Preview of Eddakath's blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Xi'an, China Entry Title: "The Banpo Prehistoric Museum Adventure" Entry: "Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya Yuncheng City! What can I say? It looks so much like Xian if I was to wake up I would believe I was still here. That could be because I haven't actually packed my pack and left Xian just yet. Yesterday (Wednesday 27th, I'm actually writing this Thursday night from the very empty second floor of KFC just up from the Bell Tower. Beside me is my delicious cheap McD's/KFC coffee that I love so much) there was no real excuse for not leaving Xian except for the fact that I woke up and loved being in an ancient city surrounded by an ancient city wall which then again is surrounded by an ancient city moat! It made me feel safe and secure from all the nasties of the world. So I figured, whilst on such a natural high why leave. Kind of like when you arrive at your parents house. So instead of making my way to the train or bus station I figured why not spend the day with some skeletons of those whom once walked these parts around six thousand years ago. With that in mind and no bones to pick with anyone I happily headed to the Bell Tower in search of Bus No: 15 which believe me, you can find stopping outside of the Bell Tower Hotel. Sometimes it would help if the LP actually put in such small ...
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Attaching Wood To Concrete
A very important tip is to use the right tool for each method. When you're dealing with concrete and masonry, you're obviously dealing with extremely hard material. Woodworking hammers are too light and steel drill bits too soft. The concrete is also brittle. Hard sharp chips are likely to fly out as you work on it, so always wear safety goggles to protect your eyes.
Nails. Nailing wood directly to concrete is probably the simplest, quickest and cheapest method. Unfortunately, once driven, these nails may jar loose from a few hammer blows to the side of the board. So, they are better for temporary fastening.
You'll usually find two types of special nails at the hardware store, cut nails and hardened concrete nails. Drive nails with a 2- to 4-lb. hammer. Actually, it's very hard to drive nails into cured (hardened) concrete, even with a 4-lb. hammer. They work best in concrete that's only cured for a few days.
Nails can be quite effective in mortar joints, however. Mortar is softer than either the concrete block or brick, and it holds nails fairly well. For best results, drive them right along the joint edge. And here's a professional tip: for improved holding power, run a bead of glue along the backside of your wood before nailing it up.
Predrilled Fasteners. There is a family of fasteners that can be driven into a predrilled hole. These not only fasten wood to concrete, but will fasten just about anything else to concrete as well.
They install easily, simply drill through the wood and into the concrete and drive the fastener.
Drilling the hole is the only difficult part. Use a carbide tip bit. Because these holes are relatively small, your standard 1/4-inch or 3/8 inch power drill can do an adequate job, although each hole may take several minutes to bore. A hammer drill, however, will drill your hole in a matter of seconds. A hammer drill is expensive, but they can be rented. If you have a lot of holes to drill, they'll save a lot of time.
It's a good idea to glue your wood to the concrete or masonry with this system as well, especially when using screws. Once screws are jarred loose, they may not retighten.
Expansion Fasteners. These fasteners are simple, effective and can carry a heavy load. They may be retightened should they be jarred loose.
Because they require a larger hole, you really need a hammer drill to bore the concrete. If you can't buy, borrow or rent one, try boring a 1/8 inch hole first with a carbide bit. Then use progressively larger carbide bits until you reach the proper size.
Buy these fasteners long enough to wedge into the concrete as deep as the wood is thick. Drill your hole an extra 1/4 inch deep, since the bolt draws back slightly when tightened.
Power Fasteners. These are extremely fast, powerful and dangerous. They are primarily professional tools which any untrained homeowner should steer clear of until they fully understanding the safety precautions. With power fasteners you can quickly nail into just about any concrete or masonry surface. Both the air and the power-actuated systems drive hardened nails through the wood and solidly into the concrete in one shot. Flying metal, wood or concrete are certain hazards, so eye protection is essential.
Glue. Over the past ten years construction adhesives have improved and become more specialized. You can securely glue just about anything to a wall now. Since glued wood must be held tightly in place until the glue sets, it's handy to use an adhesive with another fastening system for mutual reinforcement; the glue dampens the vibration and jarring that may weaken the fasteners, and the fasteners hold the wood tightly until the glue sets.
