How to Effectively Park a Car

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A skilled driver is able to park his vehicle with ease in any parking space. Depending on the type of space provided, there are two techniques that can be used: parallel parking and angle parking. Here are the steps in parking your vehicle parallel to the curb.

Parallel Parking

1. Approach the parking space with your car situated about one to two feet to the left of the parked cars on your right.
2. Check traffic and give the proper signal for stopping.
3. Stop your vehicle beside the car in front of the space you will be using. Be sure your car is one to two feet from this vehicle, and have your rear bumper in line with the rear bumper of the other car.
4. After shifting to reverse, check oncoming traffic, and look over your right shoulder. Back slowly, turning your steering wheel rapidly to your right until you are at a 45 degree angle to the curb. Straighten your wheels and continue backing.
5. Continue this path (45 degrees) until the front bumper of your car is opposite the rear bumper of the car you are parking behind.
6. Turn your wheel sharply to the left while continuing to back slowly into the parking space.
7. Be sure you are watching the gap between your car and the vehicle behind you.
8. Move the car slowly forward, straightening the wheels as you go. Stop when your car is equally-spaced between the car in front and the car behind. There should be no more than nine inches between your right door and the curb.
9. Set the parking brake. Place the car in Park. Remove the key and lock the doors.

Once you have parked your car, the next procedure you must know is how to move your car out of the parking space and into the driving lane.

1. Keep your wheels straight, and back up until your rear bumper is almost touching the car behind.
2. Stop. Shift the car to Drive.
3. Check for oncoming traffic.
4. Signal for a left turn. In a line of parked cars, use your left arm for the signal to make sure you will be seen.
5. When the way is clear, start moving slowly forward, turning the steering wheel rapidly to the left.
6. When the front half of your car is in the right-hand traffic lane, begin turning the steering wheel to your right.

Check repeatedly to see that the right side of your car bumper does not strike the car in front of the parking space.

Many young drivers are worried by the above maneuver. Be sure you understand the above steps, and practice until you are competent in parallel parking.

Angle Parking

Angle Parking is another skill which all drivers must know. Knowing exactly at what point to turn the wheel is crucial, so follow the steps below carefully.

1. Check traffic and give the proper signal.
2. Approach the parking space with your car about five feet from the parked cars on your right.
3. When the front bumper is in line with the parking-space entrance, begin steering to your right.
4. Move slowly and steer carefully to be sure that the left edge of your front bumper does not strike the car to the left of the space, and the right side of your car does not strike the car to the left of the space, and the right side of your car does not strike the car on your right.
5. Watch the front end of your car, and be sure that your bumper is close to any barrier but not touching it. If there is a curb, ease your wheels close to it.
6. Set the parking brake.
7. Put the gear shift into the park position.

Leaving an angle parking-space is perhaps more hazardous than entering, because of the blind areas created by the cars to your right. Here is the recommended procedure to follow:

1. Shift to reverse. Check for traffic and pedestrians. Check blind spots.
2. Moving slowly and cautiously, inch the car backwards until you can be absolutely sure that the traffic is clear. Stop if a car is approaching.
3. When traffic permits, proceed straight back. As your front bumper passes the rear bumper of the car on your left, steer sharply to your right.
4. When your car is parallel to the edge of the street or road, stop, shift into drive, and proceed.

Parking on a Hill

Have you ever watched a car roll downhill with no driver? Your first instinct might be to laugh, but the realization of how dangerous it is soon follows. To avoid such a situation for your car, follow the next three rules carefully.

1. When you are parking uphill on a street with a curb, the front wheels should be pointed to the left. Put the car in park, and set the parking brake.
2. When you are parking downhill on a street with a curb, the front wheels should be pointed to the right. Put the gear selector in park, and set the parking brake.
3. When you are parking uphill or downhill on a road which does not have a curb, the front wheels should be pointed to the right. Put the car in park, and set the parking brake.

