Waving a British flag and wearing a coat with its red, white and blue pattern, Amy Roslender was as clear in her views about Scottish independence as a six-year-old can be. For the family friend on whose shoulders she sat, the issue was more complicated.

My hearts saying one thing, my heads saying another, said Scott Beveridge, 39, as he waited at Scotlands Rosyth shipyard to watch Queen Elizabeth II launch an aircraft carrier named in her honor. Its a risk. Lifes good just now, and its a question of whether to make that leap of faith.

The project managers personal battle summarizes the arguments being used by the two sides in Scotlands independence debate. On the one hand, nationalists play to emotions of patriotism, while on the other, unionists warn of the dangers of a Scotland unable to use the pound, excluded from the European Union and shut out of defense contracts.

Scotlands Independence Bid

As the campaigns in the Sept. 18 referendum enter their final phase, the fate of the 307-year-old U.K. rests on the relative weight voters place on political aspirations versus what the no camp tells them is harsh economic reality.

Were making progress, which is why, with increasing confidence, I can say that I think we will win, provided we continue to get our arguments across, Alistair Darling, the former chancellor of the exchequer who leads the Better Together campaign against independence, said on the BBCs Sunday Politics show yesterday. Poll after poll now show it is the economic arguments that are dominating peoples thinking.

Amy Roslender waves a Union flag during the naming ceremony for the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier at Rosyth shipyard in Scotland, on Friday, July 4, 2014. Close

Amy Roslender waves a Union flag during the naming ceremony for the HMS Queen Elizabeth... Read More

Close

Amy Roslender waves a Union flag during the naming ceremony for the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier at Rosyth shipyard in Scotland, on Friday, July 4, 2014.

Go here to read the rest:
Scots Weigh Emotions of Breaking Up U.K. as Heads Take On Hearts

By Claudia Melndez Salinas

cmelendez@montereyherald.com @MelendezSalinas on Twitter

SEASIDE >> A lot of activity is taking place at Seaside Middle School, but students have nothing to do with it.

Construction crews are digging trenches, pouring concrete, and tearing floors apart for the school's $3.4 million upgrade that includes a new heating and ventilation system and new electrical system.

In the old system, a large gas heater would warm up the air of an entire wing in the school. The air would circulate through underground tunnels and come out in each classroom through vents, said John Silvestrini, executive director of maintenance, operations, technology and transportation.

"The old heating system was gas too, but the vents were underneath the room," Silvestrini said. "The vents have to be filled up with concrete."

Contractors are sealing the vents with sheet metal and concrete. New trenches are being dug to connect new heaters to the gas line. Each classroom will have its own heater and therefore, each teacher will have control of the classroom temperature, Silvestrini said.

The upgrades "are absolutely wonderful," said Seaside Middle Principal Joan Nugent. "We'll be looking forward to them."

Because there will be many more fans in the school, the electrical system also needs to be upgraded. Each wing will now have its own electrical panel, which means the classrooms will eventually have more electrical outlets.

But those upgrades will have to wait, Silvestrini said.

See more here:
Seaside Middle School gets new heating, ventilation system

GJDI Painting Painting Contractors Cedar Hill TX
GJDI Painting is home to your local, talented painting contractors, specializing in the highest quality home restoration services at the most affordable pric...

By: Gjdi Painting

Read more:
GJDI Painting Painting Contractors Cedar Hill TX - Video

Most Preferred Painting Contractors in Perth
Barker-Whittle, one of the most preferred painting contractors in Perth, offers painting, coating, and plastering services for homes and commercial spaces. F...

By: Ruby Ifould

See more here:
Most Preferred Painting Contractors in Perth - Video

Titan 440 Airless Sprayer
What would be a good airless sprayer to buy for small to medium paint jobs? A Titan 440 airless sprayer is a very reliable and long lasting sprayer that is g...

By: B K Painting

Read more from the original source:
Titan 440 Airless Sprayer - Video

By JIM KUHNHENN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The top jobs numbers for June would have seemed to be cause for some appreciation. After all, the unemployment rate dipped to 6.1 percent, the lowest in six years, and hiring showed five months of steady growth.

But the public continues to perceive the economy as poor.

So, heading into a midterm campaign season, the politicians on Thursday hedged their bets and pointed fingers.

"In the voting booth, economic perception beats economic statistics every time," Republican pollster Whit Ayres said.

Indeed, after five months of steady job growth and after hitting a six-year low in unemployment, the reaction in Washington Thursday was a collective, "Yeah, but ..."

Even President Barack Obama, who would be eager to take credit for an economy on the mend, felt compelled to throw in a dampening caveat as he drew attention to the 288,000 jobs created in June, to the lower 6.1 percent unemployment rate and to the fastest job growth since 1999.

"As much progress as has been made, there are still folks out there who are struggling," he said Thursday. "We still have not seen as much increase in income and wages as we'd like to see. A lot of folks are still digging themselves out of challenges that arose out of the Great Recession."

To be sure, there are real economic reasons to be wary, or at least not euphoric, over the most recent report.

The labor market remains weak, with a labor force participation rate stuck at 62.8 percent, the lowest since 1978. Construction jobs reached their highest since June 2009 but are still more than 1.7 million jobs below its 2006 peak, according to an analysis of jobs numbers by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Read the original here:
Amid positive jobs numbers, politicians hedge bets - NBC40.net

WASHINGTON (AP) The top jobs numbers for June would have seemed to be cause for some appreciation. After all, the unemployment rate dipped to 6.1 percent, the lowest in six years, and hiring showed five months of steady growth.

