Monthly Archives: June 2009

Author : Brenda Williams

An amphibious vehicle is a vehicle or craft that has the ability to travel through water and is used to transport people and equipment across large bodies of water The majority of amphibious vehicles are used by armies and militaries worldwide to transport troops, goods, food and fighting equipment from point to point There are other amphibious vehicles that are used as personal water craft vehicles, mainly for fun purposes The vehicle can be used on land as well as in the water It has features for both purposes and the transition from the water to the land or vice versa is almost seamless

An amphibious vehicle is divided into two categories Those categories are ones that travel as hovercrafts and ones that don’t A hovercraft is a vehicle that travels on an air cushion Some of the most popular amphibious vehicles around today are called duck boats These vehicles have the ability to travel on land and in the water and are mainly used for tours of a city by river while also duck watching This is widely popular in the city of Philadelphia The tour starts out on land in Center City and then makes its way to the Delaware River

The very first amphibious vehicle was created by an American inventor, Oliver Evans, in 1805 Its name was the ‘Orukter Amphibolos ‘ This vehicle was propelled by steam and not a combustible engine The very first amphibious vehicle to be propelled by a combustible engine was developed around the year 1899 The production and development of the amphibious vehicle skyrocketed in the 1920s Amphibious vehicles were used in World War II by a variety of the countries involved

Most amphibious vehicles are designed to look like a vehicle that can be used in the water or on land but with some of them you can’t even tell the difference from a regular vehicle to an amphibious vehicle There have been cars made to look like cars but actually are amphibious vehicles The same can be said for some SUVs Some of the most popular vehicles are the Amphicar and the Gibbs Aquada as cars and the Amphi Ranger 2800SR

The United States Marines employ the use of amphibious vehicles; one of which is known as the Amphibious Assault Vehicle These vehicles are heavily armored, camouflaged and can storm ashore in a matter of minutes from the water The United States Military also employs the use of amphibious tanks and other armored trucks and tracked vehicles Most amphibious vehicles come into good use when navigating an icy terrain The traction on their tires or tracks makes it easy for the vehicle to avoid skidding or fish tailing on an icy terrain Amphibious vehicles are used for security, for transporting food and goods through flooded areas of a tragic storm, for personal use and for tourism Since their development in the late 1800s and their mass distribution since the 1920s, the amphibious vehicle has become a popular form of transportation and a mode of entertainment

http://www.cs.duke.edu/~km/ http://Duke.edu
http://www.nationaltransportllc.com/automobile-transportation.php Auto Shipping

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Author : Shaun Parker

Car leasing is a way of financing the use of a vehicle Like a car repayment loan payments are made every month over a set period of time but it differs from purchasing a vehicle in that the person that leases a car does not own the vehicle at the end of the agreement The person that has use of the vehicle does not own it but has complete use of it

This means that the person that is leasing the car can manage their vehicle payments carefully and can keep a close eye on their outgoings This can be a good thing for people that want to have a certain amount of security with their monthly payments There are a number of options that can be taken to further secure the monthly charge For example it is often possible to include a monthly maintenance fee that covers any problems that may occur with the vehicle This means that the person that leases the vehicle can feel comfortable that they will never incur unexpected costs

One of the major benefits of car leasing is that you can afford a vehicle that would ordinarily be out of your budget When you lease a vehicle you do not have to pay the cost of the vehicle or a large down payment for a loan deal As the person that leases the vehicle never owns it he or she also benefits from the fact that at the end of a contract he or she can just return the vehicle to the person or company that they leased it from

They do not have to worry about the depreciation in values that cars inevitably experience and neither do they have to worry about the hassle of selling a vehicle on The person leasing the vehicle can just hand the keys over and walk away at the end of the contract So leasing can help people avoid depreciation, unexpected maintenance costs and the hassle of selling a vehicle on

Car leasing also has a number of benefits for people that execute the deals as well as for the people that take advantage of them The advantages for the seller are that they can generate income from a vehicle that they own but the vehicle remains theirs and although they relinquish control they do not relinquish the ownership of the vehicle This means that they can often keep a fleet of vehicles on their books and make a profit of each

