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For those starting out in bowling who have a good score, it is possible for them to consider trying their skills in an amateur bowling tournament. It not only brings about a confidence but also pays out a good amount in prizes. The amateur tournament is made up of two divisions and has many breaks for those with handicaps.

The amateur bowling tournament started in the later months of 1977. It was created to unite bowlers of all skill levels into one great tournament. They realized that not all bowlers could throw a 200 or higher game and thus is the reason behind the amateur tournament. Not only can you find the amateur bowling tournament in North America but also internationally. This brings together other nationalities with a love of bowling. There is also a senior amateur bowling tournament for those over the age of sixty who still have the bowling spark in them also.

The amateur bowling tournament is no one of the largest tournaments around. It is the only bowling club that gives those participating assurance of winning a minimum amount. Depending on which branch of the amateur bowling tournament participated in will decide what prize is won. It also determines the amount of players participating in each division.

The amateur bowling tournament office is located in California and has since branched out to other areas of the country. This allows for more people to join in the amateur bowling tournament than in the past. There is a Masters Division and a Classic Division in the amateur bowling tournament. Your score will determine what amateur bowling tournament division you participate in. Most amateur bowling players fall into the classic division.

The amateur bowling tournament is designed for those who are bowling under 200 but may allow those with a 220 average in. The Masters Division was originally designed for those joining the amateur bowling tournament having a 190 to 220 average. This was eventually raised to those with a 225. The classic division in the amateur bowling tournament is was originally for those bowling with a 189 or lower but has since been raised to 199 or less.

Since its beginning, the amateur bowling tournament has paid out in the hundreds of millions of dollars for prizes. This means the amateur bowling tournament has paid out more than any other bowling club in existence. This amateur bowling tournament payout is even higher than the professional bowlers association that has been around for half a century. The amateur bowling tournament has only been happening for a quarter of a century. This is a feat within itself.

If you are really into the sport of bowling, you should consider trying your luck with an amateur bowling tournament. You may find that your skills are better than you thought they were. You can also learn a great deal from those who have participated in the amateur bowling tournament in previous years. Being in an amateur bowling tournament will not only be exciting but lots of fun also.

Jordan Matthews is an internet entrepreneur with a 239 average, who enjoys bowling at local ABT tournaments every weekend. Visit Jordan’s Bowling Website for more information about bowling in tournaments and improving your scores.

A recent survey indicated that clean Taxi Cabs Fleets have higher tip rates and repeat customers. How do you wash a taxicab? You do them four at a time and you go up and over and up and over when you are drying them. If they have a little taxi cab sign, dry that last. But you do the rest of the car the way you do a regular car. The only difference is you are going to spray three, four, five, sometimes six cars at a time. Then another crewmember is going to follow behind you and do all the windows really well. You do a quick vacuum with a taxicab. Seriously, you do not want to be in that taxicab for more then a minute or a minute and a half. Now most taxicabs are usually scratched and they look like crap. This is something you are going to have to deal with. This is just the way they are going to look which is good for you because they are not expecting a perfect job. They just want them to look clean because they have their logo on them. Taxi companies are very low budget operations and low cost will get you the account. Some taxicabs are owned by independent contractors. You will need to charge more since the volume is not there. Staging areas at big airports are a good place to find lots of taxicabs.

Rent-A-Cars

Rent-a-cars these days are mostly small, tiny cars that get really good gas mileage. They are Toyota Tercels, Ford Contours and Dodge Neons and things like that. You can wash a Dodge Neon in your sleep in about three minutes. Really easy to clean, really, really easy and that is important. You want some accounts that are easy. Three dollars is fair for exteriors, five dollars for in and out is fine. It is important to have efficiency when washing rent-a-cars. No more than two minutes for vacuuming. You only want to clean the windows that are dirty. You do not want to clean all of the windows on a rent-a-car, just where you see fingerprints. You want to wipe off the dash really quick, wipe around the center console and use cleaner on the sticky stuff. Hit the inside windows that are dirty, wash the outside. You want to do them five, six at a time and you want to dry them off real fast, make sure the windows are clean and go to the next car. Rent-a-cars are really good money. You want to charge an extra two dollars for taking out carpet stains. Use some Folex cleaner or advanced carpet stain remover, some kind of a little carpet brush and a towel to wipe up whatever you precipitate at the top of the carpet after you have got it wet. The carpet remover should come off on the towel. There will always be trash in rent-a-cars, a lot of trash. You should have a bucket ready that you just put trash in and move it from car to car. Dump it before you leave. Usually rent-a-cars will have a Dempsey Dumpster around the back where you can dump all of your trash.

Rent-a-car companies are very careful and exacting as to what times of day they want their cars washed. They may have a whole bunch of vehicles in on Monday mornings and want you to do cars on Monday mornings. You are going to have to do the cars at that time. They are probably going to want them done before eight o’clock in the morning. So if you are doing the cars before eight o’clock in the morning and there are twenty or thirty rent-a-cars, it is quite serious that you get them all done in time. The rent-a-car company is paying you so they do not have to drive them to the car wash. It is rather important that you get them done on time. It is really easy to get them all done if you work efficiently. You are doing them six at a time. If you have twenty cars to do, you need to have them done by eight thirty to nine o’clock and you are doing them six at a time, you should have twenty-four cars done in an hour if you are really flying through them and you have the right crew. So pay attention to this. You can afford to do the cars for five dollars each because the job comes out to about one hundred dollars an hour. Think about this for a second. Think about the time and efficiency and how fast can you do them. This attitude is what will help you pick up the rent-a-car company accounts. If you can do them very, very quickly and you can do them not perfectly but good enough to make them happy, there is a lot of money in rent-a-car washing. Our crews in other towns already wash for: Budget, Avis, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise and generally can afford to wash them and retain a profit at only $5.00 per vehicle.

Police Cars

It is time to talk about police cars. We just saw a police car go the other way with his lights on. In any case, police cars, how do you wash a police car? Well first of all, you wash it like you would wash any normal car but you want to make sure you clean the light bar really well. You do not want to spray water inside the light bar, you will screw up the electronics. You also do not want to, but some of our guys love to do it, spray water inside the PA speaker on the front of the police car that is mounted by the bumper. The reason they like to do that is because it burns them outs and gives them a short. So, you should not do that. Now under the seats of a police car you find all kinds of cool stuff. Best to hand it over to the authorities and not smoke it yourself. You will find crazy stuff under the seats of a police car where you are going to have to clean. Depending on how you feel you can either vacuum the stuff up or put it into a little bag and give it to the watch commander. You need to dust the radios inside of the police car, but you have to be careful not to turn any knobs. There are always bugs on the light bars, but you cannot blast off the bugs as much as you would like to. You really need to soap them off and not blast them off. Sometimes the light bars get real brittle on the older police cars. You can actually blast right through them. I have done it before.

For some reason police like to go 4 X 4′ ing when they are going through center dividers in order to catch a terrible criminal such as a speeder. They will go off road and do whatever; maybe they are just having fun. So you have to make sure that you clean all the mud off the police cars, they are a little bit muddier then most cars. The bottoms of the police cars are always muddy and they are going to need hand soaping. Police cars are often black and white. Usually the white part is where the door is so the policeman knows where to get in. The rest of the car is black. Now the part of the car that is black, remember it is black. If you are doing police cars in the sun and you are trying to do them three at a time, you may have a little problem getting to all of them. Some cities have police cars that are all white cars or all green cars or a mixture and that makes it a little bit easier.

There are certain additional things you have to watch for when cleaning police cars. Do not have a bunch of stuff out of your truck when you are washing a line of police cars. Someone may run out of the building and want to take their car. If you cannot move the truck in time you will really frustrate that officer. He wants to look official and squeal the tires out of the parking lot so you may as well just let him do whatever he wants to do.

Driving School Cars

Driving school cars are basically just like rent-a-car companies. The only difference is you want to spend a little more time on the dash board and a lot of time on the windows. You probably need to get five or six dollars each. This is giving them a deal because normally you charge ten dollars for in and out.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Do you choose canned food or dry food? What brand? There are so many different brands, all shapes and sizes of pet food to choose from and pet owners are provided with very little information to base your decisions on (other than advertising) – it can get so confusing! Well, buckle your seatbelt depending on how much you know of the pet food industry, this could be a bumpy ride! You are about to learn seven secrets – well kept secrets – of pet food. Sit back, brace yourself, and keep reading.

Beneful says it’s ‘Premium Dog Food for a Happy, Healthy Dog’ and sells for around $18.00 for a 31 lb. bag, Science Diet “promises” ‘precisely balanced nutrition through continuous research and the highest quality food backed by your Vets endorsement’ and sells for around $21.00 for only a 20 lb bag. Then there are numerous pet foods that make the very same statements – ‘Premium Dog Food, Highest Quality’ – that sell for $30.00 or more for a 20 lb bag. And the same holds true for cat owners…Do you choose Whiskas that states ‘Everything we do is about making cats happy!’ or do you choose one of those high end cat foods that make the very same claim of a happy, healthy cat but cost 3 times as much?

Now with the on-going pet food recall pet owners have questions such as ‘Has this food been recalled?’ or ‘Is this food the next one to be recalled?’…’Is my pet safe?’ Wow this is confusing! And scary too! What exactly is a pet owner to do? How about learning a few secrets! Equipped with the knowledge of a few secrets of pet food, it’s not nearly as confusing.

Secret #1…

All pet foods use descriptive words like choice and premium, though few of them actually use premium or choice ingredients in their food. The ‘secret’ is that per the rules of the pet food industry, no pet food can make any claims or references on their label or advertising as to the quality or grade of ingredients. You see, the word ‘premium’ when it’s related to pet food DOES NOT mean that the ingredients in the food are premium. With pet foods, premium does not (can not) describe the food nor does it (can it) describe the quality of the food. It is a marketing term and that is all. Per the pet food industries own rules and regulations, “There are no references to ingredient quality or grade” (regulation PF5 d 3). So, words like premium, or choice, or quality are just marketing or sales terms. They should not be interpreted as terms describing the quality of the food.

Now why wouldn’t a pet food label be allowed to tell a prospective customer the quality of their ingredients? Doesn’t a pet owner deserve to know what they are buying? This leads me to the next secret…

Secret#2…

If I can compare ‘people’ food to pet food for just a second, we all know there are different qualities of people food. There is White Castle (I’m guilty here, I love the little guys!) and there is Outback Steak House (another favorite). Both restaurants serve meat and potatoes. At White Castle for under $3.00 you can get a couple of hamburgers and an order of fries. While at Outback you can get a steak and baked potato for around $16.00. Both serve beef and potato – yet you already realize that there are huge nutritional differences between a fast food hamburger and a steak…right?

The problem in the pet food industry – is that most pet owners don’t think in the same terms when it comes to pet food. They don’t think in terms that there are fast food types of pet foods and there are sit down restaurant more nutritious types of pet foods. In fact, several years ago a young man tried this very experiment with his own diet – eating nothing but fast food for 30 days. In just one month of eating fast food three meals a day, he gained a great deal of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels sky-rocketed. Now, imagine your pet eating this type of food its’ entire lifetime.

OK, so back to our two meals…if a chemical analysis of your meal at White Castle was compared to a chemical analysis of your meal at Outback – both would analyze with a percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Regardless whether you consider a steak at Outback a higher quality of protein than the burger – it would still analyze as protein. The analysis doesn’t measure quality of protein.

So here is the secret…All pet foods come with a Guaranteed Analysis stating the percentage of protein, fat, fiber and moisture in the food. The REAL secret lies in the quality of the percentages of protein, fat, and so on.

In a chemical analysis of a pet food – chicken feet would analyze as protein, although granted it provides very little nutrition. And as well, a cow that was euthanized (put to sleep) because of a disease that made it unfit for human consumption – would analyze as protein although that could be considered dangerous for consumption. Both of those things – chicken feet and a euthanized cow – are allowable ingredients and commonly used in pet food. You see the secret within the pet food industry is manufacturers have a WIDE OPEN door to where they obtain their ingredients. The only strict rule they must follow is an adult dog food must analyze with 18% protein and an adult cat food must analyze with 26% protein. Sources to acquire those particular percentages range from a ‘human grade’ meat, to chicken feet, to euthanized animals, to grain proteins, to even man made chemical proteins and many variations in between.

Pet food labels do not have to tell – are not allowed to tell – the sources they use to obtain that required 18% or 26% protein. And to make matters worse…quality minded pet food manufacturers – the companies that use 100% human grade ingredients – are not allowed to tell customers or potential customers that their products are quality, human grade ingredients.

So how can you know if your pet’s food uses chicken feet or euthanized cows or if it contains human grade ingredients?

Secret #3…

If the words premium and choice mean basically nothing with regards to the quality of pet food, and if some pet foods use chicken feet and euthanized animals in their food – how can a pet owner know what they are getting in their pets’ food?

This big secret is found in ingredient definitions. Unlike ‘people’ food where you can pretty much look at the food to determine the quality, pet food is far different. All ‘people’ food must meet particular USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines. The same is not true for pet food. Chicken feet and euthanized cows are NOT allowed in people food for obvious reasons – they have no nutritional value or they could be dangerous to consume. The same is NOT true for pet food. The only way to know if those chicken feet or euthanized cows are in your pet’s food is to know what ingredients they can be used in.

The common pet food ingredient ‘Meat and Bone Meal’ is basically a combination of many different discarded left-overs from the human food industry. Components of ‘meat and bone meal’ can be anything from cow heads, stomachs, and intestines, to (horrifying but true) euthanized animals including cows, horses and dogs and cats from veterinarian offices, animal shelters, and farms. And along with those euthanized animals the pet food also contains the drug pentabarbitol that was used to euthanize the animal. ‘Meat and bone meal’ can also contain left-over restaurant grease, and diseased (including cancerous) meat tissues cut away from slaughtered animals. In other words, this commonly used ingredient is a mix of highly inferior and potentially dangerous left-overs from the human food industry.

The pet food ingredient ‘Meat By-Product’ or ‘Meat By-Product Meal’ is pretty much the same thing as ‘meat and bone meal’. It is a highly inferior pet food ingredient containing literally who-knows-what.

Another similar ingredient to the above is ‘Animal Digest’.

As to the chicken feet I mentioned earlier – this item can be found in the ingredients ‘Chicken By-Product’ or ‘Poultry By-Product’ or ‘Chicken By-Product Meal’ or ‘Poultry By-Product Meal’. Any left-overs in the chicken or poultry division – including but not limited to chicken feet, skin including some feathers, chicken or poultry heads, and intestines are found in these ingredients. It does NOT matter as to the health of the bird – sick, healthy, dead, dying…all is included in these ingredients.

So here is what you need to do…BEFORE you purchase any pet food, flip the bag over and closely examine the list of ingredients. The above mentioned ingredients would be listed within the first five or ten ingredients. If you see ANY of those ingredients – it is my suggestion to NOT purchase that food. Remember – chicken feet and euthanized animals do analyze as protein. That is all that is required in pet food – just the correct analysis.

Another little trick some pet food manufacturers use in this category is using grains and chemical additives to grain products to boost the protein percentages. Which is exactly the cause of the pet food recall that began in March 2007 – chemical proteins. Two different chemical additives – that have NO nutritional value to pets, but that analyzed as protein – were added to a grain product (wheat gluten, corn gluten, or rice gluten) solely to provide a cheap protein. Thousands of pets died and countless others became ill because no one counted on the problem of the combination of these two chemicals would cause kidney and urinary blockage. Again, their secret is the product has to analyze as having a particular amount of protein – no one is required to provide a quality meat protein.

While you are looking at the ingredient listing – you should also take note of how many grains (corn, wheat, rice) and/or how many grain products (corn gluten, whole corn, ground corn, whole wheat, ground wheat, wheat gluten, rice, brown rice, brewers rice, soy, and on and on) are listed within the first five or so ingredients. If you find more than one grain listed in the first five ingredients – that is telling you this pet food is acquiring some of its protein from grains.

Why is protein obtained from grains important for you to know? Several reasons – first off science proves that cats and dogs alike require and thrive on a meat protein. If a pet food is obtaining protein from grain sources, the pet is not getting the meat that it needs to thrive. Second, if the grain products are a corn gluten, wheat gluten, or rice gluten you take the risk of chemicals such as melamime added to it used strictly to boost the protein analysis. By the way, melamime is one of the chemicals found to be the cause of the March 2007 pet food recall. And there is one more concern with grains – aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a deadly mold that is common to corn, wheat, and soy and it’s responsible for several other pet food recalls you probably never heard about. In December 2005, Diamond Pet Food contained moldy grains that killed over 100 pets before the product was recalled – all due to aflatoxin.

It is my recommendation to avoid any pet food that contains corn, wheat, or soy in ANY variation. The risk is simply too high.

Secret #4…

I’ve got more suggestions for you to look for in the ingredient listings…chemical preservatives. A very well kept secret of the pet food industry is their common use of chemical preservatives. BHA/BHT are very popular chemical preservatives used in pet food and science has linked them to tumors and cancer. Another common preservative is ethoxyquin which has known risks to cancer. Ethoxyquin is ONLY allowed in human food in some spices because of the very tiny proportions. However it is allowed in much higher proportions in pet food.

If you scan the ingredient listings, you will be looking for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT is used to preserve the fat in the food which usually is found higher on the list. And also look for any of these chemicals towards the end of the ingredient listing. Personally, I wouldn’t touch a pet food that contained these chemical preservatives. You want a pet food that is preserved naturally – common natural preservatives are ‘natural mixed tocopherols’ or ‘vitamin E’.

Secret #5…

The very best food to provide to your pet is a well made food using human grade ingredients. That should be simple enough…How do you find that? You already know that pet food manufacturers are NOT allowed to make any statement as to quality or grade of ingredients, the only way you can find out the grade or quality of your pets’ food is to call the manufacturer and ask them.

Now, let’s say you call the ABC pet food company and ask the question “Is your Premium dog food and Premium cat food made using human grade ingredients?” It could be that you get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients – when actually only a couple of ingredients are human grade. Here’s the trick to asking…ask them if they are APHIS European certified.

Pet food manufacturers that are APHIS European certified assures you that ALL ingredients in their pet food are human grade. APHIS – Animal Plant Health Inspection Services – is a division of the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet food manufacturer with the opportunity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing pet foods from the US, European countries demand that all ingredients are human grade and thus require this certification. Most pet food manufacturers that have APHIS European certification do not ship their products to Europe – they simply use this as a means to assure their customers to the higher quality of their ingredients.

Again, you WON’T see this listed on the label – it’s not allowed. You must call the manufacturer and ask. Often times the representative of the pet food won’t even know what you are talking about when you ask about APHIS certification – if that’s the case, you can assume they are not APHIS European certified. APHIS European certification is a bonus to pet owners – it is not required or even suggested that any pet food manufacturer go through the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet foods go through to tell their customers they REALLY CARE about the quality of their products. Personally, I would NOT buy a pet food that doesn’t have it.

And by the way, if you can’t reach the pet food manufacturer, or they do not return your call within a short time frame, lose their number! Any company that does not place a priority on answering customers questions – doesn’t deserve your business!

Secret #6…

Minerals are a required ingredient in human diets as well as diets for our pets. Copper, Iron and Zinc are common minerals found in pet foods. Just as they are – copper, iron, and zinc are basically rocks, very difficult for anyone or any pet to utilize. Science has developed several ways to introduce minerals into the body (human and pet) for better absorption thus benefiting the individual far more. This scientific development is called chelating or proteinating and it’s been around for years. Through the chelating or proteinating process minerals are absorbed about 60% better than just the minerals alone.

This secret is spotting the minerals in your pet food to see if they are chelated or proteinated. Notice the minerals on your pet food label, way down on the list of ingredients. You are looking for minerals that read ‘copper proteinate’ or ‘chelated copper’. If you see just the mineral listed, your pet is sort of like Charlie Brown at Halloween saying ‘I got a rock’. If you want your pet to have the best, chelated or proteinated minerals are part of the best foods!

Secret #7…

This secret is called ‘friendly bacteria’. Although ‘friendly bacteria’ sounds a little scary, the reason for it lies in your pets’ intestinal system. A large portion of your pets’ immune system is found within the intestinal system. Keeping the immune system healthy helps to keep the animal itself healthy. This friendly bacteria is similar to what’s found in yogurt, however in pet food it is introduced in a fashion so that the cooking process doesn’t destroy it. Looking at the fine print on your pet food label, this time you are looking for lengthy, scientific words like Lactobacillus Acidophilus or Bifidobacterium Thermophilum. If you do NOT see these words or some very similar, that pet food is not addressing the care of your pets’ immune system. And again, if you want your pet to have the best, you want ‘friendly bacteria’ in their food.

There are your seven very secrets to help you find the absolute healthiest and best pet food for your four-legged friend. Armed with those secrets – you now have the knowledge to find your pet the best food possible! A pet food that can extend their life and prevent early aging and disease. If you don’t want to bother doing the homework involved, I urge you to subscribe to my monthly magazine Petsumer Report(TM). Through Petsumer Report(TM) I’ve done all the homework for you – each month I review and rate over 40 different pet foods, treats, toys, and various other pet supplies. It’s the ONLY publication of its’ kind providing pet owners with the information they need to know regarding their pet product purchases.

I want to share just a couple more things…

It’s best to feed an adult dog or adult cat two meals a day. The nutrition they consume with two meals is better utilized than with just one meal a day. If you are currently feeding your pet one meal a day, split that same amount into two meals and feed in the AM and PM.

You should know that all canned or moist pet foods are anywhere between 70% to 85% moisture. This means that 70% to 85% of that can or pouch of food is useless nutrition – its water. Granted our pets need water, cats especially tend not to drink enough water. But since all canned or moist foods are mostly water, they do not provide adequate nutrition to be fed strictly a canned or moist diet. Use a canned or moist product to supplement your pet’s diet – not as the only food.

The best pet foods are preserved naturally (secret #4) – but there is a concern with naturally preserved pet foods…freshness. Take notice of the expiration date on your pets food label – typically with naturally preserved dry pet foods (not as much of a concern with soft foods because of canning – very little need of preservatives) the expiration date is one year to 18 months from the date it was manufactured. Let’s say the pet food you are considering to purchase on July 1, 2007 has a ‘Best if Used by’ date of January 1, 2008. This would tell you that this particular bag of pet food is already 6 months old. While it is still ‘good’ a fresher food – a bag that is only 2 or 3 months old – is better. Naturally preserved pet foods lose nutritional potency with time. Always try to find a very fresh bag.

If you are considering changing your pets food, ALWAYS consult with your Veterinarian first. You should always keep your veterinarian advised of any changes you make with your pet. Don’t take chances. And if you do switch pet food, make the change over very slowly. I always recommend to pet owners ¼ new food to ¾ old food for 4 to 7 days, ½ to ½ for another 4 to 7 days, and so on. Switching food quickly can cause intestinal disorder! Its short term, but we don’t want intestinal disorder!!!

One last thing, as you are already aware dogs and cats have a far better sense of smell than humans. Their food bowl can be a wealth of smells – both good and bad. Some times a pet will refuse to eat simply because he or she smells a previous food in their bowl. Plastic food and water bowls retain odors the worst. And surprisingly so does stainless steel bowls. The best type of food and water bowl is a ceramic one. They retain odors the least.

“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” George Eliot.

I completely agree!

Susan Thixton has worked in the pet industry for over 20 years helping thousands of pet owners to enjoy their pets. She’s produced an internationally distributed dog training video, authored the tell all book Truth About Pet Food, and recently has begun publication of a one-of-a-kind pet owning consumer report Petsumer Report. For more information please visit http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com
Susan Thixton
Pet Behavior and Nutrition Consultant
Truth About Pet Food
Petsumer Report™
http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com

Before you go shopping for a pair of hiking boots, you must have some of the accessories first. This article will tell you what you need to know about hiking socks and liners for your hiking boots so you’re sure to get the right fit. It will also discuss a few other accessories that you might need to think about before you choose.

In this article, we will mainly talk about the accessories themselves, but you should keep in mind that many of these accessories will become involved in your choice of hiking boots. This is especially true when it comes to picking the right size. Your hiking boots must fit not only your feet, but the socks and insoles and any custom inserts you use.

So, let’s talk about hiking socks, insoles, laces, and crampons, and how these affect your choice of hiking boots.

Hiking Socks

There are at least two general types of hiking socks, and if you are planning any serious hiking, you will need both:

1. Cushioning and insulation socks.

2. Liner socks.

You may do without the liners on shorter hikes, including most day-hikes. I wear liners only on multi-day backpacking hikes.

Whatever socks you end up choosing, choose them first, and wear them when you go shopping for hiking boots. Your hiking boots must fit you properly with the socks on. And in colder weather, you might need two pairs of cushioning and insulation socks, so make sure your boots can accommodate them.

Both types of socks must be made of a wicking material that will draw moisture away from your skin. Wool is the only good natural wicking material that wears reasonably well. (Silk works also for liner socks, but it doesn’t last long.) Cotton just absorbs moisture and holds it, without wicking it away. Some compositions of polypropylene and nylon can be effective wicking materials for those who may be allergic to wool.

The liner socks go next to your skin. They must be very smooth. This is where you can use silk or sheer nylon if you are prepared to replace the socks every other hike. Or you can use a very fine-knit wool sock. Polypropylene socks, even if they appear to be very smooth and fine, are usually too rough for hiking liners.

Cushioning and insulation socks, which you need even for moderate hiking, must be thick enough to keep your feet warm and to cushion the impact of heavy walking. They don’t have to be soft, unless you are doing without the liner socks. Wool is best, unless you are allergic to it, in which case you can use polypropylene or heavier nylon socks (or a blend of these synthetics).

Whatever you choose, and whatever type of hiking you plan to do, test your socks on something less strenuous first. Try them on a shorter hike, or in your everyday walking, and check for hot spots. If your socks create hot spots on your feet after a few miles of walking, they will cause blisters on a longer hike. You want to learn this close to home, and not out in the middle of the wilderness. Even if you’re an experienced hiker, if you are trying a new type of sock, try it on short walks before you commit to it on a long hike.

Insoles and Orthopedic Inserts

Cushioned insoles can make a world of difference in your hiking comfort. Even though hiking boots have built-in cushioning, it is a good idea to use removable insoles that you can replace periodically. That way, if you wear through them, you can simply get a new pair instead of having to repair your hiking boots.

There is a bewildering array of removable insoles out there. I’m not going to recommend any particular type, as this is mostly a matter of personal preference. I will only recommend two things:

1. Try them on short hikes or in your everyday walking before you set out on a long hike. If you don’t like them, try a different type.

2. Bring them with you when you go shopping for your hiking boots. Your boots must fit properly with the insoles in place, so choose a size of hiking boot that fits your feet, socks, and insoles together.

If you wear any orthopedic inserts in your shoes, bring them with you when you go shopping for hiking boots. Again, your hiking boots must fit everything that you’re going to put inside them.

Laces for Hiking Boots

Laces are one accessory for your hiking boots that you can think about afterward. The laces that come with your hiking boots are probably fine. However, you will want to carry an extra set of laces on a long hike, in case one breaks. You may even want to replace your laces before they break, if you find some reason to dislike the ones that came with your boots.

Generally, boot laces are braided nylon or similar synthetics. You can get rawhide boot laces, but these are problematic. Yes, they may last longer than braided nylon, but that might just mean that you have to put up with the problems they cause for that much longer. Problems with rawhide boot laces are:

* They tend to stretch with changes in humidity, or even with the passage of time. This requires frequent adjustment.

* Solid rawhide can have sharp edges which can cut your hands as you adjust or tie them. This is less true for braided rawhide or rawhide covered in a braided nylon shell.

Look for laces with a round cross-section. Flat laces may look stylish on your boots, but they tend to break more easily than round ones.

Crampons

Crampons are accessories you can attach to your hiking boots for traction on ice and snow. They are usually metal spikes, sometimes plastic, in a frame that fits under the sole of your hiking boots, attached by adjustable straps or clamps.

There are heavy-duty crampons designed for ice climbing. These are beyond the scope of this article. Just be aware that they exist, and when you see the giant bear-trap spikes sticking out of the bottom and front of the crampons, move along and choose a less aggressive pair.

Light crampons can attach to your hiking boots even if your hiking boots do not have purpose-made crampon attachment points. Just make sure your hiking boots have a distinct lip at the top of the sole that the crampons can attach to.

There are traction accessories designed for walking on icy pavement, but these are not appropriate for hiking. They simply can not stand up to the stress of walking on a steep slope, and they can not stand up to much wear. Make sure you choose a pair of crampons that are purpose-made for hiking.

Conventional crampons extend the full length of your hiking boots. You can also find crampons that fit only into the instep and do not extend to the heel or toe. I have used these, and they work better than you might expect. You have to remember not to walk on your toes when you cross icy patches, but I found that this comes pretty naturally anyway. Your natural reaction to an icy slope is to walk with your feet sideways to the slope and dig in with the edges of your boots, and that’s where the spikes of these half-length crampons are. Works beautifully.

Conclusion

The main thing to remember about accessories for your hiking boots is to think about them first. Choose your socks and insoles first, and bring them and any orthopedic inserts you need with you when you shop for hiking boots so you can be sure to get the right fit. Think about whether you will need crampons, and make sure your hiking boots can accommodate them.

Chuck Bonner is a lifelong hiker and amateur naturalist, and webmaster of http://www.HikingWithChuck.com For more information about hiking boots and other hiking equipment based on many years on the trail, visit [http://www.hikingwithchuck.com/Gear/HikingGear.htm]

Corporate marketing groups – especially bandwidth-challenged small-to-mid-sized departments – can be so focused on tactics and fire fighting that they jeopardize their marketing investment. There is a tendency to overreact to events, to tackle symptoms rather than underlying fundamental problems and to jump at the opportunity to please the boss. Many times, this kind of tactical knee jerking may be fatal.

Without great marketing, companies won’t flourish, especially those in highly

competitive markets. Yet the chaotic nature of emerging or dynamic growth

companies and the tendency to place the marketing burden on too few individuals is

a setup for failure. Promising companies may be left in the dust, or at least

handicapped at the starting gate.

Marketing Operations is emerging as an important discipline for improving

performance and measuring ROI in admired technology companies (like Intel, IBM

and Amazon) who have refined and fine-tuned their marketing organization with an

operational focus. Given the demands that these organizations face today, an

innovative approach is central to solving critical issues like results measurement,

bandwidth constraints and creativity limitations, and building value-added

outsourced supplier relationships and effectively managing budget. Many of the

best practices, efficient processes and systems approach from large company

Marketing Operations can and should be applied by emerging companies that are

serious about their marketing investment. Here’s why:

PROBLEM #1

Ill-defined metrics

Today, more than ever, corporate marketing departments need to justify their

existence. The need to measure results is unavoidable. However, the instincts and

skills that make an outbound marketing practitioner great-action-orientation,

verbal and written acuity, persuasiveness, the ability to build strong relationships-

often don’t translate into an ability or willingness to scientifically and objectively

evaluate success. Add in broken systems and the organization’s unwillingness to

pay for marketing evaluation, and it’s no surprise that many marketing departments

are unable to define meaningful success metrics.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations ensures that the right processes are in place to establish

meaningful metrics at the front-end of marketing process, enabling the

measurement of success at key intervals, and as each program concludes.

PROBLEM #2

Slammed resources

The prevailing attitude of “doing more with less” can leave key people discouraged,

overwhelmed, near burnout, and eventually, circulating their

resumes. The consequences for organizations are costly mistakes, high turnover,

and collapsed programs when key people leave, and missed opportunities to

leverage the “ugly-stepsister-Cinderella-in-waiting” programs that never get off the

ground because of a lack of ownership.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations addresses these resource limitations by ensuring workload is

effectively allocated, roles are clearly defined, interdependencies are understood,

team members feel satisfied with their jobs and the programs and additional

resources, whether through additional headcount or outsourcing, can be

successfully justified to executive management.

PROBLEM #3

Sketchy institutional memory

Marketing is dependent on accurate information, a historical view into past

successes and failures, and the ability to recognize patterns that link seemingly

unrelated data points. Unfortunately, knowledge in many marketing organizations is

scattered all over the company. It’s in the heads of individual workers, on shelves,

on people’s hard drives, in long forgotten filing systems. When people leave, a big

piece of organizational knowledge goes with them. Information loss is a huge

productivity killer for marketing teams. Lost insight that must be regained or

reacquired wastes previous marketing investments.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates knowledge sharing, an enduring repository of

information and greater decision-making based on fact, as opposed to hunch.

PROBLEM #4

Constrained creativity

The best creativity comes from many brains working together in collaboration. A

consequence of the age of the “individual contributor” director is constrained

creativity. When the entire creative burden falls mostly on one outbound marketing

person, the ability to think out of the box can be severely impacted. Creative

synergy results from many minds thinking as one.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations enables the creative process to benefit from the synergy of

team.

PROBLEM #5

Failed supplier relationships

Most successful companies can point to strong, long-term marketing supplier

relationships as integral to their success. Likewise, a pattern of failed supplier

relationships is often an indicator of marketing department failure, rather than poor

vendor performance. Unfortunately, companies that have had consistently bad

relationships with outsource suppliers often react by seizing control and bringing

everything in house. While this strategy may provides the illusion of control, it lets

marketing managers deflect blame for failures, rather than teaching them how to

manage their outsource suppliers by taking responsibility for the results. In

addition, this strategy won’t scale with the growth of the organization.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations helps set realistic expectations and mutual accountability

between suppliers and the organization, increasing the effectiveness of outsource

partners by empowering them to act as an extension of the internal team.

PROBLEM #6

Lost discretionary budgets

Use it or lose it. Misuse it and lose it anyway. Many corporate marketing

departments are leaving discretionary budget on the table or allocating it to

the wrong initiatives. This discretionary marketing budget “Catch 22″ occurs

because:

o It’s very time consuming to manage the budget effectively, especially in companies

with broken financial systems

o Each marketing spend-decision creates more work for the one-person or small-

team

marketing department in terms of project management, measurement, supplier

management, etc.

o Doubt persists about the ability to successfully justify the expenditure to

management

o Focus is instinctively on high-visibility marketing activities and C-level executive

“requests” over fiscal management (marketing people are more inclined toward

marketing than finance)

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations facilitates implementing the system support infrastructure

and financial management discipline needed to protect precious marketing budgets.

PROBLEM #7

Narrow marketing mix

Many companies align their fate with the success of too few marketing programs.

Whether it’s lead generation, public relations, trade shows or advertising, the over-

reliance on any one particular program can derail a company-especially if a key

program unexpectedly loses momentum. In the meantime, programs that could

have had strong leverage never get a chance to prove their mettle and are forever

relegated to the “B” list.

SOLUTION

Marketing Operations puts the means in place to launch potentially high-value

marketing programs that would never otherwise get out of the starting gate.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Marketing Operations is an organization’s best bet to:

o Ensure that success can be measured and replicated

o Leverage systems and processes to enable consistently excellent performance

o Encourage great marketing departments to stay together

o Allow the marketing organization to flourish, despite the unexpected, but often

inevitable, loss of a key employee.

Gary M. Katz, APR, is president and CEO of CommPros Group, a Santa-Clara, Calif.- based firm that provides marketing operations services to help companies leverage their marketing investment, plus a variety of outsourced marketing program management services to support lean marketing departments. Gary is a veteran with more than twenty years of experience in the technology industry where he directed corporate marketing, communications, public relations, lead generation and qualification, investor relations, and employee communications programs. He has served as director of communications for ShoreTel, director of corporate marketing for Aplix Corporation, senior manager of corporate communications for Insignia Solutions, and as a director, account supervisor, or preferred subcontractor for more than a dozen leading public relations and marketing communications agencies. A past president of Silicon Valley PRSA, he holds a master’s degree in organization development from the University of San Francisco and a BA degree in public relations from San Jose State University.

Sex Education, as the term clearly indicates, refers to education which is based on human sexual behavior. Parents, schools or caretakers offer it in some parts of the world to educate the children, who are stepping into their adolescence. If formally received, sex education is either taught as a full course at high school or junior high school level or in biology, health, home economics classes. Teaching sex education is rather a controversial issue; debates have been going on for several decades discussing if it should be taught formally in schools or not. Sex education in schools should exist without any doubts and apprehensions as it offers many benefits.

Adolescence is called the “age of storm and stress”. The young teenagers, during this phase of life are under deep psychological pressure. Mainly, this psychological pressure is the result of one’s growing sexual needs and the biological changes and hormonal effects on the individuals. During this time, most of the children are observed to become easily irritable. They find it difficult in most situations to deal with the family members. They might not want to talk to them about the natural changes taking place in their body and mind. In such circumstances, one highly suitable option is that of the teachers who are able to teach them to control their urges until a proper age. In schools, trained teachers would help the students to know how to deal with their sexual impulses. This role can not be replaced by parents or other entities. A classroom discussion and lesson would make them feel it is natural, and they would also feel that they are being understood by someone. However, taking them individually to psychologists or other trained educators would not help. In such a situation they might consider themselves to be different and misunderstood by family and people around them. Therefore, it becomes crystal clear that the best way to offer sex education is always in school.

It is a psychological phenomenon that children at young age are under an immense peer pressure. Something that they learn in the class with their peer group is what makes a better impression on their minds than otherwise. They are more focused in the lessons that teachers offer and are more eager asking question to clear their ambiguities. They might feel embarrassed and uneasy questioning their parents about it, but it always differs in case of the teacher in the class. This is because everyone in the class is going through the same stage. A class discussion becomes healthy source of learning as it helps in enhancing the knowledge on the subject.

Many people advocate that sex education should only be restricted to families, that is, that parents should personally educate their children. This view is totally illogical and holds complications and questions. The first point is that not all the parents would be willing to do it or would be able to do it. Secondly, this education needs a proper channel through which it should reach its required learners. There could be many possible problems in the families so they might not be able to take the role of a teacher in educating their children regarding sex. The demand of annulment of sex education from the schools is highly conservative.

Most importantly, there are many single parents, how would they take up this challenge of educating their children on their own? Parents can not properly educate their children about sex also because they lack details that qualified sex educators convey in schools. Thus, the stance of abolishing sex education in school is not a favorable thought. In many observed cases where parents or children are embarrassed about talking over sexual matters with each other, it is most likely to be uneasy situation at both the ends. This keeps the children from learning the answers to the questions they might have in their minds. This can be a great flaw of shifting the duty of sexual education from teachers to the parents. It will leave the children only half or less educated about the issue and as they say “Little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, this might end up in grave situations.

According to research, most of the parents also feel uneasy because they know that they are not equipped to provide the apt sexual information to their children. They also fail to comprehend what details and information should be concealed and what should be revealed, keeping in mind their children’s age. On the other hand, there might also be parents who would feel comfortable talking to their children about sexual matters, but only when the children bring the matter up.

Most parents, around the world, may also lack role models to look up to as they would not have talked over sexual issues with their own parents in their adolescent. This makes them inefficient to trigger their roles of educating their children in an effective way as the assigned teachers are able to do in schools.

Sex education is not limited to only a single branch of knowledge. This education focuses on a number of significant sexual matters that are offered with especially designed courses and programs. Sex education covers the education of relationships, sexual abstinence at a certain level and teaching to practice safe sex to the level of children who are thought to be sexually active. Therefore, its claim for being appropriate and guiding holds strong base.

At a certain age of adolescence, growing children have problems facing relationships and controlling their personal emotions. Conflicts related to such matters persuade many youngsters to commit suicides or take part in other immoral activities. Proper sex education in schools also concentrates in making the youngsters emotionally stronger and in educating ways to cope with relationship problems. This argument strongly shows the immense benefit of sex education in schools.

Sex education is an important health strategy and this cannot be denied. AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases can only be controlled if people are aware of precautions and have a vast knowledge in this case. This knowledge is conveyed through sex education, and if sex education is banned in schools and if parents have to educate their children, then it would not be as beneficial to the individuals and the society on the whole as teaching in school could be.

Sex education does not exist in all parts of the world. Asians are commonly regarded conservative when compared to westerners. It is not a part of their course in schools; this does not in any way mean that their teenage pregnancy rate is any lower if they are not exposed to sexual matters openly. In fact, this is one way how peers can mislead most of the youngsters and persuade them to bask in young age sexual relationships without any attempts for safety. This has resulted in serious problems such as the spread of fatal diseases like AIDS and has also increased rate of illegitimate births.

Researches have shown that the cause for ramification of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) in the eras of 80s and 90s in the US and the UK is the lack of knowledge and information provided about sex in schools or home. Home and family has never and will never play an integral part in conveying sex education to teenagers, therefore to rely on the option of home, is to deceive your own self from the expected exigency in the future.

Some conservative groups assert that to discuss sexual issues openly is to devalue religion. No religion in the world abstain its followers from spreading the information that is so essential for human lives. Sexual behavior is natural and takes place through biological changes and this cannot be questioned as this is a part of human life. Thus people who take refuge under the religious shelter, to make their arguments strong, are misinterpreting religious ideas and laws.

Modern time is the time of internet and powerful media. Teenagers are exposed to Hollywood, TV and internet. These sources offer demonstration of sex which is highly thoughtless and casual; in this situation it is almost illogical to leave the teenagers on their sexual choices. They are young and fully excited; therefore they can not make a favorable choice. Sex education in school offers the information and knowledge they need to understand to know the responsibility that is accompanied by sexual relationships. The teacher in school helps the students to know the difference between a thoughtless and thoughtful sex. Having an urge for sex is not a problem; it is a natural process showing that the young people are developing to become adults; however the problem is having unsafe sex and hurting people through sexual choices.

People who claim that sex education in schools have more cons than pros, often come up with the statements suggesting that sex education in classroom should be avoided because the most effective tool for offering sex education, according to them is TV, films, magazines and media. Such people fail to understand that trained sex educators under especially designed programs teach sex education to children in schools. They are thus able to handle children’s problems and clear their ambiguities in the best possible way, whereas magazines, films, TV and other channels and mediums of providing sex education are be reliable. They are most of the times urging the young people by encouraging their sexual promiscuity rather than effectively teaching and educating them. This wrong approach damages the society and the individuals in disguise of ameliorating them.

People contradicting the notion insist that sex education always makes the learners have sex and experience it personally, once they learn about it in school. The reality is that sexual urge for any human being is a natural occurrence. When children reach to a certain age, whether they find people to educated them about sex or not, they do have natural instincts about it, and therefore if provided a chance they would surely want to satisfy their urge. This natural reaction can not in any way be related to the outcome of sex education in schools. In fact, the best time for letting sex education play its role is when the sexual urge increases and the teenagers want to find a source for its satisfaction. It offers individuals with the required knowledge so that they are careful. It is only then that they understand the consequences of sex leading to child birth as well as sexually transmitted diseases. Thus sex education is basically a warning and a caution for such children who are stepping into the phase of life where they would need to know all this.

Some people who go against the topic also argue that even though sex education exists, it has still not decreased the rate of teenage pregnancies. I would rather not go deep in to the moral issue of the topic, but it is important here to discuss and point out the shortcomings of our society. Social values that insist that being single, pregnant and teenagers is fine, is what has to be changed. Through educating the children and making them aware that it is just not ‘cool’ to be pregnant when single or teenager, and just because ‘others are also doing it’ does not in any way justify their actions, this change can be achieved. There are many sexual education programs that teach the learners about the grave consequences that can result in having early sex. This type of sex education in schools is helpful and makes the learners responsible and mature enough to understand the difference between morality and immorality.

People, who are against the notion, repeatedly state the question that why sex education is given so much importance when there are also many other issues connected with juvenile delinquencies such as drugs, drinking and aggressive bullying. No doubt, there are also many other issues to consider important enough to be taught in school for awareness but psychological researches show that behind most of the juvenile behavioral problems, one main reason is always the active sexual urge which drives the young people to indulge themselves in harmful activities like drug abuse and alcoholism. It is also commonly observed that young teenagers who indulge into such activities are unaware of proper sex education. Once they are given a true picture of sex and its consequences their mental status relaxes and they are easily able to cope with other social taboos.

Parents, who believe that sex education pollutes the minds of their children, have in large number taken their children out of schools promoting sex education. In this process of instilling in their minds their religious and family values, they forget that the media, their children are largely exposed to can also lead them astray. Sex education in schools does not in any way offers them an invitation to have open sex by making them aware of the risks; it just educates them about the matter in the best way.

Apart from educating the students about safe sex, sex education in schools is also helpful as it helps students to learn proper terminology for reproductive system, STDs and birth contraceptives rather than the street lingo that is commonly used by laymen. Sex education classes are gender based and that is why the young learners are not embarrassed and are only taught what is related to their gender. Early inclusion of classes also helps the teenagers to either become abstinent for some time or to become responsible if they are already active. Therefore, many sexual problems that occur in adulthood can be controlled if effective and apt sex education is given at the right time.

A proper sex education which is holistic, nonjudgmental and comprehensive never misleads or misguides the teenagers. Such a curriculum should be imposed in all schools around the nation; it is an answer to many social problems and conflicts. Would any parent leave their kindergarten kids to walk alone on the streets without letting them know how to walk safely? No parent would actually do that, in the same way, letting your teenager children socialize with their peers and fellows without any proper sexual education is nothing contrary to the analogy mentioned above. It is hazardous and risky for their lives. Thus, proper sex education in schools should be encouraged so that they learn all the significant facts through trained teachers, who help and supports them in these matters of highly crucial value. Sex education should be taken as a positive aspect which promises healthier and better life for the youngsters. It therefore should be taken as a subject taught in schools to enhance knowledge on the subject matter; something merely as human anatomy or biology class. Sex education should be given in all schools to educate the children for their betterment, avoiding it will only result in emotional, social and health problems.

Read my book here whispers of my heart.

The secret to getting a great deal when buying a used tractor is to be armed with information. Start by knowing how to quickly determine the age, condition and average selling price for any brand and model of used tractor. Then know what problem areas to take a close look at. The final step is to know the seven negotiating statements that will drastically lower the asking price of any tractor — including the one sound that you can utter that will knock 10% off the price of any tractor.

Let’s start at the beginning. The first step to getting a great deal on a used tractor is to do a little research and be an informed buyer. Let’s start at the beginning. When you’re looking to buy a used tractor don’t worry that it may be older than you are. Buying a used tractor is not like buying a used car. Tractors are made to last forever and you can still get parts for almost any tractor regardless of how old it is. Also, unlike your car, tractors are relatively easy to fix. Keep these facts in mind when you’re looking for a used tractor.

When buying a used tractor, one of the most important things to look for is a hydraulic system or three-point hitch as it is commonly called. The power-take-off or PTO is part of this system. Ford introduced the three-point hitch on their 9N tractor back in 1939. Farmall and John Deere waited a little later before they came out with a three-point hitch, but still most tractors you look at will have the three-point hitch, but be sure to check.

The three-point hitch and PTO system is very important because without it you will be limited in what you can do with your tractor.  So my advice is to only look at tractors with a three-point hitch. The next step is to determine the age of the tractor you’re considering. The best way to determine the age is to find the serial number and look it up on the Internet. Cars change designs every year, but tractors only make changes every decade or two, so you can’t tell much about how old a tractor is by just looking at it.

The Internet has a wealth of information about tractors. A good website where you can use the serial number and find the date a tractor was manufactured is Yesterday’s Tractors at YesterdaysTractors.com.  When you get to this site, click on “Tractor Registry” in the left Nav. panel to find information on any tractor. You can also use this site to see how much a particular type tractor has sold for recently.

The condition of a used is more important than the age. To determine the condition of a used tractor check to see if it has a tachometer that includes an hour meter. A lot of older tractors won’t have an hour meter. You can tell a lot about the condition of a used tractor by how much the petals are worn, how much play is in the steering and checking to see if there are any oil leaks. All of these factors will help you estimate the condition of a tractor.

Don’t be fooled by a new paint job. It could be covering up things. Also look at the tires. Just because the tires have good tread, it doesn’t mean that they’re in good condition. Check for dry rot and cracks. A good set of tires could cost you from $500 to well over $1,000.

Of course, check to see how the tractor starts and how it runs. If someone is trying to sell a tractor and they can’t make it start easily, there could be problem. You may want to have a mechanic look at the tractor with you. If the tractor is hard to start in warm weather, it will be even harder to start in colder weather. After you start the tractor, check to see if there is excessive smoke from the exhaust.

After you have checked all of the above points, you will probably know more about the tractor than the owner knows.

The next step is to check prices:

Two good places to check prices (other than Yesterday’s Tractors) are TractorHouse dot com and eBay. On eBay be sure to check completed auctions to see what tractors like the one you’re looking for really sold for. You can use this information in your negotiating.

One final point: How much equipment (if any) comes with a used tractor can be a big factor in determining the value of the tractor. Also, factor in how you will get the tractor home. If you can get a trailer in the deal, that’s that’s always a big plus.

When you’re armed with all of the above information, your final step is to “Negotiate like a Pro.” Here’s how to do it.

Seven negotiating techniques for people who don’t like to negotiate:

1.    Offer way less than you expect to have to pay.  Some people say, “I don’t want to negotiate and play games with you. I will give you $5,000 for the tractor and that’s it.”  These people almost always end up negotiating and paying a lot more.

2.    Always gasp and act shocked and surprised at the other side’s first price. Without saying a word, this lets the owner know that you think their price is totally unreasonable.

3.    Never, ever say yes to the first price they quote you –  even if the price is less than you expected to have to pay. If you say yes too quickly the other side will know that they priced the tractor too low. Then they may say something like, “Well let me clear this with my partner.”  Then he will come back and say that his partner would not agree with the offer.

4.    “You’ve got to do better than that.”  Always use this expression sometime during the negotiations.  This will almost always get you a lower price.

5.    Use the “good cop/bad cop” technique.  For example, say, “I would love to buy your tractor at that price, but my wife would kill me.  She’s dead set on me not paying more than $3,500 for a used tractor.”

6.    Arm yourself with information.  The more you’re prepared with facts and information, the better deal you can negotiate.  For example, say, “I have checked eBay and other Internet sources, and tractors like this one never sell for more than $35,000.”

7.    Never agree to split the difference.  The other side is almost always willing to split the difference, so offer less than half of the difference. You’ll usually get it.

Use these techniques and you will come out with the best deal possible on a used tractor. Don’t forget that there are a lot of good used tractors out there, so always be willing to walk away from any negotiation. 

About the Author

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author and researcher. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVD’s as a results of his research.

See the latest used tractor information (updated hourly) at Used Tractor Reviews. At this site you can find the best prices for all types of used tractors. At the John Deere Reviews site you will find information about all models of used John Deere Tractors including information about where to get the lowest prices and best deals on John Deere tractors.

Anyone with the slightest interest in cooking would ultimately wish to become a professional in the field. What better way to learn than from well-known professionals themselves? There was a time when ladies were required to attend expensive finishing schools to acquire skills in gourmet cooking. Today, they have been replaced by gourmet cooking magazines which can provide everything that one needs!

The trick here is to get hold of just the perfect gourmet cooking magazine for you, because all may not prove to be equally satisfying though each one does provide some great ideas to cook wonderful meals and also gives a peep into insider tips. In fact, some of them are more advertisement-based than content-based. The one that you require should go into the details of cooking and convey information that will prove very useful to you.

Basically, how would you find the gourmet cooking magazine useful for you?

(1) Information about supplies needed for gourmet cooking is provided here. There would be advertisements indicating where good supplies can be found. Maybe you could purchase them through the gourmet cooking magazine itself. Who knows, you may have never known about them otherwise, you being a novice to the art still!

(2) A professional cook would also find the gourmet cooking magazine useful since the latest cooking methodology along with new gadgets on the market are displayed in it. The prices are also given.

(3) Beginner or professional, there are directions provided on the usage of supplies and gadgets presented here, along with tips on how they can be used to enhance your cooking skills.

(4) Not only supplies, but a choice of recipes is presented in a gourmet cooking magazine. There are old recipes, as well as fresh and new ones, including preparation of sauces, jams, etc. Tips on getting that sauce or jam just perfect are also provided. Hence, you slowly get to increase your bundle of recipes. To be noted is the fact that the recipes presented in the magazine are those used by professional chefs.

(5) Whether you are a beginner or a professional, cooking is always a continuous learning process. Articles on “how to” cook in 100% gourmet style are presented. Sometimes, they come in a series, making it easy to acquire the necessary knowledge step-by-step. Yes, the process is not easy and takes time, but with practice and guidance, you will become perfect!

Now that you are aware of what is meant by a great gourmet cooking magazine, the next question is – where can I find such a magazine?

Just do some scouting on the Internet. There are many magazines offered. Go through their reviews, select the right one for yourself, and subscribe to it. Some of them are designed very attractively! An additional advantage is online tutorials for learning and forums for discussion that are offered with the magazine, along with good discounts on products.

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Pages Ebook, “Cooking Mastery!” from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

1. Paying too much for Car Insurance, its time to seek change.

2. When you must think of a new car insurance company.

Auto insurance is not a luxury but a necessity. And in order to get the maximum advantage experts recommend that you should shop around for auto insurance every 2-3 years. As policies change and newer players enter the market there are so many new attractive auto insurance schemes that you could benefit from. You should consider changing your auto insurance when:

o You are availing a huge mortgage to buy property and the bank or institution offers you a lower interest rate on home and auto insurance through their tie -ups.

o You have moved to another state where the auto insurance rules are different and you will make a saving by transferring your insurance to a new car insurance company. Or when your old car insurance company does not offer service in your new state.

o You want to cut costs and are trying to run your life on a budget. Shop around online for competitive auto insurance rates and change the car insurance company to one who offers the best deal.

o You have purchased a new car and the dealer is offering free insurance for three years. New cars have lower insurance rates so it is best for you to do a comparative study and find a car insurance company that offers a great deal. Car insurance rates vary greatly between car brands and types; find out which car insurance company offers the maximum coverage for the lowest rate.

o You are getting married and now will have two cars. Think about cancelling your individual car insurance policies and getting a joint one for both cars. Similarly if your family is growing and you have many cars used by adults as well as kids, ask auto insurance companies about group insurance schemes that will cover all the cars and drivers in your home. Most companies offer great discounted rates for combining car insurance policies.

o You are retired and now a senior citizen. Car insurance companies offer discounts to those who are 55 and above. There are a great many discounts available for a car that has a good insurance claim record, a car that is not driven every day, and a car that is single driver driven and well maintained.

o You are eligible for coverage through your new job. Many large companies have facilities like auto insurance schemes at premium rates lower than the market. If you are working in such a firm then you must consider cancelling your old policy and taking a new one with the car insurance company chosen by your workplace.

o When the rates being paid by you are high and your car insurance company shows no inclination to offer you a competitive rate. If you are paying too much for car insurance its time you changed your car insurance company to one that is offering you great facilities and rates.

Whatever the reason to change your car insurance company, the World Wide Web has sites where you can compare offers as well as quotes. Sites like LowerMyBills.com give quote comparisons in a click. So, read all you can about car insurance and the companies and determine which car insurance company offer will suit you best.

Aaron Brooks is a freelance writer for http://www.1888carinsurance.com/, the premier website to find Car Insurance Quotes including auto insurance quote, online auto insurance quote, free car insurance quote, cheap car insurance quote, on line car insurance quote and more. He also freelances for the premier Cars site http://www.1866cars.com

Marketing – A Juggler’s Art:

Marketing, in more the one way, is like juggling. This strange analogy will become crystal clear if we take a close look at it. Just like the juggler the marketer too has to do these things to thrive in his business: first, he has to hook his audience; gain their attention through several jazzy tricks; and then hold their attention by still more innovative juggling. All this he has to achieve without losing balance, focus or steadfastness in the art, the industry, in the marketer’s case. In short, marketing is all about alluring, attracting and holding a collection of customers for your Company’s welfare.

The Purpose Behind:

To quote the American Marketing Association’s definition, it is “an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders”. If one dilutes all the verbosity and looks at it, marketing means “selling” a product. This is the prime purpose behind any kind of marketing. The “selling” is accelerated with the help of properly chalked out plans called marketing strategies.

Factors that Influence:

With “selling” as the ultimate goal, marketing strategies are influenced by two basic factors: first, acquisition of customers; second, retention of the acquired customers. So every other strategy that is laid out will focus on the above two. A Company has to work closely towards achieving these two to attain the desired cutting edge over its competitors. There are also a few other objectives like creating awareness (informational and educational) about the product, brand-building and accelerating sales.

Traditional Marketing:

With the world changing at every nanosecond, marketing is also reeling under a whirlwind of change. New modes of marketing like e-marketing and online marketing have evolved. Yet traditional marketing still holds sway with many corporates. Traditional marketing operates based on the following strategies.

The Four Ps- Worship them:

The ‘Four Ps’ or the ‘marketing mix’ is a cliché with every marketer. Formulated by Jerome McCarthy, the ‘Four Ps’ refers to the four factors that a marketer has to consider before launching a product or offering a service. The marketing mix comprises of Product, Price, Promotion and Placement. In McCarthy’s assessment, first and foremost comes the Product-its production and management; second, the process of fixing an affordable price; third, the promotion of the product which includes advertising, branding etc and finally fourth, the placement or distribution of the product, its retailing and the process by which it reaches the customer. All these four elements have to be decided and well planned before pitching into any product launch.

Segmentation- Categorize your audience:

In traditional marketing, the market is segmented into many subsets or segments depending on geographic, demographic, psycho graphic and behavioral variables. Each segment is homogenous and responds in a particular way to a particular marketing strategy. Small segments are considered as ‘niche’ markets or ‘specialty’ markets. A product is aimed at a particular segment and is launched only after thorough market research and consumer research on the segment. This assures the marketer that he is not bungee jumping but walking safely and securely on a well-laid road. Hence a product that is not needed by that particular segment is not produced. This deep analysis of the target segment is called ‘depth segmentation’. While the study of the target customer’s behavioral traits, nature, lifestyle etc is called ‘Buyer’s Profile’. With all these the marketer draws a marketing plan, which is fully geared to reach the target consumer.

Other aspects:

Traditional marketing, unlike New Marketing, is Company-focused and product-based. It intends only to increase the visibility of the Company and its brand. The message conveyed to the customer is Company-controlled and motivated unlike in new marketing, which is Consumer-focused and attuned to consumer’s interests. The Company becomes the active participant while the consumer fades into the inactive and passive zone. A marketer, adopting the traditional method, will use his product’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to market it. USP is that unique feature which is exclusive to a particular product from a particular brand. With less number of competitors, USP-marketing is a very novel method. But in today’s world every other brand has all the features offered by its competitor. Hence the glamour of USP-marketing is fading away.

Advertising and Promotion:

Marketing plans and strategies finally end in advertising. For it is advertising which exposes the product to the world and places it in a platform for the target customer to view. It gives the product visibility and helps boosts its sales. Advertising, in general, can be classified into two trends: Above-the-line (ATL) and Below-the-line (BTL). ATL covers all the advertising done through media. BTL stands for all the promotions- public relations, sponsorships, merchandising etc. In traditional marketing mostly ATL is practiced. The following media are the ATL modes of advertising:

Print Medium: Newspapers, Magazines, Yellow Pages, Posters and Billboards.

TV & Radio: All kinds of TV and Radio spots

Other Communications: All kinds of mailers and leaflets

Traditional Marketing – Is it valid today?

When the world shifts gears and operates in a faster pace, it is advisable for us also to follow its lead and take up the trend. Traditional Marketing, say many market analysts, fails to work in today’s world. The brand recall is very minimal as the customer is exposed to a variety of brands. Moreover, as every other brand is as good as its competitor, there is no particular reason for the consumer to opt for a particular brand. That’s why today’s marketer aims at 360-degree marketing – an all round marketing strategy covering all the available modes and aimed at constant brand recall. This is where online marketing offer a lot of hope for the marketer as the web reaches out to the prospective buyer in a fastest pace possible. With all these around, the question of whether traditional marketing is valid today rises.

Maybe one can nullify this question by a few well-grounded answers: Traditional Marketing is adjudged as the best method according to a national survey conducted in 2005 in the U.S. jointly by Harris Interactive and Public Relations Society of America. As per the survey, most of the general public, Fortune 1000 businessmen and Congressional Staffers voted the traditional method of marketing as the best method. Though the year 2005 belongs to a dead past now, the statement by the reputed marketer Mr. Wilson will put an end to doubting queries: ” Traditional Marketing helps because people still view them”.

Jeff Blackwell is the founder of http://www.SalesPractice.com, an online Sales Training community that assists sales practitioners in mastering the art of sales by providing professional sales training resources including a collection of leading articles, sales script book, industry source book, and sales forum.

1. No vision. Successful businesses have a clear vision or picture of their business purpose and mission. Your vision serves as a roadmap to help you see where you are today in relationship to where you want to be tomorrow. Your business plan serves as the mechanism that will help you to bridge the gap. When you don’t have a clear vision as to why you’re in business or where you intend to take your business, it’s like taking a road trip without a map. When you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll waste a lot of time, money, and energy trying to find the right road leading to your destination. A well-defined vision will help you stay focused and on track.

2. No niche. One of the most common reasons for business failure stems from having a poorly defined niche. A niche can refer to a target market or to an area of specialization. When businesses fail to target a specific group of consumers, they risk being attractive to no one. Perhaps it has its underpinnings in the saying, “You can’t please everyone.” The more narrowly you market your business, the better your chances of generating new business. Market yourself as an expert in a specialty, while showcasing yourself to a narrow market that you can most benefit.

3. No business plan. Your business plan is your strategy. It includes many important items like defining your business niche and target market, your marketing plan, financial projections, staffing, investments, as well as the benefits and features of your products and services. Referring back to your vision for your business, it is your business plan that provides the strategies to move you from where you are today to where you want to be in the future. If you don’t have a business plan to follow, your chances of achieving success are greatly diminished. Plans have a way of becoming reality. Craft your plan carefully and use it to guide your progress forward.

4. No marketing plan. A marketing plan outlines the steps you intend to take to sell your product or service. As one component of the overall business plan, it identifies your niche, your product or service benefits, the strategies you’ll employ to reach your target market, as well as how much you intend to spend. Marketing is fundamental to your company’s success. Without it, you won’t have any customers or clients. For this reason, it’s critical to spend the extra effort to develop one.

5. No marketing calendar. This item is a subset of the overall marketing plan. It is critical to any marketing effort in that it schedules when you intend to implement various marketing strategies. By having a calendar, you’ll be more organized about how you go about marketing. Also, it provides a way to track what you’ve done and the results of your efforts. Marketing is not a one-time effort, but rather something that must be done consistently over time. A calendar is critical to staying on target and on track with your marketing plan.

6. No action. Taking action is the foundation of progress. Without it you will have no clients and ultimately no business. Sometimes business owners get caught up in process so that they are unable to make decisions. Other times they suffer from being perfectionists and don’t implement ideas because they don’t think they are good enough. Anything that prevents you from moving forward will lead you down the path to failure. Until decisions are made, flow is stopped and that usually means your business is blocked as well. Until you put your products or services out there, you’re never going to make sales. It’s better to take some action, risking an outcome you might not desire, than to stop and stagnate.

7. No customer service program. You’re in business only because you have customers or clients. In order to get business and to maintain it, it’s important to have a customer service program. A program can include anything from the methods you use to gain new clients, to how you service them once they are your clients. It includes follow up visits or calls, providing information to them about current or new products and services, and, most importantly, kind, courteous, and prompt service when they have a problem or issue. It’s expensive to get new clients. It’s better and easier to retain the one’s you have by employing an outstanding customer service program.

8. No strategic partners. Successful business owners don’t go it alone. They associate, partner, and network with other highly successful and exceptional people. Partnering with others is a way to quickly expand the reach of your own business. There’s a wonderful synergy that comes with doing things with others. There are more ideas, more knowledge, and more resources to create products and services. While you can be successful on your own, you can do more and do it more quickly when you work with others.

9. No ways of monitoring progress. You cannot manage what you cannot monitor or measure. Every business needs to identify its key success factors. It might be the number of products sold, the number of service hours provided, the number of signups generated from an email campaign, or even the perception of your business in the local community. The only way you can improve your business and attain the success you desire, is by measuring the results of your actions. You’ll be able to identify what is working and also where the shortfalls exist. You can use any number of methods including internal operating checklists, customer surveys, and even peer reviews – feedback from your alliance partners or competitors. This valuable feedback will be extremely useful in realigning your business efforts in the direction that maximizes success.

10. No professional approach. Successful businesses develop systems to deal with all aspects of business operations. Whether it’s a system for marketing products or services, or a system for dealing with customer orders or complaints, policies and procedures serve to make business run more smoothly. Your systems will cultivate a sense of confidence and trust in the hearts and minds of prospects and current customers that they will be dealt with in a consistent and professional manner.

11. No commitment to learning. There is no place for complacency when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Successful business owners search constantly for new and better ways to get clients as well as to serve the ones they already have. They are aware of the latest trends and ideas so they can create products and services which best serve the changing needs of their target market. They learn about and implement processes that increase the effectiveness of their day-to-day operations. By committing yourself to learning and to implementing what you learn, you’re committing yourself to success in all parts of your business.

12. No follow up. Business owners that don’t follow up with clients and customers are perceived as inattentive, uncaring, and unprofessional. Lack of follow up is a surefire way to lose clients and to ensure that you won’t be referred any new ones. Whether it’s returning phone calls, following up with emails, or delivering a product or service to the client as promised, make sure that you complete these tasks. Following up is fundamental to creating great, long-term customer relationships. Not only does it show that you respect your clients, it is a standard of excellence among business professionals.

13. No consistency. Consistent action is one of the most important habits to cultivate if you truly desire business success. First, you must be committed to the long-term – that it will take time to build up your business. But more importantly, you must be committed to taking consistent action – taking the steps to market yourself on a regular basis. The only way to be heard above the “noise’ of thousands of other marketing messages is for potential customers to see and hear about you on a regular basis. Each day, commit yourself to taking one action that will increase your visibility or credibility. You’ll be surprised at how quickly these little steps build into much larger successes.

14. No way to monitor website activity. The success of your website is dependent on multiple visits and repeat visits to your website. In order to determine the effectiveness of your website, it’s important to monitor which parts of your website are attracting the most traffic. Successful companies use various tracking software programs to see which pages are visited most often and which links are clicked most frequently. This valuable information will tell you what is and is not working. If something isn’t drawing the attention you desire, it’s important to make changes and quickly. Making changes to your website is one of the easiest things to do to keep your business moving forward.

15. Not willing to ask for the sale. Without sales, you won’t be in business. No matter how skillful you are with running the day-to-day business operations, if you don’t sell your products or services, you won’t need to worry about running a business for long. All of the marketing efforts in the world won’t create customers who are beating down your door to buy from you. Your marketing effort must extend beyond the regularly scheduled activities on your marketing calendar. Being confident in what you are selling, being skillful in conveying benefits and features, and managing objections are key to making sales. The most important action to take, however, is simply to ask for the sale.

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith

Alicia Smith is a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping coaches to Make Money Now. This article is derived from just one of the 90 lessons contained in her e-course, 90-Day Marketing Marathon. To learn more about that course and her other products and services, please visit the following sites. (You also can email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com.) http://www.90DayMarketingMarathon.com http://www.discninja.com http://www.InternetAssessments.com

Tibetan singing bowls originated in the Himalayan regions of Tibet, Northern China, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Historians are unable to pinpoint exactly when singing bowls came into being, but the technique to build similar instruments existed in Asia as long as 2,500 years ago. Some sources believe that singing bowls were first used in India 3,000 years ago, and in Tibet 1,000 years ago. It is believed that the “Bon” sect of shamans often used singing bowls in their rituals.

Singing bowls were originally comprised of five, seven, or nine different metals including gold, silver, mercury, copper, tin, and iron. Some also believe that meteorite was used in making the original bowls. But most bowls were made using five metals or less.

Today, singing bowls are often made by pouring metal into a cast. These singing bowls are smoother and are generally easier to play. There are also hand-hammered singing bowls on the market. Hand-hammered bowls are more difficult to play, and even though they are often passed off as old or antique, few of them are. Antique bowls are still around, but they are very rare and high-priced.

Playing a singing bowl is very simple, and you will be able to play most bowls in less than five minutes. Simply circle the stick around the outside of the bowl very slowly in a steady rhythm. You might have to circle for a while before you actually hear anything. You will begin to hear a slight hum, and this hum will increase as you continue circling the stick around the bowl.

Singing bowls are often used for meditation, and you can play your bowl while meditating yourself. You can also ask someone else to play the bowl while you are meditating. Singing bowls are often used in yoga classes as well. In a yoga class someone would sit in the class to play the bowl while the students go through the asanas. This is a nice addition to any yoga class, and is more soothing than the recorded music that many yoga classes use.

Singing bowls are wonderful to use in outside environments and for yourself at home. They are becoming more and more popular in the west, along with yoga and Buddhism. When you are not playing your singing bowl, it still serves as a beautiful decoration for your home. In Tibet singing bowls are often used for other purposes, such as offering bowls, as well as for playing.

Sylvia is the co-owner of Hinky Import, which offers singing bowls and Chinese gifts. She has been a frequent traveler to Tibet and China.

Due to the growing number of double-income families in America, the need for childcare providers is constantly on the rise. Just take a look at the statistics: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in their May 2005 Databook, 11.6 million children under age 5 were in some type of regular childcare arrangement every week.

In the 2004 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a whopping 63% of children under age 5 are in some type of regular childcare arrangement every week.

How does this impact our society in general?

These statistics show that more than half of preschool-age children spend a majority of their waking hours in the care of non-family members. According to records, these children spend an average of 36 hours per week in a private or public childcare facility.

These figures become significant when we consider that the first few years in a child’s life are the so-called ‘formative years.’ These are when kids’ brains imbibe a lot of inputs from his environment. Thus, the people with whom he spends much of his waking hours impact his development significantly.

And because childcare is inevitable for double-income families, single parents, and couples who don’t have the luxury of having other relatives to look after their children, childcare providers must be selected with great care.

Quality childcare is important so that the child will be positively influenced intellectually, morally, and socially. A well-trained childcare workforce is important so that the kids left in childcare would eventually perform well in academics as well as have fewer behavioral problems as they grow up.

Childcare facilities must provide quality programs that are both safe and enjoyable for their wards. This means that the overall environment in a childcare center must come as close as possible to the environment that the child has in his own home – surrounded by caring adults who are deeply concerned in his welfare.

Many childcare agencies aggressively encourage childcare providers to obtain early childhood education courses, or at least enroll in continuing childcare education [http://www.bestchildcareguide.com/category/infant-day-care-centers], so that they come well equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for their jobs.

Even as some teenagers and working students are found worthy to be excellent childcare providers, studies made by the Center for the Childcare Workforce show that the amount of formal education possessed by a childcare provider is still the strongest predictor for his or her ability to facilitate developmentally appropriate activities for children under his or her care.

You can also find more info on child care and childcare center [http://www.bestchildcareguide.com/category/a-childcare-center]. Bestchildcareguide.com/ is a comprehensive resource to know more about child care.

Having a backyard tennis court is much better than having to go to the local courts everyday. With a back yard tennis court, tennis lovers can play any time a partner is available. With the high gas prices of today, constructing a tennis court in the back yard proves to be economically feasible.

Overview

Having a back yard tennis court is fun for the entire family. It doesn’t matter if there is a tennis player in the family or not. The fact is that the sport provides a wonderful forum for exercise. Being that the game can be played with four players, a family of four can very easily enjoy a game of tennis on their own court.

When making the decision to embark upon tennis court construction, it must be realized that this is an important and a wise investment. It is also important to realize that there is tennis equipment involved and that the court and the equipment need to be maintained well. Tennis courts can be beautiful in a back yard if they are maintained properly

Benefits

A backyard court gives a family a good workout and allows them to spend quality time together. Because of the fact that so many individuals are encountering health issues due to inactivity and many are battling obesity, adding something such as a back yard tennis court can help reverse the effects brought on by these issues.

A backyard court also makes for a great place to get together with friends and have a good time. Individuals can have barbecues and play a good game of tennis or have matches in the back yard. The possibilities are virtually endless. However, most of the benefits lie in what having a tennis court can do for the overall health of the entire family.

Tennis court construction

Tennis court construction isn’t as involved as it may look to some. It is good to have the area fenced in so that the tennis balls do not fly into a neighbor’s yard or into another area where they don’t belong. Fencing also keeps out intruders. You can use a privacy fence and you can even get a green vinyl cover to put around your tennis court.

There is also the fact that the concrete has to be poured at 4 inches. The compressive strength should also be 3,000 psi. Also, the water to cement ratio needs to be no more than.40 with a 6% air content. This is to give the concrete the right feel. Having the right feel is important to tennis court construction and to the overall game play because having concrete with the right air content makes for a lesser impact on the knees. The next step is to paint the concrete green or red. Many individuals use both of these colors. There is also the fact that the lines have to be painted onto the court. A tennis court is not a tennis court until it looks like one.

Some individuals even put stone retaining walls around their backyard court that only sits about two feet off of the ground. They do this to keep such elements as water out and to keep animals out. This is great at keeping the court in tip top shape.

And then of course there is the net. A tennis net is your last step. It is not hard to acquire and is quite affordable. They come in one height, so you don’t have to worry about any particular measurements or anything of that sort. After the net is put in place, you now have yourself a backyard court.

Tennis equipment

When a family is going to have a backyard court, it is important to have tennis court equipment. Tennis equipment consists of such items as windscreens to put around the court, the tennis net, trash cans for everyone to throw their trash, water coolers, net posts, tennis ball machines for solo games, tennis ball baskets to carry around all of the balls, and benches so that others can watch.

Players can also include numbers if they really want to feel as if they’re in a real match. They can even invest in tennis ball mowers to pick up the tennis balls faster. If a person doesn’t want a tennis ball basket, they can have a tennis ball cart. There are so many different types of tennis court equipment that can be used to make playing more enjoyable.

It is more or less up to the individual what type of tennis equipment they invest in. This is because different individuals have different levels of experience. Some also view it as a simple workout and others want their tennis court to look like it belongs at a professional match. There is nothing wrong with that. It is a hefty investment, but worth it to those who really want that game feel.

Love the game

It is hard to not love the game of tennis. It is exciting because of that adrenaline rush that comes about when the ball is returned. It also makes individuals feel really good after a game. That’s because the workout is incredible. And to think that it is possible to have a backyard tennis court is even more exciting. This means no more waiting for other players to get done at the court. Public courts usually have just a few courts open at a time, which means people have to wait for others to finish. Having a backyard tennis court fixes that problem.

Swati is a freelancer, a work from home mom, who loves to write. She is a postgraduate in English and an MBA. She has written on practically every niche on the web. She writes articles, blogs, web pages, reports, press releases, product descriptions, eBooks, sales letters and newsletters. Visit Swati’s blog now if you need content for your business or personal needs.

If you look into a student’s room, you’ll most likely see the walls covered with posters. You probably decorated your dorm room with posters (e.g., classic movie posters, posters of your favorite band or singer, etc.) when you were a college student.

There is a huge market for classic movie posters today. These classic movie posters, sold at DVD and record shops, are mainly used by marketing outfits as marketing tools for promoting movies and persuading the movie going public to go to the theaters and watch. However, classic movie posters also serve as memorabilia for movie lovers. After all, classic movie posters are an artwork in themselves. Many of these classic movie posters are actually considered works of art because their designs become the symbols of the films.

Movie posters can convey plenty of information regarding the cast, director, crew and such, but there are movie posters whose focus is more on conveying a powerful visual image. You will notice that older classic movie posters have more words and tag lines and often feature painted images of the lead actors. Other classic movie posters use still photographs that were taken directly from the film.

Many of the images in the classic movie posters are literal. For instance, Gone With The Wind’s classic movie poster had Vivian Leigh in Clarke Gable’s arms. The King Kong classic movie poster has the heroine being carried by King Kong. The Casablanca classic movie poster has its lead stars, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, looking at us, their cheeks against each other.

The more memorable poster images or photographs eventually become the lead stars’ iconic images, and they stay in the moviegoer’s minds. In fact, these poster images are often what launches actors to stardom. For instance, the image of Audrey Hepburn in the classic movie poster for Breakfast At Tiffany’s is one that has endured through the years. Mention her name and the public thinks of her in an evening gown, adorned with jewels. The classic movie posters for The Great Escape captured Steve McQueen doing different motorbike stunts. And James Dean…perhaps his most memorable image is the one that appeared in the Giant’s classic movie poster: Dean posed crucified with his rifle. And who wouldn’t have seen the famous photo of Marilyn Monroe standing over an air vent, trying to hold her dress down? This image of Monroe was used to promote the Bus Stop film. You can find great information on movies and movie reviews at http://www.magiclanternpr.com

The horror genre has its share of memorable images too. The images in the older classic movie posters in this genre mostly conveyed a subtle, quiet menace. For instance, it would be hard not to feel a chill when looking at Norman Bats’ shadowy house iin the classic movie poster for Psycho. Similarly, Jack Nicholson with his head smashed through the door in the movie poster for The Shining is scary. The classic movie poster for The Candyman has a wasp sitting on the edge of an eye.

The Jaws movie poster is one of the classic movie posters that is most reproduced. This classic movie poster has a simple but very powerful image: a shark’s mouth wide open, directly facing us. Another powerful poster image is that of Taxi Driver’s Robert De Niro with his hand at his temple, pointed like a gun. And when it comes to the romance genre, the Titanic movie poster is a true classic. It captures the image of Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet above the Titanic, two people forever in love.

Article by Dean Forster at http://www.magiclanternpr.com . For more great information on movies and movie reviews visit Family Movie Review

The Colorado health insurance marketplace can be difficult to navigate. If you’re looking for health insurance on your own, you may be wondering, “Where can I find the right health plan for me? Where can I turn if I am denied health coverage? What are my rights as a consumer in Colorado?”

To help answer those questions, we have researched and compiled important information regarding Colorado health insurance. By taking the following tips into consideration, you’ll be able make a more educated health insurance purchase.

Things to Remember When Shopping for Health Insurance

Colorado health insurance consumers should follow the following recommendations when purchasing health insurance:

• Read the insurance policy and contact the insurance company or insurance agent if you have any questions.
• Make sure you review the section of your health insurance policy entitled “exclusions and limitations.”
• Find out how rates will increase as you age, and how often an insurance company can increase rates.
• If you are looking for a managed-care plan, check the provider’s directory to make sure there are suitable doctors, hospitals and other health care providers available.
• Find out if there are any “health plan report cards” available that assess consumer satisfaction/quality of care with various health insurance plans.
• Call the insurer’s customer service number to see how quickly you are able to get help.
• If you have special needs or preexisting conditions, make sure you contact a doctor or support organization for health insurance recommendations.

Colorado Health Insurance Subscriber’s Rights

Colorado health insurance consumers have certain rights through Colorado state law. Regardless of the type of health insurance coverage you hold, you have a right to:

• Insurance coverage for certain mandated benefits
• Know what your health insurance plan does and does not cover
• Contact your insurer to complain or appeal any decisions with which you disagree
• Receive a standard form outlining health insurance benefits for comparison between companies and health plans
• A written explanation of why an insurance company denies your health insurance application, or excludes a health condition from insurance coverage
• Coverage of emergency room care, if you believe you are facing a life- or limb-threatening injury (even if it turns out you were not)
• Prompt payment of claims

What to Do If You Are Denied Health Insurance Coverage

If you have been denied health insurance coverage in the state of Colorado due to preexisting medical conditions, you may qualify for the Colorado Uninsurable Health Insurance Plan (CUHIP). CUHIP gives uninsurable Colorado residents the ability to be insured through the state-subsidized CUHIP program. However, due to the higher risk levels of CUHIP patients, CUHIP subscribers pay about 30 percent more for health insurance than most healthy people. If you are uninsurable due to a preexisting health condition, you may contact the CUHIP administrator at 1-800-672-8477 for more information.

Remember to Shop Around

Health insurance plans can vary widely in both price and coverage. Make sure you take the time to shop around, ask questions and learn as much as you can about potential health insurance policies.

About InsureMe

If you’d like to compare multiple Colorado health insurance quotes, try InsureMe.com’s free referral service—you’ll receive up to five free insurance quotes from insurance agents who compete for your business.

James Omdahl is and employee of InsureMe, an Englewood, Colorado-based company, that links agents nationwide with consumers shopping for insurance. Specializing in auto, home, life, long-term care and health insurance quotes, the InsureMe network provides thousands of agents with insurance leads every year.

Everyone’s wearing vintage style from the girl on the high street to A list celebrities. Even high street shops are now following suit with their own ranges of vintage inspired clothes. But why is vintage clothing so popular and how can you get the vintage look?

