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Martial Arts Book Review: Ending Violence Quickly by Marc "Animal" MacYoung

2008-03-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it's definitely worth owning. One such book is Marc Animal MacYoungs, "Ending Violence Quickly."

As I have said before, one of the great things that I absolutely love about Marcs books is his no-holds barred direct approach to getting his point across. There is never any sugarcoating or politically correct terminology is his books. He simply tells it like it is, whether you like it or not.

Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book is simply loaded with sound principles and easy to learn techniques for making the most of a bad situation. I find the information on the principles behind the techniques very useful, and it is usually a very good indicator of a high quality self-defense and/or martial arts book.

Marc starts off this book with a chapter devoted to the escalation of violence, and why it is generally not a good idea to do so. Although it tends to be a common occurrence in todays society, the more preferred method should almost always be de-escalating the situation into a non-violent resolution, rather than escalating it.

Chapter two delves into the subject of awareness and triggers. A trigger being the point at which you have previously decided is the time when a specific course of action is to be taken. Similar to what some call a point of no return. This section also goes into the different types of attackers and some of the cues to look for that usually take place immediately prior to an attack. Marc brings up a very good point in this section where he tells you that you should never wait for the actual physical attack to strike, but for the intent of your attacker to strike.

The next chapter takes a look at the physiology and psychology of violence and also a very good technique which Marc calls an attitude interrupter. This is something that a psychiatrist would call, patter interruption. This is a technique which is used to momentarily take an individuals focus away from what they are doing and put it on something else. Marc gives a real good example of this using a naked lady.

Chapter four deals with an often neglected and misunderstood technique called footwork. Footwork is something that any good boxing instructor will tell you is the foundation of a good boxer. Applying proper footwork can get you out of the line of fire quickly, or it can also be used to put your entire body behind a blow. This is an outstanding section in an otherwise very good book.

Counters and Blocks is the next chapter and just like the title alludes to, deals with blocking and countering your opponents attack. However, Marc points out a very important strategic maneuver that is often overlooked by many martial artists and self-defense instructors alike. If you arent in your attackers line of attack, how can he hit you? In other words, avoiding the attack in the first place is preferable to blocking it.

Chapters six, seven, and eight deal with various techniques you can utilize in order to take your opponent to the ground while maintaining your standing position. They also discuss at length various sneaky tricks that you can use to take your opponents base of support out from underneath him. With the intended effect of having him lose his balance and eventually fall to the ground.

Chapter nine talks about what Marc refers to as slaving, which is when you use your opponents on weight and momentum against them. Exactly like what you would see in Judo and Aikido.

What follows next is a brief chapter on how to deal with various weapons that you are likely to encounter in a self-defense situation. Just like the rest of this book, the principles behind dealing with weapons are by far more important than the actual techniques themselves. I especially liked the last page in this section that showed what a potential attacker may look like as he is reaching for a weapon.

The last chapter deals with the basic instinct for survival of the species and dealing with situations in a professional manner. Both of these section in this last chapter are very educational and should be taken to heart, although the section on professionalism tends to be geared more for the bouncer than the average person, it is still very good knowledge to have and to apply.

Marc finishes this book with a great section on the effects of alcohol on a person as related to violence, and the four types of violence that you may encounter. This section is very well done (as is the rest of the book) and could actually be devoted to an entire volume, which in my opinion it should be. Of course my favorite section is the one devoted to Murphys Law. Marc can be reached via his web site at: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com.

Why Your Writing Time Is Worth More Than Money

2008-03-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

I used to think that everything in my life was geared around saving money. Even when it came to my writing I would rather waste time doing things the long way rather than spend money that would help speed my career along.

Bu then something happened that made me realise that my writing time is worth far more than money and now my time is much more profitable.

The thing that happened was Nick Daws Quick Cash Writing course. Id been receiving Nick Daws Ewriter Newsletter for a few months when he started mentioning his Quick Cash Writing course. I took a look at his sales page for this product and saw that it came with a 60-day money back guarantee and that the course promised that I could earn 30-times the cost of the course by the time Id finished it.

So I reluctantly parted with my cash and downloaded the book. Once I started reading it I couldnt wait to get started and began the course with great gusto.

By the time I was halfway through the course I realised that the initial promise of earning 30-times the cost by the time Id completed the course was wrong because Id already done it.

I was totally hooked on this course because it made me start writing, told me where to submit my work and kept me writing more. The cheques were rolling in and I was extremely happy.

So then I decided to try Nick Daws other course, Write Any Book in 28 Days or Less. Again I began the course with the same amount of gusto and 4 weeks later I sat looking at my manuscript which was pretty amazing considering I didnt even know what I was going to write about when I started. Since then my manuscript has been edited, finalised and has now been sent to my agent.

But I was now an addict for downloadable products because now I knew how much time I could save (Id never had written a book in 4 weeks without the course) and how much money I could earn (Id never been so motivated to write so much without the Quick Cash Writing course, which Ive done several times now).

So then I spent more money and bought Jim Edwards Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as Little as 7 Days, which I also did and the eBook has been very profitable indeed and Im now writing my second.

I also bought Jim Edwards Affiliate Link Cloaker so that none of the visitors to my website could tell which links contained my affiliate code which stopped my website looking like a sales pitch and which increased my sales.

I then also bought Article Submitter which helps me submit all my articles to article directories in minutes which was a job that used to take hours.

But then I made the ultimate and most expensive purchase and it wasnt even downloadable or related to writing in any way. I bought an iRobot called Roomba and it runs round my house on its own and vacuums the carpets, rugs and floors while I write.

Does Roomba make me lazy? No, I dont think so. Vacuuming in our house takes a long time because with 3 pets there are a lot of animal hairs around that can be difficult to pick up, but Roomba is built to be especially good with picking up pet hairs and so it is. Ive now gained extra hours to write each week.

But the whole point Im trying to make here is that in my opinion, my writing time is more important than money. In fact Ive discovered that, through careful selection of products, the more money Ive spent the more Ive earned.

Thanks Nick. Thanks Jim. Thanks Roomba.

Ruth Barringham is a freelance writer and runs successful websites at http://www.writeaholic.co.uk and http://www.workathomeaholic.com.

Tips For Keeping Pets

2008-03-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Animals unlike humans cannot express their feelings and they cannot go on making demands and tell their owners when they need food. They are animals. Pet keepers bring home fish, cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters and birds home all the time eagerly but sadly, they fail to take proper care of their pets because of which their animals die. If pets can not speak out, pet keepers themselves should be humane enough to understand their pets heartily and give them their rights.

Some basic and simple tips for pet keepers can ensure a healthy and loving relation between themselves and their pets. As far as dogs are concerned it is advisable to keep it in a proper dog house which should be comfortable and cozy enough for it to reside in. Whenever you take out your dog for a walk make sure you leash it. They are playful animals, they love to jump and mingle with other animals and chase things. So avoid any bad circumstances it is always better to play it safe. Cats are well mannered and they are less messy than dogs. However they too need proper care. Dogs and cats should be bathed regularly and their utensils cleaned on daily bases. If your dog or cat ever urinate or excrete in your lounge, you should never leave it unclean. It is highly unhygienic for animals and pet keepers both.

The animals that you keep in cages need a little more attention. They are enslaved so it is better to make them at least feel free. Birds or rabbits should never be kept in small cages. They should be big enough so that your birds can easily flutter their wings and fly about. It should be big enough so that your rabbit can run about and hide when it wants to hide. Animals kept at home should provide them with a sense of being in their natural habitats. This way they feel free and they live happily. Their cages, their beddings should be cleansed thoroughly and regularly.

Animals should be vaccinated whenever they need to be. They should be taken for regular medical checkups so that they stay health and energetic. Animals too should be kept in a secured area and never be left out on their own. Pets are unlike the stray animals; they are vulnerable and require special attention. So pet keepers should make sure they take care of their pets the way they should be kept. They can always keep themselves updated through internet and magazines to acknowledge and fulfill their pet's needs.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://etotallypets.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://supershoppingtips.com/ and http://iclothingcenter.com/.

Helpful Tips to Keep Your Toy Dog Breed Cool and Safe in Hot Weather

2008-03-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

Sunny summer days seem to incite all sorts of fun activities with your Toy Breed Dog: As temperatures soar, the hot weather also brings with it very specific hazards such as sunburn, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The good news is these threats to your pooch are preventable. In this article I will give you a few tips of how to keep your toy breed dog cool and safe during hot summer days.

Protecting Your Toy Breed Dog from Sunburn

Toy Breed Dogs can receive sunburn much like humans. The nose, tips of the ears and around the lip area are especially susceptible to the burning rays of the sun. Use common sense when outdoors in the summertime with your Toy Breed Dog. Keep your Toy Breed Dog in the shade during the hours of the day when the suns rays are most intense. This is usually between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. However, if you need to be outside during these times, it's okay to apply sun-block to your dog's nose and the exposed skin on the ears. It's a little risky to apply sun-block around the lips. Your Toy Breed Dog would probably lick off the sun-block product which could present another health hazard. So avoid the lip area when using sun block on your Toy Breed Dog. If you notice the area around your Toy Breed Dogs lips becoming pink or red, contact your vet to find out an appropriate treatment for this area.

Protecting Your Toy Breed Dog from Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke

Leaving a Toy Breed Dog in a parked car during summer weather is the leading cause of heat stroke. Toy Breed Dogs can also suffer heat exhaustion or heat stroke if they exercise too heavily on a hot, humid day or, if they live outdoors and don't have shelter from the sun. Toy Breed Dogs are also more susceptible to heat stroke if they are overweight or suffer from lung or heart ailments. Older Toy Breed Dogs are less tolerant of heat and may succumb to heat strokes more readily than younger Toy Breed Dogs.

Here are a few tips to help keep your Toy Breed Dog safe from heat stroke:

Do not take your Toy Breed Dog with you on errands if you need to leave the dog in the car.

If you are traveling with your Toy Breed Dog and must make a stop, even for the shortest period of time, leave the air conditioner on.

If you take your Toy Breed Dog with you for walking, jogging or cycling exercise, do not push the Toy Breed Dog on exceptionally hot days. Always take plenty of fresh, cool water. Watch your Toy Breed Dog for signs that the dog needs a break.

Most Toy Breed Dog owners do allow their dogs to live indoors. If for some reason, your Toy Breed Dog needs to live outside, be sure you provide an all-day shade area such as a ventilated doghouse, large beach umbrella or overhang to block the heat of the sun during summertime months.

Keep older Toy Breed Dogs and those with lung or heart conditions inside your home on hot days. If you do not have air conditioning, keep a fan running.

Avoid situations that force your Toy Breed Dog to stand on sun-baked surfaces such as cement sidewalks, a truck bed or beach sand. The extreme heat can cause blisters on the Toy Breed Dogs pads.

If you must walk your Toy Breed Dog in the heat of the day, walk on grassy areas as much as possible.

Of much importance is to provide your Toy Breed Dog with an unlimited access to cool, clean refreshing drinking water.

If you will follow the above tips during hot summertime weather your Toy Breed Dog should be safe from experiencing heat stroke.

Author: Connie Limon. Visit us online at: http://www.abouttoydogs.com We are an article and resource directory all about Toy Dogs. Our mission is helping you decide which Toy Dog is right for you and/or your family. We provide you with helpful, educational articles and dog training resources.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Connie Limon. Visit us online at: http://www.abouttoydogs.com We are an article and resource directory all about Toy Dogs. Our mission is helping you decide which Toy Dog is right for you and/or your family. We provide you with helpful, educational articles and dog training resources.

Enjoy Sledding

2008-03-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

Just imagine racing down a snow-covered hill, cold wind blowing in your face, your warm, wool scarf fluttering behind you. You are bouncing up and down, trying to keep yourself on course, but occasionally drifting off to the side. You feel like flying. Sledding is one of the best forms of recreation for a snowy day.

Sledding has been around for hundreds of years and is one of the oldest winter sports. Descriptions of sledding can be found dating back to the 1500s. But it was not until 1885 that the first official sledding race, the Grand National, was held in Switzerland.

Sleds come in all sizes and shapes and are made from a variety of materials, including metal, plastic, wood, and even rubber. A straight running sled is the most basic kind of modern-day sled. Most are made of plastic and are fast and easy to steer. Some even come with their own brakes and steering wheels. The most recognized kind of sled is a steel runner sled. These are the wood and metal sleds that you usually see in pictures and have been around for a long period of time.

Another type of sled is round, and its name sounds like it could be found in outer space. It's called a saucer sled. Saucer sleds let you spin and turn. But you better be careful. Since they do not let you steer, you might just be going backwards, sideways, or off the path altogether before you realize it. Also, snow tubes are round. They are filled with air and can also be used for floating in a pool or lake. Snow tubes let you bounce as you go over bumps, but they do not give you much control. When filling these kinds of sleds with air, remember not to fill them too full. If you do, there is the risk of them bursting in front of your eyes!

