Emeralds - Ancient, Charming, Captivating

Emeralds are one of the most fascinating gemstones that has been discovered by man. Even in ancient times, people knew the value of emeralds. Over many years, they had kept several records about emeralds they had mined and discovered. For example, the Incas and the Aztecs who lived in South America thousand of years ago had regarded emeralds as the gem from the gods - and pharaohs in ancient Egypt had likewise exploited their territories just to find this valuable gem.

One of the largest emeralds ever discovered is called the Mogul Emerald; this emerald dates back from 1695 where Indians had inscribed prayer text on one of its sides and floral ornaments on the other side. It was recently sold for $2,200,00 in an auction. Just as emeralds have been regarded with high esteem and respect for thousand of years, so the same is true today. However, most of the most beautiful emeralds can only be seen in museums because of their historical significance. Other precious emeralds are in private collections of various influential individuals.

The green color of emeralds is often associated with nature, beauty, and love. For example, Venus, the goddess of beauty and love is symbolized by the color green. Likewise, even the Catholic Church regards the green color as the most natural among all the colors. It is no wonder then that emeralds are highly valued and loved. You also cannot deny that emeralds are a source of comfort and pleasure just by looking at them. This is because of the green color which relaxes the eyes and rejuvenates the spirit. Emeralds charm all those that look at them.

Eric Hartwell oversees "The World's Best Homepage" intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on jewelry and visit our associated site Jewelry To Love.

Online Jewelry Store Guide To Purchase Your Next Diamond Ring

Shopping an online jewelry store for a high quality diamond ring can be a daunting task, however, one that can come with many rewards. As a buyer you have the option to either shop in at a physical location such as Kay's jewelry or you can research jewelry online quick and easy. The online jewelry industry was reported at 2.1 billion dollars in sales in 2004 and has increased since. You can rest assured it is possible to find what you are looking for and at a terrific price. Let's start with the basics of a diamond, the four C's. These include, cut, clarity, color and carat weight. Having marketed online jewelry stores in the past I've become accustomed to the terminology as you should too.

Cut - The diamond's cut basically emphasizes the "brightness" one would see when observing the diamond. This is due to the amount of light which is reflected. The cut ranges from ideal cut, premium, very good, good down to fair or poor. The closer the cut to ideal the greater quality cut diamond you have.

Clarity - Another important category for a diamond ring is the clarity. This attribute describes the inner flaws of a diamond during the formation of the diamond. If you're shopping for a high grade diamond ring you want a diamond as close to flawless as possible. The ratings go as follows - F: Flawless, IF: Internally flawless, VVS1-VVS2: Very slightly detectable, VS1-VS2: Hardly noticeable, SI1-SI2: More easily noticed under microscope, I1-I2-I3: Noticeable under the human eye. Naturally we want to keep it as close to F as possible so keep that in mind when you're during your jewelry research.

Color - A diamond's color refers to the clearness of the diamond when viewing it. A colorless diamond will exhibit more sparkle and if shopping for a diamond engagement ring online then this would be what you want. The ratings are letter grade starting at D and goes through X. Diamond color rated D, E or F are colorless while G, H and I are near colorless. These are the recommended diamond color ranges to go with. Anything lower shows a yellow color and is not what you would want.

Carat - The diamond carat is simply the measure of the size. Just remember that a 1 carat diamond weighs 0.2 grams. It really depends on what you are buying your diamond ring for on the carat of diamond to purchase. This is completely up to you but a general rule of thumb is the higher the carat the higher the price.

When making your purchase online there is nothing wrong with doing research and checking out a few different sites. Always check out the return policies and guarantees they place on their gold and diamonds. Learn more on how to save below.

Joe K has been researching the jewelry market the last 2 years online. Interested in saving hundreds or even thousands on your next jewelry purchase? Secret jewelry review at

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May's Birthstone Secrets Revealed

May's birthstone is the emerald. Since the early ages, people have believed that birthstones lend special powers to their wearers, especially if a person wears a stone that is associated with his or her birth month. Some also believe that being born in a specific month gives you specific virtues, which are embodied by your birth stone. In the case of the emerald, the virtues happen to be purity, both of the mind and the body.

Since this particular gem represents clarity of thought, individuals who wear the emerald are thought of as pensive, insightful people. It is believed that wearing the emerald not only clears the mind and the body, but also cleanses the spirit. Some even believe that emerald jewelry protects its wearer from evil spirits!

The color green itself - the color of most emeralds, and therefore the color associated with the jewel - speaks of harmony, a communion with nature, and an affinity for the act of creation and preservation. Green is the color of new things sprung from the earth, whereby it is associated with freshness, and also the feeling of being refreshed.

Like many other gems, May's birthstone doesn't come in just one color. There are other shades and colors of it, of course, but among the rarest ones is the color red. The "red emerald," also known as the bixbite or red beryl, is one of the hardest stones to find on earth, and also one of the most difficult to cut! A perfectly cut red emerald is very small, hardly large enough to fit into metal bases in order to make jewelry. Thus, jewelry made of red emerald comes at an extremely high price. In fact, jewelry made of the green emerald alone can be very expensive!

Perhaps the least-known secret about the emerald is that it is the most valuable stone in the world, in terms of carat weight. Everyone thinks it's the diamond, right? Well, the diamond may be the hardest and most highly prized gem out in stores... it's certainly the most hyped-up one. But when it comes to gemstone appraisal, the emerald holds more weight, as it were. Inclusions, which are found in nearly all emeralds, depreciate its value, but in its purest form, nothing approaches the emerald's worth.

The emerald is a form of the mineral beryl, the purest form of which is colorless, but which is more commonly found in colors like blue, white, yellow, green and red. Since the emerald is commonly green, it is also known as the "green beryl."

Emeralds can be manufactured synthetically, through a process called flux growth. You can tell an artificial emerald from a natural one by looking very closely: an artificial emerald emits a reddish sheen, which means it was manufactured with the help of long wave UV light. Synthetic emeralds are often full of easily-detected inclusions, which means they are significantly less in value than natural emeralds.

Another mystery of the May's birthstone is its real significance in the Bible. It was said by Rebbenu Bachnya, a 13th-century rabbi and scholar of Judaism, that the emerald was the stone on the Ephod representing the tribe of Judah. However, other scholars claim this was actually the garnet, and that the emerald truly represented the tribe of Levi.

May's birthstone is popular among both the old and young nowadays despite the mysteries and enigmatic roles it has played in cultural history. Or perhaps it is the emerald's enigmatic significance in various cultures -- plus its beauty -- that makes it so attractive.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician, and writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off. This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com Also includes informative articles, comparison shopping, rare book excerpts, & link directory.

The Facts Behind Ecstasy Use

Ecstasy use, gained its popularity in the 1980's, mostly in the clubs. At that time, they were called raves. Now even though it is still primarily used by young white Caucasians, other cultures and races are now using it more regularly as well. Ecstasy is commonly called E, the love drug, Adam, X, XTC. Most users of MDMA use it on a recreational basis, although there have been reports of a man using ecstasy over 40,000 times. This is not the "average" use though.

MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and a hallucinogen very similar in structure to mescaline. Ecstasy primarily affects the serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin affects mood, aggression, and sexual feelings. There have been numerous studies about the dangers of ecstasy, and whether or not this drug has addictive properties. There have been several studies showing that chronic users of MDMA do have withdrawal symptoms, confirming the belief that ecstasy is addictive. These symptoms include fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggression, impulsiveness, sleep disturbances, thirst and memory loss.

There are possible physical side effects from using MDMA. They are muscle cramping, blurred vision, dehydration, high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney failure, sweating chills and nausea. One of the biggest hazards with MDMA is the rise in body temperature (hyperthermia). This has led to numerous deaths. Most MDMA users understand that they need to keep their body well hydrated by drinking water, to avoid this causality. There have been reports of clubs shutting off the water in the bathrooms so that their clients would have to buy the bottled water at ten times the cost. Symptoms of overdose of MDMA include seizures, fainting, panic attacks, high blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Using ecstasy repeatedly in short intervals can cause an overdose. This is due to the fact that MDMA can interfere with its own metabolism and reach potentially fatal levels.

Other drugs that are sold as ecstasy have also led to numerous fatalities. These drugs are MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine); this is the "parent" drug of MDMA, and PMA (paramethoxyamphetamine). Particularly with PMA, there is an increased risk of dying from hyperthermia. Some people who have died from PMA, believing that it was MDMA have reached temperatures of 108 degrees. The other risks involved with MDMA, as with any other illegal drug, is that sometimes there are things added to the MDMA. Chemical reports of MDMA sold on the street have shown to also have properties of caffeine, cocaine, cough suppressants, ketamine and ephedrine. These extra additives place the MDMA user at higher physical risk.

One of the more disturbing facts of ecstasy is the numerous reports that ecstasy can cause brain damage. There have been studies done on rats, mice etc. that have shown that high doses of MDMA can cause irreversible brain damage. There have also been studies completed on habitual MDMA users. In 1998, the National Institute of Mental Health studied habitual MDMA users that have not used MDMA for years. They found that these users had suffered damage to portions of the brain that regulate critical functions such as learning, sleep and emotion.

Every drug that is available whether it be prescription, over the counter or illegal, the one thing they all have in common is side effects. The side effects with ecstasy can lead to irreversible brain damage, long lasting depression and anxiety. In the worst cases, death can result. As a parent, it is important to talk to your kids about drugs. Listen to them, share your hopes and dreams with them, and support them. They are our future.

