Friday, July 31, 2009

All About Betting Online At A Casino

by Simon M Skinner

If you like thrills, chills and breathtaking excitement then you should be having fun betting online casino style. This type of challenge lets you experience gaming up close and personal without ever leaving your home. Forget about fancy clothes, airline tickets and hotel rooms, you can have the entire casino experience taking place from your sofa, or in your own backyard.

You will be able to experience the gaming world without ever having to leave your home. You can play for fun or put a little money on the line to see what you can do with it. There are even online tournaments that could very well bring you thousands of dollars if you play your cards right.

You can find online casinos that have instruction courses and tips for you to use as you learn the ropes. There are also hundreds of games that are absolutely free to play. This is one of the best ways to get a feel for the way the game is set up and to learn the rules. Free playing is another big draw that is offered only by online sites. This lets you discover which type of gaming you may be best suited for. Some people seem to have a knack for cards while others appear to be gifted at craps, baccarat, or roulette. You won?t know what you are good at unless you give the games a try.

And just like betting in big time casinos, you can bet money that you can double, or even triple and the winnings are yours to do with what you please. All you have to do is tell the online casino site that you want your winnings transferred back into your bank account and it will be done.

Without having to deal with crowds of people, smoke, or a lot of noise, you will be able to sit back, relax, and truly get to enjoy the gaming experience. Just make sure that you are taking into consideration some key points before you begin to play.

Check out the credentials of the site before you play any of the games.

Read through all of the rules on deposits, wagers, and bonuses.

For games that require real money, make sure that you are very well versed on the rules of the game. Practicing before using real money should help get you on the right track to success.

Understand when you should tap out of a game.

Set a limit for your deposits and playing amounts that you will abide by. If you are winning, use this money to place additional wagers.

Watch out for special bonuses which double or even sometimes triple the amount of your deposit. This will allow you to play with more money without breaking the bank.

Why Not Swing Trading? (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

Determining your trading style is very important right from the beginning. Not knowing what type of a trader you are can make or break your trading career. Take the analogy of a cricket team. There are 11 players in each team in the match. All players are talented and super fit. Everyone can throw and catch the ball. However some are more skilled at balling. Others are more skilled at batting. If the baller is going to do the job of the batter, not many runs will be made and the match will be lost.

Investing in the markets is also the same. It depends on your personality makeup what type of trading is best suited to you. In general there are three types of trading: Positions trading, swing trading and day trading.

Position Trading is generally the buy and hold strategy of investing in stocks over a long haul. In currency trading, position trading means you are in a trade for many months. Usually positions traders are in a trade for a large long term move like when you carry trade. Options traders can also be position traders through covered calls.

Swing trading is possibly the most dynamic of the three types of trading as the swing trader is able to switch up holding times quickly as the market demands. Swing Trading means taking short term positions in anticipation of quick market movements over a series of days or weeks. Swing traders take advantage of technical and fundamental analysis.

Day trading is not easy and it is certainly not a hobby. Sometimes when the positions warrants holding for a longer period, day trading can become swing trading! In Day Trading, you attempt to capitalize on intraday movements with the markets often trading on momentum and news. Day traders are also known as Kings of Stress.

You should note that if you dont have time to watch your trades every moment, you should not think of day trading. Day trading is the riskiest of the three trading styles. Day trading is ideal for those who are able to handle erratic market movements while actually also having time to monitor the positions throughout the day.

Know That Swing Trading Is a Better Alternative to Day Trading Day trading hardly ever ends up well especially if the trader has no previous professional trading experience. Only 10% of the day traders succeed. Many people are attracted to the glamour and excitement of day trading. Most day trader usually blow up their accounts and fade away soon.

Swing trading can be on the other hand a much more effective trading style especially if you are a newer trader. By holding positions overnight and even for a few weeks, you can expose less money for larger moves. If you are a new trader, think about it for a moment.

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Tennis Basics

By Gail Jones

I trust that this first effort of mine into the world of letters will find a place with both novices and experts in the tennis world. I am striving to interest the student of the game by a somewhat lengthy discussion of match play, which I trust will cast a new light on the game of tennis.

I will turn to the beginner in my opening article and speak of certain matters which are second nature to the skilled player. The best tennis equipment is not a lot of good to the novice even if he really wants to improve. However, one has to buy good quality; it is a saving in the end, as good quality goods far outlasts poor quality gear.

It is important to always dress in tennis attire when playing tennis. The question of choosing a tennis racquet is a much more serious matter. I do not advocate forcing a certain make of racquet upon any player, since all the standard brands are excellent. However, it is on the weight, balance, and size of handle that the real value of a racquet frame depends, while good stringing is essential to get the best results.

After having acquired your racquet, make a firm decision to buy only quality tennis balls, as a regular bounce is a great aid to advancement, while a "dead" ball is of no use at all. If you really want to succeed at tennis and progress rapidly, I strongly recommend you to watch all the good tennis you can. Study the play of the top players and strive to copy their strokes. Read all the tennis instruction manuals you can get your hands on. They are a great help.

Much more tennis can be learned off the tennis court in the study of theory and in watching the best players in action, than can ever be learned in one's own actual play. I do not mean that you should miss opportunities to play tennis, far from it. Play tennis whenever you can, but try when playing to put into practice the theories you have read about or the strokes you have seen.

Never let yourself become discouraged by lack of progress. The manner of playing some stroke you have worked on for weeks unsuccessfully, will suddenly come to you when you least expect it. Good tennis players are the product of very hard work. Very few players are born geniuses at the game. Tennis is a game that pays you dividends all your life. A tennis racquet is a letter of introduction in any city.

The fellowship of the game is universal, for none but a fit sportsman can succeed in the game for any lengthy period of time. Tennis provides relaxation, excitement, exercise, and pure enjoyment to the person who is bound hard to his job until late afternoon.

The order of development that produces the quickest and most lasting results is: a. Concentration on the game. b. Keep the eye on the ball. c. Foot-work and weight-control. d. Strokes. e. Court position. f. Court generalship or match play. g. Tennis psychology.

Concentration. Tennis is played first with the mind. The most perfect racquet technique in the world will not suffice if the directing mind is wandering. There are many reasons for a wandering mind in a tennis match. The main one is loss of interest in the game. No one should play tennis with any hope of real success unless he cares enough about the game to be willing to do the drudgery necessary to learn the game properly.

Pack it in immediately unless you are willing to work very hard. The weather, conditions of play or the noises in the gallery often confuse even experienced match-players playing in new surroundings. Utter concentration on the game is the only remedy for an erring mind, and the sooner that lesson is learned the quicker the improvement of the player.

The best way to keep a match in mind is to play for every set, every game in the set, every point in the game and, finally, every shot in the point. A set is merely a conglomeration of made and missed shots, and the man who misses the least is the ultimate victor.

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Cheap 50cc Moped Scooters For Today Economy

By Donald Mihajlov

The economy has everyone in a position to look for ways to save money. Well this is one time that you can save money by spending money. Go out and look at some 50cc scooters and after you spend that small upfront investment, you are going to be amazed at how much extra cash is in your bank account.

If you have a long commute to work, there is no way getting around the fact that you have to have a car. But what about when you are just running errands in the city on short trips? Is there really any need to use the gas guzzler and add another bill to the growing stack? Now you are adding another tank of gas to something that is already draining you. Get on a 50cc scooter and get up to 100MPG! Imagine how much cash that will put in your pocket by the end of the year.

Think about the parking situations that you usually run into when you are in the city. Streets are blocked in and there isn't anywhere to put your ride. Now you have to park a mile away from where you need to be or you have to pay for a spot on a lot. Now look at how small that 50cc scooter is and there are plenty of spaces to squeeze it into. It's just another reason to consider buying 50cc scooters.

