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August 8, 2011

History of Cricket

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 2:43 pm

It may come as a surprise to those who have not learned the history of cricket, but it is now believed that Cricket really started in Saxon or Norman times as a children?s game played by children living in the area called the Weald of Kent in what is today Kent and Sussex in South East England . It was not taken up as an adult game until the start of the 17th century.

The first documented reference to the game in the history of cricket is to be discovered in the records of a 1598 court case concerning a disagreement over a school’s ownership of a plot of land. A 59-year old coroner, John Derrick, testified that he and his school friends had played ‘creckett’ on the site fifty years earlier.

The school was the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and Mr Derrick’s report proves beyond reasonable doubt that the game was being played in Surrey around 1550.

The first mention of it being played as an adult sport was in 1611, when two men in Sussex were prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday instead of going to church. This was in the same year that a dictionary defined cricket as a boys’ game and this implies that adult participation was a recent development.

With all the recent press coverage of the pressure of gambling upon the outcome of cricket matches, it is astonishing that historically, gambling played a very substantial part in the development of the game in England. Cricket had definitely become a major gambling sport by the end of the 17th century.

There is a newspaper account of a “great match” played in Sussex in 1697 which was 11-a-side and played for the high stakes of 50 guineas a side. 50 guineas would be the equal of GBP5,000 to GBP 6,000 in today?s terms.

The present day system of County teams came about as a result of well-off gamblers forming their own teams in order to fortify their bets and began to employ local experts from village cricket as the first professionals. It is believed that the first ?County? game took place in 1697 between Sussex and another county.

Cricket was introduced to North America via the British colonies in the 17th century, and in the 18th century it spread to other regions of the British dominated world. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists and to India by the British East India Company in the first half of the century.

The early colonists took it to Australia soon after 1788 followed by New Zealand and South Africa in the early years of the 19th century.

It might come as a shock to lots of people that the very first International cricket game took place between the United States and Canada in 1844 (Canada won by 23 runs) and the very first overseas tour was by a party of leading English professionals who toured North America in 1857.

The first English tour of Australia was in 1862, with the first Australian tour of England being by a team of Australian Aborigine players in 1868.

In 1877, an England touring team in Australia played two matches against full Australian XIs that are now thought of as the very first Test matches. The next year, the Australians toured England for the first time and were a magnificent success.

No Tests were played on that tour but more soon followed. At The Oval in 1882, there was played what was to become the most well-known match of all time which gave birth to The Ashes.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the London 2012 Olympics mascot. Click a link if you are interested in the 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

June 29, 2011

How You Could Landscape Your Garden In The Texas Style

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:11 pm

Most people just let their garden mature naturally in that they do not select a particular style. This is all right, but it can become a hodge-podge, if not looked after. Some people, however, consciously choose to landscape their garden according to a certain style or a theme. Some of these themes are very sophisticated and others are quite simple.

One of the many themes to pick from is the Texas Style. We all know that everything in Texas is done on a large scale, so you would be forgiven for thinking that landscaping in the Texas Style would necessitate a huge garden.

It is possibly easier to carry out your landscaping in the Texas Style in a larger garden, but it just depends how you go about it.

The first things to remember are that Texas is very hot and so the terrain closely resembles wilderness. Plants and shrubs are thin on the ground, so to speak. Landscaping in the Texas Style is what you might call minimalist gardening.

You will have to make use of every square inch of your property, if you only have a small plot and the average temperature will have to be fairly warm in the daytime although it is good if it gets chilly at night. This will allow you to grow many of the plants that flourish or at least grow in Texas. One good thing about Texan plants is that when they do bloom, they really do show a lot of colour.

One of the kinds of plant that you are sure to have success with is the cactus. There are many varieties of cactus, so you should not have too much difficulty finding several types that will grow in your garden in order to produce a Texan dry climate look, as long as it does not rain every other day where you live.

Cacti yield magnificent flowers when they blossom, but they have big thorns, so if you have young children, the Texas Style garden may not be for you for a few years yet.

Once you have your flora sorted out, you can begin looking for accessories. You can pick up ideas from the old cowboy films and from magazines, but a few suggestions are: a chow wagon style barbecue area with a canvas hood; some broken wagon wheels; a well, working or not (it could even be a fish pond that looks like a well); boulders and wooden fence posts.

Boulders are usually overlooked by gardeners but there are some intriguing stones, boulders and rocks in all kinds of shapes and colours. Boulders with fossils in them are great conversation starters. Smaller rocks can be used to create a rock garden and this will expand the choice of plants that you can grow in your Texas Style garden. You will be able to plant succulents, small cacti and other small plants that frequently grow in this austere environment.

Lighting should be low and subtle so that you can see the stars at night. You could even have a camp fire with log seating or you can achieve this look by using low powered solar lighting. Solar powered lighting will also save you from having to have an electrician wire up your garden.

When you have finished landscaping in the Texas Style, do not forget to get pleasure from it by eating outside as often as you can. Barbecues, steaks and Texmex food are the order of the day.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

June 28, 2011

The History of Golf

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:13 pm

A lot of debate has gone on concerning the history of golfing, long traditionally believed to have started in the area surrounding the Firth of Forth in Scotland. A golfing-like game is recorded as taking place on 26 February 1297, in the Netherlands, where the Dutch played a game with a stick and leather ball.

However, contemporary research into the history of golfing has uncovered references to a game very similar to modern day golfing being played in China during the period of the Southern Tang dynasty, at least 500 years before golfing was first mentioned in Scotland.

It has been suggested that the game was first exported to Europe and later Scotland by Mongolian travellers in the later Middle Ages.

In Scotland the first recorded documentary evidence for golf was in an act of the Scottish parliament in 1457 which prohibited the playing of ?gowf? and football in case they detract from the necessary military exercise of archery practice. In a subsequent ban of 1491 golfing was described as ‘an unprofitable sport’!. Something which Tiger Woods is probably ignorant of!

There are reports in the accounts of a Scottish lawyer, Sir John Foulis of Ravelston, that he played golf at Musselburgh Links on 2 March 1672, and this has been accepted as proving that The Old Links, Musselburgh, is the oldest golf course in the world. Mary, Queen of Scots is supposed to have played there in 1567.

The Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers set down the oldest surviving rules of golf in 1744. Their “Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf, known as the Leith Rules, after the course at which they played sustain the club’s claim to be the world?s first golf club, though an almanac published around a century later is the first record of a rival claim that The Royal Burgess Golf Society had been set up in 1735.

The directions in the Leith Rules formed the basis for all subsequent codes, for instance needing that “Your Tee must be upon the ground” and “You are not to change the Ball which you strike off the Tee”

After King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603 the spread of golf to be a world wide sport commenced. He and his courtiers played golf at Blackheath, London, from which the Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its origins.

The spread of golf world wide was began by Scottish soldiers, expatriates and emigrants who took the sport to British colonies and elsewhere.

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) and the club at Pau (1856) in south western France are significant reminders of these trips and are the oldest golf clubs outside of the British Isles and the oldest in continental Europe respectively.

Evidence of early golf in the United States includes an advertisement published in the Royal Gazette of New York City in 1779 for golfing discotheques and balls, and the notice of the annual general meeting for a golfing club in Savannah published in the Georgia Gazette in 1796.

However, as in England, it was not until the late 19th century that golfing started to become firmly established. There are several competing claims to be the oldest club, but what is not contested is that in 1894 delegates from the Newport Country Club, Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, Yonkers, New York, The Country Club, Chicago Golf Club, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in New York City to kind what was to become the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on lots of topics, but is at present concerned with the London 2012 Olympics mascot. Click a link if you are interested in the 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

June 10, 2011

How Old Is Hurling?

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:18 pm

Although hurling is generally recognized as a Gaelic sport it should perhaps be called a Celtic one. For the history of hurling is in fact older than the history of Ireland itself. It started even before Christianity, arriving in Ireland more than three thousand years ago with the Celts.

The earliest references to hurling in Ireland is in early Irish laws dating from the fifth century. Hurling played a prominent part in early Irish mythology. Legendary Irish heroes such as Cuchulainnt and Fionn Mac Cumhail and his Fianna are both written of as taking part in hurling.

Hurling is, basically, a stick and ball game. The game is thought to be allied to the games of shinty that is played primarily in Scotland, cammag on the Isle of Man and bandy that was played formerly in England and Wales.

The stick was, and indeed, still is known as a hurley and the ball a sliotar. Early Irish lawn Law stated that the son of a r? (local king) could have his hurley hooped in bronze, while others could only make use of copper. It was illegal to impound a hurley.

The object of the game is for players to use the hurley to hit a small ball through the opposition’s goalposts either over the crossbar for one point, or under the crossbar into a net defended by a goalkeeper for one goal, which is the same as three points.

The sliotar can be caught in the hand and carried for not more than four steps, struck in the air, or hit on the ground with the hurley. It can be kicked or slapped with an open hand (the hand pass) for short-range passing. A player who wants to carry the ball for more than three steps has to bounce or balance the sliotar on the end of the stick and the ball can only be handled twice while in his possession.

The English occupation of Ireland led to many statutes prohibitting or restricting the playing of hurling as it diverted people from archery practice. The earliest of these goes back to the 13th century.

However, it was the Eighteenth Century that came to be known as the ?The Golden Age? of hurling as members of the Anglo-Irish landowning gentry frequently kept teams of players on their estates and challenged each other’s teams to matches for the amusement of their tenants.

Tales of colourful hurling games from this era continue to be collected from contemporary Irish storytellers and newspapers of the period. The contemporary age of hurling In Ireland dates from the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association formed in 1884 in Thurles, County Tipperary under the illustrious patronage of Thomas Croke, Archbishop of Cashel and Charles Parnell.

The 20th Century saw greater organisation in hurling. The all-Ireland Hurling championship came into existence along with the provincial championships. Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary dominated hurling in the 20th Century with every one of these counties winning more than 20 All-Ireland titles each. Wexford, Waterford, Clare, Limerick, Offaly, Dublin, and Galway were also strong hurling counties during the 20th Century.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is at present involved with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

June 9, 2011

The Ashes – Cricket’s Most Prized Trophy

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:57 am

The Ashes is the nickname given to a biennial series of test cricket matches played between England and Australia. The very first cricket test match was played between England and Australia in 1877, but the notion of ?playing for the Ashes? dates from some five years later after England had lost the ninth test match played between the two rivals.

On their 1882 tour to England only one test match was played at The Oval in August. The wicket was virtually impossible to play on and Australia, who batted first, made just 63 runs. England, in response, played a little better but by scoring 101, did accomplish a first innings lead of 38 runs.

In Australia?s second innings Hugh Massie?s 55, struck at a run a minute, enabled the tourists to make 122 runs . This had the effect that England required a mere 85 runs for victory. But they had not made allowance for Fred Spofforth, dubbed ?The Demon Bowler? who refused to acknowledge defeat.

?This thing can be done? he declared and promptly succeeded in taking down the England batting. He took his final four wickets for only two runs and England lost the match by only seven runs.

This defeat sent shock waves throughout the English sporting establishment and a number of fake obituaries appeared in the sporting press, including the most famous one which appeared in ?The Sporting Times? on 2 September. It went as follows :

?In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29th AUGUST 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances R.I.P.

N.B.-The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.

Therefore this was the first reference in print to ?The Ashes?. The England tour of Australia later that year was captained by Ivo Bligh who was afterwards to be the Earl of Darnley. Bligh said that he would ?regain the ashes? and this he went on to do with England winning the three match series by two games to one.

However the expression ?the Ashes? did not really catch on until 1903 when Pelham (or ?Plum?) Warner took a team out to Australia with the same promise of recapturing the ashes. This England did by winning the series 3 -2 . The Australian press latched on to the expression and this time it stuck.

An ?urn? to contain the ashes was created and presented to Bligh during the 1882-83 tour. It is said to contain the ashes of a cricket bail. It was presented to Bligh by a group of Victorian ladies including Bligh?s future wife.

The urn is a small terracotta vase about six inches high and may initially have held scent. It is so fragile that it is now kept permanently at the MCC headquarters at Lords.

There is a general conviction that the urn and its contents represent the official trophy played for by England and Australia, but it is in fact a private memento owned by the Darnley family and is just on loan to the MCC.

