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8 Ridiculous Myths About Eating Meat Kris Gunnars, Authority Nutrition Flickr/snekse There is a lot of nonsense in nutrition. One of the worst examples is the constant propaganda against meat consumption. Here are 8 ridiculous myths about meat consumption and health. 1. Meat Rots in Your Colon Some people claim that meat doesn’t get digested properly and “rots” in your colon. This is absolute nonsense, probably invented by dishonest vegans in order to scare people away from eating meat. What happens when we eat meat, is that it gets broken down by stomach acid and digestive enzymes. In the small intestine, the proteins are broken down into amino acids and the fats are broken down into fatty acids. After that, they get absorbed over the digestive wall and into the bloodstream. There’s nothing left to “rot” in your colon.If you want to know what really “rots” in your colon, it’s indigestible plant matter (fiber)… from vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes. The human digestive system doesn’t have the enzymes necessary to break downfiber, which is why it travels all the way to the colon. There, it gets fermented (rots) by the friendly bacteria in the intestine, which turn it into nutrients and beneficial compounds like the short-chain fatty acid butyrate (1). This is what keeps the friendly bacteria alive and many studies are showing that feeding these bacteria properly is incredibly important for optimal health (2, 3). So, meat doesn’t rot in the colon. Plants do… and this is actually a good thing. Bottom Line: The nutrients in meat are broken down and absorbed way before they reach the colon. However, fiber from plants does ferment (“rot”) in the colon, which is actually a good thing as it feeds the friendly bacteria. 2. Meat Is High in Harmful Saturated Fat and Cholesterol One of the main arguments against meat, is that it tends to be high in both saturated fat and cholesterol. But this really isn’t a cause for concern, because new science has shown both of them to be harmless. Despite being seen as something to be feared, cholesterol is actually a vital molecule in the body. It is found in every cell membrane and used to make hormones. The liver produces large amounts of it to make sure we always have enough. When we get a lot of cholesterol from the diet, the liver just produces less of it instead, so the total amount doesn’t change much (4, 5). In fact, in about 70% of people, cholesterol in the diet has negligible effects on cholesterol in the blood (6). In the other 30% (termed hyper-responders), there is a mild elevation in LDL cholesterol, but HDL (which is protective) also goes up (7, 8). The same is true with saturated fat, it also raises HDL (the “good”) cholesterol (9,10). But even when saturated fat and/or cholesterol cause mild increases in LDL, this is not a problem because they change the LDL particles from small, dense LDL (very bad) to Large LDL, which is protective (11, 12). Studies show that people who have mostly large LDL particles have a much lower risk of heart disease (13, 14). Therefore, it is not surprising to see that in population studies that include hundreds of thousands of people, saturated fat and cholesterol are not associated with an increased risk of heart disease (15, 16). In fact, some studies show that saturated fat is linked to a reduced risk of stroke, another very common cause of death and disability (17). When they put this to the test in actual human experiments, making people cut saturated fat and replacing it with “heart healthy” vegetable oils (which happen to lower cholesterol), it actually increases the risk of death (18). Bottom Line: It is true that meat tends to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but this is not a cause for concern because they do not have adverse effects on blood cholesterol or increase the risk of heart disease. 3. Meat Causes Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Strangely enough, meat is often blamed for Western diseases like heart disease and type 2 Diabetes. Heart disease didn’t become a problem until the early 20th century and type 2 diabetes only a few decades ago. These diseases are new… but meat is an old food. Humans and pre-humans have been eating meat for millions of years (19). Blaming an old food for new health problems makes absolutely no sense. Fortunately, we do have two very large, very thorough studies that can put our minds at ease. In a massive study published in the year 2010, researchers pooled data from 20 studies that included a total of 1,218,380 individuals. They found no link between consumption of unprocessed red meat and heart disease or diabetes (20). Another major study from Europe that included 448,568 individuals found no link between unprocessed red meat and these diseases (21). However, both of these studies found a strong increase in risk for people who ateprocessed meat. For this reason, it is very important to make a distinction between the different types of meat. Many studies apparently showing that “red meat” is harmful didn’t adequately make the distinction between processed and unprocessed meat. Processed foods in general are pretty awful… this isn’t just true of meat. Bottom Line: Many massive studies have examined the relationship between meat consumption, heart disease and diabetes. They found a strong link for processed meat, but no effect for unprocessed red meat. 4. Red Meat Causes Cancer One common belief is that meat, especially red meat, causes cancer. This is where things get a bit more complicated. It is true that processed meat is associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially colon cancer (22). But when it comes to unprocessed red meat, things aren’t as clear. Although several studies suggest that even unprocessed red meat can raise the risk of cancer, review studies that pool the data from many studies at a time show a different picture. Two review studies, one that looked at data from 35 studies and the other from 25 studies, found that the effect for unprocessed red meat was very weak for men and nonexistent for women (23, 24). However… it does appear that the way meat is cooked can have a major effect on its health effects. Several studies show that when meat is overcooked, it can form compounds likeHeterocyclic Amines and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which have been shown to cause cancer in test animals (25). There are several ways to prevent this from happening… such as choosing gentler cooking methods and always cutting away burned or charred pieces. So the answer is not to avoid red meat, but to make sure not to burn it. Keep in mind that overheating can cause harmful compounds to form in many other foods. This is NOT exclusive to meat (26). Bottom Line: The link between unprocessed red meat and cancer is very weak in men and nonexistent in women. This may depend on the way meat is cooked, because overheating can form carcinogens. 