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How to keep your car looking brand new

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Every car owner knows how to wash and wax their cars every now and then to give it a shiny finish, and even an occasional vacuuming for clean freaks who want their car to be spick and span. However, it’s one thing to keep your car clean, and another to ensure that it looks brand new. There are plenty more steps you can take to ensure that your car maintains at tip-top condition, regardless of whether you are planning to sell it in the near future or you basically just prefer having a brand new looking car for your family and occasional colleague passengers. We have come up with a few things that you can do to keep your car looking sleek and sharp as ever, here’s how:

1.       Prevention is the best cure

Before your car starts to dwindle in its appearance, you need to keep it maintained from the first day. With so many car cleaning products in the market, there is no excuse for you to leave your car in the dirt for days. A pro tip to ensuring that your car is at its best condition at all times is to do a quick cleaning after parking your car each day. Spray on a little waterless wash product and clean your car real quick. It only takes you about a couple of minutes a day and the effects are absolutely long-lasting and effective. Another way to upkeep the appearance of your car is by constantly checking on the various parts and making sure that they are well maintained. For instance, one part that is often neglected is the wheel bearing hub which will affect the overall look of your car. If you notice that your wheel bearing hubs are starting to lose their shine, fret not for there are plenty of low price wheel bearing hub assembly options out there; along with other car part assembly choices as well!

2.       Maintain the interior

While most are concerned with the outer appearance of the vehicle, its interior is important too! Especially for convertibles with a detached roof that allows a lot of dirt and grime to get into the car, every car has to be well maintained on the inside as well; to avoid your leather peeling and being worn out. With just a few sprays from an interior spray detailer, you can keep the inner linings of your seats looking brand new. A tip is to pay more attention to leather and vinyl seating surfaces as they are more delicate and more prone to scarrings and filth. Abrasive particles can easily get onto these surfaces and damage your linings if you do not pay attention to it. Do frequent wipe downs of your seats before the dust collection gets too stubborn and damages your cabin.

3.       Using a towel

While it may be second nature to spray cleaning products onto the hood or seat of your car, you should always spray it on a towel or applicator to make the work more effective. The towel soaks in the product, preventing the overuse of such products which can damage your car in the long run. Furthermore, spraying on a particular surface may cause some extra disinfectant products to get on other materials and damage the surface as well. So the bottom line is to stay smart and always use a towel.

4.       Do not always handwash

Contrary to popular belief, handwashing your car does not always result in less damage compared to sending your car to a proper car washing service. Though car owners may worry that industrial car washers will cause scratches on the car, there is a higher chance of that happening if you handwash your own car with low-grade equipment. Old sponges and towels that have collected a great deal of grime may damage your car’s surface as well. Hence, it is recommended to either purchase a microfiber wash mitt and proper car soap for your precious vehicle, or send it to the professionals to get the job done for you.

5.       Polishing alone is not enough

While some may tell you that frequently polishing your car will help to maintain the shine of your vehicle, preparing the coat of paint of your car is equally as essential. Think about it this way: a wall with dents, holes, and chipped off paint will not be made brand new with even the highest quality of paint — it requires fixing the wall first before you apply anything onto it. The same applies to your car — it is best to get rid of all the dirt and contaminants on your car’s surface first before you start polishing it in order to really get that bright and radiant shine. So make sure that your car is well cleansed before you go ahead and polish your vehicle up.

6.       Opt to use a clay bar

Instead of using a traditional towel or sponge, car owners should jump straight to the holy grail of cleaning cars — a clay bar. Clay bars are highly effective in its speed and efficiency when it comes to getting rid of accumulated dirt and grime off the surface of your car, allowing polish and paint to adhere to your car properly. Clay bars work wonders, and far more so than your traditional towel and sponge. Though it has been around for decades, car owners are still unaware of this powerful tool that can do some real magic to your car.

7.       Wax or polish

As you walk down the aisle of your nearby auto-parts stores, you may be tempted to purchase both wax and polish to bring back that radiant glow of your car. However, you do not need both — so just pick one. This could save you a lot of extra time and money since they are designed to do the exact same thing.

8.       Do not use too much product

When you are applying the final layer of product onto your car, remember that using too much product will not give the additional protection or disinfectant properties as compared to the amount you should use as recommended on the product itself. Using more product will not only force you to waste more time and effort, but it will also make you spend more money to consistently replenish your products. Putting on too thick a layer will make it harder for your car to dry off, and possibly leave behind unpleasant marks if it does not dry off properly.

Conclusion

These are some methods that you can employ to keep your vehicle looking as sharp as possible. However, a tip is to consistently clean your car, as one good and thorough cleaning after three years of no washing at all will not help your car much in its appearance. Making a point to wash your car and giving it a thorough rub down will help make the world of a difference. A little really does go a long way!

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Finance

Mastering Writing Skills: Write Effectively for Academic and Professional Success

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Most people underestimate the importance of knowing how to write. In school, students are assigned paper after paper. The results help teachers grade their knowledge. But, that’s not the main reason why these are assigned. Essays and other papers give students practice, and a chance to learn effective writing. It’s a lifelong skill that not only serves to land them a passing grade but can also help them boost their professional success later on.

