Senator McCain is Right - Torture is Wrong - In Fact it Causes Brain Damage

Studies on those who have been tortured show that they have had their personalities, bodies and minds permanently damaged to a point that they cannot function correctly. Senator McCain knows this from first hand experience, so when he debates this topic we should listen. Senator McCain shows signs of permanent damage himself and cannot wave his arms like other presidents did.

When there are signs of physical harm, generally there are far worse signs of mental harm, personality flaws such a fits of rage and mental health problems. So, when Senator McCain discusses these things he knows very well from personal experience exactly what he is talking about, so shouldn't we listen?

Some say that by torturing international terrorists, we can some how get information from them and make them in such a way that they cannot function properly as leaders of their cause or as suicide bombers in the future. These proponents disagree with Senator McCain on the torturing of murderers and terrorists. Although, it is not unusual from terrorists to torture their victims, it is cruel, but just because they do should not mean we should, says Senator McCain.

We should all feel sorry for Senator John McCain for the ordeal he went through with terrorism and the harm that was done to his body and brain functions, it just was not fair, as he was simply doing his job. Senator John McCain, was flying his Navy Aircraft attacking the enemy's military not innocent civilians, yet he was tortured brutally for 7-years.

A lot of permanent damage can be done to one's body and their brain in that time period. So, we are to listen to his comments now, because no one knows how much brain damage was caused to Senator John McCain, only he knows and he has not mentioned that yet to us. Think about how important this issue is to our nation, listen to his anger and consider if this one issue is to be the deciding factor in this coming election.

Learn more about Ron Paul for President and the Ron Paul Freedom movement:

http://www.ron-paul-freedom-movement.blogspot.com

Learn more about Mike Huckabee:

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Home Repair Help

Installing a Sump Pump The Home Improvement Warrior Way - Sump Pit

If you're a weekend home improvement warrior, you may have considered installing your own sump pump. It saves money and besides you learn something new to help hone your home improvement guru skills.

Home Improvement Ideas

Another Victim of a Drunk Driver

For more than 42 years I have been a sober and a defensive driver. You see, I would have a very difficult time living my life knowing that I was somehow responsible for the death and/or injury of another person, as a result of a vehicle accident that was my fault.

So too, it is a mystery to me why some people who have difficulty walking, because they are drunk or high on another kind of drug, would want to drive a motor vehicle. Tens of thousands of such people have killed tens of thousands of other people who were involved in accidents with drunk or otherwise impaired drivers.

As a result, I too became a victim of a drunk driver more than 25 years ago. The irony of it is the fact that my car was parked w5B4hen it was struck by that drunk driver who, at the time of the accident, was driving a car that was owned by another person. Who, in their right mind, would allow a drunk to drive their car? As it happens, that drunk driver wasn't drunk, but the use of that car allowed that person to go to a place where he became as drunk as can be and still be alive.

At the time of the accident, I was in the City Hall building for the purpose of requesting a building inspection of a property that I contracted to sell to another person. I had to fill out a request form and pay a fee, in order to comply with the City Ordinance for the transfer of the title of the property.

As I waited for my turn to be called, an injured person, who was bleeding from a gash in his forehead staggered into the waiting room and just sat down as if nothing was wrong with him. His head was down and blood from his injury was falling to the floor. Just as I was about to request that an ambulance be called for that person, two police officers entered the room and promptly took that person into custody by lifting him up and taking him out of the room.

A short time later another officer entered the room and asked the people if the owner of a car, with my plate number, was in the room. As it happens, my car was legally parked at the curbside and now it was damaged as a result of the person who was taken away just a few minutes ago. The officer told me to report 5B4to the police station, which was directly across the street from the City Hall, after my business was concluded with the City Official in question.

Having done so, I left the City Hall and then saw a damaged car on the parkway. My car was where I parked it about a half hour before I talked to the police officer, but the left side and rear of my once mint condition car was damaged and the fire department people were removing the broken parts of both cars from the street. The sight of it all was enough to bring tears to my eyes, but I was lucky enough to be able to drive my car home and call my auto insurance provider, in order to have my car repaired.

That is, after I walked into the police station and provided my driving information to the arresting officer and signed and received a copy the officer's accident report. That's when I discovered that the driver who hit my car was driving a car that he didn't own and was really drunk at the time of the accident. Well, that was surely too bad for him and, as it happens, it was too bad for me too.

