The LuxMob Info Tags

It is all an issue of Image Resolution

There are currently three different HDTV formats: 720p, 1080i, and 1080p; all three are designated as HD-Digital TV standards by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), which adopted these formats.

The main difference between these three HDTV formats is one of image resolution.

The 720p is on the lower-end of the scale with an image resolution of 1280 pixels by 720 lines. The other two formats both support 1920 pixels by 1080 lines.
In other words, both support the same image resolution but there is a significant difference in the way the 1080i (interlaced) and the 1080p (progressive) formats build up the image.

Surely, image resolution in fixed-pixel displays is a very HOT topic with many HDTV buyers. For many, the obvious choice is to opt for the latest 1080p HDTV - also referred to as ultra-HD or full-HD by some manufacturers …but there is a price to pay to get the latest in HDTV technology.

On the other hand, the way the 1080i and the 720p formats build up the image may render the lower resolution 720p format more suitable to display certain image content.

In other words, do not simply jump to conclusions as to which HD format is best. As we will see in this article, each of these different HDTV formats has got its strengths and weaknesses.

1080i: Up to a few years ago, this was considered as the reference standard in HDTV. Nearly all first-generation HDTVs were rear-projection sets that supported this standard.

This format boasts a picture resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 horizontal lines that are painted on the screen in two interlaced halves (hence the ‘i’ in the ‘1080i’ format) - by first painting all 540 even-numbered lines on the screen (also referred to as the even-field), and then proceed with the painting of the odd-numbered lines (odd-field). These two fields together form a single frame of 1080 lines.

In the process, the screen is painted 60 times per second (50 times in a PAL signal) - each time painting only half of the lines per frame, with the entire screen being painted in two passes 30 times every second.

Because of the way the interlaced process paints the screen, all picture information contained in adjacent odd and even lines in an interlaced image is 1/60th of a second out-of-synch with the next or previous line. This in itself will impact on the type of image content that is best displayed on an interlaced display.

720p and 1080p HDTV: In contrast, in progressive-scan formats - 480p (EDTV), 720p and 1080p HDTV displays - all scanning lines in a single frame are displayed sequentially in a single pass.

In the process, a progressive scan video format writes one full frame of video information every 1/60 of a second as against the 1/30th of second required for an interlaced format.

The Bottom Line

The 1080i format is more widely supported by manufacturers and broadcasters; broadcasters however would normally broadcast only in either 720p or 1080i but not both. This should not be much of an issue in that any HDTV set you buy should be able to display pictures in any HDTV format by up-converting or down-converting to its native format, i.e. the one in which it’s designed to produce a picture.

From a pixel-count perspective, the 1080i supports better spatial resolution than a 720p HDTV display. In fact, while a 1080i supports a total pixel count of 2.07 million pixels, a 720p display supports only 0.92 million pixels. This means that if you want to display a 1080i signal on a 720p screen, you will lose 55.6% of pixels information.

This is not the case with 1080p HDTV which supports the same spatial resolution as 1080i, but with the added benefit that all 1080 scanning lines are displayed in a single pass, 60 times per second.

In other words, 1080p HDTV combines the superior resolution of the 1080i format with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p HDTV.

Because of the two passes per frame in a 1080i signal, a 1080i HDTV display is capable of producing a sharper picture only when the image is frozen or barely moving.

Progressive-scan 720p and 1080p HDTV displays introduce fewer motion artifacts, such as jagged diagonal lines and movement in fine detail, into the picture, leading to a video image that looks smoother and that stays sharper during motion than an interlaced one.

This means that a 720p display - with its substantially lower picture resolution, need not necessarily be worse than a 1080i one. Theoretically, a 720p display should be capable of a better flicker-free picture when it comes to fast moving action movie scenes and sports.

In comparison to the other two HDTV formats, 1080p HDTV has the best of both worlds - it has the spatial resolution of a 1080i signal and the smooth stable image of a progressive scan format.

