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Becoming an English Solicitor – The Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS)

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English law is held in high esteem; London is among the leading legal cities in the world; and talented and qualified lawyers continue to seek to become English solicitors.

Job prospects are decent for lawyers in the UK and by becoming an English solicitor, you increase your employability. Once qualified, you will be able to practise law cross-border, finding employment in England, Europe and further afield in countries including Australia, South Africa and Russia. In addition, you broaden your professional knowledge, understanding and experience which similarly broadens your career prospects.

As a qualified English solicitor, you will be in a stronger position to offer your existing and future clients more legal services. As well as finding employment as a solicitor in England and Wales, your wider career prospects are enhanced when you gain the QLTS. You may choose to practise law in your home jurisdiction, in which case you will benefit from an improved professional track-record and marketability. Or work as an English solicitor in London. Or perhaps even find a role in an international law firm which has a base in the EU, and live and work anywhere in the world.

Whichever career path is right for you, being an English solicitor will bring you more business and greater financial rewards. And this is enhanced by the high standard of competence associated with newly qualified solicitors of England and Wales thanks to the method of assessment – whether you choose the fast-track QLTS route or the domestic route.

Under the existing Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme, the QLTS (previously, the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test, the QLTT), international lawyers as well as barristers in England and Wales, are assessed to ensure they meet the necessary standards required to practise English law. Those admitted to the Roll of Solicitors of England and Wales through the QLTS have an even greater professional profile thanks to this high level of testing.

The QLTS training places international lawyers on a par with domestic lawyers, making for a more level playing field. The same standard expected of domestic lawyers is expected from overseas lawyers wanting to apply for the QLTS and lawyers who pass the QLTS have the same level of competence as lawyers qualified to practise English law through the domestic route.

Now is certainly a good time to become an English solicitor, as the financial implications of the recession start to ease and the employment markets open up once more. The QLTS offers two major improvements to candidates compared to the QLTT – there is the English language test and the removal of the experience requirement. These are both positive developments for international lawyers wanting to train as English solicitors.

As a result of these enhancements to the QLTS, more confidence is instilled in successful candidates. There is rigorous testing of all applicants’ practical skills as part of the course. This ensures no one experiences discrimination as everyone is treated the same and assessed to the same standard – although of course because the means of testing is objective, issues regarding ages and disabilities of candidates will naturally be taken into consideration. Candidates who meet the necessary standard will be admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales. Clients will therefore know that all qualified English solicitors, regardless of their route to qualification, are competent and have the professional knowledge, skills, behaviours and ethics needed to perform legal duties well.

The QLTS is an affirmative step for all international lawyers, and barristers in England and Wales, seeking to train as English solicitors. The system is fairer but equally stringent and allows only the highest calibre of lawyers to pass the QLTS assessments.

If you want to become an English solicitor, a big factor in determining whether you’ll pass your QLTS course is the course provider itself. Without excellent teaching, informative materials, a support network, and experienced staff to guide you through, passing will be more difficult. The QLTS School programme offers a dedicated approach to the QLTS assessments – and because it’s completely focused on the one test, students really benefit from an array of advice and support that is always available.

The QLTS School is committed to helping international lawyers become English solicitors. Our website has information for every stage of the process, from what you need to do to be eligible for the QLTS to applying for the course. There is advice about careers, the benefits of practising English law, and guidance for every step of the course.

With over ten years’ experience and thousands of international lawyers who have successfully qualified as English solicitors, the QLTS School has an excellent reputation and a high candidate pass rate. The QLTS course is comprehensive and convenient, and you will have all the materials you need to study – including distance learning courses, video and audio lectures, and access to the online study portal – and the freedom to study when it suits you. The study portal lets you communicate with other candidates, as well as access all the teaching tools including videos, audio and PowerPoint presentations.

Created by skilled legal professionals who have worked extensively with international lawyers and understand their needs, the QLTS School programme provides you with everything you need to pass your QLTS assessments and go on to enjoy an extensive career as an English solicitor.

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Source by Taylor Hannon

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Prince William and the King’s Numerology – Will William Be King of England?

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Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Shakespeare-King Henry IV; Part II. Act iii. Sc. 1.

The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,

and all that beauty, all that wealth e’re gave,

awaits alike the inevitable hour.

The paths of glory lead but to the grave.

Thomas Gray-Elegy Written in a Country Church-yard

(9th verse) (1716-1771)

Certainly, with the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), there is much speculation as to whether William will eventually be King of England. While the King’s Numerology never makes predictions, we can look forward into William’s life via his numbers, especially his Life Matrix, which reveal substantive secrets regarding his future as Great Britain’s monarch.

William was born William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor; 21 June 1982 [Wikipedia]. The first evidential aspect to assess regarding a future kingship for William is his Basic Matrix.

Basic Matrix of Prince William

Lifepath: 11-2

Expression: 9

Performance/Experience (life reality): 11-2

Soul: 8

Material Soul: 55-1

Nature: 1

Material Nature: 66-3

Basic Matrix Assessment

The numbers of William’s Basic Matrix reveal an individual whose numbers support the role of a ruler or leader. They don’t necessarily imply a person will be a king, but they do corroborate the characteristics necessary to the task.

The 9 Expression

Because it is the Grand Elemental and the Number of Mankind, the 9 of William’s full birth name gives him the universality to appeal to all people because not only is the 9 “all people” (all numbers), it reflects every number to that number, thus making the 9 very magnetic, charismatic, universal. Thus, the 9’s universal appeal is excellent for anyone in a public leadership position.

The 11-2 Master Achiever

Working and building in the field of relationships is important to success. The 11-2 master achiever energy is excellent for a leader. William’s 11 Lifepath and 11 PE (the role of his life) are important signals that he will be involved in relationship. Interestingly, William’s mother, Princess Diana, also had an 11-2 in her PE. She also had an 11-2 Material Nature. His father, Prince Charles, has an 11-2 Lifepath. Therefore, it’s not unusual that their first born son would have their energies, especially given the fact of destiny being set before a person is born. Because William’s parents both had the 11-2 in their charts, his schooling to be king one day would only be helped. It’s like being a famous athlete who was born the child of famous athletes. Parentage does bequeath advantages.