You see, the blood alcohol level of that person, after he was arrested, was measured at 3.1 by law enforcement. To make matters worse, that drunk driver didn't have auto insurance. Who knows what his driving record was before he damaged my car, since I or my auto insurance provider would have to recover the repair costs of my vehicle from the person who damaged my car.

As it 57Fhappens, my auto insurance provider did pay the expense to fix my car, but since I had a deductible amount on my policy, I had to pay the first $250.00 worth of the cost of the repair in question. Yes, after more than a year, I received a check for that amount after my auto insurance provider sued for a received the full amount of the cost to repair my car.

Then again, in spite of the fact that I got back the money I paid, I did lose a great deal of resale value of my once mint condition car. I thanked God that I didn't lose my life, and I also thanked the arresting officer for the fine work that he did for me.

Concrete Tread Bracket

How To Get A Credit Card With Worse Than Bad Credit

At first glance you might wonder why any lender would want to lend money to someone with a bad credit record. But having a bad credit rating does not automatically mean that they have been irresponsible or that it has been their fault. They may have just been unfortunate, lost their job through illness or redundancy, or suffered a relationship breakdown. Credit card companies recognize this situation and so have a number of different schemes to help people who find themselves in this position. There are three types of cards for people in this group, prepaid, secured and unsecured.

Prepaid credit cards are not really credit cards at all since there is no credit involved. When you apply for this type of card, you deposit funds with the bank and you are then able to spend up to the amount of your deposit. In effect this type of card is a debit card. There are no credit checks when you apply for the card, but the card company does not report to the credit bureaus either. This means that this card will not help you rebuild your credit score. Generally a prepaid credit card will not be accepted for car rental or hotel bookings.

Secured credit cards also involve a deposit, but this is treated differently from a prepaid card in that it is held by the bank as security. Apart from this a secured credit card is the same as any other credit card with the credit limit being determined by the amount of the deposit. In the event of a default the bank will use the deposit to repay the loan. The deposit means that no credit checks are needed, but the companies do report to the credit bureaus which will help to rebuild your credit. After twelve months with a good payment record many card companies will transfer you to an unsecured card.

Unsecured credit cards for people with bad or problem credit are the same as standard credit cards except that the interest rates are higher and there are extra fees. These usually involve a setup fee and an annual fee both of which can be quite substantial. Reports to the credit bureaus are the norm for these cards and so will aid in credit repair. Because these cards do not provide any security for the card company initial credit limits tend to be low, $350 - $500 to begin with, but can be increased following a period of satisfactory payments.

People with bad credit who have been refused a regular credit card have a wide choice of companies offering each of the three card types. The choice between secured or unsecured will depend on whether the individual has funds for a deposit and the desired credit limit. The fees and interest rates charged by the different card companies vary widely, so it is important to study the small print carefully before making a final choice of card.

Hugh Harris-Evans writes on financial matters and is the webmaster of Credit Card Cleanup.com where you will find further articles on credit repair and tips on how to make the most of your credit cards.

To receive an intensive 5-day e-mail course on Restoring Your Credit, Click Here: Credit Repair Strategies.

White Handrail With A Green Deck

Data Backup - How To Identify and Measure Digital Delusion Disorder

"Over time, 100% of computers fail 100% of the time."

Picture the following scene:

It's Friday at 3:30pm, and you're just about to shut down your office for a much needed weekend retreat at your family's cottage.

You're already running behind schedule to pick up the kids-it was a busy week after all-and you'd really like to get a jump on the afternoon traffic.

As you're quickly gathering your things together and heading for the door, you catch a glimpse of your "sleeping" computer out of the corner of your eye. The question flashes through your mind: When was the last time I backed up my computer?

And how do you feel? Are you confident (or perhaps even nonchalant) about the safety of your digital records? Or do you acknowledge the intense tug of war being waged between your diligent, rational, backup-friendly self and the playful, reckless part of you that just wants to break free for the weekend? Besides, you say to yourself, what are the chances my computer will crash over the weekend?

And so you quickly leave, lock the door behind you and happily rush off for another glorious weekend. You believe, like so many others, that your computer will soldier on; will be there for you through thick and thin; will never, ever give up. Yes, you're aware of the possibility of a crash, and even considered the possibility of a theft or fire, but you just don't believe it could happen to you.