But the public continues to perceive the economy as poor.

So, heading into a midterm campaign season, the politicians on Thursday hedged their bets and pointed fingers.

"In the voting booth, economic perception beats economic statistics every time," Republican pollster Whit Ayres said.

Indeed, after five months of steady job growth and after hitting a six-year low in unemployment, the reaction in Washington Thursday was a collective, "Yeah, but ..."

Even President Barack Obama, who would be eager to take credit for an economy on the mend, felt compelled to throw in a dampening caveat as he drew attention to the 288,000 jobs created in June, to the lower 6.1 percent unemployment rate and to the fastest job growth since 1999.

"As much progress as has been made, there are still folks out there who are struggling," he said Thursday. "We still have not seen as much increase in income and wages as we'd like to see. A lot of folks are still digging themselves out of challenges that arose out of the Great Recession."

To be sure, there are real economic reasons to be wary, or at least not euphoric, over the most recent report.

The labor market remains weak, with a labor force participation rate stuck at 62.8 percent, the lowest since 1978. Construction jobs reached their highest since June 2009 but are still more than 1.7 million jobs below its 2006 peak, according to an analysis of jobs numbers by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Moreover, hiring has tended to be predominantly in low wage jobs, leading to stagnant wage growth, and the number of hours worked per week has not changed.

Read the original:
Amid positive jobs numbers, politicians hedge bets

Your Anthem Painter | Painting Contractor AZ
Your Anthem Painter provides fast and professional painting services for your home or business. Certified, bonded, and insured Painters that are able to work in a high pressure environments....

By: Kelly Hanover

More here:
Your Anthem Painter | Painting Contractor AZ - Video

WASHINGTON Does anyone in politics dare talk up the economy? Apparently not.

After five months of steady job growth and with unemployment hitting a six-year low, the reaction in Washington Thursday was a collective "Yeah, but ..."

Across the political spectrum, liberals and conservatives, still found reason to despair and point fingers a function of election-year politics, been-there-before skepticism and honest perceptions by many Americans that the recovery has yet to improve their lives.

Consider this from Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota: "Too many working families are still treading water. Our focus now must be on solutions that strengthen the middle class and give more hardworking Americans a fair shot by raising the minimum wage, making college more affordable, and investing in workforce training."

And this from Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus: "We're glad to see some Americans found work last month, but we can't rest until jobs are easy to find. That's why Republicans have passed dozens of jobs bills in the House of Representatives. Sadly, Democrats in Washington, D.C., have other priorities."

Even President Barack Obama, who would be eager to take credit for an economy on the mend, felt compelled to throw in a dampening caveat as he drew attention to the 288,000 jobs created in June, to the lower, 6.1 percent unemployment rate and to the fastest job growth since 1999.

"As much progress as has been made, there are still folks out there who are struggling," he said Thursday. "We still have not seen as much increase in income and wages as we'd like to see. A lot of folks are still digging themselves out of challenges that arose out of the Great Recession."

To be sure, there are real economic reasons to be wary, or at least not euphoric, over the most recent report.

The labor market remains weak, with a labor force participation rate stuck at 62.8 percent, the lowest since 1978. Construction jobs reached their highest level since June 2009 but are still more than 1.7 million jobs below their 2006 peak, according to an analysis of jobs numbers by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Moreover, hiring has tended to be predominantly in low-wage jobs, leading to stagnant wage growth, and the number of hours worked per week has not changed. "The headline number masks the lingering structural weakness in the U.S. labor market," said Lindsey Piegza, a chief economist at the Sterne Agee brokerage house.

Follow this link:
Positive numbers, but politicians hedge their bets

Photo by Nicole Villalpando

Doing the perfect home painting job yourself means taking good care with the prep work to get a good finished product. Make sure the rollers you choose are the correct nap for your walls. This 1/2-inch nap is for textured walls. (Nicole Villalpando/Austin American-Statesman/MCT)

Photo by Nicole Villalpando

MCT Doing the perfect home painting job yourself means taking good care with the prep work to get a good finished product. Being meticulous in applying tape gives clean lines and keeps paint from where it is not wanted.

Photo by Nicole Villalpando

Doing the perfect home painting job yourself means taking good care with the prep work to get a good finished product. Using a 5-gallong bucket allows you to mix your cans of paint to get an even tone. (Nicole Villalpando/Austin American-Statesman/MCT)

Painting is one of the easiest ways to transform the look of your home, and yet, were just not good at it. We think we can do a room in a day, the whole house in a weekend.

People think painting is a very easy thing, said Michael Parreno of 78 Painting, Textures, Plasters and More, in Austin. Its all about the prep and many years of experience. Patience is everything in painting.

That prep work is going to be about 75 percent of the job, said Louie Funk of Funk Paint Contractors. If people take time to tape off the room, they can do almost as good a job as we can. Theyve got to be serious about taping it off.

Painting also is about knowing what jobs you can do and what jobs are best for the professionals. And, most importantly, its about having the right kind of tools and paint for the job.

Visit link:
Prep and patience key to painting a house, inside or out