New headlight technologies could save more lives

Each year, approximately 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists are killed along U. S. roads - 2,300 of them occurring at night - and another 70,000 pedestrians are injured in traffic crashes, according to a 2003 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

New automotive lighting technologies, including Xenon and Adaptive Front Lighting Systems, can help improve nighttime pedestrian safety, according to the Motor Vehicle Lighting Council.

According to researcher Michael Flannagan of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, drivers "overdrive" the headlights on many of today's vehicles, meaning they are going too fast to stop safely within the distance made visible by the headlights.

"The critical safety need in low-beam lighting is seeing distance," Flannagan said. "The maximum safe speed with today's average low beams is only about 45 mph. Our studies indicate there is a major safety problem that headlights could address."

One possible solution is Xenon headlights, also known as High Intensity Discharge or HID. Based on a gas discharge process, Xenon uses an arc instead of a filament as a light source. The result is enhanced roadway vision by increasing the light output to the sides of the road.

A 2004 University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute test revealed that Xenon headlamps provided twice as much light for seeing critical objects on the road while producing 25 percent less glare. The wider beam coverage also provides better lighting on road shoulders, where pedestrians and bicyclists are commonly found.

Nearly 120 vehicle models equipped with Xenon headlights were sold in North America in the 2005 model year -; up 21 percent from 2004.

Another emerging headlight technology is AFS or Adaptive Front Lighting System. It provides optimal illumination in various driving conditions by automatically modifying the beam pattern of the headlights in response to various speed, weather conditions and road situations. The headlamps automatically move as the steering wheel is turned. This helps illuminate the road at an earlier stage, allowing the driver more time to adjust and steer or brake as needed.

Op 8 des bonnes raisons de jouer au casino

Lors de multiples discussions, il en est ressorti que ce qui motive une personne a jouer de plus en plus au casino et autres jeux d'argent est son rapport a la vie.

Pour ces dernieres, la vie elle meme est un jeu. Respirer est un jeu, sortir hors de chez soi est un jeu, bref, meme le quotidien est un jeu. mais le casino, quant a lui, nous offre des sensations uniques car les paris ne sont, contrairement aux mouvemet quotidiens, bases que sur le fruit du hasard. Le casino procure a l'homme une montee d'adrenaline hors norme. Le risque est donc plus fort.

Ainsi, de cette etude. il en est ressorti les resultats suivants:

Le temps des vacances:

Ces 10 dernieres annees, Las Vegas est devenue l'endroit populaire pour jouer en famille car a la mise en place de systeme de resort et d'attractions familiales.

Pour gagner et devenir riche :

De toutes personnes interviewйes ces personnes sont les plus representatives du phenomene. Elles sont venues au casino avec l'espoir de devenir riches et de pouvoir changer le cours de leur destin.

Problиmes d'argent :

Rejoint l'idee precedente. Beaucoup semble croire qu'ils peuvent regler leurs problиmes d'argent en jouant. Or, il y a aussi de forte chance, si madame chance n'est pas la, qu'elles engrangent d'avantages de pertes et de problemes si elles ne peuvent gerer leurs jeux et leurs mises.

Salle de Mariage:

Pour certains, se rendre au casino est l'endroit ideal pour celebrer son mariage. Un peu comme dans une eglise quoi. Et de preference a Las Vegas ou Salt Lake City. Leurs salles deviennent a la mode pour ce genre d'evenement en raison de leur prix rentable, l'originalite de leur hall d'accueil et l'espace de la salle pouvant accueillir grand nombre d'invites.

Leurs revenus.

Pour certains, le casino est comme un metier. Certains y passent toute leur journee pour pouvoir remporter une sorte de "salaire" plus ou moins eleve d'ici la fin du mois.

Pour trouver l'ame soeur:

Vous n'imagineriez pas le nombre de personnes celibataires se rendant en casino lors de parties de celibataires, uniquement dns l'espoir de trouver l'ame soeur et pourtant. Grand nombre de personnes interrogees y ont mentionne ce desir.

Pour fuir de chez soi :

La majorite des personnes interrogees ayant repondu pour sortir de chez soi sont essentiellement des gens de la gente masculine, tous maries depuis plus de 10 ans et peres de famille. Ces derniers se rendent generalement au casino en moyenne une fois par mois pendant quelques heures avant de rentrer.

Pour le plaisir :

Ces personnes auraient eu la bonne reponse. Toutefois, j'ai du mal a croire que cette categorie, qui devrait apparaitre en premiere place, ne se trouve au final qu'au bas de la liste. En effet, jouer au casino devrait etre avant tout une partie de plaisir. Integrer une ambiance hors pair d'un casino reel, avoir des boissons gratuites et ameliorer leur techniques de jeux, telles sont leurs principales preoccupations.

Addiction when gambling becomes a problem

While most people enjoy casino gambling, sports betting, lottery and bingo playing for the fun and excitement it provides, others may experience gambling as an addictive and distractive habit. Statistics show that while 85 percent of the adult population in the US enjoys some type of gambling every year, between 2 and 3 percent of will develop a gambling problem and 1 percent of them are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.

