How to Know if Your Mechanic is Trustworthy

Some of us know stuff about cars while others wouldn’t know an engine from a hole in the ground. It can all make going to a mechanic a rather painful process as they drone on and on and on about your car, and you nod along as if you understand. (One pro tip: a defensive driving course can help you skip those pesky accidents, so you don’t even have to see your mechanic very often.) While certain things may seem obvious, sometimes they’re not. A mechanic may sound entirely reasonable when they tell you they need to charge you $3,000 for a flux capacitor, but you should know that a flux capacitor is only good if you’re starring in the remake of Back to the Future. So how do you know who deserves your trust (and money) and who doesn’t?

Reviews

The internet certainly has its downsides, but reviews really isn’t a part of that category. Reviews aren’t always perfect, but they will give you a chance to see the trends of a mechanic who is up to some rather shady business. Also, be warned: a mechanic that has 100% “good reviews,” is likely a scammer since it’s impossible to please everyone. Unless of course, they only opened yesterday and just have the one review on their site. If you’re traveling fulltime for your job, reviews are especially handy since you never know where you’ll break down.

Questions

Questions take time, and their answers can be difficult to process. But asking questions to your mechanic is probably the best way to determine if they’re trustworthy or not. Unless your mechanic is some sort of master manipulator sociopath, it’s likely that you’ll be able to glean at least a few insights from their behavior, their tone of voice, and their explanations. You’re not looking for someone who speaks in jargon — that’s a classic way to confuse people. You’re looking for someone who can speak to you like an equal, but can bring the material down to Earth.

Ask Around

Similar to asking questions to your mechanic, this would be where you shop around by going to other mechanics in your area. They may or may not be dying to talk to you for a half hour without a job at the end of it, but hopefully they’ll be willing to at least give you some information. Most mechanics can’t really say anything definitively until they know exactly what’s wrong with your car, but they can at least give you an idea of the scope and the cost of the work if you’ve been given a quote by another organization. The best thing to do here is to be as honest as possible, and just let them know that you’re trying to see which service will be right for you. Just be warned though that this tip will do nothing for you if your mechanic has imagined an issue that isn’t there just to charge you more money.

Extra Warnings

Be aware that a lying mechanic and an incompetent mechanic are two very different things, but they can end in the same result: you spend more money. An incompetent mechanic may spend a lot of wasted time and money to fix a problem that was never there, or they may end up doing a small repair that ends in your being abandoned on the side of the road. Most of the time, it’s better to have a lying mechanic who’s overcharging you than a mechanic who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Luckily, these tips can be applicable to both cases.

Real Facts About Car Dealerships and What They Don’t Want You to Know

Shopping for a new or used car? Then you need to read this first. There’s several secrets to car dealerships and the car buying process you may not know–but should know before you sink your hard-earned dollars into a vehicle.

If you have ever shopped for a new or used car you probably have a few complaints about the car salesmen, or car dealership where you tried to buy your vehicle. The salesman was too pushy, or didn’t listen to you, and when they did listen they just got it all plain wrong. Maybe you found the same car at vastly different prices, or when you tried to negotiate all the salesmen did was adjust the terms and move the numbers around. Well, you weren’t imagining things, car dealers use several tricks to get you to pay more for a car–from adjusting loan terms to lower your payment, to playing bait and switch. Read up on these tricks common to most car dealers, it’s like your own defensive driving course for negotiating your next car deal.

Salesmen Simply are Trained to Sell

That car salesman is not an expert in your vehicle. In fact, most of them don’t even know the difference between those two models you are comparing. They are trained to do one thing, and one thing only–sell you the car. That’s why they hem and haw when you ask a direct question about the models you are comparing. They don’t know! So, do you own research. There’s plenty of facts online. Use a comparison tool. Shop and research on several websites until you really understand what your car is all about.

Car Ads are Designed to Get You into the Dealership

That car you found in the newspaper or online at an unbelievably low price suddenly sold, or no longer available? Usually is the case. These teaser cars are priced low and advertised to keep a steady stream of suckers coming onto the dealer’s lot. Chances are the car never existed or was only priced that low to attract customers. Salesmen are trained not to sell you this car, they know car games new and old, and may take a load of flack if they do so. Ask about it and your salesmen will come up with some excuse to get you into another car.

