Recreation and Sports

Muscle Conditioning and Nutrition For the Busy Man

2010-02-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

By Darryl Banton

There are lot of things that men are responsible for each day, from family responsibilities and obligations, to duties and commitments at work. To say that a guy is busy these days does not even begin to describe the life of a typical man. This often leaves little time for other things, such as recreation and hobbies. For many men, this means that working out and sports are frequently a distant memory of what life was like in the past.

Muscles that were once rock hard and sculpted are now often soft and flabby. Part of this is because of a lack of exercise, but a large part can be linked to a lack of carefulness about diet and nutrition. Careful food choices about healthy eating, along with a high metabolism, have given way over time to making food selections best suited to eating on the run (mainly fast food). Convenience has its cost, though, and slipping into bad habits and laziness are frequently the results. However, with careful planning and diligence, these can be changed and replaced with good habits.

The goal of many men, particularly those with full time jobs, is to shape or firm up muscles as well as to maintain or improve weight. One way to begin a fitness program is to think about the goals that are desired, and achievable. What does this mean for you? Are you looking for a physique that simply looks good in the mirror each morning? Would you like to be able to run in a 10-K, or mountain bike in the hills? Are you secretly dreaming about being able to take your shirt off at the beach or by the pool at any time next summer? It is up to you to work towards making this happen.

To make such a dream a reality requires planning, hard work, and commitment. First, the desired results have to be considered. Is it simply improving the physique, or is it a matter of building, strengthening, or conditioning muscles to be able to perform in a particular sport or activity? The types of exercises and the schedule on which they are to be performed, as well as the diet to be followed, are important here. Another thing that needs to be considered is the amount of time available each week to be able to train.

Many coaches and athletes recommend training 3-5 times per week, depending on the type of training being done. For most men three sessions per week is sufficient, allowing for reasonable rest and recovery of the muscles between trainings. These are elements of the training and conditioning plan that cannot and should not be left to mere chance if a particular goal is in sight. It is true that such planning will take some time and effort, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Next, the matter of hard work has to be honestly faced and considered. It takes effort and endurance to properly build and condition muscles to go beyond the starting point of the fitness program. While the overall endeavor might be inspiring and exciting, the individual training sessions and routines may at times seem tedious and not a lot of fun. There is also the inconvenience of sore muscles after the work out, even the morning following.

The real issue of hard work is putting forth the effort to go through a session when there is little motivation to do so, and to simply not do it. This is where the matter of commitment comes up. Part of this is in following and continuing the training schedule regularly over a period of time. A larger part of this issue involves what goes on in life outside of formal training, namely in maintaining the proper diet and getting enough sleep and rest each night. It is easy to eat anything that looks and tastes good, but it takes a certain amount of thinking and restraint in sticking to any training program, particularly if it is one involving weight loss.

There may be days when you don't want to train, because the results are not appearing fast enough, or you don't like always having to work so hard, or you just don't feel like training at all. This is the real test here, where the original goal has to be put back into focus and efforts redoubled towards it. This is not always easy to do, in fact it is quite hard, because it means that at this time, this is the only thing that needs to get done, at the expense of other things. The important thing to remember is that motivation and commitment lead back to the original goal.

It is possible for men who are have busy schedules and commitments to have their own training programs for conditioning and developing muscles. In order to do this it involves three things. First, planning which considers the various elements of obligation and circumstances in a man's life, as well as the desired results of what a training and conditioning prigram is to accomplish. Second, hard work is involved, where the actual effort of physical training is put forth, and this may be accompanied by some degree of inconvenience such as muscle soreness. Also important to consider are the issues regarding food choices and the proper nutrition associated with the training program being followed. Third, commitment is required, where participation and diligence in regular work out sessions, as well as consistent attention to diet and rest are maintained. This may be difficult at times, and finding ways to stay motivated to keep training are most important.
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Minneapolis Real Estate Makes Affordable and Quality Living

2010-02-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

By Carrie Nelson

When you think about Twin Cities real estate, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul give you a wide variety of housing types and locations. They also have some of the best schools in the nation, plenty of health care. Rivers and lakes offer a variety of fun things to do all year. The area has won awards for the best places for young people to live, the best area for couples and one of the healthiest states in the country. Because of location, they have a job market that is not dependent on one single resource.

Thousands of people buy Minneapolis real estate every year for these reasons. Whether you are looking for an area that offers you many different small towns and suburbs or just looking for a big city area that has small town charm, it is a perfect area that values family life. It is a fun place to ice fish, hunt or snowmobile because the outdoor fun areas include lakes and rivers, along with forests. It has the Minnesota Twins for baseball and the Minnesota Vikings for national football and those that like watching sports or taking kids for a fun day.

The seven county areas of St Paul and Minneapolis, have over two million people that have different interests, but they all enjoy the quality family life, great hospitals and school choices. Forbes voted Minneapolis at the top of the most affordable places to live with a good life and with plenty of things to do. Over half of the area's homes that were sold could be afforded by the average people that work in the area. It ranked high in quality of life, arts and recreation choices.

When it comes to large companies, Target, 3M, Best Buy, General Mills, Cargill and United Health support the things to do in the area. Minneapolis is popular because many of the people work for these large companies and their families like the theaters, music halls and museums they support. When it comes to family values and the great things to do that are fun, the area is unlike other large big cities.

Twin Cities real estate enjoys a strong resale value because families are still moving here and jobs are still available. When it comes to raising a young family and finding a good job to support them, Minneapolis offers the chance at an affordable home, a stable job, and a growing area that offers exciting things to do. The area has also earned awards for being one of the safest metro areas, which is important to family life.

When you are looking for the best places in the country to raise a young family, enjoy a stable job and buy a home that will hold its worth, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is a popular choice. In fact, as of November, 2009, median price of a home was $220,000 for Minneapolis real estate. This number was up 2% from last year, compared to other areas where prices have dropped.

As you can see, when you compare those numbers to Florida, California or Nevada home values and you can see why many people choose Twin Cities real estate over other areas. The diverse area offers many advantages for families that are looking for a great area to raise a family, work and enjoy their life. You can see why Forbes chose Minneapolis as the most affordable place that offers a great life. It is the same reasons that you should call a real estate agent, get a great job and move here, too.
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Training Dog Sports Prevents Behavior Problems

2010-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

By Suzy Hiskey

Good Dog, Bad Dog

While you are working hard all day long, your furry friend is resting and anticipating your return. A bored dog with energy to burn often turns to destructive or disruptive dog behavior problems, such as barking, digging, or chewing. Some dogs develop deeper emotional problems such as separation anxiety or obsessive/compulsive behaviors. You can help prevent destructive behaviors by giving your dog exercises that stimulate him physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Dogs develop bad habits when they are bored, and it is easier to prevent problems than to fix them afterwards with dog training. House dogs can still use their mental and physical energy in recreational activities, such as dog agility training, cool dog tricks, and dog games. Your dog can learn tricks and sports when you learn how to train your dog and spend just a few moments every day working with him.

You can spend hundreds of dollars on dog trainers, animal behaviorists, dog obedience school and even new couches! You can take them to the dog park, on walks, or out to retrieve a ball, but the best dog training is when you interact with your dog.

History of Your Dog

Dogs were domesticated by humans over 10,000 years ago and most dog breeds have not changed much in the past 2000 years. Today, many are still used as working dogs, participating in sheep herding, police protection, search and rescue, hunting, assistance for persons with disabilities, and other dog jobs. These dogs use their intelligence and physical abilities on a daily basis. "However, many modern-day canines, although fed regularly, kept physically healthy, and protected from danger, really lead very boring lives," according to Dr. Bruce Fogle. (p.8)

For thousands of years, humans bred working dogs for hunting, herding, and protection. Dogs are designed to be alert and to use their mental and physical energy for hunting and thinking. How often does your dog search the house for his treat? How far does your dog run to catch her bowl of kibble? How clever does your dog have to be for his food? This is where you can introduce fun activities that engage your dog such as the tricks circle or take a bow and the sports of agility or freestyle.

If you have a dog exhibiting a specific behavioral problem, please work directly with a trainer who can address your situation. Ask him or her if dog sports can be part of the solution, and have fun with your dog!

References

Clutton-Brock, Juliet. Dog. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2000.

Fogle, Bruce, D.V.M. ASPCA Complete Dog Training Manual. New York: DK, 1994.

Terri, McGinnis. "Dog." World Book Encyclopedia. 2008 ed. Vol. 5. 2008. 262-81.
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Sports Industry Franchising

2010-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

By Edward Dean

The sports franchising industry creates large revenue, has an intricate substructure, and is an authority on many peoples lives through the media and contributions. To entirely understand the environment of the sports franchising industry, we must try to understand that it is composed of different workings.

If you are want to buy a sporting franchise then you must know the diverse cases of goods that are accessible through professional equipment manufacturers and goods retailers, and in addition the names of the different companies involved.

If you want to get a job in the sports franchising industry then you must be aware of what sports development is and the organizations that employ them and the local authorities and charities which govern bodies of various sports.

Another branch of the sports franchising industry is sports apparel. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. In the year 2005 the sports apparel and athletic footwear industries had made a profit which was greater than $55 billion in the US market. The sports apparel and footwear arena are the dynamic-double in the US sports industry.

The joint income of the two industries has never been below the $50 billion dollar mark in the past four years. Sports franchising of apparel and supplies are building a huge demand worldwide. From basketball T-shirts to golfing tees, sports clothes shops are relishing the gains that the interest in sports has played in the past few years, particularly now in the year of the Olympics.

Franchise designers are now trying to catch up with the lucrative sports apparel industry. Sports bars are no more regarded as boring places to go when you are not a sports enthusiast. Owners are now putting in their efforts to make sports bars as exciting as possible. In addition, the sports bar franchises have expanded to the restaurant business as well. Sports Bar Franchising has become one of the most lucrative business ventures of the decade, incorporating both food and drink.

However, sports bars have a new niche in the market because of their duel purpose. There are as many views as there are people to whether it is a gamble or a big opportunity, while for other it's a means of personal recreation and fitness. Remember, franchising is the best kept secret of the 21st Century.
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Online Hospitality Education and Training Programs

2010-02-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

By Frank Johnson I

Outlook

The Hospitality industry is one which has grown in leaps and bounds with the advent of the last century and the advancements in transportation and communication. This growth has been phenomenal to the extent that today, a little over a hundred years on, hospitality is the main revenue maker for many countries across the globe. For these tourist destinations, the revenue gathered from vacationing consumers is critical to the GDP and social growth. Interlink this with the travel industry, which is considered part and parcel of hospitality and you can see an economic turnout toughing not billions but trillions of dollars worldwide annually, with millions earning their livelihood and massive numbers of jobs being created every year as many nations now begin to explore into this vast, only partially tapped market.

Especially today, when information is readily available on the internet and large numbers of vacationers are looking to escape to cheaper destinations, hospitality has become one of the major pillars for the rebuilding process.

What does online hospitality consist of?

Hospitality is a broad term encompassing many aspects of travel, tourism and entertainment. These and their many subcategories belong to, but are not limited to tourism and are found in every corner of the globe.

The main factor to remember about this industry is that Hospitality is now big business, in fact, one of the biggest around and nearly every other industry is affected by it. This means that hospitality consists of areas relating to any field of expertise from any and every aspect of business or profession. Another factor to remember is that hospitality and online hospitality have become one, i.e., while in the days of web1.0, hospitality on the internet was limited to information only, In this web2.0 era, it is now hosted on the web as a consolidated business, and it stands to reason that hospitality education is also consolidated on the internet as a viable area of education and training.

Some of the areas associated with hospitality on the internet are as below;

- Online Travel bookings by air, sea or land

- Online Accommodation and bookings for hotels, resorts and guest houses

- Online destination finders and packaged deals involving popular vacations and destinations

- Online booking ticketing for entertainment shows, casinos and even adventure sports

Online Hospitality education; major programs

Hospitality education is available over the internet from many famous colleges and universities in Europe and the Americas. Many of these courses are available in blended/online format and are conducted over the internet so that professionals and students all over the world can benefit from the learning while not having to travel, relocate or quit their jobs in order to do so.

There are many programs online that can help you learn or train for a career in core hospitality management, for instance hotel management, or for any of the niche supporting areas in hospitality, namely accommodation management, entertainment, travel and tours, cooking and catering and sports (golf, tennis, fishing, adventure etc); you can even learn to be a jet ski instructor or a crabbing or snorkeling specialist.

Here are some of the well known programs and courses on offer over the internet. These are all part of the online hospitality management education category and are available to almost anyone from any industry or field of education. Each of the following courses has an emphasis on hospitality management and its support functions;

- Online Full MBA (Concentrated study in Hosp & Tourism)

- Master of Science in Recreation, Sport and Tourism

- MA in Tourism Planning and Development

- Bachelors in Business / Management

- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration / Hosp & Tourism

- BS - Interdisciplinary Studies in Hosp Management

- BS in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management

- Associate of Arts in Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism

- Associate degree in Global Travel and Hosp Management

- Certificate in Organizational Management- Hotels & Accommodations

- MA/MS, BA/BS, Certificate/ASS in Cooking, catering and presentation (various types/cuisines)

Resource Area:

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2009 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
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Study English in Christchurch New Zealand and Become One of the Best

2010-02-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

By Nick Arnott

Are you interested in learning English in an English speaking country? If so, you should consider studying in Christchurch New Zealand. There are a selection of schools offering English programmes in Christchurch New Zealand which are managed by teachers who have an average of 5 years' experience in teaching.

Local schools found in Christchurch, New Zealand will have teachers in Cambridge and IELTS exams, who can provide students with invaluable tips and pieces of advice regarding the various English proficiency examinations and courses. Like other education providers around the world, those in New Zealand also have academic counsellors available to discuss study goals with students.

When you study English in Christchurch New Zealand you will also have the advantage of a direct pathway to programmes offered by other universities. And since all study and no play can make any student become bored, students who choose to learn English in Christchurch, New Zealand have access to a wide range of outdoor recreation and sports. Many of the local Christchurch education providers are also located near restaurants, bars and cafes.

If you are an aspiring English teacher interested in the TESOL course, you can obtain world-class training when you study a TESOL course at a school of your choice in Christchurch New Zealand. This course is one of the most recognised English language certification programmes that can put a student on the right track to an English teaching career. Even students who do not plan to teach English later on can sharpen their knowledge and skills on the subject. As part of the TESOL course, students sit the Cambridge TKT examination and are awarded a globally recognised qualification.

By choosing to learn English in Christchurch New Zealand, students will be able to select a school that offers a well-rounded training course in English. International students can also receive New Zealand visa application assistance from many of the schools in Christchurch, whom can even help students with opening a local bank account. To top it all, some education providers offer job placement assistance programmes, which help qualified students to find work in New Zealand.
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Denver Foreclosures - Benefits and Guidelines on Buying Your Perfect Home

2010-01-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

By Celeste Faucher

With the help of Denver foreclosures purchasing a property in Colorado is now easy as you can buy a home in one of the major American cities within your limited budget without compromising on the quality of the property as well as the location.

Various benefits of owning a property in the city of Denver are:

• Central business district - The tenth largest business district in the United States, Denver is home to a variety of jobs ranging from mining companies like Rio Tinto, to major telecommunication companies like the Dish Network Cooperation making it a great place to buy a property through Denver foreclosures.
• Transportation - Denver has a planned and good transportation network including more than 1000 buses operating in the area and a well connected railway system Amtrak.
• Education - The top notch education facilities in the city makes buying through Denver foreclosures a wise decision for your family. The Denver Public school is one of the best schools and the Community College of Denver is one of the best institutions of higher education in the state.
• Museums - Denver is home to several nationally recognized museums including the Denver Arts Museum, the second largest performing arts center in the nation.
• Recreation and sports - With a number of galleries and rich musical and sports culture Denver has earned the reputation of being one of the most active outdoor cities. Denver is also one of only 3 cities in the nation that has a team representing all 8 of the major sports leagues in the US.

Some important guidelines:

While purchasing a home through Denver foreclosures there are some important guidelines to be kept in mind in order to ensure a successful, safe and profitable deal.

When seeking a property through Denver foreclosures it is very vital to have the correct information at the right time.
Subscribing to online foreclosure listings is the wisest way to access all the Denver foreclosures and gather information about the nature and the status of the properties.

Before taking a final decision on the home of your choice through Denver Foreclosures always remember to make a thorough ground examination of the property and the locality first.
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Louisville's Beautiful Network of Parks and Parkways - A Model For All Other Modern Cities

2010-01-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

By Arthur Smith

First Glimpses of a City of Parks

A serene well-patterned naturally beautiful landscape interlacing an intricate network of similar structures arrested my sight on touching down on Louisville Sunday the 26th of June 2006. We drove past buildings all set in uniform symmetry with the well-terraced and tended gardens of the meadows as one should see in Eden.

The newest hall of residence in the University of Louisville, Kurtz Hall, which should be our new residence for six weeks,smelled fresh and fragrant. The surrounding well-tended gardens were constantly watered with the hedges and the carpet of greenery trimmed with quiet efficiency. The harmony with which nature intermingled with architecture all over the campus was impressive. The brown-brick-like box structures with terraced roofing patterns were all harmoniously blended with the green-carpeted parks surrounding each with adjoining tarred car parks with squirrels frolicking about in this nest of soothing beauty which were healing and diverting the mind.

Families of rare white squirrels frolick everywhere in the expanse of green space especially where one could find a huge variety of some of the biggest and oldest trees in Louisville as well as lush lawns. The compact Belknap Campus is itself a walker's paradise with a cardio path around Cardinal Park, as well as huge, shaded sidewalks throughout the serene campus.

The University of Louisville has been struggling to develop and maintain an aesthetic atmosphere since the 1920s. In 2000, when Dr. James Ramsey became president of the University his wife, Jane, started working towards transforming the campus into a "more attractive, safe and community-oriented environment" for students to live and learn in.

New signages around, became part of the ongoing beautification to create a better student atmosphere as well as make the university more attractive. Ramsey and the Campus Beautification Committee have introduced water sprinkler systems, tree-lined streets, painted Cardinal medallions on street surfaces and painted overpasses. thus making it "a more exciting and prideful campus." Stansbury Park on Third Street is to be returned back to its original 19th century design made by Fredrick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and most of Louisville's parks and parkway system.

Olmsted's concept of a park is contained in the following classic statement: . 'My notion is that whatever grounds a great city may need for other public purposes, for parades, for athletic sports, for fireworks, for museums of art or science such as botanic gardens, it also needs a large ground scientifically and artistically prepared to provide such a poetic and tranquilizing influence on its people as comes through a pleased contemplation of natural scenery, especially sequestered and limitless natural scenery'

He was quite clear that while provision for sports for example was important, it should not take over sections of the park at the expense of the majority of park users, and should only be included where it could be accommodated within the park and not permanently take over sections of it.

"The redesign of Stansbury Park, along with plans for more bike pavilions by Cardinal Stadium, increased signage around the campus and downtown" and further involvements in development efforts in surrounding neighborhoods, according to Ramsey, "are all aimed at making this a more attractive and functional community."

Ramsey, who grew up in the south end neighborhood of Louisville said "This effort is important to me. I have a love for this neighborhood and this university and I want to be engaged in making it a better place for future generations."

Such pristine beauty is replicated in the whole city from downtown to the Churchill Downs area where every home is adorned by well tended gardens and lawns studded with flowers of varying alluring descriptions.

Louisville's beauty is greatly enhanced by its extensive networks of parks and gardens with green carpets of grass decorating pathways, hedges, and roadsides. It is reputed to have the most beautiful parks in the U.S They were developed from 1891 when Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park as well as parks, parkways, college campuses and public facilities in many U.S. locations was contracted to design a system of public lands that would be free to all forever.

Olmsted created on all contours of the landscape

* Shawnee Park, a plain of river bottomland featuring the concourses that afford extensive views and the expansive Great Lawn, Louisville's spot for large formal gatherings, enclosed with border plantings and a tree-lined circular drive;
* Cherokee Park one of the most visited parks in the U.S., featuring a 4.2 kilometre mixed-use loop and many well-known landscaping features, where Beargrass Creek wanders among woods and meadows;
* Iroquois Park, a tall, rugged escarpment offering vantage views of the city;at the heart of which is a 10,000-year-old forest, blanketing the knob's steep hillsides with a great variety of rare plants and animals and. a network of pedestrian paths, bridle trails, and circuit drives
* and Tyler Park which is a jewel of solitude in the city bustle.

A scenic 7 mile River-Walk stretches from downtown's 4th Street Wharf westward to Chickasaw park. Running parallel to the Ohio shore this path offers a variety of views, from the lakes and dam on the shipping channel to quiet, wooded portions where the occasional deer roams. East of River Walk, Linear Park has a playground with attractions for all.

The Louisville Waterfront Park prominently located on the banks of the Ohio River East featuring large open areas showcases the waterfront with overlooking walking paths, the Festival Plaza, a water feature with a series of pools and fountains, a children's playground and a harbor. Resplendent with yachts and sea and motor bikes with police mini-vehicles it was agog with millions celebrating amidst the jocose display of fireworks, a veritable medley of colors and sounds criss-crossing each other in the sky in heralding yet another anniversary of America's attaining full nationhood last year, when I was there. Free concerts and other festivals are frequent occurrences here.

Further out from the downtown area is the Jefferson Memorial Forest which, at 6,057 acres, is the largest municipal urban forest in the U.S. which is already designated as a National Audubon Society wildlife refuge offering over 50 kilometers of various hiking trails. Otter Creek Park another large park nearby, .while actually in Brandenburg, Kentucky, is owned and operated by Louisville Metro government while. Otter Creek, from which it is named, winds along its eastern side.

A scenic bend in the Ohio River, which divides Kentucky from Indiana, can be seen from northern overlooks within the park which is a popular mountain biking destination, with trails maintained.

Other outdoor points of interest include Cave Hill Cemetery where Col. Harland Sanders was buried, Zachary Taylor National Cemetery where President Zachary Taylor was buried, the Louisville Zoo and the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. Towards Bardstown one of the most famous slave houses Farmington Historic Home stands amidst a verdant lush greenery. This house with well tended lawns interlaced by wooden and concrete paved paths and a pool at the far side was part of the slave-holding plantations of the South where hemp and rice were grown as well as wine brewed.

Louisville's fantastic parks system, owes much to people like Gen.John Breckinridge Castleman who as first parks commissioner, brought Frederick Law Olmsted to Louisville in 1890 to work on its parks design and donated land for Cherokee Park--with his statue now standing in Cherokee Triangle in tribute. More recently David Karem, led the popular Waterfront Park's development, while David Jones Sr., co- founder of Humana Inc, leads an ambitious drive to establish a green-ring around Louisville called "City of Parks."

The Value of Parks and Gardens

The preservation of Louisville's natural environment through expanding parks and forests amidst an urban space improves water and air quality, cools the city and provides a natural habitat for the animals and birds who in turn build up a natural and refreshing atmosphere for leisure.

Park DuValle has been transformed into a series of traditional Louisville neighborhoods linked by a continuous network of streets and parkways. For Louisville's western neighborhoods were dominated by two crime-ridden public housing projects and a badly deteriorated apartment complex with virtually no existing retail outlets in the neighborhood except small convenience stores.

These parks achieve the hallmarks of Olmsted's social vision. As the source of healthful inspiration - through mental, physical and social recreation - they provide a respite to the stresses of modern city life, spaces where people can come together to create a stronger community, whilst exhibiting all the classic physical elements of an Olmsted park: graceful topography and alignments; ease and accessibility; balance of uses; expression of native character and use of native materials; separation of traffic modes; and subjugation of built elements to nature. The Olmsted Parks are a magnificent work of art that must be preserved to continue their enormous contribution to the quality of life in Louisville. The landscapes in and around the parks thus remain a crucial resource for serving the cultural and recreational needs of the public.

As Mayor of Louisville, Jerry Abramson said. the green-print will unite neighborhoods and people, with a trail that will help connect all parts of the community," "Parks draw people together who might not otherwise encounter one another, bridging the gaps between city and suburb, between rich and poor, between white and black. Parks raise property values and make our community more attractive to new residents, businesses and visitors. Parks preserve irreplaceable landscapes. Parks give our kids a place to play, and they allow each of us to take a break from the daily hustle and bustle."

Studying the Creation of a Unique Park System in Louisville to Replicate in all other Cities

The restoration of historic buildings is a widely accepted activity, for either re-using them for different activities, or restoring them as landmarks and attractions for visitors, whereas designed historic urban parks and landscapes are generally less favored for historic preservation or conservation.

Landscapes are sometimes more difficult to characterize. Erosion of the original design and loss of individual features, usually makes it hard for the general public to identify that they were actually 'designed' at all. Public perception is often that these urban landscapes were just bits of land that weren't built upon or left-over bits of countryside that escaped development, and were kept as such for public recreation.

Parks need to both restore their value as cultural resources within communities as well as enhance their recreational value. Much could be learnt from the Americans about historic urban landscape restoration through their successful restoration through innovative, best practice and good design in Louisville which both respect the original design whilst remaining relevant to today's communities. The designed as well as neglected landscape legacy of cities are great assets to restore and continue the tradition of park building to reflect the mood of 21st century cities. When done successfully, with sensitivity good design and good future stewardship this can achieve both the conservation of built landscape environments, as well as provide meaningful, beautiful and robust new landscapes to cater for changing and expanding communities.

A) The realization of the need to upgrade Louisville's look

In the 1980s, Louisville was another declining industrial town in the Mid West. Then it recognized the value in its park network as being vital for the city's ecological health, economic growth and for improving the quality of life for its dwindling inhabitants. The network was designed in 1891, to provide an escape from the industrial city into the healing world of nature.

Since World War II, Louisville's public parks, had been falling into decline, with lack of investment, over-use and natural disasters like tornadoes thus bringing a breakdown in the relationship between the community and its landscape. The spiraling cycle of disrepair and subsequent reduction of use became damaging for both the parks and their users, with further neglect following.

B) The creation of Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy

A group of concerned citizens formed the 'Friends of Louisville's Olmsted Parks' in the early 1980's, and prepared a report on park conditions. In the late 80's Mayor, Jerry Abrahamson created the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy to stop the rot, and turn the parks around in an attempt to make their park system the best. The Conservancy was set up to act as a non profit, sister organization to the 'Metro Parks', to assist in the planning and funding of this massive renewal program to both preserve and enhance this great work of landscape art. The city invested $1million in setting up the Conservancy as a separate but complementary organization to the City funded parks department. The initial funding established the conservancy and paid for a Masterplan to be drawn up for all the 2,000 acres of parks and 15 miles of connecting parkways, to set the stage for the future private investments in the parks improvements.

In 1995 with the master plan document finalized a practical plan was set out for its implementation. It pulled together specific projects, management strategies, and new maintenance techniques, all designed to work together to enhance all the parks in the system.

Frederick Law Olmsted, had in 1891, urged the people of Louisville to 'Adopt an Ideal, and to let it guide all planning and actions'; The Conservancy's master plan reiterates this ideal and continues to set out the way forward for Louisville's Olmsted parks. His systems comprised of parkways which would connect the separate parks with each other, and the downtown to them, thereby structuring the growth of the cities. They were to be planted with trees creating a park-like feel, and separating the modes of transport used on them.

C) The structure of Louisville's park system

Louisville's park system is composed of three distinctly different landscape types. Louisville's natural landscape and scenery were the starting point for Olmsted's design. He took the distinctly different terrains and landscape characters of the three sites to create Shawnee, Cherokee and Iroquois Parks. These were to be the three principal parks whose uses and designs he planned to be compatible with the scenic experiences they could provide.

Shawnee being situated adjacent to the Ohio River, took advantage of its river views both in their own right and as a backdrop for the concert stage. It provided access to the river for boating and bathing, and the rest of the park was created as a large open area of rolling meadow interspersed with shade trees, which could be a major site for recreations and sport. Thus he provided the recreational elements which Olmsted knew to be necessary in city landscapes, but always wanted to prevent from interrupting his composed 'natural' scenes which could be designed in his other parks.

Cherokee Park was almost exclusively dedicated to the enjoyment of scenery, and designed to exploit the setting of its location in the stream valley, and contained less provision for formal activities than any other he had designed.

The third major park was Iroquois. Sited on a steep hill, It had originally been known as the ''Burnt Knob' due to the original savannah vegetation which was managed by a cycle of burning and regeneration by the native American Indians. Its steep terrain was deeply forested. Olmsted proposed that this site should be treated as a scenic reservation as its topography, character and vegetation was unsuitable to providing open parkland, which was in any case, amply provided by the other two. Iroquois was to represent the forest scenes of the Appalachian Mountains, experienced on the journey from the Mississippi south, to Virginia.

The last major element of Olmsted's design was the parkways connecting the parks with each other and the Downtown. The construction of these was carried out in piecemeal. As well as the major parks and parkways, several smaller, neighborhood parks were designed by Olmsted and later the Olmsted brothers, all 18 contributing to the overall network.

D) The loss of many character defining features of the parks

Over time many of the character defining features of the parks have been lost. Physical and spatial elements have been overlaid, replaced with contemporary elements or altered. The onset of the car, over use, natural disaster, installation of contemporary structures, flytipping, malfunctioning equipment, general disrepair and invasive species had all led to the erosion of the original vision and structure.

The parks were originally designed specifically for 'ease'. So visitors should be able to move through and enjoy the different views and scenes while pursuing their passive or active recreation with ease. Routes guide you through the gently unfolding and ever changing scenery, whether on foot, bicycle, car or horse. The circulation system became fragmented and dysfunctional as the agents of change took their toll, making layouts confusing and movement difficult through some areas leading to perceived dangers and fear for personal security. Ease of use was thus lost.

Shawnee Park, originally designed with recreation in mind had become a victim of its success as it got covered with baseball fields and associated fencing, which obliterated its naturally inspired landscape and led to the exclusion of most other uses and users.

The topography of Iroquois Parks had been taken advantage of as a natural lookout point, first by the American Indians and later, as Olmsted had intended. The summit becoming a desirable vantage point for drivers, thus became over trafficked. The large open grassed 'Summit Field' at the top of the park, 'The Knob' was often to be found covered in cars. This soon became a poorly drained, muddy field, leading to further run off from the summit and erosion of the forested slopes and circulation systems contained within.

Vegetation erosion and loss, as a result of car parking on the edges of the scenic drives, and damage done by the 1974 tornado, has been a major agent of decline of Cherokee Park. The tornado felled 2000 trees in its 20 minute crossing, and subsequently allowed an invasion of alien species to colonize, causing dark masses of impenetrable vegetation. Blocked off views limited the public's natural way-finding ability and led to desire lines, further degrading the visual quality of the designed landscape and creating physical problems with storm water runoff. The characteristic long vistas through the stream valley with meandering paths through the landscape had largely disappeared as a result. Sports pitches and bland, functional, but ugly structures had been placed around the park, further interrupting the composition of the various scenes. Combined sewer outfalls into the Creek degraded water quality and increased flow, thus reducing the creeks natural ability to withstand erosion of its banks by floods.

