Online dating is a term that generally refers to the many ways that people have come to use the technology of the Internet as a way to meet people and find romance.

Since its inception, the Internet has proven to be a unique way to initiate human contact. The invention of the “chat-room” allowed people to socialize with other PC-savvy individuals, and a means of making friends across great physical distances. Even as people are coming to realize both the power and the inherent limitations of building interpersonal relationships remotely, the concept of match-making services and online personal ads has sparked the birth and growth of a new industry centered around social interaction using your PC. The services offered range everywhere from online personal advertisement posting similar to comparable “personals ads” in newspapers and other periodicals, to personal ads combined with an email address and instant messenger functions, to heavily-structured and architected systems for matching people with their “ideal mate”. Companies like Match.com and eHarmony.com have used the power of Internet technology to give people yet another option in our search for everything from a dinner companion to a lifetime romantic partner.

The benefits of using the Internet as a tool for finding dates and meeting people are obvious; posting an ad in a local paper might reach a few hundred or a few thousand prospects, while posting an ad online can literally reach millions. Quantity does not necessarily translate into quality, but the sheer volume of options can’t be denied. Additionally, since everyone has different skills and talents, and because some people are less confident and comfortable in social atmospheres like bars, night-clubs, and other “singles” meeting places, the Internet affords many people with the means to present themselves as available and consider prospects in a lower-pressure system, where they have a bit more control over the way that the relationship progresses. On the other hand, letting the entire Internet population know that you are looking for love has its downsides. The increased number of prospects also inherently means an increased number of less-than-desirable contacts. Good online dating services have learned quickly that a certain amount of anonymity is necessary for their customers, adjustable by the customer based on their own comfort levels.

At the end of the day, the Internet is just one more way of meeting people, and while it isn’t a perfect tool that generates perfect results, it has become a part of our culture as the web continues to become a seemingly essential part of our everyday lives.

An “agnostic” is someone who believes that it is impossible to know the true answer to metaphysical questions such as those about the existence of a “higher power” or an “after-life.” Many people mistakenly believe that agnostics are equivalent to atheists, who believe firmly that there is no higher power and no life after death.

The word “agnostic” is rooted in the Greek language. “Gnosis” is “knowledge,” and the prefix “a-“ is “without.”

Agnosticism is, in simplistic terms, admitting to oneself that there is no way to “know” any metaphysical truths with confidence, based on the evidence at hand. It does not dismiss any possibilities; rather it keeps an open mind. Agnostics are often people with a high degree of natural logical talent who evaluate their reality and their existence in the same manner as all other things: they trust in the validity of a scientific methodology in which theories are presented, challenged, and either disproved or temporarily accepted until a stronger or more robust theory is presented.

CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is a category of software program used by engineers and designers to create virtual models or drawings on-screen to communicate their ideas, often, used with construction software .

This type of software is used many professional disciplines today, including mechanical design, architecture, structural and civil engineering, electrical design, and many others. A mechanical engineer will create “solid models” of a suspension component or a piston inside an engine. An electrical engineer might use CAD to sketch out a circuit diagram, and a circuit board designer would use CAD to organize the layers of “traces” or lines that carry the signals in the circuit design. Even information technology professionals use CAD to “layout” all of the wiring and cable routing needed to connect all of the computers on a corporate network.

There are many advantages that CAD software has brought to the world of design and engineering, and the primary advantages are all based on faster flow of information and easier change in direction. Before CAD, an engineer would work with a drafter to draw, by hand, an idea on a two-dimensional piece of paper. The engineer and drafter would work back and forth until the “thing” documented in the drawing matched the mental imagery in the engineer’s imagination. Then this original hard-copy drawing would be duplicated and sent to someone who built or fabricated what was represented. The engineer would review the results, and then work with a drafter again change the drawing as necessary, if the physical result didn’t match the original concept or idea.

Now, a designer or engineer can use two-dimensional (lines) or three-dimensional (shapes) modeling software to “sketch” his or her own ideas on a computer screen, in a matter of minutes. In the example of a mechanical designer or engineer using the tool, a virtual object can be spun around to view it from many angles, and it can be assembled to other virtual objects, or analyzed for strength or weight, checked for fit and interferences. The idea can be presented to peers, supervisors, metal fabricators, assembly technicians, and even customers, to get feedback long before time and money are invested in formal documentation, prototyping or manufacturing, and so on. In this way, CAD software provides any number of opportunities for making a design development project significantly more efficient.

