Ways to Find Out If You Have Unpaid Parking Tickets

[ad_1]

How do you know if you have any unpaid tickets?

You would think that it would be easy to know if you have received a parking ticket (penalty charge notice is the legal name – sometime abbreviated to “PCN”) and whether it is paid or not because you will know when you get back to your car and find one on the windscreen! But that isn’t always the case.

In the case of the ghost ticket which is a parking fines scam I highlighted nearly 8 years ago, the ticket is not actually put on your car or handed to you even though it is printed out. Then some 28 or 30 days later you get a document called a Notice to Owner in the post telling you that you haven’t paid the penalty charge notice – a ticket which you know absolutely nothing about. So that’s one way you can get a ticket when you don’t know about it and sadly it’s the result of that very popular scam.

In London, in particular, there are hundreds and hundreds of closed-circuit television cameras which issue parking tickets Clearly you won’t know when one is issued until you receive it in the post. But even that has its problems because with the uncertainty of our UK postal system you may never get that ticket and the first you hear about it is when you get a document called a Charge Certificate or even worse an order for recovery from Northampton County Court saying that you haven’t paid up!

So how can you find out if you’ve been issued with a penalty charge notice? You would think that the simple answer is you merely phone up the Parking Department of the city you are in. That may work in the United States and outside London but in London there are 33 separate local councils that issue PCNs as well as Transport for London. So if you have a suspicion that you might have been caught on camera or worse that a parking attendant (in England and Wales they are now called civil enforcement officers) has scammed you this is what to do.

Let’s assume you know or think you know roughly where you might have been caught on camera or been seen by a parking attendant.

Telephone the local authority that has jurisdiction in the area where the camera was situated and ask for the parking enforcement department.

Give your name, vehicle registration number and your address and simply ask for details of any penalty charge notices that have been issued for that vehicle in say the last month. I say the last month, you could just as easily ask for the last three months because with the advent of CCTV issued PCNs you may have well received more than one ticket. Moreover you could equally have been the victim of more than one ghost ticket. I remember acting for one member of the public in a case before the parking adjudicator where the poor fellow had received eight ghost tickets.

Hopefully the council officer dealing with your enquiry will give you the information but they may say that they can’t give out information on the telephone because of data protection legislation. If that’s the case then you simply have to ask them to send the information to your registered address which will be the one registered for the vehicle concerned.

I should add that if you are worried that you have received a parking ticket whilst driving a car belonging to your spouse, girlfriend, friend or relative then the local authority will not give you the information because the parking fine is in law the sole responsibility of the vehicle owner rather than the driver. So that’s the most straight forward and fastest way to find out details of any parking tickets issued to your vehicle. It is clear that with the use of CCTV for PCNs enforcement and dishonest practices in parking enforcement you may well have parking tickets which you knew nothing about.

The difficulty, certainly in London, is that there are 34 authorities that issue tickets. Outside London and in other jurisdictions (e.g. the USA) it’s much easier because in a particular jurisdiction there will normally only be one office that issues tickets. However in some states in the United States of America tickets can be issued by both the police and city officials and sometimes even outside contractors acting for the city so in those places you should contact both the city and the police.

[ad_2]

Source by Barrie Segal

Guide In Installing Small Car Refrigerators

[ad_1]

Many people are now installing small car refrigerators in their cars. You shouldn’t be foreign to the additional convenience provided by these small appliances. I understand that installation can be quite tricky. This is why you have to learn more about it.

Here are some pointers you would want to consider:

1. Check the available systems of your car. If your car has A/C source, installing a fridge should be easy. In fact, you don’t need an external fridge for that. You just have to use the A/C source to keep the glove box of the car cool. This should be good enough to cool sodas. Unfortunately, they do not produce temperature as high as external refrigerators can produce. If you are storing food and other perishable goods as a preparation for a long road trip, you would want to get an external fridge.

2. If you are installing a mini-fridge, make sure you get the right choice first. Look for a reliable chest fridge that can also be used as an upright and miniature version of a full-sized refrigerator. It should be able to hold a few cans of sodas and some of your food without spilling.

The mini-fridge can be installed in the trunk. It is less convenient as you probably have to stop the car to get a can of soda. However, it is a good choice if your sole purpose is to have food and drinks ready when you need them.

3. Get an inverter to supply current. It can be hooked up to the 12V DC of your car. An inverter might be a little expensive since refrigerators require lots of power. On the other hand, there are also refrigerators that run on 12V current already. If you haven’t bought a min-fridge yet, look for those with 12V power requirement.

4. These small appliances come with a manual. You should read the manual tediously before doing anything. Follow the safety regulations and installation instructions closely.

5. If you want to cut down on power consumption, go for those mini refrigerators with a solid-state feature. Experts said they are cheaper than the standard mini-fridges out in the market. Moreover, they do not consume a lot of energy.

These are the things you have to consider when you are thinking of installing a small car refrigerator. Remember them when you are on the lookout for a good fridge.

[ad_2]

Source by Alan Cassidy

The Difference Between Hubcaps and Wheel Covers

[ad_1]

Most car owners are fairly oblivious to the parts that go in, on and around the vehicle. While most of the parts have their own technical names people commonly generalize those names which can create a lot of confusion – such as with hubcaps and wheel covers. Most car owners think they’re the same thing but they’re actually quite different.

The Hubcap

The true portion of a hubcap on your car is to cover the hub-portion of your wheels. This is the part where the wheel mounts to the hub and the lug nuts attach or screw on. Hub caps don’t generally cover the entire wheel. They actually fit over this center hub region and range anywhere from 2 inches to 10 inches in diameter depending mainly on the size of the wheel.

Hub caps are designed to attach easily to the wheel or hub area by snapping into place. This type of system has been around since the dawn of vehicles in order to provide easy access to the lug nuts that hold the wheel in place. Some hub cap systems did utilize additional plastic lugs that would fit over and thread onto the bolts however the threads of the plastic wear and cross-thread easily. When the threads strip the grip is lost which causes the hub cup to jump off the wheel.

