Go karts are fun but are they safe

Go karts are fast, exciting and easy to handle, and there are tracks all over the country catering to every age range from kids to teens to adults. Gokarts are generally easy to drive, easy to control and are how you can experience the excitement of Formula One racing without as much of the danger.

Go-karts are just beginning to come into their own and are geared toward beginners in either off road or paved track go kart racing. They are built to withstand years of use and abuse and are terrific when it comes to performance, styling and low maintenance.

There are many types of vehicles that are built for fun. These include ATVs, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds, mini bikes and go karts. If you are looking to find some excitement with 4 wheels then you have to discard the dirt bike, scooter, moped and mini bike. And the all terrain vehicles are typically made for traveling off road. That leaves the go kart. If you want to go racing like the big boys, with a mighty gasoline powered engine and relative safety, go karts are what you will want to be racing.

Whether you just want some cheap racing fun or would like to someday become a professional race car driver, the go-kart is a great way to begin. Many NASCAR drivers today got their start by racing go karts when they were as young as five years old.

Carts have been around for a lot of years, but have increased in popularity only recently. Back in the olden days, carts were only available at the neighborhood Family Fun Center or Amusement Park. And these gokarts only had two speeds, slow and slower. But were they safe? Let’s just say it wasn’t easy to get hurt traveling at just 5 mph.

But even at the slower speeds they were still loads of fun. Imagine the thrill you can experience now with the faster speeds and the bigger and better track selections. Great go-cart tracks have been sprouting up all over. But have the increased karting speeds made the go carts unsafe?

They used to be so terribly slow that no helmets were even required. But with the speeds attained today helmets are required at tracks everywhere, even the kiddie’s tracks. But don’t let that scare you, they are still extremely safe and there is never any need to go faster than your own comfort dictates.

You can control, for the most part, the amount of danger you experience in a go kart. Your decisions, from the go kart you buy, to the safety equipment you use, to your level of caution expressed on the track, determine how safe you will be. The faster you go the more chance of sustaining a substantial injury. So taking every safety precaution is always a smart idea.

Carting is generally very safe if you follow a few simple rules. The number one rule is “always wear a helmet.” In the event of a crash it can spare you from a serious head injury. Also, never forget to fasten your safety harness. This will prevent you from being tossed out during a roll. Never race at speeds that you don’t feel comfortable with. If speed is not your thing you should remain in the lesser levels of racing groups.

If you decide to race, even in a kid’s competition, you should be wearing a fire safety suit, racing shoes and protective gloves. The shoes and gloves should also be fire retardant. There is not much gas in a gocart, but if it should happen to catch on fire the fire-safe equipment you use could save you a lot of pain and discomfort.

Gocarts today all have roll bars that rise above the driver’s head. In the event that you lose control, causing your go kart to flip over, the roll bars and safety harness can keep you from harm’s way. You may think that it could not happen to you because you are such a great driver, but the other racers on the track may not be so great. This is the reason why a gokart has side bars that will protect you in the event that another racer loses control and rams your kart.

With all of these precautions how can anyone get injured? It’s possible, but the chances of experiencing a serious injury are severely limited by simply following a few safety rules. Go karts are just about as safe as you want to make them.

An introduction to quilting

"The art of quilting integrated the European and African cultures in America during the slave period. The African folk-tradition was considered inferior, and the European superior. In spite of this gap, quilting brought about the unity of these two traditions and cultures.

It brought the values of both the African and European American women together in a way no folk art tradition did before. Both of them deeply rely on the traditions of storytelling and folklore. Uniting women to sew and pass the traditions to new generations are the common characteristics of both traditions.

Not only did both African and European Americans make quilts to provide warm blankets for their families, but also to show their creativity and gain status, record family history, and to represent various themes and beliefs. Women considered it to be the best way to spend time together and display their skills.

Despite the fact that quilting is a process with individual interpretations, it is also a cultural process that came into being from the exchange and merging of both African and European traditions. The emergence of American quilting was one of the products of this process. The quilting styles of both traditions are highly symbolic. Both of them deeply rely on the traditions of storytelling and folklore. Uniting women to sew and pass the traditions to new generations are the common characteristics of both traditions."

I make no apology for quoting these extracts, if you like, from my e-Book - The Essential Guide to Quilting. The book is basically about learning how to quilt, but firstly I felt that it was important to have a look at the history of quilting - like a lot of you reading this, I had no idea about how important this craft was to our history, indeed for much of the world.

I go into more detail on the History in the e-Book, so, as I said in my Autobiography, when I started Quilting several years ago, there was not that much good information about how to start thus I took a break from quilting to write the e-Book - The Essential Guide to Quilting - to put my readers on the right road without the hit & miss ride that I had, when I might have given up at times.

