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 well trained 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 property. These ideas form the planning stage of the project and can take months to finalise.

The reason why architects are so important 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 dreams 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 bogged down 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 construction begins. 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 endeavor.

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 project.

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 hindrances of a particular strategy.

These are just some of the many important benefits and key reasons why you should hire 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 fabulous
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 varying 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 fundamental
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 range 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 cost a little more.

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 premium reproduction of their logo. Sign written or printed Tents can be as dull as a website address or they can be a design masterpiece.

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 an inexperienced 24 hour carpet cleaner attempt to repair your carpets with water damage. These are the signs you need to be wary of:

Overcharging. An unprofessional water restoration cleaner may build the job up with superfluous extras. E.g. using dehumidification for drying the damaged carpets unnecessarily.

Not using the correct equipment. They sometimes use equipment from hire companies for the carpet. This is all right, but an established water damage professional will own all their equipment so they provide a quicker response and hopefully a better value job.

Moisture metre. If they don’t have the choice moisture meter, they can’t see when the carpet is dry enough. This furthers the potential of mould in future. Removal of the mould would then be required in the future.

If they aren’t specialised. There are many “Carpet Cleaners” in this industry who do water damage repair work on the “side.” i.e. they do not deal with this sort of repair everyday. Be careful of them. Drying a carpet is an art. Reinstalling carpets on the gripper strips needs to be done by a professional, otherwise the carpet can be permanently damaged.

You might be thinking, how do I decide on a proper Flood Restoration Business? Below I have listed some signifiers to look for when you hunt around for a carpet flood damage business:

The size of their Yellow Pages advertisement: This can indicate how much repair work they do already. A full-size Yellow Pages advertisement can cost upwards of $50 000. If they have paid for a big ad, you have some indication that they are established.

Where do they rank in Google? The higher the rate in Google, the more “online votes” there are for this business.

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

Do Insurance companies use them for their water damage jobs? This is a top indicator. If insurance companies use them, the business is likely to be superb at their job. Insurance companies generally use the providers that grant them the better value for the money.

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

What type of commitment can you get out of them by calling? See if you can pin them down to a rate for water extraction, water removal and initial inspection. If they won’t give you a package for this only, you know they are not going to serve you, so look elsewhere.

Response Time – Our Water Damage Brisbane business is committed to a 59 minute response time to a water damage emergency. The repair needs to be responded to ASAP. Mould can come inside a 24 hour period.

If you focus on these tips you are sure to choose a Flood Damage Restoration professional who knows what they are doing.

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 frequently asked by patients if podiatry would be a good career for a school leaver to contemplate . 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 GPs . 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 get sued . 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 medical practitioner or dentist , the salary is generally commensurate with other allied health providers.
  • Instant Gratification: One of the best aspects of 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 less stressful when people leave you smiling.
  • Philanthropy: Podiatry will give you an abundance of opportunity to help relieve the suffering of your fellow human beings.
  • Self – Determination: Podiatry gives a professional the power to determine their own course of action for the benefit of their patients. This is unlike a career in nursing for example where one acts under the direction of a doctor.
  • Clear Job roles: The only people who can work as a podiatrist are those with a podiatry degree . The clear roles that this demarcates relieves the requirement to find your ‘niche’ after university – as someone with a more generic Bachelor of Science degree might need to do.
  • Got the urge to travel? There are many places in the world that do not qualify 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 gain employment 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 large 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 key to being a good podiatrist is to bea good problem solver. Each patient is an individual with a unique problem requiring a well considered solution.

How do you qualify as a podiatrist ?

To qualify as a podiatrist which can be studied at available fromsix 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 created by a developer and know the process it will save you money and aquire you a site that actually works the intended purpose!

1. Knowing your business and how you are currently positioned in your market.
In order to establish a site that truly meets your requirements; you first need to have a full knowledge of your business including your products, and/or services and more importantly their market position. You then have to acknowledge 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 armed with example sites and more importantly the elements of the site you like so they can accomplish an understanding of what you would like to see on your site and also what you find frustrating about other sites. This will construct a good profile and analyze not only what type of site to build for you but your tolerance to colours, animations, layouts etc. for your requirements which will allow for fast development. The more interaction and information you allow 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 collect the general layout of this concept and then create the inner page template. It is this template that will be duplicated for most of your pages for your site.
Submit your content in a pre-proofed word processed document; don’t become too creative with the document fonts etc. as these will not be preserved when the content is copied into the code of the site. It is suggested 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; provide a decent amount of content but formulate it in a way that a reader may achieve a summary of what you are trying to infer 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 operate on another site they have developed or an example site they may have. it is essential that you know that you can utilize and understand 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 operate 100% first time round. This is a where things can get ugly in the process you must understand the way the program works and test it as if you were normal website user. If it doesn’t make sense to you, chances 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 avialable on the internet for free!

