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Now is the time to become acquainted with the new Sims snowboard 2006 models. This suggests that the 2005 snowboard models are out and the new Sims snowboard 2006 styles are in. Lots of riders have fun cruzing down the slopes, doing stunts, cool landings, or jibbing. If you want to do this to, how about checking out the new 06 Sims models.
Future Snowboarding Magazine tested three of Sims 2006 snowboards. They won against other top brands going through intense testing. The 3 that came out on top are Vice, Pristine, and Protocol. According to Future Snowboarding Magazine these 3 are dubbed the most valuable boards of 2006.
Sims has a great number of snowboards it offers for men, women, and kids. Sims designs snowboards for a variety of styles of riders and for boarders of different abilities. They give you superior snowboarding performance and are made of the best quality materials.
But if you want to wipe out your competition go with the top 3 new Sims snowboard 2006 models.

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Have y’all ever had someone ask you the question, “If you could pick anyone alive to spend some time with, who would it be?”
My money says that just about all of you have been asked this somewhere along the way. And, since that’s likely the case, it might be fun to discuss this a little bit this week. The person we’d pick would tell others a lot about ourselves, I think. And, with that thought in mind, would y’all like to know who I’d pick ?
Well, I sure hope the answer to that is “yes,” or else I’m wasting a good chunk of time writing this particular column. If I could pick anyone in the world to talk with, it wouldn’t be the obvious choices like the President, the Pope, or a famous movie actor or actress. If I could spend time talking with anyone walking the face of the earth today, it’d be the Nature Boy, Ric Flair.
That’s right, the Nature Boy Ric Flair. The sixteen time world heavyweight wrestling champion. If I were a betting man, and I am, I’d bet that some of you out there might have a somewhat bewildered expression going on your faces right about now. Well, I can understand that, so give me a chance to explain and y’all might better understand why I’d pick the Nature Boy.
A lot of us guys around here grew up in very rural settings. We either lived out in the country, on farms, or even in the woods. Because we lived “out in the sticks,” our lives evolved mostly around church, school, and home, in fact, most of our weekends were spent at home. And, if you were one of us guys during a typical Saturday in the seventies or eighties, your TV viewing choices were either cartoons or professional wrestling. On account of that, many of us opted for wrestling - we loved the costumes, the theatrics, and the athleticism of it, but most of all I think we loved the interviews. And folks, no one shone brighter in the ring or behind the mike than the Nature Boy Ric Flair. To understand why I’d love to meet him, let’s take a walk down memory lane to recall some of the Nature Boy’s most classic lines….
Situation: Flair is about to take on Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream, for the world heavyweight championship back in the mid-eighties. Big Dust’ is a great wrestler, but, if the truth be told, he was just a tad overweight. Okay, more than just a tad overweight. Anyway, Jim Ross, the TV announcer, asks the Nature Boy if he’s concerned about his upcoming match with Big Dust’…
“Concerned? Concerned about Dusty Rhodes? Listen to me, Jim Ross, and listen good - fat boys are my specialty.”
Situation: Flair is doing an interview on the Super Station, TBS Channel 17, which is owned by Ted Turner in the late eighties. At that time, Turner also owned the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks, both of whom absolutely stunk. Flair’s dressed in a custom made suit, wearing a Rolex watch, and the crowd is just booing the devil out of him. The Nature Boy calmly looks over at the announcer and says,
“Jim Ross, do you know why I make all this money?”
“Why’s that, champ?”
“Cause I’m the only winning franchise that Ted Turner’s got!”
Check out these comments from Flair to a TV announcer after he wins the world championship for the fourth time using some of the vilest tactics imaginable,
“Let me tell it to you like this, Mr. TV announcer. My name’s Ric Flair, and I’m not a second place kind of guy. Bottom line, I’d whip my grandmother’s butt if it means becoming the world heavyweight champion. Let’s face it, no one would remember how I whipped her three weeks later, but they’d remember that I’m the champ! Whooooo!”
Doncha love it? I sure did, and so did most of us rural country boys. We loved Slick Ric’s ability to make us laugh and smile just about anytime he appeared on TV. Ric Flair brought happiness to a whole lot of us, and I’d love to personally thank him for that one day, if I ever get the chance. And, as we close this week, I’m leaving y’all with one more classic quote from the champ…
“I’m a limousine ridin’, jet flyin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ sonofagun! I’m the best thing goin’ today! Bottom line, I’m Ric Flair, and you aren’t pal! Whoooooo!”

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Real casinos provide Black Jack players with different sets of rules plus different bonuses. Can on-line casinos compete with real casinos in respect of game variety? Normally, every on-line casino has Black Jack with its sets of rules. For example, casinos with Microgaming and Cryptologic software offer players up to eight different variations of rules. However, some on-line casinos offer various special games based on Black Jack rules. You will find interesting to familiarize and try these games, moreover the advantages of casinos compared to them are very weak.
