Freestyle Soccer: Is Performing Soccer Tricks Worthwhile in a Football Match?

This question raised curiosity because people are still confused with it. Freestyler's ability to perform various combination of complex sequences of juggling and dribbling (ground) techniques makes them exciting to watch whether on the streets or through media such as internet. Nike launched freestyle campaign in the early 21st century through advertising and promoting competitions throughout the world enabling people to see the likes of Ronaldinho, Edgar Davids, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Francessco Totti, Ronaldo and others. But can freestyle football become practical to the "real" football game?

Freestyle Football Benefits

Juggling and dribbling techniques is the process to improve coordination, balancing and ball control. Mastering a complex set of juggling trick requires time, dedication and patience to become an exciting freestyler. Freestyle football allows individual to express their creativity on inventing new soccer tricks either on juggling or dribbling skills.

There are many dribbling tricks like the step-over that can be learned and practise. Each trick has different levels of difficulty varying from beginners to advance. Choosing and performing the right trick during a football match can be a crucial strategy. Applying these tricks require good timing and execution. Execute it perfectly and you'll gain valuable seconds or create space for your teammates in tight situations. But make a mistake and you'll allow your opposition to crawl back to their positions or you'll lose the ball thus allowing them to hit on a counter attack.

Top professional football players such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo may have many tricks in the bag. But they only master or specialize one trick in a match known as their "trademark" trick like the famous 360-roulette, flip- flap and dummy are there to be seen.

The Downside of Freestyle Football

Freestyle footballer has tremendous technical ability especially ball control but may lack in other attributes that are required during a football match.

Attributes are spread into three categories:

1. Physical

Many leagues especially in Europe require football players to meet the in-game physical demand such as stamina, strength, balance, agility, pace, speed, acceleration and jumping

2. Mental

Aggression, anticipation, bravery, creativity, decision making, determination, flair, influence, off the ball, positioning, team work and work rate

3. Technical

Ball control (technique), crossing, dribbling, finishing (shooting), heading, long shots, long throws, marking, passing, taking penalties, set pieces (free kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins) and tackling

Of course when you're involved in a football training or match, some coaches may discourage you from doing tricks on the pitch. Instead they focus on other factors like team spirit, team movement and tactical battle which in my opinion necessary to win a match.

Is All About Playing "Beautiful" Football

But who wouldn't want to see top football players displaying their brilliance on the pitch. The "beautiful game" is more about football teams winning with style rather than scrapping for victories. After all, the modern game is more about entertaining the football fans than just winning at all cost. Sadly, some teams still adopt this unhealthy mindset. Never-the-less, being able to pull-off a trick and out-manouvering your opponent is the best feeling in the world. Finally, let's raised the "beautiful game" to another level.

I would leave this article with a quote to ponder on:

"Ronaldinho is technically very good, but also very strong physically. He was against three players and I could not stop him. After that goal everything ended for us" John Terry

Improve your soccer tricks, learn more about freestyle football, watch videos and others related to freestyle soccer tricks at http://www.soccer-tricks.blogspot.com

Custom Designing Your Jewelry Using 3D-CAD Technology

For years custom designed jewelry has been created using old world techniques dating as far back as the 1800s. Until recently, almost all-custom designed jewelry was created using these methods. The introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has changed all that and in its wake ushered in a whole new universe of possibilities. Designs that were never thought possible can be made to the highest quality standards.

How is Custom Designed Jewelry Made? Before learning about the benefits of 3D-CAD youll need to know more about the custom jewelry design process. Most jewelry is made using a method called lost wax casting. A skilled artisan/jeweler hand carves a jewelry prototype out of jewelers wax using small scalpels and knives. This wax prototype also known as a model is placed in a flask and plaster called investment is poured all around the model. Once the investment hardens an exact impression of the model is formed inside of the flask. The wax model is burned out of the flask leaving a cavity of the jewelry design.

Next molten metal is injected in the flask mold using vacuum or centrifugal casting. When the metal cools and hardens the investment is broken away revealing the un-finished jewelry casting. This casting is filed, polished and prepped for assembly, which may include setting the gemstones or welding other precious metal parts to the casting.

The process of hand carving the wax prototype has always been the accepted process for creating custom jewelry. The problem with this process is that the human hand cant be as precise as a computer-aided machine when carving the model. Precision equates to more design possibilities and much higher quality jewelry production. In the end youll have a product that looks crisper and wont be prone to stone loss or breakage.

What is Computer Aided Design? Computer Aided Design is a sophisticated modeling process using advanced software to plot coordinates for mechanical drawings. These drawings can be exported to various types of prototyping machines called CNC mills or growing machines. CNC mills cut-away material from a block of wax to make the jewelry model. The growing machines layer material from side to side much like a printer to build the model, samples of this process can be viewed at http://www.andrewsjewelers.com/ .The precision of these models exceeds what any human could do while hand carving the jewelry model. Design possibilities become limitless because the 3D-CAD software enables the designer to create parts and design elements that arent possible using outmoded tools and methods.

Another benefit of 3D-CAD jewelry design is the ability to see a computer rendering before the final completion of the jewelry. In old methods the jeweler would create crude counter sketches of your concept and the rest would be left to your imagination. Now the designs that the jeweler creates in 3D-CAD can be rendered to photo-realistic images for you to view before making your final decisions.

Choosing a Jeweler for Custom Jewelry Design Like any other occupation or trade there are good jewelry craftsmen and there are bad ones. It is important to pre-screen your jeweler to determine if he/she is skilled at making custom designed jewelry. Ask to see their portfolio and examine their designs to determine if the flair they have for jewelry design matches your style requirements. Also, pay close attention to their communication and interpretation skills because much can get lost in the translation of your ideas if youre not careful. Once the jewelry is made its too late to make changes and the typical jeweler will not re-make it again without added fees.

At this point higher qualified and better skilled custom jewelry designers have moved to using 3D-CAD to create their designs. If you feel 2 jewelers are equally matched in aptitude and skills then you should choose the one that is using 3D-CAD design. Youll pay a little more to have your jewelry created in 3D-CAD but the final results will be amazing. The jewelry will look 1000% better than if it were hand carved and it will last much longer because of the precision of the jewelry model.

Andy Moquin

President

Andrews Jewelers Inc.

Andy Moquin has spent 20 years in the jewelry business buying and selling over $20,000,000 in diamonds, engagement rings and custom designed jewelry. He as traveled to Belgium and Israel to work with international diamond dealers and works as an advisor for DBC Diamonds an international consortium of diamond dealers. His experience in the jewelry business has become invaluable to consumers and business owners. He can be contacted at andrew@andrewsjewelers.com or 716-630-7091

The Art of Choosing The Right Cellular Service Provider

These days it is difficult to find someone without a cell phone, even the kids in schools. it is just plain out of the question to be out of touch, and with the younger generation, even considered rude. For the business person, it allows them to be available to their customers almost 24x7, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The biggest problem faced by most today is what phone to choose and which cellular service provider to use.

Like anything else, you first need to determine what you are going to use the cell phone for. You use it for talking, obviously, right? Right and also wrong. Today's cell phones are electronic marvels in a small package, and the fact that you can talk on it is just the tip of the iceberg with many of them.

Many cell phones are also MP3 players. The fact that the cell phone can handle MP3 files, in my mind, only serves a single purpose, and that is the fact that you can download songs to it and use the songs as ringtones. So when your son calls from college, the phone would ring with the song "Money" because that is undoubtedly what he is calling about. When your whacky neighbor calls and wants to talk with you about the latest scheme he has uncovered, your phone could play the theme song from "Looney Tunes". In this way, you can tell who is calling just from the ringtone you have assigned to them, and you don't even need to look at your phone.

But as far as using the cell phone as an MP3 player so you can listen to tunes all day long, I cannot recommend getting a phone with that feature, or at least paying more for it if that feature is not already included. Using your phone all day long to listen to MP3 tunes that you have downloaded to it is going to take a toll on your battery life, and the fidelity of the music is not going to be the greatest. If you have a job where listening to tunes all day would work out, you are much further ahead to get a separate MP3 player or even an Ipod for that purpose instead of using your cell phone for it. The quality of the music will be better, and you won't be draining the battery on your cell phone all day long.

As far as which cellular provider to use, one of the main criteria is to find out which carriers does a good job of providing cellular service in your area or the area where you would be using the phone the most. If you are in a major metro area, you can probably choose any of the "big four" national carriers; i.e., Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Cingular.

If you are in a "less than metro" area, you need to find out which carrier provides the most reliable cellular service in that area. Watch for the specials from the carriers and choose a plan with the features and number of minutes that suits your lifestyle and how you would plan to use your cell phone.

Is one of them better than anything, assuming that multiple of them have good coverage in your service area? Yes and no. In my experience, Sprint and T-Mobile provide the highest levels of customer service when you have a problem, and are also more than willing to credit you back minutes when you drop a call. If you are not really "techno savvy" and would probably use customer service with your cellular carrier a lot, then Sprint or T-Mobile are good bets.

Cingular would be my next choice in terms of customer service. They are not as good as Sprint and T-Mobile but their service has been improving and Cingular would not be a bad choice.

