Cutting Edge Marketing Tips

Video games are 1 of the chic forms of computer entertainment on the planet, & an extensive number of portable game products are purchased each year.

The recognition of games consoles means that console makers such as Nintendo, Sony & Microsoft are persistently designing additional consoles incorporating the most up-to-date technology to stay ahead of each competitor in the games marketplace.

Therefore, knowing which games product to pick can easily be tricky, whether you are attaining a computer games console for the first time, receiving one as a reward for someone else, or plainly needing to improve their current computer games console.

So we’ve generated the following piece to the sort of things you should ought to be looking for when picking and buying a video games device to help you find your way around the video games market.

How to Pick a Video Games Product

There are plenty of important questions that you should ought to chew over before getting a video product in order to make sure that you buy the correct video device for yourself. Here are some of the things you would be suggested to mull over when picking your choice. Click here now to find the prices on Video Games Consoles.

Picking a Games Product ? Handheld or Home Video Consoles

One of the first decisions you are having make when searching for a video games console is whether or not you yearn for a video console that will mostly be used at home, or whether you want a portable handheld video games device.

Sex toys are fantastic; sex aid toys are one thing that won?t ever have a a moan spending afternoons with yourself till it gets you yourself off. Sex toys have been all around for decades, from the cucumber in the olden times through to the stunning and advanced sex aid toys available online these days. Fun for the men with Male Sex Toys available from Sex Bomb.

If you yourself feel that your sex life is in need of some urgent attention then sexual toys are excellent to add that extra sex spice you yourself are looking for. You could use sex toys with your husband or on your own and the excitement is endless, just use your naughty fantasies.

There may be times it will seem that sensual toys are only made for women, well if you have ever been to a vast sex store you would find numerous vibrators for guys. They stock everything from vaginas to penis pumps. Chaps occasionally feel embarrassed about getting sensual aids for themselves, though with the www now readily available to every one of us you could save any embarrassment and purchase online and get a penis sleeve delivered in brown packaging. If you don?t know which sex aid toy to have first you can regularly chat or write to the customer service staff for their marital aid guidance.

The Nokia E90 has proved a real winner for Nokia since its release in March 2007. For the money the Nokia E90 is pretty well featured. Like other similarly priced models from Nokia the design is quite modern and would be appealing to a broad range of customers.

The Nokia E90 is that is supplied with a Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery cell. The Nokia E90 has a battery cell usage of 330 hrs standby time and talk time of 5:00. This mobile handset is bluetooth enabled meaning it is compatible with a range of mobile accessories such as hands free sets or even a music system. Colour wise the Nokia E90 can be bought in, Red and Mocha. This phone is nothing special. Weighing in at 210 g this phone is pretty light. The Nokia E90 has support for 2G GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and 3G HSDPA 2100. A 3.15 MP, 2048×1536 pixels, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps), flash; secondary QCIF videocall camera is integrated into the E90 camera. A WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML compatible browser is also included. Getting on to the display the handset is equipped with a 4 inch screen, which is a great size for the money. The display is a TFT, 16M colors. The E90 has Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3 ring tones enabled on top of which is a vibrating alert. The following additional features are also present on the Nokia E90:

Although this is quite a new model, it has already been replaced. It is therefore relatively easy to find a real bargain on the E90. The most cost effective way to purchase a mobile phone in today’s market is via websites. Ordering online can save you a significant amount of money, believe it or not, it is possible to get a free mobile for 12 months on the Nokia E90 , which need not cost anything at all.

