Jmb Air Conditioning Can Provide You With Air Conditioning Units Of The Finest Standard

by Posted in Air Conditioning Servicing

JMB Air Conditioning can provide you with air conditioning units of the finest standard

by

Henry Careey

With the summer months in full swing, and with an increasing amount of people across the continent labouring in an office in sweltering temperatures one of the principal components to securing optimal productivity is surely the addition of functioning air condition units.

JMB Air Conditioning is a specialist retailer and installation specialist of all manner of air conditioning units. With a wealth of experience, and a focused customer service from the initial consultation through to the completion of any work that needs to be undertaken, you can rest assured that should you require servicing or maintenance of any air conditioning units that JMB Air Conditioning can manage the project with ease and proficiency.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keM6kCfOsY8[/youtube]

One of the principal benefits of using JMB Air Conditioning as your service provider of choice is the diverse range of air conditioning units that we have experience servicing and installing. From midwall split to hideaway systems, our in-depth knowledge of these products ensures that no matter the size or style of your air conditioning units, we can cater to even the most exacting of demands.

In addition, here at JMB Air Conditioning we are highly-experienced providing air conditioning installation and maintenance for all manner of air conditioning unit brands. Whether you own a Panasonic or Samsung brand of air conditioner, or indeed any model in between we have the technical acumen and familiarity to resolve any issues that you may with ease and precision.

The air conditioning units installations of JMB surely will not be beaten. Whether you have a requirement for personal or commercial installation of air conditioning units then here at JMB Air Conditioning we can complete all work in a timely manner and to budget. This allows our customers to concentrate on their day to day activities without feeling the effects of working in a boiler room.

To find out more information about the selection of services that we can offer you, or indeed if you re interested in contacting us with a view to installing air conditioning units at your home or workplace then come and visit us online at: www.jmb-airconditioning.co.za.

Air Conditioning Units

from jmb-airconditioning.co.za. We are suppliers of top brands of air conditioning and offer to install and maintain them too. Visit us for

Air Conditioning Installation

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Purchasing An Individual Medical Insurance Plan}

by Posted in Disability

Submitted by: Alston Ballkcom

Buying a private healthcare policy can be a stressful experience for those who have always been insured by their company’s health plan. Ive specialized in helping my clients locate quality health insurance for well over ten years now and have been an insurance broker since 1985. I’ve outlined the process we use to help our clients find the right plan for their needs.

The 3 areas we focus on are affordability, quality of coverage and the strength of the insurance carrier.

Insurance carrier- Your health insurance company should be stable financially and have a history for paying claims.

Quality of coverage – The medical coverage must meet your needs. It should cover doctors, hospitals, labs and prescriptions. It should also have doctors and hospitals in their networks that are close to your home.

Price- Your medical plan must be priced competitively relative to the benefits provided.

The basic process we use is to:

Determine which private medical companies are worthy of being considered.

Determine which choices offered by those health care companies offer proper coverages

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX1Job6O60E[/youtube]

Determine which insurance plans have the lowest overall cost relative to the health insurance benefits provided

Health Insurance Companies

An individual healthcare provider should have good financial ratings and be in good standing with your states insurance department. You may also want to do a web search for complaints.

You might search for “Mega Health complaints” before buying a policy from that or any other company. All healthcare company has some unhappy customers just by virtue of the volume of clients they have. However, a red flag should go up in your mind if there are too many complaints.

Another thing to be concerned with is how much they pay in benefits as a percentage of the premium they take in. A good company will write checks for about 80% of the money they take in to cover their clients healthcare procedures.

Level of Protection – What does your health insurance plan cover?

There are 2 aspects of coverage. One is the treatments that are covered. The other is the networks list of physicians that the insurance policy includes.

Covered Medical Procedures

You should read through your insurance plans outline of coverage or official brochure to see how doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are covered. Your healthcare policy should cover you in both the doctors office and the hospital and should have a good lifetime maximum benefit. I suggest at least five million in coverage.

