القاعدة الذهبية في القيادة في لبنان:
'عامل جميع السيارات الأخرى كأعدائك' !!!
الإشارات الضؤية:
لا تستعمل أي إشاراة ضوئية أو يدوية.
لأن في ذلك كشف لنواياك وإتجاهاتك للأعداء.
وإذا تطلب الأمر، إعط إشارة لليمين ثم إستدر يسارًا أو العكس.
المشاة:
المشاة قوة معرقلة لك، لا تأبه لهم ولا تنظر اليهم.
مع ذلك تجنب أن 'تدعس' أحدهم ما لم تكن مهيئاً ماليًا لتحمل تبعات ذلك.
سيارتك (قديمة أو جديدة):
إذا كانت سيارتك قديمة ...
إعتمد على مبدأ: 'اللي خايف على حالو يبعد'.
أما إذا كانت سيارتك جديدة ...
فإبعد عن السيارات المعفنة والمهرتكة.
لانها عدو لا يرحم وأصحابها يبحثون عن التعويض المالي.
الدخول للساحات:
حين تدخل الى ساحة، لا تنظر الى السيارات القادمة من اليسار.
لان من ينظر اليهم يعني أنه منتبه لهم، لذا يجب أن يعطيهم الطريق، فيفقد بذلك حق من حقوقه المكتسبة.
الإزدحامات المرورية:
إعتمد على قاعدة: 'اللي يدخل بوز سيارته أولاً يربح'، مع الاستمرار بالضغط على الزمور.
ولكن إحذر أن تستخدم هذه القاعدة مع الباصات خوفًا على بوز سيارتك وخوفا على حياتك !
عند السير البطئ:
لا تترك مسافة بينك وبين السيارة التي أمامك أبدًا.
لان ترك مثل هذا الفراغ يعني دخول بوز سيارة أمامك، وهذا يكون على حساب كرامتك بالطبع وفق المفاهيم السائدة حاليًا.
خطوط المسار الطولية:
حاول دائما ان يكون خط المسار بمنتصف سيارتك.
هذه طريقة مثالية لحجز مسارين، في حال خسارتك لمسار لأحد الأعداء، يبقى لك المسار الآخر، مع فرصة لإسترجاع المسار المفقود من الخصم.
إشارات المرور:
عند الوقوف على اشارة ضوئية، يجب البدء بالتزمير عندما يكون العد التنازلي للإشارة الحمراء أصبح بحدود 15 ثانية مع شوية عالي واطي.
السير السريع (الأوتستراد)
إحرص على أن تلز او تلزق صدام سيارتك بصدام السيارة التي أمامك، وحين يراك سائقها يكون هناك ثلاث إحتمالات:
إذا كان ذلك السائق مؤدباً كثيرًا(حالات نادرة) أو جباناً
فلا بد أن يفسح لك المجال لتجتازه، وبذلك تكون قد حققت نصراً معنوياً عليه، ولك أن تنظر له نظرة إستصغار وأنت تجتازه.
إذا كان مؤدب شوي
سيفسح لك المجال لإجتيازه، ولكن آنذاك قد تسمع بضعة كلمات قد يكون فيها أسماء حيوانات أو أهالي أو أشياء أخرى ويجب أن تكون قد توقعت ذلك.
أما إذا لم يكن مؤدباً (وهم الأغلبية السائدة في الشوارع حاليًا)
فسوف يبدأ بالتباطؤ، والكسر عليك محاولا تفويتك بحيط او بشجرة، ويفضل ما تربط حزام الأمان حتى تنزل بسرعة لتبدأ معركة صغيرة بالأسلحة البيضاء في غالب الأحيان مع احتمال وجود عصاة، قشاط، مفك. مع تكرار نفس اسماء الحيوانات والأهل مع بعض التعديلات (انت وحظك)
08.28.02Welcome to Harrington University (also known as the University of San Moritz, University of Palmers Green and University of Devonshire, among others), where anyone can purchase a bachelor's or master's degree -- no tests or coursework required -- for the bargain price of several thousand dollars.
The "university," owned by an American resident in Romania, uses mail-drop addresses in the United Kingdom, printing services in Jerusalem and banking options in Cyprus. The operation has sold 70,000 diplomas in the United States alone, raking in over $100 million, according to diploma mill expert John Bear.