Price and Loan Terms

Car dealers often offer their own financing and sometimes it is a better deal than your bank. However, during negotiation they rarely lower the actual car price. Instead they change the loan terms (number of months to pay off the loan) and APR to show you a lower car payment and entice you to sign on the dotted line. But a lower payment doesn’t save you money in the long run. Some loans can run up to 84 months, instead of the normal 60 months (5 years). You might end up paying $30 to $50 less a month but end up making an additional 12 to 24 payments! Always read the loan terms before you sign.

Warranties are a Waste of Money

Car dealers are always excited to sell you a warranty. Ask yourself why. Many warranties come at a premium (some up to $2000 or more) and only cover parts of the vehicle. They also only last for a specific time, usually up to 100,000 miles–when the vehicle is covered by manufacturer warranties and less likely to break down.

Play it smart. Do your research and get everything in writing before you sign. You can save yourself headaches and heart aches when buying a car.

Important facts about ski jumping that a participant needs to know

Ski jumping involves skiing down the slopes of a hill. A competitive event like this one compels all contestants to move down a steep slope and get past curves while taking off or while they’re at a certain height on the other end. While leaping downwards from one end, the skiers are required to cover much of the distance horizontally while they’re in the air.

The spectators of the Winter Olympics held at Chamonix in 1924 had witnessed Ski jumping to be included for the very first time. The Olympics in 1964 saw the inclusion of a much larger hill, which resulted in splitting of this event into 2 segments – small hill jumping and large hill jumping. The hills are prepared for this event and graded accordingly. The classification of hills is purely based on the distance between their starting point and the end point, which gets traversed safely by all skiers.

The Olympics and other senior ski jumping events are held at heights worth 90 and 120 meters in small and large hills respectively. The winter Olympics provides you with a great opportunity to watch both the group jumping and individual jumping events. In 1980, a World Cup Ski Jumping tour was arrange, which was considered to be a major milestone achieved since the first World championships were arranged in 1925 by the Federation Internationale de Ski. The FIS championships didn’t witness any participation from female jumpers till 2009. However, the Winter Olympics in Sochi had included a small-hill ski jumping event for women in 2011.

Eddie Edwards may not seem to be a familiar name for the average American household. This British ski jumper had made it to the headlines when he took part in the Calgary Winter Olympics. Ever since his participation in 1988, several other ski jumpers have claimed their niche in similar events.

A skier needs to move at a great speed worth 100 km per hour till he arrives at the takeoff. Once there, he needs to move upward and outward. The initial point of a jump may even be lowered by the authorities after taking the risks (of moving downwards) into consideration. It will help them reduce the impact of the potential speed of jumping. Eddie Edwards speaker at some notable sporting channels and events had mentioned the risks involved in these types of championships.

In order to score high on a jumping opportunity, the participants often need to depend on their body position while they’re in the air. While skiing, the participants have to take the shock of their contact with the ground upon their hips and knees.  The jumper takes a turn for restricting his forward motion once the slopes get leveled. Several precautionary measures are taken for keeping a participant from jumping over. Apart from lowering of height, the authorities may even set limits on the thickness of ski-suits to be worn by the participants and restrict the length of their skies. Trapped air facilitates longer jumps when you’re wearing thick suits. The authorities have even laid down rules for positioning the ski bindings.

How dust affects the lungs

Image Credit

Our lungs are constantly at risk from the dust we breathe, so it is fortunate that they have their own built-in defence mechanism. Mucus produced by the bronchi and bronchioles helps to capture dust and move it out of the lungs. Any other dust particles are dealt with by the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs in the lungs that help the body to receive oxygen and release harmful carbon dioxide.

How the lungs react to dust

If particles of dust evade other defence mechanisms, they may end up in the deepest part of the lungs. There they are dealt with by cells called macrophages, which ingest the dust and then move out of the lungs into to the throat; however, if the amount of dust that settles in the lungs and the macrophage system fails, damage to the lungs can occur.

