Pets

Why it’s worth treating a shih tzu like a celebrity

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If you are considering getting a Shih Tzu, you have opted for a popular but possibly difficult breed to care for. This dignified presence, or the way this breed carries itself, is one of the reasons it is also called the Imperial Shih Tzu. However, as a companion pet it is excellent.

Tests to restore the original function of different breeds of dogs

Over the years, there has been a lot of debate about testing to see if various dog breeds meet the original expectations. There are specific tests for herding dogs, hunting dogs, hunting dog decoy tests, ground tests for terriers, endurance tests, and water and shooting tests. Dogs that pass the tests assigned to the breed to which they belong were judged adequate to the expectations associated with their breed.

These performance tests, appropriate for some breeds, are not necessary for the toy dog ​​breed, a breed that has a different set of expectations associated with it. Many toy dog ​​breeds do well in the job they are expected to do, which is to be excellent companions, lively pets, and healthy companions.

The personality: treat him like a king

This breed is often outgoing and friendly, but has a brat-like personality that just wants to be pampered. He has a great sense of himself, which is why many owners note that this breed is not good around other pets and young children. But if the other kids love to comb the Shih Tzu’s long, fine hair, that dog will love that kid.

This breed makes them reliable watchdogs, being alert to the people around them and their owners. Be careful though, as a poorly mannered and trained one can be loud and agile. An intelligent dog, the Shih Tzu can be trained, although not as easily as other dogs. You must be persistent when training him, as he can be stubborn. Be careful about punishing him, as he can turn off and do the opposite of what you want to train him not to do.

A short list of health problems

Kidney dysplasia (a kidney disease), slipping of the knees or kneecaps, and large eyes that are prone to injury – that’s a quick look at Shih Tzu health issues. It also has a slight wheezing problem with its short muzzle. Apart from these, everything else is related to the maintenance of its coat – poor grooming results in tangles, hot spots, painful rugs, skin infections, and to some extent worm infestation. You have to establish a grooming schedule: groom your Shih Tzu every day to avoid problems with the coat. If you cannot do that, you must choose another breed.

Real Estate

Common choices of electrical wire materials

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Everyday life is highly dependent on electricity in the modern world. Electricity has so many applications that without it it would be difficult to do anything. Electric cables are the ones used to carry much-needed energy in workplaces, homes, and even in cars and various other equipment and appliances. For this reason, the cables used in the different electrical applications must be in optimal condition for things to work as well as they should.

With so many cable options available on the market, it is wise to always weigh your options and the exact cable characteristics that your type of application requires so that you can select the most suitable one at the end of the day. It is the best way to ensure safety when using electricity and wire materials are some of the most important to consider for any given application. The composition of your cable determines its quality and suitability for its intended use.

Copper

It is considered standard in the wiring area and most electrical appliances rely on copper wires to transfer energy. One of the main reasons copper is a great material is its high conductivity and flexibility. Compared to other metals, copper appears to also gain in corrosion resistance, tensile strength, ductility, thermal conductivity, and also resistance to overloads. Due to the abundance of copper, electrical cables made of copper are reasonably priced.

Aluminum

It may be more abundant and cheaper compared to copper, but it is not as conductive as copper. You would need a relatively larger diameter aluminum wire to work in the same way as a copper wire. Aluminum is also not that reliable in terms of electrical safety because it cannot withstand excess heat. When you go for this type of electrical cable, especially for commercial purposes, you’d better settle only for larger diameters.

Silver

It is a good conductor of electricity and is more suitable in high temperature conditions. However, silver wires are not that easy to bend and can also be very expensive. In commercial applications, electrical safety would be seriously compromised unless silver electrical wires are used. Most people prefer to use these cables at home for their entertainment equipment because the signals seem to travel much better through pure silver compared to copper.

When looking for the best electrical cable for your application, it is only important to consider the material that makes it up, but also the type of cable you are looking for. Wire gauge size and wire construction can also help you choose the most suitable wire for your exact electrical needs. Most electrical cables are insulated with materials such as Teflon or silicone. You can also take them into account because they come with different properties that can help you make the right choice based on what you are looking for in a cable.