The 55-1 Master Explorer/Creator

Having the 55-1 master number in his Material Soul gives William a worldly desire to be a one-of-a-kind individual and leader. The 55-1 does not want to be like everyone else, and in fact it is not. It is very unique. It is also filled with fire because both the 1 and 5 are fire signs. As we also know, 5 is the fulcrum, the midpoint, of the Alpha-Numeric Spectrum, giving it the ability to move with equal ease up and down the Avenue of Crowns. Therefore, the 55-1 is a positive adjunct to William’s 9 energy.

The 1 energy in William’s Material Soul is strengthened by the 1 in his Nature, compounding the power of leadership, action, going first and showing the way. William is his own person even though his life’s lessons and role in life are to be involved in relationship. The two 1s and two 2s in his Basic Matrix give him the ability to act independently while still being a support person, and even though a king is a monarch, he supports the monarchy governing his domain and the people within it.

The 66-3 Master Lover/Artisan

Love in communication is a phrase befitting the 66-3. The personal love and nurturing touch of the 6 in a master frequency (11 x 6) is highly attuned to being positively communicative. This 66-3 is in William’s Material Nature (his worldly personality) and this bodes very well for him, not just in his personal life but also in his public life.

The 8 Soul

The 8 Soul has a desire to manage, administrate, orchestrate, coordinate, and lead, not so much in the pioneering manner of the 1 but in a context of social interaction and management. The Soul energy is the engine that makes the person tick and tock. It drives him, and William is driven to be the 8, to be socially powerful, have status, and connect the dots of his work and career. It is an excellent energy for one who has leadership qualities and seeks to govern well.

Basic Matrix Summary

William’s Basic Matrix is comprised of energy suitable to him, or anyone with the same numbers, being a unique person (1) with universal appeal (9), working in the field of relationship (2), being communicative and approachable (3) and desiring to manage and execute. This pattern will certainly serve him and England well should he become King. And will he? There is a very good chance of it, and the secrets are clearly indicated in his Life Matrix. Let’s take a look.

Prince William’s Life Matrix

Prince William’s Life Matrix clearly manifests, prima facie, the potential for him to be King of England. This doesn’t mean he will automatically be his country’s monarch, but the numerical combinations in his chart certainly reveal the potential for monarchial success.

Whether one is an experienced numerologist or a fledgling novitiate, when one looks at William’s chart, it is impossible not to notice the master number of the executive, administrator, manager, general, or prime mover.

Grand PC Couplet: 8/44-8

In the King’s Numerology, the Grand PC Couplet stands for the core Pinnacle and core Challenge of a person’s lifepath. The Grand Pinnacle and Grand Challenge are usually different numbers. However, in Prince William’s chart both house the same 8/44-8 Influence/Reality set (IR set) indicating management and executive leadership. The 44-8 is in the outcome position of the 8’s causal influence. The 44-8 in the King’s Numerology is called the master worker/leader energy. It often occurs in the charts of great leaders and generals. Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant, General George Patton, General Douglas MacArthur, Mother Teresa, and others have this energy dominant in their charts.

The timeline of William’s Grand PC Couplet is from age 44 to 52. This is a powerful indication. William also has the 8/44-8 IR set in his 2nd Pinnacle which begins at age 35. Corroborating this potent 8/44-8 energy is his 4th or Crown Challenge which begins at age 53 and continues to death. Therefore, Prince William’s 8/44-8 IR set of management, executive leadership and worldly success begin at age 35 and continue to the end of his life.

In partnership with the 8/44-8 IR set is the 1/1 IR set which reflects the leadership, star, center-of-attention, and solo aspect of life. No two numbers express management and leadership more than the 1 & 8 together. It must also be taken into account that William’s Soul-his most primal desires, needs, and wants-are ruled by the number 8. Therefore, William’s life will give him exactly what he wants-worldly success, status, power, and executive command. Even though the King of England has only figurehead status, his personality will have a bearing on his position and its affect on the English people, especially given the fact that this is now a social world, an age of the 2 energy, and not an individual world of 1 energy of the last millennium.

Final Epoch: 2/11-2

Williams’ 3rd Epoch (beginning around age 55) is a 2/11-2 – the energy of his Lifepath and PE (his performance in life). Obviously, he will be intrinsically connected with his potential role of relationship when he enters this energy field in his later life.

We must also remember that the filter of William’s Life Matrix IR (Influence/Reality) sets is the number 9, his Expression. The 9, as we know, is the number of universality, the masses, the public stage. Therefore the 1 and 44-8 energies in the Reality or Outcome fields are awash in universal energy and the public.

Summary

As stated in the beginning of this article, The King’s Numerology never makes predictions. It assesses and analyzes numerical energies and patterns to see how they interrelate with one another. Given the numbers, number patterns, and number placements in Prince William’s chart, it is quite possible that his life role of being the next King of England is highly probable. And if this is to be the case, the lesson to gain from his numbers, as with all of our numbers, is that life is destined, and there is, unequivocally, a divine design to life and destiny!

~finis

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Source by Richard Andrew King

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Single UK Women Looking for American Men Online?

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A new trend these days is that single UK women are looking for American men online. Why so? Many people say that they do this to show off to the pubic. They both want to show that they are dating a partner who is not from their country and culture and they are quiet different with one another. This may or may not be true. There are several UK women who want to understand more about the US living style. You can say that they want to copy each other’s life style. Interracial marriages are very common these days. 

The UK women love to explore the culture of US through her American husband. Thus, pass this modern living style to her family and friends. Numerous British girls are dating American males for this reason. Where these girls find American males online? Many find them at the parties. Several Americans live in UK and many British people live in US. Thus, meeting one another is quiet common. Several single UK females have crush on American males. When they get acquainted with one another, they like dating. It may be possible that they fall in love with each other and decide to marry. You must be glad to know that thousands of interracial UK-American marriages and relationships on yearly basis. This is the modern world. You can expect anything.

Several UK daring websites allow Americans to join and create profiles. Thus, it becomes easy for the UK girls to meet American men online with ease. They get good opportunity to understand one another with the comfort of your home. These sites are easy to access and are very convenient to use. The best part is that these sites are available as free dating sites too. You can use the services for free of cost. 

