April 2009
Across the High Sierra
I have always enjoyed long road trips across the country, perhaps because they have all the elements of a Homeric adventure. After completing basic training for the Army, I was ready for assignment to my permanent duty station. I was directed to travel from Norfolk, Virginia to Monterrey, California, so I flew home to Wisconsin and prepared to drive the rest of the way. My 1964 Dodge Polara had been purchased for $125 during my last year in high school, and I naively anticipated the adventure of driving nearly 2,500 miles across the continent. As I crossed the Minnesota border early on the first morning out, it occurred to me that I had just driven the farthest distance of my entire life. This was also to be my first time completely alone, and I savored the thought of the next week spent on the open road.
I picked up the small state highway to Northfield, reportedly the scene of Jesse James’ last, abortive raid, and then left the winding, picturesque Minnesota country roads behind in favor of I-35 South. The Slant-6 engine rattled along, and the speedometer needle floated near 55. I wanted to avoid placing too great a burden on the 23-year old car, which had compiled an indeterminate number of miles during its lifetime. It was the month of March, and as I rolled south through Minnesota and into Iowa, the snow banks shrank and the gray, lowering clouds threatened rain rather than snow. Finally turning west at Des Moines onto I-80, the stiff north wind buffeted the Dodge sideways, and a motorcycle passed, canted nearly 30 degrees into the wind to maintain equilibrium. It felt like a point of no return, and my only course was west toward on unknown shore. All across the brown, late Winter, windblown prairie I gripped the wide, heavy plastic steering wheel, fighting the wind and an out-of-balance front wheel that set up a harmonic shaking throughout the car. I anxiously scrutinized the instrument cluster until reaching Lincoln, Nebraska, where I decided to stop for the day after successfully entering yet another state for the first time in my life. Due to my lack of firsthand knowledge of the country’s geography, I imagined that as I approached central Nebraska, I would soon descend into a vast desert. This thought prompted me to stop in Kearney to have the increasingly maddening vibration repaired, and after having the wheel balanced, I was off again. Nebraska seemed like such a long state, and I had taken to peering at my instrument cluster again, worriedly watching the alternator needle as it leaned slightly over to “discharge”. Tapwater from the motel near the outskirts of Cheyenne seemed to rejuvenate the battery.
It felt as though I rolled endlessly across the plains of Nebraska, and had plenty of time to marvel at the early pioneers who encountered the vast expanses of rolling grasslands for weeks on end. Wyoming was different from anything that I had ever seen, and I was excited to cross even the low, rugged hills that represent the beginning of the Rocky Mountains in this area. The low hills were soon gone, and I was on a scrub desert. Gradually, through the thickening gloom, I discerned a more prominent range of the Rockies, and felt a thrill to have reached tangible evidence that I was actually Out West! Black, snow-filled clouds released flurries of stinging white crystals until it became difficult to see. I crept through the deepening gloom, now at only 40 mph, peering just beyond the dim circle of light cast by my weakened headlights. Nervous glances at the worrisome alternator gauge revealed no information, and I crept on until the glowing oasis of the Little America truck stop came in view. I opened the driver’s door into a biting gale of wet, swirling snow that turned the bright parking lot lamps of the gas station into hazy sundogs. A glance at my headlights revealed that two inches of frozen snow had accumulated over the lenses, diffusing the bulbs’ rays into a feeble orange glow. The work of ten minutes chipping ice with a screwdriver was sufficient to restore them to their former brilliance, and reduce my hands to numbness. After a late dinner of hot roast beef and mashed potatoes, smothered in thick, rich gravy, I was prepared to resume driving, my spirits buoyed by a good meal and the restoration of my headlights. The dashboard instrument lights fluoresced a soft green through hollow push button controls, as I followed the dual beam headlights through the slackening storm. I stopped in Bridger for the night, and was struck by the sharp cold and clear, prairie quiet in which the calls of coyotes drifted across the darkness.
