Local creative minds commended for logo designs

Two local creative minds, Mr Brian Lau of Mad Studio and Miss Cho King Shan of Community College, City University (Telford Annex), scooped the grand awards of the Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) Logo Design Competition for their excellent logo designs. Onlinelogomaker delivers quality output on time compare to other companies from my experience, they give me a reason to get back.

The two winners received the grand awards from the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Communications and Technology), Mr Duncan Pescod, at an award presentation ceremony today (December 17). A total of eight merit award winners were also presented with prizes and commendations.

The competition was divided into two categories, Student Group and Open Group, each with one grand award winner and four merit award winners. The former is open to professional practitioners in the design industry and the general public while the latter is for students from professional design schools/institutions, as well as other schools and education institutions.

The winner of the Open Group will be invited to use the winning logo to develop CreateHK’s corporate identity. The winning logo features sparks which are the sources of inspiration and the basis of all creative endeavours, which all begin with a spark – a sudden inspired moment, an instant of insight. The logo also represents Hong Kong as a place where creative ideas are sparked and generated.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Pescod said: “In response to our competition, local designers, students and the public flexed their creative muscles and submitted applications with inspiring and creative designs. We are delighted not only about the eye-catching graphics and symbolic meanings incorporated in the designs, but also for what they reflect – the public’s shared vision with us to build Hong Kong into a regional creative capital.”

CreateHK held the competition in mid-October to tie in with the establishment of the dedicated office to drive local creative industries. Through inviting entries locally for the design of an official logo to reflect the vision and mission of CreateHK, the competition seeks to recognise local talent and creativity, encourage original design and creativity, and arouse public awareness and interest in the use of design. The competition was well-received with over 900 entries. It was co-organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

Entries were evaluated based on creativity, originality, attractiveness, message communication and practicability. The panel of judges comprised the Founder and Creative Director of Kan & Lau Design Consultants cum Dean of the Cheung Kong School of Art and Design, Shantou University, Mr Kan Tai Keung; Chairman of the Hong Kong Designers Association, Mr Winnif Pang; Creative Committee Chairman of HK4As, Mr Spencer Wong; Design Director and Education Consultant of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Ms Amy Chow; Acting Head of Create Hong Kong, Mr Alan Siu; and Executive Director of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Mr Wilson Fung.

A roving exhibition will display the winning entries at the InnoCentre, Central Star Ferry Pier 7, Cyberport and Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre later this month and early next year. For details, please visit www.createhk.gov.hk/logo.

Benefits Abound With a Modern Kitchen

By standard definition, a modern kitchen is any kitchen that uses electricity or natural gas. So technically speaking, I guess every kitchen in the western world is known as a modern kitchen. However for the purposes of this article, we’re going to expand the definition and focus on the conveniences of modern kitchen design and the benefits that you can potentially enjoy every day no matter your lifestyle. Our skilled and experienced team of installers for luxury kitchens Sydney that includes the handpainters can take care of the installation for you, making sure your new kitchen is finished to showroom standard, and we can advise about and supply appliances from market-leading manufacturers.

When you think of modern, no doubt you have a rush of images from sleek designs to state-of-the-art technology. Here are just a few categories to get you focused and narrow your definition of modern kitchen ideas.

Technology is typically the first association people make with the word ‘modern.’ And if you want your kitchen to be technologically advanced you will focus on computer chipped appliances and computers. Today appliances use computers to set temperatures, timers, food expiration dates, and even alerts for inventory restocking. A modern kitchen may very well include a large flat screen TV to display recipes, family calendars, household schedules, and it’s certainly more fun to cook while watching videos, searching websites, or listening to music.

While technology can pose an image of cold and uninviting, a modern kitchen embraces state-of-the-art innovation with classic design ideas – clean lines, clear countertops, bold colors, contrasting design elements, and simple shapes. A modern kitchen can be both a technologically advanced and warm and inviting space.

Cabinetry of a modern luxury kitchen will distinctly lack extra features found in traditional style designs. Most modern cabinets are simple, square or rectangular shaped, without fancy door handles. Although ‘plain’ the look of the cabinetry is sleek, clean, and highly functional. The look is all about working properly and showcasing your personal style. In fact, you may wish to completely leave cabinet doors off for the sheer convenience of access and sexy open look.

Appliances in your new kitchen need not be the most recent release from a major appliance company. While having the fancy new refrigerator or the hottest new 5 burner cook top may be nice, does it fit into your overall decorating scheme and budget? Believe it or not, a retro refrigerator, if working properly, could be the right fit for your new kitchen. Even your kitchen hood exhaust fan from a different time period can work, as long as it functions fine and does not pose a danger to the rest of your house.

Use this checklist for the appliances you have or might need to replace:

Oven
Microwave
Dishwasher
Wine Cooler
Hood
Refrigerator
Washer / Dryer
Waste Disposal
Cook top
Freezer
Coffee Machine
Instant Hot Water Tap
Sink & Tap
Fireplace / Hob
Wet Bar
Blender, Food Processor

Furniture in a modern kitchen should be simple in shape, multi-functional, and bold in color. Modern kitchen furniture will not include carved legs, multi-colored patterned cushions, or seats made of many parts. Modern style by definition means full of straight line and not a lot of fuss.