Today the most popular model found in stores use a snap or circular wire, tension and clips to hold the hub cap flush to the hub. This force fit keeps the hubcap from breaking away and flying off.

Vehicle Wheel Covers

This is where the confusion rests with a lot of people, as the wheel cover is very different from the hub cup. Unlike the hubcap which covers only a portion of the wheel, the wheel cover actually extends out and covers the entire wheel.

A lot of modern vehicles will invest in quality wheel systems, such as pickup trucks that use mag-alloy wheels that are precision cut and designed to not only be reinforced but to be aesthetically pleasing. Most other cars however are designed from an economy standpoint. Man y of these economic vehicle options are designed using simple steel wheels. These are inexpensive and easy to produce in the line assembly.

While simple steel wheels are easy to produce and fit to most vehicle styles they tend to be extremely unattractive. For this style wheel, a hubcap wouldn’t sufficiently cover the overall design. This is where the wheel cover becomes a popular choice.

Wheel covers come in a variety of styles and are made from quality metals with intricate designs to simple plastic that serves the sole purpose of covering your wheel… and not much else.

While hubcaps have been a part of American car culture since the early 1900’s, wheel covers have only been around since the early 50’s where they debuted on American made vehicles. As technology always advances, the design was improved upon by Honda in the 80’s into a design that’s still used by car manufacturers and auto enthusiants to this day.

[ad_2]

Source by Hunter C Zimmerman

How to Get Your Girlfriend Back – Avoiding the Twelve Biggest Breakup Mistakes and "Pet Cemetery"

[ad_1]

In this article I will be introducing you to “Pet Cemetery Persuasion” and why it is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to salvage a relationship. Learning the differences between this faulty type of persuasion and the more elegant methods will not only help you get your girl back but ensure that the two of you have a happy and successful future together. Also, towards the end of this article, we will be discussing the twelve biggest breakup mistakes I see guys make time and time again and why it’s so important to avoid these deadly blunders.

During a breakup, it’s very common for guys to use a variety of persuasion techniques to convince their girlfriends to take them back. Unfortunately, most of the techniques that they attempt to use are detrimental to re-establishing a happy relationship. One such technique is referred to as “Pet Cemetary Persuasion.” This is a blanket term for when someone uses guilt, threats or any other persuasion strategy that makes others feel forced into doing something against their will. This usually results in negative consequences for the persuader.

It is easiest to explain Pet Cem by using a conversational example. And although this article is written from a man’s perspective, I feel that it is helpful to examine some of the mistakes that women make in relationships, as well. In the following conversation, Lisa is doing her best to persuade her husband, Joe, to accompany her to the most dreaded of all places: his mother-in-law’s.

Lisa: “Joe, my mother just called and wants to make dinner for us tomorrow. We need to be there by six at the latest so make sure you get home from work on time.”

Joe: “What are you talking about? The guys are coming by for poker tomorrow. You know Friday is poker night.”

Lisa: “Well, my mother wants us there, so you’ll have to cancel your game.”

Joe: “Honey, you can’t tell me the night before that you made other plans for us. I have seven people showing up tomorrow. I can’t just cancel on them last minute. We can go to your mother’s on Saturday.”

Lisa (becoming angry): “We haven’t been to her house since Christmas and all she does is ask about you. I’m sick of making excuses for why we never visit. It’s important to me that we see her and if you love me, it should be important to you, too. Why is it so hard for you to show that you care about me?”

Joe: “I do care about you and it is important to me. But the point is that you’re forcing me to change my plans at the last minute. We can see your mom some other day. It’s no big deal.”

Lisa (about to explode): “Damn it, Joe. It is a big deal but you just can’t get it through your head. Well, maybe this will help. Call your friends right now and tell them that the game is cancelled. And if you don’t finish those calls in the next ten minutes, your poker buddies will never be allowed to set foot in this house ever again. Until you start showing me some respect, I have to treat you like a little boy. Now go pick up the phone.”

Joe (storming off): “Ok, fine.”

Lisa just made some serious persuasion mistakes in the above example. Were you able to pick them out? If you are somewhat unsure about where she went wrong or have ever found yourself in a similar verbal exchange with someone, you need to pay close attention to the rest of this chapter.

BURYING THEM IN THE PET CEMETERY

Pet Cemetery Persuasion falls under the category of what persuasion expert “Doktor Sulo” refers to as “one-shot persuasion.” This term comes from the world of sales and is used to differentiate the selling methods used with a customer whom you will only be dealing with once, and the methods of “long term persuasion,” which are used when it’s best to foster a long-term buyer-seller relationship.

For instance, a used car salesperson will usually pitch his prospects in a different way than would a financial advisor. The car salesperson might use certain techniques to engage his prospect’s emotions, bring them to a fever pitch and take advantage of their current emotional state. He won’t have to worry much about how he’ll be perceived by his customer in the future because he knows they will probably never see each other again. This can increase the temptation to resort to deceitful or unethical sales practices.

The financial planner, however, will be in touch with his clients over a long period of time, so it’s in his best interest to create a long-term positive perception of himself which will help to ensure repeat business. The difference between these two methods is equivalent to chopping a tree down to get at the apples, and using a ladder so you can pick the fruit each season for years to come.

When it comes to romantic relationships, it makes obvious sense to think of your partner as someone with whom you would want to foster long-term rapport. And just like a smart financial planner, you need to keep in mind that all your persuasive efforts should result in a win-win situation for both parties. If not, you will eventually have to deal with some serious buyer’s remorse.

Sadly, it seems that people use all sorts of sneaky tactics to get what they want from their partners and then act surprised when they have to deal with the backlash. How do you act when things aren’t going your way? Do you nag, whine, chastise, place blame, withdraw, berate, or belittle? These are all examples of Pet Cemetery Persuasion.