Wendy McLellan has an extensive background as a licensed counselor. For more than sixteen years, Wendys career involved working with adolescents and their families in agencies that specialize in residential and outpatient substance abuse counseling as well as mental health rehabilitation. As a counselor and Program Director of an intensive outpatient program, Wendy has experienced first-hand the devastating effects that abuse, violence, sexual abuse, addiction and predatory behavior have on adolescents and families.

With deep professional and personal concerns to these issues and an opportunity to help protect children, adolescents and families, Wendy has lent her experience, knowledge and time to the efforts of http://www.safecomputerkids.com and their online parental resources and components of their cyber safety toolkit in her own efforts to help parents keep their children safe online.

Mack Trucks - One of the World's Leading Truck Manufacturing Companies

"MACK TRUCKS" are one of the best subsidiary of AB Volvo as they are very efficient and enduring, as "BULLDOGS" are very powerful amongst its breed so is "MACK TRUCKS" amongst all leading brands.

They are the best in building heavy-duty trucks capable of enduring a punishing terrain and the vagaries of nature. Mack Trucks is one of the world's leading truck-manufacturing companies. We have our headquarters Florida,USA and branches across USA. This company is a top producer in the vocational, on-road-vehicle market. It is also the most popular manufacturer of heavy-duty off-road trucks in America.

The journey of Mack Trucks began in 1893 when the Mack brothers, Jack and Augustus, bought over Fallesen & Berry factory. Soon, the Macks started experimenting with various steam and electric motor cars. Inspired by the inventions taking place all around him, Jack envisioned the building of heavy-duty trucks and thus began an eventful journey. The first product from the house of Macks was a bus, which was used by sightseeing concessionaire Harris and McGuire, for eight years before it was converted into a truck.

In the early 1900s, they became famous as ever-reliable trucks that could easily endure rugged terrains. Soon enough, Mack Truck Inc. were the first truck manufacturers to introduce a constant mesh feature that protected gears from being damaged or stripped by inexperienced drivers.

In 1919, Manhattan Trucks was re-christened as Mack. Later, in 1922, it adopted bulldog as its corporate logo. As to how a bulldog was chosen as, a symbol of Mack Truck Inc. is an interesting story in itself. Lore at Mack Truck Inc. say that during the First World War, the British government had chosen the sturdy Mack trucks for transporting important war supplies and food requirements to the soldiers on the front. These Mack trucks, with their blunt-nosed hood, resembled a bulldog. Besides, they were proving as tenacious as bulldogs. These qualities reminded the British soldiers of their official mascot the British Bulldog. Now, Mack Truck Inc. viewed this as a matter of pride and hence they adopted the bulldog as a corporate symbol to represent all the future generation of Mack trucks.

Since then, Mack have undertaken important missions of national and international importance. For instance, they played an important role in the trans-continental convoy conducted by the US Army, which highlighted the need for a national highway system. Similarly, Mack Truck Inc. played a major role in the building of the Boulder dam. It also played an important role in the Second World War. They found themselves adorning the role of prime movers, personnel carriers, wrecker trucks, tank transporters, and more.

Thus, Mack Trucks has played an important role in the American history and are now serving the needs of a modernized world by providing various upliftments in the working and manufacture of transportation.

Bruno Raschio is the owner of American Truck Buyer. Online advertising for Truck Dealers is what done effectively and efficiently and is in the business of advertising dealers who are interested in expanding their Trucking Empire. To find out how American Truck Buyer Corporation can help your dealer increase sales and expand opportunities for your business visit the link : American Trucks

World Cup Fun for Kids

The 2006 soccer World Cup is being held in Germany, and all around the world people old and young, male and female will be looking forward to a feast of football. Whether you love or loathe the beautiful game you can make the World Cup both a fun and educational experience for your kids! There are 32 countries competing in the World Cup 2006, so take the opportunity to find out more about some of the countries which are competing.

1)Geography: Get out an atlas or globe and find out the capital cities of all the competing nations (you can check the full list of teams at FIFAs website) and which continent each country is in.

2)Art: Try and make drawings of the national flags of the countries taking part. Some will be easier than others! Many, such as France, Italy and Holland, are simple and so are good choices for younger children. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Angola or Ecuador will be more of a challenge!

3)Cookery: Try out some national dishes from competing nations. You may know you like Mexican food or Pasta from Italy, but how about trying some Sushi from Japan or Couscous from Tunisia? And you could always have some good old Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding from England.

4)Costume: Dress up in the national and ethnic costumes of competing nations how about a Spanish flamenco outfit, a grass skirt from the Ivory Coast or a Japanese Kimono?

5)Sport: Get a football out and have a kick around especially if youve been sitting in front of the TV all week!

Of course a big part of the fun of a major sporting event such as the World Cup is following a team, so persuade your children to randomly choose a team (not your own national team if they have reached the finals!). Then help them to become a mini expert on that country so as they can then cheer on their team with a little bit of background knowledge of that nation. They could find out about the customs of the country, the language, the teams top players and whether soccer is a major sport in that country.

Jacqui O'Brien is the editor of eParenting.co.uk, the online parenting magazine and information resources for parents with free printables and educational software. Visit eParenting at http://www.eparenting.co.uk/

Keep Up The Pressure

The job of most pumps found on boats is to move liquids around from one place to another as quickly and efficiently as they can. Correct installation of these pumps can dramatically influence just how long a pump lasts before disaster strikes and it stops dead. Clearly, most rotary and diaphragm pumps have to be of reasonable quality to do their job properly but generally speaking, like fuel tanks, once pumps are installed they are instantly forgotten until the day of reckoning arrives and it expires.

To ensure maximum life from water pumps, for example, the first rule is location, location, location. Pumps installed in dry, ventilated areas will fare far better than pumps that are stuck in some wet, airless hole. The dreaded rust will soon be into our defenceless little friends way down there! The second rule with pumps is to fit effective filters along the piping supply system to prevent impellor blockage and subsequent damage. Some filters are quite useless in some cases especially where aluminium tanks are concerned. The aluminium hydroxide that forms inside tanks can take the form of granules and powder and can easily slip through larger gauges of mesh and clog the pump body.

Lastly, the use of an accumulator tank is recommended to ensure reliable and effective system function. With an accumulator tank in the system, the intervals between cut out and cut out will be longer when only small amounts of water are drawn off. This amounts to much less wear and tear on the pump itself.

WATER SUPPLY
Little do boaties realise that if they have a dockside direct water attachment system on their boat, incorrectly set check valves can put excess loads onto the pumps (and pipes) on the boat putting sensitive flanges and valves out of the game. These pressures must never be taken for granted and should be checked on a regular basis.

Remember, too many pumps are prone to failure if air is allowed to suck into the pipes. The water pressure fails, air is sucked in and the motor responds to the reduced load then accelerates and helps to burn out the now dry impellor very quickly. It is critical to keep these pumps supplied with plenty of water at all times.

LOCATION
Youd think to look at a new $300.00 diaphragm pump that it would last a lifetime. Properly looked after, they could but what chance do they stand when they are stuffed into wet, mouldy bilges and never looked at? Most pump failures are due to corrosion inside the pump body. Water gains ingress to the electrics and the corrosion starts. After all, why shouldnt they get wet inside if they are in a soaking environment ? They arent a Rolex after all! So steps must be taken, WD40, fish oil and sensible installation could help here.

WIRING When installing pumps, wiring is extremely important. Once again a common fault is to wire up an expensive pump with ten cent wiring. This will inevitably lead to problems. Wrong rated cable, bad connections and lack of decent contact breakers will take their toll and fail without warning. Check all cables and if in doubt, run new cables into your valuable pumps.

SPARES TO GO All pumps, water, fuel or even air must have some kind of propulsive device to move the fluids along from source to destination. Generally, they are known as impellors and come in all kinds of materials, metal, neoprene, plastic and rubber. They all have one thing in common. They will, one day, fail. The causes can be expiry of expected life hours, structural failure, foreign object ingress or burnout. The methods of replacement are fairly well documented but the key rule is: Keep spares fuses, impellors, clips, brushes and even a spare motor as well as spare instructions!

WHAT IF MY PUMP FAILS?
Check the obvious first. Power connections, contact breaker or fuse blown? Impellor jammed? Burned out? Motor just stuck? Broken drive belt? After the first things are looked at youll have to take the pump out and disassemble it. They can be tricky so sketch out a diagram first. Be careful of damaging gaskets and have some cleaning materials to hand. Wire brush, bronze wool, not steel, WD40, small screwdrivers. Naturally enough do not pull the pump down if its under warranty because it will become void.

Often you will find the brushes worn or stuck. The impellor might be broken and a piece jamming the motor or valve. Check all flanges, valves, belts and brushes, spray thoroughly with WD40 and clean carefully, ensuring no damage occurs to the copper winding armature. Eighty percent of the time, the repair will be simple and a few more years of life obtained from the motor and pump. Most spares for all popular makes are available from the importers and manufacturers and fairly easy to obtain.

If the worst happens a full repair should be obtainable from your pump dealer or agent See Below for breakout boxes!!

REPLACING MOTORS TIP!
Often the hard part of replacing the motor inside a pump is getting the rotor back past the brushes, which are spring loaded. Often you can keep the brushes back with masking tape against the springs. Once in, cut the tape and remove completely allowing the springs to release.

TIP!
Before pulling any DC motor apart keep a diagram nearby for when you re-assemble. Keep all parts in a dry cardboard box!

TIP!
Dont use steel wool for cleaning an electric motor! The steel fragments will stick to the magnets and ruin the motor.

TIP!
Test your motor on the bench with a 12 volt battery before re-installing. You will save time and temper if the motor doesnt work!

