Sarasota Real Estate:Living in Sarasota

Sarasota is a small city in the Tampa Bay are and tourists have considered it as ?the ultimate beach town,? with its sun-kissed location on the Gulf of Mexico, more than 200 sunny days annually and an average year-round temperature of 71 Fahrenheit. The Sarasota county, which includes Venice, Northport, Longboat and Siesta Keys, has its own ballet, symphony, and opera companies. The 1800 seat Van Wezel Performing Arts Center attracts productions like the Broadway road company of Chicago. The Ringling Museum of Art, which was established by circus baron John Ringling who settled in the area in the 1920s, features an extensive collection of American and European art. If you are a sports aficionado, just an hour away from Sarasota you can witness games of the NFL?s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and arena football's Storm. The lifestyle is relatively affordable than other busy cities in the United States. With respect to other towns and cities within the Tampa Bay area, however, Sarasota does not fair much. In a cost of living composite index published in the first quarter of 2005, Sarasota scores at 105.7, which is higher than Bradenton, St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Tampa. The national average is at 100. In terms of housing, Sarasota also did not come out cheap with a 119.8 index as compared to less than a hundred for St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Tampa. Nevertheless, real estate agents in Sarasota apparently boast of low median housing prices, typically advertised around $126,000. Furthermore, Sarasota is the kind of place where one can acquire a nice, brand-new home for $200,000. Living in Sarasota is quite locally expensive, but nonetheless affordable in terms of the benefits that you can derive from living in a small city with a subtropical climate. A hefty volume of retirees have an interesting preference for living in Sarasota.

Transportation also costs relatively higher in Sarasota than in other localities around the Tampa Bay area. A recent survey on July of last year administered over residents living in Sarasota County found more people thinking that the county has become a worse place to live than it was five years ago. The respondents commonly agree that traffic in Sarasota County is among its primary headaches.

If you are a working couple with schooling kids, living in Sarasota is a recommended choice in terms of its education services and employment opportunities. The schools in Sarasota are considered to be outstanding, and the job market is invigorating. While Sarasota County's public school students in key grades outscored 95% of their peers in the whole of Florida, the city also posted job growth of 5% in the past year. Albeit a small city, Sarasota had been ranked among the top 25 metropolitan areas in the United States. Forecasts for the next 10 years see Sarasota to experience a 30.5 % increase in jobs that will effectively catapult its status to No. 7 in the entire country. Many of those jobs will come from the retail and service sectors. Sarasota may be a thriving tourist destination, but it also can compete in other industries.

Sarasota has maintained its natural treasures. Living in Sarasota provides you with the benefit of enjoying the pristine environment by enjoying activities such as canoeing and kayaking, fishing at the bay, traveling the waterways. Several islands are arrayed on the bay waters creating a sanctuary for many bird species. The waters abound with many varieties of fish including snook, tarpon and mangrove snapper. Sarasota also boasts of its dolphins and manatees. With the blessings of Mother Nature, living in Sarasota is like being on vacation every day with sunny days, blue skies, the gulf coast breeze, and miles of the best beaches.

Earl Juanico sarasota-realestate.biz

Horizon Elliptical Trainer Review

Horizon elliptical trainers are inexpensive machines designed for the budget-minded. They compete heavily in the $500-$1,000 price range with brands like ProForm and Nordic Track. Before I proceed with this review, I must state that I am never comfortable recommending elliptical trainers for less than $1,000. They generally are equipped with cheap components, and are not well engineered. Spending $1,000 or less is not going to buy you a precision machine. That is evident when you test the Horizon elliptical trainers.

Most of my fitness equipment testing is at stores like Dick?s Sporting or Sports Authority. Testing equipment in these mass retail environments can be very revealing. That is due to the fact these machines are abused. You get a real sense of the durability of a particular model.

My experience is that the Horizon elliptical trainers do not hold up well under strenuous use. At least half the machines I tested had loose handlebars. Of course, all you have to do is tighten them, but few other machines had that problem. Some of the Horizon ellipticals developed squeaks, while others seemed less than stable. I

Small Stride Lengths

My biggest complaint about the Horizon elliptical trainers is the stride. Although this is not true with all their machines, I find many have a very small stride. I am average height, and when I get on the lower cost Horizon ellipticals, the stride seems short and restricting. It is less of an elliptical motion, and more circular. You tend to bounce. This is particularly true with the ellipticals that have the 14? stride. They are designed for little people. The 18? stride machines are preferable.

If you are shopping for a Horizon elliptical trainer, you will notice they have numerous models. They sell in two series, the Elite and the Horizon. On their web site, I counted 13 models. On Dick?s Sporting Goods site, I counted several more models that are not listed on the Horizon site.

If you were considering purchasing a Horizon, I would recommend staying away from the low-end models. Consider the CSE 4.6 or the EX44. Both are available at Dick?s, and have 18? strides, with a nice range of resistance levels. Call first to see if the store in your area carries these models. You may also want to consider an extended warranty, particularly if you plan to use the machine extensively.

So should you purchase a Horizon elliptical trainer? It depends! If your budget is limited and you cannot spend more than $1,000, the Horizon is definitely a contender, and one of the better values. However, if you plan to workout regularly, and want quality and durability, you need to move up to the $1,500+ price range.

Fred Waters worked in the fitness equipment industry for a number of years. He is author of the Fitness Equipment Source where you can get expert reviews on Horizon Elliptical Trainers, in addition to numerous other brands and models.

Spain a Contender in World Cup 2006

This Friday December 9, 2005 saw football lovers round the world clinging to the edge of their seats, ready and waiting to determine who they would play in the group stages of the World Cup 2006 in Germany. The ceremonial occasion contained all the anticipated fanfare and hoopla that a soccer fan would normally link with modern sporting events. In other words, the smitten sports buff was subjected to hours of mindless slobber when awaiting for the unparalleled action to start out. Whosoever puts these events together just can't perchance believe that the football fans who have tuned in to see such an event can be in any way smitten in the flaky magic exhibits and dance troops they force out. One can only believe that heavy numbers of hard cash in brown envelopes that changes hands in order to generate some feeble performers their luck to be on worldwide television. The experience was produced slenderly supplementary endurable with a handsome blonde in a revealing dress co-hosting the program.

When the standoff did at last came it was dragged out, with a horde of footballing celebrities taking balls to pick out the teams. Again, a soccer fan has to accept that the presenters and celebrities were being paid off by the second as they struggled to make this non-event into a television spectacular. This should have taken no further than fifteen minutes to carry through, but no, soccer reporting went on for a undivided three hours! Because this is an indication of affairs to hail it is no question that the tourney will take an entire calendar month to finish.

When the dust settled on the over padded proceedings in Leipzig, England came out of it rather well. Notwithstanding having traditional rivals for Sven's loyalty, Sweden, in the group, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago are surely there just to make things fair. With the top two from every group coming along to the second round, England are favorites to proceed into this phase with out too much trouble. Depending on the setting in both England's group (B) and the Germany / Poland group (A) the substitutions perchance set up an early crunch match with the hosts. Even so this would bank on either Germany or England neglecting to win their various groups and an England vs. Poland second round match is tremendously additional probable. Providing this potential banana skin can be negotiated, the usual is that England will crash out on penalties in the quarter finals to either Holland or Argentina. All England buffs, notwithstanding the optimism that usually rings the ballyhoo to a world cup, hold a sensation of the inevitable heroical defeat in the latter stages of the tourney. The common comments have been made up by the various directors, with Sven contributing in his normal unrestrained flair.

Perhaps the most intriguing groups are C, where Holland and Argentina are drawn jointly, and E, where Italy takes on USA, Czech Republic and Ghana. Normally ho-hum starters to tourneys, and having broke down to go on from the group stages last time around, Italy stand a tough task onwards. Having been drawn with the very much improving USA and a Czech side who are beginning to indicate signals of the retuning glory days with an mythical performance in the last Euro Championships, Italy may be the competitors first large casualty, with Ghana being very tremendously an unsung entity. Group C caters to an early clash of the prominent boys, where the Dutch face are good deal better than their ungraded position suggests, but both Holland and Argentina need be firm enough to overcome Ivory Coast and Serbia & Montenegro to win to the second round. The only question in truth is of who may top the group and in theory cast the easier second round match.

Historically it has been very rocky for a South American squad to win a world cup in Europe and at first site Brazils ranking as clear front-runners might seem a little generous. Notwithstanding, the game is not the equal as it has been in the yesteryear and several of the Brazilian team already frolic in top European sides in England, Spain and Italy. Their adaptation has been years in the forming and the European manner of soccer fused with the traditional Brazilian genius and talent may be mouthwatering to observe. It might take a very expert face to take away their pennant from them and in Ronaldhino they have a player who can bend any play off on his own.

Perhaps the most fun facet of any world cup is catching the dark horses, those minnows from commonwealths not affiliated with footballing grandness, progress and bowl over some of the brighter lights. This time around, there are reasonable aspersions of African commonwealths in the blend and some surprises could come from there. It may be worth looking out for the likes of Ivory Coast and Ghana when determining where to set that venturesome high odds wager at the loan shark. South Korea, Maybe the surprise bundle of the previous world cup in Japan are unlikely to be capable to replicate their heroics and will not be undervalued a second instance

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About the Author

This Friday December 9, 2005 saw football lovers round the world clinging to the edge of their seats, ready and waiting to determine who they would play in the group stages of the World Cup 2006 in Germany.

The Ten Essential Storage Principles Of An Extraordinary Home

Planning a remodel, major repair or new home construction? Looking for some terrific features to include that won?t be budget busters? We can help! We started collecting over 1,000 uncommon, affordable convenience built-ins in 1998, when we first began writing books and consulting to help people have truly extraordinary ? but affordable ? homes. Here are some of our favorite storage ideas as well as our 10 essential storage principles. Add any of these to your next project, and you?ll be on your way toward creating a home that?s truly beyond the ordinary!