From a customer service perspective, Verizon has consistently been at the bottom of the barrel. Some have said that Verizon customer service would actually have to IMPROVE to be rated as high as "bad". This is unfortunate since Verizon has wide coverage nationwide, but the reputation for extremely poor customer service is something that Verizon seems unable, and even UNWILLING to rectify.

Bottom line: choose your cell phone and your cellular service provider based on how you plan to use your phone, not based on the extra features that you probably would not use after the novelty wears off!

For more insights and to get additional information about comparisons of Cellular Service Providers please visit our web site at http://www.cellinsideinfo.com

Sleep Yourself Thin And Healthy

When it comes to losing body fat most people are obsessed with calories they consume versus calories they have burnt. Sadly it is not that easy, if it were the obesity rate would be significantly lower.

As I have said numerous times throughout this site the way to lose weight is to increase the health of the body. To do this you must provide the cells with the right nutrients and stimulus, e.g. exercise.

Equally important to this is allowing your body the chance to rebuild the tissues with nutrients you have provided. The majority of this is done while asleep.

When sleeping your body goes through a cycle of hormonal secretion which facilitates muscle and tissue rebuilding. These healthier tissues will allow you to lose fat, increase health or build muscle.

How much and when?

The exact amounts of sleep for each person can vary. The general recommendations of 8 hours per night are a good estimate to start. The most important element is time you get to sleep. The body has a natural internal clock. At around 10.30 the body is primed to start releasing anabolic hormones. These will help to rebuild tissues and increase the health of your body.

However, the anabolic hormones will and can only be released if the body is in a state of rest and asleep. Therefore staying awake later than 10.30 is reducing the time that the body releases these vital chemicals. At around 2 am the body finished releasing these chemicals as part of the natural daily cycle. So it's crucial you are asleep early to maximize this window of opportunity.

Quality of sleep

The amount of sleep is linked also to the quality. The following tips can help you to greatly increase the quality of your resting hours.

Turn all lights off in the room - The room should be as pitch black as possible so turn off the clocks, stand by buttons and ensure the window is fully blacked out
Turn off all electric devices - Ensure the room is free from electro magnetic radiation. This can be done by switching the plugs off in every part of the room.
Avoid stimulation pre bedtime. - Avoid chemical stimulants such as caffeine. Avoid getting the mind worked up by watching TV or even reading. Do not exercise within a few hours of bedtime as this stimulates the body and mind further.
Use EFT to quiet the mind - If thoughts are occupying your psyche and thus preventing sound sleep EFT is an excellent technique for calming your thoughts. Meditation can also be used pre bedtime to further enhance the quality of sleep

Following the above guidelines should increase the quality of sleep to allow this vital component to support your health. This is one of many aspects covered in my courses

Ben WIlson BSc (Hons) CSCS NSCA-CPT CMTA Dip
One2one nutrition
Rugby fitness training.com

To Care For Your Opal Jewelry

These somewhat fragile but so lovely gems are unique among the gemstones. I have taken rough material, cut and polished many opals. I cannot count the number of opal stones I have set into jewelry. I do love opals.

Opal advice. Here are the main things to think about when wearing and storing opal jewelry. First of all, opal is not as strong as some other stones but certainly is as durable as most emeralds you see. Opal is not as hard as emeralds but most emeralds will chip easily an due to internal flaws may even be damaged by cleaning! Opal is pretty safe when cleaned properly and is not going to chip or break unless it is give an nasty knock. You do have to be careful not to let the stone run against hard things or knock it around. Then again, who wants to knock around any jewelry!

Opal is a "glass-like" material, very similar to glass with a few particular exceptions: The glass-like structure explains the ability of opal to chip or scratch. Think of opal as glass and you will take good care of it automatically. Then again, although made of the same silica material as glass, opal is quiet different and that difference is what makes this precious stone so wonderful. Imagine taking a bunch of glass marbles and put those into a cereal bowl. Fill the bowl with water just enough to cover the marbles.

This is a simple visual example of how opal is constructed inside the gem. Over time, small spheres (balls) of silica come together and layer together until a complete stone is formed. Between the microscopic beads of silica is some water. Of course, the beads or balls of silica in an opal are much more tightly together than in the "marbles in a bowl" example and the water is much less. Opals may contain up to about 10% water.

The color and fire of an opal comes from the groups of the silica balls. The very size of the balls determines what light is reflected back to the eye. Some groups are close enough to reflect red light while others spaced a bit differently will reflect blue or green light. The balls break up the light and reflect a certain color depending on the size of the silica balls and the spacing of the balls in the gemstone.This is where the color comes from.

The water in an opal is stable, in a stable opal! Some opals are so "water logged" when mined that is a few weeks in dry air the stone will crack from drying out! Gem quality opals do not do this. Opal chosen for cutting into stones have a water content which is contained in the stone and are proven to be stable and safe. These opals should not change from "water loss" over the lifetime of the jewelry. Soaking an opal in water or oil is not needed and comes from old rumors.

General Care. Here is the rest of the care information. First of all, think of the opal as glass, even thought is it not glass but is similar. Keeping this in mind will prevent damage. Cleaning is easily done with a mild dish detergent at room temperature. Use a very soft brush or your fingers to take body oils and soil off the jewelry.Rinse and pat dry. This is an excellent time to check and be sure the stone is secure and tight in the setting. Tap the ring next to your ear to hear a slight "rattle" indicating a loose stone.

Heat and cold may damage an opal. Generally, when very sudden and extreme changes of temperature happen, an opal might be damaged. This is like heating the stone quickly with a flame..zap, like most other stones it will break. Everyday changes in temp will be safe. Do take care in extreme cases like going from a sauna to a dip in a frozen pond! That kind of temperature change could damage the stone. Everyday wear is safe.

I would not jump into a hot shower when coming in from the cold while wearing opals. Simply take the ring off and keep it out of the bath in the first place. This keeps the stone cleaner by avoiding very difficult to clean "soap scum" and the potentially dangerous sudden heat change.

Avoid abrasives. Abrasives are like sandpaper. Things which will scratch glass will scratch an opal. Take the ring off if you are going too wash dishes, working in the yard and when filling a sand box or applying makeup. Yes, makeup is abrasive. Most of the dark smudges folks get from wearing necklaces comes from makeup. The very fine particles in the make up are like microscopic sandpaper, rubbing away gold so fine that the gold looks black. That is the cause of most jewelry smudges, gold rubbed away by the finea "sandpaper" effect of make up.

Opal can be scratched by makeup. The scratches will be so fine you will not notice but will eventually take the shine off of the stone. Please put opals and any and all jewelry on after any make up, hair spray or other things ladies use are finished. Store the jewelry where it will not bounce into or rub against other jewelry. That is about as safe as you can get.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/. FashionJewelryStore.info carries the best selection of fashion jewelry, watches and fragrances on the market. Start looking for diamond jewelry here: http://www.FashionJewelryStore.info/stone/diamond.html.

LASIK - Get Illuminated!

LASIK is becoming very popular in the ocular world today. For people who are not aware of what LASIK stands for, it is Laser Assisted in-SItu Keratomileusis. It is a surgical method of correcting various defects of the human eye. The following are some of the eye defects that can be remedied by LASIK surgeries:

-Myopia (nearsightedness)
-Hyperopia (farsightedness)
-Astigmatism

The popularity of LASIK over other surgical processes for eye correction is due to the fact that this surgery can be done within a very short period of time. It does not require the patient to be hospitalized for long either, since postoperative care is less. Also, LASIK is much more painless than other surgical methods. In fact, many patients with eye anomalies are opting for LASIK over methods such as corrective lenses.

The main task for the LASIK surgeon is to make the cornea free of its irregularities. This is the cause of the eye defects mentioned above. The cornea is made up of flaps, which are totally transparent in a normal healthy eye. But in people with anomalous eyesight, there could be tissue abnormalities in this region of the cornea. If the tissue is too thick, it causes myopia; if it is too flattened, it causes hyperopia, and if it is bundled up, it could cause astigmatism. Hence, the surgeon has to correct the outlay of the tissues in this region.

The surgeon will carefully lift up the outermost one or two flaps of the cornea, till the tissue region is exposed. Generally the anomalies are within these regions. Once this region is exposed, the surgeon will work at correcting the structure of the tissues and hence of the cornea itself. After that is done, the flaps of the cornea are carefully replaced.

This is the basic idea of a LASIK operation. The very manner in which it is conducted suggests that it does not require much time for a skilled surgeon. Each eye can be worked at in under one minute, provided everything is in order. Even postoperative care is less, since there is any major invasion into the eye. At the same time, the LASIK is a very effective method of correcting eye defects. In most cases, people who get their eyes corrected by this technique will never need much eye care or develop further eye problems for as long as they live.

Today, there is innovation and improvement going on in LASIK surgeries, which are mostly to do with the improvement of laser technology itself. These kind of surgeries have always been expensive, and with better technology coming in, the price is also increasing proportionately.

However, the price may not be such a big issue when the effectiveness of the method is considered. People with LASIK do not need to use glasses or any corrective lenses, even if they have been doing so before their operation. This expensive but effective surgical technique is really giving better sight to hundreds of people each day all over the world.

