A Boat Racing

A Boat Racing

I was first exposed to boat racing as a kid. My dad was a big America's Cup fan, and we would often watch sailboat racing on TV. I say often, but it was every four years in fact. Nevertheless, it was such a great event that I would remember every race in perfect detail until the next event. Each race would take hours, and there were dozens of race. It gave us plenty of time to bond, and he explained all the strategy to me.

We actually got involved in sail boat racing ourselves a few times. My dad had a boat on a nearby lake, and we would go out there on most Sundays. We would crank down the rusty old boat lift, walk it out to a nearby buoy, raise the sails, and be off.  For a long time, my dad didn't have anything to do with boat racing. He was not very competitive by nature, and the people involved in the boating club out there raced every weekend.

Finally, however, I convinced him to try boat racing with me one time. Although he wouldn't admit it at the time, he definitely seemed to love it. We didn't win, but we did finish respectably in the middle of the pack. For our first boat race, it was actually a pretty good showing.

I didn't get into motor boat racing until I was in college. You see, my dad was a sail boating fan. As such, motor boats were anathema. They made a lot of noise, polluted the water, and most importantly churned up the lake. That would create a lot of wake which would spill the wind out of the sail boats sails. They would also zoom around too close to us, sometimes threatening to hit us.

Needless to say, I didn't tell him when I bought some boat plans, made a motorboat of my own, and set out to race. I wasn't in a serious racing league or anything – it was strictly an informal thing between me and a few friends. Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun racing boats up and down the lake until we were caught by the sheriff one time. That put an end to that fun! Still, it didn't put an end to racing for me. I decided to race sailboats again, and dived into the sport with enthusiasm. I have been doing it ever since.

How To Make An Electric Car Cheaply

How To Make An Electric Car Cheaply

Are you interested in finding out how to make an electric car cheaply? It used to cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. But not anymore.

New electric car technology has made it much cheaper. The conversion is also easier to do than it used to be. You no longer need to be a super-mechanic.

This is a great time to convert your gas-guzzler into an electric powered vehicle. The New York Times just reported that an electric car infrastructure covering the whole country is in the works right now. Not only that, but you'll be able to specify which source of energy you want.

"Will you have wind, sun, or coal energy power your car battery, sir...?" It might sound crazy, but Forbes magazine says this scenario could become a reality in as little as two years!

But you can find out how to make an electric car right now. There are many electric car conversion kits available online. They cost anywhere from $35 to $50.

These sets of instructions are easy to download, so once you purchase one you're ready to start work immediately.

Next you'll need to find the right tools and parts. You can actually get a lot of the necessary equipment for free, or at very low cost. The manuals show you how.

If you follow the directions closely, you'll be able to do the whole electric car conversion for as little as $300 (excluding the price of the manual).

When you're finished, your car will look the same. It will be able to go at speeds of 50 mph. You can travel 100 miles on just one charge.

When your battery runs low you simply plug it in. Imagine never stopping at a gas station again! In addition, your car doesn't give off any pollution or make unpleasant noises. Electric cars are wonderfully quiet.

One of the best parts about driving an electric car is the huge rebates. That's right. State and federal governments will pay you to drive a renewable energy vehicle.

When you add the rebates to all the money saved on gas, you begin to realize that electric car conversion isn't expensive at all. In fact, you'll come out ahead!

It can also be a lot of fun. And you'll learn about batteries. Big batteries that can hold lots of electricity are the next big industry. They're the cornerstone of clean-technology.

It seems pretty clear that gas-powered cars belong to the past. Electric powered cars are the next big thing. It's an amazing future, and by finding out how to make an electric car you can become part of it right now!

By: Jim Henderson

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Wedding Tradition

Wedding Tradition

To hear certain religious conservatives talk about wedding traditions, you would think that they had existed since the beginning of time and never change. They go on about traditional wedding vows, the role of man and woman in marriage, wedding ceremonies, and the like, pretending that it is an unbreakable tradition that reaches back to the dawn of time. In reality, the idea of a wedding tradition is almost completely foreign to our culture. Traditional weddings meant something much different than even the most conservative weddings nowadays.

Back in the day, a wedding was basically little more than an arrangement for the transfer of property. The bride would be given away by the father to be the husband's property from then on. Although you can see echoes of this wedding tradition in modern weddings, few people in our society would agree that we have a better, more egalitarian way of viewing marriage.

That isn't to say that there aren't wedding traditions in our society. It is just that weddings vary greatly from family to family and culture to culture. In some families, it is almost an obligation to get drunk at the wedding. If you aren't seen to be really enjoying yourself, consuming copious amounts of booze and food, you are insulting your hosts and their family wedding traditions. In other families, a traditional wedding means a fairly sober, somber event. People have fun, but the primary purpose of the wedding is to mark a lifelong commitment.

That is why so many people today decide to make up their own wedding traditions. They write their own wedding vows, arrange their own wedding ceremonies, and come up with novel, unconventional ideas for the party. As a matter of fact, for such a universal custom, it is amazing how many variations you can get away with in weddings!