5. Humans Are Naturally Herbivores and Not “Designed” For Meat Consumption Some vegans claim that humans aren’t “designed” to eat meat. They say that humans are naturally herbivores like our primate ancestors. However… this is completely false. Humans and pre-humans have been eating meat for a very long time and our bodies are well adapted to meat consumption (27, 28). Our digestive systems really don’t resemble those of herbivores at all. We have short colons, long small intestines and lots of hydrochloric acid in the stomach to help break down animal protein (29). The length of different parts of our digestive system is somewhere in between the lengths typical for both carnivores and herbivores, indicating that humans are “designed” to be omnivores (30). It is also believed that our consumption of animal foods helped drive the evolution of our large brains, which set us apart from any other animal on earth (31). Humans function best eating both animals and plants. Period. Bottom Line: Humans are well equipped to make full use of the nutrients found in meat. Our digestive system reflects a genetic adaptation to an omnivorous diet, with animal foods as a major source of calories. 6. Meat is Bad For Your Bones Many people seem to believe that protein is bad for the bones and can lead to osteoporosis. The theory goes like this… we eat protein, which increases the acid load of the body, then the body moves calcium from the bones and into the bloodstream to neutralize the acid. There are in fact some short-term studies to support this. Increasing protein does lead to increased calcium loss from the body (32). However, this short term effect does not appear to persist because the long-term studies show that protein actually has beneficial effects on bone health (33). There is overwhelming evidence that a high protein diet is linked to improved bone density and a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures in old age (34, 35, 36). This is a great example of where blindly following the conventional wisdom in nutrition will lead to the exact opposite result. 7. Meat is Unnecessary It is often claimed that meat is unnecessary for health. This is actually kind of true… most of the nutrients in it can be found in other animal foods. But just because we can survive without it, it doesn’t mean that we should… quality meat hasmany nutrients that are good for us. This includes quality protein, vitamin B12, creatine, carnosine and various important fat-soluble vitamins, which vegans and vegetarians are often lacking in. Whole foods like meat contain way more than just the standard vitamins and minerals that we’re all familiar with it. There are literally thousands of trace nutrients in there… some of which science has yet to identify. The fact is, humans evolved eating meat and evolution designed our bodies with these nutrients in mind. They are an essential part of the immensely complex biological puzzle. Can we live without meat? Sure… but we won’t reach optimal health, making use of all the beneficial nutrients that nature has provided us with. Although we can survive without meat, the same could be said of most other food groups… including vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, eggs, etc. We just eat more of something else instead. Quality meat is pretty close to being the perfect food for humans. It contains most of the nutrients we need. There is even a study in the literature where two guys ate nothing but meat and organs for a year and remained in excellent health (37). Of course, not all meat is the same. The best meat comes from animals raised on pasture, fed the types of foods they would eat in nature. Unprocessed meat from properly raised, properly fed animals (like grass-fed beef) has a much better nutrient profile (38, 39). 8. Meat Makes You Fat Meat is often believed to be fattening. This seems to make sense on the surface because most meat is pretty high in fat and calories. However, meat also happens to be one of the best sources of highly bioavailable protein. Protein is the most weight loss friendly macronutrient, by far. Studies show that a high protein diet can boost metabolism by up to 80 to 100 calories per day (40, 41). There are also studies showing that if you increase your protein intake, you automatically start eating less of other foods instead (42). Several studies have found that by increasing the amount of protein in the diet, people automatically cut calorie intake by several hundred calories per day, putting weight loss on “autopilot” (43). Eating more protein also tends to favour increased muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active and burns a small amount of calories around the clock (44). Also, let’s not forget that low-carb and paleo diets, which tend to be high in meat, lead to significantly more weight loss than diets that are lower in meat (45, 46). If anything, the more you eat of high quality meat (and less of other foods instead), the easier it should be for you to lose weight. 9. Anything Else? Are there any other myths about meat that you keep seeing pushed? Feel free to add to the list in the comments! Read more: http://authoritynutrition.com/8-ridiculous-myths-about-meat-and-health/#ixzz2uZfebmaT