Now picture New York City at the height if rush hour and traffic that is bumper to bumper. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to sit behind a hundred cards just to get around the corner? A 50cc scooter is much more maneuverable than a car and those traffic jams will be a thing of the past.

While these are some of the reasons, there are plenty of other ones as well. Think about the lower insurance rate that you are going to have to pay and how about the time that you will save because of some of the things we mentioned above. Lose your frustrations and save a few bucks in the process by merely traveling around the city on a 50cc scooter.

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Is It True Hockey Still A Major Sport?

By Denise I Smithson

Not very long ago, hockey was right up there with NFL Football, NBA Basketball and Major League Baseball as one of the most popular sports in the US. The other three are still going strong, with the NFL still dominant in the American sports scene.

In fact, hockey is not truly considered to be in that big four grouping any longer. Of course, a more accurate description of the sports climate might show that NASCAR and MMA have joined the NFL, NBA and MLB in that top tier. Hockey however is on the outside looking in, no longer enjoying the popularity it once did.

Why did the NHL suffer this rapid decline? Was it the lockout which caused there to be no 2004-2005 season? The lockout was only a symptom of a deeper problem; sadly, it all has to do with money rather than the merits of hockey as a sport. NHL franchises began finding themselves in a sticky situation; salaries for players continued to climb even as revenues declined for many teams. Other than hugely popular franchises like the Rangers and the Red Wings, teams found themselves simply unable to pay the salaries commanded by many NHL players.

They weren't making enough revenue to pull it off. Revenue is brought in for sports teams through several areas, the most important of which are television rights and ticket sales. As the popularity of the sport waned, these sources of income did as well. Therefore the lockout was a result of the problem, not the cause of the problem.

The lockout however certainly didn't help the situation. When hockey returned the next season they made a deal with the network known as OLN - now Versus - to broadcast their weekly national games. However that cable station reaches only a small fraction of the homes that the major networks reach. This means that hockey simply isn't viewable by a great deal of the population, leaving it in a spot where it can hardly increase its popularity.

Adding to this problem is the fact that hockey isn't the most captivating sport to watch on television. It is a fantastic sport to take in live. This helps explain why the sport is so popular in major metropolitan areas where there is a hockey team. These fans get to go to the games and take in the rabid culture. You can hear the turns and stops of the skating, you can feel the jarring checks as players hit the ice and fall into the boards. The speed and precise nature of the game comes out in a way that it simply cannot on television. Those people who never see a game in person therefore, may not even know what they are missing out on by not being a hockey fan.

Therefore the answer to the question is that no, hockey is no longer one of the major sports in this country. It has lost it's place in that upper echelon, and is struggling for a strategy to get back. It needs to find a way to make its television games more exciting, while also getting those games aired in a spot where more people can view them. Until both of those happen it may be hard for the NHL to regain the spotlight it once had.

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Emergency LED Flashlights - The Features that will Keep You Prepared in Any Emergency

By Darren Bradley

The thing about emergencies that leaves us so unprepared is the very nature f emergencies is that we never know when they are going to happen. Your experience is going along just as planned, then certain emergencies such as fires happen in the blink of an eye.

In as far as being prepared for any emergency, one of the things we have always been told is to keep a flashlight on you at all times. Flashlights enable us to see things in an emergency where the light has gone out, or been cut off for safety purposes. But nowadays, LED flashlights are being used with more frequency than the typical old flashlight we grew up knowing. Here are several advantages which an LED flashlight has over the older typical light bulb flashlights.

One of the best things about emergency LED flashlights is that they are very small and compact, so you can bring them anywhere; some of them are so small that you can actually attach them to your key chain and have light anywhere and anytime you need it.

An emergency LED flashlight is also more reliable and will last longer in an emergency situation. They require less energy to produce light than their traditional counterparts. This is very important because you never know how long an emergency situation might last, and the last thing you need is the battery dying on you before its over.

An LED flashlight is also capable of producing a brighter light than regular flashlights. In areas that are extremely dark, this can be a lifesaver. This can be helpful to spot anyone else around you, or simply the obstacles that may be on the ground or at head-level. As far as the bulbs go, LED flashlight bulbs will last a lot longer than regular bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs are also prone to breakage, which can leave you in the dark in the middle of an emergency. These are also tough to repair, which make LED flashlights much more appealing.

Emergency LED flashlights can also offer a lot of benefits in a flooding or other water-related emergency. These flashlights will remain functional even after contact with water. Other flashlights, the ones that are not waterproof, will short out and become useless if they are submerged in water.

Emergency LED flashlights can be a lifesaver in emergency situations. They are small enough to be taken anywhere and are reliable enough to work when you need them. You can get these flashlights in any number of stores or online. It is quick and easy to pick one up, and then you are that much closer to always being prepared.

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Carbon Fiber Bike - How Strong Is It?

By Peter MacNeil

There is a myth that Carbon Fiber Bikes are designed and manufactured for toughness and strength in addition to speed benefits. Wrong!. Actually, the fact about products made from carbon fiber is that they are very light weight and are made in lots of different designs and shapes, the actual strength of the carbon fiber material can be compromised easily.

If you are serious regarding owning carbon fiber parts for your bike, or are a serious road racing cyclist you will be aware that reducing the equipment weight equals everything when taking part in competitive sports. By buying a carbon fiber bike part it can make a real difference to the speed also also the advantage of your bike and hopefully gives you with an edge against the other competitors.

If the carbon fiber frame on your Carbon Fiber Bike gets even a deep scratch because of a fall, it can make the bike to be useless. A crack might also mean that the bike is probably best got rid of. Carbon fiber bikes can be mended, but due to the way and method that the material is produced and shaped specifically to the design and shape of your bike frame, it might never be as rigid as it used to be.

If the frame gets a crack, this will soon be the weakest area in the frame and will then cause extra stress which can then make the frame tubing to crack open. You will certainly not be allowed to use your bike on a downhill trail or over any difficult areas ever again.

People who are not a serious cyclist, you should think about buying a cheaper "combination frame" such as a aluminum mix which will give you the benefits of the bike being very light, but will also allow you a bike with a greater strength overall. If you purchased something such as a carbon fiber pump, you may discover that the product is not completely made using that material and that it is a mixture of materials designed to make it lighter but also stronger.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Studying Skateboarding Tricks.

By Todd Martin

You must have seen all the tricks, stunts and maneuvers that world famous skateboarders for instance Tony Hawk have pulled off over the years, and so, you've now made up your mind that you want to be a skateboarder yourself. Well done! Not only is skateboarding entertaining and a better way to stay in shape (in reality, it is), although, should you become good enough and gifted enough, you can really make a nice and profitable living as an expert street or trick skateboarder. Now think about when you fill out an application form for a credit card, and you come to the box where it asks for your profession - and you write in expert skateboarder. That sounds really cool, right?

Now, before you embark on your skateboarding career, there are probably a few things that you should know about skateboards and the skateboard culture itself. Even though it's only been around for approximately sixty years (give or take a few), skateboarding has simply exploded from an underground activity into a mainstream pop-culture phenomenon. Terms such as trucks, grip tape, decks, wheels and more are now understood by people who aren't necessarily heavily into the activity of skateboarding. For the most part, people who skateboard are a fun-loving, easy-going sort who simply love life and don't take themselves too seriously - even though they take skateboarding very seriously.

