Thursday, December 22, 2005

Golf - how to get started?

Golf anybody?By Frank J. Peter, editor at LearnAboutGolf.comGolf is a great game: sometimes rewarding, often frustrating but highly addictive. Getting started in it is actually not so difficult, and hopefully this article can help you avoid some of the common pitfalls.The very first steps. The biggest mistake by people wanting to start in golf is to rush out and buy a brand new set of shiny and expensive golf clubs. While they are nice to look at you should keep in mind that today’s golf equipment comes in great varieties to cater for different golfing types and abilities. Since you're just starting out you do not know which set fits you best. Just imagine the envious looks you get at the driving range when you come with your $2000 set, and the subsequent laughter when you try and just 'hack away' - not worth the embarrassment! Once you spend a few hundred or even thousand $$ on a set that doesn't suit your style you're stuck with it or you have to sell it to somebody else at a loss. If you feel you want your own clubs get a half set. This generally comprises five irons and perhaps two woods and a putter. Usually the irons are the odd numbers 3,5,7,9 and wedge. These clubs are more than enough to get you started. A better alternatively: most Driving Ranges will have clubs for hire, so you can try out a few different ones. You can also borrow one or two clubs from a friend. The shortest iron (nine iron) or a wedge are the best clubs to start, practicing with it will give you the feeling of hitting the ball in the air and should be fairly straight forward.Where to get golf clubs?Most Pro shops and driving ranges sell second hand clubs. They will also be able to offer you advice and let you try some clubs out. Alternatively, nearly all driving ranges will have clubs for hire if you want to have a go without committing to a set until you get the hang of it. Or ask other people at the driving range, you will soon find out that many have another set of clubs at home because they made the exact same mistakes I mentioned above. Make sure you try before you buy, if they fit (and only if they fit!) you can often get them for a steal. Make use of these opportunities, and also take a look at our website ‘LearnAboutGolf.com’ as to how to choose a club. I again stress that you need to have a basic understanding on which club suits you reasonably well before you buy. DO NOT buy expensive brands at this stage. "I want to play, I want to play!"As hard as it will be to contain yourself, don't even contemplate going anywhere near a golf course. Golf is technically quite demanding, and without at least some basic training you'll end up with a lot of frustration. You've seen the top players on TV loosing their cool in frustration, imagine how you will feel if not even a single shot goes where you want it to. Besides, the other people having to wait for you will also not be happy.As a beginner at the great game of golf, start off at a driving range, take at least four or five lessons, learn the fundamentals, progress to a 9 hole course and eventually venture out into the great unknown of an 18 hole golf course. Believe me, it will be a lot more fun for you and those around you if you follow this path.Where to get lessons?You will meet plenty of people at the range who will teach you the 'innermost secrets' of golf. Fact is that most of them have started playing not long before you. So the answer to the above question is: go to a Professional. As you have seen on TV, even the world’s top players have a coach. Tiger Woods, probably the best golfer the world, still takes lessons. Certified Golf Professionals are the only people qualified to teach you how to play the game. Lessons from a Pro will cost you money but will be the best investment you'll ever make. Taking the advise from the 'know-it-all' people at the range will likely screw-up your game at the very early stage, and it will take a long time to correct the faults later.The two places to get golf lessons are at driving ranges and golf clubs. You don't have to be a member of a club to get a lesson from the Pro. You bring in money, so they will be glad to help. The usual cost is about $25-40 per 45 min, but you will get reductions for a block booking. If you are a bit on the budget see if they do group bookings, those are also cheaper than individual lessons. What else to do?Books and videos can be invaluable in learning the basics. To build a sound golf swing you will need the three fundamentals: Grip, Stance and Posture. There are some very good books and videos on the market that will help you to establish the three fundamentals. And watch the Pro's on the TV, or better still video them and play back in slow motion, you'll learn a lot this way. Don't get blinded by too much science, you're still a beginner. Stick to Grip, Stance and Posture and you'll be on your way. Take a look at the golf tips and golf lessons on our website ‘LearnAboutGolf.com’ for some advice as well.Summary 1.Don't waste your money on expensive clubs until you have reached a basic level of competency. 2.Don't go near a Golf Course, again until you have reached a basic level. 3.Get lessons from a qualified professional. 4.Learn the three fundamentals 5.Watch the Pro's. 6.Practice. 7.Learn the rules of golf and the basic golf etiquette . I hope that this article has been of some help to avoid costly mistakes many people made, including myself. Follow the above basics and you are on your way to all the fun (and frustration) golf can offer. Enjoy!

