Home Kitchen

The pros and cons of metal kitchen cabinets

There was a time when metal kitchen cabinets seemed to be everyone’s preference. That brief moment in the mid-20th century ushered in a return to the popularity of wood. Now many people look back at those modernist metal cabinets and are thinking of going back to that style. Is it really a good idea? What are the pros and cons of metal kitchen cabinets?

Metal cabinets have a few things going for them. Initially, they have a unique appearance. They’re reminiscent of the post-war “electric age” and have a cheesy, retro feel that some people find completely irresistible. If you are trying to recreate that look in your kitchen, you will certainly consider buying metal kitchen cabinets.

Second, the cabinets are sturdy. They are made of metal, after all! While high-quality wood cabinets boast the same (if not more) longevity, metal cabinets have an advantage over the hardboard composites that dominate the lower price levels of wood cabinets.

However, there are some drawbacks to metal cabinets. First of all, they have a tendency to dent. It could be argued that wood has a tendency to scratch, making them comparable in that regard. However, that is not really accurate. Small scratches in the wood are almost imperceptible and repairing a deeper scratch in the wood is quite easy. Even small dents in metal kitchen cabinets can be obvious and are often quite resistant to repair.

Second, wood offers more flexibility in terms of design. If you like the look of available metal cabinets, that’s not necessarily important. However, if you want to make a choice from the widest range of options, wood is clearly the building material of choice. Wood is also easier to cut and customize.

Third, metal can be quite loud. Even when the doors are properly padded, opening and closing metal kitchen cabinets can be a noisy proposition. If you’re not a big fan of the occasional screeching noise and metal-on-metal clash, you can opt for wood cabinets. They’re not silent, but they don’t create the same kind of unnerving rattling noise.

Finally, rust can be a problem with metal cabinets after several years have passed. If you’re not prepared to properly care for your metal cabinets, you can end up with unwanted rust and oxidation quite early in their lifespan.

In general, most people will probably be happy to choose wooden kitchen cabinets over metal. However, those metal cabinets can be a very strong alternative for those with very specific design ideas. If you’ve been thinking about metal cabinets, be sure to consider their negatives as well as their positives. This will give you the best chance of making an intelligent decision regarding your new and improved kitchen.

Auto

A history of Vickers VC10 aircraft accidents

As one of only four first-generation four-engine long-range airliners, along with the Boeing 707, McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 and Ilyushin Il-62, the Vickers VC10 was one of only two to have wings. uninterrupted. , aft-mounted Rolls Royce Conway turbofans and a T-tail to maximize its short-field and high-lift performance.

Although it was praised by passengers and crew members alike, its oversized and oversized design, produced in short-body Standard and long-body Super versions, limited its sales to just 54 aircraft, including those for the Royal Air Force. , and made it a technological success, but a financial failure.

This study analyzes its short history of accidents.

Other than the initial stall and drag deficiencies encountered during the VC10’s flight test program, the type experienced few airframe and engine failures, reflecting both its superior engineering and relatively few in operation.

However, teething problems arose in December 1964 when a landing gear warning light illuminated on a BOAC Standard 1101 as it approached Manchester. Although it landed safely after the landing gear was extended by gravity, the anomaly was identified as gear locking down, which was later changed. The real culprit, however, would surface later.

The same plane issued the same warning three weeks later as it approached Jan Smuts International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. Despite several extension attempts, it did not lock into place. During their next circle to burn off fuel and reduce the risk of fire after landing, the crew finally managed to lower the gear and landed without incident.

Its more permanent grounding, during which engineers flew in to discover the real problem, led to the discovery that a corroded spindle had been behind the incident and it was recommended that further corrosion protection be applied afterwards. Although all VC10 operators were informed of the finding, no further incidents occurred.

Another, albeit relatively minor, incident occurred on August 9, 1967 when a BOAC Super 1151, en route from Lima, Peru, to New York-JFK, with an intermediate stop in Jamaica, severed a four-by-four wing section. two and a half meters. , which traveled behind the wing and then fell to the ground, piercing the roof of a home at 214 North Street in Manhasset Hills, Long Island. There were no injuries to those in the house or even awareness of those on board, so Flight 500 landed safely at 7:56 p.m. local time. As passengers disembarked from what they considered a “routine” bout, the incident testified to the aircraft’s design, as the missing flap did not even affect its lift during approach or landing.

Of far greater scope was his September 9, 1970 hijacking, along with that of a TWA Boeing 707 and a Swissair McDonnell-Douglas DC-8, carried out by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, or PLFP, in Jordan’s Dawson Field. , the largest-scale and unique event of its kind in history. Since the passengers had been allowed to leave the plane, there were no fatalities.

