Terror

DoverDetailer

We’re taking a break from our normally scheduled programming to give you folks a RED ALERT. EMERGENCY.

What is the emergency this time, you may ask? Well, my smart mouthed friend, let me tell you: it’s spiders.

No, not government spiders that are radioactive or 20 feet tall or anything, just normal spiders – but those are more than terrifying enough. I’ve been terrified of spiders since I was a small boy and was forced to walk through an enormous web that covered a small alley that went through my neighborhood, connecting the street to the local park.

I still remember looking down at my clothes and seeing spiders nearly the size of my thumb, scurrying up and down my body as I tramped through the webs. I was smacking myself for hours afterwards, every small itch or patch of skin unexpectedly exposed to the breeze now covered with poisonous arachnids in my mind.

Well, they have recently come from my nightmares to haunt my waking life as well, as we are currently experiencing something of a spider infestation (a worse phrase I can’t even imagine) in the studio. I am typing this from a café across the street, after being barely restrained from burning down the building after making the discovery.

My partners gave Grand Oaks Termite Control a call after they had successfully sedated me. They’d heard of them over the past few years from various sources, and after having looked them up myself, I feel somewhat heartened that we’re in good hands.

Here’s a small sample of the testimonials I found:

I highly recommended Grand Oaks Termite Control.  I had an unusual situation where there were many areas of my wood paneling and roof that were affected by termites and wood rot. I have a decorative tree growing through the front part of my home which makes it very difficult to treat without damaging the tree. When Jason came for the preliminary inspection, he knew exactly how to effectively treat my home without harming my favorite tree. His estimate was very reasonable and his communication was top notch. He kept me appraised of all the curve balls and never stuck me with any unexpected cost. I was very impressed with the workmanship of his teammate Gary who took care of all the woodwork, a true craftsman.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Grand Oaks without any hesitation. (John B., Yelp Review)

We needed our house inspected and treated. Justin and Gary did an amazing job. They are professional, prompt, thorough, and experienced. We received our report and estimate in a timely manner. They came out and did their work diligently and expertly.  We were informed of each step, and they finished the job as they had expected. We are so pleased with our experience with them; they do great work and are good-quality people. Thank you Justin and Gary! (Linda W., Yelp Review)

Justin was super professional, informative, and patient during our fumigation process.  I had to delay the job a couple of times due to our remodel being pushed back and Justin was very understanding each time.  There were also some setbacks which we were supposed to take care of, but Justin took care of it for us and everything went smoothly!

Highly recommend Justin and his team and would definitely use them again in the future.  Price was very reasonable and the service is top notch.  All emails, calls, and texts were responded to quickly and effectively.  Thanks Justin!! (Gearge C., Yelp Review)

If you find yourself in a similar situation to us, and pray, PRAY that you never do because it is truly terrifying, give the guys over at Grand Oaks a call. Your spider problem will be history in no time, and we can all just move on and never think of it again.

Grand Oaks Termite Control

+16265384156

110 S Worthy Dr, Glendora, CA 91741

What We Do In The Office

DoverDetailer

Welcome back, truthseekers. Today we’re going to be speaking on the progenitor of the sickness of modern man: the collapse of aesthetics.

In particular, I’m talking about how gosh darn UGLY everything is in modern life. Buildings, landscapes, art, even furniture is not exempted from this; everywhere we turn, we are faced with an ugliness that would be alien to anyone born before the 1950’s.

A quick walk through a modern city block would give you everything you need to know about the general degradation of aesthetics in the west. The buildings that surround you are either lifeless behemoths of glass and steel or cookie-cutter apartment complexes and housing, all bereft of any sort of meaningful character or identity – you can walk down almost any city street from Budapest to Los Angeles and not be able to tell the difference in nationality or location.

On the ground level, streets begin melting together; asphalt bordered with the ugly grey of concrete, broken every so often by a listless tree or a piece of modern ‘art’ that inspires no one and in fact adds to the bleak, heavy atmosphere that so dominates our lives. Everything constructed and installed based on calculated rates of depreciation and cost, rather than a desire to impart a man’s will upon the environment and thereby create something beautiful and awe-inspiring.