Are You Addicted to Golf

Are You Addicted to Golf
There are millions of people addicted to golf. Why? Golf can be played on a beautiful course with as many people as you like, and in very pleasant weather. Golf if very gentle on your body, and is truly the sport of a lifetime.
Golf has many physical benefits and is a very efficient way to stay in shape, and has many physical benefits. With golf, you will get the most out of a round if you walk the course; this will also burn a number of calories and improve your cardiovascular health.
Carrying your clubs will strengthen your upper body and actually hitting the ball improves your hand to eye coordination.
Golf can be played by yourself or with as many friends as you like. You can also chat and visit between each hole while you are waiting on others to finish their holes. Or if you enjoy playing by yourself, you can enjoy the great outdoors, at your own pace.
Professional golfers make the game look easy. Their swing seems as fluid and effortless as running water, and they look as thought they are on a leisurely stroll as they pound drives more than 300 yards and hit high soft iron shots. The truth is they young professionals are strong and fit enough to make a complicated athletic move look simple.
Few amateurs can devote that amount of time, energy, and money to their golf games, but that shouldn’t stop them from making positive changes in their games by improving their strength and conditioning. Golf is a game of balance, discipline, and touch. Enhancing and improving those specific shills, requires a balanced regimen with four important components: strength, flexibility, endurance, and diet.
There are many books and videos one this subject and I would suggest that all golfers invest in a good golf fitness program.

Finding Boating Items Online is Quick and Easy.

Finding Boating Items Online is Quick and Easy.

Alex is an average guy that has a small business in ‘small town U.S.A.’ . When looking to create his first informational site, a hobby of his was chosen to build the website around. Got-Content.com: “Alex, what inspired you to build a site about boats and kayaks?”Alex: “Mainly it’s a hobby of mine to take off for a few hours on the weekend and hit the water with my inflatable kayak. I have a Sea Eagle 380x and spend as much time as I can on the water, fishing or just paddling the waters of a small pond that I stumble upon. The great thing about inflatable boats and kayaks is that you can throw them in the car or truck, find an out-of-the-way water spot that you might have to hike a ways to, then simply blow up your boat and go!”Got-Content.com: “Sounds fun! I know I have seen these small boats on the water, but how sturdy are they… after all, they remind me of a pool raft.”Alex: “It’s funny the look I get when I take a friend out on my kayak. They don’t realize that these are serious boats and are equally as capable of taking the weight and punishment of other small boats of similar size made of aluminum or wood. – Think of the Marines inflatable watercraft – These boats are designed with similar strategies and safety features, just downsized and lightened up a bit for consumers.”Got-Content.com: “Where did you find your kayak?”Alex: “That’s a funny story – I was looking in the sporting goods stores and boat marinas. What I found was either too cheap and flimsy or outrageously priced. – I got discouraged and searched online for a store that might be local to me – What I found was incredible! A couple of quality inflatable boat manufacturers that primarily sell their products from hunting and fishing catalogs by mail order had ventured online and I found the exact type and style I wanted – I even bought it direct through the manufacturer!”Got-Content.com: “So is that why you started your website?”Alex: “Yes – Mainly to provide free information to boaters and kayakers that where in the ‘same boat’ (pardon the pun) that I was in – searching for a quality, cost effective boat for water sport recreation.”Got-Content.com: “Sounds great!” Can we direct the readers to your site if they would like to learn more about how inflatable boats and kayaks might be just what they need for their weekend and camping expeditions?”Alex: “Sure – I have several informational pages on inflatable boats, kayaks, small fishing boats, accessories and trolling motors on the site currently. I am planning on adding more information this month.”

Navigating on the Mountain, in Water, or in Woods there is a Garmin eTrex Unit For You.

Navigating on the Mountain, in Water, or in Woods there is a Garmin eTrex Unit For You.