You're suffering from a common entrepreneurial syndrome that I like to call "Digital Delusion Disorder". All of us computer users suffer some measure of DDD, but what's important is the extent to which this delusion is putting your business and your livelihood at risk.

Mild Digital Delusion Disorder Risk

You understand the true value of your digital information and devote the time and energy to manually backup your computers to a tape-drive, external hard-drive, memory stick, or CDs and DVDs on a regular basis. You also make a habit of testing the recovery of files from your backups.

You rely heavily on your computers to operate and organize your business, and you're conscious of the fact that a computer is merely a machine with moving parts that can break down at any time.

You perform your computer backup at least once a week, and store your backup disks offsite, but you still worry that your unencrypted backup tapes are vulnerable, and that your backup really should be completed every day.

What to do if this is you: the remedy

Train at least two other reliable people to perform your computer backup, and increase your backup schedule to a daily routine. You may want to hand this task over to a trustworthy employee, but be sure to train a second person as well, who can perform the backup if the first employee is home sick or away on vacation.

You should also consider looking into a computer backup service that will automatically encrypt your backups. Simply search "automatic encryption backup" and the name of your city, province or state to find these services on the Internet.

Storing your backups offsite is certainly the right idea, but do NOT entrust this duty to another individual. Remember, your backups contain your business' most valuable and sensitive information, and only you should have access to it!

Moderate Digital Delusion Disorder Risk:

Your business is growing quickly, and you are implementing procedures and systems to help you organize, automate, and execute your business.

Computer backup is a necessary evil that you do when you think about it, but you find it difficult to make time to do so, let alone test your backups regularly to ensure that your information is recoverable.

You currently store your backup in your desk or beside your computer, which incidentally has been making a strange whirring noise if you listen closely.

What to do if this is you: the remedy

Repeat after me: "Computer backup is critical to the survival of my business."

That's right! According to the U.S. National Archive and Records Administration in Washington, 93% of small businesses that suffer a computer crash and lose access to their digital information for 10 days or more, go under within one year.

Also, one of Canada's national newspapers, the Globe and Mail, printed in May 2007 that 70% of small businesses that experience major data loss close their doors within the year.

So whether it's 70% or 93%, those bankruptcy rates are too high to ignore, agreed?

Go back and apply the remedy for Mild DDD, and repeat the above quote twice daily for 21 days.

Also, find a local IT Service company that offers monthly maintenance contracts to service and clean your computer on a regular basis.

Severe Digital Delusion Disorder Risk

In too many cases, entrepreneurs just like you don't realize how much their businesses rely upon the digital information stored on their computers, and they falsely imagine that their businesses could easily survive for more than 10 days without that information.

In truth, you really have not considered how much your digital information-like your contact databases, marketing templates, accounting files and so on- contributes to your income generation, nor do you believe that inhibited access to this information would derail the day to day activities of your business.

But, in truth, you use your computer every day for a wide variety of tasks and as your primary method of document storage. You take your computer for granted, and have only a vague idea of what information is actually being housed on your machines. Accordingly, you back up your computer rarely-if ever-and continue to run and grow your business without any concept of a recovery plan should the inevitable crash occur.

What to do if this is you: the remedy

Ask yourself one question: If you could not access any of the files or records stored on your computer, how much time and money would it take for you to rebuild your business to its current level of success?

Really think about this!

Make an itemized inventory of the digital records stored on your computer, and estimate the amount of time and money that it cost you to acquire that information in the first place. Also, estimate how much income you would lose over the next year if you did not have access to that information.

It really adds up, doesn't it? I bet you're well into the tens of thousands-if not hundreds of thousands-of dollars, and many years of hard work.

Now consider that you can automatically backup your computer every day using a reputable online computer backup and recovery service for a tiny fraction of that cost. Simply search "online computer backup" and the name of your city, province or state to find these services on the Internet, and be sure to ask other business owners what computer backup solution works best for them.

Remember my opening quote: 100% of computers fail 100% of the time. Don't let Digital Delusion Disorder become a real risk to the survival of your business. Act today to protect your digital information, and SAVE your business!

Copyright 2007 - Blue Melnick. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and include the following byline:

Blue Melnick is the Co-Founder and Lead Storage Specialist of Virtual Tape Drive Canada. Blue invites you to contact him through www.vtdcanada.com or by phone at 416-462-3323. Not sure if online data backup is right for you? Why not sign up for Biz Link News-Blue's free monthly ezine-to learn more about how this new technology can "save" your business?

