Making Your Flat Feel Like Home

Editor

Every day, more and more people decide that renting flats are the best way forward. While they may be the best choice for a lot of people, they can come with a host of restrictions that can make your flat feel cold and impersonal. Restrictions can make you feel like your flat isn’t your own because you’re not allowed to customize it. However, you don’t have to break the rules to make your flat feel more like home. There are many ways to customize your flat without breaking your contract; here are some of them.

1. Put up photographs
Photographs are always a great way to spruce up any space, no matter the size. However, when putting up photos, it pays to think out of the box. Instead of just framing them, how about putting them up in a different way? Save up on money by doing away with frames, hooks, and drills; put up your photos all by themselves and arrange them in a collage using clear tape. As a bonus, you don’t have to drill hooks on the wall (which may be something you cannot do in some apartments).

Another clever alternative is clipping your photos on a bunting or string and hanging the string on the wall instead. As a bonus, you could put other things on your bunting, like pressed flowers or pieces of cloth. Other alternatives include using cork boards to display photos, or using magnets and magnetic strips.

2. Use wall stickers
Some landlords don’t allow you to repaint your walls or add wallpaper. However, you don’t have to stick with bland and boring beige. Wall stickers are a great way to liven up your living space without doing any permanent damage to your walls. They are thin and easy to remove and leave no permanent residue.
There are many great designs available on the market, and even more so online. There are even shops that allow you to customize your own designs, so there is always something for everyone.

3. Pay attention to lighting
While a lot of people ignore lighting, it can be one of the things that can change the entire look of your apartment. Make sure that your lights are updated and energy-efficient. Light up all the spaces in your flat, and remove dark corners. There are many different types of lamps that answer all your lighting needs. For example, dimmer lights are great for spaces where you need to control the ambience, like bedrooms and living rooms. Additionally, wall lamps are great for small spaces, like bedrooms and offices.

4. Ask your landlord
If you have a great idea to make your apartment livelier but would require you to break a rule in your contract, ask your landlord anyway. If you ask politely, they just might agree with your idea. Chances are, your customizations can help your landlord in the long run.

For example, updating fixtures and painting walls can save the landlord money, especially if the fixes would be great for the next renter. If you don’t think that future renters won’t appreciate your customizations, you could make a deal with your landlord to restore your apartment to its original state before you leave.

The Best Metal Bands Before the 90s

Editor

Want to hear how heavy metal sounded before the 1990s? These are the best metal bands that helped shape the genre.

• Black Sabbath. Some of their best songs include “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” and “Paranoid.”

• Deep Purple. Some of their best songs include “Highway Star,” “Soldier of Fortune,” and “Smoke on the Water.”

• Led Zeppelin. Some of their best songs include “Stairway to Heaven,” “Immigrant Song,” and “Black Dog.”

• Iron Maiden. Some of their best songs include “Fear of the Dark,” “Sign of the Cross,” and “The Number of the Beast.”

• Megadeth. Some of their best songs include “Sweating Bullets,” “In My Darkest Hour,” and “Tornado of Souls.”

• Uriah Heep. Some of their best songs include “Gypsy,” “Look at Yourself,” and “Bird of Prey.”

• Judas Priest. Some of their best songs include “Living After Midnight,” “Painkiller,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.”

• Rainbow. Some of their best songs include “Gates of Babylon,” “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and “Temple of the King.”

• Motorhead. Some of their best songs include “Ace of Spades,” “Eat the Rich,” and “Just ‘Cos You Got the Power.”

• Kiss. Some of their best songs include “Heaven’s on Fire,” “I Love It Loud,” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

• Saxon. Some of their best songs include “Ride Like the Wind,” “The Eagle Has Landed,” and “Broken Heroes.”

• Helloween. Some of their best songs include “Eagle Fly Free,” “Dr. Stein,” and “Are You Metal?”

• Diamond Head. Some of their best songs include “Lightning to the Nations,” “Shoot Out the Lights,” and “It’s Electric.”

• Def Leppard. Some of their best songs include “Two Steps Behind,” “Pour Some Sugar,” and “Love Bites.”