The trophy really played for is a larger Waterford glass reproduction, but the original ?Ashes urn? still stays one of the most well-known sporting icons in the world.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on several topics, but is currently concerned with tickets for London Olympics. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

June 8, 2011

Choosing Your Patio Garden Furniture

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:53 pm

Once you have finished making your patio, your deck or your lawn, you will unquestionably start thinking about how you can enjoy more time out of doors. Therefore, you will need some garden furniture. Many shops stock garden furniture. You can try home improvement centres, large department stores and garden centres. There are also businesses on line that will deliver. The hard job is picking your garden furniture.

There is a very broad choice of designs of garden furniture – a style to suit every person and complement every garden. So, before rushing down to the garden centre, it is worth considering for a while what you would like to accomplish with your open-air seating area. Do you want a theme? Do you want to entertain or dine there? Or do you just want to sit peacefully, take pleasure in your garden and read a magazine?

Indeed, the answer may well be a combination of all those variables. If you simply want to sit there with a drink and a book, you may be satisfied to just buy a couple of chairs and a small table, but if you want to have guests or take family meals outside, you may prefer a more substantial table. A large oak table would be quite costly, but it would look magnificent and last for a decade or more.

If you choose a table, you will have to have chairs to match, but do you want loungers as well? They could be of plastic and kept in the shed until wanted.

You will probably need some form of shade. This can be given by folding, even removable umbrellas or by overhanging trees or shrubs. Wisteria or clematis can do the job too and cost you almost nothing.

Do you intend cooking in this space? If you do, what and how? Do you fancy a barbecue pit or a proper hob and oven? A lot of people in regions where the climate permits are doing a great deal of cooking outside in a carbon copy of an indoor kitchen, but without all the walls.. If you plan the outdoor kitchen carefully, you will be able to use it in the rain too. I find it lovely not to have kitchen smells in the house and cooking out of doors is a good experience as well.

If it gets nippy in the evenings then you can think about buying some patio heaters. They are not expensive to buy or to run and one standard patio heater can keep quite a group of people warm. (By the word ‘standard’ here, I mean upright, like a lamp post).

Lighting is the last large consideration in the list when choosing garden furniture. There are actually two kinds of garden lighting to mull over: lighting to see by and lighting to lure insects away. Again, you could use standard lamps to light up your patio. They shine their light far enough so that you can still look at your garden after dark or you could have individual wall light on dimmers.

The one light I would definitely have is a mosquito lantern. Hang this away from where you sit, because they do attract insects to them which they then electrocute with a pleasing zap.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with visual comfort lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.

May 30, 2011

The Football Association Challenge Cup

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:34 pm

The FA Cup, or Football Association Challenge Cup to give it its full title, is the oldest football competition in the world. It was started in 1871, when it was suggested that “a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association”.

Merely eight teams were entered for the first round which was played on the 11 November 1871. The final was played at the Oval on 16 March, 1872 and was won by The Wanderers who defeated The Royal Engineers by the only goal of the match.

Not only is the FA Cup the oldest association football competition in the world but it is also one of the biggest. It is open to teams who play on most degrees of the English football league system and during the 2009 – 2010 season, 762 teams entered the competition.

Because it is the one competition that mixes teams of all degrees of playing ability, it does allow for the occasional ?upset? when a ?minnow? from a lower league defeats one of the more fancied upper echelon teams.

While at least one such giant killing act will happen in any given season, no non-league club has ever won the tournament since Tottenham Hotspur won the trophy in 1901 while playing in the old Southern League.

For some reason, certain clubs seem to gain a reputation as giant killers and Yeovil Town holds the current record for most wins against teams playing in the league. There are several sporting records associated with the FA Cup, some of them standing for a considerable period of time .

One name connected with many early records is that of Lord Kinnaird. He played in the second final in 1873 and then played in a further eight, thereby setting up a record which still stands to this day of playing in nine finals. He played for the winning team no fewer than five times, another record which is still unbroken.

However he is also accredited with a less happy record, that of scoring the first ?own goal” in cup history in 1877. He was playing in goal and involuntarily stepped back over his own goal line.

In 1886 Blackburn Rovers were the second club to win three successive finals, and is the only club still in existence who can assert this feat as the first club to do so. The Wanderers went out of existence in 1883.

The record for the largest win in FA Cup history is held by Preston North End who in 1887 defeated Hyde 26-0. One of the longest standing sporting records was ultimately broken in 2009 by Everton?s Louis Saha whose 25 second goal beat that of the 30 second goal scored by Bob Chatt of Aston villa in 1895 . A record which had stood for 115 years!

After a timespan of seven years when the Cup final was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, while the new Wembley Stadium was being rebuilt, The Cup Final has come back to its traditional home at Wembley where it has been played since 1923 when the famous ?White Horse? took place between Bolton and West Ham. This match also holds the record for people attendance when an estimated 200,000 fans crammed in.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present concerned with tickets for London Olympics. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 23, 2011

NBA Basketball

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:17 pm

NBA is the acronym for National Basketball Association. It is probably the most dynamic and well-liked basketball association in the world. One of the individuals who can take most of the credit for this is Michael Jordan who worked tirelessly on its behalf in the 1980′s and 1990′s.

The NBA is the leading professional, male basketball league of north America, which encompasses the USA and Canada. The NBA has the greatest players, pays the highest salaries and has the highest level of competition. At present there are thirty teams playing in the NBA, which are based in both Canada and the USA.

The NBA started life as the Basketball Association of America or BAA in 1946. It was set up in order to coordinate the top professional teams, to publicize them and to heighten their popularity.. The first BBA game was played between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers in Toronto. It changed its name to NBA in 1949.

The NBA grew gradually and attracted the best basketball talent in the world. In the early days there were such names as George Mikan – ‘the First Big Man’; Bob Cousey and Bill Russell Other great stars that followed were: Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.

Many of the top players came from the United States, but not all. Some were international players. Such players include players like: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Leandro Barbosa, Paul Gasol, Manu Ginobili and Dirk Nowitzki.

Others include Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs; Peja Stojakovic a Serb who won awards at home before moving to north America and the Russian, Andrei Kirilenko who was known as the AK-47. He also won European awards before moving to the States.

Yet other famous international players are Yao Ming who was selected for the Houston Rockets in 2002 and Andrea Bargnini who was picked to play for the Toronto Raptors in 2006.

The teams in the NBA are organized into two conferences with three divisions in each. 29 of these teams are based in the United States and one in Canada.

The Eastern Conference consists of the Atlantic Division, the Central Division and the Southeast Division.

The Atlantic Division has: the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors.

The Central Division has:the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks.

The Southeast has: the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards.

The Western Conference consists of the Northwest Division, the Pacific Division and the Southwest Division.

The Northwest Division has:the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA Oklahoma City, Portland Trailblazers, and Utah Jazz.

The Pacific Division has the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings.

The Southwest Division has: the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs.

The NBA basketball league can now be watched all over the world by subscription on the Internet, although the Internet connection speed is too slow in some countries to make it viable.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 21, 2011

The Origins of Baseball

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 10:46 am

Much has been written about the history and birth of the sport of baseball and disagreement has surrounded the subject for over a century.There has long been a legend, once extensively believed by many Americans, that baseball was made-up by one Abner Doubleday in 1839.

However there never has been a single scrap of evidence to support this assertion, which was in fact never supported by Doubleday himself. There is a large quantity of documentary evidence left by him including letters and nowhere is there mention of the game of baseball, or that he thought he played any major part in the development of the game.

In fact, baseball (and softball), as well as the other modern bat, ball and running games, cricket and rounders, was evolved from earlier folk games. Baseball probably originated in Britain, but similar games were played in many regions of Europe such as a game similar to the British rounders. It was called schlagball and was played in Germany.

Russians had played a bat and ball game known as lapta since medieval times, while In Romania they played a version called Oina. There is very little information as to how the contemporary game of baseball developed from these previous types of ballgames .

There is one school of thought that holds that they evolved into a game called town ball which was the forerunner of baseball. Although others believe that town ball and baseball are autonomous developments. The real ?father of American baseball? was not Abner Doubleday but one Shane Ryley Foster, who formulated the first printed rules of baseball in 1845 for a New York (Manhattan) base ball club called the Knickerbockers.

However on June 3, 1953, Congress officially recognized Alexander Cartwright with inventing the modern game of baseball, and he was also voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Alexander Cartwright was a New York bookseller who umpired the first-ever recorded U.S. baseball game with codified rules in Hoboken, New Jersey on June 19, 1846.

He also founded the older of the two teams that played that day, the New York Knickerbockers. Cartwright later became contaminated by ?gold Fever? and emigrated to California, introducing the game of baseball to a lot of of the cities he stopped at on his way to California..

In 1857 a conference was held to update the old rules laid down for the Knickerbocker club and delegates came from sixteen clubs in New York. In 1858, twenty-five teams including one from New Jersey came together to form the National Association of Base Ball Players . It governed until 1870 but arranged and endorsed no games.

During and after the American Civil War, the movements of soldiers and exchanges of prisoners helped spread the game. In 1869 the first openly professional baseball team was formed. Earlier players were nominally amateurs.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings recruited nationally and effectively toured the country. No one defeated them until June 1870. After 1870, more and more professional teams were formed and the era of the game that we know and love today was started.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 19, 2011

The Beautiful Game

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:59 am

Football, soccer or ?The Beautiful Game? – are all names employed to describe the most well-liked team game in the world. Although the words football and soccer are largely interchangeable in the UK they have quite different meanings in North America.

In the USA the word ‘football’ is taken to mean American Football, a game more akin to the British rugby football, whereas soccer refers to the game known to the rest of the world as football.

It is peculiar that the word soccer is in fact an English slang term of the word association in the same fashion that the word ?brekkers? refers to breakfast.

The regulations of football were first set down in 1863 by the Football Association in the UK and these are in essence the same rules by which the game is played by today. However they were merely the first endeavour to codify and standardize the vastly varying types of the game being played in 19th century public schools in England.

However the game has a much longer history and references to a game comparable to today?s football can be found in the texts of one William Fitzstephen in the late 12th century. At various times during the medieval period edicts were passed prohibitting the playing of football, largely, it is supposed, because it detracted from the time dedicated to archery practice.

So it could be said that England?s supremacy in France at battles such as Crecy and Agincourt , brought around largely as a result of the success of Welsh and English longbowmen, was a direct result of deficiency of expertise on the football pitch!

Football also fell foul of Puritan censorship and attempts to keep the Sabbath holy as naturally the only time a working man had any free time to indulge in such activity was on a Sunday (the Sabbath)

Incidentally, the term ?the Beautiful Game as a synonym for Association football has no vast history to it. Its origins are rather disputed as some claim that it was invented by a Brazilian footballer named Valdir Pereira although the English TV commentator Stuart Hall claims to have coined the expression in 1958.

From its primitive beginnings football has now grown into the world?s most commonly played team sport. F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA as it is more commonly known , now has 208 member countries where an estimated 200 million plus players habitually play the game.

Such is the impact of football that star players from the major European leagues and especially the English Premiership are now household names the world wide and it is common while driving through a remote jungle village in South East Asia to become confronted by a larger than life size portrait of say, David Beckham, advertising something as routine to motor oil.

Little did those men meeting at the Freemasons Tavern in Great Queen St,. London on the morning of 26 October 1863 to set the rules of the game know the extraordinary world wide effect their decisions would make.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is at present involved with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 16, 2011

History Of American Football

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 9:53 am

Although there are mentions of Native Americans playing ball games, contemporary American football has its origins in long-established ball games played in villages and schools in Europe for several centuries before America was settled by Europeans.

There are stories of early settlers at Jamestown, Virginia playing games with inflated balls in the the first part of the 17th century.

The first games seem to have had much in common with the traditional “mob football” played in England, especially on Shrove Tuesday. The games were pretty much unorganized until the 19th century, when a lot of colleges took up the sport.

In those days, each school played its own kind of football. Princeton students played a game called “ballown” as early as 1820. A Harvard tradition known as “Bloody Monday” began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore students.

Dartmouth played its own version called “Old Division Football”, the rules of which were first published in 1871, although the game dates to at least the 1830s. All of these games, and others, shared certain rules.

