Jasele Oita's Blog A weblog about everything

February 20, 2009

Taking Care of Your Alloy Wheels

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 4:52 am

Whether you own brand new alloy Dolce wheels or second-hand wheels, maintaining a great finish always requires some tender lovin’ care. After all, you’ve just spent a great deal of money on these luxury items, and they will be exposed to the harshest conditions of the road on a daily basis. The following is a quick guide to the proper care of your alloy wheels to ensure they garner the attention they deserve while out on the streets.

The hard work begins before you even fit your wheels. Start by coating the front, back, and surface of your wheels with high-quality car polish. Do this several times in a row to prevent road debris from sticking to the surface. Once your wheels are fitted, the best way to take care of them is to wash them with mild soapy warm water. “Mild” is the keyword here. At all costs, avoid using abrasive cleansers, electric buffers, wire wool pads, and car wash wheel cleaners. In addition, even your wheels distributor will agree that specialists and wheel cleaners don’t stand a chance against the shine you can get from your own sweat and hard work.

February 18, 2009

Dark Economic Outlook for Canada

Filed under: Finance — admin @ 1:29 pm

While the Bank of Canada has been optimistic about Canada’s ability to weather the economic storm pummeling the global economy, new data that shows that the 129,000 jobs lost in January and the number of bankruptcies up 50% compared to a year ago have darkened the economic outlook. Canada’s close ties with the U.S., which has been in the grip of recession for more than a year now, have made it susceptible to damage from the economic crisis. Now, analysts are saying that the latest data points to a long road to recovery for Canadians, and unemployment and bankruptcy rates are expected to climb higher as housing rates fall. Currently, the unemployment rate sits at 7.2% but could go as high as 9% before the year is over. Meanwhile, housing starts fell 11% in January for the fifth straight month. Not surprisingly, the Canadian dollar has been feeling the pinch and posting lows against the USD in forex/currency trading. To find out more about currency movements or locate a forex broker, be sure to check out the Forex Yellow Pages directory of companies.

Japan’s Recession Called Worst in 50 Years

Filed under: Finance — admin @ 1:05 pm

If you’ve just begun your forex training, the curious case of the Japanese yen’s rapid appreciation in recent months even as the country’s recession deepens is a study in the incongruities of currencies. The Bank of Japan’s chief economist has called the economic decline the worst in the past 50 years of the country’s history. For the year starting April 1, 2009, the economy is expected to shrink two percent annually, the biggest drop since 1945. Compounding the bad news is the high unemployment rate. In December 2008, unemployment rose to 4.4% from 3.9% the month before, the steepest increase in 41 years as companies such as Nissan, Panasonic, and Hitachi all announced job cuts. Yet in the last year, the yen’s ascent has been practically unstoppable. The currency has rallied against 177 other currencies and has driven the USD into territory not seen for several years. The yen’s rally has been, at least in part, due to the so-called “flight to quality” effect that happens when uncertainty in the forex market causes investors to seek out less risky assets such as the yen. The question that remains now for investors is, “Will the yen continue to appreciate given Japan’s weak fundamentals?” You can get in on the speculation action by placing trades through forex trading systems such as 24FX.com.

February 12, 2009

Sicily in Spring

Filed under: Travel — admin @ 12:20 pm

Even if you can’t plan your Sicily vacation so that it coincides with the famous Agrigento almond festival in mid-February, now is still a good time to visit the island. Before Easter, Sicily is at its best, with clear spring light and reasonable temperatures. When the weather’s mild, take in Castello Normanno, built in 1072 by Count Roger I, and bask in the views of Mt. Etna and the coastlines. Or make a trip to the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) and discover why Agrigento has been called one of the most beautiful cities built by men. Go now, before the big crowds trickle in for the summer. The Sicily Region’s official website (in Italian) is http://www.regione.sicilia.it/.

Disadvantages of White Boards

Filed under: Business Services — admin @ 11:19 am

For many people, purchasing a white board over a blackboard is an obvious choice.  There are quite a few advantages offered by white boards.  However, that doesn’t mean that they are the perfect writing medium for your purposes.  Keep in mind the disadvantages that come with using them so that you won’t be in for any unpleasant surprises.

  • White boards generally cost more than blackboards of comparable size.
  • Using markers that aren’t designed for white boards can result in difficult to remove or even permanent marks.  Attempting to remove such marks can damage the board itself, although there are some techniques that are commonly used.
  • Some people who are visually impaired have difficulty reading writing on dry erase boards.
  • If someone writes left-handed, there is often a problem of smearing the writing that is already on the board.  This problem also occurs with chalkboards, however.
  • Unlike chalk, it is difficult to tell when a marker is running low.