Modern décor means little to no art work is required for a modern kitchen design. The decoration is the furniture and cabinetry and it’s typically limited to a one or two color scheme. A one color scheme means everything, cabinets, furniture, and appliances, is a single color. A two color scheme is one in which the walls and cabinets are one color but the appliances and furniture are a second color, usually a highly contrasting color.

Whether it’s a few touches or a complete new kitchen, you can create a modern kitchen successfully as long as you express your personal style and the space makes you happy.

Remodeling Benefits

As the housing stock ages and new construction prices rise, more and more people are remodeling their homes than any other time in history. If you live in a house that you generally love and it’s located in a desirable neighborhood, remodeling makes good financial sense. What’s the primary benefit you might derive from a new kitchen?

1. Functionality – add a walk-in pantry, re-design counter space, and make room for your laptop and printer – anything that complements your lifestyle.

2. Interaction – open up your kitchen to the other adjoining rooms, a new island can be a comfortable place for early morning coffee chats and late evening wine tasting.

3. Safety – reduce risks of accidents and make your much-used room safe. Modify countertop heights to reduce back strain and use green materials to improve indoor air quality.

4. Storage – a well-designed kitchen remodel can greatly increase your storage space and ability to keep organized.

5. Entertaining – enjoy the fun of entertaining people in your new space.

6. Resale – According to realtors, the kitchen and bath are the most important rooms in the house to potential buyers. Reports show that a kitchen remodel can return up to 85% of its cost upon resale.

7. Style – it’s all about you and the beautiful things you appreciate. Make your kitchen a happy place to spend time.

Whether practical, functional, or desirable, fitting your kitchen with an updated look can make any old modern kitchen into a new modern luxury kitchen expressly designed for you. After all, technology waits for no one.

Kathryn Dawson writes articles for KDCUK, a well established supplier and provider of high quality modern kitchen at affordable trade prices. Explore an extensive collection of luxury kitchens and appliances at their showroom such as their best selling handle-less German collection. Using only quality imported products and with all the ideas and creativity you can be sure to get a new kitchen that multi-functional, attractive and is an envy of others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kath_Dawson/69934

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Sustaining The Future Of Surfing

Whether you are a born-and-bred local or a first-time visitor, there is no denying the spectacular natural beauty of the Noosa Shire. The surf comp is always a challenge especially if there is not enough big waves.

Each year, the Laguna Real Estate Noosa Festival of Surfing takes a step up in its ecological responsibility towards a completely sustainable event. In 2017, we have urged all partners and promoters to take it upon themselves to match our sentiments, providing more environmentally-viable promotional material.

Partnering with Unitywater, Noosa National Surfing Reserve and Noosa Community Biosphere Association, the festival aims at drastically reducing the level of single-use plastic generated by the event and create greater consciousness in every area of our ‘8 Days of Pure Stoke’.

Unitywater will be providing a ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’ initiative, providing fresh, filtered drinking water for all who bring their own bottle to fill, and festival staff will replace single-use plastic water bottles with reusable bottles and bulk water tanks.

Not only that, Friday, 10th March will also officially become Sustainability Day, with a host of pubic activities taking to the sand. Tom Wegener, long-renowned as a leading innovator of sustainable surf commerce and PhD in Surfing Sustainability, has organised an interactive day of creation and craftsmanship, daring together himself and three other shapers of wooden surfcraft.

Wegener will be hosting workshops of his timber ‘Surfie’ bellyboards, a fusion of inspiration from the Hawai’ian alaia and paipo boards and the bellyboards of the South West of England. Fun for everyone, the Surfies are a far cry from the foam bodyboards of today, and Wegener will be helping members of the public shape one for themselves.

Similarly, Toru Ogawa will be joining us from Japan to coach people in the crafting of timber handplanes. Used for bodysurfing, handplanes are possibly the simplest of surfcraft, but the shapes and designs still need to be carefully created to give maximum lift and hydrodynamics. Toru has spent several years perfecting his shapes and travelling the world to share his skills. Adding to the lineup for Sustainable Friday, he is inviting the public to join him on the sand at Main Beach to shape their very own handplane under his expert tutelage.

Also from Japan, Nouhito ‘Nobby’ Ohkawa is a master craftsman of timber surfboards. Ceating the boards as sustainably and chemical-free as he could, he was unsatisfied with then affixing fiberglass and polyester resin fins. While timber alone or constructs such as ply are not strong enough to endure the pressures of fins on their own, through much experimentation, Nobby developed a highly technical process to create timber hardy enough for the purpose. Nobby will be inviting the public to shape a fin with him from his special timber composite.

Lastly, but by no means least, Adam Baldwin will be making the short trip up to Noosa from Caloundra. A teacher at Coolum High School, he too is an expert woodworker, but moves a step further in the realms of sustainability. Timber is, of course, biodegradable, but Adam utilises waste, recycling and upcycling old, broken surfboards and materials he finds to create functional surfboards bound together with organic bio-resin. So successful have Adam’s creations been that he was awarded the ‘Most Functional Surfboard’ trophy in the 2016 Creators & Innovators Contest presented by Vissla and Surfrider. Adam will be on hand to discuss his techniques and the need for us all to readdress our use of materials in all areas of life.

