Why Is Ice Slippery?

If you’ve ever shakily stepped onto the ice at your local skating rink, you are intimately familiar with the fear of falling on slippery ice. But what makes ice so slippery in the first place? Interestingly enough, scientists are still trying to figure that one out.

Physicists used to believe that ice became slippery when it was exposed to applied pressure. This pressure, they theorized, lowered the melting temperature of the top layer of ice. They believed that when a person went ice skating, the pressure from the blade caused the topmost layer of ice to melt. The thin layer of water allowed the ice skate to glide easily over the surface. After the blade passed, the top layer of water refroze.

However, most scientists today claim that this theory is wrong. “Ice is a very mysterious solid,” Robert M. Rosenberg, a chemistry professor at Lawrence University, said in an interview with The New York Times.

Scientists found that while pressure does lower the melting point of ice, it only does so by a fraction of a degree. Instead, they proposed that the friction from an ice skate causes the ice to melt beneath it.

Others believe that ice naturally possesses a fluid layer comprised of unstable water molecules. While these molecules search for stability, they move chaotically over the ice’s surface and create a slippery layer.

Read more : http://mentalfloss.com/article/53650/why-ice-slippery?ico=home^editors_choice

Why Nuclear Bombs Create Mushroom Clouds

This phenomenon all comes down to a little something called the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and by extension, convection. I’ll begin with the somewhat longer, but less geeky explanation before descending once again into extreme nerdery.

It all starts with an explosion that creates a Pyrocumulus Cloud. This ball of burning hot gases is accelerated outwardly in all directions. Since the burning ball of accelerated gases is hotter, and therefore less dense, than the surrounding air, it will begin to rise- in the case of nuclear explosions, extremely rapidly. This ultimately forms the mushroom cap.

As the ball rises, it will leave behind air that is heated, creating a chimney-like effect that draws in any smoke and gases on the outer edge of the chimney- convection in action! Visually, this forms the stipe (stalk) of the mushroom.

The perception that the mushroom cap is curling down and around the stipe is primarily a result of the differences in temperature at the center of the cap and its outside. The center is hotter and therefore will rise faster, leaving the slower outer edges to be caught up in the stipe convection’s awesome attributes.

Once that cloud reaches a certain point in our atmosphere, where the density of the gas cloud is the same as the density of the surrounding air, it will spread out, creating a nice cap.

This brings me to the shorter, yet more geeky answer.

This entire process is something that describes the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. This instability is well known in physics and, in general, describes the merging between two different substances (mainly liquids and gases) that have different densities and are subjected to acceleration. In the case of an atomic bomb, the acceleration, and the hotter gases creating the differing densities of material, are caused by the explosion.

From this, you might have guessed you don’t necessarily need an atomic bomb to create a mushroom cloud. All you need is enough energy delivered rapidly (in this case an explosion) that creates a pocket of differing densities of material (in this case, heated gases).

There are numerous other examples in our world that create, and are described by, the same phenomenon that gives us this formation.  For instance, the magnetic fields of planets, the jet-stream of winds that help control our planet’s climate, the sound of snapping shrimp, even our understanding of certain different forms of fusion can all be attributed to Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Now, you might have also noticed that nuclear explosions, besides producing this frightening fungal formation, also sometimes result in a cloud ring around the mushroom cap.  What’s going on here is that a low pressure area is created via the negative phase of the shockwave (the phase that follows the wave of compressed gases at the leading part of the shock wave).  This results in a drop in temperature, which along with the low pressure can potentially lower the dew point sufficiently for a temporary cloud to form. This cloud halo around the explosion is known as a “Wilson Cloud”, named after Scottish physicist Charles Wilson who invented the Wilson Cloud Chamber where similar sorts of things can be observed.

Thanks : http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/11/nuclear-bombs-create-mushroom-cloud

How ants climb the property ladder: Insects monitor surroundings and will leave if they find a more suitable home

It is a never-ending search.

Even when the current residence is perfectly homely, the temptation to inspect neighbouring properties can prove hard to resist.

High ceilings, big open living spaces, a remote location and good security are essential for that ideal des res. 

Thankfully, these house-hunters don’t have to worry about mortgage repayments or removal men - because they’re ants.

Scientists have found the insects continuously monitor surrounding real estate and will quickly up sticks and move if they find a more suitable home.

The Bristol University research also showed rock ants will spend more time looking for that perfect location if their current nest is in poor condition and does not satisfy their needs, with the thoroughness of their research putting many human house-buyers to shame.

