Carmon

Sherry, a magical Spanish wine that has meandered through history with such force that it has played a central role in the works of literary geniuses such as Shakespeare and Poe. No other drink played such a central role in the colonization and exploration of the New World. When Magellan set out to circumnavigate the globe, his expenditures on Sherry were greater than those for weaponry for his entire voyage. As a fortified wine, it was better able to make the long journey across the oceans. As the first wine in the New World, Sherry remains important in the world of wine today.

Traditional Sherry begins its life on the vines of the Cdiz region of Spain. It is made of three types of grapes native to the region, Palomino, Pedro Ximnez, and Muscat. After being hand harvested they are gently crushed to draw the first must. Only this first pressing that is used to produce Sherry, this ensures the highest quality of wine. The pressing is immediately set aside for fermentation.

After the initial fermentation, the new wine is tasted for quality and is divided into one of three categories. The lightest and palest of the wines will be set aside to be turned into Fino and Amontillado, the highest grade of Sherry. The slightly darker but still clean wine will be set aside to become Oloroso, a darker Sherry. The third category destined to become Sherry will require more development before its final product can be determined.

Once its destiny has been decided, the wine begins its journey through the solera, a cascade of barrels through which the wines will move. This is a journey that takes a long time, as each year some wine is moved from one barrel to the next down the line. With a small portion of the wine from the preceding year left in the barrel, these solera are passed down through the generations. A small amount of wine is always left in the last barrel, so through the years, the last barrel in the solera will still have a very small amount of the first wine ever put in it, this wine can sometimes be several hundred years old and helps to ensure a balanced and uniform product. A true taste of history!

Today, Sherry does not have the same importance it once did. I can guarantee that more is invested in arming a ship of the line today, than on Sherry in their larder. However, it is one of the most historic of the wine family, and one of the most versatile wines available today. Sherry can be served as an aperitif, drank alone, and also makes a great addition to cooking, try this wine cake recipe from www.beyond-wine.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix

• 1 5oz box of instant vanilla pudding

• 3 Eggs

• Vegetable oil

• CREAM SHERRY (must be cream)

Set oven to 350

Grease and flour bundt pan

Mix all ingredients called for on the box and the amount of water using the cream sherry for the other half. Bake about approx. 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly and rim the edge with a thin knife before removing. Drizzle a glaze over the cake, powder sugar with a touch of lemon juice or vanilla.

I hope that this has enlightened you to the delights of Sherry, an Old World wine making inroads into the new millennium. Please visit www.beyond-wine.com for wine accessories and everything you need to enjoy your glass of Sherry, from glasses and decanters, to stoppers and pourers. For a limited time, get a barrel stave candleholder free with any purchase of $150 or more.

Jason Brink is a wine enthusiast, amateur historian, and passionate web developer. His birth and rearing in one of the premier wine growing regions in California has led to a deep respect and reverence for the wine grape and all its myriad children. As the lead developer of http://www.Beyond-Wine.com he has expanded his knowledge of wine culture and his love of the wines.

Jason Brink also owns a graphic design and web development company, http://www.jasons-professional-graphics.com

A boat makes any owner proud. One can rule the ocean with ones own boat. Commanding a boat transforms man to pass as the ruler of the high seas and terrible winds. Boats have caught the fancy of man since time immemorial. Possessing a boat however, is costly and has its own perils. Boats are an expensive asset, and they need to be protected. Boat insurance is one such method to protect you as the owner from damage or loss.

Constituents of Boat Insurance:

Boat insurance has two major components; the first one being Legal Responsibility/Security and Insurance, and the second being Property Loss. The insured sum is based either on Actual Cash Value or on the Sum Agreed Over.

A boat insurance policy is based on the agreed value; there is a certain amount of money printed in the policy, which is the sum compensated in the case of a complete loss. Limited damages are provided at new prices, implying that there is no reduction imposed, apart from high wear matter like sails and some machinery. This is the costly form of insurance. An authentic cash value policy is one where if your boat is lost completely, you will get the existing market price, without any deductible and suitable reduction for the age and state of your boat during loss.

