Catnip (Nepeta)

A member of the mint family, catnip is a perennial herb that is available in 250 different species, and upon sniffing the herb, cats are left on a “high”. Other mammals are said to exhibit the same behavior, like koalas (marsupial mammals) that “get high” from the leaves of eucalyptus trees. The Catnip genus (Nepeta) is generally found in Asia and Europe, but has been naturalized in Canada and the United States. Some of the varieties of catnip are Lemon catnip, Greek catnip, common Catnip (nepeta cataria) and Camphor catnip. There is an array of names available for catnip, among which are Cat’s Wort, Catrup, Cataria, Catwort, Catswort, Nebada, Garnen Nep or just Nep, Field Balm, Chi Hsueh Tsao, Catmint, Cat’s Heal All, Catnep, Herba Catti, etcetera.

In catnip, there is an active ingredient that is mostly responsible for the ‘reaction’ that cats have to the herb. This is nepetalactone, which is a hallucinogenic essential oil that exists in the stems and leaves of catnip. It has been compared to drugs such as LSD and cannabis, or marijuana. Catnip also has constituents like Dipentene, Citral, Tannins, Geraniol, Butyric Acid, etc.

How Catnip Affects Cats

While not all cats like catnip, about half of all cats find the herb simply addictive – they smell it, lick the herb, rub their nose against it, and some even eat it. To these cats, catnip is irresistible. It is mostly the scent of the herb – as the active ingredient enters the nasal passage – that leaves cats “high”, and many experts say that cats consume catnip in order to discharge some more of the active ingredient into the air. Catnip affects cats for 5 to 10 minutes. In cats, stimulation occurs when catnip enters the olfactory system (through the nose), but ingesting the herb can leave a cat sedated.

Is Catnip Really Bad for Cats?

While catnip can have a behavioral and/or sexual effect on cats (the effect varies, depending on the cat), the substance is said to be generally harmless. The effects are short, and cats are not likely to overdose on the herb. Cats have a natural instinct that prevents them from overdosing.

Espresso machines make some of the richest tasting coffee drinks on the market. Espresso machines make drinks such as mocha and latte coffees among other coffee drinks. These machines are available in different sizes, designs and are made by various brands. They are available in inexpensive machines to high-end espresso machines to fit within most budgets. You can use regular coffee or get different flavored coffees for these machines. Espresso machines make great tasting coffee no matter what type of coffee that you decide to make. Most espresso machines are very easy to use with just a push of the button and you can have your drink ready in just a matter of seconds. If you are a coffee lover one of the best decisions you will make is purchasing an espresso maker for your home.

When choosing an espresso maker to use in your home make sure that it is durable and is one that will last a long time. It should come with a good warranty in case something should happen with it. If you want to research these machines online before you decide to purchase one, you can find reviews from other people who have bought them that will let you know which ones are the best to buy. This is a wise decision when purchasing any coffee machine.

One of the most stylish at the moment is the Breville Barista Express. Great build and nice lines.

If You Smoke Quit Or Switch To An Alternative

For the smokers out there I won’t preach about how unhealthy it is, I think we all know the details behind that. What I will do though is tell you about an alternative, the electronic cigarette. They allow for the action of smoking to stay in place but they don’t contain any of the carcinogens that cigarettes contain. In the long run they can also save you money but to start with you can use the Safe Cig coupon code to get a reduction on starter kits. The other great thing about e-cigs is that you can buy different strengths of nicotine enabling you to work your way down to 0mg strength and ultimately quit altogether.

Join A Boot-camp and Improve Your Overall Health and Fitness

Boot-camps are all the craze at the moment and there is a good reason for that, they have proven with many people to be a lot more effective than just going to the gym. Again the cost of boot-camps can be more upfront but you get so much more help and advice as you have direct access to a trainer who will also advise on a nutrition plan for you to follow.

Learn To Cook!

If you are not the best in the kitchen and rely on a lot of processed foods then it is time to learn some basic cooking techniques. You don’t need to be Gordon Ramsey to be able to cook fresh food that is very nutritional.

These are just a few things you can focus on but they are definitely very effective. What are you waiting for!

1) Buy a Kill A Watt electricity usage monitor. This handy device lets you measure the electrical consumption of individual electrical appliances to find out which ones it is most worth replacing with Energy Star recommended models. Such things as old models of air-con units, TVs, microwaves and fridges can use a lot of unnecessary electricity.

2) Reduce heating and cooling bills by matching the HVAC times with your schedule. To do this you need to install a good 7 day programmable thermostat such as a Honeywell RTH7500D thermostat. If set correctly such a device can reduce heating and cooling bills by as much as 33% in a year.

3) Change incandescent lights for compact fluorescent lights bulbs. They use 75% less electricity and last 13 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.

4) Avoid leaving electrical appliances on stand by, especially those devices with digital displays such as DVD players and microwaves. They use electricity and provide no real benefit for a house.

5) Improve the insulation of a home by putting cotton batts in the roof space, blocking holes and using double glazing. Also using cork underlay and other insulating materials in the home helps to reduce heating and cooling bills.