The next day, at last I encountered the long-expected desert, with the descent into Utah and the Great Salt Lake basin. What an amazing site from this ribbon of blacktop, where salt and white mud stretch off into the distance, an apparent sea of white in which the hazy images of distant mountain peaks floated and bobbed. Whirling storms of salt danced across the road, and I noted the custom of passersby to spell their initials with cobbles tossed in the salt mud. I hoped that the end of this day would see me in California at last, and toward the late afternoon, I passed Reno, dominated by the brightly colored Circus-Circus. Although exhausted, I sensed that I was close to the day’s goal as the grade of the road increased and jagged shoulders of rock encroached on the interstate. Past the last of the garishly flashing State Line casinos, a gorgeous, knife-edged valley came into view, with steep slopes nearly obscured by snow-covered, majestic pines. The interstate clung to the side of the valley, and the narrow lanes allowed only momentary lapses in concentration to enjoy the postcard view of the opposite slope.
The narrow lanes, sharp curves, and momentary night-blindness from the continuous glare of oncoming headlights began to tax my tired nerves. I pulled off the interstate at Truckee, which seemed as exciting as a Swiss playground in a Roger Moore-era James Bond movie due to the heavy fall of snow and abundance of ski rack-equipped vehicles. I found a motel, and rented a cabin, falling asleep satisfied that I had at least reached California. The following morning, the bottom half of the front fender succumbed to two thousand miles of vibration, as it collapsed in a crumble of rust and Bond-o. I proceeded west on I-80, over the summit of the Sierras, and began the gradual descent though snow-covered firs and past large warning signs apparently written in trucker language, advising them to “better let ‘er drift”. The snow disappeared, as did the firs, to be replaced by lush fields and humid warmth of the fertile valley. I had successfully crossed the Great Plains, salt desert, and Nevada wasteland, and my object was finally in reach.
After spending the night in Monterrey, I headed for Fort Ord where I would report for duty. This epic journey across the Sierras represented a significant step away from my small home-town, which to me was nothing but a dead end where I could expect only to become an obscure loser. But here was a chance for a new beginning, following the same route as others who came west to improve their fortunes. As I passed beneath the arched sign that boldly proclaimed “Fort Ord, 7th Infantry Division (Light)”, I sensed the freedom that I had enjoyed on the open road slip away. However, the self- direction and sense of adventure that I had experienced while crossing the continent would reassert themselves in time.
About The Author
I am a geologist, and have been to many interesting places, and had what I considered to be interesting experiences. I thought it would be fun to write about some of my experiences.
http://sedward.home.netcom.com/petrography.html
sedward@ix.netcom.com
Euro Millions and Something You Might Not Know. How it Operates, Who it Applies to and How You May Encounter that Super European Lotto
The European lotto was in the first place founded by the national lotteries of the United Kingdom, France and Spain and was disclosed on February 04. The 1st lottery draw was on February 13th-04 in Paris. The France, Spain and the UK were the only nations partaking in the beginning but lotteries from the Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium also got active in October 2004.
The Euro millions lotto or the Euro lotto, as it’s ordinarily known, pools the lotto ticket receipts of the 9 partaking European countries giving a massive Euro Millions jack-pot. With the sum of nations joining the EU on the increase, that will without a doubt lead to more countries partaking in the EuroMillions lottery. An increase in the amount of individuals partaking in the Euro Millions lottery will result in a continued increase of the already tremendous Euro Lottery “jackpots”.
Q. How Would You Play The EURO MILLIONS Lottery?
Every participant must pick out five main numbers from 1 to 50 plus 2 Lucky-star numbers from one to nine. During the lottery draw, 5 main and 2 lucky-star numbers are then chosen at random from two lottery draw machines containing numbered balls.
Euro Millions Winnings
The probability of scooping the Euromillions jackpot is a remote 1 : seventy six million but the possibility of acquiring a money prize is a fairly decent one : twenty four. If the “jackpot” is not won in a given lottery draw, it is carried forward to the next week that will result in an ever increasing “jackpot” prize. New rules added on the 9 February 2007 limit the amount of consecutive rollovers to 11, with the jackpot rolling down to smaller prize levels succeeding the eleventh lotto draw when the prize is not won.
The recent regulations likewise initiated Euro Millions “Super Draw” which happen twice yearly and offer “jackpots” in the region of 100 million pounds. The difference with Super-Draws is that the jackpot must be won during the calendar week of the lotto draw; as a result, when there is no lotto ticket matching, all the drawn numbers then the top prize will then be allotted to the lottery ticket bearer(s) on the next winning prize level.
Protecting Your Personal Assets at a Stag Party
Although most stag weekends don’t have much interaction between genders, it does happen, and it needs to be watched for, especially as company policies are still in effect. Some basic protections need to be observed.
