Nissan Leaf now available for rental at ENTERPRISE Car Rental, Tyson's Corner, Virginia.

Enterprise car rental has for long been at the forefront of letting consumers have a feel for the latest in automotive technology. True to their customer centered corporate culture, Enterprise is now making available the all New Nissan Leaf electric car at the Tyson's Corner Locations, specifically, the Springhill Rd. office.



The car rents for $49 a day, a bit steep, but hey, you don't have to buy gas! There is a charger in the trunk that works fine with any household outlet plug. Otherwise, the Enterprise premises at Springhill Rd has a charging station. Across the street, Rosenthal Nissan of Tyson's Corner has a charging station at the entrance of the service bays. Both are free and more stations will be added in the area in the coming weeks. There are many other locations in Washington DC that offer charging options, some paid ( about $1 per hour for fast charging), but most offered as a courtesy. Google Nissan Leaf charging station.

The vehicle itself is a technological marvel. Customer Service Representative Tubbs made a quick but thorough review of systems in the car, showed me how the push button start works, and pointed out where the charging station on the right side of the building, just beyond the carport was. As I was the first to rent the car, she gave me emergency contact numbers in case I had any questions or got a problem.

A soft chime announces the car is coming online, followed by bright blue colors illuminating the three screens in this car. Everything is electronic, from the parking brake to the power steering, and windows. Furthermore, the vehicle has an awesome bluetooth phone system that is crystal clear, and very intuitive. All other controls like for the climate and radio were within reach and easy to use. The vehicle collects too much information giving the operator a very heightened situational awareness. Thank God most of the features are customizable so that the driver can avoid information overload and concentrate instead on the road while driving the car.

Acceleration was crisp, and surprising for an all-electric car, and the silence reminds one of  the National Cathedral on a Monday Morning. You could hear a pin drop! (Remember to turn off the noise generator which alarms unsuspecting wildlife of the approaching car. It makes a high pitched sound that quickly tires the ears and may cause a headache long term). Otherwise,  no surprises. The reassuring rattle of the gasoline engine has numbered days, at least in most metropolitan areas in developed countries where there is any respect of the environment.

The Nissan Leaf  is the way forward. Tomorrow is here. Check out the NISSAN LEAF at the Enterprise office on Springhill Rd in Tyson's Corner. Ms Tubbs will be happy to help you, I am sure, and you won't be disappointed.

2012 Ford FOCUS: Eye candy with an attitude - Car of the year?

The Third Generation Ford Focus was presented in late 2010 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. It sported many innovative technologies which make it stand out from the competition. Its greatest failing may be its price, which seems higher than similar vehicles in the same market segment.

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

To begin, one notices the Ford Focus immediately. The design team did a good job on this one. The exterior  has sleek lines and the paint has a deep lustre, which inspires confidence as to its durability when exposed to the elements. There is a very modern and sporty Euro feel to the car, both for the styling and the stance of the vehicle.

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

Once you open the door, you are invited into a well appointed interior. Strategically placed led lights illuminate the cabin, making you feel at home. The seats have a nice feel, and provide good lateral support. The adjustment for the recline of the seat may be improved in the future. The dash is soft to the touch and from the driver's seat, you know you are driving a technologically advanced car.

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

When you turn the key, there is a very slight hesitation before the engine roars to live, a reminder of the increased electronic wizardry that now separates the driver from the car. The power steering is electric, there is no cap for the gas tank (a rubber gasket seals the gas refill door).  When the engine is at idle, you feel some vibrations from the motor. This is more than you would expect from a brand new car, and most poeple will notice it right away. This may be linked to the new transmission setup. It is a manual transmission that is shifted electronically. Ford calls is the POWERSHIFT.

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

Driving the car is a pleasure. The logic that controls the transmission is oriented toward fuel economy, and you are reminded of this by the dash panel which shows instantaneous fuel consumption. It is like hypermiling without even trying. To put the car through its paces, you have to floor the accelerator and then, the Direct Injected 2.0 liter engine rated at 160 Hp starts to shine. Yes, you will have a smile on your face, and believe it or not, this car has nothing to fear from any import in its class.

