Unlike plastic, steel containers can be recycled. Shipping containers are recycled by converting them into useful structures or storage containers for use onshore. When these structures are at the end of their useful lives, they can be recycled again as scrap steel used in producing new steel.

Shipping Containers

Usually made with high tensile steel that also has rust inhibiting properties, shipping containers are reinforced with a rigid steel framework. The sturdy construction enables the shipping containers to withstand the extreme conditions it can be exposed to during long ocean voyages.

Shipping containers are large structures with standard dimensions. They have a common cross section of 8′ width and 8.5′ height, and come in lengths of 20′, 40′ and 45′. In fact, cargo capacity is expressed in TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, each unit representing a twenty-foot standard shipping container. Thus a 40-foot container will be two TEUs.

The sturdiness of the shipping container makes it ideal for many other uses when they become surplus. They can become surplus either at the end of their ocean-worthy life or because empty containers accumulate at certain places and begin to cause problems.

Alternative Uses for Steel Shipping Containers

Wherever a compact and secure enclosed space is required, these steel containers provide a good solution. They are constructed to be as vandal and thief proof as possible, and using padlocks and other aids can increase their security further. Let us look at a few alternative uses for the steel containers.

LIVING SPACE: Doors can be modified and windows can be cut in the steel walls to start the process. Internal partitions, fold up beds and furniture, toilet and washroom units and working areas can make the steel containers into living units at worksites. And these mobile houses can be transported from site to site using the container trucks.

SELF-STORAGE UNITS: With increasing clutter in households and offices, the demand for independent storage spaces is growing. Steel containers can be converted into self-storage units with a minimum of work. Self-storage units are attractive storage solutions because they give control to the hirers. Hirers can use their own lock and key, and move things in and out whenever they want.

WORK CANTEENS: With a kitchen unit, food service counters, and other essential facilities, the steel containers can become canteens at work sites. The containers can also be converted into worker rest rooms, offices and data centers.

MARKET STALLS & MULTI-LEVEL SHOPS: The steel containers can be converted into mobile market stalls. By stacking the containers, and providing connecting stairs, you can even create multi-level shops.

Steel shipping containers typically have treated-wood insides and can be fitted up to provide pleasing or otherwise suitable interiors. Lighting and heating facilities can be provided with internal fittings, and power can be availed through either an external plug or solar electricity generation facilities.

Design possibilities are numerous. The walls and roof of the steel containers can be removed to make them into flat racks that provide easier loading for many materials, and are easier transport when empty (several empty units can be stacked for transport).

Steel containers are indeed ideal when you want sturdy and secure solutions.

]]> http://www.theblogstory.com/?feed=rss2&p=1920 0 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1919 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1919#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:39:02 +0000 admin http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1919 Two people have been killed in a head-on collision on the D’Aguilar Highway at Caboolture, north of Brisbane.

Police were unable to confirm details of the victims.

A woman is being treated for head injuries while an 18-month-old child emerged unhurt and ambulance officers are still on the scene.

No further details are available.

As a businessperson, you might believe that your staff is well trained and efficient in handling customers. But what you don’t know is that the atmosphere and ambience make a huge difference your customers. A warm and friendly environment is a must-have. And if this very thing is lacking in your store, you cannot expect your business to be the next success story. Maybe your staff is well trained with the product and service but lacks soft skills. Or it could be the other way round. Whatever be the reason for low sales, you can identify it through mystery shopping.

How Does It Work?

When you hire the services of a mystery shopper, you get a detailed report about the shoppers’ experience at your store. This secret shopper visits your store like a normal customer and makes purchases. He/she later returns to the store to exchange some product. Both these experiences are elaborately listed in the report, which helps you identify the flaws in your business. Since the staff is unaware about the presence of a secret shopper, they are at ease and unpretentious. This makes a world of difference. When you visit the store, the staff is at their best; they put their best foot forward, but you don’t know what goes on behind your back. However, with mystery shopping, you know what happens in your absence.

How To Improve Business?

You can certainly improve your business by hiring the services of secret shopping. We tell you how.

1.Study staff behavior – As mentioned earlier, this system of evaluating your business helps you study the behavior of your staff. Once you identify the flaws, it is easy to correct them. A well trained staff will ensure the happiness and satisfaction of your customers.
2.Study competitor – You can learn a few things from your competitors by sending your mystery shopper to their stores. It is good to evaluate both, strong as well as weak competitors. It will help you understand, what works and what doesn’t with the customers.
3.Study customer expectations – Customers will not express their expectations out rightly. But when a secret shopper visits the store, he can observe the general behavior and the untold expectations of customers. This can be of great help and you can change your business strategies to suit customer requirements. For instance, if a customer inquires about reward points, discounts, loyalty programs, it means, he/she is a regular at your store and expects some benefits.

