Alternative fuels including wind, solar, geo-thermal, ethanol, coal seam gas and natural gas.

Why You Should Hire an Architect

Posted: September 8th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments »

An architect is a highly qualified professional who has experience in planning, designing and the construction of buildings and the oversight of construction jobs.

Also, one is not considered an architect until he or she has properly passed all the necessary education and accredited programs to procure a license in order to practice architecture. When practicing architecture, the architect can have free reign to design the building or group of buildings, as well as the space around it that still counts as part of the project. These ideas form the planning stage of the project and can take months to finalise.

The reason why architects are so crucial to the success of any building plan is simple: they can put your ideas into a feasible and concrete reality. If you have great ambitions for your home or business, then an architect can ensure that those plans will come true.

But aside from the actual design of the building, there are so many other complex factors (beyond the scope of inexperienced people) that need to be taken into account, and these are also covered in the responsibilities of the architect.

For example, there are some architectural firms that not only design the building for you, but they also prepare the tender documents for the costing of of the entire project, and are the ones that most commonly talk to the contractors, stakeholders and any third parties involved in the assignment.

When you hire an architect, you will not have to be confused by by all the small technical details. All you have to be concerned about is if whether or not the building is coming along according to the plans originally established with the help of the architect.

The architect is also very helpful before the actual construction. If you do not have an actual plan but do have an idea on what you want your structure to look like, then that is where the professional can help you on the project.

All you have to do is to present them with some ideas and they can be the ones to take care of site analysis, the assistance you may need in zoning and planning, any environmental impact studies you may need, tendering and contract negotiation with the contractor and his men, and so much more.

The architect that you hire will be involved in all of the aspects of your project. Essentially, you are hiring an architect because you require a trained professional to take carriage of planning and designing the building or dwelling as well as provide the necessary feedback and support throughout the entire assignment.

Hiring an architect is like taking on a business partner for your project, one who is knowledgeable, knows the risk areas around the project and knows how to minimize those risks, has the necessary people skills to work with contractors in order to hire additional resources within budget.

A good architect will treat the project as though it is his or her own and will devise creative ideas and plans to the manager, and discuss in great detail the advantages, disadvantages, any problems of a particular strategy.

These are just some of the many important benefits and key reasons why you should use an architect. There are so many more reasons that really prove that any project worth going through with has to be under the supervision of a highly qualified architect. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that you have a dream construction project, and your architect is the person to make all these dreams become reality.

Looking for Brisbane architects? For renovation architects Brisbane, contact Dion Seminara Architecture. They are leading home improvement architects. Brisbane office is located in Morningside.


Tents and Marquees

Posted: September 2nd, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | No Comments »

marquees-pavillion-3Event Tents, such as wedding tents are for when you want to make a daring outdoor scene. They are generally structures installed at a location for a period of time.

Why A Tent?
Commercial Tents are used as protection from the sun, rain or a gathering place. They can make a stunning and creative atmosphere for any event.

Tent Rentals
Tents can be rented or leased for a day, a weekend, weeks, months, etc. For one or two day events, the Tents are usually installed a few days before the event, depending on scheduling and weather, and remain until a few days after the event. Many rentals are quoted for the entire week, allowing for time to set up and design the interior and exterior. Some Tents are built for exceedingly long-term events and have been installed and remain installed for years.

What Kind of Tent Should I Rent?
Tent rental companies come in all sizes – from small-sized companies with just a few Tents to exceedingly large-sized companies – carrying dozens of several sizes and styles of Tents. Some general rental companies rent from tent rental companies to accommodate their client’s needs.

You may know you want to use a standard Tent for your event, or your event planner may already have in mind to use a Tent. You have options! There are lots of other stunning
structures and Tent styles out there. Some are unique and make a statement of their own. Ask the rental company you’re working with for a list of the type styles they have on hand.

Usually, the different types of Tents available in most companies are (the names vary depending of the company):

Folding Tents Easy and fast to use and always in demand. Very popular, because usually is the less expensive tent. Fast, flexible, cost effective and long lasting.

They are used by:

  • Corporate brands across most industries
  • Government & Council buyers
  • SME business marketers
  • Franchisees
  • Agricultural exhibitors
  • Emergency services & community groups
  • Folding Tents create brand exposure opportunities.
  • You can reach your audience at the right time, in the right place with the right message.