Shopping Product Reviews

Sony PS3

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The new PlayStation 3 is Sony Computer Entertainment’s third home video game console and is the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. This model of game console comes to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.

Sony released its third version of the PlayStation for the first time on November 11, 2006 in Japan, on November 17, 2006 in North America, Asia, and Europe. The Sony PS3 is capable of playing content from a Blu-ray Disc (BD) at a multiplexing speed of 48 Mbps, the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards. It is the third generation Sony PlaySation that is making waves now. There was no working version of the system there, as a working system was not available due to power failures and hardware problems. On September 6, 2006, Sony declared the launch of the PlayStation 3 delayed until March 2007 due to a shortage of diodes used in the Blu-ray disc drive.
Later, the launch of the PlayStation 3 in Japan took place on November 11, 2006. Sony’s PS3 set a record by making a sale of approximately 600,000 units in its first two days of launch in Europe, Australia and New Zeeland. Sony later announced that the 80GB PlayStation 3 would launch in South Korea on June 16, 2007, in a configuration with an 80GB hard drive. It was the first time the Sony PS3 was released with an 80GB hard drive.

Sony discontinued the 20GB PlayStation 3 model in North America in September 2007. It was after citing “lack of consumer demand”, although the 20GB model is still on sale in Japan. It is widely speculated that the removal of the 20GB model from the North American market was to save manufacturing costs as there is a cost difference between the two aforementioned models of around $ 30.

Sports

Notes from Ness (August 4)

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As I’ve said so many times, “fortunes change very fast in MLB.” Just the latest examples are the current destinations of the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers won 3-0 last night in Greg Maddux’s team debut (six innings and no hits!) And enter the weekend with the longest active winning streak in MLB (six in a row).

My free game for Friday is at the Oak A’s over the Sea Mariners at 10:05 ET. Tonight in MLB, I’m going to pitch one of my exclusive LEGEND Plays (4-0 in MLB 2006) while I look forward to coming out of a FEA nine-day run. Be sure to check out my game in this year’s NFL Hall of Fame over the weekend on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals were beaten 8-1 by the Phillies last night as Chase Utley had three hits for the Phillies and extended his hitting streak to 35 games. The Cardinals have now lost seven straight games, MLB’s longest active losing streak. Not long ago, things had been very different for these two teams.

The Dodgers opened the second half of the season by losing 13 of their first 14 games (they were outscored 81-29) and had lost eight straight games heading into their three-game home series with the Nationals last Friday. The Dodgers won tonight a week ago 13-1 and have outscored their opponents by a combined 42-16 in their winning streak.

The Cardinals were struggling before the break and had lost 13 of 16 games after losing the first game of their four-game series to the Astros in Houston on the final weekend of the first half of the season. However, the Cards took the final three games of that series and then opened the second half by sweeping a four-game series in Los Angeles against the declining Dodgers.

Now the Cardinals are back fighting, allowing 34 hits and 24 runs in their last two games, while being outscored 50-26 on their current slide. The Dodgers will attempt to extend their winning streak this weekend in Florida as the Cardinals attempt to end their streak against the Brewers at home. St Louis opened a minus $ 1.85 favorite despite their losing streak, as Chris Carpenter starts and the starting money already has them hovering around minus $ 2.00.

Speaking of the $ 2.00 favorites, Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs open the 15-game schedule Friday as a minus $ 2.15 favorite when they host the Pirates at 2:20 ET. Zambrano (12-3, 3.26) has won his last nine decisions, losing for the last time on May 31. He is 7-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 11 career starts and two relief appearances against Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh starts Tom Gorzelanny coming off his first ML win in his last outing. However, at 13-40, the Pirates have the worst road record in MLB.

Three American League teams opened as $ 2.00 favorites on Friday and all are playing on the road! Randy Johnson looks to the Yankees when they visit the Orioles tonight at 7:05 ET and is 11-9 with a 5.07 ERA. However, the Orioles send Bruce Chen to the mound, the 0-6 mark with a 7.07 ERA, if you’re wondering why the Yankees are a huge favorite.