How to Deal With an Employee With an Attitude

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It doesn't take long for a manager to bump into an employee with an "attitude." Evaluating an employee as having an "attitude" also depends on what bothers a manager, as the same behavior may be just fine with another manager. Yet, there are certain behaviors that indicate that the employee is exhibiting behaviors that affect the working environment. So how do you, the manager handle this behavior in the most effective way?

==>Challenging Behaviors

--The employee is constantly socializing

--He/She is rude or inconsiderate to others

--If you ask them to handle something additional to their normal responsibilities, they are resistant or upset.

--Complains about the company or the job

--Sloppy performance

--Rolls their eyes or sighs when you or another person is speaking in your group.

--Chronic lateness

--Annoyed with the customers

--Knows it all...is not open to input by you.

--Is defensive

==>Create Clarity around the Issue

First, ask yourself how the behavior affects the business. For example, even if the employee is performing, chronic complaining affects you, co-workers and potentially customers. What you need to do is list the behavior, when the employee engages in it, and how it affects the business.

When managing your employees, you have to provide specific information to the employee, otherwise, they don't understand their behavior and how it affects the business.

How comfortable are you with perceived confrontation. Some managers are not willing to address the issue because they fear the discussion will demotivate the employee, don't know how to approach the subject or the employee will leave and the manager is left with unfinished work.

If you are a manager that feels uncomfortable with speaking to your employees about their behavior, take the time to find a solution to this issue.

Note: If the behavior elicited by the employee is new, then you need to handle this differently. Usually new behavior indicates a change in the employee's life or a change in the work environment. This is different then an employee who has a habit of negative behavior. Though in both cases, your goal is to understand and orchestrate the change in behavior.

==>Handling the Problem Behavior

--Create a list of situations where you have noticed inappropriate behavior by the employee. This is so you can understand better how to deal with the situation.

--If the employee has several behaviors that need to change, I would be selective and choose the most important issue. If you present several issues at once, it is too overwhelming and the likelihood is nothing will change.

--You need to be specific about the actual behavior because stating to the employee he/she has to change their "attitude" accomplishes nothing...they don't have tangible examples in order to change.

--Present the issue as this is a problem for me and I need your support in creating a solution. It's a different way to approach the situation, one that elicits the employee's help in the solution.

--If the employee becomes defensive, simply restate the issue. Here is where you need to exhibit calmness and clarity. If the employee continues to be defensive, then clearly state that this behavior has to change and you are willing to work with the employee to help them find a solution.

--Find a way to allow the employee to take responsibility for the solution. If they don't, it is likely that this issue will not be resolved. Brainstorm on how they can change the behavior, but always keep the desired behavior as the goal.

--If this is the first time you are discussing the issue with the employee, create notes for your files. If the behavior persists, then you will need to create a behavior improvement plan and formalize the process.

--Always schedule a follow up meeting within a short period (no more than a few weeks). If the employee has altered their behavior, I suggest you have one more meeting to insure that they are consistent. If their behavior has not changed, then you need to put in place a formal improvement plan.

==>Final Note

Most employees want to perform well and behave in appropriate ways. In managing employees, your focus is to set the standards and support them in meeting those standards. Their job is to meet or exceed the standards.

How to Configure a Windows 2003 Time Server

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All PC's have internal Real Time Clocks (RTC) that maintain time and date information. PC real time clocks are battery backed so that they can maintain time even when the PC is powered off. The PC Real Time Clock provides time and date information to operating system processes and user applications. Often this is adequate, however, for many applications PC time may need to be synchronised with other PC's on the network.

For transaction processing in a networked environment or for scheduling purposes, the system time and date may need to be synchronised with every other PC on the local network. Microsoft Windows 2003 has an integrated time service that provides synchronisation between PC's in a domain.

This article describes how the Windows 2003 Time Service synchronises time and date information on servers to a domain controller. It also describes how the Windows Time Service utilises the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to achieve network time synchronisation of servers in a domain.