Lead researcher Carolina Doran from Bristol University said: ‘This strategy of adjusting their information gathering according to their actual needs and the real value of higher rungs on the property ladder may help ants to evaluate their housing market in a measured and thorough way that puts many of us to shame.’ 

She added: ‘Previous research shows that ants will happily emigrate even if they don’t have to, if they find a nest that is nicer. The implication is that they are constantly monitoring their surrounding environment.

‘Our study proves this to be the case, but also finds that the worse the current state of their nest, the more energy they put into house-hunting for a prospective new home.

‘You can compare their behaviour to staying in a range of hotels. Guests can choose a 1-star hotel, which will provide basic accommodation such as a clean bed and dry roof, but no luxuries. 

'So individuals are more likely to head out and look for somewhere better to stay. The same with ants.’ 

The research, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, examined 15 ant colonies collected from Dorset.

They found the creatures continuously scout their environment for available nest-sites even if their current one is intact.

When assessing potential homes the ants looked for an open living space that can comfortably accommodate the entire colony. 

They also preferred good ceiling height, allowing them to stack their eggs, and a narrow entrance that is easier to defend.

Dark homes were also desirable, as it means there are no other entrances, which could leave the colony open to invasion. 

Nests far from other ant colonies are favoured, a strategy that minimises the likelihood of disputes and increases the amount of food available through foraging.

‘The size of the nest they are looking for is directly linked to the size of the colony. The bigger the group, the bigger the desired home,’ said Miss Doran.

‘They also like a comfortable ceiling height so they can stack their eggs, although nothing too high which makes it feels cavernous.

‘Finally, there is a preference for small entrances, which makes the nest easier to guard. They prefer the dark, so no windows either.

And as they do not get along with other colonies, they prefer to have their nests away from other groups of ants.’ 

Previous studies on rock ants, which nest among the rocks on the southern coast of England, also revealed that the creatures value a second opinion.

When they do find a suitable nest they take a friend along with them to have a look at it.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2440909/How-ants-climb-property-ladder-Insects-monitor-surroundings-leave-suitable-home.html#ixzz2gZQuRvzQ

“Run, Don't Walk.” “Don't Run, Walk."

If you're a runner, you might have noticed this surprising headline from the April 5 edition of the Guardian: "Brisk walk healthier than running—scientists." Or maybe you saw this one, which ran in Health magazine the very same day: "Want to lose weight? Then run, don't walk: Study."

Dueling research from rival academic camps? Not exactly. Both articles described the work of a herpetologist-turned-statistician at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory named Paul T. Williams, who, this month, achieved a feat that's exceedingly rare in mainstream science: He used exactly the same dataset to publish two opposing findings.

One of Williams' papers, from the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exerciseshows that habitual runners gain less weight than habitual walkers, when the amount of energy they put into their exercise routines is the same. The other, published in April inArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, used a similar analysis to show that running is no better than walking when it comes to the prevention of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. So there you have it, and there you don't. Running is better for your health, or perhaps it isn't.

Despite the flip-flop headlines, the findings are not as contradictory as they seem. Losing weight is not the same thing as getting fit—your metabolic health has more to with triglycerides and hypertension than it does with your size in chinos—so there's no fundamental reason why Williams' walkers couldn't gain more weight than the runners while their risk for cardiovascular disease remained the same. The 47,000 people involved in Williams' study were drawn in large part from middle-aged subscribers to exercise magazines who agreed to fill out his surveys, and most of them were slender at the outset. They started with an average BMI in the “normal” range, between 21 and 25. (Overall, middle-aged, U.S. adults have an average BMI of more than 28.) Since the health risks associated with being fat don't kick in until you're very large, they wouldn't necessarily apply to Williams' subjects.

But the deeper story here has more to do with Williams' second finding, that neither form of exercise was any better than the other at promoting cardiovascular health. When Williams set up his gigantic database of avid runners and walkers in the early 1990s, he hoped to help resolve an old debate in exercise science: If you match up workouts according to the amount of energy that they require, are all forms of physical activity created equal? Would a tough and sweaty workout be any better for your health than an easygoing one that lasted twice as long?

Researchers began to ask these questions in the early 1980s, in response to worries over the health effects of jogging. In two decades, the number of self-identified runners in the nation had grown from 100,000 to 30 million, but as the fitness craze expanded, so did concerns about its downsides. Doctors started talking about the natural "endorphin high," and worried that a person might become addicted to certain forms of physical activity. The incidence of shin splints seemed to be increasing, too, along with heel spurs, stress fractures, and inflammations of the knee. Could all this compulsive running be doing more harm than good?