Truly a small wonder, the eTrex takes the best features of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver and put them into a six ounce package that is only four inches high and two inches wide. The result is a unit that will literally fit in the palm of your hand.
Besides its small size, mariners and outdoorsmen will likely notice the sleek design of the eTrex.
All buttons are located on either side of the unit, allowing for simple, one-handed operation that won't obstruct your view of the display. In fact, the eTrex features only five operator buttons for the ultimate in user-friendly design.
Inside the eTrex, you will find the proven performance of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver that will run for 18 hours on just two AA batteries.
No need to worry about dense tree canopy with this unit, the eTrex will continue to maintain a tight satellite lock even while operating in forest-like conditions. The eTrex will store up to 500 user waypoints with graphic icons and boasts Garmin's exclusive TracBack® feature that will reverse your track log and help you navigate your way back home. In addition, the eTrex uses animated graphics that will help you identify your marked waypoints quickly and easily.
The Garmin eTrex family consists of six members - the eTrex, eTrex Camo, eTrex Summit, eTrex Legend, eTrex Venture and eTrex Vista.
The family retain the same basic features one of the best-selling handheld GPS systems on the market, and has adapted them to add some unique features to make each of them the perfect tool for their intended users.

Find and Catch More Fish, Quickly and Easily, with the FISHIN' BUDDY 2255

Find and Catch More Fish, Quickly and Easily, with the FISHIN' BUDDY 2255


"Wherever you like to fish—lakes, reservoirs, rivers or streams, you'll never have a fishing buddy who can spot fish as easy and as fast as a Bottom Line Fishing Buddy™."
If you are fishing primarily in lakes I recommend the Bottom Line Fishing Buddy 2255 highly - it's a reasonably priced, good quality fish finder.
It's very compact - ideal if you don't have a lot of space in a canoe or float tube, or in my case, a 15-foot fiberglass boat. It weighs just five pounds so its portable if you need to carry it, and its separate bracket clamp means it can be attached to the side of your boat, or to the dock if you are not using a boat. It doesn't matter to the Bottom Line Fishing Buddy - it just keeps finding fish.
I've had mine for a over a year now and I've used it on my boat, canoes and float tubes. The Fishing Buddy hangs down at the side of your boat and gives you a reading of the fish below you, along with information about the contour of the bottom, and the depth too. Its got a "Sidefinder" feature as well, which shows up fish up to 60 feet from the boat.
One of my favorite features is the alarm that goes off when it finds a fish - perfect if you want to close your eyes for a short sleep. Of course, the alarm can be turned off - it can get annoying if its constantly beeping as it finds fish below you.
This isn't a fish finder for deep-sea fishing - you'll need something more powerful for that - but for lake fishing I don't think you could do better.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Reverse Osmosis

Common use for Reverse osmosis is in purifying water where it produces water, which is in demand at all, places. One of the finest filtration under Reverse Osmosis is Hyper Filtration, where the removals of particles are as small as ions. In this Process, water gets purified and the various salts and other impurities are removed to improve the Properties of fluid, its taste as well as color. Reverse osmosis occurs when the water is moved across the membrane against the concentration gradient, from lower concentration to higher concentration. It thus purifies water by ejecting out fluids, inorganic chemicals such as nitrates, calcium, and magnesium, other ions and contaminants. It uses a semi-permeable membrane, allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it. Most of the reverse osmosis technology procedures are described in http://www.discountreverseosmosis.com/ undergoes a cross flow Process to allow the membrane to clean itself periodically. As some of the fluid gets rested in downstream, continuous cross-flow process helps or sweeps out the rejected species away from the membrane.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Grisaille Paintings

Grisaille is not a paintings type by its own but an initial step in oil painting. It is the step representing lighter shades of the image to be painted. This type grisaille grey is basically a painting in lighter grey shade (followed as per the rules of oil painting the darker painting section follows the lighter colors to be implemented in oil painting) before the whole painting is all done. This painting is executed entirely on monochrome in various shades of grey which can also be used for decorative purposes such as representing an object in relief.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Distiller Water Filters

Water distillers use electricity to heat tap water to boiling point. Generally the Impurities are left in the container and the purified contents go back to a clean container. They need a higher level of efficiency and cannot give immediate supply, because the boiling process must be over before water is present. There are a number of reports in http://www.water-filters-purifiers-softeners.com/ that distilled water is not fit for health because it takes away nutrients from the body, being the most 'unnatural' of water.

