Indoor lighting

by admin on November 8, 2011

Even when there are rules to place lighting spots for indoor lighting, such as the lumens method, we can certainly say the lighting levels depends on each person, what can result annoying for someone, might be comfortable to others.

Since these factors are quite ambiguous, it is necessary a technical classification to have clear concepts about indoor lighting and also understand the diverse factors that can alter this type of lighting.

The main concern about illumination, is the light source or lamp that its being used, domestic use lamps can be divided into categories such as, fluorescence, halogen and compact fluorescent. Being the filament lamps the less used over the past years, due to its lack of luminance and high energy costs.

For work environments fluorescent and low voltage halogen lamps fits the needs perfectly, as the indoor lighting is perfect and cheap as it has to be on pretty much all day.

Other variable that might alter the results of the desired indoor lighting, can be the colors of the walls, for that interior designers use the color rendering index (CRI) which gives the reproduction of a color sample under certain lighting, the higher CRI is, the best color rendering is obtained. there are 3 rendering groups and one special group.

For rendering group number 1 a value greater than or equal 85 gives us a cold look ideal for industry and workshops, for rendering group number 2 a value from 70 to 85 gives a color scale ideal for use in office space and schools, and finally rendering group number 3 gives a index value less than 70  is used in interior marginal environments whose interest lies not excessively color reproduction.

The group S (for special) is only used for very poor environments, and it is not used with frequency.

To give an example of the importance of this imagine a whitish-walled room under incandescent light, which is very rich in the infrared spectrum, it will accentuate the reddish-brown wood furniture and the result is a yellowish tinge.

Keep in mind that in many cases with only renew the indoor lighting can make big changes in the room decorations. Sometimes the difference can be made ​incorporating the ignition switch or intensity dimmer that allows to create different climates with the same lamp.

The indoor lighting may be substantially different depending on the room you want to illuminate. When we think about how to light a room must not forget that you must have a sense of unity with the rest of the house.  Organize a general lighting scheme requires to define what role, both aesthetic and practical artificial light meet each of the environments.

The combination of different types of light in the same space (general, spot, ambient or decorative), can also light up independently, allowing decorative interesting resources.

The light should always strive to be generally mild, preventing glare or lack of light necessary to see where we go. The other types of light will come later, highlighting a particular area or distributing other lights in work areas or reading areas.

Ceiling Fans

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The UT Tower

by admin on August 15, 2011

The structure that can be seen in the middle of the campus of the University of Texas in Austin is known as the UT Tower or the Main Building. This building is a 307-foot tower and has 28 floors to it. This building sits in the center of the 40-acre campus stretch making it the most recognizable symbol not only in the entire university but in the whole city as well.

The original UT Tower was of Victorian-Gothic design. But because it was very old and the university needed a new library space, the building was demolished and razed in 1934. In its place, there stood the tower that can be seen today. From the old building, only the old carillon bells were preserved.

To design the UT Tower, the University of Texas commissioned Paul Philippe Cret. There were several designs that Cret presented but the university regents preferred the Mediterranean-influenced Beaux-Arts style. This great tower, when it was finished, was the only thing that competed in grandeur with the State Capitol in the city skyline of Austin.

The tower served as a library for some time. Now, it mainly contains the administrative offices of the university. At the top floors, the professors’ offices and department offices can be found.

There were several tragic events that were connected to the tower. In August 1966, a student by the name of Charles Joseph Whitman stationed on top of the tower and shot to death 14 Austin residents using a scoped Remington 700 rifle. As a consequence, the tower was closed off until 1968. It reopened but due to a series of suicide incidents, it was again closed in 1974. The observation deck in the tower was then installed with security and safety measures and was reopened for public visits since 1999.

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Haunted Hotels and Restaurants in Austin

by admin on August 15, 2011

Many people are interested in ghost hunts. In Austin, there are plenty of business establishments which have been known to be inhabited by ghosts. Some think that a restaurant or a hotel that’s haunted is a big turn-off to customers. Well, this is not always the case. In fact, more and more people are flocking to places like these where paranormal activities have been reported. Interestingly enough, the haunting events are what attract them in. If you are interested in ghost hunts and intrigued by paranormal experiences, below are some business places which you can visit in Austin.

There are two famous lodging places where ghost sightings have been reported. These are the Driskill Hotel and the Inn at Pearl Street. The Driskill Hotel is reported to be haunted by the ghost of its original owner, Col. Jesse Driskill. There were also sightings of a young girl, who died in the hotel, playing an orb of white light in the staircase. The Inn at Pearl Street, on the other hand, was a venue of strange occurrences when it was being renovated. Despite the lack of electricity to the place when it was remodeled, lights would continually flicker on/off inside the building.