They remained largely “mob” type games, with huge numbers of players attempting to advance the ball into a goal area, often by any means necessary. The rules were uncomplicated and violence and injury were common .

The violence of these mob-style games led to extensive protests and a decision to abandon them. Yale, under pressure from the city of New Haven, proscribed the play of all forms of football in 1860, while Harvard did the same in 1861

Two basic forms of football had developed by this time: “kicking” games and “running” (or “carrying”) games. A cross of the two, known as the “Boston game”, was played by a group known as the Oneida Football Club.

The club, thought of by some historians as the first formal football club in the United States, was formed in 1862 by schoolboys who played the “Boston game” on Boston Common.

Walter Camp is widely thought to be the most important figure in the development of American football. He thought of many of the rule changes and playing tactics which made American Football the inimitable sport that it has become today.

His first proposal was to reduce the number of players from 15 to 11. The effect of this was to open up the game and put more emphasis on speed rather than strength.

Camp’s most famous change, the establishment of the line of scrimmage, was also designed to speed up play although many teams used it to slow down the play.

Camp therefore suggested that a team be required to progress the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. These down-and-distance rules, combined with the creation of the line of scrimmage, changed the game from a variation of rugby or soccer into the distinct sport of American football.

While it has had a protracted history as a college sport, professional football is a relatively modern institution . The first completely professional game was not played until 1895 and the first known professional league, the National Football League was not formed until 1902

At the end of the 1932 season, the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied with the best regular-season records. To determine the champion, the league chose to hold its first playoff game.

Chicago won, 9-0. The playoff proved so popular that the league was restructured into two divisions for the 1933 season, with the two winners advancing to a scheduled championship game.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on several subjects, but is currently concerned with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 11, 2011

English Soccer Teams’ Nicknames

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:06 am

A review of the nicknames used by English football teams reveals a beguiling insight into English social history over the last 150 years.

All football teams seem to acquire a nickname, bestowed upon them lovingly by their devoted fans. Although in one very famous case ? that of Manchester United ? the nickname of The Red Devils was in fact invented by the club itself as a marketing ploy, copyrighted and finally the Red Devil himself was incorporated in the team’s coat of arms.

The derivation of the name may seem obvious, or may be lost in the mists of time or even not known today.

In many cases the nickname is derived from the colour of the team?s shirts. Obvious examples of these include:

Chelsea – The Blues Burnley – the Clarets Watford – the Hornets Preston North End – The Lilywhites Liverpool – The Reds Newcastle United – The Magpies Coventry City – The Sky Blues Blackpool United – the Tangerines Weymouth – The Terras Cambridge United – the Yellows Hull City – the Tigers

Other nicknames are far more prosaic in origin, being based upon abbreviations or contractions of the team?s real name. Examples of these cases include :

Middlesbrough – Boro Rochdale – the Dale Gillingham – the Gills Wigan Athletic – the Latics Queens Park Rangers – QPR Blackburn Rovers – The Rovers Aldershot Town – The Shots Shrewsbury Town – The Shrews Tottenham Hotspur – Spurs Swansea City – The Swans Woverhampton Wanderers – Wolves

Location plays an important part in a lot of team nicknames

Sunderland – The Black Cats (named after the Black cat gun battery which was located on the banks of the River Wear) Bournemouth – The Cherries (the stadium was built on the site of a cherry orchard) Carlisle United – The Cumbrians (Carlisle is in the county of Cumbria) Bristol Rovers – The Gas ( their old ground was situated next to the gasworks) Torquay United – The Gulls (Torquay is beside the sea) Tamworth – The Lambs ( the team plays at The Lamb Ground, named after a local pub) Grimsby Town – The Mariners (Grimsby is on the coast) Rotherham United – The Millers ( the pitch is called Millmoor) Sheffield Wednesday – The Owls ( they play in an area of Sheffield known as Owlerton) Kettering Town – The Poppies ( their stadium was built on a poppy field) Blackburn Rovers – The Riversiders (their site is built on the banks of a river) Bolton Wanderers – The Trotters (in the 19th century the ground was situated next to a piggery)

Other nicknames are derived from local occupations or industries:

Sheffield United ? The Blades ( local links with cutlery manufacture) Burton Albion ? The Brewers ( Burton is a foremost centre for the brewing industry ) Hereford United ? The Bulls (from the local cattle industry) Wycombe Wanderers ? The Chairboys ( local furniture industry) Northampton Town ? The Cobblers (from the regional boot and shoe industry) Yeovil Town ? The Glovers (local links to the glove making industry ) Luton Town ? The Hatters (Luton was for many years a centre for the production of hats) Crewe Alexander ? The Railwaymen ( Crewe was built as a railway town

Finally, a short assortment of some of the more amusing, bizarre and obtuse derivations:

Charlton Athletic – The Addicks ( A corruption of the ward ?haddocks? after a local fish and chip shop) Norwich City – The Canaries ( Norwich was a leading centre for the breeding of canaries. The team later adopted the green and yellow of the Norwich Canary as their playing strip) Hartlepool United – The Monkey Hangers (During the Napoleonic wars the citizens of Hartlepool allegedly hung a monkey believing it to be a French spy) Bury – The Shakers (The first Chairman of the club, J T Ingham said before a local derby game against Blackburn ?We will shake them, in fact we are the Shakers?) Peterborough United – The Posh (A previous manager of the team is reputed to have said ?We are looking for posh players for a posh team?)

We hope this trawl though the history behind the nicknames of English football teams has been amusing and enlightening.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is at present involved with London Olympics 2012 venues. Click a link if you are interested in 2012 London Olympics Volunteers.

May 7, 2011

RC Car Racing As A Sport Or Hobby

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 10:45 am

RC car racing stands for the radio controlled racing of model cars. The models come in several types: they can be fantasy models or scale models of actual cars and trucks. After that, you can buy RC cars and trucks in various sizes or scales, the most well-liked being 1:9 to 1:12, but there are also huge models of 1:5. The third variable is the engine; electric, nitro or petrol.

Whatever sort of RC car you have, the kick of racing it is the same. Most individuals find the sport of RC car racing thrilling. Racing RC cars provides most of the thrills and spills of conventional car racing but without the risk to human life.

There are also different kinds of races ranging from racing around a circuit to cross-country, all-terrain racing.

Radio controlled racing cars are controlled by a games-style hand-set with a joystick on it. Your commands are transmitted to a receiver on board the vehicle by means of a radio. Some consoles can transmit quite complicated commands whilst others just steer the model.

Likewise, the models can be simple ‘go or not’, steerable racing vehicles or they can be nearly exact replicas of the real thing with replica suspension systems, lights and everything else deal. These super models are normally hand-made by enthusiasts. Most individuals buy either a finished model or a kit.

Children love the sport of RC car racing, but otherwise the sport appeals to men and women of all ages. The sport is still dominated by males, but more and more females of all ages are being drawn to the sport of RC car racing every year as well.

One of the good things about the sport of RC car racing is that it is simple to get going but there is also lots of scope to expand your interest if (or when) the bug bites. You might begin with a fundamental battery-powered 1:12 scale fantasy model, but soon move onto a 1:9 nitro-powered replica racing car or even a monster 1:5 scale model with a real petrol engine. You might even start building your own models

If you would like to get involved with the thrilling sport of RC car racing, it is simple enough. The best way to start is to get some information before you purchase your first RC car. You can do this by purchasing an RC car magazine, joining a model car club and/or by going to a few model car races.

RC enthusiasts love talking about their sport and most of them would be willing to reply to your questions. Whilst deciding on your preferred type of model, bear its maintenance in mind. You can hugely prolong the life of your RC model with proper maintenance, so you ought to purchase a car that you are able to look after.

If the first car or truck that you buy is not actually what you wanted, but it matches your level of skill, do not worry, there is always a learning curve with a new sport or hobby and as your competence increases you will be able to purchase one of the larger, more powerful, more complex models.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with gas remote control cars. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

April 25, 2011

Horse Blankets: The Various Types

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:09 am

Individuals who ride horses can be called ‘equestrians’ although an equestrian is usually thought of as a horse rider in a competition rather than a cowboy. Equestrians ride in competitions such as the Olympic Games and Gymkhanas. These games are normally costly to enter and so are considered rich people’s sports. In these sports the skill of the horse is just as important as the skill of the equestrian.

The health and fitness of the horse and its rider are of paramount importance. The vet will take care of the horse’s inner being and the stable boy will take care of its external care. Part of this care depends on using proper horse blankets some of which are known as horse rugs or horse sheets.

Horse blankets are used to protect the horse from the elements in much the same fashion as we use clothes. Race horses are extremely strung animals and can become sick quite quickly if they are not looked after properly. They have to be treated like an Olympic sportsman would take care of himself.

When a horse has been exercising, which usually means running or jumping, it will develop a sweat. When it stops exercising, it will get a chill unless looked after. That is where anti-sweat or cooling rugs come in. These rugs have a fine mesh weave, which allows the horse’s skin to breathe, which means that the sweat will evaporate without the horse cooling down too quickly.

There is also a fly sheet or fly rug which will keep horse flies, mosquitoes and other insects off the horse while it is at rest, grazing in a field. The fly sheet can have other attachments to protect its neck and head. These additional pieces are called neck covers, bonnets and fly masks. That full kit provides better protection from insects which can spread diseases as mosquitoes do in humans.

A summer sheet is a lighter kind of rug, which will protect the horse from insects and direct sunlight during the warmer months. They can also be used as travel rugs when the horse is in his trailer.

Under blankets or liners are used under heavier blankets to prevent rub or friction from weighty stable rugs. These under blankets are usually made from wool because it is soft, natural and absorbent.

Stable rugs are used to keep the horse warm during the colder winter months and they come in various thicknesses and weights much the same as duvets come in various tog values.

Turnout rugs are more like overcoats and are long enough to wrap around underneath the horse’s belly to protect it from the chill and rain. These turnout rugs also come in different thicknesses for protection against various degrees of cold. Turnout rugs can also be used in the summer, but they are significantly thinner than the winter variety.

Owen Jones, the writer of that article, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with the Handmade Baby Blanket. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Woollen Blankets.

April 22, 2011

Racing RC Cars

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:50 am

Are you into RC cars and trucks? Have you ever tried using one? Well, just driving an RC car is excellent, but you do not get the full pleasure out of the pastime until you try racing RC cars.

Racing RC cars is really exciting; you will never forget the thrill and excitement of racing RC cars and trucks against other competitors. Two other good things about RC racing are that it is not costly and anyone of any age or degree of fitness can take part.

For the uninitiated RC stands for ‘radio controlled’. The competitor utilizes a module, like a games console, with a joystick to control the car or truck. The module or console then transmits the commands to the receiver in the vehicle and the instructions are carried out almost instantaneously. The thrills and the spills are genuine, but nobody gets hurt.

There are various degrees of technology and complexity built into these RC racing vehicles. Indeed some individuals construct their vehicle themselves from scratch, while others purchase a kit and yet others buy a pre-constructed model. Some models are pretty basic whilst others are practically true scale models of the original full size version.

Individuals of all ages and both sexes enjoy racing RC cars and trucks and being disabled is not an obstacle to being a successful RC car racer. After you have bought your first car, you are sure to become hooked on the exhilaration of the game, the camaraderie of the meetings and the good-natured competitiveness of the racers.

When you are just beginning and before you purchase your first RC racing car, it is wise to do some investigation. Look on line and in Yellow Pages to see if there is a club or a race meeting near you. It is best if you attend a few of these first so that you have an notion of what is available and what you want.

When you see a vehicle that you like, do not be scared to go up to its owner and begin a conversation. RC racing car aficionados are a very friendly group and they will be more than willing to answer any queries you may have so long as you wait until the end of the race.

There is a lot to ask about. Do you want to build your own from a kit? It is not that hard if you can use a set of spanners. Do you want the vehicle to be powered by nitro, batteries or petrol?

Do you want a replica of a real, production line vehicle or a fantasy car? Do you want a car or a truck? What scale do you fancy? There are monster 1:5 scale models out there running on petrol!

There is a great deal to think about before you make your first purchase because you do not want to regret that vehicle, although on the other hand, you do not want to purchase something that you cannot cope with or maintain either.