It is worth mentioning here that interlaced formats aren’t really an option in fixed-pixel displays (DLP and LCD rear-projection as well as plasma and LCD flat-panel). This also explains why display manufacturers are shifting away from the 1080i and instead moving directly from 720p to 1080p HDTV.

And What about 1080p HDTV Sets?

Surely, 1080p HDTV represents the latest developments in HD Television technology. A few of these sets have already started to hit the market.

Among the latest HDTV models released this year, one can find the much awaited Samsung’s 2005 line-up of DLP 1080p HDTVs.

Not surprisingly, these sets do not come cheap. There is a premium one has to pay to get the latest and best in the HDTV world. As a minimum, expect to pay at least $1,000 to $2,000 more to jump from a 720p to a 1080p HDTV display. But when you are spending some $3,000 plus for a HDTV set, it is only human that you will be ready to fork out another one or two thousand dollars to get the best of breed.

Should you opt for a 1080p HDTV Set, and are these sets worth the extra expense?

Well, there is no straight answer here. It all depends on what are your requirements, yet there are a few facts you should know before making any decision:

• Surely, these sets are capable of producing spectacular results with ultra sharp images. But whether you will be able to see the difference in image quality between a 720p display and a 1080i signal displayed on a 1080p HDTV display depends on your TV viewing distance and screen size, more than on the screen native resolution. (It is not the scope of this article to discuss the TV viewing distance but more info in this respect is available at our site at http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/Tv-viewing-distance.html)

• In reality, it would be very difficult to detect any difference in image detail between 720p and 1080i/p HDTV material on the smaller sets from 10-feet away. Sit closer and feed your 1080p HDTV set with a good quality HD source, and you will start to see the difference.

• Further more, with most of today’s HD broadcasts, you’ll be hard pressed to see a difference in picture quality when you compare the image on current 720p sets versus the latest 1080p HDTV models. Surely, if you are thinking of going really big, then the extra image resolution would make the difference. But keep in mind that at present, true 1080p HDTV material is almost non-existent. What’s more, none of the major networks has announced 1080p broadcasts. If and when such high-def formats as ‘Blu-ray’ or ‘HD-DVD’ take off, the equation may change. But it will probably be at least a few years from now before this stuff become truly within reach of many household budgets.

Finally, most 1080p HDTV sets presently available on the market do not offer a 1080p connection. Though the HDMI standard does support 1080p HDTV, yet the majority of today’s 1080p HDTV sets do not offer a 1080p connection on their HDMI port.

To a certain extent, this is explained by the lack of true 1080p HDTV gear with which these sets can interconnect. In fact, what 1080p sets do is to up-convert 1080i material to 1080p HDTV to combine the benefits of a superior resolution of the 1080i format with the image smoothness and motion sharpness of progressive-scanning.

(c) 2004/2005 www.practical-home-theater-guide.com. All rights reserved.

Andrew Ghigo – A Telecoms/Electronics engineer by profession, with specialization in digital switching and telecoms fraud management systems.

Editor and publisher of http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com - a site dedicated to all home theater enthusiasts with the scope of serving as a comprehensive home theater guide to home theater systems, product reviews and home theater design.

This article is an excerpt from a series of guides appearing under the Rear Projection TV Reviews section of the site.

For many people, especially those who are not familiar with martial arts, the question often arises on what the difference between karate and kung fu is. Upon watching somebody doing martial arts, the untrained eye will find it hard to tell whether that person is doing karate or kung fu. Even those who are beginning martial arts may sometimes be confused about the different styles until further exposure to them will reveal just how different they really are.

Historically, the people living in the islands of Okinawa just south of Japan got exposed to Chinese kung fu martial arts due to the close proximity to China. Over time, the Okinawans and Japanese developed their own styles of martial arts now known as karate from the original influence of Chinese kung fu. Although both karate and kung fu utilize many similar martial arts techniques, most kung fu styles will usually have more variety of techniques compared to karate systems. It’s almost like the Japanese streamlined the number of techniques from Chinese systems to develop karate. The Japanese also modified the way techniques are executed in karate as they became more linear compared to kung fu. This is especially evident in the forms or katas (traditional sequence of set moves) where karate techniques are performed with crisp movements that have distinct stop and go motions.

