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VIDEO: Son of slain Sikh plans US House run

Would greater controls on gun ownership save lives or simply limit freedom? It is the debate that renews after every mass shooting in the US.

In August 2012 six people were shot dead at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin by a white supremacist.

Frustrated by the lack of action in Congress and what he deemed insufficient attention to the massacre by President Barack Obama, the son of one of the victims is running for Congress on a gun control platform.

James Coomarasamy reports on Amar Kaleka's upstart challenge to 2012 Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan.

Produced by Lindle Markwell; filmed and edited by Peter Murtaugh

Altered States is a series of video features published every Wednesday on the BBC News website which examine how shifting demographics and economic conditions affect America on a local level.

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House prices continue to accelerate

15 April 2014 Last updated at 11:32 House prices are 3.6% higher than their previous peak The rate at which house prices are rising has continued to increase, according to official figures.

Prices across the UK rose by 9.1% in the year to February 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported.

That was a considerable jump from the annual rate of 6.8% in January.

More recent data from big lenders such as Nationwide and Halifax has showed house price growth moderating in the past couple of months.

The ONS said house prices in February were 3.6% higher than the pre-recession peak in 2008.

Prices in London rose by their fastest rate for nearly seven years. Over the last 12 months, the cost of houses in the capital increased by 17.7%, the highest inflation rate since July 2007.

Excluding London and the South East, prices rose by 5.8%.

Every nation in the UK saw a rise in prices over the last year, from 9.7% in England to 2.4% in Scotland.

Prices rose by 5.3% in Wales and 2.8% in Northern Ireland.

'Superbubble'

The news has once again prompted concern about a housing bubble, particularly in London.

"Forget talk of house price bubbles. In London, the market is well beyond that. What we're witnessing in the capital is a superbubble," said Oliver Atkinson of urbansalesandlettings.co.uk.

But the government was keen to play down such talk.

The Housing Minister, Kris Hopkins, said the amount of money being lent out in mortgages was still comparatively small.

"Mortgage lending activity in the housing market remains below the historic average and relative to earnings, median house prices across England are around the same level they were in 2005," he said.

More houses

The ONS figures also show that first-time buyers have been amongst those hardest hit by house price rises.

While the price of houses sold to first-timers rose by 10.5% in the year to February, those sold to everyone else rose by 8.6%.

Housing charity Shelter said the only solution was to build more houses.

"We need to see the government commit to concrete plans that will close the ever-expanding gap between the homes we have, and the homes we need," said Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive.

"This is the only way to put the brakes on our rollercoaster housing market, and give a generation of priced-out young people and families the chance of a stable home," he added.

In his March budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for 15,000 new homes in Ebbsfleet in Kent.

He also extended part of the government's Help to Buy Scheme, which allows buyers to put down a deposit of just 5% on a new home.

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Whole House Air Purifiers: Do They Exist?

When shopping for an air purifier in your local department store, what do you tend to see? Many department stores only carry a limited selection of air purifiers. Many times these air purifiers are only designed to handle one or two rooms. Unfortunately, this leads many individuals to believe that there is no such thing as a whole house air purifier. The good news is that if you are looking for a whole house air purifier, you can have one because they do exist.

As previously mentioned, many department stores only carry a small selection of air purifiers. There are a number of different reasons why these air purifiers only tend to be air purifiers that are designed for small spaces, instead of the whole house. One of those reasons is because of limited floor space. In retail, retailers often try and place as many items inside their stores as they possibly can. Sometimes, larger items, especially items that may take up a large amount of space, are left out. The lack of space is why a large number of traditional department stores do not carry whole house air purifiers; however, it is important to note that some will.

If you are looking for a whole house air purifier, you are advised to check out your local home improvement store, especially if you would like to shop locally. Home improvement stores tend to have a focus on home improvement projects. Technically, improving the air inside your home, especially the whole house, can be considered a home improvement project. That is why a large number of home improvement stores carry a selection of air purifiers, including those that are designed for the whole house.

In addition to shopping at a local home improvement store, you should also be able to find whole house air purifiers online. In fact, if you are looking for the best prices or a larger selection of products, you may want to give online shopping some thought. With online shopping, you can easily compare prices, in a matter of minutes. When shopping online, you will want to search for the online websites of air purifier manufacturers, as well as the online websites of home improvement stores, home stores, or traditional department stores.

Although whole house air purifiers are ideal, especially if you want to clean up the air inside your whole house, you will often find that they are more expensive, when compared to most traditional air purifiers. In fact, whole house air purifiers can cost anywhere from three hundred dollars to a thousand dollars. Despite this high cost, you need to remember the cost of individual air purifiers. Depending on the number of rooms in your home, it is almost always cheaper to purchase a whole house air purifier instead of multiple air purifiers for each room. So, technically, in the long run, you may also be saving yourself money.