Finding an Insurer:

Finding a boat insurer online is extremely easy, with many insurers vying for this market. If you as the boat owner are already familiar with a trustworthy company, then you can just visit the companys website and buy the insurance online. If you go for online insurance, you may get some discounts as well, especially if you choose to enroll for seamanship training through the Coast Guard classes, or membership in one of the U.S. Power Squadrons groups throughout the country.

A boat insurance policy offers broad navigational limits when a trip to distant ports is on the cards. The agreed or cash value of your boat is covered, along with rig coverage, scheduled tenders, and outboards. Most states require at least the watercraft liability insurance coverage for every boat. An insurance agent can usually help you out with all the necessary legal requirements and insurances. Once you get the required cover, you may buy more as per your convenience or requirement.

Since medical expense due to any boat accident maybe very high, it is wise to buy medical coverage also. Then there is an insurance cover against uninsured boats. This means that if you are hit by an uninsured boat, you will still be able to get compensation for replacing the boat or getting medical treatment.

Boats are great assets, but without proper insurance, they can be quite hazardous to own and sail in.

Most insurers have websites as well as offices. You can just simply click and buy any policy you require, or you can visit the office to speak and discuss with the insurance agents. These agents can assist in fulfilling the legal requirements of insuring your boat as well.

Paul MacIver writes about various boating topics. Visit the Boat Insurance Guide for detailed boat insurance information and help with selecting a boat insurer. For related resources go to Car Stuff Online

I used to have a fax machine that sat on a shelf in my office. It really didn't do much since I wasn't really sending out any faxes. So there it sat, collecting dust and spitting out junk faxes as fast as it could. Funny, though, in my head I heard a cash register every time that machine rang. Not only did those junk faxes waste paper, it wasted the ink and that was getting expensive. I decided at that time that I would start looking for an online fax service so I could unplug my fax machine unless I needed to send out a fax.

Perhaps you are finding yourself in a similar situation, or perhaps you just like the idea of an online fax service and the convenience that goes along with it. It really doesn't matter why you want an online fax service, you just need to make sure that once you get one that it carries with it all the options that you really need. Here are a few of those options that you should look for.

The first thing that you should look for is the ability to both send and receive faxes. If you are doing this online then the ones that you receive should come to you in an email so that you can pick and choose which ones you will print out. Another thing that you should look for is the ability to choose a local number. Some online fax services make you choose from a list of numbers that may or may not be a local number for you, but a good online fax service will allow you to choose a local number. Finally you should look for a service that stores the incoming faxes online so that you can access them from any computer when you are away from your own computer and email access. This also helps in saving faxes in case you lose the email.

Set Yourself Free from the Fax Machine at http://www.FaxViaEmail.info/

It's no secret that the Web is where the work is. Anyone and everyone wants a Web site, and those with Web design degrees can make that happen. That's because Web designers are the ones who determine and develop the look and feel for sites, and they're responsible for site navigation design and visual execution. Ready to point and click your way to an in-demand career through Web design schools?

Learn
Before you upload your resume, realize that a bachelor's degree is required for most entry-level and advanced design positions. That's where Web design schools come in.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits about 250 schools with programs in art and design. These accredited Web design degrees equip you with the design, e-commerce, scripting, and authoring skills necessary to advance in the field. You'll learn how to develop cutting-edge Web sites that blend interactive media with consumer-targeted information. You'll explore the nuts and bolts of Web page design using HTML scripting as well as page edit software, Web graphics and animation, video production for Web, and JavaScript. Web design colleges may also provide the opportunity to study the various site design models used in personal, commercial, and government Web sites, and to try your hand at designing your own Web pages and sites.

Once you've completed your Web design courses, the learning doesn't end. You'll need to keep your training up-to-date with certifications such as Certified Web Designer, Dreamweaver 8 Developer, Flash MX 2004 Designer, and ColdFusion MX 7 Developer, to name a few.

Yearn
Of course, all these Web design courses will be worth your while. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, graphic designers with Web site design and animation experience will especially be needed as demand for interactive media projects increase. Demand for graphic designers will also increase as advertising firms create Web marketing and promotional materials for more products and services. It's no surprise, then, that those with design and animation experience from Web design schools will have the best job opportunities in the field.

Earn
Not only is the need great, the compensation isn't too shabby, either. According to the 2006 AIGA/Aquent Survey of Design Salaries, the median total cash compensation for Web designers in 2006 was $48,000. Boston, Washington/Baltimore, and Los Angeles reportedly paid the top salaries for Web designers, and educational institutions, design studios/consultancies, and Web development firms were the organization types topping the wage chart.

