Recognizing a Concussion

While playing at recess last year, my then 8 year old fell and hit the back of his head on the playground. He went to the nurse, she didn't think he was hurt badly enough to be sent home but she did call to let me know what happened. When I picked him up after school he said his head hurt and he didn't even want to go to his friend's house to play. He didn't have any of the serious symptoms, his eyes weren't dilated, he wasn't dizzy, he didn't pass out or vomit but his stomach was a bit upset. When his head still hurt the next day I took him to the doctor. Fortunately he was ok but he did have a mild concussion. The fact that he didn't display any of the obvious signs that accompany a concussion prompted me to review how to recognize and treat them. And, having two wildly active boys, I figure I better brush up on the info.

Some of the signs are really not all that glaring. Even a seemingly mild bump or blow can be serious because a concussion changes normal cell function in the brain. Activities should not be resumed too quickly because if a second concussion is suffered before the first one completely heals, it could result in the potentially fatal second impact syndrome. Even mild trauma makes the brain more susceptible to being injured again.

They are fairly common, over 3 million concussions occur each year in the U.S. due to recreation and sports related accidents. With proper and immediate treatment most people are fine but repeated head injuries can result in permanent brain damage. Symptoms and signs may show up right away but they could take hours or even days to fully appear and they can last for days, weeks or longer.

Medical experts advise seeking emergency care when any of the following signs or symptoms are present in an individual: Appears dazed or stunned, is confused about assignment or position, forgets sports plays, is unsure of game, score, or opponent, moves clumsily, answers questions slowly, loses consciousness (even briefly), shows behavior or personality changes, can't recall events prior to hit or fall, dilated eyes or one pupil is larger than the other, has a headache or pressure in head, nausea or vomiting, balance problems or dizziness, double or blurry vision, sensitivity to light or noise, drowsiness or fatigue, feeling hazy, foggy or groggy concentration or memory problems, confusion, anxiety, combativeness, and mood swings or does not feel right.

Do not give any medication for a minimum of 24 hours as this can cause brain bleed and mask symptoms. If symptoms worsen or if different symptoms present themselves after the patient has been treated and sent home, go back to the doctor or ER right away.

Because they can't communicate as well, signs can be difficult to recognize in babies and toddlers. They may include: Listlessness, tiring easily, irritability, crankiness, change in eating or sleeping patterns, lack of interest in favorite toys,
loss of balance, unsteady walking.

Too often I see kids riding their bikes, scooters and skateboards without a helmet. It's not smart, they need the protection to avoid a major head trauma. Besides, it's illegal to ride a bike without a helmet under certain ages in 21 states, including California. Wearing a helmet may not look "cool" but how cool does laying in a vegetative state in some hospital drooling out of the side of your mouth sound? Pass this along to anyone you know who has kids, it's information all parents should be familiar with.

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How Much Money Do Umpires Make?

Umpiring youth baseball games could be a good, solid path to more income but, for most folks, they recognize it mostly as a great hobby. Becoming engaged within your own local community can be particularly gratifying and a bunch of fun!

With that said, usually the first matter people wonder as soon as they start thinking about being a baseball umpire is - exactly how much can umpires get paid? On the whole for children's, non professional leagues, income tends to be relatively regular, while expert, major league umps can easily earn a lot more, which I am sure is not a shock and probably to be predicted by all.

Major league baseball umps, claimed through MLB's website, earn close to $120,000 a year in salaried profits their very first year alone! More experienced umpires with more expertise can be compensated more than double that, as much as $300,000 yearly. MLB umpires also receive real big league benefits. Their benefits are also comprised of $340 dollars a day for food and hotel, 20 days of vacation time in the course of the normal season, and they always enjoy flying first class. The benefits don't stop there, in the post season the highest graded umps possess the unique chance to umpire the post season contests in which they may earn $20,000 more. It can be difficult to break into the big leagues as a umpire however, once you're in you are in for your career in the majority of conditions.

Schooled, and well trained umpires in youth baseball leagues are often rewarded per game and the rate of pay out is commonly constant in every league. A standard game's pay is around $25-$30 with regard to a home plate umpire as well as $15-$20 dollars for a base umpire. Compensation may increase for the period of champion play, for well trained baseball umps, and some baseball leagues can increase per game earnings year after year. Little League is the exclusion. Their procedures declare that umpires need to be unpaid and are not to be salaried. On the other hand, this regulation is typically ignored. For more intricate facts on pay and compensation, reach out to your nearby league(s) and event owners. Youth baseball umpires will at times receive basic perks. Many local leagues, for example, let umpires eat and drink at no charge from their snack bars. Shirts also are a standard give-away.

In the event that you are an energetic baseball admirer looking to get out and about while you try to make a small amount of supplementary income, umping baseball games may possibly be the alternative you have been waiting for.

Finally, if you are interested in umpire school and training, please check out Umpire School Headquarters at http://www.umpireschoolhq.com/.

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How Much Is Sports Sponsorship Costing You?

How much does sponsorship cost you? I am not talking about the times you sponsor your son, daughter or neighbours children to walk a mile or have a sponsored silence. I am talking about a serious amount of money, not pennies. Think again, how much does sponsorship cost you?

Think about your favourite sports stars and the big houses they live in and the expensive cars they drive. Think of the major sports leagues and competitions that have famous brands associated with them. What about the promotions and free giveaways, running alongside the major tournaments. Well, who do you think pays for them? The major companies fund these deals from their marketing budgets but, where does this money come from?

Take Gilbert for example. They are the biggest brand within the world of rugby. They have deals, with most of the top rugby playing nations, to supply them quality rugby balls and equipment. These sponsorship rights vary greatly in value, depending on the exposure within each country. The deal with the RFU is reportedly worth around £500,000 per year, compared that to the deal by Webb Ellis with the WRFU, which is ten times smaller.

What about golf? How much money does Nike spend on player sponsorship deals? When you look at how many players they sponsor, the sums involved are quite staggering. Tiger Woods, back in 2001 reportedly signed a five-year deal worth in excess of $100 million. $100 MILLION and that is just one contract for one player. When you add the money spent on other players within golf and then add that to the players sponsored in football, cricket, basketball, etc........ I think you get to realize how much this could be costing you and me.

Lets look at it by using an example, as it is easier to understand the costs involved. Lets set up a boot company, retailing footwear for sportsmen and women in the UK. The company has many endorsements with sports stars across a whole range of sports including, rugby, football and cricket. It spends around £25,000 per endorsement and currently has in excess of 200 players using their boots. The cost of the endorsements are valued at around £5 million pounds over a 3 year period. They will be looking to sell as many pairs of boots, to maximise their return. The rrp of each pair of boots is £80. They can sell 80,000 pairs per year and 240,000 over the 3 year deal.

So how much more expensive are these boots because of the endorsements? Divide £5,000,000 by 240,000 pairs and it works out at £20.83 per pair. That is an incredible 25% cost that could be wiped off immediately from the rrp. This would ensure that clubs and players would have more money to spend on other products.

We understand that some of these products, would be less attractive if Tiger Woods, David Beckham, Kevin Pieterson and others, hadn't worn them. But is their value really worth a 25% increase in your costs.

There are companies that try to keep the costs of products down, to ensure their customers are paying a realistic price. Companies like Lusum and Willostix do not spend money on sponsoring players, clubs and leagues. They approach the retail market with better quality products but then offer them at a saving of.........25%. Isn't that how much it costs you to sponsor players? Next time you are looking at buying the latest, heavily endorsed product, ask yourself this question....How much is sponsorship costing me?

Stuart Cardy is a keen sportsman and has played a variety of sports since the age of 5. Reaching County standard in some and has enjoyed a fair degree of success.

Stuart has helped develop a company called Lusum, which has produced Lusum rugby balls, at up to 25% cheaper than other leading brands, without compromising the quality. Lusum do not sponsor clubs, leagues or players ensuring the money not spent on sponsorship is taken directly off of the cost of the products. This enables clubs to benefit directly, without having to go through a lengthy grant applications to create a spending budget. 25% cheaper balls, mean clubs are spending 25% less money on equipment, allowing valuable funds to be put to other use.

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One Reason Why So Many College Stars Fail in the Pros

Many athletes think that because they are an exceptional college athlete, that it will translate into success and riches at the next level. The higher the level you are playing at in athletics, the more important the mental aspect of your game comes into play. I could list umpteen examples of physically dominant college athletes that didn't stick at the pro level. The reason this happens so often is that once they reach the next level, their physical advantage has diminished, and by itself, it is no longer enough to keep them on top.

The higher the level of competition, the more separation you get in having a mental advantage. Most athletes are in the habit of working hard physically to stay on top, but once you reach the highest level in your sport you come face to face with the law of diminishing returns when it comes to what you can influence with your fitness level.

Conversely, those who transition into or have already started working on their mental game, gain a significant advantage as the mental side is still hugely under exploited in a majority of pro sports and especially in professional football. Just as physical ability can be developed and improved upon, so can your mental game.

So why don't more athletes dedicate themselves to mental training? Just like working out physically, effective mental training takes a considerable amount of time and discipline. You would not expect to be in top physical condition working out a few times a month, would you? Working out mentally is no different; you get out of it what you put into it.

