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The era was marked by a spirit of a new beginning. Fashion did a U-turn from the pointed Gothic look to the square style of the Renaissance costume. Puffing, slashing and accentuation of curves was the perfect visual metaphor for the 16th Century, because it suggests a society that is literally bursting at the seams with new ideas and problems. Decidedly, one can literally identify the era from the Renaissance costumes. Gleefully, they provide excellent reference material for the theatre, films and in day-to-day life, theme parties, Renaissance Faire, Halloween, not to forget - your friend’s SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group dedicated to researching and recreating the Middle Ages in the present.) wedding.

Relive the glorious era.

In today’s times, midsummer Ren Faires and Halloween provide an excellent platform to help you take on the guise of a Renaissance figure in a stylish Renaissance costume or Renaissance Halloween costume - Be it Lord or Merchant, Peasant Farmer or Court Jester, and for the ladies – Queen Elizabeth, Marie Antoinette, or Ladies-in-Waiting. Renaissance costumes come in all sizes including extra large and 4x plus size, so nobody is left out of the fun. And for the smitten, you can be your beloved’s Knight in Shining Armor – quite literally!]]>

Usually, many diving areas which receive an important amount of visitors do not maintain their natural characteristics due to this interaction. These areas often receive visitors who are willing to touch what they see and take something from the sea as a souvenir and this way they change the general structure which sometimes changes dramatically as time passes by and the sum of visitors produce their effect on the landscape.

One of the main attractions divers would find when visiting Rodrigues is its coral reef. Rodrigues’ coral reef is extremely beautiful due to its almost untouched natural characteristics and the way in which corals have developed without human interference. Although there are other very interesting diving areas to explore, this reef is one of the main places which divers who go to Rodrigues should visit.

Rodrigues’ weather varies depending on seasons. Year around, water temperature is of about 25 degrees, reaching the 30 degrees between October and January and 23 degrees in August. Divers who visit Rodrigues between October and January could enjoy not only the warmest water temperature of the year but also a great underwater visibility as well as quiet waters full of big size sea mammals such as, for example, whales of different types.

Those divers who visit Rodrigues during February could enjoy of very nice climate conditions but should be aware of the fact that this month is when the cyclones season starts and when the chances for one to happen are the biggest. Between March and May cyclones season ends and the windiest season begins. Between June and July divers could experience some strong winds although the decrease towards July as well as water temperature starts to rise. It is important for divers to know that during August Rodrigues’ Diving Center is usually closed.]]>

Beginners bet on up to 8 numbers with smaller stakes. The champions however take greater risks. The bets are allowed on the table till the croupier gives a signal to the players regarding the bets to be stopped. The people are allowed to take a pick of 8 numbers and any of the tem winning gets a share of the other stakes and thus he gets the chips to be converted into money at the counter. As the wheel is slowing down the accuracy of the number where the dolly stops increases. And thus the stakes sky rocket at the end of the wheel spin. The bigger bets include the betting on the number along with color of its base. If they are matched then the prize too is multiplied. Thus the players prefer to take different combinations of colors and numbers and thus increasing the probability of win.

What makes the game nerve wrecking is that there is no rule of winning it. So there is no trick or system of betting that maximizes your chances of a win. So if one fine morning if one feels lucky then he can try his hand at the roulette table that evening. It’s just as simple. All you need is a load of luck and some amount of experience to understand a particular roulette table. This fact also repels some people from the game as it attracts. Bu the game has not lost its charisma among the fortunate ones. The roulette tables are the ones with the most visitors lined up for the bet. The game is played with utmost etiquette and the winners are expected not to over react as there is no big trick or tact to win the game. The simple rule is that if you are winning it its sheer luck and if you are loosing it’s just the same.

People have been seen getting robbed off their whole money at the game of roulette and some times the person gets so crazy playing it that he just looses the track of his capabilities and there are examples where the player almost lost their homes at the roulette table.

A lot of attachments come with the thrill of the game. Allegations of rigging the wheel to tempering the dolly have been rampant across the 200 year old history of the game. But the game has not lost its following throughout the world. A casino without roulette tables is not imaginable at all. Roulette has seen people rise and fall and historians have seen it in the same manner. But for sure the game is here to stay in all its glory.]]>

As with any machine or appliance, the number one rule for safety in the use of chain saws is: Read the instructions! Don’t try to figure things out yourself. Know all you can about the machine. The manual is there to give us all the knowledge we would need on the use of the chain saw. It also gives us the safest way to use the chain saw, as well as description of the chain saw parts, maintenance and repair guidelines. If any repair or maintenance procedure required is not in the manual, then bring your chain saw to a qualified service center.