Remember that not all sheds can be bought in stores. A flattened cardboard box or garbage can lid can work just as well. Take your kids, your friends or just yourself and sled away when you have a chance. The feeling of being back to nature can be better conceptualized when experienced, so do not waste time or procrastinate. Sledding is one of the best exercises you body and mind can enjoy. The best part of sledding is that you can watch your friends and family smiling at your or their snow adventures!

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://sportsoftheworld.net/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://4educationinformation.com/ and http://moviestelevisionandmore.com/

How to Optimize Your Web Site 15%, 27%, 134% and Start Making Real Money

2008-03-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

Does your web site make you money?

How long has your web site been running?

One year? Two years? Maybe even three?

Over those three years your web site could have been a turbo-charged money machine, cranking out profits for you and your family night and day, week after week, month after month.

But has it? Or has it just sat there, looking pretty. Maybe lots of graphics and Flash animations. Maybe lots of visitors

Maybe it just costs you money, because you have to pay for web hosting?

If so, a lot of other web site owners are in the same boat.

But did you know, if you change just one part of your web site, you can make your web site profitable?

Change your headline, for example, and you can increase your response by 500%.

Write 10 different headlines and one may be a winner.

But how do you find the winner?

The answer is, you have to test as many different headlines as you can, until you find the winner.

How do you test? Well come to that in a moment.

Other factors that make your web site a winner or a loser are, for example, your offer (do people want your product?), your opening para (paragraph), bullet points, testimonials, close, PS and bonuses.

But consider this.

Say you write 10 headlines, 10 offers, 10 opening paras, 10 testimonials, 10 closes and 10 bonuses.

You now have a MILLION different combinations (10 to the 6th power = 1,000,000) to test, to discover the perfect blend of web site variables!

Headline B works well with opening para A, but not with bonus B. Headline A works well with bonus B, but not with opening para A and so on up to 10 to the 6th power!

How do you find the best mix out of a million?

Sounds impossible? Right?

In the old days, before the Internet, if you were a direct marketer, all you could do was a split-run test (also known as an A B split test) test only two parts of your sales letter at a time.

Youd send out, say 3,000 letters with headline A to 3,000 names on a list. And then another 3,000 letters with headline B to 3,000 different names on a list.

Youd also somehow code each letter (perhaps include a coupon for the reader to fill out to get a discount or free sample), so youd know which letter brought the highest response.

Then youd wait. And wait.

Eventually, after a few weeks youd have your responses, and youd have a good idea which headline worked best.

Youd then send the best-performing letter to the rest of the names on your list.

Or youd test the best-performing letter against one with another headline. Again send the letter with headline A (if that was the stronger letter from the first test) to, say, 3,000 names on your list, and the letter with headline C to another 3,000 list names.

Again, youd wait. And wait

This was a real pain, but it was the only way to find the winning letter. It took a LOT of time and often a LOT of money.

Enter the Internet. And very powerful web site testing software.

With this multivariate (or multivariable, Taguchi multivariate) software you can now test multiple variables (headline, bonuses, PS and so on) of a web page sales letter at the same time.

You can write, say, 16 headlines, 16 opening paras, 16 sets of bonuses, 16 closes and so on and test them all at the same time.

The software will tell you the best blend of elements that make up the most powerful sales letter. You wont have to spend months, or even years, doing very boring A/B split testing.

And a dynamite sales letter will turn your web site into a 24/7 money generator.

To find out more about how this amazing new software can transform an underperforming web site that loses you money into a constant money machine, go to http://www.KaizenTrack.com/bletter.php.

Theres a special offer right now, but its limited. So youll have to hurry.

© 2006 Eldo Barkhuizen BA, HDE

Eldo Barkhuizen, http://www.1stcallcopywriting.com, is a direct response and web copywriter based in the UK. Using tested, powerful strategies he will help you transform your website into a 24/7 money magnet.

Why You Should Adopt A Dog

2008-03-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Dog adoption is made easy through the countless animal welfare organizations and animal shelters existing in every city across the United States. With literally thousands of adoptable dogs listed, a prospective dog owner can select to adopt a dog that needs a wonderful family to go to and be loved. In fact, when you search through these shelters and find a puppy, you are doing a great service to the community and to the local dog rescue or animal shelter that you went for your dog, cat, kitten, or puppy adoption. Thus, you should not hesitate! You should go today to your local area's shelter facilities and practically support dog and puppy adoption. But before you exit such a life-saving premise, you should first consider some important factors that will shape your decision.

In fact, you are interested in getting a dog from a shelter you can increase your chances of completing a successful adoption if you make some observations and you are not afraid to ask the shelter's personnel some necessary questions. Begin by visiting the shelter several times and watch the interaction of the staff members with the animals. Pay attention to how they treat, clean and behave to them and if possible keep notes of their attitude towards the dogs in general and the one you are considering of adopting in specific.

A buyer who chooses to adopt a shelter animal instead of buying a puppy should be just as careful in his choice and as selective of a place to adopt as the puppy buyer should be in his choice of a breed and a puppy. This is mainly due to diseases and lack of proper care. Although dogs are vaccinated against common canine diseases when they enter a shelter, they do not always receive immediately the appropriate vaccinations, especially if they have been already exposed to a disease while roaming the streets. In addition, if the shelter keeps each dog in different compartments, but a chain type of fence separates them from each other-meaning that their nose can be in direct contact-then illness are possible to be transferred from one dog to another. Furthermore, if their feces are not picked up regularly and their cells are not cleaned properly, worms and other feces-spread diseases are possible. Thus, ask the shelter's veterinarian to perform a thorough background physical check on the dog you have set your eyes on and take proof of their vaccination before exiting the shelter or clinic.

Finally, you should be aware that owning a dog is a big responsibility. Apart from their need to be fed regularly depending on their size and breed, dogs have to be taken outdoors, and they often require medical care. Although it is a disaster that many people fail to recognize these and other issues beforehand, you should not decide to adopt a dog based on an impulse. It has to be a well-thought decision that takes under consideration how much time you have available everyday, what is your current lifestyle, and which are your living accommodations. Thinking beforehand where the dog shall live once it enters your house premises is as important as teaching your kids not to be afraid of the hairy new family addition-some children might even get jealous or afraid of a new dog. Plan ahead, research extensively and be well-prepared in order to enjoy for many years to come the amazing company and unique companionship a dog can offer to everyone in your family.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://etotallypets.com/ - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://4homelife.net/ and http://itsfamilytime.net/.

Ways To Save Money Grocery Shopping

2008-02-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

Grocery shopping bills can really add up! Most people tend to wait until they get to the store to see what they need on a shopping trip, but that can add up to a whole bunch of overspending at the grocery store. In this article, we'll offer up some tips on how to save money when taking your trip to the grocery store.

- Before you leave the house to hit the supermarket, it can be a good idea to check your pantry and do a quick inventory so that you can see exactly what you need. Plus, if you have some odd ingredient hanging out in the cupboard, you can buy something to go with it when you go to the grocery store.

- Check weekly supermarket ads to see exactly what's on sale. Combine that knowledge with what you've already got in your cupboard, and you should be able to come up with some recipes for the week that incorporate what you already have and what's on sale.

- When you see something for sale that you already have, but you often buy, buy it anyway. When you buy things that you would buy anyway on sale, you're saving yourself plenty of cash in the future.

- Do your best to avoid making small purchases at places such as convenience stores. These smaller stores usually charge a premium when it comes to their grocery goods, and you can save a few dollars a week by just making one big trip to the supermarket.

- When you make a grocery list, stick to it. Do your best to avoid impulse buys, since they are usually unnecessary and costly.

- Red meat can be very expensive. If you're looking for ways to get your protein intake without spending a whole lot of cash, it may be your best bet to avoid red meat, opting for poultry, tuna, peanut butter, and eggs instead.

- When buying poultry, opt for whole chickens as opposed to breast meat. They are a much more cost-effective way of getting chicken.

- When you see something advertised as a sale, be sure that it is actually a good deal. Compare the product to similar products in the area to determine whether or not you'll be saving cash by buying the deal item.

Following these tips can save you a lot of money when it comes to your supermarket trips. Since the cost of foods can really add up, you may find yourself with some spare pocket money if you are a prudent and informed shopper.

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://lookwhosshoppingnow.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://universeoftoys.com/ and http://iclothingcenter.com/

Colorful Black Labradors

2008-02-26T02:03:00.000-08:00

Out of all of the different types and colors of Labradors, the black Labrador is one of the most popular. Black Labradors are usually solid black in color. They are sleek and graceful looking animals. They are a large breed of dog and must be taken seriously because they can harm small children or frail individuals because they have so much enthusiasm for life and they want to play with everyone. However, black Labradors are very smart and they learn quickly. They can be trained quite easily not to jump up on people or cause other problems because of their energy levels and large size. Some people might be frightened by large dogs such as the black Labrador, but spending time with these dogs will show most people that there is nothing to fear except that you might be licked with much enthusiasm.

Pay Attention To Energy Levels

There are many different breeds of dogs in this world today, and they can differ not just in their looks but in their temperament and their energy level as well. This is important to be aware of when looking into getting a large dog such as the black Labrador. High energy dogs are often very enjoyable to the person or the family that likes a lot of outdoor activity, but this type of dog might not be as good of a choice for the person that works all day or lives in an apartment. This does not mean that the black Labrador would not make a good pet, but it is not healthy for the dog to be closed up in an apartment all day and could result in destructive behavior simply because the dog would be bored.

Big Dogs Need Big Spaces

For those that are interested in owning a black Labrador, space must be considered. Those who live in apartments either do not own dogs or only own small dogs because large dogs with a lot of energy are often unhappy in an apartment all day. However, for the family that has space for a large dog, a black Labrador would be a good choice because they make good guard dogs yet are gentle and affectionate with people that they know including small children.

Denise Duncan loves all dogs, especially labradors, and enjoys training and raising them. She is a contributing author and editor for http://www.AllAboutLabradors.com .

Discover How Your Home May Be Exposed to Burglars and What You Can Do To Prevent It

2008-02-25T17:40:00.000-08:00

Did you know that most residential burglaries happen during the day? Why, because today so many people are regularly away from their house.

Just try to get someone on the phone who is actually at home during the day. Lets face it, we are constantly on the go. We are either working, doing errands, taking our kids to soccer, music lessons, or you name it. And who else is aware of this thats right, burglars!

Police will tell you that many burglaries are opportunistic. Burglars look for clues that tell them your home is just waiting to be robbed. They will compare potential benefits and risks before committing the crime. If a thief can tell that there is something of value in your house and that there is little chance of getting caught, guess who is going to have their home burglarized!

What are some things a thief looks for in making his assessment? Most of them are obvious, but we, being so busy, tend to ignore them Just by taking a few simple precautions you can make your house less appetizing for a burglar. Some examples are:

Stop leaving money or jewelry on the kitchen table or on the TV. Too many of us do it be honest! Its in plain view for anyone who comes to your door or looks in your window (and believe me, burglars are experts at doing this).

How about disposing of the box that your new, expensive plasma TV came in do you put the box outside in the trash for all to see? Why not cut the box up and put it into a bag. Yes, this takes a little time, but look at the possible alternative!

How often do you leave your garage door open for all the world to see your tools or other possessions? Even if you are in a great neighborhood, there are still people who ride around all day just looking for potential victims. If there is no car in the garage, what does that tell them you arent home! Keep your garage door closed!

And speaking of garages, if you use a padlock for your garage door, always keep it locked when the door is open, especially if you insist on leaving it open all day and/or all night. Burglars can remove the padlock, have a key made and then replace the padlock where it was. Guess whos going to visit you some night

Just another thought Discuss with your kids the importance of home security and tell them not to brag to their friends about how much money there is in the house or about their mothers jewelry. We all tell our children not to speak to strangers. But how about their friends? Thieves come in any size and age. Dont make your home a potential classroom for burglars.

Why do a burglars work for him? Just by taking a few simple precautions you can discourage a robber from targeting your house.

Larry Zolna

Larry Zolna -- LRZ Enterprises, Inc. helps people make their home, office and family safe and secure with home security and self defense products. Give your self an edge over an attacker and don't be the next victim. Please visit http://www.homeandselfprotection.com for more information.

Cheater Websites: Are Websites that Promote Infidelity Wrong?

2008-02-24T21:37:00.000-08:00

Cheater websites have become commonplace on the Internet. Website such as ashleymadison.com and meet2cheat.com specialize in promoting discrete affairs between married and committed people. Make sure your partner is not frequenting these sites by checking their computer history. Also, watch for escort sites such as theeroticreview.com or bigdoggie.net to find out whether your husband or boyfriend is paying for prostitutes. Studies which were conducted recently revealed that 45-55% of married women and 50-60% of married men engage in extramarital sex at some time or another during their relationship (Atwood & Schwartz, 2002 - Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy) .