The Red Sox visit the Devil Rays in Tampa tonight at 7:15 ET and with Curt Schilling on the mound, he opened as under $ 2.30 favorites. Boston dominated the series at Tropicana Field from 2001-2004, going 28-10 in that span. However, since the start of last season, the Red Sox have been 6-10 at Tampa Bay and have lost their last three series there, including both this season.

Curt Schilling (13-4, 3.84 ERA) has also struggled at Tropicana Field this season, losing both of his starts there to account for half of his losses. Meanwhile, Boston’s starting rotation has posted a 2-5 record, a 7.47 ERA and a .342 batting average against in its last 11 games. So why are the Red Sox such big favorites? The answer is Tampa rookie starter James Shields. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 7.26 ERA in his last seven starts after going 4-0 in his first five career starts.

Minnesota’s Johan Santana (12-5, 3.11 ERA) is 9-3 with a 3.74 ERA in 25 career appearances against the Royals, including 14 starts. He will attempt his 10th career win against the Royals tonight at 8:10 ET, a team that owns MLB’s worst overall record (38-70) and is just 8-22 against left-handed starters this season. Mark Redman (7-6, 5.40) is going for KC and the Twins have had no trouble hitting Redman. He lasted just 1 2-3 innings in a 7-3 loss to Minnesota on April 27, allowing six hits and five runs. Redman is 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA in seven career starts against the Twins.

NFL Rankings

The 2006 NFL preseason begins Sunday night from Canton, Ohio, with the Hall of Fame Game between the Oakland Raiders and the Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 ET on NBC). The Eagles are favored by three points with the total hovering around 36 or 36 1/2. I’ve been “teasing” the next NFL season all week and my countdown to the 2006 season in earnest next week.

It is important to note that luck changes rapidly in the NFL, just as it does in the MLB. Consider that since the NFL expanded to 32 teams and two four-division conferences, 21 of the 32 teams have won at least one divisional title (65.6 percent) and 26 teams (81.3 percent) have made at least one appearance in the playoffs.

The six players who have not made the playoffs in the past four years are the Cardinals (who last made the postseason in ’98), the Bills and the Lions who last made the playoffs in ’99, the Saints ( the latter made the playoffs in 2000) and the Dolphins and Texans. Miami, which by the way ended the 2005 season with a six-game winning streak, last reached the playoffs in ’01, while the expansion Texans are 0-for-4 in their four years since becoming the 32nd NFL franchise in 2002.

Speaking of the playoffs, last year’s 12-team playoff field included seven teams that had not qualified for the postseason in 2004. The league adopted its current 12-team playoff field in the 1990 season and, as of 1991, it is not unusual for a year. playoff team roster to be completed by teams that had not qualified for the postseason the previous year.

Last year’s seven total was high, but it was one less than in the 2003 playoff season, when eight teams on the postseason field that year had not qualified for the previous year’s playoffs. The average playoff season (over the past 15 years) has seen his playoff roster completed with an average of 5.67 teams per season that had not made the previous year’s postseason. The 1994 season saw only four participants who did not participate in the previous year’s playoffs, as five of the six NFC representatives had also been in the 1993 playoffs.

The AFC West has been the most volatile division in the league since 2002, as all four teams in that division have won division titles in the last four years. The Raiders won in 2002, the Chiefs in 2003, the Chargers in 2004 and the Broncos last year. The most stable divisions have been the AFC East and South, where the Pats (East) and Colts (South) have each claimed three consecutive division titles.

The Packers had won three consecutive NFC North titles heading into the 2005 season, as had the Eagles in the NFC East, but both races came to an end last year with the Bears 11-5 winning the North (GB I was only 4-12). and the Giants 11-5 winning the East (Philadelphia was just 6-10).

Ness Notes is available Monday through Friday at 1:00 ET.

Tours Travel

The most important character in Shakespeare’s play: Richard III

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The most important character in Shakespeare’s play, Richard III, was Richard himself, who was initially appointed Duke of Gloucester. He is the brother of King Edward IV and the brother of George, Duke of Clarence. The brothers of the reigning king were appointed dukes of a part of the kingdom, invested with many possessions and powers. Richard was crowned King Richard III after a variety of misdeeds and backstabbing to obtain the crown.