There is no need to spend your money in the bars and pubs anymore. Even American males get attracted towards British girls. You must be affectionate with one another. Find the perfect match for you on these dating sites. You can also join American dating websites so that you can choose a perfect American male partner for you from thousands of choices. Isn’t that great? How about dating bureau? There are abundant of dating cases these days online. It may be possible that you have joined one of these sites because you do not have a good number of friends around you and you are certainly alone. 

You can not find long term relationship or highly compatible relationship at public places like nightclubs. Hundreds of single UK girls join the UK dating sites so that they can find a good boyfriend. You can create your own personal advertisement. You can meet males from other western, Asian and European countries too. Yeah, you can specify that you want to date an American male only. The online dating is the most developed and most advanced mode of dating. You do not have to pay any fee and can interact with as many members as you want. 

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Source by Kim Crowny

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Your Perfect Bathtub

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Ever gone into a house whether it’s that of a friend or an open house somewhere and wonder why on earth there was no bathtub in the bathroom? Yes, it happens, people just don’t have the room or don’t want a bathtub and instead opt for a shower. Yikes!

What is better after a long hard day than a soak in a nice, deep, warm tub of water? Not a lot according to a lot of us which is why bathtubs come in so many shapes and sizes, so they’re perfect for any space.

Of course the more space you have the more options for that perfect tub you will have. We’ve all seen the glossy magazine pictures of a massive bathtub in the middle of a huge bathroom. While we may not all be going that crazy, bathtubs can still make a statement.

Stand alone tubs can make that statement but will also need further plumbing than those that sit against a wall. Some come with those lovely clawfeet that invoke such romantic images, and some are beautifully designed vessels that offer a modern, sleek take on the tub design.

Then there are the tubs that are seen in the majority of houses, with the bath against the wall, usually with a tub surround of some sort that hides all of the pipes and makes a statement of its own. Here the possibilities are endless, you can fancy it all up with different tiles or surrounds and of course change the taps and you’ve changed the whole look of the bathroom. If, down the line you get sick of the tiles or surround then you simply change that out and give your room a whole new look, while keeping the tub in place.

Triangular tubs are meant to be used in small spaces as they are space saving in design. What they lack in size they make up for in depth and they can usually sit additional people rather than the one of regular tubs. They usually sit against two walls with the plumbing hidden underneath and behind the wall so there is no need for additional plumbing work.

Large or small, soaker or regular, one person or multiple people the tub is the showpiece of the bathroom. Add a shower and you have a two for one in place but get rid of the tub entirely? No way!

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Source by Amanda J Hales

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Gas Furnace Repair

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To fix household things that break, you need to know how it works, what can go wrong, how to identify the problem, as well as the steps to fixing it. Here’s what you need to know about gas furnace repairs.

How Does It Work?

Natural or propane gas from an outside source is piped to the furnace where it is burned to produce heat. Usually a fan-driven forced-air distribution system blows the warmed air through ducts that vent into the various rooms of the house. Older gas furnaces use a standing-pilot ignition. Maintenance involves turning off the pilot each spring and relighting it each fall. Newer, more efficient gas furnaces use an electric spark to light the gas as necessary.

What Can Go Wrong?

Most gas furnaces are quite reliable. What are the symptoms of problems? The furnace may not produce heat or may not produce enough heat. The pilot light may go out repeatedly or refuse to light. The thermocouple may be faulty. The pilot may light but not ignite the burner. The furnace may be noisy. There are some maintenance and a few minor repairs that you can make. However, major service should be left to a trained technician.

Fix-It Tip

To minimize problems with your gas furnace, take time each month to check the air filter and clean or replace it if necessary. Once a year, clean the blower blades, lubricate the blower motor, and inspect the belt.

How Can I Identify the Problem?

If there is no heat, check the electrical service panel for a burned fuse or tripped breaker. Relight the pilot light (see below).

If there is not enough heat, adjust the burner air shutter (see below); and clean the burner ports (see below).

If the pilot light does not light or does not stay lit, clean the pilot orifice carefully with a toothpick, test the thermocouple and replace it if it is faulty (see below).

If the flame flickers, adjust the pilot (see below).

If there is an exploding sound when the burner ignites, adjust the pilot to a higher setting and clean the pilot orifice and the burner ports.

If the burner takes more than a few seconds to ignite, clean the pilot orifice and adjust the pilot light.

If the burner flame is uneven, clean the burner ports. If the burner flame is very yellow, clean the burner; open vents in the furnace room to provide more air; adjust the burner air shutter.

If the furnace makes a rumbling noise when the burners are off, clean the burner and adjust the burner air shutter.

If the air is too dry, wash or replace the evaporator pad if you have a humidifier; test the humidistat; and adjust the water-level float to raise the water level.

If some rooms are too cool and others too warm, the distribution system may require balancing. Refer to the Forced-Air Distribution Fix-It Guide at FixItClub.com

Fix-It Tip

Be sure your filter is the right size for your furnace.

What Parts, Materials, and Tools Do I Need?

Some replacement parts for gas furnaces are interchangeable (filters, fasteners) and available at your local hardware store. Others, such as burners and controls, must be purchased from the manufacturer or aftermarket supplier or through a heating equipment supplier listed in your local telephone book.

The primary tools you will need for fixing a gas furnace include these:

* Screwdrivers

* Wrenches

* Pliers

* Wire brush

* Multimeter

What Are the Steps to Fixing It?

To light the pilot on a standing-pilot (always on) ignition system, follow the lighting instructions located near the control. Otherwise, try these steps:

Light the pilot:

1. Press and hold the pilot control knob to start the pilot. Set the control knob to the pilot position. Hold a long match under the pilot gas port.

2. Press the control knob; the pilot should light. Hold the control knob down until the flame is burning brightly (about 30 seconds). Release pressure on the knob, and turn it to the on position.

3. If the pilot goes out when you release the control knob, try relighting, holding the control knob down longer. If the pilot again goes out, check the thermocouple (below).

Adjust the pilot:

1. Remove any cap covering the pilot adjusting screw on a combination control.

2. Turn the adjusting screw counterclockwise to increase the flame or clockwise to decrease it. It is correctly adjusted when the flame envelops the thermocouple bulb by 1/2 inch and appears dark blue with a small yellow tip.