So improve your business by hiring the services of secret shopping. You never know, your business might bloom even during recession.

]]> http://www.theblogstory.com/?feed=rss2&p=1918 0 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1917 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1917#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:39:01 +0000 admin http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1917 We all enjoy a little sweetness in our lives, yet there’s no getting away from the negative effects of sugar. A wealth of scientific evidence links this acidic poison to a legion of harmful consequences including immune system suppression, a rise in bad cholesterol, tooth decay, premature aging, a mal-absorption of nutrients, Candida growth, hormone imbalance and an increase in free-radicals. Sugar also contributes to obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, vision problems and migraines and is found to feed cancer cells. With no saving graces, sugar is highly deleterious to the systems of the body.

We crave sugar if our blood sugar levels are out of kilter. This occurs by consuming sugary foods and refined carbohydrates such as white flour that are quickly converted into sugar by the body. It’s a catch 22; the more sugar you eat, the more you crave. Aside physical detriments, the highs and lows of sugar addiction cause mood swings, irritability and a loss of concentration.

Artificial sweetness such as aspartame and saccharine are dangerous alternatives which break down into hazardous toxins in the body. Methyl alcohol derived from aspartame, for example, converts into the neurotoxin and carcinogen formaldehyde and formic acid which has the chemical composition of ant venom. Formic acid is used commercially in products such as paint stripper.

The synthetic amino acids that compose aspartame – phenylalanine and aspartic acid are seriously poisonous. According to Dr. John Olney, a neuroscientist at Washington University, St. Louis, Aspartic acid (40% of aspartame) causes holes in the brains of mice. Further, phenylalanine (50% of aspartame) causes seizures and degrades into DKP, a tumor causing agent.

Aspartame has a staggering 92 official side effects and countless studies have linked it with damage to the nervous system and neurological problems. Saccharin even tells you on the package that their product can cause cancer.

Complaints about aspartame represent 80-85 per cent of all food complaints registered to the FDA. There is Strong statistical evidence which links aspartame to breast cancer. American Cancer Society figures show that breast cancer cases have doubled since 1981, the year aspartame was approved for use as a food additive.

What if there was a healthy alternative that not only tasted sweet but actually had positive effects on the body? Sound too good to be true?

Stevia is a natural sugar substitute, a healthy sweet food that, quite the opposite of sugar, can regulate blood sugar levels and improve stamina. Used for centuries in native Paraguay, stevia is now widely popular in Japan, where thorough testing has revealed its benevolent use as a sweetener. The glycosides in stevia that give it it’s sweet taste are not metabolised by the body so no calories are absorbed. Further more it hosts an array of healthy nutrients such as phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc, vitamins C and A, protein and fibre and, unlike sugar, does not cause the growth of unhealthy bacteria or fungi.

Stevia, in balancing blood sugar can actually alleviate cravings for sweet foods and has been observed to reduce the appetite if taken 15-20 minutes before eating. It has also been revealed as a diuretic that can help rid the body of excess fluid.

If looking for an alternative to sugar, this remarkable non-caloric herb is the ultimate sugar subsititute; healthy, tasty and sweet! Stevia can be found in liquid or powder form in many healthfood stores or online and there are numerous cook books available with stevia recipes.

Sweet vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, and superfood fruits such as berries, papaya, figs and prunes rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, are also great substitutes when kicking the sugar habit. Vegetables high in fibre and healthy whole grains also serve to stabalise blood sugar levels and ensure a slow release of energy into the blood stream, dimishing the rushes and subsequent cravings associated with sugary foods and refined carbohydrates.

Copyright 2006 Sylvia Riley

MIRACLE SUPERFOODS:
http://www.miracle-superfoods.com NATURAL NUTRITION GUIDE FOR DOGS AND CATS
http://www.pet-nutrition-guide.com

]]> http://www.theblogstory.com/?feed=rss2&p=1917 0 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1916 http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1916#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:39:00 +0000 admin http://www.theblogstory.com/?p=1916 Today抯 Orlando conjures images of fabled societies and a well known 2-dimensional mouse; however, the low-lying city near Florida抯 Atlantic Coast has done much more to diversify its image since its backwater orange growing days. 慦orlds?and 慙ands?of the extreme and ultimate fictional reality are interlaced with Florida抯 booming tech-science industry and a handful of significant cultural points of interest. Most attractions are not located in Orlando抯 central metropolitan area and it is therefore advisable and in most cases necessary to rent a car during your stay.