Get in on the online explosion and explore Web design colleges today.

To find college and career schools near you, surf http://www.CollegeSurfing.com.

Copyright 2007
The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

Robyn Tellefsen is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school or career that's right for you!

No matter how brilliant your website may be, it will not do very well without some website promotion. Here are four simple steps to get your website off the ground.

The first thing you should always do is submit your site to different search engines. This is absolutely necessary for successful website promotion. Before you present your site to the search engines, you must make sure that it is search engine optimized. The great thing about submitting your site to search engines is that it is usually free and easy.

The next step is to submit your website to different directories. This will not only give your site more hits, it will also cause your link popularity to increase. Link popularity, or the number of other web pages linking to your site, is important to web site promotion because it helps search engines rank your website higher.

The next first step to help you excel at website promotion is to submit the site to pay per click search engines. Nothing will speed up your website promotion faster, though you do need to have some money to spend. The way that pay-per-click works is that different site owners bid on the amount they are willing to spend on certain keywords. The more you spend on the keyword, the higher up your website will appear on searches. You only pay for the clicks your site actually gets.

The final step for website promotion is to exchange links with other sites. Many people move from one website to others through links. Keep in mind that link exchanges need to be beneficial for both websites.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide

Download it free here: Internet Article Marketing

Do you want to learn how to build a massive list fast? Click here: Email List Building

Want to learn more about driving traffic like I do? Download my free traffic guide here: Traffic Generation

Sean Ray is an accomplished internet article writer, and uses articles to drive online traffic.

There are gender differences in learning styles specific to science, math, engineering and technology (STEM) that teachers of these subjects should keep in mind when developing lesson plans and teaching in the classroom. First, overall, girls have much less experience in the hands-on application of learning principles in lab settings than boys. This could occur in the computer lab, the science lab, or the auto lab the principle is the same for all of these settings it requires an overall technology problem-solving schema, accompanied by use and manipulation of tools, and spatial relation skills that very few girls bring with them to the classroom on day one in comparison to boys.

Lets look at some of the reasons why girls come to the STEM classroom with less of the core skills needed for success in this subject area. Overall, girls and boys play with different kinds of games in early childhood that provide different types of learning experiences. Most girls play games that emphasize relationships (i.e., playing house, playing with dolls) or creativity (i.e., drawing, painting). In contrast, boys play computer and video games or games that emphasize building (i.e., LEGO), both of which develop problem-solving, spatial-relationship and hands-on skills.

A study of gender differences in spatial relations skills of engineering students in the U.S. and Brazil found that there was a large disparity between the skills of female and male students. These studies attributed female students lesser skills set to two statistically significant factors: 1) less experience playing with building toys and 2) having taken less drafting courses prior to the engineering program. Spatial relations skills are critical to engineering. A gender study of computer science majors at Carnegie-Mellon University (one of the preeminent computer science programs in the country) found that, overall, male students come equipped with much better computer skills than female students. This equips male students with a considerable advantage in the classroom and could impact the confidence of female students.

Are these gender differences nature or nurture? There is considerable evidence that they are nurture. Studies show that most leading computer and video games appeal to male interests and have predominantly male characters and themes, thus it is not surprising that girls are much less interested in playing them. A study of computer games by Children Now found that 17% of the games have female characters and of these, 50% are either props, they tend to faint, have high-pitched voices, and are highly sexualized.

There are a number of studies that suggest that when girls and women are provided with the building blocks they need to succeed in STEM they will do as well if not better than their male counterparts. An Introductory Engineering Robotics class found that while males did somewhat better on the pre-test than females, females did as well as the males on the post-test following the classs completion.

Another critical area of gender difference that teachers of STEM should keep in mind has less to do with actual skills and experience and more to do with perceptions and confidence. For females, confidence is a predictor of success in the STEM classroom. They are much less likely to retain interest if they feel they are incapable of mastering the material. Unfortunately, two factors work against female confidence level: 1) most girls will actually have less experience with STEM course content than their male counterparts and 2) males tend to overplay their accomplishments while females minimize their own. A study done of Carnegie Mellon Computer Science PhD students found that even when male and female students were doing equally well grade wise, female students reported feeling less comfortable. Fifty-three percent of males rated themselves as highly prepared in contrast to 0% of females.