Test and replace a thermocouple:

1. Hold the control knob to pilot and light the pilot as above.

2. Unscrew the thermocouple fitting with an open-ended wrench.

3. Set a multimeter to the DVC (lowest voltage) scale.

4. Clip one multimeter lead to the end of the thermocouple tube nearest the pilot and the other lead to the fitting on the other end of the tube.

5. If the multimeter shows a reading besides zero, the thermocouple is functioning. Replace the thermocouple tube.

6. If there is no reading, you will need to clean or replace the thermocouple following steps 7 through 11.

7. Release the control knob and shut off the main gas valve on the gas-supply pipe that leads into the burner. Shut off power to the burner at the electrical service panel .

8. Remove the thermocouple from its mounting bracket.

9. Wipe the combination control clean and install a new thermocouple, tightening it by hand, then give it a one-quarter turn with a wrench.

10. Insert the thermocouple into the pilot bracket, being careful to not crimp the tubing.

11. Turn on power to the furnace and relight the pilot (above).

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Source by Dan Ramsey

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Essential Tools Necessary for Professional Carpet Cleaning

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Carpet is an integral part of floor decor, uplifting the visual appeal of the space with its sleek texture. However, these carpets are prone to wear and tear due to daily foot traffic, dirt, dust mites and occasional spills. To ensure a clean and well-maintained carpet, periodic carpet cleaning using the right tools and equipment is of paramount importance. Cleaning with the standard home cleaning supplies simply does not produce the desired result.

Here are the five most widely used equipment used by professionals for a thorough carpet cleaning.

Portable Cleaning Tools

For smaller areas, carpet cleaning experts use portable equipment, which are relatively large machines but is easy to carry. These machines are available in various types depending on the purposes of their uses. The portable equipment is designed for various methods of carpet cleaning based on the kind of carpet and the customer’s preference like carpet shampooing, bonnet cleaning, encapsulation, hot water extraction or dry carpet cleaning. Professional companies carry most of these portable tools with them to perform cleaning, adopting various approaches with the machines for the different methods.

Some other portable types of equipment that professional services use are as follows:

Vacuum Cleaner: A vacuum cleaner is an essential carpet cleaning tool to tidy up the carpets and complete the cleaning procedure.

Defoamer: Foam can reduce the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Hence carpet cleaners use defoamer to remove the foam and speed up the drying process. These defoamers are a mixture of silicone or oils that are effective in removing the foam.

Air Scrubber: This device works as an air filtration system and is used during dry cleaning to get rid of airborne particulates, fungi, and foul odours from the carpet. The scrubber is used after a deep cleaning job to increase the air quality in the room.

Carpet Cleaning Wand: This is the primary tool in the cleaning process. The wand is used to spray the cleaning solution as water jets, which is then sucked back through the vacuum slot in the equipment. While rotary cleaners work best for shaggy carpets, wool carpets are best cleaned with wands to prevent any kind of damage to the carpet fibres. It is not possible to use a pro extractor without one.

Crevice Tools:These are special tools to clean crevices like those between the stairs, areas that are difficult to reach and upholstery cleaning.

Protective Tools: To protect furniture and other items from suffering any kind of damage while cleaning, professionals use these protective accessories like furniture protectors, caution signs, straps, corner guards, and chemical racks.

Ventilation Assister: On completion of wet cleaning methods, service providers may blow fans to expedite the drying of the carpet.

Truck-Mounted Cleaning Equipment

These are heavy-duty cleaners suitable for cleaning larger spaces. However, it must not be inferred that truck-mounted cleaners are only used for larger commercial workspaces. There are many homes that opt for them due to certain advantages like these powerful cleaners do not mess the area cleaned since the machines draw water out of the building as the cleaning process continues instead of draining them into the toilet or sink.

These are some of the vital equipment necessary for deep cleaning of the carpet. It needs mentioning that the use of tools depends on the nature of the carpet and the type of cleaning service chosen. Before hiring the services of professional cleaners, it makes sense to find out the kind of carpet cleaning your want and if the service provider has the right tools and equipment to perform the job successfully.

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Source by Subhashish Bose

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Starting Your First Woodworking Shop

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Woodworking as a hobby can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever enjoy. You can get started on a shoestring with a minimal amount of tools and equipment. A small home workshop can produce a wide array of simple projects that will help you develop your creative and building skills while rewarding you with practical and artistic wood products that you can enjoy and even give away to friends and family.

WHERE TO DO YOUR WOODWORKING

Before we get into the equipment you should start with, let’s talk about where you’ll do your woodworking. Depending on the size of your home, you may be able to create a dedicated space to your woodworking activities. This might be a reserved spot in your garage or in your basement. In some cases, a detached shed or outbuilding may be ideal to set up your first shop. A heated shop detached from your home offers one distinct advantage: better dust control. Without sophisticated dust control systems, basement workshops will inevitably produce dust that travels into the living area of your home. This is particularly true in homes with forced air heating systems where cold air returns located in the basement draw up dust into the upper levels of the house. Another advantage of detached workshops is of course the noise level. You can work without disturbing the rest of the family. A good compromise might be the garage of your home. This can help minimize the problems of dust and noise, however depending on where you live, a garage workshop may not be practical during extremes of cold or hot weather.

YOUR WOODWORKING SETUP

Space is always a challenge for the woodworker. Regardless of where you are in your development, everyone from beginner to expert all wish they add more space to work in. If you can have a dedicated spot for a workshop all the better. Floor tools and bench top equipment can remain in place from project to project. If this setup is not impossible, at least try to create a bench area where equipment can be stored and pulled out as needed. If possible plan for inevitable expansion as you acquire more tools and equipment. At the start, set up a bench area where you can store and use most of your equipment, with temporary expansion of your activities onto the garage or basement floor.

A rudimentary workbench can be constructed from inexpensive spruce lumber ideally at least 48 to 54 inches wide and 32 inches deep. The bench should be about waist height. That will enable you to work comfortably while standing. Add a sturdy shelf below the bench to house your hand power tools and a pegboard above the bench to hang other equipment. Install a wood working vice at one end of your bench on the front to hold small work pieces.

