Toyota’s history-making hybrid, the Prius, may be added to the growing list of cars recalled due to faulty brakes. Toyota’s spokespeeps have said that the company may add around 270,000 2010 Priuses (Pri-ui?) to its recall list, after owners have reported slow-to-activate brakes in their cars. Brake-hampered Priuses sold overseas in the past few weeks have already been fixed by altering the car’s computer software.

Toyota has already recalled close to 10 million cars so far this year, due to sticky break pedals that have been blamed for a handful of accidents. The company is also looking at whether there are brake issues with its hybrid Lexus.

Next Wednesday, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on “Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk?” The hearing will focus on the federal government’s response to the recall of millions of Toyota vehicles due to reports of faulty gas pedals.

If there’s a broken tile because every keeps kicking the lip, fix the lip.

Just Fix the Doorway

Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines”. Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[1] The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America, where many Valentine cards are now general greeting cards rather than declarations of love, was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.^[2] It’s considered one of the Hallmark holidays.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.^[3]

Saint Valentine

Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.^[4] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).^[5] Valentine of Rome^[6] was a priest in Rome who suffered martyrdom about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome.^[7] and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland.

Valentine of Terni^[8] became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been killed during the persecution of Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).^[9]

The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.^[10]

No romantic elements are present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the fourteenth century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.^[11]

In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: “Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14.”^[12] The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar.

The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were excerpted by Bede and briefly expounded in Legenda Aurea.^[13] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.

Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In an embellishment to The Golden Legend provided by American Greetings, Inc. to History.com and widely repeated, on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first “valentine” himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved,^[14] as the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended and healed,^[15] or both. It was a note that read “From your Valentine.”^[14]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

Peak Kia

Toll Free (888) 606-5252

Not having a backlight on an iPod Nano (or any iPod for that matter!) is very annoying!  Here’s how to fix it:

1. Look at this link: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-iPod-Nano-4th-Generation-Display/1164/1

2.  Preform steps 1-7.  Do not unhook the screen from the cable.  Stop after removing the glass pane.

3.  Look at the ribbon cable of the iPod Nano.  You will see some corrosion on the cable, which appears darker than the rest of the cable.  The cable should have little square-shaped components near the top, and they are reguarly shaped and spaced. The corrosion ususally is confined to one area and irregular in shape.

4.  With a very fine tool (hell, maybe even a pin) GENTLY scrape off the corrosion.  Be very careful and patient, as the cable is liable to snap or puncture.  Both spell doom for the iPod.

5.  That should do the trick! If the backlight still doesn’t work (you can still turn the ipod on safely while the screen is half out) try removing more corrosion.

Remember One Thing:  All iPod surgery carries risks.  You must decide if you are willing to risk losing the iPod during this procedure.  The risk for this procedure is low, but present.

Every fall in Chicago we get the first cold day, and brace ourselves for what’s to come… Like we don’t do this every year. THIS time I thought ahead, I wanted to save money on the electric bill by doing whatever I could to keep my heat from running on high for five months straight. So I did a checklist:

1. Double panned windows- Check
2. Snake for crack on bottom of front door- Check
3. New heat retaining curtains- Check

So why is it still cold? First I tried to figure out where it was coming from, how the cold was creeping in… It wasn’t until I was sitting in front of one of the windows that I figured it out by running my hands along the walls to find the source- the cracks left by my fancy windows and behind the molding! I could feel the breeze coming through, it’s an older rented apartment so it’s a little neglected versus and owned home, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be easily (and cheaply) fixed.

Before

After

I went out and bought a tube of caulk, borrowed a caulk gun and went to town. It took a while to do all the windows, but I was amazed at the instant difference it made! All my heaters are running at half the temperature they used to and I can already see the benefits on my heating bill!

Reading my students’ letters this morning, I came across a common mistake using the word challenge. The wrote sentences such as, “I want to challenge the TOEFL”, or “I want to challenge ANA’s employment test.” A better way to say チャレンジする is “I want to (try) . . . “ For example, “I want to take the TOEFL” or “I’d like to take ANA’s employment test.”

Some other examples:

I’d like to try many new things in 2010.

チャレンジしたいスポーツが多い   There are many sports I want to try.

彼はチャレンジ精神が旺盛だ   He is determined to have a good go at it.

Challenge /tʃǽlindʒ/

名　詞

1 （…への）挑戦｟to …, to do｠；（競技競争などへの）参加呼びかけ［勧誘］；（…への）挑戦［果たし］状｟to …｠

a challenge to peace｜平和に対する脅威

a challenge to a duel｜決闘の申し込み

without challenge｜こちらから何もしないのに

offer ［issue, send］ a challenge｜挑戦する

accept ［take up］ a challenge｜挑戦に応じる.