Healthcare Insurance Exclusions and Limitations

Most if not all health care coverage policies will have a list of procedures and services that they won’t pay for. Most of the items in this section are reasonable and are included in the plans of most carriers also. Policies usually won’t cover a nose job for example. There are are often exclusions that you may find in one insurance policy but not in others. Pregnancy coverage is one example of this. Generally plans will not cover the costs of a the birth of a child. The ones that do usually cost more when compared to otherwise similar plans that dont cover maternity. The exclusions and limitations section of your policy or its brochure should be read carefully before you make your decision about purchase.

Health Insurance Provider Lists

Knowing which doctors are in your health insurance company’s network is crucial. You might be able to find a list of doctors who accept a given insurance plan on the Internet or by calling your health care insurance broker.

Cost Finding the best low cost medical policy

It is easy to compare individual health insurance costs, but its much harder to ensure that you are getting good coverage for your money.

Comparing Health Insurance Plans

After you have ruled out the companies with poor coverage and/or networks, it is time to look at price as a factor.

The Best Health Insurance Coverage for the Money

The best medical insurance coverage, may not be the best plan for you. Often the best policy is overpriced and does not offer coverage that justifies the extra that it costs. Make sure that any plan you purchase is:

Provided by a good healthcare insurance carrier

Will cover your medical needs well

Fits your budget

About the Author: Alston Balkcom is a veteran insurance professional and has been serving in this capacity since 1985. You can find

private healthcare insurance quotes

on his site.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=342793&ca=Finances }

Oyster Extract: The Whole Food Supplement

by Posted in Scaffolding

By Stephen Kavanagh

The market!

The food supplement business is booming, No where is this more evident than on the internet where thousands of companies compete to offer the latest cure alls and at the best discounted prices. Americans will spend $30 billion this year alone on anti-oxidants. Europe is catching up fast with growth in the bio actives market reaching 35% last year. All very good news for the manufacturers and large multinationals who have jumped on the band wagon, but what about the unfortunate consumer who wants to augment their nutrition with a supplement, but doesnt want to waste half their life searching through thousands of identical brands, gaining a PhD in nutritional studies along the way, before purchasing that all important anti-oxidant, which promises to be the elixir they have been searching for all along.

The solution!

The answer, in a nutshell, is not in fact in a nutshell, it may in fact, be in an oyster shell. There are few supplements on the market that contain the variety and quality of micro nutrients, in the one place, as oyster extract.

The product!

Oyster extract is the dried meat of the oyster, usually but not always excluding the shell. It is then powdered and placed in a capsule or made into a tablet and packaged ready for oral consumption. Assuming it is manufactured with due regard for the time of harvest, it contains all 59 of the trace elements needed by the body, vitamins, amino acids, taurine, omega 3 & 6 fish oils and it is the highest natural source of the trace element zinc. Only oyster extract harvested at times of the year when zinc potency is high can boast this claim, and very few of the companies making oyster extract recognise this.

The history!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qfumo760ZA[/youtube]

Oyster extract has been used for centuries in eastern medicine for liver cleansing and healthy male sexual functioning. In recent decades however our knowledge of micro nutrients has grown. Research in the last 50 years into the role of zinc in human biochemistry has drastically increased the uses to which oyster extract can be put in human nutrition.

The science!

We now know that zinc controls over 300 enzyme reactions in the body. These enzymes govern the way we look, feel and think. Everything from immunity, to sexual health, to skin condition and DNA synthesis rely on the correct levels of zinc for proper physiological functioning. However oyster extract also contains all of the 59 trace elements the body needs, vitamins, fish oils, amino acids and good levels of taurine. It is this combination of essential nutrients that make it a whole food and a food supplement all in one.

The co-factors!

One of the unique aspects of oyster extract powder is that it contains not only high levels of zinc but also significant levels of zincs co-factors. These include copper and manganese. This is a very important fact as taking zinc on its own can lead to imbalances in other trace elements in the body as they can have a negative feedback effect on each other. For example taking zinc on its own can lead to copper deficiency. Oyster extract has both elements in a balanced form, just as nature intended.

