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Article Name
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1 |
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Olivia Hunt |
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Business/human resources |
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2007-05-08 |
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Performance appraisals are of great need for the effective work and ‘health’ of a staff. Performance appraisals assist in developing individuals, in improving company’s performance, and in effective business planning. Performance appraisals are usually done every year for all the staff in the company.
Performance appraisals are also necessary for person’s career and successful business planning. Appraisals are significant for the motivation of a staff, correct behavior, effective communication process, and developing positive attitude of management to the staff. To sum up, performance appraisals that are carried out without training and without adhering to the rules, without necessary explanation are conducted in a wrong way and in most cases can be counter-productive. In other words, they are simply a waste of time.
Successful companies have an appraisal system that evaluates employee performance in accordance with the company’s strategic goals. Such companies know very well what they should do to win in today’s competitive world - they must attract and retain productive employees. Successful companies get their competitive advantage with the help of effective performance appraisals that assist them in hiring productive employees and in putting them in the right place (position) and in developing their abilities that greatly contributes to the company’s success.
Generally speaking, a good performance appraisal no matter what type is it, is effective if it is conducted in a right way when everything is clearly explained to the staff and agreed with the authorities. Benefits of effective performance appraisal are the following:
improved productivity;
maintenance of top reformers;
improved employee morale;
increased profitability.
Performance appraisals can be counter-productive for those employees who need much training and development. A successful performance appraisal affects positively the employee work performance in case of the employee high job motivation. In case with an employee who has low job motivation, performance appraisals are counter-productive. Performance appraisals should be adapted to the employee’s individual needs and features. In other case, there is a risk of a poorly-conducted appraisal with all the negative consequences.
To sum up, performance appraisals that are carried out without training and without adhering to the rules, without necessary explanation are conducted in a wrong way and in most cases can be counter-productive. In other words, they are simply a waste of time. Well-prepared and well-conducted performance appraisals give additional chance for managers and companies in general, to continue improving and developing their work. Badly-prepared and badly-conducted performance appraisals are not working and are counter-productive.
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2 |
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jeffrey eugenio |
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Vehicles/Trucks SUVS |
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2008-02-21 |
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Recently I have been reading many things about Diesel performance products on the internet and what it can do to my vehicle. For those of you who that don’t have an idea on what diesel performance product is the answer is very easy: It refers to the increased power and performance that diesel-powered vehicles can provide. Until recently, diesel was used simply for heavy working use. This has changed, however; manufacturers have started to manufacture engines that are advanced compared to those of the past.
You will also find that the engines are quieter regarding fuel consumption, and friendlier toward the environment. Moreover, diesel engine is now used for luxurious vehicles with leather seats and all other great features that you want. As a result, the demand for power and performance from diesel powered vehicles also increases.
Recent developments in vehicle electronics, the power of engines can be customized more easily. With just a small chip, your car can achieve tremendous horsepower. Specifically, vehicles can even gain 130+ HP power and 180+ ft/lb. torque by simply setting up a small performance chip or module. Those performance chips can be fit in very quickly. Furthermore, there are other diesel performance parts such as gauges, mufflers, and exhausts that you can use. Aside from the above modules, air intake systems also fall into the same group. Raising the air flow is also critical to high horsepower gains without loosing fuel mileage.
For only a few hundred dollars, most diesel powered vehicles can get a big performance raise. Moreover, there are cases where some of the diesel performance parts will minimize the fuel consumption of your vehicle. Considering all those advantages, you should do a few performance oriented modification to your vehicle and see the difference in performance for your self.
There are a lot of choices available for you to choose from concerning diesel performance each can do something very unique for your vehicle. Lately there are a lot of people who are preoccupied with Diesel performance and how they can take advantage of this technology. Everywhere you look there are a lot of people who are starting to modify their vehicle’s engine to give it a high compression ratio or astounding power.
Now, diesel performance chip and module are the most popular diesel performance modification you can find out there. This kind of modification can be set up quickly by your trusted mechanic and this kind of modification does not cost that much. It can be set up by most mechanics that knows how diesel engine works.
Performance chip consists of chips, modules and programmers. They all have the same basic purposes although all of them will alter the fueling in somewhat different ways and have an array of safety features. In General for an old-fashioned driver, with almost any diesel chip about three to four mpg increases can be done. Do not forget to ask your mechanic’s advice on what sort of performance chip is good for your vehicle.
Most diesel performance chips and modules these days come with a monitor or digital gauge set up to monitor the latest working levels of your diesel car. The diesel performance chip and module are the most wanted products on the diesel performance market now.
Diesel Performance Chips have advanced over the last decade or so that they have been utilized, and have immensely gained recognition because the diesel performance chips are able to noticeably increase power dramatically. All of these adjustments add to the fuel economy of the diesel engine, and will sooner pay for themselves in gas savings, also will keep on for years after they are paid for to keep your money in your pocket. I think that diesels are the wave of the future and there are a lot of economy vehicles that are being put together in diesel versions because they are capable of so much superior fuel efficiency.
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3 |
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Ismael D. Tabije |
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Business/human resources |
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2007-02-13 |
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Performance management is a set of systematic processes that help businesses discover efficient use of their business units, financial, human and material resources.
Performance management’s focus is on creating methodical and predictable ways to improve business results, or performance, across organizations. It aids organizations in achieving their strategic goals.