Inflatable Tents An exciting and fun alternative Tent. Easy & fast to set up. Be sure they have removable printed roof because in that way you can share the investment with other licences.

What Size Tent Will I Need?

The size of Tent depends on a few factors:

1. The number of guests you expect
2. Layout or seating arrangements or the style of event:

* Reception with what type of tables?
* Speaker engagement with what type of seating?
* Will you need a dance floor?
* Will you need display areas for your products?

If you are interested in a Tent, you can expect to need about 2,000 – 2,500 square feet for 200-seated guests. That could mean a 40 x 60 size Tent (Always ask the Tent rental vendor directly and they’ll give you the best informationabout the size of Tent you’ll need).

Therefore, the key rule is; know what you are going to use your tent for. The choice of tents is amazing, almost on par with the choice of cars that you can buy.

So if you need a tent for the family BBQ, for example, your needs are fairly basic
and your budget may be low. Look for cheap tents that offers a waterproof Polyester roof and a decent warranty for under $600.

If you need a tent for a school or sports club you will need a selection of sizes, and colours. Most plain colour Tents s range between $995- $2900. If you are keen to advertise yourself, you can have your names printed for around $150-$300. Printing logos usually be a little more expensive.

In the last 5 years, portable Tents have become important to businesses for their marketing. The essential need for these buyers is a prominent and identical reproduction of their logo. Sign written or printed Tents can be as dull as a website address or they can be a design extravaganza.

Remember, if it is for commercial purposes, the aim is to build recognition of your company with your printed Tent. Printed corporate Tents range in price from $1500- $4000. Good ones will really catch your eye.

Once you have decided on what sort of buyer you are and how you are going to use your Tents, a good Tents company will offer you a choice of frames, a warranty of between 3-5 years and help with formulating the printing-if you need it.

For more information about tents, contact Extreme Marquees. We have a range of cheap tents, for all sorts of home and business applications.


Repairing Flooded Carpet: A cheap job is a good job right? Wrong….

Posted: August 18th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Don’t allow a novice 24 hour carpet cleaner come to repair your carpets with water damage. These are the signs you have to be watchful of:

Overcharging. An inexperienced water restoration technician may fill the job up with unnecessary inclusions. E.g. using dehumidification on the water damaged carpets unnecessarily.

Not using the correct equipment. They sometimes use equipment from hire places for the carpet. This is acceptable, but an established water damage restorer will have all their equipment to provide a speedy response and hopefully a better value job.

Proper moisture metre. If they don’t have the right moisture meter, they can’t know whether the carpet is dry. This increases the risk of mould in future. Removal of this would then be required.

Specialisation. There are many “Carpet Cleaners” in this industry who do water damage jobs on the “side.” i.e. they aren’t the ones who deal with this sort of job everyday. Be wary of that. Fixing carpets is an art. Reinstalling carpets on the gripper strips is best to be taken on by a professional, otherwise it can be damaged beyond repair.

You could be pondering, how do I decide on a good Flood Restoration professional? Below I have selected some things to look for when you are calling around for a carpet flood damage business:

How large is their Yellow Pages ad: This can be a sign of how much work they do already. A full-size Yellow Pages advertisement can cost about $50 000. If they have got a bigger ad, you can at least have some expectation that they are established.

Where do they come up in Google? The higher their rank in Google, the more webpage clicks there are for the business.

What Qualifications do they have? The base qualification needed is a IICRC qualification about Applied Structural Drying and Water Damage Restoration.

Do Insurance companies use them for their carpet water damage jobs? This is a top indicator. If insurance companies source them, the business is bound to be superb at their skill. Insurance companies will use the companies that give them the top value for money.

What kind of Equipment do they have? They should own at minimum 100 Air movers. If they possess this many, this could indicate they have been up and running for a good time. We took 8 years to accumulate that many wet carpet drying air movers.

What kind of commitment can you get for them by calling over the phone? Ask if you can pin them down to a set fee for water extraction, water removal and initial inspection. If they wouldn’t give you a fee for this in the least, you know they are not willing to assist you, so look elsewhere.

Response Time – Our Water Damage Brisbane-based business commits to a 59 minute response time for water damage emergency. The repair needs to be attended to ASAP. Mould can develop after a 24 hour period.