In our lives, there is no awe, there is no will to power; there is only a will to increase this quarter’s profits. Nowhere is this more apparent than the internal condition of the modern working environment.

In more civilized times, there were certain rules and conditions that forced interior designers and architects to keep the humanity of office workers in mind. Due to the constraints, for example, of early modern lighting, offices were required to have windows that were 12’ high to let in as much light as possible – this not only provided natural sunlight, it also gave workers much better views during the day so that they could let their minds wander and recharge.

Today we have small, cramped offices where windows are only provided to managers encased in glass offices. Worker drones must subsist off the florescent lights (bought with electricity costs in mind), which destroy the natural circadian rhythms and lead to worse sleep and health.

The state of modern office furniture is another major contributor to the malaise we feel in our day to day working lives. Companies purchase pieces that are designed to be, ultimately, disposable, and though you may not consciously recognize this, your brain certainly does. Poor office furnishings lead to more depressed and less productive workers.

So, what is a small business to do about this phenomenon? The first step is purchasing quality furniture, of course, which is where Creative Office Design comes in.

Creative Office Design supplies the entire Los Angeles and Orange County areas with office furnishings that can break the trend of modern offices acting as a sort of psychological hospice. They provide signature series, such as their System 2 Cubicles, that provide workers with aesthetically pleasing and quality workspaces that they can customize to make the space ‘theirs’, and thereby create a less stressful and more productive environment.

One reason many workers today prefer employment by a small business is that it affords them an escape from the usual horrors of a soulless corporate office. If you want your business to succeed, facilitate their creativity and desire to escape the mediocre doldrums by providing them with high quality and good-looking office furniture.

Creative Office Design

+17143287627

Heart Health: You And Your Dog

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The bond between animals and humans is very powerful. We cannot deny the correlation between pets and the emotional well-being of human beings. Research studies report that almost all pet owners believe that their animal is an integral part of their family. No matter how old you are, everyone including seniors, adults, adolescents, and children finds it amazing to spend time with pets. 

Several scientific studies have proven the amazing mental health benefits of owning a pet. Below we have listed a few of them to help you understand why your pet is really important for you:

Increased sense of fulfilment

Owning a dog is more like a commitment for life. But at the same time, these furry companions provide a responsibility and purpose to life. When you start caring for an animal, they can provide you great pleasure and a sense of fulfilment for life. It is the best way to focus on the good things in life while deterring the feelings of depression and anxiety. People who own a dog are likely to experience the feeling of self-worth.

Reduced loneliness and depression

Pets are a great source of companionship, motivation and comfort. They help people live a healthy life by helping to alleviate depression, especially later in life. Pets provide unconditional happiness and love to their owners while nurturing their mental health in the long run. Staying surrounded by pets is really good for people that are diagnosed with serious mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. 

Soothing and calming

Hugging, petting, and holding a pet animal can easily lower the blood pressure levels while leading some soothing and calming sensations. Experts advise spending some time with dogs to get relief from anxious state of mind. The presence of animals also encourages people to live in the present moment while promoting a mindful lifestyle. The companionship of dogs can reduce anxiety while improving psychological processes. 

Treatment for children with ADHD and autism

As per the scientific studies, pet therapy sessions show considerable improvement in social functions of the children that are suffering from autism. It can decrease the feeling of isolation while improving the feeling of independence among patients. Similarly, children that are suffering from ADHD can also receive considerable benefits from association with pets. Spending time on bathing, walking and feeding a dog can help them understand the responsibility. These exercises are really helpful in treating children with autism and ADHD.

Selective Focus Photo of Dog
Photo by Aloïs Moubax from Pexels

Dog Health

There is no doubt to say that pets make up the best companion for all age groups. Dog-assisted therapies are suitable for a variety of mental health problems including dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Most pet owners believe that spending time with their pets helps them recover from mental health imbalances. Their unconditional love can relax and calm the nervous system, reducing stress hormones while increasing dopamine and serotonin levels. 