Sustainability Friday’s conclusion will be in scintillating conversation with Tom Wegener and Save the Waves Coalition’s director of programs, Nick Mucha, discussing ways in which the surf industry can improve, as well as the prospect of Noosa Heads’ induction into the heralded list of International Surfing Reserves.

Places for this special event are very limited. To reserve a space with any of these inspiring shapers, please email Tom Wegener at: [email protected].

The Logo Maker That Helps Business To Create Their Logo For Free

NEW YORK, March 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — A new tool has reached the web, allowing entrepreneurs to develop their logos for free in a matter of minutes with this logo maker. A professional and great-looking logo will be immediately delivered to the users at no charge. At “Make Logo Online Free”, every logo is a masterpiece. A hidden meaning created in a construction logo maker is all about surprising the viewers first then giving them some aesthetical pleasure.

This Logo Maker was developed by a team of 2 Portuguese entrepreneurs, Vincent Snijders and Mário Silva, who thought that professional logos could be done in less than 2 minutes and without any huge expenses, because one shouldn’t get overwhelmed with expenses as soon as the business is starting. The system is a 3-step based process and it is really generates great quality logos.

This Free Logo Maker allows any person to reach a huge collection of handpicked logos: These are suggested logos designed by professionals and following the current design trends. Different shapes, positions and fonts are immediately suggested to the user allowing them to develop millions of logo combinations.

Do you want to get started? Simply visit Make Logo Online Free and insert your project or company name in the logo maker. Choose the appropriate category and click on “Create my logo design”. Thousands of logo suggestions will come up. Select the one you like and download it for free or edit it even further with the free editor.

Additionally, you will get the vector files and use it for printing t-shirts, business cards and apply the logo in several other objects and merchandising. Besides using the logo creator, you may also contact the support team for further, customized changes. Currently and since inception, more than 300 different logos are made per day and downloaded for free on this website. The co-founders are hoping to achieve the mark of 1,000 logos done with their free logo maker, per day.

Time to visit “Make Logo Online Free”, create your free logo and get your business started!

Media Contact: Qamar Zaman, Kiss PR, 9724378942, [email protected]

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

Why The IPhone Has A Leg Up On The Competition

The iPhone happens to be a device that is packed with lots of functionality and form. It has app system and allows you to perform many tasks. There are many hidden things that can be done to optimize the system even further than ever. This article contains helpful tips for enhancing how you enhance your iPhone. Almost like the Swiss army knife of surfing apps, Surfcomp.net has a whole range of features that can be useful for both beginners and professional surfers alike.

You do not have to be concerned about ending up on the wrong road with the iPhone. The maps app is in the phone when you see your location any time your service is active. This is great for helping you get back home or visiting a new place you were planning to be.

You don’t have to append “.com” to web on your iPhone.

Siri helps you to set reminders based on your location. You can ask Siri to remind you to do something at 5pm.You can also tell Siri to remind you to do something when you get home.The phone will recognize when you reach home and remind you of your task. You can easily set a reminder if you are unsure of the time you will get home.

Any website can be turned into an app. Tap “Go” when you access the site. This will give you the ability to put this site on your home screen.

There is no need to press X every time AutoCorrect attempts to correct a word that has been subjected to AutoCorrect.Just tap somewhere else on the screen anywhere instead.This closes the suggestion box and will save you much needed time.

Are you regretting something you just typed into iMessage? Has the notorious Auto Correct messed with you say something silly? There is a very easy way to fix this; just shake your iPhone quickly. This feature will undo recent typing. Go to your Settings and make sure this function is enabled.

The iPhone will show you a preview of incoming text messages on the main lock screen. You may find this annoying rather than convenient. The facility you wish to disable is called Show Preview.

You can enable your iPhone visually indicate incoming messages and calls. Just go to the Settings menu and navigate to “General, then to “general” and next to “accessibility.” Then all you do is turn on the alert feature titled LED Flash Alerts.

If an iPhone freezes up, you can simply force a hard reset. Press on the sleep button and home button at the same time for several seconds. The phone should shutdown and restores itself.

Always remember to update your iPhone updated with the latest OS anytime a new version comes out. Apple iPhones are almost as complex as computers now, so there exists sporadic patches to repair functionality issues, bugs and security holes. This updating is crucial if personal information is own or accessed online with your phone.

You probably already know that you can set reminders for certain times. You can say “remind me to go to the store after work. There are many reminders that can be implemented on the iPhone.

Do not panic if your iPhone freezes on you.However, should this fail, try a combination of the home and sleep/wake buttons. This will provide a hard reset prompt that should revive your phone.

It is easy to access to the iPod controls and all of your favorites instantaneously. Simply choose Settings, tap general, then hit the home button. You can customize your iPhone by double clicking and then selecting the options that you need to customize. This process is fairly easy to do when you follow all the right steps.