If you focus on these tips you are sure to locate a Flood Damage Restoration business who knows how to do the job.

If you have carpet water damage Brisbane, call us for flooded wet carpet drying. Brisbane storm season is approaching and you may need storm damage carpet cleaning. Brisbane and surrounding areas serviced.


Podiatry as a Career in Australia

Posted: August 13th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | No Comments »

As a practicing podiatrist in Brisbane, Australia, I am often asked by parents if podiatry would be a good career for a school leaver to enter. There are many things to recommend a career in podiatry including:

  • You can be self employed: This is a prospect that is increasingly being denied to other health care providers such as optometrists and even Family Doctors. Big Business controls a lot of health practices. Consider how often you see an independent optometrist these days – can they compete on price with the multinational chains?
  • Legal Issues: In Australia (unlike the USA where things are very different), podiatrists very, very rarely face malpractice suits. The nature of podiatry practice does not lend itself to accidentally harming one’s patients. Also, you never have to give your customers the bad news that their condition will be terminal.
  • Working Hours: Emergency call outs are very unlikely. This is good news for those among us who like their sleep uninterrupted.
  • Financial Reward: Whilst it is true that podiatry doesn’t pay as well as being a dentist or doctor , the pay is generally commensurate with other allied health providers.
  • Instant Gratification: One of the most rewarding things about working as podiatrist is the instant gratification! People come in with pain and leave happy. You will experience a plethora of bite-sized jobs each day, many with a cure you can provide immediately. From someone that has worked with unanimously grumpy customers in a past career, believe me when I tell you, it makes the day much more pleasant when people leave you smiling.
  • Philanthropy: Podiatry will allow you a great deal of opportunity to help relieve the suffering of your fellow human beings.
  • Self – Determination: Podiatry provides a practitioner the power to determine their own course of action for the benefit of their patients. This is unlike a career in nursing for instance where one works under the direction of a doctor.
  • Clear Job roles: The only people who can claim to be a podiatrist are those with a podiatry degree . The clear roles that this defines relieves the need to find your ‘niche’ after university – as someone with a more generic Bachelor of Science degree might need to do.
  • Feel the need to travel? There are many places in the world that do not make their own podiatrists including Tasmania, the Northern Territory, all of Asia and all of the Middle East. If you want to work your way around the world, Australian podiatrists can be registered in any Commonwealth country and are particularly in demand in Singapore, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and other far flung fields.
  • Variety: In any given day, a podiatrist will see a huge range of complaints. There might be an ingrown toenail or two, a debilitating corn, a sporting injury, some lower back pain and at least a couple of painful arches . The essence of being a good podiatrist is to bea good problem solver. Every patient is an individual with a unique condition requiring a well considered solution.

How do you qualify as a podiatrist ?

To qualify as a podiatrist necessitates) a four year Bachelor of Health Science degree course {available at six Australian Universities:

  • Curtin University
  • La Trobe University
  • Charles Sturt University
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • University of South Australia
  • University of Western Sydney.

Last year, the entry score for the QUT was OP 8.

Stephanie Cosgrove graduated as a podiatrist from QUT in 1990 and with a Master’s degree in Applied Science (Podiatry) in 1996. Since 1991, she has worked in private practice as a Podiatrist Brisbane. She received three university prizes during her studies, including the award for excellence in design and manufacture of orthotics. Brisbane has been the site of her private practice since 1991 which has grown to four locations and eleven staff. If you want to Walk Without Pain consider a visit to Brisbane’s most innovative podiatry practice today. Call for an appointment now on 1300 A1 Feet.


Eight Steps to Great Web Design

Posted: August 7th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments »

Take charge of getting your site produced by a developer and comprehend the process it will save you money and gain you a site that actually works the intended purpose!

1. Understanding your business and how you are currently established in your market.
In order to author a site that truly meets your requirements; you first need to have a full comprehension of your business including your products, and/or services and more importantly their market position. You then have to consider how you want to explain your business and what it offers in 7 seconds or less. Sounds impossible? Well that is the average time that a user will consider the point “is this site I searched for?”.

2. Budget and estimation
Have a budget in mind and don’t be afraid to let the developers know what it is. In saying this: BE REALISTIC, $500 will never see a great web site created, nor will they be anything left in the bank to market it.