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

The car is nimble on its feet and longs for twisty two lane country roads or tricky mountain passes. Long term, we still have to see how the Manumatic POWERSHIFT transmission holds. If down the road it proves its resilience, then a whole new era of fuel efficient manual cars with electronic shifting will be ushered in. And FORD MOTORS once more will be hailed as the industry leader - whom they are!

2012 Ford Focus Copyright abiezz.

Buying a used car from Craigslist - Mini guide.

Buying a used car is always a daunting task. You are usually meeting people you do not know, and you have to trust them when they give you the history of the car you are interested in.

 A few quick tips can make your car buying experience less stressful.

1. Pick the lowest mileage and most recent model you can afford. Most recent cars have about the same reliability, it they are treated reasonably well. Many domestic cars offer amenities that only a few years ago were reserved for high end imports like the Lexus branch of Toyota Motors.

2. Check the fluids. Look if there is a sticker on the top of the windshield on the driver's side that shows when the oil was last changed. Is the oil very dirty? Inspect the transmission dipstick. The transmission fluid should look reddish and clean, and not look like motor oil and smell burnt. Use a clean white lint free tissue to wipe off dipstick and this will provide good contrast to have a sense of the state of the fluids.

3. Take the car for a test drive. If the seller objects to this, then walk away. Obviously there is something seriously wrong they do not want you to find out. Allow the motor to warm up slowly, check the guages and make sure the temperature guage rises and stops when the engine reaches normal operating temperature. Shift into gear and listen carefully for any hard clunks or strange sounds which may indicate wron out transmission components.


4. Check the VIN of the car, make sure it matches what is shown on the Title of the vehicle. Look carefully and ascertain that there are no liens on the car. Have the seller or yourself draw up a Bill of Sale. Fill this out, and sign and date at the bottom.

5. As much as possible, try to pay by check so that there is some degree of traceability in case of problems.


6. Have your mechanic check the vehicle out, and have any minor repairs taken care of right away.

Enjoy your new - used car!!!

Ideal length of a Blog Post.

The internet is growing faster than ever. Users find new ways to interact and social websites like Facebook have grown far beyond anyone's imagination. For some, the online experience is enhanced by sharing their knowledge, life experiences, and thoughts on Blogs.

There has been a question as old as Blogs have existed. What is the ideal number of words to have in a typical Blog posting?

A fair enough question, but the answer varies depending on whom you talk to. Important factors to consider are the target audience, your frequency of posting, and the subject matter of the post.

Whereas it may take a few words to make a point and throw in a few graphics to satisfy the visitor to a gossip blog, a more tech oriented Blog may require more words, and go into far more detail that exceeds the needs of the occasional recreational blogger.

To get a point across and still remain relevant while blogging about something like - how to get Apple's Macintosh OS X to run on a windows laptop (Hackintosh), a blog post will be long, and very technical, and that is what the readers of the posting will expect, no less.

But a general consensus is that for the vast majority of blogs, each posting should be between 100-250 words, for anything beyond that, you are going into hardcore niche category.

Keep on blogging!

Is it legal to buy antibiotics on AMAZON.com in the USA?

Many people live in the USA without adequate health coverage. According to the USA census bureau, in 2009, there were about 50 million people, translating to about 16% of the US population that was living without health insurance. You cannot say these 50 million uninsured people live without health challenges. But how do they take care of themselves and how do they obtain some obvious medication without visiting a doctor's office.



For many years, folks in rural communities have been known to take antibiotics intended for livestock. When you work at a farm, injuries are a fact of life and you soon get to find out what works and what doesn't.

Now, with the use of online media, more and more people are finding ways to bypass going to hospital to get an adequate consultation and appropriate treatment.

Online retailer AMAZON.COM has a booming business that caters to pet owners. Some of the goods it sells are listed as antibiotics for pets.


As such, you have products with names like FishAmox which is nothing more than Amoxicillin. other anti parasitic medication and antibiotics are found on the site.

Abuse of these medications by using them in the wrong doses and applications can lead to the development of resistance to these drugs. There is only so many tools we have to fight disease and mankind has a duty to preserve the effectiveness of drugs that took many years to develop.

