My Jeff Gordon Moment

I woke up early this morning because the cable guy was supposed to come between 7-10am and whisk my digital cable box away. I looked out my window and:

Why is there snow on my car?!?!?

Ok, ok. I am a meteorologist (ha ha) so I should know these things – but why is there snow on my car?!?!?

I thought I was up early but the sun beat me.

After the cable guy came almost right at 7, I thought I would go to the Dutch farmer’s market. Yay for Lancaster county yummy things close by. And then I remembered I’d have to clear my car off when I had been content to stay in and let the sun take care of the snow later today.

Rule #1 for the market: Get there before 10am if you want to keep your sanity AND have a parking spot.

I wasted 20 min talking myself into going and once I was there I barely bought anything. Figures.

My greatest discovery of the day belonged to McDonalds. It is Shamrock Shake season.

I have been grumpus all week, but here is the scratch I discovered Thursday on the hood of my car that pushed me into Grumpus Rex territory.

So what does any of this have to do with Jeff Gordon?

On Monday the person I chose as my backup came to me with an idea on how he wanted to handle something in our code. My first look at it I didn’t quite get what he was trying to do. It looked like something that had been suggested before and wasn’t going to work. I sent an email saying so.

He came over and showed me what he meant – and OMG if it works it could be cool. It isn’t something I would have done.

And in that moment I felt like Jeff Gordon out done by Jimmie Johnson.

A very excited Jeff Gordon. lol

In iphone news, I have switched to using NewsRack over the free version of FeedPot for RSS on my phone because it has more features. Instapaper is one.

I am also playing around with Documents 2 Go Premium and for simple editing it is fine.

It is bedtime for me. I am trying to become a morning person. Hahahahaha

[Via http://katsuteyume.wordpress.com]

Metra 1000W 8 Gauge Amp Installation Kit

Metra 1000W 8 Gauge Amp Installation Kit

Overview:

Fifty Years now, Metra has sustained its forefront by standing at attention to its marketplace and ideas of merchandise to fit the needs of its clients. Metra designs its products to be easy to use and easy on the eyes.This product is a 1000 watt installation kit.

Product Features and Highlights:

25 feet 16GA Speaker Wire

17 feet Neon Blue Series RCA Cable

17 feet 18GA Blue Turn-On Wire

17 feet 8GA Clear Blue Power Cable

3 feet 8GA Clear Silver Ground Cable

1 AGU Fuse Holder with 40AMP Fuse

Includes All Necessary Hardware for Installation

[Via http://bcspeakers.wordpress.com]

This is real life, Not flat out

 

So yesterday it was 7:30 AM and I was on my way to college. It was snowy but not really snowy but snowy enough for roads to be snowy…Yes I just said snowy four times in a sentence and I am going to college…..Shut up you hypocrites at least I am getting an edmutkation!

ANYYYYYYYYYYYYWAYS…..

I was on the road and I felt my back tires give out from behind and ended up in someone’s yard.

I am fine, but right after this happened I took a sip of my coffee (because it is freaking 7:30 in the morning.)

The judges gave me a 8.5 for missing the street sign at the top, they took off points though for not sticking the landing….stupid Russian judges!

The rest of the story is pretty long and I am not feeling like giving you details so I plan on summing it up.

Tow truck comes, cops come, they say hey your in a yard, cop stops traffic, tow truck starts pulling me out, cop and tow truck man get left and right confused, they get me out, I dance in my head. The end.

The moral of the story is do not go off roading in a ford escort.

[Via http://steppinoneggshells.info]

Car Donation Sacramento - Hydrogen Fuel Car - Did You Know You Can Convert Your Car Into a Hydrogen Fuel Car That Burns Water?

Hydrogen ammunition cars fix this by autumn the activity as Hydrogen and use a Ammunition Cell to catechumen hydrogen to electricity as the car is running. Unfortunately this car is alone charwoman up a baby percent of its own blend with this Clean the air device as the electricity acclimated to breach afar the hydrogen atom is generated from coal. Hydrogen ammunition cars and ammunition beef are generally answer as actuality potentially emission-free if they bake hydrogen in adverse to currently added accepted fuels such as methane or accustomed gas that accomplish carbon dioxide. However as mentioned aloft hydrogen is an car donation sacramento activity carrier not an activity source. Hydrogen cars represent an ambiguous technology. Hybrid Car Donation Sacramento cars with continued ambit batteries represent a accurate technology.

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Hydrogen cartage Car Donation Sacramento don’t adulterate at all – apple-pie baptize aerosol are all they leave behind. There’s beneath abrasion and breach on the vehicle. Hydrogen although a applicable option is an another because the big companies can accumulation from them.

Therefore ambience up a hydrogen ammunition cars is not as adamantine as it may seems. The abstracts are bargain and the agent can Car Donation Sacramento be installed manually by the buyer in bisected a day. car donation sacramento You car will be afflicted into a baptize ammunition car area you’ll be able of extenuative s of dollars on ammunition every month. Just brainstorm that

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GENERAL CAR CARE TIPS

GENERAL CAR CARE TIPS

• Keep your car tires inflated and in correct pressure.
• You don’t carry unneeded weight in your vehicle for safety purpose.
• Drive very carefully and accelerate your car smoothly.
• Avoid from stop and go driving and your tires and wheels in proper alignment.
• Before driving a car you must check your car condition.
• The most critical system of your car is your car’s brake system. So deal it very carefully this system.
• Before starting a long drive trip you must check your car belts.
• Must check your car battery after some time and should go for its regular maintenance.
• Another most important part of your car is your vehicle body so must protect it.
• Maintain your car continuously.
• Your car needs a special attention for looking like new.
• You must check your car wiper fluid level, check your engine oil level and also check your car radiator water level.
• Check your car transmission fluid and its air filter regularly.
• Check the overall position of your tire.
• Check out all of the lights of your car and also check any other your car damage.
• The best month for purchasing a car is November.
• Drive very carefully for avoiding any damage or accident.
• For regular maintenance of your car you can save your money.
• By installing a system in your car it can be a great deal like stereo system.
• During drive must wear a belt for safety purpose.
• Paint is so important for your car. Paint gives a new look and also gives a protection your car.
• Must keep your engine serviced and tuned.
• You must avoid from constant and speedy drive.
• Check your car belts and hoses.
• Must replace your car filters.
• Change your car engine oil and also replace your car engine oil filters after some times. Replace your car plugs and air clearance elements.
• Check your car valves.
• Replace your car transmission fluid, brake fluid, and air conditioning filters.

