Actively supervise children in and around open bodies of water, giving them your undivided attention.
Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm’s reach to provide active supervision. We know it’s hard to get everything done without a little multitasking, but this is the time to avoid distractions of any kind. If children are near water, then they should be the only thing on your mind. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water.
When there are several adults present and children are swimming, use the Water Watcher card strategy, which designates an adult as the Water Watcher for a certain amount of time (such as 15-minute periods) to prevent lapses in supervision. Download a Water Watcher card here. https://www.safekids.org/other-resource/water-watcher-card
Start Slow With Babies
You can start introducing your babies to water when they are about 6 months old. Remember to always use waterproof diapers and change them frequently.
Educate Your Kids About Swimming Safely
Every child is different, so enroll children in swimming lessons when you feel they are ready. Teach children how to tread water, float and stay by the shore.
Make sure kids swim only in areas designated for swimming. Teach children that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool. They need to be aware of uneven surfaces, river currents, ocean undertow and changing weather.
Whether you’re swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake, teach children to swim with an adult. Older, more experienced swimmers should still swim with a partner every time. From the first time your kids swim, teach children to never go near or in water without an adult present.
Don’t Rely on Swimming Aids
Remember that swimming aids such as water wings or noodles are fun toys for kids, but they should never be used in place of a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD).
Take the Time to Learn CPR
We know you have a million things to do, but learning CPR should be on the top of the list. It will give you tremendous peace of mind – and the more peace of mind you have as a parent, the better.
Local hospitals, fire departments and recreation departments offer CPR training.
Have your children learn CPR. It’s a skill that will serve them for a lifetime.
Take Extra Steps Around Pools
A swimming pool is a ton of fun for you and your kids. Make sure backyard pools have four-sided fencing that’s at least 4 feet high and a self-closing, self-latching gate to prevent a child from wandering into the pool area unsupervised.
When using inflatable or portable pools, remember to empty them immediately after use. Store them upside down and out of children’s reach.
Install a door alarm, a window alarm or both to alert you if a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised.
Check the Drains in Your Pool and Spa
Educate your children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment and teach them to never play or swim near drains or suction outlets.
Pools that pose the greatest risk of entrapment are children’s public wading pools, in-ground hot tubs, or any other pools that have flat drain grates or a single main drain system.
For new pools or hot tubs, install multiple drains in all pools, spas, whirlpools and hot tubs. This minimizes the suction of any one drain, reducing risk of death or injury. If you do have drains, protective measures include anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
Regularly check to make sure drain covers are secure and have no cracks, and replace flat drain covers with dome-shaped ones. If a pool or hot tub has a broken, loose or missing drain cover, don’t use it.
If you do have drains, protective measures include anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
I've noticed a lot of people are freaking out online about this upcoming school year. Teachers, parents, and homeschool parents all have the same goal, making learning fun. Motivation starts now, new shoes, new clothes, new supplies, it's all a secret ploy to motivate their little butts every morning. Your child can't say, I have nothing to wear if you bought some new clothes. I know every parent can't afford back to school supplies. There are many places in the community that will help you.
At the Goodwill you can pick up new items as well as used items. www.goodwillches.org
We have a store near us called, Savers. They carry new and used items, too. https://www.savers.com/
If you are a lucky parent who has a box curriculum and all you do is wake up and open a book, bless your heart. You have it easy! We are not that fortunate. When I pulled the kids from public school, I was determined to do this at minimal cost and so far so good. Teacher Pay Teachers https://www.teacherspayteachers.com Engage Ny www.engageny.org Super Teachers Worksheet https://www.superteacherworksheets.com EdHelper https://www.edhelper.com/free_worksheets.htm k12Reader www.k12reader.com/reading-worksheets-by-main-subject School Express www.schoolexpress.com/fws/cat.php?id=2247 Allison https://alison.com/free-training/learning-planner
If you want the freedom of an all in one type online curriculum for free you can check out Easy Peasy https://allinonehomeschool.com
AmblesideOnline AmblesideOnline.org
An Old-Fashioned Education http://oldfashionededucation.com/
Online planning is more and more favorable because you can't lose the planner!!! I just started adding all of my ideas and field trips onto my google calendar.
You can also use My Study Life https://www.mystudylife.com/
Fifty years ago scientists first described the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Today humans have put DNA to work in a wide variety of applications. This exhibit explores a few of those applications.
Why Were Genes Used In This Comparison, and How Do They Relate To DNA?
Genes are the fundamental units of DNA function. In DNA terms, genes are discrete sections of the DNA sequence that are part of much longer DNA molecules. They provide the biochemical instructions for producing all of the components of biological organisms. Some genes specify visible physical traits, while others govern metabolic processes. Most traits, such as the shape of your face, require the actions of many genes.
Why Are We So Similar?
The DNA of these species is so similar because the basic organization of life is widely shared, with the largest differences found between plants and animals, or between tiny single-celled organisms like yeast and large multicellular organisms like ourselves. The similarities reflect a common ancestry that appears to be shared by all life on Earth.
