Month: June 2016

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Welcome to part two of the articles series. This time we are going to see the top 6 myths of hemorrhoids and put an end to it once and for all. For goodness sake, let's keep our information straight. Fit and proper, I say.

Anyway, what are the myths? They are:

1. Hemorrhoids can become cancer, or is a prelude to cancer.

Now, c'mon. They're like two different things. Cancer is when your cells goes haywire and start replicating themselves like there's no tomorrow. Hemorrhoids is when your veins bulge and make the soft tissue around them to swell. So the answer is NO. Hemorrhoids is not a prelude of cancer or is a cancer.

2. One of the food ingredients responsible for hemorrhoids is black paper.

This is a definite maybe. What I mean is, well, if you can not stand spicy foods and consumes like a whole lot of them, for sure you're gonna feel something down below. Itchiness and stuffs. But this apply to all spicy ingredients, not only black paper. The key is moderation. Too much of something is never good.

3. Hemorrhoids only happen to elderlies.

Nah. It can happen to anyone. But it's true that when you got older, the vein walls will get weaker. It'll be easier for hemorrhoids to develop. Kegel exercise could help strengthening the vein walls if done properly.

4. Anal sex is the major cause of hemorrhoids.

It can make things worse, I'll give you that. But it's not the cause. So this is also a no.

5. Sitting too much at the street sidewalks or on a cold concrete floor causes hemorrhoids.

Say what? Does not matter where you sit. It's the same. Too much sitting causes extra pressure on the vein walls down below, even if you're sitting in a soft cushion. Just avoid giving too much pressure there, take a break every now and then if your job / activity involves a lot of sitting. So I would call this busted, but there's a ring of truth there on the sitting too much part.

6. Hemorrhoids will relapse and can not be completely cured.

This is also very wrong. Hemorrhoids relapse is caused by the same things that you do not change that got them to you in the first place. So you can cure it completely. Not only that, there's also a natural cure for it.

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Source by Chris Nowheet

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It started as a peaceful service at the Chatham Street Chapel by a black minister, but soon turned into four days of riots, that transformed the streets of New York City into an evil cauldron of hatred.

In the early 1800's, there was a vibrant movement in the United States to end slavery. Yet, there was no place in the country that incited more animosity against black slaves than the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side. The Abolitionist Movement (to abolish slavery) was spearheaded by men like William Lloyd Garrison, and bothers Arthur and Lewis Tappan. Yet the hatred for black slaves permeated the streets of New York City and was incited by the ruling Irish faction of Tammany Hall. This hatred was punctuated by atrocities committed against slaves by the Irish Five Points street gangs, that Tammany Hall so overtly protected from prosecution for their numerous crimes.

In 1833, aided by the fiery speeches made by William Lloyd Garrison, slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. Many of the British living in America spoke out vociferously against slavery and this did not go over too well with the powers that be at Tammany Hall, which convinced the Irish street gangs that the Abolitionists were looking to transform America back into a British colony. Anti-Abolitionist James Watson Webb inciting the Irish gangs even further when he printed in his Courier and Enquirer that, "Abolitionists had told their daughters to marry blacks, black dandies in search of white wives were promenading Broadway on horseback, and Arthur Tappan had divorced his wife and married a negress. " All lies, but believed by the rabble nevertheless.

On July 7, 1834, a group of black slaves gathered at the Chatham Street Chapel to hear a sermon by a black minister. In the audience lending his support. was Arthur Tappan. The sermon had just begun, when members of the New York Sacred Music Society broke in, claiming they had rented the place for the evening. The blacks, who had paid for the use of the chapel, refused to leave. The street gangs, with members of the Plug Uglies, Forty Thieves and Roach Guards banding together, attacked the blacks with leaded canes, seriously injuring several of them.

An angry mob formed outside the chapel, and as the police arrived to try to quell the disturbance, Tappan hurried from the scene to his house on Rose Street, which is now the site of the New York City Municipal Building. Knowing he was an avowed abolitionist, a crowd followed him and pelted his home with rocks as he rushed inside.

Webb's paper predictably lied again when he described the event as a "Negro riot," owing to "Arthur Tappan's mad impertinence." The Commercial Advertiser, another pro-slavery rag, said that "gangs of blacks were preparing to set the city ablaze."

Yet this was just the beginning. The next night a huge mob of gang members broke down the door of the Chatham Street Chapel, and while they held an impromptu meeting inside, WW Wilder yelled, "To the Bowery Theater!"