However, the type suffered two fatal accidents during the 15-year period between 1964 and 1979.

The first of these occurred on November 20, 1969 with aircraft 5N-ABD operated by Nigeria Airways on a multi-sector flight from London to Lagos with intermediate stops in Rome and Kano. The aircraft itself, the first production standard VC10-1101, was originally registered as G-ARVA and served BOAC for five years, between 1964 and 1969. Nigeria Airways only operated it for two months and had 18,431 hours in its airframe at time.

The crew was hardly inexperienced. Captain Val Moore, 56, had flown for BOAC in several notable piston and pure-jet types, including the Halton, York, Hermes, Argonaut, Comet 4 and VC10. Of the 15,173 hours on his log, 3,323 of them had been commanded by that same Vickers design.

First Officer John Wallis, 30, had also flown the type with East African Airways for two and a half years. Of his 3,500 hours, 900 of them had been on the VC10.

Also in the cockpit were flight engineer George Albert Baker, 50, and navigator Basil Payton, 49, both serving Nigeria Airways but employed by British United.

The four crew members operated all three sectors.

Flight WT 925 had left London the previous evening at 22:10, undergoing routine operations to both Rome and Kano. But before he left Lagos, the captain requested 30,000 kilos of additional fuel, fearing that civil unrest in Lagos would prevent him from landing and force Kano to turn back.

Taking off the short 66-minute segment at 06:24 resulted in an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of 07:28.

At 07:11, or six minutes after the aircraft made its initial contact with air traffic control (ATC), it requested clearance to descend from its current altitude of 35,000 feet to 14,000 feet, the latter to avoid the interference from a Fokker F departing from Lagos. 27 Turboprop friendship. After visually checking and passing the Nigeria Airways quad-jet, the VC10 received further clearance to descend and maintain 5,000 feet.

His subsequent request for a straight-in approach to runway 19 was granted, although he was required to report that he had reached 2,200 feet.

The misunderstanding of the local climatic conditions seems to have played a crucial factor in the event. While the airport was under clear skies, the area around it was not. Thick fog, from treetop level to about 2,000 feet, covered the ground a mile to the north, and poor visibility rose to 5,000 feet.

Descending through 2,200 feet at 07:29, VC10 complied with its earlier report request and was asked to do so again by the tower when it reached a point six miles from touchdown. No further transmissions were received.

Shortly after the 08:05 departure of two Nigerian Air Force planes from Lagos, they saw smoke rising from the clouds on the approach path to runway 19.

Nearly in its final landing configuration, with 35-degree trailing-edge flap, landing gear extended, and a 6.7-degree tailplane configuration, Aircraft 5N-ABD had skimmed the treetops at 207 feet. on the ground, losing his number two and three. port flaps and left main landing gear bogie. After another 350 feet, she lost her entire port wing.

Going through three other trees over the next 250 feet, it lost more of its structure, in this case, right wing flap panels number two, three, and four. After covering a distance of 1,700 feet from its initial crash into a tree, it hit the ground nose up and left wing down, losing its tail and four stern-mounted engines, before the rest of the aircraft stopped. 300 feet beyond this point.

The fuel that ruptured from the tanks ignited a fire with no survivors.

Although the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder and no definitive cause was determined in the sequence of events that led to the aircraft’s destruction, it was evidently unable to clear obstructions in its approach path and monitor its altitude and rate of descent during what was, but should not have been, a visual approach during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at the end of a high three-sector flight, which placed the crew outside their legal duty time.

VC10’s second fatal accident occurred three years later, on April 18, 1972, when a Super 1154, registered 5X-UNA with 18,586 airframe hours, crashed on takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Operating East African Airways Flight EC 720 to Rome and finally to London, it was given its start-up clearance at 09:21 and subsequently followed the east taxiway to runway 07. Winds were reported to have no variable addresses. at five knots.

Cleared for takeoff at 09:38:40, he made his acceleration run. But, just before reaching its V1 speed, or the moment at which its takeoff had to be aborted or continued, its nose wheel ran through a steel jack pad left by a Cessna 185 that had set off earlier, resulting in in the perforation of the right of its two tires. The cabin crew experienced the collision as a strong shock and vibration.

The nose rose briefly, but touched the ground again.

Upon aborting takeoff, the captain pulled the throttles back to idle and engaged the thrust reversers, while the T-tail quad-jet banked slightly to the right and one of the main gear tires blew out. Now turning left, it struck an embankment, causing the port wing to lift momentarily and then intercept the runway 25 light steel lattice approach strut.