Greatest discoveries with bill Nye will take you to a new way into the world of Genetics. Learn all subtleties and a great start with Professor bill Nye.
Virtual Field Trips
The National WWII Museum offers the following interactive, fast-paced “Virtual Field Trips” that are video conferenced LIVE into classrooms across the country. Guided by a museum educator, students analyze maps, photographs, artifacts, posters, speeches, and songs as they explore the chronologies, strategies, motivations, and outcomes behind these fascinating chapters of WWII history.
All videoconferences last one class period and include pre- and post-program curriculum materials.
Make your own propaganda posters, test your memory, solve puzzles and more! Learn about World War II and have fun at the same time.
http://classroomvictorygarden.org/
The goal of The Classroom Victory Garden Project is to teach elementary students about the role of community in WWII through interdisciplinary curriculum designed to connect the past and the present. Millions of Americans grew Victory Gardens in their backyards - and on rooftops and in windowboxes - during WWII to supplement their wartime rations and help spur victory. That can-do spirit can offer your young students an age-appropriate entree into the lessons and history of WWII.
It's not easy running a household on one income. In November 2003 I signed up to become an Avon Representative. I had just found out I was pregnant with Isabelle and my mother said I needed to get a job. Selling Avon was a great idea at the time. I was able to sign up and get the website up and running that day.
It's now 2017 and I'm still here. I do not make a lot of money. In fact, most of my sales come from advertising products online through Pinterest. www.pinterest.com/raineader
Avon sells itself. If your customers like certain products and they'll stock up once or twice a year. I have a few customers who swear by the SSS product line. I have a few who are absolutely sold on the Anew and mark. products. No two customers are the same.
You can join my team. Sign up and start, it's really that easy. As long as you order one product every three campaigns you'll be in good. Even if it's one $.69 lip balm.
Check out the link above. Once you sign up you'll have access to the Avon University, lots of gold in those pages. Learn how to Build Your Sales, Train and Build Your Team, and Manage Your Business all online at your own pace.
9/11, Charlie Sheen's first film since 2013's Machete Kills, will be release September 8, 2017.
A group of 5 people find themselves trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center's North Tower on 9/11. They work together, never giving up hope, to try to escape before the unthinkable happens.
CAST: Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon (Showgirls), Luiz Guzman (Narcos) and Wood Harris (The Wire).
It is in fact based on the Patrick Carson stage play Elevator, constructed using voicemails that victims of the two towers attack left in their last moments, and the story of Sheen's film features an incident where five people become trapped in a lift together in the North Tower and work as a team to find a means of escape before the building inevitably collapses.
Click the link above to take the factory tour and discover how the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 is built. The Chrysler brand has announced the Chrysler 200 Factory Tour experience in association with Google Maps Business View. The Chrysler 200 Factory Tour is supposed to provide consumers with a virtual look inside the auto making process. This tour is compiled of 360-degree interactive films and photography that allows users to get a closer look to aspects of the intricate assembly process. The virtual tour takes consumers inside the 5 million square feet Sterling Heights Assembly Plant outside of Detroit, Michigan. “Just as we pioneered a completely new Chrysler 200, we are pioneering a new way for consumers to research a vehicle,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. “I personally wish everyone could visit the plant to walk through and experience the fascinating process live. But since we can’t bring people to the plant, we've worked with Google to openly bring the plant to the people, so they can themselves experience how these processes drive precision, reliability and deliver an exceptional and truly all-new Chrysler 200." The tour starts off with a 30-second introductory film, titled “Reverse,” that leads into the 360-degree virtual tour of the factory's interior, using Google Maps Street View technology. To create the effect, Chrysler teamed up with Google Photographers to capture the auto-manufacturing process using a variety of films and photography. The tour also has a tool consumers can use as a guide to navigate through 12 unique areas of the assembly plant. Consumers can also choose to explore all 5 million square feet on their own. The Chrysler 200 Factory Tour is available on both laptop and mobile devices, including both Android and Apple operating systems. It’s a neat way to see a auto assembly plant without leaving your living room.
When scientists first discovered the megamouth shark in 1976 off the coast of Hawaii, it struck them as so bizarre that, to classify it, they created an entirely new genus and family.
Today, little is still known about the shark save for the fact that it has a large gaping mouth, which is indeed, very mega.
While swimming off the coast of Indonesia's Komodo Island, one diver got a lucky sighting of one of these rarely seen sharks.
The Florida Museum of Natural History keeps an official list of megamouth shark sightings dating back to its discovery in 1976. In the past 41 years, just over 60 sightings have been confirmed. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which keeps active records of world species populations, notes that 102 specimens have been observed.
The sharks are filter feeders and have what the Florida museum characterizes as, "a soft, flabby body and poor swimming skills." The big fish are believed to grow roughly 17 feet long. In addition to their wide-stretched mouths, the sharks can also be recognized from their snout-shaped heads.
