| EU bid to freeze out patio heaters
They have only been popular in the UK for little more than a decade, but patio heaters could become history if MEPs vote to ban them today. The EU parliament is expected to back a resolution requiring the use of appliances with low energy efficiency to be phased out. Patio heaters are specifically targeted in the motion, which calls on the EU to act urgently and introduce minimum standards for energy efficiency on such appliances as air-conditioning, television "decoder" boxes and light bulbs. It also calls for the abolition of stand-by mode on electrical appliances. If the ban comes into effect and is enforced, it could cost pubs, restaurants and caterers in the UK up to £250m in lost revenue per year. The use of outdoor heaters increased with the new UK smoking ban, as well as growing use at home as garden accessories for the British summer.
Sami Lukis can't get a bloke
She is heading back to her home town, Brisbane. And this afternoon she told Sydney Confidential the real reason why. Like so many girls in Sydney, she has found it hard to find a man to settle down with. And now, she says, it's time to put her personal life first and career second. Are you a girl who can't get a bloke in Sydney - or a bloke with a theory why so many girls are dateless? Tell us below. "For fifteen years I have been focussing on my career and maybe I have spent too much time doing that," she said. "Maybe that's why I have not met a bloke yet." Lukis' past dating adventures include a disastrous set-up by her brekkie show pals Merrick and Rosso - hear about it by clicking here - and a relationship with businessman Anthony Bell, who recently found new love.
Schilling says he had no choice but to spurn shoulder surgery
Schilling could see why Henry feels rehab is best. "When you understand the depths of the different diagnosis, the incredible variations in potential treatments and timetables you should be able to understand to some degree why I might be upset at being forced to take this course of action," Schilling said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "That being said, that process is over and right now I am focused on trying to find out as quickly as possible whether or not this course of action will work." Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill recommended rehab for the tendon injury. Schilling sought a second opinion from Dr. Craig Morgan, who operated on the right shoulder in 1995 and 1999. Morgan felt strongly that surgery was best and that rehabilitation would fail and end Schilling's career.
Ridges, soffits can effectively draw air
Q: I need help making a decision. We own a 30-year-old house with a low-pitch roof. We replaced the roof about four years ago, added a ridge vent and put an extra soffit vent between each original soffit vent. Other than the ridge vent and the gable vents, there is not another venting system. My question is (and I hope that I can explain it easily) — would more air be drawn up through the soffit vents to the ridge vent if the gable vents were closed off? It seems that the majority of the air being pulled through the ridge vent would be from the gable vents, since the ridge vent is higher. I hope this makes sense. .
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