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Are You Ready For Retirement?
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Health pg.24 Real Estate pg.38 Hurricane Guide pg.48 Home Improvement Pg.66 Marketplace Pg.84 Automotive pg.106
It’s not too late to start saving.
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Contents
June 2014
10 | ONE WAY TICKET TO MARS
On July 21, 1969 the Apollo 11 space flight took the first humans to the moon, with Neil Armstrong being the first to step on the lunar surface. Now, 45-years later, more than a thousand people are on the short list to go where no man, or woman, has gone before – to Mars. Also – if chosen – they’re not coming back.
Special Sections
08| THE FACEBOOK FACELIFT
Sagging chins, tired eyes, a wrinkled brow or a large nose. These are but a few of the reasons more than $12-billion dollars was spent on cosmetic procedures in 2013. Doctors say the single biggest reason is that women and men want to look better in their social network pictures.
24 Health 38 Real Estate SPONSORED BY:
16| ARE YOU READY FOR RETIREMENT?
According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, 45-percent of Americans do not have a 401K or IRA. And 66-percent of people near retirement age have no retirement savings at all. Financial planner Charles Sachs calls it a retirement crisis. If you’re under 50 some lifestyle changes could help you reach your financial goals for your retirement.
48 Hurricane Guide
23| TIPS FOR A SAFE SUMMER!
From free boating classes to getting ready for the hurricane season, Neighbors 4 Neighbors has important information and tips to keep you and your family safe this summer! PRINTED IN THE USA, COPYRIGHT © 2014 BY MARCO G, INC. All rights reserved. The CBS4 News Magazine, a free publication, is published monthly by MARCO G, Inc. Material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission from Marco G. Inc. or WFOR CBS4. Requests for permission should be directed to: info@cbs4newsmagazine. com. CBS4 and/or Marco G. Inc do not assume any liability for products and/or services claimed in advertisements herein. CBS4 and its logo (s) are protected through trademark registration. The use of logos, content and/or artwork in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. For more information please contact 305.477.1699.
66 Home Improvement 84 Marketplace 106 Automotive
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f
Say something about this photo....
The Facebook
Facelift Rhiannon Ally Sagging chins, tired eyes, a wrinkled brow or a large nose. These are but a few of the reasons more than $12-billion dollars was spent on cosmetic procedures in 2013. “I was seeing a tired, old lady, who isn’t what I am,” explained Barbara Nohrenberg. Doctors say the single biggest reason is that women and men want to look better in their social network pictures. Barbara Nohrenberg isn’t shy about admitting that was her reason for having a facelift and a few other procedures.
cbsmiami.com
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ell I’m out there as a realtor, as a single dating female in a very competitive dating market. I look in the mirror and I said you know, what I’m looking like now… isn’t really who I am anymore,” said Nohrenberg. So Barbara turned to Dr. Jacob Steiger, a Boca Raton based facial plastic surgeon. “I see this as a major trend because my specialty is the face,” said Steiger. “People are becoming more aware of their appearance because they are looking at themselves online.” As Barbara and Dr. Steiger reviewed her before and after pictures, Steiger explained why people are seeing things in a selfie they may not see in the mirror, mirror on the wall. “So some people when they look in the mirror they might see themselves at a straight on view, erect, in a nice position,” explained Steiger. “But when they’re looking at online media, when you’re taking pictures with your iPhone you’re kind of angling the camera a certain way… and sometimes you’re seeing imagesof yourself or angles of yourself you don’t normally see.” Barbara’s eyes and neck bothered the 62-year old the most. On the day we met, she was still healing, but proud to admit that her change was subtle enough not to draw attention. “Because I don’t have that, we call it
the Boca windswept look (she pulls hers face back) you know where you look like you’re in a wind tunnel. It’s just me a little younger.” Until her healing is complete, Barbara is offline, but looking forward to new sites and new pics. “And I’m just waiting for the new me to emerge completely!” But if going under the knife is not your cup of tea, there are a handful of Apps that can make you look prettier, younger, even thinner. Susan Green is the cofounder of Skineepix. “I wanted it to almost be an instant photoshop,” said Green. With the swipe of a key, Skineepix and other apps will reduce your weight by 5, 10 even 15 pounds. “Even the most gorgeous women that I know have some small insecurity,” said Tara Prindaville. Some apps use facial recognition software to give you a more glowing complexion or to do things such as slim noses or fade freakles and wrinkles. Explained Tara, “It’s another app to help you feel more confident when you’re posting.” Whether you want to fake it while you Facebook or honestly be your new self in your next selfie, the price of the Apps isn’t free, but cosmetic surgery isn’t either. Most procedures will run you between $500 to $20,000.
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One Way Ticket:
Mission To
Mars Brian Andrews
cbsmiami.com
On July 21, 1969 the Apollo 11 space flight took the first humans to the moon, with Neil Armstrong being the first to step on the lunar surface. In grainy black and white video images that somehow, in a miraculous feat of technology, beamed to Earth, Armstrong is shown stepping off the lunar module and apparently stumbling over his carefully predetermined words. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” said Armstrong. He was inferred by Americans as brilliant and poignant prose. Now, 45-years later, more than a thousand people are on the short list to go where no man, or woman, has gone before – to Mars. Also – if chosen – they’re not coming back.
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“I’ll obviously miss my family, what’s great is there is communication. We can’t hug, but you know Skype is wonderful.”
M
ore than 200,000 people worldwide applied to be a part of a mission to colonize Mars. The Mars One organization said with conviction it’s going to happen, and finalists said they want to be on-board for a trip to Mars that will be their final destination. The red planet has a rocky surface and a thin atmosphere with little oxygen. The usual high is 70 degrees, and the low, an incomprehensible 243° below zero. What about those snow-capped mountains we’ve seen pictures of? That’s not snow at all but frozen carbon dioxide. “It’s terrifying, truthfully,” said Mars One candiJune 2014 Stephanie Buck. Most would never visit, much less live where no human has set foot before. However, Buck and fellow candiJune 2014 Kristin Richmond, a civil engineer with the state of California, have actually volunteered to do just that. “When I first told my parents I was applying their eyes bugged out of their heads,” said Richmond. “I don’t think anyone took it seriously,” said Buck. If the nonprofit group Mars One gets its way, a human settlement of Mars is right around the corner. The 200,000 applicants have been narrowed to about 1,000, including Buck and Richmond who still can’t believe they’re in the running.
“I got an email and I was going to 7-Eleven to get a cup of coffee and I’m standing in line and I look at my phone and my jaw dropped,” said Buck. “I thought, ‘whoa, this is serious,’” said Richmond. A lot has to happen before anyone begins to pack their bags. The plan is that in 2018 a communication satellite will be launched to prove technology can work properly when people arrive. In 2020, a Mars rover will be on its way to find the perfect location for the future settlement. Two years later, two living units, two life support systems, and two supply units will be sent out. A year later, by that time it will be 2023, four people will arrive to begin colonizing a foreign planet. “I’m so excited,” said Buck. “It’s kind of a nerd’s dream. Who would have thought that this would happen for an average person?” It may be a dream but there is a harsh reality, too. Colonizing a planet is a big job. “Growing food in small places, growing nutrients in small places with limited resources,” said Buck. “Resource management, solar power, life support systems, traveling farther into space,” said Richmond. And if they go, there’s no coming back. “You’re going to take a step in that direction and never go back, be miserable and hate the rest of your life because you’re stuck on Mars?” said Richmond. “Yeah I’ve thought about that.”
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“I don’t know I mean if I’m being realistic. The odds are not very good but the odds were crazier for me to get this far, so anything is possible.”
“Forever is a really long time,” said Buck. “It’s a pretty small space with three strangers.” And there are definite fears. “I don’t want to be just some dummy that got on TV, and blew themselves up,” said Buck. Richmond is married and though her husband declined an interview about his wife’s possible departure, she said he’s very supportive. The trip will also expose everything else most of us take for granted. “When you think about actually leaving earth there are those things you start to think about not just relationships with people, but air, the sound of fresh running water, wind through the trees, those are things you’ll never hear again,” said Richmond. Buck knows this trip means she’d never see her two teenage daughters in person ever again, but she said the opportunity is still one that she can’t pass up. “I’ll obviously miss my family, what’s great is there is communication. We can’t hug, but you know Skype is wonderful,” said Buck. Her daughters are very supportive.
“I am so thrilled for her because I feel like this is just so great for her,” said Buck’s daughter Lhiannan Buck-Gay. “I know her obsession with Sci-Fi and the need to explore, and how important that is for us.” So for now, the candiJune 2014s wait for word of when they can pack their bags for the last time, breathing in the moments here on earth, and dreaming of the possibilities of life on another planet. “I’m just excited to see what my efforts toward this and the future can inspire in younger minds,” said Richmond. “I don’t know I mean if I’m being realistic. The odds are not very good but the odds were crazier for me to get this far, so anything is possible,” said Buck. The two are ready and waiting to take the next giant leap for mankind. Both Buck and Robinson must pass a physical exam in order to be considered for the next round. The group will eventually be to cut to just four who will make the first trip. Mars One officials will not comment on when they will let the women know if they’ve made the cut, but they do plan on making everything that happens on Mars viewable through a variety of media.
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Retirement 911: Are You Prepared? It’s Never Too Early To Start Eliott Rodriguez
cbsmiami.com
Angela Velez works as a nail technician at Leslie’s Nail Salon in Weston. Her husband, Roberto Mulieri is an architect with an office in Pembroke Pines. The couple, in their 50s, is planning for their Golden Years, looking forward to getting old together and retiring.