ACQUIRING YOUR EQUIPMENT

The scope of your start-up equipment will be largely based on your budget. Whether you’ve got large financial resources or you’re starting on a shoestring always buy quality equipment. If you can afford it, purchase your quality tools at your local building and hardware center. If your budget is tight buy quality used tools from others through Kijiji or other local ads. There is an abundance of quality lightly used tools out there that belong to individuals who embarked on that one molding project around the house or received tools as gifts that they will never use. You can usually purchase tools for these sellers for less than half the original price and save even more money if you make a package deal for all their unused equipment. Of course, acquiring tools from private individuals will take extra time and perhaps travel expenses. Weigh out the benefits of traveling across town to save a few extra dollars on a cheap piece of equipment. The extra cost of time and travel in these situations is usually justified when purchasing large ticket items such as table saws, bandsaws or high ended tools like surface planers in the future.

For smaller acquisitions, a trip to your building center may be the best approach.

START-UP EQUIPMENT

In earlier times skilled workers worked with a minimal amount of hand equipment yet produced sophisticated and intricate pieces. Focus on developing your skills with your start-up set of tools and avoid lamenting about the equipment you wished you had.

Here is a checklist of the more useful tools you’ll need to get started:

Safety Equipment: Start as expected with eye protection. Get a decent pair of safety glasses that also offer some side protection for your eyes. Purchase a quality acrylic set that will be scratch resistant. Progressive scratching of cheaper plastic pairs will eventually impair your vision and affect safety. Avoid wearing goggles in a workshop. Most impair vision and dust up quickly. You may avoid wearing them all together if you find them uncomfortable.

The next piece of critical safety equipment that you’ll need involves ear protection. Ear protection is often overlooked by the novice woodworker yet is almost as critical as eye protection. Woodworking can be noisy and long-term exposure to these noise levels can affect hearing and lead to tinnitus and other hearing losses. Also, I find that wearing hearing protection combats fatigue. Most workers tire faster when exposed to high noise levels. Select effective hearing protection that you find comfortable and effective. These can include ear plugs or full ear muff protectors. I find that a quality set of ear muff protectors is perfect for hearing protection.

Lastly, wear a cap to keep the dust out of your hair. I prefer a simple ball cap with my ear muffs and eye protection. With this set up I’m protecting my eyes and my ears. I’m keeping the dust out of my hair. I’m good to go!

Power Hand Saw: Often referred to as a skil saw after the popular brand name, this can prove to be the most versatile tool in a start-up workshop. In fact, in the hands of an expert a power hand saw can be used to build an entire house. Eventually you’ll want to buy a table saw, but for now a power hand saw for the woodworker on a budget enables him to do cross cuts, rip cuts and even intricate angle cuts. As mentioned earlier get a quality brand saw. Avoid cheap unknown brands. These tend to cut inaccurately and will burn out before you even start your second project. After selecting the right saw install a quality blade. Most skil saws come with a starter blade of lower quality even if they are a good saw. Keep this blade as a backup and install a quality blade with carbide teeth. Start with a hybrid blade. These have a balanced tooth count that works well with both cross cuts and ripping.

Power Jig Saw: A jig saw will add great versatility to your woodworking. Curved cutting is where the jigsaw excels. This versatile tool can not only cut curves. It’s perfect for cutting holes in wood too like handle slots. Eventually you’ll want to get a band saw. Bandsaws are even more versatile but a quality floor unit can be expensive. A jig saw can be a good stop gap for the novice woodworker. Purchase an assortment of blades for your jig saw that includes various lengths and teeth per inch.

Battery Powered Drill: Purchase a quality drill that runs on at least 12 volts, however 18 volts is better. Get one with a keyless chuck and if it is in your budget consider a ½ inch chuck over the standard 3/8 inch version. Down the road the ½ inch version will prove to be more versatile. Through hard lessons learned, I have found that buying quality in this case is more critical than ever. Cheaper drills tend to have very short run times and need to be recharged frequently. Their long-term battery life tends to be poor and to make things worse keyless chucks come loose and slip frequently. This is one annoyance you don’t want in your workshop. Purchase an assortment of quality carbide tipped drill bits that are stored in a holder labeling each drill bit size. Make a habit of returning each drill bit to its prospective slot in the holder after each use. Lastly get a set of hard steel driver bits. Your drill can also be a versatile screwdriver, particularly if you selected an 18 volt model.

Hammer: The hammer remains as the most versatile tool in the shop, and often the most misunderstood one. By the way, the hammer is the one tool where most workshop accidents occur. Although the most frequent, hammer injuries are usually of a minor nature, varying from bruised fingers to the temporary loss of a fingernail. Hammers greatly vary in quality and price. So what’s the difference between a cheap hammer and an expensive hammer? Quality hammers are precisely machined with a good solid joint between the handle and head. The good hammer is balanced, doesn’t rust and features a comfortable handle. Most hammers in the high quality range offer metal or fiberglass handles. Cheaper hammers usually have wood handles with poor joints between the head and handle. The head usually comes loose and the tool becomes useless. Select a name brand quality hammer in the 16 ounce range for general work and a smaller finishing hammer for more intricate work. Avoid using large framing hammers in the workshop and any with dimpled head tips. These types of hammers are more suited for rough framing jobs and are unsuitable in the workshop.

Palm Sander: Purchase a ¼ sheet palm sander. This little power tool can handle just about any sanding requirements you have as a novice woodworker. As your woodworking skills evolve, you’ll likely upgrade to a floor model disk and belt sander. However for now, the ever versatile palm sander can clean up edges, cross cuts and even limited amounts of surface area. As you embark on your first few projects you’ll find that your palm sander with a little bit of effort can transform rough looking creations into virtual works of art! You can use your palm sander to sand and shape rough boards with 100 grit paper and later finish your work with 200 or 300 grit paper. Purchase an assortment of sandpaper sheets with an extra supply of 100 grit paper. You’ll find this grade of paper the most versatile in your shop.

Hand Planes and Chisels: These classic tools are a must in every workshop. Although low tech in concept, these tools enable you to taper edges, flatten high spots and correct any imperfections in wood pieces. Start with a standard number 4 plane and an assortment of quality chisels varying in width from ¼ inch to 1 inch.