Proper preparation ensures a good glue bond. Be sure the wood and the concrete surfaces are clean and dry. Loose paint, surface chalking or moisture will cause the bond to release. When working with a very rough surface, apply a generous bead to bridge the wider gaps between the wood and concrete.
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Adventure 06 - The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adventure 06: The Reigate Puzzle.Classic Literature VideoBook with synchronized text, interactive transcript, and closed captions in multiple languages. Audio courtesy of Librivox. Read by Eric Leach. Playlist for The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: www.youtube.com
Saturday, December 17, 2011
New York
NEW YORK is a contemporary story of friendship set against the larger than life backdrop of a city often described as the centre of the world. Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) has gone abroad for the first time in his life and soon enough he begins to see and love America through the eyes of his American friends - Sam (John Abraham) and Maya (Katrina Kaif). It is the story of these three friends discovering a new world together. But one day the world around them changed... For most of us, larger events in the world are just headlines in the newspapers but these events can change our lives... forever. New York is one such story of 3 young friends whose beautiful lives are turned upside down by the larger event of 9/11 beyond their control. At this point enters Agent Roshan (Irrfan), an FBI undercover agent who sets the ball rolling for a series of tumultuous events that turn the lives of these friends into a dangerous and thrilling roller coaster ride. Innocence is lost forever!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Heaven is Going to Be a Shock to You
You are a born again believer. You have placed your faith in Christ and know your eternity is secure. You enjoy this life, but inside, like most believers, you yearn for that moment when your soul will take flight for that heavenly shore. Most of us do not want our earthly life to hurry by, yet our souls thirst for the time when we shall bid the cares of this woeful world and our toils goodbye.
You have heard so much about heaven from preachers and your Sunday School Teacher. It is a grand place where all the cares and problems of this life are left far behind, where your dreams and hopes are fulfilled. Many promises are made in scripture concerning this wonderful place and every one of them is positive and uplifting.
But what if heaven isn't what you expected? What if when you get there, you find that everything you imagined is not so? The truth is, most Christians are in for a very big surprise, perhaps even a shock. Heaven will not be at all what they expected.
If you ask the average person what heaven is like, invariably they will respond with "it is a place of happiness", or words to that effect. Then, if queried further, they will elaborate on what they think it will take to make heaven a happy place for them. One will imagine that they will be playing marathon golf, sporting an unearthly handicap. Another envisions endless championship fishing tournaments with them as the star. Still others imagine unlimited charge accounts at enormous malls that never run out of stock and never close.
It is human nature to create our own personal utopia in our minds. It is how we visualize and categorize our hopes. But human nature is exactly that part of us that God does not want in his heaven. Human nature is in contrast with God. It is referred to in scripture by many other names and all are seated in negative context. It is referred to as self, the flesh, the old man, and the old nature just to name a few.
Our old nature is our sinful part, the selfish, self-centered and self-serving part. It is shown as the cause of our sin and problems. The sum of it is told to us in Romans where it is called "enmity (or hatred) against God". In other words, the only thing our flesh is capable of is hatred toward God.
It is this human or earthly nature that imagines a customized heaven. It is our self-centeredness that dictates what it would take for heaven to be our personal utopia. Herein then is the surprise for many believers; that heaven will not be at all what they are expecting, but will be rather what God wants it to be.
So then, what is heaven like? What does God have planned? The short and simple answer is "I don't know". We are not given much detail on God's plans for eternity, except that we will spend much time around his throne fellowshipping with him. Indeed, if we could quantify the heavenly experience in terms of time, most of our time will be spent worshipping and praising the Lord.
Now, at the risk of shocking you further, let me say that I find the prospect of constant worship quite boring. I do not mean to be irreverent to the Lord, for certainly he is deserving of my eternal praise, but somehow golf and fishing seem to resonate with my excitement sensor more than a perpetual church service. If worshipping 24/7 was something that thrilled me, why do I have so much trouble being faithful to church on Sundays when I get the sniffles?
