Understanding The Chinese Lunar Calendar

Before their implementation of the Western solar calendar system, the Chinese almost exclusively followed their own lunar calendar for determining the times of planting and harvesting and festival days. Although people in China today use the Western calendar for almost all business, governmental and practical matters of daily life, the old method still serves as the basis for working out numerous recurring holidays. This coexistence of two calendar schemes has long been accepted by the people of China.

However, this does not only happen in China, it also occurs in most other Eastern countries, like Thailand, and most Arabic countries.

A lunar month is calculated by measuring the period of time required for the moon to complete its full cycle of 29 and a half days, a standard that makes the lunar year a whole eleven days shorter than its solar counterpart. This disparity is corrected every 19 years by the addition of seven lunar months.

The 12 lunar months are further divided into 24 solar divisions distinguished by the four seasons and times of heat and cold, all of which bear a close relationship to the annual cycle of agricultural work.

The Chinese calendar – very much like the Hebrew calendar- is a combination of the solar and lunar calendars in that it attempts to have its years coincide with the tropical year and its months coincide with the synodic months. It is not surprising that a few similarities exist between the Chinese and the Hebrew calendar.

For instance, an average year has 12 months, a leap year has 13 months. An ordinary year has 353, 354, or 355 days, a leap year has 383, 384, or 385 days. When working out what a Chinese year will be like, one needs to make a number of astronomical calculations.

First of all, you have to work out the dates of the new moons. In these instances, a new Moon is the completely black Moon (that is to say, when the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun), not the first visible crescent, as is used by the Islamic and Hebrew calendars. The date of a new moon is then the first day of a new month.

The reason why the majority of countries which had their own calendars had to drop them in favour of the Western, Julian calendar that we use today, is business. First the British and then the Americans ran international business and they used the Gregorian calendar. Anyone who sought to work with them had to follow suit. This is why national policy often differs from local custom in Third World countries.

The government desires to deal on the International markets, but the ordinary family in the country can not. So, the government took up the Gregorian calendar but the people only pay lip service to it. I live in Thailand and people here do not even use the 24 hour day divided into two halves. Their day has four sections of six hours each and the first part starts at 6AM, not midnight. Therefore, they have four 4 o’clocks a day, for example but no 7 o’clocks. They are also 543 years ahead of us, although this is more common, for example in Muslim countries.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our web site now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Home Staging with an Asian Influence: 3 Feng Shui Tips That Work

Feng shui has been used in China for centuries to promote physical and emotional wellness based on redistribution energy, or chi, throughout a home. Redistribution is simple and requires the basic rearranging common household items. With the current downturn in real estate sales, many home sellers are researching other methods that will aid them in the sale of their home. Can feng shui help you sell your home? Here are three inexpensive tips that may give you a leg up in a difficult real estate market.

Inviting buyers into the home is the first and often most crucial step. The first thing potential buyers will see is the front of your home, so first impressions are crucial. Paint a fresh coat onto aging siding to brighten it up, and ensure that foliage is trimmed appropriately. Purchase a new welcome mat in order to brighten up your outdoor space, and paint the front door in a color that contrasts with the rest of your home in order to attract positive attention, as well.

Engage the buyer’s senses. Bright, open spaces make even the smallest of rooms appear spacious. Welcoming smells like cinnamon and pine give homes a comfortable but fresh feel. The sound of water is also relaxing and puts buyers at ease while viewing a home, so consider purchasing a small fountain and reap the benefits.

The last step requires sellers to get rid of their messes within the home itself. You probably know how stressful and chaotic extra clutter can make a make a room feel as a home seller currently working on packing and moving out yourself. If a mess makes you feel stress, it’s going to make a buyer feel similarly and you wouldn’t want that, right? Personal effects such as framed pictures and larger pieces of furniture should be moved into storage. The odds are in your favor that the more buyers can visualize themselves in your home, the quicker your home will sell. In addition, when a home’s energy is not caught behind over-size or inappropriate household items, it is strengthened.

That’s it, then. Selling your home shouldn’t be difficult, despite today’s challenging real estate market. These three staging tips are relatively quick to do and will make a large impact on the marketability of your home, whether or not you put any faith in other, traditional methods of implementing feng shui. Executing these tips can be both cost-effective and relatively simple, as well. Seller be warned, however: After seeing its newfound spaciousness and taking in its wonderful new smell, you might even find yourself wanting to stay!