It is important to note that many of the learning style differences described above are not strictly gender-based. They are instead based on differences of students with a background in STEM, problem-solving, and hands-on skills learned from childhood play and life experience and those who havent had the same type of exposure. A review of the literature on minority students and STEM finds that students of color are less likely to have the STEM background experiences and thus are missing many of the same STEM building blocks as girls and have the same lack of confidence. Many of the STEM curriculum and pedagogy solutions that work for female students will also work for students of color for this reason.

Bridge Classes/Modules to Ensure Core Skills

Teachers will likely see a gap in the core STEM skills of female and minority students for the reasons described above. Below are some solutions applied elsewhere to ensure that girls and women (and students of color) will get the building block STEM skills that many will be missing.

Teachers in the Cisco Academy Gender Initiative study assessed the skill levels of each of their students and then provided them with individualized lesson plans to ensure their success that ran parallel to the class assignments. Other teachers taught key skills not included in the curriculum at the beginning of the course, such as calculating math integers and tool identification and use. Students were provided with additional lab time, staffed by a female teaching assistant, knowing that the female students would disproportionately benefit from additional hands-on experience.

Carnegie-Mellon University came to view their curriculum as a continuum, with students entering at different points based on their background and experience. Carnegie-Mellons new frame of a continuum is purposefully different than the traditional negative model in which classes start with a high bar that necessitates remedial tutoring for students with less experience, stigmatizing them and undermining their confidence. Below is a list of ideas and suggestions that will help ALL students to succeed in the STEM classroom.

1. Building Confidence

How do teachers build confidence in female students who often have less experience than their male counterparts and perceive they are behind even when they are not?

1) Practice-based experience and research has shown that ensuring female students have the opportunity to gain experience with STEM, in a supportive environment, will increase their confidence level.

2) Bringing in female role models that have been successful in the STEM field is another important parallel strategy that should be used to assist your female students in seeing themselves as capable of mastering STEM classes: if she could do it, then I can too!

3) Consistent positive reinforcement by STEM teachers of their female students, with a positive expectation of outcome, will assist them in hanging in there during those difficult beginning weeks when they have not yet developed a technology schema or hands-on proficiency and everything they undertake seems like a huge challenge.

2. Appealing to Female Interests

Many of the typical STEM activities for the classroom appeal to male interests and turn off girls. For example, curriculum in robots often involves monsters that explode or cars that go fast. Roboeducators observed that robots involved in performance art or are characterized as animals are more appealing to girls. Engineering activities can be about how a hair dryer works or designing a playground for those with disabilities as well as about building bridges. Teachers should consider using all types of examples when they are teaching and incorporating activities in efforts to appeal female and male interests. Teachers can also direct students to come up with their own projects as a way of ensuring girls can work in an area of significance to them.

Research also shows that there are Mars/Venus differences between the genders and how each engages in technology. Overall, girls and women are excited by how the technology will be used its application and context. Men will discuss how big the hard drive or engine is, how fast the processor runs, and debate the merits of one motherboard or engine versus another. These are topics that are, overall, of less interest to most females.

The Carnegie-Mellon Study took into account the differences of what engages female students and modified the Computer Science programs curriculum so that the context for the program was taught much earlier on in the semester and moved some of the more technical aspects of the curriculum (such as coding) to later in the semester. Authors observed that the female students were much more positive about getting through the tedious coding classes when they understood the purpose of it. Teachers should ensure that the context for the technology they are teaching is addressed early on in the semester by using real world stories and case studies to capture the interest of all of their students.

3. Group Dynamics in the Classroom

Research studies by American Association of University Women and Children Now have found that most females prefer collaboration and not competition in the classroom. Conversely, most males greatly enjoy competition as a method of learning and play. Many hands-on activities in technology classes are set up as competitions. Robotics for example, regularly uses competitiveness as a methodology of teaching. Teachers should be cognizant of the preference of many girls for collaborative work and should add-in these types of exercises to their classes. Some ways to do this are by having students work in assigned pairs or teams and having a team grade as well as an individual grade. (See Reading 2 on Cooperative Learning.)

