Archive for February, 2012

University of Alabama Building Earthquake Simulator

February 24th, 2012 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in earthquake insurance

Okay, we know we harp about earthquake insurance a lot, but can you blame us? Just this month there was a quake in Missouri that was felt in nine other states.

That’s why we’re really excited about a new project currently underway at the University of Alabama’s South Engineering Research Center. On May 1st, a new laboratory equipped with a “shake table” will be able to test building designs and materials to see if they can withstand earthquakes.

What’s a shake table? Professor John van de Lindt, endowed chair of UA’s civil construction and environmental engineering program explains it as essentially, “…a large piece of steel that moves back and forth and represents the motion of the earth. This particular table is designed to be used to collapse structures.”

Why would you want to make something collapse? Van de Lindt says it’s to determine, “…the margin against structure collapses. We can’t know that unless we know exactly how these structures collapse.”

So why do this sort of research in Alabama, a place not exactly known for seismic activity? Professor van de Lindt says it’s because the UA program is meant to educate global engineers. Earthquakes, he says, are a global problems, and the engineers his program sends out into the world need to be able to face the challenges of dealing with them.

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Oklahoma Considers Raising the Legal SMOKING Age

February 17th, 2012 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in health insurance

A committee of the Oklahoma House of Representatives has recently approved legislation that would raise the legal age for the use of tobacco to twenty-one. While the drinking age has been twenty-one across the country for several decades now, in most places the age limit for tobacco use is still eighteen.

While it’s no secret that smoking leads to a host of health problems, and causes you to pay more for health insurance, legislating a higher minimum age isn’t something most places consider. So, what’s the reasoning in Oklahoma? According to state Representative Ann Coody (R – Lawton), it’s about breaking the cycle of addiction.

“The younger someone starts smoking,” Coody said, “the harder it is to break the addiction later in life.” She continued, “By raising the age restriction on tobacco purchases, we can deter many young people from ever starting this bad habit and save them years of health complications.”

Under the terms of Coody’s bill, HB 2314, the legal age to purchase tobacco would increase gradually from the current age of 18 to 21 by the year 2015.

With over 6,000 lives lost to it each year, tobacco use is the state of Oklahoma’s leading cause of preventable death.

Coody emphasizes, “While tobacco was once seen as a harmless vice, that is clearly not the case. If we can discourage young people from smoking, it will benefit that young person’s health and ultimately benefit our state economy through greater productivity and lower health expenses.”

The bill passed out of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Public Health Committee yesterday. It now goes to the House floor for debate.

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Warm Weather Means MORE Chimney Fires in Vermont.

February 9th, 2012 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in fire insurance, insurance news

Vermont is having an unseasonably warm winter, and Fire Chief Doug Winot, of Townshend, says that means an increase in chimney fires.

How does one follow the other? Well, according to an interview Winot did with the Brattleboro Reformer when people burn green wood, as opposed to dried firewood, or have a fire that doesn’t burn hot enough, it creates highly flammable “black glaze,” which builds up inside chimneys. Then, when people shut down their wood stoves because the weather is warm, the sludge catches on fire, closes off the chimney, and spreads into the partition walls.

Already, Winot says, there have been two chimney fires caused by this in the past week.

The solution? Have your chimney cleaned every two or three months, and keep your fire insurance up to date.

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Thursday Filmstrip: Century 21 Superbowl Commercial

February 2nd, 2012 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in friday filmstrips, homeowners insurance, insurance news

This Sunday is the 2012 Superbowl. It’s a day of fun, family, and food, and even if you’re not particularly interested in the game itself, chances are you’re tuning in to watch the commercials.

This one is from Century 21 – we’re sharing it because we think it’s a great ad, but also because we want to remind you that when you buy a new home, you also have to shop for homeowners insurance – you can’t have one without the other.

In any case, enjoy the video, and the game.

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