The Island of South Georgia

The island of South Georgia, an inhospitable frozen wasteland of glaciers, snow-capped mountains and freezing winds, lies in the southern Atlantic Ocean east of Tierra del Fuego.

This remote Antarctic island is part of the British territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The British claim to sovereignty of South Georgia dates from 1775 when Captain Cook landed here and dismissed the island as not worth discovering. Argentina also claimed the island in 1027, an unresolved dispute which contributed to the 1982 Falklands war when Argentine forces briefly occupied South Georgia.

In 1916 Ernest Shackleton became stranded on Elephant Island to the south-west, while on his Imperial Straits Antarctic Expedition, Shackleton and a small group of men left the rest of the party to summon help and ended up, after an arduous journey, at King Haakon Bay on the south coast of South Georgia.

They then managed to make it overland to reach help at Stromness whaling station, which led to the rescue of the remaining men. Daring a later expedition in 1922, Shackleton died on board a ship off South Georgia and he is buried on the island at Grytviken.

There is no permanent human population on South Georgia, only the British Government Officer, research scientists and museum staff at Grytviken, but there are enormous populations of penguins, the largest colonies anywhere on earth, with around 400,000 breeding pairs of king penguins, two million pairs of the macaroni penguins and large colonies of four other species.

Visitors come here to watch penguin couples overcome the extreme climatic conditions and nurture their precious eggs through hatching and the vulnerable chick stage into fully fledged members of the colony. The charming creatures work tirelessly together avoiding the seals that lurk in the shallows waiting to pounce and protecting their young from ferocious skua gulls who will snatch one and tear it to shreds.

When he landed here in the 18th century, Captain Cook noted the huge seal and whale populations around the island, but just two hundred years later both had been hunted nearly to extinction. South Georgia is, however, home to 95 per cent of the world’s southern fur seals, half the southern elephant seals, 250,000 Albatrosses, including the massive Wandering Albatross, and up to ten million other seabirds, making a trip here a totally unique experience.

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The Development of Trucks During the Great War

An immediate demand for mechanical military transport following the declaration of war in Europe was partly solved by a considerable influx of well-engineered cross-country trucks from the United States. Those countries that had prepared in advance by introducing “subsidy” schemes soon found they were in a far superior position to those that had not. Despite this, problems abounded.

Steam-powered vehicles such as traction engines had been used on a small scale in earlier situations, but the internal-combustion engined truck had never been used in war conditions, and weaknesses in design were soon apparent. These included insufficient power, lack of ground clearance, and poor protection of mechanical units from the ravages of water and mud, for which the Flanders battlefields were soon renowned.

There was, however, another major problem that few had foreseen. Both sides in the conflict used many components supplied by firms on the opposing side: German-manufactured Bosch magnetos were used almost exclusively by the Allies, while German forces relied largely upon British and French manufactured Dunlop and Michelin tyres. Luckily, the Bosch magneto had been developed jointly by Robert Bosch and the American Frederick Simms, and German supplies were replaced by magnetos from the Simms Magneto Co factory, Watsersing, New Jersey.

At this stage it is worth looking in depth at some of the “subsidy” schemes operating at the time. The instigators of this idea were the Germans who, in the years prior to 1914, had been building up their military reserves. The German scheme is understood to have applied to any truck which an operator was prepared to release to the military upon mobilization. The operator received an initial grant of £150 towards the purchase of the vehicle, followed by a subsidy of £60 for each of the next four years. By the time war was declared, some 825 “subsidy” trucks had been released to the German Armed Forces.

A similar scheme was organized by commercial vehicle industry. The British government offered the purchaser of an approved vehicle a subsidy. However, the vehicle had to be handed over to the authorities within 72 hours of mobilization.

One of the most advanced British “subsidy” types was the 3½ ton Dennis `A’-Type, although the `L’ or `RAF’-Type Leyland was certainly the best known. The Dennis had considerable influence on British truck design after the war, its most striking feature being a rear axle with removable upper casing containing the worm shaft, worm wheel, differential and bearings, thus enabling the entire final-drive mechanism to be inspected or replaced without disturbing either the chassis or the wheels.

Leyland Motors, on the other hand, built both a 1 1/2-tonner and the 3-ton ‘RAF’-Type, while Albion supplied 6000 “subsidy” vehicles, and the Associated Equipment Co Ltd over 10,000. Many of their London General Omni-bus Co `B’-Type open-top double-deck buses were also commandeered and ordered to the Front. The standardization of models and components required by the British “subsidy” scheme enabled so-called cannibalization to take place to keep transport moving, whereas the adoption of any suitable vehicle by the French and German forces gave no such advantage.

As the war progressed, so British forces began to take delivery of new American-built trucks designed specifically for arduous work. Amongst these was the Mack `AC’, nicknamed the “Bulldog” because of its snub nose and rugged construction. Ultimately, this became so well-known by its nickname that the bulldog was adopted as the Mack logo, which it remains to this day.