Terry Buddell is a freelance journalist and a Marine surveyor, boat designer and shipwright, He lives on board his yacht "The Nicky J Miller' that he built himself in The Gold Coast Australia and has sailed his yacht up the East Coast to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. He is currently resident in Gladstone Queensland where he is building another boat for his collection! Terry can be contacted on arcus1@bigpond.com or http://www.dolphinboatplans.com

No Comprendo

The noontime peace on our townhouse patio was suddenly shattered by the raucous bellow of a leaf blower. A South American gardeners helper and his blower machine inexorably advanced toward my patio and my waiting lunch. The dust swirled in the sun as he swept the patios clean.

I frantically looked around for a non existing cover for my lunch. Knowing that he spoke no English, I semaphored for him to cut off his blaster, alternating my signals between chopping at my neck with stiffened hand and pointing to my mouth and my food. A blank stare confirmed my suspicion that I wasnt coming across.

Finally, the young man looked up with what seemed like comprehension and turned off his machine. I pointed to my lunch (which consisted of a bowl of hot mushroom soup, a piece of Russian rye toast, a cup of coffee and a slice of pound cake for dessert.

I thanked him for the silence, prepared to enjoy my lunch. He suddenly broke out in a big grin, pulled out the chair and started eating! Dumbstruck, I watched him dig in. Bemused, I allowed myself two brownie points, one for not saying anything and one for doing my good deed of the day.

Retired portrait photographer. Now I can laugh.

A Great Question!

It's a question that we went back and forth with for awhile ourselves many moons ago. The "how" and "why" of our conclusions may be of some interest. Whether or not anyone agrees with them, well at the least you'll fully understand the basis for them.

The question is this:

Why does Fairbairn stress the straight thumb in line with the barrel, even for one handed shooting?

Years ago when we first began our attempt to sort out the mechanics, methods and reasoning behind this type of shooting we had the exact same question! It really is an excellent question.

We need a little history here. When a group of us started to "experiement" with this method of shooting we had all been indoctrinated and trained in one or both of the prevailing "practical" shooting methods extant. One being the "cutting edge method" of the time, that owing to Jeff Cooper and the methods being taught at Gunsite. The other being the fairly standard FBI clone known as the "Practical Pistol Course". Most police recruit training of this period emphasized the PPC tactical course of fire over any other method, including the much touted "Weaver". Full sight alignment, "positive" grip with a two-hand "isoceles", barricade firing with both single and double action(most departments carried wheel guns) all done at varying distancesand various battery firing positions. The only time ANYTHING approaching "instinct" shooting was even mentioed was at the six foot range distance when passing commentary went something like......."Maybe you won't be able to get the gun all the way up, so..............."

This was the prevailing situation at that time for those interested in "combat" or "practical" shooting either by vocation or hobby. To make matters worse, MOST if not all "civilian" instruction STILL was based on the old "Olympic" style of competitve target work.

Now REMEMBER this was at a time when specially trained units like ESU or SWAT were still in their infancy! And William Shatner's ONLY claim to fame was as Captain Kirk. When cops went on a job they were fully expected to handle it. ONLY the most EXTREME situations were responded to by "something" resembling a special tactics unit. At BEST most departments had only a semi-organized squad of "hats and bats", and that was it. So the street cop responded to EVERY type of call and was FULLY expected to handle whatever emergency arose.

So that gamut runs from Bank alarms, to convenience store robberies, to building, warehouse and residential searches, from alleyways and stairwells to rooftops and basements. Sometimes you creep and sometimes you run. Sometimes you know there's a potential threat, sometimes it just leaps out at you. Sometimes there is plenty of light(good and bad), sometimes just a dim streetlight near an alleyway that YOU have to clean out. Sometimes, and more often than not, there is NO real light, just dark. And shadows!

Search a warehouse for a suspect and you may get shot from a distance, from behind cover or concealment. Search an apartment building or private residence for a suspect and you may get shot from "sneezing" distance. You may see the threat and "prepare' yourself, or maybe the threat just SPRINGS out at you. Maybe the badguy is in front of you, maybe he's lurking and creeping just there behind you.

Maybe it's a car stop gone bad. Maybe it's a "nut" who approaches YOU while you're in a patrol unit sipping coffee and shooting the shit with your partner. Maybe you're off duty.

The point is this: In the real world ANYTHING can and probably WILL happen. As bad as it gets, is about as BAD as it WILL GET.

Now add THIS: Will you be wounded, injured, or in someway incapacitated, less than at optimum ability. Will you be firing your duty weapon, or will you be using your "back up" or has the shit degenerated to the degree that you have to use your last ditch "hide out" piece. I've known situations where an officer has HAD to grab and use one of the "downed" perps weapons, to save his wounded partners life. What POSITION will you be in when all hell breaks loose? Maybe you CAN'T run for cover, maybe there is NO cover. You can do everything RIGHT and still die, and you can do everything WRONG and survive. Life's kinda crazy that way.

The obvious part of this, at least to an open-minded and "thinking" individual is that it IS impossible to train and/or prepare for EVERY situation, every contingency. Can't BE DONE.

What CAN be done is to figure out what method or system of training will GIVE YOU the BEST all around overall preparation for survival.

The "PPC" wasn't the answer, and neither was Copper's "Modern Pistolcraft". Something was missing.

A round about way to answer a single question, huh? Well without understanding the genesis or the seed that all of this begins with and the "base" of experience that FORCED certain questions to be asked and answered the whole point will be missed. The "straw man" arguements will flair up, and the whole "thing" will turn into a pile of shit. And NO one will learn a goddamn thing.

The group of men that formed the core of our "cadre" so to speak were mostly cops drawn together initially by interests in other areas than firearms. Most I had met thru my martial arts training, some were from the "iron" pit(what a shithole, I loved it), some we met at competitive "practical" matches. We had at one time or another guys from local, state, and federal agencies. A tremendous amount of experience and the desire to really "train" was the bond(not the shaker joints and sundries). A rare quality for cops in those days.

So we weren't stumbling in the dark here. We had the access, time, opportunity and means(most of us were single and making a pretty good payday) to really travel, and train. And....get in a whole helluva lot of range time. There was one point where at any given time I had several 5 gallon pails filled with spent brass in my trunk waiting for their weekly drop off at my buddy who was a reloading fanatic. With no real responsibilty in life you can live PRETTY LARGE(right Boyoo?).

Frank Behlert(remember him?) still had his old shop on Lehigh Ave. in Union. That was a great hub of activity and a great place to meet all sorts of interesting characters. It was also one of the first places that really took an actice role in pushing the "practical" shooting matches in the metro area.

Now when some street "cherries" or FNG's get out of the academy and hit the streets they clam up tighter than an asshole in a bath house. Sometimes it is good to just shut up and keep your eyes and ears open. But by the same token, if you don't ask you don't learn. So when ever a dicey situation arose I would always "debrief"(sometimes that took on a WHOLE 'nother meaning) myself and sort out what went "good", what went "bad", what could have been done better and what could have hit the fan. If I needed to question something I did. Still do.

Alot of the older cops were really playing the old "salty dawg". 30 years and a wake up and the papers were in and off to Florida they went. Probably to drop dead of heart failure in a year. Life sucks and then you die, or life sucks, you relocate to Florida and THEN you die. Doesn't matter, end result the same.

Still these guys were a TREMENDOUS source of knowledge. On a whole RANGE of "police" related subjects. Most, if not all of these men were combat vets of WWII or Korea. So when I had a question I asked. If my screwy facial expression betrayed my disbelief at the answer, I usually heard the following refrain(if I had a dime......), "Listen wet nose, that's the square, the real deal, just remember I got more time in the shithouse than you have on the road"......followed invariably by......."So just shut up and learn". Well as things go, I never did learn to shut up, but I did learn.

"They teach you what they teach in the academy 'cause they got to".............................."The street has it's own rules, and only the street really knows what the hell those are". Rule # 1 - CYA. Rule # 2 - Never EVER forget rule # 1.

So where does this lead us? Well, this attitude between what is "percieved" as real and what really is REAL caused us to constantly question, examine, and re-examine everything we were "taught" to do against everything we "really" DID.

The bulbs really began flashing when we got hold of a copy of "Kill or Get Killed" followed by "Shooting to Live". At first we all, myself included, looked at these old pictures, drawings and "dust covered" verbiage as absolutely outdated, "know what I did during the BIG ONE..............." bullshit! But "Get Tough" had my sincere interest. One of those old timers I mentioned had been a US Navy "landing force" instructor during the "BIG ONE". I had seen him in action for real, unflitered "Lucky Strike" hanging out the side if his mouth and wreaking holy havoc on some young "puffy chested" bucks. It was a thing of beauty! I on the other was "fighting" these guys and looked like I was "rode hard and put away wet".

Something didn't add up. The methods my tour sargeant used WERE right out of "Get Tough", even how he handled a "nightstick" and BOY he did that with relish(remember NO ONE knew what a camcorder was!). Maybe there was something to this "Farburn" guy. I mean, up to this point "Fairbairn" was a good tan we got during "I & I" down at LBI. And "Applegate"? Sheeet, that was the entrance to an orchard, right?

So then we ACTUALLY started READING these texts. Really trying to keep an open mind. After ALL if "Guru" Jeff said it was so, well damn youngin' IT'S SO!

Now here's the "bitch" in the whole thing............Pretty much EVERY reason WEF and Colonel Rex GAVE for the validity of the methods(THEY ARE DIFFERENT BOYS & GIRLS) were exactly what we all knew were "missing" from the "practical" shooting we were doing. The difference in a nutshell......."How you are SUPPOSSED to do it, and how you REALLY do IT".