The various brands!

Not all oyster extract powders are the same. Most use oysters harvested when the oysters meat yield is high and this is when the zinc concentration is lowest. These tend to be the cheaper ones from New Zealand, China and Japan. Water quality from the growing areas is also something not easily traced in countries who do not have trade agreements with the US and Europe. Other oyster extracts are in pill form so half the weight is binding agents and excipients with no nutritional value. Some brands actually include the shell, which means there is very little extract in the product and even less potency.

The best brands!

There are however some very potent ones on the market who harvest the oysters at the right time and process the oysters with this same potency in mind. While more expensive, they far out weigh the synthetic alternatives on the market and are ultimately money well spent when one considers the benefits of taking a superior product.

The alternatives!

There are many synthetic zinc supplements on the market. The efficacy of many of these synthetic zinc supplements is questionable. These hard pills and lozenges have to disintegrate and bind to transport proteins before leaving the stomach or the zinc is useless. The zinc receptor cells are located in the duodenum and once zinc passes here very little uptake can occur. This is why eating foods rich in zinc is the best policy. These foods have the zinc already bound to active transport molecules such as amino acids and certain acids. This makes zinc from natural sources much more bio available. This is the case with oyster extract powder.

The high risk groups!

In Western society moderate to severe zinc deficiency is restricted to certain groups. These include the elderly who have a reduced ability to absorb zinc, vegetarians who are not diligent on zinc intake, alcoholics who excrete a lot of zinc via the kidneys, and athletes and body builders who loose more zinc through sweat and have an increased demand to their exercise regimes. Sexually active males should also be careful about zinc intake.

The benefits!

High potency oyster extract is a very good supplement to treat any of the symptoms of zinc deficiency. These include skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis and psoriasis. Likewise brittle nails and weak or falling hair are early signs of zinc deficiency.

People with compromised immunity or those trying to prevent and eliminate infection can use it as an immune booster.

For mens sexual health it is excellent for prostate health, testicular health and better all round libido. In women it can also boost hormone levels which counteract osteoporosis and increase libido.

Oyster extract also contains useful amounts of taurine which has a cardio protective effect.

The conclusion!

If you feel you are zinc deficient or have any of the symptoms of zinc deficiency consult your health adviser and / or decide on a zinc replenishment plan that is suitable for your lifestyle. Think before you zinc!

About the Author: Stephen Kavanagh is a Marine Biologist and nutrition activist. His company, Gaia Biotechnology Ltd. is developing a range of bio active whole food supplements. To learn more about the most potent oyster extract powder available, zinc deficiency, zinc supplements, the benefits of zinc therapy or to try the product visit

oystermax.com

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=267409&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet

Household Items That Can Be Used As Self Defense Weapon

by Posted in Painting Services

Submitted by: Cori N. Baker

As criminality rates kept on rising everyday, we are at risk of being mobbed or attacked anywhere we may be. Whether you are inside the school, in your house or inside the church, criminals are lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect time to take advantage of your weakness. Even within the bounds of your own house, criminals have their own ways of penetrating it. They have the best gadgets and technology to attack facilities without their victims knowing it. If this is the scenario, how can you protect yourself and your family from criminals? Are there emergency weapons you can use inside your house? Can you protect yourself even if you do not own any guns or any protective weapons of some sort?

Yes, you can still protect yourself using some household items. Sounds funny or obnoxious, right? But its reality, you can use anything you can get hold of during emergencies. This holds true when you are being attacked inside your house. Despite our lack of training in self-defense or martial arts, we are forced to improvise things to protect ourselves and our loved ones. In times of emergencies and life-threatening scenarios like this, we have no choice but to stand up, fight and use anything we can get hold as weapon.