The sharks have been found in shallow waters near the water's surface and ocean depths of up to a mile, suggesting the animals are diurnal, and regularly alternate between deep and shallow.
They've been spotted primarily near Japan and Taiwan, but sightings have occurred in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Because of its wide range of distribution, the IUCN lists the megamouth shark as an animal of "least concern."
This colorful, fun, and informative periodic table is great for elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as adults.
This pictorial periodic table is colorful, fun, and packed with information. In addition to the element's name, symbol, and atomic number, each element box has a drawing of one of the element's main human uses or natural occurrences. The table is color-coded to show the chemical groupings. Small symbols pack in additional information: solid/liquid/gas, color of element, common in the human body, common in the earth's crust, magnetic metals, noble metals, radioactive, and rare or never found in nature. It does not overload kids with a lot of detailed numbers, like atomic weights and valence numbers.
News: Four new element names, 113 Nihonium (Nh), 115 Moscovium (Mc), 117 Tennessine (Ts), and 118 Oganesson (Og), were approved by IUPAC in November 2016.
Homeschool mom's and dad's have every right to feel the back to school pressure. All of these awesome sales on organizers, shelves, new comforter sets (yea, we like to sleep as much as college kids!), and supplies! If you get excited hearing about ten cent crayon packs, spiral notebooks, and pencil boxes you just might be a frugal parent. A quick search online and you can find other great deals.
My advice, go for the under a dollar supplies when you see it. They'll run out quickly. Teachers tell parents, who tell grandparents, who tell others and before you know it the store is sold out.
I like to take inventory of my supplies. That means checking each glue stick to make sure it's not dried up. Hunting down scissors to make sure we have four useable ones. Moving all the paper to one area: printer, graph, handwriting, notebook, and construction. Going through the craft supply box, will we have enough water color paint, colored pencils, glue dots, velcro, wiggly eyes. and pipecleaners.
**If your children are like mine and spent all summer making slime you might want to be sure you have school glue, glitter, and food coloring left in the house!
Because we homeschool and we are able to make our own schedule, which means, I can hold off on many things and wait for the clearance sales. My kids usually get new shoes and clothes as needed, but if I see something worth the price, I'll purchase it and save it for Christmas or a birthday.
This year we're joining a co-op one day a week. My mother has been buying the kids lunch boxes because when we go on field trips or meet up for playground play groups we always pack a lunch. I load up a bunch of stuff in my picnic basket and off we go. I was thinking of buying new book bags, but seriously, the ones we have are still good. They hold a lot and they haven't left the house since 2014!
I've seen Wal-Mart and Target offer $7-$12 book bags and lunch boxes for about $5. If you shop alone and come home with the supplies there's no complaining, because your child didn't know they could've had a PJ Masks, Shopkins, or Paw Patrol one.
Online office supply stores are great to look at before you hit the store. If there is a brick and mortar store near you stroll in and check the prices-- might have a sale you didn't know about. I usually go to the teacher supply store once in August and again in Sept. Teachers also do inventory and return things they never used, so it ends up in the clearance bin.
I'm not trying to replicate a classroom in my home. The only school like thing is: I do need them to complete subjects, but they don't need three bulletin boards, hall passes, Ikea desks, and outrageous Pottery Barn bean bag chairs. If you base your wants off of a picture someone posted online, consider it could be a fake!
Ask around if there's something you think would be a great addition to helping you stay organized. This time of year my social media is full of teacher friends asking for any and everything that will pull their classrooms together. People have things and hoard things, but I've found they are willing to part with things knowing it's going to a great cause.
Have you checked Craigslist? Have you checked neighborhood yard sale sites?
Those are sites I check all year long, you never know what you'll find. Have your friends and family members keep you in mind if they see the library is having a book sale. Even if it's an hour away. You could still come out ahead with some awesome resources. Outside toys go for hundreds of dollars, you might score some playground equipment for $50.
I saw a parent mention on YouTube that the store Once Upon a Child does not donate anything to charities, they toss everything in the trash. Are you interested in dumpster diving? Do you know someone who is? Might want to give them the heads up about the place.
My most valuable, but frugal, homeschool advice..... Use free online curriculum. If you want to go by what the public school kids are learning www.engageny.org has everything you'll ever need. If you want more of a classical education Check out Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool over at www.allinonehomeschool.com
A quick Google search for Free online curriculum will lead you to many hours of checking out great learning resources. If you child likes horses, search free horse lesson plans. You can also find lesson plans that go along with movies all for free, just have to search. Do you have a friend that just loves loves loves Classical Conversations? Print out a few free things and try it with you family before you drop mega bucks on a curriculum and join a group that's not right for you.
One of my favorite free curriculum options is searching the public domain books. Grammar-Land is one of my favorites. Many homeschool blogs have free worksheets that go along with the book.
Teachers Pay Teachers is another gem that offers free teaching resources. You might even decide to make your own lessons and make some money one day.