It does of course mean that they do take on a certain level of risk For many people that lease out a vehicle there is the risk of depreciation of value of their vehicle It is common for vehicles to lose value over time and this depreciation can be crippling if the leasing company have not built enough into their charges to cover this inevitability The other major risk for car leasing firms is that the person that leases the car is less likely to treat the vehicle with as much care as they might treat their own vehicle This can mean people that lease cars are harder on their vehicles than if they owned it themselves

People that lease cars often benefit as they are often able to afford a modern vehicle that is up to date It can be a method of financing a vehicle that might ordinarily be out of the persons budget They also benefit from being able to be slightly less precious with the vehicle As they are going to return the vehicle after the end of the contract they do not have to take so much care over it That is not to say that they can thrash the vehicle within an inch of its life but it does mean that they can feel less anxious about its upkeep

Shaun Parker has been at the forefront of the car hire and car leasing industry for several years. He has arranged finance for hundreds of satisfied customers.

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Author : Patrick Omari

Deciding whether to get a taxi and what firm to choose is not always easy You could call a dozen or more taxi firms and petrol companies, but who has the time and patience to do that? Fortunately, there are now automated and innovative ways of getting this information This article introduces a clever online calculator that will save you pounds

Maybe you can’t drive to the airport or get public transport, maybe you don’t want to or maybe, if you’re a woman, you’ve packed too many clothes and can’t lift your own suitcase Whatever the reason, there are times when you will need to take a taxi If it is a long journey, not all firms will be willing to make the trip, so it is wise to book

Taxi fares are calculated by a meter, usually starting with an initial charge plus a set amount per mile after that Airport taxis and shuttles generally charge a set fare one way It is usually a good idea to tip the taxi or shuttle driver – there is no fixed rate for tips, but 10 to 15 per cent of the fare is reasonable If the distance is long, see if you can share a taxi with a friend and split the fare

The number of people going on holiday each year means there is plenty of demand for taxi firms specialising in journeys to and from the airport There are now plenty to choose from and the services on offer vary between companies

Before I tell you what this little tool can do, let us examine the options you would probably consider when deciding how to get to the airport

Some airport taxi firms offer high class transport to the airports, aimed at a niche market like businesspeople and professionals They will offer luxury, top of the range vehicles, along with a personal chauffeur who will take care of all your luggage for you until you get to the airport Some firms will even escort you with your luggage to check-in

There are the ones you would call regular taxis offering standard service Then there are the firms that are aimed more at families – for example they will use a minibus and have plenty of space for luggage, prams, wheelchairs, skis, snowboards etc Some taxi firms are now adding a personal touch by having a meet and greet service On your outbound journey you have the option of booking your return transport also There are meet and greet points in various places throughout the different airports, and you arrange before you leave which one you will meet at Your taxi driver will help you with your luggage and take you home Booking both journeys with the same firm will probably also save you money

The benefits of taxi transport

You do not have to look for a parking space at the airport

You will be dropped off at the departure hall and picked up at the arrivals hall

You will be picked up at home and dropped off at your doorstep

You do not need to carry suitcases in and out of buses and trains

You are no longer dependent on public transport

You do not have to worry about theft of or damage to the car you have parked at the airport

You do not run the risk of your car battery going flat when your car is parked at the airport for a long period

The benefits of driving to the airport

Friends and relatives do not have to drive you to and from the airport at inconvenient times or miss work or other commitments

You have complete freedom over where you go and how long you stay

You are in control of your own transport and don’t have to rely on someone else to get you there on time

Often, taking your car works out less expensive than booking a taxi or coach travel

You’re helping the environment by saving the extra journeys involved if someone drops you off and comes back for you

The parking lots are affordable, especially if you book in advance online or over the phone Then you can relax knowing that your car will be well looked after and you will make your flight

You can agree on a fixed rate in advance but if there are traffic jams or other unforeseen incidents the taxi may spring an unpleasant surprise – waiting charges

You save yourself the trouble of making endless phonecalls to tell your family and friends that you have arrived and they can come and pick you up

Using this calculator, UK-based travellers can tell which option works out cheaper for you – a handy tool and a novel way to save money

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Gatwick parking Gatwick parking, Gatwick parking and cheaper to park.