“I
love to travel,” Angela said. “I want to be one of those old ladies that travels a lot.” The sad reality is that most people won’t have the savings for the type of retirement Angela dreams about. According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, 45-percent of Americans do not have a 401K or IRA. And 66-percent of people near retirement age have no retirement savings at all. Financial planner Charles Sachs calls it a retirement crisis. “The main issue here is having the dollars to make sure you can do the things you want to do when you retire,” Sachs said. “You are not going to be working so you will have to live off Social Security, your 401K and any other retirement account. There are so many people who aren’t saving up for retirement and don’t know how long they’ll live in retirement.” Charles Sachs paid a visit to Angela and Roberto to go over their “The main issue retirement plans. While he found they are contributing to retirement here is having the accounts, he also thinks they can do better. He advises them to cut back dollars to make on things like going out to dinner and taking family vacations. sure you can do “They’re at a critical point in time,” Sachs said. “They need to put a the things you certain amount of money away each month to hit their retirement goals. want to do when you retire.” They have to learn how to budget and save. They have to commit to pay themselves first and put that money to work on a monthly basis for their retirement.” Sachs advises clients to start saving early, putting away at least 10 percent of their salary. By the time they’re ready for retirement, he says they should have eight times their annual income socked away. That’s a lot of money, but Sachs says you’ll need it. “Not only do you need the money, you’re not going to make money and as you see with the price of movies or the cost of a postage stamp, prices are going up so you need the dollars to catch up to inflation,” he said. In order to avoid a retirement crisis, Jose and Angela say they’re already starting to change old habits. “We used to go out with friends and we would pick up the bill,” said Angela. “It’s a lot of money. The intentions are good but I don’t think we’ll be doing that again.”
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How
Dirty
Is It Inside Your House? Brian Andrews
cbsmiami.com
“H
The Moreno family of Plantation takes tremendous pride in its home. “This is about as clean as it gets,” said Ben Moreno to CBS4’s Brian Andrews during a recent tour. There’s a lot going on at the house. The teenage son who plays in a garage band uses the living room for rehearsal. The kindergarten-aged daughter, Leigh Ann, loves to play with her toys in almost every room of the house.
ow important is a clean house to you,” asked CBS4’s Brian Andrews. “Clean as in germ free is very important because I don’t want my kids sick,” responded Helena Moreno. CBS4 News took swab samples from all over the house and sent them off to the Microbiology Lab at Nova Southeastern University. There, Dr. Julie Torruellas-Garcia and her students ran tests to determine what type of bacteria could be found living in the Moreno’s home. “They’ll be pretty surprised,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garcia. Microscopic traces of trouble turned up on just about every sample that was tested. “Some of the plates even grew fungus,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garcia. The testing found the presence of E-Coli bacteria in the microwave. “We use it to cook our food, but, we also use it to defrost mea,” said Dr. TorruellasGarcia. “Raw meats carry bacteria like e-coli and salmonella,” she added. “Sometimes, the food splatters around the microwave and we don’t always clean it.” The refrigerator handle was also found to have several different types of bacteria. “There were so many, they just all grew together in the petri dish,” said Dr. TorruellasGarcia. In the automatic ice maker, evidence of Staphylococcus aureus was found. This is the same type of bacteria that can lead to skin infections. “This is the one I was really worried about because never in my life have I cleaned inside there,” said Helena. “You always want to be concerned when there’s the possibility you could be ingesting something,” said the Doctor. The kitchen coffee maker tested positive for bacteria and fungus. “Gross,” said Helena. Then, there was the kitchen sponge. “This typically has the most bacteria on it in your house,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garica. “Instead of throwing it out, you can put a damp sponge in the microwave for about a minute and a half and that will kill all the bacteria,” she added. Your dishwasher can also be loaded with bacteria. After all, it’s cleaning plates with food particles on them. “Food particles are nutrients for bacteria,” said Dr. TorruellasGarcia. “It also has moisture and water which is what bacteria needs to grow.”
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“The Moreno’s washing machine tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus. A lot of it has to do with the fact that you have bacteria on your clothes when you put them in the washing machine. The detergent doesn’t necessarily kill all the bacteria.”
Dr. Torruellas-Garcia adds it’s a good idea to prop your dishwasher door open when it’s not in use to allow the inside to dry. Same goes for the household washing machine. The Moreno’s washing machine tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus. “A lot of it has to do with the fact that you have bacteria on your clothes when you put them in the washing machine. The detergent doesn’t necessarily kill all the bacteria,” said the Doctor. Our testing also found potentially harmful bacteria living on the family’s TV remote control. Not surprising considering how many members of the family handle it on a daily basis, and because Helena Moreno was nursing a cold at the time CBS4 tested it. “If someone was sick and then depositing the bacteria that’s actually causing the infection, that’s when you want to be careful,” said Dr. Torrulellas-Garcia. Testing also found bacteria and fungus growing on toys in the children’s toy chest. Dr. Torriuellas-Garica says it’s a good idea to wash stuffed animals in the washing machine and to wipe down plastic tots with a 10% bleach solution. It’s also surprising what types of bacteria you track in your house. Testing found bacteria on the bottoms of the Moreno’s teenage son’s tennis shoes. “Do you know what you are tracking in the house,” asked
CBS4’s Brian Andrews. “E-Coli,” asked Dylan. Exactly. “You’re stepping in everything all day so you would expect to find a lot of bacteria on a shoe,” said Dr. TorruellasGarcia. “That’s it,” said Helena Moreno. “Everyone needs to start taking their shoes off at the front door.” Helena was not happy with the amount and types of bacteria CBS4 found inside their home. “I’m not happy, but it’s good to know that it’s there so we can clean it,” she said. If cleaning with chemicals isn’t your thing, you may want to try electrostatic sanitization. “It’s pulling all the particles out of the air,” says ByoPlanet President Rick O’Shea. “You’re killing all of the bacteria.” Workers will come into the home wearing contraptions that look like something out of the movie “Ghostbusters” which uses microns to attack the microscopic muck that may be lurking in your home. “Our premise is we don’t miss,” said O’Shea with a smile. ByoPlanet, based in Sunrise, says its service leaves surfaces free of the majority of bacteria for up to 90 days once treated. It’s the same technology cruise ships use to clean hallways and staterooms following an outbreak of Norovirus. “What I learned from all this is that there are hidden germs all over the place,” said Helena Moreno. “You just have to be mindful and take care of it!”
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Summer is here and Neighbors 4 Neighbors wants you to Have a Safe Summer! From free boating classes to getting ready for the hurricane season, Neighbors 4 Neighbors has important information and tips to keep you and your family safe this summer! BOATING SAFETY Neighbors 4 Neighbors wants to make sure you and your family are safe this summer with our “Have a Safe Summer” campaign. The weather is warmer and South Floridians are heading to the water to cool off! Florida is #1 in boating accidents and fatalities. Neighbors 4 Neighbors’ partner organization, The Monica Burguera Foundation, is committed to saving lives and making our waters safer for all by promoting watercraft safety and boater education. The Monica Burguera Foundation partners with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, to offer FREE boating safety classes throughout the year. The one-day classes, offered in English and Spanish, cover everything a boater needs to know about water safety: Introduction to boating, boat handling, boating problems, trailering, legal & state requirements, personal safety, navigation and more. To find out more about the program and classes log on to: www.monicaburguerafoundation.org SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM The school year is almost over and along with the end of the school year will also be the end of free or reduced breakfasts and lunches for many children in South Florida. Neighbors 4 Neighbors is proud to partner with and promote the Summer Break Spot. A place where all students 18 and under can eat breakfast, snacks and lunch for free! For a list of locations, log on: http://www. summerfoodflorida.org/sites.html The Summer Break Spot is run by the Summer Food Service Program, federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The intent is to bridge the gap in nutrition during the summer months. During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price meals. When school lets out for the summer, many of these children are at risk of hunger or poor nutrition. The program was designed to ensure that children have access to the nutritious meals they need to grow, learn and play during the summer months and to help ensure their bodies and minds are healthy and strong for the upcoming school year.
HURRICANE SEASON Neighbors 4 Neighbors was started in the wake of the devastation after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. At Neighbors 4 Neighbors, we know the importance of being prepared for the Hurricane Season. Does your family or business have an emergency plan? Have you or your family designated a meeting location in case a disaster strikes? Does your company have a remote back-up system? Do you know the evacuation routes? Do you have items for each member of your household from the disaster checklist? Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Now is the time to prepare. For more information and helpful tips to keep your family and your business safe this Hurricane Season, log on to: www.neighbors4neighbors.org and keep watching CBS4 News for the latest upJune 2014s this hurricance season. BACK-TO-SCHOOL School will be out soon, but Neighbors 4 Neighbors is already gearing up for the new school year! In partnership with Broward Children’s Services Council, and the Kids 4 Kids Club, Neighbors 4 Neighbors is working to make sure that all south florida students go back to school with the supplies they need to start the school year for success. Last year, the back-to-school drives delivered backpacks and supplies to 4,600 kids. We need your help! Just $30 outfits a child for the entire year! Donate today at www. neighbors4neighbors.org. Broward recipients are identified by school social workers and the effort focuses on kids in unstable living conditions. The back-to-school extravaganza at the BB&T Center drew thousands of kids and parents who were treated to free haircuts, shoes, socks, uniforms, and backpacks filled with school supplies. In Miami Dade the focus was on children of farm workers. Six hundred backpacks filled with supplies were given out in addition to books and snacks.
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How Dirty Are Your
Brian Andrews
Dog’s Kisses?
c b s 4 n e w s pa p e r / June 2014
cbsmiami.com
We’ve all gotten licks of love from our dogs. However, would you let your dog kiss you on the mouth? Urban legend has it that dog’s mouths are very clean. “That’s not true,” said Nova Southeastern University Microbiologist Dr. Julie Torruellas-Garcia.