2Ｕ•Ｃ説明［弁明］の要求；（真理価値権威などに対する）異議｟to …｠；（…せよとの）抗議｟to do｠；｟米国用法｠（投票（資格）に対する）異議申し立て

a challenge to keep the treaty terms｜条約の条項を守るようにとの抗議

be beyond challenge｜文句のつけようがない.

3〘軍事・軍隊〙誰何（すいか）

give the challenge｜誰何する.

4Ｕ〘法律〙（陪審員に対する）忌避｟to …｠

challenge to the array｜陪審員団忌避.

5 やりがい［はりあい］のある仕事；努力目標；問題, 難問；Ｕやりがい

meet the challenge｜難問に対処する；努力目標に到達する

face a challenge｜難問に直面する

rise to the challenge｜難題に立ち向かう

It poses a challenge.｜それは難問だ.

6 猟犬が獲物の臭跡をかぎつけてほえること.

7〘医学〙攻撃：生体に抗原, 病原菌を与えて免疫活動を起こさせること.

動　詞•他動詞

1［III名　詞（副　詞）/V名　詞to do］…に挑戦する；…の能力を試す；〈人に〉（試合などを）いどむ｟to …｠；〈人に〉（…してみろと）挑戦［挑発］する, （…するよう）意欲をかきたてる, 鼓舞する｟to do｠

challenge the world record｜世界記録に挑戦する

challenge a person to a game｜人に勝負を申し込む

challenge a person to do a bungee jumping｜人にバンジージャンプをやってみろと挑発する.

2［III名　詞（副　詞）］〈人に〉（説明などを）当然のこととして要求する｟for …｠

I challenged her for evidence.｜彼女に証拠を示せと迫った.

____________________________

Speak! English Salon/スピーク英会話サロン
http://web.me.com/josephcamcinnis
福岡市中央区大名１－１２－３６

★ためにならない日本語ブログ↓↓↓
http://22311221.at.webry.info/

Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient, and it can reduce the distance you travel.

Commuting

Stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours.

Drive your most fuel-efficient vehicle.

Consider telecommuting (working from home) if your employer permits it.

Take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs. You can cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car if you take turns driving with other commuters. Many urban areas allow vehicles with multiple passengers to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes which are typically less congested, further improving your fuel economy.

Consider using public transit if it is available and convenient for you. The American Public Transit Transportation Association has links to information about public transportation in your state.

Traveling

A roof rack or carrier provides additional cargo space and may allow you to meet your needs with a smaller car. However, a loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5 percent. Reduce aerodynamic drag and improve your fuel economy by placing items inside the trunk whenever possible.

Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 lbs in the trunk reduces a typical car’s fuel economy by 1-2 percent.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/planning.shtml

Peak Kia of Littleton
Toll Free (888) 606-5252

gw yg ngurusin ISO 14001 (ttg lingkungan hidup) dan ironisnya, hari ini…. gw juga yg “memakan” kertas (juga tinta) dalam jumlah -kurang-bsa-dimaafkan alias banyak salah ketik-print ! *doo’ooh #tidakFOKUS

Ayooo’lah kembali fokus, jgn terlalu tegang dan senewen eleven.
kendorin dikit -klo kata tman sy, ija si tukang gambar ituh-

Jadi….
SEMANGAAAAAAT!

I agree with There, I fixed it. Highly appropriate quotation marks.

Oh and I love how they are showcasing their services to customers.

AAA is best known for its roadside assistance services, but the auto club also markets gear for your ride.

The AAA Battery Tender is a must have for any student driver who is leaving town–and her car–for the summer.  When cars aren’t started regularly, the battery can lose its charge. This gadget keeps your car battery charged when parked for long periods of time, ensuring you don’t get stuck when you’re ready to rev it up again.

The battery tender retails for $40, but a $10 discounts is given to AAA members who purchase a unit through a AAA club.

Check out more kludges!

Are you ready to block?
See honey? We don’t need a new entertainment center.
Martha Stewart spoiler collection

Submitted by: Megan via Submit a Kludge!

Favorite Comment: Fixer Kat says, “Am I the only one remembering those Richard Scarry books? With the fox named Mr. Fix-it who always wound up just making things worse?”

Decided to get grimey and tinker under the hood? Accessorize with a bracelet that will keep all your loose nuts and bolts at hand. The $16 MagnoGrip Wristband is equipped with a magnetic panel that holds fasteners, nuts and bolts in place while working on your ride. And it also comes in red, for those chicks who aren’t trying to girlify their toolchest.

Drive Sensibly

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Remove Excess Weight

Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

Note: Cost savings are based on an assumed fuel price of $2.67/gallon.

Data Sources

Peak Kia of Littleton
Toll Free (888) 606-5252

It’s that time of the year for goals and resolutions … and this blog post is no different. Both professionally and personally, most of us start the new year off with the best of intentions—but this doesn’t mean it’s not all too easy to get waylaid by the day-to-day grind, often before January has even run its course.