Starting a mental training regimen can be difficult and even feel awkward initially, but once you make it a habit and begin to see the benefits, it can be a lot more fun than weight training. It is also likely to give you a much bigger edge over your competitors than weight training. I'm not saying this replaces weight and other training regimens, just that it will help separate you from the crowd more than other forms of training at this level.

I always like to say that if you don't like being stuck in crowds.... go the extra mile, it's never crowded there! Adding mental training to your daily workout regimen is like going the extra mile, and that is what will enable you to gain a substantial edge over your competition.

Follow Sam on Twitter @SuperTaoInc

Sam Obitz is a leader in the use and development of mental skills that help you achieve peak performance. Visit The Mind Side Blog at http://supertao.com/category/the-mind-side-blog/

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Fun Birthday Activities - Water Slides and Much More

A child's birthday party is the highlight of its year. It's a day that centres around just them, a day when they can have fun with their friends, eat lots of treats and receive some great presents. A birthday, to a child, is one of the biggest events in their little lives, and for this reason, parents work extra hard to make that day one that will thrill their child, and leave them with wonderful memories for the entire year, until the big day comes around again. For parents, on the other hand, throwing a party each year that trumps the last, that is unique and fun, with excitement and joy, and everything that a perfect birthday party should be, is not a task easily done. Each year it gets harder to plan activities that are fun, and haven't been played out time and time again. With the neat and original ideas found here, any parent can host a birthday party that is fun filled and all that their little one could have hoped for!

A Magic Show: Magicians are a wonderful addition to any birthday party, and they are always a delight for kids as they watch the magic tricks in fascination and awe. Hiring a magician would be a hit for any little one's party, and they can sometimes come at an affordable rate. Parents can search within their own social circle to see if any of their friends knows where to hire a magician, and search the yellow pages for any listings for such a service. The magician could take up much of the party time, followed by a few minutes of play time and some yummy food!

A Circus Show: Clowns are another great idea for a child's party, and parents have a couple of options in this category. First of all, they can hire a clown, or a few of them, to perform at the event with funny tricks, balloon animals, and a whole lot of goofing around. Secondly, parents can get a couple of their friends to perform, rent the costumes or make their own, and create a clown act by searching the internet for videos to get ideas. The second option is more affordable, and can be just as much fun!

A Day at the Races: This sort of activity can be done in your own yard, but if parents could find some sort of field where the party could be held it would add to the whole competition feel of the party. To have a day at the races there are just a few simple things needed: sacks for sack races, ties for the 3-legged race, a relay stick for the relay race, 2 racing flags, one for at the start line and one for at the finish line, a whistle, and last, but certainly not least, ribbons to give out at the end. Once all of these items are ready, let the races begin.

Water Works: If the child's birthday falls during the hot months of summer, water activities are tons of fun for the party. This could include a water balloon fight, water gun tag, water slides, or fun in the pool. All that is needed for these types of activities is water balloons and guns, a couple of water slides, and one key component- water!

Day Trips: Another great activity to celebrate a child's birthday is to take them, and a few of their friends, on a day trip, and this offers lots of possibilities. A movie or play makes a fun activity, as do a day at the zoo or a petting zoo, a water or amusement park, or a day at a ranch or farm for horse back riding and to visit the animals. Search the area in which the child resides for a fun place to visit that is within a reasonable distance, and a reasonable price.

These are just a few of many fun activities that can be utilized in planning a fantastic and memorable birthday party that is sure to delight any little one on their special day. Using these ideas the party is bound to be one that he or she will remember for years to come.

Summer is time for fun in the sun. And if you add water to the equation then it becomes even better.
For more ideas on fun summer water activities visit:
http://www.squidoo.com/water-slides-for-sale2

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5 Traditional Games Still Enjoyed Today

Many popular games we play today originated hundreds or thousands of years ago. Each of these games has changed with innovative technology, growing more popular than ever before.

Billiards
Pool, also known as pocket billiards, is a type of table game. Pool and similar games originated in medieval England. Billiard supplies include the six pocket table, pool cues and billiard balls. There are many variations of the game. Eight-ball is the most common version in the United States. This version begins with players choosing a suit of balls to claim. A player wins by pocketing each of their balls, followed by pocketing the eight-ball.

Today, serious players often use their own custom pool cues, which they carry with them in pool cue cases. These serious players compete in televised events, which you can oftentimes watch on ESPN 2. There are many tournaments around the world, watched by millions of billiards fans worldwide.

There are many computer imitations of billiards, which are fun and can be enjoyed from just about anywhere; but these limited games barely stack up to the feeling of holding pool cues and hearing the crisp sound of cue sticks striking the ball. Billiards is best played with a real table.

Chess
Chess, a two-player board game, originated thousands of years ago in India. Each of the player's 16 pieces can only move in certain ways. The goal of chess is to forcibly capture the opponent's king.

Today, chess is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. Many play chess on computers as well. Schools worldwide have chess clubs. Tournaments are held internationally to determine the best chess players.

Backgammon
The earliest records of backgammon date back to 3000 B.C. in Persia. Movement on this two-player board game is determined by rolling dice. To win backgammon, a player must essentially clear their board of their pieces.

Backgammon is a popular game throughout the world with annual tournaments. It is also a popular online game.

Cricket
Cricket is an outdoor game played with two teams on a rectangular pitch. Each team takes a turn at bat and tries to score runs. If a batter successfully hits a ball and runs to the edge of the pitch, his team scores.

The game was invented in England and spread into lands occupied by the British Empire. Today there are many cricket leagues and championships worldwide, mainly played in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Arguable the most popular cricket league in the world is the Indian Premier League, where players average the second highest salaries for any league in the world, behind just the National Basketball Association.

Go
Early records suggest Go began in China over 2,000 years ago. Players score points by encircling territory and capturing their opponent's pieces. The player with the most points wins. It's a simple game with unparalleled strategic depth, actually making it one of the most complicated strategy games to ever exist.

Go has gained worldwide favor due to online play. In some Asian countries, professional leagues flourish. Newspapers in these countries run Go columns like Western newspapers run Bridge columns.

Akaash Prasad is the Owner of QStix, a leading online pool accessories and billiard supplies retailer. QStix offers a large selection of billiard equipment like pool cues, pool cue cases, custom pool cues and many other supplies. QStix has all the billiards supplies you need in one place to make the buying process as easy as possible.

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Finding Genuine Collectible Gun Accessories

The United Kingdom is a country where shooting and hunting has always been a favourite pastime of all, including the royalty as well as the common man. Irrespective of age, gender and social status, people purchase and practice various types of firearms. Besides those who purchase guns and gun accessories, there is another group who purchase them not to use but because they are crazy about collectible guns and gun accessories.

Collectible gun accessories have been quite popular in the UK since a long time. In fact, if you visit the houses of ancient and traditional families you'll see an impressive museum of guns and their accessories from various chronological milestones such as the Civil War, Middle Ages, World War I and II and a lot more. The collectibles include several items like rifles, pistols, revolvers, etc. and their accessories like antique powder horns, revolver necklaces, gun safes and displays, gun magazine holsters and so on.

Finding genuine items of collectible gun accessories is not an easy job, unless you have been in touch with the industry for long. Considering the knowledge required for finding the real valuable collectibles and the experience in dealing with them, you should either be an expert or consult one to get the genuine collectibles. You can also find genuine items in several online stores. Here are a few tips for you to find genuine collectible gun accessories:

Do a thorough research

The most basic and important factor regarding collectibles is to have sufficient knowledge about them. And if you don't have it, it's time to do some research on collectible gun accessories, get enough information that can enable you to make out the genuine items from the fake ones. This is easy as you can find lots of information in the Internet. Just make sure you are collecting the information from a quality website.

Consult experts

If you are interested in collecting vintage guns and accessories, the chances are you would know people who are experts in shooting and weapons. You could also try approaching the clubs and organisations where you could meet new shooters and experts in guns and accessories. Chatting with these professionals could provide you with tips on how to recognise genuine collectibles and where to find them.

Visit museums and gun collections

Paying a visit to check out the collectibles of other professional shooters can give you a lot of hints regarding the quality and antiquity of the items. The owners would be happy to explain to you the different stories behind each item that can help you while purchasing guns and accessories for yourself.

Find a quality online store

Online stores that sell collectible gun accessories are a good source of information on these items. They normally come with a lot of information and images on each of the items they sell. You could read these descriptions and if required you could even purchase the items you like from the same store. However, make sure first whether the website is genuine or spam. You could check the contact details provided and if possible call or visit their store in person. Also, check out the product reviews and comments made by the earlier customers.

Collectible gun accessories are in fact a source of pleasure and pride for its owners. They make impressive interior décor items if you know how to display them for your visitors. They don't come cheap as you can guess; however, their genuineness and value make it a totally worthwhile purchase that you could proudly store for your next generations and even as items that can be sold for double the amount you paid after some time.

Shoot UK is UK's leading online store for shooting accessories and equipments for those who enjoy outdoor shooting and hunting. The wide range of products here include gun and cartridge cases, cartridge bags, collectible gun accessories etc.