The impact, which ruptured fuel tank 1A, unleashed a cascade of flammable liquid as the aircraft fell 10.6 meters to the lower ground beyond the runway and broke apart. Eight of the 11 crew and 35 of the 96 passengers perished.

According to the investigation report, “The accident was due to a partial loss of braking effort derived from an incorrect assembly of part of the braking system, for which the aircraft could not stop within the remaining emergency distance after a correct procedure. abandoned takeoff executed”.

Digital Marketing

Tips for creating your own marketing strategy

Developing and creating a marketing strategy is essential for any type and form of business. If you don’t have one, it is imperative that you create one, your efforts, time and money are likely to be inefficient and useless.

You need to create your strategy that focuses on making sure your products and services meet what customers want and need. This is important for developing a long-term, profitable relationship with your customers.

The main goal of a marketing strategy is to identify and communicate what benefits your business could offer to your target market. Quite a genius!

To achieve the goals you have set in your mind, you will need to create a smart strategy that can respond to customer perceptions and demands.

The tips below could help you define your key goals and objectives for reaching your customers; on the other hand, this could help you identify which clients you should focus on. Smart list for smart and effective action.

  • Identify your key elements. Recognizing that your existing customers will fall into particular groups or segments is one of the key elements to a successful marketing strategy. Characterize them by their “needs” and “perspective.” Market research could help you identify these groups and especially their needs, address them more fruitfully than your competitors, this should be the focus of your strategy.
  • Strengths and weaknesses. Your strategy takes into account how the pros and cons of your business will affect your marketing. A genuine Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis could be a great start, to begin with. This is a substantial idea for conducting market research on your existing customers, it will also help you build a more genuine portrait of your reputation.
  • Development of your marketing strategy. By understanding the pros and cons of your business and the other external variables to consider, you could develop your strategy that engages with your own strengths, combining them with the opportunities that present themselves. These questions below could help you develop your marketing strategy:

  1. What changes are taking place in the business environment?
  2. Are these opportunities or threats?
  3. What do I want to achieve?
  4. What are the demands and needs of customers?
  5. How do I target the right potential customers?
  6. What are the best ways to connect with my customers?
  7. Is something missing in my customer service? Do I need to improve it?
  8. If I change my products and services, can I be more profitable?
  9. How do I price my products?
  10. What is the best way to promote my products?
  11. When can I finally conclude that my marketing is effective?

  • Tips and disadvantages. Think about how you can make the most of your existing customers before looking for new markets. It is cheaper and faster than finding new customers. Take the time to think and consider, would it be possible to sell more to your existing customers? You can always look for ways to improve customer ownership. Your marketing strategy document should:

  1. Examine the different needs of different customer groups.
  2. Focus on a niche market where you can grow quickly
  3. Goal to put most of your efforts into the 20 percent of customers who provide 80 percent of the profits

Avoid these:

  1. Make assumptions about what customers want.
  2. Ignore the competition.
  3. Trying to compete only on price.
  4. It depends on very few clients.
  5. Trying to grow up too fast.
  6. Become complacent with what you offer and not innovate.
Relationship

Food Show Lesson Plans

Just as our nation is experiencing a major fat attack, millions of viewers tune in to food-centric TV shows. There may be some irony in this phenomenon. Think about it. In fact, there’s a show called “The Man Against Food,” in which a fairly fat individual seeks to eat as much as he can in a variety of locations across the country. This show plays even as the Centers for Disease Control issues a wake-up call about the obesity epidemic and movies like forks over knives present the scientific evidence that our diets are killing us. Unfortunately, Michael Pollan (The omnivore’s dilemma) has, in all likelihood, fewer followers than Adam Richman, the host of “Man Versus Food.” There’s not much political correctness on food shows.

Teachers can turn food crazes into effective lesson plans with assignments that students won’t object to. Students can learn something, exercise their writing skills, and possibly develop some career interests while being entertained by shows like “Iron Chef,” “Chopped,” “No Reservations,” “Restaurant Impossible,” or “Diners, Drive-ins, and dives”.

I attempted such an assignment in both a freshman and senior class last year. Children’s opinions on which shows are the best are strong; their loyalties are deeply set and they have no problem following the plot lines and characterizations of various personalities. They are attentive to the nature of the competition and become adept at predicting which judge will appreciate a particular chef and which of the prepared foods will win praise. They learn about spices, herbs, and how to select a particular ingredient for a particular recipe or how to substitute one for another when the occasion calls for some creativity.

