Do you feel the need for speed? Do you find underground racing a bit too dangerous for your taste? Do you think that playing the latest racing game on your PC is just too boring for you? If this is the case, then you need to get into RC car racing. RC car racing is one of the fastest growing hobbies today. This is because it appeals to the kid within people while challenging them to hone their skills. If you think that RC car is just about getting the most expensive model out there, you are on the wrong track. Here are the basics of RC cars:
THE TWO CLASSIFICATIONS
There are two general classifications of RC cars according to the power source:
1) Electric- This RC car type is the most common type in the market today. This might be because of the fact that most toy companies make this type of RC car for children or beginner RC car enthusiasts. Some advantages of the electric RC car are:
.
a) Noiseless- This means that an electric-powered RC car can be used without causing a lot of disturbance (excluding, of course, the number of people who will unwittingly trip over your machine).This also means that you can use it stealthily. Countless movies have featured the use of electric RC cars in recording conversations or taking hidden videos. Make your spy dreams come true!
b) Smokeless- Since this type of RC car makes use of electricity to power it, there is no smoke output when the engine is running. This is because no combustion happens within the engine of the RC car.
Disadvantages:
a) Limited running time- An electric RC car runs on batteries. Because of this, the power it can use to run is limited to the capacity of the battery. A user who goes for this type of RC car has to cope with the delay of charging batteries or replacing them every time that they run out of power.
b) Limited power- The power of electric RC cars is limited not only in terms of time but also in terms of intensity. Put plainly, electric-powered RC cars just don't run as fast as gas-powered models. If you are looking for speed, this is not the RC car for you.
2) Gas powered- There's one thing that needs to be said about gas powered RC cars: you cannot put gasoline in it. Gas powered RC cars make use of a special mixture of fuel in order to run.
Advantages:
a) Speed- Many people are opting for gas powered RC cars mainly because of the fact that they are much faster than electric RC cars.
b) Longevity- Gas powered RC cars can run for long times before they need to be refueled. This means that you get to use your RC car for a longer time. Thus, you get to have more fun.
Disadvantages:
a) Smoke- Since gas powered RC cars run because of combustion; it is natural that there would be smoke coming out of the car. This means that you won't be able to use your RC car indoors.
b) Noise- Gas powered RC cars make a lot of noise. This can either be a positive or a negative, depending on your attitude. For some people, the noise that this type of RC car can help them get attention from other people (Hey, some people do buy RC cars to get noticed).
Most of us have trained at one part of our lives. Chances are if you’ve ever taken your training seriously you’ve used a training journal or a training log.
The main difference between training journals and training logs is what you document in them after each workout or day, etc. Training journals are just that. They are more of a journal rather than a log. They will normally include things like mental health and how you felt during the day or your workout.
Most of us have trained at one part of our lives. Chances are if you’ve ever taken your training seriously you’ve used a training journal or a training log.
The main difference between training journals and training logs is what you document in them after each workout or day, etc. Training journals are just that. They are more of a journal rather than a log. They will normally include things like mental health and how you felt during the day or your workout. They can reach a bit into some statistical information but this is normally saved in a training log.
Training logs are generally created of off some kind of a template. For example. Every day you fill out a form that has the same fields. Things like current weight, daily workout, diet information, are all things that can be put in a training Log on a day to day basis.
I wouldn’t recommend going all one route or all the other, both journaling and logging are important to keep an effective history of your past. I’ve found out through experience and that for convenience sake it’s nice to have two combined together in some way. This way it’s always easy to remember to do both.
Benefits of recording your training
The number one benefit of recording your training is to have a detailed history to look back on. This can be very useful in times of planning. For example to figure out what has worked for you and what hasn’t. It’s very useful for figuring out reasons for injuries or for times of burnout.
Have you ever sat down and tried to plan out training with nothing to work with? If you have something to look back upon a detailed account of what you’ve done over the past few weeks it’s easy to plan ahead, and to effectively increase your workout intensity, etc to improve for the future.
A detailed journal is also really nice to have just for personal use and to be able to look back on past months and years, to remember different accounts.
Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.
Coin collecting is a hobby that has been enjoyed since the 1800s, although it greatly increased in popularity during the early to late 1900’s. One reason why coin collecting is an activity enjoyed by so many individuals and individuals of all ages is that of purpose. There is a wide range of reasons and purposes for starting a coin collection. Five common types of coin collectors are highlighted below.
Those who collect coins for-profits are commonly referred to as investors. Investors are individuals who collect coins with the sole purpose of seeing profits in the future. These types of coin collectors are also commonly referred to as professional coin collectors, as most are knowledgeable about coin collecting in general, including coin values and conditions. After all, a plain ole penny will likely not lead to profits in the future, but a rare or limited edition coin may.