In kung fu forms, movements involve the use of more circular techniques, particularly with the hands. These circular motions give kung fu forms a more visually graceful look as techniques seem to flow from one to another. There is less stop and go with most kung fu styles. This is why some martial artists, especially in North America, often refer to Chinese kung fu as ‘soft’ styles while karate and tae kwon do are ‘hard’ styles. This is not to say that hard styles such as karate or tae kwon do are more powerful martial arts than kung fu and other soft styles. The term ‘soft’ is a bit misleading because the power from circular kung fu moves is often hidden. Circular moves can generate just as much power as linear ones found in hard styles. Most kung fu forms are also usually more complex and longer in duration than most karate forms. To most martial artists, a kung fu form will look much more exotic while a karate form will look more straight forward in terms of martial arts techniques. Interestingly enough, there are karate styles such as goju which do have quite a lot of circular techniques similar to kung fu. Kempo styles are considered a hybrid of Chinese kung fu and Okinawan karate techniques with both circular as well as linear techniques. There are also many more different styles of kung fu compared to karate.

Martial arts weaponry is found in both kung fu and karate styles but different sets of weapons are utilized in each martial arts system. Much like the empty hand forms, the kata with karate weapons are also more linear compared to those with kung fu weapons which have more circular movements. As expected, there is a lot more variety of different Chinese kung fu weapons than found in the Japanese karate styles.

Traditionally, practitioners of karate wear a white uniform called a gi which features the overlapping kimono-like top. Less traditional schools like those in North America will allow colored uniforms. A colored belt will be the finishing touch to the gi with of course the black belt for those at instructor level ranking. Most of the time and especially inside a dojo studio, karate stylists will not wear any shoes while training. Most kung fu stylists will wear a very different looking uniform. Kung fu uniforms usually consist of tops with Chinese ‘frog-style’ buttons rather than overlapping fronts like the karate gi top. The uniforms can be black or a variety of colors with often lighter fabrics such as satin and shoes are commonly worn. The modern acrobatic Chinese martial arts of wushu can feature satin uniforms with many different bright colors. Many kung fu schools simply utilize t-shirts and baggy pants as uniforms. Satin colored sashes are often worn to signify rank of students but this is actually more of a North American style as most kung fu schools in Asia do not show rankings in uniforms.

Overall, there’s more variety of techniques, styles, weapons and uniforms found in the Chinese kung fu systems compared to karate. However, that is not to say that one system or style of martial art is superior to another. They are just different and to the observer, it could come down to personal preference. Some prefer kung fu and some prefer karate. Some ambitious martial artists who desire a full well rounded education practice both kung fu and karate.

Clint Leung is a lifelong martial artist with over 32 years of training experience in kung fu, tae kwon do, karate, kickboxing and martial arts weaponry. He has won Canadian and world championship titles (NASKA, NBL and WSKF). He is also owner of Free Spirit Activewear (http://www.FreeSpiritActivewear.com) , an online retailer and designer of premium martial arts activewear. Free Spirit Activewear has martial arts info articles.

The expectations for fathers are increasing both at work and at
home. Here are ten ways for fathers to be more effective in the
most important job they’ll ever have:

1.See your kids as capable

The achilles heel of many fathers is to see their kids as “not
good enough.” Your kids will feel this, and they’ll live up to
these expectations. The more you approve of them, the greater
they’ll be!

2.Make time for your kids

There will always be more work, but you won’t always have the
chance to be with your kids. Are there ways to include them in
chores around the house? Your kids will know if they matter to
you by the effort you make to include them in your day.

3.Use positive forms of discipline

Punishment is not very effective. It tends to create more of the
very behavior that fathers are seeking to eliminate. Use natural
and logical consequences instead—if you don’t pick up your toys,
they get put in a bag and taken away for awhile. Give them
choices. Positive discipline methods help kids learn
responsibility, punishment helps them learn to dislike you.