Youngsters who watch these food shows quickly become food critics, even without having the opportunity to try the exotic foods prepared. They even become aware of the metaphorical value of what these shows call “presentation.” I’ve had kids talk bad handwriting in terms of weak presentation and job interviews in terms of presenting yourself as a worthy candidate for employment. Hmmmmmm. What could this mean?

It means teachers can use cooking shows as teaching tools in their ELA lesson plans. I created a worksheet that I distributed to my students asking them to identify elements similar to those found in literature, such as conflict, complication, and resolution, and to rate the show for its pacing, drama, suspense, emotional appeal, and themes. Extra credit, I said, when I started using the worksheet. Pretty soon, virtually every kid was writing essays, reviews, and even formatting their own shows with their age-based themes. Some children created a program based on veganism in which they suggested using live animals to increase the element of compassion that is so important for people who refuse to participate in the killing of animals for food. Homework was no longer for extra credit, but an important part of my effort to meet standards and exercise writing skills.

Some children even put on their own shows. One was in the making of fried bread. The students were reading Sherman Alexie’s novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and decided to have a fry bread contest. Everyone loved it, although some of the results were better used as frisbees than food. The judges played their roles beautifully and the reviews written by the audience, their classmates, were brilliant. With the right lesson plan, education can often be fun.

Health Fitness

Career Job Satisfaction – Get Off The Treadmill – Get Out Of Your Rat Race!

Get off the treadmill – Get out of your rat race!

We can all get into a rut from time to time. Who hasn’t had a moment in their life where they asked themselves the question, “Why am I doing this?” Whether it’s who you’ve become, the business you’re in, your career, your relationships, where you live, or all of the above, sometimes you realize you’re not where you want to be and you’re not sure how we got there! It sure does feel like your own version of a rat race, though.

If where you want to be in your life isn’t where you are, then maybe it’s time you gave up your own rat race. We are conditioned to believe that we must continue to push ourselves, take on more, and do more, in order to “success.” But this is a limited and ultimately self-defeating definition. If we can only be more successful because of what we do and how much we do, then we have created our own treadmills for running.

1. Redefine success
Redefining success for yourself can be the first step to adopting a new perspective. Try this exercise by completing the following prize. “I know I’m successful when……” You can’t complete the award with anything that has to do with work or material goods.

Here are some examples. I know I am successful when…
…I laugh every day with my children
…jump out of bed excitedly every morning
…all my relationships give me a lot of joy
…I inspire others to make positive changes

By redefining what we believe makes us successful, we begin to strive for different things in our lives. This can be critical to slowing down the treadmill enough for us to take stock of where we are.

2. Clear your mind
If you feel like you don’t have time for anything, especially thinking about ways to do things differently, it’s time for a break. When we are busy and busy all the time, we usually react to things that are happening around us, rather than acting on our own choice. So make an active decision to take a break, take a vacation, talk to someone you trust, vent, do whatever it takes to gain perspective on your situation. Just this simple step will make you feel more in control and can help you rationalize the energy you’ll need for the changes ahead. The idea is not to simply get out of the rat race, but to move towards a more satisfying way of life.

3. Be real
The reality is that you can’t change anyone’s behavior but your own. So now is a good time to stop wishing people would act differently so you can feel better. Also, it’s time to make backup plans in case you don’t win the lottery or don’t get a raise. This sounds harsh, but people who wait for things to happen to them often wait a long time. Don’t wait for luck or fate to intervene. Calculate how much it will cost you (in time, energy, money, etc.) to make the changes you know you need to make. Then calculate what it will cost you not to do it.

4. Light package
There is something very cathartic about taking the time to clean things up, shedding the old to make way for the new. It can start with a room in your house, your list of email addresses, or old beliefs that no longer add value to you. In every situation there is a good lesson to take with you, something valuable to keep. Even if it’s just, ‘Well, that’s a place I know I never want to be again’; there is something worth keeping.

Any situation, and your perception of it, is part of who you are. Specifically identify what you want to keep and what you will leave behind. Be brutal. You may even lose some of the things you choose to leave behind; all that is part of the process. What you will find is renewed energy for the new things you want to include in your life – a great start to get out of your rat race and start a new journey.

5. Create a map
When was the last time you thought about where you wanted to be in 5 or 10 years? We get so caught up in “doing” things – for business, for work, for others – things that we think we should be doing, that we don’t take the time to consider what we really want. Forget the race. Think of a trip.