"No country seems willing or able to do anything," said Bear, founder of Degree.net.
While Harrington may be the world's largest diploma mill, it's just one of hundreds of operations on the Web offering degrees that are seemingly legitimate, but often worthless on paper.
The onslaught of spam, online advertising and overnight electronic payment services has made it even more difficult to distinguish between legitimate distance-learning institutions and diploma mills.
"The problem has worsened, owing to the ease of advertising via the Internet and the ability of diploma mills to operate from offshore and still get payment from U.S. users," said Alan Contreras, administrator of Oregon's Office of Degree Authorization.
"Where it used to be some obviously fraudulent operators offering academic degrees in exchange for money and minimal amount of paperwork, it has morphed into a more sophisticated model, where the degree mill offers tutoring and all the trappings of an academic program, but in fact it is still an avenue to getting a degree quickly," said Michael Lambert, executive director of the Distance Education and Training Council.
Not all unaccredited colleges are necessarily degree mills. In the United States, an accrediting agency must be recognized by either the Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
"Unfortunately, the degree mill operators have seized on the use of the word 'accreditation,' and there are several dozen unrecognized and probably worthless accrediting agencies being used to provide legitimacy," Lambert said. "So there is an accreditation mill problem as well now."
In the United States, individual states must decide whether or not to permit diploma mills to operate within their borders.
States have made some headway in regulating diploma mills over the past few years.
"Although the level of enforcement varies from state to state, I think that there has been great progress made across the board," Lambert said. "States like Louisiana, Hawaii and South Dakota -- all once known as degree-mill havens -- have adopted laws that now require recognized accreditation for any institution in their state wishing to offer a degree."
Oregon and New Jersey disallow use of degrees from institutions that are not accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or approved by the state's authorization agency.
While Oregon's policy is among the strictest in the nation, other states, like Wyoming and Montana, permit unaccredited universities as long as they have a physical presence in the state.
"The Montana legislature does not seem to care that their state has become the sinkhole for bogus degrees in the U.S.," Contreras said.
The constitutional protection afforded by the Interstate Commerce Clause makes it difficult for states to regulate virtual schools. When a state passes legislation requiring accreditation, some diploma mills simply change zip codes.
"Even when a school uses an address in a state, and even when they are sued, and even when the state wins, which they always do, there is absolutely no enforcement," Bear said.
Recently, several colleges demanded that fakedegrees.com remove their names from its website. Despite these cease-and-desist requests, the company still allows anyone to purchase "authentic looking" diplomas from hundreds of other institutions.
It's also seemingly impossible for countries to shut down diploma mills outside of their jurisdiction borders.
"Diploma mills based offshore cannot be regulated directly," Contreras said.
Diploma mills often market worthless "U.S. degrees" to people in the developing world, especially Southeast Asia. Counterfeit degrees are rampant on the streets in China.
Some bogus schools obtain accreditation from small countries in Africa or the South Pacific and pass themselves off as legitimate foreign schools.
"Only by prohibiting use of their degrees as credentials can public safety and the value of degrees be adequately protected," Contreras said. "Do we really want people working in bridge design, airport security and other sensitive occupations getting jobs with degrees they bought over the Internet for $500?"
But while the Internet has allowed diploma mills to thrive, it has also made it easier for individuals to check the legitimacy of institutions, Lambert said.
Applicants should watch for "red flags" to spot diploma mills, such as degrees sold for a single fee (rather than credit), available in weeks (instead of years) and offered for massive amounts of experiential learning.
"All unaccredited institutions in the U.S. should be considered substandard unless an appropriate external agency ... has determined that the school has adequate academic standards," Contreras said. "Many states have very limited ability to make such determinations, so even a state-approved school should be examined with great care.
"Don't get a distance-education degree from a foreign school unless you are absolutely certain that the school's degrees are genuine and valid in the U.S. In general, if it seems too easy, it is too easy."
The number of fake schools significantly diminished as a result of the FBI's diploma-mill task force "DipScam" in the 1980s. Although DipScam is no longer active, the FBI and postal inspectors continue to work to keep fake schools from operating.
The FTC could also play a greater role in cracking down on diploma mills by exercising its powers to regulate the word "accreditation," Bear said.