Kip D Goldhammer owns and operates http://www.lasik-surgeries.com Lasik Eye Surgery Information

Defending Our Nation Using Trucks and Solid Communication Strategies

Perhaps you are unaware of the American Trucking Association's Mobile Watch Program. The strategy enlists truck drivers and transportation companies to keep a watchful eye out for bad guys, evil doers and international terrorists. And guess what? It is working.

But that is not all the Trucking Industry is doing to protect our nation, we now have Satellite Shut off Systems for tanker trucks. If a truck is hijacked then the truck is shut down in route, preventing disaster and that truck is stopped and cannot be used as a truck bomb. The Department of Transportation has also instituted additional checks before issuing Hazardous Materials CDLs.

There are also now more technologies being put in at Truck Scales such as high-tech sensors. The US has ramped up its Border Checks to prevent smuggling of weapons, illegal aliens, narcotics or contraband from entering America. Stopping a Truck Bomb is the goal and it is taken seriously at our borders and by implementing stringent US Port Security to track Truck Cargo Trailers.

Communication Systems

Thanks to the use of Radios and Transponders, along with Modern GPS the authorities are using a synergistic approach to policing our Highways and protecting our citizens. Truck Drivers are also enjoying the use of modern communication systems to stay in touch with family and business contacts using Truck Stops and WiFi.

New Technologies with "In Motion Internet Access" are getting cheaper and now many cell phones can contact the Internet too. Meanwhile dispatchers can keep in contact with all their trucks using Real-Time Virtual Dash Boards. And lets not forget the 3G +, 4G and Promises of 5G Cell Phone. All this and more is on its way, as modern trucking is working hard to protect us and remain efficient too.

L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entreprenuer. Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.

The Great Teofilo Debate

Smoke Without Fire?
If you've been anywhere near a racing page or website in the last day or so, you'll know that there were alarming fibrillations in the betting markets yesterday as rumours and counter-rumours emerged regarding the health of Teofilo, the very short priced favourite for the 2000 Guineas, on 5th May.

His price appeared to be on the end of quite a long piece of string for a few hours yesterday, as he became one of the biggest drifters since Victor Bynoe (I hope someone somewhere gets this gag!).

Available at around 11/8 on betfair before lunch yesterday, and around evens to 5/4 with most high street books, by 2pm Teofilo had been matched at 11/1 on betfair and a number of the major layers had suspended betting.

By last night Teofilo was back to 7/2 on betfair, and he is trading - at the time of writing - at back out to 9/2, having been 9/4 this morning.

My advice is this: unless you know something from the stable, DODGE THIS HORSE WITH YOUR LIFE!

Jim Bolger was quoted this morning as saying, "Teofilo has had a training setback. When trotted yesterday afternoon he showed slight discomfort.

"As a result, his training will be restricted to walking and swimming for one week.

"Otherwise, he is fit and well and on target for his 2,000 Guineas tilt on May 5.

"A further statement on his condition will be issued early next week."

Now I don't know about you, but that isn't the sort of thing that makes me want to rush to the bookmaker with a satchel full of cash.... unless I just need the satchel for some other purpose!

Aside from anything else, why is the horse trading at 5/4 even before these rumours?! I remember, and you probably do as well, Celtic Swing, a recent nailed on hotpot who couldn't lose. That is, until Pennekamp, turned about from across La Manche, and rolled him over.

I have to report, dear reader, that my record in the Guineas races is nothing short of embarrassing. In my defence, I cite a growing predilection for the better fancied horses to go straight to the race. For the majority of us, this means we have little or no clue as to how the horses have wintered; whether they've trained on; how they are in their coat; etc etc.

In other words, the Guineas races have become something akin to a crapshoot. Pick one of the top six in the betting and hope for the best. My advice is to pick one at 5/1 or bigger, because at least that way you are getting probability odds in your favour!

So, if you want a tip for the 2,000 Guineas, try this: lay Teofilo at whatever price you can. Even IF he turns up on the day - which personally I doubt (I reckon they'll save him the for the Irish equivalent) - his chances are severely compromised by this training setback.

It is hard enough to win a Group 1, let alone a Classic, with an uninterrupted preparation. Factor in a hiccup little more than two weeks prior, with an easy week for the horse stated by the trainer, and it will take more than 9/2 to get me parting with my cash!

Incidentally, that is even before you make the leap of faith that says Teofilo has carried his two year old progress into his third year.

Finally, and on a slightly different theme, just time for the traditional quick plug for TrainerFlatStats. A nice winner today (albeit only even money - backed in from 2/1 on betfair), and a few more runners coming up over the next few days. You can get your discounted copy by checking the details in the previous post at

www.nag-nag-nag.co.uk/blog.html

(and, indeed, you can read all the historical posts here too - just click the month you require from the 'Archive' tab on the right hand side of the page).

Major horses in poor health scandals, Guineas trials, and a few more TrainerFlatStats runners... the Flat season is truly upon us! Bring it on...!

Matt

Matt Bisogno is a lifelong horseracing and betting enthusiast, and has published a number of statistical analyses of trainer patterns for horse racing betting purposes.

Learning from Tiger Woods

The August 14, 2000 issue of Time Magazine features an article about Tiger Woods titled The Game of Risk - How the Best Golfer in the World Got Even Better. Although I have no specific interest in the sport of golf, I do have a long-standing fascination with the general theme of the article: how can someone learn to do something better?

Thats precisely what the Alexander Technique is all about. And while Tiger Woods has probably never heard of it, its interesting that his quest for a better golf swing parallels in many ways the process F. Matthias Alexander - the developer of the Alexander Technique - went through a century ago.

Alexander was a Shakespearean reciter who ran up against limitations in his ability to perform well on stage. At that time there were no microphones and speakers and so he had to fill an entire auditorium with just the power of his own voice. Like Woods he was very talented at his profession but he also knew that there was room for improvement. In particular, he found that his voice gave out during a longer performance and that he had a tendency to gasp for breath on occasion.

Neither his doctors nor his vocal coaches were able to help and so he set off on his own, using a system of mirrors to monitor his performance in order to see precisely what was causing his difficulties. If he were living today, he would probably use videotapes of himself to see what was going on.

Thats what Tiger Woods did in order to improve his swing. I knew I wasnt in the greatest positions in my swing at the Masters, Woods said. But my timing was great, so I got away with it. And I made almost every putt. You can have a wonderful week like that even when your swing isnt sound. But can you still contend in tournaments with that swing when your timing isnt good? Will it hold up over a long period of time? The answer to those questions, with the swing I had, was no. And I wanted to change that.

The article notes that Woods has become ...an obsessive student of the game who reviews videotapes of old tournaments for clues about how to play each hole. Alexander too was an obsessive student of his performance and in the end his obsession paid off not only in providing a solution to his voice problem, but later in the discovery of a process that could be taught to others who wanted to improve the quality of their physical functioning.

What is most remarkable about Woods, the article continues, is his restless drive for what the Japanese call kaizen, or continuous improvement. Toyota engineers will push a perfectly good assembly line until it breaks down. Theyll find and fix the flaw and push the system again. Thats kaizen. Thats Tiger.

And thats Alexander, too. Never content with the progress he had already made - first in solving his own voice problem and later in developing better ways to teach others, and to train teachers in his Technique.

Woods first instructor, Rudy Duran, commented that he has the ability to stay in the present during a tournament and focus on hitting one shot at a time.

Alexander, too, discovered that in order to change his way of speaking he had to learn to stay focused on what he was thinking and doing in the present. Much of what Alexander Technique teachers do to help their students with today is teach them how to develop this skill for themselves.

Its no wonder that so many leading performers in the fields of acting, music, and dance have studied the Alexander Technique and have publicly endorsed it. It turns out that this ability is also very useful for people who dont consider themselves to be performers but whose performance of activities in their daily lives has put harmful stress on their bodies, often to the point of causing pain such as backache or stiff shoulders and necks.

Learning how to monitor your thoughts and actions in real time is a valuable skill for anyone to master.

Robert Rickover is a teacher of the Alexander Technique living in Lincoln, Nebraska. He also teaches regularly in Toronto, Canada. Robert is the author of Fitness Without Stress - A Guide to the Alexander Technique and is the creator of The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique at http://www.alexandertechnique.com.

Alternatives To The Downward Spiral

A very great dramatist, perhaps Ibsen, said that 'all happy families are the same, but each unhappy family has its own tragedy'. Several people have disagreed, notably those like me who have worked on the street and out in the community for many years. The sad fact is that unhappiness is depressingly similar wherever you go, (especially in an urban society like England). It usually involves bad housing, low income, lack of educational ambitions, poor health, petty crime and use of drugs. Unfortunately, where one of those bad things lives, another one lurks. When a woman said to me some years ago, 'Our family are poor but we don't use drugs', it wasn't much of a surprise to find out later that it wasn't true of the children that she had no control over. The fact is that drugs and poverty go together like apple pie and ice cream, or, to put it another way, if your family lives in run-down property that is surrounded by crime and drugs, it's damn unlikely you can stop it ruining your life.

