CNG Cars And Their Benefits

When it comes down to finding a car that will be worth what you pay for, the car that meets this criteria is a CNG car. CNG cars are quite amazing things as they run off of the cheap fuel natural gas. Did you know that the average price of natural gas is less than a dollar a gallon? That's right, with this fuel source, your car will pay for itself in an average of 5 years of operation. That is unheard of when it comes to other types of vehicles. If you want to really save some hard earned cash, you can't go wrong with one of these vehicles.

These types of automobiles were made all the way up until 2004. At this time, the new flex fuel cars came out and so the government lifted its restriction which forced automakers to make these kinds of vehicles. Honda still makes a CNG vehicle, but if you want something other than a Honda, you will have to have a car be converted to this fuel type through a conversion kit. Conversion kits really don't cost that much, its just making sure that you have a professional be the one that actually installs it instead of trying to do it yourself. Having a professional mechanic will make your life much easier as you will be able to ensure that the kit was installed correctly in order to protect your safety and the safety of the passengers inside.

As you can see, these types of cars are amazing at saving you money!

Corporate Social Responsibility, Yay Or Nay?

In the past several decades, corporations have been forming in almost every area of the world. The corporations drastically affect the area around them, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. From this, the idea of corporate social responsibility arises. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as the commitment of a corporation to better the area in which it is located. As two every story, this one has two sides. Some people are for it and some against. Two reasons that have come up supporting corporate social responsibility are that it is good press, and that it gives its' employees a sense of pride. Two arguments against corporate social responsibility are that a corporation's job is to make a profit, and that people should take care of themselves. Now I will elaborate on these.

The idea that corporate social responsibility is good press is entirely true. If a corporation (especially a large, well-known one) does something that people other than employees benefit from, it makes them look good. By looking good, the corporation has a chance to get free advertising. If the good deed is covered by the media, the corporation does not have to pay a dime. So, you could almost consider the cost of the good deed as an advertising expense. An example of this is the large array of Christmas lights the Herr's chip factory puts up every year. Although this isn't a direct way of giving back, it gives the people in the area something magnificent to look at during the holiday season. At the same time, its gets peoples' attention which is what advertising is designed to do. The good press created by a strong sense of corporate social responsibility also has the potential to get new investors. Many wealthy people love investing in companies that are environmentally friendly or that give back to the people in some way.

The second supporting piece of information for corporate social responsibility is that it gives the corporation's employees a sense of pride. It would make me feel good knowing that the company I worked for helped out in the area I lived. This might motivate employees to work harder, which would make them more productive. In a sense, all of the hard work the employees put in generates the money used to benefit the surrounding area. I know people would really like the chance to say "Hey, I work for that company" when he or she over hears people talking about something good the corporation did.

Like I stated, there are always two sides to every story which means there are also reasons that people are against corporate social responsibility. One is that the corporation's responsibility is to the shareholders. This means that corporation's focus should be on making as much money as possible. So for a company to spend money by giving back to the community just seems wrong in that respect. Now, the fact that the publicity the company gets from giving back generates the sale to offset the cost is another topic in itself. I feel that it potentially could, but there's no way of knowing for sure. Many stockholders only invest to make money, so they would probably feel that the company should earn money and that is it.

Some people feel that idea of corporate social responsibility is wrong because people should take care of themselves. I suppose this is kind of like a "let nature runs its course" approach. People should learn to fend for themselves, and not be dependent on the help of others. If corporations (or people) help them, they will never be able to break away and survive on their own. For instance, say you see a stray cat wondering around your neighborhood. Well one day it's outside your house and you put a bowl of food on your step. You go inside and the cat eats your food. The next day, the same thing happens. Before you know it you are opening the door and the cat is there waiting for food. The cat has stopped looking for food elsewhere and depends solely on you for food. The same thing can be applied to people.

Corporate social responsibility is something all corporations think about. Some decide to support is because it is good press and it will give their employees a sense of pride which might raise their productivity. On the other hand, some are against it because they realize they have an obligation to their stockholders, and they feel that people should learn to take care of themselves. Personally, I am split between the two. I see very logical reasoning on both sides. If I had to choose one, I would choose to support corporate social responsibility. I think the increased cost of supporting the local area would increase revenue enough to offset itself.

What Does Hemp Clothing Have To Do With Climate Change?