9 Top Tech Myths Debunked Does more bars really mean better mobile service? Are ones really gone forever once you empty the trash? PopMech tackles some of the most frustrating falsehoods of the digital age Jailbreaking and Rooting are Illegal Smartphone owners can jailbreak their iOS devices and root their Android phones to get around the restrictions of manufacturers and carriers. But is this ominous-sounding practice legal? The word itself—jailbreaking—makes it sound like the process is illegal. In actuality, it's more complicated: The technique both is and isn't illegal under U.S. copyright law. Last fall, when the Library of Congress updated the rules for 2013 through late 2015, it decided that you can legally jailbreak your smartphone (though you'll void your Apple warranty) but not necessarily your tablet, because, the Library says, "tablets" is an ill-defined category. What is definitely not legal is unlocking your phone. The Library's ruling prohibits tinkering with your device so it works on different cellular networks without your wireless carrier's permission, which is subject to as much as $2500 in fines, or even jail time. Legal questions aside, is jailbreaking worth the trouble? Nearly 7 million iOS users who cracked their devices using the latest jailbreak since it became available in February say yes. And as for the riskiness of jailbreaking an iPad, just consider: Despite the law, absolutely no one has (yet) been prosecuted or fined. More Bars Equals Better Mobile Service If your phone has five bars, you'll get the best wireless service performance, right? Well, no. Those bars indicate your signal strength to the nearest cellular tower, but if many other people are also connected to that tower, you can still experience dropped calls and poor speed due to the congestion caused by networks' limited capacities. For instance, it might take about a square block of people in Manhattan to overload a single cell tower, whereas in Wyoming, it would take a population spread over 15 square miles. And even if you capture some of that service, speed varies by network provider. According to wireless-coverage mapper RootMetrics, AT&T has the fastest LTE data network, followed by Verizon and then Sprint. LED and LCD are Different Screen Technologies This is more of a technicality, but "LED" screen is a bit of a misnomer. It is not a new kind of display, as some retailers might assert, but rather a type of LCD television. The only difference between a so-called LED TV and a regular LCD TV is the type of backlighting: Though both rely on LEDs to form the picture, LED displays also use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate the display, whereas non-LED sets use fluorescent backlights. So which is better? That depends. LED-backlit LCDs come in two configurations: Some have a full array of LEDs behind the LCD, others have LEDs just on the edges. Edge-lit TVs tend to be thinner, while full LED-backlit screens can do tricks such as "local dimming" to increase contrast in dark sections of an image. Regardless, all LED sets have two distinct advantages over conventional fluorescent LCDs and plasmas: They are more energy-efficient, and they last longer. If you plan to keep your set for a while, go with LED. It Doesn't Matter if You Keep Your Laptop Always Plugged In Speaking of life spans, you might also have come across advice saying that if you have a lithium-ion battery in your laptop, you don't ever have to completely drain it the way you needed to with older nickel-metal-hydride laptop batteries. This is false if you want to get the most out of your battery. For one thing, if your plugged-in laptop gets hot while you use it and the battery is charged fully, all you're doing is exposing the battery to heat, which will make it age more quickly. Besides heat, the other extreme that shortens Li-ion battery life is high voltage—like the high voltage maintained by a charger—after the battery is full. Keep the battery just below a full charge by keeping it active, and when you do charge it for a long time, do it when the computer is off to avoid blasting it with extra heat. You need to be careful about charging only if your computer doesn't include battery-management software, as many made by Lenovo, Sony, and Samsung do. For computers that don't automatically optimize charging, the advice on how often to charge and discharge their batteries varies. Apple recommends getting battery juices flowing by using the computer unplugged from time to time—though not too many times, since Li-ion batteries have limited charge cycles (each cycle is from complete charge to complete discharge). No matter what, though, Li-ion batteries will eventually lose capacity; expect to get about two to three years of good charges. Macs Don't Get Viruses In the raging Mac-versus-PC debate you'll usually find at least one Apple loyalist claiming Macs are immune to viruses. Apple itself has contributed to this myth (remember that "I'm a Mac" ad in which the poor PC guy gets sick with a virus while Mac is unconcerned?), but after the Flashback virus crisis last summer, which affected around 250,000 Macs, Apple quietly changed its "virus-free" sales pitch on its Mac page from "It doesn't get PC viruses" to "It helps keep you safe." It's a subtle but significant change. While it's true PCs get more viruses and malware than Macs, that's mostly because attackers target the more widely used Windows operating system. Now that Apple computers are growing rapidly in market share, however, Mac users may need to be more cautious. So, do you need an antivirus program for OS X? Probably, though don't assume it will keep you entirely safe. No antivirus program will catch 100 percent of all viruses, and some antivirus software can cripple your system's performance. The first and foremost defense against malware is safe browsing habits. Still, unobtrusive software such as the free Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition can give you peace of mind by protecting your not-so-invincible system. The More megapixels a Camera Has, the Better the Pictures New 18-megapixel cameras might make your 6-megapixel seem obsolete, but the emphasis on megapixels in the camera world reflects marketing spin as much as technological superiority. It's true that more megapixels means more detail in larger photos. That detail, though, depends not just on pixel count but also on the camera's sensor: The larger it is, the more light data it can pick up, and the more detailed your images will be. If you add megapixels without increasing the overall size of the sensor, you reduce the amount of light reaching each pixel. Your point-and-shoot camera may have 20 megapixels, but if its sensor is the size of a pinhead, your photos won't look so great. According to camera reviewer and self-proclaimed "Forrest Gump of photography" Ken Rockwell, "10 megapixels is more than enough for anything," and even just 6 will probably be good enough (most new cameras tend to come with at least 12). The goal, Rockwell says, is a sharp photo, not tons of pixels. To Get the Best HD Experience, You Need Expensive Cables You can spend $3 on an HDMI cable, or you can spend $2000. But when it comes to these cables, the you-get-what-you-pay-for maxim doesn't apply. Premium-cable manufacturers would have you believe gold-plated connectors and "high-density triple-layer metal-to-metal shielding" give you a better signal and, therefore, the ultimate picture and audio performance. But generic—and cheaper—cables will deliver the same picture and audio quality. Signal over an HDMI cable is digital; it either comes through or it doesn't. There are, however, some cases in which spending more is a good idea. For example, if you need a very long cable (more than 6 feet), skip the cheapest ones, since poorly made cables are more likely to impede the signal at longer distances. For the record, unless you don't care at all where your money goes, no one should spend two grand on a cable. Emptying the Trash or Recycle Bin Permanently Deletes Files It would make sense that deleting a file would actually delete it. But when you empty the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac), the data aren't erased, only the links to the complete files are. A computer told to delete a file won't actually remove it but will instead deallocate the space it takes up on the hard drive, opening that space up to be written again. That means bits of information still remain, and any snooping hacker could piece them together to rebuild what you thought was gone forever. To truly and permanently delete files, you have to instruct your computer to go a step beyond emptying the Trash or Recycle Bin. On a Mac, choose "secure empty Trash"; on a PC, you have to work in the command-line interface of Sdelete, a free program that allows you to totally wipe either all free space or only specific files. There is an upside: If you accidentally delete something and must get it back, in theory, you can. Private/Incognito Browsing Protects Your Privacy Here's one last downer. The "private browsing" feature of your browser isn't as private as it suggests. The setting tells your browser not to do its usual job of saving information about which pages you've visited or about what you've typed into forms. It does not, however, keep you anonymous. Websites, ad trackers, and your ISP can still record your visits, and files you download will still remain on your computer or mobile device. Even worse, a 2010 study by Stanford University found that some browser add-ons store information about your browsing even while in private mode. If you're wondering what you can do to stay anonymous online, you'll need to use a proxy server, such as Tor, so you appear to be somewhere and someone else as you surf, or a VPN, which can secure and encrypt your information. Also, get in the habit of clearing your browser's cookies cache and history every week or so.