4.Have a great relationship with you wife

You are the main role model for your kids, and this is the main
source of information for them about how to have a close
relationship. They’re watching very closely to learn how to do
it.

5.Be aware of your kids lives

How much do you really know about your kids? Are you aware of
their hopes and dreams? Do you know what inspires them? Do you
know their friends names? What they like and dislike about you?
If there are things you don’t know about your kids, you can
always ask!

6.Be nurturing with your kids

Hug and kiss your kids, and let them hear plenty of “I love
you’s.” And also don’t forget to wrestle with them. Both boys
and girls benefit from wrestling with their dads. Kids need to
see your “soft” side, so show it to them frequently.

7.“Really” listen to your kids

Put down the newspaper and look your kids in the eye when they
talk to you. Be aware of your own tendency to “filter” what your
kids say. Reflect back what you heard from them. If you want
them to listen to you, you’ve got to show them the way.

8.Examine your relationship with your own father

A poor relationship with your own father will affect your
ability to be an effective father. Are there things you want to
say to your father? Ultimately, forgiving your father will go a
long way towards allowing you to father to the best of your
ability.

9.Take care of yourself

It’s difficult to be kind and nurturing to your family if you’re
not kind to yourself. Find ways to take the time to relax,
exercise, and keep your stress levels lower. And use friends and
family to support you—don’t become an “island” in your family.
Your family will appreciate it.

10.Have a plan for your anger

Men can have a difficult time with the overwhelming emotional
intensity that families can experience. The result is often
anger, which breeds anger in your kids and creates a vicious
cycle. Make a plan with a specific relaxation technique that
helps to defuse your anger. Remember that one bad episode can
impact your kids for a long time.

For best health, it is important to keep your environment as chemical free as possible. With better weather coming up, consider this:

Many people do not realize that using pesticides and weed killers on lawns can cause health problems for your children and animals, as they often are on the lawn daily in the summer.

Some pesticide studies have raised concerns about the connection between pesticide exposure and childhood brain cancer and leukemia. Also impaired development of the reproductive system and neurological and developmental problems.

Both children and pet’s body composition is smaller for the amount of chemical they are exposed to, so the health threat is bigger for them. Of course, it is not good for you as an adult, either.

For a safe alternative to weed killers, try vinegar. Yes, the vinegar you have sitting in your kitchen cupboard.

You can use straight household vinegar and put it in a spray bottle, and spray that on the weeds you find in your yard and garden. You could also add a little dish soap to the vinegar, which will help the mixture to stick to the weeds.

Vinegar mix will not get the roots, so it is best to spray on the weeds before they are two weeks old for best effect.

Please remember that the vinegar will kill or injure what it comes in contact with. So be careful with getting it on the grass or other plants that you want to keep.

If the weeds are not young, you may want to purchase one of those tools that are advertised that you poke into the ground and pop the whole weed out. Most of the ads I have seen show the person being able to pop the weed out without bending over or getting on their knees.

By eliminating weed killer you may be preventing health problems for your self and your loved ones in the years to come. It is certainly worth the few minutes it takes to mix up the solution
don’t you think?

Article written by Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. Jeannie
publishes a newsletter in which she shares
Nutrition tips and research.You can get your tips started
by going to http://www.health-doc.com

One common mistake new bloggers make is not realizing that managing a blog is similar to publishing a magazine. Your blog, to be successful, requires constant planning, research, analysis, and then more planning. You have to keep on top of your topic niche, but this means different things for different people.

For example, if you are blogging about something you do everyday, and are offering “how-to” type of info, then you may not need to do a lot of reading to keep on top of your topic. On the other hand, if you are writing about new products in your industry, unless you are creating these products yourself, you will probably have to do regular research to keep up.

