.: Owen Baker Profile and Articles
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1). Getting Your Gear to the CampsiteSummer is meant for the great outdoors, and one way to get out and enjoy the season is to go camping. For some, that means taking only what they can carry into the woods on their backs. But most campers like to enjoy a few more creature comforts. The trick can be getting all your gear to your campsite without having to leave the dog or the kids at home.
2). New Automotive Technicians Wanted
GM Goodwrench, along with NASCAR Nextel Cup star Kevin Harvick and team owner Richard Childress, announce a new national promotion, the No. 29 Goodwrench Expertise Challenge. If Harvick wins two out of 12 selected NASCAR Nextel Cup races, 29 lucky fans will receive an all-new 2007 Chevy Avalanche, and GM Goodwrench will set up a $200,000 scholarship fund to encourage young men and women to pursue careers as automotive technicians.
3). Detailing Your Car? Don’t Forget the Tires
We can all learn from car enthusiasts who show their vehicles competitively. They know that the final finishing details can make all the difference, in appearance as well as prizes. And that’s why they always take a few minutes to ensure the glass is streak free, there’s no surface dust or lint, and the tires are clean and shined.
There is more to tire care than just cleaning.
4). Add Window Vents to Your Vehicle for Looks, Function
Warm, sunny summer days are perfect for many things, but they can make the inside of your car feel like it’s 200 degrees. If you can find a shady parking spot, that helps, but a more realistic solution is to add window vents to your car.
Not only do window vents add a sporty custom look to your car, SUV, truck or van, but they’re practical, too.
5). Men Not Necessarily the Experts on Car Care
Who do you turn to when you have a question about vehicle maintenance? If you consider your husband or boyfriend the “expert” on such things, you may be asking the wrong person.
A national survey sponsored by Jiffy Lube International found that while 69 percent of men and 64 percent of women think men know more than women on the subject, their responses to basic car-care questions tell a somewhat different story.
6). Five insurance mistakes that could cost you
Just because you have insurance doesn’t mean it will be enough to protect your hard-earned assets should the inevitable happen. There are countless situations - like a home fire, a car wreck with injuries, or someone getting hurt on your property (to name a few) - where your level of home or auto insurance could make or break your financial future.
7). Sparkling, Streak-Free Windows for Your Car and Your Home
Want to clean your windows like the pros? While it’s not rocket science, there is a glass cleaning technique that can make the job quick and professional-looking. It is also critical to have the right products.
And where will you find the perfect product for cleaning windows? At your local auto supply store, believe it or not. Invisible Glass made by Stoner, has been a favorite with auto enthusiasts, professional drivers, and racers for 10 years because it removes even the toughest grime from auto glass and windshields.
8). Car Care Relief for Your Vehicle
Now is the time to get your vehicle ready for summer travel.
Since 1970, Americans have more than doubled their vehicle miles traveled, according to federal statistics. In summer, many of those miles are logged on driving vacations far from home, the last place motorists want to risk a breakdown.
“Regular vehicle maintenance and inspections can help improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, achieve peak performance and even help avoid major repairs down the road,” says Peter Lord, executive director, GM Service Operations.
9). What Drives NASCAR’s John Roberts?
Millions of viewers know John Roberts as the co-host of SPEED’s “NASCAR RaceDay,” traveling from city to city to cover the big races and hobnobbing with the biggest names in racing. “I’m on the road every weekend,” he says. While he loves his job, Roberts says that when he’s on the road, he misses another one of his passions – woodworking.
10). Sharing the Road Safely
If it seems like bicycles are everywhere these days, it’s not your imagination. More bicyclists hit the roads between May and September than any other time of the year, so it should come as no surprise that most accidents involving riders happen during the summer and fall.
According to federal government statistics, 660 bicyclists died in crashes with motor vehicles in 2002, the most recent year for which fatality data are available.
11). Now Your Video Entertainment Goes Where You Go
As technology allows electronic devices to get smaller and smaller, it's becoming possible to have access to music and now, even video, no matter where you are.
The PocketDISH from DISH Network is a single device that replaces your MP3 player, photo storage equipment and even portable DVD player. By connecting the PocketDISH to a DISH Network digital video recorder (DVR), users can load and watch hours of their favorite television or movies.
12). Tips and Tools for DIY Woman Homeowners
Gone are the days when women went from their parents’ house to their married homestead without living on their own in between. Today, women not only buy their own homes, they also do their own home repairs. There are an estimated 17 million woman homeowners in the United States, and women do-it-yourselfers are the fastest growing segment of the home improvement market.
13). A Snow Plow for the Rest of Us
Winter cold and snow are just around the corner. Shoveling snow is a job you’d rather not think about right now. This year eliminate the backbreaking chore you dread so much by getting a snow plow. One that is designed to easily fit on the pickup truck, minivan and SUV your family drives to work or school everyday.