Take the time to think about yourself and where you would like to be. Nobody else’s map will work here; It’s time to think a little for yourself. What are the core values ​​you would like to base your life on? What do you like to do or be? What gives you a sense of purpose? What do you represent? What could you not be dissuaded from believing, no matter what? If you had one life to live this time, what would you do with it?

These are tough questions and your answers are part of the journey. Don’t panic or feel guilty if you don’t know the answers right away. For impatient and perfectionist people reading, this is not a test, there is no pass or fail. So don’t treat it as such. The more you know about yourself, the more you can begin to draw your own map.

6. Head to life! (not lifestyle)
Do you know the difference between having a life and maintaining a lifestyle? A lifestyle is something that society, advertisers, and parents tell us we need. The luxuries of life, while nice to have, can be costly financially and in the energy expended to obtain them. Perhaps the energy spent on maintaining a lifestyle could be better used to make your life an expression of who you are. A lifestyle buy comfort. A life purchase satisfaction and contentment. The best bed in the world is only a comfortable sleepless night if you lack satisfaction. If your lifestyle prevents you from being who you are, then throw it away.

7. Go for your ideal
If it turns out that you quit your rat race and walk into your perfect life, would you know? Create a vision of where it would be, who you are with, what you are doing. Design it around your passions, beliefs, values ​​and loves. Remember, just like spending your money, if you don’t know what you want out of life, there are plenty of people around you who will be happy to tell you.

8. Beware of rough parts.
Choosing to live your life your way is harder than staying in your rat race. The people you meet can be sympathetic or incredulous and will not hesitate to give you their opinion. Temptations will abound to take a few lapses around the old racecourse when the going gets tough. Our old comfort zones are traps waiting to lure us back into our old ways. By being aware of this and planning how you will deal with it, you will get through it. Anything different can be scary. But it can also be fun!

9. Enjoy the ride!
You have recognized where you no longer want to be and identified where you want to be. Now live where you are. Learn from the past and move on. Plan for the future but live for the present. You can’t do anything with yesterday, so stop worrying about it. If you spend every minute thinking about tomorrow then you will never enjoy today. And that’s where all the action is!

10. Cheer up.
No more excuses. Nothing more to say. Just do it.

Sometimes the only way to “win” a race, where there can be no winner, is to simply stop racing.

Legal Law

Samurai Armor makes fashion’s hot list

In the days of honor, valor and the Samurai warrior, there was a special garment called “haramaki” that was worn around the waist. It kept the entrails warm and provided an extra measure of protection for the stomach and kidneys. It wasn’t widely recognized for its sword parrying ability, but it did wonders in circulation.

Over time, it was used almost exclusively by Japanese grandmothers and children of neurotic Japanese mothers. Those who used them did so in secret, fearing social ostracism. Now, however, haramaki is emerging from the shadows and carving a fashionable path in the fashion world.

The man responsible for the latest trend coming out of Japan is Itoi Shigesato, who wore haramaki in the closet for years. When a Niigata knitting company approached him with an offer to work on “something sometime,” he saw it as the ideal opportunity to change the public’s perception of his beloved belly warmers and make them cool.

The risk paid off and now almost everyone in Japan owns at least one fashionable haramaki. The craze has reached the European markets and is crossing the Atlantic to the trend-hungry United States.

Haramakis can be made from just about any fabric, as long as it has a bit of stretch so you can take it on and off. They can be as simple as a plain black knit tube. You can get jeweled varieties, which look like the leather belts worn by wrestlers or weightlifters, except they’re shinier.

For those looking to make a dressier statement, there are haramakis made from stretchy satin, which look a bit like sashes, but aren’t quite as form-fitting. Itoi-san contributes to the diversity of the haramaki market by inviting a high-profile public figure to be a guest designer for a season. One of the most successful guest designers to date has been Yukiko Harada, an illustrator and graphic designer who designed haramaki outfits that included a matching blanket.

Unfortunately, supply has yet to keep up with demand, and truly fashionable haramakis are hard to find outside of Japan. Most vendors cater to the maternity market as they are ideal for wrapping growing bellies and keeping the womb conditions safe, warm and comfortable.

Belly warmers work on the principle that when your body is cold, it uses its energy to keep your internal organs warm while your arms and legs are left to fend for themselves. The reasoning is that if you keep your core warm, your body will have more reserves to spend on heating your extremities. Haramakis help your body use its heat more efficiently.

If you want to experience the physical benefits of a haramaki, but don’t have the patience to wait for supplies to become widely available, you can always do what one San Francisco haramaki fan did and simply accessorize an old fitted top. There’s no rule that DIY haramakis are any less cool than their designer counterparts.