Those fears were realized in the summer of 1984, when the 52-year-old best-selling author and running guru Jim Fixx collapsed dead in his jogging shorts, having had a massive heart attack just 100 yards down the road from his motel. At around the same time, the president of the Rockport shoe company paid a cardiologist named James Rippe to investigate the benefits of walking. Might a less intense form of exercise do the body good? Rippe, who would later write Heart Disease for Dummies and found the Rippe Lifestyle Institute in Orlando, Fla., released some promising data. If you take a swift, half-hour stroll at least three times per week, he said, that should be enough to improve your cardiovascular fitness by 15 percent.

Now the sporting goods industry had a bit of science to support a new and (allegedly) safer form of exercise. By this point, enthusiasm for running was already in sharp decline—the number of joggers in the United States would fall by almost 40 percent between 1979 and 1985—and Rockport led the charge to invent the leisure-time pursuit of "power walking." In the fall of 1984, just a few months after Jim Fixx's death cast a shadow over recreational running, Rockport started selling the ProWalker athletic shoe, the first product in its class.

The trend for walking reached its stride in 1986, with nearly 20 million participants and the inaugural issue of Walking magazine (tagline: "Stop Talking, Start Walking"). This was big business, too: More than 40 companies followed Rockport's lead and released versions of the walking shoe. "If you look at the fitness boom as ripples on a pond, then jogging was the first ring, aerobics the second, and we think walking is the third," said the advertising director for Nike to the Los Angeles Times in 1987.

But mainstream researchers in the field of exercise were a little slower to buy in. Government standards for physical activity, based on advice from the American College of Sports Medicine, still favored more vigorous activities such as running. It prescribed at least half an hour of heavy exercise at least three times per week. "I wrote the guidelines, and I still hold to them," said Michael Pollock, a prominent exercise physiologist, in the middle of the walking hype. The debate in academia would last for almost a decade.

Finally, in the mid-1990s, government agencies softened up in deference to the power walkers. Now Americans were advised to do at least half an hour of something less intense than running—a brisk 4- or 5-mph promenade, for example—but they were advised to do this lighter work more often. In other words, their total dose of exercise would be the same, but they would be taking it in a less concentrated form.

The present version of the guidelines makes this logic more explicit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention equalizes workouts of varying intensities according to a standard exchange rate of 2-to-1: Every two minutes we spend hoofing around inRockport ProWalkers equates to a single minute spent on the jogging trail. That means people can mix and match their workouts until they approximate a recommended weekly total: Either 75 minutes' worth of sweaty, vigorous workouts, or a double helping (150 minutes) of something moderate—or any custom combination of the two.

Williams calls this the "exchangeability premise," that any form of exercise can be subbed in for any other, and that their effects on health will be identical once corrected for the amount of energy that goes into them. Obesity experts often talk about the same idea, using the phrase "calories-in/calories-out." Either way, they're subscribing to a model of personal health where quantity trumps quality. It doesn't really matter what we choose to eat—fats or carbs or proteins—or which machines we end up using at the gym. All that counts is the total energy we absorb from food, minus the total energy we expend in action.

Several of Williams' recent findings support this notion. Most recently, he found that running and walking have about the same effect on risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as long as they're matched up for total energy expenditure. (That is to say, someone who walks for two hours a day will see the same benefit as a matched control who runs for half that time.) In two other papers from the past few months, he showed that running and walking produce equivalent reductions in the risk of osteoarthritis, hip replacement, and cataracts.

An Australian research group has just released a study confirming this idea. For that paper, published March 28, the scientists followed about 11,000 middle-aged women over a 12-year stretch and compared both their total exercise and types of exercise to signs of hypertension and depression. They found that, in general, women who never bothered with vigorous activity were at no greater risk than the others, even when they were matched for total levels of exertion.

Yet Williams' papers and the Australian one suffer from a common flaw: With this type of research, it's impossible to know what hidden factors might be biasing the data. In Williams' group, for example, the runners could have been eating less overall, or they could have been more inclined to exaggerate their workouts. The sorts of long-term, case-controlled studies that could prove the exchangeability premise once and for all would be almost impossible to carry out.