1. First of all, the purpose of good storage is to help you keep organized. (Contrary to what your spouse or teenagers might say, it?s not merely to hide monster messes where they?ll get forgotten or require tons of time to sort through whenever someone?s looking for something!)

Rollaway storage ? with lockable wheels ? can tuck into a stall built into a lower cabinet, island, closet or under a sink. Or roll into place for being used under a table, desk or countertop. Ideal for laundry hampers and garbage cans; a cart for tableware (from walk-in pantry to the table and from the dishwasher back to the pantry); file cabinets; a stack of drawers; containers for toys, equipment, gift wrapping or craft supplies; an entire island; a wagon or cart to wheel around the house while putting various items it contains wherever they belong; and so much more.

2. There must be adequate storage space for all your current belongings, plus space for your future acquisitions. And if you're likely to start a family while living in this house, that may mean you need as much space to grow into as you?ll fill when you move in.

Pullout shelves, bins, baskets and racks in lower cabinets allow easy access to their contents. Don?t forget to add these under sinks, with cutouts that fit around the plumbing. No more getting down on your hands and knees to see and find things! And with these, you can get to ? and therefore use ? the space that?s even at the very back of your cabinets.

3. Next, I?d be sure each storage area is appropriate for whatever you plan to store, and that each has compartments appropriate for its contents. That means your sports equipment needs space that's different from the space for your music and video collections.

For hanging table linens, dowels bolted onto the back walls or mounted on a frame bolted to the sides or bottom of pantries, closets or cabinets make linens easily accessible while minimizing creases and fold lines. No more digging to the bottom of a drawer of folded linens to find a favorite tablecloth, or having to empty the entire drawer to get it out! And no more linens that are too wrinkled to use ?as is!? This is also a great way to use a narrow area of otherwise wasted space.

4. Plan storage scattered throughout the whole house. Ideally, everything will be stored near where you?ll be using it. No point in hauling stuff through half the house!

You?ll love having closets and cabinets ? the pantry, too ? whose lights go on automatically as their doors open, the way a refrigerator?s does. (One of the many benefits of built-in cabinets is the inside lighting that?s possible.) No more groping to find manual light switches, especially when your hands are often too full to reach for a switch ? or they?re wet! This is also wonderful for kids ? and adults in wheelchairs ? who can?t easily reach a closet?s traditional light switch. A plunger switch is inside most refrigerators, but magnetic contact switches ? similar to those used in home security alarm systems ? can also do the job throughout your house.

5. I?d also plan for your most frequently-used items to be easiest and quickest to reach, and to store your less frequently-used things in the remaining space only after all the popular things are stored.

Electrical outlets inside drawers, cabinets or in appliance barns on countertops allow small appliances to be stored out of sight and used without frequent plugging and unplugging. (Ideally, everything you store in these spaces will be used nearby so you won?t need any extension cords.) You avoid countertop clutter, the items never get dusty and are always ready to use, and no one needs to fiddle with the plugs ? especially when their hands are wet or arthritic. Just be sure to measure the sizes of the appliances you plan to store before you finalize these spaces? dimensions, so you avoid any surprises about something not fitting inside.

6. Your largest and heaviest possessions also need to be the easiest and quickest to get to, and not be put up high or in a corner that?s tricky to navigate. Fill the remaining storage spaces with your lightweight items.

Separate activity areas in the kitchen will make everything efficiently at hand exactly where you need it: baking and mixing, food preparation, cooking, cleanup, entertaining, beverage service, etc.

7. Be sure storage minimizes wasted space.

Hang a detachable hamper inside a pullout or tiltout lower cabinet door or storage bench, or inside a closet door. A cloth hamper hanging on a frame makes transporting clothes or linens to the washing machine especially easy, but wire or plastic hampers also work. No more dropping items on the way to the laundry room that you might trip over! Choose materials that allow ventilation in the hamper, to prevent mold from forming on any damp or wet items that remain inside for more than a few days.

8. Make your storage spaces accessible, so none of them are wasted because they can?t easily be reached.

Full-extension drawers, pullout shelves and file cabinets ? all on easy-gliding metal tracks ? allow you to reach and see all their contents, so you can use all their space.

9. I?d also look at traffic flows in the house. If the most frequently-used items are stored in the major traffic paths, no one will have to go out of their way to get what they need, and you?ll have a very efficient house. On the other hand, you can also affect where the traffic detours through the house via where you store popular items. So if you want to stop frequent bottlenecks where people tend to collide with each other, you can move the popular items into different locations in order to force some of the traffic to flow along new paths.

Adequate clearance around every open drawer, hinged cabinet or door, and appliance door will keep traffic flowing and save you some steps. Be sure you have room to open and move around all the drawers and cabinets you need to open at once when you?re emptying the dishwasher, putting groceries away, working on a project, etc.

10. My final point is to make as much of the storage adjustable as possible, so as your needs change, the storage that worked for you initially can be modified to remain as effective as ever.

Open shelving ? or you can remove some cabinet doors ? gives you instant identification of and access to your stored goods. Stored items get more light around them and are easier to see, the motion of opening cabinets is not required, and this saves some trial and error if you don?t recall precisely what?s stored where.

Like this article? Then you?ll love our books that all have uncommon, affordable storage ideas that increase your quality of life and your home?s resale value! We also offer a free e-book at the link below, The 34 ExtraOrdinary Home Principles: Plus Over 70 Fabulous, Affordable, Innovative Ideas That?ll Improve Your Life and WOW You!

? Copyright 2005 - 2006 by Carol Abrahamson/ExtraOrdinary Homes. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Carol Abrahamson consults, writes and makes presentations about more than 1,000 of these fabulous features that can improve your life, add value to your home and make you the talk of the town. She spent years researching them via thousands of sources. Learn more about her work via http://www.extraordinaryhomes.com or carol@extraordinaryhomes.com.

AllNew NISMO 350Z Debuts At NYIAS

The Nissan North America, Inc. has officially launched it most recent addition to the legendary Z sports car clan. The automaker has proudly pulled the wraps off the all-new NISMO 350Z at the much-concluded New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

NISMO is one of the leading providers of high-performance aftermarket parts and accessories for Nissan vehicles worldwide. This new NISMO 350Z is the fifth in this year?s 350Z Coupe lineup. The car features a comprehensively developed list of unique equipment such as the special body package and enhanced handling equipment. The vehicle is set to go on sale in July this year at Nissan dealers nationwide.

The most captivating visual feature of the NISMO 350Z is the aerodynamics package. The car is specially designed to resemble the Super GT championship winning Z?s. Moreover, the NISMO 350Z features an aggressive front fascia mated to chin spoiler and side skirts. It is also given an extended rear fascia with underbody diffuser and a rear wing to blend well with its powerful stance. The NISMO 350Z delivers additional aerodynamic downforce to offer enhanced cornering and handling capabilities.

Worth-noting extra performance features of the sports car include a special NISMO-tuned independent multi-link suspension, Brembo brakes with four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, Nissan release bearings, and distinct NISMO-branded gunmetal gray RAYS super lightweight forged-alloy wheels. To further boost the performance of the car, a NISMO-branded tuned exhaust is integrated to the car to deliver an even more reliable tone to the Z??s V6 engine.

The NISMO 350Z package also includes full complement standard features like the new VQ35HR 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 306 horsepower and 268 lb-ft of torque. Aside from the powerful engine, it is also offering a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission, the Traction Control System (TCS) and the Viscous Limited-Slip Differential (VLSD).

Other standard equipment includes cruise control, a HomeLink Universal Transceiver, aluminum pedals, an auto dimming rearview mirror, illuminated steering wheel audio controls, power windows, 3-bay gauge cluster, LED taillights, High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-xenon (high and low beam) headlights, the Advanced Air Bag System, side and curtain side-impact supplemental air bags and Active Head Restraints.

Inside the exceptional sports car is a pampering ergonomics with unique black cloth seats with red inserts, special NISMO white-faced tachometer, and red stitching throughout the interior. The automaker includes the NISMO-etched aluminum plaque mounted on the center console to all NISMO 350Zs and designating its limited edition standing.

?The combination of aerodynamic enhancements and performance tuning adds up to a Z? with enhanced cornering, steering precision and handling,? said Bill Bosley, the vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA).

Bosley added, The NISMO 350Z is the ideal package for true enthusiasts ? adding a high level of aesthetic and performance enhancing equipment not available in the aftermarket ? while retaining the reliability, durability, and comprehensive warranty found standard on every 2007 Nissan 350Z.?

Ryan Thomas is a native of Denver, Colorado. He grew up in a family of car afficionados. He now resides in Detroit where he owns a service shop and works part time as a consultant for a local automotive magazine. Please visit Nissan release bearings for more information.

Choosing the Right Catchers Mitt

The catcher kneels behind the plate, and pounds his catchers mitt then gives the pitcher the sign. The bang of the crowd, the rush of the game, the rush of victory. The agony of sensitive muscles, the torment of suspense, the torture of defeat. These are all notion and emotions that run through the head of a major league baseball player as he stands there in the field. Ready. Waiting. Striving to achieve that glory instant that for so long he has dreamed of. Or perhaps he is a rookie, wanting desperately to prove himself to his teammates, the veterans of the field. In either context, one thing is for sure. You better be playing with the right glove.

Thats where Akadema comes in. Akadema is the baseball glove of choice for over 200 colleges and universities, and for good reason. Known as being on the cutting edge of sports technology, and backed by Hall of Famers galore, Akadema knows baseball. Their designs have been approved by Famers Ozzie Smith, Carl Yastrzemski, Gary Carter and Bob Feller. And when you select an Akadema glove, you are choosing the good word of these and other big names of the game. How do you find the glove that is right for you? It is easier than it looks despite the wide selection and variety out on the market right now.