The reason for their attack on the Bowery Theater was because it's manager and British actor George P. Farren, another avowed abolitionist, had recently said of the pro-slavery crowd, "Damn the Yankees; they are a damn set of jackasses and fit to He is gulled. " Farren had also just fired an American actor, and as a result, anti-abolitionists had posted handbills detailing Farren's actions all around New York City.

An estimated 4000 rioters broke down the doors of the Bowery Theater, interrupting the performance of beloved American actor Edwin Forrest, who was a favorite of the Five Point gangs. Forrest tried to quiet the angry mob, but they insisted on knowing the whereabouts of Farren, who was hiding somewhere on the premises. Before they could take the place apart looking for Ferren and subsequently hang him, a large contingent of police arrived and drove the mob from the theater with billy clubs.

Yet the mob was not through. They yelled, "To Arthur Tappan's house!" And that's where they went.

Tappan and his family had escaped before the mob arrived. But when the mob did arrive, they tore his house down, board by board. They piled Tappan's furniture on the street and set it on fire, until there was nothing left but a painting of George Washington. As one rioter tried to throw the painting into the fire, another one ripped it from his hands saying, "It's George Washington! For God's sake, do not burn Washington!"

The mob rampaged though the city, torturing and raping black slaves, and even gouging out the eyes of an Englishman, after they ripped off his ears. The worst rioting was in the Five Points area where dozens of houses, including St. Phillip's Church were burned to the ground. Several English sailors and black slaves were captured and mutilated. Word soon went out that every house would be burned down in the Five Points that did not have a candle burning in the window. In minutes, candles appeared in almost every window, saving the neighborhood from destruction at the hands of the out-of-control mob.

On the afternoon of July 11, Mayor Cornelius Lawrence issued a proclamation asking all good citizens to band together to stop the rioting. He also told Major General Shadfor to call in the 27th Regiment of the National Guard Infantry. At 9 pm that night, around 300 Five Point Gang members assembled before the Laight Street Church, which was run by vocal abolitionist Rev. Samuel Hanson Cox. The church was guarded by several New York City policemen, but the mob charged anyway, forcing the out-manned policemen to run for their lives.

As the mob destroyed the Church, Mayor Lawrence ordered the infantry into action. Armed with clubs, bayonets, muskets and pistols, the infantry drove the rioters from several downtown churches and the surrounding streets, back into the Five Points area.

The next day, armed soldiers and policemen scoured the Five Points looking for known mob members. They rounded up and arrested 150 Five Points gang members, but then Tammany Hall stepped in and released almost all of them. Only 20 gang members, out of the thousands who pillaged the streets of New York City in July of 1834, were ever tried and convicted.

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Source by Joseph Bruno

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Experts say the average home will sell within three months. What they do not tell you are all of the ways you can use to make your home more accessible and attractive to potential buyers so that your home will sell within this time period. That's why we took the time to put together a few tips that'll help you get a respectable offer and sell your home faster, with or without an agent.

The first thing you'll want to do to sell your home quickly is prepare it for sale. Real estate agents will identify any issues needing repair and focus on those repairs first to ensure that a home will sell. Potential buyers will notice major repairs right away and pass your home over quickly, unless they are looking for a fixer-upper.

After you make repairs, take a look at your home inside and out to make sure it has a clean interior and tidy landscape. Your home should look inviting to a potential buyer from the street. Buyers appreciate viewing a home that has furniture inside, because it helps them get an idea of ​​how their own furniture will look in the same space. It will also be beneficial to remove the clutter from each room and store it off site so that each room looks more open and inviting.

A competitive price on your home will gain attention from buyers. Research homes like yours to get an idea of ​​what the average selling price is. People ask : many, what price will help sell my house fast ? If you want to get a bidding frenzy started on your property, lower the price of your home by just a few thousand dollars below the average price you've researched. Properties that have multiple bidders sell faster and often sell above the asking price.

Good photos of the home can also capture the attention of potential buyers. Keep in mind that real estate agents have professional photographers taking their photos. You can always hire a professional yourself or you can take note of the views, angles and areas that realtors showcase online in their listings and take your own photos. Video walkthroughs can give the best view of the home and generate more serious buyers.

You can always hire an agent to sell your home for you, but do not let the agent do all of the work. Use your own personal network to expedite the sale of your home. Social networks provide the fastest way for you to get the word out on your home. Post your pictures and videos to the social media sites you subscribe to with a note to your friends saying, "Help me, sell my house fast" and have friends repost through their networks for even more exposure.