[Via http://tipsforcarcare.wordpress.com]

Chevrolet Cruze now with Automatic Triptronic transmission

Chevi Cruze

General Motors India today launched the Chevrolet Cruze AT in Bangalore. The 6 Speed Automatic Transmission will be offered on the LTZ variant which also comes with a host of features like PEPS, Push Button Start, Cruise Control, Smart Screen and Electric Sunroof to name a few. The Automatic variant will also be available in a special 3 coat paint called White Diamond in addition to the six colors already on offer. The Cruze AT is priced at Rs 13.45 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi).

The Chevrolet Cruze AT also has a triptronic mode which enables a sportier drive for the customer. Other highlights of this six-speed automatic transmission include Clutch-to-clutch shift operation for added precision and smoother shifts between gears. Also, it has a wide spread ratio with the first gear designed for a very high ratio to provide brisk acceleration from the top while the sixth gear has an overdrive ratio to keep the engine revolutions as low as possible for highway cruising and improved fuel economy. One of the key benefits of this model is that it uses premium fluids in the transmission that does not need replacement during normal use.

[Via http://gratiscarconnect.wordpress.com]

Open a case collectively

Dear members and victims of the One Rent A Car scam. We urge to join and get our rights collectively. We will arrange the lawyer and open the case for all of us. We managed to get details of Sponsor & Manager and submit all documents to the lawyer.

We need the following details of the victims:

1. Name or Company Name

2. Amount scammed

3. Email address or phone number to contact and update you

Kindly submit your details to our email: onerentacarscam@gmail.com

You may also invite others of which you know to our BLOG or Facebook Group:

http://onerentacarscam.wordpress.com/

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE IT !

[Via http://onerentacarscam.wordpress.com]

Post# 115

23-02-2010

Today Kaitlin and I did go to tafe in the morning but came home early due to the heat and lack of air conditioner in the class room

So when we got home and realized our parents were still not home we decided to go a bit nuts

Cue the music channels and Elise and Kaitlin singing (very loudly) along to Tik Tok by Ke$ha

THEN

We were singing along to a parody of Tik Tok which was more fun

Plus it was back onto the Lady Gaga fun – I swear we are the funniest people!

Finally the parents arrived home from their holiday at around one this arvo so we were sent to my grandmothers to pick up my dads work clothes she took with her to iron

Got almost all the way there when my car decided to just not work and the steering wheel wouldnt work

So I managed to pull over and hit the hazard lights before calling the NRMA and my parents (because I had no money with me lol)

So $25 later and my car is fixed for now but is need of a service so bad LOL

Then it was back home we went – blasting Wizard Rock out the windows the entire way home and singing along being complete NOOBS lol

I suppose that is all

Until next time

You know you love me xoxo

Elise

[Via http://gossipelise.wordpress.com]

Top Car Games Top Speed

Times have changed and so is the financial market. Nowadays one can get car games top speed loans after bankruptcy too. This is also called car games top speed loan bankruptcy. It is wrong to think that bankruptcy means end to the prospects of availing any financial loan. On the contrary, bankruptcy means you are starting your financial life, all afresh from zero.

The prices of brand-new car games top speed is still excessive, is not ideal to get a new one once you drive away by car games top speed dealers started depreciating value.Because in this case, it would be wise to buy used car games top speeds car games top speed auctions, such as a completely new one.If Automobile car games top speed from a used car games top speed auction from a variety of ways.

Some of the factors that influence bad credit car games top speed loan are as follows.

Why? Since these machines can cause a large amount of damage-sized SUV and a sports car games top speed with extreme speed.So stay away from the big and fast car games top speeds.

One item that you can check yourself is your tires. Make sure that there is an adequate amount of tread on all tires including the spare. One eighth of an inch tread depth is the absolute minimum that you should be driving around on. Ensure that you have snow chains if you are driving in snow covered areas. Also ensure that you know how to fit them correctly. In the summer months it is a good idea to practice fitting the chains so that you are fully aware of the procedure. Other family members that are possible drivers should also be fully aware of how to use the chains.

Explore more about Car Games Top Speed Sites:

Cars games top speed

On the surface, there are significant savings to be made, especially now that you can easily compare car games top speed insurance providers in most of its nearest competitor.Only buying direct car games top speed insurance online, guaranteed savings when comparing the causes of the high street in the insurance, but what you were looking for.

There is a difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars to auction cheap used car games top speed instead? Of course, the eyes auction program, which is a preliminary investigation going by car games top speed, paying for a professional evaluation and auction registration, and getting all the formalities done once the car games top speed is purchased time, effort and some minimal investment.This is not as difficult as it seems.

If you find that the supplier has a large number of complaints against him, might be better just look for other suppliers.? Are there hidden costs? short-term insurance Cheap car games top speed is fine, but always car games top speedefully hidden costs that the company might charge.Look at the tax structure of each policy.There may be additional charges incorporated in your policy.

However, if you want to go with the absolute car games top speed GPS and are willing to spend more to get it, consider the Navigon 7200t. This unit has all the features you could ever want and then some, but it comes with a pretty high price tag as well. The two main features that make the Navigon 7200t stand out are its state of the art voice recognition system that understands your spoken commands, and its lifetime subscription to live traffic update service. While most devices that offer live traffic updates sell for much less, that is because you must pay a monthly subscription fee to receive the updates. Be car games top speedeful before you buy and make sure you know exactly what you’re getting and what is included. Now back to the voice recognition software. The voice recognition software on this unit is excellent. Once it gets used to your voice, it works terrifically. It continually learns your voice better and better as times goes, as well getting used to the background voice. Within a week or so, it will be able to understand your voice perfectly.

