Decisions

With the economy the way it is these days, people are opting for used vehicles as a more cost effective alternative to a new car. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what to look for in a used car, you are more likely to end up spending even more money in the long run. This is why it is important to educate yourself before purchasing a vehicle that isn’t new.

Having a mechanic that you trust take a look at any car you are interested in buying is a good way to go. This ensures that you know just what you are looking at in terms of replacement parts and most hidden problems will be found during a routine inspection.

Upkeep and Maintenance

It’s a good idea to buy a car that has been well looked after. That means a vehicle that is neat and clean, not just on the outside, but inside, as well. You’ll be able to tell whether the upkeep has been good or if they just did a last minute cleaning to impress you. The interior should be in good condition, free of too much wear and tear. Look for rips in the vinyl and seat covers.

Check under the hood. If the car body is clean but the engine compartment hasn’t been touched in years, you’ll know that the maintenance hasn’t been great and there could be plenty of hidden issues here. You can also compare the odometer to the maintenance stickers that are on the windows.

Take the time to run the VIN number to see what the vehicle’s history is like. If it’s been in an accident or had any major problems, these will show up when you check the number. Knowing the history of a used car can be invaluable, since it will let you know what to expect in the future. A vehicle that has been in an accident could be host to a number of problems that might not be apparent until later on.

Signs That a Car Has Been in an Accident

Obviously, if a vehicle has been in an accident, you want to know about it. Accidents can cause serious problems that may go undetected, such as twisting of the frame or even weakening of vital parts like the axle. Here are some signs that you should be watching for:

A new paint job. Look for overspray on the trim or very new appearing paint.

New paint on one particular area. If a quarter panel appears to have been recently painted, while the rest of the car looks normal, this could be a bad sign.

Wrinkled metal. Watch for areas that may not be as smooth as the rest of the vehicle . . . they could mark where repairs were made. Dents may have been pounded out or a more temporary repair may have been made.

These could all be signs that the car has been fixed after an accident. Whether or not it was a major accident or just a fender bender . . . you’ll need to check further into it.

Taking a Test Drive

Actually driving the car will give you far more information than just looking at it. Once you have had a chance to start it up and take it out on the road to get up to speed, you’ll have a pretty good idea of whether or not the car runs well. A few things to check for:

How the car starts. Does it start easily and stay running on its own or do you need to pump the gas to keep it going?

How does the vehicle shift? If it’s an automatic transmission, does it shift correctly or does it tend to rev high and seem reluctant to switch? Manual transmissions should be fairly easy to shift and not jerk or stick. Check how the clutch works . . . it should require firm pressure but not require being stomped into the floor.

Notice how the car feels and sounds. If there are any abnormal sounds like grinding, squealing or other unusual noises, this could indicate problems that will need to be fixed in the near future. The same goes for vibrations and jerks that shouldn’t be there. Use all your senses to notice if there is anything that could be wrong.

Is it comfortable for you to drive? Some vehicles just aren’t made for tall or short people and can be uncomfortable. Make sure that you can adjust everything according to your height so that you are comfortable. If the car doesn’t fit you, then it might be best to look for another used vehicle instead.

Buying a used car just makes sense when you’re on a budget. On average, used cars are about half the price of a brand new one, with older vehicles dropping incrementally in price. This means that there are some huge savings to be had, but you do need to make sure that the used car you buy is in good condition and can be used for years to come without major repairs needed. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a mechanic do an inspection.

Another thing to look for in older cars is the gas mileage. While gas prices are down again for the time being, that doesn’t mean they will stay down, so you’ll need to make sure that you look for a vehicle that has relatively good gas mileage. Otherwise, you’ll probably be regretting it down the road!

There are many reasons to choose a car that has had previous owners. As long as you are careful to inspect the vehicle and make sure that there is nothing wrong with it that you don’t mind fixing. Make sure that it’s a comfortable vehicle for you to drive and that there is no history of accidents (this can be done by checking the VIN number) and you should have a great new-to-you car to drive!

