Problem: Article: Fill a spray bottle or garden sprayer with plain, undiluted white vinegar and apply directly to the poison ivy. As with chemical herbicides, vinegar can be applied to untrimmed leaves as well as cut stems. Vinegar will take longer to work than most chemical herbicides, but as long as you are willing to put in the extra time, the treatment should work. Combine 3 lbs (1350 g) of salt, 1 gallon (4 liters) of water, and 1/4 cup (60 ml) liquid soap in a garden sprayer. Apply the concoction directly to the poison ivy. Use the treatment primarily on uncut leaves. You can also use it on cut stems, however, For an even stronger solution, add vinegar into the mix. Dissolve 1 cup (250 ml) of salt in 1 gallon (4 liters) of white vinegar over low heat. Once cool, stir in about 8 drops of liquid dish detergent and apply the solution to the poison ivy as a spray. Boil a kettle or pot of water and dump the hot liquid directly over the roots of the poison ivy plant. This will need to be done on a daily basis, and it may take quite some time before the plant actually dies off. The boiling water can be dumped on the base of the plant, but for best results, dig away some of the soil surrounding the base to expose a portion of the roots directly. Note that even dead poison ivy plants have poisonous oils on them, so you should still take precaution when removing them. After removing or cutting down any poison ivy plants you notice in the area, scatter grass seed. When grass grows, the roots choke out the roots of the poison ivy, making it difficult if not impossible for the plant to come back. This treatment takes quite some time since the grass needs an adequate amount of time to grow. In the meantime, you should keep up on removing or cutting down poison ivy plants you see.
Summary: Use white vinegar. Apply a salt-and-soap treatment. Pour boiling water over the poison ivy. Plant grass.

Problem: Article: Many states require periodic emissions tests to be performed to ensure that your car is running as clean as possible and not contributing to excessive air pollution. There are a lot of complicated numbers associated with the process that are probably not of interest to the average driver and vehicle owner, but you can research the Environmental Protection Agency standards for all vehicles here. You don't need to know the standards to have your vehicle tested. All you need to do is find a testing location in your area and schedule an appointment. They'll tell you if your vehicle is up to the standards, and help you get it to code if it isn't. You can help avoid problems by keeping up on the maintenance of your engine fluids and filters. You should have your exhaust system checked periodically for any issues that may cause a future failure. If your check engine light comes on, have it serviced quickly to prevent further problems. Emissions testing is different for different types of vehicles, and is required for a vehicle to be street-legal in some states, while in others there's no requirement at all. Motorcycles are required to be tested in some areas, but not in others. Check with your local bureau of motor vehicles to make sure your vehicle needs to be tested. The most common exclusions are: Vehicles manufactured pre-1975 Diesel vehicles manufactured pre-1997 Electric vehicles and hybrids Trailers Failing the emission test is likely the result of some common performance issues in your vehicle. Learning to anticipate and correct these issues can help you pass the emissions test, once you've got it scheduled. The most common system failures are: Out-of-spec fuel metering: This could be the result of the CPU, if your vehicle has one, or the fuel injection and carburetor unit. Worn-out spark plugs: These can cause hydrocarbons to spike during the examination. Just basic maintenance on the engine can sometimes cause emissions to spike. Vacuum leaks: These can occur because the MAP sensor is dysfunctional, or the hoses are faulty. Your MAF sensor may also have issues with a vacuum leak and turn on the check engine light. Air-injection and EVAP malfunction: If the air-injection system in the engine malfunctions, it won't be able to control the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions properly. The EVAP system may be venting fuel vapors into the engine when it is not supposed to, causing high hydrocarbons.
Summary: Check the emissions standards and procedures in your state. Find your particular vehicle group. Learn the common causes of emission issues.

Problem: Article: Honesty is the key to any long-lasting relationship. To keep your relationship strong, you should be able to be open and honest with your special someone. You should be able to share your most intimate thoughts and feelings with your loved one, or you're not really communicating. Don't be afraid to tell your loved one if he disappointed you. Being honest about your feelings will help you work through the problem, and is far better than being passive aggressive if you're upset about something. Share your feelings with your loved one. If you're really upset about something that happened at work or something your mother said, then don't keep it all inside. Know when not to say something. Though honesty is almost always the best policy, you don't have to share every little feeling with your loved one. For example, if you don't like his new shirt or think one of his new friends is kind of annoying, you may want to keep it to yourself. Time your honesty. If you want to open up about something important, make sure you do it when your loved one has time to talk and is relatively unstressed. Your news will be better received if he has time to listen. In any strong relationship, being happy should be more important than being right. If you want your relationship to last, then you should learn how to make decisions with your loved one, and to find a way for both of you to be happy with the decisions, or to take turns giving in to each other. Here's how to do it: When you're making a decision, have your loved one rate how important it is to him on a scale of 1 to 10, and then state how important it is to you. Then talk about why it's so important to both of you, and what you can do to make it matter less. Be thoughtful. When the two of you are making a decision, take the time to discuss the pros and cons and what you can do to meet halfway. Take turns giving in on small decisions. If you picked the restaurant for date night, let your girl pick the movie. Make sure both people are compromising. It's not a compromise if your girl is always giving in to what you want in the end because you're more persistent. This is an important point. If you want to be in a long-lasting relationship, then you absolutely have to learn how to say you're sorry from time to time. When it comes to a relationship, admitting you're sorry is much more important than being stubborn. Learn to apologize if you've done something wrong. It may take you some time to realize that you made a mistake, but once you do, say that you're sorry for what you've done. Make sure you mean it. Be sincere and make eye contact. It won't mean anything if you're just saying you're sorry because you have to. Learn to accept your loved one's apology. If he truly means it, then you should stop sticking to your guns, accept the apology, and move on. Don't ever forget to say "I love you" and take your feelings for granted. You should tell your loved one that you love him every single daymultiple times a day, if you can. Remember that there's a difference between "love you" and "I love you"you should really mean it when you say it. Always compliment your loved one. Tell her how great she looks in her new dress or how much you love her smile. Always thank your loved one. Don't take his/her favors and kind actions for granted. Always tell your loved one how special he/she is. Don't ever forget to make him feel unique.
Summary:
Be honest with each other. Learn to compromise. Learn to say you're sorry. Tell your loved one how much he means to you.