In its straightforward and most essential form, skateboarding is nothing more than riding or pulling off stunts on a skateboard. Though, as with lots of other things in life, there is a great deal more to skateboarding than merely standing on a deck and rolling along the street. Skateboarding involves a great amount of skill, strength and balance. Without having sturdy physical attributes, you won't be able to skateboard for a great distance or for a great amount of time. In that sense, skateboarding is much like riding a bike - it's all about practice, practice and more practice. You have to learn to twist and move your body weight, how to stop, pick up the pace, and turn and more. Bear in mind, no one picks up anything on the first try, so it'll take some time before you really are able to master the skateboard. Although, with a little practice and lots of patience, you'll be able to do it!

Another thing to remember about skateboarding is that the world really is your canvas. If you're talented, skilled and daring enough, you and your skateboard can literally go anywhere and do anything. From navigating busy city streets to grinding down rails to everywhere in between, a top skateboarder never looks at anything in his or her way as a barrier. Rather, they look at obstacles as opportunities to expand their own limits and skills. And, over a period of time, you can too! The great thing about skateboarding is that, it doesn't really matter if you're young or old. If you have a passion for trying and learning as much as you can about it, then you'll soon be able to - at the very least - attempt all the tricks and moves that your favorite skateboarders perform on a regular basis.

With the popularity of the skateboarding soaring to new highs, As a result; various brands of skateboard decks come up, such as Sec9 Channel 9. Plan B skateboard decks, Zoo York skateboard decks etc. You can find professional skateboard decks in goskateorgohome.com which is an online skateboards and accessories supplier providing many brands of complete skateboards like Barfoot Takayama and accessories.

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Becoming Aware And Losing Weight

By Katharine Larsen

There are ways to lose weight quickly. Ways that are safe enough and will not harm your body. The key is not to stay on rapid weight loss diet for long periods of time.

Once you pass that timeframe you will likely begin to notice some unpleasant side effects. Your body is letting you know that something is wrong. You will likely feel very fatigued, irritable, and constipated.

You'll probably feel very tired, irritable, and have constipation. You can start with the quick start for a few weeks. After that you need to follow another diet to lose more weight and keep it off.

By reducing carbohydrate intake, you will lose weight. That seems like a great concept! Someone forgot that the human body needs carbs for daily function.

If you set weekly goals and discover that they are unrealistic you can always change them later. No diet is going to work if you have to eat foods that you really don't care for. The best thing to do is to do a bit of research.

Find out how many calories and how much fat content are in the foods that you do enjoy. This will allow you to sort of custom create your own diet. Just be health conscious of what you decide on.

The best thing is to do a little research. Find out how many calories and fat are in foods you love. This allows you to sort of custom create your own regime.

You don't have to go to the gym or run two miles everyday. Just do something that is vigorous that you enjoy. Do your exercising as early in the day as possible.

Fruits and Vegetables especially, are rich in fiber as well as antioxidants such as Vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids, etc which are proven to prevent heart disease and cancer. Low carb diets suggest these foods should be monitored. That doesn't sound right.

Only you know when the time is right for you to start a weight loss program. There may be factors that trigger when the time is right but it is a personal choice. It doesn't have to be hard and you don't have to dread it.

Watch what you eat! Select the best food choices. Be diligent and exercise and you will notice a difference.

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Learn More About the World Series of Poker Payout Structure

By Brian Garvin

Poker payouts can be very confusing whether its the amount of spots paid, or the percent paid to the players. Learning how poker payouts came about, you have to know where it all started. If you go to Las Vegas you certainly will come across a casino called Binions Horseshoe. Binions is the venue at which the World Series of Poker or simply "WSOP" is held. The owner of the casino Benny Binion was a marketing genius, coming up with an idea to have a winner-take-all poker tournament.

Those type of deals mentioned above, didn't always end up at the final table like it does today. Before the tournament started, the players voted on how the prize pool should be distributed and separated. Players resumed playing using 25% of their previous chips. 75% of the other chips were exchanged for cash at the cage.

A legal investigation ensued, because the winner-take-all tournament idea raised red flags. It raised the flags cause of the fabrication of prize money, and operating procedures were somewhat suspicious. If you have ever heard of the old quiz show, where the game was rigged called "twenty one", the federal broadcasting law wasn't enforced in this case, like it was there.

With the legalities of it all, sporting events were being shunned. In the mid 1970's, CBS began to broadcast tennis tournaments as winner-take-all at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. However, tennis stars Jimmy Conners and Rod Laver both confessed that they were splitting the prize money. This left CBS in a rather precarious position as they were fined by the FCC and had to issue a public apology.

With federal investigations being conducted, Mr. Binion realized that he had better act quickly and make some changes. Binion quickly disposed of the idea of winner-take-all, and learned that he would have a better following by paying more spots instead of less. So Binion came up with another marketing success, telling the players in his tournament that he was paying the top 5 spots that year.

In the 1978 WSOP Binion kept his word and paid out the top 5 spots. Binion soon realized that with an overwhelming growth in entrants that he was going to have to pay out more spots to keep new players coming in. The then current payout of the top 5 slots would last until 1981, when Binion then told players it would be paid the top 9 spots.

Players started pouring in from all over the world, and in the upcoming years would set attendance and payout records. This started with the Chris Moneymaker shocker in 2003, setting a new record for winnings in the WSOP. In 04' Binion paid out 225 spots. He was at it again in 2005 paying out 560 slots, and 873 in 06'.

Pretty hard to imagine 873 players back in the 1970's when the World Series of Poker was "winner-take-all". The World Series of Poker payout structure has grown over the years, just like the game's popularity. The World Series of Poker is broadcasted on ESPN and has garnered a huge fan base. Learn More About the World Series of Poker Payout Structure Celebrity tournaments are also played throughout the year. The World Series of Poker is a phenomenon.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Ultralight Bass Fishing Lures For The Dog Days Of Summer

By Ramsey Solynn

When people conjure up thoughts of ultralight bass fishing during the mid summer heat, they typically return to thinking about the air conditioning, and television. What the hey, it's more comfortable anyways, right? What you don't realize is that you just cost yourself some of the best bass experiences you could have imagined.

One of everybodies favorite ultralight bass fishing styles is using topwater baits. So yeah, name somebody who doesn't love a big blowup, especially on a small lure! When people are talking about the subject, poppers, and buzzbaits are usually the top of the conversation. People have caught more fish with these 2 lures, than with any other topwater baits combined.

Early in the morning, or earlier in the evening, just after the sun has settled in, and your eyes adjust to the change is the best time to apply topwater in mid summer. Choosing the right bait to use at the right time is the key to landing more fish.

With the water heating up to uncomfortable conditions this time of year, the bass tend to not chase baits actively during the day. This is why waiting until the water cools down to use the faster moving baits is key.

When the sun is high in the sky however, the fish can't look overhead for their meal. They don't have eyelids to protect themselves and their eyes from damage. It is easier to stay in cover, or look down for your meal, until the sun settles in. This is when I head for the worms and jigs.

The worm and jig are two baits that are excellent when the sun is high up. They can be crawled across the bottom, or jigged rapidly creating a thumping and moving the dirt, attracting attention. It is generally slower going, finding the fish with these baits and methods, so remember to be patient. This is after all, how you catch fish -- patience.

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Knowing the Market Sentiment (Part III)

By Ahmad Hassam

Economic growth of countries can also have a big impact on the overall currency market sentiment besides the interest rates. When the economy overheats, inflationary pressures increase forcing the Central Banks to increase the interest rates in order to cool the economy. US economy is the key factor in determining the global currency market sentiment. United States is the largest economy in the world. US economic news can and does affect the major currency pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, CHF/USD and JPY/USD.