Some American manufacturers, such as General Motors, were now concentrating almost exclusively on the construction of military vehicles, while certain European manufacturers, such as MAN, Magirus in Germany or Societe d’Outillage Mecanique et d’Usinage d’Artilleries (Somua) in France, were building their first trucks in an attempt to turn the tide. Indeed, Somua was established for the sole purpose of building army trucks.

Throughout the Western world, factories not involved in the manufacture of military trucks were turned over to the production of armaments such as shells, firearms and aero engines, while others manufactured both military vehicles and also armaments.

Many American-built trucks saw service not only in Europe but also in the Mexican border campaign of 1916, when the United States government waged war against the Mexican bandit Pancho Villa. This served as a proving ground for these trucks, many of which were later shipped to Europe for military service. At this time, few US-built military trucks were standardized, and it was not until the development of the US Quartermaster Corps’s `B’-Class heavy truck, known as the “Liberty”, that proper standardization occurred.

On the civilian front, gas was used to combat the lack of petrol, and in the United States the 1916 Federal Aid Road Act was instrumental in establishing a new interstate highway system which contributed greatly to the development of American commercial vehicles. With a rubber tyre shortage, particularly in Germany where manufacturers had relied upon British and French made supplies, unconventional steel-wheeled vehicles, sometimes incorporating metal plates backed by small leaf springs, appeared for a short while, but these were mainly for heavy tractors used for hauling artillery.

Developments in commercial vehicle design, such as the use of shaft-drive, glass. windscreens and electric rather than acetylene lighting, were now creeping in from the passenger car side and, although apparent in many light commercials, it was some years before these were adopted for the heavy commercial market. Pneumatic tyres were also becoming commonplace on lighter types but, again, were to remain a rarity on “heavies” for some time.

While the war did much to establish new standards for commercial vehicles, military vehicle requirements were far different from those used on the public highway. High payloads and economy were more important to civilian operators than high ground clearance or all-wheel drive. Thus, with a return to peace, much re-organization was necessary.

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How to Reduce Your Credit Card Debt

Getting out of debt is more painful than getting into debt.  Everyone knows this.  With the economy as bad as it is, it’s hard to not rely on your credit for basic necessities like groceries and gas.  Learning to creatively trim your budget to snowball your debt payments is key to the elimination of your credit card debt.

How to get out of debt is not that complicated.  You must first take several steps.  The most important one is to know how much you owe for each card and their APR.  Once you know this, you can list them on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet.  Listing them in order of their APR is often suggested.  I listed them in order of amount owed because I would payoff the smaller ones as soon as possible.  This way, I could use the snowball method to accelerate payments on the next card I was paying off.  For example, I paid off a card and the payment was $50.00 a month.  The next month, I would pay the $50.00 I paid towards that card to the next credit card I wanted to eliminate.  That would accelerate the amount of time it would take me to pay it off.  Once that card was paid, I would add that payment amount plus the $50.00 to the next credit card I wanted to payoff.  Your payments snowball, thus the name Snowball Payments!

While you are working on your credit card debt elimination, you should also trim your budget.  Finding ways to reduce your daily expenses is not as hard as you think.  It may require some sacrifice, but it will be worth it.  What kind of sacrifice? One that pays in the long run.  Every extra dollar you trim from your budget, you can add to snowball your payments.  That will help you get out of debt more quickly.

A few things you can do to “find” money in your budget:

1. Eliminate your morning coffee, brew your own at home or work.
2. Don’t buy the paper, read it online. 
3. Brown bag your lunch. 
4. Carpool to work or school. 
5. Don’t go to the movies, rent a movie or read a book.
6. Cook more meals. 
7. Drink more water.  It will save you money and it’s good for you.

Getting rid of your credit card debt takes a conscious effort.  You may fail at times, but you just have to get up and start again.  Keep going until you reach your goal.  Most importantly,  remember the pain it caused you. That will help you to not fall into debt again.

 

 

Good Web Design

What makes a good web design?

The first thing visitors should see is an inviting home page. That initial window must give the visitor a reason to stay and read more. Your home page is your business’s front door. It should say “come in and stay, look around, I offer something that you want!”

An inviting page includes:

• an attractive header and a well crafted tagline that quickly identify the business or organization and its purpose
• a carefully chosen color scheme
• navigation “the menu” that clearly helps the visitor find what he or she is seeking
• a visually balanced web design page and an effective presentation of information

What makes a site user-friendly?

• logical site organization
• a navigation system (menu) that is immediately understandable
• inner pages are found easily with a minimum of clicks
• links, and where they lead, are identified clearly by color and wording

Websites should be designed for their audience. Think about who is going to be using your site, and what they will need to see in order to want your service or product.

What about readability?

Most people read about 25% slower from the screen than from print. Perhaps one fifth actually read word by word; the rest scan web pages quickly. Content on website pages should have:

• high contrast between text color and background in your web design
• short paragraphs
• pages not longer than 2-3 screenfuls
• line lengths - about 12-15 words, or 65-70 characters
• headings and other cues that lead the viewer’s eyes through the text

Colors of text and background should have high contrast for the greatest readability.

