Tips Of All Sorts

Roads In America - The Worst And The Best

2006-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

For the second consecutive year and the fifth time in a decade, truckers say Pennsylvania has the worst roads in the country, according to the annual Highway Report Card survey conducted by Overdrive magazine. Overdrive is the nation’s leading magazine for owner-operators.

Among the chief complaints: the conditions of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-78 and I-80, and poor signage. Owner-operator Bernard Linkhauer says Keystone State highways “will beat and bang you around.” The Pittsburgh-area resident says repairs along the turnpike amount to a Band-Aid. “It looks good, and it lasts a little while, but then it’s back to square one.”

For the second year in a row, the Lone Star State shines with the best roads. Not all truckers agree, though. Texan Judy Selzer disputes Overdrive readers’ high praise of Texas highways. “Any time I get on 1-35 to go to San Antonio, [the road is] rough, and it will tear your equipment up,” she says.

The Overdrive survey not only ranked roads, but also the drivers who traverse them. Roughly two-thirds of respondents say road rage increased during the past year, with 36 percent calling the jump significant. The worst automobile drivers are in California, followed by Illinois and New York.

Trucker Allen Pickard of the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora agrees with these findings. He blames congestion and the pressure of driving in southern California, where commutes can take hours. “I can imagine how they can get pretty upset,” he says.

New Jersey owner-operator Kevin Sweeney says New York and Connecticut drivers are the worst. Stuck in lower New England congestion, they fast become frustrated. “You don’t get road rage out in the country,” he adds.

When it comes to safety, survey participants reasserted findings from years past - California has the nation’s toughest truck inspections, while Alabama has the most lax. California is well-known for its laws regarding trucking, including tough anti-idling penalties. More than 37 percent of respondents placed California tops on inspections; Ohio came in second with 8 percent of participants calling it the toughest state. Alabama, on the other hand, has experienced a shortage of state troopers for several years.

About Overdrive’s Highway Report Card More than 300 Overdrive readers responded to the Highway Report Card survey in fall 2005. About 27 percent of respondents deliver in all 48 states, and 57 percent report 21 years or more in the industry. The complete report appears in Overdrive’s December issue.

HIGHWAY REPORT CARD 2005

WORST ROADS
1) Pennsylvania
2) Missouri
3) Louisiana
4) Michigan
5) California

BEST ROADS
1) Texas
2) Florida
3) Tennessee
4) Georgia, Ohio (tie)
5) Nevada, Virginia (tie)

WORST HIGHWAY
1) I-10 Louisiana
2) I-44 Missouri
3) I-95 New York

BEST HIGHWAY
1) I-75 Florida
2) I-40 Tennessee
3) I-10 Texas

MOST IMPROVED HIGHWAY
1) I-40 Arkansas
2) I-80 Pennsylvania
3) I-30 Arkansas

WORST AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS
1) California
2) Illinois
3) New York

Contact: Steven Mackay (800) 633-5953, ext. 1080 smackay@randallpub.co

Little Giant Skyscraper Telescoping A-Frame Model 21

2006-05-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Little Giant Skyscraper Telescoping A-Frame Model 21 Ladder

The Little Giant SkyScraper makes replacing lights and performing other ceiling-height work in auditoriums, gymnasiums and churches a simpler, far less time-consuming project. The inconvenience and expense of scaffolding or power lifts are no longer necessary. The SkyScraper also makes moving through tight hallways and narrow doors a cinch. The SkyScraper allows a six-foot person with arm extended to reach as high as five feet past the top of the ladder. The SkyScraper comes in three models all with varying height.

Best Price: $826.00

Buy | Customer Reviews | Product Details

8 Simple Ways To Care For The Beach This Summer

2006-05-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Don’t bury litter under the sand. Rubbish pollutes the beach and waterways. It is not only a hazard to humans but to wildlife as well. If you find trash on the beach, pick it up and throw it at the right place.

Stay on walking tracks instead of walking across the sensitive dunes and sand dunes; the fences around these dunes are meant to reduce erosion.

Don’t leave any trash behind. Keep in mind that pet droppings, oil or chemicals not disposed properly will end up in the sea. Use public trash bins or keep the rubbish with you and dispose them later.

Use public restrooms.

Don’t pick up shells, rocks, wildlife and plants. Leave them there undisturbed because they are part of an ecosystem.

