Political Sherpa

Whoever was it that said kitchen ceiling light fixtures are boring has been looking at the wrong websites and magazines. He is probably remembering the old common ceiling lights. In earlier times these were nothing more than a single incandescent bulb hanging from an electric wire with a pull-down string for a switch, or perhaps a flush-mounted florescent with only a thin sheet of metal for a frame and a ballast to keep it lighted.

Times have changed. Today, designers of lights and lamps have created a myriad of attractive and appealing styles. These could be island lights where a pole suspended from the ceiling is attached to a horizontal bar which supports several cased lights, the case, or course, coming in a variety of designs. There are also pendant lights where a single powerful bulb is concealed by an inverted dome of frosted glass serving both as a light diffuser and décor. The list is endless.

The use of brushed stainless steel, bronze, nickel, and wood in combination with clear, frosted, etched, or colored glass of all shades and shapes to encase the light bulbs has given elegance to ceiling lamps. Some even use faux leather to shade the bulb, and which could be hand-painted for a truly unique look.

These new designs have given life and color to the old drab and dreary ceiling lights. They definitely can add all the class you want in your kitchen.

Laura is an avid fan of fishes. She is very interested in all kinds of fishes that she has a number of aquariums at home. Her fondness in different kinds of fish has now grown not only in aquariums but as well as in ponds. Last month, she asked her dad to make a Koi garden pond outside their house as a graduation gift to her. At first she thought having a Koi pond is as easy as digging a hole, adding water and putting the fish. But then, there are more things you have to consider when building a Koi garden pond.

First they have to deal with the size and depth of the aquarium. She has to consider how big she wanted her Koi pond to be. Another factor is the aerator and other equipment that will be used for the fishes. Aside from that the aesthetics is also very important. She even hired a landscape architect to help her with the arrangement of the plants in her garden. She even opted to put waterfalls in the garden that is connected to the pond. About a week ago, she held a Koi Pond Party where she showcased her new pond. I was amazed at how beautiful it was that I told myself I would want one for my house in the future. She told me about a site that deals with Koi Garden Pond and suggested that I visit it because it helped her a lot in the process of making her own Koi pond.