It is recommended that the chain saw must be periodically returned to the service center for inspection and service, such as chain saw sharpening and adjustment. It’s important to keep the cutting teeth sharp and with a good biting edge. This will make the chain saw more efficient, but also cut down on fatigue. It is dangerous to operate a chain saw that is damaged or not adjusted properly. For replacement of chain saw parts, it is recommended that one use parts specifically made for the model on hand.

With the chain saw, one acquires great power. And as it is said, with great power comes great responsibility. Part of that responsibility is safety. Knowing how to operate the chain saw, and how to keep it functioning properly, go a long way in assuring safety.]]>

You are not alone! Many scrapbookers find it hard to get started when it comes to adding journaling to their scrapbooking layouts.

If you are one of those people who go blank at the thought of having to journal, don’t worry. Here are some stress-free scrapbooking journaling ideas to help you write the right words whatever your page theme.

Make a list.
This is a fairly simple journaling technique that is suitable for use with any type of page theme, for example:

Doing a friendship page - list how you met, where you met, how long you have known each other, include what you like about your friend and why you are both pals.

Doing a recipe scrapbook page - then make a personal top 10 list of reasons why you like Grandma’s chocolate cake so much.

Doing a baby layout - do a list of baby’s favorite foods, you can even do one for the foods they don’t like!

A variation of this technique is to use bullet points to mark each line on your list, giving you an opportunity to empathise each item of your journaling:

- Anguilla
- April 2004
- My first trip to the Caribbean
- This is the view from my hotel balcony overlooking the cove – I can’t wait to go swimming the sea looks so nice!

Make sure you have fun experimenting with all the different kinds of embellishments that you can use as your bullet points!

Another bonus with using the list technique is that you do not need to worry about the structure of your sentences or that your journaling makes sense because the list breaks down what you want to say into it’s basic readable form.

Write a Letter.
This is one of those great scrapbook journaling ideas that’s fairly simple to do and it’s also a lovely, personal way to journal your layouts too.

All you have to do is pretend you’re writing to a friend telling them what is happening in your photographs and including the “Dear ….” at the beginning of your writing
will give your journaling an intimate feel.

Sent any emails lately? Like letters, emails are also a good source of journaling material that you can use for your layouts.

If you are unsure of your own journaling then doing it in a letter format could help your writing flow more easily, as you describe the people and the events taking place, letting you tell the story naturally and in your own words.

Ask a question.
If you are completely stuck and cannot think of anything to write this can be a good quick fix technique to use. Just ask some simple questions like, “What was your favorite part of..?” or “Did anything funny or embarrassing happen?”.

This technique can be very effective when used for a special occasion layout, like a bridal shower, where you can ask each of the guests to tell you about their favorite memory of the bride-to-be.

Why not take it a stage further? Give each shower guest some suitable decorative paper and let them write down their own memories rather than journal all of them yourself.

For an extra special touch, you could get the guests to bring with them their favorite photo of the bride-to-be. Ask them to journal why they picked that particular picture and then do a separate layout for each individual photo.

This is an effective way to make a wonderful and unique scrapbook that is quick, simple and full of memorable pieces of journaling that add a very personal feel to the album.

If you are one of those people who find it difficult to begin the journaling process these fun scrapbook journaling ideas will provide you with some basic tips and techniques to help make it easier.

So go on, try out the scrapbook journaling ideas above for yourself and add some stress-free journaling to your pages… Once you’ve finished you’ll see that it’s been well worth the effort.]]>

The war in Iraq is over, time has passed since the 911 terrorist attacks, and the economy is finally starting to recover. People are starting to realize they can now let loose and think about more pleasant things for a change. “Priorities are changing. Instead of worrying, enjoying life is a lot higher on people’s agendas,” says Jim Spring, president of Leisure Trends Group.

The change in behavior is already noticeable across the country. A recent survey conducted by the organization shows a strong jump in the number of people who are once again participating in sports, fitness and social activities.

The data also shows one of the most popular places to turn for fun in 2004 will be the water. Baby Boomers will be spending a lot of time enjoying the ocean on cruise liners and their own boats; while Generation Xers and Xers at heart will focus on adventure sports, such as kayaking, wave boarding, rafting and water skiing.

George Blair, who goes by the name Banana George thanks to his trademark yellow wetsuit, has been barefoot waterskiing since he was in his 40s. He celebrates his 89th birthday in January. “I love being out on the water,” he says. “It makes me feel free as a bird as the wind and water blow past me. Me and water just go hand in hand.”

“There’s just something uniquely rewarding and fun about the experience you have when taking part in extreme water sports,” says Steve Upp of USA Waterski in Polk City, Fla. “Towed water sports add an extra dimension to the experience. Everyone in the boat gets to share the excitement with the person in the water.”

