How to Sing Good – You Don’t Have to Be Born With a Great Voice to Sing Good!
Music seems to surround us wherever we turn. It is in the background of your favorite movie, it is playing in your car, and you daily work life seems rather empty without it. However, not all of the singers that you hear were instantly great. Instead, many of them had to learn how to sing good. What this shows is that if you have ever dreamed of creating your own music you can with a bit of hard work.
The first thing that you need to decide is what does it mean to you to learn how to sing good? Good singing can mean many different things to many different people. For example, are you aiming to be a classical singer? Would you rather sing Broadway show tunes? Or are you hoping to become a recording artist? Each of these requires a different type of study, but there is one common thread that ties them together and that is the need for basic singing technique.
When you first begin to learn how to sing good you must start with basic breathing. The truth is that most adults breathe incorrectly. In fact, did you know that the only position that your body will allow you to breathe wrong in is standing? This means that you are going to have to fight off some bad habits. To breathe properly you need to be using your diaphragm. Many people who are breathing wrong tend to allow their shoulders to rise as they take in air. This means that you are only getting shallow shoulder breaths. Instead, you want to try to feel your belly and back expand as you take in air. This deep belly breathing will help you to sing better.
The next step in how to sing good is to look at how you are forming the words as you sing. You must realize that you do not sing on the consonants. Instead singers sing on vowel sounds so you want to be sure that you are forming those properly. For example if you are making an “ooo” sound you do not want your mouth to form the shape that you would make for “ewww.” Often taking a look at your reflection in a mirror as you make these sounds is the best way to learn what your mouth is doing.
Additionally, placement is important. Generally voices have two different registers. Women have chest and head voice whereas men have full voice and falsetto. Essentially chest and full voices are comparable while head voice and falsetto are similar. Chest and full voice are typically what you use to sing the lower notes and for a more full bodied sound. Falsetto and head voice are often used for higher notes or a lighter quality. Each of these registers require for your to put your sound placement in a different spot.
Where to Find the Free Online Auto Repair Manual You Need?
If you need an online auto repair manual that can help you precisely fix your problem, the internet has an incredible amount of car care information. What you won’t find however, is a Chiltons or a Haynes auto repair manual, because they’re copyrighted material. You don’t need them anyway, because there are a lot of good car repair web sites with individual pages or articles that can solve your specific problem.
In fact, you’ll find articles on all kinds of car fix and vehicle maintenance topics, such as
auto body repairs
automatic transmission replacement
bleeding brakes
car audio systems fix
changing oil
finding the causes for a bearing failure
how to install a replacement ignition system
how to upgrade an exhaust system
troubleshooting car stalling
troubleshooting car starting problems
and much more.
Here is a good place to search for vehicle fix manuals: Go to the search site at 10w40.com and type in the problem you want to solve – and the likelihood of finding the instructions you need is high. On this website you can also post your problem on an advice and discussion board, and get your problem solved almost instantly by an expert in this repair field or by an ordinary person who has experienced your problem and solved it already or might know where to go to get the answer you need. And it doesn’t cost you a cent.
There are many other good websites where you can get an online auto repair manual that will fit your needs. Go to Google.com and type in [the problem you want an answer to]+repair manuals, and you should find lots of valuable vehicle repair resources that might solve your problem.
Car Audio – TUNE it Up!
One of the best things you can do for your car audio system is to properly tune it. There are several variables to consider when doing this, and I am going to walk to through the most important ones so you will have a good understanding of how to get the most “bang” for the buck from you system.
Assuming you have an amplified system with one or more subwoofers, you can dial in your system to give you the best sound and have the durability you want from it. It starts at the head unit. You want a head unit with a good, strong output signal, between 4 and 5 volts on its pre-outs. Audiophiles tell us that 2-3 volts of good clean signal is good too, but that will require a little more amplifier power to get the decibels we’re looking for. You also want a head unit with an adjustable subwoofer level. Start by tuning the stereo without the subs on. Add your bass and treble until you get the desired sound with minimal distortion at the loudest volume setting you will listen to it at. This is generally about 2/3 max volume.