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Yahoo News reported: Is water really a miracle drug that can cure everything from dull skin to diabetes? <H2 class=desc>In almost every culture in the world, water has been elevated to the status of miracle drug that can cure everything from dull skin to diabetes. This might, however, be pushing the truth. While water is absolutely essential for the body, its celebrated magic qualities need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Here's a reality check on the most popular water myths.</H2> Top seven myths about drinking water - busted! Myth 1: Drinking water between meals is bad for digestion

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Any myths buster here wanna help me out? I being toying the idea of getting a second hand 159 or even Alfa GT since 2 cars back, what hold me back was the headache that it might bring. My friend had a Fiat Punto Manual, the injector keep going up lorry not sure why, ordering it from Italy took 1months+ and the car sits at Massa motor for like 1month+ People tell me Alfa cars not reliable in SG, spoil here spoil there, anyone wanna share your experience? How bad it is compared to BMW? some tell me BMW very reliable, mechanic tell me stay away from it. Alfa? i think Mechanic will be even more against it. The resale value of Alfa, Saab, Volvo are really not too gd, that makes sense to buy 1 and drive all the way till scrap but is it reliable? or time spend in workshop = time spend driving it?

Hi Guys Need some help on general servicing. My car is about 3yrs+ old, and about 60K on mileage wise. Recently been doing some surfing on internet and happened to come across various types of oil flushing, cleaning for cars. A few basic ones: Engine Flush Coolant Flush Radiator Flush Aircon Flush Power Steering Flush Gear Box Flush Throtle Flush The amount of money to be spend seems generally quite big. Also from some sites, it states these as myths. Can i run a check on which are those that are really necessary and those which are gimmicks, also frequency? Also in my last servicing, my mechanic told me that the engine oil got burnt smell. No idea what it means, but it with using OWS Engine oil, have no idea why this problem? Do advise a 1st time car owner. Many thanks in advance.

Extracted from MSN: Top Swine Flu Myths Debunked - Separating fact from fiction. Posted by Moira Bugler at Health on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:13 AM Swine flu coverage is everywhere

The question I really like to ask this is myth that if you pay civil servant top salary you would NOT get corruption. Therefore with these cases to disprove the myth should we consider reducing the salary of our top civil servant SINGAPORE: A high

Sure you want to save gas, but there's a lot of bad advice on how to do it. Some of it makes no difference, and some of it can wind up costing you. By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer Last Updated: May 15, 2008: 3:59 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With gasoline prices hitting record levels, it seems everyone has a tip on how to save fuel. Much of the advice is well-intentioned, but in the end, much of it won't lower your gas bill. Here's a look at a few misconceptions: #1. Fill your tank in the morning You may have heard that it's best to fill your gas tank in the early morning while the fuel is cold. The theory goes that fluids are more dense at lower temperatures, so a gallon of cold gas actually has more gas molecules than a gallon of warmer gas. But the temperature of the gasoline as it comes out of the nozzle varies little during the course of the day, according to Consumer Reports, so there's little, if any, benefit, to getting up early to pump gas. #2. Change your air filter Maintaining your car is important, but a clean air filter isn't going to save you any gas. Modern engines have computer sensors that automatically adjust the fuel-air mixture as an increasingly clogged air filter chokes off the engine's air supply. While engine power will decrease slightly as the air filter becomes clogged, a lack of performance or an increase in fuel consumption will be negligible, Consumer Reports says. #3. Use premium fuel With prices already over $4.00 a gallon, premium gasoline is a hard sell these days. But a lot of drivers think because their owners' manual recommends premium, they'll get better fuel economy with it. Really, they may be paying more money for nothing. Newer cars for which premium is "recommended" - but not "required" - won't suffer with regular fuel. Modern engine technology comes to the rescue again. When sensors detect regular instead of premium fuel, the system automatically adjusts spark plug timing. The result is a slight reduction in peak horsepower - really, you'll never notice - but little or no reduction in fuel economy. Always check your owner's manual before putting anything into your car. And if your car runs badly on regular, by all means, go back to the pricey stuff. (See editor's note at bottom) #4. Pump up your tires Proper tire inflation is important for a number of reasons. Under-inflated tires are bad for handling and can even cause a crash. Improper tire inflation also causes tires to wear out faster and to heat up more, which could trigger a dangerous high-speed blow-out. According to on-the-road driving tests by both Consumer Reports and auto information site Edmunds.com, underinflated tires reduce fuel economy, so proper inflation is key. But you should never over-inflate your tires. They'll get you slightly better fuel economy because there will be less tread touching the road, reducing friction. But that means less grip for braking and turning. The added risk of a crash isn't worth the extra mile a gallon you might gain. #5. To A/C or not A/C There's no question air-conditioning makes extra work for the engine, increasing fuel use. But car air conditioners are much more efficient today than they used to be. In around-town driving, using the A/C will drop fuel economy by about a mile a gallon. Meanwhile, driving at higher speeds with the windows down greatly increases aerodynamic drag. As speed increases, drag becomes more of an issue, making A/C use the more efficient choice at high speeds. At most speeds and in most vehicles, A/C use drains slightly more fuel than driving with the windows down, contends David Champion, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports. "My final take on is that it's very close," says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. "It's hard to measure the difference and every vehicle is different." The best choice - if temperature and humidity allow - is to keep the windows rolled up and to turn the A/C compressor off. You can keep the fans running to blow in air from the outside, but your car will be as aerodynamic as possible while still letting you breathe. You will save gas, but the fuel economy improvement will be slight. #6. Bolt-ons and pour-ins Before you buy a device that's supposed to make your car more fuel-efficient or pour in an allegedly gas-saving additive, ask yourself this: Don't you think oil and car companies aren't doing everything they can to beat their competitors? If BP (BP) could add something to its gasoline that made cars go farther on a gallon, cars would be lining up at the company's pumps. Sure, people would burn their fuel-saving BP gas more slowly, but then they'd drive right past rivals' gas stations to come back to BP for more. BP stations could even charge more for their gas and still sell tons of the stuff. So if there really was an additive that made gas burn up more slowly, it wouldn't be sold over the Internet one bottle at a time. Likewise, car companies are already spending big bucks to increase fuel mileage. If General Motors could make its cars go significantly farther on a gallon simply by putting a device into the fuel line, don't think for a second it wouldn't be doing that. GM's car sales would go through the roof. "There are a number of these gas-saving devices that are generally useless," says Champion. But drivers who try them will swear they work. In reality, it's probably an automotive placebo effect, says Reed. Buy one of these devices or additives, and you're like to pay extreme attention to your fuel economy and how you drive. Of course it can't hurt to keep a close eye on your driving habits -- and what kind of car you drive. In the end, that can make the most difference in saving gas. Gas prices have climbed to record levels. Are you feeling the pinch? Tell us how gas prices are affecting you and what you're doing to cope. Send us your photos and videos, or email us to share your story. -Editors note: This story was revised from an earlier version to clarify that the advice to use regular gas instead of premium may not apply to all cars. First Published: May 13, 2008: 11:38 AM EDT