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Author : Gregg Hall

Finding what type of car show that you are interested in is something you have to do, not anyone else If you are trying to find a car show that you want to go to nobody else can help you but yourself You are the one that is going to have to go out looking and talking to people So if you though that you were just going to be able to get up out of bed and find the car show that you wanted to attend then you are wrong unless you are living in Miami then there is always something to do

If you are looking for a car show the most popular car shows are going to be the ones that are hot rods and street cars Those are the only car shows that you are not going to have any trouble finding The only ones that I can think of that you would have trouble getting to or finding would be the car shows like collectibles and car shows like that Other car shows like best in show and show cars are going to be easy to find So if you want to attend a collector’s car show then you need to get online and start looking up a good car show in the near future if you want to go

The good car shows are the ones with the hot rods and street cars in them All you do is go online or turn on the TV and you should be able to find what you are looking for All you need to do is go online and type in car show When you type in car show be sure to type in the area in which you live in or it will just pull up random car shows everywhere so be sure to type in your area

After you have discovered the type of car show that you want to observe then you just get ready for the show and then start driving to the event If you do not know where any car shows are and you were supposed to be at a certain one at a certain time then you better call some people and get directions because I have no idea how you are going to make it unless you can just be late and get your car judged later That will only happen if you are a person that runs a car show

If you subscribe to a car magazine then you are most likely going to get invites to car shows and stuff like that because you are in a magazine subscription so they will be sending you all kinds of stuff about cars and car shows you just are going to have to drive to get to the car that you want to attend If you cannot find a car show still then you just need to look online and try your best is all I can tell you

Gregg Hall is an author living with his 18 year old son in Jensen Beach, Florida. Find more about cars as well as a car care products at http://www.5starshine.com

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Author : Paul M. Jerard Jr.

On any given day, the weather trend is usually the first subject of conversation During the past month, anywhere you go in the United States, the price of gasoline has become a primary topic to complain about Most people, and businesses, feel helpless when looking toward winter’s fuel bills

Will dispensing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve help us? If you think short-term – Yes; it will help temporarily

In fact, you can expect to see products and services increase in price due to the price of fuel and transportation This is only the beginning of economic change Many of the “Mom and Pop” businesses may not be able to adapt fast enough to handle the upcoming heating bills Many of the local businesses, in my area, are still “smarting” from last winter’s fuel bills

So what can we do? There has been a flood of Emails that tell us to boycott a particular oil company, but nobody can agree on exactly which company to boycott Most oil companies are considered “greedy corporate giants,” with questionable political agendas, by the consumers If we are going to be driven out of business, and into an economic disaster, it is time to declare economic warfare on the largest oil companies

Sorry to choose such strong words and opinions, but this has gone on long enough Osama Bin Laden may not feel that you are paying enough at the pump, but you don’t have his millions to pay your fuel bills with

There is also an effort to stop buying gasoline on a particular day Every business deals with ups and downs, but you have to come back to the pump; a day of poor sales isn’t going to matter to multi-millionaires However, a month, or a season, will wake them up

If we made a serious commitment to walk or bike more, we would all be healthier, and send a message to the oil companies Granted, many of us commute great distances to get to work, but taking the car around the block to pick up a half-gallon of milk is ridiculous

A little self-discipline goes a long way Get rid of all gas guzzlers and don’t even think of buying one Does anyone really need a 5 7 liter hemi? What are the auto manufacturers thinking? This is total gluttony, and we all know that the world’s oil reserves will run out, so let’s conserve what we have

In your home, or business, you should insulate everything possible Many people, and businesses, already have done this, but heat is becoming too precious a commodity to take for granted

Write your local legislators about alternative fuel sources Let them know this is an important election issue

They have all sat on their rear ends long enough Foreign oil dependence has become our foreign policy; it’s time to become self sufficient