Performance management processes constitute: (1) planning—deliberation of what to do and setting expectations; (2) monitoring—continually checking on performance; (3) developing—improving the capacity to perform; (4) rating—periodically scaling performance in a summary fashion; and (5) rewarding—compensating good performance.
The first process, planning, means structuring mindset on how performance should be channeled to achieve objectives considering the goals of the organization. By involving the employees in this process, there would be an increased comprehension on the goals of the organization, what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how well it should be done.
Employee performance plans should include establishment of elements and standards to be used for regulatory performance appraisals. It should be versatile, making adjustments in program objectives and work requirements easy.
The second process in performance management is monitoring. It pertains to the consistent assessment of performance and providing ongoing remarks to employees and work groups while they are progressing in attaining organizational goals. Employees’ evaluation enables the supervisor to see if employees are meeting predetermined standards, to make revisions to problematic standards.
Developing, the third process can be defined as increasing the capacity to perform. This can be staged through trainings, seminars, and assigning projects that would introduce new skills or higher levels of responsibility, and improve work processes or methods. These developmental activities pave way to encourage good performance, strengthen job-related skills and competencies, and help employees keep up with changes in the workplace, such as the introduction of new technology.
From time to time, organizations find it useful to summarize employee performance. This requires the fourth process of performance management, rating. This enables comparison among a set of employees or individual conduct or productivity over a period of appraisal. The rating of record has a bearing on various other personnel actions, such as granting within-grade pay increases, and promoting or determining additional retention service credit in a reduction in force.
In a productive organization, rewards are used frequently and profitably. Rewarding, the fifth process of performance management comprises this. It means acknowledging employees’ contributions to the agency’s mission as an individual or a team player through granting of awards, merits, benefits or bonuses. A basic principle of effective management is that all conduct is influenced by its consequences. This applies, whether the deed is positive or negative.
All five components or processes triumphantly result to a natural and effective performance management. Each key process should be executed in such a way that there exists coordination and support from these processes, to the supervisors, and to the subordinates. Practicing this should include setting goals; planning work routinely; measuring progress toward those goals and giving and accepting feedbacks to and from employees. High standards should be set but taking care to develop the skills required to reach goals and acknowledging productive deeds should never be disregarded.
Copyright 2007 Ismael D. Tabije
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4 |
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Bob Pearce |
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Business/Small Business |
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2007-11-01 |
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Performance Measurement is a fundamental building block of a total quality organization. I. Introduction Historically, organizations have always measured performance in some way through the financial performance, be this success by profit or failure by liquidation. However, traditional performance measures based on financial information do not provide the help towards a business’s quality journey, because they do not give process performance and improvements which the customer sees. In a successful total quality business, performance will be measured by improvements across the whole business, as seen by all stakeholders. II. Why measure performance? “You cannot manage what you cannot measure” “When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it” In the cycle of continuous improvement, performance measurement plays an important role in – Identifying and tracking progress against business goals; identifying opportunities for improvement; comparing performance against both internal and external standards. Reviewing the performance of a business is also an important step when formulating the Strategic Plan. Measurement plays a key role in quality and productivity improvement activities, the main reasons being: • To ensure Customer requirements have been met • To be able to set sensible objectives • To provide standards for establishing comparisons • To provide visibility and a scorecard for people to monitor their own performance • To highlight quality problems and determine areas for priority attention • To provide feedback for driving the improvement effort III. A simple Performance Measurement framework A good framework will focus on the “customer” whether internal or external and measure the right things. Performance measures must be: • Meaningful, unambiguous and widely understood • Owned and managed by teams or individuals within the business • Based on a high level of data integrity • Done in a way so that data collection is embedded within the normal procedures or processes • Able to drive improvement • Linked to the Strategic Plan IV. Steps in the Framework There are four, which are continuously implemented and reviewed: • The strategic objectives of the business are converted into desired standards of performance • Measures are developed to compare the desired performance with the actual performance • Gaps or variations are identified • Improvement action is initiated A business needs to evolve its own set of measures, using any existing ones as a starting point in understanding current performance. Consider the use of the Balanced Scorecard, as discussed in another article. To ensure that the measures kickstart the improvement cycle, they should be in the following main areas: • Effectiveness, or Actual output divided by Expected output • Efficiency, or Resources actually used divided by resources planned to be used • Productivity, or outputs divided by inputs V. A data collection/reporting system Key elements are: • Set up a data collection system • Agree method for establishing current performance • Identify possible sources of benchmark data • Decide how often measure is reported • Establish measure owner VI Implementation The measures, targets, improvement initiatives and a plan with timescales and designated owners should be represented as part of the Strategic Plan, and cascaded down through the business so that everyone is aware of the requirements. VII Critical Elements The critical elements of a good performance measurement system are: • Leadership and commitment • Good planning and a sound implementation strategy • Appropriate employee involvement • Simple measurement and evaluation • Control and improvement initiatives About Bob Pearce: Following a distinguished career as a Naval Officer and many years in Senior Operational Management positions, and in Small Business mentoring, Bob has chosen to use the benefit of that experience to help business Owners create successful businesses. His website http://www.strategic-business-plan-4u.com contains extensive free business information, and his eBook on Strategic Planning is a simple,easy to follow approach to drive businesses to the next level. http://www.strategic-business-plan-4u.com
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Bill Nelson |
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Self Improvement/Self Improvement |
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2007-06-18 |
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 Above all the aspects that are seen as the norm, as far as the concepts of teamwork are concerned --
the meetings where aspects of communication are discussed;
the gatherings where team goals and objectives are discussed;
the team bonding get-togethers;
the future-direction discussions;
and certainly, the recognition and reward ceremonies --
when, how and how well does your team discuss the issue of performance? No, not the peripheral excuse-making, it-was-someone-else’s-fault discussions, but those discussions where issues of performance are laid on the table and the real issues are understood, discussed and dealt with.Meetings where there is a no-excuse environment, where individuals raise their hand to take responsibility for the levels of performance, both good and bad.
