Laverne

There are many types of birdhouses to choose from but Cedar stands out from all the rest. Many times, Cedar birdhouses are handmade or have the appearance of being handmade. They can be used simply to add aesthetics to your garden or porch area, or they can be utilized to actually attract and feed the many birds who will be attracted to it. Cedar birdhouses have a unique odor that attracts many different types of birds. Along with attracting birds however, they also are attract tree animals such as squirrels. The cedar birdhouse has a delightful smell that lasts for years. Choosing a birdhouse made of cedar can prove to be a wonderful experience over the many others available.

A cedar birdhouse can have a long life because of its durability. It seldom needs moved or changed. Because of the size, it is not susceptible to strong winds like other birdhouses. It is also ideal for birds in that it protects them while they are feeding. Many times smaller birds, if they arrive early enough, will attempt to raise their young in this sort of birdhouse. Because it so closely resembles a tree, which they are naturally attracted to, the birds will stay there during their mating season. It is amazing to watch these birds as they live their lives in something that so closely resembles their natural habitat. A cedar birdhouse, although at times more expensive than others, is worth the extra money because of the aesthetic value and durability.

You have a few options if you decide to give a cedar birdhouse a try. You can shop for one at your local home improvement store, they often have a nice selection, especially in the spring and summer months. There are also many online retailers that specialize specifically in birdhouses. This could be a viable option since you do not have to leave your home and doing research on each one would be a breeze. Comparing each kind of birdhouse while shopping off line could prove to be a tedious task. Also, you may decide you want to create your own cedar birdhouse. You can find great building kits on line and off. You can create it just the way you want it. The size and dimensions will be entirely up to you. Whether you buy a birdhouse, make one with your own wood or buying a birdhouse kit, a cedar birdhouse will give you years of enjoyment as you watch the birds go about their daily lives.

David Pierce is owner of Backyard Bird Feeder A website for the bird watching enthusiast.

Learning how to make beer can a great hobby and culinary achievement for the home brewing enthusiast and microbrewery operators that has a long tradition which can be both fun and refreshingly rewarding. The process is flexible allowing you to make your brew to your taste, and is highly repeatable if want to make more from the same recipe.

Before you brew

Learning how to brew beer can be a fun and exciting culinary challenge. Before you get started though you will want to do some homework so you set your expectations right from the start. You may also want to practice a little patience, and precision when learning how to brew.

The first expectation you should have is that the brewing process can easily take four (4) or more weeks before you bottle your beer.

Let's start our pre-season lessons on how to make beer with research. What kind of research? Well, simply getting our hands, eyes and taste buds on anything beer. Find internet sites like this one, as well as books from your local library, microbrewery, book store or internet venue to get an idea of what is involved in making beer.

My favorite part of this kind of research is trying to decide what type of beer we will make first (or next), and this is up to your individual taste preferences, creativity and skill levels.

Next we will want to research some beer making equipment. As with any hobby or passion, you will get out of this experience what you put into it. That being said, you can start off with an inexpensive kit from MrBeer.com or other supply house to learn the basic techniques, then graduate to larger volume kits or who knows - go pro and open your own microbrewery.

Finally, you will want to determine the ingredients for your chosen beer, bearing in mind the volume of beer you wish to make. This is where your tastes, creativity and the by the book recipie approach works for us. Almost all beers start the same way, its how you mix the grains that matter for the final product.

Do your research, and shop around before proceeding to the next steps. We will tackle one thing at a time and in the end there will be a nice process to bring you to hops heaven.

Brewing 101

There are basically four phases in brewing beer, each phase broken down into smaller steps, but it is important to remember to follow the steps, especially of any custom recipe with patience and precision or your beer will not turn out as you might hope. We will go over the process for cooking or brewing your beer using the cheat of malt extract. You can make your own mashed malt, and I will discuss this in a future article, but for now, we'll keep things simple at first just to practice the procedure of making beer, and getting the experience of our first batch under way.

NOTE: Start your training and continue your beer making hobby with copious note taking. Write down everything. Write down the date and time you perform each task. Write the amounts of each ingredient down.

Start with a simple beer first, here is a sample...

Amber Ale

• 8# pale malt extract
• 1# 60L Crystal
• 1/2 # Carapils
• 1 oz Challenger (7.9%) 60 min
• 1 oz Challenger 5 min
• Ferment with W.L. California Ale Yeast

If you bought a beer making kit, you will want to follow the specific instructions provided with the kit. Otherwise, read on my eager fellow beer maker.