A strong economic expansion coupled with a healthy labor market tends to boost consumer spending in the country. This helps in selling the stuff produced by the local companies and businesses.

A country with a strong economy is in a better position to attract foreign investors. But this economic performance should be consistent and not erratic. With consistent economic growth spread over a decade, foreign investors become interested. Foreign investment flowing into the country increases the demand for that currency. This increased demand for that currency causes it to appreciate against other currencies.

How do you measure the economic performance of a country? Three of the most important indicators of a country economic growth are: 1) Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 2) The unemployment rate and 3) The trade balance or the current surplus or deficit. Lets discuss these three economic indicators.

GDP: GDP measures the total good and services that are produced in a particular country in a one year. Actually we will be usually talking about the GDP growth rate whether the economy is expanding or contracting. A healthy GDP growth rate figure usually adds a bullish sentiment to the currency of that country especially if it exceeds the market expectations. Always remember the markets react violently to surprises.

Unemployment Rate: A low unemployment rate is considered to be a positive for the countrys economy and its currency. A low unemployment rate means almost all the consumers have jobs and they are willing to spend more. The more the consumer spends, the more the companies and businesses in the country sell. This generates more output and further expands the economy. The unemployment rate data reports the state of the labor market in the country. The opposite is true for a high unemployment rate. High unemployment means the economy is in recession and many people are without jobs just like the present. Under such conditions, consumer spending decreases. Companies and businesses start laying off more workers and in extreme case go bankrupt when they cant sell their stuff in the markets.

Trade Balance: This is another widely watched economic indicator in fundamental analysis. If a country exports more than it imports, the trade balance is in surplus. If the imports are more than the exports, the country will end up with a trade deficit. Trade deficits are not good and must be balanced by the capital account surplus otherwise a balance of payment problem will ensue.

For example, suppose US import more from Europe. USD will have to be sold in order to buy Euros to pay for those imports. This will result in the depreciation of USD relative to the Euro and other currencies. The opposite is true in case of a trade surplus. USD will strengthen relative to Euro if US exports more to Europe as compared to its imports.

Geopolitical risk is also very important. It refers to the risk of a countrys foreign or domestic policy affecting domestic social and political stability in another country or the region. Geopolitical risk can cause the currency of a country to move up or down relative to other currencies in short as well as long term.

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NCAA Football 10 Review

By Carl Ferguson

Let's face it; practically everyone enjoys college football what with the sound of the band playing, helmets crashing together and of course the crowds roaring. In fact, the atmosphere can be so charged that it can literally send shivers down your spine. Even though nothing can quite take the place of the real thing, NCAA 10 certainly does come very close. With so many new features, the franchise has never been better so let's take a look at why you should consider getting the latest installment of NCAA 10.

First of all, one of the best things about NCAA Football 10 is that a lot of things remained the same. You're still going to get a very realistic football simulation. In fact, it's probably the most realistic thing you've ever seen. With the power of the next generation consoles, this franchise just gets more realistic every year.

While this year's version of NCAA Football certainly has a wealth of new features, you can of course still go online to compete with others. One noticeable difference is that there is now a new mode, known as "Season Showdown" which by all accounts can only be described as being extremely cool in that you get to play for your favorite school. Once you start playing, you choose the school of your choice and the more you play and win online, the more points you accumulate for the school of your choice. One should also bear in mind that you can play a number of interactive games as well as trivia games in order to earn points. When the end of the year arrives, one school will be awarded the "Season Showdown National Championship", which of course is a great way for you to become involved with others playing the game, and also to cheer for your school.

Undeniably, one of the best features of the game remain the "Dynasty" mode because essentially, with this version you can actually go on further in that you can create your very own school. This in turn allows you to put your stand on everything to do with your program in that you get to design the school's logo, pick the fight song, name the school, and also create your own team. In fact, you're even enabled to customize players to play on your team.

Of course it goes without saying that the actual game play is still unbeatable. Those who have become accustomed to playing Madden will immediately notice that this affords you the opportunity to play a different type of football. Being able to run the option is a great feature which of course is not available in an NFL game.

The game planning feature is extremely cool as well. This allows you to put emphasis on certain aspects of the game. If you're having trouble running the ball, put more emphasis on opening up the running lanes. However, you should know that this will increase the amount of holding calls that you get.

Perhaps the most welcome addition to the game is the new "play calling" mode which allows you to keep your opponents guessing and as such, you have an opportunity to catch them with their guards down.

Yes, It's not the real thing but as far as gains are concerned, there's really not much else out there which can be compared to NCAA Football 10. The bottom line is; as far as the gaming industry is concerned, NCAA Football 10 is without a doubt the leader in the field. If you want to once again lose yourself in college football, then go ahead and check out the game as soon as possible.

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Monday, July 27, 2009

So You Want To Watch Movies Online?

By Leta Jenkins

People are always searching for ways to make their lives easier over the internet. One thing they can do is watch movies online. Before, you would have had to go watch new movies in a theater or rent older ones from a store. Now, all you have to do is know what sites to look at and you'll have a wide variety of movies to choose from right at home.

You can either download the movie to your computer or watch it streaming, depending on what site you're using. Regardless, though, you'll be happy not only with the time but also with the money you save. The only thing that sometimes seems more expensive than renting a movie is seeing it in a theater, but now even new releases are very affordable.

You might think you have to live in the US to take advantage of this option, but being online, it's really open to people all over the world. No matter where you are, you should be able to find both movies and TV shows to watch easily.

Movies are a few mouse clicks away for anyone at any corner of the world - as are many different TV shows. Do a web search by the movie's title, its actors, or the genre it fits in if you're trying to find something specific and don't know where to look.

You can also view movies and TV shows from other countries. In fact, you could even watch broadcasts from all across the world, thanks to what is known as satellite television for PC.

Constantly updated, this might typically cause you some concern, but there's very little chance that they'll take you somewhere you don't want to go.

There are websites that have illegal movie downloads, and you need to be sure to avoid these. But generally, if you're paying something or watching commercials, there's no need to worry. You can find any type of program you're looking for with various options and if you don't want to watch on the computer, you can take it to a television or projector.

A lot of people are looking for old movies that might not even be available in stores any more. The internet is the only place where such films can be found.

With the amount of time we already spend on the internet, this and accessing anything we want online is easier than ever before.

Old movies aren't the only thing you can find that you normally wouldn't be able to. If you have satellite TV for PC, you can get all those stations you weren't able to see in the past, some of which are even offered only online. There's a whole set of programs you might not have been able to watch for various reasons. Now you're no longer held back.

If you still have some reservations about watching movies or television online, don't worry. Provided you use common sense, they're safe and legal, and best of all, fast and affordable. Take one look at any website and you will see a seemingly endless amount of possibilities. Why bother going out of the house when you can have it all right there.

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How To Trade Price Action In Forex Markets?

By Ahmad Hassam

If you want to become a successful trader, you should immerse yourself completely in the subject in order to find your edge. In case, you are already a winning trader than you should know exactly what your edge is.

Even the most advanced traders find it difficult to understand, interpret and trade the sharp moves often seen in the forex markets. By learning to read and interpret price action, you can develop a huge advantage for you as a trader.

In a steep decline, one should be careful to measure the reaction of the longs. You must know if the move has the chance to turn into a rout.

You should look at the reaction of the longs as soon as the rate begins to go south, this way you will be able to determine if the market is sitting on a large number of long positions and whether traders want to dump their positions. In case of a spike followed by a sharp V recovery, you should avoid shorting the pair.

Many buyers entering the market at lower levels tell you that the market is not heavily long. These lower prices mean bargain prices for those wishing to accumulate long positions.

