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   <title>On The Level</title>
   <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/</link>
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   <description>Bob Vila has long been a trusted expert in home renovations and upgrades. Our home improvement blog On the Level keeps you informed on the products and trends that we see in the field. At On the Level, staff from BobVila.com post their views on what's new and newsworthy in home gadgets, tools, and trends.</description>
   <language>en-us</language>
   <pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:03:31 GMT</pubDate>
   <lastBuildDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:03:31 GMT</lastBuildDate>
   <copyright>Copyright BobVila.com 2006</copyright>
   <ttl>5</ttl>

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      <item>
    <title>Two New Great Causes Help Military Families and the Hungry</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Two-New-Great-Causes-Help-Military-Families-and-the-Hungry-4191.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Two-New-Great-Causes-Help-Military-Families-and-the-Hungry-4191.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[We just want to applaud Sears Holding for launching its "Heroes at Home" Wish Registry, a program that gives support to military service members, veterans and family members. Sears customers can use the Heroes at Home website to make donations and buy gift cards for the more than 20,000 registered servicemen and women, military family members and veterans. Donations can also be made at Sears Hometown Stores retail locations across the country. Donation methods include converting Citi Reward ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Two-New-Great-Causes-Help-Military-Families-and-the-Hungry-4191.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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      <item>
    <title>Innovative Insulation Targets Termites, Trash and Tax Credit</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Innovative-Insulation-Targets-Termites-Trash-and-Tax-Credit-4192.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Innovative-Insulation-Targets-Termites-Trash-and-Tax-Credit-4192.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[The new R-Plus Insulation from Terminix is like the kid in high school who did everything well. As most plodded along pulling B's and girls' braids, this Renaissance Man hit home runs for the baseball team, played drums for the popular high school rock band and wrote brilliant plays in rhyming iambic pentameter. So does Terminix's new insulation relegate all others to the realm of mediocrity. What, your insulation only keeps out the cold? Boooooring.     

Here's a bulleted list of what ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Innovative-Insulation-Targets-Termites-Trash-and-Tax-Credit-4192.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Chicken Coop Caveat</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Chicken-Coop-Caveat-4193.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Chicken-Coop-Caveat-4193.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Although we at BobVila.com are probably more likely to encourage homeowners to build and maintain their own chicken coop, I felt a sense of obligation to share with the world the potential pitfalls of such an endeavor.     

This persuasive piece by a New York Times writer may give some folk second thoughts about raising chickens in their own backyard. It turns out there's a little more to it besides tossing some feed around every now and then and finding new ways to incorporate the dozens ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Chicken-Coop-Caveat-4193.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Who is the Biggest Tool....</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-is-the-Biggest-Tool--4194.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-is-the-Biggest-Tool--4194.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Looks like the little fish just ate the shark. 

In a deal announced today, Stanley Works is buying Black &amp; Decker for $4.5 billion. And Stanley Works CEO, John Lundgren is being named CEO of the combined company. According to the companies, the deal views the housing market in a comeback stage and the DIY and construction markets in a lagging position. 
The merge is good news for the folks at Stanley's headquarters in New Britain, Connecticut where the combined company will be based, ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Greg)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-is-the-Biggest-Tool--4194.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:52:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Window Blinds and Shades Recalled!</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Window-Blinds-and-Shades-Recalled--4187.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Window-Blinds-and-Shades-Recalled--4187.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Home products are not usually at the center of conspiracy theories. I, however,  cannot help but connect the dots on what is fast becoming the picture of a widespread plan to reduce our population by proliferating hazardous window blinds and shades into households across America.    

This week, not one, not two, but three US Consumer Product Safety Commission product recalls saw hundreds of thousands of blinds and shades recalled due to high risk (and a few incidents) of strangulation and ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Window-Blinds-and-Shades-Recalled--4187.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>New Website Fights Loan Scams</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-Website-Fights-Loan-Scams-4186.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-Website-Fights-Loan-Scams-4186.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[It's a sad reality that a great number of Americans facing foreclosure become victims of scam artists. As part of a nationwide "Loan Modification Scam Alert" campaign that involved a number of cities across the country, a new website called LoanScamAlert.org has been launched by NeighborWorks America® to help in the fight against these depraved predators. Distressed homeowners who feel they are being preyed upon by scam artists can make a report through the website or by calling ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-Website-Fights-Loan-Scams-4186.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Cool Window Treatments Turn Up The Heat</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Cool-Window-Treatments-Turn-Up-The-Heat-4180.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Cool-Window-Treatments-Turn-Up-The-Heat-4180.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Most window blinds are used to keep the sun -- and heat -- out of the home. These SolarChoice blinds do the exact opposite -- they increase the heat in the home. The "Heaters", as they are called, are winter window treatments that purportedly reduce heating costs up to 35%. How does it work? Each plastic vane has a hollow channel running its length. Cold air enters the channel at the bottom of the blind, warms up through passive solar heating, and exits out the top of the vane -- at ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Cool-Window-Treatments-Turn-Up-The-Heat-4180.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Recall on Halloween Flashlights </title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Recall-on-Halloween-Flashlights--4188.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Recall-on-Halloween-Flashlights--4188.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Be safe this Halloween by carrying a flashlight.
But not by carrying one of these from Target.
The firm has received eight reports of flashlights overheating and melting, including one report of burns to the hand.