3. The creative process
Be furnished with example sites and more importantly the elements of the site you like so they can get an understanding of what you would like to see on your site and also what you find frustrating about other sites. This will build a good profile and identify not only what type of site to actualize for you but your tolerance to colours, animations, layouts etc. for your requirements which will allow for efficient development. The more interaction and information you give them in the beginning the more time you will save everybody in the long run by becoming what you want 1st time round. Check with the designers on how many rounds of changes come with the contract, most will allow for a total conceptual redesign only once and 2 rounds of changes after that.

4. Production and Content
After the home page design is made, the developers will more than likely take the general layout of this concept and then construct the inner page template. It is this template that will be duplicated for most of your pages for your site.
Provide your content in a pre-proofed word processed document; don’t get too creative with the document fonts etc. as these will not be kept when the content is copied into the code of the site. It is inferred that you do use bolding, underlining, headings and sub heading though ,as these highlights are transferred into the site and are essential later on in not only establishing with the reader but for Search Engine Optimisation.
One last tip for content; formulate a decent amount of content but provide it in a way that a reader may achieve a summary of what you are trying to get across in the 1st couple of paragraphs and an image or to. The rest of the paragraphs that get into finer details ARE FOR GOOGLE !

5. Development Programming and CMS
If your website contains Content Managed Areas (CMS) or has any other dynamic sections the developers will wrap your design around a content management program such as Joomla or Drupal or they may have a custom built system. Make sure that you get to see how the CMS system works on another site they have developed or an example site they may have. it is essential that you know that you can utilize and know the system when your site is complete.

6. Testing and training
We work closely with the developers to test your site especially if there are any CMS or special programs that have been created for you. You can guarantee if it is has just been written for you then it will not work 100% first time round. This is a where things can get ugly in the process you must understand the way the program operates and test it as if you were normal website user. If it doesn’t make sense to you, odds are it won’t make sense to your audience. Make sure you test your website on more than just your browser, try to test it on Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. All of these browsers are available to download on the internet for free!

7. Launch – going live
When the developers are ready to put your site live make sure you have finished the above testing step until you are certain that this website is the best representation of your business / product it can be. Remember even though you can change things after going live it is still a poor reflection on your business if there are spelling mistakes or broken images when you launch.

8. Marketing
There is little point in having a website if nobody visits it, make sure as part of you contract you have discussed search engine optimisation and or search engine marketing as part of your website build. This is the absolute most important factor of the whole process. If you are the only one looking at your site then you are in trouble.

Remember Search Engine Optimisation is about 30% Onsite (getting your site correct for Search Engine to index correctly) and 70% Promotion. Any developer who tells you otherwise hasn’t been in the industry too long.

For more information about web design Brisbane, contact Web Site Blue. Our web designers understand marketing as well as design.


Tips to Creating a New Business Logo

Posted: August 6th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments »

A logo is a central step to forming a business. It is the face of your business. And like your face expresses the tone of your business, indicates the service and reveals the professionalism or lack there of.

People spend a lot of money on the creation of their logo and walk away with no artwork files. Then a couple months down the track when they require to put signage on their new building they cannot track the design studio down that created the original logo for them and so incur costs to have it redone. This is needless and may cause difficulties when trying to recreate the logo exactly as done originally.

We have created some basic tips you for to think about when creating a logo. Hopefully these will help you from experiencing any future obstacles.

Tip 1
First things first – you need to decide if you would like your logo to have an accompanying icon. It is suggested that if your service or product name is not in your business name then perhaps an icon will help in getting a clear message across to your target audience.

An icon can add an extra element to your branding in that you could use the icon on its own on collateral where perhaps you are searching for a more illustrative finish without losing recognition.

A excellent example of this is the well-known and executed Nike logo.

Tip 2
Colour can be an essential decision as it not only could alter the output costs but can also limit your output use. Think about the end result and what you will be bringing your branding onto in the future. Make sure your designer is aware of this as they should design accordingly.

Tip 3
Insure you get a back up disk of your logo as a master file and confirm that it includes all the files required for the different printing formats.

Creative software updates frequently and some programmes become obsolete. Confirm you have a copy of your logo as a PDF – with the text converted to curves.

Tip 4
Using images in your logo is not very easy to manage. For example it is hard to to reverse into black and white. Images also have limitations when it comes to size – they can only be reproduced to a certain size before they start pixilation.