Double exposure Black Jack
Double exposure Black Jack is available in Microgaming and RTG software on-line casinos. In this kind of Black Jack both cards of a dealer are dealt face up to compensate this advantage of the player, the dealer wins all ties except for Black Jack. The rest of the game based on the rules of Black Jack, and variations may exist in respect of the number of splits, combinations allowed to double, etc.
The advantage of casinos with the standard rules of this game is about 0.7%.
Pontoon
Pontoon is available in Cryptologic and RTG software on-line casinos. In contrast to ordinary Black Jack the player has much more opportunities to double plus the rule of five cards with double paying works out, on the other hand, the dealer’s cards are dealt face down therefore indefiniteness rises and ties are not in the favour of the dealer. More detailed rules of the game are the following: The is played with pack of 52 cards, the nominal value of cards is the same as in Black Jack. The hierarchy of combinations is the following:
1. Pontoon ( the same as Black Jack);
2. Five cards combination (five cards without bust);
3. Combination of cards comprising not more than 21 points, the closer to 21 the better
4. Bust (more than 21 points);
The dealer deals two cards face up to the player and two cards to himself face down with pontoon check. The game of the dealer is the same as his game in Black Jack: he should take up to 17 and remain on 5 cards or over 16 (except for soft 17).
The player has more opportunities: splits are left enabling to one re-split. An opportunities arises for doubling with any quantity of cards, at the same time, the player can continue to buy even after doubling. In contrast to Black Jack the player should buy a card (double) while having not less than 15 points.
As in Black Jack after taking cards the player and dealer compare hands. If the player has extra cards, he loses the game automatically. Pontoon or Five cards combination in case of gain is paid 2:1, other winning combinations are paid 1:1. In case of a tie the dealer wins. There is no insurance or by-bets.
With the game based on optimal strategy which is simpler than that of Black Jack. The total advantage of on-line casinos is 0.17%.
Caribbean 21
Caribbean 21 is so far available only in RTG software on-line casinos. The is played with one pack of cards, in contrast to Black Jack:
1. Ace is always one point;
2. The combination of an ace and two 10 points cards is called Caribbean 21 and is paid 3:2 to the player for the primary bet (but not for the double bets);
3. The player can double on any cards as many times as he wants after doubling it is possible to buy several times;
4. The player can split any two cards;
5. The player can give in at any time at the same time losing the half of available bets;
6. The dealer wins all ties;
7. Initially the dealer deals himself only one card face up;
8. If the dealer has an open ace, the player can have Caribbean 21 insurance, the insurance is paid 9:1
With the game based on optimal strategy advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.2%.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is so far available only in RTG software on-line casinos.
The game is played with six-eight “Spanish” packs of cards, 10 are removed from a pack (only 10s, queens, jacks and kings are left). As the less quantity of 10s in a pack is in favour the dealer, the player has the following bonuses:
1. 21 of the player always wins, as well as Black Jack of the player beats Black Jack of the dealer;
2. The player can double with any number of cards;
3. The player can double and buy after split of aces;
4. The player can give in after doubling;
5. 5-cards 21s are paid 3:2;
6. 6-cards 21s are paid 3:1;
7. 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 different suits are paid 3:2, of the same suits are paid 2:1 and spades are paid 3:1;
With the game based on optimal strategy advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.4%.
Super Fun 21
Super Fun 21 can only be found in RTG and Microgaming software on-line casinos. The game has a range of positive differences from standard Black Jack in favour of the player, to compensate it casinos pay Black Jack to the player 1:1. The difference is the following:
1. The player can split up to 4 times;
2. It is possible to double with any number of cards, including after split;
3. After split of aces it is possible to split, buy and double them;
4. The player can give in at any time of the game for a half of a bet (including after split);
5. 20 or less points of the player with 6 cards win automatically if there were no splits;
6. 21 points with 5 cards are paid 2:1 if there were no splits;
7. Black Jack always wins;
8. Black Jack of diamonds is paid 2:1 (all the rest are paid 1:1)
With the game based on these rules the advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.75%.