But that is just "me" talking, or my old nature. The best my old man can imagine for heaven is to concede to God cursory time of praise and worship. The rest of the time, my old nature wants for myself. In my present condition, though regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, my old flesh still has a modicum of control and influence in my thinking. Consequently, I often think in terms of what "I" want and what will make "me" happy.
Fortunately, that is not how I will enter heaven. In I Corinthians 15:53 we are told "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (kjv). Right now, I am corruptible, because of my flesh. But when this mortal shall put on immortality, I will also put on incorruption. In reality, incorruption is not so much put on as corruption is put off. Either way, I will be without my old nature.
When we accept the Lord, essentially our salvation comes in three phases. First, immediately upon confessing Christ, we are saved from the penalty of sin. Our sins are forgiven forever. There is no longer a penalty. The wages of sin were paid by the Lord Jesus and our account is paid in full.
Then, as we live our Christian experience on earth, we are saved from the power of sin. We are told that sin no longer has dominion (or control) over us. This is a quantitative term that means influence still is present, but not control. We have the Holy Spirit within us teaching, convicting and growing his fruit or attributes within us.
Finally, when we pass or when the rapture occurs, we are saved from the presence of sin. This is huge. Sin is no longer a part of us. The old man, the flesh, the old nature is supernaturally extracted by God and put off. No longer is self important. No longer do we think in terms of "me" and "I".
In this new state where self is no longer the center of our world, where sin has no presence, then our new man will soar and excel. Then worshipping God and praising his mighty works will be thrilling and exciting. We will hardly be able to contain the praise that pours from our lips as we fellowship with the one with whom we have to do. Golf and fishing will not even register on our "to do" list as all we will want to do is sit in the presence of our Lord, overwhelmed with his majesty and wonder.
Yes, heaven will be a surprise for many, but it will be a pleasant surprise when we arrive there without our old nature. It will be a time unparalleled in our previous existence, where we no longer are influenced by the selfish flesh that housed our soul for so long.
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A Brief History on Hard Hats
Industrial hard hats protect the heads of workers from falls and from impacts by sharp or blunt objects. Typical users include construction and warehouse workers and repairmen.
A hard hat's shell is designed to resist penetration by sharp objects and its suspension system of straps connected to a headband distributes the force of a localized blow over a broader area. The typical suspension system holds the shell at least 1.25 inches away from the wearer's head.
Safety hats of some sort go far back in history; but the early industrial ones such as those worn by miners merely protected against abrasions and cuts and were typically simple leather caps. The first effective head protection was developed for military use, starting in ancient times. Pictures on classic Grecian ceramics and temple carvings on the Acropolis and other sacred sites illustrate warriors wearing elaborate plumed metal helmets designed to protect against sword blows. Medieval European knights often wore full metal headpieces that guarded against smashing, slashing, and stabbing. All these were worn over heavy leather and fabric liners that protected skulls from helmet abrasion and provided further protection against injury.
By World War I simple domed steel helmets were designed to protect trench warfare fighters from wounds to their exposed heads. This idea was brought home to civilian use where it inspired the first industrial hard hats such as those used in post-WWI shipyards and on the Golden Gate Bridge project where safety was made a priority and head protection were mandatory.
Various materials were utilized for industrial hard hats over the years, beginning with stiffened leather, then steel, then aluminum, then fiberglass. Suspension systems were introduced early on to replace or supplement fabric liners, which greatly improved protection against concussion and skull fracture while increasing wearer comfort. By the 1950s thermoplastics were introduced in the manufacturing process, allowing easier molding for optimum shape and comfort, plus light weight and protection from electrical shock.
Modern hard hat shells are typically made of polyethylene or polycarbonate resin although such other materials as fiberglass, resin-impregnated textiles, or aluminum may still be used. Because of its strength, light weight, ease of molding, and non-conductivity, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is used in most head protection. Suspension systems for modern industrial hard hats consist of strips of nylon webbing and bands of HDPE, nylon, or vinyl. Along with the suspension system, most Type II hats also use a foam liner.
By the late 1990s a change in ANSI testing procedures led to development of head protection with ventilation holes for coolness without compromised safety. Decorations were added as an option to boost the morale of workers wearing head protection, who now could wear a favorite sports team's logo or a patriotic design if they chose.