Once you are happy with the low/mid/high sound from the multi-range speakers, we can add in the subs. If applicable, tune the sub outputs to about 2/3 maximum, and head to the amp. Start at the amp and adjust the frequency and the level to minimum, and turn the volume up to the the same loudest point we were working with earlier. Pull your frequency to about half way, and slowly adjust the power level upwards. If you hit the zone you want, stay there. Keep in mind, this is only a safe adjusting technique with a speaker system that matches the power output of the amplifier. If you want more from your system, incrementally adjust the frequency down slightly with the increases in power level.
Your goal is to get a loud, clear bass from the subs that DOES NOT CLIP OUT under the loudest conditions you anticipate. If the amp clips out, then adjust the power level lower until it is back in the safe zone. Once the system is set where you want it, don’t mess with it. Leave the levels on the head unit and the amp alone. The mistake I see with blown speakers and amps is trying to show them off with all the levels maxed out. This produces a lot of power at a high distortion level, which is damaging to the speakers and the amplifier. If you want a louder sound than what you have by tuning your system this way, it may be time to upgrade.
Keep these guidelines in mind when configuring your systems, and you should be able to build a car stereo system that will sound great and have great durability. Good Luck and stay TUNED!
History of the Camera
Early cameras of the 16th and 17th century were able to project images onto paper or glass but the study of capturing, processing and printing the images took many more years. Up until the 17th century, scientists believed that light was composed basically of the ‘white’ that is perceived by the human eye. It took the research done by famous physicist Isaac Newton to discover that light is actually composed of a spectrum of colors. While he made a big contribution to the study of optics (that is at the core of camera advances) with this discovery, Newton did not actually have anything to do with camera development per se.
The early camera that first became a phenomenon was a little more than a pinhole camera and can be traced back to 1558. It was called the Camera Obscura. The Camera Obscura was seen as a drawing tool for a clearer and realistic portrayal of objects. It was in the early 19th century that an invention named the Camera Lucida was introduced by Cambridge scientist William Hyde Wollaston that consisted of an optical device that could help an artist view a distant scene or person or object on a paper surface that he or she was using to draw. In other words the artist gets to view a superimposed image of a subject on paper and this image could be effectively used to attempt to draw, trace or paint it. Both the Camera Obscura and the Camera Lucida provided an image that was temporary, which could not be lastingly captured on to paper for later reference.
Studies however continued well into the 1800′s on how to actually capture the image onto material. It was during this time, around 1822 that French researcher Joseph Nicephore Niepce, created the first photograph by using paper that was coated with a chemical. The image would not stay permanently on the paper and would disappear after a short while. Even so, despite the short-lived nature of the image, the concept of photography was born with this experiment and paved the way for further study and development in this field.
Capturing images to retain them longer and permanently became the next big quest for researchers. Another Frenchman Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre partnered with Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1829, to develop the process of creating permanent photographs. Joseph Niépce died in 1833 but Daguerre continued with the work and succeeded in 1837 after many long years of experimentation. The process of capturing photographic images that would not fade away, introduced by Daguerre came to be known as the ‘daguerreotype’.
The word ‘photography’ was coined by scientist Sir John F.W. Herschel in 1839 and it is actually is derived from two Greek words ‘photos’ meaning light and ‘graphein’ meaning draw.
A slightly more advanced version of the daguerreotype called the Calotype process that makes multiple copies possible using the negative and positive method became available very soon after. In fact, it was during the 1840′s that the use of photographic images in advertisements first started and cameras made their mark on the power of visual communication. It was not much later, in the 1850′s that photographers first started experimenting with underwater photography of seascapes.
Up until 1850, the process of capturing images was cumbersome requiring upto half an hour of light exposure. The discovery made in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer was a blessing since the new method termed the Collodion process called for just 2-3 seconds of light exposure to capture an image.
Prior to 1871, photographers went through a development process where they had to coat the plate with wet chemical each and every time and process the image immediately. With the invention the gelatin dry plate silver bromide process by Richard Leach Maddox, negatives did not have to be developed immediately. This was an important discovery since up until then the captured image had to be processed instantly.
Kodak created in 1888 by George Eastman has been a modern day pioneer of sorts in cameras and photography for the masses. George Eastman and the scientists who worked with him at Kodak developed the photographic film in 1889 and made it available in rolls for the mass use of consumers. An important milestone in our entertainment and communication history was the development of transparent roll film by Eastman. This development led to another key invention – the motion picture camera by Thomas Edison’s in 1891.