He had a type of deformity in his body and an abnormal gait when walking. He was very skilled, evil, and a master manipulator in word and deed. However, he was also brilliant, cunning, and maintained a very sensitive form of intelligence to do the wrong things according to his liking, and he was able to get away with his vicious actions. His henchman normally carried out his misdeeds of hurting others. Buckingham was one of Richards’s right-hand men. He was the Duke of Buckingham and had similar ambitions to Richard’s.

George, Duke of Clarence, trusted his brother Richard. However, his confidence allowed Richard to get rid of him and get him out of his way on his way to becoming king. Clarence was killed by Richard’s henchmen even while begging for his life. When Clarence died, he had two children, a son and a daughter who would have been heirs to the throne if he had survived Edward IV, or if Edward IV had died earlier.

Normally, when a king dies from murder or foul play, the assassin will seek to eliminate all heirs to the throne in an effort to ensure that there is no threat to his obtaining the throne. The same would apply to a duke who was next in line for the throne to become king. However, the wife would be saved, as she was not recognized as a threat.

The Duchess of York, mother of Richard III; George, Duke of Clarence, (deceased); and King Edward IV (deceased), cursed Richard III for all his wrongdoing. Apparently, and by virtue of his position, he had some knowledge of what was going on between the brothers and others in the kingdom; therefore, his finger points to Richard III as the villain.

The manipulative nature of Richard III was also in conflict with Lady Anne, the widow of Prince Edwards of Wales, son of the late King Henry VI. She despised Richard III for the hasty death of her husband and that of King Henry VI. However, Richard was not far behind and convinced her to marry him for political reasons.

Arts Entertainments

Summary of the book: "The goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt

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My curiosity was piqued when I saw the article titled “Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Made His Top Executives Read These Three Books.” Bezos is an avid reader and last summer he hosted all-day (yes, all-day!) Book clubs with top Amazon executives. Bezos said he used these books as frameworks to sketch the future of the company, and one of the books they read and discussed was The Goal.

Subtitled “A Process of Continuous Improvement,” the first edition of The Goal was printed in 1984. Written like a novel, it is about the process of continuous improvement; based on a company’s manufacturing operations, but relevant to all organizations because it’s about people trying to understand what makes their world work so they can improve it. As characters “think logically and coherently about their problems, they are able to determine the” cause and effect “relationships between their actions and the results.”

In history, the manufacturing operation management team is struggling to return profitability to what was once a successful plant from being shut down for ownership.

Shipments are constantly delayed and there are months of production buildup, yet inventories of finished goods and work in progress are skyrocketing. Collectively, they wonder why they can’t consistently put out a quality product on time at a cost that can beat the competition.

Having three months to change the plant, the plant manager turns to a manufacturing guru who has a unique and potentially risky approach to addressing issues. First, he takes what can be a complicated topic, productivity, and defines it simply as the act of bringing a company closer to its goal. “Every action that brings a company closer to its objective is productive. Every action that does not bring a company closer to its objective is not productive.” This begs the question: What is the goal?

The plant manager wonders if the goal is to buy profitably, employ good people, high technology, produce quality products, capture market share, customer satisfaction, etc. He ultimately decides that making money is the appropriate goal, and therefore, by the guru’s definition of productivity, an action that moves the plant toward producing money is productive. And an action that takes away from making money is not productive.

The management team agrees on three metrics to determine if the plant is making money: net profit, return on investment (ROI), and cash flow. It becomes obvious, then, that it is essential to build a connection between these three measures and what happens in the plant … down to every employee in the plant. Higher performance, lower inventories and lower operating expenses become his areas of focus to improve plant profitability.

Balancing the story involves the management team and factory workers employing new methods to identify and address performance bottlenecks (referred to as “finding Herbie”), understanding dependent and independent events, and analyzing fluctuations. statistics. The factory achieves incredible new levels of profitability and the plant manager gets a well-deserved promotion.