Recommended Websites:

http://www.metafilter.com/69440/haramaki-waist-warmer

http://www.pingmag.jp/2007/01/15/haramaki-a-granny-item-made-fashionable/

http://www.squidoo.com/haramaki

http://blue_moon.typepad.com/blue_lotus/2006/02/post_3.html

Lifestyle Fashion

New York Real Estate Lawyers

A New York real estate attorney practices in accordance with New York law. A New York real estate attorney handles purchases and sales of condominium apartments, cooperative apartments and houses, commercial and residential real estate transactions, sublet and lease assignments, and more. A New York real estate attorney also handles real estate-related litigation with banks, architects, building contractors, insurance companies, and landlord-tenant litigation. A real estate attorney handles construction and remodeling deals, and works to resolve disputes over budget, materials, labor, and other issues.

There are two categories of real estate attorneys in New York: trial attorneys, who work primarily on real estate-related trials, and transactional attorneys, who primarily deal with real estate-related agreements and contracts. Before hiring a real estate attorney, clients must decide which of the two types of attorneys they need. A New York real estate attorney helps clients draft a lease based on New York real estate law when leasing real estate and represents the client if any landlord-tenant disputes arise. When buying real estate, one has to sign a promissory note, so it is always advisable to have a real estate attorney present.

It is essential that all New York real estate attorneys pass the bar exam, which includes multiple choice questions and essay questions. Upon passing the bar exam, one must apply to the Court of Appeals to apply for entrance to the bar, and after passing the interview with the Committee of Character and Fitness, one may practice law in New York. Some of the most prominent real estate law firms are the Law Office of Kevork Adanas; Silverberg, Stonehill, Goldsmith and Haber; the Law Offices of Harry Herbertz, and many more.

Pets

Pig farming in Uganda, Haraam or Hidden Pearl?

When considering this business for investment, one must be mindful of religious sensitivities, especially as about 12% of Uganda’s 35 million people are Muslim. This is around 4.3 million people, and therefore quite significant, as it would be almost forbidden (loosely translated means taboo or “forbidden” in Arabic) to start this business in a neighborhood that has a sizeable Muslim population, such as Mbale, my hometown.

While on the religious subject, it is worth remembering that Matthew 7:6 says; “Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample on them and then turn around and tear you to pieces.”

I recently invested in a 50/50 joint venture with a family friend to start a pigsty project in Mbale. I provided the initial working capital and he provided the land and housing. I’m still not sure if I’ve thrown away my pearls (ie money) because it’s been over 1 month and still no sign of the progress of the project in the form of photos or a progress report. His phone is off and I have no other means of contacting him.

He reminds me of another farmer friend I spoke to recently. Someone broke into his farm in Jinja and ran off with 3 adult pigs, squealing and everything I imagine. His security guard told her that he was drunk at the time and therefore did not hear anything. However, I believe that (the pigs) were stolen in collusion with the security guard because; firstly, an adult pig weighs about 120kg and secondly, they can squeal as loud as, say, 130dB. To put this into perspective, this is considered louder than the highest safe level for hearing (120 dB). Other sources compare the screeching of a frightened pig to the sound level of a plane taking off, i.e. 113 dB. Either way, that’s pretty loud.

So it’s hard to understand how these 3 adult pigs were robbed without the guard batting an eyelid, drunk or not.

The first rule of thumb for setting up this business in Uganda is to make sure you have reliable business partners or employees or else you will lose your “pearls” to pigs (literally).

There are other considerations you should consider before investing in this sector.

CONS FIRST

1. Food

Pigs eat huge amounts. A fully mature pig, especially one raised for commercial purposes, will eat around 3.4kg per day. A growing one eats an average of 2.02 kg. If you are buying animal feed, which consists mainly of maize flour, the cost will be significant, especially given the constant increase in maize prices in Uganda (due to droughts). You have two options to offset this high cost:

  • Option 1: Grow your own food, ie corn and vegetables to feed them and supplement with protein (eg fish or soybean meal).
  • option 2: Make sure the farm is located near a major boarding school and/or a hotel/restaurant so that you can pay almost nothing for “Swill” i.e. leftovers like corn/corn flour (called “Posho” in the slang local) and beans from schools (maize flour and beans are a staple food in Ugandan boarding schools and are readily available). Another alternative but cheap source of protein is Dagaa/Omena fish (called “mukene” in local slang). After all, pigs are omnivores and will eat literally anything (don’t feed them rotten food though).