–>Modern Times
During the 20th century the pace of technology development in cameras and photography continued at an accelerated pace much like many other key technology developments. While several key inventions like car, telephone and the gramophone record happened in the later half of the 19th century, it is the last 100 years that saw major developmental work in many areas of communications technology and as well as in other fields – TV, aircrafts, PCs, digital technology, digital cameras, mobile phones, fax machines and the internet, to name a few.
In the case of the camera, the developments simplified the whole process of photography, making it accessible to one and all at affordable prices and the camera industry denizens of our times made it into a mass phenomenon. The first mass use camera became available at the turn of the 20th century and can be traced back to the year 1900. There are hundreds of models of cameras available today both for the amateur as well as the professional and the camera is an important part of any family’s repertoire of must have gadgets.
–>20th century chronology in the history of the camera:
1913: 35 mm still-camera created
1927: The flash bulb introduced by General Electric Co. (The concept of camera flash existed much before but was based on the use of a flash light powder that was invented by German researchers)
1935- 1941: Kodak starts marketing Kodachrome film and subsequently launches Kodacolor negative film. Canon released the Hansa Canon in 1936, the first 35mm focal-plane shutter camera.
1948: The concept of the Polaroid camera is introduced in the market. American scientist Edwin Land developed the process for instant photography. Later Polaroid Corporation developed the ‘instant color’ film around 1963.
1957: Frenchman Jaques Yves Cousteau invented the first waterproof 35mm camera for underwater photography named the Calypso Phot. The actual camera was developed by the Belgian airplane technical designer Jean de Wouters based on the blueprint and suggestions given to him by Cousteau.
1972: The electronic camera that does not require film was created and patented by Texas Instruments. This is however not the same as a digital camera though you don’t require film in digital cameras as well. The launch of the digital camera is still many years away.
1975: Kodak’s experiments with digital imaging kicked off around the mid seventies but it will take another 20 years before a digital camera for the home consumer market is launched.
1978 – 1980: Asian players like Konica and Sony begin to make their mark. The ‘point and shoot’ automatic focus camera is launched by Konica while Sony starts talking about the camcorder and demonstrates a prototype.
1981: Sony launches a commercially available electronic still camera. Similar to the 1972 invention by Texas Instruments, the Sony electronic camera came with a mini disc on which images were recorded and stored. The recorded images could be later printed or viewed on a monitor using a reader device.
1985: Digital processing technology makes its entry. Digital imaging and processing is introduced by Pixar.
1986: The camera industry becomes even more consumer focused and taps the fun and travel connotations behind camera usage, with the launch of the concept of the disposable single use cameras. Fuji is credited with the development of this concept.
Also in 1986 – 1987, Kodak started taking giant strides in digital development. Digital means, the photographic image is divided into tiny units of dots or squares known as pixels. Pixels are the programmable units of an image that can be processed by computers. Each image could be made up of millions of pixels. The use of pixels in digital technology allows storing large volumes of pixels to deliver high definition print quality.
1990: Kodak introduces Photo CD’s. It is a system of storing photographic images on CD and then viewing them on a computer. With this development the user-friendly approach of the camera industry began to take concrete shape.
1991: Kodak introduces a digital camera targeted at professionals and journalists. Kodak is credited with the invention of a pixel based camera technology known to us as the digital camera. Digital cameras don’t use film similar to their predecessor electronic cameras but the storage method is entirely different and the final photograph is of much higher resolution. In a digital camera photos are recorded and stored in digital form. This digital data can be transferred to a computer and processed for printing. Kodak and Canon are well known digital camera manufacturers and there are also several other key brands as well.
1994: The Apple QuickTake camera, a home use digital camera is launched. This is followed by the launch of a clutch of home use digital cameras by Casio, Kodak and others in quick succession during 1995 -’96.
–>The digital era:
The development of digital camera technology is considered to be linked to the development of TV and Video technology. The principles of transmission and recording of audio-visual images using digital electrical impulses finds use in camera imaging as well.
Through the 1990′s the developments continued in camera technology, the focus now shifting to the field of digital imaging which is where the future lies. Use-friendly features like software that can download digital images directly from camera onto home computers for storing and sharing on the internet is the new norm in the market place.