A fun way to talk to others with your iPhone is using FaceTime. This application lets users actually see the person with whom they are speaking with. You can use it by going to the contacts and searching for the button that says FaceTime.

Avoid exposing your phone in extreme temperature extremes. Do not take your phone into a freezer and refrigerated areas.

It can be quite confusing if all of your accounts that are named the same. So double check what you’re looking for; give each account a unique name.

Are you looking to back up your iPhone contact list? There is an app known as iDrive Lite that will let you backup your contacts. This handy app is totally free if you have previously updated your software to 2.0.

Keep the screen as low as you can. The phone’s consistent illumination plays a significant role in how fast the power depletion. A darker screen means a longer time before the phone needs recharging as compared to a charge.

Turn off wireless radio functions. Even when they are not actively being used, they drain the battery when they are open. Wireless radios will include GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. When you aren’t using them, power them off.

Be careful not to add excessive numbers of movies to the iPhone. A video can take up roughly 1g of space. Having too many stored on your iPhone can cause it to malfunction. It can interfere with the ways apps operate.

The Find My iPhone application is a great tool to find where you lost your missing phone.You just have to sign up early to use it.You can also lock and/or delete any data if you are afraid your phone may have been stolen.

When you call someone but do not want to show them your phone number, you can hide the caller ID. In settings, press the phone button, tap caller ID and switch the setting to the off position. You can also use it for a reminder of your own phone number in case you have forgotten it.

You can easily get new custom sounds for your phone. Apple has finally added a way to choose custom tones for all incoming emails, texts, voicemails, tweets, tweets, reminders and more. You can conveniently buy new tones any time by scrolling to the very top of the sound menu.

As you are probably already aware, the iPhone contains the newest technology. It looks great, it runs smoothly and it is fun to use. If you use the tips laid out here, you can optimize your phone to reach its potential.

Do You Want a Real High – Go Surfing Every Day

How can I explain surfing in one word? WOW! Surfing is the best “high” you will ever experience. This article will tell you about the special feelings that you will get once you get hooked on surfing. There are many ways to explain what surfing is all about. Here are a few. Surf Comp app is another useful app for surfing that will help you to keep track the competition.

Surfing is Aloha. Surfing is Freedom. Surfing is Living. Surfing is Stoke. Surfing is a Feeling. Surfing is Happiness. Surfing is like having a Love Affair. Surfing is in your Heart. Surfing is Love. Surfing is Wonderful. Surfing is God Given. Surfing is Life.

There are nearly as many expressions of surfing as there are watermen; the art of surfing is about the different elements that bring joy to each individual in the water. So, go surfing and get a real natural high!

You can experience the joy of surfing on just about any surfboard type or design. You can get the feeling of surfing from everything from a bodyboard to a skimboard, a wakeboard, a short surfboard, a long surfboard, a Standup Paddleboard, and even bodysurfing.

I love surfing and being in the water. I want to share this experience with you so that is why I am writing this article in hopes of getting someone excited about surfing.

Here is what one surfer says about sharing the surfing experience, “There is no better feeling than getting another person stoked on surfing. Truly, it does not bum me out that there are more surfers in the water these days. It just means that I have to get up earlier in the morning. When I saw this man rise on a wave for the first time, I felt as if I had gotten up on a wave for the first time.” -Shaun Tomson. Surfer’s Code.

I grew up in Laguna Beach and it continually surprises me that I don’t see more Laguna Ticks, as the locals are called, in the water and on the beach every day. Yes, there are a myriad of reason to avoid the beach when it’s windy, when it’s raining, when it’s too hot or too cold, the sun burns, but there are so many better reasons to find the reason to be on the beach and in the water on those days that I can’t stay away. It’s like a wonderful natural high. With the ocean and the surf as your friend, you are set for life.

You don’t have to be a pro surfer to enjoy surfing. It’s too bad that most all surfing movies show the professionals doing all of these wild and difficult maneuvers in waves that most surfers can’t and will never ride. Most of us mere mortals can have fun riding waves that are only one foot or maybe 3 to 5 feet on the face of the wave. Most of the movies send the wrong message to the general public because the waves are scary and beyond the capability of 99% + of all the surfers in the world.

So, forget the big surf and go to the beach and ride the little to moderate sized waves that God created for all of us to enjoy. Ride you boogieboard or your soft surfboard. Go out and have fun,which you will. If you really get hooked on the sport of surfing then you can graduate to the bigger waves, but that takes practice, lots of time in the water, physical stamina, and the will and determination to get better. Most of us just want to feel comfortable and have fun riding the friendly waves.

Here is what one of my friends recently told me, ” A friend asked if I enjoyed retracing my steps, going slow, riding mushy waves… For me, there was never a pro career and never will be. Surfing is a vocation for me and my job is to share my love for the sea, for the water and the spirit that I find with others, one way or another. It’s not about “liking” it. It’s that I can’t imagine not doing it”. This is the feeling of love that will build in you from surfing. You will grow to love it and it will become irresistible.