Yes, if I have the "drop" on a suspected badman, like on a hinky title 39 stop when YOU KNOW the shit is just hanging in front of that fan READY to go SPLAT all over everyone, then YES, ALL the "rules" get followed. If I had to arrest a suspect on a felony warrany or who was a known "A & D" then yes......ALL the rules got followed. In those situations assessing, finding and moving to real "cover"(as opposed to just concealment) was viable, actually anything else was STUPID. If that was NOT an option then covering the skel from a stable picture perfect "Weaver" or "isoceles" with positive sight alignment and all things neat and tidy was the way to go. ANYTHING else would have been STUPID.

BUT...................then there were those multitude of OTHER TIMES.

SEE there is a HUGE difference between having "IT" your way, playing your "game", ACTING by your rules and being forced to "REACT" to someone else's "gamebook". You get forced into playing the other guy's game and you're probably gonna lose. Especially when the rules change constantly.

So let's answer this "job" together. Straight up and no bullshit. You're working the graveyard tour mid-week. From your experience you figure that this tour on this day is usually pretty quiet. So it's around 3:00 am, you have made your "beat" rounds, done your shift reports, answered a few calls, shitcanned them and now need a little "resting of the eyes". You coop up. Oh YEA, it's winter time. Snow, ice, and it's bone chilling cold out. Just as you find that "comfortable" position and settle in the radio goes bananas. Two seperate confirmed alarms at a warehouse that has been hit several times before. OFF to the races you GO!

No siren, just the overheads, a couple of blocks away you go "silent". You make a cursory pass in the unit and spot the probable position of enrty (an open window, in JANUARY). Maybe. Maybe these guys followed the "rules" and immediately left a second avenue of escape available to them. Maybe you get a back up unit, maybe you don't. Doesn't matter, you gotta roll with punches and you got a JOB to do. The warehouse is HUGE, completely dark, multi-level with more "nooks and crannies" than a Thomas's muffin. And it's BEEN months since YOU answered a call here (or maybe never) so the layout is NOT "fresh" in your mind.

You approach the window cautiously and realize that the snowy, slushy, muddy ground beneath has a distinct set of LARGE boot prints, NO, wait, TWO sets of distinct footprints. Let's see.........okay the window has been jimmied. Pretty secure industrial window. These pry marks were done by something pretty big and pretty sharp. Keep that in mind.

Enough bullshit, time to go into the "party".

Let's stop for a moment and take stock of our situation:

1. NO light, either inside(if we could even find them) or OUTSIDE. 2. At least two potential threats. 3. Unknown area of operation. Little if any idea of how the joint is layed out. 4. At least one perp is armed with something big, and sharp. At the LEAST. 5. Have other officers to worry about. 6. Cold as a sonofabitch. Stiff, wearing winter uniform, can't move all that well. Adrenalin pumping like a MOTHER. 7. Why didn't I become a dentist like Mama wanted?

So you go IN. Your partner or your back up takes the "shit catcher" position at the rear, you handle the "flush". C'mon now, in you GO...................................

I know what I've done in those situation, I know what OTHERS have done in those situations, and I KNOW how we were TRAINED to do it, and MOST importantly, I know how it was REALLY handled. Here's the "rub"............pretty much everything WEF states in Shooting to Live is EXACTLY what I have seen, and experienced BOTH in my OWN actions and those of others. ALL well trained, diligent and "good" cops, knew their business. AND this was before we EVER heard of these methods or researched these sources.

SEE...........................THIS was the MISSING link that we all KNEW, but COULDN'T really pin down. This was IT. You can forget the "stats", the "percents", ignore the over SIX decades of emprical knowledge from agencies all over the WORLD including the FBI, the DOJ, and virtually every major department throughout the free world( not even to mention a worldwide conflagration then went on FOR years). Forget all of that. I KNOW what my "instinct" was and what was the "instinct" of a host of others in similar situations. Does that make it RIGHT or WRONG? Does it matter? It is what it is. Kinda like death and taxes, or at least death. You can talk up a storm about it, still is what it is.

Okay. So, comparing what I knew to be relevant in my experience and having seen first hand, as well as thru various first person accounts, the reasoning that WEF outlined as WELL as the method of use and mode of INSTRUCTION made a great deal of sense to me, as well as others whose opinions I had grown to respect. What we HAD experienced was IN that little old manual.

The task NOW was to do more research and to make these methods come alive. That meant studying as much material as we could find on this topic, and then understanding it and perfecting it.

BUT, you may ask, what about the "instinct" part. Didn't you KNOW this already? Yes, we did KNOW how many(certainly not all) individuals will react when placed in sudden life and death emergency situations. The JOB was to rip this method apart, find any flaws, find any strengths, and to make it fully our own. ONLY then, once we really KNEW what the hell we were doing(and talking about), could we DECIDE if it offered any REAL solutions to us. ANYTHING less than FULLY studying, inculcating and UNDERSTANDING the method would constitute INTELLECTUAL FRAUD in terms of any real incisive and HONEST comparison with any other "method".

How the hell do you judge something without that mind-set.

During this period(mid to late 70's) there were a growing number of "experts" entering the field. Cooper first and foremost, then names like Taylor, Farnam, Ayoob, and many others. For the most part, all "towed" the party line. Weaver was IT. Everything else was outdated, outmoded and "old" fashioned. Well, at this point I started collecting EVERYTHING I could about shooting. Everything. From the oldest manuals and books to the most up to date. Magazine upon magazine, and of course continued ACTUAL training. What I was constantly learning was really eye opening.

Studying McGivern, Hatcher, Roper, Nichols, Weston, Gaylord, Askins, Jordan, "old" works by Copper, and so many other men and other sources like Leatherneck and the Infantry Journal, old issues of the American Rifleman was astonishing. My research collection has NEVER stopped growing. I don't "stop" learning, but more on that later.

The only contemporary voice getting a little play in the popular gun journals was Brad Steiner. Much of what he wrote reflected what I had known to be true based on MY experience. There really WAS a gap and a need for methods that dealt specifically with CLOSE QUARTERS GUN BATTLES. The only really close quarters method being bantered about at this time was the "speed rock". Steiner's contemporary articles were very interesting and he stirred alot of resentment and controversy.

I remember one slam made aginst Steiner and John McSweeny by Mas Ayoob. It concerned the use of a mirror to check and adjust firing poistion, alignment and so forth. This was a method advocated by MANY "old timers" as a tried and true way of DAILY practice away from the range. Easy. Simple. No "brainer". Everyone has a mirror. Made perfect sense to me. And it WORKED. Great! Well, Ayoob likened this to "mental" masturbation. I'm not really one to mince words, it's usually(not always) better to just speak plainly. I couldn't help but wonder what the reaction of men like Paul Weston of the NYPD(who advocated this mirror training highly) or "Jelly" Bryce would have been to that comment. I also pondered what Brad Steiner's reaction, and perhaps more SO, John McSweeny's reaction would have been to Mr. Ayoob had he made that comment nose to nose instead of in print. Basically, what Ayoob was saying, thinly veiled as it was, was, you're a "jerk off".

Where were we? Oh YEA.............................................................

What to do with ALL of this information, both new and "old". Well, logically the thing to do was to look at the most basic problems presented by any situation and BUILD from there.

Easy enough. Right? Well, actually no......................................

First thing we did was to DEFINE the terms that we would use. When so and so said this, made this statement, what did he REALLY mean? When Shooter A talks about this to Shooter B are they REALLY understanding the terms being USED. Or is one party ASSUMING he knows what a certain phrase or descriptive term means. Damn, w're back to that logical foundation jammy again. Let's see................I stop some guy on the street and tell him in NO uncertain terms that I LOVE his wife, and always will. As a matter of fact, I have loved her for years. The man may be pretty shocked, he would have a right to be, maybe even take a swing at me. But, if we defined what was really said, well, the situation changes. The guy's wife is MY sister. And yes, I love her deeply, always have, and always will. Before any honest up front dialogue seeks to edify we should make sure we're on the same page. That was job 1. As I said anything less is intellectual fraud.

So we did a thorough job of defining the terms we used and what they meant.

Now we ruthlessly went about tearing apart everything on both sides of the hill.

What does the REALITY of the street teach us, and how do we find REAL useful solutions to those problems presented.

AND, here's the REAL catch...............................how does all of this tie in to the LEAST common denominator. In other words what is the MOST basic overall approach to these problems, taking into account first and foremost the least in ability, skill, experience and knowledge. If we can begin to build on that, then we have something really worthwhile.

So here are the "problems":

1. Visibility. Perfect to zero.

2. Extreme close range sudden violence. Unprepared. Reactive. Prepared. Active.

3. Enagaging adversaries at varying distances and/or heights/360 degrees. Close/medium/long range. Effective transition. Active and reactive.

4. Ability to manuever and fire.

5. Ability to effect fire on a moving target.

6. Ability to fire from dis-advantage or awkward positions.

7. Ability to fire from cover and/or concealment. Two different tactical problems.

8. Ability to fire with both hands. Tandem-strong and weak. Single-strong and weak.

9. Ability to fire when vision is impaired.

10. Ability to transition from weapon to weapon.

11. Emergency reloading and malfunction clearing.

12. The MUST DO shot.

We did NOT address specific tactical problems. This list was designed for the MOST basic overall components facing every type of "shooter" regardless of "job" specificity. A six three 200lb. police tactical officer could face these "problems" in the same way that a 5 foot five 100lb. housewife may have to. Sounds silly? Think about it.

How we put together the syllabus-

No forced or awkward positions or manuevers. Everything based to the GREATEST extent possible on gross motor skill, natural body dynamics, and "instinctive" action/reaction. takes into account next to worst case scenario and works from there(worst case being you're already dead).