Ionized Water Filters
These are generally filtered using an acid and an alkaline. They run between the positive and the negative ends of the electrodes and get the charged and acidic water. They are formed using 70% alkaline water and 30% Acid water. Alkaline and Acidic waters have unusual properties and benefits, but anyway their respective uses could not be more different.

Back flush Water Filters
They are costlier compared to charcoal filter units, but justify this by their claims of longevity. They are highly durable and efficient.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

WLAN

A wireless LAN or WLAN is a wireless local area network that uses radio waves as its carrier: the last link with the users is wireless, to give a network connection to all users in the surrounding area. Areas may range from a single room to an entire campus. The backbone network usually uses cables, with one or more wireless access points connecting the wireless users to the wired network.
WLAN is expected to continue to be an important form of connection in many business areas. The market is expected to grow as the benefits of WLAN are recognized. Frost and Sullivan estimate the WLAN market to have been 0.3 billion US dollars in 1998 and 1.6 billion dollars in 2005. So far WLANs have been installed in universities, airports, and other major public places. Decreasing costs of WLAN equipment has also brought it to many homes. However, in the UK the exorbitant cost of using such connections in public has so far limited use to airports' Business Class lounges, etc. Large future markets are estimated to be in health care, corporate offices and the downtown area of major cities. New York City has even begun a pilot program to cover all five boroughs of the city with wireless internet.
Originally WLAN hardware was so expensive that it was only used as an alternative to cabled LAN in places where cabling was difficult or impossible. Such places could be old protected buildings or classrooms, although the restricted range of the 802.11b (typically 30ft.) limits its use to smaller buildings. WLAN components are now cheap enough to be used in the home, with many being set-up so that one PC (a parent's PC, for example) can be used to share an internet connection with the whole family (whilst retaining access control at the parents' PC).
Early development included industry-specific solutions and proprietary protocols, but at the end of the 1990s these were replaced by standards, primarily the various versions of IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) (see separate articles) and HomeRF (2 Mbit/s, intended for home use, unknown in the UK). An alternative ATM-like 5 GHz standardized technology, HIPERLAN, has so far not succeeded in the market, and with the release of the faster 54 Mbit/s 802.11a (5 GHz) and 802.11g (2.4 GHz) standards, almost certainly never will.
The lack of default security of Wireless connections is fast becoming an issue, especially in the UK, where many Broadband (ADSL) connections are now offered together with a Wireless Basestation/ADSL Modem/firewall/Router access point. Further, many laptop PCs now have Wireless Networking built in (cf. Intel 'Centrino' campaign) thus eliminating the need for an additional plug-in (PCMCIA) card. This might even be enabled, by default, without the owner ever realising it, thus 'broadcasting' the laptop's accessibility to any computer nearby.
The basic security used for a WLAN was originally Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), but this was shown to provide minimal security due to serious weaknesses. The alternate Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security protocol was later created to address these problems. Since then software solutions such as SSL, SSH, and various types of software encryption have become the prefered methods of securing wireless information transmission.
Modern operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS, or Microsoft Windows XP as the 'standard' in home PCs makes it very easy to setup a PC as a Wireless LAN 'basestation' and using Internet Connection Sharing allows all the PCs in the home to access the Internet via the 'base' PC. However, lack of expertise in setting up such systems often means that someone nearby, such as a next-door neighbor, may also share the internet connection. This is typically without the wireless network owner's knowledge; it may even be without the knowledge of the user (the neighbor) if his computer automatically selects a nearby wireless network. Nowadays it has become etiquette to leave wireless access points open for others to use just as one expects to find open access points while on the road. This freely sharing of bandwith is the basis of free wireless community networks which are often considered the future of the internet.
The frequency which 802.11b operates at is 2.4GHz, which can lead to interference with cordless phones on the same frequency. If one wants to use a cordless telephone on the same premises, one should ensure that the cordless set uses a different frequency, such as 900Mhz or 5.8 Ghz. However, any wireless router has the ability to operate in different channels. Using channel 11 is most often the best situation for a wireless access point.
There are two possible types of operation:
Peer-to-peer or ad-hoc mode This mode is a method for wireless devices to directly communicate with each other. Operating in ad-hoc mode allows wireless devices within range of each other to discover and communicate in peer-to-peer fashion without involving central access points. This is typically used by two PCs to connect to one another, so that one can share the other's Internet connection for example, as well as for wireless mesh networks. Infrastructure mode This mode of wireless networking bridges a wireless network to a wired Ethernet network. Infrastructure mode wireless also supports central connection points for WLAN clients. A wireless access point is required for infrastructure mode wireless networking, which serves as the central WLAN communication station. This is typically used by a stand-alone base-station (such as a Broadband/ADSL connection box).