In the opening paragraph of this article I wrote, “Surfing is Aloha. Surfing is Freedom. Surfing is Living. Surfing is Stoke. Surfing is a Feeling. Surfing is Happiness. Surfing is like having a Love Affair. Surfing is in your Heart. Surfing is Love. Surfing is Wonderful. Surfing is God Given. Surfing is Life.

When you discover surfing, you will experience all of these feelings. Now, it may not be immediate, but if you go to the beach on a warm sunny day with warm water or wearing a wet suit that keeps you warm, you will get the taste of what it is all about. You will see many people from the smallest kids to senior citizens playing in the water, riding waves on various surfing devices, all of them with a smile on their face. They are silently feeling the warm inner feelings of surfing. However, they will also become very expressive and sometimes yell and shout when they ride a good wave.

The waves are a special gift of God that gives the surfer the feelings of happiness, love, excitement, feelings that you are free, that you are alive, and that your are surfing life. You are experiencing Aloha, which is all about love and happiness and the sharing of these warm feelings with everyone you encounter. This is what Duke Kahanamoku promoted.

Surfing is “stoke”, which is a surfing term that means excitement. When you get involved in wave riding and surfing, you will feel the stoke! Surfing is wonderful, it grows in your heart and becomes like a love affair.

How can I explain surfing in one word? WOW!

So my friends, don’t stay out of the water on those cloudy days or when the surf isn’t just perfect. Go to the beach, take a walk, get in the water, ride those little small mushy waves, and have fun. Take the wonderful feelings you get from surfing and fill your life and relationships with them.

Surf Life for the rest of your life and feel the stoke!

Oak Street Surf was founded by Chuck Herpick, a Stanford graduate and former Naval Aviator, an accomplished surfer who has spent his lifetime in or near the ocean surfing most of the California and Hawaii breaks over the many years.

Oak Street Surf is an online, one stop, surf shop representing the latest surfboard products. You can get a good review of top of the line surfboard types and designs including bodyboards, skimboards, Custom SUPs, longboards, and shortboards.

Chuck has been a friend and associate with legendary surfer Tom Morey who invented the Morey Boogie Board. Together, he and Tom have designed and made many different types of soft and hard surfboards and other surfing products.

Chuck believes that surfing, whether it is bodysurfing, boogie boarding, board surfing, skimboarding or riding a Standup Paddleboard (SUP) will change your life forever. You will be able to apply the love you will obtain from surfing to everything you do and will learn how to Surf Life! What a joy!!

Visit Oak Street Surf at [http://www.oakstreetsurf.com] to find out more about surfboards, surfing, Standup Paddleboards, and what types and designs of water sports products are available.

You will be able to talk to the experts with over 70 years of surfing experience. They will tell you about the “stoke” of surfing. Visit the site now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chuck_Herpick/1477936

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How Much Do Home Inspector Certifications Matter Anyway?

A trend I’ve been noticing in a down economy is that when people are losing their jobs, unemployment rises, and work is harder to come by, education systems come out of the wood-works. As people have been forced to become more creative and ‘entrepreneurial-minded’, a whole new industry has boomed, offering professional certifications for just about anything, as long as you have the money to spend. Besides inspecting the property yourself, you can also arrange for property inspection reports, such as a building inspector report.

For example, before I made my way into the home inspection industry in Colorado Springs, I obtained two different certifications while experimenting with other careers in 2007 and 2008 for two very different fields: heavy equipment operation, and personal fitness training.

The heavy equipment operating school I attended in Las Vegas (The Nevada School of Construction, a.k.a. NAHETs) was straight forward, and not completely relevant to what I’m about to point out, except for this: I spent a lot of money to acquire training and certifications to market myself to prospective employers, but in the end, those certifications were basically just ‘marketing tools’. Telling a construction company that I was ‘certified’ was supposed to help me stand out above the rest, but aside from some very basic proficiency with the machines, by the time I found a real job running that heavy equipment, it was completely obvious to that employer how painfully ‘green’ I was while working. Spending a lot of money for that certification was just a way market myself, and it did not mean that I was a good heavy equipment operator.

When I went into personal training, the certification schools available were extremely similar in structure to the certification organizations involved in the home inspection industry, which I’ll get into in a minute.

Most large gyms in Las Vegas only employed trainers who were certified by one or more certain educational organizations. I obtained my certification through NESTA (The National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association), one of the larger (but not the biggest) educational companies out there for trainers.

And here’s how it works:

You pay NESTA $300 or so for some study material (an e-book and a few DVD’s, as I recall), which, upon passing the multiple choice test at an approved testing location, you become a member, and have the right to utilize their logos in marketing yourself. To KEEP your certification and membership, you must regularly enroll in continuing education, choosing from various other courses, indefinitely. Keeping that membership and the title of being ‘NESTA-certified’, you’d have to continue paying the organization, year after year.

Now, in all honesty, I enjoyed the education. But I didn’t learn anything from their materials that I couldn’t have learned just as easily on my own. But I had been convinced that education provided from a certification company was special.