E) Strategy for the revitalization of the parks

The strategy for the Olmsted Parks, was to first define the 'period of significance' within the life span of the parks' history. In this case it was defined as being mostly from the 1890s to 1916, and partially into the 1930s, when the parks and parkways were designed and built.

Its significance, as a designed historic landscape, is recognized through the designation of the Louisville system as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places thus recognizing its importance as a cultural resource for its citizens . It also offers it some protection from federally funded projects that may impact on these historic resources. As the three separate parks were designed to be distinctly different from each other the rehabilitation strategies had also to be distinctly different for each. The key concept of 'ease of use' was one of the major and constant considerations taken into account with the rehabilitation strategy.

Shawnee Park's formal sports provision has been condensed into one area, thus restoring the informal landscape and therefore the park's pastoral quality. Strategic views to the river have been restored by vegetation clearance and land form alterations, overcoming physical and visual barriers created by flood defenses.

Problems of car domination at the top of Iroquois have been overcome by redesigning the former muddy grassed field into a native Savannah wildflower meadow. This has transformed the car dominated mud bath into a flowering oasis, while also saving on maintenance costs, being now managed by burning on a 3 year rotation, as the American Indians do with only grass paths mowed regularly.

The flowing lines, vistas and routes of the river valley landscape in Cherokee Park have been restored with the creation of additional new paths, giving access to a long derelict stonework seating area surrounding the seasonally running Barringer Springs, re-interpreting both the natural and designed aspects of the park.

The preservation and rehabilitation strategies of the master plan and the other park programs designed by Louisville Metro, are in the process of reversing decline. Louisville will thus receive the full benefit of the Olmsted legacy, while meeting the need for current and future recreational needs, through sensitive design and the creation of new facilities which do not compromise the original vision.

The extension of Olmsted Parks' legacy throughout Greater Louisville

The mission of the Louisville Conservancy is also to extend the Olmsted legacy throughout Greater Louisville for the benefit of generations to come who could enjoy an extensive green space in Louisville 'The City of Parks' The long term vision of the Mayor of Louisville in 2005 to build upon the groundwork laid down over 100 years ago, is to ensure, as the community grows, that all residents have access to quality parks and open space.

The delivery mechanism for this is a significant public private partnership consisting of several organizations including Metro Parks, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville Metro Government, 21st Century Parks (A new not for profit organization established to accept donations for land acquisition and for development of new parks) and the Trust for Public Land, (a national not for profit group which works to conserve land for the public to enjoy)

This partnership is working together to accomplish three major projects:

- Acquire land which will become a new interconnected system of parks

- Create a 100 mile, green loop and trail around Louisville's perimeter to tie together its diverse parks and communities, and control sprawl, ( like a usable greenbelt)

- Invest in improving the existing parks.

So far, the local government has earmarked $20million over a multi-year initiative with $1million pledged in the 2005-6 budget. $38million was secured from federal funds in 2005, and with private contributions, the total raised by December '05 was $60million. The setting up of the '21st Century Parks' organization has enabled the acceptance of tax deductible donations.

Innovative Park Creation for Restoring, Enhancing and Preserving A Brighter Future for All

The City of Parks initiative, while mostly acquiring land and building new parks, is also crucial, in helping with the 'restore, enhance and preserve' mission of the Conservancy. The Olmstedian 'Ease of Use and accessibility' philosophy is being continued and expanded thus aiding access to the original as well as new parks. The new parks can incorporate new requirements, such as state of the art skateboard facilities and interactive water features, rather than having these facilities squeezed into landscapes which weren't designed to accommodate them. 'Extreme Park' skateboard and cycling park is just such a facility, located in downtown Louisville, an extension of Waterfront Park a brilliant service which has become nationally renowned. Facilities such as bike hire are provided in the new sites, thus increasing visitors. The new Waterfront Park is an exciting collection of activities, ecologies and spaces contributing to the richness of Louisville's collection of parks.

Waterfront Park has helped to jump-start the downtown area. Over $400million has been invested in the downtown riverside area since 1994. The park itself costs £100million. Historic buildings have been retained and re-used within the development zone, with the history and character of Louisville respected as people are re-connected with their waterside. Jobs in that area have grown from 400 in 1986, to over 5,300. Metro Parks department are developing new parkways to add further connections from the downtown to the parks, thus increasing accessibility and use of the system. Louisville's early recognition of the value of parks, has enabled it to stop, and then reverse the spiral of decline, and resuscitate this resource on a massive scale for the benefit of the city. In doing so, it has helped in continuing to define the city's form, preserve the rich native landscape and improve property values.

Louisville's Olmsted Parks and Parkways a unique component to the fabric of the city, contributes to the quality of life for all citizens. The value of the clearly-planned system of large landscaped parks connected by tree-lined parkways, and smaller parks, playgrounds, and squares is greater than ever. For parks have the ability to improve almost every aspect of life for individuals and the community at large. Caring for these historic treasures and seeing that they remain valuable assets for every community should therefore be the perennial preoccupation in all cities in the world.For other information visit--> http://arsandy.wordpress.com

The Thrills and Spills of White Water Rafting In Christchurch, New Zealand

2010-01-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

By Rene Smith

About 2 hours drive from Christchurch you will find the Rangitata River. It's located near Geraldine, a beautiful area of the South Island with some stunning landscapes and natural features on view. The river is also perfectly suited for white water rafting with a number of exhilarating rapids to go with the flat sections that are great for practicing your skills or getting a well-earned breather.

Most operators that take rafting trips on the Rangitata River take you to and from Christchurch in a shuttle. Like most white water rafting trips, it can be intense at times and without needing to be a professional athlete, it helps if you are reasonably fit. The more you put in, the more you will get out of this experience, so if flying down gushing rapids is your kind of thing, then you’re going to have a great time.

The day starts off with a shuttle picking you up from Christchurch early in the morning. From here it’s a simple but pleasant drive through the countryside on your way to the Rangitata River. Once reaching the river, you drive further up it to a lodge where you will start your day of activities.
The first thing that needs organising is your equipment. This consists of things like a wetsuit, helmet, life jacket etc. They may not be the most comfortable or fashionable but the water can be cold so you’ll definitely appreciate it. After being kitted out, you’ll be split into groups that will make up those on your raft. It’s great if you’ve got a bunch of friends to go with but if not, you’ll probably meet some new ones by the end of the day anyway.

Driving further up the river you’ll arrive at the point where you’ll be starting your journey. It’s here that you’ll get your first taste of rafting. Each raft has one instructor who sits at the back of the raft, helps you avoid rocks, cracks jokes, ensures safety and in general makes sure you have a great time. Your instructor will brief you all on the basics, which include things like paddling, lunging to one side and pulling people back into the raft if they fall out (which can and probably will happen). You get plenty of chance to practise all these things as you gently make your way down a long calm patch of the river.

After everyone in your raft is confident with the skills, it’s time to hit your first rapids! This is definitely the most exciting part and what makes people come back for more. It’s a real adrenaline rush as your raft is thrown through the rapids, you can feel the power of the water as you bump up and down and side to side with each dip and change of direction. The instructors do a great job of keeping you on the right path although you’ll have to help them out when they need it, some rapid paddling is required to get through some of the tough spots.

As you head further down the river, you’ll get to enjoy a lot more exciting rapids that really get the heart going. Sometimes they can be so intense that people fall out or rafts flip over, this isn’t uncommon and the instructors will alert you if you need to pick up someone that went overboard. The risk factor is all part of the excitement but at no stage does it fell dangerous. The strength (or grading) of the river changes throughout the year but will always give you some very challenging sections of white water.

The main part of the trip lasts for a couple of hours before the river flattens out and you get the chance to have a bit of fun with the other rafts, i.e. splashing them with your oars or throwing their instructor in the water. You may also get the chance to jump off some very high rocks or float down sections of the river out of the raft (this is when you’ll be glad you’re in a wetsuit).

After loading the rafts onto the trailers, you’ll head back up to the lodge for a well-earned barbeque. By this stage you should be exhausted, just managing to stay in the raft all day can be hard work! After some laughs and a few final words it’s time to head home. You get the opportunity to buy photos taken of your rafts, which is a nice touch, albeit a slightly expensive one.

Going down the rapids is a truly awesome experience and one that you’ll be raving about for weeks. White water rafting comes highly recommended for anyone visiting Christchurch and looking for something exciting to try.
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Learn About the Iditarod Race and Dog Mushing in Alaska

2010-01-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

By Diane Gray

In Alaska, the official state sport is dog sled racing. Alaskans have always appreciated the reliability and historic value of the old ways of dog sledding. Mechanical transportation such as snow machines and snow mobiles are of course very important to the people of Alaska, but many still keep their own dog teams. Some folks like to keep 2 to 10 sled dogs simply for the joy of recreational mushing, while other keep their teams for working and sled racing competition.

The celebration of Alaskan dog sled racing and mushing racing ranges from the local club meets to the world championships. These races are held throughout the winter months. The mushing races use teams of 7-16 dogs. The teams are not allowed to replace any dog during the race and the cumulative times for the heats determine the winner. Speed races are normally run for about 12-30 miles and last about two to three days. Much excitement accompanies these events. Long distance races are probably the most famous ones of all. They include the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod.

These dog teams and their mushers not only compete against the other teams, but they also have to contend with the harsh elements of the Alaskan countryside. Sometimes a musher and his dog team can find themselves in the middle of a dangerous snow storm. If this happen, winning the race may take a backseat and survival in turn becomes a priority. It is reported in the past races that some mushers would sacrifice their chances of winning to help out a fellow musher and his dogs that unfortunately got stranded in the killer storm and needed help. There are other perils along the trail however. Moose will attack the dogs, and straying off course can both become problems. Also, an illness of the musher or his dogs is possible, and the sheer exhaustion and physical exertion of the race can certainly take its toll.

Of all the dog sled races, the Iditarod race probably gets the most national press and is the most known by Americans and people from all over the world. It follows the old mail route which started in Knik, just north of Anchorage and continued northwest to finish in Nome. This old mail route was blazed in 1910. The modern Iditarod race runs about 1,100 miles and crosses two mountain ranges. It also follows the Yukon River for about 150 miles and runs through several villages. The trail even crosses the pack ice on Norton Sound! As you can imagine, this race is truly a test of physical and mental strength and determination! With all of the obstacles that a musher and his dogs must face and overcome, you can imagine the thrill and excitement of the winner and all of the other teams who ran and/or finished this historic race!One of the most famous runs of all on this old mail trail took place in 1925 when Leonhard Seppala and his dog team brought thousands of precious units of the life-saving Diphtheria serum to Nome, Alaska where an epidemic broke out. Nowadays, snowmobiles and helicopters replace the dog sled for this job, but at that time, the brash and brave lifesaving run by Seppala was a godsend to the distressed people of Nome.

The Iditarod race was conceived and organized in 1967 by Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy Page of Wasilla, Alaska. The first races only covered 56 miles, but then in 1973 it was lengthened to today's 1,100 miles. In 1973, the Iditarod race started in Anchorage on March 3rd. It ended on April 3rd in Nome. This race has been run every year since then. Several years later, Congress designated the Iditarod race as a National Historic Trail in 1976. Dog mushing and the Iditarod race in Alaska bring a romantic notion in people's minds about the old ways of survival and transportation in the far north. It is reassuring to know that dog mushers and their wonderful and brave dog teams are still running the trails today. The special reminder of this tradition is the Iditarod race, which forged its own place in American history.
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What is the Best Place to Live in the United States and Canada - One Almanac Tells All

2010-01-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

By Lance Winslow

During the recession many families are re-thinking where they live and considering making a move, something they take very seriously, and cannot afford to make a mistake. But where do they move too? Where can they get all the information they need to make an informed decision? Well, boy have I got the perfect book to aid in this search:

"Places Rated Almanac; Your Guide to Finding the Best Places to Live in the United States and Canada" (Special Millennium Edition) by David Savageau with Ralph D'Agostino; IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., Foster City, CA; 2000.

This book is a wealth of information on places to live, listed are some 354 Metro Areas which are ranked by crime, weather, arts, recreation, sports teams, job base, education, transportation, energy, pollution, cost of living and health care considerations. There is so much data in this book you will be blown away, and it will make you consider things you may not have ever thought about before, such as the number of restaurants, churches, or parks. How about bike lanes, traffic times, yep, all listed.

How about good paying jobs? Cost of homes, rentals or business locations? Rainy days, sunny days, cloudy days, stormy days, well, it is all here in one giant almanac book and you can cross reference to your heart's content. All the suburbs are listed and the driving times to town, as well as trains, buses, subways, light rail, airports, number of airlines, it's a demographic dream come true, perfect for business or just plain deciding where to live and hang your hat, raise your family or retire to.
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Care and Feeding Of Your Pool Cue

2010-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

By Jason Marco

Once you've invested in your first pool cue, you want to take care of it. A quality cue that's cared for will be your faithful companion for years. Caring for your cue starts during your game. You've seen every pool shark worth their chalk pause to file the tip, chalk their cue or otherwise give it a little attention during play. Serious players like Johnny Archer and Chun-Chen Chen take care of their equipment at all times, keeping it in top shape. Well cared for equipment never lets you down.

What should your cue care kit include? It needs a variety of tools to keep your cues in the best possible shape. It should have a cue pick, chalk in a variety of colors, shaping cube buffing cube, tip file, tip tapper, replacement tips, shaver, soft towel or cloth, shaft polish or wax, shaft slicker or burnisher, ferrule sander, tip cement, tip clamp, cue bumper replacement and bolt hammer. If you can't afford all of those items at once, stick to the essentials: chalk, file, pick, spare tips and cement. Those few items will get you started while you build your professional cue care kit.

Part of caring for your cue is how you prepare it for play. You never see any pool player worth their salt playing a cue right out of the box. You need to get your tip ready before you do anything else. A fresh tip is square, hardened and slick to the touch. This makes it hard to gain control of your cue ball. Without cue ball control your shots will be all over the table - everywhere but in the pockets. Tuning your tip keeps your shots accurate.

The first thing you should do to your tip is shape it. If you don't have a shaper yet, you can use a cue file, but a shaper cube works best. This basically takes the hard edge away and gives your cue more precise tuning possibilities. With the hard edges, if your stick hits the cue ball at an angle, you lose your shot. With a rounded edge, you have a little leeway with your angle and get more shooting surface for the cue ball stroke.

After you have shaped your cue's tip, you'll want to buff it out. This gets rid of any shavings left behind by the file or shaper. Not only do the shavings harm your shot, they can get on the pool table and cause everyone's shots to be off kilter, so you want to do the other players this courtesy as well. The final step is the chalk. You should have a variety of chalk colors in your bag as a courtesy to the table owner. That way you can shoot using a chalk matched to the table and not leave streaks or smudges on their pristine felt job. Most places use green, blue or red felt. Having these in your bag should take care of this issue in the majority of pool halls you will be playing.

Take your first shot with your cue as a practice shot, cue ball only. Test the tip and tip edges, and get a feel for the cue shaft. You may need to give your shaft a buffing if it is playing sticky (sticking in your hands instead of gliding smoothly). If your tip is playing too hard, you may need to use your tip pick to soften it up. A couple of pokes with the pick usually do the trick. After you soften it, go over it with your cloth and then chalk it again. You'll eventually get a feel for what kind of tip shape you need for your optimum shooting style and speed. As time goes on, you'll have everything you need to care for your cue with you in your case.
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Bodybuilding, Work, and Life - Finding Balance

2010-01-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

By Zach Bashore

Life can be rough and sometimes you need to be able to organize your thoughts to make everything better. You can become focused on one thing and forget about the other priorities in your life. I am going to explain the importance of keeping a balance between bodybuilding, work, and life. Your also going to learn a few natural techniques than can be used to keep your life in balance.

Being fit is crucial to being able to handle all the obstacles you come across on a daily basis. It gives you the the ability to perform better at your job and also gives you the confidence to have a good social life. The best way to improve your health is by bodybuilding, but participating in a recreational sport such as basketball, is a step to improving your health as well. This will put you in a social setting that you feel comfortable in and also gives you the ability to make a couple of new friends that share the same interests.

Having a positive social life is one of the most important factors in a person`s life. It makes everything you do worthwhile and makes you realize that others are going through the same problems as you are. You may also find the love of your life when your out with your friends. Nobody wants to be with a hermit so you have to fit some sort of social fun into your busy life or you`re going to live a long, lonely life. What you can do to become more social will depend on your values and who you feel most comfortable around. You only know what type of person you are and what makes you comfortable. A bodybuilder wouldn`t feel right at a golf course. A car mechanic wouldn`t feel comfortable being around a bunch of computer wizzes. Learning who you feel good around takes time and a lot of maturity on your part to realize you can`t be friends with everybody. Its the same way at a job, you can`t just fill out an application somewhere because your desperate for a job. You need to know what the job does, the type of people you`ll be working with, and how well you will fit in with the rest of the crew.

Work can become your worst enemy if you let it. If you hate your job and the people you work with, of course you`re going to have a negative attitude towards your job. Sure making money is nice, but when you start questioning yourself, "what am i doing here," you have a problem. There are also other problems a job can bring. If you have a bad boss, work around negative people, work long hours, and can`t handle the stress involved with the job, then you need to take a step back and develop a list of ways you can start to feel better. Are you getting enough sleep, are you exercising, are you spending enough or to much time with friends and family, eating right? You can also try yoga or some kind of other meditation practice, which are all good alternatives to seeing a therapist or some doctor who just wants to take your money.

You don`t want to do to much or to little of anything. Everything has a happy medium and you need to incorporate the practice of balancing into your everyday life.Again, you need to write down things you do on a daily basis and decide what things your doing in excess and develop ways to cut back on what is customary. To much of a good thing is just as bad as a repetitive bad habit and is important for you to realize. Life isn`t easy and it takes a lot of time to improve on it but taking small, gradual steps to improvemetn is the only way to achieving anything. Until Next Time, cya!
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Sport Shirts and Shorts That Help Fight the Heat

2010-01-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

By Victor Epand

If you are planning to camp for a long time, then carry along with you extra sport shirts and shorts, especially during the summertime. There are different varieties of sport shirts and shorts available on the market that will allow you to keep cool and dry as it removes the sweat from the skin.

There are some sport shirts available on the market that use bamboo carbon odor control to prevent smelliness. In addition, these shirts are designed with an ultraviolet protection factor of fifty. The people who manufacture bamboo carbon claim the material will keep everything from food to feet smelling fresh for days. Maybe there is something to these claims because after are fish for two days in warm weather, then you can tell that this shirt smells relatively fresh. These shirts are also worked as a lightweight windbreaker. However, with its thin collar and oddly shaped breast pockets, the shirt looks too much like, well, a fishing shirt. If it resembled a casual dress shirt, then you would still wear it everywhere.

There are also some long-sleeve crew shirts that are made with from a vapor wick fabric, which the manufactures claims will draw perspiration to the exterior, where it evaporates quickly. The fabric does this through the use of millions of "hydrophobic" fibers. These shirts are lightweight and work well as a first layer under a jacket or windbreaker, but may be too thin to be worn by itself on cold, windy days. On the positive side, the material does not feel slick and cold like other synthetic fabric. In fact, it almost feels like cotton.

With some of the long sleeve tees that are available on the market are made from polyester and spandex, but the manufacturers claim they have the ability to stop bacteria from forming in the fiber, which reduces odors and they block harmful UV rays. In addition, they claim that the "high-twisted yarn" keeps you cool at all times. These shirts do a pretty good job of keeping you cool and comfortable under hot outdoor conditions. The drawback with most of these shirts are that they are offered in only bright colors that are sure to scare fish away.

If you chose your apparel wisely, then you will want cloths that are not too long, too short, in gaudy colors and most of all you will want them to be practical. During the summer months it will undoubtedly be hot and will only get hotter, and you are probably a big fan of wearing shorts. When you spend a lot of time outdoors fishing, camping, and hunting then you want an inexpensive pair of shorts that look good and are fit for a day in the outdoors.

There are shorts that are available with six different pockets and are perfect for any fishing trip, as they are designed with the angler in mind. These shorts feature two front trouser pockets, two back angled hook 'n' loop pockets, and two big pockets for beverages or extra gear, these work well for the weekend lake cruiser or the serious tournament fisherman alike. You can find these shorts that are made from soft one hundred percent cotton, which are extremely comfortable, because they are light and airy enough to keep my backside from heating up after sitting the boat's vinyl seats. The shorts also come with built in belt, so the shorts stayed exactly where they were supposed to be.
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Most People Lose When Betting on Sports

2010-01-06T01:12:00.000-08:00

By Ryan Jacques

Fact: Most people who bet on sports lose. The question isn't if this happens but why. The short answer is they bet with their heart and not their heads. Most people don't take sports betting seriously and that's fine. They are recreational bettors who do it for a good time. They bet on their favorite team hoping to make a few extra bucks. There is nothing wrong with that, but don't use their experiences to condemn the entire event, just recognize why they lose.

I don't know anyone who buys a house strictly off of feeling. I've never met anyone who took a job based solely on the fact that the company headquarters was in their hometown. I've never even heard of someone who even buys a new appliance because of a good feeling. Yet, these are the reasons many people give for why they placed a certain bet. Would you use a broker if he told you he made his stock decisions based off of his gut feeling? Would he even be employed by someone calling you in the first place? Betting on sports is an unforgiving profession. The margin for error is very, very small. Sometimes the difference between a winning and losing season can be as small as 5 games, and that's over the course of an entire season! To make it you have to be diligent about what you do and most people aren't.

Most people never really understand what separates the winners from the losers. They sit at home and watch the highlights on ESPN. Those are great for entertainment but offer little information about what happens during 80% of the game. Games are rarely won or lost on one big play, but that is what sticks in people's minds. Ask any casual fan and he can tell you about the 60-yard pass play in the fourth quarter of last weeks game to win it all. Yet, can he remember the great goal line stand in a low scoring uneventful game? What works doesn't always translate into entertainment and TV stations are running a business. Most of the time these highlight reels greatly influence the casual bettor. It is possible to make a living betting sports, but it's hard work. The majority of people lose because they come into it hoping for fast, easy money. I am here to tell you that is not going to happen. If you're going to make bets, be honest about why you're doing it. If you're a casual bettor that's fine, just don't fool yourself into thinking it's your ticket to the high life.
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Offshore Jobs - What it Takes to Succeed Working on an Offshore Oil Rig

2010-01-03T01:04:00.000-08:00

By Julian Gaston

In this article we are going to outline what it takes to get hired and succeed in an offshore job and career, even if you don't have previous offshore experience. We will discuss what it takes to succeed in an offshore job and career.

Offshore work is NOT for everyone, nor for the faint of heart. If you miss your pet rock after 3 days, then this career path is not for you. It is a bit like joining the Army - it's not just a job, it's an adventure - and it is. The places you can go and see once you are an offshore 'veteran' boggle the mind: The North Sea, Australia, Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Alaska, and the World. There are no limits, and the future will have exploration going to the extreme, as the big fields in Saudi Arabia, the North Sea, and Mexico\ go into terminal decline.

Even if you have never worked on an oil rig before, it is still quite possible to get hired for an offshore job, providing you are flexible in what kind of starting work you are willing to accept. For example, many drilling hands and crew actually got their starts as galley hands! How? They hung around, got to know the rigging
and drilling crews, and when a roustabout opening came up, they were first in line.

There is truth in the adage that when it comes to employment, who you know is as important as what you know - and getting to know the people you want to work with and for is actually a better route to getting hired than simply interviewing well with strangers (though that is important as well).

More than specific skill sets, it takes a special breed to really make a living at this. A lot of folks work one or two 'hitches' then call it quits. Those who stay and take full advantage of everything a career working offshore has to offer generally have the following traits, and if you are serious, then so should you:

You are willing and able to work long hours for 2 - 4 weeks straight. One of the appeals of working offshore is being able to have long periods off. Having long periods ON goes with that, and you need to be able to handle working 12 hour days without a day off for up to a month. Most would find that a bit crazy - and it is.

You enjoy having 2 - 4 weeks off at a time. Not everyone likes having free time for those extended periods; they get bored, listless, and anxious. So be sure you are the type of person who loves free time, and have enough hobbies and interests beyond work (i.e., a life) to keep busy when you're not working your butt off out on the platforms.

You enjoy traveling. There are two types of people in this world - Settlers and Pioneers. This is a job experience for the Pioneer types, who want to go somewhere just for the sake of going. If you are a homebody, forget about it - this is NOT for you. Strange and new places await those who launch on this career path, and you have to enjoy that sort of thing to really make it in this industry.

You work well with others. You are going to be working in close quarters with people from all over the world for up 2 - 4 weeks at a time. It is essential to be able to get along with those different from yourself, moreover, to enjoy working with those from different cultures and backgrounds. If you like this sort of thing, you will do quite well, and enjoy your hitches a great deal. If you don't like this sort of thing, stay home!

You enjoy hard, crazy work in extreme environments. Offshore work is the Extreme Sports of the job market. It can be a little crazy on a platform when the waves are 40 feet high and the winds can blow you off if you aren't careful. The work is very demanding, and the weather is usually irrelevant. For the most part, when hurricanes hit, you'll be evacuated. Usually even in time. Hence, the safety training before you set foot on a rig, which we will cover in a later issue.

You are able to handle close quarters and limited recreational opportunities for extended periods of time. There isn't really anywhere to go on an offshore platform - it's not like you can take a long walk. You have your quarters, the mess hall, and recreation areas. But modern rigs are actually pretty nice - weight rooms, saunas, mini-theatres, game rooms, and a lot of other amenities. The food is great, and it's all you can eat. Real Chefs work on these rigs, and they love to make the crew smile. Good food is a real pleasure when you have put in 12 hours and are two weeks into your hitch.

If this is you, or you think it could be you, then you have passed the first hurdle - that of self-knowledge. KNOWING you can do this is essential; that confidence, desire and ambition will show in the interview, and get you in the door regardless of experience.
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Parental Support of Kids' Sports

2009-12-31T00:14:00.000-08:00

By Lisa A Mason

Does your child participate in team sports, either with school or with a Parks and Recreation league? Team sports can be a great developmental milestone for children of all ages. It allows them the experience of working as a team, gives them regular exercise and teaches them about morale and being a good sport.

There are many great advantages to children playing sports and most parents will agree with this. However, did you know that your role as a parent is equally important when it comes to team sports?

There are different tasks the parent holds when it comes to team sports but one of the most important is to be a good role model. Before you consider anything else, become aware of this and make it a goal to present yourself as a good role model at all times.

What are some ways to do this? First, you should be a good sport for the team. Cheer for them, clap and root them on at games. Show up to every game possible and if you absolutely can't make it, have someone video tape it or make time to sit and talk with your child about it. Show a general interest in practices, games and other events.

Next, remember your attitude when it comes to the other teams. Never bad mouth the other team or players or coaches on your child's team or opposing teams. True problems should be handled privately and between adults. Never accuse another team of being "cheaters" or call them bad names in front of your child. You should be an example of what it means to be a good sport- win or lose. Additionally, you should never gloat about a win and should always give a "good game" to the opposing team.

Other ways you can be supportive of your child's participation in sports is to show up on time for practices and games. The other team members are counting on your child and it's your job to show that you are dedicated as well as your child.

Never talk about other children on the team negatively and discourage your child from teasing or bullying of teammates. Helping your child become a kind, confident and dependable team mate is something that they will keep for the rest of their lives- both in and out of sports.

Another problem that some well-meaning parents have is that they take children's sports too seriously. Ultimately, it's about fun and health for the child, not big wins for the parents. Every proud parent wants their child's team to win or their child to be a superstar but these good intentions can get out of hand.

For example, children who become ball hogs or attention-seekers are rarely taken well by other team members. Parents who argue with coaches or refs show poor sportsmanship. These are all ways that you can be a good role model for your child.

Sports are a healthy activity for children of all ages and skill levels. Even a child who doesn't consider himself to be good at sports should be encouraged to at least try. Sports should never be forced or demanded on children but they should always be encouraged and supported. With your help, your child can form a lifelong relationship with sports that will help them in many areas of life.
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Inflatable Kayak Reviews! Kayaks Come in Many Inflatable Models and Styles - Which is Right For You?

2009-12-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

By William Parise

With inflatable kayak reviews, we can take some of the top kayaks and inflatable boat models and break them down into categories such as function, size, and style that will suite your boating needs the best, and provide you an informative review of each kayak!

The inflatable boats market is increasing dramatically due to the flexibility and price of many kayaks and boats available today, and for people that enjoy spending time in the outdoors, they can really take advantage of the features they offer.

Now whether you're a sports junkie or a seasonal leisure enthusiast will be the determining factor on which inflatable kayak is going to be right for you. You may go camping only once a year, and your active lifestyle is casual and more laid-back. With that in mind, you would consider a boat that is based more on the pricing, and you won't have as much concern about the material quality.

On the other hand, if you're planning on kayaking class 4 whitewater or you plan on using your inflatable boat for some serious fishing activities, then you will be considering more heavy duty reinforced boats with greater flexible features, and kayak accessories and necessary options to meet your demanding outdoor requirements.

Our Inflatable Review Will Help You Determine Which Kayak Meets Your Recreation Needs

Many manufacturers and outfitters have done a great job in creating a wide variety of options, and understand that the boat features must be different for each boating individual. They have designed everything from casual recreation models, to the extremely durable paddling features that many hardcore sporting kayakers require.

I will do a breakdown of several inflatable models and provide you a detailed comparison on each one. This way you can see differences in the construction, and why they vary from the lower priced average durable model, to the performance level pvc models that are more rugged and stronger in the denier class of material.

If you're not familiar with some of the technical terms above, don't worry! I will explain these terms to you in my next article and let you know the importance. To continue this article, you can follow my link that you can find in my Author Bio section listed as "Kayak Reviews". In the second part of this article I will go into more detail for you, and talk about several models available. I will discuss which one is best suited for your outdoor experience, and in the end you can make the final decision of which one is best for you.
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How To Get A Job Fast

2009-12-25T00:09:00.000-08:00

By Julia Tang

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.

While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life.

Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?

The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do.

Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.

The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you? This booklet will give you some pointers in doing it, but it will be up to you to take the time to really analyze what it is you like and want to do. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will give you the power to change your life!

Identifying Your Skills

What are you good at?

Have you ever thought about it? In a truly critical, analytical way? Have you actually sat down and listed your skills and capabilities?

This may seem basic, but it's not. Even if you've attempted to start a list, it is very likely you didn't go far enough or deep enough and thus missed a few outlets for your skills that might very well unlock the key to your career future.

