Thursday, 31 December 2009

Children Love Dora The Explorer, But Why?

By Frank Lops

Dora the Explorer is a cartoon that is very popular with both young and old. There are not that many people who have not heard of Dora, especially if they live in the US. Dora is a fun loving, go lucky little girl who likes to go on adventures with her friends. But what makes this cartoon so special that everyone wants to watch it?

The first thing you will notice while you are watching the show is that the animation is very well done and the colors that are used are very bright but still easy on the eyes.

Dora is a young girl who along with her best friend Boots goes on many adventures. Children always long to go on adventures themselves, whether it be outside of the house or to a different neighborhood altogether.

If you just watch a kid play, their imaginations take them whereever they want to go and do whatever they want to do. Dora brings this sense of adventure to the television screen and makes it real for the kids watching.

Another thing that Dora is known for is her willingness to help her friends around her. Children who are watching this will learn that helping each other is a good way to progress in life and become more happier.

Viewers who watch Dora the Explorer will also learn to speak spanish. Dora herself is hispanic and throughout the show she uses easy spanish words to make you comfortable with the language. Children love this and they pick the words up quickly. Quicker than when they are sitting in class and trying to learn it.

The bad guy of the show is a villain named Swiper. His name represents what he always tries to do, that is swiping things that are not his. While in the act you should yell "Swiper, no swiping" three times and he will stop what he is doing.

If you do this correctly Swiper will say "Oh, man" and feel dissapointed because he could not get his way. This is a good lesson that teaches kids that stealing is not a good thing to do. To bad Swiper does not get punished for trying to steal, that would make it a bit more realistic.

At the end of each adventure everybody is happy, because Dora completed her adventure and starts singing a song called we did it. This is a fun song and you can sing a long with Dora and dance with her to. Children really like this part, because they feel like they are a part of the show.

Dora the Explorer is a fun experience because you the viewer are part of the adventure. Going on a magical adventure is always so much fun.

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Where to Stay in Istanbul

By Arthur Thomphson

Istanbul can show its two double character when it comes to describing it in details. First you will notice that its an European city with tree-lined boulevards, lots of shopping and chic cafe-bars. On the other hand, it can show you its side of the conservative city which seems to be like another age with its crafting & historical culture, and the most important, capital which unites Christian & Islamic empires in one place.

Being one of the youngest populated cities in Europe, Istanbul has its characteristics of high end living and center for young to enjoy their social atmosphere to the fullest. Even though it is not considered to be an actual capital of Turkey, it has predominant influence on its economy and cultural structure. It is more opened to the modern influence of the bordering European countries and allows foreign products to be sold in shopping centers, restaurants and local service centers.

Istanbul is famously associated with sizzling kebaps and its authentic restaurants. If you really want to experience the Turkish cuisine, then you will find the best restaurants in Beyoglu, Ortakoy and the Bosphorus. You will have enormous fun at Cicek Passage and Nevizade Sokak in Beyoglu. You can enjoy affordable wines, famous Turkish drink raki and enjoy the entertainment at night. If you would like higher-end dining then Ulus and Etiler is the right area for you. You can find many international and gourmet food in these areas.

Since Istanbul has been catering some of the world's best known events like European Cup Final or Formula One Grand Prix, you need to make sure that you arrange accommodations in advance especially during high seasons. To book a room in the hotel requires further research especially the price ranges since they might vary by the area hotel belongs to. If you notice that the rates are extremely high, you can bargain for a lower rate if you are paying cash or booking through their web site.

If you are traveling to Istanbul, some of the best and at the same time worst hotels are located in the area called Sultanahmet which is the heart of Istanbul's tourist area. You can easily find five star and boutique hotels in this area. It is within minutes of walking from Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Aya Sofya. This district presents on-location sense of history. If you are interested in shopping and more business related adventure, you should be looking into staying in Beyoglu, Taksim. Rates here are relatively higher that in other areas because of its location & easy access to Bosphorus & Beyoglu. Beyoglu has the best wining, dining and shopping in the city. Also, getting to/from the historical sights of Old Istanbul from Beyoglu is pretty easy. Suburbs along the Bosphorus can give you an interesting alternative staying in the city center and even cheaper hotels on the Asian side, Kadikoy & Uskudar.

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Steps Towards Having A Successful Wedding Photography

By Geraldine Anderson

Aside from the person who actually conducts your wedding ceremony, possibly the most important element of your wedding is the wedding photographer. This individual has the responsibility of recording your important day and endeavoring to catch every memory on film. It is very important that you see first the work of different photographers so you will be able to choose the best one whose style and vision matches what you would like to have on your wedding day.

For a smooth running photo session, here are a few tips:

1. Construct a list of all of the photos you desire. Name exactly what you want! State exactly who you want pictures of, and at what point and in what setting. It is important to determine the amount of coverage you prefer as well. The wedding day can be segmented into four photographic sessions which are: the pre-wedding photos, the ceremony, the organized set shots or location shoot, and the reception.

2. Talk! Let people know where to be for the photo shoot and when to be there. Be certain that they understand when, where and what to wear.

3. Ensure that both you and the wedding photographer clearly understand what you need, and that everything is stated in writing and that you sign it.

4. Respect the procedures. Of course, this day is yours. However if you are having a chaotic experience, just think about what the photographer is going through trying to capture all of the chaos in the midst of him for a photo. Members of the bridal party, family members, friends, relatives -- everyone is standing around, chatting and generally getting in the way.

Adherence to the preceding outline will allow you to relax while ensuring everything happens as it should. You can make certain that the ceremony begins with no delay and that everybody arrives at the reception with plenty of food to go around. Treat the wedding photographer well, as he has the responsibility for recording your day, and you will like the results.

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Getting The Photography Right On Your Special Day

By Robert Wong

The wedding couple are the two most important people on a wedding day. An excellent idea would be to isolate the couple from the ongoing celebrations so that the photographer can capture the beautiful intimate moments between them and create some everlasting portraits Not only will you get your pictures but this will give they wedding couple some time away from the celebration as well.

Ideally, the photographer would be required to spend a casual amount of quality time with the bride and the groom during the portrait session. But this does not always happen since time is rarely a luxury anyone has; on the actual day. The time taken for pictures can well vary from an hour to no time at all. It can take up to an hour for the photographer to take the pictures.

The photographer will require some time with the bride and groom, but when is a good time?

Most photographers tend to believe that the window before the reception is very suitable for portrait photography, since the couple would still look fresh at that time.

Award winning photographer Bradley Hanson says that sometimes the bride and the groom would want to start the portrait session even before the ceremony. When the bride is getting ready is when he usually starts photographing.

Other photo journalists believe that the right time for a portrait session is just after the couple has exchanged their vows, and are still are evidently feeling the emotions of being newly-wed.

For the perfect actual day session to begin, the newly-weds should set aside some time to spend with the photographer. Finding a polite way to lose the relatives and guests is sometimes hard but is worth the beautiful moments they will cherish for a lifetime.

Too many people trying to take pictures of the newly-weds and crying for attention may very well ruin a good portrait session on the wedding day. So the couple isn't distracted by anyone the photographer will choose to have the couple alone.

Most newly-weds start feeling uncomfortable before the camera when the portrait shoot is going to take place, says Shawna Herring, award winning photographer. To help the couple forget the camera is there, the experienced photographer will try talking to the couple about things other then the portrait shoot.

It is also recommended to choose a day before or after the wedding for the photo shoot and go with the photographer to a different location. To have a good relationship with the photographer this really seems to help loosen them up. In a short time, the couple may even forget the existence of the camera.

There are thousands of reasons why the photographer might not achieve time alone with the wedding couple. The bride and the groom should work together with the photographer to find some alone time so that a really creative portrait session is achieved.