You know trees as heroes when it comes to sequestering carbon and combating climate change, but could hemp clothing challenge that reputation? As trees grow, they inhale carbon dioxide gas and convert it into carbon-based fibers, which locks up this greenhouse gas for as long as the tree is alive and growing. That's carbon sequestration. And that's why forests are so important in the fight against climate change, and why there's such a strong movement to project forests around the world.

So why are we talking about trees and clothing in a discussion of hemp clothing? Because when it comes to carbon sequestration, hemp may be just as effective, if not more. Recent scientific discoveries point to the fact that organically-grown agricultural crops such as hemp remove carbon from the atmosphere through biological carbon sequestration using the process described above.

Crops that are grown using nitrogen-based fertilizers are less effective at fighting climate change. That's because nitrogen-based fertilizers are made using fossil fuels and require energy to produce. Organic crops, on the other hand, make use of cover crops (that fix nitrogen in the soil for natural nutrient-boost) and manure, both of which further fix carbon in the soil.

Hemp is also an ideal crop for carbon sequestration because it grows incredibly fast, especially when you compare their growth to trees. Hemp plants can also produce an enormous amount of plant matter in a small amount of space, which means more sequestered carbon. Hemp is generally planted in a density of up to 300 plants per square meter, and can still be grown organically. This means it can produce between three and eight dry tons of fiber per acre.

In fact, one acre of hemp will produce twice as much fiber as an acre of cotton, and almost four times as much in the same space as trees. And since hemp plants reach maturity much sooner than trees - within one year - they can be harvested and new plants cultivated so that the cycle continues indefinitely.

Hemp is being recognized as having the potential to even reduce carbon emissions in the building industry. Hemcrete, a building material used for green buildings, is being touted as a much better alternative to tree-based building materials in terms of carbon sequestration.

So when looking for organic clothing, check out your hemp clothing options. You'll find that your purchase could go a long way to shrinking your carbon footprint!

Meditation and Relaxation - Breathing from the Diaphragm

Breathing from the diaphragm (the long band of muscle that lies beneath your lungs) allows for the fullest expansion possible of your ribcage. This means that more air can get into your lungs and into your bloodstream.

Singers use diaphragm breathing to be able to perform their songs with greater power and control, and learning the technique of diaphragm breathing will also improve your chances of relaxing into deep sleep.

This is a good exercise to start with, and can easily be used as a "cleansing" warm-up before doing any other form of exercise.

1. Ideally, lie on your back on a flat surface, or in bed, with your arms at your sides. If lying down isn't possible then try to find a reclining position so that the ribcage is slightly extended.

2. As you breathe in through your nose, imagine that your abdomen and chest contain an empty vessel, like a wine carafe. The opening of the carafe is your nose or mouth and the neck of the carafe is your own neck. Where the neck of the carafe opens into the basin, picture this area as your lungs and then picture the main basin of the carafe as your abdomen.

3. Breathe in and feel the air pouring into your lungs. You should slowly expand your belly first, as if the air is literally filling up your body like wine would fill the carafe. Next fill and expand your upper abdomen, then your chest, throat and mouth. You can place your hand on your upper abdomen if you need help breathing this way. Your hand should rise as you breathe in.

4. When your "vessel" is full, begin to "pour" the air out through your mouth. This time, the air will empty in the opposite direction. First from your mouth, then your throat, chest and finally your stomach. Slightly contract your stomach muscles as if you're trying to squeeze the last "drops" out.

5. Relax and breathe in again through your nose.

6. Repeat this process at least half a dozen times. Each time, try to pull in and pour out slightly more air.

If you prefer, you can imagine your stomach as a balloon - but it is important to keep the "order" in which the air fills your body. This exercise is teaching you not just to breathe deeply, but to notice and control your breathing. These skills form an important part of later meditation practices.

To continue practicing these skills, try this exercise. It may seem strange, but it will help you to expand your lung capacity and increase your sense of control over your breathing.

1. Get into a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting. Close your eyes and place the little finger of each hand on each side of your nose. Relax your other fingers against your cheeks or in a loose fist against your chin.

2. Use the left little finger to close the left nostril. Breathe in deeply through the right nostril only.

3. Now close the right nostril with the right little finger and release the left nostril. Exhale strongly through the left nostril.

4. Without moving your hands at all, breathe back in through the left nostril. Then close your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril only.