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Source by Shaun Greer

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Something in the martial arts that is argued back and forth all the time is the effectiveness of distance learning versus traditional training in a dojo and can one learn the martial arts to any degree of proficiency through distance learning. In an age where communicating and learning via the Internet are staples of every day life and the ability to learn anything efficiently is open to everyone because of this, my answer is a resounding "YES!".

Consider this … one of the recent arguments I have encountered is that to earn a Dan ranking takes years and years of blood, sweat and tears and that only after you have spilled blood on the dojo floor can you be considered credible to wear the dan you are awarded by XYZ Organization, School, Federation, etc. and only through this method can you become a better practitioner. While I agree with the idea in general, the argument against distance learning is that there is no way you can advance rank as a Black Belt, or as a Colored Belt for that matter, unless you train in a school under age old traditional methods. There is no way you can possibly learn any system of self-defense through "home study" methods.

OK..well … let's say that a person has put 15-20 years into his / her training and they now wear the rank of 4th or 5th Dan. This person has trained and completed all of the requirements to advance his / her rank. I guess some could say that because of the rank and the years put into the training that he / she is deserving of praise and respect, being of great honor and integrity because of the advancements and the time spent training in the arts. This person obviously has learned what it means to be a better practitioner and is now credible in the eyes of his / her peers. Seems like a solid point.

Now, on the flip side of that coin, let's say that this same person on the outside looks and acts like the rank they wear and talks the talk of a true Black Belt but underneath has a drinking problem or a drug problem or, worse yet , both. They treat people with disrespect behind their backs and are full of ego. Every time something goes wrong in his / her life all they want to do is go out, get high and pick a fight. Just so you know, I am not speaking hypothetically. I trained under just such a person. Does this mean he / she deserves to wear the rank of an advanced Dan just because they have put their time in at a traditional school and passed the curriculum? Does this make him / her better than me or anyone else who wants to open up their learning to a credible, comprehensive distance learning program taught by advanced, committed, honorable individuals? I think not as we all know that the martial arts are about so much more than just the belt one wears.

The traditional thinking is if you choose to train like this that it is lacking in so many respects, ie: training quality, lack of training partners, too easy to slack off and not train, no one is there to insure you are actually performing the material, and on and on, that there is no way this can work and once you receive your rank, it is just a "piece of paper" from a "diploma mill" or in the case of a Dan ranking, a paper "Black Belt Mill ". Well, let me pose this question to you, what takes more effort, dedication, perseverance, integrity and personal commitment, walking into a local school and having someone tell you what to do or to take a course and break it down yourself, put together a training schedule based around your school or work schedule, provide yourself with a place to train and then effectively complete the training per belt rank? I realize this question is rhetorical but the point I am trying to make is that BOTH methods of study, in class and home study, are just as effective in learning any type of material and that as martial artists, to be so closed minded about knowledge via sources "outside the box", especially in this day and age of advanced technology, is a true detriment to the advancement of the arts as a whole.

The traditionalists fail to recognize the doors this can and will, most assuredly, open up to students around the world just as it has with all areas of education. Right now … today … you can earn the highest level of certified, recognized, accredited university degrees online from the most reputable Colleges and Universities – WORLD WIDE! This is an absolute, indisputable fact that even the most dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist can not refute. In my mind, it is not so much how you learn what you learn but how you apply that knowledge after you have learned it. I have always said that certifications and degrees are just pieces of paper but what ultimately makes them so valuable is the application of that knowledge and how it is presented to others down the line. We should always be moving forward with our knowledge, always be willing to embrace new ideas and concepts. If we stop learning, we stop growing.

As the sport is constantly evolving, so too must its practitioners evolve. No longer can we just accept the traditional training orthodoxy as the rule. Just the simple fact that hand-to-hand combatives have become so much more advanced in just the last 10 years would dictate that we as practitioners of the arts should be more open-minded and willing to advance our learning from as many sources outside of our own backyards as possible. Distance learning offers just such a solution by eliminating the geographical boundaries that currently exist in limiting students to train and learn in just one setting, in one style, and from one instructor. With the Internet, video conferencing, online tutorials, forums, blogs, etc. literally at our fingertips, the possibilities are endless. No longer will students have to be relegated to choices for learning that only include the local dojo. Imagine being able to train with and share information and ideas about advancing the arts with students from all around the world in real time!