The entire system should be as seamless as possible. One component dovetailing with another. Not just a "grouping" of techniques independent of one another. As general as possible to cover the greatest number of contingencies. Weak offhand shooting is composed of the EXACT same mechanics as TWO HANDED braced firing. The fundamentals are EASILY retainable and apply throughout the entire shooting system. The grip on the draw is the same grip for firing. The grip when running, climbing, jumping is the same for drawing and firing. The grip when prone is the same when kneeling is the same whenusing braced barricade, is the same when using the "pop out" and fire. This is a bad thing under the stress of real world violence?

The system? That we have to be another long winded thread(if I survive this one). But for many of you, it won't be what you think or what you have "pidgeonholed".

FINALLY...................................the GRIP!

Okay. First. Re-read all these parts over again. Really put some effort into understanding what is being said here.

Fairbairn admonishes us to extend the thumb along the "slide release"(for clarification). Mentions it several times. WE DON'T teach that grip as part of the basic syllabus. We practiced it alot and some liked it and some did not. BUT that's NOT the issue here.

The grip as advocated by WEF is particular to the weapon shown, NOT to WEF. Many gunners of the period in many different manuals and sources advocate the same grip for THAT weapon. For the .45 ACP. It was almost de rigueur. Did it help some achieve the standards for it that WEF set forth, MOST certainly. For others it was a far less successful venture. Some improved with practice, others did not.

Now we have to find out why? Colonel Applegate had HIS answer and we had ours(more on that later) BUT still we wanted to understand why WEF advocated it and what we might have been missing.

First we have to remember that "Shooting to Live" was written in it's original form(we have the manual) as a manual for the SMP. An organized UNIFORM police agency. "Shooting to live" is an expanded version of the original SMP manual. Why is that important? Because the SMP, like most agencies issued a specific "duty" weapon. A standard pistol. That was the .45 ACP. But that wasn't all! The .380 ACP was ALSO issued and for a VERY pertinent reason. The use of the thumb extended grip advocated for the .45 ACP had more to do with the DESIGN of the weapon than with anything else. The angle between grip and barrel is such that a full "convulsive"(there's that term again) grip with thumb wrapped DOWN will effect the horizontal barrel to floor alignment that is so important to ALL forms of accurate shooting. MORE so in the method taught by WEF. The thumb extension helped seat the weapon from backstrap to muzzle in a "better" way for THAT gun. A full "fisted' grip tended to drop the muzzle DOWN. Also, WEF had fairly large hands and a great grip. He also realized this and adjusted accordingly. Officer's with smaller hands who could NOT adjust or use the .45 ACP were issued the smaller .380 ACP. Now notice the line drawing on pg. 19 of STL. These drawings were made directly from still photos. Look at how far the thumb is extended in the picture. I have fairly normal size hands and a fair grip, and my thumb doesn't come near to that position. I am certainly NOT alone in this problem. WEF recignized it too, THAT is why he issued smaller pistols for some officers.

Again, this manual was done before the second world war and done with the STANDARD issue .45 ACP or .380 ACP in mind as a UNIFORM piece of ordinance. WEF use of the extended thumb index was also obvious in his method of firing both the M1 A1 carbine and the Thompson sub-machin gun. He liked this method.

Colonel Applegate had different ideas. His duties exposed him to a VAST number of handguns that WOULD be used in combat in varying countries. From the Luger to the Walther, from a Colt revolver to an automatic, from a Browning to a Mauser. Applegate sought A SINGLE method of battle firing that was applicable to ANY handgun, anywhere in the world. THIS is why Colonel Applegate advocated the "point shoulder" locked wrist, convulsive grip method. That system alone would allow anyone to grab ANY handgun and be able to fire with effect(his words-Man Killing Accuracy). Since each design had a different angle between handle and muzzle, differing weight, balance, muzzle length, sight aperture and so on he devised a singular method to ADAPT to a GREAT number of handguns. That is GENIUS! So on this point I disagree with WEF's approach. How about all the other shootists? Like Bill Jordan. Look at his grip, about as tight fisted and convulsive as you can get. And he is one of many that took a differing approach from what is shown in STL. All I want to do is keep it to the MOST basic FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST. MOST BASIC FIRST! M O S T B A S I C F I R S T !

Was Applegate completely HAPPY with what he taught during WWII. NO, he wasn't. He told us personally that he would have taught FULLY sighted fire FIRST, then "point shoulder" if he had to do it again. YEP! NOTHING is written in stone!

There are other SOLID reasons behind the differences between WEF and Applegate, as well as others extant during this time. But, hell all that's in the past. Who cares, right?

Okey dokey. Back to WEF and the extended thumb. NOW.......try this............even if you like the extended thumb for your .45 replace that auto with another auto, large/medium/small frame. How's the "feel", bet you adjust with each differing piece.

Now grab a wheel gun. Try it WITH THAT! Hmmmmmmm.....how's that working out? No, not the Model 29 S&W, the small frame two inch......try that. Well I don't see HOW that extended thumb grip works AT ALL with a revolver. Not for double action most certainly!

SO now what? How about this...........You carry a primary duty weapon that is a large frame auto. Okay. You also carry a small frame "snubby" on your ankle....the "just in case" gun. And, maybe a Beretta .25 as your "oh SHIT" gonna be late for dinner piece. THREE different guns, three DIFFERENT grips and THREE differing "feels". Or look down the firing line at people who are looking to YOU for instruction. All shapes and sizes, all different in so many ways, and probably all preferring a different handgun. Damn, you HAVE to find the most fundamental starting point.

My answer? A strong, natural and (dare I say it) convulsive grip. The same GRIP you have used since INFANCY to hold and use tools and objects, to make a fist, to lift weights, etc. etc.

Opposable thumb. Simple. This is THE most basic action possible. Everyone can do it. Everyone understands IT. And it is APPLICABLE across the board for a GREAT variety of hand types, builds, disabilities and WEAPONS. It can be used for any size autoloader or any size wheel gun.

NOW!!!!! READ THIS.............................Did I EVER SAY IT WAS THE ONLY OR BEST METHOD? NO, I did NOT! I only said it was the MOST basic!

What I did say was that it was the most basic, simple, accessible GRIP to USE as a FOUNDATION. Get something SOLID under your belt NOW, then work towards whatever method and/or goal you wish. AND all the MORE power to you!

My philosophy in a nutshell: I could teach you very effective techniques that would take a bit of time to master. But along with that I can teach you something you can USE right now when you leave here and cross that deserted parking lot. Master BASICS first and then the sky's the limit. Even WEF said given more time he would have taught different methods. Ernie Cates when he set up the USMC close combat program with Nakabyashi choose his basics carefully. he told me that rule one was: The part of the hand with NO hair is the palm! At it's core that's all I'm saying.

I'm sure I've missed some salient points (combat draw and some other issues), but I've wasted a whole day on this and I'm pretty wasted by now. I did my best to offer sound reasoning. That's all I can do. This line of thought can be applied to just about anything, certainly all aspects of armed and unarmed close-combat.

Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com

Carl Cestari began his study of the martial arts with judo at the age of 7 under the direction of Yoshisada Yonezuka. During the past forty plus years Carl has dedicated his life to studying the martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, history and religion. He is continually improving himself through his studies. What makes Carl unique is his combination of martial arts, law enforcement, military and real world experience. Carl has been exposed to a multitude of people with a wide variety experience. The following is a list of some of Carls ranks and honors.

Shinan (Founder) Tekkenryu jujutsu

Ryokudan (6th degree) Koshinkai Karate under John Burrelle

Godan (5th degree) Jujutsu under Clarke of the World Jujutsu Fedaration (now defunct)

Sandan (3rd degree) Nippon Kempo under Narabu Sada

Nidan (2nd degree) Judo under Masafumi Suzuki

Shodan (1st degree) Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka

Shodan (1st degree) Shukokai Karate under Kimura, Kadachi and Yonezuka

Shodan (1st degree) Daitoryu Aikijujutsu

Instructors Certificate- Charles Nelson System of Self Defense under Charlie Nelson

A Guide to Fine Emerald Jewelry

Fine emerald jewelry is a gift that really says to a woman "I value you." As emeralds are among the most expensive gem stones, quality emerald earrings and bracelets can cost thousands of dollars. Some examples of fine emerald jewelry are even more expensive than designs with diamonds. However as the emerald is symbolically a wealth attracting stone perhaps you will get your investment back!

The name emerald comes from an ancient Greek language that translates to mean "green gemstone." In most cultures it is considered to be a holy stone. It is one of the gemstones found in the Bible's Breastplate of Aaron. They were worn by the ancient Incas and Aztecs in the South Americas and mined enthusiastically by Egyptian Royal Families in 1500 BC. These mines, which were near the Red Sea in Eygpt were known as the "Cleopatra mines" as the Egyptian queen was fond of wearing emerald earrings and bracelets. The Cleopatra mines were depleted of their precious emeralds by 3000 B.C.

In the ancient world, it wasn't just the Egyptians who were fascinated by fine emerald jewelry. The Indian culture also prized the gems for their ability to heal and enhance one's good luck. One of the largest museum quality emeralds in the world is the ten centimeter tall "Mogul Emerald" which weigh 217,80 carats. It is inscribed with flowers and ancient texts and dates from 1695. Its worth is 2.2 million U.S. dollars.

There are also many other precious emerald artifacts in the world. In Instabul, the Topkapi Palace contains incredible examples of fine emerald jewelry as well as pens and daggers encrusted with the gems. Another famous emerald artifact is the Emerald Cup, which used to belong to Emperor Jehangir in the New York Museum of Natural History. The Bank of Bogota hoards one of the largest emerald in the world in its treasury; a beauty that weights 1796 carats.