The following exercise can help you truly identify the skills you currently use (or maybe not use) and this will set the stage to see if they're transferable to another industry.

There are three major categories of skill identification. You deal with people, things and information everyday. In each category, this requires a skill or combination of several skills. You might not even realize the extent of your ability in an area. You probably know what you're not good at or what you don't like doing, but pinpointing exact skills is not necessarily easy.

People. Let's divide your skills at dealing with people into working with individuals and working with groups.

Individuals: In working with individuals singly, are you good at:

* communicating in direct conversation or on the phone?
* communicating well by the written word?
* helping, serving or receiving and carrying out instructions?
* referring people, or helping put two people together?
* advising, monitoring, coaching or counseling?
* teaching, instructing, training or tutoring?
* persuading, motivating or selling?
* assessing, evaluating or interpreting others?
* diagnosing, healing or treating?

Groups: In working with organizations, companies or associations, are you good at:

* making presentations?
* communicating by written word like a newsletter?
* public speaking? * leading or moderating a group discussion? * preparing seminars or other educational events?
* training large groups?
* consulting or giving advice?
* leading or taking the lead?
* coaching others in recreation or exercise?
* performing, acting, singing, amusing or inspiring? * motivating, persuading or selling?
* negotiating a settlement of some kind?
* following through, getting things finished, producing?
* managing or running a business?
* supervising?
* initiating or beginning a concept, idea or business?

Think carefully about each of these items. Answer fairly and honestly. There's no reason to try and fool anyone. This is not a personality test! You're simply attempting to frame your likes and dislikes about dealing with individuals, singly or in groups.

Compile your list of definite yes and no answers and write them down. Keep them handy for future reference.

Things. There are, essentially, six major categories of working with various things. These things are identified as objects (tools, instruments), equipment and machinery or vehicles, materials like cloth, wood and clay, your body, buildings or homes and raising or growing things.

Objects. Do you have specific skills in dealing with food, tools, instruments or the like in:

* handling?
* washing?
* preparing?
* maintaining?
* producing?
* creating?
* repairing?
* cleaning?
* knowledge?
* cooking? * preserving?

Equipment. Are you good at working with some type of machinery or vehicle in:

* driving?
* controlling?
* assembling?
* repairing?
* cleaning?
* disassembling?
* maintaining?
* operating?

Materials. What is your skill level with items such as clay, jewelry, metal, wood, stone and cloth as far as:

* cutting?
* painting?
* crafting?
* restoring?
* weaving?
* sewing?
* carving?
* molding?
* shaping?
* refinishing?
* sculpting?

Your Body. Are you good at using:

* your hands?
* motor coordination?
* physical coordination?
* your fingers?
* your eyes?
* your eyes and hands in coordination?
* your strength?
* your stamina?

Buildings. Do you have a particular affinity and capability for:

* constructing?
* remodeling?
* decorating?
* designing?

Raising or Growing. Are you able to successfully:

* train animals?
* treat animals?
* garden?
* landscape?
* raise plants or animals or other vegetable or mineral?

This is the hands-on category. Do you have manual skills and, if so, what specifically can you do well? More importantly, do you enjoy it? Many people have turned hobbies they love into full-time, paying work. List the skills you have as associated with any of these categories. Also list the things you dislike doing, too. Finding that job you love is as much avoidance of things you hate as things you love to do.

Information. The final category in this part of the evaluation process is seeing how good you are and how much you enjoy working with ideas, concepts, information, specific data and technology. There are four categories to concern yourself with. Do you like creating, storing, managing or putting this information to good use?

Creating. Are you particularly good at:

* gathering information by observation?
* gathering information through research?
* searching for data?
* imagining ideas or concepts?
* inventing?
* sensory feelings?
* designing?

Storing. Once you've assembled the information are you good at:

* storing or filing records in file cabinets, microfiche, audio or video cassette? * bookkeeping? * computer storage? * retrieving the information once stored? * helping others retrieve the information? * keeping track of details? * memorizing? * filming or recording? Managing. You must do something with the data or information you've assembled and stored. Are you good at:

*analyzing your data?
* organizing?
* classifying?
* planning?
* accounting?
* writing?
* painting?
* drawing?
* problem solving?
* evaluating your data?
* programming?
* prioritizing?
* decision-making?
* dramatizing?
* comparing with other data?

Using The Data. Once you've decided to use the information, are you good at:

* disseminating the information?
* demonstrating?
* putting it to some use?
* showing it to individuals or groups?
* publishing?
* reporting?

At this point, you should total up your positives and negatives (what you don't like or aren't very good at) in this category. You now have three categories and you should combine the lists of advantages and disadvantages to see what your strong suit(s) are. You may find that you like observing people and taking this information and writing a script and then putting it on video or film. This comes from seriously analyzing each of these categories and finding a consistency in what you love and what you're good at. Your next step would be to look at more specifics rather than generalities.

Specifics: It's time to look at items you specifically like to work with. The following list should help you check yes or no to a number of things. Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list and you should add your own thoughts to this of items you either like or dislike to make it more complete. Remember, this is your list, your career, your life, so make it as close to what fits you as possible. We're merely giving you suggestions to help your frame of reference.

Office Products: Clothing: - desk - all types of clothes - computer - dyes - switchboard - shoes and boots - word processor - sewing machine - pen or pencils - umbrella, raincoat, poncho - printers - buttons or zippers - software - patterns - office machines - knitting

Household Goods: Material:

- furniture - paper - appliances - stone - dishes - aluminum - laundry - cement - blankets - pottery - wallpaper - plants - clocks - bricks - pots and pans - wood - burglar/fire alarms - bronze - chimneys - pewter - carpet - cloth - paint - steel - tools - brass - tents - papier-mGchT

Electronic: Financial

- television - calculator - camera - money - stereo - adding machine - videotape recorders - money market accounts - radios - cash register - radar equipment - ledgers - movie equipment - financial records - tape recorder - stocks - records,CDs,cassettes - futures

Recreation: Communication:

- musical instrument - telephone - games - short-wave radios - gambling - telegraph - board games - answering machines - sporting events - fax machines - kites - printers

Transportation: Medical:

- bicycles - x-ray machines - automobiles - lab testing - trains - medicine - airplanes - prosthetics - hot air balloons - dental equipment - boats - anesthetics - subways - vitamins - motorcycles - hearing aids - RV's - eyeglasses Equipment: Miscellaneous:

- guns - books - gym apparatus - newspapers - fishing rods - videos - lawnmowers - magazines - garden tools - overhead transparencies - rakes - candles - traps - batteries - axes - lasers - pesticides - engravings - plows - lithographs - harvesters - paintings - threshers - silk-screens - shovel or pick - microscope - tractor - telescope - handtrucks - toys - sander - food - drill - wine or beer making

Your list should be fairly complete. If you've followed your true nature, you should begin to see a pattern; similarities indicating the type of work you were destined to do. If your interest is in film and cameras and filmmaking, that will be clear as you review your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses from these lists. Now you need to refine and focus.

Cutting Down the Territory

Next. let's look at specific knowledge you might possess. Run through the following list, add to it and list the knowledge you currently have. Second, go through the list again and identify the knowledge you would like to have. This will give you two current snapshots: what you know now and what you'd like to know in the future. The latter will define your future educational goals. It may be in areas you believe you'd enjoy if only you had a little more education.

No problem. It may be that a little more learning is needed to advance into what you truly want to do. There's no reason you can't take classes in those specific disciplines. There's no reason you can't work at an entry- level position in that industry and learn as you go. Often, a company may pay for your future education if it is in the skill areas of their field. So list the desires as well as your current expertise.

* psychology
* chemistry
* physics
* cinema
* foreign language
* management
* personnel recruiting
* insurance benefits
* geography
* history
* art
* broadcasting
* accounting
* taxes
* marketing
* sales
* computer programming
* aerobics
* graphic arts
* religion
* horticulture
* government contracts
* politics
* teaching
* interior design
* architecture * vehicle repair * travel
* systems analysis
* astronomy
* research
* packaging and distribution
* import/export
* merchandising
* machine operation
* graphic arts
* photography

List all of the fields you like in priority arranged by most knowledge of and likes. List the fields you are interested in and believe you'd like but need more training and education. Keep these lists handy and separate.

Now, it's time to decide location. Are you tired of where you live? Would you like to live somewhere else? Is this the town you grew up in but have never seen any other place? Have you gone somewhere on vacation and thought about how great it would be to live there?

Part of cutting down the territory and focusing your job search efforts is to select the area you'd like to practice your skills and talent and apply them to a wage paying job. There's not much progress made if you find work you like but you still dislike everything else about your living situation. Finding a good job also means finding it in the location you like best.

So, get out to the library and consult a couple of publications like Places Rated Almanac and identify your top five places to live. Narrow down an area and then specific towns. Then, find out the number for the local Chamber of Commerce and see how you can get more information about not only the place itself but the businesses located in the area that are in the field(s) you've narrowed down for yourself. These local chambers are glad to send out information and would be equally happy to see you move in and become a member of the community. There are lots of tremendous places to live in this country. Take advantage of it!

You say you're interested in Arizona? Where? Phoenix? Tucson? Kingman? Bullhead City? Pick an area and start to accumulate information. If it's possible to visit, by all means get out and see it.

Now you have areas and locations and lists of businesses in those areas. Now's the time to narrow it down. Select the top two areas and hone in on finding work.

Update your resume. There are dozens of books out there on this subject. Craft it the way the experts suggest. Do it by skills if that tells more about you than where you've actually worked. Find out about local schooling programs in the areas of your choice in the event you need further education in the areas you want to do more with. Don't move anywhere that doesn't have jobs in the areas you like and are good at or intend to improve your skills.

Finally, begin to make contacts with personnel. Find out if there are local job hot-lines and other employment identification features. Certainly make contact with specific businesses that you've already identified as possibilities.

As you start to accumulate your information with which to narrow down the territory in terms of location, skills and interest, there are a number of resources you can tap, the majority of which are either free or have a nominal cost to obtain the information that can help you decide your future.For other information visit--> http://arsandy.wordpress.com

Summer Fun - Finding The Perfect Summer Camp Jobs

2009-12-22T00:07:00.000-08:00

By R. Sharp

If you are interested in summer camp jobs, there are a few basic questions you need to ask yourself first. The most important questions you need to ask include:

Do I enjoy working with children?

Do I enjoy being outdoors?

Do I have experience working with children?

Have I worked with children within a similar setting before?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you are the ideal candidate for summer camp jobs. But, if you answered no to the last two questions, you still might be great for a summer camp. Just be aware that you might have a slightly more difficult time finding summer camp jobs that you are eligible for if you do not have experience to back up your interest.

Deciding What Type of Summer Camp Jobs are Right for You

Whether you are experienced or not, there are several steps you can take to help guarantee the summer camp jobs you consider are right for you. First, you need to decide what type of camp you want to work for. For example, are you interested in a residential camp or a day camp? At a residential camp, you will likely be expected to stay on site both day and night along with the campers. At a day camp, on the other hand, you will be able to go home each evening. If the camp is near to your home, this wont be a problem. If the camp is located far from home, on the other hand, you will need to find your own housing if you decide to work for a day camp.

Choosing Summer Camp Jobs that Match Your Philosophy

In addition to deciding whether you want a day camp or a residential camp, you need to also be aware that each camp has its own philosophy. Some are competitive while others are not. Some specialize in certain sports or activities while others are more general. Some focus on teaching new skills while others are more recreational in nature. Be sure to find camp that suits your personal philosophy. Otherwise, you will struggle with performing your job properly.

Getting Started Right Away

If you have decided that you are truly interested in pursuing summer camp jobs, you can't wait until the last minute before applying. In fact, most camps have their returning staff in place already by fall. If spots are still available, they begin the interview process over the summer and the early spring. Therefore, waiting until the summer to begin applying will be too late for most camps.

Doing Your Research

Before you start browsing through available summer camp jobs, do a bit of snooping around. If you know someone that has worked at a specific camp or has any type of experience with a camp, ask him or her about the experience. Find out if it is truly a good place to work for our not.

Once you have combed through the summer camp jobs and found the one that is perfect for you, you will be starting down a magnificent path toward a job with numerous rewards - namely, life long friends and the knowledge that you have made a difference in many young lives.
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Sheffield - City of Sport

2009-12-19T00:04:00.000-08:00

By Susan Ashby

Sports in Sheffield hold a special place in the hearts of the citizens of the Steel City, and football reigns supreme. Many other sports are popular in Sheffield of course, but not like football. Sheffield United crowds arrive to cheer like it’s their job. There are chants and songs that have to be sung in different game situations, the most popular being The Greasy Chip Butty Song. The words to the song mention Magnet Beer, Woodbine Cigarettes, snuff, and a greasy chip butty (which, for those not sure, is a kind of sandwich!).

A scene from the Full Monty provides more evidence of the passion with which football is followed in Sheffield. While practicing their dance routine, the lads cannot seem to get it together until a soccer analogy comparing the dance line to an offside trap is put before them. That comparison makes crystal clear what is needed as the offside trap is second nature to the Sheffield men, and the necessary footwork is also common knowledge.

The world’s oldest football club was formed in Sheffield in 1857. Founders Nathanial Creswick and William Prest called their team Sheffield F.C. The founders decided to write a rulebook known as “Sheffield Rules”, and by 1860 there were 15 football clubs in Sheffield alone. Sheffield United Football Club was formed in 1889. The United part is from the team’s origins as the Sheffield United Cricket Club. The team kept the United, and dumped the Cricket. Since the infancy of football, cricket interest in Sheffield has waned a little, but it still has many followers.

Sheffield first won the FA Cup Final in 1899. More recently they have been on what would kindly be described as a cold streak as they work towards their second cup win. Sheffield United is not the only football club in the city. Sheffield Wednesday FC was another reformed cricket club that used to play on Wednesdays, which explains the unique name. Other clubs include Hallam F.C., Sheffield F.C., Steel City Wanderers, and Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C.

Not all of the cricket teams went belly up when football’s popularity exploded. Sheffield United Cricket Club, Hallam Cricket Club, and Sheffield Collegiate C.C. are some local clubs, many of which represent Sheffield in the South Yorkshire Cricket League that originated in 1947.

Since 1991, the Sheffield Steelers have played Ice Hockey at their home in the Sheffield Arena. By 1994 the Steelers had won more championships than Sheffield United did in the past century. A few other ice hockey teams in town are the Sheffield Scimitars of the English Premier League, The Sheffield Spartans play in the English National League and a women’s team called the Sheffield Shadows do battle in a premier women’s league. The Sheffield Ice Tigers are a recreational level hockey club.

Basketball is quite popular as well. The Sheffield Sharks play at Ponds Forge in the British Basketball League. The team won their first league championships in their inaugural season in 1994. They have since won it two more times. The Sheffield
Arrows play in the English Basketball League, and the Sheffield Hatters play the female version of basketball in the city. They dominated the National League from 1991 to 2002, but have been in rebuilding mode since that amazing achievement.

Sheffield is home to some world-class sports facilities, most built to host the World Student Games which took place in 1991. Don Valley International Athletics Stadium, Sheffield Arena, and Ponds Forge International Swimming and Diving complex are among them. The city also has facilities for golf, ice skating, bowling, climbing, and skiing. Sheffield is also home to the English Institute of Sports, and will host the Commonwealth Games in 2014 or 2018.

Sheffield City Council is very interested in sports as well, and has formed the Sheffield Major Sports Events Unit to help bring sporting events to the city and provide income to the local economy. In the twelve years from 1991 to 2003 the council determined sporting events to bring in 46.7 million pounds, created 990 full time jobs, and brought 639,000 visitors to the city who would not have come without the sporting events. These figures don’t include the World Student Games of 1991, and are the main reason the City Council has developed a strategy to get more events in Sheffield.

Sheffield’s Major Events Unit Strategy is to improve the image of The City of Sheffield and show a diverse economic base to attract outside investment in the city. They emphasize that ‘Made in Sheffield’ still means quality, whether it be cutlery, or sporting events, they bring income to their event venue partners, and they help the people of Sheffield regain a sense of pride they must feel has been lacking in the later part of the last century.

The list of spectator sporting events that take place in Sheffield certainly has something for everyone. Swimming, judo, bowling, basketball, cycling, squash, table tennis, snooker, running and volleyball are all sports represented by an event on Sheffield’s sports calendar this year. Some of the events do however just sound made up however; during August 15th – 26th Ponds Forge ISC hosted the World Underwater Hockey Championships. I would think the equipment would weigh you down and skates would rust, but that’s one I would have attended if I’d been in the area. Finally, how could we forget the World Snooker Championships at the Crucible? There are plenty of events to choose from, so if you are in the Sheffield area get out and support your local team, or attend one of the many sporting events Sheffield plays host to.
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Relocating to Seattle? Where to Find a Job in Seattle

2009-12-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

By Alyssa McIntier

Seattle, also known as "The Emerald City" is the most populous city in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington with nearly 600 thousand residents at the time of writing in 2009. It is a coastal city and a seaport. Seattle is a major contributor to Washington's economy and is the cultural and educational center of the region. This is one of the main reasons why people are relocating to Seattle.

Many Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in Seattle. With the increase in the number of companies in and around Seattle, this area is considered to be one of the top 10 cities to live in according to a study done by Relocation dot com. Microsoft is situated in Redmond near Seattle, besides which there are an additional 2,000 software and digital media companies providing employment to more than 3.5 million people. If you want to find a job in IT, computers or in Internet related fields Seattle might be a great place to consider relocating to.

Living in Seattle

Cost of Living in Seattle

The cost of living in Seattle is above average. The current median price of a home is currently about $315,000 as of Q1 2009 according to the National Association of Realtors, well above the US median home price of $169,000. However the high wages offered - particularly in information related fields - somewhat offset the higher cost of living there.

Education in Seattle

Seattle houses one of the most respected public research universities in the US - the University of Washington. The city is also home to many art and degree colleges, making it a very sought after place for many young adults, who don't mind relocating to Seattle for schooling. Seattle has the highest percentage of college and university graduates in comparison to any other major city in the United States, with nearly half its adult population having at least a bachelor's degree according to the US Census Bureau.

Healthcare in Seattle

Seattle is said to be"The Best Place in the World to Have a Heart Attack" all thanks to its leading medical research centers and paramedic services. Seattle also houses some of the best pediatric research and medical centers, providing jobs to many doctors and specialists - making it a great place to consider relocating to if you are trying to find a job in healthcare.

Recreation in Seattle

Sports enthusiasts will love Seattle with it's variety of sports teams and arenas. Professional teams in Seattle include the Seahawks for football, the Sonics for basketball, the Mariners for baseball and the Thunderbirds for hockey, representing all major sports. A few of the major sports venues in Seattle include Safeco Field and Key Arena.

Seattle is also home to a thriving music and art scene which will delight the more artistically oriented. It is known as the home of grunge music with several well-known bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice and Chains and more originating in the city. The city has been the regional center for performing arts and holds among the others, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Many festivals and courses are organized for people who are discovering their artistic talents and for those who are relocating to Seattle to make use of this forum.

Where to Find a Job in Seattle

Find a Job in Seattle Using Job Search Sites

Seattle has immense job opportunities - particularly those who are interested in software, digital media and other information related fields. If you are planning to relocate to Seattle and are trying to find a job then the most convenient way will be to use local job sites on the Internet. Signing up with these sites to receive email notifications when jobs matching your search criteria are posted will help you stay abreast of new job opportunities as they become available and will likely help you find a job much faster. Use the list of local Seattle job resources below to get started.

• OnlineLocalJobs.com: Local Seattle Jobs Online [http://www.onlinelocaljobs.com/seattle.html]

Find a Job at a Fortune 500 Company in Seattle

As mentioned before, Seattle is home to many large global corporations, which supply a multitude of promising job opportunities. Just to give you an idea, Boeing employs 64,000 people, Microsoft employs 11,000 and the list goes on. Visit the sites below to find jobs that are currently available at some of the most popular companies in Seattle.

• Amazon: Amazon.com/Careers
• Boeing: Boeing.com/Employment
• Microsoft: Careers.Microsoft.com
• Nordstrom: Careers.Nordstrom.com
• Starbucks: Starbucks.com

Seattle - with its dynamic urban culture, pro sports teams for every season, distinctive neighborhoods, great restaurants, superb coffee, a family-friendly atmosphere, and a happening entertainment scene - is definitely a great candidate for those considering relocating. Good luck in your Seattle job search!
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Professional Sport Fishing - One Notch Above the Rest

2009-12-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

By Callie Morris

Sport fishing is a hobby that many anglers enjoy, and then there are the anglers that have taken their fishing skills one notch above the rest and have become professional sport fishing anglers. These are the people that other sports fishermen count on to know where the fish are biting, what the best equipment to use for sport fishing and what is going on in the ocean.

Professional sport fishing means it is a job, one that many anglers would jump at the chance to have this type of employment, because it means entering many tournaments and a lot of fishing. The fact is they have worked hard to get where they are just like any other type of job. It means knowing all about sport fishing and being able to reel in the winning fish during a tournament and they are not alone, there are other professional sports fishing teams they are competing against.

What this means for the recreational angler is the tips they can learn from someone that fishes everyday, that has tried out new rods, reels and flies. They also go to places on the ocean that other sport fishers like to know about for their fishing trips and this also means that they see first hand what the effects are on the ocean after weather events or even spills that are in areas where anglers want to fish. This kind of information can help to be a deciding factor in a fishing trip that could otherwise be a bust for reeling in fish. One of the other things about watching the ocean, because the professional sport fishing person or team enjoys being on the water reeling in fish, they also want to enlighten other people about taking care of the ocean and the fish.

There are professional sport fishing teams, like the Team Bad Company that have websites to keep anglers informed. These websites have the latest fishing news that include tournament news, news about the ocean, along with what type of fishing can be expected at a location. There is also news about the latest equipment and weather events included on the professional sports fishing website. When an angler can not be out on the water this is one way they can keep up on what is going on with the sport they enjoy so much. It is also a website that will keep sport fishers from making mistakes when it involves new fishing equipment that might not work for the location that they fish. Another thing that is found on this type of website is the information for anyone that feels they have built their fishing skills enough to become a professional sport fishing angler how to go about doing that.

One thing that every sport fisher likes is when they can not be out on the ocean them selves is to keep up on the professional sport fishing teams and the tournaments, this is an exciting part of their hobby. Not every angler can go professional, but this is one way to feel like they are when they can keep up on every tournament through a website loaded with all the information from the pros.
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Mindfulness and Leisure - Majoring in Recreation

2009-12-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

By Maya Talisman Frost

Our oldest daughter's boyfriend is majoring in recreation in college. We've subjected poor Sam to plenty of teasing about this. I mean, how can you not joke about a required college course called "The Theory of Leisure"? But the reality is that recreation--that critical ability to re-create our energy and revitalize ourselves--is becoming strong an increasingly important element in our time-crunched lifestyles strong. Recreation majors learn about rock-climbing and outdoor survival tactics, true, but they also focus on the validity of devoting time to wellness via connection with our natural surroundings.

Dictionary.com offers this definition of leisure: "freedom from time-consuming duties, responsibilities, or activities."

"Freedom," it says. That's a big tip right there. It implies that you are released from something, that you have been set free. "Time-consuming duties, responsibilities, or activities." Duties and responsibilities are things we MUST do, but activities are things we tend to choose. It's funny how attached we get to our routines. We end up doing things-even those that we grumble about--without seeing that we chose to do them in the first place and we can choose to stop

doing them. In a culture that worships busy-ness, leisure is an ironic status symbol.

Most of us operate under the premise that we must EARN our leisure time. We see it as a reward for maintaining a frenetic pace for weeks, months or even years. Leisure is seen as the ultimate destination in our work lives, a place calling to us as we toil.We're forgetting that we have the power to choose leisure, even if that takes a bit of creativity and a finely-honed ability to say no. In addition, we're making the critical mistake of choosing an all-or-nothing approach--we see leisure as something we'll have when we retire, assuming we can avoid the stress-related illnesses that might take us down before we get there. Our vitality--as individuals and as a society--is dependent upon our ability to rest, reassess and reinvigorate. We need leisure time to gain clarity and see where we're going. Since my husband and I are 40-something Americans currently living in Mexico, a lot of people assume that we are retired. We're not--in fact, we don't think we'll ever retire in the traditional sense of the word. But we have a lifestyle that is almost laughably leisurely. Every time our landlord drops by, we are sipping coffee in the courtyard, eating popsicles under the umbrella, or floating in the pool. He must think we're the laziest--or luckiest--people in the world, but we like to think of ourselves as working recreation majors.

We're actually extremely focused on work when we're doing it, but when we're done, we play without any hesitation or guilt. We know it's the most important thing we can do for our health, happiness and the quality of our work.We all have the power to make daily choices that give us more time for leisure. You don't need to be rich. You don't need to be adventurous. You don't need to move or quit your job. All it takes is a bit of clarity about what matters most, and more focus on that "freedom" part of the definition of leisure and less on the "time-consuming duties" part. A friend of mine, an emergency room nurse, says that it's a mistake to use the phrase, "Life is short." As she sees it, life is LONG.

There is plenty of time to relax and play. She's seen a lot of 50-something almost-retired folks in full cardiac arrest, and she's had many opportunities to learn that all work and no play can make Jack a very unhealthy boy.I admire the fact that Sam is majoring in recreation. He's more likely to make a difference in the way people live their lives than someone who is hell bent on creating a new gizmo factory.

Sam spent his childhood summers in an isolated cabin on a lake, cavorting with a dozen cousins far from phones, video games, organized sports, or shopping malls. He can't imagine why anyone would choose to live without nature and recreation as priorities.Perhaps that "Theory of Leisure" course should be a requirement for all of us.
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The Importance Of Childhood Sports

2009-12-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

By Chuck R Stewart

People have played sports for thousands of years, after the Greeks created many of the sports we have today. Almost every town in the United States offers at least a few recreational sports teams for children. Also, most U.S. cities offer places and coaching for kids who wish to practice an individual sport, such as gymnastics. It is important for parents to realize it is important that their children participate in youth sports.

The benefits of youth sports are innumerable. One advantage of youth sports is that kids learn about teamwork. Also, through sports, children gain self confidence when they are awarded sports medals for winning games and custom ribbons for kids who do well in individual sports. Finally, children learn how to live in a world with healthy competition. All of these and more are reasons why parents should have their children play youth sports.

Playing sports in childhood teaches children about teamwork. Teamwork is a life skill that almost everyone must learn at some point in their lives. This is a skill that children should learn early, so they are used to working in teams as they become students and eventually adults. Children learn teamwork through sports when their coaches tell them to pass the ball to one of their teammates. Children also learn teamwork by working with their fellow athletes towards a common goal of winning whatever game they are playing.

Youth sports also gives kids confidence. When a child wins a game with their teammates or a competition for an individual sport, they feel a sense of pride and confidence. Pride and confidence are two things that, as adults, are necessary to have when trying to find a job and after finding a job are two things that help a person continue to be successful at their work.

Finally, competition is everywhere in the United States. It is important for children to learn, while they are young, that there is such thing as healthy competition. Children learn this from their sports teams when they shake hands with the opposing team at the end of the game and tell their competitors that they had a good game. Children who do not learn that there is such thing as healthy competition can grow up to be extremely competitive, which can harm them when they are working.

The reasons listed above are probably the most important reasons for parents to have their children involved in youth sports. There are so many life skills that children can learn from participating in childhood athletics. It is also important for children to learn early certain life skills that will be necessary to have as an adult. The best way for kids to learn these important life skills is to participate in sports, which is something almost every child enjoys anyway and there are lots of different sports to choose from, so parents do not have to make their child play only one specific sport. So, parents should make sure their children play youth sports so they can become well-adjusted adults and lead successful lives.
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SPORTS- Best Homebased Business Ideas: Part 3

2009-12-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

By Rob Moore

Sports photography opportunities abound. There are many varieties of sports photography business ideas, from the freelance selling his/her works to local and national media, to building a consistent gig offering sports photography to the multitude of schools and recreational sports leagues.

Sports photography can be an exciting world to live in. Hectic, sometimes chaotic, but rewarding. There are many small startups that do great business in sports photography. We'll hopefully give you a "clearer picture" on this outstanding business opportunity!

Sports photography and you

Building a photography business will take some skill and salesmanship, but it can be pretty profitable. As little as a local community college class can usually give you a quality foundation, even if you've never taken photos professionally before. From there, you can learn as you go (and there still will be much to learn).

Equip yourself with the best equipment from the start, so you don't handicap yourself. Your local specialty photo store should be able to point you in the right direction.

We'll break down a few business ideas for the aspiring sports photography expert!

Sports photography- photo day- Every little league, high school, college, and recreational league has a photo day. Contact schools and league offices to find out if you can bid for the job- photographers fall out of grace all the time, and you may be able to squeeze in. Taking a LOT of photos, developing (wouldn't hurt eventually to establish your own darkroom) and then selling packages will be your assignment here.

Sports photography- freelance- Don't plan on freelance stuff paying the rent right off the bat, but add this to your arsenal of business skills, and you're giving yourself yet another chance to suceed. Freelance photography is pretty competitive, especially if you huddle around college and pro sports. Local athletics and selling your pics to local papers would be a good place to start.

Photo Novelties- Very popular lately! Taking photos, and then transferring those images to items such as photo sculptures, keychains, t-shirts, and such is a big money maker. Every one loves to see their name up in lights!

Another photo novelty that I love is the sports card photo. These are big hits with younger ball players, and their parents. They get their image on a "real" sports card. What could be better! Boy, I wish they had those things when I was playing ball!

Sports Event Organizer

This article takes a hot idea and makes it even better! Event organizing has become a huge growth industry, and many people have built solid and profitable businesses with event organizing.

This type of industry takes a strong ability to listen to your clients, very good customer service and "host" skills, and a keen ability to multi-task and see a big picture.

The sports industry generates interest on many levels; that's the primary reason that this business idea is such a fertile area. Whether it is card collecting and other participatory activities that fans engage in, or merely watching the games, athletes and teams in action, there is lots to do for the avid sports event organizer.

There are two distinct types of sports event organizing ideas that we will cover- the first is event organizing, as it pertains to organizing and running sporting activities, usually for profit. This can include sports tournaments, bar games and contests, etc. that someone either hires you to organize, or you gain permission to run and profit from the events themselves. Many of these events will be joint ventures, with you and the client negotiating a profit split.

The second organizing business type is party planning. This involves planning and organizing parties with sports themes. This can involve anything from birthday parties, corporate functions, even community events.
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The History of Leisure and Recreation

2009-12-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

By Gary Pearson

When you stop to think about it, humankind has always enjoyed some type of leisure and recreation, so the history of leisure and recreation goes back a very long way. The Romans had the Coliseum, where they watched chariot races and other entertainment. The Greeks had amphitheaters where they viewed drama and comedy, and of course they invented the Olympics, one of the greatest entertainment sport spectacles on earth. The list goes on. Even the Bible discusses singing, dancing, music, and other forms of acceptable recreation, so even the most ancient civilizations enjoyed entertainment and recreation of some sort.