2 X 12 Exterior Stair Stringer

Examining Careers in Engineering

Many individuals find the career of engineering a very enticing option. One of the main reasons for such a wide level of interest in careers in engineering is due to the fact that there are so many job options within this particular field. In this article, we will examine careers in this area. We will take a look at some of the job opportunities available, briefly touch on the education that is required to obtain these jobs, as well as look at some companies where this type of career can be pursued.

Types of Engineering Jobs

There are numerous types of engineering jobs. Engineering careers can be anything from dealing with computers to various types of mechanics. Here, we will review the type of engineering positions that are available. Please keep in mind that this list outlines the most common and popular careers that can be pursued in this industry.

Chemical Engineer - Those who pursue this type of engineering career will work closely with an assortment of materials that are considered "raw" or a variety of chemicals. They will implement the use of various classifications of mathematics, science, and even economics in order to ensure that these materials are developed into forms that can prove to be more useful for the general population.

The newly created materials may also be used to create items for the automotive industry, medical field, military, and electronic field. When studying to become a chemical engineer, most individuals must place a heavy emphasis on various science courses, mathematics courses that focus on physics and higher forms of mathematic equations, as well as courses that are specific to the industry in which they serve. Most of these positions pay at least $20,000.00 to well over $100,000.00 annually.

Civil Engineer - This particular type of engineer focuses on developing a wide assortment of plans related to the design of many different public construction projects. This individual is responsible for supervising these projects as well. These projects are normally related to drainage systems in a community, road structures, and bridge construction.

Individuals who pursue this particular career are normally required to acquire at least a four year degree in civil engineering. The educational focus is normally on courses that are directly related to various types of math, physics, and project management. There are many entry-level positions in this particular field that require no college education, however, these positions normally pay only minimum wage and are described as labor positions. Upper wage levels are around $75,000.00 per year.

Electrical Engineer - An individual who pursues a career in this type of engineering is responsible for designing new electronic devices and gadgets. The employee compensation for this particular career ranges from around $47,000.00 to as much as $109,000.00 annually. However, it is important to understand that if you want to pursue this type of engineering job that you have a college degree that focuses on engineering. Coursework should include a heavy focus on science, social studies, math, and English.

Industrial Engineering - There are generally two different types of industrial engineers. The first type is responsible for supervising individuals that conduct technical product work. The second type is a professional who is trained in the area of industrial and/or systems engineering.

It is essential that this particular individual has been trained and is sufficient in various types of math courses and science courses; particularly social sciences and physical science. Many individuals may also take courses that are designed to teach them how to appropriately manage individuals in the workplace. These positions normally pay up to $100,000.00 annually.

Computer Engineer - These individuals focus heavily on computer science. They may assist in the development of many hardware components and software programs. This position has also been referred to as "electronic engineering". These components may be designed for the military field, medical profession, automotive industry, and any other type of electronic or computer related field.

Numerous courses should be taken in order to appropriately perform this job. The most basic coursework should include a good understanding of computers, electronics, and programming fundamentals. The pay range for this particular career normally ranges from as little as $9.00 per hour to as much as $45.00 per hour. However, the pay is often related to the needs of the position in relation to the area in which they person is located.

As you can see, there are numerous engineering jobs that an individual may pursue. Other types of engineering jobs include mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, and more. If you are interested in obtaining an engineering job in the United States or Canada, there are many companies that may provide you with employment opportunities. They are as follows:

1. QuestAir Technologies Inc. - Canada
2. Georgia Pacific - United States
3. Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. - United States
4. AMEC Earth & Environmental - Canada
5. Magnetika - United States

Seek4Jobs.net has employment and job informations.

2 X 12 Exterior Stair Stringer

Who's Going to Do Your Maintenance?

In a recent article I discussed your need to find and keep great contractors. But most landlords only rely on professional contractors for some maintenance and repair tasks. The reason, of course, is price. Why pay a contractor big money to do a job you could do yourself, or find an inexpensive handyman to take care of, or even leave to the tenants?

You must weigh at least three factors in deciding who will do a job. Those factors are cost, reliability, and quality. If youre thinking about taking on the job yourself, consider time and something Ill call the fun factor as well. The fun factor is the enjoyment you may get out of doing handyman jobs. In my next article, Ill help you figure out where you should take these projects on.

