Daily Archives: June 21, 2017

Why Driving Drowsy Is Just as Bad as Driving Drunk

by

We’ve probably all heard about driving drunk. Your reactions are a lot slower, you feel more inclined to take risks, and you simply can’t focus if you try to drive while under the influence of alcohol. Not only that, but you’re likely to be caught by the authorities and be fined as well as given a criminal record. If you want to avoid this at all costs, then you simply stop drinking and control your alcohol intake. We all know it’s a bad thing that you shouldn’t do, but did you know that driving while tired is actually just as dangerous?

Image Credit

 

Think about your drowsy self

 

When you’re sleepy, what happens? The first thing that you’ll notice is that your eyes become heavy and they may occasionally shut. As a driver, your most important tool is your pair of eyes. Without them, you can’t see anything in front of you. You won’t be able to spot the red light, you won’t see the oncoming truck, and you won’t see that cyclist that’s losing control of his bike and swerving into you. The last thing you want is to get on the phone to a car accident personal injury attorney during your morning commute, so why would you want to drive drowsy again?

 

Another effect of being sleepy is that you’re fatigued. Even if you are able to keep your eyes open, your entire body becomes slow and you won’t be able to pay attention to anything around you—including the road. You essentially become a dangerous threat on the road that is both unpredictable and unavoidable. This is exactly the same as what you’d feel if you tried to drive while under the influence. Unfortunately, there is no quick way to tell if someone is drowsy. To determine if a driver is drunk or not, police often use a test to check for alcohol in someone’s breath. Unless the driver has heavy eyes and is falling asleep, then there’s really no way to tell if someone is tired or not. It’s also hard to determine if someone was tired or not at a crash scene, making it even more difficult to identify.

 

Signs that you’re tired

 

So we’ve already gone through two symptoms of drowsiness: heavy eyes and fatigue. However, there are some more subtle signs that you should keep in mind as well. If you’re frequently blink while you drive, then it could be an indication that your eyes are starting to become heavy. If you find yourself daydreaming a lot as well, then it could be because your mind isn’t focusing very well and you’re losing track of what you’re doing. Yawning is also a common indication of drowsiness.

 

If you find yourself suffering any of those above symptoms, then take a moment to relax. Stop your car as soon as possible in a safe place and take a brief nap. It’s better to arrive at your destination in once piece a little later than schedule than not arrive at all. Driving while drunk and sleepy carry the same risks and symptoms, so the next time you want to force yourself into work while sleepy, consider drinking a couple more cups of coffee and taking a brief nap before you get in the car.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Threats to Your Small Business That Will Prevent It From Gaining Success

by

Small business owners all over the world have one thing in common: a dream. They wish that in the future, their small business will grow from the humble beginnings of a startup and reach international recognition. They dream that their business will have thousands of employees, hundreds of office locations and a product to be reckoned with. Sadly, those dreams will quickly be stamped out by these following issues if they aren’t taken seriously enough. From fraudster employees to copycats, here are the threats you need to look out for as you’re running your business.

Photo Source

 

Lack of Continuity

 

When your business suffers an accident, such as being burned down in a fire or when your internet connection goes down, you need to have a continuity plan. In short, this is essentially a backup plan that you engage when something goes wrong. For instance, if you work exclusively in the cloud, then you’re technically immune to any kind of hardware failures, but you won’t be able to work without an internet connection. On the contrary, if most of your work is stored on physical mediums at work, then an office fire or flood could destroy the hardware and it will forever be lost. The best solution is to mix both mediums and hatch a continuity plan.

 

Fraudulent Employees

 

When employees commit fraud, there are no second chances. You need to terminate their contract and replace them as soon as possible. Luckily, there are services like MCC4Tax that will prevent your company from suffering the consequences of something like tax evasion that was committed by a fraudulent employee and not by you. Fraudulent employees could also mean employees that pretend to be something they aren’t. A good example of this is when an employee claims to know certain skills and does a half-arsed job when asked to work. Get rid of these types as soon as possible and ensure that your recruitment process combs through every bit of history your new recruits have.

 

Spreading Resources Correctly

 

One of the biggest decisions a business owner has to make is the choice between diversification and specialisation. One one hand, diversification helps you reach a wider audience, but specialisation helps you build a loyal fan base. The decision to diversify or specialise ultimate comes down to you as the business owner, but it’s worth analysing the advantages and disadvantages of both in your situation. For instance, if your main product is a smartphone, then diversifying it to have a large screen model might spread your production resources too thinly because there isn’t enough demand to make it worthwhile. On the contrary, specialising your current product and creating an updated version might alienate new potential buyers because you have a niche in the market.