If stag weekends were just boring affairs, then no one would go on them. But…they are usually far from civilization, with some alcohol (even if the planners don’t bring any and place restrictions on it, it still mysteriously shows up), and something great did happen that day if everything went well. Throw two genders into the situation, and you know something is going to happen; it’s just a matter of time. If it doesn’t happen to you, it will happen to someone. And it doesn’t take weeks to happen, but just minutes.
The basic protection that needs to be observed is that of mental protection. Harassment still applies, and can be still be prosecuted against the guilty party. That should be in the forefront of your mind, and you shouldn’t forget it. At the same time, if you do approach someone make sure that you don’t approach someone under your direct command, and that even then it can’t be perceived as a threat against their employment or career path. Legally, abstinence really is the best option.
Also, be very aware of the person’s marital status. Some jurisdictions do punish adultery, especially if it is a direct cause of divorce. This question gives some validity to the office gossip’s position; check with him or her first before seriously approaching someone. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of a jealous boyfriend, and jealous girlfriends can be as deadly. Look upon any kind of affection as you would a contract; try to avoid hidden clauses. They can be not only be inconvenient, but potentially harmful as well.
If something does happen, be prepared: Always carry a well-wrapped condom in your wallet. If it’s ribbed or lubricated, fine, but it just needs to do its job. Latex is best; substitutions should be seriously debated.
Almost as potentially interesting as a midnight rendezvous can be, the morning after should be avoided. Two people leaving the same tent may be subject to scandal, even if they leave at different times. The best way to avoid this is to meet quickly, and leave quicker. Try to exercise some discretion in this, as a scandal is the only thing that travels faster than light. If possible, set up a wingman to help you get out of the situation with little observation of your personal movements; the wingman should not only be someone you trust, but also someone who is aware of the seriousness of the situation, and can actually help keep lookout.
By observing these basic precautions, the stag weekends can be fun, and hopefully be filled more with memories than sad reminders. Remember that you are watched, even when everyone is relaxed, and that your judgment is always being questioned, and a great stag weekend won’t wreck your career.
Martin Lucchi is a Web Developer for Eclipse Leisure, a British company that organizes hen weekends, stag nights, Corporate Events and corporate Christmas parties for the UK and Europe.
How to Best Choose your Hotel in Madrid and Barcelona Spain
You’ve got your money saved up for a dream vacation to Spain. Madrid, Spain’s beautiful and historic capital city will be your primary destination with possibly a few days excursion to Barcelona. You know where you want to go, but do you know which hotel in Madrid to book for room reservations? How about Barcelona hotels? Some people’s first thought would be to go online and try out one of the faceless, generic travel websites. However, that is not the way to go if you want to really experience Spain. So put down that computer mouse and think about the things you want to do on your dream vacation. Let your itinerary be your guide to choosing from one of the hotels in Madrid and Barcelona.
First of all, why choose Spain? Consider all the reasons why you want to spend your hard earned vacation in Spain. Are you a history buff and plan to take several walking tours around Madrid and see the Prado Museum and Royal Palace? Will you want to see Plaza Major and Puerta del Sol? Does a wine excursion for a day sound like heaven? Think about the different places in the general area you want to go then book one of the Madrid hotels in the area. By choosing a central location to the activities you want to partake in, you are maximizing your time to spend on vacation pursuits and less time in the back of a taxi or bus traveling to various destinations.
Accommodations run amok from discount hotels in Madrid, Spain to luxury hotels with high star ratings. Once you determine some of the things you want to do in Madrid, then you can decide what your budget will allow in regards to a Madrid hotel. If you basically just need a place to lay your head at night, there are two star hotels available or you can get great deals sometimes with cheap luxury hotels.
Another thing to think about in regards to your vacation is whether or not you will have more than one destination. Madrid is a popular stop on a Spanish vacation and many people put it first on their travel itinerary. If you plan another place to visit like Barcelona, you have to take that into account when staying at a hotel in Madrid. Sometimes, you can get discounts if you stay a certain amount of days, so you will want to plan accordingly.
While Barcelona is a few hours away from Madrid, the city has its own charm and share of beautiful sights to see. Like the lodging in Madrid, you will find a host of accommodations in Barcelona from the luxury hotels to the unassuming two star hotels. And again, your itinerary will be your guide as to the best place to stay. You want to be in a central location, close to all the things you want to do.