The name for this concept was inspired by a popular Stephen King book entitled, “Pet Cemetery.” And just in case you haven’t read it (or seen the movie) here is the gist of what happens:

A woman has a cat she loves very much. While she is away on vacation the cat is killed. Her husband becomes distressed over the situation and looks for a way to fix the problem before his wife returns.

Somehow, he hears about an old Indian burial ground not too far from where he lives. It is rumored that whatever is buried in this sacred ground comes back to life. Of course, the man is skeptical, but he decides it can’t hurt to give it a shot and see what happens.

Before he can make it to the cemetery, an old Indian approaches the man and warns him about his course of action. The Indian says that while things buried here do come back to life, they will never be the same. But the man fails to heed this advice, and buries the cat regardless. A few days later, the cat returns to the house looking a little dirty, but otherwise in great shape and the man is thrilled. He thinks that the cat is back just as it was before and that his wife will never realize what had happened.

But as the days pass, the cat starts to change. It becomes more rabid and demonic and attacks anyone who comes near it.

When his wife returns, she is happy to see “Fluffy” alive, but her happiness is short lived; her son is struck and killed by a truck a few days later. Her husband refuses to accept the loss of their child and decides to bury their son in the Pet Cemetery, without his wife’s knowledge. But this time, when little Junior comes back to life, he goes on a vicious killing spree which leaves his mother dead and his father barely alive.

While this is a rather macabre example, having a strong visual in mind will make it much easier to understand this next principle: When you try to coerce someone to do something against his will, (while he is completely aware of it), you are metaphorically smacking him over the head with a shovel and burying him in the Pet Cemetery. He may seem fine at first, but you had better sleep with one eye open. He’ll be back shortly to say hello.

Remember the conversation between Joe and Lisa? Let’s take a look at what happens the day after their argument:

On the way home from Lisa’s mother’s house:

Lisa: “It was really nice to see mom again. I think she was happy to see us too. Wasn’t the food fantastic?”

Joe: (silence)

Lisa: “Honey?”

Joe: (grumbling) “Yeah. Wonderful.”

Lisa: “What’s your problem?”

Joe: (furious) “I went to your dinner and you’re still whining? What the hell is the matter with you? All you do is nag and complain!”

Lisa (confused and getting angry herself): “Why are you yelling at me? I thought we had a nice time tonight and now you’re starting in on me for no reason!”

Joe: “No reason? Are you completely out of your mind? Just shut your mouth and let me drive!”

This is an example of what happens when you allow yourself to get caught up in negative emotions and lose sight of the bigger picture. When Joe refused to grant Lisa’s request, she blew her stack and dragged poor Joe, kicking and screaming, to the Pet Cemetery.

Lisa had plenty of other persuasive options available to her, although she might not have been aware of them. However, many people who don’t know how to properly handle their anger and frustration will resort to Pet Cem tactics because they will be oblivious to the end result of these methods while easily satisfied by the immediate gratification of their short-term results. In other words, the quickest and easiest path to getting their way is the one they will choose.

For Lisa, her first attempt at Pet Cem was to use guilt as a weapon. Instead of listening to the valid reason Joe had for not wanting to cancel his game, Lisa accused him of not caring about her. When Joe still refused to budge, she started using threats to get her way. Under this kind of pressure, Joe had no choice but to concede and Lisa got the result she was looking for. Things returned to normal shortly after…

…or did they? What Lisa didn’t notice was the growing resentment that Joe was harboring. It took a full day to brew and then completely exploded in her face when she least expected it. “Hi honey. It’s me, Joe… back from the dead.”

While there are many variations of Pet Cem behaviors such as yelling, threatening, or begging, I feel that the most dangerous is using guilt to get what you want. It’s no secret that most women are attracted to strong men and using guilt as a weapon is the tactic of the weak and needy. But sadly, it also seems that guilt is usually the first method people resort to when they can’t seem to get their way, such as Lisa did in the above example.

Now sometimes these strategies will work. Just remember that whether you beg like a little child to gain her sympathy or threaten to put her X-rated videos on the internet, the end result is that your girl will feel coerced and will start to resent you, which is not something you need in your relationship.

IS ALL PERSUASION MANIPULATIVE?

Many people may not realize that there is a huge difference between persuasion and coercion. Persuasion makes people feel good when they do what you want, whereas coercion is the evil twin of persuasion. It’s the equivalent of getting people to do your bidding at gunpoint. In this case, you use a mental gun like a “guilt gun” or a “blame gun” but it’s still a weapon pointed right at their heads. While they may do what you want, they will not feel good when they do it. It will be like having to change someone’s bed pan; you’ll get it done because you have to, but you’ll be dragging your feet the whole way.

Using this kind of manipulation strategy during a breakup (or before things get too far gone) can keep a relationship going but it completely destroys the spark (the attraction) which is the foundation for everything that you have. The Pet Cemetery is such a great metaphor because at first glance, you think everything’s great because your relationship is alive and well, but upon closer inspection you realize that things have changed drastically and your partner is just a poor replica of who she was before. Your goal after a breakup should be to get the same person back that you used to have, not to turn them into a whole new person who hates your guts.

Think of a time when you felt forced into making a decision that you were reluctant to make. How did you feel about the situation? More importantly, how did you feel about the person who was using a manipulation strategy? Is this the way you want your girl to feel about you?

Here’s a more extreme example that illustrates Pet Cem clearly, albeit rather graphically:

Many years ago, I was watching an episode of the show “America’s Most Wanted.” This particular episode featured a beautiful twenty-five year old blond named Samantha who was dating a twenty-seven year old successful gym owner named Hans. They enjoyed a great relationship which progressed to a discussion about marriage. Hans decides that he wasn’t ready to get married, but still wanted to be with Samantha. Samantha wasn’t having it.