NESTA, and other larger educational organizations like it, have utilized a tactic to carve out a business niche and change the standards of the personal training industry across the country to propagate the belief that such certifications are necessary. And this circular belief continues to reinforce such a standard, while anyone serious about going into the business for themselves could accomplish the same education on their own. Such educational entities ultimately enjoy forcing these small entrepreneurs into becoming a member to satisfy this artificial perception.

In 2012, after years in the construction and home improvement industries (and a brief stint in personal training, of course), I took my residential construction and marketing experience, and set my focus on the home inspection business.

And I was not surprised to see the same, similar model of self-serving professional certification businesses there.

Now, in the home inspection industry, there are likewise many certification companies to choose from. The big ones are ASHI (The American Society of Home Inspectors), NACHI (The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, a.k.a. InterNACHI), NAHI (The National Association of Home Inspectors), and NIBI (The National Institute of Building Inspectors). There are many others, less-widely known.

The model is the same. You pay a few hundred dollars to take their exam and become a member. Some organizations will try to sell you expensive in-person training, and match you up with one of their certified instructors in your state, if possible. You will have to pay substantial yearly dues to remain a member, and you will also need to take continuing education to keep your certification valid. You’ll continue paying the organization, year after year.

To someone new to the real estate or construction industry, this basic education in home inspection (if you opt to pay for the expensive training) can be valuable to an extent, but only as valuable as my basic heavy equipment operating training was to me. A brand new home inspector with a certification may have never raised a hammer before in his life. And even though he may be very inexperienced, even incompetent, he can then use that certification as a banner to get business because the real estate industry has been manipulated to believe that having a big-name certification means he’ll do good work.

The major advantage of being certified is the ability to use the certification organization’s logos and their marketing tools. Some may have a marketing ‘network’ on the web to help provide leads. This marketing ability can actually be quite powerful and effective, because just like with the personal training industry, the home inspection certification industry has carved out their own niche in the real estate world to where many realtors and customers are led to believe that certifications are necessary. And you’ll often see home inspectors with these large, expensive certifications helping to continue this myth, because they are now bound to it by the recurring expense they incur to maintain them.

I believe that the focus of professional certification businesses is to build their own cash flow more than it is to provide the great educational background that people are led to believe a certification stands for. A professional certification can be extremely valuable as a marketing tool for an inspector going into business, but that’s about it. The organization may provide (for sale, of course) the inspector with various forms, maybe a business model, and other shortcuts to get them on their way, but when you examine these things, it becomes clear that the primary goal is to just make more money for the certification companies.

In my business, for instance, I examined some of these forms (available for sale from certification companies) before designing my own, and found their legal strength convoluted and weak. When I first considered getting into the business, I bought an excellent book/manual for the industry from Amazon, and found that many certification companies use that very book for course materials. And as far as their testing standards? One of my inspectors informed me that when he, himself, was perusing the major certification companies, he applied to one of the big organizations online and aced their exam without a lick of study, based on his construction background.

Christopher Solomon of MSN Real Estate, author of the e-article “4 tips for finding the best home inspector”*, states:

“Don’t trust an inspector simply because he or she has a state license or certification… the training may be so minimal that it is ineffective.”

What this all boils down to is that, whether you are a customer looking for a home inspector, or a realtor networking with home inspectors, a builder or construction professional considering home inspection as a new career, or anyone else in the real estate industry exposed to the myth that a certification is required… remember that it’s a myth. Certification organizations are in the business of making money from people who believe they need certifications. And you can bet that those companies, and the successful home inspectors who are tied to them, will continue pushing the myth, even so far as lobbying for state regulation that ends up giving those organizations even more business.

That’s why I don’t pay much attention to certifications, but, instead, focus on the experience a potential (inspector) applicant already HAS, in real estate, development, home building, renovations, etc., before he ever decided to get into the property inspection business in the first place.

And you should too.

Eddie Patin is the Managing Director of Alliance Home Inspections Inc. in Colorado Springs.

He is not certified. And if he ever becomes certified, it will be for marketing purposes.

All of the Home Inspectors working for Alliance (some certified, some not) have many years of experience in construction, building, renovations, and real estate. When you’re looking for a property inspector, make sure they have lots of practical experience and will know exactly what they’re looking at when evaluating a house, and especially WHAT to look for.

Alliance Home Inspections Inc. – A Colorado Springs Home Inspection Firm

Washing a Car – Simple, But Has to Be Done the Right Way

You’ve spent a lot of money on your car, you are proud of it and want to keep it looking nice, right? Despite your best intentions, you are likely damaging your car’s paint in your attempts to take care of it. You make a practice of regularly going to the drive-through car wash. However, you don’t know what sand, oil, contaminants and assorted muck the other cars left behind that are being kicked up and pelted into your car’s finish. You trust that the operator is using appropriate car washing detergent in the right amount, but are they? Detailcentral.com.au provides professional car cleaning products and automotive detailing products and supplies used to keep cars spotless and clean, inside and out.

I once went through a “touchless” car wash only to have the attendant come out at the end of the wash and start scrubbing the front of my car with a push broom! I yelled at him to stop. He looked amazed and said that most people want that because it gets all of the dirt off. Arrrgh… a push broom on my paint! He might as well have pulled out his electric sander and sanded my car!