You should know the right questions to ask and see how things could be an indicator of a car games top speed with history.Unfortunately, only a machine check is not always sufficient, although the more experienced pilot can fool to think they are buying a legitimate car games top speed.The only sure way to confirm if there is something suspicious about a car games top speed is if you make a vehicle registration check.A car games top speed reg check can provide all the information you need to make an informed decision about a car games top speed that you want to buy.

In any case, be smart, to bid for a vehicle to get most of your purchase your dream car games top speed.To help realize our hidden desires and wishes long ones, Race car games top speed Driving School there.Danger and immense pleasure, juxtaposed together, make driving race car games top speeds.

[Via http://thecarsgamestopspeed.wordpress.com]

Bulgaria Car hire

Our priorities by Bulgaria Car Hire

1. Competitive prices and a guaranteed quality of servicing. Correct treatment of our clients.

2. The vehicles of Bulgaria car hire web site are a brand-new purchase and are fully serviced. The vehicles to rent are subject to regular technical inspection, which is a guarantee of their absolute safety and excellent technical working condition.

3. The vehicles are equipped according to the Bulgarian legislation and standards and according to all the Traffic Control Authorities requirements. Te vehicles are paid all the insurance and tax fees and dispose of vignette stickers.

4. Irreproachable hygiene in the vehicles offered for rent.

5. Upon your request, vehicles may be procurable to precise locations, and the client has not the visit the offices of the company.

[Via http://rentalcarbulgaria.wordpress.com]

An Introduction

What better way to keep abreast with changing Technology than blogging about it! That thought is what brought life to this blog TechnoTreats – A joint to update and upgrade with recent happenings in the Tech world.

In my first blog lets discuss the Garmin nuvi 765T series – Car Navigation System , since that is one i have in my possession.

Getting on the wrong route can be quite frustrating especially when you are a hurry to reach your destination. With the Garmins In- Car GPS navigator now, you can drive with no fear of getting lost again.

The Garmin nuvi 765T  is a wide screen premium quality In-Car GPS Navigator having Dimensions (WxHxD)  4.8″x3″ x.8″   which allows it fit comforably in your bag or pocket.It has an anti glare screen to allow for screen visibility in sunlight and also prevent excessive fingerprinting.The Navigator provides Turn-by-turn assist on road navigation by text to voice ,prompting street locations and road names along the path.  Its  stereo Bluetooth and enhanced phonebook and MP3 support,  allows to  make and accept hands-free phone calls through the sat-nav screen and listen to navigation, calls and MP3s broadcast through your car stereo.

Cutting Edge features like Lane Assist, 3D City View and landmarks, smart traffic avoidance, speed limit indicator,GPS HotFix technology and photo navigation promote it a premium quality product.

Other features include Touch screen, Auto re-route, choice of route, FM transmitter, “Where am I?” and Garmin Locate ,Add Points of Interest,World travel clock,currency & unit converter, calculator to name a few.

The product comes with detailed maps for UK and Europe . Indian Customers can acquire India’s best known maps from MapmyIndia. The company is known to provide turn-by-turn street level driving directions in 620 cities across India. Coverage over national, state and district highways, and offers around 2 million unique destinations to search and navigate to

[Via http://technotreats.wordpress.com]

diesel powered

Picked up a 2010 Golf TDI yesterday, and i’m glad i did because they’re incredibly hard to come by at the moment. Still breaking in the engine, loading up the HDD with tunes, and getting the hang of all the gizmos; it’s a fun ride already though.

The turbo charged diesel engine is a hoot. Combine that with paddle shifters and tiptronic and you’re in for a sweet ride. The 50-60 MPG ain’t too shabby either, that’ll beat all the hybrids on the current market if i recall.

Plans for the TDI:

smoke/tint side markers

blue LED (or tint) for the rear plate light

custom front and/or rear badge (thinking either classic VW blue and white or glossy black)

nothing too crazy, i’m not a crazy honda-driving teenager, nor am i made of money. The above are quite cheap and will give me just a big enough sense of individuality on the road, not to mention i’ll feel better driving in it with a more polished look.

[Via http://archetypaul.wordpress.com]

Just Left Of Lost

    

     You know how some people just have an inherently good sense of direction?  And you know how other people get lost four doors down from their own freaking house on their own freaking street?  Well I happen to fall into the latter category.  I swear I could fall off course even if I had a whole fleet of crossing guards pointing me in the right direction with huge neon flashing arrows.  And even with the GPS system in my car, I often end up driving in circles. Call it one of my many flaws, but I truly suck ass at navigation.

     So you can probably understand then why I had an extremely strong desire a couple of days ago to call up the jackass of a genius who decided to put the nearest Pump It Up in the middle of freaking nowhere.  (If you’re not familiar with Pump It Up, it’s basically an inflatable version of HELL where kids hold birthday parties.)  Even though I’ve been to the damn place fifteen thousand times, I can never ever remember how to get there.  And it doesn’t help that the stupid address apparently doesn’t even exist on my car’s GPS.  I guess it doesn’t recognize BFE locations.  Somehow, though, by the grace of God, I was able to deliver my son to his friend’s birthday party Tuesday afternoon on time and without any unwanted detours.  However, when it was time to pick him up from the party, it was a whole different story.

     My daughter and I decided to run over to Target while the party was going on, so I made sure that I paid very close attention to exactly how I got from Pump It Up to Target.  It’s a very industrial area so I looked at landmarks, I looked at street signs, and I was certain that I’d be able to retrace my route without any problem.  Boy was I ever wrong.  Every building looked the exact same, and I’m convinced that some little shit switched all the street signs on me.  I ended up on the road to nowhere, putting me a good fifteen minutes late to pick up my son and one of his friends.  In a panic, I called 411 Info on my phone hoping to be immediately connected to Pump It Up.  As I waited for the transfer, I could just picture my little guy and his friend standing there all by themselves gasping for air in that cesspool of germs.  