Eventually, she gave him an ultimatum: “If you don’t marry me, I’ll go find someone else who will.”

Hans didn’t balk and continued to put the marriage off. So Samantha, frustrated, ran to Hans’ best friend, Jack, and told him her woes. Jack comforted her by calling Hans an idiot and saying how any man would consider himself lucky to be her husband. The two continued to talk to each other over several weeks and began to form an intimate relationship. Less than a month later, the two (Jack and Samantha) got married.

Hans was completely distraught and in shock over the double betrayal. Not yet content, Samantha went ahead and poured salt in his wounds by expressing her total satisfaction with Jack. This led to several confrontations between the two men and Jack warned Hans to stay away from his wife.

A few weeks went by. Hans finally called Samantha and threatened to kill himself if she didn’t come back to him. Samantha, touched by this confession, expressed her remorse over what had transpired. She realized that she had made a mistake because she had loved Hans all along.

This led to one last confrontation between Jack and Hans. But this time, exchanging words was not enough for Jack, so he took it a step further by hiring a hit man to kill Hans. Jack is now on the run from the law for the murder of his best friend.

In a televised interview, Samantha expressed how she had always wanted to be with Hans. “While Jack was fun to be around,” she said, “I knew it wouldn’t last because my heart belongs to Hans.” Choking back tears, Samantha’s final words were, “And now I have nothing. I hope they catch Jack and prosecute him for what he did.”

Samantha had desired Hans all along. But when things weren’t going her way, she tried to bury her relationship in the Pet Cemetery to get what she wanted. In actuality, her strategy did work to some degree and maybe if Hans wasn’t killed their relationship would have seemed normal again, for a little while at least. But it never would have been the same.

This sort of thing happens all the time, often in a less extreme way but with similar results. Typically, Pet Cem behavior will rear its ugly head after a person has tried numerous ways of getting what they want but to no avail. It’s usually a very effective method, since it attempts to persuade by taking away something that a person holds emotionally dear to them. However, it’s nothing more than a behavioral padlock that restricts a person’s choices to the extreme.

So remember that anytime someone feels coerced against their will, it’s a result of someone using manipulation as opposed to persuasion. And since this can be extremely detrimental to a continued positive relationship, you always need to look upon these inferior methods as the equivalent to selling your soul to get what you want; while it may seem like a victory, the person you manipulate will lose all respect for you, and once that’s gone you’ll have nothing left.

This is even more dangerous when it happens with a girlfriend or ex. I truly believe that women need to feel a deep sense of respect towards their partners to be fully satisfied in a relationship and any harbored resentment will eventually eat away at that respect until it is completely consumed. So beware of turning your girl into an evil “Fluffy” who will be secretly waiting for the right time to claw your eyes out.

THE TWELVE BREAKUP MISTAKES YOU MUST AVOID AT ALL COSTS

If you are currently experiencing a recent breakup, the first thing you must do is look over the following list of major mistakes and notice if you’ve been using any of them unknowingly, along with making any Pet Cemetery mistakes as well. Of course, the next thing to do is to stop these behaviors immediately. These mistakes are brutal relationship killers and need to be avoided like the plague. Here are the top twelve:

1. Refusing to “Shut Down the Town” from the very beginning of the breakup

While it may at first seem counter-intuitive, it’s the most important part of this strategy and acts as a foundation upon which everything else is built. The best course of action right now is to stop taking her calls, stop talking to her friends, and avoid seeing her in person.

2. Being too nice and understanding. Telling her things like “I will wait for you,” kissing her ass, etc.

If you have ever studied the science of Behaviorism, you will realize that the best way to train an animal to behave correctly is by rewarding the behaviors you want more of and ignoring the behaviors you would like extinguished. Obviously, the very act of breaking up with you is faulty conduct and by being kind, understanding and “giving her time,” you are rewarding her behavior and tossing the bad dog a biscuit.

3. Loving 100% to get your lover back

This strategy, which one relationship expert advocates, is in the same vein as mistake number two. This person recommends, in a nutshell, being as sweet as pie to your girl no matter how badly she treats you while also letting her know that you’ll wait as long as it takes.

While this strategy may work once in a while, you are completely emasculating yourself in the process. Even if your girl decides to eventually take you back, she will have lost a tremendous amount of respect for you which will prevent the relationship from lasting. Remember that how she takes you back is more important than when she takes you back.

4. Displaying neediness

The first three mistakes all fall under the umbrella of neediness. This is when your true feelings for your girl, as well as your respect for yourself, become completely overshadowed by desperation and misery. A lot of people actually misconstrue the feelings that their neediness creates for actual love. I will do my best to explain this in depth later on, but for now please realize that there is a huge difference between the two. Showing neediness is one of the biggest killers of attraction and must be avoided at all costs.

5. Losing your temper

Not being in control of your emotions, including your anger, is another major mistake. When someone knows exactly how to push your buttons to elicit an emotional reaction out of you, they are holding a remote control for your brain which not only makes you lose a tremendous amount of power but allows you to be easily manipulated.

Remember that there is a time and place to blow up and let yourself yell and scream. But you must decide when that time is and not just haphazardly respond to situations without conscious choice. In other words, you must be in control of your emotional state and be the one who chooses which emotions you display and at which times.

6. Refusing to date other women

Never underestimate the power of the jealousy card. A woman will feel much differently about a man who is in the field scouting for new women than she will about a man who sits home with his buddies each night and drinks his life away. There should be no excuse that keeps you from constantly prospecting, and by disregarding this important step you are artificially inflating your girl’s market price.

I need to make a very important distinction between doing this the right way and using it as a Pet Cem maneuver. You do not want to use other women as weapons, period. If you throw it in your girl’s face that you are dating (or sleeping with) other women (either during the breakup or after the two of you are back together), it becomes a cheap Pet Cemetery tactic that can easily backfire. However, if you keep it a secret and she finds out through other sources, it will usually have a strong effect. The act of you not flaunting it makes it that much more powerful.