So it's possible that running and walking aren't quite the same, after all. The calories-in/calories-out model does have some notable detractors. The endocrinologist Robert Lustig and journalist Gary Taubes have made a case for saying that food quality does matter, and some calories are worse than others. Could the same critique be applied to exercise? Might some forms of exercise be like eating fruits and vegetables, while others are like eating meat and dairy?

Williams notes that runners do seem to get some extra benefit from their exercise. In short-term studies, he says, they show improvement at making up for bouts of overeating. (If they get a big meal at one sitting, they'll eat less at the next.) They also experience a heightened metabolism that extends beyond the period of working out.

But runners have another, more important edge: They get more done in less time. A vigorous workout is quicker to finish, so it fits more easily into a busy schedule. That may be why the runners in Williams' cohort ended up getting more exercise, over all.

With that in mind, I asked Williams—a runner himself—if he'd recommend the more vigorous activity. He declined to answer. "I'm not really an exercise advocate," he said. "I don't really care if people exercise or not. But I do care about good science."

Thanks : http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/04/run_or_walk_why_science_hasn_t_determined_which_exercise_is_best.single.html

7 Top Home-Buying Mistakes People Often Make

Insanely low mortgage interest rates—and the knowledge that they’ll eventually go up again—make a lot of people feel like it’s time to buy a house right now. And maybe it is … if you go about it the right way.

Buying a home is a major purchase (to put it mildly), and there are plenty of ways to trip up. But don’t worry—we’ve got your primer right here.

1. Don’t … buy a house if you’re planning to move again soon.

If you’re a renter, it can be frustrating to write that rent check every month and have no home equity to show for it at the end of the year. But if you aren’t certain that you’re going to stay put for a few years, it’s probably not the right time to buy—equity or no equity. “Some people tend to buy a house knowing that they’re going to be relocating after a few years,” says LearnVest Planning Services certified financial planner Ellen Derrick. “Don’t buy property and automatically assume that you’ll be able to rent it out or sell it when you move.”

What to do: If you aren’t in an area with a strong rental market that would allow you to cover the mortgage on your home if you move elsewhere, then stick with a rental for now.

2. Don’t … bust your budget.

Shopping for houses can make you a little giddy. Look at this one! And this one! For a little bit more, you could get granite countertops, plus an office nook! You’re dealing with such large numbers when you’re browsing real estate that it might not seem like such a huge deal to stretch another $10,000 or $15,000 to get the home youreally love. But that’s not a game you want to play. “People look at the top end of their affordable monthly payment, and they don’t really think about what happens if their income goes down or they have to change jobs,” says Derrick. (If you’re wondering what percent of your budget should go toward housing, check out the 50/20/30 Rule.)

What to do: Get preapproved for a mortgage. Not only will this prove that you’re serious to your realtor and to home sellers, but it will also give you an idea of your upper limit. “Remember that the lender is there to make you a loan, and the more money you borrow, the better it is for them,” Derrick says. “They want you to max out. I would take the pre-approval number and cut about 20% off.”

3. Don’t … forget about added costs.

Buying a home isn’t just a matter of replacing a rental payment with a mortgage payment. There are also maintenance costs, utilities (which will likely cost more) and property taxes. “People tend to forget about both property taxes and insurance when they’re thinking about how much house they can afford,” Derrick says. “The actual monthly payment could end up being well out of your price range when you figure those things in.”

What to do: Ask the homeowners about their average utility costs and property taxes, get a homeowner’s insurance quote and budget about one percent of the home’s purchase price for annual maintenance. Then run the numbers to see if you can afford the home. (And don’t forget about closing costs. The average cost to close on a $200,000 mortgage is about $3,754, according to Bankrate.com, but your broker should be able to give you an estimate.)

4. Don’t … put down a nominal down payment.

Even with lenders tightening requirements to qualify for a mortgage, it’s still possible to buy a house with as little as 3% down. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that you’ll have very little equity in your home when you first move into it. So if something comes up, and you have to sell, you’ll end up owing more than you can get out of the sale once you factor in closing costs. It puts you in a precarious position. Even if that doesn’t happen, you’ll have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) every month until your equity in the home exceeds the 20% mark—and that could take years. (If you can’t put 20% down, your loan is technically considered risky—PMI is insurance that protects the bank if you default on your mortgage.)

What to do: Consider whether it’s prudent to buy a home now if you’re nowhere near having a 20% down payment. Yes, interest rates are low, but if you have to borrow thousands more because you don’t really have a great nest egg, it may be a wash in the end. You could avoid years of PMI, and owe a lower monthly nut, if you spend a year or two saving aggressively toward a down payment.