2. Cash Flow/Working Capital

Like most activities related to agriculture, particularly in Uganda, you need to have cash on hand and in particular for at least 11 months (growth and gestation period of the pigs) before you start earning from the sale of pigs. the pigs This is an especially key consideration as advanced credit card services do not exist and agricultural loans, especially without security, are difficult to come by in Uganda.

3.Diseases

Pigs are susceptible to various diseases and it is not uncommon for the government to quarantine entire districts after outbreaks of diseases such as the deadly African swine fever. Therefore, it is essential that, as part of the start-up, you establish an arrangement with a veterinary officer who will be available for scheduled immunizations, routine check-ups and emergencies. The government program under the NAADS scheme can help provide free or subsidized veterinary services; however, I recommend a private arrangement to ensure regularity, as public officials in Uganda are sometimes unreliable.

4. Water source.

Pigs do not have sweat pads, and therefore, to cool off, they need water (or a “mud bath”). Similarly, you need water to cleanse your pansies and feeding areas, especially as your population increases, and it does so quickly! Therefore, it is essential to have plenty of water. Therefore, I recommend that you set up the farm near an easy water source, such as a swamp, or set up a water tank to collect rainwater. These are the cheapest and most effective options in Uganda compared to supplying piped water from the water supply company, NWSC.

AND NOW THE PROS

1. Less intensive management.

As long as you invest in good accommodation that, for example, properly separates lactating sows from the rest, has separate eating and sleeping areas and the like, then with a little land you can easily manage short-staffed pig farming.

2. Return on demand.

This sector is believed by many sources to be one of the most profitable businesses in animal husbandry, especially as it requires less intensive management compared to, for example, poultry farming or milk production. Profitability in Uganda is driven by huge demand for pork.

According to a Uganda Bureau of Statistics livestock census in 2008, there were just over 3.1 million pigs. Assuming growth rates since then based on the growth of the economy (real GDP) which was around 7.2% in 2009, 5.20% in 2010 and 6.4% in 2011, then the pig population is estimated at 4.3 million in 2012. This is still a very small number, especially compared to chicken, which according to the same census exceeded 37 million in 2008 and was therefore estimated (on the same basis as the growth of the GDP) at 44 million in 2012.

I can expect that there will be a continued demand for pork and over time other industries related to pork products such as sausage, bacon, ham and the like will develop, particularly as income levels of the population increase. (driven by economic growth).

Based on a model analysis I have developed, I summarize the profitability of this sector as follows:

Return on capital

  • Initial capital (including working capital for 11 months) (A): Shs. 7,738,248
  • Income per year (B): Shs. 2,681,086
  • Return on Investment/Capital (years to recover capital) (A/(B): 2,886 years.

*Earnings are calculated over a 14-month period consisting of Season 1 and Season 2.

It should be noted that the original investment/startup capital will continue to be recouped in Seasons 3 and beyond as the Season 1 and Season 2 piglets mature.

last word

In light of the quick return on investment, this is definitely a sector worth looking into.

Real Estate

BPO Q&A: 10 Secrets to Filling Out Broker Price Opinions Like a Pro!

The BPO business is an exciting niche in the foreclosure industry today. Whether you’re a seasoned real estate agent or new to the business, real estate agents often spend several hours each week creating Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for potential clients in hopes of getting a listing or convincing a buyer to do so. an offer. In the end, every agent hopes that their CMA will result in a nice paycheck; but this is not always the case. However, when you complete a BPO, you are sure that the report you spend an hour or two completing will generate some additional income for that month.

So what stands between you and that paycheck when you complete a BPO? Aside from the obvious need to photograph the property and fill out the report, there is a department in every BPO company that handles quality control. If you can’t get past this department, then you will not only delay how quickly you get paid, but it will determine if you will receive any additional BPO’s from that company. Plus, if your orders are delivered on time and without errors, your chances of selling that property when foreclosed increase because the banks know you’re a trustworthy real estate agent.

After completing over 2,000 BPOs in the last 18 months, I would like to share with you 10 Secrets to Completing Your BPO Reports Like a Pro:

1. Immediately upon acceptance of a BPO order, read the confirmation email and note the DATE and TIME the order is due. Please note the time zone of the expiration time as it may be different than your current time zone. Not paying attention to this can make the difference between a report that is delivered on time and one that is delivered late.

2. Please note whether the order is an outside or inside BPO. If it is an interior, please look for the information of the point of contact (POC) to access the property as soon as possible. Also note which photos are required. There is nothing worse than forgetting to take the right photos. It is better to take too many photos than not enough.