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Event Photography Money Making Ideas

By Willy Wong

One of the many ways you can make money as a photographer is to specialise on events. Christenings, weddings, and lots of other events where people create memories can be lucrative business. The great thing is that all you need is a stack of business cards, and a good camera.

How to do it

Cover only events where it is hard for people to take the pics themselves and where they will want to keep their memories frozen in film.

One idea is to go to kids sports events. Get permission from the coach to click pics for the parents watching and then start clicking away. If you turn up with a great big telephoto lens like the ones used for pro coverage of events, you will be taken seriously. Make sure you get all the children doing great action shots and then hand out flyers to all the kids' parents watching with your web address. If you can grab the parents email address so you can email them the URL of you site then upload the pics to your web site that day and email everyone. If you have a simple shopping cart set up you can make money in a few hours as people pop in to see the pics and buy them for $20 or more a pop.

You can do a similar thing with weddings. Take all the regular pictures as part of the wedding coverage but then get your URL printed on the wedding invites and all the other wedding materials and also get an email list of all the wedding guests, offer the couple a nice 20% discount for doing this and then take lots of extra pics at the wedding of the guests doing all the things they do. Upload all the pics to your site and send the emails. You will then make a lot more money than the 20% discount it cost you because then 20 or 30 people will be also purchasing your pics at $20 or more a shot straight from your site. Charging a higher price for high res pics is also a great money spinner.

The trick is to find a corner in the market where you can excel by being the best photographer in the room, and offering an easy way for people to buy your photos.

Dog shows, fashion shows, horse shows, car shows, livestock competitions, rock shows, - the list goes on. Keep your eye out in the events section of your local paper to see what is happening. Always ask for permission to shoot pics and if you need to offer the people 10% of the income if feel you need to so you can get easy access.

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Wednesday, 30 December 2009

Results Of HGH Pills

By Tom William

Growth hormone test results highlight the lack of growth, decreased activity of the pituitary gland and pituitary tumors. HGH tests are proof of BST hormone, growth hormone suppression test, somatomedin C and growth hormone stimulation test.

BST test is used to detect HGH deficiency and excess. Blood sample to test the BST is taken one hour after sleeping for more accurate readings. Normal level of HGH for men is 5 ng / ml, whereas for women less than 10 ng / ml, and for children is 10 ng / ml for Newborns and the range of 10-40 ng / ml. Higher levels of HGH show gigantism and acromegaly. Indicates reduce the levels of HGH deficiency and dwarfism.

Somatomedin C or insulin-like growth factor is considered as the accurate indicator of the level of HGH in the blood. Somatomedin C test is used to detect abnormalities of the pituitary and acromegaly. The results of blood test is not affected by weather, activity and diet. The result of test for normal levels of HGH in adults is 42-110 ng / ml. 7-110 ng / ml is the ideal result of test for the girls in the group of age 0 - 8, while for boys is 4-87 ng / ml. For girls in the age group 9-10 years, the ideal level is 39-186 ng / ml and for boys is 26-98 ng / ml. In the age group 11-13, the test result is normal for girls 66-215 ng / ml for males and 44-207 ng / ml. Indicates a higher level of HGH gigantism and acromegaly.

Growth hormone stimulation test is also known as insulin tolerance test or arginine, which controls the body? With the ability to produce human growth hormone. A substance known as HGH-releasing factor is used to stimulate HGH. In this test, blood samples, often after the injection of insulin. Growth hormone stimulation test gives more accurate results for a lack of HGH. In this test, the result of normal levels of HGH test is 10 ng / ml. Reduced levels of HGH pituitary shows weakness.

Growth hormone suppression test is also known as a test of glucose load. This test is used to assess the level of base excess human growth hormone. Two different blood samples are taken in this test. The first sample is taken prior to the glucose and the second sample is taken two hours after ingestion of glucose. The level of HGH is based on the glucose load. The normal result of test for the level of HGH is deleted 3 ng / ml. Level deleted HGH base 5 ng / ml shows acromegaly syndrome.

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7 Great Tips on Getting Started - Piano Lessons For Beginners

By Veronica Carrillo

All my subscribers keep posting help desk tickets requesting a lesson on how to play guitar fast. Everyone wants to know the secret, well here it is. Before I start, let me say this, I just turned 29 years old, and for years I have not only studied guitar, but also personal development. Read about Personal Development on Wikipedia to learn more. Basically, it is the study of how to become who you want and achieve the things you want to achieve. Learning different methods, I have learned how to set goals, achieve them and be happy with my successes. The exact same principles apply to the guitar. You must have a goal, lay out a plan to achieve the goal, work hard, and finally achieve it.

Improvising piano is a skill that takes a lifetime to master, yet even a child can do it. Improvising strikes terror in hearts of some yet is the source of bliss for others. Improvising creates music where there was none before, yet it could not exist without the music that came before. Improvising on the piano can be approached many different ways. One of the easiest ways to improvise is to play just the black keys. You cannot miss this way. You can create rhythms (long and short notes), melodies (one note at a time) and harmonies (more than one note at the same time) using just the black keys. Using just the white keys might work, but be aware that there are some notes that do not get along well with other notes. This is dissonance. Some listeners enjoy it-some do not.

For those people who are only interested in guitar playing as a recreation did not have any choice before apart from the traditional lessons. They had to invest a lot of money and time to learn how to play the guitar. The cost of traditional instructor led guitar courses can range from $30.00 to more than $100.00 per hour. They had to allocate their precious time for the guitar lessons. They even need to travel to the location of the guitar classes.

Once you can do it at a slow pace, just keep doing it, until you are totally sick of it, just keep doing it, we are training our muscles the exact motions at a slow vibration level. Once our body adapts to this speed, we can then increase the BPM on our metronome a few clicks, and again do it perfectly for a long time, like 5 minutes. Set your goal to get up to 120BMP. I bet you within a short time, maybe 20-30 minutes you can be there, depending on your skill level.

Now, once you have mastered this simple lick and gone from slow to fast, from 0 to hero, grab some new riffs and do the exact same thing. Set a really slow starting rate, then increase it slowly, set a super high goal, and don't stop till you get there. Some goals may be too challenging, but don't be discouraged, as Zig Ziglar says: "If you can believe it, you can achieve it".

Improvising is the easiest way to play the piano and there are a number of ways to approach it. The challenging part is being patient and kind to yourself while you become aware of what works and what does not work; what you like and what you don't like; what you know and still want to learn.

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The Fun Of The Top Online Casino Games

By Simon M Skinner

Once you're able to experience all the enjoyment that revolves around online casino games, you'll have a hard time going to your local one. The digital age is upon us and now that you can gamble online, there are many more options available. It allows you to not only play more games, but also use different tactics then the ones you see in the real world.

Table Games

An important thing to remember with table games like craps or roulette is that these games have a large deal in chance. While certain tactics may help, they are not a guarantee. You may win two or lose two regardless of tactics.

One of the first places people go to for table games is the roulette wheel. You can bet on a number, on the corners, on the sides, odds and evens, black and red, green 0 and double 0, as well as a few others. There are so many different angles to take here it really comes down to where the best odds are and how you can utilize them to your advantage. Your best bet in the beginning is to bet on either red or black.

Online casino games like craps have many different betting possibilities, so you will always want to look at which bets have the highest chances of winning with the highest payouts. Your best option is to place the best that give the house the lowest edge.

Card Games

Some of you may want to take your game to the card games. Over the years blackjack has been one of the main stays that allowed people to get some good action. However, in the last decade games like Holdem, Omaha, and H.O.R.S.E. have become increasingly popular due to the media attention on ESPN.

Most of the time you will see many newbies at the Holdem tables trying to bluff there way to victory. This happens all the time in the online world, and in order to combat it you have to have a specific strategy. Even though you can't see your opponents face, it's important to watch their betting habits. Each one of them could be the difference between a big win and bigger loss.

