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Not many people think about the origins of harnessing the energy of the sun when the battery in their iPod or cell phone begins to die. They just open the high efficiency solar cell blades on their solar battery charger and draw the free, inexhaustible energy of the sun into their solar powered electronic devices. It’s unlikely that once their electronic device is charged, that they contemplate the sun’s incredible energy; that the energy the sun provides in one minute can supply the world’s energy for one year, or that the sun can provide more energy than the world’s population could consume in 27 years. They don’t realize as they listen to their iPod on the beach, or call for a tow truck with their cell phone, that the sun, which provided the energy to charge their electronic device, has been providing this energy to the earth for the last 4 billion years.

Thankfully, being aware of these facts is not necessary in order to enjoy the benefits of solar battery chargers, or any type of solar powered electronics. Either does knowing that the journey that brought us to today’s solar energy technology began in the year 1767, with the physicist Horace Benedict de Saussure.

Due to the increased use of glass during the eighteenth century, the French-Swiss scientist Horace Benedict de Saussure became aware of the ability of glass to trap solar heat. While many of his contemporaries preferred to work with burning mirrors, which could burn objects at a distance or melt the hardest metal within seconds, de Saussure set out to determine how effectively glass heat traps could collect the energy of the sun by building the Western world’s first solar collector.

When de Saussure created what was to become the first solar oven, he had tried several designs before determining that a well-insulated box with three layers of glass to trap outgoing thermal radiation created the most heat. The highest temperature he reached was 230° F, which he found did not vary significantly when the box was carried from the top of Mt. Cramont in the Swiss Alps down to the Plains of Cournier, 4,852 feet below in altitude and 34° F above in temperature, thereby establishing that the external air temperature played no significant role in this solar heating effect.

Although not many people are aware of Horace Benedict de Suassure and his groundbreaking experiments involving solar energy collection, they certainly have him to thank for pioneering the harnessing of this environmentally friendly source of energy. This along with the development of the earliest version of the solar oven, which is still the most energy efficient, and pollution-reducing oven in use today has demonstrated the benefits of harnessing this benign source of energy. Without the experiments of Horace Benedict de Suassure they may have never been the creation of the photovoltaic cell at Bell Laboratories in 1954, or the development of the solar chargers, solar battery chargers, or solar powered electronics that we use today.

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Source by Richard McCrossen

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Fasteners are hardware devices that are used to mechanically join or affix two or more objects together. The bond can be permanent or temporary. The application of fasteners can be home based or in industries. There is a vast variety of fasteners available today with varying applications. Some examples of fasteners used in industrial applications include bolts, rivets, pipe plugs, pins, clinch studs and anchors whereas example of fasteners for home use include zippers, buttons, pins and hooks. Some of these fasteners may be used in both, industrial and home applications. The use of these devices is very important as they hold parts and components together. For example, in machinery, fasteners are used to bind separate parts together. If they are not used properly, it could result in the failure of the machine which may prove to be disastrous in some cases.

We would all have encountered at least one of the most commonly used fasteners which include safety pins, clips, buttons or zippers. New types of fasteners are constantly being invented to match the different needs of people. The fasteners used in a car would not be the same as those used on ships or airplane. Also, the material used to make them varies depending on the application. For example, very strong iron fasteners would be used to bind objects that would be put under great amounts of stress. However, these have some disadvantages. They cannot be used on ships as they are bound to corrode when in contact with salt water. Therefore, a more economical and advantageous alternative to these can be stainless steel fasteners.

As mentioned earlier in this article, the bonds made by fasteners can be permanent or non-permanent. The need for non-permanent bonds arises when fasteners need to be removed for the object to be dismantled without damaging it. Such fasteners include bolts and nuts and threaded fasteners amongst many others. Screws have the simplest mechanism. They are a piece of metal that have an incised thread and slotted head. They are inserted into a hole which runs through both objects to be bonded and are tightened by simply turning the head. A bolt makes use of a nut to be secured on the opposite side when it is run through a hole to secure the bond as it does not have threads on it.

There are many factors that affect how one chooses which fastener to use for the various applications. Some factors that can be considered are environmental; temperature of the place where the fastener would be used in, is it a corrosive environment, types of forces on fastener; tensile, compression or shear, requirements of the fastener; frequent assembly and disassembly and most importantly the cost of the fastener being used.