Moving averages (MAs) are among the oldest, true and tested lagging indicators. MAs can be simple as well as exponential. Widely used moving averages are the 50, 100 and 200 day MAs. Many traders use MAs in making trading decisions.

Moving averages are lagging indicators and relate with the past price action. MAs can be used effectively in day trading for entering and exiting positions in one way markets.

During times of sharp price moves, it becomes difficult for the traders to enter a position as retracements are far and few. This makes most of the traders confused and forces them to start taking arbitrary decisions.

MAs can be used as dynamic resistance levels in such situations. This can give better results than the static support/resistance levels used by majority of the traders.

The advantages of using Moving Averages this way gives you dynamic levels to trade off and gauge price action taking place. MAs can help you avoid using arbitrary levels in trading a position on when you should take profit.

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Rent DVD Online With A Monthly Subscription

By Chester Kane

Today, we look to the internet for a great deal of our needs. Not only do we find all of the tools we need to get our work done and make our career lives easier, we can find everything we need to fill our entertainment desires, as well. With a high speed internet connection, you can get just about anything you want online. Now, you can even rent DVD online.

So many things have changed over the past several decades where both technology and entertainment are concerned. We once had to pack into the station wagon and head in to town to watch movies. Things have really changed since most of us were kids. Now you can get all of your movie viewing needs taken care of by a few clicks of the mouse.

It was a big deal to get to go to the movies, a special time for many of us that we'll never forget. When VCRs and Betamax recorder/players came out, it was as if someone had handed us pennies from heaven. Cable television gave us all something to cheer about and suddenly, we had the freedom to watch movies, right from the comfort of our homes.

Before long, cable television came into existence and we got to see some great movies that we'd not seen in a long time, via our home television. Then came the VCR and video rental stores. While these were great leaps in technology that made our lives a little more exciting, most of the movies you could rent or watch on television were old. You had to wait up to a year to get box office smashes for home consumption and by the time they rolled around, many of us had forgotten them.

My how things have changed since then. Now you can get the top movies sometimes just weeks after they've left the big screen. When you rent DVDs, you can have your favorite box office smashes quickly. It's sometimes a bit of a hassle, trying to get the movies you want on DVD, if you use a local movie rental store.

Unfortunately, your local movie rental store doesn't always have what you want. They also don't often have the movies that only a few people can truly appreciate. Selection is dicey, at best.

You can rent DVD online whenever you like and have them shipped directly to your home or business. You have a huge selection to choose from and you can often pick as many titles as you'd like with most membership plans.

Compare online movie rental sites before making a purchase. You can always switch later if you find that you aren't getting the quality you desire. Try out one of these great sites with free trial periods.

Today the world spins a little faster. It's not always a bad thing, when you consider all of the luxuries we have, right at our fingertips. Rent DVD online and enjoy an evening with the family that costs less than any other means of watching movies.

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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Trading Strategy Based On Market Sentiment (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

How do you view the forex market is very important. Do you see it as a big mechanical matrix which is devoid of emotions? Most traders have a love hate relationship with the forex market. Most think that the market is either against them or for them.

The truth is that forex market is just the compressed display of emotions. At anyone time the market is emanating the emotions of currency speculators around the world.

You should think of a market as a big living organism. Think that this organism is made up of millions of cells. Each cell is doing its own functions. Each cell also interacts with other cells of the body keeping the living organism alive and kicking around the clock.

Knowing what the market thinks at anyone time and how it thinks is crucial to your trading success. Forex market comprises millions of traders acting out their perceptions and emotions about the different currency pairs.

Ultimately, you as the trader are dealing with other traders out there in the market whether they are big institutional players or an independent individual trader like you and me. You need to know what the other participants are thinking.

Market sentiment is the most important factor that drives the currency markets or that matter any financial market. What is the market sentiment? Market sentiment is simply what the majority of the market participants are perceived to be thinking or feeling about the market.

Traders tend to act based on what they feel and think of certain currencies regarding their strengths or weaknesses relative to other currencies. Market sentiment sums up to the overall dominating emotions of the market participants. It explains the current actions of the market as well as the future course of action.

Market sentiment is primarily based on the sum total of all the traders emotions. These emotions are one of the greatest factors in the determination of the currency pair prices. One important thing you should know: market sentiment is not logical.

It is like a fickle lover. The incoming new information can upset the existing emotion. Markets are capable of changing its mind based on new information. Market sentiment can be bearish, bullish or just plain confused.

If the majority of the market participants want to buy that currency, the market sentiment is bullish and if the majority traders want to sell the currency, the market sentiment is considered to be bearish. The sentiments end up being mixed up when most market participants are unsure of what to do at a particular moment.

If you can understand what the other traders are thinking and why the market is doing what it is doing, you will be in a better position to plan the entry and exit for your trade. Understanding the current market sentiment and exploiting it with an appropriate trading strategy can help maximize your trading profits. In Part II of this article we will discuss what factors influence the market sentiment.

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Poker Personages : The Bookworm

By Aeolus Jirou

This will be a ongoing profiles of the poker personalities you will meet while playing poker

Ally or Foe?

Don't event think that a bookworm can be your friend because it will only spell out disaster. They might put you in a verge of craziness when they start teaching you and other players on how to play the game and telling all of you what's right and what's not. Their kind is really annoying. They are full of bad habits like criticizing someone when they made a bad play and laughing at their mistakes. The concerned player may wish to transfer at a friendlier table or will try to redeem himself by playing a lot better. It only means one thing, you should not worry about the ordinary skills that the bookworm may have but let your concern dwell on how they behave at the poker table.

Aggressiveness and Selectivity

The bookworm is usually tight during pre flop. But their game play crushes during the post flop. This is because they have read a lot of books which causes all those ideas to rumble into their heads. You see, the authors of those books have justified all their mistakes in poker and write it out. As a result the bookworm will stack all those ideas and will cause his play to be too loose and too aggressive during post-flop.

The strength of a starting hand is what almost all poker players agree with and this is the only part that the bookworm absolutely understands.

To summarize the game play of a bookworm - they are somehow aggressive in their play but will play loosely when someone aggravates them with the only exemption of them holding the best card in the table.

Predictability

The bookworms are very knowledgeable, no question on that. They know how to play but they are not deceptive players. They are very predictable because they use the same style every time. You will predict their hand at the moment by checking out what kind of move they made.

Poker IQ

This type of poker personality has a very low poker IQ even if they knew a lot about poker through the books they read. But in the moment of truth and when something inevitable happens they don't how to make adjustments. Their number one problem is that they only follow what they read from the books and never think for themselves. The author of the books they read generalize the advice they gave and is not applicable on the bookworm's present condition because it varies. They worship their books like it is the word of God and they think that by reading them they will know what to do on a specific condition.

"Hey, BOOKWORMS You're playing poker not building a desk, you can't just follow instructions!"

Bookworm are very narrow minded. They think that they what they know is the always the right thing to do and nothing else. They assume that everyone should follow what they think is right and whoever disagrees with them should be susceptible for them to criticize and laugh at.

Adjustments

In order for you to defeat a bookworm, it is important that you become their "friend". Then start up a talk with them and they will show you what they knew and will eventually brag about their game play.

If the above mentioned strategy won't work, then the best thing that you should do while playing against a bookworm is to stay aggressive. Bet them to the hilt and let them know that their moves don't scare you.