My very favorite wedding tradition is something that started with my grandmother. Although every one in our family has chosen different styles of wedding decorations, given slightly different wedding vows, and served different food at the wedding reception, one thing has always remained the same. At every wedding, we release butterflies when the bride and groom kiss. It sounds kind of silly, I know, but if you saw it, you would understand. You really have to be there to witness how beautiful an effect it is! It really marks the day as special, an event meant to be remembered forever.

Extreme Sport And What You Should Know About It

Extreme Sport And What You Should Know About It

Extreme sport pushes the limits and ability of the human mind and body to cope with conditions that are out of the ordinary. Conditions that require a high degree of physical exertion, with the adrenalin-pumping danger of the possibility of death. At times, extreme sport would appear to defy the laws of science. Extreme sports are only as varied as the imagination of clever advertising marketers and designers.

There is a cult-type following, that forms into a sub-culture, which has evolved around the mystique of extreme sport. It is the wealthy, disillusioned and experience-seeking younger generation that has been the focus of the advertising marketers. The gurus have quickly cottoned on to this as being Blue Moon Opportunity (once in a lifetime opportunity) and happy to satisfy the wants of the thrill seekers.


Extreme sports demand the discipline and fitness of the body, as well as the mind, for it frequently involves performing a death defying stunt. This can be clearly seen in operation in those who participate in the sport of diving without oxygen. This is based on a technique first witnessed in dolphins and whales, called the 'Mammalian Diving reflex'. While at the extreme depths of free diving, the 'baracardia shift', the heart beat of a world champion oxygen free diver was recorded to beat as slowly as 9 beats per minute. The deepest free dive ever recorded, was performed by the German Herbet Nitsche, diving with the aid of a weighted sled, to 214 metres (702 feet), in 2007.

Of course there are the expensive 'toys' that have to go with freediving, such as freedive fins, low profile masks, skin tight hydrophobic freedive suits etc. Free diving has developed into the team sports of underwater hockey and rugby.

There is an annual event of extreme sport which has become a collection of summer and winter games, called the X Games. These were created solely for those who prefer their sport vial the TV.

Hang gliding, wind surfing, rock climbing, skiing were once all classed as extreme sports, though now widely accepted. New sports continue to evolve such as snocross, ice climbing, airwavesboarding and wingsuit flying. Once a body has been sipped inside a wingsuit it becomes shaped like an airfoil, through the clever use of a specially designed jumpsuit. Once the participant has free glided through several thousand feet, a normal parachute is used for landing.

Extreme sport continues to evolve with three major factors: breaking the norm, costly equipment and specialized clothing. For the marketers of extreme sport it is limited only by the imagination of the designers, the producers of video-music and the ability of advertising giants to push new frontiers to an experience-hungry thrill-seeking generation. Perhaps we will see a day when there will be a low-gravity, oxygen free giant step extreme sport held on the moon.

By: Lynette Thomas

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Complete History Of Soccer

Complete History Of Soccer

The history of soccer can be traced back to almost every country of origin. The game was so accessible that men of every status could afford to play. It’s easy to imagine that games of kicking a ball or something that resembles a ball have been around for thousands of years. The ancient Romans and Chinese are credited with the very first signs of soccer. China used to play games similar to football as far back as three thousand years ago and the Romans used to keep there warriors fit with football. A number of other countries laid claim to the sport as well including Japan, England, Italy and South and Central America.

Credit with the formal development of soccer history is rightfully given to England. They were the first to start incorporating rules and form associations or leagues. Around 1863 they began to separate soccer from rugby and formed the first Football Association. Teams from around the London area came together and began to formulate the basic rules that were agreeable by everyone. These included the size of the field, number of players and rules regarding contact. Ironically it wasn’t until six years later that the hand ball or no carrying of the ball was included.


The sport blossomed throughout England and held its first championship after just eight years. As expected the sport traveled throughout Europe and international competitions between England and Scotland formed. The sport brought in spectators and produced athletic stars which pushed the organizations to formalize their practices. New associations began to pop up throughout Scotland, Ireland and Germany.

The largest of all international associations was formed in 1912, Federation Internationale de Football Association, FIFA. Fifa held the now famous World Cup in 1930 and has grown to over 200 members throughout the entire world. Now there are tons of amateur, semi professional and professional leagues all over the world. Whether it’s young kids, professional athletes or weekend warriors soccer can be found anywhere in the world

Soccer history has evolved to today’s standard where it is played at the amateur and professional level all over the world. It is recognized as the most played and watched sport in the world. The basic rules and limited amount of equipment make soccer an easy sport to participate in for all.

By: Recruit City

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Thailand Holiday

 

Thailand Holiday

Golden beaches, tropical weather and friendly people make for an ideal vacation. Thailand holidays also promise a fascinating culture and awesome architecture and artwork. This corner of Asia is a popular destination, particularly with young backpackers and couples looking for an exotic location.

The country is very cheap from a western perspective. There is a wide range of accommodation, including backpacker hostels, guesthouses, tourist hotels and luxury hotels. Swimming pools, room service and color television is standard in tourist hotels. The local currency is the baht and there are ATMs in cities and large towns. Visitors will need cash or travelers checks for remote islands etc. Shopping is one of the pleasures of Thailand holidays, especially when bargain hunting for clothes, silk and handicrafts in the markets.