Below are household items which you can use as self-defense tools:

1. Brooms If the perpetrator has a knife, you can use the broom to keep him at a distance. You can use it to derail him from attacking you. Use the broom s pole to keep the attacker far away if possible. If given the chance, you can use it by attacking his hands and wrists to drop the knife.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxz0gl9yxrU[/youtube]

2. Vase, Ceramics When given the chance, you can throw them at your attacker. Be sure to hit his head to immobilize him and left him unconscious, thereby giving you enough time to ask for help and to escape.

3. Scissors and letter openers These items are great self-protection device. You can use it to stab him.

4. Kettle You can use the kettle to protect yourself also. If you happen to be boiling water during the time of attack, then throw it to him immediately. It would be a great self-defense weapon because he can get himself scalded by it and he would be in great pain to derail him from attacking you.

5. Lamp shades, wine bottles, glass objects Like ceramics, these objects can be used to protect yourself. You can throw it to him to smash his head and left him unconscious.

6. Rolling pin and pressure cooker These are sturdy and durable objects which can surely break his head when you smash it on his head.

7. Fork It can also be used similar to that of scissors and letter openers. It is ideal weapon for stabbing your attacker.

8. Spices For sure you have collection of powder spices in your pantry. You can use powdered pepper to immobilize the attacker. It is strong enough to cause him pain for several minutes, thereby giving you enough time to run away. It is comparable to pepper sprays.

Even within the bounds of the four walls of our house, there are plenty of household items which you can improvise to become a suitable self-defense tools to protect your family and yourself.

About the Author: Cori N. Baker enjoys writing for Beststungun.com which sells

tazer guns

and

stun gun

as well as a host of additional products.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=1336816&ca=Home+Management

Tell Tale Signs That You May Have A Stalker

by Posted in Property Investment

By Richard Armen

In today’s world, the danger that a stalker presents is serious business. Although there are various steps that you can take to help limit the possibility that you may acquire a stalker, it is sometimes inevitable. There are a number of tell-tale signs that you may have a stalker. If you think someone may be stalking or following you, can consult the authorities and take action to limit the amount of danger presented by your stalker.

1) Understand the potential for stalking. Stalking is a type of intimidation and harassment that usually stems from a stalker not understanding the nature of a relationship. For example, if you’ve recently turned someone down for a date and they don’t seem to fully grasp the situation, you may be in danger. Stalking does not just include following you; often, these actions progress into much more, which is why it is so important to put an end to such behaviors quickly.

2) A potential stalker may appear at locations unannounced. These locations may include your place of work, your home, and places you stop by routinely. The appearance of such an individual may be benign. At first, you may think they’re simply running into you because they frequent the same locations. In this case, simply telling them that you do not want their presence provides a simple solution. However, if an individual still shows up unannounced it is likely that they are a stalker.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow6FeH_49L8[/youtube]

3) Unwanted gifts may show up unexpectedly. The gifts may be intimate in nature, since, for the most part, stalkers seem to feel that they have a stronger connection to their victims then is actually true. Lingerie, flowers, jewelry, photographs, and letters, among other things, may appear at your home or business.

4) Harassing phone calls, emails or text messages may also be an indication of a potential stalker. These messages may vary in nature, but a common thread is that these messages will be frequent and intimate. Occasionally stalkers will proclaim their love for an individual, but they may also proclaim their dislike for someone.

5) Your stalker may also know various things about you that they would not necessarily know from a casual or everyday conversation. If a potential stalker seems to know personal information about you, it may be a result of their delusion that they are closer to you then they actually are. Some stalkers will go to great lengths to learn all they can about their target.

6) A stalker may also threaten your friends and family. Since some stalkers may be suffering from delusions of intimacy and a general disconnect with reality, they may be mentally unstable. Even as your stalker professes his or her love for you, they may also be threatening those closest to you.

Even stalkers who start out friendly and seem harmless may turn violent and angry for no apparent reason. If you do suspect that you are being stalked, change your routine, alert friends and families so that they can help to provide a buffer zone, and consult with the authorities.