Maryland has a tax free week every August. If your state does, check out what exactly you can purchase tax free and if it would benefit you go for it.
When we started our homeschooling journey we had no choice but to go at it as frugally as we could. We are now down to one income and every penny needs to be accounted for around here. So far, it's been doable. I'd love to go to more places with the children, but the costs are outrageous. I've noticed many places do offer FREE days and that's when we fight the crowds and enjoy our free days. We are lucky enough to live in a city and near Washington, DC there are many free museums and places we can check out.
Every October Baltimore has Free Fall Baltimore, you can do things the whole month for FREE. We always go to the Maryland Zoo. Last year, we attended a local farm class once a week teaching us about the pros of being self sustaining, lots of information on seed saving, and a ton of knowledge about permaculture.
Don't feel bad if you have to turn down a Science center trip, at $30 a person and five people in my family the cost of that trip is already at $150 just to get in the door. Parents that homeschool just one or two children rarely think of that when inviting people. They just get excited and want to get a group together, don't take offense.
Wiper blade setup differs quite a bit from car to car, so you may have to follow a few different steps according to your owner’s manual. Basically, the process is similar to changing your air filter:
Lift the blades, as if you were washing your windshield by hand, and remove the old blades.
Pay attention to how the old blades connect to the metal arms.
On most models, you’ll see a tab on the underside of the wiper. Push the tab to remove the old blade.
Attach the new blades, being careful not to bend the wiper arms or scratch your windshield. Line everything up and make sure the new ones are secure and tight.
If you get distracted or just can’t remember exactly how the new blades should fit on the wiper arm, don’t worry. The packaging for the new blades should have a general set of instructions and a helpful diagram.
The full-year curriculum, available as a free download in Apple's iBooks Store, was designed by Apple engineers and educators to teach students how to design apps using the iPhone maker's Swift programming language. A number of popular apps like Airbnb, Kayak, TripAdvisor, Venmo and Yelp were created with Swift.
Students who complete the curriculum will gain "critical job skills in software development and information technology," Apple said.
Six community college systems and select high schools across the U.S. will be among the first to offer the curriculum, starting this fall. They includes the Alabama Community College System, Columbus State Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Houston Community College, Mesa Community College and San Mateo Community College District. Local businesses at many of the participating campuses will also offer students mentoring and internships, Apple said.
In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said "the app economy and software development are among the fastest-growing job sectors in America.
"We've seen firsthand the impact that coding has on individuals and the U.S. economy as a whole," he said. "We hope these courses will open doors for people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue what they love."
The new curriculum comes after Apple pledged $1 billion to boost "advanced manufacturing" in the U.S.
Today we're learning about our van. Our 2005 Saturn relay takes us everywhere we need to be. Changing the oil is something all of the kids have done with their Dad in the past. This is just a refresher and/or future reference for us.
Oil Changing Tips From the Experts
If the engine is cold, start it and let it run for five minutes to warm the oil. If it’s hot, wait at least 30 minutes to avoid getting burned.
Never use an adjustable wrench or socket on the drain plug. Use the properly sized box-end wrench, usually metric, for the plug.
Always use jack stands. Never work under a car that’s supported by a jack only.
Use new oil to coat the oil filter gasket before spinning it on.
Always hand-tighten the filter. Never use a filter wrench.
Find an oil/oil filter recycling center near you by visiting earth911.com or doing an internet search.
Line up all the oil bottles you’ll need for the fill so you don’t lose count along the way.
Required Tools for this Project
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.
Rags
Rubber mallet
Safety glasses
Wrench set
You'll also need an oil filter wrench, a funnel and oil pan.
Required Materials for this Project
Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.
Engine oil
Oil filter
Oil filter gasket
Container for used oil
Display the “Oil Life Remaining” message in the Driver Information Center
Press and hold the SET/RESET button on the Driver Information Center for more than 5 seconds (on vehicles without DIC, use the TRIP reset stem for SET/RESET)
***If either vehicle has an electronic ignition system or is an alternatively fueled vehicle, the use of jumper cables may damage it.*** Take out your jumper cables. It’s a good idea to buy a set of jumper cables and keep them in the trunk compartment. If you don’t have jumper cables, you have to find a good Samaritan who not only is willing to assist you but who has jumper cables as well. Place both vehicles in Park or Neutral and shut off the ignition in both cars. Engage both parking brakes as well. Attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery. It has “POS” or “+” on it, or it’s bigger than the negative terminal. Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal of the other car. Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal on the other battery. Attach the last black clip to an unpainted metal surface on your car that isn’t near the battery. Use one of the metal struts that holds the hood open. The cables should look like this.
Start the working vehicle and let the engine run for a few minutes.
Try to start your vehicle.
If it won’t start, make sure that the cables are properly connected and have the good Samaritan run his or her engine for five minutes. Then try to start your car again. If it still won’t start, your battery may be beyond help.
