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Surely, at some point in your life, you have owned a car and hoped that it would come to life in an instant. There are some iconic cars from movies and TV that make us have car envy and hope that with a push of a button we could be in the Batmobile. Here are a few of the top iconic cars from the movies or TV and their features.

First off, Pixar’s film “Cars”. This movie follows Lightening McQueen (played by Owen Wilson) while he tries to make it back from the run down town of Radiator Spring in hopes to win the Piston Cup. There are many other characters that we meet during McQueen’s journey, Mater the loveable tow-truck (played by Larry the Cable Guy), Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), and former Piston Cup winner Doc Hudson (played by Paul Newman). This race car is a new rookie for the races and can reach extreme high speeds. He has some interesting features that model actual race cars, like having stickers instead of headlights. However, this car talks, has eyes, and has a winning personality.

Next on our list is KITT from Knight Rider. KITT, Knight Industries Three Thousand, is a sporty 1982 Pontiac Trans Am and has an artificially intelligent computer installed that allows it to help Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) fight crime. KITT (William Daniels) has a special body armor that protects it from just about any type of firearm and can resist extreme heat. The super computer on wheels of course could talk, but not only that, he was fluent in Spanish and French, and even has a variety of different accents. This really was the best car ever for any human crime fighter since it could talk, smell, hear, could examine the area, had an array of weapons, had different modes like silent mode, and of course he could still function as a regular car. Pardon me, an awesome car.

Herbie is a very iconic car which lands it in the next slot on our list. This old school Volkswagon Beetle race car actually in habits the human soul who made him named Herbie. Herbie can function just fine on its own like any normal car: driving itself, reasoning, thinking, knowing the difference between good and evil. Ok, so normal cars don’t do that last one, or any of those. But, Herbie does race and help its owners survive different situations and helping good prevail over evil.

Some people can be obsessive about a car, but what about a car obsessed with it’s owner. That is the case with the car Chrstine. In the movie, Christine was portrayed as a 1958 Plymouth Fury who was obsessed with her owner Arnie (Keith Gordon). Christen takes it upon herself to find those who insult, hurt, or attempt to separate her and her love, Arnie. She can’t talk like some of the other cars like KITT of Lightening McQueen, but like Herbie, it’s as if her soul is trapped within the car. And, what a soul it is. Christen will wreak havoc to anyone who does her Arnie wrong, no matter how much it may hurt her. Hell hath no fury like a woman, um, car scorned.

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Source by Sarah A Manchester

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You can start your own business renting out your tools, as a mobile service. You can reach more customers, if you are willing to travel! You can start from as little as one rental item, and ad things to your list, as you get them! You could make more money, if you offer to let them rent it, for longer periods of time. You can have a more special, and personalized service, where you come over to the customer’s home, and show them how to use the equipment, and pick it back up from them later, when they are done.

You could offer all kinds of rental items. Just drive around, and just about every town, has a rental store around it. You can see some of the things they rent out, like paint sprayers, stump grinders, and items like that. You could expand into party rentals, like cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cone machines. You could offer lots of party items. You could include on your flier, that you offer personal service, and helpful tips.

You could send out business cards and fliers, to local real estate agents, landscapers, and nurseries, that you have mobile tools for rent. These are the people, that usually have either clients working on their homes, or landscapers that come across certain jobs, they could do, but they might not have every tool to do it with, and now they know, they can get it from you, and you can get more customers that way!

You could use a trailer that you pull behind your car or truck, and start small, and buy things you would like to rent out, and have fun with it! You could advertise to car lots, for all your party items, like the popcorn machine, cotton candy, hot dog, fun jump, and so on, because they will want a lot of your items, when they are doing sales, and other businesses as well!

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Source by Vince Stead

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If you are reading this article, chances are you’ve made the decision to have your windows replaced, or you are at least considering it. Good decision! Your home will look great and feel comfortable with your new windows installed, and you’ll even save money on your energy bills if you’ve chosen to replace your old windows with energy efficient models. Here are some tips to make sure the installation process goes smoothly.