Slot Machines

Slot machines, much like table games, are random and left to chance. However, there are techniques that have proven to increase your chances of winning, because slot machines have a puzzle or mathematical element involved.

Obviously you want to keep a budget, but the best option is to play the maximum amount on the slot machine you choose. Keep track of your budget so you don't over spend if things don't go your way. Anyone who plays the online slots swears by this and it's helped many individuals win huge pots.

You will find that most people play the pennies and nickels in order to play longer. However, most people don't win big amounts and eventually lose their money. If this sounds like you we suggest hitting the higher slots. Even if it's only a quarter or fifty cents a spin, you'll have more success.

All online casino games deal with chance and tactics, with some more than others. But it is best to look at the odds you have of winning to determine whether they are worth it or if the tactics will even make a difference. Keep in mind that online casino gambling is very addictive and it is important to make wise decisions when playing online casino games.

Online casino games are great fun. You can play for fun or play for money. Give them a try!

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How You Can Attract More Customers In Your Photography Business

By Andy Acmond

If you own a business or specifically a photography business of course you would always want to have more customers. Ideally you would want all your business to come from referrals.But if you are just starting your photography business that would be a tall order.That is why in this article we are going to talk about the ways you can get customers to go to your photography business especially if you are just starting your business.

First of all you have to network and get your name out there.All the network of your immediate circle of people know someone who will get married in the near future.The more people you tell it to then the larger your chance landing a photography gig. Of course this is mainly for getting wedding photography jobs but it could apply for other areas as well. In my San Diego wedding photographer business that is how I was able to generate my first clients.

Another you can do is establish your presence in the internet.This would be good to bring in different kinds of customers but the best impact this can have is on your commercial type of work.Businesses will trust you more if you are established already in the internet. That is how I am able to land good commercial jobs for my San Diego commercial photographer service.

Knowing all the big events that will be happening in your city is the last tip I can give you in bringing more customers to your business.All these big events would have the need for a photographer that would cover the events itself.The earlier you get to know the schedule will be an advantage to your competitors.

This has helped me do a lot of different events for my San Diego event photography service.If you can let people know that you are available on the said date then the better your chances of landing the job.

There goes some of the ways in bringing in more customers to your photography business.Just like in any kind of business you have to spread the word to get more customers.If you would just follow these instructions you can have more customers.

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G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra - The Most Awaited Movie of The Year.

By Saisha Jones

Have you been a G.I JOE fan all along? Were you anticipating yet another G.I JOE movie with all the action & the adventure?



You will be happy to know that the most awaited film of the year is back with a bang. Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing), G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra stars an interesting young cast including Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), Channing Tatum (Public Enemies), Joseph Gordon-Levitt ((500) Days of Summer), Marlon Wayans (Dance Flick), Rachel Nichols ("Alias") and Ray Park (X-Men) as well as veteran actors Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point) and Christopher Eccleston (Gone in Sixty Seconds).

The filming of the movie took place in Downey, California and Prague's Barrandov Studios, and six different companies handled the visual effects. G.I Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a 2009 American live-action film adaptation of the G.I. Joe toy franchise, the story follows two American soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, who join the G.I. Joe Team after being attacked by MARS troops.

In the beginning of the plot of the movie the Scotsman Klan McCullen is accused of selling weaponry to both the Scots and French. Rather than being executed for treason, the jury brands his face with a white-hot mask in order to humiliate him. A nanotechnology-based weapon capable of destroying an entire city is created by weapons expert James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston) in the near future. His company MARS sells four warheads to NATO, and the U.S. Army is tasked with delivering the warheads. Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are delivering the warheads when they are ambushed by the Baroness (Sienna Miller), who Duke recognized to be his ex-fiance Ana Lewis. Duke and Ripcord are rescued by Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). The warheads are taken to The Pit, G.I. Joe's command center in North Africa, and upon arriving rendezvous with General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), the head of the G.I. Joe Team. Hawk takes command of the war-heads and excuses Duke and Ripcord, only to be convinced to have them join his group after it is revealed that Duke & Baroness know each other.

Armed with the coolest hi-tech gadgets and weapons, including jaw-dropping accelerator and camouflage suits, G.I. JOE is the last line of defense against those intent on world domination. The G.I. Joe team travels the world from the Egyptian desert to the polar ice caps and the streets of Paris in a high stakes pursuit of COBRA, an evil international organization threatening to use a technology that could bring the world to its knees.

February 11, 2008 marked the beginning of the filming of this movie in Los Angeles, California. Paramount needed a large stage to get production underway as soon as possible, so the Downey sound-stage was chosen. The first two levels of the Pit were built there, to complement the rest of the building which would be done with special effects. Downey also housed his legitimate weapons factory in an ex-Soviet state; Destro's MARS base in the Arctic, as well as two G.I. Joes manned various submarines interiors, including a SHARC (Submersible High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft).

Six different visual effects companies worked in The Rise of Cobra, the most prominent being Digital Domain, which handled the Paris action, sequences and the opening convoy sequence. For the Eiffel Tower destruction, a special code for depicting how the crumbling metal works was written. To create the digital Eiffel Tower, the technicians had access to the original building plans, and built a digital model so complex that could not fit in a single file.The nanomites used two different proprietary software for their depiction, one by Digital Domain, and another by, which also created tools to generate 3D cloud and sky environments for the aerial scenes. Many scenarios were almost fully developed by computer-generated imagery, such as the landing platform of the Pit, the Cobra ice caverns, and the final underwater battle.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a mind-blowing movie with all the latest effects & adventures. G.I JOE was the biggest hit which ruled the box office for years & its sequel is creating a widespread craze all over.

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Tuesday, 29 December 2009

How Anyone Can Become Clairvoyant

By Madeleine Cole

Have you ever thought you could become clairvoyant? You can, but first, you need to understand clearly what clairvoyance is. What does it mean to be clairvoyant? In fact, this is one of the most interesting areas of the paranormal, and it's a topic of discussion as well. Talk shows often include clairvoyant guests who have apparently been able to look into the audience and diagnose sickness, solve crimes, or even tell someone how many children he or she would eventually have.

Those who have the power of clairvoyance are said to be using an extra sense that the rest of us do not possess. This sense enhances their knowledge giving them a window into the future and past and allowing them to see and hear events before they happen or in some cases to look at events that happened in the past.

Clairvoyance works because those who have the power have learned to connect with the universe on a more spiritual level instead of a logical level. By opening up their minds and their spirit, the world around them becomes clearer, allowing them to see on a deeper level than we do not perceive.

Would you like to become clairvoyant yourself? Some people can become clairvoyant once they've had a near death experience or a deep spiritual awakening of some sort. The rest of us will probably have to do this by practicing first -- in other words, practice makes perfect.

To begin, access your own clairvoyant skills as they exist now. How developed are they? In fact, everyone is born with at least some of this talent, but as we grow into adulthood, we learn to 'squelch' this talent because it's not particularly valued by society. Most children have these perceptions and abilities when they're young, but are told to 'grow up' and 'stop imagining things' as they get older, which naturally puts the kibosh on this most natural and valuable talent. And that means that as most of us grow into adulthood, our childhood talents in clairvoyants and other similar skills fall away as we learn to ignore them.

If you want to reclaim your clairvoyant powers as they exist inside you, meditation can help you increase self-awareness and let you access these thoughts freely. Meditation also allows you to let daily stresses and negative beliefs and thoughts fall away, so that once you've released them, you become clearer and do not let them reenter your life.

Instead, focus on clearing your thoughts and allowing the universe to give you information about what is to come. It is important as you start to become clairvoyant to not try to force yourself to see or hear something. The universe knows exactly what information you need and it will send it to you. Embrace it and learn from it. When starting out what you will see might be simply an image or a voice speaking, a color, an emotion or even a brief vision of an event unfolding.