The only time you should bring up your exploits in conversation is if she asks you directly. Then, you can tell her honestly that you’ve been seeing someone. Any faltering here looks like you are hiding something. As long as you say it matter-of-factly and are not seeking a reaction from her, this can easily make her very jealous.

7. Not having a detailed plan

Going into a breakup without a clear-cut plan is like parachuting into the jungle, in the midst of a war, without a map or compass. Things can get ugly out there and the last thing you want to worry about is having to find your way out of the bush once your emotions start clouding your judgment; one wrong move can lead you into enemy territory where you’ll be left emotionally captured, locked up and tortured for years to come.

Also, a plan helps you stay consistent with your original intent and this consistency is very powerful. A lot of guys will attempt to stick with one approach, but then do the complete opposite when it fails. For example, they may start off by begging their girls to reconsider, and when that doesn’t work, they may resort to threats and other malicious behavior. Unfortunately, most girls can see right through this sort of manipulation strategy and will immediately distance themselves from the manipulator.

8. Not having a strategy to deal with the emotional pain

Let’s face it. A breakup can be one of the most difficult and painful experiences in your life, and sometimes the pain just gets to be too much. At this point, many guys look for any way out, even if it means giving up their pride, self-respect, manhood, etc. Our girls fell in love with us in the first place because of these traits, and laying them down in the line of fire while waving a white flag is not going to have your sweetie come running to clean off your wounds. Why would she? You’re no longer the man she used to love.

To prevent all this from happening, you must have the proper tools on hand to deal with the mental pain that may come up. Thankfully, I have compiled the most advanced forms of mental medicine known to man and will be teaching them to you step by step. These will make the difference between forcing yourself to follow the “Get Your Girl Back System” and effortlessly doing what you need to do.

9. Allowing yourself to stay “stuck”

Letting the breakup completely stagnate your desire to move forward in life is one of the worst things you can allow. Once your ambition falls to the wayside, it is only a matter of time before severe depression sets in.

One of the most important things in life is having a strong sense of purpose. A breakup can easily allow you to forget what you are here to do, especially when living without your girl can make life seem totally meaningless. This is a huge trap which has crushed many men financially, emotionally and spiritually. Luckily, you will have all the tools you’ll need to push forward despite any feelings of hopelessness and futility.

10. Failure to maintain a social network.

You must allow yourself to see your friends and maintain your sociability during a breakup. Otherwise, you will end up like that guy from the movie “Swingers” who sat in his house for weeks waiting for his girl to call. And remember, when you are out with your buddies you are not allowed to talk about your girl! The whole point of going out with friends is to get your mind off the situation and to learn to have fun without a girlfriend in your life. Also, if you constantly drone on and on about the breakup, your friends will eventually tire of it and stop inviting you out.

11. Mistaking the reasons your girl gives you for the breakup as the real reasons and acting upon those instead

A woman will very rarely be completely honest with you during a breakup. Sometimes she will try and explain herself by saying things like, “I just need some time alone,” and “My life is so complicated right now,” while at other times she may be keeping you in the dark completely. I have found that the reasons why a girl leaves her man are almost always the same universally, no matter what she may tell you. And of course, she has very good reasons for not being completely up front with you, which will be covered shortly.

12. Giving her ultimatums

Be careful of ultimatums! It can, however, be a smart move to set up ultimatums in a relationship early on, such as, “I don’t tolerate dishonesty or cheating, and if that ever occurs between us, I’m out the door in a heartbeat.” By establishing boundaries and refusing to allow your principles to be compromised, you will be setting a good tone for your relationship. The problems start when you begin to use ultimatums to manipulate unwanted behavior.

For example, when you say to your girl, “If you don’t stop hanging out with Monica, we’re through,” or “If I ever see you flirting with that guy, you’ll never see me again,” you’re making a serious error. The problem with these kinds of ultimatums (in addition to being Pet Cem tactics) is that they trap you. Most of the time they won’t have any effect on your girl’s behavior (many women will test you to find out if you’re for real) and they will leave you stuck having to dish out the consequences you previously threatened.

At this point, if you fail to deliver on your threat your girl will realize that your words carry no weight and will start to lose respect for you. And God forbid she realizes that she can do whatever she wants with no repercussions. You’ll be in for a world of hurt, my friend.

Being careful enough to avoid the mistakes we have just covered will make the road to getting your girl back that much smoother. I wish you the best of luck.

[ad_2]

Source by Jay Cataldo

Fixing Leaking Triumph T140 Rockerbox Spindle O-Rings

[ad_1]

Triumph T140 Bonneville rockerbox spindles are prone to leakage, especially on high mileage bikes. Simply replacing the tiny rockerbox O-rings often isn’t enough. Many O-rings on the market are sub-standard in terms of quality. Many are quite simply the wrong size.

Unfortunately, you might need to try a number of O-rings before you find a pair that work. But they are cheap to buy and easy to replace. Fixing them just seems more complicated than it is. Here’s how to do it.

With the engine off and cold, loosen and remove the aluminium inspection covers from the front and rear rockerboxes. Each cover will be secured by six Allen screws. Loosen them just a fraction of a turn to take off the initial load. Now undo the Allen screws incrementally. That helps avoid distortion. Once you’ve turned the Allen screws once of twice, you can relax and remove them quickly.

There should be a paper gasket under each inspection cover. Remove this gasket carefully by scraping and peeling gently. Do not use a hard scraper such as steel. Use a plastic or aluminium scraper of some kind. Loosen the valve adjuster nuts on the rockers. This takes the load off the rocker spindles and the valve gear. Do NOT omit this step. You need only ensure that the rockers are loose. Don’t remove the valve adjuster nuts.

If, however, you see that one of the valves is in the fully open position, gently rotate the engine (using the kick starter) to close the valve. This operation also helps take the load off the rocker gear and the rocker spindle. To facilitate closing a valve, you might prefer to remove the spark plugs to relieve cylinder pressure. The engine will turn over much easier this way.