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So You Want to Invest in a Second House…

This is a great time to invest in a second property for additional income, mostly because homes are being sold for much cheaper than they were even just five years ago. The trick is finding an affordable way to do it so you can earn some money in the process. Purchasing a second home can be a boon to your financial mark-up, if you invest wisely and know what to do with the property once you’ve obtained it. Read on.

Think about what you’re going to use the second property for first. Will it be used as a family vacation home? It likely won’t net you much additional income, although it’s a great way to use a second property. You might just be able to get tenants to pay the monthly mortgage on the property for you if, on the other hand, you’re considering renting it out to tenants. You can later sell the home for more, since it will presumably appreciate over time.

Renovation projects are also an option. Buying a fixer-upper type of property at a relatively low price and upgrading the interior before selling it once more has the potential also to be a wise way to invest money into a second property. Home buyer beware, however: If you do something like this, you just might end up finding the costs of renovation too steep to really make much of a profit when you try to sell it later on. If the market hasn’t improved much, you might not be able to get back what you put into it, even if the house ends up being appraised for that value.

There’s also financing. In the first place, how do you get the money to invest in a second property? Most people tend not to have extra money just lying around with which to make that purchase. Using the equity in your first home to finance the second is one common method. A home equity loan is how this can be done. Lending institutions generally require proof that you’ll be able to generate enough income to make it worth their time to loan you the money in the first place for a rental property loan.

It just comes down to doing your research ultimately. There are multiple ways to make money and to finance your purchase if you want to invest in a second property. So you can narrow down the right option for you in the end, make sure you know all of them.

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The 411 on Probate Real Estate Deposits

In the world of real estate, there are many confusing terms that don’t immediately make sense just based on their names. Probate is one of them, and it might make even less sense because it’s not a term used exclusively to describe real estate transactions.

Probate has its roots in the realm of law, like almost all confusing real estate terms. A type of process by which to open and manage an estate for someone who has passed away who has assets is how probate is best described. Sometimes people go through probate to gain access to a deceased person’s bank account of the key to their apartment, although the process differs from state to state. A will must be probated through a probate court before assets can be distributed accordingly other times.

A probate real estate deposit comes into play when you’ve got a potential home buyer or an investor who wants to purchase real estate of someone who’s passed away. The property is likely caught up in the probate process. Often enough in estates that have no liquid assets and a lot of debt attached to them by way of credit card bills and other related things, if there is a home the executor of the estate will try to sell it to garner some money to pay off debts. The remainder will be distributed to those named in the will, if any, once the creditors have been paid.

Each state is different and has varied laws on probate real estate deposits. California specifically requires ten percent of the entire home price to be put down as a deposit, so this might be difficult if you’re strapped for cash. Of course, it’s all well and good if you’ve got this additional money available, but it’ll be a problem for your future home-buying prospects if you don’t.

All aspects of the home-buying process should be looked into, overall. In the first place, this includes who’s doing the selling of the home. It makes sense to check into your state’s probate laws to ensure purchasing such a home is truly feasible for you if the seller is an executor acting on behalf of an estate.

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Any PC Service You Require Can Be Performed At Home

You are dependent on your computer as most people are. When you power it up and get nothing but the “blue screen of death” your day looms ahead as a potential disaster. You require immediate computer repair. What do you do first?

What you do next depends on your knowledge and experience in the field of computers. If you feel you might be able to figure out the problem, start with the simple first steps. A simple start will be to make sure the plugs are firmly plugged in and the power strip is turned on. You may be more of an expert than you think.

Take initial steps to make sure the problem isn’t something easily solved. Check all cables to make sure they are firmly connected. Make sure the power strip is on. Try plugging into another wall socket. Be sure the power supply is on. Unplug any external devices connected to the PC. If the computer powers on, add the external devices one at a time to see which one caused the problem.

But if that doesn’t work, check to see if you are still under a warranty protection. Or, you may have a service contract purchased along with your PC purchase. Often a service contract will provide a technician who can help by remote connection. This may not be possible if you can’t power up though. You may have to take the PC in or ship it in for the repairs.

Otherwise, you can try examining the inner workings of the machine yourself. Try these consecutive steps. If you are not considered an advanced user, you may want to opt for a paid repair service. After unplugging the machine and opening the case, check whether or not the power supply is connecting with the motherboard inside the case. If that is ok, examine the internal cable connections. The RAM chips and the PCI expansion cards must be in place.

If there are no burns or cracks in the existing motherboard try removing the PCI and RAM cards and disconnecting the internal hard drive. There should be an ACSI cable in place. Check other components by connecting them one at a time to see if one is the problem. When you have completed all of these things, and still have not located the problem, you might need to look for a professional to provide the Computer Repair you require.