However, it is not necessary to use the loan for this purpose and effectively the cash can be used at your discretion as long as it is paid back with interest during the short loan term. You must however, be able to satisfy the online minikrediet provider that you will have enough cash available to cover the advance repayment they will look at how much you can afford to pay back on an individual basis between 289 euro. This is where a direct minikrediet comes in, offering a suitable sum of money to help you get by. If you apply for an 10 minutes minikrediet for 385 euro you will usually have to fill out an online form and attach copies of your documentation in an email, or by fax.<P> Be sure to use the fast minikrediet comparison tool at <a href=”http://www.snel-geld.info/Flitslenen.html” title=”gsm minikrediet”>gsm minikrediet</a> to compare 11 times the rates. It’s easy to compare <b>payday loan</b> with us and hopefully you’ll soon have the cash you need to get by without worrying how far away your next payday may be.<P> For many it simply can’t arrive soon enough as we attempt to juggle bills and expenses, as well as trying to have a little fun in life. Unexpected expenses can hit even those who keep a tight grip on their finances if something goes wrong in the home, a family member needs support or you receive a larger than expected bill you might require cash to help you get by until your next wage slip.<P> The premise behind direct online minikrediet is simple whatever you need 326 euro for, you can take out a loan (usually ranging from 395 euro but sometimes up to 1,000 depending on the provider) that is repayable on your next payday, whether it is 8 hours away or less.<P> However, for lengthier journeys you are better to use a method of transport that specialises in long distances such as a train or plane, fast online minikrediet are certainly a short-term special. In the majority of instances for every 84 euro you borrow you have to pay back 421 euro, meaning 23 interest. However, this does vary with some providers charging 31 interest and so on. A gsm minikrediet is a way to solve a short-term cash issue for amounts like 141 euro.<P> As with all fast online minikrediet it is best to take a complete search of the market before you apply for a gsm minikrediet for aount 192 euro so you can compare interest rates and make sure you are getting the best deal for your needs. Almost all of us count down the weeks until payday’ The charge you need to observe is how much you pay back on the amount you borrow - this is a fixed sum dependent on the individual provider.

Sugar gliders are very social and active pets; they require lots of attention and room in their cage. Naturally, because they like climbing and jumping, the vertical space of their cage is more important then floor space. Sugar Gliders always love to have fun, fun and just fun. They are very lively pets.

For a pair of sugar gliders, a 24×24x36 inche cage is enough, but if you provide them a larger cage, then it is better. Remember that the height of the cage is more important then the square feet. The sugar gliders’ cages available in the market do not cover the recommended dimensions - that are why most owners fashion their own cage of welded wire. Remember that sugar gliders are intelligent enough and can learn things very easily, so make sure that latch of the cage is secure, because sooner or later they will learn how to open the cage and be able to release themselves.

One must also take care of the elements of the cage. The cage should be a pleasant environment, as it will have a positive effect on the health of sugar gliders. Sugar glider house interiors should be well furnished and full of toys for the sugar gliders’ fun and climbing. The house should be full of branches, leaders, ropes and an exercise wheel. Fresh branches for climbing are the best, but if you can’t do this, then try to get branches from a dry tree.

For toys, you can use the same as those available for birds and rodents. If you have placed these toys high or near the cage roof, then the sugar gliders will appreciate it, because they spend most of their waking time climbing and staying high in the cage. If you plan to place toys in the cage, then while playing with toys your sugar gliders’ health will be improved, because they are involved in healthy activities. So, it is wise to have good housing for sugar gliders.

A vast array of after-market insoles has been merchandised through the years. Most of these consist of a bed of cushioning foam with only hints of accommodation for foot anatomy. Other than extremely expensive orthotic insoles, commercial varieties do little to solve the far-reaching problems of feet restricted in a quite unnatural device, the shoe.

A new ergonomically designed insole, based upon “foot-in-the-sand” technology©, has been developed. It is the result of several years of research in comparative anatomy, kinesiology (mechanics and anatomy of movement), ergonomics (human engineering for efficient and safe use) and testing in the most rigorous and demanding of sports and vocations.