Black Jack Switch
Black Jack Switch is available in PlayTech software on-line casinos
In contrast to the standard Black Jack the player makes two similar bets and he gets at the same time two hands, the dealer gets two ordinary cards. The player can switch upper cards between hands (for example in one hand we have 6, 10 and in the other hand we have 10 and 5. We change place of 10 and 5 and we get instead of two bad hands two good hands: 6,5 and 10,10). The basic rules are the same as in standard Black Jack: there is doubling on two cards, one split and it is possible to double after split. To compensate the change advantage of the player the dealer gets the following bonuses:
1. The dealer does not make Black Jack check;
2. Black Jack of the player is paid 1:1;
3. If the dealer gathers 22, it is considered a tie against any not fired hand of the player, except for Black Jack;
The basic strategy of the game is rather complicated, however, if the player follows these rules, he diminishes the advantage of on-line casinos to 0.05%.
andcopy; Copyright 2006-2007 www.Bonus-Map.com

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1. Garcon a la Pipe by Pablo Picasso ($ 104,100,000)
Garcon a la Pipe is painted during Picasso’s famous Rose Period, a period in which Picasso preferred cheerful orange and pink colours. The oil on canvas painting, measuring 100 × 81.3 cm (slightly over 39 × 32 inches), depicts a Parisian boy holding a pipe in his left hand.
The record price paid for this painting in an auction at Sotheby’s New York on May 4, 2004, was a bit of a surprise. While aesthetically pleasing, the painting is not made in the Cubist style that Picasso is so renowned for. Many even state that the record price was more due to the artists name than the quality of the painting.
2. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh ($ 82,500,000)
This painting by the Dutch Impressionism master Vincent van Gogh suddenly became world-famous when Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito paid $82.5 million for it at auction in Christie’s, New York. Saito was so attached to the painting that he wanted it to be cremated with him when he died. Saito died in 1996 but the painting was saved.
Vincent van Gogh actually painted two versions of Dr Gachet’s portrait. You can view the other version, with a slightly different color scheme, at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
3. Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir ($ 78,000,000)
Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre is an 1876 painting by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. On May 17, 1990, it was sold for $ 78,000,000 at Sotheby’s in New York City, New York to Ryoei Saito, who bought it together with the Portrait of Dr Gachet.
4. Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens ($ 76,700,000)
This painting by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1611, is the only one painting in this list which was not painted in the 19th or 20th century. It was sold to Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet for $ 76,700,000 at a 2002 Sotheby’s auction.
5. Portrait de l’Artiste sans Barbe by Vincent van Gogh ($ 71,500,000)
Portrait de l’artiste sans barbe (”Self-portrait without beard”) is one of many self-portraits by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, that he painted in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France in September 1889. The painting is a oil painting on canvas and is 40 cm x 31 cm (16″ x 13″).
Van Gogh painted this just after he had shaved himself. This is an uncommon painting since his other self-portraits show him with a beard. The self-portrait is one of the most expensive paintings of all time since it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998 in New York.
6. Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier by Paul Cezanne ($ 60,500,000)
This painting by Paul Cezanne, painted in ca. 1893-1894, sold for $ 60,500,000 at Sotheby’s New York on May 10, 1999 to “The Whitneys”. Whitney, born into one of America’s wealthiest families, was a venture capitalist, publisher, Broadway show and Hollywood film producer, and philanthropist.
7. Femme aux Bras Croises by Pablo Picasso ($ 55,000,000)
This painting, painted in 1901, was a part of Picasso’s famous Blue Period, a dark, sad period. The painting depicts a woman with her arms crossed staring at the endless nothing. The beautiful different tones of blue ofcourse are typical for the period Picasso was in.
Femme aux Bras Croises was sold for $ 55,000,000 November 8, 2000, at Christie’s Rockefeller in New York City. With four paintings by Picasso in the top ten, we can name him without a doubt the most expensive painter ever.
8. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh ($ 53,900,000)
With 3 paintings in this top ten, van Gogh is also a main supplier of expensive paintings. Vincent van Gogh painted this at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France in 1889, only one year before his death. In 1987, it became the most expensive painting ever sold, though this record has since been surpassed. It was sold for $ 54,000,000 to Alan Bond.
9. Les Noces de Pierrette by Pablo Picasso ($ 51,670,000)
Les Noces de Pierrette was also painted in Picasso’s Blue Period, a period in which he suffered from poverty and depression. This painting was sold to a rich Chines businessman for $ 51,670,000 at Binoche et Godeau in Paris, France, on November 30, 1989.
10. Femme Assise Dans Un Jardin by Pablo Picasso ($ 49,500,000)
The only painting in this list by Picasso that is actually painted in his world-famous Cubism style. Pablo Picasso painted it in 1938, only a few years before World War II broke out. The woman he painted was one of his mistresses, Dora Maar.
Femme Assise Dans Un Jardin by Pablo Picasso was sold at on November 10, 1999, for $ 49,500,000 at New York City’s Sotheby’s. The auction was very hectic because three anonymous phone bidders tried to win the painting.
2005 Artinthepicture
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There are a number of websites that provide all the information on golfing products and services that one could possibly need. Any avid player craves for quality sport equipments and these websites are all flooded with quality information on how to purchase discount golf ball and other golf equipments and accessories. These sites provide excellent customer service and low prices on all golf equipments. So if you want information on discount golf balls, equipments, a new putter, lake balls it can all be made on various online golf portals.