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Take Note Of These Before Buying Electric Boats

By Ferdinand Emy

When you can't in fact get out on the water in a full size boat, electric boats may be a great second choice. Radio electric boats are boats that are radio controlled utilising a receiver and a transmitter. In most cases, the control utilizes a type of stick that's hand controlled. The receiver will normally be mounted inside the boat and will receive and then process the signal from the transmitter that is held by the operator. The transmitter makes it feasible for the user to accelerate, slow down and rotate the electric boat. Additionally, the utiliser may similarly utilize the transmitter in order to turn the boat left or right.

You can find electric boats in a diversity of different sizes. In most cases, electric boats are powered utilizing batteries. They may operate using a moderately small battery or a large battery. The run time of electric boats will normally depend upon the size of the boat and the battery, but most electric boats will operate anywhere from five to ten minutes. Electric boats will also usually operate from with reference to 20 to 25 miles per hour. So as to relish more operational time with electric boats it is a good idea to keep a second battery charged that you may transmute out speedyly.

Compared to gas operated radio controlled boats, electric boats by and large operate much quieter, but it should be placed in mind that these types of boats are not as powerful and cannot obtain top end speeds.

Before you buy an electric boat its a good idea to consult the bylaws in your local area to uncover where you'll be permited to operate your boat. You surelydo not wish to purchase an electric boat only to find out that there is nowhere to operate your new boat.

You should similarly think of whether you wish a ready to run electric boat or a boat kit that you can build yourself. While building an electric boat does present some encounters, it is surelynothing that you cannot accomplish with a good number of time and patience. Of course, if you don't feel that you're up to the contest of building an electric boat from a kit then you may Always purchase a ready to run boat that will be ready to go the minute you take it out of the box so that you do not have to waste any time.

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Saturday, July 25, 2009

Skateboard Deck For Beginners.

By Todd Martin

Since quite few years skateboarding has taken sports to a whole different level. This is one recreational sport that is a great exercising regime and fun game to bring friends together. The skateboarding fans always complain about not having the right information to make the choice easier. The most important consideration is to go to the right source for the purchase.

Internet shopping has surely changed the shopping experience for us, now you can surf and make your choice within minutes. There may be many skateboard retailers in your town but not everyone will give the product at the price of your choice. When you are tired of searching for skateboard decks in one store you can always search many to give you a better idea of the options available. You can save up money that you can in turn spend on the accessories of the deck.

Choose the online portal that offers you a wide array of products; remember that good sellers know their business very well. When searching about something, they should be able to answer your quest to the right skateboard. Accurate information is very important when buying skateboards. They should offer you the basics of a product and should present various choices of skateboards and its accessories.

Second important concern is the price, we humans are striving hard and are on a budget hence price becomes the most integral part in making any choice. You can search for more sellers and find someone who can give you quality products at an affordable price. Some stores have clearance sales and you can benefit from them and get at the best price.

Your preferences and comfort are very important when scouting for skateboard retailers. You must be happy with the services of a particular shop so you can be comfortable dealing with them. Remember, skateboarding can be a sport done forever. So it is only vital to choose a device that lasts.

One such product is the Aw A.V.E. Color Blind Deck which is very popular alien skateboard decks among all ages. Remember the constitution of the deck is not made from cheap parts as it can endanger your lives. When shopping for skateboards, remember to compare prices. Some shops may offer lesser price for the same items. There are plenty of options to choose around in the internet. Make sure that you do not compromise on the integrity of the product.

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USA Online Casinos: Offer Higher Stakes of Winning

By Rich Vial

One can find endless USA Online Casinos offering good chances to win. But along with these, there are also many casinos that are hoax and hence caution should be exercised while selecting the best online casino. The increasing use of the Internet in the U.S. has also resulted in a rapid increase in various entertainment and gaming options. These also include USA Online Casinos which have gained huge popularity on the World Wide Web. Some of the major reasons for the success of these games include the easy and any time accessibility to casinos, trouble-free price options, lesser risks and the feeling of being in a casino, while sitting at home or office.

These days, even people who were fond of going to casinos access USA Online Casino since they live at distances from the same. Hence they can access these online casino benefits along with many other online casino games available today. Some of the most popular USA Online Casino game include black jack, poker, slots, Texas holdem and countless others.

While selecting USA Casino games, you may come across endless options. However, it should be kept in mind that not all of these options are safe. One can find various sites that are using unfair methods of playing so that the players can loose. In these casinos the odds of the house winning are always higher. So, you should select your USA Online Casinos with caution and after comparison and research.

Reviews and information about USA Casinos are available through plenty of options like forums and blogs, which provide the experiences of players. This way you can understand which sites are authentic and avoid those, which are not. There are also many hoax USA Online Casinos and there are simple tricks through which the same can be avoided. For example, research and comparison of the sites before playing them and avoiding those, which have payment memberships, unless you are confident about them, can help you to stay from hoax sites.

The hoaxes USA Online Casinos use various tricks which are applied by the online casinos to deceive the players. Software to manipulate card games or fiddling with slot games and holdem are some of them. There are also plenty of credit card scams and misuse of the social security numbers of players here and hence you should be careful with such sites. Try to compare and find USA Online Casinos, which are certified and they are safe to play. Remember that a wrong site could lead to heavy losses for you along with spoiling the game. Try to look for sites, which provide a free gaming experience so that you can get to know about the authenticity and legality of the site without wasting your hard earned money.

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The Mapes Hotel: Reno's Lost Art Deco Jewel

By Ross Everett

On a cold, gray morning in late January 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The controlled demolition came despite years of effort by a number of groups within the community and nationally to preserve the building with lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots lobbying efforts.

While the efficacy and justification of demolishing the Mapes is debatable, one thing that is not is the glorious history of the hotel. It was built in 1947, and signaled the start of the modern era of casino gambling. Despite the notoriety of Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo in Las Vegas, it was the Mapes that became the first building in the nation to have a hotel, casino and live entertainment under one roof. It also became the hotel of choice for celebrities staying in Northern Nevada. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe stayed at The Mapes during the filming of 'The Misfits'. Joseph McCarthy, America's famed anti-Communist crusader, admitted to a reporter over cocktails in the Mapes Lounge that he really didn't have a list of Communists in the US despite his frequent and vitriolic insistence to the contrary.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes continued to do well during the 60's and 70's. The hotel finally closed in 1982, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

Reno never experienced the massive growth that occurred in Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and for that reason the destruction of the Mapes is more open to debate than the hotel demolitions to the south. Even the demolition of The Sands"perhaps the most historically significant casino in the state"is hard to argue against given the inability of such a small property to compete in the current Las Vegas marketplace and in light of the value of the mid-strip real estate. The old properties may have historic value to pop culture historians, but their survival doesn't make economic sense. They're simply 'analog players in a digital world'.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The city argued that the land on which the Mapes stood was necessary for their redevelopment efforts--a somewhat absurd position given the realities of downtown Reno and the lack of any real development on the property since the demolition. Despite receiving a number of viable concepts for the Mapes Building, the City Redevelopment Authority rejected all of them and the Mapes was destined for demolition.

The role of the City Redevelopment Authority was questioned throughout the process. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was on a prime location between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. Back in 1996, the city of Reno purchased the hotel and began entertaining proposals for renovation and redevelopment. A number of sound financial proposals were presented that would preserve the integrity of the structure including condominiums, office space, and perhaps most viable, upscale senior apartments. Oddly, all of these proposals were turned down by the citys Redevelopment Agency which eventually led to the demolition of the structure.

Following the 2000 demolition, the lot remained vacant for over a year until a temporary ice skating rink was hastily constructed the following winter. The property has been improved and the rink is now permanent which, while not in itself a bad use for the land, further calls into question the efficacy of demolishing the structure. It would appear that the city had no clue what to do with the land, but for whatever reason wanted the building brought down. This has led to all sorts of conspiracy theories, from the City Development Agency having financial incentive to raze the hotel to rumors that the building was haunted and was destroyed to keep the Reno area from being overrun with paranormal activity. Whatever the reason for the decision, the city of Reno has lost a beautiful art deco treasure that played a significant part in the economic growth of the state.