Uses of fasteners are evident in everyday life. It’s just that we tend to ignore their presence as it’s so vast. They help to ensure that components are held in place and can function properly.

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Source by Amrit Pal

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The late Kurt Johannsen of Alice Springs ran a trucking service through the outback of Central Australia in the 1950’s. It was a trucking service with a difference, and that difference was Big Bertha, a Diamond T International ex Australian Army truck towing several “Self -Tracking” trailers over a narrow, winding bush road, loaded with 700 empty fuel drums and was really a sight to see.

He was contracted to the Shell Company to pick up all the empty 44 gallon fuel drums in the outlying station properties and return them to the Shell Depot in the Alice. In those days (C1950) the station Owners/Managers would pick up several drums of Petrol and Diesoline, then load their rations for the next month on top of them. In spite of the £ 2.00 (2 Pound) deposit on each drum, they were very seldom returned to the depot by the station, which resulted in a drum shortage.

The Diamond T was a bit different to the original unit built by International, it had a Gardiner Diesel motor and a greatly extended chassis Kurt’s development of the “Self Tracking” system is now used all around the world where road trains are used.

His other engineering feats include,

• Concentrating Copper Ore at Jervois Range using evapourative vats when he found that the rail freight on the copper ore cost more than the price he got for the ore. The ore was dissolved in acid and the liquid pumped into a shallow, wide tank, where the natural evpouration rate of up to 1 inch (25mm) per day did the job for him. The blue crystals of pure copper sulphate were then packed into drums and railed to Adelaide.
• He built a working Gas Producer that made its own Charcoal from wood from the side of the road, he always maintained that all he needed for travelling was a saw or a hatchet as there was always dead wood available close to the roads.
• The big American Station Sedan with the gas producer on the back was also altered with Kurt’s genious. He built a self contained, fold-out, fly-meshed, kitchen/living/sleeping area, which tucked away into the rear of the vehicle, then the big rear door with the gas producer was shut, giving no indication as to the real nature of the car.
• During the Lasseter’s Reef period he took off from Alice Springs in his Tiger Moth to do some searching himself but on landing at a pre-organised fuel dump on a claypan he hit an anthill and splintered the propellor. He removed the prop and trimmed the splintered end with a hatchet, then had to trim the other end until he had the prop balanced on a screw driver. Realising that he would have less thrust, he took off on full revs, well over the safe level, used up all of the clay pan and just made it into the air, and a low level return to the Alice.

Big Bertha and the Gas Producer & Station Sedan can be seen at the Transport Museum in the Alice, and the Modified Propellor, alongside a standard one, at the Air Museum, and you’ll marvel at the difference.

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Source by Pete Rumball

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The official YouTube statistic shows, that for march 2015, creators filming in YouTube produced over 10,000 videos that generated over 1 billion views and more than 70+ million hours of watch time. Viewers on mobile devices are spending more time than the ones on a desktop. But only 9% of the small business are using YouTube. The stats are pretty impressive indeed.

A question might arise “How a small business owner with basic marketing knowledge could benefit from that?”

What is actually a small business owner? The SBA defines that a small business is a venture with less than 500 employees. There are around 28 million enterprises fitting in. However, a bigger business could afford to spend more on marketing. But what about entrepreneurs having a team of few or literally “two men and a truck” or self-employed professionals and service delivery guys?

52% of all small businesses are home-based and they rely on local clients. They can benefit from locally oriented online marketing activities.

Having a YouTube channel has moved from being an option to a business priority. To explore it, first, you need to register your brand or yourself in YouTube. It is easy, just open a free Google account. Then in the app menu, you will find your newly created video channel. Click on “My channel” and then describe your business activities in details. Use the option to add pictures that illustrate your services on its best.

It is time for the first video. For better mobility and efficiency you might use your smartphone. YouTube is really great optimized for mobile devices so you just need to point the camera hit the “record” button and make a short video. Show your work – a project you just have completed, a problem that was fixed and so on. The video will be immediately uploaded to your channel. Name it with something related straight to your work. For an example “My new pipeline project is ready”. “A newly painted wall”.