Every week number of brand new golf balls hit the market. All this can be ordered by visiting these sites where it is available discounted and affordable prices. Some of the brand names for new and used Golf Balls include Titleist, Nike, Strata, Callaway, Maxfli, Wilson, Top Flite, and others. Titleist Pro V1 X 332 utilizes large core, multi-component urethane elastomer technology. The Pro V1 became the number one non-wound golf ball in just its first week on the PGA Tour. The Pro V’s tour-proven higher ball speed, lower spin, results in longer drives and iron distances. This ball is best suited for players with the highest swing speeds and exceptionally high spin or high lift launch conditions.
Dunlop model in the golf ball is the Advanced Titanium, which promises enhanced distance. With a suggested retail price of just $18 for a 15-ball pack, Dunlop’s Advanced Titanium ball has an oversized, titanium-enriched core encased in a Surlyn cover. Slazenger with a suggested retail price of $52 per dozen, has launched the Black Label ball. A multi-layer product, the Black Label ball features an oversized solid core, an interlocking layer of polyurethane between the core and outer cover, and a soft urethane outer cover. With a Hybrid 402 dimple pattern, the Slazenger ball promises distance, spin, feel and durability.
Titleist, HP Eclipse MINT is for golfers seeking extremely low driver and iron spin for long, straight, more accurate distance. High partial wedge spin provides added greenside control. Advanced dual core technology, very low spin for long, straight driver distance is the trademarks of the ball. .
Designed specifically to improve playability for Low to Mid handicappers, the Titleist NXT has been engineered to deliver high, soft approach shots. The NXT takes advanced solid core technology to a new level. The resilient, soft compression core is complemented by a thin, soft, Fusablend cover. This ball delivers long, two-piece driver and iron distance, soft responsive feel and exceptional short-game control. Titleist Pro V1x delivers very low driver and iron spin combined with very high speed. The result is exceptionally long distance and a straight flight, particularly for the game’s hardest hitters. Discounted golf balls are available for these brands on various sites.
The other option apart from discounted golf ball is of the used golf balls. Besides having so many varieties to choose from among Wilson, Top Flight, Dunlop, Titleist, Maxfli, Pinnacle, Strata, Slazenger, Taylor Made, Callaway, Nike and more the golfer can buy a specific brand and color of his or her choice. The used golf balls rescued from the rough and water hazards are the means of satiating the demand for expensive balls. Like, the Golfballs.net is the home of the used golf ball. Golf Ball Zone is one among Chicago’s bestseller of used golf balls. It makes use of online selling of golf balls. Many sites offer high quality, brand name, used golf balls to the sports lovers. Significance of the used balls can be seen in the light that other golfer’s loss becomes other’s gain. The used ball may have scratch or other shortcomings but to the many who cannot afford, it provides a good opportunity to purchase these branded discounted golf balls.
Golf Discount stores are the other way for the largest collections of the best names at the lowest prices. These golf stores have a plethora of golf equipments, golf gifts, customized items, popular balls, balls by category and other ball brands at affordable discounted rates and prices. These golf stores provide the opportunity for choosing from a massive collection, cheap prices and fast delivery under one roof. All the golf equipments both branded and non-branded that enhances a player’s game could easily be found in these golf stores at discounted rates. All golf equipments consisting of iron sets, complete sets, wedges, drivers, putters, fairway woods, junior golf, golf umbrellas, golf shirts, golf shoes, golf socks, golf gloves, golf caps, golf bags, golf tees, golf sunglasses, golf watches could easily be found out at one place- in golf stores.
The discount stores make possible the purchase of golf balls at low prices including Titleist and American Lake Balls at big discounts. All possible benefits like quick forty-eight hour delivery and a considerable selection along with low prices are available. For example in irons, choice is made among Cobra SS-I, Ping G2, Adams UC-10, Nike Pro-Combo; in Hybrid Irons it is to be among 845 Hybrid Woods, Idea Hybrid Irons and CPR Hybrids.
Similarly in case of packages choice could be made among Power Bilt TPX, Precise Packages and more. For putters it could be among 2-Ball Putters, Rossa Monza, and Nike Oz. Similarly a wide variety of choice could be made among golf shoes and golf bags.
Discount golf balls with savings up to 60%, by comparing hundreds of retailers on one of the UK’s leading independent comparison sites could be easily found. Another big online buying opportunity for discount golf balls is through one of Europe’s largest online golf shops (http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk), which provides excellent and inexpensive services on all the golf equipments. Comparison of prices could also be made between different retailers on all types of branded sports and outdoor gear. Deal Time (http://www.dealtime.co.uk), makes it easy for one to find great deals from across the Web.