     When I was finally connected to Pump It Up, I was then subjected to the world’s longest automated system.  I kept pressing “0” to speak to an actual human being, only to be taken all the way back to the beginning of the damn system.  I wanted to scream at the bitchhole on the recording who kept telling me over and over about all the fun I could have by planning my next party at their facility.  Did she not give a shit that my son was drowning in a sea of bacteria?  After three attempts at trying to get a person on the line, I figured out that I actually had to press “9” instead of “0” — seriously, WTF?! Everybody knows that “0” means “operator.”  I quickly explained to the receptionist that I was running late since their building was IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, and when I eventually got there, my son and his friend were sure enough the last guests to leave.  I apologized up and down and all around to the mom of the birthday boy and whisked the boys into the fresh, clean air as quickly as possible.

     I absolutely dread the next time I see a Pump It Up party invitation in the mail, and, in fact, I may just accidentally throw the flipping thing away.  I am not a big fan of driving around aimlessly and getting absolutely nowhere.  So, in the future, if you want to give me directions to your next shindig, you might just want to attach a personal escort who can walk right next to my car and talk me through the whole thing.  Otherwise, you can bet your ass that I’ll be more than just casually late.

[Via http://mama2point0.wordpress.com]

How can I Find Very Bad Credit Car Loans?

These days it seriously isn’t unusual for several people to struggle with bad credit. Everywhere we glimpse we see additional and much more doom and gloom that would make you believe that there might be no way out of one’s bad credit predicament. Then on top of all of that your ride just up and dies and your left looking for a new car and really don’t know when you will find the money. If this sounds familiar you aren’t alone. Several individuals discover themselves struggling to look for a car loan that fits in with their bad credit rating.

The great news is you can find areas that you simply can come across very bad credit car loans much easier than you may think. The trouble that a lot of people run into is they only glimpse inside standard destinations for their car loans and with the current lending circumstances you might be practically assured not to be capable of secure financing from there.

Another main error that car buyers with bad credit make once they attempt to discover credit is utilizing the acquire here spend the following dealers. Even though you’re virtually guaranteed to have financed in these places you might be serving your self up for any beating. These spots are known for charging double for that car they market you and charging you an interest rate that you just possibly could beat with your nearby loan shark. This must be a last resort if you’re inside the industry for any utilized vehicle.

The following choice which in theory is a most effective but the most unrealistic is just to spend cash for any car. This no doubt is your finest selection, but then once more you wouldn’t be reading this should you had the cash to go out and buy what you want!

Now towards the very good portion, there is an choice to suit your needs if you may have tried and failed to discover very bad credit car loans. I have found a support that may match you with lenders which can be dying to lend funds to even the worst credit histories around. Even though I could not ensure that you simply will receive the loan that you would like, I can tell you with this provider you’ll stand as beneficial of your possibility as you ever have to have the cash that you simply should place you inside ride that you simply happen to be drooling more than.

So I know that you are all set to discover out about this excellent resource which you happen to be missing so far. Nicely in this article it really is. All you may have to complete is click this link to acquire the ball rolling to your very bad credit car loans. So what are you waiting for? Find your next car loan here!

I Find Very Bad Credit Car Loans?

[Via http://verybadcreditcarloans14.wordpress.com]

What Have Alfa....

been smoking?

From the front, there’s no doubt that this looks awesome. However, from other angles…. It’s the 2017 Alfa Romeo Executive Fastback Saloon concept. Indeed. Jacob McMurry – American designer – whipped this bad boy up inspired by Carnival of Venice (as in the city of boats) – which I can kind of see in the  roof line and colour. While it’s unlikely to make production, especially not in this shape, I won’t be heading down to my neareast Alfa Romeo dealer anytime soon for this. Then again, who knows what the other cars will look like in seven years…

[Via http://ontheautomotive.wordpress.com]

The Product Life Cycle

Customer demands are constantly changing. There are many reasons for this, ranging from fashions to new regulations. Sometimes there are obvious patterns to demand. Another pattern comes from the product’s life cycle. Demand for just about every product follows a life cycle with five stages:

1. Introduction. A new product appears and demand is low while people learn about it, try it and see if they like it—for example, palmtop computers and automated checkouts at supermarkets.
2. Growth. New customers buy the product and demand rises quickly—for example, telephone banking and mobile phones.
3. Maturity. Demand stabilizes when most people know about the product and are buying it in steady numbers—for example, color television sets and insurance.
4. Decline. Sales fall as customers start buying new, alternative products—for example, tobacco and milk deliveries.
5. Withdrawal. Demand declines to the point where it is no longer worth making the product—for example, black and white television sets and telegrams.

The length of the life cycle varies quite widely. Each edition of The Guardian completes its life cycle in a few hours; clothing fashions last months or even weeks; the life cycle of washing machines is several years; some basic commodities like Nescafe has stayed in the mature stage for decades.

Unfortunately, there are no reliable guidelines for the length of a cycle. Some products have an unexpectedly short life and disappear very quickly. Some products, like full cream milk stayed at the mature stage for years and then started to decline. Even similar products can have different life cycles – with Ford replacing small car models after 12 years and Honda replacing them after seven years. Some products appear to decline and then grow again—such as passenger train services which grew by 7 per cent in 1998 and cinemas where attendances fell from 1.64 billion in 1964 to 54 million in 1984, and then rose to 140 million in 1997.

One thing we can say is that product life cycles are generally getting shorter. Alvin Toffler says, ‘Fast-shifting preferences, flowing out of and interacting with high-speed technological change, not only lead to frequent changes in the popularity of products and brands, but also shorten the life-cycle of products.’

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

[Via http://asifjmir.wordpress.com]

Red = Go!