Titanium is a metal and a proud member of the periodic table that haunts most people in their nightmares set in high school chemistry classes. Being an element, Titanium is one of very few substances in the world that is “indivisible”, in the sense that Titanium is an atomic element, something that cannot be broken down further unless it is changed at the atomic level.

Titanium is extremely strong and extremely light. For example, if you had a small solid cube of low carbon steel roughly two inches on each side, it would weigh a bit over two pounds. Steel is also a very strong material, with a yield-strength in the range of fifty-four thousand pounds per square inch. A cube of aluminum the same size would weigh only about three-quarters of a pound, but would not be quite as strong, with a yield-strength near forty thousand pounds per square inch, which is admittedly still a pretty impressive number. The same size block of titanium would weigh just over a pound, coming in between the two others in terms of weight, but amazingly, its yield strength would be in the range of one hundred and forty thousand pounds per square inch! Pound for pound, titanium is an extremely strong material.

Titanium has grown in “public awareness” rapidly in the last few decades, as business and technology have started to design and manufacture using titanium. As one would expect, titanium’s use was originally limited to places like NASA; because of its strength, it is also difficult to process by cutting, shaping, or stretching. However, as these research facilities developed new ways to manipulate the metal, large corporations saw the advantages of this material and started the long process of integrating it as a cost-effective resource. Industries like aerospace transferred knowledge of titanium to other industries driven by a desire to keep weight low and strength high, such as racing bicycles, automotive and motorcycle track competition, sailing, and others. As more industries have started to use the metal, the cost has slowly fallen, and now titanium is even used for things like flatware and laptop computer cases, and it won’t be long before titanium is as common as the iron, aluminum, steel, brass, and copper that we see everywhere we turn today.

Planning a wedding is exactly as challenging as you allow it to become. If you’re on the ball, you talked to each other about your respective concepts of “the big day” long before the proposal, and if those images were different, you talked about how to compromise. Regardless, the first step to actually planning the wedding is to get a sense of the scope and scale of the event. The most important questions to ask yourselves as early as possible are, “What do WE want to do?” and “Who do WE want to be there?” and last but certainly not least, “How do WE afford this?”

Because exchanging vows in front of families and friends involves other people, it will be a constant battle to keep focused on the fact that it’s your day. It’s a celebration of your commitment to a life-long relationship together, not a family reunion or a weekend getaway with friends. Avoid the trap of “well, if we invite so-and-so, we HAVE to invite such-and-such”… at the end of the day, it’s about the two of you, and the invite list should be comprised of the people that you want to share the day with, and no one else. It’s an impossible-to-achieve ideal, because second cousin Jeremiah and his ex-wife will show up uninvited anyway… but strive for it.

Additionally, because it’s your day, the two of you are the ones who get to decide whether you want an ice sculpture or a live blues band, a canine ring-bearer or Elvis-impersonators as waiters. Use your imagination and plan the day the way you will always want to remember it, and the way that will bring the most smiles to your faces.

Finally, since the financial outlay involved is often considerable, there needs to be a budget. Talk about what you can afford to spend. If your wedding plan doesn’t jive with your wallet, talk to parents about whether they willing and able to contribute. Whatever you do, choose a target, flush out the details, and do your best to stick to the plan. Flowers may end up costing twice as much as you thought, the cake may only cost half of what you expected: regardless, building and maintaining a basic budget will keep you from massive unexpected debt the day after your wedding, which can put a noticeable damper on the honeymoon.

Some final words of advice: take it slow and steady. Talk to other recently married couples about their weddings, and if they are willing to share the information, inquire about their budgets. Realize that the wedding, reception and honeymoon can cost as little as a $50 marriage license and a bottle of champagne, and as much as a small townhouse; but money spent doesn’t directly translate into increased happiness. Good planning and good communication, on the other hand, generally do.

Seattle: for most people, the first thing to come to mind is the rain. But that’s not the only thing worth mentioning.

Seattle is a relatively young metro area that has reached true “big city” population numbers only in the last half-century, with relatively steady growth since the 1980’s. The city proper is home to about 600,000 people, while the Seattle metro area includes about 2.5 million people, and the greater Puget Sound region holds closer to 3.5 million. Most the growth can be traced to the companies and industries that have driven employment opportunity in the area: software, aerospace, electronics and computer-related products, biomedical, and telecommunications.

The region has an overblown reputation for poor weather, but the real emotional downer isn’t the rain, it’s the number of overcast days. Yet, in spite of the darker shorter winter days, for residents, it’s all about the “everything else” that outweighs the weather. Recreationally, there are almost limitless options, whether you are into hiking, biking, skiing, sports games, climbing, gambling, camping, or fishing. With Portland, Oregon only three hours drive to the south, the San Juan Islands only an hour to the west, Vancouver, BC only three hours north, and excellent skiing a quick forty-five minutes to the east, get-away opportunities are in all directions and come in many flavors.