Other way to make an interesting and eye-catching video is by pictures. Just shoot some scenarios straight from your work and upload them. YouTube will convert for you 8 – 10 pictures into a video slideshow that rocks. Do not forget to grab additional option to make the video slideshow more interesting. Just pick from the free list a dynamic and emotional music. This approach requires more pictures. All images should be related to your work. For example, taking several shots before, during and after the project could be a decent illustration on the results you are delivering to your clients.

Be active on YouTube. Share all your videos with other social networks you might have – Twitter account, Facebook profile, Pinterest wall and so on. This will expand your social media presence and will rise your chances to reach new customers. An approach like that for sure will increase your popularity. People would love not just to hear, but to see your work. Just show them your best.

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Source by Nikolay Peshev

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The ignition coil is an important component of a car. It converts power of a few volts from the battery into as much as 25kv which is essential to create a spark to ignite fuel. Optimal functionality of the ignition coil is affected by multiple factors. You can extend the life of the coil up to 80,000 km by following a few tips. Read this article to know more about how you can extend the life of the ignition coil.

Battery should be well charged

Make sure to charge the battery optimally. If it is below optimal level, the workload on the coil is unlikely to create sufficient spark to ignite fuel.

Check for oil leaks

Check if there is any damaged sealant. This condition may lead to the leakage of oil. Often, oil damages the insulation in wires and exposes them. This causes sparks and rules out coil ignition.

Prevent formation of moisture

Look out for any breakages where the ignition coil is located. Make sure you seal such cracks with an adhesive. This prevents moisture from entering into the system.

Avoid engine overheating

In summer, the climate is hot and you may like to sit in your car with the air-conditioner on. Running the air-conditioner puts excess workload on the engine. The engine component gets hotter and hotter. Unless the heat is facilitated to move out from the engine, it might cause excess heat. This heat may reduce the durability of the ignition coil.

Limit vibrations

Occasionally, you may get a knocking noise that is unusual. Such noise is an indication of damage of the part where it comes from. If the noise becomes frequent, it damages the housing. It might also lead to short-circuit in the coil and ultimately failure.

Maintenance of spark plugs

Over time, spark plugs wear because of workload. Get the spark plugs replaced as recommended by the manufacturer. While replacing spark plugs, see that the cylinder head threads and spark plug threads are free from moisture, dust and debris. Make sure to follow maintenance of the coil as recommended by the manufacturer.

Proper maintenance of engine parts

It is important that you take proper care of the engine parts. For this, you need to use engine oil of the right grade and appropriate fuel. You should also replace air filters, fuel injection pump, spark plugs and use right level of coolant (it should be between ‘high’ and ‘low’).

Make sure to replace the belts (in driving the pulleys) in the engine (replace them at 80,000 km), and get the vehicle serviced by expert professionals. Also, for optimal fuel economy, inflate tires to pressure recommended by the manufacturer.

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Source by Stephens H Robertson

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Hemorrhoids in Truckers: Overview. TRUCKERS! Do you know that you are at greater risk of developing hemorrhoids (piles) than almost any other worker? This is because you are sitting in a confined space for hours on end which in turn causes an increase in abdominal pressure, the bottom-line cause of hemorrhoids. Further, those endless hours in your truck commonly cause the major predisposing factor for complications from your hemorrhoids: constipation!

If it were not for your willingness to brave the elements and spend hours and hours on the road in your truck, and often away from home, the rest of us would suffer in more ways than we could count…..whether we realize it or not! If it were not for “the stuff” you bring to us in your truck, we’d do without tools, furniture, toys, presents, automobiles, building materials, medicine, clothes, food and on and on the list goes. Sadly, we often take you for granted.

Office workers usually sit for hours too but they are at liberty to get up and stretch or use the bathroom or take a break at least every couple of hours without it costing them a smaller paycheck. You, on the other hand, have to make a decision to pull your truck off the road (in a safe place of course), climb out of that monster, and commit some of your precious time which translates, for you, to money.

What are hemorrhoids?

Most of us, except for truckers, know very little about trucking and unfortunately most of us, including truckers, know very little about hemorrhoids. What are these pesky “little” things, anyway?

Hemorrhoids are basically varicose veins of the rectum and/or anus. That means the blood vessels are swollen and twisted and irritated. If they are located inside the rectum, they are called “internal” and are not visible without a medical instrument. If they are located around the anus, they are called “external” and are visible as reddened or even purple balls.