Get togethers where communication is open and an honest: where what needs to be said in relation to success is outlined, but is done in such a way that it never gets personal while at the same time, things are not held back.Times when performance is discussed and participants don’t get so precious that important aspects are swept under the rug so people don’t get their noses out of joint.
Conferences where responsibility is accepted and accountability upheld.
Opportunities that are purposely created so as to be able to break down performance into the smallest pieces, understanding each and every aspect as you go about the dissection.Time taken to think through what needs to be done and when it needs to be done; knowing how it needs to be done and by whom.Do you have a group of individuals who understand and are committed to their roles, and are prepared to be responsible for that role and everything that comes with it?
Is it a team that is outlining what needs to be done both individually and collectively to get the job done?
Are you and your team prepared to have those types of meetings? As a team, are you truly doing what needs to be done to profile your performances both good and bad?Are you pushing each other to greater levels of performance for two basic, but nonetheless very important reasons? One being that there is opportunity for improved performance, and the second that the potential of the group has not yet been realised.No doubt there are weekly discussions on performance in most teams; however, for some the performance discussion is real, whereas for others it is pretend.
For true performance to happen and then to consistently happen, these deep, meaningful, open and honest performance-profiling meetings need to take place.Yes, performance can happen without them. But it will never be as good or as consistent as when these real meetings begin to take place, and take place on a regular basis.If they are there now, good for you. But look for ways to continually make them better, more engaging, more specific and more real.
If they aren’t, well now is the time to start making them come about.
And for both situations --
The Journey Continues!
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6 |
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Nathan Young |
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Vehicles/truck |
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2007-12-16 |
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When someone mentions a performance muffler we think of something ceramic packed straight through, loud muffler that will have to be replaced after a few years because the insides have come apart and don’t work as they should any more. Things have changed, and technology has changed more things than any of us could have ever imagined, including the performance muffler.
The aero turbine muffler made by aero exhaust is the product of science and technology advances. This performance muffler is the first product to combine the performance benefits of a straight through muffler without insulation that breaks down over time. The Aero Turbine performance muffler is based on jet engine and thermal dynamic technology. The incoming exhaust air stream is rapidly expanded and split via an airfoil cone with an orifice similar to a jet engine. The outer air stream accelerates as it recombines with the inner air stream. The air then begins to spin, due to the velocity and air transfers. The recombining of the airstreams creates a vacuum that both muffler the exhaust sound and increases the exhaust flow. This allows the engine to breath easier and dramatically increases the vehicles performance and economy.
Small four cylinder cars are usually the culprits that abuse performance mufflers. Not that they don’t help the performance on smaller cars, they just usually end up sounding like windy toys. The aero turbine is becoming especially popular among smaller gas cars because it produces a deep throaty tone, and also among diesel lovers as well because it helps to reduce exhaust gas temperatures because it flows much more air than any other performance muffler. This allows the diesel owners to safely run more power on their truck or tow heavier loads. They also have a version with a built in resonator that puts the sound almost at stock sound levels. Technology has changed many things in what seems like a very short few years. It makes one wonder what the future holds.
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7 |
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Hani Masgidi |
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Business/Business |
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2008-04-29 |
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Encouragement is the key to performance. Reward is even greater source of encouragement when it's beyond just words. Call Centers have over the years developed a performance appraisal system that's including all the components of good communication. Nowhere else does appraisals matter so much as much in call centre business, as its all about customer experience which sells and is at CSR discretion, he can make it most memorable or the worst at the same time. Technology has turned the way in the favor of Call centers and has reduced the hassle of managers and supervisors who had to listen to live calls to evaluate the performance of CSR, now with advanced software recording option; the calls can be replayed for evaluation of the quality and customer satisfaction.
A contact center should first offer quality training to the staff and then expect high performance appraisal, otherwise all the activity is useless. Whether you listen to live calls or recorded streaming, you should have well-defined standards for evaluation of scores and it should be pre-agreed with CSR, this way you can be in better position to motivate and advocate the CSR to improve his performance. Avoid such digital recording vendors who consider the length of call as a parameter of quality call, set your own professional parameters to evaluate the quality of call.
One of the best possible made evaluations models includes all the ingredients of good communication. The appraisals is made on the basis of one of the basic elements of good communication and it is expected from CSR to demonstrate these good practices to get good results towards the end for themselves and for the company. The honesty level of the CSR can make real difference and in case the CSR is lagging short of words to depict his honest support, customer experience won't me very appreciable. Next to honesty, performance is evaluated on the basis of the attention that CSR invest in his overall attendance. His reply will reflect his presence and if he is giving hundred percent, favorable comments will be added out of the overall experience. Interest level is also among the factors that are considered during performance evaluation. Furthermore, duplication should be avoided and CSR should not ask anything twice, this creates really unpleasant impression on the caller. Refraining from making experienced based assumptions is really very important; otherwise the call will not be converted into prospect.