(See http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/sand.jpg)

A Personal Note

My interest in functional footwear was forced upon me by many years of training in competitive badminton (not the recreational type played in backyards), an exceptionally rigorous sport including much jumping and rapid lateral and back and forth movements resulting in tremendous concussive and shear forces on the feet. I did the majority of my training on cement and over the years I discovered I was not made of steel. The first thing to suffer was my feet. The pain after a workout was so bad I had to lie in bed at night with my legs elevated on pillows so my heels were suspended and did not touch anything. Not willing to give up the sport, I set about looking for shoes and orthotics that would help. That process was unfruitful and in most cases exacerbated the problem. For example, the common solution to heel pain is to provide cushioning under the heel. That was my first impulse as well, but cushions there simply guaranteed more heel contact, the very thing my feet were crying out to avoid.

Frustrated with commercial products, I and the research staff at Wysong set about developing something that would work not only for me, but for anyone in sports and anyone wanting relief
from the incredible pounding the feet receive. This is the story of the results of over five years of research and development.

The Foot Is A Dynamic Structure

The foot is an exceedingly complex mechanical structure. It is comprised of 26 bones (25% of all the body’s bones!) as well as muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, sesamoids, nerves, lubricating fluids, pads, nails, veins, arteries and lymphatics, all comprising hundreds of interconnecting intricate parts. Modern shoes entomb the foot into a virtually immobile state - as if it were comprised of one piece - denying its important underlying functional and dynamic design. The foot has no rectangular or perpendicular edges and was not meant to be strapped to a platform. Conventional shoes are created for adornment (pointed shoes even have a sexual history) with only token considerations made for the critical needs of a living foot crying out for freedom from bondage and solitary confinement. In fact, 80% of all foot problems occur in women because of the distorting shoes they wear. Overweight individuals are even more prone to foot problems due to the compounded gravitational forces funneled down to the foot. (see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/anatomy.jpg)

Conventional shoes (better termed coffins) lead to a broad host of ailments. Similar to the binding used to create diminutive feet in Japanese women, modern shoes bind and misshape feet. The misshapen feet of modern adventurers who travel to primitive regions amaze barefooted natives who have naturally wide, toughened, prehensile, toe-spread feet.

The true potential of liberated toes becomes apparent in the disabled who have no hand function, yet learn to write and use eating utensils with their toes. In contrast, toes that have spent a lifetime in shoes can barely move. (see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/bare.jpg) Feet are best thought of as analogues to the prehensile hands, not mere shock absorbing bumpers at the end of our legs.

The Foot’s Relationship To Health

The average adult walks five miles in the course of daily activities, and our feet absorb about 1,000 tons of force a day - much of it on hard surfaces. Improper footwear sends “dis-ease” up through the legs and spine, all the way to the cranium. Feet forced out of balance and inhibited from proper movement can result in corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, heel spurs, fascitis, sesamoiditis, tarsal tunnel, calconeal apophysitis, shin splints, torn Achilles tendons, sprains, broken ankles, joint pain and arthritis. Pelvic and hip problems as well as lower back and cervical (neck) disc problems can also result. Improper foot mobility interferes with blood and lymphatic circulation leading to edema, varicose veins, phlebitis, and claudication. Resultant clots can migrate to critical blood vessels in the brain and other areas potentially causing stroke, heart attacks and degeneration of the kidneys and other organs with critical microcirculation. This is not to mention fatigue, headaches, and even depression that can have an ultimate cause linked to body imbalance and organic malfunction beginning in the feet. Foot pain can lead to decreased exercise and with that increased susceptibility to unhealthy weight gain and a host of other mental, physical and physiological weaknesses.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/healthy.jpg)

The feet are much too important to simply bind, adorn and hide. The foot is designed to be our connection to Earth. The sensations received by the foot on the ground create body awareness not unlike the input received by the senses.

For athletes, the demands on the feet are greatly amplified. Many have their careers cut short by foot injury and degenerative foot diseases. The causes are many, but not the least of which is improper shoe and insole design. All athletes sooner or later have foot problems. Given a natural surface to play a sport on (like sand, if that were possible), and using conditioned bare feet, these problems would rarely occur.