Starting with sterilized 20 quart boiling pot, stirring spoon (2 foot steel spoon), tablespoon, pyrex measuring cup, mason jar, thermometer, and five gallon glass primary fermenting container or plastic carboy and an airlock for your fermenting container. These parts can all be sterilized by either boiling for 20 minutes, or using a bleach based bath to soak these items for 20 minutes. If you use a sanitizing product, be sure to rinse these parts thoroughly with clean/boiled water before use. Also, use a good hand sanitizer for your hands before touching anything. You need to ensure the surfaces which touch your beer, yeast, grains or water is sterile at all times, so be careful what you touch and try to maintain some awareness to your kit.

All great brews start with great tasting water. If your water is not of good quality, you can use bottled water, but you will typically start with 1.5 Gallons of water for your first batch. Other recipes may call for more water, and that's OK too, just watch your recipe for details.

NOTE: Keep a gallon or so of warm pre-boiled water on hand for a number of tasks, including re-hydrating the yeast, rinsing utensils, and cleaning later.

We're now going to make wort (wurt). This is the basis for your beer. Bring 1.5 gallons of water to a boil in the 20 quart pot on your stove.

While your water is heating, it's time to rehydrate the brewers yeast. The yeast selected is important to the taste of your beer and must you must be very careful to do this with viable yeast and keep the temperatures within the specified tolerance levels or it will either not ferment or will die from too much heat. So...Put 1 cup of warm (95-105F, 35-40C), pre-boiled water into your sanitized jar and stir in the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and wait 15 minutes.

Proofing the yeast is required to ensure the yeast is alive. This is done by boiling 1/4 cup of water and adding 1 teaspoon of malt extract, which is set aside to cool. Once cool, you can pour it into your yeast jar and observe for any activity, churning or foaming action. If nothing happens, your yeast is dead and you should try these steps again with fresh yeast and keeping an eye on your temperatures.

Once your water is boiling, it is time to add the malt extract. Turn off the burner before adding the malt extract, to prevent sudden boil overs. Gently stir the malt into your water to ensure a complete mixing of malt and water. Once you are convinced the malt is completely dissolved, add your hops and turn the burner back on to bring the wort to a boil. Continue stirring your wort to prevent boil overs for one hour (unless your recipe calls for less or more time). Unhopped malts may require more boil time than hopped malts.

Take the wort off the burner and cool to a yeast pitching temperature (65-90 F [18-32 C]) by placing the boiling pot into a tub of ice water. You want to prepare the wort for the yeast, without killing the yeast in the process.

NOTE: Sanitize your fermentation bucket or carboy, strainer, air lock, and siphon before continuing.

We are now ready to start the fermentation process. Fermentation is the the conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids under anaerobic conditions used for making certain foods. Fermentation begins when we Pitch the yeast into the wort. Pour your yeast solution into the fermentation bucket/carboy followed by the wort. Take care to pour the wort into the fermentation container through a strainer to catch any hops and top help aerate the yeast.

Find a warm 65-70 F (18-21 C), temperature and light stable environment for storing your fermentation bucket, then seal the container. The airlock should be firmly in place and you will begin to see evidence of fermentation within 24-48 hours. Allow the fermentation to continue for a minimum of two weeks or longer depending upon your tastes and ingredients. The sugars need to be completely fermented, and particles in your wort must settle to clear the mixture. The more time you allow at this phase, the clearer your beer will be, but a cloudy beer does not mean bad tasting brew. Experiment with various durations of fermentation after this batch.

Finally, thoroughly clean and sterilize all of your cooking utensils, pots, and other equipment, and stove.

Go have a beer, you deserve it. You'll get to sample your own soon enough.

Fermentation 101 NOTE: Make sure to read all of these instructions prior to removing the lid on your primary fermenting container.

You've sealed the primary fermentation container and are patiently waiting for your mixture to ferment. Fermentation should be pretty active in the beginning days as evidenced by the continuous stream of bubbles in the airlock. You do not want to contaminate the batch by opening it up too soon, so please be patient. Beer can ferment in the primary fermenting chamber for 10 to 14 days depending on the stability of the ambient temperature.

My recommendation is to wait the full 14 days. The sugars should be fully converted to alcohol and dead yeast should be settling to the bottom of the primary fermenting container.

After sanitizing your hands, siphon hose, mason jar, and hydrometer, you can open the primary fermenter lid, and siphon a small amount of the wort into the mason jar for testing. Ideally, the specific gravity will be between 1.010 and 1.020, but this may also depend on either your kit, recipe, or other instructions.

Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle. There are a couple methods of priming the secondary fermentation, one is with malt extract "drops", the other is to make a malt extract syrup.

Before making the malt extract syrup, sanitize all 2 quart sauce pan, 20 quart pot, spoons, hosing and racking cane, and hands.

Boil one pint of water in the 2 quart sauce pan, and add either 3/4 to 1 cup corn sugar, or my favorite, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups dried malt extract. The more sugars you provide, the greater the carbonation, so make your first batch with a lower concentration of sugars. Pour this into the sanitized 20 quart pot.