Calvin Tate and Pat Benavidas of St. Petersburg, Fla., get a different kind of satisfaction from their time spent on the water. The couple just took up boating two years ago, and they now live on a 70 foot custom house boat with Tate’s 19-year old son, Matt. “We had to throw away a lot of things before making the move, but were really open minded to take this adventure and we love it,” says Benavidas.

“When I’m out on the water, all the weight of daily stresses disappears. I get totally involved in driving the boat and enjoying the beauty of my surroundings. The world really does look different from the water and I get a fresh perspective on a lot of things. I think it’s like that for a lot of people,” says Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Dammrich travels the country sharing his enthusiasm for boating with anyone who will listen, and says he always has good interaction with people at boat shows. “They offer one-stop shopping for people who want to shop for a boat, accessories, gear and insurance. You can see a lot of makes and models side by side, which helps make the decision process a lot easier, and you can even secure financing,” he says.

Most boat shows take place during the winter months, so if you want to enjoy the sport all summer long, Dammrich says now is the time to shop around. For a list of boat shows in your area, go to www.discoverboating.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content]]>

Old Town is situated in Maine in an area of small rivers with rapids, waterfalls and unforgiving boulders. The Penobscot tribe that had lived here for hundreds of years had learned how to build their birch bark canoes to withstand the rigors of these dificult rivers so the first canoe designs were coppied from the Penobscot tribe.

The Old Town Canoe company incorporated in 1903 and by 1906 it was turning out 200 to 400 of these wood and canvas canoes a month and has been growing steadily ever since until now it offers you the world’s largest selection of canoes. (now made with high tech materials)

Since I live on the ocean in California, I have never paddled one of the new canoes so I went in search of personal reviews written by those that have experience with them. Since I have read reviews about canoes from several companies that make canoes, I can tell you that the Old Town Canoe gets fantastic reviews. There was one though where someone had tried to use a canoe designed for river rapids on a lake adventure and was dissatisfied. DUH!

As with choosing any canoe you must decide what you want to do with it and then look for the canoe that is designed for that purpose. The Old Town Canoe (s) has one designed for you no matter how you plan on using it. I am including second hand reviews for four of the many models so you can understand the importance of making the right choice when choosing your boat.

The Old Town Canoe “XL Tripper” is most at home in wild, remote country where its unique combination of strength and size comes into its own. It is 20 feet long. It can easily hold two adults, two half grown children and a 70 pound dog, with camping gear for a week or two. It is able to do Class III and Class IV rapids fully loaded! Plus it is a very fast boat.

The Appalachan has received fantastic reviews. This is built for Class II or III rapids. It has the ability and performance to handle Class III whitewater with ease. “Holding lots of gear and running rivers is what it was bred to do and it does that in style. I love this boat!!!” This is a smaller boat and will hold 2 adults plus camping gear.

Next we will look at the Stillwater 12. This boat is very wide “almost tubby” so it is exceptionally stable. Good for a couple of kids to learn on. Or used as a good fishing platform as you can stand to cast. But the more you load it down with gear the slower it will paddle.

The last canoe to be included here is the Katahdin 16. A fast, and very stable boat of clasic design. Not a high tech boat but made of light weight fiberglass so it is fairly light weight. It tracks well and paddles fairly easily. It slows somewhat when heavily loaded but that is to be expected of any canoe. Just a great all round family canoe.

Keep in mind that these comments above are by the owners of Old Town Canoe (s), not official company information.]]>

 
What is something you are passionate about? Passion is contagious and feed off this positive energy. Have you ever seen two people who truly love the game of baseball talk about baseball?

I had a friend’s wife tell me once that we can remember every play in a game we watched or played in but why is it that we can not remember a simple grocery list that is given to us. Some of us can recite stats for their teams 50 years ago. We can tell who played in what World Series and who the winning pitcher was and who hit the game winning homerun, off of whom and what pitch. Why is that?

A lot of my childhood memories are tied to baseball. I remember spending hours hitting a rock in front of my house pretending to be my idol Rod Carew. I used to mimic his stance and his loose wrists. I wanted to be just like him. I made myself into a switch hitter because of him. As I grew older the demise of my professional career was that I could not hit the breaking ball. I could sit on that fastball and hit it out of the park but as soon as they took something off or put a break on it I could not hit it. So there went my dream of a professional career but not my passion for the game.

I have been playing softball for the past 10 years.

We have been part of the same league for over 10 years. Another team in the same league played for the same amount of time. I remember saying to myself that wouldn’t it be cool if all of us can be playing together like this other team when we are 40 something. We were all in our 30’s and this team was in their 40’s. Well I catch myself thinking now wouldn’t it be cool to be playing ball in our 50’s like these guys are.

Every year this team beat us. We never beat them. It had almost become an obsession for me to beat them. This year we finally did. After the game I was talking to their captain and kidded him that now I can die in peace. He replied by saying that it has been true joy playing us these past years because he can tell we loved the game and played like it.