Tip 5
Using gradients in your logo is not recommended. This too can have limitations when it comes to output for ie: gradients are hard to reproduce when embroidering fabrics.

Tip 6
Assure sure the font is legible. Some logos need to be reproduced on small pieces of collateral ie: post stamps. It is important that in this case the text is
legible.

Tip 7
Make certain that you get a copy of your logo in CMYK high resolution 300 dpi (for printing use) and RGB 72 dpi(for web use).

Tip 8
It is important to have a style guide of your logo. It will clearly show you how to use your logo so it looks exactly the same every time it is reproduced. This allows you to keep your corporate image consistent.

Tip 9
Make sure that you get a letter from the design studio declaring that you own the copyright to your logo.

If you follow these tips then not only will you receive a well-designed logo but you will also own the artwork. And when it comes to reproducing your collateral you will be doing it the most cost effective way.

For logo design Brisbane and web design Brisbane, contact Bydaughters today for a free two hour consultation.


How to Create a Style Guide

Posted: July 31st, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »

How many times have you dispatched business cards to print and received yet another version of your corporate colour? Ever been frantic to see your advert in the latest newspaper and then recognized that the crucial tag line is nowhere to be found or your logo has been ruined.

There is only one way to prevent this from happening and that is to create a style guide. Not only will a style guide help you oversee the reproduction of your logo – it will also help you bolster your brand recognition – which many argue is one of the strongest selling tools.

We have placed the below steps together for you as a starting point.

Step 1 : Define the audience for your Style Guide. Is this for staff to use in-house or is this for suppliers and contractors to refer to?

Step 2 : Define what your output uses are. This is important because you will need different logos and file formats for example, black and white publication adverts in comparison to vehicle graphics.

Step 3 : Define the tone for the copy and content required. For example you may needcopy rules for printed content and then copy rules for website content.

Content rules cover all punctuation rules and how to refer to the business and team.

Step 4 : Make sure you layout all the design templates so it is clear how and where the logo and branding lies on all the different pieces of collateral that may be reproduced.

Step 5 : Confirm to accommodate any contributing logos or logos of business that are affiliated with you. It’s also important that you mail a copy of the layout to these companies to guarantee they accept the layout of their logo as they too may have their own Style Guide and hierarchy layout rules.

Step 6 : Ensure that grammar, spelling and contact details are correct.

Step 7 : Make certain that when suppliers are using the Style Guide they understand~know~discern~apprehend} that a proof needs to be dispatched~sent~mailed~commissioned}to you to be affirmed as correct.

Make your Style Guide finished and as established as possible. Then have it saved in an email friendly file format and have a couple printed. Once this is done we strongly advise a training session – whereby your design studio comes in and trains your staff on how to use the Style Guide and most importantly your brand.

For graphic design Brisbane, logo design Brisbane and web design Brisbane, contact Bydaughters today. We help your brand build business.


Projectors: LCD Verses DLP (The downfall of DLP technology)

Posted: July 19th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments »

The common question that is asked when purchasing a new projector for the home, office, or classroom is: do I buy an LCD projector or a DLP projector? LCD, an acronym for ‘liquid crystal device’ and DLP, an acronym for ‘digital light processing’ are the two commonplace projector imaging technologies. With so many company brands and different types available, it can be overwhelming for clients to choose between those technologies. It comes down to the fact that LCD projectors give better image quality and colour accuracy. The next part of this article explains why DLP projectors struggle with creating a comparable level of image quality.

Think of a set of blinds in your household over your bedroom window. By a twist of a rod you can make the shutters open or closed, depending on whether you want to let light in or not. And this is exactly how an LCD projector works. Each pixel functions like a unique shutter on a set of blinds to either send light through or to block it. DLP on the other hand is formed of millions of microscopic mirrors or ‘pixel elements’ as the experts like to call them. Each pixel element works to either reflect light or block it.