Like humans, dogs require regular health appointments to maintain their health. Your primary veterinarian may refer you to a specialist, a vet consultant. Cardiac Vet offers to “assist rDVMs in confirming their suspicion of heart disease by offering a Telemedicine Service for interpretation of echocardiograms, ECGs, thoracic radiographs, Holters and event monitors.” You can give them a call today.

+13109134122
http://cardiacvet.com/

Dreams Of Summer

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The solstice is behind us, which means the days will soon be getting longer and the nights will once again retreat to the dark hours of the morning. Unfortunately, winter’s reach here in southern California only intensifies in the months following December, meaning we’re in for more dreary, cloudy days and frigid nights ahead.

As we trudge through winter, many of us dream of the days ahead, where spring and summer shine bright like a beacon on an otherwise dark horizon. Gone are the days we Californians wish for ‘real weather’, here are the days we wish for a return to weeks on end of perfect sunny afternoons.

While we’re here wishing, we could be getting to work on projects that can enhance our outdoor environments and allow for us to better enjoy the long summer days. Landscaping projects can be lengthy endeavors, so all the better we take advantage of the cool cloudy days of winter to build a better yard for summer.

One major landscaping project we’ve been looking at recently is the installation of a backyard water feature installation. The sound of running water has always had a calming effect on me, so a little waterfall in my backyard has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember.

There are a multitude of different water features you can add to your yard, from the simplest fountain to a massive, multi-level koi pond. The only limiting factor is your imagination, your budget, and, of course, the help you hire on to implement your vision.

Good landscapers are hard to come by, as seems to be the case with most of the construction world. Luckily for our southern California readers, they don’t have to look far, as we are home to one of the best landscaping firms in the industry: Torrey Pines Landscaping.

Torrey Pines has won a ton of awards for their landscape designs in San Diego, most of which have transformed the landscape from tacky to extraordinary in the hills and beachfronts all over the city. Many of their projects have included the installation of water features both big and small, from spas to a yard-spanning river.

Whether you are looking for a water feature that you can swim around in or just enjoy the sound of a babbling brook in the midst of the arid hills of southern California, Torrey Pines can help you realize your vision of the perfect outdoor getaway for hot summer days. With a level of perfectionism and artfulness not commonly found in contracting companies today, you don’t want to miss out on getting help from a major up-and-coming force in the landscaping world.

While in winter’s icy grasp, its perfectly natural to think of brighter days in a not-so-distant future. If you’re looking to make those days shine even more starkly, give Torrey Pines Landscaping a call to make your landscape dreams a reality:

Torrey Pines Landscaping

+18584541433

5560 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CA 92121

Home Renovation Motivation

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Today, homeowners have many options for improving the value of their property. When considering a home renovation, it is best to hire home remodeling contractors to guarantee quality results. Homeowners may renovate to upgrade outdated designs, expand a family room or kitchen, or bring in more natural light.

This article will look at the tremendous benefits of renovating a home. 

Customization 

A home renovation offers a chance to customize the home exactly the way you as the homeowner wants to. Your style changes through the years, trends change, and your home can feel outdated after a while. Your house is one of the most crucial investments you will ever make in their life, so you ought to make it a place that suits your needs.

Less maintenance in the future

Sometimes, home renovation involves home repair. Updating certain aspects of the home means future-proofing it so that fewer changes will be required in the future. Instead of waiting a long time to replace or repair certain parts of your home, think about the cost-savings potentially down the road if you take proactive measures.

Revival of comfort 

Renovating spaces like the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, or floors will offer extra comfort. The luxury of getting a clean slate and fresh start to build from is only one of the many advantages of a home improvement. 

More living space

Furthermore, adding space to the home will give you more breathing room to unwind and relax, emphasizing the beauty of its existing structure. Not all homeowners are aware of this, but your existing space can be altered to make it feel and look larger. This can offer everyone including your family members more privacy and joy at home, especially during the quarantine.

These days, homeowners are knocking down walls to make their homes more open, bright, and harmonious. Demolishing and renovating requires a reliable and knowledgeable home remodeling contractor who specializes in remodeling. When considering remodeling a home, one should do the necessary research to hire the best specialists for the job. Before making any commitment, review what past clients have said about the contractor. Homeowners are far more likely to enjoy the time and effort of home improvement after all has gone smoothly.