Monday, June 13, 2005

Aegaleo

Aegaleo (Greek Αιγάλεω Aigáleo, Latin Aegaleus), also Aigaleo and Egaleo, is a mountain in Greece. It is situated west of Athens, southeast of Eleusis, east of the island of Salamis and northwest of Piraeus. Most of the mountain is rocky. It is shorter than Hymettus. Most of the forest is to its north where the monastery Daphni (Daphnion) is located. It is also a park in its north. This is a range which surrounds the tiny coast southwest of Chaidari.
Towns and places surround the mountain are Perama, Piraeus, Drapetsona, Nikaia, Korydallos (Corydallos), the highway, and Chaidari. The subway now connects the area after opening its first station after reducing Iera Odos (Sacred Way) into two lanes in 2002-2003.
A highway linking GR-8 and Piraeus runs through this mountain range. Refineries of Skaramangas is in the north. The new bypass on the northwestern part of the range which is part of the Attiki Odos superhighway system, the Aegaleo Ring (Number 65) which was opened on January, 2004 along with the rest of the superhighway north of the range. The ring presently doesn't have full access yet.

Attiki Odos

Attiki Odos (Greek: Αττική Οδος) is a private-owned superhighway in Greece. The entire stretch is tolled. The future high-speed rail is almost entirely in the median throught the main section. Its numbers are 6 for the main section and 65 for Aigaleo and Ano Liosion Rings. It is the by-pass of Athens
Construction began in 1996. The superhighway was opened along with Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport where it is connected. The freeway ran from the Gerakas Street interchange but it didn't had access to Keratea directly until 2003 or a northbound interchange until 2002 to Athens from Athens. And the western part ran from Greece Interstate 1 and Kifissou Avenue to what is now exit 9.
In May 2001, an interchange 20B (now K2) opened for Koropi North and reads mainly a local road. Construction from Kifissou Avenue to Gerakas continued while the western part becan construction. The Hymettus ring was under construction.
More interchanges were opened later including the Paiania-Spata Road.
In September 2002, the high-speed railway began construction and the central part of the main section began paving.
In early-2003, Attiki Odos was now operated from Kifissou Avenue to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. The Hymettus Ring was almost paved that time but the tunnels were constructed.
In late-2003, the Hymettus Ring became fully accessible with a toll booth at the northbound lanes near Katechaki Avenue. The superhighway includes tunnels, . Its length is from Katechaki Avenue to east of the main section with a junction to the westbound lanes of the main section in the middle. It runs in the northern part of the Hymettus and became the road that bypasses Mesogeio Avenue and links to Kifissou Avenue and its suburbs and the Airport along with the eastern suburbs from the eastern part of Athens.
In 2004, the western section along with a tunnel opened from the junction with GR-8 to Kifissou Avenue. It has 7 interchanges in total. and runs between the mountain ranges of Aigaleo and Parnitha. The Ano Liosio Ring is still under construction

Alpha TV

Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel (prior to 2000: Skaï, the Greek spelling of Sky). The station features mainly foreign shows. Some people think Alpha TV is a division of Viacom because this broadcasts Nickelodeon shows. Greek shows including Zoungla, (Greek for jungle) are also broadcast. The studios are located near Athens.
Alpha TV's logo, when the channel was called Skaï was written in Greek letters. It was Latinized in 1995 and changed to a blue font. The logo was kept when they changed the channel name. In the year 2000, the name was changed to the first letter of the Greek alphabet to reflect channel's popularity, and used a similarity of Swiss font letters. This A (alpha) logo is similar to the Attiki Odos logo. The font letters in 2003 changed and a circle was added over Alpha, but the two As (alphas) remain.
In Cyprus, Alpha TV is broadcast on its probable parent station Capital TV. Capital TV uses the same logo as this channel.