Food is tasty and tends to be spicy and has its own distinctive Asian flavors. Rice and rice noodles are staples and fish is extremely popular. Thai food is often flavored with chilies, lime juice, lemon grass and fish sauce. There is an Indian and Chinese influence and curries and stir fries are much in evidence. For the less adventurous, well known fast food chains have branches here. Street food stalls are a good way of trying out different snacks and there are several Internet cafes in the towns. Vegetarians on Thailand holidays manage very well here.

The capital city of Bangkok is an exciting blend of the modern and the sacred. Nightclubs, entertainment and restaurants give the city its vibrancy whilst the spiritual side can be explored in various temples. The most popular temples are The Temple of Dawn, The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, which is famous for its huge statue of Buddha.

Beach resorts entice many visitors, particularly at Pattaya. It caters to the tourists with countless hotels, shopping outlets and nightlife. The resort is famous for its numerous Go Go Bars and Beer Bars. Thailand holidays can also appeal to golfers and this resort specializes in golf facilities with over twenty courses. It's also a favorite haunt for water sports enthusiasts.  Elephant trekking can be organized from here and visitors can swim with dolphins at Oasis Seaworld. There is a popular, tropical aquarium at Underwater World Pattaya. For great views, there is Buddha Hill, also worth a trip for the Buddha statue.

The largest island in Thailand is Phuket and the largest resort on the island is Patong Beach, a center for water sports, entertainment and restaurants. Phuket Town is a bustling town and a great place to shop. There are market stalls, department stores, shopping malls and outlets for antiques, arts and crafts. As usual on Thailand holidays, there are some lovely temples to browse round.

Public Education

Public Education
From preschool through college, public education is at the center of a tremendous controversy now. Public school education has never been under attack before, but that is just what certain radical elements of the right wing are doing. You see, charter schools, schools of choice, No Child left Behind, and many other proposals being put out there are part of a continuing dialogue on public education. Is the public education system doomed to fail, or can it be salvaged? Just how bad is it anyway? How much of it is hype and how much of it is really a problem?

Anyone who has ever worked for the public Department of Education, or who has done any research about it knows that there are problems. The fact is that public education is not fair across the boards. Children at inner-city schools or rural schools, children in at-risk populations, or even children in certain states face great obstacles in getting the public education that they need. Meanwhile, public colleges and universities continue to not really be public. Although these public schools get very little of their funding from their tuition, they still insist on charging huge amounts for enrollment. This allows rich people to get into the schools, but keeps the poor out. Although public education grants do some good, they do not do enough. No one is quite sure what the solution is, but everyone agrees on one thing: something must be done about public education.

Of course, there are many different ways to help out with the education public. One of the best ways is to become a teacher or a tutor, particularly if you can work in a low income or at risk population. Public education is more in need of great young people to take up the torch than ever before. Although it is not a great time to be a teacher with cutbacks and job insecurities mounting,  it is still one of the best jobs to hold if you really want to make a difference in people's lives.

Public education will be effected primarily by three groups: the teachers, the parents, and the politicians. If you are a parent, participate in the public school board elections and parent teacher association. If you are a politician, study education and be responsive to the issues that students face every day. And if you are a teacher, just by doing your work you are making a difference in the lives of students in the public schools system.

Adidas Track Jacket

Adidas Track Jacket
The Adidas track jacket the perfect addition to any work out wardrobe. Whether you are an avid runner or you just like to take the occasional stroll, this jacket helps you work out in comfort. There are more than a handful of options when it comes to this kind of product and you can find an Adidas track jacket right from the comfort of your personal computer.

Awhile ago, I was on the hunt for the perfect fleece hooded jacket for my workout. The days begin chilly around here and I initially figured that a sweat suit jacket would be the best bet. After purchasing a cheap fleece number I decided that I had better look to the pros for a better option. I stumbled on the Adidas track jacket.

The main problem I had with the sweat shirt material was that I got very hot very quickly. Fleece is designed to keep body heat close to the skin. While working up a good sweat is ideal, I really don’t want to do it all within the first five minutes of my warm up. The fleece wound up working against me in the long run.

The first time I tried on the Adidas track jacket, I knew I had a winner. The material is light and airy and the product works to keep me warm enough to brave the chilly morning air but it is light enough to help me maintain a natural body temperature during my workout.

Comfort isn’t the only reason that I opted to replace my old fleece number for an Adidas track jacket. Looks are important, too. I wanted something that was colorful and fun to lift my mood before my workout. I also wanted an item that could be worn to the store or to a casual lunch with a friend.

The Adidas track jacket is lovely. I chose a buttery yellow color that works well with my complexion. The bright yellow color is the perfect pick-me-up in the morning. I also chose the yellow Adidas track jacket because it is easily spotted by others even during the darkest dawns.

I feel that I have gotten two jackets in one. I can wear the Adidas track jacket during any outdoor workout activity, during a stroll or even out to the store. Cleaning the item is a breeze and no matter what, I feel comfortable and confident. This is one of my all time favorite pieces of workout clothing that I have ever owned.