If the jump works and your car starts, don’t shut off your engine! Drive around for at least 15 minutes to recharge your battery. If the car won’t start the next time you use it, the battery isn’t holding a charge and needs to be replaced.
You may have noticed that cars nowadays don't come with a spare tire (donut), instead there's a can of fix-a-flat ( tire inflation kit) in the trunk. Carmakers say the reason to skip the spare is due to increased pressure to squeeze more miles out of every gallon of fuel. And ditching a 40- or 50-pound tire and jack helps to increase mpg. A reason they don’t mention as often, though, is cost.
Some aftermarket suppliers and car dealers offer spare tire kits, including the tire, a jack, and a lug wrench costing anywhere from $150 to $300.
If your car has a spare tire under the vehicle
How to change your tire in an emergency
ITEMS YOU'LL NEED TO FIX A FLAT TIRE
Jack
Lug wrench
Fully inflated spare tire
Vehicle owner’s manual
**If your car didn't come equipped with a spare you can purchase a kit
Here are some items that don’t come with your vehicle but that you should stow in your trunk or glove box in case you have to change a flat tire:
Flashlight with working batteries
Rain poncho
Small cut of 2"x6” wood to secure the jack
Gloves
Wheel wedges
HOW TO CHANGE TIRES
1. FIND A SAFE LOCATION
As soon as you realize you have a flat tire, do not abruptly brake or turn. Slowly reduce speed and scan your surroundings for a level, straight stretch of road with a wide shoulder. An empty parking lot would be an ideal place. Level ground is good because it will prevent your vehicle from rolling. Also, straight stretches of road are better than curves because oncoming traffic is more likely to see you.
Never attempt to change your tire on a narrow shoulder near oncoming traffic. Keep moving (slowly) until you find a safer spot. While driving on a flat risks ruining your rim, replacing a rim is better than being hit by an inattentive driver.
Make sure to consult your owner’s manual and review their specific steps on how to change a flat tire for your vehicle
2. TURN ON YOUR HAZARD LIGHTS
Your hazard lights or “flashers” will help other drivers see you on the side of the road. To avoid an accident, turn them on as soon as you realize you need to pull over.
3. APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE
Once stopped, always use the parking brake when preparing to replace a flat tire. This will minimize the possibility of your vehicle rolling.
4. APPLY WHEEL WEDGES
Wheel wedges go in front of or behind the tires to further ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll while you fix the flat tire. If you’re changing a rear tire, place these in front of the front tires. If your flat tire is at the front, put the wheel wedges behind the rear tires.
Bricks or large stones will work just as well as “real” wheel wedges. Just be sure they’re large enough to stop the car from rolling.
5. REMOVE THE HUBCAP OR WHEEL COVER
If your vehicle has a hubcap covering the lug nuts, it’s easier to remove the hubcap before lifting the vehicle with the jack. If your lug nuts are exposed, you can skip ahead to Step 6.
Use the flat end of your lug wrench to remove the hubcap. This will work for most vehicles, but some hubcaps need a different tool to come off. Consult your owner’s manual for proper hubcap or wheel cover removal procedures.
6. LOOSEN THE LUG NUTS
Using the lug wrench, turn the lug nuts counterclockwise until you break their resistance. You may have to use force, and that’s ok. Use your foot or all of your body weight if necessary.
Loosen the lug nuts about ¼ to ½ of a turn, but don’t remove them completely yet. Save that for when it’s time to remove your tire/wheel from the vehicle.
7. PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE VEHICLE
The right place for the jack is usually beneath the vehicle frame alongside the tire that’s flat. Many vehicle frames have molded plastic on the bottom with a cleared area of exposed metal specifically for the jack. To safely lift and avoid damage to the vehicle, follow the instructions for jack placement in your vehicle owner’s manual.
8. RAISE THE VEHICLE WITH THE JACK
To prevent the jack from settling under the weight of your vehicle and coming off balance, place a small cut of 2x6” wood beneath it before attempting to raise your vehicle. This tactic is especially helpful on asphalt.
With the jack properly positioned, raise the vehicle until the flat tire is about six inches above the ground.
Never put any part of your body under the vehicle during or after raising the vehicle with the jack.
9. UNSCREW THE LUG NUTS
Now it’s time to remove the lug nuts all the way. Since you've already loosened them, you should be able to unscrew them mostly by hand.
10. REMOVE THE FLAT TIRE
Gripping the tire by the treads, pull it gently toward you until it’s completely free from the hub behind it. Set it on its side so that it doesn’t roll away.
11. MOUNT THE SPARE TIRE ON THE LUG BOLTS
Now place the spare on the hub by lining up the rim with the lug bolts. Push gently until the lug bolts show through the rim.
12. TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS BY HAND
Put the lug nuts back on the lug bolts and tighten them all the way by hand. Once they are all on, check each one again, tightening as much as possible. You will tighten them with the wrench after lowering the vehicle to the ground.