If the macrophages swallow a significant amount of silica, they die and produce a toxic substance that scars the lungs. Crystalline silica can cause so much scar tissue to form that the scarring causes fibrosis known as silicosis, which can lead to respiratory failure.

Image Credit

Many factors can influence the way your lungs react to dust, including your breathing patterns and whether you smoke. Cigarettes can seriously impair the lungs’ ability to clear themselves, while deep, long breaths or breathing in through the nose or mouth can also have an effect.

Dust and disease

When the lungs are unable to cope with the inhalation of dust, pneumoconiosis occurs. This literally means ‘dusty lung’. Risks in the workplace can be greatly minimised by investing in a good-quality dust extraction system and an effective ductwork blast gate damper, which is available from trusted suppliers such as https://www.dustspares.co.uk/Blast-Gate-Damper.html.

Protecting the lungs from dust

If dust is likely to be a hazard in the workplace, effective strategies need to be employed to protect workers from lung damage. An effective dust extraction system and the deployment of engineering control methods, such as the use of wet processes, should be considered.

Good housekeeping, the effective use of vacuums and efficient storage can all contribute, while careful planning to minimise exposure to toxic and harmful dust should be a top priority for senior management. Prevention and control should always be integral to a safe and well-managed workplace.

 

Selecting the Best Vintage Furniture for Home Design

So, you have already made up your mind that you will choose vintage home furniture above all other options. The next task is to narrow down the options. You need to select from a wide variety of furniture pieces that are designed to look vintage or classic. This might seem like an easy task, but it is not. You have to go through a lot just to filter out the choices. To help you out, here are some tips that you might want to consider.

  • Read online reviews. There are people who have tried buying vintage furniture before. You can read their feedback online. They will let you know whether or not they have enjoyed the piece that they bought. They will also let you know which companies you can trust. Of course, these are random people posting reviews. You need to take them with a pinch of salt. It would be nice though to have help from those who have actual experience of buying.
  • Ask for recommendations from friends. Your friends might have bought vintage furniture before. You can ask them where they bought it and if they like what they have purchased. It would be great if you can ask those people you trust directly. This is better than just reading random reviews.
  • Trust your instincts. In the end though, if you can’t trust what other people have to say, then you just need to trust your own instincts. You have to find out which of the choices look more appealing to you. It is also important to consider your personal taste. In the end, even if there are pieces of furniture that worked well for others, it might not be the same for you. It is possible that you won’t like what other people liked. You need to go through the options yourself and find out which of them you would want to bring home.

Rest assured, finding vintage homeware accessories is easy considering the choices available. You also need to check out options from different online stores. Once you have made up your mind, you can close the deal and wait for your order to arrive. You can immediately redecorate your house. You must also consider the right accessories that will match the vintage theme.

Hopefully, you will enjoy your choice and decide to buy more next time. Those who have decided to have a vintage concept for their home design have enjoyed their decision. The furniture that they have bought is of high quality. If you are still unsure, then just give it a shot. You will surely love it once it is in your home.

How to Create Effective Flyers With AIDA

AIDA is an acronym often used in publicity and marketing in order to create more effective marketing materials. You can use the concept of AIDA when you are designing a flyer or leaflet, in order to create a piece of marketing collateral that will really benefit your business.

AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. It is worth focusing on these different aspects when designing a flyer so that you end up with something that people take notice of, and which really benefits your business, raises your presence, or increases sales. Here are the aspects of AIDA that you can work on to build an effective flyer.

A for Attention

Also A is for Awareness. Grabbing attention is vital. People who are given a flyer in the street will take one glance at it, and in a few seconds decide whether they will read more or throw it away. You have just a few seconds to make an impact. You need to attract the attention of your audience. Make them aware of what you want to say on your leaflet. Pay careful attention to the headline and the main image as these will be the first things people see.

Be careful that the overall quality of the flyer and the paper is good. This creates a favourable impression without people even looking at the words and the images. People tend to associate thin paper and poor quality printing with a poor quality company, so use the best printing companies and printing services you can find for your flyer printing as this really does make a difference.