A hot breeze blows through the open windows, a pop song blares through the speakers, and just as you relax, a car swerves in front of you to make a last-minute turn. Wa la yahimak/No worries, your driver says, everything is under control. Everyone knows that Arabs are fantastic drivers –the best– or so they all think. If you are fortunate enough to be in the passenger’s seat with your fellow Arab behind the wheel, say a prayer under your breath, don’t hold on too tightly to your seat (that’s rude), enjoy the view, and keep in mind the following “cultural” curiosities to put you at ease.*

1. After Arabs have lived in America for too long and have gotten used to boring American traditions like staying in lane, using turn signals, and automatically clicking the seat belt, they realize they can no longer drive in the homeland. That’s sad because it can be great fun, if you embrace this simple concept: Arabs drive like they walk, no waiting, no rules, and no logic. Driving in the Middle East is based on a fundamental concept called tahsh, which is a hybrid of both push and shove. It is used to squeeze as many bodies or automobiles into a space as possible. Why? To move faster. Remember, no logic.

2. The soundtrack of the streets in Arabland: a symphony of horns. Honking is an added defense mechanism against: pedestrians jumping in front of cars, trying to cross a 4-lane street against the light; cars that decide to change lanes at the last possible second without using side-view mirrors; parked trucks that suddenly go into reverse without looking in rear-view mirrors. If you are a young woman driving in the Middle East, invest in an extra horn. When needed, flip a switch and your normal horn turns into one that belongs on a semi, really loud and really scary. Use sparingly, in extreme situations to advert an accident with someone who isn’t paying attention or when a taxi is just driving too slow and bugging you.

Social-honking is a charming way to let your friend know that you are outside, ready to pick them up. Everyone has a personal melody, a sound signature, like the favored da da da daaaaa da da. Using three short honks is the most sophisticated. Or just leave them a “missed call”, it’s free and reduces noise pollution.

3. Rear-view and side-view mirrors (or any reflective surface that you can use to your advantage): primarily decorative. See #2.

4. Turn signals: Also decorative. Why use a blinking light when you can just stick your arm out the window to indicate that you intend to turn left? Think of it as an arm-toning exercise. What about turning right, you ask? No problem just ask your passenger to do the same from their side. It gives them something to do. Driving alone? Now you’re just being difficult.

5. Arab driver’s view on lanes: “You mean the arbitrary yellow and white markings that change from dotted to continuous, from double to single, are meant to keep cars between them? Why have only two lanes when we can fit three cars in the same space? And if I stay in my lane, how can I shake my buddy’s hand through the window when we are at the red light?” Psychologically, driving in a lane is like standing in line, a difficult, abstract concept. This is why tahsh is used instead.

5. Seat Belts: Who knew that amazing, brilliant, Lebanese-American, super-hero Ralph Nader (yeah, I like him) would be the guy who gets America to buckle up, while his own country still eschews the life-saving accessory? Arabs hate seat belts so much, they invented elaborate ways of tying the belt around the back of the driver to avoid getting a ticket without wearing it. Some even wear the ever-popular seat belt t-shirt. Seriously? This shirt is supposed to keep you from looking silly while wearing a seat belt? Sorry, Ralph.

6. The roundabout or duwwar: Common in Europe and in Massachusetts (known as rotaries), the roundabout causes Americans to recoil in fear. How do you solve a busy intersection with cars coming from all directions? An American urban planner would just slap a traffic light at each corner and call it a day. Arabs, inspired by the French, use the more elegant solution, the duwwar, a circle that eliminates the need for traffic lights to keep vehicles moving and traffic flowing. The problem? To use the duwwar, you practically have to be French to answer the complex question: who has the right-of-way? (Not really, if you are in the circle, you have the right-of-way, if you are entering the circle, yield to those in the circle. If you live in Massachusetts, please reverse this.) As you can imagine, tahsh and roundabout equals hot mess. The solution? American, of course: slap traffic lights around the duwwar. Idiotic, but much safer.

7. Traffic lights: a problem when the consensus is, green=go very fast, yellow=go very, very fast and red=go with caution (if no police are around).

Non-Arabs may ask at this point if Arabs are in such a hurry, then why are they always late? Don’t know. Just chill out, keep your head turning like a wound-up spring and feel free to sing along:

“Everyone has cars but my grandfather has a donkey…” (If you get this then you are truly too arab.)

* Taxis, buses, Suzukis, Mercedes, cruising, and parking are not covered in this post. To be discussed later. (Any stories are welcome.)

[Via http://tooarab.com]

Ford Fiesta Car Leasing From £101 + VAT

HelpFindMeA.co.uk has some of the indu deal in the UK. The German’s popular brand, the Audi A4 can be leased from as little as £209 + VAT with 12 initial payments upfront. Initial payments are the number of down payments made on a car lease. The 1st payment for the Audi A4 Business Contract Hire is therefore £2508 + VAT followed by 23 payments of £209 + VAT. The rest of the balance is spread across the remaining months of the contract hire.

The most popular business contract hire terms are 24 months and 36 months. Alternative initial payments are available and HelpFindMeA.co.uk does one thing no other leasing comparison site does. We use your desired initial payments and convert all the adverts to match your criteria. This gives you an estimated price in which the leasing company may be able to achieve if you make direct contact with them.

Audi A4

HelpFindMeA.co.uk also displays running costs, technical & standard specification of the lease car. Personal contract hire offers are also available.

Save money and compare UK’s best car leasing offers @ HelpFindMeA.co.uk.

[Via http://helpfindmea.wordpress.com]

"Body power" for cars may replace their batteries

“As battery manufacturers race to produce more efficient lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, some scientists are looking to make the cars themselves a power source.

Researchers are currently developing a new auto body material that can store and release electrical energy like a battery. Once perfected, scientists hope the substance will replace standard car bodies, making vehicles up to 15 percent lighter and significantly extending the range of electric vehicles.”

READ MORE…

[Via http://mostlytech.wordpress.com]

State Revenue Down, but Mayor Gets His Car..

Mr. Mayor while the state has cut revenue to the city, what are you doing driving a leased car for all most $800.00 dollars a month?