The Middle Ages

Life for most people in the Middle Ages was dark and difficult. More emphasis was put on work, and there was little time for leisure. However, jousting tournaments, hunting tournaments, and the earliest forms of chess, checkers, and other games developed during this time. The people worked hard, the Church forbade many forms of entertainment, but there were still leisure pastimes to help develop the growing history of leisure and recreation.

The Industrial Revolution

This history of leisure and recreation goes far back in time, but leisure and recreation really took off when the Industrial Revolution hit Great Britain in the 1700s. The Industrial Revolution revolutionized work in the modern world, and helped create the modern factory environment. Machines mechanized the manufacture of fabric and fibers, and this ultimately led to more leisure time for the workers. They worked long hours in the factories, but they also had time off, and most employers gave at least some holidays off. Thus, people who had labored from dawn to dusk on farms in rural England, moved to the big city, got jobs in factories, and had leisure time away from their jobs. The Industrial Revolution helped create the notion of leisure time, and it helped create a different view of work and leisure.

The 20th Century

If the Industrial Revolution helped create the history of leisure and recreation, the 20th century helped cement it. Workers demanded shorter working hours, paid vacations and holidays, and weekends off, leading to even more leisure time for the world's workforce. Today, work and leisure are still strictly separated, but leisure time and recreation are some of the most important aspect of modern life, showing how the history of leisure and recreation has altered throughout time, and become increasingly popular as people gain more freedom from work and toil.

Tribal Warfare

It's interesting to note that the wide separation between work and leisure in our modern society is something that wasn't necessary in early, tribal cultures. Early man (and woman), worked when it was necessary to find food or to create items they needed to live, but they did not work continually, they interspersed work with pleasure or leisure, something our society not longer enjoys. For example, in Native American societies, boys "played" at war and warfare, but this play taught them how to use a bow and arrow, useful for hunting as well as defending the tribe. Work became play, while today, the two terms are decidedly distinct.
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Get Fit to Play Sport - Don't Play Sport to Get Fit

2009-11-28T23:33:00.000-08:00

By Jon Le Tocq

Sunday League football. Weekend tennis matches. Squash with colleagues after work. A round of golf with a client. Amateur sport is great.... ......but it has its dangers Unfortunately many people have not discovered the exhilarating, intense methods used m any good fitness trainer and so claim that gym work is boring. Instead they would rather kick a ball around the park on a Sunday morning or hit balls over the net with friends of an evening in order to 'get fit'. This is great and I will always, always actively encourage people to engage in recreational or more competitive sport. I am a keen footballer and tennis player myself! However, a word of caution is necessary to try to reduce the vast number of injuries, both minor and major, suffered during or as a result of recreational sport.

Sport is a bit like medication or the US presidency. It's dangerous in the wrong hands. Firstly, only a very small proportion of those who participate, warm up and cool down properly in order to adequately prepare their bodies for the rapid movements and changes of direction which accompany most sports. This results in pulled hamstrings, groin strains, low back pain and any number of other niggles, aches and pains all over the body. You cannot expect a body which is placed in poor posture throughout the working week with very little movement, flexibility or mobility work to perform on the sports field. The muscles are in a tight, shortened state and like a rubber band which has been frozen for a few hours, they are highly susceptible to snapping when pulled apart rapidly during sprints and quick turns.

Those who do get to the gym at other times of the week give themselves a slightly better chance of escaping injury-free but even these guys rarely pay any attention to training the small muscles around the body which provide support and stability during movement. For instance, those involved in racket sports should spend time strengthening the rotator cuff muscles which play a huge part in stabilizing the shoulder during the serving motion of tennis for example. Anyone playing sports involving running, turning and having to stabilize on one leg (most sports...!) should spend time strengthening the smaller glute muscles which work with the main buttock muscles to stabilise the pelvis.

Golf for instance is notorious for low back and hip problems due to the repetitive, one-sided nature of the sport. Again it is made more dangerous as the ladies and gentlemen who play are often there for little more than a social occasion. This means little attention if any to mobilising the joints involves before play or flexibility work afterwards.

I could go on about individual sports but the point is that you should look to take clear, meaningful steps to improving not only your overall fitness but also sport-specific fitness for your chosen activity. Why spend lots of time doing long, slow runs if your sport involves many, short sprints? Different muscle fibres and energy systems are involved and require attention. Also consider that any injury risk is increased further if you are overweight. It's like trying to drive your city-friendly car over rough terrain with an added 1000kg in the boot. - the suspension isn't going to like it!

Remember age attacks us all with the speed and ferocity of a desert vulture so take care of your joints before everyday tasks become a struggle! You are strongly advised to follow the a structured training and nutrition plan to minimise your body fat before embarking on strenuous sports. Not only this, but your risk of heart problems will be much higher if you have high blood pressure due to lack of exercise, poor nutrition, excess body fat and a stressful job. Taking this combination on to the sports field is a big, big risk. Get fit to play sport. Don't play sport to get fit.
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Consider Taking Up Recreational Sports To Relieve Stress

2009-11-25T23:30:00.000-08:00

By Gregg Hall

Nobody has to tell you how stressful it is living in today's society. Because the cost of living has sky rocketed, we have to worry about paying bills, holding on to our jobs and providing for our children. Many of us work long hours seated at a desk, leaving us unable to get much exercise. To make matters worse, after we finally get home and put dinner on the table and get our children settled in for the night, we end up plopping down on the couch, in front of the television.

Some of us may head to the computer to surf the web or answer email correspondence. The combination of daily stress and lack of exercise has a poor effect on our bodies. It also impacts our minds because without a way to reduce stress, it may adversely our sleep habits and cause forms of insomnia. This can decrease our ability to think clearly during the day and can make it difficult to complete even simple tasks. That's why it is of great importance to find an outlet for our stress and have fun as well. One such way is to participate in recreational sports.

Participating in recreational sports is an excellent way to relieve stress. It can be as simple as joining your local bowling league. Bowling is a lot of fun and it's something that the whole family can participate in. You can rent the shoes for it at the alley and use their bowling balls, so you don't have to buy expensive gear. If you have extra space in your home, you can invest in a ping pong table.

It might not seem like it but ping pong is a great form of exercise because you have to move around your side of the table a lot to keep the ball in play. It also requires you to swing your arm which provides additional skill. Many people have turned to golf as a way to get in shape and relax. Golf requires a lot of walking and swinging of the club. Most golf courses are designed to look like parks so playing a game of golf can take you out of your stressful atmosphere at work and place you in a peaceful setting where you can get some exercise and relax at the same time.

There are many other choices available in recreational sports. You can choose to take a dance class, or go bicycle riding. You can team up with some friends and take daily walks around the neighborhood or even in the mall. Mall walking is very popular and many stores open early to allow people to walk through them without having to do so while the shoppers are there. There's also tennis, running and horseback riding. For the brave, there is parasailing and extreme sports like mountain climbing that burn calories and relieve stress while providing them with the thrills of a lifetime.
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Sporting Goods

2009-11-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

By Tony Harries

Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise.

The first sports equipment can be traced all the way back to the first Olympics. The Javelin was one of the ancient Greeks favorite pieces of sports equipment because it was also a tool for war. As the centuries passed sports equipment evolved and as it did so safety increased.

The varieties of sports equipment available are nearly endless, you have baseballs, basketball, running shoes, Frisbees and even knee wraps are an important part of your sports equipment arsenal.

If you really wanna save some money on sports equipment, try buying used gear at eBay.

The number of people with disabilities who engage in sports and other physical activities has increased dramatically in the past decade, due to the growing field of assistive sports equipment. Whether for competition or simply recreation, however, the sports equipment market is overflowing with devices to get fans off the sidelines and into the sports arena.

Sports equipment of any kind is designed with the users safety in mind, but it must be fitted and employed properly.

Sports can provide physical activity and recreation that yield psychological and physical benefits.

Swimming and other water activities are used in rehabilitation and physical therapy to promote good muscle tone, lung capacity, flexibility, and overall fitness without causing undue pressure on joints or bones.

Every day thousands of people use the webb to find information on sports equipment, to get directions to Sport Companies on and off the Web, to locate jobs within the Sports and Recreation Industries, and to buy sports equipment directly online in a secure environment.

Check out the vast selection of our sports equipment. Visit us on a regular basis since our sports equipment offerings are constantly updated as we try to provide you, with the best and latest in top quality sports equipment.

Whatever your sports gear or sports apparel or sports equipment needs, start here--> http://www.sportinggoods-r-us.com
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Hobby And Commercial Fishing - Difference Between The Two

2009-11-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

By Abhishek Agarwal

The definition of fishing is to hunt living species that spend their complete lives in water. Fishing could be a sporting activity, a hobby or a profession. For some it is an ancestral tradition that the families have been indulging in for generations. This is a relaxation that majorities of Americans part take in and also encourage the youngsters in their families to do so. Those adults who are fishing enthusiasts today have probably started when they were still in their teens. Many love fishing as a sport and some as a trade. Whatever the reason, it is necessary to keep this interest alive by encouraging today's youth to experience it too.

Commercial and recreational fishing
Fishing in today's world is either for recreation or as a commercial activity. Fishing as a sport is participated in as a competition and for pleasure. There are many guidelines and rules to follow when you fish for a sport. There are guidelines and laws on the kind of fish you are allowed to catch and the bait that is permitted to be used. The IGFA or International Game Fishing Association makes the rules and regulations for this sport. The legal way of fishing is with hooks, lines, reels and rods, it is forbidden to use fishing nets or to hook the fish in the mouth.

Competitions and tournaments
Tournaments and competitions are a form of fishing as a recreation. The winner is judged on the basis of the number of fish and the weight of the fish caught within a specific time.

Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing becomes the trade and career of the person who is a fishing enthusiast also. Fish are exported to different parts of the world and is a booming trade. Food is provided to people all over the world with this trade. The only negative aspect of this profession is that no matter what the weather conditions be the fishermen have to travel to distant places in the sea to do their job.

Another restriction is that the fisherman is allowed only a certain quota according to treaties that are made internationally. This way the fishing is limited and cannot go beyond the specified limits. In this way the local fisherman is found lacking in jobs for himself.

Fish that are most popular to catch are crabs, squids, clams, lobsters, krill, shrimps, salmon, cod and tuna. The method of catching fish varies according to the location where you are angling, the kind of fish and the technology that you are using. The needs of different ways of fishing differs, if there is just one person fishing from a small boat he will need completely different equipment to a group who are doing this on a daily basis.

Recreational fishing is something that the angler does during his free time or as a tournament, but if it is commercial fishing it is his profession and will have to be on a more serious level as it is his choice of a career.
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Top 10 Sports and Recreation Franchise Business Opportunities

2009-11-16T23:23:00.000-08:00

By Candice Clem

Though summer may be at an end, there's no rule that says that recreational fun has to come to a close along with it. Regardless of season, sports and recreation are an undeniable part of life and a profitable business opportunity for wise business owners and investors. Whether you're ready to start a fun indoor franchise business today or looking for the chance to start an outdoor sports franchise next spring, here are 10 great sports and recreation franchises that are ready for the right active entrepreneur.

1. The Athlete's Foot

36 years ago, this store was the first and only focused seller of athletic footwear. Today, it may not be the only one, but with franchises in 40 nations and happy customers around the world, it's conceivably still the best. Whether you're interested in starting a single-location retail franchise, starting a master franchise, or taking on an entire area development, The Athlete's Foot has a system designed to match your level of interest in their exceptional business.

2. Rhino Sports

The perfect cross between sports and construction, Rhino Sports franchisees are responsible for creating some of the most durable, innovative, and noteworthy athletic courts in the industry. Not only are their designs able to withstand constant use and weather damage impeccably, but the materials that they use greatly reduce the amount of strain that is put on player's joints. For this and so many other reasons, Rhino Sports is one of the fastest-growing court brands around.

3. i9 Sports

Over 100 million Americans play organized sports, and many are kids, which means that anyone willing to teach children the rules of fun and good sportsmanship can make a good profit doing it. And that is exactly what i9 Sports franchisees do. This home based business provides franchisees with the tools and knowledge to facilitate the development of 10 different sports leagues, and Franchise Times Magazine and Entrepreneur 500 have already recognized their system as one to watch in the future.

4. One2One Bodyscapes

From L.A. to New York, people everywhere are into the trend of slimming down and buffing up with the work-outs and personal care that only a knowledgeable trainer can provide. One2One Bodyscapes is a 10-year-old company with 5 locations operating in the greater Boston area that provide clients with customized workouts in an exceptional environment. Poised and ready to spread further through the state and the nation, this is a great ground-floor opportunity.

5. Caddy Card

One of the most novel things to hit the golf course, the Caddy Card is a pocket-sized, 16-page publication that provides golfers with detailed graphics of the course they're playing, space for record keeping, and tons of advertising. It's free for players and free for the golf courses, but advertisers pay to be included. Franchisees make their money by selling ad space, which has already proven to be a better point of advertising than any other available.

6. Laser Nation

Laser tag has become a hit everywhere, and now you can cash in on the trend as well, with a proven system that puts you at the helm of a fully functional entertainment facility. All the franchisee has to possess to take on this business for sale is a strong knack for customer service, sales knowhow, a strong sense of personal integrity, and a high-traffic location for an outlet. Other than that, the franchisee takes care of preparing you for anything and everything.

7. Wheel Fun Rentals

The #1 recreational rental chain in the nation, this franchise is known far and wide for bringing clients the best in wheeled family fun. Different locations offer a wide variety of rentals, ranging from bicycles to kayaks, depending on what the local terrain will allow. Current franchisees cheer the business model because it's fun, simple to operate, and incredibly low stress.

8. Monster Mini Golf

As the popularity of the family fun center continues to grow throughout the country, so does one of the newest chains in the industry, Monster Mini Golf. Set apart from the pack by an amazingly fun design that sports a "frighteningly fun" 18-hole miniature golf course, a "monstrous" gaming center, and "fearsomely" fabulous facilities, this business turns fun into an exceptionally successful business. Training is provided to all franchisees both at the central headquarters and on location at each new facility, marketing support is always provided, and each location gets regular checkups from the local representative.

9. Intelliturf

Professional sellers and installers of synthetic turf, Intelliturf franchisees work from home and are in a class by themselves. Despite the convenience that comes with having a lawn or golf green that never grows but looks and feels like real grass, there are not yet a lot of companies that specialize in it. Franchisees with the foresight to get in on this growing trend at the ground floor, however, are taught all there is not know about the industry, and set well on their way to business success.

10. HobbyTown USA

With more 180 locations already established across the US, HobbyTown USA is one of the top retail facilities in their industry. Selling a wide variety of toy, entertainment, and hobby products, franchisees have the extreme privilege of working a fun, satisfying job that allows them to make their own hours of operation in a market that is rather recession-resistant. And, of course, financing, training, site-selection assistance, and ongoing support are all included in this great package. The list of sports and recreation franchises goes on and on, but they all share one thing in common: they capitalize on fun. If you want to do the same, take a closer look at some of these great business opportunities.
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Great Outdoor Jobs

2009-11-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

By Tony Jacowski

If you do not feel comfortable with the traditional working ways of a conventional office environment, but take delight in exploring the bounties of nature, a job in the outdoors could be ideal job for you. There are a plethora of job opportunities available in the recreation industry. All you need to do is find the right kind of job that not only pays you well but also serves your interests.

Job Opportunities

A broad spectrum of outdoor recreational jobs are readily available. However, you need to be sure that you make the right choice. When you have finally decided on a job that appeals to you, then you can find out further details as to what type of training, and skills are required for the job. Many job options exist in the field of outdoor recreational jobs. Jobs embracing aspects of nature, such as working in a wilderness park, river rafting, and mountain climbing can help to fulfill your desire to stay in constant touch with the nature.

If you wish to soar high in the sky, then try your luck at paragliding. If you like the winters and are good at sports, then a job in skiing would be the perfect choice. However, most of the outdoor jobs like skiing are season specific. Therefore, these recreational jobs provide employment only for a certain period of the year. Some recreation places may be operational only during the peak season. So it’s better to be mentally and financially prepared for a possibility of being unemployed for the rest of the year and plan ahead.

If you are a die hard fan of nature and don’t mind working outdoors in any type of weather, then you can find outdoor recreational jobs at places which are active and functional during summer as well as winter. If you are good at athletics, then you could venture out and search for jobs that give you a chance to play outdoor sports. With the right skills and efforts, you could land up securing a good salary and position. You could coach others like you who have similar interests, earn a good living and at the same time pursue a career of your interest. As a coach you could also volunteer in your spare time and serve your community.

Requirements

Working in the great outdoors calls for a lot of preparation on your part, specially being appropriately dressed according to the climate and your job requirements. If you enjoy basking in the warmth of sunlight, and have chosen a job that requires you to work in the months of summer, then it would be advisable to wear a sun block and dress lightly to combat the scorching heat.

Alternatively, if you don’t mind working in temperatures that are below zero, then wear woolen clothing like mittens, caps and mufflers, which cover you from head to toe and keep you nice and warm. If you are suitably dressed, you can take full advantage of the opportunity, and enjoy the thrill and adventure of working outdoors.

To earn money doing a job that you like is not only appealing but also very motivating.
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Applying Individual Competencies to Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Investment Activities

2009-11-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

By Nigel Brooks

Sources of personal income include activities from being an employee, an entrepreneur and/or a business enterprise owner, or an investor. The strength of an individual's competencies determines their success or failure in these activities, and their willingness to learn from failure so as to enable future successes. Competencies are about domain knowledge in academic and vocational disciplines, and in the related mental and physical technical skills. Disciplines are rules of conduct and subject areas of teaching. Individual competencies comprise personal, professional, and enterpriship (entrepreneurship, leadership, and management) knowledge and skills.

Personal, professional, and enterpriship competencies...

Personal competencies are about the self (intra-personal) and how an individual relates to others (inter-personal). Intra-personal competencies are both qualitative and quantitative. Beyond the fundamental satisfaction of human needs, the most basic competencies are the ability to read and write and to perform arithmetic operations. The ability to manage risk is essential to survival. Other inter-personal competencies include analysis, comprehension, logic, mathematics, and reasoning. Inter-personal competencies include oral and written communications, relationship building, and participating in and contributing to teams, communities, and work-places both socially and professionally.

Performance in an activity is a function of aptitude, ability, and proficiency. Qualifications are standard conditions or requirements for performing a role. Aptitude determines the suitability of an individual for a role; ability determines their expected quality of performance for an activity; and proficiency defines their level of competence.

Personal and professional competencies determine preferences for values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, including appearance and communications; motivation, conflict handling, and stress tolerance; decision making, learning, occupation, recreation, and relationships; and fiscal matters.

Professional competencies address domain functional subject areas and knowledge such as law, finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, program management, engineering, operations, and business development in both product-driven and service-driven industries, and the associated technical skills.

Domain competencies also address subject areas such as arts, cookery, entertainment, numismatics, philately, and sports from which activities arise that can be monetized, such as collecting, trading, and investing in items including art, coins, sports memorabilia, and stamps.

Enterpriship competencies are enabling and embrace the entrepreneurship, leadership, and management disciplines. Enterpriship competencies determine how to transform ideas into value, how to set direction that influences others to follow, and how to apply resources to activities to achieve results.

Every individual earning income as an employee, as an entrepreneur, or as an investor must be able to apply personal, professional, and enterpriship competencies in order to create or respond to opportunities and threats. Wherever there is crisis, there is opportunity.

Being an employee...

Being an employee means working for somebody else for income (although shareholder officers of "Subchapter S" corporations are also considered employees, even though they are owner-operators). Types of employment income include wages, salaries, and incentives such as bonuses, commissions, and tips. Opportunity for ownership may also be offered to employees through awards of stock options and shares if the enterprise is a corporation, admission as a partner if a partnership, or admission as a member if a limited liability company. Benefit packages may also be available including paid vacations, healthcare, profit sharing, and retirement plans.

Some employees remain as hourly paid administrative staff or operational labor throughout their entire careers. Others become salaried professionals and rise into management and executive ranks with substantial leadership and managerial roles. In these cases, a component of income is usually incentive-based according to the performance of the enterprise and an individual's own area of responsibility. Whereas some employees prefer the predictability of a fixed wage per hour or salary per year, others prefer a high variable component with commissions and bonuses commensurate with their individual or team's performance.

Some employees want to be associated with an enterprise that is well respected for product and/or service innovation; for constituencies served; for quality, efficiency and effectiveness; for values and guiding principles; or for sustainability. Others are solely concerned about the income potential. For some, working for somebody else, especially in a well established institution creates a sense of pride or duty; for others being self-employed is more satisfying, and in some cases a necessity because of shortages of work opportunities, or because of barriers to employment such as the "glass ceiling."

Being an entrepreneur and/or business owner...

Being an entrepreneur means starting, developing, and assuming risk for either an upwardly mobile or lifestyle business enterprise, or performing as an independent contractor. Upwardly mobile enterprises are aimed at large markets with local-to-global aspirations. They are started through the "sweat equity" of founders and are initially financed by angel and venture capital investors, and may eventually become publicly traded enterprises. Lifestyle business enterprises are usually owner-operated and form the heart of "Main Street." They are financed from the owner's capital and also from secured debt if adequate collateral is available. Unsecured debt opportunities may be available if guarantors can be provided, or once steady cash flows have been established. To be successful, a lifestyle business enterprise usually needs a lot of "tender loving care" from the owner. However, such care can be a differentiator from large enterprises through detailed product and/or service knowledge and quality of service delivery.

Independent contractors are in effect enterprises in their own right and have to be entrepreneurial in order to find assignments. Individuals and enterprises who engage independent contractors have a right to control or direct only the result of the work performed, but not the methods by which it is accomplished.

Some entrepreneurs want to build an enterprise that is respected; for others, financial considerations are the motivating factors.

Artists, authors, composers, and entertainers require entrepreneurial competencies in order to earn sales, fee and royalty revenues from their work.

Being an investor...

Being an investor means placing excess or leveraged capital for a future return in assets that either are expected to appreciate in value or produce income, or both. Assets include durable items such as art, equipment, furniture, numismatic, philatelic, sports memorabilia, real estate, and securities (financial instruments representing money, debt, and equity capital and derivatives).

Capital can be accumulated wealth or leveraged through borrowings. Successful investing is about achieving returns through capital appreciation and cash flows from dividends, fees, interest, rentals, and royalties commensurate with risk. Short-term gains can be obtained from trading activities, whereas long-term gains are obtained from buying-to-hold.

Passive investors primarily buy-to-hold; active investors seek advice, make decisions for themselves, trade and buy-to-hold, and sometimes seek board positions to influence the direction of the enterprises in which they have invested. Buy-to-hold means that investments will be held in a portfolio until maturity (if applicable), or will be available for sale at some time in the future. Being an active investor means having analytical and quantitative capabilities, being willing to take risk, and being able to make decisions with anticipation and deliberation.

Whereas employees think in terms of wage per hour or salary per year, entrepreneurs and investors think in terms of returns from capital appreciation and cash flows.

Some individuals invest in stocks and bonds through employer sponsored plans, whereas others take responsibility for their own portfolios. Some individuals start early, sometimes borrowing on margin; others start late using excess cash. For some, the biggest investment is the one-time purchase of their home; for others, flipping to gain from capital appreciation in real estate properties or buying-to-hold for rental income is a routine activity, as is investing in other assets.

All investors have access to public secondary money and capital markets, but only accredited high net worth individuals and insiders have access to private offerings in primary markets. Some successful entrepreneurs put returns from their own endeavors back into the community by investing in other early stage enterprises.

Investors can become entrepreneurs by becoming dealers in certain assets and trading them. For example, collectors can generate revenue by trading collectible assets in both physical and electronic marketplaces.

Applying personal, professional, and enterpriship competencies to employment, entrepreneurship, and investment activities...

Basic personal competencies fundamental to all activities to starting, building, operating, participating, contributing, and investing in an enterprise include the ability to communicate and relate to others, and in the twenty first century, to use electronic devices for written communication and computations effectively and efficiently. Managing risk against the reward potential in terms of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and treating opportunities and threats is essential to personal and economic survival.

Professional competencies result from the extent to which an individual pursues academic or vocational disciplines based upon personal preferences. Academic disciplines lead to occupations in law, finance and accounting, human resources, information technology, product and infrastructure engineering, marketing, and operations. Vocational disciplines lead to occupations in the trades and crafts, such as clerks, carpenters, electricians, laborers, mechanics, metal workers, operating engineers, painters, plumbers, and salespeople. Professional competencies are fundamental to getting work done.

Regardless of the academic and vocational training, understanding basic economic, business, finance, and accounting concepts, and marketing and sales techniques is essential to success as an executive, entrepreneur, or investor.

Inter-personal competencies are just as important as professional competencies because without the ability to relate to other people, it is very difficult to get anything accomplished in an enterprise on an ongoing basis. Individuals who have difficulty in building relationships with others need strong professional competencies to compensate so as to be effective as individual contributors. Being teachable is extremely important. Coaching provides guidance on the enabling competencies: entrepreneurship, leadership, and management; mentoring provides guidance on the domain competences - guidance on subject matter, developing functional knowledge and technical skills.

Enterpriship competencies determine the effectiveness of the entrepreneurial, leadership, and managerial roles played by an individual whether as an employee, an entrepreneur, or an investor.

The entrepreneurial role is about creating or acquiring new opportunities or responding to threats - in effect, enacting change. The entrepreneurial role is essential when developing new products and/or services and processes, and improving existing ones. It applies to those who can offer suggestions that earn and add value. The entrepreneurial role is essential when changing jobs, when innovating and starting a new enterprise, and when investing in or divesting from enterprises.

The leadership role is about influencing people through aspirational, inspirational, and motivational communications. This role is applicable to anybody who has to entertain, inform, convince, and persuade others. It applies to those seeking employment opportunities; to entrepreneurs, business owners, executives or managers seeking employees, customers, suppliers, and investors; or to proactive members of an investor community attempting to influence other investors, management teams including both boards and officers, and other interested parties.

The managerial role is about planning, execution, and control of processes by any individual who has to achieve results, whether as an employee, an entrepreneur, or an investor.

Understanding individual competencies...

All individuals must understand their strengths and weaknesses so as to be able to take advantage of opportunities and respond to threats accordingly. Effective personal and professional competencies are essential for gaining entry level positions in enterprises, and the initial promotions thereafter. However, the enterpriship competencies in entrepreneurship, leadership, and management disciplines determine long-term success from turning ideas into value, influencing others to follow direction, and applying resources to activities to gain results in employment, entrepreneurial, and investor capacities.
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Workplace Conflict Resolution: What's Creating Workplace Conflict and 9 Easy Ways To Resolve It

2009-11-07T23:05:00.000-08:00

By Arlyne Diamond

A radio interviewer recently asked me if I thought there was more conflict in the workplace today than in the past. After thinking about it, I replied, “Yes, I think there is more conflict today.”

Here Are 3 Main Reasons Why There Is More Conflict In The Workplace Today Than In The Past:

1. Today’s workplace is much more egalitarian. We have flatter chains of command, dotted line relationships, and primarily knowledge workers who are capable of making decisions themselves and have the freedom to move on to another job if they don’t like the way they are being treated.

In prior years, the workplace consisted of a clear authoritarian structure and chain of command. Workers obeyed orders, kept their gripes and personal issues to themselves, and did their work. If they failed to perform effectively, they were immediately fired and replaced.

2. Today, people of all ages from all over the world have come to work together. They have different values, goals, behavioral expectations and prior experiences. Yet they are expected to work together without really understanding why all the misunderstandings between them occur.

3. Women are now in the workplace in equal numbers to their male counterparts. Generally speaking, women are much less accustomed to following a chain of command than men. Most men grow up participating in organized sports where they are taught how to obey. Although some women are now active in sports, many more grow up playing creative games that didn’t have any particular organization or chain of command. In games like house, girls take turns in varying roles.

Although we’ve come a long way towards understanding each other and working harmoniously together in the workplace, there are still behavioral differences in teasing, flirting, confronting, aggression and simple communication styles.

Solutions To Conflicts In The Workplace

Clearly, these workplace issues are here to stay. How can we handle them? How can we change certain elements? Here are some of my ideas:

Dealing with Different People in the Workplace

Your organization is going to continue to have people of all genders, ages, cultures, styles and expectations working together. You need to provide them with:

• A common culture with clearly defined behavioral expectations. This includes policy, procedures, statements of corporate values and culture – and the follow through to hold people accountable.

• Diversity training that teaches how to manage different people as well as how to get them to cooperate at meetings and other group forums. Your organization needs to delve into training. Trainers need to understand cognitive and communication styles, values around politeness and dealing with superiors, as well as issues of pride, humility, conformity and all the other differences that cause conflicts in the workplace.

• Acceptance and recognition of the differences, so your organization doesn’t try to have a “one size fits all” method of managing.

• More attempts to help each other clear up disagreements and misunderstandings – rather than passing judgment and deciding who is right and who is wrong.

Management Style and Hours Worked

When management creates a clear set of guidelines as to work expectations and measures success rather than time spent, it will be easier for people to know what to do because the parameters are clear. Here’s what your organization can do to avoid conflicts in the workplace related to management styles:

• Publish policy, procedures, values, expectations, and guidelines. Since there no longer is a supervisor with a whip looking over each worker’s shoulder, it is these documents that guide your employees’ behaviors.

• Managers need to learn how to correctly manage different individuals to enable each person to be successful. Some people need more instruction and others need to be left alone to create. Some are more trustworthy than others and can be relied upon to know their own limits and decision-making authority. Others need to be managed more tightly.

• The quality and the quantity of the work should be rewarded, not time. Managers need to stop the subtle and not-so-subtle remarks about not seeing a worker on a Saturday or early in the morning.

• Employees need to have flexible time whenever possible. Some jobs require attendance at set hours. Most do not. People with young children at home might want to go home for a few hours in the late afternoon and return either to work, or to their home computer after their children have been put to bed.

• Recognize that less is often more. If people get to relax, have a family life, recreation, and pleasure, they are almost always more productive and creative during their working time.

Although conflict is here to stay, it certainly can be mitigated by taking the needs and differences of people seriously and by teaching them about each other and how to work together. Stop being afraid and start being kind.
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Improving Your Career - A Contact Sport

2009-11-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

By Heather Eagar

Shaping Your Career

You need to have great career skills to climb the corporate ladder successfully. Career skills are also crucial if you want to switch jobs within your field. Your skills play a vital role in differentiating you from many others who probably have the same educational qualifications as you. Marketing and negotiation skills and public speaking and leadership skills are some of the skills that if mastered, can help you excel in virtually any career field.