Another Mars/Venus dynamic that STEM teachers should be aware of occurs in the lab there male students will usually dominate the equipment and females will take notes or simply watch. Overall, male students have more experience and thus confidence with hands-on lab equipment than their female counterparts. Teachers should create situations to ensure that their female students are spending an equal amount of time in hands-on activities. Some approaches have been: 1) to pair the female students only with each other during labs in the beginning of the class semester so that they get the hands-on time and their confidence increases, putting them in a better position to work effectively with the male students later on, 2) allot a specific time for each student in pair to use the lab equipment and announce when its time to switch and monitor this, and 3) provide feedback to male students who are taking over by letting them know that their partner needs to do the activity as well.

4. Moving Female Students from Passive Learners to Proactive Problem Solvers

The main skill in STEM is problem solving in hands-on lab situations. For reasons already discussed regarding a lack of experience, most girls dont come to STEM classes with these problem-solving skills. Instead, girls often want to be shown how to do things, repeatedly, rather than experimenting in a lab setting to get to the answer. Adding to this issue, many girls fear that they will break the equipment. In contrast, male students will often jump in and manipulate the equipment before being given any instructions by their teacher. Teachers can address this by such activities as: 1) having them take apart old equipment and put it together again, 2) creating scavenger hunt exercises that force them to navigate through menus, and 3) emphasizing that they are learning the problem solving process and that this is equally important to learning the content of the lesson and insisting that they figure out hands-on exercises on their own.

Research has also shown that females tend to engage in STEM activities in a rote, smaller picture way while males use higher order thinking skills to understand the bigger picture and the relationship between the parts. Again, moving female students (and the non-techsavvy student in general) to become problem solvers (versus just understanding the content piece of the STEM puzzle) will move them to use higher order thinking skills in STEM.

Finally, many teachers have reported that many female students will often want to understand how everything relates to each other before they move into action in the lab or move through a lesson plan to complete a specific activity. The female students try to avoid making mistakes along the way and will not only want to read the documentation needed for the lesson, they will often want to read the entire manual before taking any action. In contrast, the male student often needs to be convinced to look at the documentation at all. Boys are not as concerned with making a mistake a long the way as long as what they do ultimately works. The disadvantage for female students is that they often are so worried about understanding the whole picture that they dont move onto the hands-on activity or they dont do it in a timely fashion, so that they are consistently the last ones in the class to finish. Teachers can assist female (and non-tech-savvy) students to move through class material more quickly by providing instruction on how to quickly scan for only the necessary information needed to complete an assignment.

5. Role Models

Since the numbers of women in STEM are still small, girls have very few opportunities to see female role models solving science, technology, engineering or math problems. Teachers should bring female role models into the classroom as guest speakers or teachers, or visit them on industry tours, to send the message to girls that they can succeed in the STEM classroom and careers.

Bibliography

Medina, Afonso, Celso, Helena B.P. Gerson, and Sheryl A. Sorby. Identifying Gender Differences in the 3-D Visualization Skills of Engineering Students in Brazil and in the United States. International Network for Engineering Eucation and Research page. 2 August 2004: http://www.ineer.org/Events/ICEE/papers/193.pdf.

Milto, Elissa, Chris Rogers, and Merredith Portsmore. Gender Differences in Confidence Levels, Group Interactions, and Feelings about Competition in an Introductory Robotics Course. American Society for Engineering Education page. 8 July 2004: http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2002/papers/1597.pdf.

Fair Play: Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games 2001. Children Now page. 19 August 2004: http://www.childrennow.org/media/video-games/2001/.

Girls and Gaming: Gender and Video Game Marketing, 2000. Children Now page. 17 June 2004: http://www.childrennow.org/media/medianow/mnwinter2001.html.

Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age. District of Columbia: American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, 2000.

Margolis, Jane and Allan Fisher. Unlocking the Computer Clubhouse: Women in Computer. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2003.

Taglia, Dan and Kenneth Berry. Girls in Robotics. Online Posting. 16 September 2004: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roboeducators/.

Cisco Gender Initiative. Cisco Learning Institute. 30 July 2004: http://gender.ciscolearning.org/Strategies/Strategies_by_Type/Index.html.