I write several blogs that fall into different categories. For my computer programming blogs, I draw on my experience in a particular computer language and generally do not need to do any research, unless I want to blog about new software and tools. These programming blogs, however, take a great deal of effort, and any code I write has to be tested. The time investment per article is equal to or more than I spend on “research” blogs.

For product-related blogs, I have to do regular, intense research. I use Google Alerts (http://google.com/alerts) to have snippets of web or blog pages delivered to my email on a daily basis. Google Alerts lets you type in a few keywords and your email address, along with a delivery frequency (weekly, daily, as-it-happens). I get updates on several keywords nightly. They’re a boon to my research, but if I fall too far behind in checking the alerts, the resulting giant to-read list can get intimidating. (By the way, Yahoo! and MSN have similar services.)

What I do with the alerts is skim over them. If a snippet interests me, I’ll click on the link to visit the source web page and read the full story. I try to read several stories on the same topic, then summarize all of them into one short article, add links to the source stories, and add my own spin to the topic, either supporting or refuting what is being said in the stories. Adding your own spin is essential, as it is your opportunity to add your own personality - which is usually more evident in your original blog entries. Anyone can write a summary; make that summary yours.

With blogs that document my experience on a topic, I try to think about what I know now that would have helped me when I was starting out. Someone out there can do with your guidance. Providing this guidance in a blog is an excellent way to build rapport with readers. I feel that anyone can do this, regardless of what type of business you are in. But there are some questions you have to ask yourself, and which you should answer before you start blogging:

• Why are you blogging? Are you essentially trying to sell products and services (either online or offline), or showcasing your experience for some other reason? I blog for several reasons:
• I love to write.
• I can earn advertising money.
• I have a number of e-books that I’m writing, which I eventually hope to promote via some of my blogs.
• I showcase my blogs for small business owners who want to see what a blog for their industry may look like. For example, I have a couple of potential clients who are small- to medium-sized merchants that sell antiques or home decor and fashion. I’ve set up an example blog for them to view the possibilities.
• I showcase my experience on a topic, in order to gain contracts for website or blog architecting, design, or technical writing.
• Who are you writing for? My blogs are each targeted to different people. Even though several of them are showcases that exist in hopes of getting me contracts, they are written as any magazine on the same topic might be. For example, my antiques/ home decor blog is written for anyone who has an interest in such. In this case, I’m targeted buyers, not dealers. But the way I’ve set it up, my intent is to attract dealers to eventually write articles. My blog about spinning blogs is aimed at both people who write only one blog and those who write, or want to write, several blogs. I have to achieve a balance in my articles to cater to both types of readers.
• Who is going to write the blog entries? If you are the sole proprietor of the business you are promoting and have no employees, this will have to be you, as no one else knows your business as well as you do. If you have employees, you might have them participate: you sketch out ideas, they finish the articles. Or if your employees don’t have sufficient writing skills, you might consider an intern who wants to learn your business.
• Who is responsible for the quality of the content? Someone has to take on the role of editor. Ultimately, as a business owner, you should “own” the content. If the blog is promoting your business, it must maintain credibility, otherwise that will reflect badly on your business. But in reality, someone has to edit the content, especially if you are not the writer or if there are multiple writers. If your business is large enough to have a marketing department, they are the most likely “owners” of the blog. Otherwise, the task of editor may fall to you. Some blogmasters-for-hire will assume the role of editor.
• Who will be the blogmaster? This is a hybrid task, falling partway between marketing and partway between (technical) webmastering. It includes managing the blog, posting of entries, optimizing content for the Search Engines, and analysis of blog traffic. Blogmastering is yet another task you will probably have to add to your own to-do list. However, some bloggers out there will help you manage a blog, typically for a monthly fee, or for a retainer plus a per-post fee. These fees may include promotion as well as analysis of incoming web/ blog traffic. The latter is crucial; geo-targeting is essential to businesses which have geographical differences or limitations. For example, if you run a local business, but are finding that much of your web traffic is coming from another state or even another country, you may want to re-think your blog strategy. (Example below.)
• With what frequency will entries be posted? Typically, it’s wise to post entries two or more times a day, at least 5 days a week - although there are “weekly” blogs. Your blog entries do not always have to be large articles, and can often be summaries of other blogs or their articles, a list of resources, a few helpful hints, or relevant tips on saving money. However, every once in a while, you should write a longer article. To place higher in the Search Engines, your entries should be at least 75 words in length, when possible. Note that if your business is purely regional, and is unlikely to interest anyone outside of a certain geographical radius, blogging may not be as effective for you. In that case , you may want to set up a portal blog and invite other business owners from across the country/ continent/ world to participate. The “helpful hints” entries are of interest to all readers, but a region-specific blog entry could link to the writer’s own business website. Keep in mind that the synergy gained from multiple points of view has proven itself in terms of web traffic on various blog networks. There is also less onus on a single writer to blog everyday, and the increased number of total daily blog contributions is likely to draw more blog traffic than for several small regionally-based blogs.