Of course, to that extent, the traditionalist would argue that there would be a problem with time differences as well as differences in training disciplines and that there is no way this would work. Always an excuse. I have heard this argument for years but that is because they fail to see the potential that exists in people to come up with long term solutions to these problems, solutions that are offered by just such a group of dedicated individuals in the AKPKF … american Kick-Punch Karate Federation, headed by Sensei Danny Hill. This is an organization that leads by example and is all about keeping the integrity of the arts intact while attaching 21st Century thinking to an age old problem of bringing the training and discipline to students around the world who otherwise would not have access to the information and they do it for FREE!

Now, I understand that traditionalists want to keep the training in the dojo's … OK … but what about the aspiring student who wants to become involved in the martial arts but has nowhere to train, or who lives in a remote area where it is 50-100 miles to the nearest dojo? What about the people around the globe who live in villages where there is no training for thousands of miles around? How then does the traditionalist solve that geographical problem? They solve it by continuing to argue for classroom training as the only beneficial means of learning self-defense. In my opinion, what that argument really boils down to is money.

Think about it. They insist that receiving your certification via distance learning is not credible yet they take "Little Johnny's" tuition every month, usually an exorbitant amount, and pass the student through the system whether he / she has learned the material or not. Again, I am not speaking hypothetically here. I have seen this first hand even at the Black Belt level. This problem exists on a wide scale and is becoming worse every day. The traditionalists say that distance learning has become a blight on our beloved art form and that it is denigrating everything that is sacred about our beloved sport, even to the point of "bastardizing" what the arts stand for, while all along doing the same thing by charging outrageous monthly fees and providing training that is mediocre at best. To me, this action is deplorable and not even remotely deserving of respect and honor, yet this practice continues to grow day by day with new "McDojo's" springing up on just about every street corner. The traditionalist view has become about "selling the product" and not about "teaching the art". Anything that does not "jibe" with their way of thinking is garbage and only their style and only the way it is taught by them, is the "be all to end all" and the only path towards martial arts excellence. In my opinion, there is nothing credible about this practice or this way of thinking and it is only hurting the arts, not enhancing them.

In closing, let me state that I have had great personal success training in both mediums. Each method has its place in education and each, in my opinion, is equally effective. I believe that both methods can co-exist peacefully. I personally have continued to expand my knowledge of self-defense through many different methods of learning such as books, tapes, cd's, dvd's, online tutorials, and traditional training on the mats with practitioners who are also open-minded enough to see the positive impact that distance learning can have on all of us if we would just embrace the need for this type of studying. I have my own dojo and am about to begin my training in Renzoku Jiu-Jitsu, a program that is taught by Soke John Cozatt who happens to live on the East Coast (I live on the West Coast) and yes, it is a distance learning program, one that I can advance to 5th Dan in and since that is the highest level of achievement in that system, that is my goal. In lieu of this program, in order for me to train in a "credible" traditional jiu-jitsu class setting, I would have to drive 100 miles round trip 3 nights a week at great expense to accomplish what I can do in my own dojo via distance learning. Whether or not I make it to 5th Dan will strictly be up to me but that really is not the issue. The point is that the opportunity exists for all of us to utilize modern day technology to continue to move forward with our training and help advance this sport through the 21st Century. We have to continue to be open to new training methods and learning techniques so that the martial arts can continue to grow and survive. I for one will do all I can to be at the forefront of that movement.

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Source by Tim Gannon

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1. Unique and Catchy Domain Name: This is the entry point for your website. The domain name should include your company name or business type or can just be some fancy name related to what you intend. Your online presence widely depends on this [http://www.yourwebsite.com].

2. Local or Global? Many startups face this question. We would suggest to go local first and then global. This depends on your business as well. If you are an electrical fitting company and serving within your city, then go for a .co.UK domain. This may help you in getting better rankings. On the other hand, if you are selling online, then it's better to go for .com or .net domains.

3. Fully Responsive: Your website should adjust itself to the size of the device it is opened on. This is called fully responsive websites. More and more users are accessing websites on mobile and tablet devices. It is of higher importance that your website should be accessible on this device.

Irrespective of the type of device you are using to view the website the design will be precisely displayed on a mobile phone or tablet. The design will be fully responsive and adapt itself to the size of the screen.

4. Contact Us Page: You want your website visitors to know your physical presence. So why not put a Google Map which is pinned to your exact business location. Enquiry form on this page is preferable, so that the visitors can directly contact you. Your other communication information should be displayed on this page to let know your website visitors that you are happy for them to approach you with any specified communication channel.