Join a local group to help with clean ups on the beach, river or streams.

When out in the waters, keep rubbish bin covered so that contents will not be blown away. Dispose them properly when back on land.

Don’t dispose boat sewage into the sea, do it when back on land in proper sanitary facilities.

Cigarette Carcinogens Found In Urine Of Smokers' Babies

2006-05-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

A team of researchers from The Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota detected cancer-causing compounds in the urine of babies who were in constant exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

This finding supports the concept that persistent exposure to ETS can contribute to the development of cancer later in life.

They collected urine from 144 infants, aged 3 to 12 months, who lived in homes where at least one parent was a smoker.

Urine from 67 of these babies contained detectable amounts of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and its O-glucuronide (NNAL-Gluc), which are by-products produced when the body processes NNK (4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanone), a tobacco-specific potent carcinogen. NNAL is itself a lung carcinogen.

NNAL was detected in babies with family members who smoked an average of 76 cigarettes per week in the home or in the car. Where NNAL was not detected, family members smoked an average of 27 cigarettes per week.

Reference : "4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanol and its Glucuronides in the Urine of Infants Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke" Stephen S. Hecht, et al. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention (2006) 15:988-992

Oily Fish Diet For Smarter Babies

2006-05-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

According to researchers from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, US, an expectant mother who consumes oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can boost her baby's brain power and social skills. The research findings were featured in The Economist.

The NIH team studied 9,000 mothers and children in Avon, UK through the long-running Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. They reported that those women who consumed very little omega-3 fatty acid during their pregnancies had children with IQs that were six points lower than the average. The children were also found to lack poorer motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination.

By the age of 7, 14 percent of those children whose mothers ate the least of oily fish during pregnancy had poor social skills and could not make friends easily, compared with 8 percent of those whose mothers had the highest intake.

They observed that when children reached 3-1/2 years of age, they had the best measures of motor performance if their mothers had the highest intake of oily fish during their pregnancies.

The omega-3 fatty acid is an essential and crucial nutrient for brain and eye development. Fishes containing favorable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout, swordfish, haddock, herring and sardine. With issues arising from pollutants like mercury and dioxin found in these fishes, it has been recommended that two portions of oily fish be taken weekly.

Other good sources are seeds such as flax, pumpkin and hemp. About two tablespoons of seeds taken daily is needed to achieve the beneficial effect. Otherwise choose a good quality omega-3 supplement.

Middle-Aged Women Likely To Snore

2006-05-09T02:36:00.000-07:00

A new study published in the April 2006 issue (vol 129) of the journal Chest, found that the likelihood of women snoring is highest between the ages of 50 to 59, while those below 40 and over 80 were less likely to snore.

Researchers from the Uppsala University in Sweden surveyed 6,817 women from ages 20 and above regarding their snoring habits and the associated risks for snoring,
including BMI (Body Mass Index), smoking habits, physical activity, alcohol and their use of medication plus their menopausal and hormonal status.

It was observed that that those who snore were :
1. Women who had a high BMI as were those who had minimum physical activity with high BMI readings.
2. Smokers who smoke 10 or more cigarettes daily.
3. Underweight women with BMIs below 20 but depended on alcohol.

Green Tea And Alzheimer’s Disease

2006-04-28T01:20:00.000-07:00

Scientists from the University of South Florida found that high doses of the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in green tea prevented Alzheimer’s-like damage in the brains of mice bred to develop symptoms.

One of the possible causes of AD is the harmful accumulation of beta-amyloid, which is just a very small protein fragment of a larger protein in brain cells. After several months of injecting the mice with pure EGCG on a daily basis, the nerve cells of the mice generated 54% less beta-amyloid proteins than not-treated mice.

In the case of humans, we would need a daily dose of 1,500 to 1,600 mg of pure EGCG to achieve the similar effect experienced by the mice and this daily dose has been studied in healthy human volunteers and was found to be safe and well tolerated. The drinking of green tea alone would not be sufficient to have this particular effect.
Related tips :

Alzheimer’s disease (Nutrients help fight against Alzheimer’s and many resources)

Where to buy ECCG

Why Snoring Must Stop

2006-03-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

From the health aspect, sleep apnea is not normal. There are health risks associated with snoring that must not be overlooked. The risks for heart disease, stroke and hypertension increases when you snore.