Increase your market value

One of the most significant benefits of renovating the home is the increased home value that comes with it. Therefore, the decision and process of upgrading will not only provide you with the enjoyment of living in your newly remodeled space, but it will also give you added market leverage if you decide to move and sell the home. 

Don’t forget about maintenance

In addition to home improvement, home maintenance is integral to the home’s structure. One of the most typical maintenance projects is roof replacement. Other projects include insulation, storm windows and doors, and replacement of siding. 

If you are thinking about renovating your home, you can give Inspired Remodels a call today. They are based in Orange County and design and renovate spectacular bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and more. You can call them for a renovation consult today.

Pests That Destroy Homes Across The United States

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It is nearly impossible to reach an end with the number of species of pests around the world; they invade homes and create a ruckus almost regularly. However, not all pests are as equally problematic as one another, across all geographical locations. For instance, if one of the bugs is particularly notorious in the Southern part of the country, it might not be as worrisome in the North. 

The most common types of house pests in the USA ranked are termites, ants, rodents, earwigs, millipedes, paper wasps, fleas, and bees. Out of all of these pests, termites are regarded as one of the most destructive pests that have ever been alive to wreak havoc. Although they are indeed biologically indispensable as far as enhancing the ecological cycle of the forest, termites are probably the world’s most hazardous, major home destructors. They live in cooperative groups. It is difficult for homeowners to distinguish them from ants. It becomes very difficult to detect termites, as their presence only becomes known through the damage they inflict upon the hardware of the house. According to researches, termites cause losses worth several billions of dollars every year, and homeowners spend billions dollars to get rid of the pests.

How can homeowners prevent and exterminate termites? 

In order to prevent an attack from termites, homeowners must be able to spot and differentiate them from ants. Unlike ants, the wings of termites are almost equal in length and their antennae are mostly straight. 

To prevent termite infestation, one must be ensured that the soil around the foundation of their house is dry after construction and allows proper drainage. Also, the openings around the structure should be reduced as it furnishes the pests with easy access into the building. Vents that have some kind of blockage and leaks around the building must be fixed at the earliest. Most importantly, the premises of the house should be kept free of wood or firewood debris. 

Brown Firewood
Photo by Paula from Pexels

For the extermination of termites, there are chemical treatments and non-chemical treatments. In order to apply chemical treatments, the pest control company must only use those products that are reviewed and permitted by law, so as to not inflict any health risks or harms to the environment. Some of the government-approved chemical treatments include wood treatments, termite baits, liquid soil-applied pesticides, and termiticides. 

For non-chemical treatments, homeowners must be sure to remove easy food sources that the termites could be possibly feeding on. Following this, the most popular solution for eliminating them is to build a tall barrier similar to a waterproof membrane across the foundation of the house. As it isn’t easy for the termites to move through the sandy soil, establishing a barrier can relatively slow down these pests.  Sand granules of comparatively larger size and steel mesh are effective barriers against colonies of termites.

You may find it hard to believe that creatures so small and quiet can cause so much destruction. If you have been infested by termites, call a licensed exterminator immediately.

Hidden Danger

DoverDetailer

All of my life, I’ve loved motorcycles and the idea of riding. Years upon years of constant nagging and lecturing from my family on the dangers of accidents and crashing never dampened my fascination with the freedom and connectedness afforded by riding a bike on the open road.

So, when I was in my 20’s and was finally able to afford my own bike without the need to get a loan or have my parents sign off on some government-mandated note saying I could ride without supervision, I happily purchased an old cruiser. I was soon roaring down highways and backroads, bursting with pride at the acknowledgement given to me by my riding peers as they passed by.

Motorcycles and their riders thrive in much of our glorious country, and nowadays as I ride my bike through the highways connecting my compound in an UNDISCLOSED LOCATION to the larger interstate, I find it to be one of life’s simple pleasures. When you ride in the REAL America, there is nothing but you, the road, and the wind whistling past your ears.

Unfortunately for me, I was born in the overcrowded rat nest that is southern California. I soon realized that most rides would be filled with anxiety over the morons in wheeled cages around me that didn’t notice anything on the road except the chance to hop over into the next lane to get an extra 30 feet ahead in traffic.