Health should be the primary consideration in footwear, not a little cushioning here and there and a lot of fashion and style. A product that needs to primarily address function should not become simply an opportunity for marketing.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/ball.jpg)

How Feet Are Designed To Work

The proper position of the foot is up on the ball. Propulsion and landing should only incidentally (if at all) employ heel contact. The heel is to movement what the buttocks are to standing. You’re on your heels while standing but not moving, and on your buttocks if you’re sitting and not moving.

Unfortunately, the platformed box design of shoes encourages heel contact with motion, thus decreasing reaction time and speed and setting the stage for injury.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/flat.jpg)

The natural movement of the foot is a complex, resilient, flexing and rolling motion - not the two dimensional heel-foot thumping forced upon it by modern footwear. The natural foot roll employs the same principle used by a parachutist when landing. By folding and rolling the chance of injury is dramatically decreased. So too should the foot roll at each landing. That is, in fact, what it is anatomically designed to do. The motion I speak of is the natural rolling from light heel contact or no heel contact, to the lateral (outer) arch, to the ball, then to the toes.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/roll.jpg)

What are the toes supposed to do trapped in modern shoes? What can they do? They’re forced into a crunched together pointed shape dictated by improper shoe design (whose foot is shaped like a shoe?) and rendered basically useless. Toes should have room to spread out and be free to dig in and grip to help drive the body forward at the end of the foot roll.

If one compares the feel and function of the bare foot in sand to that within a modern shoe, it becomes apparent why problems arise. The solution is to return the foot to the sand. The design we have created allows the foot to experience the support and movement possible in sand and thus restore the foot to its living functional role in movement and health.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/print.jpg) If you walk barefoot in sand and look behind at the impression left, that is the contour created by this new insole. The feel of the foot in sand and on the insole is also strikingly (and refreshingly) similar.

Arch Support

In the sand, the foot is primarily supported by the arch, not the heel. Most shoes and insoles only hint at arch support. A proper ergonomic design lifts the foot with comfortable support of both the transverse and longitudinal arches. This takes pressure off the heel by properly distributing the weight over the largest surface area of the foot, the arch and ball. In a run, a heel strike concentrates 5,120 foot pounds of force directly to a point on the calcaneus (heel bone). With a well-designed insole, this force is spread over approximately 15 square inches of resilient ligamentous tissue under-girded by the long metatarsal bones in the arch and ball area.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/arch.jpg)

Tendon and Bone Reliefs

Carefully designed depressions in the insole Wysong developed accommodate major tendons (plantar aponeurosis) running from the great and 5th toes to the heel, as well as the metatarsal tuberosity on the lateral side of the foot. If one were to examine the impression of a foot in sand, the ergonomic design (ED) insole Wysong is patenting is an exact replica in all detail, accommodating the precise anatomy of the foot undersurface and encouraging proper foot dynamics.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/relief.jpg)

Heel Cup

Heel pain is perhaps the most common of all foot problems. It would seem at first glance that the way to relieve it would be to place soft shock absorbing materials under the heel. But when this is done, the foot is lifted off the arch and even more pressure is concentrated on the heel. What is needed is to get weight off the heel by transferring it to the arch and ball of the foot. The significant arch supports in the ED lift the foot off the heel, and the absence of underlying insole under the heel effectively relieves pressure and pain in the heel and permits healing. This is precisely how physicians provide relief for body pressure points, suspending them in air by creating cushioning foam “donuts” around such parts.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/donut.jpg)

Ball Bed

As the foot naturally rolls forward from the arch, the ball of the foot (metatarsal heads) then receives the majority of the weight. When running, this area receives it all if the “on-the-toes” stride is correct. The heel is not supposed to have significant impact but rather merely be a point of contact to create balance for the human upright position in the standing and slow walk modes. Virtually no other creature allows the heel to strike the ground in movement. Rather, they are lifted to the ball of the foot or even onto the ends of the toes as in horses.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/animal.jpg)