There are several ways for the cheater to cheat on the Internet and there are several degrees of cheating on the Internet as well. It is imperative to mention that Internet is particularly successful in putting people in contact as it provides a way to interact with less inhibition and more caution when knowing somebody else than the real life.

The common places one finds themselves meeting on the Internet are thousands, and they are can be classified into the following categories: Chat rooms. (MSN and Yahoo are the most used); Friend networks. (Hi5 and Orkut are very popular); Direct contact through chat profiles. (Looking through the profiles of MSN members); Sites to match couples (Perfectmatch, match, etc) and Relationship sites (Passion, Adult Friend Finder, etc).

It is important to know that not everyone who chats or even meet in real life is a cheater. Internet is a great and wonderful resource and we all are responsible on how we are going to use it. Finally, there is another set of people, especially those who live in different towns, who practices cyber-sex. Cyber-sex evolves into phone sex slowly, but the chances of cheating are less probable as they need to travel to meet each other. Even more, experienced cheaters will contact people in those places where they know that will be traveling soon. Check this out

Married and committed people who utilize cheater websites want to have their cake and to eat it too. Unfortunately, this is always unbeknownst to the unsuspecting partner. Sites like Ashley Madison tap into a very profitable place within the online personals arena by bringing honesty to the dishonest practice of cheating. They allow people an alternative to a traditional personals site where they may have to lie and say they are single, thus giving potential mates the wrong impressionyet they make light of lying to a spouse or partner. Married people seem to seek other married people to give themselves a sense of added security in an inherently insecure position. Their preference to cheat within their own camp is based on assumptions about people with spouses: They will not demand too much of the other person's time; they will be less invested in the relationship since they already have one; they are more understanding about a last-minute cancellation because the wife is sick and the kids need to go to soccer practice. Ideally, all those things are true, but in the real world, there are no guarantees and having everything out in the open does not mean there won't be drama. These assumptions make all married people out to be normal and stable, and all single people end up looking like needy, unreasonable fools with no boundaries desperate to fall in love and break up a marriage.

Stephany Alexander is the founder of http://www.WomanSavers.com the World's Largest Database Rating Men. She has been quoted on CNN, Fox Nationwide, the New York Times, and more. She has created over 10 women's comedy cartoon ecards, 6 women's online games. She has been guest on hundreds of radio shows. For more information or to interview, please email womansavers@womansavers.com

Free Money Making Website

2008-02-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Free money making websites, are they really worth your time. You bet they are! As long as you work at marketing these sites, you can make money with them. Of course it has to be the right opportunity.

Does the free money making website offer products or services that are in demand? If so than you have a winning combination. There are many free opportunities to make money online if you just do a little looking. Most money making sites offer you an affiliate program to join for free.

By joining these affiliate programs, you get an instant sales page type site to market and earn commissions from. Commissions will vary from program to program. Of course most free money making websites offer some type of upgraded feautures, such as higher commission rates and extra bells and whistles for the site.

You can start your online business for free and after you have made a few sales upgrade to reap the benefits. It is completely up to you.

Many free websites utilize Clickbank Marketplace to give you a larger selection of digital products to sell from a single website. Examples of these sites are CBDeluxe, CBGlobe, CB-Top as well as CB MALL.

These income opportunities are perfect examples of the free money making website in action. I have generated sales through these opportunities and also sales from giving them away for free as people decided to upgrade their websites.

These sites offer you an affiliate downline as well, so you not on will you make commissions from your sales, you will make commssions from the sales of your downline members as well. What else could you ask for in an online business?

It is the perfect way to actually test the waters ,so to say before you invest in the extra selling features. And once you are earning, that money covers upgrading your websites. A smart way to start out your money making online business.

Another great resource for websites to generate money is IMC. Otherwise known as Internet Marketing Center. Cory Rudl was the founder before a traggic car accident claimed his life. Now the company is run by his protege Derek Gehl and seems to be just as successfull, offering affiliates multiple free websites to market with "Top Rate Marketing Tool's".

An excellent affiliate pay plan as well as great marketing resources make this an excellent alternative to ClickBank to make money with free sites.

So, after reviewing free money making webistes, You are right to go ahead and join them and start marketing them full time to start earning money from home.

Chris Peterson Free making making website that you can start earning from right away. Visit http://affiliate-homebusiness.net right now and get your own free money making website.

How To Make Money Working Online

2008-02-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

Most people who have a computer would like to learn how to make money working online. The challenge usually is knowing where or how to get started. Most everyone anticipates earning big money quickly only to experience little to no earned income. This usually leaves a person feeling frustrated and either ready to quit or more determined to get better results. If you maintain the burning desire to make money working online, you will need to keep your focus.

Writing to you from experience, I can tell you first and foremost - find a mentor! Find someone you KNOW who has obtained the results you would like to have for yourself. By this I mean you want to learn the truth about anyone who has claimed or is claiming, to make money working online. Dont fall for smoke & mirror type results that express or show a high or outlandish return on their effort. Use your own sensory acuity and listen to your inner voice. If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably isnt true at all. A great number of success stories are embellished specifically to get your interest and more pointedly, to get YOUR MONEY!

Ive read a great number of ebooks, how to manuals and numerous other resources to help in determining the right or best tools for the venture. Ive gleaned tons of incredible information from countless writers and their publications. One biggie that sticks out by devouring many different authors points of view is this, if you find yourself reading the same type of information from various individuals, you can bet its factual. The key is how to pick the best one(s) to learn from without spending a small fortune before seeing a return on your investment.

Best way to learn how to make money working on line is to not only read it but view it as well. My learning curve increased drastically by watching online videos of how to examples. Most people learn by watching others do something and then copy it or imitate their process. By doing so, you should find yourself getting the same results as your teacher or mentor. After all, if you want to make more money working online, you should be duplicating someone elses success patterns for yourself. Not to be a copy-cat or me-too product but more along the lines of catapulting (or slingshot) you forward to success faster!

The key for me to make money working online has been doing something proactive on a weekly basis. If you can take some form of action each day, then you will progress much faster. Obviously the more time you devote to make money online then chances are, youll see results much quicker. I suggest weekly because most individuals that want to free themselves by having an Internet based business have other jobs too. Its important to understand you can have success without being married to your computer every single day. Work smarter not harder or longer!

As an estimate, plan to commit at least 10 15 hours per week for at least 1 full year, as a suggested minimum! Everyone experiences different types of results throughout their first year but stick with it. Learn from others mistakes and benefit from their success tips!!

Aubrey Richardson is the founder of http://www.logofax.com - logos & clipart site. Find out how you can tap into earning money online http://www.internet-based-business-opportunity.com.

Wouldn't It Be Great To Meet All The Fans Of Your Favorite Team?

2008-02-23T02:21:00.000-08:00

How many people reading this enjoy at least one sport and wouldn't mind taking the afternoon off to watch their favorite team play? I'll bet 9 out of 10 hands go up!

Sports are fantastically popular with people of all ages and all walks of life in EVERY country in the world. This is not only true today, but has been the case since the Ancient Greeks hosted the first Olympics thousands of years ago.

While not everyone ranks themselves as a sports enthusiast, most of us can easily agree sports are a good thing. Sports tend to bring the best out in people everywhere. Even co-workers who don't care for each other become friends at a sporting event. And you can't deny even warring countries often set aside their differences when it comes to a long anticipated sports event between the two.

Wouldn't it be great if you could meet a lot more people who share your exact interest in sports? If you're a SF Giants fan, knowing other Giants regulars would be a cool thing. You'd have so much to talk about and lots of fun tips, gossip, and inside knowledge to share.

Unfortunately, we rarely get to meet many of the people who share our sporting interests. Watching TV at home may let you share a game with your immediate family or a good buddy, but forget knowing any of the other millions who may be watching the game.

Even if you sit in the stadium with tens of thousands of screaming fans, you'll be lucky if you meet anyone other than the person sitting next to you or the person behind you in the line to the bathroom.

Today's Internet technology has advanced to the point where sports fans and teams can EASILY find and communicate with each other.

With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can quickly create your own fan page on a system that has thousands of other fans just like you ready to view your page. You can talk with each other on blogs, via chat, through email and more.

Additionally, teams can create their own pages as a way to invite fans to communicate with them. This gives teams valuable insight into what their fans find exciting, what they don't like, and what will get them to attend more games.

Keep in mind, your fan or team site can be included on a vast network of sports sites where there is always a large and ready audience to interact with your page or posts.

If you love sports, you really should get involved with the online sporting community. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment of your team, the sport, and your day-to-day life.

Jason Hu is creator of http://SportsDigger.com The site's easy systems let you instantly create your own fan web page or team page. Search for and easily communicate with anyone who shares your interests anywhere in the world. And it's all 100% FREE! Contact Jason at contact@sportsdigger.com.

Why The Pomeranian Is A Fluff To Be Reckoned With

2008-02-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Pomeranian is a small fluff ball that looks like a miniature lion. His double coat that can be colored orange, red, brown, cream, white, blue or black, and his small erect ears, are his most distinctive features. Although his coat is beautiful, it does shed plenty of fur and will require daily grooming to keep it free from mats and knots.

Pomeranians first became popular in England in the late 19th century thanks to Queen Victoria who took a great liking to the breed. However, Poms were actually developed from sled dogs in the once Prussian region of Pomerania, where the breed received their name.

The Pomeranian is full of energy and is incredibly clever. He loves to learn and work which makes him an easy dog to train. In fact, his

supreme intelligence has also made the Pom a frequent show dog champion. One of his greatest joys is barking, which has made him an ideal watchdog. Unfortunately, Poms like to yap on a regular basis, which can become annoying. For this reason, many owners take great care to teach their dogs when it is acceptable to bark.

Poms are very proud and courageous. Even though they love to be with their owners, they are very independent. Their independent, bold and often willful nature is why the Pomeranian requires obedience training. He must know that his owner is in charge or the Pom will take charge and attempt to boss his family around. Like many of the Toy breeds, Pomeranians seem oblivious to their size.

Pomeranians can be a very temperamental breed and only accept other family pets if they have been raised with them as a puppy. Poms will not tolerate teasing and are much happier with older children than they are with younger kids. Furthermore, younger children may handle the Pomeranian roughly and unintentionally hurt the dog.

Keep in mind, the Pomeranian is a Toy dog so it is very small weighing only 3 7 pounds and at its highest stands only at 11 inches. Thus, it is more fragile than larger dog breeds, and it wont hesitate to defend itself if it feels threatened.

Due to the fact that Poms are so small, they make ideal apartment dogs and are perfect city companions. They are exceptionally active indoors and only require short walks. This also makes them an excellent companion for seniors.

On average, a Pomeranian is a healthy dog and will live anywhere from 12 16 years. They are not prone to any major health defects, but the common issues that seem to affect this breed include early tooth loss, eye infections and skin and heart problems.

A Pomeranian is a fantastic and devoted companion. He travels well and likes to keep busy. His love is unconditional and he will return it ten fold to anyone who shares their love with him.

Richard Cussons cares about all dogs and the Pomeranian dog is no exception. You can find out more about Pomeranians at http://www.pomeraniansavvy.com/.

Is a Chihuahua the Right Dog for You?

2008-02-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

The answer to this question lies in getting to know more about these little dogs. Chihuahua dogs are the smallest of all breeds. Most weigh in at 6 pounds or less and they only stand about 6 to 9 inches tall. They come in a variety of colors and have both long and short hair. Understanding the aspects of a Chihuahuas personality and needs can help a person determine if this is the right breed of dog for them.

A Chihuahua is a delicate looking dog. It is born with a soft spot, like humans, but in a Chihuahua the soft spot may never close. They are very energetic and love to play. If left alone a chihuahua may tear into anything they can rip apart, like toilet paper or other trash. They have a natural tendency to become attached to one or two people whom they are become very loyal and protective. Chihuahua dogs love attention. They also have a long life span, up to 16 years. Due to their small body size they are not very good at tolerating cold temperatures. They also require minimal grooming, only needing one bath per month and an occasional brushing. They can be hard to train, but once trained are very well behaved.

These traits of a chihuahua make him ideal for some owners and not so ideal for others. They are great for those who live in an apartment or other smaller, restricted area as they do not need a large space for exercise.

They are not good with children because of their delicate and nervous nature. Also they do not get along with other breeds of dogs, so a person with other pets would not make a good owner for Chihuahua puppies. The best owner for a chihuahua dog is an adult without other pets or children, who can devote plenty of attention to it.

Reese Spiers is an avid dog lover and writer. You can learn more about chihuahuas by visiting his website http://www.all-chihuahuas.com.

Socializing Your Puppy: Is it Important?