Sense of responsibility, control of CSR on the call, friendliness and professionalism are some other determinants of a quality customer service call on the part of CSR. Many other factors need to be considered seriously when making call evaluation, other than just call handling and call quality. No one learns communication skills by birth and for the stuff that has not been able to enter main-stream careers, it's even further a less realistic expectation. Training and skill development of s can yield considerable results towards the end.
Copyright (c) 2008 Hani Masgidi
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Nathan J Young |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2007-07-31 |
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The VW and Audi TDi diesel vehicles are probably the most economical cars on the road, getting about the same or better economy than the new hybrids. They are the best way to go when looking to save money on fuel. The VW TDi s especially are growing in popularity in the U.S.. There are some complaints though. Like not having the power needed to pass someone on the road. This has all changed in recent years. There are several upgrades that can be made to the TDi s to improve power, and to actually improve fuel economy even more. I will touch on these subjects briefly. The first TDi Performance mod that comes to mind is an upgraded chip or tuning box. Both of these items, the VW performance chip and the VW tuning box change how the fuel is delivered to the engine. For a VW performance chip to be installed, the TDi s computer must be removed and sent to someone who can solder in the new chip with the new program. A VW tuning box will simply be connected under the hood where it can intercept the signals going to the engines ecu and alter them. Most people will say that the upgraded chip will do the most for you, but the tuning box is the more common upgrade just because it is so much easier to work with. Also the tuning boxes are well liked because they can be removed and have no trace of ever being there so that warranty work can be done. The TDi Performance upgrade that comes to most peoples minds first is the cold air intake. An upgraded cold air intake in a VW TDi will add approximately and additional 5-10% increase in power and economy. It is able to accomplish this by 1) Flowing more air which helps the fuel to combust more completely, and 2) Cold air intakes are sealed away from the hot engine air. Cold air takes up less space, so in turn more air is able to occupy the same area because it is cold and not hot. That is a pretty good jump and the cost for the upgraded air intake is minimal. One of the drawbacks is that upgraded air intakes are not available for all of the TDi models or year groups. There are also performance drop-in filters for most of the TDi s that will increase airflow slightly, and add a little power and economy. The next thing that comes to peoples minds is an upgraded exhaust system for their TDi. The only problem with that is the lack of mods for the TDi exhaust. There are currently no major companies that manufacture full TDi exhaust systems to my knowledge. A custom system can be made, but often cost in excess of $750. So most people do either 1) A mufflerectomy where the muffler and resonator are removed and straight pipes are put in their place to reduce restrictions on exhaust air flow. This doesn t really give a measurable power or economy increase, but does give a throatier sound that some are looking for and the reduced back pressure will add to engine longevity. Or 2) People will replace the muffler with a new muffler that is able to vacuum the exhaust out the tail pipe. These mufflers will add a little performance and economy, although still not very noticeable, but they will greatly reduce back pressure to add to the longevity of the engine and will also add a deeper tone that some are looking for. Another common upgrade for the VW TDi is upgraded injector nozzles. Upgraded injectors or injector nozzles and an improved spray pattern than the stock injectors and when required are able to flow more fuel. They greatly add to performance and add a little economy too. They are also an inexpensive upgrade, and high on the bang for your buck scale. There are also other things such as propane injection or water methanol injection that will add power and economy but I won t go into detail as they are not common mods for the TDi s. Also with any modifications, a set of gauges should be added to monitor the VW TDi s engine parameters and to make sure that things are functioning properly.
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9 |
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Tom Smith |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2007-12-13 |
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Tires are arguably one of the most important components on a car. They stick the car to road and determine how well the car will handle. What are performance tires? Performance tires are manufactured to a higher quality than normal tires and are usually made from a softer compound. They will provide more grip and are designed to withstand greater speeds. The downside is that some performance tires will wear more quickly. This may be due to some tires having a softer compound or just coming with less tread on them in the first place. When is the best time to purchase? Try not to let your tires tread wear down to the bare minimum before changing them as this can be dangerous when driving in wet conditions. If your tires still have a good amount of tread left you could keep them until they have worn down or change and keep the old ones as spares. Why do tires have grooves? Tire grooves are there to improve grip on wet surfaces. They allow water to escape from the sides of the wheel when it presses down on the road. If the water was unable to escape there would be a layer of water remaining between the tire and the road reducing the amount of friction with the road surface. This is known as hydroplaning. Interpreting what’s written on the tire Example tire p215/30 r18 84v The first letter p stands for passenger car The first number in the sequence 215 is the tire’s width in millimetres The second number 30 is the tire’s aspect ratio of the tire’s sidewall height to width. So this tire’s sidewall height is 30% of its width. The third number r18 stands for radial construction and refers to the diameter of the rim that the tire can be mounted onto (18 inches). The last number/letter 84v is the speed the tire is rated at. The higher up in the alphabet the letter, the faster the tire can go. In this example the tire is rated at v and so it can travel at 150 mph before it becomes unsafe to go any faster.
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10 |
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Dalip Singh Wasan |
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Self Improvement/advice |
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2008-01-09 |
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Incomplete performance
Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate.
If we have an introspection, we come to the conclusion that we are never satisfied with our performance. after doing something, when we sit all alone, we start recalling so many things which we could have done while doing the work which we did not and that is the reason we have been left behind. The students who have appeared in an examination, when they come back to their house, they start recalling what they had done in the examination and what they failed to do in the examination. They are sorry that they could done this and that in the examination which all of sudden did not come to their mind and they failed to express the same in the paper. similar is the position of a man who has come back from outside and he starts rethinking that he was required to meet that and that person or he was required to purchase that and that thing when he was in the market and he failed. The man when he actually at work forgets so many things and when after doing the work, he comes to the house or sits alone, he starts repenting and the man when he is at death bed, he shall recall so many things which he could have done in life, but failed to do those things when he was alive. This is the tragedy with the man on this earth. That is the reason, we can say that this man is never complete on this earth and most of his period is spent in recalling events of life where he could have done something better.