The blissful rides in empty highways were reserved for early morning weekend rides into the hinterlands, bookended by terrifying forays into freeways and city streets packed with aggressive mongoloids with eyes glued to the sandwiches they were stuffing into their faces rather than the lane they were unknowingly invading.

This finally culminated into the first and only crash I would ever get into, and the last time I would ever ride in the state. As I passed an intersection, the car ahead of me pulled into my lane and screeched to a stop as it rushed to get into the entrance of a shopping center. Bracing myself, I hit both the front and rear brakes, and unfortunately the speed and force I put into hitting the rear brakes caused the bike to immediately fishtail and throw me off, skidding to a stop right before both myself and the bike hit the now slowly turning car.

I was lucky that day, as I got off with some ruined safety equipment, a few scrapes and a severely sprained wrist. I could have easily been going just a little bit faster or not been able to stop at all before hitting the stopped car, and that might have cost me a whole lot more than just a couple of scratches.

For those of us who have not been so lucky, the costs of medical attention and the subsequent loss of work or employment might have a much worse and long-lasting effect on our lives. For them, a good attorney might mean the difference between the crash being an inconvenience or a life-ruining event.

That’s why we’re spotlighting a local southern Californian attorney that can assist you in getting the appropriate recompense after a motorcycle accident caused by one of the many dopes driving around the state: Villasenor Law Offices. The firm has decades of experience navigating the complex landscape of personal injury law and the insurance system, and has secured a significant number of clients the compensation they deserve after such an accident, as attested to by a number of reviews on Yelp and Google:

Read Christina T.‘s review of Villasenor Law Offices on Yelp

While I may be lucky to have not only survived my accident without much in the way of injury, many in southern California can’t say the same. If you or someone you know has gotten in a crash and are having difficulties with their or the responsible party’s insurance company, get them over to Villasenor.

Villasenor Law Offices

+18587077771

12396 World Trade Dr Suite 211, San Diego, CA 92128

Modern American Enemy: The Lawn (Part 2)

DoverDetailer

Last time, we covered the basics on how the advertising agencies created the modern suburban ideal of the lawn. This week, we will go more in depth on a subject we touched on the last post: the unimaginably harmful effects of modern pesticides and herbicides used to keep cultivated plants (grass included) as productive as possible.

Pesticides have been around almost as long as cultivated agriculture has, and they have taken many forms over the millennia: plant extracts, minerals, and heavy metals that interacted with the nervous and respiratory systems of insects were the primary method of crop protection over that time period. With the coming of the Enlightenment and the resulting industrial revolution, the advances in chemical sciences afforded new types of plant treatments that seemed to be, on the whole, more effective at keeping away pests and weeds and allow for optimally productive crops.

The effects of these treatments on pests and weeds, however, also soon proved harmful for the people consuming the fruits, cereals and vegetables produced. Arsenic-based pesticides, commonly used until the 1900s, would leech into the soil and water tables, causing wide-spread pollution in small water tables that would be consumed by locals and over time cause cancer, chronic arsenic poisoning, and skin lesions.

In the 1900s, a number of synthetic chemicals were found to be as or more effective than arsenic at killing pests and weeds, including DDT, glyphosate, and atrazine. The issues with arsenic poisoning quickly fell away, but new and even more disturbing effects began to show themselves as a result of switching to synthetic chemicals.

Many of the chemicals, developed through scientific funding by the military, were not well understood outside of the immediately positive effects they had on pest and weed populations. This lack of understanding of (or, perhaps, willful disregard of) the deleterious effects of synthetic pesticides on both the environment and people, lead to some insane projects in the vain hope of destroying pest populations, including spraying entire neighborhoods and towns with pesticides. The immediate effects of this were respiratory issues and skin rashes and lesions, but the more horrific effect was the birth defects and hormonal disruptions in the offspring of the populations being sprayed.