5. SEO optimization: Is your website Google ready? Once your website ready to launch should include keywords, description and other important meta tags. The website pages need to be submitted to Webmaster tools provided by Google. The Let's take an example now to know what SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) actually MEANS in simple terms is, eg the if you are On florist in Baker Street area Hotels , then the if someone is on a types in Google "fresh roses in Baker Street", you will expect Google to fetch your website on the 1st page.

Make sure that the correct keywords are used in the meta tags of your website pages. No pop-ups or flash is used as this reduces your visibility on Google. Your website will be Google Ready.

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Source by Vishal Patil

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Having a party and want to include a map in your invitations to help ensure your guests arrive on time and safely? While GPS (Global Positioning System) systems and online sites like Yahoo! Maps, Google Maps, and MapQuest make getting from point A to point B a breeze, including an elegant, uncluttered map not only provides an appreciated convenience, but is also a perfect compliment to your invitations. They can be custom ordered or you can make them yourself.

Here is one method for creating your own map for two locations such as a wedding ceremony and reception:

1. With the addresses of the wedding and reception, go to Yahoo! Maps and enter the ceremony address as point A and the reception address as point B.
2. Click Go. Make sure your map is centered the way you want it.
3. Click Printable Version.
4. Click Map Only in the new open window .
5. Right click the map and click on save picture as. Save the map to your computer.
6. Open PowerPoint and clear out a slide to work on.
7. Go to Insert> picture> from File and select the map you saved.
8. Trace the key parts of the map you want on your map. On the bottom toolbar, click on AutoShapes > Lines> Freeform. Now you have your tracing tool. Adjust the thickness of the line by clicking on the icon Line Style (the icon with the lines with different thicknesses). A two-and-one-quarter-point line works well. Start at the edge of the map outline and trace the outline of the map until you need to curve then click your mouse. Continue to trace until you need to curve again then click the mouse. You can click as many times as needed for a more accurate trace.
9. Trace important streets using the same Freeform line and a slightly thinner point Line Style (1 point for major streets and three-quarter point for smaller streets).
10. When you're done, delete the original map picture by clicking on it and pressing the delete key.
11. You can change colors by clicking on Font Color. Add shapes by using AutoShapes and text by using the text box. You can also add clip art by going to Insert> Picture> Clip Art.

For an area map of the party location, try this method:

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Type the address of the party location.
3. Click on Map.
4. To enlarge the map so that it fills your computer screen press the F11 key.
5. Use the + or – option to zoom in or out.
6. Simultaneously press the Ctrl (control) and Print Screen keys, then Copy and Paste into a Word document.
7. Using the Crop tool, crop in on the map.
8. Print the map and trace the key parts you want with a Sharpie.
9. Scan the map and make it a layer in Adobe Photoshop.
10. Trace and color whatever portion you want colored in another layer and delete the first layer.
11. Print on white vellum, card stock, theme-coordinating paper, or coordinating colored paper that's at least one fourth inch larger on all four sides. Add additional flair using craft scissors or decorative corner punches.

For those who are less technical, here's a fast and simple way:

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Type the address of the party location.
3. Click on Map.
4. To enlarge the map so that it fills your computer screen press the F11 key.
5. Use the + or – option to zoom in or out.
6. Simultaneously press the Ctrl (control) and Print Screen keys, then Copy and Paste into a Word document.
7. Using the Crop tool, crop in on the map.
8. Right click the map and click on save picture as. Save the map to your computer.
9. Open PowerPoint or your desktop publishing program
10. Go to Insert> picture> from File (the picture being the map you saved).
11. Add a text box and type directions or any other information.
12. Print on white vellum, card stock, theme-coordinating paper, or coordinating colored paper that's at least one quarter inch larger on all four sides. Add additional flair using craft scissors or decorative corner punches.

For those who prefer to cut and paste, here is the least technical way:

1. Go to MapQuest.com.
2. Type the address of the party location.
3. Click Get a Map.
4. Use the + or -slide bar on the left side of the map to zoom in or out.
5. Click Print
6. Cut out the portion of the map you need and tape it to a blank sheet of paper for making copies.
7. Cut out your copied maps and affix them to white vellum, card stock, theme-coordinating paper, or coordinating colored paper that's at least one quarter inch larger on all four sides. Add additional flair using craft scissors or decorative corner punches.

If you did not include the directions to your party in a text box on your map, type them out and print them on white vellum, card stock, theme-coordinating paper, or coordinating colored paper. Here, too, you can add additional flair using craft scissors or decorative corner punches.