13. LOWER THE VEHICLE AND TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS AGAIN
Use the jack to lower the vehicle so that the spare tire is resting on the ground but the full weight of the vehicle isn’t fully on the tire. At this point, you should tighten the lug nuts with the wrench, turning clockwise, as much as you can. Push down on the lug wrench with the full weight of your body.
14. LOWER THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY
Bring the vehicle all the way to the ground and remove the jack. Give the lug nuts another pull with the wrench to ensure they’re as tight as possible.
15. REPLACE THE HUBCAP
If the hubcap you took from the flat tire will fit your spare, put it in place the same way you removed it initially. If it doesn’t fit, stow it away with the tire when you stow your equipment.
16. STOW ALL EQUIPMENT
You have before you a jack, a lug wrench, wheel wedges, your flat tire, and possibly a hubcap. Don’t forget to put all of them in your vehicle before driving away.
17. CHECK THE PRESSURE IN THE SPARE TIRE
You should check the tire pressure of the spare tire to make sure that it is safe to drive on. “T-Type” temporary spares, also called “mini-spares,” require 60 psi (420 kPa). If the tire needs pressure, drive (slowly) to a service station immediately.
18. TAKE YOUR FLAT TIRE TO A TECHNICIAN
Temporary spare tires aren’t made to drive long distances or at high speeds, so drive cautiously until you’re able to visit a tire technician. A professional should be able to determine whether your tire needs a repair or if it’s time to replace it.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIX A FLAT TIRE?
Aside from taking your tire to a professional, the above procedure shouldn’t take more than 15 to 30 minutes to change a tire. Just be sure you don’t leave out any steps.
It’s beneficial practice changing a tire in your garage or driveway to ensure you’re ready to handle this situation if it ever happens to you.
A FEW MORE TIPS ON CHANGING TIRES
Knowing how to fix a flat tire is great, but regular tire maintenance is even more important. In addition to reviewing this guide regularly, remember to do the following:
Keep your tires properly inflated
Rotate your tires according to the manufacturer’s guidelines
Monitor for tread wear
All of these precautions will extend the life of your tires and reduce the likelihood of a flat. While there’s no way to prevent flat tires completely, proper care can improve performance and ensure your tires last as long as possible.
BUILDING THE WALL TOOK MORE THAN 1800 YEARS. As far back as the 8th century BCE, barriers were going up to repel nomadic armies. When Qin Shi Huang seized power of a collection of neighboring principalities in 221 BCE and kicked off the Qin Dynasty, he began construction on a 5000-kilometer wall to safeguard his territory. Later dynasties continued this work and added their own flourishes. While construction began under the Qin Dynasty, the recognizable segments that we think of when we visualize the Great Wall were largely the handiwork of the Ming Dynasty, which created these facets between the 14th and 17th centuries CE. The Great Wall is largely crafted from unremarkable building materials like earth and stone. More interestingly, glutinous rice—known colloquially as “sticky rice”—was incorporated into the mortar recipe thanks to its cohesive properties. Modern studies have indicated that the amylopectin of the rice (the same substance that makes it sticky) helps explain the wall’s strength and endurance. The Great Wall is more accurately described as a 20,000-kilometer network of walls spanning the northern border of Ancient and Imperial Chinese territories. A collection of walls and not one solid wall. In a particularly extreme version of modern community service, Great Wall construction, maintenance, and surveillance were regular duties of convicted criminals during the Qin Dynasty. To distinguish outlaw laborers from their civilian colleagues, authorities shaved working convicts’ heads, blackened their faces, and bound their limbs in chains. Transgressions ranging from homicide to tax evasion were all punishable with Wall duty. The work was dangerous—some estimates state that 400,000 workers perished while building the wall. Many grieving family members feared that the spirits of their loved ones would be forever trapped within the structure that cost them their lives. In an effort to grant deceased laborers spiritual emancipation, a mourner would cross over the Wall with a rooster in tow. This tradition was believed to help guide a soul away from the fortification. Lining the Great Wall are shrines and tributes to figures from Chinese history. Guan Yu, a third-century general who served during the Han dynasty, is honored with temples built on the Wall. Despite all the effort that went into making Great Wall the premiere component of China’s military defense system, many of the country’s varied enemies throughout history managed passage across the barrier. Manchurian invasion through the Wall in the 17th century resulted in the fall of the Ming dynasty. “The Great Wall of China” is a nickname commonly used by Americans, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, while other Western nations prefer a humbler designation: “The Chinese Wall.” Within China, the Wall has known a number of monikers, having been introduced in its inceptive days as “The 10,000-Li-Long Wall” (as in the first century BCE publication Records of the Grand Historian) and “The Long Wall of 10,000 Li” (as in Book of Song, published during the fifth century CE), a Li being about a third of a mile. Over time, the Wall earned some more ostentatious handles, including “The Purple Frontier” and “The Earth Dragon.” Ultimately, China christened its manmade wonder with a simple but appropriate name: “The Long Wall.”