Where can you draw the line between harmless gambling to problem gambling? How can you tell if you or your friend are compulsive gamblers? Here you can find answers to these questions and other questions regarding problem gambling and gambling addiction.

What is the Meaning of Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling or compulsive gambling is defined as an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the destructive effect of gambling on the gamblers life and despite feelings of guilt and remorse. Problem gambling tends to have a negative effect on the gamblers financial state, relationships and daily life. Severe cases of problem gambling can be defined as pathological gambling.

Am I a Compulsive Gambler?

1) Do you gamble until your last penny runs out?

2) Do you gamble to win back your former losses or debts?

3) Did you ever had to borrow money to continue gamble?

4) Did your gambling habit ever made you lie to your friends or family?

5) Did you ever skip work or other obligation to gamble?

6) Do you tend to gamble to forget about your personal problems or to celebrate happy occasions?

7) Does gambling have a negative affect on your daily life or relationships?

If you have answered yes on at least one of the questions listed above, then you have a problem.

Can Anyone Become a Compulsive Gambler?

Theoretically, yes. Any gambler can develop gambling problem regardless to the type of gambling he is occupied with, the amount of money and time he is spending on gambling. Researches show that slot machines that can be found in bars and convenient stores are the most addictive type of gambling activity, while lottery draws and bingo games are located on the other end of the scale. Gambling addiction is an emotional problem; its symptoms, causes and treatments are similar to any other form of addiction.

How Can I treat Gambling Addiction?

1) Group Therapy:

Gamblers Anonymous offers a 12 step self help program similar to the one offered to alcohol addicts in Alcoholics Anonymous. Group therapy also offers gambling addicts advice and support from professional counselors and other gambling addicts in different phases of their recovery process. Gambler Anonymous centers are available in more than 1,200 locations statewide.

2) Individual Therapy:

Cognitive or behavior therapy can help gambling addicts to identify their unaware thinking and acting patterns, which led them to gamble compulsively, and to replace them with controllable and healthier ways of thinking.

3) Psychiatric Medication:

It has recently been proven that antidepressant medications from the family of SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be affective in treatment of gambling addicts.

How to become a vegas showgirl

:
All of the big Las Vegas casinos put on shows to attract crowds to the casino, and instead of hiring new dancers every time the change the show, they hire full time dancers and these girls are called Showgirls.

If you have ever thought about putting elaborate costumes and dancing in front of crowds every night, then becoming a Vegas Showgirl may be the job for you.

Being a Vegas Showgirl is not an easy job. You must be in top physical condition if you expect to be a professional dancer, and it is important to remember that not everyone will make it, becoming a professional dancer is a roll of the dice, you have better odds of winning an
Online Craps game then making it as a dancer.

There are several things you can do to help improve your chances of getting your carrier as a Las Vegas Casino dancer started:

Dance lessons, if you want to be a professional dancer you have to learn several different styles of dance, and dance them all well. This may be the hardest part to becoming a dancer. This part will take many years and require you to spend several hours a day every day taking dancing lessons.

Physical Conditioning, dancing requires lots of endurance and stamina. Besides the workouts you will get from all the dancing lessons you will take you will also need to work out on your own regularly. These workouts should include aerobic and some weight training.

Weight training should not be done to build muscle mass only for building strength and muscle toning. The best way to do this is by doing high repetition counts of low weights. This method will make the existing muscles stronger but will not bulk you up.

To pursue a carrier in dancing in a Vegas Casinos it is important to target the leg, stomach and back muscle groups. It is from these muscle groups that a dancer moves.

Diet, Dancers are required to be tossed around and lifted into the air, not to mention the fact that most dancers are skin tight and for these reasons dancers must always watch their weight.

Many Las Vegas Showgirls have to get on the scale every week and if they gain weight they could get thrown out of the show. Always remember there are many people that dream of dancing professionally, and the casinos will not hesitate to throw a girl out and replace her for the slightest reason.

Once you feel you are good enough you can start sending in resumes. A resume should include each different style of dance that you know and how long you have been doing it, and it should also include all prior dance experience.

A good way to get experience is to get yourself in as many different things you can. Local theater groups are a great way to gain experience. Getting a job as a dance instructor Is also a good way to gain experience and practice at the same time.

By sending your resume to all the different casinos you can greatly increase your chances of getting at least one audition. Do not expect to get hired at the more popular casinos on your first audition. The bigger Las Vegas casinos usually like to hire girls with more experience, so you will probably have to work as a showgirl at a smaller casino first.

Best buy used car tips when it pays to be meticulous

Nowadays, more and more people are enticed to buy used cars. With so many financial choices available and cars “living longer,” many people just opt to buy used cars.

In fact, many smart consumers contend that buying used cars is just the same as buying new ones if the buyer knows how to buy used cars.

So, to help those who wish to buy a car but cannot afford a new one, here are some of the best tips that can be implemented when buying a used car.