The man must start recalling all such repentances and if he starts reducing the number of such repentances, he shall be bettering himself and one day, he shall become a most successful person. We must reduce the number of repentances in our life. When we are at work, we must try to understand as to why we are not going ahead and why we are failing in our project. We should not be in hurry in saying that we have failed, but we should be at work till the last point and while leaving the work incomplete, we should try to spend some more time and some more efforts so that we could complete the work to our satisfaction and to the satisfaction of those who had given that work to us for completion. We should never say that we are not a fit person to complete the work. Once we have taken the responsibility to complete the work, then it is our duty to complete the work and while completing our work, we must put in all energy and wisdom at our command. We should sit and have an introspection and must locate what we can do in finalizing the work entrusted to us. We should not leave anything which shall bring repentance in us.
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11 |
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Suzie Harris |
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Society/Sexuality |
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2007-09-19 |
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More common than you may think, both men and women have a fear that they are not going to perform in the bedroom. These thoughts are so common for both men and women, especially when having sex for the first time with each other. When the time comes to engage in that special moment fears can run so intensely in either partner's head. Am I going to perform well? Am I big enough? What if she doesn't orgasm? What if I cum too early? Either partner can have body image insecurities. I'm wearing a push-up bar, what is he going to think when I take it off? Will he be disappointed? Either partner can feel uncomfortable for the first time, just even being naked can bring on anxiety. For many people anxiety takes over their thoughts and this can make things even worse. If you are in the bedroom and magic is about to begin and all you can think about are your insecurities, then inevitably this is going to ruin the magic. Or if you are out to dinner and all you can think about is - is tonight the night?, then not only are you going to ruin your dinner, but you are going to torment yourself for longer. Think positive You have to get positive thoughts into your head. If you are out at dinner and you think tonight is the night, don't let anxiety overwhelm you. Instead, think of all the ways you are going to please the other person and keep the positive thinking alive. Take it slowly When you get to the bedroom, start out slow, you don't have to just into each other's pants straight away. Start with kissing and caressing and getting comfortable with the other person. Feel up and down the clothes and get each other hot and horny. This may help take your mind off performance anxieties. For girls it is more often than not that they don't cum without clitoral stimulation, so make sure you stimulate her clitoris. Make it easy on yourself and make sure you do this. If you feel like you are going to cum early then slow the rhythm down so you can last longer. If you do cum early, and you aren't a multi-orgasmic person, don't beat yourself up. Accidents happen and if you do cum early it is a sure sign that you have enjoyed yourself! If this does happen do something nice to the other person like going down on them, if you haven't already done so. Positive, positive positive The thing is while one person is having performance anxiety, the likelihood is that the other person is going through the exact same thing. The only thing that is going to stop your heart racing a million times an hour, and stop you wondering what the other person is thinking, is if you remain positive. This is so important. By remaining positive you and the other person are more likely to enjoy your sexual encounter. If you look and feel nervous you are going to pass this onto the other person, and if they aren't feeling nervous they soon will be. This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience! Keep that though in your head when you take the action to the bed! Written by Suzie Harris, an expert on all things that happen in the bedroom, particularly love, sex toys and romance. She is the chief contributor to The Lazy Stud http://www.thelazystud.com.au
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12 |
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Martin Wann |
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Internet Business/Ecommerce |
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2007-09-24 |
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Do you know that customers don’t wait for loading a web-page more than 5 seconds – they just leave it. And they do not trust to an online store if it is slow. Frankly speaking, long loading just irritates them. Stop loosing your clients because of slow performance of your web-store! There is a great solution - Performance Module by MagneticOne! The Module makes page loading time much shorter! How does osCommerce Performance module work? It implements smart way of caching - storing and reusing parts of page that take much time to load/generate. It gives much higher speed up comparing to standard shopping carts caching because of smarter approach. First time when page is accessed - it is generated as normal (no speed gain), when page is accessed second time - it is taken from cache. How much speed do you get - some examples: - Large store with 12 000 products and 1279 categories Before performance optimization: 4.33 sec - after performance optimization: 0.64 sec 676% increase - Medium-size store with 800 products and 23 categories Before performance optimization: 2.23 sec - after performance optimization: 0.41 sec 212.38% increase Here are some main osCommerce Performance module features: - Greatly increase performance - Greatly reduce server load - Supports unlimited number of products /categories (supports large stores) - Very easy installation , 5 cut&paste steps necessary - start using in 5 minutes! - Enable/Disable with few mouse clicks - Completely automated - no additional support/management necessary - Multiple configuration options: Cache Time Cache Folder Folder Size Cache Folder Compression osCommerce Performance Module greatly increases performance of your osCommerce-based store. Your clients will be satisfied with the speed you web-store is loading and you will not loose them! Go to Performance.module target=_blank>http://www.magneticone.com/store/osCommerce.Modules/osCommerce.Performance.module to read more about the Performance Module. The Module was developed to improve performance of your osCommerce-powered online shop. And it does it excellent – check by yourself, download trial version here http://www.magneticone.com/store and see how fast works your store now. By the way, we use it for our own store right now. Don’t wait - speed up your web store and increase sales today!