7. Launch – going live
When the developers are ready to make your site onlive 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 considered 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 very important step to building a business. It is the face of your business. And like your face expresses the tone of your business, indicates the service and displays the professionalism or lack there of.

People spend a lot of money on the formation of their logo and walk away with no artwork files. Then a couple months down the track when they need 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 obstacles when trying to replecate 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 hinted 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 looking for a more illustrative finish without losing recognition.

A perfect 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 margin your output use. Consider 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
Make certain you get a back up disk of your logo as a master file and insure that it includes all the files required for the different printing formats.

Creative software updates frequently and some programmes become obsolete. Insure 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 regulate. For example it is troublesome 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
readable

Tip 7
Insure 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 accept 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 sent business cards to print and procured yet another version of your corporate colour? Ever been enthusiastic to see your advert in the latest newspaper and then recognized that the crucial tag line is missing or your logo has been squashed.

There is only one way to stop this from happening and that is to use a style guide. Not only will a style guide aid you steer the reproduction of your logo – it will also help you sustain 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 : Mark the audience for your Style Guide. Is this for staff to put to work 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 wantcopy rules for printed content and then copy rules for website content.

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

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

Step 5 : Make certain to take into account any contributing logos or logos of business that are affiliated with you. It’s also important that you send a copy of the layout to these companies to ensure they approve the layout of their logo as they too may have their own Style Guide and hierarchy layout rules.

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

Step 7 : Confirm 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 validated as correct.

Make your Style Guide completed 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 utilize 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 most typical question asked when acquiring a new projector for the home, office, or classroom is: will I buy an LCD projector or a DLP projector? LCD, short for ‘liquid crystal device’ and DLP, an acronym for ‘digital light processing’ are the two top projector imaging technologies. With so many company brands and different types available, it can be difficult for customers to choose between both technologies. Ultimately LCD projectors give superior image quality and colour accuracy. The article below will explain why DLP projectors struggle with creating a similar level of image quality.

It’s like a set of blinds in your home on your bedroom window. By a twist of a rod you can have the shutters open or closed, depending on if you want to let light in or not. That is exactly how an LCD projector works. Each pixel operates like a unique shutter on a set of blinds to either shine light through or to block it. DLP on the other hand is made up of millions of microscopic mirrors or ‘pixel elements’ as professionals like to call them. Each pixel element works to either reflect light or block it.

How the light source is processed from when the projector is turned on to when the picture reaches your screen is vitally significant in regard to image quality, brightness and colour accuracy. LCD projectors process white light from the lamp by splitting it into red, blue and green components, by three mirrors which project the coloured light to 3 individual LCD panels. The 3 LCD panels cast the elements of the image by processing 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 projected onto your projector screen at the same time. The way a DLP projector works is very different and even the final product of how an image shows up is not the same. With DLP, white light from the lamp is processed through a spinning colour wheel with transparent red, blue and green segments, at speeds up to 11,000 rpm/s. This way of forming an image forms a sequence of red, blue and green light. The millions of micro mirrors described above reflect the coloured light on the pixels to create the image elements. The elements of the image are sent in sequence on the screen, one colour at a time. The viewer’s vision will then put together each coloured element of the image into the complete image. Using LCD projectors, all colours are available all the time to create the top level of brightness and spectacular colour accuracy. In DLP, just one colour is available at once, resulting in lower colour brightness and accuracy. Some DLP manufacturers have added a white segment into the colour wheel to improve brightness generally, but this also damages colour accuracy.

I see in forums all the time that DLP offers a higher contrast ratio and thus must be superior quality. For those who are unaware, 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 machine is capable of. DLP projectors do offer high contrast specifications as compared to most LCD projectors. At first glance, this must be an advantage, however, in the real world, the true black level is determined by the ambient light in the room where the projector is used. Do not be fooled by contrast specifications on websites and in brochures.

When the content you want to see requires moving images, DLP projection technology can also create image marks, or ‘artifacts’. The most typical artifact that a DLP projector displays with moving images is colour break up. Colour break up is inherent in DLP systems because moving images change up between the time red, blue and green colours are displayed. LCD projectors do not have this downside because all the colours are processed with the others. DLP designers have formed 3DLP solutions using 3 chips to fix the colour break up error, but the price tag of these projectors make them not practical for the majority of businesses and consumers.

Another point of difference between LCD and DLP is how they match the balance for the refractive qualities of light. Jump back to high school science, and recall how the different colours of light refract different amounts when projected through the same lens. The problem with DLP projectors is that they utilise the one same panel with the same lens to project Red, Blue and Green. All 3 colours are different and refract light at different levels. Usually with a DLP projector, an extra yellow colour will be projected above and some blue will appear below an image of something as simple as a single black line. In manufacturing LCD projectors can be fixed to take away these effects on the projected image, because each colour is directed on its own LCD panels.