Another one of the many reasons why coin collectors who collect with the hopes of seeing profits are referred to as investors are because they are making an investment. Although it is possible to come across older, outdated, limited edition, and rare coins by chance, it is difficult, if not impossible, in many cases to do so. For that reason, many coin collectors choose to purchase coins to add to their collections. This is often done by examining professional coin dealers.
Speaking of coin dealers, coin dealers, although highly debatable, can also be considered coin collectors. Coin dealers are regularly on the lookout for valuable coins. The only difference between coin dealers and other coin collectors is that many choose not to hang on to their coins for very long. Many want to turn around and sell these coins as quickly as possible to make a fast profit.
Hobbyists are another common type of coin collector. Those who are considered hobbyists collect coins for the sole purpose of personal fulfillment. Hobbyists who collect coins often have a love for coins, history, or collecting in general. Many coin collectors who collect for the purpose of personal fulfillment later donate their coins to historical organizations or choose to pass their coin collections on to future family generations. While many coin collectors start out purely as hobbyists, many later change their goals to make a profit.
As previously stated, many coin collectors choose to pass on their coin collections to family members and future family generations to come. The individuals who inherit these coin collections are technically considered coin collectors as well. This is due in part to the fact that they have a coin collection in their possession. Although many inheritors simply store and treasure the coin passed down to them, many make the decision to continue collecting, allowing the coin collection in question to continue to grow.
Another common type of coin collector is that of a hoarder. Hoarders are individuals who collect just because, not necessarily for profits or for the love of coins or collectibles in general. Many hoarders collect any coins that they come across, as many are afraid to miss out on a great collecting opportunity. Although many coin hoarders will generally turn around and examine their collections and its value, many are not usually concerned with doing so at the time.
The five reasons highlighted above are five reasons why most coin collectors collect. What type of coin collector are you?
When most of us think of summer and hot days, the first thing that comes to mind is a swimming pool. A swimming pool provides relief from hot summer days and gives us a chance to simply relax, enjoy ourselves, and take in some exercise. Although they are most common with hot summer days, swimming pools are also great indoors as well, providing year-round swimming.
Indoor swimming pools have become very popular over the years, especially in gyms and other facilities such as the YMCA. At a gym or YMCA, indoor swimming pools are a great way to cool down after weight lifting or a great way to get in some cardio exercise. Unlike outdoor swimming pools, you can use an indoor pool year round - without having to worry about the weather.
If you don’t like to join gyms or if you find the locations of indoor swimming pools to be crowded, you may be interested in having an indoor pool at home. This is very possible these days, due to indoor pools being more affordable than ever. The first thing you’ll need to do before you can get one though is making room for it. If you don’t have the space to store a pool inside, you may need to add a room to your home to put the pool in.
If you have the money to spare, an in the ground indoor swimming pool will provide you with plenty of room to swim laps and have a lot of friends over with plenty of room to spare. This may cost a lot of money though, which rules it out for many of us. You’ll also need a big room for this type of pool as well, as it can cover a lot of space.
If you don’t have a lot of money to spare, you can use an above ground pool instead. You’ll still need to room to store it, or you can again add on to your home. Adding on to your home will help to raise the overall value of your property, which will be a major plus later on down the road if you decide to sell your home. Indoor swimming pools hold a lot of value, especially if you have it constructed yourself.
When you have your swimming pool set up indoors, you’ll need to have a professional do everything. Although you may think you can do everything yourself, it will prove to be a bit more complicated than you may think. Professionals know exactly what they are doing, and won’t have any problems at all. They will also do all of the work for you, and contact the necessary officials to make sure that your indoor pool conforms with state and local laws.
In more ways than one, an indoor swimming pool can provide you with a lot of fun and excitement year round. Indoor pools have a lot of benefits, also providing to be great for those who have back trouble or other medical ailments. Even though the pool is indoors, you can also invest in a heater for your swimming pool and keep the water a certain temperature whenever you decide to jump in and take a swim.
You can find everything you need for an indoor swimming pool online or through your local swimming pool supply store. If you need to add on to your home first, you may want to contact a carpenter first. Once you have everything you need and you get your indoor pool finished, you’ll be amazed by the results. You’ll be able to go swimming anytime you like, day or night - in the privacy of your own home.
A marathon is an ultimate dream for many runners. People who have been running for years and some that have never run a day in their life love the idea of finishing a marathon. There seems to be something magical about the concept of a marathon, almost as if it seems super-human to compete in one or even to complete one.
