trees of this species grow in Japan: nine out of sixteen species and a considerable number of varieties. There are especially a lot of someyoshino (white sakura with huge flowers) and shidarezakura (weeping willow) – this sakura color has a pink tint. Sakura grows very well next to other plants of its kind, which, depending on how they were planted, make a different impression. For example, tree branches planted in parallel rows at the top can intertwine with each other, forming a flowering arch above your head – it looks especially gorgeous if at this time the flowers have already begun to gradually fall off and a person steps on the carpet that created sakura petals. The height of the plant depends on its age, but usually it is about 8 meters (but there are also taller trees, for example, one of the oldest cherry blossoms in the world, whose age is 1800 years, has about 24 meters in height). The bark is smooth, cut across the entire surface of the tree with small horizontal cracks of a gray, green or red hue, and the wood of the tree is very flexible due to the high amount of resin in it. Leaves are oval or spear-shaped with slightly jagged edges. When a sakura branch blooms, it is completely covered with flowers, mainly white or pink, with each inflorescence consisting of several double flowers, usually having 5 petals. The Japanese managed to breed species whose flowers contain about 50 petals, the diameter of which is about 50-60 mm – outwardly they even resemble roses, peonies, chrysanthemums. Sakura petals can be of different colors: white sakura and pink are often found, but you can often see flowers of red, crimson, yellow and even green and variegated tones. Since the sakura flowers bloom even before the sakura leaves appear on the tree, it seems as if a huge number of delicate inflorescences are stuck to the dead and bare trunk (therefore, the flowering period in Japan is also associated with rebirth). When the sakura petals start to fade, but have not fallen from the tree yet, and the cherry blossom sprig is overgrown with the first leaves, the plant looks extremely elegant and summer-like (the Japanese call it Ha-Dzakura, which means “sakura with leaves”). Few trees of this species bear fruit, and if they do yield, the sakura (sakurambo) fruits are usually very small, cherry-colored, have a large stone, tightly covered with thin pulp, and taste very sour and tart. They are sold in small boxes and are extremely expensive. Flowering time Sakura bloom begins in January on about. Okinawa (located in the south) and ends at about. Hokkaido, thus moving north. The period when this tree blooms largely depends on its species: some plants begin to bloom in winter, others – at the end of spring. For example, such well-known species as: Fuyu-Dzakura – blooms in the last month of autumn; Yama-dzarkura – early plant, blooms at the end of March; Someyoshino – in early April; Yae-zakura – in the middle of spring; Kasumi-zakura – in early May. When the flower is fully open, it stays that way for about a week. How long it will bloom depends largely on the weather and temperature – the colder it is, the longer it will be possible to contemplate the sakura flowers. But strong winds and rain, on the contrary, will significantly reduce sakura bloom. Hanami Festival The sakura blossom in Japan is celebrated at the state level: the official opening of Hanami (“Contemplation of Flowers”) takes place in the main Tokyo park Shinjuku – and not only famous politicians, but also members of the imperial family take part in it. Hanami Festival The sakura blossom in Japan is celebrated at the state level: the official opening of Hanami (“Contemplation of Flowers”) takes place in the main Tokyo park Shinjuku – and not only famous politicians, but also members of the imperial family take part in it. During this period, numerous gardens, parks, squares and other places where the cherry tree blooms are visited by a huge number of people, viewing in the evening is especially popular, when the sakura branch is very beautifully highlighted. Contemplating, people arrange picnics, relax, and often use the Hanami holiday in their personal interests – they negotiate, strengthen contacts, make new acquaintances. Using wood in everyday life From the fruits of this plant, the Japanese make sour wine or add to rice during cooking. Leaves and petals are also used – >>Read more
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