The first thing to ask yourself, is what position will you be playing? Are you known on your team as the superstar of just one, or will you be playing through them all? As the game has developed, so has the gloves. There are now mitts for all fielders, not just first basemen and pitchers anymore. It is important to go to a honest dealer like Akadema to make sure that you get the proper size and fit for you.

Secondly you should look at the web of the mitt. There is only one thing that really matters when it comes to this component. Can you see through it? This will help you to be useable and rid you of soil and other interferences during the game. Webs that are solid work best if you need a sun shield for fly balls.

Next think about what performs best for you an open back or closed back. Just like the web, this comes down to personal choice and comfort. If you tend to overheat out there on the field, an open back will keep you a little cooler, while also offering you choices such as an adjustable wrist strap. Closed backs are a little more solid and offer less breathing room and yet more support. The final ingredient that should be reasoned is the price of the baseball mitt. Nobody wants to spend a lot, but also consider that what you spend also reflects caliber and advanced baseball mitt technology in a lot of cases. The bigger the brand name, the larger the price tag, so keep that in mind when shopping. Small, well known manufacturers such as Akadema can ofttimes offer the same quality (or better) for a more reasonable price.

Scott Peters is an avid baseball and softball fan, and a sports equipment retailer. Please go to catchers mitt for more information

Succeeding through Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)

Succeeding through Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) is easily achieved by incorporating the psi function in every facet of daily life. ESP enhances productivity in industry and commerce, as well as promotes a balanced state of mind and healthy lifestyle.

Using your own ESP or perhaps reputable psychic professionals not only saves valuable time for businesses but also for those they serve. By expanding upon the traditional problem solving thought process and deciphering tomorrow?s needs today; ESP has made it possible to quickly resolve problems making the business process much easier and simpler.

An important aspect behind success through the use of ESP is the fact that it levels the playing field between big and smaller business and makes everyone equal. What this means is that even activating a little of the ESP function; a small business can competitively price their goods or services next to what a big business is offering and thus compete on a more equal footing.

A large percentage of the population today utilize their own intuitive perception and/or an ESP Consultant in business, careers, sports, personal relationships and all areas of life. Some of the factors contributing to this massive global acceptance of extra sensory perception over the past six decades have been documented in scientific research programs, however, the masses have not waited for science to measure their ESP, they have opted to employ it.

Call it telepathy, remote viewing, derma-optic perception, or occult terms if you prefer labels. Animals use it all the time and so do birds. Dolphins are known to use it as are little children. All that is required is listening to it and then acting on it. Like all skills and talents, acquiring the knowledge and confidence that only participation can produce. Success comes with risks. Extra sensory perception gives one an advantage in taking those risks.

There are many different methods to choose to sharpen your ESP and some are available at your finger tips online. Of course there are a large number of questionable psychic practices, most of those 900 line phone psychics moved from television to the internet. I personally recommend that you acquaint yourself with experiments of Rupert Sheldrake, PhD or perhaps the Noetic Science Institute to give you a general idea of what researchers from the private sector are introducing.

The following is an example of getting started with your ESP and what you can do with it.

?Charlotte Myers is in sales and is launching a new business. She needs to make cold calls and make new contacts. She has in front of her a long list of people and companies to call to pitch her idea. Using her ESP, Charlotte scans the list to see what names stand out to her. The psychic hits on those names will appear brighter to her, standing out among the other names or sometimes she will sense a warm feeling when she looks at the name. Charlotte takes the first step in cutting cost and time by zeroing in on her 1st calls.

?Charlotte uses this same technique in closing the deal taking it a step further in the personal interview with the prospective customer. Shaking hands with the customer, Charlotte receives another psychic hit. The clinical term for receiving psi information through touch is (derma-optic perception) but it is not a prerequisite to using your ESP in your daily life. Charlotte senses exactly what the customer needs and wants providing valuable information. Charlotte addresses this information during her presentation and successfully closes the deal.

?Instead of wasting time hitting the streets or paying someone to find the location for her new business, Charlotte looks at the buildings to lease in her local real estate newspaper. Using her ESP first step in selecting the addresses, she circles them and then moves her mind to those locations and takes a psychic glimpse of the building and surrounding area. The clinical term is Remote Viewing. This is a valuable psychic tool. She is able to access in seconds to view any area, location, or person at any given moment.

There are a variety of techniques and methods to utilize ESP to succeed in business. By embracing your inner ESP you can hurtle past creative blocks and stale concepts. It only takes a few minuets a day to enhance your capacity to achieve new insights and access new ideas in all areas of your life. Allow your ESP to guide you, expand your perceptions and open those channels to access information outside your conscious perception. You already have this ability within you; all you have to do is use it. The choice is yours.

Barbara Soblewski Garcia's website http://www.starmerge.com, offers a wide range of services from private ESP consultations to ESP development classes, an Art Gallery and prints store. Barbara gained mass recognition in the Seventies with her involvement in several criminal cases, most notably The Hillside Strangler. Over the years her psychic powers has been thoroughly tested by numerous investigations in both lab and field settings.

She has since been featured in Nova?s Horizons in ESP, the CBS documentary Psychic Phenomena, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Daily News, and numerous news broadcasts including CNN's Larry King Live. 2004 new book release, Haunted Cemeteries by Edrick Thay features Barbara?s work on the legendary Pink Lady ghost story. Edrick Thay takes a closer look into the life and work of Barbara Garcia in his 2005 publication, Premonitions and Psychic Warnings

Baseball Playoffs...Yankees and No Braves?

October is a beautiful month. The cool crisp days, the changing colors of the leaves, and for sports enthusiasts,...playoff baseball.

When it comes to the playoffs, you could usually count on two things, the Yankees and the Braves. Although neither team tends to stick around very long once the games begin, you could always count on both of these teams being there come playoff time. This year however there is a changing of the guard. When the games begin, the Atlanta Braves will be watching on the sidelines like the rest of us. No Ted Turner, no Tomahawk Chops to annoy you, and no early exit for the Braves in the first round of the playoffs. This is really a good thing.

For almost two decades now, Brave fans have watched their team tear through the regular season, running away with the divison, and winning about 12 titles in a row. This is quite a record and would no doubt stand up there with great sport achievements if it weren't for the fact that except for one year, the Braves have bombed out in the playoffs. Year in, year out, Brave baseball fans have watched their team lose in the early rounds of the playoffs, and have lived with the title of the 'Best Regular Season Team in Baseball'. Sadly, like the Vikings and Bills of the NFL, who each went to the Super Bown four times without a championship, the greatness of the achievements will be lost amidst the fact that when it came to the big dance, they couldn't get it done.

It's really hard for one to fathom how a team like the Braves with great talent year in and year out could not manage to win more than one championship during a long, long run. Even allowing for the unexpected 'hot team' to knock you out every once in a while, you would figure that you would have to win a few along the way. But one? It's one of those rare freak sports things like the National League beating the American Leauge in the All Star game 17 out of 18 games or something like that. The difference in talent between the leagues isn't that great to explain how something like that can occur. No, there's something going on here that defies explanation.

For many years, Red Sox fans lived with the 'Curse of the Bambino' in which they believed they would never win a championship because they traded away Babe Ruth to the dreaded Yankees. This 'curse' seemed all too real for Red Sox fans until finally in 2004 they came back from 3 games down to the Yankees and beat them 4 straight and went on to win the World Series. This turn of events put an end to 'the curse' forever. Cubs fans also feel cursed and for them it lives on. It again reared it's ugly head in the 2004 Playoff's when a fan in left field reached out and snatched a foul ball and possibly a trip to the series away from the Cubs. Wooh to that fan!

Whether there are some supernatural events going on here, or just bad.bad luck, it will be strange not seeing the Braves in the playoffs this year. But Brave fans need to look at it on the brightside; no agonizing this year about which upstart team will knock them out. No wondering whether they'll get through the first round. No, this year they'll be none of that. Now they can sit back with the rest of us and watch the best team money can buy make an early exit. Here's hoping.

About the Author

Bill Thomas lives and works in Seattle, Wa. He is actively engaged in E-Commerce and Internet Marketing. His current websites are--Create Lifetime Residual Income and Financial Freedom on $10 a Month

15 Successful Packing Tips

You have permission to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication, if possible, would be appreciated. Or an e-mail informing the writer of your use. piercejam@sbcglobal.net

15 Tips for Successful Packing by: Joyce Moseley Pierce
1600 words - 65 character lines

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, frequently or only occasionally, it seems that we basically pack the same things every time. Here are a few tips to help simplify the process so you don't have to stress about it every time. Remember that most of these items can be purchased when you get there, but you don't want to spend your vacation money on things you already have at home, and if you're traveling on business, you may not have time to run to the store for something you need at an 8 am meeting.

After reading through these ideas, you might want to make an itemized list of things you consider important to take. Keep it in your suitcase so it will be available next time you pack and use it as a checklist to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. If other things come to mind while you're traveling, update your list for next time, but be sure to return it to your suitcase.

Rule #1 for me is to keep it light. I traveled toBrazil for 10 days with only a carry-on rolling bag and backpack. My husband packed a rolling bag that was big enough to stuff a body into and it was difficult to manage when we stayed in hotels that didn't have elevators. I don't pack more than I can carry by myself and I try to leave a little room for those vacation purchases. I have a nylon carry-on bag that zips up into a small square that comes in handy for carrying things home if I get too carried away.

1. Pajamas or gown. I have a pair of pjs I keep in my suitcase just so I don't forget them. The reason I take pajamas instead of a gown is that hotels are usually cold and if I'm staying with friends or family, I want to be able to get up and use the bathroom without having to have a robe.

2. Underwear. Pack a pair for every day and then include extras. If you're going to be doing activities that require showering and changing clothes during the day, be sure to include enough for that. Don't forget bras and sports bras.