What causes truckers to get hemorrhoids?

In the case of truckers, it is the hour-after-hour, day-after-day sitting in one place that causes a build-up of pressure in the lower bowel. The blood vessels respond to the pressure by becoming thick and twisted.

What are the symptoms of hemorrhoids in truckers?

How will you know you have hemorrhoids? Your doctor will tell you for sure but the following symptoms usually signal hemorrhoids:

– Bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the bowel movement

– Itching and burning around the anus

– Pain with bowel movements (if the pain is sudden and severe, you may have developed a complication called a “thrombus” or, even worse, “strangulation” (which is just what it sounds like). If you develop sudden, severe pain, call your doctor at once.

-A feeling that the bowel is not empty after having a stool

– Tenderness around the anus

– Swelling around the anus

– A lump around the anus which may appear as a purple ball

– A feeling that you are sitting on something

What Causes Flare-Ups of Hemorrhoids in Truckers?

The single greatest contributing factor in the aggravation of hemorrhoids is constipation. Truckers are prone to hemorrhoids because of increased abdominal pressure caused by excessive sitting. “Road Warriors” are also prone to constipation because of:

Irregular bowel habits (can’t stop just anywhere)

Inadequate fluid intake (causes excessive urination)

Low fiber intake (tasty, but often greasy, food)

How Can Truckers Deal With Hemorrhoids On and Off the Road?

There are many steps you can take to ease your symptoms while you’re in your truck and when you’re not. Truckers as a group are a hearty lot and not given to complaining. However, hemorrhoids need to be dealt with because they will only get worse. It’s possible to avoid surgery in the future if the hemorrhoids are taken care of now.

Admittedly, some of the things you need to do will not be easy for you because they will require you to change a few of the ways you “do business”. However, I’m trusting that you understand that if you don’t pay the price now, you’ll pay a steeper one later. Besides, we’re going to make it as easy as possible.

Let’s talk about bowel habits first.

Avoid constipation at all costs! Do this by increasing your intake of fiber. That means fruits and vegetables, boys and girls! Also eat beans and whole wheat breads, cereals, and pasta. Read the labels and go for the fiber! (Start slowly though because adding it too fast can cause gas.)

Establish a regular pattern of emptying your bowels. For example, 20-30 minutes after meals give your bowels a chance to do their work. It’s hard and costly to pull your truck off the road so you need to teach your bowels some good habits.

When you feel the need to have a bowel movement, do it as soon as possible. Otherwise, the stool sits in the colon where it loses water so it becomes hard and dry. This is inconvenient at first but once you’ve followed the previous suggestion and established a pattern, it will bet better.

Do not strain or push when you are moving your bowels. If you keep the stool soft, you won’t have to.

For the same reason, don’t rush by forcing the stool out. On the other hand, do not dawdle on the toilet. Do your business and get up. Use stool softeners if you need to, but not laxatives!

Some nutritional pointers:

As we’ve already said, increase your fiber intake (fruits, veggies, beans, whole wheat, bran)

Carry a bag of fresh fruit/vegetable chunks and whole grain crackers in the truck with you. Munch on these as you motor along!

Increase your consumption of water. Don’t load up on other types of fluids though: coffee has caffeine; sodas have sugar (or chemicals if they are diet); juices are too concentrated; alcohol is drying. Stick to water. You’ll learn to love it. (And, your bladder will also get used to the additional fluid so you won’t always have to urinate every hour!)

Keep a food diary listing foods and symptoms to get a handle on which foods bother you. That way you can avoid foods that clearly irritate your hemorrhoids.

Other tips:

Avoid heavy lifting. If you must do it, do not hold your breath. Way too much pressure build-up!

Wear cotton underwear so as to stay nice and dry.

Change your position as often as possible. Shift your butt frequently. Get out and stretch whenever you can. Rather than sit for your whole lunch break (you’ve done enough sitting), stand up and stretch, bend, take a short walk…anything to get your circulation moving.

Keep your anal area scrupulously clean. Do not use perfumed soaps or wipes. Pat the area gently dry; do not rub!