Of course there are exceptions. I know a woman who works at Salford University. She's a cleaner there. However she hasn't let her own lack of education attainments stunt her interest in learning. She has three children, two of whom have gone to University. All three of them are working, in good jobs with good prospects. She is justly proud of them. If you ask her how she's done it, she'll tell you it was by realising early on that her kids wouldn't learn anything from the no-goods on the same block. She kept her kids in and made them do their homework. Their lives are prospering now, thanks to her single-mindedness.

It's easier to start slipping down the slope. Many respectable middle-class families got a nasty shock back in the 1980s when British industry started contracting and redundancy suddenly became common. People who lost their jobs found they couldn't afford the car loan, and their vehicle had to go back. They discovered they couldn't afford to eat out or entertain lavishly at home, so lost touch with their more prosperous friends. Eventually they couldn't pay the mortgage. Some lucky ones moved to cheaper accommodation. Some lost their homes and were forced to rent. Their health began to suffer. It was like one bad thing kept leading to another. They had discovered the downward spiral.

It's not a coincidence that young people who don't do their homework are the same ones who start skipping school altogether. Then they hang around on street corners and get dragged into petty crime. Then they are encouraged to try illegal drugs and move on to more serious crime to fund their newly acquired habits. They have no money to think about buying their own homes, but then, they can't hold down responsible jobs and are forced to make do with casual, low-paid work at best, or none at all. Some people talk about the 'ladder to success', but that's misleading. If you get your foot on the first rung, there's no guarantee you're going to start climbing. It's just as likely you will find the ladder leads you downwards.

Middle-class people are put on the ladder at an early age by their parents, so don't even see that it exists. They know (because they are told) that they have to do well at High School, followed by a move on to higher education, so that they can take up a 'good' job. They are then rewarded with the kind of salary that allows them to buy a car, get married and move into their own home. One thing leads to another, so naturally and without apparent effort, it's hard to believe how it works. It's an upward spiral. You can't jump into this life at age 28, if you haven't done the basics certificates from school, solid track record of involvement in your community and participation. No, but people can 'start again' after beginning life in the ghetto, they just find they have to go back to the 'Start' square, like in Monopoly. For adults living in England that may involve doing a 2-year Access Course, which gets you into University, no matter what other qualifications you lack. It's a 'new start', another chance, and the government happen to be pushing it rather hard at the moment. That's because they know it works. Once the person gets their foot on the ladder and is looking upward, they move effortlessly into society and start contributing. That breaks the downward cycle. They start seeking decent accommodation and start looking after their health. They get interested in the outside world and avoid criminal activity. Each facet helps the other. They are on the upward spiral, and they make progress until they retire.

Most important thing to remember is this. Most people aren't standing still. They're on a spiral, up or down, it doesn't matter. If you followed the acceptable path of education and career, you will find that you get a pay rise next year and promotional opportunities arise. You might feel that you've got the same old job, but if you work in education or the public sector, where things are highly structured, it's unlikely you will be in the same job in 10 years time, or on the same salary. (Some people say 'I've had the same job for 20 years', but that has to be their choice. No one can keep you from taking the next rung up.) So, those people are moving upward. People who are rich get richer. People who are already poor get poorer. Hmm, trite, but then, I don't think I invented that.

More noticeable is that the spiral always involves a list of items. It's education, job, house, location, health etc. etc. If you want to change your life, that's often the most daunting thing. Where do you start? There's so much to change! The answer, of course, is that everything has to change. Attack each item and work on each aspect of your life. Good news is that as one thing improves, so does another. You soon get onto the upward spiral, and that, truly, is 'an alternative'.

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, currently domiciled in Manchester, England, the place to find the most famous soccer team in the world and home town of that iconic LA-based singer, Morrisey. Mike Scantlebury has written novels, stories and songs and can be found on YouTube. His writings are gathered on a number of web sites, but a good place to start is his download site http://mikescantlebury.biz

Low Carb Diet Plans

With the success of the Atkins Diet, many other low carb diet plans have hit the market. Which low carb diet plan should you choose and is there any difference between the various plans available?

The original low carb diet goes back to the 1800's. It was called the Banting diet after the man who devised it. If you get rid of the olde worlde words, you'd find little difference between the Banting diet and its newer relatives. Although Banting did allow himself a glass of port to help wash down his food.

Probably the most famous low carb diet was published in the 1970's by Dr Robert Atkins. The fact that it was written by a medical doctor, as well as having plenty of proof from users of the diet, meant that this turned into a roaring success. Many people have safely lost lots of pounds following this diet, despite some skepticism from the mainstream medical profession.

There are plenty of other low carb diets to choose from, including Neanderthin which takes a look at what our typical Neanderthal ancestors would have eaten. This was probably the book that most convinced me that low carb was safe and likely the closest to what our bodies were designed to eat. For thousands of years, our ancestors didn't have agriculture and would therefore have mainly used on fruit in season but otherwise whatever they could catch or harvest from naturally growing plants.

Whichever low carb diet plan you choose, you should check with your medical practitioner to get their approval.

Find out more about starting on the Atkins diet and other practical advice about weight loss.

5 Major Ways to Save Money on Gas

I know you just want to get to the meat of how to save money on gas, but let me just lecture for a moment.

Petroleum products, including gas, are not going to become cheaper. One of the reasons for this is simply that they are limited and more and more people are competing for a diminishing supply. This is Economics 101 stuff and is known as supply and demand. As supply goes down and demand goes up, the price goes up. Anyway, when was the last time you saw major price reductions on a commodity like gas?

At the same time, people around the world are beginning to realize that not only are petroleum supplies limited, but the effects of burning gas and other petroleum products to power cars, factories, and your lawn mower are creating a highly unstable environmental situation...one which may have disastrous consequences for our children and grandchildren if not for us.

Therefore, these tips not only tell you some ways you can simply save money on gas, but also nudge you a little bit along the path of change. As we have often heard, "If you keep doing what you've been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting." We have been getting more pollution and higher gas prices. Isn't it time to make some sort of change?

Now, who am I and where do I get my info? Well, I have done a lot of research and reading, but I have also been a long-haul, over-the-road trucker and owned my own truck. With a vehicle that got 6 to 8 MPG and with 300 gallon tanks to fill every couple of days I became attuned to ways to reduce my out-of-pocket expenses. Last year, I traded my Dodge Intrepid and Isuzu Rodeo for a Toyota Prius hybrid...which is a great car. While you can do all sorts of things, including walking, in order to save money on gas, here's my top five picks.

1. Trade in the gas guzzler: Now, I don't have hard and fast figures on this, but I am willing to bet, based on personal observation, that at least 50% of people have much bigger, gas-guzzling cars than they need. Although I am off the road as a truck driver, I sometimes write articles on places I have visited, and this requires a certain amount of travel. All day long, whether in California or in Georgia, I see big SUV's and trucks that only get a few miles to the gallon being driven by one person. I also see a lot of hot-looking, and sounding, cars that I know get really bad mileage. A lot of people drive these back and forth to work every day!

I was talking to a guy yesterday at a motel in Abilene. He's going on a trip to the Grand Canyon with his kids. His truck gets 15 MPG! Where he is going, gas is hovering close to four dollars a gallon. If he only goes 1,000 miles each way, he needs 133 gallons. That comes out to about $500 just for gas at $3.75 a gallon. If he were to have a smaller, more fuel efficient car that got around 30 MPG, he could cut that in half. If he had my Toyota Prius, it would cost about $150.

How about commuting? Let's imagine my new friend from the Abilene motel drives 10 miles to work each day. At 20 miles a day, that's 140 miles a week. Since he's probably going to get stuck in traffic sometimes, I'm just going to say that his average gas use is 14 MPG (easier math) and he needs 10 gallons of gas just to get back and forth to work each week. Let's just say gas costs $3.00 a gallon. That's $30 a week for gas just to get to work and back. Again, getting a smaller car with double the mileage would result in a $15 a week savings. That doesn't sound like much until you think about it as an extra $60 a month (pay your water bill?), or $360 a year.

Oh yeah! With a Toyota Prius (Can you tell I like it?), he would save over $80 a month or $480 a year.

2. Keep your tires inflated properly: Proper tire inflation saves money on gas. One study conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association estimated that only 15% of drivers check their tire inflation properly. It is interesting to note, by the way, that the study also showed that more people check their tire pressure as gas prices go up! Not only can proper inflation save you money on gas, but it saves you money on tires themselves. Properly inflating your tires can help handling and cut down on wear and tear on steering components.

3. Slow down: Here's a little fact for you - Fuel economy drops about 10 percent between 55 mph and 65 mph, and 17 percent between 55 mph and 70 mph. Do I really need to say more? Come on, tell the truth. How fast were you going on the Interstate this morning on your way to work?

Now, here's what I see every day on the highways of America. One person driving a gas-guzzling SUV with at least two under inflated tires at a speed near or in excess of 70 MPH! Do I really need to belabor this point? Suffice it to say that adherence to points 2 and 3 would save this person a lot of money, and cut down on pollution and our dependence on foreign oil.