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aliva samples from dogs in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach were sent to the lab to be tested. Based on the cultures that grew in the lab from the samples, Dr. Torruellas-Garcia said you may want to think twice before you and your dog exchange siliva. “There was quite a bit of bacteria that grew from the dogs’ mouths,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garcia. While our testing did not reveal the presence of any e-coli or bacteria that could cause a staph infection, Dr. Torruellas-Garcia and her students found globs of other microboes. “One plate had so many bacteria mixed together that it was difficult to test,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garcia. In swabs taken from dogs in the West Palm Beach area, the testing found evidence of Nisseria, bacteria linked to STD’s, pneumonia and plaque. “Think about where a dog tends to lick, and consider he
or she might have just licked before they licked you,” said Dr. Torruellas-Garcia. After all, it’s not like a dog knows to wash hands or brush teeth. West Palm Beach Veterinarian Ken Simmons said not to worry though, all that bacteria doesn’t stay in a dog’s mouth for long. “It’s gone so fast, if they lick and groom themselves, whatever organisms they ingest, they’re gone in a matter of minutes,” said Simmons. If doggie breath bothers you, it may be time to take your dog for a dental cleaning. After all, if you didn’t take care of your teeth, your mouth would have the same problems. In the end, the testing didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. Dr. Simmons said it’s simply a matter of with what you are comfortable. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to french kiss a dog, but having a normal lick on the face is no more dangerous than a kiss from your spouse,” said Dr. Simmons.
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• Heart Attack? • Stroke? • Blood Cloths? • Hypertension?
“CBS4 News found that Androgel product information does mention blood clots and hypertension as side effects.”
Are Low Testosterone Drugs Worth The Risks? c b s 4 n e w s pa p e r / June 2014
cbsmiami.com
For millions of men trying to fight the effects of aging, there’s a drug that claims to make you stronger, smarter, and more virile but is it worth the risk? An Androgel commercial and website encourage men to try testosterone replacement drugs.
“I
thought well it might be something good for me,” said Edward Downes. “So with that ya know I decided why not give it a shot.” But after about two years of using Androgel, 51-year old Downes had a stroke, which he blames on the drug. “I was in a lot of pain, dizziness, confusion,” said Downes. He’s still struggling to recover and now plans to sue. Scott Levensten is Downes lawyer. “We believe there’s an egregious failure to warn in the package insert, in the television advertising and had Mr. Downes known of the risk of heart attack and stroke, he never would have taken this product.” Androgel defends its product saying it has “more than ten years of clinical, safety data.” And “the known therapeutic risks are well documented in prescribing labels.” CBS4 News found that Androgel product information does mention blood clots and hypertension as side effects. Recent studies have found that Androgel and other testosterone products doubled the risk of heart attack in men over 65 and in younger men with a history of heart disease possibly due to increased production of red blood cells.
“For the men who qualify, giving them testosterone has had a remarkable changes in their life,” said Dr. Paul Savage. “It’s not a super-drug. It needs to be carefully given to the appropriate patient,” insisted Dr. Daniel Yadagar, a cardiologist. He urges caution with hormone replacement therapy. “I’m looking at the other cardiovascular risk factors. Is this patient diabetic? Is this patient smoking, overweight and try to work on those modifiable risk factors,” said Yadagar. “I want them to stop prescribing it to anybody and everybody,” said Stephen Nichols, who used testosterone replacement therapy for years, even after he had a heart attack. “He kept prescribing it and I kept taking it,” said Nichols. Legal experts are calling for everything from placing warning labels on the box to pulling the product completely. Besides Androgel, there are at least eight other products named in lawsuits. The FDA has issued a statement about testosterone drugs saying it is now going to investigate the cardiovascular risks but it has not recommended that people stop using the products.
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“Patients typically need about 30 hours of treatment to see changes in brain wave patterns”
Remodel Your Mind
With BrainCore Therapy People take medication every day for things like anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Now, a new technique could make all of that go away. “BrainCore therapy is neuro-feedback,” explained Dr. Keri Chiappino, “Your brain is constantly being molded with a feedback mechanism, a positive reinforcement to show you that this is the proper brain wave pattern.”
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cbsmiami.com
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n BrainCore therapy, patients manipulate the brightness of a video screen using their brain waves. Positive reinforcement for this type of therapy entails the brain waves making a video screen appear lighter, or keeping a roller coaster moving smoothly. Dr. Chiappino said that when patients concentrate on these activities their brains are able to establish new connections that can help break the cycle of depression, insomnia, and certain types of pain. Marilyn Sokol was having issues with mood, and had difficulty focusing and sleeping. Those problems prompted her to try BrainCore therapy. “I’m really sleeping and not getting up for any reason,” she said, “I was always a slow reader. I do believe that there has been an improvement.” Amie Nissenbaum thought that a non-invasive form of therapy might be able to help her 7-year-old daughter deal with emotional issues. “There were subtle differences, but then all of a sudden I noticed we’re getting along so much better,” Nissenbaum said, “Socially she was able to deal with other kids.” Dr. Steven Wolf, explained that while this type of therapy may work for some patients others could see similar results through meditation or yoga. “If you find something that works for you to get some kind of mindfulness, some kind of meditation, some kind of biofeedback is wonderful, but you have to go to a doctor’s office to do it,” Dr. Wolf said. Dr. Chiappino said that changes in brain waves could produce big results. “Once we influence someone’s brain wave pattern then we’re able to effectively improve some symptoms that are associated with certain conditions,” she explained. Patients typically need about 30 hours of
treatment to see changes in brain wave patterns and should check with their insurance providers to see if this type of treatment is covered.
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The Doctor Will See You Now Go through the doors at Elite Health Medical Group and you”ll feel as if you’ve walked into a spa hotel! Brian Andrews
At Executive Health, it looks like a luxurious living room, and Dr. Al Mitrani said that’s exactly what they’re aiming for. “We don’t have the typical buzzer with the sliding door. And the rest of the office is also designed in a manner so that it really doesn’t look like a doctor’s office and the patients love this.” The patients also love the time they get with the doctor, an hour for a first visit, half hour for a follow up. And all calls from patients are returned before anyone leaves at the end of the day.
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“W
e’re really practicing medicine the way it was practiced long ago, where physicians had great relationships with patients. The fee was paid by the patient,” explained Dr. Mitrani. It’s called “fee for service.” Think of that 70’s TV show Dr. Marcus Welby M.D. “I hope we’re as good as Dr. Welby was!” exclaimed Mitrani. A typical doctor’s visit at Executive Health will likely run under $400. This doesn’t replace your insurance, which you need to see a specialist or hospitalizations. It means your doctor is no longer dealing with insurance companies. You pay them and get a receipt, which you turn in to your insurance company and pocket whatever they reimburse. Another way doctors are changing the way they practice medicine is by going to the concierge model. “Our concierge program is $5,000 a year. It includes an executive wellness exam which has a value of about $3,500,” said Dr. Steve Schnur of Elite Health Medical Group. Dr. Steve Schnur may be the doctor to TV stars and famous athletes, but others such as Casey Rodriguez see the advantage in paying a yearly retainer to have access to a doctor 24/7 by text, cell phones, even hotel and house calls. “When I joined concierge, I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem one day and within 24-hours I was in with a specialist,” said Rodriguez. That thyroid condition prompted Rodriguez and her family to retain
Elite Health, in addition to their health insurance policy. “When it came down to it we really did not want to have to wait three months for an appointment. I didn’t want to wait two weeks to get my lab results. I didn’t want to need medication and have to wait three days to get into my appointment just so i could get a prescription written.” “You know one of the problems doctors have right now is they’re a mouse on a wheel. So they’re running, running, running, running. We need to change that model which is more based on quality of care not quantity of care,” insisted Dr. Schnur. Schnur, a cardiologist, does that he says, by focusing on wellness and prevention. “The insurance you have now is really insurance if you get sick. So it’s kind of a sickness plan,” Schnur said. Elite also has a $75 a month retainer for the less affluent, and also takes medicare and medicaid. Many doctors have been making the change to fee for service or concierge long before Obamacare. But both doctors we spoke with expect this trend to continue, until health insurance companies begin paying doctors for quality of care, not quantity of care.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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10
Turn-Offs For Potential Buyers
As real estate markets continue to recover around the country, buyers are out in full force. Many of today’s buyers make judgments about homes within moments of seeing a listing online. They are also more cautious than before the housing crisis. They want to make sure they’re buying the best house and for the best amount of money. For sellers, that means giving buyers what they want. Though it’s a home first and foremost, it’s also an investment. If you’re planning to put your house on the market, here are ten ways you might be turning off potential buyers.
1. A garage turned into something else.
2. A bedroom turned into something else.
If you’ve sacrificed the garage for something other than the garage, the trade-off might actually be a turn-off, especially to people where parking is at a premium. Even in the suburbs, most people want a covered, secure place to park their cars. Don’t forget that a garage often doubles as a storage location. The garage houses everything from lawn mower to the excess paper towels and cleansers. If you convert your garage into something else, you’re likely to force a buyer to look elsewhere.
Aside from location, one of the first things a buyer searches for is number of bedrooms. Why? Because it’s an important requirement. You might think having a wine cellar, with built-in refrigerators, in your home will make it attractive to potential buyers because it was attractive to you. And while it’s true many people work from home today at least part of the time, that doesn’t mean they want a dedicated home office—especially one with built-in desks or bookcases that would need to be removed. If you must convert a bedroom into something else, make sure you can easily convert it back into a bedroom when you go to sell.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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3. Over-the-top lighting fixtures. A beautiful chandelier can enliven a dining room. But it can also turn off buyers who prefer simpler, less ornate lighting fixtures. Did you fall in love with a dark light fixture on a trip to Casablanca? That’s great. And you should use it for your own enjoyment. But when it comes time to sell, replace it with something more neutral.
4. Carpet over hardwood floors. Many people today like hardwood floors. They are cleaner looking, add a design element, don’t show dirt as much, and they’re definitely preferred over carpets for people with allergies. If you have nice hardwood floors, show them off. Let the buyer decide if he or she wants to cover them. It’s easier for a buyer to purchase new carpeting of their choosing than it is for them to get past yours.
5. The kid’s room that is a miniature theme park. Little kids have big imaginations. They tend to love Disney characters, spaceships, super heroes, and such, and their parents are often all-too-willing to turn their rooms into fantasy caves. But the more you transform a kid’s bedroom into something resembling a Disneyland ride, the more you’ll turn off most potential buyers. Your buyer might have teenage children who will see the removal of wallpaper, paint or little-kid-inspired light fixtures as work. If you can, neutralize the kid’s rooms before you go on the market.