6) Be mindful of waste. If you are not using your computer turn it off. If you are not in a room turn the light off.

All these strategies will help reduce bills, conserve energy supplies and cut carbon emissions. In the future these courses of action will be practiced by the majority of households.

Still, when it comes to choosing new fridges, it helps if you keep in mind all three of these important characteristics – cooling quality, design convenience and cost-effective pricing. 

Product performance and reliability are two of the most important qualities that you should seek in fridges.  In the best refrigerator reviews, this can be quantified in many ways.  The following are some of the indicators that make a refrigerator fully functional and highly reliable.

Consistent temperature performance – refrigerator temperature that easily fluctuates can greatly affect the quality of food preservation.  Go for electronic temperature management control.  Trouble-free refrigeration comes from better temperature management.

Storage features – Storage features should save space, in as much as they should ensure proper food placement. 

Durable construction – Go for refrigerators that are made from stainless steel.  They are expensive but they have better longevity. 

Extra cooling features – look for extra features if you can afford them.  These include air purification systems, Energy Star, water filtration systems and dual refrigeration systems.

In the last ten years, there have been produced an overwhelming selection of refrigerator models.  This has caused many refrigerator brands to stress low prices so that they can compete with other mass-market brands by price.  

But if you really want to get your home in shape, especially in your kitchen, you have to find a fully functional fridge.  It may not be the most expensive fridge – it only has to fit your storage and cooling requirements.  For finding such models good refrigerator reviews are key shopping aids!

There is no secret formula to investing in stocks, but you must be wise when considering your options. If you are saving money for retirement, it is probably best to invest in lower-risk stocks; though these usually have lower returns than riskier options, you do not want to take the chance of losing all of your retirement money. Oftentimes, choosing a reputable stock broker is the best choice for new investors. They have the training and knowledge to help guide you to buying the stocks that are right for you. Trying to understand the market by yourself is difficult, especially for those who have no experience with purchasing stocks. 

Investing in stocks does pose risks, but for many the benefits of such investment outweighs any ramifications. In contrast with typical savings accounts, the returns possibilities of stocks are much greater, enabling you to have a greater chance of retiring in the manner you always dreamed of.

How does it become such a family friendly industry?

These thoughts occured to me as I was visiting a local winery to pick up a wine gift for my father in law this past week. It was dumb luck, but the head winemaker happened to be giving someone a tour and asked my wife if we\’d be interested in tagging along.  Of course that sounded like and we\’ve never seen the back of a winery before, so we went with.

About half way through the tour when we were tasting wine from barrels, the winemakers two kids (6 and 3) ran past us saying hello to the entire staff.  It turns out that a winery is a great spot to hang out if you\’re a little kid.  There are a lot of friendly people.  Plenty to eat and usually a dog or two to play with.

Makes you wonder if we kept our culture more open to alcohol if the end result would actually be less addiction doesn\’t it. Those kids will probably grow up with enough appreciation for wine that they won\’t abuse it.

The island of Koh Phangan is famous for its gorgeous beaches and for the world’s biggest outdoor full moon party. On arrival tourists invariably head off for either Haad Rin (the scene of the FMP) or one of the other idyllic beaches scattered along the coast. Me too until my last trip to the amazing Koh Phangan.

This year I opted to stay in the port town of Thongsala. It doesn’t have a beach but it does have a great range of facilities and amenities, it is also conveniently located near a number of great beaches. I got a room at Buakao Inn in Thongsala for just $20 a night. It was basic but clean. Downstairs was a great cafe with friendly staff and a good menu. I rented out a motorbike for my stay.

In Thongsala they have a couple of great markets where I could pick up really cheap fruit and get a plate of Thai food for just over $1. In the town there is also a Tesco supermarket with plenty of cheap drinks and snacks.

In the evening there is a few good bars to try. There is also live music some nights at A’s cafe and the Bangers and Mash. Despite being a town, rather than a beach with a few cafes etc. Thongsala is very quiet and peaceful. It is very different to the loud and raucous Haad Rin.

During the day I went exploring. I either rode to a temple or to a beach. I got to see lots of beautiful white sand beaches, many of which were virtually deserted. I loved the freedom the bike gave me.

In short, I felt that staying in Thongsala was actually better than being stranded on one beach. I’m going to stay in Thongsala again.

1) Writing far too much. I find more than 3 lines is too much. A girl doesn’t have the time or patience to read an essay; she will ignore it straight away. Make your opener short and snappy.

2) Not being interesting or different. Saying “hey how’s it going” or “how was your weekend” is utter shit. It’s basically not realizing the level of competition going on. No girl will respond to it because she has a choice, unlike most guys. I get girls writing to me with that shit and i don’t respond, why would a girl?

3) Sending filth. Being sexually & direct generally doesn’t work online. It shows no balls. Going up to a girl in real life and telling her you want to fuck her is unusual and takes courage. Online it’s normal. She will get 50% of all messages from guys saying what’s on their mind, and normally that’s that they want to fuck her. All it shows is your typing one handed and are only after sex, which doesn’t go down too well online. Stay away from this shit till you have built up some value.

Be strong and keep faith – If you will believe in yourself you will succeed with online dating!