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Make It a Great Party With Kites

If you want to have a fun, creative, and memorable party, include individual kites as your party favor. Whether it be an adult fun-loving get together, or a party for kids, going outdoors and flying kites has become an increasingly popular activity for people of all ages.

Many kites today can be purchased in bulk from ten to sixty in a box so as to meet the needs for any sized party event. From plastic to nylon, you can find any type of kite to fit any occasion. Cartoon and creature kites are great for kids and adults, too. With a choice of many beloved movie and television characters, there are so many colorful combinations to choose for your own special event. Delta and or diamond shapes are very popular, too, and look great flying along the beach or in a large park.

One of our friends purchased a party pack of diamond kites and let their guests decorate them before flight. These adults truly became kids again as they were trying to outdo each other with their creative prowess. When all was said and done, there were many fun sights to behold as these personally decorated party favors completely took over the sky!

Another party included cartoon characters for a young girl and her friends. With the easy to assemble plastic kites, all the kids were giggling and completely enjoying the colors and characters as they flew. Even with a few minor entanglements of the flying line and handles, the kids all remarked that this was "The best party, ever!" Besides that, they each got to take home their own fun party favor, so they were still excited even though the party had to come to an end.

With the beginning of those great summer time activities for kids and adults, having a party and flying kites is fast becoming a very popular activity throughout the country. Not only is this a way to get everyone outdoors to enjoy a fun time together, this is also a wonderful way of getting a little exercise, too. There is nothing like the sight of youngsters and oldsters running after a kite and trying to keep it going in the wind. There is also no end to the creative games that can be played for length of flight, highest in the sky, shortest flight, or craziest maneuvers. Literally, the sky's the limit for the fun and enjoyment found at a party that includes kite flying.

Sheri Manning has been an educator, working with children and young adults all her life. She really enjoys kite flying and seeing young people and families benefit by the exercise of flying kites together. For a great selection of kites and flying toys from certified manufacturers, go to: http://www.kiteflyingpro.com/

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Have Fun With Washer Toss

It is likely that many people have played Washer Toss in the past, but did not know that is what the game was called. This game is also known as Holy Boards, Texas Horseshoes, and Washers. Texas Horseshoes is the best alternative name that describes the game. Both washer toss and horseshoes have very similar rules. Even if a person hasn't played Horseshoes before, the washer toss rules are not at all difficult to understand.

Washer Toss is played by tossing flat metal washers into holes. It is generally a safer outdoor game than Horseshoes. It can also be picked up and put away easily without leaving stakes in the ground, which can be a hazard. It is usually played outdoors on a lawn. It has been regaining popularity in recent years because it's fun to play and portable enough to bring anywhere from home: to the beach, on camping trips, and to parties.

The first stage to playing the game is to set it up. There are two boards that are usually raised up until they are a certain distance from the ground so they can act like platforms that players will stand on. Each board has three circular holes cut into it in a straight line.

The holes are cut slightly larger than the washers that are used for tossing, but not so large that the game is too easy, and not so small that it becomes impossible to play. Each board is set up 10 feet across from one another. Most come with an attached rope that is 10 feet long which makes it easy to figure out where to put the boards down at.

Washer toss rules are simple and as follows for a two-person, one-on-one game: Players start on the same side and toss rings into the board on the opposite side. Each player gets three washers to throw. The first player throws his three and then the second player throws his. Scores are taken down by the players or the spectators and then they move to the other board and toss another three washers each.

Washer toss rules for games with two teams comprised of two people each, the rules are: Each team throws from the opposite board and each player has three washers to throw. The first player from team one will throw and then the first player from team two will throw, ending round one. The second player from the first team will then throw, followed by the second player from team two, ending round two.

Scores are noted after each round for either game type and are then tallied for a final score. One point is given for each washer that makes it into the hole closest to the thrower, two points for getting a washer in the center hole, and three points for each that gets into last hole. For each type of washer toss game, the player or team with the highest score wins.

At Kandyvines.com, our goal is to offer you a fine selection of top quality name brand merchandise at competitive prices, coupled with the very best customer service possible. Please let us know if you are dissatisfied in any way. We will make every reasonable effort to make it right. That's our policy - plain and simple

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Adrenaline Addiction - Are You an Adrenaline Junky?

An adrenaline rush is the fight or flight response of our adrenal glands, which releases adrenaline, which is a natural chemical which can be addictive for some of us. Our bodies release dopamine, which also acts as a natural painkiller.

As children we have all experienced adrenaline, for example, riding our bikes downhill, rolling down hills, being scared of the dark, playing chase. As adults, we all enjoy adrenaline experiences in a 'safe' environment, at fun fairs, adventure days out, flying an aeroplane, driving fast cars on a racing track, parachuting, paragliding, to name just a few. Looking around for adrenaline experiences on-line for a great day out, can be difficult if you have a family, it's important to find something that all your family members will enjoy, and that is suited to all age groups.

If you have family with smaller children, looking for adrenaline days out, horse riding is a great option. Children can usually cope with a pony ride, ice skating, going to the fun fair, from the age of about five, and this is a wonderful experience for all age groups. For families with teenagers looking for adrenaline experiences, there are lots of options as teens are usually taller and more able to cope with a busy, challenging and exciting day out. Driving experiences, adrenaline days out which may include rock climbing, indoor skydiving, adventure courses, indoor skydiving, and so on. Adrenaline experiences are wonderful for your family or groups of your friends, and they make a really fun days out for everyone to enjoy and are often remembered for a long time to come.

You are not alone in finding the adrenaline days out that you crave. I have found for you adrenaline experiences that will leave you fulfilled, big time, with these wonderful adrenaline days out for your family and friends. You would simply love to tell your children or grandchildren about your adrenaline exploits on your fun days out.

Why don't you book great days out in England, or a night away for your stag or hen party? This can certainly be a fun way to start your weekend of memorable celebrations. Whatever you plan to do, skydiving, driving fast rally cars, helicopter flight experiences, climbing, ballooning, being a secret agent for the day, or even ghost hunting, there will always be some adrenaline experiences out there to suit you, your friends and family.

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3 Mental Tips To Building Confidence For Athletes

Most athletes would love to know how to build their confidence to where they can perform at a much higher level. In order to do that, we must first start with the definition of confidence...

"Full trust; belief in oneself and one's powers and abilities".

Why is it so important to know its definition? You need to know what it is you are desiring to accomplish so you might as well know it means.

Do you have full trust and belief in yourself? Do you truly believe you are capable of doing much more? The answers to those questions will reveal to you why you are performing at the level you have grown accustomed to.

Here are 3 proven tips that will boost your confidence in yourself...

1. Give yourself reasons to believe in yourself

The #1 way of increasing any belief is to create a list of reasons why you want to believe in it. The more examples you come up with, the stronger the faith you will have in accomplishing what you have always dreamed of doing.

2. Remember your past victories

Many times athletes forget their triumphs simply because they are focusing on what they are NOT achieving. For example, write down all of your successes, no matter how trivial they may seem to you. Just by acting on this simple assignment, will give you more courage and boldness to push through the rut you may be in right now.

3. Find inspirational stories to give you hope

One of the best motivational strategies you could ever apply is to search for athletes who overcame great adversities that propelled them to world class performances. You can read stories, books or better yet, watch inspirational sports movies over and over again to fuel the fire within you to reach your full potential.

What will set you apart from the rest of your competition is not just knowing these mental game strategies, but actually APPLYING them in your game. You are designed to believe in yourself and not doubt or question your potential.

When you make a commitment every day to build your confidence, you will see more triumphs than you will failures. The choice is up to you how much to truly want to work on your mental game. Your commitment to mastering the mental aspect will transform how you believe in yourself. Why not make that commitment today!

Coach Jeffrey Hardwick is a mental coach who has worked with National Champions and All American athletes. Discover how you can take control of your mental game by visiting http://www.7mentalgamesecrets.com/ for a Free Report.

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The Private Pilot License

What's it take to become a bush pilot? There are various answers, but there are some common ones, too.

"Bush pilot" is not an exact term, and it isn't a commercial rating. There are lots of bush pilots throughout the world who don't even fly commercially. If a guy can land on a dirt logging road, a meadow, or a gravel bar in order to go mountain biking, hunting or fishing, he's probably a pretty good bush pilot, even if he's not being paid. There are plenty of examples of those guys to be found on the 'net.

That said, all pilots need to start at the beginning. In Canada that means a Private Pilot License, or PPL. You can get a Recreational Permit, but if you go that route you can't add specialty ratings/endorsements that you're going to want as a bush pilot. You also need the PPL if you're going to get the Commercial Pilot License, which is what you need if you're going to fly for money. Go with the PPL.

To get the PPL you'll need to pass a Medical, pass a Radio Operators Certificate test (pretty easy), and pass the Pre-Solo Test of Aviation Regulations (the PSTAR), in order to get the Student Pilot Permit.

The PSTAR is a test made up of 50 questions taken from a 200 question list. You have to get 90% to pass. The online quizzes I offer here have all the questions, as well as explanations of the answers. If you're going to learn to fly, don't just memorize the answers. Do the quiz, read the explanations, and read the books all together. By the end you'll not only know the answers, but they'll make sense to you.