About the Author:
This article was written on behalf of AutoLeeg – http://www.motoclassifieds.us , a popular online auto classifieds website.

Keyword tags: car, auto, automobile, vehicle, used, new, buying, selling, inspection

Users of modern offices typically take the materials their offices are constructed from for granted, assuming long life and the ability to endure years of constant use and wear. Unfortunately, the desk surfaces, chair surfaces, floor surfaces, and the various moving part mechanisms of chairs, drawers, slides and other essential portions of the furnishings are less than perfect. They eventually succumb to the wear and tear of constant, everyday use. And none endures more punishment that the floor covering beneath the typical office chair.

Whether hardwood, carpet, ceramic or a synthetic material, the floor surface beneath any chair that is used on any regular basis will degrade sooner than later unless some form of protection is utilized. This protects not only the floor surface, but with the proper choice, helps prolong the chair wheel system as well. A hard surface designed to withstand constant wheel rolling, twisting and high pressure loads is obviously desired and the typical chair mat is designed for exactly this purpose.

Yet, not all chair mats are created equally. The familiar plastic mat with back side spikes, when used on a carpeted surface as it is intended, has a relatively short life span, usually one to two years before displaying signs of fatigue. Cracking, discoloring and splitting are usually the symptoms, creating a less than professional look in the office. There are a number of other “soft material” alternates including rubber and combinations of plastic and vinyl. Most however do not lend themselves to either a long life, comfortable use or an appealing look, or more importantly, to all of these at once.

Wheeled chairs and people using wheeled chairs need hard surfaces. That is a prerequisite. Any material then that is not hard and rigid will be less than satisfactory. Additionally, the ideal hard surface will also blend in and compliment the office surroundings, implying a professional and functional air to the office.

Barring exotic materials that are less than practical, such as tempered glass, elaborate wooden structures and other custom materials, the most sensible chairmats are derived from wood based materials. Some hardwoods are known for their strength and durability and have found their use in a number of flooring systems because of this. Bamboo, such as that found in SuccessImage.com chair mats, is one of these woods and it is generally accepted to be one of the hardest and most resilient of woods for flooring. In fact, flooring contractors are commonly found to wear out a larger number of blades machining and shaping bamboo materials than any other wooden based flooring product.

As a natural wood product, bamboo can be finished to better match the furnishings around it and provide a more integral look. This has a side benefit of creating a pleasant environment, helping to improve office productivity and lowering fatigue.

Another important point to consider of your chair mat is the backing material used. Part of the purpose of the mat is to protect the underlying surface, so the material between the mat and floor is of critical importance. The best characteristics of this interface material are soft and absorbent to well protect the floor, as well as slip proof to avoid annoying movement of the mat during use. These requirements are often addressed with a rubber or plastic material which may or may not be effective, depending on the floor surface itself. The perfect solution would be a 100% coverage of a felt based material to provide padding and a soft surface, and at the same time a rubberized material that “grabs” the floor. SuccessImage.com chair mats uniquely combine these two ideal materials to create the best of both and keep the mat in position constantly while insulating the two hard materials, the mat and the floor, from each other.

At SuccessImage.com, these factors have all been combined into a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing chair mat solution. A bamboo hardwood surface with a felt and rubberized backing will provide the perfect work surface for your chair, creating a comfortable work space with no fatigue, and an elegant, professional look. See www.successimage.com for more information on these and other floor saving, workspace enhancing chair mat solutions that will enhance your office, your image and your professionalism!

About the Author:
SuccessImage supplies high-end office furnishing accessories and premium wooden chair mats for both executive and home offices at http://www.successimage.com/cat–Bamboo-Chair-Mats–BChairmats.

Keyword tags: Chair mat, floor mat, bamboo, carpet, plastic, office chair, office, wood mat

Your logo can be used on web sites, banners, printed material such as business cards, t-shirts and coffee mugs, however when designing your own logo / brand mark or getting it done by logo design professionals, ensure the following three basic rules and you are sure to have a great and memorable corporate identity.