3. Most BPO companies have a website that you log in to complete the report. Be sure to log on to that company’s website and read the full details of that report which will include the guidelines for that report. This will save you a lot of trouble in your property analysis and when looking for comparables.

4. Get the tax record and/or call the county assessor’s office to get as much information about the property as you can. Note the property’s parcel number, market and land appraisal values, whether the property is residential or commercial, current property taxes for the entire year, whether there are any delinquent taxes, and what year it was done the last appraisal. Property taxes will be provided by the Treasury Department.

5. If you don’t have access to the inside information of a property, call the BPO company and ask if they have a prior appraisal on file. Also, if you’re having trouble finding comparables, call the BPO company’s quality control department and ask for guidance. They can usually help you properly expand your search criteria to find additional comparables and will make notes in the system that will prevent your request from being rejected. When all else fails, find the best available comparables and provide full details in the report on which criteria you expanded and why.

6. During the completion of some reports, you will be asked to make adjustments to comparables. This process can be tedious and time consuming if you don’t know how to do it. My best suggestion is to look at your market and determine how different attributes such as square footage, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, age, and lot size vary in terms of added benefit to a property. From here you can create a system where you can adjust the differences between the property in question and the comparables you have chosen. Remember, you only make the adjustment to the comparable with respect to the property in question only, not between each comparable. This process acts to put all comparables on a level playing field when appraising them against the property in question, so that a broader picture of the subject’s fair market value can be assessed.

7. When selecting comparables, make sure the interior square footage of the comparables is in parentheses with that of the subject property. For example, if the subject is 1,000 square feet above ground, the comparables could be 800 square feet, 950 square feet, and 1,100 square feet. These comparables would bracket the topic because 1,000 square feet is between 800 square feet and 1,100 square feet. Additionally, all square footage is measured in terms of gross deliverable area (GLA) and includes only square footage above grade (ground level). Basements are not part of a property’s GLA because they are below ground level.

8. The final value of the subject property must be in parentheses between the lowest and highest SOLD comparable. For example, the ending value is $100,000 and the comparables sold have values ​​of $91,000, $98,000, and $103,000. As a result, $100,000 correctly falls between $91,000 and $103,000. Your comparable assets do not have to put the ending value in parentheses. In most markets, active comparables are priced above final sale value, unless the market is falling significantly each month.

9. Your final value must also be within the range of the values ​​sold in the subject’s neighborhood during the last 12 months. This is usually what is requested when a report looks for ‘neighbor values’. For example, the final value is $100,000 and your lowest selling home in your subject’s neighborhood is $55,000 and highest is $165,000. The final value of $100,000 would be correctly bracketed within the range of values ​​for the neighborhood in question.

10. Be sure to proofread the entire report for spelling and grammatical errors before submitting. You will also see that many BPO companies have a quality control checker or validation tool that looks for errors in the report. This only checks that your numbers are within acceptable guidelines and will not check for spelling or grammatical errors. If you come across quality control errors, then it is vital that you thoroughly review them and write explanations as to why you had to exceed the guidelines provided by the BPO company in each and every aspect that is mentioned. The more information you provide, the less likely the QA department will flag and return the report.

There are many variables that need to be considered during the BPO completion process. Hopefully, these secrets I’ve shared with you will help you complete your BPO faster and prevent you from spending more time answering questions from your BPO company’s QA departments.

Shopping Product Reviews

Burn Xbox 360 Games – Best Way to Backup Xbox Games

If you are an Xbox 360 game console owner, you have probably at one time or another experienced how laborious it is to spend money on the same game when it got damaged due to constant overuse. Xbox game discs are fragile and subject to wear and tear from regular and frequent use. If the damaged drive is your favorite drive, then in this condition you will feel that it would have been better to keep a backup of that drive.

Spending between $50 and $60 on your favorite game is not bad. However, game discs are short-lived and prone to scratches. That’s why buying back the same drive doesn’t make any sense. It is not practical. Therefore, game backup is a necessity and a need of the hour.

Regular DVD burning software is useless for copying game discs as they are encrypted. Game producers have developed a special type of software, which is game copy software that can crack the Xbox disc code and decrypt it by which you can backup the game. By doing this, you can keep the recorded copy in use and keep the original copy in your storage.

What you have to do is buy the game copy software. This game copy software is so powerful that it can successfully burn your original Xbox game and make an exact image of it. After that, you can copy the image to a blank DVD. That’s it! You are successful in having a backup of your Xbox game. Now the fear of wear and tear or being scratched won’t stop you from playing your favorite game so many times. In case the backup disc is damaged, you have the original disc stored at your disposal to make another backup of the game.