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Myths About Seat Belts MYTH: If I wear a seat belt, I could be trapped in a car during a crash. Not wearing a seat belt could save my life! FACT: Some people mistakenly think that being thrown clear of the car is their best chance for survival. Ejected occupants in motor vehicle crashes are four times more likely to be killed than those who remain inside. If you're thrown from the car, you could skid across the pavement, be dragged along with the car, be pinned or crushed by your own car or another vehicle, or be tossed into incoming traffic. Less than one percent of crashes involve fire or water, and even in those cases your best chance for survival is to remain restrained inside the vehicle, where you're more likely to be consious, uninjured and able to escape. MYTH: Crashes are accidents. FACT: The word "accident" creates an image of an event outside of human control. Crashes aren't accidents - they are the predictable and preventable consequences of specific actions, such as speeding, aggressive driving, or inattentive driving. You may think you're a safe driver - but what about the other guy? Since you can't control what another driver may do, your best defense is to protect yourself by driving defensively and making sure that you and your passengers are wearing seat belts. MYTH: My car has an airbag -- I don't need to wear my seat belt. FACT: People who have airbags might think they don't need safety belts, but they do. Airbags and lap/shoulder belts work together as a system, and one without the other isn't as effective. Crash-related deaths in vehicles with airbags are 12 percent lower among drivers with belts and 9 percent lower among belted passengers. An airbag alone may not adequately restrain a driver or front seat passenger, particularly in side-impact, rear-impact or rollover crashes. Seat belts also protect occupants from airbag injuries: the seat belt holds the occupant in place while the air bag deploys and then deflates. MYTH: If I'm riding in the back seat, I don't need a seat belt. FACT: Newton's Law says it all: an object in motion stays in motion until acted on by an outside force. If you're an unbuckled rear seat passenger in a car crash, that outside force could be the seat in front of you, the dashboard or windshield, or even another passenger. No matter where you're sitting, it's much safer for you and your fellow occupants if the force that stops you is your seat belt. MYTH: If I get in an crash, I'll be able to see it coming and I can brace myself on the steering wheel. FACT: Thirty mph may not seem very fast, but consider this: an easy way to approximate the force of a crash is to multiply the weight of your body by the speed of the car. Thus, it would take 3,900 pounds of force to keep a 130 lb adult from moving forward in a 30 mph crash. Think you're up to it?

Tire Myths...and Reality "Black and round." If that sums up the bulk of your knowledge about tires, you could be missing out on some key facts. By Rik Paul Myth: I should inflate my tires according to the pressure indicated on the tire sidewall. Fact: The handwriting's not on the wall--the tire sidewall, that is. Molded into the sidewall is the tire's maximum inflation pressure, not the manufacturer-recommended pressure. For normal operation, follow inflation pressure recommendations in the owner's manual or on the vehicle placard located in the glovebox or on the door post. Myth: A tread pattern is needed to provide great traction on dry roads. Fact: A racing slick--a tire without any tread--provides the ultimate in dry traction due to the maximum amount of rubber touching the road. A tread pattern, with its groove voids, actually compromises this adhesion capability on dry roads. The role of tire tread is to act as a squeegee on wet roads to remove water from under the tire and channel it through the grooves for improved wet traction. Myth: Performance tires wear out faster because of the sticky compounds. Fact: Performance tires may wear out faster than conventional family-car tires; however, tread rubber polymers aren't the culprits. In fact, new polymers and ultratensile steel constructions make performance tires last longer than ever. Industrywide, performance tires average about 45,000 miles in tread life, similar to the figures for family-car passenger tires. Fast wear usually is due to high-horsepower vehicles fitted with the tires and aggressive driving. Jackrabbit starts and quick stops can shorten the life of any tire. Myth: Wide tires provide better traction under all weather conditions. In fact, putting oversize snow tires on a car delivers better snow traction. Fact: The opposite is actually true. Wide tires tend to "float" on deep snow, and the tread lugs never have a chance to "dig" through to the road surface to gain traction. Narrow tires are a better option in deep snow. The tire acts similarly to a knife cutting through butter; the blade works best when using the narrow edge to push through the butter rather than the wide flat side of the blade. Myth: All-season tires are so good that winter tires are never needed. Fact: In some parts of the country, this may be true, but if you live in the northernmost states or in Canada, the traction provided by winter tires can't be beat. Winter tires reign supreme in rural areas where snow remains on the road for days. They provide 25-percent-improved traction in deep snow over all-season tires. Metal-studded tires deliver up to 40 percent greater traction on hard-packed snow and ice over all-season tires, but many locales have restrictions regarding the use of studs. Myth: Never rotate tires from side to side, only front to back. Fact: Radial tires can be crossed from side to side in the rotation pattern. The old front-to-back rule applied to bias ply tires. Regular tire rotation--every 6000 to 8000 miles--promotes more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle. (Goodyear recently designed a light-truck tire system that requires no rotation; the Wrangler RF-A provides a rear tire with a different tread design from the front tire). Myth: Put your new tires on the drive-wheel position to get the most traction. Fact: This is only true on a rear-drive vehicle. In all cases, install new tires on the rear axle. Most tire buyers purchase new rubber for the drive-wheel position to get the most traction; however, by doing so they transfer most of their traction capabilities from the rear and make it susceptible to oversteer. The vehicle's rear will fishtail and swing out in fast cornering or emergency maneuvers. Myth: Sticking your fingernail in the tread can help you pick the tire with the softest compounds, and thus, the best adhesion. Fact: It's sort of like kicking the tire, but with another part of your anatomy. Tread compounds only tell part of a tire's story. Tread pattern, tire shape, and tire footprint shape on the pavement provide clues to its adhesion capabilities. Don't rely on the fingernail test. Myth: The government tests tires for traction, temperature resistance, and treadwear and assigns grades molded onto the sidewall. Fact: Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a federal law that requires tire manufacturers to grade their own tires for treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance. Tire manufacturers, not the government, test tires and assign their own grades. Unfortunately, the government has not prescribed a formula for converting the manufacturer test results into universal grades; therefore, the numbers are not objective. According to the Federal Trade Commission, treadwear grades are for comparison purposes only and are not intended to be converted into anticipated or promised tire mileage. Myth: An undulation on a tire sidewall is a weak spot that could lead to tire failure. Fact: An undulation is created where materials overlap each other in the tire carcass, and it actually is the strongest part of the tire. Still, motorists perceive a "wave" on the sidewall as a defect. Goodyear's new ultratensile steel reinforcement eliminates this material splice and overlap. Ultratensile steel should reduce sidewall undulation in polyester-reinforced tires. Myth: Before you buy a car, kick the tires. Fact: It might not tell you much about the vehicle or tires, but it could tell you whether your shoe padding is adequate.