But how will you know if a valve is open? Simple. Look at the ends of all the valves where they meet the rocker adjusters. If one of the valves is pushed all the way down by the rocker adjuster, it’s open. You might want to turn the engine over a few times to familiarise yourself with the valve movement. It will become clear when you look at it for a while.

Next, you will need a special tool available from good classic Triumph dealers. Cheap to buy (usually a few pounds or dollars), this tool is just a tapered tube about one inch (25mm) long designed to fit snugly over the rocker spindle.

To use it, follow these simple steps. First loosen and remove the right hand dome headed nuts that secure the rockerbox oil feed pipes. There will be one for the front rockerbox, and one for the rear. The pipes are joined at a T junction which is in turn connected to a rubber pipe. Remove the copper washer from under each dome nut. Remove the oil feed pipe. Remove the copper washers behind the rocker oil feed pipe. There should be one on each rocker spindle.

Now temporarily replace the dome headed nuts, but not the copper washers. Save the washers for later reassembly. The idea behind this stage is to get the rockerbox oil feeds out of the way. The dome headed nuts do not need to be fitted tightly. They are replaced only to protect the threads on the end of the rocker box spindles. Wind them on just a couple of turns.

Next, using a hide mallet or rubber mallet, gently tap one of the dome headed nuts. This will drive the rocker spindle across the rocker box from the right side of the engine to the left side. Don’t tap the spindle more than a few millimetres. The idea is to slide it across just enough to expose the O-ring and O-ring groove on the other end of the spindle. Keep tapping gently until you can see the O-ring. Do this on the front and rear rocker boxes. You might have to loosen the dome headed nuts a turn or two to facilitate this. It will be clear when you’re working on it.

Next, take a small tool with a point or hook. Gently lever off the old O-ring from each spindle. They will now be flattened rather than rounded. You can just pull these off and throw them away. Wipe the end of the rocker spindle with a rag and check that nothing is damaged. If the spindle is damaged, it will have to be replaced. If the spindle is in apparently good condition, oil it with some fresh engine oil. Then oil one of the O-rings. Gently roll the O-ring over the end of the spindle and ensure that it’s a snug fit in its groove. Do this with both rocker spindles.

Now you need that special tool mentioned earlier. Oil it on the inside with fresh engine oil and slide it over the O-ring and rocker spindle. Take care not to snag the O-ring. Next, remove the dome headed nut on the end of the spindle and temporarily replace the rocker oil feed. Replace the dome headed nut and gently tighten whilst holding the special tool on the other end of the spindle. The idea is to slowly draw the spindle and the O-ring through the small tapered tube. This helps stop the O-ring from snagging as it’s pulled back into the rocker box.

Do this with both O-rings. Check as best you can that both O-rings are seated. If you cut or damage one, replace and try again. Remember to use plenty of oil. The oil feed pipe is used here purely as a spacer. You’ll see why quickly enough. Some owners try to tap the spindle back through from the left side. You should avoid this. Just use the method above. It’s slower, and more controlled.

Next, anneal the copper washers. There should be four; one to fit behind and one to fit in front of the rocker feed pipe on the right hand side of the engine. To anneal, hold each washer in a naked flame until it’s cherry red, then drop immediately into cold water. Copper can be safely annealed this way. Ferrous metals need to be cooled slowly.

Remove the rocker oil feed pipe and fit a copper washer onto each spindle. Replace the oil feed pipe. Put another copper washer on each feed pipe. Carefully replace the dome headed nuts and tighten. This will pull the rocker spindle even more tightly into the rocker box. Don’t over tighten.

Reset the valve clearances. Eight-thousandths of an inch for the inlet side, and six thousandths of an inch for the exhaust. It’s unusual to have the inlet rocker gap larger than the exhaust, but this is correct for the T140 engine due to its camshaft profiles. Replace the rocker box gaskets. A smear of gasket sealant won’t hurt. Don’t overdo it. Tighten the rocker box inspection covers (incrementally, please).

Check that everything is as it was. Start the engine, ensure that the oil pressure light goes out, inspect for leaks, and ride the bike to warm thoroughly. If, after a period of a few days or weeks, the spindles aren’t leaking, they are probably fixed. But if one or both still leak, you’ll have to try again. It ought to work every time, but it doesn’t. These are old bikes and need a little fussing.

If you have persistent issues here, you can try removing both rocker boxes and stripping completely. Then you might try machining a very small 45-degree bevel (or thereabouts) on the left side of each rocker box where the spindle is drawn in. This bevel can help prevent the O-rings from snagging on reassembly. Just a millimetre or two will suffice.

Always buy the best O-rings you can from a reputable source. Don’t bother trying any form of resin or sealant around the O-rings. It rarely, if ever, works. Remember that the spindles don’t actually spin. Instead, the rockers inside the rockerboxes pivot around the spindle. The object of the exercise is to feed those new O-rings gently into the rocker boxes. Look at the problem in engineering terms. Never force anything in this area. It shouldn’t need it. Just be slow and methodical. If you want to check the spindle housing for wear, start the engine and put a gloved finger against each spindle in turn (left hand side, and then right hand side).

If the spindles are bouncing up and down, or moving at all, they need replacing. Sometimes this movement is clearly visible. If you prefer, you can completely remove each rockerbox and replace the O-rings on the bench. But it isn’t necessary if you first remove the valve/rocker-load and use the special tool with plenty of oil.

[ad_2]

Source by Danny DeFazio

The Uses and Misuses Of Apostrophes And How To Make Your Writing User-Friendly

[ad_1]

Punctuation is a crucial component of clear and effective writing. The apostrophe is one punctuation mark that can be confusing and daunting to use correctly. Used correctly, an apostrophe can help to make writing reader friendly and convey meaning effectively. The following are the ways in which apostrophes can be used correctly and thereby enhance effective writing.