3. Make up and toiletries. Instead of having to remember what to take every time, go through your beauty routine at home and set out the things you use every day. Refill sample jars from trial offers, or buy travel-size containers to pack your cleansers so you don't have to pack an 8 oz. tub of cold cream. Don't forget deodorant and shaving supplies. I keep a razor in my bag all the time and just change the blade when I'm leaving again. Keep your toiletry bag stocked and leave it in your suitcase for the next trip,but be sure to check and make sure you don't need to refill any of the containers.

4. Tooth care. Instead of buying a travel size tube of toothpaste, when I get toward the bottom of my big tube, I stop using it and throw it into my toiletry bag. I also pack the floss and toothbrush the dentist gives me.

5. Feminine products. Don't forget to pack at least enough to get you by until you can get to the store. A urologist once told me that women seem prone to bladder infections while they're on vacation. If you are, you might want to pack an OTC medication that will help relieve the pain and lessen the symptoms until you can get to a doctor.

6. Medications. I have a separated pill box that holds pills for a week. Usually my trips are not that long (unfortunately!) so I'll put in what I need for each day and use the extra slots for aspirin or other things I might need while away. I have another pill box that I use for my vitamins.

7. Clothes. After considering what the weather will be, I pull clothes out and lay them on the bed. I like dark colors because those spills aren't quite so obvious as they are on light colors! I pack pants that will be interchangeable with more than one shirt. In trying to pack light, I may wear a pair of black pants more than once, but not my shirts! If you're going to a cool climate, remember to bring things to layer. It will take up less room than bulkier items. It doesn't hurt to try things on before you go, either! If you haven't worn something in awhile, it may not fit the way you remembered.

8. Accessories. Make sure you have belts if necessary. You should only need one belt if you've packed color coordinated items. Keep jewelry to a minimum.

9. Shoes. Be sure your shoes are comfortable! Don't go buy a new pair of shoes and try to break them in away from home. I plan my wardrobe so that I only need one or two pair of shoes. I've cut heels out of my wardrobe, and flats go great with long skirts or pants. If you're packing shorts, take a comfortable pair of sandals that will work with shorts or skirts. If I'm taking tennis shoes, I try to wear them on the plane because they take up too much room in the suitcase. If you're going on a business trip, be sure to polish your shoes before you pack them, and then slip them inside a plastic grocery bag so the polish doesn't rub off on your clothes. Don't forget to take socks or nylons that will fit with the shoes you've chosen to take.

10. Vacation gear. Don't forget your swimsuit, cover-up and a pair of flip-flops (we used to call them 'thongs' but now that has an entirely different meaning!). My husband always forgets swim trunks and I accuse him of just wanting to buy a new pair in every city!

11. Hair products. I have short hair that can easily air dry on its own in the summer, but I have a travel hair dryer I carry with me if I'm staying in a hotel that doesn't provide one in the room. I have a hair brush that always stays in my bag. Condense big bottles of shampoo and conditioner into smaller ones. I carry a shampoo/conditioner product with me so I only have to use one product. If you need gel or hair spray, buy travel sizes the first time, and then refill them from your big bottle when it runs out.

12. Electronics. With cell phones and computers,neither are any good to you if the batteries are dead. Be sure to take the cords with you and remember to recharge every night. Don't forget your camera, film and batteries. Take film mailers with you and send it off before you leave to have a head start on the processing, and save on those one hour prices.

13. Backpack. I always carry a backpack for things to entertain myself on the plane or in the car. About a week before I leave home, I pull the backpack out and as I think of things I want to take, I throw them in and then repack it before I leave. Seems like it's always heavy going to my destination and lighter coming home because I'm tired and pack more of it in the suitcase. If I have a connecting flight and am worried about my suitcase arriving at the same time I do, I include a change of clothes and my toiletry bag. I always carry something to read, my journal, a bottle of water and a snack. I put all travel documents in the outside pocket so they are easily accessible. Do NOT pack your manicure tools or they will be taken away from you.

14. Purse. I don't carry a purse when traveling, so I condense everything into a fanny pack and put anything else I have to have in the backpack. If I'm carrying much cash, I use one of those money pouches that hangs around your neck and can be worn under your shirt. It's a good idea not to carry all of your money in one place.

15. Maps and other. Before I visit a new place, I do some research on the internet and get driving directions from the airport. I pull information on that city that might be of interest to me and my family. Be sure to include a small sewing kit, or at least some safety pins, as well as your basic first aid supplies.

Each trip I take becomes a challenge to me to pack even better on the next one. I discover what's important to take and what's not. Having your list available as you pack for each trip allows you to pack and feel confident that you haven't forgotten anything. Of course if you are traveling with children, you'll need to take their needs into consideration, and that might include taking in-laws with you to help carry everything!

Joyce Moseley Pierce a freelance riter and owner of Emerson Publications. She is also editor of The Family First Newsletter, an ezine for families with young children. http://www.emersonpublications.com

CD Label Printer

What Type of CD Label Printer is Right for You?

Do you own a computer? How about a CD or DVD player? Have you ever copied CD?s so that you could have one copy in the car and one in the house? Do you save your digital photographs onto CD?s? Are you tired of guessing what is on each of your CD?s or writing on them with markers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, keep reading. We will explore the advantages to having and using a CD label printer.

Before rushing out to purchase a CD label printer, you will need to do your research. A great place to start is by visiting a local computer store. While these types of establishments are in business to sell to you, they can also be a wealth of valuable information. There you will find a number of different models, options and price ranges for you to compare side by side.

Your decision as to which label printer is right for you will greatly depend upon your needs. If you want to print a label or two every now and then, you can get a simple printer that does one disc at a time. However, if you are making CD?s for a band or a photography CD for a sports team or business meeting and a large quantity is required, you may need a machine that can burn, print and label CD?s for you in one step.

The one-at-a-time label printer does just that, prints one CD label at a time. Typically, you will burn a CD with whatever material you wish, next the label is printed and then stuck/stamped onto the top side of the disc. This process is then repeated with each and every disc that you make. These types of CD label printers are low cost, generally, anywhere from $30.00 to $45.00 and are available in many stores.

If, however, you need to print a large number of CD?s, you may need and/or want more of an commercial type of a label printer. This machine is actually capable of completing the whole process for you in one easy step. It burns the CD?s, prints the labels and affixes them to the top of your CD?s all without you needing to step in for any reason. It can do large numbers at once, saving you time. You will, however, pay for this convenience as these machines start at around $1,000.00 and go up from there.

Once you decide on which label printer is right for you and your particular situation, it is time to play. This is the step where you get to learn exactly what it can do and, of course, what it cannot do. Most brands will provide some sample labels for just this purpose. The first thing that you should do is read your instruction manual. While this may not be very much fun, it can save you lots of head aches and ruined labels down the road.

After the manual has been, at the very least, leafed through, let the playing begin.

Simon Oldmann has been using label printer for researches for the last few years, the experience he gained using label software has been of great value to him. Simon is currently writing tips about CD Label Printer for zupatips.com

How a Best Buy Sales Clerk Taught Me the Simple 6 Step Formula to Close ANY Sale!

Follow this story.

I went to Best Buy today to get a few CDs and walked out with a new subscription to Sports Illustrated. Immediately confused, I asked myself howd that happen? As I went through the steps that brought to that point in time, I realized I was sold on the subscription before I ever had a chance to even think about saying no. Wow! What if and I had this power? My home business would be booming to say the least. So, let me go through exactly what happened and then Ill pull a few key points out for you.

I browsed the CD section of Best Buy for about 30 minutes and then after making my final music selections I headed to the checkout counter. I was greeted by a friendly checkout clerk who rung up my three CDs to a total cost of $43. As she was ringing me up she said How would you like a free Subscription to Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine? Before I could answer she continued by telling me that she had already taken advantage of the offer herself and had received eight free issues of Entertainment Magazine. She continued by telling me exactly how I could unsubscribe at anytime and still get eight free issues of whichever magazine I choose. Then, even before she finished speaking, an adjacent check out clerk chimed in and said how great of a deal he thought it was and how much he enjoyed his free subscription.

Then the magic happened! No sooner did I turn my head back to the first sales clerk than did she ask me which subscription I wanted. Without thinking, I said Sports Illustrated. She replied, thats what the guys always choose. She rung me up and I was out the door before I had a chance to think about what had just happened.

How great is that?

She probably made a commission and I never even saw it coming.

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Ok So, what made this whole process work so well?

First: The Element of surprise

I had no idea what hit me.

Second: A free trial offer

She offered me something that was very low risk to me. I didnt really want a subscription to Sports Illustrated, but hey it was FREE so why not?

Third: Smooth transition into her testimonial

Once she said that the subscription was something that she personally took advantage of herself I let guard went down. From that point on, I wasnt being sold on something I didnt want, but instead I was just getting a friendly recommendation.

Fourth: Smooth transition into how easy it was to back out at anytime

At this point, not only was I just getting a friendly recommendation, but she told me how easy it would be to back out of the deal at any time. Not only that, but I was given explicit directions as to how to end my subscription. Hey, if I didnt want the subscription I now felt even less pressure because I knew exactly how to end it.

Fifth: Additional Testimonials

Bang Before I had a chance to think about whether or not I want a free subscription to Sports Illustrated bad enough to go through the future hassle of canceling it Im hit with another testimonial about how great of an offer this deal really is from ANOTHER person thats taken advantage of it. So, now I start to feel a little like Im the one left out. Everyone else is doing it why not me?

Sixth: The Close!

I loved the close! It was so sneaky. She never asked me whether or not I wanted a subscription, she just asked if I wanted Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Magazine. I NEVER had the option to think about whether or not I wanted the subscription or not. She simply ASSUMED the sale and at that point just asked me what subscription I wanted. She never gave me a chance to tell her NO!