Fine emerald jewelry also comes with a great deal of positive symbolism. In pagan cultures, green not red is considered to be the color of love and beauty. In ancient Rome the emerald was associated with Venus, the goddess of love. The Catholic Church regards green as a natural liturgical color and green is the holy color of the Islamic faith. The color green is also universally regarded as a color of birth, growth and success.

Finding an excellent piece of fine emerald jewelry can be difficult. This is because high quality stones can be extremely rare. Most emeralds in the market do contain some flaws and inclusions. In fact flawless emeralds are so rare that even very expensive and high quality emeralds might contain a few inclusions. The worth of an emerald also depends on how green it is. Therefore if the gem stone is a lively vibrant green but contains a few flaws, known as "jardin" to jewelers it may be worth more than a paler, yellower emerald gemstone that is perfect.

There is something about fine emerald jewelry that also conveys respect and wisdom. Perhaps it is because these gemstones are so old. The oldest emeralds in the world are found in Zimbabwe and are estimated to be 2600 millions years ago. The emeralds growing in Pakistan mines are estimated to be nine million years old.

Officially the emerald belongs to the beryl family. Other exotic beryl family members include morganite, aquamarine and heliodor. Constitutionally emeralds are made up of aluminum, beryllium and silicates. It is traces of chromium and vanadium that are responsible for the green color. Aluminum, beryllium and silicates are rarely found in the same place as chromium or vanadium unless there has been a big earthquake or a similar shift in the earth's crust to force the elements to merge and produce green colored beryls. Many emeralds contain small bubbles of gas or inclusions that are testimony to their violent geological origins. The more jardin (cracks and fissures) that emeralds contain, the older it is. These fissures, bubbles and other inclusions only really lower the value of an emerald if they affect its color or spoil its transparency.

When it comes to fine emerald jewelry, Columbia is the biggest supplier of high quality stones. The country has about 150 known deposits of this precious mineral but not all of them are being mined. The best-known operating mines are in Muzo and Chivor. These two mines are seemingly bottom pits of the gems as they were when the Incas first excavated them in the pre-Columbian era. In terms of producing quality stones, the Cocuez mine is also an important source of finer emeralds.

Columbian emeralds are considered to be especially fine because they do not have any kind of blue tint or flash. The Columbian mines are also known for Trapiche emeralds, which like the star sapphire have six rays emanating from its center when the jewel is cut into a half domed shape.

The stones that are used to create fine emerald jewellery are also found in many other countries including Pakistan, Madagascar, Zambia, Russia and Afghanistan. The finest gems come from Zimbawe and Brazil. Zambia produces large jewels of a darker green than the Columbian emeralds and Zimbabwe emeralds come from a special mine called the Sandawana Mine which produces tiny yet beautiful yellowish green gemstones.

When buying fine emerald jewelry you should be aware that as it is such a valuable gemstone there are a lot of fakes out there. These include stones that have been dyed, heat-treated or that are even created in the lab. The best way to avoid making any tragic mistakes when you invest in fine emerald jewelry is to make sure that you are buying them from a fine jeweler that can provide you a certificate that confirms the stone's authenticity. Another suggestion is to buy a larger emerald rather than a smaller one, as sometimes the smaller ones do not refract enough to light to truly reveal its brilliant green heart.

Learn more about emeralds at http://www.genuinegemjewelry.com/emeralds.htm

How to Build Your Own Electric Vehicle

In today's world some people are deciding that it would be cheaper, in the long run, to own an electric vehicle and having to pay for gas in their cars. You can convert your gas vehicle into an electric vehicle fairly easily with the resources that available these days. This is of course if you want to take the time to build or convert your vehicle into an electric vehicle.

If you have to commute to and from work everyday then an electric car is not the best option for you. An electric car battery can only run for thirty to seventy miles per day. But those numbers could change also with different driving conditions. If you live in an apartment with no garage then it may be almost impossible for you to recharge your car at night. These are all factors that you should take into consideration before deciding if you want to switch over to an electric car or stay with your gas vehicle.

Some other considerations

First and foremost you need to decide which type of car you want to use to build your can electric car; a smaller car is best but bigger cars will work also. You would want to make sure your car has a manual four or five speed transmission. Manuals are more efficient to it might save you some electricity. And since these types of cars are so effective, you will not have to be shifting up and down as much.

You will need to add an additional system; this additional system that you will need to add in your car and add an extra 200 to 500 pounds to your cars total weight. So when considering which car to use you need to make sure the car is not extremely heavy so the extra weight you add will not put your car into an obscure weight class.

A few more things to keep in mind when choosing a car for when you build your own electric car, power steering and air conditioning. If your car has power steering then you will need to have a separate motor for that. Also air conditioning drags on your battery so your battery will die sooner with an air conditioner. There is a way that you can still use your air conditioner though; you just have to use a special magnet system to work the compressor.

Electric cars and hybrids are becoming more and more popular. If you really want to build your own electric vehicle there are plenty of resources out there that can help you get your car up and running correctly. An electric car in the long run could be a benefit because you would save money on gas.

Nick Stanlow is a freelance author for http://www.perfectautocentral.com

Energy Vampires

Do you sometimes wonder why you feel so drained after being with some people, while you feel energized when being with others?

Some people are energy vampires, and actually drain energy from you. How do they do this? What can you do to avoid this?

WAYS PEOPLE DRAIN ENERGY

Sometimes the ways people drain energy is obvious, and sometimes it is very subtle. A fairly obvious way is talking non-stop. I wrote an article on talking addiction and received the following response from a reader:

"Thank you so much for your article on talking addiction. For years now, I have wondered why I would feel so drained after listening to my mother. My mom is one of those people that can stay on the phone talking for hours and hours, and it's a monologue. She is never interested in what I have to say unless it is about her. Lately, I've found myself hiding from her. For years, I would dodge her phone calls to conserve my energy. I have mentioned to her that she talks a lot but I think that it goes in one ear and out of the other. I am so glad that I read your article. Now I know that I'm not being mean when I go into my personal space."

Some people drain energy by always complaining, or by having dramas that need attending to. Some people drain energy by wanting to process all the time about their problems. Others drain energy through various means of trying to get approval - such as asking a lot of questions, or bragging a lot, or being overly nice. Other people drain energy by sulking or crying - being a victim and hoping someone will give them attention.

There is a very common, yet subtle, way that many people drain energy. If you are a person who ignores your own feelings and who does not take care of your own needs, then it is likely that you have an empty hole inside you. Empty holes are like vacuums - they want to get filled. Even if you don't overtly pull on others for attention or approval, your empty hole is a pull on their energy. Because you are not taking care of your own needs for love, attention and approval, you are automatically pulling on others for their love, attention and approval. Or, you might be pulling on them for affection or sex as a way to get your empty hole filled. When they pull back, you are left wondering what you did wrong.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AVOID HAVING YOUR ENERGY DRAINED?

Most people who are energy vampires count on other people being so nice that they will give them the attention or approval they are seeking. Most people don't like speaking up because they don't want to hurt others' feelings. However, when you do this, you are allowing yourself to take responsibility for the other person's feelings rather than for your own feelings. You are abandoning yourself and making what the other person wants more important than taking care of yourself.

You cannot begin to stop the energy drain until you fully accept that you are not responsible for the other person's feelings. It is your feeling responsible for the other person that allows you to get drained.

Once you accept that you are not responsible for the other person, but that you are responsible for yourself, you will discover that you can gently extricate yourself from a draining interaction. It is not hard to learn to get off the phone or walk away when you are taking responsibility for yourself rather than for the other person's feelings.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and Healing Your Aloneness. She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

All About Promise Rings

Available in a wide range of styles, promise rings are given before marriage to symbolize love and commitment. When couples do not feel its the right time to get married, but plan to some day, a promise ring can be given to declare ones true feelings.

Whether you choose a 14k gold promise ring, a white or yellow gold promise ring or a diamond promise ring, it will be a piece of jewelry you treasure forever.

Traditional designs include a heart to symbolize your true love and affection for one another. Other styles that are quite popular among young people are the Celtic knot designs, which can stand for unwavering commitment and fidelity.

Sterling silver promise rings are also available for couples on a budget, and they still look amazing as a true symbol of your love.

Diamond promise rings are also popular, but more expensive. However, small diamonds placed in a setting of yellow or white gold are quite common as promise rings for those who can afford them.

Semi-precious gemstones can also be used as the focal point of a promise ring. For example, if your partner loves a particular gemstone such as opal or tanzanite, you can purchase a promise ring with that gemstone to truly show your commitment.

While promise rings may seem similar to engagement rings, there are quite obvious differences between the two.

For example, typical promise rings tend to have much smaller carat weights than engagement rings. Promise rings also tend to be much less expensive and over the top, featuring simplistic designs and lower quality metals.

The most obvious difference between promise rings and engagement rings is the intent of the giver it does not symbolize marriage, but rather commitment and love so that one day, marriage might be an option.

However, promise rings can symbolize a variety of things, though commitment between young couples seems to be the most popular use of a promise ring.

Promise rings can also mean religious purity, where people wear a promise ring to remind themselves to remain true to a particular religious path or as a promise of sexual abstinence until marriage.

They can also be used between friends, and are typically called friendship rings rather than promise rings.

However, the intent remains the same no matter what you call them, and are usually exchanged between young people as a promise theyll remain friends forever.

Though there are a wide variety of meanings behind promise rings, the most popular use is between young couples that are not ready for marriage but want a symbol of their devotion to one another.

Given from the heart, promise rings are the ultimate token of true love and affection.

Denise Sutton recommends Heavenly Treasures if youre shopping for Promise Rings.