If you’re having a flare-up:

• Apply ice frequently. You have room in your truck for an insulated container. Pack a few commercial ice packs and re-freeze them at night.
• Apply moist warmth at least during the evenings when your day is over.
• Take a sitz bath (that just means soak your rear end in warm water).
• Sleep on your side to relieve pressure.
• Put pads next to your anal skin that have been soaked in witch hazel.
• Use over-the-counter (OTC) creams, suppositories, and ointments.
• Use pain relievers such as tylenol or motrin if needed.

Don’t despair! You can regain your life. The steps listed above take a bit of effort in the beginning but it will get easier. I promise, and I also promise that your effort will be rewarded! Happy truckin’!

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Source by Sue Bristol

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Is your dog struggling to get into your car or boat? You can build a dog car ramp to save your back and to continue to give your dog freedom and enjoyment. There are two types you can build out of wood or other materials: one that is a fixed length, and one that folds and is portable.

The dog car ramp instructions below are for a fixed ramp and meant for side entry onto the floor of a minivan or the super cab of a pickup with a height of up to 24 inches (610 mm). )See the links at bottom for directions on how to build the portable kind for cars and boats.)

Before you start, check to see if the place where you will store your homemade dog ramp in your vehicle can accommodate the 5-foot (1525 mm) length. The longer the ramp, the gentler the slope.

Note that for getting into the taller rear of an SUV or pickup truck bed, you will most likely need a folding dog ramp for your dog. A length of at least 70 inches (1780 mm) is necessary to create a reasonable slope.

MATERIALS

English (Imperial) Units:

• 3/8 inch plywood, 12-18 inches wide and 4-5 feet long
• Two pieces 2×2 inch (50×50 mm) lumber the same length as the plywood for rails
• Two pieces 1×2 inch (25×50 mm) lumber the same width as the plywood for end supports
• 30 Drywall screws, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches (32-38 mm) long
• 10 Drywall screws, 1 inch (25 mm) long
• Sandpaper: 1 sheet coarse, 1 sheet medium, 1 sheet fine grade
• Rubber matting, carpet or good quality Astroturf to 3 inches less wide than the plywood

Metric Units:

• 10 mm plywood, 305-460 mm wide and 1220-1525 mm long
• 2 pieces 50×50 mm lumber the same length as the plywood for rails
• 2 pieces 25×50 mm lumber the same width as the plywood for end supports
• 30 Drywall screws, 32-38 mm long
• 10 Drywall screws, 25 mm long
• Various grits sandpaper per above
• Rubber matting, carpet or Astroturf 75 mm less wide than the plywood
• 5 mm less wide than the plywood

TOOLS

• Power drill with bit diameter slightly narrower than screws
• A saw to cut the pieces of wood (unless you can get the store guys to do it)
• A power and/or hand screwdriver
• Glue for wood and carpet

ADDING THE RAILS

1. For each rail, screw and glue at 4-inch (100 mm) intervals as follows:
2. Drill a hole through the plywood into the rail 4 inches from one end
3. Put in a 1 ½ inch (38 mm) screw to hold the wood there
4. Do the same from the other end and secure with a screw
5. Drill holes in between the two ends at the specified intervals
6. Put a dab of glue on each screw before driving it in

ADDING THE END SUPPORTS

1. Turn the ramp over
2. Put an end support underneath the plywood along one end
3. Drill holes and secure with 1-inch (25 mm) screws
4. Use at least one screw every 4 inches (100 mm)
5. Do the same with the other end

FINISHING THE RAMP

1. Use coarse sandpaper to round any sharp edges
2. Follow up with medium then fine sandpaper
3. If using carpet or Astroturf, sear the edges with a flame and pinch with a damp sponge to prevent unraveling
4. Glue or staple carpet to the plywood
5. Make sure there are no protruding sharp edges

Have your dog try the dog car ramp out, using treats for encouragement as needed. For some dogs it may work better to put the ramp at a low angle, like up on a curb, for an easier introduction.

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Source by Jo Soliday

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Back in the 70’s and 80’s, movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Breaker Breaker and Convoy spawned a craze of outrageous and sometimes risque call signs (or handles), that truckers and haulage companies used like their own private language. Mobile phones have all but put an end to the CB phenomenon, but around the world there are still some die-hard ‘Rubber Duckies’ haunting the haulage companies’ airwaves and doing it their way!