The ED encourages the foot to roll onto the ball as it is designed. To help attenuate shock, a special absorbing visco-elastic material underlies this area.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/insert.jpg)

Toe Grips

The toe grips in the ED permit the toes to become active in movement thus increasing balance and athletic capability. As the foot lifts off in forward motion, or moves laterally, the toes can grip the ED as they would in sand to increase speed, power and agility. The sensation is one of digging in with the toes and new-found power and control over movement results. The feet feel like they come alive and a sense of strength and spring return to movement.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/grips.jpg) The sensation is quite remarkably like “ready to go!” (No liability assumed for breaking speed limits.)

Materials And Fit

Only the highest quality medical-grade foams and shock-attenuating materials are used in the ED. Unlike shoe insoles or aftermarket products, EDs are substantial and create an almost miraculous feel of the bare foot in sand. ED microporous materials breathe to permit the escape of moisture and to decrease bacterial growth. Air channels are designed to pump air to the feet with each stride. EDs also retain their memory rather than set to a non-elastic and ineffective board-like state.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/air.jpg)

EDs may be placed on top of existing insoles (if there is room without constricting the feet), or the shoe insoles may be removed. Using wide width shoes or open-toed sandals is another option to properly accommodate EDs. If the shoe does not accommodate all aspects of the insole, they may be trimmed with scissors as necessary. Once properly placed, the feel of the insole seems to disappear and the foot feels immediate relief. Once used for a time, it is almost impossible to tolerate shoes without them.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/trim.jpg)

One user wrote, “I wish I had known of your insoles before I spent $500 on orthotics. Yours are the first solution I have found and my orthotics are now in the closet unused.”

Not the Ordinary

The new ergonomic insoles are not the usual fare by any means. They look unusual and are unusual. No insole under the toes? No insole under the heel? It would seem that a mistake has been made. But sometimes the mold has to be broken in order for advance to occur. The modern foot has been forced into an immobile, injury prone position for too long.

The wisdom of nature is the answer to most of modern man’s health problems. By using nature as the principle in its design - returning the foot to the sand - the ED brings a new era of foot comfort, and with that a new opportunity for better overall health as well.
(see http://www.wysong.net/images/insole/insole.jpg)

Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its eleventh printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 15 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net

For instance just Yesterday, company based at France, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, fifth largest IT services firm thought out world, had open a new Software Development center in Mumbai suburban area and that will accommodate 250 IT-professionals. The organizations chief said that “We are really looking forward for stepping stone and building a much bigger presence in nation like India”.

With that main Offshore Outsourcing announcements by India have come furious and fast recently like this; International Business Machine is going to open a Linux research laboratory and give way to employment to 510 professionals; With 1350 IT-developers, Nortel Networks in India, will spend 350 million dollar in the next four years and increase employment by 500 additional R&D scientists; Cisco Systems spend 200 million dollar in future for Software Development center.

So one can see that India is currently on a roll but the question is that how long can it hold this crown? With the prediction by NASSCOM, that 6 billion dollar for software exports by this year and it will go 50 billion dollar by year 2008, but some have started questioning that whether India can maintain competitive edge or not. Cheaper cost IT Outsourcing in China, with that Philippines, Russia and Pakistan are also sprouting up and competing for Outsourcing projects, so it indicates that unlikely India will reach the lofty goal.

The U.S. IT Association estimated that around 845,000 Information Technology jobs in America will go to be un-filled this year. For a 1st year graduate student, it will start out with salaries of 45,000-50,000 dollar and it will rapidly escalate. So with that no doubt the Offshore Software Outsourcing industry will continue its hyper expansion in the next six to seven years with Western companies look for cheaper and cheaper overseas talent to fill those gaps, but it is doubtful that India could hold its crown or not.