Some lessons the plant manager and his management team learned along the way:

  • That people working or machines running and making money are not necessarily the same. In other words, having an employee working and benefiting from that job are potentially two different things. In the story, the guru says that “activating a resource and using a resource are not synonymous.” [How much unproductive activity do you have in your organization?]
  • The true bottlenecks are any resource whose capacity is equal to or less than the demand placed on it. And a non-bottleneck is any resource whose capacity is greater than the demand placed on it. [Where are the “bad” bottlenecks in your company?]
  • That bottlenecks are not necessarily bad, or good, they are simply a reality and should be evaluated to determine if they help or hinder the overall performance of the system. [Do you know which of your bottlenecks are good and which are bad?]
  • That the capacity of the plant is equal to the capacity of its bottlenecks. [Think of it as a group of hikers who can only progress as quickly as the slowest walker. Or that a team is only as strong as its weakest member.]
  • Improvement requires a change. And change means uncertainty that translates into fear. “We are venturing from what is safe and known to what is unknown, a move that most people are afraid to make.” It is human nature to live for control, predictability, and certainty. [How much of what you do is actually directed against change?]
  • That actually a small number of constraints govern overall performance. [Do you know the key constraints that are holding you or your organization back?]
  • Do not focus all your energy on the improvements themselves, but on the improvement process. [Thus the book’s subtitle “A Process of Ongoing Improvement.” Is continual improvement in your organization’s DNA?]
  • You must know what your goal is before you can optimize a system (for example, yourself, a factory, a team, a company, etc.). Otherwise, there is likely a lot of unproductive activity. [What is your goal? Do you really know what it is? And are you on the right path to accomplish it?]

Good luck finding your “Herbies” (limitations, bottlenecks, obstacles) and tackling them to make your path to success easier.

Technology

What is SIP and SS7 … and how do they work with VoIP?

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Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Signaling System 7 (SS7) are the common protocols used to transmit voice over networks. The way they work with VoIP … or not … opens the door to both concerns and opportunities.

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a protocol developed by the IETF MMUSIC Working Group and a proposed standard to initiate, modify, and end an interactive user session involving multimedia elements such as video, voice, instant messaging, online games, and virtual reality. . SIP is a text-based signaling protocol similar to HTTP and SMTP, and is used to create, manage, and terminate sessions on an IP-based network. A session could be a simple two-way phone call or it could be a multimedia collaborative conference session.

The entities that interact in a SIP scenario are called User Agents (UA) User Agents can operate in two ways:

o User Agent Client (UAC): It generates requests and sends them to the servers.

o User Agent Server (UAS): receives requests, processes those requests, and generates responses.

SIP works like this: Callers and recipients are identified by SIP addresses. When making a SIP call, the caller first locates the appropriate server and then sends a SIP request. The most common SIP operation is the invite. Instead of reaching the intended call recipient directly, a SIP request can be redirected or it can trigger a chain of new SIP requests by proxies. Users can register their location (s) with SIP servers.

Now … how is this different from the SS7 protocol?

Here is a simplified explanation:

Signaling System 7 (SS7) is an architecture to perform signaling in support of the call setup, billing, routing and information exchange functions of the PSTN, while SIP is a protocol used to maintain sessions in VOIP .

SS7s are used to configure the vast majority of PSTN phone calls in the world, while SIP is used on the IP network.

A little more about the differences between SS7 and SIP.

SS7 uses a common channel to signal call setup and clear information for circuit switched services. It is common to have hundreds or thousands of voice circuits controlled by a pair of 64 kb / s signaling links. SS7 was designed specifically for circuit switching, although it has some additional very sophisticated transaction control and call control capabilities.

SIP is an IP-based signaling solution that does not use a separate signaling path, but relies on IP connectivity from the originator to a server and from there to the terminating end. It is used for packet-based communications and allows many different types of calls, such as video, game interaction, etc., as well as voice.

As SIP rolls out with the deployment of next-generation networks, I’m sure we’ll see some very interesting network behaviors, untold new glitches as we fix bugs, and likely new fraud opportunities. It should be interesting times.