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Now that Ive given you six simple steps that you must follow to get the sale every time its just a matter of you figuring out how to use this in your own home business. So, stop and read this again if you have to. Just let it soak in. Its an extremely powerful process if mastered. Personally, I left that Best Buy not knowing what happened to me. It was like I was brainwashed!

Wouldnt you like to brainwash your customers into buying your products or services or joining your home based business opportunity?

If done right the customer will never know what hit them!!!
About the author:

Daegan Smith is the Ex-NCAA Wrestler Turned Webmaster of
Perfect Home Based Business Opportunities - The Internet's Top Home Based Business Opportunities Free Information Resource!

2007 Fiesta BowlA Game Never To Be ForgottenAnd A Team Still Without A Shot At 1

Who would have ever thought? Who could have ever predicted? Who could have ever imagined? The answer to all of the above is NO ONE! It would have been virtually impossible for any body to envision that the 2007 Fiesta Bowl would unfold the way it did, in an unthinkable fashion!

At the end of a long and gut wrenching night, the Boise State Broncos prevailed. The underdog Broncos upended the Oklahoma Sooners 43-42 in overtime in one of the most dramatic finishes in BCS history. A statue of liberty, a hook and ladder, and last but night least, an engagement capped off the Boise State Broncos season in very impressive fashion.

So, the question remains? How does the BCS fix the problem that the Boise State Broncos created in deciding who should be number one? Or, at least have the shot at playing the best of the best! Yes, the Florida Gators proved to be a worthy national champion considering the way they defeated The Ohio State Buckeyes. But, how can you tell the players and coaches at Boise State that they don?t deserve a shot at playing Ohio State? The only two undefeated teams in the country! I guess we will never know.

The debate and conflict over the BCS will go on and on until it is fixed. Personally, I think it makes for great college football discussion, entertainment, and drama from a fans perspective. I just feel bad for the players and the coaches who put in such a terrible situation after practicing and playing their hearts out for months in hopes of being national champions of college football.

I leave you with this. Everyone has their own opinions, thoughts, and arguments about the BCS. I think that is what the BCS committee wants. They want 100% fan indulgence in college football and in the BCS?regardless of the ultimate end result it has on players and coaches. Don?t ever forget, that to the BCS committee, it is a business, not a game. They will do what sells tickets?and nothing less.

Ryan Rutman is an avid sports fan who loves to talk about sports and loves to share his thoughts on college sports. If you are an avid fan, visit Ryan?s website, http://www.collegesportsdvdstore.com, to view his library of some of the greatest moments in college sports history on DVD.

No Child Left Behind

Originally the term learning disability was used to describe school children who were not achieving up to their grade level and who exhibit disruptive behavior. Most often this is not due to a lack of innate intelligence, rather the problem can be traced to the lack of proper integration or balance in the brain function itself and in its coordination with physical body functions.

Actually all of us, children and adults alike, have some degree of learning disabilities/behaviors.

Signs of poor neurological organization include:

? Reversals in reading and letter writing

? Unusual reading or writing postures

? Understanding instructions as opposite to what was intended

? Difficulty in doing cross motor activities

? Hyperactivity, lack of attention span, etc

I have presented many show and tell sessions in schools to demonstrate to the teachers how the children?s learning problems can be corrected.

How many times have I heard kids saying, ?I don?t feel good when I read. Many times I have heard adults say, ?I hate reading, I keep falling asleep. All this too can be easily corrected.

Your solution is here!!

We have a left-brain and a right-brain. Both sides of the brain have to work together. What happens with children with learning difficulties is that both sides of the brain are not communicating with each other and also with the muscles.

We have to get all our brain control circuits working together. This is like getting all the cylinders in an auto engine firing in the proper order, so the engine will run smoothly and powerfully.

The upper part of our brain is divided into two halves right down the middle like a walnut. A bridge called the corpus callosum connects the two halves.

Like a drawbridge, if the bridge is stuck open, cars are not able to cross. We can close the bridge but if we don?t lock it, it may open again.

Like a drawbridge, the two halves of our brain cannot communicate with each other when the bridge connecting the two halves are stuck open. We have to close it and lock it.

Reading may be very difficult for some children. When we read we start on the left side of the page, which activates the right brain. We have to cross the mid-line. So we start out by turning off the right brain when we start to read. By the time we get to the right side of the page we turn off the left-brain.

We talked about the bridge called the corpus callosum that connects the two halves. The energy connecting the two halves has been interrupted.

To do our best school work and to best control our movements in sports and other physical activities, we have to close this draw-bridge and let the right and left sides of our brain communicate with each other.

The left side of our brain controls all the muscles on our right side of our body, where we do language and math tasks. We do our logical thinking here and figure things out by bits and pieces.

The right side of the brain controls all the muscles on our left side of our body. This is where we see the pictures and hear music. We have our imagination and intuition here, and can see the entire picture and understand ideas.

So we want to get all parts of our brain communicating and working together for improving performance and building self-esteem.

ADHD

What we have discovered is that muscles that are not working together and communicating with the brain could be one of the major factors in dealing with ADHD.

The body is a great compensator.

The body is so busy compensating for muscles not working together and communicating with the brain that students have to keep moving to get into a comfortable position to sit in. There seems to he a tug of war with the muscles.

Another factor is neck stress. Through our research, when students look up at the teacher or look down at their desk or look around the room other muscles may go weak.

The muscles are so busy playing tug-of-war with each other that children are not able to sit still. At this point a child may be labeled ADHD.

Neck stress is a problem in athletics, like basketball etc.

The bottom line is to correct the muscle imbalances to communicate with the brain with simple exercises.

Testimomial

Dear Dr. Elizabeth

Thank you for sharing your Children?s Self-Help Techniques with me at the massage convention for my 12 year old son who was having trouble with school since the beginning.

We had his yearly RSP testing and evaluation. The teachers were as shocked as we were to see that he scored 5 years ahead of last years scale in math and reading. He finally made his own grade level.

His attitude is great (most of the time). He is also losing weight and much more interested and active in other projects then he was before. (Has to do with self-esteem right!)

Thank you Julie

Visit http://www.Lovinglife.org for tips and tools for stress management and pain management. Visit my blog at http://www.lovinglifehealth.org Elizabeth Barhydt is a Muscle-Brain Therapist.

Hip Hop & NBA: A Match Made in Heaven (or Hell)

Anyone who has been to a professional basketball game in the last few years or watched a game on TV has witnessed the preeminence of hip-hop music in everything from the stadium music to the promotional commercials. Unfortunately, the unscrupulous personal behavior of some league players coupled with unfavorable stereotypes have tainted hip-hop's image. Take for example, Indiana Pacer, Ron Artest. His widely publicized brawl with fans and other players in 2004 during a game between his team and the Detroit Pistons left an ugly scar on the league and was an indicator of an escalating problem with NBA players on and off the court. Consequently, players like Artest became quickly associated with what many perceived as the dark side of hip-hop. In fact, Artest even made his own rap record months after the incident. Did hip-hop have any influence on Artest's behavior? Is the fact that he made a rap album just an easy scapegoat for his behavior? There are no easy answers.

Brian Burwell of the Saint Louis Post Dispatch commented on this issue at the time of above-mentioned player/brawl incident. Marketing people thought they were getting Will Smith and LL Cool J. But now they've discovered the 'dark side of hip- hop' has also infiltrated their game, with its 'bling-bling' ostentation, its unrepentant I-gotta-get-paid ruthlessness, its unregulated culture of poses, and the constant underlying threat of violence . . . This is the unfortunate and too often unwarranted stigma that comes with hip-hop culture. And as with any genre/music form while there are many that defy the stereotype there as just as many that many that fit the mold.

As a result you have an executive/corporate NBA (not the players or a good percentage of the fans) that is still reluctant to fully embrace the hip hop culture or music. This was made very apparent at this year's All-Star weekend in Houston, a blossoming hip-hop capital. As countless representatives of the hip hop culture sat courtside for the festivities while millions watched at home on TV, coordinators of the event elected to have a country music act perform at halftime. Regardless their reasoning, the reaction from the hip hop community and many of the players and fans ranged from disappointment to all out anger. Because of the decision to not have a current hip hop artist or group perform, which seemed to be a logical choice, many perceived this as the NBA saying Just because it's here doesn't mean we have to encourage it.

Another interpretation of this issue, according to some, isn't simply that NBA players enjoy hip-hop music but rather once they gotten to a comfortable point in their careers economically they begin to live the hip-hop lifestyle. Granted, many of these ball players came from the same neighborhoods and suffered similar hardships while growing up as heir fellow artists. Should we expect them to conduct themselves any differently? It may be a perfectly acceptable lifestyle to embrace in their personal lives, but as representatives of a professional athletic team and its city and as public figures, they have a greater responsibility. Despite hip hop's current popularity, the majority of ticket-buying fans have little patience for superstars who spend more time posing than playing.

As mentioned before, hip-hop is not inherently bad, and the integration of hip-hop into the NBA dates back to the days of Michael Jordan. Interestingly, Jordan ushered in the end of egular shorts, did Nike commercials with hip-hop artists, and wore shoes that were banned because of their color violations.

From a marketing standpoint, you'd be hard pressed to find a better coupling of a music genre/culture and professional sports. In fact, the two have become so intertwined that one essentially promotes the other. The problem lies in the fact that this is a union of outlandish individuality co-mingled with team sports.

You don't have to look far to see this me attitude affecting the sport. For instance, last year basketball commissioner David Stern laid down the law on hip-hop style by instituting an NBA dress code. Stern said, Some of my (team) owners are hip-hop, but they dress in a different fashion. Hip-hop doesn't mean sloppy.

Banned under the new dress code were headphones, chains, shorts, sleeveless shirts, indoor sunglasses, T-shirts and jerseys and headwear such as baseball caps. Stern was adamant that the new dress code be followed for public appearances, including arriving at and departing arenas and sitting on the bench out of uniform.