Retiring Vice Chairman Dominates Ford News

As of late, Ford news has surrounded the company announcement made earlier this year pertaining to the retirement of longtime Ford executive, Greg Smith. After starting out as an engineer with truck operations in 1973, Smith was atop Ford news as he moved up to Vice Chairman after more than 30 years with the company. Now, after 32 years of service, Smith has announced his retirement effective March 1, 2006.

Greg has contributed tremendously to Ford Motor Company in many areas, including leading the turnaround at Ford Motor Credit, admits Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bill Ford. His deep knowledge of all aspects of the business has been extremely helpful as weve developed our plans for the future, and Im pleased he will remain with us in a consulting role.

Upon joining Ford in 1973 as an engineer with truck operations, a recent Ford news release explains that Greg Smith also held several engineering and product planning positions within the company. In 1985, Smith moved to the Ford Division as Truck and Powertrain Marketing Plans manager before becoming the manager of Car Marketing Plans. Finally, he accepted the position of Central Region Marketing manager. Smith later went from the Ford Division to the Lincoln Mercury Division, which is where he became the Dallas District Operations manager.

After returning from Dallas in 1990, Smith was named Director of Strategy and Advanced Planning for car product development. Just three years later, in 1993, he was promoted to executive director of Strategic Planning and External Affairs for the Ford Financial Services Group. Following that, Smith was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Ford Motor Credit before being named the Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit. In 2004, he became a company Executive Vice President and President of the Americas, which is a position that he held until he was elected Vice Chariman.

Gregs respect for his fellow employees and his leadership behaviors are well known and highly regarded throughout the company, said Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company president and Chief Operating Officer. According to a recent Ford news release, Padilla added, We appreciate his many contributions and will greatly miss his knowledge and insight.

As Vice Chairman, Smith was responsible for a variety of company operations, including the direction of central corporate staffs. Among others, he was responsible for directing the departments of Human Resources and Labor Affairs, Corporate Strategy and Information Technology and Automotive Strategy. As Vice Chairman, Greg Smith was a regular participant in Ford news releases, as well as being in charge of guiding Ford Motor Companys strategic development, considering and enforcing key decisions and defining its future financial services.

From used cars, new automobiles to racing and even to retirement, Ford news is widely read by auto news enthusiasts worldwide. Wherever automotive happenings occur, it is almost certain to include some type of Ford news in the mix.

Empowered Eating for Powerful Weight Loss

Our eating habits are drilled into our minds early during childhood. All the cakes and cookies didn't matter so much then, but now they can really pack on the pounds. That's why it's so important to change your eating habits as an adult, especially if your goal is to shed the weight. You'll be surprised how many pounds you'll lose.

Start by eating only when you're hungry. You're not a lab rat trained to eat when a bell goes off, so take control of your eating times. Far too much we eat at noon even if we've had a huge breakfast -- even if we're not hungry. But most experts say it's okay to avoid a meal. Don't just eat to be eating because it's lunch or dinner time. Listen to your body.

The best time to eat is in the morning. Turns out breakfast really is the best meal of the day. That's because it fuels you up for the day ahead. And the calories gained from breakfast usually burn off during daytime activities. If you're going to wolf down a little more than normal, make sure it's at breakfast time.

Having problems dealing with hunger? Control your cravings by drinking lots of water (it fills you up without all the calories) and keep a few dried fruits like raisins and dried cranberries around to snack on when you get a sweet tooth. Exercise has also been shown to control hunger. So if you're craving something you know you shouldn't, take an evening walk.

Eat slower too. Give your stomach time to catch up. Eating fast robs your stomach of the time to send a signal that says, I'm full. If you find yourself feeling stuffed after you eat, your problem could be eating too much, too fast.

Whenever you do eat, break your food into portions. A portion is no bigger than a deck of playing cards, so keep this in mind when you're filling your plate. Don't go overboard even if you feel hungry. Fore go those seconds. Again, most times your eyes think bigger than your stomach and all that extra food can really widen your waistline.

If you're eating out somewhere, follow the same guidelines. Don't over do it. Ask for a low calorie menu or leave some food on your plate. It's okay to disobey your mother's clean-your-plate rule when you're eating in a restaurant. Odds are she never brought you the huge fat-loaded portions most restaurants dish out today.

Same goes for grocery shopping. Never shop on an empty stomach (you'll buy all the wrong foods). And while shopping, browse around the outside of the store aisles, that is, where all the basic foods are kept. All the best unprocessed foods are on the walls, around the center aisles at your supermarket. The lean meats, wheat breads, dairy, and fresh produce are all better for you than the canned meats and vegetables on the center aisle shelves.

A good combination of diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. What that means is workout everyday, control your portions, shop wisely, and listen to your body. You'll not only lose weight in the short term, but you'll build long term healthy eating habits that'll help keep it off.

Daryl Bennett is always researching the best ways to lose weight, stay fit, and build muscle. For one of the most proven and time-tested solid workout regimens visit The Law Enforcement Workout website at >> http://bestbody.50webs.com Cops know fitness.

Men's White Gold Wedding Bands

White metals such as silver and palladium mixed with gold produces an alloy known as white gold. As with gold, white gold can be found in any carat measurement up to 21 carats. Basically, the amount of gold is the same but the alloy is different. White gold was originally developed as a substitute for platinum.

Traditionally nickel was used in white gold. However, nickel is no longer used as the studies found that nickel can cause reactions with some people. Initially, white gold rings are electro-plated with another white metal called Rhodium, a metal very much similar to platinum, when they are new. This makes the white gold look whiter since the original color of white metal is slightly gray. This process is called rhodium plating. To keep a white gold ring looking new, it should be re-rhodium plated approximately each 12 to 18 months.

White gold mens wedding bands are increasingly popular as they are often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones. However, it is suggested to check with the retailer that the alloy is nickel-free.

Since the white metal is an alloy, it is very hard and durable. Hence it is preferred in the wedding bands by a number of men presently. However, there is an equal demand for cheaper alternatives to white gold than the palladium whites which are nickel-free. Many new alloys in the current market rely on manganese additions as the main whitener. Some of these are palladium-free while others are low palladium alloys. Chromium and iron can also be used as whiteners. However, they tend to be hard and so this makes it more difficult to process. However, most of these alloys are not a good white color and so require rhodium plating, and many suffer cracking problems and tarnishing.

Mens Wedding Bands provides detailed information about men's wedding bands, men's diamond wedding bands, men's gold wedding bands and more. Mens Wedding Bands is affiliated with Moissanite Rings.

Cleaning Your Car's Carpet

Do you have a carpet in your car that need attention? If you do then you need to read this article. It will give you some tips on cleaning your automobiles interior. Keep reading and have a clean car in no time.

With auto interiors the trick is to not over wet the carpet. Cars interiors are loaded with electronics and wiring. The last thing you want to do is get theses things wet. Use caution to not use too much cleaner. So to begin with auto carpet cleaning you need to first thoroughly vacuum your carpet. Take your time and do a thorough job, The more soil you remove in the dry form, the less cleaner you need to use later. After you have vacuumed the carpet you can begin the actual cleaning process. Get a can of foam carpet cleaner available at all auto parts stores. Follow the directions on the can for application. Generally you will spray the foam cleaner on the carpet and brush it in. Next you will get a clean cotton towel and wipe up the carpet with the towel. Be gentle and do not agitate the carpet too much. Finally allow the carpet to dry and thoroughly vacuum it to remove the dried carpet shampoo.

That is all there is to it. Carpet in autos is actually quite easy to clean. Since it is usually an olefin carpet it typically also cleans up well. If you would rather not clean it yourself call a local carpet cleaner and see if they offer interior cleaning.

Learn more information on this and your Hartford carpet cleaning company at the authors website.

All About Promise Rings

Available in a wide range of styles, promise rings are given before marriage to symbolize love and commitment. When couples do not feel its the right time to get married, but plan to some day, a promise ring can be given to declare ones true feelings.

Whether you choose a 14k gold promise ring, a white or yellow gold promise ring or a diamond promise ring, it will be a piece of jewelry you treasure forever.

Traditional designs include a heart to symbolize your true love and affection for one another. Other styles that are quite popular among young people are the Celtic knot designs, which can stand for unwavering commitment and fidelity.

Sterling silver promise rings are also available for couples on a budget, and they still look amazing as a true symbol of your love.

Diamond promise rings are also popular, but more expensive. However, small diamonds placed in a setting of yellow or white gold are quite common as promise rings for those who can afford them.

Semi-precious gemstones can also be used as the focal point of a promise ring. For example, if your partner loves a particular gemstone such as opal or tanzanite, you can purchase a promise ring with that gemstone to truly show your commitment.

While promise rings may seem similar to engagement rings, there are quite obvious differences between the two.

For example, typical promise rings tend to have much smaller carat weights than engagement rings. Promise rings also tend to be much less expensive and over the top, featuring simplistic designs and lower quality metals.

The most obvious difference between promise rings and engagement rings is the intent of the giver it does not symbolize marriage, but rather commitment and love so that one day, marriage might be an option.

However, promise rings can symbolize a variety of things, though commitment between young couples seems to be the most popular use of a promise ring.

Promise rings can also mean religious purity, where people wear a promise ring to remind themselves to remain true to a particular religious path or as a promise of sexual abstinence until marriage.

They can also be used between friends, and are typically called friendship rings rather than promise rings.

However, the intent remains the same no matter what you call them, and are usually exchanged between young people as a promise theyll remain friends forever.

Though there are a wide variety of meanings behind promise rings, the most popular use is between young couples that are not ready for marriage but want a symbol of their devotion to one another.

Given from the heart, promise rings are the ultimate token of true love and affection.

Denise Sutton recommends Heavenly Treasures if youre shopping for Promise Rings.

Body Piercing Jewellery Materials Explained

Body piercing has seen an explosion in popularity over the past few years. This in turn has lead to a huge increase in the range of body jewellery available, both in style and in materials.