Most important to start out is to learn the main quilting terms, here are just a few:

1. Applique - Appliques are pieces of fabric applied to other pieces of fabric, using fusible webbing or stitching. The stitching can be done by hand or with a machine. Buttonhole, satin or blind stitches are the usual methods used.

2. Basting - Spray basting, thread basting and pin basting are common methods of basting. This process involves holding the quilt top, batting (the middle layer between quilts - usually cotton, wool or polyester) and backing together to finally sew it all together.

3. Bearding - the process of pulling the batting fibers through the tops and bottoms of the quilt, through the holes created during sewing, to produce a whiskered effect.

4. Cheater's Panel/Cloth - They are pieces of fabric printed with quilt block designs. They are made to resemble a pieced or appliqued quilt top.

Here I have selected some of the less obvious terms in quilting with a quick description to draw attention to the need to learn them in order to get the most out of this fascinating craft. There are lots of terms to learn - believe me when I say I am not trying to put you off, merely to help you on your way.

(Article by Rose visit at aquiltingbee. com)

Cardio may be a waste of time without this knowledge

The most important factor for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (cardio or CR) is the intensity of the workout. Changes in CR fitness are directly related to how "hard" an aerobic exercise is performed. The more energy expended per unit of time, the greater the intensity of the exercise, the greater the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness.

You have to know how hard is "hard" to determine if an aerobic exercise like running is producing a CR training effect or if it's just burning a few calories. The heart rate during work or exercise is an excellent indicator of how much effort you are exerting. Only by keeping track of your heart rate during a workout can you be sure that the intensity is enough to improve your CR fitness level. In other words, your ability to monitor your heart rate is the single most important key to success in CR training.

Training Heart Rate (THR) = Desired Intensity of the Workout

THR is the heart rate at which you need to exercise to get a training effect. The U. S. Army fitness gurus have given us two methods to determine THR. The first method, percent maximum heart rate (%MHR) is simpler to use, while the second method, percent heart rate reserve (%HRR) is more accurate.

%MHR Method

With this method the THR is figured using the estimated maximal heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. Thus, a 20 year old would have an estimated maximum heart rate (MHR) of 200 beats per minute (220 - 20 = 200).

A person who is in poor shape should exercise at 70 percent of his MHR; if he is in relatively good shape, at 80 percent MHR; and, if he is in excellent shape, at 90 percent MHR.

Examples:

A 20 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 160 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 20 = 200 * .80 = 160 BPM.

A 30 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 152 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 30 = 190 * .80 = 152 BPM.

A 40 year old in poor physical condition would have a THR of 126 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 40 = 180 * .70 = 126 BPM.

%HRR Method

A more accurate way to calculate THR is the %HRR method. The range from 60 to 90 %HRR is the THR range in which people should exercise to improve their CR fitness levels. If you know your general level of CR fitness, you can determine which percentage of HRR is a good starting point

for you. For example, a person in excellent physical condition could start at 85 percent of his HRR; if he is in reasonably good shape, at 70 percent HRR; and, if he is in poor shape, at 60 percent HRR.

Most CR workouts should be conducted with the heart rate between 70 to 75 percent HRR to attain, or maintain, an adequate level of fitness. A person who has reached a high level of fitness may derive more benefit from working at a higher percentage of HRR, particularly if he cannot find more than 20 minutes for CR exercise.

Exercising at any lower percentage of HRR than 60 does not give the heart, muscles, and lungs an adequate training stimulus. Exercising at more than 90 percent can be dangerous. Before anyone begins aerobic training, he should know his THR (the heart rate at which he needs to exercise to get a training effect).

The example below shows how to figure the THR by using the resting heart rate (RHR) and age to estimate heart rate reserve (HRR). A 20 year old in reasonably good physical shape is the example.

STEP 1: Determine the MHR by subtracting your age from 220. i. e. MHR = 220 - 20 = 200.

STEP 2: Determine the resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (BPM) by counting the resting pulse for 30 seconds, and multiply the count by two. A shorter period can be used, but a 30 second count is more accurate. This count should be taken while you are completely relaxed and rested. For this example we use a RHR of 69 BPM.

STEP 3: Determine the heart rate reserve (HRR) by subtracting the RHR from the estimate MHR. i. e. HRR = 200 - 69 = 131 BPM

STEP 4: Calculate THR by (1) multiplying HRR by the relative fitness level as a percentage and (2) adding the result to the HRR. For example, our 20 year old in good physical condition will exercise at 70% HRR.

(1) .70 * 131 = 91.7

(2) 91.7 + 69 = 160.7

In summary, a reasonably fit 20-year-old with a resting heart rate (RHR) of 69 BPM has a training heart rate (THR) goal of 161 BPM.

During aerobic exercise, the body will usually have reached a "Steady State" after five minutes of exercise, and the heart rate will have leveled off. At this time and, immediately after exercising, is when you should monitor your heart rate to see if you are within your desired THR range.