2008-02-21T04:31:00.000-08:00

Virtually all breeders, trainers and dog lovers agree the single most important factor in having a well-adjusted and calm dog or puppy is to provide appropriate socialization experiences starting at the youngest possible age. These socialization experiences need to be done on a daily basis, especially with the more aggressive or timid breeds to prevent the natural tendencies towards these behaviors to become established.

Puppy Socialization

In nature the adult dogs and his or her brothers and sisters socialize a puppy. Puppies learn that when they bite too hard they get bitten back, or they are growled at but the adult dogs. When the puppy is removed from the mother and brothers and sisters prior to this socialization it is up to the humans to complete this training. When the puppy bites or chews and is hurtful the adult must respond in a way that shows displeasure with the actions of the puppy. This usually involves a louder and rapid Ouch or Dont bite followed by ignoring the puppy for a few minutes. Usually this is all that is required. If the dog is slapped or spanked when they bite they may, in fact, become more aggressive as they are trying to tell you that they are being hurt. If your puppy does not respond to the Ouch or Stop command try substituting a chew toy to teach them the appropriate thing to bite on. They should be praised for chewing on the toy and not biting a person.

Some breeds will naturally nip or heel. This is particularly true for herding dogs such as Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs, Corgi breeds and Sheepdogs of all varieties. A squirt bottle full of water is often all that is needed to teach these highly intelligent breeds to herd animals, not humans. Puppies and dogs that are working breeds need to challenged mentally and need to be given commands and work to do to keep occupied.

A puppy should be introduced to as many new types of animals, situations and environments as possible. This means that puppies should get the opportunity to ride in the car, walk through the park, and be around lots of other people, dogs and other animals. The more that puppies experience the world in a positive way the less likely they are to become aggressive or shy or fearful as adult dogs.

Some breeds are more prone to overly aggressive or timid behavior. These breeds should have particular emphasis placed on socialization to prevent issues arising as the dogs age and become more aggressive or afraid. Dogs that are not properly socialized respond to new situations by either trying to flee or trying to fight, both that are usually very undesirable responses.

Socialization can occur naturally if you take your puppy to the park or to a puppy obedience class. It is very important that you monitor the puppys response and offer support and encouragement or praise when the puppy interacts with other dogs in a desirable manner. Avoid situations where the puppy becomes frightened or fearful of other animals as this can prompt an aggressive response.

By keeping the socialization positive and ongoing it is relatively simple to keep your dog well behaved around other animals and people. If you have having challenges with socializing your dog consider taking an obedience class and getting the assistance of a professional trainer.

Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - where you can find dog beds, dog steps, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you'll never find at your local pet store.

Dogs and Children

2008-02-20T04:41:00.000-08:00

Recent events in the UK have fuelled the debate over dogs and children. The death of a five month old baby after being attacked by two Rottweilers has saddened and shocked everybody and our thoughts go out to that poor family. For a while there may well be an over-reaction but lets keep a clear head and look at the facts and what can be done to help keep children (and dogs) safe. The thoughts that follow are not the voice of an expert but they are an informed opinion. My interest in animal behavior is that of a hobby not a career.

Some of the facts

Its very rare for a dog to attack a child

The most likely cause of an attack is teasing NEVER tease or provoke a dog, however friendly

Most family dogs accept and protect the family children but should never be left alone with them.

Stand still if a dog threatens you. It is instinctive for a dog to chase something moving.

Generally watch out for growling, pricked upright ears pointing at you and a stiff tail held high. (Unfortunately some dogs so enjoy a chase that they may wag their tails as if they were friendly when they are not, so try to get to understand doggie body language.)

The best defense is to become familiar with dogs and their signals.

Most barking, excited dogs you meet in parks may wish to chase you but are not intending you harm.

Dogs are not generally aggressive unless trained to be so. The danger lies in play which gets out of hand. Dogs are not little people in fur coats. They brains work differently from ours. They can hurt a child accidentally because they dont realize their actions will harm them.

Two or more dogs are more likely to get too excited and go into attack mode. The pack instinct rises up.

The only way a dog can tell you it doesnt like something is to move away or nip. Teach children not to pester dogs who are trying to get away.

A distressed dog will sometimes warn by snapping into the air. This is only intended to communicate their displeasure but they can catch a child in the face accidentally.

Dont touch a strange dog without checking with the owner that its okay first.

Take extra precautions if your dog shows any jealousy towards a child. You may want to consider whether you should keep him in those circumstances.

Treat dogs with respect, as fellow creatures not playthings. Dont rob them of their heritage and dignity. The relationship between humans and dogs has been rewarding on both sides. Lets celebrate that.

© Linda Cooke, 2006
http://www.good-ideas.biz
Dogs, cats, work, play and more

Linda Cooke trained as a teacher but has also produced writing and photography for magazines for more years than she would like to mention. More recently she has taken to the Web.

Points To Consider

2008-02-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

Internet Marketing

When you think about Marketing, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Marketing are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Millions of individuals are taking full advantage of the Internet these days. And they should considering how many great ways there are to earn extra cash. Some even make the decision to earn a living completely from home. Far too many folks are sick and tired of dealing with major companies and random lay-offs. You simply never know when it might be your turn to go. Therefore they begin making money online. Now, there are several ways one can go about this. Some people choose to start their very own Internet business, which can likely be ran from their home. While others dabble in adsense and make cash off of daily web traffic. Believe it or not, there is a great deal of money to be made this way.

It's crucial to consider what you need to avoid if your goal is making money online. Along with all the wonderful options at your fingertips, there are scams galore. I can't tell you how many scammers I've spotted online selling their hoopla. They pitch a great game about making money online. Virtually all of them will tell you how much can be made on the web if you do this and this, and then they proceed to pitch a product they're selling. Most likely it's a DVD or some sort of bogus software. This is where you have to stop and think for a moment. If they can really make so much cash doing what they're encouraging you to do, then why are they spending their time and effort pitching something to you? Wouldn't they be off making money online themselves? Instead they've chosen to sell a gimmicky product, which basically just amounts to some information. Obviously they weren't doing to well.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to Marketing than you may have first thought.

When striving to earn cash via the web, avoid product pitches that guarantee riches. You can attain the crucial information you need for starting an online business, building websites and earning adsense revenue, or selling products via auctions, just by scouring the web. It's all free. Begin by contemplating how you want to start making money online and what aspect of web-business you'd excel at. The more time and effort you put into your online money-making, the more turn-over you'll surely see.

As your knowledge about Marketing continues to grow, you will begin to see how Marketing fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

Warwick Motley is the webmaster of :-

Is Your Dog Fat?

2008-02-18T22:45:00.000-08:00

Is your dog one of the majority whos getting loved to death? Overweight dogs face the same health problems as overweight humans; increased risk of heart problems, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, the list goes on and on.

One of the problems is the dog food companies themselves. The charts they offer on bags of dry food more closely reflect the amounts that top-athlete dogs should consume, not our everyday, couch-potato pets. Were not exempt from blame, but it is hard to resist those soulful puppy eyes.

There are some tips and tricks for treating your dog without packing on the pounds. First; use a food appropriate for your dogs activity level. Most of our dogs dont need the high-performance (read high-fat, high-protein) foods. Light, or senior dry dog foods provide all the nutrition our dogs need, without quite as many calories.

Another mistake many people make is to free feed their dogs. They leave dry dog food out all day, assuming that the dog will eat what it needs, when it needs it. Its just not true. And without regular meal times, its very difficult to housetrain a dog. You dont know when the dog needs to go because it has no regular eating/elimination timetable. Most veterinarians recommend feeding dogs twice a day, so give half in the morning and half in the evening.

Leave a measuring cup in the container of kibble. Measure a precise amount at a set time every day. Leave the food down for 15 minutes. If the dog doesnt eat it will have another chance next time.

Its not easy to do. Most of our dogs have us very well trained. They are wonderful actors who have perfected that lean and hungry look. But its our job as responsible pet owners to take control and do the right thing for our charges.

If your dog seems hungry all the time, there are low-calorie, healthful tricks experienced dog people use. One is to add canned green beans to the dogs dry food adding bulk to the diet with few calories. Another tasty, low-calorie addition is canned pumpkin. Most dogs love the taste and tolerate either one very well.

When you do give your dog treats, and we all do, make sure your dog works for the goodies. Use a toy designed to release treats as the dog plays with it, or use the treats as a reward for learning new behaviors and tricks. Make your dog earn his treats and use high-quality dog treats that are the right size for your dog. If its more than a one bite, its a meal, not a treat.

The best thing of all, for both of you, is to get moving. Get out and walk with your dog. Studies have shown that both owners and dogs health improves when we go walking with our dogs. Its just a coincidence that its fun, too.

Hope Saidel is the co-owner of Golly Gear (http://www.GollyGear.com), a bricks-and-mortar and online small dog shop featuring fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs. She has trained and competed in Obedience with small dogs for over a decade and is on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Dog Training Club. Check out her blog: http://www.gollygear.blogspot.com. She welcomes comments, questions and suggestions to Hope@GollyGear.com.

Do You Know How To Clean A Fish?

2008-02-08T03:59:00.000-08:00

Now that you have caught your dream fish, do you know how to clean?

Good job. You must be so proud of yourself. You have just landed the biggest fish of all. How do you clean it? You certainly don't want those ugly fish scales all over your wife's clean kitchen. Now what to do. What about cleaning the fish before you leave your fishing spot.

You will need a great knife to start with-a fish fillet knife. Spread out some old newspaper. Use a fish scaler or knife and work against the grain of the scale. Once all the scales are removed, you can toss the newspaper and rinse the fish.

Now it gets even messier. Do you know how to gut the fish? The less mess the better. Take your knife with the blade pointed toward the fish's head, poke the stomach and slit the fish moving the fillet knife towards the fish's head. Do not cut deep.

Secondly, take the fish fillet knife with the blade pointing toward the fish's tail and open the stomach. Remove all the fish guts.

Thirdly, remove the gills and lastly, wrap up the messy newspaper and toss. There you have it. A perfectly cleaned fish.Logan Breast Reconstruction
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Flipping and Fixing Houses for High Return on Investment Capital

2008-02-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Investors love to make a high return on their money. That's why so many millionaires invest in real estate. You can leverage your money using other peoples' money when you finance real estate.

Many real estate investors make $5,000 to $10,000 or more by flipping houses. These investors buy a home from a distressed seller and resell it quickly for a profit. Just because a seller has serious problems like a pending foreclosure or divorce doesn't mean the house is a fixer. Many distressed sellers offer prime houses in perfect condition discounted for a quick sale.

Distressed sellers jump at the chance to get out from under their overwhelming problems with an offer to close in ten days. To purchase a home quickly, you need to be prepared to offer cash or a have secure loan in place with a reliable mortgage lender.

Other real estate investors prefer to buy fixers from distressed sellers. Distressed fixers present the best bargains to make the highest return on your money. For instance, if you put 5% down on a $200,000 home, spend $5,000 fixing the house up, and another $3,000 in payments, your cash investment totals $18,000. If you sell the home for a $70,000 profit like many rehabbers, you can see that your return on your investment of $18,000 for two months exceeds most other types of investments.

This investment plan assumes that you have the knowledge and skills, time to work on your fixer, and that you sell the house as soon as its finished to a qualified buyer. Home improvement centers help you with how-to classes, brochures, and advice. You need to give up your free time--TV, parties, leisure activities and work on your fixer. You could hire workers, but contractors and laborers work slowly and eat up your profits.

The last part of the equation, selling your house quickly to a qualified buyer means you need to do your homework. Many investors seek free help from a loan officer to price the house right and to qualify their buyers. These investors earn the sales commission by selling their houses by owner.

The most important issue, how you fix up your house, ensures that you quickly attract a buyer willing to pay top dollar for your transformed property. Investors using Design Psychology strategies for fixing houses sell their homes, for more than the asking price, three hours after putting the yard sign out.

Whether you want to make money investing in real estate by flipping or fixing houses, you need to understand your market. To get started in your real estate business, go house shopping. You'll soon learn how to pick up a flip or a fixer and be on your way to making a high return on your money.

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Wild Animal Party Ideas

2008-02-06T01:37:00.000-08:00

There are quite a few choices if you want to have a party with an animal theme. A safari or jungle theme are creative and fun (guests can dress in khakis and/or wear safari hats). An animal theme party is not only fun and exciting for kids; adults will also enjoy this amusing experience. Who wouldn't love to be transported into a world of nature most people don't get to come close to?

Play a CD of jungle sounds by the party's main entrance. Use green streamers to decorate or use large cardboard cut outs of different animals displayed around the room. The favors for the party need to be considered carefully. The best favors for adults are items that they can use on an everyday basis; think about handing out personalized pens or candles.