Ironically, hip-hop artists often sport licensed clothing and gear of NBA teams while in the public eye as well as in music videos and on album covers. This is further evidence that the hip-hop culture has fully embraced the NBA -- hip-hop has, in many respects, become an iconic representation of the sport. Unfortunately, focus on the negative aspects of hip-hop and the NBA undermines the positive multicultural aspects of the union.

We Can Work It Out

Charlotte Bobcats owner, Robert L. Johnson, who is also founder of the Black Entertainment Television network, is the first African American owner of a professional team and co-owns the team with hip-hop artist Nelly. According to Johnson, Multiculturalism is a part of America that is going to impact our images and our cultural experiences from now on.

Those with a cynical perspective would, undoubtedly, point to the fact that the money earning potential of the NBA using hip hop and vice versa is astronomical but players and artists believe there is a deeper connection. For many young players coming up from the streets, hip-hop allows them to exhibit pride and showcase their roots. And for artists like Nelly and Jay-Z, achieving a level of success that would grant them the ability to not only associate with these athletes but to be co-owners of a team, is a prime example of the entrepreneurial spirit that built this country.

Summarizing the raw emotion, perhaps even the love, that these two cultures share, hip hop artist Nelly observed, [ESPN Mag on Hip-Hop in the NBA, by Chris Broussardi, There's a lot of love between rappers and players. When we see each other, we're both in awe. And rappers love making music for the guys to get hyped to before the game. I'm telling you, when you're in the booth making a record, you're like, 'Oh, somebody's gonna rock to this. Somebody's gonna come out and get it started because of this joint.'
About the Author

HIPHOPDX - The premier spot for all things Hip Hop, Rap and R&B culture, what'chu know 'bout that?

Laptop Skins Enhance the Computer Experience

As the technology improves, you may notice laptop clamshells appear sleeker and thinner than ever before. Many are made available in standard colors like slate blue and silver, yet are still attractive and functional.

Of course, no two laptop users are the same, just as no two laptops are used for the same purpose. The serious businessperson will appreciate the design of his laptop as is, and leave all the necessary bells and whistles on the hard drive. For the creative user who wishes to establish an identity, a laptop skin may be the ticket for computer enhancement.

What is a laptop skin? Essentially, it is a vinyl covering that affixes to the top shell of the laptop computer. As you open your laptop to work, whether at school or the coffeehouse, people will be able to see the design of your choosing. Think of it as wallpaper for the outside of the computer. Laptop skins may replicate famous artworks or display logos of favorite sports team, or may enhance the look of your computer with a psychedelic or quirky design.

A quick Internet search for laptop skins will land you hundred of leads on retailers. Depending upon the style and size of the skin, you can expect to pay at least twenty dollars to dress up your computer.

Why do you need a laptop skin? Some might dismiss skins as a frivolity, but under certain circumstances laptop skins can be quite functional.

Identity

When you create a custom designed laptop skin, you are creating an identity. In a sea of conformity, where everybody uses similar styles of computers, one can get lost. Having a laptop skin reflects your personality and may even establish your unique qualities. Plus, if you're in a crowd and have set down your computer, you will be able to find it much more quickly!

Protection

Depending upon the style of skin you use, you might find it protects the clamshell quite well. Having a laptop skin can guard your shell from dings and scratches and whatever else befalls a computer during transit.

Marketing

A custom laptop skin can enhance your brand, which is especially helpful if you sell products. Create a custom skin with your business logo, URL, or phone number. Your laptop becomes a small billboard that everybody will see as you work in coffee shops or other public places that offer free wireless. Twenty dollars is great investment for lasting advertising.

Whether you use your laptop for business or pleasure, you can jazz up the staid appearance with a functional, attractive skin. Show your true colors!

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer for Virginia companies, including The Computer Connection, affordable military computer financing.

Bike: For Fun And Fitness

Aerobic fitness has many benefits

Excellent health is based on aerobic strength, flexibility and fitness. All of these are significant. For healthy heart, any type of aerobic exercise is good. Normally, this needs movement that is continued over a period of time and that uses the power of your arms and legs. This kind of work out makes your heart work harder. Aerobics causes your body to burn fat for energy and use oxygen. Cycling is a good example of aerobic activity.

Cycling is a excellent exercise for people with high blood pressure or heart disease. Research shows that cycling is actually better for reducing blood pressure than more intense activities like jogging.

Eventually, it strengthens and conditions your heart.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends cycling, for healthy individuals and low-risk cardiac patients.

Cycling has following benefits:

?increase your endurance
?flexibility is increased
?stimulates sexual desire
?muscles that supports joints are strengthened
?improve your remembrance and attentiveness
?keeps you in shape
?reduces stiffness and ache
?ability to perform daily tasks is enhanced
?makes you feel good
?reduces sleep disorders and improve your sleep
?increase your confidence
?help you feel more confident
?reduce nervousness

This century is certainly of fear and doubt, but this is a century of uproar, hatred, clash, insanity, exploitation, brutality, corruption, this century is of terrorism, this century of instant profit, so humans are depressed and hurt.

How about biking when you are depressed?

How about going out there biking and seeing beautiful world GOD made just for you? How about feeling that cold breeze? How about your body realizing all those happy hormones while cycling which are natural pain killers? How about taming all those mountains? How about chasing sun by biking towards sun?

Man, it feels great, trust me.

Do you remember how many sports and games you played as kid? Do you remember how many times you fell while biking? Don?t give up on it, it felt great, no? Let?s pedal back to the time of cheery delight. Bicycle is the best way to have fun while staying healthy and fit. And age is no barrier to biking. Who knows? Who you might meet along the way!

About the Author:

James Brown writes about Nashbar coupons, Rei coupon codes and Bike Coupons

FIFA

AUTHOR NAME: Ameet Arurkar



The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association, also known as FIFA, is the worlwide association of (football)soccer. It is one of the largest sports groups on Earth. The current headquarters for the association is based in Z?rich, Switzerland. As the popularity of soccer continued to increase during the 20th century, it became apparent that a governing body for the sport needed to be formed. Though the Football Association had proposed an international organization many times, they were unsuccessful.



FIFA was formed when seven European countries decided to work together to form the association. The organization was founded on May 21, 1904 in Paris. The first worldwide competition was held in 1906, and it was met with little success. The founding president Robert Gu?rin chose to resign, and was replaced by Daniel Burley Woolfall. The next competition was held at the 1908 Olympics in London, and was much more successful. Within the next year, membership in the organization extended beyond Europe, and included the United States, South Africa, and Argentina.



The rising prominence of FIFA was slowed at the start of World War 1. Many players were sent to war, and international travel was heavily restricted. After World War 1 ended, the popularity continued to increase, and the first World Cup was held in 1930. This tournament was highly successful, and plans were made for more games. The World Cup has become one of the most important tournaments for soccer, and is the equivalent of the Super Bowl. The FIFA 2006 World Cup will be held in Germany.



FIFA has become a world renown organization The revenues brought in by the association between 2003 and 2006 are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The success of the organization has also extended into the video game market, with the release of FIFA 2006 by Electronic Arts. This game is planned to be released in October. The FIFA series of games are widely popular among those who enjoy soccer, and a number of titles have been published over the last ten years. There are also a number of websites about FIFA, which includes fifasite.com.



There are a number of awards which have come to be associated with the organization. The FIFA World Player of the Year award is the highest honor to be given to a player. This award is a part of the annual ceremony. A Match of the Century was held in 2004 between Brazil and France. A list has been compiled by the organizaiton which is called the FIFA 100, and is a list of the greatest soccer players who have ever lived. Today FIFA is split into six global confederations.



The laws which govern soccer are not made by FIFA, but are instead given by an organization called the International Football Association Board. Fifty percent of the board members are also members of FIFA. A large percentage of the board is also from the United Kingdom, and this is because of the contributions made to the sport by Britain. Though the association had humble beginnings, it has today grown into a respectable organization which has a global appeal.

Sexy And Sheer Lingerie Sets Whatever Your Figure

 



Sexy And Sheer Lingerie Sets - Whatever Your FigureSubmitted By: Amanda Cotterill  

M atching lingerie sets range from sheer lingerie sets to flirty boy shorts options. Matching lingerie adds style and sex appeal to any look. However, the range of available styles can make it difficult to know how to begin. Provided here is guide to sheer lingerie sets and other popular styles of matching lingerie.

Sheer Lingerie

Matching sheer lingerie creates a definite sexy look. Choose a bra and panties set in mesh or lace or perhaps a chemise and panties in a sheer nylon fabric. For a bold look, consider a sheer camisole with matching thong or g-string. Sheer lingerie is extremely popular in today's market, making it easy to create a set that works for you.

Bra and Panties Sets

Matching bra and panties sets are easy to find. Choices for these sets range from sheer lace or fishnet to more exotic lingerie options. Consider a velvet set for elegance or a cotton bikini set for flirty good looks and ultimate comfort.

Fun and Flirty

If your tastes run more to the fun and flirty than to the risqu?, you will find matching lingerie sets that meet your needs. Consider a soft tank top paired with cute boy shorts. Or perhaps you would prefer cotton bikini panties matched with a halter top or sports bra. It is possible to find matching sets bearing fun patterns or cute logos.

Exotic Lingerie

If your tastes are on the exotic side, look for lingerie sets that are more unique. Consider a corset or bustier with matching panties. Look for fur trim, sequins or other exotic detailing elements on whatever lingerie items you select.

Finding Matching Lingerie Sets

Some lingerie is designed and sold in sets. Bras and panties are often sold this way. This is a great way to pick up some matching lingerie quickly and easily. However, if you would like to widen your options, consider putting together your own sets instead. Look for pieces that have something in common. Matching colours, design features and trim are just a few of the elements to look for when designing when your own matching lingerie.