The camera, the computer, the software industry and the worldwide web are today irrevocably interlinked to empower the user in experiencing the benefits of camera usage to full potential. The innovation that sparked many an invention in the camera industry found its way into the digital world as well and continued among digital camera manufacturers. During 2001, the Kodak and Microsoft partnership ensured that digital camera manufacturers could use the power of Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) standard through Windows. The digital photo experience is a key visual driver in the Internet era. Many of Kodak digital camera models with EasyShare capabilities are compatible with Windows XP. The Kodak EasyShare software enables users to transfer digital camera pictures directly from camera to their computers and then print the pictures or even email them.
Manufacturers in a related industry like the printing industry have adapted their products to be in sync with the images created by digital cameras. Cell phone manufacturers have tied up with digital camera manufacturers to develop new age camera phones in recent years. These camera phones can capture images and share the images through the cell phone.
Among the 21st century digital developments are the advanced product offerings from digital cameras manufacturers and these are sure to occupy an important place in the ensuing history of camera development. For instance, the Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/c is a high-end digital camera and the Kodak website calls the DCS Pro SLR models the most feature-rich digital cameras on the market. It has an image sensor that can handle 13.89 million pixels and this makes it the highest resolution digital camera available. High resolution determines the sharpness or level of detail in photographic images. This is just a glimpse of the capabilities that digital technology places in a user’s hands. Digital camera sales figures for 2003 show that the two key players Kodak and Canon have recorded impressive growth.
–>What does the future holds for camera users?
The features offered by digital cameras can be quite mind-boggling for the average user and pretty exciting for most pros. Four key ongoing camera developments that are likely to further improve the process of photography:
1. Greater resolution from even the simplest, low cost camera models
2. Usage in any type of lighting conditions,
3. Compatibility across a range of software, hardware and image types
4. Rich colors and tone
While the higher-end digital evolution continues, the prices of the simple camera have crashed to such an extent that even children and teens are proud owners of uncomplicated cameras. The camera and photography interest starts young and this creates a truly large audience base for the camera industry.
And throughout history, it is evident that the endeavor of researchers and developers has been to make the camera available to a wide section of society. Without camera technology and photography, the other key developments of cinema and TV would have been delayed and what a boring place the world would have been without TV and films!!
Which Are the Best Built-In Car GPS Devices?
Are you wondering whether you should spend your money on a car GPS system that is built right into the dashboard of your car instead of a portable device that sticks to you dashboard? Well you’re in the right place to determine not only what the benefits are of purchasing a built-in unit, but also which ones are most popular on the market today.
Built-In vs. Portable
The question many people have when they consider purchasing a car GPS system is whether they should go with built-in or portable. The answer differs depending on the consumer’s needs, so let’s go over some pros and cons that you might want to consider when thinking about purchasing either one.
Portable is … Portable – Many consumers love the idea that they can take their portable units out of their cars and move them to another car if necessary. This is one major selling point for the portable unit. You simply attach it to your dashboard when you’re using it, and remove it when you’re done. The second bonus of a device being portable is that if you want to upload mapping or navigation software, you can do it easily via its USB port.
Portable Units Don’t Offer Large HD Space – One bonus you will find with built-in units that you won’t see in most portable devices is the large hard drive. Some built-in units come with as much hard drive space as a PC, which means you can store a lot of information on your system. If this is important to you then you will want to look past the portable units.
Built-In Units Offer More Extras – One reason that customers enjoy built-in car GPS systems is their features – the main one being a bigger screen. While most portable units have smaller 3.5-inch screens, some built-in units can have screens as large as 7.5 inches allowing you to get a better view of the maps and text directions. In addition, many systems come with a DVD player or other entertainment features that you cannot get with the smaller portable unit.
Built-Ins Make Cars More Vulnerable – In an age where breaking into cars is as easy as breaking into your own bedroom, many consumers are leery about placing permanent systems into their vehicles because burglars can look right in and see what they want. The one plus of the system being built in is that it will be hard for them to take it out without effort, but this means you won’t be able to remove it to secure your device and vehicle if necessary – a luxury you get with the portable device.