6. An above-ground pool. Does it get hot in the summers where you live? Wish you had a backyard pool but can’t afford to have a ‘real’ pool installed? Then you might be tempted to buy and set up an above-ground pool. For most potential buyers, though, these pools are an eyesore. Also, an above-ground pool can leave a big dead spot of grass in your backyard — another eyesore. If you must have it, consider dismantling it before going on the market. Of course, be sure you’re really ready to sell or you may be stuck without a place to cool off next summer.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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Properties Sold in Broward County
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8121 SW 8th St, North Lauderdale, FL 33068 3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,218 sq. ft. | 6,002 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1973 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $184,000
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893 Sunflower Cir, Weston, FL 33327 4 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 2,550 sq. ft. | 6,801 sq ft Lot | Built in: 2001 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $492,500
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5729 Live Oak Ter, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 4 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,546 sq. ft. | 10,161 sq ft Lot | Built in: 2001 Sold: 5/15/2014 | $720,000
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1322 Jackson St, Hollywood, FL 33019 2 Beds / 1 Bath | 1,168 sq. ft. | 6,811 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1944 Sold: 5/7/2014 | $280,000
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538 NE 13th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,651 sq. ft. | 7,800 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1946 Sold: 5/16/2014 | $599,000
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1539 Island Way, Weston, FL 33326 5 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 4,412 sq. ft. | 0.3 acre Lot | Built in: 1995 Sold: 5/15/2014 | $865,000
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221 SW 167th Ave, Pembroke Pines, FL 33027 4 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,463 sq. ft. | 7,633 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1996 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $395,000
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446 Deer Creek Run, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 4 Beds / 3 Bath | 5,166 sq. ft. | 10,800 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1979 Sold: 5/9/2014 | $645,000
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12721 Trotter Blvd, Davie, FL 33330 5 Beds / 4 Bath | 4,181 sq. ft. | 0.8 acre Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 4/30/2014 | $920,000
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Properties Sold in Miami-Dade County
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12381 SW 251st St, Homestead, FL 33032 5 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,273 sq. ft. | 4,588 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1995 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $175,000
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136 NW 96th St, Miami Shores, FL 33150 3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,689 sq. ft. | 9,225 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1946 Sold: 5/8/2014 | $480,000
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9124 Abbott Ave, Surfside, FL 33154 3 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 2,691 sq. ft. | 5,600 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1939 Sold: 5/7/2014 | $735,000
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10225 SW 191st St, Cutler Bay, FL 33157 3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,868 sq. ft. | 0.3 acre Lot | Built in: 2003 Sold: 4/30/2014 | $250,000
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8951 SW 196th Dr, Cutler Bay, FL 33157 4 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 3,711 sq. ft. | 0.34 acre Lot | Built in: 1994 Sold: 5/6/2014 | $591,200
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245 187th St, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 3 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,161 sq. ft. | 7,500 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1955 Sold: 5/5/2014 | $865,000
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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13254 SW 146th St, Miami, FL 33186 3 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 2,323 sq. ft. | 10,323 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1999 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $390,000
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8815 SW 59th Ter, Miami, FL 33173 4 Beds / 4 Bath | 3.063 sq. ft. | 9,167 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1990 Sold: 5/5/2014 | $635,000
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547 NE 59th St, Miami, FL 33137 3 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,871 sq. ft. | 9,000 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1938 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $900,000
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Luxury Properties S old
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2407 Laguna Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 6 Beds / 8 Bath | 13,035 sq. ft. | 0.37 acre Lot | Built in: 2004 Sold: 5/16/2014 | $7,100,000
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510 Lido Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 4 Beds / 5 Bath | 4,892 sq. ft. | 0.53 acre Lot | Built in: 1940 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $3,220,000
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19337 Waters Edge St, Weston, FL 33332 6 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 10,680 sq. ft. | 0.67 acre Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $2,325,000
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Broward County
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2897 NE 25th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 6 Beds / 7 Bath | 7,992 sq. ft. | n/a Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 5/7/2014 | $4,440,000
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41 Compass Is, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 4 Beds / 5.5 Bath | 5,534 sq. ft. | 0.3 acre Lot | Built in: 2000 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $2,500,000
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615 Coral Way, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 4 Beds / 6 Bath | 4,807 sq. ft. | n/a Lot | Built in: 1979 Sold: 5/6/2014 | $2,300,000
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1516 Ponce De Leon Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 5 Beds / 8 Bath | 11,753 sq. ft. | 0.52 acre Lot | Built in: 1998 Sold: 5/5/2014 | $3,700,000
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3120 NE 58th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 6 Beds / 8 Bath | 6,034 sq. ft. | 9,360 sq ft Lot | Built in: 2006 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $2,400,000
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2824 NE 23rd Ave, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 5 Beds / 6 Bath | 5,263 sq. ft. | 9,350 sq ft Lot | Built in: 2005 Sold: 5/6/2014 | $2,225,000
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Luxury Properties S old
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115 Ocean Blvd, Golden Beach, FL 33160 6 Beds / 7 Bath | 8,498 sq. ft. | 0.98 acre Lot | Built in: 1936 Sold: 5/4/2014 | $12,000,000
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1821 W 24th St, Miami Beach, FL 33140 6 Beds / 7 Bath | 5,832 sq. ft. | 0.3 acre Lot | Built in: 1936 Sold: 4/24/2014 | $5,500,000
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614 NE 26th Ter, Miami, FL 33137 3 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,026 sq. ft. | 7,040 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1934 Sold: 4/22/2014 | $4,000,000
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Miami-Dade County
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540 Casuarina Concourse, Coral Gables, FL 33143 4 Beds / 4 Bath | 4,276 sq. ft. | 2.49 acre Lot | Built in: 1963 Sold: 4/28/2014 | $11,500,000
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1330 S Venetian Way, Miami Beach, FL 33139 3 Beds /4 Bath | 3,922 sq. ft. | 0.28 acre Lot | Built in: 1946 Sold: 4/28/2014 | $4,500,000
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280 Las Brisas Ct, Coral Gables, FL 33143 6 Beds / 6.5 Bath | 7,313 sq. ft. | 0.47 acre Lot | Built in: 2007 Sold: 5/1/2014 | $3,900,000
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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6959 Sunrise Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33133 6 Beds / 7 Bath | 8,111 sq. ft. | 0.38 acre Lot | Built in: 2005 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $7,250,000
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3528 Bayshore Villas Dr, Coconut Grove, FL 33133 4 Beds / 5.5 Bath | 8,347 sq. ft. | n/a Lot | Built in: 1990 Sold: 5/2/2014 | $4,150,000
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4510 Granada Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33146 7 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 6,602 sq. ft. | 0.46 acre Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 5/6/2014 | $3,500,000
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7. An in-ground pool. You might assume that a gorgeous backyard pool will make a splash with potential buyers. Except in warm climates, where pools are truly an important amenity, many people see a backyard pool as a huge maintenance issue — not to mention a liability. If you live in an area where pools aren’t that common, seriously consider your decision. If you’re planning to be in the home for the long haul and you’ll get lots of use out of it, go for it.
8. Avocado-green kitchen fixtures.
9. Cigarette smell through the house.
If your home is decades old and the kitchen looks like something from The Brady Bunch, consider investing in a quick once-over. Some new stainless steel appliances and granite countertops can be installed in no time and the cost and hassle is a lot less than you think. More buyers prefer to move right in. Do the work for them and you increase your bottom line.
Over time, the smell of smoke permeates your home. It gets into the carpet, drapes, wood paneling, just about everywhere — a big turnoff to most buyers today. Getting rid of the smoke smell can be a big job. If you’re a smoker, seriously consider how you want to present your home to the market. For a long- term smoke-filled home, it means new paint, removing carpets and doing lots of deep cleaning.
10. Keep Fido’s bed and toys front and center Let’s face it; family pets bring a lot of joy to the home. But, they don’t always bring the same joy to a prospective buyer. Dog’s toys, filled with saliva, dirt and dust can be a sore both for the eyes and the nose. If you have a pet, put a plan in place to move the food and water bowls as well as the toys and dog’s bed to a better location, like the garage. Homes that smell and show like animals can scare buyers off.
It’s Your Home — For Now. Part of the joy of owning a home is that you can do whatever you want with it, to it, and in it. You should enjoy it. But if you want to sell it easily and for top dollar down the road, try to picture how others might react to any renovations, additions or modifications you make. The more specific you get — such as turning your kid’s room into a miniature castle from Cinderella — the harder it will be to sell your home later, and the less return on investment you’ll get. When considering changes to your home, always consider resale.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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CBSMIAMI.COM
Protecting Your Home This
hurricane season
Protecting your home from hurricane force winds has become easier than ever before, now that all shutters, impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors that have Miami-Dade County approval after September 1994 are made to protect homes from destructive winds. If they are legal, they are strong. Check with your county’s Building and Zoning Department to be sure that the products you are buying have been approved.