As you learn to trust your clairvoyant instincts and you become more secure in what you see, feel, hear, etc. as you meditate, this information, these visions and sounds that come to you will become sharper, clearer, and give you a better understanding of what's going on. You're what, too, can be a great tool that can help you explore your spiritual connection to the universe, and you can also expand your knowledge of the symbols and signs often found in clairvoyant pursuits by reading books, articles and other information on clairvoyance.

As you become clairvoyant, tarot cards, palm readings, interpreting dreams and learning to scry for meaning, can help you better make sense of what you see and hear. Talking to other clairvoyants is also useful at seeing how far your talent could grow.

Clairvoyant individuals have released the negatives from their life. To do this you might need to take a deeper look at your home, work, family and other environments and do some tweaking. If objects in your home cause a bad vibe or shudder to run through your body, then cleansing the aura of your home might be necessary to release any lingering negative emotions that are hanging around. The same with an office coworker who gives you chills or if you sense anger coming from a relative.

An aura cleansing does no harm to anyone it just purges a negative or stagnant energy. Keeping a crystal in your home and imaging yourself covered in white light when you sense a negative energy can help you refocus and purge these energies. Make sure to keep your chakra cleansed this will allow you to resist any negative energies that are an unavoidable part of your live.

In order to be clairvoyant, you have to believe that you have this power. If you have low self-esteem or you doubt your abilities, take heart; you can work on this low self-esteem and negativity in order to fully develop clairvoyant powers. However, you must be clear in order to trust them fully -- and trust yourself, too. Practice daily affirmations and learn to listen to that small internal voice or other internal cues so that you develop trust in yourself.

Once you have developed these clairvoyant powers, you'll see how much is available to you that was previously unknown. In some cases, famous clairvoyants can become celebrities themselves, and can become authors of books on the craft, doing celebrity readings, or making television appearances.

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Washington Offense In A State Of Flux

By Ross Everett

The Washington Redskins are a mess right now. Head coach Jim Zorn has a tenuous hold on his job at best and after Sunday's---6 loss to Kansas City was stripped of his offensive play calling duties. Management installed newly hired 'offensive consultant' Sherman Lewis as the new offensive play caller and the team has set up an awkward arrangement for him to get the plays to the quarterbacks. For that reason, starting QB Jason Campbell has some serious misgivings about the efficacy of the setup.

Lewis has only been out of retirement and with the team for two weeks, and has spent this week trying to ingest a crash course on the Redskins' offensive schemes. While he was learning on the job, head coach Zorn was trying to put the best spin possible on the situation':

"I need to have composure. I need to understand what the reality of the situation is, and I think our players expect me to rise up. We expect them to play under adverse conditions. We expect them to risk it all. ... I'm conscious of what's going on. I'm not naive about what's going on, and yet I have to just hold back on any feelings and make the decisions."

Quarterback Campbell is more concerned about the convoluted system of getting plays from Lewis to him:

"There'll probably be a couple of plays I have in my head just in case if some reason it doesn't get in on time."

Here's how things are supposed to work-Lewis will sit in the coaches' box above the field and read the plays off a sheet. While Lewis has years of experience working in the so called 'West Coast Offense', Zorn left doubt that he really knows what he's doing at this point stressing that Lewis "doesn't know the protections" and "doesn't know the blitz schemes." Nevertheless, he'll be running the offense when the Redskins take on Philadelphia this Monday night.

Once Lewis figures out what to call, that's when it really gets tricky. He'll relay the plays via headset not to Zorn but to offensive coordinator Sherman Smith. Smith will then inform the quarterback what to run. Zorn is left in the role of a passive bystander on offense, though he will listen in to the playcalling on his headset.

Backup quarterback Todd Collins also shared his concern with the new arrangement:

"It is unsettling. I've never gone through this before. I've never had a play caller get changed in the middle of the season."

Lewis didn't exactly evoke a lot of confidence upon his hiring, where he revealed that he'd been calling bingo games at a seniors' center to kill time since his retirement in 2004. Still, Collins gave him a guarded vote of confidence;

"I know he's been studying last year's game against the Eagles and seems to have a pretty good idea how he wants to call the game this week. It's the same plays. He might coach them a little differently or highlight some different areas, but the offense hasn't gone under an overhaul or anything like that."

The Redskins haven't scored more than 17 points in a game this season, so maybe the thinking is that things can't get any worse.

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The True Story Of The Ali/Inoki Fight

By Ross Everett

While mixed martial arts fighting has only recently become popular in the United States, contests between fighters of different martial arts disciplines have taken place in Japan for many years. They weren't called "mixed martial arts" until recently, but they were definitely an embryonic form of the now booming sport. Many of the most famous events of this type took place in Japan during the'70's involving pro wrestling legend Antonio Inoki.

Before and after his matchup against Muhammad Ali, Inoki would frequently compete against other martial artists in what are widely accepted to be "worked" (ie: having a predetermined outcome) matches. Inoki fought boxer Chuck Wepner, judo Gold Medalist Wilhelm Ruska and world karate champion Willie Williams among others. His most famous match internationally, however, was against Ali.

There's a great deal of uncertainty about many of the stories surrounding how the event came together and transpired, but a few facts are now known. Ali took the fight as it was a large and presumptively easy paycheck. The big money he was earning is what kept him from walking out when his camp started to disagree with Inoki's handlers over the rules and 'finish' fo the fight. Some suggest that it was supposed to be a fair fight going in, but Ali at the last minute insisted on rules more favorable to him. The more likely version of events is that Ali's handlers agreed to a predetermined finish, only to have Ali balk at the last moment.

The rules that were in place on fight night were so ridiculously one sided in favor of Ali that it almost defies belief. Inoki wasn't allowed to hit Ali with a closed fist, nor strike him in the head at all. He was also prohibited from using any sort of choke or submission maneuver. Most problematically, he was prohibited from trying to take Ali to the ground. In other words, Inoki was basically not permitted to do anything that would threaten Ali with any sort of physical harm.

The result was an absolutely horrible fight. Neither man showed much interest in engaging the other, with Inoki spending most of the time on the ground doing what he could under the one sided rules. Inoki threw kicks at Ali's legs, Ali threw an occasional jab and tried to protect himself from his opponent's leg strikes. The fight ended a 74-74 draw, with the real losers being the fans.

An interesting postscript to the fight is that the referee was former pro wrestler "Judo" Gene Labell, a legit tough guy whom some have suggested could have beaten up both Ali and Inoki at the same time despite his advanced age. Had he chosen to do so, it would certainly have been welcomed by those watching the fight live and on closed circuit.

In the aftermath of the fight, Inoki's popularity was greater than ever--in a perverse way he was something of a hero due to his trying to fight despite the rules being stacked so soundly against him. He remained one of the country's most popular professional wrestlers and even enjoyed a career in Japan's parliament. Without missing a beat, he quickly resumed his series of fights against other martial artists who were apparently all more comfortable with the "worked" environment of pro wrestling. Among his "victims" was none other than Leon Spinks, presumably serving as some sort of vindication for his draw with Ali. The popularity of these matches led to a number of promotions that were essentially hybrids of martial arts and pro wrestling, and these led to the big Japanese MMA promotions of today.

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College Football Flashback: 2008 SEC Championship Game

By Ross Everett

The Florida Gators would go on to win the NCAA Football Championship, but it was a 31-20 victory over #1 ranked Alabama in the SEC championship game that got them there. The Gators scored-- 4th quarter points to secure victory in a contest that was an epic struggle for three quarters with five lead changes and two ties.