About the Author: Resist Attack has a full range of TASER devices to keep you and your family safe. Also check for current specials on expandable batons

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=669004&ca=Advice

Is Cash Really King In Small Business?

by Posted in Accounting Firm

By Salim Omar, CPA

Although cash is critical, most small business owners put emphasis on profits instead of cash flow. The dot-com bust is a painful reminder that profitability does matter but that cash is king. Ill even go one step further managing cash flow is THE most important financial measure in any business. Knowing how much cash is coming in versus the amount required to go out, not only helps you understand what amount can be re-invested into the business, but can also determine whether a company will survive.

Not all cash coming into a business must come from operations. Investments, both debt and equity, can provide intermediate cash to run a business. However, it is critical to know in advance what your cash needs will be to find the best source of funds. Sitting down each quarter or at least on an annual basis to review these concepts is important for generating cash flow for your business.

When you imagine a new business, you think of what it would cost to make the product/service, what you could sell the product/service for, and what the profits might be. We are trained to think of a business as sales minus costs and expenses, which are profits. Unfortunately, we dont spend the profits in a business; we spend cash. In fact, many businesses discover that they have little cash flow at the end of the year even though their profit and loss statement shows a decent net profit.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTi_htamAk8[/youtube]

Profitable companies go broke when they have all their money tied up in assets and cant pay their expenses. Working capital is critical to the health of your business. Unfortunately, we dont see the cash implications as clearly as we should, which is one of the best reasons for proper cash planning. Businesses have to manage cash, as well as profits to be successful both in the short term and in the long term.

Cash flow and profit are two concepts that are very different from each other and very often misunderstood by many business owners. Hence, adequate attention is not given to cash flow and cash reserves. A company should make all efforts to have enough of a cash reserve to pay bills, salaries and other expenses for several months (or longer, ideally) during cash-flow fluctuations.

You should create a program that will enable your business to build cash reserves which include the amount needed. The program should show how to build it and where to invest it so that it works as hard for you as you did to build it. My rule of thumb and advice to my small business clients is to maintain between 4 to 6 months of a cash reserve at all times. These cash reserves will then be available in the event of a cash crunch or an opportunity that arises.

Business opportunities arise on a daily basis that cannot be taken advantage of due to poor cash flow and lack of a cash reserve. For example, if your business runs on commodities such as sugar for production of products, prices for this commodity fluctuate throughout the year. If the price of sugar dropped substantially, offering your business the opportunity to boost net profits by lowering operating costs, this would be a prime opportunity to take advantage of. But, if your business does not have the cash flow to take advantage of this opportunity, it will miss out on this chance to boost profits.

Cash is king. Simply put no cash equals no business. Tracking the amount of cash in your small business is a vital function that you can never lose a handle on.

About the Author: Salim Omar, author of

“Straight Talk About Small Business Success In New Jersey”

specializes in providing accounting and tax services to small business owners and professional practices in NJ. Salim’s articles are featured in various national magazines including Accounting Today, The CPA Journal, Chiropractic Economics, Wealth Manager and The Two River Times. You may request a free copy of Salim’s new special report titled

“How To Drastically Reduce Your Taxes By As Much As 62% This Year Alone And Put Thousands Back In Your Pocket”