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Computer Repair At Home Is Simple

It can be quite frustrating when one’s PC starts misbehaving. Simple tasks, such as system startup, seem to take forever. It can be very beneficial to do routine maintenance or computer repair from one’s own home. Many times, the solutions do not cost a penny.

There are different types of software that are created to help PCs keep running in like-new condition. Antivirus software, for instance, is a great investment. This can save one’s files from becoming corrupted, which can significantly threaten the health of his or her PC. When files become corrupted, it can slow performance.

For an efficient system, one must remove any programs that are not in use, or those programs that are of no use. Toolbars that attach to an internet browser are a great example of programs that have little to no useful purpose and simply bog down one’s system. These toolbars are simple to remove and will free up disk space. One would be amazed at how much information these toolbars store on one’s PC.

Many PCs come with a program called Disk Cleanup pre-installed. This program helps one find programs, files, or cookies on one’s PC that are not needed and only taking up space. Running this program from the start menu can help speed up one’s system.

There is also a way to change the programs that load when one turns on the computer. Normally, one does not even realize all the programs he or she may have running at startup. Removing programs from the startup menu will greatly enhance one’s PC performance.

After performing these tasks, it is a good idea to run Disk Defragmenter. During regular use, programs and files can become fragmented, which causes them to not operate properly. After cleaning the disk, one should run the defragmenter. After this initial run, it is a good idea to run this computer repair program once every month.

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The Top 3 Recycled Products You Can Use In Your Home

It can be seen on the news or even certain television shows. You should strive to keep your home environmentally friendly, according to these sources. In addition, you can also possibly save a lot of money in the process. You may be concerned about how much it might cost to buy products for your home that are energy efficient like solar panels or appliances. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to ensure your home is environmentally friendly though. You can buy a great deal of products that help preserve the environment for your home at relatively inexpensive prices.

Paper products are a prime example. A lot of people think only of the kind you eat off of, but there are other options. If you have to print off a lot of paper for work or school projects, why not make sure you’ve purchased recycled paper? This can extend to all manner of things like tissues, napkins and, yes, even plates and other tableware products. The cost is virtually the same as the non-recycled counterparts, but you’ll be doing your part in keeping your home eco-friendly as a result.

In the same vein, how about office supplies? Many plastic and metal office products can be recycled. While you may not have any say in what products your employer’s office uses, many people also have home offices today. Why not make sure to buy only the recycled variety?

Paper products may be the first recyclable home product that comes to your mind, but did you know that you can purchase recycled glass as well? Drinking glasses and bottles may be the first products that come to mind, but there are other options from which to choose, as well. You may recall that some plates and dishes are composed of glass. Plus, if you’re in the market for installing new windows for your home, you can always insist on recycled glass for the new ones.

A variety of different shapes and sizes are consequently available in which to purchase recycled products. You as an American may most easily recognize paper products, but you can also look into other relatively inexpensive products made from recycled material. Helping the environment doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. People just need to be able to spot office supplies, glass and other products as recyclable in order to make use of them. You just need to be cognizant and constantly on the look-out, and before you know it, you too can be purchasing products that are ready for a second (or even third) use.

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Solar Panels: Using a Bright Idea to Bring You Cool Tax Benefits

Very soon, your electricity bill could take a permanent dip, potentially. In order to save money, homeowners are increasingly turning to solar energy. If you want to be both environmentally friendly and save some money, solar panels could help you achieve both. This could include tax rebates, avoiding sales tax on solar panel installation expenses and more. You’ve got to love it, right?

The federal government has been trying to implement incentives for more responsible energy use for the past five years. The first tax break of its kind was the Energy Policy Act in 2005. People who opted for renewable energy were awarded it. Today’s world has definitely changed a lot, since there used not to be many incentives to induce people to switch to renewable energy before this act, if any at all.

With the Energy Policy Act of 2005 alone, homeowners can receive a tax credit of up to $2000 or 30% of what they invested in purchasing solar panels. While originally only benefiting homes existing from 2005-2007, it was extended to cover almost any home in the United States primarily using solar energy back in 2008. This includes homes built through January 2009.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act was passed in 2008 in addition to this act. Solar panels are just one of the ways it provides people with even more incentives for using solar energy. It also adds more credit for people who intend to do home improvements in 2009 or beyond, as well as extending the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This bill favors the 30% rebate on investments in solar energy and removes the $2000 tax credit maximum. It is even retroactive in some instances.