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13 |
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Bill Wallmuller |
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Recreation Sports/Other sports and recreation |
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2007-01-16 |
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In order to talk about performance bicycles, we should start by defining the term. We all know what bicycle signifies, but what about performance? I think that many people tend to define the word performance as the ability to offer top operation, meaning top speeds, top maneuverability, and clockwork smooth mechanical functioning.
While all of those minor definitions certainly relate to an overall concept of performance, I would like to offer another perspective of performance as related to bicycles. Though we all want to be the next Lance Armstrong, our own best personal performance does not have to reflect world's records for speed or distance.
In my opinion, for the non-professional bicycle rider, even the more serious bicycle rider, performance should really be an issue of finding the bike that best fits your lifestyle. This is going to include things other than top, high speed racing performance.
The best bicycle for the more common user has many non-race related factors to take under consideration. How much can I spend on a bike? I have to carry my bike upstairs, will the bike be heavy to lift? There are many practical concerns that may end up making more of a difference than trimming a couple seconds of your mile.
One thing to consider is where you will be storing your bicycle, and where it will be kept when you ride it to various destinations. You may not want to have a flashy top of the line bike in particular parts of town anyway.
And if you want to get into the topic of non-flashy bicycles, boy, could I talk your ear off. There are so many amazing things about recycling old bikes [recycled bicycles] into fabulously functional and affordable new bikes!
I remember when I was young, after a short period of ownership, dismantling and customizing my very fancy red and chromed Columbia touring bicycle that I had received one Christmas. The first items removed were the fancy chromed fenders and tail extension and of course the chrome chain guard.
I was not the only one of my friends who did this, risking the wrath of parents wondering why we took such expensive and fancy looking bikes and tore them down. I remember the Wynn brothers. They made chopper bicycles by mounting the front wheel fork and tube upside down in the bicycle frame giving the bike that motorcycle chopper look. This was our definition of a performance bicycle.
The Wynn brothers had a collection of used bicycles and bicycle parts that amazed me. What they did with those parts was even more amazing.
Sustain ability is the way to go. Every time we're able to use what already exists we're giving someone a new bike that may not be able to afford one otherwise. Or perhaps we're merely saving a spot in a landfill where stuff he haven't figured out how to recycle can go.
Consider all your concerns and interests surrounding the type of bike that will best fit into your lifestyle and your community. You may learn something about yourself and the other people like you living just next door.
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14 |
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Nathan Young |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2007-06-20 |
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Duramax Diesel Performance.... what more needs to be said? The Duramax came out with the fastest truck in the nation with their high horse power LBZ motor. The duramax is ideal to build up for power because of the almost bullet proof Allison Transmission that the truck comes with. In this article I will talk about a few of the popular modifications that are done to the Duramax. The most popular modification for any diesel is the performance chip. One of the most popular ones out there for the Duramax is EFI Live which allows you to put custom tunes on your Duramax. You can use it to custom tune your own engine and transmission, so you aren’t restricted by pre-made tunes. It increases power, economy and shifts. Another popular tuner for the Duramax is the Diablosport Predator which comes with three performance tunes. It is uploaded into the trucks diagnostic port and puts in the performance or economy programs of your choice and has the ability to check trouble codes and adjust the speedometer for bigger tires. Another popular modification for the Duramax diesel is a cold air intake. Probably the most well known are AFE Intakes. AFE Intakes come with five protective layers and give maximum air flow with premium filtering. They also have a filter upgrade that has 7 protective layers. Getting air into the engine is important because the more air into the engine, the higher the percentage of fuel that can be combusted. So you get the power at the wheels and better economy versus losing it out the tailpipe in a black cloud. The third most popular modification made to the Duramax is an upgraded exhaust system. This is important especially if running a chip because the higher flow exhaust system will keep temperatures lower and the engine won’t have to exert the effort to push the exhaust away if it can flow freely away. The free flowing exhaust increases power and economy and relieves engine stress. Many people don’t want to pay the full price for a complete exhaust system. So a lot of people are using what is called the Aero Turbine Muffler. It is just a muffler replacement, but the Aero Turbine Muffler acts like a jet engine and increases the speed of the exhaust as it flows through giving benefits similar to a full exhaust system. EFI Live and AFE Intakes are ideal Duramax Diesel Performance upgrades- Nathan Young
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15 |
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Robert Arntz |
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Vehicles/Cars |
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2007-02-16 |
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Many people are under the assumption that if they add a supercharger or turbocharger they will reduce the gas milage on their vehicle. This was true with older carbureted engines. With the older carbureted engines, the engine generally ran best at full throttle. Not so with the newer fuel injected engines as they mix and burn the air/fuel mixture very efficiently. During normal driving you should see very little change in gas milage. Only when extra power is used will you see more degradation in gas milage. However you will have to use premium fuel as misfiring or detination could be fatal to your engine with the high compression that is achieved. Depending on the unit installed and the other add on high performance components installed on your engine horsepowers can increase dramatically from 30% to 80%. Since more power is achieved from the engine you will not need to step down as hard on the accelerator to gain power counters the amount of fuel needed to get the power gain. Hope this information is useful and if anyone would like more information then email me at r_arntz@bellsouth.net.