Without disturbing the primary fermentation container or carboy, open the lid, and begin syphoning the wort into the 20 quart pot. It helps if the primary fermentation container is slightly elevated, and the 20 quart pot is lower, to take advantage of gravity during this phase.

NOTE: When siphoning, keep the high end of the hose above the sediments, unless you want a "hearty" beer.

The flat beer will mix with the primer solution as it is siphoned into the pot, but you can also stir gently to ensure complete mixing.

It's time to bottle your beer. A special beer bottle filling hose attachment will rest on the bottom of the bottle as the beer flows through. Fill to the top of the bottle, and the fluid level will decrease when the filling hose is removed. Fill and cap each bottle immediately.

NOTE: Document in your brewers journal, the date and time of bottling.

Secondary fermentation will complete the beer making process after another 14 or more days. Aging the beer a couple months can improve the taste, so remain patient. Your beer will be worth the effort and something you can share with friends and family.

Now that's how you make beer!

Robert Green

http://howtomakebeer.blogspot.com

Some of the best summer vacations can be found at the casino destinations around the world. Naturally, because of the comps available, casino destinations prove to be an excellent value for the people who are looking for the best casino destination deal. You don't have to look very far for the best vacation deal when traveling to a casino destination because deals are everywhere you look!

Take this tip; summer vacations to casinos can become all-inclusive if you gamble. Casinos will give you your rooms, food, free drinks, show tickets and even golf and gift shop comps. You just need to know where to start. You can find yourself in the realms of luxury in many of the casino destinations. For instance, you will discover that you can stay in luxurious accommodations and dine in some of the best restaurants all for the cost of your gambling budget. Casinos will give you a number of perks and they are yours for the taking so ask for them by name! You can expect free accommodations, free meals in the best steak houses, and so much more.

Tunica, Mississippi is rapidly becoming a favorite among gamblers and golfers. You can visit Tunica and discover a lifetime of fun waiting for you near Memphis, Tennessee. You can visit Las Vegas for gambling fun, golf, world-class resorts and some of the best shows in the world. Try on Monte Carlo for a vacation to paradise or check out the Bahamas if you want a casino destination which will likely take you back again and again. The Bahamas use similar comp programs to those you would find in Las Vegas. You should also expect some fabulous European vacations at casino destinations just get online and start your search.

Casino destinations are wonderful summertime vacations for everyone and very often these casino resorts are catering to families and will likely keep you and your family entertained for virtually free as long as you are gambling daily and playing several hours at a time.

Casino destination vacations will be one of the greatest vacations you could ever hope to find. Once you decide on a casino destination for your summer vacation, tips for a cost effective trip can be found online and in numerous books in book stores. If you don't know how to gamble, check out some of the online casinos before you go to learn some of the games or for the best excitement, log onto to a poker room and learn the exciting Texas Hold'em game before you travel. People will love to show you how to play live poker once you arrive to your casino of choice but if you learn online first, then you won't have to worry about learning in live games because you will already know!

Once Biloxi, Mississippi and Gulfport return their casinos to the grandeur of before, you'll want to plan a casino destination vacation to Biloxi and help support the rebuilding of a wonderful city which was hit by Hurricane Katrina. This area was once one of the more beautiful casino destinations with lively Las Vegas style action 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Casino destinations can be great summer vacations for couples, singles and families. From Las Vegas to the casinos of Europe, you can find trips to casinos as summer vacations all-inclusive and a great value for your vacation budget.

If you would like to learn about some other family vacation ideas, or you would just like to read some more articles about helpful family vacation tips then you need to visit: http://www.YourPerfectFamilyVacation.com

When sometime mentions comatose, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of a serene deep sleep, like the ones experienced by the two female characters in the artsy movie "Talk to Her." Or maybe you think of it as a retreat from the world from which one could wake from at any time and immediately continue on with life, similar to what Uma Thurman's character does in "Kill Bill." As you might have guessed by now, these portrayals of comas are entirely inaccurate and may actually be harmful to viewers who cannot see their faults.

A recent study published in medical journal Neurology suggests that misleading depictions of comatose in films can drastically effect real-life decisions and reactions to the tragedy (Edmonton Journal). For the study, thirty movies that include incidents of comatose were reviewed for their medical accuracy and for the audience reception they created. While twenty-eight of those scenes were deemed misrepresentative and inaccurate, almost 40% of the educated, mature audience admitted they had allowed the scenes to influence their perceptions of comas (Edmonton Journal). Certain misconceptions in movies may not necessarily need to be clarified, but when false representations form one's knowledge and understanding of a serious medical condition, real-life decisions could be influenced.

