perfect

Zero Cost Trickle Charger

noreply@blogspirit.com (moon) — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:35:49 +0200

Tag: Cord With Plug As simple or as complex as you like - a trickle charger that'll save you having a flat battery in rarely-driven cars. Lots of car enthusiasts have more than one car. The kept-mostly-in-the-garage car might be a full-on show car, it might be a classic of yesteryear, or it might simply be a car that you drive rarely. In this household – three cars and two people – the rarely driven car is my turbo Maxima V6. In the lucky event that I have a sequence of new cars to test, poor old Max might be driven only a few times in a month - and then mostly on short trips to the post office. The outcome is that more often than not, it’s got a flat battery. And that’s with a near-new battery in the battery box in the boot! I’ve already got a battery charger but it’s not really the kind of thing I want to leave connected semi-permanently. For one it’s a mains-powered charger with short battery leads – and often the Maxima is parked outside. And outside weather and 240V battery chargers don’t really go together well. Secondly, I often have another requirement for that battery charger, and so I don’t want it tied up semi-permanently on the Maxima. And finally – and it sounds trivial - but I have a healthy respect for the hydrogen gas released during battery charging and I always feel a bit vulnerable pulling on and off those bare alligator clips – especially when the charger doesn’t have an on/off switch on its main body. Maybe some of these things apply to you as well. So what was needed was a low-cost trickle charger, one that could be left connected for long periods to just keep the battery topped-up. (A trickle charger is not the sort that you connect when you want to boost a flat battery into life in a few hours; nope, it’s the type that is connected for a few days or more at a time.) It would be good if it had a long low voltage lead and a readily accessible on/off switch. A quick and easy connection method to the car would also facilitate its use.

Earth-Friendly Minneapolis Glass Repair and Installation Company

noreply@blogspirit.com (moon) — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:33:46 +0200

Tag: Bamboo Floor Board While the price of gas has most companies wondering what they should do next, Rapid Glass, a locally owned Minneapolis auto glass replacement and windshield repair shop has implemented several solutions that may help reduce the dependency on foreign oil, reduce green house gas emissions, limit the amount of waste in our landfills, and offset fuel costs with several new innovative techniques. This Minneapolis window repair shop is doing its part to go green year round. "We celebrate Earth Day every day, all year long," said Rick Rosar, President of Rapid Glass. "Our auto, home and business glass company began going green several years ago before most auto glass companies even thought about it. Many of us have been recycling our glass bottles, aluminum cans and other products at home for a long time; however, not until recently did commercial businesses begin taking a serious look at ways to protect the environment." Instead of throwing away small cutoff pieces of glass that normally end up in the garbage, Rapid Glass donates the pieces to local schools, art academies and smaller businesses that manufacture small crafts and stained glass windows. The company also makes it a point to recycle any small pieces of extruded aluminum left over from custom shower door installations. Additionally, Rapid Glass has opted for a new dispensing system for their adhesives, switching from rigid cartridges to recyclable sealer packs to reduce its garbage volume for these products by 90%. Many quality auto glass replacement sealers must be heated due to the climate in Minnesota and it is common practice for glass replacement technicians to leave their truck running to heat up the sealers with their defrosters prior to the installation. However, Rapid Glass has installed on-board heating devices that are hooked up to the vehicle's own heating/cooling system, allowing the technician to shut off their truck, thereby reducing fuel costs, green house gas emissions and reducing additional service costs on the mobile glass service vehicles. The company also uses electric inverters and its newest auto glass installation trucks are equipped to run on E85 Flex fuel. In its offices, Rapid Glass staff recycles paper and plastic materials and stores soft copies of documents on computer hard drive space rather than maintaining hard copies. About Rapid GlassRapid Glass is a locally owned Minneapolis auto glass repair and windshield installation company that has been providing mobile on-site service for over 25 years. The auto glass repair specialists also provide home window glass repair, shower door enclosures, mirrors, and glass table tops. Rapid Glass serves Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding suburbs.

Erectile Dysfunction sufferers push for health insurance coverage

noreply@blogspirit.com (moon) — Thu, 22 May 2008 10:52:28 +0200

Earlier in June CBS 42's Ron Oliveira did a story about a subject that brings shame and embarrassment to men. It's called ED which is Erectile Dysfunction.Millions of men have it due to poor health, nerve damage, medications or surgery. Many men and the women in their lives reached out for help."People don't know what you're going through when you have this procedure done to you."For a variety of reasons, this man and his wife don't want their identities revealed. He's hurt and depressed. After prostate cancer surgery he suffers from erectile dysfunction due to nerve damage during surgery. Viagra or other pills won't work for him.A penile implant was recommended. His insurance company paid for the prostate surgery but repeatedly denied him the implant. He says insurance told him it was medically unnecessary.His wife says, "In our opinion, yes, it is a medical necessity. Why? Because it was caused by cancer."Urologist Steve Hardeman tells how the implant works: "This is an inflatable penile prosthesis. It's got a reservoir which holds fluid. It's got a pump and these are the two structures that go inside the penile shaft. And what happens is you actually pump the fluid through this reservoir with this. This structure is within the scrotum and it causes inflation of these structures and they produce a rigid erection." The procedure can cost anywhere from $10,000 to more than $20,000, something this couple simply can't afford but one that could help change their lives.The man says, "It affected me bad. I don't feel like a man I used to be. And I feel like I'm not helping my wife any, taking care of my job that I need to take care of my wife."His wife is sympathetic, "I feel sorry for him, because I can cope with it but I know he can't. He has a hard time with it. This problem can break up a marriage. But we've been lucky. We've stayed with each other."The two have support from Galen and Linda Bird whom we introduced you to a few weeks ago. Galen also had prostate cancer and suffered from erectile dysfunction. His depression ended when he had a penile implant. His insurance company did cover the procedure.Linda Bird notes "if a woman has a mastectomy, her insurance company is required to pay for reconstruction; it's not fair to the men. If they have a radical prostatectomy, they can't have a penile implant if they need it. I don't know why the men have been left in the dust, but I think it's time, and they're realizing it is time."Ten years ago the Federal Breast Reconstruction Law went into effect requiring all health insurance companies to cover breast reconstruction after a woman has a mastectomy. The Birds think a similar law should be applied to men.A bill before Congress right now could be the answer. H.R. 1903 would require health plans to cover reconstructive prosthetic urology surgery if they provide coverage for prostate cancer treatment. The Birds, the couple we just introduced you to, members of the medical community, and others have gone to Washington to lobby Congress to pass the bill.Urologist Dr. Bryan Kansas says, "Penis and erections seem to define men. If you talk to any man who has had erections and then lost them and then been able to regain them by any means, they say it absolutely changes their lives."When Congress passed the "Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, supporters say it recognized that breast reconstruction surgery is an important part of a woman's treatment and recovery.Supporters of H.R. 1903 say prosthetic procedures are just as critical to the health and well being of men who are prostate cancer survivors.On Tuesday, June 3, Dr. Bryan Kansas will be holding a free seminar on EDand Incontinence at Riverbend Church Fellowship Hall at 4214 N. Capital of Texas Highway. Galen and Linda Bird will be featured speakers. Space is limited. Call 1-877-4ED-CURE (433-2873) to register.