“Networking” To Advance Your Career

Social networking is one of the most popular ways of connecting to people across the world through the Internet. Networking enables you to stay in touch with the right people and develop good business contacts crucial to your career growth. After all, getting a great job is all about being at the right place at the right time. And networking gives you a phenomenal power to stay connected with the right people to advance your career in the right direction. If you love to talk and make friends, networking wont be difficult at all.

Networking simply requires that you interact with people effectively. You don’t need to be a close friend of someone to get a job or ask for a favor. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” is the overriding principle for getting favors through social networking. There are a number of social networking sites you can choose from. Another way to network is to join a local organization or a social club. Once you get into the habit of socializing and meeting people on a regular basis, you will be able to develop good contacts that can help you progress in your chosen career.

Set Realistic Goals

To be able to enjoy career success, you have to set realistic goals. Impossible, unattainable goals often become the cause of disappointment, dealing a blow to your self-esteem in the bargain.

Work With A Career Coach

A well-rounded career necessitates a good balance of interpersonal relationships, recreation and work. All these ingredients in the right proportion will make your career more meaningful than just a series of jobs. Work with a career coach, partner, or mentor who can motivate you and guide you on your path to success. A career coach can help give you the necessary tools to hone your business skills and encourage you to stick to your plans. You can also be a part of a support group or a group of likeminded people with similar business objectives and career interests.

There are many effective ways to improve your career. Always remember that career improvement is a journey – there isn’t necessarily just one destination.
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DSM-V and the 7 - Dimensions Therapeutic Model

2009-11-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

By James Slobodzien

Considering a Numerical/ Dimensional Diagnostic Classification System and a Prototype Scale for Substance Dependence Disorders

Introduction

What do you think of when you hear the words: Imbecile, idiot, and moron! These are words that we (maybe I’m the only one) frequently use (or think to myself) when I’m driving on the freeway and I see someone driving much faster or way slower then I am. We also hear these derogatory terms in the heat of an angry discussion when individuals have run out of rational and logical arguments. But, did you know that these words were once used as scientific terms in England as part of an official diagnostic classification system to describe individuals that were mentally retarded. One definition of “Imbecile,” reads:

“A person with a degree of mental retardation between that of an idiot

and a moron; in a former classification of mentally retarded person, it

applied to a person with an adult mental age of from four to eight years,

and an I.Q. of from 26 to 50.”

In the United States, the initial impetus for developing a classification of mental disorders was the need to collect statistical information. What might be considered the first official attempt to gather information about mental illness… was the recording of the frequency of one category – “idiocy/ insanity,” in the 1840 census (DSM-IV-TR).

Although present day negative terms like: Imbecile, idiot, and moron are no longer used scientifically because of their pejorative connotations, we are still unfortunately using a categorical diagnostic classification system (DSM-IV-TR) in 2007, to label people with terms like: Schizophrenic, Bi-polar, and Borderline. To this day, we continue to diagnose people with mental disorders in a categorical way, coded as either present or absent – even though the DSM-IV-TR explicitly states that “there is no assumption that each category of mental disorder is a completely discrete entity with absolute boundaries dividing it from other mental disorders or from having no mental disorder.

Given the upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), this article provides a timely overview of some of the growing frustrations and limitations engendered by the DSM–IV-TR categorical model. It also considers a 7 – dimensional holistic alternative approach to the categorical model. Finally, it proposes a dimensional prototype scale for substance dependence disorders for the DSM-V, possibly as an interim adjunct to the traditional categorical classification scheme to stimulate more research in this area.

Categorical Models and Limitations

DSM-IV-TR is a categorical diagnostic classification system that divides mental disorders into types based on criteria sets with defining features. This type of system classifies clinical presentations based on the assignment to categories and works best in describing phenomena that have clear boundaries. It is evident, however that the DSM-IV is abounding with problematic boundary disputes, many of which seem to be the result of arbitrary categorical distinctions. It is also evident that the DSM-IV inherently has problems with: stigma; stereotyping; and labeling. Categorical models indirectly promote the stigma of receiving a psychiatric diagnosis and the fear that the diagnosis will result in unwanted social and/ or occupational consequences.

These models can contribute to stereotyping when others automatically and incorrectly infer that anyone who has a mental disorder is unpredictable and/ or violent. For example, we might assume that because “Bob” has been diagnosed with – Schizophrenia, he must be potentially violent and unpredictable. This is the same argument that assumes that because someone lives in Iowa, he must be a farmer. They increase the “labeling,” problem (giving a name to a group of symptoms) that can be hard to shake, even if the person has made a full recovery. Although the text of the DSM-IV indicates that it classifies mental disorders - not people, and that it avoids the use of such expressions as “a schizophrenic” or “an alcoholic, the reality is that real people get categorized as mental disorders – and people are not diseases, disorders, and/ or disabilities, but people are people – like you and I, who may suffer from having these problems.

Our present healthcare system is set up to focus on acute care rather than chronic
illnesses. It focuses on a Unitary Syndrome or a one dimensional model in which the
sole marker of treatment response or success is specific symptom-reduction. Likewise,
although, the multi-axial system of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III, 1980), was intended to be atheoretical in its
approach to diagnosis and classification and to promote a bio-psychosocial model, the
DSM-IV-TR is heavily dependent on the medical model with its biologically based view
of mental disorders and opposition to the psychoanalytical approach of Sigmund Freud.
The medical model can be traced back to the work of Emil Kraepelin, a German
psychiatrist who thought that all mental disorders could be traced back to organic
diseases of the brain, rather than disordered emotions, behaviors, or psychological/
environmental stressors.

Kupfer, First, & Regier, however, report that, “In the more than 30 years since the introduction of the DSM-III, the goal of validating these syndromes and discovering common etiologies has remained elusive. Despite many proposed candidates, not one laboratory marker has been found to be specific in identifying any of the DSM-defined syndromes. Epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown extremely high rates of co-morbidities among disorders, undermining the hypothesis that the syndromes represent distinct etiologies. Furthermore, epidemiologic studies have shown a high degree of short-term diagnostic instability for many disorders. With regard to treatment, lack of treatment specificity is the rule rather than the exception,” (2002, p. xviii).

Dimensional Models

It was suggested that the DSM-IV Classification be organized following a dimensional model rather than the categorical model used in DSM-III-R. A dimensional system classifies clinical presentations based on quantification of attributes rather than the assignment to categories and works best in describing phenomena that are distributed continuously and that do not have clear boundaries. Dimensional systems increase reliability and communicate more clinical information (because they report clinical attributes that might be sub-threshold in a categorical system), they also have serious limitations and thus far have been less useful than categorical systems in clinical practice and in stimulating research. Numerical dimensional descriptions are much less familiar and vivid than are the categorical names for mental disorders. Moreover, there is yet no agreement on the choice of optional dimensions to be used for classification purposes. Nonetheless, it is possible that the increasing research on, and familiarity with, dimensional systems may eventually result in their greater acceptance both as a method of conveying clinical information and as a research tool (DSM-IV-TR, xxxi).

Dimensional models provide more reliable scores, help to explain symptom heterogeneity and the lack of clear boundaries between categorical diagnoses. They also retain important information about sub-threshold traits and symptoms that may be of clinical interest, and allow for the integration of scientific findings concerning the distribution of traits and associated maladaptivity into a classification system. Dimensional models recognize that mental disorders lie on a continuum with mildly disturbed and normal behavior, rather than being qualitatively distinct. For example, the Axis II personality disorders are increasingly regarded as extreme variants of common personality characteristics. Dimensional models would identity patients on a specific level or dimension of cognitive or affective capacity rather than place them in a “categorical box.”

A joint committee of the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health charged with identifying pressing issues for the DSM – Fifth Edition (DSM-V) concluded that: ‘there is a clear need for dimensional models to be developed and for their utility to be compared with the existing typologies.’

7 – Dimensions “Therapeutic” Model

Healthcare consumers are increasingly advocating for a multidimensional model that takes into account an array of life-functioning domains that influence patient treatment progress. Evidenced-based meta-analysis studies also purport the prognostic power of life-functioning variables to predict outcome as well as their importance for treatment planning over a unitary model that has had little empirical support. Accurate diagnosis is also dependent on a thorough multidimensional assessment process along with the possible help of a multidisciplinary treatment team approach. Behavioral Medicine practitioners have come to realize that although a disorder may be primarily physical or primarily psychological in nature, it is always a disorder of the whole person – not just of the body or the mind.

They purport that there must be a holistic approach to mental disorders that places equal emphasis on assessing all life-functioning dimensions of individuals. There is a healing potential in assessing and treating patients as whole persons rather than as isolated collections of nervous tissue with chemical imbalances. The major task in assessing and treating mental illness is to regain social roles and identities that entail focusing on the individual and building a sense of responsibility and self-determination.

In 2004, the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS), was published – describing the following seven life-functioning therapeutic activity dimensions for progress outcome measurements.

1. Social/ Cultural – Dimension

2. Medical/ Physical – Dimension

3. Mental/ Emotional – Dimension

4. Educational/ Occupational – Dimension

5. Spiritual/ Religious – Dimension

6. Legal/ Financial – Dimension

7. Abstinence/ Relapse – Dimension

The 7 – Dimension recovery model was initially designed to measure patient progress by assessing therapeutic life-functioning activities. Researched may prove it to be effective as a generalized model for assessing and treating all pathological diseases, disorders, and disabilities. It’s multidimensional assessment/ treatment process includes the internal interconnection of multiple dimensions from biomedical to spiritual - taking into account the effects of feedback and the existence of each dimension mutually influencing each other simultaneously. Because of the complexity of human nature, treatment progress needs to be initially tailored and guided by an individualized treatment plan based on a comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment that identifies specific problems, goals, objectives, methods, and timetables for achieving the goals and objectives of treatment.

Life-style addictions may affect many domains of an individual's functioning and frequently require multi-modal treatment.

Note: These seven dimensions have been delineated in the book entitled, Poly-behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (Slobodzien, 2005). Following are the 7 (life-functioning) dimensional scales with their individualized assessment criteria:

Social/Cultural Functioning Scale (1)

9 - No or minimal environment stressors. Interested & involved in a wide range of activities.

8 - Transient environmental stress (difficulty concentrating after family argument)

7 - Mild acute/stressors- some difficulty in social functioning. Has meaningful relationships.

6 - Moderate difficulty in social functioning. Has conflicts with peers and few friends.

5 - Serious impairment in social functioning. Has no friends

4 - Major impairment in several dimensions (family relations)Avoids friends/ neglects family

3 - Severe environmental stressors are harmful to patient, family & others (Stays in bed all day).

2 - Gross environmental stressors are dangerous to patient, family & others. Gross impairment in communication (incoherent).

1 - Dangerous environmental stressors are life-threatening, to patient, family & others

Medical/ Physical Functioning Scale (2)

9 - No disorder/disease symptoms – stable medical condition

8 - Transient – Common Disorder/ disease symptoms

7 - Acute- Common Disorder/ disease symptoms

6 - Moderate – Clinically Marked medical condition

5 - Clinically Significant Medical condition

4 - Major Significant Chronic Medical conditions

3 - Severely Significant Chronic Medical conditions

2 - Grossly Severe Medical Conditions

1 - Terminal Medical Conditions

Mental/ Emotional Functioning Scale (3)

9 - Absent or minimal symptoms – Good functioning in all areas

8 - Transient/ expectable symptoms – reactions to psychosocial stressors

7 - Mild symptoms – depressed mood/ mild insomnia

6 - Moderate - Clinically Marked symptoms – flat affect, some panic attacks

5 - Serious symptoms – suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals

4 - Major symptoms – some reality testing impairment & illogical speech

3 - Severe – impairment in communication/ judgment Delusions/ hallucinations

2 - Grossly Severe – some danger of hurting self/ others/ suicide attempts

1 - Persistent danger of severely hurting self/others

Educational/ Occupational Functioning Scale (4)

9 - No Impairment Good Functioning in all areas Educational/ Occupational

8 - Slight – Impairment Temporarily falling behind in school/ work projects.

7 - Mild Impairment - Some difficulty with school/ Work functioning

6 - Moderate – Impairment Clinically Marked conflicts with peers / co-workers.

5 - Serious Impairment Failing at school/ work

4 - Major Impairment Unable to keep job/ school More than one dimension

3 - Severe Impairment Inability to function Almost all Dimensions

2 - Gross Impairment Unable to function Independently All Dimensions

1 - Dangerous Impairment Unable to function without Harming self or others

Spiritual/ Religious Functioning Scale (5)

9 - Absent or minimal symptoms – Good functioning. Involved a wide range of healthy spiritual/ religious activities.

8 - Transient/ expectable symptoms – reactions to slight violations of own moral values/ standards.

7 - Mild symptoms – depressed mood/ mild insomnia. Neglects some spiritual relationships.

6 - Moderate - Clinically Marked symptoms – guilt/ shame feelings due to moderate violations of moral standards

5 - Serious symptoms – suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals due to serious violations of morals.

4 - Major symptoms – some reality impairment & illogical speech. Avoids healthy spiritualilty.

3 - Severe judgment impairments. Spiritual/ religious delusions & hallucinations.

2 - Grossly Severe – some danger of hurting self/ others/ suicide attempts. Violent behaviors

1 - Persistent danger of severely hurting self/others

Legal/ Financial Functioning Scale (6)

9 - None or minimal – legal/ financial problems. Involved in community/ charity programs.

8 - Transient – financial/legal stressors (Credit card debt/ parking tickets)

7 - Minor law violations – some legal/ financial difficulties -speeding, etc.

6 - Moderate – Clinically Marked. Misdemeanor arrests/ fines/ penalties for late payments

5 - Clinically Significant – legal/ financial problems Felony arrests (gambling)

4 - Major Significant – legal/ financial problems - jail time/ major debts owned.

3 - Severe – legal/ financial problems. Criminal activities chosen.

2 - Grossly Severe – legal/ financial problems- prison time/ bankruptcy

1 - Dangerous – legal/ financial problems Suicidal/ homicidal

Abstinence/ Relapse Functioning Scale (7)

9 - No Impairment of Self- Control - Good Functioning No Relapse Potential

8 - Slight – Impairment of Self-control. Very low relapse potential.

7 - Mild Impairment of Self-control Low -Relapse Potential

6 - Moderate – Impairment of Self-control Clinically Marked Moderately High – relapse potential

5 - Serious Impairment of Self Control -Clinically Significant High - Relapse Potential

4 - Major Impairment of Self-control. Very High – relapse potential More than One Dimension

3 - Severe Impairment Inability to Control Self. Severely High – R/P Almost all Dimensions

2 - Gross Impairment - Unable to Control Self Independently Grossly High R/P. All Dimensions

1 - Dangerous Impairment - Unable to Control Self without harming self/ others. Dangerously High

Functioning/ Impairment Severity Levels of Self-control

9 - No Impairment of Self-Control –Good Functioning

8 - Slight – Impairment of Self-control

7 - Mild Impairment of Self-control

6 - Moderate – Impairment of Self-control Clinically Marked

5 – Serious Impairment of Self Control - Clinically Significant

4 – Major Impairment of Self- control. More than One Dimension.

3 – Severe Impairment Inability to Control Self (Almost all Dimensions)

2 – Gross Impairment Unable to Control Self Independently (All Dimensions)

1 – Dangerous Impairment Unable to Control Self Without harming self /others

Note: The 7 - Dimensional scales can be individually rated and the scores can be averaged out to determine a functioning/ impairment score or level of functioning.

The 7 - Dimensions model is a numerical, nonlinear, dynamical, non-hierarchical model that focuses on interactions between multiple risk factors and situational determinants similar to catastrophe and chaos theories in predicting and explaining addictive behaviors and relapse. Multiple influences trigger and operate within high-risk situations and influence the global multidimensional functioning of an individual. To put it simply, small changes in an individual’s behavior can result in large qualitative changes at the global level and patterns at the global level of a system emerge solely from numerous little interactions. The clinical utility of the 7 – Dimensions recovery model is in its ability to assist health care providers to quickly assess detailed information about an individual’s personality, background, substance use history, affective state, self-efficacy, and coping skills for prognosis, diagnosis, treatment planning, and outcome measures.

Substance Dependence (Prototype) – Dimensional Scale

The 7 – Dimensions model acknowledges that family genetics, and bio-psychosocial, historical, and developmental conditioning factors are difficult and sometimes impossible to be changed within individuals. Many healthcare consumers of addiction recovery services have a genetic pre-dispositional history for addiction. They have suffered and continue to suffer from past traumatic life experiences (e.g. physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, etc.) and often present with psychosocial stressors (e.g. occupational stress, family/ marital problems, etc.) leaving them with intense and confusing feelings (e.g. anger, anxiety, bitterness, fear, guilt, grief, loneliness, depression, and inferiority, etc.) that reinforce their already low self-esteem. The complex interaction of these factors can leave the individual with much deeper mental health problems involving self-hatred, self-punishment, self-denial, low self-control, low self-respect, and a severe low self-esteem condition, with an overall (sometimes hidden) negative self-identity.

Additionally, when we consider that addictions involve unbalanced life-styles operating within semi-stable equilibrium force fields, the 7 - Dimensions philosophy promotes that there is a supernatural-like spiritually synergistic effect that occurs when an individuals’ multiple life functioning dimensions are elevated in a homeostatic human system. This bilateral spiritual connectedness reduces chaos and increases resilience to bring an individual harmony, wellness, and productivity.

Although, a dimensional system may ameliorate many of the problems associated with the present DSM – categorical system, there are still many issues that need to be addressed when attempting to integrate dimensions into the current classification system. The following – Substance Dependence Scales were developed to introduce a prototype and to stimulate research for the future integration of categorical and dimensional diagnostic classification systems.

Tolerance Symtom Levels (1)

9 - No Tolerance Symptoms

8 - Minimal Tolerance Symptoms

7 - Mild Tolerance Symptoms

6 - Moderate – Clinically Marked Tolerance Symptoms

5 - Clinically significant tolerance -markedly increased amounts of substance use to achieve desired effect

4 - Major clinically significant Tolerance symptoms

3 - Severe clinically significant Tolerance symptoms

2 - Gross clinically significant Tolerance symptoms

1 - Clinically dangerous Significant tolerance Symptoms

Withdrawal Symptom Levels (2)

9 - No Withdrawal Symptoms

8 - Minimal Withdrawal Symptoms

7 - Mild Withdrawal Symptoms

6 - Moderate – Clinically Marked Withdrawal Symptoms

5 - Clinically significant Substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms

4 - Major Significant Withdrawal symptoms – Needs Assistance

3 - Clinically severe Withdrawal symptoms– Needs Partial Hosp.

2 - Clinically Gross Withdrawal symptoms - - Needs Medical Monitoring

1 - Clinically dangerous Withdrawal symptoms – Needs Medical Management

Quantity/ Duration Levels (3)

9 - No Progressive Use

8 - Minimal amounts taken irregularly over a short period of time

7 - Minimal Amounts taken regularly over a short period of time

6 - Clinically Marked Amounts taken regularly over long period of time

5 - Clinically Significant Larger Amounts often taken over a longer period then intended

4 - Major amounts often taken over a very longer period

3 - Severely harmful Amounts often taken over a very longer period

2 - Gross amounts often taken over a very longer period

1 - Lethal amounts often taken over a very longer period

Efforts to Control Use Levels (4)

9 - No efforts attempting to cut down/ control use (because no identified problem)

8 - Minimal efforts attempting to cut down/ control use

7 - Some successful efforts attempting to cut down/ control use

6 - Some Unsuccessful efforts attempting to cut down/ control use

5 - Persistent unsuccessful efforts attempting to cut down/ control use

4 - Unable to cut down/ control use independently without assistance

3 - Unable to control use with assistance Residential Treatment/ Medications, etc.

2 - Unable to control use without 1:1 Medical Monitoring

1 - Unable to control use without 24-hr. Medical Management

Time Spent with Substance Use Activities (5)

9 - No time spent in obtaining/ substance(s)

8 - Time spent irregularly in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

7 - Minimal time spent in obtaining/ using - substance(s)

6 - Moderate amounts of time spent in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

5 - A great deal of time spent in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

4 - A major amount of time spent in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

3 - A severely significant amount of time spent in obtaining/ using recovering from substance(s)

2 - Most free time spent in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

1 - All free time spent in obtaining/ using/ recovering from – substance(s)

Life-functioning Activities Given Up or Reduced (6)

9 - No reduction in social, occupational, recreational activities due to substance use

8 - Minimal periodic reduction in social, occupational recreate. activities due to substance use

7 - Minimal reduction in social, occupational, recreational activities due to substance use

6 - Clinically Marked reduction in social, occupational, recreational activities due to substance use

5 - Important social, occupation, or recreational activities are given up or reduced due to substance use

4 - Clinically major reduction in life-functioning activities due to substance use

3 - Severe amount of life-functioning activities given up – due to substance use

2 - Most life-functioning activities given up – due to substance use

1 - All life-functioning activities given up – due to substance use

Continued Use Despite Knowledge of Consequences (7)

9 - No Substance Use

8 - Minimal irregularly use despite knowledge of consequences

7 - Minimal use despite knowledge of consequences

6 - Clinically Marked use despite knowledge of consequences

5 - Continued use despite knowledge of consequences

4 - Major use despite knowledge of consequences

3 - Severe use despite knowledge of consequences

2 - Gross use despite knowledge of consequences

1 - Lethal use despite knowledge of consequences

Patterns/ Impairments/ Distress Levels

9 - Good Functioning No Pattern/ Impairment/ Distress from Substance Use

8 – Slight maladaptive pattern/ impairment/ distress

7 – Mild irregular pattern Impairment/ distress

6 - Moderate regular pattern Clinically Marked Impairment/ Distress

5 – Serious clinically Significant pattern/ Impairment/ distress – One Dimension

4 – Major clinically significant Pattern Impairment/distress More than One Dimension

3 – Severe clinically harmful Pattern impairment/distress Almost all Dimensions

2 - Clinically gross Pattern/ Impairment/ Distress -All Dimensions

1 - Clinically dangerous Pattern/ Impairment/ Distress -All Dimensions

Note: By utilizing a dimensional approach, each specific criteria can be rated and scored to determine clinical significance and the subthreshold symptoms can be addressed as well. The total scores can then be averaged and appropriate cut-off scores can be established for effective treatment planning.

The 7 – Dimensions model combines a multidimensional force field analysis of an individual’s unique problems to identify positive strength prognostic factors, with behavioral contracting, and a token-“like”- economy point system to accomplish this task. Force field analysis is a process whereby an individual’s behavior is assessed to determine which are the key forces driving the addictive behaviors and which are the key forces restraining the addictive behaviors. A plan is implemented to identify the positive strength restraining factors to somehow manipulate those forces in order to increase the likelihood of moving an individual’s behavior in a pro-social recovery direction.

Kurt Lewin (1947) who originally developed the Force Field Theory argued that an issue is held in balance by the interaction of two opposing sets of forces – those seeking to promote change (driving forces) and those attempting to maintain the status quo (restraining forces). Any given social event occurs at a given frequency in a given social context, and the frequency of the event is dependent upon forces acting to increase the event as well as forces acting to decrease the event. At any given point in time, there is a “semi-stable equilibrium” whereby the frequency of the social event will remain the same so long as there is neither change in the number or strength of the forces acting to increase the social event nor any change in the forces acting to decrease the event. Equilibrium is altered in either direction by increasing the frequency or intensity of the driving or the restraining forces and thereby creating a corresponding increase or decrease in the rate of an individual’s “addictive” behaviors.

Conclusion

Dimensional approaches may not be the panacea for the ills of DSM-IV, but they are a step in the right direction. It is our hope that changes in the DSM-V will reflect the gradual integration of a numerical/ dimensional classification system. The challenge will be getting clinicians to change the way they practice, by changing treatment facility systems to incorporate evidence-based research findings on effective diagnostic dimensional assessment strategies and interventions leading to a new and improved DSM-V.

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References

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 787 & p. 731. American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (2003), “Patient Placement Criteria for the Treatment of Substance-Related Disorders, 3rd Edition, Retrieved, June 18, 2005, from:

.asam.org/ Arthur Aron, Ph.D., professor, psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook; Helen Fisher, research professor, department of anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.; Paul Sanberg, Ph.D.,professor, neuroscience, and director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair,University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa; June 2005, the Journal of Neurophysiology Gorski, T. (2001), Relapse Prevention In The Managed Care Environment. GORSKI-CENAPS Web Publications. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from: tgorski.com Lienard, J. & Vamecq, J. (2004), Presse Med, Oct 23;33(18 Suppl):33-40. Morgan, G.D.; and Fox, B.J. Promoting Cessation of Tobacco Use. The Physician and Sports medicine. Vol 28- No. 12, December 2000. Kupfer, D. J., First, M. B. & Reigier, D. E. (2002) Introduction. In D. J. Kupfer, M. B. First, & D. E. Reigier (Eds.), A research agenda for DSM-V (pp.xv-xxiii). Washington, D.C.; American Psychiatric Association.

Slobodzien, J. (2005). Poly-behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS), Booklocker.com, Inc., p. 5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010 (Conference Edition). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; 2000.
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4 Sport ATVs For the Common Man Who Needs to Let Loose

2009-10-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

By Jerrod Kelley

Hard work has its rewards. It puts food on the table, beer in the fridge and gives you the ability to buy cool things you can store in that newly added third garage stall. Mountain bikes, campers, fishing boats and ATVs are just some of the toys you may own for recreating outdoors. The last thing you need to do on a Saturday is find more work to do.

While we enjoy using 4x4 ATVs to plow snow and tackle mud bogs, we also love to let loose and just ride for fun. And there's nothing like carving the dunes or dicing through the trees on a lighter weight sport quad or the freedom they provide.

Here are four sport quads between 330 and 400cc that are capable of providing a great joyride or day escape. Each packs more punch than the small entry-level models and is less intimidating than the larger displacement speedsters and race-specific quads.

Honda TRX400X

This sport quad was the talk of the industry a decade ago, but that was a different time and 450cc sport quads didn't exist! Despite its age, the 400X (the artist formerly known as 400EX) has proven itself to be fun, reliable and affordable! Its 2005 upgrades included a sportier look and reverse to make it more convenient. Then in '08, it received a sleeker fender package and new seat.

Powered by an air-cooled single-cylinder 397cc four-stroke, the 400X doesn't quite pack the hit or zip as Suzuki's Z400, but it's darn close and every bit as enjoyable. While the 400X could benefit from the addition of electronic fuel injection, the 38mm piston-valve carburetor has proven to be reliable and provides a smooth throttle pull.

Its narrower 45.5-inch width and 32.5-inch seat height make runs through heavily forested trails quick and controllable. Aggressive cornering and big jumps can overmatch the front preload-adjustable Showa shocks. However, while we'd love to see better front shocks, complete with piggyback reservoirs, we understand this machine's affordability would diminish. The fully adjustable rear shock offers 9.1 inches of travel and does an admirable job of soaking up hard hits.

At 408 pounds wet, the steel-framed 400X is considered "heavy" for motocross racing, but it's capable of tackling milder tracks in stock form. Aluminum wheels and an aluminum swingarm reduce the weight somewhat. The 20-inch rear Ohtsu tires are decent at supplying traction and work well in muddier and sandy conditions, but could be stronger.

The 400X has one of the industry's best chain adjustment systems. Triple disc brakes are standard and provide ample stopping power, yet aren't as instant as some sport quads we've ridden. The newer seat is less plush but
is also more refined - with a slender front section and wider rear edges - for sport riders. Since its '05 redesign, the 400X has continued to rise in price (up $500).

With the current state of the economy, model saturation and sport quad sales figures continuing to decline, we wonder if the 400X will remain in the lineup or follow the 250R into Honda heaven.

Polaris Trail Blazer 330

Polaris categorizes the Trail Blazer 330 as an entry-level ATV and we agree. Although, its weight, displacement and overall size may be too much for some first-time riders, its automatic transmission, power, full floorboards and single-lever braking make it easier to ride than the other three quads in this group. Plus, a host of 2010 upgrades have improved this machine.

Updates were made to the plastic, seat, lighting, suspension, chassis, disc brakes, master cylinder and fuel gauge. Visually, it's easiest to see the changes to the modern plastic, taller seat and the brighter front headlight, which was borrowed from the Outlaw and has 28 percent more power. Owners should also notice the more convenient remote fuel gauge even if they fail to realize the fuel tank's capacity grew .75 gallons.

It's also easy to spot the Trail Blazer's new stance. New floorboards are fashionable and functional and contribute to its improved ergonomics. The seat is more contoured and longer and its height increased an inch, up to 35 inches, due to thicker seat foam and a new suspension. It could be the most comfortable seat in the sport quad market. The ground clearance declined from 5.5 inches to 4.75 because Polaris added a beefier eccentric protection skid plate, which it calls "much improved."

On paper, the 330 is also three inches taller. That's partly due to the incorporation of the half-inch taller Sportsman handlebars that are designed to better accept a windshield and other accessories.

Beneath the plastic, the suspension and chassis also went under the knife. Sportsman front struts (castings), with separate front spindles for mounting the wheels, replace the old front-end setup. Also, the shocks have new springs to improve the ride. Polaris engineers made the chassis stronger, improved the engine mounting and alignment and increased the skid protection. Braking action was altered by using the Sportsman calipers, larger brake discs and new master cylinder, which upped the bleeding capacity. The machine is also an inch wider, but retains the same A-arms.

The 329cc four-stroke engine does OK for lighter riders, but feels sluggish for heavy riders, especially when the quad's 492-pound dry weight is factored in. However, the Trail Blazer better accommodates larger riders due to its overall dimensions. But then again, Polaris didn't design this ATV to break any speed records or contend for honors on an MX track. It was built for convenience, ease of use and cruising terrain and other moderately challenging trails. The Trail Blazer has always produces stable cornering and can be fun to wheelie if the Carlisle tires find enough traction.

Suzuki QuadSport Z400

Although the Z400 is the most expensive 400-class sport quad, it's the most comfortable and loaded with features. Electronic fuel injection was added last year giving the Suzuki improved throttle control and stronger, more efficient acceleration. There's nothing wrong with a quicker 400, right? For anyone not looking to compete in a motocross race, this is the Suzuki sport quad for you. Even if you do want to race it, the removable headlight, suspension and stronger steel-alloy chassis should appease you.

The resilient 398cc single-cylinder four-stroke has the most thrilling power and is the lone liquid-cooled mill in this quartet. It fires electronically and is outfitted with a nearly bulletproof five-speed transmission with reverse. I've ridden the Z400 with a group of 450 machines and, although underpowered, its abilities, speed, controllable powerband and comfort levels all made me forget about its power disadvantage.