In networked environments, a completely automated time synchronisation service is required to automatically set the clocks on each client to that of a master reference clock. The Windows 2003 Time Service provides such functionality. The service is installed by default on any Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003 machine.

On power-up, the Windows 2003 time service starts automatically and attempts to synchronise time and date information with a domain controller using the NTP protocol. NTP is an Internet protocol developed for the transfer of accurate time. The protocol provides time offset information along with round-trip delay information in order to accurately synchronise time.

A domain controller can be configured as either a trusted or an un-trusted time reference. A Windows Time Client will always attempt to synchronise time periodically with a trusted domain controller. In this manner networked Windows 2003 servers maintain synchronisation with a domain controller and each other.

The global Windows 2003 time service configuration settings are set using group policy. The settings are obtained from registry entries, which are located in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32Time. Below is a description of some of the more useful configuration settings.

The 'AnnounceFlags' registry entry indicates whether the server is a trusted time reference. Set the 'AnnounceFlags' registry entry to 5 indicating a reliable time reference. The 'Type' registry entry specifies which network peers to accept synchronisation. Set the 'Type' registry entry to 'NTP' to specify synchronization to a NTP time server.

The 'SpecialPollInterval' entry defines the period in seconds that the Windows 2003 operating system should poll the time server. A recommended value is 900, which equates to a polling period of every 15 minutes. The 'NtpServer' parameter is used to provide domain names or IP addresses of NTP time servers that the operating system can synchronize to. Each domain name or IP address should be separated by a space.

Dave Evans is a technical author with a background in Microsoft Windows time server solutions, reference clocks and telecommunications. Dave provides a technical authoring service to NTP server manufacturers. Dave has also provided a configuration, installation and repair service for time synchronisation systems. Click here fo find out more about Windows 2003 time server solutions.

Auto Accident Settlement When Hit By A Drunk Driver

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If you have been hit by a drunk driver it is highly likely that you are entitled to an auto accident settlement. In 2006 it was estimated that seventeen thousand nine hundred and forty one people died in a car accident that was caused by a drunk driver.

Driving drunk is considered very negligent and endangers the wellbeing of the driver as well as the wellbeing of others that are driving on the roadways. When people are caught driving drunk they are highly ticketed, sometimes their licenses are taken away and other times they go to jail for the violation.

Police hope that first time offenders will learn from their mistake and stop driving under the influence but this does not always happen. Many times people are repeat offenders and decide to drive without a license after they have had their license revoked.

Some accidents are more serious than others but when someone is hit by someone that has been drinking these crashes are oftentimes considerably serious. If you have been in a car accident with a driver that was drunk you could have been hurt badly and deserve an auto accident settlement.

People involved in such incidents are likely to receive lacerations and bruises. In more severe cases people have suffered from broken bones, whiplash, punctured lungs and broken teeth.

If your life quality has been reduced because of the results of the accident you should seek an auto accident settlement. Many times in cases like this you will be able to get punitive damages as well as compensatory damages. This means that you could be able to get a large amount of settlement money.

Compensatory damages are damages paid for injuries, time off work, medical bills and things such as this. Pain and suffering even fits into the compensatory category. Punitive damages are damages meant to teach the negligent person a lesson and they go to the victim of the crash.

In most cases the driver of the offending vehicle will be sentenced to jail time because of their act. The process of getting an auto accident settlement can take quite a while and the time that you have to file is limited. If you are not sure what you should do next it is highly recommended that you speak with an experienced car accident attorney that can help you get the money you deserve out of the situation you have had to suffer through.

Austin Commercial Comparable Sales Data

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Commercial comparable sales data is essential for Austin real estate professionals in making reasoned decisions regarding buying, selling and financing real estate. Accurate and timely commercial comparable sales data provides investors, brokers, lenders and appraisers the edge and advantage they need to efficiently make prudent decisions. Real estate professionals in Austin, Texas regularly rely on commercial comparable sales data from oconnorcomps.com when making decisions and preparing documentation.