Hopefully, the abuse of these online antibiotics is not widespread and maybe someday, there will be a sensible legislation that will regulate this commerce.

New changes to ADSENSE

I just made some changes to my layout to see if that helps generate any revenue.

Since the start of this month, I have been able to make just $.69. This is most unusual for I have been on a roll recently (for my standards) making on average $1 a day.

I remember making some changes to the layout of my blogs and now, I have reverted to the original slim blogs I had. I have just one banner ad at the top of my posts. 

My thinking is if someone wants to place an ad, they would want as little competition as possible, so, being the only ad on a webpage should cost more! 

I am also going to start updating my two blogs regularly so that the content is always fresh and current.

Will report in a few days on how my revenue stream measures up to these changes.

First Google Adsense Payout!!!

I just got my first direct deposit from Google for its adsense program! It could not have come at a better time.

I never believed this day would come as in the past, I had a very low daily income of usually less than 5 cents. Then I started writing about current events especially politics and slowly, I saw my revenue stream increase as well as the number of visitors to my blog.

This was very encouraging and spurred me to write daily for a while. But then, I forget writing new articles at times for weeks, but my revenue kept flowing in!!

Then, suddenly this week, I made some changes and saw my daily income drop in half!!! I am like, " What's going on?''

I am pretty certain my tweaks resulted in less than optimal ads being displayed on my two blogs.

  I will start unwinding the damage I may have done, especially reducing the number of ad units by seventy-five percent and see how that works out!

Wish me luck and I will be posting soon how that goes.

Drop in Adsense revenue!!!

Hello reader. It has been close to two years since I have been blogging now. I update my two blogs irregularly. Over this time, I have come to reach a constant adsense revenue stream of about 1 dollar a day and this has been holding steady for about the last six months.

But last week, I noticed a considerable drop in my earnings. The only thing I can recall doing was using the option to restrict low performing ads under the control panel for Adsense.

Anyone has been having the same issue lately? I would love to hear.

Thanks for reading my post and come back soon!

Cameroon: CRTV NEWS 30th September 2011

Midday newscast from Cameroon's State broadcaster CRTV.


Please Click Here for the Midday Newscast for 30th September 2011

Ford Explorer, Ford Ranger Transmission failure Fix - Repair Ford 5R55E Transmission

The transmission used in the Ford Explorer and the Ford Ranger are similar. Both are quite prone to failure. The culprit is mostly the gaskets on the solenoid housing. These gaskets are made of paper and after a certain period of time, or extreme conditions of use, they will weaken, and ultimately fail.

Pennzoil Auto Transmission Fluid Dexron-III/Mercon - 12 / 1 qt. case -

Symptoms will be late shifting, flaring, OD light flashing and other weird behavior of the transmission. If you continue to drive your vehicle under these conditions, you may cause irreparable damage to your transmission, so at the first sign of failure, start by changing your fluid and if it persists, then proceed as follows.

1- Jack the vehicle, and support it on jack stands. 

2- Go to the front passenger side of the car, disconnect the transmission cooler lines. Have a catch pan ready and some hoses if possible to direct the flow of transmission fluid. Start the engine and let it run for about a minute, or until you notice air bubbles coming out of the drainage hose. Stop the engine.

3- Remove the exhaust shield plate on the catalytic converter on the driver's side, by leveraging it out with a flat screwdriver.

4- Next, unbolt the drive shaft where it connects to the transfer case. There will be four bolts, Torx T30. Use a flat head screwdriver to push the universal joint toward the rear of the vehicle, and this should free the shaft.

5- Now, using a 13mm ratcheting socket, remove the transmission pan. You should not have as heavy a bath of tranny fluid  if you did the second step above right. Remove the bolts in a criss-cross pattern. Take your time.

6- Using a 10mm Socket, remove the tranny fluid filter. The original is a longer bolt, and will have a spacer. The updated part that comes with the new filter should have a shorter 8mm bolt. Be prepared for another tranny fluid bath.

7- From now on, remember, "cleanliness is next to G.....!". I cannot stress this enough, but just make sure everything from this point on stays as clean as you can manage. Get the lid of a cardboard box. Using a pen or felt tipped pen, sketch the valve body that is now exposed.