If your pulse rate is below the THR, you must exercise harder to increase your pulse to the THR. If your pulse is above the THR, you should reduce the intensity to reduce the pulse rate to the THR goal.

Pregnancy and what to expect

There are no two pregnancies that are alike so, while it is difficult to say exactly how each will progress, there are certain factors that are common among all women going through pregnancy. Quite often, early symptoms of pregnancy will appear and prompt the soon-to-be mom to purchase a home pregnancy test. These can be found at virtually every retail and/or grocery store. It is important to remember that pregnancy tests, while designed to be accurate, are sometimes wrong. Regardless of the result, it is recommended that women experiencing pregnancy symptoms should schedule an appointment with a health care professional who will accurately test for pregnancy.

Among the pregnancy symptoms that most women experience are heightened sensitivity to certain smells and/or food, exhaustion, recurring morning sickness and mood swings. During the entire pregnancy, it is very important that the woman participate in a healthy lifestyle. Among other things, this would include not smoking or being near secondhand smoke, avoid drinking alcohol, etc. In addition, the mom-to-be should drink plenty of milk and eat healthy foods. This will help to promote good development for the child and will be a healthy start for him/her.

Once a woman is confirmed with pregnancy, the next step is shopping for maternity clothes. There is generally a maternity section of every store, but many women simply wear oversized shirts and comfortable elastic waist pants. Preparing for a new baby will include shopping for nursery items, including a rocking chair, bassinet, baby blankets, clothes and toys. If there are plans to convert any room in the house into a nursery, it’s best to start early. It’s also very important that the mom-to-be not be near any paint or harmful products that may cause her, or her unborn child, any problems.

During the nine months of pregnancy, women will go through a lot of changes - both physically and mentally. Mood swings will become more intense and there may be frequent trips to the bathroom as the pregnancy progresses and the growing child begins to press more heavily on the bladder. After the baby is born, the woman will likely have a desire to lose her pregnancy weight. Immediately following birth, it may be a good idea to rest before starting on any exercise program. A licensed medical doctor will be able to prescribe a timeline for such things as physical activity, which will greatly be determined by the mom’s overall health.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. It is not designed to be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical advice. Any woman who believes she may be experiencing pregnancy symptoms, or has reason to believe that she may be pregnant, should consult a licensed medical physician for proper testing and determination.

Credit option spreads

What is a credit spread?

Investopedia says… "An options strategy where a high premium option is sold and a low premium option is bought on the same underlying security."

OK I know that is very vague, so lets see if I can do better.

It is a trading strategy in which you buy an out of the money option at a certain strike price and then you sell an out of the money option at a different strike price of the same month. As time goes on the options will decay in value and as long as the price of the stock does not go past the sold strike price at the end of expiration you will receive a full credit winning trade.

For example, it is January and XYZ stock is currently at $54 and it looks as if it is bullish or will increase in price over the next month and you firmly believe that the stock will not go below $50. You would trade a Bull Put Credit Spread on a Feb expiration. You would buy the Feb 45 put for $.25 and you would sell the Feb 50 put for $1.00. This leaves you with a credit of $.75 in your account or actually $75 per contract you trade. The risk of the trade or the amount of money per contract you need in your account is $425 per contract. This gives you a return on investment of 17.5% in how ever many days till Feb expiration.

Lets take it out like a real trade - It is January 13 and Febuary expiration is in 35 days. You place the trade for 5 contracts. So you now buy 5 FEB XYZ 45 PUTs for $.25 or $125 total and you sell 5 FEB XYZ 50 PUTs for $1.00 or $500 giving you a credit of $375 in your account. Now to back the trade up with collateral in case the trade goes wrong you need to have $2125 in your account for just this trade. If XYZ closes above $50 in 35 days you will have received $375 which is a 17.6% gain. There is a break even price of $49.25 that if the stock closes at this number you will neither gain or lose money. If the stock closes between $49.25 and $45 you will lose some money and if it closes below $45 you will lose $2125.

If you like the idea of knowing exactly what your profit will be, exactly when the trade is closed, and exactly how much money you will risk then credit option spread trading is for you. Your profit margins will be between 10 and 20% on each trade - on some of the aggressive credit spreads you can make over 50% - and there are techniques for changing your trade if it becomes a losing trade to help you recover some of the loss and in some cases even make it a winning trade again even though you were wrong on the direction of the movement of the stock.

Piling on the pounds over the festive season will affect more than your health

Why does being overweight raise my life insurance premiums?

There are plenty of statistics to show that people are getting heavier in the UK.

The Government estimates around one in four Britons are clinically obese. Peoples waistlines keep expanding.

A report published in October 2006 by the World Health Organisation shows 76% of British men aged between 30 and 69 are overweight, compared with 65% 10 years ago. Sixty-nine per cent of women are overweight, compared with 55 per cent in 1995.