4. Pay attention: Try this on for size. I see this one all the time also.

Since I was not only an over-the-road driver but also an instructor, I used to teach students to "play the lights" and pay attention. How much gas your car needs to use is based largely on what you NEED it to do. Yesterday, as a few thousand times before, I was cruising down a road and saw the light about an eighth of a mile ahead turn red. I was going to have to stop anyway, so I took my foot off the accelerator. No sooner had I done so than the driver behind me (individual in a big SUV with an under inflated left rear tire) pulled out to the left, accelerated around me, pulled back in front and then accelerated a few more feet until he finally realized that the light was red and then slammed on his brakes. Guess how much gas he wastes every day.

Folks, it's simple. Wherever you are going is probably NOT going to move before you get there! Pay attention to what is happening in front of you and around you. If you are going to have to stop anyway, why not slow down and stop rather than burning extra fuel to get to the stop faster?

A lot of that "pedal to the metal" kind of driving comes from stress. Also, studies have shown that driving like that raises your stress level even more. Take up meditation or try yoga. It will actually improve your driving.

5. Keep your car properly maintained: If your plugs are clean, your oil is changed regularly, and the car is lubed, you will get better gas mileage. The engine and connected parts will be able to work more effectively and efficiently, and this translates to more miles per gallon. By the way, most of the synthetic motor oils available today will help you save money on gas by allowing your car to run more efficiently for longer periods between oil changes. This is an extra savings, by the way. Although synthetic motor oils cost more per quart than petroleum based lubricants, they last much longer, resulting in savings in cost of the oil as well as savings in cost of the oil change if you are paying someone else to change your oil for you. You are also helping cut down on the use of our limited supply of oil.

Of course, these are not the only ways that you can save money on gas. You can carpool, find less congested routes to and from work and shopping, shop online instead of sitting in a traffic jam, take turns driving kids to school, set it up with friends and neighbors to take turns running errands, combine errands into a single trip, or even learn to walk or bike short distances rather than driving. Hey, you might save money on healthcare with that last one, as walking or cycling around the neighborhood can help you with fitness, health, and weight loss, and that generally translates into fewer trips to the doctor, and fewer medications or medical procedures.

As they say in Germany, "Leb Wohl!"

Oh yeah! That means, "Live well!"

What a concept!

Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in Copperas Cove, Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, yoga, weightlifting, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, life and the arts. He has a collection of articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/.

Learn more on how to save money on gas at http://lube2005.com/information/fuel_economy.html.

The Tanya Factor

Is it me or are the 1998 Winter Olympics about as exciting as watching old people speedwalk at the mall? Don't get me wrong, I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but when the nightly highlight show contains fifteen minutes of slow-motion replays of the day's curling competition (an event that's boring at regular speed), you know something is wrong.

So what's missing this time around? There's no Tanya Factor.

The Tanya Factor is a theoretical law of physics which takes into account three basic rules of human nature:
Rule #1: Most people are only human.
Rule #2: Everybody screws up once in awhile. And,
Rule #3: When somebody screws up, the rest of us will stand in line to watch. Imagine Murphy's Law with a live studio audience, that's The Tanya Factor.

The Tanya Factor is named in honor of Tanya Harding, that wonderful piece of Olympic white trash who made the 1994 Winter Games such a "must see" event. You remember Tanya, the chainsmoking, hard-drinking, foul-mouthed figure skater who, along with her nitwit husband, Jeff Gillooly (who has since changed his name to Stone because no one could say Gillooly with a straight face), tried to disable rival skater Nancy Kerrigan by hitting her in the knee with a lead pipe. Tanya escaped serious jail time, but was charged with having lousy taste in men and banned from competitive skating forever. Too bad. Athletic role models like Tanya don't come along everyday (unless you count Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman, Latrell Sprewell, etc.).

But Tanya was special. This was a woman who puffed Marlboro cigarettes and swilled Budweiser from the can while attempting difficult skating maneuvers like the double cowpie and the triple decker klutz. This was a woman who lived in a trailer and drove a Dodge Ram pickup that had a gunrack in the rear window and a bumper sticker on the tailgate that read "I'll kneecap your honor student!" This, my friends, was a real woman, at least where I come from.

Thanks to Tanya and company, the 1994 Winter Games became the greatest show on earth. We all tuned in, though none of us really cared about flawless skating and perfectly executed jumps. We just wanted to see what Tanya was going to do next, as if there really was the chance that she and Nancy would beat the bejesus out of each other in the middle of the ice. That's what The Tanya Factor is all about: the human need to experience danger and excitement at someone else's expense. Forget the thrill of victory. We want to see the agony of defeat.

Dr. Beechwood A. Jing, Professor Emiritus at the South Hampton Institute of Technology's Hammond-Eggar Anthropological Department, is the man credited with identifying The Tanya Factor. Dr. Jing recently completed an extensive two day/three night study that concluded, without The Tanya Factor, life as we know it can be pretty damn boring.

Dr. Jing found that, contrary to popular belief, most people don't go to hockey games just to see large, toothless men skate gracefully around the ice. No, most people go to hockey games to see large, toothless men beat the crap out of each other! He also discovered that most people don't go to the races just to watch the pretty cars go round and round the track. Most people go to the races to see the pretty cars crash into each other at a hundred miles an hour! I had no idea, did you?

The only sign that The Tanya Factor is at work in Nagano has come from Ross Rebagliati, the Canadian snowboarder whose gold medal was taken away after he tested positive for marijuana. To understand why an athlete would risk smoking pot during the Games, you have to understand what snowboarding is all about. You stand on a miniature surfboard and fly down the side of a steep mountain at a speed that's roughly twice the speed of light. Nobody in their right mind would do that straight! Of course he had pot in his system. That's probably why he won the gold medal. He was trying to get down that mountain before all the Doritos were gone!

Finally, Dr. Jing believes that The Tanya Factor doesn't just apply to sports, but to everyday life, as well. That's why TV shows like "Top Cops" and "The Worlds Deadliest Car Chases" and "The World's Deadliest Animal Attacks" and "The World's Deadliest Car Chases Involving Top Cops Chasing The World's Deadliest Animals" are so popular. They get our hearts pumping, our blood going, our adrenaline flowing. They give us what we want. They give us Tanya.

And our knees are none the worse for wear.

Tim Knox
Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Radio Host
Check Out Tim's New Radio Show! =>http://www.timknoxshow.com
Preorder Tims New Book =>Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama http://www.timknox.com/amazon/

Why Won't My Car Start?

Have you ever had your car just "die" on you, you try to start it and it just will not start. You end up calling a tow truck and paying those big tow bills, then to make matters worse the technician at the shoptells you that it will cost hundreds of dollars to make it run again,is that true? Maybe maybe not.

I own and work as a diagnostics Tech here at Ace Automotive in Lakewood Wa and I can tell you from experience if some people knew just a little more about their cars workings they could save a whole lotta money. Say for instance you are driving at night wipers and heater ,lights and radio on you notice that the headlights keep getting dimmer and dimmer soon the vehicle "dies" and now won't start the most likely cause is the alternator has failed, not the battery because if the battery failed the alternator would still keep power to the vehicle until you turned it off then it would not restart.

You are driving for a while and the car just "shuts off" all the instrument lights come on but when you try to start it it just turns over but will not start. First it depends what kind of car this happend to if it was an import like say Honda, acura, toyota, subaru, nissan, mitubishi,the engine timing belt may have broken (if it's been more that 60,000 miles since you changed it last time) you should be able to tell if when you try to start the engine it sounds different like its just "freewheeling" faster than normal, this is bad cause most of the import cars mentioned will do expensive damage to the engine when the timing belt breaks.

If your vehicle is a domestic one chevy ford ect, be patient wait a little bit maybe 30-45 min and try to start it if it starts hurray! But it will "die" again once it's hot enough again, be sure to tell your local tech this valuable information and ask for all parts they replace to repair your vehicle to let them know you know something about the car too.

Randy Harkins Owner / Technician Ace Automotive

http://www.aceautomotive1.com

Jet Chips and Your Car

One of several questions car enthusiasts ask about jet chips and other performance chips is whether they are legal in all states, provinces, etc. Well, I cant answer that question for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. jet chips are legal even in California, home of some of the strictest automotive emission regulations in the world. As the saying goes, As goes California, so goes the rest of the country, or some variation on that theme! There is much more to jet chips than the name implies. Lets take a look at this remarkable aftermarket product and its impact on North American drivers.

First of all, like the name Jeep which represents a specific brand as well as a type of vehicle, Jet Chips is a brand as well as a type of chip. Confused yet? Dont be. Because the name is so easy to remember and the company producing these chips is so well known, consumers have given all performance chips the nickname jet chips. Kind of like reaching for that box of Kleenex tissues even though the label obviously says Marcal.

Secondly, jet chips will not cancel out your cars warranty. Yes, if any aftermarket part damages the car or emissions equipment, then you DO have a problem. The chance of that happening with a jet chip is remote.

Thirdly, jet chips are emissions legal. As mentioned previously, California which has the toughest emissions control laws, accepts jet chips because they have no effect on the emissions released from your car. Quite frankly, just because your car will get better fuel mileage, more horsepower, and better torque doesnt mean that it will emit more pollution. A jet chip makes your engine work more efficiently and an efficiently tuned engine doesnt over pollute.

When shopping for a jet chip, you can buy the Jet Chip brand or one of several other brands of performance chips. Some manufacturers sell all new chips while others will take your current chip, recalibrate it, and send it back to you. Prices are all over the place, so shop around before selecting a jet chip that is right for your car.