Donna Milgram is founder and Executive Director of the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science (IWITTS). She is currently the Principal Investigator of the CalWomenTech Project, a $2 million National Science Foundation grant awarded in April 2006. She was also the Principal Investigator of the WomenTech Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, which had a goal of increasing the number of women enrolled and retained in technology education in three national community college demonstration sites. She led IWITTS's partnership with the Cisco Learning Institute (CLI)/Cisco Gender Initiative. Ms. Milgram produced the interactive teacher training video "School-to-Work: Preparing Young Women for High Skill, High Wage Careers."

Ms. Milgram's recent conference presentations include: the NSF ATE Conference "Recruiting Women to Science, Technology, Engineering & Math" (2004) and California Educating for Careers Conference in 2003.

Additional Resources:

http://www.iwitts.com/

http://www.womentechworld.org/

http://www.womentechstore.com/

I will freely admit that I did a bad, bad thing last week. Well, it wasnt a really bad thing unless you were one of those that fell for it I guess. What did I do that was so bad? I set up the Paulbots. Yes, evil rotten me, I know.

When I wrote Earmarking Our Way to Oblivion I purposefully left out any mention of Ron Paul even though I knew he was just as dirty as all the rest. See, Mr. Pauls own earmark fetish was certainly no real secret to anyone paying attention and with enough desire to dig a little. But the Paulbots were quick to comment about how because of the corruption that earmarks bring and how that they many times violate the Constitutional powers of Congress that this is exactly the reason why we needed Ron Paul.

Not a day goes by that supporters of Ron Paul arent out in droves proclaiming any conservative that does not support their candidate is an evil neo-con, trumpeting how Mr. Paul is a true constitutionist and is the only man qualified to be President. Well, I guess we now see how accurate their description of their own golden boy really is considering news that has really taken off in the last couple days about his own requests for earmarks.

It is no secret to those of us that are out there everyday taking fire from the Paulbots that when Ron Paul commands them to jump they not only ask how high, but also at what angle, what flavor of Kool Aid Mr. Paul would desire they bring him after they land, how many ice cubes he would like in said drink, what color he would like his house painted, how many gallons of gas he needs them to put in his car, what time he would like his wakeup call for the following morning, how he desires his eggs cooked and whether or not he wants them to polish his fine silver clockwise or counterclockwise. The answer to that last one is that Ron Paul demands they first polish it six times clockwise followed by a single counterclockwise finishing polish. Their loyalty to the illusion of their candidate as a savior of us all and as someone that actually holds the Constitution dear is admirable if not highly misguided and naive.

Now the Wall Street Journal and other sources have what Paulbots are robotically and predictably calling a hit pieces on their candidate. Of course I still question whether or not Ron Paul really can be considered a candidate when he barely cracks one percent in the polls. But that is another topic for another day. Anyway these hit pieces detail how Mr. Paul, supposedly a libertarian, has requested millions of taxpayer dollars for roles not delegated to the federal government by we the people. Hardly a libertarian stance. Hardly hit pieces. Simply the truth.

Oh ... well ... uh ... Ron Paul 2008! Hes still the man! Right Paulbots?

Last week the Paulbots were flooding me with comments about how we needed Ron Paul and about how I was right about the earmark problem. But this week I have particularly loved the responses by these same hacks to these new revelations and that have again flooded into my mailbox on cue since I blogged about Pauls own earmarks on Tuesday. They say things like, Well the money was going to be spent anyway! and, Its ok because he is just serving his constituents like he is supposed to, or boldly proclaim, there is nothing unconstitutional about Pauls earmarks! or my personal favorite, Well, yeah he requested the earmarks but he voted against them!

That last one makes me chuckle. Its a pathetic having your cake and eating it too argument that no true libertarian would embrace. Anyone with half a brain sees through this tactic as nothing but style over substance worthy of the staunchest liberals. Mr. Paul certainly understands that in the current corrupt Washington culture his earmark requests would pass even as he votes against them. He knows all he has to do is attach them to the spending bill in order to reap the benefits. A true libertarian would not even request them in the first place.

But rather than calling for his impeachment for violating the constitution, something I have done time and again for all politicians, regardless of party, that violate the Constitution, the Paulbots rush out to defend the man they have deemed as the one. Truth be damned! He really is a TRUE libertarian! Full ludicrous speed ahead!