How to Master Your Writing Skills

If you want to make sure that you learn how to write better, both for academic and professional success, here are some tips and tricks for you.

1.Ask Someone to Write for You

The best way to learn how to write is to read what you need to write. If you aim for academic success but don’t know how to craft a paper that gets you an A, get some writing help from a reliable service. Today you can simply go online and request to write my essay and you’ll receive a top-notch assignment. This isn’t just to help you meet a deadline or land a high grade. You can also use it for college learning – to read what a good paper should look like.

When you have a finished piece of writing, this can be your guide. Students often order papers online to meet deadlines or make sure they get a high grade. Even if this is the case, use the opportunity to learn, too – next time you need to craft a similar paper, refer to the one written by an expert to boost your writing skills.

2.Read What You Like

Reading is an amazing way to boost your writing skills. How is this possible, you wonder?

For starters, reading books, articles, other papers, or anything else – can boost your vocabulary. When you read, you also come across different writing styles, giving you ideas for when you need to write.

Even though it might not seem this way when you actually read, reading gives you a lot of useful information that is stored in your subconscious.

3.Practice Writing

If you want to master writing, truly master it, you need practice. Those essay assignments are not enough. You should do some free writing, too. Start your blog or journal, write letters to your peers, join a writing workshop, etc. Just write for the sake of it – practice is very important!

4.Don’t Skimp on the Editing Part

Editing is as important as writing itself – maybe even more important. While some mistakes might be acceptable in school, these are never welcome in professional circles. A single, unintentional mistake can have a devastating effect and ruin the quality or the message in your writing.

Research and writing are tiring, but this is no reason to skip the editing part and submit the work in a rush. If you want to learn to write better, you need to start by editing your work. When you proofread and edit it, you can find the most common mistakes you make and learn how to avoid them.

5.Focus on the Structure

The first draft is often a result of free writing. It’s good to write with the flow without focusing on the details, the mistakes, or the structure. This allows your thought to run without interruptions.

But, you can’t submit the first draft of any writing – not if you want it to be good.

In addition to editing the mistakes out of your writing, focus on the structure, too. Structure makes sure that your ideas get across to those who read the content.

Outlines are very useful for this. Many students see them as a waste of time since they aren’t formally required. However, a good outline can actually cut down the time you spend on editing and formatting your task. It will also make sure that the information in your essay flow and are clear to the reader.

6.Ask for Feedback – and Use It!

Unless you’ve mastered the skill of writing, you’ll make mistakes. This is how you learn, and there’s no shame in it. It’s also the time when feedback can really help you. Ask your mentors, your peers, your parents, and friends to take a look at your writing. Ask them to be blunt and tell you what flaws they find in your writing.

You might not accept all of their notes and feedback, but learning how others view and understand your writing is very useful.

Wrapping Up

Writing requires some talent but most importantly, it requires practice. It is something you learn in time, which is why it’s assigned at every academic level.  So, practice, practice, and practice some more. This is how you’ll master the skill!

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Finance

FORBES: Where is the Russian banking crisis?

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“Sanctions were supposed to kill the Russian financial sector. It did, and it didn’t. Where is the Russian banking crisis?” – FORBES is perplexed.

Yes, sanctions have hurt Russia’s financial institutions. But a Russian banking crisis, one that looks like we have seen in the U.S. recently with Silicon Valley Bank and in Switzerland with Credit Suisse, has not occurred.

There were never any runs on Russian banks. The ruble strengthened. And while most banks are protected by the state – led by Sberbank and VTB – the Russian Central Bank has spent much of the last decade working to clean up the financial system.

For this reason, Russian banks have survived the West’s sanctions regime and stock market delistings better than anyone would have imagined. For a cynical Russian, watching Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse burn down while their bankers are gainfully employed is like smirking before the camera lens in front of a burning building.

Had the sanctions come at the time when the Russian Central Bank was cleaning up its “zombie banks” – all hell would have broken loose. But seeing how much of that mess was swept away prior to the 2022 sanctions regimes taking hold, Russia’s banks remain safe and sound, even if Russian investors in those banks have lost their shirt.

The sanctions policy, the hardest ever taken out on Russia, is 13 months old. New ones pop up regularly. It is unclear what can possibly be next, as Russia’s financial institutions have already been largely cut off from the Western system.

Russia’s financial sector, and its banks at home, aren’t making headlines like banks in the U.S. and Europe are. They have withstood the onslaught of sanctions.

They’ve lost their European and U.S. assets, which will not be recovered for years to come, if ever. Sberbank CEO Herman Gref said in press reports that Sberbank is “the most attacked entity” in the country, which experiences “unprecedented challenges in terms of complexity and power.” He said Sberbank lost nearly all of its assets abroad, leading to massive write-downs.

Yet, Russian president Vladimir Putin smirks at the burning buildings of Credit Suisse and the lost $200 billion in Silicon Valley Bank deposits, needing unprecedented FDIC support to protect account holders. The bank is now insolvent. His biggest banks remain only because most of Russia’s banks over the years have been folded and rendered insolvent. And a danger to the Russian financial system was liquidated.