There is a learning curve when starting racing RC cars and trucks, but it can be as steep or gradual as you want, after all, it is just a leisure pursuit, well, it is to some anyway.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with remote controlled trucks. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

July 8, 2010

Saint Croix Of The US Virgin Islands

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:11 am

Saint Croix is the biggest of the US Virgin Islands although the capital city, Charlotte Amelie, is located on St Thomas. Saint Croix itself has two towns Frederiksted (pop. 830) and Christiansted (pop. 3,000). The name of the island comes from the earlier Spanish name given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 – Santa Cruz or ‘Holy Cross’. As Santa Cruz, Saint Croix gets a lot of mention in swashbuckling stories of pirates and buccaneers sailing on the Spanish Main.

The populace before the Europeans arrived was Arawak and Carib and they had probably been there since about 5000 BC. After 1493 the population of the Caribbean became embroiled in a 100 years war with the Spanish and the kind of people living on the island changed forever.

Saint Croix has been owned and therefore predominantly occupied by the Spanish, The British, the French, the Dutch, the Maltese and the Danish all of whom had slaves and plantations

The slaves were manumitted in 1848, but many decided to remain on Saint Croix. Descendants of slaves still live on the island. The total populace of the island is now about 60,000.

English is the official language and is the most commonly spoken, although there is also some Spanish, French Creole and Virgin islands Creole, better known as Crucian, which is spoken by most inhabitants in informal situations.

This Hispanic segment of the Crucian populace is mostly of Puerto Rican lineage. The US bought Vieques from Puerto Rico during the Second World War and evicted its inhabitants. Many moved to St Croix because of its similarity to Vieques. These people have integrated well, but also kept a few of their old customs. They usually speak a mixture of Spanish and Crucian English in a distinctive form of Spanglish.

Continental Americans make up about 13% of the inhabitants and mostly live on the eastern side of St Croix. Arab Palestinians are also a sizeable minority owning most of the petrol stations and supermarkets on St Croix. Other modern immigrants have moved from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines.

There has been some tension between immigrants and those calling themselves ‘real Crucians’, but it has largely disappeared due to intermarriage. There have been attempts to define a ‘real Crucian’.

The issue seems to have been sorted out when in 2009, the proposed U.S. Virgin Islands Constitution voted by the Fifth Constitutional Convention laid down three definitions of U.S. Virgin Islanders: “Ancestral Native Virgin Islander”, who have ancestral ties (and their descendants); “Native Virgin Islander”, who were born on the island (and their descendants); and “Virgin Islander”, who are any United States citizen who has lived in the region for five years.

Christianity, in the guise of Protestantism is the main religion, although the Hispanic community is Roman Catholic. There are also small groups of Jews and followers of Rastafari, Islam.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

June 10, 2010

Taking Your Dog To St Croix

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:06 am

Whether you would rather clear mountain air or the ozone-rich, salty air of the sea, you can find places to take your dog for a walk that are very pleasant, even when you are on holiday. If you are a nature lover and a dog lover, you could choose a vacation destination with nature and your dog in mind.

City-bound hotel holidays or long, driving holidays are not very pleasurable for your dog. If a dog is going to be at home all day, he would rather be in his own home all day. Likewise, with driving. He might plead to go the mall with you in the car, but doing a coast to coast run in a scorching fortnight in June, is not really what he is all about.

Therefore, if you are planning a vacation that you think your pet would not really enjoy, why not do him and yourself a favour and leave him behind? Leave him with a dog-loving family member or friend or board him in a kennels that you have researched well yourself.

There are literally hundreds of boarding kennels in operation in every state and often there are thousands. Most of them are good, some are outstanding and the owners of some could do with a stiff talking to. I put my dog in one once that I had not checked out well enough and went away for two weeks. When I got back four hours early, they were not ready me and my dog was dirty and forlorn.

I felt terribly guilty and my dog would not ‘speak’ to me for a week. Really! No eye contact, no tail wagging, would not always come when called, no happy running about, just a hang dog appearance for seven days. She must have felt that I let her down badly, which of course I had, by not checking up on the kennels.

A fantastic place to take your dog is St Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The US Virgin Islands are literally part of the United States of America and you can go there without a passport, with your US dollars and with your dog.

Not every hotel allows animals just as in continental USA, but there are loads that do. There are also package holidays that will take you and your dog from the airport to the island hotel and back again all for one price.

Of the four main islands in the US Virgin Islands, St. Croix is most likely the best option for going to with a pet dog, because it is less heavily populated than the other islands and is by far the largest.

The hotel or resort will probably not provide feeding dishes, bedding and toys but they will surely have a store where you can buy such things. It is perhaps not worth bringing your own either unless you have a large suitcase and a decent weight allowance. Food for your dog will also be extensively available on the island, of course.

St Croix has various sorts of landscape and plenty of activities to take full advantage of them. There are beautiful tropical beaches just right for swimming or playing in the shallows; there are the undulating plains of the old plantations, which are perfect for long walks and there are hills, mountains and rain forest to explore with your dog too.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: virgin islands,dog,vacation,holiday,recreation,caribbean,USA,travel,happiness,luxury,sea,outdoor,other,uncategorized

May 27, 2010

Lake Fishing.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:04 am

Lake fishing is very similar to river fishing, or slow-flowing river fishing at any rate. The types of fish in rivers and lakes tend to be the same, which means that the tackle, bait and lures will be the same as well, although you might want a longer fishing rod, say, a beach-casting rod to cast your bait farther out into the lake. Lake fish will often mature to a larger size than river fish, so your line should be stronger too.

Lake fish conventionally been classified under three general headings. Namely, game fish, food fish, and bait fish. Bass, trout, pike, pickerel, muskellunge, perch, etc., are identified as game fish because of their sporting value. Carp, suckers, some of the catfish, yellow perch, etc., are considered food fish.

This second group is not considered to furnish the sport that the so-called game fish do, but they do have a genuine economic and recreational value. The third class are the minnows and tiddlers that can be used as bait for the first two classes.

It is not simple to descibe the correct technique to cast protracted distances, but it does come nuturally to quite a few anglers. Yet, if casting does not come easily to you, you will need to analyze other lake or beach anglers. If you are not happy doing that, you will be able to find a video on the subject. However, the best means to learn how to cast is to go down to the beach , observe an expert at work and attempt to do the same.

Nonetheless, lake fishing is enormous fun and the beginner will rapidly learn the correct method of lake fishing. Consequently, I have put a few practical tips here to help you learn lake fishing more quickly.

i]. Aim to take up a smooth, whip-like cast. Nevertheless, if you crack the whip too hard, you will certainly lose a lot of bait, flies or lures..

ii]. Timing is the all-important factor in both the back cast and forward cast.

iii]. Study the habits of the fish that dwell in the lake that you plan to fish. All fish have both similar and dissimilar ways of life, so either get a book or video or join a club to learn more.

iv]. Most fish like some kind of protection, either for themselves or because their prey will like it there. Be careful of weeds, reeds and submerged logs or you will lose heaps of line and tackle..

v]. As I mentioned before, lake fish tend to be larger, because food is copious and there is bags of room. A large bass, for example, can easily weigh 10-12 lbs, so make sure that your rod and line are up to the task. A rod of seven feet six inches to eight feet in length can tolerate these sizes of fish.

Lake fishing is not so truly unusual from other types of fishing, so if you put a little effort into learning the methods and fish concerned in lake fishing, you will soon master the skill and become an expert at lake fishing.

If you are curious about fishing and would like to learn more more, please visit our website called http://fishing.the-real-way.com

categories: fly fishing,fishing,angling,boats,beach,hobbies,food,men,women,children,exercise,sport,outdoor,other

May 26, 2010

Ladies Golf Apparel And Fashion

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:31 am

I picked up one of those ‘Golfing for Women’ type magazines the other week and got to asking myself where these women actually live, who wear the golf attire shown in women’s golfing magazines? I have never seen women, not even the pros, wearing such expensive and flamboyant clothes.

It’s so simple to spend tons of money kitting yourself out for the sport of golf. Think about hats, sunglasses, gloves, shirts, shorts, socks, windsheeters and shoes, and it is obvious that the costs add up very quickly, even if you do your shopping at cheap online sales. Then you have to factor in the cost of clubs, balls, bag, cart and fees and you have to play a round of golf really quite frequently to keep the “CPU” (cost per use) down to a tolerable level.

One half-page advert showed a beautiful young ‘golfing lady’ in really tiny shorts (like that’s permitted on golf courses!) that cost nearly $300, a golf shirt at almost $600, a jacket by Ralph Lauren at almost $200 and two-toned Utuser shoes costing $400 plus.

That comes to just about $1,500! I know that it would be impossible for me to get the CPU on that outfit down to anywhere near a normal limit in my entire golfing life! Please don’t misunderstand me – I do love clothes and I do really, really love shoes, but I could never afford, nor even want, golf shoes or pants that cost as much as most people’s weekly wages.

OK, you need comfortable golfing shoes that don’t look like a pair of clogs, but really, you can buy less expensive and still a la mode golf shoes.

I have several really stylish golfing outfits, although none of them are famous brand names. If I totalled up the cost of all of those articles of clothing, it would not add up to the cost of a Tse golf shirt. Personally, I would prefer to have several trendy outfits than one that is priced over-the-top.

If I were to wear a $1,500 set of golfing attire to play golf in, I would just be too worried about getting it dirty or sweating in it to enjoy a proper round of golf.

If you liked this piece on fashion and ladies’ golf attire and you would like to read more about golf tipsing, please go to our website on Golfing Tips for Novice Golfers You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

May 5, 2010

Elite Caribbean Cruises

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 5:02 am

If you take pleasure in travelling and visiting new places, I recommend a cruise. I have cruised the Mediterranean and the Baltic and my next cruise will be a Caribbean cruise. I am really looking forward to it. If you have never been on a cruise, start saving up now, because it is opulence like you have never imagined before.

Never having been on a Caribbean cruise before, I do not know how much the various Caribbean islands differ from one another, so I do not know how varied that cruise would be. However, I have cruised the Med and the Baltic and woken up to a different country every day and in both of those seas and every country is very different from its neighbours.

On our Baltic cruise we departed from Southampton and steamed to Gothenburg in Sweden. From there we went to Helsinki and Leningrad (in those days). On the way back, we called into Copenhagen and the Tivoli Gardens. None of those countries was in any way similar to another or even Britain.

Similarly, my Mediterranean cruise left from Minorca in north eastern Spain going east to Sardinia and then north along the southern coast of Europe. Italy, France and Spain. The second week of the cruise left Minorca again and went to Sicily and then south along the northern coast of Africa including Malta.

The luxury on a cruise is almost indescribable to someone who has never been on a cruise. There is no standard higher than five stars, but the cruises I have been on offered superior levels of luxury than any five star hotels I have stayed in anywhere in the world.

Food and shore trips play a major part of cruising. The food is top notch with no mistake. Breakfast on a cruise liner is better than most Americans and most Europeans have for dinner. Whatever you want from prawns to steak, from exotic fruit to porridge. Lunch and dinner are even more sumptuous.

Shore excursions are well organized too. They include a ferry from the cruise liner to the land and then a coach trip by a local firm to the destination, which could be an historical site or a shopping mall. Most cruisers go on these trips, but some would rather stay on board and take advantage of the lower number of passengers and the free food.

I went on every shore excursion and thoroughly enjoyed each one. The excursions are usually pricey though, but you are part of a trapped audience, so what can you expect?

I thoroughly recommend a cruise holiday to any and every one. You should go at least once in your life, but do not leave it until late in your life because you will want to go again.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: honeymoon,wedding,marriage,vacation,holiday,recreation,caribbean,USA,travel,happiness,luxury,sea,outdoor,other

May 4, 2010

The Advantages Of An All-Inclusive Vacation

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 1:32 pm

If you are arranging to go on vacation this year, how are you thinking of going about it? There are several options to explore, if you begin planning early enough. There are the self-planned, ‘I will find a hotel when I get there’ style; there are cruises and there are package vacations.

The self planned is for those without children and is more bold. Cruises are wonderful, if you like being on the water more than being on land and there are the package holidays, some of which are all-inclusive package vacations.