This recall involves two types of Halloween-themed flashlights: the mini flashlights and flashlights sold with stencils. 

Mini Flashlights: The mini flashlights have a key ring extending from the bottom and were sold in a pack of three colors: orange, green and black. The ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Greg)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Recall-on-Halloween-Flashlights--4188.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>New York City's Green Heat Hooligans</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-York-City-s-Green-Heat-Hooligans-4179.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-York-City-s-Green-Heat-Hooligans-4179.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[When dealing with a carbon footprint as large as the Big Apple's, replacing residential conventional heating oil with biofuel to reduce the city's emissions seems like bailing out the Titanic with a Dixie Cup.     

Still, that's what Brooklyn-based Boro Fuel is doing, by introducing BioGreen®, an alternative heating fuel for residences. Available on the market November 1, BioGreen® is a blend of traditional heating oil and 10% soybean oil. With only traces of sulfur, the green fuel's ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/New-York-City-s-Green-Heat-Hooligans-4179.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Make Your Home Safe for Trick-or-Treaters</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Make-Your-Home-Safe-for-Trick-or-Treaters-3647.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Make-Your-Home-Safe-for-Trick-or-Treaters-3647.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[With Halloween around the corner, make sure your home is prepared and safe for the coming wave of trick-or-treaters. According to premises liability expert attorney Jeffrey Kroll, homeowners should be wary of these points:    Entrance ways should be clear and lighted. Homeowners should not use candles. The open flame is a significant fire hazard.  Pets should be kept away even if they are normally friendly animals. Dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury, according to the ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Dave)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Make-Your-Home-Safe-for-Trick-or-Treaters-3647.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>A Hammock Fit for Peter Parker</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-Hammock-Fit-for-Peter-Parker-4178.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-Hammock-Fit-for-Peter-Parker-4178.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Don't be alarmed. Those humanoid figures are not, in fact, caught in the massive web of the Spider Queen. This behemoth -- while resembling a cross between a trampoline and a fishing net -- is in fact a hammock-like structure that was featured at this year's International Garden Festival at Jardins de Metis/Redford Gardens in Quebec. The smiling faces occupying its triangular sections are enjoying a little R&amp;R while hovering over the aromatic flora planted in the garden just below. ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-Hammock-Fit-for-Peter-Parker-4178.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>A New Online Spot for Cheap Building Materials</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-New-Online-Spot-for-Cheap-Building-Materials-4177.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-New-Online-Spot-for-Cheap-Building-Materials-4177.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[We've all searched Craigslist and Freecycle for roofing, flooring and other home renovation scraps. Sometimes we hit the jackpot and sometimes we get sidetracked and buy a new TV instead. Whoops. So we were really psyched to hear about Diggerslist.com, dedicated to buying and selling excess from construction sites.

Recently launched in 15 top metropolitan areas, DiggersList allows big construction companies to sell their unused building materials online at discounted prices. Flooring, ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/A-New-Online-Spot-for-Cheap-Building-Materials-4177.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Who Is Ready for the Smart Grid?</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-Is-Ready-for-the-Smart-Grid--4175.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-Is-Ready-for-the-Smart-Grid--4175.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[It doesn't get as much news coverage as health care, war in the Middle East, or little boys flying off in their parents' homemade UFO, but the Smart Grid is a topic worthy of our nation's attention.     

The Smart Grid plans for spreading alternative clean energy (wind, solar) from places where it is produced to places where it is consumed. It will also increase the security and reliability of the nation's energy resources.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) says ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Who-Is-Ready-for-the-Smart-Grid--4175.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>The Anatomy of a Paintbrush</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/The-Anatomy-of-a-Paintbrush-4174.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/The-Anatomy-of-a-Paintbrush-4174.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[Think all paint brushes are created equal? Think again.     Purdy -- manufacturers of painting tools -- has just launched a new site called Paintrelief.com, which features educational videos that demonstrate the importance of a good paint brush.     

The site shows visitors how using a quality paint brush can help you achieve better and faster results, and how a durable paintbrush will actually save you money -- and the environment. The videos are cute and obviously intended to sell Purdy ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/The-Anatomy-of-a-Paintbrush-4174.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
   </item>
      <item>
    <title>Halloween Season: The Bane of the Drain</title>
    <link>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Halloween-Season-The-Bane-of-the-Drain-4173.html</link>
    <guid>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Halloween-Season-The-Bane-of-the-Drain-4173.html</guid>
    <description>
     <![CDATA[There's only one thing scarier than a "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie marathon, and that's a clogged drain. Yep, Hitchcock's got nothing on backed-up plumbing.    

This is a busy time of the year for the folks at Roto-Rooter, according to their latest newsletter. Why? Because amidst the excitement of carving up the pumpkins and positioning the ghoulish gourds on the front steps for all to see, few people actually stop and think, "Wait, maybe putting these pumpkin guts down the sink isn't ...]]>
    </description>
    <author>blogs@bobvila.com (Ben)</author>
	 <comments>http://www.bobvila.com/OnTheLevel/Halloween-Season-The-Bane-of-the-Drain-4173.html</comments>
    <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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