First, the apostrophe is commonly used for the possessive form of a singular noun, as in: e.g. “the gun of a policeman”, instead write: ” the policeman’s gun”. If the apostrophe has to be used for the plural form of a noun ending with an “s”, this can be confusing for some writers. The following is an example how an apostrophe is used for a plural noun ending in ‘s’ as with ” reader- readers’ “. “The readers’ opinion is important”. Note that the apostrophe comes at the end of the word readers ending with ‘s’ instead of before the ‘s’.

Possessive forms of personal pronouns do not require the apostrophe. An exception is the pronoun ‘one’. The possessive form of ‘one’ is ‘one’s’. The possessive forms of the other pronouns are: his, hers, yours, theirs, ours, mine and whose.

Its and it’s are different and are a source of confusion for many writers. The former is short for ‘it is’: e.g, “it is, or its my duty to wash the car,” and the latter is a possessive; e.g: it’s colour was white’, as when replying to a question about what colour a car was.

There is also the elliptical apostrophe. Instead of writing: “Peter’s and Jim’s car’, you would write, Peter and Jim’s car. The apostrophe comes before the ‘s’ after the second proper noun.

The apostrophe is optional but preferred by most writers in expressions such as a ‘year’s time, ‘a day’s time, and two week’s time.

Do not try to form other contractions with proper nouns, for it is unacceptable.E.g, John’s going with us.’ Rather write; ‘John is going with us.’Contractions that are permissible are: I’ve (I have), they’re (they are), he’s (he is) haven’t (have not). I’d (I would), isn’t (is not).

An apostrophe can also be used to show the omission of numbers such as in: “the winter of ’87.” Lastly, the apostrophe can be used to form plurals of single letters or numbers when they appear in the body of a text. E.g. “He only wrote the b’s and the d’s”. This is to prevent confusion for the reader.

[ad_2]

Source by Louis Ben Leboko

The Effect of Speed on Vision While Driving

[ad_1]

Visual Acuity

One of the primary effects of speed is to decrease for objects in the foreground, which are rendered unclear because of the motion and vibration of the car. Investigation has shown that this range of sub standard foreground vision increases by approximately 20 feet for each increase of 10 miles per hour in speed. Thus at 20 miles per hour we cannot see details clearly within 40 feet ahead of the car; at 60 miles per hour, not within 120 feet or more.

Let us imagine a driver with 20/20 visual acuity driving at 60 miles per hour. There is a highway sign ahead with three lines of writing on it. This driver does not know the area – his memory cannot be of any help – so he must read the sign. We have seen earlier that this driver can read 5 inch letters from 280 feet. We now know that when his car reaches a point 120 feet from the sign, he cannot clearly see the details. He has only 160 feet, or 1.8 seconds, to read the sign.

A driver with 20/60 vision cannot see that same sign before he reaches a point 93 feet from it – but his close up vision is affected the same as the first driver’s. Will this driver be able to read a three line message? The problem of reduced close up vision explains why some drivers make emergency stops or slow down abruptly at road junctions, especially at super highway exits. You must always be aware of this danger and be ready for any sudden action by other drivers. If you know the area you are driving in, a short glance at the sign will be sufficient – but remember that strangers who do not know their way will need longer periods of time.

Road departments, having studied this problem, use symbols as much as possible, or make the written message as brief as they can. Super highways always have signs with large and easily read letters.

Field of Vision

Your field of vision is reduced by concentration and speed. When you concentrate on one single object, the field of vision is nil – which is generally what happens with new drivers, because they tend to stare at what they believe to be important. Field of vision is also narrowed by speed. When stopped, a driver’s field of vision may be as high as 190 degrees, but for the same person, the angle will be narrowed to 40 degrees at 60 miles per hour. That is why, whenever possible, highway signs are positioned above the roadway.

Distance Judgment

Good distance judgment is dependent on good visual acuity. Since acuity is reduced by speed, distance judgment will also be adversely affected when you are driving fast.

[ad_2]

Source by Kris Kolanko

Tips to Prevent Fuel Pump Failure and to Extend Its Life

[ad_1]

The fuel pump is an important part of your car’s fuel delivery system. It delivers fuel at optimal pressure from the fuel tank to the engine. A well-functioning fuel pump helps your car run efficiently. However, due to various reasons, it is prone to wear and tear. In order to prevent this, you need to take some preventive measures, which not only help you avoid sudden failure of the pump but also to increase its life. Following are some preventive tips.

Avoid using contaminated/low quality fuel:

Contaminated or low quality fuel affects the performance of the engine. Research shows that it is the main reason for half of the engine failures. Contaminants affect the functionality of fuel pump and therefore the engine. They put more load on the pump and hence cause excessive wear.

Avoid using low quality fuel that does not meet optimality parameters such as viscosity, heat value, flash point, etc. It is sensible to follow manufacturer’s guidelines in this regard. Also, make sure that you refill your car at reliable and trustworthy gas stations.

Don’t run vehicle on low fuel:

This is important because running the vehicle on low fuel will lead to sedimentation of the contaminants (at the bottom of the tank). This clogs the fuel filter and leads to fuel pump failure.

It is also important to make sure that the fuel tank is not near empty. Running the engine in such a condition may make the fuel pump get exposed to heat, which eventually affects its functionality.

Avoid using cheap additives:

Car owners try to use additives assuming that these additives will improve their vehicle’s performance and mileage. But the fact is that the additives don’t do much good if you already have a healthy vehicle and are using the right octane level required by your vehicle.

Some cheap additives may contain corrosive chemicals that may damage the sensitive parts of the engine system such as the fuel filters, injectors and the pump. Therefore, it is sensible to avoid using cheap additives.

Replace filters and strainers periodically:

Replace the fuel tank filter and one that is associated with the injectors. Make sure to replace these filters once in 3-6 months or whenever they get blocked.