–Clear the windows. Take down all curtains, blinds, and any other window treatments, and check your yard for any plants or bushes that may need to be trimmed away from the windows. The replacement crew will need about two feet of space in front of each window, so go ahead and prepare this area for them. This will reduce the amount of time it takes the workers to install your windows, which will also save you money if you are being charged by the hour.

–Call off security. Remove any security sensors from the windows, and turn off your security system. Contact your security company to inform them that you are installing new windows and will need them to reconnect the alarms once the windows are installed.

–Clear a path. Make sure that the workers have a clear path from their truck to the windows and enough space by the windows to bring in their equipment. Anything that might get in their way should be moved aside, whether it is as large as a sofa or as small as a rug. Also, if you have any pets, make sure they are secured while the workers are present.

–Cover up. A good replacement window company will clean up a worksite after the installation, but it doesn’t hurt to take some precautions just in case. After all, old window sashes are often very dirty. Cover up your furniture, and ask the workers to bring a tarp or drop cloth to protect the floor.

If you have done your homework and chosen a good replacement window company, these tips should help the installation go off without a hitch. Enjoy your new windows!

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Source by Greg Cassidy

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More and more women are discovering the field of Independent Insurance Adjusting and I believe this will have a positive impact on our industry.

There was a time when the females you saw in the field were part of a husband and wife team with the husband as the adjuster and the wife who assisted them. When you did see a female who was the adjuster it was few and far between.

But that is changing.

Not only are women finding that they are capable of doing this job, but many have become quite successful at it.

Organizers by nature, the female adjuster has been able to grasp the need for details that is such an important part of our job. This dedicated attention to the details has resulted in a very good completed work product, and that makes the insurance carriers happy. And women tend not to be afraid to ask the needed questions in order to get things done correctly.

I met a female adjuster last year in her mid thirties and fairly new. She was 5’3″ and 105 pounds at the most. When I saw the ladder she was using I wondered how well she was going to be able to handle it. But let me tell you, she had that ladder out of the truck, set up and she was on the roof so quick even I was impressed. This was no wimpy ladder either! Her inspection practices were good and her scope was correct and complete.

So to all of the new female adjusters and those that are trying to break into the industry I say Welcome!

I think you’ll find that this is an exciting rewarding field and one that you can truly expand and utilize your talents, AND be recognized for them.

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Source by Cindy Lee Jones

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Eighty percent (80%) of the alpaca and llama diet should be quality pasture grass and/or hay. Alpaca and llama diets vary by different regions in North America, depending on pasture grasses, available supplements, and breeder preferences. The remaining twenty percent (20%) of the diet should be supplemental pellets, minerals, and probiotics.

The Camelid Stomach

Alpacas and llamas have three stomachs. The first stomach is a big “fermentation vat” for all the hay and grass that they eat. The second and third stomachs extract the nutritional components from their food intake. So to keep your alpacas and llamas healthy, you must keep the first stomach, the fermentation vat, in a good, steady, working state.

Pasture Grass and Hay

Your pasture grass or hay should be about twelve percent (12%) protein. You can contact your county agriculture extension office for information on how and where to test your pasture grass. Typically a grass or hay analysis will cost about $15 to $20 US. If you are buying hay, get “horse quality” hay. You’ll need about one square 70 lb bale per animal per week, plus another ten percent (10%) hay for contingency. For example, if some females come to your ranch for breeding. If you need to feed hay to 6 adult alpacas for 16 weeks, your would buy (6*16) = 96 plus 0.10 * 96 = 9.6, or 106 bales.

The hay that you buy should not be moldy. Do not let the hay deliverer unload any hay from his truck until you have done a “smell test” on several bales. It should have a sweet grass smell. If it smells moldy, it is moldy. So don’t buy bad grass.