“Thanks to the professional actions of our banking community, government agencies, and the efforts of the central bank, I want to emphasize that we managed to overcome all these (sanctions) difficulties in general,” Putin reportedly said in Moscow earlier this month after meeting with Sberbank’s CEO. He said that Sberbank’s current stable position was “a good signal for the whole economy.”

With sanctions expected to remain for a long time to come, will Russia’s heavily sanctioned banks fold one day, too?

“Who knows what will happen in Russia, because we all only know what we read in the press and what we read in the press is that Russia did a smart job handling their banks pre-sanctions and so after sanctions they have managed okay,” says famous commodities investor Jim Rogers from his home in Singapore, who has been a director of Russian fertilizer company PhosAgro. “We saw the ruble go down when sanctions were first imposed, then it went up. So in that case alone, the market tells me that somebody in Russia did something right,” he says.

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Factors to Consider When Choosing Funeral Chairs for Memorial Services

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The loss of a loved one is devastating for the entire family. For churches providing funeral and memorial services, it’s important to ensure grieving family members are as comfortable as possible throughout the service. The right funeral chairs can help you achieve this goal. To find the right chairs, there are several factors that you must consider.

Comfortable Seating: Enhancing the Memorial Experience for Attendees

Comfort is of the utmost importance when choosing chairs for funerals and memorials. Grieving attendees are already facing hardship. Providing a comfortable place to sit during the service will provide them with some comfort during this difficult time. Comfortable seating will also enhance the memorial experience because attendees can stay fully focused on the service.

Look for chairs with foam seating and comfortable fabrics. Chairs that offer full back support will allow attendees to rest or reflect without being distracted by discomfort.

Dignified Seating: Reflecting the Importance of the Occasion

For first memorial funeral services, it’s important to choose seating that is dignified and respectful of the occasion. Choose plain, solid fabrics. Patterned fabrics can be distracting or distasteful in some cases.

Acceptable colors for funeral chairs include (but are not limited to)

  • Gray or charcoal;
  • Black;
  • Dark plum;
  • Beige or brown;
  • Dark red;

Choose your color and style wisely to ensure you’re providing dignified seating for attendees.

One advantage of choosing these colors is that it allows you to use these chairs for a variety of purposes. Rather than having to invest in a new set of seating for services and events, you can use the same seating for all occasions. 

Improved Concentration: The Impact of Comfortable Seating on Focus

Those who attend funerals and memorial services should remain focused on the service and nothing else. Providing attendees with comfortable funeral chairs will allow them to stay focused on the service. During the funeral and memorial services, family members often share stories and thoughts about their lost loved one. A formal service may also be given.

Often, services last between 30 minutes and one hour – sometimes more. Because attendees will be asked to sit for long periods of time, it is crucial to ensure they have a comfortable place to sit.

When chairs are poorly constructed or have uncomfortable seats, attendees will be more concerned about their discomfort than listening to the service. They may become distracted or find themselves fidgeting and distracting others in the process.

However, when you invest in comfortable seating, attendees can sit quietly, reflecting on the words being spoken during the service.

Health Benefits: The Positive Impact of Comfortable Seating on Physical Health

One thing that is often overlooked when selecting funeral seating is its impact on physical health. Pain and discomfort are two common complaints when funeral attendees sit in pews.

If you have the option to offer individual seating, attendees will be much more comfortable. Cushioned seats will also ensure that guests with mobility issues can be present during the service without feeling uncomfortable.

Comfortable seating is an essential part of a memorial service; it not only provides guests with places to sit but also helps create a warm and inviting atmosphere where people can come together to honor the memory of their loved one.

When seats are uncomfortable or poorly made, guests may experience pain or other forms of discomfort that will make it difficult to be present during the service. Seats with foam padding can provide much-needed support and cushioning, allowing guests to sit comfortably even for long periods of time.

Chairs with solid, durable metal frames will also ensure that your seating stands up to frequent use. Providing safe seating is essential, and quality, durable chairs will help you achieve that.

Customizable Seating: Personalizing the Experience for Attendees

Another important factor to consider when choosing funeral seating is customization. Providing a personalized experience for attendees will allow them to experience the service in the way they envision.

Individual chairs will allow the family to choose the layout for the seating. Some chairs interlock to form pews, and some families may prefer this more traditional option.

Traditionally, the family of the deceased sits in the first row or first few rows. If the family wishes to maintain this convention, chairs of different colors can be provided, or additional space can be placed between these rows and the remainder of the seating.

When chairs are provided instead of traditional pews, there are more opportunities for customized layouts and seating for attendees. Being able to provide this level of customization may bring a small amount of comfort and peace to the family.

In Conclusion

When providing funeral and memorial services, churches and sanctuaries should not overlook the importance of providing comfortable seating for attendees. The right chairs will ensure attendees are comfortable during the service, allowing them to stay more focused on the message and less focused on discomfort or pain.

What is your experience with choosing and providing funeral chairs? Share your thoughts and comments.

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