5. Repeat with each nostril as the "inhaling" nostril at least 3 times.

If you find it difficult to use both hands, try using the thumb and forefinger of one hand.

Because you are limiting the "pathways" for air to enter your lungs, you are making the lungs work harder to inhale and exhale. Over time, just as when you exercise a muscle, your lungs will get stronger and their capacity will increase, enabling you to breathe more deeply.

This exercise will get you some interesting looks if you try it in public, so just be forewarned!

Choosing an Insect Repellent

For most people, insect bites are a minor annoyance. The area may swell and itch for a while and then return to normal later.

This mild reaction is caused by the venom the insect carries and it normally occurs with the bite of a mosquito, fly, cockroach or bedbug. In this case, vinegar, diluted ammonia or phenolated calamine lotion will relieve itching and burning. Other insect bites can also be cleaned with alcohol, povidone-iodine or plain soap and water.

These simple measures, however, cannot protect people from the many diseases insects bring, some of which are life-threatening. If that's your concern, it may be a good idea to buy an insect repellent.

Thiamin or vitamin B1 has long been recommended for this purpose. Isolated reports say that large amounts of thiamin taken by mouth make perspiration offensive to insects, driving them away. To get this effect, dermatologists say you should take 150 milligrams of thiamin three to four times a day.

Good as it sounds, that formula doesn't work. The US Food and Drug Administration said that as early as 1960, thiamin was found to be ineffective as an insect repellent. In that experiment, volunteers took as much as 200 milligrams of thiamin three times a day and exposed their forearms to hungry female mosquitoes. The result: everyone got bitten in spite of the thiamin they took.

In choosing an insect repellent, look for a product with N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide or deet for short. This chemical was first synthesized in the 1950s and remains the most effective repellent against a wide variety of crawling and flying pests. Concentrations of up to 95 percent were used by American troops during the Vietnam War and many manufactures have incorporated deet in their insect repellents since 1961.

Deet's performance depends on how much is used. A product that contains more deet is more effective and can ward off mosquitoes for over six hours and stable flies for over 4 1/2 hours. Tests made by Consumer Reports also showed that deet performed well against two of the most common and troublesome species of mosquitoes - the Aedes aegypti which causes dengue or H-fever, and Culux pipiens which causes filariasis.

But that protection comes with a price. Since deet is absorbed in the bloodstream, higher concentrations of this chemical can cause serious side effects.

"Among the most dramatic instances: six girls under age nine developed toxic encephalopathy, a swelling of the brain that can cause disorientation, convulsions and death. Three of the girls died. Deet repellents had been applied copiously to most of the girls for weeks or months, and one girl had metabolic disease that apparently made deet's effects worse. But another victim had been wearing insect repellent for just two days. More recent reports have noted brief seizures in five males - four boys under age eight and one adult - after they used deet repellent of varying concentrations, typically only once or twice daily," according to Consumers Reports. (Next: The trouble with deet.)

Think Like a Billionaire, Become a Billionaire - Book Review

The subject of money, in some circles, is a subject that most pastors prefer not discussing with their parishioners. I think that this is a mistake. This subject ought to be discussed from time to time. Not to promote greed or worldliness, but to encourage stewardship in the life of the believer.

Christ spoke about money more than any other subject during his earthly ministry. More than Love, evil, sacrifice, Etc. So why is it that we equate rich with evil and poverty with piety? This book is one that offers some biblical views of how we are to think about money and how we are to use money. While promoting a balance view in ones approach towards money, the author is not requiring its readers to be worldly in order to achieve financial freedom and increase net worth. Quite the contrary, the author points out that we must put on the mind of Christ that we may have a godly approach towards money.

The aim of the author, I believe, is not that the reader desire to become a billionaire. However, I think the aim here is to change one's thinking in money matters, persistence, faith, godly stewardship of one's resources, work ethic, and time management with a God-ward view. And in doing these things, you will reap, in this process of this change, the reward of becoming a financially stable individual that glorifies God in their stewardship of money.

I also thought the workbook in the rear of the book offers some helpful tools on:

Personal Vision Budgeting Personal accountability Mind changing biblical references Discipline Tips on how to achieve Good Credit The rewards & building a road map to savings Time management And more

My conclusion is that this book is a good read for the lay person, including, both single and married persons, teens, church leaders, non-profit administrators, executives, and corporate leaders.

For reviews on other books visit Christian Business Ethics - Book Reviews