Regular Meal Schedule

It doesn’t matter what time of the day you feed your alpacas supplemental pellets, provided that you feed them at a regular time each day. This helps to keep their first stomach in good working order.

The alpaca stomach generates a lot of heat. So you can change the feeding schedule to be best timed with the year’s season. For example, if you live in a very hot summer climate, you might feed them in the evening, rather than the day, to avoid generating unnecessary body heat during the hot part of the afternoon.

Feeding Supplemental Pellets

Many alpaca owners are feeding far too many supplemental pellets. Their is a relationship between how much an alpacas eats and the production of fine or coarse fiber. Overfeeding alpacas and produces coarse fiber! While we don’t want to starve our animals to produce fine fiber, the goal is to feed then efficiently.

There are different brands of quality alpaca pellets, which usually come in 40 to 50 lb. bags. A pellet with about fifteen percent (15%) protein is recommended. Each bag has an end label that gives the nutritional values, amount of pellets for males, non-pregnant females, pregnant and lactating females, and crias (babies). Typically, pregnant and lactating females should get 1 lb of pellets per day. Males and non-pregnant females should get 1/2 lb a day, and crias should get 1/4 to 1/3 lb of pellets per day.

In winter, when no pasture grass is available and the alpacas are eating hay, I increase the amount of daily pellets by about fifteen percent. In Summer in my area (East Texas), I cut way back on daily pellets because the animals have access to an abundance of pasture grass. Moreover it is so hot that the animals don’t go in the hot sun to eat. Rather they sit before fans all day. So they are not moving around very much, and therefore not burning as many calories. They need less food in Summer.

Alfalfa

I also mix alfalfa with my pellets for certain animals, at certain times. However, you want to be careful with overfeeding alfalfa. Too much alfalfa interferes with balance of available calcium and potassium in an animal’s system. I typically feed 5 parts pellets to 1 part alfalfa for my pregnant females. Males only get alfalfa in the winter.

Other Supplements

Other food supplements include minerals and probiotics. Alpacas and llamas need selenium and other minerals that are not available in some North American soils. Minerals come in the form of loose granules and as compressed blocks. I have found that mineral blocks are significantly less expensive than loose granules. When you buy mineral block, do not buy salt blocks. You probably will not find mineral blocks that are made specifically for alpacas and llamas. So buy either the equine or goat mineral blocks.

Probiotics are another important food supplement. Probiotics have micro-organisms that help the alpaca’s first stomach break down the tough cellulose in hay and grass. There are two categories of probiotics: those based on lactobacillus, and those based on brewers years. Both are excellent. If you see that an alpaca has diarrhea, probiotics help get its digestive system back to normal. You can sprinkle about one teaspoon of probiotics over the daily pellets for several days. I always offer probiotics to my alpacas and llamas after administering oral worming medication.

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Source by Virginia Lyons

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In business, one of the areas in which companies are consistently trying to control cost in is their transportation and shipping cost. It is imperative to be aware of the different shipping methods available in order to be competitive in today’s market place. Direct Freight is an excellent way to control cost, otherwise known as freight rates or pricing.

In the freight transportation business, the terminology of “Rate” and “Price” basically mean the same thing. Rate is determined by how quantity or weight of the load being shipped, the quality or risk of the load, and negotiated contracts. Obviously, how far and how much a company ships would affect the shipping price; however, with LTL shipping the product being shipped also matters. In LTL loads, if a product is highly fragile or hazardous or requires special attention, the shipping rate will be directly affected. For these reasons, finding a freight company that is best suited to the individual company that is shipping their products is a necessity to keep cost under control. One way to do this is using Direct Freight services.

Direct Freight is a method of matching clients that need their products shipped to drivers and shipping companies willing to transport their materials at very good rates. There are websites designed that will facilitate in matching companies to shippers. The company wishing to move their load can join the site to list their freight. They enter specific details such as what types of goods are being shipped, how much, and the transportation destination. While many trucking companies prefer to carry full truckloads, there are plenty who will do LTL shipping. LTL shipping can save small companies from the expense of filling an entire truck shipment to haul their load.