These are just a few of the questions you have to answer. I recommend that before you set up your blog, you also write at least 10 entries to get a feel for things. Starting up and maintaining a blog, on top of your daily business commitments, is a lot of work. It’s your public face on the Internet - more so than a regular website - and you want to maintain credibility. So plan your blog well.

Raj Kumar Dash is a writer, author, and Internet consultant. Visit his hubsite at http://www.chameleonintegration.com/ to find the full introduction to blogging. (A free ebook on blogging is in the works.) Newbie bloggers can also visit Raj’s BlogSpinner blog at http://blogspinner.countwordula.com/ for a “how-to guide to blogging”.

Do you sometimes get bored with your
aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes
feel like you’re not getting the results
you should from your aerobic exercise?
If so, then aerobic cross-training is
for you.

Aerobic cross-training refers to using
two to three different types of aerobic
exercise during an exercise session. For
example, if you plan to exercise for 60
minutes, you might start with 20 minutes
of walking or jogging, followed by 20
minutes of biking, and finish with 20
minutes of rowing.

Now, please don’t get the impression that
you have to be in great shape to do this
or that it has to be 60 minutes long.
You can start with something as simple
as a ten minute walk followed by ten
minutes with an exercise video. This is
cross-training too. You can gradually
build up from there.

Here are some of the exercises you can
use in your cross-training program;
walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair
climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc.
Any combination of aerobic exercises
will do. You simply go from one to the
next with very little time between
them.

Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to
you in several ways:

1. It provides variety which eliminates
the monotony often associated with doing
the same exercise for a long period of
time.

2. If your exercise sessions are
less monotonous and more enjoyable, you
are much more likely to exercise more
often and for longer periods of time.

3. You are less prone to over-use
injuries that sometimes occur from
doing the same exercise movements over
and over again.

4. You tone more muscles because you are
using more muscles. For example, walking
tones mostly the lower body muscles and
rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even
exercises like walking and biking that
both tone lower body muscles, tone them
at different angles and each tones some
small muscles that the other doesn’t.

5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific
to the muscles being worked. For example,
you can walk ten miles a day and still be
somewhat breathless after climbing stairs
because you haven’t trained the muscles
for that specific movement. Aerobic
cross-training allows you to develop
more comprehensive aerobic training.

6. Aerobic cross-training is effective
for weight loss because your are toning
and training the fat-burning systems
of more of your muscles. It turns more
of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning
machines! You are also more likely to
exercise on a regular basis and for longer
periods of time. this also promotes
weight loss and fitness.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,
offers free weight loss and fitness success stories
and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs
for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with
slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism. http://www.Landry.com

I thank Science for the gift of a reliable friend who lifts me
up and escorts me down with just one button push. Elevators take
people, as well as their baggages to wherever it is programmed
to go.

Elevators are enclosure or platforms that are operated by
cables, motors and other equipment or accessories enabling the
vertical shaft to go up and down, and transport people, freight
or both.

Elevators have a movable surface which takes full control of the
horizontal stabilizer that produces the upward and downward
motion.