The American Golf Discount stores are also well equipped with all the golf equipments, be it clubs, balls, bags, tees, clothes, shoes, umbrellas or any other. These stores have all the accessories, which the golf player could be in need of and that too at reasonable, affordable and knock down rates. What makes these stores all the more remarkable is the staff, which is well equipped with knowledge and is willing to discuss the sports and offer advice.
Certainly, with so much facilities and amenities at discounted rates available on these sites it is hard to resist the temptations.

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Ever wonder how to get that great distance and control on the course? It all has to do with golf ball contact. Everything depends on how and when you hit the golf ball, and you’ll see it in your results.
Hit Down to Get the Ball Up:
This may sound a little bit crazy to some but, with every club except the driver and putter you should be striking the ball with a slightly downward blow. What this does is, it allows the loft of the club to work as it’s supposed to and launch the ball up into the air. Proper golf ball contact will also increase distance because when the ball is hit at impact, the descending movement compresses the ball witch in turn releases more energy sending the ball further.
There is a common mistake made by beginners. What they tend to do is try to scoop the ball and help it into the air with their fairway woods and irons. This is a critical mistake because hitting up on the ball will only causes a lot more miss hits and give the player poor distance on each shot.
When you are swinging your irons and even fairway woods you should be aiming at the bottom front of the ball itself or even a little bit before the ball. This will allow the very bottom of your swing arc to still be on a descending path when you make contact with the golf ball. If you watch a good player when they hit the ball with a 9-iron for example, you’ll notice that their divots always begin in front of the ball and never after the ball. What this means is the golfer is making contact with the ball first still on the downswing, and then contact with the turf takes place.
When this is done correctly the golf ball gets squished or pressed between the clubface and the ground, witch increases the compression and results in more distance and spin for that particular shot. If you try to hit up on the ball with your fairway woods or irons you could end up topping the ball or even missing it.
The Exception:
There’s always one exception to every rule. This one involves hitting your driver off the tee. With this club you want to try to make golf ball contact on the slight upswing or the beginning of your upward swing arc. One of the main reasons for doing this is because the driver has very little loft and it’s harder to get the ball into the air.
The other reason is the drivers now have very few grooves witch helps to eliminate spin that is put on the ball during compression. It allows the ball to travel through the air with a piercing or floating type action and travel great distances.
One of the most important tips you can learn about equipment and your golf game is when to make proper golf ball contact. It all depends on what club you are using and the situation. Try and use this little bit of info the next time you’re on the course and watch what happens.

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Some PGA Tour players have been playing for a couple of weeks in Hawaii and California. Others like Vijay and Ernie have been playing on the European Tour. Regardless of how many tournaments the pros have played this year, they have been working on their games for more time than most of us realize. Make no mistake about it: in golf - or baseball, football, basketball or any other pro sport - there is no longer an off-season.
So while this may be the first official shot of the season for some, the training process to get ready to make that shot has been quietly going on for months.
The amateur can learn a great deal from the professional golfer. Many parts of the world it is not possible to play golf year around, but there are ways to keep your golf game in shape all year long. Professionals know how to do it and so can you.
Realistically, there is very little time to take a break and do absolutely nothing for professional golfers. While every pro is different, there is a generic blueprint most will follow. After the pro finishes his last golf tournament, they take a little break. A few weeks off to give the body and mind a little rest. Every pro athlete needs that time to just recharge and give the body - both physically as well as mentally - time to recover. The PGA Tour season is one of the longest in sports and even though they may not play every week, it’s very taxing on the body and the time off is essential to ensure positive results when we begin training for the next season.
I would recommend the same recipe for the amateur. Regardless if you are able to play year around or not, take a period of at least 2 weeks to put the golf clubs in the closet. The break away from the game will do wonders. You may even find after you return you are playing better golf and shooting lower scores.
Following the rest time - and like I said, it’s longer for some, shorter for others - its time for the tour player to begin ramping up for the next season by physically improving the parameters of the body for the upcoming year. Just like any other golfer - from the Sunday hacker to the scratch golfer to the club pro - the professional golfer will work on trying to increase flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power.
The amateur during this time of the year (usually the winter when snow is on the ground) can implement a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program will entail developing the physical capacities of the body around the golf swing. The program will look to develop flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power in relation to the golf swing. This is the first step for the amateur to keeping their golf swing in shape all year long.
The amateur during this time of year can also implement swing drills into their training program. The professional may or may not incorporate swing drills into their program at this time year. But for the amateur I recommend it, why? This is the time of year in addition to developing the body for the golf swing. The amateur can work on swing faults that hindered their scores the previous season.
The swing drills can be simply performing “mirror drills” to work on posture and the phases of the golf swing.