Orlando has humble beginnings as an American military base staking out the Floridian peninsula against Native Americans. The Seminole Indians fought in 3 wars against the settling United States Government until they were effectively defeated in the 1850s. Orlando抯 military significance stretches into modern day with its proximity to both Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center.

With Just One Thought?br />
Walt Disney completed Walt Disney World in 1971, ushering in a new era that would make Orlando the 4th most popular destination for foreign travelers to the United States and earn Orlando the ranking as the city with the second highest number of hotel rooms in the country! Walt Disney World is complete with four theme parks, two water parks, eight golf courses, hotels, shops and restaurants, making it the largest privately owned tourist destination in the world. After 1971, a multitude of other and, some say, better theme parks sprouted in Orlando. SeaWorld and Gatorland are popular hotspots, as well as the not-so-typical World of Orchids, where thousands of the blooming beauties are enclosed inside an enchanting tropical rainforest. Discovery Cove is a more hands-on approach to SeaWorld, where visitors can snorkel among typical reef creatures including stingrays and dolphins or hang with the exotic birds in the aviary.

On your journey back from Fantasy Land to reality, be sure to check out the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in adjacent Daytona. Tour the launch areas, view the impressive observatory and witness real space flight simulators. Wekiwa Springs State Park offers a refreshing break from the constant sensory overload. Take an afternoon to rent a canoe or go for a revitalizing swim. Additionally, Orlando has the second highest number of lakes for a metropolitan region in the U.S., making it extremely easy to get a breath of fresh air or to enjoy a more serene and tangible substitute for water parks. For a little dining and nightlife, enjoy the buzz of Church Street Station. Lastly, earn your final dose of non-fiction at the Orlando Science Center before plunging back into fanciful frolicking. The Center is a spectacularly innovative audiovisual extravaganza focused on current and historic scientific milestones and is far more relevant and interesting than the EPCOT Center.

An Escape to Yourself

Orlando is the place to leave your worries and cares at the door. Visit this magical wonderland of creativity while enjoying your family, your children, your parents or simply the person who wants to be awakened inside yourself. Travel to Orlando and experience all it has to offer.

For more information, visit http://www.cfares.com.

We have seen quite a few PE’s that we had no shot at owning this year and some of those have just been depressing. Nothing like seeing shoes you cant buy or are uber-expensive and not in your size. So seeing all of the various Nike Blue Chip II PE’s has to be a bit consoling. Well Jermaine O’Neal drops off his Away Miami Heat’s at a few House of Hoops very soon. The patent and grain leather upper looks pretty smooth and should fit nicely in almost any collection. Via Footlockerunlocked

On Monday night’s episode of “The Bachelorette,” Jillian Harris makes a cross-country trip to meet the families and friends of the five remaining bachelors, and ET has a sneak peek at what happens when she heads to Austin, TX.

Austin, of course, is Wes’ hometown, and he pulls out all the stops, surprising Jillian with a private performance by his band.

“The Bachelorette” is really liking this guy and she says, “I want to be with Wes the most out of any of the other guys, because I picture him in my life. I picture him fitting in with my family and, I hope, spending time with his family will seal the deal.”

So imagine Jillian’s surprise when Jake returns to caution her against going any further with Wes. He reveals the truth: Wes has a girlfriend.

Jake tells her, “I am not here to get you back. I am here because I think you are going to have a hard time with some of the guys you have left.”

When Jillian urges Jake to lay it on the line, he says, “Wes has a girlfriend. Her name is Laurel.”

Her response is: “Are you 100 percent sure?”

But after she has time to think about what Jake told her, she confronts Wes, who vehemently denies the rumor. Then, Wes and Jake go toe-to-toe in one of the more dramatic confrontations of the season!

“The Bachelorette” airs Monday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.

The five remaining men are:

Jesse, 27, wine maker from Carmel Valley, CA.
Kiptyn, 31, business developer from Encinitas, CA.
Michael, 25, break dance instructor from Astoria, NY.
Reid, 30, realtor from Philadelphia, PA.
Wes, 32, musician from Austin, TX.