If you would like to have a party theme set around animals, also try a circus or Noah's ark themed party. (These themes are better for a younger child's party) Guests can be offered a range of props in order to imitate their choice of circus character. Rent popcorn or cotton candy machines, hire a clown and serve candy apples. A Noah's ark theme is also perfect if you're throwing a party for twins. Use different colored balloons to create a big rainbow balloon arch. Stuffed animal toys displayed in pairs around the room or in the center of each table would create an atmosphere perfect for anyone looking to get in out of the rain.

With whatever animal theme you choose, your party is sure to be special and memorable with each creative or unique personal touch that you put into it.

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How to Buy an Oriental Rug

2008-02-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

What exactly is an Oriental rug?

This is always a good place to start if one is considering a purchase as just this information alone will give one clarification and insight into what one is seeking. As the countries in the East have always been considered the Orient, a hand woven rug, made from wool, silk or cotton, from this part of the world is the genuine article. A little further delineation could be made if one also added in Western Europe, Northern Africa and Russia. I have seen beautiful handmade rugs from Romania, Uzbekistan and Egypt as well as the Caucasus region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea above Iran. The most famous rug weaving countries are Iran, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, India and Turkey. This is a tradition that dates back thousands of years.

The oldest complete rug found in recent times was discovered in 1949 in a burial site of a Prince in the Pazarik Valley of the Altai Mountains in Siberia. It was frozen in permafrost for over 2500 years! The Pazyrk Carpet is permanently on display at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. You will find it depicted in the front of almost any rug book in living color. The rug scholars are still arguing as to where it was woven but the exact same weaving techniques are still in use today.

Oriental rugs are not made in the Unites States although we do produce many machine made copies. These would be classified as "Oriental design" rugs.

An average 9 x 12 hand woven rug takes a minimum of 3000 hours of weaving, to say nothing of the time spent on the design, dye preparation, spinning of the wool and the setting up of the loom.

A Persian rug is an Oriental rug but specifically woven in the country of Iran or if an antique (100 years old or more) woven in the former Persian Empire.

All Persian rugs ARE Oriental rugs but not all Oriental rugs are Persian rugs. Hopefully, that makes sense. Probably the reason for this classification is the fact that the Persian weavers of the past were always leaders in design and quality. Proof of this can be found in any major museum in the world and is evidenced most thoroughly by the fact that the majority of designs even today, were originated by Persian weavers.

Lets talk about basics. All Oriental rugs are woven on a loom by hand. If made in a small village the loom is usually constructed of wood and not perfectly straight but if made in a professional workshop the loom would most likely be metal and more exactly designed.

The loom is strung with vertical threads, which would be the starting point of any rug. These threads are called warps and can be of cotton, wool or silk. Tying loops around a pair of the warps creates the design of the rug. Each knot is tied and individually cut by hand. One by one, variously colored strands of wool are used to create the design, one row at a time. After one row of knots have been completed, the weft is then inserted between the just completed row and the next one to be done. The wefts function to secure the knots in place and hold the rug together. Some weavers insert only one row of wefts between the rows of knots, others 2, 3, 4 and more.

Most weavers are taught to weave at an early age by a family member and the choice of how many wefts or what type of knot to tie is influenced mainly by heritage and location of the weavers. Although many of the former nomadic (pastoral) weavers now reside in villages their rugs are more often than not a reflection of patterns woven for many generations in their area, each design motif being committed to memory.

In the professional rug workshops the choice of design styles is normally dictated by the demands of the market, either overseas or locally. The warps and wefts are nearly always cotton or silk and the knot count is usually higher than that of village production. In rug workshops the weaving is carefully supervised by a master weaver who is responsible for every loom under his watchful eye. In these workshops the weavers are following an exact design drawn out on graph paper with all color choices predetermined. Tribal or village rugs are often woven in the home with many of the design elements committed to memory. The opportunity for creativity in this arena is much greater. Tribal rugs often are woven on a wool or cotton foundation. The "foundation" being another term for the warps and the wefts. There are of course exceptions to these general rules but basically these concepts hold true.

Prior to the mid 19th century, many of the weaver's color choices were dictated by the availability of certain plants in their region or what could be obtained by trade. Before the seminal year of 1860, when chemicle based dyes first appeared on the scene, these plant based dyes were all that were available. These dyes are called vegetable dyes and have a distinct look about them. They age beautifully, work harmoniously together and the indigo dye, which creates all the ranges of blue, even preserves the wool. Usually with vegetable dyes one will see a slight or not so slight (depending on the skill of the dyer) variation in the color itself. Also affecting this is the consideration of the wool being used. Handspun wool, being less perfectly spun will accept the colors of the dyes at different depths of the same shade and will show more variation in color than machine spun wool. Deeply saturated wool will also show less color variation which will only appear after the rug begins to age. This variation of color is termed "abrash" and adds a certain artistic quality and charm if not too pronounced.

More recently, new production using vegetable dyes and hand-spun wool has begun to appear in various areas. Started in Turkey in the 1980's by a government sponsored program, Iran quickly followed and now there are a number or areas where these great dyes, excellent quality hand-spun wool and traditional designs are being used to create new rugs or more precisely, new works of art!

These rugs could easily be the "antiques" of tomorrow as the weavers creativity and skill is beautifully brought to fruition.

Additionally, there is another weaving technique, which is similar to a Navajo rug called a kelim. This rug is virtually all warps and wefts as there is no pile. This also is an Oriental rug but not as time consuming to weave. The patterns on kelims are normally geometric based designs using large areas of color. These rugs work quite well in contemporary interiors and are often used as wall hangings. Many are quite unique and beautiful although not as hard wearing as a knotted rug. In the past most of these kelims were woven for the weaver's own use and have only recently become more common in the marketplace.

What is important in evaluating an Oriental Rug? After my many hundreds of hours spent purchasing rugs for my retail business I have come up with the following basics. One of the most important factors in a rug are the colors used and their combinations. Following this would be the actual design elements and how they are put together. Are they pleasing to the eye? Does the rug improve as one looks at it? Is there a sense of balance and depth?

Another important factor is the quality of the wool. What one wants to avoid is "dead wool" taken off an already butchered sheep with a caustic lye type substance. This wool is very dry to the touch, has a dull cast and very inexpensive for the weavers to purchase. Rugs woven with this type of wool do not wear well and are often sold for next to nothing which is exactly what they are worth. A rug woven with excellent wool can easily survive 50 years or more with very little wear if cared for properly.

Good quality wool will actually improve the more it is walked on and will developed an antique patina or sheen that is highly sought after by rug collectors. The moral of the story is to touch the wool, rub the palm of your hand across the face of the rugs. Compare it to another rug. It should not feel overly dry or stiff. Pick the rug up by the edge and see how much it weighs! A hard wearing rug will have some "body" to it. This of course, would not apply to silk as the weight of a silk rug is much lighter. Silk will feel cold to the touch and will have a distinctive shine! Examine the rug carefully by walking around it and viewing it from every possible angle.

Glossy wool often reflects light and sometimes on rugs woven with handspun wool you will have a dark and a light side. If the rug is old, one would look for any signs of moth damage where the pile has been eaten away. With moth eggs on the backside of the rug one will see little white lines. This is not good as the wool on the back may have been eaten so that when one vacuums the front of the rug, the wool comes out! If the rug is new, moth damage would be most unusual and is not a concern.

On older rugs one would also look for signs of repairs, such as a patch sewn in to replace a worn area or holes. Also, inspect the rug in the best possible light to ensure the pile is full as some lazy restorers just paint in the color on worn areas and the rug will have very little life left in it. If the rug is a great deal and these facts have been indicated beforehand, then fine, but if discovered by your own inspection and not indicated, simply pass on the purchase.

These beautiful works of art never completely reveal themselves on first glance but just like the most fascinating and unique person you've had the pleasure to meet, a good rug will spark your interest and demand your attention. The longer you gaze upon it, the more it's beauty and many nuances will be revealed. Always take your time when making a purchase and if possible it is usually best to try the rug in your home for a day or two. This is called taking the rug on approval and any dealer of merit will easily agree to this in home trial period.

Find a retailer that you like, feel confident with and one that offers the types of rugs that you find most pleasing and you're on your way!

http://www.paradiseorientalrugs.com

Penny Krieger 2005

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Creative Writing and the Hero's Journey: Jarhead (2005) Deconstructed

2008-02-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters....

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more...

Jarhead (2005) deconstructed

FADE IN: (Loop) narrative; his hands remember the rifle.

New World and Self: you are no longer black, green, etc.

Meeting the Hero: meeting Swoff.

Ordinary World: Fitch being himself.

On a Journey: on the bus.

Threshold Guardian: presenting his papers to the officer.

New World: the barracks.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Troy.

New Rules: being branded; games played in the barracks.

Developing the Shape Shifter: you want a brand, you gotta earn it. Welcome to the Suck.

Hero's Backstory: Swoff being conceived; his sister; breakfast conversations with dad; college;

Romantic Challenge: his girlfriend; I'll write you everyday.

Resisting the Transformation: Swoff in the toilet.

Meeting the Mentor: Sykes.

Developing Mentor: Sykes makes Swoff play the bugle.

Conscious Agreement to the Journey: I'm still here.

Magical Gift (becoming a sniper):

JFK shot.

Training in the assault course.

You are now snipers; I was hooked; Swoff fires the shot.

Push to the First Threshold: listening to the Iraqi statement on TV.

Belly of the Whale: watching Apocalypse Now.

Journey to the First Threshold: on the aircraft.

Goodbye to the Old Self: stewardess waves goodbye

First Threshold: arriving in Iraq.

Threshold Guardian: Kazinski's speech; the picture of the Kurdish child; kick some Iraqi ass.

Outer Cave: where did the Iraqi's get their weapons from? Forget politics; we're here, all the rest is bullshit.

Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: talking about the girlfriends back home in the tent.

Inner Cave: putting on their masks; running in the suits; hrydrating, dehydrating, patrolling the empty desert.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the scorpion fight.

Inner Cave: Waiting in the desert; masturbation; cleaning their rifles; studying the phillipino mail order catalogue etc.

Wondering what she's doing now.

Trial and Transformation 1:

Outer Cave: Sykes tells them how to respond to reporters; complaints against free speech, that's un-American etc.

Middle Cave: Talking to the reporters; Swoff admits he's scared.

Inner Cave: Putting on and playing football in their NBC masks.

Transformation: Taking off their masks; getting naked; Sykes sends the reporters away.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Sykes makes Swoff et al take all that shit down.

Trial and Transformation 2:

Cortez has a son; Kristina has found a new male friend who's a good listener.

Thinking about his girlfriend in the shower.

Not being able to jerk off in the toilet.

Swoff calls home and is cut off.

Swoff wakes up and clutches his throat; "..you're making some weird sounds man"

Transformation: Swoff wants see what it feels like to watch somebody else fuck your girlfriend.

Trial and Transformation 3:

Outer Cave: Swoff gets some "good shit" from the soldier who writes the major's love letters.

Middle Cave: The party.

Inner Cave: The fire blows the explosives.

Transformation: Swoff is made a Private.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Swoff is made to burn the shit; the senior officer leaves a present.

New Self: Swoff threatens to kill the sausage boy.

Resisting the New Self: Swoff apologises.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict:

The Arabs appear in the desert.

Developing Characters and Relationships: insulting the Arab passing in the car.

Meeting the Oracle: they're going to the mother of all battles.

Resisting the Journey to the Sword: resistance to taking the pills.

Shape Shifter Revealed:

Digging their holes.

The aircraft fly by; the war will move too fast.

Troy is being thrown out. Swoff told to keep him from fucking up.

New Self: Troy is branded.

Near Death Experience:

The war comes to them; Swoff pisses himself.

Retrieving the battery.

Pursuing the Iraqis.

Getting hit by friendly fire.

Swoff sees the charred remains; throwing up.

Pulled forward by the burning oil wells.

Digging their holes in the oily sand; the oil burns Fowler's face.

Rebirth: preventing Fowler.

Rebirth: Swoff calms the horse.

Atonement with the Father: Sykes sits down and talks to Swoff; he loves is job.

Apotheosis: Sykes and Troy sent out to see Kazinsky; "..fucking show me..".

Ultimate Boon: Swoff and Troy have an Iraqi in their sight; permission given for the JFK shot.

Refusal:

The major denies their request to take the shot.

Troy argues with the Major for the perfect shot.

Magic Flight:

The planes take out the site.

Rescue from Without: Troy's already got his papers; have to get back.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Going back to camp over the dunes.

Master of Two Worlds:

The party around the fire; this shit is over; shooting their guns in the sky.

Freedom to Live / Challenge Resolutions: Returning home as heroes; meeting the Vietnam Vet on the bus; his girlfriend has left him; doing their various jobs; Fergis arrives; Troy's funeral;

(Loop): narrative.

FADE OUT: the Jarheads.