We have 6 police officers on duty during each shift, I myself one day saw one officer sitting on John Daily, another one sitting on Ford Rd and Gully by the gas station, and then one sitting by the bank on Telegraph Rd. That takes care of 3 the other 3 could be sitting some place else giving out tickets. In the mean time we have 15 homes broken into, could be happening while the police officer is sitting on John Daily, just a few blocks in is where the homes are being broken into. I think the police have a very hard job to do, and they are only doing what they’re told to do, I’m sure that they would rather be preventing crimes, then generating revenue for the city. Since when has our police department become a money machine for the city, isn’t it suppose to cost us money, our tax dollars pay for the police, not the other way around. Rolling stops are a great way to get money, and you the driver have no way short of having a video camera in your car to prove that you stopped at the sign. How many rolling stop tickets were given out in 09, if there is a  judge for the city that comes here I would ask that you go back, and look, then find out how many got off without paying the fine of $130.00. Can you honestly say that every one of those that comes before you is guilty not one person made a complaint stop. That is just one example, sure some people are violating the traffic laws, and should be given a ticket, but I know of one women that got a ticket for one mile over the speed limit, one dam mile. I would venture to say with the motivation of generating revenue for the city, that there are more then a few bogus tickets given. You would have people that are not home during the day while these brake-ins are happening start a neighborhood watch program. So what we are not suppose to go to work? We are not asking for the whole police force to come to our area, we are asking for one patrol car to cruise this area.

I hope Mr Mayor you are not going to run again, because I can assure you, you will not see it again. I can assure you that everyone that lives in this area will not vote for you again, you have lost many votes Mr. Mayor.

[Via http://dearbornheights.wordpress.com]

The Car Dream

I’ve a driving license. But I don’t have a car.

Knowledge is NO power. But knowledge in action is!

Today, Zenzic went to Alexandra to look at cars, making sure one day we’re going to own one!

Myself with Yanni and Calizt in cutie New Beetle Cariolet, convertible. NICE!

Honda, Mini Cooper, Volkswagon, Mazda, Kia… … …

We’re pampered with so many choices we have no idea what to choose and what are the spects to look out for. Girls like us are no gadgets geek as compared to the guys in our group.

We basically went for pretty and cute ones! The one you’re looking at above is the New Beetle Cabriolet. The colours are lovely with red interior leather, candy white exterior with a red canvas roof.

Mini Cooper is another cute one. The colours are exclusive! And with a fully automated rooftop, it’s more attractive since the Beetle Carbiolet’s is in a way, half automated only and apparently we gotta pull-to-lock the roof manually. The old school Mini Cooper has been dreams to many, but both these prettys are a lil’selfish with only two doors and very insufficient space to squeeze my passengers in.

Though I owned a license, I didn’t dare to test-drive any of the cars. They only had Auto cars and with my lil’ experience on the road and zero experience handling an Auto car, I gave up the idea of test driving any. But my friends did and I hopped onto their cars to have a feel of it. Particularly amazed with Mazda Rx8, it’s performance was great as compared to the ones I’ve tried before. The 2 seen doors, 2 hidden doors design is so interesting.

After looking at the cute pretty cars, high performance sports car, I’m back with this.

Honda Civic

One of the most common cars seen running along the roads of Singapore. For very simple reasons, it’s spacious, practical and presentable at the same time.

Sports cars are definitely a no for the moment, cos I really don’t appreciate them. And for cute and pretty cars… very expensive lehhh, so for a short term goal, this will definitely be a better and practical choice.

Perhaps a Merc or Volkswagon can be my dream car one day in years to come. HAHA. xD

[Via http://mysweetlockdown.wordpress.com]

olive oil is flammable

I left you Thursday night not knowing what I wanted to do for dinner.  I ended up doing the beef and barley soup and nearly blowing up the grill.  Lesson learned: don’t rub a lean cut of meat with olive oil before placing on grill.  Entire grill will light on fire.

fire still going, ( I blew out the fire on the steak)

even though the propane tank was disconnected 5 min before.

soup in the pot

He ate a few bites of soup (too bland.  I was schooled on how “vegetables” aren’t “spices” haha), steak, and two huge hunks of cornbread.  I had a small bowl of soup and a piece of cornbread.  I didn’t think it was bad, but it was bland.  Grilled meat doesn’t work in soup, either.

And he ordered Dominos anyways.   I had my fair share of pepperoni, bacon, banana peppers thin crust pizza.  Also, a mini brownie with a mini size scoop of coffee ice cream on top.  Starbucks coffee ice cream.  While watching Family Guy and the Office, good times.

Friday:

For breakfast I had a egg and waffle sandwich.  Salt and Maple Syrup on eggs, where have you been all my life??  This was so good, I would have it for every meal if these weren’t my last blueberry eggos.  On the grocery list, for sure.

Workout (surrounded by rant about the gym):

Friday morning I traveled to the gym in a housing community across base to take a power yoga class.  I was less than impressed.  The mood in the studio was whiny and little girlish.  People were complaining loud enough for the entire class to hear, phones weren’t on silent, and the instructor’s banter was along the lines of “tee hee hee oh my goodness doesn’t this hurt tee hee hee”.   For like, sticking your leg in the air for 5 seconds.  She also was not terribly clear with her directions either (“bend” meant to pull your arm back in a row motion).  Very unzen.  After about 40 minutes of that, I called it quits and lifted out in the weight area.

This particular gym is much smaller and less crowded, so I was able to camp out on one bench and get all my stuff done.  I did one major move for each upper body muscle group:

move weight reps sets Chest press 25

15

10

15

1

2

Isolated bicep curl 10 15 3 Dumb bell row 20 15 3 Seated shoulder press 10 15 3 Triceps lying overhead extension 10 15 2 Straight leg dips Body weight 15 2

Lackluster, but I did just do yoga and that was an all over strength in a way too.

While I was working, I noticed a woman being trained by a personal trainer a few benches over.  The personal trainer was going on and on about how last time her husband was deployed she did an aerobics class in the morning, ran at lunch, and ran after work every day and then would eat a shit ton of ice cream for dinner, and it was ok because she was working out so much.  I was horrified that this woman was telling her client this while she is getting paid to be a representative of healthy habits.  I mean I get it, no one’s perfect, but that is not appropriate conversation when you are on the clock with someone who is seeking health advice.

This got me looking around, and there were quite a few trainers who looked like they just crawled out of bed (it was 1030am).  Dude.  What is with this gym?  It makes me want to be a personal trainer, to be a better example.

