It was said that a work becomes a marvel of engineering not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. In engineering, simplicity is indeed beauty. And when it comes to beauty of mechanical engineering, the apple of my eyes is the bicycle.The bicycle is a simple yet useful machine. It is one of the first sophisticated forms of vehicle that multiplies the work that your body produces, through the use of some simple machines, to increase the distance travelled. And because it's bicycle month, I will be giving some ideas about the great perks that you can get by using a bicycle. Hopefully, this will help many of us appreciate this beautiful piece of engineering.Sophisticated EngineAmong all of the vehicles created, the bicycle has one of the most complex and wonderful engines around. Its engine is powered by organic fuels and produces zero pollution. This engine is you, the human body. This vehicle relies on your strength and multiplies that strength ...
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Guest Article – Facebook’s e-Commerce
A group of e-commerce start-ups are pinning their hopes on Facebook, Inc. to become an e-commerce powerhouse that can stand up to Amazon.com, Inc. and eBay, Inc. Moving closer to going public, Facebook will come under more pressure to perform and find new sources for profit growth and rely less on advertising income which accounted for 85 per cent of its 2011 revenues.F-commerceSome business minds are of the thought that e-commerce on Facebook will be the answer. BeachMint, Yardsellr, Oodle, and Fab.com are start-ups that are introducing innovative ways to persuade Facebooks users to shop on-line as well, not just to stay connected with their friends. Backed by venture capital firms and big investors like Goldman Sachs, AccelPartners, and Andreessen Horowitz, these e-commerce outfits are pushing out shopping apps, hosting on-line garage sales, and testing out new business models on Facebook. They’ve always viewed e-commerce as such a huge category with a strong history, and as a ...
Guest Article – Tips for Using a Storage Unit
As your kids get older, you might realize that the amount of things in your home grows alongside with them. After a certain amount of time, you might be thinking about getting a storage unit to store those extraneous belongings. Here are a few small tips in using a storage unit. Get rid of bulky items! That small table that doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of your furniture? That treadmill that you use to hang your clothes on? If you’re not using them, they shouldn’t be in your home. Stow them away in your storage. Keep them there until you’re actually ready to use that treadmill, or if you plan on selling it! Hide the gifts! If your kids are sneaky, which is probably a given, they might already know their gift’s hiding locations. Kids will never look in your storage unit! If you’re planning a surprise party, hide the favors in the storage unit so your kids won’t catch on. Also, although it’s May, it’s never too early to stow away gifts for Christmas too! Find a storage ...
Guest Article – Accepting the Struggles of Motherhood
Although being a mother is one of the greatest and most fulfilling gifts I have received, I have come to realize that there are going to be many struggles ahead. These struggles that I talk about range from providing my children with the best possible education to dealing with the growing pains of life. Whether you have one child or eight children, being a mother is a completely different responsibility than ever before. Now, you put your children before yourself. Many people who don’t have children aren’t able to comprehend that you think and live differently since you have more that just yourself to worry about. That being said, mothers everywhere face daily struggles that are overlooked and not acknowledged. As stated before, I want to enable my children to have the best education possible. My daughter will be starting Kindergarten this fall and I’m still deciding what school system I want my children to be enrolled in. Although she is only starting Kindergarten, I am thinking of ...
Adding Fiber to Your Diet with Kellogg’s FiberPlus Cereal
As a stay at home mom, I'm constantly busy. I spend a better part of my day chasing a toddler around the house, and can never seem to get caught up on laundry and other housework. One of the major things that has gotten away from me is my diet. I ate very well during my pregnancy, but it completely fell apart after I had my daughter. For quite a while I was almost always skipping breakfast, eating junk food with lunch, and then eating way too much at dinner. Now that my daughter is starting to get a little older, I've been determined to set a better eating example for her...so I'm working on going back to my pregnancy diet. A good balanced diet consists of many things. You need to be taking in good amounts of calcium, protein, iron, and fiber. I've been working on limiting my portions and counting the amount of carbs that I'm taking in. I have done okay so far, but I haven't been getting anywhere near enough fiber. Fiber is important in your diet since it can help lower the risk ...
Article — Emergency Planning for a Tornado – What You Need to Know
Do you know what to do in the event of a tornado hitting your area? Are you even prepared? Given the numerous outbreaks of the past few weeks, it's probably something you want to think about. As long as you have a general plan formed in advance, it will keep you and your family from panicking during a storm, and quite possibly save your lives. The first and most important thing you need to know before coming up with any tornado preparedness plan is the difference between the types of warnings. A watch means to 'watch out'; the conditions are right for a tornado. A warning means 'take cover immediately'; a tornado has either been spotted on the ground or has shown up on radar. Many times people get the terms switched, so knowing them ahead of time could potentially save your life. The second thing is knowing the safest areas to take shelter during a tornado. If you are in your house, the best places to take cover would be in a basement or in a hallway that is away from any outside ...