How the light source is processed from the point at which the projector is turned on to when the picture reaches your screen is absolutely important with regard to image quality, brightness and colour accuracy. LCD projectors direct white light from the lamp by cutting it into red, blue and green components, by three mirrors which transfer the coloured light to 3 stand alone LCD panels. The 3 LCD panels create the elements of the image by shining each pixel on and off. The pixels are then combined in a glass prism to form the projector image. Something to remember about LCD projectors is that all three colours are sent onto your wall at once. The way a DLP projector operates is totally different and even the final product of how an image shows up is not the same. With DLP, white light from the lamp is directed through a turning colour wheel with transparent red, blue and green segments, at speeds up to 11,000 rpm/s. This approach to forming an image casts a sequence of red, blue and green light. The millions of micro mirrors mentioned above reflect the coloured light on the pixels to create the image elements. The elements of the image are displayed in sequence on the screen, one colour at a time. The viewer’s vision will then pull together each coloured element of the image into a whole image. From LCD projectors, all colours are available all the time to form the best brightness and fantastic colour accuracy. In DLP, just one colour is available at any given time, causing lower colour brightness and accuracy. Some DLP manufacturers have put a white segment into the colour wheel to improve overall brightness, but this then detracts from colour accuracy.

I read in forums all the time that DLP gives a higher contrast ratio and thus must be superior. For those unsure, the contrast ratio is a measure of a display system defined as the ratio of the luminance of the brightest white to that of the darkest black that the projector is capable of. DLP projectors do provide high contrast specifications when compared to many LCD projectors. At first glance, this seems to be a plus, however, in real life, the true black level is determined by the ambient light in the room when the projector is being utilised. Do not be tricked by contrast specifications on websites and in brochures.

When the content you plan to bring to life has moving images, DLP projection technology also has image errors, or ‘artifacts’. The most commonplace artifact that a DLP projector creates with moving images is colour break up. Colour break up is inherent in DLP systems because moving images change position between the time red, blue and green colours are displayed. LCD projectors do not have this downside because the colours are delivered at the same time. DLP developers have come up with 3DLP solutions using 3 chips to answer the colour break up artifacts, but the cost of these projectors make them impractical for many businesses and consumers.

Another differentiation between LCD and DLP is how they make up for the refractive qualities of light. Take yourself back to high school science, and recall how the different colours of light refract different amounts when shone through the same lens. The problem with DLP projectors is that they take the one same panel and the same lens to project Red, Blue and Green. All 3 colours are obviously different and refract light at different levels. Most of the time with a DLP projector, some yellow colour will appear above and a superfluous blue will come through below an image as simple as a single black line. In manufacturing LCD projectors can be adapted to take away these effects on the projected image, as each colour is processed on its own LCD panels.

The one true benefit (excluding price) with choosing a DLP projector is its overall smaller size and weight. However, this is only relevant to mobility and has to be traded off against the image superiority of LCD projectors. If the outcome of the picture quality is vital to you, then the choice is a no-brainer. Take an LCD projector! LCD projectors will constantly produce bright, colourful images with fewer image mistakes. If you want to ask more about LCD technology in more detail, see this spectacular resource website: Explore 3LCD. If you have any more questions, get onto Projector Central and send me an email.

Jonathan King is the sales and marketing manager at Projector Central, Australia’s leading online provider for projectors. Brisbane-based, Projector Central has served Australia for 15 years. For data projectors in the Gold Coast and Interactive Whiteboards, contact Projector Central today.


Yachting and Yacht Clubs

Posted: July 16th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments »

As the Dutch came to preeminence in sea power during the 17th century, the early yacht was a leisure craft used first by royalty and later by the burghers in the canals as well as the protected and unprotected waters of the Low Countries. Yacht racing was incidental, coming out of private challenges. English yachting originated with King Charles II of England during his exile in the Low Countries. On his restoration to the English monarchy in 1660, the city of Amsterdam sent him a 20-metre (66-foot) pleasure boat with a beam (maximum width) of 5.6 m (18 feet), which he named Mary. Charles and his brother James, the duke of York (James II, sovereign 1685–88), ordered for more yachts and in 1662 raced two of them from the Thames, from Greenwich, to Gravesend, and the same way back, on a £100 bet. Yachting rose as popular among the affluent and aristocracy, but after that period the fashion did not last.

The first yacht group in the British Isles, the Water Club, was formed at about 1720 at Cork, Ire., as a cruising and unofficial coast guard group, with large naval panoply and formality. The closest thing to racing was the “chase,” in which the “fleet” pursued a fictional enemy. The club persisted, for the large part as a social club, until 1765, and in 1828, after merging with other societies, it was known as the Cork Yacht Club (later the Royal Cork Yacht Club).