 

Copyright Disputes

 

Lastly, let’s not forget about copyright disputes. If a copycat is trying to mimic your product, then you need to hire a lawyer as soon as possible and send a cease and desist letter. If they don’t respond, then take legal action and shut them down. Copyright disputes also work the other way, however. For example, if you’re randomly stealing images from the internet to use on your website, then you might have a nasty surprise when someone claims you’re using their work without their permission, and this could result in expensive image copyright fines that could set your business back.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

On The Open Road: A Career As A Truck Driver

by

Choosing the right career can often leave you feeling overwhelmed with the options you have available. Whether you are fresh out of school, struggling with a midlife crisis, or just wanting a change of direction and more flexibility, you might find yourself looking at your options and making a decision. You may, or may not, have considered a career on the open road before as a truck driver. It can be a very rewarding career path to choose. If you are considering this option then here are some of the things you should consider.

Image

 

Do you enjoy driving?

 

One of the first things to ask yourself is whether or not you actually enjoy driving. After all, that is what this career choice entails. Driving for long stretches of time, and often at different times of the day in all kinds of weather conditions. You need to also make sure you are physically and mentally up for the challenge. Not only are you sitting and driving for long periods of time, but you will also be spending a lot of time on your own. This can be hard for someone who isn’t comfortable in their own company.

 

Do you need additional tests and qualifications on your license?

 

Depending on what avenue of truck driving you embark on, you may find that you need to take additional tests to make sure your driving license is up to date with what vehicles you can drive. This might mean training and cost from the outset, so make sure you are prepared for that.

 

Accidents do happen

 

Even though you are driving a big vehicle accident can still happen, and some cases, they can be much worse due to the size of the vehicle. But don’t worry as this can be taken care of when entrusting the help of trucking accidents lawyers to take on your case. You may not be at fault or may have suffered an injury because of it. The experts can ensure everything is handled correctly, so although this may be a worry for taking on this career, you are assured that you have people on your side.

Image source

 

Be comfortable with your choice

 

Some companies will offer you two sorts of job opportunities when it comes to driving trucks for them. You may choose to do a standard 40-hour working week. In this case, you will turn up, driver your truck for the set working day, and then return home each day. You may find the journeys are shorter in this circumstance. Other options include driving longer distance which may see you traveling huge distances and being away from home.

 

Be aware of other duties involved

 

It sometimes doesn’t end with driving the truck. In some job situations, you may be required to unload or load the truck. This may mean a bit of heavy lifting. You might be best to ensure that you are in good health to take on this sort of role. Or, make sure you go for a truck driving job that just means driving only, and the responsibility of the load lies elsewhere.

 

I hope this helps you if this is a career choice you are making.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Online Learning and How it Just Might Change Your Life

by

It’s interesting how readily young people embrace the internet. For those of us in our middle years, the sheer volume of information that can be accessed by a few simple keystrokes or dabs of a touch screen would have boggled our minds 30 years ago.

 

Digital communications have handed us the keys to a virtual kingdom of data that is already shaping the way in which we learn and assimilate information. I don’t know about you, but I was initially mistrustful of the non-traditional online approach to higher education, but recent years have seen a huge boom in the legitimacy of online learning with a wealth of academic and vocational qualification available through digital channels.

Image by Flickr

 

While distance learning is nothing new (the UK’s Open University is actually the country’s largest learning institution and still a pioneer in distance learning), the range of courses available online from reputable accredited institutions has never been greater and more accessible.

 

Let’s have a look at some of the advantages of online learning and how it can help you take the next step in your career, or start all over again.

 

Online learning has some inherent advantages over its campus-based counterpart:

 

    • Variety – Online courses from bachelor’s to doctorate level are available in just about any field of study.
    • Lower costs – Online courses are generally cheaper than campus based courses as there are fewer overheads. You’ll also have no commuting costs and materials will often be made available to you for free as part of the course.

 

  • Comfort – You’ll never be stuck in traffic getting to a virtual lecture. You can study from the comfort of your favorite armchair… In your pyjamas. In terms of comfort, online learning leaves campus learning in the dust.