I for Interest

Once someone is looking at your leaflet, raise their interest by demonstrating the features of your product or service, and the benefits. Tell people why your service, event, or product is interesting. Think about your USP and what will appeal best to your audience.

D for Desire

Once you have their attention and their interest, focus on making what you offer attractive to your audience. Your flyer should demonstrate why they need what you are offering to improve their lives or solve a problem. “We sell organic food” is not as effective as the message “we sell organic food that will help you live a healthier life and make your mealtimes easier.”

A for Action

What do you want customers to do? Come into your store for a special discount? Come to an opening night event? Look online for more details? Sign up for a promotion? Add an effective call to action to your flyer and you will convert more interest into sales.

Do You Need To Hire A Divorce Attorney | Boca Divorce Attorney

A big question that most people have when thinking deeply about divorce is whether they need to hire an attorney. While many people prefer to keep costs down while having a divorce, it may be far more expensive then what you’d have thought of if you don’t hire an attorney. Hiring an attorney or not depends on a number of factors like,

  1. How well you understand your legal rights in a divorce? There are so many cases in which people agreed to their spouse’s demands out of fear that they would do much worse, when in fact the law would have provided for far more. For instance, out of fear fathers may agree to spend much less parenting time than they would deserve or wives may agree to far less spousal maintenance than they receive.
  2. How well do you know and understand your finances? In most of the cases people let their spouse make all the financial decisions. In a divorce, they then take their other half’s word as to how much income he/she is earning or what they have in assets and debts. Unfortunately most people are capable of elongate the truth in such situations to get a better result for themselves. You need Boca Divorce Attorney who can help you to understand your financial situation so that you can make better decision.
  3. Does the other half have an attorney? This should probably be the first question, because if the answer is yes, then definitely you should need your own attorney too in order to balance things. There are such cases when people come after accepting a terribly unjust settlement because they trusted their spouse’s attorney. Always remember, your other half’s attorney is working for her not for you.
  4. Finally, do not sign anything, without having it reviewed by a trusted attorney. You may not need to hire the attorney to represent you but at least have a Boca divorce attorney to review what you are agreeing to and what you will legally be bound to follow.

Good news is now they are just a phone call or email away. If you are serious about retaining an attorney for your divorce case, please contact Boca divorce attorney to discuss your specific situation. Experienced divorce and family law lawyers are there to help you.

5 Ways To Protect A Home From Rats And Mice

Rats and mice especially can be seen as too tiny to do any real damage to your home and belongings. The real story is quite the opposite when they are capable of wreaking havoc at your home and bring with them health issues as well as material damage. That’s why it’s best to contact a Vancouver pest control company.

They can chew up things in your home, spoil food, spread a number of diseases, increase and even create allergies. Before this happens it’s essential to know how to rodent proof your home and act upon these measures.

The first thing to do is identify any points that might allow entry to rats and mice and seal those places. Good hygiene and sanitary conditions are another thing that will discourage any rodent infestations along with the 5 steps listed below to prevent rodents from invading your home.

  • Inspect your foundation. Conduct a thorough inspection of your home’s foundation and take note of any holes or gaps that may be present. Any holes large enough for a rodent to fit through should be blocked using either wire mesh or black foam.
  • Check all entry points, the next item on your list is examining all doors and windows to be sure they close properly with no small gaps that could act as an entry point for rodents. If you notice any problems install a metal kick plate to bar entry.
  • Examine your roof. A home’s roof can be another way for rodents to gain entry into the home so don’t overlook it. Check the ventilators, shingles and chimney for any breakage, gaps or leaks. Fill in any gaps you find and the chimney may even need to be kept closed to be sure it’s not an entry point.
  • Pay close attention to your garden which should be part of your inspection list. Avoid piles of rubbish or lots of overgrowth that can be a perfect living conditions for rodents. Overhanging tree branches close to your home are another avenue rodents can gain entry to your home. So maintaining your garden and shrubbery is a good tip.
  • Any pipes or wire lines that provide a number of services to your home can be possible passage for rodents as well. Metal rodent guards are available and should be installed to prevent access in this manner.

5 Ways To Deal With Your Child’s Anxiety

Do you know how to respond whenever you child get extremely anxious? Below are some helpful tips from Thrive Therapy on how to help your child manage his or her anxiety.