At 46.9 inches, the Z400 is the widest of these four ATVs and has the best stock suspension. Despite its advantageous width, the four-stroke remains a stable stalwart in the dense woods and can carve through trees like a love-hungry 10-point buck. A 31.9-inch seat height helps it rail corners.

Fully adjustable piggyback shocks supply excellent suspension travel figures and superb tuning capabilities. The linkage-type rear end, with it's lightweight aluminum swingarm and single shock, offers 9.1 inches of wheel travel. Up front, the fully independent A-arm suspension offers 8.5 inches of travel and tracks very well - point and shoot! In addition, this machine feels lighter on the trail than its 425-pound curb weight would suggest.

Ergonomically, the Z can appeal to riders of various sizes and shapes. The Z400's signature T-shaped seat may be the best platform in the business and is definitely the most copied. The larger 46mm foot pegs aid in supporting
boots for aggressive racers and weekend warriors alike. The 20-inch rear tires are great for casual woods riders and admirably supply a good balance between straight-line traction and sliding.

For those who enjoy a custom look, Suzuki offers a limited edition Z400 with special graphics and black wheels, for an additional $200. The Z400 is in a similar predicament as the Honda 400X, seeing huge sales figures early on in
its history and market saturation more recently. However, the Z400 is Suzuki's trail machine not the QuadRacer 450, which targets MX racers. Plus, the addition of EFI gives it a technological edge over the other guys.

Yamaha Raptor 350

The Raptor 350 dates back to 1987 and the Warrior nameplate, yet it's still living off a 2004 redesign and its new name. And the fact that it shares a lot of parts with its big-bore brothers, the Raptor 700R and YFZ450, and has a unique package also help. Yamaha has confirmed the 350 Raptor will return to its lineup for 2010.

The hearty, two-valve, 348cc, air-cooled four-stroke has just enough muscle to put a smile on your face, but can eventually leave you wanting more. Reverse gear has also been a strong selling point for the Raptor, even though it has the trickiest reverse lever to operate in this group. The Raptor's six-speed transmission is also unique to the industry.

Surprisingly, at 396 pounds (wet), the Raptor is the lightest quad in this group. Even so, it can feel heavy and slightly underpowered when the trails require all-out speed. On the forest trails, however, the 350 is better than average partly due to its thin 43.1-inch width.

That skinny design and a dated suspension can also make it more challenging to control for inexperienced riders. And the five-way preload-adjustable shocks can only do so much to slow body roll. Some of the handling quirks are also due to the Raptor's tires; especially the rear treads which have a more rounded profile and are often slide happy. The hydraulic discs do the job and I've always enjoyed the flip-type parking brake.

Unfortunately the Raptor's size may be its biggest detractor. It's the shortest (length-and height-wise) and the narrowest machine in this group and has the shortest wheelbase. This ergonomic configuration can make some riders taller than 6 feet feel cramped.
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Wakefield, MA Sports News Online

2009-10-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

By Ola Martinsson

The Wakefield, MA sports news online covers all local news including sports, business, jobs, community etc. The Wakefield Observer is published every week on Thursday and has a pretty wide circulation. Apart from local news that covers sports from road races and bike-a-thons, Golf Tournaments, Major League Softball, Football, Baseball to Judo and hockey events.

Millionaire Zukerman is said to have stated that sports betting should be allowed by the Federal government on newspaper sites so that every newspaper in the US can be saved! This is because newspapers in London make over $15 million per year because of sports betting. The legality of sports betting in the US is a very big issue and sports betting was prohibited in1992 by the federal law, in most states except Delaware and other three states where this sports betting was already permitted.

Online sports newsletters give you a choice of voting for sports teams, registering online to sports conferences etc. Online sports bettors find it advantageous to subscribe to sports news like the Wakefield, MA sports Observer. Pull down menus help in finding standings, news, statistics, notes and live results for various sports like football, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, horse racing etc.

The Wakefield Observer gives the latest updates on all sports as well as the most recent posts and blogs. Local sports news range from bike-a-thons line the annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge which is the US's pioneer charity bike-a-thon that is said to raise more money than other events for fund raising in the nation, to The Girls Incorporated of Lynn Golf Tournament. Sports news like the Bavaro Brothers Football Clinic which is an annual event that gives all youngsters a chance to learn from the professionals, the Melrose Women's Softball League who are on the lookout for new players in the Wakefield area, The Fourth of July Marathon that is a tradition down there, gives the reader all the information he needs.

Latest sports news online can be got at the right sites. Find your source for the breaking sports news, and articles on competitive and recreational sports, online sport scores etc. Sports enthusiasts who are dedicated and are in effect - "sports fans" - thrive on the information they receive online. Good sports news online also give you information on the organization, sophisticated equipment, sets of regulations and rules, timing, precise measuring devices for scoring, and other coverage by leading sports newspapers and bulletins.

Apart from the sports news, online sports sites also give the browser history on particular sports, the origin of a sport and the fierce competition local teams and national teams face to be in the top spots. A Category List or Directory List will help you to look for latest articles in a specific category.

The Wakefield, MA sports news online is one of the examples of how one can keep abreast of the latest sporting activities nationwide. Useful information range from motorsport and automobile racing, to football and tennis tournaments. They also feature links that have data regarding the various races, matches etc.
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Alabama Gulf Coast Provides Individuals, Teams a 'Sporting' Chance

2009-10-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

By Carol M. Weaver

For some, vacationing means lazy days on the beach, leisurely hours by the pool or naps in the sun. For others, vacationing provides a chance to leave the suit-and-tie desk job behind and to let the weekend warrior who stays suppressed most of the year go wild. No matter if you prefer the camaraderie of teams or the challenge of individual sports, the Alabama Gulf Coast has a place for you to test your mettle.

Because of its reputation as a world-class vacation destination, the Alabama Gulf Coast might not, in the past, have been foremost in the public consciousness as a destination for sporting events. But excellent facilities combined with beautiful scenery and friendly, helpful staff, business people and residents make the Alabama Gulf Coast a top-of-the-line location for sports and recreation.

Take, for example, Bike MS: Border Bash, a two-day, two-state, 150-mile cycling event that raises money to fund research to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Bikers will find this a thrill and a challenge as they ride a course that takes them through two states, beginning and ending at the premier resort The Wharf. The fully supported course means riders of any skill level can be sure to have a safe yet challenging experience. Along the way, riders can marvel at the spectacular scenery, including views of the Intercoastal Waterway, beaches and the native flora and fauna that will be springing to life as May begins.

Supporters who come can spend their time enjoying the amenities provided by The Wharf, such as shops, restaurants, a movie theater and an amphitheater. Additionally, hundreds of boutiques and eateries are located along the 150-mile course.

Some who come to the Gulf Coast will be supporters of entire teams, and those teams will be comprised of children or perhaps grandchildren representing their schools. Tournaments played at a beach destination is a dream combination of vacation and parental obligation. After all, no one ever said the field of competition shouldn't have a Gulf view.

To find team activities, look no further than the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, home to six softball fields, a baseball field, a football field, a soccer field, a track and a field house. As the school year winds down, pitchers will be winding up for tournaments in softball and baseball. Shoot-outs in mid-May are qualifiers for Global World Series events that are coming this summer to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

While visiting Gulf Shores, plan to stop by Johnnie Sims Park to ride the rails in the 6,500-square-foot skate park. The facility has 10 concrete modular skate ramps designed for skill levels ranging from beginner through advanced. A concession and restroom facility is onsite, and those who prefer the sport of being a spectator can do so from nearby picnic tables.

If you would rather do some "courting," however, visit the George C. Meyer Tennis Center, which features 12 hard-surface courts and six Rubeco courts, four covered and two open.

The Orange Beach Recreation Center welcomes martial arts specialists as more than 300 participants gather for the Eastern Shore Taekwondo Invitational.

Orange Beach also offers a sportsplex, tennis center and aquatic center featuring a junior Olympic outdoor pool.

If your idea of a good workout is surfing the 'Net, no worries. All Orange Beach facilities are Wi-Fi Hotspots, so limber up those thumbs for some texting marathons!

But if you came to the coast to give your digital digits a rest and put a little glow on your fluorescent pallor, what better way to tone and tan simultaneously than a pickup game of beach volleyball? Of course, in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, there's always the chance you'll "pick up" a ringer, as professional and world-class amateur volleyball players arrive to bump, set and spike for tournaments on the sugary sands.

Speaking of spikes, don't forget the clubs and golf shoes. You'll want to make sure to hit the links for 18 holes.

You might also consider casting your worries away by doing some fishing. The Alabama Gulf Coast offers opportunities for every budget, from surf fishing off the beach to chartering a deep-sea excursion in search of bigger prizes. Some come to fish for fun, some for food, some for trophies and some for prizes in competitions. But as is the case in every sport and sporting opportunity, when it's at the Alabama Gulf Coast, no matter the outcome, one thing is true: Everyone's a winner.
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Jobs In Outdoor Recreation

2009-10-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

By Robert Grazian

The concepts of the job and to earn the bread for life in now totally changed as it was a few decades ago. In the past times no one prefers to do a job outside from their towns because of the two reasons, the reward of the job was not suitable and life becomes hard in the outstation.

In the era of Information technology the word has now turned into a Global Village, and the professionalism in the human resource factor turned the job positions in out door not only with a career development and security but also a source of recreation.

Now a days outdoor recreation jobs are preferred by the professionals, as outdoor environment provides with both physical and mental satisfaction along with the economic benefits.

God gifts are uneven distributed in the world, curiosity and exploration is in the nature of human being. To explore the natural resources, or to work for the society development or to shift the technical knowledge, outdoor jobs are offered now by both the Public sector and the private sector throughout the world with a multiple economic benefits, which imagine was a dream in the past. Importance of human resource in now recognized with huge importance. Out door economic activities is contributing economy of the many countries in significant way.

Recreation are of many types such as fishing, hunting, camping, planning, education, coaching, sports, tourism, wildlife, snow based recreation etc. These fields are not only boosting the tourism for the area but also contribute in the economy of the country by exporting, conducting international events and recreation facilities for nations as well.

Out door economic sources are now the primary focus of the world developing and under developing nations and it is now considered as the economic gear for country's economy. There are many counties who achieved the level of high standard of living through effective utilization of out door resources of the country. Out door recreation such as swimming, beaches, camping, restaurants and canoeing has a major role in the revenue of UAE estates and also a major reason for the tourist throughout the year. In order to effectively utilize these hidden resources, professional and creative leaders are always needed, which are now highly rewarded through providing out door recreation jobs.

Jobs in our door recreation also enhance the leadership qualities and experiments in the life how to deal with the tough situations and environmental conditions. Decision making power is another addition in the personality traits of the employee who perform job in out door recreation jobs.
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Getting Into Hospitality and Recreation

2009-10-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

By Peters Salazar

Hospitality and recreation, a new trend of job opportunity, is widely seen in fast moving modern world. Many of them take a rest or say involve in a recreation activity for relaxing from this tensed world. This opens wide chances in job opportunities in this field. Hospitality filed usually covers hotels, motels, resorts, inns, bed and breakfast, casinos etc. One has to deal with customers with polite and intimacy. Usually these types of jobs are widely needed in big hotels and motels. Servicing of not only food but also peace is there in this industry.

The food and beverage servers, host and hostesses, cooks etc belongs to hospitality field. As said so many tensions and deadlines are present in this modern world most of the people are lured into recreation field. This field ranges from shows, gaming to sports. Most of the people choose amusement parks, theme parks, casinos, carnivals etc to day camps. Sporting type of recreation field includes golf courses, skating, skiing etc. This industry also covers day spas, gymnasium and other health related clubs. Hunting, fishing, gun clubs are some of the common activities in recreation sector.

Musical concerts are another recreational activity, which attracts most of the tensed mass. Recreation field needs only those with high school education or below that. The main qualification in this field is to interact with customers with good communication skill and to entertain them. Talent is given much more prior than educational qualifications. For example musicians, dancers, actors need talent rather than educational certificates. For professional and technical jobs certificates from National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) will be helpful for those in recreational field.

Hospitality field requires high school education as a must. Those with a 2 year degree in hotel and restaurant management hold better salary and post than others. Non professional workers in recreational field gets an average of 313 dollars compared to that of 530 dollars received by professionals per week. Some with more talent earn billions according to their field they work. Earnings of workers in hospitality field 350 dollars to 530 dollars. The employment chance is rising day by day in both hospitality and recreation field. Much more investment is also put on these fields which keeps on motivate for those who are attracted to these fields. Also skilled trainings are provided by the firms for better performance of these workers.
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Unravel the Mysterious Underwater Life With the Best Water Sports

2009-10-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

By Henry Jeon

Water is not only for drinking and replenishing your thirst as water sports are the latest craze that has hit the world and has taken a great toll for drastic changes. Water sports have become the most challenging areas of competition among the competitors in competitive matches where the best man wins.

Swimming is the first water sport that people started of with but later on with development and technical advancement surfing, scuba diving and other different forms of water sports have evolved throughout the years. Two most common forms of water sports are the Swimming and Figure swimming event. Swimming is the basic requirement and the best way to involve in physical activities.

Water sports is the best form of exercise and physical development that people need to develop their body balance, agility and body control.There are different types of water sports that include underwater sports and activities on the water surface.

Scuba diving is another underwater sport that people yearn for but is sure is more expensive and requires more advanced equipment.There are also many online sites that offer information on the different types of water sports and recommend online stores through which you can order the water sports equipment. People who love to swim around in water will find it beneficial as it has many healthy effects and gives you the physical exercise that keeps you in trim shape.

The latest trend is snorkeling as it is the best under water sports that people love to enjoy and also has a mysterious and intriguing aspect that gives you the thrill that no other sport can bring in you. People need a snorkel and a diving mask to swim below the surface of water. Many people consider it as a leisure activity but it is also a very important sport for people who are adventuress and like to explore the mysterious under water life.

Snorkeling is a water sport that can be enjoyed by people who have asses to the sea as you can simply snorkel anywhere you want. A snorkel is made of rubber or plastic and is a tube with a mouth piece attached. The snorkel helps the person to breathe underwater but the snorkel tube should be above the surface of water. There are some snorkels the have a valve and through which you can breathe with even a small amount of water.

People should follow these basic tips to Ensure Snorkeling Safety:

• You should never go snorkeling alone because it is not safe and if you have a companion with you will be more confident.
• The person who snorkels should know the area and also be familiar with the tides.
• You should be very careful about the corals that are found underwater as they can cut human flesh.
• You should always be careful of the different sea creatures that are lurking under water and can harm you.

People usually go in groups for snorkeling and tourists always go on snorkeling trips with an instructor and guide a this way it is more safer as these people know their job well and can help and guide you in the best way. Plus people who are snorkeling for the first time sure need to take more precautions as they are not aware of the area under water.
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Recreational Running - How to Start and Improve Your Recreational Running

2009-10-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

By Philip Rotich

Recreational running as the name suggests is leisure or fun running. Though running has been around for as long as the humans have existed, recreational running has become more common in today's world. Where as some people have made recreational running part of their lifestyles most of them have still yet to get started. Knowing the benefits of recreational running is a vital part in making the decision whether to pursue it or not. Before we look at how to get started with fitness or leisure running, here are some of the main benefits:

• Promotes healthy lifestyle, helps in losing extra body weight

• Reduces life related stresses and brain fatigue

• Refreshes and relaxes the mind hence the whole body

• Improves the general body strength, endurance, power and stamina by building muscle

• Can lead to competitive running sometimes

• Boosts the immunity of the body (most people who engage in recreational running rarely get sick)

• Great form of entertainment

These are just a few of the benefits, but the next question is how can someone with no prior experience start recreational running? Here are some of the helpful tips to help you get started and continue to make it part of your lifestyle:

1. Do your physicals: - Seek medical advice from your physician to make sure that your health status can allow you to pursue recreational running. It is especially important for people who are overweight to consult with their physician to ensure that they are physically able to run or jog without overstressing their body systems.

2. Find a trainer or coach: - Once you have been cleared by your physician, you need to sit down with your trainer or personal instructor who will advise you accordingly. With the help of your trainer or coach, set some realistic goals. Your trainer can help you decide on the right training shoe and tracksuit. Remember to start slow, it is really tempting to put too much on your plate the first time and not be able to get started. Most people get discouraged early in the process as a result of taking too many steps at one time. One step at a time is all you need and before you know, one step becomes a mile and a mile eventually becomes a couple of miles each day. Your goals should not become an obsession; but rather they should just be motivating factors. Remember recreational running should be fun and entertaining not a job.

3. Join recreational runner friends, groups or clubs: Unlike other recreational sports such as indoor games, fitness running is more challenging physically and mentally. Having other people with similar or same interests around is significant for progress. This is especially important for support when the going becomes more challenging. It is also easier to achieve your goals if you treat recreational running as a social activity, after all you are having fun with friends. If for some reason you can't find others to run or jog with, you can always take your dog for company, he/she will really enjoy doing that and it is great for his/her health too.

4. Participate in fun competitive races: One good goal to include in recreational running is to compete on fun road running. This is a great motivator for both beginners and experienced recreational runners alike. Running or jogging and finishing a 5 K, 10K, half marathon fun race is a wonderful experience that only the competitor is able to explain. There is something special about running with hundreds or thousands of other runners. By this point, recreational running will have become part of your live.

5. Take breaks to recover: I am sure you trainer or coach is knowledgeable enough to include breaks in your training program. The body needs to recover in order for it to make any progress. The principle behind improving your performance in any sport whether recreational or professional is "recovery and adaptation". The simple explanation of this principle is, training stresses the body, but recovery enables it to recover and adapt to the new level of stress. So the more you train the better you become as long as you recover and do everything else right. Ideally, you can rest 1 - 3 days every week depending on your level of training and your goals. It is also significant to take a complete rest once every few months and do something else like swimming, playing tennis or anything else you enjoy doing other than running for fun.

Other key points to take into account for successful recreational running include:

• Eating healthy: always stay on top of healthy balance diet. It will only help your progress if you eat right, you don't have to worry about counting calories.

• Hydrate always: Remember almost 75 percent of our bodies are made up of fluids. It is always healthy to drink as much water as possible. This can be supplemented with sports drinks or 100 percent juices. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks if you can, they only help to dehydrate your body.

• Supplements are vital: Mineral and vitamin supplements are crucial for your body's well being especially when you are involved in recreational sport of any kind.

This is not an exhaustive guide to recreational running but it is a good starting place. There are numerous resources to find more information online. Start recreational running today and enjoy a new fulfilling healthy lifestyle.
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Sport and Recreation Jobs - Fun and Fulfilling Jobs

2009-10-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

By Wendy Pan

If you really like spending time in the outdoors, or are very interested in sports, a job in the field of sports or recreation might be just the ticket. There are different sport and recreation jobs for you to choose from. Here are a few professions in these two fields that you might find interesting.

• Game warden. If you like spending time in the woods this would be a great career choice. Game wardens patrol the forest making sure hunters, fishermen, and trappers follow the laws of the state. They sometimes have the authority to do regular arrest also.

• Park rangers. A park ranger is in charge of overseeing conservation in forest, fire safety, protecting property, gathering information about nature, history and science, and enforcing laws among other duties. They are found working in historical areas, parks, and recreational areas.

• Umpire. If you love baseball or softball, you might consider a job as an umpire. This is a great way to combine a sport you love with your career.

• Store associate. Sport and recreation jobs don't always have to be outdoors. Working as an associate for a sporting goods store is an example of an indoor career in these fields.

• Campground Overseer. For older adults or retirees, this is a great way to make some additional income. Set up your own RV and keep an eye on the camp ground. You'd be in charge of taking up camping fees, keeping the area clean, and making sure all rules are followed.

• Guides. Offer your services as a guide for hiking tours. This is an invaluable position. Many areas offer hiking tours for out of state visitors. Without guides these areas would be off limits because they are too dangerous. This one is good if you like backcountry hiking and roughing it in the wilderness.

• Corp of Engineers. This is a wonderful job for someone who loves spending time outdoors. You will be helping conserve the land and make sure everything runs smoothly in the national forest and other areas.

• Little league coach. This job is a great choice for a person who loves working with children. You get to help children develop good sportsmanship and a love of the game.

• Referee. Become a referee and officiate sporting events. This is a good for anyone who really loves a certain sport and wants to make sure the rules are followed to allow for a good game.

As you can see, there are many choices for someone interested in sport and recreation jobs. Pick one that is best suited to your abilities and interest and pursue a career. Doing a job that involves activities you love is something everyone desires. With these positions you just might find that dream come true.
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Find a Job in the National Football League - 7 Skills That Are Needed to Work in Sports

2009-10-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

By John Sielawa

For many people, both children and adults, sports are a vital part of their lives. Sports are a part of their lives through watching the game on television or in person, by playing the sport recreationally, or playing the sport scholastically in high school or college. A job industry that is steadily growing is the sports industry. Unemployment as of January 2009 was at 7.6% courtesy of the United States Department of Labor. With people now looking for jobs and a potential career change, the sport industry is turning into a desiring field.

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular professional sport in the United States. With the NFL being so popular, a job in the league is very attractive. There are seven skills are vital to work in the NFL and in the sport industry.

1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree. The first task is to graduate college with a degree in something. Now there are some degrees that will help you more than others for a job in sports, like Sport Management and Sport Administration, but a degree in Economics and Finance will also certainly help.

2. Have a background in Microsoft Office. The 21st Century has become very computer driven. Computer skills are very important in this day and age. Most NFL franchises are Microsoft-based with their operating systems, and each current employee knows how to work with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.

3. Have great Communication skills. Being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is fundamental. Speaking skills and writing skills can place a prospective employee in a higher standard compared to someone who is lacking or is weak in the area.

4. Maintain a Positive Attitude. Being positive in an entry-level job is what makes employers happy. Working as an intern for a sport franchise requires work that is unusual to other jobs, and can be quite tedious. Some examples while working for an NFL franchise include:
• Making copies of practice schedules for each coach.
• Attending fan interaction days in order to garner interest of the team.
• Transporting players to and from the airport.
• Filing, Filing and more Filing.
• Attending practice, and traveling with the team and attending Training Camp.

5. Have Excellent Time Management, and Organizational skills. An employee for any job needs those two attributes. In the NFL they are just as important. Being able to manage your time correctly allows you the worker to complete work in a timely fashion and not worry about deadlines or being late. Being organized is also vital. Being able to know where something is without clutter or without items being lost will help to make you stand out when an upper level executive asks for your input.

6. Strong Work Ethic. The NFL is all about hard work. The players have to work hard every day in order to be the best and to win. The coaches have to work hard to formulate a game plan the gives their team a chance to win every week. Whether you play, coach, sell, or market you have to willing to work hard. Displaying a strong work ethic will keep you employed and will make an impression to your boss to always keep you in mind.

7. Be a Leader. It does not matter if you are entry-level or upper management. Displaying leadership skills and qualities show that you as a worker and a person are not willing to have someone else do the job for you. Being a leader does not mean to be arrogant. Leading by example and having good character are leadership traits that people and fellow employees will respect and will keep you in their minds when it is time for you to be hired or promoted.

If you follow these seven skills and have a passion to work in football and the National Football League; you have a chance. The sport industry is becoming highly competitive and the National Football League is no exception. It is not an easy task to endure but the ones who display a strong work ethic and are willing to put in long hours will last in the National Football League.
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Atlanta Parks and Recreation Jobs

2009-10-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

By Gary Pearson

National magazines claim Atlanta to be the best place to live, work and play. Atlanta offers employment opportunities in the parks, recreation and natural resources sector. In the metro area alone, population has grown in the past decade from 2.9 million to 4.1 million people, that is nearly 40%. Atlanta parks and recreation jobs are increasing in numbers as well. The Greater Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation has 12 districts.

In 2005, Atlanta accepted the proposed the Atlanta Belt Line redevelopment plan. This plan will create 30,000 new jobs in the Atlanta area during the next 20-25 years. The plan will connect the city's parks and recreation facilities with a new infrastructure which will meet or exceed the demands of the excepted growth into the greater and the downtown area. This plan will have a positive impact on the Greater Atlanta area as well as Atlanta parks and recreation jobs.

Recreation is diverse, to say the least. Atlanta parks and recreation jobs are too. From Zoo Atlanta, to Grant Park, there is a diverse need for talented individuals. Coan Park and Recreation facilities offer activities and therapy for children with special needs. Positions here range from Program Assistant to Speech Therapy. Physical rehabilitation requires specialized training and provides a rewarding career. Helping others can be an enriching livelihood.

There are literally hundreds of Parks in the area. Many theme parks, such as Six Flags over Georgia, White Water and American Adventures, offer employment opportunities, such as Amusement Park Operator Life Guard, and Concert Promoter. They offer positions across the spectrum from health care needs to security providers.

Just ten minutes from downtown, The Bobby Jones Golf Course, with its champion Bermuda greens, rests in the heart of Buckhead. Nearby is the Bitsy Grant Tennis court, offering many recreation jobs. These types of parks offer positions in Tennis Training Instructors, Tour Guides and Service Staff.

Many parks, such as Piedmont, Southside, Anderson, and Freedom Park offer several types of venues for recreational activities and events. These types of parks need professionals like, Social Directors, Youth Counselors, Festival Directors and Facility Managers. They also have a demand for Foresters and Forest Rangers as well as Fish & Game Wardens.

Atlanta parks and recreation facilities provide the industry with Club House Managers, Food Service Assistants, Health Club Managers and Hotel/Resort Managers and Guest Services Staff. Many of the parks offer stadiums and playing fields for sporting events. These parks offer positions such as Referee, Score Keeper, Grounds Keeper, Maintenance and Concession Stand Attendants.

Atlanta parks and recreation jobs will begin to expand in the near future. The Atlanta Belt Line redevelopment plan will create 30,000 new jobs in the Atlanta area during the next two decades. The plan will set the stage for new facilities and a new infrastructure which will foster cultural growth into the greater and the downtown area. Within Atlanta's 12 Districts there is a wide range of employment opportunities.
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Degrees and Careers in Sports, Recreation and Fitness

2009-09-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

By Marcus Lim

One of the biggest emerging fields in which to pursue a career in is the combined field of sports, recreation and fitness. Whereas some other careers and markets are shrinking, this career path is continuing to grow and expand to include more things, more opportunities and brighter and better people.

To succeed in potential careers in sports, recreation and fitness there are several different types of degrees that somebody can use to their advantage. While degrees in other areas can serve you well in this field, these are some of the best bets when looking to pursue some aspect of a recreation or sports career. While graduate school is usually not a prerequisite to get a job in these fields, it is an increasingly competitive area and therefore the more schooling you get the better prepared you will be to get hired and be successful.

Business Degrees (Bachelor's of Business or MBA)

In more sports and recreation businesses, companies and organizations are not solely looking for people with a sports background. So you don't have to be a former athlete or have a longstanding relationship in sports, fitness or recreation to succeed. More and more, sports and recreation businesses are looking for the smartest minds they can find; the people with a very strong business background and sense. Therefore, a business degree can be highly beneficial in this field. Careers within the field these degrees can lead you to: sports agent, general manager of a team, stadium or department, etc.

Sports Management Degrees

A sports management degree will give you some business knowledge while having it applied directly to the sports business world. You will learn about subjects such as sports marketing and apply business principles to expected real-world, sports or recreation settings. These include sports teams, recreational departments and of course much more. Careers that a sports management degree can help you obtain: anything in the world of sports business, from sports marketing and public relations, to running recreational groups or leagues, etc.

Exercise and Physiology Degrees

If you love sports and also love science, or merely have a passion for staying in shape this might be the right path for you to take. A degree in line with exercise and physiology will give you a heads up in many aspects of the fitness community; and may be required for certain positions. Careers you could expect to pursue with this background: personal trainer, team trainer or doctor, sports nutritionist, etc.

Here is a broad sampling of careers in sports, recreation and fitness that you may consider pursuing with any of the above degrees (or additional backgrounds, educations or interest bases):

1. Sports agent: When many people think of a career in sports the first thing they think about is being a sports agent. This is an extremely tough field, which is highly competitive and crowded. However, if you are successful as a sports agent you will find it to be extremely lucrative as you make a percentage of your clients' contracts.

2. General manager/management of teams, leagues and sports businesses: Having a strong business sense applied to sports and specific sports or situations can lead to what many people consider a dream job, being a general manager for a team. Of course it can also lead to managing events, stadiums, leagues, groups and departments. As these are top level positions, you can expect to earn anywhere from $75,000 to million dollar yearly salaries. Of course, in smaller situations such as minor league teams that salary would be significantly lower.

3. Team doctor, sports trainer, or nutritionist: If you are a doctor or have a fitness background there is a wide range of opportunities available here; from training individual clients to entire teams, rehabbing injured athletes or creating and implementing proper diets for them. Depending on your degree level and experience, you can make equal or greater money to what a typical doctor would.

4. Sports marketing, sponsorship and public relations: While this isn't what first comes to mind for many people, this is perhaps the largest field of potential careers and opportunities in recreation, sports and fitness. Athletes and teams need sponsorship and need to be marketed to the public. Additionally, some products need to be marketed specifically to a sports audience. This creates lots of jobs in these fields and your income can grow as you sell more sponsorship and market more clients successfully.
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How to Become a Recreation and Amusement Attendant - Anywhere in the World!

2009-09-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

By T Hale

The leisure and recreation industry is constantly growing even during tough economic times. People seem to take refuge in the fun and pleasure that recreation and amusement attractions have to offer. Employment opportunities in the leisure and recreation industry are expected to grow as the public's leisure time grows.

Amusement and theme parks, fairs, carnivals, exhibitions, bowling alleys, ski centers, skating rinks, clubs, and other sports facilities and tourist attractions are just some of the establishments that hire recreation and amusement attendants. These types of businesses are scattered all over the world. These jobs are sometimes full time but are usually seasonal or part-time.

Recreation and amusement attendants function in varying responsibilities such as maintenance, safety inspections, entertainment, guiding, and instructing. Larger amusement or recreation companies offer more positions. Some offer positions with greater responsibilities and higher pay and some places offer supervisory and managerial positions. Higher positions may require more experience and training. Organizational skills are also vital to move up in the industry.

Recreation and amusement attendants require patience, energy, and enthusiasm. The work is fairly easy but you will need to be courteous and amiable all the time. People skills are very important in this job. Attendants must have outgoing personalities and they must take pleasure in meeting and interacting with strangers. Recruiters will always look for these traits in potential employees.

Having skills in specific areas such as, skiing, baseball, or drama coaching, may be considered an asset for landing jobs at recreation and amusement establishments. But it will largely depend on the services they offer. It is not uncommon for these types of businesses to have coaching programs for sports, arts and crafts. Attendants should be responsible and reliable individuals because they are often left unsupervised.