Even major publications like USA Today feature ads by fake schools claiming to be accredited.
"The FTC could stop that in an instant," Bear said.
Many people who have obtained structured settlements through their personal injury or workers' compensation claims wonder if they should try to sell their settlement in return for a lump sum payment. This may be a relatively modest curiosity, piqued by an advertisement announcing "It's your money!" and promising cash payment. Or it may be based upon an immediate need for funds. However, selling a structured settlement is not always possible, and it is not necessarily an economically wise decision.
The best time to decide that a structured settlement is not right for you is before you consent to such a settlement. You may wish to press for a lump sum settlement, for periodic lump sum payments in addition to smaller annual payments, or for a lump sum to be issued at a future date when you anticipate a particular need. If you work out a settlement package that is in your best interest at the outset, you will be able to maximize the value of your settlement and get the greatest tax benefit from the structured portion of any settlement.
Remember that the companies which purchase structured settlements intend to profit from the purchase of your settlement. Their profit comes out of the payments you would otherwise receive.
Recall also that if your future earning capacity is impaired as a result of your injury, you should consider your future needs when you are making any decision regarding the sale of your settlement.
There are laws in approximately two thirds of the states which restrict the sale of structured settlements, and additional federal regulations apply to the sale of structured settlements. You should expect to have to obtain court approval for the sale, and most states have statutes in effect which regulate the transfer process. The insurance company that issued the annuities for the structured settlement may refuse to cooperate with the sale of a settlement, citing policy language and asserting that payments cannot be assigned.
As a typical structured settlement is designed to provide significant tax advantages to the injured plaintiff, there can be significant tax consequences associated with selling part or all of a settlement. It may be that, while payments made under the settlement were not taxed, the lump sum received through the sale of the settlement will be taxed.
If you are approached about selling your settlement, or are looking for a buyer, don't take the first offer you receive. You will almost always benefit from consulting with different brokers or buyers in relation to your settlement. You should also take care that you are working with an established, reputable buyer.
It is wise to consult a lawyer in relation to the sale of your settlement before signing a contract. A lawyer can help ensure that your rights are protected, and that you will not be subject to consequences for events outside of your control, for example if the company which purchases your settlement is later unable to collect payments from the insurance company which issued the annuities in your settlement package. A lawyer will be able to tell you if the terms of the purchase agreement are reasonable, and may also be able to advise you as to whether the offer made for your settlement is adequate.
Swine flu coverage is everywhere—on the Web, TV, radio and even spreading like wildfire on social networks like Twitter. But across all of the media outlets, there’s potential for misinformation. And unfortunately, some of this information is causing unnecessary panic. Pediatricians' and doctors' offices are being overwhelmed by calls. Yankee fans in the Bronx are opting out of attending home games as a precautionary measure because of the outbreak in Queens - the largest in the United States.
Are these actions necessary or an overreaction to myths portrayed in the media? Here are some facts about swine flu to help give peace of mind and help you set a plan of action for you and your family.
Infection from the swine flu can only happen if you have direct contact with a pig.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), swine flu has in the past been spread between pigs and humans. This most likely occurs when people are in close proximity to pigs such as on farms and at fairs. However, with this outbreak, it appears human-to-human spread can also occur, because the virus can spread through liquid droplets that get airborne, such as through coughing and sneezing. Or you can contract it by touching something with the live virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes, or nose.
If you have flu symptoms, then you have swine flu.
This is unlikely. But if you have severe flu symptoms, such as shortness of breath, you should contact your health care provider right away.
Keep in mind that right now in the U.S. those being diagnosed with swine flu are showing mild symptoms. The seasonal flu is more likely to lead to hospitalization or even death, as it kills roughly 35,000 each year, though it's fatal more often in the very young and elderly and those who have a compromised immune system.
Eating pork products puts you at risk for swine flu infection.
Go ahead, eat your bacon. You cannot contract swine flu from eating pork. It's safe to eat properly handled pork if it's been cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, which kills off most bacteria and viruses, including the virus that causes swine flu.
Your seasonal flu vaccination will protect you from this outbreak of swine flu.
You should avoid public events and locations until the virus is contained.