The Gators struck first, taking a 7-0 lead on a three yard Tim Tebow TD pass to Carl Moore. The Crimson Tide quickly answered, tying the score on an eighteen yard run by Glen Coffee and taking their first lead of the game at 10-7 several minutes later on a 30 yard FG by Leigh Tiffin. Florida came right back in the second quarter, tying the game on a Jonathan Phillips' yard FG and taking a 17-10 lead into the halftime break on another Tebow TD pass, this one to David Nelson from five yards out. Alabama regained control in the third quarter, tying the score on a 2 yard Mark Ingram touchdown run and then regaining the lead at 20-17 in the final seconds of the period on another Tiffin field goal. Florida put them away for good in the fourth, however, on a 1 yard Jeffrey Demps TD run followed by Tebows third touchdown strike of the day.

Junior quarterback Tim Tebow was the big star for the Gators. The junior QB had 216 yards passing with 3 TDs and no interceptions plus fifty seven yards on the ground. Florida head coach Urban Meyer praised Tebow effusively in his post game comments:

"I've had some great players, and I've got some great players on this team. But I've never had one like this. Tim's got something special inside him. I'm not talking about throwing. I'm not talking about running. I'm talking about making everyone around him better. That fourth quarter was vintage Tim Tebow.

Alabama coach Nick Saban agreed:

"He's a great competitor. He takes his teammates on his shoulders a lot. They have a lot of confidence he's going to make plays, and they play that way. They scored two touchdowns where we had them covered about as well as we could cover them."

The conventional wisdom is that the Gators are a speed and finesse team, but according to cornerback Joe Haden the world has underestimated their toughness:

"Our team is a tough team. The only reason they look past our toughness is our speed. They said we were a speed team and they were a tough team. We're just as tough. We can still be pretty and fast and tough at the same time."

Even in defeat, it was impossible to overlook the remarkable resurgance of Alabama football. In only two years at the helm, Nick Saban has amassed a'-7 record at Alabama with no signs of slowing down.

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Future Book Betting Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

By Ross Everett

Betting on sports 'futures' is an enjoyable and potentially profitable way to wager, but there are several potential risks that can lead to losses. Here's a rundown of things to avoid:

Search for the best price: A common mistake is to assume that the price on a specific futures wager position will be the same at every sportsbook. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, you'll often see a greater degree of difference between futures prices from book to book than any other form of bet. This is because that books aren't as worried about what price other outfits are offering as they are about keeping their own financial position balanced.

In a competitive field, don't obsess with picking the winner: This may sound like a strange concept, but once you understand the theory behind it it makes perfect sense. In a large field--the NCAA basketball tournament is a perfect example--the top few favorites are invariably priced at odds that are less than the 'true odds' of them winning. On the other hand, there are always teams that fly 'under the radar' available at higher prices that present a betting overlay.

In more theoretical terms, the 'true odds' of a Duke or similar top team winning the tournament are almost always higher than the price offered. Think of it this way--say we're betting Duke to win the national title at 2/1. This means that the Blue Devils would have to win more than 33% of the time to break even. So lets say, for the sake of argument, that we could play the tournament over 100 times. Would Duke come out on top more than 33 of these times? If not, they represent a poor value. Let's say that they win 30 of 100 times. This means that any price under +333 or thereabouts is a poor wagering value.

Note that the more competitive the market, the more difficult it is to find good value on the favorites. Since you can make a case for quite a few teams to win the NCAA tournament at this point this particular futures market is clearly a very competitive one. In a less competitive marketplace it might be possible to "pick the winner" and have it be a good value though you will pay a price for this. Here's a (thankfully) hypothetical example: let's say the UFC decided to hold a one night round robin tournament with 5 competitors. Competitor #1 would be heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The other four competitors would be professional figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Rudy Gallindo, Brian Boitano and Evgeni Plushinko. Even if he didn't bring his "A game", Lesnar would be essentially have a 100% certainty of beating the four untrained fighters, who also happen to be rather effeminate. If a sportsbook installed Lesnar as a -1000 favorite a bet on the 63 265 pound takedown would still be theoretically a good value. It's always difficult to risk so much to win a little, but from a strictly theoretical standpoint its a good play.

Don't get seduced by big underdogs: Sports betting is not a place to make the "big killing". It may happen occasionally, but more often it doesn't. While a sports book might offer a huge price on a cellar dwelling team to win the World Series, the big payback does not mean its a good value. On a practical level, there's probably nothing wrong with throwing a few bucks on a wager like this with a huge payback if the impossible occurs. My only problem with this is that making too many bets like this just perpetuates bad sports betting habits. If you're strictly a recreational player, no big deal. If you aspire to bet professionally, or at least want to pursue it with some degree of seriousness I've always maintained that you need to develop discipline that's not situational. In other words, if you want to be a serious sports bettor you need to approach it with a consistent level of seriousness at all times. If you want to chase a huge, life altering jackpot go to Las Vegas and play the Megabucks slots or buy a Powerball ticket.

Simply stated, the concept of value works the same at the bottom of the wagering ladder as it does at the top. Even if you're betting a big underdog at a huge price make sure that it accurately reflects the 'true odds' of the event occurring.

Don't waste your money on ridiculous prop bets: Occasionally sports books offer ridiculous bets to get press or to be funny. For example, a book once offered odds on Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Bruce Willis all hopping into bed together and releasing a video tape of the proceedings. You'd no doubt get a huge payback were this to happen, but the 'true odds' of such an event transpiring far exceeded even a big potential payback.

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Monday, 28 December 2009

Use Airsoft Guns For Unlimited Fun

By Anthony Carter

Individuals who are good at online shooting games can make use of the airsoft guns to have unlimited shooting fun without harming anyone. These guns are non-lethal and replica of the actual fire weapons. The guns are usually of smaller size than the actual firearms. However, some of them are created to replicate the actual size.

These guns were first created in Japan for providing a non-lethal firearm to the passionate gun users and the bullets used in the guns were plastic pellets. These guns were used for events like shooting competitions and games. The sources of energy used to power these airsoft guns were electricity, gas, and springs. The first of these guns were powered by the spring option.

In spite of the fact that the guns are of non-lethal nature there are certain laws in some countries regarding the possession and usage of these guns. However, majority of the countries do not have any kind of laws for the usage and possession of the airsoft guns. These guns are issued to all individuals who satisfy the age requirement. Only important thing regarding usage of these guns is to follow the safety guidelines.

To have maximum fun during the usage of the airsoft guns, the accessories associated with these guns need to be used by the individuals. The addition of the accessories that provides the required amount of fun in the event can be done with the use of weapon enhancements, goggles, war uniforms, and other accessories.

They provide great shooting experience to its users with realistic body count during the event. The most popular airsoft gun is of the laser type and can be easily purchase online. All the accessories of this gun are included with the purchase. The individual using the gun needs to equip the items and go out for a shooting session in quick time.

These airsoft guns shooting sights can be found at many different places. Once the gun comes in the possession of the individual, he can take part in the events and have fun dodging bullets, running, using assault tactics, and participating in similar kind of activities. The events can also have many team activities to provide that additional amount of fun while using these guns.

While having fun it is important that the individuals put enough stress on the safety features as well. The loaded airsoft gun should be handled with utmost care. While shooting, individuals should make sure that they aim at official targets. It has been found that accidental firing can be dangerous for others as there are chances of physical harm like damage to eyes and teeth's. The guns should not be used to shoot at unofficial targets.

The airsoft guns can create a situation of panic if displayed in public places. The main reason is that these guns are very much similar to the original firearms. This calls for proper use of these guns in all locations. Children should be kept away from these guns. There can be a situation where the children are suspended from the school due to the airsoft gun usage. The guns should be kept away from the children until and unless sufficient adult supervision is provided.