RULE #1: KISS the logo

The first and foremost thing to remember is to keep the logo design really, really simple, hence the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) reference. Simple logos exhibiting clear demarcated elements and with lack of clutter are identifiable and easy to remember by its audience. You would be surprised to learn that good logo designers spend 1/4th of their total project time creating a logo design concept, then spend another 1/4th of the time in simplifying the same logo from its current, relatively complex form. (the remaining time is spent on working on the design revisions and finalization of the logo) A case in point is Microsoft’s logo, which is nothing but simple text written in italics. However, the clever use of the typeface makes it unique and identifiable.

RULE #2: Color it bad, but color it proper!

The colors used in your logo are also of supreme importance. You should identify beforehand the colors which are usually attributed to your industry, say for example, choosing fresh green colors and shades when you are a gardening and landscaping business seems a logical choice. Also remember that the colors you will choose will be used on all elements of your visual identity, that is, business card, letterhead, web site, packaging, signage etc, so choose colors which are easy applied, are practical and also look good at the same time.

RULE #3: Make it as flexible as an Olympic gymnast

Your logo design should be flexible in several respects. First of all, it should be able to be reproduced in both multi-colored and single-color (black and white) versions because there will always be media on which reproduction of your logo in color would either not be possible or downright inappropriate. It should also be scalable enough so that it looks equally good in all sizes, whether it is on a small business card, your web site or on a giant IMAX cinema screen.

RULE #4: No Talent? No Problem!

All is not lost if you don’t have the chops to create your own logo design. You also do not have to fret too much about logo design pricing these days. Gone are the days when mom and pop businesses had to take out money from their child’s college fund for their startup’s identity development. With the advent of the internet, you can easily find logo designers who can create memorable logos and business stationery at rates which won’t empty your bank.

In conclusion, remember that your logo design will tell your customers who you are, so make sure that you send them the right message. This can only be ensured when you follow the above three rules when either designing the logo yourself or through discussing these with your logo designers.

About the Author:
John Bladeus runs a low-cost yet high-quality logo design service (http://www.logodesignnext.com/) and has a passion of writing on subjects related to business logos (http://www.hqlogos.com) and corporate logo design (http://www.logomills.com).

Keyword tags: branding, logo design, identity development

Is terrorism preventable? The answer, sadly, is no. The drive and motivation of today’s terrorist combined with the almost unlimited target opportunities make terrorism a threat that is unlikely to go away. While terrorist attacks are not preventable, there are actions that can be taken to protect a specific facility, building or organization from a terrorist act.

Terrorist acts are criminal acts, differentiated only by motivation. While all criminal acts are not terrorist acts, all terrorist acts are criminal acts. As with any criminal, we can take steps to make a facility less attractive to a terrorist. Terrorism preparedness requires two actions: taking steps to harden a specific facility from a terrorist act, and taking steps to mitigate an act should it occur.

Terrorism prevention strategy addresses five specific issues. They are the identification of potential targets that will be catastrophic to the community and are likely to be attacked; the reduction of the value of the target to the terrorists; the reduction of the visibility of the targets; the reduction of access to the targets; and the increasing of guardianship of the targets. Target hardening and increased physical security measures reduce the value of the target to the terrorist by lessening the degree of damage that a terrorist can inflict.

There are many things that can be done to harden a target. Good access control makes it more difficult for a terrorist to gain entry to a facility to do harm. Explosion proof trash receptacles make placing a bomb more difficult, and helps to contain a blast if a bomb is placed in one. Good perimeter fencing discourages and physically delays unauthorized access. Closed circuit camera systems serve as a deterrent and provide evidence in the event of a crime.

Access control systems serve to restrict access to only those authorized to be there. Strictly controlling access significantly reduces the criminal risk by making the target less accessible to the criminal or terrorist. The degree of access control is directly related to the value of the target and the presumed threat. Access control can be as simple as a key and a lock (not very secure), or as sophisticated as the use of smart cards tied to biometric readers to positively identify the user prior to allowing access. Biometric systems currently on the market range from fingerprint identification to using the retina (the blood vessel pattern in the back of your eye) and the iris (the colored ring around your pupil) as a means of positively identifying the user. Other systems use the size and shape of your hand, or the pattern of the blood veins in your wrist as an identifier.