Learn more

The Complete 188 stage Heros Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

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Chess Strategies For A Winning Game

2008-01-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

Chess is often thought of as a complex game, but can really be easily learned. The key to becoming a better player is to never get stuck on one level of play. Always be adding to your game by learning and trying new strategies. Heres a few tips to start you off.

Whats A Good First Move?

Want to get the most freedom of your pieces right off the bat? Move the pawn in front of your king forward. While this may seem like it is leaving the king in a vulnerable position, it is also freeing up the queen and bishop to wreak havoc on your opponent!

Get Them In Checkmate In Just 4 Moves

In this series of moves, the bishop and queen are used to get your opponent into checkmate in just 4 moves. For your first move, move the pawn in front of the queen forward by 2 spaces. Your opponents move is next. Then move the bishop diagonal 3 spaces. After the next turn of your opponent, move your queen to the diagonal 2 spaces and let it sit in front of the pawn. Now, depending on your opponents next move, you can zip the queen straight up to his pawn, capture it and get the king in checkmate! Then king cannot capture the queen as he will then be captured by your bishop, he cannot move away from the queen as he is blocked by his own pieces.

Sacrificing Pieces

While nobody likes to lose a key piece, there are times, however when it makes sense to sacrifice one of your pieces. If an opponents piece is taking up a spot that you need open, putting one of your pieces in a position to lure his piece out to capture you is one way to move your game forward. Since you will be losing a piece, be sure to check the board carefully to make sure this really will result in the move you wanted!

Put Your Pieces In Play

The pieces in your back row are key to winning the game so you must move them out at first chance. At first you may reluctant to use your more powerful pieces for fear that they will be captured. Put them into play! The sooner you get those pieces out the sooner you will be able to invoke a strategy that will result in checkmate!

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Not All Glass is Created Equal

2008-01-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

Pressed glass, Depression glass and crystal this month well review the basics of these different types of glass and some tips on telling the difference.

History

Glass was first recorded being made in ancient Rome, Egypt and Syria. It was made by heating and fusing sand, potash or soda with lime.

Types of Glass

Soda glass, potash glass and lead glass are the three main types of glass.

Soda glass

Starting in the 13th century, soda glass was made in Venice. Glassmakers were able to form molten glass into elaborate shapes because it contained burned seaweed, making the glass very malleable.

Potash glass

Potash glass came from northern Europe. Potash was made from a combination of burned wood and bracken making the glass well suited for engraving and cutting.

Lead glass (crystal, lead crystal)

Starting in Europe in the 17th century, lead glass was developed. It was derived from adding lead oxide to potash glass. The words lead glass, lead crystal and crystal all mean the same thing. Crystal is simply a type of glass. It is the addition of lead to mix that makes crystal harder than regular glass. Crystal is less likely to have bubbles, which is helpful when cutting

Pressed glass

Popularized during the Victoria era, pressed glass is made from a mould and is less valuable than cut glass. You can identify pressed glass from the mould line that is visible and the less sharply faceted decoration.

Depression glass

Popularized during the Great Depression, companies such as Hocking Glass, Federal and MacBeth-Evans mass-produced this form of pressed glassware. It was often given away free as a gift with purchase. There are many colours and patterns available.

Decoration on glass

There are four types of decorations used to adorn glass: cutting, enamelling, gilding and engraving.

Cutting

Facets cut into glass reflect light and create sparkle. One tip to help date a piece of glass is to look for shallow surface cuts which were used in the earliest days of glass cutting.

Enamelling

In the 15th century, the Venetians popularized the enamelling of glass that is a process of painting on glass.

Gilding

It is a technique of adding gold decoration to glass that was often done by firing the gold onto a glass surface.

Engraving

It was done by diamond point engraving (scratching the design onto the surface of the glass using a diamond nib), wheel engraving (scratching the design on the surface of the glass using small copper wheels rotating against the surface) stipple engraving (scratching the design onto the surface of the glass using fine diamond needle that taps out the design in a series of dots and lines) or acid etching (scratching the design on the surface of glass using a sharp tool then subjecting the glass to hydrofluoric acid which etched the design onto the glass).

How to tell crystal from cut glass

Weight is the number one tip-off that something is crystal rather than glass. The lead in crystal makes it is heavier than cut glass. The telltale ping when you flick your fingernail against crystal is another way to tell crystal from glass.

Why is modern-day crystal less brilliant than antique crystal

Crystal made in the early 1900s contains about 25 to 28 percent lead. Modern crystal contains only 10 to 12 percent lead. This reduction in the lead content makes modern crystal less brilliant than antique crystal.

How to tell if it is early glass

Old engraving will look dark and grey against a white background. New glass engraving will not look grey against a white background.

Spotting reproductions

There are many reproductions circulating because modern glassmakers made imitations of 18th century glass. There is nothing wrong with reproductions as long as you know that is what you are buying. You can spot reproductions three ways:

Colour

Reproductions may not have the distinctive tint caused by natural occurring impurities. Use the white background test; if the engraving looks grey against the white, the item is likely to be old.

Manufacturing signs

Machine-made glass will not have the rough bump under the stem that hand-blown glass will have. This bump results from the item being removed from the glassblowers rod. Also, hand-blown glass might have imperfections such as uneven thickness, ripples or striations that machine-made glass does not have.

Proportions

Styles and proportions have varied over the years. One thing to look for is that the foot on antique glass is often as wide as the bowl.

Value

Glass and crystal are one collectible where the secondary market is more affordable than the primary market. The reason is supply and demand. Plenty of crystal was made over the years, plenty of people took good care of it, and, as a result plenty of it is still around.

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Homemade Projector Screen - The Principle & How to DIY

2008-01-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

Projector screens are generally divided into two types base on their functionalities: reflection projector screen and transmission projector screen. It can be also divided into soft and hard screen base on the materials they are made from.

Home theater generally uses soft reflection screen. My brother-in-law originally wanted to buy a 1000 (~$150) so-called "import screen", but a friend of his who sells projector screens told him that it is hard nowadays (in China) to distinguish the genuineness of an import screen, it is hard even for himself. Some of them that are labeled with 'import' or 'joint capital' were actually manufactured somewhere in the south of China. He felt that he'd rather to buy a 300 domestically manufactured screen with good feelings than buy this kind of "import screen". What this friend said makes perfect sense. But after doing some research, my brother-in-law found that all screens on the local market are made from high gain Bolivian bead that is used for projecting newspaper clips, they are simply not suitable for video frequency.

Theoretically speaking, a white wall with one smooth side actually is the best "screen". Because its gain is 1, meaning that the light projected can be completely reflected out, which is an ideal state of being "no absorption, no gain". Unfortunately, for the purpose of absorbing and proliferating the sound wave, he already made the wall a background wall with sound-absorbing material and plywood installed. making it impossible to serve as a "projector screen', he had to find another solution.

You might be wondering at this point: why do people still bother purchasing expensive screens if we can all use white walls?

Well, there are always benefits and advantages of using a professional screen: convenient, artistically beautiful and dignified, good screen can also make up the insufficiency of a projector and improve visual effect. Among the expensive screens, one type is "gray screen" (cost about 15,000, roughly $2000). This kind of screen probably was originally designed for liquid crystal projectors. The biggest problem with liquid crystal projector is that the color appears dark and grey, insufficiently calm. This is its "congenital defect" that is caused by its liquid crystal board and path of rays.

Regarding gray screen, we all know that gray is merely a lighter black, and black absorbs all visible light. Gray can only partially absorb visible light, it is like brightness of the picture is reduced. If you have used any picture processing software's "brightness / contrast gradient" option, you should certainly have noticed such phenomenon that reducing brightness is equivalent to increasing contrast gradient? Same concept, since the brightness has been reduced, it in turn increased its contrast gradient. The black effect gets improved due to the bigger contrast. We can also experience the same effect when we look out through the sunshade glass of our car. In fact, there are many ways to just reduce the brightness, you don't have to use gray screen. There are magazines recommending putting the light gray filter of a photographic camera to the projection lens, the principle is the same. You can even use more simpler method, namely you need to adjust the projector's output brightness or increase the contrast gradient. No need to spend a cent, you may achieve the similar effect, but the premise is that showroom must be dark enough.

Back to the bottom line, if a gray projector screen cost you $2000, definitely it is not just because the screen color is changed from white to gray. Speaking from the optical principle, I'm afraid there's a lot more behind. I'm guessing probably certain chemical compositions have been added to the material of the screen that changed the reflection or absorption intensity of different wavelength of light, thus changed the luster and the contrast gradient of the entire image, that, makes up the inborn flaw of liquid crystal board after all. In addition to this, what other tricks do you think they can play? It doesn't seem to be possible with the meager knowledge of physics that I have.

It sounds more like it to throw in a 150,000 screen if your projector cost you 15,000. But adding a 15,000 screen to a 15,000 projector doesn't make much sense at all. If I have to buy a 15,000 screen, then it would simply work better if I put the money together and buy a 30,000 higher level projector to achieve better effect without any extra effort. A 15,000 screen is a crazy price to my brother-in-law (imagine his monthly income is merely 3000). Also if he buys a name brand Japanese gray screen, then he actually spend most of the money to pay for the labor which he personally doesn't feel comfortable.

The ideal screen for the DLP projector that my brother-in-law purchased should be like a white wall, just let the project light reflected completely without any "reservation". He figured that he really didn't need such costly screen. So he finally decided to make one on his own.

Exactly how did he do it? You may not believe how simple and inexpensive it really was! He spent a bit over 10 (about $1.50) in a home decorating store on a self-adhesive pure white matted formica PVC panel with dim grains, cut the right size, pasted to his original background wall, that is it, flat and smooth! With such PVC screen, he doesn't need to worry about the 'curl-up' phenomenon that may occur to a regular projector screen after around 12 years of use, he also doesn't need to worry that it would turn yellow one day due to natural oxidation. But remember it requires some pasting techniques to make it work perfectly for you. The result? Great!

Here are couple of self-made projector screen photos from my brother-in-law as 'evidence':
www.news-blogs.com/_images/entertainment/diy_screen.jpg
www.news-blogs.com/_images/entertainment/diy_screen2.jpg

Note: You may freely republish this recipe as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact. Thank you.

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Fatherless Daughters: Tips for Meeting Your Father for the First Time

2008-01-26T23:58:00.000-08:00

Nothing prepares you for meeting your father for the first time when youre an adult. Because meeting this way is not normal. Your father is supposed to be there at your birth and be somebody you have always known. So what can you expect when your search has finally resulted in receiving your fathers contact information either directly or through another person?

First of all, please realize that you will need patience, understanding, and an open mind that there may be circumstances you know nothing about. You will need to put your own emotions aside and put yourself in his shoes. Because the first thing that usually happens is silence. Thats when your emotions go on a roller coaster ride: from ecstasy over finding him to complete rejection when he doesnt immediately pick up the phone and declare his undying love for you. And then all of those emotions in-between: impatience, anger, loss, sadness, regret, and fear.

Step One: Be Patient

It took my father 2 months to contact me after my uncle gave him my contact information. I cried and prayed on the couch every day. Then we went away for a 1-week cruise to Alaska and when we returned home, I turned on the computer, checked my email and there it was: his email titled, Knowledge.

Why knowledge? Well, to him, contacting me was all about responding to my request for information about him. After mulling it over for 2 months, he was still reluctant to take it further, to talk, to connect, to meet, let me into his heart, all the time wondering what the gain was. After all, he had put me behind him years ago. He had moved on, remarried and had another family. And his other children knew nothing of me.

Step Two: Understanding Your Fathers Reluctance

Want to know the biggest reason that fathers arent more open to contacting their adult children first? F-e-a-r. Fathers are afraid that they will be blamed for not being there, they will be accused of abandoning the child and they are afraid of being attacked. Sometimes rightly so. Most often than not, its complicated. Its not clear-cut whos to blame. In many cases, theres something thats being covered up. Quite often the mother blames the father, convincing the child to be on her side. And the child does become angry at the father or certainly convinced their mother was right and their father was wrong.

Fathers also worry about the people in their present life: their wife, their kids, their grandkids, their neighbors, the people at church. What are they all going to think about him having this child who suddenly appears on the scene?

Knowing all of this and accepting your father for who he is, then youll be more open to understanding he has his own point of view and reasons for his behavior. And that, under the circumstances, he is doing the best he can.

Step Three: Be Prepared for his Side of the Story

Knowing what I know now, I realized I should have expected that there would be another side to the story. But because I was so sure my mother was right, I went into complete shock and anger and experienced deep feelings of betrayal when I discovered the truth. This alienated me from my family. If I had gone in there expecting that she had told me her side and my father had another side, maybe I would have reacted more calmly and understood better what was going on.

But like any new relationship, with love, understanding, and patience, this relationship can grow into something more. It takes time, the right circumstances and the willingness on everyones part. It doesnt always turn into the father/daughter relationship weve always hoped for but sometimes it helps to be grateful for what you do get.