Oconnorcomps.com offers the largest volume of data and widest geographic breadth of data available for Texas:
Commercial comparable sales in Austin
Comparable land sales in Austin
Commercial comparable sales in Texas
Comparable land sales available in Texas
Oconnorcomps.com has commercial comparable sales and land sales data for: Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Odessa, Midland, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Harlingen, Longview, Texarkana, Victoria, El Paso and many other Texas cities.

Real estate professionals regularly utilize commercial comparable sales data from oconnorcomps.com for the following purposes:
Obtaining comparable sales when preparing an appraisal
Documentation when preparing a package offering a commercial property for sale
Reviewing the asking price of property being offered for sale
Evaluating the sales history of property be considered as collateral or as an acquisition candidate
Determining trends for market value within a submarket or metropolitan area
Analyzing capitalization rates within a sub market
Preparing a ratio study for property tax purposes
Establishing the asking price for property being offered for sale
Analyzing the proposed market value of collateral for property being offered for collateral
Austin commercial comparable sales data includes information regarding sales of warehouses, retail buildings, office buildings, land, apartments, car washes, community shopping centers, malls, neighborhood shopping centers, discount stores, department stores, medical offices, banks, funeral homes, veterinary clinics, day care centers, drugstores, country clubs, cold storage facilities, service center warehouses, auto salvage yards, schools, churches, hospitals, self store storage properties, hotels, nursing homes, retirement homes, restaurants, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, bars, auto dealerships, automotive service properties, and truck stops.

Appraisers generally agree that the comparable land sale and the subject property must have the same highest and best use. While there may be extreme cases where it is not possible to find properties which have the same highest and best use as the subject property, it would be extremely difficult to adjust for differences in economic benefit between parcels which have a different highest and best use. Performing a credible and reliable valuation of land using the sales comparison approach requires comparable sales with the same highest and best use as the subject property.

Comparable land sales with a date of sale near the effective date of valuation are highly desirable. However, in most cases the appraiser is required to evaluate the benefit of using sales which are more similar with regard to location and size versus sales which are chronologically more similar to the effective date of valuation. There is no clear-cut answer to determining which sales are most effective for valuing the subject property. In some cases, it is possible to extract an adjustment for market conditions (based upon a matched pair sales analysis) and utilize sales which occurred substantially before or after the effective date of valuation.
A dedicated staff compiles commercial comparable sales data and land sales data for properties throughout Texas. Additional data is obtained, reviewed, supplemented and added to oconnorcomps.com daily.

Aussie Pet Store Chain Expanding

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Pet City Takes on the World
2 new Pet City Stores opened in 2010 bringing the total to 8 stores across WA we are now expanding our pet shops online said Andrew McMullen head of the new Pet City online team

We hope to have our entire pet supply catalog online by June 2010 In the meantime we are adding new pet products all of the time.

Pet Popularity

Pets are more popular than ever and in fact even with the economic turmoil of the past few years new pet purchases and livestock adoptions have grown over the past few years. Many new or first time pet owners are unsure or unaware of the needs of their pets especially when it comes to more exotic pets such as large parrots and reptiles which they do not entirely understand or know how to look after properly. The Pet City staff and website have an important role to play in the education of pet owners by providing material and resources for learning enabling customers to be more responsible pet owners.

Being online will enable us to better assist our customers and offer additional services and assistance we simply cannot do without the internet. For people searching for particular pets we have newsletters that will send direct via email like our puppy notifier which will keep customers looking for their next puppy updated by email of the new puppies we have in our stores. We feel this is a valuable service for customers searching for the right puppy or other pet that suits them since they can quickly browse the animals available in stores and then visit the store where the puppy is located saving time and helping their efforts to find just the right pet for them. The subscriptions extend to more than just puppies with Newsletters catering also to kittens and those looking for particular breeds of birds, fish, reptiles and small animals.