It doesnt matter that they were out there in mass decrying earmarks just a week before. It doesnt matter that the Constitution is clear in Article I, Section 8 when it limits the powers of Congress to tax and spend on a concise list of things defined as the general Welfare. It doesnt mater if Ron Paul has requested federal money to deal with issues found nowhere in these federal powers from funding for shrimp to building hospitals to maintaining trolleys. None of that matters because ... well ... Ron Paul is da man! Praise the Savior of our Republic! Hallelujah! And how dare I and others take his name in vain!

Blind loyalty is never attractive. And it is often deadly.

The Constitution is simple. It allows for laws and spending on the only a short list of topics which are clearly stated and any libertarian worth their salt knows of James Madisons discussion of this in Federalist 41. The list that is there is the list. Thats it Mr. Paul. Thats it Paulbots. Nothing about shrimp. Nothing about trolleys. Nothing about most of what Pauls earmarks are spending money on. No amount of whining about Ron Paul getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar will change the facts. No amount of hurling slurs like neo-con or fascist or globalist at those that exposed Mr. Paul will make a difference in the truth. Such tactics dont work for liberals and they will not work for you.

Im sorry I entrapped you last week. But it is something you are going to learn from as you progress on in life. Principles are only principles if you are willing to put your money where your mouth is and always watch your own glass house before you cast the first stone.

Its so simple even a Paulbot can understand it. And I call on Ron Paul to be a true libertarian and draw up articles of impeachment against himself, convince his fellow Congressmen to approve the action and finally vote in favor of the action when the time comes to pay the piper.

But he wont. He wont because the fact is there are few true libertarians out here in the real world. We are a lonely bunch for sure. Even though lots of people envision themselves as such, when push comes to show they are at best nothing more than a bastard cousin; the liberaltarian. And that is why we are in trouble.

J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative and the owner and Lead Editor of the American Conservative Daily Blog and The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts. His weekly articles can be read at Liberty Reborn.

Home is where we can truly rest well after a day of hard work, and who would not want to have the most comfortable and cozy place for the whole family. Knowing that there is always room for improvement, many would love to improve their house in any aspect as much as they can.

When it comes to home improvement project, the thing is most of us expect restaurant standard on a fast food budget. Your dream home improvement project would almost always fail to realize because of money issue. The thing is who would find their contractors quotation cheap or maybe affordable unless one is filthy rich!

For most of us, to achieve the dream home that we want, one of the ways is to do it yourself. By doing away with the labor cost factor in by contractor companies, your dream project can be reduced by up to 50%.

Everybody knows that DIY home improvement is cheaper, but the question is should you even do it yourself? Well, it really depends. There are some questions you should ask before you embarked on home improvement yourself:

1. Are you skilled enough or have the necessary expertise to do the job?
Home improvement jobs that are dangerous for layman should be avoided altogether. Some of the jobs include extensive electrical wiring work, roofing work on a steep or high roof, and plumbing work that require one to climb under the house.

These jobs more often than not either require specialize knowledge or safety tools and gears that most laymen lack. It is simply not worth taking the risk to save some money. These jobs are best left for skilled workers.

2. Do you have the extra time to complete the project?
You can work on your project either after work or over the weekend whenever you are free. The question to ask is whether you can use the time to more productive and valuable uses. For example, investing into your family or cooperate advancement. Understand that your spare time also has a value attach to it.

3. Skills, Experience and Tools
Some of the more complicated job would require some skills, experience and tools to do a good job. Unless you are willing to put in a considerable amount of time to learn the skills, especially where craftsmanship is concern, chances are high that you will end up with an unprofessional looking creation. This is especially true for jobs like raised-panel cabinets.

There is always extra pride when you are able to roll up your sleeves and finish a home improvement project from start to end. Nevertheless, you should also understand the practicality aspect of it so as to avoid disappointment in the end.

Moses Wright is the founder of Home and Family. He provides more useful information on DIY Home Improvement and Home Improvement Centers on his website. Webmasters are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

A successful marketing plan doesn't have to include an athletic superstar, prime-time placement, state-of-the-art computer graphics or a massive budget. Being resourceful and smart can be just as effective.