Call signs usually come about from someone’s appearance, a funny incident on the road, a personality trait (or defect!) or a drivers surname. Usually in the delivery work industry, a nickname or call sign is decided for you by mate or fate and you don’t have a say, and is designed to give everyone else a huge laugh at your expense! So we reckon it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and make your delivery work more fun by checking out a few of our oldies, goldies (and a few downright strange ones!) and getting inspired to think up your own to make fun of your mates! Go on – you know you want to!

(By the way we take no credit or discredit for any of these real examples found on the web!)

Stormin ol’ Norman – Well obviously – but turns out she’s a young woman! Go figure!
Twin Haemaroid Floyd – What? They come as twins?
Yogi Bear and Boo Boo – For the big hairy trucker and his little mate, or maybe it was his wife.
Lord Lucan and Nanny – As in ‘You’ve got Lord Lucan here, with Nanny riding shotgun.’ (Mmm, he’s well read if a little tasteless)
Cue ball – A popular one with the shiny head brigade. (Seemingly very prevalent in haulage companies worldwide!)
Vanilla Smoothie – See above but pasty white as well! Bless!)
Kermit the Brick – Fluorescent road kill?
Slaughter the Transporta – Hope his haulage work is better than his spelling.)
Daughter of Slaughter – We kid you not! (Or was it Dorta of Slaughter?)
The Ginger Ninja – Look out he’s over there! No there!
Tex the Lex – apparently the name given to a dyslexic Texan trucker who couldn’t read road signs, and ended up causing a massive pile up on a US motorway! He was blacklisted from hundreds of haulage companies! Not nice you guys!
Hutch – Always travelled with his pet rabbits in the cabin of his truck. Mmm, what’s up with THAT doc?
Munchkin Clutchpedal – A cute little guy who had to have the clutch pedal modified in his truck before any haulage companies would take him on!
Tea Pot Teddy – Short and stout – say no more!
Slim Jim – Well, the cap fit twenty years ago, but now this guy is HUGE! Beware – names stick!
Two-timer Tom – Not a womaniser, just a guy who could never get his delivery work right the first time!
Prehistoric Haemaroid – Nope, no reason! Apparently this guy just said he wanted something no one else would think of, and he wanted to make people laugh. Job done!

So next time you find yourself caught in the granny lane, get yourself out over the zipper, put the hammer down and see if you can think up a few good ones of your own! Ten-four Big Buddy, I think we got us a convoy!

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Source by Lyall Cresswell

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New cars are very expensive here in Peru, due to customs and taxes. The average Peruvian can’t afford a car and even having a driver’s license is not common. Of those that can afford cars, most buy used cars that have been imported from Japan. After the cars arrive here, they are converted from right hand drive to left hand drive. If it is an experienced converter, they do a really good job, and at first look you would never know that it had been converted. There is a big business in these cars in Tacna, a city in Southern Peru near the border with Chile, where there is an ocean port.

I bought my first car here in Arequipa, over three years ago, and it was not a good experience. Due to improper import documents, it took six months before I could get it licensed and was able to drive it. It was a 4×4 Nissan station wagon, but was not made for the rough off highway driving that we need to do here in Cotahuasi. After endless repairs, I finally decided to get different vehicle, as I needed something better for my adventure travel business. I talked to Lucho, whose family has become my family here, and he gave me lots of advice.

First of all, in spite of how important tourism is to Peru, taking advantage of gringos is kind of a national pastime here. Lucho protects me like a kid brother, even though I think I am older than he is. He also used to be a policeman, so has lots of experiential wisdom to draw on. He gave me detailed instructions on what to do and not do in Tacna. Most of the cars are sold in a special area called Ceticos, which is a reduced duty import zone. It looks like a low budget used car mall, with probably 40 or 50 dealers selling cars.

Knowing that I would pay more for the same car than a Peruvian would, I had wanted a Peruvian friend to go with me to do the negotiating. However, no one was able to go with me last week, when I needed to go. I had sold my old car in Arequipa on Monday afternoon, and left on the bus that night for the six-hour ride to Tacna. One of my friends, Hector, said he could help me but only for one day. I said I would spend Tuesday and Wednesday looking, and if I found something suitable, I would call him and he would take the Wednesday night bus, to help me on Thursday. It wasn’t an ideal situation but Lucho told me that mid-week was the best and safest time to buy a car there, it is too crowded and not safe on weekends. Checks are not commonly use here so that meant I would be paying cash.