Why do a bunch of “old” people continue to play the game of softball? I truly believe that we can not give up the love of baseball and the passion we have for it. It is part of us and it has shaped who we are. If you looked at each one of us in our profession or home life, the way we live our lives are similar to how we play the game. Getting back to the earlier question on why is it that some people can recite stats or remember every play in a game? It’s the love we have for the game of baseball. The passion and the love for the game helps define who some of us are. Find your passion and share it with the world and make each one of us that much better for knowing you.

This article was written by Isaac Kama - A True Baseball Lover]]>

They’re easy to cook, right?

We’ll see.

The first thing to remember is that you need the right size of frying pan. This is more important than you may think. Too large, and the omelet will dry out; too small, and it will not cook through.

As a basic guide, you need a 15 centimeter pan for a two-egg omelet and a 25 centimeter pan for a four to six egg omelet. That is, 6 in. and 10 in. respectively. Which, handily enough, is pretty much the size of pans you should have in your kitchen anyway.

The second most important thing is not to beat the eggs.

I’ll repeat that for all of those chefs out there who think they can cook omelets: do NOT beat the eggs.

Instead, abandon the habits of a lifetime and stir the yolks into the whites using a knife blade. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Warm your empty pan through on a moderate heat, add a good knob of butter, turn up the heat and swirl it round to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

When the butter is foaming pour some into the egg mixture, stir it in and then immediately pour the eggs into the pan.

Shake the pan to spread the mixture evenly. Now, using a fork or thin spatula, draw the cooked egg away from the edge of the pan and let the uncooked liquid run into the space created.

When the omelet is almost cooked, but the surface is still soft and liquid, flip one edge of the omelet towards the center of the pan so that it folds over. Then slide the unfolded edge onto a warmed plate, rolling the folded edge over the top of it as you do so.

An omelet cooked in this way requires no filling, except perhaps some fresh, chopped, herbs added to the egg mixture about 15 minutes before cooking.

What’s that? Oh yes, all right; if you must you can use olive oil instead of butter.]]>

Your first step in the direction of rehabilitation is the same as it is with any such process. You need to establish the exact nature of the problem. If your pet is a newly acquired puppy then rampant chewing goes with the territory. It is a natural response to teething. If your pet is past puppy-hood and showing no sign of quitting or, if your mature pet inexplicably begins chewing away at stuff, this is a sign of a more serious problem that needs attention.

Pets of all kinds can be divided into aggressive chewers and non-aggressive chewers. Aggressive chewers annihilate what they chew and sometimes swallow the pieces - often in one sitting. Non-aggressive chewers gnaw, play and mouth toys without actually breaking them. Many theories attempt to pinpoint certain dog breeds as most likely to chew aggressively but, the fact is, it’s more personality related than it is breed related.

If your dearly beloved pet is still a puppy you will need to work out which category of chewer he or she is as this is an important fact to take into consideration when shopping from the broad range of dog toys available. If your dog is an aggressive chewer you will need to buy dog toys that are chewy and rubbery as well as super strong and durable. Because aggressive chewers are inclined to bite and then swallow toys that are brittle, they must be literally unbreakable. Some manufacturers actually sell toys with an impressive 100% product replacement if the animal manages to destroy it. Aggressive chewers need their own type of toy made of tough rubber and rawhide. They need to be kept well clear of toys that lesser chewers would be safe with.

Black Kongs are ideal for these enthusiastic chewers, so are toys like the jumbo retriever rolls otherwise known as ‘chronic chew toys’. These are wound out of several feet of rawhide compacted into one giant roll. Even the most vociferous of chewing pets can do no better than wear away at the exterior leaving the tightly wound core still intact. Pressed rawhide bone-shaped toys are also good options for the aggressive chewer who must be protected from his or her own capacity to reduce an innocent toy to sharp, dangerous shards that may injure the pet’s esophagus when swallowed.

If your mature pet is chewing and she is past teething and puppy-hood then there is a possibility that the chewing may be the symptom of a displaced anxiety. Here’s where you will need to play dog psychologist and spend time with your pet to discern what is troubling him or her. Are you spending enough time with your pet? Does he get enough attention? Exercise? Has there been a recent disturbance in the household routine that the pet may be responding to?

Your pet is a barometer for any stress or disruption in the environment. Taking up chewing becomes a comforting action for the disturbed dog. You will need to spend more supervised time with your pet reeducating him or her on the rewarding consequences of desirable behavior. Pets are very much like children in this way; they will do anything to get attention even if it means demolishing the surrounding environment. Don’t be slow to enlist the aid of an expert when tackling chronic chewing problems. A fresh and educated viewpoint may save everyone a great deal of frustration.]]>