One final note: If you elect to go with a jet chip versus a performance tuner, you will have to either remove the dashboard or go underneath the hood to swap out the chip. Not so with a performance tuner as all you have to do is plug the tuner into your cars under dash diagnostic connector, answer some simple yes/no questions, and before you know it youre engine is super tuned. Of course, it all depends on what make/model of car you drive as not all jet chips and not all super tuners are made for every car out there.

Copyright 2006 Matt Keegan, is The Auto Writer, who writes about a variety of automotive products including Jet Chips and other performance parts.

Virginia Intermont College - Equine Studies

Virginia Intermont College is located in Bristol, Virginia and is one of only a few schools in the nation to offer an academically accredited four-year degree in Equine Studies. The equine program will begin by developing the students horsemanship skills by teaching the mechanisms of the horse and then teaching the proper riding positions. Virginia Intermont College provides students with a very hands-on experience and emphasizes the knowledge of the horse and care of the horse along with developing the students riding skills. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in training, instructing, horse show management and many other aspects of the horse industry. The school focuses on English riding and offers classes in dressage, eventing, equitation, hunter-jumpers, and show jumping. The curriculum places a great deal of time on developing a students skills that will prepare them for any career in the equine industry while also allowing a great amount of riding time as well. Graduates will leave the program with a vast knowledge of horsemanship and will be able to pursue a career in any field of the equine industry.

You do not have to own your own horse while earning your degree because the school has 65 horses available for students to ride, however, if you do own your own horse, you can bring it to the school and ride it during the riding classes as long as the horse is trained through the skill level of the class that it is being ridden in. It is strongly recommended that you do ride other horses during some of the classes because riding a variety of different horses will create a more versatile and skilled rider. If you choose to bring your own horse, you will need to make arrangements with the boarding facility as early as possible because the riding center only offers horse boarding on a first come, first serve basis for $3,900 per academic year. Students do not have to have their own tack, but it is strongly recommended that each student bring all of their own tack and grooming supplies because the school has a limited number of supplies available at the riding center.

The riding center is located six miles from the main campus and is very modern facility that sits on 132 acres of beautiful land. The riding center has a number of different features that include:

250 x 150 and 200 x 100 foot indoor arenas

350 x 200 foot outdoor arena

A.J. Coyle Memorial Cross-Country Course

65 school provided horses

Over 90 stalls

28 stall student boarding barn

Several sets of USA Equestrian regulation jumps

Classroom with access for riders with disabilities

9 large grass paddocks

2-horse trailer and a 6-horse gooseneck Sundowner van for transportation to shows

4 tack rooms

Personal lockers

Laundry facilities

Faculty offices

3 wash stalls with both hot and cold water

While attending Virginia Intermont College, students will have the opportunity to compete at horse shows through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). Members will compete at eight regular shows against Wake Forest University, Duke University, North Carolina State University and eight other universities. Besides the eight regular shows, members can also compete in regionals and nationals. The IHSA teams have accumulated several regional championships and reserve championships.

Students can also join the Interscholastic-Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA). This is a national organization that holds competitions in each of the different regions that it is divided into. The purpose of the IDA is to introduce students to dressage and to develop their skills through competitions.

The campus also holds several Campus Cup competitions throughout the year and there is also the annual Virginia Intermont Horse Trials and an A-rated horse show at the Lexington, Va. Horse Center.

Ron Petracek - Raised in southern Idaho, Ron loves horses and the outdoors. If you would like to join in and learn from the vast resources at our equine forum please visit http://www.horsechitchat.com Looking to buy sell or trade something equine realted? Just visit our huge network and get 12 sites for Free! Click here => http://www.Click4equine.com

What Men Should Look For When Buying A Watch?

There are essentially 5 important things to look for when purchasing a quality wristwatch in a brick and mortar store or online.

1-Image - Does the watch you are about to purchase reflect your personality, your style? Your watch should combine with your true character, not try to show someone you are not. Dont try to elevate yourself by buying a premium, luxury watch, heavy and invasive; thinking it will make you look better, if it does not suit you, the opposite effect will happen. Make sure that if you buy an expensive watch it is for the design and quality. My personality being discreet and classic, I like a slim, elegant design, round dial watch with a leather band. I tried once a heavier Rolex type steel bracelet watch, I felt like everybody was looking at me.

2-Designation

What does Swiss Made means? "Swiss made" constitutes a concept of quality. It includes the technical quality of watches; accuracy, reliability, water-resistance, shock-resistance and its aesthetic quality: elegance, originality, design. It covers both traditional manufacturing and new technologies. Only when it is Swiss, may a watch carry the indications "Swiss made" or "Swiss" on the outside. A watch is considered to be Swiss if: a-Its movement is Swiss b-Its movement is cased up in Switzerland c-The manufacturer carries out the final inspection in Switzerland.

What is the difference between a Chronograph and a Chronometer? Chronometer defines an other concept of quality; it is given to automatic and mechanical movement watches (not quartz movement) that have the highest standard of precision. A watch carrying the chronometer certification has passed 15 days rigorous testing (under different conditions) demanded by the Swiss Official Chronometer Control (COSC). It carries a premium price over non-chronometer watches.

A chronograph is simply a watch with stopwatch capabilities. It has two independent time systems: one indicates the time of day, and the other measures brief intervals of time. Counters registering seconds, minutes and even hours can be started and stopped as desired.

Scratch resistance The glass or crystal is made to protect the dial. Acrylic crystal is inexpensive, a plastic that does not prevent scratches. Mineral crystal is a glass, it is eight times harder than acrylic crystal. Sapphire crystal is the best and most expensive crystal and is three times harder than mineral crystal.

Waterproof versus Water resistant? A watch is never water proof, it is water resistant or made to prevent water from entering. A quality watch should indicate how much water it can withstand and still works. A good watch will offer resistance from 50m. Beyond that you are surely a professional diver and will need a specialist watch with depth indicator and other technicalities. If you are not, avoid taking your watch into salty water or chlorine, if you must, make sure you rinse it with warm water afterwards.

3-Mechanical, quartz, Automatic Movements

Automatic mechanical watches are the most desirable in terms or practicality and functionality. A mechanical watch uses the energy from a wound spring and keeps time through the highly regulated release of that energy through a set of gears call the wheel train and escapement. Automatic watches, self-winding watch or perpetual (Rolex) are mechanical watches with a balance wheel and escapement, whose mainspring is wound by the motion of the wearer's arm, instead of having to be wound manually every day. It needs no battery. The name comes from the fact that, instead of the owner having to wind the watch to power, the watch winds itself automatically when worn regularly. Quartz watches work with a series of electronic components, all fitting together in a tiny space. Rather than a wound spring, a quartz watch relies on a battery for its energy. Automatic quartz is a combination of a watch movement that combine a self-winding rotor mechanism as used in automatic mechanical watches to generate electricity with a piezoelectric quartz crystal as its timing element. It provides the advantages of quartz and mechanical watches.

4-Price against value

Can the status and prestige of the watch you are planning to buy justify its price? Up to you to decide if the price reflects the overall quality, technology, mechanism (Automatic, Quartz,), designation (Swiss-Made, Chronometer,) design, history behind the watch or just the hype behind the brand. I would differentiate between pure watch brands and fashion houses diversifying into watches. Both offer excellent products.

5-Care and Guarantee

Choose a watch which is easy to care for. A quality watch does not dispense you from caring for it and cleaning it regularly. Wash your watch in warm soapy water occasionally. Have your watch serviced every three years. Store your watch in a soft cloth. Avoid extreme temperatures.

Guarantee. Choose a watch with at least 2 years of International manufacturer warrantee from the date of purchase. It should cover against failure due to defective materials or workmanship, damages caused by water entry into the case, providing the glass, crown, and case back are intact.

Most importantly, take your time, try, compare and investigate. Find quality watches at carametis.com/acatalog/designer-mens-watches.html

2005 Mazdaspeed Mazda MX-5 Miata

Whats so great about the new Miata? Theyve been making them for years and they are virtually unchanged. Sure, the Miata is a classic sports car with rear wheel drive and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. But Mazda introduced a new version of the Miata called the Mazdaspeed Miata. It has significantly more features than the standard Miata.

You can get a black cloth top and black leather seats with cool red stitching. The car also has Mazdaspeed spoilers and badges. The Miata still gets 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. It has all the modern features, too, like a 225 watt stereo with a six disc in dash CD changer, remote keyless entry, power windows, and subtle tuner touches like a silver painted tower brace and red painted stabilizer bars. The calipers have also been painted silver. The car weighs only 2529 lbs which always helps performance.

The 1.8 liter engine has been upgraded with a turbocharged and intercooled engine. This 8.5 psi turbo boost gives the Miata 178 hp compared to the base 142 hp. They coupled this power with a short throw six speed manual transmission and a new heavy-duty clutch powering a torque sensing limited slip differential. The suspension has been tuned further with stiffer springs and returned gas-filled Bilstein shocks. With all of these improvements, it was also necessary to make the sway bars larger, both in front and in rear. Add some ABS brakes and 17 wheels and standard EBD Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and you have a handling package to compliment the new power plant.

