How to Save on Gas – And Have Fun Doing It

Posted on by

Gas prices have gone back down to reasonable levels, but in the back of everyone’s mind, there’s the fear that they may go back up to the $4.00-a-gallon range of 2008. It seems that this helped bring our economy to a screeching halt, and the thought of it happening again makes us a little more frugal. Hopefully, we’ve all become painfully aware of our dependence on foreign oil, because not only has this dependence come to shape our foreign policy, but its’ adverse effects on our environment have been well documented. If you think there’s some kind of debate about pollution or climate change, then you’re either naive, or you’ve been brainwashed by the propaganda put out by the big oil machine. I’m not here to preach on the evils of internal combustion, because I myself am a user, but it’s something to think about. Especially if you have kids.

Carpooling has been pretty well phased out in my area, but I think this is something we should reconsider. Consider the benefits of sharing a ride with a friend or neighbor. Not only could you save on gas, and reduce pollution, but we could also save on parking. We’d all benefit from less congestion on the roadways during rush hour, but more than that, I think as a society we could benefit from being a little more friendly with each other. With the internet, cable tv, and video games, we’ve all become a little more detached from the people around us. This might be what brings us together again, to discuss what’s on our minds, or current events, or the issues of our day. Who knows, you might even meet your next spouse.

But my favorite method of reducing my carbon footprint involves using two wheels instead of four. Motorcycling is a growing mode of transportation, and one that should be even more popular than it already is. Not only will we be saving on fuel by motorcycling, but parking and traffic problems will also be positively effected. In case you’ve never tried it, motorcycling is a blast. If you can remember the fun you had bicycling as a kid, imagine it being increased exponentially. The season isn’t as long as I would like it to be in my area, but there are plenty of opportunities to ride.

Many people point to the issue of safety when advised of the advantages of motorcycling, and it’s true they don’t offer the protection of an automobile, but with the proper equipment, and some experience, the risk diminishes rapidly. As more people become riders, the road gets a little safer for the others, because we get an understanding of riding, and even when we get back behind the wheel of a car, we are more aware of the riders around us. It’s a bit of a brotherhood, and we try to look out for one another.

Motorcycles come in different sizes and have different purposes, but a beginner might want to stick with something a little smaller, and less powerful, just because it will be easier to handle. With practice, the rider can move on to whatever bike they want, or just hang on to the one they’ve got. Scooters may be good place to start, since they are a little more manageable, but there’s nothing like the sense of accomplishment you feel from learning to control a motorcycle. There are training programs available, and they are well worth the low cost involved. Many programs will grant the participant a motorcycle license upon completion of the course, and this eliminates the need to go back and take the test at the DMV. When looking for a first motorcycle, you might want to consider a used model in good running condition, this way if you decide to upgrade, you won’t take such a big hit on depreciation. Just make sure you have good tires, lights, brakes, and a horn, because these features are more important than cosmetics, especially for the beginner. There’s plenty of information available, both online, and in print form, with various motorcycle magazines featuring bike and product reviews, along with riding tips, and other valuable bits of info. It pays to do a little research, and the skills you can pick up from reading can help you out on the road, which is where I hope to see you come springtime. If we all just use less gas, the price is bound to come down!

The Motorcycle Accident That Forever Changed My Life

Posted on by

June 13th 2008 at 10:32pm was the day my life changed forever. That night I had just received good news. The cause and effect of that good news lead me to take the long way home. The plan was to take southwest 137th avenue all the way to 104th street east to the expressway. Upon driving on 137th avenue there was a car in the turning lane waiting to make a left turn at southwest 18th street. I was traveling south heading her direction. I had the green light and she had the green light as well, but she had to yield for oncoming traffic. I was about 100 feet away when she decided to turn right in front of me.

I had no time to react, so I slammed on breaks to avoid her. I ended up hitting the side of her car, flying through the front passenger side window, and my helmet hitting the side of her head. My helmet cracked her head opened and she later died on the way to the hospital. I on the other hand broke both arms, broke my left hip, both legs, dislocated knee, and a ruptured spleen. I was in a coma for two months, I lived in the hospital for six months, and I was not able to walk for ten months. When I flew in the car my body still hung half outside. Due to the blow to the head, she was knocked out and lost control of the car.

The car drifted in someone’s yard hitting a boat. As the car drifted in the yard on the other side to where I was still hanging out of. I was hit by the big traffic controlling box, breaking my hip and throwing me out of the car. I landed towards the back of the car with my right hand landing on the muffler. I suffered third degree burns on my arm and hand. When people came to help, that was only to help her because no one could fine my body. We were both air lifted to Jackson trauma center. She died on the way there and that became my resident for the next six months.