Heres how the different candidates to do work, other than yourself, typically grade on the performance factors:

Contractors Score: Worst in Cost, Best in Reliability and Best in Quality. Handymen Score: Medium in Cost, Medium in Reliability and Medium in Quality. Tenants Score: Best in Cost, Worst in Reliability and Worst in Quality.

Of course the actual results depend on your actual contractors, handymen, and tenants. For contractors in particular, however, quality and reliability should be absolutes. If your contractor isnt the best in those areas, replace him.

Now its time to think about where you want the best quality. It is an absolute must on any jobs that directly affect the safety of the building, as well as any jobs that, if not done perfectly, may result in a more serious expense later. Keeping that in mind, you certainly want a real licensed plumber, electrician and HVAC contractor for all significant projects in those areas. Be very hesitant to employ a handyman here, and never use a tenant for such jobs (unless, of course, the tenant is a licensed professional contractor).

A significant job is one where there is potential for major damage if the job is not done right. For electrical jobs, you probably dont need a pro to replace outlets or switches, install overhead lights, or replace circuit breakers. For plumbing jobs, you dont need a pro to unclog most drains or replace washers in faucets, toilet parts, or showerheads. For HVAC, you dont need a pro to replace filters, thermostats or zone valves, or purge forced water heating circuits. You can probably think of other similar projects.

You should also think about insurability when considering a contractor. Your property insurance will not cover damage caused by bad repair work, unless the repair is done by a licensed contractor.

A licensed contractor is often your best bet in emergency situations. This is because such a contractor is usually on call 24/7, has replacement parts in inventory, and has more than one pro on staff.

If your buildings are in a snowy part of the country, you also need a very good snowplow operator. Use one who has been in business for several years, lives locally, and will get the job done by the time you set.

Use your handyman for light carpentry jobs, painting, and the small electrical, plumbing and HVAC jobs where you dont need a professional. A handyman can often also take on bigger jobs such as siding, building stairs or decks, or replacing windows. Many people who hire themselves out as handymen are actually licensed general contractors.

Youre much better off with a handyman who does have a contractors license, along with workers comp and liability insurance. This person will consider himself a professional and will probably be much more reliable as a result. However, you might have a hard time finding a handyman of this caliber.

A handyman who doesnt have those credentials may still do very good work, and will probably charge less. However, he is much more likely to want payment in cash, to not be available when you really need him, or even to skip town with your money. You can avoid these problems by paying only a small part up front, by scheduling him in advance (Ill see you at 9 a.m. Wednesday), and by checking frequently to make sure the job is done.

How will you find a good handyman? Start by checking with the other members of your local landlords association, making sure that their criteria for a good handyman matches yours. If that doesnt work out, check the Yellow Pages; then the classifieds in you local paper; then signs posted on community bulletin boards. A contractor hired off a bulletin board is much less likely to be reliable than one recommended by another landlord.

The primary reason to hire a tenant is cost. However, you should not hire tenants to do anything but the most basic jobs. Use tenants only for routine tasks like lawnmowing. Of course you can make an exception if you have a tenant who is a skilled handyman or professional contractor. In that case, however, the tenant will want to be paid his standard rates.

If you do hire a tenant, make sure it is someone who has lived in your building for many months, if not years, and who has proven to be reliable as a tenant. Dont ever allow a tenant to work off unpaid rent the job probably wont be done well and the tenant will still expect credit.

The other danger in hiring a tenant to do work is that problems with one relationship may affect the other. For example, suppose you hire a tenant to plow and he does a bad job. Now youve got a problem with your tenant and a problem with your snowplower. You may have to replace both.

For that reason, if you do hire a tenant, try to keep the two relationships as separate as possible. Write up a separate agreement that spells out what the tenant has to do and how much hell be paid. Rather than accept a lower rent, insist on full rent payments and pay separately for the work the tenant does.

If you do use a tenant or handyman to do projects, set an ironclad rule that he or she can never enter another tenants unit to do work even if the tenant is there without you also being there. This will help protect you from liability.

Brendan OBrien is the founder and president of Property Master Web property management software Our landlord software runs from any Internet-connected computer, includes FREE customer support and training, full accounting and reports, and property evaluation tools, and works with your other programs to help you manage anywhere from 1 to 100,000 rental units. Visit www.pcpropertymaster.com

Escondido Remodeling
Poway Remodeling