Clamps: Sooner or later you’ll need clamps for glue-ups and just to hold down your wood pieces as you work on them. Unfortunately, good clamps are expensive and it usually takes the novice woodworker a few years to accumulate a comprehensive set of wood clamps. Start with a pair of long “pipe” clamps. Today the pipe has been replaced with long steel shafts, but the structure remains the same. Get a pair of the longest clamps that you can afford. You can contract them for smaller glue jobs and expand them to their full length for larger projects.

Shop Vice: A shop vice installed at the end of your bench is perfect for holding smaller jobs for sanding, filing and hole cutting with your jigsaw. Purchase a wood working vice with replaceable wooden clamping surfaces and avoid metal working vices with steel jaws. Woodworking vices with their wood clamping surfaces can securely hold wood pieces without marring or damaging them. Many of the better vices offer quick release mechanisms that enabled the user to rapidly open and close the jaws without tedious handle turning. The wood clamping surfaces in your vice will periodically need replacement. I prefer to use soft pine in my vices that will not crush or damage many of the different woods that I work with. Whether I’m working in soft pine or hard oak, soft wood clamping surfaces work the best.

Tape Measure and Marking Device: In your workshop, the ever humble tape measure will be one of your most frequently used tools. Purchase a good quality name brand tape measure with a wide tape usually in the 25 foot range. Although in your shop you may not be using the tape at these lengths, the larger tape measures offer more rigid tapes that won’t flop around and slip off the end of boards. Measuring when you’re by yourself will be a lot easier, and of course quality tape measures can last for many years. When marking projects, I prefer a sharp good old-fashioned HB pencil. An HB pencil will produce a nice mark without scratching the wood. Harder pencils like 2B’s can scratch soft woods and will require extra sanding. Avoid oversized carpenter’s pencils. Their large flat leads are just too coarse for accurate measurement in the workshop.

Other Tool and Materials: Here are a few other handy tools to round out your starter workshop: Purchase a T-square, set square and speed square. These inexpensive tools will help you in marking right angles as well as compound angles. Also, get an assortment of flat, Robertson and Philips screwdrivers. Get the number two and three Robertson set. I find that the Robertson format works best for most woodworking projects and is the most compatible with drill powered bits. Lastly get a pair of 12 inch wood files. Get a flat one and a round edged one. You’ll find them perfect for rough shaping and fixing little mistakes along the way.

Adhesives: Not all glues are created equal. Avoid cheap house brands sold as carpenter’s glue. The cost of glue through all of your projects is a minor cost consideration. Therefore, it makes sense to go with the best. I have also found over the years that I get the best results with both indoor and outdoor projects when I use a quality outdoor grade glue. These resin-based compounds unlike traditional water-based wood glue, will not break down and fail with moisture.

CONCLUSION

The peaceful gratification of woodworking is a wonderful experience in this day and age of rushed lives, smart phones and time starved careers. With a minimal investment in the most rudimentary tools and equipment, anyone can learn the rewarding skills of his time-tested hobby and enjoy project after project!

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Source by Ron Pawlowski

/ By edd / spiral-freezers/ / 0 Comments

The Discussion Of Education In America Must Move To A Higher Level

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Public education was created in part to be one of the mediating institutions that would mold the American character one citizen at a time. It is critical to the creation of responsible citizens capable of making informed decisions in order to produce and maintain a system of government that works. For at least a generation now, public education has abandoned the noble purpose of helping our young people understand who we are, where we came from, what we stand for and how to pass that on to our successors. Instead, it has embraced the goal of making sure that young men and women are competent at whatever they choose to do in life. Competence is important, but it does little to prepare the next generation for the job of deciding what this nation’s future will be.

If citizens are to remain citizens, and not merely consumers; if individual happiness is to be the product of more than the mere satisfaction of individual wants and desires; then the discussion of education in America must move to a higher level. It must touch upon the greater purposes that animate the nation. The advent of dot-com democracy brings with it a heightened sense of both the importance and the urgency of that discussion. We live in a time when it is possible to be all places all the time; to communicate immediately anywhere in the world; to make decisions on anything from holiday gifts to competing candidates with the click of a mouse; to create mass democracy unlike ever in the history of the world. Ironically, as we possess the technology to communicate with one another more efficiently than ever before, we run the risk of becoming a nation of strangers – each alone in front of a computer screen, talking in chat rooms, on e-mail, through the Web.

We possess the tools to transform the nature of democratic government, to make sure that democratic government responds to the wishes of the people, expressed directly by the people. The question then becomes: Do we possess the wisdom as a people to step back and ask if that is really such a good idea?

In an age of instant access, instant information and instant gratification, do we possess the wisdom to distinguish between the desire to satisfy the momentary impulse to serve popular opinion and the discipline, foresight and discernment needed to seek the long-term interests of a nation?

These are the most fundamental questions that have always confronted the American republic. For generations, educated citizens of that republic have found answers to these questions – at times through deliberation, at times through dumb luck. But the global context in which these questions are raised today is unlike ever in the world’s history, making our ability to come up with the right answers all the more important. And that means that the quality and character of the education provided the current and future generations of young minds in a democracy will be all the more critical to ensuring the future of that democracy.

While accountability for results has been an education reform slogan for some time, it is increasingly becoming a reality for schools around the nation. When states and districts create accountability systems, the first issue policymakers face is how to tell which schools and classrooms are succeeding, which are failing – and which are somewhere in between, perhaps succeeding at some things and lagging in others. This turns out to be genuinely complicated. Picking the schools with overall high or low average test scores is an obvious way to proceed, but the strong correlation between test scores and student socioeconomic background makes this problematic. Such an approach will tend to reward schools with prosperous students and punish those with disadvantaged pupils.

Most states are interested in rewarding the schools where teachers are most effective at producing student learning – that is, the schools that add the greatest value to their students, no matter where those students start or what advantages and disadvantages accompany them to school. In its simplest form, value-added assessment means judging schools and sometimes individual teachers based on the gains in student learning they produce rather than the absolute level of achievement their students reach. It turns out, however, that just as students start at different levels of achievement, they gain at different rates at well, sometimes for reasons unrelated to the quality of instruction they receive. For example, middle-class-children may be more likely to have parents help them with their homework. To identify how much value a school is adding to a student, the effect of the school on student achievement must be isolated from the effects of a host of other factors, such as poverty, race, and pupil mobility. A number of states and school districts are turning to sophisticated statistical models that seek to do just that. These “value-added” models come in two basic flavors: those that include variables representing student socioeconomic characteristics as well as a student’s test scores from previous years, and those that use only a student’s prior test scores as a way of controlling for confounding factors.