Drivers and trucking companies looking to pick up loads can also join these match making Direct Freight shipping sites. They pay a minimal fee to gain access to a database which shows the freight available for shipping. They can provide information about their particular company, their equipment, and their drivers. The trucking company then essentially bids or comes to an agreement with the manufacturer on the particulars of shipping their items. The clients needing to ship their load can decide which trucking company offers the services and equipment that they need.

Loads as small as one pallet up to and including 35,000 tons can be posted. This service is very valuable because it encourages competition. When companies compete, then there is often price savings that follow. Another benefit of this service is that a company does not have to pay to ship an entire truckload, if they do not have that much inventory to move. They can also examine the shipping company and decide which company is offering them the services and pricing that they require.

Likewise, trucking companies can manage their loads and optimize their profits by coordinating shipments. With an ever more competitive environment, freight companies are using various methods to stay competitive. Not to mention, higher fuel cost mean that every mile is important to the trucking company.

Understanding freight rates is only half of the battle to making shipping cost effective for any business. The other factor is being able to benefit from competition between the shipping businesses. Clients that need trucking services can easily list their freight and then receive an acceptable offer or lower cost by utilizing LTL shipping. The same service also greatly benefits many trucking companies because they can see which freight is available and where they need to go. Direct Freight services are a valuable asset to help both shippers and truckers reach their goals

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Source by Mike Barone

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Take this fictional case: A Felony Complaint filed by the Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles charges that the crime of attempted grand theft of personal property in violation of Penal Code Section 664/487 (a) was committed by two defendants who unlawfully attempted to take personal property of a value exceeding $400, to wit: auto parts, the property of the victim.

No. 1 defendant, the passenger, pled no contest (equivalent to guilty) to the charge of attempted grand theft. No. 2 defendant, the driver of the tow truck, who has immigration problems, want to plea to a crime not involving moral turpitude.

But attempted grand theft is a crime involving moral turpitude because one of its elements is intent to permanently deprive another person or entity with money or personal property. Indeed, the bases for classification of offenses as crimes involving moral turpitude (“CMT”) are the elements of the offenses, and not the facts of the cases.

Accessory After The Fact: Not a CMT offender:

As a general rule, a crime involves moral turpitude if it contains an element of theft with an intent to permanently deprive, intent to cause great bodily harm, fraud, as well as malice, or even recklessness and lewdness.

But the definition of moral turpitude is nebulous at best, fomenting uncertainty in court rulings whether certain offenses are crimes involving moral turpitude or not.

Accessory after the fact under California Penal Code Section 32 does not incorporate the elements of the offense committed by the principal. So, an accessory after the fact (to a felony) who harbors, conceals, or aids a principal in such felony, with the intent that said principal may avoid or escape arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment, has not committed a crime involving moral turpitude, even if the offense committed by the principal is a CMT.

So, an accessory after the fact to grand theft (not attempted theft) has not committed a crime involving moral turpitude. The accessory has no intent to permanently deprive the victim of money or personal property, an element of attempted as well as consummated grand theft.

Indeed, the Ninth Circuit Court en banc held in Navarro-Lopez v. Gonzales (9th Cir. 2007) 503 F 3rd 1063, an immigration case, that California Penal Code Section 32 is “not categorically a crime involving moral turpitude.”

Conviction of Accessory Not Relating To Principal’s Offense:

Moreover, the conviction of an accessory after the fact of an offense has been held not to be a conviction relating to violence (murder), or controlled substances (drug trafficking).

And the conviction of an accessory after a drug trafficking offense has been held by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) as not a deportable drug conviction nor an aggravated felony drug trafficking in Matter of Batista-Hernandez, 21, I. & N. Dec. 955 (BIA 1997).