The oil companies are currently engaged in price gouging, but we are not helpless If we conserve, and get some action from government, it will be for the common good

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner/director of Yoga teacher training at Aura Wellness Center. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

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Author : Tom Haney

Have you ever ridden a motorcycle before? Even the mere idea of riding a motorcycle gives most people a little jolt of excitement It doesn t matter if we re talking about a sportbike, or crotch rocket, or a laidback cruiser; there s an inherent visceral thrill that s generated by these two wheeled machines Ask someone if they ve ever ridden a motorcycle, whether as a driver or a passenger, and you ll either get an affirmative answer or a familiar No, but I ve always wanted to

Most motorcycle riders already cruising the highways or cornering through twisting canyons know all about the irresistible draw of motorcycles But experienced riders all realize that riding a motorcycle demands a mature mindset, fundamental skills, constant practice, and most importantly, proper gear and training If you want to learn to ride a motorcycle, learn it the proper way

First, enroll yourself in a motorcycle rider training program A fully licensed and certified training program, such as the one offered by the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation), should be your preferred choice Such a program will teach you the fundamentals of riding, as well as the factual and practical knowledge needed to pass a written and ridden motorcycle license test Over the past few decades, these programs have taken hundreds of thousands of fledgling riders and put them on the right road to riding success

Don t forget to carry along some basic riding equipment such as gloves, long sleeved jacket, and sturdy boots A helmet and a motorcycle will be provided One or more highly experienced instructors will guide you through one or more days of lectures, following by actually riding exercises in an enclosed lot Don t be intimidated though, the teachers will start you out at a slow, easy pace and have you controlling and riding a real motorcycle in no time

After you ve learned the basics of riding, go get your motorcycle license Now you re free to hit the streets and practice on your own, or better yet, with more experienced riders Make sure you take it very easy at first, and definitely avoid situations you can t handle, such as slashing canyon runs or rush hour traffic in the middle of a big city Your focus should be on staying safe and practicing the fundamental skills that you ve learned

Gradually (but much more quickly than you realize), your skills will improve greatly, and you ll join millions of other riders out there having a blast on the wide open highways today

In conclusion, after you ve become an experienced rider yourself, make sure to guide younger riders by pointing them toward the same proper steps to learning to ride a motorcycle Too many riders start out by ignoring the proper, safe path of learning to ride, and end up in a dangerous situation or lack of training due to impatience or an immature mindset

The vast majority of riders involved in a motorcycle accident took the easy way out and avoided proper training, or worse, didn t wear the proper safety equipment Luckily, you re a mature, intelligent rider who will learn to ride the right way

To get further info on how you too can learn to ride a motorcycle, visit http://MotoLearn.com, where you can get valuable tips and guidance on the best way to learn how to ride a motorcycle today.

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Author : Gregg Hall

Recently, our country has been hit with a surge of high gas prices With no decline in prices on the horizon, people are being forced to ration their gas intake There is a silver lining from the events of the present; the rationing will help reduce gas emissions, which in turn will help the environment There are some easy and effective steps the consumer can take to help save on gasoline, improve mileage and help reduce gas emissions They are listed in the following paragraphs

Before one hits the road there are several actions that can be taken to limit the frequency of “filling up at the pump” They are: 1) keep tires properly inflated to manufacturer specifications, 2) use the recommended grade of motor oil for your vehicle, 3) get regular tune-ups, filter changes and engine lubes, 4) buy fuel-efficient replacement tires, 5) plan ahead for the shortest, gas saving itinerary, 6) ride a bicycle and 7) take a walk

If you do need to drive in order to reach your intended destination, then the following are some fuel saving tips First, do not speed Speeding forces the engine to use more gas Second, do not drive aggressively Third, avoid excessive idling Excessive idling produces zero miles per gallon Another tip is to use the air conditioner, sparingly Finally, when at all possible use cruise control to keep your speed constant