Whether to incorporate measures of student background into the model is a charged and complicated question. Those who use the first type of analytic model (including measures of student poverty, race, etc., in addition to prior test scores) do so because they find that socioeconomic characteristics affect not only where students begin but also how much progress they make from year to year. Given the same quality of instruction, low-income and minority students will make less progress over time, their research shows. If the background variables are not included, the model may underestimate how much value is being added to the students by these schools. Student background is not strongly correlated with the gains a student will make, once the student’s test scores in previous years are taken into account. If socioeconomic status indeed influences the gains made by students, as much research suggests, this raises thorny policy questions for value-added assessment. Omitting such variables from the model is apt to be unfair to schools (or teachers) with a high percentage of disadvantaged pupils.

Public education is undergoing a reformation. The future for education means transforming our static industrial age educational model into a system that can capture the diversity and opportunity of the Information Age. That means public education must reconnect with the public – the children it was intended to serve.

Effective education is not about programs and process; it’s about what’s best for your child. Some districts may deal with this dilemma by using both the level of achievement and the results of value-added analysis to identify effective schools. Another response is to assign rewards and sanctions based on value-added analysis as an interim measure until all students are in a position in which it is reasonable to expect them to meet high standards. No doubt other variations and hybrids wait to be developed and tried.

The debate over including student background characteristics in the model is important. More research is needed on how the various models perform. Today, for example, we don’t even know whether different analytic models will identify the same schools as succeeding and failing. Nevertheless, either approach gives us a more accurate measure of the contribution of a school to student learning than we would have if we looked simply at average test scores or at simpler measures of gain.

It is less clear that the models can confidently be used to identify effective and ineffective teachers. Researchers have found that teacher effectiveness (as measured by either type of model) can change a great deal from year to year. This means either that teachers often make major changes in their effectiveness or that the statistics for teacher effectiveness are not accurate. (It could be that the model does not adequately adjust for the presence of disruptive students in a class, for instance.)

Because value-added assessment for individual teachers is imperfect, many believe that it is best used as a diagnostic tool, to identify the teachers that need the most help, rather than as the “high-stakes” basis for rewards and punishments. Others contend that complicated analytical methods that leave so much to statisticians should be abandoned both for schools and for teachers in favor of simpler calculations that can be more readily understood by policymakers, educators, and citizens. Still others are content to let the marketplace decide which schools are effective. Whether these various audiences will prefer a form of analysis that is fairer or one that is more transparent remains to be seen. As the statistical techniques improve and we learn more about the accuracy of different models, though, value-added analysis is sure to become more appealing to states and districts. They can prepare to take advantage of these advances by beginning to gather the data required to make the models work, including regular test scores for all students in core subjects, and creating longitudinal databases that link student test scores over time.

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Source by Jeff C. Palmer

/ By edd / spiral-freezers/ / 0 Comments

Do Deep Green-Energy Efficiency Upgrades Make Economic Sense?

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First of all, not every green or energy efficiency item will provide a substantial rate-of-return or ROI. Replacing carpet with bamboo flooring makes perfect environmental sense but might not be justified through an economic payback calculation. Replacing a gravel driveway with permeable pavement is an admirable retrofit project but, since gravel is also permeable, the environmental impact is probably negligible. Certain energy and green retrofit items just do not provide a high ROI but are still well worth doing for other reasons, such as building durability, safety, healthier indoor environment, etc.

In terms of economic justification for a deep energy-green retrofit project are there ways to determine if the entire project should be able to pay for itself through savings of energy, water and other resources? The answer is yes if you understand the art and science behind modeling. The question of “how much energy or water will a project save” can only be answered by examining the proposed energy and water efficiency measures individually and also in groupings to determine the overall amount of energy and/or water savings potential. You must also factor in the present and predicted future cost of energy and water to compare the ‘net present value’ of the overall project investment against the cost of doing nothing & just paying the ongoing energy and water bills. (Point of fact: Most people do not understand that they pay dearly every day for wasted energy, water and other resources and that this wasted money can and should be used to pay for intelligent reductions.)

While it is nearly impossible to predict how much our natural resources will escalate in cost in the future, it is safe to assume that our vital finite resources, such as natural gas, coal, oil, electricity and, yes, even clean water, will rise in cost in relation to scarcity over time. So, it is wise to include some form of price escalation factor into your overall energy and water conservation model. Historically, the cost of conventional energy and water has risen over time in a fairly predictable manner and will likely continue to do so in the future. The actual degree or magnitude of these increases falls into the realm of speculation but this unknown variable itself has made some people wary and uncomfortable. In other words, large spikes in energy cost can and do happen and availability of clean water is becoming a world-wide concern.

On the other hand, with the sophisticated test equipment and software available today it is possible to determine the amount of energy and water savings attributable to an improvement ‘package‘ to a very accurate degree. It is not uncommon to find that a deep energy-green retrofit will produce a ROI of 30% or more, which is better that nearly every other type of investment available today. Plus, if you factor in an energy supply system, such as a solar energy or wind system, then the ongoing cost for conventional energy drops even more… perhaps to the point that the renewable energy system produces enough site-based energy to offset the remaining monthly cost for conventional energy. This is now known as a ‘net zero energy home’ or super energy efficient home. Note: Some energy utilities charge a minimum monthly fee or customer charge that can not be offset by on-site energy production. The only way to avoid the monthly customer charge is to disconnect completely from your energy utility provider(s), aka disconnecting from the grid or going ‘off-grid’.

There are many factors to consider when evaluating a substantial number of green and/or energy savings retrofit options and opinions abound on what is best to do or to avoid. What is the best way to start? Since this article is about residential improvements then it is wise to take the time required to find an experienced certified home energy rater or HERS* rater. A knowledgeable and experienced home energy rater understands how to use the sophisticated energy testing equipment needed to evaluate the energy situation of your existing residence, whether it is an apartment, single family home, multi-family dwelling… , and he/she has access to the energy evaluation software needed to perform the energy modeling necessary to determine the most effective set or ‘package’ of energy improvements needed to provide the targeted ROI.