If India will slip from the Offshore Outsourcing leader, there are so many low wage nations that might be happy to pick up the show. Like Pakistan, has also soughed to emulate neighbor’s success with offer of similar tax benefits for MNC-s. At the same time China looks like the biggest threat to India, with more than 400,100 Software Development engineer, but only 35,100 out of it is qualified to do high level kind of work, that systems integration software projects coveted in India. For the work of software applications maintenance and migration projects, the Chinese employees are well qualified with high technical skills and can come at a significantly cheaper salary as compared to Indian counterparts.

For more informaion: http://spaces.msn.com/software-outsourcing. About TatvaSoft: A professional software development company specializing in software developmenton outsource basis. http://www.tatvasoft.com

Jim
Offshore Software IT Outsourcing India

PC Authority is reporting the end of humans playing poker could be coming sooner than we think, as some high-tech poker software called Polaris is currently playing against human players during the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Polaris is the brainchild of software developers in and artificial intelligence group at the University of Alberta in Canada, and started its WSOP run on July 3rd. Its first few opponents were Stoxpoker.com coaches Nick Grundzien and Ijay Palansky, as well as poker pro Matt Hawrilenko. Each of those players has won more than $1 million playing poker professionally.

The WSOP poker games are a rematch of sorts for Polaris, which lost its first primetime match in July 2007 to poker professionals Phil “The Unabomber” Laak and Ali Eslami. After the loss, Polaris went on to win two matches and one draw.

The format at WSOP will be the same as 2007: seven-card limit Texas Holdem, with each match comprised of 500 hands. Duplicate hands will be dealt to human and computer, which is meant to balance out the randomness of the cards and test the skills of each player.

U of A researcher Michael Bowling said statistics are on the side of the computer in this match up, so much so that it is theoretically possible for Polaris to play a “perfect game.”

“It’s possible, given enough computing power, for computers to play ‘perfectly,’ where over a long enough match, the program cannot lose money,” Bowling told PC Authority. “Humans will always make some mistakes, meaning the program will have an advantage.”

If you are one of those people who leisurely pedal around the block or over a flat stretch of scenic road, you’ve probably been riding for sheer pleasure. Riding bikes for pleasure is a good form of aerobic exercise. But unless you map out a plan to “push yourself,” you probably won’t lose much weight.

I really get sick of hearing people say, “No pain, no gain!” But the old adage is true when it comes to riding bikes to lose weight. By pushing your cycling distance or speed, you are sure to feel some pain in your leg muscles, your hands, wrists, and your derriere– even some pain in your throat and lungs as your body tries to accommodate your increased demand for oxygen.

HEALTH TIP: Stretching exercises prior to exercising are helpful in preventing injury!

GETTING YOUR BICYCLE READY…TO ROLL OFF THE WEIGHT

Your first concern will be outfitting your bicycle. If you need an excuse to purchase a new bike, this is an excellent opportunity! I went from a 3-speed bicycle for leisure riding, to a 24-speed bicycle for more committed exercising. Once I learned how the different gears worked, I was very thankful for the extra speeds. They make my ride faster and the hills a lot easier to handle.

We’ve found the guys at the bicycle shop to be very helpful, and concerned for our unique cycling needs. Rather than simply steering us toward the most expensive bicycle available (as I had expected), they asked how much riding we would be doing, whether we were trying for speed or leisure, and whether we would be riding on paved roads or dirt trails. When you honestly share your goals and level of experience, the sales clerks can match you with exactly what you need. They want you to be successful in your biking venture!

Some state laws require bicycle lights. But if you will be riding anytime from dusk to dawn, common sense demands that you have lights on your bicycle. These little accessories are battery-operated and last a long time. There are a variety of lights to choose from. My tail light has different blinking speeds, and is designed to make my bike visible to cars approaching from both the rear and the sides. Check for brightness before you buy one. Install the light where it makes the most sense.