You should start putting drills this time of the year. If you are lucky enough to live in a region you can play golf year around, a couple short sessions at the range every week is a good idea. I would recommend the range sessions be kept short and focused on fixing the “problem” areas in your golf swing. The important point is the off-season is a time the amateur can take advantage of working on both their bodies and their golf swing
Professionally when the PGA Tour season approaches, we begin what is essentially the preseason. This is when the player starts to practice the fundamental mechanics of the sport. If it’s a golfer, he’s on the range working on his swing, if it’s a pitcher, he’s throwing getting ready for spring training. Physically, we’re still training the body, but we tone it down while the player fine tunes his game. But make no mistake about it, even though working on the golf game is 75 percent of the focus of this pre-season training program, we’re still working on the basics of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power training.
The pre-season for the amateur marks the time of year when the snow is beginning to melt and the “itch” to play golf comes around. I would suggest the amateur follow a similar program as the professional during this time of year. Start spending more time at the range. Working on all aspects of your golf game. Continue with your golf fitness program, but you may want to back off it a little as a result of the increased practice time. Again, keep in mind the body swings the golf club and we must keep the body in shape to do so.
The pre-season program of increased golf practice and a little less golf fitness continues with the professional golfer until their first tournament. This marks the point when we shift to an in-season golf fitness program. The golf fitness exercises don’t stop, but we back off on the intensity. The program doesn’t change much. We’re still focused on flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power, but the amount or volume of work is much less to accommodate the physical and mental strain of competition.
Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training. The amateur during the golf season is probably in a little different of a situation. They are probably not playing 4 competitive rounds of golf per week plus practice. At most, they may be playing 2-3 rounds per week with a couple practice sessions. As a result of the lower volumes of golf they can spend a little more amount of time with their golf fitness program.
Essentially, the amateur can pretty much stick to pre-season volume of golf fitness training unless they are playing quite a bit. Just make sure the right balance of golf fitness training is in place in relation to your golf practice and playing. This is necessary so that you do not physically over-tax the body. Bottom line if you are looking to keep your golf game in shape and improving year around, I recommend following what the pros do; take a break at the end of the season, implement a golf fitness program, work on your swing faults during the winter, increase your practice time at the range before the season, and during the season keep a good balance of playing, practicing, and working out.
Sean Cochran

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Thomas Lee designed the first Adirondack Chair in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, NY and he needed outdoor chairs for his summer home. He tested the first designs on his family.
The original Adirondack Chair was made with eleven pieces of wood, cut from a single board. It had a straight back and seat, which were set at a slant to sit better on the steep mountain inclines of the area. It also featured wide armrests which became a hallmark of the Adirondack Chair.
The Adirondack Chair might have stayed in Lee’s back yard, except for his friend Harry Bunnell. Bunnell had a small carpentry shop and needed a source of winter income. He used Lee’s idea and started to create the chairs.
In 1905, Bunnell received a patent for the “Westport Chair”. For the next twenty years, Bunnell produced these chairs. All of his “Westports” were signed, made out of Hemlock and painted green or dark brown.
The Adirondack Chair has changed over the years, while maintaining the same style and comfort. Today’s Adirondack Chairs usually feature a rounded back and contoured seat. The style has also been translated to other pieces of furniture, anything from Gliders to Love Seats. Modern Adirondack chairs can also be made of many materials from cedar to recycled plastic.

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In this article we will look at the several alternate methods of restoring and preserving teak on your boat or yacht in order to place you in a more informed position to decide on which method best suits your situation.
Whether it be a lovely piece of teak furniture sitting elegantly on the aft deck of a luxury yacht, or a 12″ by 12″ inch pad under a sheet winch on a daysailer, there’s just something about teak that says “salty.”
It has been said that nothing so brightens the nautical appearance of a boat so much as well maintained teak. Having made such a sweeping generalization we are now faced with numerous variations on just what makes teak well maintained.
If our boats lived in clean air we could let the wood go. Over time, it would weather naturally to an attractive ash gray and we could concern ourselves with other things. Unfortunately the assault of modern-day air pollutants, the proximity to the sea, and old father sun himself quickly turn bare teak nearly black. Scrubbing only removes some of the stains leaving a mottled look.
As beautiful as it is here on The Emerald Coast where I write this, it only takes a few days to see the effects of air pollutants and intense sunlight on anything left outside.
Preparation
Regardless of the method of preservation used the first thing which must be done is to clean and restore the teak to its natural state.
At BoatDocs1 we believe in accomplishing this in the gentlest way possible while still achieving the desired results. If the teak is just dirty a thorough cleaning with laundry detergent, chlorine bleach, scrub brush, and a little elbow grease will do the job.
If the wood has weathered for long, has remnants of a previous sealer, varnish, lacquer, or the like, and/or if mildew has set in we will have to use oxalic acid to kill the organisms, bleach out the black and stained areas, and deep clean the wood.