Better Pet Services

We also have a range of newsletters to help new pet owners get to know their pets and how to take the best care of them.Our newsletters feature articles and information on pet care, training bonding and more to help ensure our customers have all the tools and knowledge required to take the best care of their pets and provide them with long life and the loving, happy and safe environment which all pets deserve.

Aswell as the customer service we hope the new site will help us drive new sales of pet products from our online catalog which in theory will open us up to the rest of Australia and the world so we are looking forward and excited about the development of the upcoming new Pet City WA online shopping catalog and having the pleasure of extending our pet related services to new customers around the world.

These are exciting times for Pet City WA who have been a market leader in the West AustralianPet Industry and have continued to grow each year. People will always love animals and now Pet City is spreading its wings and challenging Australia and the rest of the world to be responsible for their pets and use our resources to self educate ensuring that all Pet owners are the best Pet owners that they can be.

The new Pet City WA website can be found at http://petcitywa.com.au

Working with animals is a tremendous responsibility which we take very seriously at Pet City. Our aim and responsibility is to help educate pet owners so that they can get the most out of the relationship with their much loved pets.

Assessing Engine Issues

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RELYING ON RELATIVE COMPRESSION TESTING TO ASSESS ENGINE ISSUES:

This test uses the digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) and a high amp clamp to measure starter amperage draw at a time base fast enough to see the impact each cylinder has on that draw.

1. Synch the pattern to a given cylinder and use the firing order of the engine to identify weak cylinder(s). A weak cylinder takes less effort to spin through than a strong one does, and that means it also takes less current, and that is displayed on the scope's screen.

2. Modern pressure transducers allow relative compression tests to be done via the exhaust pressure pulses leaving the tail pipe. Cylinders that are healthy will pass equal pressure pulses through the exhaust that the sensor can detect. A weak cylinder will show up as a weaker peak in the pattern.

3. The pattern can be synched to help identify the bad cylinder(s). Here, though, the pulse displayed will be offset from the originating cylinder. When viewing these patterns, look for anomalies rather than specifics. Some exhaust designs cause one bank to have a longer route to follow than the other, and this can reduce the amplitude of the pattern on all the cylinders for that bank.

NOTE: If there is a weakness, the pressure transducer can determine if the fault is in the valve train or cylinder.

1. Be sure to disable the fuel and ignition systems to avoid both over fueling the cylinders and accidental engine start.

2. Remove the oil dipstick and put a rubber hose over the tube, connecting the sensor to the tube.

3. Crank over the engine and watch the pattern. A pressure increase will be present each time a piston heads for bottom dead center.

If the rings are sealing properly, the peaks will be uniform and the loss of compression you found has to be caused by the top end.

SECONDARY IGNITION PATTERNS TO SLOVE ENGINE MYSTERIES:

This takes some skill, but you can master it.

1. Look at the average of the firing lines (firing voltage demand) for all the cylinders.

It's normal for the firing line of an individual cylinder to vary as conditions vary in the combustion process. Any cylinder that has a consistently lower firing line is suspect.

2. Watch the spark line closely. No compression in a cylinder will not only have a lower firing demand, but the spark (or burn) line will be flat and longer than the others.

NOTE: When a valve doesn't seal, the pressures built up in the cylinder have a path to escape through. It shows up in the pattern as a series of peaks in what should otherwise be a relatively smooth slope. Some turbulence at higher engine speeds is normal, though, so don't confuse the two.

By following the three tests outlined above, you should be able to gain a better understanding of the problems the engine may be experiencing. With luck, you should be one step closer to providing your customer with the auto repair information they need.

Rely on Motor Age for all your automotive news and industry updates. Motor Age has been in publication since 1899, and today reaches over 140,000 automotive service industry professionals, providing them with high-quality auto repair information, body shop news, collision repair news, and much more.