Explosion resistance is critical in the protection against terrorist acts. Bombs are a favorite of terrorists, and are frighteningly easy to build and place. Explosion resistance includes the use of security window film such as www.blastgard.com to protect glass, terrorists know that glass and bombs form a lethal combination. In addition, History shows that upwards of 80% of all bomb blast injuries are glass related in nature. Additional steps include the removal of all trash receptacles (a favorite placement of bombers), or the addition of trash receptacles specifically designed to contain a bomb blast.

Perimeter security is a core defensive measure. Simply put, a perimeter system serves to deter an entry, prevent an entry, or if neither of those options is successful, slow down an intruder sufficiently so that the likelihood of getting caught increases. Perimeter options include fencing, walls and barricades. Fencing may be chain link, or if aesthetics are an issue, bent metal or a variety of ornamental metal options. Depending on the risk, barbed wire or razor ribbon may be attached to the top. Realistically speaking, tests show that barbed wire and razor ribbon have very little effect on slowing an intruder’s climb, but the visual effect can be a huge deterrent. Depending on the threat present, there are a variety of vehicle barriers available to prevent cars and trucks from gaining unauthorized access to a facility.

As with other security devices, closed circuit camera systems offer a deterrent. In the event of an incident, recorded video provides a record of what occurred and possibly can be used as evidence in the apprehension and prosecution of the terrorists. The deterrent value is proactive while the prosecution value is a mitigation technique. As technology advances, the quality of closed circuit cameras greatly improves while physical camera size gets smaller. Advances in storage technology mean that more and more video can be stored, allowing for more cameras and a longer “keep” time.

Mitigation techniques include physical security measures, but also the creation of a good crisis management plan and a business continuity plan.

Terrorist targets are not random, yet choices can be influenced and a more attractive target can be chosen over a less attractive target. What makes a target attractive? Target suitability can be influenced by factors including value, inertia (the size and weight of an object), visibility and access. There is information to suggest that the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was not Timothy McVeigh’s first choice of a target, but it was the closest target to him that met his needs.

While nothing can prevent terrorism, steps can be taken to prevent terrorist attacks. Steps can be taken to harden a facility, lessen the attractiveness of a target and better prepare a facility to deal with an attack.

About the Author:
Mr. Jordan Frankel is a respected security professional and founder of Global Security Experts, sole distributor for ShatterGARD glass protection films worldwide. For more information on how to protect your facility using BlastGARD, visit http://www.shattergard.com or call 888-306-7998-14.

Keyword tags: shattergard, blastgard, glass protection, safety window film, bullet proof window film, bomb blast

Parking lots are a driver’s nightmare: from chaotic drivers and too-small stalls to unpredictable pedestrians, parking lots must be carefully negotiated to protect you and your vehicle from accidents. Once the car is safely parked however, we often assume is it safe until we return and rarely give thought to yet another parking lot hazard – thieves. Thieves are opportunistic and whether they stake out a lot looking for shoppers returning to the mall after dropping off parcels to the car or if they just play the odds, your car parked at the mall is a big target. The more difficult you make it for thieves to get in (by installing alarms and automotive protective films such as VehicleGARD), the better chance you have at protecting yourself from theft.

The best thing you can do to protect your vehicle from theft is to install a car alarm and a security window film, such as VehicleGARD. VehicleGARD is an automotive glass protection film that acts as an invisible coat of armor, strengthening the vehicle’s glass. It can make your car windows virtually impenetrable to repeated strikes, significantly increasing the time required to get into your vehicle. If your car is protected with VehicleGARD, the thief is more likely to simply give up and move on to an easier target. Car alarms can deter theft by drawing attention to criminal activity, however they are often perceived as white noise and pesky false alarms. Your safest bet is a combination of VehicleGARD and a car alarm.

There are other ways to protect your purchases which shopping at your local mall. In fact, these tips will protect you as you’re travelling into and out of the mall as well. Remember to stay alert and watch for suspicious activity, and if you notice anything to head back into the safety of the mall right away.