• Dio. Some of their best songs include “Holy Diver,” “Straight Through the Heart,” and “Rainbow in the Dark.”

• Ozzy Osbourne. Some of their best songs include “Mr. Crowley,” “No More Tears,” and “Crazy Train.”

• Motley Crue. Some of their best songs include “Live Wire,” “Looks that Kill,” and “Wild Side.”

• Scorpions. Some of their best songs include “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “No One Like You,” and “The Zoo.”

• Slayer. Some of their best songs include “War Ensemble,” “Dead Skin Mask,” and “Chemical Warfare.”

• Anthrax. Some of their best songs include “Madhouse,” “Indians,” and “Antisocial.”

• Sepultura. Some of their best songs include “Troops of Doom,” “Arise,” and “Beneath the Remains.”

• Queensryche. Some of their best songs include “Bridge,” “Warning,” and “Walk in the Shadows.”

• Rush. Some of their best songs include “Time Stand Still,” “Xanadu,” and “The Trees.”

• Van Halen. Some of their best songs include “Eruption,” “Jump,” and “Unchained.”

• AC/DC. Some of their best songs include “Highway to Hell,” “Sin City,” and “Problem Child.”

• Dream Theater. Some of their best songs include “Pull Me Under,” “As I Am,” and “Take the Time.”

• Testament. Some of their best songs include “The Legacy,” “Electric Clown,” and “Sins of Omission.”

• Blind Guardian. Some of their best songs include “Bright Eyes,” “Sacred Worlds,” and “Mordred’s Song.”

• Guns N’ Roses. Some of their best songs include “Paradise City,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” and “November Rain.”

This list is compiled in no particular order.

How to Make Your Own Mayonnaise at Home

Editor

While store-bought mayonnaise is perfectly fine on its own, nothing beats the real deal in its simplicity. You may have read the label in one only to find that it lists as many as ten different ingredients, including things such as glucose-fructose syrup, or even coloring.

In reality, there should only be three ingredients to make everyone’s favorite emulsion: eggs, oil, and vinegar.
However, there’s good news. Homemade mayonnaise is surprisingly easy to make and prepare, and has a lot of delicious applications, from salad dressings for staying healthy, to a savory dip for deep-fried foods for a perfect afternoon snack.

Procedure
Since homemade mayonnaise doesn’t require any cooking, the process shouldn’t take too long. With the right ingredients – egg yolk/s, vinegar, and oil – you can make your very own condiment that you can mix with other condiments and spices to suit your taste.

Step 1. Combine the egg yolk/s and vinegar in a container and mix them until light and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a hand whisk, an electric hand mixer, or even mix the two in a blender until you achieve the said consistency.

Step 2. Continue mixing the egg yolks and vinegar. This time, slowly introduce the oil as you mix. The resulting mixture should be thick and pale.

Note: Keep in mind that adding the oil into the mix is much trickier than what a lot of cooking tutorials make it out to look like. This is why you should only add a few drops in the first few minutes of mixing. If the mixture doesn’t turn out as it should, start the previous steps again in a clean bowl.

Step 3. If you have a knack for introducing different flavors into your condiments, now is the time to add the other spices into your mayonnaise.

Roasted garlic is a must for mouth-watering aioli, tomato sauce will yield a delicious seafood sauce, and a delicious Caesar salad dressing will obviously call for Worcestershire sauce and anchovies.

Note: If you’re unfamiliar with making Caesar salad dressing and are suspicious about adding anchovies into the mix, don’t worry. They’re not there to make your dressing taste like fish – they’re there to bring out the nice umami flavor that will make your Caesar salad to die for.

Step 4. Continue to mix while adding the spices. Once the mixture now appears white and creamy, season with a pinch of salt or pepper to taste and leave in the fridge to chill for an hour or two before serving.

Other Tips
For best results, be sure to use warm wine vinegar or cold lemon juice. While you may think that any temperature of the liquid will help you achieve the results you want, the truth is that temperature can affect the flavor depending on your taste.