When taking a trip, the most cost efficient ways are to avoid carrying items on top of your vehicle; travel light and when renting a car ask for a model that is the most fuel-efficient Likewise, if you commute some tips to save on gas are to stagger your work hours, to avoid rush hour (stop and go traffic eats up a lot of fuel) When at all possible take public transportation or consider telecommuting Finally, join your neighborhood car pool

The last suggestion on how consumers can save on gas involves one to make a long-term investment The investment to make is to trade in that old car for a newer, more fuel-efficient vehicle Newer vehicles are generally more fuel efficient and with all the new hybrid vehicles on the market you have even more choices There are now even hybrid trucks and SUVs The suggested actions are a few ways on how you, the consumer, can show your power at the pump

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get car care products from http://www.carcarewizards.com

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Author : John Bisnar

Like many other SUVs, the Ford Expedition has proven to be defectively designed and extremely deadly when involved in a rollover accident

Although designed to be driven off road, the Expedition is not equipped with sufficient roof support, adequate door latches, or laminated glass, that could mean the difference between life and death in a rollover accident Engineers and safety experts have actively suggested fundamental changes to the Expedition to increase its rollover resistance, however Ford Motor Co continues to choose less expensive and less effective remedies as permanent solutions to a life threatening issue

Rollovers accounted for over 10,000 fatalities in the United States in 2004 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollover accidents are more likely to result in fatalities than other types of accidents In 2004, about 2 7 percent of occupants involved in rollover accidents were fatally injured That same year, only 0 2 percent of occupants involved in accidents that did not involve rollovers were fatally injured This means 33 percent of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities in 2004, occurred in accidents that involved a rollover

Due to its high center of gravity, the Ford Expedition is disproportionately prone to rollovers when compared to other passenger vehicles If a vehicle has a higher center of gravity and is quickly redirected (as when a vehicle driver tries to avoid a sudden obstruction) the vehicle can topple and rollover The Expedition holds excessive weight at a higher level than other passenger vehicles leading to handling and stability defects Because the Expedition is top-heavy, it is prone to heavy oversteering by drivers, making a rollover accident likely

One of the biggest dangers to Ford Expedition occupants in the event of a rollover accident is roof intrusion Roof intrusion or “roof crush” refers to a situation when the roof of a vehicle does not maintain its shape during a rollover and is crushed or collapses, seriously injuring vehicle occupants The extreme weight of the Ford Expedition in combination with a weak roof design makes the SUV prone to severe roof intrusion during a rollover accident

In the event of a rollover, the roof pillars, front roof header, and side roof rails of the Ford Expedition often collapse and invade the occupant safety zone When this happens, the roof of the Expedition is usually forced down onto the top of occupants’ heads often causing brain contusions Furthermore, the forces are often transferred to the spine causing a fracture to the cervical neck This type of spinal cord injury usually results in paraplegia, quadriplegia or death According to the Crash Injury Research & Engineering Network (CIREN), the roof of a passenger vehicle is the source of over half (56 percent) of all head injuries and one-third (33 percent) of all spinal cord injuries in rollover accidents

Problems with the design of some vehicle doors have been brought under great scrutiny in recent years Shouldn’t vehicle doors be manufactured in a way that is strong enough to withstand the impact of a real accident? Absolutely! Vehicle doors are considered a key element of the overall structural strength and protection that an automobile should, and is required by law, provide to its occupants Unfortunately, many vehicles are equipped with doors that are not strong enough to bear the pressure endured during a rollover accident

In the event of a rollover accident, the strength of the torsion spring that is designed to hold the door latches or door locks shut may not be strong enough to perform as intended The torsion spring controls the amount of force required to release the safety grip of the vehicle handle and open the door The safety grip is created by the outward pressure of the torsion spring against the latch claw mechanism Its primary purpose is to hold the vehicle door in its closed position The door latch or door lock problem occurs when the torsion spring is too weak to maintain the safety grip under extended amounts of pressure – such as the pressure that is endured during a rollover accident- and allows the vehicle door to open exposing the occupants to much greater levels of injury