1. Park Close to the Entrance and in Well Lit Areas – Parking in high traffic areas such as near a mall entrance will deter thieves since they don’t want to chance anyone happening by. Unfortunately during the holidays, you’re lucky to get a spot at all.. Your next safest bet is to park under the lights – burglars will feel like they’re in the spotlight and will seek an easier target.

2. Lock Your Doors, Set Your Alarm – If you don’t, you may as well just give your items away. Car locks and alarms are your first line of defense: an open door provides the perfect opportunity for a thief to get in your car with little or no effort or detection.

3. Shop First, Buy Later – Consider finalizing purchases on your way out of the mall. Bring a notebook and jot down all the stores you’ll want to revisit to pick up larger, hard to carry items. Otherwise your options are to take packages to the car (potentially in view of thieves staking out the lot), or carry around myriad parcels that can easily be set down and forgotten or dropped unnoticed.

4. Hide Valuables Left in Your Car – If you must store gifts in your vehicle, make sure the items are stowed in shopping bags or unmarked bags that camouflage the item’s true value. Store as many purchases as possible in the trunk, covered under blankets.

About the Author:
Mr. Jordan Frankel is a respected security professional and founder of Global Security Experts, sole distributor for ShatterGARD automotive protective films worldwide. For more information on how to protect your car from thieves and vandals, visit http://www.shattergard.com or call 888-306-7998-14

Keyword tags: vehiclegard, shattergard, car theft, security window film, automotive protective film, carjacking

Creative writers, have you already broken your new year’s resolution? Did you want to pursue your talents this year? Write more often? Finish that story? Try poetry? Whatever your resolution, breaking it is only natural.

Life is busy, and it waits for no one. Don’t be cross with yourself for “failing”. No one really fails. They are just procrastinating, always thinking tomorrow will be different. It happens with diets. It happens with smoking. It happens with writing, too. The main thing is to pick yourself up the next day and make a new resolution. And should you fail that day, too, make a new resolution the following day.

Daily resolutions are the only kind that really accomplish anything. So now is the time to make your daily resolve. Here are a few ideas to help you refocus.

Break your writing time into small chunks that you can work into any day. Fifteen minutes is a good choice. That gives you five minutes to clear your mind and ten minutes to get into the groove. You’d be surprised what you can write in fifteen minutes.

Here’s a true story. An unpublished woman wrote and finished a book by writing fifteen minutes a day on her lunch hour. She sent it to an editor. He bought it, and she got it published. Writers, you make your own limitations, and you make your own chances in life.

When you sit down to write, if you don’t see any inspiration, don’t let that concern you. You can write about your work, your boss, a rude clerk in the store, a nice person you met, your mate, how you want to remodel the house, or what kind of shopping you would like to do. What matters is that you string your words together in proper English, proper punctuation, and good thought patterns. Everything you write has meaning. It shows your attitude, your interest, your opinion, your intentions, your psychological status, and so much more.

Write at the same time every day, if at all possible. That is the key to wanting to write. If you write at the same time every day for a week, you will begin to feel the urge to write. When you resist that urge because you choose to do something else, the urge will be less the next day. Put writing at the top of your priorities.

Writing at the same time every day will bring the muse. If you don’t know what the muse it, you will know it when it hits you. It will be hard to type as fast as your mind delivers the content. You won’t want to stop. You won’t want to be disturbed. You won’t want to do anything but write… and that is the muse. Cherish it. Love it. Obey it when it calls. The muse is to a writer what a car is to a driver. It is your vehicle to transport you from this world into the one you create. For more free writing tips, see below.

About the Author:
Private tutoring, $185 for 8 wks. at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com – the only fully mentored writing school on the net. Take your classes any time in the next year. Sale ends January 31, 2009! Only 15 to a class. Reserve your space now! If the sale has ended, write to deborahowen@cwinst.

Keyword tags: creative writers,creative writing course,writing sites,writing tutor,writing assistance,writing tips