Business promotion doesn't have to cost a fortune. Often, it's the personal touch that seals the deal. Here are ideas gathered from marketing experts to help you make the most of a slim marketing budget:

Use Press Release Power
You might not realize it, but reporters sometimes need you as much as you need them. The key to getting their attention is coming up with a newsworthy item that is concisely written.
* Peg your release to real events, such as fundraising drives or a new service your business offers. Don't be witty to amuse yourself the idea must have a concrete purpose.
* If you can't figure out why your company might be newsworthy, ask your friends what they find interesting about your company.
* You can also utilize your built-in research tool your customers. If you have an offbeat idea, bounce it off them or have them fill out a short questionnaire. Ask them why they use your business.

Think Differently
Concoct an event to draw media coverage. For instance, a Japanese restaurant could create the world's largest sushi roll and advertise its record-breaking "sushi queue."

Put A Face On It
Placing your photograph on your business card creates a personal relationship, even if they don't know you. Not only will people remember your name, they'll remember your face.

Print The Praise
If someone says, "You do a great job," say, "Thanks, very much, that means an awful lot to me. I would appreciate it if you would write a testimonial letter." Then make the testimonial part of your promotional package.

Borrow A Message
When you see an article on a subject that might interest your clients, send them a photocopy with a note that says, "I thought you might be interested in this." You're making a personal connection with a client and associating yourself with the authority quoted in the article in the process.

Think Outside The Box
You don't have to outspend your competition, you just have to outthink them. Some examples: Buy a billboard ad every other month for a year. Chances are, the billboard won't be replaced on the off months, so you'll get more exposure at no extra cost.
This concept also relates to how you run your business: Always try to figure out how to give your customers something they can't find elsewhere, such as a children's play area at a restaurant.

Try The Old Faithfuls
Don't dismiss time-honored solutions that increase your company's community profile, such as sponsoring a charity event or outfitting a local little league team. You'll get your name out there, and that's what counts.

Ann Marie Rubertone is a marketing consultant & freelance writer. Her two newest booklets, The One Page Marketing Plan and "13 Household Items You Can Use To Market Your Business" tips for marketing on a shoestring budget that can make the difference between success and failure. Check It Out is a customer-driven marketing firm providing design, writing, editing, desktop publishing services, and hands-on marketing workshops for independent professionals and small businesses. For more information, contact Ann Marie Rubertone, Check It Out (772) 335-0073, Port St. Lucie, FL www.checkitoutinc.com cio@adelphia.net

Laminate flooring has been one of the most popular flooring solutions for homeowner since it was first introduced, and it is now available in a range of prices, and designs, to suit any conceivable budget and taste.

Styles of Laminate Flooring

Wood-replicating laminate flooring? Youll not only find laminate flooring to resemble hardwoods of every species; youll find it colored to match any wood stain, and in more patterns than you thought possible. Single, double, or triple strip patterns; beveled or square edges; a wide variety of finished; and all of them ready, with their adhesive backings and snap together fit, are ready to be taken from their cartons and slapped on your floor.

If you are handy enough with math to know how to make templates for the cutouts and cut rounds necessary for fitting the laminate flooring squares to your floor, you can even do your own installation. For experienced DIYers who have some practice, completing two or three hundred square feet of laminate flooring installation in a day is not impossible.

Research Your Laminate Flooring Options

If you are considering laminate flooring for your home, you should begin by researching the reputations of the various laminate flooring manufacturers. Most of them have websites, as do the flooring retailers in your area who carry their products. You will learn a great amount simply by reading the customer reviews of those who have purchased the different laminates, both about their quality, and about the customer service they received from the retailers.

Its human nature for you to want your laminate flooring dollars to get you the very best product you can find; but one thing to keep in mind is that the laminate flooring which costs the most maybe priced according to its popularity, not its quality. Laminate in a trendy color may be impossible for the retailers to keep on their shelves, and they will, naturally enough, price it to take advantage of the extra customer interest.

By doing your research, you will soon get a handle on which laminate flooring manufacturers are known for the quality of both their products and customer service, and you can then narrow down your list according to prices. And remember, if you are willing to practice with a few squares of your laminate flooring, you may find that you can actually do your own installation, eliminating the need for, and cost of, a contractor!

You can also find more info on Engineered Hardwood Flooring and Laminate Flooring. Homeflooringhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Home Flooring.