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Source by Ellen Henneke

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Drag racing, a contest between two cars beginning from a complete stop over a distance of a 1/4 mile (1320 feet) depends heavily on first 60 feet of the race, or the launch. The technique used for launching varies greatly depending on the how the car is equipped. The type of transmission, which wheels are being driven, tires, power, suspension and track preparation all play key roles in how to go about getting the best launch possible from the car.

Improvements on the time it takes for the car to travel the first 60 feet down the track have significant implications on the final ET (estimated time). As a general rule, improvements in the 60 foot time, are magnified by 2x on your final ET. For example, a Dodge Viper GTS that runs a 12.2 @ 120 MPH in the 1/4 mile with a 60 foot time of 2.0 can make significant improvements to it's 1/4 mile times by obtaining a better launch. If the Dodge Viper GTS is able cut .2 (two tenths) of a second off it it's 60 foot time, by covering the first 60 feet in 1.8 seconds, it's final ET for the 1/4 mile would be around 11.8 @ 119 – 121MPH. Examples can be more found by vBulletin® searching thru the 60 foot Thousands of records in the Http://www.dragtimes.com drag racing database.

The best possible launch is obtained by obtaining the optimal balance of applying the most amount of power to the ground with the least amount of wheel spin. If too much power is applied during the launch and the tires spin, the resulting 60 foot time will be poor. The same goes for not applying enough power, thereby causing the car's engine to bog, and having the car limp off the line slowly.

When launching a car with an automatic transmission, a technique called power braking is used. After properly staging the car at the drag strip's staging lane, tightly hold down the brake with one foot, while slowly applying the accelerator peddle with the other foot. The car's engine RPM (revolutions per minute) should slowly increase to a point where the car will either start to move or start spinning the tires. Hold down both the brake and accelerator peddles just below the point where the car is starting to move or spinning the tires. When the christmas tree lights reach the last amber light before the green, lift off of the brake and slowly push the gas peddle all the way down. The correct RPM to launch at will be different every car depending on all of the variables mentioned earlier. Start conservative with the first launch and keep increasing the RPM at which the car is launched at during the subsequent runs. If the car starts spinning the tires after the launch, lower the launch RPM and try again.

When launching a car with a manual transmission come to a complete stop after the car is properly staged. Press the clutch in all the way with one foot while pressing the accelerator peddle down with the other foot, raising the engine RPM to a constant moderate level for the first launch. Lift up on the clutch peddle to the point where the car is just about to start moving and hold both peddles still. When the christmas tree lights reach the last amber before the green, slowly release the clutch while quickly applying the accelerator peddle enough to launch the car quickly, but not too much to induce a large amount of wheel spin. Start conservative with the first launch and keep increasing the RPM at which the car is launched at during the subsequent runs. If the car starts spinning the tires too much after the launch, lower the launch RPM and try again.

To obtain better launches and bring down 60 foot times even more, the use of drag radial or full slick tires can be used on more powerful cars that have trouble launching at any RPM on regular street tires. Drag radials and full slicks usually require a burnout to heat up the tires and clean them from debris for optimum performance. A burnout is a rapid spinning of the car's tires while the car stays relatively still.

All wheel drive cars (AWD) are typically the easiest to launch because the engine's power is distributed to 4 wheels instead of two. Rear wheel drive (RWD) cars typically launch better than front wheel drive (FWD) due to the transfer of weight to the rear tires during the launch, causing an increase in traction. If the car has aftermarket adjustable suspension, adjustments can be made specific for drag racing to increase the weight transfer to the driving wheels.

The track's launch pad preparation also plays an important role in how well and how hard cars can launch. The launch area is usually prepped with traction compounds to add to the stickiness of the track. A well prepped track will definitely help drop 60 foot times and result in lower 1/4 mile times.

During the breaks and cool down periods between drag racing runs, make detailed notes about how you launched on the back of each timeslip. These notes can help you diagnose launching issues, fine-tune subsequent launches and show improvements in the search for The Perfect Launch.