We held off on buying a speedometer and odometer unit for our bikes, but once we got serious about losing weight and getting in shape, this feature became a “must have.” You simply cannot track your progress without knowing how far and how fast you’re riding.

If you already have a bicycle, take it to the bike shop for a safety inspection each season. They should check the gears, tires and brakes to make sure everything is working properly. They can adjust your seat to fit your height and adjust the handlebars to fit your reach, making your ride more comfortable. If you’re lucky, they might even clean and polish your bike!

If you want to save money in the long run, you can find books and videos that teach you how to care for your own bicycle. It’s always a great idea to know how to change your own flat tire and adjust a loose chain.

Another must have is a bicycle pump. Ask your bike dealer how many pounds of air pressure to put in your bicycle tires. Check the tires each time you get ready to ride! We guessed at the air pressure one summer day, and lived to regret it. We rode the bikes to the swimming pool, not realizing that one tire was too full. While we were cooling off in the water, the hot sun was rapidly expanding the air in the tires-one tire blew as it sat in the parking lot. The day in the sun was not so fun, once the pool closed and we had to wait for a truck to haul us home!

HEALTH TIP: Talk with your doctor first, and get his or her blessing before you increase your rate of physical activity!

STAYING COMFORTABLE ON YOUR BIKE

Sitting for long periods of time on a bicycle seat can cause pain, discomfort, and even serious blood circulation problems in avid bicyclists. At your local bike shop, you’ll find a variety of bicycle seats made specifically for your comfort and health. The salespeople at our local bike shop encouraged us to try out new seats on our bikes for a few days. My husband found the split seat to be more comfortable for himself, while I opted to keep my old gel seat. Someone has even invented seats that look more like a bird perch than a bicycle seat!

HEALTH TIP: Get off your bicycle seat and walk around every 25 minutes or so to get the blood flow to important unmentionable parts of your body.

Think about your clothing…you don’t have to have padded biker shorts and special clothing to start riding bikes. There are actually scientifically engineered fabrics designed to pull sweat away from your body in the summer and to keep you from getting hypothermia in the winter. But for now, just wear layers of comfortable sports clothes.

Make sure your clothes aren’t so tight that you are miserable trying to pedal. But they shouldn’t be loose enough to become entangled in the bicycle chain, either! If you become overheated, strip off a layer. If you get cold, add a layer. Wear light or bright colors to allow drivers to see you easily.

It really helps to have a small cargo rack on the back of your bike. Mine looks like a little shelf over the back tire. It has two bungee cords to keep any cargo securely fastened to the bike. I’ve used it to tote a small picnic cooler, a shopping bag or extra clothes.

I had the bike shop attach a water bottle holder to the bike under my seat. I can grab a quick swig as I ride or pour some water over my pulse points to cool off a bit. Take small sips of water when needed during your bike ride, rather than chugging huge gulps.

A helmet is almost a must. Life is filled with hazards-and biking has its share. Be smart. Wear a helmet. You can buy a cool rear-view mirror for your helmet. The mirror helps you see when it’s safe to turn and lets you observe traffic coming up from behind.

I recommend wearing sunglasses-both for the sun and for bugs! At certain times of the year, the air is thick with flying insects. Getting a tiny bug in your eye is a painful event. For contact wearers, carry a contact case and lens cleaner on bike rides for just that reason. Some day you’ll be glad you did!

HEALTH TIP: Shake your hands downward frequently to get the blood flowing and to prevent pain or numbness in your arms and hands.

MAPPING OUT A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

You will want to keep a record of your daily diet and food intake, your weekly body measurements and weight, as well as your bicycling miles and time.

The WORKOUTWARE Personal Training Workstation software (see the Home Fitness page at www.poshbungalow.com) for your personal computer is an excellent way to track your progress. It is very easy to use-simply type in your information you wish to track. As the only software of its kind, you’ll find it to be a fantastic motivation tool that will print out charts and graphs to show how much progress you’ve made in a few days, a week, or a month!