RELATED: I Want to Get a Mortgage Checklist

5. Don’t … neglect to get everything in writing.

You wouldn’t be the first home buyer to assume that the kitchen appliances come with the deal—only to discover an appliance-free kitchen on the final walk-through. “I’ve heard of buyers going ten rounds because the seller took the drapes down, and the buyer expected them to be left,” Derrick says. “I’ve seen all kinds of deals blow up over stuff like that.” Common points of contention: window treatments, hot tubs, light fixtures, shower and bath fixtures, ceiling fans and big appliances, such as washers and dryers. Replacing something you thought was staying could cost hundreds, so it’s not a small thing.

What to do: Go through your contract with a fine-toothed comb. If the item that you expected to be there isn’t, ask about it—and get it added in writing.

6. Don’t … skip the inspection.

Even if the home looks like it’s in winning shape, it would be foolish to skip a thorough once-over by a professional. “People tend to think that the inspection and the appraisal are the same thing,” Derrick says. “They’re not.” An inspector is there to spot the things you don’t know to look for, like if the chimney is in great shape or whether those little cracks in the foundation are a big deal. He’ll look for signs of water damage and check the insulation in the attic. If there are conditions that will need repair, you may be able to negotiate with the seller to drop the price. In other words, the inspection is worth every penny.

What to do: Get recommendations from your realtor or friends who’ve bought in the area, and have a professional inspection done before you close on the house.

7. Don’t … think a brand-new home entitles you to brand-new everything.

“A lot of people buy this nice house, and then look at the ratty car sitting in the driveway and think, ‘We better buy a new car,’” Derrick says. Or you suddenly have a formal living room but no formal living room furniture—so you buy some! It’s a mistake to feel like you suddenly have to upgrade all of your stuff to match the shiny new home. “You don’t want to get yourself into a pile of credit card debt just so you can keep up with the house,” Derrick says.

What to do: Live in your house for a while, so you can figure out what you really need. Then save up for it!

Thanks : http://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/7-top-home-buying-mistakes-people-often-make

8 Debt Collection Mistakes Not to Make

You think you’re on top of things … and then the phone rings. A debt collection agency claims that you owe them money. What do you do? Or perhaps the bigger question should be: “what do you not do?”

Too many people make mistakes with that first phone call—mistakes that can cost them dearly. Read on to know how to avoid these common debt collection faux pas.

1. Ignoring Those Calls

What we mean: Thinking that you can just ignore the calls when the number shows up on caller ID won’t make the debt—or the collector—go away.

It can be intimidating when you answer the phone and a voice at the other end starts talking about collecting a debt. But if you continue to ignore the calls, they will start to send collection letters—and possibly notice of legal action. Don’t let it get to that stage.

What to do: Answer the phone, remain calm and know your rights (more on that below.) Before they call again, get your paperwork in order (more on that later, too), so you won’t be caught off guard when you answer the phone. If they’re already sending letters, don’t toss them—read them and seek advice.

2. Not Verifying the Debt in Writing

What we mean: Always ask for written verification of the debt to be mailed to you. In trying to track down a debtor, companies may resort to something as simple as checking the phone directory. Do you want to be held responsible for someone else’s debt simply because that person has the same name as you?

What to do: Explain to the caller that you do not make any decisions on the phone, and that you need written proof of the debt. (By law, they must provide it.) Request that they mail you all of details of the debt, including the name and address of the borrower, the amount borrowed, the date the debt was incurred and, if possible, a copy of the original debt application or approval letter.

3. Not Knowing the Legal Status of Your Debt

What we mean: Some debts are subject to a statute of limitations. While the actual amount of time varies from state to state, this means that if the creditor has not made contact with you in a specific time period (typically five to seven years), that debt can legally be struck from the books.

What to do: Check the debt statute of limitations for your state. The statute applies when the company owed the money has failed to make reasonable efforts to obtain the money owed, not when you have ignored attempts to collect. When does the clock start ticking? Usually from the date of last activity on the account, but this may vary by state.

If the statute of limitations has expired on your debt, write to the debt collector, advising them that it has expired, and not to contact you anymore. Sending the letter by certified mail ensures that they have received it. If the statute has not passed, talk to a legal or financial professional experienced in debt collection to learn about your repayment options.