It wasnt long ago that surgical steel jewellery was the norm for body piercings with a small amount of silver and gold jewellery available for healed piercings. However, this has changed and you can buy body jewellery in a huge range of materials that include steel, silver, gold, titanium, plastic/acrylic, glass, bone, horn and even wood.

The range may now be extensive but there is a problem what type of jewellery is suitable for your piercing? Not all of the above materials may be suitable, especially if your piercing is still relatively new and/or unhealed.

For new body piercings there are only a few materials now recommended. It used to be the case that surgical steel jewellery was the automatic choice for new piercings. However, it has since been found that a very small minority of people can have a reaction to the small nickel content in most surgical steel, so a directive from Brussels has since stopped the use of steel for new body piercings. Although there is a form of surgical steel available thats nickel free, high production costs and the emergence of newer, more readily available materials have prevented this from becoming popular.

So what is safe for a new or unhealed piercing? Titanium is perhaps the No1 choice for new body piercings at the moment. Available simply polished or with a very wide range of inert, anodized or PVD coatings it is our jewellery of choice by far. From belly bars and ball closure rings to labret studs are all available in titanium and at a price almost on par with steel.

Another option, especially suited to those who want their piercings a little less visible, is bioplast or flexible acrylic. Being a form of plastic the material is very inert making it ideally suited for all piercings and with the ability to flex a little it is usually far more comfortable than conventional jewellery such as titanium. The only drawback for some is that it simply isnt as attractive as titanium jewellery; especially the coloured or gem set titanium pieces.

Although not as pure or inert as titanium or bioplast, sterling silver is also an option for some people on newer piercings although not recommended for brand new piercings or those still weeping. However, as the vast majority of silver jewellery features a surgical steel bar that passes through the actual piercing, with only the detailing being made of sterling silver, most silver body jewellery should be treated as surgical steel for use in piercings i.e. not recommended for brand new piercings or those still with discharge but ideal for anything else.

So what is not recommended for newer piercings? It is important to stress that for brand new piercings, or those still weeping, you should only consider truly inert and safe materials such as titanium or bioplast/acrylic and all jewellery should be properly sterilised prior to use. Surgical steel is no longer recommended for unhealed piercings for the reasons stated above. Gold is only ever suitable for completely healed piercings (i.e. usually 6 months+ after the piercing and no weeping or discharge) due to the very high level of impurities most gold carries. Organic materials such as wood, horn and bone should only be used for healed piercings simply because they can carry contaminants and are very difficult to sterilise fully.

As a final word of advice, as with all things body piercing related if in doubt consult your piercer.

Elizabeth Brodie is the owner of Hot-Jewellery a UK site specialising in quality body jewellery for most common piercings.

All About Audi

German sport luxury brand Audi has played a strong role in helping to shape consumer tastes and influence the entire European touring market. For nearly 100 years, the Audi brand has been synonymous with producing high quality, reliable, and well engineered vehicles. An odd start almost scuttled the companys plans, yet today Audi has risen above adversity and is producing cars that are world renowned in quality and engineering.

August Horch founded Horch Automotive in Cologne, Germany in 1899, and began manufacturing cars in 1901 which featured a horizontal engine producing upwards of 5 horsepower. Demand for these models propelled Horch to expand production and move to a larger manufacturing facility where a newer, more powerful model cranking out a then-amazing 10 horsepower was released.

By 1910, Horch himself was booted out of the company that sported his name so he set up shop elsewhere and began to sell cars under the Audi moniker. Originally, Horch tried to use his family name, but German courts ruled against him thus the Audi name was selected instead. In German, Horch means hark and the word audi is the Latin translation of horch/hark. So, although he could legally no longer use his family name, the Latinized version of the same won out. Guess which name is known today?

In between a pair of devastating world wars, the modern Audi company began to take shape. Indeed, the four rings logo of the company represents the union of four distinct German automotive manufacturers under the auspices of Audi. Yes, you guessed it: the Horch company that originally booted Mr. Horch was absorbed by Audi and makes up one of the four rings. August Horch lived to see that big day, but he also witnessed the dismantling of the company following the end of the second world war.

Reparations was the rallying cry when World War II ended, thus the Soviet Union who was occupying the eastern portion of Germany during the postwar era, appropriated the company, took all of its assets, and by August 1948 the company no longer existed. One year later thanks to state loans and Marshall plan assistance, a resurrected Audi was back on the scene producing a delivery van and a motorcycle. Continuous growth throughout the 1950s highlighted by Daimlers acquisition of the company in 1958 fueled further expansion. In 1964, the Volkswagen group purchased Audi from Daimler and to this day Audi remains a significant part of the Volkswagen establishment.

By the late 1960s, Audi began what many consider to be its historic run to the top of automotive excellence. New models were developed several of which were also marketed as Volkswagen models for that era. In 1980, Audi shook the automotive world to its foundation when it released its Quattro sports car, a vehicle with full time all wheel drive and a turbocharged engine. Instantly, the Quattro propelled the Audi name to the top of the race car world when the vehicle began to win race upon race. Undeniably, the Quattro was such a runaway hit that the model was banned from some races for having an unfair technological advantage.

Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Audi began to produce additional models including its first premium model, the Audi V8 in 1988. Sporting a 3.6L 32-valve V8 engine, the Audi V8 featured full time all wheel drive and a four speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. This particular model was a huge departure from earlier Audis and set the brand on a collision course with Mercedes and BMW, Germanys two other luxury brands in a bid for automotive supremacy.

Today, Audi continues to expand and compete against all of the top luxury brands in the world. New technology including its Audi Space Frame all-aluminum body known for its rigidity and improved crashworthiness are among the highlights of a brand that doesnt settle for second best. From sedans to sport coupes to an all new SUV, Audi has a model that competes against the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac, Infiniti, and BMW its chief competitors.

That hark sound you hear is both the name of a company and the attention the brand deserves in a sea of capable premium models produced by Germanys esteemed Volkswagen Group. Yes, Audi has weathered several storms and the company appears poised to continue its thrust forward thanks to its many innovations and continued high quality.

Copyright 2006 Matt Keegan is an automotive writer specializing in covering new models and car parts. Your Audi TT or Audi A8 have a rich legacy worth preserving. Read All About Audi and what you can do to keep your Audi operating for years to come.

A Few Words On Turbocharging

Well, I'm no expert on turbocharging, but in November 1998 I did purchase my own Sunny turbo engine and boy did I learn a lot. I have read a good bit on the topic in both on the net and in the popular import car publications. I have a reasonable knowledge of the theories and the equipment involved in turbocharging a small 4 cylinder engine.

I would like to say first and foremost, turbocharging a naturally aspirated vehicle is not as simple as buying a kit or engine and bolting it up and driving. There is a lot more involved in this if you plan on having dependible transportation that will last longer than a few weeks.

Bolt on Mods:

First, the engine you want to turbocharge cannot have a high compression ratio. The traditional compression ratio for a four cylinder engine is 8.5 to 1. You can go a little higher with multi-point injection. Most non-turbo cars have 9 to 1 or higher compression ratios. You can get away with about 9 to 1 turboed but beyond that, and the boost you add with the turbocharger will cause pre-detonation and blow your engine. Also, the higher the compression ratio, the less boost you can pump into the engine.

So you'll be rebuilding the engine with custom low compression pistons to lower the compression ratio, and at the same time, you'll be strengthining the block to take the additional stress of the turbocharger.

Obviously the entire computer system in you car has to be changed over to the the system for the used engine. You will need to get the the ECU, the engine wiring harness, all of the engine sensors, all of the solenoids and actuators and additional electronics which control the turbo system. So ensure that a trained mechanic is with you when making the purchase.

Next up , the fuel system delivery will have to be upgraded. You'll need higher flow rate injectors, a higher pressure fuel pump and sub-pump, and a rising rate fuel pressure regulator. Without the additional fuel, the engine will run too lean under the boost of the turbo, and will detonate, and blow.

You have to convert the entire induction system, which includes intake manifold, exhaust manifold, air plenum, waste gate, intake piping, and intercooler.

Now we're done with the engine up grade or replacement, it's time to look at all of the other changes you have to make.

The clutch is the most obvious, the turbo needs a stronger clutch. You'll burn your stock one out in no time with the extra power . If it's a transmission, the stock tranny is not like the heavy duty tranny used on turbo models. You may be replacing cluster gears on an annual basis if you don't upgrade or change yours for a turbo model tranny.

The crown wheel and pinion gears and differential in your stock application are most likely not as durable as those in the turbo models. You'll pop a few diffs until you upgrade to the turbo parts.

The heat form the turbo can affect the engine's cooling, thus requiring you to upgrade radiator or fans. Also affected by the heat is the paint on you bonnet, please insulate the engine room.

Do not forget the cash outlay for gauges, turbo timer, etc.

So it becomes quite obvious that it is no small task to put a turbo onto a non-turbo car. I cannot imagine that installing the turbo and accompanying parts your car would cost less than $2000. Even though if you shop around in the scrap yards you could manage to get the parts to get you going for around $1500 including installation.

There is another option though. There are several US companies who make custom turbocharging kits that work on non-turbo import cars even those whose compression ratio is a little too high for the stock system changeover. This will involve lots of custom piping and some electronics that will be piggybacked onto your ECU and sensors to trick the computer into thinking that your car is operating within normal parameters. This still doesn't solve the drive train durability issues, but the end product will likely out perform the stock turbo counterpart and additional tuning for more power will be easier, because you are starting out with more flexible equipment which won't need to be upgraded from OEM to work with.

Duane Boodasingh http://www.trinituner.com