http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/landscaping-and-tree-surgeon-s-dead-wood.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/landscaping-and-tree-surgeon-s-dead-wood.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 But there's a serious side to the origins of the phrase in landscaping and tree surgery.Check out a dictionary and you'll find the primary description as "Dead branches or wood on a tree." Then the descriptions become idiomatic, with "one that is burdensome or superfluous" and "fallen bowling pins that remain on the alley."
Curiously, in marine and land-based carpentry the dead wood is 'the vertical planking between the keel of a vessel and the sternpost, serving as a reinforcement" or "small pieces of wood used as nailers in framing used for panel attachment in a cabin".
The advice you will receive from a reputable landscaping business or tree surgeon as that dead wood has its place in the environment and should be managed properly.
Simon Ablett is a tree surgeon with AC Landscape ad Treeworks in Devon, UK. His business is called upon to landscape gardens, remove trees (including coppicing and pollarding), fencing and digger hire. But one concern many people have is removing dead wood - either wholly dead trees or dead and dying branches.
"The dead wood is often called coarse woody debris (CWD) and there is a lobby to maintain this type of wood in forests and woodlands because they form a habitat for wildlife and insects," comments Simon.
"This can help these habitats regenerate organically, and boosts numbers of fungi, mosses, invertebrates and bids and mammals.
"Some studies have shown that 40% of all forest fauna are dependent on dead trees."
Many householders and business who have trees on their property seek advice from us on dead wood. Many want the trees to remain, since they can look attractive as well as attracting nature. As landscapers and tree surgeons we must find a balance between nature and safety.
"Dead trees will suffer root rot and can become a hazard in strong winds, either falling onto buildings and vehicles or potentially falling on people. The same goes for dead branches."
In official figures that chances of being killed by a falling tree in a public space is 1 in 20million - a similar figure to being killed by lightning. But consider how long you spend relaxing in your garden and the likelihood of that tree fall or branch drop hitting you or property is slashed.
The art is in thinning out a living tree of its dead wood to ensure the tree retains its shape and health, which is where professional tree surgeons such as AC are essential. If you don't act, the chance of you being the dead wood that is thinned out is much higher!

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Steve is a copywriter and journalist

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/table-tennis-tables-resurgence-in-hotels-and-offices.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/table-tennis-tables-resurgence-in-hotels-and-offices.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 From humble origins in the UK, the idea of table tennis being a relaxed yet competitive game that anyone could play made it incredibly fashionable in the 1920s.
It began to gain worldwide popularity, played in many countries and today the Chinese dominate the ranks of the elite. But now in the noughties table tennis is finding a new home - in the grounds and corridors of hotels and offices. "We retail quality table tennis tables for indoor and outdoor use," explained Chris Prentis, director of table tennis table retailer Super Tramp Ltd in Devon, UK.
The company sells trampolines and outdoor play equipment, and is seeing a significant resurgence in its tabletennis table sales. "We're finding that our tables are being increasingly purchased by hotels and camping sites, where they can place a fixed outdoor table tennis table on site and allow their patrons to play for free as added value. Our indoor tables can also be located within leisure areas, and for parents they're a much better alternative to playing video games.
"Businesses are also buying table tennis tables to site outdoors as well as in common rooms, which give their staff an active workout during lunch and shift breaks. In the UK the smoking ban allows smokers to have a puff outside while exercising!"
With 18 million Americans already playing table tennis, this growing work outlet for table tennis could see active players increasing exponentially.
Outdoor parks and recreation areas are also considering permanent table tennis tables like Super Tramp's Tornado as low maintenance and highly affordable leisure resource.
The table tennis bats and balls are small and easy to carry or store in a car for an opportunistic game. Watch a space near you to see if a table tennis table appears there!

