Important Scuba Diving Equipment That Every Diver Needs December 31, 2008
Posted by Pat in : my thoughts on stuff , comments closedYou always wanted to dive. Why not try it? In case you are about to take up scuba diving as a form of recreation you need to realize that it is crucial that you use the proper scuba diving equipment so as to make your scuba diving experience safe as well as fun. This means that you will need to make difficult decisions that can be simplified by realizing that at the very least you would need scuba diving equipment such as snorkels, masks, weight belts, fins and then you can add on other items such as scuba tanks and a dive computer when you become more adept at your sport.
The most basic item of scuba diving equipment that every diver must use is of course the mask with which you can see the underwater world through a glass plate that covers your eyes. In addition to providing better visibility, the mask can also help you in breathing which is especially useful because it prevents what is known as squeeze, which is really the pressure exerted on the diver while he is making his descent.
It is also possible to choose from different types of masks, including those that are full face and allow you to communicate with those above the water, or diving helmets and there are also prescription masks that come in handy for those used to wearing prescription glasses.
Another important item of scuba diving equipment that every diver needs is the fins that make it possible for divers to move about freely while they are submerged in the water. Of course, you need to ensure that this item of scuba diving equipment fits just right for your feet. You must ensure that the fins are neither too tight nor too loose, because ill-fitting fins will not only prove uncomfortable, but also are dangerous as well.
You also need to add diving suits to your list of scuba diving equipment, especially the ones known as wet suits because they can provide the necessary amount of insulation (thermal), and in addition they are also useful in preventing hypothermia.
Finally, you may also need to use scuba sets that are other important items of scuba diving equipment and which can either be open-circuit type or closed-circuit. Though normally you would want open-circuit scuba sets that contain twenty-one percent of oxygen. These suits are otherwise known as Aqualungs. Closed-circuit scuba sets make use of rebreathers in which air can be reprocessed and thus it proves to be handier and more economical to use, especially when you are planning on staying submerged for extended periods of time. This is for more advanced divers. It also may be a good idea to look for dive insurance just to be safe and to protect your loved ones. Diving can be a challenging and rewarding hobby.
Choose The Fitting File Format For The Job December 31, 2008
Posted by Pat in : my thoughts on stuff , comments closedWord processing isn’t just Microsoft Word. Sometimes it takes a bit of thought to pick the right tool for the task at hand - to choose the right file format for whatever you wish to accomplish with your document. Here are some tips on making this monumental choice.
Creation and editing
When you first create a new document, it’s usually not that important what kind of file format you use (unless it’s something extremely obscure). Most of the popular file formats can be converted to other formats fairly easily, so if you start out with, say, .doc, you can always convert it to .docx or .rtf later.
Most “average” users still use Microsoft Word for word processing, so the DOC format is probably a good choice for new documents and guarantees pretty good compatibility. Another fine choice is ODT, which is used by the freeware OpenOffice software suite. It lacks the popularity and widespread acception of .doc files, but is more easily accessed on “alternative” operating systems (Linux springs to mind).
Sending to other people
When you want to send a document to somebody else, either via email or some other means, the first thing you need to consider is what they’ll do with it. If the recipient only needs to view and/or print the file, Portable Document Format (PDF) is definitely the best choice. There are numerous pgorams - both free and commercial - that can open PDF files. PDF viewers are available for all operating systems, so using the PDF format is a good way to ensure the other person will be able to view the file. However, note that only storing a file as PDF won’t automatically stop someone clever from modifying it - a PDF document can be transformed to DOC and then edited.
If you need to send in a file for review, editing or somesuch, take into account the tech expertise (or lack thereof) of the receiving user. Many typical users will be most comfortable with the .doc or .docx file format. For very advanced or very inexperienced users, DOC is usually still acceptable, but the more portable RTF format can sometimes be a better fit.
Long-term storage
Sometimes you encounter files that, while potentially useful, you probably won’t need to access very often. For example, these could be transcripts of work interviews, historical records and the like. The best approach is to save these in an open format so that you don’t later get stuck in a situation when you have a bunch of weird files and no easy way of opening them. E.g. the WPS file type was pretty widely used 10 years ago, but nowadays barely anyone would know how to deal with the format.
Instead, use either extremely popular formats (e.g. DOC) or a format that is open - not proprietary. Popular open formats : RTF, ODT and PDF. If a format is open, it’s more likely that free file viewers for that format will be available in the future - even if the company that invented the format goes out of business.