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f you protect EVERY opening in your house with shutters or impact-resistant windows that meet the CURRENT building code, your house stands a very good chance of surviving a hurricane. Shutters come in several styles. If you live in a condo or townhouse community, your association is required by Florida law to allow residents to install shutters. Each association, though, can require a particular style, and you
will probably have to apply to your board of directors for a variance to install them. Check with your association before you buy your shutters. Impact-resistant windows with the 20 X20 glass; made out of a polycarbonate (plastic) or a sandwich of glass and plastic are cheaper than ever. Be aware, however, that both the frame and the window will have to be replaced after a hurricane, so you might want to consider shuttering
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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those as well. They will provide you excellent protection if you are away from home and provide protection against intruders, but they will be expensive to replace after they are bashed by flying debris in a significant storm. Every shutter, door, garage door, window, skylight, and awning that was sold in South Florida before the new building code went into effect in September 1994 does NOT meet the new code. Your insurance company is required, in most cases, to give you a discount if your house is protected by shutters or impact-resistant windows and doors. You may NOT get a discount, though, if these products do not meet the current code. Entry doors, especially French and double doors, are weak points. Be sure to shutter them. Older garage doors need special attention. It may be less expensive to install new garage doors that meet the current code than to shutter and brace older ones. If you can’t do that, you can strengthen your garage door from the inside by making a double 2 X 4 brace and attaching it to the floor and the beam above the door. This will help, but it can’t
make your older garage door as strong as code-approved new ones. Glass sliding doors sold before the new code may blow out, even if they are shuttered properly. If you can’t replace them with new ones, you can brace them with 3 2 X 4 boards cut to fit tightly between the door and the frame. Put one board at the top, another at the bottom, and a third horizontally in the center of the door. Window film can add strength to window glass, but the window can still blow in if it’s hit by debris. Film works best when used in combination with shutters. Film is also a good option for windows that can’t be shuttered. Be sure you are getting film designed for hurricanes, however. All film tend to look alike; however, not all film is designed to add significant strength to windows. Plywood is the LAST option. HOMEMADE PLYWOOD SHUTTERS DO NOT MEET THE BUILDING CODE. They are difficult to store and warp easily in our humid climate. They must be attached with the proper bolts, and they are time-consuming and difficult to construct and install. Because you may have to replace all or most of them every
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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few years, they can end up costing more in the long run than steel panels. Improperly installed plywood panels will do you no good and could even do damage if they come off in the wind. Advantages/Disadvantages: Steel Storm Panels: The cheapest shutters. Solid protection. Hard to install in a wind. Not good for second stories. Heavy. Aluminum Storm Panels: Lighter than steel. Easy to install. Mediumpriced option. Different models perform differently. Read the fine print of the model you choose. Accordion or Roll-up Shutters: There all the time. Easy to close at the time of a storm. Good for large windows Very expensive. Some people don’t like seeing the shutters year-round. Polycarbonate Impact-resistant Windows: Full-time protection for security, tornadoes, or when you are out of town.Will not break. Expensive if you don’t need to replace
your windows. Glass-plastic-glass Impact-resistant Windows: Full-time protection. Made of real glass. Glass breaks when hit, but plastic will not be penetrated. Expensive to repair if glass breaks. Window Film: It’s there all the time. Tint your windows to limit the heat coming into the house. You have to trust your salesman since cheap film looks like strong film. Only strengthens the glass, not the window structure. Plywood: You can do it at the last minute, but you may do more harm than good if you don’t secure the boards extremely well. Does not meet the code. About the same price as steel storm panels, especially taking into account the amount of work necessary to do the job properly and deterioration.
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h u r r i c a n e g u i d e / C B S M IA M I . C O M
Guide To
Preparing
Your Pets For A Storm Your pets are members of your family. Don’t leave them out of your hurricane plans. Just as you would have a plan for protecting the life and safety of your spouse and your children, you need to have a plan in place to make sure your pets are safe should you have to leave your home.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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You also need to understand what needs to be done if you stay at home, in case your house is damaged and your frightened pets are free to get outside. IMPORTANT: Shelters and evacuation centers DO NOT allow pets. There are exceptions in Miami-Dade & Broward. Seeing eye dogs are permitted in special needs facilities. Make sure your dogs and cats have collars and tags with upJune 2014d information so that you can be contacted if they get loose in the confusion of a hurricane. All vaccinations should be up to June 2014 before a hurricane threatens. If you live in an evacuation zone, make plans NOW to stay with a friend or relative who will let you bring your pets. Have food, medication, and other items for your pet ready to go. You can make arrangements NOW with your veterinarian or a kennel to board your pets during a storm. But remember that space is very limited. Make sure you know the policy regarding how long the kennel or vet will keep your pet, what vaccinations your pet will need, and if they
will provide any of your pet’s medications. Allow yourself enough time in your hurricane plan to take your pets to be boarded. If you must evacuate and you can’t take your pet or board it, you can leave it alone in a secured room, such as a bathroom. Leave sufficient food and water for two weeks. Put plastic covered with newspapers on the floor. DO NOT tranquilize your pet. Animals need to be alert to survive a hurricane. But animals have strong natural survival instincts. DO NOT risk your own life to stay behind with your pet. If you are staying at your home, bring all outside pets inside for the storm. Don’t let them out again until you hear the “all clear.” Check your yard for hazards, such as broken glass, debris with sharp edges, or downed wires, before you let your pets out. Make sure that you have sufficient food and medications for each pet as part of your hurricane kit. Don’t forget the needs of your pets when you are planning for your family’s water supply. Each animal needs a half-gallon of water per
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day. Don’t forget that a hurricane can be just as traumatic for animals as it is for people. You will need to keep your pets calm during the storm. Afterwards, they may need time to adjust to changes in their daily routines. Note about pets: Miami-Dade & Broward Counties each have 1 shelter where hurricane evacuees can be safe during a storm — and be with their pets! In Miami-Dade, people and pets — dogs, cats, birds, and other small animals — living in an evacuation zone can ride out the storm there, so long as they’ve pre-registered. You should pre-register by calling (786) 331-5354 for the necessary forms. All animals must have current vaccination, and medical records. In Broward, you must also pre-register. Space is extremely limited. To pre-register, you must bring the following with you in person to the Humane Society, 2070 Griffin Road, (one block west of I-95) Fort Lauderdale, from
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday Valid proof of residence in an evacuation area (including mobile home residents) such as an electric, water, or cable bill. A driver’s license is not sufficient proof. Valid proof of rabies vaccination and county animal license tag for your pets. The name, address, and phone number of your veterinarian. A current photo of the pets you are planning to bring to the shelter. These photos will be attached to your registration. They will not be returned. Call (954) 989-3977 or go to www.humanebroward.com for more information. For additional information on helping your pets through a hurricane, you can call The Humane Society of Greater Miami at (305) 696-0800, The Humane Society of Broward County at (954) 9893977.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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Protecting Your
Documents & Electronic Valuables Before A Storm
The toughest thing to lose in a storm are the things you can’t replace like photos and important documents. Unlike a South Florida summer thunderstorm hurricanes pack a lot of wind and often, a storm surge. This force of nature can open up your house and your car and destroy everything inside. So how do you protect the things you can’t replace? Pack it smartly. A common mistake people make is to put their belongings in a cardboard boxes. The only problem is hurricanes are traditionally wet storm. Which means, when the box gets wet, so does all your belongings.
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T
he better option is to get a plastic container. You can get something large at the local Target or Walmart to put your desktop computer in. Or if you are just looking to store documents get something small at your local grocery store. Either way you want to make sure you get a lid so it is airtight and water tight. And if you don’t have time to go to the store you can always pick up some Ziplocs out of your kitchen. Put you documents inside and make sure you seal it closed. Perhaps the best way to protect your computer and everything on it may be to put it in a cloud. “The cloud is really just another name for the Internet,” Rick Socarras of BlueTech IT explained. Socarras helps mostly commercial clients setup their computers on cloud services to keep them up and running. He explained to us the service can be invaluable for the average homeowner. Essentially you are making a backup of your hard drive over the internet. The files go to a safe and secure data center. So no matter what happens to your computer you can always go online on another computer and be back up and running.
“You are always able to restore all your important documents from those backups. You can connect via the web, a web interface, or depending on the service some people actually ship you a disk with your information on it.” Socarras said. The typical backup takes at least a few hours. Backing up an entire computer might take days. With just a few clicks the transfer takes place and the cost can’t be beat. “For home users its actually quite economical. It really depends on how much data you have. There are some providers that will give you two gigabytes free backup,” Socarras said. That’s about 500 songs, 500 to a thousand photos, or thousands of documents. For a few bucks you can back up your entire computer. The main thing you understand is if the house goes away, the laptop goes away, all your documents, your music, your photos go away…. and it doesn’t matter? “It doesn’t matter. You can always recover it. Because it’s going to be here,” Soccaras told CBS4’s David Sutta.
To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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Home improvement
Guide To Planting
Trees and Shrubs There are many things you can do to enhance the value and appearance of your home. One of the easiest, most affordable and most dramatic investments is landscaping with trees and shrubs. If you are in the market for a new tree or shrub, get it off to a good start by following a few basic guidelines.
c b s 4 n e w s pa p e r / June 2014
Content provided by lowes.com
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ook at the area where you plan on putting the trees are heavy. You might want to arrange some help when new addition. Make sure the amount of sunlight moving and planting these. the planting site receives matches the amount the Container-grown plants are moved to larger containers plant requires. at the nursery as they grow, until they are ready for sale. Consider the eventual height and width of the plant. Container sizes from 2 to 20 gallons are the most commonly Visualize what the scene will be in 10 - 15 years. Many trees available. grow to overpower or even endanger the homes they are Fall and spring are the preferred planting times. The near. Many shrubs that are placed too close to foundations plantings then have time to adjust to their new location rub against the exterior walls and cause structural damage. before the harsher weather of winter or summer arrives. Remember that trees and shrubs can take years to You’ll also find a wider selection of plants in the garden develop into the specimens you see in photographs, but centers at these times. When they are properly planted, you there are some species and can transplant B&B and container varieties that grow faster than plants any time the soil is not frozen. “Bare-root plants are dorothers. Check the growth rate The old nurseryman’s saying, of the tree or shrub if you need “dig a $40 hole for a $20 tree,” is mant and should be planted a plant that grows quickly. not just a cliché. To grow to their as soon as possible. Soak For instant gratification, buy a fullest potential, a new plant needs the roots before planting. If larger plant. room, so now is not the time to cut Test the existing soil corners. you can’t plant immediately, condition. You can adjust For B&B and container-grown keep the roots wrapped in the soil pH to suit the plant, plants, dig a hole at least twice as moist newspaper or peat whether its taste runs from wide (three times as large is even moss. Roses are often plantacidic to alkaline. Another better) as and no deeper than the approach would be to select root ball or container. The bottom of ed as bare-root plants.” plants that fit in with your the hole should be flat. existing pH. A bare-root plant will need a Consider right-of-way, smaller hole, but it still must be big overhead and underground utilities property lines, and enough so that the roots are not crowded. zoning regulations before deciding on a location. Remember Freshly planted trees and shrubs appreciate loose to plan for the mature size of the plant. soil that drains well. Add soil amendments if you soil Trees and shrubs come from the nursery as bare-root, needs organic matter such as compost or dried manure. balled and burlapped, or container-grown. Otherwise just backfill the planting hole with the soil that Bare-root plants are dormant and should be planted was originally removed when digging the planting hole. This as soon as possible. Soak the roots before planting. If you results in a stronger root system. can’t plant immediately, keep the roots wrapped in moist If you wish to add fertilizer, mix it in at this time. Use newspaper or peat moss. Roses are often planted as barean organic type, such as bone meal or a food specifically root plants. formulated for your plant. Roots are tender at this time, so Balled and burlapped (B&B) plants are dug with the root take care not to burn them with too much fertilizer. Many ball intact, then wrapped for shipment and planting. B&B container plants already have plant food in the soil mix.