If you choose a vacation package, you have the alternative of looking for an all-inclusive resort or an all-inclusive hotel. There is not much to choose between them, if you are going alone or with your spouse, but if you are taking children, the all-inclusive resort is the one for you.

This is because all-inclusive hotel rooms can be on the small side and if you have a small child or even children with you, your room will soon become overcrowded and suites are more highly priced. An all-inclusive resort, on the other hand, will normally offer accommodation in the form of cabins or chalets, which are designed with young families in mind.

You do not want to be staying on the 12th floor of a large hotel with toddlers, because either they have to stay in the room until you want to go out, in which case they might get grumpy or they might learn how to get out and wander off in the hotel. A chalet, however, will inevitably be on the ground floor, frequently be in groups, so that you can help keep an eye on each other’s kids and may even have a small garden with a fence.

Whether you go to an all-inclusive hotel or an all-inclusive resort really depends on whether you have or can put up with children. If you have children then a resort is for you, if you do not like children’s racket, then you would be better suited to an all-inclusive vacation in a hotel.

Once you have selected your type of all-inclusive package vacation, the rest is plain sailing. Actually what is all-included in these style hotels and resorts can vary quite widely, so you should make sure you know well in advance. Cost is a good indication. If one resort at the same location is much cheaper than the others, look into it more carefully before booking.

Often the disparity will only be in degree. For example, an all-inclusive hotel or resort may offer the free use of diving gear, but when you read on it might restrict that to non-mechanical diving apparatus, so you only get a mask, snorkel and flippers. Others may only have ten units of equipment – first come first served.

However, having said that, most all-inclusive package vacations are fantastic deals. They include your transport to and from your home town to the destination, which depends on you and where the resort is of course. For St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands transport could be by cruise or flight – you must settle on that at the outset. Having to travel 500 miles to Orlando by bus or train with three young children may not be much fun.

When you arrive there, they almost always include all your food and snacks and all soft drinks, tea and coffee, beer and non-branded spirits. An all-inclusive will also include all charges to on-site entertainment. That means the, pool, the club house, pool, snooker, table tennis, the gym etc, and access to any private beach attached to the hotel. It will also include night time shows usually.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: all inclusive,rental,vacation,holiday,recreation,caribbean,USA,travel,happiness,luxury,sea,outdoor,other,uncategorized

May 1, 2010

Vacation Property For Rent

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 6:55 am

If you are thinking of buying a vacation rental property, there are two things that you can ultimately do with it. Some purchasers of vacation rental property intend to live in it a lot of the year round themselves and others aim to rent it out for most of the year. There is no doubt that vacation rental property can present an outstanding income stream.

However, there is a huge difference between vacation property rental and residential property rental. This has to do with the fact that holiday makers are not inevitably looking for the same amenities in a vacation rental property as they are in a home.

One thing that does affect the desirability of both vacation rental property and residential property is location. However, a good residential property for a young family may need to be close to schools and other amenities and for older people being near a school is more like a hassle.

Likewise with vacation rental property, you have to know your target market. You have to find the answer to the question: why do people come to this location? And then buy a vacation rental property that matches the highest volume profile.

In this way, you will never be short of tenants and you will be certain of high rents too. For instance, some people might go to the Caribbean island of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands for the diving options it presents while others may want to explore the tropical rain forests. However, younger travelers might not want to go far from the only largish town on the island, Christiansted, so that they can take part in any nightlife happening.

One thing that everyone requires is security. The person who rents your vacation rental property will want to feel safe. That is secure from falling masonry and rickety stairs and secure from burglars. That means that your property should be well lit both internally and externally and have sturdy doors and locks. Windows should be lockable too.

It is a good idea to present a kitchen like the one a family would usually expect at home. So, an American kitchen with American style appliances for American families, if they are the people you are trying to appeal to. Again, you will have to study the typical visitors to where you want to buy a vacation rental property. A younger family may eat in at night, an older one may never eat in at all. The kitchen should be well-equipped, furniture should be comfortable and recreational gear should be provided too.

A great deal of people like to take their dogs with them, so you might want to consider making the vacation rental property pleasant for pet owners. If the furniture is robust, massive oak or something like that, dogs will not be able to damage it easily. Plastered walls without wall covering and tiled floors are also favourable for having animals in the house. This is a definitely growing niche market for vacation rental properties

And last but not least, remember that people like to be able to keep in touch when they are away from their loved ones, so Internet access is a growing essential too. People can VOIP, so a phone is not so important these days. If you bear these points in mind, you can have a profitable vacation rental property where you can holiday free too.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

April 23, 2010

Fly Fishing 101

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 8:42 am

The purpose of this article is to help the beginner fly fishing. The terminology and the basic methods employed in fly fishing may be unknown to the beginner at fly fishing, so we will start from the very beginning. So, if you are a beginner fly fishing person, please read on in order to become acquainted with fly fishing.

The things needed for fly fishing are usually called tackle, although if you want to be more specific about the sort of tools you need, you can add the words “fly fishing”. So, you get the phrase: “fly fishing tackle”. Fly fishing gear basically comprises artificial flies, a fly rod, a fly reel and fly line. The set-up is: the fly is attached to the line, which is wound around the reel, which is attached to the rod, which is used to cast the bait (the fly).

To make it easier to cast the fly as far as required from the angler, the line needs to be a little weightier than the other kinds of fishing line, since a weight is used in other kinds of fishing to achieve the same result. Also, the artificial flies are made in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours to look like real, live flies, depending on the type of fish the angler wants to catch.

In general, an artificial fly is made of hair, plastic, feathers, fabric, fur and many other types of material in order to ensure the flies resemble, as closely as possible, the insect or fly most commonly eaten by the particular species of fish in that particular month or at that time of the day. This means that each fishing spot requires that you select a definite kind of artificial fly that will look like the insects living in the area where your desired type of fish frequent. Therefore, a kind of fly used in one area of the region may not work as well as you’d think elsewhere.

However, there are classifications of flies too, although they fall into two basic general categories, which are known as ‘attractive’ and ‘imitative’. The imitative artificial flies resemble real flies, while the attractive lures just rely on colour or the reflection of sunlight in order to lure fish without necessarily resembling the fish’s normal diet.

These classifications are then used to further sub-divide artificial fly fishing lures into: a] dry (imitating grasshoppers, dragonflies, etc. which float on or near the surface of the water); b] sub-surface (resembling larvae, pupae) and c] wet (imitating leeches and minnows and other small fish or fry).

The main distinguishing feature between fly fishing and non-fly fishing is that fly fishing depends to a great extent on the weight of the line to carry the artificial lure to that area of the water where the fish are schooling, probably at some distance from the angler. The line is often camouflaged and hollow like electrical wire coating, so that it will float.

Non-fly fishing depends rather on the attached weight, usually made of lead, to draw the line off the reel and carry it forward to the right spot, where the weight will also take the bait or lure down to the feeding fish.

If you are curious about fishing and would like to find out more, please pop along to our website called http://fishing.the-real-way.com

categories: fly fishing,fishing,angling,boats,beach,hobbies,food,men,women,children,exercise,sport,outdoor,other

April 19, 2010

Getting Married On St Croix

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:23 am

St Croix, in the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean has been a popular honeymoon destination for newly married couples for decades, because the weather there is sunny all year round and you can get pleasure from any number of wonderful holiday activities together.

Things to do include hiking, exploring, taking tours, horse riding, water sports like diving or sailing or just and lying in the sun. However, in the past few years, it has also become very popular to travel to St Croix for the actual wedding ceremony itself, not just for the honeymoon. However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to getting married abroad.

First, you have to think about who you want to have there at your wedding. St Croix is regulated by American law, so you will be required to have a certain number of witnesses. You can use local volunteers but you may not be able to envisage your wedding without your family or your best friends being there.

It is worth remembering that every guest you want to be at your wedding will have to be flown to the island and in many instances, the guests will not be able to afford this trip themselves, which means that you will have to pay for all or at least some of the cost of the flight and the stay. If you cannot do this, it may not be possible for you to have everyone present at your wedding ceremony that you would want. The cost of a Caribbean wedding on St Croix is a distinct disadvantage.

Remember also that you will almost certainly be spending your honeymoon wherever you hold the wedding and although it may be nice to have friends and family around you for the wedding, you might wish they would disappear for the honeymoon.

However, your guests may want to take a vacation while they are in the Virgin Islands, so if you want some time to yourselves, book them into a package holiday deal which will keep them occupied in order to give you some time to yourselves. Try to make a block booking and ask for a big discount.

However, one of the main advantages is that you are already in the place where you will be honeymooning. Travel is stressful and tiring, although St Croix, USVI is less than 1,300 miles from Florida, so being on the spot for your honeymoon will save you all that.

Not only that though, your wedding will be an even more memorable event because an idyllic beach setting with a sunset backdrop is really very moving. Most couples adore the island scenery, so a Caribbean wedding in St Croix may be just right for you.

When planning your marriage in St Croix, remember that the US Virgin Islands are a legal part of the USA, so US laws and marriage laws relate there. You also do not have to have a passport to go to St Croix, although you are allowed $1,600 worth of duty free goods per person per 30 days. This can make up quite a saving.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

April 18, 2010

Rehearsed Moves In Wrestling

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:20 am

Wrestling throws are tricky, as if you are not looking closely, you could believe that the throws are real. At the moment, I am still a little reluctant to fill you in on the throws, since I am not a wrestling fan, however my son is, and he is going to give us the inside information on wrestling moves to help us see it for what it is, fake.

One of the older moves is the banana splits. However, today, the move is known as the ‘leg splits’. During this move, one starts wrestling with both hands on the legs of the other wrestler and splits the legs apart as far as the legs will stretch. This move will force the wrestler to put his/her own shoulders to the mat. If the wrestling move were for real and the wrestler fails to submit, his/her legs would split some muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.

The ‘Cobra Clutch’ is yet another of the holds that would in reality cause real agony. The cobra move is universally recognizable as the cross chokes or arm locks. The challenging wrestler comes from the back of the other pugilist and using a single arm in the “Nelson Hold”. The opponent then uses an arm to tug the wrestler’s arm, trying to stop him from drawing across the throat and choking him as a result. The ‘back clutch’ or ‘bombard’ is similar, but the challenging wrestler is on his back under his opponent extending his arms upward from underneath.

The ‘Rock Bottom’ moves entail the adversary drawing his opponents arm over his shoulder. The wrestler then places the opponents arm over his/her shoulder and lifts and dives forward onto the mat. During this attack, the challenger is hitting the mat head first, which if actually executed, would break some bones, or else cause some serious pain.

The ‘Choke Slam’ is the move when the attacking wrestler grips the opponent’s arm and lifts his arm close by his opponent’s side, over his shoulder. Then he lifts the opponent and throws him down onto the mat.

The ‘Big Boot’ is a running attack. The wrestler lifts up his boot, connecting with the head of his opponent. So, a boot in the face, in other words! This would definitely put a person on his/her rear any time, causing the kicked person to feel severe concussion for a while.

What makes wrestling so exciting is the shouting, the costumes, the characters and the moves. If you think of the movie Superman, and how he dresses, you will see that without his outfit he wouldn’t have any character appeal as Superman. Likewise, the wrestlers wear outfits that make them appear as though they are super heroes of the ring, punishing the baddies. Each wrestler has his/her role in the ring. It is usually quite peaceful, but made to look violent!

Wrestling has rules, as well as restrictions although the moves are phoney. Wrestlers must respect the ropes of the ring, as well as the colour codes in the ring. There are also styles of wrestling, which include the folk style, freestyle and Greco Romanian styles.

The styles have their own set of rules, however freestyle and folk style are similar. Usually, the styles are enacted so well that you wouldn’t know if the wrestlers are using the freestyle, folk style, or Greco style.

As with a script or a dance routine, most of the moves are choreographed, which means that a director is out of sight using his/her hands to direct the wrestlers in the rings. For the most part, wrestling is nothing more than an act with a few exemptions like when the KAYFABE is broken, when a real fight might break out. The KAYFABE is wrestling’s verbal communication.