Elevators have not only been helpful to people, but also to
business and industries which thrives mainly on the freight
services, the vertical transportation in mines, buildings, and
as well as in large ships.

Elevators are also used to carry equipments and machineries that
have belts or chains attached to buckets for the easy and
convenient transporting of bulk materials.

Elevator Discography

In the ancient times, elevators had buckets attached to the
conveyor that is used in simple hoisting of materials. Steam
operated elevators are used to convey materials in warehouses,
mines and factories back in the 19th century.

But during the time of the American inventor Elisha G. Otis in
year 1853, safety devices were produced to support and prevent
cables from breaking or falling off. In 1856, due to the burning
desire to improve the quality of technology that will be of a
great help in the industry,

Otis put up a manufacturing company where steam elevators are
patented. And shortly, after 5 years, during the time of
invention of Sir William Artstrong’s hydraulic cranes, steam
powered elevators are slowly replaced by hydraulic machines.

>From then on, hydraulic elevators were widely used in the
business industry as it is supported by a heavy piston,
gradually making motion inside a cylinder and is powered by
water or oil pressure which one produced by pumps.

After years of expertise, people have developed the new
generation of electric elevator which are operated by electric
motors - successfully leading to the truth birth of semi and
fully automated elevators. Now, modern elevators are proven to
speed up the quality of work, and its design.

Elevator codes and construction

In US and Canadian jurisdictions, standard model codes for
elevator construction is required in compliance with the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This is said to answer
forth all the inspection of elevators, security and maintenance,
as well as the elevator installation.

For safety measures, elevators are built under the strict
supervision of the Building Codes, and are expected to comply
with the standards and requirements stated by local authorities
having jurisdiction.

The an elevator lasts to up to more than 30 years. They are sold
in packages that are withheld as non-proprietary, and usually
comes with microprocessor controls.

Purchases with non-proprietory systems embarks a higher cost and
face value on the elevator, but letting buyers or owners take
over that responsibility or ownership may lower and even off-set
the elevator’s long term cost.

Over the years, people continue to develop the quality and
abilities of such elevators.

Today, the most widely used elevators in all known business
field and industries are powered by microprocessors and are
fully controlled by computer generated devices, thus making the
elevator system run as smooth as it can in the roughest times of
the operation.

This task is referred to as the “traffic studies.” Where
elevator experts and consultants uses a high-tech device to
control and allows access to different floors. Access to
elevators are successfully aimed through the use of access
codes, keys and card readers.

Elevator Safety

1. To maintain the quality of elevators, and to ensure that it
is on a good working condition all the time, seek for regular
schedule of renovation. The need to replace doors, interior cab
finishes, hoist machine, hoistway, car doors, floor landing
doors, hall fixtures, hydraulic pistons, and so on may arise.

2. Moreso, an additional code compliance states that renovation
and other related issues shall be reviewed with a professional
elevator consultant when it comes to buying new materials.

3. Elevators are the safest vehicle system the world has ever
known. However, in 1972, it has been reported that hydraulic
elevators tend to show possible events of danger, as there may
be a risk in hydraulic oil leak.

Whatever machine or equipment you use for whatever purpose they
serve, machine are like people who needs to visit their doctor
to monitor their body operations and functions.

Regardless of what type of gadget you use, science continue to
discover and improved high-tech equipments to improve the
quality of life, and not to put them in great risk.

A is for Anti-Virus: she got it from my Uncle.

B is for Backup: always look in your rear view mirror first.

C is for Caddy: part of computer that holds a coffee cup.

D is for Defrag: a popular dance in the 1920’s.

E is for Email: post office talk for express mail.

F is for Folder: before I pack a dress, I fold er.

G is for Game Port: cruise ships dock there to play.

H is for Hard Drive: going from Toronto to Florida by car.

I is for Internet: a basketball has to get inter net to score.

J is for JPEG: similar to a square peg in a round hole.

K is for Keyboard: I hang my keys here so I don’t lose them.

L is for Laser Printer: placed on eye during laser surgery.