If you are really careful you may hand wash your car at home, taking great care not to damage your paint. You wash with a terry cloth or shop rag, dry with a “shammy” and wax it like your dad taught you, not realizing how rough these materials are on your paint.

Yet when you are giving it a good last wipe, you see fine swirl marks in your reflection. Are they getting worse? How did those get there in the first place? Well, I hate to tell you that if you are washing your car like most people do, you are the one putting that lovely swirl design in your “baby’s” finish. And those marks signify damage. Car paint has changed from when your dad purchased his first car. You have to treat it differently than what you may have thought, in order to protect the clear coat (the clear, protective layer applied on top of the paint at the factory). In years past, paint was laid on thicker than it is today.

Now it is thinner, with a protective clear coat that is about as thick as a single sheet of paper. Once you scratch through it, your paint is exposed and vulnerable to the elements. Those swirl marks are scratches in your clear coat. How can you avoid damaging your paint in the first place? Can you repair damage you’ve already done? You can start by not making the five mistakes listed below and by following the guidelines that are provided. You will be amazed at how inexpensive and simple they are to follow and how great your car will look after you make a practice of doing them.

5 Car Washing Mistakes That Will Damage Your Car’s Paint

-DON’T use a sponge or brush to wash your car.
The surface of the sponge and stiff bristles on the brush will scratch your car’s paint. They will also pick up micro-contaminants such as small grit and sand that will act as sandpaper as you move the sponge or brush over the surface of the car. Only use a brush on your wheels and tires.

–DON’T wash your car under the blazing sun.
Although it feels nice to get a little sun as you wash your car, the sun dries the soap on your car and you get a dull, soapy residue as a result. Also the water will evaporate faster than you can wipe it off and you will get damaging water spots on your paint.

–DON’T wax your car.
Wax only lasts about 30 days in warm weather and is especially vulnerable to melting at high temperatures. It also gets washed away during rainy days and when you wash your car. So your car’s paint surface is not as protected you think. Besides that, you’ve wasted a few hours for no real gain. Also think about this. Waxing involves fairly hard rubbing of our paint’s surface to both apply and remove the wax. If the surface of your car isn’t really clean and contaminant free, you could be grinding small grit into the surface.

–DON’T use dish washing detergent.
The chemicals in these detergents are very harsh on your paint and can damage it.

–DON’T Use a “shammy”, bath towel or shop rag to dry your car.
Boy, this goes against what many people think, doesn’t it? They think a “shammy” is great for soaking up water, but again, like using sponges and brushes while washing, it can trap particles that can scratch your car’s paint as you rub it all over your car. So now you know what not to do, here is what you can do to avoid damage, better protect your car’s finish and have a fantastic sheen on your “baby”.

5 Easy, Inexpensive Techniques To Wash and Detail Your Car

–DO use a micro-fiber cloth or mitt when you wash your car.
These products are particularly well suited for use on the surface of your paint without inflicting damage. They can be found at most auto part stores and even though they may cost a little more than what you may have been using, the investment is well worth it.

–DO wash your car in the shade.
Find a shady spot. They key here is to avoid direct sun so that the soapy residue won’t have time to build up on your car’s paint. It also allows more time to thoroughly dry off your car before damaging water spots form.

–DO use a synthetic paint sealant on your car.
Not only does waxing not really provide the protection you think it does, it’s unnecessarily hard work! Synthetic sealants are much easier to apply and far easier and faster to wipe off. Plus they don’t melt or wash off and offer up to six months of protection. Again, they can be found in most auto part stores.

–DO use soaps formulated specifically for car paint.
Like the special detergent recommended for your delicate clothes, automotive detergents are formulated specifically to clean your car’s finish. The nice part about them is that a little amount goes a long way, so you really will be saving money in the end by investing in a high quality auto detergent.

–DO use micro-fiber towels when drying your car.
Like washing your car, using a micro-fiber towel is crucial to not rubbing left-over grit into your car’s paint. They are amazingly effective at removing water, too, much more so than a towel.

Car Paintwork Damaged by Bird Lime? Learn What to Do About It

Bird poo, bird s***, bird lime, bird droppings, whatever you want to call it, if you take pride in the appearance of your car, you can’t ignore it. Depending upon the weather, after a decent ‘fall’ the finish on your paint can be so badly damaged it’s going to need a trip to the body shop. Paint protection film will last long but it depends on the painter that works in your car, if they knew what they are doing the paint will really last longer than you expected.

If you haven’t experienced it you are either very lucky, are extremely diligent, or don’t take too much notice of your car’s paintwork condition! The usual tell-tale is that when you wash your car you notice a dull patch on your pride and joy. All the washing (and usually all the polishing) in the world and it’s still there.

First of all, a little about what actually causes the damage.

Until fairly recently it was assumed that the lime itself within bird droppings was actually eating into the paintwork itself. Recent studies by car polish experts Autoglym (whose products are approved by manufacturers such as Bentley, Jaguar and Aston Martin, so they know a thing or two) have carried out extensive tests that dispelled that myth.