Accessories for head protection have become more sophisticated. Common accessories include transparent face shields, sun visors, sound-muffling ear covers, rear-view mirrors, perspiration-absorbing cloth liners and even electronic accessories. Brow pad choices for increased wearer comfort include foam-backed vinyl, foam-backed cotton terry cloth, and sweat-absorbing specialty fibers.
Under 1997 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, Type I hats provide specified levels of protection from impact and penetration to the top of the head; Type HI hats also provide specified levels of protection for impact and penetration to the side of the head. Three class designations indicate the degree to which a hard hat protects the wearer from electrical current. ANSI-compliant head protection must also meet flammability criteria.
In addition to meeting specifications, hard hats must be properly cared for to ensure continuing effectiveness; and even with proper care and no damaging impacts, all hard hats should be replaced after five years use.
In the 21st century, the industrial hard hat has come a very long way from the simple leather caps worn by medieval miners and the massive metal helmets worn by knights; and the pace of improvement has accelerated in recent years. One can only imagine what further changes the future may bring.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Child Safety Proofing Your Home
Whether you have your own toddler or have toddlers that visit occasionally there are some important things you can do to ensure a safe home environment for any little person. Approximately 2.5 million child injuries and fatal accidents occur in the home every year. Most of these could have been avoided by taking some simple measures to make the home is safe for your children.
The most common place to store household cleaners, such as ammonia or bleach, is under the bathroom or kitchen sink, but you'll need a safer place to store these hazardous materials. Children love to play in cabinets and cupboards, especially lower ones at their height. Children are also very curious so those spray bottles and bleach bottles appear to them like a new and interesting play things or something to taste. More than 90 percent of poisonings occur in homes, and more than 53 percent involve children younger than age 6. Keep cleaners and harmful solvents in hard or impossible to reach cupboards. Another option is a child proof lock on lower cabinets where you keep your cleaning supplies. Keep the poison control number on the cupboard as well as near the phone just in case an unfortunate incident should occur.
Toddlers love to climb, especially if it looks like a ladder. It's very important to secure bookshelves, dressers, and entertainment centers using brackets that screw into the studs of your walls. Furniture safety brackets are inexpensive, easy to install, and found at most hardware stores. Make sure the cords to blinds and curtains are up and out of reach. These cords are especially tempting to little ones and are high risk for choking and strangling accidents.
As soon as your little one begins learning to walk, tumble, and summersault furniture with sharp corners and sharp objects become a hazard. A lot of stores now carry foam corners that are simply placed on the corners of coffee tables, end tables, and entertainment centers. If you don't have toddlers of your own but are anticipating a visit from one a quick solution is to toss a comforter over your coffee table or just remove it temporarily from the room during a visit. Any items that could easily break into sharp pieces should be moved out of reach of little hands. Wire hangers are another safety issue. It is not uncommon to have eye or ear injuries caused by wire hangers. Replace your wire hangers with safe plastic hangers. As a general rule, if it's not a toy it shouldn't be on the floor.
Here are a few safety devices you should implement as well. Safety gates will prevent falls down stairways. Plastic doorknob covers to keep children from leaving the home or room they are in. Doorstoppers hold doors open to keep hands from getting pinched or broken in a suddenly closing door. Anti-scald devices keep water temperatures at faucets from getting too hot. Outlet plug covers can keep small fingers from getting electrocuted. Since window screens can be removed or broken easily they are not adequate to prevent falls. Window guards or netting will insure no serious falls take place
Other things you might want to watch out for are any electrical cords from televisions, stereo systems, telephones, or lamps. Bundle all extra cord length with zip ties that cannot be removed and switch to a cordless phone. Move candy dishes containing jelly beans, candies, or nuts to higher ground, as they are a potential choking hazard.
Toddlers are bound to fall down and bump into something once in a while. As you make your home safer for your toddler and their friends keep in mind that growing up is about learning and discovering new things. Make it your goal to make those discoveries as safe as possible.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Part 4 - The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Adventures 09-11)
Part 4. Classic Literature VideoBook with synchronized text, interactive transcript, and closed captions in multiple languages. Audio courtesy of Librivox. Playlist for The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: www.youtube.com
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