So this year, we encourage you to be accountable. Take an hour out of your week to put some serious thought into what you hope to achieve professionally in this first year of a new decade. Then make yourself accountable. Post your goals somewhere you will see them every day for the next year. Create reminders in your calendar at least once a quarter to “check in” and see where you stand. Are you taking realistic measures to achieve your goals—not just in January, but throughout the entire course of the year? Are you taking time to recognize your achievements and celebrate professional victories large and small? These may sound like trite suggestions … but they work.

Depending upon your personality and the current state of your business, creating a list of goals may be a quick, straightforward exercise or a daunting task. Whether you’re having difficulty narrowing your many goals down to a few or coming up with a single one, we encourage you to approach your list of goals with the following tactic in mind: S.M.A.R.T. strategy. Make sure that your goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely

Keeping these qualities in mind will not only help you select goals that benefit your business, but will also build in a framework that ensures you can actually measure your progress throughout the course of the upcoming year.

We also encourage you to make your goals with the following simple but effective philosophy in mind. There’s a lot of truth to the adage “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But this year, make a vow to yourself that if it is broken, you should fix it. This applies to all areas of your property management business: the units you manage, your advertising and marketing tactics, day-to-day business routines, and how you communicate with tenants and business contacts.

Particularly in these tight economic times, it can be scary to spend money on things that you could put off to a later date. But, in the long run, this doesn’t pay off. If you feel that you’re missing out on property management opportunities or could up your game when it comes to reaching potential tenants, make an investment in yourself and your business and take the steps necessary to make some headway. If you’re missing out on online marketing opportunities, invest in a web site. If you’re not out there pitching potential clients for property management work, invest the time in promoting yourself and your business. While everyone else is holding off on taking the steps necessary to grow their business until the economy takes off, you have the perfect opportunity to make some real inroads and get ahead of the pack. Don’t miss out!

2009 may have been a trying time for many landlords and property managers—but there is no reason that 2010 has to follow suit. Take the time necessary to envision what you would like to achieve this year and, more importantly, take the steps necessary to make it happen.

From all of us here at Buildium, Happy New Year! We can’t wait to hear about all of your achievements in 2010.

Comments »

Ok this post is a little late. lol.
but I thought I would post it anyway. First let me say..

Do any of this at your own risk. I am only going to tell you what was wrong with my A/C and How I fixed my A/C. This may or may not be relavant to you. If you are in doubt.. I would call a pro. That being said… lets get started.

Last summer both of my AC’s went out about a month apart from each other. Summers are brutal in Dallas, July/August just usually suck because its so hot. So if you AC goes out during that time you need to get it fixed .. quick.. well. My “big” AC went out during that time. I had no idea what to do. So i called the AC repair man. He came out and replaced 1 part on my AC.. The Bill … 600 bucks.

The good news.. is.. I watched.. from the moment he stepped on my property .. till the moment he left.. i was by his side.. trying to figure out what he was doing. He certainly “checked out” my system. calibration, etc. but he really only replaced one part. A small tube (kind of the size of a Red Bull Can) called a Capacitator.
Sure enough, a month later.. my small AC went out. Well. I certainly didnt want to pay another 600 bucks.. so i took it upon myself to see if i could find the problem. Here’s what I did.
1. I went to the Circuit breaker and turned everything off. (I aint takin no chances).
2. I took off the side panel of the AC (only 4 screws).
3. I looked at the Capacitator to see if it was bad. (You can check and see if the Capacitor is bad by checking a Charge level.. OR.. if the Capacitor is “swollen” at the lid.. (Looks Kind of like a swelled coke at the top). Then I used a flat screwdriver to make sure there was no charge present (google how to do it.. so you are grounded right).
4. Then I took a picture of it on my phone.. (so i would know where all the wires were supposed to go).
5. then I took it off and looked for a product number on the Capacitor.
6. Then I went to ebay.. and bought a capacitor for something like 50 bucks.. (there were mulitple to choose from..
7. After it came in the mail… yes we sweated it out.. with 1 AC till it came in.. I looked at my cell phone picture and hooked up the wires to the right connections
8. Then I flipped the switch on the circuit breaker
9. and I waited till the AC flipped back on..
10. after a few minutes it flipped on (IT recognized it was hot on the second floor )
11. I made sure no sparks or anything were flying around the capacitor that I just installed…
12. I put the side panel back on.. and….

there you go.. 50 bucks.. instead of 600.