The SnowSport Utility Plow was invented by the owner of Agricover, Inc, a North Dakota truck accessory manufacturer - simply out of necessity.
14). Why Diesel is the Way to Go
Want to save money, conserve energy and do what’s best for the environment at the same time? Then the next time you’re in the market for a new car or truck, diesel is the way to go.
Vehicles powered by diesel engines are the most fuel-efficient on the market today. They burn 30 percent less fuel than their unleaded counterparts, meaning they get more miles to the gallon.
15). Let Your Kids Play Soccer by the Garage Door? Now You Can
Garage doors are a magnet for kids practicing sports, whether it’s kicking a soccer ball or perfecting their pitching form. But every parent knows that all it takes is one good kick of a soccer ball or a missed basketball rebound to produce a sizeable dent in a traditional metal garage door.
Now, both parents and kids can breathe a sigh of relief, thanks to new technology in garage doors.
16). Collapsible Motorcycle Trailer Makes Traveling Easy
Motorcycling is all about fun and adding excitement to your life -- until one day an accident or breakdown takes place -- and your “ride” needs a ride of its own. Being stranded on the road takes the fun out of a ride for you and your fellow bikers, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Plan for the unexpected by purchasing a collapsible motorcycle trailer that stores in your trunk.
17). Why You Should Never Take a Shortcut Across Train Tracks
More than a half dozen people age 16 and under have been severely injured or died on the railroad tracks in the past week. Unfortunately, injuries like this happen every year about this time.
Spring somehow encourages us to be bold, to step out, to get there sooner. While bold action is admired in some cases, haste and bold action can get you killed when it comes to railroad tracks.
18). Damaged Windshield? Know Your Options
There is good reason why states with Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) programs require damaged windshields to be repaired or replaced before a vehicle passes inspection. The windshield, seatbelts and airbags make up what automobile design engineers refer to as the vehicle’s passenger safety restraint system (SRS).
“The SRS is designed.
19). Newer, Better Ways to Plumb Your Home
In many ways, today’s modern baths seem a far cry from the outdated, germ-ridden plumbing systems of the past. Yet, archaeologists have confirmed that the first operational toilet dates back more than 2,800 years. (Interestingly, it has only been in recent years that it was discovered that China, not London’s Thomas Crapper, should be credited for the innovation.
20). How to Improve Your Gas Mileage and Performance by Pushing a Button
Have you ever wished that your car, truck or SUV had more horsepower? Every driver appreciates more power for climbing hills, accelerating onto highways and passing slow-moving traffic. How about better fuel economy? The rising price of gasoline has made motorists conscious of the cost of a fill-up.
Now it's possible to improve performance and stretch fuel mileage as easily as changing TV channels with a remote control.
21). Old Wood Gets New Life as Reclaimed Antique Flooring
Where some might see a crumbling old barn or a dilapidated factory, Don Carlisle sees an opportunity to preserve history and beautify a home at the same time. Carlisle’s Stoddard, N.H. based company has been reclaiming antique wood and turning it into new floors for nearly 40 years.
Homeowners and builders, increasingly aware of the need to preserve the environment and America’s architectural history, have spurred the growth of the antique wood salvage business.
22). Bald May Be Beautiful -- But Not For Tires!
How much of your rubber meets the road may determine your safety, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). The group urges motorists to “Be Tire Smart” and make sure tires are properly maintained and safe for the road.
One way to ensure you have good grip on the road is to inspect your tires’ tread depth. Tires are considered bald when they have less that 2/32 inch of tread depth.
23). High Gas Prices Got You Down?
The recent spike in gasoline prices is causing a shift in car-buying habits and increased interest in alternate fuels. But there are plenty of every-day, basic strategies consumers can employ to ease the burden of higher gasoline prices. The following advice is from the pros at the non-profit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), who note that these conservation tips will not only save gasoline, they’ll help extend the life of your vehicle and its components.
24). PINK is the Color of Success for Popular TV Show
First things first – Rich Christensen, creator and host of the hit television show PINKS, never starred in a soap opera. “Well, I was in one episode for about five seconds,” he says. That was years ago, when Christensen, fresh from northern Iowa, was an intern at a major network in New York. “I was an intern there for six weeks, and at the end of that time, as a gift to me, the producer put me in one scene for the blink of an eye.
25). Before You Put Your Classic Car in Storage for the Winter
Winter will be here before you know it, and wild animals won’t be the only ones going into hibernation. This is the time of year the majority of classic car owners put their “babies” to bed as well.
Whether you have an old Thunderbird, Chevelle, Dodge Coronet or some other classic, you’ll want to make sure it’s protected from the elements during the winter months.