Yacht racing began in some stipulated manner on the Thames about the mid-18th century. The duke of Cumberland founded the Cumberland Fleet for Thames racing in 1775. When George IV ascended to the throne in 1820, it came to be called the Fleet to His Majesty’s Coronation Sailing Society. The Thames Yacht Club seceded following a racing argument, to become the Royal Thames Yacht Club in 1830. The first English yacht organisation had been initiated at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 1815, and royal funding made the Solent – the strait between the mainland and the Isle of Wight – the continuing site of British yacht racing. The organisation at Cowes became the Royal Yachting Club, also at the rise of George IV. All members were required to possess boats of at least 20 tons (20,321 kg). Sailing matches for great bids were held, and the social life was wonderful. Eventually Royal Yachting Club boats were raised in size to bigger than 350 tons.

In North America, yachting started with the Dutch in New York in the 17th century and persisted when the English gained dominance. Sailing was largely for fun and found its apogee in George Crowinshield’s Cleopatra’s Barge (1815), which sailed on the Mediterranean Sea and created a minimum of luxury and sophistication for the later yachts in that area from the late 19th century. The first enduring American yacht society, the Detroit Boat Club, was formed in 1839. In 1844, John C. Stevens began the New York Yacht Club while on board his schooner Gimcrack.

Kinds of sailboats
The first sailing yachts followed the style of such naval craft as brigantines, schooners, and cutters from the 17th century through to the latter half of the 19th century. The craft of bigger yachts was first greatly impacted by the victory of America, which was designed by George Steers for a syndicate led by John C. Stevens, and it was the boat for which the America’s Cup (q.v.) found its namesake after its victory at Cowes in 1851. The first yachts were not designed and manufactured in a contemporary sense, with only a model for an outline. Not until the later half of the 19th century did what was called naval architecture come about. Not until the 1920s did the use of the study of aerodynamics do for the design of sails and rigging what such study had previously done for hulls.

Because nearly all sailboats had been individually manufactured, there arose a need for handicapping boats as this was before the one-design class boats were built. Thus, a rating rule was created, which is found in the International Rule, accepted in 1906 and amended in 1919. Today, one of the rapidly flourishing areas in the field of sailing is that of one-design class boats. All boats in a one-design class are manufactured to the same requirements in length, beam, sail area, and other areas (for an example of a two-person sailboat, see illustration). Racing between those boats can be had on an even playing field with no handicapping required. A perfect example is the generic International America’s Cup Class taken on board for participants in the 1992 America’s Cup race.

For the time that yachting belonged primarily for the royal and the wealthy, cost was no issue, and the size of boats developed, in both length and weight. The rise and popularity of smaller boats came in the second half of the 19th century in the sailing of the Englishmen R.T. McMullen, a stockbroker, and E.F. Knight, a barrister and journalist. A trip around the world (1895–98) captained single-handedly by the naturalized American captain Joshua Slocum in the 11.3-metre Spray demonstrated the hardiness of less sizeable yachts. Later in the 20th century, notably after World War II, smaller racing and recreational boats became more popular, down to the dinghy, a preferred training boat, of 3.7 m. In the late 20th century, yachts of less than 3 m were setting sail single-handedly across the Atlantic Ocean.

Kinds of power yachts
After the decade 1840–50, when steam began to take the place of sail power in public craft, the steam engine, and later the internal-combustion engine, were favoured increasingly in leisure boats. Bigger power yachts were progressed to a high degree, and long-distance travel became a favourite pastime of the well off. The early power yachts were paddle-wheel boats; these then made way to those powered by the wholly submerged screw or propeller kind of propulsion. Like naval and merchant boats, auxiliaries possessing both sail and power were the yacht fashion for several years. By the second half of the 20th century, a lot of yachts were still auxiliaries, but the larger part were solely power yachts containing gasoline or diesel engines.

From the last decade of the 19th century there was a rise in the construction of bigger steam yachts. In particular within these was the Mayflower (1897) of 2,690 tons, containing triple-expansion engines, twin screws, and a compartmented iron hull, and was sailed by a crew of more than 150. The Mayflower, purchased by the United States Navy in 1898, was the official yacht of the president of the United States until 1929 and gave active service in World War II.