Moral of the story, I was less than inspired by my workout.  Left the gym and drank my lemonade protein shake in the car.  Just mixed in my unflavored whey with some Kool Aid Lemonade (made with 1/3 less sugar than suggested).  It was great!  Didn’t taste the whey in the slightest!  I was out of milk and all other normal mixers.  Hence the creativity.

That coupled with the cold, wet, windy day… I needed some healing time.  After a run to the store for a few dodads (I’ll show you later), and a minute visit to Patrick at the office,  I went home and took a bath.

I ran the water at the hottest temp possible and sprinkled in a lot of epsom salt.  Lunch while the bath ran consisted of the last of my hummus on toast, as pictured as well as a second piece with a veggie burger.  So very good.  Then I just chilled in the bathtub and enjoyed for 20 minutes.  I was sweating, it was so hot in there, but it was worth it.  Lotioned up and a glass of water, and then a nap for half an hour.  I could have totally slept 8 hours after that…this might become an occasional bedtime ritual.  I was in heaven.

Then I had to go to work.  And pump gas in the driving rain.  And drive an hour and a half round trip for a jacket I left behind at a friend’s house.  And put the rain boots on to swim to the mail box.   All cocoon effects are gone, I spent the evening on the couch in blankets to get it back.

I did hit 50,000 miles of my vehicle ownership (got the beloved 4runner with 100 miles on it)!  I’ve had it 33 months!  Yes, I pulled onto the side of the road to take this picture. 

Dinner was a frozen pizza.  I easily had half.

I’ve noticed my food selections have been a lot more processed lately.  Poptarts, Eggos, Dominios, M&Ms, lots of wheat thins, Digiornos pizza, Starbucks Ice cream..need to swing the pendulum back towards the good stuff!

Already gone and home from work this morning, Patrick’s still asleep in the same position I left him in. It’s like we switched roles!  Got a 4-5 mile run planned for the day.  Thank goodness the rain has cleared up.  I might head out now, but I might wait a bit and see if he wants to join me.  Have a great Saturday!

[Via http://lindsayruns.wordpress.com]

How To Stop A Car With No Brakes

All of you must be wondering what kind of topic is this. Ask someone who has had the misfortune of having his car brakes failed and you will understand why am I talking about this particular issue. Almost everyone who drives learns how to change a tyre, but how many of you know how to stop a car with no brakes. Hardly a few, right! Having information about stopping a car without any brakes is as important as knowing how to stop it with brakes. This is to make sure than if and when you happen to encounter such an unfortunate scenario, you have the knowledge to prevent others as well as yourself from getting hurt. In the following lines, we will tell you all about stopping a car without any brakes. Here are the steps:

• First of all, don’t panic. It is very important to remain calm; otherwise you will surely end up hitting someone or the other. Remember a terrified mind can hardly think of something constructive.
• The next step will be to take your foot off the gas and pump your brakes. Why? This is because at times, pumping the brakes vigorously, and a number of times, rebuilds enough pressure in the braking system to help you stop the car. Make sure to do this for considerable period of time.
• Now, shift your car into low gear gradually from highest to lowest. In case of manual transmission, downshift to the lowest gear possible. When the car slows down a bit, try to downshift it to the lowest gear. In case of automatic transmission, shift into low range. In this case also, go for gradual shifting, if sudden shifting is not possible.
• Make use of the emergency/parking brake, applying it slowly. Don’t push or pull it abruptly, otherwise you might lose control of the car totally. Go slow and steady. You can also use the release button (keep it engaged in case of hand break and hold it in case of foot break), as you apply the emergency brake.
• Throughout your driving, keep your eyes on the road and try to avoid heavy traffic, pedestrians and other obstacles. If possible, take your car to the routes that have the least possibility of traffic.
• Make sure to warn the pedestrians as well as the other drivers. Use your horn to let the other people know there is a problem. Honking loudly and frequently will mostly make the other people steer clear of your car. At the same time, make sure that you have turned your hazard lights on.
• You have to slow down your vehicle at any cost. If pumping the breaks, using the emergency brakes and shifting to slower gear do not work; make use of some more alternatives, given in the next few lines.
• Try to use friction to slow down the speed of your car. You can drive your car towards the places that have gravel or dirt. However, be really cautious while making use of the friction, as sudden change of terrain can make the car skid.
• Guardrails can also help you slow down your vehicle. Cement dividers usually make contact with thewheels, so there are chances of the friction leading to a slowing down of the car. Exercising caution, try to sideswipe whatever is available.
• Look for inclines in your terrain. Driving your car to a high slope has significant chance of helping it slow down. In case this fails to work, get ready to reverse drive.
• In case all of the above methods fail to work, it is the time to look for small trees and shrubbery. Drive your vehicle through the center of a line of shrubs or saplings, while making sure to avoid big trees.
• If you have managed to slow down your car, it is now the time to make it stop. Look out for a safe area to pull over.
• In case, by now, your car has now slowed down at all, it is the time to take some extreme steps. Try hitting the back of another car. First, make sure to warn the other driver by honking at full level. At the same time, try to hit a car hat is moving at the same speed as you are and hit the back.
• If even this has failed, turn your car to somewhere you are not likely to meet any other vehicle. Now is the time to crash land your vehicle. This will require you to jump a curb. Grip the steering wheel tightly, angling your car deep into the curb in a way that it goes up and over. Make sure that you don’t turn the car totally and lose control.

[Via http://bensoncheng.wordpress.com]

Ta Doings

The last weeks has gone by in a blur.  The new dog was lost and found, some one smashed the window to my car, yarn was dyed and a moss garden was made.  The Sidelines sweater is coming along but wrist problems have curtailed my knitting this week. Anyway, here are some pictures for typing is still a bit achy:

Georgie

The Window is no more

Bear's Moss Garden

[Via http://lizzcorner.wordpress.com]

Customers Thrilled With Service at Kissimmee

Just Brakes customer Wendy had this to say:

“I want to make sure the Center Manager at Just Brakes Service Center #62 in Kissimmee, Fla., knows about a very special employee. His name is David Acosta. He went over and above what I consider to be good customer service. He stayed an hour after closing time and reworked my rear brakes due to a problem with the drums. He was so polite and did a tremendous job at fixing my car and keeping me safe. This gentleman should be praised for his outstanding customer service and should be made an example for others to follow. I will definitely be back to this location with my other 2 vehicles.”