Differences in Uterine, Ovarian and Cervical Cancer

Editor

Perhaps you have heard of the term cervical cancer when you asked your doctor about HPV vaccinations, but there are also other forms of gynecologic cancers that women must be aware of such as uterine and ovarian cancer.

Uterine Cancer
Also called endometrial cancer, it includes symptoms such as pelvic pain, painful intercourse, unexplained weight loss, bleeding or spotting, and unusual discharges. Sometimes, the woman might also have a mass or tumor in the affected area. There is no known cause for uterine cancer, but it has been observed that most of the women with the condition have very high levels of estrogen. Uterine cancer may be similar to cervical cancer because they both begin in the uterus, but the specific locations are different. Uterine cancer is first found in the endometrium, while cervical cancer starts in the lower part of the uterus or the surface of the cervix. Unlike cervical cancer, uterine cancer can be difficult to detect because there are no standard tests and doctors usually rely on the symptoms described by the patients.

Ovarian Cancer
This is a type of cancer that primarily affects the reproductive glands, but diagnosis of the illness can be difficult because some women can also have non-cancerous tumors and low malignant potential tumors in the ovaries. The former is considered benign, but the latter can potentially affect other tissues. There are various types of malignant ovarian tumors, but all of them exhibit the same symptoms, such as; pelvic pain, abdominal pain, bloating, urinary issues, and menstrual problems. Scholars still cannot point out what causes ovarian cancer, but there are studies that show that a woman is at risk if certain gene mutations are present.

Cervical Cancer
Most cases of cervical cancer begin in the area between the ectocervix and the endocervix. This type of cancer exhibits different symptoms than that of ovarian cancer, such as; pelvic pain, painful urination and increased urination, vaginal bleeding, bleeding between periods or after menopause, and heavy discharges. One common cause of cervical cancer is being infected with a strain of human papillomavirus, specifically HPV-16 and 18. Fortunately, there are HPV vaccines available in Singapore for women who want to give themselves extra protection. Cervical cancer can also be detected earlier than uterine cancer, even if the symptoms are not yet noticeable in the early stages.

Cancer Screening
Although there are some differences in the symptoms of the three gynecological cancers, there are tests which can detect any of these. If you suspect that you have one of these conditions, talk to your gynecologist in Singapore for the following tests: Pap smear, endometrial tissue sampling, ultrasound, pelvic exam, CT scan, MRI scan, and positron emission. A Pap smear is used for uterine and cervical cancer, the tissue sampling is used for uterine cancer, and pelvic examination can detect abnormalities in any part of the female reproductive system.

A Beginner’s Guide to the Different Types of Pest Control Methods

Editor

Pest control services in Singapore employ various methods and equipment when they have to terminate pest infestations in your home, and different methods and equipment can be used at the same time to treat these infestations.

These are some of the most common methods that pest control management services use for your home in Singapore:

Baiting
Baiting is perhaps one of the most effective ways of dealing with common household pests. The active ingredients in bait mean a slow, gradual death for any pest unlucky enough to ingest and spread it.

This works especially well when you want to exterminate rodents, get rid of cockroaches, or remove termites from your home because their numbers make the poison spread easily.

The only downside of baiting is that it’s slow, and it may take days for the poison to work its way through an infestation’s numbers. The pests may also develop bait shyness, which can affect how effective the poison will be.

Trapping
Another way of dealing with pest infestations that you encounter is by trapping them to kill them or release them at a distance far from your home. Trapping especially works when you want to destroy annoying insects and exterminate rodents.

Traps can be quite versatile when dealing with a small number of rodents in your home, as they can be paired with bait or put in place after having your home sprayed with pesticide.

There are also different types of traps that you can use depending on how you want to deal with rodents. While there are those that kill, there are those that leave the pest alive, which allows you to release the pest safely.

Spraying
The most common method in dealing with insect pests is by spraying the infested areas of your home by spraying it with pesticides and/or insecticides, and are often safe as long as they are handled well by professional pest control services in Singapore.

There are two types of spray substances used by pest control services: natural (pesticides based on plant extracts) and chemical (synthetic pesticides designed to target specific pests).