The Best Devices
There are a handful of car GPS devices that top the list as those you would want to have placed in your vehicle. Let’s look at them more closely:
Pioneer AVIC-Z2 – This is a system that reviewers love because it is considered to be the ultimate in HDD navigation. It has a huge hard drive – 30 GB – which can easily rival many PCs on the market. But many more features follow this one great asset. For example, its processing speed is astounding, being able to deliver mapping and navigation information to you rapidly. Also, it offers a huge Tele Atlas that has over 12 million points of interest (POI) so that you can find a business or other public location without having to know the address. Some other features of this car GPS system include a huge music library, a large 7-inch screen, DVD playback, 3D landmark icons, point addressing, traffic flow lanes, iPod controls, Bluetooth compatibility, text-to-speech technology, and turn-by-turn voice instruction.
Panasonic Strada CN-NVD905U – Similar to the Pioneer device mentioned above, this one also offers a 7-inch screen and DVD player. In addition, it has an easy-to-understand LCD display as well as touchscreen control with audio. You can enjoy a picture as sharp as your television set so that you can not only see great map images, but also enjoy your movies, making this device one that makes being in your car as comfortable as being in your home.
When you’re ready to get out and buy your built-in car GPS it is important to consider a few more things. One is that many systems are available with the purchase of a new car, so before you spend money buying a new system for your car, consider whether you could save by having one come with a new car you are thinking of purchasing. These car GPS systems are a little bit pricier than most portable units, so you have to make sure that you will get the most out of your purchase.
A Guide to Los Angeles Public Car Auctions
If you want to live or work in Los Angeles, it is essential that you have a car. Sure, there is public transportation, but unless you are going around downtown, it is just too slow and inconvenient for getting about the huge metropolis. Pretty much everybody in LA owns a car. That makes Los Angeles a great place to find public car auctions.
There are numerous public car auctions in Los Angeles, and it is fairly easy to find out about them. One of the best places to start is with the official police garages or OPGs. These are city garages that have official responsibility over the towing and holding of impounded cars in LA. Several hundred thousand vehicles are impounded by the LAPD every year. Of these, around two-thirds are redeemed by the owners, but the rest of the cars become city property and are divested through public car auctions. The OPGs hold these auctions, known officially as lien sale vehicle auctions, once a week. You may contact your nearest OPG to find out when the public auctions take place. The auctions help the city of Los Angeles to recoup unpaid fees while offering an opportunity to the public to bid on and purchase cars at low prices.
There are also a number of firms in Los Angeles and its outlying areas that hold public car auctions. A search for “auto auctions” on an online search engine turned up 26 firms around LA that hold regular auctions. A few of these firms specialize in certain types of vehicles. For example, Spectrum Auction Co. in North Hollywood and Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions specialize in auctions of classic and luxury vehicles. Other firms hold auctions specifically for towed or repossessed cars.
Public car auctions are open to everyone, but it is important that you register beforehand. To register for a public auction, you need to provide proper personal identification. You may also need to pay some nominal registration fee. When you have registered, you will be assigned a bidding number, which must be presented to the auctioneer when you make a bid. Only people with bidding numbers are allowed to participate in the auction.
The cars at public auctions are sold “as is” and therefore a potential bidder must possess a “let the buyer beware” mindset. However, there is usually an inspection period prior to the auction, that make take place a day or two or even a few hours beforehand. You should take advantage of the inspection period to see what is being offered and get an idea of the vehicle’s quality.
Old Time Radio – Where to Get Thousands of Shows For Free
Old time radio (OTR) is not dead. In fact, it’s alive and well on the Internet. The Internet has actually helped to revive old time radio. After the days of OTR were ended, the only way to get any of these shows was to find them on old reel to reel tape and listen to them in this format. Some kind folks converted these shows to phonograph records and later to cassette tapes.
There were small group of OTR fans that used to do this and trade the shows among themselves. Very few people that would have enjoyed these shows knew about these small clubs and therefore couldn’t get the shows.
When computers became available to more and more people, smart PC users learned how to convert these old shows to digital format. 70 minutes of shows could be put on one CD. With the appearance of the mp3 compressed audio format, distribution was now possible via the Internet.
So many people can now enjoy the fun and adventure of OTR due to the efforts of everyone who converted the shows and posted them on the Internet. With the high speed Internet connections we enjoy today, we can download as many shows as we want in a very short amount of time.
OK, so now that we know that these great old radio shows are available again, how do we go about locating them? There are several ways to acquire these shows.
The most expensive way is to buy the shows at a book store in audio format. Sure, these audio CD’s will play in any CD player, including the one in your car, but you can only fit 70 minutes of shows on each CD. Plus, these are rather expensive.