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Steve is a journalist and copywriter.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/web-design-is-just-the-start-for-rural-business.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/web-design-is-just-the-start-for-rural-business.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Their prime method of researching Devon, like other rural destinations, will be the Internet, and there's a wealth of information out there. So much so, that many good quality guest houses, hotels and leisure facilities get lost, or don't get seen at all.
At worst, a cyber surfer could come across better information on another county!Malcolm Buttel, web designer with Devon's Oxygen Creative graphic design and web design agency, says: "Research shows that people use the web for fact finding.
They're either opportunistic or are making plans. Tourist A will have a free weekend and is thinking about visiting Devon, while Tourist B will be making detailed plans about visiting Devon and is using the web as their starting point."
Here's a rough guide to getting spotted on the web.
Web directories. You don't actually need a website to be found on the web. Web directories are there to give surfers access to businesses of all types. You may need to pay to be listed on some, while others will be free. So should you pay? If you visit a search engine and key in your business service or product, among the first few pages of results you'll find a number of directories.
These directories often pay or negotiate really high listings on search engines, and are easily found by web surfers. The best ones to be listed on are the ones that come highest in the results, so you may think it worth paying to be on them.
Overseas directories. If you speak a foreign language, key in your search in that language. It will pull up some interesting results, especially directories that promote UK tourism in overseas countries.
Link to your website. When you place a listing on a directory, you'll find that the information you can write about yourself may only include a name, phone number or email address.
But many directories will allow you to add a link to your own website. That's great, because you'll be able to showcase exactly what it is you offer. Create your own website. You need three things to get your own website up and running.
a) a URL - sometimes called a domain name.
This is an address where someone can find your site, which will look something like this: http://www.mydomainname.co.uk. You could register your business name, family name, or something that says what you do as a domain name.
b) web space - often called web hosting. Internet Service Providers (who may provide you with your email or web access) can often give you web space for free, or you can pay to have your domain hosted.
c) web software. This will include the software you create your web pages in (or that someone else uses to build your website) and some software called FTP (file transfer protocol) that's used to transfer your web pages from your PC onto your web space.
Reciprocal links. Some directories will link to your website for free, but only if you link back to them. It's a good idea to design the home page of your website with an area for reciprocal links, so that you can group them all together, away from your own important messages. Links like this are good for your search engine rankings too.
Clear information. Ensure your website is quick and easy to navigate. Fact finders are an impatient lot.
Make sure that key things are visible, such as where surfers can find your prices, availability, facilities, special offers and so on.
Bookmarks. A bookmark is a facility on a web browser where someone can remember your website address. You should have an area on your site which says "bookmark this site, and come back later". People will click it, and you'll then be a permanent reminder on their PC.
Search engines. As mentioned before, directories will already have a good ranking on search engines. If you want your website to be found by itself, you'll have to submit to search engines too. Some will expect you to pay for this, while others are free. It's how your website is written and designed that can affect your website ranking. We'll discuss this in detail in the next edition.
Malcolm Buttel from Oxygen Creative's final thoughts: "In short, the graphic design is important to make you look attractive. But that's only the start of the web development story!"

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Steve is a journalist and copywriter.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/business/advertising/green-design-agency-you-can-achieve-sustainable-graphic-and-web-design.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/advertising/green-design-agency-you-can-achieve-sustainable-graphic-and-web-design.html Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The remit of a green design agency is creating visual impact with less environmental impact, while encouraging clients to consider the environmental impact of their production.

Steve Lodge is director of Oxygen Creative, a graphic design agency based in Tiverton Devon.

"We took control of our environmental impact as a business, applying practical environmental management techniques to what we do. Our environmental policy details how we use less energy at work, how we only use paper from sustainable sources with bio inks in our production, and how simple things like a car sharing scheme have helped us save 1000 litres a year in petrol alone.

"I am now a member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, and our business meets the criteria of BS8555 - the British Standard that is an equivalent to ISO14001. If nothing else, our clients know that they're dealing with someone who takes being green seriously."

So internal practices are important, but so is the output. It's important that an agency considers the use of recycled paper stock with a high Post Consumer Fibre (PCF) recycled content, especially using recycled paper stock that has not been de-inked as well as unbleached or non-chlorine bleached paper stock which releases harmful toxins that could affect marine life. Think about using vegetable based printing inks such as soy inks which are renewable and emit less toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

So, less ink is better - but a good designer can use less ink and still create maximum impact!

Green papers could be:100% Post-Consumer Waste (PCW)
Processed Chlorine Free (PCF)
Uncoated
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified.

Even a graphic design agency web design agency can contribute. In addition to their own green living they can host websites on greener servers where energy and CO2 is offset.

Considerations for any "marketing product" include:

* reducing the amount of materials required for production
* using paper and materials made with recycled, post-consumer waste
* printing with low-VOC inks
* what production methods require the least amount of transport
* which vendors use renewable energy
* if the product can fulfill more than one purpose
* if the end-product is biodegradable or recyclable
* if the end-product can be replaced by a digital, rather than printed, format
* just-in-time production to reduce number of units produced and warehoused
* which vendors sell products certified by third party NGOs.

Always as a design agency to show you its environmental policy and look for their certification to BS8555 or ISO14001 which shows they have independent accreditation of their dedicated to environmental management; an environmental graphic design agency such as Oxygen Creative in Tiverton, Devon serves as a benchmark.

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M Buttel

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/table-tennis-tables-are-the-perfect-summer-activity.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/table-tennis-tables-are-the-perfect-summer-activity.html Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, with singles and doubles competition for both men and women, and 2007 world champions are Chinese players Wang Liqin and Guo Yue.

The Uk has had its fair share of success in the sport over the years, but the Chinese now dominate. But a table tennis table is an affordable and fun sport that anyone can play at home - and set their sights on world competition!

YOU can play like a champion on a table tennis table from Super Tramp, a leading supplier of quality table tennis tables and table tennis accessories. The choice of table tennis tables is wide, from indoor table tennis tables for home or club use to an outdoor table tennis table for the garden. Compact table tennis tables can be easily stored in a garage or even against a fence with an outdoor cover.The playback position, when one half of the table is raised to create a wall, allows one person to play and practice or two people to enjoy a challenging high speed tabletennis game.

Don't worry about the UK weather. Outdoor table tennis tables from Super Tramp provide excellent protection against the elements, with 5mm of thick green melamine resin playing surface that is weatherproof.

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Steve Lodge is a writer and journalist on a range of subjects. He represents Super Tramp, which retails table tennis tables and other outdoor play equipment including trampolines.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>