Have you been pondering the idea of running a marathon for fun or for competition? If so, you must know that it takes months of hard and consistent preparation before the dream can become a reality because a marathon is no walk in the park.
One of the best strategies for making the dream of a marathon possible for you is to find a partner. Talk to your friends and find someone who is willing to begin the journey of marathon training with you. Figure out a way to mesh your schedules so that you can train together, at least on your long runs. You've heard it said that 'no man is an island,' and that concept is certainly true when it comes to preparing for your first marathon. Most people last a few weeks at best when they have no one to train with and no one to hold them accountable as the training schedule becomes more intense.
Once you've found the perfect marathon partner you should also take time to research the best training schedule for your time, needs and running goals. Getting on a specific schedule for marathon training will prevent you from overworking yourself or underworking yourself. It is no easy thing to get your body in shape for a twenty-six-mile run, so make it a priority to find a schedule and then stick to it.
Talk to your physician about your dream of running a marathon. It is never a bad idea to check with a healthcare professional for any warnings or advice. See if your physician has any suggestions for ways to supplement your training with adjustments to your eating or sleeping habits. Proper eating and sleeping will only benefit the physical training you do to prepare for the marathon.
Running a marathon is something that many people dream about but far fewer people actually accomplish it. With some careful planning and a lot of dedication, you can be one of the few that makes the dream of running a marathon a reality.
The Lancaster is probably the most famous of all the bombers of the second world war. According to Capt. Donald Macintosh (ex-second world war bomber pilot, and author) it was a lot smoother to fly than the Wellington; the experience of which was close to that of a fighter plane (with no payload, of course).
Survival rates on bombers.
The life of a second world war bomber pilot was probably the most dangerous of all the armed forces of the second world war. Less than 50% survived their tour; each tour consisted of roughly 25 operations or raids with the chances of survival for each raid being 96%. That is what the commanders always told the crew before a raid to keep up morale. But if you compound 96% over 25 times, the survival rate was closer to 50%. When Donald looked at his Florida academy group photograph after the war, he counted around half of those still alive.
WHAT KILLED BOMBER CREWS?
Training
Enemy fighter planes
Lack of rear radar (called Monica: only introduced later in the war)
An incompetent navigator
An incompetent rear gunner
Flak
Poor attitude
Bad luck
TRAINING - Rushed training caused a few deaths. President Roosevelt wanted to train pilots within 2 years which would be woefully short in peacetime, but due to the high chop rate, they had no choice. Donald sometimes saw burnt-out bombers on the runway from fatal mistakes made by cadets. A fairly experienced New Zealand pilot and his crew died in a ball of flames in the air during training. They speculated it was because one of the crew members had smoked during the flight.
Also, the bombers used in training were not maintained properly, if at all. All the good maintenance staff were looking after the bombers flying real operations. This could cause engines to fail, which killed a few crew members.
In fact, Donald had several very near misses himself in just such scenarios. The excerpt: "The Landing" from his book is just one example of inexperience nearly killing him. "Russian Mechanics" is another; the Russians didn't have the competence or equipment to maintain planes as Donald found out.
ENEMY FIGHTER PLANES - Fighter planes out-gunned and could out-manoeuvre bombers. The typical fighter tactic was to dive under the bomber and swing around and up, shooting up at the undercarriage. This wasn't without total risk to the fighter, as the explosion of the payload could also destroy the fighter if he was too close. Donald experienced a Focke Wulf 190 first-hand using just this tactic.
The best defence was the cork-screw dive. This meant diving 45 degrees to the left, then 45 degrees to the right and then fly back upwards 45 degrees left. The odds though were still against you. At night time, if an enemy fighter was detected soon enough, the cork-screw dive was very effective at shaking them off.
LACK OF REAR RADAR - Rear radar, or Monica as it was called, saved countless bomber crew's lives. This enabled the crew to detect an enemy fighter sneaking up behind very early. The cork-screw dive manoeuvre was then quite effective. Using Monica, during night-time raids especially, allowed the bombers to easily shake off enemy fighter planes. Monica saved Donald's life when it was introduced. It was a pity that his Squadron Leader also didn't have it when he battled a German ace. See "Squadron Leader" for this story.
AN INCOMPETENT NAVIGATOR - According to Donald, the navigator was absolutely crucial to survival. If you got lost over enemy territory, you had had it. Not only could you accidentally fly over enemy fighter bases or flak installations, but your fuel would run out. Donald's bomber crew experienced their fuel running out twice, once in training and once over Russia.