Another unexpected health risk is Type II diabetes. Researchers found that when apnea limits a constant flow of oxygen and allows a buildup of carbon dioxide, the adrenal glands will hurry into action to produce more catecholamines (e.g. stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine) in response to this unnatural air-traffic situation. Elevated levels of catecholamines will reduce the effectiveness of insulin which could possibly lead to diabetes in time to come.

Sleep apnea is characterized by no breathing for a few seconds (10-30 seconds) at a time, long enough to deplete oxygen in the blood and brain, then followed by loud snorts. This cycle repeats many times during sleep.

Find out 2 other reasons why snoring should be stopped - http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/snoring.html

The Worst Breakfast To Eat

2006-02-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

A study conducted by the State University of New York at Buffalo, found that an oversized breakfast that consists of two Muffins (one egg and one sausage McMuffin) and two hashbrowns (with a total of 930 calories) at MacDonalds will trigger inflammation of the arteries within an hour and this inflammation continues even after 3 hours.

Article continues here >> Breakfast - http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/breakfast.html

True Story - Birdseye

2006-02-23T10:13:00.002-08:00

It is common knowledge that when you are fishing at forty degrees below zero and as you pull a fish up through the ice, the fish freezes quickly and becomes hard.

However for Clarence Frank Birdseye, a furs trader in Labrador, Canada, he found something interesting about the fish. When thawed, the fish actually turns moist, tender and flaky -- almost as good as fresh-caught!

This observation made Mr Birdseye a wealthy man because the quick-freezing process he pioneered produced frozen food that tasted so good that it appealed to consumers. He created a multi-billion-dollar food business.

Clarence Birdseye became known as the father of frozen food.

Bird Flu - Quick Tips

2006-02-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Bird flu is also known as avian influenza or avian flu.
Avian influenza is a contagious disease affecting birds which is caused by type A strains of the influenza virus.
There are three types of influenza viruses - A, B, and C.
Influenza A and B viruses are of concern for human health because of the risks of pandemics and seasonal epidemics.
Influenza C only causes mild problems in humans.
Only influenza A viruses can cause pandemics.
Avian influenza affects many bird species, whether wild or domestic poultry and occurs any part of the world.
It is believed that all birds are susceptible to infection with avian influenza viruses, yet many wild bird species carry these viruses with no visible signs of danger.
The H5N1 virus strain is one of 16 varieties of bird flu.
The H5N1 virus is trasmitted through a bird's saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.
H5N1 - The H subtypes govern the ability of the virus to bind to and enter cells, where multiplication of the virus then occurs.
The N subtypes govern the release of newly formed virus from the cells.

Quick tips continue here >> Bird Flu and find out How To Beat Bird Flu to protect yourselves.

Bird Flu - Past Pandemics

2006-02-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

Influenza Pandemics
The 20th century saw the emergence of several new influenza A virus subtypes that caused three pandemics, all of which spread around the world within a year of being detected.

Here's a quick review of the three pandemics :

1. In 1918-19 the "Spanish flu" [A (H1N1)] caused the highest number of known influenza deaths. However, the actual influenza virus subtype was not detected in the 1918-19 pandemic. More than 500,000 people died in the United States alone, and up to an estimated of 50 million people may have lost their lives worldwide. Many died within the first few days after infection, while others died of secondary complications. Nearly half of those who perished were young, healthy adults. Influenza A (H1N1) viruses still circulate today after being introduced again into the human population in 1977.

2. In 1957-58 the "Asian flu" [A (H2N2)] caused about 70,000 deaths in the United States. The virus was first identified in China in late February 1957 and by June 1957, the Asian flu had spread to the United States.

3. In 1968-69 the "Hong Kong flu," [A (H3N2)] caused about 34,000 deaths in the United States. The virus was first detected in Hong Kong in early 1968 and arrived in the United States later that same year. Influenza A (H3N2) viruses still circulate today.

Both the 1957-58 and 1968-69 pandemics were caused by viruses containing a combination of genes from a human influenza virus and an avian (derived from birds) influenza virus. The 1918-19 pandemic virus appears to have an avian origin.

What Do These Past Pandemics Tell Us?
Answer : It'll happen again, could be tomorrow, later this year, next year or even 5 years later. No matter what, we cannot take chances. Ordinary folks like us will need to know how to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Here's a great ebook to start with : How To Beat Bird Flu