Nearly all the car brakes used in earlier models were a form of drum brakes. The functioning of a drum brake is straightforward, a drum is wrapped surrounding the axle. When force is applied, commonly through a metal band, the drum would compress around the axle, creating decreased speed. The difficulty with this kind of brake was that it would slip when wet. This contributed to the creation of the disc brake.

A disc brake functions by a group of shoes, or brake pads, which press against a disc which spins around with the wheels. This action could be caused using pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical, or electromagnetic power. A disc brake is typically located inside the wheel, behind the tire. Since it was free of the problem drum brakes had and offered better performance in slowing down the automobile, they quickly become the first choice for all automobiles. Disc brakes use brake pads made out of asbestos, ceramics, and a variety of other materials, giving them a longer running life.

While disc brakes grew to become an industry benchmark, there was the problem of the brakes locking up. As a result, anti-lock brakes were designed. Anti-lock brake system includes speed sensors, pumps, valves plus a controller. These things robotically fine-tune the brake pressure when stopping on slippery surfaces. At present we have computer controlled anti-lock brake system. Each wheel has got a sensor that determines the necessity of braking pressure. As a result of their near-perfect execution, anti-lock brake systems have become an essential safety item in all current vehicles.

Brakes should be checked often, no matter what type of brake you’ve, if it is not in good condition you can get in serious trouble. Trained car mechanics can check the brakes for performance as well as safe operation, so it would be wise to have the brakes examined often. They be familiar with the features of different kinds of brakes and can carry out any servicing that the brakes might require to keep you safe on the road.

Some families do cherish their history enough to preserve it on the Web. And they may recognize the achievements of their more prominent members. Take the Bredimus family in America. They show profiles for Nicholas Bredimus and Kate Bredimus, who both appeared in news media reports in their careers (among other members of the family). Not every family has to have a famous business person in the ranks. Some families run small businesses that are featured in local news feature stories.

But for families like the Bredimus family it is no doubt a point of pride that many media stories quote their relative Nicholas Bredimus on a variety of issues. And they may have collected many of Kate Bredimus’ own articles about famous people from her journalistic work.

A good family Website does not have to be complicated, although naturally if you include historical information about your family other distant relatives may actually find their way to your site. Although it does not mention Nicholas Bredimus one family blog attempts to reach out to other Bredimus relatives on several levels. The effort may have lapsed quickly but at least Bredimus family members learned they had relatives in various parts of the world.

The mutual interest that family members have in each others’ careers and achievements help sustain family traditions and pass on historical anecdotes. When children become old enough to ask where they came from and who they are related to, many families delight in sharing stories about “old uncle Fred” and “great-grandpa Charlie”. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to say, “And we’re also descended from the first settlers to live in our state”?

Elections were supposed to be held every 4 years and anyone over 20 years of age could vote. A system of proportional representation gave voice and presence in the Reichstag to even the smallest political parties. One tenth of the population could force a referendum on draft legislation rejected by the Reichstag.

The President, elected by universal suffrage, was the head of state and served a term in office of seven years. He appointed and dismissed the Chancellor (prime minister) and commanded the Republic’s much-reduced armed forces. He had the right to veto laws passed by the Reichstag, dissolve it and call early elections and referenda. He could also rule by decree, having declared a state of emergency.

The Weimar Constitution guaranteed the right to local self-government, a “dignified existence”, economic and religious freedoms, freedoms of speech, press, and assembly, and the right to form trade unions.

The Weimar Constitution was never abrogated or replaced. it remained in force until 1949 – throughout the 12 years of the Third Reich.

But on February 28, 1933 – a day after the Reichstag building was set on fire, allegedly as part of a “Communist plot” – Hitler submitted to von Hindenburg, the ailing and octogenarian German president, an emergency decree titled “For the Protection of People and State; to guard against Communist acts of violence endangering the state”.

Article 1 of the decree suspended all rights guaranteed by the Weimar Constitution. It read:

“Thus, restrictions on personal liberty, on the right of free expression of opinion, including freedom of the press, on the right of association and assembly, and violations of the privacy of postal, telegraphic, and telephonic communications, and warrants for house-searches, orders for confiscations, as well as restrictions on property rights are permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.”

Article 2 of the decree allowed the Reich government to take over the power of the Lander governments in order to restore security and order.

The Weimar Constitution was a dead letter.

The 13,000 word Constitution, adopted in 1949, by West Germany, was patterned after its Weimar predecessor but contained safeguards against its own suspension by a willful dictator and against the declaration of aggressive war. The Land of Bavaria – an important constituent of West Germany – refused to ratify it because it deemed it too “centralistic” (not enough power was granted to the Lander).

The first elections under this revamped document took place in August 14, 1949.

Sam Vaknin ( samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love – Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain – How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.

Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

Visit Sam’s Web site at samvak.tripod.com