Until you get the Student Pilot Permit all your flying will be dual, with an instructor. Once you have the medical, the ROC and the PSTAR, your instructor will let you solo. After that you'll still get dual instruction, but you'll also practice and perform exercises on your own, without the instructor in the aircraft.

While you're taking your flight training you'll also take some sort of ground school. Traditionally ground school is conducted at an airport during the day, but there are also schools that offer night classes, and there are even online options. Every student is different, but a traditional classroom has a lot of benefits in my opinion.

The aim of ground school is to prepare you for the written test - the PPL written exam. The PPL is a 100 question test that you write over a 3 hour period. You have to get 60% to pass.

The last step in the PPL process is the flight exam. The flight exam is a practical test of flying skill and knowledge. They have the reputation of being tough, but a well prepared candidate can take the flight test with confidence. Remember, before the flight test you'll have a minimum of 45 hours flying, and likely more than that.

Rob Chipman is the pilot behind BushPilotInTraining.com, a flying blog that talks about getting your private pilot license and becoming a recreational bush pilot bush pilot.

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Paintball, What Is It?

Over the decades paintball has evolved from more than just a sport. It has become a passion for thousands of Americans and people around the world. The game of paintball started off between two friends, as a test for survival skills. The game has since evolved and has captured of people everywhere who thrive on adventure sports. There is nothing that paintball can't give you if you're looking for a rush. Whether it's fun, energy, teamwork, action, or just wanted to mark up buddies with a paintball gun, the paintball is definitely your sport. Playing paintball can improve your aim, shooting skills, and your alertness. Best of all, paintball can improve your physical fitness, since it is a fun work-out!

How To Play...

The most basic game in paintball is team death match. This game is really easy where everyone divides into two (2) teams then they basically eliminate the other team with the team.

There are many other types of paintball games. Some include capture the flag, while others include protecting a certain person or thing. Basically, there a lot of different types of games and how they are played can be very different. Some games can last just a few minutes while others can last a few hours or even days. Usually speedball type games last only minutes. Capture the flag can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of people and how they play. The ones that last days are typically scenario paintball games.

Why Play?

Paintball is perfect since it combines the thrills and adrenaline rush of extreme sports. The game is fairly inexpensive and doesn't cause much trouble nor physical damage.

Action packed and adrenaline filled, paintball is a very popular hobby that has become main stream. The Sporting Goods Manufacturer's Association estimated that over 6 million people played paintball last year in the United States. It's one of the best adrenaline rush you will ever experience! Another good reason to get into paintball is that it's very safe..

So my response to that question is, why not? If you haven't ever played before, give it a try. Once you play for the first time, you will be hooked.

Where To Play Paintball?

Paintball can either be played outdoors or indoors. There are many different formats but the most common are woodsball, X Ball, scenario, and speedball. Check your local listings for an indoor or outdoor field that is near you.

Who Plays Paintball?

People of all ages play paintball, both women and men.

The game of Paintball has come a long way from where it originated as has paintball guns. You should check it out, you wont regret it.

Check out our selection of Paintball guns and supplies at http://www.paintballgun-airsoftgun.com/.

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How to Stay Safe by Knowing the Danger and Signs of Dehydration

Dehydration can occur when you do not take in enough fluid for your body to carry out it's normal functions. It can lead to serious and life threatening side effects. When you are physically hiking, biking, playing sports etc., your lack of drinking water will allow the lactic acid to stay in your muscles and create severe muscle cramps. Frequent drinking is important in all activities and especially in the heat.

Keep in mind that you need to drink more in hot or humid weather. Also eating fruits and vegetables that are high in water content will help. Even when wearing insulated clothing in cold weather, you may need more fluid from sweating. In higher altitudes you urinate more as your body adjusts to the change in altitude and your breathing becomes more rapid, causing you to exhale more water vapor.

Here are a few of the common causes of dehydration:

Intense diarrhea

Vomiting

Excessive sweating or Fever

Frequent urination (such as with diabetes or hormonal disorders)

Hiking up a mountain, swimming, biking, playing sports etc., without drinking or eating

Signs of Mild to Moderate Dehydration:

Dry mouth

Sleepiness

Thirst

Decreased urination

Few or no tears when crying

Dry skin

Headache

Constipation

Lightheaded or dizzy

Signs of Severe Dehydration which may become a medical emergency:

Extreme thirst

Extreme sleepiness in infants & children and confusion and irritability in adults

Very dry mouth, mucous membranes and skin

Lack of sweating

Little or not urination with the color of it being dark yellow or amber instead of light colored

Sunken eyes

Dry and shriveled skin that doesn't bounce back when pinched. It lacks elasticity

In infants, a sunken soft spot on the top of the baby's head

Low blood pressure

Rapid breathing

Rapid heartbeat

No tears when crying

Fever

Unconsciousness or delirium in most serious cases

The ONLY treatment for overcoming dehydration is to replace the lost fluids and the sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and also Pedialyte, all contain ingredients to replace your electrolytes as well. If the situation is serious enough, the hospital is the place to go for receiving salts and fluids intravenously (through a vein). This helps the body react quicker than drinking to restore the hydration.

Ignoring the signs of dehydration can lead to serious complications such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, swelling of the brain, seizures, hypovolemic shock (low blood volume), kidney failure, or even coma and death.

So, be aware of the danger of becoming dehydrated and be sure to carry water with you wherever you go. Preventing dehydration is easier than trying to make up for the loss of fluid necessary for your body to function properly. For hiking, biking, mountain climbing, hunting etc., carry energy bars also for a quick pick-me-up. Especially pay close attention to young children and older adults who may frequently forget to eat or drink altogether. Enjoy your outdoor experience by becoming more knowledgeable and aware of the danger signs of dehydration.

Come visit us at http://www.woodcampstoves.com/page/474395582 and read our true Hunting Stories!

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Finding Discount Hunting Accessories at Online Stores

A successful hunting expedition is the aim and wish of every hunter out there. In all countries during all times you'll find hunters taking with them a lot of hunting accessories that can support them in different ways, starting from the hunting clothing. If you are a once-in-a-lifetime hunter you could easily borrow from some friends or family member. However, if hunting is your passion and if you intend to pursue it for a long time more in your life, you need some quality hunting equipments and support accessories. Quality never comes cheap; however, you could always try to find it at affordable rates if you know how and where to find discount hunting accessories.

Hunting accessories include different items. Besides the most obvious weapons like guns and knives, accessories that hunters carry with them include a lot more like items like mobile GPS units, axes, hook folders, spreaders, saws, flashlights, holsters and a lot more. This small list is sufficient to tell you these accessories are for various purposes. Some are meant to store the weapons safely while some for the comfort and convenience of the hunters. Most of these come at high prices and it is not a small deal to buy them often. This is why you need to make that one-time purchase of these products available in the market and those of the best quality. For those who are trying to save money, discount hunting accessories are a great support.

So how do you find hunting accessories at discount rates and affordable price? If you are trying to get them offline you might have to visit the stores in your locality quite often to keep in contact and thus get to know them first. This is where online stores for hunting and shooting accessories come to your aid. Besides letting you purchase comfortably from your home, they provide you with attractive discount and promotional offers of hunting equipments.

Here are some tips for you to find discount hunting accessories online in a faster and easier way:

Using long tail keywords

Using long tail keywords in your search like "discount hunting accessories London" or "discount hunting accessories Nottingham", in other words, adding the locality to your keyword can bring you localized results. This way you can find stores that are within your city that could make your purchase easier. It can also help you find websites that are selling hunting accessories rather than websites that contain only information related to hunting items.

Purchasing from the same store

Online stores have their own means to track their customers. Most of them provide customers with user names and passwords that allow the customers to purchase more number of items at lesser cost. Moreover, by subscribing to the newsletters and RSS from these websites you will let you know about the promotional offers and discounts that these stores offer right on time and before the stocks get over.

Browsing social networking sites and online forums

In this era where there is a forum for every topic under the sun, finding one online for hunting enthusiasts is not difficult at all. Participating or at least going through the comments in these forums can give you valuable tips on where to find hunting accessories at affordable rates. Adding your queries in these forums and social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and Squidoo can bring you many numbers of links to some of the prominent online stores that sell hunting accessories on discount.

While checking out online stores that offer you discount items related to hunting and shooting, the main factor that you need to check is that these websites are genuine and not spams. Search engines like Google can help you here as the results that they bring you on front pages are most often genuine websites that sell these items. This way, whether you are a novice or a professional hunter, you can find the finest quality hunting accessories at discount rates through online stores.

Shoot UK is UK's leading online store for shooting accessories and equipments for those who enjoy outdoor shooting and hunting. The wide range of products here include gun and cartridge cases, cartridge bags, discount hunting accessories etc.

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Corporate Sports Hospitality Package - Its Importance To Your Business

Regardless of the nature of any business, loyal customers are hard to find. They are like pieces of jewelry which must be regarded with utmost value. The same is the case for top performing employees. There are many ways by which you can share quality time with these important people who keep your business running. One of which is availing a corporate sports hospitality package. It can either let your treasured business partners enjoy playing or watching a game with you and their other co-clients or co-workers.