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Which Surround Sound Will Best Suit Your Home Theater Viewing Room

By Matt Thames

Hooking up a TV and making it sound the way you want it to can be a little tricky, but can be very fun if you follow a few simple steps. There is nothing quite a cool as being able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor after completing a task that is not easy and takes a little time.

There are several things to consider when looking at a surround sound system for your home, not the least of which is cost. Based on the manufacturer, and type of system, some surround systems can be quite expensive. While it is not necessary to break the back when choosing a system for your home, you should be aware that the more money you spend, it is likely that you will get a better quality sound for your home theater.

If you do not want to go through the hassle of determining what components you need, what type of speakers, how many speakers, how much wiring, the easiest solution is a pre-packaged home surround sound system. There are several options available when looking for a pre-packaged system, so you should have an idea of what you are looking for before you make a decision.

There are several types of packaged surround sound systems. The least complicated system is the sound bar. The sound bar is one center speaker, usually placed above or below your television, which simulates the surround sound experience. The sound bar has speakers for the multiple channels that are used to create the surround sound experience, and the package typically comes with a separate sub-woofer for the bass. In this setup you only need to worry about connecting the two speakers, which are generally kept close to the tuner, so there is little issue with the wiring.

Another option for your surround sound system is a 5.1 channel system. The 5.1 system is made up of 6 speakers. Three separate channel speakers are placed in the front of the room, above and on both sides of the television. The sub-woofer is usually placed in the front of the room as well, on the floor by the television. The remaining two speakers are placed in the back of the room, on opposite sides of the viewing area. This is the most common surround sound system, available with several different options, including wireless rear speakers.

For those interested in getting the newest, mostly highly advanced home surround sound system, the 7.1 channel system is the way to go. This system includes all of the speakers found in the 5.1 channel system, with the addition of two speakers for the middle of the room. If you have a Blu-ray player the 7.1 channel system is ideal, since it will make full use of the enhanced audio tracks that are provided by the Blu-ray player.

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Subconscious Mind Power - An Incredible Resource!

By Ronald Bigley

Remember the phrase 'if you build it, they will come'? It's true " at least when you phrase it like this: if you think it, it will happen. Basically, if you can conceive it in your mind, it can come true.

You already have all of the power you need to change everything about your life for the better " it's inside of you; in your subconscious mind. In fact, your mind is much more powerful than you've probably ever imagined. It can heal you, help you to transcend the physical world and to make yourself feel the heights of elation or the depths of despair. If you could learn to control your subconscious mind power, you can do things you've only imagined.

Skeptical? It's perfectly understandable, but subconscious mind power is absolutely real. Just consider the placebo effect for a moment. When clinical trials are performed to test new medications, there are always two groups of participants in the study " people given a placebo and people given the drug itself. Both sets of participants are told about what the drug can do as well as about the side effects which may occur.

For this reason, you find the experimental and control groups reporting much the same effects in clinical trials, since both groups know what the medication being tested is supposed to do. Regardless of whether the participants are being given the real medication or not, they think that they are and their mind essentially fools the body into feeling the purported effects of the medication.

For this reason, some physicians would rather not tell patients about the side effects of a given drug when prescribing it for the first time. Since they know that the power of suggestion can cause their patients to experience these effects, they may omit these details to prevent this from happening.

The power of suggestion is one of the best ways to tap into your subconscious mind power. If the placebo effect works in the world of medicine, you can put it to work for your own self improvement as well. Suggestion is among the most effective means of communicating with the subconscious mind and gaining access to the full potential of your mind power.

Many people find visualization to be a useful technique to get in touch with their subconscious mind power. Best of all, visualization is easy to do. You can simply close your eyes and try to 'view' anything that you want in your mind's eye.

You can also use a method which many find to be very effective either in conjunction with visualization techniques or all by itself. This is to have a physical image of your goal around to remind you of it and to help you to focus your thoughts. Let's say that you'd like a particular car. You can find a picture of this car or best of all, a photograph of yourself with this car. Keep the photo somewhere that you'll see it every day. The more often you see the picture, the stronger of a focus you'll be able to develop on this goal in your mind and the more of your subconscious mind power you can bring to bear on your objective.

While some people have known that these techniques work for some time now, it is only in the last few years that we've come to see exactly how these methods may work.

There is an idea which comes from quantum physics that says that matter isn't set into a particular state unless or until there is an observer there to see it. It is already known that all matter is at its most basic essence pure energy " and it seems that our subconscious mind power may be able to influence matter.

It seems that it may be less that we are made by the universe as that we make our universe. If this is true; and it is increasingly gaining mainstream scientific acceptance, subconscious mind power may have the capability to reshape the world around us.

There have always been religions which have held the belief that our own minds create the world and the universe. Now, science has started to approach this idea from its own standpoint. No matter what (if any) religious beliefs you may hold, you're probably a believer in the laws of physics.

Obviously, you'd want to use your subconscious mind power to change the world if you had the ability. It just takes learning to harness your mind power instead of letting it have control over you. You can get started by using affirmations and visualizations to reach your subconscious and let the power of your own mind help you to achieve your goals. Begin with a small goal and as your subconscious mind power grows stronger, you'll find it easier and easier to make the things you want a reality.

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Hints For Saving Money On Wedding Photography

By Sammy Shaw

Wedding photographs set the stage for long time memories and very few brides wish to take the cheap route where this is concerned. Although we are hesitant to offer advice to try to save money on your wedding photos, with professional wedding photography prices skyrocketing, not all brides can find the money for such services.

There are some answers here for the budget minded bride on how to save cash on your wedding pictures:

1.) Search Among Your Family or Friends for a Photographer. There is certain to be somebody who is into photography and owns better equipment than ordinary folks normally have. Try to find a relation who takes good photos and you can ask him to help out. You should employ the services of the persons who are willing to assist to trim your wedding expenses. If you do find somebody, be sure to speak with them in advance and make him/her aware of any particular poses you desire.

(2) Check with your local college or university for a photography student. They will love to have an opportunity to work an event and have something to put in their portfolio. Sure they are amateurs, but that means they will have a different view and will bring new creative ideas to give you some unique photos.

3. Providing your attendees with single-use cameras is another alternative. At every table, provide a themed single-use camera in order for attendees to snap pictures. You'll get pictures taken from a variety of viewpoints, and you can select your favourites. Appoint a single person to collect the cameras and have the pictures brought in for developing.

(4) If you must have a professional do the job, shop around and contact several photographers for quotes. Tell them you are trying to stay to a strict budget and see what they can do for you. You may well be pleasantly surprised by their reaction. Cutting back on the amount of photos taken will also help you stay within your photo budget.

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How Anyone Can Become A Remote Viewer

By Jason Faux

Have you ever wondered what your life might be like if you were a remote viewer? If this is something you haven't done before, it's hard to describe the experience and even harder to really understand what it's like.

As a remote viewer, you can see any place, any person or any object anywhere in the universe at any time in the past, present or future. You can see what's going on around the corner or view the signing of the Magna Carta. You could look into the future to see what's coming a hundred years from now. When you're the remote viewer, there is no limit to what you can uncover.

Anyone in the world can be a remote viewer however, for many they seem to have forgotten or lost their extra senses of perception. There are many different types of extra senses that the majority of humans have let go to waste or perhaps they never had the opportunity to learn more or practice their innate and natural mind powers.

Remote viewing often takes place with the remote viewer focusing on a target which they are completely unfamiliar with. In remote viewing studies, subjects practices remote viewing with no frame of reference as to what they would be viewing other than a codeword referring to the location's coordinates on a map unknown to the subjects.

However, this does not mean that you cannot remote view in an area that you are familiar with although you are not in that location at the time of the practice or test session of remote viewing. Many governments have poured millions of dollars into investigating the power of the mind such as remote viewing. Remote viewing is a term that falls under the umbrella term of paranormal or psychic, as does lucid dreaming, astral travel and other psychic abilities.