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Enter the Enticing World of Sports Jerseys

2008-01-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Jerseys are not only official sports gear but also a latest fad with sports fans of all ages. All sports have a specific guideline for sports equipment and jersey is an important component of sports gear. Sportspersons belonging to particular teams, clubs, schools or leagues wear official jersey of that team or club. Every team generally has two colors for its official sports gear, one for games at home and other for games away.

Sports Jersey - a Revelation of your Sporty Self

Wearing a jersey of one's favorite team as a display of support and fanfare is not a new concept. However, off late donning a team jersey has become a passion among sports fans. Though this trend is visible among people of all ages and income groups, wearing authentic jerseys is more popular among young school and college going crowd.

Sports apparel manufacturers are finding it hard to cope with the ever-growing demand of replica jerseys, authentic jerseys, football jerseys, throwback jerseys, soccer jerseys, hockey jerseys, basketball jerseys, and baseball jerseys. Demand for sports apparel increase in the sporting season and if you are late in placing your order, you may find it difficult to procure a jersey of your favorite team or player.

Most exciting development in sports jersey is the advent and enormous popularity of throwback jerseys. Throwbacks are the replica jerseys of popular teams and or players of yesteryears. Authentic jerseys of old teams as well as old players of new teams are very popular among sports fans. When you don a throwback jersey, you automatically indicate your love and fanfare for that sportsperson and team. By wearing throwback jerseys, you display that you belong to that particular subculture. This helps you in forming a community feeling with other fans of same team and player. Throwback jerseys make an exciting and personalized gift. Do not wait; just get your NFL league jersey before it disappears from the nearby sports apparel store.

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A Quick Look at Jewelry Hallmarks

2007-12-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

British Hallmarks are the best in the world.

Who says so, the rest of the World. Although to be fair, other countries have great hallmarks too, it is just that they are NOT so often seen.

A book on World Hallmarks for Gold or Silver items is a must for any serious collector or dealer, but they can be a little intimidating and time consuming. Is that mark a Cockerel or a Tree? Could it be made in Switzerland or Germany?

Thankfully for the rest of us, a small pocket book on UK Hallmarks is more than up to the task, coupled with that very useful plastic 10X eyeglass I keep on hinting for you to buy.

It will show you that the item has been tested and stamped, to prove it is - what it says it is (9ct or 18ct etc).

British Jewelry with a full UKHM (United Kingdom Hall Mark) is generally clearly stamped and readable after you clean it (check the website below for another complimentary article on 'How to Clean your Jewelry at Home').

Once you are aware of the marks, you will always feel just that little bit better when you buy that 'Could it be an Antique?' item at the local market, or from the guy in the Pub that everyone talks about but nobody knows.

Buyer Beware....

*Six marks on British Jewelry.*

Yes... Six?

# 1: The Maker's Mark (Usually some initials). Not all that important for everyday items, unless you want to collect Jewelry from one maker. Silver collectors may want to buy items from say, Bateman (I should be so lucky).

# 2: The second stamp is the Assay Office mark or 'Mark of Origin'. It tells you where the item came from. The most common is the LONDON Hallmark. A Leopard's Head. Sometimes this has a crown on the Leopard's Head (until circa 1821). Modern items do NOT have a crown on the Leopard Stamp.

The other most common Assay Office marks are from Birmingham (an Anchor). Once there were many Assay offices around Great Britain and Ireland, the Chester mark for instance. Now there are just three offices left in England, Sheffield being the last using a 'Rose' on gold Jewelry (DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH 'ROSE GOLD' JEWELRY) as that is a color, not a mark.

In Scotland there is Edinburgh, while in Ireland there is Dublin. Pity the poor Welsh are left out again!

# 3: The next is the Assay Quality mark and is shown as the 'Lion Passant' (which means 'looking ahead') and is a guarantee of quality. This was later changed to a 'CROWN' mark with a stamp showing the quality of Gold.... 9ct or 18ct etc.

# 4: Finally, and possibly the most important mark, was the Date letter mark. It changed each year so we can tell when the item was made.

Occasionally there is an extra mark.

# 5: An example was the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Suffice to say if you see a Brooch with four or five marks and one of them is an Anchor with an 18 next to it and a letter 'C' next to that.... It's a safe bet it was made in Birmingham in 1927, or was that 1952, or 1902, or, or, or.....

Buyer Beware the man in the Pub.

As with most Jewelry items though, our advise has always been to buy the best QUALITY you can afford from a reputable dealer who will guarantee it.

Other than that, your plastic 10X eyeglass sure helps a lot....

P.S.
If you administer a website or publish an ezine, please feel free to use this article as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below. Although it's NOT compulsory I would personally appreciate it if you could send me an email at: gemmo1@online-jewelry-appraisals.com to let me know if and where you used it. If you need other great content - complimentary of course - then drop me a line at the email address given - 'cause I've got Quality Content and Gallons of the stuff....

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Sport

2007-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

In our modern day society we have moved away from walking anywhere and think nothing of jumping into the car for a quick trip to the corner shop. We live life at such a fast pace that we feel we dont have time to walk anywhere and as a result we are probably the most unfit that we have ever been.

Things are beginning to change as we slowly realise that our own health is in our hands and many people are turning to Sport to help them enjoy becoming healthier.

Sport is a diverse area, which continues to grow. Many countries around the world embrace and claim a Sport as their own, calling it a national Sport. It has become a World Wide industry in which countries compete and stake claims on titles and trophies. There seems to be a Sport that suits everyone and of every age.

There are various types of sport that range from professional to amateur. There are Olympic Standard Sports and sports that are just for fun. There are lone sports such as hurdles, javelin throwing and pool. There are team sports such as basketball, hockey and rugby. There are also sports that can be both, such as tennis, running and swimming.

Sports can be played on many different levels, such as locally, nationally and internationally. Sports can be relaxing, or stressful, depending upon which sport you choose to pursue.

There are so many different types of Sports, that it is sometimes difficult to define exactly what sport is, as for some people, in some countries, yodeling is a competitive sport!

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Land Subdivision - $1.2 Billion Dollar Developer Tells You How To Do It

2007-12-29T22:27:00.000-08:00

Land subdivision is a bit like helping Mom slice up her beautiful Apple Pie; its all so easy, when, like Mom, youve done it a few times. So lets see if we can get the ingredients for a land subdivision correct so you can do it right first time, OK?

Every city or town in the free world has a Town Plan and it comprises, not surprisingly, of plans or maps, usually with lots of different colors all over them, but also lots of words explaining what the colors mean as well as lots of Rules that tell you what you can do with land.

The colors indicate different zonings that your elected Council has decided upon. So say, Residential housing may be Yellow; high density housing like units, condos may be Pink; and industrial Orange, whatever. So you can see at a glance how the town plan is subdivided into land use categories.

Just as you cant build a house anywhere you like, you cant have a farm or a factory in the middle of a residential area either. So the first thing you must do is find out what is the Zoning of the land you own or are thinking of buying. Getting land Rezoned is another issue altogether.

Lets assume your land is zoned for residential housing. The Town Plan will tell you all the requirements you have to undertake for land subdivision. It will tell you the minimum Lot size allowed in a residential subdivision. It will tell you the distance in feet or metres you have to Set-Back each lot from the road, either internal and/or external, as well as the side boundaries of your land.

Now all that seems a bit complicated, but dont worry, there are professional land subdivision experts who will do all this work for you. Depending in what part of the world you come from, you will engage either an Engineer in the USA or a Land Surveyor in Australia, New Zealand, UK or Ireland to prepare you land subdivision plan.

Always engage one who does their main work in your area, because these are the professional where local knowledge is very important. They will know about soil conditions in your area, because they may have done several land subdivisions in the area already and completed soil testing.

They will also know about the provision of utilities like water supply, electricity, gas, telephone. All of these impact on the cost of your development. For example, if water reticulation is not available on your road frontage and the nearest water supply is a mile away, then you may have to pay for the cost of piping water that distance.

It is vital you know this information before you commit yourself to land subdivision costs and so the Engineer or Land Surveyor are very important not only at your investigation stage, but also when you proceed with the land subdivision planning application preparation and lodgment with your Local Authority. These guys will do all that work for you.

So what does all that add up to?

Yes, you should go the Local Authority in your area of the world that handles Town Planning and study their Town Plan. You may even be able to get a photo copy of that area of the plan that concerns your land. Read the local By-Laws about the type of land subdivision you plan to do.

Next, if you dont have a recommendation as to which Engineer or Land Surveyor to use, do as I suggest in my e-book, Residential Development Made Easy, go and interview several of them in your area. Remember, as you are low on experience, the interview is your opportunity to find someone with whom you feel comfortable on a personal level.

Do they talk down to you and treat you as though youre a mug? Are they information givers? Do they explain things to you? What land subdivision are they currently working on? Where is their most recently completed land subdivision?

You dont have the expertise in the profession, so use you own instincts. When you find one that suits you, Do Not start off your relationship, by attempting to haggle over the professional fees he proposed to charge you. If you have interviewed several professional you will know the range of fees charged, BUT you do not know the extent or range of work the firm has to carry out.

So to haggle with a professional based on such skinny information, tells the professional that they should avoid you by a mile. I have developed over $1.2 Billion worth of real estate and have never in my life haggled over a professional fee and the reason is simple.

First: I believe everyone is entitled to a profit from their endeavors, provided they do a good job.

Second: If you land subdivision financial feasibility study is so marginal that you have to save a few thousand dollars by screwing the fees of your professional consultants, then either you have a bad development or you are just a bad employer.

Third: I believe in incentive. I prefer to pay a guy more than he asks. Guess how he performs for me as opposed to clients who dont.

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Foreclosure Investing Lifestyle

2007-12-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

So why should you invest in foreclosures? In the long-term, its for lifestyle and financial freedom.

I do not define success in terms of winning or losing, but rather by whether I am challenging myself to be the best that I can be. One of the reasons I left my 9-5 corporate job, besides getting laid off, was because I wanted MY OWN lifestyle. I wanted to create my own lifestyle for me, my family, and my friends. I wanted to become a champion, the best at what I did. I believe that anything I set my mind to, I would be successful at that endeavor.

However, my biggest problem in working for a company where I was not the boss, the president, or the owner, was that I could not set my own schedule. I would not be able to go skiing when I wanted, play golf, or travel when I wanted. I was a terrible employee because I wanted to do things when I wanted to do them. And today I dont want to be accountable to anybody, except myself and my family, and the people that are counting on me to create real estate transactions.

Dont get me wrong. I was pleasant at my jobs, and I showed up, and I produced revenue. But the reason that I think I was a terrible employee was that I only wanted to work just 2 to 3 weeks a year. To me, a JOB means Just Over Broke and my time was not my own time, it was my boss time.

When I first started in the real estate investing business I had to ask my wife to give me a chance to make this work. I had a severance package, so I had three months to move forward. When we cashed the first check of $8,000, I took $4,000 and took my wife to Paris, a place she always dreamed of going. That helped tremendously in my pursuit of this business.

Now that I have established my business I take off one week for every six weeks of work. This gives me five to eight weeks of vacation per year depending on how my deals are going. I use this time to connect with my family, vacation, work on other projects, and just go out and enjoy life because isnt that what it's all about? If you're working so hard that you're not enjoying life then you need, in my opinion, to rethink your priorities.

My 15-yr-old son Nick and I go to hockey games, football games and other things that a 15-year-old and his dad can do together. My 6 year old daughter Chloe and I go skiing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where we live and we do it 10-15 times a year. We go camping, take motor home trips, fly to Maui to go to the beach and much more. This is truly a life that I am designing.

My belief is we should constantly have to better ourselves, to acquire new skills, to refuse to be bogged down with the feeling of failure, inadequacy, or that L word--loser. In my opinion, the losers of the world are those that never try. I would rather work with somebody who has tried 10 different businesses and failed than somebody who has worked 30 years successfully for one company and achieved moderate success.

When are you finally a financial success? Only you can answer that question for yourself and your family but to me the answer is when you can totally financially support yourself without having to show up for work. When you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you want, anywhere you want, anytime you want to do it, as much as you want to do it, then you have reached financial success. That is the time that passive income is really working for you and your dreams are becoming a reality.

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You're Not Paranoid: The House Really Hates You

2007-12-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you've just bought a house, you may be able to relate to a fascinating essay in Maya Angelou's book, Even the Stars Look Lonesome.

When Ms. Angelou moved into a designer house in California, she says, nothing worked. Her pictures didn't look right on the walls. Cakes fell in the oven and curtains fell off the rods.

The house, she concluded, hated her. And it wasn't much consolation to realize the house hated her husband, too.

What I want to know is, how could she tell?

Let's face it, most houses hate their new owners. They have adapted to the rhythm of one family and resent being sold.