If you are doing this yourself the main thing to remember is that anything remaining from a previous product will interfere with the bonding of the new coating. This can cause anything from a minor color shift to causing the new coat to not stick at all and actually blister and peal away from the surface.
So take your time, use plenty of water to rinse away all of the soap and residue of previous products and allow at least 24 hours drying time before your first coat.
As with any paint, lacquer, or varnish, it is the preparation that sets the professional results apart from the want-to-be attempts. If you figure on about a 80%/20% ratio for preparation to application you should be pretty close.
Everybody and their dog can swing a paint brush but it takes a little savvy and a good bit of patience to hold off on the brush till the wood is ready. Without that forbearance the job is doomed before the can is ever opened.
Now the choices begin.
Teak Oil
Teak oil is one of the oldest and in many ways easiest methods of maintaining the natural look to teak.
More choices, linseed or tung oil. In general, tung oil is a more refined version of linseed oil. The higher quality/price is an individual call depending on the application.
Our main concern here is the various additives including pigments, UV filters, and mildew retardants. The additives are a must here on the Emerald Coast and anywhere you have the combination of sun, heat, humidity, and sea air. The choices should be based on the exposure to the elements the wood will be getting, with the higher concentrations of additives and corresponding darker pigmentation for any wood which will be exposed a great deal of the time.
Characteristics: Gives the wood a matte finish without shiny spots. Requires recoating periodically, 1-3 months depending on exposure factors. While teak oils, when properly applied and maintained resist and displace water they do not completely eliminate it’s getting into the wood. (works well but requires frequent maintenance or will tend to turn black and degrade rapidly) A big plus is that unless the wood is very rough, no sanding should be required.
Teak Sealer
Teak sealers are actually an adjunct to Teak Oil in that they seal in the oil and lengthen the time between applications. We have had excellent results with several products in our climate and the choices are mostly related to desired look and durability.
Sealers are a good choice for those who don’t mind doing a little extra work at the beginning and end of the season in order to not have to worry about it during.
Characteristics: Teak treated with sealer is more water resistant than if treated with teak oil, has a more uniform appearance, and doesn’t tend to turn black. Slightly more preparation required than with oil but if maintained will only have to be done once. (when wood is well prepared and the sealer applied correctly it will last up to a year between maintenance application) Only initial sanding required, (prior to first coat) none needed between coats.
Varnish
Ah, the beauty of a newly varnished teak deck.
On the plus side:
Offers real protection for the wood.
Wood will not dry out and split
” will not absorb moisture and rot
” is unaffected by dirt and pollution
” will not be stained by spills
The not-so-plus side:
* Varnishing any wood requires thorough and painstaking sanding and preparation.
* The standard for a ship-shape job is 7 coats with sanding between each coat. I’ve often done 12 to 14 to achieve desired results.
* Additional coats, with thorough sanding between, are required to maintain the look.
* The humidity must be low or a milky appearance will result, requiring more sanding to remove the affected coat.
Characteristics:
Poems have been written about the beauty of well varnished teak and I’ll leave it to them to do their job on this one. From a purely practical point of view, if you have the time to do-it-yourself or the money to have a professional take care of it for you then varnish will preserve the wood better than any other method and at the same time be a beautiful accent to your yacht.
The Road Less Traveled
I should mention one more possibility before closing, one that I’ve used myself on a couple of occasions. If you watch old seafaring movies you’ve seen this one too. Teak decks can be scrubbed periodically with sea water and a stiff brush and will actually last about the same length of time as an oiled deck.
The main drawback to this is that without any protection the wood will absorb everything which is spilled on it, and many modern oils and greases, to say nothing of not so modern wines and berries will leave stains which will be just about imposable to remove. On the other hand if you have a lot of teak on your boat you could likely write a book with the time you would save by not having to keep up the varnish.
Whatever you decide, may all of your boating adventures be happy ones.

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I was born in West London in 1963, my father was very involved in the martial arts and a dan grade in Karate he was also a dealer in ancient Japanese arms and armour, although my father has an antiques shop in London’s Bond Street, my home was more like a samurai warriors dressing room, with original suits of Japanese armour complete with very frighting face masks that would frighten the life out of my friends when ever they came to visit, there were also very many valuable swords yari and naginata spears.
The Masters
My father would travel around the world searching for the best quality weapons, what intrigued me the most as a child was all these strange visitors that would come to my home, the famous Otani family were regular visitors with Sensei Matsuro Otani 7th dan Judo the UK National Coach, Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, Tomio Otani Sensei the UK National Coach for Kendo, his visitors were like the who’s who of martial arts, as recently as two weeks ago I was pleased to meet with Sensei Kazuo Chiba 8th dan when he came to see my father.