Usually, these jobs require no education beyond high school. However, specialized training in a particular field, such as athletics, music, or first aid, can be an asset when seeking employment in the recreation and vacation industry.

Finding these jobs is rather easy. Just contact or go to any recreational and amusement place and apply. Have an updated resume and show enthusiasm. Display and emphasize your special skills. Mechanical troubleshooting, first-aid, and excellent people skills are good qualities and need to be emphasized in your resume and interview. It is best to inquire about positions at recreation departments or amusement parks well before the start of the peak season.

However if you want higher positions and want to make a lifelong career out of it, you might need to get a college degree or have some training. Specialized training, combined with experience in seasonal or part-time jobs, will improve a candidate's chances for landing a full-time position.

It's hard to expect financial security and job longevity in small establishments. Do not settle in local amusement parks, instead set your sights towards bigger commercial recreation enterprises. Furthermore, some amusement and recreational hubs such as, athletic clubs, camps, sports clinics, and popular amusement parks will most likely look to you when they need skilled full time employees.

Becoming a recreation and amusement attendant will surely turn out to offer some unique experiences. The responsibilities can vary in degree; from menial tasks to highly complex undertakings. To be happy in this career, you must have passion in giving service and delight to the public.
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Throwing Stones at Wax Houses

2009-09-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I took my son and five of his buddies to celebrate his birthday at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum located right in the heart of the theater district in New York's Times Square.

We drove over in my Taurus station wagon. That's right, six normal sized 12-year old boys and me. For you super sized SUV owners who might envision my car as a four-wheeled version of a '50s phone booth stuffing stunt, it may surprise you to know that the little Taurus has room for eight - alright seven if you prefer securely storing a drink somewhere other than on top of the roof.

I have never been to a wax museum before and knew nothing about Madam Tussaud's outside of the fact that like all tourist attractions, its bylaws entitled me to leave the museum exhausted, penniless and with the vague but insistent notion that the employees snickered at me whenever my back was turned.

In an attempt to forestall the snickering until we at least entered the exhibit, my wife scoured the Internet for discounts and found one where I could purchase two adult tickets at $25 and receive one child ticket free. According to her calculations, the total cost should have been $119, but the cashier charged me $144. The transaction took so long, I can only assume the additional $25 charge was for lodging.

"Wow! Next we entered the Opening Night Party exhibit, where anyone who is anyone and attached to the floor with bolts was in attendance. We saw Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant, Oprah, even a wax version of Jennifer Lopez, who rumor has it was briefly engaged to a wax version of Harrison Ford.

The likeness, and attention to detail is incredible and even though the figures are made of wax, I didn't see even a hint of a wick protruding from anyone's head.
After the party we waited in an excruciatingly slow line for the Chamber of Horrors, an exhibit which cost an additional $3. As we stood in place for more than fifteen minutes listening to endless audio loops of actor Hugh Jackman's fruitless pitch for his poorly received movie "Van Helsing", I overheard my son Jack mutter to his friends that they should have called the attraction the Chamber of Waiting,

It was dark, there were real people dressed liked ghouls who mumbled incoherently like Popeye, occasionally I noticed sacks of something hanging from the ceilings, and then less than a minute and a half after we entered, we were propelled into a brightly lit room like moles suddenly exposed to the sun and when our pupils finished dilating, the first thing we saw was a wax replica of NBC Today's Al Roker, prompting my son's friend Ben to say, "Now it's really getting scary."

Also as a public service announcement to avoid the sort of heart breaking disappointment I witnessed in a family of apple growers who had driven all the way from Canada -- there is not and I repeat not -- a single exhibit featuring wax fruit.

For me the most impressive site of all was the figure of the black clad, diminutive wax mogul Madame Tussaud herself. As we turned for the door, I gave the old Madame a little pat on the back to acknowledge her entrepreneurial spirit, and at that very instant I heard this spine tingling, high pitched cackle.

A Land of Unrivaled Beauty - The Riviera Maya
Mexico is a place full of enchantment that never stops surprising. The melancholy mixed to the amazement makes this place unique in the world!
The Riviera Maya, stretching from Punta Brava, just south of Cancun International Airport, to Punta Allen just south of Tulum, offer 72 miles of relaxation, adventure and fun. A unique combination of jungle and sea, an ecological recipe provides a list of eco-tourism activities guaranteed to mystify and entertain.

The Mexican Caribbean waters of the Riviera Maya and the Great Maya Reef, induce every day many tourists to the practice of many sports like diving, jets-ski, parasailing and much more.

Along the Mayan Riviera you can plug in the amazing and mystical Cenotes.
The Riviera Maya offers the worlds most incredible cavern dives. Floating through this dreamland of natural formations in crystal clear water you can feel the ancient and timeless forces of nature that carved the cavern.

The Riviera Maya suggests a type of itinerant vacation that goes to discovery small realities disseminated along the coast, even in 4x4 crossing the federal Road 180!
Sport fishing, parasailing, tubing, kayaking, wind surfing, and swimming also abound. Further inland, the tropical Maya Jungle offers ingredients of its own, such as horseback riding, jeep tours, ATV discovery rides, nature trails, Mayan ruins.

The Mayan Riviera offers a colorful mix of relaxation, fun and recreation, along with friendly, incredible services and accommodations that encourage you to "just let go".

Massage - One Form of Necessary Sports Jobs?

2009-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

By Dan Gold

We know that not everyone has the physical and mental talents needed to become a professional athlete. So what’s the next best thing? Why, sports jobs that constantly bring you into contact with professional athletes, of course. And one of the most necessary of sports jobs is being a massage therapist for professional athletes.

Why become a massage therapist?

Though it does not carry the same prestige that a professional athlete may enjoy, being a sports massage therapist is still an important job that no sports team can do without. No serious professional athlete can survive the rigors of regular sports competition if he lacks the services of a good sports massage therapist.

Why is sports massage needed by athletes?

A sports massage therapist can aid athletes who are going through overcompensation and adaptation. Simply put, overcompensation is when the athlete has recently undergone stress overload (a usual occurrence in regular training and sports competition proper) so he overcompensates so that he will be prepared for the same or higher level of stress in the future. Adaptation is when the athlete is specially trained in coping with a certain type of stress. For example, a sprinter is used to running in short bursts over short distances so he needs to adapt to that.

A sports massage therapist will manipulate soft tissue (such as the hamstrings of a sprinter) prior to and after the exercise so that the athlete can experience less muscle tension and pain. Another benefit is that waste products can be eliminated from the body of the athlete, especially via the lymphatic system because of massage. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is lessened through massage as well. In the end, treatment via sports massage allows the athlete to gain better flexibility and posture.

Where can sports massage therapists be employed?

Since sports massage is needed by both recreational and professional athletes, sports jobs like that of sports massage therapists are offered in both recreational and professional sports venues. You can find work in local gyms and community sports centers if you target recreational athletes for your service. If you favor working with professional athletes, you might want to apply with teams affiliated with professional sports organizations. If you get really, really lucky (or just have good networking skills) you might be able to find work with a particular professional sports athlete as part of his personal care team.

What other services does a massage therapist provide?

Aside from massage, a massage therapist might also help the professional athlete with the treatment and management of sports injuries, exercise rehabilitation and therapy, and helping plan the sports nutrition program of the professional athlete.

The advances in the 20th century as far as sports medicine is concerned have helped foster demand for sports massage therapists as one of the more valued sports jobs. Of course, you may need to train for this position before you can be considered by a professional sports organization, but it promises to be a great type of job (if you enjoy working with athletes.)
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How Sports Equipment Has Become a Huge Dollar Industry

2009-09-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

The sports equipment business has grown from very humble beginnings to a multi-billion dollar industry in the last 100 years. In some ways, you might say there has been a sports gear industry for thousands of years. Man has always engaged in sport and recreational activities whenever his quest for survival allowed him any leisure time at all. In ancient Rome, games like chariot races and gladiatorial contests entertained the people. Some early activities in the middle ages were the beginning of sports that were unique from other activities. Early sports such as golf, forms of tennis, and even fishing, began to demand specialized products. Some companies were formed that concentrated solely on the production of leisure activity products. Some of these early, small companies have grown into the industry giants of today.

In 1906, a number of these companies banded together to form the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SMGA). The true growth spurt came in the years after World War I, when team sports such as baseball and football began to grow in popularity. Just about every major sporting activity traces its roots and early history to this period.

In 1957, the SMGA began operating a Sporting Goods Fair. This became the Super Show in 1986 and was the single largest Sporting Goods product show in the World. It was not the SMGA that was causing the rapid growth of the industry, however. Labor saving devices and machines in the work place and the home had given people more free time. This free time was being used for leisure activities.

At one time, sport and leisure was the reward of wealth and nobility. People have a lot of free time and every single sporting and recreational activity has experienced incredible growth in the last 50 years. The Sporting Goods Industry has profited from this growth by supplying the goods, but it has also helped spur the growth by making high quality, safe, and ever better products available to the public.

Recreation Vehicles Suppliers
Recreation vehicle suppliers are springing up all over the world, as the demand for recreational vehicles increases. The most famous RVs are American and dates back to the days when Winnebago Industries were pretty much the only RVs on the roads. Recreation vehicles are a great way to see the country, and there hundreds of sites that are especially adapted to take RVs as you move. An RV can be another home and there is on of the hassle of trying to book into motel rooms as you travel. Many modern recreational vehicles have all of the amenities of a good house, with electricity, water and sewage, meaning that many can connect to cable TV and wireless internet as the vehicles is parked up over night. Many people who like camping but do not like tents will also make use of a recreational vehicle. All this though does not come cheap, and recreation vehicle suppliers do make handsome profits on their sales. Recreation vehicles suppliers will often try and sell the dream of what freedom the RV offers to people of all ages. Statistically speaking though, you will find more people who have retired owning one, than the younger generation. Look around the market and you will find recreation vehicles that cost more than a lot of houses, and surprisingly enough some even come with their own sports car tucked underneath. As such the purchase of an RV from recreation vehicles suppliers is often a life choice not a financial one.

If you are looking to buy a RV always make sure that the recreation vehicles suppliers are reputable. You will horror stories of recreation vehicles purchased that break down, or those whose finance deals are crippling. There are plenty of good reputable recreation vehicles suppliers out there, who will sell you a machine that you can be proud of.

How to Get Fit and Have Fun

2009-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid my school P.E. lessons revolved around football, rugby or cricket and I hated them, notes to be excused were forged many times. When my parents divorced I joined a new school and the sports teacher was a bit more unconventional in his approach. Several years ago I was on holiday in Devon and saw people flying kites on the beach. The kites they were flying had enough power to pull the flyer along leaving furrows in the sand. I bought myself a Flexifoil Pro Team 8 which was an 8 foot kite and started having fun. The 8 footer was changed to a 10 footer and then stacked with 2 more as I craved for more power and fun. I then discovered the power kite. These 4 line kites which are styled on para gliders or parachutes, these really opened up the sport side and before long I was kite buggying and kite land boarding. I enjoyed this alternative sport so much I opened up a shop selling kites and mountain boards. Kite buggying is my favourite sport, it involves flying a 4 line power kite whilst sitting in a 3 wheeled kart which you steer with your feet. There are organised races all over the world including endurance races for teams of pilots. There is also a freestyle series now which involves strapping yourself into the buggy and attaching the kite via a harness, this enables you to fly much larger kites and the kite can then pick you and the buggy up to do 360 spins and many more tricks.

Kite land boarding is similar but you stand on a mountain board while flying the kite, this is more difficult in the initial stages but can be more rewarding as the freestyle is more achievable.
Stunt kites, trick kites, or sports kites are 2 line kites that can be controlled left or right by pulling the control lines. Experienced flyers are doing tricks that amaze me. They can manipulate the control lines to cause the kite to wrap itself up in its own lines and then unwrap like a yoyo and still fly out afterwards; flat spins or stalls are common. They can make up teams where 2 or more flyers are doing tricks in unison and getting their lines tangled, only to do another trick and untangle themselves again.

Mountain boards are similar to snow boards but they have wheels so they can be ridden on a far more varied terrain. Then I found the Frisbee, yes the humble Frisbee is a whole list of sports. It is played on a pitch similar in size to a football pitch with 2 end zones. The teams throw the Frisbee to their team mates and attempt to catch the Frisbee while standing in the opposition’s end zone. It is very fast moving and direction of play changes rapidly as if the disc is dropped it goes to the opposition. Ultimate is very exciting to watch and exhilarating to play. Disc golf is like normal golf but you throw a disc and not hit a little ball It can be played by anyone either on a proper course using baskets or a std golf course where hitting the flag is the aim. A course can be made on your local park by using trees, lamp posts or litter bins as targets. The Frisbee is great just to throw and catch and with LED technology can even be played at night.

Contained here is just a small sample of the alternative or secondary sports activities available through the right shop. Take a look around the internet or your local alternative sports shop and try something new.

Sports Provide a Welcome Outlet for the Disabled
In years past, a serious physical disability meant unemployment, isolation, and inactivity for many thousands of people.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act has opened up the workplace and public facilities to people with disabilities, many organizations around the country have sprung up, offering access to sports programs both for wheelchair-bound individuals and amputees with artificial prosthetic devices. Disabled people are experiencing the joy of participating in Alpine and cross-country skiing, all kinds of water sports from swimming to sailing to scuba diving, and even more extreme sports such as mountain climbing and sky diving.
The importance of both competitive and recreational sports for individuals with disabilities can't be overestimated. For those born with a serious disability, sports can serve as an important way of connecting to the "abled" world.

Competitive sports for the disabled are experiencing phenomenal success. The world-wide organization now known as the Paralympic Games was founded in Rome, Italy, in 1960, inspired by a 1948 competition organized in England for disabled World War II veterans. According to the Paralympic Games website, participating athletes compete in a variety of sports based on one of six disability-based classifications: amputee, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment, intellectual disability, and a general group including individual disabilities which do not fit into one of the other five categories.

Both summer and winter sports competitions give disabled athletes the change to compete in a variety of sports; the list of summer sports includes 21 different competitive sports, ranging from archery and cycling to equestrian, powerlifting and judo. Five competitions designed specifically for wheelchair-bound athletes include basketball, dancing, fencing, rugby, and tennis. The list of winter sports is smaller, but no less challenging: athletes can compete in either Alpine or Nordic skiing, ice sledge hockey, and wheelchair curling.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) offers opportunities for children to take part in a wide range of sports activities, from skiing, ski racing, snowboarding and snowshoeing in the winter to rafting, horseback riding, and in-line skating in the summer.

The Paralympics and NSCD are only two of many organizations founded to involve disabled individuals in sports.

Playful Parenting - More than Just Fun and Games

2009-09-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Early childhood educators have called play “children’s work”. Many parents believe their children should be doing something more productive than merely having fun. But, actually, play fosters physical, emotional, intellectual and social development. Encouraging your child to play is vital for his development as well as his happiness.

What is Play?
The dictionary refers to play as recreation. Recreation is a very significant word in building and sustaining strong families. If you capitalize and hyphenate this important word it becomes Re-Creation. This is exactly what having fun with your family by playing games and sharing activities can do. Playing together can recreate your family. It can revitalize, rejuvenate and inspire with energy, life and laughter. It can offer the whole families another chance to connect on a level that you perhaps are not connecting on right now.

We frequently consider play only as the opposite of work, thus we can only have fun when the work is done. I propose that we incorporate play into work sometimes and other times we spend time re-creating ourselves before or after the chores have been accomplished. Use Imagination and energy to have fun In past generations, kids learned to create fun by using personal resources-imagination and energy. Today’s child is generally programmed with a fully scheduled week of lessons and highly competitive adult managed and supervised sports. Any free time is spent passively watching television leaving little opportunity to develop creativity and initiative.

By establishing a time to “play” you are stimulating your children’s creativity and imagination.

Establish a Family Fun Night
Many of us are employed in highly stressful jobs and the list of stress-related illnesses grows daily. By planning quality time spent just fooling around with our kids, the whole family will come out a winner.

As the characteristics of the family have changed over the years with more mothers working outside the house and fathers expected to play a greater role in the child rearing, it is a perfect opportunity to incorporate with the whole family a special time. But how about the many step-families, one-parent families and transient families who move frequently and live far from extended family? The family unit defines who we are and shapes our character. It is in the family dynamic that we learn the important lessons of self-discipline, the art of compromise, cooperation, forgiveness, honesty and fair play. By sharing activities on a regular basis we can teach by example as well as with verbal and non-verbal clues. There is a sense of safety in learning life skills in the family setting and then incorporating them into the real world. Many children are being raised by the television.

Oh sure, they might have moms and dads who pay the rent, fix the meals, and drive them to sports practice, but essentially they are learning their standards, morals and ethics from a 24 inch box in their bedroom or the family room.

Mary Pittaway, registered dietician who heads up the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program in our community has said “children spend eight hours sleeping, two hours eating, five hours at school, 6 hours watching TV, less than one hour in physical activity, three hours engaged in other activities and five minutes in meaningful conversation with their parents on any given day.”

Kids who spend too much time in front of a TV or video game are at risk for a great many health concerns, especially type II diabetes, which is skyrocketing among young children. Overweight children are more vulnerable to high blood pressure, gall bladder disease, asthma, and bone and joint problems.

What happens when children don’t have play time?
The most devastating result of inactivity and obesity in our children is an emotional cycle of low self-esteem. For a free report on “Helping Your Child Fit In” go to my website www.ArtichokePress.com. Many classroom and playground problems of fitting in, being clumsy, perceptual-motor skills, social and emotional inadequacies, may be prevented or lessened by parents developing a time to do movement activities, which means in common language, play with their infants and children on an on-going basis.

Will play help your child succeed in life?
The games and activities you share as a family does not automatically guarantee better communication, healthier bodies and minds or a close-knit family. However, being available, approachable, and willing to step out of your comfort zone will insure a higher chance of children who succeed in life.

Conversations and meaningful dialog will follow, maybe not right away, but kids recognize that you are willing to relax and spend time with them.
Best friends play, laugh and hang out together frequently. They build bonds of loyalty, respect and love that last forever. Playful parenting is more than just fun and games. Come on; let’s go kick the ball around the back yard.

Mindfulness and Leisure - Majoring in Recreation
Our oldest daughter's boyfriend is majoring in recreation in college. We've subjected poor Sam to plenty of teasing about this. I mean, how can you not joke about a required college course called "The Theory of Leisure"? But the reality is that recreation--that critical ability to re-create our energy and revitalize ourselves--is becoming strong an increasingly important element in our time-crunched lifestyles strong. Recreation majors learn about rock-climbing and outdoor survival tactics, true, but they also focus on the validity of devoting time to wellness via connection with our natural surroundings.

Dictionary.com offers this definition of leisure: "freedom from time-consuming duties, responsibilities, or activities."
"Freedom," it says. That's a big tip right there. "Time-consuming duties, responsibilities, or activities." Duties and responsibilities are things we MUST do, but activities are things we tend to choose. It's funny how attached we get to our routines. In a culture that worships busy-ness, leisure is an ironic status symbol.

Most of us operate under the premise that we must EARN our leisure time. Leisure is seen as the ultimate destination in our work lives, a place calling to us as we toil.We're forgetting that we have the power to choose leisure, even if that takes a bit of creativity and a finely-honed ability to say no. In addition, we're making the critical mistake of choosing an all-or-nothing approach--we see leisure as something we'll have when we retire, assuming we can avoid the stress-related illnesses that might take us down before we get there. Our vitality--as individuals and as a society--is dependent upon our ability to rest, reassess and reinvigorate. We need leisure time to gain clarity and see where we're going. Since my husband and I are 40-something Americans currently living in Mexico, a lot of people assume that we are retired. Every time our landlord drops by, we are sipping coffee in the courtyard, eating popsicles under the umbrella, or floating in the pool. He must think we're the laziest--or luckiest--people in the world, but we like to think of ourselves as working recreation majors.

All it takes is a bit of clarity about what matters most, and more focus on that "freedom" part of the definition of leisure and less on the "time-consuming duties" part. A friend of mine, an emergency room nurse, says that it's a mistake to use the phrase, "Life is short." As she sees it, life is LONG.

There is plenty of time to relax and play. She's seen a lot of 50-something almost-retired folks in full cardiac arrest, and she's had many opportunities to learn that all work and no play can make Jack a very unhealthy boy.I admire the fact that Sam is majoring in recreation. He's more likely to make a difference in the way people live their lives than someone who is hell bent on creating a new gizmo factory.

Sam spent his childhood summers in an isolated cabin on a lake, cavorting with a dozen cousins far from phones, video games, organized sports, or shopping malls. He can't imagine why anyone would choose to live without nature and recreation as priorities.Perhaps that "Theory of Leisure" course should be a requirement for all of us.

Travel Guide – Chicago

2009-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Chicago is one of the great cities of the world and one of my favourite destinations for long weekend getaways.

History
In 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet passed through what is now Chicago. Chicago's first European settler was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a fur trader from Santo Domingo of French-African descent. He built the first settlement in 1779 at the mouth of the Chicago River. In 1837 Chicago was incorporated and had a population of 4,170. The city became a transportation hub in 1848 when the Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed and the first locomotive arrived. Chicago was also known for its stockyards which served the nation between 1865 and 1971.

On October 8, 1871 the Great Chicago Fire (supposedly started when a cow kicked over a lantern) started and claimed 300 lives, left 90,000 residents homeless and essentially destroyed the entire city. In 1893 Chicago hosted the World's Columbian Exposition that attracted nearly 26 million visitor during its six-month run. In order to provide transportation to the fair, the Chicago Transit Authority introduced the first elevated trains to Chicago. Chicago's cultural interests can be traced to this era, when its orchestra, library and major museums were established. In 1909 Daniel Burnham's comprehensive city plan was published which provided an unobstructed lakefront, a citywide system of parks and a green belt of forest preserves.
Alternate periods of corruption and reform characterized the city’s political history in the early 20th century. In the summer of 1919 race riots erupted throughout the United States, the worst occurring in Chicago on July 27. In 1933 Chicago hosted the the World Fair, dubbed "A Century of Progress", to show the technological accomplishments of civilization since the city was incorporated. Richard J. Daley was elected Mayor of Chicago for the first of six times in 1955. For 21 years, Daley served "the city that works'. In 1976, Mayor Daley died in office. Since then, Chicago elected its first female mayor (Jane Byrne in 1979) and its first African American mayor (Harold Washington in 1983). The city of Chicago has increased its exposure as a world-class city by hosting the World Cup Soccer Tournament in 1994, the Democratic National Convention in 1996, the International Pow Wow in 1998 and an International Millennium Celebration in 1999/2000.

Neighbourhoods
Chicago's multicultural heritage is reflected in its neighbourhoods, which now attract thousands of visitors each year. People of African, Chinese, German, Greek, Vietnamese, Italian and Scandinavian descent are among those who have made Chicago their home. After Warsaw, Chicago has the second largest population of Polish people in the world.

Architecture
Chicago is the birthplace of modern architecture. From historic landmark buildings to contemporary masterpieces, Chicago is home to unique and innovative designs that have shaped American architecture. Chicago is a living museum of architecture, thanks to geniuses such as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, Frank Gehry and many others.

Museums
Chicago is world-renowned for its diverse collection of museums, which explore a variety of subjects, including Chicago history, art, African American culture, astronomy, natural history and more. The Museum Campus, located in Grant Park, features the John G. Schedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History. Other famous Chicago museums include the Chicago Historical Society, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the DuSable Museum of African-American History.

Tours
The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers guided walking and river tours to explore the city's unique architecture.

Taste
Chicago has thousands of restaurants serving a variety of culinary delights to suit every taste, every budget and every mood. Taste of Chicago is an annual festival featuring house specialties from dozens of the city's restaurants.

Shopping
Shopping in Chicago began on State Street, the center of the Loop. The original and flagship Marshall Field's department store opened in 1852 on State Street. The famed "Magnificent Mile" that runs along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street offers hundreds of specialty shops and boutiques presenting top-of-the-line goods from around the world.

Family Entertainment
It holds a 15-story Ferris wheel, an IMAX theatre as well as the Chicago Children's Museum. Kids on the Fly is a "satellite" Chicago Children's Museum located at O'Hare International Airport that entertains and educates children during layovers or waiting times at the airport. The Children's Zoo at the free admission Lincoln Park Zoo includes live animal presentations, a petting zoom, a zoo nursery and a hands-on learning center for kids.

Music
Chicago is one of the hot beds for jazz and blues. Jazz began to spread from the South between 1910 and 1920 and Chicago became the nation's jazz center in the 1920s. Today the city features many jazz and blues venues and hosts a variety of music festivals throughout the year, including the the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Gospel Festival, the Chicago Country Music Festival, the "Viva Chicago" Latin Music Festival and the World Music Festival.
Chicago features 7300 acres of parkland, including 552 parks, 33 beaches, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Historic Grant Park and newly created Millennium Park are among the most well-known of Chicago's green spaces. Chicago also features 6 golf courses, 9 lakefront harbours, and a multitude of tennis courts for outdoor recreation. Chicago is a big sports town and home to several professional sports teams, including the Chicago Bulls (basketball), the Chicago Bears (football), the Chicago Cubs (baseball), the Chicago White Sox (baseball), the Chicago Blackhawks (hockey) and the Chicago Wolves (semi-pro hockey). Cellular Field, and Soldier Field.

Illinois Real Estate - Chicago and Rural Areas
Illinois can be divided into Chicago and rural areas.
Illinois
The birth home of President Lincoln, Illinois is a state with two identities. Chicago is an overwhelming presence and essentially a state unto itself. This presents you with a unique living opportunity as you can choose to live in low stress towns and venture into impressive Chicago on weekends or for word. In short, Illinois offers a little something for everyone.

Chicago
Known as the “Windy City,” Chicago really need no introduction. Gothic architecture. The home of the blues. Da’ Bears. Sears Tower. John Hancock Building. Water Tower Place. Navy Pier. Shedd Aquarium. Frank Lloyd Wright. The Wrigley Building. Chicago Botanical Gardens. Wrigley Field. Chicago is simply a world unto itself.
Food is a central theme to Chicago. If you’re looking to stay thin, good luck. The legendary eating establishments are to numerous to list, but a good way to introduce yourself to the delicious delicacies of Chicago is the Taste of Chicago Festival at Grant Park in late June. 10 pounds. The third most populated city in the country, Chicago is immensely impressive. Despite the number of people, you’ll find getting around fairly simply due to excellent public transportation and excellent planning. Little shops and ethnic neighborhoods dominate the city and it is really a place to just get out and explore. A major economic power, Chicago is home to numerous major corporations and typically has a strong job market.
Chicago residents are mad about Da’ Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks. For the non-professional, recreation leagues throughout the city contribute to a thriving sports scene.
If you’re looking for the big city life, Chicago should be near the top of the list.

Springfield
The state capital, Springfield is known best as the hometown of President Abe Lincoln. Roughly 200 miles south of Chicago, Springfield is a quiet town with a relaxed atmosphere.

Illinois Real Estate
Illinois real estate prices range dramatically depending upon the location. At the low end of the scale, you’ll find homes in Springfield costing roughly $200,000 while Chicago real estate averages in the $800,000. The average for Chicago homes is deceiving as prices are highly dependent upon the particular part of town you are in.
Overall, Illinois real estate has appreciated at a rather disappointing 9.5 percent in 2005.

Bob Murdoch from Centre 55 Has My Vote for an Honorary Doctorate of Community Service

2009-09-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

No neighbourhood portrait about Toronto’s Beach could be complete without one of the key pillars of the community: Since he started at Centre 55 (a local community centre in the Beach) in 1980 Bob Murdoch has been at the heart of making this community work. He has started numerous creative and innovative initiatives to improve the lives of a wide range of people in the Beach community. Bob is a down-to-earth, straight-forward guy who does not mind rolling up his sleeves and working hard. Bob is deeply rooted in the Beach Community. Before attending a recreation program at Centennial College he went to a local high school and local churches. Bob Murdoch gathered his original work experience at the YMCA where he was a program director. One of the special events that Bob used to run was called the “Great Lakes Race”, which involved six people racing across Lake Ontario in a 26” north canoe (similar to a voyageur canoe). Bob adds that the world record for north canoe racing was set in Toronto and won by a company called Techcan from Hamilton. At the YMCA, Bob ran squash tournaments, sports programs and various arts and crafts programs; he also managed a “vertical village”, sports facilities run by the YMCA inside a private condominium building where Bob was in charge of the sports and fitness program. This varied employment background helped him make his next career move in 1980 to a community centre in the neighbourhood where he had grown up, Centre 55. Founded in 1975, Centre 55 originally offered programs such as a nursery school, a day camp, evening user groups, volleyball and yoga. Bob describes it as a small facility with a good infrastructure.

Over the past 25 years Centre 55 has become a comprehensive social service provider in the Beach. Its most well-known program is called “Share-a-Christmas” which involves a hamper or basket full of goods that is delivered to needy families in the centre’s catchment area. The Beach is generally perceived as a wealthy neighbourhood, but according to Bob’s hamper delivery map, there are many streets in the Beach, even in the wealthy areas close to the lakefront, where there are families receiving Christmas donations. Low-rise rental apartment buildings with low income families are often located right next to million dollar homes. The total number of families who benefited from the Adopt-a-Family program was 973 this year.
The official mascot of the Share-a-Christmas event is an oversized reindeer called “Hamper”, which nicely coincides with the Christmas basket idea. Bob told me a funny story about how the name “Hamper” came into being. In the old days of the orange and black computer screens, one of Bob’s co-workers had created a vertical listing of Santa’s Reindeers and the last word on the list was “Hamper”. Bob thought this was brilliant and commended his coworker for coming up with this creative idea of naming a new addition to Santa’s reindeers. A much less dramatic story, but the name “Hamper” stuck and the cartoon reindeer has become the poster child of Christmas charity in the Beach.

A 9 foot mascot was built a couple of years later, whose image incidentally adorns the building’s east façade, and Centre 55's Share-A-Christmas program now consists of about 700 individual and corporate contacts encompassing a total network of about 2500 active volunteers.

Bob Murdoch is a strong supporter of volunteer recognition, and he has developed an entire program to honour the people who make his programs work. He has created “Hamper’s University” which bestows undergraduate, masters and doctoral “degrees in Christmas” on the volunteers, and his award system is based on the volunteer’s contribution to the community.
Bob Murdoch believes in the magic of Christmas, which is a symbol of universal kindness, unconditional peace and harmony. The Share-A-Christmas program itself is non-denominational, and volunteers and beneficiaries of the program come from all backgrounds and religions.

Hamper’s Annual Christmas Convocation honours those who have made a significant and sustained effort in the local community. This year the youngest graduate ever, an 11 year old girl, was honoured with a Doctorate in Christmas. Children who participate in the Share-A-Christmas program sort or pack gifts, they fundraise, sing carols or give up their own Christmas gifts for other more needy people in the community.