0-60 in a mere 6.7 seconds. The standard Miata can make it to 60 in 8.1 seconds. But get this the Mazdaspeed Miata is only about $900 more than a similarly equipped Miata LS with the six speed. For the turbo, intercooler, and suspension upgrades, $900 is a small price to pay for so much more performance. Finally, Mazda has given us the Miata weve all been waiting for.

Stuart Simpson
Miata fan with pictures of the new Mazdaspeed Miata in Lava Orange Mica. http://www.miata-links.com/

The Critical Riding Errors Atop A Rearing Horse

Every year horse owners experience serious injuries or even tragic deaths while riding their cherished equine companions. One of the more significant causes of rider injury is a rider being tossed from a rearing horse or worse, caught underneath a horse that reared so fiercely that it flipped over on top of the rider. While sometimes injury is extremely difficult to avoid due to the spontaneous and powerful nature of many rears, all too often the problem is actually made worse by inexperienced riders panicking and inadvertently increasing the chance of injury.

When an inexperienced rider is rudely jolted by a rearing horse he often panics and tightens his body. This is a natural reaction when we perceive an impending and unavoidable blow, our body unconsciously stiffens and braces for the impact. When atop a rearing horse, a surprised rider will often recoil a bit and stiffen towards the hindquarters of the horse, which is a critical error because the rider drastically throws off what little balance he has, almost assuring that he will be tossed.

The second critical error inexperienced riders make is using the reins as a form of security. They feel their body being thrown backwards so they grip the reins for dear life and try to use them to "pull" themselves forward and back into the saddle. Again this is a natural knee-jerk reaction, but it's also a critical error.

When you yank the reins of a rearing horse you drastically increase the likelihood of the horse losing control entirely and flipping over or falling down with a good chance of you being caught underneath. Keep in mind that when a horse rears, he is already off balance. When you yank the reins backwards sharply, you'll only make it that much more difficult for the horse to resume his balance. In addition you'll very likely harm his mouth and cause him immense pain, and the shock of the pain could very well make the horse "freak out" even more!

So we now know that the two natural reactions people often make while on a rearing horse will only serve to increase the chances of injury for both the horse and rider. If we are supposed to ignore natural bodily reflexes what should we do instead?

First, when you sense your horse's front hooves leaving the ground make sure that you lean forwards, not backwards. This will increase both your balance as well as your horse's, thereby lessening the chance of the horse actually falling over. You don't want a horse that weighs around 1000 pounds landing on you.

Second, thrust your hands forward so that there is absolutely no direct rein pressure against the horse's mouth. Do not pull back on the reins no matter how much your instincts shout to do so I guarantee you'll gain no security or balance from doing so. Let him have his mouth and only apply direct rein pressure after he has all four hooves back on the ground.

Finally, if you feel like you are losing control then it's generally better to take the cautious way out and dismount rather than try and ride the rearing out. Consider wrapping your arms around the horse's neck as you lean forward, then slide off his side as he rears. The moment you hit the ground you want to back up so that the horse doesn't step on your feet when his front hooves land again. It's best if you can keep hold of the reins as you perform this maneuver, but if you have to let them go entirely and get out of "Dodge" then do so. Your bodily safety is the most important consideration.

Hopefully you will never be surprised by a rearing horse, but it doesn't hurt to practice quick dismounts in your spare time such that if you are ever faced with the situation you'll better know how to handle it. In addition depending on your breed of horse you might consider jumping him a bit. While a jump has nowhere near the potency of a strong rear, it can teach your body how to respond when a horse's front hooves leave the ground.

Copyright Jeffrey Rolo, 2007. All Rights Reserved.

The above article covers two critical riding errors atop a rearing horse, but if you would like to learn more tips about controlling rearing horses be sure to check out our series How To Stop A Horse From Rearing over at the AlphaHorse community.

Batteries

First of all lets clear up what kind of batteries there are. According to the substances and technology used to produce the batteries there are lead acid batteries, lithium and lithium ion batteries, nickel cadmium batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries. Certainly there plenty other battery types but the above mentioned are very prevalent and mostly used ones.

Lead acid batteries are really great. These batteries are used to power cars, computer data stations, forklifts and other products which need a high power output. These batteries are not suitable for smaller products as the battery has been designed to work in situations which require lots of energy. As most batteries have been given certain corresponding letters such as double A batteries, you will find that a lead acid battery is given the signature letter of A. So if you see an item that requires the use of an A battery you will know that you need to have a lead acid battery for that appliance to work. There are currently two main types of this A battery. These batteries are for instance useful in times when the power has for various reasons been cut off. At these times the lead acid battery can be used in emergency lights to provide the lighting that is needed.

Lithium and lithium ion batteries are great providers of instant power. The general use for a lithium battery can be found in the general consumer products like portable radios. These batteries are also used in powering hybrid electric cars and normal electric cars too. The items which are generally powered by lithium ion batteries include calculators, walkmans, radios, torches and even touch lamps. Even though the batteries for these appliances can vary in size there is one similarity. While you can buy a number of different batteries for your various appliances you will find it more economical to buy a battery that can be recharged to full power.

To help cope with the demands which these organizations might put the lithium ion batteries through there has been a newer version which has been developed. This new lithium ion battery is called a lithium polymer cell. To make sure that the lithium ion battery can be used by a variety of appliances you will find that the battery is made in a number of different sizes and shapes. While the usual use for lithium ion batteries is consumer electronics you will find that you can use these batteries in hybrid electric cars and normal electric cars.

You will find that when you are using a nickel cadmium battery that this popular battery is that of a rechargeable one. You can in general find that these batteries are also known as NiCd otherwise known as Ni Cad batteries batteries. There is however an interesting fact which is very seldom thought of. While the consumer battery is called by many of us as a NiCd battery there is yet another battery which uses this name as well. The nickel cadmium battery comes in two forms. These forms are the sealed and vented forms. The general use for a nickel cadmium battery is that of toys and electronic products like walkmans, Discmans and portable radios. There are also specialty nickel cadmium batteries which are available. These batteries are perfect for using in model airplanes, wireless phones, power tools, cordless power tools and even for camera flashes. As you see there are many devices which can use a nickel cadmium battery.

Unfortunately unlike other batteries the nickel cadmium battery is more expensive. This means that unless you are willing to pay more for this battery you may find the other battery brands to be a better buy.

Another type of battery is that of a nickel metal hydride battery. These batteries can be used in appliances where you need long lasting power. You should however make sure that the appliance you need these nickel metal hydride batteries for can work. You will need to find out from the information that is supplied with your appliance if it has this capability. There is one item that you will need to remember about using these batteries. The abbreviated form of nickel metal hydride batteries is NiMH. This battery has the potential to last about three to four times longer than the NiCd batteries. Now in addition to being used in your usual consumer electronic products these batteries can be used for other applications. At present the use of nickel metal hydride batteries can be found in ASIMO by Honda. ASIMO is the human prototype robot. One of the better aspects to be found in using these nickel metal hydride batteries is that they are less detrimental to the environment as compared to some of the other batteries like NiCd batteries. And when it is time to dispose of these batteries you will find that there are recycling programs which can help to safely dispose of the harmful matter in the batteries before a brand new battery is made.

Now lets talk about the various devices that use batteries to get power. All of these devices are well known, we use them almost everyday without even thinking of using the batteries too. Why dont we start with watch batteries? The range of watches that you will find is enormous. With most of these watches the popular form of power is that of watch batteries. These watch batteries in general will not have any brand names attached to them. You will find that watch batteries come in different sizes. These sizes are generally based on the watch itself. The usual instance to get a new watch battery is when your watch is running low. At this point you will need to take your watch to a watch smith and get them to replace the watch battery. As watches come in different sizes you will find that it is possible to replace these larger sized batteries without any need for special tools. The larger sized watches can use watch batteries which are double A or triple A sized. You should however make sure that you know the battery size before you buy your replacement batteries.

In general you have two options available for powering the notebook. One option is that of the mains power and the other is that of notebook batteries. You will need to make sure that when you are planning on working with notebook batteries that you know the maximum amount of time that these batteries will power the notebook. To help you get the best power from notebook batteries you will be able to choose from a variety of different ones. These many different batteries will come in slightly different prices but on the whole you should have no problems with purchasing any of these batteries. One of the key items that you should look into when you are thinking about buying replacement notebook batteries is how long these batteries that you are looking into buying will last. In general you can expect notebook batteries to last anywhere from a few hours to half a day. The time length that these batteries last will depend mainly on the functioning of the notebook. The more you use high power consuming functions in the notebook the more power drain which is experienced by the batteries. This means that the notebook batteries will need to be chosen with the tasks that you are going to be engaged in. You will need to do some shopping to find notebook batteries which will provide you with the time limit that you need and an affordable price.

Batteries are also used in cars and motorcycles to start the motor. Those car and motorcycle batteries are really powerful ones. The fully charged new car battery will provide the power that is needed in order for your car to work in any type of weather. When the time comes to replace the car battery the best place where you will find these batteries is in car supply shops. These places will have experienced sales personnel who can help you by showing you the various types of batteries which are on sale. Among these is that of a car battery. Even though we seldom think about the performance of our new car battery we get behind the wheel of the car and expect to go on a journey without any problems. As each car is made according to different specifications you will find that these vehicles have different needs. Therefore it is only sensible that you buy a new car battery which will provide you with the power that you need. While there are many brands of car batteries available you will need to look around before you find the best car battery that you can find and afford.