Moving forward, you can also take potential clients whom you want to convert into loyal customers to events covered by packages like this. Having a first-class location in the game's venue or a private use of a sports site can allow you talk about business while enjoying a leisurely time with your prospect patrons.

In order to make the most out of this opportunity, there are some considerations which must be observed. These aim at picking the right corporate sports hospitality package to ensure great time among your attendees and to avoid waste of funds on your part.

Firstly, know the interest of your would-be guests. Would they love to watch a football game or play in a mini-golf tournament? After you have decided on the initial step, your next concern will be the date and venue of the event. If you plan to bring your guests to a finals game, then there would already be a set date and venue. All you have to do is inform your attendees of the details beforehand so that they would never miss it. If you are organizing a tournament for your guests, mark a date when they all would be available and a central location that is accessible to everyone.

To make corporate hospitality events such as this successful, you must take the effort to personally invite them to the occasion. Sending emails would definitely disseminate the information a lot quicker. However, it cannot ensure perfect attendance from the recipients. A few of them may opt not to attend but with a little persuasion from you, they might just change their minds. As you invite them, remind them of important details like observing the proper dress code so that they could enjoy the event more.

As you want your guests to feel valued, ensure that all the meals and refreshments they need are included in your chosen package. You would never want them to be paying for anything on that special day, right? If there is more time to spare, think of additional activities your company can host after the main event that you have set.

Holding corporate sports hospitality events on a regular basis could be the best tool for you to network and expand your customer base. These give you the right time and venue to find clients and new contacts. Additionally, these can attract highly competent people to stay or join your company. Yes, they come at a certain cost but they come with worthy rewards as well.

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RC Helicopter Reviews - Where to Start!

RC Helicopter Review

This RC helicopter review is to help inform you of a great hobby flying RC (radio controlled) helicopters.

You do not have to have a hobby to be complete. But having something you are passionate about, something you can't wait to get just a little spare time for, that something you do that puts you in a world all your own...a hobby!

If you are looking for a hobby that will give you hours of enjoyment, something you can share with your family or meet new people with like interests, you should think about experimenting with RC hobbies.

There are many different RC hobbies, cars, trucks, airplanes and boats to name just a few. There are also many different sizes and price ranges depending on your enthusiasm and desire. A great hobby you can start right in your home at a low outlay of money is RC Helicopter flying. The micro helicopters are safe and a great place to start not to mention the fun you will have flying one.

As of today one of the coolest and thanks to technology one of the smallest fun things to do...is fly a RC helicopter in your living room. Yep! You heard me right. Because of technology, you can start a hobby of flying a scale helicopter right in your own living room.

These little guys fit in the palm of your hand and have a built-in gyro that allows for very stable flight and ease of control. You will need a little practice to get the hang of flying one of these helicopters but it should not take you long. Of course there are different sizes of these little flying marvels. Ranging from about 10 cm (4 inch) to 50 cm (20 inches) and needless to say as they get larger so does the price tag.

The electric micro RC helicopters use a Li-Po battery pack and has one or more cells depending on the helicopter. Flight time ranges from about 5 to 15 minutes depending on the demands of the system before a recharge of the battery is required.

So for beginners the smaller helicopters are a great place to start. The smaller helicopters are more responsive and easier for the beginner to learn how to fly one of these exciting little flying machines. After you master flying one of these helicopters the sky is the limit.

Something to remember though these little helicopters are affected greatly by the wind and can be uncontrollable outdoors. If you want to fly one a helicopter out in the open spaces it is recommended to start with a helicopter at least 36 cm in size.

Conclusion of this RC Helicopter Review:

If you want a great hobby that will delight you, challenge you, give you the ability to expand as you learn and give you hours of fun and excitement...RC Helicopter flying is it. Your in control, so fasten your seat belt and let's go flying!

Hi,
I'm Rich Allyn. I am a writer and online marketer who specializes in researching subject matter and products to provide you with the information I find. For more information on this subject of RC Helicopter Flying click the link. You can also find information here at RC Helicopter Information.

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What Is a Metal Detector and How Does It Work?

What do you think of when you think of a Metal Detector? Possibly combing the beach with a funny looking pole with a circle on the end looking for coins, jewelry, and other precious metals come to mind. Maybe you think of security guards in the court house or at the airport scanning visitors and travelers as they enter.

These scenarios would both be right. We rely on the ability of metal detectors to keep our schools, government buildings, sporting events, etc. safe from hidden weapons in the wrong hands.

A consumer metal detector is a piece of equipment allowing people the opportunity to discover coins, relics, treasures and a lot of worthless junk metal that may be hidden just a few inches beneath the ground. Lots of people are joining the quest for treasure using a metal detector, but have you ever wondered how the metal detector works?

Here is a nutshell analogy of how the metal detector works.

A consumer metal detector is light weight consisting of a control box, shaft, a search coil and possibly a stabilizer.

The control box contains the circuitry, controls, speaker, batteries and microprocessor. The shaft joins the control box and the coil. Usually it can be adjusted to the height and comfort of the user. The search coil senses the metal and sends the signal to the control box. The search coil is sometimes known as the head, loop or antenna. The stabilizer (optional) is used to keep the unit steady as you sweep it back and forth. Most systems also have a jack for connecting headphones,

Using a metal detector consists of turning the unit on and moving it slowly back and forth over a small area in front of you. A signal occurs when a target is recognized. Some metal detectors have a display that lets you know what type of metal is being detected and how deep the target is in the ground.

Metal detectors use one of three technologies.

Very low frequency(VLF)Pulse induction(PI)Beat-frequency oscillation(BFO)

The first and most common is "VLF" or very low frequency which is also known as induction balance. Not as common is the technology based on pulse induction (PI). Unlike VLF, PI systems use a single coil as both transmitter and receiver, or they may have two or even three coils working together.

The most basic technology is called beat-frequency oscillator (BFO). This system uses two coils of wire. One large coil is in the search head, and a smaller coil is located inside the control box.

This is only a bare bones explanation of the makings of a metal detector. I believe that understanding the basics of how something works helps one become more adept in their treasure hunting. Research the different types of detectors and decide which one is best for your needs.

Find Your Treasure

Candy and her husband, Rick offer a variety of products and accessories for metal detecting, as well as other outdoor sporting activities. We are planning on adding other items for camping extending your outdoor fun.

We promise we will work hard to form and maintain a long, happy connection with you, our customer. Our objective is to make your shopping experience as simple, informative and cool as possible, and to find everything you need for your adventure.

We resolve to combine honesty and value in all our communications with outstanding service before, during, and after the sale.

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The Army World of Dog Sledding

One sled dog is much the same as the next, right? Big fluffy huskies that bound across Canada and Lapland, their paws pounding on the snow. One might have blue eyes, the other golden, but that's probably about the height of distinction, isn't it?

Actually no. Each dog in the pack has its own special role and ranking. It's a bit like being in the army - you take orders from your superiors and are ranked by your position. Yet in dog sledding the troops say "Oowwww!" and not "Yes sir!"

Wheel Dogs

These fellas are located closest to the sled and help pull the musher - the human in charge - and the sled in the right direction. If the course is straight and level they have an easy ride, but out in the snowy wilderness, not much of a dog sledding course is flat and straight. These dogs certainly earn their fish supper when the course is rough. Their job is to ensure the sled doesn't tilt or tip over by pulling against the team to soften the change of direction.

The wheel dogs keep the sled from cutting the corner and wrapping around an oncoming tree, which is always a helpful manoeuvre in dog sledding. And for this reason the wheel dogs are the biggest in the pack.

Team Dogs

Moving one place in front of the wheel dogs is the horsepower, or rather dog power, of the team. The fastest canines are positioned here and normally outnumber the other dogs.

Like in the army, team dogs may rotate around to other positions. They can be the youngest in the pack and work their way up to being a swing dog or a leader dog. Some, however, are happy pull their weight - and everyone else's - in this position for their entire dog sledding days. They keep an even amount of tension on the towline, the rope that keeps the pack together.

Swing Dogs

Next up are the swing dogs whose job it is to get the rest of the pack behind them to follow. Although they aren't in charge of making the decisions, they are instrumental in ensuring that the leader dogs' decisions are followed. They are a bit like a major general of the dog sledding world.

Leader Dogs

These dogs are the generals. They make the decisions regarding pace, finding the trail and acting as the 'eyes' when the musher's visibility is poor. They might be 18 metres ahead of the musher, putting them more in tune with the course and obstacles. Team dogs may work their way up to become a leader, but as for the dogs at the back, once a wheel dog, always a wheel dog.

Philippa Westwood is Marketing Manager at Windows on the Wild, a specialist of wildlife watching tours and dog sledding holidays. Destinations include Canada, Lapland and Sweden where dog sledding holidays can take you on adventurous experiences across the world.