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Guidelines To Maintain Your Skateboard With Good Grip Tape.

By Todd Martin

To take care for your skateboard like you must, you will be required to change the grip tape when necessary. The more you use the skateboard the more frequently you will require doing so. The more aggressively you perform on it the more rapidly it will wear down. As soon as you have worn out grip tape your skateboard isn't going to perform like it is assumed to for you. It in addition isn't going to be as safe as it may perhaps be for you to be on it.

Remember there is a specific manner in which you have to apply grip tape to your skateboard. It wont help to do the procedure if you don't do it correctly. Always ensure you have an excellent quality grip tape to apply. This may be procured from sport wares stores or online. You possibly will have to try some different brands prior to you get one you are very pleased with. You may read reviews regarding them online as well if you aren't certain which one to check.

You should carefully clean your deck ahead of you apply the new grip tape, for the best results. If you don't, it may end up being uneven due to remains beneath it. Make use of a clean cloth to softly clean the deck down. You wouldn't like to use something harsh that may end up scraping it. The method in which you apply the grip tape for your design is going to shape how long it will last.

Too many skaters get into a rush here and then they have to spend more time redoing it later on. You have to apply it slowly so that you don't have any air bubbles under it. To keep it looking great, use a sharp blade to trim the excess from the design. Be careful not to go too deep though or you could end up scarring your deck. Make sure you apply pressure to the edges of the grip tape so it won't be coming up in those areas. If you apply the grip tape from the center out to the edges you will find it is much easier to properly apply.

Applying grip tape properly to your skateboard is going to keep you safe on it. You will be able to perform at your very best. The fact that it is affordable means you have no excuse not to keep up with this part of maintaining your skateboard. There are plenty of fun designs and colors of grip tape to select as well. This can make fixing up your skateboard fun. Some people go with the same thing each time while others like to give it a new look. It is up to you how you will take care of your skateboard, but make use, the use of grip tape as needed is part of the routine.

It possibly will take time to turn into professional at applying grip tape like GRIP GUM 4inch STICK to your skateboard. Be patient and take all the time you have to, to conclude the procedure. You will realize that the more you do it the quicker you happen to be at it. You will in addition notice that the appearance of it turn out to be more skilled with time. If you require help request a friend with experience or look at a number of online videos to get a better idea of the method.

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What Are Stock Indexes? (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

There are hundreds of ETFs and HOLDRS covering key industry benchmarks such as the various Standard & Poor Indexes, Russell Indexes and the Dow Jones Averages or other less well known narrow based sectors.

You should know the major indexes that are either key benchmarks or have ETFs tied to them. For example SPY tracks the Standard & Poors 500 Composite Index and is the largest of the ETFs.

Standard & Poor: Standard & Poor (S&P) is the financial services segment of the McGraw Hill companies. It has been providing independent and objective financial information, analysis and research for nearly 140 years.

It is also the provider of equity indexes. These indexes are also used as the basis for wide variety of financial instruments such as Index Funds, Futures, Options and ETFs. Investors around the globe use S&P Indexes for investment performance measurement.

S&P 500 Composite is one of the most popular indexes in the global financial markets. Hundreds of companies around the world have licenses with the Standards & Poors for their index products. The influence and name recognition of S&P 500 is unparalleled. It is also used as a key benchmark for money manager performance.

The S&P 500 is a capitalization weighted index that tracks the performance of 500 large capitalization issues and each year thousands of money managers have the single minded goal of outperforming the S&P 500. S&P 500 represents more than 75% of the capitalization of the entire US Stock Market.

Over the years, the complexion of S&P 500 has changed. 30 years back most of the stocks were from the Industrial Sector. By 1970s, six of the top companies were from the Oil Sector. In 2000s, technology composed about one third of the capitalization of the index. The stocks in the S&P 500 are determined by a nine member committee in accordance with the general guidelines.

The other Standard & Poors indexes are the S&P Midcap 400 Index. It is based on 400 chosen domestic stocks and is also capitalization based. It measures the performance of the midsize companies of the US economy.

The S&P SmallCap 600 Index consists of 600 domestic stocks chosen for market size and liquidity. It is also capitalization weighted and is of interest to institutional and retail investors. There are also sub-indexes based on these S&P Indexes.

NASDAQ: You will often hear the Nasdaq market being up or down on a given day in the media. NASDAQ Composite Index contains more than 4500+ companies representing a market capitalization of trillions of dollars.

There is another Nasdaq Index called the Nasdaq-100. NASDAQ-100 is composed of the top 100 nonfinancial companies in the Nasdaq Stock Market like Microsoft etc. It is a modified capitalization weighted index. The QQQ is based on the Nasdaq-100 Index.

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Hockey's Golden Jet: Bobby Hull

By Ross Everett

Bobby Hull"nicknamed The Golden Jet for his blond hair and his style of play"was the most feared goal scorer of the 60s and 70s and along with teammate Stan Mikita made the Chicago Blackhawks one of the NHLs true offensive juggernauts. He and Mikita were the first NHL players to use curved stick blades, which made his already wicked slapshot even more difficult to stop.

Hull was born and raised on a dairy farm near Belleville, Ontario. By his teenage years it was apparent that he was on a fast track to NHL stardom, and he joined the Chicago Blackhawks not long after his 18th birthday. He would finish second in the leagues rookie of the year balloting in his first season and within a couple of years would become one of the NHLs marquee superstars. By the third year in the league, he was already a fixture at the top of the goal and point scoring charts and would lead the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup championship in 1961.

In 1966, Hull broke a hallowed NHL scoring mark by becoming the first player to net more than 50 goals in a season. His 51st goal broke the record of 50 goals held by Montreal Canadien greats Bernie Boom Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Rocket Richard. Hull would go on to score 54 goals in the 1966 and would surpass that mark by scoring 58 in 1968.

Hulls tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks ended in 1972, when he jumped to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). Hull signed for an at the time unprecedented $1,000,000 signing bonus. Initially, Hulls response that he would jump ship for a million bucks was an offhanded joke but when the WHA ownership agreed to contribute to that sum thinking that it would provide instant credibility for the league it became a reality.

The NHL attempted to prevent Hulls jump to the WHA via litigation, but eventually he would join the Winnipeg Jets and resume his offensive dominance. On a line with Swedish superstars Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg called The Hot Line, he led the Jets to two league championship AVCO Cup victories. In 1977, he set a new professional hockey record with 77 goals in a season which surpassed Phil Espositos 1970-71 mark of 76 by a single goal.

Hull suffered from knee trouble throughout his career and was off the ice more than on it during the WHAs final season of 1979-80. After appearing in a handful of games for the Jets, he was shipped to the Hartford Whalers for future considerations. He would play in a few games for the Whalers before calling it a career. With the exception of an abortive comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 that was the end of his professional hockey career.

Modern fans may be more familiar with Hulls third son, Brett Hull, who earned NHL superstar status in his own right. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season. Brett Hull wore his dads retired #9 in the final games, and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Hull is still in good health and splits his time between Canada and Chicago, IL. He currently serves as a PR ambassador for the Blackhawks organization. He is expected to formally induct his son into the Hall of Fame at the ceremonies later this summer.

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Your CV Brochure- More Glossy Than Mercedes!

