How Do We Measure a Car's Performance?

If you grew up around cars and car lovers, you probably hung out at some local parking lot in the evening on designated nights, where people would drive their modified cars to show off, compare, and exchange mechanical secrets.

In some cases, perhaps these meet-ups would lead to drag racing. Because drag racing is more often than not frowned upon by the local authorities, not to mention residents, comparing car performances should be left to talking shop and matching stats.

What do we talk about when we talk about a car's performance? One of the most common numbers people will offer as proof of their engine's power is horsepower. Another figure is a car's zero to sixty time. These two above figures do give an indication of car's ability for speed.

But what is left out of the equation is that these figures are only one hundred per cent reliable if one is assuming that the roads being driven on are completely flat, smooth and straight. This is never the case in real life, where roads are never one hundred per cent even.

Taking into consideration turns, irregularities, bumps and slopes, one must add the car's suspension into the mix to get an overall idea of its performance. Skilled auto mechanics will tell you that without a good suspension, horsepower and zero to sixty are worthless. Here is a breakdown of these three factors:

Suspension 

As stated above, suspension is what allows a car to run smoothly over any type of road surface. The suspension helps the tires remain smoothly on the road in any condition. It absorbs the shock from bumps, keeping the wheels from hitting the frame. It also shifts the weight of the car so that all four wheels remain firmly on the road during fast acceleration, braking, and sharp turns.

Horsepower 

This is the power of the engine, which is why it is one of the most popular figures to define a car's performance. It is how much work the engine can do within a specific time. The term comes from the old statistic that it takes one full minute for a single horse to pull 33,000 pounds the distance of one foot.

Zero To Sixty 

The proper term for this is the car's acceleration, meaning how much time it takes for a car to reach 60 miles (or 100 kilometers) from a still position. This figure is a little more practical than pure horsepower because it is not simply an engine statistic. But there are many factors that can affect the acceleration, like tire pressure, road conditions, and driver's abilities.

For anyone interested in cars beyond the regular local parking lot meet-ups, understanding suspension, horsepower and acceleration are all an important first step to really knowing what one is talking about regarding performance. If one wants to pursue an automotive career in either servicing or modifying cars, it is fundamental to understand the relationship between these factors for guaranteeing the smoothest and best ride.

One Dispatcher for Many Types

Trucking dispatching is a central role for a large network of professionals. They form the communicative liaison that allows the transportation and delivery industries to run smoothly. Whether helping to plan jobs, or reacting to last minute changes and problems, it is the dispatcher's job to make sure everyone else is on board.

Because of this role, the dispatcher has to be a people-person, and more importantly, know how to deal with different kinds of people, understand their concerns, and speak in their language. The most common professionals the dispatcher works with are:

- Truckers

- Clients

- Fleet Managers

- Servicemen

- Authorities

Each person working in one of these fields expects and deserves a dispatcher who is always ready to communicate and help them to do their jobs better. This is why dispatchers must have the necessary skills to know these different types and be ready work with them on their levels.

Truckers

A trucker's main concern is being focused on the road. They need a dispatcher who can communicate clearly and effectively. At times, truckers may need information quickly, for example if their planned route is unexpectedly interrupted, and so the dispatcher needs to be able to make quick decisions for the trucker. Truckers also spend a lot of time alone, and so it helps if the dispatcher is able to lend a friendly and familiar ear from time to time.

Clients

In dispatcher training, one learns all about the different types of jobs for different types of clients, whether they are sending a load or expecting one. A dispatcher must be professional and courteous when dealing with clients, and know how to be responsive to their needs. Clients might also be less familiar with the technical details of trucking, and a dispatcher should be patient and ready to explain to them what they should expect.

Fleet Managers and Servicemen

These professionals have a special technical language and jargon of their own, which the dispatcher should be somewhat familiar with. Taking some standard automotive service or fleet management courses alongside dispatcher courses is a good way to ease the exchange of information between these two professions.

Authorities

A dispatcher often has to deal with many different types of authorities, like local highway police, international border authorities, and even safety and compliance authorities depending on the job. For this, the dispatcher should have a level of respect and courtesy. It may be the case that problems with the authorities can disrupt the dispatcher's job, but the dispatcher should have patience and understanding in these cases, in order not to further jeopardize the deliveries.

If you are they type of person that knows how to adjust your style of communication depending on whom you speak with, then you might just make an ideal trucking dispatcher.