Another few thoughts to ponder in your quest for accommodations in Madrid or Barcelona are the time of year you want to visit and if you are planning a solo adventure or one for the whole family. The most popular times to travel in Spain are the months of May through September. These are the warmest times of year. They are also the most popular in terms of hotels in Madrid and Barcelona. Prices can be at a premium, so traveling with family can be more than you can afford. However, the off season months in Spain will bring lower rates in Barcelona and Madrid hotels and less crowded tourist sites. Traveling with a family during the off-season might be perfect for the budget conscious traveler.
In review, there are several things to be aware of when choosing hotels in Madrid and Barcelona. First, determine the places you want to see and the activities you want to do. Secondly, decide on the budget you can afford. And third, based on the first two answers, determine if traveling in the off-season might be more beneficial when shopping for Barcelona and Madrid hotels.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Hotels in Madrid and Barcelona or Majon’s Travel directory.
Health Insurance Programs for College Students: Everything You Need to Know
Something that is often toward the very bottom of the heap when budgeting for a college education is medical insurance for students. At that age, the majority of students don’t consider how to cope with insurance needs. Teens are wont to believe that they will be alive forever and of course they can not find themselves suffering from an illness.
Unluckily, irrespective of how healthy an individual might seem, this is no way to predict their future health. Inexpensive medical insurance is not a luxury, it is an absolute essential.
Individuals who are included in a family policy are generally covered up to their twenty third birthday. For the individual who does not have coverage through a family insurance policy, finding an appropriate student health insurance policy should be an important part of getting ready for a further education. So what must a student look out for in an insurance plan designed specifically for students? What’s your deductible? This is an annual sum you must pay prior to your health benefits starting, the same as an auto deductible. To use an illustration, if your deductible is 500 dollars, you have to pay that amount before receiving any benefits from your policy. What exactly does co-pay mean? Once the deductible is met, normally for every physician’s visit, medication, or operation you’ll need to pay a pre-determined part of the bill. This is called co-pay.
What is your area of coverage? Most policies include Health Maintenance Organization or Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). This can mean particular doctors might be excluded from your approved medical professionals or not be included under a health insurance policy. By And Large all policies will include a directory of participating providers, be sure you take this into consideration when you select medical insurance.
What does the phrase catastrophic insurance coverage mean? Restrictions are common in college student medical insurance plans especially concerning catastrophic illness, in virtually all student policies, it’s usually less than a standard insurance plan.
Limitations: Restrictions are frequent in student health insurance. It’s important to read over your policy thoroughly to find out what is and is not covered.
Carry any health insurance cards secure everywhere you go. It’s not just impossible to plan for accidents or an illness, but they are in all probability likely to hit at the worst possible time. Familiarize yourself with your student health insurance policy even should you be included in your parent’s insurance plan.
‘Unfair Dismissal’ Claim in Ill Health Retirement Dismissed
Many employees make claims of unfair dismissal once they take ill health retirement. Employers have argued that the claim is unwarranted as these employees take ill health retirement willingly, without the employers resorting to any forceful means, and such retirements are clearly based on mutual consent.
This has led to much debate, with the EAT finally providing an authoritative answer in its decision in the case of Miller v. Governing Body of Ridings High School. Therein, the EAT upheld the Tribunal’s decision that an employee’s retirement on the basis of ill health is in reality a termination by mutual agreement, and thus not vulnerable to an unfair dismissal claim. This decision has brought smiles to the faces of employers, who feel that justice has been served.
Make sure that your company is not in the dark when it comes to new health and safety regulations. The other way to keep up-to-date is to make sure that you take advantage of the redundancy law services operated by reputable companies such as Workplace Law.
The right to claim unfair dismissal is only allowed in certain situations, namely, when an employee is dismissed, a contract is terminated, or there is forced resignation. Apart from these exceptions, no employee can place a claim for unfair dismissal. There is always a mutual decision between the employers and employees and there should be no reason why an employee should feel aggrieved.
With the EAT clarifying the situation, the employers can breathe a sigh of relief. However, there still remain a few loopholes, which need to be dealt with carefully:
- If the employee is able to prove that the employer forced his resignation, he can claim unfair dismissal.
- If the employee proves that ill health retirement was not by mutual consent, the claim can be made. Hence, employers should be meticulous with the retirement paperwork, ensuring that it records sufficient details.