The Adopt-A-Family program offers a great deal of synergy between the volunteers, the community, and the businesses. A variety of other programs are run at Centre 55. From a chapter of Al-Anon, to free income tax clinics, free flue shots and Meals on Wheels, Centre 55 is an all-round social services agency. The Pegasus Community Program for Adults with Special Needs runs one of its programs here, the Beach Photo Club and the Beaches Speeches Club (a chapter of Toastmasters), and the Professional Academy of Drama and Music all have their home here.

Different groups within the entire wider community benefit from Centre 55’s services. Apart from funding for the operational costs, Centre 55 does not receive any funds from the city for its services. All the money required for the various programs has to be generated from fundraising efforts. Bob explained that this type of social service delivery is a unique Toronto-based model.

There are 10 community centres in the former City of Toronto grouped together in an umbrella organization called the “Association of Community Centres” whose mandate it is to provide a diverse range of services to the community. These facilities differ from regular recreational centres which, as their name says, have a specifically recreational purpose. Bob explained that the other former cities that today make up Metropolitan Toronto (the suburbs of Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough) do not have these types of community centres. This community-centre-based model of social service delivery is truly unique to Toronto, and according to Bob’s description, the entire approach is fully driven by the community. This grass-roots approach of communities helping themselves is a very unique approach, and it is quite time-consuming and complex to get such a community organization off the ground. Bob added that there are 13 designated communities in Toronto that need help, and not all of them have access to the multi-service community centres.

Fundraising is a key skill for this organization and Bob is a gifted and creative fundraiser. One of the latest fundraising efforts is called “Slobberfest”, a humorous take on an interesting, consumer-based idea sure to succeed in the pet-friendly Beach neighbourhood. This festival was held for the first time last year and presented a variety of pet contests, including owner-pet look-alike contests and a wide variety of pet tricks. Bob is already thinking of a new event: “Pipestock” (in analogy of Woodstock) will be a bagpipe festival which will involve competitive piping and a gathering of tartans and clans. A new project, the Village of East Toronto Christmas Parade, was held for the first time this past Christmas. Participants included local marching bands, politicians, residents and businesses, and the effort was intended to support the local community and economic development. Bob was expecting about 500 spectators to show up. One important annual event run since 2000 by Centre 55 is the Annual Citizen of the Year Award. This joint initiative between the Beaches Lions Club, the Beach Metro Community News and Centre 55 honours important volunteers in the community who have dedicated their effort over many years. Gene Domagala was the first such recipient and Bob refers to him as a “utility man” because Gene is present throughout the whole community and offers his help wherever he is needed. People such as Glenn Cochrane, Arie Nerman and Marie Perrotta have also been honoured for their contributions to the Beach community.

Community involvement is big, and Centre 55 held a competition to design a flag for the Beach community. The flag features a stylized image of the Leuty Lifesaving Station and flies proudly at Millennium Park.

We had talked a lot about Centre 55, but I also wanted to get to know Bob Murdoch as a person. Bob shared with me that he is an avid musician. He wrote a sound track for the Terry Fox Story back in 1984. Bob had an incentive to learn how to play the bagpipe within a very short time: his sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and was projected to die within 10 months. Bob said that he didn’t have a year, and when his sister-in-law passed away he was standing outside playing the bagpipe and played Amazing Grace at her funeral.

A few years ago Bob’s good friend, Mark Daley from City TV, was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and Bob’s father-in-law had been afflicted by the disease earlier. Bob decided to organize a whole parade of bagpipers to raise awareness for prostate cancer, and on September 17, 2005, the Pipes and Drums for Prostate Cancer Research, consisting of 325 pipers marched from Nathan Phillips Square to Queens Park, accompanied by the Lieutenant Governor. Bob Murdoch is a gifted musician and song-writer and here is a sample of his work (go to http://www.myspace.com/togetherottawa, and click on "Marathon" to listen to his partner Doug singing it). Bob is planning to turn the following song into a fundraiser and introduces the song with the following comments:
On the Road to Marathon is an epic song about one person’s battle against overwhelming hardships. On the Road to Marathon is a bitter sweet story about the victory of an unsung Canadian Hero. Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger, ran 150 miles taking the news to Athens. The message he delivered to the King was "Rejoice we Conquer". To honour this legendary runner, the Marathon Race was made part of the Modern Olympic Games in 1896.
On the Road to Marathon is a song for Terry, a baby faced warrior, who’s promise of youth and who’s rite of passage has included sickness and disease, either of which combined, could not and never will extinguish his flame of hope.
On The Road To Marathon ©
Bobby Murdoch
He ran out to the high way with the west coast on his mind
no ordinary runner on the road just clocking time
if you get the wind behind you, you could run around the sun
no ordinary runner on the Road to Marathon
C H O R U S
Saw sweat bead on top the guard rail like opals in the rain
No ordinary hunter stalking ordinary prey
Race not always won by the swift or battles by the strong
but by the sling and stone near Ekron and on roads like Marathon
Bob was invited by the Ministry of Culture and Recreation to be on the selection committee for awarding the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. Amid all these resumes Bob came across one resume that struck him: it was not unusual as far as accomplishments went, the candidate had volunteered in a breakfast program, with the food bank and a seniors program, actually it was not one of the most impressive resumes.

But Bob noticed something unusual about this young woman’s background: she had Down’s syndrome. Bob refers to this experience as his proudest moment.
Now it was time to start our tour of Centre 55, a former Toronto police station. Bob showed me several multi-purpose rooms that were former police station lockers, or rooms for weapons and communications, or areas for search and seizure. Bob also pointed out that Centre 55 was given a Civic Award of Merit by the Toronto Race Relations Committee a few years ago for their positive work with at-risk youth.

As we walked downstairs Bob pointed out that the building was damaged by fire in 1979 and that the eastern part of the wooden staircase had to be completely rebuilt. Downstairs we walked by Irene who was manning the front desk and Nancy who is the volunteer coordinator. One of the rooms was also the location of the Pegasus Community Program, Marie Perrotta’s brainchild, a wonderful daytime program for adults with special needs that I had visited a few days earlier.

So many people depend on Bob Murdoch and Community Centre 55. Bob is an expert in creative fundraising and an accomplished master of ceremonies. Usually Bob is the one handing out awards and giving recognition to others for their contributions. There is no doubt in my mind that for his effort and hard work Bob Murdoch himself deserves a medal, or even better, an Honorary Doctorate in Community Service.

Marie Perrotta From the Pegasus Community Project - Reaching for the Stars
One person I had heard a lot about from different sources while searching for interview candidates about Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood is Marie Perrotta, the Founding Director of the Pegasus Community Project for Adults with Special Needs. This non-profit charitable organization provides daytime opportunities for adults with developmental challenges, family support and community outreach. Pegasus also runs a thrift store whose revenues support the operational funding needs of this organization and provide practical work experiences for program participants.

Just before 10 am this morning I went to meet Marie at the Beaches Community Centre which is the location for one of her program groups. A few minutes before Marie’s arrival I had a chance to sit down for a few minutes with Gillian Story who is now a full-time program counsellor with the program. Gillian explained that the Pegasus program consists of three groups of adults with special needs that meet at three different locations: the Beaches Community Centre, Centre 55 and the Matty Eckler Community Centre, all in Toronto’s east end. Since graduating with a degree in music and psychology at Concordia Gillian started working at Pegasus in October of 2006 and admits it was a big learning experience at first. But she says that the staff and the participants in the program have been extremely welcoming and made it easy for her to fit in.

As Marie arrived and took off her coat to get ready for an interview, one program participant, a 24-year old woman named Shannon sat down beside me. Shannon mentioned that she works at the Pegasus Thrift Store twice a week and volunteers there on Saturdays as well. Marie confirmed that Shannon has a great talent working with people and referred to her as a “natural social worker”. On Mondays Shannon goes to Variety Village, a fitness and life skills facility in Toronto’s east end, where she and her friends from Pegasus enjoy swimming, weight-lifting and other physical activities. I did not want to let Marie wait any longer, so I thanked Shannon for talking with me, and Marie and I relocated in order to be able to do a quiet interview. Marie is originally from Buffalo, and she and her husband moved to Ontario to complete their graduate degrees here. One of Canada’s attributes that captured Marie right from the start was people’s openness, the country’s civility, diversity and tolerance. Marie noticed these characteristics right away and added that tolerance is underrated. Marie has three children: Andrew, 34, an adult with developmental challenges, Olivia, who just graduated from international development and science at McGill University in Montreal, and Cristina, who at 17 years of age is still attending high school. As the mother of a child with a developmental disability Marie understands the unique pressures of families dealing with developmental challenges. In 1993 Marie found out that adult children with developmental handicaps would not have access to day programs after the age of 21. About 650 people in Toronto were on waiting lists for existing day programs and Marie knew she had to do something.

Marie got several parents together that were in similar situations, but the group did not last long. She called on government funding agencies and approached the Matty Eckler Community Centre, part of the Toronto Parks and Recreation Department. The representatives at the community centre reacted extremely positively and offered Marie some space for her intended day-time program. Once she had secured the location, she formally set up a charitable organization and put together a board of directors which included another parent with a developmentally challenged child, as well as three other board members, including a teacher, a child daycare administrator and an occupational therapist.

One of the earliest exercises was to find a name for the organization, and Marie came up with the idea to draw on Greek mythology. For ten years Marie ran an annual yard sale from her front yard and as the handling and storage of donated goods became too onerous, fundraising efforts have now shifted to the “Pegasus Thrift Store”, located at 970 ½ Kingston Road. The store is an interesting project because not only does it provide significant funding for Pegasus, it also offers practical training and work opportunities for many of the participants in the Pegasus program.

Until 2000 Marie ran the program out of her house and recalls that acquainting herself with the necessary computer skills initially presented a challenge. In the beginning, when her daughter was only 4 years old, Marie had trained her to take telephone messages. Today, the Pegasus Community project receives significant funding from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, and a program fee has been implemented. Marie added that many cases of developmental handicaps do not have an exact diagnosis.

The program is very staff intensive: the ratio of staff members to program participants is 1 to 2.5. Some of the participants require care to meet their physical needs. All of the staff members and volunteers in the program receive the requisite training to be able to provide proper care to the participants. The Pegasus Community Program today has 38 participants located in three community centres. Two types of programs serve the participants: the Aquarius Program offers long term support while the Pegasus Program is a transitional program which focuses on skills development and vocational experiences.

Marie strongly believes in a decentralized approach since it allows for greater integration into and acceptance by the community. Marie is a strong proponent of community integration, and she feels that virtually every human being, including people with developmental disabilities, have the capability to give back to the community. The Pegasus participants volunteer at the Thrift Store, they also take on unpaid volunteer work assignments in the local community at stores such as Price Chopper and Zellers, and they volunteer to deliver a local community newspaper, the Beach Metro News.

Viewed from the perspective of a person with disabilities, community interaction and integration is absolutely critical. Every human being needs a change of scenery as well as mental and sensory stimulation. Volunteers are an absolutely critical element in Pegasus’ success. Marie refers to some of her regular volunteers who come out to work with the participants: Margaret Simmons, a retired principal, comes in regularly to provide a literacy program while Selma Smith has been teaching an arts and crafts program for five years. The projects of the “studio program” are quite sophisticated and the artistic products are sold at the Thrift Store as well as by local retailers in the Beach such as Arts on Queen.
Three students from the Behavioural Technology Program at George Brown College are currently completing internships with the program while six nurses from Centennial and Humber College are completing practical community nursing placements for their Bachelor of Science Degrees. A high school student named Kelly, from a community program at Inglenook High school is also currently volunteering with the program.

The Beach community has widely supported the program, and the participants regularly venture out into the community in different excursions. Today as I was there, several people arrived with shopping bags full of groceries, and collectively the group prepared a delicious and nutritious lunch that included chicken wraps and sweet potato fries. Marie also indicated that fitness and physical activities are an important component of the program. Participants regular go to Variety Village to go swimming and play team sports such as soccer and basketball. Marie added that there are quite a few gifted athletes in her groups.

Marie believes in all sorts of possibilities for her participants and the program provides job coaching for the participants who have the potential for gainful employment. Currently Marie is working on organizing a fourth group which will be run out of SH Armstrong Community Centre just a bit west of the Beach neighbourhood near Coxwell. Marie firmly believes that the decentralized approach is critical for the success of her program since it provides for greater community interaction and acceptance. Marie indicates that although Pegasus is a small organization you have to deal with the same organizational issues as in a large organization. Several merchants and organizations also support the Pegasus Community Project. Residents in the Beach have welcomed the program and Marie adds that Beachers are more broad-minded and charitable than they are sometimes given credit for. Some people have even thanked her for bringing developmentally challenged individuals into the Beach. The generosity from so many people is outstanding, and Marie really appreciates all the support she has received.
One organization that has been particularly helpful is the Toronto Beach Rotary Club which supports Pegasus with regular fundraising initiatives. Local merchant Harold Wisefeld, also known as Zoltzz, the owner of the famous fashion discount store Ends in the Beach, has been a very generous contributor to Pegasus. Another local entrepreneur, Dan MacLeod from the Price Chopper supermarket at Gerrard and Victoria Park, is extremely committed to community work.

Marie says he has opened his store’s doors to hire many people with disabilities. One of Pegasus’ participants, a young man named AJ, works at Price Chopper three days a week and needs coaching while he is there. Dan also supports many of Pegasus’ special events as well as other organizations such as the Cancer Society and the Alzheimers Society. Very few merchants would go to these lengths to accommodate and support people with disabilities.

Marie and I then drove five minutes up to Kingston Road where Marie showed me the Pegasus Thrift Store. The Thrift Store sells everything from used books, CDs, fabric, clothing, dishes and glassware to small electric appliances and even Barbie dolls. It provides a great opportunity for Pegasus program participants to gain practical work experience and support the fundraising efforts for their program. Friends and neighbours donate all the second-hand goods that are sold in the store.

For me the highlight of the store are the products that are made by the Pegasus program participants themselves. Marie demonstrated a range of hand-made products to me:
In addition to her regular duties Marie works in the store virtually every Saturday and hopes to be able to find some help in organizing it soon. She added that initially her plans were only to cover the costs of the rent and telephone, but the Pegasus Thrift Store has morphed into much more than that: a major fundraising tool as well as a great place of learning for her program participants. I also asked Marie whether her organization has a website yet and she indicated not yet. Meeting Marie Perrotta was one of those humbling moments when you get to know someone who has overcome significant personal hurdles and truly dedicated her life to people in need in the community. Several awards recognize these efforts: Pegasus won the 1995 City of Toronto Access Award and the 1998 Innovation Award. Marie herself was honoured as the 2004 Beach Citizen of the Year, following the footsteps of other prominent Beachers such as Gene Domagala (who is also a regular volunteer for Pegasus), Glenn Cochrane and Arie Nerman.

As I walked away from the store I thought the heavenly analogies of the Pegasus Project are quite fitting: to her program participants Marie must be like an angel, sent down to earth to help them reach for the stars.

Sports Management Degree to Learn Organizing Sports Events

2009-09-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Many institutions of higher learning are offering Sports Management courses to their students. Well managed sporting events are what draw people’s interest in those particular sports.
The sports management degree programmes offered in many colleges and universities are meant to help you unique sporting events’ organization skills. For instance, Sarlem University offers a Sports Management course under the faculty of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. In Ashford University, they offer a BA degree in Sports and Recreation Management. The Grand Canyon University has a Sports Management option in their Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree program.

These sports management courses equip you with general management and leadership skills. They also help you learn how to plan and develop sales and marketing strategies for a particular sporting event. You also learn much about advertising and event promotion, facility management, public relations, recruitment, coaching practices and sports administration. Some of the courses also give you an overview of the legal aspects of certain sports as well as basic health and safety measures for a sports team.

You have to have a passion for sports in order to excel in these sports organization and management courses. If you can not find the sports management course being offered in a campus near you, you can look up some online institutions that offer the same degree. The Columbia Southern University also offers a similar concentration course in their BS in Business administration program.

Sport Management Careers
Sports can be defined as physical activities that serve as a source of recreation or competition.

Sport management is a goal-oriented social process within a sport enterprise using pragmatic self-determined goals involving the selection of appropriate strategies and provisions for directing the work of the sport enterprise, and the control of performance in an effort to meet the objectives of the organization.

Sports managementThere are also those that work for sports teams. Each team has a general manager, director of ticket Sales, and director of sponsorship sales, director of promotions, and a director of public relations. Most teams are like businesses so they all have finance controllers as well. Naturally, there may be different view on sport management but it is obvious that any sport organization have to have its goals to achieve. The latter may be done only with the help of sport management that can organize all the staff of the sport enterprise and mobilize all its forces for achievement its goals. At the same time, simply to organize the work of a sport organization is not enough. Each position in sports management is vital. If you are going to school for sports management, make sure the school you choose is in the proximity of the industry. The greatest benefit for most in the industry is the opportunity to be a part of a sports team and organization. There are many advantages of working in the sports industry and many rewarding moments for those who are enticed by this career or have a great passion for sports!

Recreational Fishing Versus Commercial Fishing

2009-09-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Who are more important, recreational anglers or commercial fishermen? The question never entered anyone's thought process 50 years ago, but in an age that recognizes not only the economic powerhouse that sport fishing has become, plus the need for recreation and relaxation brought about by high-pressure 21st century jobs, it is time to address a growing issue.

Angling or fishing means the act of preying by fishing line or trapping creatures that remain alive in water.Some consider fishing a sport or hobby even a profession.

More than 80% of Americans were taken on fishing trips or excursion especially for pleasure.Nowadays most adults started fishing before attaining 13 years of age. In order to keep the golden tradition alive of this hobby or sports the kids of the present generation need to be acquainted with actual fishing.

There are two categories of fishing in vogue at present namely: recreational and commercial. Fishing for pleasure or competition is considered as recreational fishing or sport. It has certain guidelines and laws as prevailing in other sports. These laws issue guidelines imposing restriction on the catch.

The International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) makes the guidelines for fishing and oversees them. The use of nets and catching of fish with hooks in the mouth is prohibited as per fishing guidelines. Legal fishing is done through rods,reels and lines.

Recreational fishing has been made popular through competitions and tournaments. Prizes are awarded to the winning fisherman of these tournaments on the basis of the total weight of a particular species of fish caught within a certain given time period fixed by the organizer of the tournaments.

The other type of fishing i.e. commercial fishing allows fisherman to opt for their career of fishing. Fishermen make provision for huge quantity of food to many countries around the world. But there are disadvantages and risk in fisherman's job. The fishing industry has certain limitation and or restrictions imposed by International Treaties. The restrictions are mainly on individual fishing quota and fishing efforts which might lead to lack of jobs for the local fisherman.

Fishing: Recreational Versus Commercial
Fishing by definition is the activity of hunting by hooking, trapping or gathering animals that breathe in water or pass their lives in water. Fishing is an activity that some consider a hobby or a profession, even some consider fishing a sport. Fishing is also a tradition that has lived for decades. Most adults today had started fishing before they turned 13.

Modern day fishing is divided into two categories recreational fishing and commercial fishing. Recreational fishing is considered a sport, fishing is done for pleasure or competition. Like most sports, fishing has certain guidelines and laws that limit in which fish can be caught. Fishing guidelines are made and overseen by the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA).

Typically fishing is done legally through rods, reels, lines and hooks. Fishing guidelines prohibit the use of nets and catching of fish with hooks not in the mouth.

A popular form of recreational fishing is competitions or tournaments. These tournaments allow the fisherman to compete for prizes based on the total weight of a specific species of fish within give time period.

This type of fishing allows fisherman to have the opportunity to apply something they love to do to a career of choice.

In the fishing industry, fishermen are required to follow certain restrictions, such as an individual fishing quota and international treaties. International treaties try to limit the fishing effort. This could lack of jobs for the local fisherman.

The most popular fish caught in fishing efforts are tuna, cod, salmon, shrimp, krill, lobster, clams, squid and crab. The fishing methods vary according to three things; region, species being fished for and fisherman technology. The fishing industry requirements vary from one man with a small boat to a crew of fisherman processing fish everyday.

Both recreational and commercial fishing has several similarities and differences. One main difference is that recreational fishing is practiced as a hobby in one's spare weekend, while commercial fishing is a career.

Recreational and Sports Amenities in Leicester

2009-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Leicester has a strong tradition of being represented at national level in our three main sports. ie Football, Rugby and Cricket, with the rugby team, Leicester Tigers, being the most consistent in their achievements.

In terms of municipal sport and recreation facilities the recently opened Braunstone Leisure Centre is undoubtedly the star attraction. Opened in 2004 it is the home of both the Braunstone & City of Leicester Swimming Clubs and, despite only having an eight lane swimming 25m pool in 2005 it hosted the British Synchronised Swimming Championship. The centre also has a four lane community swimming pool and a sports hall capable of having six Badminton courts and an auditorium for up to 400 people. There are also leisure centres at Aylestone and Spence Street. Leicester has two municipal golf courses; Humberstone Heights (off Gypsy Lane) and The Western (off Scudamore Road).

Leicester Tigers are one of the country’s leading senior Rugby Union clubs. Their Welford Road ground has been the scene of some memorable games over the years and regularly hosts matches against the ‘Barbarians’ – a team of ad hoc internationals. The Tigers play in the English Guinness Premiership League and have many international players in the team. Leicester as a city also has many thriving junior Rugby Union clubs playing in local leagues. To select any best known names from a club like the Tigers is difficult, but from recent times 2003 Rugby Union World Cup winner and England captain Martin Johnson has to be mentioned. Rory and Tony Underwood as well as, more recently, Austin Healey, were also well loved players.

Leicester City Football Club is currently in the English Championship League, one step down from the top-flight Premier League, their nick-name is The Foxes. Founded in 1884 as Leicester Fosse, they moved to their original ground, Filbert Street, in 1891 - a year after joining the English Football Association. In 2003 with the club beset by financial problems, the club was bought out of administration by a consortium headed by the former player and club hero, Gary Lineker. Many famous footballers have played for Leicester City, two of whom were international goalkeepers for England, Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton. Gary Lineker, also an England international at Centre Forward, is probably the player held highest in the affections of The Foxes’ fans. Gary is now a regular presenter for BBC Sport.

Very much inside the city boundary is Leicestershire County Cricket Club, who are also known as The Foxes. They are currently in Division 2 of the ‘Liverpool Victoria’ County Championship. In the ‘Twenty20’ cup matches, which are played late afternoons and early evenings, the Foxes were the winners of the trophy in 2006 after a thrilling final match against Nottinghamshire. Leicester CC play at the Grace Road ground which was formerly known as the County Ground. Grace Road now has a capacity of 12,000 and is not on the English Cricket Board list of grounds that can host Test (international) cricket matches.

Leicester Riders are the senior basketball club in Leicester and play in the Premier League of the British Basketball League. They style themselves as the oldest basketball club in Britain being founded in 1967 and founder members of the National (British) Basketball League. Originating as the Loughborough All Stars, after some years of using Loughborough and Leicester as their home base they settled back into Leicester in 2004 and now play at their sponsor’s venue in De Montfort University.

Leicester has several athletics clubs, most notably Leicester Corinthians. Leicester athletics like to associate themselves with the international distance runner Paula Radcliffe, who runs for Bedford & County to the south of Leicester.

If you fancy seeing if you’d like to try climbing as a sport or hobby, Leicester has the East Midlands’ largest indoor climbing centres at the Tower Climbing Centre.

Recreational and Sports Amenities in Birmingham
Apart from the well known sports teams that play in the city, there are few cities in Europe that can lay claim to having hosted such a wide variety of European and International sports championships that Birmingham can. From Show Jumping to Table-Tennis and Motor Racing to Badminton, Birmingham has been thehost in recent years.

A major reason for so many championship events being held in Birmingham is the presence of the National Indoor Arena (The NIA) in King Edwards Road, behind the International Convention Centre. It is used to host a wide variety of championship events including; Martial Arts, Athletics, Trampolining and Davies Cup Tennis to name but a few. The NIA is part of the NEC group, the National Exhibition Centre. The NEC is owned by Birmingham City Council, but is actually located in Solihull to the east of the city. Birmingham has two football teams playing in the Premiership of the English Football Leagues. The senior of the two clubs is Aston Villa FC, known locally as 'The Villa'. Their ground 'Villa Park' is in the suburb of Aston and was regularly used for FA Cup semi-finals. Villa are one of only three English clubs to have won the European Cup, in 1982, beating Bayern Munich 1-0. Since then, apart from winning the League Cup a couple of times, they have failed to win any major trophies but remain one of the countries best known clubs. Many famous footballers have played for and managed Aston Villa, but the name of Peter Withe is probably the most memorable for scoring the winning goal in the European Cup, along with a prolific 90 goals in total in 232 games.

Birmingham City FC, also known as 'The Blues', play at St Andrews in Small Heath. Formed in 1875, it was in 1945 that they became Birmingham City FC, having started out playing under the name of Small Heath Alliance. Technically just outside the boundaries of the city is West Bromwich Albion FC. The Edgbaston Cricket Ground is home to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club, one of the top teams in the country. With one of the best grounds in the country Edgbaston has been used as one of the elite venues for international cricket test matches since 1902. About 1 km away from the cricket ground is the Edgbaston Priory Tennis Club.

The Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr is the home of the Birchfield Harriers AC. The athletic club has been in existence since 1879 and now enjoys considerable success; current team members include athletes of great quality such as Denise Lewis, Kelly Southerton and Glen Smith. Team alumina include; Ainsley Bennett, Derek Redmond and Geoff Capes. Their home stadium, The Alexander, is one of the premier athletics venues in the country, hosting national and international competitions and championships.

The top basketball club in the city is the Birmingham Bullets, who play their games at Chelmsley Wood. They are one of the clubs with a franchise to play in the top flight of British basketball - The British Basketball League. There is an ice hockey club, the Birmingham Eagles, who play in Division One of the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. Bournville Hockey Club was founded in 1902 making it one of the oldest in the country. The men's first team play in Division One of the English Slazenger League and the women's first team plays in the Midlands Conference league. As well as having many excellent municipal golf courses, there are nearby two international standard courses. Near Hampton-in-Arden is the Forest of Arden course. This is a regular venue on the European Golf Tour; it is also used for the British Masters event as well as the English Open.

The City of Birmingham has some excellent municipal sports and recreational facilities including seventeen municipal swimming pools. The leading swimming club in Birmingham is the City of Birmingham Swimming Club.

Recreation and Sports

2009-08-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Ann takes her bike wherever she goes, even if the trip isn't about biking - like her Christmas trip to Arizona to visit her parents. We discussed the advantages and compared some expenses.

In the end, I went to do a little research to find out what would be the best way to go when traveling by airplane - ship your bike in the cargo hold of the plane, ship it ahead of time by UPS, or rent a bike when you arrive at your destination.

Renting was the clear loser among the three options. For one thing, it's not your bike, so it is likely to be inferior along with not fitting you perfectly like your own bike does. Also, it's expensive. You can rent a clunker for $45 USD a day if you're in an area where bike rental is even possible.

If you want a decent bike, though, you're going to pay at least $65. So, if you rent and ride once or twice while you're there, you'll have almost broken even with the cost of shipping your bike. If you ride more than a couple times, you're money ahead, once you've invested in some kind of shipping carton.

Shipping your bike in the airplane's cargo hold is a good option, and might be the best choice depending on the circumstances. The advantages of carrying it with you on the plane include the fact that you will have it with you at all times. You won't be without your bike for the 2 to 6 days it takes when shipping by UPS. Also, you can use a soft bag, which is not recommended for shipping by a delivery service.

Depending on what kind of packaging you use for the shipment, disassembly of your bike is minimal. You can get by with as little as taking off the handlebar and pedals. The cost is around $40 each way.

The option I like best is shipping via delivery service. Depending on the from-to locations, the cost is usually less than carrying the bike on the plane. For example, you can ship a bike from Miami to Chicago for around $30. The biggest benefit here is the minimized hassle factor. There is no waiting in long lines in the airport baggage claim area, no packing it into the rental car. The bike is delivered to your door.

You have a tracking number, so you can keep informed about the when and where of your bike's current position while it's en route. A good shipping carton is necessary, of course, but for people who travel often it's worth the investment.

Here is the run down of options for shipping cartons. You can get a hard-sided bike suitcase for around $350 USD, and it will last forever. For these, you have to take off both of the wheels as well as handlebars, seat, and pedals to fit the bike into the case.

For around $200, you can get a waterproof bike box that is very durable and has the advantage of being collapsible when not in use. I don't recommend the plain cardboard rectangular boxes because they are expensive, around $150,and only last for a handful of trips. Both the waterproof and cardboard rectangular box come with tie-downs, straps, and foam chocks. You do have to do some disassembly of the bike, removing the pedals and handlebar.

There's one more shipping set-up that is a little less expensive. For about $80, you can get a triangular cardboard shipping carton. You don't have to do any disassembly, not even the bars because of the triangular shape. Just use the quick release for the front wheel and seat, and hold them in place with the tie downs that are provided.

For details about carrying cases and shipping, go on-line and enter the term 'bike shipping' in any search engine. You'll be pleased to find that traveling with your own bike is affordable and fairly hassle-free. If you haven't taken your bike with you on trips already, I assure you that it's

Sports Art - Fashionable and Sporty
Sports Art is all about creating products or craft items using the sports stars as an inspiration. When a person visits Disney land they find a store that sells T-shirts, mugs, caps and many other items with Disney characters on them. Similarly, in a sports store, we will find equipment and other fun items, which have sports art on them. These could be a simple logo or other forms of sports art like a signature of a famous sportsperson on it. Such products have high demand as everyone from children to adults enjoy wearing a product showing off their favorite player. Depending on the game a person is fond of, they can pick up products related to that or wear a T-shirt with a picture of a lead player on it. Whenever cricket season is on, all stores stock up on a range of products with various teams' colors and players' names on them, and hope for a sell out. Similarly, Football also draws many fans around the world to buy and proudly wear them while going for the match. Some fans are noted for their face painting; they will have the colors of their team done on their face and wear a team cap and T-shirt. Sometimes fans make elaborate flags or banners using fancy sports art products.

Players like Michael Jordon, Kobe Bryant, Ronaldinho, David Beckham and Mohammed Ali are so popular that one finds many endorsements and memorabilia with their picture or signature on them. These are displayed and sold in most sports related stores through the year, in fact there are some stores in that sell fake products as well. Sports art has become a rage off late and a way of promoting a sport or a player. This also helps companies use them as ambassadors and add their name along with the star's names while selling goods. Most of the products are available on the net as well, and one can sit at home or office and choose an item of their choice - a Bag, shoe or maybe a bandana that sports their favorite football player's name on it and buy it from there. Sports Art ranges from $10 to $1000, depending on what the item is.