[Via http://justbrakes1.wordpress.com]

Volvo XC90 Car Leasing Offers From £252 + VAT

HelpFindMeA.co.uk continues to find the best car leasing deals in the UK. The superb Volvo XC90 can be leased from as little as £252 + VAT with 12 initial payments upfront. Initial payments are the number of down payments made on a lease car. The 1st payment for the Volvo XC90 Contract Hire is therefore £3024 + VAT followed by 35 payments of £252 + VAT. The rest of the balance is spread across the remaining months of the contract hire.

The most popular contract hire terms are 24 months and 36 months. Alternative initial payments are available and HelpFindMeA.co.uk does one thing no other leasing comparison site does. We use your desired initial payments and convert all the adverts to match your criteria. This gives you an estimated price in which the leasing company may be able to achieve if you make direct contact with them.

HelpFindMeA.co.uk also displays running costs, technical & standard specification of the lease car.

Save money and compare UK’s best car leasing deals @ HelpFindMeA.co.uk.

Car Leasing Deals

[Via http://helpfindmea.wordpress.com]

943. Locking yourself out of car/home

In a rush, who isn’t these days? Well nothing is just worse than being in a rush out of the door to realize you left your portfolio on your kitchen counter and the house keys in the change dish in your bedroom. Guess they’ll be no getting inside right now.

Even better is that none of your neighbors or home, your friend that has your spare is not answering their phone and that really important job interview you have is in an hour. It’ll be okay because you left the number to the company inside the portfolio.

Guess now would have been a great time to have invested in a credit card.

Flipping the story here…

You spend a great summer’s day at a theme park with your friends and you are returning back to the parking lot and when you get to your car you start reaching in your pocket to only find that you can’t find your keys…oh no…you freeze for a moment and think no wait it’s in my other pocket…feel around…nope. Oh boy! The deep sickening feeling is starting to settle where was I last with the key. At the restaurant where I had set them out hours ago to take my wallet out and get my Speed Line pass out of my pocket and check my cell.

As you check you jacket, tearing it off in worry you begin to panic and as you are standing there you start walking around wondering and panicking. You start looking in the car and don’t see the keys anywhere under the seats from what you can see., but there they are dangling nice waving at you.

Did you hear that they are laughing at you?! Well better go find a hanger. AAA anyone?! Great, how awfully unnecessary is this? Hopefully unlocking an evening of waiting and failed attempts trying to get back in your car and/or home.

Side story > alternate version: As the worry settles in more and your heart races you figure it’s best to start walking towards the Customer Aide Office. As you and your comrades starts walking over, one friend says what’s that shiny thing on the car, as you walk over it’s your keys. As you grab them and let out such a great sigh of relief and buy a clip to keep them clipped to your pants.

Further Reading:

* How to Retrieve Keys Locked in a Vehicle

* Getting Locked Out of Your House is No Laughing Matter

* Locked Out: Professional Advice

[Via http://0001awfulthings.wordpress.com]

Sketching Practise

I’ve had a quick practise at some sketching techniques as mine weren’t really up to scratch.

As we were looking to interview a budding young designer with high quality sketching techniques, I thought I better try and improve mine whilst I’m at it.

What do you think?

I’ve tried a number of other techniques and I’ve posted some of them in my Flickr album, and also in my portfolio on my website.

[Via http://mikebowyer.wordpress.com]

Yep this law of attraction definitely works!

Well, have to say so far so good, I am having hypno sessions due to my 37 years of living with a negative outlook I thought it would take a little more than will power to overcome it, and I was right! But recently I have been ill, this last week I have had raging flu on and off for 7 days, and on the days it was bad, I felt down and angry with myself, but I tried to remain positive on the whole, and this week is definitely getting better, I decided NOT to dwell on the flu but to keep reminding myself I am healthy and strong, and today I feel heaps better. I also managed to sell an item on ebay this morning for way over what I had hoped for, mainly due I believe to my prayers to my guardian angels and also for believing in it, I am currently reading a book on connecting with your angels and I must admit it is facinating reading and as sceptical as I was when I started it I really do believe that someone is watching over me. On the 23rd december last year (apologies if I already told this) I drove my car off the edge of a mountain (by accident) I was driving around a bend when I lost control of the car, what I didn’t realise was that there was diesel all over the road I didn’t stand a chance and so off I went over the edge of the mountain yet my car and myself were unharmed, even though my car was sitting precariously on only 3 wheels surely going to roll on her roof, I was dragged out by portuguese people and the local fire brigade was called, with the help of a logging truck they rescued me and my car, and when she was firmly back on terra forma she started first time and did not have a thing wrong with her. I had thought to myself as I was out of control that I would never get back to UK, that my car was broken and that I must be too. But thankfully both me and my wonderful car were saved. No one could believe that it had not turned over with me inside it, no one could believe I had not been hurt, and they especially could not believe that my car was still ok, well she was and just 2 weeks later she boldly took me and my childrne the 1500 miles back to the uk through the worse weather you can possibly imagine. I now firmly believe in a higher existance and I fully intend on trying to connect with them more often. They really do help I was recently racked with guilt over leaving my animals behind with a rescue centre, I found it hard to sleep and hard to live with, but knowing that I should not feel guilty because I gave them a life whilst they were with me and I spared them from certain death and that there was nothing else I could have done, I wanted to stop feeling guilty, there was nothign I could do about it, and there was nothing good coming from my guilt, so I politely asked my angels if they could please remove the guilt from my body, and free me from the worry. And the next day I felt much better, and heard that all the animals were now re-homed with nice people. So if you want living proof that we have guardian angels who try hard to take care of us then please believe me when I say that they are out there and they are willing to help us…until next time x

[Via http://mandy0791.wordpress.com]