Phung

Recently, I wrote an article about Bird Flu and the problems it caused for human operated toll-booth on toll-roads. The article apparently hit a major publication and several high-traffic online websites. Then I was asked to further elaborate on my points of contention. One gentleman emailed me and said recently that a lady at the toll-booth was wearing gloves.

No surprise here, was it paper cuts, did she have warts or was she worried about contracting a virus or disease? I would be worried. Airborne, touching, etc are all serious issues. Yes, regarding the issues of Toll Booths with humans in them and the possible transferring of pathogens, we did a study on the possible effects of Bird Flu pandemic and decided that it would severely impact the economy.

Retail especially; Starbucks, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Office Max, etc. But our economy could survive mail-order and if people took precautions still operate by Internet, etc. But the transportation was a huge issue. Truck Drivers at Truck Stops traveling and delivering products, that cannot stop.

So, I did a back track on all those issues and traced some travel routing maps and thought about the reality of it all. Here is a recent project on Transportation and inside it is an effort to discuss "regulation" and "taxes" on truckers and what the unintended consequences are having and why.

http://www.worldthinktank.net/pdfs/futuretrucktechnologies.pdf

Homeland Security should be looking at all risks both big, as in International Terrorist humans and small as in viruses, pathogens and diseases. If we fail to protect the American People and shore up these risks now, we will be to blame later if things go South.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

Use kitchen island ideas to better understand how to create a more functional and comfortable kitchen. Using custom kitchen islands means having the most appropriate island for your home and kitchen area based on your kitchen space and your needs. Kitchen island ideas take us back to the farmhouse kitchen, even back to medieval times when a large worktable was used to do most of the preparation work.

Besides meal preparation, the kitchen can become a gathering area for family and friends if there is enough space. Since so much happens in the kitchen on a regular basis, getting the layout right is important. The kitchen island can serve as an additional eating area, and food preparation can easily be done there. In a large kitchen, the kitchen island can shorten the distances within the working triangle (sink, refrigerator and range or cooktop) and make it more efficient.

Here are kitchen island ideas to consider when planning your kitchen:

1. Kitchen islands work best in larger L, U or G-shape kitchens. If the kitchen is too small, the kitchen island will become an obstruction and hinder easy movement. The best custom kitchen islands for small to midsize kitchens are a portable butcher block or kitchen cart for food prep or extra storage.

2. Include a ventilation hood overhead to eliminate smoke, steam and cooking odors if your kitchen island is going to have a cooktop. The range hood should extend beyond the cooking area by 3 inches or more on the sides for proper ventilation. Using the correct fan size will ensure that removal happens as intended. Have a fan capacity of about 50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each square foot of cooktop area.

3. A second kitchen sink can be included on the kitchen island. Use a sink that is deep enough for washing large pots and pans, and consider equipping the kitchen island with a trash compactor, garbage disposal, recycle bin and even a dishwasher. Cleanup will be much easier when these appliances are close by the sink.

4. Allow adequate countertop space on both sides (left and right) of the kitchen island if a sink or cooktop will be used. Include at least 15 inches of countertop space on each side, and if your kitchen is large enough, allow even more space. You can never have too much countertop space in a kitchen. Also, rounded countertop corners help protect everyone from bad bruises -- this is true about all kitchen countertop corners.

5. Additional kitchen island ideas are to consider using shelf space on the sides of your kitchen island for cookbooks, collectibles or storage. A built-in TV works here, especially if it faces the family room. Or a microwave may work well for heating up after-school snacks and cooking foods quickly.

6. Countertop material for the island doesn't have to match the rest of your kitchen countertops as long as it is harmonious with the room's overall design. You may want to splurge on solid surfacing here, for example, and use laminate on the other countertops. A butcher-block countertop is ideal for chopping, while granite or marble works well for baking purposes and for rolling pastry dough.

7. Maximize natural light by having windows and skylights, and keep kitchen wall surfaces light in color to reflect daylight. Custom kitchen islands work great by using pendant or recessed fixtures to direct light onto the kitchen island and other work areas. Electrical codes will likely require that electrical outlets be located on the sides of fixed kitchen islands, not on the top, to prevent electrical shock.

Use custom kitchen islands ideas to help you know how to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for many years. Read as many kitchen island ideas as you can on using an island to improve the functionality and comfort in your kitchen -- after all, your kitchen is most likely the most popular room in the house.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Learn more about kitchen design online and creating the very best kitchen for your home. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and find informative articles for a variety of home improvement topics on kitchen design, bathrooms, fireplaces, home storage and more.

Mortgage loans are loans taken from banks, online brokers or independent mortgage brokers by pledging property owned for purchasing a residential or commercial property or to refinance a loan.

Mortgage loans are usually for a 15 or 30 year period. Mortgage payments are evened out according to the number of years, rate of interest and the type of mortgage. The property purchased is used as security or collateral to obtain the debt. If the borrower of the loan defaults on the mortgage payments the lender has the right to sell the property by employing the foreclosure process.