Because of this, many large transactions are done at banks. Lucho told me to take the seller to my bank, give them the money there, and sign the papers there, so that I wouldn’t be walking around with over $10,000 in my pocket. He also told me to ignore anyone who tried to talk to me, help me, or asked me to help them. He warned me to be careful that no one bumped into me or touched me in the bank, because they do that “accidentally” and then put a mark on your back. When you go out of the bank, an accomplice sees the mark and knows that you are carrying a lot of cash. They will then follow you until they get the opportunity to rob you.

I arrived in Tacna at about 4:30 am; fortunately, we were allowed to sleep in the bus until a more reasonable hour in the morning. I finally gave up trying to sleep at about 6:00 and went and found a nearby hostel. They said they would hold my bag until I returned in the evening to check in, so I didn’t have to pay an extra day’s room charge. There were no restaurants around, so I went back to the bus terminal and had breakfast, before I went to Ceticos.

There have been some changes in the import laws so there are less vehicles being brought into Peru than there used to be, but there were still hundreds of cars, pickups and vans surrounding the large warehouse like buildings in Ceticos. The conversions are done there as well, which only is feasible because they are able to buy the cars so cheaply, and labor is also very cheap here in Peru. One factor made it easier for me; I knew exactly what vehicle I was looking for – a Toyota Hi-Ace van, 4-wheel drive and manual transmission. Most of the combis (small van bus service) are Hi-Aces and they are all manual shift; all I needed to do was find a 4×4 like one I had seen here in Cotahuasi.

When we left Japan, 20 years ago, almost all vehicles sold there were still stick shift, very few automatics. However in the last 10 years, automatics have become much more popular there as well, probably due to the almost universal use of cell phones. I found a number of beautiful Hi-Ace vans, with nice seats for 8 people, but most were automatics and none were four-wheel drive. The Town-Ace is a little bit smaller but I looked for them as well, same problem. I found one 4×4 van but it was a Mitsubishi and automatic, and it was too expensive. I finally started looking at small SUVs like the 4Runner and Pathfinder, but they too were only automatics. They also had a few Land Cruisers, but they were close to $20,000. One salesman said a friend of his, who was a notary public, had a manual 4Runner for sale, but it was back in the city, about 10 minutes away.

Remembering Lucho’s advice, I declined his offer to take me to see it. I did ride with him and his co-worker all over Ceticos while he tried to find me one, as well as the phone number of his friend’s office, so we could call him. During this time we picked up another friend of his, who said he knew of one for sale in the city as well, and they wanted to take me there to see that one. Finally after not finding anything in Ceticos, I nervously agreed to go look at the ones in the city, as they seemed like nice guys and were trying so hard to find a vehicle for me.

I had second (make that fifth or sixth) thoughts when we picked up a fourth young man (he was related to one of the owners) in Tacna, and I still hadn’t seen any vehicles there. After driving all over, away from the center of town, I was really getting nervous, and was thinking about jumping out of the car if I saw a policeman, we finally arrived to where one of the trucks was supposed to be. Another five minutes later, someone brought out a very trashed 4Runner that they wanted $10,000 for, and it had an automatic! Next we went to the notary public’s office. He had sold the one they wanted to show me, but had a newer one for sale for $19,000. I said it was nice but too expensive, and also it was an automatic. Then they wanted to show me another one somewhere and I said no, “Take me back to Ceticos!” After wasting a couple of hours, and 10 soles for gasoline that they asked me to pay for, I was glad to be safely back in Ceticos, where I looked at the remaining places I had not been to before.

There was not a 4×4 manual van to be found at any of the sellers, and I was about ready to give up and go back to the city. First I decided to look at the Mitsubishi again and see if they might have anything cheaper. It turned out that I had misunderstood the price and it was within my budget. Using my best negotiating tactics, I managed to get the price down a thousand dollars, but it was probably still more than a Peruvian would have had to pay. I really needed to get a vehicle so decided to buy it, even though it was an automatic. The whole next day was spent doing the paperwork, getting my money from the U.S., transferring the money, and getting some minor repairs done on the van. The paperwork had to be done by a notary public, the one the seller used was the same on that I had been to the day before! Fortunately Hector made it to Tacna in the morning to help with all that, and make sure everything was correct.