By Glenn Hughes

If your view of the CV is around the level of necessary evil, you are selling yourself massively short. It is the document for you to show the world (specifically people who might want to pay you money) exactly what you can do. Why then do people treat their CV like the yellow pages and produce boring, sterile documents that get binned as soon as they are looked at

In the English speaking world, it can be considered rude to boast about yourself- nobody likes a smart alec so why should anyone like that sort of arrogance in a CV. The bottom line is that there is a significant difference between arrogance and confidence. Your CV is a place to show others exactly how valuable you have been to those companies fortunate enough to employ you

One technique to avoid coming across as some sort of snake oil salesman is to highlight your achievements. By stating exactly what you achieved for a business in the past immediately gets the employer thinking about what you can do for them. After all, if you increased the sale of widgets by 15% last year, whats to say that you can't do that again?

Most mothers taught us to be honest. So where did we learn to lie? Your CV is one place where lies genuinely have no place. No half truths either please. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There is nothing, however that says you have to put anything in your CV about your mistakes. Focus on the good things that you have done. Mistakes? Leave them out

A CV is amongst other things a detailed document. It is meant to show the reader a potted life story of the subject of the CV. Including significant levels of detail starts to colour what can be a very bland document. Make it easy for an employer to find the information that they need to know. If they can't find the information that they want quickly and easily, your CV will be binned and you won't know why

Qualifications are hard fought and deserve their place on a CV. Make sure though to itemise your educational and professional qualifications separately. Qualifications should be listed starting with the highest level achieved, working backwards to the lowest level

Passing a driving test of any sort shows people that you have a degree of persistence, independence and stickability that many people simply don't have. It is a common assumption that everyone drives. They don't. Make sure that anyone reading your CV knows that you can drive (if you can), and specifically, which classes of vehicle that you are licensed to take out on the road

Recruiters don't really need to know your age. Of course, for some professions it is important, for example professional sports people. Otherwise, leave your age off your CV. Make absolutely certain though never to include your date of birth. This is highly sensitive information which could be used with other information (like your address) to steal your identity

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Placing Stop Loss Order

By Ahmad Hassam

Managing risk and using systems that helps evaluate price changes is critical if a trader is to maintain a degree of profitability over time. You should understand how to select stop orders to limit your potential losses and how to let profits ride.

Managing risk should be your number one job. The descriptions of the types of stops and the pros and cons of each should help you make the right decisions for the different market conditions. Capturing as much profit as possible from winning trades should be your utmost goal.

Predetermined stop loss orders help you conquer your emotions. Stops should be part of the trading system. They should be included in your trading rules. You should also know where and when to place these stops. You should know the various types of stop loss orders.

Set a stop objective. Weigh the risk/reward ratio before entering each trade. Stop orders can be placed close to the entry level when volatility is low. However, when the volatility is high, stop orders should be placed further from the entry level.

When entering a trade make sure you know where and why to put the stop order. Initially you will form an opinion based on your gut feelings that is substantiated by a trade signal.

News releases create price spikes that may make an adverse move against your position. However, you will undoubtedly get caught in the news driven price shock events. It makes the markets highly unpredictable in the short run.

Stop orders can also be placed to enter positions. Stop orders that you place online if the market trades at a certain price, then the order is triggered and become a market order to be filled in by the next best price available. Stop orders are placed to protect against losses.

Sell stops are placed below the current market price and buy stops are placed above the current market price. Protective stops are used to offset a position and to protect against losses and against accrued profits.

You can set a daily dollar amount on the loss limit. If you want to risk only $250 per $100,000 standard lot position then your stop loss will be placed 25 pips from your entry point. Stops can be placed on a dollar amount per position.

Traders use 2-5% of the overall account size as their stop loss. Suppose your trading account size is $10,000. You can also use a certain percent of your overall account size as your stop loss. This comes out to be $200-$500.

Many traders tend to turn winners into losers as they get in the let it ride mindset. The trailing stop reduces the chance to let trades ride. Swing traders can use the automatic trailing stop. This makes the decision making process fully automated.

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Using Commodity Prices in Currency Trading

By Ahmad Hassam

Commodities, namely gold and oil, have a substantial connection with the forex markets. Understanding the relationship between gold, oil and currencies can help forex traders gauge risk, forecast price changes as well as understand exposure.

Gold and oil prices generally tend to move based on almost similar fundamental forces that affect some currency pairs. Four major currencies, the Canadian Dollar, the Swiss Franc the New Zealand Dollar and the Australian Dollar, are considered to be commodity currencies.

The CHF, CAD, AUD, and NZD all have strong correlation with gold prices. Natural gold reserves and currency laws in these countries result in almost mirror like movements between gold and these currencies. The CAD also tends to move with the oil prices.

However, the correlation between CAD and oil prices is not that strong. Each one of these currencies has a correlation with gold and oil and the fundamental factors behind doing so.

Knowledge of the fundamentals behind these movements, their direction and strength could be an effective way to discover trends in both the markets. There is a strong relationship between the gold prices and US Dollar as well.

During unstable geopolitical times as well as when global recessionary fears become strong like that presently, investors tend to run away from US Dollar and instead turn to gold as a safe haven for their investments and hoard their wealth.

Therefore, as Dollar depreciates, gold prices tend to appreciate as wary investors become afraid of losing their wealth. As US is going to print more and more dollars to finance its budget deficits, USD will depreciate and gold will appreciate. AUD/USD, NZD/USD and USD/CHF currency pairs tend to mirror gold movements.

Oil prices normally tend to have a huge impact on the global economy. Remember, the early part of 2008 when oil and commodity prices jumped skyward making the global economy jittery. Oil prices have come down but it is being forecasted that it will rise again when the global economy comes out of recession and the demand for oil rises again. USD/CAD currency pair tends to show an oil relationship. The major reason for this relationship is the heavy dependence of foreign oil in both US and Canada.

Generally speaking, commodity prices are usually considered to be a leading indicator of currency prices. As such, commodity block traders monitor gold and oil prices to forecast movements in currency pairs. The knowledge of this relationship between gold, oil and currencies can help forex traders to diversity their risk exposure using different products. The combination of gold and forex trading can be very profitable.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Useful Tips For Finding A Good Free Games Site

By Roy Tzayag

Looking for shooting, arcade or even puzzle games and brain teasers but don't know where to find? There are many places to locate online games around the net, the question is, where can you find the good ones?

well, a question rises - Where can we find a good decent free online site with quality flash games without spending any money. Well, the easiest thing to do is using with our favorite search provider and click the word "free online games", after that we will find lots of results that could fit our needs.

Mainly, the first results are the best ones, but from time to time you can find fantastic sites at lower pages. Now that we have lots of sites, how can we sort out the quality online games sites? The answer is simple if you follow a few basic rules.

Firstly, look at the site style- The bigger and more professional sites have better appearance and you can easily decide which site is high quality and which is amateur. The second parameter you should judge is the categories- Bigger sites have a bigger number of categories- at least six.

Genres make your life easier when browsing games according to a favorite category, if you like shooting, racing, dress up , puzzle or any other genre- The more categories you have , you will have an easier time when browsing for games.

Another nice option that the professional sites offer is a download games category, this feature is becoming very popular lately, and some sites offer top notch games that you can download directly to your personal computer free of charge. Another interesting category that is mainly available in big online games sites is board and puzzle games or in their more popular name- Brain teasing games.

This genre approaches the older part of the online users, even though lots of younger ones enjoy playing these brain teasing games as long they are wrapped in a nice package ( a nice example to this is Civiballs, a great puzzle game with excellent graphics). So, whether you old or young, man or woman, it doesn't really matter, find your preferred online games site and start enjoying the fun part of the web.

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