Introduction to Aikido
As a child I did a little Karate with my father but nothing serious until 1992 when I went to the local Aikido dojo in Bracknell, Berkshire, UK. All those years with my father and his Japanese weapons must have had a latent but profound effect on me, as I watched Sensei Ellis teaching his Positive Style of Traditional Aikido I knew there and then that this was the martial art for me.
The Hard Training Begins
When I started Aikido I made a point of training with the men and they treated me as one of them. With regular practice I progressed. I had now developed the hard training bug and started courses in physical training and amateur weight lifting, after a few years of hard work I became a fully qualified fitness instructor-personal trainer and amateur weight lifting coach, the high light of all this effort was when Sensei Ellis promoted me to assistant coach of the Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido (ESTA) two years later he promoted me to first lady assistant to himself, there had never ever been a lady assistant in all the long history of the ESTA, Sensei put me on a three month trial and 8 year on I am still here.
In 1994 I received my coaching certificate from the British Aikido Board (BAB) which is the governing body for Aikido in the UK. Once I became assistant to Sensei Ellis I became involved in assisting in teaching both men and women and also helping with the children’s classes.
The First Seminar
Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to take part in a very large and important seminar in Liverpool in the North of England, Sensei Ellis is not one of those teachers who has a pet uke follow him around to fly all over the mat at a touch or a glance, he prefers to try to involve all the students who attend his seminars if possible, knowing this I felt very privileged but nervous when Sensei told me there would be about 700 students from various martial arts, I think the phrase “Being thrown in at the deep end” is applicable here.
On arrival at the venue I was amazed to see so many students from so many countries, UK-France-Germany-Italy-India-Austria are just some that I can recall. Sensei Ellis was asked to take the first class of approximately 50 dan grades from various martial arts. Sensei had me demonstrate 100 press-ups on the backs of my wrists with fingers pointing both inwards and outwards. When I had finished and was in the raised position Sensei sat on my back (he did not warn me of this) and carried on with his lecture. Sensei suggested that those who wanted to should try this exercise. It was amazing to see all these black belts struggling. Later I had a little crowd around me wanting to inspect my wrists, I explained that this exercise is standard for both seniors and juniors in our schools.
I was now feeling a little more confident when Sensei pointed out that there were six young dan grades who had arrived late and were respectfully waiting for permission to come onto the mat. Sensei asked me to show them what we had been teaching so far, they were all wearing black gi’s and when I approached and invited them on the mat, they scowled as if to say “hey, we have not traveled all the way from London to be taught by a women” as I showed the first technique “nikkyo” a wrist locking action, the first guy tried to resist me, I applied the technique as shown to me so many times by Sensei and almost put him through the mat. I thought he would be upset with me, but as he got up he asked “How did you do that?”. He then wanted me to do the technique on all the others, now I had their attention and they were a great bunch of guy’s. I really enjoyed teaching them. At the end of the seminar, as we were leaving the hall to head for the car park, these six guy’s were waiting in a line and bowed to me simultaneously with a smile and said to Sensei Ellis ” You have a strong lady assistant there ,sensei” Sensei replied ” That is why she is my assistant”. That was my first seminar and one that I will never forget.
I have been involved in many other seminars with my Sensei and they were always good, but I was never so overawed as I was at my first one, or so I thought. Then Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to visit New Mexico in the USA for a seminar. The seminar was to be held in Alamogordo NM, where Sensei’s USA representative in the US lives and works at the Space Museum. Sensei visits New Mexico every year and we have another Ellis dan grade in Texas, Al Montemar. I had always wanted to visit the US and jumped at the opportunity. We made the trip into a vacation for friends and family. We taught members of the USAF and German Air Force at Holloman AFB, which included a guided tour of the base and various fighter aircraft, including the Stealth bomber. Sensei Rogers is an instructor who teaches students from the USAF, Highway Patrol, police and some members of the United States Marshals.
While in the US, I also visited the Grand Canyon and Phoenix. I intend to move to Phoenix to live within the next two to three years. Sensei Ellis has a book on aikido coming out next spring in the US titled “Positive Aikido” which I am pleased to be featured in, Sensei Rogers is a journalist by profession and has worked on this book for the past two years and it will be published in the US. There are several publishers interested in the book so we are all very excited about this latest project. I hope to be visiting the US again next year and I hope to be there for the launching of the book.
For the martial artists out there I would like to add one more comment about the proposed book. Where as most Aikido books spend a great deal of time harmonizing with the planets and the universe, there will be none of that in this book, Sensei always tells students to come out of the clouds and get back on the tatami because “This is where it all happens” and he also often says ” leave the dancing to Fred Astair” (who is Fred Astair?).
Anita Wilson
Assistant to Sensei Ellis
http://www.EllisAikido.org
http://www.geocities.com/britishaikido

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