 

  • Convenience – Your studies can fit around your life rather than the other way around. You can work as many hours as you want and fulfill your parental commitments and manage your learning in your own time.
  • Greater focus – Studying at home, you won’t be distracted by others and can concentrate completely on your learning.
  • Seamless career advancement – You can learn alongside work with no suspicious gaps in your resume.
  • No commuting – Many campus based learners spend hours travelling to and from campus which can be time consuming and potentially hazardous due to fatigue or weather conditions.
  • Improves technical literacy – Older readers may have a very cautious relationship with technology. Even the most basic online courses will increase your proficiency and comfort dealing with computers.  

 

Gaining new knowledge and skills

 

Many of us want to gain new knowledge and skills later in life but are reticent to do this in a campus environment. We’re all a little insecure when outside of our comfort zone and the prospect of strolling into a lecture surrounded by bright young things who may already be more proficient in  our chosen field of study could be daunting enough to put us off.

 

Online learning allows you to learn at your own pace without comparing yourself normatively to others, and the sheer variety of online courses means that whatever field of study you wish to pursue, however esoteric, it’s within your reach.

 

Advancing your career

 

Many of us want to pursue continual professional development outside of the scope of what our current employers will fund (or allow). Fortunately there are a wealth of vocationally specific courses, such as this accredited RN to BSN program online course designed to help nurses expand their portfolio of skills and take the next step in their career.

 

Whatever your chosen field, chances are there’s a course out there that will allow you to take the next step in your career and wave goodbye to employers who have perhaps taken you for granted or under-invested in your development.

 

Changing careers

 

A career change in midlife can be a dauntingly disruptive experience for anyone. Even with an incredible support network it can be virtually impossible to gain new knowledge and skills without quitting your job and enduring a financially troubling interstice between careers. Online learning allows students to arrange their studies around their existing work and family commitments. The flexibility and control over the pace of your own learning makes it ideal for those who’d prefer to endure their current jobs while they study to allow themselves a little more financial stability.

 

The ability to manage our learning alongside work and family, combined by the lack of conspicuous gaps in our resumes will make us more appealing to potential employers.

 

Whatever preconceived notions you may have had about online learning, it’s definitely worth looking into courses that suit your interests. They could just change your life!

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

The Eyes Have It

by

When it come to our health, there are certain parts of our bodies that we take great to look after. We brush our teeth daily, use mouthwash, and visit the dentist regularly. Unfortunately, not everyone takes as good care of their eyes as they do their mouths. But our eyes are so important! So read on to find out how you can look after them better and ensure that they are as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Conjunctivitis

One of the most dreaded conditions that you get to get in your eyes is conjunctivitis. This is a bacterial condition that results in sticky, itchy eyes, that can sometimes be hard to open when you have been asleep. It’s also a very infectious condition, which means it’s vital if you suspect you have this that you stay at home and minimise contact with anyone else until it is passed.

Most case of conjunctivitis can be treated at home with over the counter eye drops, and removing the discharge with cotton wool soaked in warm water. Of course, as it is so infectious you must use different pads for each eye, and for every time that you do it.

If the infection is not clearing up on its own, it can also be useful to get some antibiotic from you doctor, that can help.

Image source

Styes

Another bacterial infection that we need to watch for around the eye areas is hordeolum, more commonly known as a stye. This results from the Staphylococcus bacteria getting into or around the eye area and results in a lump known as an abscess.

These can be quite painful, especially if the rub against the eye when you blink. Treatment is again usually done at home, with a compress of a hot flannel applied to the area for 5 minutes regularly until the dye burst and goes down.

Contacts lenses

Of course, using good quality contact lenses, and cleaning them properly is also an important part of eye care. As contact lenses make direct contact with your eye, they need to be clean and sanitary when you put them in.

 

You can do this by always washing your hands before you touch them or your eyes. As well as rinsing them properly with the correct solution. Also never rinse them in water, as this contains many bacteria that could cause damage to the eye. Similarly, don’t swim in them either for this reason. Some people are even known to pit their lenses in the mouth to clean them, something else that should be avoided at all costs.

Dry and tired eyes

With so many of us using computers all day every day, dry and tired eyes can be a very common problem. But what can we do about it? Well, first of all, it’s essential to take regular breaks from screen work to allow you eyes to rest.

Also, you can use over the counter eye drops to relieve tired and dry eyes. You may even consider using a gel eye mask that you place in the freezer to chill, to help you relax them in the evening.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

The Downside To Different Cultures

by

Experiencing different cultures is one of the main benefits to travel. Nothing beats getting out and seeing a way of life different from your own. While some people chase the sun, others stroll around the streets and speak to locals. It’s the best way to spread your wings and see the world from a different angle.