1. Research

It is extremely important for an individual to conduct some research when buying used cars. In this way, the buyer will be able to know the ideal make and model to buy, the kind of performance to seeks, and the prices of used cars in the market.

Moreover, the risk of buying used cars is lessened if the buyer knows the important details to consider when buying used cars.

2. Check the cars history

The car’s history will definitely provide the buyer some solid information regarding the performances, repairs, and problems of the car. So if you CAN discover some history it would be to your advantage. In this way, the buyer will be able to compare and differentiate one car from the other. There are instances wherein used cars are being sold because of some past accidents or negative experiences. Buyers might consider more if the car he or she is about to buy has a history like this one.

3. Check the safety features

What more can you expect with a used car but it does not necessarily mean that the buyer will neglect the availability of safety features in the car.

By all means, an ideal car must possess safety features, whether it is old or new. According to some reports, almost 80% of the accidents are heightened because safety features are not available in the car.

4. Buyers should be wary about the documents that are included when buying used cars.

Buyers should be sure that the car is not stolen, there are no liens on the vehicle, and that the one who signed on the “Bill of Sale” is the true vendor and the possessor of the property.

5. Before buying a used car, it is best to meticulously inspect the overall condition of the car first. Buyers should be wary of any rust or damage; the tires should be checked, etc.

Indeed, buying a used car can be very tedious. Nevertheless, it will give the buyer some satisfaction and assurance that what he or she has bought is a good buy.

Magnesium wheels race to u. s. market

Automotive enthusiasts can now upgrade their vehicles with high-performance, forged magnesium wheels adapted from Formula One racing designs.

Magnesium. com recently announced the introduction of one-piece, forged magnesium wheels for street use in North America. The wheels are 20 percent to 30 percent lighter than forged aluminum and offer increased safety and performance.

"The U. S. wheel market is quite formidable and we intend to supply a smaller but very important segment of the 100 million vehicle wheels used in North America," said Mark Lisnyansky, president of Magnesium. com.

The magnesium alloy wheels are initially available in 20-inch and 22-inch sizes, and are treated with a high-tech anti-corrosion coating. The company will also be developing wheels in various sizes and compositions for specific North American applications.

"Steel wheels are becoming nearly obsolete and the prevailing trend is toward cast aluminum wheels," Lisnyansky said. "While most people are not familiar with forged wheels, performance car enthusiasts know that forged wheels offer significant advantages. And forged magnesium wheels, which are lighter and much stronger than their aluminum counterparts, are the next logical step in optimizing vehicle performance."

Magnesium wheels offer consumers improved safety by shortening braking distances and delivering higher acceleration rates as well as improving gas mileage. The "dampening" factor of magnesium allows for vibrations caused by road imperfections to be absorbed six times more effectively.

Using specialized aviation industry equipment, the company has been producing Superbike and Formula One competition wheel forgings for many years. The wheels are forged in Russia by a subsidiary and then machined and finished in Italy.

The good the bad and the ugly about luxury cars

If a $20,000 car is what you got, then a $30,000 car would be better and a $40,000 car ideal, right? The answer to that is the one you all know and love: it depends.

The Good

Let’s start with the obvious: you’re movin on up and letting the world know it, whether or not it’s true. That means more respect, better valet treatment, more dates. Luckily, in most cases there’s some truth to back up the image. Despite the increasing availability of features on lower-end cars these days, luxury cars still live up to their name by offering materials that look and feel better (i. e. real wood in the dash, real aluminum instead of painted plastic), soft leather (instead of hard leather, or leather mixed with vinyl), better sound insulation – all standard. Luxury cars are also held to a higher standard of performance with more cylinders, better brakes and suspensions, and best of all, often trade up from plain front-wheel-drive layouts to rear-wheel-drive, making driving more interesting. Who wouldn’t want their commute to be cozier and more fun at the same time? As a bonus, the owning experience will likely be richer all the way through, thanks to more courteous sales/service and a longer warranty.

The Bad

That stuff costs money. Stepping up from a compact-sized car (say, a Mazda 3) to a like-sized luxury car (say, a BMW 3-series) takes a cool dozen grand. Worse, the increase grows exponential as you ascend in the range: from a Honda Accord to an Acura RL takes $25,000, and from a Toyota Avalon to a BMW 750i takes an extra $40,000. In other words, the cost of one big Bimmer is enough for two Avalons and change. And don’t forget maintenance costs; ever seen the price of BMW parts?

The Ugly

It used to just be a matter of swallowing the price and writing the check, but many luxury makes have felt the need to prove the worth of their cars by confusing the hell out of the drivers. First it was Mercedes’ COMAND. Then it was BMW’s iDrive – by far the worst of the bunch – and finally Audi’s MultiMedia Interface. To a lesser degree, heavy-handed electronics and interfaces have crept into Japanese, American, and British luxury cars as well. What good is that 14-speaker stereo if you have to stop and look up in the manual how to change the station? Some of these electronics have also proven to be quite troublesome, causing the average reliability rankings of their parent companies to nosedive. Nothing luxurious about that.

But if you have the patience and tolerance, the world’s best cars are waiting for you. At a price.