- The employer should be careful that the individual does not make a false disability discrimination claim, as was done unsuccessfully in the Miller case.
Convenient Ways to Squeeze Audiobooks into Your Daily Schedule
A busy life often makes it troublesome to squeeze in all the titles you want to read. Extended journey times to the office and day-to-day chores may be consuming huge amounts of your day everyday. Favorite hobbies take a back seat to making a living, caring for babies, or even housework. If you love learning and are finding it hard to fit it in, commuting might provide an opportunity to enjoy an audiobook. With convenient downloads, it’s simple to relish Honeymoon by James Patterson for sale from Download Audio Book Online, or audio books brought to life by James Otis when you are excercising. Multitasking has become a way-of-life in today’s hectic world. Audible books like Lifeguard by James Patterson and Andrew Cross by Download Audio Book Online make better use of of the wasted moments everyday, it might be waiting time at the dentist’s surgery or perhaps driving the family to soccer practise. Audiobooks are obtainable to download as media data files suitable for your PC, laptop computers and ipods these include 4th Of July by James Patterson, so use of your mp3 player and connect it to to your car’s audio system and take the opportunity to hear the latest best seller, like audiobooks by Louisa May Alcott without dragging cumbersome books around.
An extra advantage of audiobooks is the ability to rent or purchase many titles and listen to them at your own pace. Interested in studying Polish? Why not check out audio-books? Perhaps the latest business strategies are your thing, you may even explore the paranormal.
An immense choice of writing styles and titles are obtainable. Whether you enjoy history, nuts about biographies even interested in health and physical fitness, it’s simple to download many titles now. Many programs are available; it’s easy to take a subscription to a rental plan or make a purchase. Reading will invariably be an important skill, but the most convenient way could be the tremendous variety of audio titles available today. Numerous stories, such as audiobooks told by Harry Beckwith, can be even better when narrated by the author or a famous actor. Reading a title isn’t quite the same as enjoying audio titles narrated by Jerry Stearns & Brian Price, including the all the niceties established during a performance. Hearing audiobooks narrated by Harry Beckwith will add more depth to your enjoyment of reading and frequently can convey very much more than written word.
Don’t forget about audio-books when you next want to buy a book, they are a marvelous means to fit all the books you desire into your hectic lifestyle.
Zimmer Durom Cup Device Recall Is Awful News
Alot of individuals who got metasul durom applied in their hip replacement operations are encountering that there are complications that far exceed the natural expectations for recuperation. These individuals are experiencing a lot of additive pain sensation for longer periods of time, expecting revision operations and magnified medical costs, and losing revenue by being taken out of the workplace at their official businesses. Although Zimmer Holdings, Inc. is postulating that that their hip replacement implant is not faulty and have basically denied blame for the surgical failures, some unfortunate people are filing cases against them and obtaining settlements.
During the month of October, 2008 Zimmer declared that it had set aside $47.5 million to pay for claims they had filed against them and received. Many docs aren’t so sure that the durom cup hip implant is good to go and without problems. In fact, when Zimmer offered on-line training to MD’s in order to instruct them what they said were more accurate techniques for doing the implant surgical procedure, roughly 50% of the MD’s refused to take part. Thus, the whole situation proceeds to be nerve-racking for all doctors attached, but none more than the hundreds of individuals who are expecting revision surgery due to the problems with their implant experiencing failures.
These miserable individuals definitely merit some assistance and compensation which is the main reason product liability lawyers are encouraging them to initiate the filing of a lawsuit. zimmer defective hip has been paying out of court for some of these claims. Nevertheless, even if the settlement they are being offered seems like a lot to them, in numerous cases people are deciding too fast and without clause put in place for on-going problems down the road. If they don’t wait to find out what cases are actually going to be worth, people might find themselves incurring alot more expenses from their own personal assets when further complications return.
Anyone who believes they may have a claim against Zimmer needs to start an investigation into it. If you think you could qualify, you should probably visit a lawyer to verify this info. Try to find a lawfirm that operates nationwide and focuses on processing litigation against irregular medical devices. This law firm has done the extra work and setup a special section to research and process claims against Zimmer and win substantial settlements for their clients.
If your orthopedic surgeon lets you know that you require a revision surgery to correct your Zimmer Durom hip replacement device, contact an lawyer as soon as possible.
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