Nice Carnival 2009

Filed under: Travel — admin @ 11:08 am

What Provence vacation would be complete without a visit to stunning Nice? This winter, in addition to strolling along the Promenade des Anglais and into the Place Masséna, stop by the Nice Carnival February 13-March 1. This centuries-old festival is awash in dazzling colors, street theatre, flower parades, music, dance and folly. Nice’s mild, sunny winters, lush Mediterranean landscape, and distinctive light make this city the perfect backdrop for the carnival. This year’s theme is concealment: costumes, masks, and the art of deception. Don’t miss the spectacle—or the chance to don a disguise and create a little mischief! The details can be found at the Nice Carnival official website.

Is Private School Worth the Cost?

Filed under: Education — admin @ 10:48 am

The cost to attend an extremely exclusive Manhattan private school may seem expensive now, but the price of tuition is expected to continue skyrocketing in coming years. Some school officials are predicting that the annual cost of tuition could reach as much as $50,000 by the year 2015. This might mean a shift in how parents perceive these schools. Currently, around 30,000 city students attend a New York private school such as York Preparatory School, while 1.1 million students are in the public school system.

With the cost of tuition for some of these schools comparable to or even higher than the cost of attending an Ivy League college, why are the relatively limited spots in these schools in such high demand? Many parents see graduating from a private high school in New York like York Prep as a way to increase their child’s chances of being accepted to the best universities after graduation. However, spending the equivalent of university tuition on high school isn’t a guarantee that your son or daughter will be admitted to the Ivy Leagues. Still, private schools in New York City remain in high demand for all grade levels, despite the expense. And it’s unlikely that this will change anytime soon.

February 4, 2009

Finding a Family Law Attorney

Filed under: Legal — admin @ 11:44 am

While you want to be comfortable with any attorney that you hire, this is particularly important when it comes to matters dealing with your family. Here is a sample of some of the questions you should be prepared to ask a family law attorney when you interview them.

  • What type of family law litigation experience do you have?
  • Can you tell me anything about how you’ve dealt with cases similar to mine without violating client confidence?
  • How many similar family law cases have you handled over the last year?
  • Are family law appeals and trials your specialty or just one component of your practice?
  • How long have you been working in the area of family law?
  • How have you seen family law change over time and how has your practice changed to match it?
  • Who else in your office will be assisting on the case and will I have the opportunity to meet them beforehand?

Incorporating Older Records

Filed under: Health — admin @ 11:09 am

In order to fully utilize a new EMR system and take advantage of the efficiency, accessibility, financial savings and patient safety benefits, the older medical billing and other records that are still recorded on paper need to be incorporated. Unfortunately, the process of digitally scanning these hard copies to convert them for use within the EMR system is often both time-consuming and expensive. The conversion must be done to stringent standards in order to ensure that the exact content is preserved. One of the problems that often occurs with conversion to electronic health records is the fact that the extensive handwritten records may not be legible after the conversion (or even before). Because the original records may be in a wide range of media types, formats, and sizes, the process of accurate conversion might be even more difficult. Of course, any hard copies that are destroyed after conversion must be handled in a manner that ensures the patient’s confidentiality.

History of Implants

Filed under: Health — admin @ 10:58 am

Today in Toronto, dental implants are commonly requested by patients and recommended by dentists. This wide popularity can be attributed largely to the work of two professionals: Per-Ingmar Branemark, a pioneer in the field who began studies on dental implants in Sweden the 1950s and Georg Zarb, who brought the practice to Toronto.

As with many pioneers in the field of health and medicine, Branemark did not gain instant recognition for his early studies on using titanium dental implants. While he began his studies in the 1950s, it wasn’t until the 1970s that Branemark attained success rates that professionals considered noteworthy. At that time, more scientists began experiments similar to his and record results systematically. Eventually, a professor at the University of Toronto named George Zarb, who is now recognized as a pioneer in Toronto implant dentistry, gained faith in Branemark’s methods, and sent the first international team to Sweden to be trained in implant placement.

In 1982, Zarb followed up by initiating a conference to which he invited attendees from all the major dental schools in Canada and the United States. Seventy percent of them attended a conference for dentists–Toronto Conference on Osseointegration in Clinical Dentistry. The American Dental Association gave 11 different dental implant systems a coveted seal of approval by the mid 1980s. Since then, Branemark’s findings have gained wide acceptance by North American dentists. Now, dental implants have become a billion-dollar industry with a very high success rate among common procedures in cosmetic dentistry. Toronto and international patients who benefit from implants have Dr. Branemark to thank. Dentists all over North America owe a thank you to Dr. George Zarb for bringing the practice to Toronto and beyond.

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