Are you interested in wrestling? If you want to learn lots more about the moves, the stars and the show, visit our website and catch up on wrestling revealed. Unique version for reprint here: Rehearsed Moves In Wrestling.

categories: wrestling,wwf,martial arts,fighting,sumo,sport,entertainment,recreation,extreme,college,scams,outdoor,Greece,other

April 11, 2010

The Different Types Of RC Cars And Trucks

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:07 am

Radio controlled cars, remote controlled cars or RC cars and trucks are items, with which to have fun. However, many RC hobbyists take their fun very seriously indeed. They want their RC car or truck to be the most realistic or the fastest by tweaking the basic kit and by tuning up the engine. This is not a new phenomenon at all. Hobbyists have been building and racing model cars since the 1940′s. However, these early cars were hamstrung by technology.

In the early days of the hobby, the models had to be manufactured by hand by hobbyists and radio control was ineffective and too dear for home use. Those early models were controlled remotely by wire. Consequently remote controlled model cars could only run the length of the wire, which meant in effect that the car went round and round the handler. It was not until the 1960′s that radio control was available and this meant proper races around a proper race track. The true hobby-cum-sport of model racing was born.

After the hobby or sport had been opened up by real radio control, it became more exciting and it attracted more hobbyists and with them came improvement and commercial interest. This means that the technology involved in radio controlled cars and trucks has come on in leaps and bounds. One point worth mentioning here is that a big differentiation between model cars used to be whether they were remote controlled or radio controlled. Unfortunately, they are both shortened to RC and so the terms are often used arbitrarily these days.

The most popular RC cars for beginners are the electrically driven model cars and trucks. Electric RC cars have to depend on rechargeable batteries for power. This is their main drawback, but being electrically driven also means that the car is cleaner and more responsive to control. Electrically driven cars tend to be lighter and therefore faster. They are cleaner because there is no exhaust. They are easier to maintain, but also less easy to modify. They accelerate very quickly

The next step for many RC hobbyists is the Nitro car. Nitro cars are driven by miniature engines which run on a mixture of nitromethane and lubricating oil. These cars are very fast with a fast acceleration. They can reach and maintain higher speeds than electric cars, whose batteries are continuously running down which means less power for speed.

Nitro cars and trucks are loud and smelly. They produce the loud whine that people link with model racing, but they also produce exhaust which means that they cannot be used indoors.

More and more replica cars are now using petroleum powered RC cars. These models tend to be the bigger ones. These RC cars and trucks have engines that are more familiar to the non-specialist, but they have all the characteristics of an average car. They produce fumes, noise and are slower to accelerate that the other types. However, petrol driven engines will last longer than nitro engines. Because these models are larger, they can take more fuel on board and so travel longer distances.

All three of the above varieties can then be on-road or off-road. On-road cars will be made for racing only and the tyres will be racing tyres and the engines will be finely tuned to attain top speed quickly and maintain it for the length of the race. On the other hand, off-road RC cars are built for travelling up and down hill over all kinds of geological objects, so the engine has to have more torque and the tyres need to be able to sustain a good grip. These cars are usually slower.

The last distinguishing feature of the different RC cars is size or more precisely the scale. 1:8 was and still is very popular. That scale means that for every eight inches of the real car, the model is one inch long. Other popular sizes are 1:10 and 1:12, but there is a new class of RC cars and trucks gaining popularity, the monster 1:5 cars and trucks, which are petrol driven.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with gas remote control cars. If you have an interest in model RC vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

categories: rc,radio,kids and teens,family,entertainment,sport,models,toys,vehicles,autos and trucks,product reviews,outdoor,other

April 5, 2010

St Croix, The US Virgin Islands

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:23 am

Saint Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands, which lie 1730 miles east south east of Miami and 93 miles west of Puerto Rico. This sector of the Virgin Islands has belonged to the United States since 1917 when they were acquired from the Danish government for $25m in gold to safeguard American shores from German U-boat attack.

At the time, it was feared that Germany might subjugate the islands and construct submarine pens there in order to harass American supply shipping, which was vital to the allies in Europe during the First World War.

The US Virgin islands is a cluster of about 60 chiefly unpopulated islands, the four biggest of which are called St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island. (By the way, ‘Saint’ is spoken in the English manner). The Islands’ inhabitants, however, have other names for these four which are Twin City, Rock City, Love City and Small City respectively.

Christopher Columbus landed there on November 14th, 1493, but there is proof of human habitation on the island going back to 5000 BC. In fact, the Arawaks and the Caribs made up the islands’ populace, before the Europeans got there.

Possession of St Croix and the other Virgin Islands changed a lot over the following centuries, but it became infamous to many people as Santa Cruz, which is its Spanish name. As Santa Cruz, St Croix featured prominently in 17th and 18th century stories of pirates and buccaneers on the Spanish Main.

In fact, after Spain initially took control of the island, it changed hands seven times; having been Spanish, British, French, Maltese, Dutch, Danish and now American. The residents of the US Virgin Islands are now US citizens and carry US passports. They also use the US dollar and US laws.

St Croix was an agricultural powerhouse in the Caribbean until the 1960′s when the local government determined it was time to industrialize. The island is now home to HOVENSA, one of the largest oil refineries in the world.

There is also a large distillery, the Cruzan Rum Distillery, which used to produce rum from sugar cane grown on the island. Sugar cane, or its extract, molasses are now imported from the Dominican Republic to make Southern Comfort and Cruzan Rum. Diageo is arranging to build a distillery there too in order to produce Captain Morgan Rum.

Residents of the island call themselves Crucians. However, there is a great deal of debate about what constitutes a ‘real Crucian’. Many say that a Crucian is someone who was born and raised on St Croix, while others claim that descendants of the slaves that the Danes took over in 16th and 17th Centuries are the only true Crucians.

Many Crucians can trace their ancestry back to Puerto Rico or other Virgin islands as the sugar cane industry attracted a lot of migrant workers in the 1930′s, 40′s and 50′s. There was also an influx of down-islanders (ie from other Caribbean islands), as the residents say, after the industrialization of St Croix in the US Virgin Islands in the 1960′s and 1970′s as tourism and petrol became more central to the economy.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

April 2, 2010

Going Sailing In The Caribbean

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 6:11 am

There are plenty of destinations for people interested in sailing and if you are tired of the Virgin Islands then move on over to the rest of the Caribbean.

The Caribbean islands are part of an island chain stretching 2,500 miles. Given the enormous distance, it is no surprise that tourists spend weeks out there in order to enjoy the splendour that it has to offer.

Just like in the Virgin Islands, there are lots of charter firms you can go to. for a range of hobbies. These companies come in different sizes, but perhaps the best is the yacht charter.

When you charter a yacht, apart from the yacht, the other elements and benefits that come with it are meals, separate guest rooms, a galley, toilet and shower.

Since you are the paying guest aboard the boat, you can customize the menu by telling the crew before the voyage what you want to eat. You can help out by buying the provisions yourself, having someone from the crew do it for an additional fee or choose a set menu from one of their pre-composed packages.

Since most of the islands in the Caribbean are small and uninhabited, you are certain to see places that not many have seen. But if you can’t afford to rent a chartered yacht, don’t worry because you can probably get one that will cost as little as $50 if you are able to book a pre-arranged trip with several other guests to share the bill.

One thing you ought to be prepared for during you sailing vacation is the possibility of a storm. These generally occurs during the months of June to November. If you are not sure that this is the best time, book the trip on another date.

But if you are adamant about going on your dates, there are some online tools you can utilize to check if the area you will be sailing in has ever been hit by a storm before.

The other option is to plan your itinerary to the Caribbean islands further south because they are less likely to be affected by a storm. I am talking about the islands of Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, and Turks and Caicos.

If you like the idea of going sailing around the Caribbean there are ample choices. You could do a lot worse than start in St Croix in the US Virgin Islands and travel south or west. If you start in St Croix, which the pirates of old used to call Santa Cruz, you will not need a passpert and can take your pets with you, but you will need more ID if you call into foreign islands.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: honeymoon,wedding,marriage,vacation,holiday,recreation,caribbean,USA,travel,happiness,luxury,sea,outdoor,other

March 26, 2010

Deer Hunting In The United States

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Chris Chandler @ 10:38 am

Deer hunting can be a hugely favored hobby. With around thirty subspecies of whitetail in the Americas (both North & South) you will discover a large amount of deer to hunt! You will discover also eight species in South America keeping hunters busy year around.

Whitetail is regarded as well-liked varieties of deer hunting game east of the Rocky Mountains and the mule deer dominates west of the Rockies. Even elk and moose are a favored deer species for hunting, but relatively compared, the whitetail deer are by far the most common big game hunting animal in the United States.

The female deer, also called a doe, averages round 90-200 pounds. The males, known as a buck, in nearly all instances weighs from 130 to 300 pounds per animal. The record was five hundred pound deer found in Minnesota. In some tropical locations, whitetails are very petite animals in comparison to their cousins.

During rut, most bucks might lose weight by not eating. This is because they will devote just as much time as possible pursuing does. However, they become less energetic when the temperature is higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Whenever temperatures are above 40 degrees, dehydration and overheating can happen in rut.

Deer hunting regulations vary from state to state in addition to type of hunt. A good amount of hunters hunt with rifles or bows and a few places have musket hunting days. Specialty hunts likewise occur in locations like state parks occur where crowding is a major problem and the herd may need thinning.

Auto accidents can be a problem with deer. Late at night, during rutting season is when vehicles strike most deer. Commonly in rut, the deer are on the roam increasingly more. This roaming period can result in serious auto accidents, and in some cases, death to the car passengers. More times than not, the deer do not survive. The ideal action to take is to basically be familiar with the timing of deer mating season as well as drive a little slower & alertly. Remember that deer move quickly and could be in front of your car just before you notice it.

The largest percentage of deer in the outdoors survive from around 11-12 years and have been known to live a bit longer in captivity. Deer are up against predators like wolfs, disease, hunters, fire, and habitat loss. Plus hunting equipment has been improved over the years. With the improvements, it is definitely a little less difficult than ever before for hunters to hunt deer effectively.

So get prepared, right now is your day to start planning on hitting the hardwoods for a excellent adventure! If you’re hunting for provisions, activity, or just love to take pictures, please be careful and wear the proper hunting gear. Continuously wear safety orange once you enter the woods. This will let hunters know you’re there so you won’t get killed. Definitely don’t wear a brown jacket and a white vest with an antler hat while you jump through the woods! Comedy aside.. Good luck to you and your hunting adventure!

THE BUCK STOPS HERE! Find out more Deer Hunting Destinations & Deer Hunting Lodges at Trophy Hunting Destinations.com!

March 21, 2010

The Razor Kick Scooter Series

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 4:47 am

The Razor kick scooter is the present-day counterpart of the type of scooter that has been about for 50 years or more. In actuality, kids have almost certainly been fixing boards to wheels ever since scrap wheels became available. As with those classic scooters, the Razor kick scooter is propelled forward by foot power. That is, you put one foot on the board and push forward, or in other words kick back on the ground with the other.

This way of propulsion makes the Razor kick scooter an idyllic form of transportation, exercise and enjoyment for kids of all ages. In fact, Razor do not advise a Razor kick scooter for the under fives unless supervised and declare in their instruction manual:

“Children under age eight (8) should ride with adult supervision at all times. All children and preteens should ride with adult guidance at all times”.

This appears pretty strict to me and is probably an instance of over-vigilance because of the litigious society we live in. Just try suggesting to a twelve-year that you have to employ guidance on all of his or her trips!

Having said that the Razor kick scooter comes in roughly seven different guises. There is the Kiddie Kick scooter for the under fives. It is constructed of tough plastic and has a third wheel for greater stability.

Then there is the ‘A’ series of Razor kick scooter: the A, A2, A3 and AW. These models are roughly equal to a child’s development in size, skill and experience, although the highest recommended weight for all three models of Razor kick scooter is 65 kilos or 143 lbs.

The Razor kick scooter Pro is a leap up in know-how and so has more capabilities. It can be used for extreme sport and will carry a rider weighing up to 100 kilos or 220 lbs.

Last, but not least, is the Cruiser Razor kick scooter. It will take 79 kilos (175 lbs of weight and has larger wheels as it is meant for relaxed cruising about. The larger wheels signify that you won’t be aware of any bumpy terrain beneath you while you are on this Razor kick scooter.