People are getting heavier at a younger, age too, which bodes badly for the future.

The problem for insurers is that if you are overweight, the more likely you are to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, strokes, high blood pressure and even chronic depression.

The WHO report, for example, estimated that by 2015 diabetes would kill 8,000 more people a year in the UK than the current 33,000. This increases the chances of insurers having to pay out upon your death, so they have to cover themselves by raising premiums.

How do I know whether the insurers think I am overweight?

There can be many ways of determining what is overweight. It is entirely up to the life insurer what criteria they use to measure whether you are a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

The most common measure among insurers though is the Body Mass Index (BMI).

This is a weight to height measure, irrespective of the individuals sex. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilos (2.2lb equals one kilo) by your height in metres squared (one foot equals 30 centimetres, one inch equals 2.5cm).

If your index is between 19 and 25, you are generally considered to be normal. A ratio between 26 to 30 is overweight, 30 to 40 is obese and anything above that and you are seriously heavy.

This can be an imprecise science given people have different body structures, not least between the sexes. Some top rugby players would be labelled obese under this criteria.

But given it is what the insurers mostly use, you should be aware of where you stand. Incidentally, having a below-normal BMI can also raise your premiums.

What can I do to get the best rate for my weight?

Insurers will usually want to know your weight and height so they can work out your BMI when you apply for life insurance.

While premiums generally have been falling steadily, the premiums for heavier people have tended to rise.

Some insurers offer very high rates to heavier people to deter them, while some insurers are happy to offer lower premiums. The point is that rates vary widely so it is important to search the whole market for the best deal, no matter what your weight.

MoneyExpert. com can help you do this by comparing Life Insurance suppliers and getting the best policy for your circumstances.

Will insurers reduce my premiums if I lose weight?

Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. The best option can sometimes be to change your policy. It is always worthwhile checking to see if you can get cheaper life insurance from another provider anyway. Find the best Life Insurance policy online now. Go to: moneyexpert. com/Insurance/LifeInsurance. aspx

Fundraising for youth groups

Youth Groups are almost always in need of funds. Holding fundraisers to finance important trips like tournaments, museums, and musical events are just some of the needs that have to be met through fundraising. Others include the need for uniforms, sports equipment, art supplies, musical instruments, and more.

There are a lot of different ways your youth group can raise the funds they need. In this article, I will explore some of those with you and try to help you avoid some of the pitfalls. I will let you benefit from my experience and I will help you avoid some of my mistakes.

Let’s start right off with candy. I have tried to use candy as a fundraising tool on more than one occasion for more than one youth group.

Pros and Cons of using candy as a youth group fundraiser.

Pros: Candy is cheap and can be sold for a great profit for your youth group. Everyone likes candy, so it’s a fairly easy sale, especially if you go with name brand candy. The candy is cheap enough that most people have enough money in their pocket to purchase it.

Cons: Candy melts. Trust me on this. Candy melts and when it does, your profits melt with it as you try to clean whatever it melted all over. The members of your youth group eat Candy and when the parents have to pay for all the candy YOU let their child eat, you get phone calls. Trust me on this. You get a lot of phone calls. Candy smells. Trust me on this. Wherever you store the candy will smell like candy forever. Bigger children steal candy from smaller children and again parents end up paying for the candy and you get the phone calls.

Coupon Books are another commonly used Youth Group Fundraiser.

Pros: Some coupon books are filled with free stuff and everyone loves free stuff! Your youth group can raise as much as $10 per coupon book so they need to make less sales to reach their goals.

Cons: Everyone still has last year’s coupon book. None of the coupons have been used. They never have it with them whenever they go somewhere they might have been able to use it for. I have been to a door to sell coupon books and had a guy hand me 7 unused coupon books as his donation. He said if I resold those, I would be able to raise more money than if he just bought one again this year. Coupons expire. They usually have a cost of about $10 to $15 per book, but of course the children in YOUR youth group will never lose any of them and their parents won’t be calling YOU, like with the candy.

Basically, every fundraiser your youth group takes on will come with responsibility and they all have their pros and cons. However, if you look for a product that has the following features, I believe you will have a more successful fundraising opportunity for your youth group.

1. Choose products that do not melt, expire, rot, or otherwise perish.

2. Choose products that do not have a large cost per unit, no matter what the profit.

3. Choose products that everyone uses and will get a lot of uses from. Something they will remember being very useful will get them to continue supporting your youth group.

4. Choose products that do not require a lot of storage space.

5. Choose products that are popular like things with the donor’s favorite major league baseball or football team logo on them.

If you follow those simple rules, your youth group fundraiser will be easy to manage, you won’t end up stuck with a lot of leftover product to store, your storage area won’t smell, you won’t need to clean up messes, and best of all, the parents of your youth group participants won’t be calling you.