Interestingly enough, being a remote viewer is not something altogether out in left field or strangely odd, since it is something that we are all capable of doing. Whether we know it or not we do have what it takes inside us to enhance and develop our natural born abilities, these do include being a remote viewer.

What Do You Do To Enhance And Develop Your Natural Remote View Abilities?

Remote viewing, like all other psychic abilities are based on your mind power. You need to condition your mind to use its untapped potential and there are several different techniques which can be used to learn remote viewing. Meditation and guided visualization can help you to achieve the necessary state of mind to use remote viewing.

You will want to take the time to get good and relaxed while learning and practicing the various types of meditation and visualization until you find just the right ones that work best for you. Keep in mind that it will take time and effort, therefore you should not become impatient or irritable with yourself while you are trying to achieve your goals as a remote viewer.

When you're practicing remote viewing, choose a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. Since you need to relax and focus your mind in order to remote view, you'll want to be certain that you won't be interrupted as you train yourself to use your natural remote viewing abilities.

Keep a journal of your remote viewing sessions and write down what tests you give yourself and the results and the details of any images which come to you. This remote viewer logbook is very helpful to you in tracking your progress towards proficiency in this natural ability and determining which techniques perform well for you.

Not many people decide to make the effort to develop them, but all people have natural psychic abilities including remote viewing. All it takes is the right kind of training to bring out these latent abilities and begin to use them consciously.

When you're a remote viewer, the entire universe opens its doors to you. You can see into any place at any time and explore distant galaxies or even find out what's going on next door. There are no limits to what a remote viewer can see; everyone can benefit from developing this inborn sensory ability.

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Sunday, 27 December 2009

UFC 102 Highlighted By Couture/Nogueira Bout

By Ross Everett

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira left a lot of questions unanswered in the wake of his UFC 92 loss to Frank Mir. After the fight it was revealed that hed suffered from a staph infection during training, severe enough to land him in the hospital for five days. He insisted that the loss was entirely attributable to his illness. At UFC 102 from the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, Big Nog made a compelling case that his loss to Mir was a definite aberration. Nogueira dominated a determined Randy Couture over three rounds, en route to a unanimous decision victory over the UFC Hall of Famer.

Nogueira received a respectful welcome from the Rose City crowd, but nothing like the rousing ovation afforded local hero Couture. Couture lived in suburban Gresham, Oregon for a number of years and trained at Team Quest before leaving to start Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

Despite the lopsided outcome of the fight, The Natural gave his fans plenty to cheer about. Though hes no longer able to outwork opponents and earn victories, hes still an amazing physical specimen for a 46 year old man. Furthermore, he still has the amazing toughness and resilience that made him a legend. He was knocked down twice, and came close to being choked out in each of the three rounds. In the first, he fought off a DArce Choke before Nogueira relented to conserve his energy. In the second, he worked out of a dangerous arm triangle choke and in the final frame withstood a ground and pound beating and a rear naked choke attempt.

Couture in no way embarrassed himself, but he never really threatened Nogueira either. After the fight Nogueira expressed his respect for Couture and appreciation for the Portland fans before politely calling out current heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

Earlier in the event, Thiago Silva demonstrated why hes considered among the most underrated fighters in the UFC as he dismantled Keith Jardine. Silva perfectly countered one of Jardines kicks with a nasty straight right hand. He followed up with a quick ground punching barrage before the referee called a halt to the fight early in the first round.

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Bills Uppend Turnover Prone Panthers

By Ross Everett

Carolina Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme is having a season he'd like to forget, and things got even worse on Sunday at home against the Buffalo Bills. Despite dominating the Bills on the stat sheet, Delhomme threw three interceptions that allowed Buffalo to take a 20-9 victory over the struggling Panthers. Delhomme threw for 325 yards, though without any touchdowns. The Panthers dropped to 2-4 while the Bills improved to 3-4.

Buffalo rewarded NFL pointspread players with the outright victory as +7 road underdogs. The Bills have covered four of their seven games this season, while the Panthers have an awful record against the spread-they've only covered once this season for a 1-5 ATS mark. The 29 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 37. Buffalo has gone UNDER in 4 of 7 games this season while Carolina evened their NFL totals mark at 3-3.

The Bills' Terrell Owens was again a non-factor, but gave credit to the defense for earning the victory:

"You can't really complain about a win. Defensively, those guys are keeping us in ballgames."

Buffalo defensive end Chris Kelsay commended his team's performance on the road:

"Never once on the sidelines was there any doubt that we were going to win the game. Regardless if it's an ugly win over not, it's hard to win in this league."

Ryan Fitzpatrick started at QB for Buffalo in place of the injured Trent Edwards and was solid, if not spectacular. Coach Dick Jauron observed:

"He made the plays when we had to make them."

Panthers' coach John Fox has said he's going to're-evaluate' whether the struggling Delhomme should continue to start, and even the quarterback himself couldn't make an emphatic case that he should keep his job:

"In my heart, yeah, but I mean let's be honest, I don't think I'm a dummy. When you're not playing well offensively, you always have to look at the quarterback."

The Panthers' schedule doesn't get easier this week as they head west for a game against the improving Arizona Cardinals. Carolina is a +9 road underdog with the total set at 43'. They'll head south the following week to face the red hot New Orleans Saints before returning home on November 15 to take on the Atlanta Falcons. Buffalo will host the Houston Texans this weekend, with the game currently off the board due to injuries on both teams. They'll have their bye week after that and will return to action on November 15 against the Tennessee Titans.

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MMA Pioneer Helio Gracie Remembered

By Ross Everett

Helio Gracie--patriarch of the legendary Gracie MMA family--died earlier this year in Rio De Janeiro at age 95. His influence on martial arts, and even more so the sport that is known known as mixed martial arts, is staggering. The Gracie family name will forever be synonymous with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA and the UFC due to the accomplishments of Helio Gracie and his progeny.

Helio Gracie began studying martial arts early in life, and by the age of 16 had already begun to teach judo in his native Brazil. While Helio had no problem mastering the theoretical aspects of judo, he found that many of its techniques required a great deal of brute strength which made them less effective for a smaller fighter such as himself. Along with his brother Carlos, he began to adapt many of judos techniques to make them more reliant on leverage rather than strength. This experimentation led to the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) which is often referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in his honor.

Gracie also had a professional fighting career of his own, taking on champions from other fighting disciplines in an early version of modern MMA. These bouts were grueling, unregulated affairs with rules that were often made up as they went along and time limits that seem barbaric by todays standards. By his own recollection, he had 15 fights against the top fighters of his day. These included pro wrestlers, boxers and other martial arts specialists.

Gracie's most famous opponent was against legendary Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura. Gracie fought bravely in a losing cause, and ironically may have enhanced his reputation in defeat. He refused to submit to a reverse arm bar (the move that is now known as a 'kimura' in honor of its inventor), and the fight ended after his brother Carlos threw in the towel after Helio's arm had been broken.

Gracie's greatest impact, however, may have been through his progeny which is an important part of Brazilian sports and mixed martial arts even today. Royce Gracie is well known as the first UFC superstar, while sons Rickson Royler, Renzo have also achieved considerable fame in professional MMA. At the time of his death, Helio Gracie was a 6th Dan Judo black belt and the only living 10th degree master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The cause of Gracies death was officially given as natural causes. His last words will go down as a fitting envoi to a man who gave so much of himself to fighting:

Gracie's last words are as follows:"I created a flag from the sports dignity. I oversee the name of my family with affection and nerves of blood.