The Envelopes of Sound: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release

What is sound? That is an extremely broad question with answers coming variously from science, arts, and even philosophy. One way to think about sound is to consider it in contrast to sight.

In the arts, when we think of a single image, for example a painting, it is completely independent of time. It remains the same from the moment we see it to the next time we look at it. This is specifically for an isolated image, obviously not so for a watching a sunset or a movie.

With sound, it is much more difficult to think of it outside of passing time. The only way to think of this would be to imagine a single, unwavering tone, but even then, that is a single sound extended over time without any changes. More importantly, unchanging flat tones are barely considered art. When we think about the sounds that are produced in the service of music, we must take time into consideration.

When we hear a chord being played on the guitar, it comes to us in several phases that change over time. Even the singular smack of the snare drum becomes modified in our perception in just a few microseconds.

What defines the different stages in time of a sound and how we hear it are commonly known as envelopes, and they are an extremely important lesson for music recording. They are: attack, decay, sustain, and release.

Attack 

Imagine visualizing a sound as a mountain, with the main part of the sound being represented by a plateau at the peak. The attack is the upward slope of the mountain. In other words, it is the amount of time it takes from the first instance of the sound (or from when the note is struck) until it reaches its peak volume. Drum sounds, especially the snare, have a lot of attack.

Decay 

If our sound mountain's plateau was not actually the highest point of the mountain, but rather after we reach that initial peak after the attack, it sloped down a little before becoming flat, then this downward slope is the decay. It is the amount of time for a sound to settle after it hits its attack peak until it reaches the level the sound will be sustained for.

Sustain 

This is our plateau. It is the main level of volume that the sound will be heard. The longer the sustain, the longer the sound. Pianos have sustain pedals to keep the sound going longer after the pianist hits the key. Synthesizers can hold a note with endless sustain. Most acoustic instruments will have a relatively short level of sustain before beginning to die down again.

Release 

This is when we come down the mountain. The release measures the time from a sound's main sustain level until it is inaudible. With synthesizers, the release is counted from the moment the key is released, hence it's name.

Every sound has this temporal relationship with the moment the musician strikes a key or strums a chord. Music production training depends upon professionals knowing these fourtemporal envelopes well before thinking about more complex aspects of recording, mixing and producing.

Cementing Your Place in History Might Mean Taking a Risk

Everyone has his or her own style. From how people dress to the way they socialize with people, everybody has an individual and memorable touch. When you decide to work in movies, this touch has the ability of reaching the silver screen, to be etched in the minds of viewers forever. Think about it. Walt Disney coined the animated film, and launched the very first feature length cartoon. George Lucas opened up the imaginations across world, while Steven Spielberg is known for his thrilling and suspenseful films. All of these movie producers left something on the screen long after they left the movie set -- sticking to their strengths is what made them famous.

It is individuality that carries you the furthest in the movie business. While networking, education and experience are all essential to the movie business, you have to have something to offer once you reach the top, something to inspire others to aspire towards. It is this motivation that will make you stand out in the competitive entertainment industry. If you're an individual that's always followed the beat of your own drum, and you're creatively inclined, then maybe the film industry is where you belong. It is a playground for the odd, the unusual, and the brave. If you possess any of these characteristics, then you should consider taking your skills to the next level. Consider attending film classes in a bigger city, like Toronto.

In 2012 alone there have been a number of films filmed on Toronto soil, including Total Recall, Waiting for Summer, and the Disney television movie Frenemies. Toronto is a prime location for moviemakers across the globe due to its accessibility, and affordability (filming in Canada is usually less expensive than filming in the United States), and for these reasons, movie producers are making more and more movies in the Canadian city. Attending a film production school in Toronto will immediately put you in contact with members of the film industry, through both your professors as well as your fellow classmates. You will gain both the practical and theoretical knowledge necessary to make you a memorable applicant when applying for your next job.

If music is your preferred medium, then consider an audio engineering program. You can work in movies, in television, in radio, at venues, and of course, independently. Audio courses will provide you with the software training needed to ensure that you can keep up with the ever-evolving demands of the entertainment industry. Education will provide you with the tools necessary for you to create something unique to you.

The greatest moviemakers in the world are risk-takers. Consider the plethora of planes that Howard Hughes plowed his way through to make Hell's Angels. While the majority of filmmakers aren't flanked by an inherited fortune, this is a prime example of the risks that really great filmmakers are willing to take. So remember to take risks - this is what will take you to the top in a movie career.