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About a Clay Shooting Jacket

Clay shooting is a sports item that can be easily practiced by all, irrespective of age and gender. While the thrill and excitement might not be the same as real outdoor shooting, clay shooting gives the participants safety and comfort, which are important in the case of novice shooters, especially. Besides, it is the best way to practice aiming and shooting the moving objects before you venture out into the wilderness. Though you don't need as much preparation as needed when you go for real shooting, clay shooting also requires various accessories, especially in the case of clothing. A clay shooting jacket, for example, is a 'must buy' item for most shooters.

Clay shooting goes a long way back in history where it began in 1890. In the UK this sports item gained a lot of popularity as it gave the satisfaction and fun of shooting at a moving object, all the while avoiding the discomfort of moving around in the forests and woods in search of a prey. Today you'll find many sophisticated shooting places and clubs where the members can indulge in clay shooting quite comfortably. For someone who loves the use of firearms but hates exposing oneself to the harshness of outdoor climate, this is the best way to enjoy shooting, while keeping yourself safe and comfortable.

As clay shooting takes place in various clubs and organizations, it is customary to have adequate costumes for the shooting. Often there are customised costumes for each club to mark its identity, especially during the times of tournaments or competitions. Jackets are a part of these customised costumes and most of the well-known brands of shooting clothing offer jackets of excellent quality. They come for men and women, adults and children.

It is true that a clay shooting jacket need not look as rough and rugged as the ordinary shooting jackets but the quality has to be the same. It requires durability that comes from using the finest quality materials in its making. Also, it is worn on top of your other clothing and hence it has to look impressive as well.Hence, while purchasing a jacket, you need to ensure that it matches all these qualities and necessities.

Wearing a shooting jacket depends on the conditions of weather where you are practicing. During summer, a jacket might not be as necessary as it is needed during winter. And winters are never kind, hence you need a jacket that looks good as well as keeps you comfortable and warm. This brings us to the point that you need to buy from a good brand as well as a good store. You could purchase from online stores; however, you need to be sure that you are purchasing from a quality website that is well reputed and popular.

Clay shooting jacket doesn't come as expensive as the rest of the shooting accessories and therefore you can buy it quite easily. You'll find quality jackets at affordable prices from various brands. They come in different colours, designs and materials, which make it easy for you to get one of your choice. While making your shooting impressive a clay shooting jacket makes your appearance impressive as well and therefore makes a great addition to your shooting attire.

Shoot UK is UK's leading online store for shooting accessories and equipments for those who enjoy outdoor shooting and hunting. The wide range of products here include gun and cartridge cases, cartridge bags, clay shooting jacket etc.

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How To Choose The Perfect Family Camping Tent

Camping has become a great summer family vacation shared by millions of families across the U.S. For many people, camping is an escape from an everyday busy life style which is why this affordable vacation option is perfect. On your camping trip there are a few things you must take into consideration. First and foremost, you will need shelter at the camp site and a safe place to sleep. Picking the perfect tent is going to take thought and effort. Here are some things to think about:

Size

When considering the size of tent you will need, don't forget to plan for the number of campers that will be taken on the trip plus all of the gear and equipment that will accompany you. To be comfortable you should plan for about 30 square feet of floor space for each individual camper. Also remember, the bigger the tent, the heavier it is going to be. If you must walk or hike to your camping location, a 14x14 foot tent could be way too heavy to comfortably carry for more than a few minutes. You will need to consider the location where you will be camping as well. Larger tents require a larger amount of smooth and level ground, and if you are not camping in an actual camp ground, it may be hard to locate the required ground.

Seasons & Weather

Tent models can accommodate 1 to 4 seasons depending on the materials and design. A four season tent is not only going to cost more, but it is much more than necessary for a family who only makes one camping trip every summer. If you are planning to camp during harsher conditions, a 3 or 4 season tent may suit you better. The decision is going to rest on what conditions and weather you will be facing on your camping adventure.

Features

As with any other product, the more features the model has, the more it is going to cost. If you like to "rough it" and added conveniences and extras don't impress you, you will more likely turn to a basic model tent. If you like to camp in luxury and enjoy extra storage spaces, conveniences like extra vestibules, or amenities like clear panel skylights, you will benefit from choosing a tent model that offers more features.

Even though there are hundreds of tent models available on the market, you can quickly and easily narrow down the selection by considering the above criteria. If you are still torn between a few models, read up on ratings and reviews to find out how each one stacks up against the competition. Because the comfort and safety of your campers is going to depend on your tent, do not tread lightly on this decision and do not settle for the cheapest model just because it's affordable.

At Camping Tents Reviews site, with our expert reviews, we help people to select the most robust and useful camping tents for their adventures. Go and visit http://www.campingtentsreviews.org/ for much more expert tips on selecting your camping tents.

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The Iditarod Trail - Dog Sledding's Toughest Race

If you thought your commute to work in the winter weather was tough going, spare a thought for the mushers and their dogs who compete in the world's longest dog sledding competition.

Every year, more than 50 teams take place in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska, enduring blizzards, whiteouts and temperatures as low as minus 73 degrees Celsius.

Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race

The course covers 1,688 kilometres and winds from Anchorage to Nome, lasting nine to fifteen days. The world's best mushers and their canines travel from all snowy corners of the world to show their dog sledding prowess in the gruelling competition. In Alaskan communities, to be a winner of the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race brings celebrity status when warm hugs and mugs of tea, as well as several cold beers, are spread around in celebration.

Last year, 2011, the fastest ever finish was recorded by John Baker with a winning time of eight days, 19 hours and 39 seconds. It's not surprising when he started mushing aged only one! This year saw the youngest person in history to win the race. The 25-year-old Alaskan musher, Dallas Seavey, took first position with a winning time of just over nine days. Born into a family with a great passion for dog sledding, he was brought up with a great respect for the sport - his grandfather was one of the original competitors when it started in the 1970s.

History

Centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, dog sledding was the only means of transportation for the native people Athabaskana and Inupiaq. They used trails that crisscrossed Alaska, some of which make up today's Iditarod Trail.

Between the 1880s and 1920s, when the gold rush reached Nome in Alaska, the trail was being used at its peak, transporting miners and minerals. During winter months, when the normal transportation of steamship became inadequate, those out to seek their fortune turned to the Iditarod Trail, the mushers and their faithful packs of huskies to get them across the hinterland.

The Arrival of the Metal Dog

In the 1960s, snowmobiles overtook dog sledding as the main method of transportation in Alaska and Canada. The machines, often referred to as 'metal dogs', brought the ancient way of sledding to near extinction in rural areas.

The Start of the Race

The race began in 1973 as a way to revive the culture and ensure that it remains a focal point of modern day communities. Initially the race was only 90 kilometres long but, with much persuasion and help from mushers, the race got underway as the 1,688-kilometre trail in 1973.

Philippa Westwood is Marketing Manager at Windows on the Wild, a specialist of wildlife watching tours and dog sledding holidays. Destinations include Canada, Lapland and Sweden where dog sledding holidays can take you on adventurous experiences across the world.

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Factors to Consider While Purchasing a Ladies Shooting Jacket

Compared to men, the fairer sex has always been conscious of the way they look and appear, no matter what the occasion is. Whether they are working in an office, going to a party, relaxing in the kitchen or venturing into the wilderness for outdoor sports like shooting, right clothing and accessories have been important for women since centuries. And ever since women started to venture out for shooting and hunting, most clothing brands for women began to design special hunting clothing such as trousers, t-shirts, jumpers, jackets, gloves, etc.

When it comes to ladies shooting jacket, whether you are purchasing for yourself or for someone else, you need to ensure that the jacket is perfect for the person you are buying for. Ladies shooting jackets come in different types so that the wearer is comfortable during different weather conditions.For example, you could get a waterproof jacket for the rainy days or fleece jackets for the dry days.

Today you'll find ladies shooting jackets of excellent quality from various well-known brands like HSF, Laksen, Deerhunter, Musto, Harkila, etc. They come in different styles and sizes and offers durability and quality. You check out for these jackets in the various online stores where you could make your purchase as well. But before you make your purchase, here are a few factors that you need to be careful about:

Size

Size is very important when it comes to purchasing shooting jackets, especially those for ladies. They cannot be too tight or too loose. In fact, if you are purchasing it for someone else, better be aware of the correct size required or don't take the risk. Besides, in shooting a tight jacket can make the free movement of hands and body difficult. Similarly, a loose jacket can come in the way while you are running or moving quietly. Hence, buy the jacket only if you are sure of the size you need.

Colour

Though ladies shooting jackets come in different colours, it is better to buy jackets of sombre colours like brown, gray, cream, dark green or dark blue. As you can guess, when the purpose is shooting bright coloured jackets are not a good idea. The colours that could merge with the nature are always better to have a successful shooting venture.

Type

As we discussed earlier, shooting jackets come in different types based on the instances where they could be worn like the waterproof jackets during rainy seasons, fleece jackets during dry winters, light jackets for summer, etc. They are also made in different designs such as long or short sleeves, high or low neck or turtleneck, loose or tight fit, etc. Each of these suit different outdoor conditions and perform accordingly. However, if you are bothered about appearance of the jacket more than its functionality, better try out the jacket before you buy.