You can search the Internet and buy old time radio disk sets in mp3 format. These are compressed and many hours of shows can fit on one CD or DVD. They don’t play in most standard CD players, but you can listen to them on your mp3 player or on your computer.
Or, you could join an OTR download club and pay a monthly fee to be able to download any of the shows they have on their website. This is much cheaper and a good option for those with a home computer.
The very best way to get old time radio shows on mp3 is to find a website that offers them for free. These sites are few and far between, due to the fact that there are expenses involved in starting and maintaining a website. There is the cost of registering the domain name, paying a monthly fee for web hosting and paying for the old time radio disk sets. Because of this, many of these sites can only offer a few hundred shows in limited genres.
The best old time radio websites are those that are run as a hobby club. This is where the visitors donate ten or twenty dollars one time, to help pay for the website and to buy more shows.
From then on, everyone who made a donation gets full access to all the old radio shows on the website, plus all the new shows as they are added. A good club will also have an OTR discussion forum so the webmaster and the club members can talk about old time radio, ask and answer questions from other club members and request and share shows with each other. Also, a good news blog is helpful. The person who runs the club can post news to the site to let the members know when new shows are added.
Why is a hobby club better than a download site? Some people, not all, who ask for a monthly fee are more of a business than an old time radio lover. A hobby club is usually run by someone who loves old time radio and just wants to share it with as many people as possible. This is the reason for the small donation fee instead of asking ten or more dollars per month as some sites charge. By combining their resources, all of the club members can listen to many more shows then they could afford on their own.
An old time radio club can be lot’s of fun. It’s a way to enjoy and share this wonderful hobby with others and it also helps to keep old time radio alive for future generations to enjoy.
Car Stereo Systems – Putting the "BOOM – BOOM – BOOM" in Your System!
When purchasing a car stereo system, finding quality car stereo amplifiers is critical. Unless you know in advance what type of amplifier you are going to purchase, you will need to research the various styles and prices of car stereo amplifiers. The amplifier you buy should be the best you can find in your price range. Not all car stereo amplifiers are created equally. Car stereo specialty stores and the numerous web sites devoted to creating the ultimate car stereo system can be of great value to you when researching amplifiers.
As with any other car stereo component, amplifiers vary in quality and price. The highest priced amplifier you find will not automatically be the best for your particular system. Finding quality car stereo amplifiers will take knowledge on your part. If the staff at your local car stereo store is not willing to explain the differences to you, then go on to the next store. You do not have to spend large amounts of money on a quality car stereo amplifier. Different amplifiers work better with some car stereo systems than with others. You should know where your amplifier will be located, how it will be installed, and what you expect as far as sound quality before you purchase your new amplifier.
For those who compete in car audio competitions, a higher priced amplifier may be able to give them just the type of sound they desire. For the average car stereo, a less expensive amplifier will work just as well. If you have invested a lot of money in your car stereo system you may want to go ahead and invest in a top quality car stereo amplifier. If you have purchased full range after market car speakers then a lower priced amplifier will suit your needs.
Finding quality car stereo amplifiers is no different than shopping for any other car stereo component. Research your choices thoroughly and have a clear idea of what you intend to accomplish with your amplifier. There is no need to purchase the most expensive amplifier if you are simply putting a superior stereo system in your personal vehicle. If car audio competition is your goal you will want to find a more expensive, top quality car stereo amplifier. Make wise decisions by learning the facts before you purchase a car stereo amplifier.
Enjoy!
George Steiner
www.1-caraudio.com [http://www.1-caraudio.com]
Blown Head Gasket? What To Do, And What Not To Do!
A blown head gasket can be a costly repair any way you look at it, but there are some ways to make sure you get the most value out of your repair. The first thing to do is to make sure the diagnosis is correct. Then, find a reputable dealership or repair shop to handle the repair, preferably one that has a lot of experience in engine rebuilds and head gasket repair. Then, with the tips following, be sure to ask a few key questions to make sure the repair is done correctly.
The diagnosis can be a little tricky depending on how bad the head gasket is. If it is beginning to fail, the signs will be moderate, and will typically be a slight overheating, or a small amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust. If the gasket is completely gone, it will be obvious due to the rough idle, or it wont run at all. If it does run, there will be a large amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust. If the head gasket blows while driving, the biggest thing to watch out for is the temperature. Higher temps can quickly damage an engine by causing warping of the heads or the block, or even cracking. The sooner the engine is stopped after realizing the head gasket is blown, the better the chances of rebuilding the top end without major consequences.