All of these Razor kick scooters share comparable characteristics. All of these models of the Razor kick scooter are of very tough construction and all but the Razor Kiddie Kick scooter are manufactured of high-grade aluminium and are built to last.

These Razor kick scooters have extendable steering rods, which means that they can be pulled up to grow with your child or can be shared by children of different sizes. They also share a tough braking system which is operated on the rear wheel, rendering them ultra-safe for operation in the vicinity of pedestrians.

A Razor kick scooter begins at about $40 and so is an inexpensive method for you to ensure that that your child gets frequent exercise, gets out from behind his computer, gets some fresh air and sunlight and learns about civility while having fun being mobile. Apart from all these advantages, a Razor kick scooter will give your child affectionate reminiscences to look back on for the rest of his or her being.

If this article has whetted your appetite for a Razor kick scooter, please surf along to our website at http://razorascooter.com

Reviews About RC Cars And Trucks

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:43 am

I have read loads of reviews about remote control cars, because I am a subscriber to a remote control car enthusiasts’ magazine that carries articles about all the different sorts of remote control gas cars on the market. It also suggests the best one to buy depending on whether you are a first time owner or an RC old hand. The magazine is fantastic, and it helps me understand what other RC car owners feel about the different models and brands of RC cars and trucks.

I have to say that people’s views vary quite widely on every subject, which is why it’?s probably always best to do your own studying and get what best suits you, rather than getting what other people say will suit you, when they do not even know you. Having said that, many first time buyers do not actually know what they are looking for, and it is really these people that these reports are written for.

However, these reviews are not meant to be taken too literally, rather they are intended as a guideline so that prospective greenhorn buyers have to think about the aspects of buying a remote control gas car or truck. It also gives experts a run down of the salient facts. Then you need to make up your own mind whether you care, for instance, whether the car’s engine runs on gas or nitro.

All in all, I like this magazine because it considers people from all walks of life, and its writers and editor appreciate that even if you are interested in buying a gas remote control car, you may not have enough money or you might be reading just out of interest in RC cars or trucks.

We all understand that money is hard to come by these days, and consumers are becoming more and more well-informed about the goods they want, which is a good thing in my view. After all, there are other merchants who only desire to get the most money they can for their goods and mark up their RC model car prices to inflated amounts in the hope that they will get a couple of foolish patrons that did not do their groundwork.

And I am sure that they probably do get a few patrons like that, because they do stay in business somehow and I frequently hear awfulness stories about individuals who have paid far too much for their RC gas car or truck.

When you ask them why they did not take the trouble to read the reports in a magazine, they usually say that they did not know about the magazines, or even worse, that they did not have sufficient time. Therefore it appears that they had enough time to work like a dog for the money, but then not enough time to read a short magazine review? I doubt it very much. With a bit of luck, consumers will continue becoming more and more careful about their purchases.

It is such a pity, so, If you happen to be a new RC car enthusiast, or you know someone who is, please make sure you read the remote control car and truck reviews before concluding a purchase. It can literally save you hundreds of your hard earned dollars.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the remote control-gas-car. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

categories: reviews,rc,radio,kids and teens,remote cotrol,entertainment,sport,models,toys,vehicles,autos and trucks,product reviews,outdoor,other

March 19, 2010

Radio Controlled Autos – An Enjoyable Pastime

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 3:43 am

If someone likes remote controlled hobbies, they almost definitely started with a car. This is because, unlike a boat or a plane, autos will not usually be totally smashed up if the operator makes a big mistake or the engine fails. It is fairly straightforward to make a simple remote controlled vehicle, but as you are doing it, you will realize that there is a vast amount to be learned.

As you gain this knowledge, you can utilize advanced techniques to construct autos that are tougher, faster and more efficient than your previous efforts. You can either piece one together in a few days, or you can spend months creating an astonishing car which has superb speed and handling.

If you are just starting out with remote controlled hobbies, it is almost certainly wise to buy a pre-made, RTR (ready-to-run) radio controlled car. It is possible to purchase these in toy or modeling stores almost anywhere. They may be slow and ungainly and they may not satisfy your technological desires, but they are still a good place to begin. Play with it for a few days, and then take it apart. Look at the way the motors are connected to the wheels, and examine the overall architecture of the car.

After you have understood it all, you will have much better idea when you begin to build your own. You may even be able to use a few parts, such as the body of the vehicle or the radio control apparatus. The motors will almost certainly not be as powerful as you will desire.

When you have acquired this indispensable basic knowledge of the way that radio controlled cars operate, you can start with whatever your next project is going to be. The goal for most people is to build a model car from wood or plastic, put in the electrical workings, paint it, affix stickers, and get it looking as good and performing as well as possible. Others may want to construct an extremely fast remote controlled car in order to show off to friends. But no matter what you want to do, you will only be able to achieve it, if you take it one small step at a time and become skilled at everything there is to be known about remote controlled hobbies.

However, there are many different means that can assist you become an authority in remote controlled hobbies. You will almost certainly spend a lot of time researching all the different details that you require. You can find information and even tutorials on the Internet. For more detailed questions, you could always go to community groups and forums. This is where enthusiasts from all over the world meet together on the Internet to talk about their hobby, support each other, and brag about their latest achievements. These groups welcome newcomers, particularly if you are polite when asking your question.

Remote controlled vehicles can also enter competitions. If you want to put your car up against those of other enthusiasts, there are different races and shows around the world. A quick Internet search will reveal where nearest event is. You could make a weekend trip out of it and it will be worth it to be around others who are as obsessive as you about what you are doing. These events may include races, or they may just be a get-together to share tips and tricks with other radio enthusiasts. You will be amazed at the amount of information that you can acquire from the people who go to these dos.

It may be daunting at first to start a new hobby, since there is probably heaps of stuff that you probably know nothing about. However, the best thing to do is just get started with the fundamentals and learn gradually.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with gas remote control cars. If you have an interest in model or toy rc vehicles, please go over to our website now at 1/5 Scale RC Cars

March 15, 2010

Senior Golf Vacation Packages

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 9:05 am

If you are looking for senior golf vacation packages where you can get golf lessons, a friendly game of golf or watch a PGA Tour, you might look on the Internet to see where the best places would be. You could travel to Arizona, Hawaii, Bermuda or Myrtle Beach.

You can have some exciting rounds of golf when you book a senior golf package that involves accommodation, airfare and a few days of golf. You will not only enjoy your golf, but the many attractions in the area as well. Vacation packages are remarkable and when they include golf at a very prominent club, you will have an even better time.

Myrtle Beach has some of the most impressive golf vacation packages with diverse activities built into each one. You can play the Big Cat and even have a lesson or two from the former Senior Golf Tour player Gary Cowan. Gary Cowan was the winner of two majors and had eight appearances in other majors.

You may prefer the Big Cat package, the Fanatic golfer package or the four rounds and three-night package. The latter is for the true golfer. Four days of golf and only three-nights in the hotel is what you get in this holiday package.

In Maui, you can play one of the courses designed by Robert Trent Jones; enjoy a day in the warm sun and experience a golf course like you have never experienced before. You can stay at the Kaanapali Beach hotel and take the short walk to the golf course.

The two courses are a senior golfer’s delight. The South Course has an executive style, but with little complexity whereas the North Course runs through the foothills and along the beach and is considered a challenging golf course. It is also home to the PGA Tour.

If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, you might like to try the senior golf vacation package to Bermuda. With nine golf courses spread out on twenty-one acres of land, you will find that this is one of the most exceptional experiences of a lifetime. You can choose from fourteen hotels and resorts that offer senior golf vacation packages. With sea all around, you will feel the warm breeze and smell the ocean as you enjoy a great game of golf. Many vacation packages include at least one day of golf, but you can find holiday package deals with more days as well.

However, the story of senior golf vacation packages does not end there. You could enjoy a trip to Arizona where you can find some of the leading golfing schools. The golf courses in the area put on the PGA and the LPGA. The Scottsdale area is crammed with many senior friendly golf courses that will intrigue even the skilled golfer.

Not only do you have the game of golf, but some of the best leisure activity is on hand in the area as well. You can arrange a senior golf outing anywhere you can find a great package deal and professional lessons.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: golf,vacation,seniors,recreation,sport,hobbies,hawaii,Arizona,virgin islands,outdoor,other

March 11, 2010

Honeymoon On St Croix

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:45 am

After your wedding day, your honeymoon is one of the most memorable times of your life and so must surely count as one of best holidays you will ever have. It is the beginning of a new life with the person you love. As such it is a good reason to visit somewhere you have always wanted to go, somewhere very special.

One of the most popular places for people to go to on a honeymoon is St Croix, The US Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean is the first choice for many newly weds for various reasons: the romance, the people are happy and welcoming, the sand, sea and sunshine, the food and the music. St Croix in the US Virgin Islands is one of the favourite destinations in the Caribbean islands.

St Croix has beautiful beaches and that perfect tropical climate that is so appropriate for a wonderful honeymoon. The hotels and the island’s inhabitants love to take care of newly weds and go out of their way to make sure that the honeymooners have the time of their lives – a holiday that they will remember affectionately for ever.

Cost is always a factor when one is planning a honeymoon in the Caribbean, but you do not have not be too worried on that front. A honeymoon on St Croix need not be costly and as it is only 1,300 miles from the USA, so travel costs and travel time are low.

You will not have trouble finding somewhere on the island to suit your desires. However, St Croix is a popular honeymoon destination, especially for Americans, so it is worth booking your honeymoon holiday as early as possible in order to obtain the reservation that you want.

There are three main types of places to stay: a hotel, a vacation rental or a holiday home. The difference between a vacation rental and a holiday home is that the former is a condo or villa purpose built for holiday makers, whereas the holiday home is actually somebody’s house who has let it out for a short period.

When planning your honeymoon, you should think about when you will go away. It was traditional to leave for the honeymoon after a short reception on the day of the wedding, but many couples postpone their departure date nowadays. Over the last few decades, it has become the standard to hold an extensive reception hours after the wedding, often at night. This will usually go on until midnight or later, which makes leaving for foreign climes quite difficult. A hangover is not a good travelling companion either.

Therefore, you may want to put your going away date off until two days after the wedding, although I think that flying out on the wedding day is still the best idea. If you choose a holiday home or a vacation rental on St Croix, you will need to make all your own arrangements for getting to the airport, flying to St Croix and getting a taxi from the airport to your place of stay, so I recommend that for this, your first visit to this beautiful island, you take a package holiday, which will take care of you from your local airport to your hotel on St Croix and back again.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

The United States Virgin Islands

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 10:43 am

The US Virgin Islands came into America’s possession in 1917 after Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to it for $25m in gold. At the time, the USA was worried that the Germans would gain control of the islands and use them as a base from which to launch attacks on America.

The status of the US Virgin Islands is one of an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. This means the residents of the US Virgin Islands are US citizens, but cannot vote in US presidential elections. Therefore, US citizens do not need a passport to visit the US Virgin Islands.

The US Virgin Islands are part virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward islands of the Lesser Antilles along with the British Virgin Islands. The three main islands of this American territory are called Saint Croix, Saint John and Saint Thomas. There is also a much smaller island called Water Island. All together, there are about 60 islands with a total surface area of 133.73 square miles, although most of the islands are uninhabited.

The four main islands of the US Virgin Islands are known to their residents by nicknames. These are ‘Twin City’ (St. Croix); ‘Rock City’ (St. Thomas); ‘Love City’ (St. John) and ‘Small City’ (Water Island) and their total population was 108,612 in the 2000 census.

Since the 1960′s, the islands turned their focus from agriculture to heavy industry and tourism and the US Virgin Islands are a very popular destination for American tourists and honeymooners. It is very easy for Americans to get there because a passport is not required, the islands are only 1,730 miles east south-east of Miami, the currency is the US dollar and everybody speaks English.

The islands enjoy an arid, pleasant climate. The average temperature in the capital, Charlotte Amelie, is 33c in the summer and 30c in the winter. September to November are the wettest months and February and March are the driest. The USVI are subject to hurricanes. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was particularly devastating, but the islands were also hit in 1998, 1999 and 2008.