To be eligible for a particular loan the lender examines the employment and income generation of an individual or family to assess that monthly payment can be paid regularly by the borrower. The three important aspects that are taken into consideration to qualify for a loan are:

• Credit Score
• Monthly Income and
• Down Payment

Credit scores indicate the risk of offering a loan to a borrower. Higher the score lower the risk. Good credit scores also ensure reasonable terms of loan and lower rate of interest. Monthly income is evaluated to ensure expenses are not more than income. The amount paid as down payment reduces the risk of the lender to cover the full expense of the loan incase of default in payments.

There are different types of mortgage loans available to suit the requirements of different borrowers. Some common and popular types of mortgage loans are:

Fixed Rate Mortgages

As the name suggests such loans carry a fixed rate over the period of the loan. They are among the most popular mortgage products which are not influenced by interest rate rise or falls. The interest rates are locked and payments remain same despite rise or fall in interest rates. Fixed rate mortgages are most popular when interest rates decline.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Adjustable rate mortgages provide a fixed rate of interest for a specific period and thereafter resorts to an adjustable rate of interest. ARM fluctuate according to market interest rate changes after the fixed rate period is complete.

Sub-prime Mortgages

This is a mortgage scheme directed towards those who have a less than satisfactory credit score. Credit score ranges between 300-900 and a score below 620 qualify for a sub-prime mortgage. Considering that the risk is higher in lending a loan to a sub-prime borrower the monthly payments and interest rates can be high. Such loans are a profitable venture for lenders on account of earnings from pre payment penalty, interest charges or foreclosures. Prepayment penalty is a charge levied on the lender on account of paying the loan before due by either selling the property or refinancing the loan.

Jumbo Mortgage

There are specified limits to loans sanctioned to: single family, two families, three families, or four families. If your loan requirements exceed this limit you need a jumbo mortgage which charges a higher rate of interest. They are also known as non conforming loans as they exceed the limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Balloon Mortgage

This type of mortgage allows borrowers a lower rate and monthly payments for a particular period. Such a period lasts for three to ten years. After the completion of the term the borrower is required to pay the principal balance as a lump sum amount. If applicable and possible the balloon mortgage can also be converted to a fixed rate or adjustable rate loan.

Home Equity Line of Credit

Popularly known as HELOCs they are variable rate mortgages in line with the prime rate. You are allowed to take credit up to your credit limit which is the maximum amount one can borrow under any plan. The interest payments are tax deductible and one can also pay previous mortgage by taking a percentage of the appraised value of the home such that the loan amount covers your previous loan balance and your current fund requirements.

The Interest-Only Mortgage

This type of mortgage requires only interest payments to be paid for a specific period of time following which the terms of the loan change and a new mortgage amount is derived. This new mortgage will be paid with principal plus interest payments for the remaining number of years.

Lendingleaders offer the lowest interest rate mortgage loans available. Choose mortgage interest rate or mortgage refinancing options that best match your situation while saving time and money.

World Wrestling Entertainment, which is often referred to simply as WWE, recently announced that they are searching for the next wrestling superstar. With corporate offices located in Stamford, Connecticut, the WWE organization has quickly risen to be the most popular sports entertainment company of its kind. Filled arenas and record pay-per-view watchers are just a small part of what makes the WWE so appealing to wrestling newcomers. In addition, traveling to nearly every state in America and an impressive paycheck are among the other factors leading to impressive responses to WWE wrestling tryouts.

The next WWE wrestling tryout/training session will be held in Hidalgo, Texas. In order to be considered, interested parties must submit an application online. This brief questionnaire requires the entrant to provide his/her general information such as name, address and telephone number. In addition, a date of birth, height, years of wrestling experience and a brief explanation of why he/she should be the next WWE superstar must be provided. Along with the application, the entrant will be asked to upload two images of themselves, which must be in a JPG format and may not exceed 200kb per photo.

Along with the online application, wrestling hopefuls must provide a DVD/VHS compatible audition tape to be viewed by WWEs talent department. However, each entrant must also print and sign a Submission Release Letter, which is provided at wwe.com. This letter must be signed and submitted along with the audition video in order to it to be accepted.

For additional information on WWE Tryouts and new wrestling superstars, individuals are urged to visit http://www.wwe.com and click on the Tryouts link, which is located in the far left column. Many new WWE talents will appear for live and televised events on an occasional basis while others will become instant superstars. A rigorous workout regimen, travel schedule and exhausting competitions are all a part of the wrestling lifestyle. In addition to that, cheering fans, impressive merchandising and tons of autograph requests are among the upside to the media attention that comes with professional wrestling.

For those who maintain a lifelong dedication to wrestling, there may be a hall of fame induction in their future. As is the case with WWE Superstar Brett Hart, many of the industrys legends will be forever celebrated in the hall of fame. While there is no guarantee as to any career or how long it will last, many are taking their chance at becoming the next wrestling superstar and the first step is to audition.