Right now, the CDC is not recommending this. Again, the likelihood of being infected is slim. In the U.S., only 100 people are known to be infected at this time. If you are concerned about your exposure or have a weakened immune system, there is evidence that wearing a surgical mask tightly against your face offers extra protection. Although keep in mind that it’s impossible to contain this virus right now because outbreaks like this generally last for months. Frequent hand-washing is also advised.
Here's one recommendation you should follow, however: The CDC says that the public should avoid any unnecessary travel to Mexico until further notice.
Young, healthy adults are equally at risk as children and the elderly.
It turns out that age and immune-system strength may not be a factor with this virus. That’s because, just like the SARS and avian flu outbreaks, it's believed the problem is not so much the virus itself but how your body responds to it.
In past flu pandemics, young and healthy adults who were more likely to be affected than the very young or elderly. This is because their bodies showed an overreaction of their immune response, with respiratory-system inflammation that was ultimately deadly. A stronger immune system fighting those infections meant an overly strong response and greater odds of fatality.
But not to add to the hype, keep in mind that the cases reported so far in the United States have been mild. For those deaths in Mexico, it’s uncertain why young and healthy people are dying. One theory is the virus has already mutated into a stronger version; public health officials are investigating. It's also important to note that antiviral medications such as Tamiflu are showing to be effective in treating this swine flu; there were no such medications in the 1918 pandemic.
This is the first outbreak of swine flu in the U.S.
This is incorrect. There have been a few incidences of swine flu outbreak in the United States over the years. In 1988, a community in Wisconsin showed multiple human infections as well as antibodies in health care workers who had close contact with the patients. There was also an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey, in 1976. Five were infected, and one of the soldiers died. But medical experts believe there were many factors that contributed to this outbreak, including the introduction of a virus into a stressed community living in close quarters during the winter months.
And because the swine flu has similar symptoms to the common flu, it’s possible there have already been other cases that have not been tested for. As they have reported in the outbreaks of swine flu, many health care workers caring for those with swine flu often have antibodies to the virus and have experienced mild symptoms.
The swine flu outbreak is worse than the other SARS pandemic of 2000–2003.
This is not true. The SARS pandemic of 2000–2003 had 774 deaths. That’s about 10 percent of those who were infected with the virus. Most of the cases were in China, with fewer than 10 in the United States.
In the 2009 revision of the phase descriptions, WHO has retained the use of a six-phased approach for easy incorporation of new recommendations and approaches into existing national preparedness and response plans. The grouping and description of pandemic phases have been revised to make them easier to understand, more precise, and based upon observable phenomena. Phases 1–3 correlate with preparedness, including capacity development and response planning activities, while Phases 4–6 clearly signal the need for response and mitigation efforts. Furthermore, periods after the first pandemic wave are elaborated to facilitate post pandemic recovery activities.
The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is 5.
In nature, influenza viruses circulate continuously among animals, especially birds. Even though such viruses might theoretically develop into pandemic viruses, in Phase 1 no viruses circulating among animals have been reported to cause infections in humans.
In Phase 2 an animal influenza virus circulating among domesticated or wild animals is known to have caused infection in humans, and is therefore considered a potential pandemic threat.
In Phase 3, an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus has caused sporadic cases or small clusters of disease in people, but has not resulted in human-to-human transmission sufficient to sustain community-level outbreaks. Limited human-to-human transmission may occur under some circumstances, for example, when there is close contact between an infected person and an unprotected caregiver. However, limited transmission under such restricted circumstances does not indicate that the virus has gained the level of transmissibility among humans necessary to cause a pandemic.
Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause “community-level outbreaks.” The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion.
Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.
During the post-peak period, pandemic disease levels in most countries with adequate surveillance will have dropped below peak observed levels. The post-peak period signifies that pandemic activity appears to be decreasing; however, it is uncertain if additional waves will occur and countries will need to be prepared for a second wave.
Previous pandemics have been characterized by waves of activity spread over months. Once the level of disease activity drops, a critical communications task will be to balance this information with the possibility of another wave. Pandemic waves can be separated by months and an immediate “at-ease” signal may be premature.
In the post-pandemic period, influenza disease activity will have returned to levels normally seen for seasonal influenza. It is expected that the pandemic virus will behave as a seasonal influenza A virus. At this stage, it is important to maintain surveillance and update pandemic preparedness and response plans accordingly. An intensive phase of recovery and evaluation may be required.