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How To Paint Anything Need to give something new life on a budget? Do it with paint! Follow this guide for adding a fresh coat of paint to almost any material.
Paint Metal Supplies: Wire brush, Spray primer, Spray paint, Paint triangles, Rags, Rubber gloves. Prep: Use a wire brush to remove loose paint. Wipe with a damp cloth and dry immediately. If rust is present, spotprime with a rust-inhibitive primer. Items like the bowl above may not need any surface prep.
Painting: Put on rubber gloves. Apply primer using a light back-andforth motion. Make sure all surfaces are covered. Let dry, then spray the desired color using a light, sweeping motion. Tips: Valspar spray paint has new easy-spray technology and a redesigned spray head that's cleaner and easier to use than those found on other brands. Use paint pyramids to keep projects from sticking to the prep area.
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Paint Wicker Supplies: Vacuum with utensils or stiff paintbrush Latex paint Spray paint (if applicable) and primer Small brush or foam brush
Prep: If old and painted, first wipe surfaces with a damp rag. Then use the upholstery tool to vacuum wicker or wovens. A stiff brush can do the trick as well.
Painting: Dab paint on the woven strands of a basket to stripe them. On pre-painted wicker, spray with primer and let dry; then apply spray paint. Repeat with a second coat if needed.
Tips: Woven baskets can be spray-painted if you want a solid color all over.
Paint Ceramic Supplies: Spray paint primer Spray paint Rubber gloves Paint triangles Kraft paper, newspaper, or drop cloth
Prep: Wash in soapy water and then let air dry -- using a towel or other material to dry can leave lint on the piece.
Painting:
Tips:
Put on rubber gloves. Apply spray primer using a light back-and-forth motion about 1 foot from the object. Make sure all surfaces are painted; let dry. Then spray the desired color repeating the same technique.
Go slow and apply light coats when spraying. If you spray too fast -- or get too close -- drips and runs will occur. Use paint pyramids (#232223) to keep projects from sticking to the prep area.
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Paint Wood Supplies: 150-grit sandpaper Household detergent Rags Wood putty
High-gloss paint Primer/sealer Small Roller
Prep: Wipe off dirt and grime with a wet cloth; let dry. Sand as needed. Fill holes with wood putty, let dry, then sand until smooth and wipe clean.
Painting: Prime, then let dry. Sand and apply two coats of paint to add durability.
Tips: To get smooth results when painting flat wood surfaces, lots of pros swear by a small paint roller. Do a light sand between coats once the first coat dries and wipe clean with a dry cloth.
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Paint Fabric
Paint Wallpaper
Supplies: Painter's tape Water-base paint
Supplies: Small brush or foam brush Stamp, if applicable
Latex paint Paint roller Paint tray
Prep: Wash fabric, if possible, without adding fabric softener. Cover your work surface, such as an ironing board or old towel, with plastic. Stretch and pin fabric tight to the surface.
Painting: To lay out your template or pattern, use painter's tape. Paint the fabric using a small brush, foam brush, or stamp.
Tips: Iron the fabric before painting. If you have scraps, first test your techniques and colors to ensure quality. For pillow covers, cut a cardboard insert and put it inside to keep paint from bleeding through.
Paintable wallpaper Painter's tape Small paintbrush or edger
Prep: Apply according to directions. Printable wallpaper doesn't need to be primed -- it's ready to go.
Painting: Apply paint using a roller. If painting a wall, use a small paintbrush or edger to get into the corners and edges. Let the first coat dry for 4 hours. Allow the second coat to dry for 30 minutes before lifting off the painter's tape.
Tips: Paintable wallpaper is great to use on walls or ceilings that are less than perfect. It hides lots of flaws and comes in architectural designs and great patterns, such as beadboard.
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Landscaping Secrets You Ought to Know!
Follow a few simple strategies to give your landscape a polished look you can be proud of. It’s not hard to create a good-looking landscape. Just follow the same rules that garden designers do. Here are a few old standbys.
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1) Plan for the future. A garden shouldn’t be a one-trick pony. Planting springblooming bulbs in the fall is one way to think ahead. But what happens after the tulips in the photo above have faded? That’s when companion plants take over -- in this case, a backdrop of ferns. Dig in some annuals and you’re in business for the summer.
2) Be bold. If you want to be noticed, you’ve got to strut your stuff. That applies in the garden as well. One way to make a statement is with lots of color. Monotone displays are especially vivid. Note how the bright yellow pansies pop against the white planter box and lattice. It’s clean, fresh, and bold.
3) Repeat the color.
-- a common sight in meadows. Also look around your neighborhood for other color combinations you like. Then, when you go to your local Lowe’s, look for plants with those same colors.
6) Mix and match. Container gardens continue to be popular. But how do you display more than one at a time? Simple. Mix the sizes and match the colors of the pots. By grouping varioussized containers, you create a vignette -- a family of sorts; coordinating the colors connects this family. You can match the containers (in this case terra-cotta) or work within a shared color palette (such as the earth-tone containers in Tip 7).
7) Embrace foliage.
Add an interesting twist to a monotone planting by echoing the color in a companion plant. In this case the variegated beautyberry (Callicarpa) repeats the greenish white hydrangea blooms, making the pairing seem more fitting. Although colors match, the diversity of plants helps add interest, especially in a larger setting such as this.
We can’t help it if we’re always attracted to flowers. But for long-lasting appeal that almost always requires less maintenance, don’t forget foliage plants such as crotons and coleus. There’s no deadheading required. And also no worries flowers will fade before your next outdoor gathering.
4) Go for contrast.
8) Connect the pots.
On the flip side of monotone is contrast. One foolproof way to introduce contrast is with dark-leafed plants such as these coralbells (Heuchera). Because coralbells are primarily foliage plants, the effect lasts for months. (The tiny flowers are a bonus.) Plant in clusters or waves, rather than scattered willy nilly, which tends to look fussy and artificial.
5) Mimic nature ... or neighbors. Want to delve deeper into contrasts without studying an artist’s color wheel? Take a cue from nature. Note the pleasing color contrasts of the goldenrod and purple asters
To integrate containers into a garden bed, use large pots that won’t get lost. Then fill the containers with a bold arrangement that pops from a distance. By repeating plants, such as the orange mums here, you visually connect the containers and keep them from competing with each other for attention.
9) Call for backup. Bedding plants are usually massed together for visual punch. Magnify the effect by adding a backdrop of ornamental grasses to keep the eye from wandering. Green is a neutral color that complements the flowers. And the additional height keeps the bed from looking flat.
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How To Choose
The Right Fence For Your Home
There are several reasons to put up a fence: privacy, borders, and architectural enhancement to name a few. No matter the reason, there's a fence system to suit your home and landscape. From chain-link fencing to electronic pet containment, use our guide to decide which fence system fits your needs.
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Wood Panel Fencing
Post-and-Rail Fencing
Wood panel fencing is commonly used as a decorative means of providing privacy for homes in neighborhood settings. It's also a good choice for setting boundaries for small children and pets. The wood fence panels usually come in 6- or 8-foot sections, 4 to 6 feet tall. The panels are available with either dog-eared or pointed pickets. Paint or stain your fence to match your landscape or keep them natural. The panels are pressure-treated for above-ground use and pre-assembled for faster installation. Composite fencing is an alternative to wood. It's made from recycled wood and plastic and offers lower maintenance with the look of real wood.
Split Rail (or Post-and-Rail) fencing adds a rustic or country look to a home’s landscape. Use this fence to define specific areas in your yard or provide an easily visible separation along property lines. The rails are available either split or round in lengths from 8 to 11 feet. The two-rail posts range from 3 to 5 feet above ground.
Vinyl Fencing Vinyl fencing is an attractive, relatively maintenance-free type of fencing. It’s available in forms similar to both wood panel and rail fencing. Vinyl fencing isn’t subject to rot, fading or other effects of weather and time as wood fencing. Vinyl is a good choice for an attractive, easily maintained fence system.
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Decorative Metal Fencing Decorative metal fencing offers the appearance of wrought iron, yet is made from powder-coated steel or aluminum. Available in a variety of styles and sizes, the components are easy to assemble, making this type of fencing a great do-it-yourself project. For ultimate ease of installation, look for fencing with a "no dig" option, using a pronged post support that is driven into the ground.
Chain-Link Fencing Chain-link fencing (sometimes called hurricane fencing) is an economical way to enclose an area. Chain link is a good choice for keeping pets in or other creatures out. Made from galvanized steel wire, the fence material itself is referred to as “fabric.” Chain-link fencing comes in 50 foot length rolls 3 to 12 feet in height. If you don’t like the silvery look of the bare fence, it’s available with a weather-
resistant vinyl coating, usually green or black. Single and double prefabricated gates are available to complete the project.
Garden and Utility Fencing
Garden and utility fencing is normally used to contain pets or to keep animals out of gardens. The material is available in rolls two to four feet high and up to 150 feet in length. Like chain-link fencing, it’s also available with a vinyl coating, usually green or brown. When used with rail fencing, welded wire makes an effective pet containment fence for large areas. Poultry netting, or chicken wire, may be the most economical type of containment fence available. As the name implies, it’s generally used to fence in chickens. It’s also a good choice for small dogs, rabbits and other small pets.