Whole house air purifiers work when they are attached to your home’s heating or cooling systems. Despite being attached to your heating or cooling systems, you may find that your whole house air purifier needs maintenance. This maintenance may include a replacement filter. Whether or not the air purifier of your choice needs replacement filters is extremely important. When purchasing an air purifier, especially one that needs to have its filters replaced, you need to examine the cost of those replacement filters. If they need to be changed on a regular basis or if the replacement filters are expensive, you may want to search for a cheaper alternative. It may take a little bit of work, but they are out there.

Should You Rent A House Or An Apartment?

Deciding whether to rent an apartment or a house can be a very difficult decision for some renters. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to each option. The renter should carefully consider these points when making his decision. Whether or not an apartment rental or a home rental is ideal for a particular renter will largely depend on his personal preference as well as his current needs in a living situation. For some renting an apartment is perfect while others find a home rental meets their needs best. This article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each situation to help readers make a more informed decision regarding the type of rental situation which may be beneficial to them.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Renting a House

There are many advantages to renting a house as opposed to an apartment. One of the primary advantages is this situation affords renters who would normally be unable to afford to purchase a house the opportunity to live in a house for a much more affordable price. Another advantage to renting a house is it may offer the renter many more options. Apartments are usually pretty standard in terms of size, number of bedrooms and number of bathrooms. Renters who have specific needs such as five bathrooms and three bedrooms may have a difficult time finding an apartment with these specifications but may find rental homes which offer these options.

Location is often another advantage associated with renting a house. Apartments are usually situated in more commercial areas while houses available for rent can usually be found in more residential areas. Many renters favor this situation because it makes their rental property feel more secluded. Many house rentals also include a backyard which is desirable for renters with children or pets.

One of the major disadvantages to renting a house, is there may not be a great deal of certainty regarding the amount of time the renter will be allowed to rent the house. While a contract may protect the rights of the renter for a certain period of time, there are no guarantees the homeowner will extend the contract beyond the existing terms. This means as the contract is due to expire; the renter may be given notice that the house would not be available for rent in the future. Conversely, this situation is rare in apartments and most renters are confident there will be the opportunity to renew their lease each time it expires.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Renting an Apartment

Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of renting an apartment is the amenities which are often available when renting an apartment in an apartment complex as opposed to renting a home or even renting an apartment in a private home. Amenities such as pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, saunas, meeting rooms and theaters are just a few of the amenities often offered when renting an apartment.

Affordability is another advantage to renting an apartment. Rent for an apartment is usually significantly lower than rent for a house. Although the apartment may be significantly smaller than the house, many renters find they are only able to afford these options.

A lack of privacy may be one of the most significant disadvantages to renting an apartment. Apartments are usually situated fairly closely together and most apartments usually share a common wall with one of their neighbors. Renters may find their neighbors end up knowing a great deal more about them than they had intended simply because the living situation makes it difficult to keep one’s life private.

Having to contend with noisy neighbors is another downfall to renting an apartment. As previously, mentioned apartments often share a common wall with a neighbor. As a result renters may run the risk of having noisy neighbors who listen to loud music or have boisterous friends visiting late at night.

VIDEO: House of Lords

Obesity is the worst epidemic to affect the UK for 100 years and the only solution is for people to eat less, a former surgeon has said.

Conservative peer Lord McColl of Dulwich said politicians refused to admit that the cause of obesity was over-eating and claimed ministers were "misleading" people by suggesting it could be tackled through exercise.

His comments came during a debate in the House of Lords on non-communicable diseases, on 6 October 2011.

Lord McColl said: "It's killing millions, it's costing billions and the cure is free - eat less."

He went on: "What a strange world it is. Half the world is dying of starvation, the other half is gorging itself to death."

Crossbench peer and former NHS chief executive Lord Crisp, who called the debate, warned of a worldwide "epidemic" of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and mental health problems.

He said the epidemic of what tended to be called "preventable diseases" was linked to diet, smoking, alcohol, lack of exercise, stress and social pressures.

Lord Crisp told peers it was a "growing problem" that "we are ill-equipped to deal with", calling for a a "massive focus on prevention" from politicians.

VIDEO: House of Commons

MPs are scrutinising the contents of the Finance Bill, which enacts measures announced in the March Budget, in a committee of the whole House.

Chancellor George Osborne revealed in his Budget statement that Britain's economy was expected to grow at a slower rate than previously forecast, but he said his policies would put "fuel in the tank" of the UK economy.

He announced a further cut in corporation tax, with plans to lower the rate to 23% over the next three years. This will be paid for by a rise in the bank levy.

Mr Osborne cut fuel duty by 1p per litre and scrapped Labour's fuel duty escalator - paid for by a £2bn windfall tax on oil companies.

The income tax threshold is to rise to £8,105 in April 2012 - part of the coalition's long-term commitment to increase the income level at which people start paying tax to £10,000.