4. Providing Credit Card Information or Agreeing to a Payment Plan Before Seeking Advice

What we mean: Do not give your credit card or bank info to the person on the phone without first requesting—and reviewing—written evidence of the debt. A huge business in today’s debt collection market is zombie debt, or debts that have expired but have been purchased by one or more debt collection agencies. As soon as you acknowledge the debt, and offer to make payments, the debt is reactivated, making you fully liable.

What to do: After receiving written verification of the debt, seek independent financial advice. The collection agency will want to receive their money in the time that’s most beneficial to them, but a financial advisor may be able to help you find alternative repayment options. Once you’ve agreed to a plan, it can be difficult, but not impossible, to make changes. But even with an agreement made via phone, you are entitled to receive written details about the agreed-to plan. And be sure to seek financial advice as soon as the paperwork arrives.

5. Not Knowing Your Legal Rights

What we mean: Even if you owe money, you still have legal rights to protect yourself from debt collectors who may not be following the rules. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is made available by the FTC and offers a clear explanation of your rights as a consumer. For instance, did you know that a collection agency must identify themselves clearly, must provide any written evidence you request and can only call between certain hours?

What to do: Download your free copy of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) (pdf). It may look dense and be full of legal jargon, but it’s actually very straightforward when it comes to explaining what a collection agency can and can’t do when they contact you. And be sure to let anyone who calls regarding a debt know that you’re aware of its contents.

6. Seeking Advice From the Wrong Source

What we mean: Look for guidance from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or a certified financial planner or a legal advisor with specific experience in debt collection. Some people make the mistake of calling their state’s treasury or revenue office in the belief that they can help, but they cannot provide individual legal advice.

Warning: Not all advisors are created equal. You wouldn’t see a heart doctor for a stubbed toe, so it only makes sense to seek out professionals with experience in the field of debt collection. They will be more up to date on current legal and financial developments, and can help save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

What to do: Find a qualified financial planner. If seeking legal advice, ensure that the attorney is qualified to practice in your state, and that the person’s area of expertise is relevant to your situation. (Be wary of any free online sites that purport to give financial advice, but that are, in fact, linked to collection agencies.) And remember that you may not receive the advice you’d like to hear—even the most specialized professional cannot make your debt magically disappear.

7. Not Knowing Who Is Collecting Your Debt

What we mean: Do you know which company you’re paying the money to? Is it the same company that you originally borrowed from? Or is it a collections agency? If so, the debt may have legally expired.

Given the various economic upheavals of the past decades, banks have failed, debts have been passed from one company to another and the company calling to collect may not be the same company from whom you originally borrowed money.

Furthermore, as debts pass the statute of limitations, debt collection agencies buy them from the original creditor for pennies on the dollar in the hopes of recouping huge profits. Even though the statute of limitations may have passed, if an agency can get you to admit to owing the debt, liability is revived and they can legally collect the debt. It’s not unusual to have multiple companies all attempting to collect the same zombie debt, and if you’re not careful, you could end up having to repay them all.

What to do: Go back to that written proof. Follow the trail to see who is now contacting you about the debt, and how they came to be in possession of it. This can help you to determine whether the debt has been legitimately passed to a collections agency or whether it has expired and is now being pursued as a zombie debt.

8. Not Reporting Harassment

What we mean: Harassing behavior may include calling outside permitted hours, refusing to provide written proof of debt and threatening arrest or imprisonment. The number of complaints against collection agencies has skyrocketed in recent years, and the judicial system is taking the matter of harassment very seriously. Last year, an Atlanta-based company was forced to forgo collection on more than 31,000 delinquent accounts (exceeding $15,000,000) as punishment for violating collections laws.

What to do: Know your rights. If a caller appears to be in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, remind them of that fact—and tell them that you will call your state attorney to report the harassment. And remember that it’s never too late to report harassment. While there may be no legal recourse for you, your complaint may be part of a thick file that eventually helps to shut down those who continue to threaten others.

Readmore : http://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/top-debt-collection-mistakes-to-avoid

Avoiding Common Meeting Mistakes

Successfully organizing meetings is an under-appreciated business skill. With the umpteen details meeting and event planners need to handle, mistakes are bound to be made, and sometimes heads will roll as a result. To make certain that yours isn't one of them, here are some common meeting blunders to rise above.

Forgetting to check dates

Before finalizing any dates for your meetings or events, check that they don't overlap with any religious, public, state, or federal holidays. Also, consider avoiding an overlap with any major sporting events, especially if you're looking to attract a predominately male audience. At the beginning of the calendar year, generate a checklist of all the upcoming holidays and events so that you don't let one slip by you. It's so easy to do!