For metro-focused people, downtown Seattle is a great place to live and play. The relatively well blended mix of cultures results in a variety of cuisines if food is your thing. The city has a professional sports team for most fanatics, with one of the last remaining absentees being professional hockey, and in any given year, at least one of the teams has got a chance to go the distance. The downtown neighborhoods all have their own feel. For dancing and nightclubbing, head to Belltown, Capitol Hill, or Pioneer Square. For a casual beer or a chat over coffee and people-watching, head up to Queen Anne, or over the hill to Fremont and Ballard.

So if L.A. and New York move a bit too fast or seem a bit too crowded, Chicago, Boston and Detroit seem too old, Miami seems too humid, Portland seems to small, Minneapolis seems too cold, and Phoenix and Dallas seem too dry… swing through Seattle, see Pike Place Market, drive out to Snoqualmie Falls and play golf at Mount Si, take a ferry over to Whidbey Island, and grab coffee up on Queen Anne Hill. And leave your umbrella at home, because after a few days of “maybe it’s a drizzle, maybe that’s a real cloud, maybe it will clear up”, you’ll realize you don’t really need it. Trust me.

Another interesting fact is that Seattle has the largest percentage of teeth implants in the US.

“Street-fighter” is a motorcycling term commonly used when referring to a race-replica styled motorcycle that has been customized by subtraction as opposed to addition. This style of motorcycle customization grew as a backlash against a perceived “dishonesty” in modern race replica motorcycles, which use a significant amount of bodywork, primarily for sake of improved aerodynamics and greater top speeds. Many riders, particularly in Europe, started removing body panels and fairings to expose the inner workings of these motorcycles for a more “honest” visual style that celebrated the mechanical substance behind the day-glow racer plastic panels. Exposing the motorcycle’s frame, engine, and other gritty internal workings was also, in many cases, seen as practicality. A minor tip-over in a parking lot can cause literally thousands of dollars to repair or replace relatively fragile fiberglass fairings; many riders who consider themselves to be “hard core” often anticipated the inevitability of dropping their vehicle, and decided that it was more sensible to remove the bodywork before it could be damaged.

Street-fighter motorcycles typically start out as “sport-bikes”, typically Japanese models with high-RPM inline four cylinder engines and aerodynamic bodywork. The first step in creating a “street-fighter” is to remove the fairings. Once inside this boundary, because modern motorcycles are relatively complex, there is often quite a bit of visual “clean up”, to hide any number of plastic wires, rubber hoses, and so forth. Most custom builders also replace the OEM headlight, which is normally integrated into the front fairing, with a headlight or set of lights designed for an un-faired motorcycle. Polishing the frame is another way to differentiate your street-fighter motorcycle, and can be done with relatively cheap buffing equipment and oven cleaner on most frames based on aluminum extrusions and castings. Additional changes can include everything from custom wheels, single-sided rear swing-arms, aftermarket exhaust, rear fenders called “huggers”, and custom paint, to name just a few.

The street-fighter phenomenon has gained enough momentum with enthusiasts in the past decade that most of the major manufacturers now offer models that pay homage to the category. Some of the more well-known “OEM” street-fighters include the Ducati Monster®, the Aprilia Tuono®, and the Triumph Speed Triple®.

Honolulu is the capital city of the state of Hawaii, the 50th state in the Union. The city is on the island of Oahu, one of the eight major islands in the chain. Of the roughly 1.2 million people in the state, about 875,000 reside on Oahu, and roughly 400,000 live inside the Honolulu city limits.

Locals are from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and mixed bloodlines, as a result of a series of immigration waves that have occurred since the island chain was first discovered by the Western world back in 1778. Over the past two centuries, the islands’ culture, weather, and lifestyle have drawn in, and refused to release, people from all over Asia, the Americas, and Europe, resulting in a true melting pot environment. Local culture, food, and the local pidgin dialect all reflect the many different groups of people who have come to call the islands home.

Along with a mixed ethnic heritage, local residents also lay claim to the concept of “Hawaiian Time”, which refers to an unerring ability to ignore the anxieties that come with paying too much attention to the exact time of day. Local business attire consists of nice Aloha-print short-sleeved shirts and slacks. Everyone is, in some way, a part of your extended family; titles like “Aunty” and “Uncle” are applied to all family friends and most acquaintances.