Labour voted against the bill at second reading, saying the government's policies will "put jobs and growth at risk".

CHILDRENS DOLLS HOUSES CHEAP FURNITURE UK DOLL HOUSE KITS WONHAM ...

COSY DOLLS HOUSES 84 MORTIMER STREET HERNE BAY KENT THE SHOP IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS AFTER HOURS PLEASE CALL 01227 375099 DOLLS HOUSE HISTORY

Dolls houses and dolls house furnitue domestic articles and resident inhabitants were used ,(both people and animals), have been made for thousands of years. The earliest known dolls houses were found in the Egyptian Tombs of the Old Kingdom, created nearly five thousand years ago. These wooden models of servants, furnishings, boats, livestock and pets placed in the Pyramids almost certainly were made for religious purposes. The earliest known European dolls houses are from the Sixteenth Century. These baby or cabinet dolls houses showed idealized interiors complete with extremely detailed furnishings and accessories (mostly hand made).

The early European dolls houses were each unique, constructed on a custom basis by individual craftsmen. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, factories began mass producing toys, including dolls houses and miniatures suitable for furnishing them. German companies noted for their dolls houses included Christian Hacker, Moritz Gottschalk, Elastolin, and Moritz Reichel. The list of important English companies includes Siber & Fleming, Evans & Cartwright, and Lines Brothers (which became Tri-ang). By the end of the Nineteenth Century American dolls houses were being made in the United States by The Bliss Manufacturing Company.

Germany was the producer of the most prized dolls houses and doll house miniatures up until The Great War. Notable German miniature companies included Marklin, Rock and Garner and others. Their products were not only avidly collected in Central Europe, but regularly exported to Britain and North America. Germany's involvement in WWI seriously impeded both production and export. New manufacturers in other countries arose.

The Toy Furniture Shop of Providence, Rhode Island (The TynieToy Company) made authentic replicas of American antique houses and furniture in a uniform scale beginning in about 1917 [3]. Other American companies of the early Twentieth Century were Roger Williams Toys, Tootsietoy, Schoenhut, and the Wisconsin Toy Co. Dolls house dolls and miniatures were also produced in Japan, mostly by copying original German designs.

After WW II dolls houses became mass produced in factories on a much larger scale, and with less detailed craftsmanship, than ever before. By the 1950's the typical dollhouse sold commercially was painted sheet metal filled with plastic furniture. The cost of these dolls houses was low enough to allow the great majority of girls from the developed western countries that were not struggling with rebuilding after WWII to own a dolls house.

The baby houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the toy dollhouses of the nineteenth and early twentieth century rarely had uniform scales, even for the features or contents of any one individual house. Although a number of manufacturers made lines of miniature toy furniture in the Nineteenth Century, these products were not to a strict scale.

There have been several standard scales in dolls houses over the years. Children's toy houses during most of the 20th century were three quarter scale (where 1 foot is represented by 3/4 of an inch), also known as 1:18 (1" equals 18"). Popular brands included Lundby (Sweden) (established in 1947 and still going strong), Renwal, Plasco, Marx, Petite Princess, and T. Cohn (all American) and Caroline's Home, Barton, Dol-Toi and Triang (English). A few nominally 3/4-scale brands may run closer to 1:16 scale. With the exception of Lundby, 3/4-scale furniture was most often made from plastic. Houses were made from a variety of materials, including metal (tin litho), fibreboard, plastic, and wood.

In Germany during the middle part of the 20th century 1/10th scale became popular (based on a metric system where 10 inches is represented by 1 inch). Toylike houses coming out of Germany today remain closer in scale to 1:10 than to 1:12.

In the 1970s, the standard for adult collectors became 1/12th (also called 1" or one inch scale, represented in the U.S. as 1:12). There is also half inch scale or 1/24th (1 foot is represented by 1/2 an inch), quarter inch scale or 1/48th (1 foot is represented by 1/4 of an inch), and "dollhouse for a dollhouse" (1:144). Half-inch scale was popular in Marx dolls houses in the 1950s but only became widely available in "collector" houses after 2002, about the same time that even smaller scales became more popular. These smaller scales are much more common in the U.S. than in Britain.

And finally there is "Playscale" or 1/6th which is proportionate for Barbie and other similar dolls.

Contemporay kit and fully built dolls houses are typically made of plywood or medium density fibreboard. Tab-and-slot kits use a thinner plywood and are held together by a system of tabs and slots (plus glue). These dolls houses are usually light-weight and lower cost but often require siding, shingles, or other exterior treatments to look their best. Kits made from heavier plywood or MDF are held together with nails and glue. In the U.S., most houses have an open back and a fancy front facade, while British dolls houses are more likely to have a hinged front that opens to reveal the rooms. The great majority of contemporary dolls houses are built in one inch scale.

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