Tourism is the industry that most of the islanders are engaged in and about 2,000,000 people visit every year, many of them on cruise liners. St Thomas and St Croix are the best equipped to deal with tourists offering hotels and resorts along with lovely beaches and fine restaurants. Water sports are the main activity, although tourists can also hire horses or jeeps to discover the interior of the US Virgin Islands.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Virgin Islands. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

categories: honeymoon,wedding,marriage,vacation,holiday,recreation,caribbean,USA,travel,happiness,luxury,sea,outdoor,other

March 8, 2010

Tamiya RC Autos

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 8:18 am

Tamiya is a company known for producing first-rate miniatures of automobiles. They are famous today for introducing the world to the sport of mini 4WD racing. However, what many people do not know, is that Tamiya also introduced the world to RC (remote controlled or radio controlled) cars. The Tamiya RC car line-up has a lot of models that show the excellence of the company’s ability in model design.

Here are some of the Tamiya RC model cars on the market today:

Nitro Crusher – This RC car boasts of a mighty FS-15S engine that features a large bore slide carburetor to satisfy your need for speed. The engine also has a precise brake system that guarantees practical safety. This Tamiya RC car will also satisfy your desire for muscle because it comes in the form of a huge truck.

You can drive through all sorts of territory as effortlessly as if you were driving on the roadway. This RC car has a variety of points that permit it to cruise through special kinds of terrain. It has extra-large tires that are perfect for dealing with mud, sand and rocks. It also features a frontal impact control system that permits you to enjoy steady running no matter what hazards you encounter.

Mini cooper – If you do not know what a Mini Cooper is, consider Mr. Bean’s much-loved car. This remote controlled car is based on that small-but-awesome car of the 1960′s. The Mini Cooper is renowned for its small size and powerful performance. In point, the Mini Cooper even performed extremely well in competitions such as the World Rally Championships.

This radio controlled car features an M-03 chassis that is specially intended to be as speedy as possible. The double wishbone suspension also ensures the stability and first-rate handling of the car. This model is an electric RC car, which means that the batteries add a lot of weight. However, a hole cut into the chassis guarantees that this RC car can still run very well regardless of its weight.

Subaru Impreza WRC Monte Carlo – This RC car is designed for the latest kind of racing. This Tamiya RC car is intended to drift. The chassis of this RC vehicle, the TT-01D, is built from lightweight materials and has been specifically constructed to have a low center of gravity. This means that this Tamiya RC car will not roll over if you attempt to “drift” it.

What are the advantages of drift racing? Well, in standard bends, there is a penchant for cars to lose velocity. By drifting, the car can preserve the highest speed and precision control. However, there is always the chance of something going wrong, which is the reason for Tamiya’s excellent engineering.

XBG Nitro Force – Capable of mind-boggling high speeds, this car is unquestionably a power to be reckoned with. Powered by a precision FR-S glow engine, this car uses a recoil starter for clean starting every time. This Tamiya RC model also boasts of a strengthened resin frame chassis with a low center of gravity, making it extra stable during fast driving.

This Tamiya RC car also features a very aerodynamic frame, making sure that the airstream will not adversely affect your desire for speed. All in all, if you want a Tamiya RC car that will satisfy your wish for speed and excitement, this is the vehicle that you should be buying.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with 1:5 scale RC cars. If you would like to know more about these monster 1/5 scale rc cars, please click the link to our website now.

categories: rc,radio,kids and teens,family,entertainment,sport,models,toys,vehicles,autos and trucks,product reviews,outdoor,other

March 4, 2010

Luxury Sea Cruises

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 7:29 pm

Vacationing on a cruise ship is rightly considered to be elite and luxurious. It is certainly the best kind of vacation that I have ever had. The luxury far surpasses staying in a five star hotel. On the other hand, it is like an elite all inclusive holiday, because once on board, all the entertainment and all your meals are free. Alcoholic drinks must be paid for, but then they are duty free.

If you have never been on a cruise before you really must try it. I would not recommend it as a family vacation, but I have seen families on cruises. Cruising might suit a family with older children or you might find a cruise which is planned with children in mind. However, in my experience, your average cruiser is over 50 and married.

I know that they do 18-30 cruises and all kinds of themed cruises, but if you just go on a normal cruise, most of your fellow passengers will be older. Many of them are commemorating something too – retirement, Golden Wedding Anniversary, 70th birthday, that sort of thing. These people want a peaceful time and do not really want children running around and jumping in and out of the pool. Dinner can be late and the evening’s entertainment is not child orientated either. If you want to take children, look for a specialty cruise.

A cruise is tranquil and all about pampering. Luxury and pampering and world class food. I put on five pounds on a two week cruise and friends said that was abnormally little! I will tell you about the food on my last cruise.

Breakfast lasted from 7 AM to 10 AM and there was a buffet with food from all around the world: fruit, porridge, toast, bacon and eggs, ham, cornflakes and all the variations, sausages, rice, Chinese food, prawns, fish and more. Elevenses started at 11 AM and had tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits, help yourself.

Lunch was a two hour affair starting at 1PM consisting of four courses. There was a choice of set plans, but if you wanted to mix and match you could – I think the plans were only to make it easier for the elderly to make up their minds. With 1,200 people to give food to in two sittings, the waiters try to speed selection up in very subtle ways, but never outwardly. High tea was from 4 to 4:30PM: tea, coffee, cakes, biscuits and sandwiches.

Dinner was at 6:30PM and was a five course meal in the same vein as lunch and at midnight there was a barbecue on deck until 2AM. Everything that was served was first class and there was no restriction at all on how much you could eat.

Entertainment was after dinner and there were two shows to match the two dinner sittings, but you could sit there for both shows if you liked. There was a different show every night ranging from solo artistes to bands. There were theater plays and musical shows, it was very grand. There was also a piano bar playing jazz and a disco every night

I would recommend a cruise to anyone, but it is a good idea to check what sort of cruise you are booking as some are themed and if you do not like the cruise’s theme, you may not get the full enjoyment out of it.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

February 28, 2010

Caribbean Cruises

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 12:25 pm

People work harder these days than ever before. If not physically harder then longer hours and we are entitled to a break from that once in a while. The majority of us go on holiday and we look forward to it months in advance and we plan for it even further ahead. Where do you like to go or what do you like to do? I personally prefer to go on a cruise and a Caribbean cruise is a good choice.

People think a cruise, specially a Caribbean cruise as being expensive, and cruise operators want to uphold that elite image, but I see the cruise as being an up-market all inclusive holiday. Probably, it is the original all inclusive holiday, because once you walk up and off that gang plank, everything aside from drinks is free. Everything and everything is first class hotel style too! We are not talking pizza and chips here, but five or six course meals and five or six times a day.

It is common knowledge, that if you go on a cruise you can expect to gain a pound or two a week (I put on five pounds on my last cruise), unless you do some exercise. What exercise? Cruise liners have swimming pools and gymnasiums! Not only one but several. Some even set aside a deck for running at certain times of the day. There really is no excuse for not exercising on a Caribbean cruise.

Caribbean cruise liners provide more sports facilities than just gymnastics too. In fact, except for horse riding, I think that most sports are catered for. Basketball, volleyball, swimming, clay pigeon shooting, fishing, bird watching … You name it. Caribbean cruise liners also have Internet connections, games machines and full office amenities. During the evenings there are first class shows, often two a night, films in a cinema and a casino.

If you have never been on a Caribbean cruise, it is difficult to explain the amount of luxury that is provided. It is more than a first class hotel. In a first class hotel, you pay first class prices for everything too, but on a Caribbean cruise liner, everything but drinks is free and even drinks are cheap because they are duty-free. The cruise liner will have a shop too where everything it sells is duty free!

Some Caribbean cruises are themed and it is worth noting this fact. Also some times of the year, especially early February are foreseeable. I once naively went on a Caribbean cruise for a fortnight which spanned St Valentine’s day. I was a single man then and the other 1200 were romantic couples. There was only one single woman on the cruise but there was no rapport between us. I did not not enjoy that Caribbean cruise, because people took we under their wing, but it made me think about the time of year when I next booked up.

Caribbean cruises, especially the better ones, will fill up quickly, so this is one holiday that you really ought to book well in advance. A year in advance is not too early. I like to book my Caribbean cruise a year in advance, but put my name down for any last minute cancellations, in case I can pick up a bargain.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with St Croix Hotels. If you are interested in St Croix Vacation Rentals in the US Virgin Islands, please click through to our site.

February 25, 2010

Choosing Golf Equipment

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 2:20 pm

Buying golf clubs can be just like throwing your money into the sea, but fore-waned, you can save yourself plenty of time and money when you’re choosing your golf clubs. As in many cases, you can either spend a lot of money in one go or you can spend a little several times, until you get what you really want.

If you are just beginning and are not completely certain that you want to commit yourself to the addictive game of golf, you should either hire golf clubs at the clubhouse on the golf course, or purchase a beginner’s set of golf clubs.

Buying a set of starter golf clubs enables you to become accustomed to them; enabling you to concentrate on your swing instead of wondering how this set of miss-matched golf clubs you just rented is going to pan out.

As you become better at golf, you should invest in a better set of clubs more suited to you.

Generally, a set includes a driver, one or two fairway woods, numbers 4-9 irons, a wedge or two and a putter.

Once become more experienced and start thinking about new clubs, you may want to consider buying your driver separately. Some players want a driver to give them more accuracy, others want more distance.

There are numerous sorts of golf ball available and the golf ball box will usually have a chart on the back to direct you to the right ball for your requirements. As you learn more about the game and get better at it, you should experiment with different balls which could improve your accuracy and/or your distance.

Having the right golfing equipment is an important aspect of the game, so buy wisely!

If you are new to golf, you could do worse than check out our Golfing Tips for Novices, where you will learn more about choosing Golf equipment. Check here for free reprint licence: Choosing Golf Equipment.

categories: golf,golfing,golf clubs,equipment,hobbies,sport,recreation,health,fitness,walking,champions,celebrity,outdoor,other

January 29, 2010

Nike Golf Shoes

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Owen Jones @ 11:27 am

Nike golf shoes are one of the tools you can use to raise the quality of your game. If you have only played golf in casual footwear before, or if you’re just looking for a way to improve your general game, investing in a good pair of golf shoes can make a large difference. Just like in other sports, the shoes you have on can directly affect your performance.

As you have to develop a smooth swing and be able to follow through on that swing in golf, all without losing any control of the strength in your swing, your golf shoes can help or spoil your game for you. Nike golf shoes have been designed to help you balance, gripping the turf as much as needed yet allowing you to put full power and control behind each and every swing.

Since these golf shoes have special compartments in the heels, every step is easier and lighter to make. They put a spring in your step and yet offer the level of support your feet, legs and knees require in order to enjoy playing your game of golf very comfortably for long periods of time.

As golf very often means a great deal of walking, Nike golf shoes have been constructed like a hybrid of walking shoe and golf shoe. They cushion the joints of your legs and knees against the impact from each step you take, giving you the chance to concentrate your strength and effort on your game of golf, rather than on how you are going to get to the next hole or to wherever it is that your ball has landed.

When you go to buy Nike golf shoes, there are several things that you should keep in mind. The first thing you need to consider is what level of skill you have achieved. Golf, like many other sports, has gear that can be used by novices or advanced professionals alike.

In many cases, beginners pick Nike golf shoes made for professionals, but never end up getting the full potential of the shoe, as they are not certain how they can best be used.

While professionals definitely can get great advantage out of these Nike golf shoes, it is often better for amateurs to purchase entry level Nike golf shoes which would better suit their needs. The increase in power given to your stroke will usually be wasted on those who are novices, as they do not yet possess the requisite skill to control the stroke as much as they would need to.

Therefore, it is best to purchase Nike golf shoes that suit your level of skill, since these shoes will have the comfort and features you require. You can buy Nike golf shoes from a variety of sources. For those who want cheaper shoes yet still require the quality of the professional shoes, you can purchase last season’s shoes from Nike outlet centers.

If you want only top of the line shoes, you can buy from online Nike stockists or through a number of online and local retail vendors (see below).

If you are want to find out more about Nike golf shoes, visit our website on Golfing Tips for Novices for loads of free advice. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

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