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Panthers Derail Struggling Buccaneers

By Ross Everett

Carolina Panthers' quarterback Jake Delhomme struggled on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and was fortunate that his running backs bailed him out. Delhomme threw for only 65 yards with two interceptions, but D'Angelo Williams (152 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (110 yards) kept the chains moving as the Panthers won their second straight game defeating the Bucs 28-21. Tampa Bay has now lost ten straight dating back to last season and are 0-6 for the first time since'85. The fact that they ended up starting that year 0-9 on their way to a 1-15 record doesn't bode well for the rest of the season. Carolina improved to 2-3 with the victory.

NFL sports bettors were faced with a choice between two teams with dismal ATS records in this game, and those who had the guts to take a 1-3 team as a -3 road favorite were rewarded with the cover. It was Carolina's first NFL pointspread cover of the season and left them with a 1-4 record against the number. Tampa Bay has covered one of their six games this year.

Delhomme attempted only seven passes in the second half, but the way Williams and Stewart were running there was no reason to put the ball in the air. Williams said that even though Tampa Bay knew what was coming they couldn't stop the Panthers' running game:

"I'm sure everybody in the stadium knew what we were going to do. There were times they had nine in the box and we were still getting 7 or 8 yards."

There's been little impatience locally with Bucs' rookie head coach Raheem Morris, but his weekly habit of explaining the obvious to rationalize yet another loss is starting to wear thin:

"We got overpowered at the end, and really throughout the game."

Carolina safety Dante Wesley was ejected after clobbering Bucs' return man Clifton Smith after a fair catch call. After the game, Wesley gave this defense for his actions:

"I was just trying to make a play. You can check my record. I've never really tried to hurt anybody. I've never tried to take a cheap shot on anybody."

Wesley could face a possible fine or suspension from the NFL but, in all fairness, it did appear to be a momentary mental lapse as he was trying to make a big play and not a deliberate attempt to injure Smith.

Tampa's schedule has the look of them going from 'the frying pan into the fire' as they host the New England Patriots next Sunday-fresh off of their 57 point drubbing of Tennessee. Carolina has an easier draw, hosting the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. The game is currently off the board pending the status of Bills' QB Trent Edwards who suffered a concussion in Sunday's win over the New York Jets. The Panthers will then play on the road the following two Sundays, traveling to Arizona and New Orleans.

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MMA Flashback: Aoki Beats JZC In Rematch

By Ross Everett

After a controversial no contest in their first matchup, there was no doubt as to the winner of the DREAM 2 rematch between Shina Aoki and JZ Calvan. Aoki controlled the fight from the opening bell and used a wide repertoire of submission attempts to keep his opponent off balance. Most impressive was Aokis dominance of the ground game, which many observers considered to be JZs edge in the contest.

Aoki scored early with a takedown and controlled Calvan on the ground, working a heel lock attempt before taking his opponents back and attempting a rear naked choke. He was never able to complete the hold, but maintained a bodylock on JZC for the rest of the round. In the second, Aoki put on a submission clinic and demonstrated his ungodly flexibility as he spun from an armbar to a triangle choke and back again. Calvan was able to counter or escape, but looked completely out of sync as he generated almost no offense whatsoever over the 15 minutes.

Aoki was very emotional in his postfight speech to the crowd, while JZC just looked disgusted with himself for losing such a one sided contest.

With the victory Aoki advances to the semifinals of the lightweight GP tournament. Thats the plan at least, as Aoki made some statements in the Japanese press leading up to the fight that win or lose there would be no way hed be ready for the next round with only half the preparation time as the rest of the field.

The rest of the card was devoted to the opening round of the middleweight GP tournament. Taiei Kin defeated Minowa-man Ikuhisa Minowa in a very closely contested and entertaining fight. Despite Kin taking a 3-0 unanimous decision (DREAM judges, like their PRIDE predecessors, judge the fight in its entirety) the first round could have gone either way. Minowa was clearly tired in the 2nd, and that likely sealed the deal for Kin.

Korean judoka Yoon Dong-Sik also advanced with a unanimous decision victory over Shungo Oyama. Most of the damage in this fight came from Yoons ground and pound from full mount, and he controlled the tempo from the outset. Two one sided contests followed, with Zeleg Galesic submitting Magomed Sultanakhmadov via arm bar in a minute and a half of the first round. That was followed by the MMA debut of former Pac 10 wrestling standout Ian Murphy, who had a worst case scenario draw against BJJ specialist Ronaldo Jacare.

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Saturday, 26 December 2009

How To Erase Photos From Your Hard Drive

By Trevor Johnson

These step by step instructions will quickly and easily teach you how to erase photos from your hard drive. This is a simple procedure and you'll be able to do this with no trouble at in in no time flat.

You do need to know where the photos want to delete are. Most commonly, if you use the windows operating system, these are in a folder called "my documents". To find this folder, click on the green start the bottom left of the screen and then click on the documents. This will open up a new menu in which my document is an option. Once you have my documents open, the photos you want to remove should be visible.

Air few are at the spot where photos are that you want to delete, click on one of them once in a should turn blue. This is referred to as highlighting, and from here you will want to right click which pulled up another menu. Delete as an option on the screen and you'll want to left click one time sending it to the recycle bin.

Now, you need to exit out of this screen by closing it with the red box in the uppermost right. You should be back on the main screen called her desktop, and look for the rubbish can icon. Right click and select empty recycle bin option. This removes the photos from your hard drive permanently.

You can also use these steps to remove the downloaded photos from e-mails and IMs as well as removable media such as USB memory sticks and external hard drives. You should remove any unwanted pictures as soon as you get them because this helps keep your computer from being too cluttered making of operate less smoothly.

This how to erase photos guide should be able to help you remove photos from your computer and anytime. Although if you want to make ultra sure that no-one can ever get your photos back, you should investigate a secure erase program.

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Wii Homebrew DVD Online Downloading

By James Kelly

Wii is one of the most popular gaming consoles now aside from Microsoft Xbox and Sony PS-3. It has been known that Wii has an edge over the others when it comes to its functionalities and use except for one thing-it was then DVD-lame. However, for the benefits and pleasure of its fans, methods on How to Play DVD on Wii has been done professionally.

There are two methods to simply and safely play DVD on Wii. If you are curious as to who is behind such methods, well, that is thanks for Homebrew. They provide the answer on How to Play DVD on Wii. What does that mean? This time, the said console is more fully developed for DVD playback and that's through the Homebrew function.

In contrast with the past, Homebrew installer software packages now has standard feature for such function already. It can also be done through hardware change in which softmod has been used since that is easier and better. When you talk about softmod, you will then be dealing with two approaches in playing DVD on Wii although others might not anymore be interested in terms of its technical processes.

The two methods mentioned above are first, through accessing the Wii Homebrew Channel. The second is by employing a DVD to Wii Converter or by using the DVD to play DVDs on Wii. We only have these two available methods as of this time but the future has more to bring for Wii-users. As of this time, wii-lovers are simply having fun, enjoying the entertainment that the console offers.

Let us further talk about those methods. In method one, Wii coders gave the console what it lacked before-a DVD playback, by installing a small, hidden channel on a system which blesses the console with a libdi file or DVD access library and allows you to view videos with the MPlayer application or the open source media player. In this method, you have to download a homebrew video player, copy them to an SD card, and use the Homebrew Channel to apply a two-second patch. Once installed, you can then pop into the Mplayer app from the Homebrew Channel, put a video DVD in the drive, and your favorite video will be right infront of you in no time. However, one has to take note that there's a corresponding risk on the Wii if you do something wrong.

The second method is easier and safer. What you need in this method is a DVD to Wii Converter and an SD card. The process is surely easy. You have to convert DVD to Wii supported format first, and then copy the converted DVD to your SD card. After such process, play the converted DVD on the Wii with the SD card plugged in to the wii and bingo, you'll have a lot of fun. The two methods are both great; it's up to you which one you like better.

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