Individual states also may have state tax incentives for using solar panels on your home. Some of these states include New Mexico, Florida, Vermont, Minnesota, Washington, New York, Texas, Virginia, Arizona and California. While some states have tax rebates, others carry no sales tax on solar panel equipment costs. It is certainly worth looking into, if you’re considering going the environmentally friendly route. Solar panels can be installed by professionals or can be purchased in do-it-yourself kits. Either way, the tax incentives are well worth the switch.

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Enjoying Your Device Longer With The Top Computer Repair

There are so many different places out there that are currently offering help to those who are having a hard time with their computing device. Reputable computer repair does bring on a great variety of options as well as benefits that will help out. Look right now in order to see how you can easily reap all of the right benefits and even save a little bit of money in the process.

There are many options out there that people can choose from when the device is not working right. However, the help services that will fix everything seem to be the right ones to go with. There are online options for help and advice as well as first hand help that can step in and take care of everything. It simply depends on what the individual is looking to get.

Do not worry about paying too much for the services. In fact, it is not uncommon to find computer repair companies that will cater to the budget set by the individual. If you are worried because you do not have a lot of money, you could still get the services that you need to get ahead.

To get these great prices, shop around and look into different companies. There are private services that individuals can take advantage of that offer better prices as well as quicker times. The service chosen must be reputable and must have the right amount of experience to do the repairs.

While it might seem too tempting, be sure to avoid buying something new. This is going to actually cost more than what it will cost to fix the current model that is being used. If the service that is chosen simply cannot fix the current computer, that will be the right time to move on to another model.

The computer repair services available are very friendly and eager to help out. Take some time to get started with the search and do not forget to bring the machine along with you. Within a few days, the entire system should be up and running in no time.

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The Surprising History of Golf

A lot of discussion has taken place concerning the history of golf, long traditionally believed to have began in the region surrounding the Firth of Forth in Scotland. A golfing-like game is recorded as taking place on 26 February 1297, in the Netherlands, where the Dutch played a game with a stick and leather ball.

However, modern research into the history of golfing has discovered references to a game very comparable to modern day golfing being played in China during the period of the Southern Tang dynasty, at least 500 years before golfing was first mentioned in Scotland.

It has been suggested that the game was first taken to Europe and later Scotland by Mongolian travellers in the later Middle Ages.

In Scotland the first recorded documentary evidence for golf was in an act of the Scottish parliament in 1457 which prohibited the playing of ?gowf? and football in case they detract from the necessary military exercise of archery practice. In a subsequent ban of 1491 golfing was described as ‘an unprofitable sport’!. Something which Tiger Woods is probably ignorant of!

There are records in the accounts of a Scottish lawyer, Sir John Foulis of Ravelston, that he played golf at Musselburgh Links on 2 March 1672, and this has been accepted as proving that The Old Links, Musselburgh, is the oldest golf course in the world. Mary, Queen of Scots is believed to have played there in 1567.

The Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers set down the oldest existing rules of golf in 1744. Their “Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf, known as the Leith Rules, after the course at which they played support the club’s claim to be the world?s first golfing club, though an almanac published around 100 years later is the first record of a rival claim that The Royal Burgess Golf Society had been set up in 1735.

The instructions in the Leith Rules formed the basis for all subsequent codes, for instance requiring that “Your Tee must be upon the ground” and “You are not to change the Ball which you strike off the Tee”

When King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603 the spread of golfing to become a world wide sport commenced. He and his courtiers played golf at Blackheath, London, from which the Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its beginning.

The spread of golfing world wide was started by Scottish soldiers, expatriates and emigrants who took the sport to British colonies and elsewhere.

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) and the club at Pau (1856) in south western France are notable reminders of these trips and are the oldest golf clubs outside of the British Isles and the oldest in continental Europe respectively.

Proof of early golfing in the United States includes an advertisement published in the Royal Gazette of New York City in 1779 for golfing clubs and balls, and the notice of the annual general meeting for a golf club in Savannah printed in the Georgia Gazette in 1796.

However, as in England, it was not until the late 19th century that golf began to become firmly established. There are a number of competing claims to be the oldest club, but what is not contested is that in 1894 representatives from the Newport Country Club, Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, Yonkers, New York, The Country Club, Chicago Golf Club, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in New York City to kind what was to be the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on lots of topics, but is at present involved with the London 2012 Olympics mascot. Click a link if you are interested in the 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

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