We got the required permission to drive it back to Arequipa without registration, and at 7:30 pm we were finally ready to leave. We grabbed some roast chicken and fries, our first meal since breakfast, picked up my bag at the hotel and headed off for Arequipa. We still had to go through the customs checkpoint but Hector handled everything there, and within 30 minutes we were on our way again. As we went through one small town, I saw a policeman standing near the road and a sign that said, “Control”. I asked Hector if we needed to stop and he said no, so we drove by. About an hour and a half later as we were going through a tollbooth, a policeman waved us over to the side of the road. I showed him the permission papers and he said we needed to go back about 60 miles to the control point to get them stamped. It was getting late and I didn’t want to waste the fuel, so asked if there was any way we could avoid going back. He took me in the building, stamped the papers and said we could continue!

We arrived at Hector’s place, where I park my car when in Arequipa, at 2:00 am, tired but thankful for a successful trip. The next day, after spending a few hours waiting and standing in lines, the registration paperwork was all submitted and now I just have to wait 10 days to get the title, and then a couple days more to get the license plates. Then I can drive my car!

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Source by Vic Hanson

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This is one of those job interview questions that will be asked by the savviest of interviewers. Although it’s positively heart-stopping to be on the answering end of this question, if you were the employer, wouldn’t you want to know how this seemingly fabulous person ended up on the job market? It’s similar to meeting an interesting, attractive person of the opposite sex, or finding a used car that’s only got 1000 miles on it and is 3 years old. Just a little too good to be true, and you can’t believe that no one else has discovered this amazing find.

Basically they’re trying to figure out what is wrong with you, and suspect they will get a clue by looking at your relationship with your last job.

So your task is to not give them any ammunition to rule you out of the game.

1. Never, ever, ever speak ill of your current employer, or any former employers for that matter. Everyone knows that one reason for this is because your interviewer will envision you badmouthing them when you decide to leave, and nobody wants to think about bad rumors about themselves traveling through the industry. Another reason to avoid dissing your past employer is that in this very small world, they could be a friend, relative or even your potential client at this new job. No person works on an island and you must always be conscious of the seemingly invisible threads that connect so many people.

2. Another never is to speak ill of the tasks you were asked to perform at your past or current job. ANY tasks. You may think that this new job would provide a blissful escape from the tedium of your last one, and so gleefully explain to an interviewer all of the mind-numbing things you were asked to do. However, your interviewer is thinking about the similar (but different) mind-numbing tasks of this position, and decides that you would quit after the first month. There’s no reason to hire you if you’ve already given them a reason for you to quit.

3. Also, you don’t want to speak ill of your co-workers. Those were or are your teammates, and the same rule holds true as reason #1. This world is too small, and good jobs are too few to take the chance.

So what CAN you say?

1. You can say that you wanted a new opportunity. That you felt that you had taken your current or past position as far as you could within the company, you had achieved X, Y and Z, and now feel that it’s time for you to learn a different aspect of the business, or to work for a bigger (or smaller) company. The key here is to focus on the future. Focus on the opportunities you see in this new position, how it will help you grow and learn and not what was wrong with the last company you worked for.

2. If you are applying for a job that touts flexible hours, work from home or excellent benefits in the job posting, you can mention those qualities as a reason to look into this new position. Again you don’t want to speak ill of your current employer, but say that you understand why they need to run their business as they do, but if the working arrangements at this new company are better suited to your lifestyle at the moment then it might be a good fit. You are showing the employer that there is a natural fit between their needs and your needs.

In the cases where you were let go from a position, all of the above rules apply. If it’s the truth, you can say that you were laid off as a result of a company-wide restructuring or budgetary cuts. If it was due to a disciplinary action you can say that at the time you were having some time management issues (if you were fired for being consistently late), but you have learned your lesson, that you take an employer’s requirements a lot more seriously and have taken proactive measures (which you can briefly describe) to prevent yourself from getting in that situation again. Show that you have made your mistake with your past employer and have absolutely no intention of making the same mistake twice. Sincerity, an action plan and great references are necessary to counteract any remaining issues.

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Source by Melanie Szlucha