The Ford Expedition is equipped with defective door latches During a rollover accident the excessive weight of the Expedition increases the pressures and forces applied to the side doors of the vehicle The door latches of the Expedition are too weak to hold the doors shut during the rollover, creating an opportunity for occupant ejection or partial ejection from the vehicle In the event of a rollover accident, the door latch fails allowing the door to open during the event and exposes the occupant to deadly objects and impacts outside the safety of the vehicle

On May 23, 2004, a 10-year-old boy from Texas endured fatal injuries when he was partially ejected from a Ford Expedition in a rollover accident The boy’s name was Matthew Morroquin Matthew was seated in the driver’s side third row seat when the Expedition was hit by another vehicle The Expedition was struck in the rear quarter on the passenger side causing it to rollover one and one-quarter times All of the occupants in the Expedition, including 10-year-old Matthew, were properly restrained by seatbelts at the time of the accident During the accident, the rear window glass shattered leaving Matthew unprotected from ejection out of the vehicle window The 10-year-old boy was partially ejected through the unprotected window opening causing his head to be crushed between the vehicle and the ground The boys fatal injuries may have been avoided had the Expedition been equipped with stronger side window glass

Laminated or glazed glass has been in use for about 60 years This industrial strength glass is like a glass-plastic-glass sandwich An acoustic-grade interlayer, composed of three layers of acoustic polyvinyl butyral (PVB), is laminated between two sheets of glass creating a stronger, more flexible, and lighter product Laminated glass provides over 10 times the intrusion resistance of the traditional tempered glass and is about 4 pounds lighter than non-laminated glass

Studies show that vehicle occupants are five times as likely to endure fatal injuries when ejection is a factor in an automobile accident If the Ford Expedition in the May 23, 2004 rollover accident were equipped with laminated side glass, 10-year-old Matthew Morroquin would probably be alive today Although it is widely used in other vehicle models in the United States, laminated or glazed side glass in not used in any of the Expedition models The use of laminated side glass would help prevent occupant ejection and multitudes of injuries and deaths that result from vehicle ejection

Automotive engineers have long agreed that injuries are reduced dramatically if the occupants are secured within the safety zone of a rolling vehicle without severe intrusion The technology to ensure this level of safety has been available for years However, little action has been taken to implement the necessary changes

On July 6, 1968, Mr J R Weaver, a safety engineer for Ford, submitted an internal memo titled “Roof Strength Study” to Ford Motor Co In the memo, Weaver stated that “people are injured by roof collapse” and he suggests that some rollover accidents are so severe that the basic roof design would have to be altered to withstand the impact Don Huelke, another noted engineer, stated that the amount of roof intrusion is directly attributed to the severity of non-ejected occupant injuries

In the spring of 2000, Ford engineers recommended that the company launch a recall campaign to fix defective door handles for over 4 million Ford vehicles, including Expedition models years 1997-2000 Ford engineers advised that the design and manufacture of stronger springs and the installation of a counterweight was necessary to keep the Expedition doors shut The cost would have been 99 cents per door Unfortunately for consumers, Ford’s investigation found that such a recall would cost about $527 million to fix all the defective door handles and decided to disregard the safety advice of their engineers

With approximately 300,000 rollover accidents and over 10,000 rollover fatalities occurring every year in the United States, rollover accidents are possibly the most significant safety issues concerning passenger vehicle occupants The Ford Expedition is a major contributor to the number of vehicle rollover deaths Due to its defective design, the Expedition can be very unstable and therefore prone to rollover accidents Research suggests that stronger roofs, stronger door latches, and stronger window glass would tremendously improve the safety of Expedition occupants

Most auto manufacturers consciously refuse to take the corrective action necessary to save hundreds of vehicle occupant lives, preferring instead to make a cheaper product and increase their profit margins Our federal regulatory agencies do not have the guts to mandate improved safety standards Consumers are therefore left to better investigate what they are buying and sue for redress when they have been duped

John Bisnar is a partner at Newport Beach Personal Injury Law Firm Bisnar Chase. The Bisnar Chase law firm has dedicated their practice to victims of serious injuries due to defective products, negligence and malpractice.

Visit http://www.bestattorney.com or call 888-265-0161

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