But, it would be naive to think that experiencing different cultures will be all plain sailing. Travelers face a variety of setbacks, from language barriers to risks to their safety. Those safety risks are what we’re going to focus on. In some destinations, it’s necessary to take armed guards wherever you go. You might encounter tourist targeting thieves, or even open yourself up to kidnapping. But, those aren’t the only  risks. Different cultures have different hygiene standards, and these could be a problem, too. But, you shouldn’t let fears for your safety stop you seeing the places you want to see. There’s no reason you can’t stay safe in dangerous places. All you need to do is follow these steps.

 

KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GO

If you’ve chosen to visit a location that’s considered ‘dangerous,’ it’s important you know where you can and can’t go. In many destinations, like Brazil, the dangerous areas are near to heavy tourist areas. Wandering down a side-road is all it would take to find yourself in trouble. The best thing you can do to avoid that eventuality is to research before you leave. Find out which areas pose the biggest threat to your safety, and pre-plan routes which take you around them. If there’s something you really want to see in dangerous areas, find out the safest ways to travel. It might be that you need to alert guards to your presence or avoid acting in a certain way.

BE AWARE OF THE RISKS
It’s also essential to know what risks you’re exposing yourself to. Read recent news articles about the area to find out. Are you opening yourself to kidnapping? Or, perhaps the risk is less violent, and more to do with the environment itself. Different countries have different laws about pollution and dangerous chemicals. Excessive amounts of pollution could expose you to benzene and other harmful chemicals. If you do suffer while you’re away, it’s important you file a benzene lawsuit and get the medical treatment you need. But, avoiding the situation is the best way forward. There may also be different hygiene standards for water. All these things are easy to discover beforehand.

Image Source

 

GET THE RIGHT KIT

Once you know the risks, you can buy equipment to help keep you safe. In some areas, a face mask may be necessary to reduce your intake of chemicals. Or, you may want to stock up on a water filters to ensure you can drink from taps, etc. This gear is cheap to buy but could save your life. It’s also worth taking a first-aid kit wherever you go. Having basic medical supplies will make a huge difference.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂

Things to Consider Before a Road Trip

by

The all singing all dancing road trip is still a top idea for people wanting to get away and do something a little different. It can be a really liberating and freeing feeling to just throw your essentials into the back of your car and head off onto the open road, however there are some things that need your consideration first.

Image source

 

Stay Safe

 

If you are planning to drive anywhere through vast expanses of land you will need to make sure you have enough water, food and petrol to keep you going in case you don’t find anywhere to stop and refuel (yourself or your car) for long periods of time.

 

You will also need to be mindful that you don’t get too carried away with the freedom and liberating feeling that a road trip brings. It is easy to think that the normal driving rules don’t apply on a legendary road trip, but drinking and driving, for example, is a big no-no. A sure-fire way to bring an abrupt end to your trip is having to search out the best DUI attorney to get you out of an alcohol induced car accident.

 

Clean Your Car

 

Your car is inevitably going to go through the mill on a road trip. Spending hours at a time, for days on end, in your car means that you are certainly going to need to give it a little TLC upon your return. However it is easy to forget that before you go you should also be giving your car a thorough clean out to ensure that when you set off your car is clean, organised and ready to go.

 

Mechanical Check

 

You should also go to see your local mechanic to make sure that your car is up to a big road trip and that it is not going to let you down at the most inopportune moment. Tell your mechanic that you are planning to go on a road trip so that they know the specific areas that they need to be looking for. They will need to check that your fluid levels are healthy, that your brakes are at optimum functionality, that your tires are fully pumped and still reasonably new and anything else that could potentially cause you any problems along the way.

 

Plan

 

We know that it is not considered ‘cool’ to plan a road trip to the nth degree however a little light planning can avoid a lot of problems later on. Over Scheduling a trip can mean that you miss lots of the details that you were really excited about as you realise that you are running out of time. On the flip side, not doing enough research on the places you will be passing through will mean that you can miss some really amazing things along the way.

 

To avoid, putting in unnecessary extra miles at each new destination, research hotels and accommodation in each area that you intend to stay in. After a long day driving the last thing you will want to do is circulate a new town or city for hours looking for places to stay so this research and pre-planning will really pay off in the long run.

Contributed Post.

If you like what you’ve read here, please let others know of this post, blog, and site.

And thanks for reading!  🙂