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=337939&ca=Business

Loan Modification Available If You Are Late On Your Mortgage Payment}

by Posted in Home Loans

Loan Modification Available if you are Late on your Mortgage Payment

by

Bridget ToomeyIf you are late on your mortgage payment and you are having difficulty in keeping up with your bills, then it is time you look at getting a mortgage loan modification for yourself. First, if you have been experiencing problems in keeping up with your mortgage payments, you are not alone. Literally millions of homeowners are in the same boat as you and are looking for a way to ease their mortgage situation. The good news is that as long as you have a job, you are a strong candidate for getting a loan modification application approved. While missing your mortgage payments is not ideal and it will affect your credit, it does improve your chances of getting your mortgage loan modified. In fact, many times, those who have missed a mortgage payment are strong candidates for getting a home loan modification. If you truly cannot afford to make your payment and have to stop paying, that is understandable and it happens. At the same time, do not miss a mortgage payment just because you want to improve the terms of your loan and get a lower payment or interest rate. Banks require you document a genuine hardship in order to qualify so don’t ruin your credit by missing a payment just for the purpose of getting a loan modification. Your credit rating is extremely important so make sure you truly evaluate your financial situation before taking any drastic measures. Banks will always check if you are having genuine difficulties in keeping up with your monthly mortgage payments. If you have never missed a payment, then it will be tough to convince them about your financial problems and they might not change your mortgage terms. However, if they see a real problem and you show them that you would be able to pay your mortgages on time if you got help from them at the present, then they are more likely to approve your loan modification application. Absolutely no bank or mortgage lender likes to take the extreme step of a foreclosure. If a homeowner has no choice and they have to go in for a foreclosure then it is a loss for not just that homeowner but for the bank as well. For this reason alone, banks would much rather prefer adjusting the mortgage interest rates or monthly payment plans for their customers than having to go through the hassle of a foreclosure. While the real estate values are plummeting, no bank or financial institution would be able to recover their initial loan amount. This is the reason you see many more mortgage lenders open to modifying loans and helping save the homeowners from foreclosure. Of course the most important thing to remember is that you need to act fast and in a timely manner. You cannot miss your mortgage payments and sit back and wait for things to happen. If you are struggling with paying your bills, don’t wait until things get out of hand. You need to be pro-active by making sure that you do your research and contact a loan modification consultant. Start with the mortgage loan modification process to ensure your application goes through before you suffer additional financial hardship.

Bridget Toomey is a licensed real estate and

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0iUm-eNTo0[/youtube]

loan modification

consultant in the state of California. Since the economic downturn in early 2007 she has focused her time on assisting homeowners who have

home loan modification

needs. To know more about her or if you have any questions, please visit

loanmodificationfoundation.com

Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com }

The Best Source To Buy Dry Ice In Nyc

by Posted in Communication Skills Training

byadmin

A power outage is a situation that is always an inconvenience. At first, the concern is finding something to light the room, a candle or a flashlight, perhaps. The longer that the power is out, though, the more grave the situation becomes. After an hour or two, all of the food in your refrigerator and freezer becomes vulnerable. This is an especially desperate situation for anyone who makes a living by selling food. Thankfully, the people living in Bronx NY and New York City have Chilly Willy and Cool Carl’s Ice Services. For the past thirty years, they have been providing emergency ice services to residential and commercial clients. Further, they know that the best way to keep food cold in an emergency situation is to use dry ice.

Dry ice is a solid form of carbon dioxide. One of the main advantages of using dry ice over regular ice is that dry ice has a lower temperature and it doesn’t leave any residue other than incidental frost from the moisture in the atmosphere. If you need to keep frozen foods frozen, you will want to place the ice above the perishables. For refrigerated foods, the dry ice should be placed under the perishable food items. For anyone needing to Buy dry ice in NYC, Chilly Willy and Cool Carl’s Ice Services have everything that anyone would need. The extreme cold temperatures make the solid dry ice too dangerous to handle without proper protection. Touching the dry ice with your bare skin could cause immediate frostbite. Additionally, the out-gassing from the ice can cause asphyxiation due to the build-up of carbon dioxide in confined locations. This is why, when dealing with dry ice, you should always rely on someone who is trained to handle the materials.

Since chilly willy and cool carl’s provides 24/7 emergency ice services, there is no need to worry about any situation where someone would need to Buy dry ice in NYC. It is offered in blocks and cubes, depending on the necessity and storage facility. Even if the need does not involve an emergency, you can rest-assured that your dry ice needs will be met.