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Farm Fencing
Electronic Pet Fencing
Farm fencing includes pre-fabricated gates and panels, heavier gauge galvanized welded wire and barbed wire. It’s primarily used for feedlots, pens, corrals or pastures for larger animals.
Electronic pet containment fencing is an excellent choice for anyone who needs a pet containment solution without any visible sign of a fence. The system consists of a thin gauge wire, a transmitter and a collar. Form the fence into any shape you want, to conform to your property. Put the collar on your pet, and if it gets close to the fence’s perimeter, the pet receives a warning signal through the collar. Wireless transmitters are also available.
Electric Fencing Electric fencing is normally used to contain livestock. With lowoutput chargers, electric fencing is also used in residential settings to keep animals out of gardens. Chargers are powered by regular AC current or solar energy.
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CBSMIAMI.COM
Fighting The Switch?
The Smart Meter Controversy David Sutta Susan Blake said it started with a bang, Florida Power and Light employees were outside her house shoving a crowbar into her power meter. “They were trying to unlock the meter because the meter had a lock on it. And they couldn’t do it,” Blake said. They eventually got it off, replacing it with something that looked high-tech. She soon learned it was a smart meter. “I talk to people every day and they are not aware they have a smart meter. They don’t even have a clue,” Blake said. If she hadn’t heard the commotion that day she wouldn’t have known either. You can think of the smart meter like a cell phone. Your meter now beams energy readings multiple times a day directly to FPL. Meter readers, that person who visited your house monthly, are history. Margie Sweezer-Fisher, FPL’s Reliability manager of grid automation, showed CBS4 how it works. To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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n front a of television screen, she worked her way around a map. They could literally see wherever crew was working and every meter is running. Sweezer-Fisher could click on a house and instantly pull-up information on that home including whether the power was on and how much was being used. “The smart meters will now send that message to us automatically. So as soon as the power goes out, it actually sends us the message and says the power is out at this customer,” she explained. FPL says the technology will restore power faster–perhaps even work to prevent
outages. David McDermott, FPL’s spokesman added, “Since 2009 we have installed 4.9 million smart meters.” That amount is pretty much all of Florida. By using the new meters FPL can see how much power your using any given week, day, hour. It’s so smart, they can predict what next month’s bill will be.
“It is fabulous cuttingedge technology that is producing real benefits for our customers,”
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“It is fabulous cutting-edge technology that is producing real benefits for our customers,” McDermott added. A customer could actually pull up their bill and see how they use power in detail. Whether they could actually save money with the detailed knowledge remains to be seen. Blake doesn’t feel that it’s a benefit for her. “I just feel that the communication is not a good thing for the environment. It’s not a good thing for people’s health,” Blake told CBS4. Experts and professors from around the world have raised concerns over the meters—particularly the radio frequencies they use to transmit your data. A list of 50 prominent scientists wrote a letter saying the area needs more study. To that McDermott fired back, “I can tell you this. There is no credible science that points to a connection between smart meters and adverse health effects.” Materials
provided by FPL write the radio frequencies off, saying they are substantially lower than a cell phone, TV remote, garage opener. There is another aspect to smart meters that needs to be considered. Michael Scheidell, a information technology security consultant, operates Security Privateers. CBS4 asked him if smart meters were safer than the old fashioned ones. He pondered for a few seconds saying aloud “Is it safer?” He then answers “No.” Sure the old meter reader version of things had security issues as well. Scheidell believes technology may pose a greater threat. “If someone decides there is way to profit from hacking these meters or reading these meters, then they are going to do it.” He also said it wouldn’t take much to make that hack. “Yeah you can probably buy devices on Amazon.com and buy devices in order to intercept these.”
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What could someone do with your smart meter info? Hourly upJune 2014s on your energy consumption patterns could be quite useful to a thief, Scheidell explained. “When I go to work, when I come home from work, when I go on vacation,” Scheidell said. McDermott countered that they have the best security in the world. “Along with all the banks and the credit card companies we have used the best technology to preserve the privacy of customer information,” McDermott said. So while FPL says you have nothing to worry about, the hacking community is all over it. A quick search of YouTube and you’ll find a five part series on how to do—and this was done years ago. No one really knows what hackers are capable of now. Scheidell added, “Automation is something that is going to save us a lot of time and trouble. Allow us to do more. Well the hackers have found a way to do more. There are
hackers in Russia who found out how to steal 40 million credit card numbers from Target—and they didn’t even have to set foot in America to do it.” Blake isn’t taking any chances. If they say it’s perfectly safe, isn’t it? “They say that it’s perfectly safe in their material but a lot of other people say it’s not safe.” Blake said. For health and security reasons Blake chose to dump the smart meter and get the old school one back. This Spring FPL told her the choice will cost her. She pulls out a piece of paper with notes scribbled all over it. “This is the letter that they sent out,” she said. Blake, along with 22,000 customers with the old meters, are being asked to pay a $95 enrollment fee and then $13 a month service charge. “I think it’s very unfair,” Blake said. McDermott countered, “In our mind it would not be fair to the fast majority of our customers, the 99.5 percent of our customers who have a smart meter, we would not to require them to pay for that small percentage who have chosen to use an old technology meter.” Again Blake disagrees. “That’s the cost of doing business. So if they have to put in a super-sized transformer do they charge the neighborhood, per resident, for that transformer? Because it’s a supersized for that area?” The fees are working for FPL. Eighty-percent of those who received the letter about them have opted for smart meters. “They do have a choice. They just have to pay for it,” McDermott said. But Blake says she’ll pay. “I’m against the fee altogether. I think it’s outrageous.” Blake, along with a number of other FPL customers, has complained to the public service commission, which oversees FPL. It’s unclear, however, if they’ll do anything about it. The commission approved the smart meters and the new fees being charged to keep the old meters.
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Mobile Shopping App Helps With
‘The Hunt’ For Fashion
Plenty of people, while browsing social media sites like Instagram and Facebook, will spot someone wearing an outfit they may like–but have no way of finding out where they can find it for themselves. A website and mobile application called The Hunt is helping these fashionistas by changing the way the online community shops. To Advertise Call: 305.477.1699
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t two years old, The Hunt continues to gain praise and popularity by allowing the online community to assist each other in the search for their desired items. “The basic concept is that, when you are browsing Instagram, or Tumblr, or Pinterest, or Facebook, and all the time, we see photos of other people whose outfits you might want to wear,” said CEO Tim Weingarten. The way it works is fairly simple. If you have a picture of a particular item, with no clue where to shop for it, you can upload the picture to The Hunt. The next step involves fellow online shoppers and enthusiasts with similar
interests, some of whom may have more knowledge of the item, who helpyou solve your search, or your “hunt”, by posting links to places where your item can be found. The folks who take part in assisting in your search may have knowledge of the item, and wish to help out a fellow shopper, or they may just simply enjoy the challenge.
“The basic concept is that, when you are browsing Instagram, or Tumblr, or Pinterest, or Facebook, and all the time, we see photos of other people whose outfits you might want to wear.”
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“The most exciting thing for me is the overall challenge,” said user Allie Tuazon. “It’s pretty much like a game.” With so many people “hunting” at any given moment, it is also an effective way of meeting and cooperating with people who have similar interests. “People are very geographically dispersed, and they are able to make these connections with someone that they might not have otherwise known,” said Sara Brooks. “We see that people aren’t necessarily shopping with their friends; they are shopping with their best friends, and keeping this as a secret.”
Additionally, The Hunt allows the user to control how much he or she wishes to spend. Parents are using the app as a tool to save time while going about their shopping. “I told them that my budget was under a hundred dollars,” said mother Rachel Talbott. “So the community went to work, and found them for me for all different prices. You see things all the time on social platforms, where you’re like ‘where are these shoes from,’ and you can put it on The Hunt and the community helps find it for you.” For more information about how you can start using The Hunt, visit their website or download the iPhone app for free.
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You’ll Never
Run Out Of Gas Again
A New Product Can Guarantee it!
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CBSMIAMI.COM
Brian Andrews
Running on empty and worried you’re not going to make it to the gas station? Many of us have found ourselves coasting on fumes, hoping we get to where we are going before the car runs out of gas. While storing a can full of gas in your trunk isn’t safe or legal in most states, an inventor from New York has come up with the next best thing.
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It’s called Magic Tank, and starting this summer, Steve Bistritzky says he’s revolutionary product will be available for sale at automotive stores in South Florida. “No one wants to be stranded,” said Bistritzky. “What about your wife, or significant other, or your parents, or your teenage kid who doesn’t have enough money in his pocket and figures dad will fill it up later?” Magic Tank is a half-gallon of roadside rescue in a white plastic bottle that you keep in your trunk. “This is a ‘what if’ situation,” said Bistritzky. “It’s an emergency insurance policy.” Steve says chemical engineers have removed all the highly flammable elements that make up gasoline for the product. It’s combustible, but doesn’t catch fire. CBS tested the product in both New York and Pittsburgh. After running a car down to the point of a stall out, Magic Tank was poured into the empty tank, and the car ran just finer for another 20 to 30 miles, more than plenty to reach the nearest gas station. Magic Tank has reached agreement with several national chains to distribute the product nationwide. You can expect to start seeing it in South Florida later this summer. For now, you can find it online at mymagictank.com.
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Fair Trade Products Grow In Popularity
Fair trade products are catching on in popularity as more and more consumers put their money where their conscience is. But as the dollars flow, so does the controversy over companies who are pretending to be fair trade when they’re not.