Car Care: Paint-Care Myths and Reality With so much misinformation out there surrounding car care, it's no wonder people get confused about what's truth and what's fiction. By Rik Paul With so much misinformation out there surrounding car care, it's no wonder people get confused about what's truth and what's fiction. Paint care is definitely one area that can raise a lot of questions. To sort the myths from the reality, we talked to Mike Pennington, director of training for Meguiar's. Active with detailing professionals, show-car owners, and amateur enthusiasts, Pennington conducts regular paint-care classes and seminars and acts as technical consultant for many auto manufacturers and their dealerships-including BMW, Lexus, Nissan, Infiniti, and DaimlerChrysler-as well as such automotive paint manufacturers as DuPont, PPG, and BASF. Here's his insight into the paint-care quagmire. Natural 100-percent carnauba wax must be blended with other ingredients for a car wax that's easy to apply.Myth: A wax made of 100-percent carnauba is superior to those using lesser amounts. Reality: Carnauba wax has been a favorite among car enthusiasts for years, but don't believe that any wax is made of 100-percent carnauba. As the hardest natural wax known, carnauba is much too hard to apply directly to automotive paint. It comes in bricks that must be melted and added to a company's formulation. If a paint protectant advertises "pure carnauba," it means the part of the formula that is carnauba is pure, not that it's 100-percent carnauba. According to Pennington, today's synthetic polymer technology actually provides better protection than carnauba. Myth: Avoid a silicone-based wax. If used, the vehicle can't be repainted. Reality: It's true that silicones are a bane of the auto painter. For instance, if particles of silicone are on the sheetmetal when it's painted, they can keep the paint from adhering to the surface, causing defects known as fisheye. That's why some professional cleaners and polishes intended for shop use are formulated without silicone. However, once paint is on the car, silicone is no longer an issue. In fact, virtually every wax on the market uses some kind of silicone in its formula because it enhances the product's ease of application, gloss, and durability. If repainting is necessary, a body shop can easily take off the wax as part of its normal preparation. Myth: You can assume that a finish that looks glossy is in good shape. Reality: There are different degrees of glossiness, and a paint can dull so gradually you may not realize it's happening. For this reason, don't rely just on reflectivity to judge your paint's condition. Use your sense of touch, as well. Place your clean, dry hand flat against the paint and slowly rub it along the surface. Feel with both palm and fingertips. A well-maintained finish should feel smooth as glass. Any roughness could be due to oxidation, tree sap mist, or adhered grit, all of which degrade a paint's gloss to some degree. To avoid swirl marks, dry with a clean chamois or high-quality, thick-nap towel.Myth: Oxidation is a major problem for factory paint. Reality: Until a few years ago, this was definitely the case. Today, however, oxidation is no longer the concern it used to be. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun was once a finish's worst enemy, gradually causing the paint to deteriorate into a white, chalky dullness. In the last five to 10 years, new paint technology has come onto the scene that's much more resistant to UV, allowing new-car paint to hold up many years longer. With older cars, though, oxidation is still a problem an owner should be concerned with. Myth: Clear-coat finishes don't require waxing. Reality: Even though today's clear-coat finishes are much more resistant to UV radiation, they're still as susceptible to other environmental contamination. A clear coat is still just another layer of paint, and is subject to the same deterioration as paint with pigment. Therefore, periodic waxing is still recommended for maximum protection against the elements. Always use a non-abrasive formula labeled safe for clear coats. "The problem today is the stuff that lands on paint," says Pennington. Contaminants ranging from bird droppings and bugs to tree sap mist, industrial fallout, and airborne pollutants can adhere to the paint and gradually cause dulling and roughness. If left unattended, it can chemically etch into the paint, causing permanent scars. A quality wax can help keep the contaminants from bonding, but the best strategy is to wash them off before they can adhere. Myth: With modern "easy-care" formulas, paint scratches can be easily removed by hand. Reality: Scratches can be temporarily filled with some types of products, but they'll likely reappear after your first wash. The only sure way to eliminate scratches is to use an abrasive product-such as a cleaner-that removes enough of the surrounding paint to physically make the scratch appear less deep. Pennington notes, though, there's a wide range of scratches. Even with a cleaner, only the very lightest scratches can be removed by hand. As scratches deepen, they require more advanced methods, progressing in order from an orbital buffer, a dual-action polisher, a rotary polisher, and finally wet sanding. Scratches that go completely through a paint layer cannot be eliminated without repainting. The ol' flame-on-paint trick proves nothing about car-wax protection.Myth: Machine buffing is dangerous for paint. Reality: As mentioned above, there are different types of machines designed for buffing and polishing, and all are safe when matched with the right skill level. An orbital buffer, is the least aggressive type and can be easily used by the average do-it-yourselfer. A dual-action polisher is slightly more aggressive and therefore requires more care and skill to use safely. Finally, a professional-type rotary polisher can remove paint relatively quickly, making it a good choice for fixing damaged paint. This same trait, however, also makes it easier to burn through a paint layer unless used by an experienced person. Myth: Swirl marks or spiderwebbing are found mostly in old or abused paint. Reality: Even brand-new paint can quickly show spiderwebbing-very light scratches, often in a circular pattern, most easily seen in the reflection of a light. A number of products are designed to remove swirl marks, but Pennington emphasizes the real key is to find out what's causing them. Spiderwebbing is commonly caused by unseen dirt on a towel, sponge, or chamois, and can happen either at a carwash center (even those that handwash) or in your own driveway, while you're washing or drying your car. Even cheap towels can cause these marks. "Use a good quality terry towel with a thick nap," says Pennington, "and always use good car-care techniques." Myth: A good paint protectant can even protect against fire. Reality: Don't be misled by sleight-of-hand. You may have seen a car wax salesman demonstrate the durability of his product by lighting a flame on the surface of a car and then pointing out that his product's "superior protection" kept the paint from being damaged at all. What he sprays on the paint and ignites is lighter fluid, which burns extremely easily and quickly. In fact, the flame doesn't actually touch the paint surface because it's feeding off rising fumes. Usually, the paint gets no warmer than it would on a hot summer day, and you can place your hand on the spot immediately after the flame goes out and not be burned. Even paint with no protection at all will survive this test just fine.