Patterned backgrounds can make reading on-screen more difficult.

The content should be well written and concise. Writing on-line has different impact than writing on hard copy.

Quantity is not better, the average person reading on a monitor screen will remember only 15% of what they see, compared to 60% from a printed page. Make every word count. Avoid long pages of paragraph after paragraph. Use bulleted lists to highlight key information. Well chosen graphics and photos add interest. Meaningful headings and sub-headings identify sections and help the reader’s eye move down the page.

How many graphics should be used in my web design?

That depends: photos and clip art should be chosen because they enhance the content, not simply for their own effect. Again, quantity does not guarantee a positive result. Graphics should be optimized so that file size of each page + images is not too big. Image rich pages lead to longer download times.

Aromatherapy Essential Oil: Which is for What?

One of the biggest problems that people have when it comes to the topic of aromatherapy is they are unsure of what each different aromatherapy essential oil is for. It can certainly get quite confusing, as there are various different aromatherapy essential oils to choose from, but with a little time and some research, it becomes easy to remember each separate aromatherapy essential oil and what it is used for.

There are over fifty different types of aromatherapy essential oils that you can choose from but there are a few in particular that are really popular. There is lavender for one which is probably the most commonly used aromatherapy essential oil of all. Especially for aromatherapy massage, this essential oil is perfect because it helps to promote relaxation and helps to clear the mind.

There is also lemon and this is known as being an uplifting essential oil that is also useful for various different purposes. Grapefruit has a similar effect and this aromatherapy essential oil is very refreshing and can be used to treat anxiety, depression, even digestive problems and water retention.

There is also the peppermint scent which is often used in aromatherapy practices. This is a strong, fresh, menthol aroma that has analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, and digestive aid properties.

Peppermint is used for a number of different purposes including to ease colic, headaches, indigestion, insect repellant, nausea, muscle and joint pain, asthma, and toothaches.

The tea tree oils are always very popular and although some essential oils work well in combinations, this one is always best used all alone. It has antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, and stimulant properties and works for age spots, boils, burns, athlete’s foot and various other conditions.

Making Your Own at Home

For anyone who is interested in getting started in aromatherapy themselves and making their own aromatherapy essential oil right at home, there are a few supplies that are going to be needed here. An aromatherapy oil burner for one thing, and this is to heat the oil during the preparation process and which helps ensure that the oil is not going to get overheated.

Aromatherapy is an extremely popular practice that is used these days and one that is worth learning more about. Whether you just have a mild health condition or a serious one, or even if you are just busy and tired and looking to relax, aromatherapy can help you to feel better.

About the author: Ron has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. His newest interest is in freezers and bbq. So come visit his latests websites that discusses freezers and grills products such as geladeira inox , churrasqueira a gas and churrasqueira a bafo that every home needs for that extra touch.

 

Debt Reduction Options And Pitfalls

Being in serious, mounting debt can be stressful. It can bring up thoughts of hopelessness and despair. But while many people offer many different options for debt relief, not all of them are looking out for their customer’s well-being. Debt reduction services are a booming business, and as with any booming business sector, many of the people promising help are merely out to make a quick buck.

So what can you, the consumer, do to find reputable and worthwhile debt reduction services? Research and understanding is the first key to success.

Debt Reduction Services Can Help

A good debt reduction service has connections to many creditors, and by using those contacts with the creditors and negotiation techniques, they can help you in getting out of debt. It is this ability to negotiate that you are paying for. As with all negotiations, some will be successful, some will not.

While debt reduction services can help, they cannot solve every problem. Any firm that promises to do so is promising something they probably cannot deliver. Be very wary of any firm that makes such claims.

Other Options

There are other things you can do if you decide to not go through a debt reduction service or the service cannot completely help you.

Having debt and bad credit can be very tough on someone as there are difficulties in getting approved for certain things, such as phone service bad credit.

Perhaps the biggest thing one can do is be prepared to work more. A second job means a second income. This time period may end up not being the most fun portion of your life, but the key to relieving debt is to earn enough money to remove it. This is the single universal truth of debt.

Working a second job does not have to last forever, but it can significantly help people who are struggling to control rising debt. The more debt that you can remove and the faster that you can remove it, the sooner you can move on with your life.

Mixing The Two

Getting small loans with bad credit can prove very tough. Debt reduction agencies can help reduce the amount a person owes, or allow the indebted more time to pay the money they owe. Combining this ability with hard work and increased income is probably the best option available to removing personal debt.

Debt can be a crippling, stressful problem. But it can always be overcome. With the help of reputable agencies and determination on your part, you can climb out of the valley of debt and rise up the mountain of prosperity. Debt reduction is not the end of the world, it is merely an obstacle to be overcome. Many people have succeeded in their quest to become debt free, and you can, too.

 

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