Ladies shooting jackets range widely in terms of price. While you could get cheaper ones easily, the branded ones are obviously more expensive but high on quality. If you intend to make it a one-time purchase, better go for a branded one that can last longer. Ladies shooting jacket can not only make an impression on others but also make you feel great about yourself, increase your confidence level and thus improve your final performance.

Shoot UK is UK's leading online store for shooting accessories and equipments for those who enjoy outdoor shooting and hunting. The wide range of products here include gun and cartridge cases, cartridge bags, ladies shooting jacket etc.

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Ways on How to Completely Relax on Weekends

After working for five days, any person will be truly exhausted. Weekends offer a chance for you to rejuvenate yourself physically and mentally. There are lots of activities that you can do during weekends. If you specifically want to relax, here are some tips that you should keep in mind:

Prepare breakfast for yourself. If you do not wish to have the effort, you can ask someone to make it for you. Just make sure that you don't end up buying fast food breakfast meals. The most important thing in this activity is for you to be able to eat your food slowly and without the rush. When it is a workday, a lot of people tend to skip their breakfast. There are also some people who may be able to eat breakfast but aren't able to savor the food that is present in front of them.

Meals that remind you of homemade breakfast from home or from your favorite coffee shop can be best to have. Eat a variety of foods so that you can enjoy a different flavor with every spoonful that you take.

Waking up early and eating breakfast can be better than catching up on sleep and waking up in the afternoon. Even if you have slept late on a Friday night, avoid waking up very late the day after. As long as you have gotten at least 4 to 6 hours of sleep, that can be enough. In addition, you have the chance to take a nap on the afternoon.

Take your time inside the shower or in the bathtub. You can make your body and mind relax. You can also free yourself of all the stresses which you have gathered throughout the workweek. Use aromatic soaps or shampoos to get you in the mood even more. There are tons of scents that you can choose from. And a lot of these scents are specifically used in order to help a person relax.

After taking a bath, wear comfortable clothes. If you aren't going to get out of the house, you can wear pajamas. If you have to be somewhere, make sure that you wear comfortable clothes. Your work clothes may be too formal for you to feel comfortable in. Wearing casual clothing on a weekend helps you feel refreshed.

This can be the best time to catch up on episodes of your favorite TV shows. Or, your weekends can be spent catching up with the happenings in the lives of your friends. Do whatever it is that you think makes you very happy. Sometimes, listening to music and doing nothing else can help you relax and free your mind of any form of worries. Even the most mundane tasks can feel special if you love what you are doing.

Be sure to give importance to every minute that you have. You can go to sleep or watch TV. As long as you think that these activities are helpful to you, you can continue doing them.

William G. Steinmetz enjoys writing for Targettossgames.com which sells cornhole boards and all weather corntoss bags as well as a host of additional products.

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Crystal Trophies for Exceptional Awardees

Giving awards to worthy people is a way to reward their exceptional skills and abilities. Think of the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards. The trophies they give away are golden statuettes and miniature globes that speak of elegance. Golden or not, any trophy deserves a place in your home because they simply mean excellence.

Crystal trophies are among the most common to give to employees and organization awardees because they are definitely more appealing. They usually come in various designs and shapes. Engraving is also a must on the surface of the crystal and this is often done by hand.

Lead crystal is one of the common materials used for this type of trophy. About 24% lead crystal is used to ensure the quality, brilliance, and clarity of each one. Trophies made of this material are usually pricey, therefore, they are best given to exceptional people who are worthy of such.

Lead-free optic crystals are typically manufactured for camera lenses and binoculars, and other similar gadgets. These are around 3 inches thick and require tedious processing that involves pressure to ensure the flawlessness of the final product. Although, still a bit pricey for some, optic crystals are preferred by many trophy makers because of their durability and hardness. These features also enable engravers to work on their designs and lettering, minus the fear of breaking the material.

Colored and artisan crystals are also great for trophies and awards. They look unique and can even be dual purpose when it's time to display them on shelves or tabletops. They are great as home décor, but at the same time, they speak volumes about the awardee.

Although glass trophies are also abundant, they are more prone to breakage and unseen damages. Most of the time they are manually produced, giving each piece that very unique appearance and quality. Etching on glass to get an elegant design can be too risky, as well. Expert hands are required to do this, or else the trophy will break.

When ordering crystal trophies, keep in mind that these are a bit expensive especially when you only buy a few pieces. Bulk buying is one way to save on cash, so make sure to check online shops for any discounts.

Corporations and organizations spend money on crystal trophies, mainly because their awardees deserve them. And they are not giving these awards everyday, so why not make it special and worthy just like their recipients.

Looking for crystal trophies for your company's annual awards night? Visit Awards and Trophies and check out their discounts and money-back guarantee.

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Four Treatments Every Athlete Should Do Regularly

If you are an athlete, then you should know that your body requires proper care and conditioning. With regular care and conditioning your well-being and overall athletic performance will improve.

There are four treatments that every athlete should do regularly.

One way to receive appropriate care for your body is by taking an ice bath after enduring strenuous activity. Ice baths help to reduce inflammation after a vigorous workout and can be done either in the comfort of your own home or at a special facility.

Taking an ice bath has been proven to speed up recovery and improve overall athletic performance. Are you wondering how an ice bath can aid in your recovery? Well, the muscle cells are stimulated by the cold temperature in the water, which gives a signal to start repairing damaged muscle tissue.

Another way to receive the appropriate care and conditioning for an athlete is to get regular sports massages. A sports massage can do wonders for an aching body that is active. This type of message increases recovery time for athletes and is designed to rid an athlete of any ailments that may plague him or her.

A sports massage can also assist in transporting oxygen to the muscles, which shortens recovery time and relieves stress. A sports massage can immediately remove extreme soreness from all off the muscles throughout the body as well. It can also relieve muscle stiffness and promote relaxation of the nervous system.

Another way that athletes can get relief and properly care for their bodies is to receive oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy can benefit an athlete in many ways. Oxygen therapy can improve an athlete's athletic performance and can reduce fatigue. Oxygen therapy is also beneficial for treating injuries that an athlete may endure.

For athletes, going to physical therapy will help to treat an injury that is sustained and can prevent future injuries from occurring. It can also help to develop impaired motor skills and become a source of pain management. Physical therapy helps the body utilize its own natural healing abilities, promoting recovery to the body. An athlete may need to take an ice bath is after a long, strenuous endurance activity, such as running.

Just remember to stay in an ice bath for no longer than ten minutes (or else muscle damage may occur). Also, right after you have exited your ice bath, a warm bath is advised. You should take a warm bath for 30 minutes in order to increase blood flow to help repair your muscle tissue.

Also, receiving chiropractic care can help an athlete recover from their injuries. Athletes whom receive chiropractic care have increased energy, a surge in athletic performance, a better reaction time and muscle strength.

With the four treatments that every athlete should do regularly, an athlete can increase his or her performance, and can become much stronger than before.

Massage Envy Spa Valencia, CA is Valencia's most affordable spa. Visit them online today at http://www.massageenvy.com/clinics/CA/Valencia.aspx, or visit their blog at http://expertmassagetherapy.com/valencia/.

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Being Prepared Could Save Your Life

It is always important to be prepared. Being prepared can not only save your life, it can help you completely avoid a dangerous situation from before it even starts.

One of the best examples of this is riding a bicycle when it is dark outside. The easiest way to stay safe when riding a bicycle at night is to wear reflective leg bands, reflective armbands, and reflective belts. Although it isn't exactly a fashionable look, you can also wear reflective backpacks and reflective vests. The reason you wants to be reflective is that you need drivers to see you in order to avoid you.

It is important for the drivers of cars to take similar precautions, too. If you get in a crash, run out of gas, or just get a flat tire, you need to have a plan. Also remember that having to get out of your car on the side of the road to fix a flat tire with other cars zipping by can be extremely dangerous as well. Emergency lights for vehicles are nice to have in any of these situations as they help you get noticed by others more easily. Just keep the lights and reflectors in the trunk of your car.

There are a lot of emergency situations that can come up every day. Whether it be natural disasters, car problems, bicycle problems, getting lost while camping, or any of the other hundreds of things it could be. The most important thing to do in any of these situations is to get somebody's attention. That is why the best thing you can do is buy things like emergency lights for vehicles and reflectors.

It isn't a situation you want to ever get in, or even think about. The problem is that things happen to thousands of people every day, it can't be avoided, so you have to instead prepare for them. Taking these simple precautions can save your life, and even if they don't, they will at the very least help you feel safe. All of the things that I mentioned in this article, the emergency lights for vehicles, the reflective armbands, the reflective leg bands, the reflective backpacks, the reflective belts, and the reflective vests can all be found and purchased online or in a general department store.

Once you have these things, you can just forget about them until you need them. Remember the old saying "Better safe than sorry." It's old, simple, and used a lot, but it is very true.

I was in nursing school, and was working nights and weekends in a local pediatrician's office and doing some freelance graphics. I dropped out of nursing school, and with Eli's encouragement, began to work on starting a small business from our reflector program. We expanded our line of products and opened as an LLC. We named it Bright Ideas USA LLC (Get it?). We opened our website at that point. Several years ago, we renamed our site DontGetHit.com.