Accessories

In order to create a complete matching lingerie set, look for accessories that will complete the outfit. A sheer wrap in a similar colour adds both sex appeal and drama to virtually any lingerie set. For a flirty look, consider a short (mid-thigh or shorter) robe in a jewel tone silk or satin. Don't forget shoes. A pair of old-fashioned high heeled bedroom slippers adds a beautiful touch to any matching lingerie set.

A matching lingerie set is a terrific way to add an element of elegance to your lingerie choices. Purchase sets that were designed to match or branch out to create your own set. From the sexy elegance of a sheer lingerie set to the flirty comfort of boy shorts, you can find a set that is right for you.

There are so many different kinds of matching lingerie sets you will always find one that will suit your style and your pocket. It's amazing the choice we have, there are different fabrics to suit your mood.

About the Author:

Amanda Cotterill has been involved in the sexy lingerie uk market for many years. This article outlines the benefits of women wearing sheer lingerie as if that needed much explaining! Please include this credit if you use this article.

Article Tags: lingerie, matching, sets

Marketing to Make Your Message Stick21st Century Ad Specialty Item

Fred Antonini has an office right next to ours. He was driving his sports car one beautiful spring day a few years ago. He had the top down, the windows down, and the radio up. He had his new cell phone on the dash of his car so he could reach it if he needed it. Can you see this coming? He made a turn, but the phone kept going ? right out the window. Something about Newton?s law or inertia ? I don?t know. Fred was not happy. At this point I think he reverted to Italian, complete with hand gestures and high volume. When he calmed down he resolved to find a solution. He worked with lots of existing materials and decided it was going to take a new material that would grip but not be sticky. He came up with a way to make it, and patented it. He calls them egrips? and sells them in various sizes and colors. It turns out you can print on them: color, graphics, text, bar-codes, anything. Now he gets emails from people who were given one at a trade show telling him how his product saved their phone. In December a lady sat her phone on top of her car while she loaded packages in the back seat. Two miles later she realized what she had done and stopped. There it was on top of the car. She tracked him down to say ?thanks.?

When I was a kid we had one phone in the house. It was in the kitchen. We had refrigerator magnets with phone numbers for plumbers and insurance agents and that way had their phone numbers handy ? since the phone and the refrigerator were in the same room of the house. These days, phones are everywhere. I have a phone in my pocket. I do not have a refrigerator there. I take out the phone several times a day. People see me talk on my phone. With an egrips? ad specialty item you can brand folk?s cell phone to advertise for you. Does the pizza place near a college campus need to give out egrips? with the number to order pizza? I think so. Do you know somebody at that pizza shop? Send them to me.

Do your customers use cell phones? Can you justify spending money on branding? Maybe you need to be giving out egrips? with your message on them. You can get your custom egrips? on a postcard size handout with your message on it or on a pre-printed generic card as an easy way to hand out egrips? when you are there to deliver your message personally. These are very popular items at trade shows ? they draw a lot of attention and increase traffic at the booth. That is, by the way, usually a goal at trade shows.

I will say a little about direct mail here, but it will get an article of its own soon. I like direct mail for ?high dollar? products/services, but not for small ticket items because it takes too many sales to break even. I have done letters and postcards and I like the postcards best because I got a better response and they were cheaper. I think people didn?t open the envelopes, but they at least glance at the postcards on the way to the trash.

If you can include an ad specialty item that will stay in front of them, that is a good thing to do in the middle of the campaign, not at the beginning. If you make cold calls in your business, the middle of the campaign is a great time to just show up at a prospect, with an ad specialty item to give to them. If getting out to 1,000 locations is a problem, you can include it with your 4th mailing. If you put it in an envelope or small box, be sure the outside screams something about the free gift inside so they won?t throw it away unopened. Better yet, if your ad specialty item is egrips?, it can be delivered ON the postcard. Just point out what it is and how useful it is along with your central message ? an action item for the prospect to take.

Here is my call to action. When you visit http://www.AdSpecialtyItem.com get a 5% Web discount to use an egrips? ad specialty item to make your message stick.

Jack Robinson - Director of Business Development for AdSpecialtyItem.com, official reseller of egrips ad specialty items.

Publishers: You may repost this article in your web site, Ezine, or blog but you must retain all links

AdSpecialtyItem.com, official reseller of egrips ad specialty items.

Publishers: You may repost this article in your web site, Ezine, or blog but you must retain all links

Read more articles on ad specialty items and promotional products

Copyright (C) 2007 The Smartacus Corporation

Mexico

Mexico is popular with travelers from all over the world. The visitors of Mexico go there for many reasons: sunshine, blue seas swarming with fish and coral, crystal-white beaches, mountains and volcanoes, jungles full of striking wildlife, collectible folk art and the wonderful remains of ancient cultures.

Mexico is known for its tourist destinations. Its fantastic location and year-round mild climate, gorgeous white beaches are ideal for water sports. The site of the Caribbean Ocean makes this place a desired vacationing spot for all.

History of Mexico

Mexico has reminders of its past in just about every city you visit, due to Mexico's vast history. Sometime during the last ice age nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers from Asia first crossed the Bering Strait and entered the Western Hemisphere. The various civilizations of Mesoamerica are distinguished from others elsewhere in the New World by a variety of common cultural developments including hieroglyphic writing, commerce and trade, an extensive knowledge of astronomy, a highly accurate calendar system, and fascinating religious beliefs featuring a complex pantheon, a ritualistic ball game, and human and animal sacrifices.

Cities of Mexico

Cancun has a first rate tourist road and rail network. The most famous hotel chains in the world have combined luxury and comfort with hospitality. Cancun has fascinating Mayan remains, as well as a museum displaying pieces from this culture. It's excellent overland and air links will whisk you to some of the most impressive places in the Mayan World in both Quintana Roo and neighboring state of Yucatan.

Cabo San Lucas at the southernmost tip of Baja, was once a base for pirate ships waiting to pounce on Spanish treasure ships. It has quickly become the main point of Los Cabos: million-dollar condos have sprung up, palm trees have been transplanted, golf courses have been laid, water has been piped in from San Jos and everywhere is kept immaculate.

The island of Cozumel Mexico has shops with a nice selection of goods including fine jewelry stores. There are so many great reasons to visit Cozumel that once you visit once, you might just get hooked. Compared to other tropical vacation spots, Cozumel is very inexpensive. The unusually short 2-hour flight from Houston, Miami, or Dallas/Fort Worth means you can be lying on a lounge chair sipping a beverage by noon!

Puerto Vallarta is smaller, quieter and younger than Acapulco. In its own way, it is actually every bit as commercial - perhaps more so, since here tourism is virtually the only source of income - but appearances count for much, and Puerto Vallarta, while doing all it can to catch up with Acapulco, appears far less developed and retains a more Mexican feel.

Christmas in Mexico

Christmas for Mexicans, in traditional homes and rural areas, is a religious holiday. It is a celebration of the Nativity. The first thing to know about celebrating Christmas in Mexico is that most everybody takes off the last two weeks in December to spend more time with the family, visit with old friends, even make new friends.

About The Author

David Chandler

For more information, go to: http://www.TexasInfoCenter.comNewport RI - In Class of Its Own With These Four Experiences Cliff Calderwood

Whether youre out to experience the vibrant harbor area, relive the Gilded Age in a Newport Mansion, soak up the stunning views on Ocean Drive, or trek the famous Cliff Walk, then Newport RI is in a class of its own and your gateway to all this and much more.

Newport RI is located at the eastern mouth of Narragansett Bay. Either Newport Bridge from the west on route 138, or Mt. Hope Bridge from the North East on route 114 can reach it.

Founded in 1639 Newport quickly became an important seaport with trading routes to the West Indies. Its years as a major seaport ended with the British blockade in 1776.

In the 19th century Newport once again attracted attention, but this time as a summer playground for the rich and wealthy of America, who also bought their yachts to race at Newport.

THE NEWPORT HARBOR EXPERIENCE

The center of the harbor area is Bannisters and Bowens Wharfs. Here you can yacht watch while sipping your favorite beverage or savoring a few steamed mussels my personal favorite.

The alleys in the wharf area are full of specialty shops, restaurants, and open-air bars. In the summer this is a good area to visit mid-morning or late afternoon when its not so busy.

To Really experience the harbor take The Spirit of Newport harbor cruise that leaves from Bowens Wharf. This is a one hour narrated tour and passes by many striking attractions.

THE NEWPORT MANSION EXPERIENCE

For many their reason to visit Newport RI is the Newport Mansions.

The mansions were affectionately called summer cottages by the original owners because they were only used 612 weeks of the year during the summer season. These are 70 and 80 room houses, and showpieces right down to the last beam of timber or marble!

There are about 13 mansions in all to visit in Newport RI, with most located on or in the vicinity of Bellevue Avenue. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates ten of these and offers combo priced tickets. I suggest you try and visit no more than three in one day.

The most popular Mansions are The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms. But to experience something different visit The Astors Beechwood, where youll literally be treated like a guest by role-playing hosts.

THE TEN MILE OCEAN DRIVE EXPERIENCE

Ocean Drive is a 10-mile route that starts on Bellevue Avenue and follows Ocean Avenue around a rocky peninsular with fishing coves, swimming beaches, and public parks.

The Ocean Avenue part of the drive is probably the most scenic with magnificent houses on rocky necks amidst the backdrop of a windy Atlantic Ocean. Youll see plenty people fishing and others clambering over the rocks searching for creatures in the tidal pools. Why not stop yourself and join them?

Brenton State Park is a halfway point on Newport RI Ocean Drive, and is one of my familys special stopping spots to have a picnic and fly a kite. The park allows pets, and has tables and grills bring your own charcoal though.

As you head out of the park youre heading back to Newport Harbor, and while the scenery heading back isnt quite as spectacular youll pass the Castle Hill Lighthouse, Hammersmith Farm, and Fort Adams State Park.

