If you live in or have traveled to these areas, or even if you come into contact with someone else who has, you could be at risk. In many parts of the world, the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of TB is a challenge due to health care policy, financial/resource constraints, or overpopulation. This allows TB to go undetected and untreated, causing it to spread. Traveling on an airplane to and from these areas can also harbor the bacteria due to isolated ventilation. Sub-Saharan Africa India China Russia Pakistan Southeast Asia South America Overcrowded conditions and places with poor ventilation allow the bacteria to spread easily from one person to another. A bad situation can be made even worse if the people around you have poor health background checks or screenings. Conditions to be wary of include: Prisons Immigration offices Retirement/nursing homes Hospitals/clinics Refugee camps Shelters Having a medical condition that lowers your immune system's natural defenses can be problematic. If your immune system can't function properly, you're vulnerable to all sorts of infections, including TB. Such conditions include: HIV/AIDS Diabetes End-stage kidney disease Cancers Malnutrition Age (the very young lack developed immune systems, and the aged may have less than optimal immune health) Any drug abuse, including alcohol, tobacco, and IV substances, can lower your body's natural defenses. While some cancers put you at higher risk for TB, so too does the chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Long-term use of steroids, as well as drugs to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs can also affect immune function. So too can drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis), and psoriasis.

Summary: Beware of areas that leave you vulnerable to TB. Examine your working and living conditions. Consider your own immune health. Determine whether drugs might interfere with immune function.

Paint basically falls into two very large categories. Factory paint is paint that comes standard on a particular model from the manufacturer. Custom paint is also just what it sounds like paint tailored specifically to your taste that is not available from the manufacturer. Three common paint options are solid colors, metallic colors, and pearl colors. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, solid colors can be cheaper and easier to apply evenly, but often look more plain. Metallic colors can be a bit more exciting, as they satisfy our lust for shiny things in a society fixated on technology, but light metallic colors can be quite difficult to apply. Pearls give a depth of color that solids nor metallics can match, but do not hide inconsistencies in the color very well. Two options that are seen on custom vehicles, but rarely on factory cars are candy color and chameleon paint. This is partly because candy colors are less durable than more common paints, and chameleon paints are quite difficult to apply evenly. That being said, candy colors are known for their superior depth of color (even compared to peal), and chameleon paints stand out in any crowd since the color changes depending on the viewer's vantage point. You not only have the choice of what color to paint your car, you also get to choose what kind of paint to use. Single stage paints can be less expensive (you need less layers and less application time) and might be a good fit for solid colors. Two stage, or basecoat-clearcoat, paint applies the pigment (color) in the initial basecoat and then a glossy clearcoat is applied on top. This provides a great look and improved durability. Basecoat-clearcoat is almost always the best choice for metallic or pearl colors. Some pearls and metallics are actually applied as three-stage paints. The basecoat is applied first, and then the pearl or metallic finish is applied, and finally the clearcoat goes on last.

Summary: Know where to get the color you want. Know what look you want. Consider less common paint options. Understand the pros and cons of different layering techniques.

A break-up should be a clean break with no room for ambiguity. You should be honest from the get-go you want to end the relationship. The letter's intent should be obvious from the opening line. Easing someone into a break-up seems less cruel, but it actually comes off as a mixed message. It can easily be read as uncertainty, making your partner think there's a chance you might change your mind. Your opening line should be concise. Begin with a simple sentence that communicates the letter's intent. Something like, "I have come to the difficult decision to end this relationship" or something along those lines works. This comes off as certain, leaving no room for confusion. Breakups can be difficult and cause a lot of feelings of failure and anxiety for both parties. Open communication is important as it removes the stress of not knowing. Your partner deserves to understand why the relationship ended, so providing specifics as to why you feel things aren't working out is vital to a break-up letter. Information-sharing is an important aspect of any relationship. In a breakup, sharing the reasons you feel the relationship should end conveys you respect your partner and want him or her to have closure. The idea of a winner (you, as you're leaving) and a loser (your partner, as he's being left) are diminished if you're honest. The blame is not on one individual but rather the incompatibility between the two of you. Even if your partner did something that made you unhappy, avoid name-calling and blaming. Simply state the specific behavior that resulted in incompatibility. Instead of saying, "Your friendship with your ex is damaging to our relationship" try to state it in a way that focuses on your personal feelings rather than applying objective facts. For example, "The fact you and Jane are still so close makes me feel it would be difficult for me to trust you longterm." Specific behaviors that were damaging to your relationship are important for your ex to know. He or she can use this information to improve his romantic relationships in the future. If you phrase things in a non-confrontational way, it may be helpful for him of her in the future to know why a past relationship ended. Remember, it's not always something the other person is doing. Sometimes, incompatibility causes a relationship to end. If this is the case, say so. This is often easier to accept and your ex will not end up feeling bad or guilty about past mistakes. Say something like, "I feel that we ultimately want to end up in different locations and as I'm getting older, I want to find someone I'm compatible with in the longterm." Remember, as you're not face-to-face the non-verbal cues that can be reassuring are absent. Kindness is important in a break-up letter. You want your partner to understand that, even though the relationship has ended, they still matter. While you need to be firm that you're ending the relationship, there's no need to be spiteful or aggressive while doing so. Even if you do have feelings of resentment, expressing yourself is an aggressive way could lead your ex to retaliate with his own letter or an angry phone call. End the letter by saying something positive, like "I valued the time we spent together and I hope you find someone you work better with in the future." The absence of non-verbal cues can make you come off as cold, so you want your ex to feel that you do care and that he or she is valued even though the relationship is over. Another reasons kindness is important is that letters bind you to your words. In anger or sadness, we often say things we do not truly mean and you do not want you or your ex to carry around physical evidence of a regrettable phrasing or tone.
Summary: Be honest about the letter's intent. Explain specifics. Be kind.