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16 |
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Jason Gardner |
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Reference Education/Environmental |
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2007-12-13 |
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If you own a commercial building or are constructing a commercial building then according to the new law you need to get an Energy Performance Certificate for it. This law would come in force in April 2008. It has been observed that these commercial building emit a lot carbon. Therefore you need an Energy Performance Certificate which would rate energy performance of your building. The rating is done on a scorecard of A-G. If you get an A rating then it implies that the energy performance of your building is highly efficient whereas a G means just the opposite. Certain suggestion would also be provided in the certificate that would help you to make certain changes which in turn can help in improving the energy performance of the company. Residential buildings and sheds do not require the Energy Performance Certificates. If you have a commercial building that is less than 500 sqm then also this certificate is not required. Similarly temporary buildings that are to be used for less than a period of 2 years, so not require the Energy Performance Certificate Thus any commercial building that has more than 500 sq m of space and deals with activities like selling or renting needs to obtain this certificate. For obtaining the Energy Performance Certificates you can hire Energy Performance professionals and assessors who can help you with it. You can environment consultants for this who have a team of Energy Performance specialist working under them. If you don’t know whom to approach for this then you can browse websites like environment-survey.com. The websites would answer all your queries regarding the Energy Performance Certificates. The website is owned and managed by Wilbourn Associates which is one of the top environmental consultants in UK. They have a team of energy performance professionals who can provide you with proper guidance. The energy performance assessor would survey the site first wherein he would pay attention to various elements that contributes to the energy performance of the company. He would collect a data on this information and feed it to the computer. The computer would evaluate the data provided to it and give a rating according to this data. The rating would be given on a sliding scale. You would be required to pay a fee in exchange for this service. The expense and the fee involved depend on the types of building you own. However, you can get a free price quotation from the company that would provide you with an approximate idea regarding the expenses. The time taken by the surveyor to do the survey on the said building also depends on the size of the building. For further assistance or query, you can contact Wilbourn Associates at www.environmental-surveyors.com who would help you with the same. Jason Gardner is a well known author who writes articles for Wilbourn Associates, the UK's leading resource for Chartered Environmental Land Consultants, Remediation Management Services and provider of performance-certificates.htm>Energy Performance Cerificates. For more information please visit www.environmental-surveyors.com.
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17 |
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David Brooks |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2007-03-30 |
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When it comes to performance upgrades, nothing beats the bang-for-your-buck power and easy installation of a performance programmer or module. For years, auto manufacturers have detuned their vehicles to appeal to the average driver. Depending on the vehicle, there could be triple-digit horsepower and torque numbers lurking under the hood. And, since you’re not the average driver, a programmer or module is the key to unlocking these hidden stores of performance. No matter how you drive, it makes sense to plug one of these babies into your vehicle’s OBD-II port. Whether you’re into towing, hauling, racing or spirited commuting, a programmer delivers huge jumps in everyday driving excitement. Not to mention that tapping into all this extra power and torque can also increase fuel mileage. When you’re ready to unleash the beast under your hood, check out Jet Performance. With a performance module or programmer from Jet, every trip becomes a high-powered adventure. It’s simple; plug-in the Jet Performance programmer, fasten your seatbelt and prepare for take off. And don’t forget, smoking IS allowed on this flight—as long as it’s billowing from your tires! For hassle free tuning, go for Jet’s Power Control Module. Simply plug the device into your vehicle and let Jet do the rest. The PCM’s electronics retune signals from your vehicle’s on-board computer to optimize air/fuel ratio, spark timing, transmission shift points, horsepower and torque. No tuning is involved—only easy-to-install driving excitement. For you drivers who like to get more “intimate” with your ride, the Jet Performance Programmer is for you. Just like modules, Jet programmers plug into your vehicle to unearth the power and torque buried at the factory. The difference lies in the user interface. A programmer puts the power to tweak and tune your ride right in the palm of your hand. Plus, if you decide to leave the tuning to the pros, Jet programmers include pre-loaded tunes guaranteed to elevate your heart rate. With simple-to-use tuning products delivering this much performance, it’s no wonder that Jet is recognized by many drivers as the number-one tuner in the industry. From racers to commuters, everyone appreciates the Jet Performance advantage. Check out what enthusiasts on the internet are saying about Jet: "The programmer is EXELLENT. Definatly worth your money. Easy installation, you will have more power in no time!" "The Jet chip performed better than I expected, acceleration wise. I havent gotten the expected increase in gas milage as hoped for. This is a Dodge V-10, well now maybe a V-11 now. Over all a good buy, thanks" "This was worth the money just for the DTCs. However, I did noticed a "peppiness" in power, now if I could keep my foot out of the gas. Running regular I figured a 1mpg increase. My next tank I'm going to program for premium and refigure the mpg...." performance-chips/20A50216A1.aspx>Jet Performance has been crafting quality programmers for over 35 years. A proven winner, Jet’s race-bred technology is also available for the street. So, when you’re ready, soup-up your rod with a performance-chips/60A1777A0A0.aspx>Jet performance module or performance-chips/60A1574A0A0.aspx>jet performance programmer. - David S. Brooks
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18 |
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Bob Pearce |
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Business/Small Business |
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2007-10-17 |