Read more about Danube Women Wrestling, 411 wrestling, wrestling world and many other wrestling resources on AllWrestlingWorld.com

A major part of every working persons life is their career and career progression. It ranks alongside family, health and finance as the most important considerations of almost the entire population. Therefore, many people need and use every tool, help and piece of advice they can get in order to further their careers. As well as progression through a pre-defined career path such as the medical or law industries, people can stay within their own sector or have a complete career change and tackle something completely different. The choice of career and employment throughout the world is huge, with increasing opportunities to work abroad and in various sectors throughout someones employment lifetime.

The internet is becoming an increasingly important part of career advice for many, many people. Lots of information on careers and job vacancies is available on the internet as well as the fact that people can get advice and help on the next steps to take in their career progression online. The use of search engines to look for specific jobs, employers and recruitment agencies is very helpful. Almost all recruitment agencies in the UK have an online presence and advertise all their vacancies online on their websites. Users of these agencies and websites can browse all careers that match their skills and some sites even have skill matching tools that does this automatically. This helps people hugely with time management when searching for a new career. Many of these websites also offer online career advice such as how to construct a curriculum vitae correctly, how to write a cover letter and also interview tips and techniques. These websites can be used as the first step in the procedure and can be followed by contact with recruitment consultants or prospective employers, in order to further the process.

It is possible for some people to train online using remote study areas such as the Open University. Establishments such as these allow people to obtain qualifications as advanced as a degree through studying completely online. E-learning is an area of huge potential with a lot of room from growth and expansion. As with many aspects of the internet, online learning will help people who have tight schedules and little time to devote to training.

Another benefit of the internet for people who are looking at progressing or changing their job is that they can easily and quickly gain other peoples opinions and ideas. Recruitment consultants, business leaders and people employed in many disciplines use online job forums to discuss aspects of employment, recruitment and career progression. Through these forums and discussion points people can find out the advantages and disadvantages of various jobs and careers and also what the reality of working in a particular sector is like. They can also gain help and advice on how to tackle a particular recruitment or career issue.

To summarise, the internet is rapidly becoming an important tool in employment, careers and recruitment. All people interested and involved in these areas can benefit from using the internet to help them, whether it is for training, learning, finding a job or finding a suitable candidate for a job.

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I remember it well! I was on a fast stretch of road, but keeping to the limit for that stretch. I came towards a village, where the speed limit dropped by 20mph. Obviously I slowed down, and continued to slow. The road curved round to the left and went downhill. All this within about 100 yards of the slow down sign. And guess who was waiting for me at the bottom of the bend? Yes, you guessed it, the boys in blue.

I was fined for being 4mph over the limit! Grr. It didn't seem right then, and it doesn't seem right now either. So was there anything I could have done to avoid this in justice?

Radar detectors are extremely effective for warning drivers that they are approaching a speed detection device that uses a radar system. The speed is calculated using the difference between the transmit frequency and receive frequency (also known as the Doppler shift). They are essentially microwave radio receivers, and as such, it is important that the detector you want can identify the radio waves emitted by the equipment used by the authorities.

Radar detectors come essentially in two flavours, corded or uncorded. The corded typically mounts to your windshield, and because of its location offers an aerial less-obstructed detection. Cordless is as the name suggests, and offers you portable convenience to have the unit located where you want. This also means that you can use the unit for different vehicles without having to resort to multiple units or fiddly removals or re-installs.

There are some important considerations when shopping for radar detectors. These include band detection, which allow a range of police radar devices to be detected, distance of detection, ability to send a jamming signal, and, of course, price. In addition to these concerns, anyone interested in purchasing a motorcycle radar detector should check that the detector comes with an ear jack, because you will have to rely on an aural signal for these devices to be effective for you.

Some radar detectors can be extremely expensive but finding a discount unit is relatively simple if you know where to look. One option for purchasing radar detectors cheaply is to search for wholesale electronic distributors who have their own retail outlets. You will need to ascertain from the manufacturer that the detector that you are trying to buy will work in your area, or has band detection available. The stockist should have information about the frequencies used by your local authorities as well, so try and find this out before you part with any hard earned cash. Bear in mind that the cost of a radar detector is far less than the cost of the speeding tickets that you may face - so or protect yourself, get a radar detector.

Used radar detectors prices are reasonable and sometimes negotiable. They can be purchased from owners, dealers, or from superstores. Try to buy used radar detectors directly from the owners if possible, as you are likely to get a better deal. In the case of superstores, used radar detector prices are not normally negotiable, though they are usually sold for a reasonable, predetermined price. However, it sometimes pays to ask for a cash deal and to have cash ready, just in case! Such companies recondition the units to sell as refurbished items. A specialty of refurbished radar detectors is that their prices are remarkably low and they provide the same benefit that a new radar detector offers.

A radar detector can be purchased via the Internet too, however, a local car audio store should be able to inform you of state laws that might limit purchasing options.

The road is an ever more difficult place to avoid speeding tickets. You need radar detectors to find the sneaky cops who hide behind road signs, in bushes, up trees.