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arah Griffis loves the idea of buying products that she knows will make a difference in the lives of those who create them. “It’s a great cause to support,” said Griffis, who shops for Fair Trade products when she can. “Fair Trade is a different way of doing business, in which
buyers and sellers work directly with farmers and crafts people in developing countries to make sure that they have a sustainable way of earning a living,” explained Renee Bowers of the Fair Trade Federation. More Fair Trade certified products than ever are now sold in the US and company requests for the labels are
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skyrocketing. It sounds like great news except the growing popularity of Fair Trade products is also attractive to those with less honest intent. “What’s going right now on in the Fair Trade industry is what we’re calling “fairwashing.” It’s a play off of the term “greenwashing,” where some companies are claiming to be Fair Trade and may not necessarily be Fair Trade so the onus falls on the consumer to ask the right questions, find out why is it Fair Trade, what makes it Fair Trade?” explained Megy Karydes of World Shoppe.com. There are logos and certifications the products and companies selling them can apply for from groups, such as the Fair Trade Federation or Fair Trade USA. But some companies have decided to exploit the label and make false claims. Critics say it is happening more and more.
“There really are no penalties because there is no legal governing body for Fair Trade, so to speak,” said Bowers. In some cases, a company may have one Fair Trade product among dozens of others, but promote the entire brand as being Fair Trade. “Having 2-percent raw materials in your bath and body product does not make you a Fair Trade product, but using that label on your packaging, may give consumers the false impression that their products are Fair Trade,” said Karydes. The Fair Trade Federation suggests consumers who care about finding Fair Trade products look for labels and certifications but then dig deeper. Some of the biggest product categories for Fair Trade include coffee, flowers and produce.
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Social Media Users:
BEWARE OF
Online Scams It was a typical day on Twitter when Amy McGraw received a message from a friend. “The message was, ‘You’ve got to check out this pic I’ve found of the two of us,’ with a link,” said McGraw. Amy clicked the link and it brought her to a Login page. She entered her password without thinking twice. “Within minutes, that same direct message was sent to my entire address book.” Amy had been reeled in by a phishing scam, one of several targeting sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
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The Internet security group Symantec says millions of people and their private information are being compromised. Symantec has a warning: Keep your eyes peeled, because hackers are using the holiday season as a way to grab your attention. “They’re trying to lure you into clicking on that link and opening up something, so that your machine could be compromised or tricked into paying money, or tricked into buying some software,” explained John Harrison of Symantec. Even the savviest social media users are being fooled. That’s because these scams look like they’re coming from friends and family. One of the latest out there is ”Like” Jacking, also known
as ”Click Jacking.” “Have you ever seen one of those posts from your friend, and you go why did Joe post that? Joe could have been looking at football scores, or clicked on a link to watch a video, but behind the scenes what’s happening is there’s an invisible “like” button,” Harrison explained. Clicking that invisible button will update your status with spam, or even change your privacy settings. Another popular scam that can spread like wildfire is the questionnaire or survey. “They’ll ask your name, your address, your phone number. They’re then brokering that information and selling it to people,” said Harrison.
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Symantec also warns to be wary of shortened U-R-L’S. That’s because the full website address is hidden. “You may actually be taken to a site that silently infects your computer with malware,” Harrison cautioned. And Social Media Apps are all the rage, but some scammers are creating their own, “Rogue” versions. They may look legit, but you’re actually giving hackers access to your account, Symantec’s Harrison warns. “Look at the reviews, find out whether these are real applications before you install things, and watch the types of things that it’s asking for.” Other ways to prevent an attack include making sure you have up-to-date security software and using a different, complex password for each social media account. Most importantly, think before you click. “Be careful about links in e-mails or via message, especially if it may be out of someone’s normal nature to share something like that,” said Harrison In the end, Amy changed her Twitter password and took back control of her account. She hopes others will learn from her mistake. “I was distracted, and that’s all it took was just one moment of distraction for me to get hacked,” said McGraw. Symantec says changing your password is usually enough to get rid of the bad guys. Then you should run your security software to make sure your computer isn’t infected.
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8 Steps
to Buying a New Car Follow This Route for Car Buying That's Fast and Even Fun The following steps will show you how to locate, price and negotiate to buy the new car you want. Using this information could save you thousands of dollars on a new car and make the process quicker and enjoyable. It also puts you in charge of the deal-making process — and that feeling of empowerment is a good one. But first things first: You need to decide what car you want to buy.
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Step 1: Get Approved for a Car Loan
Step 2: Price Your Car and Your Trade-in
A powerful first step in the car buying process is to get approved for a loan. Getting approved for a loan from a bank, credit union or online lender will show you what interest rate you qualify for. If the interest rate offered is unexpectedly high, you will know that there are problems with your credit history that need to be resolved before you move forward. Getting approved in advance will also mean you can negotiate at the dealership as a cash buyer, which is much easier. You can still accept dealership financing, but getting approved before you even walk into the dealership will be the bargaining chip to get you the best interest rate.
Everyone knows that the price of a new car is usually negotiable. But how much of a discount can you expect? Edmunds.com's True Market Value (TMV速) pricing uses actual sales figures to reveal the average price buyers are paying for cars in your area. Edmunds TMV adjusts the price for other factors including incentives, options and color. Using Edmunds TMV, you can see the price of the car you want to buy, and also the price of your trade-in, if you have one. Choose the make, model and year of the car you want to appraise and follow the prompts. TMV adjusts the new car price for the available incentives. TMV for your
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used car shows the current market value if you sell it to a private party or trade it in at the dealership. While TMV already factors in incentives, it is also possible to separately review the latest incentives and rebates available for all new cars. Perhaps you'll find an even better bargain on a new car you had not considered.
Step 3: Locate Your New Car As you search for your car, keep in mind that the more flexible you can be about options and color, the wider the range of the vehicles you'll find for sale. Being flexible will also give you more leverage to negotiate a better price, since you are not emotionally connected to one specific car. On the Edmunds.com home page, select the make, model and year of the car you want. You'll then get a page that displays several actual cars for sale in your area, along with Price Promise offers (more about Price Promise in the next step). Click on the link "Find Cars for Sale Near You" in the upper half of the screen. You then will make selections about options and color to get a more complete list of matching cars available for sale. Once you find the exact car you want, the next step will be to contact the dealership.
Step 4: Use Price Promise and Dealership Internet Departments Now that you are approaching the deal-making phase of the process, here's more about a good pathway for buying a new car: the Edmunds.com Price Promise program. It
assures car shoppers a guaranteed, up-front price on a specific car. Look for Price Promise offers on the car of your choice, print out the certificate on the page and you are ready to go to the dealership to conclude the deal. It's a good idea to call ahead and make sure the car is still available. If there's no Price Promise offer on a car you want, shopping through a dealership's Internet department will save you time and money. You can easily communicate with the Internet manager by phone or e-mail. We know that many people are drawn to the traditional way of car buying: visiting showrooms right off the bat. If you go this route, you should assess the car salesperson who is working with you before moving forward. Ask yourself if you feel comfortable and sense that you can trust this person. If you do feel comfortable, set up a time to test-drive the car if you haven’t already done so. (It’s a key step in finding the car that’s right for you.) Before you head to the dealership, review all your notes and bring them with you.
Step 5: Try Negotiating a Lower Price Price Promise offers are usually below Edmunds TMV. But if you think you can negotiate an even better deal, you have another option: Request Internet price quotes from at least three local dealers. Take the lowest price, call the other dealerships and say, “If you beat this price, I’ll buy it from you.” The dealer almost certainly will give you a better price. Some shoppers find this time-consuming and stressful, so consider whether the potential savings are worth the time and effort. It’s good to remember that a good deal isn’t just the lowest selling price. It’s a combination of the most streamlined, enjoyable shopping experience and the lowest total out-the-door cost.
Step 6: Review New Car Fees and Check
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Dealer Financing Besides the cost of the car, you have to pay sales tax, registry fees and a documentation, or “doc” fee. You can estimate these extras using Edmunds’ Monthly Loan Payment Calculator. Now ask the Internet sales manager or the dealership’s Price Promise contact to supply a breakdown of all the fees, or a “worksheet,” which lists the purchase price, the vehicle’s invoice and all related fees. Review the figures carefully before signing the sales contract. Back in Step One, you were pre-approved for financing. But who knows? Maybe you can get an even better interest rate at the dealership. To see if that’s possible, you can let the dealership run a credit report and assess what interest rate you qualify for. If it is lower than your pre-approved loan, go for it. If not, you already have a good loan locked in. If the price, financing and fees look right, it’s nearly time to say yes to the deal. But before you do, consider making the sale contingent on having your new car delivered to your home or office. This is a great time saver and allows you to close the deal in a relaxed environment.
Step 7: Sign the Paperwork This step will take place at your home if you have the dealership deliver the car, or at the dealership if you prefer to pick it up there. Either way, make sure there are no
dents or scratches on the body or the wheels. Check that all the equipment is included, such as floor mats, owner’s manuals and rear-seat DVD headphones. Your new car should also come with a full tank of gas. If anything is missing or needs repair, ask for a “Due Bill” that puts this in writing. In cases of home delivery, the salesperson arrives with all the necessary paperwork. If you opt to pick up your car at the dealership, you will sign paperwork in the finance and insurance office, where the finance manager may try to sell you additional items. These typically include extended warranties, fabric protection or additional alarm systems. These extras can often be purchased elsewhere for less. One product that can have real value is an extended auto warranty, which provides peace of mind to many buyers and could save you money in the long run. Remember, though, that its price also is negotiable and you can always buy it later. Review the contract carefully and make sure the numbers match the worksheet and that there are no additional charges or fees. A good finance manager will explain each form and what it means. Don’t hurry. Buying a car is a serious commitment. And remember, there is no cooling-off period. Once you sign the contract, the car is yours.
Step 8: Take Delivery of Your New Car You are probably eager to begin driving your new car. But this is an important step: Let the salesperson give you a tour of your new car. This could include showing you how to connect your smartphone to the car’s Bluetooth system and learning how to use other important features and safety devices. Yes, you can review all this in the manual later, but it’s quite helpful to get a hands-on demonstration. If you don’t have time for a complete demonstration when you sign the contract, ask to visit the dealership a week later for this important step. As you drive away, there is only one more thing to do: Enjoy your new car.
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