In the same manner, conviction of an accessory after the fact will not be held to be conviction relating to fraud, domestic violence, bribery, kidnapping, robbery, sexual battery, criminal threats, forgery, firearms, etc…

Deportation (Now Removal) Or Inadmissibility For Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude:

Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (CMT) is a ground for deportation/removal under INA Section 237 (a)(2)(A)(i) if an alien is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years of last admission for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed,or at any time after admission is convicted of two or more crimes involving moral turpitude, not arising out of a single scheme of criminal misconduct.

And conviction of a single crime involving moral turpitude or admission of commission thereof (other than a purely political offense), or an attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime is a ground for inadmissibility under INA Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I), but with a petty offense exception.

This exception to inadmissibility applies, if the alien has committed only one crime involving moral turpitude with a maximum penalty of imprisonment for one year; and the alien was not sentenced to a term of imprisonment in excess of 6 moths.

Conclusion:

Plea of guilty or no contest to accessory after the fact of the commission of a crime involving moral turpitude (CMT) by a principal does not relate to the offense and avoids conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (CMT) and its immigration consequences.

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Source by Roman Mosqueda, S. J.D.

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Sooner or later, almost every gas scooter driver will have the occasion to ask, “What do I do when my scooter won’t start?” It is that sinking feeling you get when you insert the key into your ignition, twist your handlebar grip or step down on the kickstarter, and — nothing happens. Just a few clicks or dead silence. Now what do you do?

If you are not mechanically inclined, then you might believe your only recourse is to load your scooter into a flatbed truck and haul it to the closest scooter mechanic for evaluation. Luckily, there are a number of things you can do first, most of which will cost you nothing, and one of which is very likely to solve your problem quickly.

Just follow our easy checklist and before you know it, you may have your gas scooter back on the road.

Scooter Start Troubleshooting Checklist

• Was your kill switch pushed to the on position accidentally? Believe it or not, this happens quite often. Somehow, your hand pushes this rocker switch without you even realizing it. This has to be the easiest and fastest remedy to scooter start problems!
• Is your battery dead? If you’ve left your battery in your scooter for more than a couple of weeks without starting the scooter, there is every possibility that your scooter drained during the interim. Sometimes it can be recharged, but often it will need to be replaced. Avoid this problem in the future by taking your scooter out of the battery compartment if you don’t plan to drive for a while or by hooking it up to a trickle charger.
• Have you checked the fuse? You can usually find a scooter fuse in or near the battery compartment, which is usually under the floorboard on the scooter.
• Is it a choke problem? Try putting your hand over the air filter opening and see if it starts better. If it does, then the choke is probably the issue. At least now, you know where to start.
• Could the solenoid be bad? To check the solenoid, you have to locate it in your scooter (use your manual or look for help online), then put a screwdriver across the positive and negative terminals. There will be sparks so don’t panic. If the starter spins when you do that, you have to replace the solenoid.
• Do your valves need adjusting? For new scooters, especially cheaper varieties, after a couple hundred miles, it is likely that your valve clearances need to be adjusted. Check your manual or online to find out the right clearances for your size engine and how to do the adjustment.
• Did you hold in the brake lever when trying to start? For many gas scooters, there is a built-in safety feature that prevents the scooter from starting unless one of the brake levers is pushed in. Check both brakes when starting. One of them should work. If not, then it could be that your brake switch needs replacing.
• Did you drop your scoot or lay it down on its side? If so, gas or oil may have gotten into the wrong places. Try taking your gas cap off, changing out the spark plug and/or changing the oil and filter to see if that helps.
• Could your carburetor be clogged? Take out your spark plug and spray in starter fluid, then put your plug back in and try to start the scooter. If it starts and dies, you have a clogged carburetor and it needs cleaning. You can find carburetor cleaning fluid at your local auto parts store, but do follow the safety precautions.