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Source by Brooks Weisblat

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The principles of the 12 steps can be very difficult or very simple to understand. This is an effort to simplify the meaning of the principles of the 12 steps for those who may be having difficulty. These are the principles that are incorporated into our daily lives as 'we walk the walk'. Employing each of these behaviors will help to rebuild a life of increased self esteem and self confidence. So, in my never ending quest to keep it simple, here are the action principles behind the twelve steps:

1. Honesty – The operative principle behind step 1 is honesty. If you can not get honest about the scope of your problem, and honest about a sincere effort to resolve it you will not succeed. How about a definition of honesty as the absence of the intention to deceive? Who do we try to fool? Ourselves

2. Hope – In order to engage in a course of addiction recovery, we must have hope of success. If there is no hope, why try? Perhaps we have failed on our own, how about enlisting some help? A way to instill hope is to realize recovery is not a question of ability; after all there are millions in recovery, but rather persistence and application.

3. Faith – This stage of action is to begin to employ the recovery skills being learned. You can seek out help, but it is also necessary to utilize it. Our job is to become willing to do the right thing. A simple way to view the 'next right thing' is do not engage in your behavior. Have faith it will work.

4. Courage – This step is really about courage to honestly (see step 1) look at ourselves. Take a look at how our behavior has become warped to justify our continued behavior. We are here to take an honest assessment of ourselves.

5. Integrity – If we have truly done a thorough job of introspection and evaluation of our assets and shortcomings do we have the integrity to own up to it? It can be very difficult to be open and honest about our past behaviors. We accept the need for a dose of humility.

6. Willingness – Now that we have accomplished an inventory of the good and no so good aspects of our character and behavior, are we willing to change them? All of them? The important part in this 12 step principle is the willingness to let go of old behaviors.

7. Humility – Here we move further into action, in step 6 we became willing to as let go of our old behaviors, now we ask for help in actually letting go. Can we learn to forgive ourselves?

8. Discipline and Action – We are continuing to remove the barriers that can block forward sober growth. We are getting ready to sweep our side of the street clean. Make a list of all those people we have harmed both through actions and not being present to live up to obligations.

9. Forgiveness – Asking for the forgiveness of those we have intentionally or unintentionally injured is the order of the day. A key point here is to try to correct those injuries through action, not just words. It is highly recommended that guidance and help is utilized here. Asking forgiveness is not a gift to the other person, but rather an act of kindness to you.

10. Acceptance – To be human is to make mistakes. Hopefully our journey has led us to the point where we can readily admit mistakes and accept ourselves for being imperfect. We must also learn not to judge others but accept them for who they are, not our vision of who they should be.

11. Knowledge and Awareness – Here we search and become aware of following our path being aware of our purpose in life and actively pursuing it. I view this principle as just being aware, not being got up in the rush of life, making conscious effort to do the right thing and to be at peace.

12. Service and Gratitude – Having brought about a personality change sufficient to remain in recovery; we are empowered to demonstrate the new principles by which we live, in our daily life through example. We seek out and are available to help others in need.

There you have it. Simple actions you can practice each and every day to improve the quality of your life in addiction recovery and those people you come in contact with. These are the simple one word action principles of the 12 steps.

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Source by Bill Urell

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They called him a "Half-Pint Moron" and "The Puny Killer." But for a short three-month period, Francis "Two Gun" Crowley was the most dangerous man in New York City.

Crowley was born in New York City on October 13, 1912. His German mother was not married, and as soon as little Francis saw his first light of day, she gave him up for adoption. It was rumored his father was a cop, which explained his hatred for anyone in a blue uniform. He was brought up by a woman named Anna Crowley, and he took her name, calling her his only mother.

By the time Crowley was 18, despite the fact that he stood only five-foot-three inches and weighed 130 pounds, he was already a full-blown criminal, and a murderer. He teamed up with hulking Rudolph "Fats" Duringer, who was said to be the largest man ever to sit in Sing Sing's electric chair, and the Mutt and Jeff crime team soon started terrorizing New York City.

On February 21, 1931, Crowley, Fats and another unidentified male busted into an America Legion Dance Hall in the Bronx. They were uninvited, and when a slew of Legionnaires tired to toss them out, Crowley began firing with two guns, which gave him his nickname "Two Gun" Crowley. No one was killed, but two men were injured, and Crowley was now hunted by the police for attempted murder. He was cornered in a office building on Lexington Ave, but he shot his way out of arrest, plugging Detective Ferdinand Schaedel.

Crowley continued his crazed crime spree in rapid fashion. First, Crowley and his crew robbed a bank in New Rochelle. Then they staged a home invasion at the West 90th Street apartment of rich real estate investor Rudolph Adler. Crowley shot the feisty Adler five times, and just as he was ready to fire the final bullet into Adler's skull, Adler's dog Trixie went into attack mode and chased Crowley and his crew from the apartment.