Also, replace the fuel strainers. They help filter debris. Over time, debris accumulated in the strainers can block fuel flow, and can result in suboptimal functionality of fuel pump and even failure. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines while replacing the filters and strainers.

Regularly clean and maintain fuel tank:

The fuel tank accumulates dirt, debris, water, fungi over time. The sources of these contaminants might be different. Further, storing the vehicle in areas that are prone to water logging could be a cause of water getting into the tank. The fuel itself leads to sedimentation at the bottom of the tank because of rusting. All these lead to failure of filters, and the fuel pump. Make sure, therefore, to clean the tank on a regular basis as recommended by the manufacturer.

The fuel pump functions in a way similar to human heart that delivers blood across the body. Its failure causes death. Similarly, the fuel pump in your car is a vital component in the engine system. Following the tips we just discussed is likely to prevent failure of the pump and increase its life.

[ad_2]

Source by Stephens H Robertson

10 Interesting Facts About Rolls-Royce

[ad_1]

New York, Paris and London chauffeur services use them and the rich and famous love them. The Rolls-Royce brand is synonymous with prestige and luxury and when you think of one of their cars you cannot help but associate quality.

For such a well established brand there are still many facts that most people are un-aware of.

1. Did you know Rolls-Royce should always be written with a hyphen in the middle to reflect both the founders’ surnames?

2. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded the company over a hundred years ago in 1906. Incidentally a photo of the Charles Rolls and Henry Royce was never taken of them together.

3. More than six out of 10 Rolls-Royce cars ever sold are still roadworthy. The oldest still on the road is a 1904 10hp owned by Thomas Love Jr. of Perth, Scotland.

4. One of the first Rolls-Royce cars to be developed was the Rolls-Royce 10 which stood for 10 horse power. This was sold for £395.00 back in 1904 and is equivalent to £32,000, only 16 were made.

5. The mission and objective of the car manufacturer set out by the founders as a company was to provide a tangible transport alternative to horses and trains. When the company was first created the horse and carriage was still the main mode of transport.

6. Arguably the most famous Rolls-Royce car model is the Silver Ghost, 6,000 were originally made and the Ghost part of the name signified the quietness of the engine. The success of the Silver Ghost led Rolls-Royce to open a second factory in Springfield, Massachusetts but closed down after 10 years because people in the USA preferred the British made cars.

7. The Rolls-Royce R engine is the only engine to obtain land, air and water speed records.

8. The famous Rolls-Royce emblem was designed by Charles Sykes and is called the “Spirit of Ecstasy” and no two figurines look the same. Incidentally Henry Royce disliked the figurine stating it ruined the cars lines.

9. The famous car manufacturer actually stopped manufacturing cars in 1971 after the company was crippled by the development of the RB211 jet engine. The company restarted manufacturing of their cars when they were taken over by various other firms such as Vickers, BMW and Volkswagen.

10. Nowadays this famous car manufacturer which is now owned by BMW is as strong as ever and makes cars which are shipped all over the world. In 2009 they sold 1,212 Phantoms to the rich and famous including P Diddy, David Beckham and Simon Cowell to name just a few. A large amount of sales can be attributed to wedding and chauffeur companies all over the world buying their luxurious vehicles to hire out. You can find them in lots of major cities all over the world and many London chauffeur services provide Rolls-Royce phantoms for hire for up to £1200 per day.

[ad_2]

Source by Louise Goldstein

5 Funny Moving Stories

[ad_1]

OK, so you are about to move. Did your research on movers. Found a moving company with decent pricing, somewhat decent reviews and bearable BBB rating. Packed most of your stuff. Moving day is coming. Excited?

You might as well be, because you never know what’s waiting for you on the move day!

Some of the funniest stories I’ve heard during my extensive moving business career:

  1. Knock knock! You open the door. Your movers have arrived. Except, they are an exceptional crew consisting of a 65 year old man, an illegal immigrant who doesn’t speak any English as was randomly picked up at a random gas station, and a waitress from your local Waffle House. They all admit this is going to be the first move in their lives. Except the older gentleman who claims to be the crew leader. He believes in himself and his team. This has happened to one of our customers several years ago. He called Milestone Relocation immediately after kicking out (literally) his moving crew down the stairs.
  2. You are moving today. Your movers are unreachable, and obviously they are not here. You move by yourself or hire someone else. Two days later, your movers, the ones that never showed up, call you and tell you that they are going to be a little late because they have a flat tire. Sounds funny? It’s a true story!
  3. Your movers show up on time. Do an extremely good job. One item is left on the truck: your grandma’s ancient clock. A 200 pound clock, which is basically all that has left for her to remember your granddad who passed away several years ago. The move went well, you and your family, including your grandma, are watching how your movers are getting ready to unload the clock off the truck. For the 97th time, you remind your movers to be extremely careful. They nod their heads confirming understanding the importance of this. One of them even says, “Don’t worry, we are professionals!” Your grandma is watching in relieve: after all, the movers did a great job, and they can’t mess up the only item which is left. On the “Don’t worry” words, your grandma almost falls down on her butt: she can’t believe movers are screaming, the clock is falling from 4 feet high, and the ancient glass is all over the place!
  4. “I understand my company charged you more than 3 times above their estimate and refused to unload your items before you pay the full balance in cash. It’s nice you are so understanding. But we work on tip, and if don’t get tipped right now, we will not unload your belongings no matter what the company says.”
  5. “I just came back from jail. I did my 8 year sentence for beating up my wife. Do you really think I care when you threaten me saying you will call the police because I am not unloading your stuff before you tip me?”

These stories are funny until they happen to you. Do not be negligent. Protect yourself by choosing a moving company carefully. Do you research. Google it. Read reviews. Make sure they are licensed. And then, when you help yourself, God will help you too.

Happy moving!

[ad_2]

Source by Marty Paukstys