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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used to assess the present state of a business so that a prescribed course of future action can be determined. I. What is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)? A Key Performance Indicator is a financial or non-financial measurement used to quantify progress towards strategic objectives set as part of a Strategic Business Plan using techniques such as the Balanced Scorecard. They will differ depending upon the nature of the business and its strategic objectives, especially those involving difficult to quantify activities. II. How are Key Performance Indicators used? Monitoring business activity and performance in real time uses KPIs as part of a measurable strategic objective, which is in turn made up of a direction, the KPI, a benchmark, a target, and a timeframe. For example, a strategic objective such as: “Increase Gross Margin to 30% by the Year End 2009”. In this case “Gross Margin” is the Key Performance Indicator. Between 11 and 15 KPIs are sufficient for this monitoring purpose. III. Identifying Key Performance Indicators When looking at overall business activity the “Gross Margin” KPI above is easy to identify. Making a Strategic Business Plan using the Balanced Scorecard technique it is necessary for the business to identify KPIs which may be non-financial as well. The key points for identifying suitable ones are: a. They must represent a defined business process b. The process must have clear goals or performance requirements c. There must be a quantitative/qualitative measurement of the results, and comparison with the goals or performance requirements d. There must be a procedure for investigating variances and changing processes to achieve the goals IV. Examples of Key Performance Indicators Using the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard, examples of KPIs are: a. Financial Perspective - Gross Margin, Overheads, New Business, Debtors b. Customer Perspective – On time contracted delivery, complaints, Customer Survey index, New customers acquired c. Internal Processes Perspective – Rework, Labour utilization, Lost time injuries, Overtime d. Learning and Growth Perspective – Employee satisfaction index, Number of trained deputies, Closing of skills gap, Number of cross functional teams These are just a few of the possibilities, but by carefully selecting the KPIs, and concentrating management effort on the objectives they measure, the progress and health of a business can be easily established. About Bob Pearce: Following a distinguished career as a Naval Officer and many years in Senior Operational Management positions, and in Small Business mentoring, Bob has chosen to use the benefit of that experience to help business Owners create successful businesses. His website http://www.strategic-business-plan-4u.com contains extensive free business information, and his eBook on Strategic Planning is a simple,easy to follow approach to drive businesses to the next level. http://www.strategic-business-plan-4u.com
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19 |
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Roberto Bell |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2008-05-04 |
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Hawk makes a line of performance brake pads that are designed for High Performance. They are built to respond to the demands of the track while still being legal for street use. Their HPS series is a High Performance Street brake pad that uses a special ferro-carbon material to provide the best pads for your money as a replacement for you original equipment pads. Their Performance Ceramic Pads are made of Hawk’s own ceramic compounds designed to give you the best braking for your luxury and high performance vehicle. These are great pads for your luxury vehicle, with its added weight or for your sport utility with its greater demands on the stopping power of your brakes under higher weight loads. These pads are long lasting and fast braking pads. Hawk’s HP Plus brake pads are for autocross and track performance. They use Hawk’s Ferro-Carbon compounds to give reliable excellent stopping power. If you have a heavier truck or other type of hard working vehicle, Hawk also has the pads that will stop you in your tracks. These pads are specifically designed for high weight and high payload conditions. This includes the added workload of heavyweight towing. Hawk’s full line of brake pads is designed for your application. For help in picking the right pad for your vehicle you can visit there premier online dealer placeforbrakes.com and find the right pad for your vehicle(s). If you are looking for a brake pad that is up to the job, it looks like Hawk Brake Pads are the answer you have been looking for. At Placeforbrakes.com I am sure that you will not only get the right pad for your application, but also expert advice and comparisons with other brands on the market. Hawk Brake Pads are OE replacement parts and surely will outperform the Original pads you got on your vehicle.
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20 |
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Tony DiDiore |
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Vehicles/automotive |
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2007-09-01 |
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However, beyond the regular maintenance precautions, modifications with performance auto parts will notably improve speed and function without spending the thousands of dollars needed to upgrade an engine or install a turbo system.
K&N Air Filters
K&N air filters increase the speed and power of your vehicle and are better for the environment than traditional air filters. Also inexpensive, K&N air filters go for about $40-$70 dollars depending on the model needed. Investment is minimized in the long run since they won’t need replacement, whereas traditional air filters need to be replaced 5-10 times throughout the lifespan of a vehicle. Unlike traditional air filters, these are reusable. Once you buy a K&N, you will most likely not need to replace your air filter again. These air filters are made of a cotton gauze material and are easily washable.
Performance Chip
Every new vehicle has a computer chip that controls how much torque and horsepower can be displaced. With a performance computer chip, the horsepower and torque of a car can be noticeably increased. A performance computer chip can increase a car’s horsepower by up to 50 increments. Not only do these performance chips increase speed and horsepower of a car, but also increase gas mileage. Another benefit of performance chips is their easy installation. All you have to do is locate your vehicle’s factory computer chip and swap it out with the new one. A performance chip can be purchased at under $300 dollars, are street legal in the United States and will not void a vehicle’s new car warranty.
Cold Air Intake
This modification improves a vehicle’s power by cooling its air intake. Because cold air is denser, it improves air flow, causing the increase in efficiency and power. A cold air intake system is one modification that gets noticed. Benefits include visual enhancements to the appearance of the engine bay (because the parts can be painted colorfully) and a more powerful sounding exhaust system.
Performance Exhaust System
A great way to optimize your torque and horsepower is a catalyst-back exhaust system. These exhaust systems lower exhaust back pressure with large width exhaust pipes and low restriction mufflers. Borla and Flowmaster are the popular performance exhaust system brands, and can give your vehicle a 5-15% boost in horsepower. These systems are made of the same stainless steel that is used in airplanes; this will also give your vehicle sound a deeper tone. Also you will notice an increase in fuel economy because these systems will help your engine run more efficiently.
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