Home Kitchen

7 steps to prepare your kitchen cabinets to receive a professional paint finish

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There is a long process to paint kitchen cabinets. If you don’t properly prepare your cabinets, you’ll be sure your paint finish won’t last long. Proper preparation also gives you a good foundation to achieve the beautiful professional look you want for your upgraded cabinets. There are 7 steps to preparing your kitchen cabinets to receive the best durable finish.

The first step in the 7-step process is to remove all hardware. You want to remove the cabinet doors to make it easier to paint the kitchen cabinets. Most homeowners plan to reuse their hardware, so it is very important to remove their hardware to protect their hardware from the next steps in the 7-step process. After removing the hardware, you should make sure to put the hinges, knobs, handles, and screws in a safe place so that when your painting project is done, you can easily install the hardware.

The next step is to mask your cabinets. The worst thing you can do is damage your walls and countertops while trying to paint your cabinets. When masking, you should cover everything, with paper or plastic, and use blue painter’s tape to easily remove and loosen the tape from walls, floors, and countertops. Most people skip the floor masking, but proper masking will give you crisp, clean lines on your floors. Painting near the floor is a difficult task to start with, so be sure to tape the floor and cover it to avoid having to clean up paint splatters later.

After everything is masked and covered, the next step is to degrease your cabinets. If you have new cabinets that have not withstood the cooking environment, skip this step. Most paints claim to block stains, but oil stains are something different and any oil left will cause your paint job to fail, plus oil stains will get through the paint. You don’t want to spend 4 days painting only to find that you will have to repaint your cabinets to remove oil stains. You can use any degreaser, just be sure to clean all the degreaser off the cabinets once you are done.

The next is the most difficult part of the prep process and that is sanding the cabinets. You must first ensure that the cabinets are dry after the degreasing process. Once you are sure the cabinets are dry, you will need to sand them down. Better to use 220-grit sandpaper or blocks. Anything thicker than 220 will cause deep scratches that will show through the paint finish, so be sure not to use a grit rougher than 220. When sanding, you need to make sure that your cabinets are not shiny or shiny. If your cabinets were stained and sealed, the sealer is the clear coat and the sealer is what protects your cabinets, and that includes paint protection. Therefore, you must sand down the glossy protection of your cabinets.

Once you are done sanding the cabinets, you should remove all the dust that is left after. Not removing all of the sanding dust can cause two problems. One problem is paint failure. The powder will prevent the primer from adhering properly to the cabinets. The dust creates a layer between your cabinets and the primer, which means your primer won’t come in direct contact with your cabinets and will be problematic at some point in the future. The other problem that dust will create is giving it a gritty finish. Once the primer dries onto the powder, the primer will take on the characteristics of the powder, which is a gritty texture. Also, the gritty texture will make it difficult to clean your cabinets later on. Smooth cabinets are easier to clean than gritty cabinets. Oil and dirt will get into the holes created by sanding dust. You should use microfiber rags to remove the dust after vacuuming the dust.

Caulking and wood filler for your cabinet imperfections will go a long way in helping your cabinet paint job look professional. You won’t have to wait to caulk after degreaser and sanding is complete to avoid damaging your cabinet and wood filler. If you need to fill something in your cabinets with wood, do so before caulking because after filling your holes or grain with wood putty, you will need to sand the wood putty until smooth. Then, I would repeat the dust removal process mentioned above. Even with your caulking, you want to use a very small hole to caulk your kitchen cabinets. Make sure to smooth the caulk properly by removing any excess caulk and residue, as any caulk that is not smooth will show through your paint.

The last step of the 7-step process is to prepare your cabinets. Before priming, you need to make sure that the sealant is completely dry. If your caulk is not completely dry, then the primer will seal in slower drying and lead to failure later. If you don’t let the caulk dry, the caulk will shrink, crack, or shrink and crack after you’ve finished painting your cabinets.

Auto

How smart are our smart cars?

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The prodigal son of the auto industry

DON’T LET YOUR PETITE LOOK confuse you with its excellent performance on modern roads – the “ForTwo” Microcity Coupe is just over 8 feet long, less than 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall. Weighing 818 kilograms and 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper, these Vikings have race car-like roll cages, anti-lock brakes (ABS), advanced electronics, microprocessors and a superior drivetrain that offer better stability, braking and comfort. general. It has luxury upgrades like GPS navigation, reverse detection, night vision, assisted parking, climate control, smart card, and keyless voice control. Of course, the smartest car is the one that is fully automated and drives itself.