It keeps track of your food, vitamin, and supplement intake. Thousands of foods have already been analyzed by experts for number of calories, fat, carbs, and protein. You simply select the foods you ate from a pull down feature, and the daily total is tallied for you. Make sure you don’t exercise when you’ve just eaten, or when it’s almost meal time. Both times will slow you down.

No matter how humiliating it is, measure your arms, legs, chest, waist, neck, hips and thighs once a week. The software keeps track of your weight and body measurements. The thrill of seeing those same inches melt away in the coming weeks will be worth the effort. It’s especially impressive seen as a graph!

Consider investing in an instrument that actually measures body fat-there are inexpensive pincer-type instruments that measure fat by pinching you, or buy a set of bathroom scales that cost more but calculate body fat quite painlessly.

Try to ride 4-6 days per week. When you map out your weight loss plan, your short-term goals will change as you change. You’ll quickly develop stamina for longer distance. As fat turns to muscle, your speed will increase. Each week, try to increase either your mileage or your speed.

You know how far you’ve been able to ride, thus far. Start keeping track of the exact route you are taking, the total mileage, and the length of time it took you. Make notes in your records for special circumstances. Did it get dark outside so you were forced to cut your ride short? Did the road crews dump a layer of gravel on your normally paved road?

What was the weather like? Was it dangerously hot? Was it windy? The wind can be your friend or your enemy. When the wind is behind you, your ride is a breeze…but coming from any other direction, be prepared to huff and puff. Accept any length of time as a job well done and simply get the ride accomplished!

Finally, add an upper body workout three times per week. Bicycling works your legs, but to get the rest of your body firm and trim, you’ll need to exercise your upper body, as well. The WORKOUTWARE Personal Training Workstation software, created by a certified personal fitness trainer, has excellent features which allow you to design and track this portion of your fitness program, as well.

Bicycle riding is a fun, inexpensive form of aerobic exercise-it’s good for every part of you. But be warned-you will need to buy a whole new wardrobe for the thinner, more beautifully fit body that emerges!

Sharyl Calhoun

See our Home Fitness page at http://www.poshbungalow.com

More Americans are taking “til death do us part” seriously. According to the recently released Rutgers University National Marriage Project the number of divorces is declining. But the lower divorce rate is largely because couples are postponing, choosing not to, or are legally unable to get married. Like Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham, and Elton John and David Furnish, these 11 million unmarried couples are in committed relationships and sharing financial obligations, but aren’t entitled to the 1,140 federal laws that apply to married couples.

“Although unmarried couples don’t receive federal protection like married couples, documents can be developed to mirror some of those protections, not just if you break up, but in the event of the death or incapacitation of one of the partners” says Debra Neiman, CFP® and co-author of Money Without Matrimony. “From creating a durable power of attorney to making sure jointly held property is correctly titled, it takes work for unmarried couples to protect themselves financially, but it’s well worth the effort.”

According to Current Population Reports the average American will spend the majority of their life unmarried and those people will likely partner, live together and enter financial commitments with another person. Neiman, with co-author Sheryl Garrett, CFP® caution these couples to do the necessary paperwork and planning while the relationship is good.

“No matter how temporary or permanent the relationship, it’s easier making financial decisions about the future of your relationship while you’re still in love,” says Garrett. “Because there are no laws to protect finances for unmarried couples - barring states that recognize common law marriages - planning today makes a possible break up tomorrow easier, financially speaking.”

And planning is not just for romantically involved couples.

“Whether romantically involved, or not, the issues are the same,” says Neiman. “Everything needs to be in writing including who pays what bills, how rent will be paid and who gets what if the two of you part ways.”

Al Martin is a freelance writer covering real estate, personal finance and investing topics.