These different spray substances can vary based on how effective they are against dealing with pests and whether or not they can pose a severe health problem for you and your family and pets, if any.

When your house is being sprayed to get rid of a pest infestation, be sure to keep everyone and everything that could be ingested at a safe distance and away from potential contact, and be sure to stay safe and avoid ingesting the fumes yourself.

These types of pest control treatments may be used along with one another when your house is being cleared. To know which ones should be best used for your home, contact your pest control service as soon as possible.

Preparing for the Military

Editor

It is a requirement that Singaporean boys serve in the military for at least two years and whether you like it or not, you have to do it. Now, would you like to just live through the two years of training or would you rather prepare for your training and excel in your performance? It is a normal thing for boys to be physical and although not all boys are into sports, we are required by society to have some level of physical strength.

Doing not only the household chores but also some physical activities requires a level of strength you can only achieve through exercise. Now, in military training, you are expected to be able to reach some level of strength for you to be able to perform certain physical activities. It may not be easy but it is required of you. Either just surviving your training or excelling is totally up to you.

Getting the right amount of exercise before your two years in the military is very important. The easiest way to improve your physical capabilities is to constantly exercise. You probably already know which exercises you are suppose to perform. These are very basic exercises but at the same time very effective.

Jogging everyday or at least twice a week is a good way to train your stamina and improve your cardiovascular capabilities. This also increases your endurance towards certain activities that may be very strenuous towards your body. The first thing you are suppose to improve is your stamina and endurance since this will give you the upper hand when it comes to military exercises. Strength isn’t everything, it is also important that you are able to keep your strength up for a long period of time. Some people are only strong for a couple of minutes before their body gives up and this is something you should definitely improve. Your body should be able to keep strong for a long period of time if you are to excel.

Push-ups and pull-ups are very important because they strengthen the right parts of your body that are needed for you to do certain tasks. The military may be scary at first but once you are able to get past that fear and strive for greatness, it could actually be a really good thing for you.

Do not forget why you are going to the military and what motivates you to stay strong, if it is not the country of Singapore, then you should find an inspiration to motivate you and keep you together until your service towards the country is finished. Two years may seem like a lot but once you are done, it would seem a breeze flowing by.

Man’s Guide to a Good Haircut

Editor

What most men don’t give importance to is their hair which is in the most important part of your body, your face! Your hair is one of the ultimate sign of grooming and if you do not treat your hair with respect, then it would also be hard for others to treat you with respect. We can not stress enough how a good haircut is very important to your image. Never! We repeat, never! Allow yourself to have a bad hair-day.

Sometimes we forget to get a haircut on a regular basis and only end up getting a haircut once we receive a bunch of negative comments but when do we really need to have our hair cut? Before everything, it isn’t just about the right length of hair, your haircut should also be in style and should compliment your looks instead of grabbing all the attention from your face.

Now, here’s how to have amazing hair. First of all, you have to be able to pick a style that works best for you. There are so many head shapes and sizes and before deciding the hair your want to have, you have to understand your face first. There are some people with round faces and there are others with a lot of angles to them. This greatly affects the shape of the specific haircut they should rock. Now, how do we do this? Well, there are a lot of tips online for you to figure out if your face is an oblong, a triangle or diamond, a square or rectangle, or maybe even a heart. First of all, you’d really have to sit in the mirror and take a good look at the shape of your head. One thing that really helps is pulling all your hair backwards or making it flat or wet for you to really understand the shape of your head.

Once you’ve understood the shape of your head, you then have to decide the length of hair you would want to have. Let’s face it, some people feel more comfortable with longer hair while others would prefer hair that is really short, their scalp may be visible. Either way, decide which length gives you confidence and start picking up a style. Sadly, you’ll also have to put into mind that you shouldn’t one hundred percent duplicate that style, there is a personalized haircut that works best for every individual and you have to be ready to compromise for the sake of a good look.

A great way to find out which hairstyle goes best is to consult an expert for opinion. You should be willing to shell out a little more money, after all, your hair is very important to your image.