A smart car is a mini-compact two-seater with advanced electronics and microprocessor that are perfect for busy places and urban driving. The first prototype known as Micro Compact Car (MCC) was developed in 1994 by Swatch and Daimler-Benz and this ‘Swatchmobile’ was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997. In fact, the word ‘Smart’ derives from cooperation between Swatch and Mercedes: Swatch Mercedes ART. The updated Smart “ForTwo” was launched in 2008 in the US.

What’s so smart about it?

The idea of ​​building a small car came from Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of Swatch watches. I wanted to make a small car that was fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, and easy to park in tight spaces. Today, his progeny in DaimlerAG’s Smart division and other automakers such as Renault and General Motors (GM) offer cars that have electric or hybrid motors and are fuel efficient and environmentally responsible.

Although initially people were hesitant to opt for Smart, now the notion is changing. To date, more than 750,000 ForTwos have been sold in Europe and Japan. Subcompacts are also gaining a lot of attention to the trend. Waiting lists and pre-bookings for Tesla and Chevrolet Volt show that people are more concerned about fuel economy and the environment. The Smart line has been conveniently positioned among the high-end design and technology segment that targets the urban upper middle class, especially the younger generation.

These microcars are small in stature but big in economy. Compared to a 7-foot-wide Hummer H1, ForTwo is only 5 feet wide. In a real life application, this means that a Smart Car can back up to the curb instead of parallel parking in line with other cars. Two or three Smart Cars can be parked that way in a single curbside parking space. In fact, Swatch wanted to make such a car initially for the American and European market, where parking space and gasoline are at a premium. The cars are ultra maneuverable and fast off the line; They can even beat many supercars when it comes to speeding up in city traffic. With its diminutive length, ForTwo can turn within a staggering 22.8-foot circle, compared to 35.7 feet for a Honda Civic.

With its Tridion security cell at the front, Smart has also governed the issue of security quite well. This rigid structure activates crumple zones of a colliding vehicle, creating a safety bubble around passengers. The second generation ForTwo has received 4 out of 5 stars for adult occupant protection from Euro NCAP.

ForTwo is one of the most efficient four-wheelers with a conventional gasoline engine on the market. Obviously it can’t compete with a hybrid when it comes to mpg numbers, but it has an artistic design and is certainly easier to park than a conventional four-wheeler. You can snatch the last parking spot virtually anywhere and it comes with a wide variety of color options for your monoblock and Tridion Safety Cell. From an environmental point of view, Smart is the most promising four-wheeler. Being electrically powered, it does not pollute the environment.

However, in case of price, the Smarts are not that smart and they never have been. The base price for a ForTwo automatic transmission is $ 20,640 in the US and $ 19,650 in the European market, not to mention the $ 28,750 price of the all-electric ForTwo Convertible (smart ED). Buyers looking for fuel efficiency are also looking for bank account efficiency, and they can find a small mainstream car with decent mileage for several thousand dollars less than the cost of a ForTwo.

Electrically-assisted steering offers very little haptic feedback from the road surface, causing ForTwo to skip excessively on bumps in the road. Disc and drum brakes also feel artificial in expert hands.

Smarts are also slow in terms of speed and mileage. Though fast on the line, the latest ForTwos Convertible can hit 0-60 mph in 10.2 seconds, compared to the 5-7 seconds required for most conventional sedans. Its top speed has been limited to just 81 mph, as excessive speed dramatically reduces mileage and electric range. The projected 70-80 miles of single range is also not practical when it takes 3 hours of charging through a 240-volt outlet or 16.5 hours through a 120-volt household outlet.