M is for Memory: deteriorates unless I use it.

N is for Newbie: a recent addition to the hive.

O is for Online: a covered row when playing Bingo.

P is for Program: usually handed out at beginning of a show.

Q is for Quit: don’t ever!

R is for Ram: a male sheep.

S is for Software: the best clothes to buy.

T is for Traffic: always heaviest at rush hour.

U is for URL: short for You Are Loved.

V is for Virus: the reason we get vaccinations.

W is for WYSIWYG: a sissy wearing a toupee.

X is for X-Axis: dig for treasure here, but not with an axe.

Y is for Yahoo: often yelled after a win.

Z is for Zipped File: another name for zippered briefcase.

Carol Bremner is a computer loving member of the gray generation. Her websites, http://www.creativehomecomputing.com and http://www.motivatedtolearn.com promote computer literacy in the home for the over 50 crowd.

One bad apple can spoil the bunch! As a leader, we cannot allow “bad apples” to interrupt our efforts toward achieving our goals.

Leaders can quickly lose credibility with their team when we fail to immediately address issues that get in the way of the teams’ mission.

So how do we best address an issue with an employee that we perceive to be a “bad apple”?

First, we self-assess our own actions. The three key leadership areas that we must consistently hold ourselves accountable to:

- Teach
- Coach
- Expect

Teach - Have you, as the leader, taken the time to communicate your expectations clearly? Have you taught the employee?

Coach - Have you provided the one-on-one training and coaching to ensure the employee is capable of meeting your expectations?

Expect - Have you witnessed the employee doing the task, or exhibiting the behavior you expect, so that you know they understand? Have you been consistent in your expectations so that you know that the employee could not have misunderstood?

Assuming you have met the above criteria, then the conversation with the offending employee can be pretty straightforward.

We never said it was going to be easy, but if you’ve done your job as the leader, the employee simply needs to understand his/her choices.

An effective leader understands the importance of acting quickly and fairly with problem employees.

To ensure fairness, leaders must remove their personal emotions from the professional issue at hand. Leaders must prepare themselves so that the entire discussion focused on two areas:

- Performance
- Behavior

Stay focused only on Performance and Behavior when working through employee issues. Trust this advice and I guarantee that your Human Resources Rep. and/or any future Legal Rep., will love you for it!

Yes, there is always a risk, and possibility of legal consequences ie. someone suing you for wrongful termination. Serious stuff, right?

Still, you can be confident! Terminating someone due to repeated, specific behavior and/or performance issues, can be reasonably understood by a 12-person jury. Whereas, firing someone because “you just didn’t like him/her” can raise serious doubt about the credibility of the manager.

So, one last time – always keep comments (verbal and written) focused solely on Performance and/or Behavior.

Let’s consider a specific example.

How a great leader can present a WINNING CHOICE to a bad apple:

- Communicate clearly your expectations in terms of Performance and Behavior.

- Communicate the rewards of meeting your expectations ie. job security, future opportunity, respect and credibility

- Communicate the consequences of not meeting expectations ie. looking for another role where he/she will find more fulfillment.

- Allow the employee the opportunity to choose his/her own path (one road leads to rewards, the other road leads to new adventures - probably working for someone else)

- Ensure the employee that you will support the employee in either CHOICE he or she makes - but ultimately, the choice and the responsibility belongs to the employee.

- Confirm that the employee understands your expectations and that you will do your part by supporting him and holding him accountable.

Once you have had this discussion and placed the employee on a “Final Notice”, you have truly empowered the employee to create his/her own destiny.

The actions of the employee, in terms of both Performance and Behavior, will soon signal to you his or her “choice”.

Make sure you “support” the employee in whichever path she chooses to take.

Reward her for her progress, or release her from a situation that neither party is happy with.

By following the above guidelines, your team will respect you for your fair and decisive leadership.

No, it’s never easy to let someone go, but it is the right thing to do if that’s the employees’ “choice”.

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today’s aspiring leaders.

Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.