In Crowley's first murder involvement, he was not even the shooter. On April 27, 1931, Crowley was driving a stolen car with his pal Fats in the backseat. Fats was busy trying to make moves on dance hall girl Virginia Brannen, who had just come along for the ride. Brannen told Fats to keep his hands to himself. This did not please the hulking gangster too much, so he shot her dead. Crowley and Fats discarded a bloodied Brannen outside the St. Joseph Cemetery in Yonkers.

After finding Brannen's dead body, the police put out an all-points bulletin for the big and tiny psychopaths. On April 29, Crowley was driving a green Chrysler on 138 Street in the Bronx, when a passing police car spotted him. The cops sped in hot pursuit after Crowley, firing shot after shot at the speeding Chrysler. Crowley returned fired, and somehow he managed to escape. The next day, the police found Crowley's abandoned car, riddled with bullets and smeared with bloodstains. The manhunt for Crowley continued.

On May 6, Crowley was smooching in a car with his 16-year old girlfriend Helen Walsh, in a secluded spot on Morris Lane, in North Merrick, Long Island. Patrolmen Frederick Hirsch and Peter Yodice approached the car and asked for Crowley's identification. Instead of drawing his wallet, Crowley pulled out a pistol, firing. He shot Hirsch to death and wounded Yodice, before he fled the scene.

Now branded a cop-killer, the daily newspapers brought Crowley instant fame. The New York Daily News wrote: "Francis Crowley, who glories in the nickname Two Gun Frank, and is described by the police as the most dangerous criminal at large, was hunted throughout the city last night."

On May 7th, the police traced Crowley to a top floor apartment on West 90th Street. Crowley was holed up there with Fats Duringer and Helen Walsh, and what transpired next will forever be known as "The Siege on West 90th Street"; the most fierce gun battle in the history of New York City. Two detectives first tried to enter the apartment and take Crowley and his crew away peacefully, but Crowley would have none of that. He screamed through the door, firing lead, "Come and get me coppers."

The detectives retreated down to the street, where they were joined by an estimated one hundred police officers, rushed in from all parts of the city. Crowley yelled down at the assembled cops, "I'm up here. Come and get me."

Over the course of the next several hours, and while an estimated 15,000 onlookers gawked from the streets and open tenement windows, more than 700 bullets were fired into Crowley room. Crowley had an arsenal himself and he brazenly returned fire. Helen Walsh and Fats Duringer reloaded Crowley guns for him, as they hid safely under the bed. At one point, the police cut a hole in the roof and dropped gas canisters into Crowley's room. Crowley calmly picked up the canisters and threw them out the window, overcoming several police officers below. Finally, a dozen cops broke down Crowley's door, and with four slugs in his body, the police were finally able to subdue Crowley. Fats Duringer and Helen Walsh gave up without a whimper.

The newspapers had a field day with this one. Crowley was described as "A Mad Irish Gunman" (even though he was actually German), with "the face of an alter boy." Crowley and Fats were convicted of the murder of Virginia Brannen, and Crowley of the murder of patrolmen Frederick Hirsch. They were both sentenced to die in the Sing Sing electric chair.

In jail, Crowley kept up his tough guy act. He made a club out of a wrapped-up newspaper and some wire from under his bed. Then he tried to fight his way out of prison, by cracking a guard over the head with his handmade club. His escape attempt having failed, Crowley set fire to his cell, then took off all his clothes and stuffed them into his toilet, flooding his cell. For this, Warden Lewis E. Lawes forced Crowley to sit naked in his cell for several days, until the young maniac quieted down.

On his last days on earth, Crowley mellowed a bit. A bird flew into his cell and he nurtured it. He also began drawing pictures, for which he had more than a little talent for.

On December 10, 1931, Fats Duringer got the juice first. After Fats and Crowley hugged a last goodbye, and Fats started his last lonely trek down the hall to the chair, Crowley told a guard, "There goes a great guy, a square shooter and my pal."

Crowley was not so charitable to Walsh, whom he refused to see, even though she visited the prison almost every day. "She's out!" he told the newspapers, "She's going around with a cop! I will not look at her!"

On January 21, 1932, Crowley followed the same path to the electric chair that his old pal Fats had traveled. After the black leather mask was pulled over his face, Crowley's last words were, "Send my love to my mother." The lever was thrown and Francis "Two Gun" Crowley was executed at the tender age of nineteen.

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Source by Joseph Bruno