Car Warning Lights: Is My Car Going to Blow Up? Myths & FactsBy Theodore Olson Today

I HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING INFO ON CAR MAINTENANCE HOPE THIS HELPS OTHER CAR ENTHUSIAST HERE ALSO Battery Testing, Maintenance And Myths 1. Storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge them. A hundred years ago battery cases were made of porous materials such as tar-lined wood boxes, so storing batteries on a concrete floor would accelerate their discharge. Modern battery cases are made of polypropylene or hard rubber. These cases seal better, so external leakage-causing discharge is no longer a problem, provided the top of the battery is clean. 2. Driving a car will fully recharge a battery. There are a number of factors affecting an alternator's ability to charge a battery, such as how much current from the alternator is diverted to the battery to charge it, how long the current is available, and the temperature. Generally, idling the engine or short stop-and-go trips during bad weather or at night might not fully recharge the battery. 3. A battery will not explode. There two types of battery explosions are external and internal. Recharging a wet lead-acid battery produces hydrogen and oxygen gasses. While spark retarding vent caps help prevent external battery explosions, sparks occur when jumping, connecting or disconnecting charger, or battery cables and ignite the gas. Internal explosions usually occur while starting the engine and normally blow the filler caps or cover off and splatter electrolyte all over the engine compartment. The most probable cause is from a combination of low electrolyte levels in the battery and a low resistance bridge formed between or across the top of the plates called "treeing" between a positive and negative plate. When heavy current flows in the battery such as starting an engine, a spark occurs and ignites the residual gas in one or more of the cells. A second possible cause is a defect in the weld of one of the plate connecting straps. Periodic preventive, working on batteries in well-ventilated areas, or using sealed AGM or gel cell VRLA type batteries can significantly reduce the possibility of battery explosions. To neutralize the residual battery acid, be sure to thoroughly wash the engine compartment and the back of the hood with a solution of one-pound baking soda to one gallon of warm water and rinse with water. The largest number of battery explosions, while starting an engine or drawing a high current, occurs in hot climates. While not fatal, battery explosions cause thousands of eye and burn injuries each year. Should a battery explosion occur and electrolyte (battery acid) get in someones' eyes, immediately flush them out with ANY drinkable liquid because seconds count. 4. A battery will not lose its charge sitting in storage. Depending on the type of battery and temperature, batteries have a natural self-discharge or internal electro chemical "leakage" at a 1% to 25% rate per month. Over time the battery will become sulfated and fully discharged. Higher temperatures accelerate this process. A battery stored at 95