Understanding and predicting inflation December 30, 2008
Posted by Pat in : my thoughts on stuff , comments closedThere are many reasons to follow inflation measures aside from simply staying ahead of price hikes on cars, refrigerators and other big ticket items, which by itself can save you thousands of dollars over years of planning. Excessive inflation is bad for more than just your monthly budget. It’s also very bad for many investments in stocks and bonds as it puts pressure on corporate profits and decreases real dividend yields. And while high inflation is a very bad thing, a big drop in inflation can be the first sign that things are going bad economically. A sign of an exceptionally big economic downturn is when the inflation indicators start to show the opposite effect, dropping prices or “deflation.”
If you’re interested in getting ahead of the curve in spotting inflation, the best bet is to go to the source. The fundamental source of most inflation is simple - more money chasing the same number of goods or, as economists put it, an increase in the money supply. Fortunately, the Federal Reserve releases reports on the money supply every Thursday. Moderate inflation is usually considered about 2%. When you see money supply growing faster than the growth rate of the economy plus about 2%, you can expect higher than moderate inflation.
The second advance forecast of rising retail prices is the wholesale price level and once a month the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on that with the Producer Price Index series. The Producer Price Index, or PPI, is actually a series of indexes or statistics for finished goods, those ready to be sold; intermediate goods, such as parts that still need assembled into finished products; and crude goods, which are basically commodities that haven’t had much processing beyond being dug out of the ground or harvested from the field.
Another advance figure is the monthly Import and Export Price Indexes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because the earliest stages of inflation can affect the foreign currency markets, inflation often shows up quicker in imports than on store shelves.
Ultimately the number you’ll be most intersted in is the Consumer Price Index or CPI, the main measure of price inflation at the retail level. Like the PPI, the CPI is actually a series of indexes that measure prices based on different baskets of goods. The most important number for investment purposes is the core CPI-U, a number based on urban prices for goods excluding food and energy. For personal purposes you may want to consider the full CPI-U, including food and energy, but remember that these numbers are very volatile from month to month, so you should do any planning based on long term trends, not a one time spike (or drop) in prices.
To keep completely up to date on inflation, you’ll want to follow the Federal Reserve’s Money Supply figures weekly and the various economic indicators released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also releases the monthly jobs report, another very important number for both investors and workers.
Home teeth whitening (without a dentist) December 30, 2008
Posted by Pat in : my thoughts on stuff , comments closedOne of the simple truths of modern living, is that people judge you by the way you look. It doesn’t matter if you have the brains of Einstein, if your teeth are crooked and discolored you’re smile will not make a favorable impression. It does not matter how much you brush your teeth or what toothpaste you use, the color of your teeth is unlikely to be improved by this route. The good news is there is a cheap and simple method that you can carry out at home that will significantly whiten your teeth.
Home teeth whitening is growing as a trend and can help you achieve a pearly white smile in a matter of days. All you need to do is follow some simple instructions and add a dose of patience and persistence. This is necessary because unlike professional dental procedures the results are not instant and results do not appear after one treatment.
The most popular home teeth whitening products are generally part of a system or kit. Some will come with a mouth guard in which various gels or pastes are ‘loaded’ and activated. Once they interact with the teeth the whitening process generally involves some sort of bleaching process, which through prolonged use could result in your teeth becoming at least 2 shades and sometimes up to 4 shades lighter. Staining that has accumulated through excessive smoking or drinking coffee is easily and permanently removed.
There really is no reason why you should not try a home teeth whitening kit. At best you could significantly improve the color of your teeth for very little investment. At worst you don’t get the sort of results that you want, but you risk very little in the process.
Get Paid to Write Online December 29, 2008
Posted by Pat in : my thoughts on stuff , comments closedProbably the easiest place to get paid to write today is to get paid to write online. The Internet market is huge and growing. The Net moves by the written word. Thousands of new websites are going up every day, and hundreds of writers make money writing the content and text for those websites.
When you get paid to write online you work by contract, usually short, spefic pieces of work. These can be set up and started fast, negotions are done online, contracts are agreed to, the work gets done and accepted and you get paid immediately. Much work is paid through PayPal for which the payments into your account are immediate. You use your debit card to get cash from an ATM anywhere.
Another advantage is that where you actually are makes no difference, so long as you have access to the Internet. when you make money writing online you almost never meet your clients face-to-face. You can be on the beach in Cancun or snowed-in in Whitehorse, Yukon, writing articles for a client in Singapore or Amsterdam. The Net brings you together and handles the information flow.
There is an unlimited amount of work out there to be done. It’s easy to get paid to write. The hard part is deciding how much you want to take on. The good part is that it’s up to you. You can stop at the end of your current work contract. Take on a lot or a little writing work. Work part time at night and on weekends, since you control the time. It’s all up to you. All you have to do is to meet your quality and delivery requirements.
No experience needed, anyone can participate. All you really need is to be able to write in clear, simple, easy to understand English and to have a computer and access to the Internet. With only that you can get paid to write online.
by - Guillermo Chavez Ch.