Booking a site before making a visit

Often when you're organizing an event at a destination many miles from home, there's not enough time or money in the budget to make a site visit. Big mistake! Why take the risk that everything won't be fine on the day of the event or rely on someone else's judgment? This is particularly critical for larger meetings and events. In addition, checking out the scene beforehand allows you the opportunity to meet and build a rapport with the staff you'll be working very closely with on the day of the event.

Failing to market your event

It's really quite simple: In order to get people to attend your event, you need to let them know about it in plenty of time. It's all about marketing and communication, which is part and parcel of your planning and organizing process. The longer you wait to inform potential attendees, the stronger the chance that they'll have made alternative plans for your meeting dates. Communicate your message in plenty of time so that your event is their number one priority.

Signing contracts that lack specifics

One meeting planner had her day in court when she cancelled a meeting because the hotel she booked had not made, in her opinion, sufficient progress on its planned renovation. The hotel argued differently and, in fact, won the case. The written contract had specified that "substantial progress" would be made prior to the meeting date. Being such a subjective phrase, it was open to different interpretations. Make sure that your contracts are ironclad with undisputable details. Avoid phrases like "to be negotiated" or "to be determined at a later date."

Failing to plan

Fail to plan, and you're laying yourself open for disaster. Far too many pieces of the puzzle need to be put together for you to just wing it or pay lip service to a plan. Vow to be as thorough and meticulous as possible. Check and recheck details. Discuss your event with people not involved in the business to get outsider opinions. Create checklists and checklists of checklists. Cover all your bases. The more thorough you are, the less chance of failure and more probability of success.

Neglecting to check references

Having a gut feeling about someone is great, but always check to make sure he's as good as he says he is. Yes, it will take some extra time to check references, but it's well worth the effort. Why take the chance of spoiling your important event with a supplier who lets you down at the last minute or supplies you with second-rate equipment or poor-quality service? A key question to ask the reference is, "Would you use this supplier again for your next function?" You know what to do if the answer is negative!

Leaving important details to the last minute

Putting your meeting together takes time, and the more you have, the better the chances of making fewer mistakes. The more rushed and panicked you are, the more likely you are to forget some of the essential (and sometimes most obvious) things. Use your checklists religiously, and handle details in the early planning stages. Leaving the basics to the last minute will undoubtedly cost more money, as you'll probably incur rush charges, and it will definitely add unnecessary stress to your life!

Letting someone else do the planning

So you want to take the easy way out, and you find yourself a professional planner to handle all the details. Can you afford to just sit back in the hope that this wonderful person performs magic? Just because you hire some assistance doesn't mean you're out of the picture. On the contrary, you now take on the role of steward, which makes you responsible for directing all the operations. Let others do the running around on your behalf, but always have a visible presence in the background making sure that everything runs smoothly.

Neglecting contingencies

Another aspect of your planning process involves developing contingency plans. Unfortunately, the chances are pretty high that something you planned for won't necessarily go as arranged. So what's your backup? If you don't have one, all your original plans could be destroyed in an instant, and you'll be scrambling to put a second strategy into operation. Have a Plan B ready "in the wings" just in case you need it.

Trying to save money

With tight budgets and a boss breathing down your neck and expecting you to do more with less, the temptation to make vendor decisions based solely on price is strong. Yes, you'll always find someone who's prepared to under-price services just to get the business. But how good and reliable are they? Cheap prices and good quality usually don't correlate. So the next time you're tempted to make a buying decision based entirely on price, think again!

Readmore : http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/avoiding-common-meeting-mistakes.html

Avoiding Mistakes in Java

The only people who never make mistakes are the people who never do anything at all. But careful planning can help you avoid some of the most common Java goofs, such as the following.

Putting capital letters where they belong

Java is a case-sensitive language, so you really have to mind your Ps and Qs — along with every other letter of the alphabet. Here are some things to keep in mind as you create Java programs:

·                   Java's keywords are all completely lowercase. For instance, in a Java if statement, the word ifcan't be If or IF.

·                   When you use names from the Java API (Application Programming Interface), the case of the names has to match what appears in the API.

·                   You also need to make sure that the names you make up yourself are capitalized the same way throughout your entire program. If you declare a myAccount variable, you can't refer to it as MyAccount, myaccount, or Myaccount. If you capitalize the variable name two different ways, Java thinks you're referring to two completely different variables.