Now even though motorcycles are popular forms of traveling it is best if you have fully charged up motorcycle batteries for the long distance journeys. You will find many different brands of these motorcycle batteries to buy. The one that you choose will need to be bought with an eye to the future. For instance you will notice that most of the motorcycles are ones that use a lot of power. There are also motorcycles which travel long distances. These touring bikes need to have motorcycle batteries which can be used for long distances before they give out. You will need to make sure that you are choosing a battery that you can afford. This point is important as you may need to look for reputed dealer. The knowledge and experience of well trained dealer you will find that you are getting a good deal on your choice of motorcycle batteries.

Most of the cell phones use cell phone batteries. These cell phone batteries in general will not have any brand names to them. You will find that these cell phone batteries have different sizes. These sizes are based on the cell phone itself. As cell phone technology advances you will find that the cell phone batteries come in different sizes to accommodate these new phone sizes. You should make sure that you know what sort of battery your cell phone takes. This will make buying replacement batteries easier. Now even though it is possible to replace your cell phone with a well working battery you should still take the time to figure out why the battery has died on you. This will allow you to make sure that you dont make this sort of error happen again. While your cell phone may look sophisticated the battery is very delicate. For this reason you should take care when you are using your cell phone. While technology advances at a furious pace there are still some items in our world that need a helping hand from us. These items like cell phone batteries need to be treated as if they are made from glass. By looking after them in this manner you will be assured that you have a cell phone where you will not have to worry about replacing the cell phone batteries that quickly.

For more relevant info on Batteries visit us at www.batteries.extrafindouts.com We will be really glad to see you!

Vacations the Bad and the Ugly

I remember one thanksgiving holiday where I drove from Pennsylvania to Cleavland, OH. You can expect to have some weather issues that time of year, but when I left it was great. The roads were clear and it was a nice sunny day.

I was expecting to return on a certain day to get back for deer hunting season. It was the much anticipated first day. You dont want to miss the first day of deer season. No way.

When the day came to return home, one of the biggest snow storms you would ever want to see blew in and took us all by surprise.

I was determined to get back. I had my wife and two small children, but I was young and stupid you know. Nothing seemed to deter me in those days.

My mom packed us some food for the trip after giving in, not wanting me to take the trip. But I told her I would make it just fine.

I remember I had a Dodge Coronet with posi-trac rear-end. This would turn out to be very important as the day unfolded.

Normally it would only take about 3 hours to make the trip, but we soon realized it would be much longer.

All along the trip we saw dozens of cars spin out and get stuck. We kept going because I knew if we ever got stopped, we would not get moving again. One could only travel about 30mph, because of the roads were covered and the conditions were blizzard like.

The wind was strong and blowing the snow into us. It was very nerveracking to say the least.

The kids were asleep in the back seat, while the wife and I were worried if we would make it. I kept up my faith and determination. And with the help of that old Dodge, we kept going, seeing more and more cars stuck in drifts along the way.

The trip would prove to take 12 longs hours. I was very thankful that we had an old coffee can in the car, which I had to put to good use if you know what I mean. Remember there was no stopping. 12 hours is a long time to drive without any stops at all, but we did it.

We did make it home ok, but was it worth the risk to make the first day of hunting season. Now at age 54 I certainly dont think so, but at 25, I could not be stopped.

Only by the grace of God, that old Dodge, the coffee can and moms lunch did we make it home.

Please click on my blog to tell your story. Blog Vacation Stories Get your free vacation at Free Vacation Offer.

How To Install Truck Running Boards

If you are a pick up truck or SUV owner, one of the most popular accessories for these types of vehicles are running boards. Running boards are particularly useful as they allow easier access to your trucks cabin in addition to simply lookin good. You can outfit your vehicle yourself with running boards by following three simple steps. Depending on the brand of running board you purchase, the procedures involved may vary somewhat.

Lund running boards are industry hot sellers and the company helps make installation a breeze by outlining how to get the job done:

1. Insert the square head bolts into the extruded channels on the underside of the board, then attach the Multi-Fit brackets loosely with supplied washers and nuts.

2. After determining mounting position on the truck, the end caps and step pads are attached with matching black rivets.

3. Mounting methods vary slightly with application. Multi-Fit Running boards are bolted in place with clip nuts and bolts at factory holes. Tighten after determining alignment is correct.

Thats it! Before you know it your running boards are securely in place and ready for use.

When shopping for running boards, please note that the quality of the products marketed can vary. A top of the line running board such as those sold by Lund or Westin running boards is typically made out of tough polymer materials or diamond plated aluminum and will, therefore, adequately hold your weight and resist deterioration. You can order running boards that light up, choose boards that have a wide step area, and even select running boards that allow you to paint the shell yourself.

Running boards are made for SUVs from the Kia Sorento to the Ford Expedition, and for trucks from the Toyota Tacoma to the GMC Sierra Denali. Mounting kits are usually sold separately, so before completing your order make sure that all the parts as well as instructions are included with your shipment.

By shopping with a reputable online retailer and installing the running boards yourself you can save plenty of money and have the satisfaction of knowing that you did the installation.

Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for Car Parts Stuff, an online supplier of high quality and well priced automobile parts.

Basketball Uniforms

Basketball uniforms instill a sense of unity and team spirit. Standard basketball uniforms consist of sneakers, socks, tank-top shirts, and shorts. Many of the modern basketball uniforms are made up of lightweight and moisture-wicking materials. Thus, these uniforms offer ultimate body moisture management and temperature control.

All famous teams have their own traditional uniforms that make them famous. Basketball uniforms for men and women have the same basic designs. Each player's uniform has a number for identification, which is displayed on both sides of the shirt. Sometimes the name of the player is also displayed on the back of his shirt. The team name is imprinted across the chest. All teams have one or more alternate uniforms. The home team usually wears white or a light-color uniform, and the visiting team wears a dark color. Most teams upgrade their uniform designs each season.

Uniforms are usually well designed and are manufactured from synthetic fabrics like nylon, rayon, and polyester. Often, basketball uniforms are made of two layers in matching or contrasting colors. There are also uniforms made of polyester dazzle cloth, which looks like satin. The styles of basket ball uniforms vary widely from V-neck to round neck and from sleeveless to tank to cap-sleeved uniforms. Some basketball uniforms may feature mesh sides, which provide more aeration, or solid sides. Shorts are available in styles with drawstrings or elastic waistbands and also in reversible fabric. Basketball uniforms are available in all possible colors; some companies offer a pick-and-choose approach to designing your own uniforms like custom lettering.

NBA rules say that when each player is introduced, he must be uniformly dressed, and all coaches must wear a sport coat or suit coat. While on the court, players must keep their uniform shirts tucked into their pants, and no T-shirts are allowed. NBA rules prohibit shorts from being longer than one inch above the knee.

Most basketball uniforms are sold by the piece. Basketball uniform marketing has become a profitable industry, as more and more fans want to wear their favorite teams' jerseys.

Basketballs provides detailed information on Basketball Sizes, Basketballs, Imprinted Basketballs, Nike Basketballs and more. Basketballs is affiliated with Volleyball Clipart.

Forehead Wrinkles

The aging process is something that everybody goes through, and it is something we cannot avoid. Getting wrinkles is the most common sign of the aging process. As you age, you will lose elasticity in your skin. Besides your age, there are also environmental factors that can contribute to the creation of wrinkles, such as exposure to sunlight, your diet, and your lifestyle.

Wrinkles on your forehead tend to be either vertical lines between your eyebrows, or a series of horizontal lines below the hairline and across the entire forehead. Frowning wrinkles is another name for the wrinkles you get on your forehead.

There are many preventative measures you can take to prevent or slow the process that creates the wrinkles, one of which is to use sunscreen when outdoors, as this will prevent sun damage to your skin. To specifically target the prevention of forehead wrinkles there are some other things you may be able to do. Being aware of how your face moves is a very important step in the prevention of wrinkles. Facial movements during speaking, laughing, and frowning are great contributing factors to the creasing of the skin in the forehead area. Repetition of these movements in the face will lead to static wrinkles. Training your facial muscles to move differently will minimize the creasing of the area.

If you are beyond wrinkle prevention, there are steps you can take to remove your existing wrinkles. The most effective way to remove wrinkles is to undergo Botox treatment. With the possible side effects that come with receiving Botox injections, many people are not open to this type of treatment. If you are one of those people, there are other options.

Other than surgery, the use of an anti-wrinkle cream is a popular choice for most people. They are easy to use, inexpensive, and do not require a visit to a doctor.

The popularity of looking young in today's society has created a booming industry that produces different types of products, in addition to offering services that aid in the slowing of the aging process. With the many options you have, you should be able to get rid your wrinkles easily and without many problems.

Wrinkles provides detailed information on Anti Wrinkle Eye Creams, Forehead Wrinkles, Laser Wrinkle Removal, Remove Wrinkles and more. Wrinkles is affiliated with Anti Wrinkle Face Cream.