What To Expect From The Pre Construction Phase Of A Project

by Posted in Law Firm

By Steve Juzefyk

The early stages of a construction project are often the most important, as the decisions made during this phase will determine many important aspects of the overall plan. Typically, the pre-construction phase will determine the objectives, time frames, costs, procedures, as well as many other logistical issues, as well as conceptual preparations. While this process can vary from project to project or depend on variables like time or budget, there are a few basic elements which contractors and their clients alike can expect to encounter during the pre-construction phase of any project.

During this phase, architectural design and blueprints will be determined and prepared. Architectural characteristics will be affected by the client’s desires and needs, recommendations from those actually handling the construction project, and by what the site will allow. This stage will include a survey of the site, as this is important in determining the best design for the structure. It will also ensure ADA compliance, identify potential access issues, and determine mechanical, electrical, and plumbing arrangements. These aspects will be finalized with the approval of the client. Communication between client and contractor during this stage is very important in ensuring both an efficiently completed and satisfactory project.

Another important part of this phase is to obtain and/or review any necessary building permits. Once the necessary permits are identified, requests and associated paperwork should be completed and submitted as earlier in this phase as possible as delays can happen for any number of reasons. Furthermore, getting building permits out of the way early will prevent legal complications from interfering with or interrupting the project later down the road, thus keeping construction on schedule and avoiding possible fines or legal action.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=485_1_ZjIdM[/youtube]

Pre-construction is also the time for establishing basic time frames. Building a flexible but detailed schedule should be a priority. The schedule will depend on the scale of the project, availability of materials, budget, and other factors. Routine inspections, which will ensure site safety, should also be periodically included in the schedule. While the schedule should be detailed, it should also factor in delays. Inclement weather, holidays, unexpected accidents or site problems, and other issues can arise, and a flexible schedule can help account for these possibilities. A reputable company will certainly take this into consideration during the pre-construction phase.

An equally important part of this phase is the formation of the budget. This includes the cost of obtaining materials and supplies, building permits, any standard or special equipment, contractor wages and fees, and other general costs. Additionally, while planning the budget it is important to consider and plan for possible money-saving alternatives. Keep in mind, however, that in the long run having access to quality materials and contractors is more important than saving a few dollars. Cutting too many financial corners could easily result in an unsatisfactory final product.

In short, the pre-construction phase is a vital part of any construction project, be it commercial, residential, large-scale or small. This stage will include a surveying of the site, the formulation of plans, obtaining necessary permits, and the formation of both time frames and the budget. If carried out by a competent construction company, it can save the client both time and money while guaranteeing a satisfactory job done.

About the Author: Juzefyk Bros. Construction has been providing superior quality masonry work for over sixty years. Now in its third generation, Juzefyk Brothers continues to offer a wide variety of interior and exterior construction, renovation, restoration, and design.juzbros.com

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=615485&ca=Home+Management

What Are Survivable Computer Systems

by Posted in Computer Security Service

Submitted by: Darren Miller

Definition Of A Survivable Computer System

A computer system, which may be made up of multiple individual systems and components, designed to provide mission critical services must be able to perform in a consistent and timely manner under various operating conditions. It must be able to meet its goals and objectives whether it is in a state of normal operation or under some sort of stress or in a hostile environment. A discussion on survivable computer systems can be a very complex and far reaching one. However, in this article we will touch on just a few of the basics.

Computer Security And Survivable Computer Systems

Survivable computer systems and computer security are in many ways related but at a low-level very much different. For instance, the hardening of a particular system to be resistant against intelligent attacks may be a component of a survivable computer system. It does not address the ability of a computer system to fulfill its purpose when it is impacted by an event such as a deliberate attack, natural disaster or accident, or general failure. A survivable computer system must be able to adapt, perform its primary critical functions even if in a hostile environment, even if various components of the computer system are incapacitated. In some cases, even if the entire “primary” system has been destroyed.

As an example; a system designed to provide real-time critical information regarding analysis of specialized medications ceases to function for a few hours because of wide spread loss of communication. However, it maintains the validity of the data when communication is restored and systems come back online. This computer system could be considered to have survived under conditions outside of its control.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Zqi2drqNQ[/youtube]

On the other hand, the same system fails to provide continuous access to information under normal circumstances or operating environment, because of a localized failure, may not be judged to have fulfilled its purpose or met its objective.