TIRE MYTHS (courtesy Goodyear Tire Engineering. - 1. - I should inflate my tires according to the pressure indicated on the tire sidewall? The handwriting's not on the wall the tire sidewall, that is. The tire's maximum inflation pressure not the recommended is molded on the sidewall. For normal operation, follow inflation pressure recommendations in the owner's manual or on the vehicle placard located in the glove box or on the door post. The function of air in a tire is to support the weight-carrying potential of a vehicle, according to Bill Egan, chief engineer of Goodyear advanced product design. (Attribute all answers to Egan.. - Thus, tires are built and rated to carry certain load capacities, and automakers select those sizes compatible with the ride, handling, traction, fuel economy and load requirements of their vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers determine inflation pressures based on these requirements. 2. - A tread pattern is needed to provide great traction on dry roads. A racing slick a tire without any tread provides the ultimate in dry traction due to the maximum amount of rubber touching the road. A tread pattern, with its groove voids, actually impairs this adhesion capability on dry roads. Tire tread acts as a squeegee on wet roads to remove water from under the tire and channel it through the grooves for improved wet traction. That's why Goodyear Aquatred IIs directional, AquaChannel TM tread design grabbed so much attention literally on rain-slick roads and otherwise when it was introduced. 3. - If not for the cost, race tires would be the ideal street tire for high-performance vehicles. Race tires are engineered for specific track surfaces and race vehicle suspensions. On a high-performance vehicle, race tires would wear too quickly, provide an uncomfortable ride and deliver poor handling on wet or icy roadways. But in many cases, the technology used at the racetrack is engineered into high-performance street tires. For example, ultra-high-performance tires, such as Goodyear's new Eagle F1 Steel, employ a stiffer carcass and aggressive tread compounds to provide the performance attributes required for high-performance vehicles. 4. - Performance tires wear out faster because of the sticky compounds. Performance tires may wear out faster than conventional family-car tires; however, tread rubber polymers aren't the culprits. In fact, new polymers and ultra-tensile steel constructions are making performance tires last longer than ever. Industry-wide, performance tires average about 45,000 miles in tread life, similar to the figures for family-car passenger tires. Fast wear usually is due to high-horsepower vehicles fitted with the tires and aggressive driving. Jackrabbit starts and quick stops can shorten the life of any tire. 5. - Wide tires provide better traction under all weather conditions. In fact, putting oversized snow tires on a car delivers better snow traction. In fact, the opposite is true. Wide tires tend to 'float' on deep snow and the tread lugs never have a chance to 'dig' through the snow to the road surface to gain traction. Narrow tires are a better option in deep snow. The tire acts similar to a knife cutting through butter; the blade works best when using the narrow edge to push through the butter rather than the wide flat side of the blade. 6. - All-season tires are so good that winter tires are never needed. In some parts of the country this may be true, but if you live in the northern-most states or in Canada, the traction provided by winter tires can't be beat. Winter tires reign supreme in rural areas where snow remains on the road for days. They provide 25 percent improved traction in deep snow over all-season tires. Metal-studded tires deliver up to 40 percent greater traction on hard-packed snow and ice over all-seasons. 7. - Never rotate tires from side to side, only front to back. Radial tires can be crossed from side to side in the rotation pattern. The old front-to-back rule applied to bias ply tires. Regular tire rotation every 6,000 to 8,000 miles promotes more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle. Goodyear recently designed a light truck tire system that requires no rotation, the Wrangler RF-A, which provides a rear tire with a different tread design from the front tire. 8. - Put your new tires on the drive-wheel position to get the most traction. This is only true on a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. In all cases, install new tires on the rear axle. Most tire buyers purchase new rubber for the drive-wheel position to get the most traction; however, by doing so, they transfer most of their traction capabilities from the rear and make it susceptible to oversteer. The vehicle's rear will fishtail and swing out in fast cornering or emergency maneuvers. 9. - Sticking your fingernail in the tread can help pick the tire with the softest compounds, and thus, the best adhesion. It's sort of like kicking the tire, but with another part of the anatomy. Tread compounds only tell part of a tire's story. Tread pattern, tire shape and the tire footprint shape on the pavement provide clues to its adhesion capabilities. Don't rely on the fingernail test. 10. - The government tests tires for traction, temperature resistance and treader and assigns grades that are molded onto the sidewall. Uniform Tire Quality Grading is a federal law that requires tire manufacturers to grade their tires for treader, traction and temperature resistance. Tire manufacturers, not the government, test tires and assign their own grades. Unfortunately, the government has not prescribed a formula for converting the manufacturers test results into grades; therefore the numbers are not objective. According to the Federal Trade Commission, treader grades are for comparison purposes only and are not intended to be converted into anticipated or promised tire mileage. 11. - Tires are made of a single rubber compound. Several polymers are used in a tire, depending on their performance characteristics. Run-flat tires, for example, use heat-dissipating polymer reinforcements that stiffen tire sidewalls, while tread compounds affect traction, treader, rolling resistance and noise. In the case of the Eagle F1 Steel ultra-high-performance tire, its AATRAX triple polymer tread compound system provides improved handling and wet and dry traction without sacrificing treader, snow traction, rolling resistance or noise. 12. - Well-engineered tires will overcome deficiencies in the vehicle. Even premium tires can show signs of premature or uneven treader and imprecise steering when vehicles have defective alignment or suspension parts. Correct vehicle alignment is a must and should be checked periodically. Improper alignment causes excessive tire wear as well as increases fuel consumption. Regular tire rotation about every 6,000 to 8,000 miles promotes more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle. 13. - An ultra-low rolling resistant tire provides outstanding fuel economy. A tire engineered for low rolling resistance would provide horrible fuel economy when it is run under inflated. Running tires 20 percent under inflated by 6 to 7 pounds per square inch wastes fuel usage by as much as 10 percent. That amounts to Americans wasting nearly 4 million gallons of gasoline daily. Tire care is crucial in saving money at the pump. 14. - An undulation on a tire sidewall is a weak spot that could lead to tire failure. An undulation is created where materials overlap each other in the tire carcass, and it actually is the strongest part of the tire. Still, motorists perceive a 'wave' on the sidewall as a defect. Goodyear's new ultra-tensile steel reinforcement eliminates this material splice and overlap. Ultra-tensile steel should reduce sidewall undulations found in polyester reinforced tires. 15. - Tires are a low-tech commodity, and price should determine what to buy. Consider the rain, run-flat and performance tires on the market today. Time and technology have improved the quality and value of today's tires. Price should be only one consideration, along with the other factors that can enhance tire value and vehicle handling. For the industry, average passenger tire life has climbed from 24,000 miles in 1973 to about 47,000 miles today. No one would want to turn back the clock on tire developments or prices. On a cost-per-mile basis, tires from the so-called 'good old days' would cost more than three times that of the 65,000-mile warranted Goodyear Aquatred II radial tire. 16. - Before you buy a car, kick the tires. It might not tell you much about the vehicle or tires, but it could tell you whether your shoe padding is adequate.

Home | Search for Products | Where to Buy | Facts | Testimonials | FAQ's | News & Events | Contact K&N K&N Mass Air Flow Sensor Statement Every stock replacement air filter we sell comes with this sticker, which we advise consumers to place prominently on their air box. The sticker is to alert service technicians that they should not throw away your K&N air filter because it will last for the life of your vehicle. When service technicians see this sticker it means

Here are two Internet resources you can read up on performance improvement gadgets: http://www.fuelsaving.info/index.htm http://www.pumaracing.co.uk/gentune.htm

Myth 1:- Wider tyres have a larger contact patch than narrow tyres?? Myth 2:- A larger contact patch = more grip?? Does tyre width has direct relation to the amount of grip generated? or is it just a secondary factor? How does the cooling potential in tyres relate to their width/aspect ration and how it affects their grip?

Just read it, quite informative.. http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm