Friendship and love

Friendship and love. Both are so much related to each other. And both are so dissimilar! What are the differences between friendship and love? Is platonic friendship possible between persons of opposite sex? Let us try and understand.

What is friendship? Why do we call a person our friend? When do we call someone a very good friend? If we care for a person, if we are always ready to help that person and if we share most of our thoughts with a person, they are our good friends. We can always count upon our good friends in an emergency. We are always sure that our friend will understand why we acted in a certain way. We need not explain anything to our very good friends. The friendship is so deep and the relationship is so intimate, that most of the things are automatically understood by our friends.

What about love? In a relationship of deep love, all the sharing that we discussed above are taken for granted. But love transcends all this. During love, we are attached with a particular person, while in friendship, one may have many friends. A loving relationship makes one so much attached to the other, that one gets pained if his/her beloved is hurt! Love also involves a physical element. Friendship does not have that. This is a vital difference. Nature gives us love so that the specie can go forward. Nature does not give us friendship.

Your heart beats will never increase in anticipation of meeting your friend. You will not lie awake at night thinking about your friend. You will not feel totally lost, if you don't meet your friend for a few days. You will not have dreams in your eyes thinking about your friend. But in love, you will do all this and much more. Indeed, there is no comparison between love and friendship.

Camping makes the weekend perfect

Do you have a weekend without anything to do or a weekend when you don’t want to do anything? I know what I’d do. I would pack up the truck and head for the woods. Sitting by a camp fire with your favorite people solves many problems, so you shouldn’t wait too long between fires. My favorite thing to do on a weekend is to camp. Are you looking for an easy way to camp? How about car camping? I love it!

First of all, let’s define car camping? When you can drive your vehicle right up to the camp site, that’s called car camping. Even if you’re driving a truck it’s still called car camping. The advantage of car camping versus primitive or base camping is that you can take anything you want with you. If you want to take a hammock or huge grill or a stack of magazines, you can. Load your car or truck with food, clothing, shelter, bedding, games and anything else you want to take along and get going. It’s really that simple.

So where can you car camp? Just about anywhere. National and state parks don’t allow car camping except in designated campgrounds, other than that, you can car camp virtually anywhere on public lands. The internet is loaded with websites that can help. Start looking at backcountrytoys. com/education. htm. Our Education Center is loaded with up to date camping information.

Here are some things I take along when I car camp: hiking gear, bird watching binoculars and field guide, a radio for music and weather updates, tent, cot, sleeping bag, grill, shovel, fire starting gear, lots of food and drink, first aid kit, a stack of reading material – this can also be used for building a fire – such as newspapers and magazines, rain gear, hammock, dogs and dog food, folding chairs and table, stove, table service and utensils….you get the idea. I take all that I need to be comfortable. If you don’t have these things, don’t fret, all you really need are food, shelter and common sense.

Camping is a great way to renew and strengthen relationships. Take your spouse, your children, your siblings, your friends. Without the distractions of television, telephone, internet and alarm clocks, you will have a wonderful time. I’ll always remember something a dear friend of mine told me years ago, “Time spent in our great outdoors is time added to your life.” That sounds like a good reason to go.

Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery as options

Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery can be confusing terms; often used interchangeably they are two distinct disciplines. Plastic surgery is commonly used as a general term for operative or instrumental treatment performed for aesthetic reasons. In reality, plastic surgery is the field which addresses corrective or functional surgeries and procedures. The plastic surgeon is often at work due to the effects of accidents, burns or disease, and has a full surgical residency and strict medical requirements governing their certification.

Cosmetic surgery is a subfield of plastic surgery, and addresses aesthetic or elective procedures in order to enhance features a patient finds unflattering about themselves. Cosmetic surgery is also performed on bodily parts for health purposes, such as breast reductions. The other area of plastic surgery is reconstructive surgery, which takes place when a part of a patient has been damaged in something like an accident or a fire.

In an age where looks are more important than ever before, many people, and especially women, are availing themselves of the many opportunities to have cosmetic procedures on parts they do not like. This cultural reality is reflected in shows such as Extreme Makeover and other hit medical shows that document bodily changes.

More and more, however, people are becoming addicted to cosmetic surgeries. The fact is, that once a person sees how very easy it is to get something they don’t like fixed, the more about themselves they do not like and want remedied. Prime celebrity examples of this include Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers.

Cosmetic surgery should never be undertaken without psychological as well as medical consultation. It is imperative that the patient not undertake the operation lightly, with full knowledge of the hazards and the risks of becoming an addict.

It is also very important for a potential patient to do research on the surgeon that will be performing the procedure. There is a lot of money to be made in the cosmetic surgery industry, and all sorts of frauds and quacks are out to get a piece of action. With most things in life, it is important to remember that cheap prices mean cheap work, there is simply no way around it. Those looking for surgeons must choose wisely, or the results could be even more operations and even greater risks.

Online stock trading is it here to stay

Trading stocks on the internet is a relatively new thing for most people but it won’t be for long. The only reason that it is new in the first place is that the internet is new relatively speaking. In 1999 a little under 3 million people traded over the internet, now online stock trading has ballooned with more than 10 times that number of people trading daily.

So why have people begun to do this? Why is it so popular? Well there are several reasons and some are good and some are not as sound when you think critically. The most popular reason cited for online stock trading is that they no longer have to forfeit some of their earnings to brokers in fees charged per trade. This doesn’t get them out of being charged fees per trade but it does cost a lot less to do it yourself with one of the dozens of day trading companies that there are available on the internet.

People are often trying to get away from brokers all together for more than just the fees they charged. Many people are fed up with brokers who did poorly in the recent downturn in the market. Their performances were sub par and people lost a lot of money so you can’t blame them. However the word of caution is to not lump all brokers into the overpaid and under skilled group. There are many brokers who are well worth their weight in gold because they know the market so well and have such good instincts—this shouldn’t be your only draw to online stock trading.

Other reasons people left their jobs to go into full time trading on the internet because they think that they can do better at it than at their real job and it will be more fun to boot. There is a certain romantic idea that people have about sitting in their beautiful home sipping gourmet coffee and checking in on their online stock trading portfolios a few times a day while making hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is a dangerous move for lots of people because they have no idea what they are getting into.

In order to be successful you have to have knowledge of the world’s economies and how that can be affected by the current events of the day. You also have to be good at evaluation of companies as far as potential for profit and so on. The third thing that you must have is nerves of steel and a loose grip on the money that you are trading with. Many day traders (or former thereof) will tell you of the “hits” they have taken totaling many thousands of dollars in a few hours for a wrong move.

The wisdom of uncertainty

There is really only one certainty in life. Life is uncertain. We often live as though nothing will change, but it does. This continuous battle between wanting things to stay the same and finding that nothing does stay the same creates something inside us. This creation of constant change is a movement, a force of nature, and a guiding path.

This movement within us and outside us is the spirit of living, of which, we all take part in. None of us can predict the future. This creates uncertainty on the human level, yet we all learn to trust and even welcome change in the deepest part of who we are. No one is perfect, we wake up each day with the opportunity to create something different in every moment.

When we come to expect the unexpected, we are beginning to trust in a wisdom greater than knowledge to lead us through each day. Religious communities call this the path of God, science calls this higher consciousness, but for our purposes - let's call this the path we were meant to follow with certainty in uncertainty.

To move toward something we cannot see creates uneasiness. This part of us is our human nature. Our human nature wants things in life to be predictable. At the same time, there are things in human existence that we are also glad to leave behind and in the past.

Have you ever noticed how the heart and the mind feel like they are being pulled forward by a magnetic force when we follow what we cannot see or feel? It is as though our whole body/self is being drawn into an experience. This pathless path is one we all take each day and each moment.

Wonder what would happen if you were to live for these moments and find joy in them? I suspect you would find yourself becoming more and more living in the state of anticipated joy. This does not mean that nothing in the future will be sad, but you can begin to accept each moment with anticipated joy in knowing that the awareness of this anticipated joy will fill you. It will be the filling of your body with the joy of living. The joy of living fully in soul. And, the uncertainty of the future will be met with joyful trust that all will be known when the time is right for us to know.

Such a journey was known to us as a child. Do you remember laying on the ground and finding yourself breathing in the aroma of the ground and grass? As an adult, I suspect you don't have such clarity with your senses. Let us never forget that child inside us that knew how to play all day and never tire. Our creativity was endless and filled with anticipated joy in knowing that what was about to be created next would be fun.

Samuel Oliver, author of, "What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living"

How to rank your site in the search engine results

Interesting and informative articles are in big demand, so it would be a benefit to your site if you wrote as many as you can and distribute them among the article sites. Many webmasters jumped on the ban wagon when Really Simple Syndication was first introduced; it was a great way of gathering information and supplying content on your site.

If you rank high in search engines, your website are shown to a huge number of target users. When choosing keywords choose the keywords that have a medium high number of searches, this will give you a nice niche market to attack

On page search engine optimization are things that you can change on your webpage. If you're redesigning or starting from scratch and you have to use a brand-new domain for some reason, search engines do not have a schedule when indexing your site, some time you might need to wait a week and others you need to wait 3 months, it all depends on the number of links pointing to your site. Many search engines change their algoryhms and this can result in your ranking decreasing from the number 1 spot to the another spot which is not very favorable or in extreme cases disappear all together.

The common thing about many of these top sites is that they have plenty of good content and quality one way inbound links. It's a known fact that Google relies solely on your link popularity and content. Good ranking is completely impossible without the effective link optimization plan. Link popularity means getting one way or reciprocal links pointing back to your website which will improve your search engine rankings.

Back a couple of years when search engines were in their infancy it was very easy to rank well, all you needed to do was change the meta tags to the keywords and descriptions you needed and you site was ranked. Meta tags are not as important today, most of the search engines today depend on more sophisticated ways of ranking pages, one of the most important ways is link popularity.

It really comes down to this, get quality content for your website and create a link plan that you will stick with. Here are a couple of great methods you can follow when building links.

1. Write articles and submit too many ezine sites.

2. Post your links to as many directories as possible.

3. Trade links with other webmasters in the same theme

4. If you have time join forums a place your link in your signature.

By using these methods and creating a schedule that you can stick to will build your sites rankings in the search engines. Remember slow and steady wins the race. Try not to rush this process, of course everyone want to reach the top as fast as they can, but you are dealing with natural search engine search, if you want to get to the top quickly pay for advertising. There are many e-books written on this subject so search the internet and buy an e-book that tells you how to do this step by step.

Organic gardening - a growing trend

In the past decade and a half, organic products have achieved almost mainstream status. Where organic produce was a specialty item in a few upscale grocery stores in the early 1990s, today's supermarkets commonly offer organically produced items.

An upward spiral is happening: Organics have become more available and more affordable. The result is that a larger proportion of the population buys organics. This leads to an increased general awareness of the benefits for people and the environment of organic production.

Greater awareness of the benefits contributes to a greater demand for organic products. Higher demand encourages growers to an even larger production of organics. Increased production results in organics being increasingly available and affordable… and upward the trend goes.

During the 1990s, organic product sales dramatically increased at the rate of more than 20 percent every year. By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of organic products passed the $9 billion mark. Today in 2006, the majority of US consumers (7 out of 10) buy organic food at least some of the time.

These statistics are encouraging indications that organic production is here to stay. This is good news for the well-being of people and the environment.

**What ORGANIC means**

Fifteen years ago, organic growers might have had to explain to shoppers at a farmer's market what the label "organic" means. Today, most people understand that for a product to be labeled organic, it had to be grown without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormone supplements.

But organic growing is a system, and is not just a matter of substituting natural materials for synthetics. Whether on the large scale of the market farmer or the small scale of the backyard gardener, the underlying principles of an organic system are to work within the boundaries of nature to grow healthy food.

The system starts with a focus on healthy soil, which supports healthy plants. When plants are strong, they are naturally disease and pest resistant.

**Why ORGANIC is better**

Rather than apply chemicals to cure disease and control pests as conventional growers must do, organic growers are oriented toward prevention through continuous soil improvements. It's a big difference in attitude: the chemical quick-fix vs. long-term soil building.

The benefits of taking the long-term approach are immediate. Rather than having to keep indoors during a "re-entry interval," (after using poisonous chemical pesticides, there is a required safety period when people must avoid the area), organic gardeners never experience exile from the location where they grow food.

Also, there is the difference in the effect on local water sources. Organic gardeners don't contaminate ponds and groundwater with synthetics.

In short, gardeners who live where they grow food have a particular motivation and advantage in using an organic system: personal health and safety. But everyone benefits when organic methods are used because they are sustainable: wholesome food is produced in a system that respects the natural environment.

Web site promotion scam site submission and search engine lead times

Web Site Promotion Scam site submission and search engine lead times Has your inbox been flooded with emails from online promotion companies shortly after you submit your web site to the search engines and Yahoo? Be very careful how you proceed, because these companies could be online scam artists. Here is why.

First, all search engine and directory submissions have lead times. What this means is that your web site or web page is submitted to the search engine, the site has been recorded by the search engine spider, but it will take some time before your web page is added to the search engine catalogue.

For a directory, your site must be reviewed first, accepted into the directory, and then added to the catalogue. The time between submission and addition to the catalogue is called the lead time. Lead times vary from a few days to a few months. In fact, most web pages are not added to a search engine catalogue for at least 2 weeks following submission, barring any technical difficulties.

Now, we've noticed that the spam mail usually comes after a Yahoo submission, but we're sure other promotion companies have found similar trends. If you have a new web site and if your site was recently submitted into the search engines and Yahoo, when you get an email stating that your site is nowhere to be found in the search engines, delete that email.

Your site has not had enough time to be added to the catalogues, and these scam artists are trying to take advantage of peoples' ignorance about lead times. If you hired a good search engine optimization specialist, your site will show up eventually, just not immediately.

Also, these scam companies assume that they can figure out your keywords and key phrases just by looking at your meta-tags on one page. Good online marketing specialists know how to strategically place keywords throughout your site, not just in the meta-tags, for optimum search engine indexing. They know how to use singulars and plurals, synonyms, and well-written headings throughout your entire site. Just because one keyword does not get you in a Top 10 position does not mean that your site cannot be found on search engines.

Only you can determine which keywords and key phrases people are using on the search engines and directories to find you (on your site reports). You might find that people are finding your site using a certain phrase or your service and a location name, such as "web site designer Illinois." Once you determine how people are finding your site, then you can adjust the HTML coding accordingly.

So please don't be in such a rush to hire these scam artists. They are relying on your ignorance of search engine and directory lead times to scam you out of your hard-earned money. They will continue to spam you even when your site is listed well in the search engines and directories.

Mountain biking forums global gathering places

One of the underlying factors accounting for the rapidly growing popularity of mountain biking is, undoubtedly, the wide availability of mountain biking forums.

Mountain biking forums allow mountain bikers, of all ages and level of experience from all over the globe, to gather and share their enthusiasm for their sport. Every biker with Internet access has a huge community of fellow biking lovers waiting to share tips and stories of biking adventures available with a couple of mouse clicks.

Thanks to the Internet, the world is smaller than ever, and those who have shared interests can communicate regardless of their geographical locations. Mountain biking forums have sprung up as cyberspace meeting places where mountain bikers can discuss whatever they like, but what they usually want to discuss is their sport. Mountain biking forums are the best places to find information everything from the latest riding techniques to information on local mountain biking events.

What Moutaing Biking Forums Offer

Mountain biking forums allow people who may never meet personally to share advice, secrets to competing successfully, and photographs of themselves and their favorite mountain biking terrain. After a short time communicating in forums, many mountain bikers feel as if they were lifelong friends with people whom they are never likely to encounter face-to-face.

Mountain biking forums offer biking novices the ideal way to get advice on how to improve their biking skills as quickly as they can, and the best equipment and biking trails for their skill levels. The forums are also great bulletin boards for those wishing to find, or post, the latest news or information about mountain biking events in their areas.

Most mountain biking forums allow their members to enter into discussions on various topics, just as they would if they were having conversations in person. You don’t have to spend much time viewing any of these forums to get an idea of the sense of community they create among bikers.

There are currently more than one hundred online mountain biking forums which you can visit, and while they are occasionally invaded by those who do not like bikers or biking, most of those posting in them are truly enthusiastic about the sport. Most of the time you will be greeted warmly, and invited to share your mountain biking experiences.

Having the Internet mountain biking forums available to the mountain biking community the world over has given the sport an enormous boost, and it’s all because of the bikers being able to share their passion!

A mountain biker must have the ability to cope with whatever emergencies arise on the trail, by knowing how to repair the various parts of a bike and to make sure that he or she will have the necessary tools along to do it.

Mountain biking ahs been categorized into several classifications, depending on the terrain, obstacles, and skills involved. The categories include trail or street riding, dirt jumping, freeriding, cross country, and downhill.

Finding golf discounts online

Golf shoppers can find deals at online discount sites with exclusive offers on the latest golf equipment right from their home or office.

As consumers take advantage of the convenience of online shopping from their home or office, discount and coupon sites have become a key factor for many online consumers. No one wants to spend more then they have to, especially with today’s’ gas prices eating into so many Americans budgets.

Web sites dedicated to the golf consumer offering discount deals are key because they are targeted to a specific audience and not as broad as some of the other discount and coupon sites that offer discounts and coupons on numerous categories from home furniture, women apparel, baby clothes and the like.

Everyday as shoppers go to the internet to find products and services, search engines put millions of retailers at your finger tips in seconds.

But golf discount partner sites, caters to the golfer who is looking to save a lot more than their golf score. It’s the golf shoppers’ chance to see some of the top online golf retail discount promotions all in one place.

Certain to bring golfers the best discounts and coupons available online, golf discount sites have created a virtual mall for golfers with some discount deals boasting savings as much as 70% off.

As the golf season continues many recreational and Sunday golfers dream of playing like the pros they see on television. If they can’t swing like Tiger or Vijay Sing they can at least play with the some of the same name brand golf equipment the pros use.

Being as good as Tiger may be wishful thinking for the weekend golfer but with a lot of practice and determination anything is possible, especially with the right golf equipment.

The number one advantage golf consumers have for using golf discount sites is that they can see which online golf store is running promotions and sales at any given time. And with a list of golf store promotions at hand the only thing left to do is to pull out the credit card.

How to make sure that your pc is protected against attacks

When you go on the internet, you have to give certain bits of information to be authenticated by the protocols that make the web work; this makes it possible to advertise who you are, where you're connecting from, and if you're not careful, a lot more. Among the information that's handed out freely is your IP (Internet Protocol) address, generally in the form of four sets of numbers separated by periods, the country your ISP is located in, often times the origination of your TCPIP stack, which tells someone if you're on a Mac, PC or Linux box, your browser type used, and, because of browser caching for speedy access to previously hit sites, your browser history.

If your computer doesn't have certain functions turned off, it can be even worse. For example, unblocking the port of Windows Messenger (not to be confused with MSN messenger) will get your computer spammed with a thousand little gray boxes that all need to be turned off. Some computers and their TCP/IP stacks support finger and ident, which can reveal your personal information online. Even innocuous web sites that ask you for registration information can have that information intercepted and passed around.

If you're concerned about handing out your personal information on the web, be aware that there are ways to surf the web anonymously. This cuts the trail of breadcrumbs and bits that lead potential identity thieves back to you. The first way to do this is to route through an anonymous proxy server; this replaces its IP address for yours, making it harder to track your IP address – and with hiding your IP address, a lot of the foundation for needless information exchange gets removed.

The primary vendors in anonymous proxy servers are for-pay services; these offer a wider and mostly secure range of products. Most also have a free version for people to try the benefits out; this has a number of benefits to you – you get to see what a difference it makes – and for them, because they can tell you about the benefits you'd accrue with the paid service. The top vendors are ShadowSurf and Guardster. For both of them, you log in, and enter the URL (web address) you want to go to. Given how internet search engines are willing to sell your search data to federal agencies, and police organizations – even foreign governments – it's better to be prepared than to rely on the anonymity of the herd. In this vein there is another service called Anonymizer, which is designed specifically to help internet users bypass government mandated censorship and filtering.

An anonymous proxy server won't fully protect you against viruses and malware; it will make it harder for you to get them by browsing the web, and a lot of what they do can also be done by adjusting your router settings and the Network Abstraction Layer. If you're concerned about people knowing what you browse, though, an anonymous proxy server is a definite must. You must also make sure that the proxy server is really an anonymous proxy server. Use proxy servers from countries with high regulatory standards.

Sports betting colorado rockies sweep toronto

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Good pitching and the Rocky Mountains are not usually mentioned in the same sentence, but the 2006 Colorado Rockies staff is certainly doing their best to change that notion. Their starting staff is just 17-15 but they have thrown well enough to keep their team close and then timely hitting and solid bullpen performances, have propelled them into first place in the NL West.

The bullpen is 8-4 and three pitchers David Cortes, Brian Fuentes and Ramon Ramirez are a combined 6-1 with an ERA of 1.25 and 54 strikeouts in 53 innings. It is far too early to anoint them the favorite in the muddle NL West picture as San Diego, Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco are within striking distance.

The Tigers bounced back from a couple of shaky pitching performances and shutout a good Cincinnati hitting lineup 1-0. They are 9-1 in their past 10 and now head to the “Show Me State” and a four game slate with the awful Kansas City Royals. I do not think that veteran Tiger manager Jim Leyland will allow the players, to let up and will warn them about the danger of this trip.

The St. Louis Cardinals have made their usual move during the regular season in the NL Central and that basically means curtains to the rest of the NL Central division teams. Their offense is lethal and their pitching staff is rounding into shape, so goodbye any chance the Reds had of contending.

Not exactly a banner weekend for my picks as I took Brother Derek to squeeze past Barboro in the Preakness and we know how that went and I wrote how Lindsay Hunter was stealing $1.7 million from the Pistons masquerading as an NBA player. Hunter proceeds to go out and hit three crucial buckets including two three-pointers!

The Suns and Clippers get it on in the Valley of the Sun and Steve Nash has had time to refuel his jets, so the Clippers could be in trouble. I’m so screwed up on this series that I am not betting the match, unless I grab the under at 215!

The Mavericks and their volatile owner Mark Cuban had the Spurs behind the eight ball and now they have given the defending champs a second life and that may be the kiss of death. Dallas guard Jason Terry had better bring his A-game as he has been the culprit in the Mavericks meltdown the past week. Punching a player when your team is all but guaranteed a series victory is inexcusable and he could be leaving Texas for good, if Dallas loses!

Sports Betting

Hello from banff - a howling adventure dog sledding with snowy owl tours

On a crisp winter day, our coldest day so far, with a brilliant blue sky, I got going early at about 7:15 am and drove about 20 minutes from Banff to the tourist town of Canmore. This mountain town is located about an hour from Calgary, just 5 minutes outside the gates to the Banff National Park and is part of Kananaskis County , one of the main recreational areas just outside of Calgary. The Nakiska Ski area is not far from Canmore and it played host to the alpine events during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Canmore is nestled deep inside the Bow Valley beneath the Front Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Due to the beauty of the surrounding wilderness areas, several Hollywood movies have been filmed here, including movies such as Legends of the Fall and Dances with Wolves.

The development of this area really took off when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) constructed its railway line through the mountains in 1888, providing convenient access to mining companies looking to tap into the area’s rich coal deposits. Canmore was founded shortly after and attracted prospectors which were soon followed by hotels, restaurants and shops. The North West Mounted Police had an outpost here with a “two man and two horse barrack” and at some point Canmore even had an opera house.

Mining came to an end in 1979, but today Canmore has developed into a major recreational centre that attracts athletes, artists, nature lovers and adventure seekers. That was the category that I fell into today, as I was seeking out a truly unusual adventure: Dog sledding!

Punctually at 8:15 am I arrived at the retail outlet of Snowy Owl Adventures to be included in their 2-hour “Power Hound Express” tour that was to start at 9 am. The retail outlet itself features a variety of clothing, souvenirs, pictures and books with a dog sledding theme. I also rented big insulated boots to make sure my feet wouldn’t get cold on this very brisk winter day.

A group of about 9 or 10 people were ready to get out on the trails, to be pulled by a group of enthusiastic canine athletes. Our group had travelers from various parts of Canada, Texas, England and Holland and everybody was excited to get out there. Chris, our driver, packed us into a van and up we went into the mountains. We drove by several extremely scenic drinking water reservoirs and about 20 minutes later we arrived in the Spray Lakes area of Kananaskis County, very close to the Three Sisters Hydroelectric Generating Station.

The first thing we saw was the trailer with the transport kennels for the sled dogs and five teams of enthusiastic canines were already waiting for us. Jereme, one of our dog sledding guides, gave us a half hour safety presentation and instructions on how to ride the sled. That’s where my first big surprise came in: I didn’t realize that we ourselves would get a chance to drive the sled, I had assumed that we’d simply be packed into the sled and the guides would be driving us.

But no, there are actually 3 options for dogsledding adventurers: you can sit comfortably inside the sled and be driven by a guide; you can drive the dog team one-on-one together with one of the instructors; or you can actually drive the sled dog team yourself with the company of family and friends, following one of the instructors. So for all the real adventurers out there: this is an opportunity to get behind the sled and drive the dog sled team yourself!

To get started I actually decided to play it safe and elected to sit down and let my instructor Natalie handle the driving. Since I was here to document this experience that would allow me to actually take photos and video clips of this unique experience. Three of the dog sled teams this morning had signed up for the 2-hour program and 2 of those sleds were going to be driven by the participants themselves rather than the instructors. Two other teams were scheduled for the 4-hour “Sunfeather Winterlude” program, this half-day excursion is Snowy Owl’s most popular ride.

The safety instruction introduced us to the essential commands to get the dogs going (“Hike!”, or as Natalie would say “Hike up, puppies!”) and to get them to stop (“Whoa” – in a deep voice) while stepping on the sled's brake. In between it's a great idea to cheer on the dogs with enthusiastic comments. Jereme also explained that the dogs are Alaskan Huskies, and most of them are a mixture of huskies or malamutes with other breeds like border collies which makes for a very enthusiastic, cooperative and smart breed of dog.

Jereme mentioned that it’s very important to step on the brake while riding downhill to slow the sled down, and to lean right when heading into a right-hand turn, and to lean to the left when heading into a left-hand turn. The key thing is never to let go of the sled or step off the brake when standing since the dogs can be a bit mischievous and may take off on you. On uphill runs it is recommended that the sled driver get off and run beside the sled so the dogs have to pull less weight.

Well, now that our briefing was coming to an end, the excitement was building, both among the human passengers/drivers as well as among the dogs. 5 teams of Alaskan huskies were raring to go and towards the end of the safety presentation there was lots of barking, yelping, howling and commotion, indicating that the dogs were indeed ready to take us out on our big adventure.

So I sat down inside the comfortably cushioned sled and Natalie zipped me into a sleeping bag to keep me warm. All the teams were now ready to go and Natalie issued the key command “Hike up, puppies!” and off we went through a beautiful narrow forest trail that opened up into a clearing from where you had a gorgeous view of the imposing mountain range behind. Then we went down a series of hills and I got bounced a bit in the sled, fortunately the sled's and my own built-in cushioning protected my rear end from most of the impact. There were a few spills in the amateur-driven sleds behind us, I guess first-time dog-sledding is similar to any adventure sport in that it takes a bit of time to get the hang of it. But none of the spills were serious and once the initial challenges were overcome it was a smooth ride for everyone and we continued our beautiful journey through the forests above Canmore.

After about half an hour our three teams on the 2-hour program had reached the turnaround point and we arrived at a picturesque mountain lake called Goat Pond that was completely surrounded by mountains. Now it was picture time and Natalie kindly offered to take photos of all the sled teams.

After a brief rest we were ready to continue on and Natalie asked me if I actually wanted to drive the sled myself. By this time I was thoroughly comfortable with the experience, so of course I jumped at the idea. One of the passengers from another sled took my cozy spot inside the sleeping bag, and Natalie and I each balanced ourselves on one of the rails of the sled, while our eager sled dogs were pulling us onto the home stretch. Natalie told me a little about herself, that she is a dog sledding instructor in the winter and a construction worker in her brother’s company in Northern Alberta in the summer. She seems like a thoroughly outdoorsy and adventurous woman who really enjoys what she is doing.

Our ride continued on beside a river until we reached the Three Sisters Hydroelectric Power Station and finally returned to our starting point. Then it was time to pet the dogs and take pictures of our eager transportation providers. The dogs are amazingly friendly and from what I could tell, they enjoyed the experience as much as we humans did.

Our exciting outing concluded with refreshments, hot apple cider and “mystery cookies” beside a fire at West Side Camp where all the adventurers and our instructor had a chance to socialize and talk about our experience. A photographer had also taken pictures of each dog sled team and this was an opportunity to buy some photos.

In addition to the 2 hour and half-day dog sled tours, Snowy Owl Aventures offers a variety of other unique adventures: Snowy Owl also offers an 8 hour full-day program that includes instructions on how to track indigenous animals like wolves, cougars and rabbits. Their 4-hour "Snowy Mountain Experience" takes you back in time to a winter festival in local Inuit and First Nations communities. Their 4.5 hour "Bow Trail BBQ" combines a 2-hour dog sled outing with a Western Style Ride provided by horses, capped off by a blazing bonfire in their "Donut Tent" for storytelling. Their "Ghosts of Fortune Mountain "program extends over 2 days and 1 night and includes touring, kennel visits and hearty meals. The nights are spent in a genuine, heated Sioux Indian Tipi. Last but not least, the "Flight of the Great Snowy Owl" lasts 4.5 hours and takes you by helicopter into the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies before spending a half-day touring by dog team.

Just shortly after 11 am our van driver Chris arrived again with another batch of adventurers from the village and it was time for us to wave a final goodbye to our canine friends and enjoy the scenic ride back into Canmore. Once back at the retail outlet I returned my boots and hopped back in the car to drive back to Banff to pick up my husband so we could go on our final half-day of skiing at Lake Louise.

My two-hour Dog sledding adventure in the morning was the perfect start to an exciting winter day and it’s certainly been one of the most unique and special adventures I have ever had a chance to experience……

How to find the best rates on life insurance in oregon

Are you a gambler, or are you the kind of person who prefers more of a sure thing?

The answer to that could determine what kind of life insurance you will buy and how much you will be paying in premiums for it every month.

If you like to gamble you might want to consider buying term life insurance. A term life insurance policy is only good for a specified number of years and then the policy lapses, requiring you to purchase a new policy at the rates then in effect for your age group.

With a whole life policy, on the other hand, you buy a policy at a set monthly premium and you continue paying that premium for the rest of your life and you never have to worry about the policy lapsing unless you fail to make your premium payments.

The gamble comes in due to the fact that term insurance premiums have been dropping in recent years. One reason for this has been the growing number of people buying term policies and the resultant price decrease that naturally occurs with increased marketplace volume.

Some people are gambling that the decrease will continue and that when their term policy comes up for renewal the new premium they will pay will be low enough to make their term policy comparable in cost to a long-term flat-rate whole life policy.

But whichever type of life insurance you settle on, your goal is still to find the best rate on life insurance in Oregon – and there are several tips and tricks to help you achieve your goal.

Start by doing your homework and comparison shop on the internet. You will be amazed at the difference in price for basically the same policy from one company to another.

Once you choose a policy consider paying your premium by the year rather than by the month. When paying a year at a time you should get a fairly substantial discount.

If you smoke, stop. If you are overweight, start a diet and exercise program. Non-smokers and health-conscious individuals get a substantial break on their life insurance cost.

If you already have a life insurance policy and have had it for a few years it’s time to take another look at it. You may be surprised at the amount of money you could save either by renegotiating your current policy or by cashing in the old policy and buying a new one.

Also, work hard to keep your credit rating the best it can be. Surprisingly, many companies give a rate-break to policy-holders with an excellent credit history.

As you can see, you don’t have to take the first life insurance policy that’s offered to you – there are several things you can do to find the best rates on life insurance in Oregon, and it’s simply up to you to take advantage of them.

Effective money making website residual affiliate programs may be your answer

There are many opportunities that can be grabbed online. Some websites offers part time and home based jobs like freelancing and others. Some also hire people that can be able to answer other company’s surveys. They only require their members to do their job well and to have their software that consists of the program they will use online to do their job.

Some websites also provide hints and tips for worthwhile home based jobs. Making money is rather a direct way to put it, but that may be the bottom line in any case. Even if you run a non-commercial site, you may want to offset some of your costs by sharing it with your visitors.

Web hosting is an important part of your online business. This is why it's extremely important to pick a web hosting service that is extremely reliable, has near perfect uptime, and offers great customer support.

There are web host that pay a residual affiliate commission to members that sign up under your affiliate link. Be sure to look into the affiliate program that pays a good percentage of the sale.

Web hosting services are offered with different packages to make sure that they fit your needs. Determine what kind of package is a perfect fit for your online business. Depending on how many sites and the amount of traffic you receive to your site should determine the package you pick.

If you only have one site with a few visitors per day you can usually get by with the smallest package. However as your business grows you can always move up to the bigger packages.

Make sure that when searching for a web hosting service that they offer reliable service with great servers that will not be down due to problems. Your business depends on your site being up all the time, so make sure that the servers offered are top quality.

If you have a large online business you may want to purchase a semi-dedicated or full-dedicated server. This way you have more control over how it's used, and you'll have more storage space and bandwidth to work with.

Another important issue to consider is customer service. Make sure you can contact your web hosting company on a drop of a hat. If you are having problems and you're not able to reach them for a few hours you can lose lots of money. Choose your web hosting company wisely, because your entire online business depends on it.

There are some websites that offer opportunities on earning extra money from residual affiliate programs.

Unlike most affiliate programs, you earn residual income on many great products and services each and every month, not just on a single sale. You can get your own professional websites instantly. You can also take advantage of their many benefits and agent support features.

The Commission Junction is a good example and provides access to thousands of advertisers, and millions of ads, banners, and products within one web-based interface. With one ID and password, you can manage all of their pay-for-performance partnerships, retrieve new ads or links for their sites, and generate comparative reports. They are one of the best reporting systems today.

Just a warning, remember that always put in your mind that not all websites that offer these opportunities is reliable, some are those sites that just want you to pay for a membership fee. There are websites that scam people who are looking for a job, so just always be alert and it’s better to know the background of your prospective website. It is for your own financial protection to do a little research of the residual affiliate program you are considering.

The truth about endowment loans

Chances are you've heard of an endowment mortgage, but you're not quite sure what it is. Nowadays this unique type of mortgage is in the news everywhere and is receiving a bad rap from many people. So what's the truth about an endowment mortgage, and how does it really work?

Endowment mortgages can be somewhat complex, although the system behind them is simple. They work in two parts. On one hand, they are a simple interest-only mortgage, and are treated as such. The borrower pays interest on the mortgage to his lender, and any terms that can apply to a normal mortgage are applied to these interest payments, including capped rates, fixed rates, variable rates, and any other special incentives the lender may offer. However, the borrower is not paying off his mortgage with these payments, as he would be with a typical mortgage: He is only paying the interest.

The mortgage itself is paid separately, and only at the time it ends. During the term of the loan, the borrower makes separate payments into an endowment fund. This fund is invested in stocks, shares, and life insurance, and allowed to mature throughout the term of the mortgage. At the close of the mortgage term, the endowment is cashed in to pay off the mortgage.

The downside here is obvious: If the endowment investments don't do well, then the endowment will not pay off the total balance, and the homeowner will still be responsible. Today's extremely low interest rates and sluggish stock market have turned some people away from the idea of endowment mortgages.

However, there are advantages to this unusual type of plan. Throughout the years of your mortgage, your monthly payments remain low (only the cost of interest) and will not be a strain in your income. The money you set aside for your endowment is, essentially, working for you; regardless of how well the market performs, chances are good that you will get back more than you paid in. Also, lenders that offer endowment mortgages offer borrowers a few escape clauses. If your endowment is in progress, and the stock market is doing poorly, you may be given the option to opt out of your endowment and invest your money instead in an additional savings plan which accrues interest on your payments. It won't gain you as much as an endowment potentially could, but it will protect you against poor investment performance.

Most lenders will also allow you to switch your entire mortgage, or just the amount of the projected shortfall, to a standard repayment mortgage.

For the financially organized, endowment funds can be a great way to pay your way through owning a home and come out clean on the other side. With an endowment mortgage, just as with any other investment, it pays to keep a close eye on your cash.

Relieve hormonal symptoms of menopause with a natural food diet

Looking for more natural ways to help with the symptoms of menopause? Many herbal remedies can relieve and even eliminate the common symptoms of these conditions.

During menopause, women often experience uncomfortable symptoms. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irregular, changes in bleeding and loss of sexual desire are some of the most common. Recently, studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy is not as safe as originally believed, so many women are looking to natural remedies with a great deal of success.

Black cohosh has been used for centuries to help women with menopausal symptoms, and is most effective in treating hot flashes. It seems to have some ability to mimic estrogen in the body, relieving the hot flashes and mood swings that plague so many women.

Limiting caffeine will help with your symptoms as well. Herbal teas, and using onion, garlic and lemon instead of salt should help as well. One study at UCLA noted that garlic halted the advance of heart disease in post-menopausal women.

Soy, shown to be beneficial in so many areas, helps with menopausal symptoms as well. Soy has a natural estrogen-like compound that helps balance hormones. Chickpeas, lentils and tofu will provide the same benefits. Complex carbohydrates like brown rice will also help regulate the amount of estrogen in your system.

Ensuring that you are receiving a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids by eating oils, nuts, seeds and oily fish will help relieve vaginal dryness and keep the skin supple.

More and more women are seeking alternative therapies for symptoms of menopause. Try these simple and natural food remedies today.

Free prepaid credit cards friendly plastic for the very young pocket

It isn't a riddle, but it sure has the makings of one. You want to give your teenager a little spending power. You know your daughter could use the money to order things online. You believe giving her a plastic will help her learn financial responsibility, too. She can teach herself the finer points of budgeting and being accountable for her purchases. There are, however, two obstacles to your plan. The first is your daughter's age. She is only thirteen. As a minor, she cannot enter into credit card transactions. The second is her self-control. You're not sure how much self-restraint she could exercise, particularly when faced with a tempting array of bikinis, handbags, and dresses. So, what do you do? What do you get your daughter? The answer is made up of four words: free prepaid credit cards.

Prepaid What?

Free prepaid credit cards work in much the same way other prepaid cards do. You deposit a certain amount of money. Then, you get to use the card only to the extent your previously deposited amount allows you to. So you see, your cash balance works exactly like your other plastics' spending limit. Your purchasing power is only as good as your cash balance.

Free prepaid credit cards are the perfect way for you to keep your spending within reasonable limits. While the usual plastic lets you swipe away to your heart's content, free prepaid credit cards are only useful for as long as you do not exceed the prepaid amount loaded onto your card. This makes it the perfect plastic for people with spending problems, students on a budget, or teenagers who are being taught money lessons by their anxious parents.

A Credit Card That Isn't Really a Credit Card

Free prepaid credit cards are classified as credit cards. Many claim, however, that this is a misnomer. A prepaid credit card is not really a credit card. Why? To begin with, no credit is offered by the card issuer. The cardholder spends money that has been stored in the card through a previous deposit. It is precisely for this reason that free prepaid credit cards may be issued to minors. Because there is no credit involved, minors are free to own their personal prepaid credit cards.

So Why Get Free Prepaid Credit Cards?

There are advantages to getting free prepaid credit cards. The most obvious is that they are very easy to qualify for. In fact, they can be bought over the Internet. Additionally, many providers do not run credit checks or investigate your income. Because it's your own money you're putting up, providers do not put you through hell and back just so you could use your card.

Then, too, you do not pay interest charges on your free prepaid credit card like you would with a regular plastic. Why would you? You are, after all, using your own money. Another advantage is that free prepaid credit cards look exactly like regular Visa or Mastercards They are honored everywhere a regular card is. Furthermore, some free prepaid credit cards help you rebuild credit. Each time you use it, you are creating higher credit rating for yourself.

We live in a world where our buying power is largely based on our credit rating. Clearly, credit is good, high credit rating is to die for, and free prepaid credit cards are for all of us who have spending problems, have been remiss with paying off debts, or are below 18 years of age.

Credit card reward programs getting the most out of your credit cards

Credit cards can earn you cash, airline miles, or rewards. To get the most out of your credit card company, you have to choose the right program and use your card often.

Pick The Right Program

Do you want a free trip to Hawaii or cash at the end of the year? Credit card companies offer a variety of reward programs, so choose the one that you like the best.

If you are planning to earn airline miles, pick a destination and make sure your rewards program covers that area. Some credit card companies partner with a specific airline while others offer generic travel miles.

Cash rewards usually work out to 1% to 5% back on all your purchases. At the end of the year you could end up with a sizable check. Cash rewards don’t apply to transfers or cash withdrawals.

Generic reward programs offer points for your purchases. Those points can then be redeemed either for products through the credit card company or gift cards for name brand stores like Starbucks, Home Depot, or Toys ‘R Us.

Earn Your Rewards

To truly get the most out of your rewards program, you will need to use your credit card often. By using your card to pay for all your purchases, including groceries, prescriptions, and household bills, you can earn an airline trip or over a thousand dollars in a year.

Also look for special offers that are included in your monthly statement. Sometimes you can double your points by using your card with a certain merchant. You can also receive coupons for additional savings at these places.

Don’t Get Caught

Reward programs usually charge a higher interest rate than other credit cards. To make sure you don’t get stung on finance charges, pay off your balance every month.

Instead of whipping out your credit card every time you want to make a purchase, start with a monthly budget. Plan on how much you can afford to spend and stick with it. If you do carry a balance, know how much it will cost you.

Not only can you earn rewards for your purchases, you can also improve your credit score by making regular, on-time payments. The more responsible you are with your credit, the more likely you can qualify for more.

Healthy breakfast foods

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And still no one denies that fact that "breakfast" is the most important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 - 10 hours; hence your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to kick-start its day. Therefore "breakfast" is considered to be an important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast (healthy) daily are more likely to

- Consume more vitamins, minerals and less of fat and cholesterol.

- Increased strength and endurance.

- Better concentration and productivity all day long.

- Control over weight

- Low cholesterol = no risk or little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight, think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets. Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain. So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each morning

- Fruits & Vegetables

- Grains

- Dairy

- Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast. Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the 'run', its better than skipping it altogether.

Home buying checklist - paint and stucco

Buying a home is a big investment. You should use a checklist when sizing up potential homes. In this article, we cover a home buying checklist for paint and stucco.

Paint and Stucco

The exterior of a home typically makes the biggest impression when you first view a potential buying opportunity. Many homebuyers, however, often make the mistake of looking at color schemes as the principal issue. In truth, a close review of the exterior of the prospective home can tell you a lot about the quality of the structure.

A person selling a home is not stupid. Before putting a home on the market, they are going to take steps to spiff it out to raise buyer interest and the rate you are willing to pay. There is nothing devious about such conduct. It is natural to want to put your best foot forward and a person selling a home isn’t going to act differently. This is why you want to take a close look at the exterior paint and stucco on a home.

1. The first thing to look for is peeling or flaking of paint on the exterior walls. If you see this in an obvious place on a wall, run for the hills because the house needs a total repaint. Typically, you are not going to find such obvious problems. Instead, you need to poke around behind bushes, up under roof overhangs and in nooks and crannies. If you find problems of this sort, it tends to mean the paint job on the home was not applied correctly. Once these problems start occurring, you can count on them getting worse over time.

2. The second thing to look for is stains around perforations in the paint. For instance, look for an area where bolts or nails penetrate a painted surface. If you see rust around the hole, you may be seeing an indication of poor maintenance. Even worse, you may be seeing an indication of a water drainage problem. Investigate such occurrences very carefully.

3. With stucco homes, you are typically going to find some cracking do to earth movement and temperature changes. As long as these areas are relatively small, you shouldn’t have problems patching them for a nominal price. The bigger problem, however, is if you find stains or soft spots on the bottom section of a stucco wall. This can mean there are problems with the drainage screen behind the stucco wall and water isn’t getting out. If water isn’t getting out, the stucco will continue to degrade and you may have a mold problem at some point. Both situations can be very expensive to fix.

When checking out perspective home buying opportunities, the exterior of the home should be looked at very closely. In this case, the merits of the home all come down to the details.

Model cars for car model collection

Collecting…what a passion! People collect the most varied of items and the most collected are undoubtedly model cars. The reproduction of cars of any kind and era, ranging from the most desiderable Ferrari and Porsche to the means of transport used by police. However, this collection includes all the models put on the market over the years, with a particular interest in Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Citroen, Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Carmodel is a company dealing with model cars of new and obsolete production. It has a huge availability of products, covering different manufacturers, that can easily be observed on the home page.

Model cars from Minichamps to Schuco

The most requested brands and models for model car collecting are:DIECAST CARS, MINICHAMPS, NOREV, SCHUCO, LOOKSMART, AUTOART, IXO, SPARK MODEL, KYOSHO, POLICE, AMBULANCE, FERRARI, RALLYE, BRUMM.

But there is also a high demand of the Tuning versions, taxis, construction vehicles, military transport, trucks and buses.

Carmodel specialises in everything to do with modelling and car models and many reproduction boxes from the 50s, 60s and 70s from the most important brands are available: DIECAST CARS, MINICHAMPS, NOREV, SCHUCO, LOOKSMART, AUTOART, IXO, SPARK MODEL, KYOSHO, POLICE, AMBULANCE, FERRARI, RALLYE, BRUMM, PORSCHE, MERCEDES, AUDI, FIAT, ALFA ROMEO, LANCIA, LE MANS, F1, MILITARY, BMW.

Carmodel is always interested in buying important collections, especially obsolete models cars such as 1/43 Corgi, Dinky, Politoys, Mebetoys, Mercury, Spot-on, Ediltoys, Tekno and other less important brands, also Ferrari, F1 collections and 1/24 obsolete models.

Many lovers of modelling rely on Carmodel’s reliability to find very rare models and also to send them with accurate packaging using the best materials currently available on the market. In particular, Carmodel uses special boxes, made with a very resistant double carton with special protective films and spheres of polystyrene in order to guarantee that the model cars are in perfect condition when delivered to the collector’s house.

An encyclopaedia of 30.000 models.

The online encyclopaedia, made available by Carmodels on its web site, is a very useful tool! If you want to search the encyclopaedia, you first have to click on the link "encyclopaedia” and then wait for the loading of the page and then it is possible to make any kind of research through the search box.

More than 30.000 items can be found on the encyclopaedia!

For any further information, you can directly contact Carmodels: CARMODEL

How about choosing kodak digital cameras

There are many digital cameras in the market today. Kodak Digital Cameras are one of the best known brands worldwide. They are of professional excellence. They have the best of technology and excellence in quality.

Kodak History

During the end of eighties, Kodak made Organic Light Emitting Diode displays that helped in making images clearer. They provided sharpness in contrast and which did not tax the batteries too much either. Their displays were far superior to the conventional LCD display units of the time.

Standard Features and Extras

Whey you buy Kodak digital cameras, you are going to get most standard features that any other manufacturer of digital cameras will provide, and there are many extras such as

Point and shoot and

Powerful zoom

Decent size to boot.

Kodak Easyshare

One of the better and also more popular of Kodak digital cameras is the Kodak EasyShare that is ideally suited for shooting. It also allows you to share your photographs as well, and you can even obtain prints of a good size which are assuredly going to be of outstanding quality thanks to its 6.1 mega pixel resolution.

Other notable features of this excellent Kodak digital camera

Three inch high resolution rotating display

Give one thousand five hundred pictures

Two hundred fifty six mega bytes of internal memory. Check the latest memory size in the internet.

Kodak Perfect Touch Technology

Digital Image Stabilization using anti-blur mode Reduce blur caused by camera or subject movement.

Scene modes and picture enhancing features

With this feature, you can capture a great shot time after time with multiple scene modes such as children, snow, beach, backlight, and panorama stitch.

Varieties in Kodak Easyshare

There are many varieties in kodak easyshare. They mostly vary in mega pixel and in Optical Zoom. Following are few of them.

Kodak Easyshare Z812IS 8.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Zoom

Kodak EasyShare V1003 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Kodak EasyShare Z1275 12MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom

Kodak Wi-Fi feature

With its Wi-Fi feature, you can share your pictures straight out of the camera’s memory and even email the pictures to others as well as create gallery albums on the Kodak digital camera itself.

Transfer pictures from the camera to a computer

With your Kodak digital cameras, you can even transfer pictures from the camera to a computer and the Kodak EasyShare is yours for close to two hundred dollars and it is one of the better Kodak digital cameras that is certainly well worth the price thanks to its great connectivity and also convenience of use.

Kodak and Pixel Technology

You can credit Kodak with being the ones that invented basic technology for digital cameras such as pixel technology. This tradition of excellence has been further used in most of the newer and more hi-tech Kodak digital cameras including the Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/c that can store as much as 13.89 million pixels that only goes to show why Kodak digital cameras are known to have the best as far as resolution goes.

Guanajuato a new restaurant in town

For the past three and a half years, I’ve been waiting for a restaurant to come along that would prove, once and for all, that Guanajuato, Mexico, does not lack fine cuisine. Guidebooks say Guanajuato does not have any good restaurants. Now, I can put a stop to this nonsense once and for all—I hope.

Frascati, conveniently located in Guanajuato’s El Jardin de Union, is a wonderful place for birthday celebration or for any special occasion. That’s why we were there—the wife’s birthday. The dйcor is modern Mexican with just a touch of tradition. There is an indoor waterfall over the stairs, which adds to the restaurant’s uniqueness. This restaurant will appeal to those accustomed to paying a little more for their meals to eat in a location with ambience. The dining room is on the second floor of Hotel San Diego and is accessible from the hotel’s lobby by stairs in the front or by the elevator at the back of the lobby. The premium tables overlook Guanajuato’s main and most popular plaza, El Jardin de Union, through large open doors that lead to the balcony.

Frascati is a prestigious restaurant chain in Mexico and serves an Italian menu of deliciously delightful choices. The manager of the Guanajuato facility, a graduate of Penn State University, seemed to be the only bilingual employee. The rest of the staff has been trained in basic English. They can describe the items on the menu and take your order, but that is about the extent of their English abilities. This is a new twist in Guanajuato. The manager told me that speaking English is not a requirement for employment.

Since all the window seats were taken, we sat across from the middle window. We still had a good view and were able to feel the lovely breeze that naturally cooled the dining area. Our orders of Lasagna and Cannelloni, taken by immaculately dressed and poised young Mexican waiters, came quickly. The bread served was not the usual bolillos—traditionally served in Guanajuato—but was fresh and satisfying.

The meal was the entrйe and nothing else. This surprised us. At one of our favorite restaurants in Guanajuato, Casa Valadez, the meals come with succulent side dishes of rice and vegetables. This meal consisted of a sufficiently filling Italian dish and bread and nothing more. A salad would have cost us nearly as much as the entree.

Prices were high considering what you get for your money. In Casa Valadez, you get comparably tasting food and service equal to Frascati’s but more for your money. Valadez lacks the dйcor but what the heck when what you want is a good meal for a good price. The prices at Frascati’s make this establishment one for upper income bracket tourists or locals. However, it is great for a special occasion meal for the rest of us. Our lunch, with soft drinks, coffee and dessert, set us back about thirty dollars.

The most unique menu item at Frascati’s, worth a trip to this central Mexican town to sample, is their megalithic brownie and ice-cream dessert. It was a meal all by itself. I’m not making this up! Trust me when I tell you that it is worth whatever you have to do to get here and try it.

A great place to visit in spain

There is so much to in Malaga. With so much historical significance that has occurred in this city there is much to be explored and learned. Many of what has occurred is preserved in the ruins that are located throughout the city, from when it was founded by the Phoenicians to when it was ruled by the Moors.

With a wide selection of churches and palaces to visit there is much to be enjoyed on your visit. Some of these churches are even located in palaces as well as the Moorish and Roman architecture that can be observed in various areas.

Areas Of Sightseeing In Malaga

One area to look at is the Cathedral in Malaga. There is much to see with its two chapels and stalls. It was built by the Catholics and finished in the mid 1700’s with much of its architecture being visible from the later time period.

La Inglesia del Sagrario is another church one may want to visit that was finished in 1448 on the site of a mosque and contains many different sculptures to enjoy on your visit.

Santuario de la Virgen is another beautiful old church which contains the tombs of the counts of Buena Vista. It is very elaborate and yet another wonderful sight to visit.

There are also quite a few museums that can be visited while yopu are in the city. These are the museum of Popular Art and Culture as well as the Museum of Art.

Attractions In Malaga, Spain

The King’s palace is known as Alcazaba. It has many wonderful works a swell as items to take in and observe while you are on your visit and enjoying your trip.

The Castillo de Gibralfaro is another item located near the palace. It was constructed by the Phoenicians and contains much architecture and things to see.

Throughout the summer there are many different music festivals that occur throughout the city. There is much for almost anyone to enjoy and take in while they are in town.

There is much music that can be enjoyed including Flamenco music. Mush of this can be enjoyed in the nightlife section with the many different clubs and bars. Many of these are near the beaches especially on the Costa del Sol. There is much to enjoy and many different clubs and varieties of nightlife to enjoy.

There is much cuisine to enjoy, primarily of the Mediterranean style. There is quite a wide variety of other foods to enjoy as well.

Coping with diabetes

Every day, in the United States, more than 2000 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed. Type II diabetes, the most prevalent form of diabetes worldwide, often shows few or even no symptoms!

After eating, food is broken down into what is known as glucose, a sugar carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Using a hormone known as insulin, made in the pancreas, cells process glucose into energy.

Because cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly in the body of a person with type II diabetes, they have problems converting food into energy. Eventually, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin for the body's needs. The amount of glucose in the body increases, and the cells are starved of energy.

This starvation of the cells, paired with the high blood glucose level can damage nerves and blood vessels. This leads to complications such as kidney disease, nerve problems, blindness, and heart ailments.

There are a lot of factors that can help to attribute to diabetes cases - lifestyle, environment, heredity - and those who are at risk should be screened regularly to prevent diabetes. Those that are already diagnosed with diabetes should aim to keep their glucose level under control.

But how do you know if you have type II diabetes? After all, it has few symptoms, often no symptoms in some patients. However, if you notice an increased thirst or hunger, a change in weight, or blurred vision, getting tested for type II diabetes is necessary, as only your doctor will be able to help you find the treatment steps necessary to being able to manage your life with diabetes.

Simple changes such as eating right, managing your weight, and keeping your blood sugar level under control may be enough. However, you doctor may prescribe diabetes-regulating medications to assist you in controlling your type II diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious ailment with extreme consequences if it isn't treated properly. But if you follow your doctor's advice and maintain both your lifestyle and blood sugar levels, you can help to prevent the more serious consequences from occurring.

This article is for information purposes only and is not meant to treat, diagnose or prevent any ailment or disease. See your physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Explore aruba s southern coast by kayak

Though scuba diving may get all the attention, Aruba has plenty of other water sports opportunities. One of the best activities in Aruba for every type of tourist is kayaking. On the leeward side of the island, kayakers can paddle through calm waters and visit some popular sites along the way. If you want to explore this beautiful island in a unique way, a kayaking expedition along the southern coast offers incredible opportunities.

One of the most popular kayaking activities in Aruba is the four-hour guided tour offered by Aruba Kayak Adventure. Departing each morning at 9:30 am, these casual tours pass by some of the most celebrated pirate hideouts – including the popular Spanish Lagoon area. The guides are knowledgeable of everything from pirate mythology to the unique species found in the warm Caribbean waters. The price of the tour includes not only the guide and kayaking instruction, but also lunch and the use of snorkeling equipment. Most of the kayaking tours launch from the small fishing village of Savaneta and return to land at Barcadera, one of Aruba’s primary ports. With a kayaking tour, you won’t have to worry about any of the details – you even receive transportation to and from your resort.

In addition to the Spanish Lagoon, there are plenty of sites along Aruba’s southern coast. East of the secluded lagoon is the Mangel Halto Reef – thought by many to be the healthiest reef in Aruba. With a small, secluded beach that allows snorkelers to walk right into the reef, Mangel Halto is a great dive spot for all skill levels. After checking out the reef and impressive underwater life, you can lay in the sun on the quiet adjoining beach. As you paddle along in your kayak, you can also admire miles of lush mangrove forests and numerous hidden coves tucked along the coast.

If you want to experience the Caribbean and Aruba’s coastline on your own, all the best resorts offer kayak rentals. When you make your reservations with your resort, simply inquire about the availability of such equipment. You can include kayaking and snorkeling as part of a money saving activity package, helping you and your family experience all the best sites without breaking the bank. If you are unsure of where to visit while kayaking or want to find the best snorkeling sites, your concierge will be able to build an itinerary for your adventure.

One of the favorite destinations for kayakers – both on tours and paddling solo – is DePalm Island. Just a short paddle from the Spanish Lagoon, DePalm Island is a great place to snorkel and relax in the sun. Most of the kayaking tours visit this small island and offer tourists lunch at the charming restaurant. DePalm Island is also one of the best sites you will ever find for underwater photography. With shallow reefs and crystal clear water, you certainly don’t want to forget your camera.

After you return to shore, there are plenty of other activities on the southern shore worth exploring. With calm winds and gentle surf, southern Aruba is also a favorite destination of windsurfers and kite surfers. You can find several rental shops and tour guides in the area, with many services catering to novices and families. These calm waters are also a big draw for fishermen. Half-day and full-day tours can be arranged through fishing shops throughout Aruba or directly through your resort. After you catch some wahoo or yellow fin tuna, you can even take your catch to a number of local restaurants to be grilled and served.

As the most popular beaches and sites in Aruba are located on the western shore, a visit to the southern coast can provide a pleasant getaway. As word spreads about kayaking in southern Aruba, the sport will certainly continue gaining popularity. When in Aruba, ask your resort about kayaking and experience the unspoiled Caribbean beauty that everyone is talking about.

Are you burnt out then maybe its time to get out

Are you burnt out from your everyday job? Do you have a long commute that has you away from home for two or more extra hours a day? Are you missing

out on activities and functions that were once a large part of your life and who you are?

Have you reached a plateau in your job and know that there is no where else for you to go. No more promotions that come with substantial raises, no

more having to schmooze the higher ups to work your way to the top. Now that you are there, that’s it. Do the days look less and less appealing to you know since there are no real challenges for you. You’ve made it, what else is there.

Maybe you are tired of the long days a top executive has to put in. Sometimes nine to five isn’t in your cards. If you make it home by seven then you’ve had a good productive day. With a top position come top responsibilities. You may have been up to the challenge in the beginning but are now tired of the burden that befalls you on a daily basis. Are you tired of dealing with staff who show up late or not at all, who do sloppy work, or who can’t seem to make a deadline, then maybe its time to pull yourself out of the corporate rat race and start thinking of a home business.

Do you have what it takes to do it? If you have the ‘I can do it’ attitude then you are on the right track. It’s all fine and dandy if you have the knowledge in one particular area, but to be successful you need to be able to wear all hats, from marketing to secretarial and even accounting. This may come as quite a shock to some people but if you can’t or don’t learn to do these tasks your business could potentially fail.

Another important thing is figuring out what type of home business you want. Are you good at or interested in network marketing? Maybe you have or use a particular product that you wholeheartedly believe in, if so, sales might be better suited for you. Do you have a financial cushion that can get you through the first couple of months until your business is generating a regular income? A lot of people get into a home business opportunity with an unrealistic expectation that they are going to strike it rich overnight. This doesn’t happen and if you don’t have any fallback money you could find yourself in trouble.

Are you a social butterfly or do have more of the anti-social type personality? A home business is just that, you are at home with no outside communication. Some days can get extremely lonely, especially when you are used to regular everyday chats around the water cooler. You may want to join some neighborhood groups or even a gym so you are not isolated all the time. Also, stay in touch with your co-workers, you never know when you may

be in need of a contact in your old profession.

There is nothing set in stone about how home businesses work. Once you get yourself into a daily routine and find that you have more productive days than non productive days you will wonder why you didn’t take the home business route earlier. Sometimes it takes total burnout from your profession before realizing that enough is enough. Your health, sanity and happiness are far more important than a top executive position. It may take years to realize it but you will know when the time is right.

Removing your car tint

Your car may have had its tint for so long that you have already gotten tired of it. Or, maybe, your car’s tint is already peeling off the edges that you would rather have everything taken off rather than let it stay that way. Try to bring your car to a professional and have them remove the tint of your car. More often than not, they would ask you to pay a whole lot of money than you expected to.

In fact, the prices could range from around $50 up to a whooping $100. Mainly, they claim that removing the car tint would be a difficult task at hand, keeping in mind that they would also be making sure that your car windows do not get any scratches. However, by just knowing what type of materials to use as well as how to do it, you might as well be on your way to saving a lot of money to spend on other non-trivial matter.

The process is easy. You need a single-edged razor, a clean rag, and an all-purpose spray cleaner. You may also try to use other solvents that could work well on removing any kind of adhesive but is gentle on your car window and paint. When you have all these handy, start the process by grabbing a corner of the film of the window tint using a razor. Remember that the car tint is not something painted on the glass of your window. It is a specially designed thin film applied to your window.

When you have successfully taken hold of a corner of the film, pull the film off. When the film is already out, spray the cleaner on the glass. Then, put back the film on the window and let it stay there for around 15 minutes to 20 minutes. After that, remove the film again. Spray on more cleaner on the glass and use the razor to scrape off any film residue as well as any adhesives. When you have done so, wipe the glass clean using your rag.

On the other hand, if you think that this is not your kind of work and you just feel like you might be damaging your window, you can check with a local maintenance shop which offers such a service of removing window tints. However, just keep in mind that you would have to shed out quite an amount of money for a simple task as removing tint film.

How to know when not to buy a used car

If you are looking to save money by buying a used car, it can be a very viable tactic. However, even though you are on a tight budget, buying a used car should not be immediately decided upon and should take a lot of consideration. Why? This is to avoid throwing your hard earned money away.

Below are some pointers that may help you decide when to buy or not to buy a used car:

1. You should consider your budget.

If the reason why you choose to purchase a used car is because of your budget, then it should be the same reason why you should be careful and meticulous in choosing a used car. Thus, if the car needs a lot of maintenance, repairs, and other modifications, it is best not to buy that used car (or else you lose the benefits of buying a used car).

2. You should be wary of buying used cars from owners that do not have complete and pertinent documents.

This could mean a lot of negative things and you are the only one who will be at the losing end. Documents are crucial especially if the car is second hand. It is the only solid guarantee that you can get hold of when buying used cars. If this is the case, then, you might as well not pursue the deal.

3. If the you are not comfortable after test-driving the car, then it is best not to buy it.

There are instances wherein some people tend to opt for used cars because of the model of the car being sold. It is their dream car and there is no other way they can purchase them but to buy them second hand. However, if you are not comfortable with the car after test-driving it, then it would be better not to pursue the deal, even if it means the world to you to have that car.

The bottom line is that buying used cars should never be your sole alternative if you cannot afford to buy new ones. This means that you should value the process of choosing a used car like what you would do when buying a new car. In the end, it is your money that will be put to risk. Thus, it is extremely important to consider all the factors in order to have the best buy ever. Happy hunting!

Bbc banned music top singles banned by the bbc

The British Broadcasting Corporation also known as the BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. Therefore, it allows itself to ban materials that deviate from certain standards of civility. During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here you can read about some of them.

In 1977, when England was celebrating the Queens Jubilee, the Sex Pistols had released their second single titled God Save the Queen. The single includes controversial lyrics that rhyme the national anthem title with fascist regime. Moreover, the record cover displayed a picture of the Queen with a safety pin stuck in her nose.

The single was found to offensive to be air played by the BBC, but it did not stop it from reaching number two on the BBC official singles chart. According to the myth, God Save the Queen was the top selling single in the UK at the time, but it was held back of number one to avoid controversies.

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin scandalous duet Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus, translated: I love you... me neither, was the first ever number one hit to be banned by the BBC. Although at the time of its release, in 1969, the sexual revolution was celebrated, the British radio still was not able to cope with such explicit lyrics, not to mention Birkins moans and groans.

The BBC ban and The Vatican denounce, did not stop Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus from being a top selling single in the UK and worldwide. In October 7, 1969, the single reached number one in the BBC official singles chart. At the same time, it had reached number 69 at the US singles chart.

Je TAime ... Moi Non Plus was a major influence on another BBC banned single, Donna Summers disco pioneer from 1976 titled Love to Love You Baby. After counting 23 faked orgasms performed by Summer in Love to Love You Baby, the British Broadcasting Corporation banned the song. However, it did not stop it from becoming a massive hit. Love to Love You Baby reached number four on the UK single charts but peaked to number two on the Billboard pop chart.

Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is one of the most controversial singles as well as commercially successful singles in history. The BBC did not only ban the song it also did not stop BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read to publicly express his feelings of disgust from the single's explicit lyrics. In 1984, Relax stayed in the UK singles charts for 42 weeks. In five of them, it stayed in number one. By the end of 1984, embarrassed Auntie Beeb removed the ban. Relax is still very popular worldwide and it is one of the most recognized symbols of the era. The arguments on whether it gained such a huge success despite the BBC ban or the BBC ban helped promoting it have not been settled yet.

Paul McCartney and the Wings response to the 1972 Bloody Sunday events titled Give Ireland Back to the Irish, was banned by every media resource in the UK. It was forbidden from being broadcast by the BBC, Radio Luxembourg and the Independent Television Authority. In addition, the song title was not allowed to be pronounced on the air, so when it arrived to the BBC Radio 1 chart show it was presented as a record by the group Wings. However, Give Ireland Back to the Irish hit the top of the Irish singles charts.