I was once that person that said there was no danger to motorcycles. It was always the drivers around you, but the one thing I never realized was no matter whose fault it was, someone’s life will change forever. In the young woman’s case, she died far too young. In my case I will never run again or use my right hand again. I urge all of you that ride, to think twice about it. It doesn’t just affect you, it affects everyone around you.

11 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Recovering Lost Data

Posted on by

We store a lot of important data on our computer hard drives. And the loss of data may cause a lot of financial loss, especially if the data consists of business reports. Fortunately, it’s easy to recover lost data but you have only one chance at it. In this article, we have shared some tips that will help you improve the chances of recovery and prevent accidental damage. Read on to find out more.

1. Physical Damage

If you hear odd noises from the disk, disconnect the power right away. You should take the same action if you find slow system performance, jumbled file names, or missing files. Not disconnecting the power will physically damage the spindle, platters, or read/write heads.

2. Logical Damage

Disconnect the power supply if you have accidentally deleted important files or formatted a drive. If you perform a proper shutdown process, it will help overwrite some data and prevent further damage.

3. Hardware/Software Installation

If you are unable to access your data after the installation of new hardware or software, all you need to do is undo the new installation. Some examples of new hardware include USB-powered accessories, sound cards, and PCI cards, to name a few.

4. Electronic Failures

Take out the drive and install it on another computer. If it doesn’t show in the BIOS or make any noise, take it to a professional for repair.

5. Firmware Damage

If the drive doesn’t load the OS, shut down the PC right away. You should do the same if the drive shows incorrect information, such as incorrect file names, unreadable files, wrong model number or wrong size.

6. Remove the Drive

If you want to remove the drive from your PC, unplug your computer before detaching the cables. Also, it’s important that you ground yourself so that the components don’t suffer any static damage.

7. DIY Data Recovery

If your HD has not sustained physical damage, you can install it on another PC to verify the file system integrity. But if you come to know that the OS is corrupt or the host PC has hardware issues, you may recover your data without a problem.

8. RAID

Turn off the server and get help from a professional if the data is really important to you.

9. SQL Server

Copy your data on another drive before you try any repairs. Also, you can open a support ticket to get help from Microsoft or take the drive to a data recovery service. Don’t forget to provide the professional with priority list tables and database structure.

10. MS Exchange

Before trying any repairs, make sure you copy your important files including.LOG,.STM and.EDB.

11. Call a Professional

If none of these tricks work for you, we suggest that you get in touch with a professional. They will help you recover your data in a professional fashion.

In short, we suggest that you follow these tips if you want to improve your chance of recovering your lost data. Hope this helps.

How to Compare Car Insurance Rate on the Internet

Posted on by

It’s an indisputable fact that every car owner will always be after an insurance policy that is reliable and affordable. Car owners always compare car insurance rate to find the most affordable policy for them since rates normally range across different insurers. According to research, comparing auto insurance quotes from more than 50 insurance companies on the internet can result in 400 variant policies.

Evaluating car insurance policies through the internet is a convenient way of finding the most suitable insurance policy for your car. With the right approach, looking for insurance quotes online can result in an appropriate policy that fits your specific requirements.

Guidelines to compare car insurance rate on the internet:

• First, it is important to know the specific kind of insurance policy you need for your car. Gather information from your friends, family members and colleagues regarding good insurance policies. Ask people who have a similar car as yours to get a glimpse of the rate of insurance policy that is suitable to you.

• Only pay attention to trustworthy insurers while doing your research. Insurance companies with good reputation are normally dependable and can easily compensate once you make a claim.

• Some of the details you will be required to fill in the quote request form include the type of vehicle you drive and its current market value. Insurance policies normally use complex language that you may not easily understand. Ask what you do not understand and make sure all the terms therein are clear to you.

• Once you have received the quotes, check the deductible amounts against each quote. Usually, the higher the deductible, the lower the premiums rates. Therefore, when you compare car insurance rate, pay attention to the rates of premiums against the deductibles. Choose policies that have low premiums on higher deductibles.

• If you are looking for a reliable insurance cover, liability insurance is very useful. This is normally purchased along with your normal insurance policy. Always ensure that the policy that you are buying includes liability insurance at an affordable price.

• Also, it is important to compare levels of coverage between different policies. Some of these include the medical full-glass, rental, towing and collision. It may be wise to abandon a policy with limited features for one that has more features to offer.

You will find a wide variety of car insurance companies on the internet. Most of them will provide comprehensive coverage on the car that you are going to insure.