I put full energy into Bright Ideas, with our main goal always being to help more and more people be safely seen at night. We do this by constantly expanding our product line with high quality products that you can rely on for visibility and durability at an affordable price.

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Sporting Events Around the UK This Summer That Aren't the Olympics

So much attention has been paid to the Olympics. Of course, it's a great honour to host such a major sporting event, but, unfortunately, not all of us can afford tickets and a trip to overpriced London during the July to August games period. Thankfully, sports is high on the agenda in many other British cities this summer too. So if you're looking for an active holiday destination for yourself, family and friends, consider some alternative options.

Brighton

Brighton will be a hive of physical activity this summer. From June 23rd to July 8th TAKEPART festival offers a jam packed programme of sporting events for all ages. Just some activities you could be taking part in are the massive Zumba scheduled to take place in Preston Park on 23rd June, karate, healthwalks, sailing, street dance and many, many more.

Paddle Round the Pier returns to Brigton this year too. It's known as Europe's largest annual free beach festival and takes place July 7-8. Any proceeds raised go to charity. Events include paddling, surf and sailing competitions, as well as land-based sports such as skate and BMX racing.

Leeds

If you're seeking a sports-related adrenaline rush, Leeds is a good place to go. On Sunday 17th June you could be taking part in the Mencap Abseil Challenge. The charity event will see brave participants abseiling an incredible 30 metres down the side of the city's central Met Carnegie. The speed of your descent is up to you... Any money you raise will go to the good cause of supporting over 250 families with a learning disability in the Leeds area per week.

Leeds will welcome the Olympic flame by hosting the Leeds Loves Sport festival from June 18th to July 1st. The calendar of events includes some of the city's largest law firms competing in corporate games, sports centres offering free swimming sessions, and organised park runs.

Toddlers can do sport too! June 20th will see The Barnardo's Big Toddle held at Temple Newsom House and Park. The short, sponsored walk saw almost 500,000 toddlers take part last year. Organisers expect more this year. It promises to be a great sight to see! All money raised will go to local Barnardo's charity projects.

Bristol

Bristol locals and visitors are in for a summer of fitness. One of the year's biggest sports initiatives is the 46 ping pong tables to be distributed throughout the city's parks and public spaces on June 29. The Ping! Bristol tables will be available for a month, free to use, and coaches will be on hand to teach beginners how to play, and give tips to more advanced players.

The first month of summer will also see the return of the Ritchey Bristol Bikefest 2012 that kicks off on the Ashton Court trails on June 9th. On day one participants get to show off their fitness levels during the 12 hour team/solo endurance race, while on day two there's a 'mere' 6 hour team/solo event, and 3 hour-long novice event.

Looking to flex those muscles even more? Check into a Bristol city hotel with a gym on site.

Harvey McEwan writes to offer information and advice on a variety of areas, from technology to holiday destinations. Read through Harvey's other articles here to find out more.

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Just What Is Necessary With Sports and Life - Be a Team Player

This write-up is about self-empowerment:

Some say whatever is necessary is necessary with their sport; at the same time, their life takes the back burner for the most part. They may drink too much, have bad eating habits or get very little sleep etc. Whatever the case, this is sad because they are missing out from reaching their full potential, which of course will give them the best chance for success and happiness.

Really think about this for a moment -if you are doing whatever is necessary with your sport in practice and competition, but are lacking applying this attitude with your life, than would it be honest to say you are not doing whatever is necessary (W.I.N) to be the best you can be? Is this fair to say? By treating your sport and life like a team, there is nothing like having all the team players working together. When this chemistry is right, nothing is impossible. More about this later.

Sometimes it is a game of inches between making it to the big leagues or not. Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to get there? What if I said, you could have your cake and eat it too? What if I said, your sport success depends on the support you get from your team. You do have a choice what you want your sport and life to look like, which I do cover somewhat with my other articles.

This leads me to my next subject. I know you are willing to do whatever is necessary with your sport, but do you know what is necessary (W.i.N.) with your sport and life? Are you a bit confused where you are or W.i.N to get your team in order? Don't worry, you are not alone - this team lineup is a never-ending quest; however, there are some general guidelines who you want on your team.

Your All-Star Team:

Here are some of my lists of all-star players you need on your team - starting with sports. Of course some may not apply to you, but you can substitute. They are: Hydration, Nutrition, Endurance, Speed, Mental Attitude, Pillar Strength, In Game Focus, Vision/Goals, Yoga/Meditation, Flexibility, and Mastery of Skill.

Here is the team of life players to help your life's team play together better. They are: Time Management, Yoga/Meditation, Stress Management, Self Esteem, Relationship, Happiness, Personal Finances, Fun/Recreation, Healthy Habits, and Career/School.

Now, you may say this is fine and dandy, but now what do I do? Well, I am going to give you an exercise to analyze them both so you can figure out where they are in relation to where your team should be, which is a 10 of course.

Go grab a piece of paper and write all these down. One is categorized as Sports and the other Life. Write underneath all the sport ones under Sports and the other one Under Life. When this is done you will rate them one at time from 1 to 10 (Remember you can add or take out from my list), 1 being poor and 10 being perfect. For example: Out of 1 to 10, 1 being poor and one being great, where are my Healthy Habits? If it is a 6, write this beside Healthy Habits. Do this for all of them. Have fun!

When you are done this, I want you to pick just one that you want to work on the most. That's it; you now have to gauge where you are at with your life and sports and if you choose, a starting point to which one to work on first. This of course involves planning and goal setting.

By doing this exercise, you will generate greater confidence because you now know your weaknesses and strengths and that there is room to get even better. If you were on average a 6, just think what would happen if you worked on getting this to a 7 or 8 to start. Pretty exciting I would say. I hope you enjoy the analyses with your sport and life; more importantly, helps you put together a winning team now and into the future. Good Luck!

If you want more hereof go to my website now and sign up to my newsletter or if you believe you require help or see value in the form of an accountability partner, Sport Performance/Life Coach you can contact me here.

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CrowdSeats Wants to Make Sporting Events Affordable For Every One

CrowdSeats is a Los Angeles based start-up that has combined the last minute deal and daily deal models to offer 50-90% off on sporting events. Launching in August of last year, they have recently expanded to Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas. Below, is an interview I had with Co-Founder Justin Cener about CrowdSeats business model and how they are changing the way sporting inventory is sold.

When Did CrowdSeats begin?

The development process was from May to August of 2011. I am huge sports fan and I had been following the whole daily deal model knowing that a lot of sports team had inventory that was going unsold. I figured it was a perfect combination of last-minute ticket sales that companies offer combined with the daily deal model. We launched in August of last year in Los Angeles, expanded to New York and this April we entered into four more markets.

Yeah, I'm in Dallas. I just got one of those emails?

Yeah we just added Dallas about a month ago, so we will be offering deals to go see the Texas Rangers for the rest of the summer.

Do yo have a locals sales team helping you?

Our founding team is our sales force - we've connected with most professional teams in North America to work out some last-minute deals with their ticket inventory. We also work with ticket exchanges which puts us in contact with some of the largest ticket brokers in the country. So we get our inventory from a combination of teams and brokers.

What type of deals are you offering?

We try to curate a good game each week. No nose bleeds or crappy sections. We try to give our customers a good game that gonna give you he best bang for your buck, which means a great view and a great deal in terms of pricing. Last Friday we did a Nicks VS Heats Playoff game and tonight were doing the Chicago Bulls Vs The 76?ers.

Obviously we do a lot of baseball games so we try to get rivalries with a lot of history and division match ups. It's been a great experience so far because people love being able to watch live sports at a reasonable price.

Do you plan on getting into concerts in the future?

Yes, but we do think that's gonna come up a little later on down the line. For now we will be focusing on sports for the next 9 to 12 months. I think that will be an easy transition once we have the user base for sports it will transfer well into other events like concerts, golf, bowling and other participation sports.

How has the customer response been so far?

The response has been exclusively positive, because they have been able to attend more sporting events without having to pay a fortune. We have gotten a lot of feedback from families. Just last week, I received an email from a family of six thanking us because otherwise they wouldn't have been able to afford the game without CrowdSeats. Teams love it as well because it's giving them the opportunity to generate revenue on perishable inventory.

How early in advance to you send out the deals?

'On average it's about 7 to 10 days before the event. In some cases it's absolutely last-minute like the Bulls deal which we just sent out a few hours ago and the game is tonight! So, it kind of varies depending on our partner.

What are some specific challenges that you have faced since launching?

I think it's just getting the word out. It's a concept that all sports fans embrace once they hear about it but it's making a large amount of them aware that we actually exist.

How do major daily deal companies like Groupon or Living Social affect the way you do business?

The biggest difference between us and a company like Groupon you have to deal with getting offers for stuff like restaurants, massages and skydiving. It's really un-targeted, but if you are a sports fanatic and you sign up for CrowdSeats you know you're gonna get sports offer every time.

Kelland L. Drumgoole
CEO of http://www.sosoactive.com/

Seasoned music industry veteran focusing on evangelizing music innovation and disruptive technologies within the digital music space.

http://www.twitter.com/sosoactive

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