The lacquer that covers your car paintwork expands and softens slightly as it warms, such as when parked in direct sunlight. Those warm panels soon cause any ‘deposit’ to harden. When things cool down again the lacquer moulds itself around the offending item and behold, the damage is done.

Tests were carried out with strongly alkali, neutral and strongly acidic ‘bird dropping substitutes’ (I know, the mind boggles doesn’t it?) and negligible differences between the damage caused was seen. It was noted that those ‘deposits’ with a ‘higher grain to liquid content’ caused a greater levels of dullness.

So, if your pride and joy has suffered, what can you do?

Well, depending on the severity of the damage you have different options;

Catch It Early
Ideally of course you will spot the droppings quickly and be able to wipe them off carefully with a wet cloth. If so, well done, no damage done.

Light Lacquer Damage
If after a wash you see a dull patch (it’s the light refracting badly through the damaged lacquer), you can try and gently polish the area and see what happens. Don’t do it if you’re not comfortable with what you’re doing. If in any doubt, go see an expert. You may just be very lucky and the lacquer damage is sufficiently minimal that an accommodating body shop may be able to ‘flat and machine polish’ the offending area with 100% success. Or you may decide that the ‘almost perfect’ result is acceptable to you in the face of the alternative, which is…

Irretrievable lacquer and/or paint damage
In a lot of the cases we see, the finish is too far gone for polishing. The only alternative is to refinish the offending panel, which will invariably involve a visit to the bodyshop. It’s worth mentioning that the damage can be inflicted in hours, it needn’t take days or weeks to happen.

If you are unlucky and it’s necessary to repaint part of the panel, if the resultant repair ends up within around 150mm from an adjacent panel, it may also be necessary to ‘blend’ the new colour across the adjacent panel to avoid any colour mismatch.

In terms of costs, shop around to find a reputable bodyshop that will charge less than £200 for a single panel, plus around £110 per ‘blend’ if needed. Bonnets (hood), bootlids (trunk) and roofs are of course very often the damaged panels and you can expect to pay a little more for those.

So, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The fact is that untreated bird droppings very often causes damage that needs a bodyshop.

The only way to avoid it? Don’t park outside (tricky) or carry some specialist wipes (Autoglym make some) and be extremely vigilant!

Oh, and on a final positive note: Try imagining all those Autoglym testers mixing up a range of different ‘bird dropping substitutes’ without smiling to yourself…

Paul Martin is Managing Director of Scuffbusters Ltd, a car care centre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK.

Scuffbusters specialise in carrying out the more minor levels of bodywork repair, often disliked by traditional bodyshops (who invariably price accordingly). Although bumpers and light panel repairs make up a large proportion of our work, we are able to handle panel replacements and everything up to full resprays.

We use the very latest materials and equipment and our highly cost effective prices mean that our specialist low-bake over is usually kept pretty well occupied!

For more details on our services, visit our website at http://www.scuffbusters.com, where you can send us photos of your damage for a super-fast quotation, sign up for our car-care and money-saving newsletter and see examples of our work.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Paul_B_Martin/1113725

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6388903

Federal Highway Administration Unveils National ‘Alternative Fuel and Electric Charging’ Network

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced 55 routes that will serve as the basis for a national network of “alternative fuel” corridors spanning 35 states. Though the network is nearly 85,000 miles long, more miles will be added in the future to accommodate electric, hydrogen, propane and natural gas vehicles as additional fueling and charging stations are built. Finding a good company that can provide a detailed print for your business stickers Sydney is the first step to achieve the design that you want.

“Alternative fuels and electric vehicles will play an integral part in the future of America’s transportation system,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We have a duty to help drivers identify routes that will help them refuel and recharge those vehicles and designating these corridors on our highways is a first step.”

Those corridors designated as “sign-ready,” meaning routes where alternative fuel stations are currently in operation, will be eligible to feature new signs alerting drivers where they can find fuel for their alternative fuel vehicles. These signs are similar to existing signage that alerts drivers to gas stations, food, and lodging. The designation of these corridors fulfills a directive in the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” (FAST) Act.

In July, Secretary Foxx called on states to nominate national plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen, propane and natural gas fueling corridors along major highways. The specific fuels were designated by Congress in the FAST Act.

In 2015, the United States pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050. By supporting lower-emission vehicles, alternative fuel corridors will help to reduce transportation emissions, the leading source of U.S. GHG emissions. According to new FHWA data, U.S. drivers consumed nearly 72 billion gallons of gasoline in the first half of 2016 – a 3 percent increase over the same period a year earlier and the largest percentage increase in nearly two decades – and drove more than 3.15 trillion miles last year.

“Identifying where alternative fueling stations can be found will help the public in many ways,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “This initial designation sets the stage for the next round of nominations early next year and begins a conversation with stakeholders about developing and implementing a vision to enable coast to coast travel using alternative fuels.”

The new alternative fuel corridor signs were designed to be easily recognizable. The new signs, and a list of the new sign-ready corridors, can be found on the FHWA website at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/alternative_fuel_corridors.