The isolated real plus (excluding price) with taking a DLP projector is its smaller size and weight. However, this is only relevant with regard to transport and has to be traded off against the image plusses of LCD projectors. If overall picture quality is vital to you, then the choice is a no-brainer. Take an LCD projector! LCD projectors will constantly make bright, colourful images with fewer image errors. If you want to ask more about LCD technology in more detail, see this fantastic resource website: Explore 3LCD. If you have any other questions, visit Projector Central and send me an email.

Jonathan King is the sales and marketing manager of Projector Central, Australia’s top online shop for projectors. Based in Brisbane, 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 rose to dominance in sea power during the 17th century, the early yacht had been a pleasure craft used initially by royalty and secondly by the burghers on the canals and the protected and unprotected waters of the Low Countries. Racing yachts was incidental, borne from private matches. English yachting originated with King Charles II of England during his exile in the Low Countries. On his return to the English throne in 1660, the city of Amsterdam presented him with a 20-metre (66-foot) pleasure boat with a beam (maximum width) of 5.6 m (18 feet), which he then named Mary. Charles and his brother James, the duke of York (James II, ruled 1685–88), built additional yachts and in 1662 raced two of them from the Thames, from Greenwich, to Gravesend, and the same way back, on a £100 wager. Yachting became popular with the wealthy and royalty, but after that period the trend did not last.

The first yacht club in the British Isles, the Water Club, was instigated in about 1720 at Cork, Ire., as a cruising and unofficial coast guard association, with much naval panoply and gravity. The closest thing to racing was the “chase,” in which the “fleet” pursued an imagined enemy. The club persisted, for the large part as a social club, until 1765, and in 1828, by merging with other organisations, it became the Cork Yacht Club (later the Royal Cork Yacht Club).

Yacht racing was first seen in some ordered fashion on the Thames about the mid-18th century. The duke of Cumberland funded the Cumberland Fleet for Thames racing in 1775. When George IV came to monarchy in 1820, it was named the Fleet to His Majesty’s Coronation Sailing Society. The Thames Yacht Club seceded following a racing fight, to become the Royal Thames Yacht Club in 1830. The first English yacht society had been formed 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 continued location of British yachting. The organisation at Cowes became the Royal Yachting Club, likewise at the ascension of George IV. Every member was required to possess boats of at least 20 tons (20,321 kg). Sailing races for high bets were held, and the social life was lovely. Ultimately Royal Yachting Club boats were raised in size to bigger than 350 tons.

In North America, yachting began with the Dutch in New York in the 17th century and went on when the English gained control. Sailing was mostly for leisure and found its epitome 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 the area from the late 19th century. The first continuing American yacht group, the Detroit Boat Club, was instigated in 1839. In 1844, John C. Stevens founded the New York Yacht Club while on board his schooner Gimcrack.

Kinds of sailboats
Early sailing yachts followed the design of such naval craft as brigantines, schooners, and cutters from the 17th century through the later half of the 19th century. The design of bigger yachts was initially heavily put upon by the win of America, which was designed by George Steers for a group headed by John C. Stevens, and it was the boat for which the America’s Cup (q.v.) was named after its win at Cowes in 1851. Earlier yachts were not designed and crafted in today’s sense, with merely a model being used. Not until the latter half of the 19th century did what was called naval architecture come about. Not until the 1920s did the use of the science of aerodynamics do for the structure of sails and rigging what such study had previously done for hulls.

Because nearly all sailboats had to be individually manufactured, there came a desire for handicapping boats as this was before the one-design class boats were built. Thus, a rating rule was written, which ended up in the International Rule, adopted in 1906 and revised in 1919. In modern times, one of the fastest growing areas in the field of sailing is that of one-design class boats. All boats in a one-design class are created to single requirements in length, beam, sail area, and other elements (for an example of a two-person sailboat, see illustration). Racing between such boats can be done on an even playing field with no handicapping at all. A great example is the standard International America’s Cup Class taken on for yachts in the 1992 America’s Cup race.

As long as yachting was done primarily for the royal and the wealthy, money was no problem, and the size of boats increased, in both length and weight. The rise and preference of smaller craft came in the later half of the 19th century out of 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) led single-handedly by the naturalized American captain Joshua Slocum in the 11.3-metre Spray made plain the value of less sizeable boats. Thereafter in the 20th century, for the larger part after World War II, smaller racing and leisure boats became commonplace, down to the dinghy, a favourite 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
Following the decade 1840–50, during which steam was set to emulate sail power in market vessels, the steam engine, and later the internal-combustion engine, were used increasingly in leisure yachts. Bigger power yachts were progressed to a high element, and long-distance cruising was a favoured occupation of the wealthy. The first power yachts were paddle-wheel boats; these then gave rise to yachts powered by the fully submerged screw or propeller sort of propulsion. As well as naval and merchant yachts, auxiliaries carrying both sail and power were the yacht fashion for several years. By the latter half of the 20th century, many yachts were still auxiliaries, but the larger part were only power yachts containing gasoline or diesel engines.