8- Punch holes on the lid corresponding to the darker bolts. There will be two brass (shiny gold colored) bolts that you should not touch. The reason is because the bolts are of different lengths. You want to make sure they go back exactly where they came from so that your separator plate and gaskets hold true.

9- Unplug the electrical connectors on the solenoids. They PULL DOWN, and not outwards as it may at first seem.

10- Remove the transmission dip stick. It may interfere with removal of one of the bolts.

11- Drop the solenoid valve body. Another minor tranny fluid shower may result.

12- Remove the top gasket, P/N 2L5Z 7C155 AA. If you go slowly, you may get lucky and have it come out in one piece. Mine had a major tear and was the cause for my transmission problems. The tear can be seen at the top right, on the outer rim of the ring.

The lower gasket had  mounds of metal shavings. It was a wonder the vehicle even attempted to move at times!

13- Using the Torx T30 once more, remove the three screws arranged in a triangular pattern on the solenoid body.

14- Carefully remove the separator plate. Lay it to the side. You may use a lint - free material to clean it. I used a blade to carefully scrape off recalcitrant pieces of gasket material.

15- Remove the lower gasket, P/N 2LZ5 7D100 BA. Be careful not to drop pieces of the old gasket in the channels. Remember there are check valves and some balls used in the valve body. These are now free, so be careful not the drop them. I made sure my valve body assembly was on a clean white paper surface, and even thought the transmission fluid in the grooves looked really bad, I didn't risk trying to clean them out. I just used the razor and cleanued up stuck pieces of gasket material.

16- Using fresh Automatic transmission fluid, (Please, Use ONLY Mercon V in this transmission), blot the mating sureface and the gasket. Take your time and make sure the gasket is seated well.

17- Blot and apply the separator plate, making sure its seating is true. Use the three screw to secure the plate.

18- Apply the upper gasket, P/N 2L5Z 7C155 AA making sure it is well seated. As usual, blot mating surfaces with fresh Mercon V automatic transmission fluid.

19- Very carefully put the Valve body assembly in place, then using your map from above, start installing the bolts. I found it easier to start with those on the edges as they were faster to locate and avoided me mixing up. Aluminum is very soft, so go hand tight first before using and tools to tighten the bolts further. They don't need to be too tight, so go easyyyy.

20- Plug the connectors to the solenoids.

21- Install the new filter, - Ford Motors P/N XL2Z-7A098-BA (Fram p/n FT 1087B), using the new shorter bolt.

22- Clean out the pan, dry and reinstall, bolting in a criss-cross pattern. Cork gaskets may be replaced, but rubber gaskets are mosty reusable.

23- Reconnect the transmission lines at the front of the vehicle.

24- Using a funnel, refill with 6 quarts of Mercon V automatic transmission fluid.

25- Start the engine, shift through all gears and let the car run for a minute while you go through the gears. Check fluid level once more, and correct as necessary. Go for a short test drive, check for leaks.

26- Hopefully, this corrects your transmission problems!

Please feel free to add comments or tips. Thanks for reading and sharing with your friends who have Ford Rangers or Ford Explorers.

Kyosho Hyperfly with BOX - Rare find!!!

This is not really a helicopter in the strict sense of the word. It CANNOT hover.

That should have been printed on the box in all CAPS. A lot of angst was generated when people tried to hover the Hyperfly and crashed.

Rudder authority is achieved when enough forward speed is gained, and the passive Frisbee shaped disc that serves as the rudder starts acting as a wind vane. Even though an instructional video was shipped with the kit, tons of Hyperlies were damaged, usually during the maiden flight.

The next thing you want to be careful about is the "ON" whip switch on the belly of the Hyperfly. Remember, this is not a toy and its rotors put out some serious RPMS. They will beat you bad of you were to activate that switch by mistake.

The combination of these two unusual characteristics made the Kyosho Hyperfly difficult for beginners who didn't take the time to learn the principles of flight and understand that the bird will always have to be moving at a pretty fast clip to maintain control, even during landings.

Here is my Kyosho Hyperfly, fresh from storage. Sadly, it will be going on Ebay.

Enjoy the pictures!!!