Even smarter

DaimlerChrysler unveiled an all-electric version of the Smart Car, the ForTwo EV, at the British Motor Show in July 2006. Now, in 2018, it offers ForTwo Electric Drive – a quirky hatchback priced at $ 24,550 and a mid-mount, Motor 80 hp electric that goes 70 miles on a single charge. The latest ForTwo Cabriolet is the ‘convertible’ version of the Electric Drive par excellence. Like its predecessor, the Cabriolet also comes with an electric powertrain and surprisingly spacious cargo space.

ForTwo is not the only one in the Smart line. Toyota’s Scion iQ was a worthy competitor that held most of the smart car records before its demise in 2015. Now, ForTwo faces stiff competition from the Mitsubishi I-MiEV and the Fiat 500e. Honda Fit and Chevy Volt may not be the smallest cars on the market, but when it comes to hybrid transmission, automotive intelligence, and fuel economy, these cars have good competition in the Smart segment. Mini Cooper is another challenger that offers sleek yet rugged performance. All of these cars are designed to maximize passenger space, while minimizing exterior length. ForTwo also has its Smart segment cousins ​​in Mercedes: Smart Roadster and Forfour. The latter is being rebuilt to offer a pint-sized 4 x 4 SUV for the domestic market in the US and Brazil. Currently, Hyundai is building complete driverless cars for the next generation and Samsung is developing an in-vehicle infotainment system. Both firms are competing in the industry to introduce hyper-intelligent cars.

While it is clear that this Smart is an excellent choice for the city car, what is less clear is whether it will completely replace conventional gasoline-powered cars. Only time will give us the answer. But, with fuel prices hitting all-time highs and environmental restoration a hot issue, it’s the peak time for automakers to offer and consumers to adopt more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly smart cars for commuting.

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What is ontological coaching?

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Ontological Coaching originates from the teachings of Ontology. According to Wikipedia, “ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, becoming, existence or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and its relationships.”

Ontological Coaching therefore lives under the premise that you are a co-creator, and the nature of your being is related to your reality. An Ontological Coach introduces you to new possibilities through powerful questions and helps you take effective action. The role of an Ontological Coach is not to give you the answers because your inner knowing is creative and resourceful. They facilitate your process to acquire a deeper learning at a subconscious and conscious level, which goes beyond a session. This method is more sustainable than simply teaching the “how-to’s” that are only temporarily satisfying. They also train you to become aware of the three elements of the body, language and emotions, in addition to teaching you proper planning and strategy because everything is interrelated and relevant to the greatest human potential.

Keep in mind that not all coaches are the same. With all the benefits of Ontological Coaching, you are receiving beyond what an average life coach offers who works primarily with you to set goals and be your cheerleader. Julio Ollala, one of the greatest promoters of Ontological Coaching, describes it best in his book. From Knowledge to Wisdom: Essays on the Contemporary Learning Crisis sharing the following statement:

“Unfortunately, coaching today is practiced by many who have no credentials or studies, and who offer traditional consulting, training and advice in popular psychology under the guise of” coaching. “It is being practiced by those caught in the same habits and traps. . to think that the customers they are trying to serve are in “.

That is why it is valuable to invest in hiring not just a coach, but a Ontological Coach who is trained and knows what to listen to to guide you through your challenges. They have cleared their own mental clutter and are better equipped to handle their concerns in a safe environment. You commit yourself completely to your own benefit to eliminate any incongruity in your thoughts and in what you say you will do.

For example, having a fear of failure is actually setting you up for failure no matter what you say or do well because the underlying context is incongruous. Another way to understand this is to imagine that you are playing a game of darts. Only instead of focusing on the bullseye, your eyes are on the wall away from the board as you throw the dart. How likely is it that he will hit the bull’s-eye with the dart? Similarly, in life, your thoughts are like your eyes. And if your thoughts are not congruent with your actions, how likely is it that you will get what you really want? Are you willing to notice and observe the way you perceive failure? What if instead of thinking that you will fail, you are operating from a place of trust knowing that you will succeed? How could that affect your actions and results differently?

With a trained Ontological Coach:

• Get a behind-the-scenes look at what drives your actions

• Observe what is keeping you from achieving your dreams

• Create shifts once and for all

The benefit to you is that you begin to experience true peace, happiness, and greater abundance. Who doesn’t want that?