Vintage clothing is described by Trudie Bamford, author of Viva Vintage (Carroll & Brown) as clothing made between 1920 and 1970. Anything before 1920 is antique and anything after is retro. Although many people use vintage as a term to describe clothes that are not brand new. The popularity of vintage clothing is currently huge with large numbers of people owning at least a few items of vintage clothing and some people only ever wearing vintage clothes. Celebrities have fueled the popularity of vintage by wearing vintage designer clothes like Julia Roberts in her Vintage Valentino gown, worn for the Oscars in 2001. In the High Street Oasis and Next have also created there own vintage inspired clothing with similar styles and colors as clothing from various different eras of fashion.

The popularity of vintage clothing is probably due to three factors. The individuality of vintage pieces is a real attraction to many people. The range of clothing on the high street almost always follows the seasons trends. You are much less likely to see someone wearing the same or a similar outfit if you wear vintage clothing. Many will use one key piece of vintage clothing or an accessory to give an outfit bought on the high street an individual twist. Vintage clothing has also proved popular as many love the beautiful , delicate and detailed ladylike styles that can be found when buying vintage clothing. Many vintage clothes lovers have a keen interest in the history of fashion and finding vintage clothing is an interesting hobby.

Key looks such as 1940′s Dior New Look frequently inspire designer and high street main stream collections and those who wear vintage clothing have the benefit of wearing the ‘real thing’. Finally the beauty of vintage clothing is often in the quality of the garment. The vintage clothing that has stood the test of time and has managed to remain in a reasonable and wearable condition will usually be of a superior quality to many clothes mass produced in the present day. Clothing made before 1960 is probably handmade and quality natural materials such as silk and wool were used as man made and synthetic materials were not available. Styles and trends of clothing did not change as frequently as it does today so clothes were made to last.

Buying vintage clothes can be a time consuming business. Finding the right item takes time. There are many shops specializing in vintage clothes, charity shops and flea markets are also good hunting grounds. The internet provides an excellent resource for finding vintage clothes. eBay is treasure trove for vintage clothes and you can often get a real bargain if you look hard enough. There are also many online vintage shops which make it easier to find the item you are looking for but are likely to charge a bit more for the privilege.

A word of warning, there are some key pitfalls to watch out for when buying vintage clothing. Do not automatically trust the sellers description of the item. Check for indicators of the age of the items such as metal zippers and buttons instead of plastic on pre-1950′s clothes, any clothing with a care instruction label will be post 1970′s. When buying designer vintage you will need to do your research to ensure that the item you are purchasing is genuine. It also important to consider the quality of any vintage clothing that you would like to buy. When buying online you will not be able to assess the quality so should ask key questions to make sure you are happy with your buy. Due to the very nature of vintage clothing, it will be in varying conditions. Wear and tear can range from the easily solved tear along a seam or small moth hole to less desirable underarm perspiration stains.

Finally sizing can present a problem when buying vintage clothes. Sizes have changed quite a lot over the years and a size 12 item from the 1950′s may be the equivalent of a side 6 or 8 now. It is also possible that clothing can have shrunk in the wash making it even smaller than expected. If unable to try the item on use a tape measure to measure yourself and ask the seller to do the same with the clothes.

When you manage to find the beautiful vintage item that you really love, look after it well. Check the type of material and find out how it should be cleaned. If in doubt take it to a professional dry cleaner. Store carefully using acid free tissue paper for very delicate items and moth balls/ cedar wood for wool.

This article was written by Ceri Heathcote for Designerhighstreet.com For all the latest fashions including party cocktail dress and ladies evening dress

No novice cook can consider themselves a gourmet cook. Achieving that status comes only at the end of a long road of cooking. Like any other art …. it takes practice, practice, practice to become a gourmet cook.

Perhaps it comes after long years of schooling where cooking, cooking, cooking is the word of the day and the end result is working in a top notch A – list restaurant in New York or Paris.

Then again. . ….. maybe the mother at home cooking meals every day for her family one day finds herself spending hours in the kitchen preparing one meal.. just because .. and loving it.

Could there possibly be a working mother who one time found preparing meals at the end of a long work day extremely tedious … finding herself looking for that extra special recipe for her husband’s birthday meal?

However achieved ….. it is after years of study and practice or years of doing everyday meals that one becomes a part of the “gourmet cooking world”.. suddenly opening up to the fact that not all recipes are the same .. and that cooking food has suddenly become an exciting challenge and fun.

Suddenly you can tell by just looking at a recipe whether it will taste good or not., how healthy it is, how appropriate to fill a “mood” …… simply by the combination of ingredients and spices and herbs and flavorings.

Those recipes that in the past seemed way too complicated or intricate now beckon you enticingly and family and friends begin looking forward to each and every meal you serve.

Your table settings become more simply elegant.

You find yourself looking more and more at kitchen “gadgets”.

In response to comments such as “that must have taken you forever to make” you honestly answer.. “oh not at all.. it really was simple!!”

To you .. the gourmet cook … it didn’t take long at all and it was simple.

To the novice cook .. it would take an eternity … far far from simple… and if you stop to think… that was you not all that long ago.

You have become a gourmet cook without even trying.

Your life cooking will never ever be the same as it was.

No longer will you be satisfied to make those “meat, potatoes and gravy” meals without that extra “something” in it.

No longer will you be satisfied to set your table without having candles on it.

No longer will you be able to let anyone leave the table without that one taste of sweetness that is dessert to balance the meal.

Perhaps you have recognized that in yourself … perhaps you haven’t … even though it is there.

Gourmet Cook.

It is not just the well schooled in France who achieve that status.

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So often, garden tractors are used solely to mow the lawn, something an ordinary lawn mower can achieve with ease. Garden tractors are built with more heavy duty work in mind.

A garden tractor will have tires with good traction for working in a garden, a smallish (around 5 gallon) fuel tank, a PTO (this could be electric or engine powered) with a hydraulic clutch, and some offer 4WD. Depending on the specifications, garden tractors can be used with a full line of compatible attachments such as: dump cart, trailer, tiller, broadcast spreader, snow thrower, blade, roller, sprayer, spike aerator, disk, plow, cultivator and rotary broom.

The Power Take-Off (PTO) shaft on your tractor allows you to use these pieces of equipment, but it also has the potential to cause major safety problems if you don’t use it correctly. The PTO is a shaft on the rear end of a tractor that transfers power from the tractor to another implement or piece of equipment such as a manure spreader or planter. According to the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, up to 20 percent of farm injuries occur as a result of PTO accidents. Therefore, operational safety of the PTO is critical. Make sure the PTO shaft on your tractor has a shield to minimize your chances of getting entangled in it. Never allow children near your tractor, especially if it’s running.

A lawn or garden tractor is handy for driving through barn alleyways and pens or for pulling a small manure or feed cart. It would be unsuitable, however, for routine fieldwork, arena work, or large-scale feeding or manure handling. Lawn tractors can be an expensive option for horsemen – by the time you buy a tractor, a cart, and other attachments, you might have reached the same price range as a compact tractor. You could end up with half the tractor for the same price. You might want to consider purchasing a lawn tractor for light duty or barn work if you are planning to buy two tractors.

The original garden tractors that appeared in the early part of last century were mainly two wheeled versions. As with most mechanical equipment of the time, they were large and heavy, in sharp contrast to modern tractors. After the 1950s, the popularity of two wheeled garden tractors peaked and the four wheeled versions began to increase in popularity.

TIPS WHEN SELECTING A GARDEN TRACTOR

1. The single most crucial aspect of purchasing a used tractor is condition. If you are in the market for a used tractor, and you find one in good condition (preferably with as many attachments as possible), buy it.

2. Look for a brand that is popular in your area, so you can pick up a few spares that will take the same attachments.

3. Select your horsepower carefully. Six horsepower is enough to power a small rider tractor, and half that for a two wheeler.

3. If purchasing an older tractor, stay away from automatic drive, the early ones weren’t very efficient, and all of them are complicated.

4. Make sure the model you select is a real garden tractor, not a lawn tractor designed only for mowing grass. The majority of manufacturers make both types.

5. Look to avoid orphan brands of tractors, but do not expect many of today’s dealers to have many parts for very old tractors.

The author seeks to promote knowledge of garden tractors and their different, unique uses. Visit him at http://usedgardentractorsforsale.com

According to the United States Department of Education, 92 million adults took part in some type of formal education to accommodate new job requirements, earn an advanced degree, keep their skills current or simply to attain a higher education. The education specialist degree program is intended for teachers, supervisors, administrators and counselors in elementary and secondary schools. This degree program offers specialization for teachers who have completed their master’s degree, along with in-depth opportunities for enhanced professional growth.

The minimum educational requirement to pursue an education specialist degree is 60 hours of graduate credit, which might include a master’s degree. A candidate for the program should have a minimum 3.0 grade point average on their previous graduate work. Furthermore, many educational specialist programs require at least three years of successful teaching in the field, standardized test scores, writing samples and recommendations. Since a specialist level teacher is considered an instructional leader, the education specialist degree program builds upon the teacher’s prior education and professional experiences to accomplish this. The specialist program ensures that a teacher who completes the course is particularly knowledgeable about current theory and practice in education.

Specific areas of study can be pursued within the education specialist degree program. Such areas of include curriculum and instruction, administration and counseling.

Curriculum and instruction: Teachers pursuing an education specialist degree with a concentration in curriculum and instruction are involved with the teaching, supervision and curriculum of discipline-centered areas of study.

Administration: Those educators seeking an education specialist degree with a concentration in administration can seek licenses for advanced administrative positions within public and private schools, such as building administrator, administrative specialist, vocational director and district administrator.

Counseling: Teachers taking the education specialist degree program with a concentration in counseling have the opportunity for advanced training and study in specialized areas of interest, such as individual, group or family clinical counseling.

Specializations within each of the three segments of the education specialist degree include literature, art, English, foreign language, science, social education, mathematics and special education. The education specialist degree program encompasses 30 semester hours.

An education specialist degree is intended to develop proficiency and professional among teachers already in service. By earning an education specialist degree online, working teachers are afforded the flexibility to attend classes around their own schedule. Online education makes it easier for teachers to pursue higher education while keeping their current positions and maintaining tenure. Thus, attending an education specialist degree program online enables teachers to remain in the classroom with students while they learn how to enhance the educational experience. Teachers who attain an education specialist degree are useful in imparting leadership skills to other teachers, administrators, colleagues and students. Many such teachers implement school improvement plans, developing and using unique teaching practices right in their own classroom.

So are the longterm benefits of pursuing an education specialist degree online worth balancing time between earning and learning? The U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2006-07 Edition states that 1 in 4 Americans are enrolled in educational institutions; this makes the educational services the second largest industry in America. About 13 million jobs exist in education services today and most of them require at least a bachelor’s degree. The Guide further offers that, “Wage and salary employment growth of 17 percent is expected in the educational services industry over the 2004-14 period, higher than the 14 percent increase projected for all industries combined. The number of teachers retiring is expected to remain a record high over the 2004-2014 period, so there may be a lack of students graduating with education degrees to meet this growing industry’s needs. This makes job opportunities for graduates in many education fields good to excellent.”

Education remains an important part of life and school attendance is compulsory the United States, so there are numerous educational establishments to teach at. As technology expands and the economy changes, there will be an increased need for skilled teachers with an innovative approach to dynamic classroom situations. People holding an education specialist degree will have increased opportunities to advance into positions as administrators, specialized counselors or even assist in developing cutting edge curriculum for students. In a Report released in July 2006, The U.S. Department of Labor reveals that school districts report difficulties in recruiting qualified administrators and teachers, especially in urban and rural areas.

According to the Distance Education and Training Council, over 4 million students are enrolled in online universities and schools and that number is growing by 30 percent each year. The convenience of pursuing an education specialist degree online enables teachers to learn while they earn, as well implement the skills they attain in their own classrooms as they go. Thus, education specialist degree online programs are beneficial to both teachers and their students.

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