If you move through this entire scooter start troubleshooting checklist, then you may still need to have it diagnosed and fixed by a professional. But hopefully you discovered why your scooter won’t start and are now back in the driver’s seat, motoring down your favorite road.

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Source by Kathi MacNaughton

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Welding stainless steel is gravy. Well, at least most of the time that is.

Here is a story about a certain kind of stainless that is not so easy to weld.

“Hey John,  you can handle tig welding 303 stainless steel, right?”

That’s the question that the machine shop owner just asked you right after notifying you that your welding shop won the contract that pays 18,000 dollars for welding 4000 spindles made from 303 stainless.

And by the way, the parts are already machined and on a truck on its way to your welding shop.

You ignore the 303 stainless steel comment because you know stainless steel is a piece of cake to weld…

Your welders are certified. They are craftsmen. They take pride in their work. There is no problem

The day the parts arrive on a pallet, your welders are drooling over all the gravy work they are about to do. Your welders love stainless steel and the quality they produce is nothing short of artwork.

“This Stainless Steel welds like crap! I think I may have some bad argon!” says your top dog welder as he lifts his hood after welding the first of the 4000 axles.

“Its undercutting, and it just welds funky. Something is definitely wrong.”

You swallow hard. Your stomach sinks.

You are committed to getting the job done. You need the money badly, and you want to impress the machine shop owner so she will keep sending you work.

So here is what you do…

Follow these tips for welding 303 stainless and things wont be so bad.

1. Use 308L filler rod
2. use just enough amperage to make the weld
3. add a little more filler metal than you would on 304 stainless
4. hold a tight arc to prevent undercut
5. taper the amperage slowly if you are tig welding to prevent crater cracking

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Source by Jody Collier

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After reading the last Lucas Davenport “Prey” novel by John Sanford, I swore I’d never read another of his books. What can I say? I’m weak – and desperate. There just isn’t that much good reading out there, so when I saw “Rough County” I decided to take a chance. It’s good!

I believe Sanford made the right decision when he spun Virgil Flowers off from the crew in the Davenport books. Lucas Davenport has become domesticated and, well, boring. Virgil, on the other hand, is young, smart, surfer-boy cute and a good cop. He drives a truck with his aluminum boat hooked onto the back, just in case he decides to go fishing, and frequently misplaces his gun. He’s a babe-magnate which makes this story really fun. It’s about a murder that occurs at an all woman lodge in northern Minnesota, and many of the woman are Lesbians.

Poor Virgil is on vacation out fishing with his buddy, Johnson Johnson (really!) when Davenport calls and asks him to cut his vacation short to investigate a murder at Eagle’s Nest. A woman was out paddling around the lake and someone shot her in the head. Virgil starts investigating and runs into more than one suspect. The dead woman, Erica, had a brief dalliance with Wendy, the lead singer in an all girl band. Berni, aka Raven, Wendy’s main girlfriend wasn’t too happy to hear that bit of news. Virgil puts her on the list of suspects. Then there’s Ruth, Erica’s life partner. Did she know about the hanky-panky at the lodge? The list of suspects grows long and interesting.

The beginning of the book is fast-paced and very funny. Sanford has a knack for creating colorful, but believable characters. By the middle, I knew who the killer was and was pretty sure of the big plot twist. Toward the end, the pace slowed down – way down until by page 350, I was skimming. Too much detail, obvious filler. I know the book would have been a better, tighter book with fewer pages. I do have one other picky. One of the key characters was Wendy’s father who’s name is Slibe. Now, I have no clue how to pronounce this name – one word SLIBE or two SLI-BE? Therefore, every time I came upon this name, and it was frequent, I stopped to try and figure out the pronunciation! As an author you do NOT want to do that because every time you stop a reader, there’s a possibility he/she won’t start again!

All in all, I enjoyed the book partly because I grew up in Minnesota and am a little familiar with the territory and characters. “Rough Country” is a fast read in spite of its length and I do recommend it.

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Source by Carlene Rae Dater