Honolulu proper is the primary center of business and government for the state, and houses the main shipping port as well as a significant military presence. The town of Waikiki is known worldwide for its beach and for its tourist-friendly atmosphere. Honolulu also is home to the University of Hawaii’s main campus.  There also are many volcanoes near Honolulu.

Some of the more popular tourist destinations for visitors to Honolulu include the Iolani Palace, Kawaiahao Church, Bishop Museum, the Pali lookout, Punchbowl (The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific), the Aloha Tower, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Diamond Head, Tantalus, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, and Honolulu’s own Chinatown. Most visitors also make the short trek out to the North Shore of Oahu, home to a seemingly endless string of some of the most beautiful beaches and best surf spots on the globe.

If you ever get the opportunity for an extended stay, be careful: most people that visit find it hard to put both feet back at the airport once they have arrived.

Marinating meat is a great way to add flavor and tenderizes at the same time. Marinades generally include ingredients that help to break down the meat, such as an acid like lemon juice, or an alcohol like beer, wine, or even whiskey. By mixing and matching marinade ingredients with flavors that complement each other, you can wow your friends at your next barbeque party and smile when they ask for the secret.

My basic marinade recipe owes its heritage entirely to my good friend and former co-worker, Mr. Wilkins. Since I snuck up on him one afternoon while he was making up his secret brew, I have been playing with the ingredients and trying different things, and I always give him full credit whenever someone enjoys the results.

The ingredients and amounts below are a guideline. The recipe works just as well with pork chops or chicken breasts, and as every good cook knows, the magic comes from playing with the numbers and the flavors until you can call it your own.

4 flank steaks

4 to 6 tri tip steaks

2 bottles of beer (lagers work best)

1 large bottle of ketchup

1 small bottle of barbeque sauce

1 cup olive oil

2 to 3 garlic cloves

1 to 3 drops of “Liquid Smoke”

Take a fork or a sharp knife and pierce or lay thin knife marks into the meat on both sides, to help the liquid magic seep in.

Place the meat in one or more large zip-lock plastic bags, or a large plastic container with a lid.

Crush or slice the garlic. Minced or chopped garlic out of a jar works just as well, and in a pinch, garlic powder works, too. Add the olive oil and garlic and rub it in.

Pour in the ketchup, barbeque sauce, and beer. The goal is to cover the meat completely and maintain the right consistency, somewhere between tomato soup and tomato juice. Add the “liquid smoke” last, and take care with this ingredient not to go overboard, because it will overwhelm the other flavors. Leave the meat to marinate for at least four hours, and no more than a full day.

My best results have come from using the cheapest lager you can find, so I tend to avoid microbrews and heavier beers. It’s always fun to mix it up and add some whiskey, hot sauce, or various spices, depending on how adventurous you are feeling. Don’t be afraid to make two batches, just so you can try two different mixes to see how they fare against each other. And last, but not least, be prepared for the compliments.

ABS, or “Antilock Braking System”, is becoming a common standard feature in cars and trucks. The system is designed by engineers to help make it easier for the driver to slow or stop the vehicle quickly and safely in conditions where traction is not ideal.

There are a variety of types of anti-lock brakes, but for the most part, they are based the same physical principles. When traction is poor, for example on ice or in snow, and a vehicle’s brakes are applied, the rolling friction between the tire and the road may be overcome by the brake pressure applied. This may cause one or more of the wheels to “lock up” and keep it from turning, while the vehicle continues forward. Suddenly, the wheels are sliding instead of rolling.

The underlying physical principal here is that “rolling” friction forces are greater than “sliding” friction forces, which means that maintaining control of the vehicle and slowing your speed is significantly easier to do when the wheels are rolling relative to the road surface instead of sliding on it, because friction between your tires and the road is what allows you to slow down, speed up, and change direction.

Antilock braking systems work by carefully controlling and adjusting the amount of braking force applied on each wheel, depending on whether the wheel is sliding or rolling. These systems use sensors that measure the relative speeds with which each of the wheels on the vehicle are turning. If one of the wheel sensors indicates zero motion, while the other three are moving along at what should be 30 MPH, the ABS system electronics would recognize that the first wheel is sliding instead of rolling, and decreases the braking at that particular wheel until it is rolling again.

The old common wisdom about pumping your brakes when slowing your car on ice or snow is effectively a “manual” version of ABS; in theory, computer-controlled sensing and brake modulation, which can be done many times in a single second, is obviously a significant advantage, since a computer can “pulse” the brakes through cycles much more quickly than we can, and has more direct information than we do. Every action has a reaction, but getting the right reaction is sometimes easier with technology.