Certified home energy raters also understand ways to conserve water and how to access private financing for your improvement package, such as Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIMs). (Plus HUD’s 203k loans with energy component) However, what if you are also interested in incorporating green products and technologies or want to get your residence certified through a national green program, such as the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program or the NAHB National Green Building Standard? In this case you will want to locate a “Green Rater” or “Green Verifier” who is properly certified and able to help you with the additional decisions involved in related green aspects, such as:

  • Natural landscaping/Edible landscaping
  • Renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic (PV) electrical systems or solar thermal (hot water or air) systems
  • Rainwater catchment systems and/or cisterns
  • Hybrid heating/cooling systems
  • Advanced technologies, such as home automation, daylighting, hydroponics and the list can go on and on

Please don’t despair or be overwhelmed at this point because there is an answer to even the most comprehensive and complicated projects ever devised. If you want to have the most energy efficient dwelling possible with the latest, greatest green features built into it, then you will need to enlist your own ‘hand-picked’ team to help you design and build it.

In essence, by having other people focus on your project with you then you’ll obtain the collective benefit of your group’s experience and knowledge to incorporate into your project. Assembling your own group is known in architectural and engineering circles as building an “Integrated Design Team”. This universally recognized team approach to creating innovative, cutting-edge projects can reward you with the best results possible. But, how do you find, assemble and schedule meetings with the geographically diverse and specifically talented members of your team? The answer is to find someone who is versed in facilitating design charrettes, which basically are targeted meetings focused on your particular project or set of projects.

I hope that this article gave you some new insights into how you can help defend your self and your loved ones from escalating energy prices and water scarcity concerns. Obviously one article will not answer your questions that I know you have, such as:

  • How to obtain or grow organic healthy food
  • How to arrange financing for innovative homes in today’s market
  • How to charge your electric vehicle (EV) for free using solar power, etc.

That’s what future articles are for. Thank you for taking the time to read this and may you live a long, healthy and productive life.

*HERS – Home Energy Rating Systems (More information available about HERS at RESNET.us )

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Source by Ken Riead

/ By edd / spiral-freezers/ / 0 Comments

They Call It a Rest Area for a Reason: Drowsy Driving Dangers

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There is a serious problem occurring on America’s roadways. Trucking companies and truck drivers do everything they can to avoid it. Companies have developed special equipment and products to combat it, yet it still plagues commercial drivers and non-commercial drivers alike.

Here are some statistics about “the problem”:

Causes 100,000 traffic accidents each year

Causes 71,000 injuries each year

Causes over 1,500 deaths each year

Is responsible for 1 in 6 fatal accidents each year

Causes $12.5 BILLION in losses and damages each year

60% of drivers admit to doing it in the past year

94% of drivers admit to doing it in their life time

96% of drivers say that it is an unacceptable practice

100% of people are able to prevent or avoid it

Sounds like some kind of epidemic, doesn’t it? Whatever you call it-Sleepy Street, Drowsy Drive, Tired Trail, Weary Way, Fatigue Freeway, or Pooped-Out Parkway-DROWSY DRIVING has become one of the most dangerous and least talked about problems of our time. Because of inconsistent tracking and reporting by law enforcement and traffic safety agencies, estimates on accidents caused by tired driving range from 15% to 55%.

“I only nodded off once. It’s no big deal.” When you’re tired your faculties are not at fully functioning levels. Here are some of the things that sleepiness can cause:

Slower than usual reaction times

Lapses in judgment of depth and time

Blurred or obscured vision (you can’t see through your eyelids)

Delays in the processing of sensory information

If you have been alive for the last 30 years, you probably noticed that all of these things sound like another popular traffic safety campaign-drinking and driving. That’s because studies have found that lack of sleep has the same effect on a driver’s cognitive abilities as consuming alcohol.

In fact, a normal adult who has been awake for 18 hours has the same amount of impairment as a person with a BAC of.05%. Some one who has been awake for 24 hours has the same level of physical and mental impairment as a person with a BAC level of.10%. Interestingly enough, all 50 states have adopted.08% BAC as the legal limit for Driving While Intoxicated; the magic number for commercial drivers is.04% BAC.

Warning Signs and Counter Measures

Well-known sleep physician, Dr. William Dement puts it pretty plainly, “Drowsiness is the last step before falling asleep, not the first. Drowsiness means you are seconds away from falling asleep.” He also adds, “The crucial event that occurs as we fall asleep is an abrupt shut down of the neural processes that allow us to perceive the world around us. At one moment we are awake, and can see and hear. A fraction of a second later we are asleep, and we are completely blind and completely deaf.”

Most people can use common sense to determine whether they are tired or not. But-just in case-here is a list of warning signs that you maybe headed down the Half-Awake Highway:

Trouble focusing

Restless/Irritable

Rubbing eyes

Heavy eyelids

Frequent blinking

Excessive yawning

Wandering/disconnected thoughts

Trouble remembering the last few miles

Drifting between lanes

Drifting onto the shoulder/rumble strips

Now that you know what being tired looks like, here are some things you can do to avoid a dangerous situation for you and for all the other drivers on the road.

Before you feel sleepy…

Get 7-9 hours of sleep the previous night

Take breaks every 2-3 hours of driving (or every 100-200 miles)

Bring along someone (or something) to talk to

Avoid alcohol or sedating medications

If you start to feel drowsy as you drive…

This one is tricky… STOP THE VEHICLE! Don’t try to fight against the fatigue; acknowledge it. Pull over at the next available exit or rest area. They call it a “Rest Area” for a reason. So pull over and…

Take a nap. A 15-30 minute nap will leave you feeling refreshed and recharge your batteries so you can make it safely to your destination.

After you wake up…

Drink caffeine. A big ol’ cup of coffee or an energy drink/supplement-coupled with a nap-will help boost your energy and keep you alert and awake.

Those with truck driving jobs are well aware of the day-to-day dangers involved in their profession. Chances are, due to deadline and schedule pressures; you are among the drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel. If you’re reading this, then you made it out alive. But not everyone is so lucky. For the unfortunate drivers, the accident victims, and all of their families, commit to not driving while you are tired or drowsy. It’s not worth your life or someone else’s life. So take precaution where you start to feel a little drowsy. Your life depends on it!

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Source by Greta Golfis