DDT, glyphosates, and atrazine, are some of the most widely used synthetic chemical pesticides in the world, used in both domestic and commercial plant cultivation, and all three have been found to cause both acute poisoning and have long-lasting chronic effects on populations of both humans and animals. The chemicals, most troublingly, cause birth defects, hormonal disruption, and multi-generational sexual reproductive issues, and may be one of the leading causes in the reduction of spermatogenesis in males throughout the western world.

These chemicals are all available for household use, and glyphosate (commonly known under the brand name Round Up) is commonly used in yards and lawns across the country. Natural grass turf is particularly notorious for how easy it is to be destroyed by common weeds, and cheap landscapers all over the country use Round Up as an herbicide to keep lawns looking healthy and uniform.

Lawns, then, are a major vector of the pesticides that are so harmful for us entering domestic water supplies, and it’s our belief that they should be eliminated. Substitutes for lawns, such as synthetic grass, may not be perfect, but in the long run they will be far better for our health than the turf they will be supplanting.

Once again, for southern Californian readers, we will recommend NoMow Turf, a local company who provides artificial turf installations for these purposes. They are extremely well regarded by their customers and provide a service that may end up saving both us and the environment.

NoMow Turf

+18559688873

26674 Vista Terrace, Lake Forest, CA 92630

Modern American Enemy: The Lawn

DoverDetailer

Over the years, this publication has covered and extensive number of subjects that raise our ire or deserve public notice. One item that we have long held both distaste for and felt the need to alert people to is the insidious manufactured cultural phenomenon that is the suburban lawn.

Lawns and lawn care, widely depicted in popular culture as a staple of suburban home life and the subject of pride in many a homeowner, in reality is a construct of modern advertising (much like the rest of suburbanism). Most homes did not include a lawn until the advertising apparatus was up and running, depicting wealthy homeowners happily mowing large lawns on palatial estates.

This was, of course, kicked into overdrive in the aftermath of World War I, which saw the development of many large-scale methods of manufacturing public opinion and perspective stemming from psychological warfare experiments used on European populations to maintain morale on the home front. Advertising firms, staffed with returning members of the intelligence divisions of the various militaries, quickly jumped on many of the new techniques, and lawn care companies were among many various industries who saw the benefits of shaping a new society that was primed to purchase their wares.

From these advertisements came the image of the ideal suburban home, suspended like an island in a sea of perfectly manicured and hardy native grasses. That ideal image fell short of reality in many respects, the lawn first among them.

Far from being hardy, the grass itself is a lifeform that does not much care for living, especially in the tightly controlled confines presented by the boundary lines designated by local civil authorities. The plant needs near constant maintenance to sustain its luscious green and uniform coloration, and much of that maintenance comes at the expense of both the homeowner and nature.

Lawns can take up hours of an owner’s time and a great deal of their wealth, trying its best to die a dignified death while they try futilely to force it to keep on living. Weed killers, pesticides, fungicides, and all manner of artificial and chemical fertilizers are poured into the ground before the hundreds of gallons of water needed to keep the stuff alive washes it into local water tables to be slurped up by the various animals we eat.

We’ve talked extensively about these chemical fertilizers and pesticides before, so we won’t go further into the obvious effects this is having on our collective health. The bottom line is, lawns are terrible for us, terrible for the animals, and terrible for our natural environment. They are trash!

For a suitable replacement that still gives that dopamine rush provided by a lush green lawn without the nasty side effects of keeping it alive and tidy, we recommend looking into artificial turf. The fake stuff is beginning to look just as good as the real stuff, and you don’t have to worry about its effects on local amphibians after a rainstorm.

There are thousands of artificial turf installers around the country, but the ones nearest and dearest to our hearts here in California are NoMow Turf, a local company that’s been servicing communities here get rid of their chemical nightmares and replace it with quality synthetic turf for the better part of 15 years. Their installations are pitch-perfect, as evidenced by the numerous glowing testimonials on their Yelp page:

Read Kolt K.‘s review of NoMow Turf on Yelp

As with many things in modern life, lawns are a form of psychological warfare perpetrated by large advertising companies designed to turn you into a SLAVE. If you are tired of playing their games, get yourself an artificial lawn; your wallet and the water table will thank you

NoMow Turf

(866) 679-4863

26674 Vista Terrace, Lake Forest, CA 92630