The summit is the border of Nepal to the south and China or Tibet on the north.
It is over 60 million years old.
Everest was formed by the movement of the Indian tectonic plate pushing up and against the Asian plate.
Everest grows by about a quarter of an inch (0.25") every year.
In Tibet the mountain is known as Chomolangma for ‘mother of the universe’
Mount Everest is also home to a very minute black jumping spider. These spiders hide in crevices and feed on frozen insects. Their food depends largely upon what is blown by the wind into the specific area. They live as high as 22,000 feet.
Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Everest, on May 19 1953.
Moana (2016): This Disney film blends elements of myth and culture from different parts of Polynesia. These K-12 classroom resources can help you craft lessons and learning opportunities around the movie's theme.
To restore the health of her island’s ecosystem, Moana sails from her island against her father’s wishes to return the heart of the goddess who created all life. But first she must find the trickster Maui who stole the heart and then lost it along with his magic fishhook. Disney blends elements of myth and culture from different parts of Polynesia, though much is Maori.
The official Disney Moana Website provides an Educator’s Guide and an Activity Packet. The Educator’s Guide ( PDF, 12.8 MB, 40 pgs.) (2-6) with background information, 4 lessons aligned to standards, and glossary. The lessons examine the hero’s journey, music and rhythm of the ocean, Wayfinding, and caring for sea turtles. Moana Activity Pack
http://cdnvideo.dolimg.com/cdn_assets/fcc5b86eec81c5d934e5ca5e96055cea87cae402.pdf
The Activity Packet ( PDF, 9.8 MB, 18 pgs.) has six activities as well as information on storytelling/mythology, waves, Wayfinding, and sea turtles.
Voyaging Society
http://archive.hokulea.com/index.html
Hawaiian Voyaging Traditions houses materials related to the revival of voyaging and non-instrument navigation led by the Polynesian Voyaging Society and its voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a.
http://www.hokulea.com/voyages/our-story/
Wayfinders: The Game
http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/game.html
Want to know what it's like to be a wayfinder, making your way across the Pacific? Feed that curiosity, adventurer, and see if you can take an ancient Polynesian vessel across the sea.
GOES-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) captured this electrifying imagery of the lightning associated with the recent severe weather over the Mississippi Valley and southern Plains
The animation begins at approximately noon on Friday, April 28, 2017, and ends at midnight on Saturday, April, 29.
GOES-16, the most advanced weather satellite NOAA has ever developed, will be moved to the GOES-East position once it is declared operational in November. NOAA officials announced the decision regarding GOES-16’s placement earlier today, during the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook news conference at NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland.
“GOES-16 will be placed in the east position where it can observe the entire continental U.S., and monitor areas most vulnerable to tornadoes, floods, land-falling tropical storms, hurricanes and other severe storms,” said Stephen Volz, Ph.D., director, NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service. To read more about GOES-16’s placement, visit the NOAA.gov website.
National Weather Service Releases the 2017 Hurricane Outlook
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 and, based on this year’s outlook, forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those named storms, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 2 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4, or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher).
The Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1 and typically ends November 30, is almost upon us. Here’s an introduction to three of the terms you’re likely to hear during this potentially stormy period.
The eye, along with the eye wall and the rainbands are the most notable features of a hurricane.
The eye, or center, or a hurricane is a relatively calm area typically 20 to 40 miles in diameter. Eyes may be clear or cloudy, but they are usually clear during periods of rapid storm intensification (storms with eyes usually have wind speeds higher than 85 knots). Cloudy eyes are often indicative that a storm is past its peak intensity.
The eye wall is a dense wall of thunderstorms surrounding the eye and is the most intense part of a hurricane in terms of wind and rain. Changes in the structure of the eye and eyewall can cause changes in the wind speed, which is an indicator of the storm's intensity.
A storm's outer rainbands—which consist of dense bands of thunderstorms—can extend hundreds of miles from the center. Typically, they range from 50 to 300 miles long. According to forecasters, the curvature of the rainbands provides a clue to a storm’s intensity. In general, the more curved the rainbands, the more intense the storm. The size of a hurricane can vary widely, it is important to note that a storm’s size is not an indication of its intensity.
Hurricane Disasters: Calculating the Damage
Hurricanes and other weather disasters can cause billions of dollars of damage. During 2016, Americans experienced 15 weather disasters costing more than $1 billion dollars each—the second highest number of events since 1980. Insurers have their own plans to help them cover losses resulting from severe weather. These back-up plans are known as “reinsurance.”
The best time to prepare for a hurricane is before hurricane season begins on June 1. It is vital to understand your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding, and wind. Here is your checklist of things to do BEFORE hurricane seasons begins.
Know your zone: Do you live near the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts? Find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation area by contacting your local government/emergency management office or by checking the evacuation site website.
Put Together an Emergency Kit: Put together a basic emergency. Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
Write or review your Family Emergency Plan: Before an emergency happens, sit down with your family or close friends and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go, and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supplies kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster. Start at the Ready.Gov emergency plan webpage.