AN INCOMPETENT REAR GUNNER - Although the rear gunner was not as important as the navigator, he needed to be very alert for detecting enemy fighter planes coming in from behind. He would call out the ranges and shout out the exact time when the pilot should cork-screw. The actual gunfire was usually inadequate to bring down the fighters; it distracted them more than anything else.
FLAK - At the end of the war flak was largely ineffective. This was because the German flak crews were the old men or inexperienced young boys who weren't trained well enough to operate them properly. Of course, you could be exceedingly unlucky. If a professional flak crew was shooting at you, then you would be in trouble. When Donald was carrying out a raid over Holland, he flew over German Naval Gunners who shot down the plane three behind him, killing all but three of her crew.
POOR ATTITUDE - Those pilots and crew who didn't put everything into it, who didn't really want to be there, were often the ones who got what they wished for. Donald tells of an Australian pilot Tyrell, who had an apathetic attitude always asking when his leave was etc. He died on his first mission over Stuttgart.
Another important factor was teamwork amongst the crew members. Some crews couldn't get along with each other. They constantly argued, even disobeying orders. Unsurprisingly, this raised the probability of not making it over a raid.
Nervous disorders were a common problem with crew members who were nearing the end of their active duty. In fact, according to Donald, at this stage of their careers just about everybody had some sort of nervous disorder, whether it was a nervous tic or the handshaking when lifting up a glass or teacup. It was far worse with bomb-aimers. They saw everything below: flak exploding just beneath them etc. Bomb aimers were usually relieved earlier of their duties than most since after a while they would crack up. "The Mad Gunner" is a short story of a bomb-aimer who had done around 70 raids and had completely lost it. He was allowed to continue because he loved doing it and also the fact that he was very good at his job.
BAD LUCK - A lucky flak shot or something critical overlooked in maintenance was what usually happened. When Donald had to choose his bomb-aimer, he had a choice between Pete or his friend, George. They flipped a coin and Pete became his bomb-aimer and lived; George, however, never made it to the end of the war.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Capt. Donald Macintosh flew over 40 raids from D day until May 1945, including:
3 attacks on battleship “Tirpitz” (sunk) including the flight to Russia;
1 destroyer, Gdynia harbour, night; prob sunk;
2 heavy gun emplacements;
3 dams;
2 oil refineries;
4 viaducts;
3 bridges;
3 submarine pens;
1 ammo dump;
2 flying bomb sites;
2 cities;
Finally, Hitler’s home at Berchtesgaden, April 25th.
After the war, he flew for another 30 years in civil flying some of which was almost as lethal as wartime. Based in the Bahamas, he flew Yorks and Lancastrians for British South American Airways and then went on to fly the world’s first passenger jet, Comet 1, to Africa and the Far East.
A photo of a cup of coffee. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Coffee is probably one of the most popular beverages consumed by adults, yet many do not know coffee history very well. Understanding coffee history will make you appreciate that rich aroma you love so much. According to Arabic legend, an Arabian goat herder was going about his daily activities when all of a sudden his flock of goats began dancing around a green leafy plant. The plant appeared to have cherries growing from it, the goat herder decided to give this fruitful plant a try.
He noticed that he was experiencing a stimulating effect that allowed him to stay awake for hours. Once he let others in on his secret, they began using coffee for the same reason. It is said that once introduced to a priest, he began promoting coffee and its effects throughout the monastery for continued prayer sessions. Low and behold, we had an eye-opening beverage that would soon become a frequent pick me up favorite.
Coffee History Begins in Ethiopia
Although many believe the goat herding legend as to be true in discovering coffees history, others need a more evidence than this to believe in when it came to discussing the history of coffee. Scientists have discovered botanical evidence that proves that coffee Arabica began in Ethiopia and then was somehow taken to Yemen, where it was then served up in the Mecca in one of the very first coffee houses in history since the 6th century. It became more of a personal favorite used for enjoyment, rather than putting it to use for its stimulating effects.
America Loves It
Wherever it originated, coffee is a popular choice for hot beverages. The number of coffee houses open for business now is amazing. There is one on every corner in America and is served in a variety of different ways. You can know get coffee drinks hot or cold, with or without flavoring and it is made to order. Many prefer instant coffee when serving coffee in their homes. This shows just how far coffee has come since its history began.
Coffee, Coffee, and More Coffee
Now it seems as though we are obsessed with coffee, you can find it everywhere. Coffee candy, coffee ice cream, coffee syrup, coffee creamers and the list will continue to grow. With coffee being such a favorite, did you ever stop to think that we had an Arabian goat herder to think for this rich-tasting drink we all enjoy so much?