Breaking out of a switch statement

If you don't break out of a switch statement, you get fall-through. For instance, if the value of verse is 3, the following code prints all three lines — Last refrain, He's a pain, and Has no brain.
switch (verse) {
case 3:
out.print("Last refrain, ");
out.println("last refrain,");
case 2:
out.print("He's a pain, ");
out.println("he's a pain,");
case 1:
out.print("Has no brain, ");
out.println("has no brain,");
}

Comparing values with a double equal sign

When you compare two values with one another, you use a double equal sign. The line
if (inputNumber == randomNumber)

is correct, but the line
if (inputNumber = randomNumber)

is not correct.

Adding components to a GUI

Here's a constructor for a Java frame:
public SimpleFrame() {
JButton button = new JButton("Thank you...");
setTitle("...Katie Feltman and Heidi Unger");
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
add(button);
button.addActionListener(this);
setSize(300, 100);
setVisible(true);
}

Whatever you do, don't forget the call to the add method. Without this call, you go to all the work of creating a button, but the button doesn't show up on your frame.

Adding listeners to handle events

Look again at the previous section's code to construct a SimpleFrame. If you forget the call to addActionListener, nothing happens when you click the button. Clicking the button harder a second time doesn't help.

Defining the required constructors

When you define a constructor with parameters, as in
public Temperature(double number)

then the computer no longer creates a default parameterless constructor for you. In other words, you can no longer call
Temperature roomTemp = new Temperature();

unless you explicitly define your own parameterless Temperature constructor.

Fixing non-static references

If you try to compile the following code, you get an error message:
class WillNotWork {
String greeting = "Hello";
public static void main(String args[]) {
System.out.println(greeting);
}
}

You get an error message because main is static, but greeting isn't static.

Staying within bounds in an array

When you declare an array with ten components, the components have indices 0 through 9. In other words, if you declare
int guests[] = new int[10];

then you can refer to the guests array's components by writing guests[0], guests[1], and so on, all the way up to guests[9]. You can't write guests[10], because the guests array has no component with index 10.

Anticipating null pointers

In real-life Java programming, you see that exception all the time. A NullPointerException comes about when you call a method that's supposed to return an object, but instead the method returns nothing. Here's a cheap example:
import static java.lang.System.out;
import java.io.File;
class ListMyFiles {
public static void main(String args[]) {
File myFile = new File("\\windows");
String dir[] = myFile.list();
for (String fileName : dir) {
out.println(fileName);
}
}
}

This program displays a list of all the files in the windows directory.

But what happens if you change \\windows to something else — something that doesn't represent the name of a directory?
File myFile = new File("#*%$!!");

Then the new File call returns null (a special Java word meaning nothing), so the variable myFile has nothing in it. Later in the code, the variable dir refers to nothing, and the attempt to loop through all the dir values fails miserably. You get a big NullPointerException, and the program comes crashing down around you.

To avoid this kind of calamity, check Java's API documentation. If you're calling a method that can return null, add exception-handling code to your program.

Helping Java find its files

You're compiling Java code, minding your own business, when the computer gives you a NoClassDefFoundError. All kinds of things can be going wrong, but chances are that the computer can't find a particular Java file. To fix this, you must align all the planets correctly.

·                   Your project directory has to contain all the Java files whose names are used in your code.

·                   If you use named packages, your project directory has to have appropriately named subdirectories.

·                   Your CLASSPATH must be set properly.

Readmore : http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/avoiding-mistakes-in-java.html

The Ten Most Common C++ Mistakes

Although many C++ programmers take measures to prevent bugs, mistakes still slip through. This list of the ten most common mistakes while writing C++ code can help both new and veteran programmers:

1. You forgot to declare the variable.
2. You used the wrong uppercase and lowercase letters; for example, you typed Main when you meant main.
3. You used one equal sign (=) when you were supposed to use two (==), either in an ifstatement or in a for loop.
4. You forgot #include  or using namespace std;.
5. You dropped the laptop in the swimming pool.
6. You forgot to call new and just started using the pointer anyway.
7. You forgot the word public: in your classes so everything turned up private.
8. You let the dog eat the remote.
9. You forgot to type the parentheses when calling a function that takes no parameters.
10. You forgot a semicolon, probably at the end of a class declaration.
    
    
    Readmore : http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-ten-most-common-c-mistakes.html