As more sizeable and more reliable internal-combustion engines were created, many big yachts started using them for power. The establishment of the diesel engine, with heavy oil for fuel, advanced in World War I. From the decade after, large power-yacht manufacture flourished, hitting a climax in the Orion (1930) at 3,097 tons. In that period the best auxiliary yacht built was the four-masted, steel, barque-rigged Sea Cloud (1931) of 2,323 tons.

The manufacture of large power craft lessened from 1932, and the fashion from then was for smaller, less pricey yachts. After World War II, a lot of small naval vessels were bought by private owners for conversion to yachts. By the late 20th century, yachting had become a widespread loved competition enjoyed by thousands of yachtsmen personally owning and maintaining their own small pleasure yachts. The number of craft and sailors increased steadily, not only in the traditional locations by the seacoasts but also on inland waterways and lakes.

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Proportional, Progressive, and Regressive taxes

Posted: July 8th, 2010 | Author: squadron | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments »

Taxes are differentiated by the impact they have on the distribution of income and wealth. A proportional tax is a kind that applies the same relative onus on every taxpayer—i.e., where tax liability and income move in equal scale. A progressive tax is characterizable by a more than proportional growth in the tax burden in relation to the rise in income, and a regressive tax is characterizable by a less than proportional rise in the related onus. Therefore, progressive taxes are viewed as removing the lack of equality in income distribution, whereas regressive taxes are found to have the effect of an increase in these inequalities.

The taxes that are generally regarded as progressive include individual income taxes and estate taxes. Income taxes that are categorically progressive, however, might become less so for the upper-income categories—especially if a taxpayer is able to lower his tax base by nominating deductions or by removing particular income elements from his taxable income. Proportional tax rates if applied to lower-income groups could also be more progressive if personal exemptions are made.

Income measured over the course of a given period does not necessarily come up with the best measure of taxpaying status. For example, transitory increases in income might be saved, and within temporary declines in income a taxpayer might elect to pay for consumption by decreasing savings. So, if taxation is held in comparison alongside “permanent income,” it should be less regressive (or more progressive) than if compared with annual income.

Sales taxes and excises (excepting those on luxuries) tend to be regressive, because the share of own income consumed or spent for specific goods lowers as the amount of personal income increases. Poll taxes (also termed head taxes), calculated as a standard amount per capita, clearly are regressive.

It is difficult to term corporate income taxes and taxes on business as progressive, regressive, or proportionate, due to uncertainty about the ability of businesses to shift their tax expenses (see below Shifting and incidence). This difficulty of deciding who bears the tax burden rests essentially on whether a national or a subnational (that is, provincial or state) tax is being determined.

In regarding the economic purpose of taxation, it is necessary to distinguish between varied ideas of tax rates. The statutory rates will include those specified in law; commonly these are marginal rates, but in some cases they are average rates. Marginal income tax rates note the fraction of incremental income taken by taxation when income is increased by one dollar. So, if tax liability rises by 45 cents when income increases by one dollar, the marginal tax rate is 45 percent. Income tax legislation usually contain graduated marginal rates—i.e., rates that rise as income grows. Structured analysis of marginal tax rates need to review provisions other than the formal statutory rate structure. If, for example, a particular tax credit (reduction in tax) falls by 20 cents for each one-dollar growth in income, the marginal rate is 20 percentage points greater than specified by the statutory rates. Since marginal rates signify how after-tax income changes in response to changes in before-tax income, they are the appropriate ones for considering incentive effects of taxation. It is even more difficult to nominate the marginal effective tax rate applied to income from business and capital, because it may rely on such factors as the structure of depreciation allowances, the deductibility of interest, and the provisions for inflation adjustment. A basic economic theorem shows that the marginal effective tax rate in income from capital is zero under a consumption-based tax.

Average income tax rates signify the portion of total income that is demanded in taxation. The pattern of average rates is the one that is necessary for appraising the distributional equity of taxation. Under a progressive income tax the average income tax rate grows with income. Average income tax rates usually increase with income, both because personal allowances are permitted for the taxpayer and dependents and also because marginal tax rates are graduated; on the other hand, preferential treatment of income received fundamentally by high-income households may swamp these effects, forcing regressivity, as indicated by average tax rates that decline as income grows.

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