Like most cats that you rescue from the pound, your house probably believes, "If I'd waited awhile, a better owner would have come along. So I'm going to make this one's life miserable."

When you move

Those who are trained in modern research methods will be skeptical, but there's plenty of evidence. Everyone knows what happens when you move into a new house.

"You'll see a lot of repair services in the first six months," I was warned. "When a house hasn't changed hands in five years or more, lots of little things will happen when you move in."

Now, you'll notice this doesn't happen when you rent a house or apartment. Some friends of mine rented a house while they saved to buy their own property.

For two years, the refrigerator purred and the air conditioner hummed contentedly. The plumbing flowed silently and the insect life remained hidden. Encouraged ("see, a house isn't so bad after all!") they took the plunge and bought their own home.

I'd like to say they're doing great but in fact they've dropped out of sight. They can't take phone calls any more. "Sorry, we can't tie up this line. We're holding the phone open till we hear from the handyman..." Or the pest control guy, or the electrician. They considered Call Waiting but were afraid to jinx the only object in the house that seemed to be working.

If you seem particularly gullible, (e.g., the house senses that you're new to this game), your appliances may join the fun. I am absolutely positive the once-faithful refrigerator sent out a message: "How about this, guys. Let's really confuse everybody. I'll put out a leak, send the water over to the sink, and they'll think it's a big pipe in the wall. After they've poked a few holes they'll realize it's time to wake up that sleeping repairman!"

And one day my security system kept getting an "Open Door" signal even when the door was firmly locked. The tech found nothing wrong and it never happened again.

My lawn service person knew how to work the system: Let Them Know Who's Boss. After he cut back the hedges and pulled some over-aggressive vines, the bushes stopped sulking and started putting out nice flowers. They knew what would happen if they didn't.

Making Peace with the House

Soon you've emptied your bank account to create a peace offering -- a new floor or a paint job or a screen door."Every so often," I'm told, "you even get thirty days with no service calls. But after six months or so, the house gets bored and it'll start all over again."

One thing is certain. In your house's "Lose the Owner" contest, there's one simple rule. Whoever costs the most, wins.

For serious advice about moving, download Making the Big Move.

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Fantasy Football Success: Three Basic Rules

2007-12-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

You can search the Internet or the newsstands in June and July, and you'll find a wealth of information about fantasy football and fantasy football leagues. Most of it is statistics. Miles and miles of statistics. And most sites and magazines claim to offer more than all the others. What few offer, though, is sound advice on how to be successful every year. So, visit all the sites and magazines for your stats, but search no more for the secret to winning, because here it is.

I have played in extremely competitive fantasy football leagues for 15 years. I've missed the playoffs only twice, and I've been to three fantasy bowls. I won more games and scored more points than any other team in my league's history. Now, I'll give you my strategy, and it won't cost you a dime. Here is the three-step formula for winning in fantasy football year in and year out.

The first step is to draft for depth. It sounds easy enough, but many people in my league focus on getting their starters, and the rest of the draft is nothing more than throwing darts at names on a stat sheet. I've selected players beyond the seventh round (we have 14 rounds) who have led my team in scoring. I didn't even have them targeted as starters; I just saw the potential, through all of the research I'd done. For example, take special notice of second and third-year wide receivers. They often go overlooked, because their numbers are not spectacular. Receivers take a year or two, before they adjust to the NFL. Chad Johnson is a great example. Also, watch for rookies who may explode late in the season, once they've grasped a system. Lee Evans was a star after week nine this past season.

Step two is to manage your team every week, down to the most minor details. If you've drafted for depth, you'll have lineup decisions every week, because you'll have a team full of players scoring points. Check their histories against weekly opponents (a vastly overlooked strategy by novices). Some players simply flourish against particular teams, just as some teams tend to score differently against certain defenses. This can definitely affect your weekly lineup decisions.

The third step is to watch the waiver wire and make two key trades. No matter how well you've drafted, near the end of the season, you'll need to make changes. It's time to trade away your depth for stars. Also, watch for available players to pick up -- even if they may only help you for one week. I drafted both Domanick Davis and Chad Johnson last season. Later, I traded both, so I could acquire LaDanian Tomlinson. This simplified my weekly lineup decisions, while giving me a player who would score at least one TD every week.

If you stick to this simple formula, no matter what type of league you play in, you'll make the playoffs 85 to 90 percent of the time. That's not bad in any league.

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The Best Detroit Piston Team Ever

2007-12-28T19:48:00.000-08:00

Which is the best Detroit Piston team of all time? I have pondered this question deeply and have engaged in many a bar stool debate. As a lifelong sports fan and hoops junkie, I find asking which the best team is in the history of a storied franchise like the Detroit Pistons is big part of what makes sports fun. For the purposes of this particular debate, there are really only two options by anyones standards: the championship Detroit Piston teams of the mid to late 80s and the more recent teams of 2004 and 2005 who went to two finals series and won a championship.

The arguments for the Detroit Piston teams of the late 80s are certainly easy to make. Those Bad Boys teams were trend setters. The 80s were a time of high scoring offenses and soft defenses. Scores routinely made it into triple digits as teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, and Sixers ruled the league. Then the Detroit Pistons came along with their tough, hard nosed, no easy baskets style of defense. They gave way to teams like the Bulls and Knicks who adopted similar defensive philosophies. Setting such a trend in a league like the NBA is certainly cause for consideration of greatness.

The Bad Boys Piston teams also had names and recognizable talent that the later championship teams would lack. Names like Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer are still known throughout the league. They are the greats of Detroit Piston basketball and to some degree of the NBA. Not only were these names recognizable and historic in league and team history, but also they were names of winners. Obviously the more recent teams are winners, but they have yet to combine the historical names, the winning, and the stamp on history that comes along with setting a trend.

There is, however, an argument to be made for the Detroit Piston teams of the early 2000s. Those teams have represented that city of Detroit with their blue collar methods. The collection of cast-offs from around the NBA shows that a true team can be the personification of the idea that the whole can be more than the sum of its parts. You could also make the argument that when it is all said and done, the names Billups, Wallace, Wallace, and Prince will be just as well known as those of the Bad Boys. With one championship ring, another appearance in the finals, and a quick start to the 2005-2006 season, the modern Detroit Piston team may even end up with more championships to their credit. And in the end, isnt it all about rings when it comes to the legacy of any great team?

When it comes to great basketball franchises, the Detroit Pistons may not be the first name to roll of the tongue, but they certainly will come in at some point. With at least two great runs in the history of the franchise, the argument over who is the best Detroit Piston team is one that may end in a draw. However, it is those great debates that will help both Detroit Piston teams to maintain their place in the mindset of Piston fans as well as basketball fans for years to come.

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You Too Can Be A Public Speaker

2007-12-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever watched a speaker and said, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that"? or "That person was just so wonderful. I could never do that." Well, I've got some good news for you. You too can be a public speaker. Public speaking is a learned skill, so anyone can do it. You just need to follow some simple steps and practice, practice, practice. If you know how to talk, you can become a public speaker.

Becoming really good at public speaking requires some risk, but you have been taking risks all your life. When you were a toddler, you risked falling down when you took your first steps. You risk scraping your knees or falling when you start roller blading. You risk falling off when you start bike riding. You risk being rejected when you ask someone out on a date, and you risk getting into an accident every time you drive your car.

If you gave up after your first fall, you'd still be crawling. If you were afraid to fall off your bike, you'd still be riding with training wheels. If you were afraid of getting into an accident, you'd never get behind the wheel of a car. And guess what, you're still here - you've survived all of that. You're risk takers!! You've proved that by coming to Toastmasters. The greatest fear is that of public speaking and here you are - wanting to learn how to do it.

How many of you enjoy watching figure skating? Now, you wouldn't expect to be a world class figure skater the minute you put on a pair of skates, would you? No, you'd expect to have to practice for years before becoming that good. Nor would you expect to make the NHL without years and years of winter and summer hockey.

How many of you enjoy watching racing? Would you expect to be another Mario Andretti the minute you get behind the wheel? Now, I will admit that there seem to be a few drivers out there who think they are Mario, but most people would expect to have to practice for years before reaching his status.

Now, I think everyone here knows how to walk. When you think of walking 25 miles, it seems like a long distance, but it is actually only putting one foot in front of the other a number of times and you know how to do that. It just takes practice to go the distance. It's the same thing with public speaking. It just takes putting one word after another.

The key to getting up in front of an audience is believing that you have something to share with them that may make a difference in their lives - by entertaining them, warning them, encouraging them, or giving them direction or information.

The great thing is - you all do have something to say that people would be interested in hearing. Each of you has come through life in a different way. You may have encountered difficult circumstances and survived. Your experience could help someone else in the same situation.

If you remember jokes or enjoy telling stories to your friends, practice a little more and soon you can be telling your jokes and stories to large audiences. If you are really good at something, consider sharing the steps of how you got there.

By following the steps outlined in the Toastmasters' manuals, and with the encouragement of fellow Toastmasters, you can learn how to craft a speech and how to deliver it. You can learn how to use props, how to modulate your voice, and how to use words that your audience will understand.

You will often hear the words "stage time" used by Toastmasters. That is the only way to get better. In order to be good at anything, you have to practice. Winston Churchill overcame a speech impediment to become a master orator. He had to practice for hours to deliver a speech.

You can get very discouraged if you expect to be as good as Zig Ziglar right away. But if you listen to his story, you will find that it took a very long time before he was able to do what he does so well.

The thing to remember is that the only person you need to compare yourself to is you. You are working for your personal best, so when you are preparing your speech and practicing, all you need to ask yourself is - is your second speech better in some way than your first? Did you learn something new as you prepared for your speech? Did you learn something from the evaluative comments of others after you gave your speech? Then, that's all you need to do. You can use what you've learned to make the next speech your best to date and then use the same process for each speech you give. Just take one step at a time.

Remember, public speaking is a skill, so anyone can learn to do it. You just need to be taught how and then practice, practice, practice. Then one day someone may watch you and say, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that."

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Kids Party Theme Ideas

2007-12-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

A party theme for a kids birthday parties create a consistent festive feeling placing a fun focus on the event. Party Themes should flow throughout the birthday. Use kids party theme for invitations, party theme thank yous, decorations, party favors (loot bags), music and party supplies (paper products, centerpieces, party hats).

Superheroes are a popular party theme with the boys. American Hero Party Theme is a great patriotic theme which can be done in greens or red, white and blue. A Batman Party Theme can include Batman comics, movies, and toys. Dressing the birthday boy up in the Batman costume will help make him feel extra special. Incredible Hulk Party Theme and Superman Party Theme are more superheroes. Spiderman Party Theme is both a movie and a comic. Plus, the Justice League Party Theme which incorporates a few of the characters together including Batman, Superman, and Spiderman.

Sports is a fun party theme especially for an end of a season little league party. Include a personalized banner with all the team members names as a keepsake for the coach. T-Ball and little league Baseball Party Theme with basebase caps as the party favors. Pee wee football, Super BOwl to a college Football Party Theme with finger foods and the girls dressed as cheerleaders will help create a festive time for all. A car racing Nascar Racing Party Theme is a more unique party theme.

The girls love a Barbie Party Theme with colors of pink and purple. Placing Barbie dolls around the table and having a Barbie doll cake will make the party extra special. For the cat lovers a Hello Kitty Party Theme with colors of red and white. A hip doll is the Bratz doll. Perfect for dress-up parties. A cartoon and a movie would be a Powerpuff Girls Party Theme. Have the cartoon playing in the background. For party favor give out little Powerpuff girl figurines. Lizzie McGuire a character both in the movies and on the TV. For the princess fans a Fairy Princess and Disney Princess Party Themes are a magical idea. Wands make the perfect party favor.

The little girls love Strawberry Shortcake Party Theme, Princess Party Theme, Dora the Explorer Party Theme, Toddlers and little ones enjoy Blues Clues Party Theme a fun interactive TV show. The Rolie Polie Olie Party Theme is also a TV show along with a Wiggles Party Theme. A timeless classic is the Winnie the Pooh Party Theme. The Sesame Street Party Theme is an educational but fun TV show. The Care Bears Party Theme is fun for both the little girls and boys.

Classic books turned movie like a Cat in the Hat Party Theme and Harry Potter Party Theme. For the 15th year old girl a Mis Quince Party Theme and for the 16th year old girl a Sweet 16 Party Theme. Boys love a Bob the Builder Party Theme, Yu Gi Oh Party Theme and Construction Party Theme. Everyone loves the classic Disney Gang Party Theme. Finding Nemo Party Them a clever animated movie. Both a cartoon and a movie Scooby Doo Party Theme. Sponge Bob Party Theme a cartoon that even the parents can sing the song! Kids Party Themes can be TV characters, movie characters, dolls, action figures or create your own!

No matter which party theme is used, remember to follow the theme and colors from start to finish!