Pictures i took of the Bad Capacitor on my phone.. again.. one of these was so i could tell where to put the wires back

The 2010 Kia Amanti The 2010 Kia Amanti is sleek, stylish, and elegant. With all the controls right where they should be. In the center of the gauges is the trip computer display. Less distractions for safe diving. The optional 6 disk CD changer features a 5.5 in. screen and steering wheel mounted thumb controls. The audio experience is truly experienced with the Infinity nine speaker system. Creating a full acoustic sound experience. while the noises of the outside world remain outside. The front windscreen has Hydrophobic properties, to actually repel water. The glass is coated with a coating that creates a barrier from dirt, dust, grease, and water. clean by wiping with a damp cloth. Other optional equipment include a head light washer which sprays fluid directly on the light. To top it all off it an embedded rain sensor. When the rain begins falling on the windscreen, the wipers automatically adjust the wiper speed.

Peak Kia of Littleton
Toll Free (888) 606-5252

If you’re like many Japanese, you probably spent the New Year’s holidays shopping for bargains at the sales in town. Bargain is a word which often gives students some trouble. “Bargain sale” is Japanese English (和製英語). The correct word to use is sale.

バーゲンセール

バーゲンセールでマフラーを買う

buy a scarf at a sale

I bought this scarf at Daimaru’s winter sale.

バーゲンセールをする

have [hold] a sale

Iwataya is having a sale.

Sale

3 特売, 安売り（の日）, 見切り売り, 大売り出し；｟the 〜s｠｟英国用法｠セール期間

a winter ［a summer］ sale 冬物［夏物］大売り出し

a sale price  特価

buy at ［in a］ sale 特売で買う

The sales are on now.  大売り出し中

Bargain (bάːrɡən)

1 安価で売ること, 安売り

buy at a bargain 安く買う

2 バーゲン品, 特価品, 買い得の品; 契約済みの物

a bargain day 特売日

bargain prices 特価

pick up ［shop for］ bargains 掘り出し物を見つける［探す］

3 取引［売買］契約, 取引；（…間の）協約｟between …｠；（…という）契約｟to do, that節｠

a losing bargain 損な契約

close ［make, settle, strike］ a bargain with a person over …  …の取引を人と決める, 成約に達する

make a good ［a bad］ bargain 有利［不利］な取引をする；安く［高く］買う

beat a bargain ひどく値切る

A bargain is a bargain.  契約は契約, 約束は約束

It’s ［That’s］ a bargain.  それで決まった.

…………………………………………………….

Speak! English Salon/スピーク英会話サロン
http://web.me.com/josephcamcinnis
福岡市中央区大名１－１２－３６

★ためにならない日本語ブログ↓↓↓
http://22311221.at.webry.info/

The 2010 Kia Rio The classic style off the Rio is updated with modern design and convince. Still plenty of storage and adjustable seats. The Rio is built with a reinforced body structure. The body crumples in a predetermined calculated way. coupled with the front & side airbags, seatbelt pretension, and active head rests; safety is key to the Rios design. The trunk is adorned with a hook to secure your luggage in the trunk. Lay down one or both of the back seats to increase the cargo space. Remote keyless entry and truck unlock, help when hands are full.

Peak Kia of Littleton
Toll Free (888) 606-5252

I use the word “service” with my tongue held firmly in my cheek.  I think there’s a little blood in there right now…

One of our web sites went “down” along with the bonus, added detail of NO capability of email.  So, for a week we have been trying to get this straightened out.  Two phone calls a day to people called “Cynthia,” “George,” “Blaine,” etc…they are all in the Philippines.  Altogether I have made over eight phone calls to no avail. 

By the way, since I can, I’ll bash them…don’t even think of using web.com to host your site or handle your email – or for that matter, consider the inept people from www.web.com to come over to clean your cat litter box.  They are incapable of all this and MORE!

If it were as easy as pressing the button, this is the one I choose!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know they need work in the Philippines, and are generally doing it.  But, their accents are so heavy that, as an English speaking person, I can sorta’ understand one word out of ten that they say.  And, the statement, “I’m so, so sorry you are having these issues…let me see if I can help,” is bunk.

Let’s be truthful here.  Outsourcing customer service to folks who don’t speak the same language is a joke. 

If I were a Filipino with a computer related problem and reached a customer service representative in Houston, Texas, I’d hate it. 

And guess what; I keep reaching a non-English speaking customer “service” representative in the Philippines who doesn’t have a clue that they are ticking me off even more because they can’t understand me and vice versa.

I wonder if I’ll ever get our web site and email back.  I’ll bet not.

I had to convert set of HTML files to XHTML, obvious google result was HTMLTidy. Since I work on Microsoft Technologies I wanted a C# library which I can use. I came across an implementation at devx.

Since we had very limited time, we started looking for other options. Luckily Notepad++ which we use very often had a HTML Tidy plugin and it served to be effective.

Just go to TextFX>TextFX HTML Tidy>Tidy Convert to XHTML

and you have a neatly aligned XHTML at your had…! Isn’t that a time saver…?