The person or shop that performs the rebuild should know to check for warping of the block surface, the head surface, and to check for cracks in the head. These checks may cost a little more, but the consequences can be much more costly in the end if they are not checked. If the block is slightly warped, do ahead and have it flattened; if the head needs to be repaired, it can be decked to get the surface straight again. If the head is cracked, it will probably need to be replaced, but some have had success welding and repairing them. It depends on the location of the crack.
Once the parts are cleaned and/or repaired, its time to have it assembled. Most shops will know to torque the heads down to specs, and to use all new studs on the head. This helps make sure that the head is fastened on securely. Using the old studs can create a situation where the head is not properly torqued because the studs will stretch when they are torques. Old stud have already been stretched, so the torque value will be different than a new stud. You can see the difference in the treads if you hold the two studs up together.
These are a few things to look out for when having a head gasket repaired. You can look to spend between 1200 and 2000 depending on how much work needs to be done. Don’t make the mistake in paying a discounted price for less experienced work. The results will cost you.
Fresh Cut Flower Preservative Packets
What’s up with those little cellophane packets of powder that come with flowers?
They contain a floral preservative that is a food, hydration agent and antibacterial treatment. Used properly, floral preservatives will greatly increase the vase life of your fresh cut flowers.
Food: The food the preservative provides is a sugar. Plants produce sugar through photosynthesis from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. When a flower is cut from the plant, photosynthesis is no longer an option for the production of sugar. The sugar is needed to continue development of the flower bud into a flower. With this sugar, the flower will perform better in terms of size, color and vase life.
Hydration: While cut flowers will not photosynthesize, they will transpire. That is, water still is taken up by the stems and released into the air through the stomata. A turgid flower is a hydrated flower. A wilted flower is one where the cells do not have their full amount of water. The outside ring of the stem of the flower, just under the bark, is made up of tiny tubes or vessels. This group of vessels or vasculature is responsible for transporting water from the roots, or vase in this situation, to the leaves and flowers. Water sticks to it self and in general will tend to be drawn up the stem by the continual evaporation of water through the pores in the flower and leaves. However, when a flower has been dehydrated through the normal course of post harvest and shipping, the chemistry needs a jumpstart. When the pH of a solution is more acidic, the molecules are more hydrophilic… or they tend to stick together more. So, a good preservative includes an agent to lower the pH of the solution, which encourages hydration. This is normally a mild acid such as citric acid.
Control Bacteria: The water in the vase or container can quickly become a bacteria soup. All it takes is a few stray pieces of plant tissue and some latent bacteria. Add some sugar from the preservative and you’ve got a recipe for cloudy, smelly water. The problem is not just an aesthetic one. Bacteria in the water will form plugs in the stem of the flower, blocking the water from flowing through the stem of the flower. A good floral preservative contains an antibacterial agent to stop all of this from happening.
Here’s an ugly secret about these packets. Most packets are 5 gram packets which make one pint of solution. Most average vases hold at least one quart of water. If you do not follow the instructions for mixing the vase solution, and end up making a solution that is too weak, you may be providing enough sugar to grow bacteria while not providing enough antibacterial agents to stop the growth. This is a case where clear water with no preservative would be better than an improperly mixed solution. As soon as you notice that the water in your vase has started to become cloudy, it’s time to dump the water, rinse the stems, give them a clean cut and put them back in the cleaned vase with fresh water. This alone will double the life of your flowers.
Unfortunately, some flower distributors believe that the consumer’s initial perception is all that matters. They believe that the most important factor when choosing a preservative packet to distribute with their flowers is the price. They will not spend the extra three to five cents to provide the 10gram packet that should be provided. Instead, they believe that the consumer will be satisfied with any packet because they do not know any better. That shortsighted view means that consumer’s overall perception of flowers is that they do not last as long as they should, and the water gets dirty and smelly very quickly. In the long-run, these consumers may turn to alternate gift ideas other than flowers, and this hurts the floral industry as a whole.
As a consumer, you should insist upon the proper preservative. It’s worth the investment if you need to purchase an extra packet or two when you purchase your flowers. You can double the life of your flowers!