THE CLIFF WALK EXPERIENCE

The Cliff Walk will provide you spectacular views of the ocean, but parts of it are more of an adventure experience than an easy ramble, and its not recommended for small children.

Its 31/2 miles in length over paths that in some areas have been eroded and battered by the natural weather patterns of the area. Wear sneakers if you can, and show caution.

The North End Cliff Walk starts where Memorial Blvd meets Eastons Beach.

The first part of the walk is easy on good pavement and leads you to The Forty Steps. After the steps youll have great views of Ochre Point, Ochre Court, Cave Cliff, and Vineland.

Youre now heading towards Baileys Beach at the South End of the walk. This is a rough section and at times the path gets small and even seems to stop. However, by scrambling over the rocks youll be home free soon and be able to take in more stunning views of the ocean area.

So are you ready to experience Newport RI? Put on your sneakers, pack a picnic, and get ready for many Kodak moments on this trip.

For more details on these experiences and many others visit the towns official web site at www.gonewport.com.

About The Author

Cliff Calderwood is the owner and contributing writer of www.new-england-vacations-guide.com. You can read more about Newport RI and get a free travel report at his New England Vacation site.6 Keys to Help You Learn Spanish Online Patrick Jackson

Six Keys to Help You Learn Spanish Online

This article consists of six tips to help you learn Spanish online. If you follow these six tips, you can be sure that you will learn to speak Spanish online much easier.

Key Numero Uno to Learn Spanish Online:

Stay motivated

I think everyone that studies a foreign language will experience a time when they are becoming less and less motivated. You may feel that you are losing your desire to learn Spanish online around the same time that you have reached a plateau.

If you feel that you are losing your desire to learn to speak Spanish online, try planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country. Since you will want to get the most out of your trip, this should motivate you to study.

Here's another tip to help you stay motivated and to make you want to learn to speak Spanish online. Find a native speaker that you are romantically interested in. Since you will probably want to impress him or her with your Spanish, this should motivate you to keep studying and make you want to learn Spanish online. You will also notice that you are making progress quicker by practicing your Spanish with a native speaker and that should also motivate you to keep studying and practicing Spanish.

Of course, this tip only applies to single people or other people without a significant other.

Key Numero Dos to Learn to speak Spanish Online: Don't Be Afraid of Making Mistakes

Make lots of mistakes. And then after you have made lots of mistakes go make some more mistakes. And then go make some more mistakes.

Many people are afraid of making mistakes when learning Spanish online. If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online, then you have to accept the fact that making mistakes is part of the learning process. The more mistakes you make, the quicker you learn to speak Spanish online.

If you are not making mistakes, that's probably an indication that you are not making the effort to learn Spanish online.

Some people will try to learn to speak Spanish online by ONLY listening. Their reasoning is that once they learn enough Spanish that's when they will begin trying to speak Spanish online. But I can I assure you that it doesn't work that way. It works in reverse.

That is, once you start trying to speak Spanish and making mistakes that's when you will begin to learn to speak Spanish online. Not the other way around.

So go ahead and make mistakes. The mistakes aren't there to embarrass you. The mistakes are there to help you master Spanish.

Key Numero Tres to Learn Spanish Online:

Focus on how to speak Spanish Don't focus on why Spanish is Spoken the way it is

Many people have sent me emails with questions such as why is it me gusta (I like) instead of me gusto or why is it me toma instead of me tomo

Of course, I could easily answer these questions. (And I do) But the objective is not to try equate everything in Spanish with English or your native language.

Accept the fact that Spanish grammar is different from English grammar. And focus on the objective of any language -- which is to communicate effectively.

And in order to communicate effectively, you only need to understand and be understood. It is not necessary that you understand each and every grammatical facet.

Trying to do so will only hinder your learning and make it difficult to learn Spanish online. Imagine trying to teach a 4 yr old the definition of a direct pronoun vs. an indirect pronoun. We would never attempt such a thing. But the 4yr old child is still fluent in his or her native language.

So make your goal to understand and be understood. Focus on how to speak Spanish Don't focus on why Spanish is Spoken the way it is.

Key Numero Cuatro to Learn to Speak Spanish Online:

Master the Fundamentals

Many people spend their time learning a bunch of Spanish vocabulary that they could go a life time and never use. That's because the words are hardly used in normal everyday conversation. If you want to learn to speak Spanish online without Wasting anytime, I advise you to master the fundamentals. When I say the fundamentals I am referring to the basic vocabulary and basic grammar.

I know adults that have studied Spanish for a few years and they know thousands of words in Spanish. Although they may be proficient in Spanish, I would not consider them fluent. On the other hand, a three or four year old native Spanish-speaking child can speak Spanish fluently. It is not because the child knows thousand of words in Spanish. The child may only know about a thousand words or less in Spanish. But the child has mastered the fundamentals.

Mastery of the fundamentals is what separates the proficient from the fluent.

If you really want to learn to speak Spanish online make it a priority to master the fundamentals.

Key Numero Cinco to Learn Spanish Online:

Take Advantage of downtime Finding time to study can be a challenge. Many people just don't have the time to sit down and study. But who said that you have to be sitting down? If you are waiting in line at the bank or waiting at the doctor's office, turn on your mp3 player or ipod and listen to an audio Spanish lesson.

If you drive to work everyday, that's an excellent opportunity to practice your favorite audio Spanish course. If you like to jog or exercise on a stairmaster or treadmill, bring your mp3 player or ipod with you and listen to your favorite audio Spanish course

Instead of watching the 10' clock News. Watch Las Noticias Instead of watching a movie on HBO, watch a movie on HBO Latino.

So to those that say I just don't have the time to learn Spanish online. My response is that you can make excuses or you can learn to speak Spanish online. But you can't do both. The choice is yours. Key Numero Seis to Learn to speak Spanish Online:

Become an Imitator

Some Spanish courses do not put much emphasis on pronunciation. I think that is a big mistake.

If you really want to be understood, you must try to mimic native speakers.

Have you every experienced someone that asked you for directions or some other question and you were unable to assist the person because you didn't speak her language. And then you suddenly realized that the person was actually speaking English but her accent was so thick that you thought the person was speaking another language.

The same thing happens to Spanish ears. If you do not develop good pronunciation, you will not be understand.

If you say the word dad in Spanish and you do not stress the appropriate syllable, a native Spanish speaker may think that you are talking about french fries. To English ears the difference may be very subtle. But to the Latin American its the difference between dad and potatoes.

So focus on mimicking native Spanish speakers.

I hope that you enjoyed these 6 Tips to Help You Learn Spanish Online and that they truly help you in your journey to learn to speak Spanish online.

Patrick Jackson

About The Author

Patrick Jackson is a self-taught speaker of Spanish and the founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy method. You may publish this article online or offline so long as the article is not altered in any manner, including, but not limited to, this section which contains the URL of the author's web site. Learning Spanish Like Crazy makes it quick and easy to learn Spanish. Download free audio Spanish lessons and get your 6 day Spanish mini-course visit: http://www.learningspanishlikecrazy.com/

Volkswagen Expecting An Increase Sales And Profit This Year

Volkswagen has announced recently that it is expecting for profit and sales to rise this year especially since the Skoda Fabia and Audi A5 models are doing pretty well in the market plus the corporate overhaul that the company is employing is reducing production costs.

The company?s chief executive Martin Winterkorn announced during the company?s annual conference that it is expecting profit before interest, taxes and one-time items to be higher than the 4.4 billion euros or $5.78 billion it has obtained for the year 2006.

He also said that the sales for the first two months of the company has already record an increase of 8.3 percent to 862,000 vehicles which is a good start for this year. He further added that the company is expecting to meet its goal of increasing 2008 pretax profit to 5.1 billion compared to the 1.1 billion euros in 2004 which is the target set by Bernd Pischetsrieder, who is the former chief executive. It should be noted that it was through the efforts of Piech and Winterkorn that Pistchetsrider was ousted on January 1.

Volkswagen shares increase by 3 percent to 102.96 euros

Last month, Europe?s largest automaker and producer of the popular Volkswagen struts has reported that their income has more than doubled reaching 2.75 billion euros which they attributed to the launching of their new models, the disposal of Europcar vehicle-rental unit and the tax gain. Total revenue has increased by 12 percent to 104.9 billion euros.

The company has also reported its fourth quarter results and said that its income obtained has more than tripled reaching 1.54 billion euros from 435 million euros resulting from an 11 percent sales increase to 27.8 billion euros.

The Audi team that Winterkorn has brought with him including Walter de Silva, head of design and Ulrich Hackenberg, engineering chief has spent two months just to modify the new version of Volkswagen?s Golf hatchback, which currently is VW?s best-selling vehicle. Aside from the Golf hatchback the team is also working on other models that Wolfgang Bernhard, the former Volkswagen brand chief had started like the Scirocco sports hatchback and a new compact sport utility vehicle, the Tiguan.

CEO Winterkorn said ?We will continue to work intensely on productivity and quality. We want to further increase the brand?s passion for building cars.? Volkswagen is also counting on its new models to increase its sales in the US. The total loss that VW has obtained for 2006 for its North American sales has narrowed to 607 million euros compared to the loss of 866 million euros in 2005. CEO Winterkorn has also added, ?we still have quite a bit to do here to return to our successful growth path.?

CEO Winterkorn is working to create a three-way combination to Volkswagen?s commercial-vehicles unit and that includes the Munich-based truck maker MAN and the Swedish truckmaker Scania of which Volkswagen is the biggest shareholder.

For more information about your Volkswagen parts needs like Volkswagen struts, visit your trusted online source.

Growing up with three brothers, Natalie Anderson became exposed early to the world of automobiles. This 29-year-old account manager now dreams of having her very own top-of-the-line vintage car.