During the last decade of the 19th century there was a push in the manufacture of bigger steam yachts. Conspicuous of these was the Mayflower (1897) of 2,690 tons, that had triple-expansion engines, twin screws, and a compartmented iron hull, and was sailed by a crew of over 150. The Mayflower, bought 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 dependable internal-combustion engines were developed, many bigger yachts were using them for power. The creation of the diesel engine, employing heavy oil for fuel, was furthered from World War I. From the decade after, large power-yacht creation grew, hitting a climax in the Orion (1930) at 3,097 tons. During that point the largest auxiliary yacht manufactured was the four-masted, steel, barque-rigged Sea Cloud (1931) of 2,323 tons.

The construction of larger power craft declined in 1932, and the style from then was in preference of smaller, less pricey boats. From World War II, a lot of small naval craft were sold to private owners for conversion to yachts. In the late 20th century, yachting has become a widespread loved competition enjoyed by thousands of yachtsmen individually manning and keeping their own small recreational craft. The number of boats and yachtsmen is increasing steadily, not only in the traditional areas on the beach 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 placement of income and wealth. A proportional tax is one that applies the same relative liability on all taxpayers—i.e., in the case where tax liability and income grow in equal proportion. A progressive tax is characterizable by a larger than proportional rise in the tax liability relative to the growth in income, and a regressive tax is recognised by a less than proportional increase in the related onus. Hence, progressive taxes are viewed as taking away inequalities in income distribution, whereas regressive taxes may increase these inequalities.

The taxes that are usually regarded as progressive include individual income taxes and estate taxes. Income taxes that are categorically progressive, however, can become less so for the upper-income group—in particular if a taxpayer is permitted to lower his tax base by declaring deductions or by leaving out some particular income aspects from his taxable income. Proportional tax rates that are applied to lower-income categories would also be more progressive if personal exemptions are claimed.

Income measured over the course of a given year might not definitely provide the best measure of taxpaying requirements. For example, transitory increases in income can be saved, and in temporary declines in income a taxpayer may elect to finance consumption by decreasing savings. Thus, if taxation is compared along with “permanent income,” it should be less regressive (or more progressive) than when made comparable with annual income.

Sales taxes and excises (save on luxuries) are generally regressive, because the portion of individual income consumed or spent for a specific good declines as the amount of personal income grows. Poll taxes (also known as head taxes), nominated as a standard amount per capita, obviously are regressive.

It is not easy to classify corporate income taxes and taxes on business as progressive, regressive, or proportionate, due to uncertainty around the ability of businesses to shift their tax expenses (see below Shifting and incidence). This difficulty of dictating who bears the tax burden rests crucially on whether a national or a subnational (that is, provincial or state) tax is being considered.

In analysing the economic purposes of taxation, it is essential to distinguish between various points of tax rates. The statutory rates are those nominated in the law; generally speaking these are marginal rates, but in some cases they are median rates. Marginal income tax rates indicate the fraction of incremental income that is demanded by taxation when income is increased by one dollar. Thus, if tax liability increases by 45 cents when income increases by one dollar, the marginal tax rate is 45 percent. Income tax statutes usually contain graduated marginal rates—i.e., rates that rise as income rises. Structured analysis of marginal tax rates are required to regard provisions other than the formal statutory rate structure. If, for example, a particular tax credit (reduction in tax) reduces by 20 cents for each one-dollar rise in income, the marginal rate is 20 percentage points more than indicated within the statutory rates. Since marginal rates specify how after-tax income increases or decreases in response to changes in before-tax income, they are the relevant ones for considering incentive effects of taxation. It is even more complicated to realise the marginal effective tax rate applicable to income from business and capital, since it may be dependant on factors such as the structure of depreciation allowances, the deductibility of interest, and the provisions for inflation adjustment. A basic economic theorem determines that the marginal effective tax rate in income from capital is nothing under a consumption-based tax.

Average income tax rates show the percentage of total income that is demanded in taxation. The pattern of average rates is the one that is important for judging the distributional equity of taxation. Under a progressive income tax the average income tax rate increases with income. Average income tax rates commonly increase with income, both because personal allowances are granted for the taxpayer and dependents and also due to that marginal tax rates are graduated; on the flip side, preferential treatment of income received mostly by high-income households can dampen these effects, producing regressivity, as indicated by average tax rates that decline as income increases.

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