When it comes to Austin restaurants and pubs, you can dine or wine and have a share of spookiness in places like the Clay Pit, The Fado Irish Club and the Mugshots. The Clay Pit is an Indian restaurant and employees reported hearing party sounds on the second floor but when investigated, the upper floor was totally empty. In the Fado Irish Pub, patrons have claimed to see flying glassware and utensils. There were furniture items being moved and flickering lights, too. Finally, there’s the Mugshots pub wherein classical music can be heard by the owner played over and over with no one else beside him present in the room. There were apparitions of a woman in blue dress also who could possibly be Fanny Davis – the lady who ran the boarding house there in 1886.

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Big Corporations That Serve as Primary Employers in Austin, Texas

by admin on August 15, 2011

When people are relocating to the city of Austin, Texas, one of their main concerns is to find a regular and stable employment. Fortunately, Austin has a thriving economy. A big indicator of this was the city being awarded by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as the number one American City for Job Growth in June 2009. The city continues to perform greatly up to the present. So, anyone who comes to live and stay in this area can rest easy as there are plenty of big corporations that serve as primary employers in the city of Austin.

Because Austin is the political seat of Texas State, the top government agencies are also placed in here. People can find employment in various agencies such as the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Water Development Board to name a few. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service also operates a processing center here and there’s also the U.S. Government Postal Service which anyone can apply to.

If you have technical and computer skills, you can definitely gain a job that befits your credentials by exploring the Silicon Hills area in Austin. Top computer and tech companies such as Dell, IBM Corporation, Freescale Semiconductor, Applied Materials and AMD have made a niche into this zone.

The education and healthcare industry is also big in the city of Austin. You can find work in the University of Texas and Austin Independent School District and become a part of the teaching workforce or the academe. If you have a medical or health-related course, you can seek employment in the Seton Healthcare Network, in the St. David’s Healthcare and the Brackenridge Hospital.

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Austin’s Fantastic Fest – A Celebration of Genre Films

by admin on August 15, 2011

We all know that Austin, Texas is home to many film festivals. But if there’s one festival that is worth mentioning in this city, it is the Fantastic Fest. This is so because it is a celebration that focuses only on genre films.

Genre films are films that feature horror, science fiction, action, fantasy, cult and Asian. Commonly in film festivals, the emphasis is placed on the drama category. Because of this predominant concept, hardcore filmmakers and cinephiles are at a loss where they should go.

Fortunately, the Fantastic Fest was founded in 2005 by Tim League, the owner of the Alamo Drafthouse. The festival takes place at the theater of the Alamo Drafthouse usually in the month of September. It lasts for eight days and conducts three screens for each day. The screening is attended by many directors, film writers and actors. Participants can be amateurs or they may be well-known figures in the film industry.

The festival is a great venue for fantastic films to be viewed. Commonly, genre films are rejected by distributors because they deemed them lacking of selling factor. Fantastic films usually don’t make it to mass distribution as not many people are very keen on watching zombies, killers, aliens and other violent human portrayals.

The Fantastic Fest is celebrated much like any other film festival. Apart from the film screenings, there are also many themed parties that are thrown. This festival may only be young yet it has received many favorable remarks and acknowledges from respected media people and celebrities.

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Austin Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival

by admin on August 15, 2011

Hot sauce is a big industry in the United States. It used to be that ketchup is the number one condiment in America. However, in 1992, salsa was able to steal its top spot and became the ultimate American condiment of choice. Its success can be attributed to the Austin Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival, which became a very effective launching pad of many hot sauce products.

The Austin Chronicle conducted the first Hot Sauce Festival in Austin, Texas in 1990. It only began as a friendly competition between Austin and San Antonio. Unexpectedly, the festival became a total success. Since its making two decades ago, it became one of the respected and largest hot sauce festivals in the whole world. Such event can draw as many as 15,000 crowds and 350 participating entries.

Many people come to participate into this competition. This is because early winners of the show go onto commercial success. The hot sauce contest in the festival has three levels of competition. These include the individual, restaurant and commercial bottler categories. The individual and the restaurants compete in the red, green and special variety. Commercial bottlers, on the other hand, compete in the red, green, special variety and the pepper sauce.

Popular features of the Hot Sauce Festival include the giant tasting tent full of tasty sauces for free and the hot sauce cooking demonstrations conducted by renowned chefs. Admission is free but anyone who comes is encouraged to bring 3 non-perishable food items to be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank. The festival is commonly held in the Waterloo Park.

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