Family members and friends of comatose patients are fully aware of the harsh reality of the situation and how films gloss over the ugly truths of the condition. With not a lot of information circulating amongst the general public, ideas about comas are primarily based on movie portrayals. Unfortunately, this leads to incredible disappointment when medical doctors describe the rare and uncertain possibility of recovery. In reality, films do not prepare us for the ventilators, intravenous hookups, and tracheotomy and catheter tubes (Stephanie Watson). The public is not aware of the disturbing effects that long-term comas cause, such as deteriorated muscle, sallow and transparent skin, contracture of the feet and wrists, and weight loss (Canadian Press). After being exposed to the pristine, peaceful sleep of coma victims in films, seeing their loved one as a shell of their old self can be irreconcilable.

In most cases, the occurrence of a coma also involves severe brain damage (Edmonton Journal). Therefore, despite what films may imply, the patient is not going to suddenly wake up, stand, and proceed with life as normal. The bleak reality is if a comatose patient remains in a vegetative state for a month or longer, 90% will not improve and will likely remain in a state of severe disability (braininjury.com).

Movies have the right to be creative. No one is denying them that freedom. However, it seems their persuasive powers are much more powerful than we ever thought. In fact, this study shows how film depictions can actually influence our grasp of reality, effect real-life decisions and form our expectations. It seems as if the medical community is drawing a line between acceptable entertainment and tragic misinformation.

When it comes to real-life, do you put your faith in tried and tested Truth or flashy Hollywood hype? Sure, it's enjoyable to escape reality for a while and delve into the fantastical world of magic, glamour and impossibility, but sometimes it may cause more harm than good. Perhaps it's time we get a stronger grasp on reality before the bliss of ignorance eludes us entirely.

Emily Smit is a student at the University of Alberta and the Executive Producer of MyHealthVideo.com, a streaming video sites featuring interviews with health professionals (http://www.myhealthvideo.com)

Probably the most universal of all natural baits is the worm. The more easily obtained common garden worm is a good standby for the big, pencil thick variety found in shady gullies between hills along sub-tropical rain forests. They can also be found in marshy, fertile river flats. The more active the worm, the better it presents to the fish. Worms are also bred as commercial ventures for anglers and these days, also for composting and environmental destruction of waste matter. One of the best methods to harvest worms is to lay a hessian bag in a shady spot, keep it permanently damp and place vegetable peelings underneath it.

Another recommended bait is the grub. Many anglers swear that the odour which emanates from the maggots of the big moths when pierced by a hook can be detected from a great distance by fish. Grubs have a reputation as top bait for the inland angler. Grubs can usually be located by removing the top few inches of soil from around the base of a tree. They can also be located in the timbers of trees where that live out their larval stage of their development. They kill the tree as they eat their way into its heart and small holes are a giveaway as to their presence.

In some areas frogs are suitable bait. Not a popular or well-known bait, but nevertheless the small brown frog usually found under loose bark is the pick of the frogs as bait. The tadpole is effective bait for trout when thrown in the shallow streams among weed beds.

Another bait anglers can use when others are in short supply is the freshwater mussel. These hard-shelled molluscs can usually be found at the river edge or on the beds of the rivers and their soft, fleshy centre is bait some fish find irresistible.

The flat bottom of a farm dam is a good place to find crayfish baits. Their presence is usually indicated by small burrowing holes at the edge of the water line. They can also be found under rocks in small streams and creeks. They are generally active at night and have even been seen scampering across dew-covered ground. In winter they tend to burrow deep into the mud of the bottom.

The freshwater shrimp, probably the most successful of all the freshwater baits, are seasonal in their availability. Most fish will rarely turn away from a nicely presented freshwater shrimp and at the height of summer they are present in vast numbers. Traps are the best method of capturing the shrimp. Usually a bucket shaped metal container with holes and baited with a dead fish is an efficient method of capture. Perhaps their sense of smell leads them into the bucket to feed off the fish and when retrieved from the water, the bucket drains of water, leaving the entrapped shrimp behind. Areas to search for the shrimp are at the water's edge next to weed, rocks and algae-covered timber. They have a similar appearance to the prawn and are excellent bait for any species of fish.

Live fish are excellent bait and it is a widespread practice to use them. In dark, murky waters the big-mouthed fish are attracted to these baits by their movement more so than their appearance or characteristics.

Before using baits such as those mentioned, local regulations must be checked as it is prohibited in some trout waters to use such baits which may compromise the habitat. Indeed the European Carp, which is in plague proportions in Australian rivers and destroys the habitat of the natural fish, are a classic example of what can happen when live bait are released and allowed to thrive. Baits used for trout are almost always live and usually consists of the small water-based animals from the same area as the fish. Trout do appreciate variety however and can also be taken using grasshoppers, beetles, moths, ants, worms and insects.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Fishing