Review Your Insurance Policies: Review your insurance policies to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your home and personal property.
Understand NWS forecast products, especially the meaning of NWS watches and warnings.
Hurricane Hazards
While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depression also can be devastating. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents.
Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm's winds. This hazard is historically the leading cause of hurricane related deaths in the United States. Storm surge and large battering waves can result in large loss of life and cause massive destruction along the coast.
Storm surge can travel several miles inland, especially along bays, rivers, and estuaries.
Flooding from heavy rains is the second leading cause of fatalities from landfalling tropical cyclones. Widespread torrential rains associated with these storms often cause flooding hundreds of miles inland. This flooding can persist for several days after a storm has dissipated.
Winds from a hurricane can destroy buildings and manufactured homes. Signs, roofing material, and other items left outside can become flying missiles during hurricanes.
Tornadoes can accompany landfalling tropical cyclones. These tornadoes typically occur in rain bands well away from the center of the storm.
Dangerous waves produced by a tropical cyclone's strong winds can pose a significant hazard to coastal residents and mariners. These waves can cause deadly rip currents, significant beach erosion, and damage to structures along the coastline, even when the storm is more than a 1,000 miles offshore.
Veritasium- An element of truth - videos about science, education, and anything else I find interesting. https://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium Seeker- Seeker exists where technology, innovation and the future collide. We celebrate relentless curiosity with an insatiable drive to question, inspire, and create. https://www.youtube.com/user/DNewsChannel/videos
It's Okay To Be Smart- Joe Hanson, Ph.D. is a curious group of atoms in a curious universe, and he's here to tell you how it all works.
Big Think- Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content -- with thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, we help you get smarter, faster. We aim to help you explore the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century, so you can apply them to the questions and challenges in your own life.
By Paul Deans http://www.skynews.ca/a-black-hole-mosh-pit/
How do binary black-hole systems form?
M80 (NGC6093) is one of the densest globular star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy and the theoretical home of a black hole mosh pit. Courtesy The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STSCI/NASA)
Back in September 2015, astronomers using the incredibly complex Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), detected for the first time gravitational waves resulting from the merger of two black holes. Three months later (on Boxing Day), LIGO caught another pair of black holes in the act of merging. This second detection suggests that the first was no one-off fluke. Are black hole pairs really that common?
According to Fred Rasio (Northwestern University), astrophysicists think there are two ways to form black hole binaries. In one theory, two massive stars already in a binary system evolve and die, usually as supernovae. If the binary survives as each star collapses into a black hole—not a sure thing since supernova explosions are very violent—then a black hole pair is the result.
The second—a dynamical-formation scenario—was discussed by Rasio at the June 2016 American Astronomical meeting. It assumes that in very dense star clusters such as globular clusters, stellar-size massive black holes already exist, born via normal stellar evolution,
“In such dense systems, stars interact dynamically all the time,” he explained. “Eventually the black holes settle down and go where gravity takes them, which in these systems is the centre of the cluster where the density is highest and the dynamical interactions are most frequent and most violent. This is what my graduate student called the black hole mosh pit.”
The mosh pit at the heart of a cluster is typically only a few light-years across, but contains thousands of stars. Here black holes interact, form pairs, and even swap partners before pairs are eventually ejected from the cluster—all due to dynamical interactions with other black holes. Rasio’s computer simulations indicate that these ejected black hole binaries are “just the kind of system that will eventually become a LIGO source when the two black holes merge.”
Half of the richest counties in America are roughly an hour away from the capital.Virginia’s Loudoun County boasts an eye-popping median household income of $125,900, tops in the nation, according to 2015 Census Bureau estimates, the most recent available. Almost 10,000 Loudoun residents commute to D.C., but the vast majority of residents find plentiful well-paid job opportunities close to home – the top local employers are Dulles Airport, the Department of Homeland Security and the Loudoun County Public Schools.
Loudoun County also houses a large amount of technology companies and data centers — up to 70% of the world’s Internet traffic flows through Loudoun’s data centers each day.
In second place is its Virginia neighbor Falls Church City, a small city encompassing just 2.2 square miles that has previously topped the list of wealthiest counties. The vast majority, 78.8%, of Falls Church adult residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Though technically an independent city, Falls Church is considered by the Census Bureau to be equivalent to a county. It’s a government town: 31.3% of Falls Church residents are employed by Uncle Sam.
Almost 10,000 Loudoun residents commute to D.C., but the vast majority of residents find plentiful well-paid job opportunities close to home – the top local employers are Dulles Airport, the Department of Homeland Security and the Loudoun County Public Schools.
Other D.C. suburbs with high earning include Virginia’s Fairfax and Arlington counties and Howard County in Maryland.
Full list of America's Richest Counties
https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5963ed594bbe6f269f7f2e9d/top-10-richest-counties-i/#2fbdec93158f