Motivate your child to face his or her fears, not escape from them

Whenever you are faced with nerve-racking situations, you try to avoid them. But, avoiding situations that provoke anxiety retains the anxiety. Instead, if you help your child face his or her fears, he or she will know that anxiety will naturally reduce in time and it is manageable. The human body will not remain anxious for extended periods of time as it has the capacity to calm the body. Normally, it will take 20-45 minutes to reduce the anxiety if you maintain in that anxiety-provoking situation.

Schedule relaxing activities

Your kids also need time to relax and be kids. Regrettably, even enjoyable activities such as sports can be more about achievements instead of fun. So make sure your kid participates in events for the sake of fun and nothing else. This includes planning a certain time of the day for them to play with a sport or toys, paint, having a tea party, or just goof around.

Don’t ask leading questions

Encourage your kid to voice out his or her feelings, but don’t try to ask leading questions like, “Are you nervous about the contest?” or “Are you anxious about the big test?” This is to stop nurturing the cycle of anxiety. Instead, ask open-ended questions like “How are you feeling about the science fair?”

Don’t reinforce your child’s fears

Make sure that you are aware of your body language and on how you talk to your child during the anxiety-provoking situation. For instance, your child has a bad experience with dogs, the next time he or she is around a dog, you may be apprehensive on how he or she will react and you may unknowingly send a message that reinforces the fear of your child.

Reward your child’s courage

If your child was able to face his or her fears, reward him or her; it could be a hug, praise or any small treat. This isn’t a form of bribery if you make sure to establish it as a motivator before your kid is in the anxiety-provoking situation. If you provide rewards for facing his or her fears, then your child will likely to face them more often.

Rashed Ahmed regularly contributes to online news magazines and living ideas to various blogs around the web. When he’s not busy working with the work, you will find him undertaking many of her own lifestyle-related topics and living ideas! He has a lot of dreams. He works hard to fulfill his dreams. He loves to share his ideas, tricks, tips, and information by blogging. He also works at craziest business ideas, a business marketing company that committed to helping businesses with online marketing.

The Power Of Group Exercise In Seniors

The message is out there and we are all aware how important it is to get out and engage in some form of exercise.  Inactivity has been compared to smoking it poses such a risk to our overall health. Our bodies are meant to move so why is it so difficult for many people to start and continue a regular exercise routine. Let’s examine some of the reasons that starting is such a challenge and especially for seniors in Victoria care homes and what are some ways to show our loved ones physical activity can be enjoyable.

Current recommended guidelines for those over 65 are as follows:

– 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, in 10 minute bouts   -Weight training 2 times a week to help with daily household chores.

Weight training is important for example to maintain knee strength for easier transition from standing to sitting. Becoming weaker as people age doesn’t have be the outcome and remaining active allows seniors to live independently longer.

It’s possible many people associate exercise with things like jogging, running or biking and see it as boring and lonely. Humans are social creatures which could explain why community centers offer dance classes that fill up quickly.  Drawn by the sound of laughter,  participants are able to fill their need to be engaged with others and the support they receive is welcome as they learn. Knowing the group support aspect is important especially for seniors it should be more clearly stated in exercise guidelines.

Some great examples of group activities exist that attract seniors and we’ve listed a couple of examples below.

Tai chi works well as a group exercise activity with it’s balance training, remembered choreography and social engagement. You may have seen groups at shopping malls or outdoors performing the routine by memory.

Aerobic and dance classes fill up quickly anytime they are scheduled at local community centers. Centers with swimming pools offer aqua aerobics, step aerobics allow even those with mobility issues to take part. While the high energy of a zumba class may not be for everyone other dance classes are available. In a safety supervised environment beat gets them moving, can stir memories, start conversations and/or simply put smiles on faces.

These are just a few of the possibilities that might encourage more seniors to embrace physical activity. Aside from the physical benefits of taking part in group exercises it can also provide mental stimulation and the opportunity to develop some social connections. These connections can provide a network of friendships and socializing outside of group exercise classes and ease the isolation often felt by seniors.