Fault Tolerant And Highly Availability Computer Systems

Many computer systems are designed with fault tolerant components so they continue to operate when key portions of the system fail. For instance; multiple power supplies, redundant disk drives or arrays, even multiple processors and system boards that can continue to function even if its peer component is destroyed or fails. The probability of all components designed to be redundant failing at one time may be quite low. However, a malicious entity that knows how the redundant components are configured may be able to engineer critical failures across the board rendering the fault tolerant components ineffective.

High availability also plays a role in a survivable computer system. However this design component may not maintain computer system survivability during certain events such as various forms of malicious attack . An example of this might be a critical web service that has been duplicated, say across multiple machines, to allow continuous functionality if one or more the individual web servers was to fail. The problem is that many implementations of high availability use the same components and methodology on all of the individual systems. If an intelligent attack or malicious event takes place and is directed at a specific set of vulnerabilities on one of the individual systems, it is reasonable to assume the remaining computer systems that participate in the highly available implementation are also susceptible to the same or similar vulnerabilities. A certain degree of variance must be achieved in how all systems participate in the highly available implementation.

What’s The Difference Between An Attack, Failure, And Accident? How Do These Differences Impact A Survivable Computer System

In many cases when I am discussing the security of systems with customers, the question of business continuity and disaster recovery come up. Most companies that provide a service that they deem critical just know the system needs to be operational in a consistent manner. However, there is typically little discussion about the various events or scenarios surrounding this and that can lead to great disappointment in the future when what the customer thought was a “survivable computer system” does not meet their expectations. Some of the items I like to bring up during these conversations is what their computer systems goal and objective is, what specifically does continuous operation mean to them, and specifically what constitutes an attack, failure, or accident that can cause loss of operation or failure to meet objectives.

A failure may be defined as a localized event that impacts the operation of a system and its ability to deliver services or meet its objectives. An example might be the failure of one or more critical or non-critical functions that effect the performance or overall operation of the system. Say, the failure of a module of code that causes a cascading event that prevents redundant modules from performing properly. Or, a localize hardware failure that incapacitates the computer system.

An accident is typically an event that is outside the control of the system and administrators of a local / private system. An example of this would be natural disasters such as hurricanes, if you live in south Florida like I do, or floods, or wide spread loss of power because the utility provider cut the wrong power lines during an upgrade to the grid. About two years ago, a client of mine who provides web based document management services could not deliver revenue generating services to their customers because a telecommunications engineer cut through a major phone trunk six blocks away from their office. They lost phone and data services for nearly a week.

An now we come to “attack”. We all know accidents will happen, we know that everything fails at one time or another, and typically we can speculate on how these things will happen. An attack, executed by an intelligent, experienced individual or group can be very hard to predict. There are many well known and documented forms of attacks. The problem is intelligence and human imagination continuously advance the form of malicious attacks and can seriously threaten even the most advanced designed survivable computer systems. An accident or failure does not have the ability to think out of the box or realize that a highly available design is flawed because all participants use the same design. The probability that an attack might occur, and succeed may be quite low, but the impact may be devastating.

Conclusion

One of the reasons I wrote this article was to illustrate that it’s not all about prevention. Although prevention is a big part of survivable computer system design, a critical computer system must be able to meet its objectives even when operating under hostile or stressful circumstances. Or if the steps taking for prevention ultimately prove inadequate. It may be impossible to think of all the various events that can impact a critical computer system but it is possible to reasonably define the possibilities.

The subject of survivable computer systems is actually one of complexity and ever evolving technology. This article has only touched on a few of the basic aspects of computer system survivability. I intend on continuing this article to delve deeper into the subject of survivable computer systems.

About the Author: Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with over seventeen years experience. He has written many technology & security articles, some of which have been published in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals.Please visit us at

defendingthenet.com

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